Catch the Stars ||Keith Kogane||

24

There was a lot Trip hadn't been filled in on since being brought back from Haggar's persecution room. One being that the teleduv was on the verge of being completely broken. They couldn't make big jumps, just tiny ones. And even then its a big toss up on whether or not it's going to work. 

However, Coran having the slipperys is not news. Maybe to him, since he kept denying it because it's an 'old person' sickness. But Trip and the rest of the paladins knew he would be slipping around for the rest of the week in denial. 

She and Keith arrived in the control room at the same time. Keith went straight into his seat as soon as the doors opened to the room.

In the observatory, she couldn't see any of the chaos that was ensuing. From there, everything was peaceful. In here she could see the havoc going on just outside.

An entire fleet of Galra ships was swarming them, blasting at the particle barrier with full power each time. Trip had nothing to do to try and stop them. She could stand at the window and watch. Only Allura could steer the ship; only the paladins could use their stations, only Coran knew how to try and fix the teleduv. All Trip could do was stand by and watch as they fought.

"We have to find a way out of here," Allura is ordering.

Ships were flying around from all angles that Trip could see, trying their damnedest to break their barrier. It wouldn't be long until they succeeded. 

"Or," Keith speaks up from his chair, "we can stay and fight. Now's our chance!"

Trip looks at him in a way that reads 'are you crazy' and when he sees it, he snarls, "we can't keep running!" 

"The hell we can't!" She snaps as a beam hits the barrier so hard it shakes the castle within, making Trip readjust her footing, so she doesn't topple over. It didn't help that Coran left a trail of gross sweat everywhere he went and there happened to be a puddle where her foot planted itself. 

Coran's face illuminated everyone's screens, and Trip was close enough to Lance's chair that she could see him. Laying on the floor, a bump on his head, and a sad look on his face.

"Guys," he says, "I think I realize that I do have a case of the slipperys. I'm sorry I yelled at you Pidge, but I need your help down here."

The green paladin nods, any yelling he spoke of forgotten, "I'm on my way!" And she's running off instantly out the door Trip just came through.

As Trip stood and looked at everyone around her scramble to defend the castle or lions while she could do nothing, she felt utterly helpless. She wasn't meant to be in the air with a drone shooting for her. Her place in battle was on the ground. And with no ground fighting going on, she was useless.

Extra weight.

It's been a long time since she's felt like that. Her fingers burn with the urge to do something. To help them in some way. But nothing on the castle makes sense to her; she would only make things worse by touching something. Watching and waiting was all she could do in the sky.

"Hey! My drone's down!" Lance gasps from his chair. Trip turns to see his station had fallen dead.

"I got you covered," Keith steps in just as his seat shuts down, "nevermind. I'm down too. What's going on?"

Pidge appears on the big screen in front of everyone, "it's us! We're cutting all nonessential systems to try and power the teleduv!"

Apparently, 'nonessential' means everything. A few seconds later, the particle barrier was down — everything except engine and teleduv. The castle shook with the force of every shot coming it's way.