"Let's start," Sendak hummed, clicking the button on the remote for the machine. He'd requested some more comfortable clothes for Katie and for the paladins and blade to wait outside of the training room and instead in the observatory of it.
Luckily they'd obliged to both so Katie could hopefully operate at her peak performance.
The paladins and blade were watching, able to see exactly what speed Katie was going at as well on a screen.
Sendak started her at the altean equivalent of ten miles an hour, already practically a sprint normally. Shiro could maybe handle it but it would be pushing it, yet Katie was taking it as a light run.
"What the hell.." Keith whispered, he'd used that machine plenty of times, and he could only go that fast at the peak of his run, never at the beginning.
"She's quick." Shiro frowned, "really.. really quick.."
He recognized how much of a threat Katie could possibly be, human or not. He'd seen what the galra could do to people, what they made people become.
"Seems like the prosthetic is connected.." Hunk smiled, "that means she's okay! I wonder if that's the only test that he's going to do-"
"Faster." Sendak ordered suddenly, increasing the speed from 10 to 20.
Katie took it in stride, barely breathing any harder as she ran.
Everyone really thought he'd stop at that, but he didn't.
"Faster." Sendak said again, the speed going up again.
Katie kept up, shoes slapping against the rubber equivalent floor of the machine and her chest rising and falling with each deep breath she took.
Her pace was incredible, her ability to match the speed was incredible. However, it wasn't anything new to Shiro, Sendak, or Kolivan.
They'd all seen what the cybernetic parts the galra created could do, and increased speed was barely anything. They'd easily turned a lost arm into a deadly weapon after all.
"Faster." Sendak said again, Katie doing as she was told.
It was starting to get hard, she was breathing heavier, and the paladins could see her face scrunched up in concentration.
"Faster."
Katie was sweating a bit now, working hard to keep her breathing consistent and keep up with the pace her guardian was giving her.
"Faster."
"Holy shit, I think that's enough!" Keith growled, starting to go down to the training room.
"Katie's prosthetic is connected!"
Katie was able to keep up though, the change a bit jarring and causing her to almost slip, but she managed and Sendak didn't keep her at that speed for long.
He slowed her down bit by bit, making sure it was a smooth transition back to a light jog.
Ironically, that was where Katie seemed to struggle, like forcing her legs to move at a more controlled pace was more difficult.
"The systems are firing correctly up top, but down here-" Sendak tapped the port along her mid back, "they're firing too fast for you to go at a moderate speed."
"Great.." Katie grumbled, eventually slowing to a stop and stepping off the track.
Keith was down there by then, the two finally meeting eyes for the first time. It was as if a fucking flame lit in Keith's heart, seeing Katie again made all his feeling for her rush back harder than ever-though it wasn't like they'd ever really left.
"Your legs can move. That's what's important." Sendak huffed, "I'll see if the paladins have anything that could possibly work for repairs, wait here."
"Sendak-wait-don't leave me here-" Katie began but Sendak just left her there with Keith close by.
She sighed, running a hand through the messy front of her hair. Katie desperately needed to rebraid her hair and get it into a more neat style.
"I uh... I... missed you.." Keith said awkwardly, stepping towards her.
"Mhm," Katie said simply, taking down her braid and combing through it with her fingers.
Her hair was long, down to about her mid back and towards her hips.
Keith frowned, it wasn't that long when they first found her on Drule.. was it?
"I'm... we're.. sorry.. about what happened... it shouldn't have.." he murmured, watching as Katie quickly braided her hair.
It was surprising how quick she did it, clearly years of practice being put to use. She tied the braid up into a bun, the ports and scars on the back of her neck on full display now.
It was gruesome, layers upon layers of scar tissue surrounding the ports. Clear lines and marks showing exactly where they repeatedly cut into her skin in order to do maintenance on her prosthetic.
"I... Katie... I... I really... we didn't.. please understand.." Keith stammered, unsure of what to say and what to tell her.
How does someones apologize for that? How does someone beg a girl for forgiveness after what they did?
"You... uh..." Keith frowned, looking up at Katie who was looking right back at him.
God she looked amazing, skin glowing, freckles gorgeously speckled across her face, long golden hair, big doe eyes. Katie was absolutely enchanting to him.
"You look... beautiful." He gulped, smiling when her gaze snaps to meet his and her cheeks go bright red.
But.. she was glaring. An absolute death glare that probably should've killed him.
"So glad that's what you noticed," she hissed, the first words she'd said to any of them really. And.. it was an insult. Sort of.
Sendak really could not come back soon enough because Keith suddenly realized just how uncalled for his comment was. Of course she didn't want to hear that, why would she? Katie was essentially being held hostage by the people who left her to die and that was what he decided was a good idea to say?
"I didn't mean it like that- I just- you- I-" Keith stammered, feeling like an absolute fucking fool.
She didn't want him near her, he knew that. She'd literally tried to kill them and teamed up with the people that they were fighting an intergalactic war against.
"You what?" Katie snarled, voice blunt and apathetic.
She clearly didn't care about whatever he had to say, or really what any of them had to say.
"I... I looked for you.. we all did.. we tought you'd left to find your family.." Keith said softly, trying desperately to find the correct words.
"We.. I..."
Sendak could not have picked a better time to return, though he looked a bit upset.
"Only the traitors have someone qualified to make repairs," the large galra grumbled, absolutely enraged at the idea of letting them work on his kit.
"I can fix it myself," Katie insisted, looking up at Sendak.
"I designed the interface. I can fix it."
"Not without hurting yourself, and we are not letting that happen." Sendak grumbled.
"A technician will come here with the necessary equipment to repair it. We can't risk any nerve damage happening to you if the prosthetic gives out."
He left no room for argument, his gaze making it clear to Katie that was what would be happening. No matter what she thought about the situation.
"...yes Sendak." Katie mumbled, showing that she understood.
"Good." He grunted, patting katie on the head with his flesh hand.
The galra turned, only then noticing Keith.
"Oh.. I hope I wasn't interrupting something." He frowned.
"You weren't." Katie said instantly, "can we just get on with this shit, or at least not have to be watched like a goddamn pup."
"I'm sure we can figure something out, maybe you can go to your old room, get some rest before they fix your back." Keith suggested, smiling at Katie hopefully.
He knew that Shiro, Kolivan and Allura were unlikely to agree to that plan. But for fucks sake, it was Katie! Couldn't they give her a little slack?
"You do need some rest and a good shower before we fix anything. Your hair also needs to be cut again. Your prosthetic has been giving you extra quintessence to make up for the damage." Sendak grumbled, running a hand down his face.
He wasn't a fan of how much maintenance her prosthetic required, and especially wasn't a fan of the fact that a Blade of Marmora would be her technician.
But if she returned with a broken prosthetic and irreversible nerve damage Zarkon would have everyone's-including his-heads on a stake no matter what Katie said.
"She's not going back to her old room, and she's not going anywhere unsupervised." Shiro said firmly, him and the other paladins coming down to the training room.
"Ah yes, which one of you fuckers would like to watch me shower?" Katie spat, looking over and glaring.
"None of us!" Lance yelped immediately, staring at his leader in absolute shock.
"Come on, Shiro! This is ridiculous! I mea-"
"Katie chose her side. And she shall be treated accordingly." Shiro snapped, glaring at the girl right back.
Katie huffed, ever so gracefully giving Shiro the bird and even sticking her tongue out at him.
"Oh, so mature!" Shiro scoffed, temper quickly beginning to build.
Maybe it was because of the fact that everyone else wanted to go easy on her, or the fact that what had happened was their fault, or that she was with Sendak of all people, or that she'd sided with the galra in the first place, but he was absolutely fucking furious.
"Suck it up, Champion." Katie purred, tone dripping with venom and rage.
And just like that, Shiro snapped.
No one could've stopped him, Shiro swung hard and fast, nailing Katie right in the jaw with his mechanical arm.
"Takashi!" Lance yelled, him and Hunk grabbing him by his arms and collar in order to pull him away from Katie.
Sendak snarled, lunging for the black paladin, fully intending to rip him apart. The entire ground seemed to shake and not even Kolivan could pull Sendak away as he slammed Shiro onto the ground below him.
Keith was immediately beside Katie who was pushing herself to her feet, a hand over where Shiro had hit her.
Sendak was roaring something in galran, so enraged that his words were mixing together.
It was obvious that he fully intended to kill Shiro for daring to lay a hand on his precious kit. Hell, Keith seemed to want to do the same.
He probably would've if he wasn't holding onto Katie and fussing over the blood dripping from where Shiro knocked one of her teeth out.
"You dare to lay a hand on my kit-" Sendak began shouting, fist raised to come down on Shiro. Kolivan and Hunk were barely keeping him back, only able to because of a bit brute strength and the blade on his throat.
"Sendak! Don't!" Lance yelled, "Katie! Come on! Stop him! Don't let him do this!"
Katie groaned, wiping off the blood on her chin.
"Sendak, leave him be." She spat, not sounding completely sure of that order herself.
"The extra quintessence will make it grow back-"
Still, like a dog trained to perfection, Sendak released Shiro. Immediately, he was moving to Katie, pushing Keith to the side so he could get to Katie himself.
Shiro sprung to his feet, gasping for breath. Eyes wide as he scrambled back and away from the giant galra.
"Let me see," Sendak grumbled, tilting Katie's head up.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." Katie gasped, grabbing onto Sendak's outstretched hands, "I'm fine, really, don't worry about me-"
"Let me see!" Sendak insisted loudly, "I need to see if you're hurt!"
"I barely felt anything," Katie snapped, rubbing her jaw.
"I'm fine, seriously!"
"You little-" Shiro began, rearing up to attack her once again but Lance and Kolivan both yanked him back and began their own lecture to him.
"Alright! Katie, come with me. Let's get you cleaned up and then you can join me in my room-" Allura announced, grabbing onto Katie's shoulders and pulling her away from the situation.
Immediately Sendak followed after them, wherever Katie went, he went. Keith also trailed behind him, panicking over Katie still.
Allura really didn't want to separate Katie and Sendak from everyone else, especially since she and Keith wouldn't be able to handle them both if they decided to fight, but if they stayed there then Katie and Shiro would rip each other apart.
"Come on, Katie." Allura gulped, leading the girl to her room, "let's.. talk."