Deserving

Chapter twenty-five

They marched through the hangar barely acknowledging the Olkari engineers rushing about the room. Keith stormed ahead, the mud all over him still wet. He sent an engineer tittering over as he borderline barged passed him. Lance didn't wait to apologise in his stead though, jogging along into the vacuum left behind in Keith's wake. 

The door ahead snapped open and Allura hurried through, blood drenching her hands and forearms. Pidge was right behind her, scampering through the door before it had even fully opened. 

"Turn around!" Keith yelled, "We don't have time to be talking here!"

Allura froze for a fraction of a tic before spinning around with a stiff nod, swinging Pidge around with her. Keith managed to dart passed them, Lance quick on his heels, tripping past a randomer Lance had yet to know the name or purpose of. 

"I can track him through his armour!" Pidge shouted, her voice puffy with her pants, "Like I've been trying with Shiro." They all tried to ignore the sinking reminder that it hadn't been working.

Lance caught up to Allura, "What happened?"

Allura snarled, her passing glare scaring a rogue engineer out of their path, "They never wanted our help. They were only working with us to get the barrier down." Lance glanced pointedly at the blood on her and she huffed, "Not to mention," She gritted out, "That the people we were negotiating with were not the agreed upon rulers of the planet. We got caught up in an assassination attempt."

"Are you okay?" They reached the bridge, none of them waiting for the doors to properly open, "Are you hurt?" 

"It's not my blood." Allura reassured as Pidge skidded onto her console, already trying before she had even properly settled in her seat.

The programme she was using had been left open. Lance thought he might have seen it open back that morning before the mission. 

Keith hovered a bit behind her, his arms switching between crossed and resting restlessly on his hips, his fingers drumming and tapping as he itched to do something to help. Lance bumped up next to him, trying to think of anything to say but his mind only echoed with fear. 

Hesitantly, Allura laid a hand on Keith's shoulder, "We'll find them. We have the ship's ID and specifications. We can track it, I'm certain." 

Keith didn't say anything, just nodded stiffly. 

"Got it!" Pidge spun back to them, eyes wild, "895, 467, 002!"

Allura jerked away, dashing to her pedestal to open a wormhole. Keith grabbed Lance, tugging him towards the ziplines. 

"Wait a moment." Kolivan intervened from the corner.

"What do you mean 'wait a moment'?!" Keith exploded, "They have Hunk! And we know where! Why would we wait!?"

"Those coordinates are in the centre of Commander Oraed's territory." Kolivan explained calmy, "She is likely the most organised commander in the Empire. Every action and plan within her territory is designed meticulously. Not to mention that Hunk is a known Paladin. His transfer and holding will be done with the upmost consideration." 

"It won't be easy to retrieve him." Allura summarised.

"But we did it before with you two?!" Pidge argued, pointing between Lance and Allura.

"Zarkon was overconfident and behaved irrationally. Nevertheless, you would not have succeeded without Thace's help." He spoke slowly, his gaze drifting over them all with a blank expression. He sighed, his resolve seemingly crumpling, "...I have a few undercover agents in her command that I can mobilise, but I refuse to unless we are certain of the risk."