Allies to Traitors [A Voltron Fanfic] [Kidge]

8. Stranded

Narrrator:
Keith was getting increasingly scared and panicked, having spent several hours looking for some kind of food or shelter. And unfortunately being very unsuccessful. Keith was getting tired, and his injury was starting to weigh down on him, but he had to keep going. He had to at least find shelter to keep Samie safe from an attack. All the while Samie was being cradled in his arms protectively.

Keith had to thank his Galra instincts for once. In Pidge's research, and according to Kolivan, Galra parents often have built up adrenaline to use when in stressful situations, mainly during a drought, starvation period, or when the infant—referred to as either a "cub" or a "kitten"—is in danger of another species. To their credit, Galra very rarely attacked other Galra, especially infants in their primal stages. Heck, it even applied somewhat to modern Galra.

It was also just Keith in general, he already loved Samie with every part of him, and he wouldn't live with himself if he gave up, or failed to get somewhere safe and let her die. So he kept pushing forward and putting more and more effort into making sure he at least got Samie to safety. Preferably that he also found a form of milk for her so she wouldn't starve.

That effort eventually paid off, as Keith stumbled upon a very big tree with a spot in the trunk that could serve as a spot for shelter. Better yet, if Keith figured out a way to do it, he could cover up the entrance so they weren't as out in the open.

There were other pockets in the tree, but this was the closest one, plus it looked more difficult for enemies to get into. Keith felt worse about his situation as he knew how broad he had to make the term enemies, he really didn't know who or what would be out to get him and his daughter. There was a good chance that it would be the inhabitants of the planet. Or even his former teammates, if they thought it necessary to come back for that diplomatic conference they agreed to before the attack.

Keith held Samie tight and climbed the root, his claws made it much easier to climb up and into the shelter. It wasn't being used by another creature, and it had enough space to fit both of them, and a stash of food and water when acquired. Keith gently laid Samie down in one of the small crevices in the wood, and went out to grab more supplies. When he came back, it was raining, and he had a way to collect the water.

For some reason, something in Keith's instincts told him that Samie would be fine without milk. And he was brought back to when he and Pidge researched Galra cubs. According to what they found, a baby Galra could live without milk, as long as they had water and some kind of liquid food source, if they were mixed it would be ideal. This was a survival element that was especially useful before Galra had technology in their extremely dangerous and hardy planet.

Keith wondered if he could test it out, he gently handed a small amount of water to Samie, and she gladly drank it. Keith felt some relief fill his mind, and he mashed up some fruit he ate earlier, Samie ate/drank it without an issue. She even seemed to enjoy the sweetness of the fruit.

Now Keith only had to worry about keeping Samie protected, and holding out until he found a way to leave. After feeding Samie, Keith went out again, and was able to cover the entrance to the shelter with multiple vines with big leaves. Once that was done, he took off a couple pieces of his armor, and focused on bandaging his wound. It would have to be replaced every few days, but he could manage it.

By this point it was completely dark out, and it had started getting a bit cold. To Keith's surprise, Samie had more Galra characteristics than he thought. As she managed to crawl out of her bundle and over to her father, cuddling up to him. Keith smiled and held Samie close as she started purring in a high-pitched voice.

Keith smiled even brighter and spoke to her.

Keith: You are really tough, missy...

Samie cuddled closer and purred again. Only showing her dark brown hair, fluffy ears, and tail.

It was then that Keith remembered Pidge again, and felt an ache it his heart at how much pain she had to be in. She probably thought they were dead, she didn't even get to hold her daughter... At this point they hadn't found her brother and father yet, and she wasn't in contact with her mother. So Pidge likely felt like she lost her only remaining family. Her husband/mate and her daughter, who had only been a few minutes old when she was separated from Pidge.

Keith laid down then, picking Samie up and laying her on his chest. Keith made eye contact with her as she cooed quietly. Keith gently pet behind her ear, earning more purring and a light giggle. Keith smiled weakly again. He leaned over and gently nuzzled her, before finally speaking.

Keith: This is going to be tough, I know. But I'll make sure we find a way out of here, Samantha, I promise.

That was when Samie laid down again, cuddling close to her father and purring more. She finally shut her eyes and began to sleep as Keith gently picked her up and laid her back down in the crevice area, wrapping her up in her blanket and extra leaves so she wouldn't get cold.

Then Keith laid down again, using a bundle of leaves to rest his head on. He carefully reached over, and moved the blanket a bit more so that Samie would be more warm. Despite his fur, Keith was still slightly cold, and worried about how cold it was for Samie. But she luckily didn't seem bothered.

All Keith could do at this point was rest, and give his body at least a little time to try to heal his wound. Especially since he knew he'd need to get more food and water the next day. For now, Samie was his top priority.