shining like the stars

69

Illianya touched her wrist, and the forearm of her black flightsuit lit in the same soft teal that glowed on the paladin armor. A small display appeared above her arm, and she touched the keypad simulated by the holographic computer. "Two ships," she confirmed, as everyone crowded around her. The keypad dissolved and the hologram became a three-dimensional map.

"That's the orbiting waystation," Shiro said, and Illianya nodded her head, and then zoomed it out.

"The frigate is in orbit around Eaphus itself, not the moon or docking at the waystation," she said. "It appears the prison ship is just here for a transfer, maybe gladiator games." She tapped her wrist again and the map rotated a little. "We've been tagging and trailing several prison ships. We're not able to read it's IF/F from here, are we, Holt?"

Matt was standing back from the group of them, his own small computer readout going and Pidge glued to his side, eyes narrowed. "I'll have to get closer to see if it's one we've tagged," he said. He looked over at Pidge. "I've — we've been following prison ships for weeks, trying to find the one I escaped from, or the one Takashi could have been on." He looked over at Shiro, who didn't lift his head from studying the display Illianya held out, but nodded his head to show that he was listening to Matt.

"But why's the frigate hanging back, then?" Hunk asked. "What is it here for, especially if Galra can't survive the moon's atmosphere."

"Drone soldiers aren't affected by insignificant things such as an atmosphere," Illianya sniffed. "But I don't think that they're here to conquer, their presence in the waystation in orbit is enough to keep Eaphus firmly in the empire."

"No, they're here because someone reported an idiot in a blue lion flying recklessly around," Rian, the other Altean, snorted, arms crossed.

"Hey!" Lance said indignantly. "I wasn't flying recklessly."

"Do you think it's scanning for the castle, princess?" Shiro asked, and Allura frowned, also studying the map. The gas giant was large enough that only the curve of it showed along the edge of the map.

"That would be my assumption," Allura said with a frown.

"Then that's a poor way of doing it," Keith said, and they looked at him. He too was focused on the map above Illianya's arm to notice. "The magnetic fields that the gas giant emits would be playing havoc with the frigate's long-range scanners. They'll never find the ship just hanging in its orbit like that."

"That's a good point," Illianya said. "What are they doing, then?"

"Waiting for the Blue Lion to break orbit and then follow it back to the castle," Hunk said. Allura's attention swung to Hunk and he shrugged. "I mean, that's what I would do, if I knew someone was hiding in the system. If the Blue Lion is planetside, it's gotta leave at some point. Then I send a few small recon ships behind it and wham!" He slammed one fist into the palm of his other hand. "Got'em!"

"I am not leaving Blue alone here," Lance said.

"Nobody said anything about leaving Blue, Lance," Pidge said.

"Blue should stay behind," Keith said. "And Lance, too." Lance shot Keith a betrayed look, that Keith ignored completely. "They'll be looking for Blue, but not for shuttles. We can get back to the castle and get our lions, and then go settle this frigate once and for all."

"Alternatively," Hunk said, "I bet we can outrun the frigate."

"No," Rian said. "We're not gonna run, we're gonna take down the frigate and tag the prison ship."

"I agree with the Altean," Keith said. "We can't just let this opportunity go to waste!"

"As much as I would like there to be one less Galra frigate running around," Lance said, "maybe Hunk is right. This place might be under Galra rule in name, but the people here aren't suffering or being exploited. More people would get hurt if we stood and fought here, than if we bolted."