She Chose You~[Shidge]

Rescue

"They do realize that it's going to be taking them forever to fill this up?" Keith asked to no one in particular.

"I think that their just trying to scare us," Shiro replied, "It's going to be a while before they can even form a puddle anyway."

"Shiro they seem to be doing something else." Lance called drawing the attention of his comrades. Lance's feet were completely submerged underneath the mud that was created, and he was slowly sinking deeper.

Shiro stepped forward in attempt to help, only to get stuck himself. The water was bucket after bucket. The water cascaded down landed right in the middle of the group sending wet dirt all over the paladins white armor.

"No one move," Keith said as he began to sink himself.

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," Lance replied as he began to sink to almost knee deep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Pidge slowly rose from the position she had dropped to. The world around her was quiet, not even a breeze was blowing.

Glancing down to her right she found Zayd face down in the dirt, a pool of blood growing beneath him. She couldn't even remember who pulled the trigger.

Reaching out she grabbed her bayard and his blaster. Taking his blaster she tucked it into the belt of her armor. She had warned him and he refused to listen.

Before leaving the clearing completely she glanced back one last time. No one deserved to be killed by their own weapon, but alas this is war, and in war there are casualties.

Pidge continued on through the clearing and down the path. She broke through the forest edge and into the field where the castle was. Breaking into a run she made her way to the castle.

Bursting into the castle she startled Coran and Taj. Taj jumped behind Coran peeking around from behind his legs.

"Pidge! My goodness! Where have you been?" He asked.

"Where's the others?" Pidge replied not bothering to answer his question.

"They went into the city looking for you."

Pidge didn't wait for anything else before taking off towards the city. It wasn't long before she started to pass buildings and she found herself in the middle of the city square. The place was deserted not an Olkari in sight.

Almost immediately she noticed the decimated building. The rubble covering twice the amount of space it took before. Shouts in the distance drew Pidge away from the destroyed building.

"Shiro!" She called out. She ran towards the sound of yelling and what sounded like water being dumped. She disappeared around the back of a building and through a line of trees before seeing a long line of people with buckets in hand. A single person stood on the opposite side watching as each bucket was emptied. He stared down into the pit his arms crossed across his body.

Pidge stood watching for a moment, from the safety of the tree line, when her coms came crackling to response with a distorted response from one of the paladins

"Hello? Shiro is that you?" Pidge whispered yelled.

...idge...hel...ud..king...

"What? What's going on?" Pidge could barely understand what was being said. Summoning her bayard she attempted to aimed it at the tree but stepped on a branch instead. She froze. Pidge watched as the leader turned in her direction, frustration evident in his features.

"Come out now!" The leader demanded having heard her, "I'm sure you'd like to save your friends."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From the pit, Hunk, Shiro, Keith, and Lance watched as the leader disappeared from the edge. he seemed to be talking to someone. That's when they heard Pidge's voice.

"Let them go!"

"No. They need to pay for what they've done." the leader responded. He sounded like he was still next to the pit just not standing directly next to it.

Silence. The paladins glanced at each other concern etched on their faces. Just when they were about to come to the conclusion that Pidge and the leader were having a stare off, screams erupted from the crowd. The paladins could see nothing of what was happening above, but they could hear.

There was a definite sound of a gunshot and then pidge shouting. "Everyone go home, except for Mr. Big-shot here." Several pairs of footsteps could be heard retreating through the bush. Only when they could hear no more did Pidge speak again.

"Don't shoot."  The paladins could see the leader again at the edge of the pit arms raised.

"I'm not." Pidge replied. A thud followed her response, "Let's talk about this."

"Okay I'm listening," The paladins watched as the leader lowered his hands.

"I need you to release the paladins."

"No can do. They need to pay for destroying the orphanage."

"They didn't do it." Pidge replied anger lacing her voice.

"What proof do you have?"

"Up the mountain trail just in front of a large pile of brush you will find my proof. Check his pockets and you will find what he used to destroy the building."

"And if you're lying?"

"Why would I lie when my friend's lives are at stake?" 

"Fair enough."

The paladins couldn't hear more of the conversation as they moved farther away from the pit. Keith activated his jet pack and attempted to pull himself out.

"Keith stop! That's just going to make things worse!"Shiro called out.

Seconds later the red paladin stopped, sinking slightly deeper than the others. They stood there, eyes watching each other for an idea,  when they heard movement next to the pit again. They looked up as a rope was draped over the overhanging branch right above them. Seconds later Pidge's face appeared.

"Pidge!" They called out their faces lighting up at the sight of the younger paladin.

"Ready to get out of there?"

"Heck yeah!" Hunk replied.

"Okay when I say grab onto the rope one at a time and activate your jet pack." The paladins nodded in response. 

One by one the paladins did as she instructed and it wasn't long before all four of them were out of the pit. Their suits, however, were covered in mud clear up to their mid thighs. 

They didn't have a chance to say anything before Pidge was hurrying them out and towards a separate section of the wood.

"Whoa Pidge slow down what's the rush?" Lance asked.

"Galra are on their way right now and we have to hurry. Oskana said she would try and buy me some time, but that could've been hours ago!" She replied the confidence before leaving her completely and being replaced by slight panic.

"Isn't that the girl from the diplomat meeting?" Keith asked.

"Yes it is!" Pidge replied, "Now we have to hurry!" She stood in front of them face pleading with them.

"Lead the way! We're right behind you." Shiro stated.  Even though he had just been pulled out of a mud pit and felt like he could sleep for a day or two, he knew that this was important to Pidge. They also had a responsibility to protect the people on this planet, and nothing was going to stop him from doing that.