The mission had gone wrong from the start. The wrong intel led to the wrong entrance and from there the paladins had been severely out numbered.
The Galra knew it too and used it to their advantage, and the circle the Paladin's had formed was quickly spread out until it did no good to even try and stay in formation.
Lance slid back on hands in knees absorbing a hit that stole his breath. He grit his teeth and pushed up activating his bayard. The Galra he currently had his sights on was actively running towards him.
His breathing was ragged as he pulled his bayard up taking aim. The Galra was nearly upon him now. Just a few more steps and it would be a shot that no one would be able to walk away from.
He placed his finger on the trigger and attempted to slow his breathing.
Then without warning the Galra jumped. The moment he left the sight Lance swung upward trying to get him back in the marks.
The Galra landed behind him by several yards, his expression nothing but amusement.
It was one quick motion from the moment Lance turned to when he found the Galra again. This time he didn't wait to pull the trigger, didn't wait until his sight was fully on him.
The blast from his bayard shot out, bright and blue and every bit filled with the intent to harm.
Only the Galra didn't fall.
Lance lowered his bayard slowly, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the Galra who was no longer looking at him. Rather he was looking rather pleased as to whatever was in front of him.
Then Lance finally looked.
Katie was standing right in front of the Galra. Her arms were raised half way, one of her hands holding her bayard as it pulsed gently with power. Her head tilted downward focused on something entirely other than the fact there was a Galra behind her.
Lance's gaze dipped and he finally saw why Katie stood frozen and the Galra looked too entirely pleased with himself.
The reason the Galra hadn't fallen was because his shot hadn't hit its intended target at all.
Katie finally looked up at him eyes wide. "I- I don't think- think that's good."
At the same moment the other Paladin's came running around the corner just to stop short at the scene. Keith muttered a curse, eyes instantly flashing to the Galra who was still standing behind Katie.
Lance still hadn't moved, he couldn't. The sight before him was something he feared in his dreams, but never here, not in real life. His arms hung limply by his sides, bayard still held in one of them. Surely this wasn't happening. His mouth worked trying to form words but nothing came out, and his body refused to move to her.
Katie's hand released her bayard and it disappeared in green flash. Then with shaky hands, reached for her abdomen. She flinched at the contact sucking in a breath.
Her hand came away covered in red, and she looked at it as if seeing her own hand for the first time.
She stumbled back a step, then another, head shaking ever so slightly. She looked at Lance her hand held up in between them, eyes shining.
Then she dropped, and Lance ran.