Prologue
A Butterfly's Wings
The earth rumbled and quaked all around them. The stalagmites crashed around them. Panic screams of the Galra's and slaves alike filled the vast mines. The air became cloudy as the dust was shaken from crevice in mine. Heavy machinery toppled over, crushing all who were unlucky enough to be caught underneath it. As quickly as it came the earthed stilled once more. Or from what they could feel. For where they were the earthquakes never stop.
She coughed as she stood up from the aftershocks of what the mine has went through. She'd been knocked over from aftershock. More annoyance for her but then again she was lucky she didn't hit anything on her way down. Like so many around her had. Beside it wasn't like her balance was good enough to withstand the aftershock. Or at least one of that magnitude.
She squinted her eyes annoyed from all of the dust kicked up from the aftershock. Thankfully she could still see clearly for few feet. After that at best she could see vague shapes before it was a wall of weird purple orange dusty cloudy. Who knew galactic evil was really into purple.
The aftershock wasn't that big of surprise but one of that power was. Earthquakes were consistent on this never got too strong just a simple shake powerful enough that lights swung or sometimes knocked lightweight stuff off the shelves. But the aftershocks were powerful. They were the ones everyone had to look out for. It was one of the reason that there were more bots than galra soldiers or slaves here. Aftershocks killed too many of them for there to be anything but bots. But the mines held important minerals that the Galra needed. Despite the bots being better here they did need non bots here for something. For machine could handle somethings but not everything.
She look around confused but focused. She was still a little disoriented from the aftershock. Despite being able to memorize the mine, the rubble had made her slightly confused on where she was exactly. Not to mention she was slightly disoriented from the aftershock. Well she had been through earthquakes stronger than one like this back home she also had been knocked over as well. At least she wasn't scared like many of the aliens here. Beside this what she been waiting for, an opening.
She been planning for this for weeks now. Now all that careful planning was going to see action. This was her chance for freedom. This was their chance for freedom. She whispered quietly to her fellow slave next to her as she help them up from being knocked down like herself. Tell them to get up and start fleeing. Slave begin to shake their head no before she point to the galra robot that had been crushed. Another that are downed. Then they nodded enthusiastic. She warned them to escape quietly they don't need to alert the few galra soldiers that were here to see what was going on. And to spread the word to any slave that they see. As well as help others escape.
Soon slaves started to leave the mines, unhindered by the robots who lay crushed under the rocks and machinery. They left quietly and in groups grabbing anyone of their own they could see. Eyes and ears and other sense open and looking for galra soldiers who avoid being crushed to death. But more importantly they left quietly. Not making a peep least their escape go noticed. This was their one chanced to be free. They were not going to be one to butcher it.
While slaves left for the opening of the cave she didn't despite other slaves quietly urging her to. But she shook her head no and told them gently to escape. She would leave once she was sure that everyone was free. Beside not all of the bodies crushed under rocks and machinery were robots though. Some were their own. Slaves. Most times she was able to get a group to move the object. Sometimes it was kinder to end the suffering. Out of everyone here she was the only who could do it. The others would try to save them. Will it no longer hurt her. It still hurt it the same time. She was used to this. Making hard choices. Will it hurt to send them to their death she could. Beside this was slightly easier. She ended a suffering not create one.
"That should be all of them," she whispers to herself, looking over the last level of the mine. She turns to leave the damn place, and that's when she hears it: distanced bangs, constantly hitting the metal. She followed the sound without hesitation. She wouldn't leave till everyone was free.
It was worse than she thought. A wall of metal blocked the only entrance into the tunnel, the metal that once held up the entranced up had collapsed on itself trapping all who behind it to slowly and painfully death. Many of her fellow slave spoke in fear of that tunnel. It was death to all who went there. She heard the whisper within cells how slaves dying from being crushed under the rocks from tunnel. How many who got pick to go in the tunnel give what little they had to others slaves they close to. The dead don't need anything. Then there was the desperate begging she heard, the wails when someone got pick. Many tried to beg switch places with loved ones but the bots won't even the soldier would budge. But some did some allowed slaves to trade places. Eventually it got so bad that even the Galra started to send in bots, not slave. Bots could be easily replaced, not to mention made more durable for what was needed in there.
She didn't turn back. She marched forward with determination in every step, she would help them. She climb over the rubble and machinery. Despite the fact it hurt to climb over some of sharp rocks and machinery it thankfully didn't piece her hands. Rather it would nice little workout if not for the fact people's life depend on the through it an going around some of the smoother pieces was annoying. Really annoying. Now if only if she could just crawl these whole thing she probably get there faster. Even though most of the dust settle she still coughed from the dust in the air. Then again it was lowest level. Everything was settling in here.
"Hello?" She called out into the tiny hole that was just her eye level. And being 5.0ft that was kinda good thing consider that the wall of metal death wasn't climb able. And there was nothing for her to use as step stool. "Please" A weak almost a whisper cried out. "Please help us." If it wasn't for the fact her ear was next to the small hole she wouldn't have been able to hear them.
Against her better judgment, she reached her arm into the hole. Her arm was just big enough to touch the other side. "I'm here" She said as her hand fumbled in the darkness till it found what she was looking for: the other's hand.
Images flashed through her mind. A Galra soldier in her mind hissed. A scared galra soldiers' quiet voice whispered in her mind. Despite her anger and her hate she stay with them. Shaking her head no to any slave that came near her. She won't have them be captured again cause of her.
Her arm hurt. The shifting metal was starting to dig into her flesh. And she pretty sure that there was a wound. But she never let go of the other hand. She held on despite her arm going numb. Despite her getting tired. Despite wanting to let go.
That's how they found her. How galra soldier found the slave. Tired eyes look up at them. Fear gone and only relief that someone had found them. She told them soldier where on the other side of the wall.
She never let go of the other. She let them work around her. Whisper quiet encouragements to the other. Once opening was made. Other let go first. She let her arm slide from the hole. Her arm was bloody. Her forearm held the wound from the metal that was slowly digging into her flesh. Thankfully from the looks of it didn't cut into the veins. It would scar but she would live.
She clutched her arm as she walk away. A soldier watched her as she sat down on the rock. Strangely gracefully for slave. But that one that had stuck with galra soldier. Despite knowing what was behind the wall. She called them and told who was behind that wall.. A soldier she said as look up it them with tiredness in her eyes. But not broken. Not like the other thought. She was unbroken. He could see. It was just hidden. She was smart.
And a debt was own.
In celebration of Season 5 being out i give you this.
and a mighty thanks to my beta grunge0cutie(Ao3) and stardreamer(idk if they have an Ao3 or fanfiction account)