It was a frustrating process of sneaking and hiding to get to the room they needed. Time was of the essence, but not getting caught was more important.

The two managing to sneak into a private room with its occupant busy with the ball, and their personal computer free to hack.

"Alright time for the fun part" Pidge deviously smirked, diving into the computer system like it was second nature. Fingers racing over the control panel.

Even without the translator system; like the one she programmed into her paladin suit, she had been given a lot of detail on where to find the files the blades needed. Plus with all the Galra systems she's been hacking and her own personal research she had a pretty good grasp on the Galran language.

Pidge carefully pulling out a small chip from her dress's belt and slipped it into the computer, transferring what the blades needed onto it. While the transfer was happening she carefully went searching through the systems for anything else useful. Finding something she wasn't expecting.

"Keith, They have a captured Blade here," Pidge said searching deeper into the system.

"What?" Keith questioned, "Kolivan didn't say anything about a missing Blade or one being captured."

"Well, their here… in one of the lower levels" Pidge pulling up more detail maps, trying to figure out the best route than getting some codes for key doors "alright I have the maintenance shaft codes, if we take the one two doors from this room we'll have a clear path to where their's being kept"

"Pidge we can't go after him-"

"I know, I'm not wearing the right type of equipment for a rescue mission" Pidge cut in, figuring that's where his argument was going "but I have an idea to make this dress quieter and more manageable, the security logs show he has minimal security around him, probably because of the ball and-"

"Pidge we can't go after them, we have to focus on our own mission," Keith tells her with a firm tone, grabbing one of her wrists and stopping her from typing more.

Pidge's eyes finally pulling away from the screen and looked up at Keith, her voice didn't seem to work making little more than a small sound from deep in her throat. This wasn't Keith… this wasn't the Keith she knew. He would never ever hold himself back from saving someone.

Her hand shook in his hand and for a moment Keith thought he might have scared her.

Pidge wrenching her hand out of his hold and shoving his arm away from her. Her honey brown eyes burning as she glared up at him.

"I am not going to leave an ally behind" Pidge growled "If Shiro was captured, and someone had the chance to save him" her honey brown eyes burning as she glared up at him "wouldn't want them to take that chance?"

Keith's body stiffens, showing his surprise with the question, but what really made Pidge's blood boil was that he was hesitating. How much had the blades of Marmora changed him?

"Arug!" she aggressively shouted, Keith wasn't himself! She would never call Keith predictable, but there were always reliable consistencies to him.

Pidge bent over and pulled up the skirt of her dress; Pidge noticed Keith take a half a step away from her, probably unease still about what happened before, but she couldn't care right now. Pidge pulling out her hidden weapon and using the blade end to start cutting down the first laying of her dress.

"Pidge what are you doing!?" Keith asked startled.

"I'm making this dress more manageable for the maintenance shaft" Pidge huff working on creating a cut down the second layer of her dress.

"Pidge, this is insane! Your dress isn't made for combat, we don't even have a way to get him out"

"The maintenance shaft also leads to where the ships are, it's a longer route but manageable" She answered, cutting through the third layer

"what if this is a trap, We do this and we could blow our cover forever the blades will never be able to use these aliases again."

"There were three levels of authentication on the file, it. was. real. I'm not stupid" she grumbled "and the blades will find other aliases to get into these parties, they can't replace a person's life" she huff and grunted as she finished the last layer and started cutting a long strip out of the lowest layer.

"Pidge what has gotten into, why are you acting like this?" Keith questioned.

Pidge whipped her head up, the burning in her gaze turning into a blazing fire. "Because someone here needs to act like the real Keith Kogane, and clearly it's not going to be you!" she snapped.

Her focused quickly returning to her dress, struggling as she tried grouping up and twisting all the layers behind her, revealing her legs and the knee-high socks.

Keith's shoulders slumped, both hurt and confused over her words, but questions could wait till later, they didn't have a lot of time.

Keith walked past her...Pidge's heart tightening, scared that Keith had changed so much that even his loyalty, their friendship, all of what he used to be had changed as well.

Keith's hands gently encompass hers "let me tie it back for you," he said from behind her.

Pidge was happily surprised with the action, only nodding, carefully slipping her hands out of his hands. Letting Keith take hold of the many layers. "Why…" she started but she wasn't sure which question she really wanted to ask, why are you helping me, why didn't you leave, why did you have a change of heart.

"I promised, nothing would stop me from being by your side tonight…" he replied, repeating his words from earlier. Bending down on one knee behind her, twisting the layers as tight as he could manage.

The angry vibration in her body easing away, her upper body twisting around a little to hand him a long strip of fabric. "You sure?" Pidge questioned.

"I'm sure" he nodded taking the strip and using it to tie up the tighten fabric behind her. "After all if you're going to be Keith, you're going to need someone to help keep you calm and out of too much trouble," he said standing up as Pidge turned to face him.

"I'm not smart enough to be your Pidge," Keith said making her smile slightly, the magenta gloss making her lips shine "but I think I can manage being your Lance" he replied.

Pidge laughed "Well, we already got the arguing part down" she smirked, making a smile slip out behind his helmet.

Pidge flipping the veil back using some of the pins in her hair to pin the veil back and keep it out of her eyes. "Now let's see how well we can get this job done, using the fire and ice bromance method," she said holding her whip-like weapon at the ready.

"...What's a bromance?" Keith questioned.