A/N: It's me! Time to get this story rolling again! (Still having a hard time keeping a thousand word minimum, but here goes.)
You may notice a few missing chapters. I Don't See You didn't originally have the goofy side chapters, and they were kind of pulling from the main storyline. They will be posted! Just in a separate story of one-shots called Misadventures of a Blind Pidge. The two chapters previously in this story will start it off, and I will post it later today.
It wasn't easy to tinker when you're blind, but Pidge had learned how to do a lot of things in the last six months.
With advancements she, Hunk, and Coran had puzzled out, the EVOR's effectiveness had only increased. While the images weren't nearly as clear as when she flew Green, Pidge could "see" well enough to make out the bits and pieces of tech. Using her fingers, she was able to figure out the smaller details.
Currently, Pidge was up to her shoulders into her console on the bridge. She was trying to figure out if there was some way to allow her to "see" the holograms that the team so often used for maps and briefings. She was so busy tracing wires with her fingers, that she failed to notice footsteps approaching.
"Pidge?" came Shiro's voice.
Pidge yelped in surprise. She jerked upright, accidentally hitting her head on the way out. She rubbed her head and glared.
"Sorry," Shiro said, thought Pidge could hear the smile behind the apology. "Can I talk to you?"
"I'm all ears," Pidge said, starting to lean back over the console.
Shiro's hand gripped her shoulder, halting her. Pidge cocked her head at him while he took a deep breath.
"How are you feeling about facing the Galra again?" Shiro asked.
Pidge's eyes opened behind the EVOR in shock. "Seriously?"
"Yes. Voltron's been out of action for too long." Shiro hesitated. "I understand if you didn't want to."
"Of course I want to!" Pidge said excitedly. Shiro didn't respond, so she went on, "I can't hide from the Galra forever, Shiro. I'm learning to work with my blindness. I can hold my own in a fight, you know that."
"I know…" Shiro sighed. "I just don't want to put you in unnecessary danger."
Pidge smirked. "The only way to keep me out of danger, was to send me back to Earth. Which, by the way, is a terrible idea. Don't even try it. Besides, you need me to fly Green. She'll take care of me."
Shiro chuckled slightly. Pidge grinned at him, knowing she had won the argument. She sat back, settling into her chair.
"Now, why the question now? Are we coming up to a Galra base?" Pidge asked.
"We are indeed!"
Pidge jumped at Coran's voice. Out of the whole team, Coran seemed the most absent-minded about Pidge's blindness. While the others made sure their presence was known in some way if Pidge was distracted -a cough, a greeting- Coran never did. He was the hardest person to keep track of, especially since his constantly changing manner of walking meant his footsteps weren't as easily defined as the others'.
"Since Voltron has been out of action, the Galra are starting to plant small bases on multiple planets at a rapid rate," Coran said, oblivious to the scare he had given Pidge.
Pidge grimaced. "Great."
"They can't know about your accident," Shiro said. "They probably assume we disappeared to plan for something big, and are trying to flush us out."
Pidge snickered. "Well, we'd better not keep them waiting, then."
"Are you ready for this, Pidge?"
Pidge leaned forward in her seat, too excited for the first mission in months to be annoyed by Hunk's question. Through Green's eyes, she watched the other lions' stealthy approach to the new planet.
"I can't wait," Pidge said gleefully.
The other lions stopped, hidden by the planet's moon. Green, without slowing, cloaked and flew closer. Much as Shiro disliked it, the team only had one cloaking lion to investigate.
"Be careful," Shiro warned.
"We'll be fine," Pidge said, cocking her head back.
Standing behind the pilot seat was Keith, as back-up. Since the pair had worked so closely during Pidge's training, Keith had strict orders to keep Pidge in his sight at all times. Pidge helpfully joked to do the same with Keith.
"We're just gathering intel," Keith assured Shiro. "We'll be quick and not get spotted."
"Yeah, because 'Keith' and 'stealth' always go together," Lance said sarcastically.
Keith didn't give a response, probably since that was pretty true for the red paladin. In the opposite sense, of course.
No more comment was made as Green approached the planet. She circled the small base several time, her scanners mapping out the location of multiple sentries.
"Not too many," Pidge reported as the results automatically read out in her ear. "Could just be a communications or supply outpost. No, wait."
Green rose further into the air. The planet had a somewhat thick forest, and Green was detecting a faint trail leading away from the outpost. Curious, Pidge prompted Green to follow. All of the sudden, the trail stopped.
"Pidge?" Keith asked, unable to see the same path the was visible only to Green and, thus, Pidge.
"There's something down there," Pidge mused, circling Green for another look. "Unless the Galra make paths into the center of the forest for no reason."
Green flew lower to the ground, drawing a grunt from Keith. "Not too close. The Galra might not see us, but the back-wash from the thrusters could disturb the plant life."
Pidge sighed in frustration and pulled back, but Green rumbled and stilled. Her eyes focused on the ground, as if attempting to show Pidge something.
Pidge leaned forward and squinted, as if that made any difference in her lion-eye sight. She studied the ground, the way the path just ended. While she was watching, a sentry appeared out of nowhere where the path apparently ended.
Pidge yelped and jolted back. "There is something there!"
"Are you sure?" Keith asked, leaning forward.
"Yes. I sentry just appeared out of nowhere," Pidge said, watching the "forest" more carefully now. "I think I am seeing little flashes of movement in the same area."
"What is it?" Shiro asked.
"Some kind of cloaking, I bet," Pidge said.
"Why would the Galra bother cloaking a tiny outpost?" Hunk asked.
"I think there is more to this planet than an outpost," Allura said.
"Back to the Castle, you two," Shiro said. "We'll regroup, then we all will take Green down to the surface."
"Can't Keith and I check it out?" Pidge pleaded.
"No," Shiro said firmly. "We don't know what's down there."
"Okay," Pidge said with a sigh.
Casting one last glance at the ground, Pidge turned Green to make her way back to the Castle.
A/N: I don't know if "back-wash of the thrusters" is actually a thing? But, it sounds good, so I just rolled with it.
