Hello Everybody. Acxa is having a bad nightmare, but Kathy and Veronica are at her side.

The parts in italics are the dream sequence.

Fighting The Monster

She was running. Running for her life. She remembered the first bombs drop. They had freed a monster. A mad beast, made of pure rage and heat. It became clearer with every further bomb, which felt on the colony, with every bomber, which was swallowed in blazing purple fireballs, when the beast freed itself out of the cage. This monster was created to kill, to consume, to destroy. It didn't care, what or who was standing before it. Haggar had created it and they had awoken it. And now it was free and in a bloody rush. An insane rampage, burning, biting, choking, killing, howling, running through its enemies lines.

They were all its enemy.

Galra?

Human?

It didn't care. She saw hateful faces approaching in the flames. Burning eyes, searching for new victims. And suddenly one eye faced her. The howls grew louder and the panic nearly made her fall. She heard the panicked voices in her com. She hear Ezor shocked voice ordering her troops to retreat. She heard Zethrid giving the bombers the orders to abroad the attack. And mixed in was Lotor's voice, who helpless tried to get back any kind of order and discipline to coordinate the retreat. And all over this chaos, there was this merciless mocking howl of the monster. Like it was hearing the orders, too, laughing about their hopeless tries to escape.

She looked at her side and saw the flames lashing at her. She was hit by another body and felt, rolling on the ground. Narti covered her as the flames missed her and her friend. She was shaking in panic and fear. And so Narti. She grabbed her and rolled around with her, to make the score even, to save her friend from another strike, like the woman had saved her before. Both were on their feet again, running for their lives. She saw the bombers dropping their load on their own troops. She cursed them, only to bite her lip the next second. The pilots tried to get rid of the monster, they were forced to transport, before it would kill them. The smell of burned flesh made her choke and her lungs burn. The flaming monster seemed to be everywhere. She wasn't sure if the flames where part of it or only a cloak and a weapon at the same time. But it was there. There was a hate in the fire, which made the flames burn hotter. An insane pain, which was screaming for revenge. Screaming for a payback. For satisfaction for gained suffer and death. It wouldn't stop, until this pain would be vanished. Until all guilt would be purged. She should have protested against this madness. But she had stayed quite and had simply obeyed. Like she always had. Now she was running for her life. And she felt the heat getting closer. Her strength was fading. It was hurting, hurting so much, until she couldn't bare it anymore. A tortured scream escaped her lungs, but it was blown away buy the cruel laughs of the monster, she had helped to unleash.

She was sitting straight in bed, her eyes wide open in pure panic and terror. Her breath was out of control, near to hyperventilation. She was shaking badly and tears were running down her cheeks. She winced in shock as two hands started to rub carefully her shoulders. She turned back and faced Veronica's tortured look. Acxa slowly started to recognize the bedroom around her. She faced Veronica with her scared look and started to cry. She buried her head at Veronica's chest and cried. She felt Veronica carefully rubbing her horns, but it didn't work this time, the horror was still burning, as much as the guilt.

Suddenly a known melody filled the bedroom. A clear children's voice was humming and Acxa felt small arms wrapped around her middle. She looked down in Kathy's teary eyes and remembered. Jessy was with her at their quarter this evening again. Kathy had asked, if she could have a sleepover with them, this night. She had recognized Jessy's face. The teenager seemed to be happy, but at the same time also so sad. Kathy had also recognized it and would have nearly changed her mind, but Jessy had kept on encouraging the little girl to stick to her decision. So they had played with the child and as they had brought her to a fresh prepared bed in their sleeping room, Veronica had read a good-night story for her while Acxa had carefully rubbed her forehead until the girl had fallen asleep. She remembered, that she and Veronica have watched her sleeping in her bed form the doorway for a while. Veronica had rested her head on her shoulder. She has had such a warm smile on her lips at this moment and a shining spark in her eyes. It was a perfect moment. One she had never dreamed of to share it with anyone.

But right now, panic was all she felt. But it was fading. Fading with the lullaby, the child was humming. Fading with the soothing touch of Veronica and Kathy. Acxa spread out her arms and pulled her girlfriend and the child closer to her. She didn't want to let them go in this moment. She needed them to ease her pain. To ease her guilt. Within time her breath got controlled and easier, but Kathy's humming didn't stopped until Acxa had stopped crying.

"'ou nightmares."

She faced the worried look of the child and nodded. The green eyes were so sad.

"Ronan has also."

Acxa bit her bottom lip. Of cause he had. She was the reason. Kathy didn't missed her bitter face.

"It's not 'our fault."

Acxa wanted to turn away. She felt guilty and Kathy had noticed it. The girl pointed again at the chest of the Galra. Her voice got teary.

"'ou not like bad man."

Veronica had pressed her hands before her mouth to muffle a sob. Acxa stared shocked at Kathy but the child locked her eyes with hers.

"'ou care. Like Jessy, Ronan and Fre'da."

She nuzzled her head against the Galra, who placed her hand on the head of the little child.

"Like Veronica. She care, too."

Acxa shared shocked and teary looks with the kid, who had buried his head at her chest and Veronica, who was crying silent tears, but was also stroking the back of the child.

"But whose fault is it?"

It was a helpless whisper from Acxa to herself. Maybe addressed to Veronica as well, but definitely not for the little girl. But Kathy answered immediately with a deep grief in her voice, as she turned to the broken look of the Galra.

"War."

The green eyes seemed to glow in sadness in the dark. Acxa and Veronica were baffled.

"Ronan say, War makes people turn bad and bad people makes more War."

The child started to cry as she snuggled again against Acxa. The Glara was crying again, but she carefully put a hand on the chin of the kid and lifted her head. Kathy sniffed heavily, but faced the teary smile she got from the woman. Acxa carefully rubbed with one thumb over Kathy's scar. The kid nodded.

"I seen bad eyes of bad man. 'ou haven't eyes like he."

"No you haven't!"

Acxa looked up and Kathy turned around to face a teary, but smiling Veronica. The woman got closer again and all three hugged each other at tight as they could. It took away some of the weight off Acxa.

"Can I stay here in bed?"

Kathy was sharing questioning looks with both women. Acxa smiled warm at Veronica and her girlfriend returned the smile. The human kissed Kathy on her head and nodded.

"Of cause you can, Kathy. Whenever you want."

A beaming smile grew on her little mouth. She pulled Veronica down and gave her a kiss on her cheek and right after that she did the same with Acxa. All three laid back in the big bed, with Kathy snuggling between the both woman, getting as close as she could with her back to Veronica and laying her arm around Acxa, pulling the Galra close to herself and Veronica. The warm smiles of Kathy and Veronica were the last things, the Galra saw, before she felt asleep again. With a thankful smile on her lips.