I know this is very late! More so cause I started a Kingdom Hearts story in the mean time! But motivation can be a real bitch to catch sometimes! Hooray for Lance's birthday/season 3 hype to kick me up some! Also this might sorta maybe the start of an actual small plot arc? I have some idea where this is going but I'm still working out the details!

A few weeks passed by, Lance recovering to be his normal self again. As his stamina came back, his water-bending improved greatly. The shake from the first day had vanished Lance was able to form perfectly round bubbles instead what looked more like shapeless blobs. Now starting to slowly to make them move around or change shape. The max compacity he could control had increased a little but as far as freezing it went, nothing more than a slight chill happened.

Second in progress was Pidge. They discovered that the Okari's headbands didn't exactly clarify their commands. More so focused and amplified it to where the trees of their world could hear them easily. There was a new potted plant that now took residence on their workbench, slowly growing bit by bit as Pidge figured out how to be more direct.

Shiro had taken up more time to do breathing exercises and Hunk meditation. Both starting to feel little quivers towards the power. Keith kept getting frustrated, only managing to start tiny sparks. Maybe a matches worth of real flame if he got pissy enough.

Mental exercises had always been harder to figure out than physical ones to him. Though more obscure things did come easier, like mapping out where Blue might be back on Earth or judging the best way of getting around obstacles blocking his path. Maybe he really was autistic like that one school psychiatrist thought.

But today wasn't a training day. Just a few hours ago the team had chased off a small troop of Galra who were exploiting most of a central marketing town on an outlying planet they stopped in. The thing was, the troop wasn't all that high ranking or excessively equipped. Just a forgotten little scout team who decided to use the Empire's name to their advantage, as well as their giant body types, to bluff and rough house their way into controlling the local nobles.

One thing struck Keith as odd while trying to force them out of the palace. Some of them seemed worried, frantic even. Not about the Paladins coming to challenge them but getting deeper into the fortress. The few they had knocked unconscious were rounded up and taken to the castle, along with an invitation for the Princess and the team to stay a few days. Expressing the want to have a victory celebration and discuss some political things that Keith should show up for, but socializing and making relations weren't his forte as much as say, Lance or Shiro..

Allura had slowly come to accept the Blades allowing them on the ship and included in meetings. Straight from the empire however, captured Galra went straight into the highest security brigs.

Right now they were grouped up in the bridge, Allura reading (translating) the written invitation they'd been instructed to give her. Apparently, their hosts insisted on a formal gathering that night, meaning the team had to bring the fancy clothes they had acquired for such occasions. They also asked that even though the threat has been routed, tension among the citizens were still high and many were wary of armored strangers walking through the streets. In order to keep panic minimum, they were requested to come ununiformed.

Shiro sighs to himself as the Princess dismissed them, turning to the rest of the group. "Ok so we can't take the armor. And I'm not even going to pretend that any of you will listen and not bring anything dangerous.." He looks to Keith and Pidge in particular. And honestly, it's not like Shiro can take his arm off either. Plus he did feel better knowing the team had some sort of defense in case things turned south. "Just make sure it's discreet enough to not draw attention and ONLY used as a last resort, are we clear?"

A chorus of acknowledgement answered, but still Keith felt off. Usually he'd take his questions to Shiro, but while he would be most likely to understand or trust his worries, Keith had no proof to his claim. None of the others seemed to have noticed the difference in this fight, and now the Black paladin had been swept away to discuss what arrangements had to be made before he even had a chance to ask.

Instead he worked up the nerve to ask his second choice, especially on Galra matters. Kolivan and Antok spend the most time on the ship out of all of the Blades. And when Keith had started showing the ability to shift forms (despite the initial panic attack) they were the first ones there to help him through it. The team was instantly supportive yes, but they had just as little clue of what to actually do about it as Keith did.

They would also sometimes share information on Galra biology, explain some of the weirder impulses or needs he would have, or just amuse them all with stories of mishaps in cadet squabbles and what passed as pop culture. It helped Keith feel like he wasn't as much as an unholy oddity as he had when he started having his identity crisis caused by getting splashed with quintessence. That outside the aggression of the Empire's military, Galra weren't all monstrous and could even be normal easygoing citizens. Now that he looked back on it the mall cop and the guy who forced Hunk into dishwashing were rather tame in comparison….

Due to the obvious the Blades had opted to stay in the Castle, helping Coran with repairs and perhaps to interrogate the prisoners. So after he had packed his formal wear and some spare clothes, then triple checking his Blade and Bayard were hidden (unfortunately his favorite jacket had to be traded for a longer one to do so) Keith went to find one of them before meeting the rest of the team at the shuttle.

"Can you explain why you came to this reasoning?" Kolivan asks, Keith having found him helping to secure the prisoners. All had been given a sedative before the trip, both to avoid struggle and to keep the Blades secret from them.

Keith takes a breath nodding to one in particular. "The one with the stripe between his eyes. He saw me, watched me knock down some droids. But instead of holding his ground he bolted. Shoved me aside without a second glance. I chased him down a couple of halls before catching him but the whole time it looked like he was searching for something more important. Even tied up he kept yelling about being let go. I tried to ask why but with me being a paladin and all, he wasn't very trusting of my intentions.."

It was strange behavior indeed, doubly so for a trained soldier with an established base to keep hold of. Escape could be expected, but in ignoring ones enemies to venture deeper into territories the other side had reclaimed…

Kolivan stroked the end of his braid in thought, "We had planned on disguising a few men to pose as prisoners already in the Princess' custody, it would be easier to get them to talk to allies than jailers. I shall have one placed close to him. If anything urgent should surface we will call."

Keith's shoulders loosened slightly in relief, nodding in reply. "I still need to tell Shiro, and with everything going on later I'm not sure when I'll get the chance without the locals hovering around. I know he'd still take it seriously but…"

The Galra only gave the softest of smiles, "But you don't wish to worry him or imply the people false with little reason." A large purple hand lightly rested on Keith's head. "You are still learning Cub, and it is wise to give thought to your doubts and share them. But caring for kin is also important. I saw your bond during your trial, and he has also come to me at times in concern for you. I suggest you at least attempt to speak to him, and if we do find anything of interest before you can I will help explain if you wish it."

The half Galra nodded the slightest bit. They didn't get to talk anymore as Allura started using the princess riot on the coms that "Keith will be in the shuttle in the next five dobashes or they will leave without him!" he half considered missing that flight..

Ok so regardless if cannon changes it later on, this story WILL use the adopted Broganes headcanon. I like it too much! Keith did say shiro was like a brother, but for this fic in honesty he meant is a brother and couldn't get himself to say it that way with his then panicked and pain riddled brain :3 Also I love the idea of autistic Keith and ADHD Lance. While in my Hetalia stories America's ticks are mostly biased on my own and what I can make of his character. Keith and Lance are more clearly defined in some set behaviors, so keep in mind not every diagnosed individual has the exact same quirks. Some examples I can point out in these diagnosis is like those stated above for Keith, I mean how many people would you think would try to use a geyser powered rock to cross a canyon or go for the trap door instead of the main one? While Lance can be seen getting bored if sitting still too long -waiting around on Sendak being mind probed he started doing the bicycling thing, also Lance is smart in his own ways but sometimes dosent have the patience to sit through a long science babble from Pidge even when most of the time he is able to reword it into simpler easier to understand terms - and getting random spouts of excessive energy - it seemed like he had waaaay to much sugar or something when catching Hunk up on the Blades infiltration plan.

Also please excuse what little I showed of Kolivan! We still know next to nothing about him, and sterner serious characters like him or Yin Sid take me more time to get a feel of than open and happy ones. And I'm not quite convinced Antok is totally dead? We saw him get hit, collapse and then his body wasn't seen again for the rest of the fight..?