Author's Notes: Where to start? This is for my new friends, the Crazy Gals—diahard, the Winters twins, and of course UsagiRyu. Thank you for your encouragement and for your welcome. I'm honored to be considered one of you. I can't figure out who to bribe/blackmail at WEP, so the team still belongs to them. For Now. :D

The week before graduation, Galaxy Garrison Academy delivered initial orders to all senior cadets. Cadet Keith Kogane found a quiet corner of the common room and sat down to open his. Keith Akira Kogane is hereby promoted to Commander and ordered to take command of the Space Explorer team. The team is to leave no later than 7 June 2165 for the planet Arus in the Azure Quadrant. Report to Space Marshal Graham at 1500 hours 1 June 2165 for more detailed instructions. Keith grinned and hurried down the hall to his room, hoping to find his roommate and lover, Jeff Dukane. They had been talking for weeks about their assignments, and Keith wanted to know what Jeff knew about Arus.

Sure enough, Jeff sat in their room, staring at his own orders. Keith leaned over and kissed him, then sprawled on his bed. "So, you ready for Arus? I can't wait for this briefing; wonder what Marshal Graham wants us to do out there." Jeff didn't answer, and Keith sat up to look at him. "Jeff? Talk to me; what's wrong? Aren't you excited?" He got up and knelt in front of his lover. "Jeff?"

Jeff finally looked at him, grey eyes tormented. "I'm not going to Arus," he whispered, then held out his orders. Keith snatched them and read, horrified. Jeffrey Michael Dukane is hereby promoted to Commander and ordered to take command of the Air Team and overall command of the Vehicle Voltron Force on the expeditionary vessel Explorer. The Explorer is to depart for the Outer Rim no later than 15 July 2165.

Keith looked up, stunned. "No. Th-this can't be. We're supposed to go together!" He stood up and paced. "They've told us for months; one of us was to command, and the other would be the second." His hands started to shake. "How could they do this to us?"

Jeff got up and wrapped his arms around Keith, nuzzling into his back. "Graham must have found out about us. You know how that old bastard is."

Keith shivered, and not just from the contact with Jeff. "How could he find out? We've been careful!" He pulled away. "I guess that's it then."

Jeff was incredulous. "So that's it? You're just going to walk away from me? Like the last three years didn't mean anything? I guess you didn't love me as much as I thought you did. Fuck you, Kogane!" He turned to walk away, but didn't make two steps before Keith's hands closed around his arms. He struggled for a minute, then lost all his fight when Keith's lips crushed into his. Jeff closed his eyes as Keith's hands worked their way under his shirt, then opened them wide as Keith ripped the shirt away. His hands went to Keith's shoulders, then twisted into Keith's hair as he deepened the kiss. Keith brushed Jeff's jaw with scores of little kisses, stopped to bite his neck, then kissed his way to a nipple and sucked it. Gasping, Jeff tugged Keith's shirt free of his pants and over his head, tossing it to the floor. Keith went to his knees, fumbling with Jeff's belt buckle. Finally it gave way, and Keith yanked Jeff's pants and boxers to his ankles. Jeff groaned as Keith took his member into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head. His knees buckled, and he fell back onto the bed. "Oh God, that's good," he gasped. Keith flashed him a wicked grin and pulled his shaft deep into his throat, stroking his lover's balls as he did so. Jeff bit back a scream, all too conscious of the thin dorm walls.

Keith released Jeff's shaft from his mouth, but continued to slowly stroke it. "Come for me," he whispered. "I love to watch you shatter." Jeff thrust into his hand helplessly, and Keith took him back into his mouth.

"Oh, oh, KEITH!" Jeff shouted as he hit his release, filling his lover's mouth with his essence.

Keith swallowed, then carefully licked his lover clean. "Now it's my turn," he growled, standing up and shedding his own pants and boxers. He reached into his nightstand and retrieved a small tube. He coated his fingers and throbbing shaft, then slowly worked Jeff's opening. Jeff writhed and clutched the sheets. "You ready?" Keith whispered, and at Jeff's nod, he slowly entered his lover. "Damn, you feel good." He began a steady rhythm, working back and forth. Jeff met him thrust for thrust, and the pace soon became frantic.

Keith knew he was getting close and reached between their bodies to stroke Jeff's penis, wanting his lover to come when he did. All too soon, they both hit their peak; Keith froze, filling Jeff with his semen, while Jeff covered them both with his own second release.

"Don't tell me I don't love you," Keith panted. "You're half my life and all of my heart; it will kill me to go on without you."

"Then let's find a way for me to go with you." Jeff said softly, caressing Keith's cheek.

"How?" Keith asked in frustration, rolling onto his back. "Orders are orders; we can't disobey them."

Jeff propped himself on his elbow to look at Keith. "Who said anything about disobeying them? We need to change them."

"How?" Keith asked again. "Graham did this; you KNOW he isn't going to change them."

"No, but we both know two undersized computer nerds that can hack anything." Jeff kissed Keith. "Come on, let's get cleaned up and go find them. We need to talk to everybody."

Fifteen minutes later, they walked into the dorm common room. Chip and Pidge were engrossed in yet another one of their video games; Lance, Cliff, Sven, Hunk, and Crick sat across the room playing poker. Judging by the grumbling, Lance was taking everyone to the cleaners as usual. He glanced up with a cocky grin as Keith and Jeff walked in. "So, you two lovebirds ready for Arus?"

Keith shook his head; Jeff made sure the door was locked. "We need to talk to you about that." Everybody gathered on the sofas, abandoning the cards and video game. Keith took a deep breath; Jeff took his hand in his own. "Graham changed our orders. Jeff's to take command of the Vehicle Force on the Explorer."

The room erupted; Lance's voice rang above the rest. "You've got to be kidding. They can't just change the teams like that!"

"They can, Graham did, and you all know why." Jeff looked around at their friends. "We want to stay together, but if you guys think it will disrupt the teams, we'll stick with the orders."

"You two being miserable apart will be a worse disruption," Cliff drawled in his Australian accent. "We're with you mates; how do we fix this? No use asking Graham to change the orders; what do you want to do?"

"First things first. We need to know who Graham sent to Arus in Jeff's place," Lance pointed out.

"Dat vould be me," Sven said quietly. "I talked to Commander Hawkins several days ago; he had de roster for de Vehicle Force and said he looked forward to seeing me on de Explorer."

Keith looked at Sven. "And are you OK with us changing the orders again? I mean, we don't want to jerk you around, and if you'd rather go to Arus. . . ."

The Norwegian smiled. "No, vhy vould I mind? I tought I vas going to be on de Explorer until postings came out today. And you and Jeff love each other; you should be together." He leaned forward and looked around. "Now, how do ve get me on de Explorer and Jeff to Arus witout Graham noticing? He's going to be dere for both launches."

"I don't think it'll be a problem," Lance stretched. "When the Wonder Twins get through, the orders are going to look legitimate, nobody knows Graham changed them but him and us, and he's not going to make a scene in public."

'So, we need to change Sven's orders and Jeff's." Keith looked at Pidge and Chip. "Do you two think you can get in the system and do that?"

The twins grinned. "Piece of cake, Commander. Just leave it to us." Pidge ran from the room, followed by Chip.

"So, what do we tell the rest of the Vehicle Team?" Hunk asked.

"I don't think you should tell them anything," Crick said thoughtfully. "We could get in serious trouble for changing Jeff and Sven's orders; the fewer people that know, the better."

"He's right," Cliff agreed. "As far as any of us knew, Jeff was going to Arus anyway. Keep it between us."

Pidge and Chip came back in with a sheaf of papers each. "Here you go, Jeff," Pidge handed him his stack, "and Sven, Chip has yours." Sven took the papers, and everyone gathered around to inspect the forgeries.

"Great job, guys," Keith whistled. The forgeries were indistinguishable from the authentic orders. "Now, to get rid of the real orders."

"Give them to me," Lance ordered. He tore the papers into strips and burned them, then scattered the ashes in the room's three trash cans. "Done. And we never talk about this again. The orders were never changed." He put his hand out, and one by one his friends put theirs on top of it. "We're Space Explorers, and we stick together. Always."

"Always!" the group shouted.

Jeff looked around and grinned. "You guys are the best."