Once again, thanks to WEP for letting me play in their world.

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Goals

"Let's look at this logically."

"Darrell, you and logic. I already said 'no', about twenty-seven times."

"Keith, it only makes sense. . ."

"Lance! Not you too! When does no not mean no?"

"Keith."

"Hunk."

"You are outvoted."

"This is not a democracy, this is a command, and I happen to be in charge of the command." Keith glared in turn at each of the three other pilots who sat around the table, and then looked at the fourth person, "You have not uttered a word, Sven. I suppose you are plotting a take-over then?"

"No. But yu ken it is the best solution."

The commander slumped in his chair and then lay his head on his hands on the table. "This is not on my plan." Came the muffled, last-ditch effort to avoid what the other four proposed.

His two best friends just laughed while the other two pilots exchanged a confused look. Keith's head rose long enough to send a death-glare at his friends before plopping his head back down on his hands. Lance just laughed harder. Sven looked over at the confused pair, "Keit has alvays had a plan. He vould make commander by a certain age, picked out his assignments, den, at ze appropriate time vould make a political match to further advance his career. Take over as Commandant of the school, and eventually make a 5 star Admiral in charge of Garrison. Dis vould throw his plan out of sync."

"The implementation of my master plan, until you lot interfered had gone off precisely."

"Stop whining, Keith. Szheesch, you and your, and I am using air quotes since you are burying your head like an ostrich, master plan. Dude, this will be so much better!"

"Then why don't YOU be the sacrificial lamb, Lance?"

"Because you outrank me."

"Stupid reason."

The four pilots listened as their commander continued to mutter under his breath. They knew if they wanted to survive in the long term, things had to change. While they waited for their vaunted leader to accept the necessity they waited. Darrell pulled out his computer, Hunk took a pocket knife and a block of wood for his latest creation. Lance waved a deck of cards at Sven, who nodded. After about ten minutes, the Commander's lifted his head up, raised his middle finger at his teammates and then stood and stalked toward the door. "Run interference, bring me the intelligence needed, but I will take care of the strategy. Understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir." Came the response from the four men seated at the table. The Commander had spoken, not their friend.

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Allura rubbed her hands against her temples grabbing on the fraying remains of her temper. "Granal, things have to change if we are to survive. We cannot defeat Zarkon until and unless we have more help. We need people who used to have technical expertise. We need people to mine. We have the knowledge in the castle library, but I need people. Warm bodies to build the machines to build the manufactories, the power generation stations. Look, the off-worlders have a plan, but the plan will not work without the cooperation of the people. What else can I do?"

"Princess, I know you mean well, but you do not seem to understand the complexities of what you are asking. Now, maybe when you are little older," Granal smiled at Allura in condescension, "you will know more. Perhaps, if I had a discussion with Coran?"

Allura ground her teeth together. Technically she had reached her majority two years prior on her 19th birthday, but after the substance living in the caves for years, watching her planet and her people slowly falter, she had lived lifetimes in those years. Taking a breath, she put a smile and started to answer as a knock came at the door. Finally¸ she exclaimed in her thoughts, only thirty minutes late. "Enter, please."

Commander Kogane entered the room, offering her a bow before turning to greet Granal. "Sir. My apologies for the delay. Coran will be here momentarily." He circled the table waving a hand at a chair. Allura nodded, and the Black Lion pilot seated himself, pulling up the agenda of the meeting on his data pad.

Granal smiled heartily at the Commander, "Of course, Commander. I understand you wear many hats and just appreciate the time you take to meet with me today."

The door opened a second time and the Prime Minister walked into the room. "Excellent, everyone has arrived. Your Majesty," he offered with a bow, "Commander, Granal."

"Prime Minister." Granal offered with an obsequious smile.

Coran seated himself across from Granal and the discussion quickly commenced. Allura fumed as Coran and Keith quickly received the concessions from Granal he, oh so politely, refused her. Twenty minutes later, Keith offered his hand to Granal and excused himself from the meeting, but Coran could work out the details with Granal, and how much Granal's help would benefit the planet and how he appreciated Granal's expertise and general knowledge. Oh, and if he did not mind, he required a private word with he Princess? Allura graciously smiled, offered her hand, the men rising to bow as the Commander escorted her out of the room. As they exited, she took a breath,

"Not yet."

"Excuse me, Commander?"

"Just smile and nod for a few more minutes." He looked down at her, "Without the clenched teeth, if you please."

She looked up at him her smile becoming syrupy, batting her eyelashes, "Of course Commander. Whatever you say Commander. Shall I rub your feet now, Commander?"

"Princess." He did not say another word, but only continued to walk beside her, nodding at staff and answering questions as people came up to him. It took nearly ten minutes for them to reach the entrance to the interior gardens. As the doors closed behind them, the Princess stomped over to a bench and kicked it, letting out a scream of frustration.

"When I am older, I will understand! Right now, I should look pretty, put myself out on the market as a brood mare to bring resources to our planet, and let the older people worry about the details! Seriously!"

Keith leaned against the door jam, as Allura spent the next five minutes ranting. When she finally started to wind down, he stood upright and wandered to the bench to sit, patting the seat next to him.

Allura flopped onto the bench. "What am I doing wrong?"

"Nothing. Granal and the others see you as young, under-educated, and in need of protection. The last of the Royal Line and the last connection with the lions. If something happens to you, they worry the connection to the lions will break permanently. After all, your family line has always served as the caretakers. With Zarkon and Haggar targeting anyone with connections to the Kalmar line, you may be the very last of the caretakers."

Allura slumped, dejectedly. "I know. I know. More than anyone else. But that is all I hear. You are 21 years old. We are at war. You need to start having children and quickly. You need to replenish the line. Nanny tells me. Coran tells me. The maids give me looks. After all I am two years past my majority, and I should have several children already. With who? Most of the people my age either died or were taken as slaves."

Keith took a breath, thoughts racing. "With me." He braced himself for her reaction.

The princess slowly raised her head to look at Keith. She studied him for several minutes in silence. "With you." She finally repeated flatly.

Taking a risk, Keith knelt before Allura and reached for her hands with his. She resisted a moment, before allowing him to draw her hands forward. "In the last two years since we came, I have watched you. Physical beauty aside, you have an amazing heart and mind. Darrell has loved having someone as he says, nearly as smart as him to challenge his assertions. You may have lacked formal education, but in the last two years, you have voraciously absorbed more than we thought you could. You take time for the few children who have survived. Risked yourself time and again to help, even in the face of Zarkon and more recently, Lotor. I have watched you as you weep over the losses, but then stand again strong to help the survivors. I know about your flower patch. I have watched you for two years, and have hoped that your turning away of suitors may have indicated you return my. . . . regard. Princess. Allura. Please think about it. Do not turn me away." He kept eye contact as he raised her hands to kiss.

Allura sat still, looking at their joined hands, before raising her eyes to his. Freeing one hand, she reached over to brush his hair to the side, and down his cheek. "You ask if I return your. . . regard?"

Keith took a deep breath before looking down at the hand he still held. Finally, he swallowed audibly and looked up. "Allura, I. . . " he paused and licked his lips, taking another deep breath. "I esteem you greatly." He paused.

Allura raised an elegant eyebrow, "You esteem me greatly."

Keith muttered something she did not hear, then looked down at their joined hands and squeezed it gently, twice. "My younger sister and I used to play a game on Earth."

"Oh?" Allura felt confused. Keith finally had started saying the words she longed to hear, and now he talked about his sister?

"She was the surprise addition to my family when I turned 13. As she grew older, and I had babysitting duties I would hold her hand when we ran errands or went on walks. Being a teenage boy, of course I had to appear as though I did not like this, but in reality, I adored my little sister. So, we played a game, that was our secret game. I would squeeze her hand to tell her I loved her. She would squeeze me back, to tell me she loved me. She still signs her letters to me Squeeze, Squeeze. I do the same." He dropped his eyes and looked back down at their hands, shoulder tense as if waiting a blow.

"Ooooh." Allura understood. She put one hand under Keith's chin to bring his eyes back to hers. Then very deliberately squeezed his hand twice. His eyes blazed with an emotion she could not identify. Putting his free hand behind her neck, he carefully pulled her until only and whisper separated their lips.

"Tell me yes, Allura."

"Yes, Keith. A thousand times, yes."

She could feel his mouth turn up in a smile as he fused his mouth to hers.

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Too many plot bunnies. Guess being forced to semi-immobility while my knee recovers is a good thing?

Any errors belong to me, as I did not grab a Beta. Any large errors, please point them out!