Atlas was large, but smooth. Like a well built submarine cutting through the water, Atlas made its way out into deep space.

The ship wasn't as full as it had been when they were carrying and protecting most of the worlds population, but it was still a thriving hub of activity as systems were checked, pods and jets were maintained, and drills and classes were taught.

The garrison had moved their senior most students to the Atlas for "on field training". The paladins were asked every once in a while to help teach them fighting tactics and overall space safety.

They had contacted the Olkari and many other planets in the Voltron coalition. Everyone exchanged their stories and where they should go from there. However, one thing was for certain, the Atlas needed to be outfitted with a teledove. Without one they wouldn't be able to answer calls for aid in any amount of decent time to help. It would be a long time before they'd be able to travel to the Olkaris, but they thought they could pick up the materials they would need on the way. They estimated it would take almost two years.

Keith suggested the lions go ahead of Atlas and perhaps bring back materials so they would get everything started. That idea was turned down by the Olkaris themselves. They thought it would be best to start from the beginning while they were all safely on the ground.

So the paladins, and Coran, were dispersed throughout the ship to work where they would fit best. Keith and Allura helped out Shiro and Iverson run the ship. Lance was assigned to Hangar 1. Hunk lead the engineering teams and Pidge worked with raido control and the other techs. Out of all of them, Hunk and Pidge intersected the most, but still not as often as they used to. Everyones shifts were different so they found that they no longer ate together.

However, even though they should be seeing less of each other, Lance had made it a personal goal to go by everyones job and talk to them. At least once a week he appeared like magic asking if there was anything they'd like him to do or if he could help.

"Lance," Pidge hissed, "don't you have ANYTHING better to do than bug me right now?"

"I finished," he said, "I've already visited all the other hangars and even the motor pool."

He looked like he'd not spent even an ounce of energy all day. She gave him a worried look and even felt his forehead.

"You're not taking drugs, are you?" she asked and Lance rolled his eyes.

"No Shirly, I'm not," he said, "there's just a ton of people working in the hangers, so I get done early. I'm used to always having another fight or mission to accomplish, ya know?"

She nodded. She also often felt that she needed to get up and DO something. Before Voltron she'd never felt that way, but now it was like her body demanded it.

"Still, I got nothin," Pidge said, "sorry."

He met the same conversation with Hunk.

When he tried to see Shiro or Allura, or even Keith, they were either in a meeting, heading to a meeting, or ear deep in conversation with someone else. Lance would check on them anyway and then back away slowly before they realized he was there.

Then he would make the rounds around the hangers and motor pool again.

Lance made his way through a few months doing all the odd jobs. When he noticed an extra pair of hands wouldn't be a crowd, he'd pitch in without being asked. If things needed to be run to one place or another, he volunteered and grabbed it before anyone could tell him 'no'.

It was on one of these runs that he ran into Ryan. More like he ran into Ryans foot and fell flat on his face. Bolts that had to go to hanger 3 spread down the hall.

"Oops," Ryan sighed, "you're such a klutz, McClain."

Lance stood and straightened his jacket, "we're not ten, Pillon, back off."

"Didn't realize I was coming on," Ryan said, "I was simply making an observation. But if you can't tell the difference, then I guess that's understandable."

Lance rolled his eyes and bent to pick up the bolts. Ryan Pillon hadn't even been on his radar until after they'd gotten back to Earth. Since they'd left, Pillon had made it his life mission to heckle him and insult him as much as possible. Lance couldn't understand why, and suddenly felt bad about how he'd treated Keith over the past few years. Then again, Keith did deserve some of it. The little emo-jerk-face DID up and leave Voltron after telling him that he should stay…talk about your double standards.

"Oh, right," Ryan called, "I heard that most of what the others say about what you did in space is just them trying to make you look good. You know, cause their nice people."

Lance turned to argue, but the little jerk was already nonchalantly turning the corner. What did 'they' know? Who were 'they' anyway? It's not like 'they' were there at all.

So with practiced ease, he shrugged it off and made his way to hanger 3.

()

"No, really, I heard it from Garret."

Lance had a fork-full half way to his mouth when the conversation happening behind him halted not only the progression of food, but the desire for it.

"I heard most of the report was fabricated so they all shared in the glory. I mean, it makes sense. Garret and Gunderson were friends with McClain before they left, and being lost in space probably meant they really backed each other, so they did that here as well."

"They couldn't have made up the whole thing," the other person said, "like you said, it was dangerous out there. If he was totally a burden, then he probably would've gotten himself killed."

"Don't get ahead of the story," the girl who started continued, "Anyway, I thought the same thing. So I went to see Garret about it. He said that a lot of it was exaggerated. They just gave him a bigger role in the reports so he'd be one of them."

"When did you and Garret become that close that he'd tell you all this?"

That's what I wanna know, Lance seethed.

"Fine," the girl sighed, "I didn't ask, but I did overhear him talking with someone else about it."

Lance shook his head. She probably heard some other conversation and decided to make up her own story for it. Hunk would never tell such a lie. If he did lie, it would be to down play everything so he wouldn't be asked any details.

Thinking about it made Lance grin and chuckle.

()

Lance was applying his face cream when there was a knock at his door. Not thinking too much about it he just shouted for whoever it was to come in.

"Hey," Pidge called and then stuck her head into the bathroom, "Oooo, you got a different brand or is that just a different sent?"

"Used a different oil," Lance grinned, "Rachel insisted I use it."

"Of course," Pidge said rolling her eyes, "I bet she just had to beg."

Lance reached out and smeared the cream on her nose before she could back up out of arms reach.

"So what's up?" he asked.

"Well," she said rubbing the cream away from her face, "there was a big to-do in the radio room today."

"k," Lance grinning, "was it that epic a fight? Did you get a video of it?"

"you are ok, right?"

"yyyyeahh," Lance said grinning, "why shouldn't I be?"

"well, people talking smack-" Pidge said with a huff, trying to word everything correctly, "it seems some people in the radio room was talking smack about you and I just wanted to know that you shouldn't believe a word of it."

She had caught wind of the rumor just that day and had quickly realized that it had been going around since before they even left earth!

"We're the paladins of Voltron," Lance said, "being famous and handsome is just too much for people, you know?"

He struck a pose and Pidge laughed.

"Suuure," she shook her head. Of course Lance wouldn't be bothered by such stupid rumors.

"You should hear some of the rumors going around about all of you guys," Lance said shrugging, "I heard one just today about how you armed your own armor with personal cloaking and use it to freak out the noobs after lights out."

They both laughed at that.

"Actually that's not a bad idea," Pidge said and Lance's grin widened.

"Right? I was going to tell you about tomorrow," Lance said and they both talked and planned about how they would go about doing just that.

"then," lance said totally into their conniving plot, "get some of Hunks glow stuff and run just a little bit over the sides of your arms, here, here, and here. Then just the edge of the helmet here, and your legs just about here and there."

"Why?"

"because with the cloaking up, the glow will be distorted and since you're not completely outlining your armor in it, it will give the illusion of a human figure and totally mess with their heads."

"That's brilliant!"

"I know," Lance flipped imaginary hair over his shoulder, no doubt something his sisters did a lot, "the trick to really creep people out is to make their imagination do most of the work for you."

"I totally got to work on this," Pidge said, totally pumped.

"Yeah, tell hunk when you run into him and then we'll back you up for your first go," Lance said also really excited.

"right, it's a plan!"

"Operation Ghost Ship."

"I like it."

"You should."

Pidge said good night and ran out of the room to get started on her suit upgrade.

()

Allura gave a dry sob and whine as she laid her head on the table in front of her. They had just finished the third meeting of the day. Shiro sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Keith simply stared at the opposite wall. The other council members had already left the room.

"We don't have time to sit here," Shiro said, but didn't move.

"Whose bright idea was it to ship representatives to the other planets in the coalition?" Allura seethed.

"Yours," Keith and Shiro replied.

"You should've told me it was a stupid idea."

"We did."

"Try harder next time," Allura snapped and Shiro chuckled. Keith rubbed his eyes and yawned.

They had taken elected officials from Earth; one for each planet in the alliance. In return Each planet would send their own representatives. They were to be ambassadors of sorts and open the door for perhaps researchers and others to come and learn from one another.

A brilliant idea on paper.

In Practice Allura was finding everything to be more tedious than imagined.

"I have a lecture to give," Shiro said in order to motivate himself to stand.

"I thought Iverson was covering that," Keith said scowling. If Shiro was leaving, that left him and Allura to face all the reports and various ruffled feathers within the alliance.

"He has the flu," Shiro stretched, "apparently its become a mild epidemic in that part of the ship. Its nothing serious. He'll be up and about in a few days."

"Quiznak, that means we'll have to brief everyone on sanitation…again."

"Add it to the list," Keith sighed, "In my opinion, if people get sick after the first seminar, then its their own fault."

"I'll inform the kitchens and get in touch with the nurses," Allura replied, "Which leaves you, Keith, with the conference from the Valins. They should be calling in in a bit. Unless of course you wish to switch places."

Keith pulled a face.

"I'll talk with the Valins," Keith sighed, "I don't think the nurses like me very much."

"I wouldn't like you either if my first impression of you was, 'JUST FIND THE QUIZNAKING VEIN!' while I was just trying to do my job," Allura grinned.

"They stuck me five times before they finally found the vein," Keith retorted, "it friggin hurt!"

"Try and be nice to the Sickbay staff," Shiro also grinned, "with how the flu is spreading and how badly you paladins find yourselves injured, you can't afford to have enemies there."

"Har har," Keith stood and nodded to Allura and Shiro, "See you guys when you get back."