Author's Note: Oh, the things that are gonna happen...it's killing me...

To Sally On - I think you and I might be rooting for the same person in the Larmina/Daniel/Pidge triangle. And as for Morgan and David, well, I have a theory that says you can't fully appreciate the happy ending unless you've lived through some tragedy.

To FroofyB - You're welcome! Just so you know, I will most likely be updating every Thursday night/Friday morning, UNLESS of course I have a vacation from work. (This is where Emie Mac would give me a thumbs-up.) As for Aidan and Lisa, I left a miniscule clue in chapter one when Aidan said, "I just bought an apartment. I can't afford a diamond for Lisa." Remember he said that - it'll all come together later.

To Emie Mac - I missed you, Babe! Good thing there's only a few days left to this month. (And see the aforementioned thumbs-up.)

To Wade Wells - I don't care for the cadets the way NickToons portrayed them. They came off as bratty and entitled for the most part. So I'm writing them the way I want to see them. And as for Lotor...keep reading.

Title Song: "Trouble" by Coldplay


When Lance entered Castle Control, he had been purposely looking for Keith. Not that there had been much to do in terms of defending Arus and the rest of the universe; there had been only quiet from Doom. Come to think of it, nearly everything had been quiet lately, save for the wedding planning. When it came to that, Nanny had been more than willing to make up for the silence. And she was scarier than any robeast Maahox or Haggar could have come up with, as she was always ready to stir up trouble.

Keith was seated there, looking like he'd never stood up from the control panel. There was an empty coffee mug next to him, and from the looks of it, he'd refilled it a few times. He worked diligently on a report that looked like...well, not like a report.

"Hey Crankypants, I've been looking for you."

The Voltron captain smiled. Since his engagement, he'd been in an incredibly good mood, which made the title of Captain Crankypants all but obsolete. But that didn't mean that the Red Lion pilot didn't continue to address him as such. "What is it, Lance? What do you need?"

"On behalf of Nanny, I have to ask you a question concerning our suiting for the wedding," he cracked dryly. "I know we're wearing tuxedos for the reception, but what are we wearing for the ceremony and coronation? Are we wearing our Voltron flight suits, or are we wearing our formal uniforms, or tuxes, or what?" He buried his face in his hands. "Gods, this stuff depresses me. I sound like a girl."

"Well, I've got something I can cheer you up with." Keith turned his face back to the computer screen and the non-report he'd been working on. "Your Sis sent her love this morning."

Lance's hazel eyes brightened momentarily. "You talked to Len this morning?"

"Yes." Keith nodded. "Only Allura knows this, but I suppose I can tell you this if you promise to keep your big mouth shut."

"Oh, you know that's a promise I can't keep."

"Fine. I'll still tell you anyway." The Voltron captain seemed almost playful. That woman's done him a lot of good, Lance thought briefly. "There are going to be more Space Academies. Len's already got two more slated to open on Earth, and she's been scouting planets in the Alliance for more. Allura and I have agreed to let her build one on Arus."

"Wow! That is so cool!" Lance shrieked. "There's gonna be a Space Academy on this planet!" He stood behind Keith and stared at the computer screen. "So that's what this report is all about. You're trying to find a parcel of land big enough to build the Academy on so you can sell it to the Garrison."

"Exactly. We want to make the sale." Lance conveniently failed to point out the fact that Keith was already using the royal we. "So Len will be here ten days before the wedding to look over parcels and negotiate a price. She said she wants to lock down the sale by the time we get married. Then, once the other two Academies are open, construction will begin on the Academy here."

Lance swallowed. "That's great. But if I remember correctly, aren't Sven, Romelle, Bandor and Emma supposed to be here around the same time? Don't forget, Romelle is looking forward to helping Allura prepare for the wedding." He rolled his eyes. "I cannot believe I remembered that. I have officially been sucked into the wedding planning vortex."

Instead of being amused, Keith looked like he wanted to slap his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Seven hells, Lance. I completely forgot. Oh, this is going to get ugly." He shot a worried glance over at his second-in-command. "Do you think that maybe you can keep one or the other occupied at all times so that nobody runs into each other?"

"Sure." Lance shrugged. "Geez, whoever would've thought that being your best man would have so much work attached to it? I mean, I've gotta keep the other royal consort from running into his old fiancée, I've gotta host a bachelor party and give a speech in front of twelve hundred guests, I've gotta deal with Nanny, I've gotta figure out what I'm gonna wear..." His voice trailed off. "Hey, Crankypants? You still haven't told me what we're supposed to be wearing for the ceremony and coronation."

Keith sighed. He might have been feeling overjoyed, but Nanny would turn him back into Crankypants for sure.


Ginger sat quietly in Lisa's quarters, letting her oldest friend sob quietly into her pillow without judgement. She knew how devastated the former Interplanetary Relations specialist was over hearing about Kelly's marriage to Taye. Not that she wasn't happy for her old friend; she was thrilled for her. She was just miserable for herself.

Lisa had been with Aidan for over two years. She had to admit, that was a record - for him, not her. She'd lost track of how many years she dated Jeff, only to be told in the most humiliating fashion possible that he never saw himself marrying her. And then she had to stand by and smile as Jeff married Christiane.

She couldn't do that again. She couldn't live through that again.

"You think you can pull yourself together, Lis?"

Lisa lifted her head off the pillow. "I don't know. Maybe."

Ginger sighed. "Lisa, I love you, but you know my take on marriage. The best marriage is no marriage." She shrugged. "Hon, it's about the guy and the relationship, not the ring and the white dress. If Aidan loves you - and I mean, really loves you - that should matter more than being married to someone who doesn't really love you just for the sake of being married."

Closing her eyes, Lisa replied, "Aidan knows I want to get married and have kids. I feel like if he really loved me, he'd propose."

"Wow. If you guys ever get married, remind me to whack the Bridezilla right out of you."

The Sea Team member's not-so-nice retort was cut off by a knock at the door. Cinda entered the room, followed by Hardware, the little green robot that acted as the team's mascot. "Look, Lis! Hardware came in to check on you," Ginger cooed as the little robot nuzzled up against her leg. Looking down at it, she asked sweetly, "You think you can cheer her up, Hardware?"

Lisa sat up on the bed, and Cinda sat down on the floor across from her. "Are you feeling okay?" the Miran asked, frowning. "I know it must be tough, knowing that Kelly got married and you're still waiting on Aidan to propose."

"Oof. That's like throwing gasoline on the fire, Cin," Ginger informed her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cause trouble," the Land Team member apologized.

"Ugh." Lisa threw her head back down on the pillow. "I don't want to discuss this anymore. Can we please talk about something else? Something other than the fact that Aidan Dalloway is never going to propose to me?"

"Sure." Cinda shrugged. "What are you two going to wear to Kelly's wedding?"

Lisa chucked the pillow at her.


The king had been quiet. Cryptic. Contemplative. Just the same way he had been from the moment he found out about his beloved Allura's abhorrent engagement to the even more abhorrent Captain Keith Akira Kogane.

Maahox and Wade were dumbfounded by Lotor's behavior upon learning that he would never have the princess's heart. The had both thought for sure - for sure - that he would have flown off the handle in an embroiled rage. But no, thus far he had kept his anger in a simmering check, which Wade both liked and found useful.

He liked it because a quiet Lotor was one he didn't have to listen to. He was tired of the Drule king's boasting and screaming. It had grown old, not to mention pathetic and immature. Blaming one's shortcomings and failures on everyone else was something a child would do, not a man and certainly not a soldier. It was wearisome and caused resentment to fester in the former Sky Marshal's blood.

But even better, he found it useful because a quiet Lotor was a dangerous Lotor, and there was no telling what evil thoughts were running rampant through his head. Evil thoughts that would undoubtedly come in handy in their quest to take down the Alliance, one planet at a time.

Passing by Lotor's chambers on the way to Maahox's laboratory, Wade smirked to himself. He had been on the run from the Alliance for nearly two years, and in all that time, no one had caught him. Of course, they knew that he had teamed up with Lotor - he had told them all that himself at the start of their failed mission to capture Christiane Kogane. Yet they hadn't been able to capture him. He'd always slipped through their fingers, eluding them.

Having been on Planet Doom for so long, Wade no longer felt the need to knock on the door to Maahox's lab anymore. He and the occult scientist had formed a twisted sort of kinsmanship, almost to the point where they could communicate just with a look. Lotor didn't have a clue, and he certainly didn't join in.

"Charles," Maahox greeted him without looking up from his lab set-up, "what brings you here?"

In a way, Wade enjoyed the fact that Maahox was one of the very few individuals to call him by his first name. When he was at the helm of the Garrison, he was either addressed formally, or informally by his middle name of Herbert. He hated the name Herbert; it sounded old and ridiculous. But he was hardly ever addressed by his first name of Charles. That was the first name of Space Marshal Hingham, who held the position before Graham. And no one had ever liked that man, even though he did a fine job of running the Garrison.

"I wanted to check on the status of the Predator Robeast," he answered. "How are the Haggarium transfusions coming?"

"Very well. It has taken some time, but I would say that within the next two to three months, the Haggarium modifications will be at their optimal levels." Maahox smiled a ratty smile. "I would say that in three months' time, we will have an indestructible super-robeast."

"The problem with that plan, dear Maahox, is that we don't have three months' time."

The occult scientist gaped, mouth open, as his gaze traveled over Wade's shoulder. The Sky Marshal knew who was there. There was only one person it could have been, and besides, the sarcasm in his voice was enough to give him away. "My lord, please don't rush this."

Lotor scowled. "Within three months, my beloved Allura will be married to that despicable Captain Keith. I don't intend to allow that to happen, Maahox. You either need to speed up the Haggarium infusions on the Predator Robeast, or you need to figure something else out to take over Arus before the wedding. I won't just stand by idly and allow that marriage take place."

With his back to the king, Wade rolled his eyes. It was such a Lotor request to make. And yet...

"Perhaps there is something else Maahox can do," Wade suggested innocently.

The occult scientist's one eye popped out of his head. It glared at the Sky Marshal for a moment, then fell back into its socket. "Well, perhaps," he grumbled. "There may be other things I can try."

"Then do it," Lotor snapped.

As he left the lab, Wade shot a grin back at Maahox. "You heard him. Get to it."

"And just what do you have in mind, Charles?"

"I don't know. Come up with something - anything - that might make Lotor think he can conquer Arus. And then, when he is defeated, we will still have the Predator Robeast left to use. We'll lull the Voltron Force into a false sense of security, and then hit them with the Predator Robeast when they least expect it."

Maahox nodded, liking the idea, and turned back to his set-up.

Wade left the lab, the wheels in his brain spinning. He knew that Maahox would follow his order, and he knew that Lotor would be pleased that there was something he could do to fight on Arus before the wedding. But what neither of them knew was that there was no way Lotor could win a fight against Voltron by himself. And Wade would not help the king out under these circumstances. If he was foolish enough to fight against their enemies alone, then so be it.

He could die alone, as well.


The Explorer had been contacted. Per Se had been called. Dates had been booked, arrangements had been made, food and alcohol had been ordered. And, of course, a little black dress had been purchased.

Now that the details for Kelly's and Taye's wedding gathering had been taken care of, Lenora went back to work on scouting out new territories for a Space Academy. She paged her secretary to send in her Interplanetary Relations specialist, but to send Lieutenant Brown into the office first.

"Brown. It's good to see you." She flashed him a smile, thinking that it wasn't fair that he and Stebbins had been at the rank of lieutenant for more than fifteen years now. "Where's Lieutenant Stebbins?"

Brown shrugged. "His son is ill, so he took the day off."

Lenora looked disappointed. "That's too bad. I would have liked for him to be here as I conduct my business." Tightening her lips into a straight line, she continued, "I think you know that I have hired a new Interplanetary Relations specialist, Justine Gartrell. I would like to advance her to a rank of Lieutenant."

Brown looked nervous. "Am I to believe that you're firing one of us, Space Marshal?"

She shook her head emphatically. "Of course not. I think you and Stebbins are due a rank advancement as well...Major."

The man looked like he might cry out of shock. "Are you serious?"

"Very."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Granted."

Brown stood and threw his arms around her. "Len, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"It's my pleasure, Don. You and Jason both deserve it." She hugged him back, remembering a lifetime ago when the three of them had been lieutenants under Graham together. "Now, go speak with my secretary and talk to Human Resources. And if you should happen to hear from Stebbins, well, give him the good news."

Her newly-ranked Major saluted as he headed out of the office, a huge grin plastered to his face. As he left, the Space Marshal realized that this was what being in charge was all about: taking care of those people who had been loyal to her.

Which was why she needed to find Wade and bring him to justice.

Once her office was quiet again, she paged her secretary once more. "Could you please send Tech Sargeant Gartrell in now?"

"Certainly," came the answer.

Lenora waited for the Interplanetary Relations specialist to come in. She needed to bestow her next outbound trip upon the woman, as well as her new rank of Lieutenant.