Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading & following along. Like I always say, I have the BEST readers!

To Cubbie - Thanks for your note and for checking in on me. I love how you act as Mama Bear to the group. XOXO

To WarzonePrez - Don't worry, I am finishing this story! Lots of action will start to filter in now. And I'm glad you enjoyed the Taye reference; that's all your fault, you know!

To Eire Rose - Kelly's behavior was atrocious, yes, but don't forget that she's not such a terrible person. After all, she was the first one to welcome Romelle into the family. I think she'll get used to Cliff's girlfriend eventually; after all, Justine's not going anywhere.

Title Song: "Let Go" by Thomas Fiss


Pidge had found his calling in castle defense.

Though he loved to pilot Green Lion, he was still a systems analyst at his core. Since taking over the defense systems for Keith's and Allura's wedding, he'd been accustomed to the comfort and rhythm of the main computer. There was always something to upgrade, something new to add, something better to act as a replacement for something older.

Then there was Larmina.

Since the lady of Arus had joined the ranks of the Voltron Force as Blue Lion's pilot, Pidge had been a little uneasy. Not because of her skills; she had proven herself to be an exceptional pilot. Rather, it was her proximity. Having her so close to him and knowing that she had chosen Daniel instead was enough to drive him mad.

Furthermore, he had grown accustomed to, even comfortable with, relegating himself to castle defense. It was easier and less stressful than going out in the lions, now even more so because of Larmina. Not only was he risking his neck every time he fought for Arus in Green, but now he was also coming face-to-face with humiliation; every time he sat behind the controls, he was faced with the knowledge that the girl who had rejected him was closer than he'd like.

Don't think about her now. Think about Vince instead.

The young cadet could have been Pidge's long-lost brother had he stayed at the Garrison. Vince was a true systems analyst in every sense of the word, right up there with himself and Chip and even Lenora. True, he didn't have the drive to pilot a lion the way Daniel did, or the raw talent the way Larmina did, but he had great potential. If he spent a little more time behind Green's controls, he might become a great lion pilot.

Pidge swallowed, losing himself in the thought of being done with Green. But was he really done with Green? He had piloted the lion for too many years; he loved that machine. Is it really a machine? It can't be, it's linked to me - better than even my friends and family - in many ways. Was it really time to pass down the torch, or were there still plenty of good years left for him in the cockpit?

He didn't know, but he was sure of one thing: if Vince was going to be his successor, then he was going to have to train for it. Hard. Because if Green Lion was ever going to accept him as its new pilot, he'd have to guarantee not to disappoint.

Which meant that he needed to get started. He needed to begin training Vince one-on-one, outside of lion practice, to take over. Green Lion had to get used to new blood behind its controls, and see that the new pilot was worthy of the role.

With that one off-handed thought, Pidge had made his decision. Much like Lance, his days as a Voltron Lion pilot were numbered.


Since becoming queen, Allura found herself doing things she had neglected while on the Voltron Force. She frequently went into town with Vince or Daniel - and usually a full complement of bodyguards - in tow to greet her citizens and listen to their concerns. There was always one meeting or another to attend, or an event where her presence was requested; those sorts of engagements.

Every now and again, she would look up at the sky and catch the lions in formation, usually during extended practice. And every time, when she saw how well Larmina and Blue Lion fit each other, she would feel a pang of...Sadness? Regret? Nostalgia? It's time for me to be queen, but even so, I loved my time on the Force. I miss being part of the action.

That was how the team found her in Castle Control waiting for their return after lion practice.

Standing atop the chutes, only one of them immediately noticed her upon exit. Keith, the one to whom she had bonded her life, looked up and smiled faintly, knowing well enough not to ask questions. As for the rest, they looked pleased with themselves, teasing and joking with each other as only teammates could.

Larmina, clad in her blue-and-grey uniform, looked as though she had always belonged with them. The sight made Allura's heart feel heavy, even though it shouldn't have. She remembered the days when she first began training, and how the boys had not exactly welcomed her with open arms at first. In fact, they were still reeling over Sven's near-fatal injury and unable to deal with not only a new teammate, but a new teammate who was a young woman who had never even flown before, let alone graduated from the Space Academy.

She knew she should let go of these useless feelings, but lately, she found herself unable to. It wasn't that she was jealous of her niece per se. She only wished that, when she was Larmina's age, she had been more suited to the job of piloting Blue Lion.

"My love, what's wrong?"

Keith. Her husband always seemed to know when she was sad or upset. "Oh, it's nothing," she replied dismissively as she watched Pidge, Hunk, Larmina and Lance exit Castle Control. "It's just...I don't know. Regret, I think." She sighed. "I wish I had been a better pilot when I was Larmina's age."

His turquoise eyes glimmered with amusement. "This argument again?" he teased. "Haven't we had this conversation already? Like I said before, you shouldn't worry about that now. You did as well as you could."

"I could have been better."

"Well, no sense in worrying about that now. Besides," he added, kissing her brow, "you're a much better monarch than Larmina ever would be. Not that I'm saying she would do a poor job, but you have been groomed for the role. She was not."

The thought made her shiver. There was a world of truth in Keith's statement; since she could stand upright, Nanny and Coran had been preparing her for the day she would rule. Somehow, they had known all along that Voltron would defeat the forces of Korrinoth, and that Arus would rise from the ashes. "I suppose you're right," she finally begrudged.

"Of course I am." Wrapping one arm around her shoulder, he began to escort her out of Castle Control. "Now, perhaps I can persuade the kitchen staff to serve us a private meal in our room?"

She smiled "I'd like that."

"Me too." Entangling his fingers with Allura's, Keith quietly padded his way back to their quarters. He had a feeling that he knew just what his wife needed to let go of her regret...and it would start with a romantic dinner.


Christiane struggled to find her bearings. What is this place? she thought feverishly, wiping her blue-black hair off her damp forehead. Though she couldn't see, she felt her eyes begin to glow a vibrant turquoise, the same color as her eyes. Was she dreaming? Or was she having a vision?

As her glowing eyes adjusted to the light, her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. The coffin. The casket that was normally open and empty was shut closed, and she could sense that there was finally a body in there. She was eager to learn the person's identity, and yet terrified of it all the same.

Swallowing against the lump in her throat, she watched as the lid began to creak open. Her pulse quickened in her veins as she began to make out a figure. No face, but a figure. A male, laid out in the traditional Garrison dress uniform.

No.

Please, no

With a startled gasp, Christiane darted upright in her empty bed. A vision. For the first time, she'd seen someone in the casket, the man who would go willingly into his own death. Goosebumps encased her flesh, and she wrapped her arms around her chest to ward off the chill.

Unable to return to sleep, she crept out of bed and over to the bathroom for a glass of water. Oh, Gods. I can't make sense of it. Who's in the casket?

It could be anyone. It could be her husband or her brother. It could be Aidan, her captain. It could be her idealized foster father, David, or her so-called "work husband" Taye. It could be Cliff, or Crik, or any of the guys on the Voltron Vehicle Force. It could be Lance, Pidge, or Hunk. It could be Commander Hawkins or Captain Newley. It could even be Space Marshal Graham himself.

But if it's Jeff or Keith, I won't be able to go on.

Christiane turned on the faucet and dipped her cup underneath the stream of water. As she lifted it to her lips for a sip, she caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were glowing unnaturally in a vivid turquoise color.

Eerily enough, her seer abilities were improving.


"General Soltorn, you must be joking."

Nervous, Cossack took a step back, away from both Sky Marshal Wade and the ruler of the Fourth Kingdom. He had accompanied the so-called leader of Korrinoth to visit the general's home planet and assess her army, but he didn't realize how much contempt flowed between them.

Originally, he'd thought that Wade actually liked the woman. Now, as they both gazed upon the pitiful amount of troops and the woeful supply of armament that she had gathered, he realized that General Krai Soltorn must not have liked him...and now, Wade was not so much a fan of hers, either.

The general crossed her arms over her chest in defense, lifting the eyebrow over her one good eye in defiance. "Charles Herbert Wade," she began, a tone of dire warning in her voice, "I suggest you not mock me. I am only helping you because King Bhorn ordered it so. You should be grateful for any aid of mine you receive."

"But you believe this to be any aid?" he screeched, only a few decibels short of a scream. "As I mentioned earlier, Soltorn, this is a joke! I show you my Predator Robeast, I show you my ammunition, and you show me this?" His eyes narrowed viciously. "I should go to Bhorn myself and report how poorly - foolishly - you've followed his command."

The general clenched her hands into fists. "Do you think I don't know that you originally requested help from the Seventh Kingdom, Wade? That you wanted Merla, who is merely a pretty face, instead of the woman who unseated the throne of the Fourth Kingdom by force? You should consider yourself lucky that you have me!" She paused to grin maliciously at him. "Besides, you have no idea how irked King Skath is at you. Apparently, your request of Queen Merla's aid was supremely irritating to him."

Since Wade could not remember who Skath was, Cossack had to clue him in. "The ruler of the Second Kingdom...and Merla's husband," he whispered into the Sky Marshal's ear.

"I see." Wade did not seem at all concerned. "Regardless of whether or not I originally asked for her aid, you are the one I am stuck with, General. And you have given me an army and a supply of weapons that is embarrassingly lacking in its power and amount. I suggest you do better than this is you wish to defeat the Garrison."

With a smirk on her face, Soltorn delivered her final blow. "If you are so confident in your weapons and your Predator Robeast - which is impressive, as much as I hate to admit it - then you wouldn't be so reliant on me for help."

Turning purple with rage, Wade turned his back on the general and headed towards Cossack and his ship. "I suggest that you get your act together on this one, Soltorn," he warned her, all while not responding to her insult. "If you do not wish to be destroyed yourself during battle, of course. Don't forget, the worst mistake one can make is underestimating one's enemy in battle...and the worst mistake you can make is fooling yourself into thinking that Galaxy Garrison will back down without a fight, even with that loathsome woman at its helm." Flicking his wrist, he signalled Cossack to join him in their jet for an immediate take-off.

Shrugging, Cossack joined him in the vessel for immediate departure.

Soltorn watched them as they left, pleased with herself. Wade was cracking. He had no idea what their upcoming battle would hold for him, or what it would mean for her.