Piper is sitting outside the base, looking out towards the blue sky.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Shiro's voice had her turning to face him as he walked up to her, then turned back around to look at the sky.

"Pipes, I'm sorry." He apologizes, coming up to her and places a hand on her shoulder.

"Why do you have to leave again?" She asked. "Don't answer that!" She quickly said as turned to face him. "Why am I always second best to you?" She folds her arms.

"You are never second best!" Shiro tells her, trying to reassure her.

"You're leaving!" She threw her arms in the air. "Again!" She turns slightly. "I had to find out from Commander Holt."

Shiro tried to take a step forward "Piper."-

"No, go." She backed away from him. "Do what you really want to do." She turned and walked away, leaving Shiro alone.

XxXxXxXx

Shiro sat in one of the rolling chairs, alone in the confrence room as his face is unreadable.

"Shiro?"

He blinks a few times and turns to see Celiestia standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Uh, Hi Princess."

Celestia frowns. "Shiro, what's wrong?" She walks farther into the room.

He sighs. "Piper's mad at me again." He answered with a sigh.

Celestia sits down in a chair. "And she is angry with you because we have to leave for space again." She answered, understanding.

"How did you know?" He asked with surprise.

"My grandfather." She answered simply. She sighed. "Look, Shiro. Why don't you just put a ring on her finger?" Celestia reached over and patted his robotic arm. "You wanted to once, didn't you?"

XxXxXxXx

A few hours later. Everyone is now in the confrence room for their last briefing.

"Everyone, welcome to our final briefing on Earth." Shiro starts. "It's been several months since we began to rebuild and tomorrow we launch and continue our liberation efforts across all planets still under Galra rule. Commander Holt, what's the latest from from your team?"

"We've confirmed that there's still no Galra activity within several Galaxies away from the Milky Way." Sam explained as he gazed up. "It appears Earth was Sendak's only target."

Shiro turns to Keith. "Where are we with Earth's defenses?"

"I've finished my check in with all the Garrison facilities around the globe. All defenses are up and running. Earth has everything in place to keep itself safe."

"Great." Shiro turns his head to look at Veronica. "And Atlas preparations?"

Lance's sister looks down at her datapod. "Repairs to the IGF-Atlas were completed early last week, and it has since passed every test protocol we've put it through."

"Good." Shiro turns to Allura. "Any updates on the Altean pilot?"

Allua frowned. "Still unresponsive. But she could wake any day now. Perhaps if we had a little more time, we could find out who sent her."

Keith turned in his chair to face her. "There's now to know when or if she'll wake up." He turns back to face Shiro. "We can't wait any longer. We need to get back out there and end this war before the Galra can reorganize."

Shiro nods. "Keith's right. We'll be in constant contact with Earth." His gaze roamed the room. "I have one more item to discuss. It's our last night on Earth, and we've got a lot of hard work ahead of us. We may not be back home for years. So I'm ordering you to take some time for yourselves. Be with the ones you love. You've earned it."

XxXxXxXxXx

Piper sat curled up in a chair, a picture of herself and Shiro gazing happily into the camera.

James popped his head into the nurse's office. "Hey, you missed the briefing."

"That was the point." She moved and sat the picture back on her desk. "I can't do this anymore James."

James straightened up as he walked further into the office. "What'd you mean?"

She kept her back to him. "I'm always second best. I've always have been!"

"You're talking crazy talk Piper." James said. "You're just going to give Shiro an ultimatum?"

"What the hell am I suppose to do James!?" Piper demanded. "I am so damn tired of waiting! Waiting on him! What am I suppose to do!?" She turned to glare at him.

James opened his mouth. "I. Uh." He trailed off and closed his mouth.

XxXxXxXxXx

Keith stood staring at the shack house, behind him is Celestia and Cosmo. Keith turns to them. "I've called this dump my home till my dad was killed, then I was moved into a shelter, then bounced from home to home, till Shiro found me."

Celestia walked up to him. "May I ask how he died?" She asked gently.

Keith took her hand, lacing their fingers together, then with his free hand he petted Cosmo. "He use to be a firefighter." He explained. "He died while on duty."

She looked down. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I'm over it, it was a long time ago."

She leaned up to kiss him gently. "You don't always have to put up a brave front." She smiled. "Now I want to hear about you taking too much medicine."

He groaned. "Ok, fine."

XxXxXxXx

Shiro stood inside his office, staring at James from behind his desk. "Piper has never been second best!" He slammed his hands down on his desk.

"Now that she's mentioned it, I can now see it." James said with his arms folded. "You always jumped for the Garrison. They would call, and you'd be out the door in no time."

Shiro sighed. "What am I suppose to do James?"

"Piper doesn't want anything to do with the Garrison anymore." James said. "She's only doing it for you, cause you're back. But even now." He trailed off with a shrug.

"What are you saying James?"

Suddenly the door burst open to reveal Piper walking in, she stalked up to the him and shoved her brother to the side. "I can't do this anymore."

Both men blinked confused at her.

"Can't do what?" Shiro asked.

"This! Us!" She took a breath to calm herself. "You're going up there to play hero." She looked like she was forcing her words out. "You're leaving in the morning ... if you go ... then ... then." She paused to take a breath. "I won't be here when you come back." She turned and stalked out of the office.

Both Shiro and James stood shocked.

XxXxXxXxXx

The door slid open to reveal Keith walking into the living quarters. "I got your 911. What's the emergency?"

James turned to him. "That." He side steps and points at Shiro, who is sitting on the couch with a defeated looking while around him is beer cans.

Keith's eyes grew. "Whoa! When did that happen?"

"An hour ago."

"How drunk is he?"

"He can't stand."

"That's drunk." Keith turned to James. "What the hell happened?"

XxXxXxXx

Piper is sitting on some drabes in the middle of her ruin home. She never blinked, or moved when a car is heard.

"Piper."

She did move at the voice as she turned to see Shiro, she turned back around. "I have nothing to say to you." She growls.

"Well, I have something to say." Shiro moved, walking around broken drabs and walking over what was left of the fireplace. "Piper, if you felt the way you did, why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because I didn't know how, or when." She continued to have her back to him. "I didn't want to take the Garrison away from you, but you kept at it, and I stayed." She shook her head. "Well I can't do that anymore." She walked away and over to some rocks, sitting down.

Shiro followed her. "Piper, I'm doing this for you! Fighting for Edith's future! Fighting for everyone's future!"

"What about you!?" She snapped, standing up to turn to face him. "You're risking your life again! And for what!?"

"For you!" He returned the snap, he walked closer. "I know I hurt you, and I know there is no way for me to take back my past actions." Shiro said calmly. "Piper. I need to go on this last mission." He took her hands, holding them gently. "And when we return, I'll follow you." He let go of one of her hands to wipe a few of her tears.

"What are you saying?" She whispered brokenly.

"What I should've done from the start." He answered. "Keith!" He called, without taking his gaze off the woman he loves.

But Piper turns to look, she gasps when she sees Keith walking towards them with a man holding a bible. Behind them are the other Paladins, Coran and James.

XxXxXxXx

The following morning. Shiro stood on a stage as he faced the assembled crowd of Garrison personal and aliens that's made of the Coalition of Voltron.

Commander Holt stood a step forward. "This will be perhaps the most defining moment in our history. The day humankind reaches beyond its homeworld to help the immense universe of which we inhabit such a small part."

It was Keith's turn. "In the blink of an eye, the world as we knew it became much larger then we ever thought possible. And now we rise to join the fight alongside many others different then us, but of like minds, to stand firm in the face of tyranny."

"For all deserve to decide their future as we decide to spend ours. Ensuring the freedom of the universe." Allura's voice is crystal clear, as you'd expect from the crown princess herself.

Shiro gazed at everyone, before taking a deep breath. "Everyone of you has given something to this fight. Many have been lost, but not in vain. Because through sacrifice, many more will live on. I make you this promise now. We will return triumphant."

Admiral Rabb stepped forward, he saluted and those on stage return the salute. "Good luck Voltron, and members of the Atlas. And May God be with you all." He held out his hand towards Shiro.

"Thank you sir." Shiro shook his hand.

The Atlas rose from the ground. Shiro stood on the bridge at the Command Station. Keith, the other Paladins stood in front of Shiro.