So, this is my first Voltron fanfic! This plot bunny began attacking me and it won't leave me alone, so I decided to write it down. If all goes according to plan this should be a fairly long fic with two different stories or parts or whatever you want to call them. But I am in need of a beta, someone to bounce ideas off of and to help me tweak this puppy into as close to perfection as it's going to get. So, if anyone's interested, please email me (the email's in my profile). Also, I need help with the title.

Thanks,

Mara

Kerri Jenson walked through the Castle of Lions on Planet Arus, heading for a rather large conference room in which she was about to meet with the Voltron Force. The Garrison had sent her there under the pretense of helping Allura develop Arus's fledgling intelligence community, possibly heading it up for a short while. In reality, the Garrison had wanted someone to keep an eye on the Force and give them occasional performance reports, and Kerri seemed to be the natural choice. At least, that was part of the reason she had been sent to Arus.

As she entered the conference room all five members of the Voltron Force as well as the Princess's advisor, Koran, turned to look at her. Standing at about 5'6", she wasn't the most intimidating figure at first glance. Her hair was a rich brown that fell limply around her shoulders to the middle of her stomach, and her eyes were a bright emerald in colour. All in all Kerri was not someone who stood out in a crowd of humans, but then that may have been why she did so well with intelligence missions.

It was hard not to fidget under the gazes the six pairs of eyes that were fixed on her, assessing the newcomer. For Kerri it was more than a little unnerving to be the center of attention when she was used to blending into the background, used to being the watcher and not the watched. She managed, however, to retain her indifferent appearance as she stepped further into the room.

"Lieutenant," Commander Keith Kogane greeted her politely, breaking the unsettling silence Kerri felt.

"Commander," she greeted with a slight nod before turning to Princess Allura. "Your highness." At the use of the Princess's formal title, she noticed Allura had winced a little - apparently she was uncomfortable with such formality. She took a seat at the circular table between Commander Keith Kogane and the man she assumed was Lieutenant Lance McClain. "Let's get right to the point: the Garrison has told you I'm here because your intelligence community needs help. Judging by your expressions, none of you believe that. Good. I'd be sorely disappointed if you did."

"Does that mean you're going to tell us why you're actually here?" McClain asked with a smirk.

"I'm not one for beating around the bush, Lieutenant, so yes," she replied nonchalantly. "The Garrison wants someone to send them regular reports on the performance of your team." The five members of Voltron started to protest, but she put up a hand to stall them and continued over the murmur that had risen. "They believe that your discipline has become a bit too lax, and that you have formed relationships here that are a bit too…personal." She cast a glance at Keith and Allura, who were looking angrier by the minute. "Now as for myself, I believe that in order to win a war, it has to be a bit personal. Show me a soldier who fights for their loved ones, and I'll show you someone who is virtually unstoppable. Unfortunately this isn't how the Garrison feels. They feel that when a person gets too emotionally involved, mistakes happen. And I suppose that can sometimes be true."

She paused to let the words sink in and to watch the reactions of the others at the table. All of the expressions seemed to have an edge of anger to them, even the carefully guarded features of Commander Kogane. "There is, however, some flexibility here. My job is to report to the Garrison any interference caused by personal relationships that I see, and in my interpretation that includes both good and bad. Though from what I know and have heard of you and your team, Commander, the good will out-weigh the bad, providing there is any bad at all."

"Well, I appreciate your honesty and flexibility here, Lieutenant," Commander Kogane said with and edge to his voice that made it obvious that he neither trusted her, nor believed her.

"I don't expect you to trust me right off the bat, Commander," she said, "but you need to know that I'm not here to break apart your team. Voltron is our only shot at defeating Lotor and Zarkon."

There was something in her voice, something almost passionate, that Keith couldn't quite pin-point, but it made him think that there was more to this than what Kerri was telling them. "Very well, Lieutenant. If you'll wait in the Control Room, someone will go over things with you in there shortly." He gestured toward the door back into the Control Room.

Kerri raised a curious eyebrow, but took the dismissal quietly. She stood and, with a polite nod, left the room.

"There's something we're not being told," Lance observed as soon as she had left the room.

"We'll have to keep an eye on her while she's here," Keith agreed.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Hunk quipped, a smile tugging at his mouth. "After all, she's here to observe us."

"Lance," Keith began after a brief pause, "I want you to see what you can dig up about her past - quietly." He was staring down his second-in-command as though trying to drill the seriousness of the situation into him.

"What?" Lance asked innocently, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "This is me we're talking about!"

"Exactly," the others said in almost perfect unison.

"Just try to remember that she is a military intelligence field agent - be subtle, be careful," Keith reiterated. He then turned to the youngest member of the Force and continued with his orders. "Pidge, I want you to help Lance - look at her Garrison records, see what you can find."

"Will do, Commander," the young man replied.

"Allura -."

"I'll see what my people can find," she interrupted, anticipating his order. The look in her eyes told everyone that she didn't quite agree with everyone else's assessment of the woman.

"What is it, Allura?" Keith asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I somehow have this feeling that we can trust her." There was an almost pleading edge to her voice.

"It is better to be safe than sorry, Allura," Coran piped up.

"I suppose so," the Princess agreed. Though her voice and expression suggested that she still felt to the contrary, she knew she was outnumbered and would never win the argument.

Note:  I have changed the OC's name from Ryleigh to Kerri...the first one was just a place holder anyway, lol ;)  Please let me know if I missed any occurrances of the old name.