Sky fell back on her new bed and groaned.  Keith had told them that since it was their first day, they would take it easy on the new recruits.  Which meant they had gone on a five mile run, started their new weight lifting regimen, received their weapons and started target practice, and then partook in a round of martial arts practice.  And it was not even noon yet.  She had thought she was in good shape.

All four of them were at different levels in their training.  They had all started studying martial arts at a young age and were all pretty much at the same level.  Erik was in the best physical shape, running the five mile the fastest and taking to the weight lifting more quickly.  They all needed more work with their target practice, but that would come with time.

The four of them had been given a half hour break before lunch and Sky had decided to retreat to her new room, to see where it was and how it was set up.  They were all going to be living in a hall by themselves, which she liked, but was also a little nervous about.  How hard, or easy, was it going to be to have Erik so close?  At night.  The twins would be getting rooms of their own, and then whoever the fifth pilot was going to be would get their own room as well.  They were near castle control, able to make it from their rooms to the Lions in less than sixty seconds.

Sitting up, Sky stretched and looked around her new room.  It was nice.  Big and airy.  Two large windows dominated the wall opposite the door and looked out over the woods.  Heavy curtains were pulled back to let the sunlight in, but when closed would drop the room into darkness.  A double bed stuck out from one wall with a door beside it that lead to the closet and a chest of drawers on the other side.  Across from that was a wall unit with a televiewer and several bookshelves and another door that lead to a bathroom. Between the windows sat a desk and chair and a plush looking gray chair sat in the corner in front of one of the windows.  The walls were a plain white, the carpet a pale gray, and the bedding dark gray.  Above the bed was a painting of the Arusian landscape. 

Looking around, Sky made mental changes to make the room more hers.  The walls would have to be painted, there was nothing more boring than plain white.  She would bring up some of the things from her room back home.  Hang some pictures, put up some knick knacks, and fill the bookshelves.  In another week or so, it should be less of a guest room and more of a new home for her.

"Yo!  Sky!  You in there?"  Declan called as he knocked on her door.

"Yeah!"

Without waiting for an invitation, the door opened and the twins bounded in, landing on the bed on either side of her.

"Come on in," she muttered.

"What do you think of your new digs?"  Gideon asked, falling back across the bed.  "You have a bigger bed than I do."

"I like this room, it's…"

"Check this out Gid!"  Declan interrupted, jumping up and going to her window.  "She has a better view than either of us."

"Where are your rooms?"  She asked.

"Across the hall," he responded, opening her closet door.  "And you have a bigger closet."

Sky stood and smacked Declan's hand, "You can't just walk in here and start going through my room."

"Can I?"  Gideon asked as he started pulling open the dresser drawers, finding them empty.

"Both of you," she declared, her hands on her hips.  "Out of my room!"

"Aw, come on, Sky," Declan stuck out his lower lip.  "You don't mean that."

"Yes I do."

Gideon laid his head on her shoulder, "I thought you loved us."

"No, I tolerate you."

Gideon lifted his head and looked at his brother.  Schuyler knew when she was in trouble.  She backed up, hoping to be able to escape, but she wasn't used to this new room and she fell back on her bed.  Both boys pounced.  It was well known that Sky was dangerously ticklish and it was quite often her downfall.  Declan sat on her and pinned her arms down while Gideon attacked.

"Get off me!"  She gasped between fits of laughter.  "Now!  Get off me!"

"Admit you love us," Gideon demanded as he dug his fingers into her ribs.

"Never!"

"You know, if you can't keep your hands off the women in our crew, we're going to have a problem."

Gideon stopped tickling Sky and stood beside the bed, looking as innocent as he could, "She deserved it, Erik."

Their new commander leaned against the open doorframe, his arms folded across his chest, a smile playing on his lips.  "Well, I don't doubt that, Gid, but there are more appropriate ways to get your revenge."

"Tell you what," Declan said, still sitting on Sky knowing that the second he gets up she's going to exact her own revenge.  "We'll keep our hands off Sky if you do."

Sky was so happy that neither of the twins were looking at her as her face turned a brilliant shade of red.

Erik cocked an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"You know what I mean."

"Well, now see," Erik walked slowly into the room.  "To quote an old movie, that's a pie crust promise, easily made easily broken."

"What?"  Schuyler cried.

Before she knew what was happening, Erik was helping the other two torture her.  She wiggled and laughed and pleaded for mercy all while gasping for breath.

"I knew I shouldn't have let my daughter play with the boys," Lance muttered to Keith as they approached the doorway.  "You realize, don't you, that this is most likely the twins doing."

Keith shrugged, "Yeah, I know."  He stuck two fingers in his mouth and let loose with an ear splitting whistle.

Gideon and Erik stood at attention while Declan still sat on Sky, too afraid to let her up.

"Son, get off of her," Keith said, trying not to laugh.

Very slowly, Declan stood and hurried over to stand on the other side of his brother.  Sky jumped to her feet and ran to the bathroom, not even pausing as she smacked both twins upside the head as she passed them.

"Care to explain?"  Lance asked.

"I came in here, sir, to see the twins tormenting Sky," Erik explained.  "And I felt the need to join in."

Keith quickly covered a laugh with a cough.

"And why were you tormenting Sky?"

"Well, Uncle Lance, sir, we couldn't help ourselves," Declan replied.

"Revenge is sweet!"  Sky declared as she returned to the room.  "Remember that you wankers."

"Come on," Keith nodded his head toward the door.  "Its lunch time, then we're going to Castle Control."

Sky stayed behind as the twins ran quickly to their father's side, knowing she wouldn't try anything with Keith there.  Erik loitered behind as well, watching her with a questioning look.

"Did you really have to help them?"  She asked.

He walked slowly over to her, "I didn't have to, but I wanted to."

"And why is that?"

"Because," he leaned closer.  "Any time I get to run my hands over you, I am going to."

She ignored the shiver than ran through her, "You will pay for that."

"Promise?"

"Oh yeah."

"Good," Erik leaned closer to kiss her, but Sky moved and his lips met her ear.

"They're going to wonder where we are," she said haughtily, walking past him.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

A majority of the afternoon was spent in Castle Control with Whitman.  Koran, Allura's long time advisor and substitute father, had passed away about two years earlier.  Whitman, a man who had started out as a guard several years before, had worked his way up and had taken over Koran's position in Castle Control.  He knew the machines in there as well as Koran had and worked with Pidge to keep them updated.  He was the perfect one to train the new Force.

Deciding they had had enough for their first day, Keith and Lance dismissed the kids at four that afternoon with the promise to take the Lions up the next day.  Sky decided to go home with her mother and start to pack up her belongings.  Keith wanted her entirely moved in by the end of the week.

"We'll pack up the necessities now," Darcy said, walking into Sky's room with an empty box.  "And we'll deal with everything else later."

"Fine."

"You okay, honey?"

"Yeah, Mom, just tired."

Darcy nodded sympathetically, "It'll take some time, but you'll get used to this schedule."

"There is just so much to learn so quickly," Sky said as she started folding clothes.

"It is a bit overwhelming, I remember when I was first training to join the Voltron Force, it can very intense.  But remember, honey, you aren't alone.  The others in the Force are feeling the same way.  If you guys work together and deal with everything as a team, it won't seem so overwhelming."

Sky nodded, "I know, thanks Mom."

"Are…are you unsure about your teammates?"

"Oh no!  Not at all.  I mean, Erik is amazing and he will be a great leader.  And the twins, well, they can be a pain the butt, but I know they will really come through when they need to.  But I am curious about who the fifth pilot will be."

"We all are.  So, let's get back to this whole 'Erik is amazing' comment…"

Sky shook her head and chuckled, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt, "Don't, uh, don't read too much into things, Mom."

Darcy smiled, noticing the slight rise in Sky's voice, "Okay, dear, I won't."

The front door slammed shut and was soon followed by the sound of someone bounding up the stairs.

"Hello my beautiful girls," Lance declared upon entering the room.  "I have given the guys one hour before they show up here."

"What do you mean?"  Sky asked.

"In one hour, the twins and Erik are going to show up with a truck to move all your stuff up to the Castle.  Everything is moving more quickly than we had originally thought, Keith wants you settled in ASAP."

"What's going on?"  Darcy asked.

"We've received Intel that the Bittors are within a ten days flight from here.  And the big news," Lance sat on the edge of the bed.  "It seems that Vinn is short for Vinnachara and his father was a high ranking official in the Doom military under Lotor."

"You are kidding me," Darcy said incredulously.

"No I am not.  This only further backs our belief that they are on their way here.  It seems like no matter what we do, Doom will always be around.  But there is more, oh man, this is good."

"What is it?"  Sky asked, pulling out another suitcase to fill.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, so don't tell anyone, Schuyler."

"I won't."

Lance leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, a sly half smile on his face, "We're thinking Pidge might have found the fifth pilot."

"Already?"

"Who is it?"  Darcy asked.

"It's a she.  She is a native Arusian, born and raised here.  Her grandfather was one of the main town elders when Alforia was rebuilt, her family roots go almost as deep as Allura's."

Sky rolled her eyes, "Just get to the point, Dad."

"Her name is Brina Morrigan.  A student about to start her second year in military studies."

Darcy's mouth fell open.

Sky looked from her father to her mother and back again, she knew who Brina was, but didn't know her personally.  Brina was a beautiful girl with thick red hair and big green eyes.  She was renowned not only for her beauty but also for her intelligence and high scores in military tactics.  "What is it?  What's wrong with Brina?"

"Nothing's wrong with Brina," Darcy said, recovering quickly.  "I've had her in class, she is quite good.  I'm, uh, I'm not really surprised."

"No, now come on," Sky said.  "There is more to this than you're telling me or else you wouldn't have made such a big deal."

"It's not really a big deal," Lance said.  "It's just kind of funny.  See, Brina's mother is Euclida Remikade Morrigan, the only woman on Arus Keith dated before he married Allura.  There were some serious jealousy issues between the two women for a while."

"What has Allura said about this?"  Darcy asked.

"Nothing yet. Brina hasn't officially been offered the position, but she appears to be the best candidate.  And Pidge took her up in Green today and he said Green took to Brina with a guarded acceptance.  She'll have to take the Lion up a couple of more times before it is officially decided."

Darcy shook her head, "This could be interesting."

"Well, we'll have to see how she gets along with the rest of the Force."

"I'm sure Brina will get along with them fine, she is quite a flirt and I have yet to meet a boy she didn't charm."

Sky tried to sound casual and disinterested when she asked, "Uh, what do you mean, Mom?"

"Oh, nothing dear.  She's just not a shy girl."

"Not that that is anything you need to worry about," Lance said, standing.  "The twins are too young for her, so she might try and flirt with Erik. But he won't let that get in the way of what is happening.  I think he knows better than to get involved right now, too much is going on and we need him to concentrate on the task at hand."

Sky looked down at the sweater she held in her hand.  This is like a bad sitcom set up, she thought.

"I'm going to get some more boxes, Shorty, and I'll help you guys pack," Lance said, jogging from the room.

Darcy watched as her daughter continued to stare at the sweater in her hands.  "All right, Sky?"

"What, oh, uh, yeah, Mom," she mumbled, stuffing the sweater into a suitcase.

"I'm sure Brina will be a complete professional, Sky, you have nothing to worry about."

"I know.  It'll, uh, it'll be nice to have another girl on the team.  I, uh, I won't be so out numbered."

"That's the spirit, honey.  Now let's get your stuff together before the guys arrive."

…………………………………………………………………………………

"Seriously, Sky, do you really need all these books?"  Declan wheezed as he carried another box into her room.

"Suck it up, soldier," Erik replied, walking in behind him with another box.  "Don't be such a sissy."

"You're only saying that because we're carrying books and you're carrying a box labeled 'sweaters'," Gideon muttered, dropping a box heavily on the floor.

"Careful with that!"  Darcy yelled.

Darcy, Sky, Allura, and Cady were unpacking clothes and hanging them in the closet or folding them and piling them in drawers while the guys carried boxes and suitcases into the room.  It was more and more starting to look like her room.  Her father had hung a painting of elephants she had gotten from Keith and Allura for Christmas several years ago above her bed.  Her collection from Eric covered the top of her dresser, except for the big stuffed one that sat on the chair in the corner.  A dresser scarf her grandmother had embroidered with red lions sat beneath the elephants on top of the chest of drawers.   Her computer was set up on her desk and the closet was quickly filling.

"All right," Hunk declared, pushing the televiewer back into place.  "You're hooked up to the satellite."

"And you're hooked up to the castle network," Pidge said, signing onto the computer.

"This is the last of it," Lance said as he carried two suitcases into the room.

"This really brings back memories," Allura sighed, folding a shirt and placing it in a drawer.

"Yeah," Keith slid an arm around her shoulders.  "Our time on the Force was unforgettable."

Gideon turned to his brother and rolled his eyes.  Declan responded by crossing his hands over his throat and sticking out his tongue.  Cady shook her head and sighed.

"Oh look, honey," Allura wrapped her arms around his waist.  "We're embarrassing our children, isn't that cute?"

He dropped a kiss on top of her head, "I don't think we're embarrassing them so much as sickening them."

"Oh no!"  Declan cried dramatically.  "We're going to have another brother or sister, aren't we?"

"Boys, stop that," Allura blushed.

"You are, aren't you!"  Gideon demanded.

Keith looked down at his wife, "Are we?"

"Oh come on," Cady groaned.  "No more!"

Allura laughed and crossed her hands over her abdomen, "Oh for Pete's sake, no.  Six is enough.  This womb is closed."

Lance laughed, "It's about time, Allura."

"Can we please drop this subject?"  Keith pleaded.

"Yes," Allura stepped out of his arms.  "Dinner should be ready soon, I hope you plan on staying, Lance and Darcy, we'll celebrate the start of the new Force tonight."

"Of course," Darcy crossed to her daughter and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  "We have to see our daughter off in style."

Sky rolled her eyes, "I will still see you guys every day."

"But it won't be the same, Shorty," Lance mumbled cuffing her upside the head.