Kolivan woke with a start as a soft knock repeated on his door. He put his blade away and got up to answer it.

Lance stood outside with a smile that basically said he was doing nothing wrong.

It was this that irritated Kolivan the most.

"Just…a few more questions," Lance said, "just…how fast can we rely on you for back up when- if we call? If…"

Kolivan held back a sigh, "the closest we have operations are about three quintants away from the councils system. I can tell them to keep alert…IF you like."

Lance blushed, "yeah, yeah, that'd be good…"

"Anything else?"

"Well…I wanted to know if you had anyone you could spare….at all…."

"How so?"

"Pidge is going to need back up and I'm not going to be there and I'd REALLY feel much better if-"

"Do you not trust her to do her job?"

"I trust HER, Kolivan, its other people I'm worried about," Lance snapped, "She's going into a position that will have every eye on her. I'm not saying that a Blade needs to be her personal body guard, but once the mission progresses to a specific point, if a Blade could join the operation and just…watch her back?"

Kolivan almost smiled….almost.

"Iverson already asked me," Kolivan said, "Antok and Regris will be joining any operation that stems from Earth."

Lances face burned, "You…you talk to Iverson?"

"Quite often," he replied, and this time he did smile, "He told me you'd ask me these things and I set up operations close by in anticipation of this."

Lance spluttered, swore, and marched back to his room.

"He also asked me to help with training!" Kolivan called after him.

()

Kolivans training was very much like Keiths. It was harsh, but focused mostly on stealth and how to separate vital information from gibberish.

Keith tried out his new fighting style against Kolivan and earned a bit of praise.

"Do not let this deter you from your sword practice," Kolivan warned, "Or the rest of you from your individual weapons training."

"Yes, Sir."

While they were out kolivan worked them hard and soon they were all grumbling.

Lance, for some reason, was back to being in a bad mood even before everyone else. He snipped and was even more sarcastic with Kolivan than he ever was before. Kolivan let it slide and just ignored it. The others just assumed something happened, and also ignored it.

Lance, however, festered. He didn't let it get in the way of work, but the others could tell something was bothering him.

"You know, if you carry on like this, it will start effecting your work," Allura said as Lance bashed the snot out of a drone on the training deck.

"Bite your tongue," Lance gave a rueful grin, "my work ethic is top notch."

"and you're getting more pissed off by the day, what is bothering you so much that you, of all people, can't let it go?"

Lance stopped beating the drone and sighed, "Things are just complicated. I hate complications. I like simple missions and simple situations."

"…and Kolivan?"

"Kolivan and Iverson are dead to me," Lance scowled. Allura laughed. It was clear to everyone that Iverson was like a father to Lance. Lance grinned as well.

"Whatever they did, I'm sure its not enough to brood over," Allura punched his arm lightly, "Come on. Hunks made snacks for the delegation meeting."

Lance made a face, "And meetings….i hate meetings."

()

When they were FINALLY ready to go back to earth, Pidge lost it.

"If you all call me 'Hellen' ONE MORE TIME!"

"You're going to be Hellen for a lot longer than that," Lance folded his arms, "get used to it."

"I don't like the name and this chick was psychotic!" Pidge snapped, "She was so two faced I'm surprised she had any friends at all!"

"Not to speak evil of the dead…and all," Hunk muttered and Pidge scowled.

"I'm pretending to be her, I can say whatever I like! Allura took a look at this chicks comments and crap and pointed out all the double meanings!"

Lance sighed, "Pidge, everything can have a double meaning. Allura was trying to get you interested in Hellen as a character and in a way you could possibly relate."

"It seems to have backfired," Allura shrugged.

Pidge quieted and thought about it for a while, "fine, drop me off on whatever planet and let's get this over with."

They had chosen a small planet with life, but not advanced enough to be able to help put a space ship together. They dropped off the broken and busted galra escape pod and explained to the chieftain what was happening.

"Very deceitful," he said seriously, then he grinned, "I like it."

"Am I going to be alright?" Pidge asked out of the corner of her mouth.

"Just use the emergency com unit if things get bad," Lance said, "and we hid another ship on the planet for you to get away on."

Pidge nodded, "how long did it take for you to convince the council of those precautions?"

"…what council?" Lance raised an eyebrow, "they're still organizing themselves…as far as I'm concerned and the ship was given to us by the olkaries…who are not part of the council."

"Sneaky," Pidge said seriously, then grinned, "I like it."

()

"I think this was a complete success," Allura smiled and Lance shook his head.

"The next step is convincing the council to blend into the coalition. They are a proud bunch, not sure if they'll do it."

"they can't just stay in their little bubble, Lance," Allura stressed, Coran nodding behind her.

"Watch them," Lance smirked, "How much do you wanna bet, their first answer will be 'no'?"

She huffed then accepted, "fine, I bet, in the long run, I can convince them to join the coalition."

"Given enough time anyone could," Lance shrugged, "What's the time limit?"

Allura scowled. Everyone was looking from one to the other as if this were a tennis match.

"When this major mission is over," Allura said sticking her nose in the air, "Not only will the Jermites and Olkaries be on better terms, but the council will be part of the coalition."

"Oooo," Keith and Hunk said turning to Lance.

"Bet accepted," Lance said, "what are the stakes?"

"You have to call me 'Your Royal Highness' and give me a foot rub every night for a Phoeb- no, a Deca-phoeb!"

"Deal," Lance grinned and didn't say anything else.

"What do you want?" Allura asked tentatively as Lance started to look at his nails.

"I want what you want," He said and laughed at her expression, "I've never been called a 'Royal Highness' before, I think it would be fun!"

"Fine, but Hunk get's to help me," Allura said making Hunk jump.

"Princess, take all the help you need cause that's the only way you'll even come close to winning," Lance shrugged.

()

When they landed Sam and Collene were there to show support even though they knew their daughter wasn't there. They were simply told she was on a mission and would be back later. They were also told to pretend that she was home.

Without question they did as they were told.

The team went back to training.

()

"Shiro!" Keith beamed as the older man walked into the waffle house. Shiro waved back and made his way to his younger brother.

"Hot day," Shiro said sitting down, "had a ton of things to do before getting to come here."

"but you managed it."

"Take that lance," Shiro said repositioning the syrup, "I'm not that old…"

Keith laughed and shook his head, "Let's drop work stuff. How's everything else? Curtis ask you out yet?"

"Noope," Shiro shrugged, "He bit his tongue when asking for a pen though."

"Close enough," Keith said, "isn't that how you and Adam started dating?"

"naw, I was the one who looked like an idiot back then. How did the coalition gathering go? Sorry I wasn't able to be there."

"It went well," Lance grinned as he shared the bet between Lance and Allura.

"Be interesting to see which one wins," Shiro laughed.

"Allura's more determined to win this than she was to get us to form Voltron," Keith laughed as well, "poor Hunk."

"Poor you when she realizes that as leader your influence will help tip the scales," Shiro said to a now horrified Keith.

()

True enough, it happened faster than Keith expected. After a while, Allura claimed that they ALL should take diplomacy lessons and that Keith would be needed later.

Lance had to reel her back and remind her that Keith had his own job in the mission ahead of them.

"In time everyone will be trained for everything, but the important stuff needs to come first."

"and diplomacy isn't important?!" Allura snapped.

"Not as important as some of his other studies!"

"You just want to win!"

"I want to stay alive!" Lance shouted back, "And I want all of you to stay alive! This isn't a game!"

Allura backed down, "sorry…"

Lance sighed, "look, this is complicated. I told you, remember? We all have to watch our steps."

She nodded.

Keith let out the breath he'd been holding.

()

"This is insane," Lance muttered, throwing down the orders he'd just read onto Iversons desk. Ketih stood beside him and Hunk and Allura stood near the door to alert them to anyone that may come along.

"This was my call, B2," Iverson said, "I've got a bad feeling and we need reassurance."

"you getting nervous old man?" Lance grinned and Iverson scowled.

"The length of my tooth has nothing to do with my vast experience," he said, "This has no bearing on any other missions. When this happens is of no consequence, but I'd feel better if it happened sooner than later."

"Are the Hargros in on this?" Keith asked, picking the orders details up.

"No," Iverson said, "Only the human division heads. Jermites have been under suspicion since the whole Roddakkin debacle. This is simply routine to make sure their intentions are still in line with ours. That's all."

Lance shifted his weight.

Routine was a word he'd use if he was going alone. But brining the others…

"they have to get their feet wet somehow, mother hen," Iverson said.

"Its not like we haven't done this before," Allura added behind them, "you sometimes act as if we've never been through a war before."

"War and intrigue are two very different things," Lance said, "The difference between a cold and hot war is something I don't like to contemplate very often…"

"Then I guess is boils down to if you trust us or not," Keith said with a shrug, "do you trust us?"

Lance looked around the room, having been put on the spot.

"Rude," he said and they laughed, "of course I trust you, so lets make as many failsafe's as we can so that the OTHER people I DON'T trust can't get in our way."

()

It took a few days before Lance was satisfied with their preparations. The others thought he was over doing it, but let him take the lead…to a point. Keith finally put his foot down and ordered Hunk and Allura to prep for the trip.

"But-"

"Lance, one more failsafe and I swear I'll go ballistic," Keith said.

"Fine…fine, I'm good…this is good…."

Coran, who had taken up in the S section of the agency helped them pack.

"Don't forget to brush your teeth and take care to-"

"And you think I'M the mother hen?" Lance muttered as Coran kept going.