Everyone I know, everywhere that I go

Sky Marshall Wade paced the floor of his large office, stopping to enjoy the view from the picture window. The office was on the top floor of the main building of the Galaxy Alliance Headquarters, and the view was of San Francisco harbor. The historic Golden Gate Bridge still spanned the water, even though it had not been in use for almost a hundred years. Wade also liked being able to see Alcatraz island; he admired the idea of the prison.

He stared at the island, and then thought of his own private prison, remote and secure. Not only did he have his enemies there, but he also had Black Lion now. Years ago he had sworn revenge on Voltron, and he had finally achieved it. As he thought that, the image of the Black Lion pilot came to mind. The man had been missing for at least twenty-four hours, if not thirty-six hours and Wade wanted to know where he was.

"Sir, you wanted to review your schedule?" An orderly had come into the office, and was standing expectantly by the desk. He was new to the job, as Wade went through orderlies at a fast clip, being very difficult to work for.

"Corporal Hansen, yes I do. Have you confirmed that the Crown Princess of Arus will be here on time?" Wade almost snarled as he spoke to the nervous young man. Wade didn't think this one was going to last too long.

"Wade, you have some nerve, ordering royalty to your office. I hope you know what you are doing!" Vice Admiral Huxley had come into the office just then. Frank Huxley was way beyond retirement age, knew where all the bodies were buried, and was totally unimpressed by Wade. He was loyal though, and the Sky Marshall knew that he needed the man's acumen.

"Huxley, we have a 'new order' now in the galaxy, and it has nothing to do with royalty. They need what the Alliance has to offer their planets, so they will come when I call. I am looking forward to having the pretty little princess making nice to me." Wade snickered, and then added in a snide voice "After her I get her cousin, the Polluxian king. Now, he will do some major groveling, let me tell you. His daddy chose badly, by siding with Zarkon."

"Do you really think the princess knew what Kogane was going to do? Or where he is?" Huxley asked, privately thinking it would be a waste of time. If it was anyone else but Wade the older man would think the Sky Marshall had other intentions in wanting to talk to the beautiful princess.

"Kogane called the Arusian Embassy the day before the ball, and later that morning the princess came to see him at his office. I want to know why she did that, and what they talked about." Wade stated simply.

"What are your feelings about Stoker, Garrett, and McClain?" The older man inquired, and watched Wade get a dismissive look on his face.

"Stoker and Garrett know nothing, I'm sure of that now. And as far as Lance, well he might know something but I don't think he is upset that Kogane has skipped town. Haven't you seen the newsfeeds?" Wade enjoined, as he brought up a holoscreen and searched for what he wanted.

This is Entertainment Today, the Galaxy's most watched entertainment news source. Well we have hot gossip for you today, concerning the Arusian Crown Princess. She has been the subject of speculation about a romantic relationship with Commander Keith Kogane, who used to command the Voltron Force. However, it seems that Commander Kogane is not the one romancing the lady, but his second in command, Commander McClain.

Lance McClain, son of Andrew McClain, head of the Galaxy Security Council, and the beautiful Crown Princess were seen out last night on a date. After dinner at the very exclusive La Folie restaurant, the couple was spotted dancing the rest of the evening at the members only 'Club Mezzo'. As you can see from the pictures that we were able to get, the couple looked quite happy. The princess was dazzling in a royal blue cocktail dress that showed off her figure; much to Commander McClain's delight we are sure. Stay tuned for more updates about this developing romance.

"I'd heard Commander McClain was a ladies' man, and he sure didn't waste any time with the princess. I always thought he was one of those honorable types, you know." Huxley observed with an amused chuckle.

"Lance is aware which side his bread is buttered on, trust me. I have given him a top job, and he knows it. And Huxley, don't forget that nothing comes between two men faster than a beautiful woman." Wade laughed loudly as he said it.

In the waiting room Allura was doing her best to seem calm and relaxed, even though she wasn't. Coran had been horrified that Wade had summoned her to his office, but she reminded her advisor that they had to go along. Coran was also in a bad mood because of all the press that had been generated after her 'date' with Lance. Allura had explained Lance's reasoning, and at the end he understood but he wasn't happy about it.

Allura had been surprised at how much fun she and Lance had ended up having. Over dinner he had told her some funny stories about him and Keith at the Academy. She had been impressed with the places Lance took her, and how they were treated. Lance was very sophisticated about food, wine, and night life she found out. He made her feel special in a way that she'd never felt before, even with being a princess.

They had danced for most of the evening, and she had not gotten back to the Embassy until after midnight. Lance had told her that they had to show off her new dress, which he thoroughly approved of. It wasn't black, but it was a lot sexier than anything she'd ever worn before. He knew that every man was envious of him, and he hoped that his best friend would eventually see the pictures. Lance considered it payback for what Keith had made him do. He also enjoyed being able to take Allie out and have a good time. He thought with satisfaction that he had done something Keith hadn't been able to do.

"Your Royal Highness? The Sky Marshall is ready to see you." Allura was brought back to the present by the orderly talking to her. She was tempted to make a retort about being kept waiting for almost half an hour, but then she thought of Arus. She stood up, smiled nicely, and followed the man into Wade's office.

"Your Highness, thank you for meeting with me here. It is so hard to get away; otherwise I would have come to you." Wade intoned silkily, and then inquired "Did you enjoy your evening with Commander McClain?"

"It is not a problem for me to come here Sky Marshall, as I know you are a busy man. Yes, Lance and I had a lovely time." Allura smiled, while she wished she could slap him. She hated the smug, superior look he had on his face as he talked to her.

"As much as I would love to hear more about your evening, I need to get down to business. Did you know that Keith Kogane has disappeared?" Wade's voice took on a staccato tone as he asked the question.

"I know that no one has seen him for the last day and a half, but I don't know the reason why." Allura averred in a calm voice. Years of Coran's training were coming in handy now, she thought to herself.

"You went to see him at his office the day before the gala ball – why?" Wade barked at her, and she could see how hard and narrow his eyes were. Allura knew that she had to be pitch perfect to get anything past the Sky Marshall in his present mood.

"Keith had left a message with my Ambassador's social secretary, saying that he would not be able to escort me to the ball that evening. There was no explanation as to why, and it annoyed me. I figured that if I tried to call him he wouldn't answer, so going to see him in person seemed the best way." Allura hoped she had the right amount of indignation in her voice as she talked to Wade.

"May I ask what you talked about with Commander Kogane? Your relationship?" Wade leaned across the desk, and she could smell his sour breath.

"My relationship with Keith existed in the newsfeeds, nowhere else. Coran had requested that he escort me to the ball because he thought it would be appreciated on Arus. When I spoke to Keith he told me that he was very upset with all the speculation and gossip about us, and didn't want to add more fuel to the fire by taking me to the gala." Allura made it a point to slightly raise her chin, to show what she thought of his excuse.

"I'm afraid I lost my temper with him, and we had words. I left his office rather upset with him, as you can imagine." Allura finished up her story, and tried to look Wade casually in the eye as she did so.

"The gossip and speculation didn't bother you, Princess?" Wade challenged her with a menacing stare. He was impressed that the young princess kept her composure so well, and he was willing to believe that what she was telling him was the truth. It did sound like something the so upright Kogane would say, in his opinion.

"If I paid attention to everything written about me, Sky Marshall, I would get nothing done. You, yourself, are a public figure and you know how those gossip reporters work. If they can't find anything real, they just make something up." Allura smiled in sympathy at Wade, as she flattered his ego. He took the bait and preened himself just slightly, at the idea of being a public figure.

Wade then got back to the subject at hand, and looked at Allura thoughtfully before turning in his chair, to stare out the window. She sat there quietly, wondering if he was done or would there be more questions. She was glad that Lance had prepped her for this, because she wasn't sure if she could have handled it otherwise.

"You really knew nothing about Kogane's plans to flee?" Wade whirled around as he threw the question at her. He wanted to make sure that she had not been involved in the traitorous bastard's plans. By now he rather doubted it, as he thought about how quickly she had taken up with McClain.

"Keith has left? He didn't even say good bye to me!" Allura hoped she had the right amount of surprise and anger in her voice. She was definitely angry about how Keith had left like he had. Her mouth tightened as she thought of what he had done to the team, especially Lance.

"What did he say about the job that I offered him? Wasn't he pleased with it?" Wade twitched his nose as he asked the questions. He had seen the tightening of her mouth as she realized what Keith had done. At the back of his mind he wondered if the man had run out of fear of what the princess would do to him. Wade looked at her with renewed interest as he had those thoughts.

"He said that it was great honor, and it would put him on the fast track to making Admiral." Allura replied truthfully, remembering what Keith had said about the offer.

"Kogane in fact was pleased with the thought of making the rank of Admiral?" Wade cocked his head like this was a new piece of information.

"Sky Marshall, at the end of the day I really don't know what makes Keith happy. He spends a lot of time by himself, reading, and working. I am disappointed that he would turn his back on his team members, and the Alliance like this. It seems out of character." Allura tried to sound like she was getting bored with the issue, while conveying that she would not stand with Keith based on his actions.

"Your Highness, I am sorry to have put you through this, but I needed to make sure of where your loyalty was." Wade informed her after almost five minutes of silence, which to her seemed like an hour or longer. He was sure that Keith had blindsided her like he'd blindsided everyone else. Of course everyone else wasn't the crown princess of Arus, Wade reasoned. He wondered what Allura would do to the man when he turned up. The thought gave him some enthralling visions of Allura in black leather with a whip.

"I will tell you now, before I announce it this afternoon at the legislative session. Ex-Commander Keith Kogane will be branded a fugitive of the Alliance, and a sizable bounty put on his head. Can I trust you and your people, that if he returns to Arus you will turn him over to me?" Wade's words were precise and carefully spaced as he looked right at her. He wanted to see how far she would go, to secure the aid for Arus.

"Arus will cooperate fully with the Alliance, and honor the warrant. If Keith shows up he will be arrested and held until GA officials can pick him up. My planet has been at war for over thirteen years, and we need peace, Sky Marshall. Harboring a known fugitive and traitor would do nothing for us." Allura sat up straight, put her 'queen' face on, and answered him in dulcet tones.

"Capital, I knew that you were a sensible woman Princess! In return for your loyalty and support, I will be glad to lend assistance to you in the rebuilding of Arus. I will even personally visit to make sure that everything goes well." Wade looked at her with admiration and Allura suddenly felt very dirty about what she had done. Only by thinking of her people did she mange to answer the repulsive man.

"Sky Marshall, thank you very much. Your generosity will mean so much to my people, and of course you are welcome any time to visit." Allura gave him an encouraging smile as she replied to him. They talked for a little longer, and she managed to put in some kind words about Bandor's work on behalf of the Alliance. As she walked out she saw her cousin sitting in the waiting area, and she gave him a hug while whispering encouragement in his ear.

Coran was waiting for her at the Embassy, and wanted to know what had happened with Wade. Before she told him though she walked over to the drinks tray, and found a bottle of whiskey. Last night, before she and Lance got out of the car at the restaurant she had panicked about going through with their plans.

Lance took a silver flask out of his jacket pocket and passed it to her, telling her to drink it. The first swallow had burned, but the next two had tasted smooth. He told her that it was Irish whiskey, which he thought was the best kind. As she looked at the selection now, she didn't see anything Irish, only Scottish. Hoping that it was close she poured some into a glass, and drank it in one gulp. Allura didn't care that Coran looked shocked at what she was doing, as she made the mental observation that Lance was right about the Irish stuff being better.

Allura told Coran everything the Sky Marshall had said, including the offer of aid for Arus. When she finished telling him the story Coran went and poured himself a stiff drink of Arusian brandy. After swallowing it in two gulps, he poured himself another glass, along with more scotch for Allura. They talked about Keith being gone, and then turned their attention to matters about Arus. That night it took Allura a long time to fall asleep, as she thought about Keith and his actions.

Three days later, after saying good bye to Lance, Pidge, and Hunk she returned home to Arus. It was time to put the Kingdom back together, and take care of her people. She worked very hard not to think about Keith, except sometimes late at night. When the boys would come to Arus, or she would go to earth she made it a point, with one exception, never to ask about Keith. She preferred not knowing where he was, or what was happening with him.

Keith had not yet left earth when Sky Marshall Wade was questioning Allura. In fact, he hadn't even left San Francisco, preferring to hide in plain sight. However, his hair was cut and dyed, while the color of his eyes had been changed with contacts. He was staying at a rundown hotel in the old 'Barbary Coast' area of the waterfront. Keith knew he couldn't contact Lance, Hunk, or Pidge until the hunt for him had died down.

Mansett, an old friend who had a sideline business smuggling various cargo, had promised him a ship by the end of the week. Keith was killing time by catching up on his reading, and mapping out his strategy. He decided he needed a break, and walked over to a bar that was down the street. It was the middle of the day, and the place was deserted with the exception of the bar tender.

The man got him a bottle of beer, and they chatted for several minutes before Keith's attention was caught by the holoscreen over the bar. The newsfeed was showing a picture of Allura and Lance, dressed up for an evening out. His eye was caught by the dazzling blue dress that Allura wore, which highlighted her great figure. Keith was surprised, never having imagined her in something like that.

He watched the newsfeed as the reporter talked about the date that Allura and Lance had gone on. Keith picked up that the restaurant was top notch and expensive, while the club sounded very exclusive. He tried to persuade himself that Lance was just trying to cheer Allura up with the evening out, but a small part of his brain wasn't buying it. They looked very happy together, he thought sadly, rather hurt that his friend had wasted no time with Allura.

Keith thought about Allura every night in the coming years, and wished he hadn't needed to do what he did. In so many dreams he saw her blue eyes accusing him of turning his back on his duty to the team, to her, and to Arus. He hated those dreams the most, of all the ones he had. The other dreams were visions of what Wade was doing to Black Lion, and he would wake up in a cold sweat from those.

That night, as he lay in bed, Keith saw the newsfeed report in his mind, and the pictures of Allura and Lance. For the first time, but not the last, he questioned whether he had made the right decision. The question would haunt him for the next five years, along with his fears for his lion.

Finis