Ever since Zarkon's death there was a lot of joy throughout the universe, but there was a lot of uncertainty as well because no one knew who would take charge of the galra empire. Unfortunately no one from the Blade of Marmora could do it because none of them were currently high ranking commanders in the empire, although after what Keith said during his update (Y/n) hoped Lotor could light the flame at the Kral Zera since he was the lesser of many evils, or that's what many people believed. Honestly, not very much was known about Lotor, nevertheless if he wanted to rule the galra empire differently than his father and make allies instead of enslaving people, he kind of sounded like a good-guy. Sometimes Kolivan regretted leaving his position as a commander, even though it had been necessary in order for him to found the Blade of Marmora so many deca-phoebs prior. Not much changed at the main Marmoran headquarters; everyone still had to tend to their duties, and unfortunately Thace and (Y/n) were still just friends.

Recently a new Marmoran base had been established on Vlexla and Kolivan needed someone to stay there, so after thinking about it for the past few movements he decided to station Thace there since he was qualified to be in charge of a small base, and he would naturally take (Y/n) with him. Kolivan thought it would be good for Thace and (Y/n) to stay in a base on a planet since being cooped up in the main headquarters wasn't necessarily good for humans, or even galra for that matter. When Kolivan requested to talk to Thace he was a little nervous; he hadn't done anything wrong and he knew that he wouldn't be reprimanded for anything, yet he was curious about what their meeting could have been about. Sitting in the chair in front of Kolivan's desk was nerve-wracking regardless if he was in trouble or not, especially since Kolivan was always so stoic and serious. Kolivan, on the other hand, always enjoyed intimidating his operatives a little right before he gave them good news.

“I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to meet with me today.” Kolivan started while he sat straight up in his chair and looked directly at Thace, speaking with a neutral tone.

“I was, yes.” Thace answered without hesitation, speaking clearly so as not to appear nervous, luckily he could keep his pheromones in check during tense situations.

“As you're probably aware there's a new base located on Vlexla. After thinking about it for a while, I've decided to transfer you there so you can be in charge of it.” Kolivan responded seriously until he cracked a slight smile, finally giving Thace his new assignment.

“Thank you, Sir. But what about (Y/n)? Am I allowed to bring her with me?” Thace accepted humbly, but then he worried that he would have to leave (Y/n) behind when he moved.

“Yes, you may take her with you. I've seen how close the two of you are and I don't think she would do well without you.” Kolivan replied; he'd definitely noticed how close his subordinate and the human woman were, and he figured that if they lived completely alone together it would give them the opportunity to finally get together as a couple.

Thace grinned, and he was relieved that he didn't have to leave (Y/n) behind since Kolivan was right, she wouldn't do well without him. He would go and search for her as soon as he could, but first he needed to be debriefed and find out all the details of his new assignment. Vlexla was a free planet ever since Voltron freed it from Zarkon's rule before his death and it was known to be particularly lovely during that time of the year. It would be nice finally living on an actual planet instead of inside of an asteroid in between two black holes and a giant blue star where they could only come and go during specific times. Kolivan knew how excited Thace was, so he made sure he knew what he was supposed to do and how to work some of the new equipment.

Sometimes other operatives would stop through the new Vlexla base every so often in between missions or just to visit. The new base had everything the main headquarters had; there were four full-sized habsuites, a kitchen that was attached to a cafeteria, an infirmary, a training room, a laundry room, a control room, a lounge, a supplies room and a place to park a few small shuttles, except there was no need for communal showers. Thace might have been excited for his new assignment, but he paid attention to everything Kolivan told him about what his duties at the new base were. The new base had already been filled with all of the necessary supplies for two people and more would be brought to the base whenever something was needed, including supplies for (Y/n). First thing after the debriefing Thace went to tell Ulaz the good news and Ulaz promised that he would visit sometime, then Thace would contact his sister later in case she wanted to visit him, and then he went to go look for (Y/n); (Y/n) had been sweeping one of the training rooms, and when she saw her friend she walked over to him whilst holding the broom.

“What did Kolivan want to talk to you about?” (Y/n) asked Thace, curious about what their meeting had been about.

“I've been reassigned and I'm being transferred to a new base on Vlexla, or rather we're being transferred. We're leaving next movement, so we need to pack up.” Thace answered with a big grin, knowing that she would be just as excited about the move as he was.

“You're being transferred? And we're moving to Vlexla? I've heard that it's really beautiful there, but I can't believe that we get to move there!” (Y/n) inquired in disbelief until she realized that they would be living in a base together on Vlexla; she dropped the broom, hugged Thace tightly and looked up at him, expressing her excitement.

Thace beamed down at (Y/n) and rested his hands on her upper back in a gentle hug; it was a really big deal to be assigned to be in charge of a planetary base, and since he'd proven himself to be capable of such a task Kolivan saw to it that he was chosen. (Y/n) would kind of miss living in the main Marmoran headquarters, although living on an actual planet with breathable air would be a nice change. During the time they'd lived at the main Marmoran headquarters she and Thace had gotten more stuff and they would have to pack it up before they moved, then when they got to the new base they could put some of it in the storage room if they needed to. With the move only a few days away they needed to pack up; there wasn't a moment to lose, so (Y/n) let go of Thace, picked the broom up and put it back in the cleaning closet on the way back to their habsuite, and Thace turned the lights off in the training room. It would be strange leaving the main headquarters forever, but a change of scenery would do good for both of them.

“It's going to be weird not living here anymore. Aside from central command, this is the only place I'm used to living.” (Y/n) said after she and Thace walked into their habsuite and took their shoes off; he turned the lights on and she stood in the center of their living room, realizing that they had a lot of packing to do.

“It's going to be strange for me as well. I've had this habsuite ever since I completed my trials many deca-phoebs ago, but I look forward to being put in charge of the Vlexla base and I'm glad that you'll be with me. When the war is truly over, will you want to return to Earth?” Thace responded, feeling nostalgic as he remembered when he first moved into his habsuite long ago; he wondered out loud whether or not if she ever wanted to go back to her homeworld, although if she did then he wouldn't prevent her from doing so.

“That's a long time. And honestly, I would rather stay out here with you. Even if I did go home, I don't think that I would fit in very well. Besides, after everything we've been through together Earth would be way too boring. I wouldn't mind visiting someday, though, as long as you're with me.” (Y/n) answered with astonishment, and she really didn't want to go back to her homeworld because her life would have been boring if she did; also, she didn't want to leave Thace.

“I'm glad to hear that; I would be lonely without you. Now, we should get things ready to pack up. There are boxes we can use in the storage room, I'll be back shortly with a few.” Thace said gently, relieved that (Y/n) wanted to stay with him; and with luck, he would be courting her sometime within the next deca-phoeb, nevertheless they needed to begin packing.

After he and (Y/n) let go of each other, she watched him leave and began scanning their habsuite for things they wouldn't need within the next week. Some of their clothes and pillows could be packed away along with some of their other things; Thace had some pictures on a wall in the bedroom and trinkets on a few shelves in the bedroom and the living room, but the picture of his family was so old that it looked a little blurry, luckily (Y/n) could kind of see the faces of his parents and siblings, and she could easily tell which one of the kids was Thace. The young woman would wait for Thace to get back so he could pack his trinkets away, but in the meantime she would choose which of her things she wanted to pack in a box, which was most of it. (Y/n) wondered what the Vlexla base would look like and how big the habsuites would be, thankfully it seemed that Thace didn't mind them sharing a habsuite again. While Thace had been getting the boxes a few of the other operatives congratulated him on his assignment, then when he returned to his habsuite he saw that (Y/n) had a bunch of things on the middle of the living room floor, ready to be packed away for the move.

“Are you sure about packing all of this?” Thace queried when he set the unfolded boxes down on the floor along with the packing supplies upon sitting down next to them; there was a mixture of their clothes, a few pillows, all of the books that had been sitting on a shelf in their room along with a few other things that weren't too important.

“Yeah, I'm sure. We can pack a few other things tomorrow, but I don't think either of us will miss any of this for a few days.” (Y/n) replied confidently.

“We should have enough boxes, then. Tomorrow we can focus on packing some of the things I've acquired over the years, including the pictures on the wall.” Thace concluded before he reached for the first box; the things that came with the habsuite, such as the basic bedding and most of the dishes, would be left behind, the only things they would take were their personal belongings.

Packing up and moving wouldn't be too stressful since there wasn't a whole lot to pack up compared to the common home, and some of his other things were already packed in boxes in the closet. Thace had a lot of memories while living in his habsuite, especially after he returned with (Y/n), although they would be able to make a lot more memories at the new Vlexla base. He opened up the boxes and helped her pack things, then he closed them since they could sometimes be difficult to close and he didn't want her to accidentally pinch her fingers. Once the items (Y/n) had gathered were packed in the boxes they pushed them up against one of the walls and stacked them, then it was time for the two of them to go eat dinner with everyone else. After they moved, (Y/n) couldn't wait to see which operatives would stop through the new base; she still hadn't met everyone, so it would give her the opportunity to meet more of the other Blades.

__________

Whether one lived on Earth or out in space moving was a big deal, and once Thace and (Y/n) had packed everything of theirs in their habsuite it was time for them to move. The entire habsuite looked bare without any personal belongings, and after everything was packed in boxes Thace and (Y/n) made sure to clean everything so the next inhabitant wouldn't have to. Thace felt a mixture of sadness, excitement and nostalgia when he took one last look at the place he'd once called home; it felt almost too surreal to actually be moving away forever, but he could visit the main Marmoran headquarters if he felt like it, and the other operatives could visit him and (Y/n) whenever they wanted to. On the day of the move Lance used the red lion to hold all of the boxes until they got to Vlexla, as well as Thace, (Y/n) and everyone who would be helping them move into the new base. Naturally Thace would move into the largest of the four habsuites and (Y/n) still wanted to share it with him, which he didn't mind, mainly because they were so used to sleeping with each other.

They arrived in the morning which would give them more than enough time to unpack and put everything away; as promised, all of the basic supplies were already at the base, including bedding, dishes, soap, furniture and even a holotv, all (Y/n) and Thace needed to do was personalize everything. Regris would help by getting the computer systems up and running, Ulaz and Yemi would make sure the infirmary was clean and organized and everyone else would help Thace and (Y/n) unpack and put everything away. Everything was so shiny and new, (Y/n) couldn't help but practically drag Thace around their new home while going on and on about how nice it was and how she would enjoy mostly having the place to themselves; the base was hidden in the forest, so people who weren't with the Blades or the paladins wouldn't know about it. Thace thought it was cute how (Y/n) got excited about their new home, and in a way they finally had a place of their own. Luckily there wasn't a whole lot to unpack; Kolivan and Antok helped Thace put things away in the bedroom, and (Y/n) put things away in the bathroom.

“Hey, Thace, where do you want me to put the washcloths?” (Y/n) called out to her friend from the bathroom after taking out the stack of their washcloths from a box.

“Just put them in the top drawer, like in our other bathroom.” Thace responded loudly enough so that she could hear him.

(Y/n) walked over to the drawers near the sink and opened the top left one, placing the washcloths in before closing it again. She'd already put most of everything away in the bathroom including the pain medication for when she dealt with her monthly cramps or when Thace had a rare headache, the only thing left was her pads/tampons, and she put those in the bottom drawer that was closest to the toilet. While (Y/n) folded up the empty boxes in the bathroom, Kolivan put the pictures on one of the bedroom walls where Thace wanted them and in the order he wanted them in. Thace put his various trinkets up on the other shelves while Antok unpacked the bedding, although he would leave it on the bed for Thace to arrange later. As things got unpacked and put away the habsuite looked more like an actual home, and it made Thace feel more at home.

“Now that you're in charge of a base, are you finally going to tell (Y/n) that you li-” Antok began to ask Thace until he interrupted him with a hushed whisper.

“Keep that between us, will you? It'll happen when it's meant to happen.” Thace responded with a hushed whisper, not wanting (Y/n) to hear what Antok was about to say; all of the senior operatives already knew that he was in love with her, but he wanted to be the one to tell her that when the time was right.

“Don't wait too long, otherwise you may miss out on your chance with her.” Kolivan spoke quietly, warning his subordinate that the young woman might lose feelings for him if he waited to confess his feelings for her, although Thace couldn't quite tell that she liked him.

Thace sighed; he knew that Kolivan was right, but he was still oblivious to (Y/n's) feelings for him. It wasn't long before the bedroom and bathroom were put together, so once the boxes were flattened and stacked in a corner (Y/n) followed the three large men out of the habsuite and to the kitchen. Thace had his personal dishes that he wanted to use and they needed to be put away, as well as all of the food they'd brought. It only took a couple of hours to unpack everything and by then it was lunchtime, so Thace and (Y/n) made lunch together for everyone present to eat in the cafeteria. Lance put all of the flattened boxes in the little storage room, then it wasn't long before everyone sat at one of the tables; the new base was almost identical to the main headquarters as far as aesthetics went, only it was much smaller.

“I have all of the systems working and no one will be able to hack in, but you'll be able to send and receive information to and from any of our bases, although the chair is particularly uncomfortable.” Regris informed Thace while everyone ate the food he'd made with (Y/n).

“And we have everything ready in the infirmary.” Ulaz added with a slight smile, proud of his friend for accomplishing something so important; he'd been in charge of a base before, although it could get lonely and he personally preferred living at the main Marmoran headquarters.

“Thank you all for helping us move in. I know that it didn't take long, but it still means a lot to us.” (Y/n) said as she thanked everyone who'd helped her and Thace with the move and unpacking, wanting to express her gratitude.

“We truly appreciate it.” Thace added; since Zarkon was dead the Blades weren't in constant danger, which meant they could finally be more relaxed with each other.

Eating lunch with a few of the other operatives, and Lance who was just there to help, made the base seem not quite as empty, but later they would leave which meant Thace and (Y/n) would be completely alone together. Eventually someone would pass through on their way to another base or even the main headquarters, although they didn't know when. (Y/n) was relieved that Kolivan had given her permission to fly the small shuttle that came with the base, all Thace had to do was teach her how to safely fly it. Kolivan also gave her permission to do monitor duty from time to time if and when necessary, even though she wasn't a member of the Blades; technically (Y/n) would be allowed to take the trials if she wanted to, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to survive and since she and Thace were very close, he didn't mind her living with him.

After lunch had been eaten Yemi helped (Y/n) with the dishes while Thace and Ulaz went to go break the training room in and have some fun sparring. Kolivan and Antok went with Regris to the monitor room to make sure everything was safe while Lance went to make sure the shuttle would work properly. When all was said and done, the others bid Thace and (Y/n) a temporary farewell and Thace and (Y/n) said their goodbyes as well, then after the other operatives boarded the red lion Lance had to fly them back to the main Marmoran headquarters. For the rest of the day Thace and (Y/n) explored the area around their new home, then afterwards they ate dinner together and watched a movie once the dishes were in the dishwasher. Actually being alone together was definitely strange, and it would take a while for them to get used to it.

“We're really alone now.” (Y/n) spoke quietly during the movie, needing to voice one of her many thoughts.

“I suppose we are. As much as I'll miss living at the main headquarters, It's nice having a place of our own, and at some point some of the others might pass through here or perhaps stay if they get transferred to this base.” Thace replied as he looked at (Y/n), turning his attention toward her.

“If it's not too much trouble, do you think we can check out a few of the stores tomorrow? You know, just to have a look.” (Y/n) hesitantly inquired; she didn't know much about Vlexla, but she assumed there would be stores in the nearest town.

“Nothing's going on tomorrow, so we'll have plenty of time.” Thace responded with a smile; while they were in town, he would look for a part-time job so he could make a little gac.

(Y/n) beamed a smile at him, feeling excited about seeing something new with her best friend; she snuggled up to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, both of them leaning towards each other. They couldn't let on that Thace was with the Blades nor could anyone know about the secret base, luckily they'd already come up with a cover story for themselves. Living alone together was the first step in Thace's plan to find out if (Y/n) had feelings for him or not, and if she did then he would have a better chance at courting her since they lived on an actual planet. He and (Y/n) turned their attention back to their holotv after agreeing to go out the next day, and with any luck they would find someplace new to shop and he might be able to find a part-time job; and if (Y/n) ever wanted to have a job of her own, then he would support her. And when (Y/n) got ready for bed after the movie, Thace made the bed just like the one in his old habsuite, only the bed was bigger and he wanted to get more blankets and pillows for it; and, as usual, they slept peacefully together that night.