R&R

Finding You

Summary: There was a problem while entering earth's atmosphere and Lance, Ilana, and Octus are separated. Now they must find each other. But there's a bigger problem, one they hadn't anticipated. A problem that might threaten the very reason they left in the first place. Eventual Ilana/Lance

Disclaimer: I don't own Symbionic Titan, this is purely for entertainment purposes for anyone still in this Fandom.

Prologue

Leaving Galaluna felt surreal.

Each of them was leaving something behind, and each of them left with a new burden. Nothing was said as the ship entered the strange portal, and as Octus tried to explain how it worked, the robot's words fell on deaf ears.

She held back the tears that threatened to fall, unable to get the image of her father out of her head. Unable to stop the onslaught of images that invaded her mind as the Mutraddi did her planet.

Her planet. Her people.

Yet here she was, getting farther and farther away from her duty as a princess. It felt wrong, and it tore at her. But this is what her father had wanted, and she trusted no one like she did him. If he thought that leaving was the right thing to do, she believed him, she had to if she hoped to remain sane. She had to keep a strong face, more for herself than the other two occupants in the ship. She had to stay strong, for those that remained alive and fighting. She had to cling onto hope, because if she didn't no one else would.

She would return to her planet, and she would save her people.

As she stared into space and the approaching planet, that was her sacred vow.

He silently observed her from the reflection on the ship's glass window that allowed them to stare into space. It was only for a few seconds in reality, but his thoughts raced so it felt it had been much longer. He had seen her moment of weakness, but he could see she was brave. And although he didn't doubt that she was still torn inside, she did a good job at hiding it.

He wondered if she did it for him and the robot, or if it was merely a custom that came with being a princess.

He knew his own façade came without effort now. It was easier that way, to keep other from seeing his weaknesses, from underestimating him. He didn't want anyone to think they knew him, and all that concerned him was where his loyalties lay.

That had always been with the King, and now, with the princess. She was his responsibility now, and he would give his life to make sure no harm came to her. He would protect her from whatever this planet would throw at them, and when he was called back to his birthplace, he would bring her back in one piece.

Whenever that would be.

The rift gate, that's what it was called. One of the greatest inventions the Galalunian's had the honor of creating. And he himself was honored to be one of those inventions.

Himself.

A masculine reflective pronoun. He was a machine, yet he thought of himself as male. It felt strange, and he often wondered why it was he didn't feel like a machine. He knew he was, he fit all the characteristics that defined mechanical and machine. He fit the definition.

Yet definitions were flawed, he thought. They were merely attempts to give meaning to a word, and rarely did they ever completely embody it.

Simultaneously, he monitored the vitals of his two Galalunian's companions. If any other humanoids were watching, they would see two unmoving people. But he could see every inhale and exhale of their breathing, the coursing of blood through their veins, the beating of their hearts, their brain activity. Nothing was lost to him.

Logic told him they must be in a state of shock after the ordeal from their planet, yet their true feelings that they must be undergoing were lost to him. Something he might never truly understand.

Then he felt it.

"I detect an unexpected collision with an orbiting object around the planet."

Lance was up in a millisecond, eyes searching for the object, and found it right away.

"Evasive maneuvers!"

"I'm afraid our speed is far too great for us to make it in time."

Lance pounded his fist on the control panels. They were too close, that he already knew. But he had to try and do something regardless. Without a second to lose, he turned around and ran towards the back of the ship.

"Lance, what are you doing?" Ilana exclaimed as she looked worriedly around, not sure what to do or what to expect. Had they left Galaluna only to meet their demise just outside this foreign planet? It couldn't be…

"My duty…" he mumbled to himself.

He ran to the airlock that would lead outside. The ship was too small for what he wanted to do, so he quickly located a helmet and placed it on his head. He pressed the button that opened the hatch door and jumped without hesitation. At the same time his hand was already on his watch, and he pressed the buttons that activated his Manus armor. With expert skills he turned and located the ship with his charge within and rushed towards it, grabbing the tail of it as he attempted to slow it down and steer it in a new direction, away from the threat of collision.

Its momentum was too great, and he had to use all of Manus' strength to rear back and pull the ship back.

But it was no use. Rather than slow and steer the ship like he wanted to, he succeeded only in pulling away part of the ship, practically breaking away most of the engine, but thankfully avoiding the air locked control room where his two companions were. The front of the ship did however steer in a different direction, but spiraled out of control and into the planet's atmosphere.

"No!" he gasped. He tried to rush towards the half that contained Ilana, only to be hit by the second half and into the object they had been trying to avoid. An explosion rocked the suit and sent him in a different direction, momentarily blinding him before he felt his armor lock up as they were caught by the planet's gravity. There was nothing he could do as he fell downwards, the planet's gravity increasing his momentum and causing his suit to malfunction. He hoped his armor would last or he knew he would not survive the crash. But more importantly… would Ilana survive?

She felt her world spin out of control along with the ship. She lost her sense of direction and before she knew it she felt herself tossed out of the ship and into the atmosphere.

This was it.

She was going to die.

Remember what I taught you.

Hobbs' face in her mind was unexpected, but her hands immediately moved to the Corus watch on her wrist and the warm purple glow surrounded her as she familiarized herself with the sight of the controls. She attempted to right herself, but she was still out of control and spiraling, the gravity impossible to fight against.

Shield!

She felt the shield surround her, and she hoped it would be enough to save her as she began to see the ground come up closer.

Please, she thought, let me survive this…

And the world went black.

A/N: I'm not sure how many of you are still in this fandom, but I guess this here prologue is to see if this story will have even one reader that will enjoy. Please let me know if you read this and would like to see more. I found it by chance in my drive and thought it would be a shame not to share it with someone.