Author's Note:
Hi everyone! I'm back! Thank you to those who took the time to send me their thoughts on chapter one, and their kind reviews of encouragement to continue this story (I am super grateful for Google's Portuguese to English translator). Rest assured, this story WILL be completed. It may take a while, but it will get a proper ending. We're not anywhere close to that yet, though, so onward to chapter 2!
Enjoy!
Once again, I do not own Sym-Bionic Titan. Sigh...
Two Years After The Ball...
The glow of the dawn sky softly poured through Ilana's glass balcony door, signaling that morning was fast approaching. She stirred in bed slightly, vaguely aware of the subtle movement and lack of warmth beside her.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, greeted by the one sight she never tired of. Standing before her was a sweatpants-clad, shirtless Lance with sleep tousled hair, and toned torso on full display. He seemed to be bent over, fishing for his shirt amongst their discarded garments. As he straightened up, she could see the fresh fingernail marks on his muscular back. She smirked to herself, pleased with her most recent handiwork from last night.
She glanced at the clock which read 5:45 a.m. She knew they'd only been asleep for about three hours, and again wondered how he could possibly function on so little rest. Before her foggy mind could fully awaken enough to properly indulge her curiosity, she saw movement through her blurry vision, and felt soft lips on her neck. Accompanying the slow, tantalizing assault were rough hands on her exposed waist. When strong, calloused fingers began to softly draw patterns on the skin of her hip bones and flat stomach, Ilana let out a soft moan and sighed in contentment. "Good morning..." She mumbled, eyes falling closed once again.
"Good morning." Lance whispered against her skin as his mouth continued its exploration of her exposed neck and shoulder.
"Why are you up so early? It's Saturday. No morning drills, right?" she asked as she sat up slightly, lazily bringing her arms up his chest and looping them around his neck; giggling when he playfully bit her earlobe.
Lance pulled back from his ministrations to look at her, a loving smile on his face and soft glow in his dark eyes. "Yeah, you're right. I just didn't want your maid to walk in and find me here. Doesn't she come around 7:00 now to get your clothes?"
Ilana gave a small half nod. "Mmmm, that's true. It's such a new schedule, I keep forgetting. I miss when she'd come at 9:00 instead."
Lance just gave her a mischievous smirk that said 'Yeah, same', before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his own. He loved mornings like this, when he didn't need to rush out so he wouldn't be late for training. He got to be there when Ilana woke up, instead of already being with the other soldiers by the time her alarm went off at 6.
He relished seeing her so languid and content. Her soft, blond hair in a tangled mess; splayed out over her silk sheets and pillow. Knowing that he was the only one who could put her into this state fueled something inside of him, and what he had intended to be a sweet good morning kiss quickly turned into something more passionate when his tongue swiped at the seam of her lips as he asked for entrance. She let him in, and soon it was a duel for dominance.
Lance let out a soft moan when Ilana ran her fingers through his hair; scratching at his scalp with her long, manicured nails – a weakness she'd found over the years. God, he loved this woman.
After what seemed like hours, they pulled apart, both breathing heavily. Lance decided to take this opportunity to get a good look at her. Ilana's face was slightly flushed, and her eyes held a certain sultry haze; half-lidded and filled with desire. Her skin was still somewhat clammy from her exertions only a few hours prior, and her breath was coming in short, shallow huffs.
His brain shut down, and instinct quickly took over. Glancing at the clock, Lance turned back to her; a predatory look on his face, and hunger in his beautiful bedroom eyes. They had turned a shade darker, if that was even possible. Ilana knew that look; She'd seen it many times before. She relished it.
Before she could say anything, Lance's lean and muscular body shifted over hers, sending a pleasurable shiver down her spine. He moved his head so his mouth hovered just before her ear, his warm breath and deep baritone ghosting over her now highly sensitive skin. "I hope you weren't planning on going back to sleep, cause I've got plans for you in the next hour."
Ilana's breath hitched as his gentle, loving hands that she knew so intimately by now started exploring her body in the same manner they had just a short while ago; caressing and teasing, and stoking that familiar fire in the pit of her stomach. She vaguely registered pressure on her neck again before she felt teeth bite down hard, leaving a brand upon her creamy skin. Ilana gasped, trying – and failing – to collect herself. In the back of her mind, she had just enough where-with-all to make a mental note to wear a dress with a high-necked collar for the day.
Suddenly, the tongue that had been soothing the burn of its owner's most recent mark upon her body began its descent south, as Ilana's breath began to quicken even more. Any thoughts she may have had about being too tired immediately flew from her mind.
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"Lance, watch out!"
Lance was barely able to register what was said before he noticed the fast moving and rather sharp training baton flying toward his head. He had just enough time to duck before the implement soared past him and straight into the wall.
Lance got up, a scowl gracing his face, and his arms crossed. He looked first at the baton now embedded into the plaster, then at the person who called out to him. "Jeez Baron, are you trying to kill me...? Actually, don't answer that."
Lance's rival from their academy days scowled in return, and walked up to and past him to retrieve his weapon. He hadn't changed much since they were kids; same hair, same ridiculously long nose, and same massive ego. He had, however, gotten taller, broader, and more muscular. He now looked like a man, as opposed to the boy he once was.
Turning around with the now extricated baton in hand, Baron merely shrugged. "You're just lucky I said something, Major General. Shouldn't you be too well trained to be so caught off guard by a baton?"
Lance glared as Baron smirked. Their rivalry had continued after the trio's return to Galaluna. Lance had attempted to put the past behind them (through Ilana's urging – or more like nagging), but Baron hadn't seemed interested in any type of reconciliation. So, both men remained hostile toward each other. They worked well together on the battle field, but everyone knew not to put them together for anything outside of their work scope. Lance's recognition as one of Galaluna's saviors – and the immediate popularity that came with that – didn't help matters, either.
Glancing briefly back at Baron's opponent, Lance's scowl turned into a smirk of his own as he turned away from his rival and started heading toward the obstacle course in the large training arena. "Maybe, but you should be too well trained to lose your weapon so easily when your opponent is a Corporal, Colonel."
As he walked away, Lance didn't need to turn around to know that Baron was seething (which gave him more satisfaction than he would ever admit). As he began the obstacle course, intent on beating the time he set a week ago, he quickly glanced at the large overhead digital clock. It read 11:30; almost lunch time. He'd only left Ilana's room not quite five hours ago, and already he wanted to finish up his Saturday morning training routine so he could spend some time with her before his training session with the new recruits began at 2:00.
While lost in his own thoughts, he moved from muscle memory, and finished the course two seconds sooner than his personal best set last week. Satisfied, he packed up his bag containing water and sweat towels, and headed to the showers. After that, it was off to the palace for lunch with his lady.
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Ilana thought she just might die of boredom.
She'd been stuck in a meeting for the past three hours, and there seemed to be no end in sight. The meeting consisted of herself, her father, and various diplomats and rulers from other kingdoms. Said diplomats and rulers were participating through, what earthlings would have called, 'facetime' or 'Zoom'.
They were discussing a sudden rise in Mutraddi activity over the last few months. While the increased activity was certainly something to keep an eye on, as the Mutraddi were still considered a threat even though most of their fighting force and weapons resources had been dismantled by herself and her friends years ago, she didn't think it constituted a meeting with representatives from ALL of their allied kingdoms.
She was writing down anything she felt important or interesting, but apart from that, it was clock watching for her. She knew Lance would be along soon to have lunch with her, and she didn't want to keep him waiting. She just hoped the meeting would adjourn soon (which, at the moment, didn't seem likely).
She was pondering how she might politely excuse herself when she heard her father address her. She snapped back to attention immediately, a sheepish look on her face. She hadn't even realized the conversation had changed. "I apologize, father. I was rather preoccupied. What did you say?"
The king gave her a quizzical look, but smiled. "It will be your 23rd birthday soon, my darling. I suggested we host a ball in honor of it. I just invited everyone present. Formal invitations will be sent out soon, if the suggestion meets with your approval. What do you think?"
Ilana's face lit up, eyes growing wide. "Oh, father! I would love that! Thank you so much!" she rose from her seat, and gave her father a warm hug. The king chuckled, and returned his daughter's embrace as best he could. It was not easy hugging someone while seated.
Releasing Ilana, he turned back toward the monitors. "Well gentlemen, you may expect a royal invitation from Galaluna within the next couple of weeks.". Everyone nodded, and all those participating in the meeting through technologic aid signed off.
The king rose from his chair, meeting the beaming face of his beloved daughter. Ilana looked ecstatic. The king smiled warmly at her, "I'm glad you approve of the idea. I had considered surprising you, but decided that it would be better to get your consent first."
Ilana could hardly contain her excitement, "I'm so glad you decided to ask me first, father. I can't wait!".
The king himself was now quite excited by his daughter's exuberance. He hasn't seen her this elated since they won the war. "Fantastic, my darling. We'll invite every prominent member of our allied kingdoms. It will be a spectacular event!"
While the king started listing off candidates for invitations, Ilana was trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject of invited guests. She didn't only want diplomats and royalty celebrating her birthday with her, but she also understood that social bounds and protocols would need to be met.
Slowly, Ilana walked up to her father, who was unconsciously pacing back and forth as he began sorting through decoration ideas. Putting her hand on her father's arm, she gave him the best 'Daddy's girl' face she could muster. "Father, could I make a request for my ball?".
The king was as putty in her hands.
"Of course, my darling. What is it?". He answered with a soft, loving smile.
'Awesome.', Ilana thought as she turned on her large doe eyes. "I would like to celebrate my birthday with everyone, not just a select few. Could we put on two parties that day; one in the palace for royalty and selected guests, and another in the town square for the people of Galaluna? I would love to be able to go to the square and visit with everyone during the evening. After all, they were a large part of my childhood, and I would like to celebrate with those who survived our Great War. I want them to feel included in the festivities."
The king smiled warmly as he observed his daughter. He was touched by her kind and caring heart, and saw no reason to deny her request. "Of course, my darling. I'll even give the Galalunian military the day off to celebrate in the square with the people."
Ilana smiled, pleased by this turn of events. She nodded her head, but wasn't quite done with her 'suggestions' after hearing her father's declaration. "Father...could we invite the higher-ranking members of the military to join us in the palace? I feel that they should be given some special recognition for their dedication to our kingdom. What do you think?".
The king was silent for a minute, his hand caressing his beard as he pondered every code of conduct the Galalunian military had to follow, to make sure there was no conflict between the law and Ilana's request. There was nothing that he knew of that prohibited him from inviting them to such a social event. In fact, he felt that Ilana was right. They sacrificed so very much for his family and the kingdom; they deserved to join in the regal festivities. Besides, the king knew that other military men would be there, anyway. Royalty never traveled without security. Finally, he dropped his hand and nodded. "Yes, I believe you are right, Ilana.".
The following smile on Ilana's face radiated happiness.
The king hummed approvingly, when a sudden thought came into his head. Ilana saw his face, and knew she had him. The king looked back at her and spoke once more, "Would you like me to invite Lance among the higher-ranking officials? I'm sure it's been a while since you've seen him."
Ilana visibly brightened. "Oh, yes, father. I would like that very much. Thank you!". Ilana gave her father one more big hug before glancing at her watch and excusing herself, claiming she had lunch plans with someone.
Her father was curious, but didn't pry for further information. Perhaps it was a citizen she became acquainted with during the rebuilding of the kingdom. She had worked with the local nurses quite often to help treat the injured and relocate the homeless while the soldiers had been busy cleaning up the debris from the battle. The king shrugged, and sat down once more to begin compiling a list of necessary items needed for the party, as well as a potential guest list from the military. He wasn't concerned; he trusted his daughter.
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Just as Ilana was exiting the conference room, her communicator turned on automatically, portraying an encrypted message. After being prompted for and receiving authorization to decrypt the message, Ilana read the text: Meet at the old Shagbark tree in the upper fields behind the palace. A gentle smile graced her lips as she began her journey to the tree that she had loved since childhood.
It took her about twenty minutes to get there, but she figured Lance would be fine with her slight tardiness. He always was. He claimed it gave him time to set everything up, even though Ilana knew he already had everything laid out before she got to wherever their rendezvous spot was.
As she approached, she could see a familiar mop of dark hair just over the rise. Climbing the hillside, she was greeted by a warm smile, and dark eyes attached to a handsome face she had grown to love dearly over the course of time. Lance got up, and offered her a hand, "Well, don't you look beautiful. I feel severely underdressed."
Taking the offered hand and interlacing their fingers, Ilana gave him a quick once over. He was dressed in black cargo pants and a matching black belt, a loose tucked-in blue shirt, and combat boots; his standard exercise attire.
She simply hummed, running the fingers of her free hand down the front of his shirt, her eyes half-lidded. "Personally, I think you're overdressed; but I suppose a General can't be walking around shirtless all the time. Standards and all.". A wry smile appeared on Lance's face, as he gave her a quick peck on the lips and brought her over to the laid-out picnic.
The area itself was beautiful: a 30" caliper Shagbark over one hundred and fifty years old standing majestically atop a large hill that overlooked acres of wheat fields. This had been Ilana's favorite place to come as a child, and she was overjoyed upon her return to find that it had survived the years of conflict and turmoil. She always found the peace and serenity of this place extremely refreshing as a girl. It was her preferred spot to read, and she often came to observe the stars; for which it offered a fantastic view. It was her refuge from the hustle and bustle of life as a princess, and she cherished it greatly.
They both took a seat on the blanket, and Lance passed her the prepared BLT and can of grape soda. They had managed to bring back some earth food and recipes when they left, and had been eating said food slowly over the years; canned and pickled foods, and sealed soda mainly. The other ingredients, they substituted with similar Galalunian produce.
Ilana took a sip of her soda and breathed out a sigh, glancing toward Lance. "Is it stupid of me to say I miss this way more than I missed palace cooking when we were on earth?"
Lance chuckled as he passed her a helping of potato salad. "Nah, it isn't. At least, not to me." They shared understanding smiles, and continued to eat their lunch in peace.
Once every last morsel was gone, they began to recap their respective mornings, sharing both significant and insignificant details. Lance was somewhat surprised to hear of the current Mutraddi watch, and Ilana filled him in on everything that she currently knew of the situation. Both figured the king would bring him into it at some point soon.
By about twenty minutes into their talk, Lance had sprawled out on the blanket, and his head was resting in Ilana's lap as she mindlessly ran her fingers through his hair; her back resting on the large tree. He felt a slight jolt run through her body when he told her of his run-in with Baron that morning. He looked up into her face, and could see the anger in her eyes. Ilana scoffed, "He's such a jerk! I don't understand why father hasn't discharged him yet, that pompous know-it-all."
Lance chuckled, and took Ilana's free hand in his, interlacing their fingers and squeezing lightly. "Because he's good at his job, Ilana. Believe me, it pains me to admit it, but he is one of the best soldiers we have. I'm sure he'll be promoted to at least a Brigadier General by the end of the year."
Ilana knew this, of course. She was just letting her personal enmity for the man take over. She sighed before answering. "I know...I just really don't like him. He won't be promoted before you, though. Spoiler alert."
Lance shot up and out of her lap, turning to face her; an expression of shock on his face. "You're kidding...the king's gonna promote me?" he said in disbelief.
Ilana's face was now beaming, "Yup! Father plans on promoting you to a General, and Baron to a Major General."
Lance gaped at her, trying to process what she said. "Wow...that's...unbelievable. Hang on a second, I've only got a third of the years of experience required to make the rank of General." he said, a confused expression on his face.
Ilana chuckled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "You deserve it. You're a key figure and hero from the Great War, and you've been working hard to coordinate and help rebuild Galaluna's military and domestic domains since then. You've taken charge, and taken on a lot of responsibility. You've proven yourself, Lance. You'll be the youngest General in Galalunian history. No one's earned this more than you."
Lance gave her a soft smile as he brought his hand up to caress her face. Ilana leaned into his touch for a moment before moving closer, and the two shared a brief, but tender kiss.
Lance looked deeply into her eyes as they separated. He could see the pride she had in him reflected there, and it made him wonder once again how he'd gotten so lucky as to be able to call her his.
"Everything I do is for you." He said in a soft voice, love and tenderness in his steady gaze.
Ilana smiled as she looped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer and resting her forehead against his. "I know..." she whispered as they both closed their eyes, content to hold each other close.
Eventually, they separated as Lance's communicator beeped. Giving a quizzical glance towards Ilana, who merely shrugged, he answered the incoming call; careful to angle the device away from her face. "Hello?"
The king's image suddenly appeared on the smooth surface, giving Lance a withering look. "Lance, where on earth are you? I've been looking for you everywhere. No one says they've seen you for the better part of an hour."
Lance gave a slight grimace at the reprimand, but seemed otherwise unphased. He was very used to it from the king at this point in his life. "I apologize, your majesty. I took lunch, and went for a walk around the meadows for some peace and quiet before my afternoon training session with the troops. Is everything all right?"
The king's facial expression softened as he sighed; He never could stay mad at this boy. "No, nothing's wrong, per say. There is, however, a situation which requires your attention. I've also asked Baron to join us, as he will be your second-in-command in this endeavor. How quickly can you get back to the palace?"
Lance raised a quizzical eyebrow, feigning confusion. He knew this was probably about Mutrad, but had to wait until the king told him himself. "If I fly back with my Manus armor, a matter of minutes. Is it urgent?"
The king paused to address a servant whom had delivered a letter, before turning his attention back to Lance. "It is important, but not urgent enough for me to interrupt the hour of peace your entitled to. I have Baron coming in half an hour., as the clock strikes 1:00. Can you make it here for then?". Lance gave a short nod, answering in the affirmative, before he and the king signed off.
Once the conversation was over, Lance gave a sheepish grin toward Ilana, regret in his dark irises. "Sorry Ilana, I've gotta get this stuff packed up and get myself back to the palace."
Ilana gave him a reassuring smile back, as she reached for and began packing away their various utensils, condiments, and food stuffs. "It's fine, babe. I know you can't refuse a royal command. I'll see you later, then?". She stopped her movements and gave him her best doe eyes.
Lance laughed before reaching for and cradling her face in his hands, pulling her closer. "Of course you will, my princess." he whispered on her lips before closing the distance and giving her a long, deep kiss. Ilana hummed in approval before they broke apart.
With that, they packed up the rest of their picnic, and headed back to the palace via different routes. They couldn't risk being seen together.
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"Ah, Lance. There you are."
Lance gave a bow to the king as he approached the door to the command room, where his majesty was waiting. "My apologies for keeping you waiting, your highness."
The king regarded the young man with a small smile. "Not at all. Baron just arrived, so we can begin the briefing." Lance gave a curt not in response, and the two men entered the room, the door closing behind them.
As they entered, Baron rose from his chair, and gave a bow to the king. "Your majesty,". He then looked to the king's right, giving a small nod. "Lance."
Lance gave an acknowledging nod back, as the three men settled down around the conference table. Once everyone was seated and ready, the king began. "Lance, Baron. The reason I've asked you both here is to brief you on a recent issue that has come to my attention. I'm not yet sure if it can be considered a security threat to our planet, but that's where you both come in.". The king rose, and activated a holographic projector in the center of the table. The projector showed recent military reports of the increased activity on the planet of Mutrad, as well as the planet itself; the areas of higher activity highlighted for easy location. "As you can see, there has mainly been a surge in movement around the market towns, which isn't of concern to us. What is a concern, however..." at which point the king rotated the holograph of the planet to show two areas highlighted in red. "...is this. Lance, can you identify these two areas?"
Lance nodded slowly, already realizing where the king was going with this. "Yes. Both areas were secret military bases where Modula had his mega-beasts stored, as well as large weapons caches and manufacturing plants. Octus, the princess, and I neutralized them early on after Modula's defeat. They haven't been used since, and their location has been kept a secret within the government. Why is there so much activity surrounding them now?"
The king gave a nod before answering. "Correct, and that question is for the two of you to answer. I would like you both to each take a team of no more than six people, including yourselves. This is a reconnaissance mission, so radio silence must be maintained at all times. Lance, you'll take the base further north by the Mutraddi mountain range; Baron, your target is the base located in the forest. I will let you both work out time frames and a rendezvous location. Gather as much data as possible, but stay out of sight. I don't want either of you to be put in more danger than is necessary, if there is even anything to be worried about. We have no information, so anything that you both can uncover will be immensely helpful. Don't take any unnecessary risks, do you understand?".
Baron and Lance looked at each other before nodding and answering in unison, "Yes, your majesty."
The king seemed pleased. "Good. Alright, I have another meeting to attend, so I must leave. Report back to me by five with your team selections, and overall strategy. I'll make arrangements from there, and let you know when you'll be mobilizing. Lance, I'll have Brigadier General Stevens cover your training class this afternoon, so the two of you can plan."
"Yes, sir." The boys said as one.
With that, the king rose from his chair, and left the two allies and rivals to sort out their mission strategy. Lance and Baron got to work immediately, starting by sorting through their top selections for their teams. They ended up with a short list of twenty possible choices, and over the course of an hour, narrowed it down to their two six-man teams. The next two and a half hours were spent deciding how long they could push their luck with staying at their posts without being noticed, and where the drop zone and rendezvous location would be. They decided on a stakeout of three weeks, barring any unforeseen circumstances. It was agreed that if anything major happened, or either party was attacked, they would break radio silence and meet at the designated rendezvous point.
They found an abandoned power plant about halfway between their two assigned targets, and chose that as their drop and pickup zone. Satisfied with their final choices, Lance went to give the final report to the king, while Baron went to notify their selections that they would need to prepare for mobilization immediately.
