Prologue

"YESSSS! Backlash! Bro! Where are you!? You're NOT going to believe this!"

Backlash paused, red optics narrowed and focused on the tech he was working on. He was in the process of reprogramming it after a bad malfunction. It required a great deal of attention, considering that the technology was unstable at best. One prod in the wrong place could fry the whole thing completely.

He didn't need all the noise. He didn't need the insistent pulling on his spark through the sibling bond. He needed to focus, or else he'd have to rebuild the entire thing, and that would take hours. Time was never an issue for him. There was plenty of it between patrolling on the moon and running general maintenance over the ship. He just wasn't up to it this time.

With a soft vent of irritation, Backlash blocked every thing out, forcing his processor to think only of repairing the tech on his table. Whatever his older brother was so excited about could wait, at least for another few minutes.

Unfortunately, Flashback found him before those last few minutes were up. Sliding into the room, Flashback pounded his fist on the door frame and called, "Hey! What the slag are you doing?! Didn't you hear me?!"

"Trying to work," Backlash said quietly, hoping against reason that the older mech would just forget he was here and walk away. Flashback didn't. Feet pounded into his work room, two hands slapped down on his shoulders and shook him.

Backlash tensed, visor brightening. He dropped the tech on the table just as it spit angrily, tiny arcs of electricity dancing across the circuitry. Fried. Backlash ground his dentals, irritation becoming clear in his voice when he said, "What, Flashback?"

"Oops," Flashback muttered, dropping his hands from Backlash's shoulders when he saw the damaged technology. "Weren't working too hard on that, were you?"

"It only took up three quarters of my day," Backlash said tonelessly.

"Oh, well it'll give you something to do tomorrow, right?"

Backlash shuttered his hidden optics. "What is it that you wanted to tell me, brother."

"Right. Guess what!"

"What."

"You know how Sundance went down to earth to talk to the humans-"

"And became stranded in the ice with the sparklings?"

"Yeah, yeah. But we're past that now. Grimlock brought 'em to base and they made it to the conference. And get this. You know that guy, the human that likes Sundance? I don't remember his name, but he got everyone together and they talked it over and they're going to let her come back."

Backlash stilled, processor cycling through his brothers news. Flashback was still going, "Pits only took them like forty something years, but they're letting her go home! You know what that means, 'Lash?! We can all go back to earth! Dude, we can go home!"

"When did they decide this?" Backlash asked, looking up at his brother. He let the walls down around his spark enough to reach out to his sister. He had to stretch across a massive distance to reach her on earth, but she responded. She was exhausted, and still sore from her return to earth, but she was happy. Overjoyed. And through her, he could feel that her sparklings were in a similar state because of it. She pulled away from what she was doing long enough to tug on his spark and send him a wave of affection.

"Like today." Flashback was so excited he was almost bouncing in place, electric blue optics wide and bright. "Start packing, 'Lash! Mom and dad are working on the space bridge now. When it's up, we're leaving!"

Backlash studied his brother, feeling the irritation seep out of him at the mech's happiness. Flashback had been waiting to hear this as long as Sundance had. Like the rest of their family, he had ties to earth. He had old friends that he missed every day they spent on the moon. This was the happiest Backlash had seen his brother in months, and it was almost contagious. But the logic part of his processor kept him from feeling the same way.

The moon was still home to a few burrowers, a handful of mechs and femmes that had been driven underground by the war where the slowly lost their processors. Someone needed to remain and watch them, and guard the earth from space. Someone had to stay behind.

Flashback blinked when Backlash didn't say any thing. He started towards him, "Whats wrong with you, mech? Didn't you hear me? We're going home. No ones exiled anymore. Don't...don't you want to go back?"

Backlash looked at him, meeting his optics. "I heard you."

"...But you're not happy." Flashback said slowly. He prodded at Backlash's spark, pushing at the walls around it. "Why? I mean, earth is home. We've been kicked out of our own damn home for years, and we can finally go back."

"Earth is home," Backlash confirmed, "its your home."

Flashback stared at him.

"This," Backlash tapped his fingers on his work table, "this ship, the moon. This is my home."

"...What?"

"My earliest memories are here. This is where I grew up, where I learned how to gain and lose and fight. No matter where I go, my roots will always be here."

"Fragging pits...You're going to stay, aren't you?" Flashback said abruptly. Backlash was silent. Flashback vented loudly, dragging his hands down his face tiredly. "Fuck, mech! Really?!"

"I wouldn't be able to settle on Earth," Backlash tried, "its not..." He struggled for a word, well aware of the anger and confusion building in his brother's spark.

"Its not what? Cold or dark or miserable enough for you?" Flashback snapped, "Backlash! You're not seriously doing this. We're a family! We can't just up and leave you on this dead rock all alone!"

Backlash pushed back from the table and stood, straightening to his full height. He looked down at Flashback, who squared up as well. "Forget I said anything. Go to earth." He turned to leave. His shift for patrolling as coming up, and Backlash would welcome the distraction.

Flashback reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder, "No! Not without you."

"I can handle it." Backlash argued, pulling free to walk out of the room. Flashback was right on his heels.

"So what? We get our home back but I lose my brother? Is that how it works? Thats not going to happen!"

"You're not losing anyone." Backlash said, stepping out into the hallway. He started towards the exit.

"Really? Because thats what it feels like! You know mom and dad will never go for this! We wouldn't let Sundance sit on this stupid rock by herself, we won't let you do it either!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Backlash was becoming irritated again, tension edging his tone, "don't waste your chance of being happy with your friends for me."

"I want you to be happy!" Flashback's voice grew louder in reaction, echoing in the halls of the old decepticon ship.

"And the only place I've ever been that way was here," Backlash stopped and turned on his brother, glaring at him from behind his visor, "I'm not like you or Sundance, Flashback. I don't have...'old friends' that I miss on earth. Everyone that I've known and cared about was here on the moon."

Flashback had stumbled back, but now he moved forward again to squint at him. "What about Hotshot? He's your friend."

"Yes, but I can converse with him easily enough using the ship's control room." Backlash countered. He vented softly, "you keep telling me to be happy. Everyone does. Staying here is my only chance at it."

"I don't believe one word of that bull shit." Flashback glared, "you can't possibly be happy if you're alone on some pit-spawned rock thats stuck circling the same damn place over and over again."

"Its the only thing we haven't tried now, isn't it? So how can you be so sure?" Backlash looked away when he sensed someone approaching. He couldn't hear the footsteps, which meant that it was either his mother or Paradox. When he couldn't spot the femme right away, he knew it was the latter.

The white femme stepped out into sight, pale optics focusing on them and softening. She stood straight-backed, tall and lithe with skeletal-shaped white armor. Paradox was the oldest of those living on the moon, and she still moved in complete silence. She said, making Flashback jump wildly in surprise, "Something wrong?"

"WHAT THE-Paradox!" Flashback whirled to focus on her, optics wide. He vented, "Pits, femme! Make some noise next time!"

"I'm sorry," She said, though she didn't sound like it. She looked back and forth between them, "I can hear you two shouting each other from across the ship."

"Thats because one-mech-wolf-pack over here wants to stay on the moon," Flashback huffed, "he doesn't want to go to earth."

"Is that really such a horrible thing?"

"Well, no, but it doesn't matter. We're a family. We need to stay together." Flashback went back to glaring at Backlash, "thats what this whole things been about since the beginning."

"Its his choice, Flashback."

"What is with you two?" Flashback threw his hands up in the air. "You're not staying here by yourself-Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

Backlash was walking again. He answered, "On patrol."

When Backlash returned from patrol, his family was gathered in the control room. The main screen was lit up, displaying a live image from the autobot base on earth. Optimus was there, with Jazz and Prowl and Hotshot in the back ground. When he stepped inside, everyone turned to him.

"My apologies for being late," He said, approaching his family.

"Don't apologize," His mother said, "you were out patrolling." She raised an arm to his back when he came to stand beside her, turning back towards the autobots on the screen.

"The space bridge has been repaired?" Optimus asked, giving a subtle nod towards Backlash in greeting.

"Yes," Backlash's father answered, "we finished repairs an hour ago. It's up and running again, and ready for warping."

"When will you leave for base?"

"Not for a while longer. Theres things we need to attend to here before we leave the moon." Jolt vented softly, "and decisions that need to be made."

Prowl spoke up next, "Regarding the burrowers you mentioned earlier."

Hotshot blinked, "You mean theres more of those things?!"

"Unfortunately," Backlash said, "there really is no way to estimate how many burrowers there really are, just like we can't estimate how many decepticons are left in space. Even if there wasn't this handful on the moon, theres a possibility that more could eventually land here."

Optimus' attention shifted to him. He asked, "I thought those on the moon had all come down to earth to join Shockwave."

"Most. A few stayed here. We don't know why, but they weren't compelled to follow the majority to earth." Backlash explained.

Prowl said, "Have you had any problems with them?"

"No," Flashback shook his head, crossing his arms, "they kinda stick to themselves underground. We only see them every once and a while. They never come up to us or the ship." He hesitated, looking at Backlash. "But I guess...that could change."

"Simply judging by their previous behavior," Paradox reasoned from his mother's other side, "its possible, even likely that they may try to come down to earth."

"It is." Backlash said.

Flashback vented, "Really? What are you two? Teaming up or something? Slagging..."

"What are you going on about now, son?" Their father said, sending him a look.

Before Flashback could answer, Backlash cut in, "Someone needs to stay here and watch them. It wouldn't hurt to utilize the moon's position to keep watch over the earth, as well."

A tense quiet fell over his family. Both of his creators stared at him. Flashback fidgeted in the corner, crossing his arms with a scowl on his face. Paradox remained still, studying him. It was Hotshot who replied first, "I thought you were all coming back? I mean, who would stay?"

"I'll stay." Backlash met his creators' optics. He could already feel the protests and argument coming through their bonds. "It won't kill me to stay here."

"Why?" His mother asked quietly.

"We're not going to just leave you-" His father said.

"You're not just 'leaving' me, and I'm suited for this more than anyone else here is. If I stay here, I'll be able to keep the space bridge operational. Thats an almost instant transport if you ever want to come back, or if I need to return to earth. I can run the ship on my own. Theres not enough burrowers to really present a threat right now."

"So, what? You're not coming back?" Hotshot leaned closer to the screen, giving him a funny look. "I thought earth was your home, mech."

"Theirs, maybe yours, but not mine." Backlash paused, wondering how many times he'd have to repeat this speech before they let it go. "I belong on the moon. Its where I was raised, and I know it better than anyone else."

"You're serious about this." Jolt said, an odd note to his voice. Backlash looked at his father, seeing something like confusion or sadness in his expression. "You honestly want to stay." Backlash felt his father prod at his spark. He let the walls down so his father could reach his spark.

"You'd be alone," Backlash's mother said quietly. "No one would be here to help if something happened."

"It'll be alright. I just finished updating the ship's security a few days ago."

"What about patrolling? What if you're attacked while you're out?" Jolt pushed.

Backlash answered calmly, "I never leave the ship without medical supplies."

"And if someone lands while you're here? Decepticon or otherwise."

"Then you'll be the first to know."

Jolt straightened, clearly not liking the idea. "I...suppose we could use the space bridge to ship supplies..."

"I don't like it," Flashback muttered, "this sucks. First Sundance gets exiled, so we all leave the earth...stay stranded on some pit-spawned, frozen rock for years. Finally we get a chance to go home, and the whole family isn't even going."

"It's not going to hurt anyone to go through a little separation," Backlash dead-panned, frowning slightly at his brother, "Its not like I'm going on a wild adventure across the galaxy or anything."

"Backlash makes good points, all of them." Prowl pushed them back on topic, "I understand what his reasons are, and I believe him. If theres anyone who could do this with the absolute minimum of problems, it would be him."

Hotshot vented from the autobot end of the conference, "Yeah, I guess..."

"Even if this is just temporary, it works for the time being." Paradox added.

"It will be temporary." Jolt said forcefully, "if this is what you want, Backlash, then..."

"You're going to call us every morning and every night," Demona said, pulling on Backlash's spark to emphasize her words, "the first one you miss, and we'll be on a ship back up here so fast your head will spin."

Backlash pulled back at his mother's spark, "I will."

Flashback huffed in the corner but didn't say anything else. Optimus and the autobots looked over them before changing subjects to finish the conference. Backlash stood back quietly, deep in thought over how he was going to manage this.

FIRST CHAPTER ASKLDFJASDFKLAJSF

Decided to upload this one first because I haven't been able to stop working on it since I finished 'The Hidden'. Its really flowing, and I feel like I've got a good connection with all of the characters so far. So, if anyone's up for a good Backlash fix, here it is...

Also, I realize that some new readers are starting on this story. This is a sequel. Actually, its the sixth story in the series. So if you get confused with the characters, please go back and read some of the previous installments.

Much love to you all! Thank you so much for reading.

Backlash and his family and the story belongs to me. Transformers does not.