Quick Introduction:
A message to the stars calling to all surviving Autobots seeking refuge. We are here. We are waiting. In answer a ship carrying refuges, headed to Earth. Aboard an array of 'bots, differing in as much age, as personality. Of the 41 aboard five will be key members to both sides.
The Autobots will gain two young mechs and a femme. But will the Autobots maintain the femmes trust or will one of the two ageless companions the femme has met on the ship Telemachus convince her to strike out with him, and a chosen mate to form a new breed of Transformers.
But the ageless former Decepticon Vrobian isn't the only outside fraction interested in the femme. The Decepticons Starscream and his detachment think they have discovered why the femme bares a Primus mark and what it means, for all Transformers. Or in his case which ever Transformer manages to control her.
Will her Autobot family along with the other mysteriously ageless mech be able to keep the youngling femme from falling into the wrong hands or will Megatron finally manage to get the upper hand with a femme capable of helping him spawn endless hatchling.
AN: All copyrighted Transformers belong to their rightful owners. They are strictly being borrowed. Everything else is a work of fiction, plotted up by a bored mind.
-\-(
"We are here. We are waiting."
That was the message the Prime sent out among the stars. An open invitation calling fellow Autobots looking for refuge, to come and join their own kind on a planet that was worlds apart from what they were used too. But at least it would be a planet capable of giving them a better life than their own dying world of Cybertron.
The message did not arrive a moment too soon for battered craft carrying refugee Autobots. Many were aged, crippled themselves from endless battles, or just simply nearing the end of their life cycle. Among the still living refugees, an agent of espionage. Though almost as old as Jetfire, he wasn't quite as powerful in terms of physical ability. He more than made up for it with his other voracious talent. Perhaps that was why a ship traveling from Cybertron that was originally laden forty or so mismatched Autobots now only barely had a small array of 15 or so 'bots.
Among them three younglings, eight middle aged, two elders, and two more of undetermined age. Two of the younglings thought the two undetermined aged 'bots were probably about as old as Primus.
The third youngling was an outcast for the entire ship, no one wishing to have any part of a marked 'bot from the Trion Towers. Everyone knew Trion was known to take in castaways, defectors, and the outcast.
Outcast that was what the third youngling was, even in the towers. It hadn't always been that way, when the youngling had been first taken to the towers. Trion had made sure, all the other 'bots were kept from interacting with the femme, unless Trion expressly saw fit. She'd had free roaming privileges of tower when Trion had still been there. Then he'd just up and disappeared leaving the femme without his cloak of protection so even among the outcast she was taboo.
The dainty protoform stood from her dark corner of isolation. The dark corner had become much like her tower prison, she'd become used to it, it felt comfortable. At least no one felt the need to belittle or beat her down any longer. Most that knew why she should truly be feared had passed back on to the well of the spark. To Primus she thought. It made her spark ache. She was homeless, thrown aboard a ship, among strangers who knew her, yet she knew nothing of them.
She had had high hopes at first when she had met the two younglings, well they really weren't younglings but by standards none of them were fully mature Transformers either. That hadn't lasted long. One had addressed her as a filthy little beggar 'bot from the towers no less. And then the other recognized her as the one they kept locked away, because Primus had marked her.
She was glared at as she walked among the stricken Transformers. Her offers of comfort rejected. No one was willing to share the precious Energon that coursed through her. They were all afraid they'd catch Primus mark.
It was almost comically the two ageless 'bots thought watching the femme. If they really knew what she was? Primus indeed had a sense of humor. In most cases sparkling's that come forth with the Primus mark, returned to the well of the spark. They either didn't live which was almost the case of this particular youngling or their creators sacrificed them back to Primus. Maybe that was why this femme's dame refused to leave the sparkling sac, unattended. It wasn't unheard of for dames to keep the hatchling sac on their frames stowed in a safe compartment, but it was extremely rare. Even rarer that a dame would take an unhatched sparkling into battles. But Vedette had done so. But this dame's precious sac hadn't been harmed on the battle field. No the marked would begin life in a much darker place and all thanks to one of the two 'bots that looked on after the femme's dilemma as she tried to reach out and be helpful.
One of the youngling's struck out with such force that the outcast femme Midnight had been knocked from one side of the ship to other where he went on to retrieve her and forcible hurl her to the other end and to the feet of the unknown 'bots.
She lay still letting her systems diagnosis run through the paces. The last thing she needed was an injury she could have repaired or at least been aware of. It did not help she felt a shamed and very alone.
If her sire had been there… But he had returned to the well of the spark and her older siblings did not want her. It left her at the mercy of her creators tribal members and that was how Trion had become her protector, until his disappearance.
"Well rise up youngling. What is your designation? Come on, rise up, youngling. You have no time to be lying about. " It was one of the older 'bots commanding her to get up.
She was struggling to get up when someone reached out grabbing her right behind the helm and lifting her up.
"You are young you should be capable of - back up. "Now again I ask you, what is your designation, youngling?"
"Mid- Midnight, sir." She stammered
"Is it Mid- Midnight or Midnight, femme?"
"Midnight, sir."
"Where is your sire? What of your dame? Are you unable to fight?" The gruff 'bot quizzed.
"I.. My dame is. My sire." She stumbled to give answers. What was she supposed to say? Both her dame and sire had returned to the well of the spark. And just how did you explain you were forbidden from learning fighting skills. It was because her sparked sire in his darkest hour had made a pledge to Primus, that if she was at least spared unlike her dame that he would never let the Primus marked sparkling get a taste of the lust for fighting.
-\-(
EARTH:
There was always the possibly a distress ping would go undetected. So constant monitoring was a necessity. It could get to be a boring task, but the Autobot team members had all been willing and ready to take their turns monitoring.
Today's monitoring had been no different for Jazz, Ironhide, and Ratchet. As usual Jazz was chattering away. Ironhide as usual was annoyed with the chatty 'bot and Ratchet was ignoring both of them as he tinkered with the frequency receiving unit. He believed with a more accurate fine tuning they would have the ability to detect not only distress signals but perhaps also get in on what the Decepticons were getting up to.
Bumblebee stalked in looking a little worse for wear. If Ironhide hadn't known better he would have believed Bumblebee had been mixing it up with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. But he knew Prime had paired Bumblebee up with Jetfire.
"No doubt Jetfire had been teleporting again." Ratchet eyed Bumblebee wearily.
Bumblebee give a weak little chirp.
"Told you Bumblebee. Jetfire goes to talking about teleporting, decline." Jazz reminded him.
Bumblebee offered another weak chirp, and shrugged his shoulders.
"You no doubt have never teleported with Jetfire, have you?" Ratchet inquired.
"He gives no warning, he just does it." Ironhide added turning back to his monitor.
If you two can manage, I will go perform necessary repairs." Ratchet waited a beat before adding. "On all involved parties."
No doubt he suspected Jetfire would be a little worse for wear as well.
Ironhide only gave a noncommittal rumble. His optics still firmly fixed on the monitor. Jazz snapped off a half assed salute, not because Ratchet outranked him. He didn't. It was just another of those strange earthly habits Jazz had picked up and enjoyed.
-\-(
Alarms were howling loud painful bursts. Midnight was slung to one side as the ship listed. A flash of her young life flickered across her display. She was suddenly reliving an old attack. Searing pain burnt up from the back of her ped, another stab of pain radiated at her side, before the pulsing pain flicked to her right wrist joint.
Again one of the primordial transformers plucked her up directly behind the helm. He gave the femme a good shake. "Get a hold of yourself, now is no time to be glitch out. Here."
He forcibly tucked the young femme between himself and the other transformer known simply Vrobian. He really did not believe Vrobian would attempt any harm of the femme under his watchful gaze, but he nonetheless tapped into Vrobian's thoughts. Reminding him and if need be with force that the glitchy femme had a higher purpose to serve other than providing him with living essences.
"As you wish Sumirp." Vrobian let his unseen feelers retreat back away from the femme. "She is strong, her dames spark guards her spark. You have done well with this one. But will she be as strong when the dame spark ceases? And it will come. Assuming her own kind doesn't return her to the well, before then."
Sumirp only eyed Vrobian.
Midnight sat crushed between the two olden 'bots. Her fingers tracing over the scars. She had no memory of it. How could she, she'd received those scars at the onset of her hatching. She run the tip of her finger across her right wrist joint. The scar was jagged, for the most part unnoticeable but still jagged and therefore she let no one see it. From that scar she let both hands smooth down her front plating, off to the right side, she could feel the rough but unnoticeable marks. She squeezed optics shut, as her digits fingered the final jagged scar at the base of her left ped. It caused her a lot of unwanted attention.
Sumirp brushed her fingers away from the scar. "Tell me femme, about the mark and the scars?"
Vrobian rolled his optics. The old fool just had to ask about the Primus mark. "Our ship is in calamitous state, and you wish to quiz, some sparkling about a rumored Primus mark? Speaking of which I believe we have just blown yet another engine. BTW if in case you haven't already heard the accursed mark is I believe plastered to her aft. Is it not youngling?"
Sumirp cut his companion a frame chilling look, maybe he needed to bean him up side of the helm. The aft wasn't helping in the task at hand what so ever. He Sumirp was trying to prepare the femme for the strange new world and what was sure to be a hot topic among her own kind. This after all was her first otherworldly travel, she wasn't a seasoned explorer. In fact she was as innocent as the day she'd been sparked. And yet here she was a youngling on the cusp of becoming a mature young Autobot.
Eh who was he kidding? The Prime and his comrades had their work cut out for them.
The shipped listed again, they were going to go down. There would be casualties. Sumirp again reminded Vrobian the younglings all of them were off limits.
Vrobian drew back his unseen tentacles that had been dancing around the femmes spark. Teasing the darker orb encasing the smaller lighter orb with in.
Sumirp eyed the essences vampire. He knew in reality what he was up to and stealing the femmes spark was the least of his concerns.
-\-(
Jazz bolted up right from his earlier laid back posture. There it was again just the flicker of something across the monitor. He looked to his fellow Autobots. Their responses were assurance enough something was definitely going on.
Ironhide was already locking on to the incoming signal. "It does not appear to be Decepticon in origin. But this is coming from the outer fringes of the galaxy, they are sending distress signals, but not squawking idents."
"So this could be 'Cons. I will inform Optimus and assemble a retrieval team." Jazz seamlessly slid into his role as lieutenant of the Autobots when the Prime was not present. Everyone knew the Jazzman's retrieval team would consist of the freshest, combat savvy 'bots just awaiting such a moment as this.
Ratchet sighed knowing even as he much as the detested conflict he would still come along to make his medical services available as well as his weapons ability. Though he prefer using the first of his skill set, to help. He had been known to swing a wickedly mean saw.
"Ironhide keep me informed." Ratchet requested as the doors glided open to allow the MO to leave. Ironhide nodded and give what would come across to others as a dismissive grunt. But the weapons specialist knew what task lay before the Autobot medical officer, if these truly were displaced Autobots or even 'cons. There would be casualties.
Sideswipe skated a loop around Jazz as the lieutenant turned up in the training arena. "What's up, Jazz?" He offered as a greeting all the while keeping an optic trained on his still very pissed off twin brother. Sunstreaker was not as friendly with his tiding to Jazz.
Instead he was greeted with a vulgar glare from the more ruthless of the two twins. Jazz flicked Sunstreaker an equally rude glare.
"What brings the great Jazz, down to the training arena, want to get in on a little aft kicking being handed out?" Sunstreaker inquired as Sideswipe began to circle back around into his immediate range of close quarter attack.
The glint of Jazz's blue optics flashed as he took in the few 'bots he was looking for. The wreckers to be precise. The leader Roadbuster and his second Leadfoot were swapping insults with each other as the third and very silent one Topspin looked on. Perfect he had his five 'bots of choice all gathered together.
"Actually, Sunstreaker if an aft kicking is being handed out, I will dealing it. Right now." He stopped letting the pause attract attention. He knew how to handle the wreckers as well as the twins. He watched as Roadbuster and Leadfoot ended their insults and shoving match.
"We have an incoming ship. It is unclear if it is friend or foe. Assemble to roll out. If they are ours we may need to lay down cover fire. If they are foes."
"Enough said, saboteur. We will take care of them." Roadbuster stepped forward followed by his two equally battle lusty 'bots and the two twins.
Jazz nodded. "Assemble top side and await Primes orders."
Jazz would still need to go about gathering other 'bots for support. If the incoming ship were truly refugee 'bots. He would need to have members to help Ratchet with whatever they would be facing. He just hoped they were not diseased after all their numbers truly were very small and they certainly did not need to be limited any further.
Prowl would be useful in keeping order. Ratchet could use both Jolt and Red Alert as medical attendants. Then there was Kup and if push came to shove they had Jetfire. Assuming he could separate the two of them and their war stories. That made his processors hurt to just have to think about asking one or both of them along, primus help him.
Optimus stood watching the monitoring just over the edge of Ironhides shoulder. The ship still showed on trajectory to impact on earth's surface. As of yet there had been no solid contact made with the ship. Optimus was hesitant to let his Autobots roll out to meet the ship abound arrival for fear that it could be Decepticons or worse a doomed plague ship. But still if there was a chance he could save even just one 'bot he would risk his own spark, but not that of the 'bots he commanded.
"Ironhide keep hailing the ship. I wish to know what we are dealing with."
-\-(
The ship shuttered and started vibrating violently. They had entered earth's atmosphere, this was it.
Sumirp poked the femme. "Did you not hear me, femme. Everyone needs to reach out and signal via open comm. Or do you prefer to be blown out of the sky?"
She wanted to protest. If they made contact and the outcome were to be bad, she would be blamed for it. She'd been blamed for the asteroid that had clipped them and taken out the engines. She'd been blamed for the ones that had succumbed to Cybertronian diseases.
"NOW." Sumirp snarled. In that instant, she'd finally decided she was afraid of the aged 'bot that for the most part up until had seemed eccentric but otherwise bare her no ill will.
Sumirp was on the verge of throttling the youngling. He was just about to send out his own distress signal when the femme come through. She was weak, but he could amplify her signal.
Her open air comm mingled with the few others that were transmitting.
This is Telemachus we are refugee Autobots from Cybertron. She repeated the same phrase two more times broadcasting with the others.
-\-(
"Autobots. Roll out." Optimus Prime commanded the assorted 'bots Jazz had carefully hand chosen to accompany them. Briefing would occur as they headed toward what Prowl had calculated as the landing site or as Ratchet had grimly informed them where they would likely crash. Ironhide had been inclined to agree with Ratchet as they had both heard the brief mangled distress call.
The ship listed leaning heavily to the right as terra-firma raced upward. The impact was like nothing she'd ever felt before. She'd been thrown around before but nothing like now. She landed heavily against something and something equally as heavily slammed against her. That was the last she remembered.
There had been a total of forty-one Autobots aboard the ship Telemachus when they had departed Cybertron. Many were diseased, old, or just simply worn down weak. Now as they had neared Earth's atmosphere there were only fifteen left.
The impact of crash had decreased the number again. Sumirp watched wearily as he let his companion pick a few more of the more severely injured Autobots to return to the well of the spark. He would need to move swiftly, the femme did not need to be distressed at anymore of her kind passing.
"Take her Vrobian. And need I remind you she is off-limits. Oh and as wise as you are make sure, the femme does not discover your dark little secret or she'll be the one to rip your spark out. Assuming her Prime does not do it for you, reformed Decepticon or not."
-\-(
"The garbled transmission indicated they were refugee Autobots. I need not remind you there is always the possibly they could be sick. We must take every precaution to make sure, if they are sick they are not contagious. Red Alert and I will evaluate the status of any surviving Autobots. Jolt will help with any medical emergencies from the crash."
"Ratchet keep in check, simply because they claim to be Autobot refugees does not mean they are." Ironhide warned.
"Agreed." Jazz voiced.
The crash site was a sobering experience even the cold ruthless wreckers but only for a moment. As movement caught their optics they shifted to battle stance ready to attack anything that even remotely hinted at offering resistance.
"Optimus, there are many causalities." Ratchet moved from one shell to another mangled shell.
"I do not believe there are any survivors." Red Alert added as he and Jolt joined in the grim task of identifying the dead.
Jazz looked ahead to the strip of newly cut open earth. "We still have another five miles to the actual remains of the ship. Ratchet there still maybe a glimmer of hope there."
Ratchet had to agree with Jazz on that, as there was nothing to do for any of the remains left strewn.
Ironhide was the first to detect a spark signature. Then another few. Most were weak. But one stood out to him as much as his own spark mates. But he knew exactly where Chromia was. And this one was not a spark signature he'd had contact with in a very long time.
He flicked his wrist spinning his signature canon to humming life. Reaching out via private com he buzzed the three others that would be sure to recognize what he was certain he was detecting.
Each returned the reply that yes they indeed did feel the familiar signature reaching out to their sparks. But it was Ratchet who dampened each ones hopes.
It is possible that someone has devised a way to replicate her signature. She was left to Trion, I cannot rationalize why she would be permitted travel aboard a refugee ship, unless Trion has perished or the femme has fallen.
I am about to find out, medic. Come the cold snarling reply from the weapons specialist.
The Prime and the weapons specialist pushed forth surrounded by a task force of wreckers and combat lusting 'bots.
"Please, Vrobian help me. They will cease to function if we do help them. Where is Sumirp? He will help me if you will not." The femme pleaded.
Vrobian had just let a dark tipped claw rest directly under the helm of the femme. He was about to remind her she was trying to save the very 'bots that had mistreated her since before he'd known her. Her helm tilted upward her optics forced to focus on the faceplates of the former Decepticon, when the powerful hum of canons caught the attention of all the 'bots.
"Vrobian, do not harm the femme."
Midnight snapped to attention even as long as it had been she had never forgotten the voice of her Prime. The one she was to serve.
The name Prime swept through nine remaining Autobots. The former Decepticon merely looked on in a state of disinterest, he had no fear the Prime or for that matter any of his other fellow Autobots would actually do anything harmful to him. As long as the femme vouched for him. Innocent youngling she was, he knew he was safe.
"My Prime." She kneeled.
Vrobian rolled his optics, she would be the only one to know of such formal customs long past.
Ironhide chided her. "Rise youngling that has long since ceased."
But she ignored his command. Primus had given her a task and she had to complete that task. It was the sole thing driving her at the moment.
"I bring tidings of peace my Prime. I have come to serve." Her voice was young but she spoke in the aged and rarely used Cybertronian language.
Vrobian and even the wreckers found themselves spellbound by message to the Prime.
Mentally Vrobian knew he'd have to get away from the Primus messenger or all he'd be fragging thinking about before long was peace and with peace, blah. He did not want think about that.
Prime had always known the femme was to be his voice of peace, he had known that the night her sire brought her in from the dames attack. Even as a freshly brought forth sparkling she radiated peace.
-\-(
FLASHBACK Cybertron:
Scavenger Shell had stumbled on the Autobot base. He'd been in a battle. He bore signs of severe injuries. His right arm hung limply by his side, weapon still firmly grasp. He was smeared in energon. There were multiple bite wounds visible on his left side. The scraplets had been at work no doubt. But the most disturbing thing was the fact he clutched to his chest armor a small twisted strip of armor coated in something other than energon. Emitting from that piece of armor was a pitiful sound.
He would let no one see the fragment of armor that looked suspiciously like a piece of his mates. He instead demanded a medic. Ironhide a fellow Autobot from Scavenger Shells tribe come forth with Ratchet for unlike Ironhide Scavenger Shell and Vedette were known to be unpredictable after battle.
Scavenger Shell finally relinquished the torn fragment of metal to Ironhide as Ratchet made attempts to assess his overall damage. "They have taken her, I'hide, the scraplets have taken her. They attacked her and our sparkling. Our final mech."
Ironhide had been slowly peeling the metal back when he realize he held a prematurely hatched sparkling in his hands.
He'd did the only known thing to do. He had pulled the tiny creature to his own chest plate as close to his spark as he could get it. That had been after all where Vedette had stored the sac the only other time he'd seen the unhatched sparkling.
"Ratchet." His tone bode something the medic had never heard from the large black Autobot.
Ratchet didn't see what the mech clutched to chest but suddenly he realized what the residue was and what that pitiful sound was.
Ratchet spun the large weapons specialist around herding him towards his med bay all the while barking orders. "Keep the sparkling directly against your spark. No argument just do it. We must keep it warm and provide comfort. This is a trauma to its tiny systems. And whatever you do, stay calm. I realize your spark signature will not emulate the dame, but ever effort must be made."
-\-(
PRESENT:
Vrobian placed a hand on the femmes shoulder. He needed to make sure he maintained close contact with the femme and what better way than to play her very nature. It was his hopes he could keep her from oozing that sickening desire for peace and it would keep that trigger happy mech from blowing him to bits he hoped. "Come my youngling companion, we must tend to our injured."
Weapons remained trained. "You will go nowhere."
Midnight struggled to understand what was transpiring. She was in a panic. Her spark was reaching out to all present. It would naturally seek out her Prime she was to serve. She knew this. It would also seek to reconnect to any other Autobot that a bond had been formed with. This would include the other three, but why was it seeking to connect with the others she had never met.
Vrobian felt her confusion and fear. It give him a little thrill. But he could not feed on that now. Instead he let his connection to her flow back. He wanted to know who all the femme was connected to. He knew the Prime for sure, but he felt there were others three to be precise and she was trying to connect with more, just as she had with him. He suspected she had not learned to control her spark.
He spoke to her calmly through the private link and then physically, so no one would accuse him of manipulating the femme.
He held hands up. "You dare think I would bring harm to femme? Her own kind has treated her as a marked. I have guarded her aboard Telemachus, again might I remind you from other young Autobots. Mechs that should be accepting that there are even still young femmes at all. My youngling Autobot, I have no desire to hurt you. I only wish to help you if it is your desire to help our injured."
He extended a hand to her helping her up from her kneeling position. All the while he was gathering information on how all the mechs that had come out with the Prime was spellbound by the young femmes, pledge to the Prime. So he was not the only one she had affected.
-\-(
Vrobian let his optics scan around the brief room. The femme he was sure was in another brief room. He was certain by what little of her thoughts she was permitting to be felt, she was alone, unlike him and probably the other survivors.
Jazz pushed off the wall leaving Jetfire still settled there watching another supposed reformed Decepticon. As the Autobot stalked around the reformed decepticon Vrobian wasn't moved by his presence.
"Your interest in the youngling femme?"
Vrobian folded his large metal fingers together.
"The youngling femme?" Vrobian leaned back.
Jazz glared at him.
"I have no desire for the youngling, she is just as well be a sparkling. I have only taken her under my protection, to keep one of your own Autobots from killing her."
"Kill her?" Jetfire had finally spoken.
Vrobian eyed the aged former Decepticon. They had on occasion traveled in some of the same circles but that had been so long ago. Strange even now they were sizing each other up. Currently Vrobian had the upper hand, yes he too was a former a Decepticon. But at the moment he had the trust of a Primus marked femme on his side.
"Come my old comrade, you know as well as I, sparklings born with a Primus mark rarely live long. They either die soon after coming forth or their creators sacrifice them back to the Well of the Spark. It is even rarer that one lives as long as this one. At least if they are left unguarded."
Jetfire let his optics settle on Vrobian but he said nothing. Jazz remained silent as well, digesting what the 'bot was saying.
-\-(
Ironhide left the med bay area where a couple of the more damaged bots where being held. He was certain Ratchet, Red Alert and Jolt had things under control. He knew Jazz and Jetfire had Vrobian so he wasn't worried about him.
Now he was paying visit to the two young mechs. He was having a hard time getting to the bottom of why they had a glitch about the young femme. He was still brooding after having to pull one of them off her. He had went straight for her spark chamber, rumbling something about another Autobot Sumirp and how everything was the femme's fault. He would want to talk to the femme later about that, but first things had to settle down. Still annoyed he stalked out of the young mechs brief room.
Roadbuster and Leadfoot held a position on either side of the doors. As always they were swapping insults. "Afts. They just thought they were tough 'bots jumping on a harmless little femme. We could show them tough." They slammed fist together. Ironhide mentally sighed. These two were as bad as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.
And thinking of those two twins he needed to go remove them from their current guard position. Prowl had put them on the femmes door. Ironhide shook his helm. She was harmless, in fact so much so she did not realize she should have been defending her spark with all her worth.
He found Sideswipe and his twin Sunstreaker along with another set of twins, Skids and Mudflap. He would definitely need to remove those four from guarding the young femme. He was relieved to discover Topspin also held a position at the door as well.
"Aw come on 'Sides, is it true."
"I hear she's a hottie."
"I heard she is the shade of a Cybertronian midnight, and her optics are black."
"Hmm, Cybertronian midnight, now that's a sight I miss,."
"Shut 'p Stopid."
Skids and Mudflap exchanged a couple of blows.
"Tell me, S'nstreaker, she has a mark, on her aft."
"I hear it looks like, Megatron grappled her."
There was another blow followed by the two rolling around on the floor trying to beat the others processors out. They rolled into Ironhides peds. He was glaring down at them.
"Dismissed." Ironhide barked out at the two misfits still on the ground.
He had to remind himself that the twins for that matter both sets of twins were still on the spectrum of being considered young but mature. The femme's newly added presence awoke programs in the young mechs that could create havoc. It also did not help that the femme was a messenger of peace, meaning that it would stir things in all the Autobots systems bringing even more havoc. As nice as peace would be, Ironhide wasn't sure he could handle what that would bring about amongst his own kind. He wasn't sure that the lack of the cubes presence would pose a problem, if that sparkling. No if that youngling did not learn to control her special talent.
"Ironhide." Sunstreaker greeting broke into his thoughts.
"She is not very chatty. Semi settled in. Far corner, back to the wall. Does not appear to care for light. Refused energon." Sideswipe informed Ironhide.
Ironhide nodded.
"Sideswipe, Sunstreaker report to Jazz at Vrobian's brief room. Topspin you will remain here on guard to protect the femme. No one sees her without Prime's and Ratchets expressed approval."
The warrior twins were less than pleased to be dismissed to guard a turncoat, but they had their orders from Ironhide and he knew what he was doing.
Ironhide stepped into another empty brief room. He let his processors review everything he had been informed of. He did not like the fact the youngling had not taken energon. He knew all the refugee Autobots where weak, their energon levels had long since been depilated. That was why so many of the 41 aboard the Telemachus had perished.
He was also left to mull over what Vrobian had said about the femme. It is even rarer that a marked lived as long as she has without, protection. Was he in some roundabout way threatening the femme, or did he know something.
Ironhide heard the slight purring as an open hand slide across his shoulder to his spark plate. " 'Ello lover." Chromia whispered breathy in Ironhides audio sensor.
He was distracted, she already knew it. She had snuck in on him and even gotten fresh with him and he had not noticed.
She drew back her right hand and clipped him up the side of the helm. "You are ignoring me."
He only rumbled his own disapproval.
She settled in next to him. "It's her isn't it?"
"I see the way she looks at you."
"Those dark optics down cast. So demure."
"Ironhide." Chromia slipped her hand under his helm, pulling it to hers.
"She is young, timid. You are a great warrior to her."
His own hand had slid to her spark plate. He could feel the strong flutter of her spark.
"Stop fooling around." Chromia slid his hand away before standing.
He cut his optics towards her. He wasn't the one fooling around, but there was no need to point that out.
"Ironhide, I am worried about her. If Vrobian hurts her."
"I will personally rip his still pulsing spark out, if he so much as lets a processor get out of line with her."
Chromia nuzzled into Ironhides shoulder, her helm resting against his spark plate. "We should have taken her in, we could have raised and protected her."
Ironhide hugged her closer to him. "Chromia."
"I know, I know, you did for her what was right. Probably with all the battles we would have lost her. Just she is still so young by comparison. Anyway lover." She let her hand glide over his spark plate, then on up to his helm. "Do not wait too long to reconnect to her, she needs you. She needs that sire figure in her life."
He watched her leave. Maybe with the presence of Midnight and the other two youngling mechs, just maybe Elita One, Chromia, and Acree would stop trying to mother the rest of the Autobots. He knew Bumblebee would at least be happy that there were a couple more young 'bots to take some of the heat off him.
He thought back to Vedette and his first introduction to her sparked hatchling.
FLASHBACK: Vedette fought alongside Ironhide, as her mate battled the enemy at their rear. The roaring of canons coming to life only slightly put off the Decepticon Gladiators, it did not faze the femme Vedette that stood next to the larger Ironhide. She loved a good battle. Today had proven it would feed the over powering lust for battle.
"My brother, and jewel of Cybertron. It is looking acid rain. Let us take cover, shall we." Scavenger Shell ordered.
Ironhide canons effortless came purring to life, with streams of pure raw energy pouring forth from each maw. Scavenger Shell barely dipped down as the blue energy flowed past him and hit squarely in the chest a dogged Decepticon that had been pursuing them for quite some time.
"Ironhide! A little warning if you please. And you fragger you are not the jewel of Cybertron to which I refer, that is reserved for my bonded."
Ironhide scowled a filthy look at Scavenger Shell as he pressed in nudging Vedette his mate in closer to him. Luckily Ironhide truly was not offended by his tribal brothers relentless teasing. But he would have to remember that when they were training, after all some scores just had to be settled the old fashion way. With a good aft whooping.
"Thank Primus for small favors." Ironhide rumbled back as he blasted a larger hole into the side of the mountain.
Ironhide dropped Vedette into the cavernous hole he had just created. "After you, brother." Ironhide encouraged Scavenger Shell to go next. He was certain the space would be close, so as the leader he place the femme in first, followed by her mate. He would take up frontline position and guard.
He heard Vedette purr and Scavenger Shell rumbling. He did not bother turning. It was no fragging wonder those two were so spark prolific.
"Come brother, it is close quarters but there is room for you." Scavenger Shell offered.
"Yes, Ironhide, brother there is room for you." Vedette purred again as Scavenger Shells hands ventured upward towards her spark plate. "Behave." Vedette chided her mate.
Ironhide turned to see the two mates in a tangle of limbs.
He shook his head. "It is no wonder you have so many energon munchers. You two are worse than a pack of hormonal youngling mechs just signed up for their first battle doing the night before shipping off deed."
Vedette give a small snort. "Ironhide it is not like that at all." Scavenger Shell was nuzzling at the base of her helm, while his fingers toyed at her spark plate. "Stop that, you will disturb the little energon muncher, that has just settled down."
Vedette enjoyed the shocked response that crossed Ironhide's processors. She let her fingers float up to her spark plate.
"What in the name of Primus? You have a hatching, here in the mist of battle? What if-"
"What if something happens to my hatching?" Vedette finished Ironhides sentence. She run her fingers along her spark plate, she could feel the hatchling stirring.
Scavenger Shell embraced her, his hands exploring her armor. "Ironhide, my brother, until you have a sparkling yourself, you will never understand."
"Yeah, what number 13? And you still have not figured out what causes them?" Ironhide was still worried about the hatchling as well as the dame.
"Yes, Ironhide, another mech. Frag, I will be able to start my own army with all my mech spring. And speaking of figuring out what causes them. Your mate, still not sparked? Maybe you need to take notes. Or maybe you just need to get entrapped with that combative little sprite, for a mega-cycle or two."
Ironhide only glared at Scavenger Shell. So Vedette intervened. "Ironhide it isn't what it seems. She brushed her spark plate, letting her hand settle finally at one spot. I am just a little concerned about this one. I do not dare leave this little one, unattended. It's… well this little one got off to rough start. I promise, I am being careful and this one will come into this world same as all the rest of mine. Ready and willing to fight."
-\-(
The acid rain finally let up and the battle resumed, but Ironhide suddenly found his inner desire to protect both the femme and her hatching stronger. Scavenger Shell did not seem drawn to protect the dame of his sparks or for that matter his hatching. He was having a hard time understanding this. If it were Chromia and their hatchling. Well first of all his femme would not be in battle and certainly not if she were sparked. Never mind if she had the hatchling sac on her frame or not.
Vedette looked flushed as the last of the enemy fell at her peds. Sounds of Ironhide stowing his cannons could be heard as he come around to her.
"Vedette." Ironhide spoke curiously as he watched her massage her spark plate. "Everything is fine, Ironhide. I can certainly tell you have never been a round a hatching. They are very active. Needing much energon. More so to sustain them than say us. But our systems are mature and conditioned. Besides they really don't feed on much at a time. It is just often."
He studied her, again she was massaging her spark plate. "Active one." She cooed.
"Here." Her spark plate shifted open revealing her glowing spark and beside it the hatchling sac. She shifted the sac, removing it ever so carefully.
"Well open your hands." Vedette commanded. "Ironhide it won't hurt you and I am sure you won't hurt the little one."
Ironhide looked at the pulsing sac laying in his hands. He could actually feel the spark beat, though it didn't feel exactly like what he expected. Its spark beat signature seemed to be a fast fluttering. It seemed to shift around in the sac. He could have sworn Vedette was trying to link to him. He did not understand that. He assumed it was Vedette because no one else was present.
"The hatchling tend to want to reach out and create bond links with anyone they come into contact with. That is how a hatchling establishes a network of family. It is alright Ironhide, I understand if you do not wish to connect." She reached to take the hatchling sac back. But Ironhide hesitated about letting her have the sac back, instead he was letting the hatchling link to him.
Vedette was relieved. Her sparkling had reached out to Ironhide bonding to him. It was a relief, if Scavenger Shell had connected he might well have realized what she already knew. This hatchling was a femme and to make matters worse Vedette knew she was different. She was marked. She'd known that even as she had known when she'd got with spark. She knew if she didn't guard the hatchling sac with her life, her little femme would be sacrificed back to Primus out of tribal fear, because of the Primus mark. Assuming she lived. That was the problem with marked sparks.
"Promise me. No Ironhide swear to me. If anything should happen to me." She reached out taking the sac back, to stow away again. "Please take care of my precious sparkling."
His optics dilated then narrowed. "Is everything alright."
"Yes of course, Ironhide. Just call it a dame's paranoia, I just well. This one is just having such a rough go at life. I just want to make sure everything will be alright."
"Has someone threaten you or the hatchling?" Ironhide inquired as he watched her mate return.
"No Ironhide, no. Just well as you can see I and my lover we are such energon battle lusty 'bots. I just want to be sure my little Midnight will be alright."
"Vedette, really. Why don't you tell Chromia how to get a hatchling, not this brute? Or I could." Scavenger Shell teased.
Vedette clipped him up side the helm. "You will do no such thing."
She eyed Ironhide as her fingers wondered back up to her spark plate, again massaging it. "They will manage, without any of your foolishness. Besides it's the femmes that are fertile. The mechs, well, never mind they are all like younglings. All play."
And that was it, Vedette had turned to go. But it weighed heavily on Ironhides spark that she had never let her own mate so much as touch the hatchling sac. But then again what did he know of hatchlings.
-\-(
