Powerlinx of Darkness

Forward: This is the series that falls between the Raptor Chronicle series and the Armada Soul-Flyer series. And will bring the two together in continuity.

In the Raptor Chronicles: G1: with the assassination of Galvatron, the Decepticons and Autobots ended up creating an Allied nation; With Cyclonus as the con leader, Ultra Magnus as the bot leader – and Raptor joining the two by making them her 'official mates'. They rule equally, with the military under Cyclonus and the civilians under Ultra Magnus.

Raptor the character; originally started in my Raptor Chronicles. She is an F-22 which was animated by G1 Starscream, and trained in the arts of infiltration, sabotage and assassination. She was animated using a 'human spark'; thus, thinks and feels in a human way – not a Cybertronian way.

Mutual Sorrow

Optimus put his arm around the gray/green Seeker as she leaned into him. In silence they had sat on that barren mountainside, watching as the golden rays of the rising sun – ended with the fading reds of its setting. Both of them quietly supported the other, as each of them remembered the mates they had loved and lost.

For a thousand years, Raptor had performed this silent vigil. At first, she did it alone, without telling anyone anything more than 'I just need to think.' As this pattern continued for centuries, Ultra Magnus had finally done some digging in the human records, and they all realized what she was doing. She was remembering her human family on the day of their deaths so long ago.

Sometimes, various Autobots would join her; every now and then, Dead End would join her. He was the one Decepticon that seemed to understand her temporary morbid mood.

Then, one time Optimus chose to join her. They had had a very gut-wrenching conversation about each of their lost loves. That was several centuries ago, and Optimus had joined her each time since. They had grown closer with their mutual sense of loss and understanding, each knowing that the other was wishing that it was the lost love sitting there.

No, Optimus and Raptor were never a couple. Their relationship had grown far deeper than mere physical wants and desires. In the deepest sense of the word, they had become best friends.

Chasing Away the Pain..

As the final rays dimmed into blackness, they slowly stood. "Thank you Optimus," Raptor said as they embraced and she laid her helm on his shoulder. Her voice filled with sadness.

He kissed the top of her helm and held her tightly, trying to imagine that it was Elita One he held. "Thank you my friend."

They separated and smiled sadly at each other. "So, are you going back to the front lines for a while?" Prime asked, knowing the answer.

She nodded, and then turning, she jumped from the mountainside. Transforming and roaring her afterburners as she tried to follow the ashes of her family.

Silently, Optimus watched her fade into the distance. Every year she did the same thing for a period after this date, whether it was immersing herself in rescue efforts for massive natural disasters – or if there were none – she would join Cyclonus on the front lines against the Quintessons. Optimus knew she was doing it to run away from her internal pain, and each century, it was taking her longer and longer to get that pain to return to the place it hid. As time passed, the continuing lives and deaths of her extended human family seemed to weigh heavier and heavier upon her.

Sighing, he transformed and headed back to Metroplex.

Silent Cosmos

The sun's fading light edged her graceful wings with contrails of glistening rainbows. Rolling, Raptor cast a last longing look at the mountainside of her vigil. 'Goodbye my loves..' she quietly called to her long-dead family.

Flipping her rudders, she shot straight up into the brilliant lonely expanse that was space; which matched the empty expanse that was her soul. Swinging wide, she looked upon the blue of her home world. No longer feeling like a true 'home' to her anymore.

Setting course, she radioed the fleet's flagship, informing them of her ETA.

"I look forward to fighting next to you, Raptor;" Cyclonus radioed in reply, expecting this predictable annual visit.

"I do hope that there's some dogfights to be had," she replied.

"If there aren't, I'm sure we can create some."

Friend's in Morbidity

"Hey Raptor, you want to unwind a little on Jaspar 3?" Dead End asked her, noticing that she was trying to conceal the fact that she was still in one of her more morbid moods.

He liked her when she was in this mood. This was the only time he ever had someone who'd sit for hours, drinking and discussing his favorite subject: Death. And Raptor actually seemed to enjoy his company as well.

Raptor was standing with several of the con officers, discussing fleet maneuvers.

She turned to look at him, giving him a rather sarcastic smile. "I guess that's your way of hinting that you need a lift?"

He shifted a little, but this was an old game they'd played for centuries. He knew that Raptor didn't want the other cons to realize that she was, periodically, fixated on death. Then they'd think she was as strange as he was. "Octane and Astrotrain aren't in this quadrant, so I was hoping you'd be interested."

She strolled up to him, looking arrogantly down at the smaller Mech. "So what makes you think I'm interested?"

He did his best to act nervous. "Well, there have been some rumors of some bounty hunters based there; Bounty hunters that might give us info on the hidden Quintesson bases in this sector."

"Hmmm, interesting idea Dead End." She looked back at the other officers. "I'll be away for a few days on this 'intelligence' mission."

Then she marched down the corridor with Dead End in tow.

Drink in Despair

Downing another round of energon, Raptor cocked her head and looked at him quizzically. "So by your line of reasoning, we are just all 'living dead' anyways, huh?"

She was getting blitzed, and really needed it!

He leaned unsteadily on the back of the booth. "Well, we're all food for rust, so what's the difference? Live or dead?"

She laughed. "So what we accomplish in our lives means nothing?"

"It's going to eventually all be consumed by decay anyway." Dead End almost fell out of the booth, but Raptor caught his arm and dragged him back upright.

"What about love and passion?" she slurred.

"Just brief moments before the inevitable."

She slapped him on the back, "Ah, but Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp all decided to come back from the other side. For love or passion."

"He, he…" He threw down another drink. "Since Starscream obviously didn't come back for 'love'; that just proves that hate is as strong as love – both can bring you back. So it doesn't really matter which one you feel, it all is the same in the end."

"So, if hate and love are equal – then where's the damned middle?"

"Does it really matter? They both end in the same place."

She put her arm around the smaller Mech. "But without either, the soul is a place of total emptiness."

"So I guess there's no middle ground, it's either one or the other – or you're just empty. Like the 'living dead'." Dead End mused.

Taking another gulp of energon, Raptor looked at him with sadness in her optics. "Yes, empty like the 'living dead'.. Such a fitting description of true despair, is it not?"

Dead End didn't realize it, but he had finally given Raptor a way to define herself.

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