Fallen out Wasteland
Summary: By a stroke of luck Megatron has won the war. His first action is to offline all Autobots and begins stripping every planet within reach of any and all minerals. Several Vorns into the beginning of the new empire seekers and several styles of ground builds have been labeled as expendable. Now Megatron has to fight off former allies and a new war begins.
A/N: I'm only updating this on Fridays alright? I love doing this scheduled thing I just have to remember not to swamp myself with too many stories (whoops, already did that).
Anything in italics are thoughts or lyrics (done picked this idea up off someone, tons of love if you can tell me who it is, and yes, I do know who it is. Derp. Extra love if you are that writer.)
Chapter 1: Obsolete
"This sector seems clear for the moment boss bot." My apprentice calls into my comm., her voice a mere whisper. I knew she wouldn't be traveling the airways, I didn't choose idiots for my protégés.
"Alright, get up here Skyseam." I respond back. "And remember-"
"Be careful. Yes sir." I cut the comm. link and start heading down in the tunnels that we had excavated through the moon. I pass a few seekers and triple changers who were all busy. That's all everything was nowadays. No time for breaks, no time to linger. Every klick counted for it could be our last.
Reaching my destination I glance around at the frozen forms of the Autobots. Rather than offline them like Megatron had ordered I had hidden them within the moon. I was no fool and I had already known, on the day of conquest, that my people and I would become expendable. "Hook, how are their repairs coming along?" I ask the Constructicon.
He sighs. "I can't believe you're willing to give up leadership. You aren't all that bad. But yes, all of them are ready to be onlined. Who knew that the moon was filled with energon and Megatron had no clue."
I sigh. "One step ahead Hook, you always have to think one step ahead. Activate Optimus first." Hook punches in a code into a data pad and slowly but surely Optimus' optics flicker to life.
"Where am I? Starscream?" He asks as he shakes his helm.
"The Autobot base, on the moon. I have urgent matters to discuss with you. Hook, only online the ones that will listen to reason. The last thing we need is a civil war among the Autobots." I motion for Optimus to walk with me and we take a tunnel.
"You keep saying Autobots. Have you and some others defected?"
"More or less. After Megatron defeated you he declared us obsolete, seekers that is, triple changers as well, and the Constructicons." I lead him to one of our storage areas and hand him a cube of energon. "A lot has changed since you were 'offlined'. Thank Primus for stasis lock. Anyway, he's begun destroying planets, stripping them bare and leaving wastelands behind. He enslaves the inhabitants of course."
"So after the Autobot's defeat you took up our cause?"
"And your principles. I've seen what Megatron does to the others and came to realize nobody should suffer that."
"What have you been doing to fight back?"
"Small strikes. My troops have a hard time not killing anyone when they ambush small patrols. We've reverted to tearing out certain sections of their processors." I hold up a servo when he begins to protest. "I would rather we could work out a peaceful solution but if you saw what they've done you'd call it a just punishment.
"So, just how bad is this situation?" He asks and I let out a shudder. Not meeting his optics I give him my reply.
"The only ones we have left are all on the moon. That includes some of the Autobots from Cybertron, the few that managed to make it out that is."
Silence fills the storage room and I listen to the sound of him cycling air. "I've decided to give all Leadership over to you. If I tell my seekers and the other ex-Decepticons that I'm doing so they'll follow you unquestioningly."
"… I appreciate you not killing my comrades and I and I'm also impressed that you would so willingly give up leadership." The light sound of thruster's falling on the rock makes me turn around. Skyseam stood patiently in the doorway.
"Skyseam reporting in sir." She bows her head to me and I motion towards Optimus.
"Report to him, I've forfeited the title of leader. Optimus is by far the better choice." Skyseam looks at him warily before performing a deep bow.
"May the wind always be at your back and the brightness of the sun blinding your enemy's optics. Permission to be dismissed, I've yet to tend to the sparklings." Optimus nods then turns to me as Skyseam walks away.
"You have sparklings here? This close to Earth?" My spark clenches painfully and I look away.
"What could I have done? Megatron doesn't think me smart enough to stay so close to his favorite mud ball. Besides, I would never risk my sparkling so I've made their area the most secure." I begin to stomp out of the room but a firm servo grips my arm, turning me about.
"Hold on, your sparkling? Who's the creator?" He asks, concern in his optics. My pain must have showed on my faceplates because it only deepened.
"Megatron's. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm behind on constructing you suitable flight devices." He lets go and I try my best to not run. I would make sure to visit my sparkling before heading to the lab.
"Stahsqueem! Stahsqueem!" He shouts as I enter the designated area, like he was just waiting for me. I give him a smile and pick him up. "Guess what I can do!"
"I don't know sweet spark, what can you do?" He shutters his optics tight and concentrates before folding into a miniature gun in my servos. I try not to let fear wipe over my faceplates as I patiently wait for him to go back. "That's amazing! Listen, I know I just got here but I need to go to the lab and do some work, okay? Remember, I love you very much." I press a swift kiss to his helm and set him back down. He gazes back at me with watery optics and tugs on the ridge over my knee.
"But when am I gonna see you again?" He asks. I bite my lower lip component.
"Tonight okay? Now you be good and play nice with the other sparklings okay?" He nods and looks down then walks away.
A sniff behind me makes me turn. Jazz, most likely newly awakened, was wiping at his optics under his visor. "That was so sad and so cute at da same time." I sigh and brush past him, slamming right into Skyfire.
"…Starscream." He says awkwardly. Jazz disappears immediately and I sigh. "One of the Constructicons said you needed assistance in the lab. I was wondering if I could offer you my services."
"…Sure, lab is this way." I reply, equally awkward. We walk along in silence. Thank Primus we had made the walls extra high to make space for Astrotrain otherwise Skyfire wouldn't fit anywhere. Eventually after a few long tunnels I show him into the lab which until now had only been used by me.
"I've been working on flight components for the grounded Autobots. My notes are over there." I wander off to begin work and Skyfire scoops some up, moving to sit by me.
We work in complete silence except for the sound of tinkering for awhile before he finally talks, like I knew he would. "You don't look like you get enough recharge. How are you holding up?"
"Not so well." I decide to be honest with my old friend. "This war is pushing me to my limits but I'm the only scientist we have, well, used to have. My upgrades and added technologies have kept us afloat so far."
"You also have to credit your fast thinking. I know you're always one step ahead of everyone else… If you don't mind me asking, are any of these functional yet?" He lifts a finished flight mod and I nod.
"Yes, and I really couldn't care less what you ask me." I hold up a different mod. "Some of these though go too fast and have to be tuned down. Each one is customized to the bot I plan on giving it to. Like the one you're holding right now would be going to Scrapper."
We drop into silence again and I wait for that one uncomfortable question that was sure to surface. "…Your sparkling, he's Megatron's yes?"
"…Yeah, he's also the reason I'm not dead right now. Megatron wants him but of course I'm refusing to give him up. Megatron has to go through my cold, offline frame to get to him."
"Does he have a name?"
"Yeah, Skyfire. Megatron wanted to kill me on the spot for naming him after you but there was no way I was going to allow Megatron to name him."
The rest of the joors we spent were in complete silence, no more questions, and no more answers. Between us we managed to construct the basic forms for all the Autobots. We'd have to customize them later. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up Skyfire junior. I promised I'd see him tonight."
Skyfire follows me out. "You mean you don't stay with him every night?" I note my dragging peds as I make my way back through the tunnels.
"No, usually he sleeps in med bay." Skyfire stops and I turn back to him quietly.
"Why would he be in med bay?" I slump against a wall and slide to the ground. Shuttering my optics I tilt my face towards the ceiling.
"He has several glitches in his processor. Sometimes he'll freeze up for no apparent reason or his frame spasms randomly." I feel diluted energon slip down my faceplates and hear the sound of shifting peds. A solid wall of metal frame lands next to me. Hook tells me it would be far more merciful to just offline him now, not to mention safer for the whole faction. But I can't- not my creation."
Another frame presses into my other side and I open my optics and look over. Skyfire was now sitting on my left, the first side. On my right sat Optimus who looked up at the ceiling, optics unwavering in the dim light. Neither one utters a word and I find myself thankful for their silent comfort.
Finally Optimus speaks. "It's not… easy to lose any sparkling, especially not your first. I'm glad for you that you at least got to hold him in your arms." He sounds as if he speaks from experience but I'm not about to press him. I stand up and start walking away.
"I'll see all of you next orn. Goodnight."