Among the Stars
by J. N. Williamson
"The greatest weakness of must humans is their hesitancy to tell others how they love them while they're alive." — Optimus Prime.
There is more to them than meets the eye.
Disclaimer: I am in no means associated with the creators of Transformers, nor do I own anything.
Claimer: I merely own my Original Characters and their fictional appearance within the cray-zay world we so love.
Right, I honestly tried to put my idea to works but after reading through it, I was like what the hell am I doing; so in simple terms, this is me starting over once more. It's too complicated for me to include something as large as Pacific Rim with Transformers so that idea is a big no for me. This time, hopefully—I am pleased with what I wrote in a span of six hours so there's that.
Once again, I apologize for those who have read the brief idea I had posted hours ago and hopefully you guys would enjoy this one more.
I've seen a lot of stories involving Sam either having a sister or a cousin coming to live with them; so I decided I'd try a different approach. So yeah, note aside.
Enjoy :)
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Chapter One: Horizon.
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Desperation.
It was the absence of hope that had caused her to do the one thing she had promised to never do. It felt like a parasite had taken residence beneath her skin, the guilt that made her hesitate.
Am I doing the right thing? God be her witness, causing him pain was the last thing she wanted but as she read through the hastily scribbled words written across the crumbled piece of paper, she knew this was something she had to do.
He had made it clear to her on numerous times that his job was more important than his own daughter; so this seemed the better option. Though she knew it would have been easier to tell him what her heart yearned for him to hear, she couldn't find it in herself to do so.
Running from her problems had never been at the top of her list of things to do but what else was there for her?
Knowing that regrets always came a tad too late, she just prayed to whomever was listening that he'd understand. That this wouldn't somehow blow up in her face, because she knew that he'd remind her over and over again.
"I told you so." If there was one thing she hated more than arrogance, it was knowing that the people she cared about thought it fitting to spout nothing but lies. She was not that little girl anymore, hanging on every broken promise her father had ever made.
Was this what her mother felt when she finally had enough—leaving the man she loved and the daughter she birthed behind in haste to escape the madness?
"I am sorry." And the sincerity behind her words almost made her choke on her own tears but knowing that she couldn't stay longer, the nineteen year old simply placed a tender kiss on the piece of paper before placing it back on her bed—smiling briefly at the frame withholding the photo taken days before her mother had left.
What had she missed? It was a question she'd ask herself countless a times before, one that would not be answered for a long time. She never considered herself as courageous but as she slung the heavy duffel bag across her shoulder, she knew that this was only the start of things.
The road ahead seemed dark and dreary but she knew without a doubt that she'd face the coming hurricane without fear and hesitation. It had taken less than two minutes for the teen to make sure she had everything she needed for her trip, mentally making a note that she'd apologize to him for practically raiding the pantry before easing herself towards the door.
I guess this is goodbye. Easing the door open, ever aware of the emptiness slithering up her spine, she mentally prepared herself for the unknown. Just please understand.
But she knew better than to run from her demons. Because in the end, they'd always find someway to drag her back to the depths of hell.
Six years later.
Peace.
It was something that had always boggled her mind; something that humanity had spent centuries fighting for but never truly achieving. Thoughts being her own, she had always believed peace to be an impossible feat.
There would always be conflict and there would always be war. That's just how she viewed it all—because in her mind, there was no right or wrong. No just cause about proving to be more superior than the other. Though her thoughts should never be mistaken for doubt; as she was just as proud as anyone else serving their country.
Though most would frown at her way of thinking,—which was what made her stand out from the rest of her teammates—she had always prided herself at being different.
But no matter her personal thoughts on the subject; she was determined to prove her worth for a greater cause than herself. And it were times like these that she often found herself questioning whether her father would be proud of what she had accomplished so far.
Having completed the course in two years—something which had astounded those who had doubted her capabilities to do something they seemed impossible—she had received her Bachelor's degree in Aviation before having undergone intensive training at the Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama and had passed all the requirements and qualifications expected of her.
But it just wasn't that simple. Not that she expected much. Any sane person would admit that it was hard—admitting otherwise would be an outright lie. The first few weeks had been tough—she had been exhausted, her muscles continuously screaming in protest but having inherited her grandfather's sheer determination and commintment to a cause, she had pushed herself to the limit where she had thought that her body could go no further.
Such a cause required commitment, something that she was eager to give in hopes of being apart of something much larger than a doctor—a career that her parents had wanted her to pursue, well that was before everything went downhill.
"Captain Simmons," the firm voice roused the young woman from her thoughts, her body finally jolting into action. "—Colonel Sharp would like to see you."
Ignoring the chorus of whoops and hollers, Jessica Simmons sent a fleeting glare at her chuckling teammates before trailing behind Major Richards—fully aware that this would be a meeting she was not looking forward too.
She knew she had gone against standard protocols but considering that it had been her day off, or what she dubbed as her day off, what was the harm in having some fun? Yeah, he's pissed.
Still donned in her flight suit, the young woman nodded in greeting at the military personnel mulling about—gaze intently taking in the scenery of the US SOCCENT Airbase she had been deployed to seven months prior and huffed at the glaring sun baring down upon them. "Major Richards, sir. On a scale from one to ten, how pissed to you reckon the Colonel to be?"
Grant "Badger" Richards was one of the few people that tollerated her mannerism of speaking—considering that it amused him greatly when a higher ranking officer would reprimand her for speaking in such a foul manner to someone of his standard; not that he minded, she noted.
But it was a man she respected, nonetheless, considering he had saved her ass numerous times before. He had always warned her that her mouth would get her into trouble someday, one that he reckoned was fast approaching. "I am going to pretend you didn't ask that," his frown deepened and it was then that Jessica realized that the man she had come to accept as a brother she never had was in deed, furious. "—do you have any idea of what could have happened, Simmons?"
He stopped abruptly, rounding on her with a look of absolute rage flashing across his eyes. "You could have died, never mind the fact that you almost crashed an F-22. This isn't a playground, Jess. Stop acting like a little kid in candy land. I'm out," his words cut through her like a hot knife sliding against butter, making the woman truly realize that she had screwed up big time. "—because this time, I am not saving your ass again. I don't know what Colonel Sharp has in mind, but he is not happy. So I suggest you get moving, is that understood?"
Had it not been for the utter look of seriousness on his face, Jessica Simmons would have burst into fits of giggles but considering that his authoritative tone made her jump into action, the woman snapped to attention and nodded. "Sir, yes, sir!"
Her shoulder slumped once Grant was out of sight, her mind in shambles as she tried to recompose herself. She had never seen the man look so angry in his life—he was usually so calm, cool and collected, which made her feel guilty even more.
But once again, she did not regret what she did—though she could have asked for permission before taking the F-22 for an unrestricted flight test.
Too late for that now. Ignoring the blatant looks sent her way, Jessica Simmons slowly made her way towards the air control tower with one objective in mind.
Confrontations was the one of the many things that the young woman hated, considering that it always ended up with someone leaving with a bloodied nose or a verbal warning on her part.
It had been months since her last slip up and for a second, the thought crossed her mind that this time, it would be her last anything. "Screwed up again?"
Fingers gripping the door handle, the young woman mentally rolled her eyes before turning towards the voice which had addressed her, a teasing smile forming on her lips. "Well someone has to, Captain Lennox."
William "Wild Bill" Lennox was one of those few men which she held a great amount of respect for. Because out of all the people who had little faith in her capabilities, he and Grant were the only ones who cheered her on, who believed in her when no one else did.
And for that, she would forever be grateful for. "What did you do this—?" A simple shake of her head had silenced the question running through his mind and Jessica was grateful once more that he said no more on the subject, besides knowing that news traveled fast—it wouldn't take long for the man to discover what she had done.
Hopefully he wouldn't bite her head off like Grant almost had. Because that would be another confrontation she was in no means looking forward to.
"Send my regards to Sarah." Not giving him enough time to respond, Jessica Simmons opened the door with a sense of dread settling in the pits of her stomach before easing herself into the building. "Let's get this over with."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't strip you from your rank and have you wash the floors for the next eight years, Captain Simmons?" It shouldn't have surprised her that the man would jump straight into the fire but considering that the man didn't allow any bullshit, Jessica mentally prepared herself with a speech that would no doubt change his mind. "No bullshit, is that understood?"
Deflated, her shoulders slumped. "Yes, sir. With all due respect, I understand that what I did was reckless and out of line but—." Her words died down the second she saw the familiar emotion flash across his eyes—the same disappointment Grant had given her minutes ago.
Knowing that there was no valuable excuse for what she did, she knew that the consequences that would follow upon her actions would not be to her liking.
Do you regret it now, Simmons? Not that it would help her situation in the least, as regrets always came a tad too late. Would she be discharged or stripped from her rank? "Captain Simmons," Sharp snapped in a firm tone, his attention focused elsewhere. "—we will talk about this later. Don't think your off the hooks."
Frowning in utter confusion, the woman was about to call the man out before she finally registered the reason behind his dismissal. "Colonel Sharp, we have an inbound unidentified infiltrator, 10 miles out."
Because at the shudder running down her spine, Jessica Simmons knew without a doubt that shit was about to go FUBAR. And whether she liked it or not, this time there was no running.
Author Note: I feel so much better after reading through this new idea of mine, something that I've spent seven hours writing, hoping that it would come out perfect, which it did in my opinion. I am in no means up to standard with how the military works so if I got anything wrong, please inform me and I'll fix my mistakes. I am feeling quite pleased with this, so I might have the next chapter up and running by tomorrow or at the latest, Thursday.
I hope that you guys liked this and don't worry, Jessica won't be getting off easy for the stunt she pulled. But we will get to that later. Please leave a review, if you have the time because I would really like to know whether I should go forth with this idea or not.
But thank you for reading.
Love,
J.