I'm going to leave an official Author's Note for the end of the chapter, so this here is just a standard disclaimer and rating explanation, plus a small advisory. It's a long chapter, so if anyone takes the time to read this I figure it'd be beneficial to just let you jump into the story as soon as possible. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers in any way, shape or form. Hasbro owns Transfromers. This is strictly fanfiction, and is done for fun, learning and creative purposes only. This Disclaimer applies to the entirety of this story. The only thing I own are my OC's and perhaps, just barely, any plot lines in this story which do not pertain to any pre-existing Transformers plots from any of the multiple universes.

Rating: This story has a current rating of Teen+ for violence, potentially graphic scenes, potential language and possible sexual references. Rating is likely to go up to Mature later on in the story (way later).

Anything I consider extreme or offensive will still be outlined at the beginning of the chapter in the form of an Advisory for reader's discretion.

Advisory: There is a small section in this chapter pertaining to the military that may offend some readers. The scene is not a reflection of my own views or opinions, but rather a necessary conflict within my OC.

~Chapter One~

The Death of a Good Life

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Everything was peaceful in one lone room of the maternity ward. The soft beeping of medical equipment droned on, keeping a steady rhythm with the heart of the exhausted woman they closely monitored.

The woman sighed, content as she peered beyond her sweat coated brown locks to the quiet bundle that lay securely in her arms atop her breast. She shifted slightly in the bed to get more comfortable and smiled to herself at the small whine her newborn girl gave in protest. She reached out and stroked her little girl's cheek affectionately, letting her know she was there and safe. The baby nuzzled back against her hand unconsciously.

The woman looked up towards the doorway as it opened, allowing a rather exuberant young boy entrance. A nurse trailed in behind him with a smile of her own as the eight year old ran in, jumping and settling onto the arm chair beside the bed with a wide grin.

"Hey Mom!" The boy greeted with enthusiasm, happy to finally see his mother again after many hours of waiting.

"Hey Will." The woman looked over at the nurse, who was busying herself currently checking the readings on the machines. "I hope you've been good for the nurses while I've been in here."

"Yup." Will said with a nod, popping the 'p'. He then looked his mother up and down with worry over her current, ragged state. He'd never seen her so worn. "Are you okay Mom? You look pretty roughed up."

The woman reached out and patted her son's check gently. "I'm fine. Just a little tired is all. Having a baby takes a lot of work and energy." She ruffled his golden brown hair playfully, causing the boy to laugh and shake his head away, smiling brightly.

The boy's eyes then fell towards the small bundle in her arms, and his bright smile was replaced with an intensely curious gaze. He tilted forward against the rail of the bed to get a better look. "And this is her? This is my new little sister?"

"Yes it is." His mother rocked the resting baby gently in her arms.

Will's next question was hesitant, yet it somehow still managed confidence rarely seen in one so young. "Can...Can I hold her?"

The mother looked up into her sons eyes, which were wide in honesty and pleading. Of course he didn't need to go to such lengths to ask for something so simple. He was responsible for an eight year old, and she trusted him. "Of course, sweetheart." She looked over towards the nurse, asking for assistance. She was too weak to sit up for now.

The nurse walked over and carefully took up the swaddled baby into her arms, shushing softly as the baby squirmed and started fussing lightly. Will sat straight and proper in the armchair, arms cradled as the nurse set the newborn in them slowly.

The baby stopped fussing and relaxed almost immediately. Will held his arms around her securely in slight fear of dropping her. He stared down at her with a mixture of awe and fascination for a moment. His brow crinkled in a frown as he noticed a strange spot upon the baby's chest, not quite covered by the blanket. The patch of skin, which was surprisingly geometric in shape, was much darker than the surrounding area.

"What's this mark on her chest, Mom?" He asked quizzically.

"It's called a birthmark. Some babies are born with them. It's not harmful though." His mother explained.

"It looks..." Will searched for the right word, but even the one he settled for didn't feel like it fit. "Weird."

"It's not weird, sweetheart." His mother scolded gently. "It's just unique. Like her. Like you."

That fit. Will smiled gently, practising with rocking the baby cautiously. The tiny bundle attempted to snuggle closer to his chest as a result. He felt a burst of joy at the motion, his heart tightening like it was being compressed by the very power of the emotion.

His mind was a hectic maze of questions at every turn. He wanted to blurt them all out, but instead he held them back. He saw how tired his mother was, and they could all wait till later, when they went home. However the one that swam at the forefront of his mind was one he just had to ask. "What are you going to name her?"

His mother hummed thoughtfully. "For her middle name I think I'm going to give her the name Elizabeth, after your grandmother. As for her first name..." Will looked up when his mother hesitated. Her eyes were calculating, weighing something and also seeking approval as Will waited patiently. "What do you think about 'Skylar'?"

Will couldn't say he knew anyone personally with that name. It certainly wasn't common or overused like the names carried by many of the other kids in his public school. Above all it was beautiful and unique...Just like she was. "I think it's perfect." He spoke with conviction.

His mother relaxed back against the bed in satisfaction with a tender curve to her lips as she watched her two beloved children.

Will grinned down at his sister and tested out her full name for himself. "Skylar Elizabeth Lennox." It flowed absolutely perfectly. It was the one for her, and he wouldn't let anyone tell him differently. He didn't think his mother would argue anyways.

Will felt a swell of appreciation and happiness unlike anything else he'd experienced before. He desperately wished his father were here right now to meet her, to share in this moment as a new member was added to their family. But his father could not return home for a while still...And Will knew he'd be away just as often. In light of that realization Will suddenly felt obliged to make a vow as the big brother he now was. One he was more than happy to keep.

"You listen here, little sister." Will whispered to her quietly and seriously. "I'm never gonna let anything happen to you. I'll always be there for you and I'll always protect you. I'm your big brother, it's my job. And I promise you we'll be closer than ever. You'll never feel alone as long as we're together."

At that moment the newborn's eyes opened for the first time, and Will marvelled at the innocence in them as they looked up at him so calmly and curiously.

They were a deep, soul-searching sky blue...

2O Years Later...

Fields of tall grass swayed gently in the warm breeze, creating a soft swishing sound that was soothing and pleasing to the senses. The blades lightly reflected the golden hue of the sun as it continued to warm the earth, making it's path slowly across the sky and towards the horizon as the afternoon drew on. Birds twittered and chirped lively in the trees surrounding the large expanse of land, composing a unique symphony of their own that was both beautiful and joyful.

I stood there calmly at the centre of it all, relishing in the feel of sun against my lightly tanned skin and taking in all of the peaceful scenery, allowing myself to relax after a long day of labour. The breeze picked up slightly, blowing strands of long golden brown hair into my face which I lazily swept away, tucking it behind my ears. A soft nicker drew my attention to the quarter horse that was ground-tied nearby, bay coat gleaming with health as he grazed calmly, peering at me every now and then with large brown eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I crouched down beside the silver pipeline that was part of the farms sprinkler system and gave the knob at one of the junctions a quick twist, allowing the water to flow back through and begin raining rejuvenating water down on the crop field. Satisfied with my work for the day, I wandered over to the bay. He raised his muzzle in interest, grass dangling from the corners as I walked up to him and patted his sleek neck.

"What do you think, ready to call it a day and get the hell out of here?" I laughed as the bay gave an eager bob of his head and nudged me, taking that as a yes and climbing into the saddle. With the rhythmic drumming of hooves the horse vaulted into a gallop back across the farmland towards the stables. It was a long trek back as we lopped across rolling hills, passing many large herds of cattle that mooed and snuffled nosily, and calves that bucked and spun in playful circles around their parents.

As the long red building came into view I caught the sight of a tall lanky old man with sparse grey hair waiting nearby who I immediately recognized as Jesse. He was my neighbour and friend, and for all intents and purposes my boss as well. This was his land, and I had been working as his farmhand almost every day for a few years now.

Jesse reached out and caught the reins as my horse came to a stop in front of him, allowing me to dismount swiftly with practised ease.

"I got the irrigation system back up and running," I informed him as he slowly lead the horse into the stables, me falling into step alongside. "The well pump stopped working, but it was easy enough to fix with the parts you had stored away. I also checked the entire system to make sure you don't have any more problems for a while."

"Thank you very much, Miss Skylar." Jesse spoke gratefully. "I know I've said this many times before, but you're an amazingly hard worker." We stopped in front of a stall door, where he tied the bay's lead up. He then turned to me, rummaged through his pockets, and held a small wad of bills out to me. I shifted a step back in uncertainty.

"What's that for?" I blinked down at the money in confusion.

"You did extra work today, you deserve a bit of a bonus."

I shook my head slowly. "I can't accept that. You don't have to pay me extra anything, okay? I did it out of kindness." Also because I actually wanted to. I enjoyed the work.

"Well then I'm doing this out of kindness too." The man thrust the bills in my direction insistently. When I still refused to budge he sighed and continued. "Look, with my sons working in the city and preparing to go back to college I've been really short on help around here. There's no telling how long it would have taken me to fix the water on my own. You're far more efficient at it then I am even with you not being born to a farming family. You've been working really hard over the past few years. You've earned this." He finished firmly. The stubborn set in his eyes let me know there wasn't a chance he was going to budge on the subject.

"Fine." I gave in, deflating slightly as I took the money. The man was too kind sometimes. "Thanks, Jesse." I smiled lightly, folding the money neatly into my pocket. When I stepped towards the horse to try and remove his tack, Jesse simply shook his head and waved me away.

"I'll take care of Ben here. You just head on home. I'm sure your dad is wondering where you are by now."

"Okay. Thanks again Jesse. Tell Tammy I said bye and I'll see you tomorrow." As I headed out the doors and down the gravel yard Jesse called after me.

"When are you planning on heading off to college, little missy?"

"When I'm ready." I called back over my shoulder, making my way down to the drive where my beloved antique car, a 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback was waiting. Its silver paint gleamed a pearly metallic in the afternoon light.

I opened the door and settled into the dark leather of the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition. The engine came to life with a mighty roar as I shifted and set off down the long driveway, turning onto the dirt road for the short trip home. Upbeat country music filled the cabin, lifting my mood as I smiled and stepped on the gas. The Mustang's engine responded with a pleasant roar as it racing down the country road at a quick pace, kicking ample amounts of dust up the sides as it charged forward.

In record time I was back home. I pulled into the short gravel driveway and put the Mustang in park outside the faded brown barn that served as my garage. Turning off the ignition, I took a moment to flip through the paper bills Jesse had given me, counting the amount. I shook my head slowly and gave a critical hum.

"'A bit of a bonus'. Yeah right." The man really was too generous sometimes. Especially for a farmer around here where every single dollar counted towards the yearly income.

Storing the money in the glove compartment for now, I exited the car and took a cursory look around the yard, setting my attention momentarily on the house. It was old, white paint all but stripped bare of the siding. The two story structure appeared to sag slightly in places, although not to the point anyone would need to be worried about it's stability.

None of this was surprising given it's age. My grandfather had grown up in this place, and it had been his for as long as I or probably even my father could have remembered. However since my grandfather had passed away a year ago, the property was now in my father's name.

It meant a lot to our family. This was the placed where I had lived ever since I was about a year old. I'd been home schooled here and developed an interest and eventual love of mechanics courtesy of my grandfather. My fondest memories were of playing alongside my much older and good-natured brother as we both grew up. Unfortunately with my brother's age difference that had come to an end what felt like a very long time ago.

I analyzed the house carefully. At this time of hour I would of thought there would have been lights on inside, but the house was dark. Looking around at every corner of the property and walking briefly behind it, the Dodge Ram was nowhere in sight. My father must have gone out somewhere for the day, and it could be a while still before he returned. It was a fair distance to the closest city, hence the need to be home schooled in the first place. There was nothing but farm country for large sections of land in this area of Colorado.

Walking up to onto the porch and vaulting open the front door, I bolted up the creaky wooden steps upstairs to my room and tore off my dirty cloths. I walked into the attached bathroom, hopping quickly into the shower and turning the water to warm. The extra heat loosened the tense muscles in my shoulders and back. I took several extra moments just standing in the spray, leaning against the wall in relief before I scrubbed the rest of the dirt off my skin and headed back out of the shower to dry off and grab a fresh set of clothes. I pulled on a pair of loose jeans and one of my many high collared sleeveless tops, perfect for hiding the unusual birthmark that inhabited the centre of my chest.

Feeling relaxed and fresh I trucked back downstairs and outside, jogging back towards the barn. The sky was a deepening blue, the sun already having descended below the horizon, causing the air to cool down by noticeable increments. I quickly slid open the barn doors and drove the Mustang through them into its designated stop in the centre of the spacious building. The floor of the barn was smooth concrete, and metal shelving units lined the walls, littered with various tools and car parts smeared with grease. There was a hardwood workbench lining the right side wall with a few small tool draws and an old dusty stereo.

Feeling restless and with a need to keep myself busy I approached the workbench, sitting down in a chair and turning the radio on. I pulled a broken alternator towards me and began tinkering with it, relishing the feel of cool metal in my hands. With the car junkyard/graveyard out back behind the property there was no shortage of thinks to work on, whether it be just for fun or reselling the rarer parts for money.

After a short while my body stiffened when the sound of a vehicle alerted me that someone was pulling up into the driveway behind me, but relaxed immediately when I recognized the engine of the Dodge. I paused in my working and listened carefully over the music, then proceeded to turn off the radio and twist around to face the entryway as the sound of footsteps drifted towards me.

The low light radiating from the barn cast the figure out of it's silhouette as my father, Navy Captain Thomas Lennox walked in. He stopped and stood at the threshold of the barn with his hands clasped behind his back, clad in a casual army green t-shirt and dark blue jeans with short brown hair that was starting to grow out from his normal military crew cut.

"Good evening Dad." I greeted politely, cautiously noting his demeanour revealed in his stance was more serious than normal when around me. "Where'd you go so late?"

"I just needed to go into town for a simple errand." I raised an eyebrow a fraction at the unusually vague answer. He continued on without elaborating. "So how was work today?"

"Good. Jesse's irrigation system broke down, so I offered to fix it for him. I actually just got back about an hour ago." I watched carefully as my Dad took a quick glance outside at the now dark horizon, before turning back to me with a concerned look.

"Did you eat anything when you got back?"

"Yes, Dad. Of course." His eyes narrowed with the slightest hint of suspicion, regarding me carefully. In all honesty I hadn't even though about it when I had gone into the house, but with my level of exhaustion there was simply no mustering an appetite. My father probably knew I had lied too, but I wouldn't cave and tell him. He had seemed overly fussy with me lately, and lying was simply the best alternative to not getting lectured. Finally his eyes decided to settle on the engine part closest to me.

"So you've spent all day arms in pumps and metal pipes, and you come home to work some more?" He questioned me with mild bemusement, trying to comprehend the logic behind it.

"What can I say? I like working with cars and keeping busy. You should stop being so surprised by this. Will was never this hard on me about it," I stated matter-of-factly, a faint smile playing on my lips. It quickly morphed into an irritated frown as I recalled something. "Though he did have his rare moments".

"Yeah, I think I recall him jokingly referring to you as his little bro every once in a while. I suppose seeing that you were turning out to be an even bigger 'grease monkey' than he ever would, he saw it as a perfect excuse to tease you about your slew of unfeminine interests on occasion." He looked down at the ground with a slight scowl. "Maybe if you'd had a mother growing up you'd have learned to act more like a lady." I stilled in my seat. I was in truth mildly offended, seeing as I had no interest in acting as more of a 'lady', but that's not what made me uncomfortable the most.

My mother had left the family when I was barely a year old. My brother Will and I had been brought here and left in the care of our grandfather while our father was away on rotation, then she'd disappeared into the night. Our father had gotten information about her whereabouts a few years later only to find that she'd died of an incurable illness. He and Will had both come to the assumption that she had gotten tired of being wife to a husband who rarely ever came home, and that was why she had left. It had hit them both the worst, since I had never been old enough to truly know her. Sometimes that still didn't quell the pain of not getting the chance though. I heaved a sigh and decided to change the subject.

"What was it you came to see me for? You look like you're hiding something." I got straight to the point. My father stood still a moment, eyeing me cautiously before taking his arms out from behind his back and revealing a large beige folder with a very distinct insignia I knew all too well stamped on the front. It was exactly as I had feared. Yet another military recruitment application.

Please not another one of these talks again.

"No." I stated firmly, and admittedly a little bit sharper than intended. I was just so tired of constantly having this argument with him. Did he not know when to give up?

"It would only be for a few years minimum," He quickly went on the defence, raising his hands as if to say, 'don't shoot'. "You'd get to travel and see different parts of the world while you're young and get some honest job experience and better pay than the farm. I'd like to see you go out into the world soon before I have to return to duty. I don't want you living here alone."

"I'm not a child anymore, Dad. I don't need you here to take care of me, I can do that myself. Besides, I already have a job." I pointed out, trying to restrain the exasperated tone that was just itching to make it's way into my voice. "And I'm going to continue doing that job until I have enough money to go to college for mechanical engineering, like I've planned." I turned back towards my workbench so I could hide my face as I rolled my eyes and frowned.

"Well I don't see you going off to college like you've been saying you are."

"I still need to save up a bit more." I tried my hardest to keep my voice and posture relaxed, or else he'd begin to question it. "Besides, the military is too risky. I'd rather not get killed in action before I've even lived my 'young' life." I recited the overused excuse that I knew would never work. To hell with it, in desperate times like this everything was worth a try.

"It's not as awful as you make it out to be. Besides, I have strong ties in the military ranks, and with your brother being promoted to Major I can imagine he does as well." He attempted to reassure me. It wasn't going to work. "I bet we could even get you posted with him so you two could spend some time together. He would look out for you."

"That's not a guarantee." Hadn't Will been put in charge of a top secret military base? I didn't believe for a second that I would be given access to be stationed there just because both of them had ties and could pull a few strings.

"Why are you always being so difficult about this?" I started in surprise as his voice twisted in genuine confusion, and maybe even a bit of hurt? "We are a military family, and you've shown more potential than most soldiers I've encountered in my entire career. Yet every time I try to talk to you about it you shoot it down like there's a nuclear bomb attached to it! Are you ashamed of what our family has done?"

"Let me just ask you this," I turned back to him, keeping my face cool and emotionless as I waited for his gesture to proceed. When he did I spoke out five simple words. "What am I fighting for?"

It was a simple enough question, but my father froze, momentarily stunned. From the looks of it he definitely hadn't been expecting it. It didn't last long though, as he had gathered his resolve back in mere seconds like a good Captain should. To my immediate fright though he also went into what I called 'Military Mode'. His expression because stern and he stood up straighter, tall and proud. Nothing good would come of this, at least not for me.

"For your country."

"Not good enough." I retaliated, my voice coming out just as strong and oddly steely, a very rare thing for me. It alarmed me, and deep down I began to wonder if the reason behind it was that I was finally starting to lose patience with all of this. I felt like a cornered animal, hackles raised in warning.

"What more reason could you need? You should carry pride in your country and see pride in defending it and it's people." He scolded me, as if I was one of his soldiers to give a lecture about patriotism.

"Defend from what? It's not like there's a war on our soils." My voice rose up a pitch higher than normal in incredulity and exasperation.

The oddest look passed across my father's face, just for a second. It immediately caught my uttermost curiosity. Considering my last words carefully, it seemed almost as if he knew something that I didn't...which, given his rank, was entirely possible.

"There's always a need for soldiers." My father continued as if nothing unusual had happened. "There's the issues in the middle east, our mission in Afghanistan. I'm certain the military would have great use for your skill set wherever you decide to go."

I decided to make up another excuse in defence, but one that I also believed to be true.

"There's many more that could easily fill such positions. I'm not needed, and there's hardly anything one person can do, especially me."

My father paused for a moment, scowling at me in frustration and trying to decide his next angle of attack in what I saw as his fruitless attempts to convince me. I grew wary when he suddenly froze all together. I caught his look as something finally clicked while he stared blankly with dawning realization. When he turned his eyes directly back to mine, I felt a sense of foreboding at the entirely too serious and penetrating gaze.

"You're just afraid. Afraid that for the first time in your life you could actually leave this simple life, your safe haven, to go out and face an unknown. I should have seen this far sooner." He chided himself quietly as he began pacing back and forth in the entryway. "You've grown too content and sheltered with where you are and what you have after all these years. I should have never let you stay under my roof for this long!"

As his last words registered a quick flash of burning pain raced through my veins, searing as it went, before something inside me finally snapped. In that instant all that hurt, frustration at him and myself and all the achings of the past turned into rage. All pretence of patience failed. Before I knew what I was doing I'd jumped up abruptly from my seat and got right up in his face.

"I am not afraid!" I shouted defiantly at him, glaring with fire in my eyes at the man who was supposed to have been there for me my whole life, but wasn't. "However I am angry that you would try forcing me with your ideals, your opinions," He tried to cut me off there, but I wasn't done. "And managed to coerce my brother into it and away from me!" My brother, who had gone to join the military as well when I was still so young. "I am outraged that you would choose not to respect my own choices and my own path I want to take in life. But most of all, I am appalled that my own father would want to get rid of me so readily. As if I was nothing to him, as if family meant nothing!" I drew back sharply and paced away as Thomas stood stock still, the pale ghost of shock and hurt threatening to break the edges of his weary mask.

"I didn't mean it like that," He spoke slowly, voice tense and edging on the verge of choked as he battled for control of the situation. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he tried to speak up once again. "I just want what's best for you, and I don't believe that you staying here like this is doing you any -"

"No, I don't want to hear it. It's my responsibility to decide what's best for me, not you." I snarled coldly. "After all those years as a soldier you can't possibly understand that and respect how I feel." My next words felt final, like hammering the last nail into a coffin. "Soldiers are nothing but cold, heartless and detached… Just like you."

I whipped around to face the back of the barn, but too late to avoid witnessing the agony that I had caused as my father's face shattered before he stormed outside and back towards the house, leaving me all alone.

I was trembling violently, the rage like fire in my veins. But as the seconds ticked by the heat died down, leaving me feeling hollow but for a brief moment. Then the consequences of what I'd said set in. The regret set in, and the grief floored me. My eyes pricked with tears, and feeling unnaturally weak I collapsed on my knees to the ground.

In all my life I'd never, ever lost my temper like that. I couldn't remember a single moment where I had spoken something so cruel and unforgiving, or been unnecessarily harsh. Where had all that come from?

I just laid upon my knees for what seemed like an eternity struggling to understand if I even believed in my own words, or if they had just been the product of adrenaline and fury. The intense bout of emotions left me feeling completely drained, helpless and lost, unknowing of what to do next.

My watery eyes drifted back towards the barn opening to the cold darkness, the stars and full moon bringing their own light to the night sky. The chilly evening air rushed in, a refreshing shock to the senses that helped give me the strength to stand back up only to sag back down in the chair beside my workdesk.

I can't keep doing this.

The truth presented itself to me without prompt. I saw some honesty in my father's earlier words, but I hadn't been lying when I screamed that I wasn't afraid. Maybe wary, but never afraid, not of that. There were other things at work here, things I'd never talked about with anyone else. But who could I talk to that would understand the dilemmas I was facing. There was no one here who I felt I could open up to, as much as it pained me to think that way. There was no one here that I felt I could confide in. Not anymore.

For the first time in my life I felt the strong desire to run, to go far away from here and to not look back. At this moment it didn't seem like such a bad idea, because one thing I was certain of was that I could not go back in there after what had transpired, had not the courage to face my father. I had to do something, I just couldn't stay here anymore...My time here had obviously come to an end.

As I sat there thinking about where I could possibly go I gave pause to the horrid feeling that something was off. Terribly off. The air felt as if it were trembling, vibrating, and the hairs on my arms stood on end. The barn began to visibly shake as I snapped to my feet in alarm. With my first coherent thought landing on earthquake I made to run outside, in the open and away from anything that could possibly fall and injure me. I didn't trust the old wooden structure of the barn.

A massive shock and subsonic boom resounded across the countryside, so strong it stopped me dead in my tracks and threw me hard against the ground. My ears rang unpleasantly, aching and just barely picking up my own yelp as some minor pieces of timber and dust came loose from the rafters and rained down around me. Coughing as my stomach rolled with nausea, I struggled for my footing and stumbled outside to see what could have possibly caused such an enormous impact.

After a quick, frantic look around I spotted it. About 100 yards behind the barn, in the middle of the field was a ginormous, smouldering crater. Flames licked around the perimeter of the disturbed terrain and a patch of trees that I recalled should have be in that area were gone, completely incinerated by the blast.

Okay... What are the chances of a meteor landing in my own backyard?, I though incredulously as I looked upon the wreckage carefully. It was probably one in a billion or trillion. My curiosity began to get the better of my rational side as I took a few hesitant steps toward the area. The ringing in my ears was starting to tone down a bit, if the sound of crackling fire was anything to go by.

So when strange metallic clinking started emitting from the crater, I froze in my approach and wisely began to backpedal as quickly as possible, seeking cover at the corner of the barn and assuming I would be safe there.

That is until a large imposing figure rose up from the ashes and smoke. My heart and body stood still, paralysed with unadulterated fear as I swallowed thickly, trying desperately not to scream as one simple denial replayed itself a million times over in my mind.

It can't be...

NEST Base Headquarters, Location: Classified

Sand and gravel crunched softly under black boots as Major William Lennox trod slowly across the desolate island in the early morning light, admiring the tropical vegetation and small critters that lined the path. The shadows under his eyes served as proof of his lack of sleep that night and the stress that came with being commanding officer of the secret base know as Diego Garcia.

As the Major came around a corner of the thin island path to a clearing, he glanced up and analyzed the large grey dish-like structure in the middle that he'd been informed was now operational. It was an advanced communications array that could detect and send signals to and from space, as well as aiding in picking up anomalous signatures along the earth's surface that could be a sign of trouble. It was the first of it's make, systems improved with tech that wasn't even from this planet.

It had been a year since the battle of Mission City, where he'd first met the alien race that was divided into two factions; the Autobots and the Decepticons. It had been the most eventful day of his life, and that was putting it lightly. A lot of lives had been lost, and a large section of the city was still completely out of commission from all the damages. There had been a lot of political and military issues to sort out after it all went down, but now things seemed to finally be looking up for the better.

With NEST created in the aftermath and the Autobots allied beside them, his soldiers were starting to pull things together to help defend the world against the ever present threat of the Decepticons. Among gaining the benefits of having the Autobots by their side to aid them in battle, they had also shared some of their technology with them, ranging for communications to medical advancements.

Anything related to Weapons Tech had been denied by the Autobots of course. Though some part of Will was disappointed by the fact, only desiring better ways to protect the Earth's citizens, he didn't argue against it. He saw the Autobot's side of it and knew what would happen if any alien weapons fell into humankind's hands.

He knew what his own race was capable of. Any advanced weaponry they attained would eventually be used against themselves in the not too distant future. History had more than enough proof in it to support that fact. The world was better off in the end, and after a year they were already showing that NEST could hold their own without it. The smaller things counted, and the new communications and detection systems alone were surely going to benefit all of them a lot in hunting the Decepticons and eliminating them from the planet for good.

With things going well and stabling out after the formation of NEST, Will was finally able to think about going on vacation and seeing his family. He missed his little daughter Annabelle and his wife Sarah something fierce, and a few weeks off could do them all some good. He'd already talked about it with his teammate Epps. With no new recruits coming in for a while and the Decepticon activity at an all time low, he felt comfortable taking a much needed break while Epps and Graham took care of things here.

He also thought about taking extra time to visit his original home in Colorado. Granted, he hadn't seen his wife and daughter for a while, but it had been even longer since the last time he'd seen his father and sister. Between his wedding, being stationed in Quatar for a while and then the formation of NEST his life had been very busy the last few years, and it had grown hard to manage what little time he had off. He looked forward to seeing how they were both doing, and badgering Skylar for never being around to talk on the phone with him like he had with their father on a regular weekly basis.

Will was torn from his train of thought when a vehicle announced it's presence behind him, engine rumbling deeply and tires crunching slowly along the road. Turing around, he spotted a well known large black GMC Topkick coming down the path towards him. The Topkick slowed down to a stop beside him and opened the driver side door invitingly. A gruff male voice rose from the interiors speakers.

"General Morshower has a private video call waiting for you." Ironhide informed his charge. Will frowned quickly in surprise. He hadn't been expecting a call today. Shaking the questions for just a second he took the few steps over to his Guardian and vaulted himself up the side and into the safety of the large cabin. The door closed firmly behind him as Ironhide did a rather skilled U-turn in the tight space and took off back up the island path towards the main part of the base.

"I wasn't expecting a contact from him today. Did the General say what he wanted?" Will questioned, brows scrunching together in confusion. He leaned back into the seat, immediately trying to sort through any and all reasons that the General would need to speak with him. The obvious reason presented itself, but those problems weren't discussed over private video conferences.

"No one said, I'm afraid. Just that he needs to speak with you alone." Ironhide rolled across the tarmac and into the communications hanger, circling around the large central platform to turn down a separate hallway. "Maybe the Pentagon has caught wind of some unusual Decepticon activity?" Ironhide offered lightly, but just by the sounds of his voice, his Guardian knew as well that it wasn't likely. He was most definitely just wishfully thinking some Cons had shown themselves so he could go hunting and using his cannons. The poor mech had been going stir crazy the past few months with so little action to look forward to.

"Attacks are always announced to all of NEST, they are never done privately." Will said absently. If there was Decepticon activity, that's exactly what the JCS would have done. Why the need for secrecy with him? "Maybe it's just some more political crap."

When Ironhide came to a stop in front of one of the smaller meeting rooms Will jumped down from the cabin and headed towards the door. Before he entered the room he turned back towards the Topkick. "In the case that it's anything serious, could you stick close by until I come out?"

"Of course." Ironhide rumbled reassuredly, making a show of chilling out by relaxing his axles and sinking lower on his tires.

"Thanks." Will smiled slightly as he opened to door and stepped into the dimly lit room. There was a small oval table in the centre of the room, and a big flat screen at the other end mounted on the wall. He walked over to stand in front of it, took a deep and accepted the call on the touch screen with a straight and respectful stance. General Morshower's face immediately appeared.

"Good Morning Major Lennox." The General greeted respectfully from his desk at the pentagon.

"Same to you, General Morshower, sir." Will saluted.

"At ease Major." The General requested lightly.

Will relaxed his posture immediatly, deciding to get straight down to business. "With all due respect sir, what is it you needed to speak with me about on such short notice?" Will watched, internally alarmed, as a grave look passed over the Generals face. He'd seen that look upon the face of many men, and felt it on his own. It was the look that signalled some terrible news they wished they didn't have to divulge.

"There's been a Decepticon attack."

Will didn't like the vagueness and hesitance of the General's declaration. He didn't like it at all. An impeding sense of dread washed over him as he stared back at the screen that now had his full attention, shoulders tense and heartbeat racing.

"Where did they hit?" The General stared back, and Will didn't miss the expression of sadness pass over his weary face. "General, where did they hit?" He demanded more firmly, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice against his will. He mentally braced himself for whatever was to come as the General took a deep breath and the words left his mouth.

"Your family in Colorado."

Authors Note: Okay, so first off, I hope anyone who reads this enjoyed the pilot chapter for this story. I don't expect it to be terribly exciting, but I worked extremely hard with several renditions to find what felt like the right beginning, so I hope it paid off. Please let me know if it did.

This is my first time posting fanfiction. I did work on a original story once but it's been years since I've touched creative writing outside of mandatory school work. I consider this story my baby, my first step towards getting back into the writing scene. I'm probably quite rusty, and I am definitely struggling with finding the writing style that suits me now, so any constructive criticism on this story would be immensely helpful. Also it would b nice if you guys could point out any mistakes I may have made.

I have posted this story sooner than I intended, but I did it in hopes that having the story out there would motivate me to continue on with it at a faster rate than I had been previously. I will say right now that I hate it when stories get abandoned, so I will never abandon this one now that it's begun posting (another plan to increase writing motivation).

Because I posted it sooner than intended updates will likely be slow at first. Good news is I do have at least four other full chapters on standby now and in need of final editing, so it shouldn't be too long till I release one of them. After I write up more chapters the postings will go on a schedule, probably weekly or biweekly on Fridays. I'll let any readers know when.

Oh, and sorry for the double cliffhanger :)

Date posted: August 11th, 2015