DECISIONS - Chapter 2

Elita-1 twitched slightly in her sleep and Optimus Prime tightened his arms around her waist. I can't tell her! he thought, staring down at her slumbering physique resting against his own. Why didn't I say it back at the command centre; after this... how can I say it. I couldn't do it before so how can I do it now . On the roof of the command centre they had become engrossed in each other, finally ending up back in his quarters. Their interface had been incredible, almost savage, heightened by the intense emotions from their 'discussion'.

Elita moved once more than switched on her optics, slowly becoming conscious. Optimus envied her, he hadn't slept at all. Her hand slipped up to his bare face and her fingertip ran along his jaw.

"Morning," she whispered, a quiet smile upon her lips.

Optimus forced himself to smile back at her, No, stop it! Tell her now! . Abruptly he sat up and rolled out of the recharge bed.

"Elita, about last night," he started. Primus, that sounded stupid! Mentally he shook his head. "No, I mean what we were discussing. I've made my decision, I'm going to send you away."

Silence. He lifted his gaze from the floor to look at her. Her mouth was open, body frozen in shock, optics wide.

"What...?" she said emptily, one hand clenching into his vacant pillow.

"I can't let you stay here. Nowhere on Cybertron. I'm going to send you to a friend on.."

"NO!" she exploded out of the bed and stood to face him across it. "No! I won't let you do this!"

He moved quickly around the bed to take hold of her and stop her from screaming abuse at him. Normally she was levelheaded and logical, but when it came to their relationship she always surprised him; he was learning about her constantly.

"Now you listen to me for once," he began calmly but forcefully, looking directly down into her optics, "You will not stay here, soon I am launching the first of many major offensives against the Decepticons and I won't have you caught up in it! You are leaving and I am going to offer to the other femmes that they go with you as well."

Elita had such a look of rage on her face that it made Optimus shudder.

"You sexist, chauvinistic, son of a.."

"You're leaving tomorrow morning, take today to finish any outstanding duties or commitments. Elita, if you won't go.."

"Damn right!!!"

He continued, "I will remove you of any rank and entitlements, and confine your movements to within this base only."

Now the look on her face was blank, she had not thought he would go quite that far. Well if he could play dirty so could she. For now I'll go along with him, I will use today to get organised but not for what he thinks I should be doing it for . Keeping her face carefully neutral she said the words Optimus wanted to hear.

"Alright, I'll go. If it means so much to you and is what it takes to keep us together." Liar! she told herself, keep us together? I'm not so sure about that anymore... . Inside she was seething, furious at what he saw fit to do with her life. The look of obvious relief on his face at what he took to be her 'giving in' almost made her reconsider her plans; almost.

Optimus was puzzled; and relieved. She definitely did not want to go, but she had agreed to. She also had definitely been quite 'pissed off', but she had literally in a microsecond become submissive and calm. That was not normal. So, just what was going on? He considered this while watching some of his new recruits at their target practice, standing with his arms crossed in the viewing room above the holosimulator. Below, Ironhide was steadying the targeting aim of a young male, showing him how to sight along the silhouette of the rifle and support it correctly with both hands to shoot straight.

The room was reverberating with the sounds of simulated laser fire, although the shots from the guns were not real they were virtual enough to cause a drone to self destruct when hit. To the left of Ironhide, one of the soldiers had just finished his run, he was watching Ironhide's demonstration and waiting for further target orders. Optimus regarded the soldier with interest, thankful for any distraction from Elita in his thoughts, He has potential that one. Whats his name..? Magnus. Ultra Magnus. He barely needs to be taught anything, everything is perfect the first time and he seems to know how to handle any given situation. He has it all, except confidence in his own abilities. But how is that different from any of us?

The practise session continued on, but Optimus left to attend to other duties. On his way to the flight hanger to check on the progress of his flight officers, he passed the small recreation room of the femmes and could hear a lot of conversation coming from within. He slowed his steps to catch a few bits of gossip. Before he could catch anything of interest, Moonracer excited the room and almost ran into him.

"Oh! Slag...uh, sorry, uh..sir." she managed to get out, while planting one hand against the wall to maintain her balance.

Optimus stepped back to give her space and gestured with one hand for her to continue.

"Its alright Moonracer, I was in your way, not vice-versa."

Moonracer looked hesitant for a moment then simply nodded, gave a small smile and moved on down the corridor. He watched her go.

"Anything the matter, or just the usual?"

Optimus turned to face Chromia, feeling guilt write itself all over his half-hidden face. He knew what she was referring to. Chromia was leaning against the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her, the light from the rec room back lighting her curved form. For some reason Chromia was the only femme who he really counted as a friend, besides Elita. She was always willing to talk and converse with him, he could bring any problem to her and she always knew what to say. Before he could get any words out, Chromia had grasped his arm and was taking him down the corridor.

"C'mon, lets go somewhere away from prying audios' so you can spill it. I've heard Elita's version, now I want to hear yours."

Far from Optimus 'counselling session', Elita was busying herself in her quarters, typing commands into her PC, looking for something which was for the moment eluding her. She was calling up batches of architect plans, scrolling through them then scowling and dumping it when it did not quite match her requirements. At last, she found one which matched her desires and sighed with relief, It isn't perfect, but it'll do. .

"You can change your decision any time you want, y'know. Just open your mouth and take it back."

Chromia watched Optimus listen to her advice, not sure that it was really sinking in. They had found a vacant storeroom to talk in private; he sat upon a packed crate while she perched upon a disused table and swung her legs back and forth.

He stared at the floor, "I can't, won't, let her stay. She is going, that's it."

Chromia clenched her jaw, Primus, he could be such a ...blind moron sometimes.

She directed her optics firmly into his, "Is this a, dare I say it, ' female thing ' ? Because to me it looks damned like it. You're commanding her to leave, but only asking the rest of us if we would like to go too. You do realise that she could side-step your command authority by simply resigning from the army. Then it would come down to what she wanted to do, not you."

Optimus jerked his head up to stare at her, "What?!!" , Resign, he had merely thought of reducing her rank, it had never occurred to him that she could leave altogether. Was that why she had gone all strange? Was she resigning? But to do what?! .

Chromia half smiled, "Mmn, hm. Didn't think of that did you."

"Uh, thanks, I've got to go, ..now," he jumped down off the crate and raced out the door to find Elita. Chromia slowly slid off the table and stood up, wondering whether she had told him too much, feeling squeezed between her two friends conflict.

TBC in Chapter 3 - coming soon.