JML Ranch: Howdy folks! Here's the new story I promised I would upload!
Gunstorm Prime: Finally! I was wondering when you would get around to uploading this story!
JML Ranch: Oh grow up, you oversized sparkling! Just kidding.
Gunstorm: Not cool. -_-
JML Ranch: ANYWAYS... In this story, I am introducing a whole new cast of TFP OCs! Gunny here is only one of them. If y'all want to find out how many I have in here, y'all have to read on! :D
[Cybertronian speech]
"Normal speech"
~Bond~
It was quiet on the ship as she piloted it through space. The femme was relishing the silence as much as she could because she knew it was going to end sooner or later. Setting the controls to autopilot, she decided to take a brief recharge. She had just drifted into a deep recharge when a loud gunshot rang out through the air, followed by the sounds of metal hitting metal and swearing.
[Well, guess naptime's over now,] she sighed, disappointed that she wasn't going to get as much recharge as she would have liked. Standing up from her seat and stretching, she left the bridge. She knew from prior experience that she should check out the training room first. Arriving outside the door, she paused a moment, listening to see if the sounds were away from the door. When she didn't hear the sounds near the door, she entered the room.
Two femmes were in the middle of the room exchanging blows with each other. One was sandy tan in color, and had a cannon on each servo. The other femme was mostly white with green and red (Same as Wheeljack's, but with green and red switched.) and had katanas in both hands.
[Okay folks, that's enough!] The first femme berated, tired of having to deal with the fighting.
[But Windjack started it!] The sandy femme hissed.
[I did not. You got upset that I beat you fair and square in the sparring match you challenged me to,] Windjack, the third femme, replied.
[I thought that was what happened. Lookout, you know better than to start a fight over something so trivial,] the first femme said.
[But Gunny…] Lookout began but was cut short.
[Don't 'but Gunny' me. You will be watching the monitors during your usual shift and the following shift until I think you've learned your lesson. Understood?]
[Yes, ma'am. I shouldn't have gotten so upset over being beat fair and square. Sorry about that, Windjack.]
[Apology accepted. You have a wicked right cross, that's for sure,] Windjack grinned at Lookout.
[I'll be going now. See you later, Prime,] Lookout left the training room, heading to her quarters.
[I guess I'll go pay a visit to Oceania. See you in a while, Gunstorm.]
[See you later, Windjack. I'll be on the bridge if you need me,] Gunstorm "Gunny" Prime replied, walking back the way she had come.
She sat back down in the same seat she had been sitting in earlier, letting out a weary vent. Some things never change, she thought to herself, smiling and shaking her helm slightly. After checking the course they were on, she started to think back to when she had met some of her teammates.
**Flashbacks begin**
Gunstorm (who wasn't a Prime at the time) was headed to one of the offices in the medical clinic, having been called in for a check up. She arrived at the door and knocked.
[Door's open,] came a gruff voice from the other side. Opening the door, Gunstorm entered the room. A white-and-red mech and two femmes- one light blue and black with some grey; the other mostly silver with some black- were in the room.
[Hello Ratchet, how are you?] Gunstorm asked the mech.
[Tired and cranky, but otherwise I'm fine. And yourself?] Ratchet replied with a kind tone he rarely used.
[A bit tired. Where did the silver femme go?] Gunstorm noticed that the young femme had disappeared. Feeling a soft touch on her foreservo, she looked down next to her. No one was there.
[Camo! Don't do that to others, you know better!] The older femme seemed to glare at something. The air shimmered slightly, and then the silver-and-black femme appeared next to Gunstorm. She looked up at Gunstorm sheepishly.
[Sorry about that. The last few times she did that, their processors glitched,] the older femme apologized. [I'm Oceania, and the vanishing one is my adopted daughter Camouflage.]
[It's alright. I find it a bit amusing that she did that. My name- pardon me, designation- is Gunstorm,] Gunstorm replied.
[Interesting designation. May I ask how you ended up with it?]
[I have a… tendency to shoot up a storm every time I get nervous,] Gunstorm rubbed the back of her helm sheepishly.
[I'm assuming you get nervous easily?]
[Fairly. Which means it happens more often than I like.]
[Understandable. Why don't you sit down on the examination berth behind you, and I'll get started with your check up.]
Gunstorm sat down, swinging her stabilizing servos up onto the berth. She looked around the room, curious about what was in the room. Oceania was quietly gathering the necessary supplies, humming to herself softly.
[Gunstorm?] Camouflage came up to Gunstorm.
[What is it, little one?] She smiled gently.
[Can I ask you something?]
[Certainly.]
[What do you do?]
[I just started working here at this clinic, actually.]
[Cool! Ratchet said something earlier about somebody new coming to help him out here at the clinic.]
[Oh? Did he say who it was?]
[I don't think so. Why do you ask?]
[I already know who it is.]
[Really? Can you tell me?]
[Really. And yes, I can tell you. Here's a hint: she's in this very room right at this cycle.]
Camouflage looked around the room, thinking. She knew it couldn't be her, Oceania, or Ratchet. Smiling, she looked up at Gunstorm.
[Is it you?]
[You're right,] Gunstorm smiled back.
**First flashback ends, new one begins**
It was cold, dark and damp in the prison cell where Gunstorm currently was. She had been held captive by the Decepticons for nearly half a vorn, and her hopes for recuse was starting to dwindle slowly. Autobots were dragged and shoved past her cell, headed to a chamber that no one ever came back from. Joor after joor, she sat on the cold floor, staring at the wall in front of her so she wouldn't have to watch the "death march".
One cycle, Gunstorm was staring at the wall when she heard shouting and gunfire. Decepticons were running past her cell door, seeming frightened by something. Curious, she crept up to the door and peered out through the bars. A group of femmes were making their way down the hall, smashing down the cell doors and freeing the occupants inside. Once the occupants were out of the cell, they ran in the direction the femmes had come from. She recognized the Autobot Wreckers symbol on one of the femmes.
[Hey, I need you to back up for a klik, alright?] A white femme with green and red stripes came up to the door. Gunstorm nodded, walking backwards until she hit the far wall. The femme put a small explosive in the lock of the door, and blew it out.
[Thanks. What's your designation?] Gunstorm walked out of the room.
[Windjack. You?]
[Gunstorm. Mind if I tag along with y'all? I know the layout of the place pretty well.]
[Got a weapon on ya?]
[Will this work?] Gunstorm transformed her left servo into an Energon Ion Fusion cannon.
[Pit yeah! Let's go kick some 'Con aft!] Windjack grinned at Gunstorm as they ran to catch up with the group.
**Second flashback ends, new one begins**
It was quiet at home, and Gunstorm was bored out of her processors. She had completed everything she needed to for the orn. It was a few orbital cycles after she had been made a Prime, and things had gotten pretty busy for her.
Looking at her left servo, she realized that she had not transformed it to see what kind of cannon was there since her upgrade. She couldn't remember the last time she had gone to the shooting range; it had been quite a while.
She decided to go to the range and see what she had for her new 'toy'. Stepping outside, she paused, turning to look at her house before she transformed into her semi truck alt. mode.
The house was simple, nothing really extravagant or ornate. Most of the high-ranking officers were living in what was the old upper-caste division, which meant the homes there were more than likely to be luxurious. When they had tried to get Gunstorm to live there, she politely declined stating that she would be rather content living in "a more traditional house than in the preposterous buildings that the previous residents called home." She felt that it was wrong to be handed expensive things instead of working for it, and that it shouldn't matter where she was supposed to live just simply because of her rank.
She drove to the range, feeling like she was a little kid at Christmastime. Upon arriving, she transformed back into her bipedal mode and walked to the counter.
[Good afternoon, miss. How may I help you today?] The range manager greeted her.
[Good afternoon to you as well sir. Are there any firing lanes currently unoccupied?]
[Yes. Your lane is number 6. How many guns or cannons are you firing today?]
[I have no idea. I recently got an upgrade, and I do not know how many I have now.]
[That's something I hardly see anymore. Used to see newly upgraded younglings out here all the time until this cursed war kicked up.]
[Maybe you'll get to see that again soon,] she smiled sadly at the mech.
[Perhaps,] he mused. [Good luck with your upgrade.]
[Thank you.]
Gunstorm made her way down to the range itself. As she passed by the lanes, various mechs of different sizes and colors were firing away. She spotted the lane she was assigned, and stood in the booth. Her bright navy blue visor dimmed slightly as she searched for the right mental connection that would bring her cannon online. Finding it, she triggered the transformation sequence.
Her left foreservo started to change, growing bigger in diameter and lengthening as the cannon began to take shape. Finally, after what felt like joors, the transformation was complete. She stared at the silver cannon, taken aback by the colossal size.
"That is the Star Cannon, young Prime," a voice whispered in her helm. She knew it was the Matrix of Wisdom speaking to her, and listened closely to what the Matrix had to say. "This cannon has only been spoken of in legends until now. The legend says that Solus Prime, the first femme prime and a member of the Original 13, created the Star Saber and the Star Cannon. Only two Star Sabers were ever created, and it was said that the Star Cannon was never completed. In reality, Solus decided that the Star Cannon would only be in the possession of a femme Prime. You are the second femme to hold the title of Prime, and as such, you have inherited the Star Cannon directly from Solus Prime herself. It is the most powerful cannon of all time, powerful enough to kill Unicron the Chaos Bringer."
"I'll warn you though-the cannon has a rather robust recoil. Your entire left servo is specifically designed to absorb the recoil. You have an extra heavy-duty hydraulic shock absorber in the upper servo, and instead of the flexible metal in the shoulder joint, you have specialized lining that is specifically designed to withstand the impact from the cannon."
When the Matrix finished speaking, Gunstorm looked downrange at the target. She raised her cannon, aiming it at the target. Hearing some metal click, she shifted her focus to her upper servo. The metal bands that made up the armor had changed so they would slide past each other. Looking back at the target, she re-aimed her cannon. It began to glow a soft navy blue in various places, whirring softly. The whirring slowly got louder and louder as the shot charged up. It wasn't shrill and high-pitched, but very deep and low in pitch (think of what a diesel engine sounds like with jake brake on). Fully charged now, the cannon was glowing a bright navy blue.
A gunshot rang out through the air; loud enough it would have awakened the dead. The target was completely gone, vaporizing upon impact. Gunstorm stared at the target, then her cannon, and back at the target. She could barely believe what she had just witnessed. While staring at where the old target had been, a new one took its place.
Grinning like a madman, she took her stance again, brought her cannon back up and fired. Just like the previous target, the new target was vaporized upon impact. Gunstorm continued to fire gleefully, taking a newfound delight in watching the targets vanish. After a few cycles, she stopped to take a break, certainly not accustomed to the brutal force from her cannon and having noticed two observers behind her.
[Nice cannon ya got there,] a familiar black mech said to her as she turned around.
[Thanks. Been a while since I last saw ya, Ironhide,] Gunstorm grinned.
[Gunny?! What in Primus' name happened to ya? Ya look totally different now!] Ironhide spluttered in shock.
[Long story short, I'm no longer just 'Gunstorm.' What I am about to tell y'all- can we keep this between us? I don't want to cause a stir.]
[Sure. You have my word,] Ironhide nodded. The sand-colored femme nodded as well.
Gunstorm looked around to make sure no one was listening. Taking a deep vent, she looked back at Ironhide and the femme. [I am a Prime now.] They stared at her in shock for a few kliks.
[Well… that sure explains how ya got so damned tall,] Ironhide seemed to glower at her, but his optics shone with mirth. She let out a guffaw, shaking her helm in amusement.
[It certainly does. And who may this be?] Gunstorm looked at the femme softly.
[My designation is Lookout. Ironhide's my adopted creator,] Lookout replied. Gunstorm looked at Ironhide in surprise, and he merely nodded. Lookout gestured at the cannon. [What kind of cannon is that?]
Gunstorm looked at Ironhide, curious to see if he had any idea. [I have no clue at all. I've never seen anything like that before,] he shook his helm.
[Mmm. Have you ever heard anything about a Star Cannon?] Gunstorm asked, snickering silently to herself.
[I've heard that Solus Prime supposedly started it, but she never finished it. Many mechs and femmes have tried, and failed, to find it.]
[What if I told you she actually finished it? And intended to pass it on to the next femme Prime?]
[You're yanking my crankcase, eh?]
[I sure ain't, and the cannon on my servo-is the Star Cannon.]
[Get out of here! Ya have to be joking…] Ironhide stared at me in disbelief.
[Nope. Not jokin' 'round either,] she smirked, stepping up to the firing line. [Either one of you want to see what this legendary beast can do?]
[Pit yeah!] Lookout grinned at Gunstorm.
[Now this is gonna be real interesting,] Ironhide stood to one side, away from the firing line.
Gunstorm nodded once, and looked downrange at the target. Without warning, she brought her left servo up-cannon almost fully charged already- lined up the shot, and fired. The recoil pushed the cannon back, upper servo shortening to lessen the strain on her shoulder. A puff of smoke hung in the air briefly before disappearing, leaving a bare spot where the target used to be.
[Whoa-ho-ho-ho! If it can do that to a mere target, imagine what that thing would do to one of those blasted 'Cons,] Ironhide beamed.
[Don't know, don't want to find out,] Gunstorm replied.
[Same here,] Lookout spoke quietly. Gunstorm looked at her sadly.
**End of Flashbacks**
[Gunny? Ya alright, sis?]
Gunstorm snapped her helm around to look at the owner of the voice. [Yea, I'm alright. What brings you here?]
[Boredom, that's what brought me here,] a sorrel (burnt orange) Cybertronian horse groaned as he walked across the room to Gunstorm. [What were you staring off into space about?]
[Just some old memories, Bo. That's all it was.]
[Ah. From before all this…?]
[No, I was just remembering how I met the others back on Cybertron before we left.]
[Ohh…] He replied, nodding his helm in understanding.
Gunstorm was about to say something, but her thought was cut short by a distinct clang of a wrench colliding with someone's helm.
[I swear, Oceania is becoming more and more like Ratchet by the klik…] He shook his helm.
[You're right about that, Robustspeed. Poor Oceania... She has to deal with a hothead of a Weapons Specialist and an explosive-obssessed Wrecker.]
[That she does. And a Prime who has a tendency to go into battle haphazardly,] Robustspeed jested back.
[Hey! I do not go into battle randomly! I go into battle only if the situation calls for it!] Gunstorm protested, sending exasperation through the sibiling bond she shared with him.
~Just messing with ya, sis.~ He sent back through the bond, grinning at Gunstorm.
~Slagger.~ She replied, letting her amusement seep through. ~You're still my adopted brother no matter what happens.~
~Yep. Ya got that right.~ He grinned at her.
Gunstorm noticed that the solar system they were in seemed very familiar to her. Realization hit ther that this was her old home!
[I just realized something. We're close to our old home,] She murmured to Robustspeed. [Hang on, let me check to see if there are any Decepticreeps in the area… And… Yep, they're in the area alright. Scrap! The Nemesis is in the atmosphere above Earth!] She growled, slamming her fist down on the counter out of frustration.
[Let us pray that there are not any Autobots on Earth,] He solemenly said.
[There's a couple. Not sure who they are, but they're Autobots. Let's see if I can reach 'em.]
Gunstorm skillfully hacked into the satellites above Earth, taking care to ensure Soundwave couldn't detect her. Searching through the network, she found what she was looking for: a webcamera the Autobots used to communicate. She sent a request for a videochat.
[I've sent a request to them. Let's see if they accept,] Gunstorm murmured as she checked the settings on her webcamera. The screen was black, and then an alert popped up, saying that whoever was on the other end had accepted the request.
[Ah-ha!] Gunstorm grinned. [Let's see who it is, shall we?]
[Let's see who it is, indeed,] Robustspeed smirked back.
The screen flickered; indicating that the video feed had begun. A familiar white-and-orange servo was in front of the camera, adjusting it. Gunstorm began to snicker slightly, struggling to keep her faceplates straight. She managed to supress it, her faceplates settling into a neutral expression.
The servo finally moved away from the camera, and the mech stared at Gunstorm and Robustspeed for a few moments in surprise and shock.
"Gunstorm!?" He bellowed in disbelief.
"Yep, that's me," Gunstorm replied, switching to English easily. "Good to see you again Ratchet."
"It is good to see you again, Gunny. How did you manage to reach us?"
"Let's just say I have my own ways and leave it at that," she smirked.
"Fair enough," he snorted. "Anyone else on the ship with ya or is it just you two?"
"Hmm…" she hummed, counting how many were aboard. "There are four others aboard. Bo here is the only mech, rest are femmes including myself."
"You lucky mech."
"I ain't lucky! Gunny is the only femme that doesn't drive me crazy!" Robustspeed squawked.
"Anyways…" Gunstorm laughed, shaking her helm. "Ratch, do you have any landing coordinates I could use?"
"Yep. I'm sending them to you as we speak. Where are you at?" Ratchet replied, tapping a few keys.
"Just entered the solar system, about to pass Neptune. And don't worry, Sounders can't hack into the transmission- I made sure of that."
"Sounders?"
"My nickname for Soundwave. I've hacked into the Nemesis' systems before," Gunstorm smirked.
"Oh! You hacked into Nemesis' systems before?!"
"Yep! Sounders never figured out who it was. I still am connected to the Decepticon warship, so I have been able to steal Energon right under their noseplates."
"You sly devil!" Ratchet howled gleefully. "How long have you been doing that?"
"I hacked into the warship a breem after we left Cybertron, so I've been walking off with their Energon for…" She paused, crunching numbers in her processors. "About a decavorn now."
Ratchet stared at Gunstorm in shock. "You- you have been pillaging from the 'Cons for ten vorns?"
"That's right."
"Have you gotten caught yet?"
"Nope. They keep to a schedule, so it's easy to go in undetected. Once, I managed to clean out a storage vault on the ship! They still have no idea how an entire storage vault's worth of Energon went missing."
"Sly femme," Ratchet shook his helm, laughing. "How long do you think it will be before you get here?"
"Well… we just passed Saturn, and we have been chatting for about quarter of a joor. So we should be there in about a joor, joor and half. What time is it for y'all?"
"It's 8 in the evening."
"Should be close to Earth around 8 tomorrow morning."
"Perfect. Everyone should be here by then. Oh, and I should warn you- the Decepticons may attempt an ambush as you land."
"Thank you for the warning. I will be sure to let the others know," she nodded her helm. "We have been ambushed right after landing before, so this ain't our first rodeo."
"Alright. See you tomorrow morning."
"See ya tomorrow," she terminated the connection, ending the call.
Y'all know the drill... Comment, review, fav, do whatever y'all want to!
Until next time, this is JML Ranch transforming and rolling out!