Ok, so, I finally found this (it was stuck in a notebook it didn't belong in, in a box neither items should have been in) and got it typed up. Hopefully all my readers did not get frustrated with the long wait and will still get a chance to read this.
Enjoy!
Chapter 4:
At the beginning, if you had asked anyone if they could have predicted the end, the answer would have been a resounding no. For, when mecha contemplated the bar, they thought of Sideswipe, and to a lesser extent of Swerve. No thought was ever given to Sunstreaker other than perhaps the passing idea that he must hate having to help his brother with such a messy occupation. No one ever considered that the vain mech might have a genuine interest in the bartending arts.
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It had taken Blaster a long time to be comfortable enough to return to The Still after his younglings had so thoroughly embarrassed him. It had taken just as long for him to forgive Smokescreen as well, but tonight he was putting it all behind him. Starting with giving his minimechs a proper education in the consumption of highgrade. Steeljaw and Ramhorn needed no such instruction, having been adults for well over a centivorn, but they were pretending they did so their younger siblings would feel more comfortable. It had taken quite a lot of coaxing for the small twins to be okay with coming back to the scene of their crime.
The fivesome settled into one of the booths close to the DJ station that had been sadly silent during Blaster's self-imposed removal from the bar scene. The cassette-carrier knew also that Jazz had refused to touch the thing without his partner and that the entire ship's complement had felt the lack. He would indulge the crowds this night, but not until his brood was finished with the energon tasting that he had arranged with Sideswipe.
The red frontliner was currently chatting up Bluestreak over at the bar proper while he prepped the tiny cubes that would let the twinlets experience all the available flavors of highgrade without getting overcharged. Soon enough Sideswipe finished his task and made his way over to the table of cassettes and carrier with the large, laden down tray. He set it in front of them with a practiced flourish and asked if they would like a verbal tour of the selection. Blaster ceded the lesson to the master and sat back to watch.
The frontliner started with the basics. "'Kay minimechs, first thing you need to know is that there are four basic types of energon, solar, magma, hydro, and fusion. Our first is solar, which is produced in space because enough radiation does not make it through planetary atmosphere to make it cost effective otherwise. It tends to be sweet with just a hint of tartness, making it the mildest of all the energon bases, which is also why it is most commonly used for making medical grade and carrier grade energon. As a highgrade it becomes smooth and light, often making mecha think they are drinking less than they actually are and causing overcharge much quicker."
Sideswipe theatrically servoed out the tiny servings to the cassettes and observed as they took a tiny hesitant sip. Rewind immediately guzzled the remainder of his cube, but Eject pushed his cube away stating that it was too bland. Sideswipe moved on. "Magma is relatively self-explanatory, and as its name implies, it can only be made with volcanoes or tectonic rift points. It is known as the spicy energon and is often used in the more savory mixtures. Its highgrade form is the most potent and has a heaviness to it that has made it a favorite of the large frame mechs for generations."
Again the samples were distributed and opinions weighed with both younglings declaring it tasty. The frontliner accepted back their glasses and motioned to the next base form. "Hydro is produced using natural water movement and due to its slower formation process it is the sweetest of all forms. Commonly used as the base for jellies and candies, this energon is highly prized thanks to the fact that it had to be shipped in due to Cybertron's lack of the necessary water. It is also the favorite of most sparklings, although there are many mature mecha who will still indulge in it on the sly."
The younglings both already knew that the liked hydro midgrade, but surprisingly both felt the highgrade version was cloying. This only left one more base to try. "Fusion energon is produced from processed radioactive material and tends to be very bitter. In its low and midgrade forms it is considered a cheap, lowclass energon due to its ease of manufacture, however, the most refined and highly sought highgrades all use fusion as a base or primary component. The samples for this form are smaller than the rest because of the bitterness and will be followed by a second round of the hydro for those who don't like it."
As it turned out, those hydro washes were desperately needed as the twinlets gagged on their fusion shots. Sideswipe traded grins with Blaster but withheld his mirth for the sake of the cassettes' pride. The highgrade lesson went rather swiftly after that as Sideswipe directed them through the most common additives and combinations. The group was just finishing up the last of their sampler when something on the bartop caught Rewind's optic.
"What are those?" he asked, pointing to the bar.
The others looked over to where he indicated and saw a most mouth-solventing sight. A large display case of delectable jelly miniatures, candied crystals, and tiny oil cakes sat unobtrusively at the corner piece of the bar.
"Oh, those are a new addition. Jazz put in a request last decacycle for some rust sticks since he's carrying, and our resident chef decided to produce some extra treats for the rest of the Ark too." Sideswipe said proudly. "Ya'll want some?"
Four sets of miniature optics and visors gleamed at the offered rare delicacies and Blaster chuckled. "Yes, we would like two oil cakes, a rust jelly, a carbon infusion, an' one o' tha little bags of crystal shard."
The frontliner bowed theatrically and picked up the tray of empty cubelets to retrieve the fivesome's new order. He returned and served them the sweets then bid them a good evening as he returned to his bartending.
The cassette-master and his cohort fairly melted at the first bites of their treats, and although they desired to scarf them down, they savored them slowly while enjoying the night's entertainment.
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The highly prized confections took a very long time to make properly and thus were only available twice a decacycle. There were always more than enough to last the interval though, so no one worried about missing out. Sideswipe received compliments almost every evening on his delightful creations, but he always answered that he would pass on the laud to the chef. This puzzled most of the Autobots, for who else could the manufacturer be? They knew for a fact that it could not be Sunstreaker, the vain mech would never engage in such a potentially paint-damaging occupation, and nor could the chef be Swerve. The blue minibot had attempted to make some treats during an interval where the twins had been laid up in the Medbay, and the results were so volatile that several mechs had ended up in the Medbay themselves to get their tanks pumped. The failures were eventually appropriated by the Armory for use as globular incendiary bombs. That only left Sideswipe to be the treat creator. Everyone eventually chalked it up to humbleness and thought no more about it. They continued to give Sideswipe praise for the confections and none of them ever noticed the dark glare that turned their way every time a compliment was directed the wrong direction.
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As the decacycles went on and the Chef, a.k.a. Sideswipe, became more comfortable in his sweet manufacturing, he produced more elaborate confections. Or so the Ark mecha assumed.
The first treats had been simple, basic shapes with filling or pressed crusts, straight crystal tubes filled with sweetened energon paste, and plain oil cake rounds. Six decacycles later saw more elaborate shapes with filling molded carefully in complicated whirls in the center; the pressed crusts became layered cubes similar to baklava; and the crystal treats were no longer straight but rather whimsical curves and twists. After another few decacycles the Autobots received molded jellies in the shapes of mechanimals and famous buildings on Cybertron. Then infusions and filled varieties sporting perfectly crafted well-wishes glyphs on the inside. The crystal selection though, became the most stunning. The entire true lineage of the Primes stood in full miniature glory in delicate filled crystal sculptures. Sideswipe received much adulation for that impressive feat, but two among the Autobots who had been of noble creation recognized the works as belonging to one thought lost to the ravages of war.
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The Autobots had become spoiled. They had become so used to wild sculptures and impossible confectionary creations that when they saw the hodge-podge that comprised that half-decacycle's treats they immediately descended upon Sideswipe for answers. The poor mech had no answers for them and the Ark's mecha could only stare at the multicolored shapes with forlorn disappointment. The sweets looked like a sparkling had made them without adult supervision and everyone was sure they would taste as awful as they looked.
The crowd's grumbling was suddenly halted by a loud gasp. Everyone turned to see Mirage pointing a shaking digit at the display with a gracelessly dropped jaw. Tracks raised an optic-ridge at the odd behavior and walked over to see what his fellow noble was looking at. As soon as he reached the other's side the half-flighted mech joined Mirage in stunned gaping. The rest of the crew swiftly moved over as well and the epidemic of loose jaws became widespread. Sideswipe was dying of laughter and shamelessly taking captures of the Autobots' boggled faces.
The seemingly poorly constructed confections only looked terrible from up close or to the sides, but when the mecha stood at a distance directly in front of the case it formed a stunningly detailed picture of Iacon during the Golden Age.
Mirage recovered from his stupor just long enough to whisper. "It is a Starblazer original!"
Tracks nodded and both nobles turned to the still smirking red frontliner.
"Where did you find these?" gasped Tracks.
"I didn't." Sideswipe replied imperiously.
Mirage gripped the half-flyer's shoulder for strength. "You are not Starblazer, are you?"
"Nope." came the smugly popped reply.
It was at this point that the other Autobots managed to collect enough thought to ask the obvious question. "Who's Starblazer?"
Both nobles adopted perfectly mirrored poses of superior haughtiness. "He was only the most renowned confectionary artist on all of Cybertron!" Tracks declared.
"No one knows who he was or where he came from, but a few times a vorn he would deliver amazing constructs of culinary art to one of the high end confectionaries. It was a highly competitive hunt for the noble classes to find and obtain the rare pieces. Only a few Houses had anything close to a collection of them and they had to be cared for carefully due to the delicate nature of the constructs, even after they were put through the preservation process." Mirage explained.
Tracks nodded in agreement. "Yes, and they were nearly priceless as well. I remember well that grand ball held by the House of Tungsten where a mid-level noble accidentally knocked over a single piece of one such display. It nearly bankrupted the mech trying to pay for it."
The gaping epidemic resumed its hold on the Autobots and was accompanied by a rash of helm-touching optic-ridges. Ironhide put up his servo in protest and waved the other at the treats in question. "Yah're tellin' me that these things ahre some ah those fancy doodads as what big shots would 'ave?!"
The two nobles nodded, but the Autobots were still having trouble comprehending. Bluestreak and Fireflight disengaged themselves from the crowd and scurried over to cling to the bar in front of Sideswipe. They turned their most pitiful, pleading turbopuppy optics on him and he quailed before the luminous innocence. "Wh-what?!"
"Who is Starblazer?" they asked in imploring unison.
Sideswipe reared back from the Power of Cute, "I-I… he's,… well it should be obvious!" he said in a surrendering copout.
The two innocently compelling mechs turned to one another to think.
"Starblazer, Star-blazer, Star Blazer." chanted Fireflight as he pondered what could connect that name with someone he knew.
"I know! Prowl!" exclaimed Bluestreak.
The crowd looked at the young Praxian with varying dubious looks.
"You think Prowl is Starblazer?" drawled Ironhide disbelievingly.
"No!" the grey mech replied. "No, I meant that he could figure out who it is. Hold on, I'll get him."
Bluestreak dashed out the door before anyone could stop him.
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By the time the grey winger came back dragging the SIC the Autobots had settled into their usual places and created a drinking game based on guesses of who the mysterious artist might be. Half the room was well on the way to being overcharged due to wrong guesses. Prowl surveyed his mechs carefully as processed the fact that many would now be unavailable for their shifts due to this impromptu contest. Had he been a lesser mech he might have sighed in exasperation over the destruction of his carefully constructed schedules. A tiny thread in the back of his battle computer had been working on the information that Bluestreak had babbled at him during the walk to the bar, however, as soon as the computer recognized that the only way to save Prowl's schedules was to provide the answer everyone was seeking the thread was pushed to the highest priority.
It took almost no time to reach the logical conclusion and he address the assembly, interrupting Trailbreaker's turn at guessing. "It is obvious. The artist you seek is Sunstreaker."
There was complete silence for a long moment, then the denials rang around the bar.
"That can't be right..."
"Sunstreaker hates getting dirty..."
"If it was him, he'd be running to the 'racks every two kliks..."
"Everyone knows that the only reason he helps out in the bar is because Sideswipe makes him..."
"And everyone knows he hates all of us, so why would he do something nice like that?"
A low growl reverberated around the room as the last unflattering comment was spoken and everyone turned to see a very angry yellow frontliner staring death at them all. Sunstreaker stepped forward, claws out, ready to tear through his comrades, but Prowl moved between them. The Praxian had no desire to further decrease the number of able mecha with a medical emergency and took it upon himself to administer a reprimand.
"There is not one mech in the room who does not possess hidden talents and you all should be ashamed for so disparaging one of your own. You know better than to judge a mech based on his plating, or at least I thought you did." Prowl turned to Sunstreaker. "You would be well within your rights to cease making confections for such an inconsiderate crowd, but further than that I cannot allow you to harm them."
"Fine. It serves them right. I'm a slagging good artist and who cares what medium I use as long as I'm happy. I have other outlets I can use for my artistic needs and these slaggers can all just suffer." Sunstreaker gritted out before stalking out of the room, his whole frame set in lines of lethal beauty and terrible ferocity.
Prowl turned back to the now forlorn Autobots. "If you are wise, and truly repentant for your judgement, you will let him calm down, and then apologize."
It was a very quiet crowd that the SIC left behind him as he too exited the bar, and the pensive air would linger until the last customer left that night.
Bluebird Soaring: yes cheer him on! Bluestreak definitely does not get enough love.
AUTOBOT-LOVER . PRIME: I am glad you are enjoying this so much. To answer your questions, 1) no, I don't much like sharing a byline, so no donated chapters please. However, if you want to write an AU based of my stories that is acceptable as long as proper credit is given. I will tell you that I will not read AUs of my stories because I don't want to run into accusations down the line later of stealing another writer's plot should I have a similar idea that you or another may use (not because I think you would do that, but because so many others in the fanfiction world already have done this to another). 2) I do know of the stories you are referencing, and it was there that the idea of the trine members having specific roles became fan-canon for me. I did not wish to use the terms in those stories as they were already set in what they signified and what restrictions they placed upon the trine. I needed something more flexible that I could mold to my own story so I chose terms of my own. The specific meanings of the terms Adepto and Vicarius will be clarified in The Tolling Bells story, but for now they just mean the trine second and trine third respectively.
Starfire201: yes, poor Blaster, he thought he was beyond the time where his bitlets embarrassed him.
RainbowGuardian13: thanks! You have so given me ideas with the Blurr suggestion. He will definitely be making an appearance soon.