Celestia had cried herself to sleep. It was not normal in the least; she had always been so… closed about her emotions. It had always worried those around her, and several that knew her had started to stay away from her because they believed that one day she would have a burst of emotion. And it would be violent.
Sideswipe sat on the berth beside her, just watching the femme that he loved. He shared quarters with her, and Sunstreaker shared quarters with Firestarter. They were conjoining rooms, but sometimes he still wished that he could throw something at his brother to get his attention. Or just look over and know that his brother was there without having to walk through a door.
You're being rather depressing.
Sideswipe jumped when Sunstreaker's voice traveled through the bond, then sighed when Firestarter's voice came laughing with it.
What could be this depressing oh wonderful brother-in-law of mine?
Sideswipe had to smile; they were trying to make him feel better.
Celestia broke down and cried today.
Now caution came from Firestarter. I'm coming over.
She's resting right now.
I'm still coming. Firestarter replied calmly. And I'm bringing Sunstreaker with me.
The door slid open and Firestarter dragged Sunny into the room behind her.
"What all did she tell you?"
Sideswipe blinked in complete confusion. "Why?"
"I need to know, because I need to know what I can tell you."
"She kept saying that she didn't want 'it' to happen, but wouldn't say anything after that." Sideswipe stated evenly. "What did she mean?"
Firestarter leveled Sideswipe with a contemplative look, then her optics came to stop on Celestia's resting form.
"When she was in the care of the 'cons… the jets were in charge of her."
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe flinched, and then glanced at each other with slight horror.
"She didn't want me to tell you what I found out the day we were delivering the Allspark." Firestarter ground out. "When I collected the information from Starscream's mind, I found everything that he had done to her… everything that he and Thundercracker had done to her."
"Did…"
"No, Skywarp refused to take part in it. He was normally 'punished' by Starscream because of his reluctance to take advantage of Celestia. But he still refused."
"Take advantage of…"
"They weren't kidding when they said that they were going to strip me of every dignity they could." Celestia stated from the berth. Her optics had come on and she was looking at the ceiling with a neutral expression. "And the only thing they never took from me was the fact that I was an Autobot."
Sideswipe stared at her, and then it dawned on him. "Celestia…"
An alarm went off and the four were out of the room. That alarm hadn't gone off in ten years…
"Firestarter, find Sunspot and Redstreak. Make sure their safe." Celestia gave the order as she marched ahead of the small group. They passed the already emptied rec-room and Firestarter turned in to see if she could locate the younglings.
Celestia came into the command center and froze at the sight on the screens.
"Does any bot know how in the pit this happened?" Celestia growled. "Because I don't seem to have any idea how all the Decepticons are standing in front of our base…"
"And their just standing there." Jazz stated. "They have their weapons, but their just standing there waiting…"
"Well…" Celestia stated. "Let's go see why they are waiting so patiently."
Firestarter…
The younglings are with Ratchet, and I already know… I'll meet you at the door.
Celestia motioned for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe to follow her, and walked out the door. The others looked at Optimus, who sighed, shrugged, and motioned for them to follow him as he followed Celestia.
"It never ends…" Red Alert sighed and slumped in his chair. "I'll always have to watch out for 'cons."
"Oh cheer up Red…" Jazz said as he left. "At least now we get to see if your new security system can really distinguish between Autobots and Decepticons."
Red Alert glared at the third's back as he left, then went back to the surveillance screen.
Celestia led her team out of the front doors and leveled her best glare at Megatron.
"What in the pit are you doing here Uncle?" Her voice remained monotone.
"Primus sent us… it seems The Unmaker has become interested in this planet."
Celestia's eye ridge shot up and she blinked in surprise at Megatron. "So… you're not here to…"
"Try and destroy the Autobots… not at this time." Megatron growled. "Though when this is over…"
"Give us proof of what you say." Firestarter stated, and shot a glare at two of the jets.
Megatron chuckled and Celestia fought back a shudder. "Here is your proof."
A data pad landed at Celestia's feet and she bent to pick it up. On the screen was a picture of a planet-like being. It looked downright nasty. Cold fear seeped into Celestia as she studied the picture… her entire body tensed and her optics widened.
"Dad!"
Optimus stepped out of the base just as she yelled for him. He made it to her side in seconds and she handed him the data pad without looking. He glanced at it and had the same reaction as Celestia.
"Unicron…"
Everything on the field froze, an evil presence had entered their ranks and even the Decepticons shuddered in fear. Celestia's optics shut off and she held back emotions that were threatening to overtake her. Firestarter went to reach out to her older sister through the bond, and she gasped. Celestia was activating a program that her younger twin hadn't known anything about. It was a program similar to Prowls, meaning that it would suppress emotions when activated. Prowl used it so that he could develop battle tactics and plans without his emotions getting in the way.
Celestia…
Don't, Firestarter… just don't.
How long have you been…
Since before the 'cons got me. I'll speak with you about it later.
I'm going to tell Sunny and Sides.
Celestia glanced at Firestarter. If you feel it necessary.
IF I feel it necessary? Celestia, as the humans say, you've got some 'splainin to do.
And Firestarter cut off the bond link.
Celestia would have flinched if she could feel the fear that gripped her spark… or the anger that filtered from her sister, and then her sparkmate.
Megatron was watching his niece closely. He could identify the signs of that program. It was only supposed to have been used in Decepticons. The Decepticon leader glared at Starscream, who suddenly found it a very good idea to stare at the sky.
"Optimus, have you ever noticed anything about how Celestia controls her emotions, let's say… strange?"
Celestia's optics bored into the Decepticon leader, willing him to be silent. But her reaction was all that the Decepticon leader to realize that she was the only one that knew about it.
The program was dangerous, it would snap sooner or later. And then those around the program's user would be the ones in danger. The Decepticons had stopped using that program because—more often than not—it proved far more fatal to their troops, than to the enemy troops.
"What are you saying Megatron?" Optimus growled, glancing at Celestia.
It was then that he noticed how her optics held nothing, not even a hint of anger. Her stance was that of a drone, not a normal fighter.
"Celestia…"
"Where did you get that program from?" Ratchet suddenly interjected.
Celestia didn't respond, she only looked to the ground. No emotion showing whatsoever.
"Celestia… how long have you had that program?" Ratchet asked much softer, much calmer.
"I have had it since after the death of my mother." Her voice was monotone. "Starscream gave it to me a vorn after the incident."
All optics glared at the trine leader, who was being restrained from fleeing by his trine mates.
"That program was, and is, extremely volatile." Megatron stated calmly, almost soothingly. "It will snap and you will be unable to control yourself once it does. You may end up killing those you care about."
Cold red optics rose to meet Megatron's. He took a step back.
"She does not know what you say; Celestia has… taken a step back." The femme smirked. "I, Darksong, am in control now… and I've been waiting for a very long time to have this control."
Celestia's optics were blood red, and the smirk on her faceplates wasn't her own. Firestarter tried to reach out to her twin through their bond but found nothing. For the first time ever, Celestia was unreachable to Firestarter.
"Oh, young Firestarter, she can't feel you. All the miserable prime can do is watch as I extract the revenge that she denies herself." Darksong smirked at Firestarter. "She has repressed me for so very long, since before your precious mother passed. You could say that I am her… glitch."
"Leave her be… return Celestia's control of her body." Optimus stated evenly. He had only seen this once before… but it had been so long ago.
"Oh, I don't think I will, Optimus Prime." The femme's head tilted to the side. "She thinks very highly of you, I would hate for something to happen to her precious family."
The femme laughed, almost as if she enjoyed the tearing in two of Optimus' spark.
"She's threatening to destroy me if I do anything to you, but I think I'll take care of those two seekers first. Especially that Starscream, the only other being that knew I existed."
Starscream met the femme's optics calmly. "She wanted to be rid of you, and I wished to not worry about you trying to kill me… again."
"But you didn't get rid of me Starscream, you only suppressed me. The darker half of her spark… it has always been me that could fight, the one that kept her alive. She never realized it." The femme grinned evilly. "And you thought you had gotten rid of me. So you thought you could get away with what you did, but I'll let you know… Starscream."
The femme was suddenly standing behind the seeker.
"You won't."
An energon blade suddenly erupted out of Starscream's chest, and was then violently ripped out.
"Unicron sends his regards, by the way." Darksong smiled coldly. "I was his creation so long ago, and I was attached to the spark that would one day become the last prime… so sad. She fought so hard to prevent my taking over… only to fail everyone in the end."
And the femme started attacking those around her. The Autobots stood frozen for several seconds.
"Stop her!" Firestarter finally ordered. "She's not Celestia right now!"
"And Celestia would want us to stop her." Sideswipe ground out.
"If you can knock her out… I can help her with this." Ratchet stated from beside the other three. "But only if she is knocked out."
They nodded at the Chief Medical Officer, and then did what they had never thought they would have to do.
They attacked their squad leader, their Prime, their loved one.
And she was going to try and kill them if she could.
"Assassins…" Firestarter began. "At my mark."
They subspace their weapons.
"Mark." Firestarter's voice was barely above a whisper, but the command had been given.
The assassins began their attack.