"Cybertronian"
First Pov Thoughts
'No Pov Thoughts'
"Bond"
::Sign-Language::
/Comm-Link/
"Recording"
.
Chapter 6
Lords and Heirs
.
Seabreeze Pov
The sun shines on the cruise ship's recreation deck. The soothing sound of the ocean waves lightly crashing against the hull sending vacationers into a sense of peace. Rows of lounge chairs lined the deck, filled with relaxing sunbathers.
I smile at Mommy from my own chair, her floppy hat hiding her new sunglasses. She smiles back at me, leaning closer to me, her arm reaching forward...
Then she attacks!
I squirm under her skilled hands, my ribs starting to ache from all my laughing. I squealed when my squirming tipped my chair over.
I sat up and peeked over the overturned lounge chair. Mommy chuckled at me, her hat no longer covering her face. I giggled when Mommy's sunglasses fell off, letting me see her pretty green eyes.
All of a sudden, the sky darkens. My smile morphs into a confused frown.
It's completely dark, like someone has flipped a switch and turned off the sun. Mommy doesn't seem to notice, still laughing.
The ship jerks and knocks me over. The waves crash harshly against the hull, salt water soaking everything. I try to stand up, but the wind tosses the ship around and I'm thrown off balance. I tumble backwards, bumping into lots of big purple feet.
I crash into something made of metal. I groan and look up confused by what I see. The navigation satellite? Why is it broken? Who-
"Sephora?!"
Mommy! I have to find her. I get up, fighting the wind, and follow the calls.
"Seph...eaze!"
I trudge threw the puddles to the end of the flight deck.
"Sea...eaze!"
A fierce wind threatens to fly me away. I hug one of the many spikes the Nemesis is known for.
"Seabreeze!"
Mommy? Where-where's Mommy? I squint my eyes, trying to see through the fog. The sick, purple fog...
"Seabreeze!"
Wait...my eyes widen as the fog clears. Daddy?!
I reach my arm out, but quickly pull it back and cling to the spike. There's something in the fog...something big, bigger than Daddy...I can see its glowing violet eyes glare at me.
From the waves and through the sickly purple fog its clawed arm shoots forth. I watch helplessly as it grabs Daddy.
"Seabreeze! Help me!"
I open my mouth to call out, but nothing escapes.
The giant mech drags Daddy into the fog. Daddy's strong claws weakly scratch the hull trying to find purchase, but ultimatly fail.
N-no! Not Da-not him too...Daddy...
55555555555555555555555555555555
General Pov
Rumble frowns as he watches Seabreeze twitch in her sleep. Every now and them she'd twitch or make a face. Whatever she was dreaming about mustn't be very pleasant.
Unfortunately there wasn't anything Rumble could do. He's tried everything he can think of to wake her up. He blasted the radio for an hour, he shook her, he splashed water on her face, everything! Nothing's worked.
The blue symbiote sighed through his vents in frustration, gently pushing Seabreeze's dog away from him. The mutt seemed to think it was supposed to lick his face plates whenever he vented. And because of her size, Ahino easily reached it if she jumped on him.
"Dumb dog", he grumbled, pushing her off again.
It was then that the med-bay doors opened, letting Laserbeak fly in. She glided through the room and landed on Seabreeze's berth. The avian nudged Seabreeze's head affectionately and let Ahino greet her.
Turning to her brother, she asked, "Is there no way to wake her up? She's been like this for two days already."
Rumble shrugs, "I've got nothin'. I've done everything I can think of! Nothin' works!"
Laserbeak tilts her head in question, "Have you tried talking to her?"
"Talking to her? Beaky, she's in a coma."
"Sometimes a human's remember things from when they awaken from a coma. Many times it is while their loved ones are talking to them, or some other familiar sound."
"Sure, that works for humans, but how is that going to help Breezy?"
"She's a human, Rumble."
"...shut up."
Trilling in amusement, Laserbeak left to continue her duties. Rumble glared after his sister for a minute, planning his revenge. When he was done glaring at the door, he went and sat next to Seabreeze. Ahino decided that this was an invitation to lay on his lap.
Rolling his eyes at the dog's behavior, he stares at Seabreeze's face, "What am I supposed to say?"
He glanced at Ahino and she stared back at him, her eyes seeming to say, 'why are you asking me?'
Fighting the urge to vent, or else fight off another barrage of licks, Rumble decides to just telling Seabreeze a story, "You know why nobot can get me and Frenz' straight? Well it's because back on Cybertron..."
5555555555555555555555555555555555
Starscream's Pov
"Screamer~? I know you can hear me. Come on, tell Uncle Warpy what's wrong."
I gave Skywarp a glare as he leaned into my face. I was this close to scratching that stupid grin from his face. For two days now, two days, he has been pestering me. He seemed intent on annoying me until I opened up about the, eh, incident. The moment where I broke down like a sparkling and cried myself dry.
"Hey. Hey, Screamer. Hey, Screamer. Screamer~?"
"You are worse than Ahino."
"Gasp! Did you just call me a dog?"
"Yes, now go away. I'm busy."
"Starscream, look at me."
The sudden change of tone from the playful mech caught my attention, compelling me to turn my attention to the taller seeker.
"Starscream, what happened the other day? You were devastated, your spark was in pain. First you're dragged into med bay unconscious, and then you're latching onto my spark like a lifeline. And when I ask you what happened, you act like nothing happened! This can't go on forever. I'm putting my pede down. Either you tell me what's going on, or I sit on you."
I give him a deadpan look.
Even when he's attempting to be serious, he's an idiot. Before I have the chance to make it clear to him why that would be a bad idea, Soundwave arrives on the bridge.
"Ah, Soundwave, your timing couldn't have been better", I send Skywarp a glare, which he ignores, "I am ready to address the troops."
With a beep, Soundwave began projecting my image to every screen on the Nemesis.
"Your attention, please", I started, standing tall, "With the loss of our great leader, Megatron, we have been delivered a cruel blow. But, we must not despair. Lord Megatron would not of wanted us to lament in his, absence. Instead, we must embrace his ultimate sacrifice and build upon the foundation he laid with I as his heir."
"With all due respect, Commander Star- Uh, Lord Starscream."
I turn to face the soldier below the command platform, "Yes, what is it?"
He bravely continues, "If we failed to conquer Earth under Lord Megatron's command, what hope do we have now while the Autobots still defend it?"
It would seem my siblings and I are not the only ones affected by Sire's fate. Hm, this Vehicon has a Koanian accent. He's been around for quite a while...
"How long have you been a Decepticon?"
"Since the Battle of Tyger Pax, sir."
"To still be alive for such a long time, you must have learned what it takes to survive."
He shuffles, uncomfortable with where he must think this is going.
"You are HP-01, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"I commend you for your long service to the Decepticon cause", he visibly sags in relief, " It is experience such as your's that gives us hope. It is mechs like you that will win us this war! We will take Earth for ourselves, and we will defeat the Autobots! We will avenge our fallen master!"
Through my speech, my voice had gradually risen. This produced the effect I had intended, the troops roared in cheer.
"All hail Starscream!"
I raise an optic ridge at Skywarp, but his random shout catches on.
"ALL HAIL STARSCREAM!", is the general cry. I can't help but stand taller, practically beaming from the attention. I rather like it. Yes, all hail me.
555555555555555555555555555555555555555555
Soundwave's Pov
"Why are we here again?", Skywarp asks for the sixth time within the hour.
"During the Great War, so much energon was hidden on this planet that Megatron sent some of Cybertron's greatest warriors to guard it", I answer him with a recording of Starscream's explanation, "They now lie in stasis, waiting to be reawakened."
"Okaaay, so where is this 'Great Warrior'?"
I continue to scan the area for the buried stasis pod. Due to ever-changing nature of of organic worlds such as Earth, what was once above is now below. This not only made former co-ordinance obsolete, but also made scanning difficult because of the minerals in the rock.
PING!
Difficult, but not impossible. I display the new co-ordinance on my mask for Starscream to see.
"Good work, Soundwave. Come, you two", Says Starscream before jumping off the side of the canyon and transforming to fly to Skyquake's location. Skywarp and I follow suit.
44444444444444444444444444444444444
The stasis chamber doors open and I can sense the feeling of pride coming from Starscream as he dramatically says, "Awaken, warrior. Rise and serve your new master!"
I send my brother a disapproving glare. That is no way to impress your future soldier.
A large, military green seeker steps out of the chamber and pounds his fists together. I become uneasy with the way he scowls at Starscream, as if the former commander and current Lord were beneath him.
"Skyquake serves only one master", his voice booms through out the canyon.
"Excellent. Your loyalty will set a fine example for the troops", Starscream compliments. I narrow my optics when I detect the smugness that oozes into his next words, "No need to be timid, Skyquake. You may bow."
"What?!", Laserbeak squawks from her position on my chest plates.
Skywarp seems to agree with her as his optics widen dramatically and his mouth drops.
As for myself, my left optic twitches at the audacity of my brother's choice of words. I can not help but wonder, is he attempting to become a flattened disk of metal and wires?
"You fail to grasp my meaning", Skyquake shakes his head, more annoyed than angered by Starscream's brash words, "I am here on a mission assigned to me by my one master-Megatron."
Starscream shuffles his feet uncomfortably. It is still too soon after our sire's death. Hiding his discomfort he addresses Skyquake, "I am sorry, but Lord Megatron, is no longer with us."
"Impossible."
"I realize it is hard to except, but it is true. In a recent battle with the Autobots, our Lord perished in a spacebridge explosion."
As Starscream had been explaining how our sire perished, I noticed the Prime's approach. From the calm of his walk as well as the lack of drawn weapons I deduced he was here to negotiate a truce with the new leader of the Decepticons.
He ceases approach a healthy distance away, should this confrontation comes to blows instead of peace, "It has been a long time, Skyquake", he greets the large seeker.
"Starscream, there's an Autobot!", Skywarp 'warns' us.
Ignoring the idiot seeker, Skyquake addresses the Prime, "Optimus Prime. I haven't seen you since the Battle of Technar. Megatron ordered me to annihilate you."
"That was a long time ago", the Prime takes several steps forward.
"That may be, Prime, but my orders still stand."
"Is this ancient war still worth fighting when so many comrades have been lost and worlds destroyed? If you want to be a true leader, Starscream, then stray from Megatron's path and lead the Decepticons toward peace."
To avoid angering the older mech with brash words that I am certain were about to exit Starscream's vocal processor, I sent him a quick warning via the bond in hopes he would keep his mouth shut.
But I need not have worried about Starscream doing something foolish, but should have been more concerned with Skywarp.
"Lead this, Autobutt!", Skywarp fired his wrist mounted missiles at the Prime.
It was down hill from there.
5555555555555555555555555555555555555555
I stood beside my brother as the medics attached various life support systems to our sire.
"H-how did he survive?", Starscream asked me for the seventh time since my recovery Sire, "He was at the epicenter of the blast, no one could have survived that..."
I gave a slight nod. It should be impossible for him to be functioning, even his current vegetative state should not have been possible. And yet...there he is, laying on a medical berth hooked to a spark monitor that registered him as alive.
"I still can't feel him", Starscream whispers sadly over the bond.
Unwilling to show weakness, I do not respond. I can not allow my anger and despair to show or to be known to Starscream. For if I were to show him, he would not be able to successfully lead the Decepticons. We need a strong leader to light the way to victory. Someone with intellect and vision. While I am older, as well as known by many as the son of Megatron, I am not that someone.
I must be strong. For Starscream, I will conceal how it is that our sire is still functioning after the events of the spacebridge battle. I will conceal the nature of our bond severance. Perhaps one day we will be whole again...
But for now, I will protect my remaining family.
I will be strong.
This should hold you guys over 'till I get the next one up. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
See you guys next time!(hopefully before next month...) Be sure to check out the companion story to this, 'My Baby Boy'.
Cash is out. Peace!
