A/n: Meetings in this capter, cos something like this isn't gonna be gone in a day. You all know my disclaimers. Next chapter should be more interesting, this one is just as dry as chapter 1. P.s: is everyone else getting stupid ads every single time they go to a new chapter or story ect? It's really pissing me off. I want to read, not keep clicking the 'skip ad' button.
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Of femmes and sparkling chapter 9 – Meetings
Elita stood in front of all the Autobot femmes with a serious expression on her faceplates. They were in a conference room near the femmes wing, where they had gone to discuss the virus and what they were going to do. Before the meeting, Elita had been in the medbay, where Ratchet confirmed her sparkling was gestating normally so far and would be ready to split into its own protoform in a month and a half (3 orns on Cybertron – usual for sparkling gestation), meaning the sparkling would be on-line by the beginning of Feburary. The medic had also confirmed Elita's weapons systems coming on-line, which had thrilled the femme commander to no end.
But the moment right now was business. Until each of her femmes had produced a sparkling orb, they were all in danger….especially Flare-up.
The rose femme began to speak. "Femmes, I know that we are all angered at the audacity of Starscream's virus. We know what we cannot do. Transform, use weapons that are integrated with our systems and have all our armour. But what we can do is get past this. Yes, we will have to bond, and yes, we all will have a sparkling. But we will not let the Decepticon's think that they can get us down." A small cheer went up from the femmes. Elita's spark lifted and she continued. "We know the gravity of the situation. And there is great news. Whoever you discharge energy to does not have to be your bondmate. You are free to love any mech you wish, as long as you create your sparkling."
"But what about Tauri? She was forced to!" Delira cried out. Tauri rolled her optics and shook her head.
Elita's optics narrowed minutely as she answered, "Tauri bravely made the choice to save Prowl, who is, as you all now know, 2IC and lead tactician. We would be in dire straits without him. Now before Aquaris hands you all datapads she has prepared for us, I must ask an awkward question…..How many of you have not interfaced before – how many are still virginal?"
There was dead silence. And then, a black hand pushed itself into the air. And then another. Then two more hands rose, one silver, the other champagne coloured. Scorpia, Quicksilver, Tauri and Esperanza all stood, not looking at any of their comrades or commander, as their hands high in the air.
Elita sighed. She had been too idealistic in hoping that each femme had experienced it at least once, as to make for better compatibility with a mech. But that was fate. "Each of you please stay behind after this meeting. Do we have any questions?"
"Are we going to get revenge?" This came from Sagittari, whose violet optics had flared at the thought. Chatter started up amongst the femmes, some wanting the chance for vengeance, and some not.
"While it is not the Autobot way," Elita called out above the noise, "If we can do something subtle, then I'm sure we can make it work." She let a chuckle out, "Oh yes, we will let Starscream know how….displeased we are with him."
"Oh! I got an idea!"
Everyone turned to Picyries, who had evidently gotten a brainwave by her expression. She excitedly began to explain, "Why don't we give the virus back to Starscream? Then he can be put through what we are going to!"
"But Picyries, Starscream's not a femme," said Moonracer.
Catching on to her younger sisters idea, the aqua femme medic smirked, "But we can make him one….."
Laughter echoed around the room at the thought of the Decepticon air commander as a femme, turned into that as a means of their revenge. The image of the jet on-lining to find a curvier chassis and a need to have a sparkling before he/she could even think of using his/her patented null rays.
"Can this be possible?" inquired Elita, amused by the prospect.
Aquaris, being one of the most intelligent – if not the most – femmes, nodded. "Yes. The virus encoding can be taken care of by Picyries, but I know of a series of virus codes and inventions that make it possible to make a mech a femme. If I recall correctly, there's an old datapad that explains before the Golden Age, when femmes were even more rare, some mechs were turned into femmes to further our race. If you'd agree, I can help to achieve this."
A smile broke out on the rose commander's faceplates, "Then by all means, do it. Retaliation is more than Starscream deserves. Who will you need, Aquaris?"
The femme medic considered the femmes around her and said, "Picyries, definitely. And Virgo, as you are such an accomplished technician, it would be appreciated. And maybe I'll ask Wheeljack in the future. But that's it."
Elita agreed and said, "Femmes, that is all. Please do not be over-concerned for Flare-up. I have briefly spoken to Prowl who has assured me we will get her back when he completes the planning. But remember this before you go. If a mech tries to force himself on you, do not hesitate to say no and do all you can to get away. You are my femmes, and I want you to feel protected within your base. You have a choice who you love, and who you want to create a sparkling with. Come and see myself or Chromia if you have any concerns. Could the four femmes who put up their hand please come forward?"
As the femmes filtered out, Elita felt relieved. She had expected a much more aggressive meeting than that.
Finally, the last four femmes stood before her. Looking imploringly into their optics she said, "As femmes who have never interfaced before, this is the biggest commitment for you. It goes double for all of you to come to me if you need me, or feel uncertain of what you are doing. It would be wise to let any prospective partners know about your being a virgin. Everyone's first time should be gentle and instructive, not full of fear and pain." Straightening, Elita softened the look on her faceplates. "I wish that you would not have to go through this."
"Thanks Elita. We appreciate it," said Esperanza. Elita smiled at the shorter femme and, seeing there were no questions, mentioned for them to leave.
The femme commander let her vents sigh. That was easy.
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Another Conference room….
"THOSE SLAGGIN' CONS!"
"SON OF A GLITCH STARSCREAM!'
"WHAT IF WE DON'T GET A FEMME? I WANT ONE!"
"SHUT UP, NOT HELPING!"
"CRUSH THE CON'S!"
"REVENGE!"
In hindsight, Optimus really wished he hadn't been so blunt when he had explained what the cause of the femme's problems had been. Now, there was this outcry. It was what he had been expecting, but it didn't make hearing Slingshot's comment about wanting a femme any easier to hear. This virus could have the result of mechs fighting over a femme.
Sighing, Optimus had no choice but to shout.
"SILENCE!"
The room then became silent at his commanding roar. Venting harshly in annoyance, Optimus spoke firmly.
"Listen to me, all of you. Although most of you have just arrived here, allow me to make myself clear here. There will be no claiming of the femmes. They will have a right to choose. You will not make unwanted advances towards any femme. If you do, any harm they do to you may be justified. You will not trick them into your berth, no matter how tempting it may be. If I hear of any misconduct towards any, and I mean any of the femmes, you will be punished. Understood?" A resounding 'yes sir' rang throughout the room.
"We are going to be true to our morals and help the femmes through this difficult time. If one of them shows an interest in you, and if you are so inclined to like her, then you may pursue the normal ways of dating. Now, any questions?" Optimus asked.
"Think you've covered it all Boss Bot," smirked Jazz. At the nods throughout the room, Optimus turned and left. He had really had enough of this slaggin virus. Besides, night was falling, and he really, really, wanted to recharge. As he left the room, he saw Elita standing near the entrance.
Smiling gently at her sparkmate and clasping his hand to her chest, Elita spoke through the bond. 'How'd they take it?'
'Like I thought they would. Angry and vengeful, yet slightly jubilant at the thought of femmes ready for interfacing. And the femmes?'
The smile turned to a smirk and Optimus caught a thread of devious intent through their bond. 'We actually plotted our vengeance on the Con Air Commander. It was a good morale booster for us. Our meeting went shorter and better than I thought.'
'Coming dear?' asked Optimus, making as if to move away. She shook her head.
'No. I want to see the young one. Maelstrom, the one you told me about. I think I had better do it now, rather than later. There is just so much to do…..and so little time.'
'I understand. I'll see you later dear.'
Turning to leave, Optimus parted from his sparkmate to rest.
The Autobots began to shuffle out of the room not long after. Some of the mechs offered her their congratulations (Ironhide, Prowl and Jazz) for sparking, while others just gave her polite salutes and nods. Bumblebee even came up to Elita – whom he had seen as a surrogate femme creator – and asked excitedly if he could sparkling sit if he had the chance. Elita thanked him and told him she'd let him know. As Bee left, she saw a ivory mech with orange tattoo's leave the room. She stepped forward in front of him. He saluted sharply, recognising the femme commander from the introduction.
"At ease, Maelstrom. I came to talk to you. Optimus told me it might be beneficial for the both of us if I did."
The young warrior nodded, "I'd like that ma'am."
"It's Elita in private Maelstrom. Is there anyone else still in the room?"
The younger mech shook his head, "No. I was the last….it's kinda hard to believe what's happening and all."
"I understand. Let's go in and sit," the femme mentioned, and they entered the large conference room and sat in the nearest seats. Smiling to make the younger bot feel more at ease, the femme asked kindly, "What would you like to know about your mother?"
"Well…..everything! She told me about her adventures as an Autobot, but she didn't tell me what she did before the war or where she lived or anything like that. When she spoke to me, it was more of a 'don't give up hope, you will get out of here one day and fight against injustice against the Con's' sort of thing. She taught me how to read and write, helped to build my processor and all. She taught me about emotions. Common sense things. But she never told me much of her past…could you maybe….fill in the gaps?" the ivory Zonda implored.
Elita, still kindly in her gaze, acquiesced. "Very well. She was created via the All Spark, not of a bonded couple, and was sent to a sparkling centre in Iacon where she was then adopted by a scientist who wanted a sparkling, but did not have a sparkmate. His name was Turbine. He sent her to all the best academy's and she became a great scientist in her own right and was very successful in designing stronger forms for Cybertronians. She and her adopted creator had a good relationship, if a little distant because of the amount of work they did. She worked at the same lab as Perceptor, though he was only a young apprentice then, and they somehow became friends. She was his mentor and teacher as well. Turbine and Perceptor were the only two bots who were the closest to her." Here, the femme commander paused and her smile dropped.
"Then the Golden Age ended. She is older than me, but not by too much. Anyway, war began spreading over Cybertron. She decided to use her scientific ability to help the Autobots and came to my recruitment centre. I had her apart of my team on the condition that she learn how to defend herself. And she became reasonably good at shooting and hand-to-hand combat. As far as I know, she never fell in love, nor stopped being passionate for the Autobot cause. She was serious, but could take a joke, and we a very eloquent speaker – as I'm sure you know." Maelstrom nodded.
"Yeah…..is that all you know of her…?" he asked.
"Yes. Though Lancer had a complicated job and manner, she was a very simple and gentle person at the spark. I am proud of her, of her courage – that I have heard from Optimus – and bravery in the face of adversity, and that she seems to have a worthwhile successor," said Elita. Maelstrom lifted his Hound shaped helm to look her directly in optic.
"Even with the knowledge of who my creator is? That my spark is half tainted with a tyrants? Even though I have to continually keep the bond closed, ever since I was a sparkling?" murmured the young warrior. Gently placing a slim hand on his ivory shoulder, Elita said, "Yes. It is not the parentage that defines a Cybertronian, but what they do. And you have been, as much as I can sense, honest with the Autobots."
Maelstrom smiled. "Thanks Elita. You and Optimus are…..really cool." Elita laughed at the vernacular the orange tattooed mech had already seemed to pick up from Earth. The femme commander knew that Ariea and Wildside had already as well.
"Thank you Maelstrom. Now I believe that it is now night here on Earth, and it is time to reacharge. Recharge well, and if you need anything from myself or Optimus, don't hesitate." Elita made a sound of amusement, "I feel like I've been saying that repeatedly in the past few hours."
"It just prove your leadership I think, that you and Optimus are so willing to know your soldiers."
"I like to think it's part of the job description of being a commander," the femme deadpanned, walking out of the door after Maelstrom and locking it behind her. Waving to the young mech, the rose femme turned to walk away to her quarters where comfort waited for her in the form of a berth and her sparkmates warm arms.
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A/n: jeez that was a filler and a half. Don't worry, better stuff next chapter.
