Summary: Time is running out. Will Thundercracker propose to Skywarp? Can Jazz and Soundwave convince their leaders to elect Skyfire as the one to save them all? Can Starscream look past his history to forgive him?
. . .
Skywarp paced back and forth, full of nervous energy. He glanced at Starscream, who was reclined on the berth, turning his holocube as Vos shimmered in the artificial light.
"TC has been gone a lot, lately." Warp muttered, mostly to himself.
"He needs time to himself. Making peace or whatever." Starscream replied without looking, optics dim.
"Are you sure? He's not gonna do anything crazy, is he?" Skywarp asked, anxiety lacing his voice.
"Yes, I'm sure. He loves us, and you especially. He wouldn't do anything weird."
"How do you know?"
"He told me." Starscream replied.
"No way. He told you and not me? We tell each other everything!"
Starscream frowned. He had to figure out a way to calm Warp down without revealing the surprise.
"Listen, it's not like that! Stop running your energon down with that incessant pacing!"
Screamer was running out of ideas, when the door opened, and Thundercracker himself walked through the door.
"What's going on in here?" He asked incredulously, as Warp wrapped him in a hug, and Starscream huffed.
"Warp thinks you've forgotten about us. Please tell him he's blown a gasket, if he thinks you don't love him."
Thundercracker smiled, and kissed Skywarp's forehead.
"I love you more than I ever have." The blue seeker whispered.
"Then why do you keep leaving? We don't have much time left, and I want to spend every last moment with you..." Warp trembled, and his voice shook with anxiety. They still hadn't chosen a representative yet, and there was much to be nervous about.
"It's almost time for the big meeting." Starscream interrupted, subspacing his precious holocube.
"I promise, Warp. I'll explain everything tonight." Thundercracker spoke calmly, and Skywarp was comforted a little. He nodded, and the three made their way to the loading dock.
In the hangar/medbay that had become the de facto meeting place, Optimus and Megatron stood side by side, and met the assembly of the crews, ready to take the vote that would determine their fates.
"Before we begin, does anyone have any ideas?" Optimus called out to the room at large.
"I do." Jazz spoke up, and went to the front of the room. "I nominate Skyfire. He's been in and out of stasis before, and as a scientist, he could easily learn the process."
"Also," Soundwave spoke up. "He is a pacifist who prefers not to fight. He does not hate Decepticons, and even trusts Starscream."
"I said it once, and I'll say it again." The Decepticon air commander snarled. "I'd rather die than trust that plane!"
"You might just have that choice, Starscream." Megatron said quietly. "I see no reason why we *shouldn't* elect Skyfire."
"The Autobots trust him." Optimus added.
"All the more reason we shouldn't." Starscream muttered.
"Your personal history with me should *not* weigh on your decision, Starscream." Skyfire spoke, weighing in for the first time. "I trusted you with my life once. I'm not the one who's changed."
"You *have* changed!" Starscream shouted back. "You care more about the lives of local vermin than you do about your own kind! You betrayed me!"
Skyfire was taken aback by Starscream's comment, but took a deep breath and replied anyway.
"I care for all life forms, no matter how primitive or intelligent. That is why I will NOT harm you, or any Decepticon."
Starscream meant to show that Skyfire was the wrong choice, but he accidentally gave the scientist the perfect alibi.
"I have observed his frequent absence in combat, and I believe he speaks the truth." Megatron weighed in. "Yes, I could trust Skyfire with my awakening."
"If Megatron believes Skyfire will do the job, I trust him." Thundercracker was the first to speak. Starscream glared at him.
"You'd believe him-" He jabbed a finger at Skyfire. "Over me!?"
"Listen to me, Starscream." Megatron spoke in a low, even voice, and put both hands on his second's shoulders. "I want to give you. Us. The best chance of survival, and right now, that's Skyfire. You can return to plotting his demise after we're safe."
Starscream looked deeply into Megatron's optics, and then glanced back at Skyfire, and finally, he shut his mouth, wings drooped in defeat. He could agree, but he wouldn't have to *enjoy* it.
"Does anyone have any other protests?" Optimus called out. Mechs looked at each other, and then back to the leaders.
"I accept your vote of confidence." Skyfire began, "But I do not know how to revive a mech in stasis."
"I can teach you." Ratchet answered. "All you have to do is find the mech's universal reboot switch, and place an energon cube in proximity.
"I can show you where the switch is, on seekers of our design." Thundercracker noted.
"Oh, and I can show you mine!" Bumblebee exclaimed.
"Wake me first, and I will revive my underlings." Soundwave chimed in.
"Speaking of that..." Jazz added quietly. "I want permission to spend the last few hours with Soundwave."
"Granted." Optimus answered immediately, then turned to face Megatron, an eyebrow raised. The silver mech nodded to Soundwave, who moved to stand next to Jazz, visibly happy, even behind the mask.
"Then it is settled. I wish to spend my last few hours with Bumblebee, so the next time I see your faces, it will be when we have arrived." Optimus spoke, with emotion strong in his voice. Megatron spoke next, and surprised them all with a powerful speech.
"Over the course of this trip, I have had time to think, and reflect. I have recalled the story of how I became a Decepticon, and I am more a Decepticon than I have ever been." Megatron spoke to his own crew, but also to the Solaris at large.
"And yet, I find myself relating to the enemy, seeing things from a new perspective. For the time being, I think I can safely say, that today we are not Autobots and Decepticons. We are the CSC Solaris. And I wish you all Primuspeed until we arrive."
. . .
Jazz put on some music. It was the same tape that had been playing on the day they met, Louis Armstrong and his jazz classics. Rumble and Frenzy had fallen asleep on the berth, and Ravage was curled up next to them, protectively. Laserbeak was asleep in his nest, and was probably the first to slip into the deep sleep of stasis.
"Soundwave: Happy." Soundwave spoke quietly, breaking the silence.
"I know. It's a great soundtrack for the moment. I feel like we chose the devil of stasis over the deep blue sea of oblivion."
"Soundwave; Still pleased."
"Well, our plan worked, and we get to spend this time together. We have nothing to fear now."
"Correct; I am 99% certain that we will awaken in the vicinity of the solar system, in the predicted timeframe."
"That's good enough for me, baby. I'm ready to take a nice long nap." Jazz replied.
"You first call me an Earth quadruped, now I am a human child?"
"Nah, man. It just means I like you. I didn't mean to say it anyway, it just came out." Jazz replied, heat rushing to his faceplates.
"I do not mind. Your knowledge of Earth slang is amusing. I wish to hear more, when we awake." Soundwave answered, and placed his hand over Jazz's, holding it there as they sat braced against the wall, and with a final, deep breath, clicked their systems over to life support.
. . .
"I told you I would explain it. Do you trust me?" Thundercracker asked.
"Of course. I'd trust you with my life." Skywarp answered, nervously hugging his knees on the berth.
"Well, the reason I kept sneaking out these last few days, the real reason, is because I was making this." Thundercracker opened his cockpit, and pulled out a flat, circular object.
It was engraved with concentric circles, and also with the names of two seekers. It was made of polished bronze, and among the deep crevices that made the circles, were lighter etchings of vines and Cybertronian alt-modes, racing through the clouds.
"This? You MADE this?" Skywarp exclaimed, turning the disk in his hands. It seemed that each change in the angle or lighting revealed a new surprise. "Why?"
"Because I want you to know I love you." Thundercracker answered. "This disc is modeled after the ancient warp junction we found, because it symbolizes you, your ancestors, and everything you mean to me."
"T.C..." Skywarp whispered, before pressing his lips to his trinemate's mouth, stunning him into silence. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
"Starscream actually gave me the idea." Thundercracker admitted. "He said that we would be a trine, that we would be together forever. When he said that, I was reminded of the circles that seemed to ripple out of the warp junction."
"But why now? We've been in love for a long time. Did you think I would forget or something?"
"No... But if something happens, if I don't come out of this... I want you to know that I Iove you more than anything. More than life, or energon, or even my wings. I want to spend my life with you "
"You don't mean..." Skywarp whispered, clutching the disk close.
"No, not now. But after we get out of stasis..." Thundercracker placed both hands on Warp's shoulders and looked into his eyes.
"Will you become my Conjux Endura?"
"I've never wanted anything more." Skywarp smiled, optics bright with emotion. "But... Starscream?"
"I've already gotten his blessing." Thundercracker smiled, and stepped away from Skywarp to recline on the bed. The lavender seeker lay down beside him, cuddling close.
"I can't believe you really made this." Skywarp smiled, holding the disc close to him, as Thundercracker's arms wrapped around him protectively.
"Anything for you, Warp. Anything at all."
. . .
"You are predictably cheerful, Bee." Optimus smiled at his berth mate as he leaned his head against the bigger mech's shoulder.
"I don't have anything to worry about." Bumblebee replied, with a cheerful grin. "We've been under before, it was just a long sleep."
"But before, we had Teletraan to keep us safe. I hope Skyfire is up to the job."
"I don't see why not." Bee hummed a bit of an earth tune. "I think it'll be good. We sleep for a while, collect some energon, then we head back home to Earth. As Spike would say, easy-peasy."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Optimus conceded, and his optics brightened considerably.
"Do you ever think about life after the war?" Bee asked, out of the blue.
"Every day, Bumblebee. I think of a restored Cybertron, perhaps one that even our human friends can live in."
"Wouldn't it be cool to have sparklings again?" Bee smiled happily, imagining. "I'm pretty certain Soundwave's kids were off-planet when he found them, like Eject and Rewind were." the yellow mech mused to himself.
"I agree. Once Cybertron is restored, Alpha Trion will be a valuable asset to us."
"Say, you never actually told me who this mech is!" Bumblebee exclaimed. "I've heard the name before, but I feel like it's something I should know."
"Alpha Trion is the first Autobot." Optimus divulged, smiling a bit as Bumblebee's optics grew large. "He is also my creator."
If a mech's optics could pop right out of the sockets, Optimus would be worried that Bee was getting dangerously close.
"Your creator!? The one who sparked you?" The yellow mech practically bounced on his pedes with anticipation.
"Yes. But he was also the one who forged my frame."
"Ah, so Alpha Trion is a Sparksmith?" Bumblebee had heard stories about the mechs who forged the bodies of sparklings, with a Primus-given talent to know exactly which body a spark needed. It was a rare ability, and one which became almost extinct as the war raged on.
"Not only is Alpha Trion the first Autobot, he is the last Sparksmith." Optimus conceded quietly. After he and Elita-1 had saved the old mech in the battle on Cybertron, he hadn't heard a thing about Trion since. It would be easy to forget about the eccentric Autobot, if not for the fact that he was absolutely necessary for the continuation of their species.
"So as soon as the war is over, Alpha Trion can get back to repopulating Cybertron..." Bumblebee whispered happily. Optimus knew how much the yellow mech loved sparklings, and concluded that Bee would make an excellent parent someday. He hoped they would live long enough to see the end of the war, and have a few of their own.
. . .
"This is ridiculous. Completely ridiculous!" Starscream muttered, pacing the floor of his quarters.
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor." Megatron noted from his spot on the berth.
"I'm starting to think that the vacuum of space would be a better alternative to the fate of being double crossed by Skyfire again." the seeker hissed irritably, and Megatron shuttered his optics, trying to rest. There was no reasoning with Starscream in a mood like this. The only option was to wait out the storm, and Megatron could wait forever, if he had to. What the Decepticon leader lacked in patience, he made up for in brute persistence.
"Why don't you come to the berth? It's not like your pacing is helping anything."
"It helps me feel better!" The air commander shrieked, and Megatron let out a long suffering sigh and rose to his pedes.
"That may be true, but it also runs down your already critically low energon levels." Megatron murmured quietly, wrapping his servos around his second's waist, and pulling him close. Taut wings fluttered against a strong torso, and Starscream unconsciously relaxed. Here, he was safe. He would never admit it out loud, but as the two of them bickered in public, they completed each other. Starscream was the manic energy, the inspired strategist and weapons specialist. Megatron was the grounding force, the calm in the storm.
"I hate you." The jet muttered, though he didn't mean it.
"I know." Megatron replied simply. They sank back down onto the berth as their levels reached critical, and non-essential processes began to shut down. "Sleep well, my prince." The warrior rumbled.