Author notes:Hi everyone, I finally got chapter 10 done. Again, sorry it took so long. I had a lot of college work but I finally found some time to get this done. I hope you like it :)
o0o0o
"Text" spoken dialogue
'text' bond speech or unspoken thoughts
::Text:: Comm speech
Time conversions:
Astrosecond = 0.498 seconds
Breem = 8.3 minutes
Joor = 1 hour
Cycle = 1 Day
Solar Cycle = 1 year
Vorn = 83 years
Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers or its characters. Transformers is the property of Hasbro, and are not my intellectual property. There is no financial gain made from this nor will any be sought. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Original character, Shadeweaver, belongs to me
The Seeker Code of Honour
~Motto: Protect what is yours and respect what is ours~
1. Never offline trine member(s) without a valid reason
2. Never offline or harm kin, sparklings/younglings or bonded in our midst
3. Always respect our needs for open spaces and thirst for flight
4. Always be mindful of our winged frames; never knowingly harm them out of malice
5. Be ready to protect your peers and judge those who dare to disregard Seeker Code of Honour
"So you have failed your mission," Megatron started slowly in a cold, dangerous tone as he scowled down at the unfortunate Second-In-Command, "Why am I not surprised?" he drawled. A whole day had passed since Antarctica and after scouting for energon, the trine had returned empty handed and now had the daunting task of debriefing the Warlord himself.
"But- but Lord Megatron," Starscream started, "The Autobots ambushed us, we were outnumbered-!"; Thundercracker and Skywarp cringed as he was cut off by a powerful blow to the faceplates.
'Will he ever learn stay down?' Thundercracker sighed through the bond.
'TC, this is Screamer we're talking about here,' Skywarp hinted, 'He never backs down.'
"SILENCE, you worthless pile of slag!" Megatron spat, "I have said this before and I will say it again; ever since we have come out of stasis on this mudball, you have brought us nothing but failure. You are an embarrassment to the entire faction who has not only just lost us a quartex' worth of energon but has also failed to achieve a simple daily quota!" he sneered. Wiping a trickle of energon from his faceplates, Starscream clenched his servos and glared at the Warlord with ire in his optics.
"For your utter incompetence, I want you to rid the base of your stupidity and to not return until you have recovered the energon that you have lost yesterday as well as filled the quota that you should have today; and that is an order," Megatron stated firmly.
"What!? You cannot be s-" Starscream started indignantly.
"I said; that is an order," Megatron said with clear, unwavering authority in his voice; Starscream then exchanged looks with his Trine Brothers then back at the Decepticon Leader, "Now leave before I use other means to remove you," he added dangerously. The initial surprised, horrified expression soon turned back to hatred as Starscream's optics burned into his unwavering, firm glare. Then realising that he had ultimately lost this argument, Starscream let out an audible snarl before storming out of the throne room releasing curses in his wake. Thundercracker and Skywarp quickly followed their fuming Trine Leader through the corridors not caring who got in their way.
"Curse him!" Starscream snarled as he walked briskly ahead, "One day, Megatron, I swear. One day!" he growled.
'This would've gone much more smoothly if he'd just kept that fraggin' vocaliser shut,' Thundercracker commented tiredly through the bond.
'Yup, but then again that vocaliser's what he's famous for,' Skywarp hinted, earning a slight snort of amusement from Thundercracker's end.
"Thundercracker; Skywarp!" Starscream suddenly snapped, forcing them out their thoughts, "Go and re-energise yourselves. I shall meet you at the hangar in less than a joor and carry out our dear Lord Megatron's little errand," he added with a strong sense of venomous sarcasm aimed at the Decepticon Warlord.
"Alright, see ya I guess," Thundercracker said, "And Screamer, try and not antagonise him too much hey? We kinda still need your helm intact," he added out of jest. Starscream merely rolled his optics in response. Although Megatron irked him to no end, Starscream knew his undying pride often put him in his line of fire.
"Whatever just be back within a joor," Starscream said, 'And remember to keep what we discovered about the Femme between ourselves,' he added through their bond away from prying audio receptors. Thundercracker and Skywarp merely acknowledged with a nod before they went their separate ways. Little did Starscream know, however, their Lord was already way ahead of them.
Meanwhile, back in the main bridge, Megatron could only vent as he rubbed his faceplates in annoyance.
"Soundwave, what is Ravage's status?" he asked his loyal communications officer.
"Ravage is currently wired into the Military network ," Soundwave replied, "He is ready to set the beacon and is awaiting your orders, Lord Megatron," he added.
"Excellent," Megatron replied with an evil smirk, "Just like a moth to a flame," he added with a dark guffaw.
o0o0o
At first there was nothing but the emptiness that graced the senses. In the void of nonexistence she lingered; stagnant was the air and and stale was the mind. The Humans would call this place Limbo where you would float around til the end of time neither dead nor alive, nor up nor down.
WARNING
CPU_MAIN: 75% CORRUPT
STASIS LOCK COMMENCING
There was a crackle followed by a low hum that graced her audio receptors. Then little by little, out of the neverending nothingness came darkness. A dark void, stone cold and deathly silent only marred by the odd faint mechanical whirr.
USER_OVERRIDE: CMO_RATCHET: ACCEPTED
USER_INPUT: STASIS LOCK ABORT
Heat. Little fingers of warmth spread out through her chassis. They travelled like little rivers through her systems slowly bringing her components to life. There was a faint click and a whirr in the surrounding darkness came before a faint, static filled her mind.
CPU_MAIN INSTALLATION: ACCEPTED
DOWNLOADING DATA
Images flickered through her internal vision. In terms of a Human, this would equate to having your life flash before your eyes. Her Human friends, the base, the Autobots, her trine; everything that had happened in her life came flooding back like a tidal wave.
DOWNLOAD COMPLETE
STARTING UP
SYSTEMS COMING ONLINE
Distant sounds and voices became apparent. Sensory nodes slowly started to come back online with jolts of electricity travelling down her frame. She felt her digits twitch as her motion sensors recalibrated.
"Alright, that should do it for now," a faint yet clearer voice spoke up as she felt a slight click of a metallic plate snapping into place. Static filled her vision as she opened her optics. Then with a few blinks, her optics adjusted as the red and white blob slowly became the Autobot medic.
"Ratchet?" she started, vocaliser sounding hoarse, "How long?" she asked finding it difficult to form a sentence.
"Approximately one full cycle and you'll be pleased to know that Joseph is perfectly fine with no lasting injuries," Ratchet replied, the Seeker visibly relaxed at that. A mirror hanging above the berth then caught her attention. With her CPU clearing and her motion sensors almost at full capacity once more, she reached a servo up to the helm. Examining the Medic's handiwork, she felt around the edges of a sheet of metal covering where the head wound from the cave would have been.
"It is just some temporary repair work. It is less than perfect but it will prevent you from contracting rust infections; I will finish up repairs as soon as we can gain some more materials," Ratchet started, "I also had Perceptor to help repair your CPU and that your internal communication systems are functional again," he added.
"You are a very fortunate individual, you know," Ratchet said with a small vent, "Had we waited for much longer, you could have entered a non-medically-induced stasis lock. That could very well have corrupted your CPU beyond repair," he stated.
"Wow, really?" Shadeweaver commented with optics widened slightly in surprise, "Didn't think I was cutting it so close."
"Yes quite," Ratchet hummed.
It was then at that moment that to glance around the med-bay; she had been in here so often already that it was vastly becoming a permanent place of residence for her.
"You know at this rate I'm gonna end up beating Sunny and Side's record," Shadeweaver said with a vent.
"Don't even think about it; I have enough problems with those Slaggers stirring things up around here," Ratchet warned but with a hint of amusement.
"Yeah," Shadeweaver chuckled a little, eyeing a dent in the wall from one of his wrenches. Then as the Femme's optic caught sight of one of the Autobot insignia on her wing, a question that had plagued her since she first met the Autobots burned in her processor once more, "Hey, Ratchet; can I ask you something?" she started.
"Of course," Ratchet said simply.
"How come most Seekers are Decepticons?" Shadeweaver asked. Ratchet stalled for a moment before letting out a long vent. He should have known she would ask this sooner or later.
"Well, that was mostly due to Megatron's influence," Ratchet said, "Heard some remarks have you?" he asked.
"One or two passing comments," Shadeweaver admitted, "They weren't aimed at me but…" she trailed off.
"Well, of all Cybertronians, Megatron favours the Seeker race in particular," Ratchet started, "And it is widely said by both Seekers and Cybertronians alike that he actively holds their Code of Honour close to his spark. During his speech after the ascent to the Leader of the Decepticons, as well as providing a voice for slave labour, he also proclaimed that all Seekers would be welcomed with open servos and that he would provide each of their wants and needs. That also included utmost respect for the Laws of Vos. Thus, over time, many of the Seekers migrated towards the Decepticon faction, including some of our own," he added; Shadeweaver just remained silent, absorbing what was being said.
"Due to their inherent programming, it is said that Seekers are generally Decepticon by nature. They can be brutal in their attacks and can also be frightfully protective, not hesitating to kill if their trines or sparklings are harmed in anyway. I bet you could give a few examples of some of this programming?" Ratchet explained. Although she would purge at the very idea of being a Decepticon, Shadeweaver could certainly recall a few times where her programming had surfaced; the latest events being at Yellowstone and Antarctica.
"Then do you think I should have been a Decepticon?" Shadeweaver asked, "I don't see how I could but there have been a few times in the past where I almost gave in to that programming," she admitted
"No Shade, I do not" Ratchet stated with confidence, "Please bear in mind that this is your instinctual programing that we're talking about; not your personal identity. As Optimus rightly said, everyone has a dark streak that has the potential to surface when triggered. Yes you may have that base instinct but your upbringing, your logic circuits and your personality also contribute. For instance, you may have wanted to harm someone but your logic circuits and your morals prevented you from doing so, am I right?" he hinted.
"I guess," Shadeweaver said simply.
"You really shouldn't listen to those remarks, Shade," Ratchet said, "Though Seekers are Decepticons in nature, it is really down to your own personal choices in life; you chose to help and protect others, therefore you are an Autobot in my optics," he added with a smile.
"Thanks Ratchet," Shadeweaver replied gratefully with a small smile in return, "Anyways, suppose I should go and get some recharge. See ya" she added but just then, two familiar tiny individuals walked into the med-bay.
"Hey, Ratchet how's-" Joe started but noticed that the Seeker Femme had made to sit up, "Shade, you're ok!" he exclaimed as he and Cathy ran up to their sister with relief and joy in his voice; she carried them both up to the berth beside her.
"Yes, she will be fine," Ratchet said, "I still have some minor repairs to make at a later date but she will make a full recovery," he added.
"Oh! Thank God!" Cathy sighed in relief, "We thought we were gonna lose you," she added.
"Yeah, that was some scare you gave us," Joe commented, "You almost slipped into a coma by the time we got back to base; Cathy was practically in tears when we arrived back," he added.
"I know, I know; I'm really sorry," Shadeweaver apologised; she knew that Joe and Cathy must have been beside themselves and she instantly felt bad knowing the internal pain that they had gone through, "I didn't mean to scare you guys," she added as she held them close, allowing the two small Humans to cuddle into her frame.
Judging by the closeness and the silence that befell, Ratchet knew that the mismatched trine had slipped into a conversation through their bond. Although Seekers could be difficult at times, he always found that the closeness of a trine was rather pleasant to witness. It was then at that Ratchet decided to let them have a moment to themselves and made to calibrate some of the equipment in a small adjacent room.
o0o0o
A joor later, most of the Autobots were in the rec-room either re-energising, engaging in a conversation or just chilling out.
"And the wrenches just kept on coming," Sideswipe said, "I swear Sunny and I came out with bigger dents than the Pits of Kaon," he added with the surrounding Autobots laughing in response.
"Well, you did paint him neon green," chimed Cliffjumper.
"Neon green huh?" chimed a certain navy blue/green Femme as she walked in with Joe and Cathy, "Nice choice," she added with a grin of approval and a thumbs up.
"Hey, Shade; nice to see ya in once piece again," Sideswipe greeted her.
"So, what's up besides annoying the life outta Ratchet?" Shadeweaver asked.
"Not much, just hangin'," Sideswipe said nonchalantly, "So, you ever pulled a prank?" he asked out of curiosity.
"Not me but I know a certain someone who has," Shadeweaver said; Joe flinched as he felt her gaze on him, "Hey may not look it but this guy is one hell of a prankster," she added, gesturing Joe.
"Shade, Shade; tell him about the one with the paint," Cathy suddenly chimed in; Shadeweaver's optics widened for a moment at this.
"Cathy!" Joe hissed, "Did ya have to remind her of that!?"
"Oh. God, yeah. Thanks for reminding me," Shadeweaver groaned, she saw the rest of the Autobots were eagerly awaiting her tale; she vented a little, "Alright, one day about five years ago; Joe, Cathy and I had just come in from our daily patrol. This was also happened to be time for my monthly repaint where the engineers on base would help to recoat and buff me. Anyway, at the time, Joe was responsible for ordering and getting the paints ready but unbeknownst to me, he decided to add his own little flair to the mix," she added; Joe sank under the gaze bore into his soul.
"Anyway so, I came in, the engineers repainted me, waxed and buffed me. It was absolutely fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Then after performing our duties around base, it was time to head to the hangar and recharge. So the three of us headed back there but I noticed Joe was a little hesitant but assured me he was ok so I thought nothing more on the matter. But then as the lights went out, I saw exactly what he was so on edge about. Somehow the little Slagger switched my order without my knowledge and I was glowing bright green like a giant freakin' neon light," she added and the whole room roared with laughter. "The engineers then obviously had to strip the paint off while everyone, including the Air Marshall, were practically dying with laughter. That was by far the most embarrassing that happened to me," the Femme continued, covering her faceplates at the memory.
"So what was your reaction like?" Cliffjumper asked.
"Well, let's just say he ran a mile and hid from me for the rest of the week," Shadeweaver replied, "And I have yet to get him back for that," she added with smirk towards the Human Male who rubbed his head nervously on her shoulder.
"Heh-heh; you gotta admit though, you were rather fetching in glowing neon green," Cathy commented with a grin.
"Yeah, it's not so good on stealth missions, however," Shadeweaver said but just then an alarm sounded.
"It's Teletraan-1," Prowl spoke up, "It's a Decepticon frequency, Optimus. It seems to be emanating from Portland, Sir," he added.
"Primus! Can't we have one day without those Slaggers?" Sunstreaker vented.
"Apparently not," Shadeweaver commented tiredly.
"Very well, Autobots: ready yourselves for departure," Optimus ordered, "Shadeweaver, I want you and your comrades remain here. You are still recovering from your injuries, thus you would only place yourself and your Trine in unnecessary danger; Red Alert and First Aid will accompany you," he added. Shadeweaver could only agree with this and gave a nodded in acknowledgement. Then within a breem, the once bustling base had become eerily silent as the Autobots transformed and left under Optimus' orders.
o0o0o
Meanwhile, in the main bridge of the Nemesis, Megatron watched intently as the Autobots drove through the desert. A wicked smirked played across his features.
"Excellent; everything is going just as I planned," Megatron said before opening a public comm. link," Decepticons; prepare for departure," he ordered
o0o0o
"So what do think they want this time?" Joe asked, genuinely curious as Shadeweaver strolled through the base.
"No idea but knowing the Decepticons, it can't be a good thing," Shadeweaver replied knowingly.
"So, what now?" Cathy asked.
"Dunno," Shadeweaver shrugged.
"Hey, maybe we can switch Ratchet's tools around," Joe grinned.
"Eh nah," Shadeweaver said, dismissing the thought entirely, "If you think I'm having wrenches chucked at my helm, you're sadly mistaken," she added.
"You know, that's the second Cybertronian word you've said today, guess you're finally getting with the lingo," Joe commented.
"Yeah- hold on," Shadeweaver said before being cut off by an odd interference that filled the air, "I thought I sensed something just now," she said.
"Huh? Like what?" Joe asked but then her optics widened.
"I don't know it was a sort of static in the air - Oh! No," Shadeweaver said as she recognised that frequency, "Decepticons!"
o0o0o
Meanwhile, at Portland IAP; the Autobots were scouting the air base with residents' permission.
"I don't get it; if Teletraan-1 detected the Cons, then where's all the Cons?" Jazz asked, confused.
"That is a fair question, Jazz," Optimus hummed but then Bumblebee's voice crackled into the public comm.
::Hey guys, I found the source of the signal; it looks like it was some kind of beacon::
"Huh? What do ya suppose this all means?" Sideswipe asked.
"It means we've been had!" Sunstreaker growled, "Don't you see? Those blasted Cons baited us here!" he added.
"But why in the pit-" Bumblebee started but was suddenly cut off by a frantic, crackled message .
::Optimus, Optimus! Are you receiving me!?::
::Yes, old friend. Whatever is the matter?::
::It's the Decepticons, Optimus, they're storming the Ark! They're after Sha- aaargh!:: he yelled followed by a loud blast.
::Red Alert. Red Alert do you copy?:: Optimus called but could only hear white noise.
"Autobots: get ready to roll out," Optimus ordered before they swiftly transformed and travelled as fast as they could back to the Ark.
"I knew this would happen!" Sunstreaker growled as he revved through the desert.
"Yeah, let's hope we're not too late so I can slag those fraggin' Cons!" spoke up Ironhide.
o0o0o
"Decepticons!? I thought they were busy attacking Portland!?" Cathy exclaimed.
"Yeah, and now everyone's left base besides me, Red Alert and First Aid," Shadeweaver hinted, "They must have lured them out, leaving the base easy prey," she reasoned.
"It was diversion…" Cathy realised in horror, "Quick call Optimus!" she said.
"I can't, there's something blocking the comm. link," Shadeweaver grimaced, "I'll get Red Alert, maybe he can use Teletraan-1 to-" she said as she bolted down the corridor but she was cut off by an explosion coming from the main bridge.
"Don't tell me they've already stormed the base!" Joe exclaimed.
"Afraid so, and there's way too much ambient light in here," Shadeweaver hinted, "This means I won't be able to shadow merge," she added as she ran down the corridor with Joe and Cathy clinging to her shoulder vents.
As the Femme ran into the main bridge, she stopped in her tracks as thick black smoke bellowed from the large monitor.
"Dammit! Teletraan-1's down!" Shadeweaver cursed.
Then in front of the destroyed monitor, she spotted the figure of an Autobot laying face down with a gash in his side; Shadeweaver immediately came to his side.
"Red, Red! C'mon," Shadeweaver cried, gently shaking the Mech's shoulders; he then to her relief opened his optics.
"Shade...?" Red alert groaned as he came around.
"Oh. Thank God, I thought you were a goner," Shadeweaver vented in relief, "Who did this to you?" she asked.
"C-Combaticons," the Mech struggled, "Go; get out of here. The Decepticons are here looking for you and your Trine. Take the Humans and get yourself to safety; I have alerted Optimus and he will be here in a little over a breem," he added. "Go!" Red Alert yelled. Then with much reluctance, the Seeker got up and ran for the main enter entrance. But before she could even reach the threshold, her vents hitched in surprise as a figure that she hoped never to come across made her stop in her tracks.
"Megatron...!" Shadeweaver said quietly in shock at the sight of the silver Warlord.
"Ah. Shadeweaver; a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," Megatron smirked with a dark undertone. The Femme could only back up not only in fear of the Mech that walked dangerously into the Autobot base but also for the lives of the two tiny figures who sat astride her shoulders.
Author notes: And that's chapter ten done. I decided to be evil and make this one a cliffhanger lol.
What will Megatron do now that he has found Shadeweaver and her trine? Only time will tell.
Thanks for reading :)