CHAPTER TEN

DISCUSSIONS AND QUESTIONS

RIAN

The flight back wasn't really that long, but it felt like it was, as I sat by my sibling's side, aware that if her Spark faltered, there would be very little Ratchet could do to save it. However, I had once again underestimated the strength of Sunblazer's Spark, even weakened as it was. It did not falter or flicker out, and when our flying friend landed, Ratchet took my sibling straight into his laboratory-cum-workshop.

I knew it would be a long process, knew that the substantial damage inflicted on my sibling would require a lot of work. I was also aware that Ratchet had not given me any guarantee that he could save Sunblazer, or that she would be undamaged, in either her processors or her body, if he managed it. His examination and work in the field had gone as far as was needed to stabilise her and work out if there was a chance her Spark would survive. The physical and processor testing had to wait until she was more than just 'stable.'

None of this knowledge made the waiting any easier.

I volunteered for anything I could turn my hands, optics, or laser tools to while waiting, to give my processors something else to concentrate on. It was a huge relief to me, at the end of one of the tasks I had set myself, to see Ratchet waiting for me. Excusing myself, I hurried over, too frightened to ask the question I had to know the answer to.

SUNBLAZER

It was my hearing that returned first, for I could hear talking, and sounds of industry and of living. At first, I could not recognise the speech, but after a while, I started recognising single words in the stream of gibberish, then more and more, and eventually I could understand everything.

At first, I could remember nothing, not even who I was, but like with understanding the language, memories first trickled back, then flooded back. I gasped soundlessly as I recalled the Decepticon attack on me.

It was a great surprise, albeit a pleasant one, to find I was still alive. I was sore all over-except for my legs, which seemed to have no feeling at all-but I was alive. From the tingling in my chest, I could feel that some self-repair deep inside was going on, but I could also feel that several holes had been welded shut. Ratchet, I figured out. It had to be Ratchet, I recalled him being there, coming in to help the smaller Autobot hold off those flying above. Some of my circuitry felt so different that it had to have been replaced-something I was sure only a few Autobots, Ratchet included, was capable of doing.

I opened my optics, and they both functioned perfectly. Ratchet had obviously replaced the shattered one. I found myself looking at an unfamiliar ceiling, for I was lying on my back. As I watched, Ratchet stepped into my line of vision, holding an assortment of wiring, circuitry, and tools. He noticed me looking, put down all the parts, and came up to stand by my head.

"Good to see you are awake. Tell me your name." he said.

"Sunblazer." I told him, confused. He knew my name, why was he asking?

"Now, do you remember my name?" he asked.

"You're Ratchet, the Autobot's top medic." I told him. He smiled a little.

"Flattery will get you absolutely nowhere with me, but yes, you are correct." he said. "Do you remember your sibling's name?"

"Her name is Rian." I said, finally working out what he was doing. "To my knowledge, my memory processes are fine. I recall everything about that attack, including which one of those flying Decepticons launched a sneak attack to shoot me up. I owe him one when I'm strong enough, right up the afterburners!"

"That can wait!" Ratchet snapped at me. "Don't go getting yourself shot up again, remember, it's me who has the job of putting you back together afterwards-and this time I almost didn't succeed!"

"Um-I didn't mean right away, and I didn't mean I was going to go after him." I said. "But if I run into him again, I'll recognise him and when I do, I'll take no foolish risks, but I will be saving a special, strong laser blast just for him."

"Well, I'm not done repairing you fully yet, so that will still have to wait. I'm about to deal with your arm and start working on those legs of yours. It's probably best if you're not awake for that, at best it can be uncomfortable and at worst, painful." Ratchet told me.

With that, he used two carefully-applied micro-laser bursts somewhere by the back of my head to drop me back into oblivion.

RIAN

"Rianbot, your sibling is far from fully repaired, but she is out of danger. She will live." Ratchet told me. I sagged in relief. Ratchet continued.

"I can find no detectable sign of processor degradation. She remembers everything and my, doesn't she have a vindictive streak in her? She did awaken, which is how I know she remembers everything, but I have knocked her back out, to give her self-repair systems the energy to do their job. It also means that I can do the repairs I have to, with the minimum of pain and discomfort to her."

"So- she's going to be all right?" I asked. "Can I see her?"

"I first replaced essential circuitry in her head and body cavity, thankfully your sibling's Spark seems to be exceptionally strong. I replaced her broken optic, and have been working on repairing her forearm and legs, which are where the worst of the damage left to repair is. I need to recharge for an hour or so, so yes, I would like you to go in and keep an optic on her. If she awakens, talk to her but don't let her try to get up, or any other similarly foolish things. Tell her that she is under our protection, and that as long as that is the case, we will look after her, no matter what faction she does or does not support."

"I will." I promised.

"Good." he said, and walked off in the direction of the recharging chambers.

I let myself into Ratchet's medical area, and walked over to stand by Sunblazer. Critically, I ran an optic over Ratchet's excellent work.

Sunblazer, I could see, would always bear slight scars, even with self-repair, but Ratchet had welded as carefully as he could on her torso to minimise this scarring. Her legs, although looking far, far better than they had on the battlefield, still bore much damage. One was still twisted in an odd way, while the other had gleaming new welds all up its length.

Looking back up at Sunblazer's face, I saw two glowing optics watching me, one blue, and one red.

Sunblazer was awake.

SUNBLAZER

Feeling slowly returned, although my legs were still insensate and immobile. I could now, however, feel my right forearm, and move my right hand. Ratchet had fixed it, as he had promised. In addition, he had obviously replaced the optic the Decepticons had destroyed, for I could still see properly out of both of them.

Movement caught those optics, and it was then that I noticed my sibling, Rian, was stood by the side of my bed. Her attention was on the rest of me, specifically at that time, on my legs. I would have said something to let her know I was awake, but I didn't know what to say. From Rian's body language, I could tell that she was tense.

Before I could make a decision, or work out what to say, Rian's optics came back up to my face. To my shock, she flinched.

'Do I really look that bad?' I wondered. Was I severely scarred, or damaged in some way beyond repair? Had the shot to my head torn my face apart? Something of my shock must have shown in my face, for Rian recovered herself, reaching out a hand towards me.

"Sunblazer, you are going to have to do something about those optics." she said. "One red and one blue is very creepy, and some will wonder whose side you're on." I nodded, feeling very awkward. That was the nearest Rian had come to even mentioning my original factional choice, something I was still ashamed of. I pointed to the optic Ratchet had obviously replaced.

"Maybe Ratchet has the other one of these. Perhaps he could install it once all my other repairs are done." I said.

"I think he had better. Your optics are very disconcerting." Rian told me. "How are you feeling, Sunblazer?" she asked.

"Sore." I told her, which was the truth. If I see those particular Decepticons again, I owe them a beating!" Rian nodded, apparently in agreement.

"You'll be okay in Ratchet's more than capable hands. But don't you go off to chase Decepticons on your own! We Autobots work as a team." I blinked my optics twice at Rian. Had she forgotten?

"But I'm not an Autobot." I reminded her.

RIAN

I didn't quite know how to answer that. I guess I had just, once again, assumed that Sunblazer would join me, had imagined us fighting next to each other, watching each other's backs, working smoothly in concert with each other as a team. Sunblazer either noticed my silence or had decided to elaborate on her statement already, for she continued talking.

"I'm neutral, as I said a few days ago. I am very grateful that you Autobots even look after those who are not your own.

"You Autobots" she had said. That stung. Why would she not throw in her lot with us? Were her loyalties still torn? I felt like grabbing her and shaking her to make her see sense, but that could be seen as a form of coercion, and one thing we Autobots stood for was freedom. Freedom to live, freedom to do your own thing.

Freedom of choice.

Perhaps I just needed to know how she saw the situation to understand it.

"So why do you want to be neutral? What is the basis of your choice?" I asked, for I was getting angry. I had only just found her, and if she were determined to set out on some suicidal revenge mission, I would lose her again. Why? As my anger built, the question I had been wondering about came out.

"You were as frustrated as I was about our parental units non-alliance and pacifism, maybe more so than I, I understand that but why, Sunblazer? Why did you join the Decepticons?"

Sunblazer went very quiet, looking anywhere but at me.