I think the chapter title speaks for itself. Also, I know a few of you have been wondering who the caretakers are that Sentinel and Thea picked. There was a reason why I never mentioned their names. They're irrelevant to the story. This chapter will bring that to light.

a/n: a Mongoose is to an ATV for a single rider. I got it from the game Halo 3. I love playing that game! The name Valguatr is one of the many old Norse names Odin was called. For those who don't know, Odin is associated with wisdom, war, battle, and death.

Valgautr

The sparkling giggled and chirped merrily as he climbed up my leg and onto my lap. His smiles and laughs always brought me so much joy. My chest swells with so much pride. I feel so blessed to have found his mother and to have created such a beautiful sparkling.

"Are you having fun?" I asked, tickling his belly.

My son's high pitched giggles told me he was having all the fun in the universe. I could even feel his love within my spark. I gladly returned mine to him.

"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! We're under attack by Decepticons! If anyone can hear our transmission please send help! We have almost thirty families on board with younglings and sparklings! Pl…"

I quickly placed my son in the co-pilot's seat. He sensed something was wrong and remained quiet, watching me as I typed in several commands on the console. I had to resist the urge to reply to the hail but I couldn't risk the Decepticons finding my family.

We had fled Cybertron in hopes of finding a peaceful life. I promised Eleni that I wouldn't fight anymore and take her and our son somewhere safe. During my entire life I have yet to break a single promise I have made.

The console's monitor showed the ship, Autobot energy signature too. It was entering the atmosphere with multiple bogies hot on his afterburners. Its current trajectory was…

"VAL!"

I grabbed my son and hurried outside. Eleni, who'd been making repairs on the engines, rushed into my arms as I emerged from our small space craft.

Above us was the Autobot vessel, multiple explosions erupting from its hull, a thick trail of black and red smoke behind it. It was spiraling out of control. My spark clenched, I knew it was going to crash.

"What are those?" Eleni asked pointing at the dozens of small metal objects ejecting from the hull.

"Escape pods!"

I gasped seeing the Decepticon ships shooting at the escape pods. Pure rage filled my spark as the pods exploded one by one in the sky. How could they?! Femmes, younglings, sparklings were inside those pods!

Then suddenly a huge fireball filled the sky. The Autobot vessel exploded with such a force that I could hear it and feel it from the ground. The Decepticons scattered. Fire rained from the sky. My son trembled in my arms. My spank sank as I knew hope was lost, nothing could have survived that.

And out of the fireball shot an escape pod. A single pod. It rocked over our heads towards the mountains a few parsecs away. It must have eject just as the ship blew!

"Eleni, take Magnus, power down the ship and stay inside," I said, placing our son in her arms.

"Papa?"

"Not now, Magnus," I smiled, trying to keep him calm.

I could sense his fear even as I opened the underneath storage compartment of the craft.

"What are you doing?" my bonded asked me.

The ramp lowered and I run up, grabbing my plasma rifle and mounted the mongoose.

"Val, you promised me! No more fighting!"

"I know my love," I said as I rolled down the ramp. "I'm not going to fight. But I can't turn my back on them. They're Autobots. Even if I can only save one then I have eased my conscience some."

She stared at me. Worry filled her beautiful blue optics. She was scared. Not for herself or me, but for Magnus our son. Ever since he was sparked her goal has been to keep him safe from the war we both knew was going to spread across all of Cybertron.

"Go, you'd just better get your aft back here or else!" she said, tears spilling from her optics.

"I promise, I'll return," I said, kissing her.

I fired up the mongoose and tore off as fast as the scattered trees would allow me in the direction the escape pod had crashed. Experience was telling me time was running out. If the Decepticons were shooting down escape pods this one might not have gone totally unnoticed. I prayed the trees would keep our space craft and my family hidden. As long as Eleni powered down the vessel she should be safe.

Once I was within half a parsec the energy signature of the escape pod showed up on the mongoose's sensors. My guess was almost accurate. I only had to make a slight adjustment to my course. I was just thankful I didn't pick up any Decepticon energy signatures yet.

The mongoose's sensors were limited but I would have enough warning to take cover if necessary. And even if I was forced to fight I'd have no qualms about killing a few Decepticons. They went against everything I believe in. But I hope it doesn't come to that. I'd rather not risk my family. And I couldn't risk my son growing up without a father. I love Magnus too much to do that to him.

The brakes squeaked softly as I came to a sudden stop. The pod was just over this small hill. I quickly turned the power down on the mongoose to its minimal setting so the sensors were still operable then covered it with some tree branches. With my comlink was keyed into the sensors on the mongoose I'd know when the Decepticons got close.

With my plasma rifle slung over my shoulder, I ran up the hill. Once I reached the top I came to an abrupt stop, shield my optics a bit. Frag! The pod was still hot! Steam wafted up from the pod. Smoldering brush surrounded it. But I didn't have time. I pushed on and with the butt of my rifle I hit the release button to open the door and waited.

No one emerged. No frantic mother or father. No frightened youngling. Not even a sound except for the crackling fire.

Once some of the steam cleared and I was able to see inside. My spark twisted in sorrow. It was a sparkling, wrapped snuggly in its blanket. And with it was the severed arm of a mech. I assume it was a mech because its length and width was similar to my own arm. He must have had enough time to put his sparkling safely in the pod. I too would sacrifice any bit of myself if it meant saving my son.

The alarm sounded. The Decepticons were coming!

Wasting no more time I reached in and grabbed the sparkling. When I quickly turned something fell. My optics followed it. A toy. Presumably the sparkling's.

My alarm beeped more insistently. I was out of time.

I left the toy and ran for safety. It was only just a toy. This sparkling's life was much more valuable to me.

Just as I took cover I heard the laser fire of a ship and in an instant the pod exploded. The sparkling in my arms continued to recharge oblivious to all that was around him. I sighed thinking that was probably best. I couldn't bear to think that someone so young had to endure all of that.

"That's the last one, Starscream," a voice said.

I glanced up from my hiding place to see three Decepticons hovering above the escape pod with their ship slowly circling up above them. I recognized the one called Starscream. I had only seen him once before when the Decepticons were just annoying rebels and not the force they were today. But I never forget the faces of my enemies. Never.

"What's that?" another voice asked.

I froze. Frag! They saw me! With the sparkling secured in one arm I drew my weapon ready to fire.

"It's just a toy burning," Starscream answered. "Let's head back and give Lord Megatron the good news."

"Yes, Sir."

Primus, I had never been so relieved in my entire life when they left. So relieved that I contacted Eleni via our comlink.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. Magnus was a little scared but he seemed to understand to remain quiet. From what I can see, they're leaving."

"Their job is done," I said, gritting my jaw angrily.

"Were…were you able to save whomever was in the escape pod?"

My optics fell upon the sparkling. Tears gently rolled down my faceplates. The little sparkling's entire world had been blown away, literally and figuratively. It was alone in the universe now. No family. No friends. Nothing.

"Val?"

"Yes, my love. It seems our family just got a little bigger."

"I don't understand."

"You will very soon, I'm coming back now."

I spoke soflty to the sparkling as I sat down on the mongoose.

"I will love you as my own, little one. I promise."