Takes place one month after the previous chapter. Time for Sari to return to Cybertron! But no sooner does she arrive, when she learns that Jazz has immediate plans!
It was time for Sari to return to Cybertron. She spent the morning in her room packing up her things. "I guess I won't need too many clothes, since I'll probably be spending 99% of my time in bot mode while up there," she thought. She packed her college text books, and of course, her touch pad. "Now we'll see how well Dad's linkup to Detroit College works!"
She put together all of her things and took the elevator up to the top of Sumdac Tower. As soon as the doors opened, there on the platform were Optimus, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Arcee, Bumblebee, her Dad, and of course, Adam! Jazz was there to accompany her to Cybertron. They would be together, and he would continue to be her Sensei as well as her Commanding Officer for the six months she was there.
"We're all here to give you a proper sendoff!" said Optimus. "While you're back on Cybertron, we'll be here on earth taking care of things."
"Aw, thanks for being here, everyone!" said Sari. She wiped away a tear. "I'll miss all of you. I hope my time away will fly by as quickly as my six months here."
Sari gave Optimus a salute. "Goodbye, Sir! Thank you for your leadership! I will look forward to returning!" "And I will look forward to having you back on my team, Sari!" said Optimus, returning her salute.
"Bye, Ratchet! Thanks for keeping me running smooth!" "You take care of yourself, kiddo!" said Ratchet.
"Goodbye, Bulkhead! Keep up the painting, OK? And keep that space bridge running smooth!" "Will do, Sari! Good luck on Cybertron!"
"Bye, Arcee! Thanks for all your advice and encouragement! See you soon!" "You take care, Sari! And keep up the excellent job with your training!" Arcee said.
"Hey, Bee! I'm gonna phone you lots! Maybe we can try linking up a video game between the planets!" "Sounds good, Sar! You keep up those smooth moves!" Said Bumblebee.
Oh, Dad," said Sari, hugging her father, tears welling up. "These six months went by too quickly. But I'm so glad I was back in Sumdac Tower. We'll keep talking on video phone like before." Sari said.
"Goodbye, my Sari," Isaac said. "You are growing up so quickly. I am so proud of you!"
Sari walked over to Adam. "And I'm so glad you came, Adam. I'm going to miss you so much!" Sari and Adam embraced and kissed for the first time. "Goodbye, Sari. Love you!" said Adam. "Love you too!" she said.
Bulkhead fired up the space bridge. "Ready when you two are," he said.
A flash of blue, and Sari transformed into bot mode. She waved goodbye to her father and friends, and then she and Jazz jumped into the space bridge.
No sooner did they arrive on Cybertron, when Jazz told Sari to stow her things in her apartment and meet him at a designated space port. "Before our arrival Sari, I made some arrangements. We're going to take a short trip to Prowl's tomb."
"Oh, wow. Prowl's tomb?" Sari thought. She was surprised, yet excited by the prospect.
Once at the space port, Jazz signed out a shuttle and set course to the Autobot Mausoleum. "We will go there to pay our respects to Prowl," said Jazz. The mausoleum is set adrift in the Hadeen system, between the orbits of Galleon and Thuvia. The trip there will take less than one solar cycle.
While en route, Sari talked with Jazz about Prowl's internment. "As you know, Bulkhead, Ratchet, Bumblebee and I bore Prowl's pallet off the ship when we arrived on Cybertron."
"Yes, I remember. Then I didn't see you for a few solar cycles," Sari said."
"We boarded a shuttle much like this one," Jazz continued, "and brought Prowl to the mausoleum. Optimus had made the arrangements for his tomb in advance of our arrival, and when the shuttle landed we carried it to his final resting place."
"We conducted a memorial service, and the four of us placed Prowl in his casket. Then we closed the top, and the Curator's staff prepared the tomb. You will see how it looks when we arrive. I was given the honor of choosing his hologram."
They made landing preparations as their shuttle neared the mausoleum, and Sari was astounded at its size. They approached it from the rear, and as their craft traversed from back to front, she had the opportunity to observe the full length. The Autobot Mausoleum is an angular, roughly barge-shaped craft, with a flat landing platform at the front for visiting ships. Roughly the size of earth's Manhattan Island, it is 22 km long, 4 km wide, and 500 meters deep.
"Autobot Shuttle Omega Delta II, requesting landing privileges," Jazz spoke to the Autobot Mausoleum's control tower.
"Roger, Omega Delta II, proceed to landing bay Delta Five Three," responded the control tower.
The administrative center is located at the landing end, and is taller than the rest of the mausoleum. It is a five-sided building adjacent to one end of the landing platform, and also serves as the control tower for guiding ships to their docking station. The level nearest to the landing platform has the visitor's center and the Curator's office.
Jazz piloted their shuttle to the designated landing bay.
"After we land, we'll check in with the Curator. He'll guide us to Prowl's tomb," said Jazz. They powered down the shuttle and entered the administrative center.
"Hello. May I help you?" asked the Curator. "Are you here to pay your respects to a particular Autobot?"
"Yes, Curator. We've come to pay our respects to the Autobot known as Prowl," said Jazz.
"Oh, yes, a recent addition to our Veil of Remembrance. Did you know him?"
"Yes, my name is Jazz. I was at his side when he gave up his spark to save the earth city, and was a pall bearer for his internment. Prowl was a Cyber-Ninja, as am I. And this is my gakusei, Sari Sumdac. She was a student of his."
"Pleased to meet you both," said the Curator. "You can find Prowl's tomb at sector 122R, location 10027. Board the tram at the end of the hallway and it will take you there."
They walked down the hallway and got on the tram. "Location, please," asked the tram voice." "Sector 122R, location 10027," answered Jazz. The tram took off. On the way, the tram presented a brief history of the mausoleum.
"The Autobot Mausoleum is the final resting place of the chassis and servos of fallen Autobot heroes. It is set adrift in deep space. Inside, you can find the memorial known as the Veil of Remembrance. Among its honored dead, is the final resting place for the Autobots that were lost in the Great War."
Soon the tram approached the Veil of Remembrance. Large Eternal Flames burned on either side of the entrance. Above the opening was an inscription in brilliant lettering: "We shall not forget them. Nor fail to reward that which was given: Courage, Valor, Honor."
They passed by seemingly innumerable tombs of Autobot heroes from past battles, most from the Great War. "You will have an opportunity to study these as you learn more about your Cybertron history, Sari," Jazz explains. Sari was awed by the endless corridors of memorials. Each one has a coffin with the name of the honored dead etched in something luminous, an official plaque, a large Autobot insignia and a little Eternal Flame. On top of the casket is a hologram of the departed.
The tram went for what seemed several kilometers, then came to a stop. "Sector 122R, location 10027," it announced. "Honored Autobot Prowl. Sacrificed his spark to save the people of earth's city of Detroit from a weapon of mass destruction set by the Decepticons Megatron and Starscream."
Sari and Jazz got off the tram and stood before Prowl's tomb. On it in glowing gold was etched his name, "Prowl". His plaque described his selfless deed:
The evil Decepticons Megatron and Starscream had unleashed clones of Omega Supreme on the earth city of Detroit with weapons of mass destruction, intending to destroy not only the Autobots, but the entire human population. Cyber-Ninjas Prowl and Jazz, using Processor-over-matter, attempted to gather the power of the AllSpark, which had been shattered across the landscape, to stop the impending explosion.
But try as they might, Prowl and Jazz were unable to muster enough AllSpark fragments to serve their needs; some fragments were missing! With the Omega Supreme clones threatening to blow up the city and everything within a 160-km radius, Prowl levitated himself up towards the AllSpark fragment collection and relinquished his own spark. With one last serene smile, Prowl was lost momentarily in a flash of light and fell lifeless into Jazz' arms.
This last act enveloped the Omega Supreme clones in an AllSpark-powered shell, defusing the explosion into a harmless puff of smoke. With this single selfless act, Prowl saved the lives of not only his Autobot comrades, but millions of humans.
His hologram depicted Prowl with Master Yoketron's helmet, as Jazz requested. His coffin was in Prowl's colors: black, gold and grey.
"Does the mausoleum have breathable air?" Sari asked.
"Yes," Jazz answered.
"Then if I could ask your indulgence Sensei, I would like to transform into human mode and pay my respects to Prowl in private."
"Certainly, Sari. I will go down to the next sector. You can find me there. Please take as much time as you wish."
With that, Jazz took his leave of Sari and left her alone at Prowl's tomb. There was a flash of blue behind him, and the soft sounds of sobbing in the distance.
Jazz decided that it was important for Sari to pay her respects, as a way of experiencing closure regarding Prowl's death. He knew that this would be inadequate in bot mode, since she was half human, and Autobots lack the full range of emotions that would be available to her in human mode. He was glad that she chose to do this in human mode. Thanks for reading.