Possession.
Chapter Thirteen.
A/N: Dr Syn is the intellectual property of author MeowthTwo, and is used here with her permission.
Barricade was either exercising more self-control than Bumblebee had given him credit for, or had been mollified by Optimus' request to lead the convoy, for the rest of the trip to the Autobot base was undertaken with no sudden increases or speed or unnecessary detours through awkward junctions. As they arrived at their destination, they could all see Ironhide standing by the open gates, obviously waiting for them.
"Ironhide, Barricade is permitted to come in under Section Six of the Treaty of Iacon," Optimus told the Weapons Specialist.
"The Seekers and Sam have gone inside, Prime, First Aid is fuelling up the Seekers and checking over Sam," Ironhide told him. Optimus transformed into robot form and nodded his understanding before walking into the Base, the other three also transforming and falling into step behind him.
Optimus walked in to Ratchet's med bay in time to see First Aid finish his scans of the human just as Skywarp sighed in appreciation as he removed the tip of a refuelling nozzle from the valve of his now-full tank.
"Sam's scans read as normal," First Aid reported as Ratchet moved forwards to reclaim his med bay, "except for a low-level of AllSpark energy, now we know to scan for it."
"Ratchet, if I remember correctly, you, First Aid and Cliffjumper have been practicing making sparkling bodies," Sam said. "Do you have any completed ones that you'd trust to put a sparkling in?"
"Well, a couple, yes, the others either need completing, checking or are slightly below standard as we had to get used to making them again. Why?"
"Well - I'm not sure, I don't want to say anything in case it doesn't work, but - well, could you let me see them?"
Ratchet replied with a nod before moving to a cupboard which when opened, proved to be full of small sparkling shells. Ratchet sorted through them finding three that passed his rigorous standards, lying them down in front of Sam, who was stood on one of his smaller worktables. There was a small green sparkling body, and a little red one, and a slightly larger silver one. Sam examined the green one first, then the red, noticing the crafted hair which suggested it was for a femme spark, but the one he took most interest in was the silver one.
"Wings?" he asked, touching one of the thin appendages gently. "Are you anticipating little Seekers?"
"Not really, but Cliffjumper said he wanted to keep all his crafting skills in practice. I shouldn't have put it out, I'm sorry." As Ratchet moved to take the winglet frame, Sam put his hand out hurriedly.
"N-no, it's fine, I was just surprised. Here, let me try something."
By now the three Seekers had all moved over to watch. Sam swallowed slightly, wishing the four Decepticons and four Autobots weren't all watching. He felt nervous, wasn't sure if this was such a good idea, but he couldn't bottle out now, so he swallowed the lump that had suddenly materialised in his throat, and wiped his sweaty palms down the legs of his pants, then knelt by the winglet body and placed his hands on the smooth cold metal of it's chest.
As the assorted mechs watched, he closed his eyes and went very still. The tension in the air was palpable. As one second turned into two, and then to five, and then to ten, the assembled group wondered if they had pushed Sam too hard or expected too much of him, for nothing seemed to be happening, except that beads of sweat appeared on Sam's face. Then a blue glow flickered around his hands briefly, a glow that brightened until it was almost too bright to look at, and then abruptly winked out.
Sam seemed to almost deflate as he let out the breath he had obviously been holding, and then almost toppled over as the limp silver arm of the winglet tensed and shifted against his legs. He scuttled back out of the way as it opened small green optics and made a few clicking sounds followed by a coo.
"Starscream? That one's for you," he said. He looked first at Optimus and then at Ratchet. "There's one for each of you, too, if you want, but there's a condition."
"What about me?" Barricade asked as Starscream stepped forward to scoop the winglet up into his arms. "Not a flyer and not an Autobot so I'm not good enough, is it?"
"No, but there's only three bodies good enough to take a spark," Sam said. "As Ratchet helped build them, I think it only fair he gets the third."
"Look, we can custom-build one for you, and I won't accept mine till your sparkling body's been built, okay, it's only fair that the two faction leaders get them first." Ratchet assured the offended frontliner. He turned to look at Sam, not waiting to see if Barricade had been calmed by his offer. "You spoke about conditions, Sam, what are they?"
"The AllSpark is concerned about creating sparklings when there is active conflict between the Autobots and the Decepticons," Sam explained. "It doesn't want to create sparklings only for them to be killed."
"We would never send sparklings into battle, or attack them!" Thundercracker said.
"But we can't guarantee that accidents won't happen," Starscream said as he held the winglet against him. It was whirring, the sound not a happy one, and Ratchet moved to get a cube of low-grade energon, a glass flask, and a piece of tubing.
Barricade watched for a moment and then said "In other words you want us to make peace, just on your say-so?" Sam shook his head.
"The AllSpark was reluctant to allow this one. I had to convince it that you'd at least give the idea some consideration before it would do it."
"That's why it took so long?" First Aid asked, and Sam nodded. At that moment, Ratchet walked back with a flask of low grade, sealed except for a short length of tubing, and gave it to Starscream, who put the tubing in the sparkling's tank valve and inverted the flask.
"There, little one, you need some fuel," he said. He looked up at Sam. "Is it a mech or a femme?"
"It's a femme," he said.
"I think I'll call her Firefly," he said, lifting the winglet to nuzzle its cheek briefly. "My little Firefly."
"If you think that we'll put aside our conflict just because you say the AllSpark says we should, think again!" Barricade said. Starscream turned around to face the frontliner.
"If you're going to reject the idea of peace without even talking about it and thinking it through, you can leave now, and I'll call in Payload to represent the ground forces in your place," the Seeker said in a sharp tone that left nobody present in any doubt that he meant it.
"Come on, Barricade, we'll get started on the body for your sparkling, shall we?" Ratchet asked. "I'll call Cliffjumper and we can draft out a few ideas." When Barricade looked mutinous, Ratchet softened his voice.
"Don't you want a sparkling? Come on, just throwing up ideas won't hurt, will it?" Barricade looked at Starscream feeding the infant Seeker, then sighed and allowed Ratchet to lead him away.
"I can see the AllSpark's point, but Barricade's as well," Starscream said once he was certain Barricade had gone. "I'm willing to try for peace, after all, the conflict almost cost us the AllSpark once, and Cybertron is in ruins. What point would there be in destroying this world as well? There's not even enough resources left to make a takeover profitable." He nuzzled the sparkling again as he finished feeding her, handing the empty vessel back to First Aid. "However, the others may feel differently, so I can only promise I'll try and convince my mechs."
"Maybe the chance of sparklings will convince them," Optimus said.
"Will we have a chance of having one?" pleaded Thundercracker, and although he said nothing, the anxious, hopeful look on Skywarp's face indicated that he was wondering the same thing.
"I'll have to check with the AllSpark, but all I can say is that if peace is made, the answer is a definite yes. It depends on whether it feels it would be safe," Sam explained.
"I'll go back to the Base and explain things to my mechs," Starscream said, "and show them Firefly as proof that Sam can do this. I may be some time, but please be patient, others may still be reticent." He paused. "All I can hope is that Barricade changes his mind, if he doesn't some of the other mechs may hold out too." He nodded to Thundercracker and Skywarp. "When Barricade comes through, let me know his mood, and if it's negative, try and convince him of the benefits."
"That'll be difficult, what do you suggest we do?" Thundercracker asked.
"Encourage him with thinking of the possibility of his own sparkling. Use logic, use flattery, Pit, interface with him if you think it'll help, but just try!" Starscream said. As Starscream moved off towards the exit, Thundercracker nodded.
"Okay, Optimus, choose a body, and maybe I can give you your sparkling, but after that, I'd like a rest, please," Sam said.
Nodding slowly, Optimus moved over and picked one of the shells up.
"This one please," he said.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
When Starscream returned, two days later, it was with the rest of the Decepticons in tow. When Ironhide reported this to Optimus, he nodded.
"Let them in," he told Ironhide, as Ratchet commed to him that Starscream had just told him via com that he hoped comfort and full tanks would make his mechs more responsive.
Going down to the medbay to greet Starscream, Optimus watched as the other grounders came in, and as he moved over to stand by Starscream and personally greet their new guests, one of the mechs shot a longing glance at the tiny red femme that was in recharge nestled in the crook of one of the Prime's elbows.
"How is Barricade?" Starscream asked Optimus. "I haven't heard anything from my wing brothers."
"Ratchet and Cliffjumper have been hard at work since you left, but Ratchet thinks that the finished sparkling body may be enough to sway him, especially if Ratchet prompts him to think of it animated and moving," Optimus said.
"I swear that medic of yours has a bit of Decepticon in him," Starscream said.
"Oh, if you ask me, every medic does, regardless of faction, we need that devious side to deal with awkward patients," said the Decepticon medic, Dr Syn, who had overheard the comment. He nodded to the sparkling. "So, what's her name? I'd ask to check her, but she looks too comfortable to risk disturbing."
"Terra Prima. It translates as 'First of Earth'. Technically, Starscream's was the first, but this one's the first grounder, and the first Autobot, Sparked on Earth," Optimus said fondly as he raised a finger to stroke the sparkling's back. The little femme purred and wriggled at the touch, but did not wake.
At that moment, Ratchet walked out with a less-mutinous Barricade in tow. The frontliner held a sleek-looking silver and bronze coloured sparkling body in his hands, which Ratchet exasperatedly but gently shifted to his arm.
"Close to your body, Barricade, sparklings instinctively crave the warmth of a Spark, so hold them against you, not out from you, it hasn't got contagious corrosion, you know."
"It's not even animated yet," Barricade grumbled. "What does it matter if I make a few errors?"
"Yes, while it's still only a shell, no harm is done, but let's get them corrected while it is still a shell," Ratchet stated. He looked over at Optimus and Starscream. "The body for Barricade's sparkling is ready, even if Cliffjumper'll be grousing about the pace we set for orns."
"I'll call Bumblebee to bring Sam," Optimus said.
"Where is he?" Barricade asked.
"Visiting Mikaela and his Creators, remember he's not seen them for some time," Optimus said. He commed Bumblebee, then surprised Barricade by holding Terra Prima out towards him.
"If you're going to get your own sparkling, you might want to experience how it feels to hold one," he explained.
Barricade hesitated for an instant, then handed the custom sparkling body to Ratchet, and accepted the little femme, taking her gently in his clawed hands. As Ratchet gave an irritated huff, he quickly transferred her to the crook of his arm.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
Sam, with Mikaela in tow, was brought in by Bumblebee a couple of hours later. He was nervous, worried that without an assurance that Barricade would try for peace that the AllSpark would refuse to spark any more.
Bumblebee set Sam down on the worktable, and Barricade approached with a delicately crafted body, setting it down in front of him. Sam swallowed. This was it, this could potentially either seal the peace or destroy it. He just hoped the AllSpark realized it too.
He took a deep breath, and knelt, and placed his hands on the body.