Author's Note: This is the part of the summer where my updates will be sporadic because I'm going away for random amounts of time. Please bear with me. This was demonstrated by this late update. Though, it was a combination of writer's block and a mini vaca. Later its gonna be a longer vaca and field hockey. Lots and lots of field hockey. And then school, which is probably gonna screw with my creative writing (I heard we get an essay a week next year... *swears viciously*).

But, super duper thanks to cmdrtekk, 'cause oh, my god, that was a lot and it was so helpful. You're awesome.

Disclaimer: If I owned Transformers, I wouldn't be on this site writing about messing with the characters, I would be actually messing with the characters.

Optimus left Ratchet to tend to Prowl in the ship's med bay (after Ratchet had recovered from seeing a fully stocked med bay for the first time in millions of years; he was constantly scavenging for supplies for his 'bay on the Ark). He left Bumblebee there as well, to help Ratchet out, and to keep him out of trouble. The minibot was still a youngling, he could cause a lot of mayhem on a ship such as this.

And he might go after Sentinel. Optimus couldn't have that. Sentinel might not survive such an encounter.

The Autobot Leader wandered slowly back to the bridge, solemnly gazing at the steel grey walls, so different from the bright orange of his own ship. The crew of the ship was different too; they avoided him like cosmic rust. Like now. He rounded another corner and the bot standing there looked up from the console he was working at, saw him, and ran as fast as his legs would carry him away. It was... Odd. Optimus wasn't used to Autobots being scared of him. Normally only Decepticons were.

Finally arriving at the bridge's automatic doors (wasn't it nice to be around sliding doors that didn't stick?) he entered as gracefully as he could. At least in this form he was smaller than normal and could pull it off better.

Ultra Magnus still stood there as stoically as ever, hands tightly gripping his hammer. Jazz was relaxing at a console and Sentinel was standing stiffly by his, still disgruntled that he had been taken down by a medic.

"Ultra Magnus, thank you for allowing us to use your med bay. Ratchet is ecstatic, he hasn't had a fully stocked med bay in a while." Optimus bowed slightly in respect.

The old bot just chuckled. "No need to thank me. Though I believe that Jazz has a question regarding why your second crashed?" Magnus turned to the cyberninja

"Yeah, um. Yah know, when the black bot crashed? Yeah 'e was goin' off about me not being Jazz and him not switchin' wit you? What he mean by that?"

Optimus grinned behind his battle mask, which was still up. "Where I come from-"

"Where you're the leader of the Autobots?" Sentinel interjected, sneering.

"Yes. Where I am the leader of the Autobots, my Third and Head of Special Operations is a mech named Jazz. He and Prowl are good friends, it's understandable he would be shocked at finding you to be Jazz." Jazz saw the mech's optics crinkle kindly, and correctly guessed that the bot was smiling behind the mask.

"What about the rest of what the crazy bot said? About seeing me dead?" Sentinel exclaimed.

Optimus turned to stare at the big chinned bot silently. There was a pause as the older bot scrutinized the younger with sad optics.

"Where I come from, there is only one Prime at a time. He is a powerful mech. A great spiritual leader, looked upon with respect by all of Cybertron..." Here the leader paused, obviously reflecting on something painful. "My predecessor was named Sentinel Prime."

Three gasps of shock. "Prowl was his second as well. He was there when Sentinel was killed, by Megatron. Trying to negotiate a peace treaty with him at the start of the War. I received the Matrix shortly after and have been fighting the Decepticons ever since. That was nine million stellar cycles ago." The Prime closed his optics wearily, so tired of all the fighting.

He opened them again when he heard two crashes. Jazz slumped over his console unconscious, Sentinel was face down on the floor, also unconscious.

Optimus looked tentatively at Ultra Magnus, who was sitting in his command chair, rubbing his temples.

"... What did I say?"

I'm a thinkin' that this chap was too serious, hmmmm?

Ah, well nothing I can do about that.

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