"Of Sparks and Cons"
Chapter Twenty-One
Venting a harsh sigh, Cascade dropped onto the couch beside Renegade and ran both hands down his faceplate. All three of the sparklings were in their respective berths for the first time since they had joined the Nemesis crew. And Dunestar had taken Quicksilver up top for a quick flight before the ship departed the planet.
It had taken everything Cascade had in him to keep from strangling Windsplitter. She was overtired and had fought going to recharge. No matter how many stories he'd read her from Renegade's collection, she had refused to allow herself to go into stasis.
"Do you want to talk?" Renegade asked. Cascade heard him tap the data pad he was holding and looked over; the older mech was looking at him with a look in his optics that made Cascade feel far younger than he actually was.
"How do you do it?" Cascade asked, glancing over at the door that led into Duskwalker's compartment.
"Do what?" Renegade asked, purposely forcing him to say it aloud.
"Handle being a single creator?" Cascade stated crossly as he leaned back once more, "Dusk is so well behaved, slag you've even got Wildcharger behaving better than any of the crew aboard this ship thought possible!"
"Duskwalker is different from other sparklings, and I do not mean her size and appearance," Renegade stated solemnly, "She is far more mature and serious than most her age, which is most likely a result of being raised in solitude with only myself for companionship."
"But you're just as good with the others as well. All of them respect you, even Wildcharger who doesn't seem to respect many," Cascade stated.
"We're all unknowns to Wildcharger so he'll behave until he gets comfortable, at which time I recommend you learn to control your temper because he will push us every chance that he gets," Renegade stated flatly, "As to Quicksilver… I have no idea what she'll be like when she finally realizes none of us are going to harm her."
"Rene… after Skybreaker's death… did you ever wish to join her?" Cascade asked quietly, staring at the far wall. His spark felt as though it was cracking, though he knew the opposite was happening. Ever since surviving the break of their bond, his spark had slowly been healing.
"I would be lying if I said no, Cascade. But my sparklings are the most precious things in my life and Skybreaker wanted me to ensure they were healthy and lead long, happy lives. I honor her every cycle by fulfilling that wish," Renegade responded.
Renegade set a servo on Cascade's shoulder and he looked over at the larger, dark green and black mech, "Just as CelestialWinds would want you to do for Windsplitter."
"How do I do that?" Cascade asked, feeling hopeless, "Windsplitter hates me most cycles and others she just seems to think I hate her."
Looking at Renegade, Cascade got the sense that the mech wanted to smack him upside the back of his helm, but it was how he felt about the whole situation.
"Cascade, your sparkling does inot/i hate you," Renegade stated firmly, "And I know you don't hate her. When she said that she was upset and missing her mother fiercely. Have you ever discussed her mother with her?"
"…Rarely… it hurts to even think about her," Cascade replied, feeling like a jerk for even saying it.
"How do you think she feels then?" Renegade asked, indicating the door into Windsplitter's compartment, "You don't speak of her mother and you spend little time with Windsplitter. I noticed that when we made landfall and I met you for the first time."
"I had to work to support us both," Cascade said. He felt like it was an excuse, but it was the Primus honest truth. If he hadn't worked as much as he did, he couldn't have even afforded the dingy little residence they had resided in.
"Yes, you did, but what did you do when you were through working for the cycle?" Renegade pushed and Cascade looked away.
"I worked more," Cascade admitted, "and left Windy to her own devices."
"Is that what CelestialWinds would have done?" Renegade asked and Cascade came off the couch fast, glowering down at the big mech.
"How would you know what CelestialWinds would have done?! You have no right to speak of her," Cascade snarled. He knew he should calm himself down and refrain from yelling. Not so much out of fear of how Renegade would react, but more out of concern that he may wake one of the three sparklings.
"I never said I knew what she would do, I asked you if it was something she would do," Renegade reiterated, remaining completely calm.
"She never had to work to support us, I made certain of that," Cascade snapped.
"And if she had been forced to work as a means of support?" Renegade continued, still unfazed by Cascade's anger, which only served to infuriate him further.
"How should I know?! I rarely saw either of them back then. CelestialWinds would come to the berth when I was half into stasis or I would come back so late she and Windy would both be in recharge," Cascade snarled. And it dawned on him. The reason why Windsplitter was distant and didn't communicate with him the way Duskwalker communicated to Renegade. Also the reason the bond was almost non-existent.
"I never spent any time with either of them after we got here," Cascade said, more to himself than to Renegade, "I was so busy making sure they had everything they wanted that I…"
"Forgot something they both needed," Renegade finished for him, "Cascade, if you want a close relationship with Windsplitter, you're going to have to work at it."
"How?" Cascade asked, feeling rather stupid for having to ask. Shouldn't he know how to take care of his own sparkling by now?
"You've got a good start, borrowing those stories from me," Renegade said, referencing the data chips Cascade had borrowed so he could read Windsplitter a few stories before putting her into her berth. Not that they had helped much.
"She didn't seem to care for them," Cascade admitted.
"As exhausted as she was, I'm surprised she even realized you were reading to her," Renegade said, running a servo over his own faceplate.
"That is true," Cascade chuckled slightly before looking back at him, "So, what else do I do with her?"
"Spend time with her doing what she likes. In other words, time for some father - daughter play dates, my friend," Renegade suggested, smirking as Cascade dropped down on the couch across from him.
"Primus, I'm not sure I'll survive those," Cascade chuckled with a slightly self-deprecating grin, "I'm not sure how well she'll do here. On the colony she was pretty much free to do whatever she wanted."
"Which was foolish," Renegade said firmly, "And I don't only mean from the standpoint of her behavior. What would you have done had those Autobots decided it was a good time to disappear with her?"
Cringing at the implications, Cascade vented another sigh and looked down at the decking, "I thought of that already. I was so certain in our safety amongst other Decepticons and the Neutrals who would choose to live amongst us that the idea never crossed my processor. Then, when the Bots appeared… all I kept thinking was, they could have gotten her at any time they chose. She was always off by herself."
"I'm glad to know that you considered it, though a little late," Renegade stated, "Is there anything else you wanted to discuss while no one else was about?"
"I think I'm all whined out at the moment," Cascade smirked, "Once Dune gets back, we've got a lot to discuss. Particularly where the sparklings' safety is involved."
"Yes, we do. What was it that Incognito warned you about?" Renegade asked.
"The possibility that not all of the mechs arriving aboard this warship will have… honorable intentions toward the sparklings," Cascade explained.
"Lord Megatron hinted at the same concept earlier," Renegade agreed, "There is a way we can ensure that those with such inentions will be forced to reconsider. However, I am not certain everyone will agree with it."
"What are you thinking?" Cascade asked, curious.
"Aside from the two of us developing reputations amongst the crew, we could request that higher level crew members pass by on a 'routine security check'. Including the command crew," Renegade stated. Cascade nodded. As much as he would rather not have their privacy invaded further, Renegade's idea had merit.
"You know we would be receiving random visitors then, correct?" Cascade asked, more out of wanting his fear to be supported than truly asking.
"Yes, including Lord Megatron himself," Renegade vented a sigh as he spoke.
With the sense that they were both thinking the same thing, Cascade spoke up, "That won't go over well with either Duskwalker or Quicksilver."
"Dusk can adjust… I fear for Quicksilver, however," Renegade stated.
"That little femme may surprise you yet. Her life's been torn up pretty bad, but with time, she'll adjust," Cascade reassured him, though he wasn't certain he believed it himself.
"How long did it take before she came to trust you?" Renegade queried, his green gaze seemed to delve into Cascade's processor and the younger mech had to shake his head to rid himself of the feeling.
"She still doesn't trust me, not completely. The only bot I know of that she trusts explicitly is Dunestar," Cascade answered with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"And Reclaimer?" Renegade sounded slightly surprised at Cascade's response.
"…She loves him like a brother, I think, but she doesn't trust him, not completely," Cascade answered, tapping a blunt finger against his thigh armor, "'Claimer can get a little rough with her when she doesn't do precisely what he tells her to do."
This comment got an instant response from Renegade and he opened his mouth to say something. Before he was able to, the door opened and Quicksilver's soft voice reached them. Shaking his head, Renegade held up a servo indicating that their conversation would have to wait for later. Cascade nodded and got to his pedes, smiling at the two femmes as they looked over.
"How was your flight?" Renegade asked. His tone surprised Cascade, how the mech could go from sounding utterly and completely serious to friendly and gentle.
"It was quite nice," Dunestar answered, smiling at Quicksilver, "We went quite a way and got to see the celebrations of the tribes."
"Celebrations? What are those furballs celebrating now?" Cascade asked with a chuckle though he was feeling anything but happy.
"It's the beginning of the rainy season… they're celebrating the return of the rains," Quicksilver explained, looking away in embarrassment.
"Ah, so you visited the savannah tribes," Renegade said in a thoughtful way, "Tell me, did you end up with anymore gifts?"
"A few," Dunestar said with a light laugh, "We had to refuse a number of them however. It's rather difficult to carry a life-size statue of the Moon Goddess with you."
"That's the third time he's tried to give me that," Quicksilver said, directing the comment to Dunestar.
"You found it as disagreable as I did then?" Dunestar responded, looking at Quicksilver with curiosity.
"Yes, as opposed to the descriptions of that deity in the tales, it is one very ugly statue," Quicksilver answered before venting a soft yawn.
"I think it is time you went into recharge," Renegade said gently. He remained standing near to the seating area while Dunestar joined him and greeted him warmly.
With a brief smile, Quicksilver nodded and headed for her compartment. Before she entered it, she turned and looked over her shoulder, "Good night."
"Good night, Silver. Recharge well," Dunestar called after her.
"Good night, youngling," Renegade said at the same time as Dunestar.
Laughing at the chorus, Cascade lifted a servo and spoke once the other two had finished, "Good night Silver, no nightmares tonight, all right?"
A sad and uncomfortable look passed over her faceplate and she tried to smile, "Yes, let's hope so." The door shut behind her and the other two looked to Cascade in concern.
"She's been having nightmares for as long as I've known her… if you ever find her out here during the dark cycle, that is most likely the reason,"Cascade explained softly.
Renegade looked thoughtful for a moment before turning back to them both, "I believe we have a long dark cycle ahead of us. Dunestar, would you mind getting a few cubes of energon while I go to retrieve a datapad and new chip?"
Nodding, Dunestar walked away toward the storage area between Wildcharger and Duskwalker's compartments. Cascade watched her go before turning back to Renegade to ask him a quick question. He had his mouth open to speak only to find that there was no one there to speak to.
"Primus is he quiet," Cascade scowled before smirking and retaking his seat. He was not certain if he should have outed Quicksilver the way he had, but he worried about her and, the more upheaval there was in her life, the worst her nightmares would get. Of that he was certain.
Both Renegade and Dunestar returned at precisely the same time and, with a laugh each, took a seat on the couch opposite Cascade. Dunestar handed Cascade a cube of energon with a gentle smile.
"Now, down to business," Renegade stated with a soft groan as he sat up straight and looked at both Cascade and Dunestar, "Rules should be common sense things."
"Unfortunately, not all of the young ones possess common sense," Dunestar responded.
"And Lord Megatron wants a list of the rules for his command crew," Cascade reminded and Renegade vented a sigh.
"I can understand his reasoning and you are correct, Wildcharger in particular does not seem to realize how dangerous some of the things he does are," Renegade said with a nod.
"Where should we start?" Cascade asked. He leaned forward and rested his forearms upon his thigh plating and waited.
"How about boundaries?" Dunestar suggested, "I wouldn't recommend that they go further than the training center alone.
Renegade tapped his stylus against the side of the pad, "Unless they tell us where they are going. I am not certain the training center is the first place either Duskwalker or Quicksilver will choose to go when they have free time to wander the ship."
"This is going to be tough. You can't really give Silver the same rules as three sparklings, but when one of those sparklings acts like a youngling… Primus," Cascade stated, running a servo over his faceplate, "A boundary that tight is not fair to either of those two."
"We need to find a happy medium," Dunestar stated, "Silver won't wander far, not when there are so many mechs around that she doesn't know."
"Either that or she'll find a dark hole she can hide in," Cascade said in warning.
"Scrap, I'd forgotten about that," Dunestar muttered with a vented sigh, "Do you think she'd do it again?"
"I'm not sure," Cascade stated seriously.
Renegade looked between the two of them, "Are you two going to let me in on the secret?"
"Not really a secret Rene," Dunestar responded, "About ten cycles after Silver arrived on the planet, she disappeared. None of us, at least those of us who cared, could find her anywhere."
"Nearly twenty cycles later, I happened upon her in a cavern not too far from the hole those Autobots were hiding out in," Cascade added, "She'd gotten over stimulated, too many new sights, sounds, and bots."
"Terrified is a better word than over stimulated," Dunestar corrected, "It took both Cascade and Reclaimer to get her out and Reclaimer was hot."
"He really let her have it over that little episode," Cascade stated sadly.
"I'll let that go until later," Renegade stated.
"Perhaps a tighter boundary would be a good thing for her, for now. We can always widen it later, depending upon behavior and needs," Dunestar suggested.
With a nod, Cascade agreed and Renegade set to jotting it down on the pad. Looking between the two of them, Cascade fought the urge to laugh. They had been discussing the rules for nearly thirty breems and only come up with one. It was going to be a long dark cycle.
"Should we go ahead and add the areas that are deemed off-limits? Those are a large part of the rules," Dunestar suggested after giving Cascade a dirty look.
"Yes, we should. We'll also need to discuss the consequences with the sparklings if they break the rules," Renegade stated, adding the areas to his list.
"This was easier with just one," Cascade muttered as he leaned his chinplating against his servo and watched as Renegade wrote on the pad. His processor continued to go back over Incognito's warning, along with Megatron's warning. He'd expected the warship to be safer than a planet. But he was starting to think there was more danger aboard the ship than there had been on the planet. Even with the hidden Autobots.
"I think we should add the typical rules as well," Dunestar stated, leaning back and looking at Renegade.
"Such as?" Cascade asked, noticing that the two of them seemed to have discussed this before.
"No talking back, no fighting, no cursing," Dunestar looked at Cascade pointedly on the latter.
"Hey, I don't curse in front of the sparklings," Cascade said defensively, to which Dunestar lifted a brow ridge.
"I highly doubt Windy learned those words from Celestial Winds," Dunestar responded evenly and Cascade scoffed.
"If you think CW was above cursing, you didn't ever hear her when she was angry," Cascade responded.
"We also need to develp a routine for them," Renegade interjected, steering the conversation back on course.
"Would that be part of the rules, as well?" Cascade asked curiously. He'd never developed any type of structure for Windsplitter; this was all new to him.
"In a way," Dunestar replied, "Mainly so that the command crew realized where the sparklings should be."
"I've already developed a basic schedule, it can be adjusted as necessary," Renegade said, "Training in the early cycle, followed by studying, and then free time until the dark cycle."
"What are we going to do if anymore 'nicknames' appear?" Cascade asked with a smirk, "Though, I have to admit that Screaming Meanie was a pretty creative nickname."
"And fitting from what I've heard," Dunestar chuckled.
"As entertaining as that is," Renegade said with a grin, "We can't allow them to show such disrespect to the command crew, or any adult for that matter."
"Then we need to prepare ourselves so we don't get surprised," Cascade suggested, "What are we going to do if they walk up to us and announce that 'the Creeper' sent them away from the bridge?"
Both Renegade and Dunestar were staring at him in confusion. Then, without warning, something clicked for Renegade and he started to laugh. It was deep rumbling noise that started in his chest and made its way upward. Dunestar still appeared confused.
"I'll share the secret after you've met a certain mech," Cascade chuckled.
"We do need to be prepared for it though," Dunestar agreed, shaking her head with a small smile.
"Yes, we do, which means, no laughing," Renegade stated, looking directly at Cascade, "All that will do is make them think it's all right. As for consequences for that, I'd recommend apologizing to the mech involved, if they are aware of the name. If not, then they'll have to do a couple of extra lessons."
"Seems fair," Cascade agreed, "Actually, I think all the consequences need to be outlined, but perhaps it would be better to do that with the sparklings and Quicksilver present."
"No argumene here," Dunestar nodded in agreement.
"I agree, though, we will have to agree prior to the discussion," Renegade stated pointedly.
"Show a unified front," Cascade nodded, "Though, I have a feeling we can all agree that your methods work the best. Dusk is a testament to that."
"If that is how you feel and you can back me no matter what, then I will handle it," Renegade nodded in the affirmative before looking back at the pad, "Now, I want to know if we need to be worried about Reclaimer when it comes to Quicksilver ."