The Next Life
By Kaimaler
Well now, it's been a long while since I did this.
I don't believe I can provide suitable reasons other than the basic college, work, life, etc. etc.
So instead, I will reduce this to simply saying... I'm glad to be back, at least, for a while.
Review Replies are posted at the bottom of the story, so everyone can get to it quicker. :3
Hye Kwon was surrounded by scraps of metal in a room, wires and tools laid about in meticulous order. In front of her was her project, a way to amplify her communications and, with luck, connect to the military force she heard earlier, on her way to the Autobots.
Sarah and Tristan were incapable of helping her with her work, knowing Hye Kwon preferred to do her work in private, so that she could work faster. Her technological functions were more adept to creating many things like this communications array. Sarah was an explosives expert and Tristan was a well trained infantry man, who usually dealt in heavy weapons.
Him and Sarah got along perfectly, with all the talk of what to blow up next, there was never a dull moment in there conversations.
Sentinel Prime did not know what to do with them, he authorized Kwon to use whatever parts she needed, so long as they were not currently in use with some other piece of equipment. Especially the ones for their defense, for he knew as well as the other Autobots, that the Decepticons were not so easily beaten. They would return and take Sarah's plan of attack against them last time into consideration.
The Autobots kept a steady guard at all times, watching for any sign of an impending attack. There were many stealth mechs with the Decepticons, it would be hard discovering an oncoming siege while they were all holed up in a single tower.
However, this could not be avoided. Taking shelter in one of the tallest towers was the best way to stay well defended, staying on the streets would leave them too open for attack.
The tools supplied to Kwon were a collection from Wheeljack, Ratchet, Ironhide, and, which even surprised Orion, Blurr. Kwon had a few tools already built into her, but some of the metal plates and other equipment were too alien for her to handle with only human designed tools. Wheeljack attempted to tell her what each one did and where each one could come into use, but Kwon was able to scan the metal and identify any purpose she may have for it.
She started work hours ago, Sentinel began planning for any emergency defense of the tower immediately, while the rest waited for news.
Sarah had tended more to Tristan's injuries while Orion stayed with them almost every moment. They were able to rest without being watched, carried rations with them just like Gaia had, and all the Autobots, save for a minority, were entranced by the idea of an alien race in their numbers. It was strange at first for Sarah and Tristan, but they quickly learned to ignore it.
While Kwon worked, and with the two last members of the Escion with the Autobots, Sentinel began to form a plan.
Orion was more than relieved that he'd be able to find Gaia and help her, the damage she had taken from the scavengers was extensive, it looked painful and he knew it was, he wanted nothing more than to stop whatever harm was coming to her.
He'd always had an issue when it came to Gaia, his friend. It figured out right, she held meaning in his life and he respected her. He felt as if he was more with her around, a sense of pride and self-worth that he had not experienced in a long time. She instilled good values and brought out the best in those around her, even with her flaws, Gaia was a remarkable person to him.
Orion was sitting on the edge of his berth, he could not lend anymore aid to those around him currently, so he chose to rest for a moment, to collect himself before he went back out.
And during this break, he felt his processor racing to ideas and actions he never saw himself doing. Gaia was a great Captain, to him and to her crew. He heard from those that were still alive anyways.
It was unnoticeable, a quiet change he never had before. He felt in a personal way, responsible for someone, for their safety and quality of their life. Gaia was able to care for herself, usually, but until now he never realized how close he allowed himself to get with her, how their few and short talks made him feel more and more like he had to protect something of great value to him.
It didn't take long for him to realize that this personal value he felt the need to protect was Gaia herself. It was as if some strange force was driving him to this, he wanted to help her, he would do whatever he could to make sure that she was safe again. At the same time, he knew he could not risk the others out there.
He needed their help, or the human military, in order to save her from the fate it seemed she would face unless something or someone stopped it. The Vault was of extreme importance to humans, containing sensitive information, he knew from Hye Kwon's informational logs from the recorded she played back, that the humans Gaia served with were willing to kill their own if it meant the Vault and it's contents would be untouched.
Even if they had to destroy the information.
There was nothing that Orion would not do to free Gaia from her captors now and if Hye Kwon reached the human military as they planned... this Guardian vessel may ruin everything in sight from Gaia, killing her and anyone in the immediate area.
The idea of Gaia dying for the very thing she fought to protect... Orion felt an unfamiliar tightness in his chassis, tenseness of joints, and a strange ache. He knew of something similar, when he was living through the destruction of Cybertron's grand cities and the homes of many a Cybertronian. Before Deceptions and before Autobots.
This was a powerful hurt rather than the slow pain of watching Cybertron fall. The preciseness of this ache in his spark and processor was created by the idea that Gaia would succumb to her wounds or be blown away by this Guardian ship along with the Vault she tried to protect.
He felt an acute pain over the loss of Gaia. It hurt to watch her go, when Sentinel removed her from their company, at least then he thought she was simply leaving them to try and return to her homeworld, to reunite with her own people. It was the same, only this was amplified to such a degree he could not stand by and accept Gaia's demise.
Sarah, Tristan, and Hye Kwon would not either. Sentinel wanted to help her, only he could not send a large group for a rescue mission.
The last battle with the Deceptions was a losing one, the Deceptions had better ground and cover. This time Sentinel could choose the battlefield and the fight may turn into their favor, the only problem was that he needed all the soldiers he could use for this next fight. It would no doubt be on a greater scale than the last one, Megatron would be angry that Sarah and Tristan ruined his chance of pushing the Autobots back while removing a one of the largest bridges with a direct route to Iacon.
It was a tough plan, Sentinel was sparing four Autobots not including Orion, who was leading the group. Sarah and Tristan would follow, but Hye Kwon would stay behind to establish a secure connection with any military signals close enough.
There was another fight coming, Orion didn't know when it would arrive, but it was fast approaching. Megatron would not let this fight go, he almost won this battle; the Autobot loss would have been worse had Sarah not stepped in with her last moment explosive plan. To retaliate, Megatron would lead the Deceptions around through the nearest path to reach the Autobots before they fortified the area too much for him to fight against.
They knew the streets he could arrive by, it would only be a few more hours before the Deceptions showed and their forces built up around them.
From what Orion knew, a number of Autobots were already out there trying to build enough protection in the area so that they would have the upper hand and the Deceptions would be forced to retreat. For a time of course, before the Autobots had to plan an offensive attack, for the first time in a very long time.
Orion's vents whirred, amused. He was sure Prowl had all but forgotten how to plan an offensive strike. They had been on the defensive so long, worrying about scouting plans, protection, shielding; they were on the losing side of this war for a long while. Orion had not lead a strike team since one of the first days he joined the Autobots.
Megatron revealed his Deceptions in greater numbers than any of the councilors, to-be Autobots, soldiers, or even the Prime ever believed he had. The army was vast and powerful, built from the fighting rings that Orion remembered hearing about. Mechs that learned how to fight in the most primal of ways and somehow it worked, they fought with tactical grace and the Decepticons have an excellent leader, but not much military understanding.
With Cybertron wrecked from the tallest tower to the lowest street, Orion had grown so used to the sight of the darkened city he never believed he would see it whole again, back to the way it had been with lights, life, and busy streets.
And yet, with Gaia so hurt, possibly dying, all Orion could think about was saving her from the torture she suffers. She is a strong person, clearly capable of taking the pain inflicted upon her and still able to fight back. Hye Kwon's communication skills might be the one thing that saves her, Sarah, Tristan, and Gaia... If they could reach the injured Captain in time.
He did not care the extent of her injuries, only that he could bring her out of it and have her continue on living, somewhere, even if he was not around to see her survive the ordeals. Orion had to help her, he was driven to protect her now, the desire to have her safe again was overwhelming and demanding.
Orion laid back on his berth, remembering the few moments they had to themselves. Private moments that he could simply enjoy her presence and admire what made her physically and mentally different than any other Cybertronian he had ever met. She is human of course, but her strength and commanding aura made him want to be around her.
His processor was loud in his metal frame, swallowing every other thought he had whole. Orion could not distract himself from Gaia, she needed him now and he had to wait. Leaving the tower with his strike team now would never lead to their success. The Decepticon army was out there, heading towards them. The Autobots had to spot them before Orion and the others could go to find her.
They would have to fight their way out, but Orion knew it was worth it. The help she gave them, the way she spoke to them all; he knew it was not very much and yet, to him, it was more than he had seen since the old days when Cybertron was peaceful.
Sentinel Prime was the only example of great leadership, loyalty to the end degree, and a power he used only for the good of his world and its people. These traits reminded him much of Gaia, she didn't have the same power in strength as Sentinel did. Yet her charisma, leadership, and good will was enough to make him stand and fight again, with the same virility he did when he first began fighting.
She was refreshing, lively, and she was in his every though now. He did not understand why all of a sudden she was in the forefront of his processor at this time. With the Decepticons closing in, the battle could almost be an assured victory for the Autobots, and having discovered a new alien specie; Gaia was the only thing he wanted to see again. Everything paled in comparison.
He would make it to her in time, he would give anything to have her with him again. If only to be shielded from those that would do her harm.
This was a completely new experience for Orion, he had a relationship with a femme in the past, but almost all the femmes were gone now... most fell to Megatron and his Decepticons. No one knew if others survived elsewhere, that maybe some lived somewhere far away, or took some of the old ships off world. Orion knew that there were many ships built just before the war started that was capable of traveling short distances in space or supporting life for a long while.
No way they could still live on those ships if they had not found a new home or temporary world to stay on. The Decepticons also had space faring ships, although, no one had ever seen them launch. Iacon had a massive system for monitoring any devices or vessels that had enough power to leave Cybertron's atmosphere.
Regardless of Orion's musings, he had to recharge for now. It had been too long since his last good recharge, he had done what he could at the time, all he could do now is charge up and wait.
The booming system of a gigantic ship drifted by in the silence of space, the scene disrupted only by a small ship heading in to dock with the much larger ship.
Four decorated uniforms stood at the walkway of the bridge while dozens of personnel ran various parts of the ship all in the same place. The CIC ran smoothly, everyone at their posts on time, working together, and the commanders, leaders of the vessel, discussed a strange and confusing message they received only hours ago.
"Lieutenant General, there's is no chance this is coincidence." A tall, broad shouldered, blonde man spoke. He wore one of the uniforms adorned in medals. "It's too close to where the last responder alert came in. If there's a chance... we should look into it."
"I am aware, Colonel." An older man answered back, with salt and pepper hair, with a face scarred by war. "Do we know what the message says yet?"
A woman with cropped red hair stepped forward, saluting with her left arm, being that the right one was missing. "Sir, we do not know exactly. We have been able to decipher more in the last few hours of when we received it."
"And what does it say?"
"We have made out a name." The woman pulled up a piece of paper from her pocket, "Hye Kwon. It isn't a full name, there is no military rank from the message as far as we know." The paper was a scribbled name from their rush to clear up the static message. Once they got the name, the communications officer, the woman who stood before the four decorated officers now, hurried to deliver the news.
"Hye Kwon?" Another man spoke up, not the Colonel, but a Brigadier General. "I know that name. It wouldn't have a rank of any form; Hye Kwon was the name given to the Corsair Escion's on board A.I. system." His surprise was clear, he had not expected to find their target.
"Then we're on the right track, right sir?" The communications officer asked, eager to find what they had been sent out to find.
The Lieutenant General nodded, looking out the massive bay window that arched around the giant room, displaying space before it. Planets could barely be sen in the distance, but the rest was the blackness of space and the faint light of the stars, along with even more planets out in other solar systems. It seemed like they would never find their objective, very few ships that were lost in uncharted space were ever recovered.
"With luck, Officer." She grinned at him, "You are dismissed. See if you can make sense of anything else from that message and report back to me if and when you do."
She saluted him again, then leaving the higher ranking officer's to talk.
There was not much being said, the four were rather quiet after hearing that the Escion's A.I. had made contact of some form. They did not know much beyond that, but they were all hoping to come up with an answer soon.
"Gentlemen," A dark haired woman spoke up, "I believe it's time to begin discussing what we should do with this information. The Corsair's Escion's A.I. is still alive, functioning enough to send out a mayday. They are obviously not capable of returning to the fleet; we must prepare for the worst."
"I will not act on feeling, Major." The Lieutenant General replied quickly. "If we do find the Corsair Escion and its vault is threatened, we will do what we must. We will try to make contact before destroying the vault. I do not want to murder the Escion's crew unless I know that the vault must be destroyed immediately. Everyone aboard the Corsairs' know what to except in these events."
"Of course, sir." The Major stepped off the topic, the destruction of the vault would be left until they know the severity of the situation.
The Colonel cleared his throat to get all of the officers attention. When they all looked to him, he took a deep breath. "Sir, I am familiar with the Escion's crew; I know some of them and their Captain. She wouldn't let the vault get into such bad shape unless..."
"Unless she was dead?" The Lieutenant General turned to face his Colonel, who nodded in response. "I am aware of Captain Mercurio's abilities, she is a capable and devoted Captain who would rather die than risk her crew. She knows the gravity of any circumstance that would lead to a vault falling into enemy hands. If anyone knows this ship went down, who went down; I would be more worried about who would come for the Captain of the crew, rather than the vault."
The other three leaders of the ship looked at each other, confused. "Um, with all due respect sir... What do you mean?"
He grinned, "Captain Gaia De Mercurio almost has more personal enemies than the majority of people in this galaxy. There are many, many people out there who want to get their hands, claws, or whatever on her. She's almost as valuable as the contents within their vault." The Lieutenant General brought up his left arm, strapped to it was a holo-projector that emitted the holographic images of persons affiliated with Gaia.
"These are some of her enemies, people she has either put behind bars, or wronged in some way. People who want her head." He pulled through the list before picking a name at random.
"This is Hi'uri, a woman from the Centurion realms, she lives with the A.I. population as one of the few cyborgs around." He pulled up a list in front of the image, "Her crimes include over two-hundred and fifty-six murders, seventy-nine people who survived her were hospitalized, most of them vegetables now. That's only some of the things we could pin on her. She leads a small group of synthetics, A.I.'s, and humans in an organization she calls The Divine. Believing something about how cybernetic, cyborgs, or A.I.'s are the future of the human race."
"How is she not in prison, sir?" The Major asked, inspecting the partly robotic woman projected on the Lieutenant General's arm.
"It's nearly impossible to get close enough to her to arrest her. Cyborg Major, usually means that no average human being can fight her hand to hand. She's killed everyone who has attempted to arrest her, broken the arms of the rest, but let them live. Not to mention she primarily functions inside the... rebellious sections of the A.I. controlled worlds. Can't get to her without starting a riot."
The Colonel had experienced one of the A.I. planets, but had not been there long enough to really see the diversity of the rebellious citizens. "The A.I. planets are still owned and allied to the UN, they are deeply integrated into human law. Why not have her and known advocates extradited?"
"They can't remove a religious symbol." The officer's sighed collectively, "The rebels hail Hi'uri as some kind of a god-send. A hybrid of human-tech that they see as a more perfect being to replace humans, eventually, replacing the cyborgs with full bio-organic lifeforms. We weren't able to convict her before she disappeared on the A.I. planets."
"So why does she hate Captain Mercurio?" The Colonel knew how easy it was for any cybernetic criminal to escape to those worlds, it wasn't surprising that she wasn't in jail now.
"The Captain arrested Hi'uri's wife and brother. After beating Hi'uri without a weapon." The three officer's stared at the Lieutenant General. "Mercurio's a smart woman, she was able to use Hi'uri's systems against her. Being an ally of the ruling system on the two A.I. planets, Mercurio learned about the tech capable of being implanted into a human body. She learned it and how to beat it. It was a humiliating defeat for the so-called cyborg-god."
"I can imagine... You think she'd come after Captain Mercurio if she found out the Escion had crashed?" The Lieutenant General closed the holo projector.
"Absolutely. She's been hell bent on getting her revenge, if Mercurio's ship is down, I'll bet you Hi'uri and Mercurio's other enemies will race to get here." He answered smoothly, without a shadow of a doubt. The Lieutenant General knew the Captain and the Corsair Escion well enough, having met the Captain a few times in the past.
"Then... We have to find her... fast." The Colonel felt the urgency to a higher extreme, he wanted to find the ship and its crew as much as the next person; the Corsair Escion was legendary. The only difference now was that he understood what Mercurio's work means.
"That's what I've been thinking. Our Communication experts have been working around the clock to find out what that message means. If we can find out what it is, if it truly is the crew of the Corsair Escion, and they are alive... we may have to fight to reach them. We will have to find out where they are first of course."
The Colonel and Major shared a look in between them, "What should we do until then, sir? We're not trained in communications. I assume we have all of the people who are capable of these skills already working on it."
"Yes; however, I called in a specialist in these fields." The Lieutenant General gestured back down the large walkway, a woman stood on the other side, having just entered the room. "There's no one better."
"Hello, soldiers." The woman entered, the escorts leaving back the way they came.
The woman wore tailored clothing, a style not usually seen around the higher class. The woman was obviously well off, her appearance, her clothing, and the tools she carried with her all of top quality materials and jewels. On some parts of her body were golden metals, that were not part of a design or fashion, but rather part of her own body.
"Well, I'll be damned..." The Major smiled, "Never thought I'd see you on a military ship again."
The woman shrugged, "What can I say? I love a man in a uniform, I'm sure every woman does." She approached the officers, her heels clicking on the metal walkway. She purposefully walked with a sway, confident and her body language giving a sense of self-worth. "I came here as a favor for a certain Lieutenant General."
"When did you come aboard?" The Colonel knew the woman, simply through reputation. The Lieutenant General had some kind of connection to the sharply dressed woman.
"Just a few moments ago actually, we docked a little while ago... But I wanted to stop for some snacks, I was so hungry after that trip and all we had to eat was that shitty packaged rations. I hate those things." She shuddered, imitating a gagging sound. "So... Now that I am here... what exactly will I be doing here?"
"Glad you asked, Ma'am." The Lieutenant General offered his arm to her. She simply smiled and accepted. "There is a story here, it's in pieces, but we do need your help, if you'd be so kind." He walked her away from the large window, the officer's following behind them.
"I came here, didn't I?"
"Sentinel! I see a Decepticon!"
The reaction was immediate, the Autobots were up and ready for action. Sentinel was on a balcony with Prowl, Kup, and Ironhide by him. "How many do you see?" The air was tense, they were waiting for a battle to surge from the towers around them. With the Decepticons approaching they all had to be warmed up and ready to fight again.
The sentry had not answered quickly, which made the Autobots all the more anxious. "I see two scouts..."
"Can you identify the Decepticons?" Many of the Decepticons could not be named by appearance; however, knowing that Megatron would be leading this coming battle, if the last one was any indication, than it may be possible to tell what they were planning by who they were sending out.
"Primus, it's Skywarp and Thundercracker! Seeker scouts!"
This announcement caused all the Autobots to begin talking within themselves. The two seekers were well known, part of Megatron's personal fleet and intelligence agents. Only... there were three, not two.
"Camshaft, do you see the other Seeker?" Sentinel didn't want the other Seeker to get too close to inspect their defenses, especially being that the last Seeker, the one Camshaft had not reported seeing yet, was their leader. Second only to Megatron himself. The last Seeker was agile and very clever, if he got passed their sentries, he could change this battle for the Autobots.
"No Prime, I do not see him." Camshaft was watching the other two Seekers scanning around, it seemed they were on recon rather than scouting out the Autobots tower. They would not cross too close to the Autobots, this was preparation, not the sign of the oncoming battle.
Prowl stepped up to Sentinel, "We have to find him, the Seeker trio do not go anywhere alone. He will be near." Sentinel nodded once, this was not going to be hard to find him, the Seekers were not stealth mechs, they were aerial support in battles, occasionally functioned as scouts, rescue teams, and were almost always with Megatron or near him, when they were not, it meant he was arriving soon.
They were right to believe Megatron was on his way with an army, this was a sure sign. Megatron would know this, using his personal Seekers as a form of intimidation. There was not many mechs around that could defeat Megatron, everyone believed that Sentinel might be that one mech they needed to turn the tides of this war once and for all.
"Camshaft, keep your helm down. They will not being attacking soon, we must find the last Seeker though." Sentinel broadcast the message to the other sentries, hoping that they would begin looking for the Seeker and may be able to report a sighting.
"We will have to begin our defenses. They may choose to attack before we have a chance to ready our front." Prowl was the Autobots tactician, his directive was to make sure the battle went well, as well as any battle could go, so that the Autobots come back from it alive.
"Prime! I see him! He is heading-bzzt!" Everyone was alarmed, it was another sentry, not Camshaft, that just was interrupted.
"Mirage?" Prowl tried to contact the sentry, "Are you there? Mirage, are you functional?" The Autobots were waiting to hear from their fellow Autobot.
There was nothing they could do immediately, the sentries were not spread out too far and Mirage's message went out to the sentries and the Autobots at the tower. If someone was able to see Mirage, they may be able to tell if he was still online. They did understand his message though, and the Autobots were arming themselves.
"We have to stop him from getting too close, we do not want him getting inside our walls. Who knows what damage he will do." Prowl turned around, facing the Autobots behind them. "First team, five on the roof. Others on the balconies around the tower; Ironhide will assign everyone to their duties. Make it fast, we may not have much time."
Ironhide stepped in, taking over from Prowl's instructions.
"Sentinel," Kup approached the watchful leader, "Mirage was a ground sentry... He started his walk on the streets, then the towers. It may not be a Seeker who attacked him."
Sentinel gave Kup a questioning look, "His goal was to reach the top of the old factory nearby. It may not be a high roof, yet the Seekers may be using the cover of the towers to make their approach."
"I know, just saying that... He may not have made it to the factory when he was attacked. It wasn't a short walk and he didn't have a partner to follow him on the way, he was meeting up with Hound at the factory. If Mirage was attacked, Hound must have been too, otherwise, I believe we would've gotten Mirage's message and one from Hound." Sentinel waved Prowl over quickly, he knew what Kup was saying now.
They could have two potentially lost Autobots and there was something that was missing.
"Yes Prime?" Sentinel pointed out through the towers, "Mirage was taking a path on an open street, because of his stealth capabilities he could do so without being seen." He then redirected to point towards a much denser part of the towers, "Hound was heading through the old compounds, through the ruins, where he would have taken a bridge into the factory. Where the two would have met each other on the way up the factory."
Prowl caught on, "We have not received any transmissions from Hound..." He cursed, "We have to send someone after them... We cannot weaken our security detail here, we have to repurpose some of the sentries if we want to find either of them."
"Do it, find Mirage and Hound, quickly." Sentinel gave the order and Prowl was on the comms.
"We need speedy rescue, Bluestreak, Blurr, team up and find Hound and Mirage at the factory. Stay together, watch each others backs, and check down their paths to the factory if they are not in the factory. I stress to you, to stay together. We believe one of Megatron's Seekers may be there." The comms cracked to life, "You got it, Prowl. We'll be there and back in a flash!"
"Camshaft, Cliffjumper, keep an eye on them from the towers you are in. Rest of the sentries watch those other Seekers and keep ready for Decepticons." Prowls vents hummed as he began to worry about the sentries out there, he did not want to lose anyone before the battle even started.
"I see them, we will watch their backs." The comms went dead.
They just had to wait now and see if Bluestreak and Blurr could find the two Autobots that were not reporting in. There is a Decepticon out there that was not accounted for, which made everything all the more dangerous. They had to get their sights on the Decepticon, to make sure their plans were not for nothing.
The Autobots had the high ground for the upcoming fight, they would have a much better chance of being the victors without any extenuating circumstances like Sarah and Tristan. The Decepticons would have a tougher time resisting Autobot advances, the fight would be brutal with Megatron personally joining with his soldiers.
Sentinel would be joining his own on the field too if Megatron was truly going to be leading the assault. The Decepticon leader was too much for his Autobots to handle, he had to guide this battle and he expected this fight to be close combat being that the position of the towers, the streets, would make long range weapons near useless.
Cover fire was guaranteed, some parts of the field they would be on were open enough to use their sidearms, rifles, and cannons; the rest was too blocked that using ranged weaponry would not get them far.
The Autobots all had a melee weapon with them, if they were not built with one, they were granted access to the armory and they chose the weapon they knew how to use or could learn quickly.
"I found Mirage!" Blurr announced, "Is he online, Blurr?" They did not want to lose anyone, not so soon.
There was some static for a moment, until the comms clicked back on. "He's fine! Someone just dropped a crate on his helm; the cord that held it was cut. Mirage is online and functional, just shorted from the blow."
There was a collective sigh of relief, the Autobots glad that Mirage was not lost to them. "Have you found Hound yet?"
"Not so far, we saw Mirage first and headed here fast as we could. We're about to head to see where Hound is now." Blurr answered, the obvious sound of effort going into lifting Mirage who was knocked out.
"Keep it up you two."
Sentinel turned to face the Autobots behind him, just in time to see Orion shifting his way through them all. He was ready to move, to cut a line through the Decepticons, and make his way to the crash site of the Corsair Escion. If he could, he would return to the Autobots with Gaia and prepare for the arrival of any human ships, since Hye Kwon was still working on the array and was apparently making progress.
"Orion," He addressed once Orion stood before him, "You must be ready to move on my mark. When the Decepticons attack, I will meet Megatron in battle. You and your team will make a clear way through the red marked tower on the right of the plaza; with that done, you will leave the area as you will not be able to return the way you came. You know where to go after that."
Orion nodded in confirmation, "Will Blurr be back in time?"
Sentinel looked to Prowl for an answer, "The moment they find Hound, I will call Blurr back to the tower. He will make it in time, no worries about that." Blurr was the fastest living Cybertronian, he would not miss the mark when Orion and the team had to move out.
"As I said, on my command, you begin your attack. I will lead the Autobots into battle this time, I will be at the head of the front. Megatron will most likely be at the front of his army as well and, if he is not, he will have to join the fray when I step in." Sentinel was going to lead just like he had done a long time ago, when the battles were fought with the intent to stop the Decepticon forces, not just interrupt them.
It had been so long since the Autobots had a chance to do as much damage as they could right now. It was an opportunity that they did not want to miss, no matter the cost. If Sentinel went into battle with Megatron face to face, no rifles or soldiers between them, than the Autobots and Decepticons would be weighing the entire battle on which one of them walked away from the fight.
This was a battle to the end, neither of their factions would become involved and it would either leave the Autobots without a Prime, for the first time, or relieve the Decepticons of their greatest leader; the one responsible for all of their successes. This could be the Autobots' last chance to stop the Decepticons, perhaps not permanently, but enough to put them on the retreat.
They were all anxious, excited, and nervous about the upcoming battle. So much was riding on it, relying on the strength of their Prime and for Megatron's failure.
Though they all know Megatron pushed his Decepticons to the extreme, until they performed the way he wanted or else suffer his ideas of consequence for not reaching his expectations.
Sentinel did not give them all a great speech this time, they all knew what they had to do. What this battle could mean to the Autobots, how it could change their lives and the lives of the rest of Cybertronians everywhere.
Instead of telling them this, he overlooked his mechs, the Autobots as a whole, and began to march them down the tower. It was time to take their positions and ready themselves for the onslaught of the Decepticon forces; Megatron would not make this easy. Their last battle was cut short, angering the Decepticon leader who knows he was going to win that fight.
This field, the one they would fight on now, was in great favor to the Autobots. High ground, a lot of cover for the Autobots, and almost no support for the Decepticons. The Autobot riflemechs would begin their assault by opening ranged fire on the approaching Decepticons, when they were too close, the Autobots would leave guns for close range weaponry and hold off the Decepticons while Sentinel dealt with Megatron; if he dared to appear.
Sentinel had no reason to believe he would not appear for this battle. It was too severe, the risk too great, and with the signs, the Seekers, the battlefield being cut off, they were all assured that he would stand on this field with his Decepticons. He never joined the battles much in the past as he never had to, the Decepticons were more than capable of fending off the Autobots if the sign of their overwhelming success is any sign of that.
Once they reached the main street, Autobots began filing into all signs of cover, the rest forming a uniform line behind Sentinel. They knew the Decepticons would be there soon enough, they simply had to wait now.
Orion had his team ready, with the exception of Blurr who was still searching for Hound with Bluestreak. They were going to use Blurr's speed against the scavengers Sarah and Tristan warned them about. Blurr would arrive before they did, scout the place out, and return with details about the scavenger's defenses and how many people they have.
"We found Hound!" The announcement felt like a great release, "He's not offlined, just got hit hard. Figure one of the Seekers got him before he got to the factory."
"Good work, bring them back Bluestreak and Blurr; we are expecting Decepticon company very soon." Prowl was near Sentinel, for the first time he would not be standing with his leader in battle or in command. He had not even fought a Decepticon for some time, knowing that his greatest skill was off the battlefield.
Time was flying by as they listening for the coming storm. All until Bluestreak and Blurr arrived with Hound and Mirage, the latter of the two just becoming aware again.
"Mirage," Sentinel watched closely as Blurr set him on his feet, he was unsteady at first, but shook his helm and regained his balance. "Are you unharmed?"
"I'm fine, Prime. A little shaken is all... It was Starscream, he showed up out of no where!" Mirage exclaimed, scratching his metal hand on his helm where it had been hit. "It was surprising Prime! I mean, he didn't come from the air! Camshaft said he saw two of the Seekers and I was watching the skies, but Starscream- He was walking."
"A Seeker taking to the ground? Especially one as egotistical about his flying as Starscream." Prowl scoffed, he knew Mirage must have been right, but he could not reason why Starscream, one of Megatron's greatest warriors who doubled as his best Seeker, would take the more dangerous path; the one covered by Autobots.
A Seeker's flight was their strength, there was not many flight capable mechs out there anymore so the Seekers were a great power on the Decepticon faction. The best fliers around served Megatron, it was an Autobot weakness and they all knew it.
This is why sentry or scouts on the towers were so important, the Seekers could come in at any time if they did not have a way to resist or spot incoming aerial strikes.
"That's what I was thinking!" Mirage agreed, he had not seen the attack coming. He could not figure out why Starscream would risk so much, what was important enough to take a ground path. He was not a stealth mech, he would not be able to sneak behind enemy lines and not get caught. There was a reason he was around and no one had any idea why.
Hound regained himself as well, but did so faster and alert. "Whoa-! It was Starscream!" He shook his helm, feeling the dent in his helm like Mirage did. "Ow- Primus that hurt!"
Blurr smiled and patted Hound on the back. "Welcome back, Hound. And yeah, we know, Starscream decided to drop by... or... walk by." He laughed as the dark green mech elbowed the speed mech. "I figure you had caught on. I do not know what he wants, but he came fast and left in a hurry."
Sentinel, contemplating this new information, looked towards the open area where the Autobot front was pointing towards and took a long look in the distance, at the edge of a large structure long since collapsed.
Decepticons could be seen marching in. "Autobots! Form up! Decepticons incoming!" Sentinel announced and the Autobots reacted immediately, rushing to line in behind Sentinel while others took cover and aimed their rifles. It was time to fight again, only this time, they had a chance to win. To emerge from the other side with more than they took in.
"Prime, we will wait inside the West tower, when you are ready, we will break the Decepticon lines." Orion shared one last moment with Sentinel before the battle, the two shaking hands. "In case this does not go well... I feel as though I must thank you for allowing me to do this, I did not expect-"
Sentinel held a hand up, "I understand Orion. Mercurio is a good femme, alien, Cybertronian, or anything she might be a part of. I wish I had not sent her away, that I had known what I know now. I cannot change the past; however, I can try to make up for a mistake I made. Giving you a chance to find her, stop whatever harm has come to her... When she returns, online, I will know that I have done the right thing."
"I will bring her back." Orion glanced to the quickly approaching Decepticon army, "I must go to my post, I hope this plan works. We will do our best."
"I know you will do well, Orion." Sentinel gave Orion a smile he had not seen since the war started and he recruited Orion into the Autobot ranks. "You have always served the Autobots well and any being who needed your help. Your kindness, compassion, and determination have kept many of our fellows fighting. The morale you gave us all will see us through this battle, as it has done in the past."
Orion felt prideful and happily surprised by Sentinel's comment. "I... do not know what to say, Prime. Thank you, that means a lot to me."
"You mean a lot to the Autobots, they look to me for leadership. They look to you for the courage and inspiration to follow my lead." Sentinel grasped Orion's shoulder, "Come back to us, the Autobots need you. I need you. I know this is important to you, Mercurio is important to you. All I want is to see you return, unharmed. I do not believe we all could be as great a force without your spark with us."
"Prime!" Prowl called, interrupting the two mechs. Orion had to hurry to his position now, Sentinel saw him off before answering Prowl. When he stepped beside Prowl, the mech pointed towards the Decepticons. "He is coming."
Sentinel focused on the Decepticon lines and he saw a large figure leading them, a gunmetal and dark grey mech. It was Megatron, he was leading his Decepticons like Sentinel lead his Autobots. They were going to start the battle fighting and end it as such; Megatron knew what he could do, how powerful he was alone. From this, it was clear to see that Megatron was confident he could defeat Sentinel Prime in combat.
This was slightly unnerving to the Autobots, sending a quite intimidating message to their ranks. Worried, but steeled to the battle, the Autobots and Sentinel stood fast, ready for anything.
The Autobots remained where they were, the noise of the Decepticons march was shaking the rubble at their feet.
Orion rejoined his team in the tower, thinking on what Sentinel had said to him. He fully intended to return, with Gaia and his team. Plans almost never went exactly how many expected them to go, they did not even have an idea of the strength of the scavengers. Orion knew that they must not be very military minded from what Gaia had told him before, but none of them knew what human weaponry brought.
She once spoke of the destruction of human technology, the ability of their weapons, and a desperate human's fear leading to destruction of their enemies. He did not want any of his team harmed during this mission, even though that was almost never unavoidable. Someone would be wounded and they were prepared to handle that.
"Orion," Sideswipe came up behind the red and blue mech. "When do we move?"
Orion pointed at the top of the tower across from them, in between the Decepticons and the Autobots. "Camshaft will fire a flare, it will signal the change in the battle. When Autobots that are at a range change to close combat and when we have the room to create a hole in the Decepticon lines. It will destroy their formation and we will be able to flank them."
"Are we staying for the battle?" Sunstreaker could see Megatron in the distance, the tensity between the two leaders. "We should be there."
"This was a volunteer mission, you could stay." Orion gave Sunny a curious look. "We will not be here for the fight, we must hurry to our destination if we are to make it in time."
Sunstreaker shrugged, "I know, I am only coming because Sideswipe is." His brother grinned at him. "Fighting a new enemy, it will definitely test our ability to adapt, brother." Sunstreaker rolled his optics, he was vain and his brother is competitive. The two made a formidable team when fighting greater numbers.
"When the signal lights, we will have to move fast. Clear out any Decepticon in our way, letting the others through to ruin the Decepticon forces. Megatron made his line out of larger mechs; we actually have working processors though. We can do this, fast and easy." Orion could see the amount of Decepticons Megatron brought with him. The largest in front, to break Autobot ranks.
"Speed is what I'm known for," Blurr chuckled, "We'll have those Decepticons parted and be on our way before you know it!"
"That is what I am hoping for." Orion was glad his team seemed so sure of their success, the three that had spoken up anyways. Hoist and Trailbreaker had not interacted with Gaia very much, which is why, when the two of them volunteered, surprised Orion. He would not say anything about it, he needed the help and Sentinel permitted five Autobots that chose to go.
"Just say when and we will be ready, Orion." Hoist actually spoke, patting the mech on the back. "We all wanted to come and we are sticking to it. No matter what."
Orion gave him a thankful smile before refocusing on the incoming Decepticon army.
Regardless of what he was trying to distract himself with, Orion could only think of Gaia now. He had to go to her, had to help her. Sentinel knew what it meant to Orion and even regretted his decision to send Gaia away. He knew it to be right at the time, but he could not allow the choice to result in Gaia's death. From what Hye Kwon had shown them, it was not long until it was too late.
Orion was begging Primus that she was alive, that he would reach her in time to stop her pain and rescue her from the fate she had resigned herself to. He could not lose her so close to when she could have been saved; Hye Kwon's work on the array would work and her people would come. Gaia was so close, so very close it was driving Orion mad. He could not stand it.
The Autobots with him were going to help him save her, fight the scavengers; they were risking themselves for someone they barely knew. He did not understand why, what convinced them to join him.
He could not question them when he needed them so badly though. If everything worked out, he would ask them then and see what convinced them to do such a thing. Their lives were at risk against an unknown enemy; it is one of the worst situations to be in.
As they all grew quiet, the Decepticons came to a halt.
It was deathly silent, the Autobots and Decepticons waited as their respective leaders approached each other between their lines. Sentinel and Megatron stood face to face, neither one of them have been in the same place at the same time since the war began. This moment would not be quickly forgotten by either faction.
"Megatron, it has been too long." Sentinel respected his enemy, even though Megatron's actions and crimes were grave. He knew the prowess the mech held and knew not to grow overconfident.
"Sentinel Prime," The sharp, booming voice of the Decepticon leader addressed the great Prime. "We're finally here... The last place you die and the last thing your precious Autobots will ever see."
Sarah and Tristan were behind Orion, staring wide eyed at the Decepticons. They were all too happy to escape from their clutches; seeing them again was discomforting as it was for the rest of the Autobots.
"We will see, Megatron." Sentinel challenged the great mech, whose Decepticons appeared just as twisted as their leader. The sight was something to behold, even though it was not a sight Sentinel wished to see.
"I believe we will." The Decepticon leader was smug, laughing at Prime's cautiousness.
Megatron quickly glanced behind him, seeing all of his Decepticons aching to fight. The excitement leading up to this moment put everyone on edge, yet the Decepticons seemed more pleased to face this threat than the Autobots did; who were resolute to the battle and revering the powerful mechs before them. The lines charged forth with a simple movement.
Megatron swung his blade at Sentinel, who blocked it with his own. "Decepticons! Attack!"
Review Replies:
Deziecho-34:
I replied to your review personally because of the review's depth and how impressed I was someone was so happy with my story, while also looking for the meaning inside it. I feel I should thank you again, this chapter took a long time to write and... it may be crap, I hope it isn't! I hope I meet any and all expectations. I hope I can surpass them, simply because your review made me want to write better...
It's been a while since I wrote for this story, so I admit my skills are probably duller than what you and the other readers will be used to, but I felt the need to write this chapter and progress the story.
Anyways, thank you so much and I hope you enjoy!
TheAwesome101:
WISH GRANTED! :D
Rockubyebaby:
No worries, I failed to update on a more regular schedule so... it's all good. :3
Xireana Zetsubou:
I didn't update soon enough, while I am sorry, I have finally published this chapter and it was exhausting to write again. I forgot how difficult this story can be to write for. xD
I do not know what other reviews were submitted since I updated, these are all the reviews for the PREVIOUS chapter which is my only real way of telling who reviewed and who I need to reply to.
If I have missed your review, I apologize and will try to do so next time. :3