Fandom: Transformers G1
Pairing: None
Rating: PG-13
Codes: Het
Status: Finished
Summary: Prowl and Noitefel relax in Prowl's quarters with a fine high-grade after a very successful mission.

Wanderer's Home acr 2 pt 36: Tactical Wind Down

"I must admit, I am surprised you have free time, given the state of your unit," Prowl said as he unlocked a small hidden compartment in the wall of his quarters. It was far more than a tactician, even the head tactician, would have, but as the Autobot and mission SIC, his was the largest and most elaborate quarters outside of the Prime's.

"We do have longer shifts with half the team and twice the charges, but even Guard need to recharge," Noitefel smiled faintly at the half-sized deep blue cubes that Prowl brought out from his personal stash. "I have a couple joor before I need to shut down, and it is a pleasant change to spend them with one of my own kind."

"That it is," Prowl agreed as he handed one of the cubes over. "Sideswipe's homemade brew. Contraband, even though he's extremely good at it."

"Why contraband then?" Noitefel asked with just a hint of curiosity. "You will drink it."

"A technicality," he said as he sat down in a chair across from Noitefel. "He could have authorization within an orn if he asked for it. I believe he enjoys sneaking around too much to have it legitimate."

"I know the type," Noitefel held back a groan. "Whippoorwill and Windsong have the same glitch in their personality programming, though it is not nearly as strong as in Sideswipe or Tread Bolt. How is he doing?"

"Ratchet indicates he will make a full recovery, as will Skyfire, though it will be at least two decaorn before either are combat worthy again. It is against the odds that we only have the two severe injuries when we achieved all the mission goals. What is the process for selection of a Guard?"

"Most of us are pre-programmed," he said easily after a sip of the fine high grade. "As I said before, it is unnatural to be this dedicated to one you are not spark-bound to. Those who are not pre-programmed have the code added to them before they are repainted and branded."

"Is it their choice?" Prowl asked.

"Always," he nodded. "The coding only allows for the type of loyalty we exhibit and makes one pre-disposed to view our charge with it. It can be broken if the Guard fights it. It is a rare occurrence and it is not a subtle event to the rest of us. Mechs do leave the Guard, but never with Guard coding intact."

"Have you ever had to do it yourself?" Prowl asked him curiously, with a sip of his own drink. "Try to overcome the programming, for whatever reason?"

"No," he shook his head, his voice not quite concealing how distressing he found that thought. "Why would I ever want to?"

"It would depend on the Prime you were guarding, really," Prowl admitted. "I imagine that Nova could have pushed the limits of just about anybody's loyalty, even the Guard's."

"According to Skjöldur, he was actually quite easy to deal with, at least compared to Sentinel. He understood our job, our purpose, and did not seem to have an issue with us doing it. The difficulties are in times like now, when there is a new Prime but the old Guard. It's rare for a Guard to serve under a second Prime for long. Part of what makes us effective is a core-deep understanding of our charge. Since the Matrix tends to choose a very different personality for the next Prime, a different Guard generally comes into play soon afterwards."

"So what happens after you retire?" Prowl asked him. "Ever think about having the opportunity?"

"Those of us sparked as Guards decommission ourselves and return to Primus," Noitefel said easily after sipping his high-grade. "Those like Whippoorwill and Windsong who joined the Guard sometimes return to a civilian life, but most choose to decommission as well."

"Is it normal for you to come back as Guards again later, or is this more of a major exception to the rule?" Prowl asked him easily. "And how have you been getting along with Optimus, since his return?"

"If we come back, it's not with any memories," he shook his head. "Primus gives us life for a purpose. When that purpose is served, we return to Him."

"Understood," Prowl nodded slightly. "Have you and Whippoorwill sorted things out yet?"

"Yes," Noitefel relaxed a bit more. "I retain the title, as I am assigned to Prime. By the time she returns to guarding Prime, I will have caught up to her knowledge."

"Makes sense - and you'll have an aide with an intimate understanding of one of our allies, always a good thing," Prowl smiled. "Speaking of whom, what do you think of Ezara?"

Noitefel didn't hold back the bemused chuckle. "She's a psychopath with a strong submissive trait and survival coding that seems to override everything else. Be very, very grateful to Starscream and Skywarp for delivering her to you in the state she was in. That personality in a Cybertronian would make a first-rate Decepticon. I'm still rather amazed Prime and Jazz can control her as well as they do. It is against every probability I calculated."

"She's also very respectful of - almost afraid of - Intel mechs," Prowl pointed out. "I think that's part of why she gets along with Jazz so well. She recognizes that, if he wanted to, he could offline her. Especially with that new toy she gave him on Cybertron."

He cocked his head slightly, processing that. "A fascinating type to be afraid of, though one I must say is well-warranted in my experience. Yet she does not display that fear. She seems very affectionate towards him."

"Oh, she is - and practically everybody else, when she's in the mood," Prowl chuckled. "Him in particular. But it's one of the reasons he can control her so well. It's one part affection, one part fear. Optimus is equal parts affection and respect."

"Is that normal for her species, to be so tactile?"

"I've got no idea," Prowl admitted. "Though I suspect that a large part of it has to do with her very ... primal nature. She's much like Ravage, deep down inside."

"Mmm, fascinating. It does explain some of her quirks though. An animal spark made to be that articulate and social is unlikely to completely stable," Noitefel said thoughtfully between sips of fine high grade. "What is the most effective response when she becomes too affectionate?"

"A polite but firm refusal is effective, though I according to Jazz she can reach a point where that doesn't suffice. If she does, I wouldn't try to fight her off - she's like the Twins, in that combat and foreplay are largely interchangeable and resistance only encourages violence in an already violent individual."

"Understood," Noitefel nodded. "I have enough passed-down memories of Nova Prime to recognize the mood. He was partial to berthmates who resisted, though he never actually crossed the line that I know of."

"I imagine it's similar," Prowl said. "Of course, from what I've picked up on, she's also partial to losing those sort of fights ... it's a strange combination," he said, shaking his head. "One I don't think I'll ever understand."

"There are some complexities that our kind were never intended to understand," Noitefel smiled fondly at the frustrations of others had in trying to explain the quirks of the naturally sparked to him over the metacycles. "Have you considered agreeing to her attentions for the opportunity to look at how her CPU works?"

"Not really," Prowl chuckled lowly. "Not after seeing her first celebration here, at any rate. I think Bumblebee was a little scrambled for the better part of a decaorn. Besides, that's more Jazz's style."

Noitefel quirked an eyeridge up. "What happened to him?"

"Exhaustion and sensation overload, I think," Prowl said. "He also made the mistake of basically getting in well over his head - she's a demanding partner, by all accounts, and Bumblebee is less experienced than Perceptor."

"Good things to know," he turned it over his processors several times. "I didn't think to ask her, but how is Skjöldur doing? I doubt she has much experience either."

"She's also a femme - seems to be the one group of people that Ezara won't hit on," Prowl explained. "Seems odd, but there you have it. The Tezita seem to be much closer to a biological origin, so I suppose it makes some sense."

Noitefel hummed thoughtfully. "That would also explain why the VR pregnancy being terminated has her so off her processors. Bios tend to be abnormally attached to their offspring, given how few survive in the wild."

"Even so, I'm still surprised by how badly it's hit her," Prowl admitted. "It never really existed, and from the sound of it she was anything but thrilled to be pregnant in the first place."

Noitefel gave him an understanding smile. "She seems to be the only one not surprised by her response. It's quite unsettling to see her now, after what Whippoorwill showed me she should be like. It is quite a striking difference."

"I just hope that it's passed by the time that her people arrive," Prowl admitted. "It could get very ugly if it hasn't."

"Agreed," he pursed his lips as the extremely unpleasant odds came to mind unbidden. "Though if it does, at least we will have time where there are only her close supporters here. There is a high probability that one of them knows how to fix her."

"Whoever she's supposed to bond with, if nothing else," Prowl nodded. "Or one of the other Toe'Emircs... I'm surprised they haven't just overridden her again, taken full control while she mends."

"It is odd," Noitefel agreed. "Particularly given Mitrix took over to bring Starscream and Skyfire here. Perhaps it has something to do with Ezara being unable to heal while dormant. Some traumas are like that."

"True," he agreed thoughtfully, sipping on his high grade and feeling more relaxed than he had since leaving Cybertron. "Whippoorwill is keeping you appraised of Ratchet's assessment of the situation?"

"Of course," he inclined his head slightly. "My charge is the Prime, but Ezara is under Guard protection, and thus my concern as well."

"Good," Prowl nodded. "Keep me appraised as well. The fewer who ask Ratchet, the better the information he will give."

"I will," Noitefel nodded in turn. "What are the better ways to wind down after shift here? Jazz was full of suggestions, but I'm not sure he grasps what we are."

"What sort of things did Jazz suggest?" Prowl chuckled. "The easiest options are target practice, 'getting out for a drive,' or running a tactical sim. Teletraan-1's pretty good, though it would be nice to try against each other some time," he offered.

"Music was his favorite," Noitefel returned the smile as he savored the last few sips of high grade. "While I admit he suggested a few that could qualify as relaxing, the majority were definitely not. Jazz, swing and big band may be pleasant, but they are not relaxing to me. He did suggest going driving, and hanging out in the common room. That seems a place to become keyed up for battle, not wind down for recharge."

"He's also one of the four most social mechs on the ship," Prowl pointed out with a slight smile. "Of course, if people learn you're talking to me so much, they'll assume that you're just going out on patrol when you're going on a drive too. Not that they're wrong, in my case, I just find it relaxing."

"That I can understand," Noitefel laughed easily. "Knowing the area is secure makes recharge much easier. Letting it settle in alone is that much better. Socializing does take an extra effort, though not so much with you."

"Thank you," Prowl chuckled. "It's a lot easier talking with you as well ... how long do you plan to be up yet, before recharge?"

He checked his internal chronometer. "One point zero three joor."

"Enough time for a quick game?" Prowl suggested. "Let each of us practice against an opponent besides the computer?"

"I believe that would be a pleasant way to spend the time," Noitefel agreed with a quiet eagerness. "3-board, Iacon rules?"

"Lucky we both trained there," Prowl chuckled, bringing up the holographic board. "Your move first," he offered, the two of them settling for the evening.