A/N: Okay folks!
Things are really heating up in here! Got some new plot developments coming your way, along with more of who everybody loves... SOUNDWAVE. I really enjoy writing his character for some reason. Also, idk about you but I mentally picture Moonracer as that blonde chick that plays sports and always wears high pony-tails and leather jackets. Let me know if you get that vibe from her too...
Chapter 42: Homeward Bound
Firestar's digits gripped the arm rests of the command chair with increasing intensity as she quickly came to realize that piloting a ship through an asteroid field was not as easy as previously appeared.
"Right! To your right!" Flare Up screeched. She and Ultra Violet were both flung from their control chairs when Firestar abruptly yanked the steering yoke to the right in order to dodge a particularly large asteroid.
It didn't look so big a second ago… Firestar thought.
"Too quickly! You're going to make everyone sick!" Flare Up cried.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Firestar squeaked out.
"That was way too close!" Ultra Violet whined. Firestar bristled and glared ahead through the cockpit. She was already on edge enough without her teammates badgering her every two nano-seconds.
"Seriously, you could have thrown Elita One off the med table back there," Flare Up added.
"I'm doing my best," Firestar snapped, "And I'll thank the both of you to stop back seat driving!"
"We're trying to help you!" Flare Up shot back.
"Yeah, do you want our assistance or not?" Ultra Violet asked.
"Not if you both are going to be SCREAMING AT ME THE WHOLE TIME," Firestar burst. Another asteroid somehow managed to sneak up on the scanners and Firestar shoved the steering yoke just in time to miss it as it hurled from beneath them right into their cockpit view.
Flare Up and Ultra Violet shrieked in fear even as Firestar dodged it in perfect time.
"Relax! The both of you! I'm getting the hang of this," Firestar chided.
"If you say so," Flare Up mumbled, resuming her seat and bracing into it. Firestar took a deep breath through her intakes and focused her mind on the task at hand. This shouldn't be too hard. It was simply an asteroid field. Her course was already pre-set. She just had to get out of this rough little patch of space and they were home free. She could-
BANG
All three femmes jumped at the sudden impact to the ship on the commanding side.
"What was that?" Firestar cried.
"An asteroid got us!" Flare Up answered.
"No it wasn't an asteroid," Ultra Violet interjected, searching the ship's scanners, "There wasn't one near us."
"Well, what else could it-"
BANG! The impact was sudden, and extremely loud. The Tenacious' sensor's indicated where the impact had taken place upon their shields, but showed no sign of asteroid debris.
"That definitely isn't an asteroid," Firestar said. The ship's alarms were flashing wildly in the bridge, red hazard lights blinking and sirens going off.
"I don't understand-" Firestar said, looking around in confusion, trying to spot anything. Suddenly, Chromia was on the bridge stepping around her and pointing.
"There! Take evasive action! Those aren't asteroids, those are guns firing at us!" Chromia cried. She took a seat on the bridge panel and highlighted on screen through the ship's cameras just what the cause of their worry was. A laser cannon, perched to one of the asteroids was charging, preparing to fire again.
"Go! Go!" Chromia ordered. Firestar clutched the steering yoke and spun the ship sideways out of range of the cannons, only to be hit again by another loud BANG. This time, from the opposite side of their ship. Chromia's hands flew rapidly over the control keys, and highlighted their second attacker. Another laser cannon, perched on an asteroid opposite.
"What is happening? Who would put cannons out here?" Firestar asked, flying desperately to avoid being hit a third time.
Chromia's face was hard with fury.
"We were set up, just like I feared. And now I'm too pissed to even gloat about being right!"
…
Moonracer had never been around an ex-Con alone, much less two ex-Cons at the same time. When she had been tasked to watch both Galvatron and Soundwave in the brig, Moonracer wasn't certain she was qualified enough for the job. However, regardless of her own self-doubt, she knew she could not risk appearing in any way vulnerable. These mechs were now to be considered enemies, according to Chromia. Therefore, Moonracer had to be on her utmost guard.
Thankfully, Moonracer did appear somewhat formidable. She was tall, for a younger femme, nearly as tall as Elita One. And though she had a petite stature, she also possessed a far more mature air than the other femmes of her age. Not to mention, she carried a truck load of pride in her athletic abilities. She was by far the fastest femme in Prime City, and she suspected she was far faster than Galvatron or Soundwave would be, should either of them try and give her the slip.
All the same, Moonracer couldn't resist sneaking glances over at the prisoners. They were held in two separate cells, side by side with a massive wall in between them and no way to make optic contact with each other. Galvatron had chosen to take a seat in the corner of his cell. Soundwave on the other hand, simply stood in the center of his, his masked face unmoving, and staring endlessly in her direction. Of course, there was no way to tell if Soundwave was actually looking at her. Did he even have optics? Moonracer swiftly diverted her gaze away from his blank face and slid her mask visor over her own optics with a sudden click. If he had the gall to hide his face from her view, then she certainly didn't want him to see hers. Besides, If he truly was the best spy in history, then he would already be dissecting her for any weaknesses.
As her visor swished into place, Moonracer heard a small chuckle issue forth from Galvatron.
"There's no hiding from Soundwave, young one," he said. Moonracer stood rigidly still, refusing to reply.
"I chose him to be my faithful eyes and ears for a reason. Though I don't know why he would be now. I have nothing left to offer him. Surely he must know this," Galvatron continued. Moonracer glanced over to Soundwave. But the mech did not move. Still, Moonracer thought it would be wise to start recording audio at that moment.
"I have no ulterior motif to my story," Galvatron went on, "I have no further agendas. You on the other hand, old friend, most certainly do. I can see it about you. You have other plans. Just what they are, I can't yet determine. Perhaps they have something to do with Shockwave? Perhaps you seek to find him and reassess your plot from there."
Moonracer was immediately thankful she had started recording. This conversation would be important for the Prime Counsel to hear upon the Tenacious' return to Cybertron.
"Have you nothing to say in defense?" Moonracer spoke, aiming her question to the spy.
Soundwave gave no visual reaction to these bold claims. He remained stock still. But then, Moonracer suddenly sensed the mech's irritated energy spike in the room, like sharp frequencies that pierced through her spark in violent waves. Why she could sense it, she didn't know. She just… did. It was overwhelmingly disconcerting. The shock of these strong new sensations caused her to cock her head at the spy, silently begging him to stop whatever it was he was doing.
It was only then that Soundwave distinctly acknowledged her for the first time with the slightest tilt of his helm toward her.
"It is evident Lord Galvatron is feeling out of sorts," He said, in his monotone voice. Moonracer blinked.
"I am not your LORD! Don't you understand, Soundwave? I am nothing!" Galvatron roared.
Moonracer flinched as the force of Galvatron's furious energy beat against her sensory shield, like a vicious windstorm.
"Please, please remain calm," she said, stretching out a hand, "Outbursts will help no one." Her plea only worked partially, as the windstorm that was Galvatron's wild fury still circled her, if slightly less powerful than before.
"I suppose you assume I am responsible for sending Elita One into whatever state she is in," Galvatron said. "Well, I'm not. And I have no cause to lie. If I wished anyone real harm, I could have commanded Soundwave to ambush all of you and taken over your ship already. If you think you captured either of us, against our will, you are severely deluded."
Moonracer swallowed, her optics shifting between one mech and the other. Just then the ship swayed massively. She corrected her stance and was careful to position herself in a way that she would not easily lose her balance.
/What's going on up there?/ she sent the team patch.
"I'm no judge," she said out loud at last, "I'm just following orders."
"Judge or not, I am on trial. And I'd rather have everyone know what I have to say."
/Firestar is flying/ Flare Up replied to the team chat in her visor.
"Then speak," Moonracer said. Galvatron nodded.
"The only statement I have to offer in my defense is this: Of all the bots I have met in a long time, Elita One has been the first to extend any hand of kindness toward me. I may be a dirty outcast, but I still possess my sense of honor. I would not betray Elita One after how she has treated me so nobly, despite all her grievances against me," Galvatron persisted.
In spite of Moonracer's desire to remain on her guard, she couldn't deny that Galvatron's honesty was disarming. How she knew he was being genuine, she didn't fully comprehend. It was merely a strong impression that she felt in her spark.
The Tenacious' rocked with tremendous force as soon as a loud BANG was heard along the left side of the ship's shield. Moonracer stumbled a moment but held fast.
/Ok, what was that?/ Moonracer messaged.
"That wasn't an asteroid," Galvatron said, looking around the brig thoughtfully.
"Boobytraps." The single word was spoken by the spy. Galvatron's optics snapped wide open.
/Some sort of lasers are firing at us!/ Ultra Violet reported to the team chat.
"The boobytraps. I forgot about the boobytraps," Galvatron groaned, lifting a hand to scratch the side of his helm.
"Boobytraps?!" Moonracer blurted.
/This jostling isn't helping me over here!/ Greenlight chimed in.
"Yes. I set boobytraps," Galvatron explained, "Not now- a long time ago. I wanted to ensure no Autobots would have a chance to leave the tomb successfully."
/They're old boobytraps/ Moonracer swiftly reported to the team chat /Set by Galvatron a long time ago/.
/We suspected as much! Angry Chromia headed your way, Moon…/ Flare Up sent.
"Chromia is on her way, most likely wanting answers," Moonracer said out loud to the ex-Cons. She didn't know quite why she was warning them.
"Of course she does," Galvatron groaned.
"The explanation is simple. I foresee no reason for any further interrogations," Soundwave deduced.
"You've not dealt with Chromia as often as I have. She often seeks reasons to interrogate," Galvatron snorted. Moonracer felt a smile tugging at the corner of her denta. But then the clattering sound of Chromia's stomping steps leading down the hallway caused Moonracer to stand a little straighter.
She burst into the room, and with her came an air so cold, Moonracer physically shivered.
"You're responsible for the laser cannons I assume?" Chromia hissed. Galvatron opened his mouth to speak but another hit to the ship caused everyone's denta to rattle, even Moonracer's.
"Shut them OFF," Chromia ordered.
"I CAN'T!" Galvatron snapped back, "You tripped the triggers. They will continue to fire so long as you are in range."
/Keep flying Firestar. Just get us as far away from the cannons as you can/ Moonracer messaged swiftly.
"Cons never do change," Chromia shook her head, "I warned Elita you'd led us into a trap. How I hate to be right sometimes," she huffed, her blue gaze positively chilling.
"Then you should be overjoyed to know that I did not intentionally lead you here just to be caught in my own booby traps," Galvatron quipped. "I forgot they were here."
"You forgot?" Chromia scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. The ship tilted to the right sharply, and then dipped to the left. Chromia and Moonracer spread their stances to balance.
"Need I really remind you just how old I am? Or how long the war was?" Galvatron said flatly.
"Shut your face," Chromia snarled, "There's no way you're going to convince me you're innocent."
"Fortunately for me, I need not bother convincing you," Galvatron said.
"Fortunately is right. I would have you rot in a sunless prison for the rest of your days," Chromia replied icily.
"Nothing you could arrange would be a crueler fate than the one I had already sentenced myself to before Elita One sought me out for my help," Galvatron snapped, now standing to his peds. Moonracer had almost forgotten how tall he was. He was more than just tall though. His entire physic reeked of power. Each sharp edge along his frame toted his dangerous persona, and the battle scars that littered every inch of his armored body boasted of an immortality that Moonracer's processor struggled to understand.
But it was not just her processor that was overwhelmed in that moment. Her spark felt positively suffocated with the clash of emotions swirling about in the room. They were so chaotic, Moonracer had to close her optics and take a step back from the cells, hoping distance would help. But the charge in the static air surrounding her was too strong. She needed to escape it somehow. She was about to plead to depart when suddenly the jostling ship steadied to a smooth glide. Firestar's voice blared into the loud speaker.
"I did it! I really did it!" then she coughed, "I- er- I mean, the asteroid field has been cleared, Captain Chromia. All threats neutralized."
The announcement brought everyone's emotions simultaneously to a sudden calm. Moonracer could have cheered for joy. Chromia responded first, tapping the ship's intercom control.
"Well done cadet. Proceed along the charted course."
"Aye, aye!" Firestar answered. Chromia eyed Galvatron, then Soundwave one last time.
"I'm still keeping my eye on you two," she said. Then she was gone.
…
Firestar was absolutely brimming with relief when she shut the intercom off and reclined back into the command chair.
"That wasn't so hard," she announced. Flare Up and Ultra Violet only exchanged doubtful glances before smiling at their friend and giving her the well earned congrats she deserved.
"That was some difficult flying. I'm glad it was you and not me," Ultra Violet said.
"Same, I hate flying. And you not getting us all killed was really cool," Flare Up added.
"I second that," said Chromia, as she entered the bridge. "You took command during an extremely difficult situation, and you did so with peak efficiency. You'll be getting a shining report from me once we return to Cybertron. Maybe even a medal of bravery if you're lucky," the blue femme winked. Firestar beamed.
I just wish Elita One could have seen it… Firestar thought.
"Is Commander Elita going to be alright?" she asked instead.
"Greenlight is monitoring her religiously and so far all her vitals remain steady. I think she's going to be alright. She's just locked in a form of stasis. But don't worry," Chromia assured, "As soon as we return to Cybertron, we will have the best medic alive to look after her."
"What's his name?" Firestar asked.
"Ratchet. And you won't meet a grumpier old mech. But he's a magician with that doctor's kit."
"I think I recall seeing him once before. At a council meeting," Firestar said.
"Probably." Chromia walked over to stand at the command chair and gestured the young femme to stand.
"You're relieved from command duty. You may return to monitoring the system controls. Firestar jumped up and skirted to the controls as asked. Chromia brushed some dust off the arm of the command chair before sitting down.
"Flare Up, set an alert to relieve Moonracer of guard duty in two cycles. I don't want any of you down there alone for very long with those ex-Cons," she ordered. "And don't talk to them."
"Yes, ma'am."
...
Moonracer let out an audible sigh of relief once Chromia was gone. It caught the attention of Soundwave, who, to her utter surprise, flashed a silly cartoon face on his visor screen right at her.
Her look of shock could not be hidden behind her visor mask, though Soundwave suspected she tried. His carefully calculated action had gotten a rise out of her, and this pleased him.
Soundwave had been assessing quite a bit since his induction, albeit an unwilling one, to the team. Not the least of which were the femmes and their individual abilities. Firestar was clearly a flying genius. Perhaps even a tri-transformer with a flier form. She had to be if someone as experienced as Megatron/Galvatron had a difficult time navigating the asteroid field. Then there was Greenlight, the entrusted medic. Flare Up he hadn't quite pegged yet, but judging by her radically ludicrous flame paint job, it appeared she had some fascination with fire. And there was Ultra Violet with her highly perceptive vision. Now that was something Soundwave wanted to see a little more of. He'd never met a femme with tallents like that before. Which begged the question… Was the Well of Allsparks producing all these new sparklings with special abilities, or simply the femmes?
He would need to conduct further research once they landed planet-side. But to do that, he would have to be free of a prison cell.
Soundwave ran his perceptive optics across Moonracer's sleek form, noting her frame was specifically designed for speed and agility. But there was another element about her. Something hidden which he hadn't noticed until moments before. She too appeared to have an ability that gave her particular insight. Exactly what it was, Soundwave had yet to pin down. But judging from her reactions to Galvatron and Chromia's argument, and indeed, even his own mild frustration during his leader's earlier dressing down speech, she was made highly uncomfortable by displays of emotion.
He could identify with that. Irrational outbursts had never been something he could make sense of. The cause for the outbursts were plain. Almost archaic in their simplicity. But why bots allowed themselves to be controlled, nay-possessed by such basic feelings to the point of reacting without a single thought as to the consequences, was quite beyond his understanding.
Soundwave was nothing if he wasn't a mech of introspection. And right now, he realized that he was in a highly vulnerable position. Megatron was clearly not himself. Galvatron was a new creature, and could not be relied upon, as was clear by the fact that he did not take any advantage of Elita One's disarmed state. Soundwave had thought Galvatron would be smart enough to escape. In fact, Soundwave had been waiting for that very moment. For yes, the spy knew the price one must pay for anyone who so much as traced a line on those ancient pages.
Why?
Because Soundwave had once been bold enough to read a page himself. He had been the first mech to lay his optics on the Book of Allsparks when Megatron instructed him to locate it. The first to ensure the Book of Legend was authentic. And it had cost him much. He shuttered to recall how he had fallen into stasis. How he had spent days lost to the book's power before he had discovered a means of awakening. The weight of it's secrets still haunted him to this day.
Now with Elita One temporarily out of the picture, it would have been sparklings' play to take over the Tenacious and return to Cybertron as free mechs.
But no. Now he would have to fend for himself. Of course, this was nothing new. He was used to solitary spy work after all. Now all he had to do was choose his method of security.
Currently, he was weighing the likely-hood of winning a femme's affections. Of convincing her he was somehow worthy of trust. Preferably he would like to be in good graces with each of them. Loyalty was a high commodity after all. And yet, he was not about to overestimate his abilities.
If he chose his target carefully, he believed he could win at least one. He would have to be careful. It would be slow work. But it would be something.
The femme called Flare Up entered the brig suddenly.
"Moonracer, I'm here to relieve you," she announced. Moonracer snapped her attention to her team mate and nodded before stepping away from her position at the wall.
Soundwave made a point of watching the racer femme go. She felt his intent gaze. He knew she did by the way she shivered and glanced back over her shoulder at him. Then, when she took the briefest pauses in the doorway, he was certain he had captured her curiosity.
She would be back.
