Chapter One: Starlander
It's hard to believe that the smallest feet will soon create the biggest footsteps - unknown
Starlander couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. The last time her spark had buzzed with this much joy was when Cable had asked her to be his Sparkmate.
However, this moment seemed to outweigh even that precious memory. She had never quite realized the pride and fierce new love that accompanied having a sparkling. The feelings were alien to her, but more than welcome.
Starlander and Cable had often talked about sparklings, but talk was just talk. This was real. Starlander couldn't help but bounce on her peds slightly as she burst through the medical center doors. Cable had commed her only minutes before to say he was on his way.
The young spark residing next to her own had matured a couple days ago, and they had just been waiting for the doctors to finish the frame so they could perform the transfer.
The creation of new life had always fascinated Starlander. Sparkmates would pray to Primus, the god of creation, for a sparkling.
A spark, the essence and life force of a Cybertronian, would emerge from the Well of Allsparks and appear to the Sparkmates, taking residence in a special chamber built into femmes' frames. The spark would develop while doctors built frames to contain them. Once the spark was fully developed, and the frame was finished, the spark would be safely transferred into its new frame.
The spark then generated a protoform within the frame, and a new sparkling would awaken to their beautiful planet. Starlander had studied sparkling creation every cycle in preparation for her own transfer.
Despite these procedures being performed flawlessly everyday by professional doctors and medics, Starlander couldn't stop herself from being nervous.
She was determined to be learnt in the topic before undergoing the transfer. Now that she was a carrier, the thought of anything happening to her soon to be sparkling turned the energon in her tanks uncomfortably.
She did her best to calm her nerves as she checked into her room. She found herself wishing that Cable would hurry from wherever he was. He did have a way of settling her uneasy helm.
Fortunately, she didn't wait long. After a few minutes of waiting in silence, Cable walked in followed by the doctor.
"You made it," Starlander said in relief.
"Barely, doc here thought I wasn't supposed to be here," Cable answered, but he had a good natured grin.
"Only until you produced the correct paperwork as is standard procedure," The doctor said, shutting the door behind them. He was a very young bot. He looked as if he could've just graduated a medical school academy recently, but his appearance was seemed extremely professional.
"Now, you're here for a sparkling transfer?" The doctor asked. They both nodded.
"My designation is Ratchet, I'll be assisting you today," He said, as he peered over his datapad.
"I am comming someone to fetch the frame now," He let them know. Starlander nodded anxiously. Ratchet seemed to notice her hesitance because he gave her a reassuring smile.
"Not to worry femme. We perform this procedure all the time," He let her know. She nodded with a smile, but any words she might've thought of in response were stuck in her throat.
Cable took a seat next to her and took her servo in his.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, and gazed passionately into her optics. Starlander was grateful she had met this mech.
Every hard turn of her life, he had been there for her, encouraging her, supporting her. There were times where she almost believed she didn't deserve him.
"I'm good," She said determinedly. He smiled proudly.
"We're going to have a sparkling," he said excitedly. She nodded, knowing her optics probably had the same happy glow that his did.
"And they're going to be amazing," She told him, putting a hand over her spark. She could feel the young life thrumming beside hers. It was strong and alive and she knew this sparkling was going to be special.
Moments later, two more medics came in wheeling the frame in on a medical berth. The frame was a standard gun-metal gray, but that would change once they were old enough to scan their first vehicles.
"Whenever you're ready," Ratchet let them know.
"Now is good." Starlander said standing, wanting to begin before her courage faded. Cable stood as well.
"You're ready?" He asked calmly. It wasn't often that this mech was quiet and calm, but those rare occasions seemed to be reserved only for her.
"I am." She agreed. Ratchet ushered the extra medics out, and had her stand next to the frame. Ratchet pulled out two identical devices. They were small and thin and the tips hummed with energon.
"These are specialized energy conductors. If the spark has trouble finding its way to the frame, I will help guide it. It's unlikely that the conductors damage the spark and I have very steady servos. When you're ready, release the spark close to the spark chamber in the new frame," Ratchet instructed.
Starlander nodded, and taking in a deep vent to cool her systems, opened the cavity in her chest where the new spark resided. The spark was beautiful, glowing like a miniature sun. The spark flickered, and flitted out of its old home to find the new one.
The whole room held its breath as the spark jumpily found its way to the frame. Ratchet hardly had to guide it as it flew over.
Finally the spark was hovering directly over the spark chamber in the new frame. However, this seemed to be as far as the spark wanted to go.
"What's wrong?" Starlander asked, knowing that the spark should've immediately taken residence in the new chamber. Ratchet reached over to guide it, but the spark moved once more.
Then, before their very eyes, the spark began to split in two.
Starlander reeled in horror and she vaguely heard Cable shout something from beside her. She looked over to Ratchet whose face had went from surprise to complete seriousness.
Then, the medic began to work. Quickly, he grabbed the half closest to him with the conductor and placed it swiftly into the spark chamber.
Simultaneously, he conducted the second half quickly back into Starlander's chest where the whole spark had originally been.
His eyes then went dark as he commed someone.
The spark half that was put back with Starlander began to flicker and flit around as if it was agitated.
She was about to close her chest cavity back up to protect the strange half-spark, but Ratchet strictly told her not to.
Cable gripped her servo tightly and whispered words of comfort in her audio receptor, but it was obvious he was just as spun out as she.
A minute later, the medics from before came in wheeling a second frame. Starlander was beyond confused now.
What had happened to her sparkling? At the moment, she didn't believe anyone would be able to answer her pressing question.
Then, working as surely and swiftly as her had before, Ratchet used the conductor to quickly and carefully place the second half in the new frame they had wheeled in.
Starlander looked over the second frame with wide eyes. It had come to her attention that this frame was an unused and outdated model, but it wasn't like they had time to build a second frame in a couple minutes.
Despite not knowing what exactly had happened, she knew that sparks without a frame for too long would perish.
She did understand one thing. Ratchet had just saved both the little half-sparks.
Ratchet shooed the medics again as the protoforms began to form. He turned to face them before they could spit out any questions.
"This is extremely rare," He began. Upon their looks of confusion he began to explain further.
"You were carrying a split spark. A whole spark that splits in two, bringing to life two Cybertronian sharing the same spark. I haven't seen a split spark in centuries." Ratchet explained.
"Unfortunately," he continued, "there's no way to tell if a spark will become a split spark, so we were unable to make the right size frame. You may find their protoforms end up a bit small in comparison with frames. Split sparks are no different than any other spark, except that they commonly share a predetermined sparkbond. In fact, I believe split spark bonds is one of the strongest types to exist." He mused.
"We're lucky you had an old model frame," Starlander said quietly.
Some part of her spark knew that having an old model frame was probably going to be looked down upon by other Cybertronians, but she was just glad they were alive.
"It was fortunate," Ratchet agreed.
"You saved my sparkling's," Starlander told him. He smiled.
"Just doing my job," He admitted.
"Hey," Cable got their attention.
"They're onlining," He said breathlessly.
Starlander looked to her two new sparklings eagerly and watched as their optics slowly onlined.
Both their optics were blue with purple hints. The newer framed sparkling had light lavender in his optics, and the older framed sparkling had a deep indigo.
Their protoforms were small, making the armor of the frame seem a bit clunky. They were both mechs.
"They're perfect," Starlander said happily. They both looked at her and gave her little sparkling smiles, and they both stretched out their servos towards her simultaneously.
"What should we call them?" Cable asked her, lifting the older framed one in his servos.
Starlander lifted the other. "This one can still be Sideswipe," She decided. A name Cable had picked coming from his side of the family.
"And our little surprise?" Cable asked, holding up the other.
"How about," Starlander thought carefully. After a minute, a name came to mind.
"Sunstreaker," she offered. It was an old Cybertronian name that meant 'beauty rivaling the sun.'
It didn't matter what sort of frame her surprise sparkling had, he was going to outshine even the largest stars in the cosmos.
"Sunstreaker," Cable repeated. "I like that," He agreed.
Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Her little miracles.
Hey ya'll, I'm back with another side project. I'm gonna do my best to get all the way through this one. I've taken a lot of time to improve my writing, and I'm very excited because I'll be publishing that novel I talked about all those years ago pretty soon. I know 2020 has been a hell of a ride so far, so I hope you guys enjoy this fun little story about our favorite frontliners.
Keep Writing Keep Reading, Nova out ;)