Hey guys! Back again with another story! You're just going to have to bear with me the first few chapters...I'm not used to writing Transformers fanfic without it being based on Earth or anything. This story takes place sometime in the beginning of the war. It's been going on for about 500 years...which is of course, not very long for Cybertronians.
One: Inception
The violet femme stopped only a few inches away from the entryway, her twitching wings gave away how apprehensive she really was. It wasn't always a small, slim little lower-ranking saboteur like her was called to the great Prime's office. And no matter how hard she tried to focus on keeping a calm, proper demeanour, the nerves kept itching her wires and made her plating uncomfortably warm.
She forced her tightened armor to loosen, but only enough so that the gaps could allow in air to cool her systems before she glitched. She paused, and then cursed to herself as she felt the armor between her door wings get stuck. It happened frequently, especially since her door wings were protruding off her spinal strut from two different angles.
Grumbling lowly, the femme flexed her door wings back and forth, ignoring the slight discomfort from having the sensitive appendages rubbing against her armor. The hatch abruptly slid open, and the femme froze, caught like a cybercat in headlights.
When her cobalt gaze meet the Prime's curious one, her wings stood stiffly up straight, and embarrassed heat flushed her face plates.
"Prime!" She said with an undignified squeak, and then straightened, giving him a salute, "Soldier Paradox, reporting as requested, sir!"
Optimus watched her for a few astroseconds, before rumbling a deep, hearty chuckle that echoed around the empty halls. Paradox shot him a bewildered look, but the young Prime just kept chuckling, bending down to rest a servo on his knee bolts. Embarrassed even more, the violet femme brought her bright gaze down to the ground.
"S-Sorry, sir…"
When he stopped chuckling, Optimus straightened and cleared his throat, "It is quite alright, Paradox. I am satisfied. I haven't laughed in three joors." Then his gaze became serious, "But there is something I want to discuss with you. Please, come in."
Paradox followed the Prime through the hatch and into his spacious office. Datapads were stacked and strewn everywhere, along with holographs of Cybertron, Autobot propaganda, and surprisingly, charts of the lunar cycles. The femme raised a thin, optical ridge.
"I do like to study the stars," Optimus answered her silent question, "Astronomy is something I do in my past time, which unfortunately I do not have a lot of, as of lately."
He sat down in a large chair seated at the cluttered desk, and she sat down in a much smaller chair. She avoided his keen blue gaze, and stared down at her laced, clawed servos.
Optimus sighed, "There is no need to be anxious, Paradox. I am not going to admonish you."
"How can you tell I'm nervous?" She blurted out, before her processors could stop herself.
There was an amused glint to his optics, "Your wings. They stand still and straight when you are nervous."
"Oh." She muttered, after a minute and forced her wings flat against her spinal strut. Out of the embarrassment still clouding inside her, she managed to ask, "You requested me for duty, sir?"
"I have a mission for you," Optimus said with a nod, "It will be a long, challenging, and even quite dangerous mission. But I and your division's director have full confidence that you can complete it, if you accept to do it."
If? Paradox repeated in her own processors. She was confused, but kept her facial features perfectly neutral. She inclined her helm slightly for him to elaborate.
Optimus leaned forward, "Paradox, the mission is to enlist in the Decepticon army. You will be working undercover for espionage. After this debriefing, your division director will give you the personal comm link that he and I will share with you. It is on such a frequency that I doubt even Soundwave could detect it. You will use this comm link to periodically relay any sensitive information back to us, and you will be on this mission for six orns." He paused, to let it all sink into the violet femme.
Paradox was too overwhelmed by the sudden information to realize her door wings had risen, and were twitching with thinly-veiled excitement. She couldn't believe it. Optimus Prime himself had put her on a mission, a dangerous, very important mission that will aid the Autobot cause.
Her spark fluttered with happiness, and she couldn't help the small curve of her lip-plates as she stared up at the young Prime. All she wanted to do, ever since she was a little sparkling, was to help and make a difference in this metal world currently filled with the pandemonium of war.
This was her chance. She'd be slagged if she'd said no.
She stood up from her seat, and bowed respectfully to the Prime as she was taught in training, "I would be honored to fulfill such a duty, Optimus Prime."
Unlike her, Optimus showed his smile, and stood up from his seat as well and bowed, "I am glad you are accepting such a daunting task. There are some higher-ranking bots I know that wouldn't have been able to accept this. You bring great service to the Autobot cause."
Her lip-plates curved even more, "This is a cause worth fighting for."
Paradox practically skipped into Retrobeam's berthroom, her door wings fluttering high above her helm. The white femme was reading a datapad when she looked up, anticipation in her pale blue optics.
"Well... what did he say?"
"I'm going on a mission!" Paradox squealed with glee, "A classified, highly important mission! The Prime himself debriefed me!"
Retrobeam's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, "Really?"
"Yes!" She yelped, bouncing on her pedes, "I just came back from installing a private comm link! I'm leaving to Kaon in a few orbital cycles!"
The white femme's smile faltered, "Wait, Kaon? Why are they taking you there?"
"My mission," she explained, "I'm going undercover. I'm enlisting in the Decepticon army and doing espionage for the Autobots! How great is that?"
"Nevermind great," Retrobeam said, putting the datapad away. A concerned look flashed in her optics, "They're putting you with Decepticons, as a spy? Do you know how dangerous that is? What they could do to you if they found out?"
Paradox frowned, "You're confidence in me is astounding."
"I'm serious Para," The white femme protested, "Not only is their leader a sadistic maniac, but ninety-eight percent of the army is mechs. Savage mechs. How could they think this is a good idea?"
Paradox sighed, "I know you're concerned, but trust me, I know what I signed up for. I can handle it 'Beam. Primus knows I've done it before…" She trailed off, and a dark silence fell over the room as somber memories stirred up between the two of them.
Retrobeam finally gave a resigned sigh, "Okay, okay." She then crossed her arms over her large chest and grumbled, "But don't expect me to be so happy about it."
Paradox just grinned, "Please. I know you're happy, you just don't want to show it."
The white femme grinned as well, and with a knowing look she replied, "I'm not happy, but I am proud. You worked your aft off to get here, and now you're finally being recognized for your talent and potential. And for that, I'll celebrate."
Retrobeam reached up to the cabinet above her berth and pulled out two cubes of sparkling highgrade. Normally, Paradox would refuse to drink, but this was on a special occasion. So she saddled herself right next to her best friend, and uncapped the cube. Retrobeam uncapped hers, and their cubs clinked.
"To Paradox," She said, and Paradox chuckled softly.
They put the cubes to their lip-plates, and drank.
( 3 orbital cycles later)
Paradox followed the crowd of mechs through the dark tunnels of the cave. Her armor a shade darker than what it used to be, along with her optics, which were switched back to their soft yellow. The color she originally had before she became an Autobot. She tried to keep her wings perfectly still as she followed the eager, rambunctious mechs to the location of the assembly, which was taking place underground in an energon mine overrunned by Decepticons long ago.
It was, thankfully not very hard to blend in with the mechs all talking casually around her as they walked. She was much shorter than most of the mechs, so she used her height to slink easily between the bigger frames. Occasionally, she would go to rub at her chest, and realize that her proud, red Autobot sigil was no longer there. She of course had to have it removed before the mission, but it still had bothered her. So when Ratchet wasn't looking, she swiped the sigil off the counter and subspaced it.
She was a proud Autobot, and wanted to fight for the freedom Cybertron deserved. Megatron wanted to liberate Cybertron from the council, but then wanted to take their places as a dictator. If Paradox was strongly known for something, it would definitely be her low tolerance for rulers who control unwilling people. She knew what it was like, and that was why she became and Autobot.
Wham!
Stars exploded as a sharp burst of pain rushed to her helm, and she groaned softly, holding in a pained hiss. She could hear the heavy pede-steps of the big frame that turned around to face her. He was about three times her size, and his optics were a dark green, to match his frame.
"Watch where you're slaggin' going, runt." He snarled in a thick, Kaonian accent. Just to enforce his statement, he harshly pushed her.
Because of the force, and her little frame, Paradox almost fell backwards if it wasn't for her impeccable balance. Her servos shot out to steady herself, and by the time the tunnel didn't feel like it was spinning, the green mech had snorted and walked away.
Now that he was gone, she could see the large stage that the mechs were all crowded around, still talking loudly. The stage was dimly lit with large lights, a tall podium in the middle of it. Using her advance perception, she scanned around the room. Once her scan was complete, she had a mental map of the large tunnels, which all ran directly to this room, which were also guarded with Decepticon soldiers. More mechs pooled out from the tunnels, entering the wide opening, and she decided to get herself comfortable.
It seemed like she was going to be here for a little while.
She flinched when she felt somebot touch her wings as he was pushing past her, and her clawed servos balled up into a fist. She wouldn't call being pressed up against, big, brawny mechs in an underground tunnel a great way to spend the evening. But it was her mission, and the eagerness drained away almost any apprehensive feelings she had.
Suddenly, pede-steps appeared on the stage, and most of the conversation in the room fell silent as two Cybertronians walked up onto the stage. One she recognized instantly as Starscream. The Seeker was the Air Commander of the Decepticon force, and also Second-In-Command. The flashy Seeker grinned at the mechs as they cheered for him while he approached the podium.
And then, there was the other one. Paradox wasn't so sure who we was, but if he was up there with Starscream, he must be high in the Con ranks. He was taller than the Air Commander, and very slender, with armor such a dark navy blue, it almost looked black. But what puzzled Paradox the most was his visor, that took up most of his face-plates. Sure Paradox had seen some mechs wear visors, her division director wore one, but she never had seen one so long and so large. It was as if he wanted his identity to be completely concealed, and this intrigued Paradox slightly.
Starscream had to stand on the top of his pedes for his voice to be even heard in the spacious chasm, and Paradox vaguely wondered why the podium was up so high.
"Good evening mechs," His scratchy voice rang out and echoed around the now silent chasm, "It is good to see so many eager to take on our Lord Protector's might cause. He will be very pleased. Now without further to do, I give you the mighty Megatron himself!"
The room suddenly went up in thunderous applause, roars, and cheers. Starscream grimaced for a moment, before stepping away from the podium as much heavier steps filled the room. Paradox tensed, involuntarily reaching for her subspaced weapon, and having to force herself not to at the last second. The big, silver mech had appeared, and the mechs cheered even more.
The green mech she had bumped into was nothing compared to the size of Megatron. He was about the same size as Optimus, if not, even bigger. He was built with heavy, muscular armor, and as Paradox assessed her enemy, she grimaced at the large, sharp Decepticon symbol engraved in the middle of his broad chassis. She suddenly understood why the podium was up so high.
"Good mechs of Kaon," Megatron's deep voice rumbled within the chasm, "I know why you are here tonight. You were tired of the constant oppression, you were tired of the caste systems, you were tired of working long, strenuous joors of labor only to be paid in such little amounts. You were tired of being forced to go underground and mine for energon you can't consume, you were tired of fighting for the amusement of the snobbish upper class bots, you were tired of not being able to make something better of yourself, and you were tired of the fabricated lies that the council spewed! The Autobots are calling that a Golden Age?" The crowd booed and roared with anger, "The Cybertronians of Kaon deserve much more than that! We have defeated the council, but the march to final freedom and peace is not yet over. The Prime is trying to destroy this peace-" more enraged cries- "He and his foolish Autobots don't understand because they do not know! They have not grown up experiencing all the hardships we had to, and they are ignorant! Join me fellow mechs, to the war for victory! These Autobots are the only thing that is standing in the way of you're future, of what you deserve! You all join me, and once this infernal war is over, we will have a true Golden Age."
The crowd went absolutely wild. Cheering, and shouting, and praising Megatron's name as he backed away from the podium and his crimson optics swept over the crowd. Paradox was the only one not celebrating, and she felt worried. Really worried.
If Megatron managed to overthrow the council, using the blind anger to convince these crowds, this war will be prolonged...and slightly more in Megatron's favor. There were more mechs in this chasm than there were Autobots, and that unnerved her. Her wings twitched as Starscream stepped up to the podium again, but by now Paradox wasn't listening. Her tanks rolled and she felt like she was about to purge.
Immediately, she pushed through the crowd of cheering mechs, keeping her wings flat to her back so that they weren't touched as much by the fists that rose in the air.
"Megatron! Megatron! Megatron!" They all shouted.
Their voices all rang in her processors, and she winced, slipping around another large mech before she managed to slip past a distracted guard. Her breaths were loud and heavy was she walked a few feet into the tunnel, before bending down to her knee joints to pant. She knew she would have to go back into the chasm, but for now, she just needed to catch her breath.
And while she was panting wildly, she didn't notice the spark signature near her until it was too late. Her helm snapped up to gaze at the mech with the large visor, and she froze. Her spark thrummed in panic as he silently stared down at her, and for a moment, she wondered if her cover was broken.
But he continued to wordlessly stared at her, to the point where it was becoming uncomfortable.
She brought herself up to her pedes, "I'm s-sorry, sir. I was just...looking for the chasm. This was a very long tunnel, and I got lost three times." She wanted to slap herself for the excuse, but it was the only one that came to processor.
The visored mech just stared at her for another cycle, until finally, he lifted a hand. Paradox tensed, ready to fight him if he attacked, but all he did was extend a dextrous finger to the way she had came.
Understanding what he meant, she nodded softly, "T-Thank you, sir."
He still didn't leave.
Turning on her pede, she walked back to the chasm, thoroughly bewildered by the mech's appearance. Unfortunately for Paradox, it wouldn't be the last time she met the laconic mech. No, it was only just the beginning.
Well? What do you think :)