An hour. That's how long Jack had been sitting on the front steps of Jasper High School. Most of the other students had gone home, leaving the parking lot practically bare. Miko and Raf sat on either side of him, just as bored as him.
"Where are they?" Miko demanded, stomping her foot impatiently.
"The 'Bots should be here by now," Raf whined.
"Yeah, it's weird," Jack agreed.
Their guardians were always on time. Four o'clock, on the dot, every day. Yet there was not a single Autobot for an hour.
"Think they forgot what day it was?" Miko grumbled. Unlikely. The Autobots never lost track of time.
"Maybe we should call Ratchet," Raf suggested. Jack nodded in agreement and pulled out his phone, opening it up.
"Yeah. Docbot is always at the base!" Miko agreed as Jack dialed the number. It rang twice before he received an answer.
"What is it? I'm in the middle of something important here!" came Ratchet's irate tone through the phone.
"Ratchet, it's Jack. Is something wrong? Because school's been out for an hour and no one has shown up to pick us up."
"That is because the entire team is rather... indisposed at the moment. I suggest you obtain an alternate method of transport."
The entire team? What was so important that the 'Bots had to drop everything? And their guardians knew they didn't have "alternate method of transport." They couldn't have called earlier?
"What's he saying?" Miko demanded impatiently, jumping down from her perch to lean in.
Jack opened his mouth to reply, but suddenly there was a click and the line went dead.
"H-hello?" He glanced at the phone to see the call had ended. "He... hung up."
Miko cocked an eyebrow, muttering, "What crawled up his tailpipe and died?"
"Did Ratchet tell you what's going on?" Raf asked.
"No," Jack answered. "Just that the 'Bots are busy." The boy furrowed his eyebrows. "They seem to be keeping us in the dark a lot lately."
"Yeah. So not cool," Miko complained, crossing her arms in aggravation.
"So... I guess we walk home, then?" Raf suggested meekly.
The idea of walking through town in baking, hot sun was unpleasant to each of them. But at this point, it seemed they didn't have a choice.
"Good idea as any," Jack sighed, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.
The Japanese exchange student was still fuming as they began to long journey back to their respective homes.
"It's so unfair," she complained. "They always keep us out of the loop! They treat like a bunch of kids!"
"We are kids, Miko," Raf argued calmly.
"But we're not," Jack retorted. "We've helped the Autobots plenty of times before."
The Hispanic boy opened his mouth to reply, only to freeze when he noticed something his peripheral vision. Miko and Jack didn't notice as they walked on, still ranting.
"Yeah, it's not like we help them saved the world or anything!" Miko raved in a sarcastic tone.
"Um... hey, guys," Raf squeaked, but his older friends didn't hear him.
"You think by now we would be considered part of the team," Jack seethed.
"Guys..."
"Now they don't even care about—"
"Guys!"
"What?" Miko and Jack exclaimed as one.
They turned around, only to be greeted with a purr of an engine and a flash of red. Jack froze at the sports car, an Aston Martin, that rolled up to the curb, its paint so shiny he could see his flawless reflection. He knew this vehicle.
Knock Out.
"Need a ride, kiddies?" he drawled, opening the car doors with deceptive invitation.
The teenagers didn't react for a full second, frozen in shock at the Decepticon that had so nonchalantly pulled up to them. Jack was the first to snap out of it.
"Run!" the teenager shouted to his friends, throwing his backpack at the car's windshield.
The impact didn't even leave a crack in the window, hardly serving as a distraction. But it gave Miko and Raf a chance to flee, both of them running off in different directions. There was a loud rev of an angry engine, which spurred the teenagers on faster.
Only Jack realized with horror that Knock Out had found them by the park. Made up of a field of dry grass and only a handful of trees, it was completely open. Meaning there was nowhere to hide. To make matters worse, it was the middle of the afternoon. All of the students released from school were retreating back to their own lives, while everyone else in Jasper was stuck at their jobs. Which meant there was no one to help.
Jack's racing heart almost stopped when there was a sound of transformation, along with a few thundering steps. There was a shriek and the teenager looked over his shoulder. His blood turned to ice when Knock Out plucked Miko into the air, her drawing notebook along with her collection of colored pencils cluttering out of her fallen backpack.
"Let her go!" Jack screamed, twisting around to face the medic, as if he had a chance.
The Decepticon ignored him, leering down at his prize. Miko struggled, wiggling in her captor's grip and even desperate enough to slam her fists on the hard metal. It was futile.
"Help!" Raf screeched.
At the yell, Jack turned just in time to see thick, purple cables wrap around the younger boy's torso. Raf wailed as Soundwave retracted his tendrils, like a fisherman pulling in a catch.
"No!" Jack yelled, just as a roar of thrusters filled the air, followed by the shifting of gears.
It was the boy's turn to cry out as long, sharp talons wrapped around him, squeezing painfully in a crushing grip. The ground was ripped from underneath him, and he gagged as his organs fell to his feet. His body being forcibly turned in a palm. Jack froze at the burning red optics that glared down at him, and the twisted sneer that greeted him.
"Got you," Starscream purred.
Jack remembered the first time he was on Cybertron. He had been filled with ecstatic excitement, being on another planet. A planet the human race didn't even know about, in another system of the galaxy no scientist had ever explored. However, all that excitement had quickly vanished when he saw the distraught look of Arcee, optics dim and her wings low.
Her home was destroyed. Taken by the fog of war, a victim of a crossfire that should have never happened. As Jack and his guardian traveled across the empty husks of cities, his heart grew heavier. How beautiful it must have been in its prime, but now it was only a smoldering ruin. All because of Megatron.
He decided he never wanted to go back to Cybertron ever again. The Decepticons had other plans.
Jack pounded against the glass tube that held him, not caring if the toxic atmosphere killed him or not. The Autobots were prepared to sacrifice themselves for his home planet. He would do the same for theirs. Instead, he was rewarded with the deep, gravelly voice that he had never wanted to hear again.
"If this human was important enough to entrust with the Matrix of Leadership, then he's worth two Omega Keys," Megatron purred in a triumphant tone, knowing he had his enemies right where he wanted them.
"No! Don't do it!" Jack shouted from inside his prison, voice muffled by the thick glass. Optimus's conflicted expression merely stared back at him. "You can't do this!"
His pleas were ignored as Smokescreen and Arcee stepped forward, the Omega Keys in servos, closing the distance slowly and cautiously. The teenager grunted as Starscream placed his prison on the ground none-too-gently, all but ripping the Keys from the Autobots' grip. Jack looked up pitifully at Arcee as she carefully raised his tank.
His guardian, his partner, his best friend. He had failed her.
The motorcycle's forced her solemn expression to turn into an assuring smile, but it was too fleeting for Jack's liking.
"No..." the boy whined, too softly to be heard.
They weren't worth this! Three humans lives weren't worth anything compared to the restoration of an entire planet! The possible billions of lives that depended on this, were far more valuable than three insignificant teenagers!
Without warning, there was a brilliant explosion of light. Jack was greeted with a swirling vortex of bright colors, a great contrast to the dull, rust-covered metal. A pit formed in his stomach as there was another flash of light—then another and another and another.
Almost two dozen identical drones stormed through the spacebridge, blasters raised and ready. The Autobots pressed against each other, plating bristling and holding their humans defensively, as the Decpeticon army completely surrounded them.
"Go get 'em, Bulkhead!" Miko shouted from her container, glaring at their attackers.
Instead of attacking, the Wrecker stared frozen at the numbers of enemies, too many for even he to take on. Especially now that his weapons were taken away. Megatron gave a broad, wicked smile of satisfaction, his razor-sharp denta bared.
"Now, bear witness as a new era dawns on Cybertron," the warlord announced, nearing the pedestal that was in the center of the Sea of Rust.
On it, were four slots, like a lock. For the Omega Keys. Megatron took an Omega Key, sliding it into place in one of the slots. It was a perfect fit. Immediately a great hum reverberated and even in his glass tank, Jack felt a shift in the air. Megatron's top lieutenants stepped forward, each with an Omega Key of their own. One by one, they inserted the Keys, the humming getting louder and louder until it was a great roar filled the air.
Suddenly a bright blue light shone forth from the Omega Lock, thrumming with power. It struck the archway above it and Jack widened at a sight he never imagined. The light began to fill the void in the center of the archway, replacing it with bright, warm, cerulean liquid. A loud, metallic groan traveled across their surroundings as raw electricity coursed through the archway.
The Omega Lock was activated.
"BEHOLD!" Megatron thundered, his bellow carrying across the empty Sea as he raised his arms in victory. "THE AGE OF THE DECEPTICONS!"
The kids watched in awe and horror—everything they had gone through, everything their friends had gone through... it was all for naught. Megatron had won.
"You have what you want, Megatron!" Optimus boomed. "This conflict is between Autobots and Decepticons! Allow me to return the humans to Earth."
Suddenly Megatron's victorious grin turned nasty, his hellish optics narrowing as they flared brightly. It made Jack's skin crawl and a single shiver went down his spine.
"Oh, I wouldn't recommend it," the tyrant stated as he turned to his helpless captives, completely at his mercy. "They'll be far safer here."
What? What did that mean? The Decepticons had gotten what they wanted! They could restore Cybertron! Jack exchanged puzzled glances with his fellow humans, and even the Autobots stared in confusion. Optimus's optics narrowed, realizing Megatron's meaning. The dictator turned to Starscream.
"Is the spacebridge locked on target?" he demanded of his second-in-command. The Air Commander stepped forward with a sinister smirk.
"Per your instructions, Lord Megatron," Starscream hummed with a servo over his spark, bowing low enough to be groveling.
"Excellent." The sterling titan's lips widened even further, in a wicked grin. "Why rule only one world, when I can rule two?"
It was then another spacebridge yawned open, above the Omega Lock.
Jack just stared at the sight, not understanding what he was witnessing. No! Megatron couldn't possibly be insinuating that he was going to terraform the Earth—
The desert was illuminated with blue white light as a beam shot up from the Omega Lock into the spacebridge. To Earth.
"No!" Jack wailed, pounding against the glass with all his might.
"Stop it!" Raf wailed desperately.
"Leave our planet alone!" Miko screamed at the top of her lungs.
Their pitiful cries fell on deaf audios. Megatron and his Decepticons watched the release of pure energy with unfiltered awe. The magic of the Omega Lock filled the atmosphere with a thundering roar. The air was pulled tight and pulsed with power so intense Jack could feel it shuddering against the glass.
"Such raw power," Megatron breathed, amazed. He looked back to his prisoners, his tone dropping to a taunting, dangerous purr, "What should I call my new domain? New Kaon? Or perhaps, Gilded Earth?"
Megatron grinned toothily, and Optimus Prime finally made his decision.
As the Decepticons laughed sadistically, high from their victory, the prisoners exchanged determined stares. Plating bristled, wings raised, and weapon protocols onlined. Optimus Prime charged first, shifting his hand into a blade. He sliced it down on the closest drone, splitting the Decepticon in half. The one beside it recoiled as it trained its twin blasters on the Prime, but the mighty warrior was faster. He sent a brutal uppercut into its chest, with such force the spark chamber caved in, snuffing it out. The momentum sent the husk flying, right into an unsuspecting Knock Out.
The medic yelped as he was sent to the ground, the Decepticons of High Command flinching back at the unexpected event. Megatron turned, snarling, only to see Optimus charging towards his fallen Star Saber.
"Stop him!" Megatron snarled out to his soldiers, raising his Dark Star Saber to blast Optimus away with a wave of dark energon.
Only when the warlord brought his sword down, it collided with the Star Saber. The already unstable environment was filled with the power of the Gods. The destruction of Unicron and the creation of Primus, melding together into the essence of the cosmos.
Both titans pushed against each other, wicked purple and brilliant blue tangled together. Digging his heels into the metal, Optimus summoned what was left of his strength to bat the Dark Star Saber away. Megatron stumbled but kept his balance, raising his weapon to swing it down again. The Prime was faster, slashing with his great sword. Right through the warlord's arm.
The titan roared in agony as the stolen limb of Liege Maximo was severed from his chassis. Along with the Dark Star Saber.
"Master!" Starscream shouted as Optimus charged forward—
And struck the Star Saber through the Omega Lock.
The sword carved open the mythical source of creation, releasing its great reservoirs of energy.
Suddenly unfiltered, raw power burst forth from the Omega Lock, crackling through the air. Instinctively the children let out cries as they shied away at the brilliant light. Jack turned away and raised his arms to shield his face. But before he could close his eyes, his vision was burned with the sight of the bones of his hand, the skin around it turning translucent.
The atmosphere became saturated with unrestrained cyber-matter. It sucked into the Sea of Rust itself, vaporizing rust into oblivion, twisting ruins, and shifting tectonic plating. Jack's enclosure thrummed from the shockwaves of cyber-matter, so intense he felt his entire skeleton rattled.
He covered his ears with a wince, his friends doing the same, as an almighty roar assaulted them, deafening them. It was so loud Jack didn't hear the glass of his prison begin to crack. The crack grew and grew and grew, adding another and another and another. Until an entire web of black crevices covered the glass tank.
And then shattered it shattered.
Jack opened his mouth to let out a cry, trying to fill his lungs with air, only for the strange, alien substance to fill them instead. Cyber-matter. The power of creation engulfed him, surrounded him, suffocating him. It pressed into him, seeping into his skin, into his bones, into his heart.
Scorching, raw heat filled his veins, burning him from the inside out. He felt his muscles twist and pull and stretch without his permission. His bones shifted into impossible angles, cracking and breaking and vaporizing. Jack screamed and screamed at the unbearable, unfathomable agony, only for more cyber-matter to force its way down his raw throat.
The screams of two others joined his own, and the teenager faintly recognized the voices as belonging to Miko and Raf. There was too much agony going on in his own body to care. Jack felt his skin getting harder and harder, his spine growing and growing, his fibers of his being replaced one by one. He felt the layers of his flesh being removed, replaced by cold, biting metal. Then the agony vanished all at once.
Jack felt himself sinking. Further and further into darkness. His soul became heavier and heavier. Then he realized.
He... was... dying...
AWAKEN...
A brilliant light cut through the darkness, batting it away. It filled his vision, enveloping him in its warm embrace.
MY...
Jack felt a pull in his soul, dragging him back to the surface. Into a new body.
SENTINELS...
Then the light was gone.
The screams of the children drew Optimus Prime's attention immediately. Their glass prisons had shattered, raw cyber-matter flooding the chambers of their containers in an instant. White-blue liquid washed over frail organic bodies, the screams never ceasing even as the battle raged on.
Optimus raised the Star Saber, blocking Megatron's attack just as the warlord brought down the dark counterpart, recovered in the chaos. Even one-handed, the Champion of Kaon was as skilled as ever.
"You fight for the weak, Prime!" the ex-gladiator bellowed. "That's why you lose!"
Optimus made no comeback, parrying each of Megatron's blows. The Prime reared back, just barely managing to avoid the Dark Star Saber from digging into his spark. In his peripheral vision, he saw his allies fighting valiantly, taking down one Decepticon after another, only for another soldier to take their place. The Autobots' movements were fast and agile, energized by the cyber-matter, but so were their enemies. It was only a matter of time before they were outnumbered, and overwhelmed.
Optimus Prime made a decision.
"Ratchet!" he commed. "Open a spacebridge, now!"
He ducked under a strike from Megatron, which let the warlord's torso exposed (something that the tyrant would had never allowed if he was still two-handed). Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Prime sent a powerful kick to his arch-nemesis's chest, sending him away.
Finally, the last of the Omega Locks cyber-matter emptied, run dry of Primus's blessing. The light faded, revealing a spacebridge yawning open behind the Autobots. Already Optimus's subordinates made their way towards it, focused on fighting off the advancing Decepticons. The Autobot leader moved to charge through, but he noticed Bumblebee standing frozen in the chaos, a limb figure in his grip.
It was a small form—but much bigger than that of a human. Optimus's optics widened at the sight of what appeared to be a youngling The smooth, flawless armor was a bright, fiery orange color, with hot red details lining the plating. Wires crossed between seams, hiding a silvery protoform underneath. Doorwings, not unlike Bumblebee and Smokescreen's, but smaller, hung limply from the frame's back. Audial fins extended from the sides of the helm like antennas, but they showed no sign of detecting their surroundings. A thin, reddish visor covered the youngling's optics—which were dark and offline—but the rest of the silver faceplates were exposed, revealing small lips curled in a grimace.
A youngling? Here? How? The tiny frame, smaller than Bumblebee's, resonated with familiarity. Optimus could not understand why, until a cold, dark realization filled his processor.
No...
Suddenly a force of heat slammed into the Prime's back, the strength of the explosion sending the Autobot leader crashing face-first into the ground with a grunt. Bumblebee let out a whirr of distress, only to be drowned out by a furious screech.
"Prime!" Starscream seethed. "You will pay for dooming Cybertron to remain a lifeless husk!"
"Autobots... retreat," Optimus groaned, forcing himself to his pedes, using the Star Saber for support.
An army of Decepticons advancing towards their backs, Bulkhead assisted his leader through the portal, and Bumblebee raced through the bridge, with Arcee and Smokescreen providing cover fire. One by one, the Autobots slipped through the vortex. Several brave drones charged forward to stop them, but it was too late. The spacebridge sealed closed, along with Cybertron's fate.
Starscream snarled ferociously, curling his claws in anger. His fury only grew as he took in the scene around him. The surrounding Sea of Rust had been replaced with flawless, shining metal, a sharp contrast in the archway. The Omega Lock, the only hope for their race's salvation, lay in shambles. The pedestal was ripped open and empty, destroyed beyond repair. The grand archway that had towered them was ruined, reduced to great piles of scrap.
"I guess we should cancel the welcome home party..." Knock Out drawled, but Starscream was in no mood for his sarcasm. With a growl, the Seeker struck the medic with such force he was thrown away, just barely able to catch his balance.
"Attend to our Master!" the second-in-command spat. "He requires medical attention!"
Not having to be told twice, Knock Out hurried over to Megatron, the mighty warlord curled in a pained crouch. It was then Soundwave caught sight of something. The third-in-command lifted a silent finger, pointing the space where the Autobots once stood. Starscream followed his gaze, only for his optics to flicker at a particular sight.
"What is that?" Starscream drawled, optics narrowing as he observed the two unmoving figures. He pointed to a drone. "You there! Go check it out, at once!"
At his order, the Vehicon moved forward, arm shifting into a blaster. A pede was used to nudge one of two figures. There was a quiet groan, but there was no other response.
The drone looked both frames over until it announced, "They appear to be neutrals, Lord Starscream."
Neutrals? How did they appear here, now, of all places? The fact of the lack of allegiance was a mystery itself. Almost all Cybertronians chose one side or the other. The few that did were deserters, exiled from their race and lived in the distant corners of the universe as pariahs. Or bounty hunters.
And they were so small! Younglings? How was the possible? There hasn't been newspark in eons!
"Bring them here, immediately!" Starscream ordered.
At his order, a pair of drones picked up each limp Cybertronian by the arms, even though the younglings were small enough for a single Vehicon to lift. The Decepticons half-carried, half-dragged, the particular pair over to the Seeker, the metal of their legs scraping against the ground. They were dropped unceremoniously at Starscream's pedes with a heavy clang, but there was no reaction. If he didn't know any better, he would think they were deactivated. The Air Commander glanced down at them with a raised optic ridge, humming.
One was a lean mech of shining silver, with blue and red patches across his sharp-edged armor. He looked almost like a Seeker, with broad wings extending from his back, but the frame wasn't... elegant enough. He was bulkier than most flyers, but not enough that Starscream would call him a heavy frame. Sharp audial fins projected from his helm, with armor framed around his silver faceplates. Sharp talons extended from his servos.
The other one had the curves of a femme. Although the same height as the other one, she was almost twice as broad. Het armor was a jet-black color of the night, but was ruined by bright pink streaks. Winglets projected from her upper back, ending in sharp tips. She also had claws and razor-edged armor, but no other obvious vicious qualities.
What in the name of the AllSpark?
Suddenly Starscream's observations were interrupted by a low, dark chuckle. He turned as it rose in volume, being greeted by Megatron. Despite missing an arm and the ruins around him, the tyrant let out a bellowing laugh, bordering on crazed. It was several moments before the titan's hysterics calmed to pleased cackles. His narrowed optics flared as he eyed the fallen figures greedily.
The Decepticons backed away during the fit, fearing Megatron's apparent lapse in sanity. Still, Starscream stammered meekly, "M...Master?"
"It would seem this day has not been entirely lost as I previously thought," the Decepticon leader purred, a low dangerous growl that promised destruction and pain. A malicious grin spread across his faceplates. "Oh, the Autobots can run… But they can never again run home. And now… their pets belong to us."
P-pets? But that was impossible! A human could never—
Starscream quickly made a second scan around the ruins of the Omega Lock. Sure enough, there was no sight of the fleshlings. Instead there was only the younglings, the mech and the femme.
Jack and Miko.
Ratchet watched anxiously as the Autobots filtered through the spacebridge, optics dim, energy fields pulled in tight, and plating clamped down on protoform.
"What happened?" the medic demanded. He had been waiting all solar cycle for news of their desperate mission. Was it done? Did they activate the Omega Lock? Was their home saved? Instead of answers, he was greeted with utter silence. "Somebody say something!"
It was then Ratchet noticed the youngling in Bumblebee's arms, unmoving. His optics widened as even more questions buzzed through his processor.
"Where did he come from?" Ratchet demanded, moving over to examine the child. Bumblebee buzzed a reply and Ratchet's optics widened. "You found him after the Omega Lock was destroyed—"
The medic froze mid-sentence, as he realized what he was saying.
"WHAT?!" He wheeled around to face Optimus Prime, optics wide and his jaw agape, in shock and horror. In betrayal. "You did—"
"What was necessary," the Prime replied, sounding very tired. "There was no time for another for a prolonged battle, not with Earth in imminent danger."
"So you destroyed the only device in any universe capable of restoring our home?!"
"You weren't there, doc," Smokescreen spoke up, stepping forward to defend Optimus. He pointed an accusing finger. "And it's not your place to second-guess a battlefield decision."
"IT MOST CERTAINLY IS!" Ratchet roared, slamming a fist into the console, so hard it caused the screens to flicker and left behind a sizeable dent. Even Bumblebee on the other side of the silo to place the youngling in medbay, flinched at the loud clang. "There had to be another way!"
"Well, there wasn't!" Arcee snapped at the medic. "Megatron was already terraforming the Earth—everyone on the planet would have died if Optimus hadn't put a stop to it!"
"What about our planet?! All of our struggles and energon spilled and countless sacrifices—for nothing?!"
"Whether right or wrong, what's done is done. We have another problem."
The femme turned to the fallen youngling, still unmoving in deep recharge. Bumblebee stood protectively over the young mech, crooning.
Then a small, frail voice sounded, "Please..."
Optimus merely narrowed his optics as the rest of the Autobots whipped around at the voice—that familiar voice. Only to see the youngling on the medical berth, visor flickering as optics tried to online, but failed. Ratchet's optics went wide and bright, more so that they already were.
H-how was that possible?
Suddenly the old Autobot sobered, all of his rage evaporating instantly. Instead, the detached, critical medic stepped forth, focused on one thing. His patient.
Ratchet cleared the distance in surprising speed for his age and frame, all but shoving Bumblebee out of the way. By the time he had settled by the medical berth, standing over the limp youngling, the little mech's optics offlined again. Automatically the medic raised his arm and shifted to scan the entire frame. The datapad attached to his arm flashed with alerts, and Ratchet's tanks churned at what he saw.
"His energon levels are critically low," he announced. "I need a sample, NOW!"
"Bulkhead, go—" Arcee started to give instructions, but was cut off by the medic's bark.
"No time for that! His frame stabilizers are shutting down—he's going into stasis lock!"
He ignored the Autobots' flinch at the grim news, instead pulling a syringe from his array of tools. He snatched Bumblebee's arm, and without so much as a warning, drove the needle into the scout's fuel line. The soldier yipped in more surprise than pain, but did not protest as Ratchet filled the vial with processed energon. Scraping medical protocols, he immediately wheeled around and injected the same syringe into the youngling's fuel line—right above the spark.
The spark propelled energon to course through the fuel lines. Most medics wouldn't recommend a direct injection into the chamber, but scientists agreed it produced the fastest results.
The youngling groaned and whimpered. Twitching was the only movement he was capable of making as the small amount of energon coursed through new energon lines. Relief washed through the medic as the critical warnings lessened, though the mech was far from out of the danger zone. Bulkhead had already moved to get more energon from storage.
Suddenly cerulean optics flickered, but they were horribly dim. That small, innocent voice was laced by a metallic twang, but it was still the same.
"R-Ratchet...? Bumblebee…?"
The scout crooned softly and the medic smiled, sighing in relief. The veteran almost never showed special affection to a patient—as most of them were victims of war—he never had that luxury. But Ratchet couldn't help himself as he laid a tentative, gentle servo on the youngling's helm. He stroked his thumb across his brow in comfort.
"Raf..."