Italics is for Mando'a. Bold is for Sparkbond speech.

My version of Prowl is a Netro Spark, and goes primarily by They/Them. But like mentioned earlier, they won't be overly fussed if someone calls them a He/Him. Because Mechs are most common amongst Cybertronians and these new 'Minicons' aren't very educated on Cybertronian etiquette yet.

Prowl POV

Watching the small bots move quickly throughout the temple as it slowly gained more life was both fascinating and terrible in equal measure. The smaller bots were so obviously sparklings and yet all of them moved with the strict military discipline of veteran warframes. It was even worse when a small Seeker, who they noted was slightly larger than all the others, came hurrying over to Kenobi Prime. Clinging to his back, hanging between his wings with arms wrapped around his neck, was an absolutely tiny sparkling. Their blue optics were bright and they were warbling cheerfully in the way all curious young sparks did.

Trailing behind the two of them a lithe orange femme with white and blue markings grinned at Kenobi Prime, showing off sharpened denta.

"Obi-wan! You're safe!" The Seeker stopped to vent, looking a lot less panicked than before. "I know you sent up the okay and everything but I got this weird pinging sensation in my helm then an alarm went off and everyone knew you were in trouble. Then it just suddenly disappeared! What in the hell happened?" With a long suffering sigh the Prime held out his arms for the sparkling. The black and gold Seeker with blue optics just stood there, giving off waves of anxiety and confusion.

"What? You want a hug?"

Kenobi Prime sighed as the orange femme giggled. "Artoo, Anakin, I would like to see them." The Seeker colored faintly but grinned before dislodging the tiny sparkling and handing them over.

"Hi Master Obi! Did you know you're all shiny now?" The Seeker, Anakin apparently, snickered and didn't even try to hide his large grin as the small Prime let out another sigh.

"I did, little one. It comes with my new rank as a… planetary governor." The way his lips quirked up into a wry smile made Prowl pause. It was clear there was something about this situation that was distressing for the newborn Prime but Prowl couldn't yet put a digit on why. Standing nearby Jazz nudged their sparkbond, not even pausing in his conversation with a small group of the minicons.

'You alrigh' Prowler?' Came the curious and mildly concerned voice of the saboteur.

'All of them are so young.' Prowl replied with a feeling of displeasure.

'From what Ratch was able t'learn sounds like the Mini Prime over there was approachin' mid-adulthood before they were changed. He's the oldest we've met so far. But that's as much information as I was able t'get.' Prowl took in this new information with a small frown, brows coming together as they turned to look back at Kenobi Prime.

The Miniature Prime held the tiny sparkling without any concern as the orange femme maneuvered carefully to give the Prime a hug. This resulted in the black and gold Seeker pouting and crossing his arms sullenly.

"Nooo! I don't want to recharge! I want to go talk to the new chip!" It sounded as if someone was being put down for a nap. Prowl felt a bolt of amusement down the bond and responded in kind. But Primus, did the sparkling have the most devastating blue optics when they tried to silently plead with their creator.

"C'mon, Artoo, I'll go with you! That way I can take you to meet the new ship when you wake up!" The orange femme said with a bright grin, deftly plucking the sparkling from the Prime's arms.

"Looks like the Commander is going to be taking care of that little menace from now on." One of the gold war bots said with a snicker.

"Shoulda known, it's Skywalker's beskar'ad, he was bound to cause trouble." A second one piped up, grinning with mischief.

"And now he has arms and legs, instead of those little wheelie feet… hey, do you think he still has the welding torch and magnetic claps?" The others looked at the third, one with blue markings, and they shrugged in obvious perplexity. "What? R2 series astromechs are made to repair ships from the outside or help navigate for a starfighter. Unless they need the little guy on the Resolute he always flies into battle with the General as his support."

It took a long moment for the information to fully integrate but once it finally did Prowl's wings shot upward in anger.

The group of bots immediately stopped talking and looked between Prowl and Jazz in concern, their frames shifting into a more defensive stance.

"Ya tellin' me that tha little'un over there flies inta battle with your Gen'ral?" Jazz asked incredulously. "Tha Sparkling?"

The bots looked highly uncomfortable, glancing at one another before one of the ones marked with gold finally spoke. "Well he wasn't, uh, alive before. Not until about four days ago. At least… none of us thought he was."

One of the blue bots shrugged, as if it wasn't an issue, and it made Prowl bristle all the more. "In the five-oh-first we tried to treat him like a vod. He's been with us since we were assigned Skywalker as our general, but he was still a clanker."

The others shushed the mech, looking mildly panicked by the term as they eyed the larger bots nervously.

"What, pray tell, is a clanker?" Prowl hissed through clenched denta.

"Ah… d-drones, Sir. They're… what we've been fighting against this whole damned war." With that admission the group of small bots shifted on their pedes, looking ready to fight or flee at the barest hint of aggression.

Prowl's anger was doused with the sudden realization that these small young bots wholly expected to be attacked for voicing the truth. Jazz looked over, worried, before turning back to the group and giving them a reassuring smile.

"We've not had tha shance ta talk wit your Prime about tha war yet. There's a lot we don' know."

The small bots slowly relaxed, giving Jazz tentative nods of understanding.

"You'd best ask Prime or one of the Commanders. They're the ones with the whole picture. We're just the grunts." One of the bots in blue said with a grin.

"Speak for yourself, vod, I'm a Lieutenant." One of them huffed, much to the others amusement.

As the bot was getting rough pats on the back and snickered at for being 'high and mighty' one of the blue bots suddenly perked up. "Hey, Commander! Looking for your cyar'ika?" They called to someone behind Prowl.

Turning Prowl recognized the gold marked Protectorate stalking towards the new Prime, expression thunderous.

"Oi, don't antagonize the Marshal Commander, you di'kut!" One of the gold bots hissed in offense.

"I'm looking for the Prime. That Computer, won't register the shinies until they've 'picked a proper designation.' Some of the vod'ike said they wouldn't mind being named if the General was doing the naming but the others… they're fresh off Kamino and are still too unsure."

The group of bots collectively frowned, the mood changing from amused to pained.

"CT-52-4362 nearly had a panic attack during the scan when that damn AI rejected him because he didn't have a name. Thank the force that it didn't mention anything about decommissioning." Prowl's expression blanked and they felt as if a pervasive cold had seeped into their frame at the hatred and anger underlying the mech's words.

"Don' mean ta intrude, Commanda, but what's a CT? And what'dya mean by decommission?" Jazz asked, roiling emotions neatly masked behind an easygoing and curious tone.

The Protectorate let out a heavy vent. "Those are questions best answered in the briefing we have planned later in the… planetary cycle. Pr- General Kenobi will be able to fill you in on everything that's happened since the beginning of the war and will answer any lingering questions you may have. Until then, please excuse me while I wrangle my wayward Jetii."

The group of bots snickered but quickly snapped to attention when amber optics narrowed at the lot of them.

"As you were, vode." The mech said before turning nd stalking off to speak with the Miniature Prime.

Prowl sighed, they just knew this was going to cause a massive helmache.

"We will attempt to keep our questions to ourselves until the briefing." Prowl looked down at the group of smaller bots. "In the mean time, are there any questions you have for us instead? We also have operational security to think about, so we cannot answer every question you may have, but we will answer what we cab."

The small group of bots looked at one another before turning to the two of them, large grins crossing their faceplates.

Obi-wan POV

Chuckling he watched as Artoo pouted at Anakin from Ahsoka's arms, clinging to her like a limpet. The three of them headed deeper into the temple, arguing, as they took the child for a nap in the barracks Menturaa had been kind enough to open for them.

For a moment he contemplated the future headache that was writing this all into a report for the council, but quickly pushed those thoughts aside for another time. There were other more pressing matters to attend to.

At least he could still feel his bonds through the force. If anything they seemed even stronger than before, closer than ever. As if a thick veil of fog had been swept away, leaving the air clear between he and the people he cared about.

Quinlan in particular had been quit insistent after their odd transformation and his other crechemates had been prodding him since the vision. Each time they did he was sure to send them reassurances that he was fine. Rattled, a little overworked perhaps, but for all intents and purposes he was healthy and sane.

He'd felt Kote and Rex startle when Quinlan had pressed at their bond, practically flooding him with concern over his wellbeing. Both had quickly drawn themselves inward, dulling the new bond to the point it made him wince slightly.

They were both surprisingly adept at mental shielding.

"What are you thinking so deeply about?" His commander asked as he came closer, sending a small prod of concern over their bond without realizing.

Obi-wan smiled up at his steadfast commander, he'd been able to feel him approaching for some time now. Both through the force and through his new ability to sense things around him.

Handy, that.

"Hmm." He hummed for a moment before shaking his head. "I was thinking about how to explain this situation to the Council without having them come to the wrong conclusion." He sighed. "Like it being some insane plot orchestrated by Dooku."

Kote snorted in wry amusement. "As if half their plans aren't just as insane." Obi-waan chuckled and Kote's expression softened. "Come on cuun jetii, that damn computer is arguing with us again."

Obi-wan felt his face heat slightly at the possessiveness of Kote calling him 'our jedi' before letting out a noise of frustration. For some reason, no matter what he said, Menturaa refused to obey anyone besides himself. Something about needing to 'set a precedent.'

"What is it this time, my dear Commander?" Kote's amber optics bore into him and he felt a pulse of something behind those impressive mental shields before he was distracted by the mech's voice.

"She refuses to register anyone under their designations from Kamino. Normally I'd be pleased that someone wants to use our names but it has the Shinies spooked." He frowned in concern. "I asked them if they wouldn't mind new names and most of them agreed with one stipulation- they wanted you to be the one to name them."

Obi-wan felt as if whatever passed for his heart suddenly stopped as his entire frame shuddered with anxiety. He'd rarely named the 'pathetic lifeforms' that his Master had broguth home, let alone entire sentient beings with complex thoughts and emotions of their own. The very thought sent his poor mind spiraling.

He already felt he had too much responsibility.

"Kote… I-I can't. I-it's… that's just- too much." He knew his hands were shaking but he couldn't stop them if he wanted to.

Reaching out Kote caught his hands in his own, lacing their fingers, as he stepped closer. "Just breathe, General. It's okay, we've got you." Inside his mind he could feel how both Kote and Rex latched onto him, pulling him away from his darker thoughts. The two of them smothered him with warmth, acceptance, and genuine affection.

Taking a shuddering breath he closed his optics and centered himself once more, using the two he was newly bonded with to ground himself.

A moment later both Anakin and Ahsoka chimed in, giving him their own mental equivalent of hugs.

Obi-wan chuckled and opened his eyes, not surprised to find that Kote had pressed their forehelms together in a kov'nyn.

"You can do this, Obi-wan. The vode trust you, we know you wouldn't choose anything degrading or humiliating. That you'll give them a choice and if they truly don't like what you come up with you'll think of something else." The mech smiled at him and he felt warmth bloom in his chest.

"Okay." He took a deep breath before slowly pulling away from his commander. "Alright. First I'm going to see if I can't talk sense into Menturaa. If that fails then we'll go from there." Kote put a hand on his back, between his doorwings, and motioned for him to come inside.

Without further prompting he let his Protectorate take the lead and focused on how to fix their current problem.

When they finally entered the large room where the artifact once rested he smiled at the large group of troopers who were standing around chatting. He spied some of the older vode from both the 212th and 501st as they spoke to the troops fresh off Kamino. The stark white of their armor filled him with a sense of wrongness that almost forced him to stop.

Beside him Kote tensed before relaxing and swamping Obi-wan's mind with reassurances. The mech knew him too well.

"General!" The way the poor troopers snapped to attention the moment they noticed him made him smile a little sadly.

He wished they didn't feel as if they had to stand on ceremony with him all the time. But he knew that the conditioning they'd gone through their entire lives was quite difficult to break.

"As you were, vode." Slipping his hands behind his back he squared his shoulders and looked them over with as relaxed an expression as he could manage. "I heard you were having a little trouble with our new friend." There was a moment of tenseness before he smiled. "I've come to talk some sense in her, not to worry."

The looks of relief he received had him clenching his hands tighter behind him as he forced his wings not to react.

Releasing his tangled emotions into the force he felt Kote flinch beside him. The mech gave him a narrowed look and Obi-wan once again wondered if their new bodies were more open and attuned to the force. Clearly Kote had felt him releasing his emotions into the force and had reacted.

…it was a problem for another day.

Heading into the temple's main control room, Menturaa's words not his own, Obi-wan watched a group of troopers as they were scanned and registered. The look of awe and wonder on their face as they were declared 'Citizens of Taliganth,' with all the rights that came with it, made something dark and angry well up within him.

This was everything these brave warriors should have had from the very beginning. What the Republic should have given them the moment their existence was discovered.

The fact that it took a permanent and complete physical change, without consent, just filled him with disgust.

"Breathe, Obi-wan." Kote said quietly beside him.

Listening to his commander's advice he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

As he tried to keep calm he chided himself for the frequent loss of control he had been experiencing since the transformation. The Past Primes tried to soothe his discomfort but it didn't help as much as it probably should. Even the reminder that he was still young, that he was new to his frame, and would need time to adjust didn't help. He just wasn't used to not being in control of his own emotions. Add to that the sudden stress of being the new ruler of an entire Planet and well… it brought a lot of his insecurities back to the forefront of his mind.

Things he would rather keep under wraps. He didn't need his past failures weighing on him as he tried to take care of the nearly thirty-thousand people under his command.

"Menturaa, might I have a moment of your time?" He asked as the troops filed out of the room, chatting excitedly about their new status as Citizens. Once they

"I am at your command, Kenobi Prime." Hiding a grimace he leaned into the hand still pressed firmly to his back. He could feel Kote's steady well of calm and it was helping him remain calm as well. Truly he would have been swamped without one of his trusty Protectorate's at his side.

"I hear that you are having difficulty registering some of the troopers? Is there some reason for this difficulty?"

He waited a moment while the computer thought over his question.

"I do not recognize the phonetic and numerical combinations."

Obi-wan frowned. "Is the problem the numbers or the letters? Would it be easier if they said Clone Trooper rather than CT?"

Outside the door the troopers milled about, pretending not to be listening. Even without the force he could sense the vibrations from their anxious shuffling.

"I do not recognize 'Clone Trooper' as a proper designation." The computer stated.

Obi-wan placed a hand against his chin, forgetting for a moment that he no longer had a beard to stroke as he thought. "What if we instead added their military rank before their numerical designations, would that help?"

The computer paused for a moment, as if considering. "That would be acceptable. It is within my parameters."

Obi-wan let out a sigh of relief as he heard a cheer from the men behind him. Shaking his head in amusement he addressed the AI once more. "The numerical designations are… factory product numbers." He explained with a frown. "Some of my troops have yet to find a name that suits them. Will they be able to change their designations with you laater once they find one that suits them?"

Behind him the cheering stopped, so abruptly the silence was almost palpable.

"Changing ones designation is not unheard of after an upgrade or auspicious moment. If a citizen wishes to change their designation they need only re-register here under their new designation."

Thank the Force! "Excellent, thank you Menturaa. Now, please excuse by abrupt departure, but there are other pressing matters I must attend to."

"Of course, Kenobi Prime." With that said the AI returned to her task, calling for the next group to come and be registered.

As he and Kote passed the troopers on their way in they stopped for a moment and thanked him. Warmth spread throughout his chest and he smiled at them, happy he could be of service.

The hand on his back shifted as Kote leaned closer, their bond filled with joy and light. "We'll need to spread the word so that the shinies stop worrying."

"Of course, we'll start with-" A nudge along another of his bonds interrupted him and he turned to see Rex coming their way with three glowing cubes.

"Ah, perfect timing vod." A look of smug satisfaction crossed Kote's face and Obi-wan pouted at him.

"Come on, General, you need to eat something before you collapse." Rex said as a twin feeling of amusement echoed between his two protectors.

"You'd think I couldn't take care of myself." He muttered darkly as he took the odd cube from the captain and looked at it with some distaste. "It's not even alcoholic." He muttered to himself.

"I believe Kix was talking with Ratchet and it turns out there's different grades of this stuff. Apparently if you get the right grade you can get drunk." The mech said with a shrug, his wings shifting behind him with the movement.

"How is flight practice going?" He asked once he'd drained half the cube.

Rex scowled, wings falling in a clear sign of frustration or anger. "Oddball's taken to it like he was decanted with wings. Wooley's not far behind. General Skywalker is already goading the others into racing him and, surprisingly, is a damned good teacher when it comes to both flying and machines." Rex shook his head ruefully.

"Ah, well Anakin has always had a love for both." Obi-wan chuckled. "But what about yourself, Captain?"

Rex faltered slightly, something dark and sharp pinging off of their bond. Obi-wan looked between the two of them for a moment before it clicked.

"You're afraid of heights?" He asked quietly, so that those around them would not overhear.

Rex's face paled before flushing in embarrassment. The bond was flooded with anxiety, desperation, and more fear.

Immediately Kote reached out and pulled the captain toward him, bringing their forehelms together in a gentle kov'nyn. "Don't worry, vod'ika, you're safe. The Prime won't judge you."

Obi-wan was a little uncertain what to do, wanting to reach out and give the mech comfort, but hesitated. If there was even a possibility his presence was unwanted…

The hand on his back moved away and Obi-wan tensed, a feeling of loss swirling at the back of his mind, kept carefully away from his bonds so as not to disturb-

Of a sudden the hand returned, but this time to his neck. There was a gentle tug, a feeling of welcome, and he suddenly found himself sharing a kov'nyn with the captain.

"And I thought I was screwed up." The captain said with a rueful chuckle.

Obi-wan flushed but didn't pull away. "If you need anything, you need only let me know. I will do everything in my power to make this less painful. For all of you."

Kote let out a huff and chided him over the bond. As Rex stepped away the commander took his place.

"We swore to follow you, and to stay by your side. We know you'll do your absolute best for us." The mech said, optics steady and presence grounding. "So let us help you, too. You don't need to shoulder this burden alone. We're Protectorates, you know what the other Prime said. We're here to take some of the burden of command."

Obi-wan felt shaken but as he let the words wash over him he could feel how it made the force sing. The voices of the Past Primes whispered their approval and for the first time in a long time he felt as if a weight had been lifted.

"All I can promise is that I will try." He said quietly.

"That's all we ask." Rex said with a smile, amber optics bright.

"Come on, we have to prepare for the debriefing." Kote said as he slowly, reluctantly, pulled away.

Obi-wan missed the touch immediately but locked the feeling away as unnecessary.

"Of course, my dear Commander. After you." He said, switching back to Basic... or whatever language Cybertronians spoke.

Rex made a sound of amusement as Kote raised a brow.

Obi-wan sighed. "After me then, I suppose."

The sound of their laughter as they fell in beside him him made the force rejoice, and for once in this stars cursed war everything seemed to be looking bright.

Mando'a;

Beskar'ad- Droid
Cyar'ika- Sweetheart
Di'kut- Idiot
Vod'ike- Brothers
Cuun Jetii- Our Jedi
Kov'nyn- Headbutt, can be used as a sign of affection.

Author's Notes

Hello all, it's been a while.

Some of you may have noticed that I was gone for a bit there. A few things happened in real life that made taking a break very important for my mental and physical health.

I don't think anyone has been keeping count like I have but over the past 3 years I have written over 900k words. That's about 18 novels in 3 years. Most paid authors only manage an average of 1 novel every 3 years.

I was burnt out and stressed from the amount of people asking me for more, more, more. So from now on I will not be responding or accepting comments asking me for Updates. If I see them I will delete them as necessary. I'm not a machine, and my health is important.

Thank you for your attention.