Chapter Nine - A Deal
Starfrost walked into the nearest training room to her squad's stomping grounds. She frowned slightly when she noted no one was in it despite the occupied sign outside.
Or so she thought at a first glance.
The noble was surprised when she saw movement from the far side out of the corner of her optic.
What, and who, she saw surprised her even more.
In one of the far corners of the room, marked out on the floor as a designated sparring area, was Skyshadow.
Who was dancing.
Starfrost blinked several times at the bizarre sight before collecting herself. The other young femme didn't seem to have noticed the door open and close, or the presence of someone else. So, the older femme continued to watch.
She had to admit, as she watched the winged femmeling twirl and leap, she was pretty decent at it. It was an elegant sort of dance; one she'd gone to see performances of a few times. She even had been taught some of this style herself.
Furrowing her brow, Starfrost tilted her helm, pursing her lips.
"Dance is only taught to the higher castes," she thought.
Skyshadow suddenly finished and turned to face the one mecha audience, an unreadable expression on her faceplate.
"Obviously, she knew I was here."
Stepping closer, Starfrost spoke, tone haughty as she lifted her chin. "Do tell me. Where did a peasant like you learn to dance like that?"
Narrowing her optics, Skyshadow straightened. "I watched a group of higher art castes when I was younger. What of it?"
Golden optics widened and Starfrost paused midstep.
With her high upbringing and exposure to the art, she could see flaws and mistakes that no one else in this base would. But she had admit, at least internally, Skyshadow was good. Especially, since she was self taught and had learned by watching.
Giving a light sniff, Starfrost nodded curtly towards the winged femmeling. "Well. Your form is a bit sloppy, but you are not bad."
Skyshadow's wings flicked as she studied her. Faceplate nearly emotionless, she nodded, realizing Starfrost was giving her a compliment.
"I use it mostly as warmup now," she said. Pausing she pointed with a digit towards the two-wheeler. "I'm guessing you're here to train too?"
Starfrost gave another short nod, folding her servos over her chest. "I prefer the training room when it's not full of giant mechs brawling in it. I am sure you can relate. To a point anyways."
Raising an optic ridge, Skyshadow copied her pose, a small frown tugging at her faceplate. "You think I enjoy almost getting crushed by them?"
"No. Of course not. But you do not seem afraid of sparring them. Or, at least, definitely not Bolt and Jolt."
"You think they're giant?"
"No." Starfrost gave Skyshadow a look. "You know what I mean. You are not afraid to play rough. To put it one way anyways."
Skyshadow blinked several times before shrugging, her servos then falling back to her sides. "Whatever you say. Anyways, do you want to spar? Since we're both here."
"Alright. With weapons or without?"
"I was thinking without."
The pair stepped over into the marked square and got ready. Skyshadow crouched, bending her knee joints and spreading her servos and wings slightly, ready to spring. Starfrost tried to copy the motion, eyeing the younger mecha carefully.
"This may have been a mistake," she thought as Skyshadow's lips upturned in a smirk.
After all, they may be similar size, but even with what was limited training in some's optics, Skyshadow was well beyond Starfrost's own skill.
Before she could think any further or back out, Skyshadow moved.
In a red and black blur, she lunged toward Starfrost, fist first. Starfrost managed to dodge the punch, but not far enough to miss the shoulder that hit her own, leaving her stumbling back.
The pair separated momentarily, before the younger one lifted her pede and sent a backwards kick towards the same shoulder she'd hit, sending Starfrost stumbling forward to the floor.
With a grunt, Starfrost pushed herself back to her pedes and turned to glare at the winged menace. Her optics then widened when she saw she was already advancing again.
Quickly raising her servos to block her faceplate, the noble set her pedes. She grit her denta and shut her optics as Skyshadow's pede connected with her foreservos, pushing back against her to hopefully unbalance her.
It sort of worked, although the acrobatic flier simply let herself fall backwards with the repelling shove and backflipped away.
Seeing her chance, Starfrost charged, reaching Skyshadow just as she regained her pedes. Seeking to punch her in the side, she reared back a servo to strike, but once it came into reach, Skyshadow deflected it easily.
She also deflected her next four punch attempts.
Growing frustrated, Starfrost let out a low growl, aiming again with a jab towards Skyshadow's helm.
Suddenly, the younger femme ducked, causing Starfrost to hit empty air.
Dropping to a crouch with a smug grin, Skyshadow moved her weight to her hands and swung her pedes at her opponent's.
Starfrost went tumbling down to the floor with a thud, the wind knocked out of her.
Skyshadow stood up and winced down at the aqua and silver femme.
With wide optics, Starfrost slowly made her way to her pedes, gasping.
"I guess I won," Skyshadow said quietly, her optic ridges furrowed. "You lasted longer than other times."
Still not quite recovered, Starfrost glared up at her, rubbing the back of her helm.
The red and black frowned. She knew that the other femme would never make it in a battle at the rate she was learning. During the training matches she actually showed up for, she seemed to hardly listen or watch the mecha trying to train her.
But Skyshadow knew these sort of mecha. Not necessarily nobles. Just mecha that wouldn't listen and couldn't be swayed.
You couldn't help someone who didn't want to help themself.
An idea occurred to the femmeling.
"You show me how to perfect the dancing that I know, I'll show you how to at least punch someone properly. Deal?"
Starfrost stared at her a few kliks like she'd gone insane. But, as she thought about it, the expression turned from distaste to consideration. Then, in an almost defeated tone, she sighed and nodded.
"Alright. Deal."
Skyshadow's faceplate split in a small smile. "I'd just rather not watch you offline cause you can't fight."
With a roll of her optics, Starfrost let out a huff. But there was a hint of a smile there. "How noble of you."
Stepping back to the middle of the painted square, Skyshadow replied. "Just watch some stuff I do first, then you can try it."
"Alright." Starfrost stepped back and stood with her servos crossed in front of her, wondering what she was about to be taught.
Falling into a stance, that Starfrost noted looked sort of like a position from the dance routine that she'd done earlier, Skyshadow glanced back at her.
"I believe this style of hand-to-hand combat may be beneficial to you, since you already technically know some of it, I think," she said, moving into another stance, as if ducking under an imaginary opponent's sword. Then, she lunged as if to attack with a dagger or sword of her own, but the movement was still graceful.
Starfrost rose an optic ridge and frowned but said nothing.
"If you take some of the moves from dance and alter them or the sequence, it is sort of like fighting," Skyshadow continued. She moved into a pirouette, but ending it short with a high kick. "See?"
"I believe I do," Starfrost said slowly as she continued to watch.
It was different than anything she'd ever seen before. She had seen there was a graceful elegance to some of Skyshadow's movements before when watching her spar other mecha, but she hadn't realized why some things looked familiar. She'd chalked it up to her being a half-seeker and light on her pedes.
However, she realized the half-seeker had been not only figuratively, but literally, dancing around her opponents. Mixed with the fact that the petite femmeling was fast, the style was perhaps surprisingly very effective.
"It's sort of ducking and dodging and making your opponent come after you, wearing them out," said Skyshadow as she spun around an imaginary enemy before miming stabbing them in the side. "And it saves your own energy as opposed to facing them head on."
Once more circling around, Skyshadow whirled and drove her servo upwards before halting and turning back to Starfrost.
"Allowing you also to wait for a good opportunity to strike when there's a good opening."
Starfrost met the optics of her squad member. "I see what you mean. I... I believe I will have to try your method."
Skyshadow smiled, wingtips flicking upwards. "I hope that goes well for you."
"Can..." Starfrost hesitated an astroklik. "Do you think we could spar again? I would like to learn more."
With a wave of her servo, Skyshadow beckoned her back inside the square. "Sure."
As the noble stepped back into the area, she gave her a smirk that Starfrost found much more familiar than the happy smile she'd worn astrokliks ago.
"I'll be sure to go easy on you."
Starfrost gave out a short, harsh laugh, placing her hands on her hips. "One orn, I will be the one saying that to you."
"I sincerely hope that happens," Skyshadow returned before falling into a loose stance. "Shall we?"
"Yes," nodded Starfrost, optics narrowed slightly. "We shall."
Little to either femme's knowledge, a certain mech had been observing from through the door's window.
With a smirk, the one-opticed mech shook his helm and backed away from the door a step. He turned and headed towards his team's room.
"Who would have guessed that outcome?" he muttered softly to himself.
The three mechlings glanced up when the door opened.
"Oh, hey, Captain Scatterstrike!" Bolt said cheerfully, hanging upside down off the edge of his berth.
Cloudbreaker rose an optic ridge at the pilot who barely spared the strange scene a second glance.
"Hello, Bolt. Jolt. Cloudbreaker," the one-opticed mech said, giving each mechling a nod in turn.
"Have you seen the femmelings?" Bolt questioned, pulling himself fully back onto his berth. "Sky's been gone for awhile and I haven't seen Starfrost like all orn."
"They're sparring," the grey and black said with a grin, placing his hands on his waist.
"WHAT?" Bolt sputtered, sitting up with a jerk. "With each other?"
Cloudbreaker and Jolt also perked up and looked towards the mech in surprise.
Scatterstrike let out a hearty laugh, then shook his helm. "I didn't expect that either."
"Starfrost is sparring," Jolt said slowly, disbelief in his tone as he eyed the squad leader from his desk. "Willingly."
"Seems so," replied Scatterstrike with a shrug.
"Huh," Bolt said, blinking rapidly. "Who'd a thunk?"
"It seems that Skyshadow persuaded her."
Jolt gave a short nod, a slight frown on his lips. "I suppose she can be persuasive." His expression brightened as he continued. "However, I am pleased to hear that someone is getting through to her."
"It's about time someone did," Bolt grumbled.
"Ah, that's enough now, mechlings," Scatterstrike said with a grin. "Just be glad you'll have another capable mecha watching your backs."
"How did Skyshadow manage to get Starfrost to willingly spar with her?" Cloudbreaker inquired, furrowing his optic ridges. "From what you have all told me, and from my own observations, Starfrost doesn't exactly listen to anyone if she can get away with it."
Bolt's attention turned to the seeker and he gave him a mischievous grin. He leaned back on his berth and folded his servos behind his helm. "Oh, Sky has her ways. Like Jolt said, she can be persuasive."
"Very persuasive," chuckled the pilot, eyeing the newest member of the team. "She has a way with words, that one."
Cloudbreaker frowned but said no more. He wasn't certain what the other three meant, but it sounded to him like his fellow Vosian had a Vosian's silver glossa.
That could be... Well, interesting.
"And perhaps something to be wary of," the seeker thought, now only half listening to the others' chatter.
He had known how manipulative Vosian's could be. It was part of the reason it had taken him so long to leave Vos. Only at the urging of two particular seekers had he really gotten the nerve to leave.
But those two, as far as Cloudbreaker knew, were still with the majority of the surviving citizens of their fallen city.
He had his suspicions, but didn't tell them to anyone. After all, he owed it to them to keep their secret when they'd risked everything to allow him to leave behind their backs.
Cloudbreaker really hoped that Skyshadow was more like those seekers than the majority.
But if she was here with the Autobots too...
The blue and black mech decided he'd give her the benefit of a doubt.
After all, she was making an effort to help Starfrost. It seemed like not many others where.
"That needs to change," he thought determinedly. "We're a team. We're supposed to help each other."
Note: The type of dancing Skyshadow learned would be Cybertron's version of ballet. Or something similar anyways.
Thanks for reading!
