TFA: Youngling

Ch.3~ Meet the Professor

"Guys!" Sari called, I looked over the back of the couch to the entrance. "I brought Dad to meet Star!"

"Coming!" I replied and jumped over the back and walked over.

"Star this is my Dad Professor Sumdac, Dad this is the new bot her name's Star, she's around my age." Sari introduced, I crouched down to greet the Professor.

"Nice to meet you Professor Sumdac my name's Stargazer but you can call me Star." I chimed reaching a servo toward the man.

"Oh my, even for a child you are rather tall my dear." He replied shaking my servo. "now how did you get here?"

"Kinda a long story, let's just say a piece of tech in sent me from my dimension to your own," I explained rubbing the back of my helm awkwardly. "I'm not really sure how long I will be here."

"That is quite the predicament is there anything I can do to help? I am a scientist after all." He replied, I rubbed my chin.

"Bulkhead said the effect sounded similar to a hypothetical Space Bridge malfunction but I don't think Earth has the technology for that," I explained, the Professor rubbed his chin.

"I can speak to Bulkhead about it, no child should be away from their family after all." He stated.

Thank you, Professor." I replied, he is really a kind man, wasn't he?

"So, who is looking after you here? Is it a group effort?" he quizzed worriedly.

"I am looking after her mostly." Prowl stated I turned to see him walking over.

"That is good my friend." He chimed; I guess he was worried about me like Aunty June is.

(Later)

"Man, Dad and Bulk have been talking a while," Sari complained as we watched Bee play a game.

"Nerd stuff." Bee huffed as he gamed.

"You're Dad is really kind Sari; he doesn't have to spend his time trying to help me," I stated, Sari slammed her hands onto my leg.

"Dad loves to help people I mean that's what our robotics company does! Besides, I guess he sees you like me; I mean we are close in age." Sari explained, I smiled.

"Yeah, you're a few years older than me, at least in human terms," I stated, she grinned big.

"While you're here I dub you my little sister!" Sari cheered, I smiled at her, she was so much like Miko.

"That sounds fun," I stated, I guess I would be okay here, for now at least.

(Prowl's POV)

I headed to the main room after my patrol I saw Star was laying on the couch she had a tarp tossed over her. I guess the Professor and Sari were gone for the evening. I scooped her up but she remains asleep letting out soft vents. I wonder if the Professor will be able to find a way to send her home.

"Mmm, Prower?" she muttered, I looked down to see her waking up a bit.

"I think it's bedtime," I stated, she nuzzled her cheek into my chassis.

"I'm glad I got to meet you and the others." She mumbled barely awake.

"I am glad I met you too, I am sure the others are as well," I replied, her visor dimmed and she fell asleep again. "I do hope we can get you home soon. I know you must miss your family…"

(Stargazer's POV)

I sat with Sari as we played another game, it was a fighting game, and she was really good. I whined as she won the match again, she stood up and did a small victory dance. Miko did the same thing sometimes if she beat Jack at their game back at base. I wonder when I'll be able to go back home…

"Star you look sad?" Sari stated touching my arm.

"I think I'm homesick…" I stated pulling my pedes to my chest.

"Don't worry Dad and Bulk will find a way to get you home." She soothed rubbing her hand on my shoulder-plating.

"It's just like then… Maybe I won't see them again too…" I murmured, maybe they're all gone…

"You'll see them again, I promise." She soothed, I pushed up my visor rubbing the tears from my offlined optics. "Dad is super smart he'll find a way to get you home, I know he will."

"Thanks, Sari…" I replied, she smiled at me.

"You two playing games?" Optimus asked, I looked over the back of the couch at the young Prime.

"Yeah, Sari's too good at them," I replied, Sari elbowed me.

"You'll get better." She chimed, he smiled at us.

"It's getting late Sari; Bumblebee is on his way back so he'll drive you home." He informed; Sari whined at him.

"You'll be back tomorrow, right?" I asked, she turned me grinning.

"Of course!" she cheered, "I'll bring a movie to watch tomorrow, how does that sound?"

"Yay!" I chimed, I loved watching movies with the others back home. "I love movies!"

"Sari time to head home!" Bee called, Sari hopped off the couch and grinned at me.

"See you tomorrow Star, I'll make sure to bring some of my favourite movies!" she informed, I nodded and watched her race off to meet Bee.

"Glad you're having fun Star," Optimus stated reaching down to rub my helm.

"Yeah, it's nice to play with Sari, reminds me of back home. I used to be so excited when Miko, Raf and Jack would come to the base." I replied, leaning over the back of the couch I smiled at him. "No patrol?"

"Not today, things have been fairly quiet." He responded.

"I'm glad," I replied, he smiled at me.

"So, what you going to do now?" he asked, I looked at the game on the screen. "Going to keep playing."

"No," I stated and grabbed my controller and turning off the system. "I guess it's more fun to watch someone play. Powler told me that Prime is a military rank here, are there a lot of Primes?"

"A good deal I'd say, Prowl did say it was something different in your world."

"In my world, there is only ever one Prime at a time. They hold something called the Matrix of Leadership it gives them the wisdom of all the Primes before them. They're deemed the leader of our people when they're alive. Well for almost everyone, that changed when the war broke out." I explained, he leaned against the couch looking interested.

"Why did the war break out in your world? Did it have something to do with a Prime?" he asked, I sat on the couch and patted next to me.

"Sit down." I chimed, he walked over and sat down. "Opmis told me why the war started. Before the war Cybertron wasn't the nicest place, most of the city-states were ruled unfairly. Mechs and femes were categorized in a rigid class system. Many were slaves, while a few were high ranked and held all the power and wealth. Before the war, before Opmis was Opmis, he was Orion Pax. He was friends with a mech named Megatronous, he was a gladiator, the strongest one, but he was also a visionary. He began to rally bots to make changes for a more just world, he and Orion worked together. But in time the power and respect got to him and he demanded freedom in front of the senate or he would cause war. Orion spoke to the senate and gave a speech about a less violent transition and they decided he should be Prime. Megatronous was furious and left the Senate house and declared war. Orion tried to reason with his friend but he would not listen, so he went to the Hall of the Primes to ask for help. He was given the matrix and renamed 'Optimus Prime' but when he returned, he found the newly renamed Megatron destroying everything in sight. Soon everybot either sided with Megatron and became Decepticons or sided with Opmis and became Autobots. All the city-states fell from the fighting till the entire planet was engulfed in war…"

"Sounds complex…"

"Uhuh, a lot of bots joined the Decepticons because they wanted to be free from a system that oppressed them. Some began to change their minds as the war went on but they found they could not leave…"

"Why not?"

"A fate worse than death… That's why Knockout said… Leaving would not just be a death sentence but one for anyone they cared about…"

"Knockout?"

"He was a mech I knew back home, he's a Decepticon but he and his partner were always nice to me. When I first crashed on Earth, he was trying to help me. His partner Breakdown would play with me… I wanted to bring him to our side but he told me that leaving would be a fate worse than death and he could never leave… Not even after he lost Breakdown…"

"Sounds like they are very important to you…"

"Yeah, Opmis promised to save Knockout… I hope he'll still do that…"

"Don't worry Star we'll get back home."

I pulled my pedes up; I want to believe that it's possible but my stupid logic processor told me the truth. I was very likely never going to get back home. We were lucky with the Shadow Zone but this was much more complex than that. I was never going to go back to them, I know that but I still want to believe that it's possible…

"I want to believe that…"

"Star…"

"It's like Rache said, I'm too smart for my own good sometimes… I know that statistically ever returning home is astronomical…"

"In my experience, the unlikely happens more than you think."

I looked up at him, he looked like he was thinking of something, I shuffled closer and leaned against him. A lot has happened in this world, probably a lot happened to him too. I hope that things go better for him here than they did my Optimus. I hope everything here goes better than it did in my world. I felt him put an arm around me, I looked up at him as he smiled down at me.

"I hope this world is kinder."

(Prowl's POV)

I returned from my patrol, I walked into the base and I saw Optimus sitting o the couch. He was asleep leaning his helm on his servo, walking over I looked at him. I heard some rustling, turning I saw Stargazer dragging a tarp. I smiled at her and took the tarp for her, she led me over to the young Prime. We began to carefully cover him in the tarp and once we finished Stargazer jumped down and hugged my pede.

"Let's leave him to rest." She stated, I scooped her up heading to my room. "He's really kind."

"He is," I affirmed as I sat down near my tree Star seated in my lap. "Did you find him like that?"

"No, we were talking, he was comforting me, he fell asleep while we sat together." She answered, I patted her helm. "I hope this world is kinder to all of you than mine was…"

"I see… Does that make you feel sad?"

"I guess… Sometimes I felt like in my world that all the good was gone… We never had good luck it seemed or if things went right, they went wrong soon after… It felt like we were about to lose so many times… Maybe they've lost since I've been here… Not like I would ever go back…"

"Why not? Professor Sumdac is very wise, even if he can't I'm sure the scientist back on Cybertron could."

"That outcome is a statistical impossibility…"

I pulled her closer to me as she let out silent tears, deep down I knew she was right. Getting her home was not likely, her arrival was a universal fluke at the least. Replicating that was never likely. Even then, with what she tells me I worry… Would she have anyone to return to? Cybertron was dead, what life was there even for her there… But I remember what Master Yoketron taught me.

"Belief is a strong thing; it can make impossibilities possible. Many things are possible when we believe them to be. Belief is one of the strongest things driving us forward. Belief is what propels science and invention. My Master taught me that…"

"He sounds wise…"

"He was…"

"I want to believe that no matter what happens they'll all get their happy ending and so will I…"

"I think that is a wonderful thing to believe in…"