Author's Note: Sorry, folks, but this is the last real chapter of this story. My train of ideas crashed and burned. So I'm wrapping it up. And I know I said there'd be a sequel, but that idea will have to be shelved for a while. The next story I'll be churning out will be based on an idea given to me by my good friend and idea factory, ckret2. It will be called Burning Skies. Keep an optic open for it.

Disclaimer: I think you've figured it out. I've been saying it every chapter.

Unexpected Encounters

Chapter 10: Homecoming

Ultra Rodimus staggered slightly as the dimensional breach spat him out, screaming its anger at him. Then it deposited his comrades on the deck behind him, spitting them out like a human child spitting out sour berries, and closed with a final scream.

"Get off!" Springer yelled.

"Hold you Springer's horses!" Grimlock snarled back, pushing himself off the top of the pile.

Magnus pulled himself out from underneath Sludge and got to his feet, shaking his head. Sensing his mate's amusement, he sent his lover a sour look and a warning thought. Ultra Rodimus batted his eyes innocently, then turned his attention to the other Autobots on the bridge of the shuttle.

"Thebreachhasclosedyesithasit'sallclosednow!" Blurr called.

"Whaaaaaaat?" Ultra Rodimus cupped a hand around his ear.

((Does he always talk like that?)) Falcon asked, sending feelings of surprise.

(Unfortunately, yes. He's called Blurr for a very good reason. He's the fastest Transformer alive, and one of the most annoying.)

((Then I'm very glad I won't have to deal with him.))

Magnus cracked up.

"Whatareyoulaughingatyoubetternotbelaughingatmenoyoubetternotbe!"

The second-in-command only laughed harder.

((I see Falcon survived the trip,)) Magnus mindsent through his laughter.

(Yes, he did. Thanks to Primus, who changed Falcon to allow him to survive being attached to a robot.)

First Aid came forward to run a scanner over Ultra Rodimus, checking to see if he was hurt. The medic noted the long scar on Ultra Rodimus's leg, then noticed the creature on his right forearm.

"What in Primus's name happened to your arm? That growth must be removed immediately! Come down to Medbay and let me... what in the universe?!?!"

Falcon lit up like a torch and hissed loudly. First Aid jumped back with a startled screech, staring at the creature. If his eyes could've bugged out, they would have. It was a very interesting expression to see on the medic's face.

"He's not a growth," Ultra Rodimus corrected, stroking Falcon's back to calm the skrill down, and its hissing slowly subsided.

"You mean that thing is alive?!"

"Very much alive. His name is Falcon. He's a skrill, a sentient creature. In the other dimension, a race called the Taelons took the skrills from their homeworld and bio-engineered them to be powerful weapons, completely under the control of the Taelons' human servants. This one chose me to be his host. He's my partner. So don't even suggest removing him. He can fire a very powerful energy blast."

First Aid raised his hands in surrender, backing away. Falcon's glow faded away, and its tight grip on Ultra Rodimus's arm loosened. Ultra Rodimus sighed.

"Falcon, could you please not grip my arm so hard? You're compressing my circiutry, and that hurts."

((Sorry,)) Falcon apologized.

Ultra Rodimus stroked Falcon's back. The skrill purred.

"Now let's go home."

When they returned to Cybertron, they discovered that they had a new problem.

While the Autobot commanders had been concentrating on getting their leader back, the Decepticons had snuck past them and had hit Iacon. Half of the city was under their control. The shuttle landed as quietly as possible, and the crew stealthily entered the city.

They found Galvatron in the command center, trying to puzzle out how to work the consoles.

"Lure out the other Decepticons," Ultra Rodimus whispered. "Galvatron is mine."

"Will do, big guy." The others slid away.

The other Decepticons took the bait and left to deal with the Autobots. Since they were in Iacon, the Autobots had home-field advantage. They dodged in and out of sight, taunting their enemies. Ultra Rodimus chuckled to himself before he moved on Galvatron.

Despite his size and massive fifteen-ton weight, Ultra Rodimus could move without making a sound. He crept up on the Decepticon leader, a nasty-looking grin spreading over his face. Galvatron never even heard him coming.

He was trying to figure out how to access the city's mainframe when someone dealt a crushing blow to the back of his helmet. He hit the floor hard, rolling onto his back to see Ultra Rodimus towering over him, face twisted in rage. The Autobot leader reached down and took Galvatron by the throat, heaving himoff the floor, smashing him into the walls.

"This is my city! You are definitely not welcome here, Decepti-scum! Get out! GET OUT!!!"

Galvatron fled down the corridor, trying to get away from the enraged Prime. At the gates of thr city, he hesitated and tried to defy Ultra Rodimus, threatening the young Prime with his arm cannon.

Falcon hissed angrily and began drawing power from Ultra Rodimus's systems, building up a powerful charge. When the skrill had the maximus charge it could contain built up, Ultra Rodimus raised his arm, and Falcon discharged a powerful blast.

The shot wasn't as powerful as it could have been. Falcon was tired, as was its host, but the shot was still powerful enough to blow Galvatron out of the city. The blast severely damaged Galvatron's weapons systems, and the Decepticon fled, the rest of his army following behind.

"Nice shot," Rewind commented, joining the tall young Prime.

"Thanks." Ultra Rodimus leaned back against the wall. "What's the situation?"

"The city is ours again."

"Good." Ultra Rodimus walked back into the city, mentally contacting his mate. (Lover-mine, can you handle the questions? I'm dead on my feet.)

((Certainly. You go get some rest.))

(Will do. Thanks.)

Magnus sent affection, then turned his attention back to the other commanders. Ultra Rodimus made his way to the quarters they shared. That was the last thing he remembered.

Magnus grinned to himself.

"What are you smiling at?" Kup asked. "Where's Ultra Rodimus? I've got questions for him."

"I don't think you'll get much out of him right now. He's in our quarters, out like a light. He was nearly dead on his feet earlier, and Falcon uses more than a little bit of energy when he fires. So Ultra Roddy went to our quarters and passed out the instant he reached the bed. Like flicking a switch."

"Oh."

The large Autobot answered as many of their many questions as he could. The rest would have to be asked to Ultra Rodimus when he woke up. Once they let him go, Magnus went to the quarters he shared with Ultra Rodimus.

In the darkened bedroom, he looked at the bed, searching for a moment to find his mate. Ultra Rodimus could change the color of his stripes, that was common knowledge. Magnus had discovered that when he slept, Ultra Rodimus's stripes slowly changed color to match his background, making him nearly impossible to see. Only if you knew what to look for could you spot him.

Ultra Rodimus was stretched out on his stomach, one arm out, the other folded against his side. His long braid was coiled over the pillows. He was practically invisible against the fur bedcover.

Magnus remembered where that fur had come from. Like Ultra Rodimus's coat and most of the other furs scattered around the rooms, it had come from the ice world Antarsis. Their shuttle's engines, overdue for repairs, had failed, and they'd been forced to land on the icy planet to fix the damage enough to get them home. While there, they'd encountered one of the tribes inhabiting the planet. Ultra Rodimus had been in a foul mood, and the tribal leader had thought that it was his fault until Magnus explained that Ultra Rodimus hated the cold. The tribe had provided warm furs, and Ultra Rodimus's temper had sweetened considerably. When the young Prime had brought down a savage beast called, loosely, an ice dragon, though it had looked more like a bad cross between a crocodile, a two-headed salamander, a bear, and a used string mop, the grateful tribe had given him many gifts, including a massive pile of pelts. Ultra Rodimus had been at a loss as to what to do with them until Sandstorm had gotten his hands on them.

"There's room in there for you too, you know," Sandstorm pointed out, breaking Magnus out of his thoughts. "He doesn't take up that much room."

"I was just thinking," Magnus retorted.

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Very funny. Have you ever considered a career as a comedian?"

Sandstorm pretended to ignore him. Magnus snorted and climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arm around his mate's shoulders and pulling him close, watching as Ultra Rodimus's stripes shifted to a mix of red, blue, grey, white, and silver. He smiled, gently kissed his mate's forehead, put his head down, and was almost instantly asleep.

To be continued...

Ok, there it is, chapter 10. Now send me your reviews, please. Feed the author.