Chapter 142 - Gravity

(RPOV)

Ratchet's spark-daughter was trying desperately to not bounce about. He glanced over at her as Optimus did and realized something.

"This isn't the first time you're going into space," he chided her with a snort.

"Ionosphere doesn't count," Mikaela grinned, "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be serious."

"Oh go over to the launch pad and bounce about a bit, you are allowed," Optimus laughed softly, watching his spark-mate fondly. She grinned at him and turned, sprinting toward the launchpad. The wreckers caught sight of her and laughed, waving her over to give her a quick tour of the Xantium.

"Nice to have you back, Optimus," Ratchet murmured, glancing at the larger mech.

Optimus shot a grin at him before turning serious optics to the ground crew.

"Ready when you are big guy!" Epps shouted up to him.

Optimus nodded calmly and strode to the ship. Mikaela was standing calmly now, watching him patiently and disappearing into the ship as he nodded to her.

"Two years and you're both acting like a couple of younglings," Ratchet murmured with a snort, Optimus glanced at him, and Ratchet couldn't hold back a grin. "Still!?" he laughed.

"What day is it today?" Optimus rumbled with a grin.

"September fifth..." Ratchet murmured.

"Precisely two years ago, Mikaela became my reliant as we fought together," Optimus rumbled placidly, boarding the Xantium. His expression became serious again. Mikaela was standing to attention, waiting patiently for her orders.

"Takeoff in twenty minutes," Optimus rumbled calmly, moving to take the captain's seat, Mikaela stood patiently on his right, a half pace behind.

Ratchet stood back for a long moment, observing the two.

Perfect match there, he thought, grinning again. Mikaela glanced over her shoulder at him curiously.

"Happy anniversary spark-daughter," Ratchet grinned at her.

"That's why you aren't leaving me behind huh?" she murmured to Optimus softly.

"That and you are better at sensing the presence of others," Optimus stated, looking up at her with mute appeal in his optics.

She smiled and reached out, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Good, it saves me some fuel trying to catch up anyway," she murmured placidly. Ratchet quickly moved to the Medic's chair and watched curiously as Kae continued to stand.

"I deal with stronger g's when I'm flying," she murmured with a small smile.

Ratchet crunched through the numbers for a moment and snorted.

"Showoff," he rumbled irritably, settling himself into the medic's chair for inarguably his least favourite thing in the universe.

Kae glanced at him with a small wink and bent her knees lightly, even as her Spark-mate grunted with the force of takeoff.

"Ah tol' you lot, sittin' through it makes it worse!" Roadbuster declared, entering the bridge.

"Be nice, there's a pit of a lot of them available for crashing through the floor," Kae grinned at the wrecker.

Roadbuster snorted and wandered to the instrumentation panels.

"Fer the Femme's amusement," he grinned and promptly cut the gravity. Ratchet began to float off of his seat, irritation immediately giving way to the sheer amusement of watching Kae as she floated in space for the first time, giggling like a youngling.

"Oh the potential!" she giggled, floating upside down and shooting a wicked glance at Optimus.

"Yer a spike tease," Roadbuster snorted, giving the femme a light shove so that she floated sideways. Right into the middle of the open area. She began twisting her arms and angling her wings lightly, and promptly began swearing when her usual flight stabilization techniques did absolutely nothing as she floated sideways.

Ratchet couldn't help it, he began laughing at his spark daughter as she flailed about in the rapidly decreasing atmosphere.

"Fans aren't working!" she stated in irritation, finally drawing close enough to the wall to grab a handhold.

"O'course not!" Roadbuster snorted, "We're dumping th' atmosphere, y'need air fer yer stabilizers tae work!"

"Kae, you don't breathe anymore," Optimus murmured consolingly as her optics momentarily flared in minute panic.

She glanced at her mate with a wry expression. Optimus began laughing at her.

"What?" Ratchet asked curiously.

"An orn in, Kae sorted out her sensory inputs to mimic how she'd felt as a human." Optimus rumbled in amusement, pushing himself out of his seat and toward Kae.

"I sample the air every few seconds," Kae murmured, her spark resonating a small amount of embarrassment.

"Which is how you keep out-smarting me on the diagnostics," Ratchet snorted, "that's sneaky, my daughter, very sneaky."

Kae grinned at him and looked curiously at Roadbuster.

"What's the gravity like on Cybertron?" she asked, delicately settling herself to hover about a foot above the floor.

Roadbuster promptly dialled the settings. Ratchet flumped back into his seat contentedly, good, strong gravity, made you feel like you were actually sitting, not simply sort of floating on your seat. He idly sat back and lifted a leg, crossing his ankle over his knee.

"You've bin missin' her too yeah?" Roadbuster snorted, gleefully striding about in the powerful gravitational field as Optimus stretched against the forces that had made him strong. He glanced at his spark-bonded with a grin.

"How... the fuck... do..." she gritted out, struggling to stand. Ratchet leaped to his feet and strode to his spark-daughter, carefully gripping her arm.

"Of course you're not used to it," he told her soothingly. He began piping the modifications she'd have to make to withstand the gravity.

She began strengthening her frame and took a step forward, promptly collapsing to the floor, swearing in every language she'd downloaded thus far.

"What?" Optimus asked with a low laugh, "you get used to it."

Kae sighed and looked up at her spark-mate mournfully.

"I've just been proven completely useless on Cybertron," she stated firmly, "and you're still laughing at me."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm constantly feeling off-balance on Earth," Roadbuster stated calmly, "it's too light down there, feel like I'm about to float off."

Kae looked up at the wrecker gratefully and continued the minute modifications to her frame, finally rolling to her feet and moving as she normally did in earth's gravity. She glanced at the readings and nodded to them.

"Time to start the routine," she murmured. Optimus nodded and patched into the radio.

(OPOV)

"Xantium approaching tranquility basin," he rumbled.

"This is Houston, you're a go for landing," control replied calmly.

"Assuming the Moon's gravitational field," Roadbuster stated calmly, Optimus felt himself grow light again. Kae felt somewhat off-balance as well now, but in moments, she was modifying her balances and stabilizers. She began smirking to herself, she was far stronger now, and considering it a bonus. Optimus glanced at her with amusement. She shot him an innocent look and patiently braced herself for landing.

"Archangel, Ratchet, let's roll," Optimus rumbled calmly, exiting the Xantium. Kae was the second out, the second her feet touched ground he felt a surge of unease flicker through her spark.

~Something's wrong~ she whispered to him. ~I'm going to scout~

Kae promptly dug her toes into the ground for a second before striding off, scanning the ground with every sensor she had available.

Ratchet looked at him curiously.

::. I can't feel her scanning anything, is she sightseeing?.:: he sent curiously.

::. Scouting.:: Optimus sent back.

::. We have company, laying low, a fuckton of them.:: Mikaela sent to them in a low tone. ::. Better get what you're coming for and get out in a hurry.::

::. Duly noted.:: Optimus rumbled just as seriously. ::. We're entering the ark.:: He glanced to Ratchet and brought a cutter online beside the medic's, one green, one blue.

Kae strode after them quickly, and Optimus noted that her eyes were everywhere, the influx of information causing her optics to glow a little bit more.

~Kae?~ he sent to her worriedly.

~I'm alright, we'll share notes later~ she murmured, Optimus could feel her wary frown.

::. The crash vault has remained sealed.:: Ratchet stated calmly, Optimus reached forward and pressed down the activation switch. Kae was frowning even more as it slid open smoothly.

She looked at Sentinel Prime for a long moment before gazing around herself again, seeming to scan the very welds that held the ship together.

::. I would have been on this mission if Nova and Alia had still been alive.:: Ratchet murmured. ::. His levels are faint, he locked himself away to guard the pillars.:: he added in a mournful tone.

::. Sentinel, you are coming home, old friend.:: Optimus murmured, looking upon his old mentor. He glanced up to see Kae still frowning beneath her calm exterior, she reached out and summoned the memory chips from each of the dead crewmen before striding downward into the hold, a true frown on her face.

::. Kae, we should leave, quickly.:: Ratchet called out anxiously. She scanned for another moment before turning, calling the remaining pillars to herself and embedding them into her wings for safe keeping. She was the first out now. Optimus watched her worriedly.

::. All clear.:: she murmured, her gun still out and scanning the area.

::. Ironhide will be proud.:: Ratchet stated calmly, Kae glanced at him and rolled her optics, continuing to scan both ship and area.

She reached the Xantium and carefully levitated Sentinel from Optimus' arms, depositing the body delicately on a berth and sitting down, optics shadowed with processes.

::. Yeh migh' want tae...:: Roadbuster began, Optimus caught his optic and shook his head lightly. Kae didn't want to be disturbed at the moment. He could feel her wariness as she slowly went through every piece of information she'd scanned. Her optics locked on the still form of Sentinel.

~Kae?~ he rumbled softly.

~Later, my beloved~ she murmured ~When you won't need your battle-mask~

::. Attack?.:: he rumbled immediately.

::. No, and that's what's bothering me.:: Kae murmured, still watching Sentinel with a deep frown etched on her face.

::. He's a good bot, a good leader.:: Optimus rumbled, feeling her uncertainty.

::. I trust you, Optimus, absolutely.:: Kae murmured ::. But something feels off, wrong.::

::. But what, my Kae?.:: Optimus whispered.

::. I don't know yet.:: she murmured.