Right, a quick note: I'm headed off to finally finally escape from winter for a little while. Unfortunately, that means I'm going to be sans internets until March 1. I didn't time my updates quite right, I wanted to have you guys past the battle by now because cliffhangers destroy me.
So... multiple update day!
Chapter 153 – Phase Two
(MPOV)
I sat, patient.
Fifteen hours. I had to wait fifteen hours.
Finally. Finally.
::. It is time.:: Sentinel murmured.
I looked up with every appearance of being groggy.
"You realize that bringing your planet into our atmosphere, surrounding earth with Cybertron, will only serve to kill both." I stated softly.
Sentinel stared at me. I pointed to the sky.
"Earth relies on her sun, her atmosphere," I murmured. "Cybertron surrounding earth will only serve to block out our life."
"You could not have said this before!?" Sentinel growled at me. ::. It would have saved us some time, we could simply have had all of the beacons here!.::
::. But my Optimus needs time to get here.:: I stated innocently.
Silence.
::. True.::
Sentinel snarled at me for a moment.
"Very well." he growled. "Decepticons, launch the pillars!"
Through our connection, around this world, Sentinel could feel his space bridge slowly activating. He called the pillars to himself, and they began making the trek.
"What are you doing?" Megatron snarled.
"If I am to allow this planet to survive, it will need it's sun," Sentinel shrugged irritably. "Cybertron will remain beside this one."
Then, then the most beautiful of sensations. My Optimus was close. Close enough for the fight to begin.
::. Neutral face, he's here.:: I sent to Sentinel quietly.
::. Let me get the pillars.:: he sent back.
::. Can't you just make the initial five bridge them to you?.:: I asked impatiently. I wanted to start tearing into these bastards.
Sentinel turned to look at me in amusement.
"Why yes, I can," he rumbled. "I can also send the pillars to a safe place in the process, an excellent idea, Kae."
The Decepticons froze.
The two of us smirked at each other.
"To work?" Sentinel asked innocently.
"Indeed, old friend," I stated cheerfully, standing and flashing energon through my systems. "Got your back, by the way, do what you must."
That had the Decepticons moving again. Cannons and fists began clenching, preparing to fight and fire.
But I was on them now.
The first cell in my legs promptly drained into my systems.
Power, ammunition. I smirked, standing straight.
"The little Prime wants to dance?" Megatron rasped with a smirk.
"The dance of my ancestors," I stated blackly, then, simply to hammer in the point I winked my holoform online in my own hand. "And this time, you're gonna stay dead." the human I had been snarled at him.
The shocked recognition on his face was priceless.
I charged him.
He was immediately on guard, but my uncle had taught me well. A moment to observe him, a second. I dove toward him, giving every appearance of a flying tackle.
But he was ready for that. What he wasn't ready for, was me turning a somersault in the air, now I was going toward him feet first. The further shock in his optics was perfect. My boosters fired up. Modified. Firing plasma.
Straight into his chest. I turned the second he began flying backwards and went after the next closest con.
Cannons nothing, it was bare hand and blade for these bastards.
(SePOV)
"What are you doing?" Megatron snarled at him.
"If I am to allow this planet to survive, it will need it's sun," Sentinel shrugged, giving the appearance of irritability. "Cybertron will remain beside this one."
Then, then the most beautiful of messages.
::. Neutral face, he's here.:: Mikaela sent quietly.
He was alive, his young friend was alive. He should have known, Optimus was not fool enough to believe that the Decepticons would let them leave alive.
Even if he had ordered the Xantium to be given free passage from this planet.
::. Let me get the pillars.:: he sent back tensely.
::. Can't you just make the initial five bridge them to you?.:: Mikaela asked impatiently. Sentinel could feel it even over their platonic connection. She wanted to start tearing into these Decepticon bastards. Actually, that was an intelligent move. Bridging the bridge. He could put it somewhere out of the line of fire if he did that.
Far easier than trying to subspace hundreds of pillars...
Sentinel turned to look at his young friend's mate in amusement.
"Why yes, I can," he rumbled cheerfully. "I can also send the pillars to a safe place in the process, an excellent idea, Kae."
The Decepticons froze around them.
Kae and Sentinel smirked at each other, subtly, her spark was increasing it's power outputs, she was starting up, warming up.
"To work?" Sentinel asked innocently.
"Indeed, old friend," Kae stated cheerfully, standing and flashing energon through her systems. "Got your back, by the way, do what you must."
How very kind of her.
Of course that had the Decepticons moving again. Cannons and fists began clenching around them, preparing for the battle.
Sentinel turned the second Kae started moving, sending the pillars to reside where the original five had lain under the safeguard of the humans. He turned back and idly removed the heads of a couple of cons charging him with murder in their optics.
But Kae.
Watching her was far more interesting than killing Decepticons.
He watched her interestedly as the first cell of energon drained into her systems, invisible until you knew to look. Kae smirked, standing straight.
"The little Prime wants to dance?" Megatron rasped, smirking at her.
Well, she was somewhat smaller, after all...
"The dance of my ancestors," Kae stated blackly, her armour resettled restlessly over her frame.
Then, her holoform winked online in her hand. Obviously, Megatron recognized the human femme, if not the bot. Fascinating. "And this time, you're gonna stay dead." the holoform snarled.
And that was a story he was going to make her tell.
She charged him. Sentinel idly shoved back a few more of the smaller bots that Megatron kept around him, watching Kae was far more interesting.
Megatron was immediately on guard, Sentinel frowned, firing off a few shots at more of the bots, prepared to come to her rescue, she seemed so... ungraceful as she dove at the larger bot. Megatron was already in position to handle that flying tackle.
That never worked on the cons... that was a youngling's move...
The next second, however, Sentinel was grinning like a youngling himself as Kae flipped in the air, suddenly she was flying toward Megatron feet first.
Which had the larger bot confused for an astro-second.
An astro-second was enough.
Archangel Prime fired up her pede boosters, and Megatron was flying off of the roof of the building with a shocked look in his optics.
The sheer amount of damage was shocking until he looked at her boosters.
They were modified, firing plasma.
Sentinel watched the femme in admiration as she singlehandedly tore the Decepticons around her apart. In minutes, she was standing, surrounded by the wreckage of dead cons.
Her cannons weren't even online yet. Sentinel looked around himself with raised brow ridges.
"Fascinating," he stated mildly.
Kae looked at him in amusement.
"Really? That was kind of boring, actually," she stated mildly.
They both turned to look at the warships converging on their position.
"Megatron called in his reinforcements," Sentinel growled softly.
"How nice of him," Mikaela stated in that same mild tone.
Sentinel promptly stared at her. She looked at him passively for a moment.
"Elaborate," he replied somewhat irritably.
"It saves us having to go to them," she stated cheerfully. "Shall we?"
Kae folded in on herself, a flier.
It was only then that it really clicked in his processors. Optimus was bonded to a flier!?
"You are a flier!?" Sentinel demanded.
"Are you coming or not?" she snorted.
Sentinel began laughing, he couldn't help it as he caught hold of her wings.
She blasted into the air, climbing up through the atmosphere to circle high above the warships and carriers.
::. Who first?.:: she asked calmly, scanning the ships even as Sentinel did.
::. Set me down on the primary warship.:: Sentinel commanded flatly ::. That is my first priority, take down the ships capable of the most damage.::
::. Agreed.::
Kae promptly dropped through the atmosphere, Sentinel dropped onto the ship as she landed gracefully on her feet a few units in front of him.
::. You are the more experienced.:: she stated calmly, looking at him.
::. You are an exceptional warrior...:: Sentinel stated in a confused tone.
::. Using the fighting techniques my human family taught me.:: she stated calmly, they both turned to look at the fighters and warships. ::. As yet, I am still unfamiliar with the specifications of these ships. In this, I would prefer to defer to the more experienced warrior.::
Sentinel straightened with pride as the young femme Prime turned to look at him respectfully.
::. Follow my lead?.:: he asked curiously.
::. Gladly.:: she grinned at him.
::. Well then, this way.:: Sentinel stated cheerfully, taking point. ::. Are you familiar with silent?.::
::. Hand or optic? Both, by the way.:: she replied quietly.
-Hand, take the door- he signalled to her. She nodded and positioned herself precisely where he gestured. They nodded to each other and Kae brought a cannon online, blasting the door open. Sentinel took point again, scything his way through the guards toward the heart of the ship. It was a nice feeling to have the young femme at his back, especially with the sounds of her dispatching the bots flooding the corridors behind him.
In front of him, five bots quickly gathered together. An enormous cannon came online, pointed directly at him.
Scrap.
::. DOWN!.:: Kae barked with the voice of command over their comm.
Sentinel dropped to the floor. The shot flew over top of him.
There it was, the glorious feeling. Time slowed, making the motions of his combatant partner frankly exquisite as she leapjorked him, she landed on her hands, rolled and sprung up feet first.
He watched in awe as her pede cannons – that was the only thing he could call those modified boosters – landed squarely against the massive quintad's chest and face.
A second. She blasted those pede cannons just as her arms came up, further cannons firing at the cons behind him.
Dual forces, stabilized in the centre, just above him.
The corridor was rapidly clear, wreckage shoved to each end.
Kae dropped and was on her feet a second later, hauling him to his own.
"That, is so much fun," she stated cheerfully.
"Predators!" Sentinel snorted in mocking irritation. "This way."
Mikaela followed him calmly to the heart of the ship.
"Right, blow that, the ship goes down," Sentinel stated calmly, pointing to the main engine components responsible for keeping the massive ship aloft.
"Blast them, run out of here?" Kae asked calmly beside him.
"That was my thought," Sentinel nodded musingly.
"You want a head start?" Kae asked cheerfully, bringing her cannons online.
Sentinel laughed and began running back up the corridors, blasting the occasional con that got in his way.
The ship rocked with the massive explosion.
In seconds, Kae was running behind him, systems were blowing around them. The ship was going down. Sentinel called to his front memories the schematics for this style of warship and in moments they were running into the bright sunlight.
Fire was erupting around them.
Sentinel looked around in horror.
He'd forgotten just how scrapping fiery these things became in the right atmosphere.
Usually he rode them down to the ground.
"Jump!" Mikaela shouted beside him, dragging him to the edge of the wing.
"It's too high!" Sentinel roared.
"Trust me!" Mikaela shouted, dragging him off of the warship's stabilizer into the open air a few hundred units above the ground.
But Kae was folding beside him, a forcefield snapping around him and delicately guiding his hands toward her wings as they fell.
Oh. Right.
He caught hold of her wings, locking himself onto her back.
The second he was secure, she was blasting back into the air, swerving delicately around the falling debris.
::. So what's next on the activities list?.:: she asked cheerfully. Sentinel began roaring with laughter, no wonder Optimus had become so fond of this femme.
::. Let's take down a couple more warships and rendezvous with your mate.:: he sent back cheerfully.
::. Veteran's pick!.:: Mikaela informed him cheerfully, climbing above the warships.
Sentinel was frankly astonished that the fliers scrambling around the rapidly falling warship weren't immediately going after them.
::. Why aren't they converging on us?.:: he demanded, watching the scattered and terrified cons scrambling about in the air.
::. What? You thought you were the only one good at the usage of holoforms?.:: Kae asked cheerfully ::. The only thing that can track us is energonic signatures, and there are so many signatures in the air at the moment we're invisible. Literally. You can see us, they can't. Why do you think I'm so free to come and go at our headquarters when the humans don't know we're there?.::
Sentinel grinned down at the femme carrying him so casually through the air.
::. How do you feel about that primary carrier there?.:: he asked cheerfully. ::. It is a massive destroyer, a great deal of firepower. But they are rather difficult to get out of again...::
::. Blast shields?.:: Mikaela asked casually, circling toward it.
::. And heavy doors that slam shut on intruders.:: Sentinel nodded calmly.
::. It's hardly fair that the 'cons have it at their disposal, don't you think?.:: Mikaela asked mildly. Sentinel couldn't help but grin.
::. What say we go dispose of it?.:: he stated as the femme laughed.
Sentinel timed his drop better this time, casually landing on a sentry just as Kae landed on the other. They looked at each other seriously, and Kae fell in behind him.
An excellent quality in a warrior. The ability to joke about, but when it came down to the fighting, she was all business again.
They flanked the door, and nodded to each other.
Kae blasted the door open and Sentinel took point again, the two of them scything through the shocked and furious Decepticons in the corridors.
Blast doors began receding as they passed. Kae casually blasted their mechanisms, wedging them open.
Brilliant.
Except one flashed closed in front of them.
Scrap.
::. Watch out there.:: Mikaela stated cheerfully, she onlined a cannon as Sentinel scrambled out of the way. He looked in shock as she aimed for the side of the door.
::. You can't blast them!.:: he rumbled with a snort ::. They are built to keep us out!.::
::. A door is only as secure as it appears.:: Mikaela snorted. She blasted the wall.
It promptly crumpled into scrap metal. Four more shots.
Right around the door, she gave it a kick and it fell over, right onto a few cons. She turned and grinned at him.
::. Who's there?.:: she asked cheerfully.
And then the fight began. Sentinel was laughing as he took point, the two of them leaving a trail of wreckage behind themselves as they arrowed for the engine room.
The blast doors closed behind them and Mikaela shot the circuitry, locking them in.
"How did you know to shoot the wall?" Sentinel demanded with a laugh.
"Mico tends to scan things along with me," Mikaela laughed, gesturing to her optics. "I've had a continual stream of her readouts in front of my optics for the past three annum. Which was freaky as all hell when I was still human let me tell you."
Sentinel snorted in amusement.
"Right, that set of components there," he stated with a smirk. "We shall blast and run together, I do not want to risk you getting lost in here."
"That is so very kind of you, you want to take the engines and I'll get the door?" she asked cheerfully.
"An excellent idea young warrior," Sentinel stated cheerfully. He brought his cannons online and aimed. "One?"
"Two." Mikaela stated with a grin, aiming for the walls.
"Three!" they chorused, the ship rocked with the multitude of explosions.
Sentinel kicked the door beside Mikaela, it fell and they were running. Right, left, right, right. Sentinel was frankly astonished at how easily they were escaping.
::. Too easy.:: Mikaela growled softly ::. It means we need to watch our afts just that much more.::
Sentinel nodded in firm agreement.
And there it was, the cons knew their ship was going down, they were intending to bring them down with it.
Ambush.
::. Down!.:: Mikaela commanded again. Sentinel dropped and watched in awe as Mikaela levitated over him. She smirked and fired both arm and pede cannons again, throwing an extra burst of force behind it with a temporal forcefield.
Her front force blasted a hole straight through the ship's hull. Bright sunlight streamed in.
"Coming?" she called out gleefully, hauling him to his feet again. Sentinel took a half second to look around and laugh at the damage she'd accomplished. They were running to the bright sunlight hand in hand now, jumping from the hull.
Central hull.
A massive blast of plasma was streaking toward them.
"Oh! As IF!" Mikaela shouted.
Sentinel, falling beside her, watched in awe as her temporal forcefields snapped online, catching the ball of plasma and splintering it.
A rain of plasma struck the already crippled battle carrier.
Kae transformed and caught him on her wings. Automatically, Sentinel locked himself onto her frame, and three units from the hull, she blasted into the air again.
Even with her invisibility holoform in place, a flier using one of the human's flight forms streaked toward them.
Sentinel snarled and aimed for it, except-
::. Grandfather!.:: Mikaela called out cheerfully.
::. Wrecking battleships now are you granddaughter?.:: the Decepticon asked cheerfully.
Sentinel finally recognized him.
::. JETFIRE!?.::
::. Aye, it's been a long time since we've scrapped it up eh Sentinel?.:: Jetfire replied cheerfully. ::. I see you've met me granddaughter.::
::. How – what – how!?.:: Sentinel sputtered in spite of himself.
::. When she were a human, when 'er family was human, 'er paternal grandfather was me pilot.:: Jetfire stated cheerfully ::. A good man, a good flier for all that he was so vulnerable tae gravity. I have sworn tae follow 'is line t' the end o' days, and if that means servin' under tae Primes who spend more time making sure I'm in good shape...::
Jetfire trailed off cheerfully.
::. Three Primes now, I guess.:: he added with a grin ::. Who the scrap thought I'd be taking your orders!? We'd best rendezvous with me granddaughter's mate.::
::. Agreed.:: Sentinel snorted as Kae followed Jetfire to ground.
Jetfire transformed and casually landed, looking at him as Kae delicately dropped him at an easy landing height before landing herself.
Sentinel looked right back at him.
"Wha' d' yeh think," Jetfire stated finally, holding his arm out to Sentinel. "In the name o' the protection o' this planet, and th' rebirth o' Cybertron. Truce?"
"You always had my respect as a warrior," Sentinel smiled, threading his arm through Jetfire's. Neither of them pulled back remarkably hard, but the fact that Jetfire pulled back at all was quite flattering.
They both turned to see Mikaela smiling at them.
They both were several hundred vorn her senior, and yet she was the one smiling in a motherly, indulgent manner.
"Shall we?" she asked cheerfully, turning and striding down the street.
Jetfire and Sentinel shared a glance and shrugged, casually following the femme.
::. So you're father-mentor tae Optimus?.:: Jetfire asked finally.
::. And yet I betrayed him.:: Sentinel stated sadly.
::. Tae save Cybertron, tho'.:: Jetfire shrugged. Sentinel stared at the bot. ::. All th' while we were fightin' each other, I could nae stop feeling th' stupidity o' it.:: Jetfire stated quietly ::. Me brother Jetstorm was th' smarter, 'e's still in stasis... somewhere.::
::. Jetstorm?.:: Sentinel asked incredulously. ::. Your brother was Jetstorm?.::
::. We are.:: Jetfire nodded ::. I've yet tae ask Kae's aid in finding 'im, 'e'll make the bound Primes an excellent ally.::
::. He's on Cybertron, in stasis at Vector Sigma!.:: Sentinel replied, his optics wide ::. I put him in stasis myself!.::
Jetfire grinned at him.
"Optimus?" Mikaela's voice asked softly.
Sentinel looked up to see the most endearing of sights.
His young friend whipped around, staring at his mate. He began striding toward her, and in moments they were clinging to each other.
No frequency could hope to pick up the messages passed between their sparks, they simply held each other for a long moment. Optimus leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
"To work?" she asked mischievously.
Optimus snorted, straightening and turning to face the bots gathered around them. Sentinel couldn't help but smile as Mikaela gravitated to her mate's right, and his arm wound idly around her waist. That smile turned into a grin as Ironhide strode over to him.
"You made me beg, I don't beg," Ironhide snorted irritably.
"True, but at the same point, it is remarkably difficult to make one's holoform fire upon one's self, as you would far more likely do," Sentinel replied with a grin.
"Hmnph, true," Ironhide snorted. "I'm not even going to scold you for being sappy, youngling, one time deal, let's get to work!"
"Mikaela, do you have a report on their positions?" Optimus rumbled.
"No, Jetfire's will be more inclusive, I was focused more on blowing up warships and making sure Sentinel didn't fall off of my wings." she stated calmly.
Optimus nodded and turned to Jetfire.
"At th' moment there's a great deal o' talk o' fallin' back, Sentinel and Kae have terrified them with the tae primary ships goin' down already," Jetfire reported calmly. "Megatron is the only thing keeping them here now. The majority are one mile north of our position, Shockwave is in the ground with Driller. With your permission, I would like tae see how many of the fliers will still heed me words."
Sentinel watched worriedly as Mikaela straightened suddenly, a hand reaching up to touch her helm.
"Mikaela?" Optimus rumbled worriedly.
"Colonel Lennox reports that they are en route, four companies," she stated with a frown. She put her comm over her speakers.
"Colonel Lennox," Optimus rumbled with a small smile.
"PRIME! YOU'RE ALIVE!" the human shouted over her speakers.
"We are not so easily killed," Optimus rumbled with a snort. "However we are here, recommend you go back."
"Bull shit!" Jacob's voice shouted. "You might not be dead, but they still tried to kill you, this is our planet, and we ain't standin' by to watch!"
"As you wish," Optimus rumbled with a grin.
"Are you at least wearing the suits?" Ratchet called out irritably.
"Yeah we are!" Chance howled.
"Mikaela will rendezvous with you, provide escort in," Optimus rumbled quickly as Kae nodded. "She will activate the suits."
"I'll go with," Jetfire rumbled quickly.
"The rest of us will circle to the North," Optimus rumbled firmly, nodding to Jetfire. Sentinel couldn't help but grin, bouncing somewhat in anticipation.
He was in the same condition he had been a hundred vorn ago, this, was going to be a good fight.
Ironhide was snorting in amusement at him. They all looked at Optimus expectantly.
"Auto-bots, Roll out!" the young warrior commanded. Sentinel straightened with pride, Optimus had been his pupil. He could not be prouder of the young bot.
"Let's fly," Mikaela nodded to Jetfire, they both leaped into the air and transformed, around him, the unit transformed, tires squealing as they rolled out.
They were outnumbered. But the cons? Completely outmatched.
Sentinel stretched and folded into his own form, gladly following the Cybertronian Emperor into battle.