Chapter 175 - Spacers

(MnPOV)

Megatron was covered in Scalpel's repair drones and snarling. He could barely move. How. How had Soundwave managed this much damage to his frame was beyond him! Optimus had rarely managed this much damage! The Femme Prime had caught him by surprise, certainly, blasting him with cannons in her pedes. She was a Fighting Prime, that was certain and he himself had trained his 'brother' to fight.

But Soundwave!?

His spark-chamber was throbbing, the connectors feeding his spark twisted and crushed.

But he was alive, Megatron survived. Above all else, he survived.

"My Lord!" Shockwave shouted, transforming and falling on his faceplates in an attempt to get lower than his master. Megatron relaxed ever so slightly, not that he allowed it to show.

But Shockwave would be able to watch his back while he was low at least.

"Your slagging of Soundwave was a failure, Shockwave," Megatron growled softly.

"I do not Understand My Lord!" Shockwave shouted into the ground. Megatron rolled his optics slightly, but let his minion stay there. "He should have had no memory of defecting, I removed his loyalty circuitry!"

"I want that traitor hunted down and offlined," Megatron snarled. "Your first slagging of him was a failure as well, Shockwave, he is still an empath."

Shockwave's face and torso fairly levitated from the ground, a stunned, terrified look on the scientist's faceplates. But then, then came the cagey look in the mech's optic.

"Shockwave," Megatron growled softly.

"Soundwave will be offline soon..." Shockwave began, and trailed off. That cagey look in his optic reminded Megatron of Starscream when his pathetic little Second in command was hiding his actions.

"Shockwave."

"I... made certain of his inability to escape, My Lord, his energon lines were connected in a manner that will cause them to breach the second he transformed..."

Megatron smiled, allowing his relaxation to visibly show now. So he didn't even have to hunt down his traitorous sixth.

"You will be disciplined for that, Shockwave, lightly, of course," he growled contentedly. "See to the perimeter, and prepare for the battle ahead."

(MPOV)

"Well then Granddaughter, it seems I ha' an orn tae teach ye how tae be a spacer," Jetfire grinned at me.

I turned and looked at him in surprise.

"Spacer?"

"We're going to need the presence of an Auto-bot Prime to make it an Auto-bot victory," Starscream stated musingly. On the berth, Soundwave was smiling, relaxed and watching us. "Not that you're going to be fighting with us of course, youngling."

I shot a wry glance and Starscream.

"There isn't a flier or bot out there that isn't going to start calling me youngling, is there," I snorted.

"It happens when you aren't so much as a vorn old," Skywarp snorted gleefully.

"You're baiting me to see how long it takes before you have to warp your trine out of my hands, aren't you?" I demanded of the mech. I didn't let them see my smirk though.

"Little bit. If you aren't Megatron in disguise-"

"We'd already be slagged," Thundercracker finished with a chuckle.

"Very well, let's get started then," I shrugged patiently, turning to look at my grandfather again.

"Already? Ye jus' gave half o' yer energon away granddaughter!" Jetfire frowned at me.

Dead silence.

"Lady Prime-"

"Quit calling me that Soundwave, you're my advisor-primary, and my advisor-primary calls me Kae."

"Lady High Protectorate did not just heal Soundwave with own energon!" Soundwave sounded absolutely shocked, I turned to look at him curiously.

"She did, and now you have a sister, Soundwave," Starscream informed the mech cheerfully.

"Is that what that does?" I asked curiously.

"Energon siblin's? Y' have blood-brothers on earth," Jetfire snorted. I smiled at my grandfather.

"You know that blood-brothers are a ceremonial title, it doesn't make the two who shed blood together actual genetic siblings."

"Ah know, but it's th' same wi' yer energon granddaughter."

I pursed my lip plates and nodded thoughtfully for a second.

"Stop calling me Lady Prime, or Lady High Protector," I shot at Soundwave with a small smirk. "If your customs have now made us siblings then you'd better get used to being informal."

Silence. Soundwave was staring at me.

"As my sister wishes," he murmured formally, nodding to me. I rolled my optics at him then frowned.

"How well is the ambush going to work if Megatron comes to the conclusion that Soundwave has given up the ghost?" I asked worriedly.

"Not quite as well," Starscream nodded, his frown suddenly matching my own.

"Solution: Soundwave offline-"

"I'm not killing you just so we can get the jump on the Decepticon forces," I snapped half-sparkedly at him. "I just finished saving you for Primus sake."

Soundwave snorted, looked at me and began laughing. Not a full belly-laugh by any stretch of the imagination, more a soft, dry chuckle.

But coming from him it may as well have been.

The lot of us stared at him.

"Soundwave: return to Prime's rendezvous co-ordinates, transmit offline signal."

"That would work," Skywarp murmured in a musing tone.

"That would work quite well," Thundercracker added.

"The Auto-bots are infamous for never leaving their dead behind, Megatron would want Soundwave's body, but that certainly doesn't mean he would fully expect to find the husk," Starscream stated patiently. "The sooner the better."

I nodded and looked at my Grandfather.

"If I may?" I asked politely.

"If you may what? Yer me superior, granddaughter, act like it!"

I raised my face to the ceiling for a moment before heaving a sigh.

"You're older than me, and my Grandfather, family trumps titles, anyway, Starscream, would you and your trine kindly escort Soundwave and myself back to the rendezvous co-ordinates?" I asked patiently, looking at the command trine again.

"Or we can simply escort Soundwave alone," Thundercracker snorted.

"You should not be flying until your energon reserves are replenished youngling," Starscream informed me firmly. "You should not be flying period, our own Seekerlets are not allowed their armour and wings until their second vorn of age. Warp and Cracker can easily carry him."

I rolled my optics at them and did a full systems scan, striding to the cupboards and pulling out a couple of cubes of lubricants. Those got chugged immediately. Another scan and I liquified one of my spare energon cells. Energon replenished.

"Right, that's that, let's roll," I smirked at the mechs staring at me in shock.

"How-"

"I'm talented like that," I grinned at Starscream. "Come on then, let's go confirm your death," I told Soundwave cheerfully. Soundwave promptly stood up and strode past the lot of us.

I cycled my optics and stared after my advisor.

"Archangel: Coming?"

I rolled my optics and followed my advisor-primary, scanning him as I caught up and shaking my helm.

"You shouldn't be walking yet, you know that right?"

"Soundwave: forced to function in far worse conditions. Femme Prime repair work: excellent." He turned and shot an amused glance at me before launching himself back into the atmosphere and transforming. I rolled my optics and followed, scanning him again to make sure he hadn't ruptured his lines again.

::. Little-sister: worry wort.:: Soundwave sent to me cheerfully.

::. You expect any less?.:: I sent back in a mockingly hurt tone.

::. Soundwave: Expects Femme Prime to behave as Prime.::

::. Not. Happening.:: I sent back irritably.

::. Give her a few vorn to start behaving properly, she's young.:: Skywarp stated airily behind me.

I made my engines backfire in his general direction for that.

::. Aaaww, isn't she adorable? You have an adorable little-sister Soundwave!.:: Starscream sent in a teasing tone.

::. Soundwave adorable sister: already bonded to grounder Prime.:: Soundwave sent airily. ::. Starscream: can't have Soundwave sister.::

::. Aaaww, she's gonna need a flier trine if she's gonna be a seeker.:: Thundercracker snorted.

::. Our rendezvous point is right along here.:: I sent with a wry tone, and started with surprise as Soundwave dipped in the air, I followed and scanned him again as he gracefully landed approximately where he would have crashed.

"Offline signal: more believable when transmitted from ground," Soundwave informed me patiently, even as the command trine gracefully circled in the air.

I felt a pang of sadness when I registered the signal though, Soundwave was staring at me incredulously.

"Soundwave: Not offline. Femme Prime: grieve continued life?" he asked curiously.

"I don't like feeling offline signals," I muttered somewhat irritably.

Soundwave chuckled again, reaching out and lightly patting the top of my helm.

"Little-sister: adorable." he informed me again. Just because I could, I stuck my glossa out at him.

(JePOV)

Jetfire stood in his favourite place, waiting.

His granddaughter and her advisor-primary would be rousing soon from their stasis naps.

Today, he would begin his granddaughter's training as a Seeker. Already, she flew gracefully through the skies of this planet, but now she would learn to leave atmosphere behind and enter the challenge of flying through the black voids of space.

To say he was excited was an understatement, his granddaughter was already a natural in the skies, and today, he and his second in command would resolve their quiet wager.

How well she would take to space, because that was an entirely different cube of energon.

Soundwave strode toward him finally, two fliers flanking him with intent of escorting the communications officer back to the primary auto-bot base of operations.

Jetfire grinned, because if Soundwave was awake, Archangel was already online and getting her armour updated by the command trine.

Not that there was much to change, of course. But there were a few modifications to her engines and frame necessary for her to navigate the vacuum of space properly.

"I had a few cubes o' high-grade stashed away tae thank you with, yeh know," Jetfire began amiably watching the communications officer stretching in the warm sunlight.

"Inquiry: why?"

"Yeh let me beat you, long afore I ha' ma wings," Jetfire informed the mech patiently.

Soundwave paused for a moment and stared at him.

"Jetfire: twin of Jetstorm."

"Aye."

"Soundwave: grateful to see seekerlet survived and grown." Soundwave informed him with a nod. Jetfire grinned at the old mech.

"S'nice tae be on th' same side as you agin," Jetfire stated comfortably, nodding to the fliers now lounging in the sunshine. "I had tae drink them high-grades, tryin' tae survive on this rock, but I'll be findin' some more for yeh right soon."

"Payment: unnecessary. Seeing seekerlet having survived: payment in full." Soundwave stated patiently.

"Gonna get you overcharged anyway," Jetfire smirked at the bot. Soundwave graced him then, with that soft, dry chuckle of his.

"Soundwave: looking forward to reminiscing," the mech murmured softly. Archangel chose that moment to emerge with the command trine, smiling around herself. "Soundwave: return to auto-bot primary headquarters."

"Fly safe, Big-brother," Archangel smiled at her advisor-primary. Soundwave chuckled softly and turned.

"Little-sister remember: if lost use spark-draw of mate. Secondary: location of Advisor-primary."

"That's cheating," Starscream stated cheerfully, lightly batting at Soundwave. Jetfire laughed as the oldest surviving mech caught the seeker's wrist before the claws could even reach his paint-job.

"Starscream: still trying to scratch Soundwave paint-job." Soundwave chuckled softly.

"I'll catch you eventually," Starscream grumbled softly. But he was still smirking.

"Doubtful. Little-Sister also note: distance will cause spark-ache. Suggestion: ease by use of direct communications with mate."

Jetfire hadn't even thought of that.

"How far have you gotten from Optimus, granddaughter?" he rumbled with a frown.

"Other side of the planet..." Kae murmured softly, glancing down and away.

"They haven't been bonded for more than a few orn," Starscream frowned. "She isn't even a vorn old yet..."

"We're going to have to be careful about taking her too far out into the solar system," Skywarp stated seriously.

"Too far out and we might have to ferry her right back to her mate," Thundercracker added in counterpart.

"First rule of your training then, youngling. You are to remain absolutely truthful, if the pain in your spark from the separation from your mate starts getting unbearable you are to inform us immediately," Starscream informed the femme firmly. "We three are capable of bringing you back home again, but your bond is still at the stage of being easily damaged by the separation. Your frame is still new enough that you risk being damaged."

Jetfire watched his granddaughter proudly as she nodded seriously with each piece of information imparted to her.

"Suggestion: solidify full sibling-bond before Femme Prime departs." Soundwave stated suddenly.

Jetfire nodded musingly, the extra bond would strengthen her against the separation.

"What's that?" Kae asked curiously.

"It's a minor spark-bond," Starscream informed the femme gently. "Essentially, it's the spark-deep bond that allows the recognition of siblings, like the grand-creator bond you have with Jetfire."

"Grand-creator bond?"

"Creators bond with their sparkings, both the sparkings they create, and the sparkings they adopt," Starscream smiled at the femme. "So do their grand-creators, although generally it's unnecessary, the bond is extended from the creator's bond. I had assumed you had already extended the grand-creations' bond."

"One does not impose upon a Prime to formalize an assumed creations bond," Jetfire stated airily. But inwardly he was smirking. It was true, his granddaughter simply hadn't known of the bonds.

Soundwave was chuckling again, Jetfire looked at the older mech curiously.

"Grand-creator: kept high-grade for Soundwave?" the mech chuckled. Jetfire snorted and fell over, laughing his aft off.

"Granddaughter you have bizarre taste in family bonds." he rumbled gleefully, looking up at the femme looking down at him curiously. "Your old grandfather is still younger than your Big-brother."

Archangel promptly crossed her optics and shook her helm somewhat.

"That doesn't count, Soundwave is an eternal," Starscream snorted.

"Negative." Soundwave stated patiently.

"You are too, you haven't aged a day from the day I first saw you as a youngling," Thundercracker grinned at him.

"Secret: high maintenance protocols." Soundwave stated in a mildly exasperated tone.

"Soundwave is high maintenance," Skywarp grinned, the fliers patiently flanking Soundwave chuckled softly.

"Soundwave: Still kick smart-afted command trine's afts."

"No doubt." Starscream snorted.

"No doubt at all." Skywarp continued.

"Don't you love us anymore Soundwave?" Thundercracker finished with a small pout.

"Wow, don't see that very often," Thrust piped up with a snort beside Soundwave.

"Don't see what?" Kae asked curiously.

"Entirety of Command Trine speaking as one," Soundwave informed his mistress patiently. "Result: off topic. Suggestion: formalize familial bonds before attending seeker training. Reason: Help strengthen bond to mate. Secondary Reason: familial bonds used in emergency situation to stabilize spark trauma."

"It's an excellent idea, if you're up to it granddaughter." Jetfire added patiently, smiling at the antics of the bots around him.

"How?" the femme asked curiously, looking around herself.

In answer, Soundwave cracked his chest-plates open, offering a tiny tendril of his spark to the femme. She copied him, and Jetfire chuckled to see the surprise in her optics as the passive bond of sibling-hood connected between the two.

Soundwave pulled back, his visor dimmed somewhat as he obviously sent a message along their new bond.

(MPOV)

"How?" I asked curiously, looking at the bots around me. Mico's presence was quiet today, amused, but quiet. She wasn't warning me away from anything, at any rate.

In front of me, Soundwave opened his chest-plates somewhat, reaching toward me with a tendril of his spark. I copied him, and felt the strangely familiar spark lightly touch mine. There was no splitting of sparks involved this time, more a frequency exchange. Soundwave withdrew and I stood in surprise.

~It allows us to know each other's status~ Soundwave's voice whispered. ~And if you are in trouble, sparking-sister, I can find you~

I smiled at my brother advisor, and looked to my grandfather, already stepping forward with his chest-plates shifting open. Another spark-tendril touched mine, and I could hear my grandfather, feel the vague sense of his pride that I called him grandfather.

It was a fascinating sensation, a far more passive bond compared to the all-encompassing bond I had with my Optimus.

"Now then granddaughter, let's get trainin'!" my grandfather grinned at me. The command trine were immediately bouncing with anticipation.

I couldn't help but look at Starscream in amusement for that.

"It has been far too long since we've spaced together," the dominant of the trine shrugged casually. Then he grinned. "Gonna have some fun with you little femme."

I raised a brow ridge at him.

"Not that fun," Thundercracker snorted.

"You'll see when we get up there," Skywarp grinned. "Now can we go!?"

Soundwave chuckled and reached out, lightly patting my cheek.

"Fly safe sister," he murmured before taking a couple of running steps and jumping off of the monolith. In seconds he disappeared.

"That's cheating," Thrust stated patiently.

"Be off wi' ye," Jetfire snorted. Thrust nodded and with the second flier by his side, leaped into the air and followed after the ghost-ping Soundwave sent. "Come along then granddaughter," he grinned at me, idly diving off of the monolith and transforming.

I chuckled and followed, Starscream and his trine close behind me.

::. Now then granddaughter.:: Jetfire stated cheerfully, bringing his air-speed up somewhat and coasting on the thermals. ::. The first skill yer gonna need as a spacer is exitin' th' atmosphere.::

::. Best trick to do it as a primary atmospheric flier is to just get up a scrap load of speed on the horizontal and sling-shot yourself up there.:: Thundercracker put in gleefully. ::. Like this!.::

I watched in fascination as he shot ahead of us, spun a couple of barrel rolls and shot upward. The fire of his engines changed then, from the near-invisible yellow-white blaze of earthen fuels to the electric blue of energon.

::. When you feel your engines losing efficiency with the air-push, that's when you switch over to the spacer-charge.:: Starscream informed me patiently before launching himself after Thundercracker.

I watched as he didn't bother with the rolls, simply launching himself up and out of the atmosphere.

::. You next there Skywarp.:: my Grandfather rumbled patiently, coasting behind me.

In an instant Skywarp was racing past, his engines cut out and he flipped in the air. I watched in horror as he lost altitude, spinning headfirst in the air until his nose was facing precisely into space.

Then he just disappeared.

::. Sorry, never got the hang of simply flying out of the atmosphere.:: the bot snorted.

::. Showoff.:: Starscream's voice murmured fondly.

::. Now you granddaughter.:: Jetfire rumbled patiently. I nodded and launched myself forward, intent on following Starscream's example and simply launching myself.

Airspeed check. I tipped my nose up and launched myself toward the stars, a few precious seconds and my engines began strangling somewhat, then cut out altogether. Too late, I tried the spacer charge and continued falling back into the atmosphere.

::. Air-pusher engines granddaughter.:: Jetfire barked out. I switched my engines and fired them up again, bringing myself back up to the coasting altitude and snarling my irritation with myself.

::. What are you snarling at?.:: Thundercracker asked curiously.

::. I didn't do it!.:: I growled.

The comm was promptly filled with the chirping laughter of the fliers.

::. Nobody gets out of the atmosphere first try!.:: Thundercracker informed me cheerfully. I watched in shock as he re-entered the atmosphere again and came to coast at my wingtip. ::. Three thousand and seven.:: he added.

::. Three thousand seven?.:: I asked curiously in spite of myself.

::. He counts every entry into a planet's atmospheric pull.:: Skywarp informed me cheerfully.

::. Now this time.:: Thundercracker stated cheerfully ::. Roll like I do, it screws up your altimeter and stops you from relying on the altitude measurements. Go by the feel, the second your engines loose air-pusher efficiency switch to your spacer charges, like this.::

He launched himself well ahead of me again, pulled a couple of barrel rolls and tipped up, launching himself out of the atmosphere again. Once again, I watched as his engines switched with practiced ease from air-pusher to spacer charge.

Three thousand and seven entries into an atmosphere. He made it look easy, because he was vastly more experienced. Keeping that firmly in my processors I launched myself into my top air-speed, determined to copy him. Two barrel rolls and the only thing I could determine was the gravitational pull denoting 'down'. I launched away from it and felt my engines losing their efficiency. Spacer charge. In front of my optics, the last of the blue reflection off of the atmosphere disappeared, the heavens opened and the vast black expanse of space danced before me.

I was in space.

::. I'm in SPACE!.:: I shouted gleefully, directing my frame to compress somewhat, blockier, but better suited for the extreme temperatures.

I could feel my mate's amusement at my exhilaration of space travel.

~Please be careful?~ his spark whispered to mine.

~Always my mate~ I sent gently, smiling as the love in his spark triggered my own.

::. Second try too!.:: Skywarp stated cheerfully. ::. You're gonna lose the bet Screamer.::

::. What were you betting?.:: I asked cheerfully.

::. Naturals in atmospheric flying aren't usually natural spacers.:: Starscream stated flatly. ::. And you still have to master navigating in space.::

I looked around and got my bearings from the earth, then froze.

How the slag was I supposed to take my bearings without my home planet in sight!?

::. Well she isn't panicking yet.:: Thundercracker announced cheerfully.

::. How do I navigate?.:: I asked with a frown. ::. What do you guys use for points of reference?.::

::. We don't.:: Starscream stated patiently. ::. You follow your spark.::

::. My spark says go back to my mate.:: I frowned, feeling the gentle tug of my mate. The inherent direction of that pull.

::. Which you're gonna have to ignore to become a seeker.:: Skywarp stated patiently. I nodded and began looking through my systems, learning the inherent navigational tools required to control my vectors in space.

::. Let's get started.:: Jetfire announced, changing direction and beginning to fly toward the moon. I followed quickly, doing my best to ignore the tug of my mate as I ghosted behind my grandfather.

Learning to fly through space.