Chapter 183 – Grounders and Fliers
(MPOV)
::. You will die slowly, Sablade, by my hand and you will be next Starscream!.:: Megatron's voice snarled. ::. Decepticons! Take out this paltry resistance and focus the destroyers on Earth!.::
::. Oh I had so been hoping you would say that.:: Starscream stated cheerfully as Sablade's fliers got into formation. Or they seemed to, anyway.
I watched curiously as Sablade's fifty odd fliers surrounded the other clans rather than joining the flat plane with the rest.
::. Wait for it...:: Starscream's voice muttered with a frown as the destroyers began releasing the single-bot ships, the fighters in question beginning to fly toward the flier positions.
::. Starscream, our unit alone will massacre the initial fliers-.:: Sablade began.
::. Which will cause Megatron to commit the rest of his forces, the way he always does.:: Starscream snorted softly. ::. Wait for it... Launch!.::
The single word and Sablade's clan warriors streaked away again, the lines of their vectors a perfect orb through space, herding the grounder minded fliers into a tight pack.
::. Last chance.:: Starscream purred over the open comm link.
::. Attack!.:: an unnamed voice shrieked. One shot was let off, directly toward Sablade.
It was the only shot the fighters got off. I watched in sick fascination as Sablade's clan systematically crushed the bulky fighter spacecraft into the centre, any fighter with his weapons online destroyed in a matter of moments.
Not one remained.
Then, the mistake we had been waiting for.
::. Decepticons! Destroy them!.:: Megatron began howling on the comm.
Every fighter, every ship began sluggishly turning toward the fliers.
::. Wait for it.:: Starscream muttered again, then, at the point that Air Commander Starscream decided on, slightly more than half the former distance between Decepticons and flier positions the command was rapped out.
::. Aerial Bots! Launch!.::
Half went down, half went up.
The panic was palpable, oozing along the lines of communications as a dozen fliers became a hundred. There was no time to retreat, no time to run, barely any time to get weapons online.
Horror tore through me as every last Decepticon, every ship, every spark that heeded the command of former Lord High Protectorate Megatron was systematically destroyed.
The fliers had chosen their ground... space. Chosen their battlefield. Backed by the asteroid belt, not one made it through the lines, made it to the relative safety of stellar dust to hide behind.
Screaming.
Over every frequency Soundwave had indicated to me, Decepticons were screaming, some dying, many in pain, many more begging forgiveness, both from the fliers and Primus himself.
It didn't take long, and a part of me was surprised by it. The history books had always impressed on me the long, protracted battles. Months, years spent in foxholes. Days uncounted of continuous shellfire.
But it was an eternity that crossed four hours.
In two hours, fliers had begun bringing the wounded to me, and under guard I tended them in zero gravity, using levitation fields for tractor beams to keep both my patient and myself on an even level.
At the end of four hours the fliers were pushing piles of wreckage together, scanning for spark signatures and pulling the occasional bot or drone from the ships.
::. Prime! These belong to you!.:: Thrust announced cheerfully. I looked up and started in surprise as some nine bots bearing the Auto-bot insignia about their armour were carefully pushed toward me.
At a loss, I signalled them on the Primary, and felt a surge of relief in my spark as they answered without having to search for the correct channel.
::. The Fliers have announced you as Prime. I do not register your insignias.:: a deep, masculine voice announced. I looked at the origination of that voice and registered a bot almost as large as my Optimus. ::. My spark... my spark names you the Lady High Protector!.::
::. I am she.:: I stated patiently.
In a moment, nine bots were covering their faceplates, bowing to me in space.
Which was weird, beyond weird. Bowing over in zero gravity seemed to involve more of a bringing up of legs than lowering of torso.
::. Uhh...:: I muttered. ::. Thrust?.::
::. Yes My Lady?.::
::. Why are they covering their faces?.::
::. Megatron made that one of his favourite manners of having bots genuflect to him.:: Thrust stated with a mild tone of distaste.
::. Okay, and how do I get bots to quit doing it? I'm not-.::
::. Technically, you're a thousand times more divine than Megatron could ever hope to be.:: Starscream snorted, idly manoeuvring himself to float beside me. ::. I can't help but agree though, it's better to see the faces of your friends and enemies...::
::. I beg forgiveness.:: the masculine voice stated, straightening quickly and raising his face to meet my optics.
::. Don't do that either, you haven't done anything wrong.:: I stated patiently. ::. May I know your designations?.::
The rest of the bots promptly began staring at me, and at their leader as the bot smiled.
::. I am Ultra Magnus.::
(SePOV)
Sentinel paced along the runways of NASA's launching grounds. The Ark was in her final stretch of retrofits, and Ratchet had pulled the rather severe dent he'd received from Turbine back out of his armour.
Blasted engineer.
Sentinel released a slow gust of air from his outtakes and rolled his optics.
Only the true friends of a Prime could get away with denting his armour.
Already, the Ark's engines were powering up, a breathtakingly beautiful blue glow emitted from her exhaust manifolds. The deep, purring, roaring vibrations as her engines came alive after vorns of inactivity.
Non-sentient. But no less alive.
She was beautiful.
Three Destroyers hovered nonchalantly over NASA's launch pads, there was no secret now, no need to hide. One of those Destroyers was bound to return to Cybertron, hiding as a returned Decepticon ship she would go to Iacon, and the wreckers would regain the capitol.
They would be home. Soon.
Sentinel still had twenty orn left of his community service facade, twenty orn of seminars and he would be returning to his beloved Cybertron.
"Sentinel!" Optimus called behind him. Sentinel turned and looked musingly at his young friend.
Optimus was striding upright, the weight of the worlds still rested upon his shoulders, but still his shoulders were straight, his helm held high and proud.
"Optimus," Sentinel rumbled with a nod, turning again to watch the beauty of his Ark as she came alive under the wrecker's skilled minstrations.
"Reminiscing, old friend?"
"No, simply enjoying the moment, enjoying the freedom for which we are allowed to dream," Sentinel replied contentedly.
Optimus smiled beside him, somewhat.
::. You worry for your mate.:: Sentinel murmured gently.
Optimus just shot a small, confirming glance at him.
"SENTINEL!"
Sentinel winced. He couldn't help it.
"What did you do this time?" Optimus murmured.
"I don't know," Sentinel muttered. "However I know I will soon." he raised his voice somewhat. "Turbine."
"What ha' I tol' yah about crossing them blasted pillars of yours with the main engine feeds!? Are ya' tryin' tae blow me girl up again!?"
"Oh. That." Sentinel rumbled patiently. "Turbine, I did not wire my pillars into the main engine feeds and if they are wired with the main engine feeds-"
"Somebody's tryin' tae blow me lady up again!" Turbine howled, spinning and marching agitatedly back toward the Ark again. "Wreckers! Security alert! I want every nut bolt and wire re-inspected again!"
Optimus looked over worriedly.
"Lieutenant Jazz was kind enough to wire in what appears to be one of my pillars, I wanted to ensure that Turbine could find somebot else to be irritable at." Sentinel muttered guiltily.
"How did you manage to convince my lieutenant to do that?" Optimus muttered, Sentinel found himself amused at how well his young friend was doing at keeping his faceplates straight.
"I coached it along the lines of practice," Sentinel informed his young friend cheerfully.
Optimus buried his face in his servo, and Sentinel lightly flicked his helm, reminiscent of the sheer number of times he'd cuffed his pupil lightly for not acting the part of a Prime.
A true smile touched his faceplates as Optimus shot that same, mildly irritated 'yes you are correct but I don't have to like it' glare he had as a youngling.
Sentinel turned back to watch the progress of the Ark's engines as the first test fire wound down.
But not in time to watch Optimus Prime's optics dim slightly, the mech nodding musingly at whatever information the spark of his mate had updated him with.
"Anything good?" Sentinel murmured.
"Several more allies," Optimus replied patiently. "It would be unprimely, however, for me to allow my true emotions as to the identities of those Allies to show."
Sentinel turned around and glared at the smugly airy-face-plated mech looking back at him.
"You are going to miss her first take-off," Optimus informed him patiently.
Sentinel rolled his optics and turned back again, just in time to watch as the Ark slowly, gracefully rose forty feet in the air and began performing systems checks.
With the same grace and efficiency she had in her maiden voyage, the wrecker manned gun turret circled the ship; following every axis that would ever need to be covered when under attack.
Slowly, for motion was always more difficult in the slower speeds, the Ark spun a full 360 degrees in the air. Then again anti-clockwise. She tipped and swirled in the practiced motions of Throttle, Acting Helmsman of the Ark.
Finally, she set down again.
::. We've got a minor hesitation in her fourth torsional control!.:: was bellowed.
In a matter of minutes, the Ark was the centre of the swarm again.
Because if what a wrecker built wasn't perfect, the were going to keep doing it until it was.
(OPOV)
Optimus strode wearily down the corridors of the Human NEST base. His Kae had not yet returned from space, his spark missed having it's mate so close.
"You okay up there big guy?" Jacobs' voice called out.
"I am, thank you," Optimus rumbled with a small smile, glancing around and spotting the enormous african as he strode down the corridors.
"How's Kae?" the man asked gently.
Optimus sagged somewhat, he didn't know.
"Kae has blocked her signal," he rumbled quietly.
~Optimus~ her voice whispered gently.
~Kae?~ he murmured worriedly.
~I'm alright, my love, we're coming home~ her voice whispered.
Instantly, Optimus smiled.
"Kae reports that she and the fliers are on their way home," he stated aloud and over the Primary.
"Well good," Jacobs grinned, turning and striding toward his duties.
Immediately, Optimus strode to communications and nodded to Lena as she grinned, playing with the computers with one processor and monitoring the frequencies on the other.
"I don't understand why you guys don't use mates as relays, Kae's still out of range," Lena stated with a grin.
"Separation is not easy," Optimus rumbled patiently. Mildly surprised.
"Oh I know that bit, but he's right here!" Lena stated cheerfully, looking down at her chest bemusedly. "I know where my mate is!"
Optimus chuckled softly, turning to the human's catwalks and nodding to the techs on duty.
"Bringing up General Moreshower!" Jerry called out patiently.
"Optimus," Chris stated cheerfully.
"Chris, our fliers are coming home," Optimus rumbled patiently.
"Got an eta? The scientists want to watch them re-enter."
"There will be just enough time for your scientists to watch the entry of nine ground landings," Optimus rumbled with a snort.
"Prisoners?"
"Allies," Optimus rumbled patiently.
"Who?"
"I do not know."
"Let's try why?"
"My Kae wishes to surprise us with their identities, without doubt they are true allies." Optimus rumbled with a low chuckle.
(BPOV)
::. All-call, all Auto-bots to the central, please.:: Optimus called out over the Primary.
::. Bumblebee responding: I'm on my way!.:: he chirped cheerfully. In a moment he'd spun a donut on the highway, hopped the fences and landed on the opposite side, well away from the human drivers, of course.
Only Decepticons timed their landings to cause accidents.
A secondary processor idly flipped through the radio stations, Bee grinned as he hit the blues station, he logged it, a personal note to show it to Jazz.
Nothing bad happening, he decided on a bit of driving music and grinned, cranking his speakers to the max and giggling as the bass vibrated down to his tires and had him fairly hovering over the ground.
"Gangsta! Gangsta! So Gangsta!"
Bee couldn't help it, he was driving, but he wanted to dance. He onlined his holoform to do it instead, the form gesturing with one hand.
It was too much fun. As he drove down the ramps into NEST headquarters the song boomed out of his speakers.
"Gangsta, got my diamond earrings, gangsta, gonna turn you on, so Gangsta, I preserve my sexy, and I'm gonna beat it up if you let me. Gangsta, Diamonds all up on me, Gangsta, gonna turn you on, So gangsta, I preserve my sexy and I'm packing heat so don't disrespect me. I'm just so damn glossy, And I know what you like, There ain't no gangsta's like me I'ma give it to ya every time! Hold up, and let me lace up the tim's I'm only twenty-six but so is the rims-"
Sunstreaker was looking down at him askance, Bee grinned and offlined his holoform, switching songs and transforming.
"We don't apologize, and that's just the way it is, but we can harmonize, even if we sound like shiit-"
Sideswipe was howling with laughter, Jazz was grinning over at him and tapping his foot to the music, the way he always did. Bee cut the music and pointed to the central.
"Yeah we'ah going in, just waitin' fo' ya' Bee," Jazz grinned, shoving himself off of the wall and striding toward the central.
Bee grinned, then straightened his faceplates somewhat, the Primes were already in the central, Optimus was relaxed, and Sentinel sitting ramrod straight as he always did.
"Auto-bots," Optimus rumbled patiently, nodding to the bots on base all crowded around the walls. "The fliers will be returning to earth in eight hours, there are nine Auto-bot allies among them landing in formation off the coast."
"Who?" Jazz immediately asked.
"Kae wishes to surprise us as to their identity," Sentinel rasped out, crossing his arms somewhat.
"In the meantime, we have been requested to make a sweep of the country to attempt to draw out the remaining Decepticons on earth-"
"I'm taking Soundwave!" Bumblebee announced cheerfully.
"Inquiry: Where?"
"Dunno yet!"
Across the central, Bumblebee grinned as Soundwave turned to look at him curiously. All of the bots were.
"If you do not know where you are going – We have had this argument before, haven't we?" Optimus' voice rumbled with a low snort.
"I got me some scoutin' to do!" Bumblebee grinned, already, he was homed in on the thread stretching from Soundwave's spark. Scouting for Decepticons was an excellent reason to follow that spark-thread.
Soundwave remained frozen for a moment before looking at Optimus.
"It is of course, your choice Soundwave." Optimus chuckled. "At any rate, Jazz, Prowl, Sentinel and whomever else wishes to join us shall meet the newest arrivals. Bee has already designated himself scout-"
"Again," Sunstreaker murmured with a snort.
"-however more scanners will be needed, as I have little doubt that Bumblebee's scouting will be in a relatively straight line?" Optimus looked at him with amusement in his optics.
"Mostly..." Bumblebee muttered, glaring at the north-west direction of the thread.
Soundwave finally seemed to clue in to that.
"Soundwave: Accompany Bee-bot." The monotone voice announced.
Bee grinned.
"Very well, any others?" Optimus asked in amusement, looking around.
"ROAD TRIP!" Mudflap shouted.
"Road trip with a purpose, there are fliers to be attended to," Ratchet grumped immediately, glaring at the twins.
"What!?" Skids asked incredulously.
"Where?" Mudflap demanded.
"Nevada Aerial-bot Base." Ratchet grumped. "Cleanup of the minor casualties."
The twins eyed each other for a long moment and nodded to each other.
"ROAD TRIP!" they chorused gleefully.
"Before everyone is dismissed. This is the last call for Bumblebee's 'New human on Base' pool," Sentinel rumbled then.
Bee chirped as Soundwave looked around himself impassively.
"New humans on base: twenty recruits:" he began listing off the men's names patiently.
"Soundwave!" Ironhide rumbled. "Re-naming pool: Soundwave's human pool."
Soundwave promptly stared around himself.
"Soundwave: knows."
::. Wanna give me a hint? I haven't got the bet in yet...:: Ironhide's voice rumbled across a private channel.
"No cheating!" Bumblebee chirped irritably, glaring at Ironhide.
Soundwave chuckled and turned, striding from the central and leaving bots shaking heads in confusion. Bumblebee promptly passed the lists onto Prime. The standard way to keep anyone from cheating? Make Prime handle the bets. Even when he lost he admitted it.
Mostly.
Optimus hadn't bet anything anyway. He was too busy waiting for Kae to get home.
"Auto-bots, Roll out!" Optimus called out and Bee was rolling, streaking after Soundwave as the mech glanced at him and transformed into the flier that was his more comfortable form.
::. Soundwave: Initiating-.::
::. Scout can't see his own thread.:: Bumblebee interjected with a snort.
::. Soundwave: observe if Bee-bot have thread?.::
Bumblebee snorted and grinned, he didn't have a thread, he'd see it if he did.
A/N: see that? That's a glitch right there XD. Scout-glitch! Songs for today are Gangsta Sexy and Apologize, both by Hollywood Undead