Dear readers: No, I haven't forgotten about you, but as I am certain that all of you have found at one time or another, the suck of life (work, school, work again then take care of one's household, the time for hobbies has been short.
With that pathetic excuse alone, and my apologies as I am Canadian and apologize for most things, here is a chapter, because it's finally ready
~K
Chapter 195 - Launch
(MPOV)
"Kae we gotta help them!" Lena finished finally. I vented a sigh and settled my jaw onto one hand. Lena had been ranting at me for the past twenty minutes, seemingly not noticing that I had been nodding agreement for the past fifteen.
"Have you asked Bumblebee?" I asked her patiently. Lena blinked and looked at Bee.
"You know I'm bound to Optimus' unit, right?" he murmured softly.
"So you will not help us," Slashfyre stated in a cold tone.
"We should have known better than to listen to grounders," Stormchaser growled. I shot a cautionary glance at the bots surrounding me as proverbial hackles began rising.
"Slashfyre, Stormchaser, you recognize my title, yes?" I murmured. They nodded coldly. "You understand the unit bonds of grounders, akin to the clan bondings beside the trine bondings?" they nodded again. "Then please believe me when I tell you that Bumblebee has already been trying to determine how to ask you if he can help you follow the thread to Silverwing, but as our only grounder scout-"
"He's not the only one!" Wingnut's voice called out flatly.
"Wingnut!" Longbolt protested in a shocked tone.
I turned to look at her patiently in the ensuing silence.
"Wingnut?" I prompted her, she was blushing furiously now, obviously re-thinking her brash statement as the attention of flier and grounder bots both turned to her.
"I'm supposed to scout through the lower mech's quarters in seven orn, that'd be a suicide mission for you Wing," Bumblebee murmured softly, lightly nudging her. Longbolt glanced around and lightly caught Symphony's hand, gently guiding her out of the way.
"No, I mean let me follow their spark-threads, you know I can, Bee," Wingnut murmured, even as she shied away somewhat from the fliers and closer to my little brother.
"That's true..." Bee murmured, nodding. "Better check though... =point-them-out–one–two–three="
Completely separate of each other, Bee and Wingnut both pointed in precisely the same direction, their servos a scant degree different from each other; they were not standing in the same place.
"What are they doing?" Symphony's voice whispered.
"They're both pointing the direction of the flier's threads," Longbolt whispered back.
"She's become true," Bumblebee announced firmly, laying a hand across Wingnut's shoulders and looking at me.
By that alone, the Delta trine were looking stunned.
"Wingnut," I began quietly.
"Look, all due respect and all that Prime, I'd been scouting for the Decepticons for a vorn before we got here. Let me go!" Wingnut demanded.
I blinked, looking down at her and reached for my mate. I wanted his thoughts.
My Optimus was wary of sending the little femme, just as I was. Not simply the danger, but of what she was likely to find.
"Wingnut, do you know precisely what it is you're going to find?" I asked her softly.
"Slag brides," she stated flatly. Around us, bots flinched. "With all due respect Prime I grew up knowin' that if they found out I was a femme Shockwave would'a made me a slag bride. I need to go."
I vented a long breath and cycled my optics.
"Be careful," I murmured, onlining my optics again. I considered for a half second then glanced around before leaning forward to look Wingnut directly in the optics. "=And if you require any backup, say it and we will be there the second the bridge is stable="
Wingnut blinked at me and turned.
"Okay, now I see why you like this one so much," she stated with a broad grin, looking at Bee as Lena beamed at me. She turned back to look at me with a sober expression again. "=May I have your spark signature?=
I nodded and without a second thought slid to a knee, bringing myself closer to Wing's level as I allowed my chest-plates to slide open, reaching with a tendril for her. Wingnut was watching me with awe, even as she did the same.
::. You know you only had to do a minor energon burst for the signature, right?.:: my little brother sent in amusement.
::. This is better.:: I replied with a shrug, feeling the units bond settle into place with the little femme before me. It did not make us sisters, so much as a bond between friends.
But regardless, in her capacity as a scout Wingnut would be fully capable of locating my spark across the universe, and thus locate the communication lines far more easily. The ability for speed, should the speed of communication be necessary.
The way of Scouts.
"Are either of you capable of judging the distance?" Sentinel asked patiently. I glanced up and nodded to the elder Prime as he strode carefully through the doors from the entrance bay, looking keenly at our scouts.
"How long were you bonded?" Wingnut immediately asked.
"Bonded threads don't change much, how long has Silverwing been missing?" Bumblebee added.
"Ninety vorn bonded, she was taken four vorn ago," Slashfyre responded flatly.
Wingnut and Bumblebee both scowled at the corner of the ceiling for a moment, evidently the direction of the threads.
"Twenty?" Wingnut stated curiously, looking up at Bee.
"I'd tend to say closer to eighteen," Bee nodded.
"If we flew that way for eighteen hundred light-orn what are the co-ordinates?" Wingnut asked with a frown, glancing around as though trying to catch her bearings.
"Seven-eighty degrees, ninety from Alpha Centauri, and eighteen hundred lightorn," Lena shrugged. Sentinel promptly beamed at her.
I smiled slightly as Slashfyre and Stormchaser began vibrating in place, prepared to launch into space the moment I bid them the freedom. Their energy was infectious, the entirety of central fully prepared to take up arms with them.
"Fliers," I stated patiently. Their optics locked onto mine absolutely. "Have you any clan members to join your flight?" they both shook their helms.
"The Hightower Clan will claim the Delta Trine," Starscream announced flatly. I nodded to the Air Commander as he stepped forward from the shadows.
"I'll go with them," Skywarp added cheerfully. "Once we've found the base Screamer will tell you." he added, looking up at Sentinel.
"I need my weapons," Wingnut announced flatly.
"You will, two wheelers are uniquely suited to scout and sniper duty," Slashfyre commented, scrutinizing Wingnut as the little femme blushed with pride.
"Nope, you were outfitted with 'con peashooters. You're gonna need weapons better suited to you if you've got your Auto-bot 'sigs on now," Ironhide informed her gruffly.
My smile broadened slightly as my uncle promptly did a visible scan on Wingnut, measuring her for a moment before he strode from the central, the impromptu mission getting underway at the speed the human soldiers had always preferred.
I rose from my place in the central.
"I'd follow him, Wingnut," I commented patiently. "While you're outfitted we'll see to your provisions," I added, looking at the fliers in the room.
"I will meet you at NASA," Sentinel announced. "There is little time before we are to return to Cybertron, and the sooner your trine-mate is found the better."
"NASA?" Skywarp asked curiously.
Sentinel glanced around at the three fliers preparing to leave.
"I require the Ark to enable the space-bridge," Sentinel announced firmly. "The closer you are to the co-ordinates the faster your trip to the base. If I set you seventeen hundred lightorn ahead it is that much less that you need to traverse, and far enough away from your target that you should remain at least initially undetected."
"Thank you," Stormchaser murmured. The quieter of the pair reached out, touching the startled faceplates of the bots gathered.
Skywarp looked amused as the grounders around us looked stunned at the thanks.
"What in this corner of the universe for?" Bumblebee asked curiously as Stormchaser touched his cheek.
"For our mate, for our sparks we thank you grounders," Slashfyre announced gruffly, standing straight and formally offering his servo to all.
"Your mate's bin taken," Ironhide growled at the doorway, leading a newly outfitted and stunned looking Wingnut into the central. "I may be a grounder, but I'm still a mech. It don't matter what creed y'are, the loss of a mate ain't taken lightly. If you wanna thank us send the co-ordinates when you got 'em."
"Why?" Slashfyre demanded.
"There'll be femmes to repair and evacuate, and helms that'll need removing. Y'aren't gonna hog 'em all are ya?" Ironhide demanded.
Silence reigned in the central.
"It would be highly amusing to watch those cannons of his destroy the base of those who harmed our mate, wouldn't it?" Stormchaser murmured, sidling up to Slashfyre.
"It will be far more amusing to watch the consummate soldier and left servo of the Emperor fire at bots that aren't us," Slashfyre snorted. Ironhide grinned. I turned and strode past my uncle, lightly touching his shoulder in thanks as the fliers filed after me. I made a beeline for the med-bay, Skywarp, Stormchaser, Slashfyre and Wingnut close on my heels.
"Right, I'm assuming at least one of you has basic first-aid training?" I commented idly, walking around the bay and collecting emergency patch kits, four cubes of mid-grade and a pair of high-grades for each.
"We know how to repair each other," Skywarp stated in amusement, rapidly subspacing the equipment I deposited in his servos.
"And should Wingnut take damage, do you know how to repair her?" I asked firmly, turning and catching the optics of the fliers.
"I won't get hurt," Wingnut stated flatly.
"Take nothing for granted, Wingnut," I stated firmly.
"The Lady High Protector makes a good point," Stormchaser stated firmly, kneeling down and lightly cupping Wingnut's shoulders. "I will require your schematics young femme."
"Wait what!? Why!?" Wingnut demanded, blushing furiously.
"You have no boosters, nor flight capabilities. I will carry you in my symbiont hatch, but first I will need your schematics. Both to fit you, and to repair you should you take damage."
"You're gonna turn me into a symbiont?" Wingnut snarled.
"Not unless you intend to become the fourth in a seeker quartet," Slashfyre snorted in amusement behind her.
"But we'd have to ask Silverwing first," Stormchaser added with a broad grin. "Besides, symbionts originate as lesser sparked and un-sparked beings, they are intelligent, true-
"Especially if they're Soundwave's," Skywarp interjected with a grin.
"-but a fully sparked and sentient being isn't symbiont material. At best we'd become combiners, not symbiont and host."
"At worst?" Wingnut demanded suspiciously.
"You and I will spend several light-orn with our sparks un-touching but close. It may be somewhat uncomfortable, but it's far more dignified than being towed," Stormchaser shrugged.
Wingnut nodded and glanced somewhat unsurely at me.
"It doesn't matter that they're fellow fliers, Wing, they know that I'll personally beat the slag out of them if you come to harm," I informed the little femme patiently, Wingnut grinned at me.
"And then we'd have to try and escape your creator's wrath," Skywarp added cheerfully, crouching down somewhat and eying Wingnut with a grin. "And he's a grounder with stolen wings besides, we'll be lucky if he's merciful and just kills us."
"Papa has chopper blades, and he's never stolen nothin'!" Wingnut flared, scowling at Skywarp.
"Wreckers are annoying, but you can't fault their loyalty," Skywarp smirked up at me.
"Fliers are irritating," Wingnut informed me.
"But?" I asked her in amusement.
"But that sure as slag don't mean I ain't gonna follow the thread," Wingnut stated proudly. She squeaked somewhat as Stormchaser scanned her.
"You're built like a flier hatchling," Stormchaser commented in surprise. "That should make this easier."
"Make what easier?"
Slashfyre promptly picked Wingnut up and deposited her in the hollow between Stormchaser's shoulders.
"How are you on splintering?" Stormchaser asked, turning his helm to look at the femme out of the corner of his optic.
"Splintering?"
"Which means you've never done it, here."
I watched in fascination as Stormchaser began to transform, his control was incredible to behold as he shifted one gear, one cog, one strut at a time. The motions of his frame relaxed my private misgivings; the flier was obviously, very used to dealing with the young.
"Try to bend with me," Stormchaser encouraged the little femme. "Flatten out a bit and finish the airfoil above yourself so the atmosphere doesn't try to pull you off."
~I'm going to escort the fliers to the space bridge~ I murmured to my mate.
"Uh... Oh I get it!" Wingnut stated excitedly the next moment. I smiled as the two of them comfortably meshed a few gears together. Nowhere near as close as my Optimus and I combining, but adequate for Stormchaser to carry the femme.
"Can you still see the thread?" Slashfyre demanded.
"Got it! Let's roll!" Wingnut stated excitedly.
"Roll nothing," Skywarp snorted.
"Let's fly!" Stormchaser announced, taxiing toward the entrance bay.
"Hey 'Chase we're rolling," Wingnut informed him with a broad grin.
"Shush you smart-afted wrecker," Stormchaser shot back at her.
I rolled my optics and followed them.
~May I come?~ my Optimus whispered.
~Get the flight deck~ I smirked at my mate.
(OPOV)
"So what happens when they're found?" Director Mearing asked intently.
"Those femmes who wish to remain online will be brought back here, to safety," Optimus rumbled calmly.
"Which means that even when you and Archangel return to Cybertron there will be an auto-bot force here?" Chris asked hopefully.
"We will not leave you undefended," Optimus rumbled firmly. "Until the orn your governments revoke our amnesty once more there will be Cybertronians present upon the earth. Ultra Magnus has volunteered to remain behind, he is an excellent soldier, and an extraordinary leader when it is required of him."
"He volunteered!?" Mearing demanded incredulously.
"I did," Magnus stated patiently behind him. Optimus turned and gestured the mech forward. "With all due respect, humans, Cybertron is likely to become the centre of Decepticon focus once more, the fighting on this planet unlikely to be pitched. As a result the defence of this planet as compared to our previous deployments is projected to be far easier, and of the type that I will be capable of seeing to the repairs of our unit."
"But you'll still be capable of fighting?" Chris asked patiently.
"At present, my reserves and required repairs have brought me down to eighty-six percent capacity, however I will not be alone-"
"Eighty-six percent?" Mearing interrupted flatly.
"During the battle of Tyger Pax Ultra Magnus succeeded in evacuating and defending seven hundred civilians after being brought down to twenty percent," Optimus rumbled quietly, laying a hand on Magnus' shoulder plating.
"I should have rescued more of them," Magnus stated quietly, shaking his helm.
"Had you returned, you would not have found anything left to save," Optimus reminded the mech quietly.
"My condolences," Mearing stated quietly, "and my apologies."
"Apologies are not necessary," Magnus immediately stated patiently, straightening and nodding to the woman. "Your question is valid."
"I like him," Moreshower commented with a grin.
"I had hoped you would," Optimus chuckled quietly.
~I'm going to escort the fliers to the space bridge~ his Kae murmured gently. Optimus nodded somewhat.
"In the meantime, I would suggest that you grow better acquainted," Optimus rumbled calmly, glancing at Magnus patiently. ~May I come?~ Optimus whispered, listening to the debate around his Kae.
"A good idea, so, what brings you to our damp little rock?" General Moreshower asked cheerfully, looking at Magnus.
"The spark-pull of one of our unit, Silvermoon, bound spark-mate of Enforcer Prowl," Ultra Magnus replied immediately.
"How does that work?"
~Get the flight deck~ Mikaela murmured with a smirk.
"Silvermoon sensed through the bond between Enforcer Prowl and herself that he was in a place of safety-" Ultra Magnus began patiently.
"Good evening, Gentlemen, Director," Optimus rumbled aloud, nodding to the men on screen, and the General and Director on the catwalks. He laid a hand on Magnus' shoulder in response to the curiosity in the mech's optics. Magnus looked at him for a moment before visibly translating the hum of Optimus' spark. A tiny, knowing smirk graced the mech's faceplates before he turned back to the humans on screen and catwalk.
"Optimus," the General nodded.
Optimus turned and strode through the doors and into the corridor.
"Hey 'Chase, we're still rolling," Wingnut's voice commented cheerfully.
Optimus bit back a laugh as Stormchaser brought his fields online, levitating across the corridor into the entrance bay.
"Oh that's just showing off!" Wingnut howled indignantly. Or she tried, anyone could hear the laughter in the little femme's tone.
"Coming?" his Kae asked brightly, reaching for him. Optimus smiled at his mate and glanced at his feet as he picked his pace up somewhat, making doubly sure he wasn't going to crush anyone on his way into the entrance bay.
"You do realize that beating us there by using the ground bridge is cheating, right?" Skywarp demanded with a broad grin, giving him the lightest shove in what the spark of his mate stated was the flier's teasing way.
"What gives you the impression that I will be taking the ground-bridge?" Optimus asked innocently, quickly shifting the flight deck and tossing it onto his shoulders.
Mikaela beamed at him, and hauled herself up by his shoulders to press a light kiss to his jaw.
"The grounder Prime flies?" Stormchaser murmured.
"Well he's bonded to a flier, I've seen the Lady High Protector drive around in grounder mode now and again, so he's gotta fly with her sometimes doesn't he?" Wingnut murmured back.
"Really? I hear he just uses it as an excuse to get away from me," Ironhide growled irritably behind them.
"Or an excuse to spend time with my mate, really I'll use any excuse to do that," Optimus murmured in amusement, lightly catching the chin of his mate for a moment.
"Flatterer," his Kae murmured with a smile, turning and pressing her back to his chest once more. Optimus groaned as her body split against his, integrating within him as though the parts which were missing were finally settling back into place.
"No see that's showing off," Stormchaser commented idly.
"I agree, I totally agree," Wingnut stated in an awed tone.
"Shall we fly?" Kae asked in an amused tone. "You want a lift Stormchaser?"
Optimus watched in astonishment as the fliers began laughing, Stormchaser quickly using his forcefields to launch himself into the sky. Optimus grinned, then, he couldn't help it as his Kae directed their body first to stride into the sunlight, then launch into the air.
Only when his femme was so close, holding him so tightly did the thrill of flight finally come to the forefront of his processors.
It was extraordinarily fast.
::. Look at that! The Emperor is actually flying!.:: Slashfyre commented with a laugh.
::. Does it actually count when he's integrated with his mate?.:: Wingnut asked curiously.
::. I am capable of utilizing the flight-deck without combining with my Kae.:: Optimus rumbled patiently. ::. However I feel no compunction in admitting that my mate is the superior at this skill, her love of flight tempers my fear of the height magnificently.::
::. Wait, you're afraid of heights!?.:: Starscream demanded with a laugh.
::. You're too tall to be afraid of heights!.:: Skywarp laughed.
::. If I had been meant to fly, I would have had wings.:: Optimus shrugged.
::. You have wings Prime.:: Thundercracker informed him cheerfully.
::. I have borrowed wings, created by my mate when she was still a human.:: Optimus retorted with a laugh. ::. Only the fear of irritating my Kae by breaking her hatchling wings keeps me from crashing.::
Optimus grinned as his Kae smiled approvingly, pulling him closer at spark level as the fliers surrounding them laughed.
::. Archangel to Sentinel.:: Kae sent the next moment.
::. Sentinel receiving.::
::. You can go ahead and launch the Ark.:: Kae stated patiently.
::. Is Optimus no longer coming?.:: Sentinel sent curiously.
Optimus looked warily at his mate as she grinned.
::. He's coming with me, we'll race you old-timer.:: she sent with that grin. Optimus looked ahead and spotted the Ark waiting on her launchpad.
::. Naught can outrace the Ark!.:: Sentinel growled back at her.
::. How much do you care to bet on that?.:: Kae asked innocently.
::. Ten rell.:: Sentinel growled.
::. Air-Commander?.:: Mikaela stated cheerfully.
::. Aerial bots, Launch!.:: Starscream called out cheerfully.
Optimus watched, stunned as Delta Trine promptly began rolling in the air, Wingnut was cheering over the frequency.
~Hold tight, my love~ Kae murmured gleefully to his spark. Optimus clung to his mate as she rolled in the air, their altimeter promptly went haywire, all calibrations of their altitude and vectors could no longer be trusted. He could barely tell up from down now; that was terrifying.
But his mate could. Kae promptly launched them higher, their engines began to strangle, then shifted as the last of the blue of the earth's atmosphere and sky disappeared, darkening into the celestial dance.
It was beautiful.
::. That is why you enjoy flight so much.:: Optimus rumbled softly, awestruck.
::. He's never seen a heavy atmosphere give way to the stars before, has he?.:: Starscream stated in amusement.
::. Never have I launched without the aid of spacecraft.:: Optimus murmured.
::. You should see the atmosphere of Iaplion, Minti IV flares more than a Mech in Musth-.:: Thundercracker stated cheerfully.
::. You can't trust your sensors for two bits in a slagpit in those fields.:: Starscream grumbled.
::. It was really really pretty though.:: Skywarp stated musingly.
::. Wait until the vast multitude of particles floating in the void start getting stuck to your armour before you decide that becoming a spacer is preferable.:: Sentinel grumbled.
Optimus glanced backward and snorted.
The Ark was already streaking toward the rendezvous co-ordinates, engines flaring for the extra boost to exit the atmosphere. Around them, the fliers settled into formation, streaking to the co-ordinates.
::. How are you holding up femmling?.:: Slashfyre asked in amusement.
::. That was so cool! I wanna do it again! Can we do that again!?.:: Wingnut squealed excitedly.
Optimus chuckled as the fliers all chirped with laughter.
::. We'll make a flier out of you yet.:: Stormchaser chuckled. Kae grinned and lightly directed their vectors toward the Ark, their body transforming and magnetizing to the primary struts with the fliers around them.
::. Have the co-ordinates changed?.:: Lena asked curiously. Optimus started to see the femme poking her helm up through one of the hatches, and climbing out the next second with her mate close behind.
::. Sort of not really, it's that way.:: Wingnut stated patiently, lifting her helm and servo somewhat from where she had splintered with Stormchaser and pointing.
::. Directional update Prime.:: Lena stated the next second.
::. Receiving.::
::. Seven-eighty-five degrees, ninety from Alpha Centauri and Seventeen hundred Light-orn.:: Lena reeled off quickly. Optimus watched with a smile as a dozen pillars ejected from the Ark's hull, spinning and gravitating toward each other, then turning together to precisely the direction Wingnut pointed to.
::. Bringing space-bridge online.:: Sentinel announced ::. Stand clear!.::
::. All bots accounted for.:: Optimus rumbled patiently. In seconds, the vortex began to power up, arcs of plasmic energon reaching toward each pillar as they began to spin. A breem and the energies smoothed, dancing together.
::. Space-bridge is fully activated and clear, proceed at will.:: Sentinel commanded patiently.
::. Our thanks, grounder Prime.:: Slashfyre stated immediately.
::. Hold tight Wing.:: Stormchaser added cheerfully as the three fliers launched from the hull of the Ark.
::. Primus bless and guard you in your travels.:: Optimus rumbled after them.
::. And we'll see you when we find the place!.:: Skywarp trilled gleefully.
A flash of spacer boosters, a flare of light and the four sparks disappeared.
::. Bridge party through, Skywarp out.:: the final message stated. The pillars slowed, the energies dissipated. The pillars returned to the ark.
::. Ark contacting earth-space control.:: Sentinel stated patiently, the Ark turning in space and coasting back toward the planet.
::. Earth-space control responding, Ark you are clear for atmospheric re-entry over the gulf of Mexico.:: the voice called back immediately. ::. Proceed to NASA West at fifty thousand feet..::
Optimus pulled his mate a bit closer as the two fliers that had remained behind crouched slightly beside them, opting to ride the Ark into the atmosphere of his femme's birth-planet.