Chapter 2: A Slow Fall

Astra POV

I could still sense him just staring at me as well as being very awkward. I stood in the makeshift medical bay as their rather grouchy medic looked me over. I glanced over towards the green mech and simply tilted my helm and raised my optic ridge wondering what he found so interesting about me. I was just a random Cybertronian that crash landed on this rather strange planet, my story was no different from any other bot after Cybertron perished due to the civil war. He shook his helm and glanced away quickly before walking down the hall to avoid more awkwardness or embarrassment. I glanced towards the medic as he scanned me over to make sure there were no severe internal wounds that might have appeared due to my crash landing. I looked towards him with a worried glance, hoping to not heal any wounds during my time here. "Everything is fine, just some bumps and scratches. You'll live." he said as he walked out of the medical bay to go about his usual business.

I followed behind him but was stopped by Optimus Prime putting his hand out in front of me. "May I have a word with you?" he asks. Of course the asking was out of politeness but when a Prime 'asks' you of course go with it. I nodded and he led me down the hall and around various corners before going into what looked like a training room. I looked around before moving to stand at attention. "At ease Astra," he said as he motioned his hand. I glanced up towards him, he looked so similar to my sire but was much kinder rather than strict. '`Do you know what happened to your sire after you both disbanded from the Arc to go find other refugees that were not able to make it aboard?" he asked.

I simply shrugged and shook my helm. "Must everything come back to my sire? I mean I understand since the two of them were close and Optimus had trained my sire with the knowledge of the Primes from the Matrix of Leadership. Though I didn't leave with my sire that day…I left alone in a ship to go out and find bots on both sides and try to save them, even went back to our dead planet for a couple of cycles." I thought as I looked up at him.

"Still worried about speaking since the incident?" Optimus asked as a worried tone appeared within his voice and as he changed to a more personal subject. I subconsciously reach up and touch my throat before glancing down for a second and flinching slightly at the past. "I understand, you are welcome amongst the ranks of my team Astra," he said before placing a hand on my shoulder before leaving me alone within the training room. I watch him leave and frown slightly before letting my posture relax more.

"Always so much more welcoming into your various teams, not proving yourself like when it came to the Elite Guard and being as good as my sire in protocol and in battle." My mind wandered as I glanced around the room. I walked over and leaned against the wall before sliding down to sit. I removed my hammer beforehand and had it lay against the wall beside me. I closed my optics and rested my helm back against the wall, needing to settle my emotions. Emotions were illogical and were going to take over my mind if I allowed them too. Suddenly, large ped steps could be heard entering the room along with two voices chatting. "Why would there be two sets of voices if there are only one set of steps?" I asked myself as I opened my optics.

In front of me was the large green mech as well as what appeared to be a species from this planet on his shoulder. I tilted my helm as I looked up at him and he seemed a little more nervous. "Oh…uh.. I just wanted to…uh…formally introduce myself," he said as he tried to form a sentence without feeling very awkward. I lifted my arm and motioned him to go ahead. "Oh..uh yeah, my name," he awkwardly chuckled before saying, "Bulkhead." I moved and stood up and motioned to shake his large hand. "Nice to meet you…?" he trailed off.

"Astra.." I whispered and tried to not have my voice be as scratchy. I reached up with my other hand and placed it over my neck. His kind optics shifted towards more of a worried look. I shook my helm and let go of his hand and took a step back as I glanced over towards the species companion on his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, I'm Miko," she said in a loud voice. Hopefully, not all of this kind of species on this planet were that loud. I glanced back up slightly towards Bulkhead.

"Astra…" he trailed off as he just stared down at me for a few moments. I could feel my faceplates warm up slightly as I began to get a little uneasy. He then suddenly cleared his throat before breaking the awkward silence. "Um.. that's a very pretty name…uh how about I introduce you to the remainder of the team?" he asked. I nodded slowly before walking over and grabbing my war hammer before swinging it around and placing it on my back. I turn and follow him down the hall and around corners before making it to the main area of their makeshift base.

The blue femme that was giving me a hard time as well as a bright yellow mech walked over. "Bumblebee and Arcee, this is Astra," Bulkhead said.

"Why are you introducing her?" Arcee asked as she glanced up at me. Looking me up and down as if I was going to do something to harm her. "I didn't know that Ultra Magnus had a daughter let alone other offspring." she elaborated with a rather snarky attitude.

I cleared my throat preparing to speak, "He…doesn't want..others to favor..his offspring" I said as my scratchy voice showed through more with each word. "I attempt..to not live..off my sire's legacy," I elaborated further as she just stared at me more intently with each word I spoke.

"I can respect that but you just look so much like him in a lot of ways, hard to believe no one knew that you were one of his younglings," Arcee said as she placed her hands on her hips. She was much smaller than me but clearly was Optimus's second in command on this planet. She was very in charge and seemed to make sure others listened to her. I just nodded my helm and began to just stare as she just went on and on about things and the rules of the base and everything with humans.

"Basic rules that Optimus implemented on Cybertron..not like they would be horribly different on this strange planet," I thought to myself as my mind drifted away from the conversation. Cycles in space made me be more used to being alone rather than being amongst a team. This team seemed much more friendly than that of the higher positions of the Elite Guard. After they explained all the rules as well as introductions I just went and leaned against the base wall watching the others go about their usual business.

The green mech, Bulkhead, once again wanders over to me and leans against the wall next to me. I glance up at him and tilt my helm and he just smiles a little bit and seems to relax. I glance down and feel my faceplates warm up a little bit. "Why is he being so nice to me? Is this him trying to hit on me? Why me? Why not that other prettier blue femme on his team" All of these thoughts rushed through my helm as the heat around my faceplates diminished as more logical thoughts came through.