I am sorry about last week, I had hoped that I would still be able to get a chapter out, but last weekend was... very busy. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you like it.


Optimus winced as another system spat out sparks. The fleet they had faced was much larger than they'd expected, and all the ships had taken damage. Thankfully, they'd been built well enough that only two were destroyed, but there were many casualties. Luckily, the alien ships were not a resilient as Cybertronian ships, and as far as the crews could tell, combing the wreckage, no one had survived.

Optimus was a little disappointed, he wanted to take out some frustrations on the aliens. He shook his head as some part of him said that was wrong.

He really did have to spend some time figuring out which parts of his two upbringings he wanted to keep. Once he had some time. For now, he had to be the Prince, not the Prime.

He glanced at the medic, who had been working her way around the bridge checking the injured mechs. She began working on Strika as he watched. Optimus stepped up next to the General. He was injured himself, but nothing that self-repair couldn't handle.

"Any new information?" Optimus asked.

"No, my Prince," Strika said. "The techs are still going through the wreckage, though at least one intact computer has been found and they're hacking into it."

"Medic Treadmark," Optimus asked. "Do you have the casualty lists?"

"Not yet, my Prince," she replied. "Most of the worst injured have been treated, but we don't have a good list yet."

"Get it to me when you have it," Optimus said. He knew he'd likely obsess over it a bit, but he did need to know. He only hoped the deactivated list wasn't as long as he feared.

"Yes, your highness," Treadmark replied. Optimus nodded and headed for the head engineer to see how the repairs were going. And then Optimus would probably head to the med bay to visit the worst wounded, and then on to where ever he was needed.

He was supposed to be off shift, but he knew the crew needed to see that he was still there, and working with them as they recovered from the battle.

He nodded after speaking with the engineer. "General Strika," Optimus said. "You're off shift, get some recharge and energon, and relieve me in four joor."

Strika looked like she wanted to argue, but she didn't. "Will you be on the bridge, my Prince?"

"If I'm not, ping me. I intend to get reports from most major sections of the ship, and then the fleet. I'll stay on the Nemesis, however," Optimus said.

Strika nodded and after another moment, left the bridge. Optimus hoped she'd actually rest.

He vented, and turned his attention to the damage reports coming in from the rest of the ship. A joor, and then he'd head to engineering and the medbay.


Strika tried not to sigh as she entered the bridge. It was a lot less of a madhouse than it had been four joor ago, and most of the repairs had been completed. The Prince was there, though from what she'd heard as she headed up to the bridge, he hadn't been there long. He'd spent her off shift checking in with the ship, and talking to the injured.

Their prince really was coming into his own, from what she'd heard on her way back.

Even now, when he honestly should be all but recharging on his feet, Optimus was still reading through reports.

Strika purposefully scrapped against the deck as she reached his side. He looked up, then up at her. She nodded at him. "I am here to relieve you, your highness," she said.

He vented and nodded. Thankfully, he didn't try to argue about it. He powered down the pad he was reading from and nodded. "Repairs are nearly complete on most ships," he said, starting the handover report. "Aside from a dozen mechs still on the critical list, the casualty lists have been finalized." He paused. "There's fewer dead than I feared, most of the mechs on the destroyed ships were recovered."

Strika nodded. "Is there anything urgent that I need to know?"

"Not offhand. We should be ready to begin travel again soon."

"Then go, my prince. Get some rest, and fuel."

Optimus smiled tiredly. "I leave the fleet in your capable hands, General. I'll be back on duty at my normal time."

Strika watched him leave, clearly tired, but also clearly putting on the effort to be strong for the mechs that would see him. He was a good leader, and it showed.

She picked up the larger pad and began reading through the reports. To her complete lack of surprise, in addition to the regular reports, Deadlock had also left her a report of Optimus' activities while she had gotten some rest. She couldn't help but approve of all of it, though she didn't quite understand why he'd visited the wounded like that. Perhaps it was just one of the Prince's quirks. The medics had seemed approving of the effects on the injured mechs, so she wouldn't question it.

Cyclonus stepped up next to her. "What's the fleet's fuel status?" she asked, turning her attention to the necessary details to make sure the fleet would be ready by the time Optimus had rested. They had an organic species to find, and hopefully, conquer.


I have a bit of news for everyone. Unless the muse hits me over the head and wants me to write something extra, I know exactly how many chapters are left in this story- four after this one. So if all goes well, I'll post one a week with the last one- an epilogue- being published on Feb 20th.

Granted, that's only so long as Real Life doesn't happen. If it does, I'll let you all know.

But for now, see you next week!