Big shout out to my totally awesome reader, ROzelith, who did an illustration of Starfall trying on his first set of planetary rings from last chapter. A link to the artwork can be found on my profile page under the Reader Fanart section. Thanks a bunch, ROzelith! I loved it.
Chapter Nineteen: The Emirate
"-and this is the palace's Grand Audience Hall," Cloudbreaker announced with sweeping arms as he led the Iaconian representatives through a wide doorway into a cavernous, domed atrium. As with every other place Cloudbreaker had shown them, awe-struck silence and soft gasps answered him.
Optimus gazed around the atrium, wonder-struck. So far Vos was exceeding any and all expectations he'd had for it. The Emirate's palace was massive - far larger than it looked from outside. It was also the most ethereal structure he'd ever been inside. No matter what room Cloudbreaker led them to, there always seemed to be at least one bank of floor-to-ceiling windows, making those inside feel as though they were outside under an endless blue sky when they were still in a fully enclosed room. Other rooms opened onto sprawling balconies or open-air courtyards. Others, the entire ceiling was banks of ornate skylights. No where they went was the sky not visible or open air only a few steps away. The audience hall was no exception. Like with the rest of the palace, Optimus felt like he was more outside than he was in. The "hall" looked more like an elaborate overhanging extension of the palace than an actual room. There were no actual walls. Instead, thick pillars lined the edges of the atrium, forming giant archways. Beyond the archways lay a sprawling open-air crystal garden. The ceiling of the atrium was a giant dome of glass several hundred meters above the ground. The panes of glass were laid in delicate triangular patterns which created an elaborate mosaic effect when looked at from below. Directly beneath the dome was a smooth, circular area of open floor. Around the edges of the atrium, between the archways, rose terraced seating sections. Optimus estimated the hall could easily hold several hundred bots.
Cloudbreaker preened at the Iaconians' stunned expressions. Even Ironhide seemed properly impressed by the size and grandeur of the hall.
Optimus was the first to find his voice. "This is all very impressive, Cloudbreaker. There is no structure in Iacon that can quite stand up to the architectural elegance of Vos."
The other Iaconian representatives murmured their agreement.
Cloudbreaker beamed proudly. "Thank you. The Great Hall is one of the Emirate's favorite places in the palace. That's why your formal welcome reception will be held here later tonight. It is simply marvelous at night when the Hall is lit inside and the stars can still be seen through the dome. The royal gardens are also beautiful at night when the crystals are illuminated by the moon."
"I look forward to seeing it," Optimus nodded.
"This concludes the tour of the palace," Cloudbreaker announced to the entire group. "I will have servants show you to each of your personal habitation suites so that you may have time to settle in and rest before tonight's festivities. They will collect you later to help lead you back to the Great Hall for tonight's formal reception." He waved several servants that had been standing near the doorway of the palace. Three seekers stepped up to Cloudbreaker, all of them painted a uniform silver. None of them, Optimus noticed, wore any rings on their wrists like the Vosians that had greeted them on the landing pad. "Please show Senators Draxil, Phalanx and Defcon to their habitation suites."
"Yes, sir," they chorused with shallow bows.
"Rest well," Cloudbreaker said to the senators. "Vosian reception parties often go late into the night. I would blame myself if you were too exhausted from your trip to properly enjoy our hospitality this evening."
"I look forward to tonight," Defcon said. "Vos has exceeded all expectations thus far. I can only imagine what you have in store for us next."
Cloudbreaker rewarded the senator with a dazzling smile. "I can only take that as a compliment. Thank you."
"Until tonight," Senator Phalanx said.
"Til tonight," Senator Draxil bowed.
As the senators were led away by their escorts, Cloudbreaker turned back to Optimus and Ironhide. "Shall we go meet the Emirate now? I promise the Emirate will not keep you too long. As with the senators, we want you to have time to rest before tonight's reception."
"Of course," Optimus said. "Please lead the way." Truthfully, Optimus was rather tired from their journey to Vos and then their tour through the palace. He would have gladly followed the senators to his rooms to rest before being formally introduced to the Emirate. His tiredness, however, was dampened by Optimus's overwhelming curiosity to finally meet the mysterious, all-powerful ruler of Vos. No one - not even Iacon's Intelligence Department - knew the Emirate's real designation or what he looked like. The Emirate might as well have been a fictitious character in a book for all Optimus knew about him.
As Cloudbreaker led them back inside the palace, he fell back from his lead position to walk beside Optimus and Ironhide rather than in front of them. Optimus sensed that now it was just the three of them Cloudbreaker felt he could interact with them a little less formally. He felt Ironhide relax a little bit as well. The old weapons specialist had never really been one to enjoy formalized interactions. They encountered no one else as Cloudbreaker led them through the twisting corridors of the palace. With brilliant sunlight streaming through the hallway's many windows and skylights, Optimus found the walk rather peaceful.
"The Emirate was so excited when you agreed to visit Vos," Cloudbreaker said conversationally as they walked. "Over the last few vorns there have been many from the royal spark-line who have expressed hopes of someday reopening our borders with the rest of Cybertron. We just never knew if our return would be welcomed by the rest of the planet until we heard word of Starfall's adoption."
"I cannot speak for every bot on this planet about their feelings towards seekers, but Ironhide and I could not have asked for a better son. All those who meet Star love him."
"And that is why we here in Vos are so excited to welcome you and your family to our city. Starfall has been our model's only representative to the outside world since the end of the Great War. Being the son of the Prime puts him in an even greater position to help improve our people's reputation with the rest of the planet. His adoption is seen as something like a godsend here in Vos."
"Ah don't like Star bein' talked 'bout like he's some kind 'a political tool," Ironhide sourly growled from Optimus's side. "He's just a kid. He ain't got nothin' ta do with politics." Optimus felt Ironhide's side of their bond flash protectively.
"Of course, of course, you're completely right," Cloudbreaker quickly agreed. "Starfall is still just a child." The red and gold mech hesitated a moment as though weighing the impact of his words before pointedly adding, "But the importance of his position still cannot be denied. The Emirate considers Starfall an asset to Vos. He is without question Vos's greatest chance of reestablishing relations with the rest of the planet."
The three mechs lapsed into thoughtful silence. Cloudbreaker did not try and fill the void with anymore lighthearted conversation. It was only when a set of elegantly crafted doors, flanked on either side by conehead guards with identical blue paintjobs, appeared at the end of the hallway that Cloudbreaker once again became his congenial self.
"This is the throne room," he said as he swept ahead of Optimus and Ironhide. "If you do not mind, please wait here in the hallway while I announce you to the Emirate. I will return in a moment."
"Of course," Optimus politely agreed.
One of the coneheads stepped forward and opened the door for Cloudbreaker with a formal bow. Optimus caught a glimpse of a third conehead standing guard just on the other side of the doorway. He should have known - seekers always operated in threes.
As soon as the door closed behind Cloudbreaker, Ironhide was leaning towards him. "Optimus, ah don't like this," he whispered, glaring distrustfully at the conehead guards. "The Vosians obviously want ta try an' use Star. We should just grab Star an' get outta here."
"We will do no such thing. We have been invited here as guests to work out an arrangement to welcome Vos back into Cybertronian relations. We knew the Vosians were interested in Star before we even came here. I know you are concerned about Star's wellbeing but nothing bad is going to happen to him here. If we allowed it, the Vosians would probably try and arrange a bond between Star and the Emirate's youngest heir."
This assessment only earned Optimus an even darker glare from his sparkmate. "Ah ain't bondin' Star off ta any Vosian, prince or not."
"Good," Optimus nodded. "Then we are in agreement and can enjoy the rest of our time here without suspecting our hosts of trying to orchestrate some insidious plot involving our son."
"Now yer just makin' fun a me," Ironhide grumbled, his tone hurt.
Optimus sent a teasing pulse of affection out to the older mech. "Sometimes you make it too easy for me, love. Your basic protocol is to protect what is yours. And while that is your greatest strength, it is also your greatest weakness. You suspect everyone of treachery against those you love even when they pose no actual threat. You must learn to trust more. The Vosians mean Starfall no harm, and you and I are in agreement when it comes to the issue of arranged sparkbonds. I will not allow anyone to use Star for politics."
Ironhide vented a heavy sigh. "Fine. Yer right. Ah'm gettin' suspicious over nothin. It's just…" The old mech speared Optimus with a look that was laced with fear. "It's just that ah don't want anyone takin' Star away from us when we only just got 'im. He's ours. Ah'm not gonna let anyone else have 'im while ah'm still around."
Optimus's spark ached with understanding. Before he could assuage his sparkmate's secret fears though, the doors to the throne room were thrown open and Cloudbreaker reappeared. The trine of coneheads bowed as the red and gold seeker swept towards them and grandly motioned them ahead of him. Optimus happened to catch Ironhide's gaze. He smiled behind his mask, hoping Ironhide would sense his thoughts. Here we go, he wished to say. Now was the time they finally got to meet the fabled ruler of Vos.
"Emirate, it is my humblest honor to formally introduce Optimus Prime and his sparkmate, Consort Ironhide, to you," Cloudbreaker announced as he ushered the two inside. Like all the rooms of the palace, the throne room was wide and airy. A soaring ceiling honeycombed with skylights of colored glass arched above them while giant floor-to-ceiling windows lined both lengths of the room. At the far end of the chamber, a solitary figure sat on an ornate throne of finely crafted gold. The throne was centered on a raised dais, flanked on either side by a number of attendants and important-looking seekers. It was only as Cloudbreaker led them closer that Optimus realized the mysterious ruler of Vos was nothing like his expectations. Across their bond, Optimus felt Ironhide's own jolt of surprise.
"So," the figure said when Optimus and Ironhide finally came to a stop in front of the throne, "this is the famed Matrix-Bearer and Defeater of Megatron. You're not as tall as I was expecting."
Optimus and Ironhide could only stare at the petite purple and black female seated on the throne. She was ancient. Optimus guessed her to be at least five millennia older than Alpha Trion, and he was the oldest bot Optimus knew. Despite her obvious age, the elderly femme held herself with an almost unworldly aura of regality. Thin rings of silver adorned her wrists and thruster joints, but otherwise she wore no other ornamentation. Deep gold optics shrewdly eyed him and Ironhide up and down. Directly behind her, flanking either side of her throne, stood two conehead guards painted pure black. The only points of color they displayed were the fire-red lens of their optics. Together, the intimidating femme and her ferocious-looking guards made an imposing sight.
"Y-your Eminence," Optimus bowed. He was still too dazed with shock to be embarrassed by the slight stammer in his voice. For some reason, he'd been expecting the ruler of Vos to be a mech - and one at least a quarter of the Emirate's age to boot.
"Oh, please," the Emirate huffed, waving his greeting aside as though shooing away a bug. The bands of metal on her wrist jangled loudly with the movement. "You can dispense with the stuffy formalities. I had been hoping you wouldn't be like the other officials that usually come to kowtow to me. My name is Slipstream. Or did your intelligence agents not know that before you came here?"
"Greetings, Lady Slipstream," Optimus tried again, completely disarmed by the femme's brusque demeanor. Optimus felt Ironhide's own uncertainty towards the femme leak across their bond. "It is an honor to be invited into your city like this. Vos is far grander than I ever imagined."
"I trust my son properly greeted you when you landed?" Slipstream demanded, glancing in Cloudbreaker's direction.
Optimus and Ironhide shared a startled look. They had known Cloudbreaker was a mech of important standing within Vosian society, but neither of them had known he was the Emirate's own creation. All his previous interactions with Optimus suddenly took on whole new meanings, especially his offer to arrange a bond between his son and Starfall. It looked like he'd been right about the Vosians trying to arrange a bond between Starfall and a Vosian prince.
"Cloudbreaker has been the perfect host," Optimus readily extolled. "He has made me and my family feel nowhere but at home thus far."
Slipstream eyed Optimus with a wry smirk as though she knew he hadn't known Cloudbreaker's true connection with her until now. Quiet embarrassment burned Optimus to his core. What other intelligence did they not know about the Vosians? So far the Vosians seemed to know everything about them, but they nothing about the seekers. Just how tight was Vosian security?
The Emirate suddenly stood from her throne and strode to the edge of the dais. Standing on the edge she was almost eye-level with Optimus. The two black-plated guards moved silently to follow. They retook their original positions half a step behind her on either side. Optimus felt Ironhide reflexively tense beside him.
Slipstream leaned forward and openly trailed her optics up and down Optimus's frame. Optimus had to fight with himself not to squirm under the old femme's scrutinizing gaze. It felt like she was staring straight down into his spark. Not since he had taken on the title of Prime had Optimus felt so much like a new recruit reporting to his commanding officer. He felt only some respite when Slipstream slid her gaze over to Ironhide and did the same inspection on him. The aura of power coming off the female seeker was intimidating. Even Ironhide seemed taken back by it.
"It's good to see that rumors are correct for once," the Emirate finally announced after several moments of eternity. "I'm glad to see the Matrix has finally chosen someone who seems to have his head properly screwed on."
Optimus didn't know whether to be humbled or insulted.
"Thank you..?"
Slipstream sharply glanced down at the group of seekers congregated around her throne. "All of you, out!" she barked. "I don't need you all crowding up my throne room while I'm trying to have a private conversation with the Prime. Out, out, out! That means you too, Cloudbreaker."
The entourage of attendants all scrambled to obey. Almost instantly they were gone.
Cloudbreaker hesitantly slunk to the edge of the dais, his wings folded down against the length of his back. "Mother," he nervously intoned, "I had promised the Prime and Consort Ironhide that you would not keep them long. They are tired from their journey and still need time to rest before tonight's reception. Surely any such talks can wait until later after the Prime and the Consort have had time to-"
"They will make time now," Slipstream sharply cut her son off. She turned molten optics back onto Optimus. Optimus fought not to cringe under her intense gaze. "There are some things that must be cleared up before I dismiss the Prime."
Cloudbreaker looked ready to protest but was cut off by another sharp glance from the purple and black femme. Anything he was about to say immediately died in his vocal processor. "Yes, mother," he murmured.
"Go wait outside. I will send the Prime and his sparkmate back out to you when I'm done talking with them."
"Yes, mother."
Turning away, Cloudbreaker cast Optimus a quick glance. Optimus sensed the Vosian prince was trying to silently apologize. Cloudbreaker's footsteps echoed down the length of the room, and then he was gone. The sound of the door closing behind him reminded Optimus of the gavel of a judge coming down on a table, sealing him and Ironhide to their fate.
Except for the Emirate's two sentinels, it was now just the three of them.
Turning back to her throne, the older femme settled herself back in her seat. Optimus forced his back a little straighter if for no other reason that to try and recollect himself for whatever was to come. Slipstream rested her elbow joints on the arms of the chair and gazed coolly down at them.
"Let us dispense with formalities and get straight to the point," she briskly announced. "My spies have informed me that you and your sparkmate recently adopted a little seeker. Tell me - truthfully - how did a seeker come online outside of Vos?"
"Starfall's creation was a miraculous fluke," Optimus said. "There was an error in his programming code that gave him the modeling specs of a seeker. Everyone we spoke to at the hatchling facility were baffled as to what could have caused the error."
The Emirate harrumphed loudly, clearly unimpressed by Optimus's explanation. "Do you really think I'm going to believe that story you sold to my son? Please do not insult my intelligence. I did not take over the mantle of Emirate when my sparkmate died by being a fool. I may not be schooled in bio-mechanical processes, but my understanding is that errors in programming codes do not randomly assign bots new makes. Code errors produce malformed limbs, defective internal wiring or missing parts - not perfectly formed wings." Her optics bored into Optimus as though trying to pick through his inner thoughts with her mind. "Now that you've given the obligatory story, shall we move on by me saying I know who your son really is? I know Starfall is the reincarnated spark of Starscream."
Optimus froze, his gears locking tight with panic. Fear coursed through him, but he didn't know it is was originating more from his or Ironhide's side of their bond. Ironhide stood unusually stiff beside him. The Emirate's declaration was said with so much conviction Optimus didn't know if he should even try to deny the truth or not.
"I- I am not quite sure what you're talking about," he replied as smoothly as he could. "Starscream was executed after the war. How he would have any connection to our son is-"
The Emirate gave an explosive sigh of disappointment. "I warned you, Prime: do not insult my intelligence. It hurts my feelings when you try to play me for a fool. I have my spies. I know about the deal you made with the Decepticon officers after those shams you called public trials. I know Starscream agreed to surrender his spark to Vector Sigma. It does not take a genius to connect Starscream to your son when he is the only seeker to ever come online outside of Vos."
Optimus and Ironhide shared a look, fear bubbling across their bond.
Sighing dramatically, Slipstream stood and descended the dais. She slowly walked around Optimus and forced herself in between Optimus and Ironhide. Standing on the same level with them Optimus only now realized how small the Emirate really was. The top of her helm barely came up to his shoulder joint. Winding her arms through each of their elbows, Slipstream motioned with her chin to the nearest bank of windows. "Come. Walk with me. Help an old femme to the window."
Optimus and Ironhide were helpless to resist the order. Almost in a daze, they allowed the petite femme to steer them towards the windows. Slipstream's two bodyguards silently trailed behind them.
"Look," Slipstream ordered when they reached the window.
Optimus followed her gaze. Several floors below, a crystal garden stretched out from the edge of the palace on what appeared to be an elaborate series of terraced balconies. A number of colorfully decorated seekers stood in small groups or sat on benches throughout the garden. Optimus immediately knew what Slipstream wanted him to see, though. Darting back and forth through the air over the beds of crystal formations were several sparklings playing what appeared to be some form of aerial tag. Optimus instantly spotted Starfall's snowy white and blue frame amongst them. Even from a distance Optimus could see that Starfall was practically radiating happiness. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his son so relaxed and so comfortably in his element. A new pang of worry constricted Optimus spark. What point was the Emirate trying to make by showing him Starfall? Was this all building up to some kind of threat? Optimus caught Ironhide's optic over the Emirate's head and shared an anxious look with him.
"Did you know that Starscream was one of my distant relatives?" Slipstream abruptly asked. "A great-nephew to be exact. I considered him one of the few bots in our spark-line with a full processor on his shoulder struts. I was rather proud of him when he went off to study science in Iacon. I'm probably one of only a few bots in existence old enough to remember him as a child. Everyone else in my family that would remember him was killed over the course of the civil war. I was disappointed when I heard what ultimately became of him. He'd always had so much potential. But then he went and threw it all away by joining Megatron's military. After the war, I contemplated trying to use my political power to bring Starscream back home. But his crimes were too great for even me to try and save him. He had to accept his punishment."
Slipstream glanced up at Optimus, holding his gaze steadily with her own. "I know of the offer you gave to the Decepticon prisoners after the end of the war." She glanced back outside towards the crystal garden. Starfall was agilely zipping around the formations, staying always just out of reach of whoever was trying to catch him. His laughter drifted up to the window through the glass. "Your son looks so much like my great-nephew," Slipstream softly murmured. "Starfall reminds me so much of Starscream when he was a child I feel like I'm looking back through time to an age almost completely forgotten."
Optimus suddenly knew any more denial on his or Ironhide's part would be futile. It was apparent the old femme knew far more than they could have anticipated. Ironhide seemed to share his thoughts and sent a panicked pulse across their sparkbond.
"Lady Slipstream, I cannot in good conscience come out and confirm or deny your suspicions, but if you think you know this much, surely you understand how much danger such accusations could pose Starfall should they become public. The implications of Starscream being reborn, let alone adopted by a Prime, are quite scandalous. If anyone outside the select group of high-ranking mechs that already know about it, I don't know what kind of repercussions it could have for-"
Slipstream sharply looked up at him. "You seem to misinterpret my interest in your son, Prime. I have no reason to want to make Starfall a target for others' leftover hatred for my great-nephew. I have an interest in keeping your son's secret safe. Although I haven't met him yet I already feel like Starfall is one of my own brood. And if there is one thing you should know about extended seeker spark-lines is that mech-fluid is more often than not thicker than water. If you and your sparkmate swear to continue to look after Starfall and raise him properly as your son, I will reopen Vos to political relations with the rest of Cybertron. I am tired of keeping my people isolated for their own good. The Great War has been over for many vorns now. I want to see the city-states of our planet cooperate again like they did during the Golden Age. I am probably part of the last generation that properly remembers that time."
"It is one of my greatest wishes to see the dawn of a new Golden Age as well," Optimus said, his initial anxiety towards Slipstream lessening.
"That is good to hear," the Emirate said, rewarding Optimus with a wry smile. She looked back out the window towards the group of sparkling playing in the garden. "You know, talking with you about a new Golden Age makes me wonder if my great-nephew wasn't reborn through Vector Sigma exactly for this purpose. Primus only knows I've seen enough over my lifetime to wonder if divine intervention doesn't actually exist."
Optimus worriedly glanced over his shoulder towards the two guards standing silently behind them. "How many other bots know of Starfall's true identity here in Vos?"
Slipstream followed his gaze and snorted dismissively. "Only those present in this room. I trust my guards with my secrets implicitly. Sechs and Acht will tell no one of what we discuss here. The third member of their trine was killed vorns ago during the Great War. They took a vow to never replace him with another trine mate or speak again in reverence to their loss. They had their vocal processors deactivated to cement that pledge. Sechs and Acht have been my personal guards ever since. They will take any secrets I have with them to their graves."
"What of the spy that informed you of the deal I made with the Decepticon officers."
Slipstream waved her hand in the air dismissively. The silver rings on her wrist rattled loudly. "I immediately had his memory wiped of the information as soon as I was able to confirm his story through another source. Do not worry, Prime. As I've said, your son's secret is safe with me."
An intense wave of relief coursed across his and Ironhide's sparkbond from Ironhide. Optimus sent a pulse of similar relief back.
"I was rather disappointed when you did not accept Cloudbreaker's proposal to arrange a sparkbond between his son and Starfall, but then again I never really thought you would agree to such a thing in the first place," the Emirate said with a sideways glance to Optimus. "Here in Vos, while the role of Emirate is mostly handed down between those of one's spark-line, direct lineage does not automatically grant one the guarantee to rule. Cloudbreaker has been working for my position for many vorns now, but I refuse to publicly name him as my successor just to make sure he stays on his toes. I want to make sure he works hard for the privilege to rule. I know he was hoping that if he could arrange a sparkbond between his son and yours that I would be forced to name him as the next Emirate. That's not going to happen, though. At least not anytime soon. I still have many more vorns in me, and I do not intend to give up the title of Emirate until I am no longer able to fulfill my duties to my people. Only then will I announce Cloudbreaker as my successor."
Despite the ancient femme's bossiness, Optimus couldn't help but admire her feistiness. He did not think it too preemptive to admit he was starting to warm up to the Emirate. "I get the feeling Cloudbreaker will be waiting many vorns before that happens," he smiled behind his mask.
The Emirate replied with a smirk of her own. "I see you and I already understand each other on many levels." Slipstream abruptly extracted her arms from around Optimus and Ironhide's elbows and began walking back towards her throne. Her guards instantly moved to take point behind her. "I am sure Cloudbreaker mentioned the welcome reception we have planned for you and the other Iaconian representatives tonight?" she called back over her shoulder vent.
"Yes, he did," Optimus nodded.
"Good. I expect you and your sparkmate to properly present Starfall to me then."
"Of course," Optimus said. "He will be there with us."
Slipstream nodded and carefully settled her old frame onto the padded cushion of her throne. Sechs and Acht once more took their place behind her on either side of her chair. "Very good. Until then."
It took Optimus a moment to realize the Emirate had just dismissed them. Sharing a startled look with Ironhide the two diplomatically bowed their heads to the Vosian ruler. "Until tonight," Optimus said, then turned for the door where Cloudbreaker was waiting outside for them.
to be continued
Bet you weren't expecting the Emirate to be a femme, were you?