Thank you random reviewer who told me the other chapters were messed up and people couldn't read them - I literally didn't know until they did...
Megatron was pissed, and that meant any bot who valued their life stayed far away for the time being.
The Allspark had been ejected by Optimus Prime and the Autobots before he had reached the core; although he had still infected the planet with dark energon as planned, he failed to possess the Allspark.
This was the advice given to Jetfire upon his rather brief welcome to the Decepticon ranks. Little Jetfire was still getting used to the Decepticon warship: the Nemesis - especially how dark and empty it was. He had to admit, it was quite the feat of engineering, what with its sheer size and power; he only wished it had better lighting. Probably to give it a foreboding effect, he supposed.
Jetfire had been found only days ago by Decepticon scouts, who, upon realizing he was an orphan and had no faction, offered for him to join the Decepticons, where he would be with other seekers much like himself. Too afraid to say no, Jetfire had agreed and gone back to the Nemesis with them, where he briefly met Megatron and received his Decepticon insignia. Other seekers watched him enter proudly; he quickly learned that seekers were held with high esteem among the Decepticon ranks.
That's why Jetfire hadn't brought up his true interests: science. The natural world had fascinated him from a young age; it helped that his mentors were both in the science field, as well. They had been killed in the violent conflict plaguing Cybertron. He didn't know if it was Autobots or Decepticons who had killed them, but it didn't matter to him; war was war, and neither side was innocent. Maybe one more so than the other, but he had yet to figure out which side that was.
From his short time on the Nemesis, he had already learned quite a few flight maneuvers – evasive, attack, defense, just for fun…way too many to keep them straight. To clear his processor and walk off the achiness from his training that day, Jetfire wandered the many hallways of the Nemesis.
He hadn't gone far when a series of thuds drew his attention. He turned in a full circle, trying to measure where the noise was coming from. He had just passed the main hall, and when he turned back around to face it, the noise grew louder. He followed it curiously, careful not to run into several injured guards making their way towards med bay.
Just then, the main doors slid open, and Soundwave stepped out. He stalked quickly through the hallways without noticing the small youngling following the curious noises. He realized Soundwave must be following the noises, too, and took off after him.
He stayed a good distance back from the Communications Officer. Soundwave was one of the most loyal Decepticons Megatron had; he and Megatron had known each other for a long time, even before the emergence of factions or the stirrings of political uprising. Soundwave was an excellent spy, even without rumors of his telepathic abilities floating around. He was cold, quiet, and his many minicons allowed him to have optics and audial receptors everywhere.
From Soundwave's swiftness, Jetfire wondered if he had even bothered to see if someone was following him. If he did, he wasn't stopping them, so Jetfire followed him all the way to one of the main science labs. He ducked into the shadows when inside.
The lab was huge, and if he were still studying science, Jetfire would have loved to have classes in it. Although it was rather dim like the rest of the ship, it was filled with complex measuring tools and machinery, some Jetfire hadn't even read of before. He gaped in silent awe at the amazing science lab around him, wishing he could stay there longer and study its complex equipment.
The sound of voices brought him back to reality, and he watched at a distance as Megatron, Soundwave, and the Decepticon scientist Shockwave gathered around a sort of cage built into the wall. He had heard of Megatron's mission to the core; had he found some rare creature, or a strange and potentially-volatile element that required in-depth discovery? Bright lights flashed in front of them, followed by two screams. Definitely a creature, then. He did his best to peer between the cracks of the taller bots' legs, but he couldn't make out what sort of creature they were gathered around.
One of them finally stepped enough to the side that he was able to get a good look at Megatron's finding. His optics widened, and he stumbled back in shock before regaining himself.
A poor youngling, who looked about his age, was lying weakly on the ground, concealed partially by metal bars fritzing with electric energy. Her optics were dimming, and she had her helm pressed into the floor, curled in on herself. She lifted her helm partially to look one of the Decepticons' in the eyes, but she failed to keep it up for long.
Jetfire watched sadly as she dropped her helm and closed her optics in recharge, wondering what the youngling had been subjected to. The Decepticons stepped to the side of the cell as Shockwave began to answer Soundwave's questions.
Jetfire wasn't listening to any of the conversation; his attention was too focused on the recharging youngling. She squirmed and recoiled in her sleep, probably lost in a bad dream. He wished one of the Decepticons would help her, rather than just leave her lying in pain. And why was she locked in a cell? She couldn't have been old enough to really join a faction, so she couldn't be an Autobot. It would be odd for Decepticons to imprison their own as well, especially with the brutal battles against the Autobots still taking place. Both sides needed all the fighting force they could get in these desperate last battles on Cybertron.
Shockwave had finished talking while Jetfire's thoughts overwhelmed his processor, and next thing he knew Megatron and Soundwave had turned to leave. Soundwave lingered longer at the doorway, he noticed, and Jetfire was afraid he might spot him. But he stalked out the way he came in, giving no indication he knew of Jetfire's presence.
Jetfire wanted to go closer to the youngling, but he stopped in his tracks as Shockwave finished some sort of preparations at one of his lab desks. He held a large syringe with a needle attached, approaching the youngling's cell. Jetfire fought back a shudder as he watched the giant needle.
Shockwave pressed a button next to the cell, and the bars powered down and slid back. He stepped inside and knelt down, grabbing ahold of and jerking one of the youngling's arms up. She startled awake and tried to pull away as Shockwave pointed the needle down towards her arm joint, but he held on to her tightly and stabbed the needle in. She cried out from the sudden pain but stopped pulling, allowing him to take her blood.
When he was finished, he roughly let go and pressed the button again. The bars slid back into place and crackled with energy.
The youngling whimpered loudly, until Shockwave yelled for her to shut up. She trembled silently in a corner, cradling the arm he had drawn blood from. He hadn't bothered to bandage it, and fluid had started leaking. It wasn't quite the vibrant blue of energon Jetfire was used to; it had a more violet tint to it, matching the colors of her armor nearly-perfectly. She pressed down with her other arm to stop the bleeding.
Shockwave carried the blood-filled syringe out of the lab, the automatic door slamming shut behind him. Seeing his chance, Jetfire ran across the room, halting just in front of the youngling's cell. He had to take a few step backs, the energy from the bars was so powerful.
The youngling inside was still trembling in the corner, too afraid to move her gaze from a spot on the wall. Jetfire shuffled loudly on his pedes to get her attention. She startled and whipped her helm towards the noise, coming face-to-face with Jetfire.
He held her gaze. Her optics were wide and fearful, but she didn't turn away. Maybe she understood he wouldn't hurt her, and maybe she wanted a friend?
Jetfire sat in front of the cell, peering through the bars to keep her gaze. After a moment she tore her gaze away, trembling and clutching herself tightly.
She wasn't going to talk – that much was clear. Because he hadn't had many friends back before the War, Jetfire had never been good at first greetings, or any greeting for that matter. But it seemed like this poor bot needed him, and he wasn't going to let a little discomfort prevent him from helping her.
"Uh…hi." What else was he supposed to say? He did seem to be the only one feeling sorry for her; maybe she should know she had some sympathy. "I…saw what he did. I'm so sorry."
Her trembling didn't cease, but it did lessen a little. She nodded her helm a couple of times. "T-thank you. It's—not your fault."
"It's not yours either," he replied gently. He looked down at her bleeding arm. "Is it going to be okay?"
"It's…just a little energon. It'll be fine," she assured him. Her voice was a little shaky, but now that the initial shock was wearing off, she seemed a little better.
"My designation is Jetfire. I haven't been here for very long, either." He waited in silence for a few moments, then gestured for her to introduce herself.
"I'm…I'm…" She trailed off, and her optics widened again. A look of panic struck her, and the shaking began to return. She squeezed her optics tight and grabbed the side of her helm, wincing in pain and still shaking. Her optics fluttered back open, and she regained herself. "I'm…sorry. That shock…I think it messed with my processor. But, it's Sona. Only Sona, I think."
"Seems a little short," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. To his amazement, she smiled a little back at him.
"Well, what else should I add to it?" she asked.
"Well…um…" Jetfire was cut off as the doors to the lab slid open. Sona's optics flicked to the doorway in fear, then back to Jetfire. He quickly realized he had no time to get out of sight.
The figure stepped inside, but instead of Shockwave like they had been expecting…it was Soundwave. When the door slid shut behind him, he opened his chest panel, releasing several minicons who began to survey the room.
They quickly laid their optics on Jetfire, who froze in fear. He made direct eye contact with one resembling some sort of cat, which growled to alert Soundwave.
Soundwave looked right at Jetfire – or at least, he supposed he did with his visor. Jetfire still couldn't find it in him to move, and he remained glued to the floor while Soundwave and his minicons stalked over.
He glanced over his shoulder back at Sona. She watched Soundwave with fear in her optics, but unlike Jetfire she quite literally had nowhere to run to.
Jetfire wasn't sure what he was expecting – a scolding, a beating, something bad – but what came next was far from expected. Soundwave regarded Jetfire for a moment, then turned towards the wall next to the cell. He pressed a button, and instantly the bars disappeared, opening Sona's cage.
Sona stayed put. If Jetfire had been in her position, he likely would have, too; who was to say this wasn't some sort of trick?
Soundwave kneeled in front of Sona, who suddenly took a more defensive stance and raised her palms. Blue-violet sparks began to dance from them, but they quickly fizzled out, and she keeled over in exhaustion.
Soundwave threw one servo out and caught her before her helm could hit the floor. He gently laid her against the wall, then gestured for one of his minicons to come over.
A red minibot stepped up, holding something in his servo. Sona looked at him tiredly, unable to offer much in the way of reactions. He bent down next to Sona – who he wasn't much taller than – and began to apply what he was holding onto her injured arm. She remained against the wall, frightened and exhausted, as he wrapped a bandage around the bleeding vein. He stepped back when he was finished, returning to stand by Soundwave.
The cat-like minicon from before approached the youngling slowly, before lying down in front of her. She cautiously reached out her uninjured arm, and when it didn't react, she gently patted the recharging minicon. Her frightful gaze began to soften a little. It stayed by her side as she pet it, emitting a mechanical purring.
One of the bird minicons came next, a red-and-white one that landed in her lap. It let out a few mechanical chirps, pecking curiously at a gem-like spot on her chest.
Sona glanced down at it, then glanced back up at Soundwave. He continued watching in silence, neither scolding nor praising. She must have figured no reaction was better than a negative one, because she glanced down at the gem in her chest and the bird in her lap and started to hum softly.
Jetfire couldn't recognize the song. It was something…heroic, he would describe it as. Maybe a little sad. She had hummed it through once when another instrument began to join in. Jetfire glanced every which way before he realized the music was coming from somewhere near her. He looked up at Soundwave for answers, but Soundwave was still calmly watching the young bot.
The bird pecked a little more at the gem on her chest, causing the music to shake slightly. She smiled tiredly at it and pat the cat minicon on the helm once more.
The song continued to play through. It had the same heroic sound for a long time, before progressing into a more intense melody, still similar but lacking the heroic humbleness from before. When that faded away, a very light, very slow break played. It was clearly part of the same song, but its melody was sadder, like it was far away from something it held dear. Sona's optics looked far away, too, lost in her own music. But as the song continued, the melody grew louder, picking up its heroic vibe from before. The far-away sadness grew nearer, but combined with the heroic melody, it gave a feeling of hope. Sona played out the song till the very end, leaving it off with a basic but powerful chord.
Jetfire sat in shock as the music finished. Soundwave seemed unfazed, yet not unsatisfied. Sona stared ahead blankly, clearly exhausted but at peace with her song. The minicons stirred, sensing the song's ending.
Soundwave remained silent moments longer. Jetfire swore he saw his helm lift slightly, as if he were deep in thought. It was Soundwave who ultimately broke the silence:
"Sonatina." That was all he said. Sona furrowed her optics slightly, partially hearing her name. Jetfire glanced up at Soundwave curiously. He had lowered his helm again, and was looking right into Sona's and Jetfire's optics; somehow, they could sense it even with his visor. "For her music. Sonatina."
Both bots turned to Sona for confirmation. "Sona-tina," she repeated quietly. She nodded her helm a few times slowly. "I don't remember where I learned music but…Sonatina." She turned her helm to Jetfire and smiled slyly. "Is my name long enough now?"
He smiled back at her. "If you like it."
She nodded again. She seemed less nervous around Soundwave now, what with the unexpected kindness he had shown her, and met his optics best she could.
"Shockwave will return," Soundwave said in his monotonous tone. "Mind what he says. You won't like it."
Both younglings shivered a little at the brief warning, but before they could ask for elaboration, Soundwave stood up. The minicons returned to their master's side and sat loyally by. Soundwave pressed the button beside Sonatina's cell to reactivate the bars. As they slid back into place, he glanced once more at her - perhaps in sympathy, perhaps in nothing.
The bars fritzed back to life. Jetfire watched as Sona picked herself up and pulled her small body up onto the berth that was too big for her. She lied down and met Jetfire's optics one more time. She gave him a little smile, then closed her optics in recharge.
Jetfire quickly realized Soundwave had already left the lab. He got up and followed, risking one last glance back at the sleeping youngling. He knew he should leave before Shockwave returned, but the knowledge that someone as young as him was locked away in this frightening, high-security warship pained him. It was unjust, he felt, even in these times of war. Freedom should not have to be granted only to some; it should belong to all who desire it.
Perhaps, when this war came to an end, he could help the Decepticons achieve just that.
Memories of Jetfire's first encounter with Sona had begun to flood back to him as he thought over her words. Her fears were certainly reasonable, and Jetfire couldn't deny he possessed the same fears. He had known since that day that Sona was a powerful prisoner, and as they got to know each other better, he learned not even she knew how powerful she was.
The intense electricity shocks Shockwave tortured her with had messed with her memories; she couldn't tell anyone how she had gotten aboard the warship, or where she had come from before then. Her powers were an impulse that didn't go away even with her memories; that was how she had threatened Soundwave with them. Of course, the shocks had also left her very weak, so much so that using her powers was nearly impossible now. No one even knew what she was capable of – except, maybe, Megatron, Soundwave, and Shockwave.
He hadn't explained himself to Sona during their last encounter because the meeting Megatron had called with his high-ranking officers was meant to give him more insight into it. He was the last officer to arrive, he realized, as Soundwave, Shockwave, Starscream, and Megatron stared him down while he entered.
He glanced uncomfortably around the large room; it served as a main deck of sorts, surrounded by control panels, computers, a chair for Megatron, and windows looking out on the empty landscape around them.
Megatron called the four Decepticons to attention, as they gathered around a conference table used for mapping out battle plans and coming up with strategies. Jetfire stood directly across from Megatron, surrounded by Soundwave and Starscream, Shockwave between Starscream and Megatron.
Megatron wasted no time with introductions as he jumped into the meeting's purpose. "My Decepticons – as I speak, Autobot forces are quickly marching here. Our normal defenses are fully functional and set to fire at will, but the time for the final battle has come, and it will be long and gruesome, as we all expected.
"Scouts were sent ahead to investigate the onslaught of Autobot signals heading this way; none returned. When we sent new scouts in their place, only one survived long enough to report before being gunned down.
"Now, more than ever, the Decepticons need to stand united, or there is no hope for taking down our greatest enemies. I want each of you to prepare your separate divisions for a bloody battle – Jetfire, rally the Seekers; Starscream, command the Vehicons; Shockwave, have your team of scientists and medics at ready; and Soundwave, man all communications and deploy troops upon my commands."
"Yes, Lord Megatron," the Decepticons replied in unison.
Megatron nodded for them to leave, and all began to except Soundwave, whom Megatron called back. Jetfire remained a moment longer as well, and addressed a question to the whole group. "How are the…plans for the prisoner going?" he asked, doing his best to conceal his emotions.
Megatron raised an optic in annoyance but allowed Shockwave to answer. "They're going as they need to," he responded stiffly, before stalking out behind Starscream. Jetfire followed and stopped in the doorway to listen to Soundwave and Megatron, but Megatron's glare told him to get a move on.
When the others had gone their separate ways and the door had shut behind them, Jetfire waited right outside it, hoping to pick up at least tidbits of their conversation. He could tell Soundwave was saying something to Megatron, but he couldn't make out any words. He continued to listen, however, until one word stood out from the rest:
"…care…the prisoner…"
"Sonatina." Her name came from Soundwave, clear and distinctive.
Maybe Sonatina had been wrong, and Shockwave wasn't as close as they thought to extracting her powers. As far as Jetfire knew, Shockwave had been struggling to understand them for a long time, despite many cycles of testing and experimenting. And with the final battle fast approaching, Shockwave had no time to figure out how to and then ultimately extract her powers.
This didn't stop his worrying much, though. Even if the Decepticons won the final battle against the Autobots, Megatron wasn't known to settle small and would likely still find a use for her powers. And if the Autobots won? What if Megatron was discussing how to 'take care' of Sona before the Autobots reached her? Would he really kill a prisoner who had no idea how to use the powers she possessed just because he couldn't take them for his own?
He most certainly would. When Jetfire had first joined the Decepticons, he had little to no idea what they truly stood for; he believed them to just have a different way of restoring freedom to Cybertron than the Autobots. But that 'different way' turned out to be a lot more violent than he could ever have imagined. He had started to doubt his cause from the moment he heard Megatron wanted to poison Cybertron's core and the Allspark, and seeing their treatment of Sona only increased his doubt.
The Decepticons certainly didn't stand for the sort of freedom Jetfire had imagined. He knew only what the Decepticon troops said of the Autobots, which was bound to be biased and embellished. But they had to be better than the Decepticons, right? If the Decepticons wanted order through destruction, then wouldn't the only other side be order through peace?
Jetfire sincerely hoped he was right. With so many troops moving throughout the fortress now, there was no way for him to reach Sona and tell her his findings. The only thing Jetfire could do was follow Megatron's orders: command the Seekers and lead them into battle. He hoped his previous warning would, somehow, be enough.
Jetfire stumbled as an explosion echoed through the fortress; the Autobots were already here. He heard the shouts of Decepticons soldiers as they rushed into battle, being cut down, shot at, but still loyal as ever to their violent leader. The sounds of blaster fire were intense, and he could already see clouds of smoke from outside the windows. There was no denying it:
The final battle had begun.