Saberstorm lazily rolled her shoulder-struts as she watched Soundwave. He was seated before the many screens in their quarters, many of his data-cords – tentacles – attached to mostly hidden ports. Each screen displayed something different; one showed temple overrun with vegetation, another showed the moon, another the demolished Autobot base, another was tracking some sort of 'client', and yet another showed the scans of off-plant airspace.
How Soundwave managed to deal with monitoring all of this without frying his circuits, Saberstorm would never know. What she did know was that she was incredibly bored, and currently under doctors' orders to not do anything strenuous.
The Seekers had all been sent on various scouting missions; Starscream to South America, Thundercracker to Europe, and Skywarp had been sent to salvage parts from the Fallen's ship on Mars, and the crashed Nemesis on Pluto.
Venting heavily, Saberstorm narrowed her optics into a dark crimson glare, which she fixed on her brother's back. He sent a wave of mild amusement down the bond. She grumbled under her breath.
Turning carefully, Soundwave extended his servo to the femme. In it sat a data pad, already powered on and showing some sort of game. Immediately, Saberstorm snatched it from his servo and prodded at the screen. She didn't see how this game could be amusing at all, seeing how she wasn't one for battle strategy or puzzles, but it was really all she had at the moment and any entertainment was better than none.
She set the level for easy and the screen blared into a holographic projection of a battlefield.
"Game: Battles of Cybertron. Goal: Win simulation. History: Made for highly tactile Cybertronians studying to become battle strategists. Made by Autobot Prowl and Decepticon Shockwave, under disguise and alias Longhaul. Only copy still available."
Saberstorm poked at the hologram and one of the warriors on her side moved forward. She grinned.
Megatron found the siblings in their quarters, in the same spots, around four joors later. Soundwave had detected several Cybertronian signatures and had called his leader in to speak with their new arrivals.
Saberstorm had pulled in a small table from their berthroom and had put the datapad on it. Her wings flicked thoughtfully as she observed the large interactive hologram. She'd made her way through several skirmishes, both minor and major, and she'd reached the Battle of Kaon, one of Megatron's personal favorites, not only in the game – which he had admittedly played – but the real thing as well.
His heir was too focused to realize he'd come in the door, and Soundwave had nodded his greeting.
Saberstorm muttered to herself, gazing at her assembled warriors – mostly gladiators – two Seekers, and five scientists, and then her optics flickered to the shifting mass of pixels that represented the Autobot force – which at the time was simply Enforcers. To the side of the playing field was the probability of winning, a small summery of the actual battle, and an estimated number of opponents.
Megatron leaned over her shoulder, the blue light of the hologram making eerie shadows on his shark fangs. "The Battle of Kaon, one of my favorites. Shall I tell you how I won, little Seeker?"
Saberstorm's optics flickered to him briefly before she smirked. "No."
Megatron arched an optic ridge. She turned back to the game and her long clawed digits flicked several of the gladiators around to – in her processor – optimum positions. Megatron frowned at the arrangement.
He, of course, was forefront in the battle, with the majority of the gladiators around him. The Seekers had been set on top of the Kaon Pits, or rather the building that housed the Pits. The five scientists were scattered through the ranks. However, she'd move several of the smaller gladiators to strange spots around their chosen battlefield.
"You moved some of the best fighters away from the main battle." He remarked. Saberstorm nodded.
"The main group of fighters is to take out the initial Enforcer attack; the scientists spread through the ranks as a nasty surprise. Skyquake and Dreadwing," She gestured to the Seekers. "Are there to provide air support. The ones I've moved away from the main fighting are for the sneaky saboteurs. I chose the smaller, faster, and more flexible of the gladiators to stop them."
She started the simulation and Megatron watched, rather impressed, as midway through the skirmish saboteurs made an appearance and were taken down. He recalled briefly losing several of his best fighters to unseen opponents, and he'd assumed they were either snipers or saboteurs. Megatron hadn't been quite so experienced back then.
The Decepticon faction symbol flashed across the hologram and the tiny gladiators cheered at their victory.
"Communications operational." Soundwave interrupted the pair and Megatron pivoted to face the mech. Several hisses and clicks came from the speakers and one of the video screens wavered to show the incoming ship. "Query: What is your designation?"
There was silence over the long-range comm before it cracked to life again.
"Lord Megatron," The voice that crackled over the speakers in the room was deep and vaguely familiar. "My mission was a success."
"Ah, Shockwave." Megatron replied, placing his hands behind his back. "Welcome back. How are our reinforcements?"
"Able-framed, full of Energon and," Shockwave paused. "Quote-to-quote 'ready to kick some slagging Autobot tailpipe'."
Megatron smirked.
Ellie's day was okay so far.
She'd managed not to tear up when she woke up looking at Leon's bed and had been practically cheerful throughout the entirety of her day, which consisted of checkups on the majority of the officers and looking after those wounded in the Decepticon attack.
Ratchet had fixed her arm several days ago, including the artificial spark and cannon. Ellie hadn't actually been shooting at anything lately; she was busy and….part of her was avoiding it.
She was still a doctor and her entire life had been dedicated to helping people live, not killing them. Of course, she'd seen her share of dead people, but they'd mostly passed quietly while they were sleeping. It was kind of unnerving that Ellie had shot that Decepticon jet, and she had enjoyed it.
The part that hadn't enjoyed shooting the slagger was scared that she had felt that way.
But Ellie had been having a good day.
Until Lennox found her in the hallway.
"Ellie!" He called, stopping the mocha skinned woman who turned to face him. She looked tired to Lennox, but he was aware of the nightmares she'd been having.
"What do you need, Major Lennox?" Ellie asked, dragging a hand through her hair and roughly pulling it into a messy bun.
"I've informed most of the other officers by now," Lennox stopped in front of her. "But I wasn't sure if anyone had told you."
"Told me what?"
"We're returning to America." Ellie's eyes widened. "We've all got about a week before we're being shipped out. So if you want anything from your room, you'd better pack; there's guys handling your Med-Bay."
Ellie nodded and Lennox continued past her, drooping slightly in his normally perfect posture.
"Packing." The doctor muttered, continuing to her room. "I've got to pack."
The door swung open and Ellie stopped dead, her breath catching in her throat.
Leon's stuff.
Ellie was going to have to pack up Leon's stuff. She was going to have to touch it, to move it, to clean it, to….throw it away.
Ellie's day suddenly royally sucked.
Shockwave landed in Southern Africa, where there was little in the way of people, with a group of shifty Decepticons. There was no 'con there to meet them, as was logically expected.
The large mech was eager to return to base and see how the once-human was fairing in her new frame. He'd been sent off only a solar cycle away from the project being completed, and Shockwave was eager for results.
The Decepticons behind Shockwave shook their pedes, trying to remove dirt from their gears, all the while throwing wary looks at the coiling mass of gears and armor plating behind them. Shockwave had brought a little….pet back to Earth with him.
::Shockwave to Soundwave::
::Acknowledged::
::My group of Decepticons is en-route to base. If we are attack by Autobots, do we have permission to return fire?::
::Answer: Affirmed. Statement: Little trouble expected::
::That is illogical. Autobot scanners will have detected our arrival to Earth.::
:: Decepticon Soundwave: Sending data burst of attack. Any other communications are unnecessary.::
Saberstorm briefly glanced up as the door to their quarters slid open and then returned her optics to the datapad.
Knockout's garish paint stood out even in the dark room, glowing with a faint blue light from her game.
"And how's my favorite patient doing?" Knockout asked, friendly flirtation layering his tones.
"I believe that I am fully functional." Saberstorm replied, twitching her wings and frowning as a medical scan tingled over her frame. Knockout processed her information and nodded.
"You are correct." The red medic lingered in the doorframe for a moment before fixing his red optics on her bent over frame. "Saberstorm, when was the last time you had Energon?"
She frowned again, but shrugged. Knockout tsked, crossing his arms over his large chassis. "You're coming with me, sweetspark."
Saberstorm vented heavily, turned off her game and followed him out the room, glancing only briefly at Soundwave. The medic and the Seeker strode quietly down the rock hallways, the only sound coming from them the sound of their pedes; Knockout's a light sauntering tread and Saberstorm's a feminine but deadly sounding click, which came from the sharp heels on her pedes and the claws that made her toes.
However their silence was broken when the pair went to round the corner for the corridor that led to the mess hall. Saberstorm, who was on the inside of the pair, crashed into something hard and nearly fell to the ground until a pair of large servos wrapped around her small waist and pulled her flush against what she had just smacked into, which turned out to be a hunk of deliciously-cabled mech.
Knockout, who had been surprised by the sudden appearance of the pair of Decepticons, jumped slightly and then took in exactly who it was that they had run into.
Saberstorm's optics drifted from the large royal blue chassis in front of her, to the gold wing-framed Decepticon insignia, up to the gold facial plates with glowing scarlet optics that stared – almost curiously – down at her.
"Thank you for not letting me fall." She murmured, pressing her clawed hands against his chassis.
"You are most welcome." He rumbled, the deep timbre of his voice sending shivers down her backstrut.
Knockout twisted his hands together, bringing up his comm link with Megatron.
::Lord Megatron, we may have an issue here.:: -Knockout
::What is so important that you must interrupt me in the middle of a mission briefing?!:: -Lord Megatron
::Saberstorm and I have run into Lieutenant Dreadwing and Skyquake, quite literally. We were going to be keeping them apart, were we not? They're kind of….wrapped up in each other…:: -Knockout
Skyquake glanced briefly at the red medic before turning his own scarlet optics to his twin and the Seeker femme in his servos. Dreadwing's normally impassive face had twitched into a curious smirk.
"What is your designation, femme?" Dreadwing asked, curling his servos tighter around her waist. Skyquake, through the bond they shared, observed that his brother had noticed that his servos fit nicely around her waist.
"Saberstorm." She replied, her optics drifting to his Decepticon insignia again.
"Megatron's heir?" Dreadwing moved back slightly, letting his servos drift down from her waist, brushing against her hips as he did. Saberstorm nodded, venting slightly. Knockout prodded at the comm to his leader.
::Lord Megatron?:: -Knockout
::See how this plays out. Saberstorm must learn to handle herself.:: -Lord Megatron
::Yes, my lord.:: - Knockout
"Indeed." Saberstorm replied, glancing at Skyquake before her optics flicked back to Dreadwing. "And who are you, exactly?"
Now that she'd escaped the wonderful confines of his arms – and wonderful they were, indeed – Saberstorm could see that the mech she'd been against – and what she immediately knew was his twin – were both large Seekers.
"I am Dreadwing, Lieutenant of the Decepticon Armada, and this is my twin, Skyquake." The blue and gold Seeker responded. "It a pleasure for the both of us to finally meet you, Lady Saberstorm."
Skyquake pushed his silver servo towards her, smirking as his brother did the same. The Seeker femme went to meet his servo with her own, only to have it snatched by Dreadwing at the same time her other servo was lifted by Skyquake.
She had barely processed that they'd pressed their lip plates to her servos when they returned them to where they had been.
"The pleasure is mine." She finally said, her voice a drawling purr as her optics visably swept over the twins.
"Perhaps," Skyquake finally spoke. "One solar cycle you'd like to go flying with us."
"I'm sure I can arrange that." She smirked up at his silver facial plates, and then turned her optics back to Knockout. "Come on, mech, we were heading for Energon."
Knockout nodded, striding forward to wrap one of his thick arms around her waist and lead her through the two imposing Seeker mechs. "Right this way, sweetspark. And then I'll have to take you to see Lord Megatron. It's time you start training again."
"Whatever you say, medic." She teased, her hips swaying against him as they walked. Knockout glanced behind them, but the Seekers were already gone.
Ellie was seated on the side of her bed, elbows on her knees and her green eyes staring at Leon's bed, which she'd yet to touch. Nor did she want to.
Tears whelled in the medic's eyes and her shoulders heaved as she attempted to repress the sob crawling up her throat. It sputtered out followed by another one, and then another, until Ellie was a mess.
A knock on the door echoed through the half empty room, which Ellie answered with a weak, "Come in".
Will pushed open the door, and immediately knew what was wrong.
He was silent until he sat next to the mocha-skinned woman, drawing his best friend's niece to his side in a gesture that was altogether too familiar for the situation; as Will had done almost the exact same thing with Leon and her brother.
"Ellie," He said, rubbing her arm in a comforting motion. "We have to let her go."
"I don't w-want to-o." Ellie cried, burying her face into his shoulder.
"Leon deserves to be at rest, Elina. What do you think she'd say if she were here right now, hm?"
"O-oi, you." Ellie murmured weakly. "S-stop moping around and g-get on with i-it."
"And what have you done?" He prompted.
"Not that."
"We'll pack up her things together, okay?"
"Okay."
Starscream, and by extension, his Trine, did not like the Seeker twins. Not one fragging bit. The Trine had decided – rather quickly – that Dreadwing and Skyquake could go rot in Pit, fighting power and tactical advantage be damned.
They were stealing Starscream's femme.
And Saberstorm was technically Starscream's, after all. He had built her from heaps of scrapped Cybertronains – with help, not that the Commander would admit that – and as such, Saberstorm shouldn't be coercing with other Seekers.
Especially ones that were that mechly!
Skywarp was sulking and lashing out at the drones and lower ranked Decepticons and Thundercracker had buried himself into books and the human's internet, searching for entertainment. Starscream himself didn't have the luxury of either; he had to attend to Megatron, and in extenstion of Megatron, his heir.
Saberstorm was so tired by the time Starscream got to see her during the late joors of the solar cycle, that their interaction was often a simple greeting and then Saberstorm vanishing into her shared quarters.
It irked the Commander, and he was very determined to do something about it.
His pedes were not quiet against the rock floor as he made his way to the throne room in the early joors of a solar cycle three orns after the femme had met Dreadwing and Skyquake. Starscream knew exactly what he was going to say to their glorious leader, and was so deep in throught – pep talking himself, because one needed a pep talk if they were going to ask Megatron anything – that Starscream barely noticed when he stopped in front of the throne, behind Shockwave.
Megatron raised an optic ridge at him, but continued speaking with Shockwave. "And why exactly, should I be reassured that this….beast of yours will listen to your commands?"
"I have personally reprogrammed Driller, Lord Megatron. But such incidents as these are logicaly going to keep happening-" Shockwave began to reply.
"Yes." Megatron cut in. "Which is why I'm sending you and your pet on a mission. The plan must be set in motion. The Autobots have already left their ruined base for another in the organic continent of America. Soundwave's human contants are proving their…very meger intelliegence to be useful. Everything will be set in motion. You are dismissed, Shockwave."
The large grey and purple-tinted cyclops nodded and showed himself out, leaving Starscream and Megatron alone.
"What do you want, Starscream?" Megatron rumbled. Starscream twisted his servos together before straightening, something he didn't do in Megatron's presence often.
"Lord Megatron, sir, I am requesting a solar cycle to take the Seekers for a flight."
"Why should I allow this, Starscream? What benefit does this hold?"
Starscream's shoulders dropped momentarily, but he squared himself again. "Seekers cannot go without flights for long, Lord Megatron. We tend to get a bit….testy before we have to be dragged outside."
"How so?" Megatron leaned forward in his throne, picking at the slowly repairing wound in his head.
"Skywarp goes a little…homicidal. Thundercracker…..withdrawn and unagreeable," Starscream paused. "I would hate to see what our resident Lady Seeker becomes like….."
Megatron was silent for several very tense kliks, in which his optics dimmed and refocused several times. Finally he nodded slowly.
"You may have dawn until dusk next solar cycle. I will punish you severely if you are not back on base on time, Starscream."
"Yes, master. Thank you, master. You won't regret it at all, my lord!" Starscream bowed himelf out of the throne room.
'And neither shall I.'
Soundwave dragged Saberstorm from her bed in the final joors of the lunar cycle. It was almost easy for the mech; she didn't smack him away or kick him. He just pulled her from her the berth, and she stood there for a second…..until she just dropped to the ground and curled into a ball, venting out a yawn.
Soundwave shook his helm, amused, before prodding at her through the bond they shared.
/Get up/
/Noooooooo/
/Starscream is waiting./
One of Saberstorm's optics flickering on and she stared up at him. Venting heavily, she pushed herself to her pedes and brushed herself off.
/Go risnse off that dirt, femme./ Soundwave lifted a single digit and pointed it towards their washrack. Saberstorm sulked through the doorway, and seconds later the rush of water – followed by a short yelp – signaled that the Seeker femme was actually doing what he said.
She emerged slightly wet, but clean, and Soundwave ushered her out into the hall. Skywarp was just rounding the corner, obviously having come to get her, as Soundwave shut the door.
"Stormy!" Skywarp exclaimed, bouncing towards her. The purple and black mech pulled her off her pedes into a huge hug and she smiled at his exuberance. "I've missed you soooooooo much! Come on, come on, come on! Starscream has lots of fun things planned for us today! I'm so excited! Are you excited!? Of course you are!"
The purple and black mech continued to babble on, pulling Saberstorm by the servo behind him. He led them outside, where Starscream and Thundercracker were grumbling to each other and throwing nasty looks at the Seeker Twins, who were obviously conversing through their bond. Skywarp pulled her over to his brothers and – grinning – pulled her forward. Saberstorm rolled her optics at the mech as she stumbled forward, nearly falling if it were not for Thundercracker's arm catching her.
"Careful, Skywarp," The blue mech glanced down at her, smirking as her cooling fans spluttered. "You're handling precious cargo."
"Oops." Skywarp pouted. "Sorry, Stormy!"
She shook her helm good-naturedly and straightened, fixing her optics on Starscream, who was smirking. "And where are we going, Screamer?"
"You'll see."
The sound of six swift transformations rang through the air, and seconds later, six jet engines were roaring away.
Ellie was ready to face the day. Kind of.
The mocha-skinned woman blinked her green eyes up at the dark ceiling of her new room, and then blindly reached over to flick on her bedside light.
It lit up the plain off-white walls, and she swung her feet down onto plain tiled flooring, crossing to the equally plain bathroom. Her clothes were put away in the brown dresser, her various knick-knacks stored or placed carefully. Several pictures sat on top of the dresser, showing Ellie's parents, and her uncle and aunt with their kids, and pictures of her and Leon.
After showering carefully – leg shaving included – Ellie pulled on her uniform and headed out the door to start her work day.
Her room was placed close to her Medical Bay, but out of the way. In order to get where she was going, Ellie had to pass by where Prowl, Wheeljack and Ratchet were attempting to set up communications and their surveillance. It was taking slightly longer than expected for them to put it back together, mainly because the Decepticons had actually done something smart for once and destroyed as much of their equipment as they could; thus, rendering themselves a bit of a vacation while the Autobots attempted to salvage and restore what they could to get systems back online.
And of course, this was Wheeljack, Ratchet and Prowl. Wheeljack kept breaking things, Ratchet was a medic, and Prowl was incredibly OCD and currently twitchy with annoyance.
Ellie shook her head as she strode past, blocking out the sounds of Wheeljack and Ratchet arguing. She swiped her key card through the sensor and stepped inside, blocking the sounds of the argument out with her door.
The mocha skinned woman booted up her computer and logged into her emails. She had two: a self-reminder to round up a few of the new recruits for initial check-ups, and a warning from Lennox that there was a mission to check out one of the last spots their scanners had detected a Decepticon, and medical attention would possibly be required.
Ellie sighed heavily, staring blankly at her screen before she shook her head and started for the cafeteria, trying to block the image of Leon's things being shut behind the door of a storage unit. By the end of packing, she and Will were to emotionally drained to deal with any of Leon's things, and had opted to put them in a self-storage locker until they could deal with it again. Ellie felt a bit guilty, but didn't want to touch the boxes.
The medic heaved a sigh, grabbed a cup of coffee and an apple and headed back for her office, knowing it was going to be a long day.
Saberstorm's day – on the other servo – just kept getting better.
She and the other five Seekers had flown all morning with no destination in mind, had stopped for a lunch of chilled Energon in the Himalayas, and Starscream was currently leading the Seekers towards the country of Japan.
::Starscream, where are we going?:: -Saberstorm
::You'll see, femme. Enough with the questioning!:: -Starscream
Their faster-than-human-design alt-modes roared over the ocean, and then the trees and Starscream finally started slowing. He sent a data burst of their landing coordinates, and then angled himself down. The Trine leader transformed and landed with a flourish, joined shortly by his brothers, the femme, and the Seeker Twins.
Saberstorm peered around, lifting an optic ridge. The group had landed near the top of a mountain in Japan, far enough away from human civilization that there would be no worry of them being spotted. Starscream had landed them in a large clearing of stone and snow, with several large trees several metres away from where they were standing.
In front of them was an enormous pool of water, steaming in the frigid air, large enough the group of them could sit with ease. It was deep enough for them to be mostly submerged too.
"This," Starscream spread out his arms. "Is a hot spring. Completely inaccessible by human pests, but we'll have to put up with the monkeys."
Saberstorm's optics landed on a group of completely unworried white creatures – monkeys – sitting in a smaller natural pool.
"Monkeys!" Skywarp cried, bouncing forward to look at them.
"The water," Saberstorm glanced at Starscream, who immediately turned to face her. "It will not damage us in any way?"
"Not at all." He chuckled, allowing her to go first. Saberstorm gave him a wary look but carefully made her way into the water. Her wings jolted up in surprise and then wiggle, causing an engine to splutter and a cooling vent to start behind her.
"This is lovely." Saberstorm purred, seating herself on one of the convenient rocks in the middle of hot spring. Her crimson optics rose to look at the four Seeker staring at her. "Aren't you going to join me?"
"Monkeys." Skywarp demanded, seating himself near the smaller creatures and watching them with childish fascination. However, Starscream, Thundercracker, Dreadwing, and Skyquake all slowly made their way in.
Saberstorm slid deeper into the water, curling her arms around the rock she'd been seated on. Starscream chuckled at the sight she made. Only the top of her helm and her wings poked out of the water, and he took a snapshot to store away in his processor.
Contentedly, the five Seekers lounged; Starscream and Thundercracker preening each other, Dreadwing and Skyquake oozing mechliness, and Saberstorm purring and cooing every so often. Skywarp had made friends with several of the primates, and was cooing at them as he dipped his digits into the smaller hot spring.
Thundercracker's optics, which had been shuttered off at this point, suddenly flickered on again, attaching themselves to Saberstorm, who had been trying to watch Skywarp be adorable, but was having issues seeing him. She had conveniently chosen the spot where Skywarp was mostly hidden from view by a large boulder, and Thundercracker knew immediately how to help.
"Saberstorm," He drawled, drawing her attention. "Come here; you'll be able to see 'warp better."
The dark purple femme didn't hesitate and made her way over, looking carefully for a place to seat herself. Thundercracker smirked as she momentarily looked away from him. Lunging forward, he hooked his servos around the tops of her knee joints and pulled her onto his lap, giving her the perfect view of Skywarp.
She let out a squeal of surprise, and then she shuddered, pressing her frame down on Thundercracker, who'd had drawn the upper portion of her previously heated frame out of the water.
"Sneaky Seeker." She hissed, wiggling a little and glaring playfully. He smirked at her, and then grinned when Starscream appeared behind her, rubbing at her wings with warmer-than-normal servos. The femme practically melted into a pile of goo, shuttering her optics off with a content vent and resting her helm on Thundercracker's shoulder.
/She fits rather nicely there, 'screamer/ He muttered through the bond, fixing the Seeker twins with an I-win look. They glared back.
Skywarp looked up at the bond-speak, shuttering his optics at the scene before he slyly went back to playing with the monkeys.
Starscream and Thundercracker shared mischievous looks and their servos started brushing closer to inappropriate places. One of Starscream's pointed digits slipped beneath her armor and teased at a wire he knew was sensitive. Saberstorm shuddered against them.
"What," She hissed out air as Thundercracker's digits drifted over her aft. "Are you doing?"
"Noth-" Starscream began, only to be cut off suddenly by a large gold hand shoving him under the water. Mind, he got a lovely view of the femme's aft before it too vanished.
"They are trying to…." Dreadwing was clearly floundering for the appropriate word.
"Seduce me?" Saberstorm seemed to have shaken out of the stupor she'd been in. Her delicate lip plates were curled into a displeased expression, and she shook her helm. "Not unsurprising. Have you seen me?"
Dreadwing fixed a heavy scarlet gaze on the femme Seeker, making her vent with a shiver. "Yes."
She smirked.
::SEEKERS!:: - Megatron
Starscream gulped comically. "Oops…"
The Seekers had all turned to look at the SIC, now an unpleasant mixture of curious and slightly annoyed.
::Yes, my lord?:: -Starscream
::YOU ARE TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY!:: - Megatron
::My lord?:: -Dreadwing
::I gave you until dusk, Starscream. It is far past dusk.:: - Megatron
The Seekers all glanced up at the sun, which still hung high enough to give them several more hours. Saberstorm was who rescued them.
::My lord, there's been a misunderstanding.:: -Saberstorm
::Explain.:: -Megatron
::Lord Megatron, assuming you gave us from dawn until dusk, I presume you meant dawn-until-dusk via the sun's arc through the African sky? Where we are currently, there are still several hours of daylight, thus, it is not dusk where we are yet. Our apologies, Lord Megatron, we will return immediately and take whatever punishment you deem fit.:: -Saberstorm
The public line went completely silent and Saberstorm slid gracefully from Dreadwing's clutch, climbing out of the water, shaking the liquid from her wings and shooing the monkeys away from their new climbing frame. Skywarp pouted, but followed after the femme as she gestured for the mechs in the hot spring to follow.
"Come on then. The sooner we get there the less harsh his punishment will be."
Megatron scowled at the six Seekers standing before him varying states of distraught postures. Starscream was groveling - as per usual - , Thundercracker looked slightly ashamed, and Skywarp was scuffing his foot on the ground; Dreadwing, Skyquake, and Saberstorm were all in standing with their servos behind their backs, calmly waiting for their leader to dole out punishment.
"Starscream," Megatron drawled, picking at his head wound. "You and your Trine are banished to this pitiful planet's Northernmost coordinates for five solar cycles."
"Yes, my lord." Thundercracker answered in the position of Starscream.
"Dreadwing, Skyquake….you may both return to your positions immediately and continue directing the next operations of the plan." Both mechs nodded stiffly, and excused themselves.
"Saberstorm, extended training…" The Decepticon leader paused a moment. "And an orn of helping Knockout in the Medical Bay. Get out of my sight…all of you."
"Favouritism." Starscream muttered at the femme, who rolled her optics and headed towards the Med-Bay with no complaint.
Knockout watched the Decepticon heir with optics that were heavy with curiosity. They ghosted over her elegant wings and long leg-struts, lingering on her finely crafted aft. His optics drifted to her long digits, and then along her supple back.
Saberstorm, formerly the human Auto-pet Leon, was a wonderfully crafted creation….and Knockout couldn't help but wonder if she could….if her valve actually functioned properly. She had all the parts, salvaged from the fem-bots that had died in the last battle; valve, sparkling-chambers, the proper wiring and programming in her processor.
But Knockout wondered if everything functioned…and if she'd used them yet.
"Knockout." Saberstorm said, drawing him from less-than-appropriate thoughts. "I'm done."
The red medic sidled around her and peered down at the lesser 'con on the med-berth. He'd come in dented and scratched, with a leak in a minor Energon cable; mostly superficial but damaging enough to warrant a trip to the Med-Bay. Knockout had given Saberstorm the metaphorical reins on the operation, and from what he was observing, she'd done a decent job. Little digits were good for repairing, and creating, small wounds.
"Ah, excellent job, Saberstorm." Knockout purred. "My seal of approval on this one."
"I can leave then!?" The cannon-fodder asked, twitching towards the edge of the berth.
"Who said you could speak?" Saberstorm hissed over her shoulder.
"Sorry, milady."
Knockout quirked an optic ridge, glancing at Saberstorm and then down at the 'con on the berth. "Sometimes I forget you're the heir to Decepticon throne."
Saberstorm rolled her crimson optics, stepping out the way towards the sanitization basin, where she rinsed her servos of Energon and spun back to face him.
"You," Knockout addressed the cannon-fodder. "Can leave."
"Right away, sir."
"Saberstorm," The red mech orated, questioning in his tone. "Tell me, as your medic…have you ever…."
She looked him quizzically, though the red mech's backstrut was turned. He was avoiding facing her, that much she could tell, seeing how he was picking at leftover Energon on the berth before him.
"What I'm trying to get out is…Frag it all." He turned to face her. "Have you interfaced?"
Saberstorm reeled back, shuttering her optics in a startled manner as her cheek plates radiated heat. Her processor searched through her data banks, trying to recall a time she'd ever interfaced with a mech or femme. When her search came up blank, she frowned slightly before shaking her helm.
"Not that I can recall….."
"I see." The Decepticon medic hummed, tapping one of his digits against his lower facial plate. "As your medic: Does everything function correctly? I mean, I gave you a quick once over when you first arrived here. "
"I…Well…..." She muttered, shifting her wings awkwardly behind her.
Conveniently for Saberstorm, the door to the Medbay hissed open, revealing Dreadwing in all his gold and blue glory. The femme in the room vented in relief, and peered at the hulking mech with curiosity.
"Ah, Dreadwing," Knockout smiled through gritted denta at the Seeker. "What can we help you with?"
The mech squeezed himself through the doorway, giving it a dirty glare as he did so, before he fixed his optics down at the pair who had been cooped the Medbay. It took him several moments of contemplation before he lowered himself onto a patient stool and scowled.
"I have twisted a wire in my wing strut. Fix it."
Knockout made to move forward but was stopped by the hand Dreadwing held up in his direction. The medic lifted an optic ridge.
"Not you." The blue-and-gold mech rumbled. "Her."
Saberstorm shuttered her optics and then moved forward, carefully easing herself between his massive wings. The femme bit her bottom lip plate, her servos hovering nervously near her chest, before she lowered them to her back.
"Are you sure you want me to do it, Dreadwing?" She asked softly, servos resting on his backstrut. "Knockout knows much more of the medical field than I do, and I'm sure-"
"No. You will do it." The femme nodded though her patient couldn't see it, and her digits slipped beneath the plating near the base of his wings. Dreadwing shuddered, though Knockout seemed not to notice.
Saberstorm, being a Seeker herself, knew exactly how sensitive a Seeker's wires were, especially around and in the wings. Logically, her processor understood that she was the better option for the repair; her smaller digits caused less discomfort, and her Seeker coding knew what would hurt most and how to help most appropriately. However, as she searched carefully for the twisted wire, she wondered if perhaps Dreadwing had chosen her because she was a femme. And if the way he'd been eyeing her was any indication, a rather attractive one at that.
Her digits grazed a wire, and she let out a small triumphant noise as Dreadwing grunted, pushing his wings towards her to try and block her from causing more pain. Her servo instinctively rose and pressed against the wing closest to her, gently pushing it away while sliding her servo towards its base to hold it away from the digits that had almost been crushed by its movement.
"Try to hold still." She muttered, loosening the plate around the base of his wing to give her better access. Her digits dipped back into the clump of wires and quickly sought out the twisted one, guiding it away from the debris it had hooked itself around and smoothing it out. The small piece of shrapnel exited along with her nimble digits.
The Seeker femme dropped the shrapnel into one of the many disposal containers in the room and moved to rinse her servos off in the sanitization basin. Knockout moved around the large Seeker mech to scan his temporary assistant's job. However, as he activated his scanners, Dreadwing smoothly stood from his seat and advanced on the femme, meeting her halfway.
She lifted an optic ridge at her fellow Seeker. One of Dreadwing's servos loop itself around her small waist and yanked her towards him. Knockout was not the only one to suddenly intake air as Dreadwing lowered his lip plates quickly onto Saberstorm's.
Knockout's scarlet optics remained fixated on the pair, watching as large silver hands curled around large hips and her own long-digited servos curl against his chassis. Wings twitching, pedes shifting, servos drifting closer to inappropriate places, soft vents from the still unexperienced femme, and a low rumble of mechliness from the blue-and-gold Seeker.
Finally, Knockout averted his optics, shifting his weight. A murmured thank you and then heavy pede-steps to the Medbay door, before a very contented vent came from Saberstorm's direction.
"To answer your earlier question," She purred. "I believe they do."
Obviously, I've posted. I tried to post a long chapter, but I'm really busy at the moment with work, and graduating, and applying for college. I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed, but I was determined to finish this chapter today, and by golly, I've done it.
Other news involving me: Writers block is not fun. Neither is stress.
I hope none of you kill me, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter.