"Anything of interest going on?"
Red Alert sat up on his chair and turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. Smokescreen was indeed standing at the threshold, regarding the security chief with curious optics.
"Nothing so far," Red Alert replied with a shake of his head. "Then again, it's still early," he added under his breath as he locked his gaze back on the monitors.
Smokescreen chuckled knowingly. "Still pessimistic as always? You should loosen up a bit; you'll live longer."
"We'll all live longer if I keep an open optic here," Red Alert pointed out dryly, and he pressed a button on the controls. The images in the monitors changed at once, revealing other parts of the Ark to the two onlookers. "So… today is the big day?"
Smokescreen nodded; he understood perfectly well what Red Alert was talking about. "I'm here, aren't I?" he said, stepping further inside to have a look at the monitors too. "The question now is: where is she?"
Red Alert pressed another button and the monitor on the far left revealed Faera near the entrance of the Ark. She was sitting on a rock, the sunbeams practically showering her black form.
"I don't know much about her kind, but they seem to be creatures of habit," Red Alert said. "After that first day, this is always the spot she picks in order to feed."
Smokescreen raised an optic ridge at that. "You make it sound as though it's a bad thing."
"It isn't," Red Alert admitted. "But I don't know what kind of psychological profile you'll manage to make if she repeats her every action day after day like she's performing a ritual."
"Oh, you'd be surprised," Smokescreen answered, a grin forming on his lips. "It proves that she's an orderly and methodical creature, one that prefers rigorous structure in her activities because it gives her a sense of security."
"Security?" Red Alert echoed. "What kind of security?"
"Against uncertainty."
Red Alert frowned momentarily, taking in Smokescreen's words. "Are you telling me she's nervous?"
Smokescreen hummed his affirmation. "Very nervous for that matter."
The Lamborghini looked at the relaxed Sadjen in the monitor. "She certainly doesn't look like it."
"Typical. Like any good gambler, she's hiding her weak hand," Smokescreen said. "Soldiers aren't supposed to show their flaws, Red. You know that."
"That only shows that she doesn't trust us," Red Alert replied thoughtfully.
"Do you trust her?"
Red Alert didn't answer. Smokescreen smiled, since he had made his point.
"We're all wary in the face of the unknown; it's a natural defence mechanism. It takes time and a few small steps of good faith to overcome that kind of fear," the blue Datsun said. "Did you know she was in the company of the Twins and Bumblebee yesterday?"
Red Alert nodded. "I've heard them talking to Inferno and Warpath about it. I'm not surprised that Bumblebee likes her, being the first one to have met her and all, but… I never thought Sideswipe and Sunstreaker would be that accepting."
Smokescreen chuckled. "Well, Sunstreaker did say that she'd better keep her claws trimmed when she's near him."
"You know what I mean," Red Alert said with a huff. His conversation with Smokescreen was cut short, however, for he noticed movement close to Faera. "There's Prowl."
"And not alone," Smokescreen added at the sight of Mirage, Hound and Trailbreaker following the tactician. "Let the games begin."
-----------------
"A test?" Faera asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked curiously at the four Autobots.
"Affirmative," Prowl answered. He kept his tone business-like, just as it was appropriate under the circumstances. "One of the Autobots' requirements is their ability to scout, and we're going to examine yours."
The Sadjen nodded her understanding. "I see. And what am I supposed to track down?"
"Us," Trailbreaker said cheerily, and he pointed at himself, Mirage and Hound. "And I have to warn you, we don't plan on going easy on you."
She smirked. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"First things first," Prowl declared, wishing to get back to schedule. "Before we begin, is there anything you want to request?"
"Just one thing," Faera answered. "I will have to smell Hound, Mirage and Trailbreaker separately."
"Fair enough," the tactician said. "Go ahead."
Faera didn't have to be told twice. She immediately changed to her alternate form and stepped close to Trailbreaker. She approached him cautiously, waiting for his permission first, which Trailbreaker gave with a nod. He was intrigued when she buried her muzzle in his palm, sniffing it gently; nevertheless he said nothing. Hound smiled and let her smell his own palms without any sign of discomfort, since he was familiar with that kind of behaviour from his outings at the nearby forest - studying the animals there had its advantages. Mirage, on the other hand, seemed a bit wary, but he allowed her to come closer nonetheless. She regarded him in a reassuring manner, then took a couple of sniffs before finally sitting on her hind legs.
Prowl understood. It was time for the test to begin.
"Close you eyes and hum softly to yourself while everyone goes to his position. I'll let you know when you can start your search."
She grunted her acknowledgment and, bowing her head slightly, she closed her eyes. When a continuous rumbling sound started emanating from her throat, all Autobots except for Prowl drove off, while the tactician made a few notes in his datapad. A minute passed, then two, and then he took out of subspace a chronometer.
"Faera."
She didn't react, something that took Prowl by surprise. Soon, however, he realised what the problem was, so he gently tapped her shoulder.
The rumble ceased and she looked up at him, her tail swinging as she hardly contained her eagerness. Prowl allowed himself a small smile and gave his order.
"Go and get them."
Faera's eyes flashed and she stood up. Now that the test was officially on, Prowl started the chronometer and took a few steps back to watch the Sadjen make a few circles, sniffing the ground. Whatever scent she picked up was certainly strong because, at the next moment, Faera let out a low growl and ran off at top speed. Prowl transformed and followed her in his alternate mode, though he made sure he kept his distance so as not to disrupt the test.
They didn't have to go too far. Soon enough, Faera made a bee-line to an innocent-looking enough rock formation without so much as hesitating. Hound's hologram vanished and the scout revealed himself, chuckling heartily when the panther-esque creature stood on her hind legs and rested her front ones on his chestplate. Faera's eyes reflected her amusement as she regarded Hound with a perfectly readable "Gotcha!" expression on her animal features.
"Yeah, you got me," Hound replied, patting her neck. "Guess there's no fooling your nose, is there?"
"The test is far from over," Prowl pointed out, still in his car mode. Still, he couldn't help but admit to himself that it was an impressive start. "You still have to find Mirage and Trailbreaker, Faera."
Faera nodded. She faced Hound again and, after swaying her tail once in a gesture of goodbye, she was off again. This time, Prowl followed Faera in the company of Hound, who was curious to see how fast Faera would locate the next Autobot.
- Hmm… if my indications are correct, it looks like she's after Mirage this time, - Prowl commented in the secret frequency.
- Heh. If she finds him in less than five minutes, he'll never live it down, - Hound replied, his cheerfulness quite audible in his tone. – His pride has already been hurt once. -
Prowl sighed. He recalled that incident only too well, back when Hound and Mirage had to pass their own tests in order to become Autobots.
- You found him that easily because he underestimated you and he didn't know of your own little ability with the holograms, - Prowl said. – For his sake, let's hope he won't repeat his mistake. -
- Come on, Prowl, why are you saying that? – Hound asked, not really understanding.
- It will only mean that he's learned nothing in all these years as an Autobot. –
It was then that they saw Faera coming to a sudden stop. Seeming surprised, she circled the ground a few times to sniff it thoroughly and got ready to head to the right; but then her eyes widened in what seemed like realisation and so she turned around, running to the left.
- That was unexpected, - Prowl noted.
- Looks like Mirage did learn from his mistake. He headed to the right, then put on the reverse and sped to the left, - Hound replied, explaining matters to Prowl.
- Intriguing, - Prowl admitted. - However, the tire-prints alone must have given him away. Not to mention that the tracks to the right would be more deeply etched.–
- That's what Faera must have figured out, too, - Hound said. He paused for a moment as he considered something carefully. – You know… something tells me that she's done this sort of thing before. She moves with the air of someone who knows what she's doing. –
- Well enough to consider it a sort of game, – Prowl agreed. - It could have been a favourite challenge among her people. –
- Maybe even in childhood, - Hound said. – Cubs often practise their future skills in the form of a game. –
- I don't think she would describe her childhood as being a cub, - Prowl said, a tinge of tease audible in his voice. - However, your reasoning makes sense. Now it remains to be seen how good she was at that game. –
Prowl got his answer at the next moment, for Faera stopped close to a shallow river and started sniffing the ground again. She blinked her puzzlement and she sniffed the ground to make sure she had made no mistake, only to blink again.
- She lost his scent, - Hound said.
Prowl slowed down, regarding the Sadjen curiously as she made circles, trying to pick up Mirage's scent again. - Strange. And my sensors don't detect him anywhere. –
- He must be in his invisibility cloak, - Hound said.
- Without a doubt, - Prowl agreed. – The question is… why hasn't she found him yet? –
Just then, the two Autobots saw Faera crouching so close to the ground that she was practically crawling, her ears laying flat on her head. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her tail swayed so wildly that it was almost as if it had a life of its own. Prowl wasn't sure what to make of that kind of behaviour, but Hound was certainly intrigued by it. He put on the brakes at once and signalled the tactician to do the same.
- You know what she's up to? – Prowl asked curiously.
- Yup. And, I gotta tell you, Mirage just got busted, – Hound answered, his grin very audible in his voice. Indeed, when Faera pounced into the water, very much like a wild cat after its prey, there was a great splash and a yelp of surprise. Moments later, Mirage appeared, revealing that the Sadjen had sprawled on his lap so that he wouldn't try to escape.
"And Round Two is officially over," Hound commented.
Mirage hardly paid attention to his friend's tease. He simply sighed, and shook his head to rid himself of some water before turning to the Sadjen.
"You got me," he admitted half-heartedly. "But you'd better get off me now."
Faera complied and slowly got up. Droplets of clear liquid trickled down her ebony form as she walked out off the water, the sunlight giving the impression that her exoskeleton was studded with small precious jewels. But that illusion was soon gone as she shuddered violently, shaking off the excess water off her back. She watched as Mirage got back on his feet, and she cast him an apologetic look.
Mirage, however, smiled politely in her direction. "You found me fair and square. It was a good match."
Prowl supposed he should have expected it. Though Mirage didn't like losing, he also knew the rules of good sportsmanship; it went with belonging to a formerly well-known aristocratic circle in Iacon. So, it was only gentlemanly to praise his fellow adversary for his victory.
It was a gesture that was certainly appreciated. Faera answered with a polite bow of her head, reciprocating Mirage's courtesy as it was appropriate, and then she looked at Prowl expectantly.
The tactician smiled knowingly, understanding what she asked him.
"Yes, you may continue."
She set off again, while all three Autobots followed closely behind once more.
- So… how long did it take Faera to find Mirage? – Hound asked curiously.
- Five minutes and fifteen seconds – Prowl answered.
- Good. At least I wasn't that easy to find this time, - Mirage noted, directing his sensors in Hound's direction.
Though Hound said nothing, his engine revving loudly was enough indication that he was stifling his laughter.
- Incidentally, why did you dive into the water, Mirage? – Prowl asked. It was a tactic that the Datsun hadn't witnessed before, and he was quite intrigued by it.
Mirage chuckled. - I saw it in a movie. The convict dived in the river so that the police dogs would lose his scent, - he said. – Of course, it worked better for the convict than me, but it was worth the shot. –
- Well, the convict didn't have alien animals with deductive abilities after him, - Hound pointed out with an audible grin. – And, besides, she hasn't found Trailbreaker yet. -
- She just has, – Prowl said.
Sure enough, all three Autobots could see Faera currently running towards a picnic resort, where humans were enjoying a nice sunny day with their families.
- Oh no… - Mirage said.
- We'd better do something, - Hound said. – If the humans see her in her animal form… -
Prowl, however, still drove on calmly. - It's fine. –
Hound and Mirage's engines choked in stunned surprise.
- Are you serious?! – Mirage exclaimed. – Faera probably won't harm anyone, but the humans will panic at the sight of her for sure! -
- I'm aware of that, - the tactician replied. – Nevertheless, we'll wait. –
- Wait for what? – Hound asked, confused.
Prowl didn't get the chance to answer. Faera came to an abrupt halt, for it was then that she realised just where Trailbreaker hid. Her tail swayed in thought as she regarded the humans from a distance, her body stiff and unmoving.
No. If she wanted to reach Trailbreaker and so end the test, she would have to take a different approach. Prowl was sure that that was exactly what the Sadjen was thinking.
Good. Let's see if you'll figure out the rest of the puzzle.
Faera did. After taking cover to a rock formation nearby, she changed to her human form and then approached the resort, a friendly smile on her face.
"Good morning," she said, and she knelt down with her palms facing upwards in a gesture of peace.
All humans stared at her in disbelief, their eyes wide open. Faera didn't seem worried in the least though. She just scratched her head in an embarrassed manner.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose this is the first time you've seen me around here. My name is Faera and I've been living with the Autobots these last couple of days or so and…"
Those were the magic words, apparently, because all the children at the resort pricked up their ears and rushed at her amid exclamations of "Cool!" and "Awesome!" The parents watched on, mortified, but Faera didn't do anything except stay where she was, still smiling.
"You don't look like a Transformer! Where are you from?"
"Hey, can you change forms, too?"
"Do you know Tracks? I think he's the greatest!"
Despite getting bombarded by all those questions, Faera answered to all of them like a kind, patient teacher addressing her students. And, when she informed the children that three Autobots were with her as well, every boy and girl went ecstatic and rushed to Prowl, Hound and Mirage. Even some of the parents seemed more at ease to see the three Autobots transforming into their robot mode and walk up to Faera's side; it was enough proof that Faera was, in fact, friendly.
"Why are you here?" a little girl with pigtails asked the Sadjen, looking up at her through intelligent blue eyes.
"Ah, now we come to it," Faera answered, green eyes shining brilliantly. "Do you know Trailbreaker?"
All the children shouted yes.
"He's a Toyota Hilux, just like my dad's car!" a ten-year-old boy exclaimed.
"Is he?" Faera's lips tugged to a grin. "Well, he decided to play a little joke on me, so he hid amid your parents' cars to see if I can find him."
"He's here too?!" Another boy, no more than eight years old, asked.
"Yes, he is," Faera said with a chuckle. "How about we all go looking for him?"
She didn't have to ask again. Cries of joy filled the air, and the children ran to find any car that even remotely resembled Trailbreaker so that Faera could sniff out the hiding Autobot. Though some cars weren't Toyotas, or even black, to begin with, she nevertheless played along, sniffing and then comically shaking her head to signify that that wasn't the right car.
Prowl couldn't help it. He smiled as he watched Faera and the children searching, reminding him of the games he used to play as a sparkling. And he actually grinned when Hound and Mirage locked their gazes on him, their optics wide as they realised something.
"You and Trailbreaker had planned this all along!" Hound exclaimed.
Prowl decided there was no point in denying anything. He nodded.
"But why?" Mirage asked. "I thought the idea was that she passed the test."
"Not at the expense of others," Prowl pointed out. "We had to be sure that she respected human life."
Of course, what Prowl didn't say was that he had expected Faera to stop the search altogether rather than pull that kind of stunt. And, as Trailbreaker's cry of surprise and laughter reached his audios, the tactician had to admit it now.
Faera had just passed the first test with flying colours.
Starscream walked into the main control room, certain that he would find Megatron there, plotting as always. Sure enough, he immediately caught sight of the Decepticon leader sitting on his chair and looking with interest at the monitors. And, by the way Megatron had his upper lip curled in distaste, the air commander knew what was on those monitors.
"I see Reflector and Ravage have been busy," he commented. "What have our dear Autobot friends been up to today?"
"Obviously playing hide and seek with little flesh creatures," Megatron replied, and he turned off the monitor in disgust. As soon as that matter was settled, he turned around and faced the air-commander. "What have you got to report, Starscream?"
Starscream smirked. "There has been quite some progress. The Sadjen might not like us, but he hates her more. As long as he remembers that, he will be a valuable asset to the Decepticon cause."
Megatron's optics narrowed at those words and he stepped dangerously close to the air commander. "If you think that that's enough reason for him not to attack us when our backs are turned, you're an even bigger idiot than I thought, Starscream. I want that insolent beast to live in fear every single moment of his existence. I want him to do my bidding, or risk facing a wrath so terrible that he'll wish for death. I want him to cower at the mere sight of me. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Megatron," Starscream answered, trying to hide his own fear from his voice. Being afraid of the leader was one of the first rules he had to learn when he had joined the Decepticons. Because what a leader could give to his follower, from credits to glory, he could just as easily take away – along with said follower's life.
If there was one thing Starscream was good at, however, it was to survive. And this time wouldn't be an exception either.
"There's something that we can use to control him," he said.
"Oh?" Megatron crossed his arms, warning the air commander to be very careful of what he would say next.
"Yes," Starscream replied, nodding nervously. "But I'll need the Constructicons' plans for the energy magnet."
"And why would you need the plans for that old thing?" Megatron asked.
"A Sadjen's core is like a Cybertronian's spark," Starscream explained, "It's made of concentrated energy that gives him his life, his personality and all those traits and quirks that define him as an individual, intelligent being."
"You'd better have a reason for telling me all this," the Decepticon leader declared impatiently.
"I do," Starscream answered. "With proper use, the energy magnet could keep him drained, weakened and unable to short-circuit us."
"And as strong as we want him to be in order to fight the Autobots," Megatron mused. He rubbed his chin in thought for several moments, then finally reached his decision. "Very well, Starscream. The plans for the energy magnet are yours to do with them as you please. But I want you to inform me as soon as you've finished with your project. I want to test your plans'… efficiency."
"Of course, oh wise leader," Starscream said.
"Good. You may leave then."
Starscream nodded his compliance and exited the room, leaving Megatron alone to his plotting once more. He had to see to his leader's order, after all.
He hadn't lied to Megatron. The energy magnet would control Ebon quite successfully – but not entirely. The Sadjen's core was a lot more powerful than a Cybertronian's spark, and the amounts it produced could be terrible; the air commander had deduced that much after having Soundwave do a primary scanning on the comatose alien. That meant that the Decepticons would have to keep adjusting the magnet's settings in order to have Ebon under constant control… or make sure that Ebon's energy was always depleted. Starscream could think two ways to do that off the top of his head, and he was sure both of them would keep Megatron happy.
Starscream didn't mind though. He had his own secret weapon against the Sadjen, and it was more efficient than the energy magnet. And Starscream intended to keep the electrum blade with him at all times, threatening to use it when Ebon proved difficult in his handling. For Megatron was correct about one thing: Ebon could only be controlled through fear.
Starscream smiled cruelly. If everything went according to plan, then it wouldn't be long before Ebon finally killed Faera and destroyed the unprotected Autobots. Then the Decepticons would be victorious, and the energy of Earth would be theirs to take. Cybertron would be revitalised, and a new Golden Age would begin.
Pity Megatron wouldn't be there to see it. Powerful leader or no, he wouldn't stand a chance against the angered, vengeful Sadjen that Starscream would turn against him once the time was right. And, when the air commander established himself as the new, unquestionable leader of the Decepticons, Ebon would have served his purpose also. It would be so gratifying to run his blade through the black exoskeleton and see the creature's life extinguish before his very optics, victorious at last.
Yes… those plans sounded very promising indeed.
TBC...