When Perceptor had first arrived on Earth, he had chosen the microscope as his alternate mode because he had intended to study the organic life forms of planet Earth. However, he had forgotten in his enthusiasm that he couldn't travel the same way his fellow Autobots did while in that particular mode. His cannon mode wasn't all that helpful in that department either, since the only Autobot who didn't overtake him while in motion was Blaster. That was why he preferred to have a ride while venturing far away from the Ark. Skyfire and Wheeljack especially always offered their friend a lift, aware of how much it meant to Perceptor.
Today wasn't one of those days though. Faera didn't seem to mind walking, so both Autobot and Sadjen were currently on foot, heading towards a clearing a little further away from the base. She kept her hands behind her back in a carefree manner, and her gaze kept drifting at her surroundings whenever she heard or smelled something of interest. Perceptor couldn't help but watch the Sadjen, wondering what was in her mind as she tilted her head or stopped on her tracks, her nostrils twitching subtly.
"This planet is quite amazing," she said with a smile, as if she read his thoughts. "Just when I think I've learned all there is to know about it, I discover some new scent or sound that makes me feel as ignorant as on the first day I landed here."
Perceptor smiled at that statement. "Yes, I believe I know what you mean. Earth holds many secrets, awaiting someone to discover them," he said, his fingers running absentmindedly through the foliage of an evergreen tree. "It's also one of the reasons that we wish to protect Earth from the Decepticons' greed."
"I understand," the Sadjen said, nodding. Even so, Perceptor noticed that she was regarding him with a strange look in her eyes.
"Is something the matter?" Perceptor asked in an encouraging tone, hoping that Faera would open up to him.
Faera considered matters for a moment. "I've noticed something about you guys," she said.
"Oh?" Perceptor had to admit that he was quite intrigued now. "What exactly?"
"None of you are really soldiers."
Ah. So that was the problem.
"No, we aren't. We all had different professions before the war broke out," Perceptor said. "I used to work with Beachcomber in a lab facility in Altihex, and Wheeljack was an engineer back in Iacon."
"What about Bumblebee? And Prime?" Faera asked.
"Bumblebee, I believe, worked with Brawn and Cliffjumper in an energon distillery," Perceptor replied, "Whereas Prime worked at the docks of Iacon."
"The Twins? Ironhide? The others?"
Seeing the genuine curiosity on the Sadjen's features, Perceptor decided to indulge her, so he told her as much about his fellow Autobots' background as he was personally aware of. Faera listened to him carefully, gathering all the information like an eager student, something that didn't escape the scientist's attention. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he'd think that Faera didn't even know what sort of jobs they were. Tilting his head, he regarded her curiously.
"Pardon my asking, but… wasn't there anyone among your kind who busied himself with science or arts?"
Faera shook her head. "We were trained for one thing only, and that was to fight."
"Oh… I see…" Perceptor replied.
She smiled a bit. "We weren't driven by some kind of lust for battle, if that's what you're thinking," she said. "It was just the best way to defend our home, since we were almost constantly at war."
"With the Merkeesans?" Perceptor asked, remembering the name Faera had mentioned before.
"Among others," Faera replied. "Our planet was small and didn't offer much, but it was important strategically speaking. Sherba was at the border of several solar systems. Whoever controlled us also had easy access to the other planets, either for business or to attack from."
Perceptor frowned. "So, when those Sadjens rebelled against your Order… they meant to take over and exploit that kind of advantage themselves?"
She nodded.
"Oh dear…"
"You said it," she said with a sigh, and she looked ahead once more. "That's the clearing, isn't it?"
Perceptor blinked and looked in the same direction, only to see that Faera was right.
"Hmm… Yes," he said thoughtfully. "However, it seems that we're the first to arrive here."
"First?" Faera echoed, perplexed. "Are we waiting for someone else?"
The words barely flowed out of her lips when she tilted her head again, obviously hearing something. Perceptor tuned up his audios, and he smiled as he caught the sound of a car-engine. A few minutes later, a small car appeared from the other side of the clearing, approaching Perceptor and Faera at top speed. Warily, Faera brought herself in front of Perceptor, ready to change into her animal form, but the scientist stopped her with a reassuring pat on her shoulder.
"There's no cause for an alarm. He's a friend."
Sure enough, the car braked and transformed, revealing himself as Windcharger.
"Thank you for coming at such short notice," Perceptor said, waving the red and grey minibot in greeting.
"No problem. You've just saved me from several hours of maintenance duty," Windcharger replied, grinning broadly. He cast a brief, friendly glance in Faera's direction, then faced Perceptor once more. "So what's this assignment you've got for me?"
"It's quite simple really," the scientist replied. "We're going to test the radio transmitter on Faera, and we'll require an Autobot with your velocity in case of an unfortunate error."
"Which means?"
"Well, um… basically, you might have to retrieve Faera in case she wanders out of the radio signal's range."
"Like some robo-dog herding back home the sheepbots, huh?" the minibot said, amused.
Faera raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, missing the joke entirely. Perceptor, on the other hand, chuckled in embarrassment.
"That's the gist of the idea, though I'd probably not put it that way," he said. He clasped his hands and rubbed them together, as if declaring it was time to start talking business. "Shall we proceed then?"
"Sure thing," Windcharger said with a shrug.
"Faera?"
"I guess so," she said, shrugging as well. "Should I change to my battle raiment?"
"Of course. We've put it off long enough," the scientist said, a small smile tugging on his lip components.
That was all the reassurance the Sadjen needed. At the next moment, she was in her animal form, regarding both Autobots with intelligent yellow eyes, her ears upright on her head in an expectant manner.
"Okay… Now what?" Windcharger asked curiously.
It was then that a soft chuckle emanated from the Autobots' transmitters, startling them.
"My apologies. I thought you'd address me first," an unfamiliar voice filled the air.
Windcharger stared at Faera incredulously. Perceptor, however, leaned forward and examined the panther-esque creature from up close with a smile. He had just got his first proof that the mechanism was actually working.
"You seem pleased," Faera noted, a tilt of her head accompanying her words.
"I am," Perceptor replied truthfully. "Are you in any discomfort?"
"No," she answered. "It feels strange communicating like this, but I'll get used to it."
Windcharger checked himself, confused, then turned to the scientist as realisation caught up with him. "Is this link supposed to be at the secret frequency?"
"Actually, it's a frequency similar to the secret one. We couldn't program the standard one with the circuitry we had, but this works nicely enough." Perceptor said, still keeping his optics locked on Faera's chest-ridge. "And, all it takes for Faera to switch to the secret one is put her mind into it… sort of speak."
"It's still a low one," the minibot pointed out, "It can only work at short distances, right?"
"Ah, but that's not all there's to things," Perceptor said, standing up. "Wheeljack has built a signal-enhancer inside Faera's chip. If we're fortunate enough, this will enable Faera to communicate with us even from afar."
"And it'll work?" Windcharger asked, raising an optic ridge.
"There's only way to find out," Perceptor replied, and he turned to the Sadjen. "You may set off at your leisure, Faera."
"Alright," the synthesized voice said as Faera stood up. "Stay in touch."
With that, Faera sprinted away and, moments later, all the two Autobots could see was a small black speck on the horizon. Deeming that it was time to try out the transmitter, Perceptor opened his communication frequencies.
"Faera, this is Perceptor. Do you read?"
There was a small pause before Faera finally answered. "If you mean whether I can hear you, the answer is yes."
"Ah, of course," Perceptor said, realising his mistake. "I apologise, I'll keep any sort of jargon to a minimum."
"Don't worry about it; it's best I know anyway."
Perceptor smiled; she really was like an eager student. "Can you describe your surroundings for me, please?"
"Hold on," she said, and Perceptor was certain that the Sadjen was looking around. "There isn't much to see. The place is barren, except for a small patch of trees on my left. Pine trees, by the smell of it."
"Anything else?"
"Not really, no; it's actually pretty quiet. I'm going to investigate… "
Perceptor and Windcharger became quite alarmed when Faera's voice was suddenly cut off.
"Faera? Can you hear me?" Perceptor asked, and waited for a few moments in the hopes that she would reply. Nothing happened, though. "Faera?"
"Do you think there's something wrong with her transmitter?" Windcharger asked.
"I don't know," the scientist answered, then activated his communication frequencies again. "Faera, can you hear me?"
- Perceptor? - Faera's synthesized voice answered.
Thank Primus. Perceptor thought, relieved. Still, the fact that she used the secret frequency wasn't a good sign at all. "Is something amiss?"
- Are there supposed to be any other Autobots in the area? -
Perceptor and Windcharger exchanged a look.
"Actually, no. It's just the two of us," the scientist answered. "Why?"
- Then I smell Decepticons. -
"Oh no…" Perceptor breathed out.
"Faera, stay where you are. We're coming over," Windcharger transmitted, and transformed to his car mode. "Hop on, Perceptor!"
Perceptor did just that, holding tightly on the minibot's roof. As soon as he settled securely, Windcharger sped off in the direction Faera went. The Sadjen herself was standing close to a small rocky hill, her posture rigid and her ears flat on her head. She hardly moved even when the Autobots closed in on her, a mere twitch of her tail indicating that she had acknowledged their presence.
Perceptor scrambled down from Windcharger, who transformed quietly and knelt beside Faera.
- Got any idea where they could be? - he asked over the secret frequency, optics darting in every direction.
- The wind was blowing northeast when I picked up the scent; they must be behind there, - Faera answered, head nodding to her right.
Windcharger and Perceptor looked discreetly in the same direction, seeing that there was indeed a natural covering of rocks that could serve as a hiding spot for any spy. Perceptor walked slowly towards the minibot and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, in a seemingly casual way.
- This falls into your line of work, I believe, - the scientist transmitted.
Windcharger grinned. - It certainly does. –
Faera regarded the Autobots curiously, a low rumbling sound tilted in a question emanating from her throat. - What are you talking about? -
- Observe. It will be quite interesting, I assure you, - Perceptor said with a soft chuckle.
Faera looked at Windcharger, still uncertain. Windcharger just stretched his arms forward, visible blue surges of power coursing through his fingers, and the Sadjen's eyes widened slightly at the sound of multiple yelps of surprise and a hiss of dismay. At the next moment, three identical mechs and a panther-esque animal appeared hovering in the air, trapped by Windcharger's magnetic power. They struggled, they cursed, but it was impossible to break the field.
"Faera," Perceptor declared, "I would like you to meet Reflector and Ravage, although they can be quite the unpleasant acquaintances."
The Sadjen tilted her head, puzzled. "There are four of them."
"Well, Reflector has a tendency to consider himself as one single unit. In fact, I doubt they even remember their individual names by now," Perceptor said.
Faera blinked. "I see."
"Yeah, that's the Decepticons for you," Windcharger said, his optics never leaving his captives. "Alright, Reflector, start talking. What are you and Ravage doing here?"
"If you're so clever, Autobot, figure it out," all three mechs answered as one.
"Then allow me to rephrase my friend's question," Perceptor said, taking a step forward. "Why are you spying on us?"
Reflector didn't answer. Ravage, meanwhile, kept hissing at all three companions, obviously warning them to stay back.
"It's in your best interests if you talked," Perceptor tried again. "Once you tell us the truth, we'll let you leave unharmed."
"We'd rather just leave," Reflector answered, and they exposed their lenses on their chests. Before either of the Autobots or Faera could react, a great flash of light hit them directly on their faces, blinding them. Stunned, Windcharger dropped his magnetic field, so the Decepticons saw their chance to make their escape. Grabbing Ravage, they flew away as fast as they could, leaving their enemies behind. As far as they were concerned, their mission was now over.
Perceptor shook his head and rebooted his optics, relieved to realise that he couldn't detect any permanent damage on the particular circuitry; then turned to Windcharger and Faera.
"Are you both all right?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Windcharger replied, rebooting his optics as well.
"Hold on… I need to change back," Faera said, the discomfort visible on her features. Another, much more bearable flash of light later, Faera was back into her humanoid form and rubbing her eyes. Worried, Perceptor hurried at her side, but she waved her hand dismissively.
"It's passing," she assured him before clenching her jaw in evident indignation. "That was one cheap shot."
"Heh… If you stick around long enough, you'll get used to it," Windcharger said, patting her shoulder. "We all have."
"That's good to know, I guess," she answered. "Should we follow them?"
"No. What's done is done," Perceptor said. "Besides, we should return to the Ark and inform Optimus about the good news."
"Which is?" Faera asked.
"That your transmitter operates smoothly, of course," the scientist replied, smiling.
"Oh, right… I knew that…" the Sadjen replied, scratching her head in an embarrassed manner.
Optimus paced up and down outside the Ark, waiting for Perceptor, Windcharger and Faera to return. Since it wouldn't take long to test the efficiency of the transmitter, the Autobot leader decided that it would be best if he learned the news first hand. Besides, he also figured that it was high time he talked to Faera about the magnet. If they talked outside the Base, none of the Autobots would overhear their conversation and so they would avoid more complications such as the one with Red Alert.
It didn't make him feel any less uneasy, though. Worse, he couldn't help but wince inwardly when he finally saw Perceptor, Windcharger and Faera approaching. All three seemed in a good mood, and Windcharger was especially talkative, sharing a couple of his favourite jokes with the Sadjen.
"I take it the transmitter works?" Optimus asked, welcoming the newcomers.
"Indeed," Perceptor answered, very pleased. "And more importantly, it can operate in long distances, just as we had hoped for."
"So there were no problems," Optimus insisted.
"None whatsoever. We could hear her loud and clear the whole time," Windcharger said. "We only had one problem, and that was more or less taken care of."
"Good," Optimus said. "Prowl is inside, you can hand in your report as soon as you're finished with it."
"Of course," Perceptor said with a nod, and he walked into the base, Windcharger close on his heels. Faera was about to follow as well, but Optimus gestured at her in a discreet manner that she should stay put.
Understanding, Faera stopped on her tracks. She seemed relaxed, but her eyes locked on him as if she suspected that something was wrong.
"How does the transmitter feel?" Optimus asked.
He was stalling, he knew he was. But he honestly wanted to find a way to tell her his news.
"Like it's not even there," Faera replied, tapping her chest-ridge. "Wheeljack and Perceptor did a good job."
Optimus nodded. "That's good to hear."
Silence followed, and Optimus caught himself unsure as to how to proceed. Faera, however, got him out of the difficult situation he was in.
"You've found out something about Ebon, haven't you?"
Her tone was soft, and Optimus sensed the subtle pleading in her words. He sighed, aware that there was no turning back now, and he beckoned her.
"Walk with me."
Faera complied, her expression steeling as she braced herself for the worst.
Jazz walked inside Prowl's office, not in the least surprised to see the tactician at his desk and his optics locked on a small datapad. Despite his seemingly deep concentration, however, Prowl beckoned the saboteur closer, and even motioned his hand to a seat nearby.
Understanding, Jazz sat down, crossing his legs in a seemingly relaxed manner. In fact, he kept staring at his friend, hoping that he'd be able to detect in the usually stoic mech's expression any clue as to why Prowl asked him to come here. He couldn't see anything though. Prowl's jaw was set, his features positively neutral and perfectly unreadable. Still, Jazz knew what that meant. Prowl had called him over military matters.
"You already suspect why you're here," Prowl said, optics never leaving the datapad. Nevertheless, his features softened.
Jazz smirked and hummed in affirmation. "So how about you skip the basics and tell me the fancy details?" he asked with a tease.
Prowl nodded and handed the datapad to Jazz. "Here's the battle plan. Have a look at it and tell me what you think."
Jazz did, optics scanning all the flashing dots that specified where each Autobot would be in the battle that was going to take place at the plants. That was always how the two of them worked. Prowl would suggest the plan, and Jazz would see if there were any snags to said plan. Not when it came to tactics though; strategically speaking, Prowl's plans were never flawed. But Jazz provided further insight because of his ingenuity. For even though Prowl was the best when it came to logic and odds, he also lacked resourcefulness, something that the tactician was painfully aware of.
In a way, that was one of the things that cemented their friendship. Prowl was the voice of reason that stopped Jazz from acting too rashly, while Jazz was the voice of the spark that allowed Prowl to have more faith in himself rather than cold-blooded statistics. Jazz smiled inwardly at that thought.
"Well?" Prowl asked, raising an optic ridge.
Right. Prowl was also the mech that always brought Jazz back to the matter at hand. Dismissing his previous train of thought, the saboteur focused on the datapad once more. At first glance, everything seemed to be in order. But, as Jazz looked closer, he noticed that there was something missing from the battle plan.
"You haven't placed Faera anywhere," he said. "Won't this be her best shot to prove her worth?"
"It will. But Optimus thought it would be proper if she didn't fight unless Ebon appears; we can handle the Decepticons on our own, after all," Prowl replied. "Besides, I need to hear from Perceptor concerning her transmitter as well."
"Oh, I think the news is good in that department," Jazz said with a grin. "I saw Perceptor on my way here, and he was hummin' softly to himself."
Prowl chuckled a bit. "Yes, I suppose it is good news then," he said. "Was Faera with him?"
"Didn't see her."
"Ah." Prowl's optics dimmed slightly in contemplation. "That probably means Prime has already gone to talk to her."
"About?" Jazz asked.
Prowl, however, waved his hand dismissively. "All in due time. Let's focus on the plan first."
Jazz raised an optic ridge. He hated it when Prowl went all secretive on him, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. Prowl was probably thinking that it wasn't his business to talk about certain matters before getting Optimus's permission, and Jazz intended to respect that. So, after letting a small sigh of resignation, he continued examining the datapad. He had the feeling that he would find out soon, anyway.
Optimus still watched Faera, all sorts of thoughts filling his mind. In all the years that he had been leader of the Autobots, there was only one kind of situation that was the most difficult to handle, and that was a friend's distress. For Optimus told Faera everything about the energy magnet, including how the Decepticons intended to use it on Ebon. She listened to him with a calm expression, but the Autobot leader noticed how tightly she hugged herself, her hands digging at her sides as she kept her emotions in check.
"Will that machine work?" she asked, her voice sounding painfully strained.
Optimus winced. He wanted to give her some sort of hope, but he knew it wouldn't be fair to her. Lying wasn't an option.
"If it does, we'll find out tomorrow," he answered.
She bowed her head, eyes reflecting her defeat. "Yes, I suppose we will."
"Will you be able to fight?" Optimus asked quietly. He hated himself for asking that, but he needed to know if she was still with them under these circumstances.
She nodded.
"Are you sure?" Optimus insisted. "Ebon is still--"
"Yes, he is," she replied, aware of what Optimus was going to say. "But he's also the enemy." Her lips tugged to a bitter smile. "Everything that you suspected would happen, happened. So I will do what I must, as promised."
"Faera…" Optimus placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to make her understand. "You've already done everything you could. You offered him more than enough chances to see reason and he chose to disregard all of them."
"And his choices keep shaming me," she murmured. She averted her gaze, looking in the direction of the Ark. "May I go?"
Optimus didn't deny her; he realised that she needed some time alone. Nodding, he drew his hand back, and he watched her as she turned on her heel. Surprisingly enough, however, she stopped in her tracks and faced him once more.
"Optimus… I have a confession to make."
Optimus blinked, taken aback at those words. "I'm listening," he said.
"When Perceptor told me about your past, I was confused. I couldn't understand why you and the other Autobots decided to fight when you were never meant to be soldiers in the first place," she replied. "But I think I know now. You're fighting, taking heart in the hope that one day you can reclaim the life you had to forsake because of war."
Optimus nodded, prodding her to continue. He was glad that she understood their cause, but he still wasn't sure where she was going with this.
She smiled, for real this time, in spite of the sadness reflected in her eyes. "That's why I can't help but envy you. Your courage was never set by laws, the way mine was. That alone makes you far braver than I will ever be."
And with that she was gone, her steps barely making a sound as she headed toward the Ark. Optimus stretched his hand to stop her so that she'd listen to what he had to say, but it was too late. He only whispered his answer instead, even though he knew she wouldn't hear him.
"Perhaps we are… But what kind of courage does it take to do the right thing when your very heart is against it?"
TBC…