Author's Note: After a severe case of writer's block, brain frying exams, and slipping into a mini coma from said exams, I have returned. Sorry this is so late!!
Thank you buddhabread, Ameri, flarey phoenix, Master of minds, X-rayDog, shimmershadow30, Blood Shifter 2, Elita One, Funky Fish 1991, and Chimeronette for reviewing!
Chapter 7
"What is our ETA?"
"Approximately two joors, sir"
"Upon our arrival, deploy ground troops immediately. There are to be no survivors."
The leader smiled cruelly from where he stood on the bridge, facing the forward viewport with keen interest. Fortunately for them, they had the element of surprise. The foolish Autobots were entirely unaware that they already had a team of elite fliers on the way.
"Contact the seekers…tell them to commence their attack. Once we enter the system, you will join them."
"What of the Autobots?"
The towering form of the Decepticon leader, turned to regard the underling who had spoken, his ruby red optics burned with malice and hatred. Megatron answered in a dark undertone.
"Destroy them…destroy them all."
The second bowed with a smirk, unable to keep the blood-thirsty lilt out of his voice.
"It will be my pleasure…"
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"Sir, it has been confirmed. Nemesis is incoming. They will be in firing range in approximately one joor."
"Send two teams down. Begin evacuating the Youth Sector. Divide them up…the Decepticons can only pursue one of our ships," Ultra Magnus commanded while sending an encoded transmission to Optimus Prime. Prime's team was currently stationed aboard the newly acquired Ark, now planet-side. He relayed his instructions for an evacuation over all available frequencies.
Many of Ultra Magnus's crew headed down in shuttles and transport crafts to assist.
"Prepare all turrets. The nanosecond the Nemesis is in range, open fire!"
"Sir…scanners have picked up ten fliers, coming in from vector twelve."
Ultra Magnus grimly viewed the monitor as one of his crewmen looked hesitantly back at him, unsure of what to do. After a brief moment of indecision, the Autobot commander gave the order in a grim, but firmly resolute voice.
"Take them down…"
The thin atmosphere of the asteroid crackled with raw energy and light as the turrets and gun batteries aboard the heavily armed battleship opened fire.
"Two confirmed hits, the remaining eight are inbound."
"Do NOT let them get past this ship!!"
"They are breaking off."
Ultra Magnus sighed with relief, believing it was over for now.
He should have known better.
The squadron of eight Decepticon fliers split off, four heading planet-side and the remaining four on a direct collision course with the battleship.
"STOP THEM!!
Panicked crewmen operating the laser turrets fired relentlessly after the four fliers that managed to slip past them but to no avail.
The Autobot leader sighed heavily and opened up his comlink.
::Ultra Magnus to Optimus Prime…we have a situation::
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Loud warning klaxons erupted in the Alpha Sigma Youth Sector as panicked younglings and caretakers alike flooded the hallways, bumping into each other. Some got lost in the confusion and ran around in circles until a more level-headed caretaker picked them up and ran for the emergency exits where some of the Autobots were directing them.
Fireflare and Starlight got separated momentarily before they found each other again as the mass of scared younglings and equally terrified caretakers stampeded through the vast corridors and hallways.
It only took one word to cause such chaos.
Decepticons.
It was all the motivation they needed to get their afts in gear.
Bluestreak and Hotshot were running through a crowded hall in an effort to find the twins who had somehow been carried off in all of the commotion. Who knew where they were now? As a matter of fact, the two young bots got swept away themselves, both snagged by two Autobots who saw them alone without a caretaker. They were taken, screaming and crying, struggling to get free when they realized that Sunny and Sides were nowhere near them.
What if they were lost on the other side of the base?
"LET US GO!!"
"SUNNY AND SIDES ARE MISSING!"
The younglings had to practically scream their vocal processors loose in order to be heard amidst the audio shattering noise of other screaming and crying younglings, shouting Autobot soldiers, and the incessant warning Klaxons.
Their Autobot rescuers merely shook their heads 'no' in response and continued to run full kilter to the nearest shuttle pod that was already preparing to close the bay doors and lift off.
Before they could scream anything else, they were safely aboard the transport. The younglings caught their last glimpse of the Youth Sector, a place that they had once called home, through an ever narrowing slit as the doors hissed firmly closed.
Hotshot and Bluestreak shared a worried look, hoping to Primus that the twins were safe.
"Maybe we will meet up with them later…" Bluestreak suggested hopefully.
Hotshot turned to the guard next to them and tugged on the Autobot's arm to get his attention.
"Where are we going?"
"To our ship, Artemis I"
"So, everyone is going there?"
The Autobot shook his head.
"Half of the Youth Sector is being evacuated to another ship."
Hotshot looked over at Bluestreak, seating himself next to him with a sigh.
"At least we know where we are going."
"Let's hope that Sunny and Sides meet us there."
The two younglings didn't want to imagine what life would be like if they were separated from the twins indefinitely.
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"Hurry, this way!"
A small red blur raced around a sharp corner, following a yellow streak down an abandoned corridor.
The little ones were unsure how they ended up on this side of the Youth Sector. A few breems ago, they were comfortably safe with Starlight and Fireflare in the recreation room before the warning sirens went off. They got lost amidst the confusion when everyone ran into the hallways, the twins had nearly been separated from each other it was so chaotic.
"Wait!"
The red twin struggled to keep up, his vents overheating from exertion after running so far.
Sunny slid to a stop when he felt his brother's anxiety through their spark bond. He turned to look at him, his face plates scrunched up into an adorable pout.
He was worried and quite anxious himself since he had no idea where everyone was or why they had been left behind.
As a matter of fact, he was quite unfamiliar with their current surroundings. They rarely, if ever visited the caretaker's section of the Youth Sector. The twins figured that if anyone could help them, it would be one of them…but they were all gone.
"What do we do now?" Sunny whispered as he edged closer to his brother.
The red twin processed the question a moment before coming up with a brilliant idea.
"Maybe we should go back the way we came…"
The two turned together in unison without another word and began to back-track their steps. They walked, still a little overheated from their previous run although their anxiety levels continued to rise the longer they were apart from the others.
"AHHHHH!!"
The twins shrieked, clinging to each other in fear as the main lighting and power failed, bathing the already eerily empty corridors in darkness with the exception of a few occasional red strobe lights marking a hallway junction.
"S-sides…I'm scared," Sunny admitted barely above a whisper, too terrified to raise his voice above the creepy silence.
At least the audio shattering noise was gone.
Wait, something wasn't quite right…
"S-sunny…"
Two pairs of baby blue optics turned to face each other and the twins both recalled a very important fact.
The emergency sirens never cut out when the main power failed since the backup generator kept the Youth Sector powered. The red strobe lights were still operating well enough but the klaxons were dead, which could only mean one thing—someone had intentionally shut them off.
Then Sides saw it.
A brief shadow moved at the end of the corridor as the red strobe lights continued to relentlessly pulsate.
The red twin nudged his twin and pointed in that direction too terrified to speak.
Sunny jumped and growled low when his brother startled him. His irritation quickly melted away when ice cold fear squeezed his spark.
Something was moving towards them…lumbering slowly and shaking the very floor on which they stood.
The twins were petrified, unable to move.
They shrank down, cowering in fear as the thing drew steadily closer. Then two red points of light appeared and that's when the red youngling screamed. Sides grabbed his brother's hand and immediately pulled his twin after him as he got them moving, both younglings screaming in unison as they ran away.
Then two more shadows cut off their escape.
They had nowhere left to run.
Perhaps it was their incredible fear, the strong spark bond the twins shared, or quite possibly a deep sense of self-preservation that opened up their new link…whatever the case, the two younglings found themselves too frightened to comprehend it right away.
Sides, what are those?!
I think they are Decepticons
How do you know?
They have red optics.
Just as all three shadows stepped closer, encircling them, Sunny realized that he was hearing his brother's voice… in his head.
They were speaking telepathically!
He was sure of it…because as far as he could tell, neither of them had opened their mouths to say any of this.
Sides, can you hear me?
Uhh...yes?!
The red twin looked at Sunny beside him to see that he was actually smiling.
Do you see me talking?
Sides did a double take, optics blinking rapidly as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. His brother didn't say one word…and yet, he had somehow heard his voice in his head.
What in the pit?
Sunny ignored his red twin's bad language since the three towering mechs finally revealed them-selves openly.
"Well-well…what do we have here…?"
"A couple of lost little sparklings from the looks of it"
"And they are all alone…"
"Let's have a little fun," the lead Decepticon purred as one clawed hand reached down to snag one of them.
The other two chuckled darkly and watched.
The leader growled dangerously low when the two little ones managed to dodge his seeking hands, dancing just inches away from his deadly grasp.
"Hold STILL you little vermin!!"
The twins tried to escape by running through the legs of the elder mechs but they seemed to anticipate this tactic and simply shifted to block the way. One of them had the gall to kick Sunny, sending the whimpering youngling skidding across the floor and into the awaiting claws of the leader who cackled madly in triumph as he got a good hold on the little ones scruff bar behind his neck.
"At last…you pathetic pit-spawn…you are MINE!"
Sides scrambled madly after his twin and beat his two little fists against the mean one's shin plating, screaming for the Decepticon to let his brother go.
"PUT HIM DOWN!!"
The leader paused in his cackling to look down at the youngling who was still screaming and smirked wickedly. In all honesty, the little one wasn't even denting his armor plating. His antics were, however, an extreme annoyance.
"Leave me alone you little pest!"
He lifted his other leg back and with one swift move, kicked the youngling with enough force to send him careening halfway down the corridor. His flight was stopped however when his small body slammed painfully into one of the other towering mechs.
Sides shut down into emergency repair stasis almost instantly.
Sunny screamed shrilly, when he both saw and felt his brother off-line and struggled against the grip of his captor, even though he knew it was futile. Tears leaked out of his optics and he managed to kick the Decepticon holding him in the face with all the force he could muster.
The leader screeched in pain and immediately released his hold on him, sending the youngling tumbling down to the floor. He squeaked in pain when something in his arm crunched but was too concerned about his brother to take much notice of his own injury. The youngling reached his fallen twin's side and gently nudged his cheek with one hand, crooning mournfully.
Sides…wake up.
No reply.
Sides, can you hear me?
Silence was his only response.
With tears leaking profusely out of his optics he crouched protectively over his brother and growled back at the Decepticons, although they were too distracted to notice. The other two mechs were laughing their afts off at the one that he kicked violently in the face.
That's when the yellow youngling noticed that his screeching captor only had one optic brightly lit…the other was dark. Served him right for hurting his brother…the little one wished he was bigger so he could do far worse.
"Serves you right Starscream…you talk too much," one of the two guffawed.
"YOU INSOLENT SLAGGERS!!"
After the majority of their dark laughing fit had passed, the injured leader turned hatefully in the twin's direction and slowly approached in barely contained rage.
"YOU LITTLE FRAGGER!"
Sunny's brave act disintegrated completely and he cowered, whimpering over the still body of his brother in stark terror. The tiny youngling clicked and twittered in trepidation as he was once again yanked up into the air by his scruff bar, his small legs instinctively curled in and tucked beneath him as he dangled precariously above ground. The mean one, designation Starscream if memory served him right, spoke cruelly to him in a dark purr.
"Do you know what I'm going to do to you now youngling? I'm going to hurt you in ways that are beyond your puny little processor's comprehension."
He was brought up to optic level but held just out of reach, eliminating the chance to kick him in the face again. Sunny didn't bother hiding his fear as tears continued to leak and run down his faceplates as he shivered uncontrollably at the monster's words.
Starscream continued.
"You know youngling…there are far worse things than death…by the end of this joor, you will be begging me for a quick termination!! But that is not going to be YOUR fate."
Sunny followed Starscream's gaze down to where it landed on the battered frame of his brother. He clicked and twittered in newfound anxiety when he understood what the brute was referring to.
He was going to kill Sides and force him to watch.
"I'm going to rip off your friend's arms and legs first…one by one. And then, I'm going to slowly rip out his spark before I blast whatever's left back to the pit. You will then get to live the rest of your WRETCHED EXCUSE FOR A LIFE…with the knowledge that you were too weak and powerless to save him."
Sunny looked back into the sickeningly evil smile of the Decepticon and angrily twittered and clicked, buzzing indignantly at what he dared to suggest. No one hurt his brother and got away with it.
"SILENCE!!"
The little yellow youngling reeled back after Starscream back-handed his face. It stung but didn't do much damage. This only enraged him further, Sunny actually able to find the words he so desperately wanted to say.
"I HATE YOU!! I HATE YOU!"
He was so angry he was spitting and hissing, struggling in an attempt to break free. By this point, his bright baby blue optics, were burning a brilliant violet purple.
The energon in his pumps froze at what Starscream said next.
"You know…you might make a good Decepticon yet, youngling. Embrace your rage…continue to hate me, hate makes you strong!!"
All of the fight leaked out of him and he whispered softly, as fresh tears flowed anew from newly restored baby blue optics.
"I hate you…"
"What was that, I couldn't hear you…" Starscream smirked with satisfaction as he held the pathetic little creature up before him.
Sunny locked narrowed, defiant optics on the still functioning bright ruby red one.
He didn't say a word.
"You disappoint me. And to think that I dared suggest you had the true makings of a Decepticon."
Starscream made a hand gesture to his two fellow wing-men who immediately moved forward to retrieve the body of the red youngling.
"Now you will watch as we extinguish his spark…a spark YOU could have saved. This will be an example to you. Now you will see what becomes of all those who defy the reign of the Decepticons and choose to side with the WEAK!!"
Sunny turned away, unable to witness what he was sure was to come.
Starscream grabbed his head and turned it so he couldn't look away. The yellow twin felt his spark flutter in his chest and felt energy building up in his system. With a big intake of air, he released the loudest, most audio piercing, spark wrenching shriek the Youth Sector had ever heard.
Even though the Youth Sector was completely deserted and it seemed impossibly hopeless…the youngling wished with all his might, that someone was around to hear his desperate cry for help.
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Starlight and Fireflare sighed with relief when they were reunited with Hotshot and Bluestreak.
"Thank Primus…are you two okay?"
"Yeah, we're fine."
They were currently aboard the titanic battleship commanded by none other than Ultra Magnus himself. Other refugees lingered about the area.
"Where are Sunny and Sides?"
Hotshot and Bluestreak shared a look and then gazed up at the two worried caretakers.
"We thought they were with you."
"They aren't here?"
Starlight shook her head in the negative.
"No, we lost them during the evacuation. We were hoping that they found you."
"Well then, if they aren't here, then they must be with Optimus and his crew. That's what one of the other Autobot's told us."
Fireflare locked optics with Starlight and wordlessly nodded before disappearing in the crowd.
"What do we do?"
Starlight sighed heavily and put one comforting hand on Bluestreak's helm.
"Hope and pray that they are alright."
Meanwhile, Fireflare finally found a superior officer who could take him to see Ultra Magnus…more or less.
"Listen, it's very urgent."
"I understand but he is currently indisposed at the moment. He will be with you in a few breems."
"There is no time!"
Fireflare shoved past him and made a run for the door. He slipped through hearing the startled and angry shouts of the Autobot behind him. The caretaker grinned in triumph when he made it across the bridge in one piece and to Ultra Magnus's side.
"Sir, I need a moment to speak with you."
The Autobot leader regarded him with open concern.
"Yes, what can I do for you?"
"The twins, Sunny and Sides…no one knows where they are. I was hoping you wouldn't mind contacting the other ship to see if they have them there."
The kind leader nodded his head with a warm smile.
"Of course, I will contact them immediately."
"Thank you so much," Fireflare raced off of the bridge to tell Starlight the news.
Ultra Magnus contacted Optimus Prime immediately on an open channel.
"Are the twins there with you?"
"No sir, I was under the impression that they were aboard Artemis I."
"Has the Sector been evacuated?"
"Affirmative, the last shuttle departed a few breems ago."
"The Decepticons have not arrived yet?"
Optimus paused at the troubling question and responded slowly.
"No, sir…after receiving your transmission alerting us of their presence, our scanners lost their energy signatures."
"This does not bode well. They are most likely cloaked."
Optimus did not respond right away, already piecing together the seriousness of the situation. If the Decepticons had gone in quietly after cloaking their signatures…and the missing twins were still down there…
"I will send down a search and rescue party immediately. We will get them back!"
Ultra Magnus slowly nodded once to confirm his order.
"Optimus, run an internal scan of the ship's occupants one more time just to be sure."
"Yes, sir"
The transmission ended, leaving the bridge in hushed silence. The crew looked to Ultra Magnus for guidance, awaiting his orders.
"Scan our ship again and make sure that the two younglings are not just hiding somewhere."
One of the crewmates hurried to his station to do as ordered without a second's hesitation.
A warning alert sounded on the bridge and the Autobot leader turned to face the main screen.
The Nemesis had arrived…
TO BE CONTINUED!
A/N: Hopefully this long chapter was enjoyable. Sorry about the cliff hanger but I assure you I am already working on the next one! ^_^
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