If you want to see the art of Jazz before the events of Cybertronian King be sure to check out the lovely jigsawthedoc on Instagram! Anyways here is my next chapter.

Chapter 14

-Smokescreen's POV-

I do not like that we are leaving the Prince. He is more at danger without us there. Honor huffed in my helm as Prowl, and I left the base to go to where Stepper told us to sign up. My knight was not one to allow for rule breaking, and one rule that Honor held close to our spark, was to never leave our charge's side when we actively know they're in danger.

"Smokescreen, are you okay?" I pulled out of my helm to see Prowl staring at me with concern.

"Honor is just worried for leaving his majesty. How is Valour? Is he really in stasis?" I jogged to catch up with Prowl. When Valour injured the Prince— King, I could tell that something in the knight snapped. Neither my brother nor his knight would make Jazz cry let alone hurt him.

Prowl rubbed his neck as he hummed in thought, "it's oddly quiet. For as long as I could remember, I prayed to Primus for Valour to be silent. And now that it's happened, it's almost too quiet."

"What happened to him? Is he still there or is he?" I didn't even want to think what may have happened to Valour. From what I've seen and was told by my Carrier and her majesty, Jazz was rather fond of Valour. Whenever Valour did something when called upon or start acting up in Prowl's helm, Jazz would stick up for him.

"He's still there, just recharging. You are going to have to practice not carrying yourself as a Royal Guard." Prowl said with an unfair amount of calmness. He was always like that, calm and collected. Which always confused me because whenever he thought no one was looking, he was always smiling at the Prince.

I touched the now bare spot where my Royal Guard seal used to be at. I remember my knighting ceremony, it was a sol that I feel every guard felt when it came to the ceremony.

I walked towards their majesties before dropping to my knees as I smiled up at my charge. Her Grace was as radiant as ever, and I was finally able to remain by her side and protect my charge for the rest of my life.

"Do you, Smokescreen, accept your duties as a member of the royal guard? To protect the Queen with your life, even if it means you do not live? To be her optics and receptors on the world around her, be her constant shadow, and when the time comes taking your own life to continue protecting her when she rejoins Primus?" The King asked me as my blade touched my shoulders.

"I do." I saw my Carrier standing beside my brothers and the Royal Court standing on stage. After orns and cycles of patience and training, I was finally going to be able to live the life I was meant to do.

"Do you accept the duties of protecting the future of Cybertron and uphold your duties above your happiness?" King Sharp Point asked me as his mate stepped forward.

Honor was swelling with pride, waiting patiently for the time to be called upon. I flared my wings for the brand to be burned into my shoulder. "I do."

"Make a promise in the name of Primus and the royal family." The King moved slightly to the side, and Quick Strike moved in front of me and removed her visors. My charge had been called many things in her lifetime, some good and some bad, but all I could see in her was her kindness and her love for her people. In my optics, her Grace was a pedestal above the Primes.

She took my sword from the King before I spoke. I took her free servo, placing it on my helm, just behind my chevron. "I, Smokescreen, promise to protect the crown and the future of Cybertron with my entire being. I promise to uphold the honor that you hold dear. I promise that the laws of our ancestors will be held with great pride by me. These are the promise I speak before Primus and your highnesses."

I smiled when Quick Strike smiled in approval and took a precautionary step back. "I, Quick Strike, Queen of Cybertron, accept these promises you make before the crown. As a largesse for your promises, I will now bestow you with your knighted name. "By the power invested in me, I, Quick Strike, Queen of Cybertron dubs you, Sir Smokescreen. Now rise up as Knight Honor, for your belief in the Code and your generosity for others."

My vision blurred for only a second before I was now seeing the world through my knight's optics. He rose to his peds, giving me a preview of his frame. Honor was mainly white with a green and dark teal tasses, and small amulets of House Crossfire's emblem hung from his waist. Honor reached behind his back, pulling large octagonal frame that buzzed online with energy filling the gaps.

"Honor, what are you doing? Don't pull a Mercy." I was getting ready to reign my knight in.

"Hello Honor, what test have you for me?" The Queen smiled as she put a servo on the shield. Honor tensed his shielded arm, but he did nothing except stare into her optics. "I promise you both that I will not use your gifts out of anger or hate. I will only call upon you when the balance of good and bad are unbalanced."

With that promise, Honor lowered to a knee as he bowed his helm.

I felt a cool breeze blow through my circuits as a soft whisper hit my receptors. "I won't let their majesties down."

-Bluestreak's POV-

Jazz and I had been training under Stepper's tender care for several sols, and I could definitely tell what Jazz's weak points were. Having his fuel always made of the finest energon and brought to him, the Prince didn't know how to operate the fueling station. He also was not used to fighting or survival situations. It was sad and also a tad humorous to watch him throw mini tantrums when Stepper gave him seemingly impossible tasks. A paint splattered Jazz sat on the ground next to my cot with a groan.

"Free from Stepper's wrath?" I jokingly asked while reviewing what has been happening in the war. Stepper had also given me a list of all the Autobots high command as well as Decepticon high command the other sol, which was very helpful.

"If I have to drive on walls while dodging paintballs again, I'm going to scream." Jazz still stuck with me, even after being introduced to the others on the team. It was sad when a few of them tried to get him to join the team for energon, but he always came up with some lame excuse to avoid them.

Only one to be weary of is Mirage, his file says he is a noble. Verity didn't like this type of occupation, due to all the secret keeping, but it was also the perfect place to keep all of our lives hidden.

"Don't scream, I do not think high command will appreciate that their spies are all deaf." I teased the visored mech as I handed him a wet rag.

"Thank you. Stepper wants to take me to the city to learn a different dialect to hide my natural voice. He also is having that scout, uh Hound come with us." Jazz reclined his helm back before he glanced at the rifle that was leaning against the corner of my cot. "That's the gun that Sire got for you. Have you used it before?"

I gave it a small glance, "For target practice, I think using a high powered rifle for astrofox hunting is a bit excessive." That got a small chuckle from the both of us. "Be careful around Hound, he has an outlier ability. He is also mates with Mirage, another noble."

"If both of these mechs didn't come to the palace when Sire called for Royal and Noble Courts for evacuation, then how many others had the same ideals?" The Prince was rightfully concerned about this finding.

"I believe that they are the only members of the courts to survive." I assured him before the door opened to reveal my roommate, Bumblebee. "Hey Bee, how was training?"

Bumblebee was a minibot Polyhexian from Iacon. He was extremely friendly with everyone, almost a misleading friendliness. He didn't trigger Verity like some of the others did. "You're still reading? Primus, Blue, are a slow reader or something?" He looked at Jazz with his smile. "Jazz, right? How are you adapting to Special Forces?"

His majesty hummed with that small nervous twitch of his servo. Jazz stood quickly with his brave smile, a habit he learned from the King. "Yup, just fine. Talk to you later, Blue."

Jazz was quick to leave the room without another glance. I sighed in disappointment at how isolated Jazz was becoming. Bumblebee just laughed a little, which peaked my interest. "Well at least he has the awkwardness and quick exiting down. I was like that when I first joined."

"Jazz has a hard time trusting others. One of our closest friends turned out to be a spark eater." I obviously wasn't about to go into too much detail, but I could definitely see that I got the minibot's attention. "As for the datapad, I've read it at least five times. Have you met this Prime, Optimus? I have never seen him before."

"Oh Optimus? He is fantastic! He is a way better Prime than Sentinel, Optimus really cares about ending the war with peace. Next time I go to HQ, you should totally come with me!" Bumblebee sounded like he really liked the mech.

I hummed in thought before an idea came to mind. "Can I ask you how you would getting Jazz to open up to the team? He could use friends."

"He'll come around. If he really had a spark eater as a friend, I'd have a hard time trusting others too." Bumblebee laughed before flopping onto the cot opposite of me. I snorted at his statement. "So, what was Pre-war Praxus like?"

-Prowl's POV-

Smokescreen watched me pacing in front of entrance of boot camp. I was livid and felt oddly claustrophobic from the walls that surrounded us. The mechs that were in charge of training the recruits, were barely knowledgeable themselves. "Prowl, are you okay?"

"I can't believe they had our long-distance comms turned off! How will we get into contact with Bluestreak?" I hated that the medics at this camp was so paranoid of Decepticon spies, that only trainers and medics could have long-distance comm systems. "Their training isn't subpar compared to Camp Omega. These Autobots expect yelling and scare tactics will get respect or obedience from recruits. I would put them in their place if I could." I stopped in front of my youngest brother with a huff of anger.

"That's right, if you could. But you can't, Prowl. You are not the royal protector of the shining crystal, you are a Praxian." Smokescreen leaned against one ped with his arms crossed. "I heard from one of the other recruits that a couple members from high command were coming to see our progress."

I hummed before grabbing my brother's arms in excitement, "this could be my chance to show them how incompetent these mechs are."

Smokescreen laughed as he gave my back a couple pats. He shook his helm while we returned to our walk around the perimeter. "Do you think that Jazz will be able to handle possibly hurting someone? He wanted to ban hunting on the palace grounds, so I just can't see him being comfortable possibly killing an enemy."

"I have faith in him to grow out of that fear for the sake of our home. He is the future of Cybertron." I looked up at the sky, praying that my charge would be okay. "I hope that if this rumor about high command coming that the Prime doesn't come. There is a five percent chance that they will not cause my glitch to act up."

Smokescreen's wings perked when I brought up the percentage. He grinned at me, "hey five percent is better than nothing."

"Recruits line up in front of the banner!" Our drill instructor used the camp's PA system. The Autobot drill instructor was incompetent; he had an injured himself with a blaster the first sol Smokescreen and I arrived. If that doesn't express how little faith I have for the Autobots. We all lined up as the fools leading the fools walked the line. I glanced at my brother that was down the line from me. Smokescreen told me that Honor hated them as much as I do, except it was more about the fact that they played favoritism and stuck everyone in the wrong class. "As some of you are aware, a few members of Autobot high command are coming here. They are here to evaluate all of you low lives, see if their creds are going to good use. But we all know that with how you all are doing we know that when you all die it would go unnoticed."

I glared at how disrespectful this mech being, given Camp Omega drill instructors were tough, but they also knew that everyone was different and shaped them based on their existing skills. Out of the corner of my optic, I saw Smokescreen fight the urge to speak out. Scrap, Honor is getting out of hand. How do I get to him without getting caught? As I was about to sneak my way over to Smokescreen, three vehicles pulled up, transforming in front of us. We all stood at attention, well everyone but an Honor influenced Smokescreen.

He stepped out of line, getting everyone's attention, and I was prepared to intervene if he started bringing up knights and guards. "I have been patient, quietly following your senseless orders as the recruits that you are supposed to train and teach to be the best before they put their lives on the line for a symbol and a cause to restore peace to Cybertron. But how can they believe in the Autobots or themselves when you give them scraps of energon you and your command don't drink, pay for medical attention that probably came from the scrapyard and don't know how delicate internal systems are?" Smokescreen jabbed a digit into his chest as he forced him to take a few steps back with his wings moving aggressively. "Where is your honor and pride for protecting those that can't protect themselves? If this is the best the Autobots can give, then it is a bloody miracle that this joke of a boot camp hasn't been bombed by the Decepticons!"

"I-I uh.. how dare you speak to me like this recruit. Stand down!" He tried to diffuse the situation, but when Smokescreen or Honor felt that the code of conduct was violated nothing stopped them.

"How dare I!? How dare you! If the Praxian instructors saw what you and your chain does to these future soldiers, they would put you through the ringer." I was quick to jump out of line, grabbing my brother's arm and pulled him back in line.

"Enough Smokescreen, I believe he understands his flaws." I spoke softly, hoping the enraged knight inside him would get the hint that we were being watched.

He clenched his fists as he glared at me. "I don't care if we are being watched, I have had enough of these idiotic instructors that think that taking the funds that they give for improve this place, for drinks and gambling. And then say that if we lay down our lives, no one will care! I don't care if our faith in the Matrix is wavering, but what kind of Prime is okay with this!?"

"The kind that was looking for the truth." We both stopped to look up at a tall red and blue mech that had the lower half of his face covered with a mask. "I had a reason for visiting, I had been hearing some rumors that I had hoped were false. You were called Smokescreen, right?"

Smokescreen nodded while his wings twitched downwards. "That is correct, and you're the Prime."

"Speak to your higher ups with respect, punk." The heavily armored red mech standing behind the Prime ordered, but the taller mech briefly rose his servo which got a look of disbelief from him. "But Optimus."

"What Smokescreen says is true, if these recruits and future recruits doesn't have faith or respect for those training them then how can they have the same for me? Ratchet, take all of them to get examined. Draftburn, you and your fellow instructors go with Ironhide for questioning. I will tour the grounds with Smokescreen and-"

"Prowl, my name is Prowl." I responded quickly while the others followed the white and red medic to the poor excuse of a medical cabin.

Our commanding officers looked over their shoulders with glares visible on their faces. I grabbed Smokescreen's arm, forcing him to walk away from the commanders. "Dammit Prowl, I tried to keep him under control. If her Majesty saw me." He whispered under his intake.

"She would be proud of you for sticking up for all of those mechs. Now stop before we draw more attention to ourselves. You already let slip that you had training in Praxus." I reminded him with a small glare.

"If you two are done trading secrets back there, how about you give me a tour while we talk?" The Prime gestured ahead of him.

-Smokescreen's POV-

There is something familiar about this mech. Like I have seen him a long time ago. Our spark acted up the moment he spoke to us. Honor hummed in my helm as I continued to look around. I sarcastically gestured at one of the buildings, "to our left is the astro-mouse infested cabin. Forcing all of the cadets assigned to that cabin to bunk in the other cabins. Oh, and to our right that is where our lovely self-assigned weapon specialist threw a live grenade after saying it was fake." We stopped in front of a small crater and a crumbled part of the wall. "Oh, oh, oh and that field out in the distance? That's where cadets go to receive punishment out of view of the others."

"But you have seen these punishments?" Optimus asked me after being quiet for a few minutes.

"We have been recording everything since my brother noticed things were not right. At first I predicted that only twenty-five percent of the commanding officers here were abusing their powers, but then I was shown the field." Prowl stood on the other side of the Prime.

"You seem pretty confident in that percentage." Optimus tried teasing my brother, but he didn't get even a chuckle from him.

Prowl looked up at him with his usual stone face expression. "My calculations are never wrong. Before your arrival, I predicted a five percent chance that the arrival of a Prime would not cause my glitch to act up. Currently it remains at bay because of Smokescreen."

"A glitch?" He looked genuinely concerned for Prowl's well-being.

"He got a mod implanted in his processor, a highly advanced Tac-net. It was funded by the Praxian government." I said proudly of my brother. It wasn't a secret that the Tac-net was an experimental mod, and it caused Prowl pain when something didn't line up with the numbers. And it didn't help when Valour got huffy.

I folded my arms over my chest as I looked him up and down. Honor was still stirring in my helm, focusing on Optimus. The Prime stopped in front of the commanding officer cabin. "What is behind the locked door?"

"The CO's lock their cabin, no one knows what is behind it. But we all believe it's where their illegal activities." Prowl put a servo on his hip. "I have always wondered what was in there."

Then why don't we find out what these heathens are hiding? Honor urged me as we continued to stare at the building. I nodded before stepping in front of the door, kicking the door down with a huff. "Let's just say our interest peaked."

"You both seem to really care for your comrades. It's really refreshing to see that." Optimus's optics smiled which struck something in me. We all entered the cabin, causing the sensors to trigger the lights on. Both Prowl and I looked around with the optics of fully trained Royal Guards. "What are you looking for?"

"Things that is a hazard to everyone's safety." We answered at the same time. I went over to one of the cots, kicking it over before yanking drawers out of stands and pulling cabinet doors open. "Smokescreen, easy with the investigating." Prowl told me while I filed through their things.

"Were you both enforcers?" The Prime stood there with a baffled look on his face.

"No, but Praxus is known for citizens being aware of the laws." I stopped when a part of the floor gave just slightly. "Well, that isn't supposed to make that kind of sound."

I wonder what they felt the need to hide? Honor questioned in my helm. I knelt down before pulling back the part of the floor. "Well, this explains why they all hate us."

Optimus and Prowl stood over me as we stared at Decepticon insignias and cans of paint. :Ironhide, come in Ironhide.:

I am slowly working my way to writing TF fics again. Been going through a major writer's block with the fandom.