ATE: Hey everyone! New record! It officially took me two weeks to finish this chapter! And good news is that it broke the chain of increasingly long chapters now. Now, I gotta thank Azura Soul Reaver, Crystalmaiden62, Sailor Shinzo, Diamond White, Bumblebeecamaro38, and Taeniaea for their reviews on chapter 14 and everyone else who's still reading/following this story so far. This chapter is based off of Episode 38 (Threaten) and as such I named the chapter after the episode. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter!
Declaimer: I don't own Transformers Armada. I only own my OCs Valerie and Astera.
Chapter 15: Threaten
I stared at the monitor in shock after having witnessed what happened with Billy and Fred. The fact that Starscream betrayed us was just unbelievable! But why would he betray us? What were his reasons for doing so? I noticed that there was something fluttering through the sky and I felt slightly hurt when I discovered it was the shammy we had works so to make and give to Starscream. This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. Was this because the he had enough of the other Autobots treating him unfairly? Was that why he left?
I felt horrible as I realized that this was probably painful for Alexis. I remembered that during last week Starscream had approached me, saying that he wanted to discuss something with me in private. At first I had been confused, but then I was shocked when he informed me that he knew that Jetfire and I were sparkmates. I thought I would've been in trouble, but he said that he wouldn't tell anyone. Starscream started explaining to me the reason why he wanted to talk to me and I was surprised to discover that Alexis was his sparkmate and that he was aware of that. He had been confused since he didn't know how to feel about it, so I ended up having to explain (as best as I could, which was sort of difficult for me) what love was to him. I even gave him examples from the two movies he had seen with Alexis in order to make it easier for him to understand. He seemed to get the idea, but was still somewhat confused.
Looking back on that now, I had a feeling that Alexis was going to need someone to comfort her, someone that would understand what she's going through. I was probably the only person who could do it…but how was I supposed to do it?
'I have to at least try to help.' I thought, surprised at how determined I suddenly felt. 'Alexis has helped me all the time, so now it's my turn to help her.'
Everything seemed to happen so quickly because the next thing I knew Optimus, Jetfire, Blurr, Hot Shot, Rad, Alexis, and Carlos were in the room. I saw the betrayed look on Carlos' face as he held his Mars rock in the palm of his hand.
"How could Starscream do this to us?" Carlos asked and clutched the rock in his hand. "That liar! Aaah!" He then threw his rock on the floor, resulting in a clattering sound as it made contact with the metal floor. "That creep!"
"Huh?" Jetfire and Blurr both turned to see what was going on and witnessing what was taking place in the room.
"Hey, take it easy." Rad said as he faced Carlos.
"No way! Carlos is right!" Billy stated, causing Rad to turn to him before throwing his rock to the floor.
"Now stop that. Those are valuable." Alexis said. My gaze softened as I realized that she was doing her best to keep composed despite the pain I knew she was probably feeling at the moment.
"Yeah, Billy. Those rocks are from Mars." Rad added.
Suddenly Fred dumped his huge Mars rock on the ground, the sound from the heavy object landed on the floor causing us to turn and look at him.
"I believed him. I trusted him." It turned out that Fred was crying as he howled. "How could he do this to me?"
"He's lost it." Alexis murmured.
Hot Shot had been watching all this happened before he walked out of the room. Optimus had watched him leave the room as well and I could only imagine the disappointment and betrayal they felt. Optimus may have been more understanding than Hot Shot, but then the yellow Autobot had been starting to trust Starscream only to be betrayed. If Alexis or Jetfire had betrayed me I probably would've felt the same way as Hot Shot.
But the thought of Jetfire betraying me…
I felt his concern and dull pain flood my mind from picking up my thoughts and I felt as if he were trying to hold me. I clung to that feeling as I tried my best to keep myself from crying in front of everyone.
{I'd never betray you, Skydancer…} Jetfire told me.
'I know. But despite how Alexis is holding up I know she's hurting big time.' I replied. I felt Jetfire's confusion as he silently asked me what I was talking about. I sighed quietly. 'Jetfire. Alexis is Starscream's sparkmate.'
Jetfire's shock was expected, but not to the extent that it was. I felt his anger towards Starscream start anew from what I told him. It was so strong that I had to constantly remind myself that it wasn't my anger that I was feeling, but his, and I was fully aware as to why. The fact that the ex…or the Decepticon had betrayed his own sparkmate and she wouldn't even know why she felt the way she did. Which gave me a whole new reason to comfort her.
Alexis…
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Starscream stood near the table that was in front of the throne Megatron sat upon with Thrust a bit behind him to the side. On the table was the Star Saber, the weapon he had wielded countless times in the past two weeks, and the Skyboom Shield, the weapon he had just stolen from the Autobots just recently.
"Hahaha... It's good to have you back with us, Starscream." Megatron said. "And thank you for bringing the two most powerful weapons with you. Hahahaha…"
"Let me take a closer look at those weapons to see if they're authentic." Thrust said, making to grab the Star Saber from the table, but Starscream stopped him. "Huh?" Thrust looked up at him with his pink optics.
"Don't worry. They're the real deal." Starscream growled quietly. "Now back off."
"Why so defensive? We're on the same side."
'Or so you say, Thrust.' Starscream thought cynically.
"Yeah, I know."
"Thrust, stand down." Megatron said before turning to Starscream. "Starscream, bring them to me."
"Yessir." Thrust bowed to Megatron, showing that he would obey the Decepticon leader.
Starscream approached the table before picking up the Star Saber and the Skyboom Shield in each servo (the Sword in his right servo, while the Shield was in his left). As he made his way over to Megatron he couldn't help but think back on what happened when he took the Skyboom Shield from the Autobots and the fact that he betrayed them and what little trust he may have had with them. He was no stranger to betrayal himself-it happened in wars all the time-but how come this recent betrayal left a bad taste in his mouth? What made this one so different than the others? Had he made the right choice?
'Of course I have.' He told himself.
But then why did the thought of seeing Alexis' sad face bother him when he hadn't even seen that expression with his own optics yet? Starscream dismissed the thought from his processor before holding the Star Saber out to Megatron.
"The Star Saber sword, sir." He announced, bowing his head as he did so.
It was quiet as Starscream assumed Megatron was examining the Star Saber he held out to him.
"It looks real to me." Megatron chuckled quiet, causing Starscream to look up to find the mech in front of him grinning. "I must say very impressive, Starscream. Yes…"
Megatron sounded amused so Starscream took that as a sign to continue.
"Thank you. And here's the Skyboom Shield."
Megatron stood up from his throne, walking the short distance to where Starscream stood before taking the weapons in his servos. He couldn't help but wonder what the Decepticon leader was thinking about as he watched his red optics gaze down at the Shield and Sword. Megatron then turned to walk a bit closer to his throne.
"Starscream." Megatron started. It was quiet and Starscream gazed at him, feeling anxious about what he would say or do next. "There's just one last thing."
Suddenly Megatron turned around and pointed the tip of the Star Saber close to Starscream's face. He could practically feel the heat radiating off of the beaming blade.
"Huh?" Thrust sounded surprised.
"W-what's wrong, Megatron-sir?" Starscream asked fearfully.
What happened? Thrust had told him that Megatron would've forgiven his transgressions against him if he brought the Skyboom Shield to him! So why was he at the end of the blue beam of bright plasma that made up the Star Saber's blade? Had his sins been too great that they were beyond the point of ever being forgiven?
"Hmm…" Megatron regarded Starscream with a stern look, but then… "Ha, ha, ha, ha!" He laughed before removing the Star Saber away from him. Starscream relaxed, feeling slightly relieved. "Take some time off. You've earned it."
Starscream was still surprised as he watched Megatron walk away from him.
"Uh, thank you very much, sir." Starscream said, feeling confused.
"Ah, at last we have all three weapons." Megatron turned to Thrust. "It's time. Thrust, it's up to you. Complete our little project we had planned."
"Oh, yes, sir." Thrust replied, bowing slightly. "It will be an honor."
"Complete the project?" Starscream asked quietly. What project?
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Jetfire stood with Sideswipe as they both watched Hot Shot shooting at a target with his blaster. He could tell that the yellow mech was angry, and he was taking that anger out on the targets in the training room since he kept shooting until there was nothing left of the target except for small piece of scrap metal. Jetfire sighed mentally as another target appeared for Hot Shot to abuse.
'To think I was doing the same thing two weeks ago.' He thought sadly, recalling the incident that had happened between Valerie and himself.
He remembered how he had stood in this very room with his own blaster in servo and shooting at all the targets in his anger. Every target he gazed at he imagined a random human boy (the appearances seeming to be generated from his own CPU) in its place, thinking of the high possibility that they were his sparkmate's secret admirer before blasting them to smithereens. He knew harming humans wasn't the Autobot way, but that logical part of his processor was pushed aside since Valerie was involved (in fact she had been in the middle of it all). She was his sparkmate and that automatically meant she belonged to him and him only. He didn't want to think of her as his property, but what other word could he use to describe his possessiveness of her?
"Hey brother? Just relax." Sideswipe said.
Jetfire could tell that Sideswipe was trying to reason with Hot Shot and calm him down, but the yellow mech was ignoring him. He couldn't help but wonder if he had really been the same way as well. Sideswipe tried to approach Hot Shot, but Jetfire stopped him by grabbing his arm, causing the younger mech to look up at him with a confused look showing on his face and blue optics.
"Let 'im…get it out of his system." Jetfire told him calmly. He knew that Hot Shot needed to blow off some steam after what happened in battle earlier.
Sideswipe looked at him before turning back to watch Hot Shot continue to destroy more targets.
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Alexis sat outside the base as she hugged her legs close to her chest, a gloomy look on her face as she gazed out at the orange sky. She had to admit that it was pretty and she could see why Valerie loved to gaze at the sky. Alexis thought back on the party they put together for Starscream earlier when he had first gotten the shammy they made him.
"Thank you, Starscream." They had all said to him with cheerful smiles on their faces
"How could he?" Alexis asked, feeling so sad. Her chest ached slightly ever since Starscream's betrayal. At first she had dismissed it as nothing, but it still continued to feel that way. "Hmmm?"
She turned to Sureshock, who bleeped as she stood next to her. Alexis knew the orange Mini-Con was trying to cheer her up. She smiled sadly as she moved her head as if shrugging, causing Sureshock to give her what looked to be a sympathetic expression as she bleeped again.
"Thanks a lot, Sureshock." Alexis told her Mini-Con companion.
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I watched the conversation between Alexis and Sureshock from the doorway of the base. I felt sorry for my friend for having to deal with Starscream's betrayal, and it didn't help that she was his sparkmate. I felt so unsure about telling her or not, but what if I told her about my relationship with Jetfire? Would that help things out as I try to explain what she's possibly feeling? Or would it make things worse? What would she think if I told her that being his sparkmate meant that I was literally betrothed to him since the day I was born? Would she look at me with disgust for being so in love with Jetfire? Would she stop being my friend and want nothing to do with me? I was too anxious and scared at I felt rooted in place.
'What do I do?' I thought desperately. 'What do I do, Jetfire?'
{Just tell her the truth.} Jetfire's voice answered. I could feel his presence in my mind as he tried to reassure and encourage me. {Remember what I told you earlier today, Valerie.}
I suddenly thought back on what Jetfire told me about my name. He believed that I was capable of being brave and had given me incidents I've been through in the past as examples. If he believed in me, then I should believe in myself, right? I took a deep breath before making my way over to Alexis.
"Hey, Alexis." I greeted quietly, causing her to turn and look at me over her shoulder. "You wouldn't mind if I sat with you, right?"
Alexis shook her head.
"Go ahead." She told me. "I probably need another girl around besides Sureshock."
At this Sureshock started bleeping at Alexis smiled a small smile before giggling quietly.
"Oh course I didn't forget about you, Sureshock. Why would you say that?"
Sureshock responded by bleeping again.
"I'm not dissing you. We girls have to stick together, you know?"
I felt slightly confused by their conversation since I didn't know what Sureshock was saying. Apparently Alexis was able to understand what she was saying, almost like how I had been able to understand Sky Blast. I felt slightly sad. The Decepticons had Sky Blast since he was one of the Mini-Cons that created the Requiem Blaster. I hope he was okay.
"What did she say?" I asked.
"She said, 'You didn't forget me, did you?' and then, 'Because it sounded like you were dissing me.'" Alexis told me.
I couldn't help but giggle as well before turning to Sureshock and smiled.
"We're not forgetting you, Sureshock." I told the orange Mini-Con. "You're part of our group of girls despite how small it might be."
Sureshock bleeped, sounding happy. Alexis giggled, causing me to look back at her.
"What did she say now?"
"She said, 'Thank you, Valerie. You are a good friend among Mini-Cons just like Alexis and the others.'" Alexis said.
I couldn't help but feel happy by this.
"No problem. I try."
It was quiet between the three of us as we gazed at the sky. It was a nice orange color, with some purple as well. Alexis sighed.
"I can see why you like looking at the sky." Alexis suddenly said. "It's…pretty to look at. Almost like it also has emotions that change each day." I turned to Alexis, my gaze softening as I looked at her. She then turned to look at me with her green eyes. "There was another reason why you came to talk to me, isn't there?"
I was surprised by this and averted my gaze.
"…How did you know?" I asked.
"Valerie, we've known each other since kindergarten. Not only are we best friends, but we're practically sisters if you think about it." She giggled. "Besides, you're sometimes happen to be like an open book and be predictable. Lately I've noticed that you've started to change."
"Y-you have?"
"Yeah, but in a good way. You've even gotten a bit more confident in yourself as well. How come?"
I felt my face heat up slightly, knowing that I would have to discuss this with her eventually. I sighed. Here goes nothing.
"What I'm about to tell you is a secret. You can't tell anyone." I glanced over at Sureshock. "The same goes for you too."
Sureshock made a bleeping sound that I assumed was confirmation before turning back to Alexis.
"Don't worry. I won't tell." Alexis told me. "But what is it?"
"Well…" My face got warmer. "I'm…uh…Jetfire and I are…"
I watched as Alexis' eyes widened in realization, but then she suddenly grinned.
"I knew it! I knew you liked him and that there was something going on between you two! That little incident between the two of you a couple weeks ago made it obvious."
"But here's the thing, Alexis. It's more than just a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. I'm literally engaged to him since I'm his sparkmate."
"Engaged? As in you'll eventually get married to him?" I nodded in reply. "And what's a sparkmate?"
"A sparkmate is like a soul mate, except it's much deeper than that. From what I've learned from Jetfire, it's like an arranged marriage that's been predetermined by Primus, the transformers' god, before they're even born."
"You mean this deity called Primus actually chose you and Jetfire to be sparkmates before you were both even born?" I nodded. "But how did Jetfire even know you were his sparkmate?"
"It's kinda complicated, but I'll try to explain it. He told me that a transformer knows when they found their sparkmate when they see each other for the first time. I can't exactly say if it's a 'love at first sight' sort of thing, but I guess it was like that for him since he knew I was the one. It's when they meet for the first time that this link called an engagement connection is formed between sparkmates, but it has to develop with time spent between them. You remember when I told you that I had that strange feeling that something wrong had happened to Jetfire?"
"Yeah, I'm still wondering what that's about." Alexis replied.
"That actually had to do with the connection between me and Jetfire. There were and are still other signs about the connection we have. I always feel comfortable around him, and we've been able to talk telepathically with each other while feeling each other's emotions, but we can block each other's end of the connection if we want to." I deliberately left out the part about Jetfire and I being about to be together while we're asleep.
"You mean he can actually read your mind if he wanted to?"
"Believe me, he already does that. He says that it's easy for him to read my thoughts since I'm still inexperienced when it comes to blocking them. It's only when I try really hard that I'm able to. I haven't been able to read his thoughts yet, though. When there was that whole secret admirer incident I actually tried so hard to block my thoughts so he won't know about it before I told him, but then Fred had to open his big mouth about it." I sighed sadly, remembering the way Jetfire's gold optics had glared at me that day, along with feeling his anger and jealousy. And the painful emptiness in my heart, that was something I would never forget. "It was because of that that Jetfire blocked his end of the connection from me whenever I tried to explain what happened."
"If the connection between the two of you is that strong, then was that why you…"
"Yes. When I tried to contact him to explain he rejected me and ended up hurting me as his way of keeping me out of his mind. The pain itself felt like being stabbed in the heart while being burned and shocked at the same time. I ended up throwing up because of it and I started to slowly lose myself and there was this huge emptiness in my heart where I knew he should've been. I lost all sense of feeling that I didn't feel any pain when I cut my finger from chopping up vegetables for dinner. I was so sad at first, but then I was so angry and indifferent. I almost tried to commit suicide, Alexis, but something stopped me. That was way I acted the way I did that day."
"That's enough, Valerie." Alexis said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I see how that incident affected the two of you, but it's over. It's obvious that Jetfire learned his lesson that day and you're both happy with each other." Her face set in a slight frown. "But why are you telling me this? What reason do you have?"
I gazed at Alexis, watching as a curious look appeared in her green eyes.
"Because…you're Starscream's sparkmate." I told her.
Alexis' face showed shock from this news and she pulled her hand away from my shoulder as it shook.
"I'm Starscream's sparkmate? But how? How do you know?"
"Starscream told me a week ago. He told me not to tell anyone else, but I thought you had a right to know since I understand what you're going through or how you feel. His betrayal hurt you the most, that I know for certain. You didn't deserve to have that happen to you. I just…want you to know that I'm here for you."
I saw tears start to form in Alexis' eyes before she hugged me. She buried her face in my shoulder as she cried from the sadness I knew she probably felt. I held her, trying my best to comfort her and be supportive as she dealt with her heartache. She really needed it.
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Starscream walked into a room that he could hear the other Decepticons working in. From where he stood he could see Cyclonus, Wheeljack, and Demolishor working hard. Starscream's optics narrowed when he saw Thrust started to approach them.
"I'll be going out for a while, and I want the rest of you to keep working." Thrust said before walking off.
The three Decepticons below watched as Thrust walked out of the room.
"Who does he think he is, ordering us around?" Cyclonus asked.
"And just where is he going, anyway?" Demolishor added.
'Now's my chance.' Starscream thought as he decided to go after Thrust.
He soon found Thrust walking down the hallway, but when he turned around Starscream grabbed him in a headlock.
"I've got a question for you." Starscream growled menacingly before dragging the coneheaded Decepticon off outside. Thrust had struggled slightly at first, but as they went outside the ship he suddenly stopped doing so. He found this suspicious for some reason, but he just released Thrust, glaring at him with his red orange optics. "I want some answers, Thrust!"
Starscream detached his left wing which changed into his red beamed sword before pointing it at Thrust's face to show that he meant business.
"What's this all about, Starscream?" Thrust asked somewhat confused.
"What is this project?" He narrowed his optics. "You'd better not lie to me."
"Ah, yes. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…"
Starscream found this weird. Why in Primus' name was Thrust laughing?
"What's so funny?" Starscream asked.
"Well, you didn't have to drag me out here to get information. I'll gladly tell you everything." Thrust told him. Starscream pulled his sword away a bit, but only a bit. "Remember what happened when the three weapons, the Star Saber Sword, the Skyboom Shield and the Requiem Blaster came together?"
"Huh?" Starscream suddenly remembered what happen when he was with Jetfire on their mission to Mars. How the three weapons had suddenly started glowing that bright golden light before their powers collided together "Don't tell me - you want to harness that power!"
"That's right! When you combine all three, you create a colossal weapon unlike anything that's ever been seen!"
"Now I get it…!" Starscream growled. "And that's why you manipulated me to get them!"
So this whole time he had been tricked to betray the Autobots just to give the Megatron and Thrust what they wanted the most! They wanted to create a weapon of mass destruction that they could possibly use against the Autobots! Starscream placed his sword right in Thrust's face again, showing just how much he didn't like the idea of being manipulated.
"I had to do it... for you!"
"Do it for me?"
"Yes. You see, if you defeat Megatron, then I know you will take command of the Decepticons. I've always been your ally, Starscream. I just had to hide it from the others so they wouldn't get suspicious. But, of course, if you don't believe me, then there's nothing I can do about it now. Heh. whatever fate you feel I deserve then…" Thrust suddenly got down on his knees, something that surprised Starscream, but he didn't show it. "I am ready." Starscream growled quietly as he glared down at Thrust. "There is no way that I can defeat Megatron on my own. And it doesn't make sense for me to carry on now, so might as well finish me off."
Starscream just glared at him for awhile before attaching his sword back on his left wing. With that he walked off. He wasn't going to waste anymore time with this coneheaded snake.
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Thrust watched gleefully as Starscream walked back inside the Decepticon ship, grinning behind his face mask. The fabric of lies would continue to be woven with the beautiful thread he was using, and Starscream was no exception to it. Of course he would be part of the plan, just as Megatron was as well. It was only a matter of time before their downfall.
"Heh, heh, heh, heh... He really is a lot dumber than he looks." Thrust said quietly.
From behind him Thrust heard the familiar deep voice chuckling quietly behind him and he turned to look at his…acquaintance.
"An impressive performance, Thrust!" Sideways praised.
"You heard all that?" Thrust stood up from the ground he was kneeling on just as Sideways started approaching him.
"You're quite an actor."
"I learned from the best."
"Heh, heh, heh. All we have to do now is bring it all together... And the Hydra Cannon will be ours. Heh, heh, heh…"
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Alexis sat at her desk in her room as she gazed down at the Mars rock she held. She remembered the day when Starscream and Jetfire had returned from their mission on Mars and how the Decepticon had brought them back the Mars rocks. She could still remember how happy they had all been to receive the gift from the red planet. So far only she, Valerie, and Rad had kept their rocks while Carlos, Billy, and Fred got rid of theirs. Maybe she and her other two friends believed that there was still some good left in Starscream and kept their rocks in hope that he would see the errors of his way.
But then the fact that she had just learned from Valerie that she was Starscream's sparkmate. But why did he tell Valerie and not her? Was it because he had been confused? Had he known about Valerie and Jetfire's relationship? That had to be the case; why else would Starscream tell her? He had to have been confused about his emotions since the Decepticons probably thought love was a useless emotion.
'But at least Valerie told me about it.' She thought. 'Now I know why I feel the way I do. Why I feel so hurt from his betrayal.'
"Hmmm…" Alexis brought the rock close to her chest, holding it as if she wished hard enough the transformer that she had recently discovered to be her sparkmate would come back. But sadly, it wasn't going to happen, and that made her feel sad. "Starscream…"
Alexis suddenly got an idea and pulled the Mars rock away from her chest to gaze down at it. She noticed all the glittering green stones on the rock itself as the idea formed in her head. Maybe she could ask her dad for help with refining the rock so she could make a necklace out of it. It'd probably be big, but it would be a nice necklace, nonetheless.
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Jetfire stood in the command center with Optimus and Sideswipe observing the monitor that showed footage of the moon. The moon that just so happened to have the Decepticon base located there. He sighed mentally. The Decepticons were so close, and yet they were so far away as well. He personally wanted to make Starscream pay for betraying them, especially after he learned that the Decepticon was Alexis' sparkmate from Valerie. That's what really made him angry the most. If his own sparkmate had been able to inform Alexis about their relationship to the sad femme, then it would do some good for her to seek comfort in her friend. He smiled a small smile behind his gold face mask as he remembered how Alexis had said that she and Valerie were like sisters. It explained why they seemed to look out for each other.
"Hey, Optimus!" Hot Shot called as he ran over into the room.
"What is it, Hot Shot?" Optimus asked, turning to face the yellow mech.
"Maybe we should go after the Decepticons before they come after us!"
"Now let's not be too hasty."
Jetfire turned around just in time to see Hot Shot stop in front of Optimus. He knew what was probably going through the younger Autobot's processor at the moment since it was no different than what he thought. But thousands of years of experience had taught him to always have a plan and be rational at times like these. After all, he was the Optimus' Vice Commander and strategist.
"But they've got the Sword, the Shield, and the Gun!"
"I was just going over some data." Jetfire said, his arms crossed behind his back. Hot Shot to look over at him. "I think we may be able to get those weapons back." He took a step forward as he said all this before turning to look over at Sideswipe. "How's it going, Sideswipe?"
"It's not looking good." Sideswipe answered, looking at Jetfire from where he stood in front of a monitor. "The Decepticons' warp gate is completely sealed."
"That doesn't surprise me." And it really didn't.
"We know exactly where they are. So let's use our own launch gate." Hot Shot declared.
"That's too dangerous." Hot Shot turned to look at Sideswipe. "That would be like going into a tunnel that had no exit. That would be crazy."
"Aw, c'mon! There must be some other way."
"I suppose we could try and use the spaceship maybe."
"Spaceship?"
"Ahh, it's nowhere near completion." Jetfire interjected.
Hot Shot turned to Jetfire.
"Well then that's it. We'll just have to hurry up and complete it, because we've got no other choice. C'mon, Sideswipe!"
With that Hot Shot ran out of the room.
"Uhh, sure. Where are we going?" Sideswipe asked before running after the yellow mech. "Hey, wait up?"
Optimus and Jetfire watched as Hot Shot and Sideswipe left the room in a hurry. Jetfire couldn't help but think of when he used to be like that when he was younger, but right now wasn't really a good time to think back on his sparklinghood. He made his processor up, knowing what he wanted to do once the spaceship was completed.
"Hmmm…" Optimus hummed.
"Optimus…" Jetfire started, causing his leader to turn and face him. "If you want me to, I'll pilot the ship to the Decepticon base. I can't stand all this waiting around!"
"No! Your anger towards Starscream could cloud your judgment. And I need you here right now." Optimus told him.
"Optimus, please!" He begged. He was starting to get frustrated and from the connection he could feel Valerie trying to calm him down, but it barely did anything to help him. So she was still awake then. It was obvious that Optimus could tell how he felt as well.
"You're no good in the field if you can't control your anger. So I want you to stay here at the base. Hot Shot has been more than a handful lately. Besides, don't give up on Starscream just yet. There's no doubt he's a hardened Decepticon, but he's still a Transformer. He still could come around. And I'm hoping that all Transformers will make peace with each other someday."
'Optimus. You are ever the dreamer of peace.' Jetfire thought.
"Well, let's see if you can convince Megatron…"
Jetfire turned to the monitor that still showed the moon. From Earth the moon was beautiful, and he would've thought so too if it weren't for the fact that he knew what was up there. Maybe it was a good thing that almost all of the human population on the planet didn't know that the Decepticons lurked on Earth's natural satellite; if they did then they would panic and run around like headless chickens. Heh, chickens. Birds that couldn't even fly despite having wings.
Fly.
Wings.
Valerie.
His beautiful Skydancer and sparkmate. Jetfire could remember when he took her flying that day when she was depressed and it had filled his spark with happiness and joy upon seeing how much she enjoyed the experience. How she had looked around the sky and at the ground that had been far below them in awe like a newborn sparkling seeing the world for the first time. He had a feeling that if she had been born a Cybertronian, she would most likely have been a flyer like himself. She had always wanted to be able to fly.
"Jetfire." Optimus said, causing the shuttle mech to turn to him. "How are things between you and Valerie?"
"Oh. They're fine, sir. She's gotten better over the last two weeks while recovering from that incident." He sighed quietly. "Personally I'm just glad that she didn't die that day. I've been doing my best to look after her as well."
"As I have observed this past week. And you've done a good job of that. Humans are more fragile than we are, but I'm aware that you've taken extra care when handling her."
"I know. But how come you're asking me this when you know the answer?"
Jetfire watched as Optimus' gold optics softened as he gazed at him. There was something about that look that made him feel…sorry for his leader, but why? Optimus sighed sadly as he looked away.
"I know you aren't aware of this, but I once had a sparkmate." Optimus started, sounding sad.
"You had a sparkmate?" Jetfire was surprised.
"Yes. Her name was Elita-1. This was a few thousand years before you joined the Autobot ranks as a new recruit. We had gotten into an argument over the fact that she wanted to have a sparkling. She had wanted to have a family, but I told her that we couldn't have a sparkling yet due to the war and the fact that when a femme is with sparkling, she becomes more vulnerable. I didn't want to risk bringing our offspring into a chaos-filled world or losing them." Optimus turned to look back at Jetfire. "As a leader herself, she lead a squad of femmes off Cybertron to find other allies to help in the war. The last time I saw her was when she was sending out a transmission. I can still remember the panicked look on her face before the transmission cut off. I haven't seen her since."
"Optimus…" Jetfire felt sorry for his friend. "So that's why you…"
"Yes." Optimus nodded. "I didn't want you to repeat the mistake I made all those years ago. Looking back on it now, I realize how foolish it was of me to say no to her. I knew she wanted to have a sparkling, but I was more worried about the wellbeing of her and the possibility of the sparkling's as well to even do so. I don't know if she's still alive somewhere in the universe, but I can't lose hope on the small chance that she could be alive. I haven't felt any indication that she could've been offlined from our connection, so that's why I believe that she could be out there."
"I'm…sorry for the way I acted two weeks ago in your office, sir. I realize now that you were only trying to help, but I ended up being a total aft about it."
"I'm glad you realized your mistake." Optimus looked a little more happier now than he did when he started talking about Elita-1. "You're dismissed for the night, Jetfire. I know you'll want to spend some time with Valerie."
At this Jetfire's gold optics widened in surprise.
"How'd you know…?"
"I used to have a sparkmate of my own, remember?" Optimus sounded amused. "It's normal and very common for sparkmates to be able to see each other in their dreams while in recharge."
Jetfire couldn't help but smile behind his face mask before letting out a quiet chuckle.
"Fine, Optimus. I'll get that rest so that Valerie won't have to worry about me tomorrow."
With that Jetfire walked out of the command center and headed for his quarters to sleep. Upon entering his quarters he sat down on his berth before removing his gold face mask to show his face. Privacy like this was one of those times he wouldn't have to worry about others seeing what he looked like behind his face mask and he took comfort in that. He sighed. Jetfire was aware that Valerie had wanted to see his face-he wanted to show her-but he couldn't yet. He'd worn it for so long that he was somewhat worried about what she would think if she did see what he looked like; he planned to show her someday after they were bonded. What would she think when she finally got to see his face? Honestly it didn't look any different than the shape of his holoform's face, but she didn't know that. For all she knew he could've looked very different than his holoform. But why would it even matter? Valerie loved him for who he really was, loved him for being himself despite everything.
He smiled before turning off the lights, laying down on his berth and deactivating his optics so he could recharge.
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I sat on my bed as I gazed out my window at the moon glowing in the dark night sky littered with stars. I sighed before turning away from the window, only to spot the vase that held a bouquet of beautiful red roses. I could faintly smell their scent in the air and smiled. Those were the same roses that Jetfire had given me after my performance, along with being the first time I saw his holoform. That was also the same day I learned that I was his sparkmate. Ever since I got them I've been doing my best to take care of the flowers.
Speaking of Jetfire, I remembered that he would be busy tonight so I wouldn't be able to see him in my dreams tonight. I could understand that it was important (especially when the Decepticons had the Star Saber, the Skyboom Shield, and the Requiem Blaster in their possession), but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Not too long ago I had felt his anger through our connection and had a feeling that it had to do with Starscream. Trying to calm him down did little to help whatever situation he had been in to make him feel that way.
My gaze wandered to the small TV in my room. Apparently a comet was going to appear tomorrow night. A sudden thought came into my mind. Had Jetfire ever seen comets in space before? I had a feeling he has, but then why was I asking myself that question? I yawned. I was starting to feel sleepy now so I decided it was probably time for bed.
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I was slightly confused when I found myself in the black void. I only ended up here in my dreams if Jetfire or either one of his parents (or both of them) wanted to talk to me. I didn't think if was Jetfire since he was busy, so that left his parents to be the reason. But I didn't see them anywhere.
"Astera? Silverbolt?" I called out. "Are you there?"
I didn't hear any reply. Nothing. This confused me. I was about to call out their names again when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around my shoulders before being pulled into the form behind me.
{I was wondering when you'd show up.} A familiar voice said jokingly.
I gasped quietly, my eyes widening when I turned to find Jetfire behind me.
"Jetfire! I thought you said you were going to be busy tonight."
{Well I was, but then Optimus allowed me to retire for the night.} Jetfire sighed sadly, making me feel concerned. {Although I can't really say the same thing for tomorrow night.}
This caused me to twist around in his hold so I could face him and my gaze softened when I saw the expression he had in his gold optics.
"What's wrong?" I asked. "Did something happen?"
{Not yet, but I know that the Decepticons are up to something. I can feel it. It's not like them to keep this quiet.} He told me. {Whatever it is they're up to, there's no doubt that it involves the three weapons.}
"I felt your anger earlier. I know that you were angry about something, but I can never really tell why. You're always able to know what I feel and read my mind like an open book, but I can never tell what you're thinking. It's like you're always hiding and the only thing I have to go by are your emotions and what you willingly tell me."
I saw his optics soften from what I said. His hold tightened slightly around me.
{I can understand why you feel that way, and the reason why I'm able to feel your emotions or read your thoughts so easily is because you're young. Your mind is still growing, but you're also less experienced as well. When you're older you'll be able to hide your thoughts from me without as much difficulty as you do now. The only reason why I hide my thoughts from you is because I want you to have as much as a normal life as you possibly can without having to worry for me or the war. My thoughts could overwhelm you if you aren't prepared.}
"But I am prepared!"
{No you're not.} Jetfire told me, shaking his head. {Trust me when I say you're not ready. I don't want you to wind up having a mental breakdown. You'll be able to handle my thoughts when you're older. For now I'm only allowing you to feel my emotions or communicate with me.}
I stared at him for a bit before sighing.
"Fine. I understand that you want to protect me. But…I think there's another reason."
{And what would that be?}
"You have certain thoughts that you don't want me to know about." I stated.
Jetfire's optics widened in surprise before he looked away from me, seeming embarrassed.
{Oh, that…} He said awkwardly. {That too…}
Okay, maybe I shouldn't have brought that up since I was starting to feel awkward myself. Think, Valerie, think! There had to be something else to talk about to change the subject!
"You, uh, want to sit down?" I asked.
{As long as I can hold you, then yes.} Jetfire seemed relieved about the change of subject.
We pulled away from each other before sitting down with Jetfire holding me as I sat in his lap. At least I've been getting used to doing this whenever I'm with him. I leaned back against his metal chest, feeling content.
"There's going to be a comet showing up tomorrow night." I told him.
{A comet, huh? I'm guessing you're interested in seeing it?}
"I am." I nodded. "I've never seen one before."
{I wish I could take you to see it myself, but you know that I'm busy tomorrow.}
"It's fine. It's the thought that counts." I sighed quietly before closing my eyes. It was quiet between us as we sat there. I felt at peace being around him, just having him by my side made me feel safe. I opened my eyes. "Jetfire?"
{Hmm?} He hummed.
"Have you ever seen a comet before?"
{Course I have, Skydancer. Tons of times. There's nothing really special about them.}
"I only know what I've learned in school or seen as a picture. They take so many years to travel to Earth that most people are lucky enough to see them once."
{Well, at least you'll get your chance to see one. It'll be something you'll never forget.}
I smiled before turning my head and placing the side of my face against the area that covered Jetfire's spark chamber. I could hear it humming quietly and found the sound to be soothing. It was almost like a heart beat as it would occasionally pulse subtly.
"That's your spark I hear, right?" I asked.
{It is.} Jetfire answered. {It's just like your heart. It works the same way, beats the same way, and loves the same way. Even if we're both a different species, we're still the same in many ways.} He sighed. {I'll always love you and my spark will continue to feel the same way.}
"I will as well. I'll keep loving you."
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(The next day…)
I couldn't help but feel confused as I watched Hot Shot and Sideswipe work of the Autobots' ship with my friends. If anything Hot Shot seemed to be very determined to finish it while Sideswipe seemed like he was getting tired, but it seemed like he wasn't allowed to stop for some reason. It was very confusing.
"What's up, Hot Shot? You leaving?" Carlos asked.
My eyes widened! They were leaving? Was that why they were working on the ship? If that was the case where were the other Autobots? Why weren't they working on the ship as well? Hot Shot turned to where we were and I could see the determined look set in his face.
"We have to, Carlos! There's no time to waste!" Hot Shot answered before walking off.
"Well, hey, why the big hurry? What's going on?"
Hot Shot knelt down to pick up another tool.
"We're taking back what was ours. It's time to make the Decepticons pay for what they did to us." He glanced at Carlos. "We've let them get away with too much." He looked over to where Sideswipe was. "Hey! Sideswipe, let's get it in gear!"
"Aw, c'mon, bro!" Sideswipe complained. "Can't we take a break?"
"There's no time." Hot Shot told him.
"Ah, let's let them do their work." Rad said, causing Carlos to look at him. "We'll only get in the way, guys. Besides, it's time to forget about Starscream and start thinking about the future."
I looked over at Alexis to see the shocked look on her face when Rad mentioned Starscream and forgetting about him.
"Yeah, all that talk about Starscream just makes me mad." Carlos said. "Let's not mention his name anymore."
Alexis suddenly looked sad because of this and I knew what she was going through. This wasn't something that she wanted to hear and the fact that Starscream was her sparkmate didn't make things any better. What was worse was that the boys had no idea how this was affecting her. I was the only one that understood.
"Who were we talking about? Ooh yeah, I've already forgot!" Billy said in a very snide way.
"Yeah! That's the way Billy!" Carlos cheered.
Poor Alexis. Too bad that Rad finally noticed that she was sad.
"Hey! Why don't we go check out that comet? It's almost here!" Fred suggested.
That's right. The comet was going to appear in just a few hours.
"You wanna go see the comet, Fred?" Billy asked.
"Yeah, sure. It's way better than going to school, isn't it?"
"Let's go to the point and check it out! C'mon!" Carlos said excitedly.
With that Carlos, Billy, and Fred ran off. I followed after them, but I decided to hide in the doorway to watch the exchange between Alexis and Rad.
"Hey, Alexis, about Starscream…" Rad started. "I didn't mean to say that -"
"Look, it's okay. Don't sweat it." Alexis said, trying her best to keep her composure.
Alexis started making her way to the doorway and I noticed the concerned look on his face as he watched her leave. It was then that she noticed I was in the doorway and her gaze softened.
"You saw that just now, didn't you?" She asked quietly.
I nodded.
"It's going to be okay, Alexis. You know I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about it." I told her quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I know. I can count on you to help me understand what's going on now."
"Just remember that you don't need to hesitate when asking me a question."
We both started walking down the hallway just as Alexis giggled.
"Don't hesitate, huh?" Her voice was quiet as she said this. "Okay, so what's it like kissing Jetfire? Is he a good kisser?"
My face suddenly heated up from what she said as I whipped around to face her.
"Alexis!"
She merely giggled at my expense, but I managed to settle down seeing that I helped cheer my friend up. I smiled despite the heat I felt in my cheeks.
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Looking at the monitor Starscream could see a comet flying close to Earth. There was no doubt that Thrust noticed this due to what he said next.
"M-Megatron-sir! I've found the ideal target for the test firing of the Hydra Cannon!" Thrust exclaimed.
"Perfect. Let's blast that comet." Megatron said.
Thrust turned to Megatron, his pink optics having a sort of excited look to them. Starscream had a feeling that if he could see the coneheaded Decepticon's face he would be grinning.
"Throughout human history, they believed that a comet was a sign of bad luck. But good luck for us when we blow it to pieces!"
"Well, it had better be." Megatron turned to Demolishor who stood near the controls. "Demolishor, head for that comet."
"'Sir. Right away, sir." Demolishor replied.
Starscream could barely feel the ship move as it turned around to head closer to the comet. Hmm… It would seem that the rest of the Decepticons had done a good job repairing their ship after all.
"Starscream!" Megatron called.
"Sir?" Starscream asked, turning to his leader. What was is that he could possibly want?
"I'm going to give you honor of taking the first shot with the Hydra Cannon."
"Uh, the first shot, sir?"
"Yes, you played a big part in putting the Hydra Cannon together."
This came as a surprised to Starscream. Normally he would've been thrilled at the idea of having an opportunity such as this, especially when it came to Megatron actually recognizing his skills as a Decepticon soldier. But now…he wasn't so sure anymore. This was something that he had wanted for thousands of years since he first became a part of this war, something he yearned for since the beginning. He had finally reached this point in his life, yet he didn't feel satisfied. In all honesty, he didn't want to be the one to fire the Hydra Cannon.
"Thank you, but I think you should be the one to take the first shot." Starscream said.
"You will fire the first shot!" Megatron commanded. "Starscream... You will do as you are told."
Thrust turned to see what was going on and…did his optics just narrow as he glared at Starscream?
"Eehhhh…" Starscream slouched over slightly in defeat. He wasn't going to win this one, that's for sure. "Of course I will."
Starscream knew that the ship was preparing the Hydra Cannon so that it could be ready to fire on the comet.
"Starscream... Prepare to fire." Megatron ordered.
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I stood outside with my friends as we all looked up at the darkening sky. We all searched to find the comet, but so far we haven't seen it yet.
"Is that it up there?" Carlos asked as he spotted something. What he ended up spotting was a satellite that occasionally glowed as it moved through space.
"Nah. That's it. Right there!" Fred answered, pointing to where the comet was in the sky.
We looked in the direction Fred was pointing in and sure enough there was the comet, having a tail of white light as it flew by. It was so beautiful. To think Jetfire had basically seen these all his life.
"Whoa, that's cool! It's the comet!" Billy said.
"That thing is really moving! Man, that's wild!" Carlos said excitedly.
"No kiddin'." Fred agreed.
"I'm definitely going to remember this for the rest of my life." I said, smiling.
"Hey you guys, I'm sure we'll be able to see it better once the sun goes down." Rad stated.
I turned to Alexis and my smile disappeared when I saw the expression on her face as she turned to Rad. She was still depressed.
"I think I'm gonna go home now." Alexis said before walking off.
Rad noticed that Alexis was leaving and tried to follow her.
"Uh, hey, wait up."
I watched the whole thing from where I stood. Rad didn't understand what Alexis was going through, but he was trying to cheer her up. I knew that he had had a crush on her, but I knew it wouldn't work out.
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The monitor showed the Hydra Cannon was now locked on to the comet. And that only meant one thing.
"Fire away!" Megatron ordered.
"Yessir!" Starscream replied. As soon as the button was revealed his finger hovered over it hesitantly. He had to do it. He had to press it or suffer for his disobedience. "Here we go."
With that, Starscream pressed the button.
"Mmmmm…" Megatron hummed.
As they watched anxiously before the Hydra Cannon suddenly fired. The power of the blast caused the Decepticon ship to shake.
"Huh? We need full power on the rear engine or we're going to be blown back by the recoil!" Thrust yelled.
"Okay!" Demolishor yelled.
The blast continued to travel through space until it impacted the comet. The result of the blast caused a bright white light to appear. Starscream could do nothing but stare in awe.
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Rad managed to catch up with Alexis and placed his hand on her shoulder. This caused her to turn to him confused.
"Hmm?" She hummed questioningly.
"Alexis…" Rad started. "Don't go home, 'kay?"
"Whoa! What the heck's going on up there?" Billy cried.
I turned away from looking at Rad and Alexis when a bright white light appeared in the sky.
"Hey, the comet is getting brighter and brighter!" Carlos exclaimed.
"I don't like the looks of this." Fred said.
It was like the whole sky was being bathed in the bright light where the comet should've been. I knew for a fact that this wasn't normal at all.
"What's going on up there?" Alexis asked.
"The comet blew up." Rad said in awe.
This caused Alexis and everyone else to turn to him in shock.
"It couldn't have." I said. "Comets don't just blow up."
"Is that even possible?" Alexis eyes widened when she gasped, as if realizing something, before turning to look up at the sky. "No way!"
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Jetfire and Hot Shot both came into the command center as the alarm blared loudly through the air.
"Optimus!" Jetfire called.
"Are we under attack?" Hot Shot asked.
"No, the comet has exploded, Hot Shot." Optimus answered, turning to the yellow mech.
"It exploded?"
"And I detected an enormous energy wave coming from the moon."
Optimus turn back to the monitor in front of them and Jetfire did the same, only to see the bright white light that had shown up where the comet should've been.
"That is totally bizarre." Jetfire mused. How could a comet just explode like that? There had to be an perfectly good explanation to this.
"All right!" Sideswipe said, causing Jetfire to look over at him just as the younger mech turned to face all of them. "I've locked into the source of the energy wave, Optimus. Watch the monitor."
And they did, but what they saw only filled their sparks with dread just as the monitor zoomed in on the object that was near the moon.
"What? It's a ship!" Hot Shot exclaimed.
"It's the Decepticons!" Jetfire stated.
"Megatron!" Optimus said grimly.
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Sideways stood on the surface of the moon as he witness the destruction of the comet caused by the Hydra Cannon. The bright light caused by the impact was beautiful, a beauty that could only be achieved from chaos and destruction. He grinned behind his face mask. Yes! This was what he had been waiting for since the beginning. And now he was another step closer to his ultimate goal.
"Heh, heh, heh... Hehehehaha!" He chuckled darkly. "Soon, Sweet Valerie. You're time will come for you to take your spot on center stage and perform your solo for all to see. And for the Chaos Bringer."
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"Look! The comet has disappeared!" Starscream exclaimed. He couldn't believe his optics! The comet was gone! Completely destroyed!
"The Hydra Cannon works. It actually works!" Thrust said, sounding excited.
"Hahahaha! Congratulations, Thrust. It appears your calculations were correct." Megatron praised, seeming to be very amused.
Thrust turned to face Megatron.
"Megatron, with the Hydra Cannon, we have no need for the other Mini-Cons. Let's return to Cybertron and conquer the planet!"
"First there's some unfinished business." Megatron suddenly turned to him. "Starscream, I want you to target the Autobot base."
Starscream turned around to face Megatron, doing his best to hide his shock.
"Hmm? The Autobots' base?" Starscream asked. "But if we do that, the Earth will be blown to bits as well!"
"So what? This is a perfect opportunity to finally destroy the Autobots. I order you to point the Hydra Cannon at their base."
"But that won't be possible from here." Thrust stated, causing Megatron to turn to him. "The Autobots' base is now on the other side of the planet."
"What?"
"Although, if we were to move into range and punch in the proper co-ordinates, the Hydra Cannon will make quick work of the Autobots!"
"Ha! You don't know how clever Optimus Prime is. I'm sure he'll see us coming and make his escape. I know the way he thinks." Megatron then narrowed his optics at Thrust. "But we won't give him that chance. We attack when he's still unaware of us. And if we have to destroy the planet, then so be it."
"Excellent idea, sir. Forgive me for even thinking of questioning you." Thrust said, bowing his head. "You are a truly brilliant strategist. Heh. Very well. We will move the ship into position and fire directly at the Earth and destroy the Autobots' base."
Starscream watched the exchange with mixed feelings and conflicting thoughts.
"Starscream!" Megatron called, causing Starscream to turn to him. "I'm solely counting on you. Set the sight of the Hydra Cannon for our new target... Planet Earth. Hahahaha!"
Starscream growled quietly before bowing his head slightly. This…wasn't how he wanted things to go. This wasn't how he wanted it to end. So many conflicting thoughts swarmed his processor that it was almost overwhelming. After seeing what the Hydra Cannon was capable of doing to just a comet he knew that the results of the weapon's power would be catastrophic if and when it was fired on Earth.
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On the monitor Jetfire could see that the ship was moving.
"Their ship is starting to move." Sideswipe started before turning to Optimus. "And it's coming towards the planet!"
"What?" Optimus asked, completely shocked.
"Ah, no way!" Hot Shot exclaimed, just as shocked as everyone else in the room. "We are done for!"
Jetfire's gold optics widened, fear settling into his spark as he realized what this meant.
'No…!' He thought fearfully. 'Valerie…! Not now! Not when I finally found my sparkmate!'
There was no doubt about it. The Decepticons were going to try to destroy the Autobots along with Earth. Everyone on this planet was going to be in danger. His sparkmate was going to be in danger if he and the others didn't so something to stop them! Valerie still had a future to look forward to, their future together! He was going to do whatever it took to protect her from dying, do for her what he failed to do for his mother. If it ever came down to it he'd give up his own life just to make sure she was safe.
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Starscream continued to stare out the window of the command center as the Decepticon ship approached Earth. Earth…the blue and green planet below. He was so conflicted right now that it confused him.
'I know Megatron wants to get the Autobots. Why does he have to destroy the whole planet?' Starscream thought as flashbacks of all the Autobots and humans he had fought alongside with appeared before him. But the one that really stood out the most was her: Alexis…his sparkmate. Even though his engagement connection with her hadn't had enough time to develop properly he wanted desperately to know what she was thinking, how she was feeling at this moment. But he couldn't. 'I can't let this happen. There are too many innocent people down there. My friends are down there. But if I refuse, Megatron will surely cut me down. We're almost in position. I don't have much time. What should I do? What should I do?'
ATE: That's it for now everyone! We can all see how Starscream feels about what he has to do next and other stuff that has happened in this chapter. And what's this? Sideways mentioning the Chaos Bringer? Ooh, we all know what that means! For all those who have seen Transformers Armada, you should all know what gonna happen in the next chapter.
Please remember to review! ;D