Chapter 99
-0-Med Bay
Ironhide entered, nodding to the guards as he walked to Ratchet who was bent over Starscream attaching more energon lines into this depleted systems. He waited, watching Ratchet's servos moving here and there plugging in this and unplugging that, his optics reading the print outs that looked like gibberish to Ironhide.
Unreadable, unpronounceable and incomprehensible.
Ratchet turned toward Ironhide tiredly. He took an energon cube from Ironhide as the two walked to the office next to intensive care to sit on the couch in the corner. Ratchet leaned into Ironhide as the big mech slipped his arm around Ratchet's shoulders. "You look worn out."
"It's a lot of handwork doing these kind of repairs. There were a lot of loose bits floating around in there," Ratchet said sipping his energon. "It took a lot of time and patience but we got them all out."
"You did good," Ironhide said quietly. "I can't believe that I have any kind of sympathy for Starscream. I just do. A little."
Ratchet nodded. "Thundercracker and the others, they made him personal."
"They did. I'll still slag him into the Pit if he ever crosses the line. But I feel some sort of sadness about him. Who could've guessed?"
Ratchet nodded, shifting to a more comfortable position. "I guess Megatron is such a fraggin' monster that he can make even Starscream sympathetic."
"Give me a few hours. I'll get over it."
Ratchet grinned. "Wait until he talks again."
Ironhide chuckled. "His voice is a good enough reason to frag him alone."
Ratchet chuckled. "I wonder where Megatron went?"
"I don't know. But I imagine he'll make sure we know soon enough," Ironhide said leaning his cheek against Ratchet's helm. "How do you feel? How's the sparkling?"
"Tired. The sparkling is quiet right now. He was going to the races this morning."
"It isn't long now," Ironhide said, squeezing Ratchet's shoulders. "Soon enough, you'll be here."
"I will," Ratchet said. "I want the sparkling to be separated here, Ironhide. I want this."
"I know," Ironhide said.
A machine beeped and died down in the other room. Ratchet walked out to look at it, then Starscream. Ironhide came to stand by his side. "He's got some functionality in his cognitive abilities. I was afraid he'd be unable to think. Maybe he can."
"His memories and the like? What about that?" Ironhide asked as his servo gently rubbed Ratchet's back.
"Hard to say, Ironhide," Ratchet said. "He's functional at a sparkling level at the moment. I'm hoping between the replacement parts and his self repair routines he'll be able to find his way back. Right now? He can't fly."
Ironhide glanced at Ratchet, then Starscream. "That's the kiss of death for a Seeker."
Ratchet nodded with an expression as weary as his diagnosis.
-0-Autobot HQ, Earth
Bluestreak sat at Teletraan II on night shift. The idea of Seekers on Mars had been a huge surprise and even though they'd given their oath, a lot of the Autobots were unconvinced that they were going to be safe. Now they had civilians, sparklings and younglings to protect. The garrison had a home and a potential refuge from running, chasing and being shot at by an implacable enemy. The idea that the Seekers had to turn themselves in due to injury and debilitation was only small comfort. Few of them had not had an encounter with Starscream and his Seekers.
Prime was expected back in the morning, a meeting schedule that couldn't be reshuffled taking precedence over spending more time on Mars. Sunstreaker and Sideswipe wouldn't be on the shuttle and they had already talked about it. Sunstreaker was sick of being stranded on Mars and the only good thing about it this time was Sideswipe pulling the same duty.
In less than two decaorns, they would go to Autobot City and be the first to bond there. Ordinarily, the ceremony was elective. But because he was Praxian and Prowl wanted to keep with their traditions, they would have a public ceremony on the steps of The Fortress. It would be what he thought Blue's family would want for him and he had agreed. The party afterward would be a brilliant event. Everyone around him had taken it upon themselves to plan it. Everyone who could come would be there.
Two decaorns and their trine would be legalized and permanent. Until death did you part as the humans said. In his case, death didn't usually part a bonded pair. Funny, those humans. They could survive each other. Good trick, he considered, as he listened to the universe for anything out of the ordinary. He didn't hear it.
-0-Far away
They came together at the landing on the ocean's edge, slowly filing into their shuttle to continue. Their journey had been harrowing, fleeing war in their colony while trying to find shelter in any port they could. But every place was just temporary, a respite for a short time and then they were on their way again. Their shuttle filled and rose through the atmosphere as another foreign shore was left behind in their quest for peace and freedom. As they journeyed toward any place and no place, they heard it. A call was captured, one that was made from a place far away in a language they understood.
Their language.
Cybertronian.
Prime.
He was calling them.
'Come to me' he said and they did. They plotted a course and turned their shuttle toward it, placing their faith in the hope that they could reach his protection and the Autobots he would command. The shuttle flashed onward, the twenty-seven civilians and five Autobot soldiers inside settling in for the journey with the first glimmer of hope they'd felt in many vorns of running.
Prime was waiting for them.
They would come.
-0-Med Bay
Ironhide walked into the bay relieving the soldiers for the night. Ratchet was in the office recharging with his helm on his arms. Ironhide paused by the door, looking at his Only One with concern. Moving inside, he leaned down to kiss Ratchet's helm, watching as he stirred to look around himself groggily.
Looking up, he smiled, then leaned back to stretch his body. "Ironhide."
"Ratchet. Go and lie down on a med berth," the big mech said. "Don't go recharging at yer desk. You'll get a krick."
Ratchet looked at Ironhide. "Krick?"
"Krick," Ironhide said tugging at Ratchet's servo, pulling him to his peds.
Ratchet moved forward to slip his arms around Ironhide's neck. "Krick."
"Krick."
"Sounds sexy."
"Krick?" Ironhide asked with a grin. "How does that sound sexy?"
"Just does," Ratchet said as he leaned against Ironhide limply.
They swayed together a moment.
"You find that sexy and Arbutus you make fun of," Ironhide said hugging Ratchet as his arms went limp at his side in gathering fatigue.
"It deserves mockery," Ratchet said.
"You need to go to rest," Ironhide said. "That sparkling needs its rest, too."
"I need to watch over Starscream."
"How's he doin'?"
"So far, so good. His self repair systems are making some headway on the lesser programming. I just don't know about his memories and his ability to think logically."
"Sounds like we might have a Seeker who has no idea of who he is and can't tell you about it," Ironhide said gently walked Ratchet toward the small room in the back with berths for doctors on call or passing through. Pushing Ratchet onto one and lifting his peds up, Ironhide leaned down to kiss the medico. "Recharge. I'll call you."
"I'll let you," Ratchet said relaxing finally, falling into recharge almost immediately.
Ironhide walked out to the main bay pausing beside Starscream. He was a hideous sight. There were a good dozen cables plugged into his processor which was still exposed. Energon lines ran into several major lines and machines beeped quietly as screens charted his progress.
He looked at the figure of the Seeker, at the beautiful array of colors now clear on his chassis, the crimson especially vibrant. It had taken Ratchet a long time to remove the grime. Ironhide wondered why he had. Maybe he did it to pass the time as he waited. Maybe not. But it was a huge improvement over the dull gray that had been forced on them by the Fallen.
Turning away, walking to another berth, Ironhide hoist himself up to sit and wait for the night to pass and morning to come. Ratchet had said they'd have a clearer idea in the morning. He hoped so.
Oddly enough.
-0-The Seekers
They stood outside the new barracks watching the sky and the stars overhead. It was their new sky, their new home and for the first time since they came to the Autobots they felt safe and relaxed.
Thundercracker sat on the bench in front of the barracks leaning back against the wall. Skywarp joined him looking at the gun turrets that were dark forms against the muted light of The Fortress. "I wonder what will happen?" he asked.
"He'll either survive or he won't. His spark is muted," Thundercracker said quietly.
"But its still there," Skywarp replied.
"We can't know what he'll be like if he survives," Thundercracker said.
"No," Skywarp replied.
"We'd be dead if we had stayed."
"I couldn't stay one more orn," Skywarp replied. "Even when he was gone, Megatron was still there."
They were silent for a moment. Then Thundercracker looked at Skywarp. "Don't mention Megatron for any reason," he said quietly.
Skywarp nodded. "Agreed."
They sat together looking at the sky, watching the two moons of Mars traverse the darkness. Somewhere in the universe Megatron still lived and as long as that were true none of them were safe.