Chapter 149
-0-On the way to Autobot City
He packed the medi-kit that he'd be using and datapads with information about transferring Seekers into incubation pods. He'd only done it once before during his residency after medical school before the war. He was aware of the delicacy and even greater resiliency of Seeker young. It was an old memory but useful this time around. Turning at the sound of ped falls, he saw Sideswipe walking into the Med Bay. "Hi."
"Hi," Ratchet replied as Sideswipe picked up the medi-kit.
"You ready to go?" he asked.
"You're my Mech Friday this time?"
Sideswipe accessed the relevant data file. "Yep."
Ratchet smirked as he tossed Sideswipe another bag. "Taking care of your old 'ma'am' are ya?"
He accessed data again. "I would be if you were a femme. But I get the point. We didn't feel like you needed to go to the frontier without a bodyguard."
"You and who?" Ratchet said as he walked to the door.
"Your other sparkling, the big pouty yellow one," Sideswipe said. "And Bluestreak. And Ironhide."
"So Orion had no opinion?" Ratchet asked with a chuckle as they walked together toward the rec room.
"He was too busy sucking on his ped." Sideswipe grinned. "Don't tell Sunny but I can't wait until the sparkling gets here."
"I won't and I can't either," Ratchet said. "But I think we all pale in comparison to Prowl."
"I think you're right," Sideswipe said.
They walked through the rec room and out the door toward the flight line where Cosmos sat waiting. They boarded and the shuttle lifted off taking them away to their other life, their other world, the refuge of their people both here and faraway. Behind them, everything went as it was going to go.
A jet landed and taxied to its temporary parking spot. Disembarking three officials from the State Department, the investigator and his aides walked toward N.E.S.T. HQ and the three-man delegation that was waiting for them. They met, greeted, then disappeared into the building.
Mirage watched them go inside as he passed. He was going to put in time at the merc barracks. Things were heating up and he was tasked to cover them exclusively.
-0-Ops Center
They gathered together checking and rechecking the data. Two items of interest had come together, one known and one new. The plasma weapon that Shockwave had managed to pass off was on its way to Intel-Martin HQ in Houston. After receipt, it was due to go to his research facility in San Antonio for reverse engineering. An e-mail from High Flyer to Nast had confirmed his remarks during their meeting so Prowl formulated the appropriate response back.
The second e-mail was different and new. High Flyer had been queried by Daniels about the 'Ratchet Problem' and had a response back. High Flyer was going to consider setting up a situation in which Ratchet would deploy, making himself a target for assassination. High Flyer expressed great disgust as well and was mulling the options available that would draw out the Autobot's chief diplomat and chief medical officer.
Ironhide was seething.
Orion fussed in his arms as his father's negative energy enveloped him.
Prowl took Orion into his own arms and pulsed soothing energy calming the sparkling as Prime, Jazz and Ironhide discussed their options.
"Now that we know this, Ratchet doesn't leave the base," Ironhide said.
"That would be the easiest solution. They are working off the idea that they are secure in their positions, that no one knows what they are doing," Prime said.
"We should look at what Shockwave has in store, Optimus," Jazz replied. "It should depend on what he has goin' on."
"No," Ironhide said. "I see what you're discussing, Jazz, but Ratchet's life is not going to be a lure in some game with Shockwave."
"We'd never jeopardize him, Ironhide," Jazz replied. "I just think we need to consider the options."
It was silent a moment. Then Prime turned to Ironhide. "I want you and Jazz to go get the weapon. We can order it placed in a storage facility some place that will make it easy to take. You are the weapons expert, Ironhide. I want you to do this. Take a couple of extra mechs if you think you need it. Cosmos can fly you."
"Ratchet's in Autobot City helping Starscream transfer his hatchlings. Cosmos took him and is supposed to wait for him to leave to bring him back," Ironhide said.
"Then go after that," Prime said.
It was quiet in Ops Center for the rest of the day.
-0-At Autobot City, Mars
They transformed after reaching the gates to walk through the courtyard inside to The Fortress entrance. No sign of the Battle of the Idiots was visible although Sideswipe and Ratchet had a chuckle remembering it. Going inside, they walked to Med Bay, noting the Seekers were not there yet. First Aid who was just about ready to leave to retrieve refugees greeted him at the incubator standing beside the med berth. It was filled with fluid, a gray and pink swirl of an amniotic type designed to nurture Seekers. They discussed things a moment then Ratchet walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Sideswipe asked.
"To get Starscream," Ratchet said, disappearing around the corner. Sideswipe who sitting on a med berth watching things hopped down and skated out, catching up to Ratchet at an outside door. They stepped out into the weak light of early evening. The view in all directions was dramatic, rust colored vistas and faraway mountains adding a vastness to the plain upon which their fortress and city stood. They walked along and soon the barracks came into view.
Dirge saw them then stepped inside calling to others.
They came out one at a time, Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust who were as usual belligerent looking and mindful of Sideswipe who was standing nearby with a slight grin on his face. Then Sky Warp and Thundercracker appeared along with Starscream.
"Ratchet," Thundercracker said.
"Thundercracker," Ratchet said. "Is everyone ready?"
Starscream nodded then looked at the others. "We will go together?"
Sky Warp slipped his arm around Starscream's shoulders as he leaned in to him. "We're going to go with you always, Starscream."
Starscream looked at Sky Warp, then nodded. Turning to Thundercracker, he grinned. "Today is a good day."
"It is, Star," Thundercracker said. "Let's go now."
Together the small group walked to Med Bay and the continuing hopeful future of their own kind.
-0-Later
Starscream lay on the berth resting for a moment. Nearby, kneeling in front of a silver and copper incubator, staring through the transparent aluminum window in the front, Thundercracker and Sky Warp marveled at their young.
Ratchet who was wiping his servos on a towel smiled at them, enjoying their happiness. He walked to Starscream pausing by the berth. He touched Starscream's shoulder gently, watching as the Seeker on lined his optics. "Starscream, how do you feel?"
Starscream, looking at him for a moment in confusion, remembered Ratchet. "Fine. And the hatchlings?"
"Wait a moment," Ratchet said turning to wheel the incubator closer. As he did, Starscream struggled to sit up and with Ratchet's help did so. He sat a moment in confusion as his processor whirled, then stepped down to standing unsteadily. Sky Warp pulled a chair up helping Starscream walk over to sit.
Before him, their tiny bodies floating together in the tank, three tiny winged Seekers could be seen. They looked just like adults but were incredibly small in comparison. He stared at them leaning forward to examining them, then he smiled. "They're ours."
"They are," Thundercracker said proudly. "One of them seems to have red and blue markings just like you, Starscream."
Starscream smiled as he leaned forward to spot the little one mentioned. "There he is," he whispered.
Ratchet moved back, then glanced at Sideswipe.
Sideswipe grinned.
"I think we'll go back when Cosmos leaves, Sideswipe. Could you let them know? I think it'll be okay from here on out."
He rolled out as Ratchet walked to the Seekers to kneel beside Starscream. "You're going to be staying here overnight and the night medic will take care of you. Then you can go to the barracks with your trine if you follow the directions that we'll give to Thundercracker. Do you think you can do that?"
Starscream looked at him then nodded. "I will." He turned back to watch. "The incubator, does it stay here or can it come with us?"
"We'll keep it here for about three orns, then it can be moved to your barracks but I hope you won't do that. Here, its quiet and someone can help you no matter the time of the day. I would recommend it stay here. If you wish to stay here, too, I'll arrange it."
"I would like that," he said quietly. He glanced up to Ratchet. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Starscream," Ratchet said. He arose with a nod to Thundercracker and Sky Warp. Then he walked out the door, leaving the small family behind with their treasure.
-0-Earlier
The transfer was simple. Starscream's infants were carried in a pod that his body had made in his gestation chamber in his chassis just below his spark chamber. He had created it over time and the sparks had made their way downward into the growing bodies they would occupy just ten orns before transfer. Growing as far as they could within his chassis, they were ready to transfer to a chamber for the final ten days of gestation.
It had taken a few moments of pain for all the gain, the small sack of infants landing in Ratchet's hands as they slid out of Starscream's gestation chamber. Starscream lay down on his side, his gestation chamber releasing the infants. Ratchet catching them gently and carefully placed them into the incubation chamber. They sank into the nutrient rich gel, then he closed the door.
Thundercracker holding Starscream's servo smiled as he watched, the relief on his face and Sky Warp's immense. They gathered around Starscream and when he was laying back to rest, they hurried to the chamber to look at the infants inside with great joy. It was a happy day, a great moment and Ratchet was proud to be a part of it.
-0-On the way back
Sideswipe sat beside Ratchet in the hold of Cosmos who was hurtling through space on the way to Earth. "That was great."
"It was."
"Those little seekers are really cute. Wait until they can fly."
Ratchet grinned. "They will faster than you think. But it'll be a while before their little wings mature. When they get youngling aged, they'll be able to flutter and hop around in short jumps. There's nothing cuter. I remember seeing it when I was in school."
"I like wings," Sideswipe said. "Our sparkling is going to have little wings. I can't wait to see them."
"Me, either," Ratchet said. "Neither can Prowl."
Sideswipe chuckled. "I think that sparkling is going to be at Granny's house more than usual."
"Which granny?" Ratchet asked with a chuckle. "By the way, do you have a name?"
Sideswipe nodded then leaned over to whisper it into Ratchet's audial in clear violation of the Praxian naming customs of Bluestreak.
Ratchet looked at him with a smile. "Nice."
"We think so," Sideswipe said with a grin.
"Unusual," Ratchet said.
Sideswipe nodded.
It was.