No!
Stop it!
Leave him alone!
Don't harm him, please!
I swear, I'll do anything!
.
. .
. . .
"Just… Just let him go."
The three medics solemnly look on as their patient twists and turns and whimpers in his recharge.
"Should we wake him?" Moonracer asked.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Dead End muttered, unsure of what to actually do in this situation. Nightmares and bad memories resurfacing are things that he's not used to handling.
"Well, if it has anything to do with what I think is going on within his processor right now, then I believe we should snap him out of it," Knockout concluded, already approaching the restless Sandstorm. He reached out and started shaking him. "Come on, Sandstorm, wake up."
"Um, Knockout?" Moonracer questioned, both she and Dead End eying the red medic.
"No worries, Moonracer! I'm a…"
Before Knockout could finish, Sandstorm jolted awake, his vents circulating erratically.
"Whoa! Sandstorm, it's alright! You're safe!"
"What… What do you mean I'm safe?" Sandstorm cried, frame rigid and servos gripping the berth so tight it started to dent.
Knockout didn't add on to his reassurances. Clearly, Sandstorm had no idea where he was. Out of the corner of his optic, he saw Dead End and Moonracer about to approach, but with a servo gesture, let them know to stand back for now.
After a few minutes of silence, Sandstorm calmed down. His optics readjusted, and they lit-up in slight surprise when he turned and noticed the red medic standing next to him.
"Knockout?"
"Like I said, Sandstorm, you're safe," Knockout reiterated, smiling and relaxing as well. He gestured to his companions. "And before you freak out, these are my friends Moonracer and Dead End."
Sandstorm scanned the other two bots, fearing that they may be a threat. Just because Knockout trusts them, doesn't mean that he will, too. Speaking of…
"What do you mean I'm safe?" Sandstorm repeated. "Where am I?"
Knockout exchanged looks with his fellow medics, which unsettled their patient.
"Well?"
"Listen, Sandstorm, it's not that I can't or won't tell you anything…" Knockout explained. "It's just that, you know, I wasn't the one who rescued you, and I think it would be better if you heard what happened from the one who did bring you aboard."
Sandstorm let the information sink-in.
"And who would that be, exactly?"
"Err… believe it or not… Starscream."
Sandstorm's optics widened, evidently surprised by this bit of news. To him, though, it kind of made sense. He even remembered Starscream untying him before losing consciousness.
"Can one of your friends bring him here?" Sandstorm asked.
"I… I guess," Knockout stammered, glancing at his comrades over his shoulder plate. Both Dead End and Moonracer looked at him then at each other.
"I wouldn't mind, but I have no idea where he is," Moonracer admitted.
"No worries, I'll find him," Dead End reassured, for some reason with a smug grin on his faceplate. Before anyone could ask, the ex-Stunticon was gone.
.
. .
. . .
Ignoring all the weird looks he received in-passing, Dead End strode through the halls of the Daytrader until he arrived at one of the many locked doors that led into a set of personal guest quarters. Still grinning, he raises a fist and knocks, then takes a step back and waits. Not long, as a heavy-set approaches the door, unlocks and opens it, revealing a large, purple and gray mech.
"Hello, Shockwave," Dead End greeted. "Have a good recharge?"
"Short, but yes," Shockwave replied. "I was more focused on my work, after all."
"Of course you were. Anyway, I was hoping I could borrow Starscream."
Shockwave flinched, caught off-guard by the sudden subject change. Dead End, meanwhile, was taking great pleasure in witnessing the usually laser-focused scientist look completely unsure of what to do or say now that he's been put on the spot.
"He is here, isn't he? I doubt it would have been easy detaching him when he looked so comfortable, so I assumed you had no choice but to bring him back to your room."
The sound of something moving caused both mechs to look inside the room. None of its contents are of any interest, except one: a winged, silver frame shifting on the berth in the far corner.
"Whoever's there, I will shoot you for interrupting my beauty sleep," Starscream threatened, voice muffled by the extremely comfortable blanket Shockwave found and gave to him…
Out of consideration for himself.
Starscream wouldn't stop complaining about something being wrong with Shockwave's berth unless he did something non-violent about it.
"And risk your sister's fury? I don't think so," Dead End retorted, crossing his arms.
"Ugh, fine!" Starscream groaned.
The silver Seeker rolled off the berth and landed on his pedes. He stretched his wings and frame before striding over to Dead End and Shockwave.
"So, what do you want? And how did you know where I was?"
"Knockout asked me to retrieve you, and since I saw Shockwave carrying you yesterday, I figured the best place to start would be with him," Dead End explained, not missing a beat. The other two mechs stiffened at the second part. "I didn't tell anyone. I don't have time to start a gossip chain."
The ex-Stunticon spared Shockwave a knowing glance.
"Besides, I know better than to mess with a scientist's private affairs."
"A most logical decision, Dead End," Shockwave replied, regaining his composure.
"Yes, yes, thank you," Starscream mumbled, not entirely convinced, but also not wanting to delve into an argument. "Anyway, you mentioned Knockout needed me. Why?"
.
. .
. . .
"SANDSTORM!"
The small flight-frame and his medics were startled by Starscream screeching into the med-bay.
"By the Allspark, Starscream, are you trying to give us spark-attacks?" Knockout snapped.
"I heard Sandstorm's awake! Is he okay?" Starscream persisted, completely ignoring the panic he just caused.
"You mean aside from being scared half to death?"
Starscream finally realized what was going on and circulated his vents, giving himself a few minutes to calm down, and the others to recover from the scare as well.
"Apologies," Starscream rasped. He looked from Knockout to Moonracer, then to Sandstorm, who radiated high levels of fear. "I didn't scare you that bad, did I?"
"I… It's fine," Sandstorm vented, loosening-up a little. "I just thought you were Thundertron or Brimstone barging in to attack me, again."
Starscream's spark sank, the weight of what would normally be considered a harmless, out of the blue scare, falling upon him. Knockout and Moonracer looked at Sandstorm then at each other, quickly coming to the same realization.
"I'm sorry," Starscream apologized, walking over to the smaller flight-frame. "I, of all mechs, should've known what I just did would have triggered you to react in a negative way, since I, too, had to suffer at the servos of a monster."
"I remember you mentioning something about that," Sandstorm said. He shook his helm and locked optics with Starscream. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about."
The silver Seeker tilted his helm.
"Can you tell me what happened after you rescued me?"
.
. .
. . .
One story recounted later…
.
. .
. . .
"Then Shockwave dragged me out of here and I was forced to recharge somewhere else until you sent for me…"
"Bringing us here," Sandstorm finished, then vented. "Thank you, Starscream."
The silver Seeker fidgeted and stumbled over his words, not used to being praised, complemented, or receiving any sort of positive reinforcement of any kind.
"It was the least any of us could do after you helped us," Knockout spoke in his friend's stead.
"Anything to stick it to Thundertron…"
Sandstorm smiled a sad smile and hugged himself.
"And to remind me of who I used to be."
The mood turned solemn once again. Starscream and Knockout nearly forgot that Sandstorm had a whole different life before he was forced to work for the Star Seekers. Moonracer didn't know all the details, but she knew enough to not ask any questions that could provoke a panicked response.
"You're still going to uphold your promise, right? To help me find my lover?"
"Of course I am!" Starscream exclaimed immediately, both surprised yet unsurprised that Sandstorm didn't trust him to keep his word. "I did promise, didn't I?"
"Starscream and promise being used in the same sentence is a perfect example of mutual exclusivity," Knockout spoke, unable to resist a jab at the silver Seeker. Said Seeker was just about to make a retort, when…
"Excuse me, but do we even know where to find Sandstorm's spark-mate?" Moonracer interrupted, her voice loud and firm.
As expected, that got the two quarreling mechs to shut up before things could spiral out of control, and thus, the med-bay fell silent.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"I think I might know where he is."
.
. .
. . .
One quantum warp drive jump later…
.
. .
. . .
The ship jerked to a halt. This time around, though, everyone was prepared for the rough landing.
"Everyone alright?" Wreck-Gar asked, looking around at the bots on the bridge. A resounding 'yes' followed. "Phew! That's a relief."
"It'll be a relief if the one we're looking for is actually here," Slipstream hissed. She shifted her glare to Starscream and Sandstorm. "You better be damn sure of yourself, because if we just wasted a jump to Chaar of all planets…"
"Now, now, love, no need to threaten the little flier. I know you would've done the same thing if you were in his position."
Slipstream still looked pissed, but she relented to her conjunx-endura's wishes.
"Very well. I just don't want us to stick around here any longer than we have to. Chaar is a Pit-spawned death trap. I don't know anyone who would want to spend more than a quarter cycle on this planet, assuming they even live that long."
"Is there a chance that I can back out of the search now?" Knockout immediately asked. "I mean, the last time I went out on a search, I fell into a hole."
"Oh, get over it, Knockout!" Starscream snapped, turning on the red medic. "Sandstorm and I are not going out there alone!"
"If I may suggest, I was thinking of only bringing along fliers," Sandstorm interrupted, voice soft yet loud enough to hear. "Around here, it would be safer to search from the sky. Much safer."
"Agreed, especially since the locals of Chaar are underground, ambush predators," Slipstream explained, causing Knockout and a few other grounders to shudder in fear. She ignored them and patched into the communication system.
{Rainmakers, this is Slipstream. Report to the hangar immediately! Don't keep us waiting.}
Slipstream then walked out and away from the bridge, grabbing Starscream with one servo, and Sandstorm in the other, dragging both behind her, and completely ignoring their protests.
.
. .
. . .
An hour later…
All of the fliers, minus Sunstorm, were out canvasing Chaar, searching for any sign of Sandstorm's lover. Slipstream wanted to split up, but after what happened last time, Acid Storm and Nova Storm were adamant about sticking together. So, they compromised: the Rainmakers went one way, and the rest went the other way.
Starscream and Slipstream flew circles around Sandstorm, as his copter mode was nowhere near as fast as the sibling's jet forms. Not that he cared, as his sole focus was on finding his lover.
SLIPSTREAM: {Either of you see anything?}
The femme sounded irritated. Sandstorm couldn't blame her. This search was beginning to frustrate even him, and they haven't even been out that long.
SANDSTORM: {No…}
STARSCREAM: {But that doesn't mean we're giving up! Don't tell me you're planning on leaving someone behind, Slipstream?}
The purple jet shot around and rammed Starscream.
SLIPSTREAM: {That was completely uncalled for. I would never leave someone behind unless they deserve it… assuming there's someone around to… abandon in the first place.}
Sandstorm tuned the siblings out as they bickered, attempting to keep his focus despite the noise.
A ping alerting them to an incoming call ceased the sibling argument and simultaneously gained Sandstorm's attention.
SLIPSTREAM: {What?}
ACID STORM: {In a bad mood, are we?}
SLIPSTREAM: {Starscream is already close to filling his daily quota for annoying me, so whatever you have to report better be pretty damn important.}
ACID STORM: {I think we may have found Sandstorm's mech.}
Sandstorm slammed to a halt and hovered in mid-air, processing the message.
SLIPSTREAM: {Where?}
ACID STORM: {We circled back to see if we missed anything, and were just about to fly in a different direction when we spotted someone hiding among the cliffs near where the ship is currently grounded.}
STARSCREAM: {He's all the way back there? Do the others know?}
ACID STORM: {I contacted Wreck-Gar. He'll keep everyone on-board until Slipstream says otherwise.}
SLIPSTREAM: {Good. Keep a close optic on him. We'll be there soon.}
ACID STORM: {Copy that, Slipstream.}
The call dropped and Slipstream was off. Starscream was about to follow when he noticed Sandstorm hadn't moved. He flew over and hovered beside him.
"Hey, Sandstorm, you hear all that? We have to go," Starscream said, gently nudging the copter with his wing tip.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, of course," Sandstorm spluttered, regaining his sentience.
"You alright?"
"I… um… I'll let you know."
Sandstorm backed away from Starscream and rushed after Slipstream. Starscream looked on, concerned, but floating around wasn't helping anyone. He cleared his processor and followed the other two fliers.
SANDSTORM: {Hey, Slipstream, am I able to get in contact with the Rainmakers, or do I have to connect through you?}
SLIPSTREAM: {We're all linked, Sandstorm. It'll just take the others a klik due to being further away.}
NOVA STORM: {Sometimes less if you get a good signal!}
ION STORM: {Because of me, but that's beside the point.}
ACID STORM: {Need something, Slipstream?}
SLIPSTREAM: {Not me. Sandstorm.}
ACID STORM: {Okay?}
SANDSTORM: {I should have asked this earlier, but I was a little out of it.}
STARSCREAM: {A little?}
SANDSTORM: {Doesn't matter! The point is, I need to know what he looks like.}
NOVA STORM: {Frag, I knew we were forgetting something!}
SLIPSTREAM: {By the Primes, Nova… Acid Storm, describe the target.}
STARSCREAM: {We're not going to kill or abduct someone, sis. Use different terminology.}
SLIPSTREAM: {Maybe I will, when I beat your aft later!}
ION STORM: {Guys, can we please not fight?}
ACID STORM: {Especially when I'm trying to concentrate!}
With the leader of the Rainmakers close to losing his temper, again, Starscream and Slipstream immediately shut up. They continued their flight in silence, and were almost at the coordinates when Acid Storm called back.
ACID STORM: {He looks to be around Starscream's size. Maybe a little bigger…}
NOVA STORM: {By bigger he means taller!}
ACID STORM: {Thank you, Nova!}
NOVA STORM: {Sorry. Couldn't help myself!}
The lead Rainmaker audibly sighed over the call. Starscream had to suppress a chuckle, imagining what the other mech's faceplate currently expressed.
ACID STORM: {Continuing on with the description… he has wings and purple plating.}
SANDSTORM: {Anything else? Optic color? Unusual features?}
STARSCREAM: {Unusual features? What kind of mech are we looking for?}
Sandstorm remained silent.
ACID STORM: {Well, unless sparkly red jewels are a part of his frame, his optics are definitely red…}
Acid Storm trailed off, not finishing his sentence. Starscream, Slipstream, and Sandstorm were almost upon the Rainmakers, but they couldn't wait any longer for an answer.
SLIPSTREAM: {What?}
ACID STORM: {I can't really tell from here, but I think he has tires on his legs…}
Sandstorm darted forward faster than anyone thought possible of him in copter mode, transformed, and landed right behind Acid Storm.
"Wings and tires? Like a triple-changer?" Sandstorm desperately inquired. Acid Storm turned away from his vantage point to address the other mech.
"Logically speaking, yes," the Rainmaker answered. His optics suddenly widened and he face-palmed. "Great, now I'm starting to sound like Shockwave."
"Mmm… that's not exactly a bad thing," Ion Storm expressed sheepishly.
Finally catching-up and hearing Acid Storm's answer, Starscream and Slipstream landed and transformed.
"Triple-changers? Really?" Starscream questioned, seemingly unconvinced. "I knew a few of them during the War, and they were all MIA."
"Did the database tell you that?" Slipstream countered, crossing her arms. "Last I checked, I was listed as KIA…"
"Because we thought you were dead!"
"If you just put in a bit more time and effort…"
"Oh no, not again," Nova Storm moaned, hiding her faceplate behind her servos. The siblings ignored her…
And Sandstorm was ignoring everyone, except the mech that remained hidden below them.
A light nudge startled him.
"Hey, that the mech you're looking for?" Acid Storm asked, keeping his voice low and calm.
"It looks like him…" Sandstorm stopped, the thought of his next words paining him to say. "But I don't know."
"Have to talk first, huh?"
Sandstorm nodded. Acid Storm scanned the mech beside him before turning back to the quarreling siblings.
"Slipstream!"
"What?" The femme snapped, just nanokliks from snapping Starscream's neck.
"Call Wreck-Gar and tell him to open the hangar. Have him send a few bots out, about the size of a scouting party."
Everyone looked at Acid Storm like he was a Quintesson with multiple heads. Still, Slipstream knew better than to question someone as intelligent as Acid Storm, so she complied and relayed his message to Wreck-Gar. A few minutes later, the hangar opens and out comes a small part of the crew.
"Now what?" Slipstream asked.
Acid Storm answered by transforming and jetting down to the assembled bots. The remaining fliers took a moment to register what just happened before, one-by-one, they all transformed and flew down after the lead Rainmaker.
"What's going on?" Bumblebee asked once everyone had gathered. "I thought we weren't supposed to be out here because of the dangerous creatures underground?"
"Then be relieved to know that if something bad does happen, I am not to blame," Starscream said, waving his servo in Acid Storm's direction. "Blame him."
Bumblebee raised an optical ridge and looked between the two flight-frames.
"Well, you said you found someone. Is it Sandstorm's lover?"
"Don't know," Acid Storm answered.
". . . What do you mean you don't know?"
"Exactly what I said. While all the descriptors Sandstorm gave me match, he says he won't be sure until he talks to them."
Once again, Bumblebee looked between the two flight-frames. Acid Storm remained stoic and in-control. Sandstorm was trying to be that, but the stress and emotions and everything else is weighing him down. His spark and processor are both anxious messes.
He just wants to find his love and be done with all of this.
"Um, excuse me?"
Everyone froze, not recognizing the voice, let alone expecting someone new to join them. They all turn around and see the mech from before.
Slightly taller than Starscream, with a unique frame capable of transforming into both a grounder and a flight-frame. His optics are a brilliant bright red that stand out against purple and black plating. He is holding a pistol, locked and loaded, but doesn't seem too keen on starting a fight.
If anything, he looked afraid, and was just preparing to defend himself if necessary.
"I… uh… I overheard you say something about Sandstorm," the mech stammered, slowly inching closer to the group. "I had a… very special friend named Sandstorm… a long time ago… and I was wondering if maybe I could talk to them? To see if it's the same one?"
The closer he got, the more nervous he became.
"I… I know it's a weird request, but… but I need to know if… if…"
Sandstorm couldn't take it anymore. This was the mech he was looking for. The mech he sacrificed his own spark and freedom to protect. The love of his life.
"Octane," Sandstorm spoke-up, pushing past the line of bots surrounding him to be front and center.
At first, the mech looked like he'd seen a ghost. He stared at Sandstorm, his processor drifting off into another world. Sandstorm didn't mind, patiently waiting for Octane to regain his senses, which didn't take as long as everyone else thought.
Not that they had the spark to interrupt the moment.
"Sandstorm, is that really you?"
Unable to hold it in any longer, Sandstorm made a mad-dash for Octane and jumped into his arms.
"Bless the Stars, Octane, I missed you so much!" Sandstorm cried, burying his faceplate in his lover's chassis. "I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Me? What about you? Are you alright? What happened? And why are you so small and skinny?" Octane fussed, looking the smaller mech over.
"Just shut up and enjoy the moment, please! It's been way too long."
Octane never stopped worrying, but he did cease in his fussing and hugged Sandstorm, crying in the crook between his neck and shoulder plate.
In the background, everyone, both in and out of the ship, were silently appreciating the tender moment, and none of the bystanders appreciated it more than Starscream.