Sky Dancer
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Author's Notes: At long last, the continuation of Sky Dancer is here. Thank you all for being so patient with me; I hope you'll find it to be well worth the wait. And some time ago, I had said that one of the characters would be departing from the story in this installment, and I had a poll going in reference to it. Kudos if you're one of the people who guessed correctly; you know who you are. :D
Also, be on the lookout for a character from Transformers: Cybertron (not Thundercracker) to make a cameo appearance.
Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty
Just seconds after Megatron made the declaration, he was barking out orders, even while his mind was flooding with all possible outcomes of this battle. Very few of the Autobots were fools, and it couldn't be very long before one of them reached the conclusion that this anomaly was nothing more threatening than a bridge linking two different points in the universe.
Even as Thundercracker and Mirage were rushing off in different directions to round up the scattered groups of Decepticons, Sideways was sneering beneath his faceplate at Megatron's directive that he locate Scorpinok. If anything, the rogue bot could be thankful that Megatron didn't know he could no longer become incorporeal. Having briefly been filled in on Scorpinok's status, Sideways answered, "Unless you wish to personally watch that traitor die, perhaps you shouldn't waste your energy and time in seeking him out."
Megatron scowled. "Don't be so quick to assume, Sideways. Scorpinok may yet be useful to us." A slight pause, and then, "Now go. We have very little time to work with as it is."
At those words, Megatron took to the air, soaring upwards through the hole in the ceiling and presumably heading for his throne room. With a soft sigh, and although he was raging inside, Sideways moved to begin his search...
Getting clear of the anomaly, without getting trapped by the gravitational forces therein, was relatively easy. The last group of stragglers to make it out were able to use Unicron as a shield while they made it to safety.
It was a matter of minutes before all of the key Autobots that Alexis had come to know (well, most of them anyway) were gathered on the bridge of Rodimus' shuttle. No sooner had she and her group arrived than Red Alert and Optimus were barking out orders geared towards getting the ship prepped to pass safely through the anomaly. When questioned by Ironhide, the Autobot commander tersely stated that they'd picked up a homing beacon courtesy of Scavenger (who'd apparently gotten pulled into the anomaly) that was positioned trillions of miles across the galaxy.
"Red Alert and I have determined that what we're looking at here is a wormhole of sorts. That being the case, we shouldn't face any problem in passing through ourselves. And the sooner, the better; I'd rather not allow Megatron too much time to regroup."
Red Alert spoke up when Optimus fell silent. "That aside, we'd also need someone to remain on this side of the rift, to journey back to Cybertron and tell what's happened. Anyone who would like to volunteer towards this end, say so now." Following this request, it didn't take long for Bluestreak to speak up, and he was soon being escorted outside to the smaller crafts that were magnetically attached to the hull.
Having been encouraged by Ironhide to sit until Red Alert could have a look at her, Alexis leaned back wearily in her chair and sighed, feeling so tired that she barely noticed when Starxis came, softly purring, to cuddle in her lap. For a few moments, all that she could do was stare bleakly at the tableau on the viewscreen. At this point, Unicron's body was barely visible in the center of the fissure, but it vanished within seconds as she watched. Whether this was due to it being obscured by the white light or it passing through the heart of the portal, Alexis was uncertain.
In either case, she felt some degree of apprehension over what awaited her and her friends on the other side. Despite her worry that Megatron still may not go down easily or quietly, and over the possibility that Scorpinok may not survive long enough to be rescued, her thoughts were on Snowcat of all bots. Now that things had calmed down, so to speak, her mind was inexplicably focused on the eccentric Decepticon and how he had attacked her.
And, out of everything she could be feeling or worrying about right now, a wave of guilt over what she'd done to Cyclonus/Snowcat assaulted her. After all, it was largely because of that very event that Scorpinok was now, if not dead, in very bad shape, alone and behind enemy lines.
As she was facing forward, Alexis knew by the way Starscream turned his head ever so slightly in her direction that he was undoubtedly hearing her thoughts. However, words meant to make her feel better came not from him, but from a more surprising source.
Her gaze was drawn down to Starxis when the youngling moved, propping his front legs against her stomach so he could gaze up at her better. She was even more astonished when the youngling said, "Can help you reach Scorpinok."
Alexis blinked, and it took her a moment to realize that Starxis intended to open up a telepathic channel between her and the injured majestic bot. The fact that the youngling was willing to connect her mind to someone other than Starscream's was most likely a reflection of just how worried and/or scared she was. At the realization, Alexis breathed a sigh of relief; Starxis' offer also strongly suggested that Scorpinok wasn't beyond help.
With a soft smile pulling at her lips, Alexis languidly lifted one hand to stroke the youngling's head. "Thank you," she murmured...
His first impression, upon lighting his optics, was that it was too dark to see. With a small groan, Scorpinok shifted slightly, then pressed one hand lightly to his chest when a dull ache hit him. For a second, he felt disoriented and unsure of where he was or how he'd gotten here.
Then, his hand found the grievous wound at his chest and he became aware of how weak and tired he felt. With a sigh, Scorpinok settled back against whatever was propping him up, his hand dropping to his side as he initiated a self-diagnostic check. After a few more seconds, he got a clear-cut impression of just how bad off he was; the multiple alarms and flashing warnings telling how much damage his vital circuits and wiring had taken were too numerous. Even now, the rhythmic pulse of his spark was definitely slowing.
So this is how it ends, Scorpinok thought tiredly, with a hint of sorrow. Seems it's my fate to die alone for a second time. He tilted his head back, getting a flash of everyone he cared about or had come to call a friend in recent days, one after the other in quick succession: Alpha Q, Rodimus, Ironhide, and, last but not least, Sky Dancer. Looking upwards though he couldn't see anything, he softly whispered, "I'm sorry..."
Though he wouldn't attest to have those same words first and foremost on his processor, the surprising voice responding in his head indicated that they were there. If that's you saying that you don't expect to live much longer, you can save it, Scorpinok! We've come too close to winning for you to just quit now!
Scorpinok leaned his head back against the wall, turning his gaze upwards when he heard a clanging sound somewhere above him. After a moment of listening and\or determining that it was probably nothing, he focused his thoughts on an answer. Unless you're about to tell me that you and the others are moments away, I'm afraid it can't be helped, Sky Dancer, he answered in a quiet tone.
If the Decepticons find you, then, and only then, it can't be helped, Scorpinok! she responded in a fierce tone. Until then, Alpha Q, the Autobots, and I are not giving up on you! A slight pause, and then, Now find someplace to hide, soldier!
Scorpinok could never be sure if it was her tone or the words that inspired him, but he did find himself sitting up straight with some effort, groaning as he did so. Planting one hand against the floor to hold himself up and providing Sky Dancer with a mental affirmative, he began feeling around with his other hand to get a sense of his surroundings and which way he should be moving.
Scorpinok had barely scooted an inch to the left before he was hunched over, a fresh wave of pain overtaking him and his internal alarms increasing ever so slightly in volume. When it passed, he slowly sat up straight, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders once more.
With a deep sigh, Scorpinok lowered his visor over his optics, activating the communication screen and softly speaking his sovereign's name. When it registered that he couldn't even see the viewscreen in the darkness, Scorpinok at last realized that both his optics were broken as well. Alpha Q responded quickly, in a jubilant, excitable tone, but Scorpinok was quick to get down to business.
"We don't have a lot of time, Alpha Q," Scorpinok stated in a somber tone. "So please, just listen... There's something I'll need you to do for me, if I don't..." Scorpinok broke off temporarily, the pain in his chest flaring once more. "Something I wish I'd had the time and opportunity to do myself..."
For three hundred years, the area of space known as the Mequet Nebula had been barren and uninhabitable. Those who had lived long enough, had they been asked, would have claimed it had once been home to a thriving civilization.
At the time that the outskirts of the nebula exploded with activity without warning, one such long-lived being with cause to be nearby watched with great interest. When it became apparent that a battle was taking place, this spectator's interest was piqued when he saw the combatants were beings not unlike himself.
Though he was shortly abandoning his perch on an asteroid and going airborne, the spectator still felt slightly wary about getting close without knowing anything about the two groups of fighters or their grievance with each other. He had gotten perhaps a third of the way there before choosing to engage a camouflage shield; by the time he reached the broken outer shell of the most enormous Transformer he had ever seen, he was able to slip in undetected.
Passing through the anomaly went off without a hitch, thanks both to the piloting skills of Rodimus' team and Red Alert's on-the-spot compensating for the gravity and density as they got closer and closer to the heart of the portal. Once on the other side, Rodimus' ship, and the dozen others following in its wake, soon fell into an attack formation.
Alexis sat up straight in her seat at the sight of Unicron, instantly pleased to see that the dark god was in such a decimated state. It wouldn't take as much firepower to blast him to pieces, at least.
So fixed she was on the sight before her on the viewscreen that Alexis didn't immediately catch on that Rodimus was broadcasting a message to the fleet to concentrate their shots on Unicron's left arm. Once it registered, she shifted her gaze and was just in time to see said arm completely severed at the elbow in one or two volleys.
Leaning back in her chair, Alexis let a soft smile rise to her lips and thought simply, The nightmare's finally going to be over...
Once he'd returned to his throne room, Megatron was quick to seat himself and patch into Unicron's processor, and the freestanding viewscreen he shortly had up before him showed him the Autobots had pursued through the rift and resumed their attack on the dark god, as he expected.
Though he sneered at the sight, Megatron nevertheless stayed focused on the task he'd rushed up here to carry out. Despite being interrupted briefly by an incoming message from Sideways to say that Scorpinok had been located and taking the time to issue another instruction, Megatron was soon well underway to initiating a teleportation sequence.
All seemed to be going alright until the rising hum in the air around him, which was something of an indication that the sequence was charging up, suddenly died away. Megatron sat in silence for an instant, blinking rapidly as he tried to reason out why it had failed. Until he recalled that he had, no less than forty minutes before, purged the energy reserves he'd had stored up, the Decepticon commander couldn't fathom what had gone wrong.
At the realization, Megatron let out a roar of rage, slamming one fist down on the arm of the throne with enough force to dent it. After a few seconds spent fuming, he forced himself to think of something, anything, that could be done to salvage the situation, to collect what little Energon he needed to help complete the teleport. He refused to just give up until all options had been exhausted.
In the next moment, Megatron recalled that he had absorbed some excess energy from the abundant source poured into Unicron's head, and it was likely that all other Decepticons in the vicinity had as well. Without a second thought and completely unmindful of the consequences this action could bring in his desperation to win, Megatron quickly focused on locating each and every one of his troops, and summoned the means to forcefully extract the Energon they all carried...
Though still fuming over the orders that Megatron was throwing at him and expecting him to follow without question, Sideways' rage was offset by the sight of the wounded bot before him. Despite the ill feelings he bore towards the Decepticon commander, it paled in comparison to his dislike of Scorpinok.
Sideways swiftly strode towards his wounded companion, opening a panel from his wrist and pulling out a pair of wires as he did so. Once a similar panel had been opened on Scorpinok's arm, Sideways jacked in to the ports he saw resting there and initiated a quick scan of the latter's vitals.
A second later, Sideways looked up at his companion's face with an amused grin, finding it fortunate that Scorpinok was unconscious for the time being, though that was slightly hard to determine given that both of Scorpinok's optics were cracked and completely dark. "You're definitely a resilient one," Sideways stated. "A mark in your favor... and Megatron's." Sideways detached the wires and tucked them away, then began to examine the extent of Scorpinok's injuries and determine how best to fix him up.
Sideways had barely started at this task before he saw a mass of thick cables come snaking down through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, the cables were swarming around him and Scorpinok, connecting to any and all available ports on both of them.
Sideways stiffened, resisting the urge to yell out as he felt the surplus of energy stored inside him being ripped out. No sooner was this accomplished then the cables withdrew, leaving the rogue bot to collapse onto the floor in a fit of pain.
It took a great deal of effort following this for Sideways to pull himself together and refocus on Scorpinok, cursing out loud when he saw the assault had left his companion in dire trouble. Even as he was cursing Megatron for exacerbating the situation (for who else could have done this and so callously at that), Sideways surged towards Scorpinok, paying close attention to the failing hums and whining motors that indicated his companion was still among the living.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, Sideways thought bitterly, feeling a touch of irony as he began connecting wires from various parts of his body to Scorpinok to act as a sort of crude life support system. And you're not getting off that easy.
Once he was convinced that Scorpinok was stabilizing, Sideways let out a breath. In the next instant, the rogue bot was tapping into his companion's processor\memories per Megatron's instructions, saying aloud, "Now, let's see how the Autobots discovered our location to begin with..."
No sooner had Megatron collected the needed Energon than he was attempting a second teleportation sequence. This proved even more infuriating than the first try, as the full charge was nearly achieved before it once more died away. Clearly, even that small amount of power he'd accumulated wasn't enough to get the job done.
Megatron let out an infuriated snarl, then began to wrack his processor for alternatives. Briefly, he considered transforming Unicron back into his planet mode for better defense, but the dark god was already so decimated that it might not make a difference.
Megatron returned his focus to the viewscreen in front of him that was displaying the battle outside. Much as he hated to admit it, the possibility of escaping, with Unicron in hand, was rapidly fading away. With a sneer, Megatron came to the realization that he may have to cut his losses, gather his soldiers together, and run for it while he could.
But then, something unexpected and which would prove to be a godsend happened...
On the bridge of Rodimus' ship, Alexis was so sure that the nightmare was coming to a close that it startled her immensely when some proximity warnings, accompanied by their own unique alarm, started flashing on the main screen.
For an instant, all the other Autobots dropped what they were doing and turned to look at the monitor in a sort of daze. Then, someone (Alexis wasn't sure which of the ship's three longtime occupants initiated it) pulled up a visual of whatever was getting too close to them.
She was still trying to make sense of the giant red orb that had appeared out of nowhere while the shuttle was being piloted away from it. By the time Alexis began to see a faint outline of Unicron's head beneath the surface, she could hear one of her companions (possibly Hot Shot) shouting an alarm that Megatron was getting away.
Alexis returned her focus to the main screen, a soft gasp escaping her lips when she saw the remainder of Unicron's body was shimmering, indicative of a teleportation sequence. Before she could even utter a curse, it was rapidly disappearing from view. And in seconds, all that was left in this region of space were the Autobot shuttles and the red Energon sun behind them.
Their quarry was gone.
Alexis looked downwards, in a state of disbelief that they had lost. While she was still trying to process what had happened, a visual of Alpha Q suddenly appeared on the screen. She was never sure afterwards if someone had contacted him or he'd tapped into their feed, but the spindly bot was quick to offer an apology.
Switching from one face to another mid-sentence over the course of his speech, Alpha Q stated, "Scorpinok had contacted me to say that he was dying. I thought that if I could only heal him a little more by following through the rift..."
Rodimus stepped forward. "But you didn't count on Megatron drawing power from the same source," he said in a heated tone. He understood that Alpha Q cared about Scorpinok and probably couldn't have borne the thought of losing him, but it did nothing to alleviate the anger Rodimus was feeling. "Slag it, Alpha Q! You picked a wonderful time to behave rashly!"
Alexis hesitated, needing time to collect her thoughts and come up with a possible solution based on what she knew. On the heels of Alpha Q offering another apology, she shifted in her chair and rose to her feet, Starxis climbing to her shoulder as she did so. She saw Starscream begin to instinctively approach her with a concerned look, but she gestured to him that she was fine.
"So we just do what we did before to find Megatron," Alexis said aloud. "Alpha Q, if you would..."
The spindly bot offered a quick, excited affirmative, then grew silent, his head tilted downwards as he focused on the task at hand. After a minute of silence, Alpha Q looked back up, and those watching him were unable to glimpse an ounce of helplessness in his demeanor until he spoke. "I can't."
Alexis shifted her weight slightly, her face clouded with uncertainty. "Alpha Q...?" she said quietly, questionably.
Switching to his more frenzied persona, Alpha Q answered, "I'm trying to pinpoint Unicron's location, and all I'm being shown is a solid black screen! I don't understand!"
Before another word could be said, a free-standing viewscreen suddenly appeared just in front of the main monitor, concealing Alpha Q from view and causing a select few of the Autobots to nearly jump out of their skin. The fact that an image of a chuckling Megatron shortly appeared on this screen did nothing to put them at ease.
Though his gaze traveled briefly to Alexis, causing her to shiver slightly, Megatron was soon focused wholeheartedly on the Autobots' leader. "I commend you for putting up such an excellent fight, Prime. But don't think for an instant that I'll let you win that easily." He paused for a brief moment, then added, "It wasn't very difficult to determine how you discovered where we were hiding Unicron, but rest assured, you will not be pulling off that trick again anytime soon."
Optimus took a step forward, wincing slightly as his damaged kneecap protested the movement. He took a moment to compose himself, then stated, "Megatron, this is madness. You should give this up now before it goes any further. If we - any of us - give Unicron a chance to get strong again, there's no telling what might happen. You know as well as I do that Unicron is more powerful than all of us combined. He can't be controlled."
One side of Megatron's mouth curled up in a sneer, and he replied, "And yet, we didn't hear a peep out of him when all that power came pouring in... If that wasn't enough to awaken Unicron, then I'm inclined to think we're safe keeping his Energon intake at a reasonable level. In either case..." Megatron shifted his weight, still looking quite amused. "Neither you Autobots nor Alpha Q will be able to locate Unicron while he's being rebuilt. Once that happens, I'll be paying you all another visit."
Though it didn't surprise her when the viewscreen vanished, Alexis still felt a chill when it did. After a long moment, she looked around at her companions with a numb feeling (briefly startled when her optics alighted on Scavenger with a cuffed, unconscious Shockblast draped over one shoulder; she hadn't seen or heard them come in) to see that the majority of them, even Alpha Q, looked as downtrodden as she felt.
Red Alert was the first to move once his gaze landed on Optimus. Almost instantly, the medic in him took charge and he stepped towards the still-wounded commander. After doing a cursory examination of Optimus' injuries, Red Alert let out a sigh and said, "Nothing that a few hours in a CR chamber wouldn't fix."
Once Optimus was situated inside one of the chambers (though it took a bit to convince the Autobot commander that the rest of them could handle another fight against the Decepticons on the off chance that one arose), Red Alert moved towards Alexis next and insisted that she accompany him to the ship's infirmary for a thorough examination.
As she, Red Alert, and Starscream were departing the bridge, Alexis took heart in the fact that Scavenger was asking Rodimus to guide him to the brig, or whatever counted as one, to secure their prisoner. The fact that Shockblast, at least, was being taken out of play was a small mark in their favor.
Despite experiencing another moment of vertigo en route, Alexis was reclining comfortably on an upraised berth facing Starscream (who'd been told to stand somewhere out of the way for the time being), feeling oddly lethargic as Red Alert opened a panel on the side of her head and set about removing the loose circuit.
Alexis turned her head slightly to gaze at Red Alert when the medic didn't move or say anything right away, to find him closely examining the circuit – for signs of damage, she supposed. It had been rattling around in her head, particularly during the fight, long enough. Curiously, she asked, "What's the verdict?"
Red Alert looked up at her with a start – perhaps hadn't been expecting her to speak – then went back to perusing the object in his hands with pursed lips. He spent another minute on this examination, rotating the circuit this way and that, before tentatively saying, "I'm not seeing any defects…"
"But?" Alexis questioned after a moment, sensing that there was one.
Red Alert shook his head. "I could run a complete diagnostic, but for that, we'd either need to be back on Cybertron or at one of the colonies on Earth." He gave the infirmary a quick once-over, then focused back on her. "I could ask him, but I don't think Rodimus has the precise equipment I'd need, or that I'm used to, for that matter."
Alexis hesitated. "Suppose you reattach this circuit, without running any diagnostics… Couldn't I just come back to you in the event of a problem?"
Red Alert was silent for a beat, and Alexis gathered by looking at him that the suggestion bothered him. She didn't have to be a genius to guess why. Without giving him a chance to respond, she said, "I'm on the same page, Red Alert. The last thing I want is to pass out again in the middle of a battle." She turned her head so she was gazing back at the ceiling, letting out a deep breath, then looked down at Starxis resting on her chest when the youngling simply stated that he wanted her to be okay.
Starscream was the next to speak, following a short silence. "On the other hand, Alexis, we could run tests on you specifically, by putting the stabilizing circuit back and having you perform several exercises to see if you suffer any ill effects." He turned to look at Red Alert. "Would that be satisfactory?"
After a second or two of thought, the medic nodded. "But only on the condition that one or both of you come to me right away if any more symptoms present themselves later," Red Alert answered, moving to approach Alexis to finish up what needed to be done. "We can never be too careful…"
Unlike Shockblast, who'd blacked out and been captured by the Autobots following his passage through the portal, good fortune smiled on Snowcat, in more ways than one. In the resulting chaos of the battle, the eccentric bot continued to elude capture despite being pursued by Scavenger and made it back on board Unicron just seconds before the teleport was successfully pulled off.
Reuniting with Mirage, Thundercracker, and a handful of other Decepticons somewhere within Unicron's remains, however, Snowcat was startled to hear of what Megatron had done; while the eccentric bot was somewhat glad he'd not been present for the event, he still felt for the comrades around him. After all, having part of one's energy supply torn out like that was not a pleasant experience, as Snowcat knew from years past.
Somehow, the decision to confront the Decepticon commander and call him out for this particular action was more or less agreed upon. Mirage proved to be the only holdout for some reason or other, spouting off some nonsense that Megatron had probably had a good reason for doing what he did, and had refused to accompany the rest of the group. And Thundercracker, for all his outcry over the matter, didn't take long to lose his nerve in the face of their commander.
But, as always, Megatron had his own unique way of settling conflicts through tyranny. He'd simply sat silently through the complaints, perhaps waiting to see just who made the most noise. When the biggest protestor presented itself in the form of a seasoned veteran named Bonecrusher, Megatron had resolved the matter by charging his cannons and taking the poor guy down in one shot before he (or anyone else) could react.
Megatron's words as he, looking thoroughly bored, stood and exited the room, were sufficient to weaken the resolve of those who remained. "Anyone else who wishes to continue this discussion is more than welcome to join him."
Dazed, Snowcat looked down at the smoking remains of Bonecrusher with a sinking feeling. Slag, that was cold…
Even though Alpha had determined he could no longer discover where Megatron was hiding, and even though the Decepticon leader had confirmed it, that didn't stop the young, spindly bot from trying (and failing) several more times. Alpha Q's reasoning was that even Megatron would have to rest sooner or later; there was the possibility that the block would not stay active indefinitely.
Come three o'clock in the morning, Alpha Q began to view the endeavor as hopeless. And, even though the battle had gone halfway in his favor – he had managed to reconstruct the lost planets – Alpha Q didn't feel much like celebrating at the cost of his oldest and dearest friend.
"This wasn't how it was supposed to happen," Alpha Q, or rather his more frenzied persona, said aloud in the dark, enclosed space, beginning to pace back and forth. "Scorpinok should not be in Megatron's clutches at this moment."
Switching to his own more serene guise, Alpha Q gave a reply as though he was speaking to an altogether separate entity. "Scorpinok knew the risks, my brother. It is unfortunate that it should have played out like this, but we should not grieve indefinitely. He would not want us to." Alpha Q looked towards the two inanimate objects sitting in one corner – a gift that Scorpinok had intended to bestow upon Sky Dancer – and his current persona barely had time to voice that their lost comrade "would want them to carry on in his stead" before the aggressive persona was taking over.
"How dare you suggest giving up on Scorpinok! We don't even know for sure that he won't be coming back. Until then, it is not our right to grant gifts that he meant to give himself!"
From the most intelligent of Alpha Q's facets: "You are quite right, my brother. It would perhaps be prudent to wait and see for the time being. But, should the outcome not be a favorable one, then we'd do well to abide by Scorpinok's last wishes." When affirmatives chimed in from the other three personas, this current one wrapped things up by saying, "Then it is time to focus on other matters. Particularly, the planets we have brought back to life…"
Long after Megatron had radioed him to say that they'd escaped the Autobots, Sideways remained sequestered in the same narrow corridor where he'd located Scorpinok, working to repair as much damage as possible to the extent that the latter would have a fighting chance. At some point, Snowcat (who'd apparently made it back on board just before the teleport was initiated) had temporarily dropped in to deliver some necessary materials needed for this task, but Sideways had barely paid him any heed.
After some time, Sideways leaned away from Scorpinok, letting out a groan as he shifted into a more comfortable position and taking care not to disturb the cables that were still connecting them to one another. The rogue bot had been at this for so long (and his internal chronometer informed him that it was currently well into the nighttime hours, meaning that all others were likely asleep) that he had gotten stiff; his aching joints, if anything, was only adding to the mounting list of complaints he had against Megatron at this point.
Rubbing at the back of his head, Sideways shot a contemptuous look towards Scorpinok, angrily muttering, "Why you had to put him so close to death's door if you wanted him alive is beyond me… Would have been simpler to just let him offline."
Not for the first time, Sideways found himself wondering why he was even bothering with this. And, as before, he was forced to remind himself that this was an opportunity to even the score with Scorpinok.
At the thought, Sideways smiled smugly beneath his faceplate, amusing himself with the prospect of turning Scorpinok into a subservient drone. Granted, it would benefit Megatron to gain Scorpinok, and the Terrorcon army that served him, as an ally once more, but the notion that Alpha Q would also likely suffer for it was enough to convince Sideways to see it through.
Plus, there was the fact that this little endeavor would sooner or later backfire on the Decepticon leader. During his examination of Scorpinok's processor, Sideways had been startled to discover some safeguards in place, beyond anything he had ever seen before, meant to ensure that the mind of the majestic bot could not be tampered with. While Sideways was experienced enough with hacking to work around this, it was only a matter of time before the initial programming overwrote the code sequences he was putting in place.
In short, Scorpinok would not remain a drone indefinitely.
After a moment of rest and working out the kinks, Sideways resigned himself to getting back to work; once the repairs were finished, the rest would be a breeze. He had just shifted, reaching towards Scorpinok once more, when he suddenly got a strong feeling he was being watched. When the sensation didn't dissipate right away, Sideways froze, simultaneously stilling his breath, until he became aware of a slight disturbance in the air behind him.
Sideways turned, marveling for a second that he hadn't even heard anyone enter the chamber. He didn't immediately recognize the blue and yellow winged mech across the room, but then, he hadn't much time to familiarize himself with all the new recruits that had come from Cybertron. After a minute of silence, Sideways sneered, wondering why the new arrival was just staring at him, and stated, "Let me guess. Megatron wants an update on how things are progressing."
The stranger cocked his head to one side, looking taken aback for an instant. The startled look was gone just as quickly though, followed by a reply spoken in a melodious tone with a synthesized, electronic-sounding undercurrent that niggled at the corners of Sideways' memories. "I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to remember me, brother. But then, I suppose it would be hard to put a name to the new face."
Sideways remained silent for a long moment, focusing wholeheartedly on the newcomer and wracking his processor. Though the tone sounded so familiar, he couldn't quite place it, nor could he determine just how this mech knew him. Then, he noticed that the newcomer wasn't sporting any visible Decepticon insignias, and this raised his curiosity even more. "Who are you?"
The slight shifting of this stranger's faceplates hinted a smile beneath the plating covering his mouth. Taking a step forward and dropping into a crouch opposite the rogue bot, he voiced a single statement that unequivocally determined Sideways' fate from this moment on. "You'd know me best as Soundwave…"
If there was one thing that was true of Red Alert as a medic, it was that he didn't allow any patient to be up and about unless he was convinced of their well-being. Thus, when Alexis suffered another dizzy spell during a routine test of her melee skills (though she suspected it was more due to lack of rest than anything else, given that she hadn't slept much from the point that she and Scorpinok had escaped Megatron three days ago), Red Alert insisted she stay in the infirmary overnight for observation.
Starscream, true to form, insisted on staying as well, and had taken up residence in one of the neighboring berths, but had made Red Alert swear to come get him in the event he was needed on the bridge for some reason or other.
Alexis was nevertheless surprised to find both Starscream and Starxis gone when she was gently nudged awake sometime in the early hours in the morning, and was even more startled when her optics landed on the one who had come to rouse her. Maneuvering slightly on the berth to make herself more comfortable, Alexis questioned, "Elita?" A pause, and then, "Didn't expect to see you."
Elita offered Alexis a reassuring smile and quickly set about bringing her fellow femme up to speed. "Alpha Q contacted my father about an hour ago," Elita said in a soft, peaceful tone. "I don't know all the details as of yet, but something was said that made father organize a meeting with all the veteran Autobots. Even your medic, Red Alert, was asked to attend." Elita shifted her weight, reaching out to touch Alexis' shoulder in a cordial manner. "I offered to look in on you in his place. While my doctoral skills aren't nearly on the same level, I know enough of the basics to do a standard checkup."
After a slight hesitation, Alexis offered a smile in return, sitting up straight with a little help from Elita. The simple tests that followed, assessing Alexis' vision, reflexes, and basic motor skills, all went off without a hitch. With that accomplished, Elita encouraged the femme jet to stand and simply pace back and forth across the room, to see if any more symptoms presented themselves.
With a sigh, Alexis did as requested while Elita went to half-sit on one of the berths, looking fully prepared to spring to her feet again if necessary. The few seconds of silence that followed, however, weighed heavily on Alexis' nerves, prompting her to speak. "Sorry to be such a bother," was the first thing she could think to say.
Elita gave a dismissive wave. "Don't be silly, Sky Dancer. You're no bother." A pause, then, "Getting injured happens even to the best of us. One of the drawbacks of being a soldier embroiled in war…"
Elita trailed off so suddenly that Alexis turned to look at her companion, instantly perplexed and concerned by the gloomy look that had taken hold of the other femme. It didn't take Elita long to see that she had drawn the attention of her "patient", and she swiftly made an effort to compose herself. "Sorry," Elita said. "I was just reminded of…"
When her companion didn't say anything further, Alexis was compelled to fill in the blanks. "Optimus," the femme jet said softly, stopping in her tracks and turning to face Elita. "Well, like you said, it happens, and he's okay now," Alexis added in a conversational tone.
After a moment of silence, Elita, shame-faced, spoke again. She quickly and quietly divulged the little tidbit that Optimus had been shot by a roving Decepticon and could have potentially died, given any other circumstances. Shifting her weight, Elita bowed her head at Alexis' bewildered look, saying simply, "What a great guardian I turned out to be, huh?"
It took several seconds for Alexis to formulate a response. "If you're looking for someone to assign blame or reprimand you, I won't be the one to do it, Elita," she stated firmly, causing her companion to regard her with an equal amount of bewilderment. "Experienced or not, we all make mistakes. Your father must have believed you could handle yourself, or he would have protested your choice, but… It's as you yourself said – you're not a soldier. I'm sure that, with enough time and training, you…"
Elita brightened, jumping in before Alexis finished the thought. "You could teach me," she blurted out. When the femme jet responded by taking on a slightly astonished look, Elita's smile wavered and she went to staring at the floor. "I'm sorry. That was presumptuous of me. Of course, you're still learning the ropes yourself."
Alexis took a small step forward, offering Elita a reassuring grin when her fellow femme looked back up. "No worries," Alexis answered. "I may not make a great teacher, but I'm sure that Optimus would…"
Elita's expression turned to one of panic so quickly that it caused Alexis to break off. In the next instant, Elita bowed her head, and it took a few seconds before she shyly said, "I couldn't... Slag, forget I brought it up. I wouldn't feel comfortable asking him."
For half a minute, Alexis simply stared at Elita, uncomprehending, until a possible cause for the other femme's behavior struck her. Giving a short laugh that caused Elita to shoot her a bewildered look, Alexis softly said, "You're attracted to him, aren't you?"
When Elita didn't offer a response and instead began nervously fidgeting, Alexis shifted her weight, crossing her arms in a casual manner. "There's nothing to be ashamed of… But, if you want me to keep this under wraps, I'd be more than happy to do so." Alexis paused, making a mental note to try and keep this particular thought shielded from Starscream; it was nothing that concerned her beloved and some matters were just better kept private.
Changing the subject, Alexis went on with, "You know, I've met and become friends with so many Transformers over the last few years. But…" This time, it was Alexis' turn to be shy and hesitant. "But, I've never had any other femmes to pal around with. Not until now. I think that…" She looked up at Elita, nervously rubbing her hands together. "If you'll let me, I think you'll find that I'd make a terrific friend. Someone to share secrets with…"
Elita blinked, unsure how to respond for a moment. Then her thoughts turned to Chromia; as much as she loved her sister, Chromia was oft times too hot-headed and brash to hold a spark-to-spark conversation with.
So it was that Elita looked back at Alexis with a warm smile and said simply, "I'd like that…"
As many of the Autobots would find out, once they were all assembled, Alpha Q had told Rodimus just one simple thing; specifically, the spindly bot had determined that the region of space they'd wound up in would be an ideal one to establish a new solar system. Even now, the view on the shuttle main monitor showed that the giant red Energon sun had positioned itself in a prime location; there was even a small planet (born from one of the energy orbs and growing fractionally larger by the hour, according to Rodimus) that was now in orbit some distance from the sun.
Rodimus kicked off the discussions by saying, "I'd not thought much of it at the outset, but I began to see a potential problem the more I considered it." He hesitated, turning to look at the monitor. He had never been to this particular region of space and made it a point to say so. "Plus, it appears that the portal that brought us all here was only one-sided; we won't be able to return to where we were."
At the words, Kicker and Misha, seated side by side on of the counters, turned to look at each other momentarily, concern evident on both of their faces. Though Bluestreak had to have made it to Cybertron by now, it was uncertain how long it may take before those on the metallic planet grew worried enough to come looking. At least the two teenagers still had enough food to last them a while. Even still, the two of them snuggled closer together, seeking what comfort they could.
Rodimus waited to see if anyone would speak, then went on with, "I have no idea how far we are from Cybertron. But I have switched on the onboard beacon, and I intend to keep it active until further – and yes, I have requested all other ships in the fleet to do the same. With any luck, we'll be found and will have backup at our disposal before we know it."
At this, Rodimus turned to look at Optimus, going on to state that he and the Autobot commander had discussed this prior to the meeting and had come up with an additional item of concern. Clearing his throat and taking center stage, Optimus continued the announcement. "It's unlikely that Megatron knows this region of the galaxy any better than we do. But one thing is clear – he fully intends to restore Unicron once more. And for that, he's going to need all the Energon he can lay his hands on."
Optimus gestured towards the monitor displaying the sun housing Alpha Q at its core. "It's likely that there may be no greater source then the one we see before us. And, as has been stated, each of the planets that Alpha Q has brought back will contain a greater stockpile than any of us could hope for." Optimus turned back to face his men, going on with, "Unfortunately, it's likely that Megatron will have realized this as well, if he hasn't already…"
In the silence that followed, every single one of the soldiers gathered in that room was speechless, each of them overwhelmed by the implications of what Optimus was saying. Demolisher was the first to speak, clinging to a more positive aspect once it crossed his mind. "But, Megatron doesn't have the Terrorcons at his disposal anymore. He dispatched them during the battle; we all saw it. And… they were the only ones who could safely harvest it. What chance does he have without them?"
Starscream shook his head, dashing his friend's hopes. "You're forgetting the handful that Scorpinok took control of, Demolisher… We lost sight of them when Unicron was hollowed out, but if even one made it, that would be enough for Megatron to start with." Starscream paused, then, as if anticipating another protest, went on with, "And Megatron could easily manufacture any new Terrorcons that would be programmed to follow him and him alone. He wouldn't need Scorpinok to control them."
His gaze on the monitor, Red Alert spoke up after another period of silence. "With all due respect, Optimus… We had enough difficulties protecting our colonies, and then Cybertron, from Megatron and his Decepticons. And now, our forces – slag, even our resources - are limited until further notice. You can't honestly expect us to protect an entire planetary system."
Much to everyone's surprise, Optimus solemnly shook his head. "No, I don't." After a brief moment, he looked up, fixing each of his soldiers with a determined gaze. "But I do expect each and every one of us to give it our best shot…"
Alexis and Elita had continued to talk and get acquainted with one another until Red Alert dropped in to check on the former. The medic was quick to update them both on what had been said, then set about putting Alexis through another series of tests. When no more dizzy spells struck her this time around, Red Alert gave her a clean bill of health, though he did once more make her promise to come see him if something cropped up.
So it was that Alexis ventured out of the infirmary (leaving Red Alert and Elita in conversation with each other over their respective medical expertise) for the first time in twenty-four hours. Once outside the door, she hesitated for the briefest of moments, then began to make her way to the bridge. Aside from suspecting she may find Starscream there, she had no clue what the current bunking arrangements were; it would be best to have Rodimus or Chromia show her to the most suitable quarters.
Upon reaching the bridge, Alexis was slightly surprised when she didn't see either of the bots in question. Looking up at her entrance and shortly becoming aware of what was on her mind thanks to Starxis, Starscream broke off from some idle chitchat he'd apparently been having with Kicker and Misha and took a step in her direction. In spite of the fact that he had to know the answer, Starscream still asked, "All better?"
Alexis nodded, and all she had to do was idly wonder where their hosts had gone before her fellow jet was answering, "Rodimus went to check on some mechanical problem in the engine room, and… I'm not entirely sure where Chromia disappeared to. Just looked up at one point, and she had vanished."
"Nothing to do but wait then," Alexis answered, striding further into the room and throwing a glance at the two teenagers. "How are you both doing?"
Kicker tilted his head up a notch, a sly look in his eyes. "Hoping we don't have to sleep on a hard surface again like last night," he answered, raising one hand to rub at the back of his neck. "I still have a spasm I have yet to work out." At her questioning look, Kicker said, "Jetfire's checking the other shuttles as we speak to see if there's any human-size beds available. Or at least something halfway more comfy."
Gazing sympathetically at the teenagers, Alexis said simply, uncaring that Kicker waved dismissively at her, "Don't you worry. We're going to do everything we can to get back to where we're supposed to be. Make everything right again…"
At those words, Alexis turned her head, her gaze fixed on a specific point on the viewscreen. Until Starscream came to gently lay one hand on her shoulder and she heard him think, There was nothing you could have done, she hadn't been aware of just how much her thoughts had, once more, been focused on Scorpinok.
Without moving her gaze from the spot where Unicron had vanished, Alexis tilted her head slightly to the side and responded, Won't stop me from wondering about all the What-ifs... She was silent for a beat, then leaned against him and continued with, I wish there had been a way that we could've gotten Scorpinok out as well. We don't even know if he's been healed enough to move or if he's still alive. Especially if Megatron's found him...
Starscream put one hand to her face, gently turning her head towards him. You can't think like that. It won't do any good to drive yourself crazy before this situation completely plays itself out. He paused, allowing the silently spoken words to comfort her. And I want you to know that I owe Scorpinok better than that. He did safeguard you not once, but twice, when I couldn't, and he's proven that, in spite of everything, he has a good spark... I promise you, Alexis, that I won't give up on him until I know for certain that it won't do any good.
Alexis remained silent, simply staring at him in appreciation, though getting Starxis in her sights also caused her to experience a twinge of guilt. She hadn't counted on them all getting stranded in an unknown location and thus hadn't thought about packing any meals to keep the youngling satisfied long term. All she could do was hope that she (and the ragtag group she was stuck with) didn't remain lost for very long...
When Megatron awoke that same morning, he was pleased to find Scorpinok had been fully repaired and was awaiting his command. Upon hearing from Thundercracker that (a rather grumpy) Sideways had appeared in the throne room near an hour ago with the newest member of their ranks but had not stuck around, Megatron had not thought much of it. Odds were that the rogue bot was pretty steamed over yesterday's events; Sideways had sounded particularly irate with the decision concerning Shockblast. In either event, Megatron supposed he'd give the absent soldier time to cool off. Commanding Scorpinok to take what few Terrorcons were available and go Energon-hunting proved to be a sufficient distraction from the matter for the time being.
As the day wore on, however, a handful of Decepticons – Thundercracker included – could be heard asking one another where Sideways had disappeared to. Eventually, the mystery of the rogue bot's continued absence was weighing on Megatron enough that he demanded all of his soldiers to scour Unicron's entire body in search of their missing comrade.
Until one of the troops – Megatron didn't know which one – radioed up from the interior of the battleship (which had been parked within Unicron's stomach during the assault and which had suffered from minor damage by falling partially through the floor) some time later, there was no sign of Sideways to be found. Though the Decepticon commander was puzzled by the request that he (as well as Snowcat, Mirage, and Thundercracker) come down to the control room of the ship, it was curiosity over what the slag was going on that made him grudgingly oblige.
Megatron's first view of Sideways, plastered on the main viewscreen of the battleship's control room, was the very last thing he wanted to see waiting for him. He couldn't identify the locale in which the rogue bot (appearing quite smug with his arms folded together in a casual manner) was standing; the most that Megatron could tell was that Sideways was on board some other, wholly unfamiliar starship.
Shifting his weight at the sight of the Decepticon commander, Sideways said, in a downright amused tone, "I was wondering how long it would take you to find out I was gone."
Megatron snarled, taking a step towards the screen. "Where the slag are you, Sideways?" he barked out. "You had better have a good explanation for this!"
Sideways chuckled lightly. "Oh, you think I owe you an explanation now," he said casually. "Funny how that works." Sideways tilted his head slightly to the left. "I seem to recall you promising to treat me as an equal when we first partnered up. I honestly should have known better, given how well I knew you. It's no wonder so many of your soldiers turn on you, Megatron... You practically beg for it." Sideways' gaze swept across the room at this, drawing attention to the fact that all three members of Megatron's inner circle were hearing this; it had to be a deliberate act on the former's part. "I wonder just who will be the next to turn tail and run."
Megatron's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his entire being flooding with rage. "When I find you, Sideways, I will make you pay for this."
Another chuckle sounded from beneath Sideways' faceplate. "Good luck trying." A pause, and then, "Though I must also thank you, for leading me down this particular path. I started out as someone simply looking to avenge the home I'd lost before Unicron, and then you, came along. I don't think I'll ever be able to pinpoint when, but I had lost sight of myself somewhere along the way. I can't believe how far I've strayed, getting swept up in a war that wasn't mine and looking to settle petty grievances." Sideways hesitated, turning his head so that he was looking off to the right; his next words strongly implied that someone else was there, standing somewhere off camera. "Fortunately for me, I was given a reminder I very much needed."
It seemed as though an eternity passed before Sideways looked back at Megatron, giving a mock salute. "Adieu, mon capitan," he taunted in a bad French accent. "If our paths never cross again, it will be too soon." At those words, the screen flickered once and faded to black before Megatron could even think of a reply.
For a long while, Megatron just stared at the dark screen in silence, shaking ever so slightly with fury. None of his men dared move or speak a word in those moments; whether or not they agreed with Sideways, not a one wanted to have that anger focused on them.
When Megatron at last charged up his cannons, aimed them at the monitor, and fired off a single volley that tore the screen apart, the Decepticons at his side nearly jumped out of their skins. While Snowcat, Mirage, and Thundercracker were still cowering, Megatron simply turned on his heel, not paying them any heed whatsoever, and stomped towards the exit.
In the absence of their leader, Snowcat quickly composed himself, though he rubbed nervously at the back of his neck. Focusing on his two comrades, he summed it all up in a few simple words, "I vote we never so much as mention Sideways' name past this point…"