Wow, ten years. For anyone who may still be here from that time seeing this, welcome back. I've been gone a while and have been through a crazy amount of life, as we all probably have been. Why am I back? Well, I've missed writing fanfiction. While my job won't allow me to be as constant as I used to be when I was a teenager, I want to splurge a little in my adult life and let myself be free to make the choice of enjoying the simple pleasures. If you followed me before and are still here, coming back to read this, welcome, I've missed you. If you're new, welcome, I've missed being here. I hope you enjoy this story. This is part of a series called Among the Earth and Stars. The other story you can find is called Ashes and Roses.

If you would like a more in depth synopsis, read just below. If you want to start the story, jump down past the line.

When a catastrophic accident leaves astronaut and astrophysicist Scarlett Sterling stranded aboard a derelict space station, her distress call is answered by an unexpected savior: Optimus Prime. Despite Autobot and human treaty protocols discouraging direct interference with human affairs, Optimus rescues Scarlett.
Scarlett, in turn, is astonished to learn that her space station was sabotaged by a rogue Cybertronian faction searching for a long-lost star map hidden in Earth's distant skies - one that could lead to an uncharted Cybertronian planet believed to hold unimaginable power. As one of the few humans capable of decoding the map, Scarlett becomes an unwitting key in the Autobots' mission to keep it from falling into Decepticon hands, lest another war begins.
What begins as a cautious alliance between Scarlett and Optimus soon deepens into a bond forged through shared dreams of exploration and understanding. Their journey takes them from earth to distant star systems, battling Decepticons and unearthing secrets long buried in Cybertronian history. As their connection grows, so does the danger, as the power of the star map threatens not only their worlds but also their fragile, impossible relationship.

A thin line ran down the window, stress fracturing the glass as if it were made of sugar. Scarlett tried to still her breathing as she watched the crack follow through until it hit the edge of the window.

"Houston," her voice shook as another blast echoed through the halls of the station, its reach nearly to the doors she had barricaded herself behind. "Please." she begged, tears wetting her eyes. She'd wipe them, but her hands stopped at the glass of her helmet. "Please. Please. . ." her voice cracked. "Come in."

Scarlett hadn't felt her body moving through the zero gravity until it smashed into the back wall. Heat pressed through the door, the explosions rumbling through as if it were prey seeking escape. She couldn't seek it, not when her only way out was through the very doors that held back the blasts and heat.

The crack looked like lightning, the way small arms grew from the body. They traveled through the glass, searching for anything to hold on to. She didn't have much time before space came in and she was sucked into the void she had once worked too hard to get to.

"Sterling," a voice shuttered through the communications system.

Scarlett wept at the sound of another human.

"Sterling, what is happening?"

Her hands gripped the handles strategically placed through the hull for easy maneuvering. They shook with each handle they grabbed, but she persevered. She needed to get communication to those on earth - let them know what happened.

Another explosion swung her body into the wall. Her ribs ached, taking the brunt as they collided with her next handle. Her hand lost grip of the one she held on to. She reached and clenched her fingers around it and pulled herself closer to the wall.

"Scarlett!" The voice was frantic. They knew something was going on - but couldn't see it through their millions of dollars telescope she used to look through in the direction of this exact station not even three years ago. "Answer me-" the voice cut off and her heart shuddered.

Had the radio been affected? Was she going to be blasted from the station, alone and crying? She grabbed for the next handle, trying hard to shake the fearful thoughts from her head. She'd die brave - if not for anyone else's sake, then her own.

"Scarlett, hey," Daniel came on the line, soothing as if he were talking to a feral cat.

She was as terrified as one.

Her hand shook as she reached for the next handle. Then the next. Finally she grabbed on to the small ones attached to the console and crawled her way to the system. "Daniel." her voice was hoarse and she realized that she'd been screaming the whole way there.

"Hey," his voice softened even more. She hadn't even realized it could do that. Almost thirty years of knowing him and he had never once been so quiet with her. She wondered, in the chaos, if he was this calm with his wife when she was upset. This particular situation gave him a sense of urgency to talk to her this way. "We can see something's happening. The systems are going offline everywhere. We're not registering any life signs, not even yours."

He was quiet, but he cut to the point.

She choked on her words and even in the zero gravity she could feel her body going fetal. "They're dead." she couldn't help it. It was the only thing she could say. "Pascal, Vunder, Triff, Harlin, Pyde, Quivt. . . I was the only one in the deck when the first explosion happened. It was. . ." she choked and tears streamed down her face and lifted into the blank space of her helmet. She tasted the salt and snot and could do nothing to wipe it away. In moments, that wouldn't be a worry. "It was my night to keep records. . . I should have been with them. . . I stayed later than I needed. . . They shouldn't have died without me." More tears burst and began to dance around her head.

"Hey, hey, no." his voice was commanding, almost as similar to how it had sounded when they were children. "You don't get to think like that little sister. Okay? You're safe, that's what matters now. Can you tell me what happened?"

She shook her head. "I was here, studying the charts and. . . And. . . Something flew by. I thought it was a meteor. I charted it. And then the first explosion came. The thing came back into view and I realized. . . I realized. . . Oh my gosh, I realized. . ."

"You realized what, Scarlett?"

"It was shiplike." her voice squealed and she blubbered. "It was a ship and I don't know what kind or who it was, or what it was. It wasn't human though. It was massive and terrifying. No windows. Just. . . Existing. It shot toward the station but not at me." her voice hitched. "Not at me. Or. . . No, it was a meteor. It was shiplike but yet. . ." Her voice crumbled. She couldn't make sense of her left from her right - there was no telling that she could actually identify what she saw. It was probably a meteor and its coming back was chunks that broke off in its collision with the station.

She could hear his voice distant from the radio, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Finally, "Scarlett, do you see it now?"

Her eyes looked up. Everything was blurry from her tears and she blinked but they wouldn't clear. She tried to squint, to focus, to shake them away, but nothing worked. Every time tears cleared from her vision, more would fall. "I can't tell. I don't see anything outside now." Even if she could, if it was a meteor it would be lodged somewhere in the station where she couldn't see.

"Okay. We're going to send a team to retrieve you."

"It's going to take you months to get here, Daniel. I don't. . . " she hiccuped. "I don't have that much time left. My window is cracked here, everything else is damaged. There are no rations. I'll be dead in hours."

"Don't talk like that, Scar, I don't like that kind of talk."

"Don't call me scar," she breathed. "I don't like it."

"I know. . . I know you don't. You're not going to die Scarlett. We're going to get to you, one way or another."

Her eyes turned to the crack. Even through the bleariness she could see that each arm had grown even more and small holes were forming. Soon it wouldn't be able to hold and she'd be jutted into the black. "You love me, right, big brother?"

A nervous chuckle came from the other side. "I always do, little sister. And you love me?"

Her lips trembled. "You know the stars love you more."

He laughed again, this time hearty and it filled her with warmth.

"I love you," she whispered and listened to the silence of space. She could imagine each sound as the small cracks became wider and wider. "Tell mom and dad and everyone else that I love them."

"Don't talk like that, Scarlett."

"Talk like what? Like I know more than you do?" she tried to laugh.

Silence fell on the other line and she could see his tears in her mind. Only twice in her life had she witnessed her brother cry. Once when they were young off his bike, he had fallen so hard and broken his leg that she could see the bone protruding out of his skin. He'd sworn that he wasn't crying, but the wetness of his eyes and face begged otherwise. The other time was when he walked out with his new baby girl in his arms to proudly show everyone that she was beautiful and healthy.

And now would mark three.

She watched as the last of the arms finally gave way.

Clutching the radio to her chest, she couldn't hear voices calling her if there were any. Staring at the controls on her suit, she read the oxygen. She had six hours before her suit couldn't produce anymore. Six hours to be a part of the stars she had stared at so many times as a child.

Six hours to ponder if this was really where her life was leading her to. Six hours to find the red star and stare at it. Six hours. Unless she pulled the tanks and simply let her body fade away.

The cracks exploded and with it, took her into the wild of space. Her hand held onto the tubes that lead her carbon dioxide to the tanks that turned it into breathable oxygen. She could pull it and within moments be done.

But she wasn't finished. If she was going to go, it would be exactly how she had wanted to die when she was younger. Among the stars she had yearned to study.

Her eyes stared out into the open and she wondered if they watched her back and if the symphonies they produced became a little more sad that life was diminishing before them. Or had they seen so much life and death that simply it was just another day.

She let herself float, there was nothing else she could do. In her fury to dress in the suit, she had not clipped on the steering jets.

Her body moved ever so that she could see the station. It was a disaster of metals and particles. The explosions had become nothing and left nothing in the oxygenless atmosphere of space. The tears came again, floating away from her eyes. Her work. Her life. All of her efforts came down to this moment.

Her body floated upwards and she saw out of the corner of her eye something connected to her. She scrambled, a scream erupting from her throat. It struggled against her body's thrashing, but did not disappear. In her fear she grabbed at it and yanked, only realizing that it was connecting her to the station.

Her eyes stared out. It was connecting her to the other half of the station that had not been touched by the explosions or fire because it had been the old station created for the past crew. Its sealant had done so well at its job that it was preserved in the darkness of space. And it had saved her.

In the event that you get jutted out to space, and that's a small event, your suit is designed to connect to any viable part of the space station. Think of it like an umbilical life vest.

The thought of how Varity had described it then had made Scarlett feel uneasy. Now she could almost praise the woman for that mental image because she realized the truth behind it. She felt as if she were a child being connected to its safety.

Her hand shook as she grabbed at the tether and began to pull. Her suit clicked and she was thrusted toward the station at an alarming speed.

In the event you are being pulled back in, these things go at one speed. Mock. So be ready to plant yourself firmly onto the station. The magnetic grab on your boots will slow down your pull so that your landing will be as soft as jumping onto a pillow.

Scarlett positioned herself so that her feet went first and she clenched her eyes. Her body rapidly moved through space and she wondered if she would hit shrapnel along the way. Her eyes flung open at the thought and she stretched out her arms to try and push it away so that she wouldn't collide with any.

At the ship her feet slowed her descent and with a click, latched onto the hull of the old station with an ease that felt too good to be true. She could have collapsed to her knees and cried into the void. But her training kicked in. She needed to find a way to get into the station. They had been trained before coming here - it was protocol that they could get into the old station in case there was an emergency.

She'd constitute this as such.

The magnet was tougher to walk with than she'd realized. Her legs ached with each step and she wondered who'd they'd designed these boots for - it certainly wasn't an astronaut who didn't plan spending most of their days wandering the hull of the station. No. She was better suited for inside studying the behavior of stars.

Her fingers trembled as she reached the port into the station. Punching in the code, it groaned. Clearly it had been years since its last use. But the doors opened and she was welcomed with a flickering of light as she stepped inside. The doors blasted shut behind her and the magnet of her boots turned off, making her rise in the lack of gravity.

That would have to be the first thing she fixed. Shuffling through the routine, she worked her way through the ship, staring at every oddity that appeared. The last crew had made this their home as she and her crew had. . .

Her lips trembled at the thought and she scrunched her eyes. Her body lurched as she held onto a handle. She couldn't think about them now. She would remember them, but she had to call her brother. She had to tell him she was alive. She had to make sure they were coming for her.

In the deck she stopped and stared. It was similar to her own stations where she'd spent countless hours staring out at the stars. It sickened her. And yet it was comforting to have some sense of familiarity.

Taking in a deep breath, she wound her way to the console. First, oxygen.

[Oxygen levels: zero percent.] The metallic voice spoke over the rusty speakers. [beginning oxygen production. Oxygen at one-hundred-percent in five hours.]

She checked her suit. She had five hours and fifteen minutes left. This system had no chance to be rusty in production as much as it was at speaking.

Turning to the communications system she fired it up. It lit up and with it so did the gravity and lights of the ship. "No. No. No!" Her hands fiddled with every button and switch until the lights flickered off and she could hear the others doing the same. Whoever or whatever had destroyed the other station, she didn't need it coming back if it was sentient. It's could have been why it went after them in the first place.

Maybe. Or it was a meteor that happened to be the downfall of the station. Or it was just some pissed off being that wanted to joyride through their station's territory. Or they thought their station was doing the same through their own territory.

"Nevermind." she grumbled to herself. Turning to the communications, she flipped its switch. She'd stay away from the all power button this time. It crackled and fizzled. "Hello? Daniel?" her voice was a hoarse whisper.

It fizzled more and the sound grew. It grew loud enough that she stammered back. The sound took on its own life of cracks and fizz's and beeps until there was a pop and everything fell silent.

Stepping closer she saw the radio she'd held moments ago fizzling a little. Fifteen years out of commission would do that to something.

Her fist smashed against the console and she screamed. Her voice echoed in the deck and she could care less if something heard her and came back. It would be a sweet relief. Even if the oxygen fully came on before hers went out. Even if there were rations. Even if. Even if. Even if. . . That couldn' take away the fact that she couldn't reach her brother anymore and he for sure thought she was dead. And if she was thought to be dead, the government wouldn't spend precious resources on retrieving bodies that would take a month to get to. The station would be a lost cause and she with it.

Scarlett screamed through the deck and swung her arms around, her fists hitting at anything that was anywhere nearby.

Her foot kicked through the air until she found the nearest wall and began to repeatedly pelt it with kicks. Her screams never ceased and the tears rolled down her cheeks freely. She wanted to break something. She wanted to yell at someone and have them tell her that everything was going to be okay. But it wasn't. Nothing would be okay because she would die here. She would die alone.

She would die and there would be no one to bury her. No. They would bury an empty casket or set up an empty urn and they would mourn her on earth before she was dead and even after.

Her eyes stared down the hallway that led to the port. She could end it all. Walk in and step out into space and let the vacuum take her whole. It would be mercy to end herself and not have to deal with the anguish of whatever other death would become her if she kept herself alive for however long she could. Oxygen would last as long as it could. The system was rusty but it was made to be able to work through anything. But even the comms broke. Food would be here, they were told that. In case of an emergency the other crew left whatever they had. Just as her crew was commanded to do the same when their time came to go home.

But that would run out in its own time and she could die of hunger.

Scarlett's chest heaved and tears broke through again, carrying a deepness to them she had never felt before. If nothing else took her, the loneliness would. Collapsing onto her knees, she let tears fall as much as they needed, pooling down into the bowl of her helmet as she did. She didn't want to die. The stars were her home, but they were not meant for her burial.

Breaths shook through her lungs, breaking up each thought as she took one in. Looking up, she scanned the room. On her station there had been a last resort, one that she'd learned had been integrated into every station built. Standing, the pooled tears dripped down the glass and to her neck. Her feet quietly padded toward the console and she looked for the button. This station wasn't an exact copy, but it was similar enough. The button rested to the far left and sat idle. Stepping up to it, she pulled off the hard plastic case that had been set over it so it would not be pressed accidentally.

Her hand shook over it and her eyes closed. She didn't want to die and yet there was a part of her that didn't want to know what could answer the call. Be it human or alien, it could be friend, or it could be foe. She had no fight left in her and yet. . . She wanted to live.

Her hand pressed down on the button and it glowed a hue of deep purples. The distress was sent and there was no taking it back. It could take weeks, months, and even years to reach earth and even then it would take them forever to return. Other stations were placed too far and didn't have the resources to retrieve her.

Her hope had to be there though. That someone would register the call and answer it.

Her body sunk against the console and her arms wrapped around her knees as well as they could. She had to try and if she died, then she could say she did so doing all she could to get home.

Hi all, I want to come on with a quick note about which universe this takes place in. There might be nods to different things, but personally I'm leaving it up for interpretation of which Transformers Universe you want it to take place in - be it G1, Bayverse, Prime, etc. I'm writing this for fun and to keep up on my writing skills - and because Transformers is a fantastic fandom! Have fun and I hope you enjoy reading this story as I have enjoyed writing it! Also, if you happen to be lurking on AO3 and find this story under a different penname, that is also me. I wasn't going to post here as this is my old haunt, but I thought, why not have a little fun going back to my roots.

While a part of a series, both stories are taking place at roughly the same time.