Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So I think I might have been lying to myself about whether I wanted to write a story regarding Transformers One. I actually did really enjoy the movie, even if I did miss Peter Cullen voicing Optimus/Orion Pax. And while I am not interested writing a romantic story, I came up with other ideas. Ones with some small changes to the movie’s lore and to make everyone hate Sentinel Prime even more.

This story is rated mature due to darker themes that will be present in the story than shown in the movie. Including torture, medical torture, blackmail, trauma, enslavement, mind control and detailed violence and character death.

I am sure you will enjoy this story like many of my other stories, readers.

Prologue Part 1

Cybertron. A world formed by a being of ethereal power. A being who created various lifeforms upon Cybertron from the dawn of Cybertron’s creation. Many of these lifeforms are known by the Transformers living in Iacon city that had been built below the surface of the planet to protect its citizens from a race of beings that were not native to this planet. And thus, the being who formed Cybertron birthed thirteen warriors to fight against these invaders. The thirteen Primes. These Primes have stood against these foes, alongside warriors chosen to be the High Guard, to fight against the Quintessons for many years.

Though while most Cybertronians know this, the surface dwellers of the planet are less known to the citizens of Iacon. These beings are related to an ancient species of predacons who once ruled this planet. While related, these beings have built a city for themselves on the surface and possess strange and unique abilities with a unique and benign connection to Primus himself. Though these abilities are not without limitations. And these beings have stood alongside the Primes and the High Guard to fight against the Quintessons. And it seemed that the fight would go their way.

The surface city of Tempest is situated on the far north of the planet’s surface. Carved into the mountains, one may have to blink before they would see any of the creatures flying high above the landscape. One would take a look at them and automatically think they were predacons, but a closer look would show they were not. These draconic bots have lived and walked upon Cybertron for many thousand cycles across time. They are a peaceful race, living together in the city where they ingest liquid energon and farm various plants to ingest that grew upon the surface of the planet.

Whilst they were peaceful, they were also great warriors. Fighting alongside the Primes and the High Guard against the Quintessons is nothing short of an honour to stand together with them for the sake of Primus. Their unique abilities, such as various breaths of fire, lightning and plasma, and the ability to cloak themselves, almost turning completely invisible, they have become valiant warriors against the Quintessons to ensure that peace and prosperity endured on Cybertron. As long as rivers of energon flowed and the Matrix of Leadership remained in possession with Zeta Prime, peace would endure. But it would not be so forever. The hunger for power can take hold on anyone.

Standing upon a cliff while gazing at a tall mountain ahead, a draconic bot stared at the location that lay ahead. The gold on his body glimmered underneath the sun beaming down onto the planet, while his white stomach, face and wings with feather shaped pieces held not glow like the gold down the side of his neck and down his back to the long tail due to matte finish of the colour. This draconic bot was known as Oracle River. He is one of the elder draconic bots from Tempest, and has stood by the Primes for many cycles. Here, he stood on the cliff upon learning about potential intel regarding the Quintessons from Sentinel, one the chief advisor to the Prime Council. Now that he stood here, a strange sense could be felt. Causing him to be uneasy.

^^ Oracle River ^^

Glancing to the left, his optics looked upon the Primes as they walk by the bot. Oracle did not know why he felt the sudden sense of unease. But something was telling him that something was not right. The tallest of the thirteen Primes with steel blue armor and golden lines bordering the shoulder pads, wrist guards and crown, with golden detailing on his chassis, legs and hips, Zeta Prime, turned to Oracle upon noticing the uncertainty in the dragon’s expression. “Is everything alright, Oracle?” Oracle growled softly as he looked away, gazing at the horizon and sniffing at the air. “You seem uneasy. Is this because Sentinel may have intel we need to end this conflict with the Quintessons?”

“Yes. But it is not about the intel itself…” Oracle looked around some more, glancing back behind them with low rumbles vibrating through his chest. “I am starting to think if we proceed, we may not like what will happen. Something is wrong.” Zeta Prime was surprised by the dragon’s warning as Oracle looked around. “And I have not been wrong before, old friend.”

“There is always a first time for everything, Oracle.” Oracle was still unconvinced, and he almost did not wish to proceed, but he also felt it was needed to remain close to the Primes as it was his duty in case there was a fight. “If it makes you feel better, we have the High Guard on standby all the time…though you already know that.” Zeta chuckled lightly and he reached out to place his hand on the side of the bot’s neck, making Oracle purr lightly. “Come on…you can always call for Eruptor, Comet Hammer and, or Longfang if you feel the need for it.”

Flaring his nostrils, there was a small hiss as smoke streamed out of his nostrils, and he looked at Zeta Prime with an amused expression. “I could, but Comet is a little busy right now. He and Solarian welcomed a new sparkling almost one cycle ago, and he has been helping Solarian with their daughter ever since she hatched.” Zeta Prime’s smile widened upon hearing the dragons had a new sparkling. “He would be less than thrilled if I called him away from his daughter.”

“A new sparkling? Wow...and that is quite rare for your race, isn’t it?” Oracle nodded affirmatively. It was unfortunate that the dragonic bots rarely had any sparklings, but they did not have a small population either. Zeta rubbed the side of Oracle’s neck gently, causing the dragonic bot to purr a little again. “I assume that your chronicler, Oranos, has had some foresight for your new sparkling.”

“New sparkling?” Oracle chuckled as a tall, broad shouldered, purple Prime turned to look at them as he walked by. He smiled as he placed the end of his spear down as hearing about the new life clearly moved his spark. “That’s wonderful to hear, Oracle. I have no doubt this new young dragon will become a great warrior. Just like me.”

“Slow, Megatronus. She is still an infant, and have many cycles before she will even learn how to fight. But I appreciate your confidence.” Oracle looked back at the mountain and glanced at Alchemist, Onyx, Micronus, Prima, Solus, and Vector who were ahead of them currently, and Oracle sighed deeply. “I also would rather be back in Tempest. We had been preparing a celebration for the sparkling’s spark day when this secret Quintesson meeting was called.”

“I assume that we are invited, old friend.” Oracle chuckled and turned his head to gaze at a Prime with lighter shades of purple than Megatronus, and a grey face and a metal cape. “Celebrating a life like a new sparkling is always a joy.”

“You are always invited, Alpha Trion. All the Primes are.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want to miss it. But you did fail to tell us about this sparkling...” Alpha Trion waved his index finger at Oracle to tease the dragon, making Oracle roll his optics. “You usually do not forget something important.”

“I apologise. We have been fighting the Quintessons so often that the sparkling slipped my mind.” Oracle turned his head to look in the direction of Tempest. “Personally, if this wasn’t that important, I probably would not be here.”

“To be fair, you invited yourself along, Oracle River,” Megatronus teased as he placed his hand on his hip, giving Oracle an amused expression. “And you now seem hesitant. Come on, we had better get moving. I don’t want to miss out of the Intel Sentinel has about the Quintessons.”

Oracle sighed deeply as Megatronus walked ahead. “I still think that this is a bad idea.”

Alpha Trion raised an eyebrow as Oracle’s intuition has generally never been wrong in the past. And hearing that Oracle seemed uneasy about this made him ponder. “That explains why you were looking around and are tense right now, Oracle. Perhaps you are right. But do you believe that it is regarding this particular meeting?”

Oracle was silent as he pondered on the question. It was a good question, as Oracle did not know if the uneasy feeling he felt was even regarding this meeting or not. “You have a point, Alpha Trion. I cannot answer. But usually, whenever I sense something is wrong, it is regarding something that is about to happen within that moment. Which means, this meeting is it.”

Alpha Trion hummed softly as he seemed to understand. “I guess that means we need to proceed with caution. Zeta Prime…” He looked at his old friend who stood by Oracle. “It would be unwise to not heed Oracle’s concerns.”

Zeta nodded. “I agree…but I do think that the uneasiness might mean we have something watching us right now. Maybe if we spot any loose Quintessons hanging around, we can destroy them before anything else happens."

Megatronus nodded in agreement, lifting his spear off the ground and walking forward towards the mountain. “Eliminating the Quintessons is our priority. And we can finally have peace again. Especially after we had to defeat Unicron so many cycles ago. But we shall proceed with caution.” He turned his head for a moment and shouted at the tall, green, femme who had walked by. “Hey, Quintus! Wait for us!”

The femme looked back with a smirk. “You’re the ones holding up the line, so you all have to drag your afts to the mountain. We aren’t waiting for you.”

Megatronus chuckled as he jogged forward to catch up with Quintus who was walking with Amalgamous, Nexus and Onyx. Oracle sighed deeply, walking forward with caution as he did not know what might happen today. Especially with the warning in his spark. “What is the name of the new sparkling?” Oracle looked at Alpha Trion as the Prime looked at him with curiosity. “I would also be curious to know what your chronicler says about their future?”

Oracle smiled at Alpha Trion and glanced up at the sky as a shimmer of a faint aurora in the distance danced across the horizon. “Her named is Ignited Galaxy. She is born from noble warriors, as you already know. Solarian and Comet Hammer have fought alongside you for many cycles. However, Oranos had sensed Galaxy’s future long before she hatched from her egg.” Oracle closed his optics slightly as he thought back to when Oranos spoke of the future of the sparkling. “Galaxy’s future, according to Oranos, has been deemed to be important. For the future of this planet, she shall rise to meet a danger alongside a new Prime.” Alpha Trion and Zeta Prime both widen their optics in surprise as they had no idea a new Prime would be born. “An era will come to an end, and a new birth shall begin. At least, that is what Oranos said. He didn’t really say how long into the future this would be, but he did say recently that a shadow has been cast over Iacon.”

“Maybe that is the reason why you are feeling uneasy, Oracle,” Zeta Prime suggested and Oracle shook his head. “But that is fascinating…a new Prime…that does mean a new era is coming. I do not know what that will mean for us or the Matrix of Leadership…especially as we haven’t had a new Prime for many, many cycles.”

Alpha Trion nodded in agreement. “I agree. That kind of information does present questions in my mind. Especially as now Oranos has sensed a shadow being cast over Iacon. But that could mean many different things.”

“Indeed.” Zeta opened a com link to the other Primes. “My fellow Primes, proceed to this cavern with caution. This may not be as what we believe it to be. So be on your guard at all times, and we may prevail at the end of the day. If this turns out to be false information about potential Quintessons gathering here, we need to be ready for a fight.”

Oracle did not know if that would be enough as there may not be anything they could do. But that did not mean they shouldn’t do nothing. Oracle followed closely behind Alpha Trion and Zeta Prime while glancing around constantly as the closer they got to the mountain, the more uneasy that the dragon was feeling. The sense of danger was constant, and Oracle couldn’t help but remain alert and ready to fight in case he had to fight. There was no scent of Quintessons either, so if there was a gathering, they had not entered the cave they would be entering.

Walking up the slope, the wind gently blew over them, and Oracle stopped, looking back and around with a low growl of uncertainty. Oracle knew in his spark that something was terribly wrong, and his instincts were telling him to fall back. But he would not abandon the Primes. A low rumble vibrated from his chest as the dragon walked further up the slope, finding himself in front of a large, circular cave with spikes pointed towards the circle center. It was ominous, but there was no fear of this structure.

Upon walking through the entrance of the cave, Oracle caught Sentinel’s scent. He was indeed here, or at least, he had been here. The scent was fresh, and that seemed like a good sign. However, as they walk further into the cave, moving down a small, shallow slope, to the main large room of the cave, Oracle stopped as his nostrils flared upon the strong scent of Quintessons filling his scent sensors.

“Zeta Prime!” Oracle lunged forward, startling the Primes as the dragon’s sudden movement caught them by surprise. “We need to…” Oracle gasped as they all glance up upon hearing the footsteps of several dozen Quintessons crawling through the roof. “They were waiting for us!”

Zeta Prime immediately armed his energon axe, glaring at the insect-like creatures as they cover the ceiling above. “Get in fighting position, Primes!” All the Primes move quickly, standing in a circle, and Oracle stood between Zeta Prime and Megatronus, glaring at the creatures. Oracle’s mouth glowed a bright blue as it filled with a mixture of plasma and fire before he exhaled, shooting a blast at the Quintessons. Though as he successfully hit and killed several Quintessons, causing their bodies to fall onto the ground, Oracle raised his wings, shifting them over his body as the Quintessons prepared to fire. “Hold your ground!” Zeta glanced at Oracle. “You may want to call for backup.”

“Heh, and you should call for the High Guard!” Oracle snarled without taking his optics off the Quintessons, bracing himself as the creatures began shooting at them. Oracle grunted loudly as the blaster fire hit his wings, and he hissed as one lucky shot hit the tip of his wing, making him stumble and he ran forward. “Quintesson scum!”

Oracle avoided the rain of blasts from the Quintessons after running from the Primes, and he skidded to turn himself to face the Quintessons and leaped upward, beating his wings one time, and tackling one of the Quintessons and pulling it down, diving and landing on top of the creature as he began to maul and rip into it, ripping the legs off as it squealed and aimed its blaster at him.

At the corner of his optics, Oracle could see the other Primes shooting back at the Quintessons as they spread out to fight back. And while they were defending themselves, it quickly became apparent they were outnumbered. Oracle ripped the head of the Quintesson with his teeth, and looked up as the Quintessons lunge down. He widened his optics when Liege Maximal was pounced upon and was stabbed repeatedly, making the dragon run forward and lunge at the Quintesson.

However, he was slammed to the side against a boulder by two Quintessons. Shrieking as he felt a blade piercing his right hindleg, Oracle’s teeth glowed a dark purple as he heated up his mouth while he lunged at the first Quintesson, aiming right for the chassis and the first bite bit through the metal with ease from the extreme heat, and he raised his right wing to strike the Quintesson who had stabbed him. He slammed the wing down, slicing the front of the Quintesson’s face, making it hiss and stab his abdomen.

Oracle kicked the Quintesson with his right leg, despite the shooting pain and energon spilling from the wound and he turned to lunge at the Quintesson with his mouth open. He snapped his teeth at the neck and ripped off the head and glanced around before he was shoved to the side, making him hiss, only to see Megatronus had been pushed against him and he smirked slightly at the Prime.

“Ugh! These Quintessons are really getting under my skin!” Megatronus swiped his staff and stabbed the Quinetessons in front of him while Oracle stood up on his hindlegs to grab too approaching Quintessons, and slam them onto the ground and rip off their heads. “Give me a ride, why don’t you? We can really give these pests something to chase!”

“Heh! And send them to the Pit where they belong!” Oracle crouched after firing another plasma blast at a charging Quintesson while Megatronus swiftly swung his leg over Oracle’s back and the dragon stood up before he ran forward. “We are going to squash you bugs!” Oracle’s chest glowed of orange before travelling up his neck and Oracle breathed a wave of fire at a group of Quintessons while he ran towards the flame.

Megatronus shot missiles from his back as Oracle ran through the fire while swiping and stabbing with his staff. “For Primus, we must stand and win!”

Oracle nodded as he ran through the fire and blasted several more Quintessons as Megatronus stabbed and sliced several more Quintessans, and it seemed that the Primes may have the upper hand. As the other Primes were fending off the Quintessans, despite the fact it seemed that the more they destroyed, even more would join in the fight. Oracle began to believe that Sentinel knew this. His scent was here, but he was present.

Oracle glanced up as Megatronus shot missiles at Quintessons on the ceiling and he jumped up, causing the Prime to hold on and balance himself while they both attack several Quintessons. Megatronus stabbed and sliced several before lifting his feet to Oracle’s back and jumping off the draconic bot, using the momentum to pierce several Quintessons in a row and landing back down on the cave floor as Oracle swiped several Quintessons with his wings.

But as Oracle did so, a Quintesson landed on his back, making the dragon let out a loud roar before he felt a blade in his right shoulder, cutting through the lines and briefly causing Oracle to lose feeling in his right wing. Oracle crashed into the wall, scraping against it as he fell to the ground and he turned his head to grab and throw the Quintesson into the wall and turned his body quickly, swinging his tail to slam the creature and unsheathed blades at the tip of the tail to slice the abdomen.

And in that moment, as Nexus was shooting a constant stream of laser at a charging group of Quintessons, Oracle saw the blade of a familiar autobot stabbing through the chassis from the back of the Prime. Oracle gasped as Nexus Prime fell, and he narrowed his optics as he saw Sentinel. With his blade now stained with the energon of Nexus Prime, Sentinel was glaring around at the other Primes.

Oracle was about to lunge at him as multiple Quintessons drop on top of him from the ceiling, landing on his back and wings, making the draconic bot fall onto his stomach hard and he roared angrily, moving his feet to try and buck off the Quintessons and moved his wings to stab them, but more dropped on top of him, stabbing him in the back and Oracle gasped as he saw Megatronus being restrained by multiple Quintessons. And Sentinel was approaching him slowly.

Oracle growled as he opened his jaw to prepare to blast him. “Megatronus! Get up!” Oracle widened his jaw, only for a Quintesson to shoot into his mouth, making Oracle shriek as the blast caused a secondary blast within his throat, causing metal and energon to splutter and Oracle’s optics fill with tears from the pain. “Uggh…S-Sentinel…traitor…”

Sentinel just chuckled as he looked back at the dragon before raising his sword above Megatronus. The Prime looked up in horror before the blade was struck down, slicing through Megatronus’s neck and beheading him. Oracle growled loudly, wanting to get up, but he had been severely weakened as the Quintessons held him down and forced his neck down onto the ground, standing on top of him as he intakes and exhales weakly.

Sentinel walked over to the weakened bot with a smug expression. “Tsk, tsk, tsk…” He shook his head while waving his index at him. “That was not a good idea. Now look at you. Oracle River down on his knees. Pfft, how pathetic! No matter…” He leaned down, glaring at the dragon as Oracle glared back at his optics. “I have a special plan for you and the rest of your kind. Especially now you have a little warrior in your midst.”

Oracle hissed at him, flaring his nostrils, allowing him to hit Sentinel face with a small blast of plasma from his nostrils, making the advisor to stumble back in surprise and Oracle finally freed his left paw and swiped upward, grabbing a Quintesson and slamming it into the ground. “Whatever your reason, you are the shadow that is cast over Iacon. You bring shame to Primus!”

Sentinel looked back at the dragon as the bot kicked and swiped at the Quintessons around him, and he saw that the dragon’s claws were glowing with plasma, allowing him to cause damage to the Quintessons with ease. Sentinel clenched his fists and threw a punch, hitting Oracle in the right side of his jaw, surprising the draconic bot and Oracle glared at him. “Lay down!” Oracle growled and stood up, bucking his body and throwing the Quintessons that had been on top of him and swung his body around, raising his left, hind foot, kicking Sentinel right in the chassis and forcing his weight on top of him, Sentinel grunt in shock and look up at the draconic bot. “W-What! Get off me!”

Oracle growled and wanted to respond, only to be thrown off by another two Quintessons, slamming him into the wall and causing the metal to crack and Oracle swiped at them. Sentinel scrambled to his feet, grabbing Nexus’s gun, and turned to aim it at Oracle. Oracle gasped in shock after ripping a Quintesson in half and Sentinel shoots him, with the laser hitting the base of the dragon’s neck and sending him into the wall again and Oracle fell onto his side with a weak groan. His vision blurred and he could just see Sentinel shooting and killing Solus Prime with Nexus’s weapon.

He intakes heavily and lifted his head, widening his optics as he saw Sentinel aim and shoot Zeta Prime in the chassis. Oracle wanted to get up, and glanced at Alpha Trion to see he was calling for the High Guard’s assistance. Oracle did not know how far Starscream and the High Guard were right now, but they could really use their assistance, especially as Sentinel seemed to be intent on something.

Oracle shifted onto his stomach, wanting to get back onto his feet, but he struggled to find the strength as he watched in despair as Sentinel stood on Zeta Prime’s arm to stop him from getting up. He could not hear what had been said before Sentinel shot the Prime again, killing Zeta Prime instantly. Oracle widened his optics. With his breath system damaged, he could not stop Sentinel from a distance. However, when Sentinel ripped Zeta’s chassis open and pulled the Matrix of Leadership out, it dawned on Oracle on what Sentinel wanted. And it was the power the Prime possess, despite the fact that the Primes were chosen by Primus himself with the power they had.

And while Sentinel got to hold the Matrix of Leadership for a second, it was pulled away from him suddenly before it disappeared, turning into dust right in front of him. Sentinel was shocked, trying to reach for it, but he was unworthy. He was in disbelief, and with Alpha Trion, Prima, Vector, Quintus and Micronus the last of the Primes still standing, as the others had already fallen, Sentinel seemed lost as to what to do.

However, he quickly had to be pulled out of his shock as multiple jets entered the cave from the entrance and from above, shooting at the Quintessons and at Sentinel. Oracle smiled as he spotted Starscream immediately. “High Guard, protect the Primes. The Matrix of Leadership is lost,” Soundwave informed the High Guard.

Oracle finally managed to get to his feet, and he turned to lunge at Sentinel, but the bot had already found somewhere to hide. Oracle gasped as Prima fell, and he ran towards the remaining Primes to help them. Alpha Trion, who had transformed into his beast alt mode at this mode, ran over to Oracle and stopped him. “Get out of here, Oracle. Go back to Tempest.”

“What?!” Oracle was shocked at the suggestion and he intakes heavily with a frown. “You cannot be serious!”

“The Matrix is lost, and Sentinel intends to kill the rest of us. And he will kill you too, or something worse.” Oracle growled lightly, glancing around as he tried to look for Sentinel. “He will go after Tempest next. You need to warn them. Especially if he goes after Galaxy.”

Oracle did not want to leave, as staying and dying beside the Primes was part of his duty. But he also had to protect the sparkling. Ignited Galaxy could not fight right now, and he knew that Oranos would have some answers. “But Alpha…”

“There is no more buts right now, Oracle River. You need to go now! Primus has a purpose for us all, and if these is to be a darkness across this world, then it is meant to be. But protecting the future is just as important. Get out of here before Sentinel and the Quintessons leave.” Alpha Trion shoved Oracle towards the exit of the cave. “Use the last of your strength to warn the others. The High Guard and the rest of us will keep them busy long enough.”

Oracle was still hesitating, however, he also knew that Alpha Trion was right as the Prime turned and ran to keep fighting. Oracle couldn’t wait to see how this ends. He grimaced as the pain through his system was going to make it difficult to fly, but he had no choice. Limping through the tunnel of the cave, he made his way towards the entrance. He was lucky no Quintessons were in the tunnel itself. But as he reached the entrance, two Quintessons jumped in front of him to block his path, and Oracle quickly swiped his claws to slice their necks and he ripped off their heads.

With that out of the way, Oracle ran forward and leaped into the air and began to beat his wings. It was awkward and extremely painful, and he was alarmed by the Quintesson ships hovering above and he turned towards the direction of Tempest as he picked up speed quickly so he could reach the city. The guilt weighing on his spark for leaving the Primes behind, even if leaving to try and make it to Tempest was what was needed.

However, while he was flying quickly over the landscape, Oracle turned his head slightly and widened his optics to see a Quintesson ship following him, and he could also see Sentinel. He was surprised that there were other transformers with him who were loyal and seemed to be accepting of what he was doing. Oracle glanced ahead as he feared that he may bring death to Tempest even before he could warn. And so, he opened a link to Oranus.

“Oranus! If you can hear my voice right now, I have terrible news. The Primes have fallen, and the Matrix has been lost. I am trying to reach Tempest right now…” Oracle paused as he heard the High Guard following to try and stop Sentinel, but the Quintessons intercepted them with another ship, forcing them to defend themselves or to flee. “The High Guard are doing their best against them. But it seems you were right about the shadow being cast over Iacon. We have a traitor.”

A deep, gentle voice rumbled gently through the link as Oranos responded to Oracle. “So it seems that we have entered a new era…one that I had feared that would happen a long time ago. And now it has happened. The poison of greed entered the spark of someone we should have trusted.” Oracle simply nodded and moved to avoid being shot at as the Quintesson ship that followed him began to shoot at him. “Oracle, you should not lead them here. I will bring this message to th city. Do your best to stall them. We need to ensure that Ignited Galaxy is safe.”

Oracle grimaced as with the Quintessons and Sentinel following him, he knew that Oranos was right. He sighed deeply as his optics quiver. “You are right…at least a new Prime shall rise, and Ignited Galaxy shall stand beside them. But…I fear Tempest will be lost when that happens.”

“I believe that will be the case. But should trust that Primus will ensure that the right transformer shall receive the Matrix of Leadership, and ensure that energon will flow through this world again. Our river is already drying up.” Oracle widened his optics in shock and glanced down towards a nearby river, and gasped as he saw it. The levels were draining slowly, and that was not good. “I am sorry this is happening. And I wish I could have foreseen this. But my gift only reveals so much of the future that is more like a prophecy. Do what you can to fend of Sentinel and the Quintessons, Oracle River. We may yet meet again in the All Spark.”

The All Spark. Oracle had no doubt that was probably going to happen. And he did not want to go down as a coward. Sighing deeply, he felt a sense of calmness knowing this, while also feeling despair and worry for the future. “I shall do what I can to keep Sentinel from Tempest for as long as I can. Even though…he did show up at the city a week ago and met Galaxy…I already know he has plans for us. So get that sparkling out of the city, and find a way to ensure she will survive for many more cycles.”

“I am already ahead of you, Oracle. That is why I had asked you for a portion of your essence a few days ago. A special stasis pod has been made for Galaxy…as I fear that if she remains awake during the next…I am not sure how many cycles it will take, but she will not survive without the energon to feed on,” That made Oracle smile and he glanced back at the ship as it was getting closer. Oracle’s wings ached and he knew he could not fly for much longer. “Stand strong, Oracle. And know that Ignited Galaxy will bring justice to us in the future.”

Oracle nodded as he understood. “Thank you, old friend…and farewell. Until we meet again.”

With that, Oracle shut off the link as he angled himself to the right to turn sharply, narrowing his optics as he glared at the approaching ship and Sentinel with his followers. Sentinel seemed surprised. However, Sentinel did know that Oracle could not use his breath attacks anymore. But that didn’t let Oracle stop him as he ascended slightly into the clouds, feeling the electricity that was building in the sky, and his spikes shifted and transformed to open slightly as electricity conductors. This caused the electricity to be attracted and began to strike Oracle spikes.

The electricity filtered through the dragon’s body, filling his jaw and claws with power, and both his wings and horns glow as the dragon guided the electricity in his body to be able to hit the Quintesson ship or Sentinel with great power. Sentinel had been alarmed by this, and he looked like he was going to run like the coward he was. But Oracle wouldn’t get a chance. Oracle was so focused on powering his body with electricity he didn’t see the one of the turrets on the Quintesson ship charging and aiming at him. It fired, and hit his right side directly.

Oracle roared loudly in pain as he fell from the sky. The direct hit not only blasted through his armor and exposed his abdominal systems, his right leg and right wing had been blasted front right off his body and he could no longer fly. He had tried to angle his decent, but he hit the ground hard, causing an explosion of lightning across the ground from the lightning still in his system, which recoiled through Oracle’s body and incinerating several systems that caused the dragon to cry in pain. His body skidded along the ground, scraping through some of the metal before his body came to a stop.

Groaning weakly, the dragon was in shock as his intakes and exhales were shaky and he coughed, spluttering energon onto the ground. He lifted his head weakly and looked at his right side. Seeing his front, right leg and wing ripped from his body, and a massive hole to his side made him grimace. Energon bled from the wounds, and he could see that his systems were damage beyond repair. His own spark was struggling to support his body and it would give out soon. His optics flicker as his vision blurred, but not before he saw Sentinel flying down.

Oracle thought about trying to call for the High Guard, but his communication system was down. He was lucky his vocal processor was not damaged enough. He growled lightly at Sentinel as the former advisor smirked at him victoriously. “That was a bad idea, Oracle River. Fleeing in an attempt to reach Tempest before me was probably the most stupid thing you ever done.”

Oracle hissed lightly with a snarl. “No, it was not. Your decision has forsaken the future of Cybertron, Sentinel. You must see that.” He coughed, grimacing as forcing energon from his throat hurt as it spluttered over the ground. “But Oranos had already foreseen this shadow over Iacon. And it was you all along.”

“Hmmph…I guess so…” Sentinel waved his sword around casually as he walked closer and knelt down. “Still…I had another plan for you. You dying wasn’t really what I wanted, but I guess these things happen, heh.”

Oracle had no idea what Sentinel was even talking about, but it did not sound good. “I do not understand, Sentinel. You are going to destroy all of us anyway. I have no doubt you are going to Tempest next.”

“Of course! I mean, I need to make sure that your race becomes more than what they are now…” Sentinel chuckled lightly as he lifted up something, and Oracle widened his optics in shock. “And I had a little help. After all, I can’t have a kingdom in Iacon without something to ensure everyone there understands the beasts I have in my possession.”

Oracle stared at the item in Sentinel’s hand and he narrowed his optics. “You are monster…we will never allow it. We would rather join the All Spark than to be your slaves!”

“Meh, well…it isn’t like you can tell them anymore, Oracle. You will never reach them now…AAHH!”

Sentinel stepped back in shock and surprise as Oracle managed to move his left legs and lunge at him, snapping his teeth and just missing Sentinel’s throat, though he landed on his right side with a groan. Sentinel smirked a little at the pity sight in front of him. Oracle sniffed and he frowned, looking at Sentinel in confusion. “Why do I smell Megatronus on you? Did you rip his cog from him?”

“I sure did…” Sentinel leaned down, opening his chassis and Oracle gasped upon seeing the glowing, purple t-cog within the transformer’s chassis. “And now it is mine. After all, I had to make sure I got the best and strongest…” He chuckled as the dragon had no words, and the disgust filling the dragon’s expression make Sentinel smirk widen. “I know he was your closest friend. I could have been yours too…oh well. Such a waste.” He chuckled as he raised his sword. “I’ll make sure Ignited Galaxy fulfils her destiny alongside me.”

And with a swift strike of his sword, Sentinel impaled the blade through the skull of the draconic bot, pushing straight through and watched as the body of the dragon go limp instantly. He smiled and pulled the blade out, glancing at the energon staining the blade with pride and looked back. He felt strong that he had taken down one of these creatures as he knew many of the draconic warriors rivalled the strength of the Primes. Though that has not actually been confirmed.

Sentinel stepped back and turned, looking at his newest commander who had been an invaluable asset already. She was smirking after witnessing the execution of this creature, and her many blue eyes on the side of her large head was looking around for any sign of the other draconic bots. “We should hurry, Sentinel. Oracle River would have already notified Tempest of our approach.”

“Yes, I know Airachnid. We need to head there now. The High Guard are being slowed by the Quintessons.” Sentinel lifted his left hand that held the object that Oracle was fearful of. It looked like a type of collar with tiny needles that could easily impale through the armor of a draconic bot or transformer. “I hope this will work on them. We need their power.”

“It will. We just cannot test it on Oracle anymore. Let’s proceed.” Airachnid transformed, and the other soldiers that stood by them, vehicons, transformed to follow.

Sentinel did not transform as he opened the wings on his back and activated the jets, flying into the sky to fly north. “We will need to hurry before Ignited Galaxy is hidden from us. The Quintessons will bring the rain and raze that city to the ground!”

With that, Sentinel and his army left the husk of Oracle River’s body behind. He seemed confident that things will go his way today, even though the Matrix of Leadership was lost. And the energon rivers were already drying up. Regardless, Sentinel didn’t care. He will figure out what to do next. He already had managed to ensure that those in Iacon would believe and trust him, especially when he tells them that he had been made a Prime and tell them a story of the noble sacrifice of the Primes and their battle against the Quintessons.

Chapter Text

Just a side note, I have used an AI art gen to create the images of the draconic bots that are seen in this story. Only because I am not great with art, even though I am working on 3D art as it is a bit easier for me to do, and I have no extra money to pay an artist for commissions. Just in case readers wanted to know why that is the case.

Prologue Part 2

Before he had received the warning from Oracle River, the chronicler of Tempest, had already planned for extreme measures that might be needed to protect and safeguard the future of their race. Oranos had built a stasis pod specifically for this sparkling as he felt it would be necessary. This stasis pod was unlike other regular stasis pods too. But he knew that they would still need to get the sparkling away from Tempest to ensure that she would be safe. Now that he knew that the Primes have fallen today, time was of the essence. He had no choice but to tell the others in Tempest the news, and he knew none of them would be happy about it.

Walking through the large room containing various bookshelves full of scripts and books, Oranos walked towards the door and they open automatically. The large, white dragon glanced around with his orange optics as the doors open outside to a raised platform overlooking a courtyard in front. His home was a large building built in the mountain behind him. The spirals pointed to the sky were blue with Cybertronian writing embedded into the walls of the building. Snow covered the roof of the building, and Oranos began to let out loud growls and purrs that would be heard through Tempest to get the other dragonic bots to gather in front.

^^Oranos's appearance^^

As he waited though, he looked up as one of the great warriors dove down from the sky in a panic. His pink optics looked down at Oranos as he angled his body to spread his wings, with a gush of wind and kicking up of snow around him, the dragon landed on both feet in front of Oranos with a respectful bow to the chronicler. “Oranos, I bring disturbing news. I heard your call just now, but something has happened. The waterfall has stopped flowing and the river seems to be drying up.” He folded his wings that were light orange in the frame of the wing with light pink mainsail between joints of the wings. “Do you know something, Oranos? Has something you have seen come to pass?”

Oranos smiled calmly at the dragon. “I do know something, Firedrake. Wait until everyone is here. We need not fear what may happen. But, if you can, encourage the others to move faster. Time is of the essence.” Firedrake nodded and he let out a loud roar of haste, which created an immediate response as the other draconic bots quickly began to gather. “Thank you, old friend.”

Firedrake nodded with a smile. Firedrake, unlike Oranos, stood up on two feet as he was not born as a quadruped draconic bot. His body was solid with faint marks of many cycles of fighting on his body. His horns curved back proudly on the back of his head with the same shade of orange as the frame of his wings. His thick, grey silver armor down the sides of his neck connected to the chest piece across his chest, down his arms and legs. The middle of the neck and down the dragon’s stomach were orange. And the spikes down his back and to his tail had tints of pink with orange tips. He wasn’t as intimidating as several other warriors of Tempest, but he was a great warrior and had very strong breath abilities.

^^Firedrake's appearance^^

A large draconic bot landed beside Firedrake. He was taller than Firedrake with very broad shoulders as he too was bipedal. His arms were thick and his tail was very long and heavily armoured. His green optics gaze at Oranos with concern written on his expression. His wings were connected directly with his shoulders rather than shoulder blades. He bore long, curved, golden horns and a golden face. His golden shoulder pads were large with sharp tips and his chest was wide with a golden plate on top. His wings were large enough to haul his heavy body through the sky with long, knife-like wings there were red and gold.

“Oranos, our sensors have detected Quintesson ships approaching the city. And it seems they are approaching from the direction where the Primes were to meet Sentinel. I fear that it did not go so well.”

“No, it not, Eruptor.” Oranos intakes heavily as this was going to be a heavy discussion. “Oracle River reached out to me regarding it.” Firedrake and Eruptor both widen their optics and glance around as the other draconic bots finally gather around quickly. They were all worried as the energon was drying up, and they had no idea what it meant. Oranos spread his large, feather-like wings that glimmered with rainbow colours all through the plates. “My friends, my fellow draconic bots. I do not hold any news that will make us happy. On this day, our darkest cycles are upon us.” The dragons immediately murmur to each other as they did not like it either. “On this day…all thirteen Primes have fallen to shadow that was cast over Iacon.”

^^Eruptor's appearance^^

“Fallen?!” Firedrake stared at Oranos as he didn’t believe his ears. “Has that been confirmed?”

“I am afraid so. Oracle River told me so. And I regret to inform all of you that his spark has been vanquished as well.” There were gasps of shock and disbelief as it has been many cycles since a draconic bot had fallen. Oranos spread his wings wider and waved them slowly to quiet everyone down again. “My friends, Sentinel is the one who has betrayed all of us. All for his desire to harness the power that was once held within Zeta Prime’s chest.”

Smoke and sparks flew from Eruptor’s nostrils as they flare with anger. “I knew I didn’t like him. When he sauntered through Tempest a week ago, I could smell the stench of suspicion from him. But I think my scent sensors were playing tricks. Ugh…I should have ripped his head off clean right then.”

“At which point, it would result in a crime, Eruptor. There was no way to prosecute Sentinel without any solid evidence. But…it would seem he has given Cybertron over to the new rulers of Cybertron.” Eruptor grumbled and folded his arms a little, which caused his wings to lower slightly against his back. Oranos did understand Eruptor’s frustration however. “But as much as we should understand this betrayal, we need to make a stand to protect Ignited Galaxy. Sentinel took far too much interest in the sparkling, we need to ensure he does not get to raise her how he wants.”

Solarian, the mother of Galaxy, stepped forward with a worried expression. Her yellow optics were soft as her white silver body had dusts of snow over the surface and her royal blue, feather-like wings were folded against her body. “How will we protect her, Oranos? You said she had a great destiny ahead of her. How can we be sure that it will be great to us, and not because of what Sentinel wants to do?”

^^Solarian's appearance^^

“Because Sentinel is interested in power, Solarian. And as I had already sensed this, I have taken measures. I have created a stasis pod for the sparkling…” Solarian widened her optics in shock. “As I believe that we will not see the new Prime for many cycles. This dark time must happen. But that does mean we will abandon the sparkling.” Solarian’s expression softened as Oranos spoke gently and he smiled at her gently before he opened his chest slightly and pulled out a large crystal. “I ask all of you to pass on your essence into this crystal. I have designed the pod to not just keep Ignited Galaxy safe, but to teach her about her race and everything about ourselves. For I am not sure if we will even be here when the new Prime rises.”

Solarian’s optics fill with tears as she realized she may not be here. “Do you even believe that, Oranos?”

Oranos sighed deeply, bowing his head slightly with a brief closure of his optics. “I am afraid I do, Solarian. Tempest will not exist after today. But that does not mean we will not just lay down and allow the Quintessons and Sentinel to destroy us. We are not warriors who can just give up so easily. Even if these future cycles will be dark for Cybertron, we cannot let our allies in Iacon down.”

“But they won’t know. Most of them won’t if Sentinel carries the narrative. He will lie,” Firedrake argued as he clenched his fists in anger. “Which means…new transformers may find themselves in a situation that would put them at a disadvantage. How will they get energon if it will not flow anymore?”

“We all know that Cybertron was created by Primus transforming into the very planet itself, Firedrake. Therefore, even when the energon stops flowing, it will still be found in the rocks beneath the surface. Unfortunately, it means that energon will need to be worked for. It will be mined for many cycles.” The draconic bots were unsettled by this as they did not know how it would happen. Oranos let out a low hum as he pondered on the future. “But as unsettling as all this is, we must act now. Again, my brothers and sisters, I ask you to offer your essence to this crystal before we place Galaxy within.”

A low rumble from another tall, bipedal draconic bot was heard. He was as tall as Eruptor with an almost completely light, red body with light blue, feather-like wings. His light, teal optics gaze at Oranos as he knelt before the crystal and held his hands around the circular, teal crystal in his chest that glowed lightly and he closed his optics as he concentrated as a small essence of his being rose from the crystal like streams of light before flowing into the crystal. This large dragon reopened his optics with a sad expression, but he understood what needed to be done. “A part of me had always sensed something like this would occur. I just did not know when it would happen…but when Solarian told me she was sparked with our daughter, I do believe Primus whispered a warning of this happening.”

“Indeed. Primus would have likely sensed the jealousy growing within Sentinel regarding the Primes. I am not sure what would have caused that desire to grow, but that no longer matters. I know this hard on you, Comet Hammer. We should still celebrating your sparkling. But now…” Oranos turned his head as the other bots began offering their essence now that Comet had done so. “We must part with Galaxy in order to protect from Sentinel.”

^^Comet Hammer's appearance^^

Comet nodded and he moved his head to Solarian, where the to gently press the top of there heads against each other to rub gently. He could sense the distress within Solarian, but they had no choice. They did wish to raise their sparkling like many others if circumstances were different. “I am so sorry, Solar…I wish we could change things. But we need to ensure our daughter is safe. She will someday meet a new Prime.”

Solarian nodded slowly as she did understand, but it was hard for her to accept. “But we may not be here, Comet. She is still an infant…barely a couple cycles old…”

“I know. But we must. You should go get Galaxy, and it would be best to not wake her. She does not need to be distressed with any of this. And hopefully, she will remain in recharge when she is placed within the pod.” Comet nuzzled his sparkmate gently under the dragon’s muzzle before gently nudging her. “Go now before the Quintessons arrive. And don’t forget your essence. She deserves to know her carrier alongside her sire.”

Solarian sighed as she pressed the side of her body against Comet to rub against him. “I know…” She looked at Oranos and frowned at him slightly. “I sure hope that you are right, Oranos. The future of Cybertron depends on the new Prime you speak of, and I will do my part in ensuring that Ignited Galaxy will see those years. But I hope to Primus that you are telling the truth.”

“You know as well as I that my gift of sensing the future never shows the events of the future, Solarian. I cannot promise that it will be easy or fruitful. That would simply be giving false hope, and I am not the one to do that.” Solarian sighed softly as she turned and began to trot away quickly through the group so she could return to her home to get her daughter. Oranos watched the bot leave with pity in his spark. Comet and Solarian would have made great parents, and they already have been in the short cycles of the sparkling’s life. Oranos intakes heavily and looked at the crystal as the last of the essences filled it. Only Solarian was left when she was ready. “Thank you, my friends...” Oranos glanced to the south as he sensed the approaching danger and let out a low growled. “They are nearly upon us...Magma Wisp, Cosmic Dust, you both are needed to go with your sister after Galaxy is placed into the pod. You will travel with Solarian to coordinates that I will give you.”

“But...what about Comet? Shouldn’t he go with his sparkmate?” Cosmic Dust questioned in surprise as she would have assumed Comet would have been better to go, given he was the sire. Cosmic Dust looked similar to Solarian with the white silver body, though her optics were blue and her feather-like wings were a lighter blue than her sister’s. And she had a short neck and was a little smaller in general than her sister. “Magma and I can still go though.”

^^Cosmic Dust's appearance^^

“Comet is needed here, Cosmic. He is one of the best warriors here, and will certainly bring down a few ships. Plus, if we can possibly stop Sentinel, then we might be able to change our fate. But our main priority is to get that sparkling to safety before he turns her into something she was never meant to be.” The two sibling draconic bots nodded as they understood, even though they knew that Comet would want to personally ensure that Ignited Galaxy was safe from harm. And Comet said nothing as he was staring at the sky as he was focused on the approaching danger. “I am sure you will get it done even without Comet. You are the faster flyers after all.”

Magma huffed in amusement. “Not as fast as Sky Blade...” He turned his head, with his pink optics glancing at a green, bipedal dragon who was smaller than Comet, Eruptor and Firedrake. He was much slimmer than both of them, but he was the best flyer, and he could outwit an airborne enemy very easily. He was able to camouflage himself by shifting the plates on his body to turn his body into a mirror, allowing him to reflect the glare of the sun and use it to create a power sunbeam to melt through some of the toughest metals. And, while he can cloak himself, this ability allowed for him to be near invisible. “He should come with us.”

^^Sky Blade^^

Sky Blade smirked as he folded his arms and flexed his green and yellow feather-like wings. “I would, but I think I should stay. The less that go with Solarian, the better. We need to hold a strong barrier against the Quintessons and Sentinel, and I may not be the strongest in my arm, but I can do a lot of damage to those pesky insects.”

Magma Wisp nodded as he understood. Magma looked similar to his sisters, as white silver covered majority of his body and the metal feathers on his wings. However, he also bore red over the back of his neck, down along his back, tail, the frame of his wings and almost all four legs were red, with the exception of his silver claws and elbow joints. He intakes heavily as his expression softened. “And we will ensure that Solarian does not unintentionally give away Galaxy’s location. We all know how protective and maternal we get when we have a sparkling.”

^^Magma Wisp's appearance^^

Oranos nodded as that was a good idea. He growled lightly as he glanced to the sky. “My friends...” He flinched as they all heard loud impacts on the sides of the mountain as the Quintessons began to shoot at the mountains. “Scrap...take to the sky, my friends. We need to give Solarian, Magma and Cosmic the time they need. And for me to ensure that Galaxy will remain safe for many cycles.”

Comet Hammer nodded as he stretched his wings as he turned to take a step forward. “Warriors of Tempest and of Primus, follow me into the sky and let us rain dragon fire upon the Quintessons, and give them a lesson they will never forget.”

Comet launched into the air, followed by Firedrake as they roar loudly. “For the Primes who have fallen today! We shall ensure their deaths have not been in vain!”

Oranos watched as the warriors took to the sky with the other several hundred draconic bots following them. Oranos would join, but he had to wait for Solarian. Eruptor let out a bellow that vibrated through the whole city and echoed through the mountains, causing rocks to crumble from the thunder of his cry. It should be a warning to anyone trying to attack them, but Oranos had no doubt that the Quintessons have upgraded their weapons since their last battle. Which was why the Primes fell, plus Sentinel had aided them. So he knew they would fall too.

Magma and Cosmic both waited for Solarian to return and Oranos ran into his home to grab the pod. He had to wait for Solarian to give her essence into the cyrstal before attaching it to the pod. When he brought it out, Magma and Cosmic saw that the stasis pod was egg shaped and large for many cycles of growing. However, they both knew that the growth would be slowed down. It was made from a mix of metals harvested from the mountain itself, and infused with a magma-like energon breath which added a layer of protection to the pod. And the energon infused shield would protect it from missiles and blasts, though it would deplete if constantly attacked.

Magma huffed a little as he gazed at the pod. “That’s quite the stasis pod you have made, Oranos. It can fit inside Solar’s jaw and carry it with ease. But I still can’t help but doubt the future.” Oranos let out a low rumble in his chest and looked at Magma sympathetically. “We do trust and believe that a new Prime will rise. But while you have said that Galaxy will meet this new Prime, we do not know what circumstance that will be.”

“I understand. Believe me, I do…” Oranos growled with a flinch as they hear multiple missile impacts on the ground and the ground shaking from the impact. “But I cannot speak of what the future will be. And even if I did know what will happen, we cannot stop what is meant to happen. Especially if there are multiple possibility of said future. A burden like that is something I am glad that I do not have.” Magma sighed deeply and looked at the sky as the temptation to join the fight was strong. “I hope your sister will trust that.”

“It might be hard to convince her, Oranos. But we will ensure that she does.” Cosmic Dust turned and trotted quickly over to the archway leading into the courtyard and looked around with a frown before gasping as she saw Solarian running back while carrying the recharging sparkling. “Good timing, Solar. All that shaking gave you the motivation to run.”

Solarian glared at her sister as she didn’t appreciate the dry humor in this moment. She ran past Cosmic back through the archway, widening her optics slightly upon seeing the pod itself. She really did not want to part with her daughter, but it was necessary. And she knew it in her spark. Walking over to the steps to walk up them to meet Oranos at the top, she lowered her head and gently placed Galaxy onto the ground. She nuzzled her daughter gently, and the sleeping sparkling purred lightly.

Ignited Galaxy was still very small. She is white silver, a lot like her mother, and her optics were yellow as well. They were a little lighter in colour than Solarian’s optics. Her small horns were silver, but they were still very sharp and could cut through energon veins if one was not careful. She had a short, but growing, royal blue spikes curved downward on the sides of her neck, with a streak of red lining down the side of her neck. And her wings were feather-like with red at the start of the feathers and blue ending at the tips. She was white silver everywhere else currently, but as she would grow and mature, more of her colours would fill in and give everyone more of an idea of what she will look like when fully mature. It was something that Solarian knew she will not get to see.

She looked up at the crystal and she intakes heavily, shifted to sit back on her hindlegs and lifted her paws to her chest. The metal glowed a bright blue before the streams of light flew into the crystal. Solarian made sure that her daughter will know her from this cyrstal. She let some more tears roll down the side of her face. She looked at Oranos as he lifted his paw and pressed a button at the top of the pod, which opened a slot for the crystal and moved it inside and closed it. He pressed another button, causing the pod to hiss lightly and open slowly.

Solarian stared at the pod as inside the pod was made with soft material and various lines that would connect to Ignited Galaxy and ensure she would be fed with energon constantly. And the lines that would give Galaxy the dreams of everything from the essences in the crystal, so she would get to know each draconic bot, even if they were no longer around. Solarian at least knew that the pod would protect her. At least, she hoped for that.

“Now…” Oranos stepped around the pod and gently picked the sleeping sparking up with his right paw, surprising Solarian and made her growl lightly in confusion. “Before we can place Galaxy into the pod, she is going to transform.” Solarian widened her optics and was about to respond as Oranos lifted the sparkling and his chassis glowed slightly and Solarian was unable to stop her daughter from transforming suddenly, and she was quick to realize that he was forcing Galaxy to take on a bipedal, transformer form. Making her almost indifferent to the citizens of Iacon. “I am sorry, Solarian. This is necessary. I will have to give her t-cog a specific protocol to prevent her from transforming back. At least until she returns to the surface.”

“What do you mean by that?” Magma tilted his head slightly in confusion. “You never mentioned anything like that.”

Solarian growled lightly and moved her head closer to Oranos, who was unmoved by the snarling bot, as she glared at him. “Are you seriously going to tell me we are burying her alive? Maybe I should do the Quintessons a favor and rip your throat for them if you ever think I will accept and hope that someone finds and digs up this pod. If that is the case, this would be the worst idea you have ever had.”

Oranos rolled his optics and looked at Solarian with a calm expression. “Instead of jumping to a ridiculous conclusion, you should allow me to answer your question, Solarian. I am not suggesting you to bury, Galaxy. But she also cannot be on the surface, as I fear the surface will not be as it once was. Thus, it will be safe to find a place beneath the surface.” Solarian growled and flared her nostrils while blowing a small stream of smoke. “The coordinates that I will give you will explain itself when you reach it.” Oranos glanced down at the sparkling once she was fully transformed. He smiled a little as she now looked like a proper femme with nothing to suggest she was different. He quickly infused the protocol into Galaxy’s system so that her t-cog would not allow for her to transform until she would returned to the surface. “And now, for the final bit, I am afraid I will need to add another protocol. And please do not try and rip my head off.” Solarian frown deepened as she did not like it. “I am going to also have to add a protocol to prevent Galaxy from being able to speak until she returns to the surface.”

Solarian widened her optics in shock. “What, why? Why are you going to mute her?”

“She won’t be completely muted. She will still be able to make sounds, such as cry, laugh and scream. But the ability to speak will be prevented. And it is only due to the fact that sparklings are not necessarily good at holding their tongue.” Oranos infused the next protocol, which he knew wasn’t fair on Galaxy, but it would keep her from saying anything that could get her into trouble. “And if anyone checks her vocal processors, it will show as not functional. So no one will be suspicious.”

As much as Solarian hated that her daughter wouldn’t be able to speak for a long time, Oranos was right. If she could talk, she would risk saying something that would give away who she was. And it hurt. But Oranos was right, and Solarian had to accept it. She watched Oranos gently placed Ignited Galaxy into the pod and she whimpered lightly in her recharge. Seeing her appear as a femme with no sign of being a draconic bot wasn’t something Solarian was used to. But she was still her daughter.

Galaxy’s face was silver with her helm being smooth at the top and following the shape of her face down to her cheeks. There were two small horns either side of the held that were blue with the streak running down the sides of the helmet to tip of the cheek. The back of Galaxy’s neck was blue while connecting to silver shoulder pads and a silver chassis with a royal blue panel underneath the rib plate both left and right over her body. Her wrists were red with streaks of blue, while her upper arm was silver. Her hips and thighs were silver, while her knees were red and feet were red with blue tips. There was still more growth to be had, even in this form, so more colours would form overtime. Even within the pod.

Oranos closed the pod and looked at Solarian. “We haven’t much time. There is a location on the north eastern side of Iacon where you will find a tunnel leading to a canal with direct access to Iacon city. But this particular cave is unknown to the citizens of Iacon. You will need to bring the pod and ensure that it remains there.”

Solarian nodded slowly as she understood. “That means I will need to make the cave close so no one will find her before...” Solarian paused for a moment before speaking again. “How long will she be there?”

“I am afraid I do not know. But I did ensure that the pod will open within about fifty cycles. I am not sure if that will be correct, but that is the sense that I had when I felt Sentinel’s shadow being cast over Iacon.” Solarian grimaced as that was a long time. Oranos nudged Solarian gently and she opened her mouth to pick the pod up gently. “Now go. Follow the South Line river bed to avoid the battle. Sentinel and the Quintessons are undoubtedly keeping watch. Cloak yourselves, and ensure you do not look back.”

Cosmic Dust nodded affirmatively. “And what about you? You are a little too old to be a warrior.”

Oranos huffed, and glanced up for a moment as he sense Sentinel was approaching. “Do not worry about me.” He looked back at the three bots. “I might be old, but I still have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. Now get out here!” He growled while lunging his body slightly to make them run to the archway. “Sentinel is nearing this location. Do not allow him to see you.” Oranos glanced up again and he growled deeply. “He will be a fool to underestimate me.”

There was no response from the three dragons as they run through the city to get away as fast as possible. While they ran, Magma made sure that his sisters were both ahead of him. He glanced back to make sure no one could see them. The mountain range around them at least were a cover. They could no see the Quintesson ships, but they could hear them. The echoes of the explosions and turret shootings were hard to miss. And the shaking of the mountains as the missiles hit them has already caused several avalanches of snow and rock to run down on the other side of the mountains. The three dragons reach the South Line river to find the energon was already half empty. At this point, they all cloaked themselves as they launched into the air, leaving no trail behind. As they ascended, they glanced towards the mountains and they all saw a dozen Quintesson ships and at least a hundred Quintessons fighting the other draconic bots.

There were already many dragons who have fallen. It hurt their sparks to see this as none of this was something they wanted. However, they could see Eruptor flying through the sky. His fists were glowing with electricity and he raised his fists, slamming them down onto a Quintesson ship and destroyed the engines, causing secondary, internal explosions and the loss of control of the ship. Eruptor bellowed loudly as the ship fell towards the ground and he flew towards another ship.

Solarian was trying to spot Sentinel to see where he was, but she could not see him. Her optics lock onto Comet Hammer was he dived through the clouds with blue fire surrounding his body after he had Ignited himself while he flew directly towards a group of airborne Quintessons as they were dropping from a ship to fly straight through them, killing and slicing their bodies immediately. Comet's optics glanced in Solarian’s direction when he sensed her watching him, but he didn’t make it obvious that he knew where she was for the sake of their daughter.

Solarian, Magma Wisp and Cosmic Dust all wanted to join the fight. But they knew what they had to do. It was just as important was what the warriors were doing. They did not know what importance Ignited Galaxy would even have in the future, but that did not matter. This sparkling deserved so much more than a short life, so they knew they would do what they needed to give her, her best chance. They trusted that Oranos was right, and hoped that the future will be better than now.

While they flew as fast as they could, Oranos remained where he was. However, unlike before, the whole city was now covered in a thick fog. Oranos had made sure of that. The fog was so thick that there were even patches of dark cloud with small streaking through the fog. It was very dangerous to enter it, but as Sentinel approached with Airachnid and several dozen vehicons, he did not care. They turn on flashlight as they enter the fog and land on the ground. Sentinel was glaring as he gazed around for a moment before lifting his wrist to open a map of the city that he had memorised into his processor.

He gestured in a direction. “Solarian’s home is this way. I did not see her fly out to meet the Quintessons with the others. She is probably here...” Sentinel raised his voice as he glanced around. “Cowering away with Oranos! You cowards come out now! And I may spare your lives and allow you to raise your little sparkling!”

There was no response as they walk in the direction of Solarian’s home cautiously. Airachnid was looking around intently for any movement. “I do not see anyone yet, Sentinel. But someone is here. That old timer probably created this stormy fog. He should be easy to take down.”

“Tone down that confidence, Airachnid. Oranos may not be a warrior, but he is no fool. He will not let us take him down so easily. Especially when he had abilities the others do not.” Sentinel glanced around some more, glaring as he couldn’t see anything in front of him. He stopped suddenly with a gasp as he almost walked right into a large fountain with numerous draconic bots carved into a metal formation and would normally have energon spraying from the jets in the mouths of the statues. But there was no energon. “So be careful. Oranos is probably right next to us. They can cloak themselves after all...” Sentinel gasped suddenly as a vehicon was suddenly pounced on in a blink, and he saw a streak of light blue and purple light, that was normally seen the sides of Oranos’s neck and body to his wings. But Sentinel didn’t realise it at first. “What in Primus...”

Airachnid hissed as she had her legs raised in case she could fight. But they did not see another vehicon fall just yet. Sentinel intakes heavily as he was nervous about this all of a sudden and proceeded forward. He was careful as not only was Oranos here, but he could trip over anything that he couldn’t see. He silently cursed the dragon for creating such an environment and interfering. He glanced around with his blaster and sword ready, but he didn’t see anything.

However, he was startled when another vehicon was tackled as they shrieked loudly and they heard the piercing down of metal being ripped apart. With how thick and dark the fog was, they could not see the draconic bot ripping the vehicon apart. But they knew he was here, and he was taking Sentinel’s forced one at a time. And Sentinel glared at what he thought was the direction Oranos was, and he thought about shooting for a surprise hit.

But he was wrong, as to the right, they saw spikes glowing a bright rainbow colour before there was a whip of a tail, and multiple, sharp, hot, plasma filled daggers flew through the air, and struck eight of the vehicons directly in the chassis and throats, striking them down immediately. Airachnid had turned her back, using her propeller as a shield to block the blades from hitting her and Sentinel before she launched forward, and she growled loudly when she landed on the ground and completely missed Oranos.

However, she spotted the streak of light blue and purple light, and she launched herself again, landing on top of the dragon and growling as she began striking Oranos multiple times with all of her sharp legs, piercing the front and hind legs, and the wings of the dragon. Oranos grunted before bucking his body and throwing himself to the right side, slamming Airachnid into the wall of a nearby building, making her grunt and he managed to cause her to be disorientated enough to fall off his back.

“Finally! I know where you are, Oranos! You will not stop me, coward!”

Oranos growled deeply as his orange eyes turned to look at Sentinel. At this point, Oranos was not fully cloaked. In fact, the glow of his spikes down his back, the glowing light blue and purple streak down the side of his neck, his rainbow wings glowed slightly and his bright optics locked onto Sentinel. With the dark fog swirling around and lightning streaking through the clouds, it made Sentinel nervous, because this was intimidating, even to him.

“I think you are calling the wrong one here coward, Sentinel. You are the one hiding behind the Quintessons for something you will never be worthy of.” Sentinel tensed and aimed his blaster at Oranos, making the dragon snarl and he jumped upward, cloaking himself completely and Sentinel and the ten remaining vehicons began shooting at the sky, only for Oranos to beat his wings and single time, causing a powerful gust of wind and knocking all of them off their feet. “I have no idea what has caused you to want power, Sentinel. Power is not something that should be wielded with the wrong intentions. It is a responsibility.”

Sentinel groaned as he stood up slowly, only to jump back with a yelp as Oranos lowered his cloak slightly, showing the shadowy, ghostly appearance of the chronicler as he glared into Sentinel’s optics. Sentinel glared and sliced his sword upward, grazing the right side of the dragon's neck. “I am not interested in any noble speeches from you, you witless worm!”

While the graze on the right cut a shallow scratch into the armor, Sentinel also aimed his blaster right at Oranos’s face and shot him, make Oranos cry out in surprise as the blast hit the top of his snout, blasting away pieces of his armor and he stumbled back, dropping his cloak completely. He shook his head and glared at Sentinel. “They were warnings, Sentinel. Not speeches. It would be wise if you remembered the difference!”

“Heh! I don’t care!” Sentinel pulled out Nexus’s blaster, surprising Oranos as Sentinel aimed it right at him. “But I need to know where Ignited Galaxy is. I know Solarian is not fighting the Quintessons. She would be protecting her precious sparkling, even though I have no need to harm that sparkling.”

“No harm?” Oranos was surprised by the revelation, but he did not believe Sentinel. He flinched as Sentinel aimed the weapon at him. “I do not believe you.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t. I would never expect an old timer like you to understand…” Sentinel smirked as Airachnid lunged at Oranos suddenly. She had reawakened, and was angry at Oranos. The dragon was shoved onto his right side and Airachnid sliced Oranos’s wings, pressing hard and deep to cut the lines, making the dragon cry in pain and shock as he felt the loss of feeling in his wings. Sentinel chuckled lightly before opening a panel on his right side and pulled out a dark, blue collar with tiny needles. Embedded in the collar there appeared to be chemical filled tubes, and Oranos looked at the collar with a frown. “After all, you aren’t going to live to see what I have in mind. In fact, many of the warriors fighting out there today are going to be under my control.”

“Control? We are slaves to no one!” Oranos snarled and he hissed as Airachnid hit her blade on the wound on the top of his snout. Irritated, Oranos snapped at one of her legs, making her gasp in surprise and he pulled her off, standing up on his hind legs briefly and slamming her down and standing his feet on her. She hissed and curled her legs to strike back at him, and Oranos looked back at the collar. “But I smell something on that…what is it?”

“Oh this?” Sentinel held it up in his palm and chuckled lightly. “It will make you all a lot more…manageable. That is all I am going to say. But also…” Sentinel stepped closer with an arrogant smirk on his expression. “I am going to make that everyone at Iacon forget the gracious, good creatures you are.”

Oranos widened his optics in shock and he growled, lunging forward just as Airachnid thrusts a blade into the base of his jaw, making Oranos gasp and splutter energon, and she chuckled as she pushed harder, causing the blade to slide further up. Oranos coughed and he raised his paw and grabbed at Airachnid’s limb to pull the blade from him while he glared Sentinel. “You bring shame to Primus.” His voice cracked slightly from the damage done in his throat.

“Hmmph…maybe…though I don’t expect you to understand…” Sentinel stepped closer to the dragon and his vehicons surrounded Oranos. He held Nexus’s weapon right at Oranos’s face. “But I want you to understand this, Oranos. I need to know where Ignited Galaxy is right now. Or I will ensure that Tempest, and all of its citizens, are destroyed. Do you understand?”

Oranos growled at him before Airachnid stabbed him in the chest, making the dragon roar and she was able to get up from under him while pushing the blade into his chest further and forcing the draconic bot to the ground with a grimace. Airachnid hissed lightly as she turned her head slightly to ensure her eyes observe everything. “He asked you a question. You should answer it.”

Oranos shook his head. “Never. I may join the All Spark today, but you will never win, Sentinel.”

Sentinel chuckled lightly as he began to charge the blaster. “I already have…I get to live like a king now with the Primes out of the way. And everyone at Iacon will know only what I tell them. So long, Oranos.” Airachnid moved out of the way just before Sentinel shot Oranos’s chest, piercing the already pierced chest and blasting the armor into pieces. He shot a second time when he saw that the spark was still lit, and Oranos’s body goes limp on the second shot. Sentinel chuckled lightly as taking down another draconic bot felt good, even if he only dealt the final blow at their weakest. Sentinel intakes deeply and looked at Airachid. “We need to find exactly where Solarian has gone. Can you track her?”

“That is going to be difficult until this fog lifts first, and we need some coordinates to follow. Perhaps, while Oranos’s body is still warm, we can access his memories in his processor before they disappear forever.”

“Ah, good idea, Airachnid.” Sentinel grabbed the horns of the dragon, forcing Oranos’s head to angle so his forehead was upward. Airachnid walked closer and lifted her right arm, trasforming her hand into a saw. “Cut him open. He is no longer going to need those memories. And hopefully, we can get our hands on Comet Hammer. Maybe we can use him to locate Solarian too.”

Airachnid chuckled lightly with a nod. “He won’t be easy, Sentinel. We need to take Eruptor, Juggernaut, Tirade and Tempered Dusk before we can even have a hope to get to Comet. But first things first…” She lowered the saw as it spun and began to cut through the armor to get down to the skull. “Locating that sparkling is our highest priority.”

Sentinel nodded as he watched Airachnid cut through into the dragon’s skull. Locating the processor’s memory drive was not too difficult, given these creatures had a larger processor than that of the transformers. He did not care that they were dissecting this being just to find the sparkling. Once Airachnid pulled the memory out from the processor, she quickly worked to attached memorial lines from herself and she quickly located the files of the coordinates, but they were already very fuzzy. But it was enough. Allowing Airachnid to inform Sentinel so that they may proceed after Solarian to stop her from hiding Ignited Galaxy from them.

Chapter Text

Prologue Part 3

Solarian, Cosmic Dust and Magma Wisp have been flying away from Tempest for the last fifteen minutes. They had been successful in avoiding any Quintesson ships, and they remained completely cloaked as they soar above the clouds. All three of them were feeling a deep sense of loss and sadness at this time. They have all lost their home, and they probably will die today. But they had to make sure that Ignited Galaxy was brought somewhere safe. They trusted that Oranos’s foresight was right. But they had no idea what the future would even hold for this sparkling. After all, they knew that when the stasis pod did open, Ignited Galaxy would have only aged at least five cycles, which would still make her an infant when she left the safety of the pod.

However, Solarian hoped that when Galaxy did emerge from the pod, she would be able to find someone in Iacon to take her in. If the new Prime will rise when she wakes, Solarian could only hope that Galaxy will meet them. She did not know how or why it will happen, but she only knew that it would happen. Galaxy was born with gifts that will develop into greater power as she grows. Solarian herself wasn’t a strong warrior like her sparkmate. While she could cloak herself, her abilities were limited. Not every draconic bot was born with the same abilities. And Galaxy was definitely more like her sire in terms of power. But there was paralysis abilities that Solarian and Comet did not have that Galaxy has inherited. Likely from an ancient ancestor who had past long ago. And Solarian worried because the abilities from one of Comet Hammer’s ancestors were dark and dangerous, and at the time, had been used by Unicron and almost caused the Primes to perish at that time too.

Magma turned his head to glance in the direction of Tempest and he sighed deeply. While cloaked, only the draconic bots could see each other using heat trackers in their optics. He looked towards Cosmic who was flying beside Solarian while he flew behind them. “I don’t know about you…after getting shot at and smacked down by Quintessons, it feels…almost prophetic with the way today has gone.”

“I agree…I suppose it could, in some way. No world goes through a period where peace remains in place for too long…just like the sun. Light rises and falls, and so does darkness.” Cosmic gazed ahead, staring at the horizon as they were getting closer to the coordinates that Oranos had provided. “At least…the Quintessons will probably lose a lot of forces today.”

“Meh, true, but with the way that those things breed, it isn’t going to even matter to them.” Cosmic nodded in agreement with Magma’s words as Quintessons were capable of breeding forces very quickly, and they matured to fighting age quicker than draconic bots and transformers. “We will only dent them and slow them down. But we cannot focus on what we can do today. Even if we were able to defeat the Quintessons, we still have a traitor, and he’s hiding behind the Quintessons.”

“It’s pathetic. When Sentinel strolled through Tempest the other day, I couldn’t really see him as a fighter. He’ll come in at the last second for the kill, but it won’t be him who really defeated that person. I highly doubt that he would have fought the Primes head on. They would have killed him otherwise.” Cosmic growled lightly as she thought about how smug Sentinel was when he walked through Tempest. She knew it was deliberate now that he has met Ignited Galaxy. “Why do you think Sentinel even wants Galaxy?”

“Because of Wraith, most likely. He was one of the strongest draconic bots many thousand cycles ago, but he also fell under the control of Unicron.” Solarian flinched and glanced at Magma when he mentioned Wraith. “I am being honest, Solarian. You know that Comet Hammer is a descendent of Wraith. I know Wraith had been saved by Zeta Prime when he used the Matrix, but that power was still there. And both Comet and Galaxy are related to him, even though Wraith did perish from the wounds he had been inflicted by during the fight. But his four offspring survived thanks to Oranos for protecting them at the time.”

Solarian just groaned lightly because she knew that was most likely the reason why Sentinel wanted Galaxy. Wraith was known as one of the strongest draconic bots in history. He possessed abilities that outweighed even Oranos’s power. He had darkest abilities that were stronger than even the venomous bites and poisonous breath attacks that few draconic bots had. Not only could he paralysis someone with a unique breath, it was also mixed with a poison that slowly seeped into the victim’s body, and while they are conscious and unable to move, would endure pain as the poison would slowly melt and burn the insides of the victim. His fire breaths were hotter than any other dragon and he somehow was able to use dark energon within his power, despite never encountering dark energon until Unicron touched his mind. Though it was theorized by many that it wasn’t real dark energon, but rather a similar strength of power and has been considered as darker abilities now. No other draconic bots have shown all of these powers, aside from a few descendents of Wraith who may have one or two. But Oranos had sensed Ignited Galaxy probably has all of them, which could be why Sentinel wants her. So he can twist this dragon into what he wants. A weapon.

“It’s twisted because no one has really fully understood Wraith’s full power. The Primes were very silent about what they witnessed…which I fear was a mistake now.” Cosmic did wonder if Oranos knew, since he was the oldest. But she doubted that they could ask him anymore. She intakes heavily. “We are just going to have to hope that those powers are not used for the wrong reasons. Wraith never got a chance to show that they can be used for good. After all, a wielder of dark abilities doesn’t make them evil.”

“I know. The same can be said for other abilities that we consider to be good. Like the Matrix. But that will never be used for evil, even if someone tries to taint it.” Magma glanced down as they were getting closer to Iacon city, and he felt bad since the citizens there were probably panicking about the drying up of the energon. “We are not far now. We probably could start descending so we do not miss the tunnel accidently. Oranos didn’t really specify the shape of the entrance.”

“And we are going to have to cave in the entrance, or influence the surface to close and ensure that it will look like it doesn’t exist. Hopefully, that will ensure that Sentinel cannot find it. And I hope Airachnid won’t notice either. Her eyes are too keen.” Cosmic descend slowly as she began to look around for the entrance. She glanced at Solarian as the dragon had been quiet their whole time. She still had the pod resting inside her mouth, and Cosmic knew that this was going to be the saddest moment for Solarian. She and Comet had been great parents Galaxy. At least Galaxy should remember both of them. “I think after we hide Galaxy, we need to create some kind of diversion. If they somehow get the coordinates out of Oranos, we need to make it seem like that the coordinates are somewhere else.”

“Good point. The further away we lead them, the better. At least where Galaxy will be hidden, the citizens will not look. Or anything, really.” Magma was hopeful for that, but he could not see the future. He squinted his optics slightly as he spotted a short mountain with a cave at the very bottom. It was lucky that he spotted it, as there were mounds of rock around it, making it hard to see. “I think I see it. This is the north-eastern side of Iacon city, and it appears it is right.”

“We will need to make sure. Let’s dive down and see!” Cosmic angled her body downward and folded her wings slightly to dive down with Solarian and Magma quickly following her. “At least you spotted it, Magma. I didn’t even see it until you spoke up.”

“And we can probably cover the entrance and even part of the tunnel with those boulders. No one will know the difference…hopefully.”

The three dragons dived down before pulling up before landing onto the rocks, looking into the tunnel ahead of them. It was not completely dark, as there were luminescent plants glowing and giving a faint light within. Solarian stared into the tunnel and purred softly with a light whimper, knowing she had to let go of her daughter in order to save her. She didn’t want to, but she knew what had to be done. She intakes heavily and proceeded into the tunnel, dropping her cloak once inside.

Cosmic and Magma did the same, though they glanced back before entering the tunnel in case there was someone tracking them right now. All three dragons had to crouch as they walk through the tunnel as it wasn’t big. They flattened their wings against their backs to prevent any scraping along the walls and leaving a trail that could be followed. While the plants around them gave off light, their optics can quickly adjust to a change of lighting so it wouldn’t have concerned them if there was no light within the tunnel.

As they walk through the tunnel, they caught the faint scent of transformers, and they figure out why very quickly as they walk by holes in the walls, looking down over the city. Cosmic looked at the city in shock. “They don’t even know this is here. Look out how close we are.” She stared at the city and looked at Magma. “I don’t suppose we could just go into the city and tell the truth.”

“I am not sure. Three, draconic bots flying into the city may cause panic. While most of the older citizens know about us, I am not sure how many of the younger transformers know about Tempest and our existence. I fear we cannot go in there without being attacked as they feel the need to defend themselves.” Magma stared at the city before he proceeded forward as Solarian did not stop, even when she had seen the city. “We should find the canal that leads to the city. Hopefully, it will be to a low point, given there are many places a sparkling can fall from.”

“Oranos knew there was one. So hopefully he is right. If only he passed on the map directly, it would make things a bit easier.” Cosmic purred lightly as she trotted forward to catch up to Solarian. “Are you sure you can proceed from here, Solar? I can take her further.” Solarian glared at Cosmic for daring to suggest such a thing. “I know you love your sparkling, Solarian, but I also know this will be the hardest part. And…as much as I know you want to remain, we can’t. Once we find the canal, we will need to leave and bury the entrance so Sentinel cannot find her.”

Solarian just growled lightly as she proceeded forward and refusing to even allow her sister to carry Galaxy. Solarian did trust her sister, but she wanted to be the one to let Ignited Galaxy go. She felt it wasn’t the place of her siblings to take that from her. She would severely regret it if she didn’t get the chance to say her good bye, while hoping that she would see Ignited Galaxy again in the future…even if the future may not be as bright as they would hope with the new Prime.

And that was why Solaria was leading the way, even though they did not know how deep the tunnel was before they would find the right canal. Solarian sniffed the air a little and she frowned deeper as the tunnel was smaller, making her crouch more and almost crawl on her stomach. Cosmic and Magma followed, though Magma was taller than his sisters, so he had to drag his stomach along the ground and he was not happy about it. But he also made zero complaints about it, since if it was harder for them, it would also be harder for Sentinel.

However, the smaller tunnel didn’t stretch on as they reached a small corner of the tunnel that made a left and moved down. Solarian stopped as she glanced down curiously before Cosmic gently stepped past Solarian. “I’ll got down and see if we stop here, or keep going.” The dragon gently placed her foot on the slope to test it, in case it was slippery. It was not and she proceeded forward. “At least it’s deep, we can probably try and influence the metal to close from where you are standing, Solar.”

Solarian watched Cosmic walk down the slope carefully. Solarian whimpered a little as she knew what would need to be done soon. She turned her head slightly as Magma gently pressed the side of his head along her neck to caress gently in an effort to comfort her. She did wish Comet was here. He wouldn’t fit in this cave, but his presence would have been wonderful. She at least knew he wasn’t dead. She could sense that he was still alive, and that he was angry. And he had every right to be so.

When Cosmic reached the bottom of the tunnel, she peered through into another cavern that led into a much smaller tunnel. She glanced to the left as there was another hole in the wall and walked over to look through, and she saw that this was much closer to the city. She couldn’t believe it. She could see the transformers just going about their business in the city, with no clue of what it happening right now. It pained the dragon’s spark that she couldn’t just reach out and tell them.

Backing away slowly, Cosmic turned to the tunnel and looked up at Solarian and Magma. “Come down, Solar. This is the last cavern we can fit into. And there is a much smaller tunnel leading into the city. We can’t go further than this. Bring Galaxy down now.”

Solarian nodded as she stepped forward and walked down the slope carefully and Magma followed his sister slowly. When they enter the cavern, Solarian looked around the space. It wasn’t small, which was good. She saw the hole that allowed them to see Iacon city and the tunnel that was too small for them, but is large enough for Galaxy. Even when she leaves the pod. It was the right place, and Solarian let several more tears fall as she looked around at the ground for a moment and lowered her head to gently place the pod onto a group of ferns that surrounded it. Even though it wasn’t an egg, she was treating it like one.

Solarian nuzzled the surface of the pod with her snout as she let more tears fall from her optics. “Oh...Ignited Galaxy...I wish this was not happening.” She purred softly as she turned her head to rubbed the right side of her muzzle along the surface. “I already cherish the short cycles we have had together, and I wish we could have had more. But my last gift to you is all that I have left in that crystal. I know you will remember me. I hope that I will still be here when you meet the new Prime.” Cosmic and Magma watch Solarian silently as they knew she needed this good bye. “I love you, Galaxy. I know that the future holds many mysteries for you. And I...know Primus has a purpose for you. That is why Wraith’s abilities are with you. But I know you won’t be like him.” Solarian sniffled softly and lifted her head, gazing at the pod with soft, yellow optics. “I will always love you, my sweet sparkling. I hope that when you wake, you will find a transformer who will care for you, and love you while you grow stronger and await to meet the new Prime. And...I hope your voice will be heard sooner than later.”

Magma looked at the tunnel back up the slope with a slight frown and he looked at Solarian. “I am sorry, Solarian, but we are out of time. I have detected Sentinel’s signal. He will be here it fifteen minutes if we don’t leave and close this tunnel. I am sorry, but we need to go. Your daughter will be fine.”

Solarian growled as she frowned, not liking that they have to go so soon. And couldn’t help but feel the desire to maul Sentinel for doing this to them and to her daughter. She nuzzled the top of the pod again. “I wish I could stay and hibernate for the many cycles with you, Galaxy. But...I can’t. I am so sorry. I love you, and I will be with you, even if you can’t see me.” With that, Solarian lifted her head away from the pod and turned around to look at her siblings as they gave her sympathetic expressions. “Let’s see if we can get Sentinel chasing our tail.”

Magma smirked with a nod. “We certainly can. Come! Let’s see if we close the tunnel from the top cavern. That way Galaxy will not be found without some intense digging.”

Solarian nodded and looked back at the pod one last time before she followed her siblings back up the slope quickly to the top. They all knew they couldn’t stay, even if they wanted to. When they reached the top, they make their way through the slightly smaller tunnel first before the three stop and place their paws on the walls to concentrate. Being able to manipulate the metal was one of the unique abilities all draconic bots had. But it was a rarely used ability, as it was only needed for a time such as this one.

They didn’t need to concentrate long as the combined force from the three dragons quickly made the cave start to close, and Solarian smiled sadly as it began to close from the slope and the metal sheets were moving towards them. They quickly ran through the tunnel while crouched as fast as they could ahead of the closing tunnel. They cloaked before they reached the exit and ran up the sides of the boulders by the cave and turned to watch as it closed. When the metal plates finally shifted and closed over the cave entrance. There would be no sign that it was ever there, which was good. But they needed the rocks to move, and they concentrate to make the plates on the rocks move over where the entrance had been and it seemed to blend in with the mountain.

“It is done.” Magma turned and growled lightly in the direction Sentinel and Airachnid were flying from. “Time for our diversion...or maybe we should play a little. I want to attack head on.”

“Well...they may assume that the coordinates they have were lies now that the cave is hidden. They do not know we can shift the plates when influencing the metal. So we can use that as our advantage. But if we are severely injured, we are to purge the memories of where the tunnel is from our processor so they cannot get that information.” Solarian growled lightly as she ran forward and leaped into the air. Solarian ascended very quickly towards the clouds. “We shall surprise them by acting like we have flown from a different direction.”

Cosmic and Magma followed Solarian quickly into the sky. Magma growled in agreement. “Maybe, just maybe, we can end this before it even begins...wait...” Magma gasped in surprise as he spotted a Quintesson ships in the distance. “That coward brought some help. I don’t even know why he bothers. The Matrix is gone, and so are the Primes. He has clearly lost his mind.”

“Well, of course he has. He’s destroyed our home, and killed the Primes for something he isn’t even worthy of, so he has definitely lost his mind.” Cosmic looked at the approaching ship and she was worried. “We are not strong enough to take on the ship, though.”

“True, but we can cause a bit of damage.” Solarian’s optics narrow as she spotted Sentinel approaching with the vehicons and Airachind in tow. “Here he is…maybe we should electrify the sky with lightning.”

“No, we need to remain hidden for now. Let’s see what they do.” Magma glanced at the Quintesson ship that was following, and he realized they were only following in case they would need to fight. “If we are lucky, we can ensure we can beat Sentinel before the Quintessons interfere.”

“I hope so. For the sake of Cybertron.” Solarian’s paws were clenched as she was eager to fight, but she knew that creating a storm would give away their presence. So remaining cloak and hidden above the clouds was their current defense, and taking Sentinel by surprise was their only plan. “Hopefully…the others are fairing okay.”

There was no way for them to know yet how the fight was going with other draconic bots against the Quintessons. It definitely showed that Sentinel’s true motive was not the fight itself, but what he wanted to gain from getting the power that he wanted today. They did not yet know if Sentinel even intended on completely eradicating their race. Especially since he will know that the dragons will fight him, and will kill him if they have the opportunity to do so.

As they approach the coordinates, Sentinel was glancing around with a frown as he quickly noticed that there was no cave. He thought his optics were playing on him as they get closer to the small mountain. “Do you see any cave entrance, Airachnid? I am only seeing the surface of the mountain. If Ignited Galaxy had been brought here by Solarian, we should be able to see her right now.”

“I have been scanning the mountain for the entrance already, Sentinel. But I am not detecting any entrance at this time, Sentinel. An entrance to Iacon is on the other of this mountain, but a secret entry would not be there. Unless, the memory file we extracted from Oranos was false and it was his last deception.” Sentinel grumbled in irritation as he listened to Airachnid. “And I am not detecting any draconic bots in the area. But they could be cloaked. Their signals are shielded once they engage that ability.”

“Which means, Solarian could be anywhere. If we can get her under our control, we should have a better chance of getting Comet as well. He will not risk losing both his sparkmate and sparkling at the same time.” Sentinel chuckled lightly as a cold smirk formed on his expression. “And those who are unfamiliar with the dragons they will learn who is in command when I have these beasts by my side.”

Airachnid just hummed in amusement at her leader’s comment. “So far, you failed to get Oracle River and Oranos, Sentinel. We may have no choice but to wait for Ignited Galaxy to emerge.”

“They weren’t the right ones, Airachnid. We only have enough for four dragons right now, so we need to pick which ones who we need. Comet Hammer is just one, and I have no doubt we can dig deep into his CNA and bring out his ancestral abilities. After all, the truth will be what I make it from today. No more Primes!” Sentinel descended sharply as they got closer to the coordinates and landed on the ground, looking around with a frown. The vehicons and Airachnid transform before landing behind him. “And I am starting to think that you might be right, Airachnid. I should have realized that old dragon would have ensured we would never find the right location. Now we are stuck! UGH!” Sentinel raised his fists and slammed them into a nearby boulder. “Today is not going as I wanted it to.”

“With some improvising, we will endure, Sentinel. The energon may have dried up, but it can be mined.”

“Yes, but we are going to need bots to mine it for us, especially since the Quintessons are demanding their share." Sentinel had not thought of a plan regarding the energon just yet, since they had to deal with their current problem. “I cannot think of what we are going to do right now, Airachnid. We weren’t able to get the Matrix from Zeta Prime, and we haven’t even been able to capture and hold a dragon down long enough to…” Sentinel paused as he heard the sound of beating wings and looked up, gasping as there was a sudden wave of red, hot magma falling from the sky. Sentinel immediately ignited his jets to fly to the side with Airchnid and the vehicons running to the side to avoid the magma. Sentinel frowned as he aimed his blaster at the magma trail before it stopped and he shot his blaster quickly. “Show yourself cow…” Sentinal flinched as a loud roar filled his processor to the right, and he widened his optics as Solarian drops her cloak suddenly as she lunged and tackled him with her mouth wide open. “AARRGH!” Solarian tackled Sentinel to the ground, causing them both to skid along the ground a little and Sentinel grimaced as the jet boosters on his ankles scraped against the ground and were damaged. “Get off me, worm! WAH!”

Sentinel was alarmed as Solarian clamped her teeth over his right leg and dragged him along the ground before she lifted him odd the ground and slammed his body into the ground. Sentinel was shocked as he was slammed into the ground several times before thrown into the boulder. He hit the rock on his back hard, and he fell onto his hands and knees, glancing at his leg to see the bite wound and he felt a few sparks from his body due to the impact damage from the dragon’s rage.

Solarian growled deeply, glancing at Airachnid as she was also tackled from the sky by Cosmic and Magma also dropped his cloak as he ignited his wings on fire and charged at the vehicons, making them retreat to get away from the chasing dragon, but Magma followed them intently and breathed a stream of fire at them and hit one of the vehicons, destroy the engines and causing him to crash into the ground.

Sentinel glanced up to see Solarian stalking towards him with her mouth dripping with venom, and he was immediately worried she had bitten him with the venom, but realised quickly that he would be feeling it. “You are pathetic, Sentinel! How dare you meet my daughter with the intent to take control of her mind. She is not your slave!”

Sentinel glared at Solarian as he rose onto his feet with a grimace before he smirked slightly at her. “So you were listening...I wonder if that means you have already buried your daughter around here somewhere. I think that is way worse than what I am going to do. After all, she will not be harmed...”

“Do not take me for a fool, Sentinel! You will never find her! I have made sure of that. And now I’m going to tear you apart!” Solarian lunged at Sentinel with her mouth open with the intent to bite him with the venom. Sentinel jumped to the side and turned on his jets on his feet, grimacing from the pain he had to endure due to Solarian’s attack, and rose above Solarian as she turned her head to snap at him, only for Sentinel to angle the jets and ignite them to full power right in her optics, causing both optics to be burned instantly. Solarian cried out in shock as she was blinded so suddenly, and she tried to jump up, snapping her teeth to find him. “Coward!”

Sentinel chuckled coldly as he watched Solarian desperately try to snap her jaw at him. He shook his head as he landed several feet, knowing she couldn’t not see him. But she could see smell him. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, such a shame. I would have given you the opportunity to be around for your daughter, Solarian. But you clearly are not in a listening mood. Still…” Sentinel grabbed Nexus’s blaster and walked towards Solarian. She turned her head towards him as she could still hear him. “I will at least give you one chance to be alive for Ignited Galaxy…” Solarian roared and lunged forward suddenly, and Sentinel just stepped aside before she could bite him, but she hit his face with her wing and he fell to the ground with a grunt. “UGH!” She turned and growled, and Sentinel gasped as he saw plasma building in her mouth and he jumped and rolled forward as she blew a plasma blast at the gruond, and she listened to where he landed before blasting again. Sentinel glared at the dragon as he jumped up and armed his sword and thrusts it into the base of Solarian’s neck, making her shriek in pain and she fell onto the ground as he cut off all feeling to her legs, wings and tail. “That’s better. I guess the offer I made wasn’t good enough. Too bad…”

“Solar!” Sentinel glanced up as he was about to step onto the dragon’s back and gasped when he looked optics with Magma Wisp as the dragon flew towards him quickly and opened his front paws. “Get away from my sister, monster!” Sentinel moved to jump to the side when the Quintesson ship was now close enough and fired a single shot, hitting Magma in the back. The dragon cried as he fell over Sentinel and Solarian and hit the ground hard. Sentinel had to almost lay flat to avoid the draconic bot, and he looked up, smirking as Magma’s wings had been completely blown off, and he struggled back onto his feet. “Uggghhh…you are a monster…”

Sentinel chuckled lightly as he brushed the metal dust from his shoulders and turned his head to see Airachnid had managed to pin Cosmic down, and she was currently the only one out of the three dragons to be undamaged. “Fascinating that it is you three that are out here. I would have expected Comet to come with you, Solarian.” He watched Magma turn his body, stumbling a little from the pain and loss of balance with his lack of wings, and Sentinel shook his head with a smug, fake pity expression. “You probably shouldn’t have done that. I find it funny that I have taken down four dragons already.”

Magma’s nostrils flared with a flame burst as he began to run at Sentinel. “You didn’t take me down! The Quintessons did it for you! You are only taking the credit!” Magma ignited his whole body on fire, and Sentinel jumped to fly away. “No, you don’t! Get back here, you son of a glitch!”

Magma jumped up as high as he could as Sentinel flew straight up, and he aimed Nexus’s blaster at Magma, aiming for the already open wounds in his back. Sentinel fired once, hitting directly into the dragon’s back, and making him fall onto the ground. Magma groaned loudly with a growl, and he moved to stand before looking at Solarian. The sockets where her optics were, were bleeding energon, and she was trying to stand, even though the obvious cut at the base of her neck showed why she could not stand.

Sentinel landed on top of Magma’s neck harshly, forcing his head to hit the ground and Magma growled, turning his head to glare at him with his pink optics. “You really are a coward. You fight from a distance.” Sentinel huffed in amusement before yelping in surprise as Magma launched him up and threw the bot onto the ground and turned to face him. “Why don’t you face me properly?” Sentinel narrowed his optics and stood up on his feet. Magma sniffed and narrowed his optics. “Ugh…you have Megatronus’s cog…you are unworthy of a Prime’s power.”

“Maybe…that is why the Matrix disappeared…even though I should be the most worthy out of everyone. After all, I was going to revolutionize this war, and ensure that we can finally have peace. But that cannot happen anymore, since we now have to dig for our fuel.” Magma growled angrily and Sentinel held up his sword as he glared back at the dragon. “You want me to face you properly?” Magma nodded, stamping his front, right paw as his nostrils flare and breath out a large cloud of spoke. “Alright…you first.”

Magma growled deeply again and rolled his optics. “That was your chance to attack first, Sentinel. I was giving you a chance. Oh well…” Magma huffed as his chest glowed a bright orange and he lunged forward. “Big mistake!”

“Oh, is it?” Sentinel smirked as he waited for the dragon to get closer and he widened his optics slightly as he saw magma surging out of the draconic bot’s mouth. He jumped up, kicking the dragon’s jaw, which caused the magma to splutter rather than rush out in a clean wave, and Sentinel used that momentum to step on top of the dragon’s muzzle and stab his blade at the back of Magma’s skull, causing him to cry out in pain as the energon spluttered from the wound. He fell forward onto the lava and Sentinel pulled the blade right down the dragon’s neck, and he felt Magma shuddering and convulsing beneath him. “Though I do suppose you were right…I should have faced you before the Quintessons gave me an advantage. You dragons really get weakened once they hit your wings. And…” Sentinel glanced at Solarian as she was sensing her brother’s life starting to drain and she whimpered loudly, as was Cosmic behind him. “I got lucky with an enraged mother.” Solarian growled as she was still trying to get on her feet. Sentinel looked down at Magma was he was gasping and not aware of his surroundings anymore. “Unfortunately, you will not get to see the future…nor will Solarian. But I think Cosmic will come around now.”

Solarian growled angrily as she turned her head in the direction that she could hear Sentinel from. “She will never be yours to command! Just as you will never find Ignited Galaxy.”

“We shall see. All I need to do is looking into your brains once your spark stops beating, Solarian. But of course, I can offer a sense of mercy to you, just not your dear brother hear…” Solarian gasped as she felt the break in the sibling bond as she heard Sentinel impale her brother’s forehead, piercing the blade of his sword deep and the sound of his processor crunching from the blade made Solarian shivered. “Ah, scrap…” Sentinel realized quickly he had sliced through the memory file and pulled the blade out to check. “Never mind…I’ll just look into yours. Or…” Sentinel stepped off Magma’s body and walked over to Solarian. The whimpering dragon shuddered and growled as she could hear Sentinel approaching. “I will make this painless for you if you tell me where you hid your daughter…or I may even get some of the best medics to repair you and give you new optics. But you will be wearing a nice necklace to ensure you listen to me.”

“A necklace?” Solarian growled as she listened to him. She didn’t like what she was hearing at all, and she growled while still trying to get some kind of feeling back into her legs. “You disgust me. Who are you, Sentinel? I don’t recognize you anymore…”

“Pfft, ha, ha, ha!” Sentinel was highly amused by this dragon, and he lifted his right foot to kick Solarian’s right socket, making her shriek loudly. “Save your pity. You know what I want from you. Tell me where your daughter…AAHHH!”

Sentinel stumbled back in surprise as Solarian managed a brief, but powerful swipe to his face. She had managed to send energy to her right back and struck his face, with her claws digging into the left side of his face and leaving a deep wound that will remain as a scar. “I will never tell you, Sentinel. She will never be yours.”

Sentinel clutched his cheek in shock that she had managed to get him. He thought he had succeeded in paralyzing her, but he clearly underestimated their determination. He gritted his teeth and stomped over with his sword raised. “You are a pathetic, lowlife, worm! I will get my answers, with or without your cooperation!” He slammed the blade down, slicing through the dragon’s neck and causing her to splutter and shriek painfully. “At least I can put a dent in your sparkmate’s fight. He’ll feel every bit of this right now!”

Lifting the blade up, Sentinel struck down again in a different spot on the neck with every intent to ensure that Solarian would not go peacefully. He was furious she had damaged him and left a mark, but it may also serve as something to show to the citizens of Iacon. But he wasn’t thinking of that right now. He was taking out his anger on the dragon. Until his blade cut through Solarian’s neck and he looked at her head as it fell to the ground. He took deep intakes of frustration and glanced down as he saw his hands, wrists and chassis were covered in her energon.

Sentinel smiled slightly as he glared at the dragon’s head before turning his head sharply and widening his optics as Cosmic Dust launched herself at him, only for her jaws to snap just in front of his face as she was yanked back hard and punched in the side of her face. Cosmic had been fighting the vehicons and Airachnid, but the death of both of her siblings had weakened her, and she no longer even had the will to fight after feeling their sparks perish. But she had hoped to get Sentinel, but she was held back as there were heavy chains around her neck and wings, as several Quintessons had also jumped from the ship to ensure that they captured one dragon.

Cosmic lowered her head as the tears stream down the sides of her face, glancing between her brother and sister as the pain in her spark throbbed. She looked at Sentinel as he walked towards her with a smug expression and she growled at him. “You might as well finish me as well, Sentinel…allow me to join my siblings in the All Spark.”

“Mmm, not yet…” Sentinel punched the dragon in the left side of her face, making her grimace and snarl at him. “Since you seem…down in the dumps…” Cosmic narrowed her optics as she glared at him. “You may as well tell me where Galaxy is, before you become a shell of yourself.”

Cosmic stared at him for a moment. She had already gone ahead with Solarian’s suggestion to wipe the location of where Galaxy was, and now she did not even know. But she knew it was unnecessary to say anything. She growled and turned her head to look at him directly. “I take that information to the All Spark, Sentinel.” She bared her teeth and grimaced as Airachnid yanked on the chain hard to pull her back. “I’m not attacking him! Just get it over with!”

“Yeah, well…” Sentinel pulled out the dark blue collar, and Cosmic narrowed her optics upon seeing it. “I gave you the chance to tell me, but I guess I have to put this on…” Cosmic widened her optics as Sentinel unclipped it, and she immediately tried to buck and beat her wings, only for Airachid to stab her in the right side on an open wound below Cosmic’s right wing, making her wince and drop her right front leg in pain. “Good…” Cosmic lifted her head back up quickly, just as Airachid grabbed her by the horns and yanked hard, making the dragon shriek as the femme held her head back uncomfortably. “Thank you, Airachnid. At least we have something. The others will hesitate to attack one of their own.” Placing the collar around the dragon’s neck at the base, Cosmic shook her body to try and stop him, but when Sentinel clipped the collar together, it sealed together and Cosmic shrieked and fell onto her side suddenly.

Airachnid yelped as she was thrown off and she skidded along the ground. She looked up at the dragon as Cosmic shuddered and convulsed as the collar tightened around the dragon’s neck, digging into her metal shell and energon veins with the tiny needles, and the chemicals within the tubes on the collar had already begun releasing into the dragon’s system. Airachnid smirked as she stood up slowly. “It’s a good thing we could overpower her. Cosmic has never been strong like her brother and sister…” Airachnid looked at the bodies of the other two dragons and looked at Sentinel. “I will check their memories for Galaxy’s location.”

Sentinel nodded while he stood over the dragon’s convulsing body. Airachnid walked over to the bodies of Magma and Solarian to begin the task, though Sentinel was confident they would get the answer from Cosmic. He knelt down slowly as the tears from the dragon’s optics were from the extreme pain she was feeling from the collar. Her mouth began to froth with foamy energon, and the purrs from her chest were filled with pain and whimpering. Sentinel smirked as he waited patiently.

Her blue optics darkened as they began to fill with a dark, grey blue shade. Sentinel placed his hand on the top of her snout, causing the dragon to turn her head and look at him. And in those optics he saw no emotion. Nothing. Cosmic was nothing more than a shell of herself, and her processor had completely been overridden, ensuring that this was nothing more than a beast under his control. The energon veins in her body swelled and she began to heat up as the chemicals would force abilities from Cosmic that she was no used to, or has never used, but it was possible due to her ancestral line. This was something that Sentinel wanted.

He placed his hand on the claw wound on his face as he now knew what he could do. While the cut may remain on his face, he no longer cared as much as he did before. Now this was an opportunity that he was not going to pass up. Especially now that he had control of one of the dragons whilst not caring if she will even survive what will come next. He rubbed the top of the dragon’s snout and she purred in response, which pleased Sentinel greatly.

“You are mine now. Time to go back and show your friends what we have done. And so that I may bring Comet, Sky Blade and several others under my control. Or hope to. And we shall try to ensure you won’t die in the process, Cosmic. Even though you are technically just a mindless beast now.” Sentinel stood up and looked at Airachnid to see she was frustrated. “Airachnid, once you find the location of Galaxy, we shall go and assist the Quintessons with the last of the draconic bots. I believe that the Quintessons will destroy all of them before we can put the last collars on the others that we need before we find Galaxy. She won’t be going anywhere, so we can take our time.” Sentinel looked back at the dragon as the dull, grey optics gaze at him as she was waiting for his command. “This new era for Cybertron is going to be fascinating…and everyone will now be under my rule.”

Chapter Text

Prologue Part 4

Roaring loudly in pain and surprise while falling onto his knees after ripping a Quintesson ship apart, Comet intakes heavily as his optics quiver in shock and he looked in a direction as he felt his sparkmate’s spark being extinguished. The draconic bots had been able to take down ten Quintesson ships already, and destroyed many of the Quintessons that would escape the wreckages to fight the dragons. And while they have been able to do that, many of the dragons have already fallen. It hurt Comet as it really felt like their darkest hour, and now he could sense that Solarian was gone. He growled deeply as he stood upon a large boulder, staring at the horizon with a frown.

“Are you okay, Comet?” Skydrake asked as he flew low by Comet, noticing the sadness and grief in the dragon’s optics. “Is everything alright with Solarian?”

Comet intakes heavily and shook his head. “She’s gone.” Skydrake gasped as he landed on the boulder by Comet before they both had to duck to avoid a Quintesson ship blast. “Sentinel must have killed her…I hope they were able to get Galaxy away in time.” He growled as he clenched his claws and turned sharply, punching an approaching Quintesson in the face and grabbed another, holding the head and legs to rip in half with a loud roar. “I’m going to kill him if he shows his face here!”

Skydrake nodded in agreement. “I think we all want to.” He looked up before he jumped up and flew upward as another Quintesson ship approached. “I am starting to think that we have done what we needed. We gave Solarian the time, and we should perhaps figure out our next move.”

Comet Hammer followed Skydrake and he nodded in agreement. “I think that is a good idea. We will need to find another place to hide. And hope that we can have access to energon in some form so that we can survive. Tempest is lost.” Comet opens a com link to Eruptor, Sky Blade and the other dragons. “If everyone can hear, I am afraid my sparkmate is lost. I can only hope that my sparkling is safe right now, but we have been able to do what we needed to do, my friends. We cannot keep fighting like this.”

“I am so sorry, Comet…that blasted, glitch Sentinel will get what he deserves if I get my claws on him!” Eruptor growled loudly, which rumbled like thunder around as he flew towards Comet while he breathed a fiery, solar blast at a Quintesson ship and hitting their engine pods. “They will follow us when we try to leave though, Comet. Where shall we take them.”

“I do believe that we can lose them in the Wight Canyon. The natural fog there is so thick and can mess with equipment. Not only can we cloak ourselves, but there are numerous tunnels there that we can go into that spread throughout Cybertron. We just need to pick one.” Sky Blade suggested as he was flying very quickly, using his wings to slice through several Quintessons that had jumped from their ships and he grimaced as their blood was staining his wings. “The stench of their blood is making me want to purge.”

“Good idea, Sky. And that is where we will go. Thankfully, it isn’t far.” Comet glanced back and spun to the right as he was shot at again and he smirked when another large dragon slammed his body into the side of the ship. “Thanks for the assist, Juggernaut.”

“Anytime, old friend.” Juggernaut chuckled as he beat his wings to flew closer to Comet. “The Wight Canyon isn’t just filled with caves either, Comet. I’ve been going there to practice flying and my air strikes for some time, and I found a place beneath the surface of the fog. The space is big, but we can shift the plates so everyone left can fit. And we should have access to energon veins too.”

“Well, I never knew that, and I’ve gone there many times too!” Sky exclaimed in surprise as he was very impressed with Juggernaut’s suggestion. “Maybe that is where we should go. Wight Canyon stretches for many miles, so it would be very difficult for the Quintessons and Sentinel to even locate us.”

“That is precisely why we will have an advantage. And I know where it is. But switch on your echo location transmitters. It will be the only way to find it. Trojan! Longfang! Tirade! Make sure we get everyone to the canyon!” Juggernaut turned himself upward slightly and breathed a way of plasma beam at another Quintesson ship, before angling himself properly. “And I recommend we blind them before we enter the canyon.”

“Are you suggesting that I do it?” Sky Blade asked curiously, looking at the large dragon curiously. “I’m the only one who can reflect the sun at full strength.”

“I’m not talking about the sun. But rather a powerful, electromagnetic field to scramble their sensors and cause brief malfunctions to their ships to slow them down. That way we can get to the canyon without as many eyes watching us.” Juggernaut flew closer to Comet and Eruptor and looked at them with a smirk. “And I know you two can create strong winds to blow them off course.”

Comet smirked at Juggernaut, who was a large, quadruped dragon. He wasn’t as big as Eruptor or Comet, but he was very strong. Juggernaut was able to to become a flying, iron fist by shifting his armor and filling them with plasma and fire, allowing himself to hit any ships or flying enemies to the point he could incinerate them upon contact. Juggernaut is grey blue with dark, purple optics. His feather-like wings were blue and purple, and he had dark gold plates over his wing joints and body. He was considered a beautiful draconic bot, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Comet, Eruptor and Juggernaut are considered Tempest’s strongest trio at this time, followed by Tirade, Trojan, and another known as Glazed Thunder. Majority of the time, if the Quintessons see any of these dragons, they would turn and run. But clearly, that was not the case this time.

^^Juggernaut's appearance^^

“If we are going to scramble their instruments, we need to do it now! I am sensing Sentinel approaching! And…wait…” Firedrake frowned as he stopped and hovered, looking in the direction he could detect the signal. “Cosmic Dust too? But…she’s flying with him…even though something’s strange about her signal.”

“Cosmic survived?!” Comet was surprised, and hopeful at the same time, since Solarian’s sister would be the next connection he would have to his sparkmate. “And what about Magma? Is he with them too? I hope they have a good explanation…”

“I don’t know if Cosmic is okay. Her signal’s strange, and I can’t reach her mind like we would normally through this link.” Firedrake narrowed his optics some and he glanced at four Quintesson ships that descended through the clouds. He gasped as they had their turrets charged up at the same time. “SCATTER!”

Firedrake, Comet Hammer, Eruptor, Juggernaut and Sky Strike immediately flew in opposite directions to avoid the shots that were aimed at them different. And they also noticed Quintesson ships descending through the clouds in the direction they had been flying towards, which was not good, but not impossible for them to get by. They were able to avoid the blasts, but they were quick to realize that they were not going to get a break. And Tirade, Trojan, Glazed Thunder and the other dragons had been forced away from the city of the ships due to this.

“Ugh…I am not sure if all of us are going to make it to Wight Canyon!” Skydrake shouted through the com link, twirling his body around and backflipping to avoid the blasts. “These fraggers are going all out now that Sentinel is coming back. And with Cosmic, apparently!”

Juggernaut growled deeply and glanced at Sky Blade. “You have a chance to get out of here, Sky Blade!” Sky Blade nodded in agreement and he soared upward quickly rather suddenly. “Tirade! Circle around us and head to the canyon. Once you fly down, make sure you get under the fog and get as close to the ground as much as you can. You will find the entrance to the underground space when you find large crystals when you follow the canyon from the start.”

“And what about you?” Tirade responded worryingly. “We can’t just leave, Juggernaut! You guys need help!”

“What we need right now is for you to leave! The very survival of our races depends on it! Now get out of here and obey Juggernaut’s commands!” Comet barked in irritation as he dove down to avoid being hit before flying back upward again and opening his mouth before blasting at several turrets on one Quintesson ship with plasma. “Juggernaut, Eruptor, Firedrake, we will keep these guys busy. Sky Blade, you…” Comet widened his optics as he saw Sky Blade falling from the sky suddenly with a very visible, and a very obvious dragon fire burn on his back. Sky Blade had a look of confusion as he caught himself and stopped his fall before looking up. And Comet gasped when he saw Cosmic diving from the clouds with a loud, high-pitched roar. “Cosmic?”

Sky Blade stared at Cosmic as she was still diving towards him. “Cosmic just attacked me! But something’s wrong! Wait…” Cosmic descended far enough out of the clouds for them all to see Sentinel sitting on Cosmic’s back. “What is the All Spark is going on? I can’t kill her!”

“Defend yourself, though Sky! Sentinel’s clearly done something to her!” Comet grunted and almost fell from the sky as he was shot in the back due to being distracted. He growled deeply, and looked at Cosmic to see Sentinel’s smug expression and Cosmic’s mouth filled with glowing, golden plasma. “Wait a minute! Molten plasma isn’t possible anymore!”

“Apparently not!” Sky Blade immediately flew to the side to avoid being hit by the powerful molten plasma blast. It was a breath that has not been used for many millennia, and its strength could easily take down a Quintesson ship if charged to full strength and unleashed a stream of it. Cosmic was not known as a powerful dragon, so this was strange. However, Sky could see Sentinel was chuckling and he ordered Cosmic to attack again. “Coward! Get off and fight me yourself, Sentinel!”

Sentinel just smirked deviously at Sky Blade as Cosmic blew another blast of molten plasma at Sky Blade and he dodged it again. Sky Blade didn’t know how he would even deal with this, since they had never had any dragon turn on them before. But Sky Blade knew something was wrong as Cosmic wouldn’t be doing this willingly, and as she has never used molten plasma before, this was something due to Sentinel. And whatever he was doing to Cosmic, it was clearly pushing her to the point of using dormant abilities that have long been unused. Which could be detrimental to Cosmic herself, especially since her body would not be used to such pressure.

Eruptor growled as he rolled to the right before diving down sharply before flying back up while filling his fists with a powerful energy to strike the Quintesson ship he was flying directly towards. He was angry that Cosmic seemed to be enslaved by Sentinel somehow, and he wanted to get to Sentinel and rip him apart. But with the Quintesson ships in the way, he had to damage one or two first before he could get to them.

Eruptor heard loud bangs behind him, and he didn’t think too much of it as he was getting closer to the Quintesson ships above him quickly. His mouth filled with electricity as he prepared to strike, and to unleash a wave of electricity to further damage the ship and shut down some of the systems. But as he got closer, Eruptor roared in surprise as something wrapped around his body suddenly, forcing his wings and arms against him, and he looked down just as there was a strong, burning shock through his body. He had not realized this was some kind of netting, and it was made from extremely strong material.

He was disorientated slightly from the strong shock from the net and he began to fall straight down. Widening his optics, Eruptor tried to free his arms so he could also free his wings. He grabbed at the net with his teeth and yanked as he felt multiple blasts on his back, sending him down faster and disorientating him even further. The dragon barely saw the ground when he hit into the ground head first, and there was a terrible crunching sound as his weakened back and neck split suddenly.

Juggernaut, Firedrake and Comet stare in shock as they were not expecting that the strongest dragon here was just taken down. “Since when did they get those net things?” Firedrake questioned as he stared in disbelief while hovering next to Comet. “I-If they took down Eruptor...”

“They got him by surprise, that is why.” Comet gasped as he looked at the other ships as they hear loud bangs, and they all saw the same netting being shot at them as they would open while flying towards them. “I think this would be because of Sentinel! Take cover!” Comet dove down sharply to avoid the nets.

Firedrake flew the side, and he widened his optics when he saw several nets following Comet, and Juggernaut when the larger dragon flew upward and backflipped to avoid the nets. Firedrake opened a link to them. “They have homing trackers in them!” Firedrake turned on his back to see one flying directly at him and he breathed fire at it, burning the net instantly. “The nets are weak when we get them at least.”

“Good to know, Firedrake! Juggernaut!” Comet glanced at Juggernaut as the larger dragon had at least a dozen nets flying towards him, and the dragon was breathing fire at them. “Try and get above the clouds! They may use these nets as distractions to…” Comet gasped and grimaced as he was blinded suddenly by a large, bright orange explosion. He widened his optics and looked at the smoke to see Juggernaut falling straight down with the nets around his body and a large wound in his back. “Juggernaut!” Comet frowned and turned, blasting his plasma breath at the three nets following him, and angled back down to dive to try and catch the falling dragon. “I’m on my way!”

“Look out, Comet Hammer!!” Firedrake shrieked loudly as he watched two of the ships firing several more nets at Comet. Firedrake had managed to destroy and avoid several nets already, and it seemed that the Quintessons weren’t focused on him too much. “They will bring you down too if you are not careful!”

Comet growled deeply as he furled his wings tighter against his chest to dive faster, but he was forced to pull up when the Quintessons shoot at Juggernaut again, hitting him in the back and forcing him down faster and landing hard on the ground several feet from Eruptor’s body. Comet was shocked and he turned to blast plasma at the approaching nets. He glanced towards Sky Blade to see what was happening on his end.

And he was not surprised that Sky Blade was able to keep away from Cosmic and Sentinel at this time, but Cosmic was flying faster than she normally could before. Sky Blade had seen both Eruptor and Juggernaut fall, and he became extremely worried since two of their strongest fighters had fallen. However, the only good thing he knew of right now was Tirade, Trojan, Longfang and several others had managed to escape already. They were on their way to Wight Canyon, and it seemed that the Quintessons weren’t chasing them. But Airachnid and the vehicons were, but they were easier to deal with.

Sky Blade though was very much distracted, even though he was able to avoid Cosmic and Sentinel. He was extremely concerned about everything that was happening right now and what it meant. With Sentinel somehow aligned with the Quintessons, what this meant for Cybertron concerned him deeply, and he didn’t want this continue. But he refused to engage with Cosmic, even though she was attacking him. But he spotted the collar around her neck, and knew it was somehow giving Sentinel control of the dragon.

He heard a bang and assumed it was another net flying towards one of the other dragons as he avoided another molten plasma blast as he spun to the right. He was getting tired too, as all this flying was making his wings ache. But Sky Blade didn’t want to give up. However, as he angled to the right, he saw a net flying towards him and he widened his optics and he knew immediately he couldn’t fly away or destroy it with a fire breath. The net wrapped around his body tightly, pressing his wings against his back and Sky Blade roared loudly in pain as the strong, burning shock and he grimaced as the shock disorientated him immediately, and he began to fall out of the sky.

Sky Blade groaned as his optics roll back slightly, believing that he had failed and he would join the others in the All Spark now. However, as he fell, Sky Blade felt something grab his shoulders suddenly, and he weakly turned his head slightly to see Cosmic. He was surprised, since he didn’t think that Sentinel would do anything. As the only thing he has done was shout at Cosmic and hit the dragon when she failed to hit Sky Blade, even though that Cosmic herself was not in control.

“Good catch, Cosmic. Now let’s get him down gently. We need to get him prepped for the next step.” Sky Blade lightly at the arrogant tone from Sentinel, but the dragon couldn’t do anything due to being paralyzed. Sentinel lifted his hand to open a com link. “Airachnid, have you been able to stop the fleeing draconic bots? They might know where Galaxy is, since the other three clearly purged that part of their memory to stop us from finding her.”

“Negative, Sentinel. They all fled into Wight Canyon. I do not dare to fly into a place I cannot see, nor can use any tracking equipment. Only the dragons know it very well, and it stretches for miles. I deeply apologize, Sentinel.” Sky Blade was happy to hear that, as that meant that some dragons will survive. Sentinel grumbled when he heard Airachnid’s response. “We are returning to your position now, Sentinel.”

“Good. I am about to bring Sky Blade under my control, and we shall soon have Firedrake and Comet Hammer too. Juggernaut and Eruptor are taken care of, and it seems like Tirade got away.” Sentinel leaned a little as Cosmic angled herself and lowered Sky Blade onto the ground. “Good dragon.” Sentinel pet the neck lightly as Sky Blade was placed on the ground, but Cosmic remained on top and shifted to hold him down. Sentinel jumped off the dragon with a smirk. “Keep your distance when you get back, Airachnid. I got a feeling I can get this done myself.”

“Understood.”

Sentinel looked at Sky Blade as the dragon growled at him, shifting a little to try and be comfortable, but he was feeling a lot of pain in his systems right now. “Let me guess…you’re going to kill me too, Sentinel?” Sky Blade glanced back at Cosmic and he let out a low whimper. “I do not know what you did to Cosmic…but I want no part of it.”

Sentinel chuckled lightly as he pulled out another dark blue collar with the tiny needles and chemical filled tubes. “I am afraid you don’t have much of a choice, Sky Blade. You were one the many targets of today’s plan. And while many of your kind have escaped, we will find them eventually. And you are going to help me find them.” Sky Blade shook his head and he widened his optics as Cosmic growled suddenly, and he was surprised. “Calm down, Cosmic. Let me get this on him.”

“You should just kill me!” Sky Blade hissed before turning his head to try and block Sentinel, but his weakened body from the extreme pain from the net made it hard for him to move. “It would be more honourable than being enslaved by you.”

“Maybe, but…” Sentinel stepped closer to the dragon as Cosmic placed her paws on top of Sky Blade’s snout, pushing down hard to keep him from snapping at Sentinel. Sky Blade growled as he shifted to try and get away. He did notice the claw mark on the side of Sentinel’s face. He didn’t know who inflicted that on Sentinel, but it was well deserved. “This technically does that for you. You’ll be nothing more than a mindless beast. I don’t know what will even happen if the collar is removed, and quite frankly, I do not care.” Sky Blade whimpered and he tried to buck to get Cosmic off, but the dragon pushed him back down as Sentinel wrapped the collar around his neck and and Sky Blade yelped loudly as the collar tightened around his neck, and he felt the needles impaling his veins and the chemicals being released. “There we go. Easy, Sky Blade. You’ll be back up in no time.” Sentinel chuckled lightly as he walked back around as Cosmic stepped off the convulsing dragon and he knelt down before jumping back in surprise as Firedrake landed hard nearby. Sentinel smirked as Firedrake groaned as his right wing was bent and there was damage to his limbs. He was disorientated as Cosmic ran towards him, and he widened his optics in shock. “Quite my luck right now.”

Firedrake groaned as he stared at the approaching dragon. “Cosmic? What are you doing? Sentinel…” Firedrake gasped as the dragon pounced on him, making him grimace as she landed on top hard and pressed her paws on his shoulders, roaring at him loudly. “What in the All Spark?” Firedrake glanced at the collar around Cosmic’s neck. He did not know what it was doing, other than controlling her. He could also see her energon veins were larger as more energon was being pumped through her body, and there were tears streaming from her optics. “What has he done to you? Cosmic..." He stared at her dark grey optics, and saw they held no emotion. Nothing. “You aren’t even here, are you?”

Cosmic just snarled and foamy energon dripped from her mouth. Firedrake felt awful for her, and he was severely weakened by the Quintesson ships, and exhausted from all the flying. He looked at Sentinel as the smug bot approached with another collar. Firedrake growled at him. “Now, now, there is no need for that. You are going to survive, Firedrake. You, Cosmic, Sky Blade and Comet will all be very useful.”

“Pfft, good luck with Comet. He will resist the most.”

“Oh, I know…” Sentinel glanced at the sky and widened his optics as Comet landed on top of a Quintesson ship and punched into the engine pods and pulled out a bunch of systems before he glared towards Sentinel and jumped into the sky. “Scrap…” Sentinel walked over to Firedrake quickly. “But I will need you three to get between us.”

Firedrake snapped his teeth at Sentinel. “You may think you are victorious today, but you are merely a slave now to the Quintessons. They may not have something around your neck, but they will have you under their iron fist. You are in no different position than us.”

“Nah, I am not. I am not the one who will be just a beast under one command.” Sentinel walked to the side of Firedrake, and the dragon turned his head just as Cosmic pushed his snout down harshly, making him whimper as feeling his jaw snapping shut forcefully hurt. “And that is all you will ever be from here on, Firedrake…” Sentinel straped the collar around Firedrake’s neck quickly, and watching as it tightened around the dragon’s neck, causing his whole body to shudder and convulse. “Hopefully, we can stop Comet from his rampage…” Sentinel looked up as Cosmic stepped off Firedrake and walked over to stand by Sentinel, looking up at Comet as he dived down, smashing through the ship he had attacked and his wings were charged with plasma and electricity currently. “This is going to be interesting…” Sentinel looked back at Sky Blade to see he was still fighting the collar and he climbed onto Cosmic’s back. “To the sky, Cosmic!” Sentinel opened his com link again as Cosmic jumped up and flew towards Comet. “Airachnid, I know you are close now. Get yourself and the vehicons down to Sky Blade and Firedrake to ensure the collars take affect.”

“We are on our way too them right now, Sentinel. Will you need my assistence with Comet?”

“Um…” Sentinel’s optics quiver as the massive dragon approahed him, completely ignoring the fact that there was still a couple Quintesson ships behind him and would shoot at the dragon. “Possibly. Stand by, Airachnid. Comet Hammer will not go down easy.” Sentinel shut off the com link and looked at Cosmic. “Alright, Cosmic. Use that molten plasma against him. I want to weaken him so he can’t get back up, but not too damaged that he will die. Understand?”

Cosmic just nodded briefly as her mouth charged up with the molten plasma. Comet growled as he watched the jaws glow gold and she began to unleash blasts of it at Comet. Comet angled himself slightly enough to avoid the blasts with ease and Sentinel pulled out Nexus’s blaster. Seeing the Prime’s weapon angered Comet and he roared loudly. Sentinel shot at Comet and Comet flew straight upward slightly to avoid the blast before diving down sharply. Cosmic growled and she was about to follow.

However, Sentinel gasped as Comet flew back straight up on Cosmic’s right side and angled himself with his feet reaching out and snatching Sentinel harshly off Cosmic’s back with his left foot. Sentinel yelped as he dropped Nexus’s blaster in shock and he armed his own blaster, looking up at Comet as the dragon began to fly straight up towards the clouds that were darkening very quickly, and Sentinel widened his optics.

He gasped as electricity sparked over Comet’s body and pinched Sentinel. “No, no, no!” Comet growled with a slight smirk at Sentinel. Sentinel aimed his arm at Comet’s left wing to shoot at the joint connection, though the blasts wasn’t strong enough to hurt Comet as it just bounced off. “Slag! Let go of me, Comet!”

“Not a chance! You killed my sparkmate, and have only gotten into a fight when it was easy for you. Now you are going to have to face me!” Comet roared loudly as lightning began to strike his body, and he allowed that energy to flow through his body. Sentinel cried out as the electricity also hit his body and it hurt due to not being designed to harness the power. “And since you are more interested in controlling me, I’m going to give you a reason to fight for your life! Beg all you want, but you will...” Comet grimaced as he felt a blast on his left wing and turned his head slightly to see Cosmic following him. He huffed as he turned sharply and hit Cosmic with his wing. “Sorry, Cosmic...” He glared at her neck to see the collar and he growled deeply. “I will not kill you...”

“But she will. Cosmic, use molten plasma again!” Sentinel tensed with a yelp as Comet tightened his claw and flew to fly into the clouds. “Uggghhh!” Sentinel grimaced as the dragon continued to tighten his paw around Sentinel, but as the dragon ascended high, he saw Airachnid flying right at Comet and shooting at him. He growled and rolled his body sharply, hitting Airachnid with his wing, and causing her to fall sharply. “Ugh!” Sentinel flinched as Cosmic followed and she unleashed another powerful molten plasma blast at Comet and the dragon continued to avoid it until Cosmic’s whole body began to glow gold with the molten plasma. Sentinel widened his optics as Comet turned sharply and lifted his paw as lightning struck the dragon’s ankles, though Comet was paying little attention to Cosmic as she rammed her whole body into him, piercing through the armor in the dragon’s back, and making him roar and drop Sentinel. “AAAHH!” Sentinel fell and yelped as lightning struck his body before Cosmic caught him and held him in her front paws. He intakes heavily in relief. “Ugh! My whole body tingles…”

Sentinel flinched as Comet roared loudly as he dove down after Cosmic. “It’s going to feel a whole lot worse when I fear you limb from limb, slowly and painfully!” Comet grabbed Cosmic’s shoulders, and the draconic bot roared, turning her head to snap at him. Comet ignored her snapping jaws as he tried to grab Sentinel from her paws. “Stop using others as a shield, coward! Fight me properly like a warrior! You shame yourself! I will…AAARRGGHH!”

Sentinel flinched as Comet roared in pain as he was hit in the back by two missiles from Airachnid. Now that his armor was weakened, he could be shot at, and Comet let go of Cosmic as he fell slightly before he was able to catch himself. Only for a second before three nets snap around his body and hitting him with the strong, burning shock, and making him roar loudly in pain and feel the pain in his internal systems. Comet’s wings clench and stiffen as they were forced against his back and the dragon fell from the sky.

Sentinel smiled a little and looked as Cosmic. “Let me back onto your back. And try to catch him before he hits the ground. We need to keep him alive so I can put another collar on him.”

Cosmic purred lightly as she dove after Comet and moved Sentinel to help him onto her back. Sentinel was quick to climb onto her back before she grabbed a hold of Comet’s shoulders and pulled up to slow his descent. Comet turned his head slightly as he glared at Sentinel. He was struggling to get feeling back into his wings, and the nets forcing them against his back was not helping. However, Comet was able to free his right paw and ripped through the net, but he wasn’t able to reach and grab for Sentinel right now.

Cosmic widened her wings out some more before she dropped Comet when they were a few feet from the ground, and Comet grunted as he skidded along the ground, grimacing from the pain through his body. He intakes heavily and lifted his head, looking towards Sky Blade and Firedrake. He widened his optics as both dragons were back on their feet, but he could tell immediately they were not themselves. They were controlled by the same collars that Sentinel had used on Cosmic. Their optics had a grey cast over them, and they were walking over with the vehicons. Airachnid landed and transformed with a smug expression.

Cosmic landed on top of Comet and pressed her weight onto his shoulders, making the dragon grunt again and he growled, glaring at Sentinel as he jumped off and smiled while brushing the metal dust from his body. “Such a shame you couldn’t do what you wanted to do, Comet Hammer…” Sentinel turned his body to face Comet with an arrogant, smug expression. “But you have fallen. Just like your friends here. But don’t worry, I intend on making sure that you and your daughter will be reunited, should she ever show herself again. But…” Comet narrowed his optics as he saw another collar, and he snarled venomously. “You just will have to endure living under…”

Sentinel yelped as Comet roared suddenly as he was surprised by plasma filling Comet’s mouth and he unleashed a blast a Sentinel. The bot dropped the collar in shock as he jumped to the side, but the blast hit the collar and incinerated it immediately. “I will never be your slave, Sentinel!” Comet hissed as he punched the ground with his right paw to push himself up, and Cosmic bit the back of his neck, making the larger draconic bot buck his body and throw the smaller dragon off. Sky Blade and Firedrake roar as they run towards Comet. Comet hissed and looked at Sentinel as he was shocked Comet destroyed one of the collars. “You may have them under your control, but you will never have me.”

Sentinel narrowed his optics, pulling out another collar. “We shall see.” He looked at the three dragons with a glare as Cosmic ran back at Comet and pounced on his back. “Hold Comet down! This is the last collar! We need to make this count!” Comet shifted his legs to stand as Firedrake punched his face, causing Comet to stumble and he widened his optics as Firedrake wrapped his arms around the dragon’s snout to hold him down, while Sky Blade grabbed his neck to force him down and Cosmic pressed on his shoulders. "Good, good..."

Comet stared at Firedrake who was staring at him with the emotionless, grey pink optics. It hurt his spark seeing his friends like this. In his spark, he knew they would not want this. And he did not want to find himself in their position. He glanced at Sentinel as Sentinel ran over, and Comet roared as he began to fill his back spikes with electricity, which hit Cosmic and Sky Blade, making Cosmic jump off in surprise and Sky lets him go, but Firedrake had a firm hold before Comet managed to get onto his knees and throw his head around, and was able to throw Firedrake off his face.

He turned his head and glared at Sentinel as the bot backed away from him again, while the three dragons lunge at him again. Comet knew that Sentinel was not going to give up. Comet’s systems were already weakening, and he winced as Cosmic bit his left shoulder suddenly with molten plasma in her mouth. And Comet began to suspect that Sentinel wanted him alive and to use him for the power from his ancient ancestor, Wraith. What he could do with that power could devastate Cybertron, and Comet knew what he had to do.

Comet’s shoulders relax suddenly, which surprised Sentinel, though Comet remained glaring at the bot and ignored Cosmic as the dragon’s jaw was locked on his left shoulder. Sky Blade jumped onto his back to try and push him down, while Firedrake did the same. “Sentinel…I do not know what has made you decide this. Someone has clearly whispered something to you, and you took the bait. I pity you…” Sentinel glared at him before smirking slightly. “I relent…”

“Oh, good…” Sentinel chuckled as he interrupted Comet and he held up the collar. “So you wouldn’t mind if I put this on, and we can stop all this hassle?” Comet narrowed his optics and his nostrils flared. “We really need a dragon to find the others, so…” Sentinel gasped as Comet raised his right paw suddenly and flexing his claws. “Wait, don’t…NOOO!” Sentinel stepped forward in shock as Comet impaled his own chest and grabbing a hold of his spark chamber. “Comet, don’t!”

Comet’s optics quiver and flicker as he glared at Sentinel. “I relent to death over slavery, Sentinel! My last hope now is for the new Prime to bring justice back to Cybertron. You will never win, Sentinel!” He yanked his paw out of his chest, snapping his spark chamber out of his body and cutting all the lines to power his body.

Sentinel stared as the dragon fell to the side and Comet’s optics close as his life left his body. Sentinel intakes as he stared and the three dragons move away from Comet as they no longer could do anything. They stood and watched Sentinel, waiting for the next move. Sentinel gritted his teeth. “This…this is…this was not supposed to happen! UGH!” Sentinel clenched his hands and shook his head. “We were supposed to have Comet by our side!”

Airachnid, who had a look of disappointment on her expression, stared at Comet’s body and looked at Sentinel. “It would seem that his pride was never going to allow you to put that on, Sentinel. But…we have three dragons. And that should be enough.” She glanced up as one of the Quintesson ships was descending towards the ground. “And it seems we need to move forward. I think they have lost patience.”

Sentinel looked up and his expression turned to concern as he saw the descending ship. He looked back at Comet’s body with a frown, knowing now he couldn’t have access to the dragon’s bloodline for a long time. He didn’t even know if Ignited Galaxy would emerge at all, but that no longer mattered. Sentinel intakes heavily as he knew he had made a bargain with the leader of the Quintessons, and he had to go through with it. And now, with the energon dried up, he had to figure something else out.

And with some of the draconic bots hiding in the Wight Canyon somewhere, Sentinel hoped to never see them again. He had wanted to destroy the rest of the race after getting the dragons that he wanted. Cosmic Dust wasn’t really one of the draconic bots he wanted, but she would be by his side now. The three beasts would serve as a means to ensure that the citizens of Iacon would know their new place in Cybertron.

Especially any of the future Cybertronians that would be born. Sentinel realized that he couldn’t ask the current citizens to mine energon for themselves as he felt that was unfair. But…if there were bots without t-cogs, they could be the perfect workers to do the dirty work for Iacon city. That meant extreme measures had to be taken. And as there were many sparklings currently in the process of development in Iacon city, Sentinel now knew what he could do to ensure that his bargain with the Quintessons was satisfied. Even if it meant sacrificing future generations of transformers to a life of hard work so he could pay his debt and live life like the king he felt he should be. Despite the loses of today, Sentinel felt like that his world was going to change for the better. And he doubted that even Ignited Galaxy could stop him.

Phew! So…these prologue parts were meant to be two chapters, but I found myself really expanding on it due to the various things that may or may not be important later in the story. And, also, I wove in some of Bayverse Sentinel into Transformers One version of Sentinel to show more brutality, and the coward that he is. Probably the longest chapters I’ve written in a long time, but enjoyed every bit of it. And I hope everyone else has too.

Chapter Text

49 Cycles Later...

Deep within a cave hidden by Iacon city, bioluminescent algae covered the walls of the cave. Bioluminescent grass, ferns and small bushes have grown over time, making the cavern seem full of plants. Underneath some bioluminescent, blue algae was the pod that had been brought here by a draconic bot over forty cycles ago. It was here that a young sparkling was brought to safety from a tyrannical transformer who desired power. And he got some power over Iacon, even though he did so by using fear and manipulation to win over the people of this city. And many of the younger transformers look to this transformer with admiration for his seemingly courageous desire for his people.

There was a loud hiss and a puff of steam rising as the pod unclipped, with the wheels turning slowly as it opened. The top of the pod slid open, revealing a sparkling within. She was laying curled within, and she had been in recharge. Energon fuel lines that were connected to her body fell off. The slender, small femme opened her yellow optics. Her vision was blurry at first as she could see the bioluminescent lights around her. She intakes and exhales deeply as she stared at the ceiling as her processor slowly woke up. She groaned lightly as she already knew the reason why she was here.

Not knowing how many cycles had past, this young sparkling had a lot of knowledgeable filled in her processor. And that was all thanks to Oracle in ensuring she would learn from the essence that had been left behind by the various draconic bots within the crystal that was attached to the top of the pod. Despite knowing what she knew, the sparkling awoke from her deep slumber in the hopes that she wasn’t in a dark cave, but with other dragons. And she wouldn’t have to wait until she reached the surface to find her voice or be able to transform into what she was.

Sitting up slowly, Ignited Galaxy’s vision finally stopped being blurry and she was able to look around properly. The cavern around her wasn’t terribly big, but it was secured. She didn’t know the reason for that, but she had been told about being able to shift the metal plates within Cybertron’s earth. But that didn’t cross the young sparkling’s mind. Especially as while she had been only two cycles old when she was placed in the pod. Now she was considered to be about four cycles older, so she really wasn’t much older than she was. However, Galaxy knew she couldn’t stay here. She couldn’t rely on the pod to feed her energon anymore as it was all gone. She had to leave and find a transformer who may adopt her. Which she was certain that it would be easier said than done.

She opened her mouth to test her vocal processor, but all that came out was whimpers and whines, no actual words. She grumbled as it seemed that the protocol that Oranos placed in her vocal processor was still intact. She sighed as she grabbed the side of the pod and stood up slowly. Her legs were shaky as she has not walked in so long. But she also used to walk on four legs, so this was new to her. She carefully lifted her right leg to step out, but the pod was bigger than her and she yelped as she slipped out, falling onto the soft, bioluminescent grass by the pod. She blinked and shook her head before standing up slowly, waving her arms around as she was very unsteady on her feet as she tried to keep her balance. She stepped forward and almost fell forward and quickly realized that she wasn’t going to be walking around very well for a while. That was a little frustrating.

Galaxy whimpered as she stumbled to the right and managed to catch herself on the wall. She intakes heavily as she pushed herself off and walked around to practice walking as going into Iacon city at this time was the only mission she had. And she had zero idea of what even to look for when looking for someone to care for her for a while. The sparkling knew that this was quite the task she had, but it was important. She had no idea if anyone of her kind even survived. So she was determined.

The sparkling managed to get balanced enough and looked towards the small tunnel as it was her only way out. Galaxy whimpered as she walked over to the tunnel and peered inside with a slight frown. There was a bit of a slope downward, though it was not steep. Galaxy could still stand up in the tunnel, and she would be able to get down to the city easier. She hummed a little and looked up at the gap in the wall where light from the outside of the cavern was filtering through. She couldn’t see out of the gaps, due to being very short, but she could smell various scents coming through the gaps of the many civilians living in the city.

Sighing deeply, Galaxy made her way down the tunnel cautiously. The bioluminescent plants were the only things lighting her way, but her optics had adjusted to the lighting of the tunnel very quickly. Galaxy didn’t know how far she would need to go, but she could really only follow the tunnel and hope that it was a one-way path as that would make things a whole lot easier. And she wouldn’t have as much trouble getting into the city.

Galaxy walked through the tunnel for about thirty minutes before she would see light filtering through at the end of the tunnel. Galaxy hummed a little as she was very uncertain about what she was going to see. She was hoping that access to the city itself wasn’t going to be difficult. Just because the cave was connected to Iacon, it didn’t mean that she would be able to just waltz into the city. And she wouldn’t be able to without being seen. At least Galaxy could cloak herself and move through the city, though she could still be stepped on if she wasn’t careful.

When she reached the end of the tunnel, she saw the opening out of the cave and she whimpered a little as she peered around the side cautiously. She was surprised to find that the cave led down into the lower part of the city. This was good, since there was not a lot of risk to fall as she couldn’t fly. But she also was too young to even fly at this time anyway, so Galaxy would have been at a big disadvantage if she couldn’t get down. So she felt this was lucky. And yet, she was also terrified.

She didn’t know anything about Iacon. There was no information about the city left for her, even from Oranos, so Galaxy didn’t know where she would even go. But it probably has changed a lot, and she also knew that as a possibility. As she stared at the city, there were so many transformers walking around going about their business, and Galaxy realized that a lot of them were bigger than her. She really didn’t know how she was going to find someone to take her in at all. Especially since she knew that Sentinel probably had eyes and ears throughout the place. And Galaxy did know about Sentinel’s crimes against her own kind, but only what had been told to her through the crystal. So she had no idea if there were any still alive. And she didn’t even know if her sire and carrier were alive as well.

Staring out of the cave, Galaxy didn’t even know where to start. She moved away from the entrance as she pondered on what to do. The orders she had in her mind were clear. But it certainly seemed like it was easier said than done, so Galaxy had to think about it. Even if it meant wandering the city until she found what she was looking for. And she hoped she would before she would become hungry and need to refill her tank.

She leaned against the wall for at least an hour while contemplating, but the sparkling gave up and she just decided to go in and look around. But before she did that, she focused and cloaked her whole body. She didn’t realize she had cloaked herself until she looked down at herself and saw her hands and feet had a ghostly appearance to them. Galaxy smiled as she would be able to get through the city unseen. She just had to avoid the transformers, which might be harder than she might think.

She cautiously slipped out of the cave and stepped onto the metal path, looking up at the bots that walked by while going about their business. Galaxy couldn’t help but crouch a little as she was extremely nervous, but she chose to start walking when she had a moment, and she took care to not get stepped on. And she was glad that she made a start as she didn’t want to wait.

And as she walked with the crowds, Galaxy began to see the size of Iacon city. She realised very quickly about the many levels of the city, and some of the city buildings looked like they had been built upside-down. The architect and engineering that went into building this place was impressive, and Galaxy found herself enjoying the scenery a lot. But this distraction did almost get her stepped on multiple times, and she knew she had to be more careful.

But it was hard to not be amazed. Tempest was not like this at all. It was more open spaced and was built into the mountains to blend in with nature. But Iacon was definitely way different. And while Galaxy’s memory of Tempest was very vague now, she knew that it was different. And she was tempted to explore the entire city. But the magnitude of the city meant exploring the entire place in a single day was a bad idea. She knew her mission currently, even though she has not yet observed any transformer who she would trust.

One of the things that definitely distracted her were the trains that moved around the city. It wasn’t really the way they were moving, but rather the tracks that seemed to automatically form as the trains would move through the city. It looked like it was impossible, but it clearly was possible due to however they were engineered. And it made getting through the city easy without train tracks all over the place.

And she also noticed that small transformers were getting on these trains, and she was surprised, as majority of the bots she was seeing right now, were tall and large. But the transformers she saw were smaller, and that got Galaxy intrigued. She had to make her way over and saw that these smaller bots were walking out of a building and piling into the train. She observed them curiously and she decided that maybe these guys were worth following.

But when she got onto the train, she quickly realized she needed to find some place to hide. There were so many of these bots piling into the train, and she would easily get stepped on. Luckily, there were seats inside the train she could hide under, but many of the bots were sitting on the seats. Galaxy looked around cautiously, looking at the different bots and she noticed that something was different about them. Their size wasn’t the only thing that was different about them.

While she was distracted, Galaxy let out a yelp as someone suddenly tripped over her and she ducked, crawling underneath a seat immediately. She heard a grunt and turned her head to see a shocked bot with a silver face and blue helm. His blue optics look around in confusion as he had fallen backwards, and he clearly felt something. Galaxy stared at him as he looked around. His red chassic was a little dirty and rusty, and he clearly has done a lot of work. And she hoped he wouldn’t think something was there.

There was a loud laugh and she flinched as a silver bot leaned down with his hand out to help the bot up. “I didn’t realize you had gone and raided the high-grade bars, Pax. We are always need to be ready to work each day without you getting yourself drunk on high-grade energon.”

The bot looked at the silver bot in surprise and he shook his head. “You know we would never be allowed that stuff, D.” He lifted his right hand to take the silver bot’s hand and helped him to his feet. “It’s just…” Looking around, Pax seemed to be confused. Galaxy covered her mouth with her hands as she watched him shift his blue legs before he leaned down and peered under the seat, making the sparkling almost whimper loudly. “You heard that squeal when I fell, didn’t you?”

“Sure, but I couldn’t help but think that was you,” The silver bot responded sarcastically and Pax rolled his optics while glancing back and forth under the seat. “Come on, Pax. There is nothing under that seat. You fell because you are just clumsy. You’re lucky you didn’t twist anything and get yourself put into medical for a day. Elita wouldn’t be very pleased with one miner down.”

Galaxy frowned when she heard the bot speak about them being miners. And she wondered why at first, but remembered Oranos had told her through what she had learned from the essence that energon stopped flowing and would now need to be mined. Pax leaned back and stopped looking under the seat, making Galaxy sigh a little. “I don’t exactly have a feminine voice, D-16…” Pax smirked at his friend while nudging his shoulder playfully with his fist. “Especially since I swear a I felt something when I fell. It was like I tripped.”

“You sure it wasn’t just Jazz sticking his foot out behind you?” D-16 asked, while gesturing to another silver bot who was sitting on the chair.

Jazz gasped in surprise. “D-16, I do not appreciate being called out on doing something that I didn’t do. Orion Pax fell over nothing, even though it was a bit strange.”

D-16 shrugged with a smug, teasing smirk on his expression. “I don’t know. I didn’t quite see what exactly happened since Pax was going on and on about wanting to know more about what happened to the Matrix of Leadership and other stuff. Especially since Sentinel Prime hasn’t been around in a long time.” Galaxy shuddered at hearing Sentinel’s name, but she was surprised that they called him a Prime. "So you could have stuck your foot out while we were distracted.”

“I am not that kind of bot, D. I would never do something like that. Pax knows it too. And I must admit, I heard that squeal too. Not sure where it came from, but it didn’t come from Orion.”

“Thanks, Jazz. I knew you didn’t trip me, so D is just being a glitch.” D-16 just huffed in amusement at Orion’s jab. Orion leaned down again as he seemed to be paranoid, but as he couldn’t see anything, he seemed to accept it. “Maybe I just fell over my own feet. That does happen sometimes. Remember yesterday?”

“Oh, yeah…you were drilling and cutting the rock in the mine yesterday and you, for some reason, decided to grab the saw of the drill when you moved to another rock. You were lucky you didn’t cut your hand off, Pax.” Orion groaned a little with a light chuckle at D-16’s response. “But…that’s not really the stupidest thing that you have ever done. However, at least you can work today. No more damage, aside from an apparent left foot.”

Jazz chuckled lightly. “Yeah. Maybe that squeal came from his leg.”

“That would be ridiculous! Have you ever heard either of my legs squeaking when I walk?” There was silence from D-16 and Jazz, which made Orion let out a deep sigh. “Real funny, guys. I take one trip over my own feet and i now have two left feet with squeaky joints. I might be rusty, but I do take regular oil paths.”

“So do I, and I don’t have any squeaky joints. Hopefully your knees won’t squeal while we mine and echo enough that we all get headaches.” Orion huffed and folded his arms as he smirked at D-16. “On the other hand, seeing you search for some kind of ghost for tripping you kind of makes me a little worried. After all, I did not see anything. Nor did Jazz. And no one else seems to either. But just about everyone on the train here saw that trip.”

Orion groaned while Jazz and D-16 chuckled at the bot. “Ugghh...yeah...you are right. I only just realised everyone saw that...at least Elita doesn’t use the train when we do. She would hang that over my head the whole day.”

D-16 chuckled and playfully elbowed him in the side of his chassis. “She may hear about it before the end of the day.”

“Oh, you wouldn’t dare tell her, would you, D?”

“Hmm...I don’t know. It would be pretty funny since she’s our boss, and you seem to had a kind of admiration for her, so...someone may slip up.” Orion shook his head in amusement as he sat down on the chair. Galaxy stared at the bot’s feet nervously, even though as she listened, she became a little fascinated with D-16 and Orion Pax. D-16 just chuckled at Orion. “But, of course, I won’t say a word. But that isn’t a promise Jazz, Ironhide or anyone else can make. So...you know. It may get back to her.”

Orion sighed deeply and he chuckled lightly. “I suppose it would be okay. I mean, it isn’t the worst thing I’ve done. Besides, she probably won’t care as much as all this happened away from the mines. When we get there in a few minutes, we all will probably just forget about this silly incident and continue ahead for the day.”

“You will hope for that, won’t you?” D-16 teased his friend gently. “But I suppose we have to focus now anyway. We got another day of mining to do. We are meeting the daily quota very well, and we should keep it up.”

“Heh, not like any of us will get promoted. It’s rare, since the transformers ensure that we are given limited opportunities.” Galaxy frowned as she listened quietly, not knowing what Orion meant. But as she peered out from under the chair, she realized that these small bots didn’t have transformation cogs in their chests. T-cogs in draconic bots were set in a different part of their body, unlike transformers, but every Cybertronian was born with one. So Galaxy didn’t know why they had no cog. “Plus, Elita doesn’t really like competition. She’s worked really hard to get where she is now.”

“Yeah, I know. But it would be nice, since it would mean we get paid more energon cubes if we had a better position. We worked hard to get to their tier as it is anyway.” D-16 turned as the light dimmed, making Galaxy whimper a little. “We’re here. Let’s get ourselves ready to punch in.” The other bots began to gather in anticipation for the doors to open, and Galaxy moved to get out from under the chair quickly when it was safe to do so. “I hope today goes by quickly.”

“It does once we get down to business.” Orion stood up and walked towards the door, giving Galaxy a sigh of relief and she moved closer and looked at Jazz as he stood up to follow. “Especially once we start having a bit of fun."

"Nope! No more fun, Pax. This is our job! You do remember when we tried having fun last time. Ugh! Darkwing really ensured we all endured some heavy lifting for twenty-four hours and didn’t care that our joints felt like they would fall off. I am never doing that again,” D-16 responded to Orion in a complaining tone, which Orion just chuckled at. “It was fun when it happened, but mining energon is our job. It is what we need to do so that we all can survive. If and when Sentinel finds the Matrix, we at least won’t have to mine anymore.”

Galaxy didn’t know how many cycles it has been since she was put into the pod, so she didn’t know how long that the transformers had been mining for energon. She stared at the backs of the two mining bots curiously and she looked at Orion Pax. Mostly because she had a sense from him that he would be a good pick. But also…there was something else. She wasn’t sure if this was just a subtle push from Primus or not, but Galaxy just had a sense that something about Orion Pax that was good and hopeful. He seemed to be immature, that was true, but that might also just be how he acted with his friend.

When the train came to a stop, Galaxy waited as the miner bots began to pile out of the train and she slipped out from under the chair to run out of the train so she wouldn’t be locked in. When she ran out, she found herself looking at a massive mining operation. Hundreds of carts filled to the brim with energon rocks were lined up in the massive cavern ahead of her, and there were large processing equipment to turn the rocks into pure energon cubes for the city. It was very impressive.

Many of the mining bots were already here and working hard to ensure there was a constant flow of energon being fed to the machines to process the energon. Galaxy was very much amazed at what she was seeing, but she realized now that she was stuck underground and had no idea what she was going to do right now. Galaxy made a low whimper and looked around quickly before spotting D-16 and Orion Pax down below. They were walking over to grab some tools, and Galaxy widened her optics, knowing she had to catch up.

She ran over to the stairs and began to run down, but she lost her footing and Galaxy almost let out a loud shriek as she fell forward and face planted into the back of Jazz, who had been taking his time going down the stairs. He yelped in surprise and fell face forward down the stairs, which made him hit several other bots as they tumble down the stairs and Galaxy stared in shock. She had not meant to push someone accidently, and she didn’t think it would be easy. But his feet had been placed on the edges of the stairs, so he lost balance a little too quickly for his liking.

“ARRGHH!” Jazz stood up as he looked around in shock. Galaxy looked at Jazz for the first time and saw he had a visor over his optics rather than two individual optics. He was looking around in shock and looked at Orion and D who were looking back in surprise. “Is this a joke, Pax? First you trip over something invisible, now something invisible shoves me down the stairs!”

Orion widened his optics in shock at the accusation. “Why would you blame me? I can’t really do anything like that…nor do I know of anything or anyone who can turn invisible. In fact, no transformer can.”

“Yeah…well…” Another bot spoke in an irritated voice. He was mostly brown orange with white shoulder pads and thighs. He stood up and looked around with a frown with his blue optics searching for what could have shoved Jazz. “That did not just happen by accident. Jazz might be clumsy sometimes, but he doesn’t throw himself like a missile at anyone.”

Jazz nodded in agreement. “Ironhide is right.” Jazz glanced around some more with a frown. He paused as Galaxy ran down the stairs and she realized he heard her footsteps, and she ran to the right. “Ohh, I just heard something. I think we got some kind of vermin or something in here!"

Galaxy ran over to hide behind one of the carts, and she was glad that her cloak was still on. But it was draining her energy, and she would be forced to drop it soon. The mining bots were now all concerned and were looking around for whoever had knocked Jazz down, and the sparkling whimpered a little as she felt stupid. And maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, and she should just wait for a train to come back so she could leave.

But before she could do anything, a dark blue jet suddenly flew down from a building high above the mine, which was probably for the guards to keep an eye on the miners, transformed and a much large bot landed. His visor was purple and he had a face mask with a round, dark silver helm with two antennae on either side of the helm. “What are you miners doing?! Get to work and stop lazing around!”

“There’s something else in here, Darkwing,” Ironhide responded bluntly as he walked towards the carts to look around while Darkwing growled as he watched the bot. “Something pushed Jazz down the stairs, and it had tripped Orion Pax on the train, but we don’t know what it is. Something is in here.”

Darkwing huffed angrily at the bot. “Do you really expect me to believe such a stupid story, Ironhide? And where is Elita-1?”

“I’m here, Darkwing.” Galaxy flinched as another bot flew in, though she was wearing a jetpack and landed on the ground. “Forgive my absense, I was overseeing some repairs to one of the energon processors as it had suddenly slowed down earlier for some reason.” The bot look at the other miners with a scowl on her expression. She was hot pink with white thighs, and her icy blue optics held a strong demeanor as she seemed like a hard worker. “And I just overheard that ridiculous story. Come on, guys! An invisible creature! What nonsense! Get your jetpacks, get your drills and get yourselves ready!”

Darkwing huffed as he looked at Elita while clenching his fists. Galaxy realized already that she did not like this bot. “At least you understand. You heard Elita, now get your afts into gear before I ensure that you all work a double shift today!”

There was a lot of loud groaning and grumbling from the bots as they were warned on what would happen if they didn’t get to work. That didn’t really stop Ironhide for a moment as he leaned by one of the carts to look down the row, and as he didn’t see anything, he walked away to get the tools he would need to start his mining shift. Galaxy sighed deeply, though she felt a bit bad since she did almost cause them to get in trouble.

However, as she watched the bots gather the jet packs and tools, she didn’t notice a bot walking by her and she yelped as they tripped over her legs. She looked back to see they were carrying a crate of tools, and they fell forward onto the ground. This caught the attention of both Darkwing and Elita as they were not expecting it at all. None of them were.

Panicked, Galaxy ran from the cart, pushing herself off it and caused it to tilt slightly, and Darkwing growled deeply. “Hmmph! Maybe they weren’t lying.”

“I think you are right. But I do not see anything or anyone that is causing this...” Elita widened her optics as another bot fell suddenly and she frowned. “Everyone! It looks like we have something down here! Spread out and look for it! It’s going to keep interfering if we don’t stop it!” She turned on her jet pack to fly upward to search for the creature. “I’m not seeing anything.”

Galaxy really didn’t mean to cause a lot of mess as she ran out from between the first row of mining carts and ran to a set of stairs leading up to a large cylinder that was processing energon into cubes. She stopped as there were several bots on the platform and she jumped to the side as they ran down and Galaxy looked around for some place to hide and lay low for a bit.

At this point, all the mining bits had put their jet packs on and they were flying around to try and find the mysterious creature. Orion was the only one who did not remain airborne. He was landing and taking off while searching for the creature with determination in his optics. Galaxy trembled and she ran around the cylinder, but it was a dead end. She looked around and slipped into a gap between the cylinder and the rocky wall of the mine. And she whimpered as the cloak dropped suddenly, and she intakes heavily as she was exhausted.

She sat down as best as she could and she hoped that no one would look where she was hiding. She needed a moment, and she hoped that she could get out of the mines. She felt really stupid coming here and she couldn’t stop herself from sobbing lightly and hugging her legs as she waited as patiently as she could for the ruckus to calm down. And she didn’t even know how long that was going to be.

“Does anyone have a visual of our intruder?” Elita shouted in irritation as she flew around the room and found no evidence something was hiding in here. “I am not seeing anything. Orion, you’ve been looking under anything. Have you spotted anything yet?”

“Not yet, Elita.” Orion huffed as he ran up to the energon processor for a moment as he looked around with a human. “I think it is hiding somewhere now that it knows we are looking for it.” Orion looked around some more. “It could have gone deeper into the mines.”

“I hope not. Ugh...” Elita opened a com link to the lower part of the mine. “Arcee, be vigilant. We have some kind of intruder here. It has knocked several of the other bots down, along with almost knocking over some of the mining carts. Be careful.”

“Understood,” Came and affirmative response from another femme through the com link.

Galaxy could hear footsteps close by and she knew it was one of the miners. She had no idea what they would do if they did find her. She hoped that they wouldn’t do anything to her at all. The footsteps soon began to get closer as the nearby bot walked around the cylinder to check the side of it. At that point, Galaxy could see the shadow and she let out a light whimpering, sob, which it seemed like he heard her.

And with that, Galaxy jumped as she saw Orion lean down by the gap with a grin that said that he found her. However, as soon as his blue optics locked onto her yellow optics, his expression changed to shock as he widened his optics and stared at her. Galaxy was intaking and exhaling nervously as she stared back at him with tears streaming down her cheeks. Nothing was said by Orion as he stared at her.

He wasn’t just shocked that this was a sparkling in the mines. But he was also shocked by her appearance. The young femme’s face was silver and the shape of her helm was strikingly similar to his...at least the shape of the cheeks were. The two horns on either side of her helm was sharp, and the blue streak that ran from the horns to the femme’s cheek now ran down the side of the cheek of her helm. The top of the sparkling’s helm was smoother than Orion’s helm and Orion also recognised that shape from the helm of his best friend. Though at the base of the sparkling’s cheeks, a small, red, sharp spike curled upward against the femme’s chin.

The femme’s chassis and shoulders were white silver with blue panels beneath her undercarriage and down her stomach to her hip plate. Her wrists were light blue with streaks of red on the sides of her wrists, and her hands were silver with red fingertips. Her thighs were silver and her knees and calves were red with a blue streak down the outer side of each knee down to the tip of her toes in a wave shape. Orion didn’t know who this sparkling was, or who she belonged to, but the fact was, she bore a striking resemblance to himself and D-16...which was somehow impossible and Orion was really at a loss for words right now.

Chapter Text

Orion and Galaxy stare at each other for several minutes. Galaxy was nervous about what he will do, while Orion didn’t understand how a sparkling got into the mines. Nor did he understand that there was a sparkling at all. Mostly due to the fact that it has been decreed that no new sparklings shall be conceived and birthed until energon can start flowing once again in Cybertron. So seeing a sparkling was a moment of disbelief for him, and Orion had to look away and look back just to even make sure that what he was seeing was real. And she was.

Orion could tell that the sparkling was not new born. She was quite a few cycles older than one considered to be a new born, but she was still too young to be considered a youngling. She still needed low-grade energon, which wasn’t available anymore. Or at least, Orion did not think it was available. However, she seemed old enough to understand things and talk, but she definitely needed an adult transformer to still take care of her. And the mines was no place for a sparkling.

Orion intakes deeply and shifted to reach towards her, making her whimper and try to move back more. “It is okay, little one. I’m not going to hurt you.” Galaxy whimpered as she sniffled a little while staring back at him. “You don’t want to get yourself stuck in there. Come on, you have given everyone quite the...um...well you didn’t scare everyone, but you brought a bit of trouble.” Galaxy looked down a little while glancing at him. “Come on, it is not safe here for you. You need to go back to your parents.” Galaxy tensed and whimpered as she already knew her parents were gone. The bond she had with them was already severed when she stepped out of the pod. And it hurt knowing they were gone. Orion seemed to realize that something was wrong and he softened his expression. “I am sorry if something has happened to you, but you need to come out of there. Come on, I will not hurt you.”

Galaxy looked back at Orion’s optics as she could see the kindness and concern. While she was afraid, Galaxy could sense he was good. She shifted as she thought about standing up and moving towards him before she heard another bot suddenly land by Pax, which startled her and Orion as he had not been paying attention to anything else but her.

“Did you find it, Pax?” Elita asked bluntly in an irritated way. “If you haven’t, stop staring into that gap like an idiot and keep looking.”

“Uuumm...” Orion turned his head to look back at Galaxy as she had tensed again. “Well...I have...only it isn’t what I expected...or anyone else.”

Elita let out a loud sigh. “Honestly, Pax, it shouldn’t be that hard to get rid of a pest! But if you are too soft...” Galaxy whimpered as she saw Elita’s shadow move closer and the femme paused. “Wait...why did that sound like...” Galaxy jumped as she saw Elita leaning behind Orion. The pink femme widened her blue optics in shock as she stared at Galaxy. “A...sparkling?”

Orion nodded as he looked at the sparkling with a kind expression. “I...I never would have guessed...especially since no one has had a sparkling for many cycles. This is not what I expected at all...and I am kind of impressed that she managed to evade us all.”

Elita nodded a little in agreement. “Well...try and get her out without hurting her. We will need to tell Darkwing, since someone has clearly broken the rules.” Elita walked away over to the railings to look at the other miners. “Alright, everyone. You all can calm down and get yourselves ready to work. Orion has located the problem and we will be dealing with it. Darkwing...” Elita looked at the large bot as he stomped over to the stairs. “Um, I think you may want to contact some superiors, since what Pax found isn’t what we expected.”

Darkwing huffed angrily with clenched hands. “And what makes you think that my superiors are even going to care what you found, Elita? If you can’t destroy this vermin, I will do it for you…” He glanced up as D-16 landed behind Elita as he was curious to see what Orion had found. “D-16, did you not hear Elita? You are to get your aft over to the others and get yourself prepared for the day’s work. At this rate, you won’t even meet today’s quota.”

“I heard her, I did. I just want to see what Pax found.” D-16 walked over to Pax quickly and leaned behind him, and he widened his optics with a loud gasp of surprise. His own yellow optics lock with the yellow optics of a crying sparkling, who seemed to have colours and appearance that were strikingly similar to himself and Pax. Though that was impossible. D-16 stared for a moment and looked down at Pax. “Um…I can see why you are a bit…shocked.”

Darkwing huffed loudly as he stomped towards them. “This is ridiculous! I do not care what exactly about this thing has you stunned, but you have a job to do! So get yourself away from here to get a drill and get prepared!” D-16 was not moving as he was staring in shock, making Darkwing growl loudly as he stomped closer. Elita moved out of the way as she knew that Darkwing would not play around. “I will not order you again, D-16! You are to…” Darkwing paused as he heard a whimper and he was confused. “Hold up…” He growled and he suddenly pulled D-16 away and leaned to look over Orion’s shoulder and he was surprised to see the sparkling. “Oh…” Darkwing’s demeanour quickly changed from anger to surprise. “Wait…but this is impossible. No one has had a sparkling in cycles.”

“And, if I am to understand correctly, can’t,” D-16 commented as he frowned at Darkwing for pulling him away. “And I have no idea how she managed to move around without being seen, since that’s quite the skin on her part.”

“And it is very concerning she managed to sneak in here on the train you lot were on.” Elita intakes heavily and looked at Darkwing. “Like I said, this needs to be reported Darkwing. Sentinel Prime will have to made aware that there is a sparkling here, and a search has to be taken to find who had this femme.”

Darkwing grumbled lightly and walked away, which Galaxy was happy about, but she was still nervous. Orion had no moved as he felt that since he found her, he should be the one to get her out. “Ugh…you are right, Elita. Hmmph!” Darkwing growled and looked at Orion for a moment before looking at Elita. “I will go and speak to someone else about this issue. Make sure you get that little brat out of hiding before I get back. Some decisions will be made by the time I return.” Darkwing jumped and transformed before he flew away quickly.

Elita sighed deeply and looked at Orion Pax. “You heard Darkwing, Pax. Get the sparkling out. Just make sure she knows she is not in danger and no one here is mad. She just happened to give us all a big surprise.” Elita looked at D-16 with a stern expression. “And I know you want to help Pax, D, but this isn’t really something that requires more than one bot. Plus, we all probably scared the poor thing.”

“I know, but…I just was surprised about the sparkling. That is all…” D-16 rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he paced a little while Orion was still trying to gently coax the young sparkling to get out of her hiding spot. “I am surprised that she has managed to be practically invisible...or she was just too quick...”

“Sparklings can be quite quick on their feet, D-16. That is something I wouldn’t be surprised about. You all scared her that much. But at least she is unharmed, hopefully.” Elita intakes heavily and looked at Orion. “Making any progress, Pax? We really need her out of there before Darkwing gets back. He will scare her even more if we don’t.”

“I know. I’m trying. But she’s really frightened.” Orion wasn’t sure how he could coax the terrified sparkling out from behind the cylinder. He softened his expression some more as he stared at the femme. “Come on out, little one. I promise that nothing bad will happen to you. You will not be harmed.” Galaxy whimpered a little as she stared at him. “I wish I could take back what happened before. You didn’t mean to trip me or Jazz, so it is okay. It is forgiven.”

Galaxy sniffled a little as she knew she couldn’t stay where she was. Plus, when she had seen Darkwing, he frightened her. And Galaxy didn’t want to know how angry he could get. Orion Pax seemed to be very pleasant though. He had no aura that made her not trust him, so that was good. And she already had a sense from him that he was good, and she knew that there might be more to him than he was right now. And that made her relax some more.

Galaxy whimpered before she shifted away from the gap behind her and stepped forward, looking at Orion cautiously. The bot didn’t try to reach for her just yet, as he was being very patient. She murmured lightly as she stared back at him before she stepped forward and suddenly stumbled, making her yelp in surprise as she fell forward and Orion gently caught her before she hit the ground.

She looked at him in surprise. “Almost hit the ground. You are okay.” Galaxy stared at Orion as he stepped back and stood up slowly, holding her by the armpits before he held her against his chassic and shifted his arms around her to be more comfortable. “There we go, she finally left her hiding spot.” Orion looked at D-16 and Elita with a smile, while Galaxy stared at them for a moment before whimpering and wrapping her arms around Orion’s neck suddenly and burying her face into his shoulder. “Whoa, whoa! Uh…it’s okay…you aren’t in danger.”

Orion gently rubbed the sparkling’s back, though it was clear he had no idea how to comfort a sparkling, even though he was trying. D-16 smiled a little as he gazed at the sparkling. He saw that the back of the sparkling’s neck was blue with the white chassis that wrapped around from the front to the back. There were two red and blue stripes on the back of the chassis shaped like feathers, and there were more red and blue streaks down her back that were feather shaped. It was interesting, but it wasn’t something that made D recognize this bot was not like them.

D-16 walked over to Orion was the bot tried to comfort the femme. “She’s pretty cute, you have to admit. We never would have guessed that a little femme like that would cause chaos down here. Though I do wonder why she found her way onto the train.”

“I can’t help but think that too…” Orion looked at Elita as the femme was observing him silently. “Um…am I going to be in trouble for this?”

Elita raised an eyebrow in surprise and she shook her head. “Not sure why you would even assume that, Pax. A sparkling ending up in here really isn’t anyone’s fault. And you are currently excused from mining until this is dealt with. Especially as it seems that she is clinging to you right now.”

“I know.” Pax looked down at the sparkling and she still had her face buried into his shoulder and he looked back at Elita. “I feel awkward, since I really have no idea how to even…look after a sparkling…”

Elita snorted in amusement. “Somehow, that does not surprise me. With the stupid antics you like to get up to, seeing you as a sire to a sparkling isn’t something I could ever see happening.”

Orion made a face of a fake frown and rolled his optics. “That isn’t very nice, Elita. I know I can be a bit…outgoing and do things that are a little outside of protocol…” Elita’s eyebrow raised some more and Orion sighed. “Okay, maybe not a little, but I still take my job seriously. And if I had a sparkling, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to be careless with them. After all, sparklings rely on their carrier and sire for many cycles.”

“Yeah, even us, despite the fact many of us grew up without one,” D-16 said sombrely, which made Galaxy turn her head slightly and look at him in surprise, as she didn’t expect that. “But I agree with you, Pax. Sparklings are a serious business to care for.”

“They certainly are. I hope Darkwing will not take too long.” Elita groaned loudly before she frowned and looked at D-16. “You need to get down to the mines and begin working, D. I know Pax is your friend, but there is literally nothing you can do here. I have to remain being that I am in charge of you, but you need to go.”

“Oh…okay…” D-16 was disappointed that he would need to go into the mines to start work. He looked at Orion and placed his hand on his shoulder gently. “Wish I could stick around and assist, but duty calls...” D-16 flinched in surprise when the sparkling suddenly grabbed his index finger while staring at him. He looked at the sparkling in surprise and he saw that she wanted him to stay. “Sorry, little one. I have to go and do some work. You can’t come with me. It’s dusty, dirty and very dark. You have to wait here with Orion here.” The sparkling let out a low whine and shook her head as she tightened her grip, and D-16 saw more tears in her optics. D-16 was not sure how to respond. “Uh, come on, you have a strong grip and that is good. But I should go to work. Let me go, please.” She shook her head again and let out of a light sob. “Uhh…Elita…” D-16 looked at the surprised femme. “Um…I’m stuck now too…”

Elita looked at the sparkling as the little femme was refusing to let D-16 going. She frowned as she glanced at Orion, D-16 and the femme again before she shook her head. “Ugh…alright. I think you both should just come out and say it.”

Orion looked at Elita with a confused frown, not knowing what she meant. “Uhhh…I am not following, Elita. What should D and I say?”

“I wasn’t going to say anything in case it was just a coincidence. But this sparkling here…” Elita gestured to the sparkling and making Galaxy flinch with a light whimper. “Not only has your shade of blue and a slightly darker shade of red, like the under carriage beneath D’s chassis and the same shade of silver as D-16 on her chassis and helm, I could point out everything about her that make me see both of you. Especially her helm.” Orion and D-16 widen their optics as they suddenly became worried. Elita put her hands on her hips as she frowned. “So now I want to know if she is yours? I can’t help but notice how she is now clinging to the two of you like sire and carrier, and while I know neither of you carried, we all know that there are advanced procedures in using artificial gestational chambers and using the CNA of two bots to form a new sparkling. After all, that’s how majority of us were born.”

“Wait, wait, wait, Elita…” D-16 let out a nervous chuckle while shaking his head. “You can’t possibly be asking if this femme is our daughter. That’s ridiculous!”

“Well, I don’t know, D-16. She has your optics, and not even just the colour either. The shape of them are kind of like yours too…” D-16 tensed more as he glanced at the femme as she was still clutching his finger. “So I want to know if you happened to bribe a medic with some raw energon or freshly processed energon for their own stash for this to happen. Because when Darkwing returns, he is going to notice these details too. No one is foolish, D-16. So you and Orion had better fess up before things might get ugly and you find yourselves ripped away from your sparkling.” Galaxy smiled slightly as she listened to Elita as she knew it was just a coincidence. “But I am still hopeful this is just a coincidence, even if no one here would be surprised that the two of you are quite close to each other.”

Orion’s optics were wide with worry as he didn’t think this would be a problem. “Elita, this sparkling is not ours. I-I can see why you would assume that, and I am not sure why she is holding onto D, but she is not ours. Especially when no one is allowed to have a sparkling, and we would have already been in trouble for trying. It really is a huge coincidence.” Orion looked at the sparkling as she rests her cheek on his shoulder and he sighed deeply before looking back at Elita. “And you know that we cogless bots don’t really even have access to those facilities. Clearly, someone else has had this sparkling. And…” He glanced at D-16 with a raised eyebrow. “I didn’t think that our good friendship would be seen as anything more.”

Elita raised her hands with a slight smirk. “Hey, you know no one here will bat an optic should you both happen to have a beneficial friendship with each other. So you really don’t need to try and defend yourselves if that is the case.” Both Orion and D-16 didn’t know what to say to that while glancing at each other. “But you are also right, Orion. We do not have access to those facilities. They’re reserved for transformers, as without our cogs, producing sparklings is kind of not posisble for us since they needed for the whole process…I think…” Galaxy whimpered a little as she shifted and Orion had to pay attention so she would not fall. “Still…I think with how she is clinging to you both, you might be forced to go with Darkwing to the medical facilities to at least find her parents and give her back to them.”

“And…what will happen if her parents aren’t found?” D-16 asked slowly as he couldn’t help but feel a little concerned for the fate of the sparkling. “Will she be adopted by someone?”

“I…I wish I knew, D-16. This has never happened before.” Elita glanced up for a moment and she frowned as Darkwing was not back yet. “I hope Darkwing will not take long. And I guess since that sparkling isn’t letting you go, D-16, you can stick around. Not that you have much of a choice. Hopefully the other miners can get to work without my supervision.”

“I am sure they will be fine, Elita. But I hope they will not slack off while you aren’t watching.” Orion looked at the sparkling and she looked at his optics. While he didn’t know what will happen to the sparkling, Orion couldn’t help but find that she was adorable. She was looking at him in a way that made a tug at his spark. Even though he was not biologically related. “Well…whoever she belongs to, I hope they don’t let this happen again. She’s too cute to find herself hurt and stepped on down here. I am so sorry for tripping over you.” The sparkling smiled at him and murmured lightly with a chuckle. “Hmm…I wonder if you can talk yet…” The sparkling didn’t react to that other than just looking back at him. Orion didn’t really know if she was old enough or if something was wrong, but that was not something that was an issue for him. “Well, you are cute anyway.”

“And since she’s decided to hold me down, maybe I can hold her. Your arms are probably getting tired…” Galaxy immediately shook her head and frowned at D-16 for his suggestion. D-16 was surprised and looked at his hand before chuckling. “I see…it is okay for her to have a strong hold of me, but she doesn’t want me to hold her. Alright, I see…”

Orion smirked as he looked at D-16 in amusement. “Well…I mean…maybe you’re a bit too scary for her.”

“Scary? Nah, no, you just happened to be the first bot she had seen. Or maybe you do happen to look like one of her parents…” Orion groaned a little as he realized quickly that the subject of them being the sparkling’s parents might go on for some time. And even D-16 has taken on the joke it would seem. “But I’d say because you found her, and you weren’t forcing her out of that gap, that is probably the most likely reason.”

“Yeah, probably. At least we have an unusual excuse to not work for a while…but I imagine we will be needing to do some double time…” Elita nodded affirmatively at Orion, even though she knew that they weren’t at fault for this. “I hope Darkwing will be back soon.”

“He will scare her more than me. Especially with that grumpy nature of his. But considering this is an unusual situation…”

“He will still find some way to blame us, D-16. So I really don’t think we will be on his good side today at all. Especially me, since I’m in charge of all of you.” Elita glanced up as she heard the sound of Darkwing’s engine echo through the cavern and she sighed deeply. “He is on his way back.” The sparkling whimpered nervously as she had seen him before, and when she overheard how he spoke to the mining bots, she already knew she didn’t like him. “I hope that something good will be done for that sparkling.”

Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back gently as he watched Darkwing fly towards them. He could tell she was very nervous with the approaching bot, and he didn’t blame her. None of the miners really liked Darkwing due to his arrogance that he has due to the fact he has a t-cog and they do not. So he has abused that privilege a lot, and Pax was certain he has gotten away with some serious stuff before too.

Darkwing transformed and landed with a loud thud in front of Orion, D-16 and Elita, looking at them with a tense stance. Darkwing took notice that the sparkling was holding D-16’s index finger and she was not letting go. He looked at Elita. “I will take it from here. You just make sure that we meet the quota today, even if you have to push the miners, Elita-1. We are very behind due to this issue.”

“I understand.” Elita glanced at Orion and D briefly as she walked away and looked at Darkwing. “And I will await for them to return.”

“Originally, it was meant to be Pax to be given his shift off due to the unusual situation while we figure out this sparkling’s story. But...” Darkwing watched as D-16 tense visibly which seemed go amuse Darkwing. “I see that the sparkling is not letting you go, D-16. And as we do not need a potential tantrum, you two will come with me. We are taking her first to medical to ensure that sparkling is unharmed and to test her CNA to find her parents.” Elita said nothing as she simply nodded while walking away and turning her jet pack on so she could catch the other miners to begin the work.

“Right...so...that’s where we will be.” Orion was uncertain about it, but it was the best thing for the sparkling. He looked at the sparkling. “Can you let go of D-16’s hand now? He will be coming, we just can’t walk like this. Plus, your little arm must be tired holding onto him like that.” The sparkling whimpered before she relented after a minute and let’s D-16 go. “There we go.” Orion smile at her as she looked at him and she jumped as Orion and D-16 began to follow Darkwing. “I assume she will be seen by Ratchet.”

“He will be there, yes, but he may not be the one to deal with that sparkling if he is busy with another issue.” That wasn’t a surprise since medical was regularly busy. So Orion and D knew that Ratchet may not be the one who would assist with this. Darkwing huffed a little as he was clearly irritated by this. “Whoever had this sparkling and let her wander down into the mines are going to get it.”

Orion and D-16 were glad that Darkwing at least didn’t comment about the sparkling’s resemblance to them. But Darkwing also would have been told that this would be the case and both Orion and D would have been punished long ago. And as this sparkling was well over several cycles old, the sparkling had to be raised by her parents. Though they didn’t know what would happen should they fail to find her sire and carrier.

Upon reaching the elevator to head up to the medical center, Orion looked down at the sparkling to see she was just staring at the wall behind them. She didn’t seem interested or didn’t care about what was happening right at this moment. Or she was nervous, which seemed to be the most likely reason. Orion could feel the quick pace of her spark pulse against him, and he hoped she would be able to calm down. However, she didn’t seem excited about the idea of going back to her sire and carrier. Orion couldn’t help but think that something was wrong.

Once the elevator reached the correct level and the doors open, Darkwing walked ahead of the two mining bots to lead the way. Both Orion and D-16 have been here several times before. The hallway to medical was dimly lit with well cleaned and polished walls and floors that nearly reflect too well and can sometimes startle someone if they are not aware of this or paying attention. There were multiple levels in the medical center and this level was specifically for mining bots. And they had to come here, even though the sparkling was not from any of the mining bots. Darkwing had noticed that the young femme looks like Orion and D-16, but he also knew that he would have been told if any of the cogless bots would have tried to have a sparkling. So Darkwing didn’t make any comment about it like Elita had.

Darkwing made a right into a small room with a med berth and chairs. No medical bots were in here at this time, which meant they would need to wait. Darkwing was unhappy about this as he stood in the doorway with a huff. “I got told someone would meet us here! Ugh!” Galaxy flinched at the anger from Darkwing’s tone and she whimpered a little while hiding her face in Orion’s neck. Darkwing turned to Orion and D-16. “You both will wait here with that sparkling while I go and find someone. We have already wasted enough time! Ugh!”

Darkwing stomped around the two bots and stormed up the hallway in search of a medical bot to come and deal with this issue. Orion and D-16 glance at each other before they walk over to the chairs to sit down, not knowing how long they would have to wait, but that didn’t really matter at this time. Orion suspected that whoever was meant to be here was pulled away for something important.

Now that they were sitting, Orion tried to move the sparkling onto his lap, but the sparkling whimpered and she tightened her arms around him, making Orion wince a little as she accidentally pinched him. “She’s got a really strong grip.”

D-16 chuckled lightly as he looked at her with an amused smirk. “I noticed when she had a good hold of me. But that’s a good thing, Pax. Though I think the fact that you tripped over her and she managed to push Jazz down the stairs, even though it was clearly accidental, shows that this little femme is strong. Hopefully, that means she has a good future ahead of her.”

“I know…and I hope she does…” Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back gently and looked at her. “You are going to have to release me at some point, young one. I don’t know your name, but you need to go home.” She whimpered a little and just rested her cheek on his shoulder. Pax smiled at her and looked at D. “Though I can’t believe Elita thought that this girl is ours.”

“I know, but…I was pretty startled myself to see the similarities she has with us. What if we are related in some way?” Orion raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I’m not meaning that you and I are her parents, of course, but I mean…what if she is like a…distant relative.”

Orion had not thought of that, but it was possible. “That is interesting…but…I don’t think so, D. I think it is just a coincidence that she has any remote resemblance to us. Honestly, I think you and I got nervous over nothing.”

“I know. But...I am a little nervous that Elita may joke with the others that you and I are...closer than friends. I don’t know about you, you might be a good friend to me, but I’ve never felt any kind of way about your ugly aft.” Orion chuckled at D-16’s tease. “But I suppose we will just have to ignore it. You and I know we’re just friends. And you have had your optics on Elita for a long time.”

“Maybe…but I hope it won’t get too bad. Especially if Elita tells the others that the sparkling looks like you and I.” Orion knew that things will be a bit more difficult for himself and D-16 for a while due to this. “But I will say this, I think I miss this little one when she returns home. She’s cute and I think she likes the both of us.”

“Both? She might have grabbed a hold of my hand, but she hasn’t let me hold her. She’s stuck to you, Orion. But I am sure she will scream and fuss if I were to walk out of that door…” Galaxy whimpered as she looked at him immediately as he said that and D-16 smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere. But…I think this will make things difficult for the medic.”

“Yeah, I am starting to realize that too.” Orion looked at the doorway as there was echoes of loud arguing down the hallway, and he quickly realized that Darkwing was angry at someone. He didn’t know who, but he wasn’t about to peak out of the door. “And now Darkwing is on his way back.” The sparkling tensed and she buried her face into his shoulder. “It is okay. Darkwing might be a…uh…um…how should I say it?”

D-16 frowned slightly with a smirk. “That he’s a fragging…OW! Hey!” Galaxy turned her head slightly with wide optics as she heard Orion punch his shoulder suddenly. “What was that for, Pax?”

Orion gave him a are you kidding me expression and gestured to the sparkling. “You can’t be saying that around a sparkling, D. You know.”

D-16 was flabbergasted and Galaxy smirked a little as that amused her. “I really just can’t believe you said that.” Orion frowned at him and shook his head, making D-16 sigh deeply. “For Primus sake, you can’t already be feeling protective of something that isn’t even yours, Orion.”

“No, but we need to be mindful for the moment. So…we need to find the right words while she’s here.”

D-16 chuckled lightly and shook his head in disbelief. “Pfft, well…alright. I’ll play along, Pax. But I almost want to ask if you gave birth to a sparkling and hid her from everyone until now.” Orion scoffed and rolled his optics. “I’m serious! You just acted like a protective carrier just now.”

“No, I didn’t. I just feel like we should be responsible while she’s here.” D-16 chuckled some more as he knew that Orion wasn’t necessarily the most responsible or most mature miner, so him saying that amused him. “So just try not to use those kind of words around her.”

“Alright, well, I will do my best. But we can’t promise that Darkwing won’t use those words.” Orion knew that, and there was nothing they could do. “At least he isn’t angry at us.”

“Yet.”

Galaxy was nervous about the medic looking over her system. She worried that they would discover who she was with her CNA. Though as they would likely be testing her CNA to match it with another bot in the city, she hoped that they would not realize what she was. And Galaxy knew she was clinging tightly to Orion. But that was because she hoped that he and, or D-16 could care for her. She already knew that both clearly didn’t know a thing about sparklings, but she felt like they were a good fit.

In her deep recharge within the stasis pod, she knew that Oranos, her mother and father all told her to look for those who she believed would fit what she needed. And being in the presence of these two seemed right. Plus, if the miners are decided to be picked as her adopted parents, Galaxy felt she would be less likely to meet Sentinel for the time being. After all, it was obvious to her how the mining bots were treated. So she hoped to not be found for a long time, while waiting to return to the surface when the time was right. Though she didn’t know how many cycles that would take, but she was just hopeful that she would get what she wanted. And she would ensure to make a big fuss to make it happen.

Chapter Text

The loud arguing from the hallway in the medical centre seemed to continue for several minutes. Orion and D-16 were both feeling awkward as they did not know when someone would come into the room. Plus, the sparkling still held her arms around Orion’s shoulders tightly and has refused to loosen her grip this whole time. She didn’t like hearing the arguing that was happening outside the room, and she didn’t know if she should expect Darkwing to come back into the room furious at them about something. She hoped that he would not.

But they did not have to wait for long as the doors open and both Orion and D-16 smile as they both saw a medic walking into the room with a tablet in his hand. His blue optics look at the sparkling who immediately hid her face into Orion’s shoulder, though she saw that this bot was another cogless bot and he was white with orange shoulder pads and thighs. He had a medical badge on and he seemed to be a little irritated, but his composure was calm. Galaxy didn’t feel as nervous about this bot, but she was still nervous.

“Hi, Ratchet. I guess you have been brought up to speed on this strange situation, right?” Ratchet nodded silently as the medic kept his optics on the tablet in his hand and typed something on it. Orion forced a smile at the medic. “Um…uh…I hope that we can do what is right by this young femme today.”

“So do I, Orion.” Ratchet’s voice was calm and gentle as he spoke and Galaxy turned her head slightly to look at him. "It is certainly a situation that no one has expected. And there are zero records of anything regarding a new sparkling being born. But there could be an erased file, which is going to take hours to go through. Luckily, that is not my job.” Ratchet smiled at the sparkling and leaned down a little. “Hello, little one. I am Ratchet. I am one of the medics in this place. Don’t worry about all the shouting in the hallway outside. Darkwing is just speaking to one of the council bots who seem to be very unhappy. But not at you. Now I need to check your system and make sure you are healthy.”

Galaxy whimpered nervously and she looked at Orion nervously. Orion smiled at her gently. “It is okay. I am not going anywhere. Neither is D-16. We will be right here. Ratchet is the best doc here.” Galaxy glanced at Ratchet again while still unsure. Orion intakes deeply in amusement and looked at Ratchet. “Sorry that this might take a while.”

“Well, from what I hear, that’s perfectly understandable. She’s had a big day. Tripping a bunch of bots in the mines at her ages is quite impressive.” Galaxy turned her head away again and Ratchet chuckled a little. “Um...I’ve already organised getting formulated, low-grade energon sorted for her. If we are unsuccessful locating her parents, we at least have something to ensure that she is fed.”

“That is good. But...if her parents are not located, do you know what will happen to her?” Orion glanced down at the sparkling as she began to whimper some more as Galaxy did also want to know, even though she was going to do everything that she could to force the hands of the authorities to keep her with Orion and D-16. “I can’t help but feel a little worried.”

D-16 chuckled lightly and placed his hand on Orion’s shoulder gently. “I do not think we need to be worried, Pax. She will be well cared for. I think you are letting yourself get attached to a sparkling you may not ever see again.”

“I guess...but...there is a reason she ended up in the minds and it makes me worried about how and why it happened. Does that make me seem foolish?” D-16 and Ratchet shake their heads and Orion sighed in relief. He chuckled lightly at himself  “Good...though I probably sound more like a parent when I say stuff like that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Sparklings do bring out maternal instincts, even if you aren’t related. It’s normal. Plus, I agree with you, Orion. There’s no good reason why she ended up in the mines.” Ratchet looked at the sparkling to see how she was acting with Orion. He wasn’t bothered by the sparkling being clingy with Orion, as he expects it with all sparklings. “Do your best to have her let go of you, Orion. I do need to check her system, and I can’t really do that with her against your chassis like that. I know she wants to cling to you, but...”

“I understand.” Orion gently pats the sparkling’s back as he looked at her. “Come on, darling, you need to let go. Ratchet is not going to hurt you. We just need to make sure you are okay.” Galaxy looked at him and looked back at Ratchet. “He is the nicest doc here, so you will not be hurt. We will be right here next to you.”

Galaxy’s lower lip trembled as she listened to Orion. She knew that she was safe, but she was still worried. She looked at Ratchet nervously and looked back at Orion. The bot was giving her a very kind smile and she could see in his blue optics that he was silently encouraging her. He wanted her to trust them. And thing was that Galaxy did trust Orion and she also felt she could trust D-16. Ratchet was new, but she sensed he seemed okay. But she was still nervous.

D-16 leaned closer and Galaxy flinched as she looked at him with widened optics. “If you want, you can hold my hand again the entire time. I’m sitting closer to the berth anyway, so you can reach for me, if you want.” Galaxy murmured a little as she thought about the offer. “I know Orion here has made you feel safe, but you are in no danger. Come on, there will not be any scary things right now.”

Galaxy murmured again and looked at Orion. He nodded gently. “D is right, young one. I wish I knew your name...but you are safe. You can hold his hand, or if you want, I can swap sides with him and you can hold me hand.”

D-16 widened his optics in surprise. “Aw, come on, Pax. You should let me help her.”

“That’s really up to the sparkling, D-16. She clearly has had a hard day. Forcing her to do something would only traumatise her. Taking it slow is the best. Though...” Ratchet lifted his right hand to his chin to rub gently as he glanced between the two bots and the sparkling. “I wonder if she was abandoned at the mines on purpose. I can understand why you both seem concerned, given she has features similar to you both.”

Orion immediately groaned loudly with a grimace. “Don’t tell me you believe that she is related to us?”

“No, I do not. I am not foolish, Pax. It would never get passed me or any of the medics here about someone wanting a sparkling, let alone two cogless bots.” Ratchet saw that both Orion and D-16 were relieved and he could not help but chuckle. “I do understand your concern, Orion and D-16. Believe me. But I am also not a fool. She definitely would not have your CNA, unless someone plucked a pinch of energon from your veins to use as a means to create a sparkling. Though that would never happen in a million cycles.” Orion and D both chuckle as they relax now that they knew Ratchet never suspected any relation between them and the sparkling. “I suspect it was quite the shock when you first set your optics on her.”

Orion nodded. “Oh yeah. Not only was I shocked to see a sparkling in the mines, but the fact she looked like me and D-16 was what startled me and I thought I was seeing things. Until I realized that she was indeed real.” Orion gently moved his hand to the sparkling’s arms to try and pull them from his shoulders, which made Galaxy let out a whimper and a light sob. “It is okay, young one. As we said, Ratchet won’t hurt you.”

Galaxy whimpered again as she didn’t want to be moved, but she knew that if she remained stubborn, she would remain in the medical center until they would get the answers they wanted. She relented and moved her arms slowly from his shoulders. “There we go! You’re a strong, brave girl.” She smiled as she heard D-16 encourage her. She jumped as Ratchet gently picked the sparkling up and she let out a shriek while reaching towards Orion and D-16. “You will be okay.”

Galaxy whimpered as she stared at the two mining bots before glancing at Ratchet as he gently moved her in his arms to ensure she would be comfortable. He smiled at her gentle and Galaxy stared at him as he walked over to a device. “It is okay. The first thing I need to do is check your height and weight. You are kind of small, even though you seem like you are about four, maybe six cycles old.” He gently lowered the sparkling down, and she whimpered a little as he placed her on her feet and lets her go. She stood there as he turned on the device and it quickly scanned her height and weight. It only took half a minute before Ratchet gently picked her up again and moved her to the berth. “Alright, little one, I am going to take a small bit of your energon. It might hurt a little with a prick, but I need to get some to hopefully find your parents.”

Galaxy turned her head to look at Orion and D-16 before she shifted to crawl a little closer and reach towards D-16. D immediately took the sparkling’s hand with a smile and she smiled at him. “There you go. We are right here.” Galaxy really appreciated it and she sighed as little as she relaxed a bit. “That’s better. And I didn’t realize she wasn’t that old. I thought she was older.”

“No, she’s not showing signs of being older than six cycles.” Ratchet grabbed out a needle which Galaxy did not see. D-16 and Orion saw it while trying to think of how they would keep the sparkling from even noticing the needle. “She’s very young and needs to be with her carrier for many more cycles. But...someone has been cruel.” He looked at the sparkling and glanced at the two bots. “If you can keep her focus on you both for two seconds, that would be great.”

Galaxy turned her head to see what Ratchet said that when D-16 tugged on her hand a little and she saw him reaching to a port on his left side. “I think I might have something that you may like, young one. But you can’t break it.”

“Oh, wait, what are you...” Orion widened his optics as D-16 pulled something out of the side and he was shocked. “Uh, that Megatronus Prime miniature that you picked up yesterday? Why did you even bring that with you? It would break in the mines.”

“You know that he’s my favorite Prime, Pax. And maybe she likes him too.” Galaxy was surprised too and she looked at the figurine in D-16’s hand as he held it to her. “Here...” She let’s go of his hand to take the figurine gently and D-16 watched intently as she looked at it. “I don’t think you know who Megatronus is yet, but there’s a lot of word about him being thr strongest Prime to ever live.” Galaxy stared at the figurine as she did know of him due to the knowledge via the stasis pod she had been in for all these cycles. “I don’t know any stories about him, so I can’t tell them to you, but...” Galaxy yelped and turned her head in surprise as she saw Ratchet holding a syringe filled with energon and she looked at her arm to see a tiny wound. “It’s okay, young one. He just needs your energon to help find your parents.”

Galaxy whimpered a little before held the figurine back to D-16, which surprised him. He thought she would play with it, but Galaxy wasn’t interested. He took it back and he sighed before putting it back into his port and Galaxy looked at Ratchet as he injected a little bit of her energon into a tube on the side of another device and touched a few buttons to begin scanning and analysing her CNA. Galaxy shivered as it made her worry that her draconic CNA would be discovered.

Ratchet turned back to the sparkling and she flinched. “While that machine scans your CNA for a match in the system, I am just going to scan your system, little one.” The sparkling whimpered and grasped D-16’s hand again, making the miners chuckle and Ratchet smiled at her. “Relax, darling. I hope not one has mistreated you.” Ratchet raised his right arm and Galaxy watched the panel open before he began to scan her whole body and grabbed table again as the results were sent to it. He typed on it to begin reading it. “Good...there’s no sign of injury or abuse on here...hmmm...she is in good health, aside from lack of nourishment, which isn’t good despite no injury.”

“That’s good. I honestly thought she would have been injured due to how many of us she’s managed to trip or push. She’s a tough little than.” Orion looked at the sparkling as she smiled a little at the comment too. “At least that makes me feel better to know that. I guess the lack of nourishment is recent?”

“Hard to say, Orion. The results don’t necessarily show that. Oh? Odd...” Ratchet frowned suddenly and typed on the tablet a few times. “Huh...well, she has a t-cog, but it is not in her chest. That’s strange...” Both Orion and D-16 widen their optics in shock. “It’s on the right side of her abdomen, and it’s small...oh...” Ratchet’s expression softened as he read more results on the screen. “If the scan was accurate, I’m reading signs that her t-cog may not be functional.”

“Does that mean...she can’t transform at all?” D-16 asked slowly with a deep frown on his face.

“I am afraid not. She might have been born with a cog, but if it’s not functional like what it seems to be, then she’s essentially a cogless bot like you and myself.” Both Orion and D-16 felt sad for the sparkling. While they haven’t had a t-cog their whole life, they were sad that the sparkling had one, and wouldn’t be able to transform. Ratchet typed some more on the tablet and his frown deepened slightly. “Hmm...well...it also appears that her vocal processor may not be able to form words. She should be able to speak now, but she clearly can’t.”

D-16 frowned in confusion. “But...she can make noises.”

“Yes, yes, she can. But being able to make noises doesn’t necessarily mean she can speak. At least she can somewhat communicate her feelings. But actual communication will never happen.” Galaxy couldn’t help but feel relieved that the protocols that Oracle had put into her t-cog and vocal processor was working so well that it looks like a disability. Galaxy was trying so hard not to smile. Ratchet intakes deeply as he shook his head. “Other than those two things, she’s healthy. But...I now can’t help but think that these were the reason why she might have been abandoned.”

Orion shook his head with a disappointed, sad expression. “I don’t even think that I would do that. Especially since she has no control over that. Poor thing...if she could speak, she could tell us what happened.”

“Maybe not. She’s still young enough that her processor would only be able to process very few words. But yes, I agree.” Ratchet turned to the screen to see the result of her CNA scan. His frown deepened further as he was confused. “Uh oh...this is not good.”

“What isn’t good?” Orion asked while Galaxy tensed a little as she worried her draconic CNA was just discovered. “Do you know who her parents are?”

Ratchet turned to look at the two bots while glancing sadly at the sparkling. He stopped forward and the two bots were very worried. “I think there’s been a breach somewhere in the medical system. Her CNA results have not matched with any bot in the system.”

“Oh, scrap.” D-16 stared at the medic in shock. “What does that mean now?”

“It means someone may have gone and erased traces of her existence in the system. I’ll have to check the medical system to see if there is a match somewhere, but...there’s no record of a sparkling at all. Nor is there any relation to anyone. Which...shouldn’t happen.” Orion and D-16 glance at each other as they did not know what that meant. Ratchet shook his head with a deep frown. “Which means if someone has gone and erased important information, they are going to be in deep trouble.”

“Does it mean you will be investigated too, Ratchet?” Orion asked with concern.

“Yes, all medics will need to. We are the only ones with access to all the critical information about every single bot in Iacon. So if there is no data, it means someone has broken the law. While I have nothing to hide, I have no choice but to cooperate.” Ratchet intakes deeply and looked at Galaxy, making the sparkling whimpered and she turned to crawl closer to D-16, and he gladly picked her up to hold her, which resulted in her wrapping her arms around his shoulders this time. D-16 was very surprised by this, while Orion and Ratchet were amused. “And now I have no idea what will happen with the sparkling. If there’s crime that has happened, her biological parents are unfit to be her guardians. Therefore, their right to her will already be terminated.”

Orion softened his expression as he looked at the sparkling with sympathy. “I suppose she will get adopted, right?”

“Well...that is going to determine on Darkwing and those higher than him. Being that she’s disabled does mean she will need a patient bot. Especially since that bot would need to learn how to sign and to be able to teach that to her in order to communicate.” Galaxy had not considered that to be a possibility, which meant she had to pretend to not understand to prevent perfect communication. “And the worst part too is that she’s grown attached very quickly to the both of you. I fear that she will be a very frightened sparkling for a long time.”

“I was just thinking that too. We don’t even know a thing about sparklings, so I think we would not be the best fit. But...” Orion paused as he stared at the sparkling for a moment before smiling a little. “If it were even possible, I’d be willing to learn.”

D-16 scoffed in amusement. “You know it would mean that you stupid antics that you get up to can’t happen anymore if you were put on her care.” Orion shrugged because he didn’t think that would bother him. “It is a shame we don’t have any records, because she’s practically nameless.”

“Well, you could make a guess about her name and see if she responds.”

D-16 rolled his optics. “I’m not sure if that is even possible, Ratchet. We are better off at coming up with a new name. She might have numbers in her name like most of us do. Not everyone is lucky like yourself or Orion.”

“It couldn’t hurt to try. We don’t need to overwhelm the sparkling though.” Orion smiled at the sparkling as she looked at him. “Her mysterious appearance is no different to how mysterious our galaxy is...” Galaxy gasped with a smile as she nodded at him. Orion blinked in surprise. “Wait a minute...did I get it by accident? Galaxy?” The sparkling nodded her head again and Orion couldn’t help but feel happy. “Wow...that was quite coincidence.”

D-16 chuckled as he was a little jealous Orion figured it out without even trying. “I bet that isn’t her full name. But...Galaxy, huh?” Galaxy turned her head to look at D-16 with a smile. “I like it. I think it suits you...” D-16 was taken by surprise as she kissed his cheek suddenly and nuzzled his chin, which was a response he was not expecting, but it warmed his spark. “Aww...you are cute. As much as I would love to learn to care of you too, I’m not so sure Darkwing would even let any of us cogless bots raise a sparkling. Even if she can’t transform.”

“It is out my hands, I’m afraid.” Ratchet looked at the tablet as he had made a new medical profile for the sparkling with her heath and CNA record to ensure it was there. Ratchet looked up as they all heard the sound of Darkwing stomping towards the room. “Oh, joy. Here he comes. Time to break the news to him.”

Orion and D-16 both grimace as they both did not know what would happen when the bot entered the room. Galaxy whimpered and tightened his arms around D-16’s shoulders and hid her face into his shoulder. D-16 rubbed the sparkling’s back gently as he understood why she was afraid of Darkwing. He wasn’t the nicest bot around, and there was little they could really do.

The doors open as Darkwing huffed loudly as he walked into the room. “It seems you head doctor has discovered no record of that sparkling anywhere in your system. Please tell me that you were able to determine who the parents are for that little brat, Ratchet.”

Ratchet intakes deeply and shook his head. “It would seem that it goes deeper, Darkwing. Her CNA does not match with anyone in the system. I have determined that someone has gone in and deleted her existence and potentially...whoever is related to her, their CNA profiles have tampered with intentionally to hide their existence. And whoever was their medic...um...they might have been a close friend or were bribed.”

Darkwing growled a little and shook his head. “Ugh...that is what I feared would be the case. That is incredibly annoying and not good. I never would have thought that we would need to take a closer look at the medics. But…this day just got worse…”

Ratchet nodded in agreement. “I fully agree, Darkwing. I have now made a medical profile for Galaxy...”

“Galaxy? How do you know her name if there is no record of her?”

“Well...Orion figured her name by accident.” Darkwing looked at the bot who just shrugged with an innocent expression. Darkwing huffed and looked back at Ratchet. “In saying that...I have determined the reasons as to why she has been abandoned. Her t-cog is not in her chest like it should be. But it’s in the right side of her abdomen and it isn’t going to function properly. So she can’t transform.”

“Oh...so she is basically a cogless bot?” Ratchet nodded affirmatively. Darkwing grumbled a little as he pondered on the information he had just received. “Hmmph...is that all?”

“No. Her vocal processor is also incapable of forming words. She can make noises, but she will never be able to talk. She would need to be taught sign to communicate. I do believe all these disabilities have amounted to the reason why she was abandoned. But I do not know if it was also the reason why she was removed from existence, aside from the fact that her parents would be trying to hide they had a sparkling.” Darkwing was silent as he thought about what would need to happen. “I do recommend a thorough investigation will be required of all medical staff and the system itself. I know it is annoying, but all this is illegal and needs to be dealt with.”

Darkwing shifted on his feet and little. “This has complicated things so much...especially since that means we need to find someone to care for this sparkling. But...I also know she’s grown attached to those two glitches very quickly. Which will make things more difficult...but...” Darkwing watched as Galaxy was still clinging to D-16 and hiding her face in his shoulder. “There might be something. I will have to discuss a few more things with my superiors. With the information you have given to me, Ratchet, a decision shall be made. And that may include whether or not these two idiots will be considered as potential caregivers to this sparkling.”

D-16 widened his optics while Orion smiled as he was glad. “Darkwing, I would be quite prepared to learn how to care for a sparkling should that decision be made. I know that I do not know a thing about caring for them..."

"No one ever does, Orion Pax. Sparklings do not come with a manual, as every sparkling has a different personality and have slightly different needs. And, for the record, I did not mean just one of you caring for her. I mean the two of you…” Darkwing pointed at both Orion and D-16, which made them both flinch. “If she was attached to just one of you, I would agree. But no. I saw how she clung to you earlier, and now D-16. But until a decision is made, you are to remain here with the sparkling and keep her as entertained as you can.”

Orion nodded affirmatively. “Very well. We shall wait and do our best to keep her calm. Hopefully, she isn’t terribly hungry right now. I can’t imagine how long it’s been since she’s ingested any energon.”

“As I said, Orion, formulated low-grade energon is being prepared for her. It will take a bit more time.” Ratchet turned to Darkwing. “If I may, Darkwing, I think you will need me to inform the higher authorities regarding my observations before a final decision is made. I am not needed here right now, since the sparkling is in good health. So I do believe that my observations are better told from me.”

Darkwing grumble a little as he would have told his superiors, but he also knew that the medic would have more detail for him. “Fine. But make sure you make it very clear that we have a breach in the medical facility. You being a cogless bot and cooperating has already made me out rule you as a suspect, but all medics will be investigated.”

“I understand, Darkwing.”

“Good. We should go. The longer we stand around yapping, the longer these two have to remain while their colleagues work in the mines waiting for their afts to return to work.” Orion rolled his optics at the comment, which Darkwing either didn’t notice or ignored at this time. Darkwing glanced at Galaxy briefly before he turned to walk out with Ratchet following. “When we get back, you both had better have made sure that nothing happens with that sparkling.”

“We know, we know.” Darkwing huffed as he walked out the door and as the door closed, Orion sighed deeply and looked at D-16 and noticed his concerned expression. “Are you okay? She’s not clinging too tightly, is she?”

“Um, no she’s not. But…” D-16 glanced down as Galaxy loosened her grip and relaxed in his arms before she leaned back with a smile. D-16 smiled back at her before looking at Orion. “I am not so sure how I feel about potentially becoming a guardian to Galaxy. She…she needs bots who are not miners. We don’t have great living spaces, and we work long hours. That doesn’t seem like a good thing when raising a sparkling.”

Orion had not really considered that too much, so D had a point. Still, he liked the idea of it himself. “I can fully understand how you feel, D. Believe me. But I…after hearing everything Ratchet said, I really feel like that…someone has to take up the responsibility.”

D-16 smirked at him in amusement. “Which will mean you can’t just take off randomly to go searching for answers about the Matrix of Leadership, Pax.” Orion chuckled a little as he was aware of that. “Especially as I would kick your aft if you run off and leave me alone to care for Galaxy. Though at least she is passed the new born phase…”

“That still doesn’t mean she won’t keep us up at night.”

“That is why I am really not sure if we are a good fit. The only reason why I would think Darkwing would give her to us is not just because of her attachment to us. She’s practically a cogless bot like us, which means he might think she will just become a miner one day like us.” Galaxy was listening, though she was not worried either. She murmured a little and D-16 looked at her as she lightly tapped his chin playfully and D-16 felt his spark tug as she was adorable, but he also felt like they weren’t the right fit. “We need to look at this from a perspective that is realistic, Pax. I can see she likes a lot…and it hurts my spark to even…”

“Then why wouldn’t you even consider trying, D?” Orion interrupted gently as he watched Galaxy attempt to initiate some form of play with D-16. It was cute, as she still seemed to be uncertain, which was understandable. “You care for her, so we should try if given the chance.”

“I guess…but…I just worry that it will be the wrong decision…and it won’t be made by us. Ugh! Why couldn’t Elita or Jazz have found her before you?” D-16 groaned a little before flinching in surprise when Galaxy poked his right cheek. He smirked at her and she giggled at him. “What are you trying to do, Galaxy?” She murmured again and his expression softened. “It is a shame she can’t speak.”

“I think she’s trying to play.”

“Yeah…but…I don’t even know what she would like. I mean…”

Orion chuckled as he placed his hand on D’s shoulder and gently squeezed it. “There’s really only one way to find out, D. If we happen to become her caregivers, we need to know what she likes and does not like.” D-16 just hummed a little in agreement. “There may not be a toy or anything in here to keep the sparkling entertained…but, she might fall into recharge if we manage to get some energy out of her.”

“Yeah…I also don’t want to hurt her, Pax…um…you noticed she feels quite fragile, right?”

“I did notice, but she is still an infant. So of course, she is fragile.” Orion giggled as Galaxy poked his cheek again and she began to whimper a little. “Uh oh, looks like you’re ignoring her too much.”

D-16 grumbled a little before he lifted the sparkling suddenly and held her to Orion. “You take her than.” Galaxy whimpered loudly in surprise as she wanted to try and play with D-16 and tears fill her optics as Orion took her. “Since you seem like an expert.”

Orion was surprised at D-16’s reaction and he looked at Galaxy as she sniffled and the tears began to fall. He gently wiped them away with his thumb and her yellow optics look at him. “It is okay, Galaxy. D isn’t used to sparklings. But I’ll do my best.” Galaxy flinched as Orion lifted her up suddenly and sat her on his shoulders and she grasped the top of his helm nervously. “I got you, young one.” She could feel his hands on her ankles and she was intaking nervously before Orion stood up slowly. “Hold on tight, it might get a little bumpy.”

D-16’s optics were wide with worry as Orion began to jog around the room slowly, which Galaxy had yelped at first and she was clearly holding onto Orion’s helm tightly. D-16 did not picture this as the first thing that Orion would do, but it was not a surprise to him. But when Galaxy began to smile and giggle, D-16 relaxed and smiled as that was good. It made him realize that Orion might be a little rough if he were to be a caregiver of Galaxy. But he was at least glad that Orion was being gentle. D-16 did not interfere as Galaxy was having a lot of fun, and it kept her well distracted while they waited for Darkwing and Ratchet to return with the decision that would be made about Galaxy.

Chapter Text

As the two bots waited for Darkwing and Ratchet to return with more information regarding what will happen to Galaxy, Orion was still entertaining the sparkling. He had stopped letting her sit on his shoulders after about five minutes, and he was now laying on the floor with Galaxy tackling him. D-16 had watched the two bond, but he did join in and he was also laying on the floor while Galaxy would tackle one of them playfully and they would act out that she was stronger than them and keeping them down on the ground. For both Orion and D-16, it turned out to be a lot of fun to entertain a sparkling, especially as Galaxy was quickly able to engage with the two of them.

Orion currently faked falling onto the ground on his chassis and he rolled over as Galaxy jumped onto his abdomen. He grimaced as she landed a little too hard, but she didn’t seem to notice she had accidentally hurt him. “You got me again!” Galaxy chuckled as she grabbed at his hands and wrestled gently with him. “Oh, you are so strong, little one. I think you are holding me down too much now, Galaxy.” Galaxy giggled as she wiggled against him and she rolled to the left, making her yelp with a giggle as she slipped off before jumping back to her feet and crouched. “Uh oh, sneak attack!”

“Nah, that’s my job.” Galaxy yelped as D-16 picked her up suddenly, and she giggled as he held her up before playfully moving her around like a jet before lowering her to Orion and dropping her onto his chassis, which made her squeal loudly as Orion caught the sparkling. D-16 chuckled with a proud expression. “Sneak attack was successful.”

“Only because she was distracted. What do you say Galaxy? I think he was unfair catching you off guard like.” Galaxy giggled and looked at D-16 with a big smile. Orion stood up slowly as he gave his friend a playful expression. “I think he needs to pay for it.”

“Oh no, that isn’t fair. Two against one…” D-16 sarcastically folded his arms and he shrugged. “But…I guess if you want to try your luck, I will go easy on the both of you.” Orion’s grin widened and he began to jog forward, making D-16 chuckle and turn to jog from him as well. “Let’s see if you can catch me.”

“I think with all the chases I’ve had several times has made sure that I am faster than you, D. Let’s get him, Galaxy. We’ll show him what happens when he sneaks an attack on you.” Galaxy nodded with a giggle while clapping her hands excitedly as the two bots run around the room, while taking care to not run into any important medical equipment. D-16 was deliberately not jogging too fast as Orion got closer to him quickly. “Ah, ha! We almost have him.”

Galaxy giggled as she reached out and placed her hand on D’s right shoulder, he stopped immediately. “You got me, you got me.” He turned with his hands raised with a sarcastic, innocent smile. “I guess I will let you this one time to get me down…” D-16 paused as Galaxy’s smile faded a little as she yawned suddenly and began to rub her optics. D-16 was surprised, as was Orion, but they both were amused. “Uh, I guess the game has now ended.”

“So it would seem.” Galaxy shook her head and tried to pretend that she was not tired as the two bots walk over to sit by the berth again. Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back while she wiggled and tried to wrestle again. “It is okay, Galaxy. You had a big day, and I think that was about almost forty minutes of play.” Galaxy whimpered with a frown as Orion shifted the sparkling to cradle her, though she immediately tried to wiggle and continue to play. “Settle down now, Galaxy.”

Galaxy grumbled before she sniffled as tears fill her yellow optics. D-16 grimaced a little. “Ugh…she’s about the tantrum…” He winced when the sparkling began to wail loudly and Orion was still trying to soothe her by rubbing her back and bouncing a little, but she still wanted to play. “I imagine that is what you did as a sparkling too. Cry when you couldn’t play anymore.”

“I think a lot of sparklings do that, D.” Orion was a little nervous as he did not know what the best way was to soothe a wailing sparkling. He was really out of the zone, and he felt like he was doing it wrong. “Um…I hope I am doing this right…if we are to be picked as her caregivers, I kind of want to know how other bots soothe and quiet sparklings quickly.”

“Um…from what I understand, regardless of the method, it may not ever work. So…I don’t think you are doing anything wrong, Pax.” D-16 watched as Galaxy wiggled and tried grasping at Orion’s hands to try and wrestle again, but she was clearly upset and frustrated that they stopped. “Plus, if she’s really tired, sparklings will cry when tired too. And she may also be hungry.” Galaxy wiggled some more before D-16 sighed deeply. “Let me try…” As soon as he reached for Galaxy, the sparkling shrieked and turned sharply to hide her face in Orion’s shoulder. D-16 pulled back his hands, raising them innocently. “Alright, I guess you’re in charge, Orion. She seems to like you more than me, for some reason.”

“Or she just wants me because I was the only one holding her when she started wailing.” Orion was not sure if that was true, and he didn’t know if he should feel amused that Galaxy didn’t want D-16 right now or not. But as Orion was worried he wouldn’t get this right in trying to soothe Galaxy, he wasn’t sure if this was even a good thing. “But…you may still be able to help me figure out how to make her relax and stop crying.”

D-16 was really not sure how he would be able to do that since he wasn’t the one holding her. “Well...I can try, Pax...but you and I are both pretty useless when it comes to sparklings. And this is just proving it.” D-16 sighed deeply as he looked at the sparkling as she finally stopped trying to play and she was now just waiting loudly. “At least she’s not screaming...I’m not sure if that is something I’d want to experience in the middle of the night.”

Orion looked down at the sparkling as she continued to wail while he bounced Galaxy gently and rubbed her back. It did seem she was calming a little now that she wasn’t wiggling, but she was still upset and Orion hoped that they wouldn’t be in trouble when Darkwing and Ratchet return. Especially since Darkwing gave orders to keep Galaxy from causing trouble. This may not be considered as trouble, but it still worried Orion.

Galaxy’s wail softened briefly when she felt her tank grumbling and she glanced at her stomach before looking at Orion. He smirked a little in amusement. “Aw, I’m sorry. I don’t have any energon for you yet  Galaxy. I am sure that Ratchet will be back soon with a...” Orion paused for a moment and looked at D-16. “Would the formulated energon be in a cube or bottle?”

D-16 stared at Orion in shock for a moment before he groaned a little, as he would have assumed it would be obvious. “It will be in a bottle, Pax. I would have thought you would know that since low-grade energon is usually formed within the carrier’s body. No sparkling ingests regular energon until they’re much older. So it is obviously will be in a bottle. And I would hope plenty will be made, since I think sparklings need to ingest a lot.”

“Right...that seems to be obvious...sorry...” Orion looked at Galaxy as she buried her head into his shoulder again and he smiled as her wails had softened a little. At least the soothing seemed to be working, but her attention has definitely changed from wanting to play to wanting to be fed. “I wish I knew how long it even takes to make formulated low-grade energon too, because we could then give an estimate to Galaxy.”

“Are you kidding, Pax? She’s not even old enough to understand that.” D-16 shook his head as he placed the palm of his hands on his forehead in frustration. “Ugh…I know we don’t know much about sparklings, but I almost think you are too incompetent if you think that Galaxy even knows what a math equation is. She does seem to understand us, but we don’t even know how much she understands.”

“I suppose you’re right…I don’t mean to seem foolish. I guess…I am just nervous. Plus, I do want to learn…I mean…we would essentially become parents if they allow us…”

“Yeah, that is a concern of mine. I wonder how she would even be housed. I would hate to think that Galaxy would cause a riot in the sleeping quarters among the miners should she wake in the middle of the night for a feed or, Primus forbid, wake up sick.” D-16 highly doubted any kind of special treatment for him and Orion, only Galaxy would get it due to her age and the situation that she had been found in. “So it would be kind of interesting if we were picked…though we may ruffle a lot of jealousy from the others.”

“I am not so sure. Maybe some would be because we can’t have sparklings at this time…so for us to even become guardians to Galaxy and raise her would make some jealous. But not everyone.” Orion was not really concerned about how the other mining bots would react to him and D-16 being moved to ensure that Galaxy would have a place that was suitable. “I am not even bothered by what others might say and feel, D. The most important thing would be Galaxy’s comfort over everything else.”

“Ah, it seems I got back at the right time.” Orion and D-16 look at the doors as they had opened while Orion was talking to D. As Galaxy’s wailing was still loud enough, they didn’t even hear the doors opening as Ratchet returned. “Though it seems you have it under control. And...” He lifted his left hand to show a bottle filled with energon. “Here is some formulated energon for the sparkling. I imagine she’s quite hungry.”

“I can’t confirm for sure, but she is.” Orion looked down at Galaxy to see she has not turned her head yet and likely hasn’t realized. Ratchet walked towards Orion with the bottle. “We had been able to entertain Galaxy until this point. She has not been crying for too long...even though I am not sure if I have been soothing her correctly.”

Ratchet chuckled lightly at the bot. “You seem to be doing alright. I understand your concern, but you should also understand that even the right way to soothe a sparkling won’t make them calm down straight away. Sparklings have a very hard time controlling their emotions, so when they cry, it’s generally hard for them to calm down.” Ratchet held the bottle to Orion and he grabbed it from him. “But this should calm her down quickly.”

Orion looked down at Galaxy with a smile. “Galaxy, you don’t need to hide your face. I got something for you.” Galaxy turned her head to look at him with a frown before widening her yellow optics when he showed her the bottle. “I know you are hungry...” She whimpered and turned immediately, reaching her hands towards the bottle hungrily. Orion chuckled as he gently turned the bottle and Galaxy immediately latched onto the bottle as she placed her hands lightly on the sides and began to suckle eagerly. “Very hungry. At least that solves one more problem.”

“Indeed. I had a feeling I would come back to a crying sparkling, and coming back before Darkwing does was a good idea.” Ratchet sat down with a sigh. “But I will be able to tell you what is going to happen. It would seem that because of Galaxy’s unfortunate disabilities, she’s considered cogless in the eyes of the transformers and they want her trained as a miner eventually.”

“Ah...that is a shame...and not surprising either…especially given that Darkwing likes to treat us poorly.” Orion couldn’t help but frown as that made him worry that Darkwing would mistreat Galaxy simply due to her to become a miner when she did get older and they couldn’t really protect her due to their status. “I guess that means that D-16 and I will be her guardians, right?”

Ratchet nodded. “Yes. The paperwork regarding it has started, but you are given the option to refuse and the option to adopt the sparkling will be extended to the other miners as well. But if you accept, you will only need to sign a few things and a separate quarters will be set up so that you and the other miners will be comfortable.”

D-16 groaned a little. “I was a little worried we would be chosen...but...I must admit, Galaxy has grown on me. I suspect that this issue will go all the way to Sentinel?” Galaxy tensed as she listened to D while she drank the energon from the bottle.

“Eventually, when he gets back from his current surface expedition. But only to inform him of the issue. Sentinel won’t be involved directly.” Galaxy relaxed a little, though she was still worried since he may look into her existence more closely, despite there was no knowledge that draconic bots can transform. Ratchet gave D-16 a curious expression. “Were you hoping to not be her guardian, D-16? You can refuse to sign guardianship.”

D-16 grimaced and glanced at Orion who seemed disappointed, and Galaxy didn’t seem to notice since she was focused on filling her tank. He gazed at the sparkling and he looked away. “Well…it is not because I didn’t want to care for her. I do. In fact…in the last few hours since we have known her, we have already developed a bond. My basis for hoping not be guardian was simply because that I have no cog…and our shifts are pretty long. I just don’t know how we would even have time to do anything with her. Especially since Galaxy will need time to play and relax with us.”

“Ah, I see. I understand.” Ratchet could truly see why D-16 would be concerned. But he also knew that things would be altered a bit for the two bots. “Darkwing has not refined the details yet, but since you both may become her guardian, he is changing a few things to make things more realistic. While Darkwing doesn’t care about the sparkling as much now, since he thinks any bot with a disability is worthless…” Orion frowned immediately as he did not believe that for one second. Especially since Galaxy’s disabilities wouldn’t hinder her that much in life. “There are laws to follow regarding sparklings. Which does mean you will be given additional recharge time, a smaller work shift and, should she get sick, you will be given time off to focus on the sparkling. I don’t know if anything else will be added, but that is part of the things that will be allowed for you two.”

“That is good. So long as it benefits Galaxy.” Orion was pleased to know that things would change for them so they could care for Galaxy properly. And he would definitely learn how to sign so he could teach her to sign and they would than be able to communicate. Orion looked at D-16 curiously. “I’m going to be signing my name to be Galaxy’s guardian. Are you going to as well, D? She would be terribly upset otherwise.”

D-16 nodded. “Yes, I will. I know I probably gave the impression that I wouldn’t and you would end up as a single parent.” Orion nodded because that is exactly what it seemed to him. “But there is no way I’m going to let you care for Galaxy on your own, Pax. Galaxy wanted both of us to stay with her when she was found, so I am not going to break her spark by walking away. Especially since we did have fun before. And…” He smiled as he looked at Galaxy. “I know she’s bonded to you more, Pax, but…I can tell that she really likes me too. So…I will agree.”

“Excellent. Taking on such a responsibility is understandably daunting, D-16, but I think you will also find that it will be rewarding. Hard work, but rewarding. And it also saves us trying to find another bot who will take her, which I think would take too long to do. Galaxy may not even bond with them. So you both are the best, since Galaxy pretty much picked you both from the start.” Ratchet knew that a lot of adjustments would be needed on their behalf to get used to a new lifestyle, but it was to be expected. “I am going to also look for things that will be useful to you both. I know there are sparkling harness where they can sit on the front of your chassis in a secured, comfortable carrier, and that could be good while you work. Luckily, they have not been thrown out.”

“Mmm…not in the tunnels. Maybe when moving things around like carts or loading the energon into the processors, but I wouldn’t think about taking her into the tunnels. That would be dangerous. She might be taught to be a miner, but she’s way too young to be in the tunnels due to them sometimes being unstable.” Orion did appreciate the offer though, since it would be useful, but just not in the mining tunnels themselves. “But it would definitely be useful. Anything would be. She will definitely need toys as well to entertain her. We don’t have anything.”

“That won’t be a problem, really. Hopefully, Elita won’t mind having her around in the mines with you. Because you can’t leave Galaxy alone, so she is going to have to go with you each day to the mines.” Orion and D-16 both grimace as they had no idea how Elita was going to react. Ratchet could tell that both bots weren’t looking forward to it, and he understood. “Formulated low-grade energon will be delivered regularly as well. Sparkling appetites are quite substantial. She will probably wake you up in the middle of the night for a bottle at least.”

Orion smiled as that was something he would expect. “As long as we can feed her, that does not bother me one bit. I’d rather be awoken by a hungry sparkling than a sick sparkling.”

“Well…that will happen, Pax. But…we will just have to deal with it when it happens. Hopefully it won’t scare the spark from our bodies.” D-16 looked at Galaxy as she whimpered a little and he noticed she was trying to fight to keep her optics open. She had already drunk half the bottle and she had slowed down. “At least she will be getting some recharge. And she will be lucky to get a comfortable berth over a recharge station like we get. I often wish to lay down and put my feet up while we recharge.”

“Unfortunately, it is the life that we have to live, D-16. Even I, a medic, do not get the privilege of a proper berth. It is just how it is…” Ratchet shrugged as he was unbothered by it, even though it would be nice to have a proper berth. But it was a life that the cogless bots were used to and have accepted. “But a sparkling cannot recharge in one. So she will get a berth. Hopefully a proper berth for a sparkling, since if she is still adventurous, there maybe another incident where she will slip out of your new quarters and wander through the city.”

Orion chuckled a little in amusement. “That will certainly be something we will want. I myself do tend to also wander into the city…” D-16 side eyes Orion with a sharp expression, which Orion completely ignored. “Whenever I want to try and find something new in the archives again. But…I know how to handle myself…” D-16’s expression sharpened and he rolled his optics as he listened to Orion. “But, from our experience today, we will definitely want a proper berth so she can’t climb out of it. But…if she does, hopefully she will stay with us.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “Way to put another worry in our processors, Ratchet. I didn’t need to think about having to worry about that.” He rubbed the right side of his head and shook his head with a light chuckle. “But…I suppose it is better for us to think of that than when it happens and we act all shocked.”

“I know it is a lot to process, D-16. I really do. No one has had a sparkling in over forty cycles, so a sparkling this young, really is a surprise and there is going to be a long, in-depth investigation. At least Darkwing does believe I was not responsible, but I have reassured him that I will cooperate. So…knowing what to do with a sparkling, especially since you both are now new parents, essentially, there is not much of a manual. You’ll just have to learn as you go.” Which has made both Orion and D-16 nervous, but they were excited at the same time. “You both will learn very quickly, that I can assure you. I can really only help with things like ensuring that formulated energon being produced regularly, providing medical treatment if and when it is needed, though there will be the occasional appointment just to check on basic health of her system and, of course, making sure she gets things like toys and a harness to make things easier for everything. I cannot be there with you both with help.”

“That might be the case, Ratchet, but we are very grateful with everything you have already done and told us so far,” Orion responded with a grateful expression. “To be honest, Galaxy hasn’t even been difficult. I think…”

Ratchet smirked and raised his hand to gently interrupted Orion. “Ah, ah, don’t say that she will be easy moving forward, Orion. You have only known her for a couple of hours, Orion. When she settles in, her full personality will come out. She might be very clingy with you, but believe me, she is most likely still just getting used to the both of you.”

Orion had not considered that, nor did D-16, so they both were shocked, but grateful that Ratchet would warn them. Orion sighed a little and he smiled as that didn’t bother him at all. “Well…if that is the case, then we will deal with it as time goes on. I am sure D and I will do a good job with Galaxy…even if she is doomed to become a miner like us.”

“Yeah…it is a shame she won’t get a choice. But we can’t do much, I guess.” D-16 glanced at the doors curiously and looked back at Ratchet. “I suppose Darkwing will come back with the paperwork for us to sign, right?” The medic nodded affirmatively. “Right…how long will he be?”

Ratchet shook his head with a shrug as he genuinely did not know at this time. “I wish I knew. When Darkwing dismissed me, he was still in deep conversation. So it might still be going on, and preparations may have already started to accommodate the sparkling. But…as far as when he will be back, I really don’t know. It looks like you will not be able to go back to the mines today, and I believe Darkwing has contacted Elita regarding the issue, given what we now know.” Orion and D-16 were glad that Elita was given some update on what is happening, but they also both know that Elita may also put them to work double time to make up for today. Which they were not looking forward to. “At least you will be given time to not only get prepared to officially take Galaxy in, but your new living quarters will be prepped today and you will be moved into it. While I am sure you don’t mind having a break from mining all day, today has still been quite busy.”

“I think caring for a sparkling is a different type of work anyway,” Orion commented and Ratchet nodded in agreement. He looked down at Galaxy to see she was almost finished with the bottle, and her optics were closed currently, but she was still drinking. Her hands had slipped off the bottle before and her arms were now laying limp as she was clearly fighting recharge to ensure her tank is completely full. “At least she will be in recharge for a little bit soon.”

“Yeah, but don’t expect her to be in recharge the full night tonight. She will definitely be restless. And since she’s clinging to you…it will be interesting to see how she will react to being placed in a soft, comfortable berth verses recharging in your arms.” Ratchet smirked as he rested his hand on his right cheek. “And, to be honest, I kind of think parenthood surprisingly suits you both.” Both D-16 and Orion widen their optics in surprise. “You have both shown how quickly you have adjusted to the situation and taken care of Galaxy’s needs. And while you have definitely earned Galaxy’s trust, Orion, I am also very impressed about the tact and valid concern you have had regarding Galaxy, D-16. Both of you clearly are needed in her life, even if this was not something you ever expected.”

D-16 couldn’t help but feel a little flustered by it, while Orion was very happy about the compliment. They never have considered having a sparkling to raise in their life, considering new sparklings have not been born in many cycles, but they both have found a sense of joy already with the short time they have spent with Galaxy. She has clearly touched the sparks of both of them, especially after learning about Galaxy’s potential situation through what could be seen as corruption with how there is no evidence of this sparkling’s existence.

“Thanks, Ratchet. That is nice of you to say…” Orion glanced down at Galaxy again when she coughed a little and he smiled when she coughed a little energon out of her mouth. She had just finished the bottle and she opened her optics a little. He placed the bottle down and looked at Ratchet as the medic quickly grabbed a cloth and held it to him. He smiled gratefully and looked at Galaxy to wipe her face. “There you go, Galaxy. Nice and full now.” Galaxy smiled at him before she yawned and rubbed her optics. “Go and recharge now, young one.” Galaxy closed her optics and shifted a little so her cheek rested on his chassis and she could hear the pulse of his spark within his chassis. Orion couldn’t help but feel his spark swell and he couldn’t help but kiss the top of her helm, which made Galaxy smile. “You had a big day already. Recharge well.”

D-16 watched Orion with a smile and he chuckled a little. “It has not even been a full day yet, but I guess sparklings do recharge a lot. Would this be considered a nap?”

Ratchet nodded. “Yes, it most likely would be considered that. But you will find it to be completely normal, D-16. She will likely recharge for a few hours before she wakes up and she will be full of energy once again.”

“Good. That way, hopefully, we shall have a new place by then. And maybe she will wake up to see it straight away.” Orion knew that may not happen, but it was something he was hoping for. Especially since a sleeping sparkling would give them the time to do things without her unintentionally distracting them with things she may do. Orion looked at Ratchet as he softened his voice to keep himself from waking Galaxy accidently. “How long do you think Darkwing will be chatting his superiors?”

“Um…to be honest, it didn’t sound pleasant when I left…so…maybe another hour at least. I am not sure. But I am afraid you are both stuck here. And I was instructed to wait here unless I am needed elsewhere, and at the moment, I am not. I think Darkwing wants me here to ensure there isn’t suspicion among the others, in case a fellow medic realizes that they know Galaxy and try to do something.” That made sense, as it was best that Galaxy wasn’t made known the entire medical staff right now. “So I’ll be keeping you guys company until Darkwing comes back.”

Both D-16 and Orion did not mind at all, because that meant they could talk some more about sparklings, or at least, whatever Ratchet knew about sparklings. He seemed to know more about them than they did, but it made sense due to him being a medic. Regardless, now they had to wait more again for any further information. They at least knew that they would Galaxy’s guardians, and both D-16 and Orion were happy, even though D-16 was more nervous than Orion was. Especially since he had no idea how their life was going to change moving forward. But they would be doing it for Galaxy. She needed them, and they knew it.

Chapter Text

Another hour passed on which has made Orion, D-16 and Ratchet bored. Orion had tried to place Galaxy down on the berth earlier, but that made her wake briefly and clutch him in a panic. This was something Ratchet had warned him about, even though it surprised him. So Orion was forced to hold Galaxy the whole time, and he had to soothe her again to get her to fall back into recharge, which took about fifteen minutes. Even though they were bored now, they were all still quietly talking about the sparkling and the future a little bit.

Though it was getting harder to just sit and wait as they were getting irritated and they wanted to go do some actual work. Especially Ratchet. But nothing need his attention, so he had to remain until Darkwing would come back. Whatever was being discussed was probably very heated, so they were all expecting Darkwing to return with a bad mood. And Orion hoped that he would not wake Galaxy with his temper, but that was not something he could really control unfortunately.

And they were all correct as Darkwing returned huffing and puffing in irritation. However, he noticed very quickly that Galaxy was in recharge, so he lowered his voice a bit. He was holding a tablet in his hand as he looked at Orion and D-16 before turning to Ratchet. “I assume you have already informed them of the situation?” Ratchet nodded affirmatively. “Good.” He turned to both cogless bots, glancing between the two as they were look back at him nervously. “Have you agreed to be this sparkling’s guardian, or have you decided to let someone else take care of her?”

“We have both agreed to be her guardians, Darkwing. Orion and I have bonded with Galaxy and we all agree that it would be worse for Galaxy if she was placed with someone else.” D-16 glanced at the tablet in Darkwing’s hand curiously. “Ratchet said we need to sign something. I assume that in your hand is it?”

Darkwing nodded. “It is. I need you both to sign so you can be legally her guardians.” D-16 stood up and walked over as Darkwing held the tablet out. He looked at Ratchet. “You are dismissed, Ratchet. The investigation into the medics and system will begin shortly. I suggest that you don’t breath a word of this to anyone.”

“I understand, Darkwing.” Ratchet stood up and walked towards the door before looking at Orion and D-16. “I am sure you guys will do well. I’ll make sure that formulated energon is made regularly and delivered to you, and I’ll also ensure there are toys and the harness delivered to you as well.”

“Thanks for your help, Ratchet. Hopefully, you may become the medic who checks on Galaxy in the future.” Ratchet smiled at Orion as he nodded in agreement and turned to walk out of the room. Orion sighed a little and looked at D as he held the tablet to him. “Thanks, D.”

D-16 smiled at Orion as he watched Orion carefully move his right hand while ensuring that Galaxy was undisturbed to sign on the tablet. “You’re welcome. With your hands full, this is the least I can do.” D-16 waited until Orion was finished and he turned to Darkwing to give the tablet back to him. “All done, Darkwing. This is quite the, um...awkward situation.”

Darkwing scoffed in agreement. “You dolts have no idea just how irritating this whole thing is. And none of you is at fault. But I have to observe you both now for a few deca-cycles to ensure that we have not made a mistake entrusting you with that sparkling.”

“We promise that you will not be disappointed, Darkwing.” Orion stood up and shifted Galaxy a little in his arms so she could be more comfortable, which made her stretch her legs in her recharge a little and murmur lightly. “We do admit that it will be a learning curve though.”

“That will be expected. But you will be learning fast, and I will be ensuring that you both learn how to communicate through signing so you can teach Galaxy. And I’ll make sure that Elita-1 sets up times so the other miners learn sign so they understand her as well.” D-16 and Orion were pleased with that, because they definitely want to communicate with Galaxy. Darkwing leaned a little towards Orion, making him step back in concern. “And you are going to have to stop your little expeditions to the archives, Orion. With a sparkling, you will not be allowed to just walk out on your responsibility with her anymore.”

“Oh...you know about that?”

Darkwing let out a light chuckle. “You don’t think those sentries and I are not friends, Orion? They have told me many stories about the times you have broken into the archives. I can’t figure out why you want to anyway. But that stops today.”

Orion was a little uncomfortable that Darkwing knew he has been to the archives several times, but he also wasn’t surprised. “Well...you can trust me to ensure that Galaxy will come first.” Darkwing huffed as he didn’t seem to believe that. “Um...are we going to be stuck here for much longer?”

“No, I was able to organise your new living quarters to be prepared while I was in the meeting. It is almost done. We can head over there now.” Darkwing turned to walk out of the room with the two bots following him. “Ratchet may have touched on it, but rules for you two have been altered in favour of the sparkling. While you will still work in the mines, Galaxy’s well being will be more important. So your shift times have been altered so you start later and finish earlier than you are used to. And, if Galaxy falls into recharge while you work, one of you will be allowed to bring her to your living quarters and stay with her during that nap.”

D-16 glanced at Orion. “If Galaxy has her way, you will be the one to go with her every time she needs a nap.” Orion smirked in amusement, even though he had doubts about that will happen all the time. “But maybe it will be different each time.”

“That will be between the two of you, so I don’t care how you decide who will go with her back to your living quarters to ensure she recharges. You may also do that if she has a tantrum that causes a lot of distraction to the other miners. Only until you get her to calm down, of course.” Darkwing led the two bots through the hallway and both Orion and D-16 knew they would be heading to a train. “And if that sparkling gets sick, you will be given the right to stay and care for her. At least one of you. I’ve also communicated specific instructions to Elita regarding Galaxy. As this sparkling has no where else to go, she will be with you when you go to the mines. So rules will be in place to ensure she does not get hurt.” Darkwing turned to give a sharp glance at both of them. “And you both had better make sure that she does not get hurt.”

“We will do our best, Darkwing. We know we can’t guarantee that it will be perfect as I expect she will get hurt at some point. Hopefully it will just be a mesh wound and nothing more.” That was something that would be expected if a small accident were to occur. And Darkwing certainly didn’t expect the bots to be perfect, but to take responsibility. D-16 glanced at Orion curiously. “I guess this means you and I are going to have to really talk about what we will do when we start working in the mines and looking after Galaxy.”

“I agree. Especially since we need to also agree on who takes Galaxy to let her nap. Um…is Elita aware of that too, Darkwing?” Darkwing nodded and Orion was relieved. He was certain she would be be frustrated right now. “Good…I am sure she has been voicing her opinion about it to the others.”

“Oh yeah, she would definitely be doing that right now. Hopefully…she won’t mind after a little while. It is going to take time for us to get used to it. More us than everyone else, since we are now parents to this sparkling.” D-16 felt weird saying that since he never thought he would be raising a sparkling. He than realized something and he groaned a bit. “Ugh…in a way, this will add a bit of fire now that everyone in the mines think Galaxy is our sparkling. And they may think you and I are in a closer relationship than friends.”

Orion chuckled while shrugging. He didn’t care like D did. “You should relax your processor, D. It will blow over pretty quickly, D. Everyone will get used to having Galaxy around, and maybe, she will find a few aunts and uncles along the way. We just need to get through the first stage, and we will be fine.”

“I don’t know, Orion…I am a little worried…”

“I think you are worried over nothing that serious, D. Besides, even if you and I were closer than friends, no one would bat an optic about it. So you need to just put aside what they might say and ignore it. It isn’t true and we both know it.” D-16 did know it, but he did have a bad habit of worrying about the impressions they make on others. Orion never was like that as he was a very free-spirited bot. “And to be honest, I think this will be a very good impression to everyone else. No one is going to think what we are doing will be bad. I mean, you and I are stepping up for this sparkling we know nothing about. Who else would even take up the responsibility? Jazz wouldn’t.”

“You have a point, Orion. I don’t think any of the other miners would…but…they haven’t really been put in the spot like we were. Especially with Galaxy clinging to us the way she has.” That might be true, but that didn’t mean they would react the same way as Orion and D-16. “Still…I can’t say I am disappointed in this decision. If anything…it means we are doing something more than just waking up, ingesting some energon, go to the mines and work for many hours, return to the living quarters to ingest more energon, have an oil bath or shower and recharge…that’s our life, with the occasional hobby in between. And that rarely happens.”

Orion agreed. While he himself has taken the liberty of sneaking off to head to the Iacon Archives to try and find our what happened to the Matrix of Leadership, which has resulted in being chased and beaten many times, Orion was happy that they now had some other purpose. Galaxy was not something they imagined would be someone who would change their lives, but Orion couldn’t help but feel incredibly grateful for her existence. He feared her young life was filled with pain, and he hoped to relieve that for her.

Darkwing huffed as he led the bots to the end of the hallway while listening to them two. “I guess I am unsurprised your fellow miners were dumb enough to think that sparkling was yours. Resemblance means nothing when it is at the CNA level. There are many bots in the city who look similar to each other. It’s nothing more than an unusual coincidence.” As they step out of the medical centre, Darkwing, D-16 and Orion walk over to the train platform to wait for one to arrive. “It is amusing to me that you seem happy for a different routine. You’ll get sick of it soon enough.”

Orion rolled his optics as he did not believe that he would. He glanced down at Galaxy to see she was deep in her recharge right now. He noticed she had moved her right thumb to her mouth and he thought she looked incredibly adorable. Despite not being actually related to this sparkling, Orion couldn’t help but feel a sense of love for this sparkling. He has known her for a short time, and she has won his spark over completely. His life felt like it will be easier now, and he was going to take a lot of joy raising this sparkling.

The train arrived after several minutes of waiting and the three of them stepped on, and Orion sat down so he couldn’t accidently fall with Galaxy. D-16 watched as he was a little jealous that Orion was cradling the sparkling without any trouble. He knew that Galaxy would accept it later, and she would get more comfortable around him too, but he was a little jealous regardless. And he could not help but see how happy Orion was. He couldn’t blame him. D-16 would be just as happy as him too. Though he was curious about their new living quarters.

D-16 turned to Darkwing curiously. “So where is our new living quarters? Is it near the normal living quarters?”

“Yes, though it is in the empty building that was once used for storage. It has not been used in years, and it was going to be destroyed to make space. But now that this has happened, it has already been modified and fitted for use.” D-16 was glad to hear that as it sounded like they would have a lot of space for themselves. “There will storage for your own energon reserves, and the formulated energon for your sparkling. Ratchet has organised toys, a harness, berth and first aid to be delivered, and they should be there now. I think they are just finishing the plumbing now so you and Orion can have access to an oil shower. As for that sparkling…” Darkwing gestured towards Galaxy without looking at her. “There will be a tub for her. Ratchet said there will be oil and water options, as the sparkling will inevitably get dirt in the mines. So he simply said that the water will be rinsing off any dirt and lathering the sparkling specific body lotions and the oil for the next part. I didn’t realize sparklings had a whole bath routine compared to us…but they do.”

D-16 and Orion definitely didn’t know that either, but it made sense. Sparkling bodies were weaker than mature bots, and so they required additional care to ensure they were clean and that nothing would get into their joints. And as Galaxy was definitely going to get dirty in the mines, no matter how much they try to keep her away from the tunnels, it would be beneficial for them to know about how to wash her properly. But at least there would be a tub for her to be washed it. It would be interesting to see if she would sit and get washed, or if she would wiggle and make a fuss.

Orion couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “Sounds like Galaxy will be a little spoiled. But I guess if it is something we will have to do, we will do it. Though it will probably be a daily thing, since getting dirty in the mines every day is pretty normal for us. And it will be for her too.”

“I mean, we have daily oil baths too, Pax. So it wouldn’t be that unusual. Though we would have to ensure she would be bathed and clean first. I guess we will be taking turns with that.” D-16 did not mind that fact at all. Though hearing about how the routine may go was also very fascinating. “Is there anything else we should know about our new living quarters, Darkwing?”

Darkwing was silent for a moment as he thought about it. “No, not really. It isn’t going to be fancy, if that is what you are hoping for. Neither one of you will ever get that kind of treatment. Just so you know, when Galaxy is old enough and becomes a miner herself, you will be moved back to the original, living quarters for all miners. So don’t expect this place to be where you live forever. It will be demolished eventually.”

Orion and D-16 were both disappointed that they would be moved back eventually. Having their own place was going to be great, even if it was not forever. And since it would be many cycles before Galaxy would even be able to become a miner, they knew that they didn’t have to worry about when they would be forced to move out as there was a lot of time. So while they were disappointed, they were not going to dwell on it. It was really for Galaxy’s benefit that there was a space for her where she didn’t stress other miners out and they wouldn’t stress her out.

And both D and Orion did believe that they would have more room in this new living quarters than they have had before. While it wasn’t specified on the size, it did sound like there was a lot of room in it. So even if it was not fancy, it was definitely considered a luxury to both bots and they were looking forward to living there with Galaxy. They knew there would be challenges, but they would work through it with her. And they hoped that she would thrive well as she grows from a sparkling to a full-grown bot. And maybe she will refer to them as dads eventually.

Orion looked out the window as he saw they were approaching the mining bot quarters and he guessed they would stop at the same platform, which was good. His optics glance to the building by the large, living quarters and he smiled as he saw there were worker bots there who were setting things up for them and he was feeling pretty excited for Galaxy. But he hoped it would not be too noisy since he didn’t know how Galaxy would respond to a lot of loud noise. He knew that if she woke up, she would probably be fussy, and she would be right to feel that way due to being disturbed from her recharge.

When the train came to a stop, Orion stood up and walked to the doors with D-16 and Darkwing to step outside. As soon as he stepped outside, Orion heard the loud sounds coming from the building and he did his best to cover Galaxy’s head so she wouldn’t hear it. Darkwing motioned for them to wait before walking over to the building to speak with the bots who were working on the plumbing as fast and as efficiently as they could.

D-16 stared at the building as it was not as large as the usual living quarters they were used to, but it was bigger than he thought. He turned to Orion with a smile. “I guess we can kind of joke we are living the good life now.”

Orion hummed a little with a smile. “I suppose we can. It looks like it will give us a lot of space. I don’t even know if I’ll ever want to go back to what we are used to now…but we don’t have much of a choice. Darkwing was pretty clear on that.”

“Yeah…not much we can do about it. We have no choice but to do as we are told.” D-16 sighed deeply as he wished they could make choices, but he also knew that this was a life they were used to and would not ever be in the position to change it. “It looks like they are almost done. I hope all this noise will not wake Galaxy. She’s only been recharging for a short time, and I think any interruption will make it difficult for the rest of the day.”

“I am worried about that too. I’m trying to keep her head covered so she won’t hear it as much. But…there is more noise out here than just what is happening in there. At least there isn’t any loud banging. I am sure that would wake her up.” Orion glanced down at Galaxy as she was still deep in recharge and she seemed to be fully undisturbed. She was fully relaxed and he hoped to keep her that way. He didn’t want her to wake up with a start. “I think it might also be why Darkwing had us wait here so that he can ensure the workers get done quickly to prevent Galaxy from waking up.”

“I agree. I think Darkwing would get so angry and annoyed if she was crying. And I think he would be very unkind towards her too.” That certainly seemed like something that Darkwing would do so it was good in their mind. But they did hope that Darkwing won’t get too angry should Galaxy inevitably cry in the mines. D-16 at least hoped that Darkwing won’t take it out on Galaxy. D-16 glanced up and flinched as a shadow above them startled him. “Oh, look. One of the draconic bots are out and about.”

“Huh? I thought they went with Sentinel.” Orion looked up to see the bot himself. He saw the white silver body as the dragon flew around. The light from above filtered through the blue feather-like wings and her blue optics were glancing around as the draconic bots sometimes patrolled under the orders of Sentinel. “I guess he left one behind. The archives don’t seem to have anything about those things. I often wonder how Sentinel even got them.”

“I don’t know. But I am glad we are not on their bad side.” D-16 looked away and looked at Orion. “But…it is strange that the archives wouldn’t have information about them. Draconic bots have been beside Sentinel for as long as I remember…”

“Yeah, but he said he tamed the beasts through might and earning their loyalty through enforcing his authority. I don’t know if that is true.” Orion couldn’t imagine how hard that would have been. The draconic bots are much larger than any of the transformers. They showed no sign of being able to transform, and Sentinel has used these beasts to execute bots publicly in the past. Feeling safe around them wasn’t something they would experience. “At least they never really bother us. I think that one is called Cosmic Dust, or something like that. I’ve heard that name before.”

“He only has three…so I wonder if there are others living somewhere else. Maybe on the surface? It would seem unlikely though, since everyone says the surface of our planet is dangerous.” No one really knew why Sentinel did not have more than the three draconic bots by his side. Sentinel never answered that, but no one really asked. “But…creatures like that seem like they can certainly care for themselves on the surface.”

“Maybe, but I think the Quintessons would destroy them as well, D. They destroyed anything on the surface, which is why we live underground safely in Iacon.” Orion glanced up again as the dragon was flying upward towards the council tower and he looked back at D-16. “So maybe this was a way for those three to survive. I imagine they ingest a lot of energon, given their size and the power I have heard they might have.”

“Of course, they do. I don’t really know why Sentinel has them around. But…I guess we can’t really argue with our leader.” D looked towards Darkwing as he was walking back to them. “I think the place might be ready now.”

Darkwing glanced over his shoulder briefly as he approached the two bots before he gestured for them to approach. “You may proceed. All the heavy lifting has finished, so there won’t be any loud noise to wake that sparkling. I wasn’t about to burn my hearing with the cries of that brat today…” Orion rolled his optics in irritation, though he said nothing. “The workers have completed everything now, so you new living space is finished. I suggest you both get settled and organize it for yourselves and Galaxy. Supply of energon cubes, formulated energon, toys, a sparkling harness, berth bedding and body washes have been delivered, but you will need to sort it all out on your own.”

Orion and D-16 were not surprised by this, but it was good. It would give them something to do, since they won’t be going back to the mines today. D-16 smiled with a polite nod to Darkwing. “Thanks, Darkwing. Um…I am not sure what we can really say about today.”

“Hopefully, this will not be a regular occurrence. If this sparkling was hidden through the system, there might be more out there we know nothing about. Hopefully, she is the only sparkling around currently. Now go and do whatever you need to do in that building. Here’s the door scanner…” Darkwing threw a round object at D-16 and he caught it, knowing it was the key to their door. “That way no one will think to steal anything from you place. Even though there’s nothing worth taking.”

“Alright, we will take it from here. Will Elita pay us a visit too?” Darkwing nodded and D-16 grimaced a little. “I guess she wants to make sure that…this is all true.”

“Oh, she already knows. She will just be making sure you understand a few things from her perspective. She might be cogless, but her fierce attitude is quite entertaining. Try not to twist her gears.” With that, Darkwing transformed and flew away with a loud hiss from the engine.

Orion was surprised as he felt Galaxy shudder and shift in his arm as she had heard him too. “Scrap…” Orion glanced at D and gestured to the door. “We should go inside. I think Darkwing just deliberately woke Galaxy up.”

D-16 shook his head as they both ran towards the door. “Of course, he did. He doesn’t like us, even if he oversees the mines with his buddies.” Glancing at the building, it was a single floor space that used to hold many mining equipment. After the mining storage had been moved to the inside of the mining living quarters, this building was no longer needed. There just had not been any motivation to demolish it. And both bots were grateful to it. There were windows, thankfully, so they could at least see out of the building. Reaching the door, D-16 unlocked it and they step inside quickly. “The fragger left us to deal with a mess, even though I appreciate having a little work.”

“And I thought I told you not to say those words around Galaxy.”

D-16 rolled his optics. “She’s in recharge, she’s not going to…” He paused as there was a light whimper and D-16 immediately softened his voice and looked at Galaxy to see her optics opening a little and a small sob escaping her lips. “Never mind…it is alright, Galaxy…” She wasn’t listening as the loud noise, the bright light from the outside, the sound of a door opening and feeling Orion running had startled her and she was also cranky from being woken so soon from her recharge. “Do you want me to take her? You’ve been carrying her this whole time?”

Orion was about to try to hand her over when Galaxy wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she had heard D-16 and she began to wail while glancing around with a groggy frown. “She won’t let me put her down…uh…hey, Galaxy. Look around, this is our new home.” Galaxy’s frown deepened as she didn’t care and she rubbed her optics. “Mmm…maybe a bit later…um…see if you can find that harness, D. If I can get her to recharge again, I can use it so both of my hands are free to help…” Orion glanced around to see where the items would be. “They may have put everything in the back.”

D-16 nodded and briefly glanced around to see the large space they had. The walls and ceiling were all dark grey, and the floor was black. It wasn’t the most impressive place to live in, but it was shelter. He saw the two recharge pods on the right side of the building. They were placed beside each other and the sparkling’s berth was placed several feet in front, which would be good in case they needed wake in the middle of the night. D-16 also spotted an energon cube storage unit, and a strange storage unit with glass windows that allowed him to see that it was meant for the formulated energon that needs to be stored in a cooling unit as formulated energon needed to be stored differently from regular energon.

On the left side of the building there was a doorway leading into the shower chamber, and the tub that would be used for the sparkling when she needed a bath. D-16 pondered on whether she should get one today, but after she’s calmed down. At the back of the building was a smaller storage area where D-16 found a bunch of toys, a white harness and bottles of body lotion that were mixed with specialized oils specific to the needs of sparklings. D grabbed the harness before spotting a toy that he thought Galaxy may like.

He picked it up and he smiled as it looked like a light, blue miniature draconic bot. D-16 knew these toys existed since everyone in Iacon knew what the dragons were, but they didn’t know a great deal about their history since it hasn’t been taught, and Sentinel Prime has given no answer. But sparklings, a long time ago, loved these toys. And D thought that Galaxy may like it too, so he brought it with him as he walked out and saw Orion had sat down at the table while bouncing the wailing sparkling to try and calm her down.

D-16 walked over and placed the harness onto the table and sat down on the chair next to Orion. “Look what I found, Galaxy. I think you might like it.” Galaxy grumbled loudly as she looked at D-16 with a glare, but her optics quickly noticed the toy and she widened her optics. Sniffling and wiping the tears from her optics, she immediately seemed to calm down as she stared in shock. “Oh, that was fast. I didn’t think…” Galaxy began to reach for the toy desperately with whimpers as she wanted it. D-16 gave the toy to her and she immediately snatched it and held it in her hands, staring at it in disbelief. “Huh…she’s looking at it like she’s seen that before.”

“Maybe it was something she was given before she was abandoned.” Orion was smiling as he watched Galaxy stare at the toy before she hugged it and began to sob, but not because she was cranky. But both D-16 and Orion did not know she was crying over the grief she had for her parents. She knew in her spark they were gone, and having this toy meant a lot to her. Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back as he cradled her. “Easy there, Galaxy. I got you.” Galaxy’s bottom lip trembled and she looked at D-16 again before reaching her arms towards him while keeping a tight hold of the toy. Orion chuckled as D-16 stared in shock. “Now you can hold her. You got her something she wants.”

“I hope this is not the start of spoiling her.” D-16 gently took the sparkling from Orion and cradled her immediately. She smiled at him a little before she kissed his cheek and nuzzled him. D-16’s smile widened. “Well…even though she’s clung to you, Orion. She hasn’t shown affection like this to you yet.”

Orion shrugged with an amused huff. “That doesn’t bother me. So long as she feels safe.” D-16 was glad, and he looked down at Galaxy as her wails started again as she was struggling to contain the feeling of weariness and frustration. “Well, make sure you bounce her and rub her back. I think she will fall into recharge again soon. I’ll see about getting her berth ready.”

D-16 just nodded as Orion stood up and walked away to begin going through the supplies they had, leaving D-16 to now deal with Galaxy. D-16 watched how Galaxy was holding onto the toy. D-16 noticed she was deeply sad, and he was right to assume she was missing her biological parents. Even though neither Orion and D-16 knew that her parents were gone and rusting on the surface of the planet. However, Galaxy was grateful that D-16 held onto her as she cried for her parents and cried out the frustration she was feeling about being rudely awakened from her recharge. But luckily for the two miners, Galaxy found her way back into recharge after fifteen minutes. Even so, when D-16 attempted to put Galaxy in her berth after Orion got it ready, she woke up again and refused to be put down. Both Orion and D-16 were worried she won’t want to be in her berth during the night, but they would wait and see. For now, they focused on dealing with the supplies they had to ensure they were settled into their new living quarters.

Chapter Text

Orion and D-16 spent the last part of the day getting things sorted in their new living space. With Galaxy recharging again, they were able to figure out how to use the harness and Orion helped D-16 strap the harness on himself and ensure that Galaxy would be comfortable against his chassis while she still kept a hold of her toy. This made it much easier for the two of them to organize the space, while also ensuring that Galaxy remained in recharge and close to one of the two bots while they set up the space. It wasn’t a lot to do. They had to move the energon into the containment, and the bottles of the formulated energon into the cooling containment. The door was hard for a sparkling to open, so Orion and D-16 would have to get it for Galaxy whenever she needed it.

They filled a box with all the toys that were delivered and arranged the bottles of ointments for the sparkling in the shower room. Both Orion and D-16 really did feel like they were living in quite a luxurious space. Especially when there was a small space with couches and a screen to allow them to watch any news or intervals from Sentinel Prime. So they really had a place to spend just with themselves, even if it is with the benefit of Galaxy’s wellbeing.

Orion was humming a little as he was organizing the bottles in the cooler while D-16 was putting the additional blankets and pillows away when they heard the buzzer for the door go off. Both of them were surprised and Orion walked over over to see who it via the front scanner. He was not surprised to see Elita. She must have finished, or left the mines early to come here. “Looks like the boss has decided to drop by and check on us.”

D-16 smiled, despite not being too surprised. “I think we should have expected that to be the case, Pax. Elita would not just roll over and ignore it all. Let her in. She might as well see the new place, but just make sure she knows to stay quiet. Galaxy might have been recharging for over an hour now, but I don’t want her disturbed.”

“Elita’s not Darkwing. She won’t be that annoying.” Orion opened the door and smiled politely as Elita looked at him with an unhappy expression and her arms were folded. “Hi, Elita…uh, I guess you came to see where we were moved, huh?”

“Something like that. But Darkwing didn’t really go into full detail, so I decided to stop by.” Elita leaned to the side as she noticed Orion was not holding Galaxy. When she saw the sparkling in the harness against D’s chassis, she smiled a little and softened her voice. “Is now a good time? Or should I maybe come by later when that sparkling is awake?”

“You should be fine as long as you aren’t shouting. Come in. And we were able figure out her name, though we don’t know if it is her full name or part of her name.” Elita smiled as she stepped inside as she was glad. “Her name is Galaxy. We haven’t yet tried anything else, but I was able to guess it pretty quickly.”

“That’s a pretty name for her, Orion. At least we can stop calling her the sparkling all the time.” Elita looked around the space as she was curious. “Nice place. When Darkwing told me you both had decided to accept being guardians to Galaxy I though he was joking. But I see now that you guys are serious and are now parents to her.”

Orion nodded. “Yeah, we are. And honestly, I am glad. After everything we found out, I think Galaxy really got screwed by her birth parents. Did Darkwing say much about that?” Elita shook her head. “Well…what did he tell you? He said you knew everything. I guess that was a bit of a lie.”

Elita sighed deeply as she walked over to the table and sat down, brushing off some dust from her arm and looked at Orion as he sat opposite her. “To be honest, he didn’t tell me much. When he contacted me, I assumed he was going to tell me more information. He did tell me that the sparkling would be adopted by you both and the rules that will be changed to ensure she will be safe. And, for some reason, he also said she would be a miner. But she doesn’t seem to be cogless.”

Orion’s expression softened and he glanced at D-16 as he walked to sit down on the chair next to Orion. D-16 gently placed his hand on Galaxy’s back and the sparkling intakes heavily and shifted a little, but remained deep in her recharge. “Well…Ratchet did confirm she has a t-cog. But…it’s not in her chest like it should be. It’s on the right side of her abdomen…” Elita raised an eyebrow immediately as that was a surprise to her as Orion explained the reason why Galaxy would become a miner eventually. “And Ratchet also confirmed that…the cog appears to be dysfunctional. She has one, yes, but she will never be able to transform.”

“Oh.” Elita was shocked. She glanced at the sparkling and her expression softened to pity for her, even though Elita always knew she couldn’t transform due to not having a cog. But to know that Galaxy had one and couldn’t made her sad for the sparkling. “That explains why Darkwing said that...poor thing...I mean, we are used to living this way, but...it’s a shame that Galaxy’s future has already been decided because of that.” Orion and D-16 nod in agreement. “Anything else? She seems healthy.”

“She is healthy. Ratchet couldn’t find any sign of abuse, so that was good. But...her vocal processor can’t form words. So...she will never speak.” Elita frowned a little as she knew that meant she would need to learn how to sign to communicate with Galaxy, but she also felt bad. D-16 glanced down at the sparkling with sadness. “It is the assumption that...Galaxy was abandoned due to these disabilities. But her medical profile was non-existent in the system, nor did her CNA match anyone in the system. So...something else has gone on behind the scenes.”

“Scrap...that isn’t good...hmm...maybe it was a good thing she ended up in the mines. Even if it was the last place a sparkling should be, but now this sparkling had to come with Orion and D-16 to the mines each day. “Ugh...quite the complex situation. And I thought having to write a whole report of today’s events was complicated enough. You both have quite the job ahead of you.”

Orion and D nod in agreement. “Yes, we do. But...” Orion smiled and looked at the sparkling with happiness. “I admit...I don’t think I want to change anything. I am actually very happy about it. Having a sparkling to raise feels right to me.”

Elita smiled in amusement. “It amuses me that you say that. You aren’t the most reliable miner, and you goof off way too often. So I do wonder why you would even want to accept this sparkling as your own. Was it out of pity?”

“Partly.” Elita was not surprised as she felt the same way about Galaxy as she knew that this would not be her fault. “But after spending time with her and feeling her need for my presence and comfort...I came to realize I already felt love for this sparkling and she needs me, and D to raise her. Honestly, I am just glad it was us she met and not someone else. I’m not sure how many others would even look at her and want to raise her.”

Listening to Orion speak about taking the sparkling in was very pleasant. This was probably the most mature she has seen Orion be with anything, and that was good. It was as if that Galaxy has called upon something deeper in him. Elita smiled at him. “That makes my spark feel warm the way you said that, Orion. I don’t think I’ve seen you like this. And what about you D?” She turned to D-16 as he had leaned back a little in the chair and he seemed content with the sparkling attached to him. “You were uncomfortable when the sparkling grabbed a hold of your finger. And now you seem happy to be carrying her around in that harness.”

D-16 smiled while also seemingly embarrassed as he knew that it was probably silly to feel that way. “Truthfully, I was hesitant to accept, Elita. I was looking at it from a different view than Pax. We don’t really have a lot of time for ourselves. We work, go recharge, go to work, recharge and there’s not much in between our shifts. Any down time we have is very far and few between, so...I was not thrilled right away.”

“That makes sense. You were looking at it from a practical view, considering we don’t really get a lot of benefits.” D nodded and Elita sympathised immediately. “I would have felt the same as you, D. I probably would have outright refused, even if the situation clearly was not good for Galaxy. But I guess spending time with her has changed your mind. Being a father seems to suit you and Orion.”

“Thank you, Elita. And yes, you are right. Galaxy did win my spark after we spent time with her. And she really has warmed up to me a little more than she has with Pax, funny enough.” Orion rolled his optics in amusement and D-16 gently elbowed him playfully. “Don’t worry too much, Pax. I am sure she will show you affection too. She clung to you for much longer than she did me, except for right now.”

“Let me guess, she doesn’t want to recharge in her own berth?” Both bots shake their heads and Elita chuckled a little. “Well...I think you might be in over your heads and little. Raising sparklings isn’t easy. I may not know much about that, but I can easily look back to when I was a pain in the aft as a youngling to know that raising a bot is not easy. But...” Elita glanced at Galaxy as she murmured and stretched her legs as she began to stir. “Oh...am I being too loud?”

Orion and D shook their heads as she was not. They guessed she was just waking up. “This was just a nap, so maybe she has had enough.” D-16 rubbed the sparkling’s back gently as her optics open slowly and she yawned lightly. “I don’t think I’ll get over how cute she is.”

Elita nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I don’t anyone will. I will say I will do my part in assisting you with Galaxy in the mines...” Galaxy turned her head as she was surprised to hear Elita and when Elita noticed Galaxy looking at her, she smiled politely. “Hello, Galaxy. I’m just dropping by for a visit.”

Galaxy didn’t really react and she also wasn’t bothered by Elita’s presence as she turned her head away and rubbed her optics with her right hand while keeping a tight grip of her toy in her left hand. She rests her cheek on D-16’s chassis as she was clearly just wanting to wake up. But she was quiet and there was no signal that she was going to start wailing. Which was good, since that was what they had expected. Though maybe she might fuss when she was fully awake.

“Well...she might actually be quite calm for a sparkling. At least, with waking up.” Elita looked at both Orion and D to see their smiles and the pride they already seemed to have in their optics. Elita was smiling as she couldn’t help but think they both were adorable, and this suited them. “I never thought I would see the day that Orion Pax and D-16 would become parents. Are you sure you two aren’t closer than friends?”

Orion shook his head and looked at Elita. “Nah, his ugly aft is not my interest, Elita. We are just good friends. Brothers, really.” Elita hummed a little as she didn’t believe him. “And I must say, your finish looks really fine today after all the hard work you’ve done.”

Elita grimaced immediately at Orion’s attempt to flirt with her. “Orion, please, you know I don’t really care for tiny compliments like that. And we aren’t friends. I’m your boss, and I am merely here to understand the whole situation. Darkwing really didn’t help either of us by being extremely vague…and I now also have to talk to the other miners about rules regarding Galaxy. If anyone disobeys them, I will make sure I throw them to the Pit myself.”

Orion’s expression did fill with disappointment briefly, though he was also not too surprised. Elita wasn’t interested in bonding with him further than just as co-workers, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He did appreciate that Elita would have their back on Galaxy though. “Thank you, Elita. This situation is not going to be easy for any of us for a while. But I am sure within a short time, this will feel normal.”

Elita scoffed in amusement. “I know it will, Orion, but that is going to take a long time. I think you might be underestimating it a little bit. But I do agree it will become normal to all of us. It will take time. And once that sparkling gets settled, I am sure things may either get easier or harder depending on how she handles situations. So far, I’m impressed. But she could just be nervous too.”

“I think you might be right about that, Elita. Though I think…” D-16 glanced down as Galaxy wiggled and she frowned as she realized she was strapped in the harness. She tugged at the straps and looked at D curiously. “Oh, you want to get out. Alright.” Galaxy murmured a little as D-16 gently unclipped the straps around the sparkling’s body and lifted her a little and moved her legs out of the straps before shifting the harness to the side a little and sat her on his knees. “Is that better, Galaxy?”

Galaxy nodded and yawned again before she looked at Elita before she smiled at her. Elita smiled back at her. “From what I’ve heard and seen, you’ve been a good sparkling, Galaxy. Keep up the good work.” She looked up from the sparkling at the two bots. “By the way, I never got to ask, how did Ratchet feel about all this anyway?”

“He was not happy at all. I think he was fuming on the inside, given the situation we Galaxy in, but with the whole situation of potential corruption within the medical staff…” Orion glanced at Galaxy as she reached her hands towards him and he smiled to take her from D who was a little disappointed, but he did not dare to hold her. Orion cradled the sparkling against him as she snuggled against him and he continued to speak to Elita. “I think that has Ratchet very concerned. After all, this has never happened before and someone, or multiple bots, have committed crimes to prevent Galaxy’s existence from being known. But…clearly they didn’t think about it too well since she ended up with us and now we all know, and so do all the higher transformers. Darkwing didn’t seem to have a good time with them.”

“Ugh…that means he’s not going to be in a good mood for a few days…but it isn’t his fault or yours, so we just have to deal with it. Hopefully, he won’t be too hard on you both given you will be figuring things out for a while. And same with me, since I will be juggling keeping everyone in order, while also making sure Galaxy does not get into anything she shouldn’t and helping you if needed. But I know you are the primary caregivers, so I do hope that we can work it out quickly.” Elita took a deep intake and stood up from her chair. “But I do think you both have done a good job so far. And you seem to be pretty much settled into your new place.”

“Thank you…” Orion stood up and Galaxy looked at Elita again while she listened quietly. “I know D and I will do our best. I do not expect everyone else to be so understanding. And D and I will probably start learning how to sign so we can teach Galaxy so we can communicate.”

“Good. I plan on doing that later before recharge too. And don’t worry, Orion, I have got your back.” Elita glanced around at their new place briefly before she stretched her arms and turned to the door. “I think that just about covers everything I needed to know. I really need a good oil bath after today. I know you might feel the same too, even though neither one of you has a speck of dust on your body.”

Orion chuckled a little. “That might be true, but the mental strain that today has brought probably has been just as hard to understand as moving lumps of energon for processing.” He glanced down as Galaxy began to wiggle in his arms and he moved his arms to hold her. “Though I hope that, um…we will still be able to ensure we meet the daily quota so you can get your promotions.”

Elita snorted in amusement and rolled her optics. “For the time being, Orion, just focus on being a good father to Galaxy. You too, D-16. You both have taken on a very big responsibility, and I still have doubts that you both can actually do it.”

D-16 placed the harness down as he had removed it from his body and stood up with a smile. “I think you may find yourself surprised, Elita. After all…” He glanced at Orion as Galaxy was whimpering loudly and she was moving her body to the point she looked like she was trying to slip out of his arms. “Uh, I think she wants to be put down, Orion. You don’t want to drop her.”

Orion shifted Galaxy in his arms so she wouldn’t slip suddenly before lowering her onto her feet on the ground. Galaxy smiled and turned to kiss Orion’s cheek before he leaned back up. Orion was surprised and he smiled at her. “You are welcome, Galaxy. Once we learn sign, we will teach you so we can communicate.” Galaxy giggled a little, even though she herself knew she was going to act like she won’t understand for a long time.

“As I was saying, with Pax and I being the ones to put our hands up to take Galaxy in, we won’t disappoint anyone. Especially Galaxy.” D-16 looked at Galaxy as she walked away to look around curiously. Now that she was awake, she seemed eager to explore. D looked back at Elita with a smile. “But I am sure you will kick our afts back into line if we make a mistake.”

“You can bet that I will, D-16. In fact, that is a promise.” Elita turned on her heel and walked towards the door. “And not just because you might do something wrong with Galaxy too. You are not going to use her as an excuse to get out of any hard…” She stopped as she heard Galaxy whimpering loudly and turned to see Galaxy hoping towards her and looked up at Elita with sad optics. Smiling, Elita intakes heavily and kneels down in front of the sparkling. “I see you got some confidence now, young one. Good to see. You are going to need it for the rest of your left.” Galaxy smiled a little before she reached towards Elita’s hand to grab, though Elita pulled her hands away gently. “I can’t stay, Galaxy. This is your home with Orion Pax and D-16. I cannot stay here, or Darkwing will come in and get very mad.” Galaxy shivered and wrapped her arms around her toy tightly. “I can see you don’t like him anymore than we do. But unfortunately, we have to deal with him regularly.”

Orion walked over as he was worried Galaxy may try to cling to Elita as it seemed the sparkling has taken a sudden interest in Elita. “She’s right, Galaxy. Elita cannot stay here. You will see her tomorrow.”

Galaxy murmured a little again as she looked at Orion before looking back at Elita. “Orion is right. You will see me every single day when you come to the mines with them. And since you cannot go into the tunnels, because they are so damp, dirty and dangerous, you can hang around with me. I can show you how to be the best boss so you might have a chance when you’re older.” Galaxy smiled at Elita and nodded. “At least that settles what will happen tomorrow. But we will be going through some little rules before that happens.” Elita lightly tapped Galaxy’s nose, making the sparkling giggle. “So you don’t need to worry, Galaxy. If you want, I can come by sometimes, but I am not coming by everyday. I think Orion and D-16 might get sick of me.” Galaxy shook her head as she doubted it and Elita stood up, which caused the sparkling to pout. “I hope this clinginess will be something that she will grow out of.”

Orion nodded in agreement because Galaxy may just try to cling to bots she likes, and that wasn’t okay. “As long as we don’t encourage it…” He reached down to grab Galaxy right hand, and she flinched with a whimper of surprise. She looked up at him with a pouty expression and he smiled at her. “Wait here with us, Galaxy. I know you want to look around.” Galaxy looked at Elita as the door opened and she began to sulk a little. “You’ll see Elita tomorrow. It will be okay. Nice to know you like her though.”

Elita chuckled and turned a little to look back at Orion. “Of course, she likes me, Orion. We are the first three she had seen today. And we aren’t dolts like Darkwing can be. Have a good evening. And get some good recharge if you can. I will see you in the mines tomorrow.”

Orion nodded as the door closed behind Elita and he intakes heavily before letting Galaxy’s hand go. He looked down as the sparkling murmured a little before she turned to walk away while looking around curiously. He was glad she at least did not start crying about Elita leaving so they could focus on finishing on settling in and cleaning the place while keeping an eye on Galaxy. And since she was just going to explore for the time being, they knew they could finish quickly.

“I guess we should just finish up now,” Orion said and D-16 nodded. “I’ll finish organizing the bottles since I was not finished when Elita decided to show up.” He walked over to the cooler and opened it before grabbing the bottles he had not put in to begin organising them. “I hadn’t even realized until now these formulated energon bottles had to be kept cool.”

“It is strange, since normal low-grade energon would be warm if fed from a carrier…but I think because of the process that the energon goes through when it becomes formulated low-grade it isn’t as stable as regular energon. Keeping it cool keeps it from deteriorating, and there’s no way we are going to let it rot while Galaxy needs it.” D walked over to a large device that was used to clean and polish the floors. Though there was no floor finish in this machine, so it would only just mop and clean the floor. He looked at Galaxy to see she was checking out the shower room. “Galaxy…” She flinched and turned to him in surprise. “This will make a bit of noise, I don’t want you to get too scared.”

Galaxy smiled as she appreciated the warning. When D turned it on to begin moving it around the space, it was loud, but it didn’t bother her that much. She looked back in the shower room as she was glad to see a tub available for her. She would definitely like to have a bath today, though she felt like that she would bother Orion and D if she asked about it. While Galaxy was happy with how this has worked out, as she sensed that both Orion and D-16 seemed to have an important future, though she did not know what that would be certain. She knew she had changed a lot in a very short time.

Galaxy sighed deeply as she looked down at the draconic bot toy in her hand and she intakes deeply before turning around. She watched D-16 take his time pushing the floor cleaner around, which seemed to be heavy, and she noticed the steam rising from underneath the round device as it cleaned the floor. She glanced at Orion as he was putting the last of the bottles away and she smiled, feeling rather lucky to be with these two.

I wish I could speak to them properly…but I must wait…Oracle said I had to wait until I get to the surface for my vocal processor to let me speak…I don’t know how long that is going to be. Especially since these two are mining bots, and are stuck doing the same thing each day. I feel sorry for them. Ugh…I hate Sentinel. I hope that he won’t suspect about who I am when all this information gets back to him. As much as I already love Orion and D-16 like they are my own parents, I know they may not be able to protect me. Hopefully…the lack of knowledge that we draconic bots can transform will make Sentinel think that I am just another bot who happens to be named Galaxy. At least they haven’t tried figuring out my full name. Yet.

“Galaxy?” Galaxy flinched and blinked as she heard Orion. She looked at him as he walked over with a concerned expression. “Are you alright? You look sad.” Galaxy watched him walk over and kneel in front of her. She sighed deeply and smiled at him before walking closer and reaching her arms out to hug him. Orion softened his expression as he wrapped his arms around her gently. “I guess you are missing your parents. I know D-16 and I aren’t them, and we will never be them. But we will do the best we can for you. But you seem to know that already.” Galaxy giggled a little before she stepped back before her optics glance towards the toy box curiously. Orion followed her gaze and chuckled a little. “Ah, that box there is full of the other toys. Not sure if you…” Galaxy walked around Orion and made her way to the box. Orion stood up to follow her as she opened the box and peered inside at the full box in shock. “I hope it isn’t too much. But you can’t make a mess until D-16 is finished. Okay?”

Galaxy nodded as she looked at the toys at the top before grabbing another draconic bot toy with a smile. This one was red and white, and she stepped back, gazing between the two toys before she began to run around while holding her hands up and moving them to watch the wings flap as she ran around excitedly. Orion was highly amused, while D was concerned at first, but Galaxy did avoid the floor cleaner and did not step behind D-16 as she knew it had just been cleaned. They were at least glad that Galaxy was able to entertain herself for the time being, and they knew that the first night was going to be rather interesting. At least Elita now understands the situation some more, and she was going to be helpful moving forward. They had no idea how the other miners were going to react to them adopting this sparkling as their own.

Chapter Text

The very first night didn’t go as smoothly as both Orion and D-16 had hoped. Galaxy had managed to find all the toys that were in the toy chest and both bots allowed the sparkling to play with them. Once D-16 and Orion had cleaned the place, they joined in. Galaxy was very happy with that, even if she could not speak. They were able to spend a lot of time with Galaxy, and she was thrilled. Though when she did get tired, they settled on the chairs in front of the screen to turn on a channel to start learning how to do sign language. Galaxy was completely uninterested, and she was doing that deliberately as she figured that Orion and D-16 would want to learn first. Which they did. It didn’t stop them from trying to encourage her to watch.

But the sparkling remained uninterested and played with her draconic bot toy instead. They both had decided to not press it, though they did realize quickly how much work would go into learning sign language, and eventually teaching it to the sparkling. So having her engage with the learning became unnecessary, and both bots were fine with just letting her enjoy being a sparkling while they focused on learning until she became hungry and demanded to be fed. After she had been fed, she was given a bath, which Galaxy thoroughly enjoyed and she almost fell into recharge immediately.

Then her clinginess came out again when Orion tried to put her into her berth, and she immediately began to refuse and clung to him. Figuring she just wanted to stay awake a little bit, Orion and D-16 took turns have a shower before they ingested a few energon cubes for themselves and prepared for recharge. But Galaxy refused to let them put her into the berth, and she began to scream, which they were not expecting. Eventually, Orion put her into the harness and decided to just keep her against his chassis as the first night was not easy for the sparkling. Only after the two mining bots began to recharge in their recharge pods, Galaxy fell into recharge as she was very relaxed and enjoyed listening to his spark pulse.

Now it was morning, and it was very quiet. There was no noise from Galaxy, or either of the bots. Though that would not be that way for too long as D-16 opened his optics first. With a light yawned, D-16 stepped out of his recharge pod and stretched his arms up with a groan. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around, almost expecting to find himself back in the mining bots quarters like he was used to. He was a little annoyed he didn’t have his Megatronus Prime decal that he had put onto his recharge pod, but he hoped he could get it.

With another yawn, D-16 turned to look at Orion as Orion normally was awake before him. But he was still in recharge. D-16 smiled as he glanced at the recharging sparkling. D knew that even when Orion gave in and put Galaxy into the harness before stepping into the pod it took a bit of time before the sparkling calmed down, so Orion was forced to remain awake to soothe her until she was calm enough for him to fall into recharge. D-16 did not know when Galaxy fell into recharge though.

Despite that, D-16 couldn’t help but feel amused to see Orion deep in recharge with the sparkling attached to his chassis. It looked rather adorable to him, especially as Galaxy had once again kept a hold of her favorite toy. She never once let it go, even when they gave her a bath. While it was adorable, D-16 hoped she wouldn’t lose it. Especially in the mines. He had no doubt she would be incredibly upset to lose something that seemed to mean a lot to her.

As tempted as he was to try and wake Orion from his deep recharge, D-16 walked over to the energon containment to grab some cubes for himself and walk over to the couch to sit on and turn on to see if anything interesting was on. So far, nothing seemed to catch his eye, but he needed to do something while waking up. Normally, he would be up and getting the tools ready for the day, which he knew that they had left in the mines the day before, but with the added time they were given before they could start, D-16 felt that this would be fine. They didn’t have a new routine down just yet, so the added time given to them was going to be a blessing. Especially once Galaxy was fully settled in and is comfortable to the point where she might fuss and throw tantrums. But he hoped it would not happen.

Orion did eventually wake up from his recharge after thirty minutes. He opened his blue optics and looked around for a moment, spotting D-16 sitting on the couch while watching the news on the screen. Orion yawned a little as he stepped out of his recharge pod and looked down at the recharging sparkling. He smiled as he was glad she was able to recharge through the whole night without waking up, even though he had a feeling that was going to change rather soon.

Orion rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms before proceeding to the energon containment to grab some cubes. He considered grabbing one of the bottles, but as Galaxy was still deep in recharge, he figured it was best to wait. But he did not know if she would wake before they head to the train or not. It wouldn’t really matter, but he did hope to wake her before doing anything in the mines. He had no doubt that her waking up in the mines to find one of them not there due to work will make her panic. Though he also didn’t want to force her to wake up, since that would result in a tantrum most likely.

With the cubes in his hand, Orion walked over to the couch and sat down cautiously with a deep sigh. He noticed D’s smirk and Orion raised an eyebrow. “Is there something on my face? She didn’t purge on me during the night, did she?”

D-16 chuckled and shook his head. “I think she would have let us both know if she was purging through the night, Pax. Nah, I was just thinking that with Galaxy recharging against you, you are kind of adorable.”

Orion smirked as he realized why D-16 was amused. “Oh? Kind of adorable, huh?” D-16 nodded and Orion put one of the energon cubes into his mouth. “Hmm…well…how about completely adorable?”

“That’s a bit of a stretch, I am afraid.” Orion rolled his optics and D-16 looked back at the screen. “I must say though, we were lucky that the first night was easy. I got a feeling that tonight is going to be different.”

“Maybe. Today is officially our first day as parents, so we can’t really know until it happens, D. Besides, we have started to learn how to sign, even though I know it will take a lot of time before we will be fluent. But at least we can have some private conversations until the others learn it too.” D-16 shook his head as he doubted that would last very long. “Well…at least she fell into recharge after she was put into the harness. I wonder how we can teach her to recharge in her own berth. As much as I love this little sparkling, I don’t want her sleeping against my chassis or your chassis as she grows. Given she has a cog, I bet she will get bigger than both of us.”

“I actually agree on that, Pax. Even though she’s small, I think she will go through a growth spurt. But we will just have to wait on that. What do think Elita will get us to do today?” Orion hummed a little as he was not sure while ingesting a couple more cubes. “I’m not talking about the tunnels, but what she will get us to do while one of us is with Galaxy.”

“Well…I think there is no use in trying to guess, D. Personally, I know Elita will likely be on our side and ensure we are doing our part. Darkwing will be watching after all. But if it is something that we could involve Galaxy in, to a point, that would be good.” Orion looked at the screen, though he didn’t pay attention. The news that was currently being broad cast was not about Sentinel, so he wasn’t very interested. “I think today will be more interesting than yesterday. I wonder how the others will react to officially meeting her.”

“Well…I think they are going to gush over her. Which…” D-16 grimaced as he thought about the day. “Might be bad…she might get overwhelmed. But I am sure Elita will keep them from being too much for the sparkling.”

“Yeah…I was thinking that too…I guess I was hoping for a different opinion. Hmm…well…this is the first day.” Orion chuckled in amusement. “Oh, Primus…” He rubbed his left cheek with the palm of his hand as he thought about the day. “I don’t know about you, but this reminds me of the first day we went into the mines. Remember that?”

D-16 nodded with an expression that told Orion that he wished he didn’t remember. “I highly doubt that today will be anywhere near the disaster we found ourselves in when we first began working in the mines. I honestly thought Darkwing was literally going to tear us apart after what we did. And it was your idea to try and make things easier by trying to defy gravity with the carts. I’ll never forget when you thought you could launch a full cart up a tunnel, only to destroy four others in the process. And I went along with it.” D-16 huffed a little. “Now I’m going along with this.”

“This wasn’t my idea though.”

“I know. I know. But you are not going to compare today with the past. I will not go through that again. Especially since you know that if she gets hurt, we will get our afts kicked.” Orion nodded as he didn’t disagree. D-16 hoped that Orion wouldn’t get her hurt, since his reckless nature can extend to others. “So I think what we should focus on is helping Galaxy adjust to the mines. While one of us will be in the tunnels, one of us will have to help her while also working. I hope you can juggle that.”

“Well…I have no choice…nor do you, D. I am not the only one who’ll be doing that. And it looks like I’ll be looking after her for half the day first anyway. I have no doubt her clinginess is going to go up when we get to the mines.” D-16 grimaced as the previous night showed how much she would cling, even when the berth was in front of the recharge pods. Orion sighed deeply as he looked down at the sparkling. “At least…she’ll get better with time.”

“Hopefully. We can’t have her trying to hold us back from a tunnel.” D-16 stretched his arms again and rolled his shoulders. “Well…we should probably get ourselves ready. We should be on our way by now, but we should get ready with the extra time.”

“Yeah, I guess. We’ll need to bring one of the bottles since she’s still recharging.” Orion wasn’t sure if they should start getting ready yet. They still had a lot of time. Especially since he was hoping for Galaxy to wake up before they would leave. “Though…we should really take the additional time. Galaxy should be given the courtesy to wake up.”

“I suppose…” D stood up with a light groan and walked away to grab one of the bottles from the cooling containment. “But, at the same time, Pax, we shouldn’t really be doing everything around Galaxy. As much as I feel sad for her situation, this world doesn’t really…you know…” D-16 glanced back at Orion who seemed to agree. “The world won’t revolve around her, Pax. And that is why we need to work on her clingy nature. She’s been traumatized, but we can’t have her hugging our legs or trying to drag us from the mines. I love her, but she will need to learn quickly.”

“Hopefully she does. But I personally won’t force her, as I think that might make it work. Easing her into getting used to being away is what we should do, D. I mean…we also don’t even know what might scare her or make her regress, which is a concern that is on my mind. Especially after last night.” Orion looked down at the recharging sparkling and he saw there was no sign of her waking up any time soon. He sighed as he stood up and turned off the screen to get ready. “I wonder how busy it is outside.”

“I haven’t really checked. Why?”

“Just in case there are too many bots hanging around and make too much noise. I know the train might wake her, but…I just want to be cautious.” D-16 smiled in amusement as he grabbed one of the bottles from the containment and placed it into a thermal to keep it cold. Orion still doubted that they needed to go so soon. “Are you really that eager to get to the mines?”

D-16 nodded as he turned to look at Orion. “Of course. It is our job to supply everyone with energon. Including Galaxy. Without it, it can’t be processed into the low-grade she needs. Though…hopefully we will not run out. That will not be good for anyone at all.”

Orion grimaced as he knew that was true. But Orion also wasn’t as concerned about working in the mines, since he felt there was a lot more that they could do. And while Galaxy had certainly given them an opportunity to do more, he still felt like there was other things they could do. “It might be our job, but it isn’t our first priority anymore, D. I understand it might take you longer to get used to it than me…”

“That’s because you like to venture into the archives at least once, sometimes twice, a week to find the Matrix. And we both already know you are often distracted with thoughts about doing something else than mining. So I already know, Pax.” D-16 turned to Orion now that he was ready. “We need to get our tools ready anyway, so that will take extra time when we get to the mines. We can’t just hide in here while…” D paused as Galaxy shifted and murmured suddenly, making him soften his voice. “Oh…scrap…did I wake her?”

“Um…I don’t know if she is waking up…” Orion watched the sparkling shift a little and turn her head to the left before she intakes deeply, seemingly staying in a deep recharge. But Orion suspected she would wake soon. “Not yet anyway. I think she will soon.”

D-16 sighed as he was glad he did not wake her. “Good, I think. I worried I was the one to wake her by all this talking.” D-16 then realized that he did not want her to wake from being startled at all, and that Orion was right. “Ugh…I will check to see how many of the other mining bots are out there before we consider heading to the mines, Pax. I now understand why we should wait for the moment. If she was awake, I would say otherwise.”

Orion smiled as he was glad that D-16 agreed, only because of Galaxy seemingly starting to stir. She hasn’t shown any sign of being a light sleeper, but it wouldn’t be fair to her at all. Especially since she would certainly react to any sound now. D-16 walked over to one of the windows to look out and he saw that the others were still piling out and it was quite crowded. There were a few of the guards too, and D grimaced, making Orion chuckle a little in amusement.

“Ugh…they should be gone on the next train. Maybe we will be able to go after.” D-16 stepped back and turned with a sigh. “In a way, you are going to be getting your way.”

Orion huffed in amusement. “It was never about me getting my way, D. I am thinking of our daughter, that is all. If she was awake, I would say wait until she has had her bottle of energon before going. But we aren’t at that point at this time, so we just have to wait. It won’t take long. I am going to assume the train will be here any minute and once they all pile in, we can go and wait. Unless you want to wait here until we see the next train show up.”

“I think waiting in here would be a bad idea for the next train. Unless we open the door and just stare, because I don’t really want to do that. But it will give us time to wait until Galaxy is awake.” Orion chuckled a little as listening to D made him realize they both really were unprepared, and this first day would be fascinating. D looked at his friend curiously. “What is so funny, Pax? I didn’t say anything that funny.”

“No, you didn’t. I’m just laughing at the both of us. You are as organized as I am regularly.” D-16 widened his optics and smirked as he realized why Orion was laughing. “But I guess all it took was to throw a sparkling into the mix and D-16 becomes unravelled from the usual routine of waking up, checking over the tools, haul them onto the train and stand chatting about the usual scrap about mining, the occasional mention of Sentinel Prime before finally arriving at the mines and getting shouted at by Elita over something regarding her next promotion and getting the jetpacks on to head in further to start the day drilling and filling carts with energon. I think that about sums it up. And…” Orion grimaced as he thought about it. “I just realized how dull and boring that actually sounds.”

D-16 chuckled as he walked over with a huff. “Alright, Pax, you got me. I suppose I am feeling a bit…um…” He paused as he thought for a moment. “I am not even sure what the right word is for it, but you are right. I guess…I care a lot about our work, and you are more interested in other things. Especially the archives. Hmmph…maybe you’ll find something about her parents in there.”

Orion almost let out a loud laugh, but held it back to not startle Galaxy. “Don’t make that a temptation, D.”

“I never do. But it may turn into one. But I highly doubt the archives would have records of bots who are currently alive, and getting access to that database would be impossible. So there is no need to go to the archives to look for that information.” D-16 looked at Galaxy as she was shifting again and Orion looked down at the sparkling. “Maybe I should get the bottle out of the thermal.”

“Yeah, but give her a moment to wake up and decide if she wants it, D. We can’t force her to ingest.” Orion gently placed his hand on the sparkling’s back, and that seemed to make her stir some more. She murmured some more before her optics began to flicker open. Orion smiled as he caressed the sparkling’s back gently. “Morning, Galaxy…” The sparkling whimpered a little as she rubbed her face and looked up at him. Orion gently loosened the harness around her so he could lift her out of it and cradle her properly, which didn’t seem to bother Galaxy, or she did not notice. “I hope your dreams were filled with good dreams. You did well last night. Not a peep.”

Galaxy smiled a little before she yawned, trying to arch her back and stretch out her arms as she slowly up. In doing so, she had not noticed her grip on the toy was loose and it fell from her grasp. Galaxy gasped loudly and looked down with wide optics, only to see D-16 had caught it before it hit the floor and he was smiling at her as she was taking deep intakes after the brief moment of panic, which had definitely caused her to wake up now.

“Don’t worry, Galaxy. I got it.” D-16 held the toy to the sparkling, and she quickly snatched it from him, hugging the toy tightly while nuzzling it before she looked at him with a smile. “I hope you had a good recharge, Galaxy. I hope you feel nice and rested after a long night recharge.” She nodded wearily as she rubbed her eyes again and D looked at Orion. “Mind if I hold her? I imagine you wouldn’t mind a break.”

Orion shrugged. “She’s not heavy, D. But sure.” Orion passed the sparkling to D as she whimpered a little, though she was too groggy to really seem to care who was holding her at the moment. “Maybe if she refuses to recharge in her berth, you can keep her in the harness all night tonight.”

D-16 huffed. “I will consider it. But only if we can agree to helping her calm and stay in her berth first to get her used to it.” Galaxy frowned at him as she didn’t like that. D-16 smiled at her as he held her in his right arm. “You don’t need to worry about that now. How do you feel about the first day going to the mines, Galaxy? Excited?” Galaxy shook her head immediately. “Nervous?” She nodded and lifted the toy to hide her face. “It is okay, Galaxy. Everyone is super nice. We got off on the wrong foot yesterday, but they are not going to hold it against you.”

“D is right, Galaxy. Though I suppose it would be wrong to not warn her about the bits about their personality...” D-16 raised an eyebrow at Orion who had a sarcastic expression on his face. “Like Jazz. He’s the mech you managed to push yesterday, Galaxy. I admit, it’s impressive that you could do that, but he can be unbalanced at times so I’m not surprised.” Galaxy smirked while still hiding her face with her toy. “He can be very...how should I put it?”

“He’s a bit of a glitch at times by saying something that sounds believable, but he’s actually pulling your leg...” Orion made an expression of disapproval as D-16 spoke to Galaxy. “It’s his way of joking. He actually went a whole four days telling everyone something, and then we found out it was not true. It was about the wheels of two of the carts, which made poor Ironhide, Hound and Wheeljack pull off and check every single cart because Jazz had gone on and on about how they were squealing and needing maintenance. On the bright side, Jazz was forced to fixing a leak in one of the energon processors, which resulted in him being covered in a mix of dirty oil and grease.” D-16 chuckled as Galaxy giggled as little at the story. “He was cursing up a storm while trying to scrub it off in the showers that day, and the next few days. He hasn’t done that again, but he still likes to say something that’s probably not true.”

Orion chuckled a little. “I agree. But I will once again mention we should be mindful of our words around her, D.” D-16 looked at Orion in surprise and Orion gave him a knowing expression. “I know you didn’t realize it, but I heard you.”

D-16 frowned as he thought of what he said as Galaxy let out a soft sniffle. He glanced at her as he thought she was going to cry, but she wasn’t as she rubbed her face with the back of her hand. “Oh, right...when I called him a gl...” Orion frowned and D-16 rolled his optics. “She’s going to hear those words regularly, Pax. It doesn’t matter if we do not say them around her.”

“That might be true, but I’m still going to set the standard of keeping the words clean, and you will eventually get sick of me telling you that you won’t do it anymore. And...” Orion folded his arms with a smug expression. “I consider it a win.”

D-16 shook his head in amusement. “Despite being a rusty bucket of bad ideas and stupid reasoning, you are right.” Galaxy giggled as little and D looked at her. “Oh, looks like somebody agrees with me.” Galaxy giggled some more as she looked at him with a smile. “I think you got a good judge of character if you also think he is a walking rust bucket.”

“That isn’t nice.” Orion was very amused by this as he was used to D-16 teasing him this way, and hearing Galaxy laugh warmed his spark. “Then again...until you can buff and polish your body, you kind of blend in with the walls just about everywhere.”

D-16 chuckled lightly. “I guess so. Makes it easier to hide if someone decides to look for me, so that’s actually a compliment.” Galaxy giggled before she sniffled again and she made a slightly grimace, though D and Orion didn’t notice. “Well, now that we are well and truly awake, I think we...” D-16 flinched in surprise when Galaxy sneezed suddenly and he held her out as she had sneezed coolant over his face and chassis. D-16 was so shocked as he glanced down before looking back at Galaxy who looked at him apologetically. “Oh...you have coolant blocking you sinus glands...”

Orion couldn’t help but laugh as D’s reaction was funny. “That does happen sometimes. It just means that there’s a bit of dirt or something stuck in the glands, causing a build up. Easy fix.” Galaxy grimaced as she was about to sneeze again. Orion was quick to grab a clean cloth and places it around Galaxy’s nose before she sneezed again. “I’ll take her and deal with this while you clean yourself up.”

D-16 nodded as he passed the sparkling to him. “I can’t believe we overlooked that possibility...especially since the glands can block during the night...” He walked over to the shower room to grab a cloth to dampen so he could wipe his face and chassis. “Though that’s quite a sneeze she has.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “She sure has.” He looked down at Galaxy who was whimpering a little. “It’s okay, Galaxy. We all get a little coolant stuck from time to time. All you need to do to get rid of the sneezing is to blow into the cloth until you feel a little pinch. That means that the glands are clear and you will stop sneezing on everyone.”

Galaxy felt bad for getting over D, but she has experienced this before. It was just that her mother was there and it made her feel sad. But as Orion held the cloth against her nose, she blew into the cloth and flinched as she felt the pinch almost immediately. Her optics twitch as there was a slight itch and she moved her head away to rub her face with the back of her hand. Orion saw she seemed okay and he walked over to the shower room where D was washing his face currently.

“Sorry, D. I’ll wash this cloth in a moment.” He placed the cloth into the sink that D stood over and D-16 didn’t seem to care. Orion looked at Galaxy who looked back at him with a smile. “That’s better, huh? At least you won’t be sneezing all day.” Galaxy nodded in agreement and hugged her toy happily. Orion looked at the toy for a moment and sighed deeply as he walked over to the berth to stand by it. “I think you should let go of the toy and leave it here, Galaxy.” Galaxy widened her optics and tightened her grip on the toy. Orion softened his expression. “I am not sure why you cling to this toy, and I am sorry if it is something that reminds you of your parents, but…the mines aren’t really a place to bring it, Galaxy. You might drop it, and it could get damaged or lost. You don’t want that, do you?” Galaxy shook her head immediately. “So…I think we should leave it here in the berth and it will be here when you come back for a nap. I think that is a good idea.”

Galaxy looked down at the toy as she did want to take it. But only because it would feel like she was taking a piece of her parents with her. But Orion was right. Galaxy could lose it, and she would not like it at all. She grumbled a little before she slowly loosened her grip and held the toy to Orion. Though when he tried to take it, she had a tight grip on it at first before she relented and whimpered as Orion placed it onto the mattress and she stared at it for a moment.

“It will be okay, Galaxy. We are here. If you need someone to hug or cry into one’s shoulder, we are here.” Orion kissed the top of her head and Galaxy looked at him. “You are very brave, you know?” Galaxy smiled and she nodded, before looking away. “I don’t suppose your tank is angry at you right now? Is it rumbling?” As soon as Orion mentioned it, Galaxy felt the rumbling and she nodded eagerly. “Good. I think you should get to fill your tank before we head to the train.”

“It’s a good thing I got it out of the thermal.” D-16 had finished cleaning himself up and walked over to the counter where the bottle was and brought it over. Galaxy watched excitedly, while holding out her hands and grasping at the air eagerly. D-16 chuckled as he tilted the bottle and she opened her mouth to accept the tip to begin drinking. “I have to admit…” D looked at Orion as Orion grabbed the end of the bottle and D let it go while watching with a smile. “That’s kind of something you do.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, whenever you get hungry, it sometimes takes someone asking you if you are hungry for you to realize it, and then you act kind of like her when someone brings you cubes.” Orion rolled his optics in amusement. D-16 chuckled as he began to tease him. “You sure you didn’t secretly carry this sparkling?”

“Oh, Primus…” Orion shook his head and chuckled at his friend, not noticing that Galaxy was smiling in amusement. “I don’t think that anyone could keep a sparkling a secret. I would have had a swollen abdomen and I would have been waddling around and very slow…and I would not have gone to the archives recently either.”

“I know, I was just teasing you.” D-16 elbowed Orion’s side gently and looked at Galaxy. “Plus, even if you had a gestational chamber, I highly doubt it would functional. Given you kind of need a cog for the parts to move to accommodate the growing sparkling.”

“I agree. And I don’t have one, thank Primus.” Orion walked over to the table to sit down at while Galaxy took her time to fill her tank. “Well…I guess we will have a few more minutes here before we leave. Today is going to be interesting.”

D-16 nodded in agreement, and Galaxy agreed too. She already felt unhappy that she didn’t have her toy with her, but she at least knew where it was. And she was also excited to see Elita again, even if Elita was going to be busy. She was nervous about meeting the other bots though. She hoped they would be kind to her. She didn’t know if what D had said about Jazz was true, but it sounded true since Orion confirmed it.

Galaxy had no doubt the next few days were going to be hard as they all adjust to the new situation. But Galaxy hoped that once they had gotten used to it, it will feel normal. Especially as Galaxy did not expect anything to change now for a while. So long as Sentinel doesn’t take an interest in her existence, and tries to figure out her real identity, things should smoothly. But for now, her current big hurdle was to meet the other mining bots. And hope that the day would go well.

Chapter Text

With Galaxy now fed and relaxed, Orion and D-16 were able to leave their living quarters to the train station, where they were lucky to get on a train almost straight away. The train was almost empty, though there were a few other bots on board. But these bots were regular transformers and they kept to themselves, though they did take note of the sparkling sitting on D-16’s lap while laying against hiss chassis and sucking her thumb as they wait to arrive at the mines. It made Galaxy nervous, as she didn’t know if anyone here knew her true identity. Though she doubted it, since only those who work closely with Sentinel would know of her true name and form, but they haven’t investigated it yet.

“Hopefully, Elita will be in a good mood today,” Orion commented as he was seated next to D. “I know yesterday was weird, but...”

“I am sure Elita will be fine. She might be miffed about us being late to the mines, since I think we may have taken a bit too long, but she understands the situation.” D-16 was rubbing Galaxy’s back gently as she relaxed against him. “But I suppose if Darkwing is in a bad mood, so will Elita. Hopefully that won’t be the case.”

Orion grimaced a little as he couldn’t help but agree. “Yeah...he will be keeping an eye out for us. But we are on our way, and Galaxy is calm. She’s nervous, but calm. I am just glad I could convince her to leave the toy behind.”

“I agree. We don’t want it to get lost or damaged. It is best to keep it at home...which is kind of strange to say until we get used to our new living arrangement.” D-16 glanced at the transformers who were talking quietly while gesturing to the sparkling. “I didn’t see anything on the reports this morning about Galaxy. I’m not sure if the rest of Iacon know of her existence.”

“They probably do know, D. It would have been reported last night. We were just too preoccupied taking care of Galaxy to sit down and watch it. Plus, we were focused on starting to learn how to sign as well, so we had no time to watch it. I would ignore the odd looks, D. They will get used to it.” Orion wasn’t bothered by the looks they were getting as he knew they had done nothing wrong. “If it bothers Galaxy though, just keep doing what you are doing.”

“I will. I guess I just don’t like others thinking we did something wrong...especially since we have no cogs...” D-16 did dislike that others would look at them for doing the wrong thing automatically just because of their status. But it was something they were used to, even if they didn’t like it. “I guess the train will stop someone where else before the mines.”

“I don’t think so. It’s taking the route directly to the mine entrance, so only we will get off. I could be wrong, though.” Orion wasn’t in a hurry, so it didn’t bother him at all. Galaxy didn’t care either. “Though...I know we sort of already talked about who would go into the tunnel and who will stay with Galaxy, though I’m not sure if we should change it around.”

“That will depend on Galaxy. She decided to climb onto my lap once we got into the train, so maybe she will want me around...though she had liked you more...” D-16 paused for a moment as he saw Cosmic flying over the train suddenly and Galaxy immediately looked up. “Ugh...those things are quite intimidating. Sentinel was pretty brave taming them.”

Galaxy almost glanced at D in surprise by the comment as she knew that was not true. She whimpered a little as seeing her aunt flying over the train with the collar still around her neck made Galaxy wish she could help her. She didn’t know why Cosmic was flying over, but it seemed that she might just be patrolling, unless she had been told to follow. That would be bad, since Cosmic will know who she is.

“I know. But there isn’t much about the draconic bots. Even in the archives, unless I’m looking in the wrong place. I can’t help but wonder if Galaxy’s parents had worked with those bots, since she likes the toy so much.” Galaxy looked down as she felt sad and nuzzled against D-16’s chassis while Orion spoke. “It makes sense...though I don’t know if that means they are a warrior or not. I think Sentinel has Sky Blade and Firedrake with him on his current mission. Maybe he will find others.”

Galaxy shuddered as she hoped that wouldn’t happen. She didn’t know how many draconic bots had survived the attack on Tempest, but she knew they would be hiding somewhere on the surface. She also didn’t like that the two bots seemed to admire Sentinel. But she did understand that they didn’t know any other life. They were born as slaves, as that is what it seemed to Galaxy. If the draconic bots were still alive, she knew that they would rip Sentinel apart if he didn’t have the Quintessons as a shield.

D-16 had felt Galaxy shuddering and he thought she was afraid of Cosmic. “It is okay, Galaxy. Cosmic and the other dragons fly over as a form of guard over Iacon. They won’t hurt you.” Galaxy looked at him briefly before looking away. “Plus, they never go into the mines. So it will just be us, Elita and the other mining bots surrounded by dark, solid rock as we dig out the energon.”

Galaxy appreciated D-16’s attempt to soothe her mind, even if it was over the wrong thing. But it didn’t make her feel better. She intakes deeply as she just tried to push the thoughts to the back of her mind as she knew she should focus on the day. She didn’t know what it would be like, especially since she was going to be meeting a lot of bots today. That made her more nervous than a draconic bot flying over them.

“And it looks like we are almost there...uh oh...I see Elita waiting on the platform. That’s either a really good thing or really bad thing.” Orion could not help but let out a nervous chuckle and he stood up to prepare to get off. D-16 adjusted the sparkling in his arms before he stood up and approached the door as they waited patiently. “Hmm...she has a calm expression...”

“That doesn’t mean she isn’t happy. She could just be here to ensure we get ourselves sorted. Especially today.” Galaxy was happy to see Elita though. She was smiling and D-16 chuckled at her. “I know you are excited to see Elita again, Galaxy. But she may not want to hold you, if that is what you are expecting.” Galaxy was going to try anyway. D-16 was amused and when the train came to a stop and the doors open, both bots walked out onto the platform. “Morning, Elita. I guess with you standing there like that means you want to talk with us.”

Elita smiled as the two mining bots approached. “And by that tone, you think I am mad. I am, but not at you. Prowler decided to be a bit annoying this morning, and he almost broke the drill he had to use. So today has already been a great day for me.” Elita glanced at the sparkling in D’s arms to see Galaxy was reaching towards her. Elita smiled at her in amusement. “I see the clinginess is starting to wear off. I suppose…” Elita moved her hands for a moment and paused, glancing at both Orion and D-16. “I am allowed to hold her, right?”

D nodded as he moved the sparkling to Elita, and she gently grabbed the sparkling by the armpits to hold her. “Since Galaxy seems to think it is okay, there’s nothing wrong with it. She seems to like you, and you are our boss, so maybe she wants to learn from the best. After all, you need to be as tough as you to do well in this job.”

“I am not surprised.” Elita looked at Galaxy as she listened to her with a smile on her face. “You have made a good decision by wanting to hang with me right now. If you decide to hang with me all day, I’ll show you what it takes to get to my position. Even without a voice, I can totally see you shouting the loudest if someone decides to be any another bot.” Galaxy giggled at her and Elita looked at Orion and D-16. “Time for you two to get to work. I was able to keep your equipment here for you, so one of you can put a jetpack on and head into the tunnel straight away.”

Galaxy widened her optics and glanced at both Orion and D-16. “Um…well…we haven’t decided…since Galaxy has yet to indicate who she would prefer. But I guess we should go in anyway. Might as well introduce Galaxy to the others, though I know not everyone will be there since they will be in the tunnels.” Orion glanced at Galaxy as she was murmuring a little and he smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. You won’t be left alone.”

Galaxy knew that, but she also didn’t expect Elita to tell D-16 and Orion to get started straight away. But she wasn’t really aware of how tight the work schedule was here yet, so she guessed that might be the reason. Elita turned and walked with the two bots towards a familiar set of stairs and Galaxy grumbled as she knew she had pushed Jazz by accident here. She couldn’t help but try to hide her face in Elita’s shoulder, which amused the three bots.

“I think now is a good time for you to get a better look here, Galaxy. Today, I intend on getting whoever stays with you to help load the energon rocks onto the conveyor belt that brings the rocks up to the processor. You might get to help too, if you want.” Galaxy didn’t respond as she listened to Elita, while D-16 and Orion weren’t thrilled by the task given to them. “It’s not the most exciting job, but it is important. Plus, you will get see the other tasks around here, such as the task of counting how much energon we’ve collected and processed for today to ensure we make the quota.”

“And the general maintenance of the carts too...and the tools, depending on what needs fixing.” Orion looked around with a slight smile as he didn’t necessarily enjoy coming down to the mines every day, but he had little choice. There was no other option for him. “But that is only just to name a…” Orion turned his head to the left and he smiled as he saw a pale, teal femme approaching with an excited expression. “Ah, and here they come. Galaxy…” Galaxy turned her head to see the approaching femme and she looked at him with a worried expression. “Don’t worry, that’s just Moonracer. She’s sort of new to the mines, and she is responsible for the diagnostic systems of the energon processors. She’s been here for a few cycles, but she’s a hard worker.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “She’s very pleasant to talk to as well. We don’t work really work with her though, but we do speak to her sometimes on the train or in the quarters if she is hanging out with the rest of us in the recreational room. Hmm...” D looked at Orion curiously. “We are still allowed in the recreational room, aren’t we?”

“We weren’t told otherwise, but we also have Galaxy to care for, so we may not have time.” Orion looked at the approaching femme who giggled ecstatically as she stared at the sparkling in Elita’s arms. “Hello, Moonracer. I see that you have noticed our newest addition already.”

Moonracer nodded as her blue optics were practically glowing with excitement. “I have been waiting all morning to meet her. I was in the middle of calibrating a new processor when the chaos erupted. I just finished it a few minutes, right as you both arrived Orion.” Galaxy turned her head to look at Moonracer who gasped excitedly. “Oh, Primus, she is so cute! She really does look like a miniature version of both you and D-16, Orion.”

D-16 grimaced a little. “We know. But we can reassure everyone that she is not. In fact, her biological parents are a mystery. Poor Ratchet is dealing with and internal investigation for possible corruption right now because of it.”

Moonracer grimaced sympathetically. “Poor Ratchet...but at least he will be cleared. That makes her existence more of a mystery, but she has two great...” She gestured to both Orion and D-16 with a big smile. “Bots to care for her. As long as you stop getting yourself chased by the guards every few days, Orion.”

Orion chuckled lightly. “That is something I will not do again.” Though he was still very tempted to go back to the archives at some point. He looked at Galaxy who was staring at Moonracer curiously. “She’s a good femme, Galaxy. You’ll see her everyday. Especially since we will be interacting with her while we pile rocks on the conveyor belt. She always keeps a close eye on that.”

“She almost has the same drive as me. But she’s a bit of a wimp.” Moonracer gave Elita an amused expression. “Anyway, you need to get back to work. Darkwing is not here right now. He has been dealing with the whole sparkling issue with his superiors and getting involved with the investigation into possible corruption, but he is still monitoring our actions. So get back to it, Moon.”

“Alright, well, I wanted to hold the sparkling...” Galaxy immediately tensed and shook her head, as she wanted to build trust with the other bots before she was comfortable with them. Moonracer chuckled a little at the reaction. “But that is okay. I have also started learning how to sign. Hopefully we can get some good conversations eventually.”

“That’s our hope too.” Elita turned to D-16 and lifted Galaxy off her chassis, making Galaxy flinch in surprise. “Sorry, Galaxy, but I need both of my arms free to stay on schedule.”

Galaxy understood, even though she was a bit sad. As Elita held her to D-16, Galaxy glanced at Orion for a moment before she reached to D-16 as she decided to stick with him this morning, since Orion will get to be responsible to take her back for her nap. Though they did bring the harness in case she refused to recharge in her berth again. But they would still take her back to their living quarters so she wouldn’t be bothered by the noise of the mines.

Orion was a bit sad for a moment, but he did not argue. “Well...I guess I better put the jet packs on, grab my drill and head into the mines.” Galaxy looked at him with worry and Orion smiled at her. “I will be okay. If you want, you can watch me put the jet pack on and fly into the tunnel. Then you and D-16 get the important job of making sure the energon gets into the processors.”

Galaxy smiled at him and Orion leaned to kiss her forehead before he proceeded down the stairs with Elita and D-16 following him. Moonracer walked away in a different direction while other bots began looking in their direction. Galaxy did feel uneasy. She knew that these mining bots won’t hurt her, but she wasn’t used to having this much attention. She hid her face into D-16’s shoulder and he chuckled lightly as he rubbed her back gently.

Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, Elita turned for a moment to look at the two bots. “You don’t need me to get yourselves ready for the day. I will be around, and you both better get started before I decide to kick your afts into the Pit.”

“We understand, Elita.” Orion walked over to a metal shelf where their jet packs and drills had been placed. He quickly checked them over as he was relieved they were not damaged. He grabbed one of the jet packs and turned to D-16. “Care to help put this on?”

D nodded and looked at Galaxy. “I need to put you down for a moment, Galaxy.” Galaxy nodded as she understood. D expected her to tightened her grip, but she did not as he placed her on the ground. D-16 stepped forward to grab the jet pack, only for him to flinch in surprise when Galaxy hugged his right leg. “Oookaaayyy...this is a bit awkward...”

Orion chuckled softly. “But only for a moment.” He turned his back to D-16 and the silver mech placed the jack pack on. Orion turned and crouched to look at Galaxy. “Now it is time for you to be a brave girl. You will find that it isn’t so bad down here. I will see you in a few hours.”

A few hours?! Oh...I wish I could go with him...but I will stay with D-16...hopefully it will be okay.

Galaxy lets go of D-16’s leg to run at Orion and hug him. He chuckled a little as he was unsurprised that she would do that. He hugged her gently before gently pulling her off him. “Now you go back to D, and make sure to let him use both legs. He can’t do any work properly if you are clinging to him like that.” Galaxy nodded as she understood. “If you ever get bored…well, I am afraid I am not sure what we can do to help you with that. But I am sure there is too much to see here to even be bored.”

D-16 stepped closer and reached down to take Galaxy’s right hand, and she smiled at him before looking at Orion as he stood up. “She will be fine. We got quite a bit of work to do. So I think you need to stop stalling, Pax. We have already wasted a lot of time.”

“As far as I am concerned, it was not wasted because we are thinking of our daughter and how she will go with today.” Orion glanced back at Galaxy and winked at her before he turned to walk away. “Keep her clear from the engine, D. I will be expecting a call to take her for her nap in a few hours.”

D-16 just nodded as Orion turned on the jet pack and flew into the air towards the tunnel that led to the deeper tunnels to begin his work. D expected Galaxy to try and chase him, but she did not. She simply stood by him and watched before she sighed a little with a sad expression. D-16 looked down at Galaxy. “Alright, I’ll show you what we do. It’s very easy, and very important.”

Galaxy just nodded as D turn and walked with her while she held his hand tightly. She glanced towards Moonracer who was standing on a platform while holding a tablet in her hand while speaking to another bot. She flinched as a few bots glanced in her direction, and she didn’t like the attention she was getting. But she knew she couldn’t really do much about it at this time. She knew it will take a few days before the others stop looking.

D-16 walked over to one of the full carts and he lets go of Galaxy’s hand, which startled her a little, and she watched him place his hands on the cart. “Unfortunately, no one wants to build tracks to move these automatically for us, so we got to do the manual labour ourselves. The conveyor belt is turned on and waiting currently…and…” D-16 paused as he glanced up for a moment as he noticed another bot doing the job. “Looks like Sideswipe is working with us today.”

Galaxy leaned to see another bot who was pushing one of the carts towards the conveyor belt. He had a bright, red chassis with a dark grey helm. His lower legs were also dark grey with red plates on either side of the leg and his thighs were light silver. He glanced in D-16’s direction briefly, though looked away as it seemed that he was unbothered by the sparkling’s presence. Which was something Galaxy preferred.

D-16 began pushing the cart towards the conveyor belt. “I do not normally see you up here, Sideswipe. Did something happen when Orion and I weren’t here, or…”

“No, but somebody has to do it. And I know you or Orion were tasked to do this with your little sparkling in tow, but someone needs to be here.” Sideswipe pushed the cart until it was beside the conveyor belt and leaned down to grab the bottom and tilted the barrel of the cart to carefully poor the energon rocks onto the conveyor bet. “Don’t worry either, D. I am not like the other glitches who have been going on and on about this sparkling and how excited they are to meet her.” D-16 was happy about that as he moved the cart he was pushing beside the belt behind Sideswipe’s cart. “Personally, I think you and Pax are doing a good deal. But it is something out of my control. But…” Sideswipe looked at Galaxy who shifted behind D’s leg and he chuckled a little. “She is cute, I’ll give them that. And I see why Jazz, Ironhide, Arcee, Wheeljack, Prowler and the others are acting so foolish.”

“Ah, you noticed the resemblance.” Sideswipe nodded as D-16 gestured to himself, making him sigh a little. “At least you have given a warning. Pax and I were worried we would be swarmed, but at least it seems Elita has ensured that no one will unintentionally tread on Galaxy’s toes.”

“Galaxy, huh? That’s a nice name.” Sideswipe rolled the barrel upward and pushed the cart as D-16 tilted the barrel of his cart to pour the rocks onto the conveyor belt. “And you would be right. Jazz, Ironhide and Arcee were extremely giddy about officially meeting Galaxy. But Elita kicked their afts into gear. Though Prowler and Wheeljack weren’t overly excited, though that could change once they meet her.”

“Which they all will have a chance to later. But I am glad you are keeping a level head about this whole thing. Both Pax and I don’t really want any additional stress.” D-16 glanced down as Galaxy walked closer to the conveyor belt to watch curiously. “As you can see, Galaxy, it’s a pretty easy job. Quite boring too, and usually reserved for new miners. But there aren’t any, so we all have a part to play now.”

Galaxy just watched the belt curiously as she stood by it. Her optics followed the rocks as they travelled up the belt towards a metal tunnel which led the rocks towards a part of the processor. She didn’t know what that part did, but there was loud hissing and she could faintly hear the sound of the rocks being shattered within the machine. She couldn’t help but wonder how the other draconic bots were surviving. She knew they were hidden from Sentinel, but they also would need to dig for energon. Unlike before when flowed everywhere.

Galaxy sighed a little as she knew that this wasn’t the most thrilling thing she would get to witness, but she at least knew that what she would see would interest her. She watched D-16 push the cart away after he emptied it and she remained where she was as she saw Sideswipe had pushed the cart he had emptied down a slight ramp to line it with a line of other empty carts that would get pulled down into the tunnels. She was tempted to follow D, but she didn’t want to give into her clingy nature. At least for now.

D-16 himself was pleased that Galaxy remained where she was as he pushed the cart to join the line of other empty carts and turned to grab the next filled cart. Sideswipe was already pushing another one, and D looked to Galaxy. “You may have to move for a moment, Galaxy. I don’t want you to get run over accidently.”

Galaxy turned in surprise and looked at Sideswipe who chuckled at D-16. “Seriously? You think I would hit your daughter with this thing? Ah, D-16, I think that is very unkind of you to say. I may not be jumping for joy and speaking with my vocal processor hitting high notes regarding the sparkling, but I am not an idiot. The last thing I need is for Elita, Darkwing or one of the guards to punish me for hurting a little sparkling.”

D-16 smiled at Sideswipe. “I was not suggesting that at all, Sideswipe. I was just making sure Galaxy is aware of her surroundings. She’s just staring at the belt, and I don’t want her to not be aware.”

“Alright, fair.” Sideswipe looked at Galaxy who was grinning a little as she listened to them. He leaned a little and lowered his voice while placing his right hand to his cheek to speak with her, even though D could still hear him. “I think you’ve done a good job tightening a few screws with that one. D’s always been serious about this job, but now he’s even more serious. Good job, little one.”

Galaxy giggled at Sideswipe and D-16 huffed in amusement. “Hey, I’m just making sure that she does not get injured on the first day here in the mines. That’s the last thing I want, and I do not want Darkwing to revoke the decision to make myself and Orion as parents to that young sparkling.”

Sideswipe chuckled as he pushed the next cart up to the conveyor belt. “At least that explains the extra optics watching us from the guard towers.” Extra optics? Galaxy tensed and she glanced up for a moment. “Since Darkwing is not here, there are others. They look like they could be the Council…” Sideswipe paused as Galaxy ran over to D-16 nervously as she had spotted a couple vehicons watching from the towers. She knew they worked with Sentinel, and she was nervous and worried they would observe her enough to determine who she really was. “Oh…” Sideswipe widened his optics as D-16 was also surprised as Galaxy seemed to try to hide underneath him by crouching and hugging his right, lower leg, which made D feel awkward. Sideswipe glanced up for a moment looked at Galaxy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, Galaxy. The extra guards are only there to ensure nothing else happens.”

“Sideswipe is right.” D-16 took a step back and lifted his right leg, making Galaxy let go and look up at him. He crouched down in front of her. “It is okay. It might seem scary that they are watching us constantly, but they really don’t do much. They only come down to make trouble if they think we are not doing our job. You got nothing to worry about.” Galaxy really wanted to say something, but she could only murmur while she placed her hand at the base of her neck sadly. D-16 realized she wanted to tell them stuff, but she could not. “I know you want to speak, Galaxy, but it will take a little while. Be patient. And also know you probably can’t read or write yet, so we just have to wait. Then you can tell me all about what is on your mind. Okay?” Galaxy just nodded and looked down at the ground. “If you want to stay close to me, you can. But you can’t grab my legs whenever you feel scared. I might trip or drop something, which may hurt you. So you need to stop doing that, please.” Galaxy nodded as she understood. D-16 smiled at her. “Good. I’ll remind you if you do it again. So if you want to stay near me, I can put you in the harness…” Galaxy nodded again, this time more vigorously. “Alright. I will do that.” He pulled out the harness from his right-side socket to put on. Sideswipe was leaning to watch curiously as D-16 was quick to strap the harness to himself and lifted Galaxy to strap her in. Galaxy was smiling as she was happy and she felt safer closer to him. “At least this will save us the concern of you getting stepped on and you causing me to trip.” With Galaxy now sitting comfortably in the harness, D-16 stood up and resumed pushing the cart. “Now we’re a little behind…let’s see if we can catch up.”

Galaxy just giggled a little, even though was uncomfortable over the fact that there were bots watching who were clearly working with Sentinel. While Galaxy was not familiar with who worked directly with Sentinel, she did know from the knowledge she had absorbed during her time in the stasis pod that the vehicons were bots built to be warriors commanded by Sentinel. So with some watching her in the mines made her worry that she would get recognized. Even with her bot form, if anyone from the Council got close enough to look at her appearance, they would recognize some of the dragon features on her body and bring her to Sentinel. At least that has yet to happen.

Chapter Text

The day proceeded without much of a hitch. Galaxy remained in the harness for a while before she became bored and she decided she no longer wanted to sit in it. D-16 was fine with it, as it seemed that the sparkling had decided she no longer cared about the vehicons watching from above. Which was partly true. However, because she was bored, Galaxy was not sure of what she would do now. Watching D-16 pushing the carts filled with energon rocks wasn’t entertaining, and she wished she had something with her to entertain herself. That was until Elita returned from the lower tunnels and Galaxy decided to hang out with her. And both D-16 and Elita did not mind, since Elita would be around here for a little bit. She wouldn’t let Galaxy follow her into the lower tunnels though.

But Elita was not yet returning to the lower tunnels as she was making sure that D-16 and Sideswipe were moving the energon quickly as she was going on and on about how they were behind on their quota for the day, and she was angry over the fact that they might miss it. But she was also speaking with Moonracer about getting the calibration of a new processor finished because another processor meant they could process more energon into cubes, and make it easier for them to meet their daily quota or more.

“Moonracer, it shouldn’t take this long to get a new processor up and running!” Elita barked at the young bot who was looking at the tablet with a slightly nervous expression. “We need it up and running before the end of our shifts before Darkwing comes back and kick our afts.”

“I am aware, Elita. I am sorry, I am trying to get it up and running as fast as I can. The machine is currently turned on, but if you allow me a little more time, I will start processing the energon. It will not take long.” Moonracer’s tone was full of nervousness as she responded to Elita. “So please, give me a little more time.”

“I hope you aren’t lying to me, Moon, because we need to catch up after yesterday.” Galaxy looked at Elita as she was standing a little bit behind her and she felt bad, though Elita was not specifying her. “Otherwise, we may even have one of the council guards come down to personally question us about the delay. And I for one would rather just deal with one, Darkwing, whenever he is able to return to his usual duties.”

“I am not lying, Elita. You haven’t really been taught a lot of the logistics and calibrations about these processors, so you should trust that things are going to go smoothly, and we will be right on track.” Moonracer’s smile seemed forced due to her nervousness and Elita narrowed her optics, clearly not believing the young bot. “And…yelling at me is not really making it go faster…”

“I know that! But this had better be done by the time I make another round of the idiots bringing more rocks up here for processing, since a few seem to have decided to get slack on my watch, so it had better be on.” Moon just nodded nervously and Elita intakes heavily while she turned on her heel, looking down at Galaxy. Elita noticed Galaxy seemed sad and the femme was immediately worried. “Are you okay? Did I…go a bit too far?” Galaxy nodded a little and lifted her hands, pressing her fingers together nervously. Elita knelt down as she softened her expression. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. And…oh…” Elita realized her words might have hurt Galaxy. “Oh, I didn’t mean you, by the way.”

Galaxy did not really believe Elita since she was the only reason why Elita and the miners were behind on their work from the day before. So the reassurance was not very convincing, and she could see Moonracer was nervous from the pressure that Elita was putting onto the young bot, even though Galaxy thought she was doing her best. Though being a sparkling, her perspective was quite a bit different.

“Unfortunately, things need to get done in a timeframe or we get in serious trouble. You have been here a short time, and you won’t really experience that until you are much older. But that is okay.” Elita smiled at Galaxy as she stood back up and held her hand to her. “Come on, I think you and I can handle making the other miners get their afts into gear to get the rest of the energon up. What do you think?” Galaxy murmured before turning a little to look over at D-16 who was tipping another load of energon onto the conveyor belt. “Or you can go back to D-16.” Galaxy looked back at Elita before she smiled and took Elita’s hand. “That a girl. I knew you would rather hang out with someone who had actually has something going for her life. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am, but I am very proud of it.” Galaxy was just smiling as Elita turned to walk while still holding the sparkling’s hands. “Hopefully, D-16 or Orion will do the same. It will be better for them and for you...” Elita paused as she looked at her left wrist as an alert came up, and she opened her com link. “Ironhide, what’s the matter?”

“I got bad news. My driller has decided to choke and it’s malfunctioning.” Elita grimaced as she listened to the response from the miner. “It does not appear to be major, but I need to fix it. I request the permission to stop drilling until I’ve fixed my drill. Otherwise, it will have to wait until tomorrow if you want me to just load the energon onto the carts.”

Elita groaned a little as she listened to the bot. “I’ll need to see it myself before I make a final decision, Ironhide. I’ll meet you at the tunnel entrance.”

“Understood.”

Elita sighed as she turned to Galaxy and knelt down. “Alright, I’m going to head a little deeper into the mines now. And you cannot follow me.” Galaxy murmured with a pout as she wanted to go with Elita. “I know you want to spend time with me and get to understand how to do things around here, but I can’t take you further into the mine. You need a jet pack to get there anyway, and you are far from ready to even use one.” Galaxy looked towards the tunnel that leads down into the mines and Elita placed her hand on Galaxy’s shoulder. “But don’t worry, this probably won’t take that long. I just need to make sure that Ironhide is not pulling my leg, and you may get to officially meet him anyway. So just go back to D-16 for a bit.” Galaxy wanted to go with Elita, but she knew that she had to stay with D-16. She sighed and smiled at Elita as she nodded a little to show she understood. Elita was amused at the sparkling as she stood up. “At least I know I’m the fun aunt around here, which is why you want to hang around me. But I suppose watching a bot empty energon onto the conveyor belt a hundred times is quite boring, so I don’t blame you. Now you better head over. I don’t want you to be in the way when I turn my jet pack on.”

Galaxy just nodded as she turned and began making her way back over to D. She glanced over her shoulder when she heard Elita’s jet pack and watched the bot flying towards the tunnel, and she sighed. If she had her wings, she could follow without an issue. But she did have to be where D-16 was, or he would get in trouble. And she did not want him to get in trouble unintentionally. Though Elita was also right. It was boring watching him work.

As she walked over to him, Galaxy looked around the space curiously. Seeing how the transformers had built into the ground of the planet was interesting. She wondered if this was built before the Matrix was lost, or after. She assumed after, since mining for energon wouldn’t have been needed. So it made sense that it would have been built after it. Though she still felt very bad for them, especially since they did not have their t-cogs.

As she walked closer, she looked to her right and stopped as she noticed some condensation dripping from the stone wall. It was clearly built up from the heat of the processors, but she also noticed that the area the water droplets were dripping on was raw dirt, which was now mud. Galaxy smiled as that meant she didn’t have to just sit and watch D-16. She could make stuff with the mud and use it as a toy.

She glanced at D-16 to see he was not looking in her direction and Galaxy walked over to the patch and climbed down into the space before she pressed her feet into the mud to feel how damp it was. She giggled a little before sitting down and began to dig her fingers into the mud to gather as much as she could to use as material to build figures with it. She did think about what she would build, and she decided that she was going to make a sculpture of Tempest. Though her memories of the city weren’t the best, so she knew it might not be accurate. Not that it mattered.

She shifted around a little so that it was easier to build before she ended up laying on her stomach while humming softly to herself as she was now having fun and she didn’t feel like she was going to be bored. She hoped this would always be muddy so she could do something each day she would come to the mines, as she at least didn’t have to rely on a toy to use as entertainment for herself. She hoped that she would be okay doing this, since she would be out of the way.

“Oh, I see. I’m not sure if being a parent to that little sparkling will stop Orion’s thirst for going into the Iacon archives and almost getting himself killed, D. It may have already impacted him enough that he’s decided to be more mature about it all, but I am doubtful that he will stop. He will just be mindful of the times he will do it at.” D-16 was chuckling as he and Sideswipe were talking to each other, and were currently on the topic of Orion’s adventures to the Iacon archives. “Do you even know why he has this insane desire to know more? It is only going to make life harder for him. If he had a cog, it would be different.”

“I’m not really sure. I think it is partly because we are forced the mine, I think expanding his knowledge helps him cope. But he also believes...” D-16 chuckled a little as he had paused a little. “That by looking through the archives, there might be answers regarding the Matrix.”

Sideswipe chuckled lightly. “It’s going to take more than old recordings to find it. I guess he thinks he is helping Sentinel, which I guess is noble. But I highly doubt he would acknowledge Orion’s help.”

“What makes you think he wouldn’t?”

Sideswipe just shrugged. “Because he’s the leader, and we are miners. Even if we were to do something noble, it may not matter anyway. That is all I’m saying.” He glanced around as he pushed an empty cart from the conveyor belt. “Hmm, looks like Elita and Galaxy are off somewhere.”

“Hmm?” D-16 looked around as he stood by the conveyor belt with one of the carts. “I’m surprised she would be out of sight. I’m meant to be watching Galaxy...but I thought I saw her flying down towards the lower tunnels.”

Sideswipe and D-16 both widen their optics as they realized, and they spoke in unison. “Scrap.

“Would she have followed?” Sideswipe asked curiously, glancing around some more to try and see if Galaxy was still in the area. “She seems to really like Elita. I’m surprised Elita wasn’t picked to be her parent.”

“She could have been, but she is bonded to me and Orion...” D-16 walked around a little as he looked around before opening his com link. “Elita, is Galaxy with you?”

“No, she is not. I am currently assisting Ironhide with his drill due to a malfunction. I left her up with the carts and I saw her walking towards you. I didn’t have time to watch her walk the whole way.” Elita let out a low groan. “Are you trying to tell me she might be trying to follow me?”

“It is possible. You have made an impression on her, plus she’s probably bored watching me move these carts to the conveyor...” D-16 paused as he looked to the right and he spotted Galaxy’s back by the processor’s. He sighed in relief. “Never mind, I found her. She found a dirt patch by the processors.”

Elita let out a deep sigh. “Thank Primus. You’d better tell her to not make our sparks worried like that again, D. I am already dealing with a lot, and I don’t need your sparkling down here and causing even more trouble than before.”

“I will talk to her. But...I think that will wait until she’s ready for her nap. I don’t want to interrupt her.”

“Fine, as long as she knows. And you’ll be responsible for cleaning her, well, Orion will be.” D-16 chuckled in agreement with Elita. “Right, at least that is dealt with. Try not to bother me again, D-16. I’d appreciate it.”

“I won’t.” D-16 turned off the com link and turned to Sideswipe to see he was still looking for the sparkling. “I found her, Sideswipe. She’s found the dirt patch by the processors. I think it’s turned to mud from condensation.”

“That’s good. At least we know where she is and that she’s entertaining herself.” Sideswipe walked over to push another cart to the conveyor belt while D-16 walked over to the cart he was about to empty before by the conveyor belt. “I don’t blame her. It’s boring just watching us go back and forth, doing the same thing for several hours, even though it is an important job.”

“Nor do I. But she could have let me know.”

“But...she can’t speak or sign yet. How would she let you know?” Sideswipe was curious how D-16 would expect her to tell him. “By pointing?”

“Yeah, that would be the only thing, or grabbing my hand and pulling me over to it, so I know where she is. I will have to tell Orion about it. He would be better at addressing the issue than me, but I’m here now so I’ll have to do it. Though I’ve never really had to do that before.” Sideswipe chuckled as he was amused by D-16 as the bot empty the cart onto the conveyor belt. “I hope I won’t make her feel bad. She seems like she doesn’t want to upset us.”

“If you explain it calmly, I’m sure she will understand.” Sideswipe pushed his cart up to the conveyor belt to empty as well. “I guess you aren’t used to being in charge of someone. You might be a parent, but you still have to inform of her of things when they are wrong.”

“Yeah, that is why I feel weird about it. But I also don’t like seeing her upset, but I am sure I’ll get over that.” D-16 intakes deeply as he rolled the barrel of cart back to straight so he could push it away. “Hmm, it’s also getting closer to time for her nap...I might just make sure she isn’t falling into recharge.”

“Is it that time already? I did not even notice the time.” Sideswipe took a moment to think and he realized that D-16 was right. “Huh, I suppose we don’t even notice how quickly our shift goes by due to how busy we are. At least you aren’t drilling in the tunnel.”

“Yet. I will be heading down there when Orion comes back to get her.” D-16 walked over to Galaxy while trying to see what she was doing. When he got closer, he saw she was building a mountain range with the mud, even though he did not know what the location was to Galaxy. “Hey, Galaxy.” The sparkling jumped and turned her head in surprise with wide optics. “Sorry, I did not mean to scare you. I just happened to notice you over here and wanted to see what you were doing.”

Galaxy smiled at him as she was relieved it was just D-16. She shifted a little as D walked closer before he crouched to see. She knew he wouldn’t recognise the mountain range, or the buildings she was starting to carve into the figures, so she knew he was fine to see it. He was curious as he gazed at the mountain range, and he seemed to realize she knew it somehow, even though he believed all transformers lived in Iacon city, and were all born here. So it didn’t make a lot of sense to him, but he figured it was just her imagination.

“Are you making some kind of mountain city?” Galaxy nodded and D-16 chuckled a little. “That is good. But if you come over here again, just let me know next time. I thought you had followed Elita.” Galaxy immediately stopped smiling and shook her head. “I see that now, but you had me worried. And Elita too, since I had to ask her if you were with her.” Galaxy murmured a little as she listened to him before she frowned and looked away. D-16 sighed deeply. “If you wanted to do something on your own while nearby, you could have let me know. Even if you had to tap my leg or tackle me to get my attention.” Galaxy just nodded as she seemed to understand and looked back at what she was making. D-16 felt awkward since he’s never been in a position to tell someone what they should do, rather than taking the orders himself. “I’m glad you found something to occupy yourself with. And...” D-16 leaned as he saw the mud on Galaxy’s chassis, arms and legs. “You have given Orion another task when he takes you home for a nap soon.”

Galaxy just shrugged with a grin and looked back at what she was doing. She didn’t want to worry D-16 again, but she hoped that they would be fine with her being here each time, unless they were moved to a different part of the mine at some point. D-16 watched curiously as he did not know if this was a random mountain range, or it was something that Galaxy knew. He seemed to think that she did know, but he wasn’t sure how or why she would know. But he also thought it could be her imagination, as no one from Iacon, except Sentinel and his warriors, go to the surface of the planet.

“Well, since you are keeping yourself occupied, just remember to let me know when you get tired, Galaxy. I know you are having fun now, but I do need to let Pax know. I need to get back to work.” D-16 stepped back as Galaxy glanced at him with a smile. “When Elita comes back up…or if she does, I’ll make sure she knows where you are. It might be a while, since damaged equipment gets her pretty riled up.” Galaxy giggled as she thought it was funny, and D-16 chuckled slightly as well. “It would be best to not laugh when she comes back. Though she might not take it out on you, but she will definitely take it out on me if she finds out I told you that.” Galaxy just shrugged as she remained focused. “You have fun while I go and do some more work.”

Galaxy did not respond as D-16 walked away. She kept her optics on what she was doing. She at least knew that none of the miners will know what she is making, so building Tempest from the mud shouldn’t raise suspicion. She was feeling a bit guilty for not going to D-16 to try and tell him where she could be, but she just had not thought of it when she saw the mud pit. And she hoped to come back the following day to continue playing with the mud.

She worked on making the buildings to the best of her ability before she looked up with a start as there was a loud hissing from one of the processors. She murmured a little as stared at them before she saw that Moonracer was pumping her fist happily, which meant that the bot must have finally got the processor to work, and the conveyor belt was now dropping the rocks into the processor and she could hear the loud gears rolling within it. It did quieten down after a few minutes, but Galaxy had not expected it to be loud.

She shook her head and looked back down as she refocused on the mud while digging her fingers into the mud some more to continue for a few more minutes before she heard a jet pack and looked towards the tunnel, smiling as she saw Elita. Though Elita had an irritated expression as she flew towards a set of metal stairs leading into a large building and she landed on the top stair before stomping into the room.

Galaxy was a bit curious before hearing another jet pack and she saw Ironhide flying in while holding a drill with a frown on his face. Galaxy guessed that the issue with his drill was worse than suspected. She looked at the mud figure again before she looked over as she had wanted to try to apologize to Ironhide for the day before. She pushed the mountain figures into the ground as best as she could before she stood up and rubbed her hands together to get off as much mud as she could while she walked over.

Ironhide did not notice the approaching sparkling as he placed the drill onto a metal bench and proceeded to open a panel while looking inside. “Oh, yeah. It is an easy fix, but needs a few replacement gears and…”

“I don’t care, Ironhide! This is just adding more issues to our days that we don’t need!” Elita snapped angrily as she was loudly going through stuff within the building, and Galaxy quickly guessed it was a storage room for tools and pieces needed for repairs for the tools. “The only upside is that it is just one drill that is down, but it is still one down that we don’t need right now! Ugh! And I hope Moonracer has…”

“She has, Elita. It is on and it is already processing the rocks.” Ironhide turned his head as he noticed the sparkling approaching and Galaxy stopped in her tracks as she had hoped to sneak up on him. “Hello, young one. You noticed the commotion over here, huh?” Galaxy nodded with a smile. “I see you found some mud to roll in, but I am sure that is way better than watching D-16 move a hundred carts the same way for hours at a time.” Galaxy nodded again with a giggle. “I am afraid I can’t stay here, kid. Once I got this fixed, I’m heading straight back down. But I will say, Orion has said nothing but good about you.”

Galaxy was not surprised as she walked closer and looked at the drill curiously as she has yet to see how they work. She looked at the storage room as Elita stomped out and threw something towards Ironhide. Galaxy couldn’t help but duck, even though Ironhide caught it with his hand. “Sorry, Galaxy, I wasn’t throwing it at you. I was hoping to hit this idiot in the head.”

Ironhide chuckled lightly as he turned to the drill to immediately start working on it. “Even though I haven’t had any issues with this drill in the last, whole cycle. I do a pretty good job maintaining it, you got to admit. Unlike Jazz, Prowler…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Elita rolled her optics as she slammed more items beside Ironhide’s drill. Galaxy peaked over the top of the table to see gears, wiring and other pieces she did not recognize. “That doesn’t mean we should make a habit of it, Ironhide. Especially since we don’t want to get behind our quota.” Ironhide just nodded with a smirk and Elita sighed, turning to Galaxy and leaning down slightly. “And I heard you gave D-16 a spark attack before. Try and not do that again.” Galaxy immediately had a guilty expression as she just nodded while looking away. Elita hummed a little as she looked around curiously. “Where were you hiding, anyway?” Galaxy pointed towards the side of the processors and Elita followed the gesture with her optics and spotted the mud pit. “Ah, that’s where the mud is from. I suppose those processors are also giving you something to do.” Elita chuckled a little as she looked back down at Galaxy. “I kind of wish I was your age right now, Galaxy. Because the only thing I would worry about is trying to keep myself occupied while the parents are working. You are the lucky one here.”

“I agree. I wouldn’t mind that too.” Ironhide grabbed a gear without looking as he continued to work on the drill. “But we are not able to go back in time. And even if we did, we would eventually end up as miners anyway…AHH!” Ironhide stepped back as he had accidentally broken a coolant line, which caused coolant to spray in Ironhide’s face. “Scrap, that was my fault.” Galaxy started laughing almost immediately as his reaction was hilarious to her. Ironhide smirked slightly as he glanced at her. “At least I made the sparkling laugh.”

Elita was smirking in amusement as she was amused by it as well, especially since Galaxy was laughing. “That’s probably the best thing you’ve done today. Now you’d better get that fixed quickly before you are covered in coolant and end up losing your balance with how slippery coolant is on the feet. Although…” She let out a light chuckle. “Slipping onto your aft would be funny.” Galaxy nodded in agreement. Elita sighed with a deep groan. “As long as nothing else…” Elita paused as Galaxy suddenly sneezed and sniffled, and Elita saw Galaxy had sneezed coolant herself. “Uh oh, someone has a blockage in the sinus glands.” Galaxy sniffled as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. “No, no, that won’t help.” Elita picked the sparkling up and Galaxy grumbled a little. “I don’t have anything to clean you with, but D-16 should. I can’t help you, as I need to keep the operations here going.”

Galaxy just frowned as Elita walked away and the sparkling looked at Ironhide as he had stopped the leak quickly, though she did not know where he would be able to clean the coolant from himself. She watched him walk away quickly, though as Elita was walking quickly over to D-16 and walked between the line of carts, she couldn’t see where he was going. Galaxy intakes heavily and she just had to wait a moment.

D-16 had just pushed an empty cart away and brushed some dust off his arms when he saw Elita approaching. D-16 widened his optics slightly. “Don’t tell me…”

“Nothing bad, I promise you. Someone just has…” Galaxy sneezed again suddenly, and Elita grimaced as some coolant spluttered on her shoulder. She sighed deeply and D immediately reached to take the sparkling. “I will let you deal with her and get her cleaned up. I hope you got a cloth or something to help her clear it.”

“I’m afraid not. We did not think we would need any.” D-16 sighed as he took Galaxy into his arms and shifted her to cradle her in his arms. “I hope this isn’t turning into an illness. Her sinus glands were blocked this morning.”

“I am sure Ratchet will be glad to see her again if it does turn into an issue. Now I need to make sure that Ironhide fixes his drill and not get coolant all over the place…” D-16 was surprised and leaned a little to see that Ironhide had coolant over his face and shoulders, making him huffed a laugh. Elita smirked at him. “I know, Galaxy thought it was hilarious too. I also need to clean the little mess from my shoulder, but I need to get back to.” Elita looked up as Moonracer was looking at her tablet as she was keeping a close eye on the new processor before Elita turned to walk away. “You may even want to let Orion know that you might have a code nap time. That sneezing might be a sign she’s tired, but I don’t know.”

D-16 chuckled a little as he knew that Galaxy was not yet tired as she didn’t seem like she was showing signs. He just needed to get her sinus cleared up so she would be more comfortable. She grumbled while rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. “You’ll make it worse doing that, Galaxy. Don’t worry, I will help get your sinus clear shortly. I just need to grab a cloth.” Galaxy smiled at him before she grimaced. “Uh oh, another sneeze?” She nodded. “If you can, sneeze away from my chassis.” She grinned a little as the mud on her arms, hands, chassis and legs was rubbing a little bit on D-16’s chassis. Walking up the stairs by the processors, Moonracer looked at him in surprise. “Sorry, Moon. I need to grab one of the cloths. This one here is…” Galaxy sneezed again, this time away from D’s chassis, and Moon widened her optics. “I need some cloth.”

“No worries!” Moonracer immediately grabbed a cloth from her left side port and held it out to D. “You can use this. Its clean, I haven’t used it. I will be needing to grease a few of the processor joints soon though, so it was good that it was good timing.”

D-16 chuckled a little as he grabbed the cloth from her. “Thanks, Moon.” He placed the cloth over Galaxy nose and she immediately blew gently. It didn’t take long as Galaxy felt the pinch as her sinus cleared and she turned her head away. D-16 smiled and looked at Moon. “Go and find a clean one. I’ll get rid of this.”

“Understandable. We do wash them, so just put it in the dirty bin over there…” Moonracer pointed to a metal bin filled with cloths were. “Since Darkwing and Elita hate wasting resources like that, we need to make sure we don’t waste things like that.”

“Oh, I know. I know.” D-16 walked over to the bin and Galaxy felt a lot better, and she felt her tank growling at her. D-16 threw the cloth onto the pile and turned back. “Alright, do want to go back to playing…” Galaxy shook her head. “Alright, do you want to watch Ironhide fix the drill or get back in the harness?” She shook her head again and gestured to her stomach, making D frown. “Is your stomach hurting?” She shook her head and let out a light whimper. “Um…” She sighed as she gestured to her mouth with her fingers in an eating motion and pointed at her stomach again. D-16 frowned as he was uncertain and Galaxy was getting frustrated. “Sorry, Galaxy, I am still trying to understand you. You aren’t hurt, you aren’t sick…” Galaxy’s bottom little trembled and D-16 realized she might cry, which made him panic a little. “Um…right, uh…”

Sideswipe was watching as D-16 walked back and he could see the panic in D-16’s optics. He was filled the conveyor belt currently and he tilted his head. “Um…everything okay?”

“I don’t know. Galaxy’s trying to tell me something, but I can’t figure it out.” Galaxy grumbled as she buried her face into D’s chassis as she let out a light sob of frustration. D couldn’t help but feel bad. “I’m…I feel bad, but I can’t figure it out. She’s pointed at her stomach and gestured to her mouth, but I don’t understand.”

Sideswipe hummed a little. “Well…she’s not sick or hurt, right?” D nodded. “Um…it’s been quite a lot of time since she’s been awake, I assume she had energon when you woke up, right?” D-16 nodded before he gasped as he realized. And Galaxy was not listening now as she began to cry a little louder. “What? What did you realize?”

“Oh, Primus, I am such a gl…idiot.” D-16 sighed deeply as he looked down at Galaxy. “I’m sorry, Galaxy. I didn’t realize you were trying to tell me you are hungry.” Galaxy looked at him with a frown as she was unhappy right now and D-16 smiled at her. “I’ll get Orion to come and get you. We didn’t think we needed a bottle. I’m so sorry.” Galaxy buried her face into his chassis again and D-16 rubbed her back gently. “Best to let out the frustration…” D-16 opened his com link to Orion. “Hey, Orion. It’s time to head back up. We have a code nap time.”

Orion chuckled at the name of the code. “I didn’t realize we had given that a name. Alright, I will just dig out this last rock and head up. Have you informed Elita?”

“Uhh…” D-16 turned to look over at Ironhide and Elita, though Elita gave him a smile and a gesture to tell him that she knew Orion was coming back up. Galaxy’s crying was echoing throughout the mine after all. “Yep, she knows. I don’t have to tell her.”

“Why? Oh, wait…” Orion paused as he could hear Galaxy now. “Ah, she’s crying. I hope that is just from general need to be fed and put to berth.”

“Well, she’ll need a bath before all that. She was playing in the mud before.”

“Ah, right…that won’t be a problem. I’m on my way, and then you get come down here and continue for me.” D-16 rolled his optics in amusement as he walked over towards the stairs up to the train. “Just try and make Galaxy calm down a bit. I know she’s hungry, and that has probably made her cranky…something that you’re familiar with.” D grimaced as that was partly true, though he didn’t think it was that bad. “If only these jet packs can make us fly faster.”

D-16 chuckled as he somewhat agreed, but he also understood that it would not be necessary. He now just had to wait for Orion to get back so he could put on his jet pack and head down while Orion takes Galaxy home. He could only try and calm Galaxy down, but she didn’t seem to want to at this time, which he did not really blame her. D-16 was at fault for not realizing what she was trying to say. He hoped that when they learned to sign, they could communicate very easily. And he hoped it wouldn’t take long, but they could really only learn how to sign between shifts. For now, D-16 could only try and keep Galaxy as calm as possible while waiting, even though he knew it would not take long for Orion to get back.

Chapter Text

Orion was standing in the train on the way back to his living quarters while cradling Galaxy in his arms. Well, trying to cradle her. Even though Galaxy knew they were going home so she could have her nap, Galaxy was rather restless. She didn’t want to sit still, even though Orion was trying to ensure that she didn’t get mud over everything. She had already covered his chassis with it, even though the mud has now dried enough that it wouldn’t smear everywhere. But it could still create a lot of dust and mud pieces everywhere that wasn’t needed, and Orion also knew that the cleaning bots who cleaned the trains would be less than pleased, and Darkwing would certainly hear about any complaints about it.

Galaxy had stopped crying over being hungry, but as it made her feel more tired, she was a little grumpier and she just wanted to be let down so she could run around, even though Orion had a very good hold of Galaxy at this time. He did have her in the harness to keep her from dropping, but that didn’t stop her from literally trying to push off him and she was using her feet to press on his abdomen to try and get herself off. He was also stunned when she even tried to bite the harness strap, which he did not know was a draconic bot thing.

“Galaxy, please, stop wrestling around. I know you want to get down, but we will be home shortly. The train will not take long before we reach our stop.” Galaxy grumbled as she tugged at the strap and Orion sighed deeply, knowing that she was not going to settle very quickly. “It will be okay, Galaxy. When we get home, I promise that l you can blow off that energy before I bathe you so you don’t dirty the berth when you fall into recharge.” Galaxy grimaced and looked at Orion in surprise. “Or fall into recharge in my arms, whatever you prefer.” Galaxy murmured again and tried tugging at the straps. Orion caressed the sparkling’s back to soothe her, which did not seem to be working. Orion was certainly learning why raising sparklings was not an easy task, and this was just the first day. “Please stop, Galaxy. We are almost home.”

Orion knew that it would probably feel a lot longer to Galaxy as she was not paying attention. He could only hold her and try to soothe the unsettled sparkling as the train moved along. He looked out the window and he could see the train was approaching the station Orion would be getting off at, and he was happy about that. It would not be too much longer, and he could bring the unsettled sparkling home and ensure she can let out some energy, even though she was clearly tired and needing recharge.

When the train came to a stop, Orion was quick to step out of the train onto the station platform and walk quickly towards the living quarters. Though he was so focused on keeping a hold of the struggling sparkling that he almost walked into the main miner living quarters, which he felt awkwardly embarrassed about before turning towards the correct building and approaching the door. Galaxy did stop struggling when she saw Orion approaching the door and she smiled, feeling glad to finally be home, even though she still wanted to get down.

Once Orion stepped inside, Galaxy resumed trying to struggle. “Woah, easy there, Galaxy. Give me a moment…” Orion walked over to the table to sit at as he held onto the sparkling and she whimpered loudly before she sniffled. “Where did all this energy even come from? You were a nice, calm sparkling yesterday. But I guess you got very comfortable, hmm?” Orion released the strap around his back, which made Galaxy shriek as she was pushing against his chassis and she almost fell backwards, which Orion quickly caught her. “See? That’s what happens when you act like that.” Galaxy blinked and she realized he was right as she held her hands together nervously. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. You are not hurt.” Orion placed the sparkling onto the ground and she looked around the room while sniffling a little. “Do you want to run around some before I give you a bath?”

Now that they were back in the living quarters, Galaxy didn’t have the energy she just had and she just wanted to recharge now. She looked around for a moment and looked over at the berth before she walked away from Orion. He stood up as he watched her walk away curiously and he was surprised when she reached the berth and she pointed at it. However, he quickly realized she was pointing at the draconic toy that was still in the berth from earlier. Orion smiled as he was unsurprised that she wanted it.

Orion walked over to the berth to grab the toy as Galaxy held her hands up eagerly and he gave the toy to her, and she hugged it immediately against her. She smiled at him before she grabbed his hand and tugged. “Oh? What else…” Orion paused as Galaxy was tugging him towards the shower room and he chuckled lightly. “I see…your wiggling before was just you telling me you wanted to get home soon, right?” Galaxy shrugged as she wasn’t even sure why she wanted to get down before, as she forgotten the reason, but that didn’t matter now. She let out a light yawn and she jumped when Orion picked her up gently. “Alright, might as well get you nice and clean.” Galaxy smiled and she shifted a little to suddenly throw her arms around his shoulders to hug him, which warmed Orion’s spark. It was clear she had become very comfortable with them already, and she had love for them too. He hoped that they were doing okay, even if it was the first day. As he walked into the shower room, Orion walked over to the tub and turned on the faucet before lowering the sparkling into the tub. “I won’t take too long, since we can always give you a proper bath later at the end of the work day. Though I suppose it will depend on how you feel by then.”

Galaxy wiggled a little as she relaxed as the water filled the tub and she looked at her draconic toy and began to playfully move it along the surface of the water. Orion was amused as he grabbed a cloth and a bottle of body lotion. He didn’t fill the tub with too much water as he turned it off once it was a quarter full and dunked the cloth into the water before squeezing the lotion onto the cloth to begin scrubbing away the mud from the sparkling’s chassis. Galaxy murmured as she shifted to play with her toy while Orion working on cleaning her.

Orion was glad that Galaxy had settled down, even though now he knew that there was a lot more to come from raising this sparkling, even after the first full day caring for her. Her personality was still coming out, and Orion couldn’t help but think there were qualities about her that he could pick up on. Galaxy was more interested in keeping to herself, from what he has heard briefly from D-16 and Elita when he returned from the mining tunnels to take, since Galaxy didn’t tell anyone about playing in mud. Though they at least knew that was what she would do, though Orion knew it couldn’t be every day.

But she did also have some other personality traits that Orion has noticed, like how restless she gets when tired and hungry. Orion couldn’t help but think of himself a little, since he gets a bit that way too. But not as much as Galaxy since he wasn’t a sparkling anymore. And Galaxy holding onto the draconic bot toy was a lot like how D-16 favored and collected items of Megatronus Prime, which he thought was adorable. She still had a lot of her own personality, like being shy and reserved, and she obviously loved the draconic bots. But he did know she was not so comfortable regarding Sentinel Prime, as she becomes disinterested immediately or seems to get scared. He did wish he knew more as to why.

Orion washed most of the mud off and noticed some was a bit stuck in her elbow joints. He smiled as he poured a different lotion onto the rag, which had gentler mixtures meant for sparkling joints, and he gently lifted her left arm to rub between the plates of her elbow joint. Galaxy frowned at the feeling made her flinch a little as feeling the cloth gently being rubs against her elbow joint tingled and she wasn’t a fan, but she didn’t try to stop Orion, since she trusted him and he knew what he was doing.

Orion did take a little extra time to ensure that her joints were clean, since her arms were very small and he didn’t want to accidentally cause an injury. He was glad that Galaxy was calm and she was waiting for him to finish. It didn’t take long though and she was fully clean of the mud that she had coated herself in while playing earlier. Orion was happy about it and Galaxy was as well. Especially as she could play with her toy in the water a bit more, but Orion had to cut that short since it wasn’t meant to be a long bath.

He rinsed the cloth and hung it on a metal rack before grabbing a towel to throw over his shoulder, and turned back to Galaxy. “I know you are having a lot of fun right now, Galaxy. But it is time to get out.” She frowned a little as she looked at him. “Don’t worry, I promise that you can have a longer one later. You will definitely get covered in dust when we go back to the mines after you wake up.” Galaxy gripped onto her toy as Orion lifted her out of the tub and placed her on the ground. “So I am sure you won’t mind.” He looked back to drain the tub. “Alright, once you are dry...HEY! Where are you going?!”

Galaxy giggled as she ran out of the shower room and ran over to her berth to hide behind, leaning a little as she looked at a bewildered Orion Pax. Orion smiled at her as he knew she was just trying to play, but he didn’t want to chase her as she had now trailed water and oil from the shower room over to her berth, which will be very slippery. Even for Orion. So he didn’t want to risk it, which he knew Galaxy would likely be disappointed by. But that was way better than an injury to a knee or elbow joint.

Orion folded his arms as he looked at the sparkling in amusement. “I see you found that funny. I’m not going to chase you. This place isn’t big, so it won’t really work.” Galaxy giggled as she agreed before she looked towards the energon cooler where the bottles of the formulated energon were held and she walked over before pointing at the door. Orion sighed as he walked towards her. “I guess running out like that was another way of telling me how hungry you are.” Galaxy nodded as she looked at the door eagerly. Orion used her distraction as an opportunity to grab the towel that was still on his shoulder as he walked closer and picked her up, making her shriek in surprise. Galaxy frowned as she looked at him. “Easy, Galaxy. Once you are dry, I’ll get you a bottle. Just be a little more patient.”

Galaxy murmured softly as she had not expected to be fooled by Orion, but she wasn’t mad. But she was getting impatient and she was starting to whimper while looking and gesturing at the door of the cooler as Orion rubbed the towel over her to make sure she was dry. She knew he was just making sure no other water and oil was spread around the place, and that was okay. But as a sparkling, she wasn’t necessarily patient when it comes to energon. And Orion knew this too.

He at least did not take too long as he place the towel down on the nearby counter and opened the cooler. Galaxy smiled as she whimpered eagerly as Orion grabbed a bottle and pulled it out. He turned the bottle and she immediately latched onto the tip while holding onto the bottle as she drank the low-grade energon eagerly. Orion smiled in amusement as he walked over to the couch and turned on the monitor to pass the time while Galaxy filled her tank. He clicked through the channels until the footage of a recent race came up, and Orion smiled, content that he found something to pass the time.

Galaxy did not care as she was focused on filling her tank. But as she drank the energon, she closed her optics as the weariness was really starting to take over. Especially now that her tank was being filled. She could hear the voices from the speakers as the transformers who were speaking excitedly about the race were talking about the actions that occurred in the race at the time. Though Galaxy tuned it out and she didn’t pay any attention to the words that was being said.

Orion did make sure that the volume was not too loud, but as Galaxy was quiet, he suspected that it was okay. He just had to make sure that he did not get excited suddenly, because he knew that might startle her. But he did enjoy watching the races, and he often wondered if it was possible for any of the miners to race. They may not have t-cogs, but there was always a chance. And he could feel it, as he has longed felt like there was more to do than just mining for energon. And taking Galaxy under his wing as his newly, adopted daughter felt like a step in that direction.

Orion glanced down after sometime when he felt Galaxy’s arms slumping on his, and he saw she had fallen into recharge, and the bottle was empty, with a few streaks that had run down her chin. Smiling, Orion placed the bottle down and wiped away the energon streaks before standing cautiously and walking over to the berth to put her down. Her draconic dragon had almost fallen from her grasp, though Orion made sure to keep a hold of it. Once he reached her berth and lowered her down, making sure she wouldn’t wake up, he watched Galaxy snuggle her toy and roll onto her right side before placing her thumb into her mouth. Orion covered his mouth to chuckle lightly at how cute she was.

Happy that she was recharging, Orion carefully stepped back to make sure he would not wake her so he could clean the mud she smeared on his chassis up, and to clean the water and oil she had spread over the ground so no one would end up slipping. Orion did not know how long Galaxy was going to recharge for, so finding things to occupy himself was going to be a chore in itself. But that was okay, as Orion did not mind. After all, he considers this a nice break from mining and drilling in the mine tunnels.

Aside from watching the races, Orion also changed the channel to continue learning how to sign. With the struggle they had with communicating with Galaxy, Orion hoped to learn and teach the sparkling how to sign so they could communicate. He knew she should know basic things for the moment, but eventually it will lead into full conversations, and that was something he was looking for to. And he hoped she would tell them more of her story.

Over next two hours and a half, Orion was excited to be able to sign a few words fluently, and a couple of sentences that was going to make life a little easier. I am hungry and I am tired were just two of the sentences he could sign confidently, and he hoped to teach that to Galaxy without much hassle. And Galaxy’s awareness probably would ensure that she did learn how to sign very quickly. He could tell she would pick it up.

When the two hours and half past, he heard her shifting in the berth and murmuring as she was stirring from her recharge. Orion was surprised that she did not recharge for longer, but it was okay. There was no way for anyone to be able to control how long a sparkling recharges for, but Orion did not mind. He did enjoy the break from the work, but he knew it might take a bit of time to return, since Galaxy was going to be groggy from her nap.

Orion stood up from the chair and walked over to the berth as Galaxy opened her optics and she glanced around. It took her a few seconds to realize she had been recharging in the berth, and not in Orion’s arms, or in the harness. She sat up straight just as Orion reached the berth and she frowned a him before she yawned and rubbed her optics with her hands. She was unhappy about it, since she didn’t want to be left alone while recharging.

Orion knew why she was grumpy and he crouched down, placing his arms on the side of the berth as she frowned at him. “No need to look at me that way, Galaxy. I know you would rather wake up like the sleeping princess you are in my arms, but I needed to clean the place and thought you wouldn’t like being tossed around while I do that.” Galaxy murmured again and hugged her draconic toy tightly against her. “Besides, your berth is nice and comfy. Wouldn’t you agree?” Galaxy whimpered as she shifted closer to him, holding out her arms to him with the draconic toy in her right hand. Orion chuckled as he stood up and picked her up. “I suspect I might have ensured you will fuss right up until D and I need to recharge. Ugh…D-16 won’t be happy…” Orion shrugged as he cradled the sparkling as she relaxed in his arms and she yawned again. “Oh well…he’ll get over it. But you will have to sleep in your own berth comfortably eventually, Galaxy. There might be times where D and I have to have meetings with the other miners for plans for the next shift in the main living quarters, and they will happen during your recharge time. I highly doubt you would like hearing how noisy they get.”

Galaxy had not considered that as she listened to Orion. He had a good point, and she did notice that the berth was comfortable. She just wanted to feel safe, and when she is recharging without feeling the presence of someone around her just made her feel upset. It would go away, but she couldn’t help but cling to Orion and D-16. They were her parents now, and they would just have to go along with it for a while.

Galaxy looked towards the cooler and pointed at it, surprising Orion. “You are hungry?” She nodded. “Huh…I thought you wouldn’t be…but I guess you are growing, so it makes sense.” He shrugged and walked over to the cooler to grab another bottle. “That makes three…and you may have one later, and then maybe during the night…that’s about five a day roughly. Sheesh…I’ll have to ensure that we get regular deliveries of the formulated energon to keep up with your appetite.” Galaxy smiled at him wearily as he opened the cooler and grabbed a bottle. He tilted it and she latched onto the tip, but she didn’t grab the bottle. “Oh, so now I have to hold it for you, hmm?” Galaxy just drank the energon without reacting and Orion closed the door with his elbow. “Fine, fine, I guess we can spoil you a little bit. Hmmph, I don’t even remember much of my youngling years, but I know I had a big appetite. Especially as a sparkling…probably why, when I can, I will ingest as much of it as I can.”

Galaxy smiled at Orion in amusement as the bot walking back over to the couch and sat down. She glanced at the monitor briefly and she saw that it was a lesson about sign language. She was not surprised, since she knew that it was going to be something that Orion and D-16 were going to learn and teach her about. As much as she knew she would be able to pick it up quickly, she would just pretend to not understand for as long as she can. Though she also knew she may just not say anything about her past, rather than frustrate her new parents.

She did zone in though since this segment seemed to be about signing basic words. Specifically, for addressing parents. Galaxy was surprised, but reminded herself that while there were no other sparklings, she had no doubt that bots would still address their parents as mother and father, or sire. Galaxy watched as she already knew she wanted to address Orion and D-16 as dads, but she wanted to differentiate between them to make it easier to know who she would be talking to and about.

Orion was watching as well out of interest, as he knew signing single words can lead to full sentences. He looked down at Galaxy and noticed she was watching the screen. He smiled as that was a good sign to him. He watched the screen as well as the transformer who had recorded these lessons and put them onto the public channel domain was signing words like ‘dad’, ‘father, ‘daddy’ and ‘sire’ at this time. The transformer repeats these words with the sign language several times so they can be remembered easily. Orion wasn’t sure how to feel knowing Galaxy may refer to him that way, but it made his spark warm. He knew D-16 might take a bit longer to accept that fact, but it was an honour, even if Orion felt that it might be too soon.

Galaxy did not take too long to finish the entire bottle and she snuggled against Orion, throwing her arms around his shoulders with a big smile on her face. Orion chuckled as he put the bottle down and rubbed her back. “You are welcome. And, unfortunately, we are going to have to make our way back to the mines.” Galaxy frowned and pointed towards the toy box. Orion shook his head. “I’m sorry. You can only play after we get back later.” Galaxy whimpered and she thought about how she could keep them from going to the mines. “You can play in the mud again when we get back. I’ll be taking over D’s task now.”

Orion stood up and walked over to the counter by the cooler to put the bottle into a chute that would send the bottle away to be cleaned, sterilized and refilled. It was very convenient, as all the bottles will return through rounds eventually. He walked over by the berth and Galaxy tensed, though she felt her toy being taken from her hand and she relented since she didn’t want to lose or damage it in the mines. He placed it back on the berth where it was before and walked towards the door.

“I will admit, I am not used to having a break in the middle of my shift. You are giving D and myself quite a unique job, Galaxy. And I have to say, it was quite nice to kick back and not get bothered by anyone…though now we have to work some more.” Orion sighed deeply as he was not happy about going back. “I wish there was so much to do than dig.” Galaxy leaned back and looked at him curiously as she listened. “Ever since I came online and reached full maturity, I’ve had this…I’m not sure how to express it, but I just feel like there is something more to me than I am told that I am. Even without a t-cog.”

It fascinated Galaxy that Orion seemed to sense that there was something more about him than he has been led to believe. It did make Galaxy curious about the future. But she was more focused about the current time, as she knew that she just had to get used to living with Orion and D-16, learn sign language, and hope that Sentinel Prime does not figure out who she was yet. She didn’t even know if Sentinel was aware of her existence yet. But she would rather not know that fact.

Orion walked out of the door and Galaxy squinted her yellow optics as she light outside was bright and she blinked quickly to allow them to adjust quickly. Orion opened his com link to Elita at this time. “Elita, I’m just letting you know that Galaxy and I are on our way back to the mines. I will get started straight away when we return.”

“Excellent. At least we now have a timeframe for how long Galaxy will be napping for. I hope she will be nice and wide away during your train ride.” Orion could not promise Elita that, but Galaxy was calm right now. “Oh, and you have a different task when you get back, Orion.” Orion grimaced visibly as he did not like that. “Don’t worry, it’s not too difficult, but Ironhide ended up taking over since his drill wasn’t able to be fixed for now.”

“I see…and you won’t tell me until I get there.”

“Not a chance. Better for you to be here and find out than to complain to me about it over the com link. And don’t even dare complain about not knowing right now.” Orion had been tempted to, but he kept his mouth shut. Elita chuckled a little in amusement. “Well, I shall see you both very soon.”

Orion sighed deeply as he was quite unhappy about knowing he would have a different task. “The only thing I can think of is disposing any rock that was not energon that had been broken down by the machines into the waste tip…ugh…I hated doing that.” Galaxy smiled at him and kissed his cheek, making Orion look at her and he smiled. “Thanks, Galaxy. You are very sweet.” She giggled and hid her face in his shoulder. “Unfortunately, you definitely cannot be in the harness if that is my job. I’ll be swinging a shovel and I don’t want to hit you. So you’ll just have to play in the mud again.”

Galaxy was okay with that since it would allow her to take her mind off things, but she also may try and hang with Elita again. She enjoyed it before, and she knew she would enjoy it again. Elita was a lot of fun to hang around. Plus, it was better than watching the other mining bots do their work, at leas that is what Galaxy thought. But building mud sculptures was still a lot of fun. And she may get a lot longer to make the sculptures too. Plus, Galaxy was going to privately practice signing on her own. Even if it was just one word, she wanted to practice with what she has memorized with her processor and surprise both Orion and D-16 later. Especially D-16, and she knew he would take longer to accept that than Orion. And that was okay. She was glad that they were her guardians now. As far as she was concerned, they have been doing a good job already.

Chapter Text

The rest of the workday passes by without much of a hassle. Orion was correct about the job he would be given though, and he was not thrilled about shovelling shattered rock into the waste tip. And Galaxy was able to see why since it was a very simple job, and dirty too. Orion ended up being covered in dust and tiny pieces of rock by the end of the shift, and he couldn’t wait to have a shower and rinse off all the debris from his body. D-16 was the same when he left the tunnel with his drill in hand. And Galaxy was also covered in mud again, but she was just glad they were heading home for the night, and they could relax, and she could play with her toys.

And while Orion worked, she had practised signing on her own, and she was now good at two single words. Though Elita had noticed Galaxy practising, as Elita couldn’t take Galaxy around with her for the last of the shift, but she had noticed from a distance. Elita had already started learning sign the night before and she actually understood what Galaxy was signing. And Elita thought it was adorable, and she couldn’t help but wonder how both Orion and D-16 were going to react.

Now they were in the train on the way back, and Galaxy was huddled against Orion’s chassis as he was sitting on one of the chairs, and she was trying to hide her face as the other bots were all crowding around as they were extremely curious to meet the sparkling. Sideswipe, Ironhide and Moonracer were the only ones keeping back, and they were not too impressed by how excited the other bots were. And Ironhide had already tried to keep them back, but they were all too excited.

“Oh my Primus, she is so cute!” Arcee exclaimed loudly with a high-pitched voice as she was sitting on Orion’s left with D-16 sitting on his right side. Galaxy whimpered as she did not look at the pink and white femme who was extremely smitten over the sparkling. “And I still can’t believe she isn’t related to the both of you! It is easy to see how anyone can get confused.”

Orion chuckled softly as he was holding the sparkling in his arms while she was trying to hide her face from everyone. “Yeah, that is something we can agree on, Arcee. Both D and I were worried that…we would be in trouble.”

“How could you be if the kid’s CNA was going to get tested anyway?” Ironhide questioned curiously as he stood nearby and he looked at the other bots with a frown. “Are you glitches going to keep crowding and scaring the kid? Come on, back up!”

“But she is so cute, Ironhide!” Jazz exclaimed excitedly as he smiled at the red bot. “You should loosen your gears, Ironhide. No one here is going to hurt the little one.”

“Loosen my gears?” Ironhide shook his head and rolled his optics. “Jazz, I’m not being a part of this crowd of mining bots scaring the spark out of this little sparkling. I know it is quite interesting that Orion and D-16 have ended up as parents to a sparkling, but that could have happened to anyone of us. She could have clung to me and I could have been the main parent.” Jazz looked away from Ironhide and Ironhide just sighed. “Though I suppose since Orion and D-16 are close friends, or closer, it makes sense. It is easier to have two parents than one.”

D-16 rolled his optics as the jabs the other bots make about him and Orion was tiresome. “I don’t know about that, Ironhide. Both Orion and I have already come to realize that raising a sparkling, even though she is past the newborn age, isn’t so easy.”

Ironhide chuckled lightly. “So I’ve observed from the little bits and pieces I’ve seen. But I do want to say she is pretty well behaved for her age.”

“Hmmph, yeah, but she has already showed signs of mischievousness.” Orion looked down at Galaxy with a smile, though she kept her face hidden. He looked back at Ironhide as the bot listened quietly. “We have to watch her now after giving her a bath. She wasn’t very eager to stand still and got water and oil over the floor.”

D-16 looked at Orion in surprise. “Uh, is that true? Or are you just saying that?”

Orion shook his head. “Why would I lie, D? I have no reason to. But if you don’t believe me...” D-16 groaned a little, though he wasn’t too worried, since it would be easy to deal with. “You can wait until tomorrow and see for yourself. Galaxy has a lot of energy in that small frame of hers, so she is obviously finding ways to burn it.”

D-16 huffed lightly. “Yeah, I guess.”

“What will this mean for our briefings? We have one later after we get back, but I assume Galaxy will go with you or she will be in recharge.” Prowl asked curiously as he was also smitten over the sparkling. “She is welcome, though we all might get a bit distracted.”

Jazz chuckled softly. “I agree, Prowl. Honestly, I really feel like we are going to be the aunts and uncles for this little sparkling. I might have a gift for her, if she wants it.” Galaxy turned her head slightly to look at him in surprise. That made Jazz’s smile widen. “It will be a way to show that I forgive you for tripping me on the stairs.” Galaxy frowned and hid her face again. “Yeah, you’re right, Galaxy. I think we can agree to stop bringing that up again.”

Ironhide nodded. “As long as you stop bringing it up, Jazz. You are the only one doing that, I think if you say that, you better lead by example. Otherwise, Galaxy may stay away from you.”

Jazz shrugged nonchalantly. “I doubt it. I am the coolest bot here.”

“Oh, really?” A bot with worn, white shoulders and chassis with green and red markings beneath the empty t-cog slot and wings on either side of his face looked at Jazz with an amusement. “I’m not so sure that you are. I think that falls to Ironhide.”

Ironhide looked at the bot in surprise. “You think so, Wheeljack?” The bot nodded and Ironhide chuckled a little. “That’s a first. Everyone thinks I am rough, tough and cold, and I am not sure why. And now you think I’m the coolest? I think that’s a stretch, but I appreciate the compliment. But I agree that Jazz is a little bit naïve, so him being the coolest...yeah, that doesn’t fall on you, Jazz.”

Jazz huffed lightly. “I think my feelings on the matter differ from everyone else. And maybe Galaxy will feel the same once she gets to know us all and won’t be shy anymore.”

“I think her being shy is a normal part of her, Jazz. Plus, everyone crowding around her is not helping.” Orion did not really like how everyone was crowding around them, but he did understand why. At least the excitement would go away, so Galaxy won’t be as anxious as she is now. “If everyone could just back away a little bit, you won’t stress her out so much.”

“Aw, but we all can’t help but want to spoil her, Pax,” A yellow bot commented as he looked at Orion. “You can’t blame us for being smitten over her. Even though she isn’t related to you both, it still feels like we are just meeting a new born for the first time.”

D-16 huffed lightly. “I suppose…but Sunstreaker, crowding around her is only going to make her more anxious than she is. Give her some space. I am sure, with time, she will gladly hang around everyone.” Galaxy didn’t know if she would. It was a lot of bots to get to know, and she wasn’t sure if she would want to. Mostly because she also still wanted to keep a low profile. “Maybe once everyone can sign and communicate with her as well, she will relax. But please…” D waved his hands at them to move back. “Give us some space. We are lucky she’s not fussing right now like she had earlier. At least Ironhide and Sideswipe have the processors to give the sparkling the space she needs.”

“Yeah, but they met her already,” Arcee responded as she clearly wanted to hold the sparkling, but she was holding back as she knew that would be pushing too much. “And the rest of us were stuck in the mines, except for Moon, of course. She gets the fancy task of running the processors.”

“Fancy? It isn’t easy, Arcee,” Moonracer responded in surprise. “Especially when Elita is constantly demanding to make sure things are running smoothly. We are lucky we were able to make just over our quota today, so I think you shouldn’t brush me off. Especially with a new processor up and running.”

Arcee chuckled as she turned to look at the green femme. “You like to remind us that it isn’t easy. But you are not in the mine hauling heavy drills and flying around with jet packs digging into the walls of the tunnels to dig out the energon. Plus you are not dusty like the rest of us. That is why we take up the showers when we get back.”

Moonracer rolled her optics in amusement. “I know that. But we all have an important role to play when it comes to supplying the city with energon. Until Sentinel...” Galaxy flinched when Sentinel’s name was mentioned, her frown and grumble lightly as she listened. “Finds the Matrix, we just have to do our part. I will eventually end up in the tunnels, but I’m needed elsewhere. And I always wait for you guys to shower without complaint. So I am not concerned by that.”

“Sure, whatever you say.” Arcee glanced at the window and realized they were almost there. “Ah, now I guess we can stop staring at the sparkling now that we are almost home.” Galaxy was relieved as she would be able to relax, and get a nice, long bath as well. Arcee sighed as she looked at Orion and D-16. “I guess we will see you at the briefing later?”

Orion nodded affirmatively. “We wouldn’t be able to miss it. I can’t promise that Galaxy will be with us, though. She’s very much attached to us, so if she came with us, don’t expect her to be any different than now. Or she will be recharging.”

Ironhide smiled at Orion. “Don’t worry, Pax. I’ll make sure that everyone stays in line and not bother going Galaxy. I know now one wants a sparkling throwing a tantrum while we try to talk about the mines and our shifts moving forward. Especially since we do this every day, and that is the last thing we need before our own recharge.”

Orion smiled at the red bot as he knew that Ironhide would help them. Especially as he generally didn’t get overexcited. “Thanks, Ironhide. I know we can count on you to help.” Ironhide chuckled lightly with an affirmative nod. Orion looked at Galaxy. “We are almost there, Galaxy. You can turn around now.” She shook her head and Orion chuckled a little. “I suppose that’s fair. Everyone is still looking at you. I feel uncomfortable too.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I can’t blame her for trying to hide her face. I hope this is not what the end of the day will be like everyday.” D-16 stood up and walked to stand in front of Orion, making the other bots look at him in surprise. “Come on, back it up everyone or I might have to twist somebody’s arm if you keep standing there like that. And I know Elita will not like having a single bot down. Even if it was my fault.”

“Alright, alright, we will give you all some space.” Jazz stepped back with a huff. “But you know we would never actually hurt the little one, right?”

“That’s not really the point.” D-16 shook his head in irritation and the train finally came to stop. “Alright, everybody get off! I am not going to remain here for the next couple hours for the train to get back to this stop.”

Ironhide chuckled softly as he gave D-16 an amused expression. “And here I thought you felt awkward giving instructions to others.” D-16 widened his optics as he had not realized and he immediately felt awkward. “Nah, it’s okay. You’re just being a dad.”

“Dad?!” D-16 was surprised and shook his head. “N-No, I-I am not even deserving of that title. I mean, I am not even her real dad.” Orion chuckled and D-16 looked at his friend as he noticed that Orion didn’t mind. “Don’t tell me you see yourself as one.”

“Why not? We did agree to raise her. That makes us her parents, and that means the title of dads falls upon us. I don’t think it is that big of a deal.” Galaxy turned her head slightly with a smile at D as she agreed. “You should feel honoured. Especially if she refers to you as dad while signing.”

D-16 rubbed the back of his neck as he didn’t know how to feel. “Um…I think I-I will deal with that when she does…I don’t want to press it. Especially since I don’t feel like we have earned that title yet. Maybe never.” Galaxy giggled a little and D-16 looked at her, and she hid her face again. “Though I am glad she is finding this amusing. Come on, let’s get out of here so we can all get cleaned up.”

Orion nodded in agreement, though he waited for the other bots to get off so he could stand up, carefully cradling the shy sparkling against his chassis as he walked out of the train with D-16. Arcee hung around as she was clearly still excited about having a sparkling about, and Orion guessed that the sparkling fever may stick around for a while for some of the bots, but at least some of the other bots will give them space like Sideswipe and Ironhide have already.

As Orion and D-16 turn towards their living quarters, Jazz tapped D-16’s shoulder gently to get his attention. “Also, I do want to say that I do have a gift for the sparkling. Is it okay I drop it off? I figured she might want another toy.”

D-16 hummed a little and nodded. “Sure. But lets get cleaned up first. I don’t think it is something we need to rush, Jazz.” He glanced and frowned as he saw Orion had kept walking, and he sighed deeply. “I need to go and help Orion. I don’t know how fussy the sparkling will be tonight.”

Jazz nodded as he understood. “It’s fine. You’ll either hear me knocking or pressing the alert so you know that I’m there.”

D-16 smiled in amusement. “Otherwise, you might find yourself knocked out from barging in.” Jazz grimaced and D-16 chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry about it, Jazz.” D turned and walked away to follow Orion. “We will see the rest of you guys later.”

D-16 watched Orion walking into their living quarters and he walked over quickly as he knew that Orion would appreciate a hand. Though he also knew that it was just to give support. Especially since he knew how clingy Galaxy was. But he was certain that they would be okay. And they would all be able to get clean and fed in no time. Though D-16 did hope that Galaxy would be okay to settle down enough to go to the briefing, even though he also knew she may refuse to recharge in her own berth.

As he entered their home, D-16 looked towards the shower room as he could hear Orion. “You’ll be okay, I just need to get you nice and clean, Galaxy.” D-16 smiled as he walked over as he could hear Galaxy whimpering. Orion looked in his direction and smiled. “Look who finally decided to show up. Do you want him to bathe you?” Galaxy murmured a little and D-16 saw she had her draconic toy with her. “Well, since you are not sure, I’ll make sure you get nice and clean. And since we don’t have to work until tomorrow, it can be nice and long. How does that sound?” Galaxy smiled and nodded. “Good. I know before was a little bit stressful for you, but trust me, you can relax now.” Orion turned his head to look at D-16. “You should get cleaned up, D. Maybe we can swap if she is okay with it.”

“Okay, but you know I take my time with my showers. So you may not get that opportunity.” Orion rolled his optics in amusement as D-16 stepped into the shower cubicle and turned it on. The mixture of oil and water was quick to begin raining down onto D’s body and he sighed deeply. “That feels nice. Normally we are having to wait in line for our turn.”

Orion snorted in amusement. “Currently, that has not changed for me.” He flinched as Galaxy splashed the water slightly as she moved the toy in her hand, diving it into the water and Orion chuckled as the sparkling had relaxed and she was enjoying the bath. He had already cleaned the mud off her chassis and was focused on scrubbing her legs. “Unless Galaxy helps a little with her tiny splashes.” Galaxy glanced at him and grinned before she deliberately splashed, making Orion step back and wipe his face, and causing D-16 to laugh in amusement. “I should have seen that coming.”

Galaxy giggled as Orion wiped his face with the back of his hand and stepped forward to resume cleaning her. D-16 was still laughing as he began to scrub down his body with lotion. “You did suggest it after all , Pax. She only listened to you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Orion leaned in and kiss Galaxy’s forehead and she murmured lightly while shaking her head shyly. “I’m not mad, Galaxy. I am going to have hard time ever getting mad at you.” Galaxy giggled as she believed that, but she would also do her best to be behaved. “But you haven’t really done anything, aside from running out of the bathroom covered in water and oil, so I think things should be okay.”

“You say that now, and next week she might find something to break. Even unintentionally,” D-16 teased and Galaxy shook her head again. D-16 chuckled lightly. “But I also believe Orion, Galaxy. You’ve been very good. I am sure it will continue, even if you do eventually surprise us. I know I was never that calm when I was a sparkling.”

“Nor was I, though I am sure everyone kind of knows it.” Orion huffed lightly in amusement as he lifted Galaxy’s right arm to scrub. “And from what I understand, you’ve been pretty good with D-16 today. Even if you didn’t tell him where you had walked off to, you have been pretty good.”

Galaxy giggled as she held her toy close to her face out of shyness. She was glad that she was doing good, but it has been a very long time since she’s been complimented for good behaviour. Especially since before being placed into the pod, she wasn’t the most behaved sparkling. Though it was due to all the learning she had gained from being in the pod that has matured her quite a bit. But Galaxy still hoped to do her best to be behaved for Orion and D-16. They have done a good job with her already.

When Orion finished cleaning her body, he focused on her joints to make sure they were clean and that the oil would lubricate the joints properly as she relaxed in the tub. Orion was taking extra care as he knew how important it was for the sparkling to have healthy joints as she grows, since her unfortunate future would be to work in the mines with them. Even if she wasn’t, healthy joints were necessary, even if she was young. She didn’t want Galaxy to develop rust too soon.

D-16 himself had already washed off the dust and specks of rock from his body and he was applying ointment to his own joints. He sighed as the joints did ache sometimes from a long day of work, though it wasn’t so bad today since he didn’t have to be in the tunnels all day. The mixture of the oil and water washing over his body helped mix the ointment into the joints, and D-16 was glad he could do a thorough job and not rush so the next bot could get into the shower.

Though D-16 was mindful since he also knew that Orion wanted to shower as well. Plus, he knew that Galaxy was going to want to enjoy the bath even once she was cleaned and had her joints properly cleaned and lubricated. And if she decided to run out of the room while still wet before they could dry her, Orion would certainly like the added help. Though D-16 doubted that it was needed.

D-16 turned off the shower and stepped out before grabbing a towel to dry himself. He looked at Galaxy as she was giggling loudly. It took him a moment to realize that Orion was tickling Galaxy as she was wiggling around and splashing the water a little as she was trying to get away from him. D-16 chuckled softly. “You are making a mess, Pax. You told me about her making a mess earlier, but it seems you’ll create a bigger one that way.”

“I know. I just so happened to find the ticklish spot, that is all.” Galaxy shrieked as D-16 walked over to see Orion was tickling her elbows and he chuckled softly. Galaxy kicked her feet and splashed Orion’s face, making him stop and step back. “Well, it was my turn to shower anyway.” Orion chuckled as he wiped the water and oil from his face and looked at D-16. “She’s all clean, by the way. So she just wants to relax and play for the moment before we get her out to dry and get her another bottle.”

“That’s perfectly fine. I’m not going to chase her with a tickle bot or anything like that anyway.” D-16 turned to Galaxy as she was taking deep breaths while calming herself down. She looked at him before hiding her face with her toy, making D chuckle lightly. “Alright, Galaxy…” He walked over to the tub and crouched beside it. “Do you want me to get another toy or are you happy with just the one?” Galaxy hummed a little as she lowered her hands thoughtfully and nodded. “Alright, well…just so you know, I am not going to go back and forth until you find the one you want, okay?” Galaxy nodded as she did understand. “I will grab two, and I am sure you will like both of them.”

Galaxy giggled as she did not mind. She didn’t want D-16 to get too irritated, and that was okay. D-16 walked away, which Orion seemed surprised by as he stood in the shower, though Galaxy had zero intention of even trying to climb out of the tub. She moved the draconic bot around happily while murmuring happily to herself as she played with the toy calmly. She did not know what D-16 would bring back, but that was okay. She figured she might bring toys in later to make sure she had something for next time.

D-16 returned after a couple minutes holding a couple transformer doll toys. “I am not sure if these guys are meant to represent a bot or not, but here you go.” Galaxy looked at the toys curiously. One was green and the other was purple. She reached to grab the green toy first before she sat it on the back of the draconic bot toy and reached for the second one. D-16 chuckled. “You can play until after Orion has finished his shower and dried off. Then you can have some energon.”

Galaxy did not react as she moved the draconic bot toy with the green bot figure around while holding the purple bot in a way it looked like it was running. D-16 watched curiously for a moment before he began to clean the water and oil from the floor. He didn’t want it to turn into a bigger job if Galaxy splashed more or ran out of the shower room, and staring at the sparkling while she had fun felt awkward.

Galaxy murmured happily as she played with her toys while D-16 cleaned the floor and Orion took his time in the shower. Galaxy was very glad that the shift was over as she could spend time with her new parents, and she did hope to learn a bit of sign before they go to their briefing with the other bots. She had no idea what exactly they talk about, but even if she went, she was unlikely to pay attention to them.

D-16 didn’t take too long to clean the floor and he felt rather satisfied with himself. He looked at the sparkling as she was still murmuring happily while playing with her toys. He couldn’t help but feel sad knowing that Galaxy couldn’t speak any words. She could only make noises, and he knew that they haven’t really started signing yet. But he hoped to have time tonight to learn some more so they could teach to Galaxy the following day to make things a bit easier.

Orion stepped out of the shower after a few minutes and began to dry off his body. “That felt rather good. I haven’t had a long shower like that before.” D-16 nodded in agreement with a smile. “I kind of hope that we get to keep our places for a long time. I enjoy the privacy we get. And no more shared shower rooms.”

“That is exactly what I had thought myself. And my joints feel a lot better because of it.” Orion nodded and D-16 turned to Galaxy. “And I guess it is time to get you out, Galaxy. I bet you are feeling quite hungry.” Galaxy nodded as she held up her arms towards him, and D-16 stepped closer to pick her up. Orion held a towel to D after he picked the sparkling up into his arms. D-16 appreciated it as he quickly began to dry the sparkling as she was still holding onto the three toys and playing with them a little while D-16 had the awkward task of drying her body. D-16 huffed and looked at Orion with a smirk. “I guess she decided to run with you and not me.”

Orion rolled his optics in amusement. “Give it time, D. She’ll do it to you too…” Orion, Galaxy and D-16 free when they heard the buzzer going off and Orion sighed deeply. “I’ll get it. I’m almost dry. It must be Jazz coming over already to give whatever gift he wants to Galaxy.” D-16 just nodded while Galaxy stared at the front door before Orion finished drying himself and proceeded towards the front door. She did wonder what Jazz had, but she would be polite about it. Orion walked up to the door to open it and he smiled when he saw it was Jazz standing outside. “You were quick, Jazz. You don’t look like you’ve had a shower yet.”

“You know what it is like, Orion. I will just have to wait my turn. So I thought I drop by and check out your place while I also bring Galaxy a gift.” Orion nodded as he stepped aside so Jazz could walk inside. He looked around curiously and he was impressed. "Nice. You both have a really nice place to live. You are lucky.”

Orion shrugged as he followed the bot. “It is only to accommodate Galaxy, Jazz. I know no one would want to be kept up if Galaxy wakes in the middle of the night for something. And it is highly possible for her to do.”

“I know. But I bet you are going to get very comfortable with this new lifestyle. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.” Jazz looked towards the shower room as D-16 walked out, and the silver bot was very pleased. “Ah, and there’s the sparkling I am here to see. I hope what I have will make you smile Galaxy.” Galaxy did not respond was she was curious about what he had. D-16 lowered the sparkling to the ground, but she stuck close to D-16 as Jazz stepped forward and knelt down. “I hope you will take good care of it. I know sparklings can be a bit rough with their toys, but I hope you will not be.” Galaxy saw he pulled something from his hip port and she widened her optics. “Here you go. I hope you like it.”

Galaxy stared in surprise when Jazz held a miniature figure of Sentinel Prime. She almost had cringed upon seeing the figure as she didn’t want it at all. But she didn’t really react to it at the moment. Both Orion and D-16 were happy, so Galaxy thought about it for a moment as she didn’t want it. She intakes deeply while looking away for a moment before glancing back as Jazz was waiting for her to take the toy from him.

She whimpered a little and pushed the toy away from her gently. Jazz was surprised. “Aw, you don’t like Sentinel Prime? He’s our leader.” She shook her head and turned around to hug D-16’s leg to hide her face. Jazz stared in surprise before standing up. “Though I guess he does look a bit big and scary to you, so I understand.”

“She doesn’t seem to really like him. We’re not sure why.” Galaxy looked up at D-16 while pointing towards the cooler and he sighed. “Fine. I suppose you didn’t throw a fit about it.” D-16 smiled and picked the sparkling up as she seemed to refuse to stop clinging to his leg otherwise. D-16 looked at Jazz who was looking a little sad. “Maybe she does find him scary, but it is okay, Jazz. You aren’t to blame.”

“He is right. I will take it for her.” Galaxy whimpered and looked at Orion in surprise. Orion took the figure from Jazz who smiled at the bot with a grateful expression. “If she doesn’t play with this after some time, I’ll give it back to you personally, Jazz.”

“That is okay. It is hers to keep. But if that does happen, I’ll accept it back.” Jazz turned with a sigh as he looked around some more. “This really is a sweet place. Anyway, I better get back. I only wanted to drop in to give the gift. I shall see you both in a few hours?”

“Indeed you will, Jazz. We will see everyone there.” Orion lightly pats Jazz’s shoulder and he looked at D-16 as the bot had grabbed a bottle and he was holding it while Galaxy drank from it. “At least there’s time to let the sparkling play and start teaching her how to sign.”

“Ah, the important things. Of course.” Jazz chuckled as he walked towards the front door. “And don’t forget your own energon rations. I am sure you both feel the need for a few cubes.”

“We do. But we are not in a hurry.” Though Orion did feel like he could ingest a very large helping of cubes if he could. “You go and get cleaned up, Jazz. I am sure the line for the showers will be a lot shorter now that you have been over here.”

Jazz chuckled as he gave them a gentle wave before walking out the front door. Orion intakes deeply as he looked at the toy in his hand before walking over to the toy box to put it in. Orion had confidence that Galaxy would play with the toy when she gets past whatever has her bothered about Sentinel Prime. Stepping back and looking over at the couch where D-16 had sat down and turned on the monitor, Orion hummed thoughtfully before he walked over to the energon containment to get some cubes for himself and D-16.

After walking over and sitting down, Orion passed the bowl to D-16. “All her fear of Sentinel Prime has me thinking…”

“Oh no…”

Orion widened his optics as D-16 frowned at him. “What? What’s the oh no for?”

D-16 gritted his teeth as he grabbed a cube and placed one into his mouth. Once he swallowed the cube he shook his head. “I know that tone of voice and the look in your face. Do not go to the archives, Pax.”

Orion shook his head as he ingested a couple cubes for himself. “I wasn’t going to think about it.”

“I’m serious, Pax. You did agree to not go there anymore, but you can’t help yourself, can you?” D-16 shook his head as Galaxy listened to the two curiously. “One day, and you already want to almost kill yourself again. You had better not do it, Pax. Because if Galaxy and I wake up one day to find you are not here, I swear I will kill you.”

“Sure, that is acceptable. But don’t do that so Galaxy won’t get upset.” D-16 rolled his optics and Galaxy giggled a little, as she didn’t think D was serious as well. Orion smirked at the sparkling’s giggle. “Even she agrees with me.”

“Whatever…I hope you’re telling the truth.”

Galaxy couldn’t help but wonder what information was in the archives that has Orion so invested in wanting to go back to it continuously. And she didn’t quite understand why he wasn’t allowed there, but it seems that the rest of the transformers in the city, or perhaps Sentinel himself, has restricted the access to these archives where the historical records of Cybertron would have been kept. Though she didn’t know if there were things that were twisted or truthful in the archives, but she did appreciate that Orion seemed to be thinking outside the box. But she did wonder if he would go back to the archives. Even if it would upset D-16, she actually thought it was a good thing. After all, they did need to know more than just being mining bots.

Chapter Text

A few days later...

Orion hummed a little as he had awoken early that morning. He looked around the room, feeling uncertain about what he was going to do, but he couldn’t help himself. His curiosity was burning in his mind, and he wanted to learn more of Cybertron’s past. And he had thought about trying to find something about draconic bots since Galaxy was very attached to the toy, and she did not touch the Sentinel Prime toy that was still in the toy box since Jazz brought it over. He felt that there was more to the creatures than what they have been told about them.

He looked at the recharging sparkling who was in the harness against D-16’s chassis. She has remained difficult to put to berth during the night. She has recharged in her berth for her nap though, but that was because both Orion or D-16 would be awake and present. It seemed that was why she felt safe enough to recharge in the berth. But when it came to night, not so much. They both have tried, and while they did manage to place her in her berth for an hour the night before, she still woke up and screamed for an hour until she tired herself out and D-16 volunteered to put her in the harness so they could all recharge properly.

That was fine by Orion, since they have been taking turns. Plus, he had already planned on heading to the archives in the morning, even though he was feeling tired from the sparkling’s tantrum. That didn’t stop him from wanting to know more, and he knew his way into the archives anyway, so he knew it wouldn’t be a problem as long as he did not get caught. It has happen more than a few times where he has gone to the archives and left undetected, and he hoped that today would be one of those days.

Sighing deeply and taking a few cubes for himself, Orion left quietly, and he made sure to check the time so he knew how long he had before he should come back. Especially as he knew that D-16 would chew his head off for leaving him and Galaxy alone, so he had to make sure he was back sooner than when D-16 would wake up. But he also couldn’t predict when D-16 would wake up. Even though both he and D-16 have been taking the extra time to learn how to sign each day, even after the evening briefings with the other bots, and they have already taught Galaxy how to sign I am hungry and I am tired, and a few other things that will eventually turn into proper communication. And it has helped a lot with Galaxy needing something.

And it has been extra helpful that the other bots knew it too. Especially when Elita noticed Galaxy signing I am tired two days ago and Orion had been distracted with the task he was given, and she made sure to let him know. Even though Galaxy could have walked over to Orion at the time and gotten his attention to sign what she needed to him. But that was okay. Galaxy was able to occupy herself with the mud each day, but she had been getting a bit tired of that, so she has been trying to figure out how else to occupy herself. But Elita has helped by showing Galaxy how the energon gets loaded and sent off to spread out through the city. And Moonracer has even allowed Galaxy to just tail her around the processors, since it wasn’t so unsafe for the sparkling.

Though Darkwing’s absence has been strange. He has not normally been absent for this long, so the investigation into the sparkling’s existence was still ongoing. Elita knew something about it, but she has been told to keep quiet. At least that is what Orion has assumed. Not having Darkwing around has been rather peaceful in Orion’s optics, so he couldn’t complain. They were making quota each day, so there was no problem.

Orion reached the train platform, where a train had just parked, and he was ecstatic. That alleviated some extra time to reach the archives, though he would need to make a stop at a higher point to climb down into the archives. The position of the archives did often annoy Orion, but he has gotten used to sneaking in that it didn’t bother him as much as it used to. Though D-16 often likes to remind Pax that he wouldn’t be annoyed if he would not sneak in. He was right, but that has not stopped Pax yet.

Orion waited patiently until he reached his stop and got off the train, glancing towards the archives with a deep intake as he knew what he would be doing. Especially as the location of the archives meant he had to start from the top, as the way Iacon was built, it made it seem like buildings were built upside down in places. But it was built this way to make the most of the space that they had for the city to be built without expanding so far and wide, which has worked very well. Plus, it would also mean a smaller area mass would have ensured that the Quintessons would not have located Iacon city during the war.

Once he reached an area hidden away from the entrance to the archives, which were guarded by sentries who were likely friends of Darkwing, and proceeded to carefully climb his way down the side of the building. He always used the same entrance, since it never gets blocked up. But it does get covered with a new vent each time, even if the workmanship done to put the new cover on the vent was easy for him to break into.

As Orion climbed down the side of Iacon cautiously, he would glance around in case someone may spot him. But he has found other transformers don’t seem to care to check, though he would think that they would. Especially since he comes here often enough that they should know that he would be there. Though he was not able to transform, so maybe they didn’t care as much, since if they caught him, he would be a lot of trouble.

Orion did check the time and grimaced as he knew that D-16 would wake up very soon, and he might be cutting it close this time. But he had nothing stopping him at the moment, and he finally reached the ledge to step down on and walk up to where the vent was. He rubbed his hands together and cut through the welds around the vent with the torch in his wrist. He placed the vent down and crawled through. He already knew to expect the security lights to be active in the archives, but this vent led to the one spot that was safe and he could avoid the lights easily.

He crawled through the vent as quietly as he could, as while the sentry guards were at the entrance of the archives, there were security bots within the archives that would activate to any activity within it. So Orion knew he had to be careful. He crawled quietly until he reached another vent cover and he peaked through to make sure he was in the right location. He smiled when he saw that he was, as he could see the security infra-red lights around the room.

He opened it and peered through for a moment as he glanced around for any activity before he carefully dropped down to the ground. He intakes a little with relief knowing that he did not touch any of the lights as he glanced around them before he began to carefully step over them to avoid being detected. He knew he would never understand why no one was allowed in the archives, but he couldn’t really change those rules. Only Sentinel could.

Once he did not have to worry about them anymore, Orion began to look around for where the information regarding draconic bots were. He had not looked for them before, so this was going to take a while. He knew it may not lead to anything about the Matrix, but that wasn’t what he was looking for right now anyway, so he was intent on finding the new information and he hoped to learn about the bots.

“Hmm…Primes, no, Iacon history, no…” Orion glanced around and turned to the next shelf and he widened his optics. “Ah…” He reached in and grabbed a set of disks of recorded files, looking at them with a smile. He realized there was so many about the draconic bots, and that made him hopeful to understand them more, and maybe why Galaxy loved them so much. He checked the time and intakes deeply. “I hope D-16 won’t be too mad.”

Looking through the disks, he did not know which one to start with, since he knew very little about the draconic bots. Sentinel only talks about the bots as if they were dangerous creatures, and they had to be overcome with force to bring them under his control. Orion had wondered how that was possible, since the draconic bots were much bigger than Sentinel, and they could probably rip him apart if they wanted to. But he did believe that Sentinel somehow subdued them, and they were now protecting Iacon.

Walking over to the projector, Orion held up one of the disks and he hummed lightly to himself as he wondered what it would be about. He just hoped that it would work, as some of these didn’t always work properly straight away, which was often how he was found in the archives by the security. He puts the disk into the slot, and the projector turned on and a deep voice spoke through from the speakers. And an image of a draconic bot, one who was not Cosmic, Firedrake or Sky Blade, but Orion didn’t think much of it.

“Draconic bots, and race of strong, mysterious creatures who roam the very surface of our planet, living within the treacherous, northern mountain range in a city they have carved into the side of these mountains called Tempest. A race of beings who are as old as the Primes themselves. These creatures are wise and hold a connection to this world that even the Primes do not share. It is a connection that they have spoken of, but it is something that only they are born with.

This connection to our planet and Primus seems to have given abilities to these creatures. Abilities that allows these creatures to have an advantage over their enemies. As it is not very known, but many of the greatest warriors of the draconic bots have fought alongside the Primes against the Quintessons. This has, unfortunately, resulted in many of their brave sparks to be lost to the All Spark. But their bravery has not been in vain.”

Orion was surprised to hear that the bots fought alongside the Primes. The draconic bots have looked fierce, but to think they fought alongside the Primes many years ago was intriguing. And Sentinel has never said that they did. So it was a little strange to him. But he figured that something must have happened, because this is not what Sentinel has told them. The image changes to show a different quadruped draconic bot with golden optics and feather-like wings with rainbow colours. Orion did not know who he was, but he looked wise and beautiful.

“One of the oldest and wisest dragons of Tempest, Oranos, is one of the mysterious draconic bots were know. His connection to Primus seems to differ from the other draconic bots. His gift of foresight has been a useful tool for all of Cybertron. But while this is true, we do not know the full extent of his wisdom. Oranos had fought alongside the Primes for many years before he reached an age he could not fight anymore. But his spark remains strong, and has remained Tempest’s leader and chronicler over the many centuries of Cybertron.

Though while mysterious, his spark has always been the gentlest of all draconic bots. His guardianship over some of Cybertron’s future remains the most important task of his existence. He has ensured that the war with the Quintessons could be dealt with, even though Oranos has not foreseen everything in Cybertron’s history.”

That made sense. Even if someone was gifted with foresight, not one being could see everything of the future. That would be something that would never happen. But it was extremely interesting to Orion regarding these creatures. And he could not help but feel a sense of excitement as he listened to the information regarding these creatures. And it certainly feels like he was learning that what they know about the draconic bots was wrong.

“While these creatures hold many mysteries that we have yet to learn, they have always been on the side of Primus and the Primes. Their guardianship over the surface of the planet has ensured the safety of this world for many thousands of cycles. Their connection to this world and their wisdom that comes for it is something that the Primes have long respected, and they have ensured to listen and heed anything from the draconic bots.

But unfortunately, even the draconic bots have seen a darkness rise within one of their own. Abilities that have not been seen, and were exploited by the Quintessons. Such a power that had to be destroyed, even though the bloodline with that same power still exists to this day. Which may or may not result the rebirth of another draconic bot who may bring a terrible darkness over the world.”

Orion gasped when the recording stopped and he sighed deeply. He had hoped to learn more, but it didn’t have anything else. He pulled the disk out and put it aside before glancing around to make sure that there was no security bot patrolling the archives. So far, there was nothing. He did make sure to check the time again before picking up a second disk to learn more about the draconic bots and place it into the projector. Orion was pleased that it didn’t glitch either as the projector turned on immediately. Though as an image of a draconic bot appears, Orion was already intrigued. Even if this dragon was black and white, with teal, blue metal membrane wings and bright blue optics, he was intrigued.

“Wraith, a single draconic bot born to proud warriors in Tempest, was born with a trait unlike any other draconic bots. Information regarding this bot’s CNA has remained a secret within Tempest’s archives by Oranos, but we know a little of who Wraith was. She was a powerful draconic bot who quickly became a warrior in her youth. However, this is due to the fact new abilities were discovered within Wraith.

Abilities that were unlike the type of abilities the other draconic bots possessed. Many of the draconic bots are infused with elemental abilities, whether it is fire or ice, and they use these abilities through their own bodies to increase power of their claws and teeth in battle. And sometimes, they use these to bring healing to our world. But Wraith possessed these abilities, but she also possessed abilities that seem to the opposite of what the other draconic bots can do. Something that the other draconic bots were made aware of, and troubled Oranos at the same time. For her abilities possessed darker powers that have not been seen before, or ever since.”

Hearing this about this draconic bot, it made Orion think this would have been the dragon who could have caused a rift between the two races, but he was not sure. But hearing about only one draconic bot to be born, likely with a mutation in their genetics to be able to create those abilities, very much intrigued Orion. Especially as the images of the projection showed Wraith unleashing waves of energon, fuelled, plasma blasts that were dark purple, grey or red, and seemed to cause more destruction than it should.

“These powers almost seem as though they have been touched by Unicron himself. But there is no evidence to suggest this, only by mere observation. Wraith’s plasma and fire abilities were more powerful than the rest of the draconic bots. She could also, somehow, breath a mixture of lightning and metal, which created a force that terrified even the other draconic bots. But through the wisdom of Oranos, Wraith was able to find a balance. Until the Quintessons successfully captured Wraith.”

Orion widened his optics in shock as he listened, and he watched the screen change, before it froze and began glitching with words loudly stuttering. “Oh no! No, no!” He pressed the buttons frantically to shut it off as the noise was loud. “No, I need to know more!” He grimaced as he pulled the disk out and he looked back with a frown, knowing he would have to start again. “At least I learned some more…”

“ORION!” Orion jumped as the loud voice yelled through his com link and he juggled the disk in his hands as he almost dropped it from the start. He intakes deeply as he knew who it was. “Where in the Pit are you? I don’t know why I even ask, but we discussed this! I hope your aft gets kicked again for sneaking into the archives!”

Orion let out an exhale while glancing back with a grimace as he was certain that someone would have heard that. He was a little irritated, but he also was not surprised by D-16 shouting at him. “D, you need to keep your voice down…”

“NO! I don’t think so!” Orion grimaced again as he grabbed the disks to quickly put them back, knowing that a security bot likely was moving around while searching for signs of an intruder. “I hope they discover your presence again, because we already have spoken about you not going to the archives for your need to cure that curiosity. Maybe if you feel like it, tell me so I can hit you over the head with something.”

Orion let out a light huff of amusement as he looked around as he put the disks back on the shelf and proceeded to look for the way out without being seen. “Unfortunately, I don’t exactly know when I get these ideas, and you know I keep them to myself.”

“Yes, but I always know when you are thinking about it. Ugh! And Galaxy is really upset that you are not here.” Orion raised an eyebrow as he could faintly hear Galaxy crying on the other end, so he did feel guilty knowing that, and she was clearly crying for him, though he couldn’t be certain. “Now you had better get your aft back here as soon as possible and not get yourself locked up! Because if that happens, you know they might just second guess themselves and decide someone else is better fit to care for Galaxy. And I don’t think we both want that to happen.”

Orion definitely did not want that to happen. He managed to put the disks back where they were and proceeded to look for the exit, and he spotted one of the security bots moving through the hallways looking for an intruder. He made sure he would keep out of its range. “I will be back as soon as I can, D. Just…try not to shout too loud. I am just lucky to not get spotted.”

“Sure, but I can’t promise I won’t just complain the whole time.”

“Are you even able to do that? I mean, you should focus on comforting Galaxy.”

D-16 groaned deeply. “And I am doing that. I am holding her in my arms, but I am also capable of talking to you at the same time. Galaxy woke me up from a nightmare, and you not being here to help hasn’t made things easier. Especially as she has noticed your absence and she managed to get out of my arms before and tried to leave out of the front door to find you.”

Orion couldn’t help but feel his spark warm at the idea Galaxy was worried enough to go looking for him, but that also made him feel more guilty knowing that. Though D-16 could also be lying, which Orion knew that was a possibility. But it still didn’t change how Orion felt now that he knew. He just needed to get out of the archives without being caught and return to the train to head back home.

And he was lucky this time as he made his way through the archives and found an empty shelf underneath a vent, so he climbed it to reach the vent and open the cover to pull himself up and crawl through. He didn’t know if this would lead him outside, but it was better than being in the same space as the security bots who were now scanning the archives for intruders. At least when they find nothing, they return to their posts and go dormant. Orion has managed to avoid them before, but he was not always so lucky.

As he crawled through the vent as quickly and quietly as he could, he eventually saw a light at the end, and Orion smiled to see that it was the same vent entrance he crawled into before. He had just gone a different direction to reach the right space in the archives. He crawled out and onto the edge carefully before he placed the cover back on and began to carefully climb up the side of the archives.

“Well?” Orion flinched in surprise and he frowned a little. “Are you out of the archives yet?”

“Yes, I’m currently hanging on the side of it. So if you are trying to make me fall to my death, keep talking so suddenly.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” D-16 responded in a sarcastic, fake worried tone. “Next time I’ll just scream it in your processor. But I am not going to, since Galaxy needs you as much as she needs me. She’s also signing a word I don’t understand.”

“Oh?” Orion was surprised by it. “Turn on the screen and put on the sign language lessons. It should be in there.”

“I would if this sparkling would stop squirming and trying to escape this room, Pax!” Orion smirked at the exasperated snap from D-16. “Hopefully now that she knows you are on your way back, I can figure out what she is saying. I think it is only a single word too, since all I’m seeing is the same thing she is signing.”

Orion raised an eyebrow as that made him extra curious about what Galaxy was signing. He did wish he could have stayed in the archives though. He has learned so much, and there was still so much more to learn about the draconic bots. He did hope that D-16 might find the information interesting when he did return to their home. He figured he would just have to wake up earlier if he wanted to come back.

“Oh, and before you come back, are you planning on any more heists?” D-16 asked in a fake, curious tone. “Because I will need to know so I can make sure you don’t leave when you get the curiosity fever and decide that you just have to know about something.”

“Um...not sure...”

D-16 groaned through the com link. “Which pretty much means that you absolutely will go back. Ugh!” Orion just smiled as he continued to climb. He glanced around as precaution again, though no one has seen him yet. “At least you were honest this time, Pax. So I’ll be watching you very closely. And expect that I am going to be awake early to make sure you don’t sneak off...though maybe Galaxy will help too.”

Orion couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. He knew his best friend would be irritated for a while. But D-16 always got over it. Though it might be different this time with Galaxy being in the picture. He knew D-16 was worried that they may lose their guardianship over the sparkling, but Orion was confident that it wouldn’t happen. And he intended on making it up to Galaxy for his absence.

“I shall be more aware of your scrutiny, D. At least you made that nice and clear.”

D-16 just huffed before he cut off the com link from his end. That made Orion relax a little, and he was almost tempted to turn around to go back into the archives. But there really was no going back this time. He had to return home or D-16 was going to shout through the com link until he got caught and he would need to avoid the archive guards again. Even though that could still reflect on both him and D-16 in guardianship over Galaxy.

It didn’t take him too long to reach the door and he quickly made his way through the city to the nearest train station. But the train was not there, so he would need to wait. He thought about running through the city to get home like he’s done before, but he didn’t feel it was needed in case he would injure himself accidentally, and he didn’t want to do that. Elita would never let him hear the end of it, and neither would D. So he just had to wait while thinking over the information he just learned about the draconic bots, even if what he has learned was very little at this time.

Chapter Text

Standing in the train waiting to get dropped off, Orion was going over what he had learned from the archives. It was only a small amount of knowledge he had learned about the draconic bots, but it spurred a lot more curiosity in his mind. He wanted to go back to continue going through the recorded files, but he knew that the longer he was away, the more irritated D-16 would get and he also didn’t want to upset Galaxy any further. Her attachment to them was very sweet, and Orion didn’t want to disappoint her. But he already knew how he was going to make it up to her. Since she has loved her draconic toy so much, he was certain she would love to hear about Oranos. He didn’t want to tell her about Wraith, in case it would scare her.

He ignored the glances of a few of the transformers who were in the train with him as they had recognized him. After all, Orion has unintentionally caused trouble for a lot of them, and they were thinking that he was going to do it again. Luckily, that was not the case. At least for today. Even though Orion was not intentional when it came to causing disruption to the other transformers who live in the city. He just had to wait, and they were not far.

Though as the train was getting closer, Orion noticed the other mining bots were lining up to get on, and Orion grimaced. He knew that they were going to know what he has been up to. And he could see Elita as well. He groaned as he knew she was likely going to lecture him about it, even though Orion was already expecting another lecture from D-16 when he returned home. But he hoped to not cause an argument in front of Galaxy. That wouldn’t be fair to her.

There wasn’t anything he could do though. He just had to wait. Once the train came to a stop and the doors open, the other cogless bots look at him in surprise. “Excuse, sorry…” Orion stepped out to shuffle through the crowd. “I was just needing to do something. You guys can get on and head into the mines…”

“What in the Pit were you doing in the train, Orion?!” Elita’s bark loudly questioned over the crowd, making Orion grimace and the others flinch. “Shouldn’t you be with D-16 and Galaxy? Don’t tell me you were trying sneak some high grade, because getting drunk is a bad idea for a parent.”

“No, no, I would never do that. Plus, I would never get that far.” Orion flinched as Elita pushed through the crowd with a glare on her face, expressing her disapproval. “I, uh, I was somewhere else. Somewhere a bit more interesting…”

“Oh, no…” Elita rolled her optics as she placed her right fingers on her forehead in frustration. “Don’t tell me…you’ve been in the archives again, haven’t you?” Orion shrugged as he shuffled between the others and Elita sighed loudly as she followed him. “Ugh, you know, as annoying as it was, you haven’t missed a shift a single time. So I never really cared too much, since you could have easily killed yourself or have your aft thrown into jail for a while until you have gotten that burning curiosity out of your processor. But now, ugh, Orion!” Elita intakes sharply as she followed him with a huff. “You don’t exactly have the freedom to do that anymore. If you were not the parent of that sweet sparkling, I wouldn’t care. But I do.”

“Oh, come on, Elita. What is the harm? There is so much to learn in there, and I just want to know things. And for all we know, even the location of the Matrix is hidden in the archives.” Elita rolled her optics as Orion continued to walk calmly. “Besides, I was not even gone for long. And I already learned so much about…”

“None of it should matter, Orion!” Elita growled as she stepped out from the crowd with Orion and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. Orion frowned slightly as he wanted to get back quickly. “I don’t care about what the archives have in them, and I also highly doubt that there is any information regarding the location of the Matrix. I think that it is foolish to even think that is where you will find the answer. After all, wouldn’t Sentinel already have tried going through the archives to find it?” Orion widened his optics slightly as he has not considered it. “I can tell that never got through your thick helmet, but I don’t really care. Especially since we all know sparklings can be unpredictable. She could have had a nightmare, woke up and wanted you to feed her or she could have had a tantrum from waking up early. And that is just a small list of things that could happen.”

“It is unlikely…”

“You can’t believe that just because Galaxy has a good, calm nature. She’s still a sparkling, and she will let everyone know if something is bothering her. Just because she is learning to sign rather well and can tell us when she is tired and hungry now, it doesn’t mean she won’t cry and scream to let us know something is wrong.”

Orion intakes heavily. “I know. That is why I want to get back as quickly as possible. And, with all do respect, Elita, you are in my way.”

“I think D-16 would be okay with me giving you a piece of my mind, Pax. Especially since I know it will be Galaxy who will be upset the most, so…” Orion stumbled back and placed his hand on his right cheek in shock as Elita suddenly punched his cheek. “That is for leaving your daughter when she should take priority over some information in the archives.”

Orion rubbed his cheek as he was still shocked she had punched him. “I guess I deserve that…alright, fine. Just don’t do that again please.”

Elita huffed as she placed her left fist into the open palm of her right hand, tensing it slightly with audible creaking from her finger joints. “Don’t give me a reason to do it.” Elita walked around Orion and he flinched a little as she walked very close. “Now you can get going.”

“Thanks…” Orion rubbed his cheek a little before he smiled slightly. “I shall see you in the mines…”

“Shut up, Orion. Don’t think I won’t think of the worst task possible when you get there.” Orion grimaced and turned to walk towards the door to his living quarters. Elita glanced back at him with a smug expression. “And don’t expect me to not keep a close eye on you all day. So keep yourself in check.”

Orion did not say anything as he was still rather shocked that Elita would even punch him. However, after a few minutes, he smirked as he decided she was in a good mood today. Normally, she would be a lot worse. But he hoped that she wasn’t hiding it and waiting to let loose when he would arrive at the mines with D and Galaxy. Though since she was his superior, he really couldn’t tell until they would get there.

He intakes deeply as he walked up to the door and reached to open it, only to flinch back in surprise when it opened and D-16 was on the other side with an angry expression with a wiggling, crying sparkling in his arms. “What in the Pit took you so long? You said you were on the train, and I would have thought you would be back already. But here you are, taking extra time.”

Orion sighed and shook his head. “Elita held me up.”

“She did?” D-16 glanced over Orion’s shoulder to the crowd of mining bots to see Elita giving an affirmative nod before she stepped into the train and he could tell she was unhappy. “Huh, let me guess. She gave you a piece of her mind.” Orion nodded. “Good. I can’t be the only one to do it.”

Galaxy whimpered as she tried turning, reaching her arms towards Orion desperately. Orion smiled at the sparkling as he could see she has been crying for some time. “I am back now, D. Let me in, and I can help calm the sparkling down.”

“Fine. I can’t really stop you anyway, and I don’t want to distract the others.” Galaxy signed something to Orion and Orion’s optics lit up with excitement as Orion gently grabbed Galaxy from D’s arms. “What did she sign? I couldn’t understand it.”

Orion stepped inside and closed the door as Galaxy wrapped her arms around his neck as she nuzzled him while he cradled her. “Well, she just called me daddy.”

D-16 widened his optics. “Even after the stunt you just pulled?” Galaxy glanced back at D with a small nod before she looked at Orion and kissed his cheek. D-16 sighed deeply. “Um, well, I guess to the sparkling you have proved your worth. But I think you got off lightly. I am not even sure if we have even earned that title yet. Especially not you with what you just did.”

Orion sighed as he looked down at Galaxy and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up. I just…wanted to know something, that was all.” Galaxy looked at him and she smiled at him. “Has D-16 fed you yet?”

“Galaxy refused to drink from the bottle. I think she wants you to do it.” Galaxy looked at D-16 and she signed another word, and he didn’t recognize it again. “Oh, I wish I knew what you have been learning with Orion, Galaxy. What are you…”

“She’s signing another parent word to you. Dadda.”

“What?” D-16 widened his optics in shock and looked at Galaxy. “Is that what you want to call me?” Galaxy nodded, signing dadda again. “Uh, um…” D-16 really did not know how to feel about that. “But…but…” Galaxy frowned a little as she thought he would be happy. “Uh…this…”

“Why are you acting like someone just asked you to be their sparkmate?” Orion questioned and D-16 flinched and frowned at him. “I think it is very sweet. She’s given us a name each, and she clearly sees us as her parents. So I would be honored.”

“I, uh, I just didn’t think she would call us that so soon. It just…”

“She clicked with us on the first day, D.” Orion stepped closer to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder as Galaxy let out a light sob. “Don’t hurt her feelings. I know you think that we haven’t earned it, but maybe we have. In her mind, we hit the mark.”

D-16 didn’t know how to feel. “Maybe…but given how unsettled she has been, I would have thought she would be angry.”

“And she’s clearly more forgiving than you think.” Orion looked down at Galaxy as she sniffled and he wiped some tears from her cheeks. “Now, I think you should fill your tank now, Galaxy. We can’t have you going hungry and scream the mines into a collapse…”

“Wouldn’t that be something. Maybe a rock will hit your head and get rid of your stupid desire to go to those archives. I’m surprised that they haven’t made it impossible for random bots to get in yet. Especially since they know who you are.” Galaxy looked at D-16 with a frown and whimpered a little. D-16’s frown softened as he realized she didn’t like this conversation. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. Orion and I are still friends.”

“Really? Are we?” Orion responded in a slightly sarcastic tone and D-16 rolled his optics. “The way you opened the door before kind of made me think of how sparkmates sometimes argue. One might be out and come back to find their angry sparkmate at the door. And here I thought we were trying to stop giving everyone that impression.”

“As if anyone would have seen it, Pax. Don’t make this more irritating than it already is. Please just go and feed Galaxy while I get things ready for the day.” D-16 rubbed the bridge between his optics as Orion walked over to the table, where the bottle had been left due to D’s failed attempt at feeding Galaxy. “Hopefully, we will have time to do some sign practice.”

“Uh, maybe not. And maybe we should just skip it for the moment due to her being unsettled.” Orion picked up the bottle as he adjusted the sparkling in his arm so she could lay more comfortably and tilted the bottle so she could start drinking. And she latched onto the tip immediately to begin drinking and Orion was relieved. “But if you want to do some, feel free, D. But otherwise, you will just be waiting until Galaxy has finished drinking and I’ll clean her face of the tears so we can head to the mines.”

D-16 folded his arms with a huff. “She is definitely so much more forgiving than me. Just wait until she is in recharge later so we can have a discussion about your sudden ideas of wanting to know this and that. You do realize you didn’t think about anyone but yourself this morning, don’t you?” Orion grimaced and looked away from D. “And I would want to believe that you won’t do it again, but I know you, Pax. You just can’t help yourself. I already know you want to go back just by looking at your optics. That curiosity is still burning.”

“So what if it is? I am allowed to be curious.”

“Yes you are, but don’t go looking for answers when there are more important things. Like taking care of Galaxy and working in the mines.” Galaxy whimpered softly as the tension in the air was bothering her and she didn’t like it as she squirmed a little in Orion’s arm as D-16 glared at Pax. “You have been the one to really get behind being her parent, and now she is at the point of calling you daddy. I just hope you aren’t going to keep going back to the archives. You should try to stop all these thoughts.”

“It is a little hard to stop being curious, D. Especially since I learned a lot about draconic bots today. And the fact that they actually had a city on the surface.” D-16 widened his optics slightly, though hardened his glare quickly at Orion. “I would think you would be curious.”

“No, I am not. I don’t care, because you promised not to go to the archives. Telling me about the draconic bots is not…” D-16 stopped as Galaxy let out a loud whimper and rolled in Orion’s arm as she looked at D-16 with tears in her optics. She held up her hand to tell him to stop, while also signing dadda and using the stop signal a few more times. D-16 intakes deeply and groaned. “We will continue this discussion later, Pax.”

Orion looked down at Galaxy with a guilty expression. “Sorry, Galaxy. He didn’t mean to raise his voice. He won’t do it again.” Galaxy whimpered again before she pushed the bottle away, surprising Orion, and she held her arms towards D-16. D was surprised and Orion sighed before he smiled at his friend. “I guess she wants you to hold to stop the yelling.”

“I wasn’t even yelling that loud.” Orion raised an eyebrow as D took the sparkling from Orion’s arms and cradled her before taking the bottle from Orion. D looked down at Galaxy as she gazed at him. “Sorry, Galaxy. I don’t mean to be upset, but I have some things that I need to say and that is why I am a bit stern with…” D-16 widened his eyes in shock as Galaxy had enough and she slapped his chin, which was loud and Orion covered his mouth as he almost burst into laughter. D stared at Galaxy as her optics quiver and her bottom lip tremble. “What in Primus…did you just hit me?” Galaxy grumbled and looked away from him. “Oh, no, no, no, I might be angry at Orion, but you do not get to hit me.” Galaxy was still grumbling and D-16 intakes deeply. “Fine, I will stop. But do not do it again, Galaxy.” D glanced at Orion when he heard his friend chuckle, as Orion turned away while he stifled a laugh. “Oh, shut up, Pax. I know you found it funny. It won’t be funny if she hits you.”

“Oh please, I doubt it even hurt.”

“That is not the point. She shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Galaxy let out a light sob and looked at D as he softened his expression. “I’m sorry for upsetting you, Galaxy. But do not hit. It may not hurt, but I don’t want you to get in the habit of it, okay? Just…” Galaxy whimpered and D-16 turned the bottle. “It is not nice to hit someone.”

“If only Elita could be told that.” D-16 shot Orion with a sharp glare and Orion shrugged, walking over to the cube containment to get a couple cubes for himself. “But she is the boss, so I guess I can’t say much.”

“And it was probably well deserved.” D-16 looked back at Galaxy. “Come on, drink up, Galaxy. We have another long day, and I know you are still hungry. You only drank a quarter of the energon.” Galaxy murmured a little before she latched onto the bottle tip again to drink and D-16 was pleased. “Good. Hopefully, this morning’s antics won’t disturb Galaxy’s routine.”

“It shouldn’t. But Elita already told me she has plans for my tasks today. And they are probably going to be…not nice.” D-16 smirked in amusement as he was not surprised. “Honestly, I had hoped to return before the others started leaving the miner quarters, but I was not so lucky.”

“You being back is the lucky part, Pax. And certainly not learning about the draconic bots.”

Orion hummed in amusement as he ingested the cubes in his hand. Galaxy glanced at Orion was she was intrigued about what he had learned about Tempest. He didn’t say the name, but she knew it would be Tempest. It was the only city that the archives would have, so it would be intriguing to know what he has learned. But she wasn’t sure if he would tell her. At least, not yet. He might later when he brings her back for a nap. Since Galaxy has already decided who would be around for the first half of the shift would be D, and she would have Orion for the second half.

Orion walked into the shower room to grab a cloth to dampen it after several minutes as Galaxy had almost finished ingesting the energon. “By the way…” Orion looked up and leaned to look out the doorway when D-16 spoke again. “How did Galaxy learn how to sign the words daddy and dadda if we did not teach her?”

“Uh, um…I think maybe she was listening to the lessons on the screen intently and kept that memory in her processor. I remember seeing the lessons more than once myself, so it would be the most likely reason.” Orion shrugged as he squeezed the excess water from the cloth and walked out of the shower room. “She likely has a very good memory, since sparklings tend to as they learn. Although, I still don’t remember much of my sparkling days.”

“We generally don’t when we get to a certain age, Pax. It’s pretty normal.” Galaxy murmured a little as she knew draconic bots were different. She would remember everything when she gets older, and she certainly wanted to. Especially since that her memories of her parents were from when she was a new born. D-16 glanced at Orion as the bot waited patiently for Galaxy to finish drinking. “Though I suppose she hung onto the memories because she did want to associate us with specific names. And honestly, I think she gave a cuter name.”

Orion huffed in amusement. “I know. It suits you.”

D-16 raised an eyebrow. “What in the Pit is that supposed to mean?”

Orion had to think for a moment as he thought of a reason. “Hmm, actually I don’t know. Maybe it’s because Galaxy is calling you that, and I think it suits you.”

“Not sure if that is the actual reason, but I suppose I don’t care. But I still think I am unworthy of that title.”

Orion chuckled softly. “I highly doubt you can make her stop calling you that.”

“I know. I guess…I will come to accept it and get used to it.” D-16 looked down as Galaxy gently pushed the bottle away as she had finished it. He smiled at her and placed the bottle down. “Especially since I know you love me.” Galaxy smiled with a nod. D-16 looked at Orion and took the cloth from him to clean her face. “I promise we will ensure that you keep smiling for most of the day, Galaxy. I did not mean to upset you before.”

Galaxy murmured softly and signed dadda again before she kissed his chin. Orion was smiling as he watched quietly. “I guess that was her way of forgiving you.”

“I’d say so until she can sign it.” D-16 finished wiping the sparkling’s face and she was feeling much better. “Well, I guess we should get going.” She frowned immediately and D-16 chuckled. “I know how that feels, Galaxy. Believe me, but we don’t get a day off. So I am afraid this is just the way it is. You can be in the harness with one of us on the way.” She shook her head. “Alright, well, we still have to get going.”

“We still have time, D. You know we get the extra time. I don’t see the rush to get to the mines.”

“Unlike you, I take my job seriously. Plus, I really want to see what Elita has planned for you.” Orion rolled his optics as D-16’s pettiness and Galaxy whimpered a little before she looked at Orion and held her hands towards him again. D-16 was amused. “Looks like she wants both of us today.”

Orion nodded in agreement as he took the sparkling from D-16 and cradled her in his arms. Galaxy kissed Orion’s cheek, and he smiled at her. “Thank you, Galaxy. I love you too.” He kissed her forehead and she began to point at him, gesturing for him to speak and points at her draconic toy that had been placed in her berth earlier by D when she was squirming around. Orion raised an eyebrow. “You want me to tell you something?” Galaxy nodded. “Wait, you want me to tell you about the draconic bots?” She nodded again.

D-16 huffed a little and turned to put the cloth and empty bottle away so they could go. “Of course, she wants to know. Even if you only got a little bit of information. Just be sure to not make it all up, Pax.”

“I wouldn’t do that. Um…” Orion hummed as he thought about it and looked at Galaxy. “Do you want me to tell you now or later?” Galaxy murmured thoughtfully as she listened to him. “I know we will have enough time sitting on the train as we go to the mines to tell you about it all, but it would also be good to tell you before you recharge. So…” Galaxy nodded in agreement gestured to her berth. “Ah, so you want to wait until later?” She nodded again. “Good. I remember all of what I learned, so you won’t be disappointed. Though…I guess that means you want D-16 to watch you for the first half of the day.” She nodded again and D seemed surprised by this. “Good…and that means Elita will get me to do something I dislike in the mines, and I can already guess what that is going to be.”

D-16 huffed in amusement. “I am sure it could be worse. You aren’t in waste management, but that could be the worst job you could have.” Orion nodded in agreement. “Well, since we know what part of the day is going to be, we should get going. We do not want to upset Elita any further.”

“And by that, you mean me,” Orion said sarcastically and D just shrugged, grabbing the harness and walking towards the door. Orion followed him quickly. “But Elita won’t hold it against us because she knows…”

“That might be true, Pax, but you are pushing it when you go and do the things you do. You already have said many times that we have to think of Galaxy and put her first, so it confuses me that you would even go to the archives. Even if the wildest thought entered your processor that you have to find the answer for.” D-16 shook his head as they step outside and he looked ahead towards the station platform. “I really hope you will not do it again.” Orion did not respond, and that was enough of an answer to D. “Just don’t do it all the time, Pax. I am already angry. And don’t do it when we have important days, or if Galaxy falls sick.”

“I am not that foolish, D.”

D-16 smirked and looked at Orion with a smirk. “Sometimes I wonder about that.” Galaxy smirked a little as she found that funny. “Huh, even Galaxy seems to agree with me.”

“Ah, I doubt that.” Galaxy giggled and Orion looked down at her. “But I don’t mind if you make fun of me, Galaxy. I know I can be a bit silly.” She grinned and hid her face in his shoulder as she suddenly felt shy. Orion chuckled as he rubbed her back gently. “That is okay. You can think that way about me if you want. Only you can think that way.”

“Well, it is not like you could stop me or anyone else from thinking that way anyway, Orion. But I suppose you will only accept that from her because she’s our daughter.”

“Exactly. I’d rather she find me silly than scary.” Orion kissed the top of Galaxy’s head and looked towards the platform. “Another day. Sometimes I wish we would have a day off. It would be nice to let our joints rest for a bit.”

“If the needs of the city wasn’t so important, maybe we would. But we have no choice, Pax. The only time we would get it, if someone were to get sick. Preferably, I don’t think we would want that. Besides…” D-16 turned his head to look at Orion. “Ratchet did make that appointment for Galaxy’s check up in a few days.” Galaxy tensed with a murmur, not wanting to go back to the medical centre. “He just wants to ensure she is okay. And especially since he told us he has been cleared of any involvement with Galaxy’s existence, he’s been appointed as her physician.”

“But a check up does not take a whole day. Darkwing will pull us back into the mines if he shows up, whenever he shows up again.”

“True, but Darkwing is focused on the investigation. So unless Elita pulls us back, we could use that as a reason to have a day off…but I don’t want to do that anyway.” Orion chuckled as D-16’s commitment was just too strong. “So I’m not likely to miss work. I wouldn’t be surprised if you did. Especially since only one of us can go.”

Galaxy shook her head and turned her head to look at D with a frown. Orion chuckled a little. “Unless someone else decides otherwise.”

“Well…we shall see. I do think we both should be there, but I guess they think only one of us should be there. There isn’t much we can do anyway, Pax. We just…go along with what we are told to do. That is our position.” Galaxy hummed as she listened to D-16. It really made their life sound depressing, and she hoped that they could get out of it soon. “And I definitely prefer being in the mines than working as a medic.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “I feel the same. I’m not sure how I would handle doing all that medical stuff. Especially the surgeries. Ugh!” Galaxy smirked as she looked at Orion. He looked back at her. “Mmm, maybe you could be a medic instead of a miner in the future. Darkwing never said you couldn’t.”

“True, but I think that won’t happen, Orion. They only accept a few cogless bots at a time to be medics. So she won’t be, unless they change their minds about it.”

“Anything is possible, D. We have to believe there is more than just a basic life that we have.” D-16 shrugged and shook his head, not wanting to agree with Orion. “I know you find it hard to believe.”

“Yep, I do. And don’t fill her head with those ideas. I don’t think I would want Galaxy to learn how to sneak into the archives from you.” Galaxy giggled and D-16 shook his head. “That will not be funny.”

“I won’t do that, D. Do not worry.” Orion kissed Galaxy’s forehead and she nuzzled against his neck. “Besides, she’s still very young. We won’t know what she will do in the future. Though…I hope that the future will be way better. And with the Matrix returned.”

Galaxy definitely believed that the Matrix would be given to a new Prime long before she would even enter her youngling years. Though she was very curious about what exactly Orion Pax had learned in the archives about the draconic bots. She had definitely wondered how much information would be stored there, and she was both surprised and glad that the information had not been destroyed. Though as the archives were off limits to the bots of Iacon, it made sense that with the archives being guarded, Sentinel probably did not feel the need to destroy the information. But they could also be providing him with information. Regardless, Galaxy was very keen to hear it from Pax. And she did wonder if he would also learn about Wraith. Considering that dragon’s history, she wasn’t so sure. But that information will not really mean anything to Pax, so she would just have to wait until later to hear about from him.

Chapter Text

Stepping out of the train, Galaxy looked at the familiar entrance to the mines. She sighed as she found herself really disliking this place. Not because of the dust and rock, but just how hard these poor hots were working to supply energon to the rest of the city. And they were getting the scraps of it. Regardless, there wasn’t much that can be done. Elita was already giving orders, and Sideswipe was already moving the carts around with Ironhide. His drill has needed more serious repairs, which has unfortunately resulted in him remaining here for the time being. And he has been less than pleased by it.

“Well, looks like we are back at it. I’d better go get my jet pack and drill so I do not keep Elita waiting.” Galaxy whimpered as she stood between the two bots and she turned to hug his right leg, looking up at him with a pouty expression. Orion chucked as he crouched down, placing his hand on her shoulder. “It is okay, Galaxy. I know you hate that we have to work separate, but we both are trained to drill in the tunnels and fill the carts that Sideswipe and Ironhide are currently moving. So one of us have to be in there.” That still didn’t mean she didn’t like it. Orion gently picked the sparkling up to hug her, and she threw her arms around his shoulders. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I will be back to take you for your nap. And I can tell you all about the draconic bots. I know you are looking forward to that.”

Galaxy whimpered as she kissed Orion’s cheek. “Orion is right, Galaxy. Not sure what Elita will get me to do, but I think it will likely be pulling the carts up to give to those two bots to empty...maybe.” D-16 held his hands out to Galaxy. “Let him get to work, Galaxy.”

Galaxy murmured a little as she looked at D-16 before turning her head to see Elita approaching quickly. She whimpered and squirmed in Orion’s arms, wanting to be let down as the femme approached. Orion placed the sparkling on the ground and he looked at Elita. “Look who finally decided to show up. I have been waiting for you, Orion, so I hope you are ready to get busy with what I have plan for you.”

Orion grimaced as he nodded. “I am, Elita. I will be heading into the tunnels, as Galaxy wants me to take her for her nap later.”

“Oh, good…” Elita rubbed her hands together a little with a smirk. “That means I can ensure that you do something that will make you feel you are in the Pit while…” Elita stopped in her tracks looked down as Galaxy had run up to her and wrapped her arms around her left leg and the sparkling was looking at Elita with pouty, pleading optics. Elita smiled at the sparkling. “Hey, Galaxy. Don’t worry, I will be around and you can shadow me like you have been to keep learning what it takes to get to where I am at." Galaxy whimpered and tightened her arms around the femme’s leg and Elita was confused, looking at the two bots with a frown. “Uh, why is she suddenly clinging to me like this? She’s never done it before.”

D-16 shrugged while Orion smiled as he had a feeling. “I think I know Elita…” The femme immediately frowned at Orion when he spoke calmly. “Galaxy knows that you were unhappy with me when I went to the archives. I think she is asking you to be kind to me today. Even if she can’t sign it yet.”

Elita widened her optics as she realized. She smiled and looked down at Galaxy. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I will not do anything too bad to Orion.” Galaxy whimpered a little as she listened to Elita. “I promise he will not come home with any broken limbs. He will just be a bit dustier that is all.” Galaxy murmured and Elita crouched down, careful to not pinch Galaxy’s fingers as Elita placed her hand on the sparkling’s back and rubbed gently. “I promise that he will be fine. You don’t need to worry.”

Galaxy murmured softly as she was a little unconvinced, but Elita sounded genuine. When she overheard Orion mention Elita’s unhappiness with him going to the archives and that she planned on giving him tasks to punish him later, Galaxy did not want that. So she wanted to softened Elita’s spark so it wouldn’t be so bad. But she did also know that she could not control what Elita would make Orion do once he is in the tunnels, so she would just have to take her word for it.

Orion stepped closer as he knew that Galaxy needed reassurance. “Elita is right, Galaxy. Let her go. You can’t keep her here. I would hate for us to get in trouble, and we don’t want Elita to get fired either. She’s worked too hard for this. Let her go. She won’t be me a hard time.”

Galaxy murmured a little before she lets go of Elita’s leg and turned to look at Orion before she signed daddy and walked over to him to hug him. Elita widened her optics since she didn’t recognize it as Orion hugged the sparkling. “What word was that? I hope you aren’t teaching her to curse.”

Orion huffed in amusement and shook his head. “No, she has somehow learned just by watching the sign language lessons from the screen at home how to call us as parents. She just called me daddy.” Elita chuckled immediately as that was super sweet. “And she calls D-16…”

“I’d rather not let everyone know what she calls me.” Orion and Elita look at D-16 in surprise, and Galaxy whimpered as she was confused. D-16 grimaced as he realized he shouldn’t have said that. “Um…it…it’s just I am still not a hundred percent sure I deserve being called what she calls me. Plus, I don’t want the others to tease me.”

“Tease you? D-16, I think you will find that some of the others are jealous of you and Orion. And many of them think what you did was brave, so I highly doubt they are going to make fun of you for what she calls you. That means you are ashamed that she even calls you that.” D-16 grimaced and Elita folded her arms with a smirk. “There’s no shame in her calling you her parents. I think what you just did was shameful. You should hang your head for that.”

D-16 grumbled a little and Galaxy whimpered as she looked at him with a frown, and he could see she was hurt. He sighed as he looked away from her. “I’m sorry, I just can’t shake that feeling.”

“Then shake it off, D-16! You can’t be a coward regarding the sparkling now.” Elita turned to Orion who was confused by D-16’s reaction. “Maybe you should stay here and have D-16 go into the mines for the full shift.” Orion looked at Elita in surprise, and D-16 was also surprised. “I highly doubt Galaxy is going to want to hang around D-16 after what he just said.”

D-16 looked down at Galaxy as the sparkling was hugging Orion tightly and she had tears falling down her cheeks. He took a step forward, and Galaxy tensed, turning her head away with a loud whimper, burying her face in Orion’s shoulder and Orion cradled the sparkling as he looked at D-16 with a disappointed expression. “You did not need to hurt her. She is allowed to call you dadda in front of the others.” D-16 tensed when Orion said the name, and Orion frowned at him. “And here I thought you would not be like that. Your passion earlier regarding Galaxy when I went to the archives kind of feels fake now. I can’t believe you did all that.”

D-16 clenched his hands a little and Elita looked at him with a frown. “You’re seriously getting worked up over her calling you dadda? Pfft, wimp.” D-16 huffed a little as he did not make any optic contact with any of the bots. Elita intakes deeply and looked at Orion. “Looks like you’ll be staying up here and taking Galaxy for her nap.”

“Are you sure? You said…”

“I know what I said earlier, Orion, and I’ll still make sure I go through with it. But your friend just insulted his daughter.” Orion hummed as he looked at D-16 who looked extremely guilty as he realized he had indeed hurt Galaxy. “And personally, even though I am not Galaxy’s guardian, I am technically her aunt. She looks up to me, and if I have to protect her from her own guardians, you can bet that I will.”

D-16 looked at Galaxy as he felt guilty and he definitely wanted to make it up to her. “Can’t I stay and make it up to her?”

“No, you know you can’t until later, D-16. Now please…” Elita gestured towards the tunnel. “Go and get your jet pack and head into the tunnel. We have been standing here for far too long, and now Orion has to calm Galaxy before he can start his new assigned task.” D-16 stared at her in disbelief and glanced at Orion before he sighed and walked away silently. Elita watched him intently for a moment before she looked at Orion. “Looks like he forced a change of plans. I’m sorry, Orion.”

“You don’t need to apologize. I am just…surprised he would react that way. And now Galaxy is very upset.” Galaxy was sobbing into Orion’s shoulder at the moment, and she had no intention of letting him go. “Um, I don’t to impact my work today, but…”

“Go home.”

Orion widened his optics. “What?”

“Go home, Orion. Take her home. I’ll make sure that the higher ups know you stayed home because Galaxy was ill and needed to remain home.”

Orion raised an eyebrow. “But…she is not sick.”

Elita smiled at him. “I know. But I really don’t think she is going to let you work peacefully, Orion. Unless she is okay with being strapped to your chassis all day in the harness. Plus, she probably will cry for a long time.”

“But is it really a good reason for me to take her home?”

Elita nodded. “If I say it is, yes. Besides, even if Darkwing was here, he wouldn’t want a crying sparkling distracting everyone else. So I am making the call here.”

Orion definitely was not expecting that at all as he thought she would still be mad at him. “What about earlier? You know…”

“You might have gone to the archives, because you are stupid enough to tangle with death on the side of a building you are forbidden to enter, and I still think you need to answer to it. But I know you as well, Orion.” Elita smiled at Orion as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “You care for Galaxy. Being an idiot for being curious is one thing, but I know you would never hurt Galaxy. Not like that. D-16 obviously needs to get over whatever he feels about Galaxy calling him dadda. And personally…” Galaxy turned her head slightly as she looked at Elita. “I think it is very sweet. I know many of the others would agree. Besides, since you both are her parents, everyone would expect her to call you something aside from your actual names. So go home.”

Orion felt awkward about being told to go home as soon as he got to the mines. He looked down at Galaxy and looked back at Elita. “Are you sure you won’t get in trouble for this?”

Elita shook her head. “Unlikely. Hopefully, they don’t ask to see a statement from Ratchet, but considering I can say that the sparkling will be fine tomorrow, it should be fine.” She looked at Galaxy and the sparkling looked at the femme. “I am very sorry that your dadda does not like what you call him. He is being a bad bot and I’ll make sure he is very sorry when he gets home later. Can you promise me that you will be good and listen to Orion for the rest of the day?” Galaxy nodded. “Good. And I think the best thing you can do for me is to learn a little more sign language. I’d love it if you could call me auntie.” Galaxy smiled slightly and Elita was glad that Galaxy agreed. “Good girl. But take your time and spend time with your daddy. He might be a little foolish to be curious about things we don’t need to worry about, but at least he loves you and he is not embarrassed by you.”

Orion nodded as he kissed the top of Galaxy’s head. “I definitely am not. And I can tell you all about what I learned today a lot sooner.”

“Oh, Primus…” Elita rolled her eyes with a light chuckle. “Of course, you are. I hope whatever you tell her won’t rot her processor.” Orion chuckled as he shook his head. “Whatever, it is better than being hurt like that. You’d better get going now, Orion. The next train might not come for a little bit, but it is okay. Don’t expect this to happen often.”

“I will not, Elita. I don’t want to have a day off on Galaxy’s expense. It wouldn’t be fair.” Orion definitely would not want to take advantage of having a sparkling in that way. It would be very wrong. “I am thankful that you are sympathetic to Galaxy. I won’t forget it.”

“And make sure you do not tell D-16 about it. Just in case tries to tell you otherwise.” Orion nodded and Elita gently nudged his shoulder towards the station. “Now get out of here before I change my mind. And don’t think I will let go of what you did this morning either. That will come for you tomorrow.”

Orion nodded as he walked towards the station. “I hope you won’t be too hard on him, Elita. I think he will not react this way again after what just happened.”

“He certainly will not.” Elita chuckled as she turned on her heel to walk away without telling Orion that she wouldn’t be harsh on D-16.

Orion suspected that Elita would be hard on him, but it was not Orion’s place to really tell Elita what to do and he wouldn’t be here to observe or say anything, so he could not do anything. Taking Galaxy home to spend the day with her was his priority. He certainly was not expecting Elita to allow it, but given that Galaxy would certainly not give Orion a moment to be able to do his job, it was best for him to go home. At least he could at least work with Galaxy to learn more sign language.

Orion rubbed Galaxy’s back as she sobbed into his shoulder. She hasn’t even tried wiggling out of his arms, and her arms around him were tight. Orion kissed the top of her head, hoping that she would know that he himself wouldn’t hurt her. Orion had no idea why D-16 even reacted like that. It made him worried that D-16 may not be as serious about caring for Galaxy as he had thought. Which was somewhat understandable, since Orion was the one who found Galaxy first. D-16 was merely roped in because she wanted him to be her second parent too. Maybe it was a mistake.

Orion couldn’t change the past though, so he hoped things would improve. And there was no way he could reassure Galaxy that D-16 didn’t mean it either, which was a shame. Orion knew that he would be waiting for D-16 later. And it did make Orion wonder if he would end up taking care of Galaxy on his own for a few days, not that he would mind. But it would be sad if that was the case. Orion felt Galaxy should spend time with D-16, but only when she wanted to.

When the train arrived, Orion stepped on and took a seat, looking at Galaxy as she stared out the window. “Galaxy…” She whimpered and turned her head to look at him with sad optics. “I really am sorry you had to hear that. I wish that was just a bad dream for you.” Galaxy nodded in agreement and looked back at the window. “I think D-16 was…not thinking very clearly when he said that. He still loves you, he was just being a bit stupid.” Galaxy murmured softly as she kept her optics on the window. “And just so you know, I am thrilled you have decided to call me daddy.” Galaxy turned her head and looked at Orion with a smile. “I am not ashamed if you call me that in front of the others. It’s perfectly normal.”

Galaxy knew that. It was nice to hear it from Orion again. She murmured as she buried her face into the crook of his neck and Orion chuckled softly, gently bouncing the sparkling as she relaxed against him. Orion thought about telling her about the draconic bots, but he decided to wait until they would get back home. It felt very strange to go home without doing any actual work, but Orion knew it was for a good reason.

“When we get home, Galaxy, I’m going to make sure that you will be happy today. I don’t want you to…” Orion paused for a moment as he noticed Galaxy was fully relaxed and he leaned a little, and he realized Galaxy was recharging. “Oh…Oh…” He smirked to himself as he had not expected Galaxy to suddenly fall into recharge, but it made sense. All the crying wore her out, especially when combining with her crying earlier.

He doubted she would be recharging for too long though. He felt it was too early, and she wouldn’t want to recharge later that night, and Orion wanted to speak with D-16 when Galaxy is in recharge, so it was better to ensure she used up her energy by then. But Orion was not going to wake her up yet, though he also didn’t know how he would wake the sparkling without scaring her. He figured he would work that out when he returns home.

The train eventually pulled back alongside the familiar station and Orion stepped off while he cradled the sparkling against his shoulder as he proceeded forward. He was glad that no one else seemed to question why he was returning home at this time, even though he would definitely give a simple explanation of Galaxy not feeling well. And that should be enough of an explanation. At least he didn’t have to say it.

Orion hummed as he opened the door and stepped through, looking around at the quiet space. He intakes deeply as he had to think of what to do now that he was home. He looked at Galaxy with a smile. “We’re home, Galaxy.” She opened her optics in an instant and she looked at him wearily. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She smiled as she yawned. “I didn’t want you to recharge the whole day away, or you’ll be awake all night. And I don’t think we want that.” Galaxy giggled a little as she yawned and Orion walked over to her berth to pick up the draconic bot and held to her. “Here…” Galaxy gasped and snatched it excitedly from Orion’s hand and hugged it happily. “You get to have this by your side all day today.” Galaxy looked at Orion as she smiled at him. “First thing, your tears have dried up and crusted on your face. I’ll get that cleaned up and we can do something.” Galaxy held up her toy and points to it eagerly. “You want me to tell you what I learned?” She nodded. “Wouldn’t you rather I tell you before your nap?” She shook her head. “I suppose you decided to take advantage of that, but that is okay.” Galaxy giggled as Orion walked into the shower room to grab the white cloth to dampen. “Maybe after I tell you about them, we dig through your toy box to have some fun, huh?”

Galaxy looked at him in surprise and she nodded. She didn’t expect that, but she was absolutely thrilled. Spending time with Orion was important to Galaxy. His curious nature certainly made Galaxy wonder more about him. He obviously seemed like he could be more open minded than D-16 and the others are. Though Galaxy doubted she could convince him about Sentinel Prime. There was a lot of admiration for the false Prime. And Galaxy wished she would be able to tell him about it.

Orion wiped the sparkling’s face gently with a cloth and she felt a lot better. She wiggled in his arm and Orion gently lowered her to the ground. She giggled and ran out of the shower room over to the couches and climbed onto one awkwardly. Orion was amused as he rinsed the cloth again and squeezed the water out before walking over to see Galaxy waiting for him. She sat while bouncing a little with excitement and Orion was glad that someone would appreciate his curiosity.

Orion sat beside her and turned to her. “I will do my best to remember everything from what I learned from the archives, Galaxy. So I hope I will not disappoint you.” She shook her head as he certainly would not disappoint her. “Alright. The one thing I did always wonder is how long draconic bots have been around for, and if they are really that savage as what Sentinel has said they were. But the recording I watched indicated that he was wrong. Maybe he also did not know.”

He knows, daddy! I wish I could tell you, and even sign it, but I know I can’t. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait too many cycles to tell you.

“They live on the surface of our planet, and they built a city in the northern mountains and named their city Tempest.” Hearing that name again was very surreal for Galaxy. She almost wanted to cry, but she held herself together as Orion spoke. “And they are as old as the Primes themselves, which is strange as I always thought they were the first ones on this planet. Maybe they were, but others were created at the same time. Anyway, they apparently have a connection to Primus that even the Primes don’t have. In some mysterious way, they seem to sense things we can’t.” Galaxy knew this as well. That was partly why she was drawn to Orion, even if she did not fully know the reason. And his curiosity, and openminded nature seems to be a reason why. “The connection the dragons have with our planet’s core has given them unique abilities. Abilities that I certainly don’t have. However, I was surprised to learn that the Primes actually fought alongside the dragons.”

Yes, they did! And my birth father, Comet Hammer, fought alongside them. And Megatronus loved to train with them. If only you would know this, daddy…it hurts that I know this, and you don’t.

“I guess after reading that the draconic bots were around when the Primes were, fighting alongside them makes sense. Especially since their home is on the surface...or was...I hope it is still around." Galaxy almost shook her head, though Orion wasn’t really looking at her thankfully as he was speaking with a thoughtful expression. “Well, the archives spoke of the wisest of the draconic bots. Oranos.” Galaxy hugged her toy tightly when Orion spoke of Oranos. She remembers his voice from her time within the stasis pod. The gentleness of his voice sometimes fills her mind in her dreams, and it brings comfort. “He apparently is one of the oldest dragons, and he had a different connection to Primus than the other bots. It seems he had the gift of foresight, lucky dragon.” Galaxy smirked a little as she sort of agreed. “He must have been able to see many things that were going to happen…though I guess I wouldn’t know the full extent of that ability. I’d imagine he would only get pieces, and not the full answer.”

Galaxy looked at her toy as she wondered if Oranos knew what the future held before he was killed. Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. She only knew that a new Prime would rise, and she would be alongside the Prime. She just did not know who it was yet. She would certainly want to argue for Orion to be a Prime, but she would be biased since Orion adopted her. Regardless, she knew that the future would be better when the new Prime did arrive.

“I wonder what happened to them…” Galaxy blinked and looked at Orion as he stared at the wall with a curious expression. “It is strange that Sentinel would tell everyone how dangerous the dragons are. But…I wonder if something happened to them to make them go savage.” Galaxy frowned slightly as she listened to him. “Cosmic Dust, Firedrake and Sky Blade are somehow under his command, and while they seem to act savage, I wonder what happened.” Galaxy listened as she hoped that Orion was feeling doubts about Sentinel right now. However, after a few minutes, Orion shrugged and looked at Galaxy with a smile. “Eh, I highly doubt Sentinel would lie about it. I think he’s hiding the reason why they went savage, because it was too painful to say.” Galaxy stared at Orion in surprise as she did not expect that, but she also realized she shouldn't be surprised. Sentinel’s lies had a hold over Iacon, and she wished she could shake them awake. “It makes me think that the Quintessons defeated the dragons…and it is sad…or they somehow brainwashed them…” Galaxy wanted to nod at the brainwashing bit, since the collars that the dragons were wearing were forcing them into obedience. “I wonder if they are the only three left.” Galaxy whimpered a little and shook her head, making Orion smile. “I don’t want to believe that either, Galaxy.” He rubbed her head gently and Galaxy whimpered a little again. “But I honestly can say that was pretty good to learn. To know that the dragons weren’t always savage.”

We never were…I wish I tell you…if only we can get to the surface sooner so I can talk and transform again.

"Well...that is all I will tell you. I did watch another bit, but it glitched halfway through and D-16 interrupted me, so I couldn’t see the full video. I would tell you about it, but I would only be telling you half the story.” That made Galaxy curious, but if that was true, she understood. “But…it was kind of sad, and I wonder if that was why the dragons went savage, because of what happened…” Galaxy frowned as she wondered what he was talking about. “Anyway…” Orion stood up and she looked at him in surprise. “I think we should raid your toy box, hmm? What do you think? After that, you can nap and we can do some sign launguage stuff later.”

Galaxy smiled as she nodded and moved to get off the couch. When Orion tried helping, she swiped his hands away and the bot raised his hands back to give the sparkling the space so she could be independent here. She slid off the couch onto her feet and ran over to the toy box with Orion following close behind her. She place her draconic toy on the ground before opening the box and looking inside before she wrapped her arms around multiple toys and pulled them out, dropping them on the ground.

Orion chuckled softly as he dropped onto his knees by the sparklings. “I did not mean to make a mess, Galaxy.” Galaxy smirked at him as she turned away. “Grab the Sentinel Prime figure…” Galaxy recoiled from the box and looked at Orion with a frown. “What?” Orion could see she did not like that and he sighed deeply. “I really don’t understand your dislike for him. Alright, we won’t use that one, but is there a Prime figure…” Galaxy reached in and pulled out a Zeta Prime figure and smiled at him. “Ah, a Zeta Prime toy. Not as popular as Megatronus, but…” Orion took it from Galaxy and she was thrilled he did as she turned around to dig through the box some more. “Alright, we don’t need everything out of there, Galaxy.”

Galaxy giggled as she felt that she needed more out, even if Orion disagreed. But they quickly settled on creating a scenario that was easy for them both to create and for her to also act out without needing to talk. Orion didn’t want the sparkling to get frustrated, so he made that they both could have fun. And they did. As they both focused on the draconic bot toys and they created a scenario of the dragons fighting alongside Zeta against the Quintessons. It was a lot of fun. They spent a few hours before Galaxy became hungry and it would soon be her nap time as well. It was great, and Orion was happy he could make Galaxy feel better. And he hoped that D-16 could explain himself later so it would not happen again.

Chapter Text

Orion and Galaxy spent half the day playing before he fed her low-grade energon and put her to berth for her nap. He spent time learning more sign language while she recharged, and when she woke up, they spent a few hours learning. And now, Galaxy could sign a lot more words than just daddy, dadda and when she is hungry or tired. She could now communicate with Orion a lot better, even though she couldn’t yet sign every word. But they could not have proper conversations, and Orion was very eager to speak with her, even though he felt he would never hear her voice.

They were sitting on the couch after spending the time learning the sign language, and Galaxy was hugging her draconic toy with a smile on her face. Orion looked at his daughter with a smile. “Now that you can sign a lot more, Galaxy, is it okay if we talk?” She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Well, I’ll do the talking and you do the signing.”

Galaxy giggled as she placed her toy down and lifted her hands to sign. ‘I cannot sign every word yet, daddy.’ I do not know what you want to talk about, but I will do my best to respond.

“I know. But you know enough, and so do I. At least we can have some private conversations.” Orion huffed in amusement and Galaxy giggled. “Um…” Orion pressed his lips together as he frowned a little. “Um, I don’t know if I should ask, but…your birth parents…are they…alive?” Galaxy shook her head. “Oh…do you know their names?”

‘I do know their names, but I cannot sign their names. I do not know how to sign the words of those names.’

“I see.” Orion knew that approaching the sparkling about her birth parents would be uncomfortable, and he could see she was uncomfortable. “Do you think they would be in the medical records?”

Galaxy hummed and shrugged. ‘I do not know. My memory of them is not so clear, daddy. I only know they loved me.’ Galaxy was being very careful about what she would say, as she knew that anything that would get back to Sentinel Prime was bad for her.

Orion smiled with a nod. “I have no doubt that they loved you. I wish that you were not found in the circumstance that you were. But I am glad you are my daughter…even if…I would wish it on a different circumstance.” Orion thought a little more about what to ask. “Since you seem to like the draconic bots a lot, do you know more than me?”

Galaxy tensed a little by the question and she thought of an answer quickly before signing. ‘I only know from my parents that they were good creatures. They were not evil. I do not know why you see them as…’ Galaxy frowned when she realized she couldn’t sign savage and she grumbled a little.

“Because they became savage, Galaxy. I am not sure what exactly happened, but clearly it did. Otherwise, Sentinel would not have them under control the way he has. Even though I wish I knew how.” Galaxy did not respond and Orion hummed a little. “Maybe now you can answer why you don’t like Sentinel.” She tensed and grimaced. “Everytime someone mentions him, you react like you are afraid of him. Do you know something about him that I don’t?”

Galaxy thought about responding for a moment, but she trusted Orion. ‘Yes. He is the reason my carrier and sire are gone.’

Orion widened his optics as that came as a shock. “Oh…that explains…does Sentinel know your parents by name?’ She shook her head immediately as she did not want them to try and search their names. “Oh, so…was it an accident? Or did they die on the surface?”

Galaxy intakes sharply and looked away as she signed. ‘They were killed on the surface.’

“Oh, maybe they were on an expedition and something happened. I’m terribly sorry.” Orion gently picked the sparkling up, surprising Galaxy, as he cradled the sparkling against his chassis. Galaxy smiled at him with a sad expression and Orion kissed her forehead. “I hope…you don’t think that I ever would want to replace them.”

Galaxy chuckled a little and signed back. ‘You cannot replace someone unless you a clone, daddy. You are just a new parent to me, and I love you.’

“I love you too.” Orion kissed her forehead again and Galaxy nuzzled his chassis happily. “I am curious…when we first met, did you really want me and D-16 as your parents?”

Galaxy nodded. ‘I felt you would be good, daddy. I felt the same about dadda. It was a good feeling I had, and I do not regret it.’

“Even if D-16 was not being nice to you?”

She nodded again. ‘I think dadda forgot that he had to put my feelings before his. He is not used to that. I cannot be mad about that. But he still hurt me.’

Orion caressed the sparkling’s cheek with his thumb gently with a smile. “I know. I am not sure if that is even the real reason why he feels that way, Galaxy, but it is nice to know you seem to feel sympathetic to his feelings. I almost feel he doesn’t deserve that kindness. Though…” Orion glanced at the front door for a moment and looked back at Galaxy. “He will be home soon. Are you feeling okay?”

Galaxy whimpered a little and glanced at the door with a slightly worried expression and looked back at Orion. ‘Yes. I am still hurt, but I hope dadda will be happy to see me. I miss him.’

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Orion was certain that D-16 would be happy that Galaxy missed him, even though it was a short time. “I think he will want to hear that. But he won’t understand the sign you will say to him yet.”

‘I know, he is a little slow.’

Orion chuckled and playfully rubbed her head, making Galaxy giggle and shift away from his hand. “D-16 is not very slow.” Galaxy shrugged with a smirk and Orion huffed in amusement. “Are you telling me that you think he is slow? He isn’t old, Galaxy. Maybe rusty…not as rusty as me, but he is not slow.” Galaxy giggled and hid her face with her toy. “Oh, I see, you really want to say he is slow, but you’re too shy to admit it. Don’t worry, I will not say a word to him. But I will be watching him a lot more closely.”

Galaxy giggled as Orion’s sarcasm was highly amusing to her. ‘But no matter how slow he might be, I love him. You only know as much as me because we were sent home.’

“I know. Hopefully, D won’t be too mad about it.” Orion hummed a little as he stood up. “I suppose you want a bath, do you?” Galaxy looked at him in surprise and frowned as she wasn’t dirty. “I know you aren’t dirty, but it is important for your limbs. Or did you want to see if D-16 will spend time with you?” Galaxy whimpered and looked at the front door and looked back at Orion, which was the answer he needed. “Alright, we will wait for him. I’ll get a few cubes for myself while we wait.”

Galaxy nodded while her optics were locked on the front door. She really did miss D-16, and she was starting to get impatient about him not being home yet. But she had no say in the matter. While she knew that D-16’s shift would be ending soon, she knew she just had to wait. And she hoped that he would be happy to see her. She certainly didn’t want him to feel bad about earlier. And that she would be able to cheer him up, as she did think that Elita might have been a bit hard on him since she was unhappy with D-16’s reaction earlier.

Galaxy squirmed in Orion’s arms to be let down and he gently placed her on the ground as he was by the energon containment and Galaxy ran over to a window to look out. Orion smiled as her excitement on D-16’s impending arrival was adorable. He did not know what D-16 would be feeling or thinking right now, but he would just have to wait. As long as D-16 was happy to see Galaxy and that he was sincerely sorry, then it wouldn’t be a problem.

Orion took a few cubes and walked back over to the couch to find a channel worth watching on the screen, as he knew he probably couldn’t take Galaxy away from the window. She would kick up a fuss if he did that. So he just relaxed for the moment to ingest some cubes while keeping an eye on the sparkling. He did not know how patient she would be, but he did know that Galaxy was very aware of things and she was very bright. It was clear ever since meeting Galaxy, she was very observant and aware of her world. It still made him sad that she knew that her birth parents were dead. He just wishes he knew who they were.

Galaxy was waiting patiently for about thirty minutes as she stared at the train station watching the other bots getting off the train. She murmured softly to herself as she waited until she spotted him. He was clearly very tired and the way he walked made him seem tired and sad, but Galaxy spotted him. Galaxy jumped up and down excitedly as she knew D-16 was about to come home and she ran over to Orion excitedly.

Orion had already seen her excitement and he was smiling. “He is almost home, huh?” Galaxy nodded excitedly. “Go on and wait for him at the door. He’ll be here any moment.” Galaxy giggled as she ran over to the door and Orion chuckled softly. “Make sure you don’t trip him as soon as he walks in. He wouldn’t like that.” Galaxy knew that as she stood in front of the door, hugging her toy tightly as she waited. Orion was smiling as he watched. “That would make my spark leap for joy if I saw that when I came home each day.” Orion was hopeful that D-16 would feel the same. He did not believe D-16 would hurt Galaxy a second time.

When the door did finally open and D-16 stepped inside, his yellow optics widen in surprise when he saw Galaxy jumping up and down while she squealed excitedly. And she was signing dadda at him again. D-16 smiled wearily and leaned down to pick her up, making Galaxy giggle and she hugged him, kissing the bot’s cheek happily, as she was thrilled that he was home. And while D-16 was clearly tired and sad, he was happy to see her too.

“I am happy to see you too, Galaxy.” Galaxy giggled as she kissed him again. “I’m covered in dust, I don’t think you want to ingest some unintentionally.” She didn’t care as she laid her head on his shoulder and D-16 looked at her with a smile. “I can see you missed me.” She nodded and D-16 chuckled softly. “I am sorry. I hope you weren’t waiting too long for me.” She shook her head and D-16 walked towards Orion. “Good. I am glad. But if you don’t mind, Galaxy, I do want to shower and wash off this dust, so…” Galaxy shook her head and tightened her arms around him and D-16 smile softened. “I see…” D-16 looked at Orion. “Has she has a bath?”

“No, not yet. But she doesn’t want me to give her one.” D-16 widened his optics slightly. Orion smiled at his friend. “She wants to spend time with you, D.”

“Even after what I did this morning?” Orion nodded, and D-16 was shocked as he thought that Galaxy would still be upset. But seeing her excited to see him was as if she had forgiven him already. D-16 looked at Galaxy curiously. “Are you still mad?” She shook her head. “Really?” Galaxy giggled softly as she could see the disbelief in his optics. D-16’s optics quiver slightly and he hugged the sparkling a little tighter as that warmed his spark. “Thank you. I am so, terribly sorry.” Galaxy nodded as she knew that he had not meant it. “I…I don’t really know I said that. I never meant to hurt you, Galaxy. I’m…a fool. I am still accepting this new role of being your parent, and I am struggling to believe that I am even worthy of you.” Galaxy whimpered softly and she signed I love you to D-16 and he smiled at her. “You are way too sweet. How are you this forgiving?”

“Well…” Orion stood up from the sofa and walked over to D-16. “I think that is a very easy answer.”

“How?” D-16 looked at Orion as he didn’t think it was that easy. “Galaxy…she has every right to still be angry.”

“Sure, you are right. But…” Orion raised his index finger confidently with a smile. “She loves you. She sees you as her dadda…” D-16 didn’t react to Orion calling him that this time, and that was good. “And she picked us both to be her parents. Even if we are not her birth parents, they aren’t here. But you and I are, and I think you should be thrilled. After all…” Orion looked at Galaxy with a smile. “She might be young, she isn’t foolish. She seems quite wise for her age. I’m not sure why, but that is what it seems to me.”

“Well…you did spend all day with her, and not me.” D-16 intakes deeply and looked at Galaxy. “Do you truly forgive me? I was stupid.” Galaxy nodded and kissed his cheek and D-16 did look like he was going to cry, but he held himself together. “Primus, I am a fool…I wish I could explain why I reacted that way earlier…but…it doesn’t matter.” Orion raised an eyebrow and D-16 knew that Orion will want to know, but Galaxy didn’t need to know. “Let’s get you to the shower room…though…I do need to rinse off the dust from my body. So I’ll fill the tub with water and oil so you can soak in that while I wash myself. Is that okay?” Galaxy murmured a little as she thought about what he said. D-16 sighed as he proceeded towards the shower room. “Well, I would like to get clean. My joints are aching.”

Orion watched D-16 walk towards the shower room. “Did Elita push you a bit today?”

“A bit?!” D-16 glanced over his shoulder at Orion. “I feel like I did what she was going to do to you. But I am not sure. She really did ensure that I was working the hard jobs today.” Galaxy immediately became worried that Elita was hard on D-16 as she didn’t like that at all. “But…I know it was from a good place. Everyone knows what Galaxy is calling me now, by the way. Elita’s made that quite known.” Orion was surprised, but he also knew that is something Elita would do. “I know you don’t know, because Elita told me she sent you home. I am sorry that I upset Galaxy that bad.”

“It is okay, D. Galaxy forgives you, and it has given her time to learn more sign language. We can have almost full conversations now.” D-16 was surprised and he was immediately jealous because he was behind. Orion chuckled softly. “Don’t worry, D. You’ll be able to catch up. Plus, Galaxy and I don’t know how to sign every word yet.”

“Well…I will have to some catching up. But…” D-16 hummed a little as he looked at Galaxy briefly and looked back at Orion. “Did you learn more about her?”

“Yeah. A little. I am afraid there is not likely anything we can learn about her birth parents though.”

D-16 was not too surprised by that. “I guess she didn’t know much about them?”

“Well, she does know their names, she just does not know how to sign the words yet. But…it is linked to her dislike of Sentinel.” D-16 raised an eyebrow as he was curious. “She told me that he is the reason her parents are dead on the surface. I think it is possible they went with Sentinel on an expedition, and they were killed by the Quintessons.” D-16 hummed as he listened to Orion while Galaxy whimpered a little. “It would explain why she dislikes him. She blames him for their deaths, but it is strange that no one closest to Sentinel knows of Galaxy.”

“Maybe they do, but she is with us now. And because she can’t speak or transform, maybe…” D-16 paused as he tried to think of words to say without hurting Galaxy. Even though Galaxy would be okay. “I don’t know if I should say it.”

“I know. But it is strange that this is keeping Darkwing away for a long time.”

D-16 scoffed in amusement as he entered the shower room. “Good riddance, if you ask me. Having him lingering around makes the atmosphere feel worse in the mines, and Elita is doing a fine job without him looking over her shoulder. I am glad I am not in her position.”

Orion nodded in agreement as he stood at the doorway and leaned against the frame. “I agree. It has been nice. But he’ll be back soon, and I am pretty sure he is going to be in a bad mood. And I am not looking forward to that at all.”

D-16 nodded in agreement as he stopped at the tub and turned on the faucet to fill it. Galaxy whimpered as she wiggled in his arm as she wanted to be let down, but D-16 was keeping a good hold of her. “Please don’t wiggle so much, Galaxy. I don’t want to drop you.” Galaxy didn’t stop wiggling and D-16 had to adjust his arms so he could hold her against his hip, but she was still wiggling. “Alright, alright…” D-16 placed her on the ground. “But I still…” D-16 widened his optics as Galaxy ran into the cubicle and sat by the drain, holding her toy with a smirk. D-16 was shocked she did that. “Galaxy, no, that is for adult bots to wash in, not sparklings.” Galaxy shrugged as she wiggled her aft to get comfortable, making Orion chuckle and D-16 smirk slightly. “Okay, you’re adorable, but I’m serious. The oils that are mixed with that water can be very harsh on sparklings. You really shouldn’t be in there. It is sweet you want to be close to me right now, but I promise that I will not take long.” Galaxy still did not move and D-16 couldn’t help but grit his teeth around little as the sparkling was being stubborn, even if it was understandable. He huffed and he walked towards the sparkling, making Galaxy giggled and jump to her feet. “Please listen to me, Galaxy...” He reached to pick her up and she ducked to run out and look at him playfully. D-16 stared at her in shock and turned to face her. “I see. You are trying to play a game.” Galaxy shrugged, acting innocent. D-16 chuckled lightly. “Unbelievable...and this is totally something I would do.”

“Me too,” Orion commented as he chuckled and looked at Galaxy. “You should let the tired bot shower Galaxy. You can relax in the tub while you wait.”

Galaxy glanced over her shoulder briefly, but she looked back at D-16 when he stepped towards her and she moved to avoid him again. D-16 turned the faucet off so the tub wouldn’t overflow ad turned to face Galaxy again as she stood by the towel rack. He shook his head in amusement as the sparkling’s stubbornness, but he also admired her creativity when it came to games. She made up one, and he fell for it.

“Since you decided to stand there, I think I will...” D-16 stepped towards the shower and Galaxy widened her optics, running over and wrapping her arms around his right leg, looking up at him with a pouty expression. D-16 smirked as he put his hands on his hips. “You can’t keep me from getting clean, Galaxy.” She whimpered and jumped when he lifted his right leg and he grabbed her under her armpits. Galaxy squealed and squirmed as D-16 walked over to the tub as he held her away to keep from grasping his neck and shoulders before placing her in the tub. “There you go.” Galaxy whimpered a little before she shrugged and dunked her draconic toy into the water playfully. “Good girl. I knew you were just being playful.” He tapped her nose lightly and she giggled, shaking her head. “Thank you for a wonderful greeting home.” He kissed the top of her head and she hid her face with her toy. “Now when I walk away, you are going to stay put, aren’t you?” She nodded. “Because I will take that toy away if you don’t.” She immediately held it against her chassis and looked at D-16 in shock. “Do you understand?” She nodded immediately. “Good. I will be watching you.”

Galaxy stared at D-1 as he walked backwards to the shower and she didn’t know what to think. She murmured a little as D-16 turned on the shower and Orion walked over to the tub. She flinched and looked at Pax in surprise. “Don’t take that too seriously, Galaxy. But do be a good girl, and just play in the water. You will be fine.”

Galaxy smiled at him as she appreciated the reassurance. She looked back at D-16 as he had turned on the shower and he was washing the rock and dust from his body. She looked back at her toy before dunking it in the water and oil happily to play with it while she waited patiently. Orion was amused and he left the room as he doubted he was needed. Plus, he knew Galaxy wouldn’t get out of the tub, so there will be no other issues. He wanted to give her what she wanted, and that was to spend time with D. And Orion could also tell that D-16 was genuinely sorry that he had hurt Galaxy too. But he still wanted to talk to his friend about it when Galaxy falls into recharge.

Galaxy kept herself entertained as D-16 stood under the shower. She didn’t try to get out of the tub at all, and she was quite happy to remain now that she was sitting in the tub. D-16 took a bit of time to ensure that he was clean and that his joints have been oiled, and he felt a lot better. It was nice to come home to go straight for a shower, as he realized he may never want to go back to waiting his turn to have one. But that wasn’t much of a choice either.

Once he finished, D-16 stepped out to dry himself and Galaxy looked at him with a smile. D-16 smiled at her. “Give me a moment, Galaxy. I’ll make sure your joints are taken care of in a moment. At least soaking in the oil and water will help.” Galaxy nodded as she understood. D-16 did wonder how many other sparklings were as patient as Galaxy is, as he couldn’t help but admire her patience. He wouldn’t have been as patient as her. Once he was dried and had hung up his towel, D-16 walked over to the tub and grab an oil lotion. “Let’s get started. I guess you got a bit tired of Orion, right?” She shook her head as he poured to lotion onto a soft cloth. “Ah, you just wanted to spend time with me. Maybe sometime, we can figure out a way to spend the day together. What do you think?” Galaxy giggled with a shrug as she knew that may happen at some point, but she wouldn’t know if and when that would happen. “Well, I suppose it will come eventually. I should have been here with you today too. Not just Orion.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement as D-16 lifted her right leg to rub the lotion gently in her ankle and knee joint. She did wish D-16 was sent home with her and Orion, but Elita wouldn’t have allowed it. And Galaxy didn’t know if she would have been more upset about it or not. Regardless, D-16 was home now and Galaxy wanted to spend time with him. And she was glad that D-16 was more than happy to spend time with her as well.

“At least I know after we are done, you will want to have some energon. And that is no problem. I assume you want to spend more time with me after that?” Galaxy nodded and D-16 chuckled a little. “I suppose we will see how we both feel. I’m quite happy to try and get up to speed with sign language, so I don’t have to ask Orion what you are saying. I feel quite behind on it, and hopefully I can catch up quickly.”

Galaxy did not mind. She knew he would learn it quickly, but it wasn’t even something that bothered her. After all, they already had to learn to communicate without the sign language, and she was okay with waiting a little longer for D-16. She just wanted to spend time with him before recharge. And she certainly was unlikely to allow him to put her in her berth as well, even though she knew that Orion wanted to talk to D-16.

D-16 didn’t take long to apply the lotion to Galaxy’s joints, making sure that they would be lubricated and he smiled at her. “Since you were not dirty, we are already done.” She whimpered a little and held her hands towards him. D-16 smiled as he lifted her from the water and wrapped a towel around her to dry her body. Galaxy giggled as the fabric tickled and she didn’t try to struggle in D-16’s arms while he dried her. Once done, D-16 huffed as he walked out of the shower room. “Time to fill our tanks. I could really use quite a few cubes right now.”

“A little overworked, huh?” Orion teased as he looked at D-16.

“Yeah. But it is okay. You’ll probably hear about it was briefing soon.” Orion chuckled as D-16 reached the containment to grab several cubes for himself, before stepping to the cooler to grab a bottle. “Hopefully the others won’t bother me tonight. They kept going on and on about how I shouldn’t get upset about what Galaxy calls me.”

“A good thing I’m not here to chew on that further.”

“Sure…you already want to discuss it further…” D-16 walked over and sat down beside Orion, adjusted Galaxy in his arms so she was resting against his chassis and shoulder so he could feed her and injest the cubes in his other hand. Galaxy murmured as she drank from the bottle and listened to them. “So I’m not convinced.”

“Actually, I am just…more curious about the actual reason why.” D-16 rolled his optics and Orion smiled at him. “But don’t worry, we can focus on that later.”

“Yeah…but admittedly…it does make your stunt this morning a lot less problematic. Especially since you were just…being a dolt.” Orion hummed as he gave D-16 a look that he should still watch his words around Galaxy. D-16 smiled a little. “Regardless, I know you will do it again. After all, you were fired up with excitement over what you learned. And you told Galaxy all about it, didn’t you?”

Orion nodded. “I sure did. You would be very surprised, and intrigued if I told you about the draconic bot information I’ve learned today. Especially as it seems that they had once fought alongside the Primes.”

D-16 seemed surprised by this. “Huh, interesting. I always thought they were savage beasts. We should consider ourselves lucky that we were not destroyed by them.” Galaxy murmured with a frown as she listened, not liking D-16’s thoughts on the dragons. “And, from what Sentinel has told us, those three he has could be last ones.”

“Well…I don’t think they were savage beasts at some point. They had a city called Tempest on the surface. Something happened, I think, which was why they went savage. Hopefully, they didn’t have a hand in the death of the Primes.” Galaxy tightened her hold of the toy in her arms as she listened to Orion, getting a little more upset as she listened. “The dragons may have had foresight too, or at least, their leader Oranos did. They may have known about it.”

D-16 raised an eyebrow. “If they knew, why wouldn’t they do anything about it?”

“Hmm…maybe…” Orion shrugged as he thought about the response. “They only saw portions, not the whole thing. So it would have been hard to determine what was going to happen and where. So that could be a reason. But I don’t know. I didn’t really get too far since you scared the spark out of me.”

D-16 chuckled softly. “And that is why you will want to go back.” Orion nodded affirmatively. D shook his head in slight amusement of his friend. “You really grind the gears of everyone around here. But you at least come back, so…I just hope your little adventures do not end up revoking our guardianship over the sparkling.”

“I don’t plan on causing it. I am always careful. Even if sometimes it is unfortunate.” D-16 shook his head again and Orion smiled at D. “Don’t worry, D. I think you are intrigued by what I learn.”

“No, not really. We’re miners, we mine and that is all we are ever going to do, Pax. I am not like you who needs to know more. When Sentinel returns, things may change for the better.” D-16 placed a cube into his mouth to ingest. “I hope he returns soon. I imagine he will be…unhappy about the sparkling’s appearance.”

“Maybe, or he will just be happy that the sparkling has a home, and her birth parents may not be important.” Orion looked at Galaxy to see she had a worried expression on her face. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. You will be fine, and you will stay with the both of us.”

Galaxy did wonder if Sentinel really was away from Iacon or not, since she knew that he wasn’t a true Prime. She did not know what might be said by Sentinel and those closest to him. She just hoped that they have not put the dots together. She knew she would end up like the other draconic bots with a collar around her neck. If she wasn’t directly related to Wraith, maybe she wouldn’t be as concerned. But she was. And she could only hope that there wasn’t enough evidence to point her to being Ignited Galaxy. 

Chapter Text

Half A Cycle Later

Within the chambers of the council, where the Primes once gathered to discuss important information, Sentinel Prime walked by a large golden table with a thoughtful frown on his face. When the news came to him about a sparkling suddenly showing up in the mines, Sentinel was shocked that someone would actually dare to have a sparkling while the energon reserves were so low, and he needed to ration the energon to ensure that he would have enough to supply the Quintessons. And for the past several mini cycles, investigations into this matter was intense, and nothing has come from it. There was no identity of who had this sparkling, and which she looked strangely related to two mining bots who have taken her in, it was something that was frustrating Sentinel. So he had Darkwing keep a closer eye on the sparkling and the two bots in case something of interest would come about.

He glanced at Firedrake, Sky Blade and Cosmic who were standing calmy near an open window as they were waiting for a command. He was frustrated about not finding the other draconic bots. Under the guise of searching for the Matrix, Sentinel has been using a lot of time to try and find the other draconic bots. He had more collars he wanted to put on. But there have been very few sightings of other dragons ever since the destruction of Tempest. Regardless, Sentinel was persistent in trying to find them. He just wished that these three draconic bots he already had were more useful.

Sentinel stopped and turned when he could briefly see his own reflection in one of the polished walls and he frowned, rubbing the scar on his face that had been left by Solarian all those cycles ago. He has not been able to repair it, but it was okay. It became useful. He was able to convince the other bots of Iacon that the draconic bots were dangerous, and locked away the true information about in the archives. And banned anyone from entering the archives, even though he did know some have successfully entered the archives to learn more about the planet. But nothing has really come from that.

“Sentinel…” Sentinel turned when he heard Airachnid’s voice and he turned to face her as she walked towards him with a data pad in her hands. “The thorough investigation into this sparkling’s origin has proven to be a failure. It would seem that this sparkling just appeared from thin air. There are no transformers within this city who are related to that sparkling.”

Sentinel groaned and rolled his optics. “Tell me something I don’t know, Airachnid. Someone has done their job too well if we are unable to even find evidence.” He sighed with a shake of his head. “This is just so frustrating.”

“It isn’t so bad, Sentinel. We should be more focused finding the other draconic bots in order to try and find out if they know of Ignited Galaxy’s location or fate. But…” Airachnid tapped her finger on the side of the data pad thoughtfully and looked at Sentinel. “It might interest you that this sparkling responds to Galaxy.” Sentinel raised an eyebrow immediately in surprise. “Apparently, when the two miners were figuring out her name, she responded to Galaxy. And that’s what she has been called since.”

Sentinel stared at Airchanid in surprise before he frowned. “Just because she might have been called Galaxy, does not mean she is Ignited Galaxy, Airachnid. We have no proof these things can even transform. They haven’t transformed when they were with the Primes, and I haven’t seen them transform for myself either.”

Airachnid looked at the draconic bots and looked back at Sentinel as he turned around to walk away with his hands behind his back. “Have you even tried asking them to transform? Maybe they can, since we can.”

Sentinel sighed deeply with a shake of his head. “We can transform because we’re the only beings on this planet who can. Even the predacons couldn’t transform, and these…” Sentinel gestured towards the dragons with a frown. “Are direct descendants of a line of predacons from the ancient era. So I could ask them to transform, but I highly doubt they can.”

“But there are a lot of things we don’t know about them. You know that Oranos, and the chroniclers before him, often kept knowledge about their own race to themselves.” Sentinel hummed and turned to look at Airachnid who smiled at him. “It couldn’t hurt. After all…” She pressed an icon on the data pad to bring up an image of the sparkling and turned the data pad to show Sentinel. “She does also possess similar colours as to Ignited Galaxy.”

Sentinel stared at the data pad curiously to see the image of the sparkling did seem to show this sparkling shared colours of the draconic bot. And the shoulders of the sparkling did seem like that they were a similar shape to Comet Hammer’s shoulders, but he had also seen D-16 and Orion, and she shares more features with them than Comet and Solarian. It seemed to him that it was too good to be true that this sparkling could be the one he was looking for.

“Having similar colours to the dragon is not really a good place to start, Airachnid.”

“Why not? It is strange to me that it has been about forty-nine, almost fifty, cycles since we destroyed Tempest, and this sparkling suddenly shows up several mini cycles ago?” Airachnid let out a low hiss as she turned the data pad and went through the information before bringing up an image of the sparkling’s CNA strand. “Plus, the medics noted that the sparkling’s CNA is odd. Ratchet had the sparkling in for her check up not too long ago, and he thinks she is oddly very aware and mature for her age. And…” Airachnid chuckled a little. “You do already know that Oranos had made a stasis pod for the sparkling. To me, this sparkling could align with Galaxy’s age.”

Sentinel rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he realized that Airachnid had made a good point. He looked at the dragons curiously as it was possible that Galaxy had transformed. That information was not something they took from Oranos’s processor as it was not what they were looking for. “I guess there is only one way to find out. I guess they will just look like giant transformers.” Airachnid nodded as Sentinel walked towards the bots as he looked between the three dragons. He looked at Cosmic with a smile. “Transform, Cosmic.” Cosmic tilted her head and she seemed confused by the command. Sentinel immediately frowned at her. “Are you refusing my order?! Transform!” The dragon’s optics flash a little and her body shudder, but there was no visible sign of the metal plates shifting, only that the dragon seemed to not recognize the command. Sentinel sighed and folded his arms. “The Quintessons made these collars, they didn’t put that command in as recognisable. Pfft…not that I think we can get them to change that.”

“No, I don’t think. But I am positive that Galaxy is Ignited Galaxy. We just need proof.”

Sentinel hummed as he turned to Airachnid curiously. “How do you propose we do that? Darkwing is already keeping a close eye on the sparkling ever since he returned to watch the mines, and I do not even plan to return to Iacon for some time since two mini cycles ago. Darkwing does not even know a thing about what happened in Tempest. He wouldn’t be reliable, except for informing me if something strange does occur. Which there has not since. Even their sign conversations are apparently very normal.”

Airachnid looked at Cosmic with a smirk. “That might be true, Sentinel. But we do have Galaxy’s living relative here. And we have some CNA left behind by Wraith. We could analysis the CNA sample that Ratchet took from Galaxy and compare it. Or…” She gestured to Cosmic and Sentinel looked at the dragon curiously. “Send this thing into the mines.”

Sentinel widened his optics in surprise. “Why would I do that?”

“Cosmic might be a shell of herself, but I have a suspicion she will recognize the scent of her own niece, and we will be able to detect if she does recognize the scent through her scent sensors.” Sentinel smiled as he realized Airachnid’s plan. “It is a very simple way to find out. And since we are able to closely monitor the dragon’s reaction, we may know just from her sniffing the brat that this sparkling is Ignited Galaxy. But…” Airachnid shrugged as her smile faded slightly. “If Cosmic doesn’t react, that does not mean she isn’t the draconic bot we have been looking for. It will just take a little longer. Unless we go and retrieve CNA from the remains of Solarian and Comet.”

Sentinel shook his head. “Their bodies are too decomposed now. The shells are all that is left, and there is no trace of CNA left, even if we melted the frames down. I am afraid we would be too late. But…Wraith’s cells are still viable…and you have a good idea, Airachnid. I never would have considered it. I think the dragons were arrogant to believe that I wouldn’t find out.”

Airachnid nodded in agreement. “I agree, Sentinel. It would seem that whatever faith they had in Oranos’s foresight, it has finally come to an end.” Sentinel chuckled as he nodded in agreement. “However, I do believe we should figure out how Cosmic will enter the mines. We will likely cause panic and a delay of energon. We do not want to do that.”

Sentinel nodded as he agreed. “You are right. Hmm…” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well, everyone here at least think that Cosmic has remained behind while I take Firedrake and Sky Blade with me…”

“Sentinel!” Sentinel and Airachnid both frown as a vehicon suddenly ran into the room, its monotone voice seemed to hold a little bit of eagerness. “The scouts you sent to the surface have just reported in. They have found and brought down a young draconic bot.”

“What?” Sentinel widened his optics and he smirked. “Excellent! This day is getting a little better. We finally have another dragon.” He turned to the vehicon curiously. “Is it anyone we know, though? I’d love to get my hands on Trojan or Glazed Thunder. But if it is a young dragon…hmm…did this dragon give out a name.”

“Scorched Flare. Apparently, she was a scout too.”

Airachnid chuckled softly. “A foolish scout. Sentinel…” She looked at Sentinel with a glint of excitement in her optics. “We may finally locate the dragons hiding like cowards in the Wight Canyon.”

Sentinel nodded in agreement. “Good. That place is too dangerous for us, but a dragon knows it well.” He gestured to the three dragons to follow him. “We will deal with that sparkling later. It is unlikely she will leave by the time we get back.” Airachnid chuckled as Sentinel activated his jets and flew upward slightly and turned to the vehicon. “Give us the coordinates and we shall meet this new dragon.” The vehicon nodded as he transferred the coordinates to Sentinel and Airachnid. Sentinel was pleased and he looked at Airachnid. “Let’s go, Airachnid. I have been in desperate need of some good news for a long time.”

“And you can come back revealing the new prize you have with you,” Airachnid said sarcastically as she transformed to follow Sentinel, with the three draconic bots flying to follow them. “At least we can reunite these dragons, even though I highly doubt that they would know who Scorched Flare is. Even I do not know. She must have been born after.”

“I am not surprised. The draconic bots would have needed to rebuild their population after all. I wonder how they are even feeding themselves without any flowing energon. I wouldn’t mind taking that so we can have more for ourselves.” Sentinel chuckled as he was pleased with this development. “When I come back to the city for the Iacon 5000, I shall introduce my newest addition. It is going to fabulous!” Sentinel chuckled as he flew with Airachnid and the three dragons away from the tower.

It had been such a long time that any draconic bots have made an appearance near Iacon, and for one to even be detected and captured as exciting to Sentinel. Maybe this draconic bot could answer a few things about Ignited Galaxy even if this draconic bot was a young bot. But he was a lot more interested in locating the other draconic bots. Having the entire population under his thumb would ensure no one could get to him. The dragons would be on his side, and he could even destroy the Quintessons if he wanted to. Though that was unlikely to happen.

Flying to the surface of the planet, Airachnid and Sentinel fly towards the location of the coordinates they were given. Sentinel was very eager to meet this dragon and hoped that things would go his way some more. Especially after so many cycles, Sentinel really felt as thought something had to give, and this might be it. But if it wasn’t, he did hope that finding out if Galaxy really was Ignited Galaxy was also what he was hoping for.

When they reached the coordinates, Sentinel smiled as he saw a quadruped, draconic bot held down by many heavy metal lines and chains, and as the dragon was small, it was easy to hold her down. The dragon was pink with silver down her neck and from her chest down to the tip of her tail. The blue optics glare at Sentinel before they widen when she spotted the other three dragons following him. She could clearly see the collars around their necks, and seeing them was worrisome to the dragon. The draconic bot growled a little as Sentinel lands, and he noted that the top of her snout seemed beak-shaped, and he wondered why she was so foolish to leave the safety of the Wight Canyon.

^^Scorched Flare's Appearance^^

“Well, well, well…” Sentinel walked towards the draconic bot with a smug expression. She glared at him while glancing at the other three dragons as they land behind Sentinel. “Scorched Flare, please tell me that is correct? I don’t think we should get off to a bad start.”

“Bad start, huh?” She huffed in slight anger and amusement at the same time. “I think you might have a different view of what a bad start looks like to a friendship, Sentinel. Though I wish I could have fought you, instead of your lackies who managed to get me by surprise.”

“Sarcasm, I like that.” Sentinel chuckled as he walked closer to the dragon as she glared at him. “Though, I definitely do not remember you when I…disbanded your little city of Tempest…” The dragon growled as she tensed while listening to him. “So you are quite young, from what I can see. I am glad that your race has had more offspring, even though you don’t have them very much. Before you, there was Ignited Galaxy.”

“I might be young, Sentinel, but I have learned a lot.” Sentinel rolled his optics as she responded. “Why haven’t you killed me yet?”

Sentinel widened his optics with a gasp. “Kill you? Tsk, tsk, tsk…” He waved his index finger as he shook his head while gesturing to the draconic bots behind him. “I’m sure you know who Cosmic Dust, Firedrake and Sky Blade are. They are not dead. No, in fact I do not intend on killing you. There are some I will need to kill, because their might and arrogance will not allow them to bend their knees to me. But I think we can come to an understanding.” He pulled out a dark blue collar and Scorched Flare widened her optics, whimpering a little as she could see the needles. “But before we reach that understanding, I want to know why you even risked your life by flying around out here.”

“I was instructed to find the High Guard…I was told that they had been found, but my intel clearly was incorrect.” Scorched Flare grimaced as she tried moving out of the binds, but she could not. She was held down tightly. “If you were hoping I somehow knew about Ignited Galaxy, you are wrong. No one knows where she is.”

“Mmm, I wasn’t expecting that. Airachnid, data pad…” Sentinel held out his hand to the femme and she hands him the data pad. Sentinel hummed as he turned on the screen and turned it to show an image of the sparkling to Scorched Flare. “But maybe you know what she looks like as a bot. This sparkling show up suddenly in the mines several mini cycles ago, and she is currently being cared for and raised by two mining bots. However, there’s no record of her parents, and she shares colours with Ignited Galaxy. Can you guys transform?”

Scorched Flare frowned as she stared at the screen. She did not recognize the sparkling at all and looked at Sentinel with a smirk. “I think you are asking the wrong dragon. I’ve never transformed in my entire life. We have no reason to, even if we could.” Sentinel frowned at the dragon as he did not like her response. “Sharing colors is as far as that sparkling gets.”

“Sure, but I know for a fact that Oranos put that dragon into a stasis pod and he had Solarian hide it. I can’t get that information from Cosmic because she cleared that from her mind before I could see into it. That was forty-nine cycles ago, and we are nearing almost exactly fifty. And the pod would have kept the sparkling from getting too old.” Flare growled as she glared at him. “Are you absolutely sure that this brat isn’t the descendent of Wraith?”

Scorched Flare huffed as she shook her head. “Why would you want anything to do with Wraith? We all know why she had to be killed.”

“Sure, but I after her descendent for that very reason. I believe that I can bring those abilities that within Ignited Galaxy to the surface. And this…” Sentinel swayed the collar in front of Flare and she widened her optics. “Is designed to dig deep into your CNA and bring out hidden abilities. I’ve done it with these three with great success.”

“What…that’s why you want Ignited Galaxy? To enslave her and use her for your own purpose?”

“Mmm hmm, precisely.” Scorched Flare was shocked and Sentinel chuckled softly. “I think you should have done some more research, young dragon. I am afraid you’ll be more useful to me once I put this one you. And I will find where the other draconic bots are hiding.” Flare shook her head and she growled, trying to stand and break the binds, but she was small and not as strong, so she couldn’t get out. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, you are trapped. Don’t worry, Flare. I’ll make sure you get a proper welcome.”

“Is that how you got your scar?” Scorched Flare questioned with a smirk as she glanced at his cheek, making Sentinel place his hand on the scar. “Did one of those three gift it to you?”

Sentinel huffed with a shake of his head. “Nope. It was not any of them who gave this to me. Solarian made sure I had a parting gift before she died.” Flare frowned as she glared at Sentinel while he responded. “I had wanted to get it repaired, but it has become a symbol. Now everyone in Iacon believe that you all are savage beasts.”

Flare growled in disgust. “Seriously? Are you serious? We are not beasts! We are far from the predacons who precede us.”

“Mmm, yeah, I know. But I also don’t care.” Sentinel crouched in front of Flare as she glared at him. “I will ask you for the location of your species in the Wight Canyon before I place this around your neck and find out for myself. Airachnid is very good at finding all of your secrets.”

“I most certainly am. I look forward to poking around in your mind to find the answers.” Airachnid chuckled as she stalked closer and Flare groaned, not knowing what to do. She was pinned to the ground by heavy, metal bounds, and she could not get up. “So I think you should answer his question. Where are the other draconic bots in the Wight Canyon?”

Scorched Flare tilted her head with a hum. “Wight Canyon? Not sure.”

Sentinel widened his optics with a gasp. “Oh, scrap, don’t tell me you’ve already enacted the protocol to erase your memory files!” Scorched Flare just shrugged and he punched the dragon’s right cheek, making her grimace and glare at him. “We wasted too much time! Lift her head! I am going to enjoy taking control of your life, and maybe I’ll drain it slowly when I decide to get rid of you!”

Scorched Flare pressed her head down to try and prevent Sentinel from putting the collar on, but she yelped as Airachnid grabbed her horns and yanked hard, forcing her head up and the vehicons grabbed her neck to hold her neck up. She whimpered, trying to move her limbs to get away, but she was down tight and tears fill her optics as she did not wish for this to happen. She was not strong yet due to not being a fully grown draconic bot, but she came with a mission, and she had to complete it.

As Sentinel moved to put the collar on, he noticed Flare’s optics flashing multiple colors at once suddenly and he frowned before electricity and ice filled the dragon’s mouth and she opened it slightly, unleashing a wave that was mixed with vibrant rainbow colors that caused the ground the shift beneath them as the plates responded. Sentinel stumbled back and the bots were forced to let go of the dragon, but she didn’t stop until the ground around them became frozen solid with electricity that was built up into plant-like sculptures, with the electricity visibly building within them.

“What did you just do?” Sentinel demanded, looking at them with a frown. “I’ve never seen this before.”

“You are not a draconic bot, you will not understand. But my mission is complete.” She closed her optics, and the bots duck as the ice sculptures exploded, sending a wave of energy around them that seemed to spread quickly and very far. Sentinel realized it was a signal. And he glared at Flare angrily. “Do what you want, Sentinel. I might become your slave, but I have done my purpose.” Her head twitched and dropped to the ground as her optics closed and her body goes limp.

Airachnid stared and stepped closer to the dragon. “She did not just…” She sighed when she saw mist exhale from the dragon’s nostrils, though she looked at Sentinel with concern. “I think she just wiped out her system, Sentinel. Any information we would need about Wight Canyon is gone. And that must have been a signal to alert the others to something. Likely that nothing has changed.”

“Ugh, of course! It seems to be the protocol all the draconic bots have to prevent us from knowing the truth! No matter!” Sentinel gestured to the vehicons to lift the dragon’s neck again and they did so before he strapped the collar around the dragon’s neck, clipping it and watched the collar tighten as the needles dug in. “We still have a new dragon in our control. And we will do a thorough check of her processor. We need to know. She was clearly protecting information, even potential information about Ignited Galaxy. And now…” Sentinel glared at Flare as the grey shaded blue optics open and the dragon growled softly as she looked at him, waiting for a command. “Sending Cosmic into the mines will be a good idea. Release the dragon! She is under my control now, and will not cause any further damage!”

Airachnid smirked as she watched vehicons loosened the binds and the dragon stood up slowly. “I wonder what powers this dragon is hiding as well. They all seem to have it.”

“Hmm, that will be determined when we return the Iacon and have our top analysts check Flare’s CNA. She might be young and clearly stupid, but she was sent here for a reason. And I will find that out.” Sentinel intakes deeply before turning as he heard the sound of metal plates shifting and he frowned as he saw that the land was changing and moving towards them. “Scrap! Head back to Iacon, now! The land is shifting and it will throw us all or kill us!” He glared at Flare as she spread her wings and he grabbed the horns roughly, making the dragon growl in surprise and looked at Sentinel. “You will stay close to me, Flare! We have much to learn from you!”

Sentinel activated his jets to fly up as the vehicons, Airachnid and the other dragons follow him into the sky to make their way back to Iacon. Sentinel was more determined now to not only locate the rest of the draconic bots, but also to determine if the sparkling who has been living with the mining bots is the dragon he has been after. And he planned on going through with the plan, and there was no way that it will fail.

Meanwhile…

‘Alerting all draconic bots, this warning is from Scorched Flare, Ignited Galaxy has emerged and Sentinel may have discovered her identity. Time to emerge will soon be upon us.’

Galaxy gasped as she sat up straight with her optics snapping open in shock. The echo of a soft, female voice in her mind while she was in recharge would generally seem like a nice thing, but the energy that she felt from the message was a warning. It was an ancient way of draconic communication when needing to alert multiple dragons at once, sending the message through a unique shockwave with an encoded message that only dragons can hear. And Galaxy heard it loud and clear.

Gripping the blankets of her berth, Galaxy intakes deeply as felt a wave of fear suddenly. It has been so many mini cycles since she arrived in Iacon, and it has almost been a full cycle. She had been happy that no one has realized who she was, but she realized that might not have been true. Darkwing has been watching D-16 and Orion Pax intently for quite sometime, and he often found ways to try and taunt them, and upset Galaxy. And she didn’t know why. But now it might make sense.

Tears formed in her yellow optics and she looked at Orion and D-16 in their recharge pods. It was the middle of the night and she felt terrified. She did not know how to tell them that she was in danger now. They’ve spent so long together now, that Galaxy really saw them as her real parents now, while acknowledging that they have not replaced Comet and Solarian. She just accepted that they were her parents, and she was grateful for them. Especially as she has grown a bit and they all could sign fluently now.

Galaxy grabbed the blue, draconic bot toy beside her and hugged it tightly while trembling. She did not know what was going to happen. She didn’t want to recharge in her berth anymore, even though she had become accustomed to recharging in her berth. She let out a wail, hoping to wake one of the two recharging bots. She did not know if they could protect her, but she would hope for that there was a way for them to do that.

She wailed loudly for a few minutes and they weren’t waking up. Galaxy huffed as she grabbed the side of the berth and slipped over, whimpering as the berth was a bit high from the ground. She dropped to the floor and stumbled a bit before she turned and walked over to the recharge pods, looking at Orion and D-16, waiting for one of them to wake up. But they were clearly deep in their recharge and she whimpered before clenching her fists.

Sorry, daddy and dadda…I know I promised not to wake you like this again, but I have to.

Galaxy raised her fists and slammed them into both Orion’s and D-16’s abdomens, making them both open their optics immediately as they yelp and stumble forward, holding their abdomens in shock. Galaxy had worked out it was a sensitive spot by accident when she saw Ironhide kick Jazz in the abdomen a few mini cycles ago, and she had woken both her parents up the same way when she was hungry. And they weren’t pleased.

“What in the Pit!” D-16 looked at Galaxy with a frown while holding his abdomen with his hands. “Why did you do that again?!”

Galaxy whimpered as her bottom lip trembled and felt back onto her aft with a sniffle. Orion rubbed his abdomen as his expression was filled with concern. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

D-16’s expression softened as he realized she wasn’t acting hungry. She was trembling and seemed terrified. “Oh, did you have a nightmare?” Galaxy nodded.

She lifted her arms to sign. ‘I am sorry for hitting you again. You were not waking up. I am scared.’

Orion stepped forward and picked the sparkling up by the armpits and cradled her, and she immediately threw her arms around him as he rubbed her back. “Alright, I suppose that is more of a legitimate reason than needing some energon in the middle of the night.” Galaxy smiled a little as she cried and Orion frowned, concerned that she was really scared. “I hope that nightmare didn’t scare you too much, Galaxy.” She nodded and Orion sighed. “Alright, well…maybe we can stay up a little bit and wait until you fall into recharge and I’ll put you back…” She shook her head, tightening her arms around him and she whimpered. “Galaxy, you have to.”

“Oh, she wants the harness again…” D-16 intakes deeply as he rubbed the bridge between his optics. “Why not just for tonight, Orion? She’s terrified. I know we were happy when she finally would recharge in her berth, but once in a while can’t hurt.”

“Mmm, you’re right.” Galaxy was pleased, even though she didn’t know if that was going to help. “Let it all out, Galaxy. You can tell us what it was.” Galaxy didn’t know how she was going to explain why she was scared, but she would figure it out. Orion kissed her cheek gently with a smile. “And maybe I’ll get out a bottle for you.” She looked at Orion and smiled a little. “I know you’ll feel better after.”

Galaxy just nodded as she accepted that Orion was trying to help her. But she was terrified for other reasons now. She did not know what was going to happen. She had hoped that Sentinel would not care about her after living with Orion and D-16 for so long now. But it seemed he has been taking the time to figure things out. And since Galaxy wasn’t really going anywhere, it made sense now. And that made Galaxy even more worried. She had no idea what Sentinel was planning, and she hoped to be a step ahead of him. And she hoped Orion wouldn’t go to the archives either. He’s been going there quite a bit, and he has learned a lot about the draconic bots, but he was now trying to find clues for the Matrix of Leadership. Galaxy knew he won’t find any answers, but…she didn’t try to stop him. But she might now, since she wanted both of them with her. Even though they were completely unarmed.

Chapter Text

It took a long time for Galaxy to fall back into recharge now that she felt as though she had to be on high alert. She did end up recharging, but she was restless, even while she was placed in the harness and she was laying against Orion’s chassis for the rest of the night. She couldn’t help but think about the warning, even if it was from a dragon who she did not know. It was a genuine warning, and she had no idea what she should expect over the next few days. But she felt the need to stick closely with Orion and D-16, which may prove difficult since both bots had been going into the mines after Darkwing forced them to. Galaxy still was able to have her midday nap, but it wasn’t like it was before.

She was sitting on the chair on the train as Orion and D-16 were checking their equipment. They had to bring their equipment home each day down in a large container for maintenance, as it seemed Darkwing was giving them more work while taking care of the sparkling. Galaxy had been feeling tense all morning and she was sitting with her ankles crossed tightly while she rubbed her hands together nervously. Both Orion and D-16 were worried since she hasn’t signed much this morning, and she seemed to be fearful or sick. And they didn’t know which to worry about.

“Hey, kid…” Galaxy jumped and turned her head with wide eyes when addressed to see Ironhide sitting down next to her and looking at her with a smile. “You seem a little tense. Are those two giving you a hard time? I’m sure I can get Elita to deal with them.” She shook her head with a slight smile before looking away. Ironhide raised an eyebrow and looked at Orion. “What is going with her?”

“We don’t know. She had a rather bad nightmare last night, and it has almost left her traumatized or something. D and I have tried, but she has not said a thing.” Ironhide looked at the sparkling curiously and looked back at Orion. “I might see if Ratchet can take a look in case this is a virus or something that’s affecting her system that we don’t know about.”

Ironhide hummed as he listened. “Not sure what virus would cause that…except…I think there was one I remember having as a sparkling myself that made me feeling stiff and uncomfortable for a whole week. But…does she have a high internal temperature?”

D-16 shook his head as he leaned against the metal container. “She does not. But not all viruses cause that, Ironhide. We appreciate the concern. We will just have her observe and stay close to Elita all day, unless Darkwing can give us the green light to have one of us stay out of the tunnel today.”

Jazz huffed with a shake of his head. He was standing to the side while listening silently. “We all know that isn’t going to happen. Darkwing is not nice to anyone, not even a sparkling. You’ll end up in the tunnel with us regardless.” D and Orion would still try, since they could tell that Galaxy needed comfort. “And besides, a lucid nightmare or whatever she clearly had, will be seen as small. It is unfortunate, but it is as it is.”

D-16 nodded slowly. “I guess you are right, Jazz. Hopefully, it is just the dream. But if she is sick, we do have to know.”

Galaxy knew she wasn’t acting normal, but she would try to act normal when they would reach the mines. She didn’t want Darkwing to get suspicious. She knew he worked with those closest to Sentinel, and while nothing really came out of the investigation he had done into the medical records to try and locate who her parents were, it has unfortunately given way to the fact that things were lining up. And Galaxy needed to figure out a way to tell D-16 and Orion. But she didn’t know if they would even believe her.

I’ve tried a few times to show them more reasons why I don’t like Sentinel. They know he is the reason my parents are dead, but that is it. I just wish I could convince them. Daddy might believe me more than dadda. Especially since he’s already found cracks in the lies Sentinel has told about the draconic bots, but he hasn’t said everything he has learned. I think he has learned about Wraith, and I also think he believes Wraith was the reason why there is a rift between the transformers and draconic bots. Ugh…I wish I had my voice back…

Orion turned and crouched by the chair, and Galaxy looked at him as he gave her a smile. “You will tell us if something is wrong, won’t you?” She nodded. “Are you feeling sick?” She shook her head. “Was the nightmare that bad?”

Galaxy whimpered and lifted her hands to sign. ‘I do not know how to tell you. It is hard to explain.’

“Ah, one of those kind of nightmares, huh. I hate those nightmares.” Orion kissed Galaxy’s forehead, and she knew that he thought of a different thing. She sighed as he wiped away a few tears falling from her optics. “It will be okay. And Jazz is right. Even though D and I are going to try to see if one of us can stick with Elita instead of burrowing deep into the tunnels, Darkwing has been…very intense lately, and I wish I knew why.”

“I think he’s just upset that nothing came out of that investigation in Galaxy’s existence,” Ironhide said bluntly as he folded his arms, shaking his head. “It is not your fault, nor is it Galaxy’s. She didn’t ask to be born, but she at least ensured that you two are her parents.” Orion smiled as he nodded in agreement. “But if he could lay off, it would be nice. You two aren’t the only ones he’s been going at as well.”

“And it has resulted in Elita being more impatient with the rest of us.” Jazz sighed deeply as he was not too happy about going to work because of it. “I wish we could have just one day to ourselves. We never get a day off.”

“Unfortunately, that never happens. Only Orion and D-16 got a day off when they took Galaxy for a check up and then she got sick for a few days two mini cycles ago. So…” Ironhide shrugged as he too wished for a day off, but he believed it wouldn’t happen. “Unless we suddenly drop in population in the city, we’re stuck working.”

“If that happens, then we would all be panicking over some kind of plague,” Orion said with a chuckle as he stood up and rested a hand on the metal container. “Regardless, we will try. Darkwing has not really given us a yes whenever we make a request, so do not expect us to be with you when we get there. Plus, Elita may or may not be in a good mood.”

Galaxy knew this as she didn’t expect them to be there. ‘Would Elita let me stick with her today? If you cannot be there, I like hanging around Elita the most. Even if I am not helping.’

“Uh, we will have to ask Elita if that is okay. But I think she will say yes to you.” Galaxy smiled and Orion smiled back at her. “Good. I like to see you smiling better than that fear. Give it a few days, and I bet you will completely forget that nightmare.” Galaxy wished that was the case, and she had no idea what to expect. She didn’t know if Sentinel would take his time or move quickly, since he would certainly believe that Galaxy was not aware of anything. “Maybe when one of us take you home for your nap, we could treat you to a thermal, oil bubble bath.”

Galaxy gasped as she was immediately excited and she nodded. Ironhide looked at the two bots with slight jealousy. “I kind of wish I was a sparkling right now. That sounds very amazing to me.”

D-16 chuckled softly. “Pfft, you wish, Ironhide. It was recommended by Ratchet, and Galaxy absolutely loves it. Though it tends to get messy since she loves popping the bubbles, which cause them to splutter everywhere.”

“But she at least has fun and it is essential for her joints, along with everything else we have to do,” Orion added with a smirk, making D-16 roll his optics. “And with Galaxy being the only sparkling, we have ample access to that supply.”

“Unsurprising. A single sparkling is definitely a very spoiled sparkling. But…” Ironhide playfully rubbed the top of Galaxy’s helm, making her squeal and giggle, shifting to lean away from him and making him chuckle. “She at least is not a brat. She has always seemed humble for her age.”

“Mmm, except for the fact she refuses to play with the figure I gave her a long time ago,” Jazz complained and Galaxy frowned at him. “And you still haven’t managed to get her to like Sentinel Prime, huh?”

Orion shrugged as they haven’t been able to convince her. “She also will not say. She seems to know why she doesn’t like him, and we only know one thing. Maybe as she gets older, it will fade away. Besides, I personally am not worried. She isn’t able to speak to Sentinel directly, and I doubt him knowing her dislike for him is going to matter.”

Daddy is right about that. Sentinel would not care if I hate him. I wonder why Scorched Flare sent the signal last night. Did Sentinel find her or something? Oh…I hope he hasn’t found the others. That would be bad…

Galaxy murmured a little as she thought about it some more before glancing up as she saw the train was about to pull up. She sighed as she knew that it would be another long day, and it would feel much longer to her. But she would do her best to not drag everyone else down. Though she could only hope that she wouldn’t be right to be paranoid today.

When the train came to a stop, Galaxy slid off the chair to stand beside Orion before he leaned down and picked her up, making her smile, so he could rest her against his hip while D-16 pushed the container out of the train. Orion looked at Galaxy as she was glancing around with concern, and he hoped that the nightmare she had wasn’t about the mines, though it seemed to be likely.

“Well, there you are!” Orion, Galaxy and D-16 look to their right to see Darkwing walking over to them, stomping as he approached with anger. “It is about time you showed up!”

“Huh? About time?” Orion frowned as he checked the time before raising an eyebrow. “Why do you say that, Darkwing? We aren’t late. In fact, we are rather early.”

Galaxy whimpered a little as Darkwing approached. “I am not talking your shift, Orion! I merely want to discuss the incident yesterday.”

D-16 groaned a little. “I thought we already discussed it, Darkwing. It was an accident. Galaxy didn’t mean to turn on that jet pack yesterday. She probably didn’t know it was there when she climbed onto the table to grab the...”

“I do not care if it was an accident!” Galaxy hid her face into Orion’s shoulder as she hated it when Darkwing got in a bad mood. It always made the day sour. Orion rubbed her back reassuringly as Darkwing pointed at the sparkling in an accusing manner. “She caused a lot of damage yesterday, and I have already told Elita that Galaxy will be helping to repair things.”

“Are you really going to make a sparkling repair the new energon processors because of an accident? Galaxy isn’t even old enough to do that.” Darkwing put his hands on his hips as he glared at Orion. “Besides, Galaxy is not feeling well. How about I fix it? It is our responsibility to fix these things while she’s still young.”

Darkwing huffed as he did not seem to believe Orion. “Not well. You haven’t sent a message about Galaxy being unwell. She is clearly well enough to be here. And no! She will help fox her mistake. And I do not care...” He poked Orion’s shoulder harshly, making Orion stumble back and frown at the bot as Galaxy tightened her arms around him. “But if you are concerned that she will be doing it alone, I am not a fool, Pax! She can’t even read yet!” Galaxy grumbled a little as she did not like Darkwing at all. “Moonracer will be fixing the internal wires for the processors, and she will be ensuring that Galaxy helps her. Does that make you feel better?”

Orion sighed deeply. “I really do not like that you have chosen to make life harder today for Galaxy over a mistake. She won’t do it again.”

“Do you think that I care?! We need these processors running at a hundred percent, or I will make sure your rations will be reduced, and I don’t think you want me to touch the low-grade energon supply for your brat!” Orion and D-16 did not like that threat, and they also knew that Darkwing would go through with it. “Now you had better get your jet packs on quickly! And ensure that your brat does not cause any further trouble.”

Darkwing turned and stomped away. Orion shook his head as he was unhappy with that. “What in Primus is his problem today?”

“No idea, but it is as if something has cranked his irritation up a notch.” D-16 intakes deeply and looked at Galaxy as she whimpered softly. “It will be fine, Galaxy. The new processors built deeper in the mine seem more sensitive than the older models. Moonracer didn’t get a chance to reinforce the fuel lines for the processor. I am sure you can handle just passing the tools to her. She won’t ask more than that.”

Galaxy shrugged as she was more worried about upsetting Darkwing now as she signed back to D. ‘He may want me to do more than that. But I do not even know how to use any of the tools you use here. I hope he does not expect me to do that. I do not think I could handle him yelling at me.’

D-16 frowned as he nodded in agreement. “He’d better not make you cry. He’ll only have himself to blame if you throw a tantrum…but there isn’t much we can. Come, Pax. We should get our jet packs on and head down further into the mines so Galaxy can get situated with Moon and you and I can make a start.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “I can’t help but feel reluctant.”

“I feel the same, Pax. Darkwing was just being a big fat gl…” Orion shot D-16 a warning expression and D rolled his optics. “You know she has heard just about everyone say that, Orion. Stop being so protective of her ears!”

“I’m just being responsible!”

“Oh, yeah? And you have gone to the archives about…” D-16 paused, holding up his right hand to counter on his fingers, moving to his left hand and then back to his right. “Over twenty times that I can count! You’ve been caught four times, and luckily, we still have Galaxy under our care. I would hate to have her ripped away from us. I’ve gotten so used to being a parent, I’m not sure how I’d handle it.”

“I know, but I have always come back. It will be fine.” Orion and D-16 walk further in before he lowered Galaxy to the ground so he could put his jet pack on. Galaxy stood beside him while glancing around with a worried expression. “Hopefully, the rest of the day won’t be too bad.” Galaxy hoped for that too, but she wasn’t confident. She waited patiently until Orion was ready and he grabbed out the harness to put Galaxy in. “I think you helping Moonracer is a good thing anyway, Galaxy.”

Galaxy raised an eyebrow as she didn’t know how. ‘What do you mean? How is it a good thing? It is something Darkwing is forcing me to do.’

Orion chuckled a little as he watched her sign. “What I mean is it will take your mind off your nightmare. I do not mean how Darkwing was acting before. We all don’t really like him, but we have to listen to him.”

Galaxy hummed as she understood as she smiled at him. She somewhat agreed, though it was hard to ignore the feeling of being on alert. However, she would try her best to focus on the task she was given. She hoped it wouldn’t be too bad. She also felt bad, but the processors had only been up for a short time and Moonracer had to fix it. She wasn’t as mad about it as Darkwing, so Galaxy at least knew that Moonracer was not going to be hard on her.

Galaxy couldn’t help but wrap her arms around Orion’s shoulders once in the harness, mostly due to the fact that when Orion or D-16 used the jet pack while she was in the harness, she was always nervous. She didn’t like that they were the ones who were flying and she wasn’t. Plus, her back was facing the ground most of the time, and draconic bots were not always a fan of flying upside down. Especially the sparklings.

Orion smiled as he caressed her back gently. “At least Elita isn’t making us trail behind her as she reminds us how far she is away from her next promotion.” Galaxy huffed in amusement and Orion looked at D. “Ready?”

D-16 nodded affirmatively. “Always. And you be careful, Pax. That’s precious cargo you got with you.”

Orion rolled his optics. “Here we go with the carrier joke again.” D-16 chuckled and Galaxy giggled as she also thought the joke was funny. “We are never getting past that.” He turned on his jet pack and Galaxy hid her face into his chassis. “Hold on tight, Galaxy, we’re on our down.”

Galaxy tensed as she felt Orion taking off. She didn’t know why she has not grown used to this by now, but as she was not big enough to even wear a jet pack, she had no choice. Plus, this didn’t last long, unless Elita wanted to do her round of the mine and remind everyone of her presence. And it never stopped Orion from trying to flirt with Elita, and Galaxy did sometimes wonder if Elita liked it, but hid it due to keeping everything professional. Or Elita assumed that there was actually something between Orion and D-16, which Galaxy has not seen aside from deep, brother-like friendship.

Galaxy kept her optics closed as Orion flew deeper into the mines before he finally landed. He smiled as he rubbed her back gently. “You can open your optics now, Galaxy. We’re here. Oh, Elita!” Galaxy opened her optics and her turned her head to see Elita walking over with a frown. “I mean, Captain, I suppose Darkwing has already spoken to you about…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” Elita waved her hand in irritation as Orion lifted Galaxy out of the harness and placed her on the ground. Galaxy turned and looked at Elita with a sad expression. Elita smiled at Galaxy and crouched down. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I have spoken with Moonracer, and it will not be so bad. As much as Darkwing is overlooking the mines, I will make sure he doesn’t bully you. I think he is just finding someone to put his anger out on, and it is not fair that is you.” She held out her hand. “I’ll take you over now.”

Galaxy glanced towards the new processor and she could see Moonracer standing by it while holding a datapad and she seemed to be nervous. She looked back at Elita and lifted her hands to sign. ‘I am worried that I will mess it up and make it worse.’

“Ah, well, if you do than Darkwing will have an excuse not to let you near anything that requires extra care. Which I think would be a good thing.” Galaxy smirked at Elita’s response and Elita chuckled softly. “Good, I am glad you agree.” Elita glanced at Orion and D who were watching and listening. “You two should head into the mines now. I got this. You know you can trust me.”

“We know, Captain, we are just making sure that…OH!” D-16 smiled as Galaxy had turned and hugged his right leg suddenly. D chuckled softly as he knelt down and hugged the sparkling, and she threw her arms around his shoulders. “And we can’t forget our hugs before we go into the tunnel. Now make sure you listen to Elita and Moonracer.”

Galaxy nodded as she would. D-16 kissed her forehead and she smiled at him, kissing his cheek before she turned to hug Orion. Orion was already kneeling to hug her. “I know we don’t have to remind you, Galaxy. You’ve always been good at listening. And again, try not to let that nightmare bother you.”

“Nightmare?” Orion looked at Elita when she questioned in surprised. “What nightmare?”

Orion kissed the top of Galaxy’s forehead before standing up. “Galaxy woke both D and I last night after a nightmare has seemed to have left her traumatized. I think it was a lucid nightmare. And she has been acting fearful of her own shadow all morning.”

“Ah, I understand.” Elita smiled at Galaxy as she held her hand out and the sparkling took Elita’s hand. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I’ll make sure that you will completely forget that nightmare you had, and maybe, we can make this whole ordeal that Darkwing has created more fun than an irritation.”

Galaxy smiled at Elita as she appreciated it, even though she was always going to be on alert. She raised her hand to sign. ‘Thank you, Elita. I will try to forget the nightmare.’

“Good. Now let’s get started before Darkwing gets even more angry.” Elita looked at Orion and D-16 while gesturing to the drills by them, and they walked over to grab them. “The others have already started to drill. You’d better get down there and catch up, you two. And don’t let me catch you slagging off or I’ll make sure you wish Darkwing was dishing out the consequence.”

Orion chuckled as he hauled the drill over his shoulder and looked at Elita with a smirk. “Don’t worry, Captain. I won’t disappoint you. There’s no need to let your frame get all stressed out.”

“Pfft, I get stressed every day, Orion. Now get going!”

Orion chuckled as he and D-16 activate their jet packs and flew towards the tunnel. Galaxy whimpered as she watched them fly into the tunnel as she wished one or both of them could stay with her. She felt tears forming in her optics, but she knew she couldn’t do much. She stared at the tunnel and sniffled a little as she did wish she could tell them more. But not knowing if they would even believe her was a big fear of hers.

“Hey…” Elita picked the sparkling up, surprising Galaxy as Elita rested her against her hip. Elita smiled at her as she caressed her back. “I know you want them, but you will be okay. I will here watching very closely. Nobody is going to get past me and scare you. Okay?” Galaxy nodded with a smile. “Good girl.” Elita walked over to Moonracer as the bot was pacing by the processor, and Galaxy could also see that the panels were open with the wires exposed. “Moon, I hope that your pacing is just you feeling impatient. I don’t like that you seem nervous.”

Moon flinched and looked at Elita before she forced a smile. “Uh, well, I would like to reassure your mind, Captain. It is just, uh, I’m missing some tools. I’ve been trying to get them sent down here, but it is taking longer than expected.”

“Are you able to make a start at least?”

“Well, sort of…but without the proper tools, it would be more risky. And I do not want Galaxy to end up injured from it, because the volts running through the wires right now is higher than it needs to be. Even though she caused damage to multiple wires yesterday with the jet pack.” Galaxy wondered if that meant she wouldn’t need to do anything, but she doubted it. “So that is why I am waiting…”

“You have wasted too much time with waiting, so I got it for you!” Darkwing’s sudden bark made Moonracer jump and almost drop the data pad in her hands, and she looked up to see the jet flying towards them. Galaxy whimpered as Darkwing transformed holding a small case. “Here…” He tossed it to Moonracer, making her yelp as she dropped the data pad to catch it, only to realize what she did. Darkwing grumbled as he shook his head. “Well done.”

Elita grumbled as she lowered Galaxy to the ground and turned to face him. “Maybe passing the tools next time would prove more productive, Darkwing. And don’t worry…” She leaned down and picked up the data pad, finding the damage wasn’t even bad. “It’s an easy fix. This still works and Moonracer is clear to begin her work with Galaxy’s assistance.”

Darkwing huffed as he glanced at Galaxy, and she immediately hid behind Elita. He was slightly amused that he could instil fear into the sparkling. “Make sure she helps, because I will be watching everything that happens very carefully. Nothing will get past me.”

Darkwing turned to walk away before he transformed and flew away. Elita shook her head with a deep sigh. “He really grinds my gears when he goes on about nonsense.” Elita turned to look at Galaxy with a smile. “Now that Moonracer has everything she needs, make sure you listen to her. And don’t do anything silly.”

Galaxy nodded affirmatively and signed her reply. ‘I will try not to do anything incorrect. I do not want to upset anyone. Hopefully I will not make a mistake.’

“If you do make a mistake, I am sure Moon can ensure it will get it sorted.” Elita looked at Moon as the pale teal femme sat beside the exposed wiring to go through the tools and she was concentrating. “Now go on over and give her a hand, Galaxy. I will be watching you, but not the way Darkwing will be.”

Galaxy nodded as she walked over to Moon nervously. Moon looked at the sparkling with a smile. “Come and sit, Galaxy. I am not going to start just yet. I am making sure to organize everything so it will go smoothly and safely. This will probably take most of the day, but when you go for your nap, I’ll be able to handle the rest.”

Galaxy smiled with an affirmative nod of understand. She sat down and looked at the various tools that Moonracer had. She didn’t have the data pad now that Elita took it, but she didn’t seem to need it. Galaxy did wish that she didn’t cause the damage, but there was little that could be done about it aside from repairing the processors so she just had to sit and help Moon. She glanced around as the other bots were busy with their tasks and Elita was shouting orders already. Nothing seemed to be amiss right now.

I hope nothing happens today. I do not know if Darkwing even suspects my real identity or if he is simply always a glitch. Regardless, I should still keep my head down. But after last night, I fear that keeping my head down may not work anymore. But what do I do? I know I can cloak and escape, but…that doesn’t seem plausible. Ugh…I hope this day will go by quickly with nothing that will go wrong.

Chapter Text

“Okay, we are doing a good job, Galaxy. Not just handle me those pliers and if you can pick up some of the replacement wires, that would be good.” Moonracer’s optics were glued on the damaged wires. She wished there was a way to shut them off, but that was a flaw in the design of these new processors. Darkwing had these rushed before any safety switches were put in place. He is now somewhat regretting that decision. “We’re doing a pretty good job despite it all. You’re a pretty good helper.”

Galaxy smiled as he gave Moonracer the pliers and picked up some replacement wires. Moonracer didn’t take any of them yet, but Galaxy held them in her hands so when Moonracer needed to take them she would not have to worry about grabbing them. So far, it has been relatively easy. The task of just assisting Moonracer with repairing the processor has been stressfree, even though Galaxy would glance around for any sign that Sentinel would be coming for her. So far, there was nothing.

Though despite the work, Moonracer did say it may not be repaired by the end of the day, even though she was going to do her best. And with the wires being live, she had to be careful not to tough the high voltage that was currently within the live wires. Galaxy has already heard the wires sparking, and she did not like it at all. But nothing has gone wrong, and Elita would come over to check from time to time as well.

Galaxy was also glad that Darkwing did not come down to check. She would find herself more stressed if he did, and she didn’t need to hear him saying awful things just to upset the sparkling and Moonracer simply because he was upset over an accident. At least it was something that could be fixed and Galaxy wasn’t going to hear Darkwing complain about it daily, because she knew that he would definitely do that.

Galaxy looked at Moon when the femme looked at Galaxy’s hand to grab a couple wires, before looking back at the exposed wires of the processor. Galaxy looked at them to see Moon was using the plier to hold the wires together while repairing them. Galaxy sighed as she looked away as it didn’t really interest her at the moment, plus she was on a constant lookout now. She did not know if something would happen when she would turn her back.

Moon flinched and Galaxy looked at her as Galaxy was slightly surprised. “Huh…that was close.” Moon sighed and looked at Galaxy who was looking at her curiously. Moonracer smiled as she didn’t want to worry the sparkling. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I’ve got it under control. I almost made a mistake, that is all.” Galaxy hummed as she glanced at the wires before looking away. “Keeping an eye out for Darkwing is your other task anyway.”

Galaxy huffed in amusement as she wasn’t surprised that Moonracer would assume that, even though it definitely was partly true that Galaxy was keeping watch for Darkwing. But she was mostly keeping an eye out for anyone who could be working directly with Sentinel Prime. She didn’t know if anyone here in the mines could have been given a task to keep an eye on her, but no one has really seemed suspicious. So she assumed she might be wrong.

“Oh scrap!” Galaxy jumped and turned her head. “I guess I was…” Moonracer gasped as one of the live wires she had been trying to avoid suddenly snapped due to the damage from the previous day, and the wires swung outward, and while Moonracer avoided them, Galaxy was unprepared as the sparking tip of the wire hits Galaxy’s left arm, and the sparkling let out a scream of surprise and pain. “Scrap, scrap, scrap!” Moonracer was alarmed as the voltage made Galaxy’s body shudder and hot wire burned almost the entire left arm before Moon pulled Galaxy away and slapped the wire away. “Oh no…I did it…” Moonracer looked at Galaxy as the sparkling purged on the ground suddenly and she began to scream from the pain of the metal burn and internal pain in her arm and system. “Ugh, what do I do? Elita!”

Elita had heard Galaxy’s screaming and ran over, widening her optics to see that the damage of the processor seemed to be worse and it was because Moonracer had made a mistake, though Elita did not know what she did yet. She was more alarmed by the burn on Galaxy’s arm. Especially as sparkling’s had very sensitive metal skin, and she knew that burn was very bad, even without taking a closer look at it.

“What in Primus did you do, Moon?!” Elita barked as she crouched in front of the screaming sparkling to look at her arm. “Oh, that looks terrible…” She shook her head as the burns couldn’t be treated here. Galaxy looked at Elita as she was in a lot of pain, and Elita could see coolant running from the sparkling’s nostrils, which didn’t seem much of a surprise since the sinus glands were blocked. “It is okay, Galaxy. I’m here. I’m going to have Orion and D-16 come back and take you to medical.” Moonracer stood nervously as Elita opened her com link. “Orion, D-16, you need to come back now.”

“Huh?” D-16 was surprised by Elita reaching out to him. “What did we do now?”

“This isn’t about you, Galaxy needs to go to medical. And fast!”

“Woah, what?!” Orion’s alarmed voice responded as soon as he heard that. “What are you talking about?! Why?”

“Just get back here, Orion! There’s no time to explain over the com link! Just get your afts up here, and fast!” Galaxy raised her right hand as she wanted to be picked up and Elita looked at her with a smile. “It will be okay, they are on their way…” Elita flinched when Galaxy purged again and Elita tried not to grimace upon seeing the partially digested energon on the ground. “And you will see Ratchet again.”

“Moonracer!” Moonracer flinched and Elita glanced up upon hearing Darkwing’s angry shout. “What happened?! Why is the sparkling injured!” The approaching jet transformed and the transformer stomped over with his hands clenched. “I had the sparkling assist you because she needed to help for her mistake yesterday. I didn’t expect you to go and injure her to the point that two of the miners might need to be absent to take care of the brat!”

“I, uh, um…I-I…” Moonracer rubbed her hands together nervously as she glanced at the sparkling, then Elita and looked back at Darkwing. “Um…I…I tried to…create a shortcut to ensure that the job would still get done in a shorter amount of time.”

“Shortcut?” Elita stared at Moon in surprise and she sighed deeply. “You never, ever try to create a shortcut when you are trying to fix the wire or power conductor of any machine. Even a processor.” Moonracer nodded as she stared at the ground. Elita glanced at the exposed wires and she shook her head. They were still sparking wildly and smoke was rising from them. “Looks like you damage that processor even more than Galaxy ever did.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll get onto it right away…”

“You had better, or I might have to rethink your position, Moonracer!” Darkwing barked, poking the femme’s shoulder hard and making her stumble back in surprise. Darkwing huffed and he turned to Elita. “And could you please shut that brat up?!”

Elita stared at Darkwing in surprise. “Huh? Darkwing, she’s in pain, I can’t stop her from screaming.” Darkwing growled and Galaxy hid behind Elita. “D-16 and Orion are on their way back, and they will take Galaxy to medical. I can only do what I can, but I am not her guardian. And don’t forget that you…” She pointed directly at the bot and did not like that at all. “Appointed those two as her guardians, so you will just have to be patient and wait for them to…” Elita paused and smiled when she saw D-16 and Orion flying out of the tunnel with their drills. “Speaking of which, they are here now.”

Orion and D-16 land on the ground before putting their drills on a storage rack before running over to Elita. Both of them were extremely worried, and hearing Galaxy screaming from extreme pain was not something they have heard before. Galaxy held her right hand towards them, walking away from Elita as she wanted to be held. She couldn’t move her left arm now because it hurt too much, and all of her concern about Sentinel was gone for the moment.

Orion reached Galaxy first as he knelt in front of her and gently wrapped his arm around her, looking at her left arm to see the burn from her wrist up to her shoulder. Her arm was twitching and he knew her nerves were affected. “Aw, Galaxy…” Orion picked the sparkling up gently and carefully hugged her against him, and she immediately buried her face into his shoulder. “Easy, easy…” He smiled as her screaming calmed down a little bit, but she was crying uncontrollably, and she also couldn’t stop the coolant running from her nostrils. “We are here now.”

“Yeah, we are.” D-16 looked at Elita as she walked over with a worried expression. “I would ask what happened, but judging by the burn on her arm…” D-16 looked at Galaxy’s arm and he grimaced sadly before looking back at Elita. “We need to go.” He glanced over Elita’s shoulder and shot a glare at Moonracer who flinched and looked away. D-16 looked back at Elita. “I assume it was just an accident though.”

Elita nodded. “Yes, and from a careless choice by someone else. But there is no time to argue. Go to medical, and let Ratchet know he can send any information to me and Darkwing regarding whether or not you can come back to the mines with Galaxy or if one or both of you has to stay home while she heals.”

Darkwing growled as he stomped over to Orion and D-16, making them both frown at him. “You both had better come back soon! I don’t care what the medic will say, Sentinel wants all miners to work, and you both have a duty.”

“If you would rather a screaming sparkling distracting the entire mine, that’s up to you, Darkwing.” Orion stepped to the side and walked around him with D-16 following closely. Darkwing growled as he did not appreciate the disrespect from the bot. “But we need to get…”

“HEY!” Darkwing grabbed Orion’s right shoulder and pulled to make him face him. Galaxy widened her optics as Darkwing swung his fist and punched Orion in the left cheek. Orion stumbled and he accidently dropped Galaxy, making her lands on her left arm and made her scream louder. Darkwing covered his ears. “Ugh! Shut up!”

D-16 picked Galaxy up quickly and glared at Darkwing. “What’s the matter, Darkwing?! I thought you wanted Galaxy to be quiet.”

“I do!” Darkwing snapped back as Orion stood up, rubbing his cheek with a frown. “But do not walk by me without me dismissing you. And I do not care how injured your brat is! I hope you understand that! Or we will have more problems!”

“Alright, alright…” Orion intakes deeply as he glanced at D-16 as they were both unhappy, but they couldn’t really do much. “We do understand. Please, let us go to medical. If we wait, she could end up a lot worse and we will be required to tend to her for much longer. If you want us to come back for our shifts, please let us go.”

Darkwing growled as he glanced at D-16 while the bot was trying to soothe Galaxy, but she was really crying uncontrollably and D-16 was also inspecting Galaxy’s arm as the fall had caused the burns to open and now there was energon bleeding from her arm. He sighed and gestured for them to go. “Fine. Get out of here. Make sure you have Ratchet send me a report. I will not be so forgiving if he simply forgets to let me know.”

Orion and D-16 both nod affirmatively before they were finally able to run away. D-16 looked down at the crying sparkling as he held her. “Sorry, Galaxy, I’m going to have to activate my jet pack to head up to the top of the mines before we head to the elevator to head to the medical centre. I will have a good hold of you.” Galaxy didn’t seem to not or hear D-16 and D glanced at Orion. “Uh, I hope this won’t turn into a worse situation for her.”

“Ratchet is a great medic, D, it will be fine. As long as we get her there as soon as possible.” D-16 nodded affirmatively as they both activate their jet packs to fly through the tunnels to head back up. Galaxy was too distraught and in shock to notice and Orion felt awful for her. “I wonder what happened.”

“I can take a guess. I noticed that the wiring from the processor was sparking when we left the tunnel. I think one of the live wires broke and the force of the electricity threw it back and hit Galaxy. Moonracer must have done something very stupid to allow that to happen.” Orion couldn’t disagree as they flew through the tunnel quickly. As they land, D-16 flinched in surprise when Galaxy purged over his chassis suddenly and D-16 held her out in surprise. “Ugh, this isn’t good.” Galaxy looked at him and sneezed suddenly. “We will be there in a moment.” D-16 looked at Orion as Orion took off his jet pack and turned to D. “Hurry up, Pax!”

“Give me a second…there!” Orion removed the jet pack and placed both jet packs where the other spare jet packs were stored beside the entrance into the deeper part of the mines. “Let’s get going, D. I can hold her if you want.”

“Eh, she may purge over you too. I can clean myself up soon.” D-16 looked at Galaxy as she sneezed again, and he felt awful. He wanted to help her clear her sinus glands, but until she calmed down, it may not be possible. “Besides, passing her between us is only wasting more time. I really hope that burn is not as bad as it looks. Darkwing punching you made her arm bleed.”

“I know.” Orion rubbed his cheek as he hated it whenever he was punched by a transformer. But he knew he couldn’t do anything. “Ugh, I can’t believe he even hit me while I had her in my arms.”

“I understand we were disrespectful, but I agree.” Orion groaned a little as he often disliked that D-16 excused being hit as something that was a right for the transformers. But Orion also couldn’t change the fact that they had to listen to Darkwing, regardless if he hits them or not. “He may have caused more damage.”

“We all don’t like him, D. But we have Galaxy to think about.” Orion looked ahead as they were nearing the elevator. “We are almost there. We should probably give Ratchet a heads up too, since I am not sure if Elita has alerted him for us.” D-16 widened his optics slightly as he had not realized until now, but he did understand. Orion opened his com link to the medical centre. “Ratchet, are you available? D-16 and I are coming to the medical centre with an emergency. Galaxy needs your help.”

“That’s not the kind of message I wanted to hear today, Orion Pax, but I am glad you reached out. But you need not worry, Elita just informed me of the situation as well.” Orion and D-16 were relieved to hear that as they didn’t know if Ratchet was busy or not. “Even if I was occupied with something else, an emergency takes priority. Especially when it is a sparkling who is in trouble. Come to room one twenty-seven on the seventh floor. I will have a room ready to treat Galaxy. I may get some assistence from another if they are available. I hope you will not forget this information.”

“We will not. We are at the elevator.” Orion and D-16 stop briefly as the doors of the elevator opened so they could step inside and Orion pressed the right floor number before responding to Ratchet. “We will be there very shortly. And, uh, if you have something to calm her down, she will need it. We might not be able to soothe her in time.”

“I know, I can hear her in the background.” Orion glanced at Galaxy as he didn’t know if he should feel bad or not. Ratchet cleared his throat. “From the information Elita told me, I will have to give her something to induce recharge. That way I can treat her and she can recharge peacefully.”

Orion and D-16 look at each other as they did not like to hear that. But it would be a way to help Galaxy. Orion intakes deeply as he nodded. “Understood, Ratchet. We will help make sure that you give it to her so she doesn’t unintentionally cause more harm to herself.” Orion turned off his com link and looked at D-16 to see he was trying to soothe Galaxy, but she was unable to control herself. “That must really hurt.” He stepped closer, looking at her arm and his optics quiver as he stared. “And being a sparkling, that burn is worse than what we would experience.”

“Yeah, I know.” D-16 looked at Galaxy’s arm and he frowned. “I also just want to go back and demand to know what Moonracer did. And maybe give her a taste of what she had done.”

“Huh, why?” Orion was surprised that D-16 would even resort to hurting a fellow bot, even though he did understand D-16’s anger. “It was an accident, D. Moonracer has never been the type to even want to hurt anyone. She looked very upset that it happened.” D-16 hummed as he did know that, but he was still upset. “I get it, I’m upset that Galaxy is hurt too. But you know who the real culprit is, right?” D-16 raised an eyebrow and Orion put his hands on his hips. “If Darkwing did not make such a big deal about yesterday, none of this would have happened. Blame him, not Moon.”

D-16 nodded as he agreed. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I am just worked up. When Elita contacted us suddenly and told us the emergency, I just kind of panicked and I guess I blamed the wrong person. But still…” D-16 grumbled as he thought about it. “Moonracer was meant to be watching her. So she is still partly at fault.”

“Sure, but don’t hurt her, D. Just let it go. Galaxy is way more important right now than some energon processor. Everything will be fine.” D-16 did not respond to Orion as he focused on Galaxy and Orion smiled slightly. “The last thing we need to do is cause more trouble. Darkwing has been on our afts for a while now, and we should just do what we can.”

D-16 sighed deeply as he knew that. “I know. I just wish we were not so limited in the options that we have. I hope that Galaxy gets time to recover at home. She will need. And I hope she can sign even with the injury, but we might just have to resort like old times when she couldn’t sign and just made gestures and sounds.”

Orion chuckled a little. “That wouldn’t be so bad. After all, we have learned to understand her a lot more. Plus, she does not always sign to get across what she wants, and that usually means she doesn’t know how to sign the word or it was quicker to not sign. But generally we can understand her just fine.”

“I know. I guess I worry that it will be permanent damage.”

“Unlikely. Ratchet’s the best medic there is, and sparklings heal quickly.” D-16 looked at Orion with a frown as his confidence that things will be okay was annoying him a little. “Don’t tell me you are thinking of the worst that could happen. That is not reassuring you know. At least Galaxy is too hysteric to know you are thinking that way.”

D-16 grumbled a little and looked at Galaxy. “I guess I find it a little hard to be optimistic about this. But don’t worry, I do have trust that Ratchet will do a fine job, Pax. I just…I am just worried. And I have never heard such screaming from a sparkling before.”

“Because this is the only sparkling you and I have been around. But I agree.” Orion wished he could soothe Galaxy so she would stop crying hysterically. But there was not much they could do. She was in a lot of pain and she would only stop once they would reach Ratchet. And he couldn’t help but feel emotional. He felt awful he couldn’t be there to protect his daughter, even though it was an accident. “But I do hope that Darkwing will reconsider having both of us digging in the tunnels. After what happened today, I am not sure I will want to dig in the mines without worrying something else would happen. I trust Elita, but she can’t keep an eye on Galaxy all the time.”

“Neither can we, Pax. Even when we are there, we are busy doing something else and we cannot watch her all the time. But I agree.” D-16 glanced at the doors as the elevator reached the right floor and the doors open into the dimly lit hallway. Both bots immediately ran forward to locate the room Ratchet had told them. “As much as I would want that to be the case, Darkwing already made it clear that it probably won’t happen. Even if he hasn’t told us directly.”

Orion knew that too, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t hope for it. Darkwing was at fault for Galaxy’s injury, even if it was an accident. It wouldn’t have happened if he forced Galaxy to help Moonracer with the processor even though there was not a safety switch to turn the power off. Which resulted in Galaxy getting the serious injury which was likely to force her to remain home for a while. Or even in the medical centre if it was bad enough.

But Orion was confident that Ratchet would be able to ensure that Galaxy would be okay. As bad as the metal burn was, it could still be treated. But he did worry about her nerves and system as well, in case the shock affected them as well. If they were, then he also worried that surgery would be required. And Orion really did not like that he would be forced to wait while Ratchet would treat his daughter in order to make sure she would heal.

This felt way worse than when she came down with an internal fever several mini cycles ago, and she had to remain at home for a few days due the fever being caused by a bacterial infection. Luckily, it wasn’t contagious, but it made her very sick and she refused to ingest energon during that time. And that worried both D and Orion, but this felt way worse than that. Being sick was one thing, a serious injury was certainly another.

“Look! There’s the right room!” D-16 shouted as he glanced at the numbers of the rooms they were passing, and he could see it ahead of them. “Ratchet! Are you in there?!”

The doors open automatically as they reach the room, and they find Ratchet standing by a medical berth with various tools and a machine ready. He looked up to see the two bots and he glanced at the screaming sparkling. He widened his optics. “Bring her over to the berth. I need to treat her now, but please help hold her while I induce recharge.”

D-16 and Orion nod as D-16 walked over to the berth and laid the sparkling down. Or rather, he tried. When Galaxy felt the berth under her feet, she quickly kicked at it, trying to grasp at D-16’s shoulders with her right hand. She didn’t want to be put down, but as she couldn’t move her left arm, she couldn’t really do much and D-16 was able to lay her down with a bit of effort. D-16 felt awful as she was fighting him to be held.

“I’m sorry, Galaxy. But you need to try and relax.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead as Orion moved to the other side to help hold her down. She reached up to Orion, trying to sign something, but it was incoherent. “It will be okay. We are right here with you.”

“D-16 is right. We are right here.” Orion kissed the sparkling’s forehead as well before looking at Ratchet as he filled a syringe and he knew what it was for. “Are you going to stick that in her arm?” Ratchet nodded and D-16 gently held the sparkling’s elbow so she couldn’t move her right arm very well. Though Galaxy spotted the needle and she started panicking g. Orion leaned down, looking her with quivering optics as they threaten to fill with tears. “Daddy and daddy are here. There is nothing to be scared of. We are right here.”

D-16 watched Ratchet intently as the medic stood by him and placed a hand on the sparkling’s arm before gently pushing the needle into her upper right arm. Galaxy screamed, shaking her head and looking at both D-16 and Orion in bewilderment. When he pulled the needle out, Ratchet immediately placed a small patch over the wound to stop the bleeding, and he walked away to get a scanner so he could check the sparkling’s body.

Orion rubbed the top of Galaxy’s forehead gently while D-16 rubbed her right arm as the sparkling’s cries softened as she could not fight the sudden need to recharge. The anaesthesia was already working. And her optics close slowly, and her body was finally relaxed as she was in a deep recharge. Orion couldn’t help but she’d a couple tears as he felt helpless, even though he knew she wasn’t going to die from the I injuries.

D-16 huffed as he looked at Ratchet with a frown. “So, doc, what can you tell us?” Ratchet looked at him in surprise at D-16’s sudden impatience. “Are you able to treat her? And will she require...”

“Slow down, D. He has not even had a chance to look at Galaxy’s wound,” Orion said gently as he interrupted his friend. D-16 grunted as he stepped back from the berth. Orion walked around the berth and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know how you are feeling, but interrupting the medic is only going to cause more harm than good. You should go and get clean up in the shower room over there...” Orion points at the shower room that the wards had for patients who stay in the medical centre. “Or that energon on your chassis is going to crust and stink a lot worse to the point where it will be hard to get rid of. And you can cool off.”

D-16 intakes heavily as he was worked up. He took was fighting back tears as he glanced at Ratchet as the medic began scanning the sparkling’s system and the injury on her arm. “Fine...you’re right. I’m sorry. I am just...worried.”

“I know. But the best thing you and I can do is to be here for her. Getting in the way will just make things worse, and we don’t want that.” Orion pats D-16’s shoulder as the silver bot nodded. “Now go and get yourself cleaned up. I will be here, and so will you. It will be okay.”

D-16 intakes deeply and nodded. “You are right.” He glanced at Ratchet as he saw the medic grab out a data pad to type something before he grabbed a bottle of ointment. “Sorry about that, doc. I was not really thinking clearly.”

Ratchet glanced at D with an understanding smile. “It is okay, I would expect nothing less. You both have turned out to be great parents to this sparkling, so it is natural to feel overwhelmed when something like this happens.” He looked back down as he poured the ointment into his hand to begin applying to the burn. “Take Orion’s advice and got get cleaned up. I will be able to tell you the diagnosis soon. She is not going to die, so you need not worry about that.”

D-16 could not help but roll his optics at that last comment as he didn’t really appreciate anyone slightly joking about Galaxy’s life. Regardless, he walked away in a huff to the shower room so he could wash the purged energon off his body, and the coolant that had spluttered from her sneezing. He did not intend on taking very long, as he was already stressed about Galaxy being hurt from the accident.

Orion intakes deeply as he turned back to the berth and walked over, placing his hands on the side of the berth as he looked at his daughter with sad optics. He looked at Ratchet as the medic applied the ointment. “May I clean Galaxy’s face? The coolant and tears are still fresh on her face.”

Ratchet nodded. “You can.” He gestured to the clothes at the nearby sink. “Use those over there. I can clear her sinus glands a little later, they’re nod a problem.”

Orion was glad as he wanted to make sure that his daughter would feel more comfortable when she would wake up. He walked over to the sink to grab a clean cloth to dampen. He was able to do something at least. He knew that she was in good hands. Ratchet was already doing something, and he hoped that the injury was just a surface injury, but he had a feeling that wasn’t the case. When he walked back over to clean Galaxy’s face, he thought about whether he should go home to get one of her toys to bring back. She would like that. But he would stay until Ratchet would give a diagnosis, and he hoped it would not be so bad.

Chapter Text

D-16 and Orion were sitting in the medical room as they were not able to do much more. Orion was able to clean Galaxy’s face, but he couldn’t do anything else. Ratchet ushered the two autobots to sit down while he took care of the sparkling, and they both were worried. They had no idea what the next few days, or even mini cycle will be like while they cared for their daughter. D-16 was still fuming about the injury, while Orion was simply worried about what happens now. The burn itself was long mark up her arm, which left the metal black and dark grey, though when it would heal, there would only be a faint scar. But it would depend on how bad it is.

Ratchet had treated the wound already, but he had been checking Galaxy’s system and nerves, since they were a lot more delicate than the surface of her body. And while both Orion and D-16 were sitting, the time ticking away felt like it was taking a much longer time. They didn’t know how long Galaxy would be in recharge for as well, and they were really itching to know how serious the injury was. But Orion made sure D-16 didn’t interfere Ratchet, as he wanted to a few times. But Orion reminded him that doing so would only make things worse.

The medic intakes deeply as he gave another injection to the sparkling’s body before he looked over at the two bots. “Okay, Orion, D-16…” Both of them stood up immediately and the medic smiled at them. “You both can relax now. Galaxy is not in any danger, even though she is going to need time to recover.”

Orion walked over to the med berth with relief while looking at Ratchet. “What exactly is the diagnosis? How bad was she shocked?”

“Well…” Ratchet grabbed out the data pad to bring up the data, which made D-16 clench his fists slightly in irritation. “The burn itself is actually not as bad as it looks. I will be bandaging it shortly, and you will have to apply the salve to the wound twice a day to ensure it heals. It shouldn’t take more than a week, but I will be ordering you to bring her back for a check up anyway.” Both Orion and D-16 nod as they understand. “However, there was some damage to her nerves which I have also been able to treat. You will need to have her practice lifting her arm and moving her hand and fingers to ensure that the damage isn’t worse, or there will be need for surgery. I personally don’t want to do that, but her nerves seem rather strong for her age.” That was not good or bad, but it was something they needed to know. “Lastly, some of her systems were affected, but they are already recovering. And don’t worry about the purging before, that was just from the shock and pain. I will be giving you some painkillers, as the nerves will still hurt and she will certainly make it known.”

“How often should we give them to her?” Orion questioned gently. “And should we keep her home for a while?”

Ratchet nodded. “I will send a directive to Darkwing and Elita to inform them that one of you will have to remain home with Galaxy for at least fourteen days. While the burn will heal quicker, it is the nerves that will take the longest and rest is going to be the most important thing. I will have to change that if she does require surgery. She is lucky the wound didn’t get infected.”

Orion sighed in relief. “Good. My spark was beating so quickly. I hope Darkwing can get over it.”

D-16 huffed and shook his head. “Probably not. But this was his fault, so he just has to go with it. After all, medical directives override his authority.”

“He will probably try to get around it, but I assure you both that if you follow these closely, Galaxy will be back to herself in no time. But make sure she doesn’t help with any dangerous equipment in the future. I do not want her to come back injured again.” Orion smiled slightly at Ratchet, as he knew he may not have a choice in the matter and Ratchet knows this too. Ratchet smiled at Orion before picking up a bandage and began to wrap the sparkling’s arm. “You’ll be able to take her home when we are done here. I will give you bandages so you can rewrap her arm after each application of the salve. But you can’t get it damp, so bathing might have to be a sponge bath. Which may or may not be difficult, depending on Galaxy’s feeling on it.”

Orion smiled as he tried to imagine her reaction. “Well, however the case, we will take care of her. I just hope that this won’t cause her to regress too much.”

“Well, it will be inevitable for a short time. She may refuse to recharge in her berth too, but it is going to be something she has to recharge in. Otherwise her nerves may get more damaged with her being in the harness for more than a couple hours.” Orion and D-16 were not looking forward to that battle, even though they couldn’t really do much about it. Ratchet sympathised with the two bots as he knew they would probably be more tired and irritated for a while. “Just make sure you don’t take out your frustration on anyone else. It was an accident.”

D-16 frowned as he folded his arms with a frown. “Pfft, I will not harass Moon, but she will not get any friendly treatment from me for a while. Darkwing may have ordered Galaxy to help Moonracer, but she was the fool to overstep a critical choice for a shortcut. Ugh...” D-16 shook his head. “It’s a good thing she was not picked to be Galaxy’s guardian. She would make these mistakes all the time.”

“That’s not very nice, D. Moon is still learning her trade. She might be a tad clumsy...” Both D-16 and Ratchet gave Orion a knowing look, and Orion rolled his optics. “Okay, so she’s very clumsy, but she is a hard worker. We can’t hold it against her. I’m not. She’s probably already dealing with the fallout from both Darkwing and Elita.”

D-16 hummed as he couldn’t disagree. He certainly did not envy Moon’s position right now, and there was a risk she would be demoted and moved somewhere else. He thought that would be the best option. “Her clumsiness could have done more damage, Pax. I won’t just let it go simply because Darkwing instructed her to watch Galaxy while our daughter helped her. You can be gracious if you want to, Pax, but I won’t be so kind.”

Orion intakes deeply and looked at Ratchet as the medic finished wrapping the sparkling’s arm and moved his equipment away. “Are we able to take Galaxy home yet, Ratchet?”

“In a moment. I’ll get the salve, bandages and pain killers together first, and then you can take your daughter home. And...” Ratchet glanced at the recharging sparkling and looked at Orion. “You should probably bathe her when you get home. The electricity would have dried her joints a bit, so you’ll need to apply oil a few times today, as I can see it being absorbed rather quickly. But that’s not really anything to be too worried about, as long as she is well cared for, which you both have done a tremendous job of doing.”

Orion was pleased by this as that wasn’t a difficult task. He knew the real challenge will start when Galaxy wakes up. “Since we will be leaving soon, how are you going to able to convince Darkwing that both of us will be going home with Galaxy today?”

“Don’t worry about that part, Orion. You just worry about taking care of your daughter while she heals. I will also send you the time off her check up a little later.” Orion and D-16 were pleased with this. Ratchet grabbed a bundle of bandages, a jar of the metal burn salve and pain killers, which was a liquid form. “Oh, I should also say that she may try and refuse this after being given this the first time. It doesn’t taste good.”

D-16 groaned a little. “Great...though at least you’ve warned us about possibly needing to wrestle our sparkling when it comes to taking the pain killers. At least the easiest way to convince her would be to simply with hold it until the pain gets too much.”

“That wouldn’t be nice, D.”

“No, but it would be effective, Pax. I’d rather she take it willingly than fight us, even though she would know that it would ease her discomfort.” Orion shook his head at D-16 as he still disagreed. D-16 smiled at his friend slightly. “Don’t worry, Pax. I would never hurt her.”

“I know.” Orion looked at Ratchet as the medic held out the jar of healing salve, the bandages and pain killers to the two bots. Orion grabbed the salve while D-16 grabbed the bandages and pain killers. Orion slipped the jar into his hip port and stepped closer to the berth. “Are we able to take Galaxy home now, Ratchet? I think she’s been here long enough.”

Ratchet nodded. “Yes, you may.” Orion smiled as he gently picked up the recharging sparkling, cradling her against him and making sure her bandaged arm rested against his chassis so it wouldn’t slip and hit anything. “You two are allowed to head home now. I know you will take good care of her, and hopefully there will not be any further incidents like this for a while…or ever. That would be better.”

Orion and D-16 nod in agreement. “I’ll make sure it will not happen again.” Orion smiled at D-16’s confidence, even though they had zero say over the rules around the city. “At least, to the best of my ability. After all, we just mine energon all day, every day.”

Orion grimaced as he turned around and walked towards the door. “I think we should just focus on caring for Galaxy right now, D-16. We shouldn’t worry about preventing another incident, because it will create additional worry and paranoia. We do not need that right, D.”

“I know…I am just angry. But I will be okay, Pax. Let’s get our daughter home.” Orion smiled at his friend and D-16 looked back at Ratchet. “Thanks, Ratchet. You have done a great job. And I apologize for being rash earlier.”

Ratchet smiled at him, appreciating the bot’s thanks and apology. “You are most welcome, D-16. The only reward from this job is seeing my patients recover from ailments and injuries. And that is what I am expecting to find out when you come back for her check up.”

D-16 hoped that would be the case as they walk into the hallway and proceed to the station. He was a little envious Orion was carrying Galaxy, but there was no reason to fight. He just wanted to bring her home so she would be safe, and he had no idea how the next couple weeks were going to go. At least things could have been a lot worse, and D-16 had to remind himself of that since Galaxy was going to be okay. She just needed the time and rest to recover.

Orion himself was just very relieved that Galaxy was okay. He knew she would be in pain for a little while, but he had confidence that it wouldn’t last too long. He hoped that working on her left arm, she would be able to sign fine when the nerves heal. That was one thing that worried him. They worked so hard to be able to communicate, and to have it taken from them would just be painful to him. So he would take the time to ensure that Galaxy’s nerves would heal and not need surgery.

The two bots were silent as they walk through the medical centre to the train station outside. They did not want to go back to the mines due to it not being necessary right now. Plus, facing Elita and Darkwing was not something they wanted to deal with at the end of the day. Especially while their minds were on their daughter. They did not know how long she would be in recharge for, they expected her to be fussy during the night. But at least they knew she was going to be okay and Ratchet has done a good job.

Stepping out of the door to the train station platform, they saw that the train was not there yet and Orion walked over to sit down, making sure that Galaxy was secure in his arms. He intakes deeply and looked at D as he sat next to him. “We are going to have think of ways how to keep this girl entertained for a couple weeks.”

D-16 smirked before he nodded. “Yeah, I suppose. I was thinking about getting a new toy for her. I saw there were new draconic bot toys, and since she loves them, I was going to get her one. But I am not sure if I should get it today or tomorrow.”

“Today might be best since one of us has to go to the mines tomorrow. So finding the time to get something new for Galaxy as a treat would prove difficult. Especially as Darkwing will be…very angry at the two of us. Even though it was not even our fault.” D-16 hummed as he nodded in agreement. “It is up to you though, D. I prefer to head home to put Galaxy to berth and make sure everything is ready for when she wakes up.” Orion gently caressed the sparkling’s cheek gently. “She will be hungry when she wakes, and irritated. A gift sounds great, but I am unwilling to leave her side today.”

D-16 looked down at Galaxy with a sad smile before he glanced away. “I feel the same, Orion. I want to get her a gift, but I want to stay. It is so strange that I even want to stay with Galaxy and not work in the mines. I’ve worked pretty hard to get where I am, and…I don’t really care at the moment.”

Orion chuckled softly as he understood completely. “I know. Our priorities have changed, and it feels completely normal to worry about Galaxy. And I think that is a good thing. Focusing on the task of mining energon every day is so boring now. You and I are lucky that we have a sparkling to raise.”

D-16 nodded. “Yeah…you are right, Pax. I should be focused on our job so much, but I do it because I know Sentinel Prime is counting on us for support. Without the energon, he would not have the strength to venture to the surface.”

“I wonder if he will locate the Matrix this time.” Orion glanced upward a little, believing that Sentinel was on the surface right now searching for the Matrix of Leadership. “It has been a little while since he came back. Maybe the archives will have the answer.”

D-16 groaned as he looked at Orion with a frown. “Ugh, are you kidding, Pax?” Orion shrugged as he kept his optics upward. D-16 shook his head. “You are unbelievable, you know that? I really hope you don’t even think about going to the archives while Galaxy needs the two of us with her. That would be pretty stupid.”

“I know, I know. I am not going to go when Galaxy needs us the most, D.” D-16 didn’t know if he could believe Orion right now, but he wasn’t going to argue. “But I still can’t help but wonder if there are clues in the archives.”

“You’ve been trying to find clues for a few mini cycles now, Pax. You should let it go and let Sentinel handle it.” D-16 glanced to the right as the train approached. “Ah, about time. At least Darkwing and Elita haven’t reached out. Though I doubt Elita will bother us until later. She’ll probably stop by after her shift is over.”

“Maybe, or she will give us space. Regardless, Elita isn’t even going to be a pain in the aft like Darkwing will be.” Orion stood up as the train slowed as it got closer and both he and D-16 approach the side slowly. “Elita has been very good as an aunt to Galaxy. She loves the femme, and I think Galaxy could become very confident when she gets older too. Even though she will never be able to speak.” When the train stopped and the doors open, both Orion and D-16 stepped inside to take a seat. Orion caressed the sparkling’s forehead gently. “Sometimes I do try to imagine what she would sound like if she could speak.”

D-16 nodded. “Me too. I think she would be soft spoken and have a sweet, innocent tone whenever she would speak. That is how I would imagine her voice to sound like.”

Orion couldn’t disagree, as he thought the same thing. “But we can only imagine that, D. She will never talk. The only way she could would be if Ratchet could figure out a way to fix her vocal processor. But...given we aren’t even allowed to request that, we can just dream of what she would sound like if she could talk. Nonetheless, I will always love her.”

D-16 smiled and looked out the window as the train proceeded forward as he tried to calm his mind. He may look relaxed on the surface, but he really wasn’t on the inside. He was still fuming. But he couldn’t really show it right now. He silently decided that when he returned to the mine, he would vent his anger while drilling. That would make him feel better. It was really the only option he had currently. He did wish he had the same calmness as Orion did though. He didn’t know how Orion could remain this calm regarding their daughter’s injury.

The one thing both of them were going to be grateful for was Galaxy remaining in recharge. They knew she would wake up soon, so getting her to her berth was a priority. At least she will wake up in a familiar, comfortable place. Though it might still scare her, since she will remember the last place she was at, which was the medical centre. So they both hoped that she would calm down quickly when she would wake up. They were definitely mentally preparing for Galaxy to keep them awake during the night.

As the train got closer to the miner quarters, D-16 frowned as he saw Cosmic Dust perched near the main living quarters for the other bots. She was looking around casually. It wasn’t unusual to see the draconic bots perching on different places around Iacon, but this was the first time one of them even decided to do that by the living quarters. “Uh…Pax.” Orion looked at D-16 as soon as he heard the uncertainty in his friend’s voice and looked out the window. “Um, that dragon should be there, should it?”

Orion stared at the draconic bot in shock. It did not appear that Cosmic was waiting for anything though, so it was possible that she just perched there randomly. “Probably not, but we’ve seen her perching in different places, and sometimes the other dragons when Sentinel returns for a bit. I do not know why he doesn’t take her as often as the other two.”

“Maybe she is not as strong as Sky Blade or Firedrake. But hopefully when the train arrives, she will just leave us alone. I don’t know if I like it.” As the train got closer, both bots realized she looked a lot bigger as they got closer. D-16 shuddered a little. “Ugh…I didn’t realize how big she really was either.”

Orion looked down at Galaxy as he knew she would have loved to have seen Cosmic up close, but she was still recharging. He intakes as he stood up as the train slowed down. “We should be fine, D. There is no reason to panic. As long as we are respectful to the dragon, we should be able to head home without any trouble. Any sudden movements may cause a bad reaction, so just stay close and we will be fine.”

D-16 frowned uncertainly. “Maybe we could just stay on the train until it comes around again.”

Orion shook his head. “That is rather foolish, especially as Cosmic could be here when the train comes back. We just need to stay calm, and we will be fine, D. You do not need to get too worked up. If she comes over to investigate, we should just let her.”

D-16 was not as optimistic about this as Orion was. He was very worried and he glanced at Galaxy. “I am not so confident, Pax. This is not…” He gasped when the train stopped and doors opened, and Orion stepped out. D-16 clenched his hands as he followed quickly. “You’re crazy, you know that?!” The dragon, who was perched while looking over the city, turned her head and looked at both of the miners. D-16 and Orion stop as they gaze at her. “Primus…she is huge!”

The dragon let out a low purr as she turned her body towards them. Orion and D-16 both stop in their tracks as the dragon walked towards them, seemingly curious. Though the expression of the dragon was calm, Orion noticed that there was something strange about the grey, blue optics. It was though there wasn’t a presence in them, and he did not know why that would be the case. However, he didn’t focus on that since he held the sparkling protectively in his arms.

“What do we do?” D-16 whispered as the dragon towered over them. “She could rip us in half in a flash.”

“Stay calm, D.” Orion watched the dragon as Cosmic lowered her head, purring softly as she approached them. “Just…let her inspect us and she will be on her way. She will not hurt us if we don’t do anything.” He glanced at Galaxy to see if there was any sign she would wake up, and luckily, there was none. If she woke up and began crying, Orion did not know what Cosmic would do. “But I will say, Cosmic is magnificent up close.”

Cosmic stopped as she was close enough and turned her head slightly to look at them with her right eye. She observed them silently as she could see that the two bots were nervous, and rightly so in the face of the dragon. She purred softly as she turned her head again to sniff them curiously. The two bots tense as the feeling of the large dragon sniffing them was uncomfortable to them. Despite the fact the dragon was not attacking them, they were still nervous. Especially as they’ve never been this close to a dragon before.

Cosmic sniffed before she pulled before slightly and her head twitched, while her optics flashed and they seemed to change to full blue. “What is happening to her?” D-16’s voice was still soft as he didn’t want to make the dragon snap. “It is like…she is reacting to something.”

“I know.” Orion frowned a little as he was also confused. The dragon stopped twitching, though the optics were now a bright blue and she looked at Orion before the dragon glanced at Galaxy in his arms. “Though I do not know if…” Orion gasped and took a step back as the dragon moved her head closer and he widened his optics as Cosmic gently nuzzled the sparkling’s cheek with the tip of her snout. “Oh, Primus…” The dragon purred softly and Orion noticed tears filling the dragon’s optics. “Huh? Cosmic?”

Cosmic glanced at Orion when he spoke to her and she gazed at his optics intently before she lifted her muzzle slightly to gently nuzzle his cheek. Orion was frozen, even though it was extremely gentle. And then he was startled when she suddenly whispered. “Thank you for caring for her.”

Orion frowned as hearing the soft, gentle voice from Cosmic confused him. He stared at her as she pulled her head back. “What…what do you mean by that?”

“Huh?” D-16 looked at Orion in confusion. “Did she…speak?”

Orion looked at D-16 in surprise. “You did not hear her?” He shook his head and Orion looked back at Cosmic as she seemed to smile before grimacing and the collar around her neck seemed to tighten, making her body quiver. Orion frowned as that was not something that has happened before. Cosmic’s optics flicker again and her head twitched before her optics seemed to return to the grey blue. She stared at the two bots before she huffed and opened her wings, jumping upward and beating her wings to fly away. Orion watched her as he was confused. “That was just…” He placed his hand on his cheek as he never thought he would experience that in his lifetime. “Interesting.”

D-16 nodded before frowning. “Why didn’t she nuzzle my cheek too?”

Orion shrugged as he did not know. “I am afraid I don’t know, and I don’t know if you should be jealous. However…I’m confused now.”

D-16 frown deepened as they both proceed towards their home as they both were shaken from that. “What do you mean? How would that confuse you? Just because Cosmic was here?”

“No, that is not what I meant. I just…did you see the collar around her neck? It did something.”

D-16 shrugged, as he did notice that. “So? Maybe she was out of line. It has nothing to do with us. I think we should keep what just happened to ourselves.”

“Yeah…I agree…but…” Orion looked back up to see Cosmic was flying higher towards the council tower and he looked to the door of their home. “It just seemed odd, that is all. It looked like that it hurt. And Sentinel Prime is not a cruel bot, so…I don’t know.”

“Don’t tell me you are somehow losing trust or something?”

Orion smiled slightly and shook his head. “Of course not! I certainly did not mean to say that I might have lost trust in Sentinel Prime, because I still trust him. I guess I am just confused at the moment. Especially as…you didn’t hear her, but Cosmic spoke to me.”

D-16 didn’t even know if Cosmic had actually spoken, even though it was clear the Orion has indicated that she did. “Are you even sure she spoke or did you think she did because it sounded like she had spoken?”

“Don’t tell me you think I am crazy?” Orion questioned in surprise and D-16 shrugged, not knowing how to answer that. Orion sighed deeply as he shook his head. “I suppose if I was the only one to hear her speak, I guess I’m apparently the crazy one…ugh...still, you can’t deny that was strange.”

“I am not. But I also think you are reading way too much into it as well, Pax. So I think we should just try to relax.” They reach the door to their living quarter and opened it. “We aren’t the ones who deal with the draconic bots every single day, Pax. So I don’t think we need to really worry about it.”

“Maybe.” Orion intakes deeply as he glanced around the room as he proceeded over to the berth. “Though I am sure Galaxy will find it intriguing that we met a draconic bot today. That might cheer her up when she wakes up.”

D-16 doubted it, as Galaxy might end up being jealous. But he understood why Orion would want to tell Galaxy about it. It would be something that may make her feel better. But it also may not. Regardless, D-16 walked over to the other side of the berth as Orion looked at the sparkling in his arms and kissed her forehead before laying her onto the berth and covering her with the blankets. He placed her draconic toy underneath her right arm and smiled, knowing she was okay.

D-16 leaned down and kissed Galaxy’s forehead as well before he grabbed out the bandages and pain killers from his hip ports to find a place to put them. Both he and Orion now had to wait for Galaxy to wake up. And with all the additional stress of what just happened, both of them took turns taking a shower to not only clean up from the small amount of work they had done in the mines today, but also to relax. Though while D-16 was able to relax some more, Orion couldn’t help but think about the odd encounter with Cosmic Dust. It was by far the most unusual thing to happen. That silver dragon seemed to know Galaxy. And he didn’t know why she would. Unless Cosmic also knew Galaxy’s parents. That was the only other thing Orion could think of, despite the fact that he now had more questions that needed answering.

Chapter Text

“ARE YOU KIDDING?!” Sentinel’s voice boomed in anger as Airachnid reported about the incident of the sparkling being injured in the mines. “Please tell me that our plans do not need to change, Airachnid…” He rubbed his forehead in frustration as they stood in the council chambers as he had been preparing to send Cosmic into the mines, but this was a set back. “If it does, I am really not going to be happy about these changes. We need to know if this Galaxy is Ignited Galaxy!”

Airachnid was giving Sentinel Prime a sympathetic expression. “I am afraid I am not lying to you, Sentinel. It would seem that the cogless bot, Moonracer, made a simple error by not following the correct protocol, which caused the injury. And…” She looked at the data pad in her hand as she was looking at the medical report Ratchet had put into the system. “The sparkling has been given the order to remain home with her guardians to recover. It is a set back, Sentinel, but…” Airachnd looked at her leader as he huffed and began to pace in front of her. “I know you plan to…uh, act like you have returned from the surface without the Matrix soon, but I still believe we can go through with the plan. We just have to wait until the sparkling returns to the mines after she heals.”

Sentinel exhaled loudly as was angry about the set back. “This is so frustrating!” He shook his head as he still paced in front of Airachnid. “If it weren’t for the dragons being able to hide their sparkling for so long, I could have had Wraith’s direct descendent already! Same with Comet! If he hadn’t ripped out his own spark…” He clenched his fists. “I probably could have used him to eventually defeat the Quintessons and be named the saviour of our planet. That would have been the most ideal situation for me!”

“I agree things haven’t exactly worked out in favor, Sentinel. But you have done tremendous work, and I think you should be proud. After all, we now have four dragons under our control…” Airachnid glanced at the four dragons that were laying by the wall and they were waiting for an order. “Even if one of them is young, I have already figured out she is related to Oranos. Not directly, but she is a relation to him, which means she could have some of his unique abilities.”

Sentinel was pleased by this as he looked over at the pink dragon. “Maybe you could see if she has foresight, because that would be the most useful trait from the dragon.”

“I am afraid that wouldn’t be possible, Sentinel. The gift of foresight does not seem to be a genetic trait in the draconic bots, but rather a gift from Primus himself. I am unable to grant that for you.” Sentinel grimaced as he had hoped that would be something they could get, but he couldn’t do much about it. Airachnid tapped on the data pad to bring up Scorched Flare’s information. “I am referring to the unique breath abilities that are also filled with the power of light itself. Like the light of the sun, so to speak. It is unique, and it is a shame Oranos never used it when we defeated him so long ago.”

Sentinel could not help but chuckle softly. “Probably because I don’t think he would have been able to use those powers without the collar on him. Sometimes I wish I put one on him, but that was my decision to make.” He intakes deeply as he thought about the situation. “Hmm…send word to Darkwing.” Airachnid raised an eyebrow while smirking slightly. “Since Moonracer caused harm to a sparkling, regardless of it being an accident, that is considered punishable. Have her demoted to waste management, but have her tasked with tearing apart old, greasy, rusty machinery that is difficult and harsh on the body. She will wish she had not made a shortcut.” Airachnid chuckled as Sentinel’s order amused her. “Though I do not know who could take over for her with the energon processors.”

“I think Darkwing can handle that part. I shall send that order to him now.” Airachnid turned away before she stopped and looked back at Sentinel. “At least the sparkling is not going anywhere, Sentinel. Despite the set back, Galaxy is still with those two guardians.”

“Mmm, I know. I just dislike my plans getting scrapped even if it is not intentional.” Sentinel placed his hands behind his back as he stopped pacing as he thought about the plan. He intakes deeply as he thought over his idea. “I suppose this is good, in some way. Because we then can work out the plan a little better.”

“I would agree. I noticed something strange about Cosmic’s patrol yesterday.” Sentinel turned to face Airachnid suddenly and glared at her as she had not told him until now. Airachnid bowed her head slightly. “I apologise, Sentinel. I know you would want me to tell you much sooner, but I was investigating. Something happened with the collar yesterday.”

Sentinel narrowed his optics slightly. “And why didn’t you tell me straight away?”

“Because the strange anomaly I found in the diagnostic is still unknown. And...the collar itself around her neck seems to be...acting strange. Like it it is weakening.” Sentinel widened his optics and he looked at Cosmic. She was sitting while simply staring at the wall like she has always done since he put the collar on her. Airachnid looked at the dragon too. “I do not see any change in her behaviour. But it seems the readings we used to get from her are gone. All we have now is nothing being transmitted from the collar, and I do not know where this happened. Her location when this anomaly occurred was not logged into the system. I have been working trying to fix it.”

Sentinel did not like it. The Quintessons had reassured Sentinel that the collars would last, and the dragons couldn’t overpower them. But even the most advanced technology can lose its bite, and these collars have not been replaced since he put them on. And since it has been almost fifty cycles, it has been an extremely long time since, and it would make sense. But it also made Sentinel fearful as the dragons could imitate being controlled by him until they could turn on him and reveal the truth to the city. Despite Airachnid being knowledgeable about the collars, he could not help but worry.

“You had better do a thorough check, Airachnid. Or sending Cosmic into the mines is pointless without us knowing how she reacts. Plus, Cosmic is the weakest out of the three we caught! How could she be the first to even break free?!” Sentinel turned as he glared at the silver dragon before he smirked and walked over. He wanted to see if she was breaking free or not. Picking up a silver prod that he uses on the dragons regularly that was filled with plasma, which burns the surface of any transformer or dragon and he used it mainly to torture the dragons. He raised it as he got closer to Cosmic, and she did not flinch. “Cosmic...” The dragon turned her head when addressed. “Are you hiding something from me? That isn’t nice.” The dragon just stared at him when an emotionless expression that he was accustomed to. Sentinel stared at the grey blue optics for any sign before striking the right side of the dragon’s neck, making her hiss with a grimace. “Come now, don’t be shy, Cosmic. If you are somehow breaking free, I will make sure to fix that. I don’t need you ripping me in half when I’m paying attention.” Still no reaction, despite the burn on the side of her neck. He struck the same place, making the dragon hiss and growl in pain, moving her front paws slightly to steady herself. Sentinel kept watching as the burn on her neck began to bleed. “This could be a fun game, I guess. But is it worth your life?” Sentinel struck the dragon’s neck again, and Cosmic lowered her head in submission, like she’s always done from being hit with the prod. Sentinel sighed and walked closer to inspect the collar. It was not damage, and it looked like it had dug further into the metal, though he couldn’t tell. Sentinel sighed as he was already bored and placed a hand on the side of the dragon’s neck to rub. “I guess you’re just a drone still. Oh well. We will get it sorted, Cosmic.”

Airachnid was watching intently for anything unusual, and there was not any. “I shall get to work straight away when I send the message to Darkwing.”

“You had better, Airachnid.” Sentinel threw the prod onto a nearby table and rubbed his forehead. “And now the Quintessons are getting angrier, and we have to prepare the next shipment for them. It just feels like things are mounting on top of each other. So please...” Sentinel stopped in front of Airachnid as he looked her directly in the optics. “Make sure that Cosmic’s collars is functional. I will not go to the Quintessons about the issue, since they will prefer to kill the dragon than to solve the issue.”

Airachnid nodded affirmatively. “I will make sure that it is functional, Sentinel. You have my word.” She turned and walked away to proceed with what she needed to do. After all, they had a computer specifically for the collars, and that is where she was going to go to after she’s informed Darkwing of the order.

Sentinel intakes deeply as he was very worked up by everything. He hated that it was starting to feel like things were going to crumble after such a long time. He did not want that to happen. He glanced back at Cosmic, not caring that the wound on her neck was still bleeding. It wasn’t much, and she would heal, so he wasn’t worried at all. He hoped she was not going to break free from it. And he also hoped that Sky Blade and Firedrake do not have the same issue, as it could just be one collar.

Deciding he needed some high grade energon to reduce the stress, Sentinel walked out of the room in a huff. With his back turned, Cosmic turned her head to look at him and she couldn’t help but smirk. While it was true that the collar had worked, but overtime, the drugs within the collar wore off. Her body built an immunity, but it took a long time. And she hated being a passenger in her own body. But she also learned how to be an emotionless creature from it. It allowed her to observe silently, and she also knew that Firedrake and Sky Blade were experiencing the same thing. But they never made it known.

Though the day before was when the collar’s power seemed to weaken when Cosmic sniffed Galaxy’s scent. She had seen Orion and D-16 with the sparkling a few times, and she had suspected that it was her sister’s daughter. And yesterday confirmed it. And she was able to cause a light shock around the collar, which had clearly caused a malfunction in the system that reads her mind and pings her location. Cosmic did not know she caused that, but she was glad. And it was a win against Sentinel. But she had to keep up the act. After all, Cosmic knew that by doing anything would expose Galaxy and put her in danger. And the two bots who were raising her too. She felt terrible for them, but there nothing she could do right now. She could only wait.

Meanwhile...

Galaxy grimaced as her cheeks were wet from the tears rolling down her cheeks as she has been in discomfort for the past few hours. She has had some pain killers already, but her arm was still sore. The nerves in her arm have ached since she woke up the day before. She was terrified when she woke up, even though she saw she was home. It took Orion and D-16 a couple hours to calm her down and explain that she was going to be okay. She was happy about that, but a young sparkling in pain and discomfort was not necessarily the quietest sparkling around. She has had trouble recharging, and while she does sign with her left hand as a form of exercise, it hurt a lot.

She was whimpering as Orion was gently applying the salve to her burn, which stung upon touching the burn. She was mostly crying because D-16 had offered to go to the mines today, and Orion agreed, but she wanted both of them to stay home. Even after they explained that only one of them could stay home, she was still upset. There was little that could be done though. But Galaxy just couldn’t stop herself from being hysterical over not having D-16 home. He was extremely reluctant to leave, but Darkwing shrieked at both D-16 and Orion through the com link because he believed that they were late, so there was little to be done.

Orion smiled as he finished and he looked at the sparkling. “All done for now.” She sniffled as she nodded while he grabbed a bandage to wrap around her arm. “I know it stings a bit. Give it another day or two, and it won’t sting or itch. You will see.”

Galaxy lifted her right arm to sign. ‘I wish my nerves would feel like the burn. They hurt more than the burn does.’

Orion softened his expression as he knew that. “I wish I could help. I’ve already told Ratchet that the pain killers aren’t strong enough, and he should arrive sometime today with a new bottle. Hopefully, that one will help. That way you can recharge easier.” Galaxy smiled a little as she was hoping for that. “Would you like me to bring out a few more toys for you to play with?”

Galaxy shook her head and signed some more. ‘I do not want to play. I just want you to hold me all day, daddy. There might be something that we could watch on the screen.’

Orion was unsurprised and he understood. “Very well. Finding something to do will be what we will think about over the next week, so I am sure we will be okay. And, when your arm gets better and the pain goes away, we can play instead of watching a show.”

Galaxy couldn’t really confirm if that would happen, but she hoped that it would. It wasn’t very often she could play with Orion and D-16, so this was good in a lot of ways. But it was a result of a mistake. And as Moon has actually come over to apologize, she felt bad that Moon was put in this position. It was just an accident after all, and she couldn’t feel anger to her. She felt anger to Darkwing though.

Orion soon finished wrapping g Galaxy’s arm and she felt a little better. “There we go. That would feel a lot better.” She nodded and Orion picked her up, as she was sitting on her berth due to it being comfortable for Galaxy to sit on. Orion held her against his hip as she laid her head on his shoulder. She flinched when he grabbed the blanket off the berth and wrapped it around her. “There we go. I bet that is going to feel a lot nicer.”

Galaxy was surprised because it felt like she was being pampered extra and she smiled at him. Orion did tend to be a little more tender when it came to caring for her. That didn’t mean D-16 didn’t have his strength too. He was more protective of her, which has shown in his reaction to her injury. But he was also rather silly. Because when she had been sick before, the way that D got her to calm down the first time was by making faces at her, which made her laugh uncontrollably, and especially when he would play Where’s the Sparkling with her, and she even was scared a couple times, but only because he made a face that startled her, but she laughed it off. Orion never did that, but he has witnessed and he was amused.

Orion made sure that the blanket was secure and he picked up her draconic toy before walking over to the sofa to sit down. He turned on the screen to see that there was a news report currently on. Galaxy didn’t pay attention to it as he had her on his lap and she had her cheek on his chassis with his arms around her. She murmured softly to herself, feeling happy that she was close to him. Even though the worry of Sentinel finding her was still on her mind.

“I suppose this is one way to pass the time. We don’t need to learn sign anymore, so we won’t need to do that. And there are no races on, so we can scratch that.” Galaxy smiled as she listened to Orion check off the things that he couldn’t watch. “And sparkling shows are non existent, unfortunately. But I doubt you would want to watch them anyway. I heard they used to be fantastic.” Orion was right about that. She just wanted to be close to him. She sniffled softly as the ache in her arm was still bothering her. He rubbed her back gently, knowing he had to wait for Ratchet to bring the pain killers for her. “It will be okay, Galaxy. I am here. I can’t imagine the pain you are feeling in the nerves right now, but I am here. You will be okay.”

Orion’s reassurance was sweet. And laying against him while wrapped in the blanket was just another reassurance, and while she was in pain, it didn’t feel so bad. Orion hoped she would be able to recharge sometime today, as they previous night was hard. Both he and D-16 were tired due to the sparkling being unable to settle, and she tried to get her way with recharging in the harness. But they both had to tell her that Ratchet said no, and it would make her arm hurt worse otherwise. And Galaxy had no choice but to listen, even though it was hard on her.

At least she has calmed down a lot, so she was able to listen to the two bots better, and she wasn’t as hysterical. But when the pain in her arm does get worse, it makes it hard for her to remain settled. Hopefully, the new pain killers would be better and she could get recharge. Plus, she has refused to ingest low grade energon, which does have Orion and D-16 concerned, since she will need it to help her recover faster from the injury and make her nerves stronger too.

Orion rubbed Galaxy’s back as he watched the news report quietly while she relaxed for an hour until they both hear the alert from the front door. Orion smiled as he knew who it was. “Ratchet is finally here.” Galaxy murmured softly as he stood up and walked to the front door, making sure Galaxy was comfortable as he didn’t want to upset her. He opened the door to find the medic waiting outside. “Hello, Ratchet. Thanks for coming. Galaxy hasn’t been too comfortable, even with the pain killers you already prescribed.”

Ratchet smiled as he stepped inside and Orion let the medic in as Ratchet looked around for a moment. “It is okay. It is my fault for misjudging how low a sparkling’s pain tolerance is. I’ve readjusted it now, and I hope it will make life a little easier for everyone.” He pulled out the bottle from his hip port and shook it gently as he grabbed out a syringe. “She can have some now.” Galaxy turned her head to look at him. “And I am sorry, but this one won’t taste much better either.”

Galaxy grimaced as she looked at the syringe as Ratchet filled it with the blue liquid. She had nearly purged it the first time she tasted it, and she didn’t like it, but it helped ease the pain. Even though it wasn’t a hundred percent like they had hoped it would be, but it still helped. She whimpered as she didn’t look forward to ingesting it, even if it was going to help with the pain.

Ratchet held out the syringe to Orion. “Here you go. That’s the dose size you can give her. It should cover her pain for most of the day.”

Orion took the syringe and he felt Galaxy tensing against him. He looked at her sympathetically. “I know, I know. It tastes horrid. But I think you would rather not be in pain. So please, don’t refuse it.” Galaxy whimpered as she stared at the syringe before she relented and opened her mouth to accept the syringe. Orion was pleased as he placed the tip in her mouth and pushed on the syringe. Galaxy grimaced immediately at the sour, zesty flavour of the liquid. Orion didn’t waste time though, so once the syringe was empty, Galaxy swallowed it and shuddered. “Good. You should feel less pain soon.” Galaxy bored her face into his shoulder, making Orion chuckle and he looked at Ratchet. “Thank you. I can let you know if she still feels pain.”

“That will be fine, except that she has been given the highest dosage that is the safest for a sparkling. So if she still feels pain, I highly doubt it would be terribly painful. Besides, the pain for the nerves should ease over the next few days and you can go back to the original one I prescription.” Orion nodded with a smile and Ratchet glanced at the sparkling. “At least she seems to be doing fine.”

“The only thing is that she has refused to ingest any energon.”

Ratchet smiled at Orion, seeing the concern in his optics. “That would be the pain, Orion. She feels so much pain that she doesn’t was energon. I guarantee that when the pain eases, she will want to drink. Do not worry too much, Orion. You have already done a marvellous job.”

Orion was relieved, because he was worried that she would starve. “Good. I guess we just have to wait. Hopefully, it will mean that after a few more days, she will want energon regularly.” Ratchet nodded affirmatively and Orion could not help but kiss the top of Galaxy’s head. “Thank you, Ratchet. I had been very worried, and now you have eased my concern. Ill make sure to tell D as well later.”

Ratchet smiled at him. “Good to know. I hope you will be able to get some recharge tonight as well. I can see you are rather tired.” Orion chuckled as he could deny or hide it. “But that is what happens when you raise a sparkling. Recharge is an option, but you are lucky she recharges well.” Ratchet intakes deeply and placed the new bottle of pain killers onto the table. “I had better get back to the medical centre. I do not need any other the higher medics getting angry about my absence.”

Orion nodded. “Thanks again for bringing that with you, Ratchet. We really appreciate it, and I know Galaxy will appreciate it as well once she feels a bit better soon.”

“It should kick in, in about ten to fifteen minutes. So you’ll know by then.” Ratchet glanced at Galaxy as the sparkling turned her head slightly to look at him. “Now you be a good little sparkling, Galaxy. I shall see you in a week for you check up to see how your arm is. I have no doubt you’ll heal very quickly, my young friend.” She smiled and hid her face in Orion’s shoulder again and Ratchet turned with a chuckle, walking towards the door. “I hope the rest of your day will be a bit more peaceful, Orion. When she feels less pain, have her do some exercises with her arm and fingers to ensure to strengthen those nerves.”

Orion huffed a laugh. “You never leave without reminding us of what they need to do to get better. I hope that never changes.”

Ratchet shrugged as he glanced back with a smirk. “I am just doing my job, Orion Pax. Otherwise, I would be a terrible medic and I would never be able to do house visits like this.”

“I know. I was just teasing you, Ratchet. I can handle it from here.” Ratchet nodded as he walked out of the door and both Orion and Galaxy were alone. Orion intakes softly as he grabbed the bottle to put away before walking back over to the couch and sat down. “Let me know if you feel better soon, Galaxy. And ig you want, I can get you some energon.”

Galaxy nodded as she relaxed her cheek on his shoulder while waiting for the pain killers to kick in and ease the pain in her arm. If Ratchet was right, it should be very soon that she should feel it. She hoped so. Especially as she knew she should have energon, even if she hasn’t felt hungry. She just didn’t want to feel sick from ingesting it due to the pain causing her to feel nauseous. So waiting seemed like the best option.

Orion himself stared at the screen before he looked away and stared at the wall as he thought about the previous day. The brief interaction he had with Cosmic has played on his mind a lot. When he did not need to focus on Galaxy, his mind went to that. And now that he could sit and think quietly, Orion pondered. Questions were piling in his mind and he could not help but feel a sense of confusion. And he wondered if what he was thinking was wrong too, despite the fact that none of the dragons ever approached them before.

However, he knew from his knowledge from the archives that the dragons weren’t raging beasts in the past. And yet, Sentinel had made it clear that they were not friendly anymore. So Cosmic’s actions the previous day has left a sense of doubt in his spark, and he felt uncomfortable about feeling it. He has not spoken of it yet. He still trusted Sentinel, but he also wondered if Sentinel only told a part of the story so that the bots in Iacon wouldn’t have to worry. That seemed to make the most sense to him.

“While we wait for the pain killers to kick in, Galaxy, I have something to tell you. And I know you are going to be…” Orion paused as he looked down at Galaxy to see her optics were closed and he realized she had fallen into recharge. Orion could not help but smile as seeing Galaxy relaxed and recharging against him was good. He had wanted to feed her first, but it seemed she couldn’t fight feeling tired. Orion immediately lowered his voice. “Alright, I will tell you a little bit later, Galaxy.”

Orion stood up slowly to make sure he did not wake the sparkling as he walked over to her berth quietly and gently lowered her onto the berth. He made sure she was tucked in as the sparkling rolled a little onto her right side and stuck her thumb into her mouth, making Orion chuckle softly as she looked so cute. He made sure the draconic toy was right beside her and he guessed that the pain killers were definitely working due to the fact that the sparkling was now in recharge.

Orion stepped away from the berth and yawned lightly, feeling tired himself. He was tempted to have a bit of recharge too, in case the next night was going to be difficult. Orion thought more about the draconic bots and he walked over to a window, looking out as his optics locked onto the Iacon archives that could be seen from home. He stared at it as he wondered if there was more information there. After all, he’s learned so much about the draconic bots, and he was also searching for clues of the Matrix. The temptation to go there again was strong, but he would not abandon Galaxy to go to it. He would need to wait a little while, and he was okay with it. Even though his mind was not calm and it was full of questions that need answering.

Chapter Text

D-16 was sitting on the sofa with a couple cubes in his right hand while he was cradling Galaxy in his left arm. She was currently recharging, but she was awake when he returned home. He was exhausted, but he also had news to tell them. When Orion and Galaxy heard that Moonracer has been demoted due to her mistake, both of them felt awful for her. They had guessed that Moon would get reprimanded for what happened, but the demotion to a much lower position did come as a shock. And there has not been a replacement found just yet either. But there was suspicion the either Wheeljack or Bulkhead would take over, but it was unknown.

Placing a cube in his mouth, D-16 intakes deeply. “I have to admit, Pax.” Orion looked at his friend as he was sitting on D’s left side as Galaxy had wanted to sit between them before she fell into recharge. “As much as I was fuming about Moonracer’s carelessness, I actually feel bad for what has happened to her. Punishment was warranted, but I think it was extremely on Darkwing to do that.”

Orion nodded. “I agree. However...there are laws regarding injuries to sparklings. And unfortunately, Darkwing does have to uphold that. And...Moon made a bad decision would could have caused more damage to Galaxy than what has been done. It is actually very lucky there will be no permanent damage. As long as we keep Galaxy exercising her arm to avoid surgery.”

“I know. I am finding it strange that the decision was made today instead of right after the incident. I guess a decision had to be finalised.” D-16 put another cube into his mouth to ingest and he relaxed against the sofa while looking at the screen of a current news report. “On the bright side, Darkwing no longer wants Galaxy to assist with whoever will be overseeing the processors. He wants to avoid another incident.”

Orion was pleased with that outcome, as he still felt it was extremely harsh that Darkwing would make the sparkling help with the repair. “Hopefully, this means that any future accidents that involve Galaxy causing it unintentionally won’t involve such a punishment. He should be leaving that up to us to deal with. He’s not her guardian.”

“I know. It would be great, but I think you and I both know that Darkwing probably won’t do that. As much as we want to deal with Galaxy, he will still have his opinion.” D-16 shook his head and rubbed his cheek with a frown. “He angered my gears today too.”

“Why did he punch you, again?”

D-16 shrugged with a sigh. “No idea, but apparently it was for me being late because I was helping you with Galaxy this morning. He is becoming more of a glitch, I swear.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “Something has been on his mind, that is for sure. Ever since we were even made guardians of Galaxy, it seems he is under more stress or something. I wish he wouldn’t take it out on us.”

“Hmmph! Maybe he just doesn’t like that there is a sparkling around and he has to deal with the added rules that come with it. If only he could handle it like Elita has.”

Orion smirked slightly at his friend. “Unfortunately, the big difference between those two is that Elita is in a different position than he is. She has less to deal with than Darkwing does. So I don’t think we should compare the too.”

“Maybe, but I can’t help that feeling.” D-16 glanced down at the recharging sparkling as he smiled at her. Galaxy’s cheek was resting against his chassis as she was wrapped her the blanket while holding her draconic toy and sucking her thumb. “I wonder if she is deep in recharge enough that I can take her to the berth.”

Orion’s smirk widened. “Good luck, D. She’s rather a light recharger at the moment. The new pain killers that Ratchet prescribed have done well, and she’s got a tank full of energon now. But...even so...I have found she is still restless. So good luck. I was holding her a few hours ago too, and I only managed to stand up before she woke up. It was only right after Ratchet left I was able to put her to berth for an hour before she woke up.”

D-16 sighed with a chuckle. “It’s a good thing we aren’t dealing with the new born phase.”

“No, but it kind of feels like it.” Orion hummed a little as he thought of something. “And do you know what I’ve realized?” D-16 looked at Orion with a curious expression. “It only clicked in my processor today that we don’t know what day her spark day is.”

D-16 widened his optics. “Oh, scrap. You’re right. My spark day was not so long ago, and we celebrated yours a few mini cycles ago...it should be coming up to Galaxy’s spark day now.” D-16 felt bad and he frowned a little. “Wouldn’t it be a little bit awkward to ask?”

Orion shook his head. “I don’t think so. I am surprised she never told us. But...” Orion paused for a moment before his expression softened. “She may have kept quiet due to the fact that her birth parents are gone.”

“Oh...but...she knows we would love to celebrate with her.”

“I’m sure she does, but that seems to be the most logical reason to me. I know she misses them. I’ve seen many times where she would be playing and then she would get sad over something. She has every right to feel that way, even if she loves us both.” Orion did want to celebrate Galaxy’s spark day, but he also recognized the truth. He was not her biological parent, nor was D-16. “If she feels she isn’t ready to celebrate it with us, we need to respect it, D. Galaxy is very bright and aware, much more than I would expect from a sparkling her age. I don’t think she would like it if we force her to celebrate.”

D-16 hummed softly as he agreed with Orion. He disliked not celebrating Galaxy, but he understood. “I guess we will have to...wait and see. We should ask her when she feels better. I think it would be awkward to ask while she is recovering.”

“I agree. Though I do plan on getting her a gift when she recovers.”

“Another toy?” D-16 asked sarcastically and Orion rolled his optics at him. “She has so many now. But it is a nice idea. Too bad we both can’t go searching for one to surprise her. But she at least will get something to make the whole experience seem better than it has been for her.”

“That is the whole idea. Maybe, whoever goes to the mines at the end of next week, goes to the stores after their shift and brings home the toy as a surprise. I think that would be the best way to end the week, plus it would also make working in the mines all day away from Galaxy feel worth it.” D-16 liked that idea immediately and he nodded with a smile. Orion was glad that he did like it. “I’m glad you agree. I can’t say it will be you or me, but it will be great.”

“Yeah, it will be.” D-16 was already looking forward to it, but it made him realize that the days are going to feel long until that point. “Ugh...hopefully time will go by quickly.” Orion nodded in agreement as he looked back at the screen before glancing to the side. D-16 raised an eyebrow as he noticed Orion seemed distracted. “Are you okay? You have seemed quieter today? Or are you just tired from last night?”

Orion intakes deeply. “Sort of. But...my mind has been thinking a lot about Cosmic.”

D-16 rolled his optics at that comment. “I honestly have no clue why you are still hung up on her being at our doorstep. It was a one time occurrence, and we got off lightly, as far as I was concerned. You need to let it go.”

“But I can’t. I just cannot let it go or ignore what happened, like you can, D.” D-16 frowned at Orion and Orion smiled at him. “Why can’t you even find a glint of curiosity of what happened?”

“Because I stay on protocol. That’s something you have always struggled with. Which is why you run off to the archives and I have to cover your aft if they try to catch you.” Orion exhaled as he didn’t respond and D-16’s frown deepened. “Usually, when you are like this, you will end up at the archives. I dare hope you will not put Galaxy’s health in jeopardy for your own curiosity.”

Orion shook his head. “I would never do that, D. I will not deny that I want to go back. But I will wait.” D-16 groaned deeply as he knew he could not stop Orion from going where he is not meant to go. “I know I won’t find answers about Cosmic’s behaviour in the archives. But I already  know that the dragons weren’t mindless beasts. And what we experienced was not what a mindless beast should do. You know this too.”

“Sure, I know that. But one instance is not going to change everything that we know.”

“Maybe. But...I want to know more. Maybe...though I have gone through everything about the draconic bots now. I’m more focused on wanting to help Sentinel find the Matrix. But it still is on my mind about that interaction. It has my gears turning so much that I could get a headache.” Orion rubbed the sides of his helm. “I promise not to do anything reckless.”

“Mmhmm, and how many times have you said that?” D-16 stared at Orion as he tried counting with his fingers. “Don’t even do that, Pax! You can’t even count how many times on your fingers, because it’s just too much!”

Orion smiled as he raised his hands at D-16. “Alright, alright. I was just being sarcastic.” He glanced down at Galaxy when she murmured and shifted against D-16, immediately making the two bots guilty for almost waking her. Orion lowered his voice instantly. “We should save this conversation for another time. At least we don’t have to go to the briefings at the moment.”

D-16 agreed, even though he was still angry at Orion thinking about Cosmic. He had thought that Orion would have moved passed it, but he was clearly thinking about it too much. He just hoped that Orion wouldn’t lose focus in the mines when he goes there the next day. After all, they all knew a small mistake could cause a major catastrophe. And they did not want to cause a mistake like Moon did.

“I don’t think there will ever be a good moment, so let’s just bury this and not bring it up again. That’s way better than talking about it. I am already tired of it.” D-16 looked down at Galaxy as she shifting some more. He rubbed her back gently, hoping to soothe her enough to stay in recharge. But it seemed that he couldn’t as she opened her yellow optics, blinking wearily. “Sorry, Galaxy. We didn’t mean to wake you.” Orion looked at the sparkling as she stretched her arms with a yawn. “We should have been more mindful.”

Galaxy murmured as she rubbed her optics before lifting her hands to sign. ‘You speak too loud, dadda. I do not know what you were talking about, but I was recharging deeply. Now my arm hurts a little again.’

“Ah, the pain killers are wearing off a little. They’ve lasted far longer than the last one.” Orion slipped off the sofa to make his way over to the cabinet where the pain killers were kept. “Maybe the pain also woke you up, Galaxy. But I guess it is true. I do have a big mouth.”

Galaxy giggled as D-16 cradled her in his arms before he stood up. He was smiling as well, as Orion’s comment amused him as well. “It’s about time he admitted it, too.”

Galaxy was still giggling at D-16 as she looked at him with a tired smile and she signed to him. ‘He did not need to admit something you already knew.’ D-16 rolled his optics in amusement. She was still smiling before she murmured for a moment and signed again. ‘I am hungry.’

D-16 was happy to hear that, as even though Galaxy was feeling pain right now, she was also hungry. “Good. You’ll probably fall back into recharge from that.” Galaxy nodded in agreement and D-16 looked at Orion as he was filling a syringe. “But only after we have given you the pain killers, I can feed you.”

“Ah, our little one is hungry, huh?” Orion looked at D-16 as the silver bot nodded and Orion was very happy to hear that. “Good. She has only had one bottle today, and that was only after she didn’t feel pain in her arm thanks to the pain killers, so another is really good. Especially after not ingesting the energon for a couple days.”

“I know. So I am definitely not going to deny you filling your tank.” Orion placed the bottle down and turned to D-16, and Galaxy grimaced when she saw the syringe. “But I agree. Only after you have taken this, then you can fill your tank. It will not take too long, and it will not hurt you. Even if it tastes terrible.”

Galaxy was still grimacing that she had to take it as she hated the taste of it. She knew it was needed so she wouldn’t be in pain, but she wished it didn’t taste so terrible. Orion walked over with the syringe and gave it to D. She intakes deeply as he held it near her mouth and she opened her mouth, closing her optics as he pushed the liquid in. She whimpered as she quickly swallowed the pain killers and shuddered, while almost gagging at the taste of it. She nuzzled against D’s shoulder as he gave the syringe back to Orion so he could wash it.

“All done. Let’s get your energon.” D-16 walked over to the cooling containment to get out one of the bottles. Galaxy was still fussing a little over the taste of the pain killers, but she wasn’t overly fussy, which was good. He grabbed out a bottle and moved the tip to Galaxy’s lips, and she immediately latched on. “How do you feel about me keeping you company all day tomorrow?”

Galaxy smiled at him as she signed to him. ‘It will be great. Daddy did a great job today. I feel bad that I was not able to recharge last night, and that is why you are tired. But Ratchet did a good job today and now my arm does not feel as sore from the pain killers. I hope to have fun tomorrow.’

“Good. I am sure being sore and uncomfortable has made it the last couple days hard. I am sure we will find something fun to do tomorrow.” D-16 walked back over to sit down on the sofa, and Orion walked over to sit next to him. “If only you did not have to come with us to the mines. All of this could have been avoided.”

“I cannot disagree with that, D. Especially since Darkwing has been so hard on all of us. Even Galaxy.” Orion was not looking forward to returning to the mines the next day. He knew that he would hear about Moonracer being demoted, but he didn’t think he would get too much information since D-16 has already told him a lot. “That’s the thing I am least excited about for tomorrow. Especially since he will be fuming for a while...maybe for a whole cycle.”

“Ugh, I would hate that. But we cannot do anything. He does have the right to be that way.” Orion just hummed lightly, though he did disagree that their treatment from the transformers were justified. But Orion couldn’t do anything about it. D-16 glanced down at Galaxy to see she was listening to them. “If only you didn’t have to be sick or injured that we could stay home with you, Galaxy. It would be way better.”

“I can’t understand why she has to even come with us, when she’s not old enough to start any kind of training. It certainly does not feel logical.” Orion wished that the rule could have been changed so she could stay home, but they had no choice. “Maybe she could fake being sick.”

“Fake being sick? Are you serious, Pax? That would never fly with Ratchet, Darkwing or Elita.” Orion chuckled softly, as he was not being serious, which D-16 knew already. But he still thought it was ridiculous for him to bring it up. “The things you come up with is annoying a lot of the time. But at least it does not hurt anyone. And you tend to make Galaxy smile a lot easier than me.”

Galaxy murmured as soon as she heard that and signed to D-16. ‘You make me happy too, dadda. Daddy has a different way of making me happy and that is okay. You also make me smile every day, and you should feel proud about that.’

D-16 kissed the top of her head as he smiled at her. “I know. I did not mean anything bad, Galaxy. I acknowledge that he is different from me, and it is good. Though I suppose I should look at what I do and realize how good I am with you as well. Though I guess I think differently than Orion does.” Galaxy nodded in agreement. D-16 looked at Orion curiously. “So does this also mean you told Galaxy about it already?”

Orion widened his optics while Galaxy looked at him curiously. “Uh...about what? I didn’t know anything about M...”

“Not that, I meant the other day.” Orion realized immediately about the draconic bot. He glanced at Galaxy who was staring at him as D-16 continued to speak. “With Cosmic. Did you tell her about that incident?”

What?! They interacted with Cosmic? But...how? Why? They haven’t told me about that yet. I wonder if daddy was going to tell me, and dadda just spoiled the surprise. Or...maybe he wasn’t in case of something else. I hope this doesn’t mean anything bad for me...maybe Sentinel has realized. Oh no, I hope he hasn’t.

Galaxy raised her hands to sign. ‘What is dadda talking about, daddy? Does he mean you met a dragon? Why did you not tell me?’

Orion sighed deeply as he had not found the right time to tell Galaxy, and he was a little unhappy that D-16 brought it up. “No, I have not told her about it yet, D. But since you brought it up and she has figured out you meant the dragon we see flying through Iacon while travelling on the train, I guess I have no choice but to say something about it.”

D had a guilty expression on his face as he realized that Orion had not said anything. He intakes deeply, looking at Galaxy to see she was staring at Orion while waiting for him to explain what had happened. With her love of the draconic bots, it was unsurprising that she wanted to know that story. But she did seem to have fear in her optics too, which seemed odd. But she was still drinking the energon, though she slowed down as she wanted to hear the full story in case she falls into recharge from having a full tank.

“Sorry, Pax. I thought you told her already.”

“It is okay, D. You didn’t know.” Orion smiled as he looked at his daughter as he could see she was hooked already. “Since the jet has escaped, I might as well tell you. And I think you might have a hard time believing too. D-16 seems to think there isn’t anything more than an odd interaction.” Galaxy did not react as she stared at him silently. “After Ratchet discharged you and we brought you back home, it was so strange. Cosmic was…sitting on the edge. It is not unusual for her to perch on random buildings throughout Iacon, but never where us cogless bots go to rest. So…it was startling.”

He is right. Cosmic has not done that before. She has perched close a few times on other buildings nearby, but not right next to the miner quarters. This is strange. I wonder what that means. Could…Sentinel know? Or is something else going on? I wish I could talk to Cosmic…but she has that collar on. And I can’t speak yet either.

Galaxy tried not to show she was nervous as she didn’t want to worry her parents. “Both D and I were nervous about her presence when we got off the train, I am not going to lie. After all, I didn’t even realize just how big she was up close.” Galaxy smirked slightly as she knew that her birth father was much larger, and her mother was slightly larger then her sister. Cosmic was the smallest between Solarian and Magma. “So we both were pretty intimidated by her. But it was when we got off the train, she actually looked at us and walked over to us.”

Oh no…I don’t know if I like that.

“It was strange. I don’t think I’ve seen optic colours where they have a grey colour in the mix. I had thought that it was normal for a dragon. But…when she walked over to us, both D and I were so worried that we would cause her to react negatively.” Which was understandable, since both Orion and D-16 did not know Cosmic, and with her under the influence of the collar, it was definitely safer to remain calm and still in case she attacks. “When…Cosmic got closer…she looked at us with her right optic. She was purring though, so she certainly was not interested in attacking. Especially when she sniffed the two of us…and you.” Galaxy tensed a little as she felt more nervous the more Orion explained. “And then…the strangest thing happened to her optics.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “Yeah…they certainly did. It was as if maybe there was a short circuit in her processor or something.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “That is what it looked like. Though her optics changed to a full, bright blue colour. Which is why I thought it was odd about the grey colour on her optics. And yet…for a short time, they were blue. And she took more notice of you, and she nuzzled your cheek with her snout.” Galaxy placed her hand on her cheek, as if trying to imagine the touch of her aunt comforting her. “I am not sure if that means that dragons are very gentle with sparklings or not…but it kind of seemed that way.”

“Which is good, because I would rather that the dragon is kind to a sparkling, then not,” D-16 said as he could see that Galaxy was thinking deeply about it. “I wouldn’t worry much about it though, Galaxy.” She was not surprised that D-16 would tell her to forget it. He was always the one to focus on protocol and not think of anything different. Galaxy did hope that D-16 would open his processor to the world eventually.

“I do agree, Galaxy. You shouldn’t worry about it.” Galaxy looked at Orion in surprise and he smiled at her. “Because you should leave that worry to me. Especially when Cosmic actually spoke to me.”

Cosmic spoke to daddy?! Wait…that must mean that the collars are weakening. Oh, I hope so! But…Sentinel may not know…scrap. He will still have some control over them though.

“And what Cosmic said was really strange too. She thanked me for caring for you. As if Cosmic knows you.” Galaxy murmured a little as she continued drinking the last of the energon from the bottle as Orion looked at her curiously. “I think I might know why.” Galaxy tensed as she did not know if that was good or bad. “I assume that Cosmic knows you because of your birth parents. She must have known them, and recognized you. That is why I believe she thanked me.” Galaxy relaxed, relieved that Orion did not connect the dots just yet. Though she did wonder if Sentinel monitored Cosmic’s actions, as she was certain those collars read their processors, so…that was another worry. “Cosmic has not been back since, but I think that was an extremely rare meeting. I don’t think she will come back around for a long time. So…I hope you are not disappointed.” Galaxy shook her head. She was actually glad, because she didn’t want to react in a way that might make them suspicious. “Good. I don’t think I will ever forget it.”

D-16 chuckled softly. “I know, you won’t.” Galaxy murmured as she pushed the bottle away after finishing it and yawned loudly. He smiled at her as she relaxed against him. He had wondered why she had tensed while listening to Orion, but she was okay. “You’re finally ready to recharge again.” She nodded with a smile. “Can I put you to berth, now?” She nodded and D-16 was surprised. “Huh, I thought you would want to stay. Oh well, I guess you want to recharge in your comfy berth.”

Galaxy did not react as D-16 stood up to carry her to the berth. She truthfully wanted to lay in her berth so she could think about the incident without worrying about Orion and D-16 observing her face. With them thinking she is in recharge, she would be free to think about it. And to consider what she might have to do in the future. Especially as it seemed like she would need to do something sooner than later.

As she was placed into the berth, D-16 kissed her forehead as he tucked her in and she grabbed her draconic toy, making D-16 chuckle as he felt unsurprised she would grab the toy after hearing what Orion said. He stepped away as Orion walked over to kiss Galaxy’s forehead too, and she smiled at him as they both walk back to the sofa to talk quietly. She was relieved, and she now was thinking deeply as she closed her optics.

I do understand why daddy did not tell me straight away. I am in pain, so he was waiting to tell me. But…now that he has told me, thanks to dadda, I…I don’t know what to think. If those collars have loosened their grip on the dragons…I hope they can put the act up for a bit longer. I feel terrible they are made to do things that they don’t want to do or shouldn’t do. But…hopefully…soon it will change. I hope it will. And I hope the other dragons come to Iacon to help too.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Galaxy! Slow down!” Orion tried to grab onto the sparkling as Galaxy had awoken from her nap, and she had just finished ingesting some energon. But as it has been almost a full two weeks since Galaxy got injured, and now she does not feel any pain. Her nerves have healed very well, and she will not need surgery. But Orion worried she would strain herself, even though she was running around their home as she had picked up two of her dragon toys and was running around to pretend they were flying. But only a few days ago she ended up purging while doing the same thing right after filling her tank, so Orion was trying to stop her as he worried she would get sick again. “You don’t want to purge over the floor again. Slow down! Give your tank a little bit to settle, and then you can go wild.” Galaxy giggled as she stood by the table and Orion was on the other side. “Come on...” Galaxy turned and ran towards the sofas and he shook his head to run after her. “How are you much quicker than me?”

Galaxy ducked in front of the sofa and signed to him. ‘You are old, daddy. And you are rusty.’

Orion snorted as he shook his head as she ran around the sofa as he tried reaching for her. “That is true, but that is also not very nice.” She shrugged with a giggle as she stood at the other end of the sofa while staring at him. Orion intakes deeply as he looked at her with his hand on his hip. “Now that we are at a standstill, surely I can convince you to slow down.” She shook her head. “You really need to get that energy out.” Galaxy giggled as she was in agreement. Orion smiled at her and he stepped to the right, making her run to the left, and he quickly moved to the left and he almost grabbed her.

But he stumbled a little and he almost fell onto his left side, making Galaxy laugh at him as she ran back to the table and made a face at him. Orion huffed at her mockery of him as he thought of how he could stop her as he walked towards her. She ran to the back of the table, waiting to see what Orion was going to do and he shook his head in amusement. It did warm his spark that she was this energetic at the moment, but he also wanted her to conserve her energy for a moment so she wouldn’t get sick. And he knew she would not like it. Last time she did not, and he knew she wouldn’t this time either.

Orion stood thinking as Galaxy watched him intently before he stepped to the right, and she ran to the left again. She jumped when he reached to grab her, and she giggled at him as he lost his balance and fell forward. Galaxy stopped as she looked at Orion as he fell on his chassis with a grunt, and she giggled, launching herself at him and landing on his back. Orion was surprised, but he was also highly amused that she jumped on top of him, acting as though she had just tackled him to the ground.

“Oh, no! You got me down!” Orion chuckled as Galaxy giggled and bounced happily. Orion chuckled as he tried to turn over, and she pushed her hands on his shoulders. “You really want to try and keep me down, huh?” She shrugged and Orion smirked at her before he rolled over suddenly, grabbing her and hugging her against him, making her shriek and drop the toys in her hands, but she burst into laughter. “I got you now, Galaxy!” She struggled in his arms as Orion sat up and intakes deeply. “That was a lot of fun, my dear daughter, but it is time for you to settle down and wait for a bit before running around like that.” Galaxy shook her head and Orion held onto the sparkling firmly but gently, as she wiggled in his arms and Orion stood up. “You need to settle down. Maybe if we head into town to see what we can get with the credits I’ve earned, you can run around when we get home.” Galaxy stopped squirming at the idea of going out and she smiled at him. “Since you are feeling much better, I don’t think it will be a bad thing to go outside. I think you’re a little stir crazy from seeing the same walls everyday. I hope you are also not sick of me or D-16.” Galaxy giggled with a shrug. He rolled his optics in amusement. “You really enjoy making fun of us, huh?” She giggled as he kissed her forehead. He placed her down and she tried to run to the door, and he grabbed her hand. “Hold on there, racer, you need to wait. You need to stay with me the whole time we are out, okay?” She nodded affirmatively. “And since you seem eager to run off, I’m going to get the harness.”

Galaxy sighed as she knew she was being impulsive right now. He let’s go off her hand and she didn’t run this time. She leaned down to grab her two toys and walked over to her berth to put them on top. She didn’t want to run off from Orion anyway. If she got lost, she would certainly be terrified in case she would run into Sentinel or someone who works directly with him. That would be bad for everyone, and she wouldn’t put her parents in a situation of panic. She wouldn’t want that.

She sniffled as she felt a little sad at the thought of that and she looked at Orion as he was strapping the harness on in preparation and she walked over to him. He looked down at her when she wrapped her arms around his right leg and looked up at him. He was surprised to see she seemed sad. “Don’t tell me that you think I am mad at you?” She shook her head. He finished fitting the harness around his shoulders and back before he crouched. “Why do you look sad?”

She intakes deeply as he placed a hand on her back to comfort her gently as she signed to him. ‘I am sorry that I worried you before. I realize now I have to slow down. I do not want to end up getting lost in the city when we head out.’

Orion smiled at her lovingly and he kissed the top of her helm. “It is okay, Galaxy. You are just full of energy right now, and I am not going to blame you for it. I hope you know that.” She nodded slowly as she looked away. “And there is absolutely no way I am letting you out of my sight when we head out, Galaxy. Plus…” He tugged at the harness a little and she smiled at him. “Good, I much rather see that smile than any kind of sadness in those optics. Besides…” He picked the sparkling up and slipped her into the harness and gently tightened the straps to make sure she was secured. “The fact that you know you could get lost, means you will not. And you’ll be in the harness most of the time, unless I decide it is okay to let you down. So you do not need to worry about that, Galaxy. Let me do that worrying, and you just help me by finding something that we could buy today.”

Galaxy smiled at him as she nodded and signed again. ‘Okay, daddy. Thank you. I will be happy to just go out, even if we do not actually buy anything today. New scenery will be good my processor.’

Orion nodded. “That’s the primary reason why we are heading out.” Orion made sure that Galaxy was secured before looking at his right wrist to open a panel to checking his credit account. “Since I don’t spend a lot of credits, at least we will not be short on anything today. If we find something, it will be a treat. Especially as you’ll be clear to return to the mines from tomorrow.”

Galaxy grimaced as she was not looking forward to it. Orion and D-16 did eventually tell her that Moonracer had been demoted, and she felt terrible for her. Moonracer has also been moved to a different living quarters where all the waste management bots take rest, and she was certain it was not pleasant. She couldn’t understand why Moon got such a harsh punishment for something that was just an accident. Especially since it was Darkwing who put Galaxy in that position in the first place.

“I know how you feel, Galaxy. Unfortunately, it is what it is. Might as well make the last day a bit of a celebration.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as Orion walked to the door to leave their home. “You are fully healed now, and we just need to settle that pent up energy in your system. Hopefully, you will not run and cause trouble in the mines tomorrow.” She shook her head and Orion chuckled softly. “I know you won’t. The last thing we need is for Darkwing to have another reason to scream at us over something small and unreasonable. Just make sure you listen and stay with us and Elita tomorrow. We need to be on Darkwing’s good side.”

Galaxy nodded again and she smiled at him before she signed. ‘And you need to be on dadda’s good side by not going to the archives.’

Orion raised an eyebrow at her with a smirk. “I think you should leave that issue between D and myself, Galaxy. Besides, I can’t really help myself. I’ve learned a lot from there, and I know that I am getting close to also figuring out where the Matrix of Leadership is.” Galaxy murmured a little as she knew exactly where it was. But no one has earned the right to it yet, so it didn’t even matter. “I want to be more than just a mining bot, Galaxy. You have the same mind as me. You’re curious…” Galaxy shrugged as she wasn’t exactly the same as him. “You are open to more than just the protocols we are told to follow. That is why I want to help find the Matrix. So we no longer need to mine, and our lives will become so much better.”

Galaxy sighed as she turned her cheek to relax it against Orion’s chassis. She wished that they never had to mine. So she did understand why Orion was trying to find the Matrix. She just wished it wasn’t because he wanted to help Sentinel. She didn’t even know who would be worthy of the Matrix, but she was drawn to Orion and D-16 for a reason, and she knew it. She hoped that learning who the next Prime might be would be something she could figure out sooner than later.

“It is going to be a little strange, as we mining bots do not usually get a lot of time for casual shopping like this.” Orion had a smile on his face as he walked over to the train platform to see a train already approaching. “And a good thing we will not have to wait long.” Galaxy did wonder what restrictions the cogless bots had when it came to buying items. She assumed that they did, and it would be stupid. But Galaxy had seen the differences in how the cogless bots were treated compared to the transformers. It wasn’t fair, and she knew Sentinel had instigated it all. “Maybe you can give me some ideas...” Galaxy looked up at Orion in surprise. “Since you haven’t told us your spark day, this could be a good time to tell me.”

Oh no, he wants to know my spark day. Ugh...I want to tell him, but...if I do and he tells Ratchet, it will go into my medical profile. And Sentinel may have access to it. This is hard...I want to tell him, but...not now.

Galaxy murmured softly as she signed without looking at his optics. ‘I do not remember my spark day.’ Orion’s expression softened to sadness as soon as he saw what she signed. ‘I did not celebrate my spark day much, so I do not remember. We could just celebrate on the day I was officially adopted. That could be my spark day.’

“I guess we could do that...even though that is several mini cycles away...” Orion felt bad because he did want to celebrate the day she came online. But he did understand that she probably didn’t remember due to her age, so he couldn’t blame her. “It is a shame. But we will make it the best celebration ever. I hope you know that.” She nodded with a smile and Orion stepped onto the train as he reached the platform as the train had arrived and opened its doors. He sat down and looked at the sparkling. “Good. I am...sorry that you do not remember. I imagine it must hurt to know that you forget an important day, but...at least you remember your birth parents more. I think that is more important.”

Galaxy felt tears in her optics briefly before she was able to push them back. She was glad that Orion was one of her parents now. He was so empathetic, and she was glad that he could give that to her. D-16 was not so great at that, as he was more straight to the point. But he was still able to give comfort when needed, and Galaxy loved him as a parent too.

Galaxy intakes deeply as she nuzzled his chassis, grateful to have his comfort. Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back gently as he could tell she was moved by his words. He wanted her to know how much they loved her, and that he understood the reason why Galaxy would forget her own spark day. So Orion just wanted to reassure her. But as they did not know the actual date of her spark day, using the day she was adopted did seem like a good time. Especially as it will be a celebration of both her coming online and the day of her adoption, so it would certainly be a grand celebration.

But it also made Orion feel sadder for Galaxy. Knowing she did not remember her spark day in favor of her parents did hurt his spark for her. And he knew she hated Sentinel because she felt he was to blame. He knew from her perspective as a sparkling, it was understandable. Though he hoped that her questions would be answered in the future when she gets older. So he wanted to ensure that each spark day she has with them will be special, and she would always remember it.

Orion relaxed on the chair while rubbing the sparkling’s back gently as he waited for the train to reach the shopping district of the city. It was not often that he or D-16 would come here, but they would come here primarily to get some oils that they do not usually use, a Prime figurine or decal or other items if they decide they want to get it. But as they didn’t earn a lot of credits, they didn’t come here very often due to that reason.

When the train finally stopped at the shopping district, Orion stood up and walked out of the train doors. He intakes deeply with a smile as he proceeded forward. They were lucky that the transformers who were here shopping as well had noticed him and were giving him space. Though they all had noticed the sparkling, and they knew to give him space so that they wouldn’t be guilty of harming the sparkling.

Orion looked around thoughtfully while Galaxy was also looking around. “Hmmm...now to pick where we should go first. There won’t be any that specialise in toys, but we may find a place that does sell figurines that you can play with, Galaxy.” Galaxy knew that would be the case, and that was fine. “Maybe I’ll just walk until we find something that catches our interest.” Galaxy nodded as that seemed to be the best way to do it. “Hopefully none will accidentally bump into us. And they won’t even know their own strength, and I might find myself fallen on my aft.” Galaxy giggled softly as Orion continued to walk between the stores. “It won’t be funny to you since they could also accidently squish you against me. Which wouldn’t be nice either.”

That was also true, but Galaxy had seen the other transformers were avoiding them already, so she wasn’t really worried about being bumped into. For the moment, she simply would look around as Orion continued to walk forward. She has not seen anything just yet, but something was bound to get their attention soon. There were a lot of stores, and she did wonder what was in them, and she also wondered if there were any that Orion wasn’t even allowed in.

“Maybe we should stop in the decal shop first. D-16 has been wanting another Megatronus sticker since the one he had on his old recharge station was removed before he could get it when we moved into the new living quarter. So maybe there is another one we could get him, or something else.” That sounded like a good idea and Galaxy immediately nodded. Orion was glad she was happy to go with that first. “And maybe there will be something here for you too. Let’s check it out first, though.”

Galaxy did hope to be let down while looking through the decal shop, as she knew she would be limited in where she could look while sitting in the harness. And she did not intend on running off from Orion, so she hoped he would let her down. She didn’t try to She didn’t try to shift in the harness so Orion knew she would behave. She murmured happily as she glanced around, eager to see where the decal shop was and she would certainly be very happy to find something for D-16.

I wonder how daddy and dadda will feel when they do know the truth about the close friendship Megatronus had with the dragons. I hope that…they think that it was cool. It is unfortunate I won’t ever get to fight beside him when I get older. But whoever the next will be, I am definitely going to honor him.

It took a few minutes before Orion reached the entrance to the decal store and he looked down at Galaxy. “We are here.” She smiled at him, turning her head to look at the entrance as he moved to the side. “I’m going to let you down now. But you will not run off, okay?” Galaxy nodded and Orion began loosening the straps around the sparkling’s body and lifted her out of the harness. “And make sure you are holding my hand as well.” She nodded again as he placed her on the ground gently and he grabbed her hand, and she smiled up at him. “Let’s go and see what we can find.”

Galaxy nodded as she jumped excitedly while walking alongside Orion as they walk to the entrance of the store. As they enter, Galaxy smiled as the store was not big, but there were dozens of various decals of different things. Her smile faded a little when she saw Sentinel decals here, and she could not help but roll her optics as she looked around. She knew she should not be surprised, but she also disliked seeing those decals here.

However, she glanced around and spotted decals that were of the different Primes. That made her happier as she looked around and she even spotted a couple dragon decals. She thought about asking to get one or two to put on the sides of her berth, but she decided against it. She would rather have a figurine than a decal. And that was completely fine. She was surprised at how busy it was in this store though. She would assume it wouldn’t be so busy. But she also didn’t know what the transformers did for their work, since the cogless bots took the mining, waste management and low tier medical jobs.

“Looks like they have a few new Megatronus decal stickers,” Orion commented and Galaxy looked around, but she couldn’t see with everyone being taller than her. She sighed as she walked beside Orion as he cautiously moved forward while he made sure to guide the sparkling to avoid the other bots in the store. Galaxy held his hand tightly as she didn’t want to get separated from him. Once they got through the crowd, Galaxy looked up to see dozens of Megatronus Prime decals all over the stand in front of them. “Hmm...” Orion leaned down and picked her up. “Which one should we go for?”

Galaxy hummed as she looked at all the decals in front of her. She wasn’t sure which one they should pick for D-16. They were all so good. And because Megatronus was still popular, it was no surprise that there were a lot more items of the Prime than the others. But finding one for D-16 was going to be a bit hard since they were all very good, and she didn’t even know where to start. Plus, she also didn’t know what the decal D-16 originally had looked like, so she didn’t know what to go with.

But she spotted a large decal that could be stuck to the side of D-16’s recharge pod and she reached for it. Orion stepped closer and she grabbed it with both hands and pulled it off, holding it up as she admired it and looked down at Orion. “I like that one. Nice job.” It was a decal of Megatron’s head and shoulders. It was a generic, purple decal, but it was large and Orion knew it was close enough to the original sticker D-16 owned. “This is almost exactly like the old one. You have good optics.”

Galaxy giggled as Orion leaned to put her down before she spotted the shimmer of another decal. She looked to where it was hanging and she saw it was the last one. A limited edition Megatronus decal, and it was definitely worth getting. When her feet touch the ground and Orion shifting the decal in his arm to carry it better, Galaxy stepped closer to the stand and stood on her tippy toes to try and reach for the decal. She whimpered and stretched her fingers, and she could just touch it, but it moved back.

Orion had already noticed and he smiled when he saw what she was reaching for. He gently grabbed her arm to stop her and she looked at him in surprise. “Let me get that for you. You’re not tall enough yet.” Galaxy stamped her feet and pulled her arm back with a grumble as Orion grabbed the decal. “I do not appreciate that disrespect, Galaxy. I know it’s frustrating to not be able to reach a certain height, believe me. But...” He held the decal in his hand, admiring the silver gleam reflecting the light with rainbow luminescent colour. He was pleased to find it and he looked down at Galaxy. “You are not going to stamp your feet like that again. Or there will be consequences.”

Galaxy intakes deeply with a whimper and signed back. ‘I am sorry, daddy. I could almost reach it. I did not mean to get mad. I was angry at myself for not being tall enough.’

Orion chuckled a little. “Angry at yourself, huh? Well...you can’t force yourself to grow any faster, Galaxy. I understand, but don’t do that again.” Galaxy nodded as Orion held up the decal in his hand and he looked at her with a smile. “But despite that little fit, you did find something special. D-16 will love it, and D-16 will love it, and…” Orion hummed a little as thought about it. “I could use it as a means for him to forgive me when I go to the archives again.”

Galaxy chuckled as she was unsurprised by that. She lifted her hands to sign. ‘When do you plan on going to the archives again, daddy? I would like to know so I will not wake up and get upset about your absence.’

Orion glanced around at the other bots and he shrugged. “I’ll tell you on the way home.” Galaxy nodded as she understood and he gently grabbed her hand to walk over to a self serve kiosk to pay for the decals so they could leave. “We did a good job. If you have also spotted something that you would like, we might get that too.” She shook her head as there wasn’t anything. “I did see some draconic bot decals. Are you sure you don’t want them?” Galaxy shook her head with a smile. Orion silently decided to put one of those decals on the list of items to send to D-16 to buy a decal for Galaxy for her surprise at the end of the day. “Very well. We’ll get these packed up and we can head to the next store.”

Galaxy was happy with what they had found and she knew that D-16 was going to be happy about these gifts. She watched Orion scan the items and put in a code on the screen at the kiosk, and she quickly figured out this was how they spent their credits. Once the kiosk made a sound, the bottom of the kiosk opened slightly with slim, metal containers that were easy to carry and to put the decals into. Orion grabbed one to put both decals in before closing it and he grabbed Galaxy’s hand to walk out.

She was surprised as she assumed he would put her into the harness again, especially after the fact she had stamped her feet just before. But she was not complaining. She did not know where they would go to next, but she didn’t care. She was just happy to be here, and seeing the various stores with different items, including spare parts for bots, was intriguing to her. Galaxy did not remember if Tempest had a shopping district or not, but she was certain there was something similar. But given it was a such a long time ago, and Galaxy was much younger, she only vaguely remembers some areas of the city. For now, she just wanted to enjoy spending time with Orion, even if they did not get anything else. To her, it was worth it. And for Orion, he was simply creating a list, and he knew that when D-16 returned home, Galaxy was going to be thrilled.

Chapter Text

Holding two figurines in her hands, Galaxy was glancing between a Zeta Prime figurine and an Alpha Trion figurine. After Orion and Galaxy began going through the different stores, this store they were currently in seemed to have what Galaxy was more interested in. And Orion was okay with that. She had figurines of most of the Primes, except for Alpha Trion, so Orion was trying to encourage Galaxy to pick Alpha Trion, even though Galaxy did seem to be a big fan of Zeta Prime. And Orion did not blame her, since Zeta was the one who held the Matrix of Leadership within him. So it made sense to him that she liked him the most.

Galaxy had tried to convince Orion to let her get both too, but he told her they could only get one and Galaxy just had to make a choice. She had also seen a few Megatronus Prime figurines too, but since she already had a few, she didn’t need anymore. Though it would be a nice gift for D-16 too, not just something for Galaxy to play with. But today was about getting Galaxy some gifts, and Orion was also looking for other things D-16 would get on his way back home to surprise Galaxy with. So Orion knew she would get both figurines regardless, she just did not know it yet.

Galaxy hummed a little before putting the Zeta Prime back on the shelf it was on, looking at the Alpha Trion figurine in her hands and she turned to Orion with a smile. The figurine was large too, but it wasn’t heavy at least. She held the figurine out to Orion and he took it from her. “I see you finally made a decision. And a good one too. Now you’ve got a complete set of the Primes.” Galaxy nodded as Orion turned and walked over to one of the payment terminals. “Nothing like a little bit of a trip outside the home. Sadly, we won’t be able to do this unless you end up sick in the future.”

Galaxy shrugged as she walked by him and when they stopped at the terminal so Orion could put his code in to scan and pay for the figurine with his credits before she signed to him. ‘We have been here for a few hours, daddy, and it has been a lot of fun. But I am feeling hungry now, and I know you did not bring any of the bottles with you.’ Orion widened his optics as he realized. ‘Dadda will be home soon anyway. I want to go home to welcome him home. And I want to show him what you got me today.’

Orion chuckled lightly as he knew the time as well. “That is true. Now that you don’t feel the need to run circles around me right now, I think going home is a good idea. But…” He finished paying for the figurine and turned to Galaxy. “I will have to put you back in the harness to make sure.” Galaxy frowned immediately and Orion held the figurine to her. “You can hold onto this though, just make sure you don’t drop it. It wasn’t cheap to buy and I don’t want you to feel devastated either.”

Galaxy was happy to hold the figurine, but she would ensure that she wouldn’t break it. Orion and Galaxy moved away from the terminal to allow other transformers to pay for their purchases before Orion grabbed the harness from his hip port to put on. Galaxy waited patiently while glancing at the containment with the decals that they had purchased earlier. Galaxy did wonder when Orion would give the limited edition Megatronus Prime decal to D-16. She knew he would tell her when he planned on going to the archives again to use the decal as a form of an apology to D-16, and Galaxy still thought it was a funny way to make up for it, even though D-16 might still be angry at Orion for it.

Once the harness was secured, Orion picked the sparkling up gently to secure her in the harness. She kept a firm hold of the figurine while Orion secured her in the harness. Once she was secured, he grabbed the containment with the decals within and walked out of the store to proceed to the train station. He was glad that the day went well and Galaxy was able to get a couple gifts, which he knew she would be happy until D-16 would come home with the added surprise.

And now that Galaxy was feeling hungry, and tired from a lot of walking through the shopping district, Orion was sure that the rest of the day would go by smoothly and quickly. He glanced down as he felt Galaxy moving the figurine against his chassis as it was easier for her to hold it with something else to brace it, which Orion was okay with as Galaxy was still holding onto it as she was told to do. He didn’t want her to be disappointed in herself today, so he knew she could do it.

Orion made his way through the crowds carefully as the district was quite large, even though a lot of the stores carried similar things, but there were things that Orion could not buy due to not being a transformer. He had to explain it to Galaxy as she was curious about it, and she had been very surprised by it. Orion had wanted to tell her that fact since when she does get older and has the ability to go in and buy things on her own, he wanted her to know that not everything was available to cogless bots.

Galaxy was very excited that she would be able to go home soon as she wanted to wait for D-16 to come home. She did not know exactly how long it would take for him to get home, but now that it was the end of the day, Galaxy wanted nothing more than to spend the night with her two parents. Especially since she knew that she would be going back to the mines, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Especially as she was very worried about Sentinel Prime keeping a watchful eye of her presence, even though she was trying to not let it bother her.

Upon reaching the station platform, Orion sat down to wait for the train to arrive, and there were a lot of other transformers waiting for the train as well. They were lucky that there was even a space for Orion to sit down, as none of the transformers would move for him, even with Galaxy clearly sitting in the harness against Orion’s chassis. Though now that they were seated, Galaxy was able to relax her arm while still holding the figurine in her hands. She hummed a little as she thought about Orion’s plan to go to the archives

Orion looked down at Galaxy when she placed the figurine against his hip so she could sign to him. ‘When do you intend on going to the archives? Are you going tomorrow? Or in a few days?’

“I plan on going in a few days, though maybe a bit longer. Only because I want to make sure that it would be a good day to do it.” Galaxy didn’t know what he meant by that, but it made her giggle. Orion smiled at her in amusement. “I’ll worry about the finger details on that one, Galaxy. You don’t need to worry. Though...I suppose if you happen to wake up when I leave for the archives, I would hope that would be a good girl and not wake D-16.” Galaxy nodded while smiling in amusement. “Good. Though you are well behaved, so unless you want my attention, I know you will be fine.” He kissed the top of her head and she giggled softly. “But don’t tell him that I am planning on it, Galaxy. I don’t need him complaining to me for the next few days about it.”

‘I will not say anything word, daddy. Especially since I cannot talk.’ Orion rolled his optics in amusement and Galaxy giggled softly. It did make Orion somewhat happy that Galaxy would sometimes joke about her inability to talk, though he did often wonder if there was possibility to ever fix her vocal processor, though it was unlikely that it could be fixed due to her being practically a cogless bot. ‘I will also do my best to stop dadda from getting too mad at you too.’

Orion smiled gently at her. “You can leave that concern up to me, Galaxy. It isn’t your job to help us get along. D-16 and I may squabble at times, but we are still very close friends. Though I do appreciate that you want us to be friendly all the time. After all, we both are your parents and seeing us happy makes you happy. Just like…” Galaxy giggled as Orion gestured to her. “When you are happy, it makes me happy. Seeing you smile and find gifts made my spark warm.”

Galaxy laid her cheek against Orion’s chassis, looking up at him happily. ‘I know it is not my job. Sometimes it is funny to hear dadda complain and rant about something minor. But I do dislike when he gets mad too. Why do you not get mad, daddy? I have not seen you angry, only serious or disappointed if I do something wrong.’

Orion was surprised by the question and he had to think for a moment. “Hmm, you know what? I don’t even know.” Orion shrugged as he knew it was not a huge deal. “I am impressed that you even noticed that, Galaxy. I do not think anyone has said that to me before. So I…really don’t know why I don’t get angry. Maybe it…it is because of my nature. Maybe because I think about things more broadly instead of a straight line and wanting to stay on protocol all the time. But I don’t have a proper answer for you.”

Galaxy was not too surprised that Orion was caught off guard by the question. Orion probably never noticed, so someone asking was strange to him. But it was okay. ‘That is okay, daddy. I asked a weird question, but I am glad that you do not seem to get mad. I almost do not want to see it, because I think that might be a bit scary.’

“Scary? Me?” Orion acted offended and Galaxy giggled as Orion pointed to him. “Wow, I don’t think I am that scary, Galaxy. I am not Darkwing or an angry D-16, so…” Orion chuckled a little as he shook his head. “I do not think that I would look that scary if I were to get angry. But I am bigger than you, so I guess anything bigger and angrier than you is scary. Am I right?” Galaxy giggled and Orion shook his head. “I don’t think I am scary while angry, but I am scary when I bring out the tickle bug.” Galaxy gasped as she thought he was going to tickle her right now, especially since she cannot get away. “Don’t worry, I am not unfair, we will wait until we get home to unleash the beast.”

Galaxy giggled again as she was looking forward to going home even more. She turned her head when she heard the train finally arriving and she made sure to secure the figurine as Orion stood up so she wouldn’t drop it. Galaxy did know that she would likely play with Orion before having some energon after and then it would just be a waiting game to wait for D-16 to come home, so it was definitely a great end to the day.

When Orion got onto the train and sat down, he lifted his right wrist and opened the panel to send a communication. Galaxy looked at it curiously as she did not know that Orion was sending a message to D-16 about the decal and figurine to get on his way home as she could not yet read. But she did know that it was a form of communication since Orion has told her about it before when she asked about it. She did suspect he was sending a communication to D-16, since Orion didn’t send these communications to anyone else. Galaxy had thought about asking Orion what he was sending, but figured it was best not to in case it was something irrelevant to her.

Orion closed the panel and looked at Galaxy with a smile. “Now that you have an Alpha Trion figurine, do you feel happy that you have added another Prime to your collection?” Galaxy nodded. “We will have to keep an eye out for more draconic bot figurines. I know you have quite a few...” Galaxy shrugged as she was happy with what she had. “I know you are happy with what you got, and you have a lot of them, but there is not harm in adding another.”

Galaxy giggled softly. She shifted the figurine so she could sign to him. ‘I hope I will eventually have a million draconic figurines.’ Orion widened his optics and rolled them in amusement. ‘But do not worry, daddy. I am happy with what I got now. I do not need much to keep me happy. Just being with you and dadda, the toys bring joy by myself for a short time.’

“Aw, that is sweet. And understandable.” Orion kissed the top of her head and she nuzzled his chassis gently. “And you bring me joy too, Galaxy. I never dreamed of being a parent, considering that we physically can’t have any. But...you have me and D-16 that opportunity. Even if it was by accident.”

Galaxy’s smile softened. ‘Maybe it was no accident. It was fate.’ Orion had not thought of it that way and he hummed softly in agreement. ‘The only thing that day that was an accident was you falling over me and I pushed Jazz down the stairs, and caused chaos unintentionally. But you becoming one of my parents, that was not an accident.’

“I agree. I have always felt we can be more than miners, and even now, I still think there is more that we could do. If only we had the opportunity to prove it.” Galaxy wanted that too. She knew that all of the cogless bots had potential, but they were unfairly treated and their cogs have been removed. Galaxy wished she could do something about it. But she wasn’t in the position to do something right now. Galaxy hugged Orion and the bot smiled at her. “Thank you, Galaxy. I appreciate how sweet and sympathetic you are. Though...you probably understand better than us how it feels. Someday, I am certain that will change. Once the Matrix of Leadership is found.”

Galaxy was still smiling as the hope Orion constantly felt in his spark was something to be envied. Ever since she was adopted by him and D-16, hearing Orion always being positive and optimistic about each day has helped Galaxy cope. Especially as she has struggled many times about not being able to speak or to transform. And whenever she misses her biological parents. She knew that they would approve of both Orion and D-16 if they were still alive. She was at least glad she could look back into her processor to replay the small amount of memories she had with them.

Galaxy didn’t want to think too hard about the future though. The immediate future was what she was thinking of, and she was excited to get home and wait for D-16. She wanted to focus on that over any potential dangers when going back to the mines. Especially as she was certain that she was now on limited time with Orion and D-16 until Sentinel finally makes a move. And she was terrified at the thought, even if she has tried pushing that fear to the side. But it was hard to do knowing there was an impending threat on the horizon.

Galaxy and Orion were both relaxed as the train moved through the city until it finally came to a stop at the station by the cogless bot quarters and Orion left the train. Galaxy was eager to get down from the harness now, but she remained calm and held onto the figurine as Orion approached their home. Galaxy tried not to feel impatient either, since she knew that they were almost home and Orion would put her on the ground so she could stretch her legs and run around again.

Once Orion walked through the door though, Galaxy began to wiggle and Orion huffed in amusement. “Just wait a little bit longer. I’ve got to put this down and put that figurine on the table so my hands are free.” Galaxy murmured softly as she stopped wiggling, but it was obvious that she was feeling impatient and Orion wanted to get her down. He placed the decal containment onto the table before taking the Alpha Trion figurine from Galaxy to place on the table too and crouched down to loosen the harness and lifted Galaxy from the harness, placing her on the ground. Galaxy giggled happily and turned to reach for the figurine. “Don’t forget what I said before.” Galaxy looked at him, confused by what he meant. Orion chuckled softly. “That the beast will awaken.”

Galaxy smiled and ran from him immediately now that she knew what he meant. She giggled as she ran over to the couch and turned to see Orion removing the harness from his body, giving the sparkling a bit of time to anticipate what was going to happen next and she was already excited. Galaxy watched and waited as Orion placed the harness onto the table as he was taking his time deliberately, and Galaxy was completely okay with it. It was part of the game.

Orion placed his hands on his hips, acting sarcastic as he stared at Galaxy as she waited for him to start chasing her. She was ecstatic right now, and she was happy to burn more energy. Orion chuckled softly and he stepped forward, making Galaxy flinch, but he did not move further and she giggled at him, knowing he was just playing. He took another step, and she did not react this time, but when he ran forward two steps, she jumped back and she playfully frowned at him for his teasing.

Orion chuckled softly as he took another step forward before side stepping to the right, making Galaxy run to the left, and he stepped to the left to try and grab the sparkling. She shrieked and jumped back from his hands and ran around him to the table and Orion chuckled at the sparkling’s agility. He walked towards the table lightly and Galaxy stopped at the end of the table when she did jot hear him, but she gasped when she saw he was at the other end of the table and she giggled at him. She knew he moved quietly to make her not notice, but she was fully aware of her surroundings, so he couldn’t get by her.

The two stare at each other as Galaxy was waiting and watching to see which direction Orion would go. Orion stepped to the right suddenly, making her giggle, but she only stepped back, knowing it was most likely a bluff. And it was as Orion stepped to the left before he lunged to the right, and she stepped back several times again as Orion had bluffed again, but she was making sure to not run left or right yet. Though as Orion lunged to the right again, Galaxy giggled, thinking it was another bluff, only to be surprised when he wasn’t.

She squealed loudly as Orion scooped her up before Galaxy could run and she giggled as he held the sparkling, and the sparkling squirmed as he began tickling her. “I outsmarted you again.” Galaxy giggled and squealed as Orion tickled her playfully. “You might be very agile, but I will still outsmart you.” She didn’t care as she was thoroughly amused right now. Galaxy squirmed as she wanted to get down. “The beast is not tired yet, Galaxy.”

Galaxy continued to squirm as he tickled her until he finally let her down and Galaxy ran around the table, stopping at the end as she turned to look at him with a big smile. Orion chuckled softly at her and shook his head as he didn’t want to chase her more, knowing she would only get riled up again. And Galaxy was okay with that. She grabbed the Alpha Trion figurine from the table and walked over to her toy box to place it beside it before she turned back around and ran over to the energon cooler containment.

She pointed at it as she looked at Orion. Orion walked towards it as he knew she was hungry. “I knew you would not want to run around for too long. I don’t want you to unintentionally get yourself sick before D gets home.” Galaxy stepped away from the containment as Orion opened it and hummed softly. “Hmm...we need to put in another order for more low-grade energon. There’s enough bottles for a week, but it will not last.” He grabbed a bottle and looked down to see Galaxy holding her arms up, showing she wanted to be picked up. “I see, you want me to pick you up and hold you as you feed.” She nodded. “You are old enough to not be held, Galaxy.” She frowned slightly with a small smile. She knew that, but the more time she spent with them was better since she considered each moment precious and a long lasting memory she would hold onto for life. Orion sighed deeply with a chuckle. “To be honest, I am going to miss it when you are this small, anyway.” He held the bottle to her. “You hold it while I pick you up.” Galaxy grabbed the bottle and Orion picked her up before she held the bottle towards him, and he knew she wanted him to hold it. “Let me sit down first, you needy sparkling.”

Galaxy giggled as Orion walked over to the sofa and sat down before turning on the monitor to watch a news report before grabbing the bottle to feed Galaxy. The sparkling settled happily as she drank from the bottle while shifting to snuggle against Orion’s chassis as best as she could. It warmed Orion’s spark, and she looked very adorable with the way she did that. Even though she was way past the age of needing to be fed this way, Orion was okay spoiling her like this. And so did D-16. Galaxy would get past the stage eventually, so Orion just wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

Galaxy took her time ingesting the full bottle too. She wanted to take her time as she wanted the time feel as though it was going by faster with D-16 coming home soon. She was very excited, and even though she knew she would have a full tank when he would come home, she wanted to show him the new figurine and decals that they had gotten today. Though she did wish time would move a little faster so he would be home sooner.

After Galaxy ingested the energon from the bottle, she relaxed against Orion as she was feeling a little tired. She had been tempted to fall into a light recharge, but she didn’t want to. She knew she had missed the midday nap, which was mostly due to the shopping and the added energy she had been feeling today. But that still did not mean she would give in and she wanted to be awake when D-16 got home.

She wiggled out of Orion’s arms and slipped off the sofa before going over to her toy box to get out several of the draconic bot figurines and the Prime figurines to set them up next to each other before she began to play quietly to pass the time. Orion watched Galaxy a little in amusement as he was pleased she could keep herself entertained while waiting for her other parent. And Orion already knew that D-16 would be finished with his shift right now, but he would be at the shopping district looking for the items Orion had sent the message about.

After another hour and a half, Galaxy was getting impatient. She laid on her back while staring at the ceiling as she became bored playing with the figurines on her own, and Orion couldn’t or wouldn’t tell her when D-16 would get home. And she was getting bored of waiting. She couldn’t think of anything else that may help her pass the time. She was only feeling impatient at this time, and she thought about asking Orion again about knowing where D-16 was.

However, all those thoughts immediately washed away when she heard the front door open and she sat up immediately. Galaxy gasped as she saw D-16 walking in wearily, while holding his hands behind his back, and she scrambled to her feet with a squeal. D-16 smiled immediately as he saw the sparkling running over to him and throwing herself at him. “Woah, easy there, Galaxy!” D-16 chuckled as the sparkling clamped her arms around his right leg, and he lifted his right leg, making her giggle as she refused to let go. “I am happy to see you too. You mind giving me my leg back?” She shook her head and D-16 chuckled as he lowered his leg down, looking over at Orion as his friend walked over. “That’s a shame. I have a few surprises for you. But you have to let go.”

Galaxy widened her optics and she lets go immediately while stepping back excitedly before she gasped loudly. ‘I also have something to show you. Daddy and I went shopping today. We got something for you too, and he got me a gift.’

D-16 smiled at the sparkling. “That’s wonderful, so why...” Galaxy turned and ran over to her toy box before he could finish. D-16 chuckled softly and shook his head. “You weren’t kidding about how much energy she has. Did she even have her nap today?”

Orion shook his head. “No, she did not. She’s finally settled down, but it has taken quite sometime to do so.” D-16 smiled as he was amused as he watched Galaxy grab one of the figurines she had on the ground and he saw it was an Alpha Trion figurine. “I am sure that she will be calmer tomorrow when we go to the mines. The excitement today has burned a lot of that excess energy she has been feeling.”

“Good. We don’t need another accident.” Orion nodded in agreement and D-16 watched Galaxy run over while holding the Alpha Trion figurine in her hands. “Nice! You finally got an Alpha Trion figurine. I am afraid I do not know too much about him, but I am sure he was an excellent Prime in his day.”

“I think he was quite the teacher. I’ve learned he was very wise and Alpha Trion was like the voice of Primus amongst the Primes…that’s the archives seem to suggest anyway.” D-16 raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Orion curiously, and Orion just shrugged. “Hey, I know more about him than you. Your favorite is not Alpha Trion.”

“Mmm, true. I guess I should not feel mad about that information.” D-16 looked at Galaxy as he smiled at her. “At least it is one step closer to completing the collection of having each Prime figurine, Galaxy. But now, I have a surprise.” Galaxy glanced at his arms as D-16 was still hiding something behind his back. “You need to cover your optics…actually, Orion can do that for you.” He looked at Orion who chuckled while Galaxy quickly placed the figurine on the table and covered her optics with her hands. “Just to make sure you won’t peak. That will spoil the surprise, after all.”

Galaxy felt Orion’s hands over her hands, making her giggle softly as she did not know what to expect. “I would never allow her to cheat either, D. But if she found another way, I’d be more impressed than upset that she peaked.” D-16 chuckled as he didn’t think that would happen as he began placing items on the ground and Orion frowned in surprise. “Huh...well, this is more than I expected.”

“Nothing wrong with that. She will love it all.” Galaxy giggled as she listened to the two bots bicker lightly, and she was even more excited to see what D-16 had brought home with him. She heard the sound of something opening and she did her best to not try to wiggle away from Orion. “Okay...you can open your optics now. I hope you like what I got for you.”

Orion removed his hands and Galaxy immediately dropped her hands before gasping in surprise to see the Zeta Prime figurine she had thought about getting, along with a Micronus Prime and Solus Prime, two figurines she also did not have before, and she was ecstatic. Plus, there was a pink draconic bot figure and she could also see the draconic bot decal D-16 was holding. It made Galaxy realize that Orion had sent D-16 the information of what she had been interested in earlier. But she didn’t care.

She squealed happily and immediately threw herself at D-16 to hug him, ignoring the gifts for the moment. D-16 chuckled as he hugged her with his right arm, while holding the decal with his left hand as he was overjoyed by the sparkling’s enthusiasm. “You are most welcome, Galaxy. We wanted to celebrate the end of your recovery, and I hope this was the right decision.”

Galaxy nodded ecstatically as she kept her arms around him before stepping back to sign. ‘Even if you got me something small, I would be happy, dadda. I just love spending time with you and daddy. And we have a surprise too.’ D-16 raised an eyebrow again as Galaxy turned to run over to the table and grab the decal containment, and D-16 widened his optics as he was not expecting it. Galaxy opened it and grabbed out one of the Megatronus Prime decals from it. Orion was glad it was not the limited edition one, as he realized he forgot to take it out. D-16 smiled when he saw what Galaxy held up before signing with her right hand. ‘Daddy said you had one on your recharge pod before. So we got you since you lost your old one.’

D-16’s expression softened as he was thrilled that Orion remembered it, and told Galaxy about it. “That is so…thoughtful. And today isn’t even about me.” D-16 chuckled softly as he leaned down and picked Galaxy up, kissing her cheek. “How about you help me put it up on my new recharge pod?” Galaxy nodded excitedly. “I know it will probably get removed again when you get older and we move back to the main living quarters, but that’s probably several cycles away to even worry about.” Galaxy knew that would be true, but that was okay. D-16 walked over to his recharge pod and shifted Galaxy in his arms so she could reach up. “Let me take the film off the back of…” Galaxy held the decal away and shook her head as she grabbed the film from the back of the decal to take off gently. “Just be careful with that.”

Orion chuckled as he had followed them and he was watching quietly. He could see Galaxy was being careful, but he understood D-16’s concern. “Galaxy won’t rip it, D. I’ll take the film once she has pulled it off.” Galaxy murmured softly as she pulled the film off, throwing it towards Orion as he caught it and she held up the decal and D-16 lifted her gently. “Make sure that it is as straight as possible, Galaxy. Line it up to the curve of the pod, and that will be your guide.”

Galaxy nodded as she listened. She focused as she placed the decal gently onto the side of the recharge pod, pressing her hand gently to make sure that the decal stuck and that there was no damage or air pockets as she placed it on. D-16 said nothing as he was smiling at this point due to the amount of joy he was currently feeling as he watched Galaxy take care with how she was placing the decal on. Her precision and care was so sweet, and while Megatronus Prime was his favourite Prime, this decal was more precious to him due to the fact that she put it on for him.

Once it was on properly, Galaxy made sure to rub her hands over it to make sure it was on, and D-16 chuckled softly. He pulled her back to hug her and kiss her cheek, making her giggle. “Thank you, Galaxy. I guess this means Orion and I have the honours of putting your decals on your berth.”

Galaxy nodded as D-16 shifted to hold her against his hip comfortably and she began to sign. ‘Then we could play with the new toys.’

D-16 huffed in amusement. “Good idea. But I do need to shower. I am still dusty from today. Oh, and I almost forgot...” D-16 looked at Orion. “Ironhide is bringing our tools around soon.”

Orion frowned in confusion. “Why? Wait...” He widened his optics before he smirked. “What did you do?”

D-16 shook his head with a smirk. “Nothing out of the ordinary. But they were sounding strange towards the end of my shift and not operating properly. So I had Ironhide take a look at it, and he said that we to need to fix them. He offered to bring them here when I told him about what we were doing after work.”

Orion intakes deeply. “Hmmph...which means we will have to fix them...though is it just a couple tools or all of them?”

“Just a few, but Ironhide is bringing all of them here for general maintenance. We have been neglecting them in favor of caring for Galaxy. Clearly, we should have been multitasking better.” Orion didn’t agree or disagree with that, but he was irritated that they had some work to do. “Sorry, Pax. I did not intend on it, but it happened. Besides, Ironhide should be here soon. But I think after I shower, we should spend time with Galaxy first until she falls into recharge.”

Orion smiled as he nodded. Galaxy herself was upset by this, but she tried to not let it show. “I guess that means I have to keep an watchful optic on the door.” He looked at Galaxy with a smile. “How about you go and set up the toys and then once D and I are ready, we can put the decal onto your berth and then we can have some fun.”

Galaxy nodded with a smile. ‘Maybe Ironhide will stay long enough for me to say hi as well.’

“He will. Everyone is looking for to see you tomorrow. Especially Elita.” Galaxy was glad and she was looking forward to seeing them again, even though she was still nervous about what will happen the next day. Orion looked at D-16 as Gakaxy was placed on the floor. “I’ll keep Galaxy entertained while you get yourself cleaned. Otherwise you will start to stink of corroded metal.”

“Pfft, I guess I’ll smell as bad as you do if that happens.” Orion rolled his optics at D-16’s sarcasm while Galaxy giggled softly. D-16 leaned down to kiss Galaxy’s helm before he turned and walked towards the shower room. “I will not take long.”

Galaxy watched D walk away before she glanced at Orion as he walked to the window to look outside before Galaxy turned to run over to the new figurines to gather them into her arms and carry them over to the toy box. She was ecstatic to spend more time with her parents tonight. She was upset that they had work to do, even when she would fall into recharge, which will be soon, but there was little she could do about it. After all, the bots had to bring their tools with them sometimes for maintenance. It was nice Ironhide would bring them, but it also meant there were other tools that needed mending. So Galaxy was going to enjoy the rest of the evening, knowing that the next day could be good, or bad.

Chapter Text

Galaxy hummed softly as sat at the end of the cart as Orion pushed it towards the train. The sparkling was swinging her legs gently while D-16 walked close beside the cart as their tools were contained in the cart. Ironhide had brought their tools to them in the cart Orion was currently pushing, and it was very convenient to move them around. But after Galaxy had fallen into recharge, the bots had done what they could with their tools, but they needed more maintenance done. They were usable, but would need to come back with them at the end of the day, and that was okay.

Galaxy might be humming softly, but she was only doing so to hide her anxiety. She was glancing around nervously in vase there was a sign of Sentinel or anyone working for Sentinel around. She did not see Cosmic flying around either, but that didn’t mean Cosmic was somewhere else in the city at this moment. Regardless, Cosmic was the least of Galaxy’s concerns at this time. She sat as calmly as she could while glancing around, looking at the other miners as they were entering the train, and making way to give Orion the room to manoeuvre the cart so it could fit in the train car.

“Well, well, it seems that cart is also a sparkling stroller.” Galaxy turned her head with a grin as she saw Ironhide looking at them with an amused expression. “I suppose you had to make it a bit easier for yourselves, and I can see that the sparkling balances herself well on it too.”

Orion chuckled softly as he leaned against the cart, glancing at Galaxy who was still humming and swinging her legs. “To be honest, it was not actually planned. Galaxy climbed onto it while we were not looking, and we only noticed after we finished filling it with our tools.” Ironhide chuckled while D-16 nodded in agreement. “We both weren’t expecting it, but we allowed it since she is not going to get hurt as long as she does not do anything foolish. And I don’t think she will.”

Galaxy shook her head as she wouldn’t want to scare her parents. She wanted to sign, but she would lose balance if she removed her hands from the side of the cart. D-16 was still standing close to Galaxy in case she did fall as he spoke to Ironhide. “It looks a lot more comfortable than being in the harness. The only downside is she isn’t close to us, as she loves to snuggle against us.” Galaxy nodded proudly as she wasn’t afraid to admit it. “But since it is fair since it is like a nice little right before and after our shifts. But she does know it is temporary, since we have to bring these tools home again after work.”

Ironhide grimaced. “Ah, they’re not a hundred percent, huh?” D-16 shook his head. “Hmm...maybe I can come over to help. My tools have been fixed for a while now, so I got a bit of extra time of my hands.”

“There is no need, but thanks for the offer, Ironhide,” Orion responded, fully appreciating the bot’s gesture. “D and I can fix them, and even if you were there, it will still take a couple days until we can leave the tools in the mines in our storage containment...as long as nothing else happens to them.”

“Fair. But the offer is still there. Though I guess if I am there, you might goof off with Galaxy instead of assisting, so probably best that I don’t.” Galaxy giggled as Orion just smiled at him, not responding to Ironhide’s sarcasm. “But it is good to see her well. It is...a shame the way things have gone, but we have no choice but to keep moving forward.”

Galaxy nodded as she still felt bad for Moonracer. She wished that the bot was not demoted because of her. But she couldn’t change the mind of Darkwing. Once he makes a decision, it gets followed through and no one can change his mind. He only changes his mind if someone higher says so, and he does so begrudgingly. He takes a lot of joy in being the boss over the cogless bots, and it bothered Galaxy a lot. Especially when Darkwing says something to Orion or D-16 regarding her.

“I am sure Moon can make her way up the ranks again. It...might just take a bit longer.” Galaxy didn’t looked at Orion when he tried to be optimistic about it all, but she could tell by his tone that he didn’t know if Moonracer would move up from waste management. But there was always a chance. “We just need to be extra careful from now on. Darkwing has been agitated since the incident, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is looking for something to try to pin us with.”

Galaxy hoped that wouldn’t happen, but Darkwing likely works with Sentinel or has connections to him, so Galaxy wouldn’t be surprised if he did try and do something. She has not trusted the bot since meeting him, and his quick to anger temperament often bothers her, since she has seen him punch more than a few of the miners, including her own parents whenever they would try to explain something if Darkwing accused them of something. If Darkwing was more reasonable than he was, it wouldn’t be as much of a problem, and Galaxy would like him. But that was not the case.

“To be honest, that might be true. Though I have managed to keep things a bit more leveled with Darkwing, and Elita has been happy about it. Darkwing has considered moving myself up a rank because of it. But…” Ironhide shrugged as he did not really believe it. “I am not sure. Darkwing has given false hope before, and I don’t want to fall for it again.”

D-16 nodded. He has witnessed how Ironhide was able to speak with Darkwing and keep things a bit more level, and it seemed to get respect from the transformer. But Darkwing could simply be satisfied with the results and “I certainly would be cautious at the moment. After all, he had reminded me to ensure that Galaxy behaves when she comes back. I am worried about today.”

“Yeah, I know.” Galaxy whimpered softly as she was not looking forward to going back to the mines. But she had no choice. Ironhide looked at the sparkling sympathetically. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I’ll help look for you.” Galaxy smiled at Ironhide as she appreciated his reassurance. “I cannot promise that Darkwing won’t be annoying though. He will be keeping a closer eye on everything. But I am certain that Elita will help to keep you entertained.”

Galaxy definitely planned on sticking close to Elita since she knew both Orion and D-16 will be working in the tunnels. She did hope that Darkwing would change his mind and allow one of them to stay out of the tunnels like they used to, but it was unlikely to be the case. So she hoped Elita could think of something that she could do that would not cause any additional problems with Darkwing. Especially since her previous actions had unfortunately caused someone to get punished and demoted. She hoped Moonracer was not angry about it, not that she would blame her.

“Unfortunately, we cannot rely on Elita since she has a lot to deal with. But I know Galaxy will at least shadow her today.” Orion was thinking of what Galaxy could do, while also worried for his daughter. “What do you think, D?”

D-16 shrugged slightly. “Honestly, I am afraid I do not know. I just think we go with the flow today. And Galaxy should do it too.” Galaxy nodded and D-16 smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. We will work together to ensure that Darkwing won’t act like a big bully towards you. He knows you’re still a sparkling. But you will have to make sure you listen and do what is told to you, so that way we can avoid further…mmm, not sure what I would call it.”

“Conflict is a strong word, so I agree. But I do wish I could think of something she can do. After all, it is better than to have a bored sparkling watching all of us work. But I am certain Darkwing will figure something out, or force someone to watch Galaxy.” Ironhide intakes deeply. “Maybe...hmm...”

Orion chuckled as he walked over to Ironhide. He placed his hand on Ironhide’s shoulder. “You should leave the thinking to us, Ironhide. I know you have become quite the protective uncle in Galaxy’s optics...” Galaxy giggled immediately at that comment. “But D and I can figure something out when we get there.”

Ironhide huffed lightly. “I could, but you both have not always made the best decisions.”

“Oh? And since when did you become an expert on sparklings?” D-16 asked sarcastically. “Do you have a secret sparkling that we don’t know about?”

Ironhide chuckled while rubbing the bridge between his optics. “Primus, you both grind my gears sometimes.” Orion playfully patted his shoulder and Ironhide looked at him. “I can somewhat see why you like to disappear to the archives sometimes.” Orion pressed his lips together in amusement while not looking at D-16. “Even though last time you were chased by the sentries who guard that place. But I understand, even though you should be staying with your daughter.”

“Um, as funny as that comment was, I don’t do it to get away from D-16.” D-16 and Galaxy giggle in unison as Orion responded slowly to Ironhide. “I do it because, well, there’s more than mining. I’ve learned so much, and I can share...”

Ironhide waved his hands while shaking his head. “No, no, no. That won’t be necessary. I was only joking anyway. I don’t want to get involved with something that may or not get myself punished. Even just by listening to you.” Orion doubted that would happen and knew it was an excuse. But he wasn’t going to push it. “But my last comment about being with Galaxy was serious.”

“Don’t worry, Ironhide. Galaxy is not as clingy as she used to be.” Ironhide glanced at Galaxy briefly as he did not believe Orion. He knew that after spending a week with her parents, Galaxy will be clingy. “She knows about my adventures too, and she’s okay with it. But D-16 would disagree with me and agree with you.”

Ironhide scoffed loudly. “Hmmph, as he should.” D-16 was grinning in amusement as he listened. “I don’t know why you are curious about everything else over keeping to protocol and focusing on the task of feeding the city by mining the energon in the mines. But I do think one day you’ll regret.”

“Maybe, but I doubt it.” Ironhide huffed lightly as he still believed that Orion would eventually regret it. “And you don’t need to worry about Galaxy. I do a lot for her. And she knows it too. Which is why I am certain she knows that when we go into the mines that I and D-16 will ensure that things will move along as smoothly as possible. We cannot rely on Elita for the whole day.”

D-16 nodded. “Unless Darkwing enforces it, then there is no choice.” It was unknown of what Darkwing would do. But they all wanted to try and be positive as much as possible. It didn’t stop Galaxy from being worried. “But...I am not sure if he will. Elita would be very...she wouldn’t be happy, but she would understand at least.”

“Well, he will want her to keep a close eye on Galaxy. After the incident with Moonracer, he would expect it. But as for what he would want done...we can only speculate.” Ironhide glanced out the window to see the train was approaching the mine station entrance. “And we are here. D-16, Orion, Galaxy, I wish you three all the best for today.”

“Thanks, Ironhide.” Orion looked at Galaxy and held his hands out. “Do you want to get down, or did you want to stay on the cart? It might get a bit too difficult when D-16 pushes it down the ramp.” Galaxy murmured softly before smiling and took one hand off the edge of the cart to reach for Orion. He gently grabbed her by the armpits to lift her off and rest her against his hip. “Good girl. It will be interesting to see what today will be like. Especially once D and I head into the tunnels.”

Galaxy nodded as she rested her cheek on his shoulder. Orion rubbed her back gently as they waited for the train to stop. Galaxy was nervous. She did not know what to expect today, and she hoped that it wouldn’t be too bad. But knowing Darkwing was irritated was another reason to be nervous. Especially with the knowledge of knowing that Sentinel would be watching her, and would likely figure out how to grab her away from Orion and D-16. She did not want that to happen. But it may come to a point, and she was terrified about the possibility. She couldn’t help but wrap her arms around his shoulders, which Orion took as endearing without realising that Galaxy was simply scared.

When the train finally came to a stop, D-16 shifted the cart to get ready to push it out, but he waited for the other bots to get off first. Including Orion. When Orion walked off, he looked around to see if Darkwing or Elita was near. They were not, and he was glad. He would think there was something wrong, so for the moment, things seemed to be okay. He turned to wait for D-16 to push the cart off and moved it towards the ramp. Orion smiled and proceeded to the stairs to head down to wait for him at the bottom. Galaxy kept her cheek resting on Orion’s shoulder as she glanced around for anything out of the ordinary. So far, everything was good.

When Orion reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked over to where the other miners were putting their jet packs on and gathering their tools to get ready for the mines. He smiled as he was happy to see nothing wrong, but that smile faded slightly when he saw Elita approaching and he couldn’t help but smirk at her. “Morning, Elita. I can see you have some polish on today...”

“Save it, Pax. I do not need a compliment today,” Elita said bluntly as she interrupted the bot. Orion intakes deeply as he understood. “And I know you were warned that Darkwing is unhappy, and I know you felt it top when you were here last. So we should just make sure this day goes by without issue.” Orion nodded in agreement and Elita looked at Galaxy who was looking at her with worry. Elita smiled at her. “I got your back, little one. You have no need to be concerned about what will happen today. But...you will be coming to the entrance of the tunnels today.”

“The entrance?” Elita nodded and Orion frowned. “Hmmph...I would have thought that wouldn’t happen since what happened.”

“Only because she will not be helping with anything technical from now on until she’s much older.” That was good, but Galaxy was still curious about what she would be doing. Elita looked back at Galaxy  “There is something you can help me with though.” Galaxy turned her head some more as she was curious to know what Elita had in mind for her. “You see, for a little while now, I have noticed that I need someone to keep an eye on every cart that gets moved around. Whenever something happens, things get behind and I need someone to watch and alert me to it.”

Galaxy raised an eyebrow and signed to her. ‘I thought Darkwing did that job.’

“He does not. He only deals with...other issues...but I do need someone to alert me when something happens. Especially since the other bots tend to not alert me as well. So I’ve created a little watch tower for you, and there is a button for you to press that will alert me through my com link that my attention is needed.” Galaxy murmured as she did not know if that was actually a good idea. But Elita seemed to think so. “It might seem it will be difficult, and it won’t be. I know you can’t talk, but I understand you pretty well. I did make sure there were metal blocks for you to play with so you are not bored too.”

Orion smiled as he thought it was a good idea. “I think that will be a good idea. I am sure Darkwing approved it too, so I am curious to see it.”

“Oh, well, I am afraid that is not going to happen!” Galaxy tensed and tightened her arms around Orion’s shoulders as Darkwing stomped over. Orion frowned slightly and D-16 looked over as he just reached the bottom of the ramp. Darkwing huffed and turned to Elita. “I am afraid there have been a change of plans, Elita One.”

“Why? We agreed on this, Darkwing. It will be beneficial for all of us. I don’t understand.” Elita put her hands on her hips as she frowned at him in confusion. “Why are you changing your mind?”

“Because it will not be beneficial to not have anyone watching the brat while she gets to watch and aid you with the other bots. She is not in any position or age to be in command, and she never will be.” Galaxy frowned slightly and turned her head to hide her face in Orion’s shoulder, making him rub her back gently. Darkwing huffed loudly. “Since she will be going with you to the area just outside the tunnels, she will remain close to you, Elita.”

“Me? But I am not her parent! I cannot keep an eye on the sparkling while I work! It will be less productive if I have to worry about her. That is why I came up with the watch tower idea in the first place.” Elita scoffed as she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to understand, but you will follow my orders. Do you understand?” Elita grimaced and she nodded while Darkwing turned to Orion and D-16. He glanced at the cart and he growled lightly. “Are your tools and jet packs up to standard?”

Orion glanced at the cart and shook his head. “They’re usable, but we need to do further maintenance on them later. They will work efficiently, but they aren’t fully repaired just yet. D and I are still working on them.”

“Hmmph...maybe you should just take them with you anyway...even if they aren’t damaged.” Orion and D-16 did not think so since it wasn’t necessary, but they weren’t going to argue with Darkwing right now. “As long as you can still use them and there will be no risk to the other bots or risk of causing damage or slow down production, then I guess you can use them. It is not like I can just approve replacing them if they are still functional.”

“You have our word that nothing like that will happen,” D-16 said confidently as he pushed the cart forward. “We should probably get ourselves ready for the day.”

Darkwing just nodded while Elita huffed loudly. “You have not really explained why you changed your mind, Darkwing. I love Galaxy, but I don’t have multiple optics.”

“Galaxy is still a sparkling. She is not yet old enough to handle such a task you came up with. Plus, with her inability to speak, I don’t think it will be beneficial at all.” Elita tensed her jaw in frustration. “However, while she might be shadowing you today, you can find small tasks that she can do. On the ground, she can do what you had suggested by staying with you, but act like optics on the back of your head.” Elita huffed and nodded as that was true. “That way Galaxy can get your attention straight away without using some kind of technology. Because you may not even notice the alert if she presses it.” Elita could not agree or disagree with that, but she listened quietly as Darkwing spoke. “She has to stay close to you, not just because of what I say, but because it comes from those higher than myself.”

What does he mean by that?

Galaxy stared at Darkwing and she swallowed nervously as she was very worried about the day moving forward now. Especially as it seemed that there had been a plan in place for her, but Darkwing has changed his mind. But for what reason? Galaxy could not tell if he was suspicious of her or not due to the face plate on his face and the optic shapes, so seeing his expression was impossible. So no one knows what he is feeling.

Elita sighed deeply. “Fine…if that orders come from someone higher than you, Darkwing, I will…put up with it for a while. But I do hope that we can figure something better out, because Galaxy could end up injured by sticking close to me right outside the tunnels and going back and fourth along the ramp to check on the processors. And I highly doubt that Orion and D-16 thought to bring the harness, which would make it a little easier.”

“We did not think we would need it, to be honest. Sorry, Elita.” Elita was frowning at Orion when he responded to her. “One of us will bring it with us after taking Galaxy home for her midday nap. I…I hope that is okay.”

Elita sighed deeply. “It is not like I have much of a choice, Orion.” She looked at Galaxy and softened her expression. “Are you ready to spend the day helping me deal with all these other bots to ensure we make the quota?” Galaxy nodded and Elita smiled. “Wonderful!” She held her hands towards Orion, wanting to take the sparkling. “We should get going.” Galaxy whimpered and tightened her arms around Orion’s shoulders and moved her legs around Orion’s hip, making Elita frown in surprise. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me she’s regressed over the past couple weeks.”

Orion was as surprised as Elita as he thought Galaxy would not be clingy. “No, she didn’t seem to.” He looked at Galaxy who looked at him briefly and looked away quickly. “Hmm…maybe wait until we get to the tunnel entrance? I will hold her until then. Maybe she just wants that.”

“Hmm…okay. That had better be the case. But I guess that means D-16 will be putting your jet pack on for you since she might refuse to get down to let you put it on.” That was bot true, as Galaxy would get down if Orion needed to put his jet pack on. But Elita was being thoughtful of the sparkling’s desire to stay close to her parents. D-16 chuckled as he didn’t mind. “Just make sure when we head further into the mines, that you can ensure that Galaxy will let go and we can go through the day without any tantrums.”

“Don’t worry, Elita. It will be okay. Plus, you need to ensure we are reminded who is in charge and how much energon we mine under your charge so you can get promoted.” Elita frowned in amusement as Galaxy giggled at Orion’s response. “I am sure that Galaxy will behave.” Orion glanced at Darkwing who was waiting. “Plus, Darkwing here isn’t making it easier for her.”

Darkwing growled and turned to stomp away. “She knows me, Orion. Just because she does not like when I get angry, doesn’t mean she gets her way. You should know that!” He huffed and turned his head slightly, clearly looking back at them. “But I guess she has a reason to be scared of me.”

Galaxy shuddered as she felt like he was telling Galaxy that he knew who she might be. That scared her. She did not know if he would do anything, or if he would be planning something with Sentinel. But he definitely knew something they didn’t. And Galaxy did wish she could drag both Orion and D-16 home, but doing that would probably be a bad idea. She did not know what she should expect, but it has made her extremely anxious. She did not want to get separated from Orion and D-16, even though there was little choice.

She clung to Orion as D-16 proceeded to equip the jet pack on his back and Orion grabbed one of the drills, inspecting it briefly before he glanced at Galaxy with a smile. “Time to take off, Galaxy. Hold on tight.”

Galaxy smiled slightly as she held on as Orion turned on the jets and flew upward and towards the tunnel down towards the main cave entrance. D-16 followed with Elita who reiterated how exactly she got to this point, and reminding everyone how much they have worked and helped her to get to where she is now. It was something she did every day, and Galaxy was often amused by it. But not today. She was very worried about today, and the next. She had no idea what she should do.

Once they reached the space before the cave entrance, Orion landed and looked at the tunnel before placing the drill down and looked down at Galaxy. “It is time for you to let go now, Galaxy.” Galaxy whimpered softly as she looked at the mine tunnel and looked back at him. Orion smiled at her, seeing the sparkling’s yellow eyes were filled with fear. “I am not sure what has scared you, and I want you to know that there is nothing to be scared of.” Galaxy grimaced as she wished she could tell him the reason. But she couldn’t. “D and I aren’t far away, and you know it. Just make sure you stick with Elita and help her with the other bots. I know you can do that.”

Galaxy smiled slightly as she appreciated his reassuring tone as he spoke to her. She loosened her arms around Orion’s shoulders and he lowered her to the ground. D-16 walked over with a smile and she looked at him with a smile. “Orion is right. Stick with Elita, and you will be fine. Forget what Darkwing said, okay?” Galaxy whimpered and looked down. D-16 dropped to one knee and placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “It will be okay. He is just a big bully. He won’t actually do anything to hurt you. You know that.” Galaxy did not know that, but she also did not know if he was allowed to. Galaxy stepped forward to hug D and he was surprised before he chuckled a little and rubbed her back. “Alright, alright, we cannot stay here for too long. Otherwise, Darkwing will get very mad. You will be a good girl and one of us will come back in several hours to go home for your nap. Don’t worry.”

D-16 kissed Galaxy’s forehead before he gently moved her back so he could stand up and proceed to the cave entrance. Galaxy watched Orion follow him and she watched while holding her right wrist with her left hand as she stared at them. Orion stopped briefly as he hesitated to leave her alone. He knew she was acting weird, and he was worried that something was truly wrong. But he had no choice but to proceed. He turned on his jet pack to fly deep into the tunnel with D-16 to begin the day.

Galaxy stared at the cave entrance as she was tempted to follow, but that would also get her into trouble. She sniffled a little before jumping when she felt Elita tapping her shoulder. “It’s just me.” Galaxy smiled a little at her and Elita took her hand gently. “Come on, there’s already something we need to deal with. And be sure to keep watch for any other bots who are breaking protocol. I’ll deal with them myself.” Galaxy followed Elita when she turned and began to yell at Arcee, who had accidently knocked over a cart, and Elita was frustrated since the bot had to push the empty cart down to get filled. But Galaxy did not care too much. She glanced around nervously and she was certain someone was watching.

Primus, I hope today goes by quickly. I know daddy can tell I am scared and something is wrong…ugh…hopefully, things will not escalate today. But…I know time is running out. Hopefully, things will just…get better at some point, and Sentinel will forget…but I don’t think so. I hope the dragons are okay…because they will bear the brunt of his wrath if something goes wrong.

Chapter Text

Two Days Later...

Standing on the balcony overlooking Iacon city, a smug expression seemed to remained plastered on Sentinel’s face as gazing at the naïve, ignorant city below was somehow amusing to him. Majority of the bots living in the city have no idea of what has happened to the Primes and the draconic bots, only the few closest to him did know. But now Sentinel was preparing to return to the city with the announcement about not finding the Matrix of Leadership and acquiring a new dragon in his ranks. This announcement would be broadcast within a day or two, depending on what happens today.

His orders that he has given to Darkwing has proven interesting. Darkwing has reported that Galaxy has been behaving differently since returning to the mines with Orion Pax and D-16. She was more nervous and often was seen observing Darkwing and the other sentries who were keeping a watchful eye over the mines. She showed no actual sign of being Ignited Galaxy, but the fact that she was on alert definitely told him that there was more going on than meets the eye.

“Sentinel...” Sentinel turned when he heard Airachnid to find her bowing before him. “I have the status report you requested. Regarding another day of Darkwing’s observations of that little brat. I am afraid there is no new information, other that Galaxy has relaxed a little bit today, clearly thinking that things will be okay.”

Sentinel chuckled softly. “Well, of course she does. She is a sparkling. They’re too naïve, even a little draconic bot would relax and think that all is well.” He intakes deeply and turned to look back at the city. “Now that we have these observations, I think it is time to send her aunt into the mines. Reuniting them will be nice...but not as nice as bringing her here to live with them. I cannot wait to see what her CNA will reveal when we finally put a collar on that dragon.”

Airachnid nodded with a smirk. “Let us hope that she can handle it. Being that young, you may cause permanent damage to her system.”

“I do not care as long as we can see that raw power. If we can control it, we might even get the Quintessons to back off our afts to keep the energon for ourselves.” Sentinel moved his hands to grasp them together behind his back. “But we need that dragon to find out if she has that potential. Even the potential to obliterate the Quintessons, and I will finally be the real saviour of this world. Not the Primes, not the dragons, me.”

Airachnid chuckled softly in amusement. “I agree, Sentinel. I shall give the command to Cosmic Dust. But what time should the dragon make her appearance in the mines?”

Sentinel had not thought of that. He hummed softly before he smirked. “I think sending Cosmic in the middle of their shifts, maybe just before one of those two take Galaxy home for her midday recharge, would be the best time. There are a few hours until that time. So ensuring that she thinks today is okay will make the reaction even more interesting.” Airachnid nodded and turned to walk away. “And make sure Darkwing knows the dragon will show up today. We need him to observe everything Cosmic and Galaxy do when they interact. And keep a watchful eye on Cosmic’s brainwaves so we know how she also responds within her processor.”

Airachnid nodded as she left Sentinel alone. Sentinel himself was feeling smug as he knew that Oranos’s plan might have just failed. The arrogance of that old dragon made him laugh often, as Sentinel had high hopes for the future. But he could only achieve it if he had the right dragon under his control. And while Galaxy was still young, she could easily be influenced. And he hoped that the collar will eventually not be necessary, and she will do whatever he asks her to do. Even forcing her to kill other transformers for him to show Iacon how savage the draconic bots can be.

But that can only happen if Galaxy was truly Ignited Galaxy. Sentinel has tried several more times to get the draconic bots to transform, and he has been unsuccessful. Even Scorched Flare seemed to be confused. Clearly, that command is not something the collars seem to communicate well, or it is simply something the bots have not actually done. But if the bots couldn’t transform, Sentinel would be upset that he has wasted time with this sparkling. But it was too much of a coincidence to ignore, and he was going to ensure that he knows for certain. Once he does, the plan to remove Galaxy from Orion and D-16 will be the next thing to enact. But until then, Sentinel will patiently wait for the results of today’s test with Cosmic Dust and Galaxy in the mines.

Meanwhile...

Galaxy intakes deeply as she stood near Elita as Elita was speaking with Sideswipe regarding an issue while the sparkling looked around as the other bots were moving through the mines. They were moving empty and full mining carts to and from the tunnels, and moving the full carts up to the processors. Sideswipe wasn’t in charge of pouring the energon onto the conveyor belts today, but he also was not drilling in the tunnels right now either. Galaxy did not really care since she simply was watching everything quietly.

She has still been nervous for the last couple days since coming back to the mines. Darkwing has been reminding her parents and Elita about ensuring that she would behave and listen to Elita, which Galaxy has been doing. But he has been acting angry towards them, and Galaxy’s been bothered by it. He has been more respectful to the other bots regarding issues, which Galaxy had taken an issue with. But she couldn’t say anything, other than to just dislike Darkwing even more. His behaviour has had her on edge and she was making sure she was well behaved so prevent any issue. And Elita was glad too, because a harness wasn’t needed since Galaxy stuck close to her and listened to her when she was told to do something.

And luckily, no trouble has occurred and Galaxy has been grateful for it, but she was still on alert. Orion has asked her what was troubling her, but Galaxy has not been able to figure out how to tell him. It has made recharging hard for her, but she has not woken Orion or D-16 as she didn’t want to disrupt their rest. But they have noticed she has been more tired than usual, and they were worried since she shouldn’t be tired. So they have scheduled an appointment with Ratchet to check to make sure she wasn’t sick, as she has told them that she was not. But they were unconvinced. Galaxy has not argued with them about it, as she knew trying to say anything different probably wouldn’t convince them.

Though at the moment, Galaxy was ready for her midday recharge. She had a bit of time before Orion or D-16 would come out of the tunnel to take her home for her nap, and she was really looking for to it. She was having trouble staying awake at the moment. Especially since she has not been doing a lot of moving around, other than following Elita and doing whatever small task she has her do. She did not bother Elita about her weariness, but it has not gone unnoticed since it was obvious that the sparkling was tired and needed to be put to berth very soon before she gets overtired and become upset.

Sideswipe intakes deeply as he stepped back from Elita. “You don’t need to worry, Elita. I will get it sorted very quickly.” Elita huffed as she hoped that he was honest. Sideswipe glanced at the sparkling and smiled at Elita. “I think you might have to get Orion or D-16 up here early. That sparkling looks like she will nod off if she keeps swaying and closing her optics like that.”

Elita smiled slightly as she looked at Galaxy. “I have noticed, Sideswipe. But I had to make some things clear first before turning my attention to her.”

“I am sure I could have waited. I doubt Darkwing would want to hear want crying simply because we left her tired.” Galaxy turned her head to look at Sideswipe and he smiled at her. “But you have been very good, Galaxy. I hope you can hold it against little more together for a bit until one of your dads show up.”

Galaxy chuckled a little and lifted her hands to sign. ‘Would it even be so wrong if I curled up somewhere to recharge? I wouldn’t recharge somewhere you could not find me.’

“Uh, I think Elita would be less than pleased.” Elita nodded in agreement. Sideswipe shrugged and looked at Elita. “I should get to it, and you can get one of those bots to come and take their daughter home. Hopefully Darkwing will not get too mad.”

“He should be fine, but I am certain he will say something. No go...” Elita waved her hand at Sideswipe as she turned to walk over to Galaxy. “I need to make sure that Galaxy stays awake long enough for Orion or D-16 to come and get her.” Sideswipe nodded before he turned to walk away. Elita looked down at Galaxy with a smile. “I hope you will feel better after you have your midday recharge.” Galaxy nodded before she yawned and Elita opened her com link to Orion and D-16. “Orion, D-16, this might be a little bit early, but your sparkling is having a hard time keeping her optics open.”

It took a moment before Orion responded. “I had a feeling you would contact us early. Give me a few minutes to finish here and I will take Galaxy home. D-16 is a bit more preoccupied than I am right now and he just told me to take her.”

“Good, good. I will make sure she doesn’t find somewhere to curl up, since she seems to be feeling that way.” Galaxy giggled softly and Elita smiled at her. “But if she does fall into recharge, I’ll cradle her until you get here. But I don’t want to wait too long in case Darkwing decides to have an issue with it.”

Orion laughed lightly in amusement. “Well, I will thank you in advance should that happen. Hopefully, her midday recharge will prove to be very restful for her. And hopefully Ratchet can figure out why she is tired, even though she doesn’t seem to be waking during the night.”

“Unless she is being considerate and not wanting to wake either of you.” Elita watched as Galaxy yawned again as she looked away, not wanting to give away the reason why she seemed tired all the time now. “But I agree. It hasn’t impacted her ability to be aware though, which I think is very impressive for her age. Though I haven’t pushed her too much.”

“Good to know. She is quite mature for her age, but hopefully her weariness will be resolved sooner than later.” Elita nodded in agreement. “Oh, I have to focus and finish digging out this energon rock, Elita. I’ll be up there in a minute.”

Elita intakes deeply as she looked at Galaxy. “Now, while we wait for Orion to turn up, how about you and I do a round up to the processors before coming back?” Galaxy smiled and nodded. “That should be enough time to give him so he will be here when we get back.” Galaxy lifted her arms to Elita and the femme chuckled softly before picking her up. “You’d better hold on tight now, I’ll be flying around and observing everyone. Let me know if you see anything wrong.” Galaxy nodded as Elita held the sparkling against her hip and Galaxy wrapped her arms around the femme’s shoulders to remain secure as Elita turned on her jet pack. “Good. Hold tight and let’s check everything.”

Galaxy nodded as Elita carefully flew into the air while she kept a firm hold of Galaxy’s body to ensure that the sparkling would remain secure. Galaxy herself was not caring too much about what the other bots were doing since she would be going home soon with Orion so she could get some recharge. But she was looking as best as she could as Elita flew back up to the processors to check if things were moving smoothly, and they appeared to be, which was good. Elita herself was taking the time to observe everything bot, which wasn’t a surprise. Galaxy also knew this was a way to pass the time while waiting for Orion.

Elita did land by the conveyor belt though as she noticed that there was not much energon being poured onto them, despite being multiple processors now up and running. She frowned a little and turned her head as Arcee pushed a cart towards the conveyor belt and she was surprised to see Elita was frowning. “Is...is everything alright?”

Elita huffed as she glanced back at the conveyor belt and placed her hands on her hips. “No, not really. I have noticed that the loads of energon being poured onto the belt is not as much as it should be. Are they filling all the cart properly down there?”

“Um…they are…” Arcee forced a smile, though Elita’s frown quickly made that go away. “Uh…you put me on this task, and the carts are…a bit heavy when they are full and…”

“Arcee, you are quite capable of moving the carts around while full. Everyone here does it, not just you. I have moved them too. Being heavy isn’t an excuse, unless you have an injury that I don’t know about.” Arcee shook her head immediately. “Good. Because I don’t need a miner going to the medical centre over a hidden injury. So if they are filling the carts to the brim, you are removing rocks, aren’t you?” Arcee nodded and Elita sighed deeply. “If you need someone else to help you, next time just tell me. You’re only making things run slower by doing that.”

“Sorry…with how intense Darkwing has been with everyone, I just…felt like I would be annoying you or him if I did that. That’s really the only reason I did not say anything. I am better digging out the energon than moving the carts.” Elita huffed lightly in amusement and Arcee hummed softly. “I suppose you can get someone up to help me. I don’t want us to fall behind on our quota.”

Elita huffed as she opened her com link. “Sunstreaker, I need you to come and assist Arcee with loading energon onto the conveyors belts instead of hauling them up the ramp to this position. She needs some assistence to…” Elita gasped as every bot in the mine frozen when they felt a tremor through the entire mines. Galaxy tensed as while she had almost nodded off into recharge, the sudden rumble and the loud sound of wings beating woke her up instantly. “What…what was that?”

Arcee shook her head as she did not know what the sound was. “I don’t, but…that kind of sounds like…”

“ELITA!” Elita flinched and Galaxy yelped when Sideswipe’s voice shouted through the com link suddenly. “I hate to tell you this, but today is about to get really messy! A dragon has flown into the mines and it is walking down the stairs and the gust from its wings knocked over multiple carts! What do we do?!”

A dragon? Who?! Wait…no, no…it’s Cosmic, it has to be!

Galaxy whimpered and squirmed, making Elita flinch in surprise and tightened her arms around her. “Easy, Galaxy. I got you.” Galaxy shook her head with a frown as she was nervous and she pressed her feet on Elita’s stomach to try and push herself off. Elita frowned as she didn’t like that. “No, Galaxy, I have to...” Elita gasped and hunched slightly protectively when she heard the loud thumping of footsteps and widened her optics as bots began to flee. “Scrap...”

“Let me take her...” Elita looked at Arcee who held her arms out. “Inform Orion and D-16 about it, but you are needed to help the other bots, Elita. I will find somewhere to hide Galaxy from the dragon.”

“Or keep her from trying to run over to it.” Elita hesitated as she knew that Galaxy’s safety was on her shoulders, but so were the rest of the other bots. She intakes deeply. “Alright, fine.” Elita held Galaxy firmly, but gently, as she held the sparkling towards Arcee. “But you’d better tell me where you...AAAHH!”

Galaxy shrieked as a loud thud caused the ground to trembled and Elita lost her balance, letting go of Galaxy unexpectedly. Galaxy yelped upon landing on her aft and she grimaced as she felt a little pain as she was certain she just landed on her tail joint, which hurt a lot. She turned her head, widening her optics and scrambling to her feet as she wondered why there was a draconic bot in the mines causing havoc at this time.

“Sorry, Galaxy.” Elita had stood back up quickly, feeling guilty for causing harm to Galaxy, even though she didn’t appear too damage. “Go with Arcee and...” Elita paused as the large, silver head of a familiar draconic bot entering the cavern, her dull, grey, blue optics were looking around and knocking over the nearby carts with her front paws to move them away. “Primus...” Elita turned sharply to shout, only to realize Galaxy had gone and turned her head to the right to see Arcee chasing Galaxy as the sparkling was running deeper towards the mines. “NO! Not that way, Galaxy!” Cosmic turned her head upon hearing Elita shouting. “Arcee, get her quickly!”

Galaxy glanced over her shoulder to see Cosmic was looking in her direction, but the dragon’ optics weren’t focusing on her, or they seemed not to. She felt sad for her aunt as she could see the collar around Cosmic’s neck, but she could not do anything since so many bots were around, and Cosmic was likely sent here for a reason. And the sparkling was most definitely that reason, and she now had to figure out what to do. And she couldn’t let Arcee grab her, since Arcee would probably get hurt if she did so.

Cosmic growled softly as she walked forward while watching Galaxy weave between the carts before she stopped and turned her head sharply when a few of the miners were trying to get her attention by grabbing her tail. She snarled, baring her teeth while lifting her tail and slamming it down, throwing the bots off with ease, but she also hit another row of carts, causing them to topple and energon rocks scattered over the ground. And it had a domino effect as all the carts in the row not only fell, a few carts hit other rows and the same thing began to happen, which caused bots to stumble and try to stop the carts from falling.

Arcee was slowed down by this too as she jumped back from a falling cart, and a heap of energon rocks fell between her and Galaxy. Galaxy herself was glad, though she now needed somewhere to hide. Somewhere that Cosmic couldn’t reach, but she did worry that by doing that, then Cosmic may respond badly, so she wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted to reach Orion and D-16, who probably already know what is happening right now.

However, her thoughts were cut off as Cosmic had knocked over another row of carts, but this time they were empty, and one of the carts beside her fell towards her. Galaxy gasped and shrieked, ducking as she could slightly so she would be stuck right under the inward curve of the cart, though her right leg was caught under the weight of the cart and she couldn’t pull it out. She whimpered softly and she shifted to try to hide as best as she could under the cart, watching as the miners were trying to get Cosmic out of the mines without angering her.

Cosmic growled softly as she looked around, not really caring about the chaos she was causing right now. She unfurled her wings, extending the sharp, blue, feather-like wings as she thought about flying out of the mines, but there was a noticeable surge suddenly bursting from three collar, making Cosmic grimace and snarl, flaring her nostrils and causing white, hot sparks to fly slightly from them, which was bad due to how flammable energon tends to be. Though when it isn’t processed, it is not as bad, but it was still a risk of causing fire or an explosion. Cosmic relaxed her wings as she looked around while growling softly.

“Galaxy!” Cosmic turned her head sharply to see Orion and D-16 landing on the ground, looking around for the sparkling. Orion glanced at Cosmic, widening his optics in shock upon seeing the dragon. “Cosmic! W-What are you doing here?” Cosmic growled softly with a light purr mixed through the growl as she tilted her slightly before she walked towards him slowly. Orion tensed and backed away while D-16 stepped to the side. “Uh, D, see if you can find Galaxy.”

D-16 nodded before flinching when he heard Arcee. “Galaxy, where are you?! You were just in front of me! Where did you do?!”

D-16 stared at Arcee as the femme was looking around in bewilderment and he frowned a little before glancing at Cosmic as the draconic bot walked towards Orion, seemingly fixated on his as her blue optics brightened slightly and they all seem a bright, electrical current around the collar, making the dragon twitch slightly. But not in pain, as the current seemed to come from the dragon internally. However, none of the bots had a clue as to what it meant, but Orion was nervous due to it.

Orion stepped back, cautious as the dragon lowered her head, sniffing lightly as she approached. “Cosmic, I am not sure what you are doing here, but you need to leave.” The dragon tilted her head slightly again as she moved closer until her nostrils was just centimetres from his chassis. Orion was nervous as he held up his hands, showing he wasn’t a threat and daring not to touch Cosmic. “Please, I know you probably recognize me, but...uh...” Cosmic moved her head slightly, startling Orion, as she gently pressed the tip of her snout against his right palm, making him freeze instantly. A low purr rumbled through her chest as she gazed at him. “Um...uh, well, uh, this is awkward...”

D-16 would normally voice his agreement, but he was looking for Galaxy. “Galaxy! Where are you?! Make a sound!” D-16 looked around for any sign of the sparkling. Arcee was still looking and Ironhide just began searching too. “Can anyone see or hear her?”

They shook their heads and D-1 huffed in irritation. Orion was unable to help with Cosmic being so close, as interacting with the dragon this way was not on his list of things he wanted to achieve. However, the dragon seemed to be gentle as she seemed to smile at him slightly before sniffing lightly again and stepping back from him, allowing Orion to exhale a sigh of relief. His spark was pulsing rapidly as he was still nervous, despite the dragon choosing to turn away from him. However, it seemed that Cosmic turned her optics towards D-16 as she began walking towards him slowly.

Realising this, Orion gasped. “D! Hold still!” D-16 stopped running and he turned sharply, widening his yellow optics as he saw Cosmic walking towards him. “Remain calm, and let her just...do what she needs.”

D-16 didn’t want to do that, but being Cosmic up so close as she approached was very terrifying. He intakes deeply and looked at Orion. “Then you try to find Galaxy. She’s here somewhere! And Arcee lost sight of her too.”

Orion nodded as he glanced around, trying to look for any sign of his daughter. He couldn’t help but glance back at D as he could see his friend was a lot more nervous than he was. Cosmic let out a soft, growling purr as she continued to walk closer. It was strange as it seemed like she was observing both Orion and D-16, and they did not know the reason for it, but it was best to let her do it rather than interrupt.

D-16 stepped back as he intakes sharply with a nervous gaze as the dragon continued to step closer. He jumped when he backed into an overturned cart and he felt cornered as the dragon stepped closer. He did not like being cornered like this. He glanced at Orion as his friend looked around for Galaxy. She was either hiding really good, or something really bad has happened, as D-16 wondered why she was not making a noise. He suspected she might be scared, too scare to make a noise.

He looked back at Cosmic as the dragon stopped in front of him, sniffing his chassis curiously. He looked around nervously before looking back at Cosmic’s optics. “Please...let me look for my...” D-16 gasped as the dragon moved her head and he flinched his hands back, making her frown slightly as he didn’t want her touching him. “Don’t. I...I don’t want you to do that. Orion might have allowed it, but I won’t.”

Cosmic was silent as she stared at D-1 for a moment before flaring her nostrils and thick black smoke hissed out suddenly, making D-16 flinched again before Cosmic growled and turned her head sharply to see Darkwing as he stepped on her tail. “You have had enough exploring right now, Cosmic! Now you need to leave!” Cosmic growled, snarling at him before turning sharply, pulling her tail out from him him and making Dark Wing yelp, almost losing his balance as he caught himself as the dragon stomped closer, which causing the ground to rumble from the stomps. “Stop that! I command you to leave, now!” Cosmic huffed, knowing she had not completed what she came to do. Darkwing tensed, stepping back as he saw the orange glow within Cosmic’s chassis as she was warning him to back off. “You’ve caused such a mess! This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

Cosmic stepped closer to him, bringing her head extremely close to him as she thought about reacting to him trying to stop her. But she knew not to, as she had to go through the directive she was given. She growled at him and snapped her teeth at him, making Darkwing flinch back before Cosmic knew that she would not have to do much to make Darkwing submit. He was a coward, despite she knew he would feel empowered to boss the miners around.

Cosmic turned her head slightly as she heard the small whimper of her niece nearby. The other bots did not notice, but she did. She huffed as she sneered at Darkwing before she turned, knocking over a full cart with her tail, almost hitting the transformer with it and the rocks that were piled in it. Darkwing growled loudly and he glared at Cosmic, before he turned sharply and stomped away, though Cosmic did not see where he went.

“Galaxy!” D-16 shouted he ran around the fallen carts. “Where are you?!” D-16 ran on top of an energon rock pile to try and get a vantage point. “Galaxy! Orion, can you see anything sign?” Orion shook his head as he glanced around. “Arcee!” Arcee shook her head with a worried expression. “Scrap!” He looked over at Cosmic as the dragon walk calmly, and he saw she was looking at something, but it was not a bot. She was focused on something else. “Primus, is there anyway to get this dragon out of here?! We have so much work to do now because of her!”

“None of us here can command her!” Orion responded as he focused on looking around. “I think she was sent here, but no idea why. Clearly it was for a reason, and this was just collateral damage.”

D-16 did not know how to feel about that. With Cosmic being something else they could not give commands to, they had no choice but to wait for the dragon to leave. It was frustrating for everyone, this is true, but they had no choice. This was the first time one of the dragons were even in the mines, so it was definitely a curious thing to wonder on why she was here. But it was guessed that she was ordered to come here, since that was the only reason as to why she was here. But the reason why she would be sent to the mines is a mystery.

As for Cosmic, she sniffed the ground, making sure she was following the right direction. She knew Galaxy was near. She had to find Galaxy as the disruption she had made to the collar wouldn’t last forever, and making sure that Galaxy was okay was a priority. She knew she had made a mess, but she hoped that she didn’t cause any harm to Galaxy, since that wouldn’t be fair. After all, making a scene like she has currently wouldn’t make too many suspicions. At least she hoped for that.

Cosmic could find Galaxy’s scent though. It took a little but to find the trail, but the familiar, yellow optics staring from underneath the shadow of a cart on its side caught her optics. Cosmic turned her head slowly when she noticed her, and she saw Galaxy shaking her head, gesturing for her to leave. Cosmic purred softly as she walked towards the sparkling. No one has noticed why the dragon was approaching the cart yet. Which was good, because Cosmic did not want them to panic. Though as Galaxy was clearly aware, Cosmic hoped that she would stay quiet. Cosmic purred softly as she approached the cart, lowering her head so she could see the sparkling clearly.

Orion turned as he frowned as he thought it was strange that Cosmic seemed to be fixated on something. He knew it could not be the energon or the carts, so he was confused. However, as he followed Cosmic’s gaze, Orion gasped loudly when he spotted her underneath the cart. And now he knew the reason why Cosmic was fixated on something, and he felt his spark skipping a beat for fear of what was about to happen. “Cosmic, no! Get away from my daughter!” Cosmic’s optics locked onto Orion immediately, and Orion froze after rushing forward in a panic. Cosmic’s aura shifted, and they all could sense it. They had to stay away from her right now, or she may not react well. And for Galaxy’s sake, they had to keep back.

Chapter Text

Cosmic held her stare with Orion, silently warning him to keep back. She knew he wanted to protect Galaxy, and from what she could see, he and D-16 were great parents. So she respected them. But she had to go through with this. Airachnid ordered her to go into the mines and investigate the sparkling. So that is what she would do, while making sure to not make it obvious that Galaxy is Ignited Galaxy. But she also knew that all her current actions may have already exposed who she is, so Cosmic could only try to play the part of not completely acknowledging her niece. Even though she had already acknowledged her adoptive parents by showing them the respect, even though D-was too scared to let her touch him.

Orion himself did not know what to do. He glanced at the cart with worry, as he did not know if Galaxy was hurt or conscious. She has not made a sound at all. But Cosmic had found her before anyone else. D-16 was using this moment to try and get around Cosmic to reach Galaxy, but Cosmic was already aware. She turned her head sharply and growled a warning at D when tried to walk towards Galaxy, and he froze immediately as well. His own spark pulsed quickly within his chassis, and he wanted to reach Galaxy.

“Cosmic…” Cosmic turned her head slightly to look at him with one optic. “I-I see you are just curious. Um…” Orion intakes deeply as he thought about it. “Just…please don’t hurt her. She’s still an infant…not super young, but…uh…” He did not know what he could stay right now. He glanced at the cart and looked back at Cosmic. “You will not hurt her…will you?” Cosmic’s optics softened slightly and Orion immediately sensed that she would not hurt Galaxy. “O-Okay…”

D-16 looked at Orion in shock. “You cannot be serious.”

“Yes, for her sake, yes.” D-16 was confused as he didn’t quite understand. Orion looked at his friend with a calm expression. “Cosmic is much stronger than us. Let her...approach Galaxy. She’s done it before. She won’t hurt her.” D-16 let out a soft grunt as he was still worried. “Just...stay calm...we will be okay...a few knocked over carts is fine, as long as no one gets hurt or...terminated.”

D-16 did not like Orion’s suggestion at all. “But...she...she’s under that cart!”

“I know, D. Just...let the dragon be...she will leave on her own terms...hopefully.” Orion was confident about that, but he was still nervous. “Um, in the mean time, I am going to contact Ratchet about moving our appointment forward...since...it’s necessary.”

Cosmic was glad that Orion was remaining level headed in this. She understood the reason why the two bots were worried, since they have embraced parenthood very well. So she hoped to not take too long, and would take steps to ensure that she did not worry them for too long. But she couldn’t move forward if they interrupted her, so giving them warnings was the right thing. Especially as while the collar was currently ineffective, it will reactivate soon, and she didn’t want to waste a lot of time regarding this.

Orion stepped back from the silver dragon and Cosmic gave a slight nod to let him know that was a good decision. D-16 reluctantly did the same as he stared at the draconic bot with fear. Cosmic was pleased by this as the bots were now giving her space. Other miners were already fixing up and refilling the carts with Elita barking orders while shouting at Darkwing and a few other bots over different things. She was glancing in Cosmic’s direction with worry, as Elita did not know what protocol they should even do right now, even though it should be the least of her concerns.

Cosmic turned her head as she looked down at the cart. Galaxy was staring back at her with tears falling from her optics. Galaxy was happy to her, but she would prefer a different reason to see her aunt. Cosmic stepped closer and lowered her head, purring softly as she sniffed the ground and placed her muzzle on the ground. Galaxy stared at Cosmic, wanting nothing more than to nuzzle against her cheek, knowing that she missed the affection she used to get from draconic bots. Plus, she did miss Cosmic terribly. But Galaxy did not know if Cosmic was in control, since she was still wary about the collar around Cosmic’s neck.

Cosmic turned her head slightly to be able to push her snout under the cart slightly, sniffing the sparkling gently and gently nudging Galaxy’s right hand. Galaxy stared at the dragon before she realized that Cosmic may have broken free of some control. She smiled a little before placing her hand on the snout and Cosmic purred softly, making Galaxy let out a light sob as she was happy to know that the collars were weakening.

She glanced out to ensure no one was watching before she nuzzled Cosmic’s snout gently. She wished she could help her aunt escape, but she had no plan yet. The new Prime was not here yet, and she feared that she might be under Sentinel’s control herself when that happens. But Galaxy felt a little flicker of hope, knowing that Cosmic, Firedrake and Sky Blade are all likely to be able to free themselves. She wasn’t sure if that is what they will do though, since the dragons were clearly remaining low, or were still mostly controlled by Sentinel.

Cosmic licked Galaxy’s cheek gently, making the sparkling giggle a little, before the dragon pulled back slightly and pressed on the side of the cart to pull it off the sparkling. Galaxy covered her head with her hands as the dragon gently stood the cart upright and looked down at the sparkling. Galaxy looked up at her as the dragon lowered her head again, purring softly as she sniffed the sparkling, trying to keep the act that Cosmic was not familiar with the sparkling.

But Galaxy herself wasn’t aware of it. She moved her legs, glad that they were not hurt from the cart falling on her, but they were a bit stiff. She grunted as she moved onto her knees and she placed her hands on the dragon’s snout, staring at the blue optics with a smile. Galaxy purred softly as she smiled slightly before gently moving her head upward to nudge off the sparkling’s hands, knowing that she couldn’t do that for too long.

Orion stepped forward as he was worried and Cosmic immediately turned her head towards him, making him flinch in surprise. But this time, Cosmic did not show intimidation, but rather she understood. She purred softly as she looked back at Galaxy as she gently nudged the sparkling’s chassis, making Galaxy giggle a little, before Cosmic opened her mouth suddenly, making Orion and D-16 gasp loudly, thinking Cosmic was going to hurt her.

But as Cosmic gently closed her mouth around Galaxy’s chassis, she lifted the sparkling like she would a dragon sparkling. Galaxy whimpered a little as she already could feel the familiar sense of this interaction. She wanted Cosmic to take her away, but she looked at Orion to see his frightened, worried expression. And that immediately made Galaxy whimper again and reach her arms towards him.

“Galaxy…” Orion gasped as the dragon turned towards him again and approached him slowly. It took a moment for him to realize that Cosmic was bringing his daughter to him. And it made him feel relief. “Oh, Primus…” He exhales deeply and he smiled a little. Cosmic purred as she approached him and Orion held his arms out. “Um…I’ll take her from you, when you are ready. Thank you.”

Cosmic nodded slightly as she approached the bot. Galaxy placed her hands under Cosmic’s chin in an attempt to nuzzle, but she couldn’t twist her body enough to do so. She whimpered with a slight frown, letting more tears fall from her optics as she wanted Cosmic to stay longer, even though she didn’t know how long Cosmic was even allowed in the mines. Regardless, Cosmic walked closer to Orion and lowered her head when she got near him.

She opened her mouth slowly and gently dropped Galaxy into Orion’s arms. Galaxy whimpered as Orion hugged her against him in relief, but she wiggled, reaching her hand towards the dragon as Cosmic stepped back. Orion smiled a little. “Stop, Galaxy. She isn’t like one of your toys. She needs to…” Orion widened his optics when Galaxy grabbed Cosmic’s right nostril suddenly, and the sharp pull made the dragon widen her own optics and snort loudly, shaking her head back in surprise. Orion stepped back as he held Galaxy protectively in his arms as she stared at Cosmic. “Scrap, I hope that didn’t make her mad.”

Cosmic licked her nostril lightly with her tongue and huffed lightly before lowering her head again with a low purr. Orion tensed as the dragon gently pressed the tip of her snout against Galaxy’s cheek with a light nuzzle before moving her snout against Orion’s cheek, just like before. Orion remained still as the dragon nuzzled his cheek slowly, but no word was spoken by Cosmic as she stepped back and turned slightly to walk towards the exit.

Orion sighed in relief knowing that Cosmic was leaving. Galaxy squirmed in his arms as she looked at Cosmic and she sniffled as she wanted Cosmic to stay. But she knew that Cosmic could not. However, that did not stop Galaxy from making a sound. A sound that was like a cry, but it sounded different to what she has made before. Orion looked at her in surprise, not realizing Galaxy just made a draconic sparkling cry, which made Cosmic stop and turn her head slightly immediately to look at Galaxy. Cosmic was surprised that Galaxy would make that sound, which was a sound that draconic sparklings made when they wanted comfort.

“What was that sound she just made?” D-16 asked as he walked over to Orion, looking at Galaxy in surprise. “She’s never made that sound before. It sounded like a gurgling growl or something.”

“Yeah, I know.” Orion thought it was very strange and looked at Cosmic, curious to know why Cosmic even reacted to that sound. “Cosmic seemed to take interest in it too.” Galaxy stared at Cosmic before Cosmic made a soft, growling purr mixed with a light hiss, which was her way of comforting Galaxy in their own tongue before Cosmic proceeded forward. Galaxy smiled a little as she was grateful before she sniffled and looked at Orion with tears falling from her optics. Orion kissed her forehead gently and hugged her. “Oh, Galaxy. I am glad you are okay. And unfortunately, I am sure that woke you up too.” Galaxy nodded and turned her head when she heard Cosmic’s wings beating as the dragon took off to leave the mines. “Well…aside from this massive clean up, we are all okay.”

“I know, and it is a little weird. I was expecting someone to have their limb torn off or something.” Orion shook his head as he knew from his research that the dragons weren’t as savage as they were told. Plus, he also believed the collar around Cosmic’s neck was keeping her controlled. D-16 looked at Galaxy curiously. “Is she hurt?”

“No, she is not. I thought she might have been, but no. But then again, Ratchet said we can bring her in as soon as possible, so only he will know the full truth." Orion shifted Galaxy in his arms so she could be more comfortable, and she buried her face into his shoulder to sob softly. He smiled as he rubbed her back gently. She was trembling and he felt sorry for her. “Easy, Galaxy. I know that probably was scary and exciting for you, but you are okay.”

“Indeed, she is.” Orion and D-16 turned upon hearing Darkwing speak slowly. Galaxy tensed and kept her face hidden, wanting to ignore him. “Hmmph…I am not happy…”

“We know, but…this isn’t our fault, Darkwing,” D-16 interrupted the transformer, making Darkwing clench his fists in anger and D-16 flinched. “Sorry for interrupting you, but I hope you are not blaming us for what just happened.”

“You are an idiot if you think I was going to blame you!” Darkwing growled as he shook his head. “I am not happy that the dragon was in the mines.” He sighed deeply before waving his hand. “Both of you can attend to your brat. I do not want to hear her crying while we clean up the mines…and don’t forget to take your damaged tools with you too!” He turned and walked away with a growl. “Elita! Gather all miners! We need to clean this up now!”

Both Orion and D-16 were glad they both could go to the medical centre to ensure that they both knew that Galaxy was okay. Though Orion himself could not help but feel guilty about having to leave everyone to clean up. They will not make any kind of quota today, that was for sure. But everyone was going to move as quickly as possible. Elita was already giving orders, since a dragon in the mines was not something that they had expected at all.

D-16 intakes deeply. “Okay, uh, I’ll go get our tools while you go to the medical centre. I will, um, meet you there.”

Orion hummed with a slight frown, even though Darkwing had just ordered them to take the tools with them. “Okay, I will wait by the elevator instead. That way we both go to the medical centre at the same time.”

“But, Galaxy...”

“I know what you are feeling, D, I really do. But Galaxy is not severely injured. It will be okay.” D-16 looked at Galaxy as hearing her sobbing broke his spark. “I will make sure Galaxy is okay. I cannot put her down right now while she needs comfort.”

“I know...I guess...well...we never really thought that a dragon would come here. I wonder why that is.” Orion shrugged, as he was not sure himself. D-16 brushed off dust from his shoulders as he turned slightly. “Alright, well, I guess we should, uh, get to it. Or Elita and Darkwing may get angry at us.”

Orion turned slightly, caressing Galaxy’s back gently as she continued sobbing. His spark hurt for her. The way she was crying sounded like she was both scared and grieving over what just happened. He couldn’t blame her, since he knew how much she loved the draconic bots. And since one interacted with her today, he had no doubt that it was thrilling and scary for her. But he was curious. The way she interacted with Cosmic seemed odd. Especially the sou d Galaxy made before was extra strange. And he wondered what bond there was, or if she somehow knew how to communicate with the dragons. It made him want to go back to the archives, while also thinking about the Matrix at the same time.

Arcee ran over to Orion with a worried expression, making him flinch. “I’m sorry! I was meant to stop her from running away.” She looked down at the ground sadly. “I’m sorry...do you think I’ll get punished like Moonracer? Because...I think I might.”

Orion was surprised since this circumstance was very different to a sparkling being hurt from a careless mistake. “I am not angry at you, Arcee. This was an unusual situation today, and I don’t think you will get in trouble.” Arcee smiled as she looked at him. “I appreciate that you tried to help, but it wasn’t your fault. Cosmic was allowed to enter the mines, clearly, but I don’t think this mess was expected.”

“Why would Cosmic even patrol in here? It...it is weird. She didn’t even go deeper into the mines.” Orion shrugged as he did not have an answer. Though he did agree it was strange that Cosmic did not go further into the mines. Arcee sighed deeply as she shook her head. “I guess we won’t ever know. I’m going to keep helping, otherwise we will get behind.”

“We are already behind on our quota, Arcee. But I wouldn’t be worried, since no one was hurt. We only have to deal with an angry Darkwing and Elita for a little while, but I think we can handle that over a serious injury.” Arcee smiled as she agreed and Orion walked around her. “I had better get Galaxy to Ratchet. I don’t think she’s seriously injured, but I do just want to make sure.”

Arcee nodded and proceeded to assist the other miners, so that she would not get in trouble for not doing anything. Orion proceeded forward, making sure that Galaxy was comfortable, even though she was still crying. He caressed her back gently as he glanced around at the mess. He felt bad that he had to leave instead of remaining to help the others. But the sparkling’s health was a higher priority for him and D. He would just have to wait until D could meet him at the elevator to the medical centre, as he didn’t want to go on his own as he felt both of them should be there.

Orion did consider returning after, as only one of them would be needed to take Galaxy home. But that would be based on Ratchet’s recommendation as well. He glanced up at the elevator, intaking deeply as he approached it. He was glad that it was not damaged by the dragon, and yet he was curious as to why Cosmic was here. Was it by chance? Or was it by an order? Sentinel wasn’t back yet, so Orion knew it couldn’t have come from him. So it was very strange. But as it seemed that Cosmic appeared to be looking for something, Orion wondered if Cosmic may have some old orders still standing in her mind. Like searching for the Matrix.

Orion hummed as he wondered about what answers that he may find in the archives. That seemed to be the most logical place to search, as he already knew that the draconic bots were intelligent. Even though the dragons he knows from Sentinel don’t seem to be as what the archives have described them to be, but he could tell that Cosmic was intelligent based on her actions, which burned at his curiosity. He felt the need to go back to the archives now. And he didn’t think he could help himself at all, but he would wait until it was either the following day or day after tomorrow.

“Orion, wait!” Orion stopped, flinching as he was brought out of his thoughts as he turned to Elita who ran over to him. Elita gave him a sympathetic expression as she stopped in front of him. “Sorry, I know you need to get tools Ratchet, but this will not take long.”

Orion smiled at her. “Don’t worry, Elita. I am going to wait for D before I head up to Ratchet. It is best we both go together, but Darkwing did not want our tools and jet packs left behind.” Orion shifted Galaxy in arms a little, while the sparkling’s cries have softened at this point and Galaxy had stuck her thumb into her mouth. “You should know that Galaxy isn’t severely injured, and there is no need to discipline Arcee.”

Elita was a little surprised. “Wait, what? Is that why Arcee is nervous?” Orion nodded. “Oh, scrap. Um, no, she is not in trouble. It is technically my fault for giving her the responsibility, but...um...we don’t have a protocol for a dragon visitor, so I kind of...had to help the other miners in that moment.”

“I know. It is okay, Elita. You should feel proud that you were able to reduce the destruction Cosmic had caused. Though I don’t think it was intentional.” Elita smiled as Orion’s acknowledgement of her priorities and work was good to hear. Especially since she did not know how today was going to reflect on her progress to becoming head supervisor. “So don’t feel bad. But I do want to reassure you Galaxy will be okay, and I will try to come back. I can ask D to watch Galaxy back home after the appointment.”

“Well, I am glad that someone recognises my status.” Orion chuckled softly in amusement. “And you also did answer what I wanted to ask, because Darkwing is on a tirade, and he is already giving my processor short circuits right now.” Elita rubbed the sides of her head, exaggerating the feeling she was currently experiencing. “So if one of you can come back to help clean up and repair any damage Cosmic has done, that would be for the best. But expect some overtime drilling for a couple days. I am unhappy that we can’t process more energon for a few hours.”

“I had already suspected that would be the case. But it is okay, Elita.” Orion smile softened slightly as he wanted Elita to feel better. “We will all stand behind you and work hard. And before you know it, I have no doubt that we will harvest a lot more energon for the city.” Elita nodded in agreement. “Though I do appreciate the warning. That way we can...plan around Galaxy’s midday recharge and night recharge.”

“Agreed. I guess that means when tomorrow...” Elita paused for a moment as she glanced at Galaxy and noticed that Galaxy’s optics were closed and she immediately lowered her voice with a smile. “Oh, looks like Ratchet will have jo trouble with checking her system.” Orion glanced down and smiled when he saw Galaxy was asleep. “Anyway, we can discuss what will happen tomorrow. But I will let you both go, especially now that Galaxy has fallen into recharge. All this excitement must have made her tired enough.”

Orion was smiling as he was glad that Galaxy was recharging. It will make the appointment with Ratchet much easier, and while he thought she would be awake for a bit longer due to all the excitement, it wasn’t a huge surprise that her energy had drained enough so that she would fall into recharge. Orion kept his own voice low as he responded. “Okay, and I shall come back soon. I don’t know how soon, but you will see me back here helping as soon as I can. And good luck in the meantime.”

Elita nodded. “And make sure you give that sparkling a nice oil bath later too. She probably will need it, and it will relax her even further.”

“I was just thinking that. I’m glad you also agree.” Elita chuckled as she turned to return to her task of ensuring everyone had a task to do. Orion looked down at Galaxy and kissed the top of her helm. “I am glad you can recharge through this whole thing now.”

Orion was glad that Galaxy was able to recharge heavy enough to not get disturbed. But Orion made sure to keep quiet as he proceeded to the elevator and waited for D-16 to catch up. He gently rocked Galaxy as he wanted to ensure she stayed recharging, and she looked adorable with her thumb in her mouth as she recharged. He hoped she would not have any nightmares from today, as he knew that she would have been frightened by Cosmic, even though Galaxy showed interest and curiosity with Cosmic. But their interactions did seem as though they knew each other. Orion doubted anyone else noticed. But he has. However, he assumed that maybe she knew Cosmic through her birth parents, and that could be the reason. Even the sound she made before was unfamiliar to him, but Cosmic recognized the sound.

All the events today burned more curiosity within him. As they’ve never had a dragon in the mines before today, so many questions were circulating in his processor. He was thinking of all the reasons as to why Cosmic was here, and he knew that part of those answers could be found at the archives. He had considered asking Galaxy about their interaction, even though he was not sure how to approach that question. Especially as it could simply be that she was happy to interact with a real dragon. Though he was not sure, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever ask her. But he definitely felt the need to go to the archives to try and learn more. If he could find more answers, he would be ecstatic and hoped it might lead to the Matrix of Leadership.

For now, the main focus was going to be Galaxy’s health and cleaning up the mines. Even though it was odd Cosmic didn’t go into the tunnels, it was good. She might have caused the tunnels to close in up, and it would have been bad for all of them. So knocked over and damaged carts wasn’t so bad, and it should be relatively easy to get everything sorted. It was just gathering the energon rocks might take longer than one would hope it would.

Meanwhile...

“What do you mean that the collar malfunctioned? You said it was working fine until some point while she was in the mines!” Airachnid frowned as Sentinel shouted angrily at her. He was pacing while glaring at Cosmic who was laying on the ground whole wires were attached to the collar as Airachnid was running diagnostics on it. “You were unable to observe Cosmic’s brainwaves in order to know if Galaxy is her niece, and somehow, the collar can’t even recall memories. It is as if we have been shut out!” Sentinel huffed while Airachnid was focused on the data pad she had in her hands. “Is this because of a malfunction or something? Because I do not want to tell the Quintessons that their creation is failing. Especially if the others could show the same signs.”

“I am afraid that I do not have the answer for you yet, Sentinel. But it was very unusual as I was watching her activity closely when it occurred. I received zero information until she returned here.” Airachnid was also very annoyed by it, and she wanted to ensure it was okay. “However, I do know that Cosmic followed through with her order. From what we have gathered from Darkwing and the other sentries watching over the mines, there was definitely an interaction with Cosmic and Galaxy. But Cosmic also interacted a little with both Orion Pax and D-16.”

Sentinel raised an eyebrow as he stopped and looked at Airachnid in surprise. “She did?” Airachnid nodded affirmatively with her optics on the left side of her head glancing at him briefly before refocusing on the data pad in her hands. “Interesting...I wonder why that is. What exactly did the report share regarding their interaction?”

“Well, not too much, according to them. Cosmic sniffed one at a time, but it was when the dragon moved her snout to press against the palms of their hands.” Sentinel listened quietly as it was very interesting to him, since it wasn’t expected. “It was like she knew about them already. It is doubtful, but I do think Galaxy’s scent on them could have been partly the reason. But...Orion did speak to Cosmic like he knew she was sentient, and not a savage beast.”

“Hmmph, interesting...it could mean that they have interacted before...I do know there was that odd occurrence you detected not so long ago when Cosmic was on a patrol...I wonder...” Sentinel intakes deeply as he rubbed his chin lightly. “But it isn’t good if that is the case. Especially if there was an interaction and evidence that those collars might be weakening...hmm...” Sentinel glanced at Cosmic, who was staring blankly at the wall. “Even though these beasts don’t seem to act out of order...it is not good if there is a connection to the dragon. Especially since, if they find out who Galaxy is, all of this work I have done will fall apart.”

“What do you suggest that we do about it?” Airachnid asked curiously. “If those two might prove trouble, should we find someway to imprison them.”

“No, I was thinking of sending them to one of the sublevels, since there’s no escaping from them anyway.” Airachnid smirked as that amused her immediately. Sentinel hummed softly as he thought more about it. “But we would need to wait for an opportunity to do something about them. Maybe they will be fools themselves and give it to us.”

“Hmmph, maybe. Orion, in particular, is known to sneak into the archives. He thinks we don’t know, but we do.” Sentinel nodded as he was aware of this, which was another reason why Orion likely knew that the draconic bots weren’t savage like what Sentinel has told Iacon. “But...aside from her interaction with those two cogless bots, Cosmic did interact with Galaxy. Though Galaxy had ended up trapped under a cart, and Cosmic moved her snout under the cart, so they could not see. But Cosmic was gentle, and picked her up like an adult dragon would with a sparkling, and brought her to Orion.” Sentinel nodded slowly as he listened. “And she made a sound that we bots from Iacon cannot make.”

“A sound? What kind of sound? Was it recorded?”

“It sure was. I can play the sound for you. You know draconic tones better than I do.” Airachnid stopped what she was doing with the data pad for a moment to get the recording. She turned her head a little to create a hologram, with her optics glowing brightly to show a recording of Orion holding Galaxy and the noise she made. Sentinel watched it and his optics widened immediately before he smirked slightly as he heard the sound. Airachnid looked at Sentinel with a smirk. “By that reaction, you know that sound.”

“I do. Yes, yes, I do.” Sentinel smile widened slowly as he now knew the sparkling was Ignited Galaxy. “What a fool. I would have assumed she would be smarter, but I guess she would still be naïve as a sparkling.” Airachnid could not help but chuckle lightly and look back at the datapad, not realizing Cosmic was looking at them as she was listening. “I cannot believe that we found her, or she found us. I wonder where those glitches hid the pod.”

“Well, there are some nearby caves that are hidden from Iacon. We did not really consider that is where Solarian would have hidden stasis pod. It might even still be there.” Sentinel could not help but feel like a fool to not consider them, but he never did. “If you want me to, I will look through the caves personally to see if I can locate it. Galaxy would not have moved it.”

Sentinel thought about it before shaking his head. “Hmm, no. I think we don’t need it as evidence, Airachnid. We have the proof that we need, and it wasn’t Cosmic who gave it away.” He chuckled a little as he was amused. “Oh, and it has been about fifty cycles…Primus, I cannot believe it has taken this long. But my patience has finally rewarded me.” Sentinel looked at Cosmic to see she was looking at them, but she seemed to be looking at them casually as she looked away like she usually does. “If Cosmic really is breaking through that collar, I hope she knows we will get her niece. It will be extra nice to give them a proper, family reunion.” Airachnid nodded in agreement. “And since I will be returning to Iacon city in a couple days, we have time to make a plan to get Galaxy. We need to be careful, and I am hoping that the Iacon 5000 I intend on hosting might be a good distraction while we do what we must.”

“That gives us time to figure out an alibi for their disappearance.” Sentinel nodded and Airachnid chuckled in amusement. “About time we had some kind of excitement. I have become bored, and we finally might have something to fight against the Quintessons. Though I do wonder what your ideas are.”

Sentinel shrugged. “I do not have any yet, and I think I will figure out a better plan on the day. With everyone focused on the race, no one is going to care to watch for two cogless bots and a sparkling until it is too late. And they will have an alibi to believe anyway.” Sentinel could not help but chuckle. “This is perfect timing! Finally! Something might just go my way. The Matrix was taken from me, but I will soon have a dragon capable of things that will have all of Iacon trembling at their knees. Hopefully, the sparkling can handle it, or I will be very disappointed in Wraith’s descendants.”

Airachnid turned her head to look at him. “There is another option on preserving that CNA.” Sentinel was immediate zoned in. “All we need to do is to take some energon from Galaxy, and clone her CNA, and we can create our own Wraiths. We don’t need her if she fails. And we can get adult dragons from the start with the right pods to grow them.”

Sentinel chuckled again as he liked that idea. “Thank you, Airachnid. That is perfect! I don’t know why we did not think of it cycles ago. We should have taken Comet’s CNA...but it is too late now. His body is empty and decomposed too much now. But that is perfect. And I think we should do it, even if she succeeds. We need more of them.” Airachnid was pleased Sentinel agreed. “Send word to our top scientists. I want them to start creating large clone pods for our...future dragons. We need at least half a dozen as soon as possible.”

Airachnid bowed slightly with a smirk. “With pleasure. But I do have to ask. Is it wise to talk about this in front of Cosmic?” Sentinel glanced up at the dragon as he shrugged. “Since it seems there are issues with these collars, we should also be vigilant of the fact that she might be listening.”

“It might not seem wise. But if this glitch wanted to do something, she would have done it already. Cosmic could easily rip me in half anytime she wants. But she doesn’t. She still did what we told her to do despite the collar malfunctioning. So if she is listening, clearly, she is merely just a ghost in her own body.” Cosmic refrained from gritting her teeth as she listened, though she was very worried about her niece. She had no idea she was being spied upon, as well as being monitored through the collar. She realized now she was foolish. Sentinel walked over and placed his hand on the dragon’s neck and looked at Airachnid. “So I don’t think we need to worry about her, but I do appreciate your concern, Airachnid. Finish that diagnostic of the collar as well, since we need to see if we can fix the malfunctions. Firedrake and Sky Blade may also have the same issue, and we do not want that.”

Airachnid nodded affirmatively and contacted their head scientists to order them to create large, clone pods. Sentinel himself was thrilled knowing that they had finally located Ignited Galaxy. He was frustrated that it has taken this long to find her, but he could not help but think how foolish the dragons were. No matter what the dragons had done to try and protect the sparkling, he found her anyway. And now, Sentinel just needed to take Galaxy from Orion and D-16, and send those two bots away to prevent further trouble. And the Iacon 5000 was going to be the perfect cover for his plan.

Chapter Text

Aside from having stiff legs and scrapes on the right leg, Galaxy was okay. Ratchet had made a thorough check up of Galaxy while she recharged deeply on the medical berth. He also checked to see what was causing her lack of recharge, but he could not find anything regarding it, other than some visible signs of stress and anxiety. He had guessed this could simply be after affects from her recent recovery, so he was not concerned at all. And to Orion and D-16’s happiness, Galaxy recharged through the whole night when they brought her home

Though Orion did stay back in the mines after the appointment to help clean up the mess, and then D-16 swapped with Orion so Galaxy could be put down for her nightly recharge. Though despite having to clean the mines after Cosmic’s appearance, they were able to almost meet the daily quota. It was good, because it meant less work for the following day, but there was still a lot of catching up to do for everyone. But at least no one was seriously injured, and they could proceed normally now. As long as a dragon does not show up again so soon.

Awaking early from his recharge, the burning feeling of his curiosity has made him a little restless in his recharge. Questions about dragons, the Matrix and the future fuelled his mind. The desire to venture to the archives was too strong to ignore. And now that it was early morning, Orion intakes deeply as he rubbed the bridge between his optics and stepped out of his recharge pod. Stretching his arms and rolling his shoulders, Orion looked over at D-16 to see he was still recharging. He smiled, knowing that D would wake soon.

But he also knew that D-16 probably will get mad at him. Especially after the previous day, but Orion felt the need to go to the archives. So he hoped that D-16 would forgive him for it, but he knew that D would not let him off the hook so quickly. Orion yawned lightly as he glanced towards Galaxy’s berth briefly, knowing she should still be recharging. There was no sound from it that was of concern, so the morning felt normal and peaceful again. And he was glad that it was.

Walking over to the energon containment to get some cubes for himself, Orion made sure to not make much noise. He did not want to wake anyone unintentionally. Grabbing a few cubes to ingest, Orion looked over at Galaxy’s berth again before proceeding over to it to make sure that she was still in recharge. If she was awake, he would ensure that she knew where he was going to be that morning. As he knew that he had told Galaxy that he would tell her he was going to the archives if she was awake.

Placing a cube in his mouth to ingest, Orion stepped carefully to the berth and looked over to see Galaxy was laying on her side and he smiled. She was relaxed and one of the white, draconic bot figures was in her arm. She had insisted on it before her nightly recharge, and she also grabbed several others, which were sprawled over the blanket in the berth. But it was the white draconic bot figure that Galaxy held in her arm. It was adorable.

Orion put another cube in his mouth to ingest before stepping closer to the berth, wanting to kiss her cheek before leaving, but Galaxy shifted to roll towards him and he was surprised to see she was awake as her yellow optics look at him in surprise. She had been startled, but she was relieved to see it was him. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you were awake.” Galaxy smiled at him and looked back at the figurine in her arm and sniffled, making Orion realized she had been crying. “What’s the matter?” Galaxy murmured and stuck her thumb into her mouth as she curled her knees closer to her stomach. Orion waited for a moment to see if she would answer while finishing off the last cube and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Galaxy, it…” Orion flinched when she shifted her shoulder to push his hand off with a whimper. This was very out of character for her, and Orion frowned slightly. “Are you thinking about yesterday? Because I am here for you, Galaxy. You don’t need to push me away.”

Galaxy whimpered softly as she rolled onto her back, sighing deeply as she held the figurine against her chassis. The while draconic bot figurines often reminded her of Oranos. And she was grieving over him at the moment, but she knew Orion wouldn’t understand. Not yet. She lifted her hands a little to respond. ‘I am not thinking about yesterday, daddy. Yesterday did not make me upset, but it made me realize that I needed conviction.’

“Conviction?” Orion was not expecting her to sign that at all. “What do you mean?” Galaxy glanced at the figurine as tears fell from her optics. He reached down to gently grabbed her under her armpits to sit her up as he moved onto his knees so he was leaned against the berth while also looking right at her. “Galaxy, what is wrong? You have…not been yourself. Even after waking up yesterday. You did not sign any word yesterday. You had me worried, and I only have put it down to Cosmic.”

Galaxy clenched the blankets with her hands as she sniffled before lifting them to sign. ‘I know you think that I do not know who my birth parents are, or my real name.’ Orion raised an eyebrow immediately as that caught him off guard. She shivered as she seemed to get scared. ‘I have not been honest with you or dadda…not about who I really am. And I would hope that you will understand it is because my life is in danger.’

Orion stared at Galaxy as the way she was informing him was interesting and he could not help but worry. “Why would your life be in danger?” Galaxy grumbled as she looked down. “Don’t tell me you still think this has to do with Sentinel Prime?”

‘It has everything to do with him.’ Orion felt quite speechless by this as he still felt Galaxy didn’t like him because Sentinel knew her birth parents. ‘I did not lie when I said that Sentinel killed my birth parents. And he killed them because he wanted me. He did not want to kill my father, but he would never have allowed himself to be controlled the way the others have been.’

Orion read the signs quietly before shaking his head. “I am not sure what you really remember, Galaxy, and maybe you believe a false truth…” Galaxy frowned and shook her head. “It is okay. I am not mad about it.” He placed his hand on her shoulder with a smile. “At your age, it is easy to get confused.”

‘But I am not confused, daddy. I know my parents, and I know who killed them. I also know more about the draconic bots than you think.’ Orion was unconvinced as he still felt she was just confused. But Galaxy did not give up. ‘I know now how hard it is to convince someone who has been born and raised in Iacon right now. Even you, when you go to the archives, daddy. I had hoped you would be easier to convince. But you hold Sentinel on such a high pedestal.’

“Yes, yes I do. I trust him, and you need to, too.” Galaxy shook her head, making a frustrated groan and tightened her grip on the figurine. Orion gently wiped tears from her cheeks. “He is looking for the Matrix and keeping us safe from the Quintessons and you are also safe. You will learn to like him eventually.” Galaxy shook her head, knowing she would never like Sentinel. “I know your very early life has been muddled, and that is why you seem to believe a life that might not be true.”

Galaxy shook her head as she did not think Orion would not believe her. ‘I am not lying, daddy. Sentinel killed my parents. Would I really be lying if I keep repeating the same thing?’ Orion shook his head slowly, even though he still had doubts. ‘I don’t know how my parents died, but I do know that they are dead. And I also was not honest when you had asked me about my name. Galaxy is part of my name.’

Orion intakes deeply as he watched Galaxy sniffle while she signed to him. “Alright, I can understand that you believe what you do. So I will not bother going in circles.” Galaxy dropped her hands with a whimper of frustration. “But...have you really not been telling us your full name?” Galaxy nodded. “Well, what is your full name?”

‘Ignited Galaxy.’ Orion smiled as he was happy that he had been partially right about her name. She smiled slightly at him. ‘It was by chance you guessed part of my name when we first met. So I am glad that you did.’ Orion was definitely very pleased with himself and Galaxy’s smile faltered. ‘But I do wish you will believe me.’

Orion chuckled a little as he stood up. “I am sorry that I am hurting you unintentionally, Galaxy. But I do have to go with what I know so far. And I also do believe you believe what you have tried to tell me. But you aren’t in danger. You are safe, and I promise no one will hurt you.”

Galaxy whimpered softly as she thought of how she could get Orion to believe her. She felt it was time to tell the truth, and she thought Orion would be easier to convince than D-16, but she realized that even Orion had fallen so hard for what he has heard from Sentinel. Which would make telling the truth a lot harder. Galaxy intakes deeply as she didn’t want to think on it too much, knowing that there was not much point to keep going on about it. But she would try again, because she felt that if she kept bringing it up, maybe Orion would believe her. She hoped for that.

“Well, I am going to head to the archives now.” Galaxy looked at Orion and giggled a little as she unsurprised. “Since you are awake, it’s better that you know. That way when D wakes up, you can tell him where I’ve gone.” Galaxy nodded, as she definitely would tell him. “But first, I can tell you have coolant running from your sinuses, and I’ll help get you cleaned up. And I’ll leave you a bottle in case you are hungry.” Galaxy rubbed her hand over her face, knowing that was the case. Orion walked around the berth to proceed to the shower room. “Hopefully, I can get a bit of time to do some researching at the archives today.”

Galaxy nodded as she sat patiently, waiting for Orion to come back. Now that she knew Orion was going to the archives, she did think about what she would tell Orion to try and see if he would actually believe her. She knew that Wraith probably would be in the archives somewhere, and he has not mentioned the draconic bot yet. It made her wonder if she should tell him about Wraith, since her ancestry was the reason why Sentinel was after her in the first place.

Orion returned quickly with a damp cloth, and another that he would use for Galaxy to blow on to relief the sinuses of the pressure. He looked at Galaxy with a smile. “Okay, let’s get you feeling better.” Galaxy giggled as Orion gently covered her nose with the cloth and she gently blew into it, feeling the release with the sinus veins and she sighed with relief. “Good girl.” He moved the cloth away to wipe her face with the damp cloth, making sure all tears and coolant had been cleaned off her face. Galaxy giggled a little and Orion was happy she was laughing. “That’s a lot better than the tears. Alright, I’ll put these cloths away and I will get you your energon.”

Galaxy smiled as she watched Orion walk away before looking down at the draconic bot figure. She thought about what else she might do if Orion still did not believe her. She knew that it might seem strange after all this time to tell the truth. And maybe that was why Orion did not believe her. If she was honest from that start, things might be different. But keeping quiet at the time was the best thing to do. But now, she knew that staying quiet was dangerous. She just wish telling him wasn’t so difficult. Especially as he seems to think she’s made up this truth in her mind.

Orion walked over to the cooling containment to grab out a bottle and walked towards the berth as Galaxy raised her hands to sign. ‘You do not tell me much of what you learn from the archives, daddy. I would love to hear more about the draconic bots and the Primes, and the Matrix, from whatever you find.’

Orion chuckled a little as he knew that as he didn’t feel Galaxy should know everything. “I know, but there are things that I have learned from the archives that I think are not really appropriate for you to know about just yet. But I do promise that I will tell you about them as soon as you are old enough.” Galaxy nodded a little as Orion lowered the bottle to her. “Okay, I hope you don’t want me to hold them while you drink.”

Galaxy took the bottle and looked at it for a moment before placing it down to sign. ‘I understand. But I am curious about something.’ Orion crouched a little as he waited for her question. ‘Have you learned or found anything regarding Wraith?’

Orion’s face dropped as soon as he saw what she asked. Galaxy waited patiently while observing Orion’s shocked expression, and that told her that he has indeed learned about Wraith. He’s never mentioned Wraith’s name around her, not at all. So she knew that he would not expect that. He frowned in confusion as he stared at her. “How do you know that name?” Galaxy smiled with a shrug, and Orion hummed a little. “You wouldn’t have said that name if you did not know.”

Galaxy huffed lightly in amusement before responding. ‘At least I know you know about Wraith. I’ve known about Wraith for a long time. I did not talk about her because there was no reason to. Until now.’

Orion stared at Galaxy, feeling a sense of disbelief and uneasiness since her knowing about Wraith was a surprise. And it also made him think on whether or Galaxy was telling the truth. “But...who told you? Did your parents tell you about Wraith?” Galaxy shook her head, as Oranos had told her. “But...no, no this is impossible. You only asked a question about a random name. You don’t need to know about Wraith.”

Galaxy shrugged before she signed. ‘I guess that means that the Wraith you know about is not a draconic bot with abilities that have not been discovered before, and such abilities have not been seen since.’ Orion said nothing as that was exactly what he has learned about her. ‘Wraith had a very unfortunate life, and became a target of the Quintessons because of her abilities. But she still have offspring during that time, but her descendants have not shown those same abilities at this time.’

Orion looked away from Galaxy briefly as he was shocked she knew all that. He intakes deeply as if Galaxy’s birth parents did not tell her, someone else did. But it would have been someone before he and D-16 adopted her. Be looked back at her as she stared at him. “Who told you about her? I know the story, even though I am unsure how much of it is true.” Galaxy just shrugged in response and he frowned “Galaxy, be honest. You need to tell me who told you. If it was not your parents, then...”

‘Oranos.’

Orion was speechless again as Galaxy signed a name of a dragon he learned about. One of the greatest chroniclers of the draconic race. “Oranos? You...knew him” Galaxy nodded, knowing Orion had also learned about him. “Primus, what? This is...this cannot be right. If you knew Oranos, he died fifty cycles ago.” Galaxy’s expression turned to sadness as she knew that too. “That’s impossible...you would be a youngling if you knew him back then...this is...no, I don’t believe it.”

‘Why would I make up a story like this daddy? You may have spoken about Oranos before, but I knew him. Before Sentinel murdered him too.’

Orion hummed a little as he thought more on it before shaking his head. “Galaxy, I fully appreciate it that you have an imagination. But you were not even born when Oranos was around.”

‘Then why do I know about Wraith? You never told me about her. And you told me very little about Oranos, so how could I know?’

“I...don’t know. Maybe you were just really good at guessing.” Galaxy rolled her optics with a groan. Orion smiled at her. “I admire your creativity, I really do. But turning it into a lie, I will not stand by that.”

Galaxy whimpered softly. “But I am not lying. I know about Wraith because I had to know. I am Wraith’s direct descendant, and that is why I am in danger.’

Orion widened his optics briefly before frowning. “What? That’s impossible. If you were her descendant, that would make a draconic bot.” Galaxy nodded with a smile. “Now you have taken this too far...” Galaxy’s smile faded immediately and Orion shook his head. “There is no evidence of predacons or draconic bots ever having the ability to transform, for one. I am sorry, but you are not a dragon.” Galaxy frowned and looked down. “I don’t want you to fall into some kind of delusion, Galaxy. You are a regular bot here in Iacon.” Galaxy did not react as she grabbed her bottle to start drinking slowly from it. Orion leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I still love you, Galaxy. At least I know your full name, so I do believe that. But, with what I know, I am afraid that...what you believe may not real. Sorry if that hurts, but don’t bring this up again.” Galaxy did not react again, wishing that Orion believed her. He kissed the top of her head again. “I am going to head to the archives again. I will meet you either on the train or at the mines.” Galaxy just nodded and Orion felt bad she was upset. “I am sorry for hurting you...please do not be too mad. I will get you something later as a small present.”

Galaxy did not care about another gift. Not right now. She had enough toys to play with right now, and at the moment, she did not feel that any new ones would make her feel better. Orion could see that Galaxy did not seem interested, and he felt bad for hurting her. But he genuinely felt like what she has told him wasn’t a complete truth, and it did worry him. But he felt that she would grow out of it as time goes by. Even though the fact she even knew about Wraith and information about Wraith has unsettled his mind and has him thinking rather deeply about that information.

Orion intakes deeply and turned to make his way to the door. Galaxy looked up, watching him walk over to the door and he stopped to look back at her. She did want him to stay with her for comfort, but she also knew he wanted to go to the archives. Maybe, just maybe, something will click in his processor that what she has said is true. She just hoped that it will be sooner than later, as Galaxy had no idea what may happen in the near future.

Orion smiled at the sparkling before stepping out of the doorway to proceed to the train station platform. He intakes deeply as he walked while his processor was going over what Galaxy had just told him. He was genuinely having a hard time believing some of the things that Galaxy had said. He did believe her with her full name, but in regard to everything else, he was having a hard time. But the fact that Galaxy knows about Wraith does have him stumped. He has never said Wraith’s name, not once, around Galaxy. So he had no idea how she even knew the name, and it was making him think deeply about what she told him.

And it really truly was the fact that Galaxy knows about Wraith was the reason why Orion was questioning himself whether or not Galaxy was even being honest with him. Because everything else she has told him would normally seem like a manufactured lie, but it was harder to dispute knowing what she knew about Wraith. And while he did not believe Galaxy was a descendent of Wraith, he also knew that there was no known recordings of draconic bots ever being able to transform. But they were Cybertronian, so it was possible that it is in their CNA and the dragons simply don’t transform without a good reason.

As he reached the platform to wait for the train, Orion stood patiently as he was deep in his thoughts about Galaxy. He didn’t think he would feel conflicted like this, but he was. At the moment, he thought that maybe he will find answers in the archives. Because at the moment, it felt as though it did not make sense. Even though it was hard to not consider that Galaxy might be right. And Orion did not know how he should even feel about that.

Especially since Galaxy was telling him that Sentinel was not as good of a bot that they think he is. Orion still trusted Sentinel Prime, even after what Galaxy had told him. He was trying to think from a sparkling’s perspective to try and make sense of it all. Though as he was thinking so much, he almost did not notice the train pulling up and he ran over to the doors to get in. He was glad, since he did not want to miss the opportunity to go to the archives.

Once in the train, Orion decided to just not think so heavily about it for now, as he did not want to miss his stop unintentionally. But it was hard, so he was forcing himself to try and think of something else, or find a distraction. And so far, he was not being successful, so he simply kept an eye on each stop the train would make, so that way he did have that to think of. And that seemed to work as Orion arrived at the familiar station to make his way to the Iacon Archives.

Following the route he has made many times, he kept his optics glancing around to ensure none of the guards will see him, as he has encountered them a few times. And it often resulted in them chasing him, which also let to unintentional short cuts to avoid being caught. Upon reaching the seemingly, upside down building of the Iacon Archives, Orion carefully made his way down the side of the building. He glanced around to ensure no prying optics were watching him while keeping a firm hold to ensure he himself did not fall as well.

As he knew his way, it took him five minutes to reach the ledge that would lead up to the vent into the archives. He kept calm as he walked up the ledge to the vent and quietly cut through the welded sides of the vent with his blow torch, making sure to the cover down to prevent any noise as he crawled into the vent. Smiling slightly to himself, he felt he was going to archive a little bit more today. After all, he was seeking answers for multiple things at this time.

He paused over a few other vent covers until he reached the right one to push open and drop down, making sure to land without stumbling due to the security beams in the area where he was. Eyeing them off briefly, Orion stood up and carefully walked over them to search for some recordings he has not seen just yet. He did almost lose his balance and almost touched one of the red lights, but he stepped over them and looked at the shelf to look at what was available.

Quietly moving files to the side as he looked until he found something on the second shelf. “Okay, let’s see what we got here.” Orion leaned down, grabbing the recordings, while looking at them and walking away to head to the projector. Sliding the discs, he looked through them to see what was knew. “Seen it…seen it…” He smiled a little when he pulled out a red disc, looking at it curiously. “Ah, what’s this about.”

As Orion pushed the disc into the slot, the projector broad up an image, but immediately starting glitching and jumping, repeating the same first few words, startling the bot. “At the dawn…dawn…dawn…dawn”

Orion panicked as he quickly tried to get it to work by pressing the buttons quickly, but the recording seemed to be frozen. Orion tried what he could, knowing that the noise could have alerted one of the security bots that reside in the archives itself, and only activates when something happens. Orion pulls the disc out, shutting off the noise and recording before looking back down the dark hallway of the archives. He waited a few minutes for a sign of anything, and everything seemed to be silent.

Orion exhales in relief before looking at the disc and blowing at the base before pushing it back into the projector. And this time, it began to run smoothly as the projection started. “Ah, here we go.”

As the blue lights began to form an image, a deep voice spoke. “At the dawn of time, there was our gracious and powerful creator, Primus.” Orion smiled as an image of Primus appears before the recording proceeded to speak, and showed Primus transforming slowly into their planet. “To protect our universe, he sacrificed his life force, transforming himself into our planet, Cybertron." The projection briefly showed the core of the planet before the layers of the planet moved into place as the projection continued. “From within Cybertron’s core, Primus birthed the first transformers, known as the Primes.” Orion nodded silently as he listened while watching the images of the thirteen Primes rise from the core. “These were the most powerful transformers, appointed to lead and protect future generations. To assist them, Primus created an entity of great power, the Matrix of Leadership.”

Orion smiled as the image of the Matrix was revealed. “The Matrix, there it is. Okay, good, come on, keep going.”

“And alongside the Primes, a chosen line of predacons that have evolved and adapted in Primus’s favor were appointed to stand by their sides…” Orion hummed a little as her watched the images of several draconic bots flying around the Matrix as he listened. “These draconic bots were not only able to assist the Primes in their fight to protect our world, but also to bring a connection to Primus that the Primes do not share. As such, they are an integral part of our world.” Orion nodded as he already knew this. “And with the Matrix in the Primes’ possession, Cybertron’s natural power source, energon, flowed in abundance, sustaining life across the planet.” Orion smiled as the image shifted to showing the Primes with the energon flowing, and multiple dragons standing beside the Primes as well. “For generations, there was peace and prosperity for both transformers and draconic bots. Until the Matrix of Leadership was lost, causing energon to no longer flow.”

Orion groaned as the projection and recording stopped. “Oh, why does every legend about the Matrix end right there?” He sighed as he looked at the other recordings to go through them, hoping to find something new. “One of these have to say what happened.” However, as Orion began going through them, he didn’t get very far.

Orion flinched when he heard the sound of a firm voice behind him. “Halt, criminal!” He turned to see it was a security bot flying towards him with a red light scanning him. “Prepare to be detained!”

Orion backed away slowly from the bot nervously, now that he has been caught. “Oh, hey there…” He jumped when he bumped into the projector and punched the bot, damaging the optic and causing it to fall to the ground. Then he heard the sound of loud footsteps in the distance. “Uh, oh!”

Knowing that there were sentries on the way, and silently cursing that he has only been in the archives for a short time, Orion had no choice but to run to try to get out. After all, the sentries who have chased him out multiple times were often angry and Orion just felt these guys needed to relax and not worry about him being in the archives. But they didn’t agree, so as he ran down the hallway, he was quickly greeted with a bright light and he made a sharp left, but it was a bit late as the two sentries transform and look at Orion, ready to deal with him in whatever way they see fit.

Chapter Text

“FREEZE!”

“Get down!!”

Those were the two orders from the two sentries shining their lights at Orion with their weapons also aimed at him. This had made him freeze, as running down the hallway was not the best option to have right now. These transformers were bigger than him, and were definitely much faster, even if they were not in their vehicle forms to follow him. Orion had to really think on his feet, since he’s seen these guys before. They were friends with Darkwing, but they were not sentries of the mines, so he at least did not have to see them so often.

Orion turned to try and put on a calm persona, while moving backwards to try and keep his distance from them. "Well, hello, guys. I’m so glad you’re here.” He bowed slightly as he kept a smile on his face while the two bots stomped forward. “Which way is the exit?” He chuckled nervously with a shrug. “I must have taken a wrong turn.”

The sentry with a yellow optic visor and yellow markings on his body groaned loudly. “Ugh! It’s that defective mining bot, Oreon Pix!”

“Orion Pax,” Orion corrected calmly.

“Who cares?!” The bot snapped back at him angrily, making Orion flinch back. “We told you to never come back here! After all, don’t you have some bratty sparkling to tend to? Or do you keep coming here because you need to get away from a crying sparkling, leaving you friend behind to deal with her?”

Orion grimaced as he disliked how the bot said the word friend, as he knew many still felt that he and D-16 were more than friends. “Why are we all yelling? You two a kind of louder than my daughter when she cries after a nightmare.”

The sentry with the purple, optic visor and dark magenta markings growled as he clenched his fist. “I’m gonna smash you! And then we will see how that compares to a tantruming brat, who you clearly like to stay away from when you are needed!”

Orion held up his hands immediately. “Hold on! Whoa, whoa, hold on!” He shook his head as he stopped, making the two sentries stop as they glare at him. “There’s no need for violence and untruthful assumptions." He smirked a little, hoping they might give him a chance to get away. “How about this? I run away, you chase me. We play that game, huh?” The sentries seemed interested at the offer, even though they knew they could catch him. “Come on, you’re bigger, faster. It’ll be fun.”

The sentry with the purple visor chuckled lightly as he glanced at his friend. “Hmmph, he doesn’t have a cog! Let’s give him a head start.”

The other sentry nodded. “Why not? Might as well give him a chance to get back to his kid before we catch him and, potentially, strip those rights from him.” Orion winced, as that was definitely risk of that happening. “After all, it’s not like he can transform.”

Orion smirked at the two of them, as though he were accepting a challenge. “Oh, yeah? Well watch this!”

The two sentries watch as Orion moved his arms, head, chassis and legs in such a way that almost made it seem like he was going to transform. This was a little confusing to the two bots, as it was strange for them to see. But Orion was quick to use the sudden confusion to his advantage. As he turned on his heel, bolting down the hallway, in an effort to try and get enough space between him and the two sentries, even though it was not going to last as the sentries did have a job to do. And Orion knew it.

“Get him!” The yellow visor sentry barked as the two transformers run down the hallway.

Their heavier footsteps were loud and Orion could even feel the weight of each of their step through the floor, even though they weren’t massive bots. And knowing this, Orion had to think on how to slow them down, even for a moment, so he could find something to get out of here with. He already knew he had to likely jump out a window, so one of the security bots likely was what he would need, since it could fly. And he hoped it could hold his weight long enough so he could reach somewhere safe.

Spotting a large vent covering, Orion stepped on a metal crate to launch himself up to grab the vent covering and pulled it down, using the force of the covering falling to leap ahead while the two sentries run right into the covering and fall backwards. Orion was pleased, but they would be back on their feet very quickly, so he did not slow down. Now he was looking for a way to at least fly, since that was the only way to get away.

He looked down the hallways as he ran. “Um, something that flies…something that flies.” He looked left and right as he continued running before he spotted the red light of the security bot flying towards him. Skidding to a stop, Orion ran towards the bot as fast as he could, grabbing the security bot and tucking it under his armpit. “Okay, now to find an exit…”

Orion knocked over some metal boxes, hoping it would slow down the sentries, but he soon heard the sound of the sentries transforming behind him. And as they were flyers, Orion knew that slowing them down was pretty much impossible. He was nearing a window anyway, so that was good. But he glanced back to see that the sentries were gaining on him very quickly, and he could feel his spark pulsing quickly within his chassis. This was very crazy, and he knew it, but it had to be done so they wouldn’t catch him.

Orion looked ahead of himself and launched himself forward, breaking through the window and glancing down as he widened his optics as he quickly began to fall. Orion yelled as he fell, glancing around briefly as he saw transformers flying through the city, going about their business. He moved the security bot into his hands to try and turn it back on, so that he would not hit a building, as one was coming up fast.

“Come on!” Orion yelled in frustration, hitting the bot as he could hear it glitching. “Start, come on!”

He yelped when the security bot turned on and the jet suddenly launched him up. Orion gripped the wings of the security bot firmly as the security bot flew high very quickly. But to Orion’s dismay, the bot also flew Orion into the path of an oncoming transformer. Orion widened his optics with a yelp as the transformer also yelped in surprise as the transformer hit Orion in the right side, causing him and the security bot to spin uncontrollably. Orion was glad he did not lose his grip on this thing, though it was very hard since he could not get it to stop spinning.

Though he did almost lose his grip as his right hand slipped, and he held onto the bot with his left hand long enough to find himself slammed into the side of a building. He felt until he lands on top of a sloped roof, rolling forward once, before sitting while sliding down quickly towards the ledge. Orion widened his optics, pressing his heels against the roof to try and slow down, but he realized that was not the case as nothing he did was going to stop.

So he used the momentum to jump across to the next building, and he was able to grab the ledge of the building and he tried desperately to push himself up. Orion glanced up, hoping that he would not be spotted. But to his dismay, he was. The sentries saw him, and the time that Orion tried to buy with using the security bot only worked for a little bit. But that time had already run out, and Orion was not about to get himself caught.

Pushing his weight onto his arm to roll himself forward away from the ledge, Orion stood up and continued to run. He looked at the entrance to the building in front of him, and he could not help but turn around, looking at the two jets flying towards him. Orion smirked as he gave them a wave. “So long suck…” Orion yelped as he had not been paying attention as he ran backwards and fell through an opening within the roof. Orion had not expected it at all, and he fell through vent coverings onto a table, filled with lots of energon cubes. And he quickly realized this was either a bar or a club for transformers. But that didn’t stop him from gathering as many cubes as he could. “Ooh, energon…” He smiled awkwardly at the transformers who were staring at him as he stood up and walked away. “Evening, everyone…” Orion ingested the cubes as he walked towards the exit, waving at them as they glare at him. “Pardon me.”

Orion knew it was actually morning, but the bots who were in this place, likely had been in there all night. So he was pretty much being sarcastic with them when he had spoken to them. Orion ingested the cubes that he carried while making his way out quickly. Though he was not so careful, and ended up dropping the cubes, but he did not lose them. And he certainly did not waste them, as the cubes should never be wasted. Especially with how hard he mines for it.

He was glad that he was in the busy area of the city, though. It would make it much harder for the sentries to find him, but they were still following him. They were not going to let him get away. So Orion weaved between the crowds to make it harder for the bots to follow him, which seemed to be working, but Orion was not going to stop as he had to get back home as soon as he can. He hoped that if he returned home, they would let it go, but he was not sure.

“Okay, Pax, I don’t know why you keep doing this, and I am less mad because Galaxy seems okay. But why in the Pit did you go to the archives again?!” D-16’s voice shouted through the com link, making Orion grimace as he ran between the transformers. “We both had a very long, hard day yesterday, and I would have thought you would have at least taken the extra time to recharge so we both can meet expectations today. But no, you decided that you had to go stick your nose into the archives again, and all because a dragon showed up at the mines.”

Orion smirked as he was unsurprised by D-16 reaching out to him. He did not know how long D-16 has been awake for though. “You should know me by now, D. I couldn’t help it.”

D-16 groaned loudly. “You say that everytime! You can control yourself, you just choose to be a glitch.” Orion chuckled softly, glancing over his shoulder briefly as he continued running. “I hope you are on your way back, or will be shortly, because we need to head to the mines early today. Especially since we need to catch up from yesterday.”

Orion chuckled again as he sidestepped quickly by a large transformer who had stopped abruptly in surprise to Orion running through the crowd. “Yeah, I’m on my way…I ended up being interrupted…I was only in the archives for like two or five minutes anyway.”

“Oh, does this mean that the guards of the archives are chasing you again, huh?” Orion did not respond, other than with a grunt as he stepped to the side again while glancing back over his shoulder. D-16 huffed loudly through the com link. “Ha! Why am I not surprised? Well, I hope you do not get your aft caught, because we don’t need any further trouble since we might end up losing guardianship of Galaxy. So you’d better get here in one piece!”

Orion huffed nervously as he could not guarantee that at all. “I might get lucky, but…if you can, I would really appreciate it if you would have my back.”

“What? Again?” D-16 could not help but groan before he suddenly spoke softly. “Galaxy, what are you doing?” Orion smiled as he listened to D speak to Galaxy. “Oh…oh…okay…you don’t need to beg like that, Galaxy. I will help him. But you know he did it to…I know he loves going to the archives. And you were okay about it, but…okay, okay.” D-16 intakes loudly through the com link and spoke to Orion. “Okay, I will help you. After all, I can’t disappoint our daughter since she wants you to come home safely. But I cannot stop the sentries if they catch you. So I will see what I can do.”

“Good, because I am going to get back sooner than you might think. I should be able to catch the train within a couple minutes.” Orion was not sure where he would be able to jump onto the train, but that didn’t matter. He glanced back to see the approaching sentries and he looked away to keep running. “You should be able to start heading to the station yourself.”

D-16 let out a loud sigh. “Fine…since Galaxy is fed, I don’t really have an excuse. Oh!” D-16 paused for a moment before he shouted. “Galaxy, let me push the cart! It’s too heavy for you.”

Orion chuckled softly. “Aw, she’s worried for me.”

“Unsurprisingly. I don’t know why you do it to her.” Orion could easily imagine D-16 shaking his head over this. “Well, since you are not too far, we will proceed. But we will also be a bit slow so we can see when you arrive so I can help. Hopefully, you’ll get here on time, because if you don’t, I guess I’ll just have to break the bad news to Galaxy.” D-16 paused as Orion heard a low murmur, and he knew Galaxy did not agree. “I am just joking, Galaxy. I…okay, you’re right, it was not funny, but…okay, we’ll go! Primus! We shall meet you there, Pax. Hopefully.”

Orion was confident that they would end up meeting at the miner platform, but he also knew that it was not unreasonable to assume things might not be so easy. So Orion knew he would need to be willing to accept that he might not get there at the same time as D-16 and Galaxy leaving for the mines. He hoped that the two sentries do not get suspicious, since they were well aware of Galaxy’s existence and that both her and D-16 were her adoptive parents. So he hoped that it would be smooth.

He continued to run between the transformers, unintentionally bumping into a few of the bots as he ran past them. He ignored the bots yelling at him as they did not appreciate it at all, but Orion did make sure to avoid them as much as possible. Most were avoidable, and Orion did have to make sure he wasn’t always looking over his shoulder to keep a watchful eye in the sky to avoid an unnecessary collision with another bot.

After another five minutes, Orion spotted the train, and he was glad to finally see it. But it was not going to stop near him, so he had to improvise. Especially as the train dipped downward as it followed its route and Orion ran faster. He grimaced a little as he knew what he was about to do and he jumped over the railing, yelping as he fell. He muttered under his intakes and exhales hoping the train would move underneath him quickly.

When it did, Orion landed on top of the train and the bots inside all glanced up at him. Most of them knew who he was, and they were irritated, but Orion ignored them as he was relieved and he stood on the top of the train as it moved. He looked back to see the two jets speeding up to try and catch him, though as the train was not going to stop until it reached its destination, Orion was glad he could take a moment to relax and hope that D-16 and Galaxy would meet him at the station platform. Which, by chance, seemed to be where the train was heading towards right now.

So Orion watched and waited patiently as the train made its way to the station, preparing to get off as soon as he could. He glanced back a few times and he felt like he really had a good chance now. Hopefully, he could get home before the bots could reach him, but they were moving quite fast, so Orion could only just wait and hope for the best. He did not know if they would even leave him alone if he did get home, but that would remain to be seen.

When the train finally came to a stop, Orion slid slightly down the slope of the door before it opened, and the force of the door opening allowed Orion to jump and roll forward, which was great as it gave him another head start. Orion looked up, hearing the jet engines getting closer, but he continued to run as he was not far. He could see his home ahead of him, and he knew all he had to do was reach the door and he would be fine.

But the two sentries flew over him, and Orion glanced up briefly as the two bots transform and land in front of him with a loud thud, blocking his way. Orion stopped as he knew that he would not be able to get by the two sentries. He was disappointed that they were able to catch up to him, but he was quite happy with how long that it even took for the two sentries to catch up to him. He just hoped that this wouldn’t mean he would be in big trouble.

Orion intakes and exhales deeply as he gave the two bots a slight smirk. “Okay, fellas!” He chuckled a little as he tried to keep this seemingly friendly. “Thanks for the head start.” He watched the two bots walking towards him, tensing their fists as they were clearly ready to attack him. “Do you want to give me another one?”

“You’re dead!” The yellow mask sentry barked at Orion, making Orion back up, a little worried that he would be definitely in trouble.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Orion stepped back from the two bots. “But…not sure this is a great place to do it, since that…”

Orion glanced behind the sentries and smirked when D-16 rammed the cart he was pushing right in the back legs on the yellow mask sentry, causing the cart to fall and make the tools spill out, and making them both turn around. Galaxy, who was beside D-16, immediately hid behind D-16 when the two bots turned. “Hey! Watch where you’re going…oh…” D-16 glanced up, acting surprised that the two bots were there.

“What did you say, no cog!” The yellow masked bot barked at D-16.

The other sentry leaned as he spotted the sparkling and he punched the yellow masked sentry’s shoulder lightly. “Look at this! This is the other bot who adopted that sparkling.” D-16 tensed as he acted normal, putting the tools back into the cart, while D-16 could see Orion moving to make sure he would not be seen by the two sentries. “Let me guess, you want to make sure that your friend comes home tonight, right?”

D-16 shrugged. “Not sure why you would think that. He’s the dolt who goes to the archives. Besides, I didn’t even mean either of you before. After all, I had been referring to the bot who was behind you.” Galaxy hoped that the sentries believed D-16, as she wanted both her parents to be okay.

“What?” The yellow mask bot exclaimed as he turned, looking around for Orion. “Where’d he go?!”

“The filthy red and blue bot.” Galaxy looked up at D-16 in surprise before she smirked a little before jumping as Orion slipped into the cart suddenly, making shushing gestures to the sparkling, as D-16 continued filling the cart. “Has a big mouth, squeaky joints, gives off a corroded, metallic stench.” Galaxy giggled as D-16 put his drill at the top of the cart, acting completely casual as though Orion was not inside the cart.

“Well, where is he?! And don’t send us in the wrong direction, either!” The yellow masked sentry demanded, making Galaxy duck nervously.

“He went that way,” D-16 responded calmly, pointing to the right, and the two sentries run in the direction as they shouted about what they would do when they catch Orion. D-16 intakes deeply and turned to crouch before Galaxy. “It is okay. Those bullies are gone now, Galaxy. Let’s get this cart and our tools on the train before we leave.”

Galaxy giggled at D-16 with a nod before she signed. ‘You are very good at acting, dadda. Those sentries knew who you were. Does everyone in Iacon know you and Orion have adopted me?’

D shrugged as he was not sure. “Um, maybe, I don’t think so. Just the guards, maybe.” D-16 stood up and began pushing the cart towards the train with a light grunt. “Oof…I should have maybe mentioned overweight to those guys too.” Galaxy giggled softly while they both also heard Orion huffing in amusement. “Oh well. Hopefully this does not come back to bite us in the aft though. Once they realize they can’t find Orion, they probably will work out I sent them on a false lead.”

Galaxy whimpered a little as she did not know if that was a good thing or not. She followed D-16 closely as he walked towards the train before gently tapping his hip and gesturing to sit up on the side of the cart. D-16 smiled as he stopped briefly to pick her up and sit her on the side of the cart, though she shifted around so her feet were touching the tools to keep her balanced so she could sign to D. ‘Do you think they would report it and cause trouble for us? I don’t want to lose you or daddy.’

D-16 shook his head. “No, I don’t. I hope not anyway. But considering how long we have been raising you, Galaxy, you should not be worried.” Galaxy murmured a little and looked away. D-16 hummed a little. “I wonder what Orion even said to you this morning. You have been a bit quieter than usual.” Galaxy just shrugged before pointing at her throat, making D-16 roll his optics. “I know you can’t talk, but you should also know what I mean. You aren’t talkative like normal, in the sense you aren’t signing about something that you saw in your dream, or that you want a bottle, though Orion left one for you before he left.”

Galaxy sighed as she knew that, but she didn’t know how to tell D. ‘I am okay, dadda. I am still a bit shaken about yesterday.’

“Ah, that makes sense.”

Galaxy looked down and she saw Orion seemed to be thinking a little since he knew she did not tell D-16 the truth. And in a way, Orion was glad that she did not, since D-16 would also feel the same as him. But Orion did know he would need to make it up to Galaxy at some point. He still felt terrible about hurting her, even if it was not intentional. And now she was quiet, according to D-16.He hoped that she wouldn’t keep her thoughts to herself for too long.

Regardless, Orion had to remain quiet for the moment as D-16 had yet to push the cart onto the train. He wasn’t far at least, so Orion knew that he would not be in it for too long. At the same time, while he felt bad for Galaxy, he also couldn’t believe what D-16 had said to the two transformers too. And the D-16 even considered calling Orion overweight too, even if he did not say it to the sentries, was another layer that made Orion chuckle. But he wasn’t overly upset, since he and D-16 often joked about each other anyway. It was just something D-16 said to at least make it seem that he was also annoyed by Orion. And he was, but not as much since Galaxy wasn’t crying. Even though Orion would expect D-16 to get upset about that. D-16 just did not yet have a moment to express that feeling. So Orion just had to wait as D-16 pushed the cart onto the train to tell him what he thought of it, while also semi-agreeing with the rusty part of his body.

Chapter Text

D-16 pushed the cart into the train, moving it to the side so it would not be in the way of the other bots. Galaxy was still sitting on the side of the cart as she looked around at the others bots she waved happily at Ironhide and Arcee who were on the train, and they both waved back at her with smiles on their faces before the two of them returned to the conversation that they were currently having. Galaxy thought about getting off the cart, but figured it would be fine to stay where she is.

Galaxy looked at D-16 as he leaned against the cart with a smug expression while seemingly relaxed and not making a sound. She raised an eyebrow and signed at him. ‘Shouldn’t you tell daddy that it is safe now? We are in the train.’

D-16 shrugged with a smile before he responded in sign. ‘We need to wait for the train to start moving before Orion can get up.’ That made sense, but she still thought they should tell him. ‘It would be kind of funny if he stayed in there the whole way though.’ Galaxy immediately shook her head and D-16 chuckled softly. Then they both felt the train starting to move. “And there it goes.” He intakes deeply without glancing at the cart itself. “Alright, all clear.”

Galaxy yelped and pulled her legs back in surprise as Orion stood up suddenly, almost knocking off the drill and held it on the side of the cart. He glanced at Galaxy with a smile. “Sorry, Galaxy. But I was a tad cramped in there.” Galaxy smiled at him and Orion looked at D. “And D-16, I may be a little rusty, but corroded? Now that is too far. And not to mention the fact you would have also considered telling those bots I am a heavy bot, which they probably wouldn’t have believed you anyway.”

D-16 huffed with a shrug. “Well, you did get chased out of the archives, and since I have never once set foot in that building, they probably would believe me. But they were both eager to smash you into scrap metal, so I doubt they would have cared as well.”

Orion chuckled as he lifted his leg to the side of the cart, realising that he might tip the cart. So he looked at Galaxy with a smile. “You may want to get off for a moment. I think I might tip the cart, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

D-16 could not help but chuckle. “And you think that I am making up that you’re a heavy bot.”

Orion rolled his optics at D-16. “Hey, these things tip at the slightest shift of gravity. It has nothing to do with my weight. That is why I don’t want Galaxy to get hurt.”

D-16 turned to Galaxy as she held her arms to him and he lifted her off. “There we go. At least we aren’t waiting another hour or two for you to get back from the archives. That is one thing I at least will thank those sentries for.”

“Oh, yeah, sure. Not that I didn’t have to jump out of a window this time, and almost died.” Galaxy immediately looked at Orion with worry and Orion gave her a sympathetic expression. “I’m okay, Galaxy.”

“And yet, digging through ancient data is apparently worth dying for,” D-16 commented sarcastically. “Even though we both have a responsibility, and I am not sure what would happen if you ended up dying and left me all alone with Galaxy.”

Galaxy whimpered as she frowned a little at D-16. “D, come on, you shouldn’t say that around Galaxy. And…” Orion shifted to slide out of the cart, causing it to tip over. “It is very much worth it, after all, I’ve learned so much from there.”

D-16 groaned as he put Galaxy down so he could help Orion put things back into the cart. “I need a new best friend…you’re exhausting, and I only just woke up from recharge not so long ago. You only went there today because of Cosmic showing up yesterday, and I think that was a bad reason to go.”

Orion huffed as he lifted the tools back into the cart. “Come on, D. If there is anything, clues or riddles, or trails, whatever, in our recorded history about the draconic bots, the Primes and other pieces of history could help us locate the Matrix of Leadership. And further explain things we might not understand right now. They’re in the archives, trust me.”

D-16 shook his head. “And you think we shouldn’t just accept the knowledge we have been taught now?” Orion shook his head and D-16 groaned a little. “Come on, Pax. I know the archives has a lot of information, but Sentinel Prime, the Sentinel Prime…” Galaxy grimaced and turned her back to both bots as she didn’t want to hear it. Plus, she felt like she was going to gag, but she remained standing quietly as they both talked. “Is up on the surface right now, risking his life for us in search of the Matrix.”

Galaxy shook her head as the cart was pushed upright and the two bots continue putting the tools back into it. “That’s exactly what I’m doing!” Orion placed another tool into the cart. “I’m not only trying to help him find it, I’m also trying to help us. Not just you and me, but everyone in the mines.”

D-16 chuckled softly, not believing his friend like always. “Yeah, okay. And you’ve been going to the archives how long?”

“It does not matter how long I’ve been going to the archives, the sooner energon flows again, the sooner we won’t have to mine for it.” Galaxy nodded in agreement, smiling as she listened to Orion. “Don’t you want to choose your own path, do whatever you want?”

“We’re miners, we mine, that’s all,” D-16 responded calmly, something Galaxy wished was different. She didn’t understand why he was accepting of his position, since they have no choice of what they could do with their lives.

Orion shook his head. “No, there has got to be something more that I can do. I can feel it.” Galaxy hummed softly to herself as she listened. She has known that is what Orion has felt for a long time, which is why she was certain he had something to do with the new Prime that would rise soon.

“Oh, yeah? Even more than becoming parents to an orphaned sparkling?” Orion nodded as he glanced at Galaxy, noticing she had her back to them. D-16 chuckled lightly at Orion. “Or, what about the time you had a feeling you could transform without a cog.”

Orion grimaced as Galaxy giggled loudly. “You said you were never gonna mention that again.” He glanced around, not knowing if anyone else heard, while Galaxy thought it was hilarious.

“Took me three days to pry you open, and Galaxy tried helping me too. Which involved her finding an entire container of oil, and she thought it would help by drenching you with the contents.” Orion grimace hardened as he had to spend hours under the shower just to wash off the excess oil from his body. D-16 was smirking at his friend in amusement. “Not only did you have to shower for so long, it took me hours just to lift the oil staining the floor, and bathe Galaxy at the same time since she got herself covered with it. I cannot tell you how embarrassing it was to tell Elita and Darkwing that we would be late due to it, and they both assumed you and I had a…moment alone together, you know…” Orion quickly gestured to D to not say anything more about that as Galaxy seemed curious about what D-16 meant. “Your feelings get you into trouble. And that happens way too often.”

Orion rolled his optics as he gathered the last of the tools to put into the cart. “Yeah, yeah…but I am still here.”

“Sure, for now. Just trust in Sentinel Prime.” Galaxy covered her mouth as she gagged a little and she huffed at D-16’s comment. She despised how they look up to him.

“I do trust in him. I have never given a reason that I don’t.” D-16 hummed a little in agreement as Orion put the tools into the cart and he turned back to D. “Hey, if we did have cogs…”

“I’d transform into a shovel and beat you.” Galaxy immediately broke into laughter, making D-16 chuckle lightly while Orion was shocked at the response.

Orion turned to lean back against the cart with a slight smirk. “I don’t like how fast you answered that, and made Galaxy visualize how that would happen.” Galaxy was still laughing as she turned to Orion as she definitely thought it was funny. Orion slipped his hand into his hip port to grab out something, and Galaxy immediately knew it was the decal she had picked out for D-16 a few days ago. “But listen, if you did beat me, I couldn’t give you this awesome, Megatronus Prime thing that I have here. It’s cool, I’ll give it to someone else.”

D-16 immediately zoned in on that, as he immediately wanted to know what Pax had with him. “What Megatronus Prime thing?”

Orion shrugged casually. “Ah, it’s nothing. Just a, you know, mint-condition Megatronus Prime decal, first edition.” Orion held up the limited edition Megatronus Prime decal, making D-16 stare at it in shock. “Galaxy here figured you would love it, I just haven’t found the right time to give it to you.”

D-16 stared at the decal as he already wanted it. “What?”

“If you don’t want it, I can just throw it away…” Galaxy frowned immediately, even though she knew Orion was just teasing D-16. “Even though Galaxy picked it out when we were in the shopping district and all that, so throwing it away…”

“Throw it away?! After Galaxy picked it out?!” D-16 exclaimed as he seemed to panic about the idea of throwing the decal away. “That’s not funny, Pax! Let me see!”

D-16 reached for the decal and Orion held it away from him. “Wait, don’t grab. You’re going to crease it.” Galaxy smiled as Orion then moved to stick the decal onto Orion’s left shoulder, making sure it wasn’t creased and D-16 smiled. “There we go. Not a crease in sight.”

D-16 was very happy about it as he stared at it. “You know, Sentinel Prime says that Megatronus Prime was the…”

“Strongest Prime to ever live.” D-16 and Galaxy glance at Orion when Orion finished the sentence for D. “I know, buddy. And I know he’s your favorite, and so does Galaxy. That is why we got it for you. Looks good on you.”

“Oh, it’s really cool.” D-16 rubbed the decal happily before looking down at Galaxy with a smile. “Thank you, Galaxy…” She beamed at him immediately and he crouched down, holding his arms open as she threw her arms around him to hug him. “I did not expect you to find something for me when you went on your shopping trip with Orion. Thank you.” Galaxy giggled as he kissed her cheek gently. “That day was meant to be for you, but you are so thoughtful.”

“Yep, she certainly has a spark of gold for her age. She’s not shown any sign of selfishness, and I am glad that she is a very humble sparkling for her age.” D-16 nodded in agreement and Orion looked at Galaxy as D-16 lets go of the sparkling to stand up. She looked at Orion as he smiled at her. “And thanks for helping D ensure that those sentries did not catch me. And I am also glad that you were able to keep D from being angry…”

“Oh, she might have helped to subside my anger and frustration, Pax, but I am still mad you. Orion was unsurprised by this fact. But D-16 was smiling since he was still happy about the decal. “Though less mad since you decided to give me this decal. So thanks for the heads up at least, even though I think it was a little unfair to have Galaxy do that.”

“She was happy to do it. Besides, I’ve always got your back.” Orion held up his fist, and Galaxy smiled, knowing what was about to happen.

D-16 nodded in agreement. “No matter what.” They fist bump each other and D-16 intakes deeply. “Well, I guess we should refocus on the day’s work ahead. It is going to be quite long and busy since yesterday. But hopefully, it won’t be so bad.”

“Eh, I don’t know. I guess it will depend on the mood of both Elita and Darkwing. But I can figure that out quickly with a few words to her. Which reminds me…” Orion looked down at Galaxy. “I hope you will be okay. I know Elita…didn’t keep you close to her yesterday. You will be okay with her, won’t you?”

Galaxy nodded and lifted her hands to sign. ‘It was not Elita’s fault that Cosmic came into the mines yesterday. Elita has no protocols on what to do in that situation since it has not happened until yesterday. I am not mad at her. I think she handled the situation well.’

“Good. I had worried you would want one of us to stay with you today.” Galaxy shook her head as that wasn’t necessary, and Orion was pleased. “Good. I kind of thought you would…but I probably…made you feel that way.”

D-16 raised an eyebrow immediately. “What do you mean by that, Pax?”

Orion looked at D in surprise. “Oh…” He glanced back at Galaxy who looked away from him, and he looked back at D. “She did not say anything?”

D-16 stared at Orion before he folded his arms. “So…there is a reason why Galaxy seemed quiet this morning.” Orion sighed deeply with a nod. “Alright, well, since I didn’t do anything, then I am curious. You are the one who goes on about how we should be good parents, like keeping curse words to ourselves, ensuring we don’t scare her with serious conversations and so on, and also making sure we understand her at her level.” Orion grimaced as he knew that, and he felt bad about it. “Are any of these things something you did to make her upset?”

Orion nodded with a guilty expression. “Well…yeah…” D-16 huffed before punching Orion’s shoulder. “Ow! Hey!” Orion held his shoulder as he was shocked, and Galaxy was also alarmed by this. “Why did you do that?”

“What? Aren’t I allowed to knock sense into you? Or is it just you who can do that to me?” Orion grumbled before glancing down as Galaxy murmured and grabbed D’s left hand, making him look down at her as she frowned at him. She did not like that either and D-16 softened his expression. “It is okay, Galaxy. I did not even punch him hard…” Galaxy shook her head as she still did not like it. “I’m sorry if that scared you, but I don’t like it when you are hurt. Even if it is by one of us. And Orion should know better too.”

“There are better ways of getting your point across, D-16. You also upset Galaxy now with that.” D-16 did not disagree, but he was still unhappy. “Besides, knocking sense into me with words is more effective.” Orion sighed as he looked away from D. “Though, I don’t blame you for not being happy with me. Galaxy just…told me things this morning that I am still trying to process. And I am not sure how much of what she said is true.”

“Oh? And what exactly did she say?”

Galaxy whimpered a little as she wasn’t sure if she wanted this to be talked about openly in the train. Orion intakes deeply as he looked back at D. “Well, she did admit she knows her full name. I believe that bit.”

D-16 widened his optics and he smiled. “Oh, really? That’s good.” He looked down at Galaxy who smiled a little at him. “What is it? Is Galaxy part of your name?”

Galaxy nodded and signed. ‘Ignited Galaxy is my full name. I am sorry for not telling you sooner. I had a good reason to keep it from you both.’

D-16’s smile widened and he couldn’t help but lean down to pick her up, making Galaxy giggle, as he rested her on his hip. “At least Orion was very good at working out part of your name.” He kissed her cheek and she nodded in agreement. “Though, I assume the good reason is Sentinel?” Galaxy nodded and D-16 looked at Orion. “Am I right to assume that might be a reason you had upset her this morning?”

“Partly, yes.” D-16 nodded as he understood a little more, and he too also did not understand why Galaxy hated Sentinel Prime. “However…” Orion glanced out the window of the train to see it was getting closer to the mines. “I think if you want me to tell you about it, we will need to wait until later. I don’t think talking about it here is a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“Uh, well…” Orion glanced at the other mining bots who were talking to each other and he looked back at D-16. “In case someone overhears and start to think that Galaxy is a little crazy. I don’t want that, and I think that this should just be between us to deal with.” Galaxy was glad that Orion chose that. She definitely did not want him to openly speak about it. “After all, they already think she’s weird for not liking Sentinel Prime and I don’t think it is fair to add anything more onto it. Especially since I believe we can handle the situation on our own.”

“Alright, I can wait. I also don’t want others to think that about her.” D-16 looked at Galaxy with a smile. “And I don’t think you are.” She looked at him in surprise. “And I don’t think Orion does either.” She grimaced as she knew that Orion did think she was lying about her past though and who she truly was, so in a way, it was calling her crazy. “Try not to let it bother you for the whole day either, Galaxy. I don’t like it when you are sad.”

I wish I was not bothered by it, dadda, but I am. I am not sure if daddy will even tell you about it. I kind of hope he does, but I also know you wouldn’t understand either. If daddy couldn’t, how could you? I will try not to let it bother me, but I know it will be hard. I wish Cosmic did not come yesterday, because I have no idea what implications that will bring.

D-16 kissed Galaxy’s cheek gently and Galaxy smiled a little at him before he put her back on the ground. “So let’s just forget about yesterday as much as we can. I know a dragon showing up was both exciting and scary, but let’s not let that bother us. And I think you should try to forget about Sentinel too, since his literal presence somehow bothers you so much.” Galaxy’s smile faded slightly as she nodded as she understood. D-16 hummed a little before he suddenly made a silly face to try and lighten the mood. But Galaxy stepped back from him in surprise and she shook her head, not wanting anything like that. “Oh, you really are feeling quiet today, huh?”

Orion placed his hand on D’s shoulder gently. “Just let her be for now, D. She clearly needs a bit of time.”

D huffed lightly and he looked at Orion with a smirk. “And she’s not even in that defiant stage of her life.”

Orion chuckled a little and rolled his optics. “I don’t think her not being that age isn’t a reason for her to feel scared from yesterday’s events. Her current age makes it more understandable, and her ability to understand things is likely mixed up with a lot of things, which is probably why she has said some things this morning that has not made any sense to me.”

“I agree. Alright, I won’t make silly faces today. But...” D-16 smirked as he leaned down a little as Galaxy glanced at him. “Surely, you won’t mind the tickle monster later when you have your midday recharge.” Galaxy shook her head and D was surprised. “Really?” She nodded and signed sorry quickly before she looked away. D-16 huffed and looked at Orion with a frown. “You are definitely going to have to tell me about what happened this morning later. This is very out of character for her.”

Orion nodded slowly as he felt very guilty about it. He did not mean to cause Galaxy to be this upset. She still wanted to be with them, but she also wanted to not have anything fun. And it definitely was out of character and it made him feel awful that he did that. He had to think about how to make it up to her, since he knew she might be upset about it for a while. He still needed to process what she has told him though. After all, she did not seem to by lying at all, so that is why he needed to process it.

Orion intakes deeply as he pondered on it for a moment before he stepped around D-16 and leaned down to pick the sparkling up. Galaxy jumped as she was startled and looked at Orion in shock before he hugged her against him. She smiled a little as she knew he was trying to apologize to her as he held her while rubbing her back gently and kissing her cheek to remind her that he still loved her. She never doubted the love bit. She had just hoped that Orion’s experience and knowledge that he’s learned through the archives would have made him easier to talk about her story than what it has been.

“I am very sorry for upsetting you, Galaxy. I have thought about what you told me, and I wish it was not difficult to understand. But I do want you to understand that I will process it and try to understand it. After all, you have come from a different life than I have.” Galaxy whimpered softly as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him back. “I know it is not easy for you. I keep forgetting that…you had a life before D-16 and I became your parents.” Galaxy felt tears in her optics as she listened to Orion silently. “And maybe…it is our fault for neglecting to nurture that part of you that will always be there. I am sorry. No matter how you feel about other bots, including Sentinel Prime, I will always support and love you. I hope you know that.” Galaxy nodded as she did understand. “Good. Because I don’t want you to think that I don’t. Maybe another trip to the archives sometime will help me understand you a bit more. After all, I still don’t understand how you know about Wraith if your birth parents did not tell you.”

“Wraith?” Orion looked at D who was surprised. “Who’s Wraith? Is it someone you learned about in the archives?”

Orion nodded. “Yeah. It is a long story, but Wraith was a…draconic bot with some interesting history and troubling abilities that had resulted in a lot of bad things.” D-16 hummed softly as he was slightly interested. “I can tell you about the dragon later, but I think it is best we just make sure Galaxy is okay and…” Orion paused as Galaxy sniffled and he realized she had just started crying. “Hey, it’s okay.” Galaxy sniffled again as she had tried not to cry, but she couldn’t contain the tears for too long. “Like I said, I am sorry. And I will make it up to you. But I am right here, Galaxy.”

Galaxy sobbed softly as she tried to stop herself from crying, but she wasn’t able to. She cried into his shoulder as Orion did what he could to soothe the sparkling by rubbing her back gently and hugging her tightly against him. She was crying due to how overwhelming it was for her. Knowing Orion may believe her eventually was good, but she still was upset he did not believe her straight away. And his clear guilt about hurting her also made Galaxy feel bad too. So it was hard for her not to cry.

D-16 smiled sympathetically at Orion. “Well, at least she still desires the comfort she wants from us when she needs it.”

Orion nodded. “Of course, she does. She loves us. She might need a bit of time, but she still needs us. So don’t take what she does too hard. She will come to us when she needs it, and we need to be here. Even if she says and does things we may not understand or agree with. That’s why we both have to be patient.”

Orion’s patience really was outstanding. Galaxy appreciated it so much. She was glad that he was the first one she had met, and that he became one of her fathers. She would never regret it. She just wished that Orion would take what she had told him more seriously. After all, she knew that what she has told him also impacts his future as well. As all of Iacon was living a lie, and Galaxy hoped that lie would be broken soon enough. Even though at the moment it felt like it might be many cycles before that would happen.

For the moment, Galaxy just wanted to let herself calm down as the train pulled up to the station. She didn’t want to cause her parents to spend time calming her down for too long since that wouldn’t be fair to the other bots. Especially as they had a lot of work to do today, so upsetting Elita and Darkwing unintentionally was not something that Galaxy wanted to do today. Galaxy did at least hope to get her face clean of tears, but that would remain to be seen. She kept her arms around Orion as the train finally came to a stop and she calmed down enough that she would just have a light sniffle, and Orion got off with D-16 pushing the cart behind them. Orion kissed her cheek again and Galaxy smiled as she was happy that Orion comforted her. She just hoped that he would believe her, and realize that what he knows about Iacon isn’t all that it seems.

Chapter Text

After arriving at the mines, Orion and D-16 were able to take a moment to clean Galaxy after she had calmed down from crying. When Elita met the two at the station, eager to get started, she had been worried that the two bots would be distracted with a crying sparkling, but when she realized that Galaxy was okay and that she just needed to be cleaned up, Elita was relieved. So Orion and D-16 made sure that Galaxy’s face was clean and clear before they put their jet packs on so they could head deeper into the mines to start the day. They both knew that today was going to be quite busy, so they had to get started.

But as Orion and D-16 were getting ready, Galaxy was looking around at the already bustling mine. There was huge piles of energon rocks that were being transported by cart and a claw was grabbing and hauling the energon rocks to the conveyor belts to be sent to the processors. It seemed that ever since Cosmic’s visit, the workload has somehow been doubled. Which Galaxy wasn’t sure if that was due to everyone wanting to keep up with the quota, or if Darkwing and other transformers have been pressing for bigger results. Either way, Galaxy did not know if this would meet the quota today.

“Pax! D! Are you both ready?!” Elita’s bark made Galaxy jump and turn in surprise as Elita was walking around with a frown. “I have given you both time to ensure that your daughter is calm and feeling better, but you have run out. Are you ready?”

“We are, we just needed to get these on.” Orion shifted his shoulders a little and he turned to the femme as she looked at him with her hands on her hips. “Are you happy now?”

“Happy? Pfft, as if I could be on a day like this right now.” Elita looked at Galaxy for a moment and looked back at Orion. “Make sure Galaxy is secure, because you need to head into the mines right now. Ironhide! Wheeljack! Jazz! Come along! We have a lot of work to do today and not a lot of time to do it, so get your afts moving!”

Galaxy smiled a little as Elita walked away, knowing that Elita was likely feeling pressure to get things done today and she felt bad for her. But she also liked how Elita was handling things, even if she was acting a little mean. She walked over to Orion as he was attaching the harness to his chassis and when he was finished, he picked the sparkling up to put her in it and grabbed the drill by his feet, now ready to head into the mines.

“Alright…” Orion turned to D-16 with a smile. “Are you ready?”

“Always.” D-16 held up his fist and Orion chuckled as they fist bump again before turning on their jets as Ironhide, Wheeljack and Jazz turned on theirs, along with Elita. “And no dragons today.”

Galaxy frowned slightly as she knew that was likely going to be spoken about for a while, but she remained silent as she kept her arms and legs around Orion to keep secure as he flew upward to follow Elita, who decided to fly over the conveyor belts and processors to check on everything, while also ensuring that the mining bots behind her were keeping up and were ready to get started on today’s work.

And she also wanted to remind everyone what they were expected of. “Metal to the pedal, drill bits! This is it! How much energon have you mined under my leadership?!” Elita shouted as they flew through the mine and flew into the tunnel towards the cavern entrance.

“So much, Elita One!” Everyone said in unison.

“And, excluding yesterday, how perfect is my record?” Elita barked again.

“So perfect, Elita One!”

“We are a mere thirty units of energon away from my promotion to supervisor. Barring any interruptions moving forward, are you happy for me?” Galaxy never really understood why Elita would do this daily. It felt unnecessary to her, and maybe Elita simply felt the need to be valued in this way. But it still felt unnecessary to Galaxy.

“So happy, Elita One!”

Galaxy giggled a little, as she knew Orion would be happy for Elita, but it was still ridiculous in her mind. But considering Elita’s rank, no one really said anything. Though she was sure that even Darkwing would internally groan if he hears Elita, but he says nothing since she gets the job done. At least, that is what it seems to Galaxy. If Darkwing has given Elita a hard time, Galaxy has not seen it. Though she did know he wasn’t happy with her with yesterday’s quota, despite it not being her fault.

Once Orion landed, he placed the drill down briefly to take Galaxy out of the harness and place her on the ground. “Elita, uh, I mean captain…” Galaxy looked at Orion in surprise as she expected him to say something to her. “You are looking especially shiny this morning. New polish?”

Galaxy giggled as she realized Orion was trying to flirt with Elita again. It was hard to tell if Elita liked it, since she never really looked at Orion when he would flirt with her, but she was rather good at brushing it off. “Orion Pax, I might help you with keeping an eye on your daughter, but I am not sure if that has given you the impression that we are friends. So I’m sorry if you assumed that.”

“Apology accepted.” Galaxy raised an eyebrow, as the sarcasm from Elita’s apology seemed to get ignored by Orion. “Though, I guess you could be kind of considered family since Galaxy sees you as an aunt.”

“In your dreams,” Elita responded with a chuckle before turning sharply to look at Sunstreaker and pointed at a nearby wall. “Light up that wall! Let’s go! Ten seconds!”

“Happy to take the lead today, Captain,” Orion continued happily as Elita glanced at him with a slight smirk. “Feeling like I have enough power in me to and touch Primus himself.”

Elita huffed lightly with a smirk. “You don’t have the touch or the power.” Galaxy giggled as she followed them quietly, though the comment from Orion definitely was interesting. She wondered if he was still feeling adrenaline from being chased, because that would explain why he said that. She flinched when Elita barked again. “Ready positions, rust buckets! Let’s go!”

“She’s in a good mood today.” D-16 hummed with a nod of agreement, even though Galaxy did not agree. Orion looked at D-16 with a smile. “You ready?”

“Always ready.” D-16 shifted the drill in his hands to his shoulder. “Let’s punch in.”

Orion nodded as the two bots fist bump again before he stopped and turned to Galaxy. “Alright, while it seems Elita is in a good mood, she is also very busy. Make sure that you listen to her really well, Galaxy. I know she still feels responsible over what happened yesterday, but she is the only one here who is allowed to keep an eye on you.” Galaxy nodded as she understood. Orion had hoped she would sign, but she did not. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Alright…” He turned his head to see the upper channel being opened and Elita running into it. “Wait until it is safe and that Elita says it’s okay if you can go into the upper channel, or wait for her command. Okay?”

Galaxy nodded as Orion straightened up with a slightly worried expression before he turned to walk away. Galaxy watched him walk towards the tunnel before Orion stopped and looked back at her. She had not realized he would be hesitant to leave her alone, but she did not react so he would continue forward. She did not want him to get into trouble, even though his instinct to comfort her was clearly making him want to stay with her.

As the bots ran into the tunnel, using the staffs to hold the tunnel open, Galaxy looked at her hands. She knew that being able to shift the plates of the planet was something she could do. It has been something she was tempted to do sometimes, but she also knew that would get her into a lot more trouble. After all, those who know what draconic bots can do would recognize that ability almost immediately.

Galaxy looked up from her hands as she wondered how long she should wait. She glanced around as the other bots were moving the energon rocks while checking the machines throughout the mine. She did not dare to move in case she would get in trouble, and she also did not want Elita to panic over not being able to find her. So she remained put, but she did look over her shoulder as if she was expecting to see Cosmic in the mines again.

Galaxy did flinch when she saw Darkwing patrolling and looking around. She hoped he wouldn’t be terribly angry today. She knew that he did not like that the miners had to deal with the mess after the dragon’s appearance, and the reduction of energon being mined and processed had occurred. Even though it really was no one’s fault. But she did wonder how much he knew about her, or if he gets small pieces to do Sentinel’s bidding. She wasn’t sure, but she wanted to stay out of his way.

She looked back at the tunnel, waiting patiently for Elita to come back up to get her. She wanted to go in on her own, but she had to wait. Plus, Elita may tell her not to go in, so she knew she would need to be out of the way. Though as Galaxy did not feel like entertaining herself for the moment, only think deeply about things and how she would convince Orion that she was telling the truth, she likely would just sit in the same spot all day.

“Alright, Galaxy…” Galaxy flinched when she heard Elita, looking at the tunnel as the femme walked over to her. “Looks like it’s safe enough for you to stick with me.” Galaxy as she nodded and Elita was surprised that Galaxy did not sign. “I know, I still have not gotten over yesterday either, but you don’t need to worry, Galaxy. No dragon is coming today.” Galaxy smiled as she knew that, but she was still not signing. Elita hummed a little as she knelt in front of the sparkling. “D-16 did warn me you might be a bit quiet. Did one of those idiots do something to upset you, hmm?” Galaxy shook her head. “You sure? Because I will be more than happy to deal with them myself.”

Galaxy smile widened as she was amused by the question and she raised her hands to sign. ‘I am fine, Elita. Daddy and dadda will help me later. You do not need to worry about me right now. But I may just sit in one spot today. I do not feel like walking around like usual.’

“Hmm...well, whatever is going on between you and your parents, I guess it isn’t my business. But if you just want to sit and watch us do our work, I can grant that. But you can change your mind and I will happily let you shadow me again today.” Galaxy was glad that Elita was okay with that, as she did want to stay out of the way. “And honestly, keeping you in one spot might just give all of us a sigh of relief, so if something else were to happen, we all will know where you are.” Elita stood up and held her hand to the sparkling. “I know where you can sit. I can find something to keep you entertained as well. Come, we need to head in and ai cannot stay here too long. Darkwing has been really irritated since yesterday and I think staying out of this area is a good idea.”

Galaxy took Elita’s hand as she couldn’t disagree with that. Elita smiled at the sparkling as they walk through the tunnel. Galaxy looked at the staffs, wondering how long it took for the bots to create something like that to hold up the walls. She also wondered how long it took for the bots to even be able to open the chambers to mine the energon, as she knew it didn’t happen overnight. She didn’t know how much chaos Iacon would have been thrown into when the energon stopped flowing and Sentinel had to tell the city that all the other Primes were dead, and that the Matrix was lost. It would have been a terrible time before the mining started.

Once Elita brought Galaxy into the wider upper channel of the mine, she walked Galaxy over to a ledge that seemed large and smooth enough for Galaxy to sit on, and she gently picked the sparkling up to sit her on it. “Alright…” Elita sighed deeply once Galaxy seemed secured while looking around. “Hmm…I don’t see anything that could be something to entertain you, but…”

‘It is okay, Elita. I will be happy to just watch you work today.’

Elita tilted her head curiously as she knelt in front of Galaxy. “Are you sure you’re, okay? Are you sick again?” Galaxy shook her head immediately. “Hmm…you have me concerned, that is all. And I already have other things on my shoulders.”

Galaxy smiled at Elita before looking over the femme’s shoulder as a cart being pushed towards the tunnel to the lower channel fell and hit the ground, banging loudly and making Elita look over her shoulder with a frown. Elita looked back at Galaxy as the sparkling signed. ‘Do not worry about me, Elita. I will be okay. Yesterday is still on my mind. I will be okay in a few days.’

“Hmm, well, I hope so. I already miss that very happy sparkling I see every day, but I am sure Orion and D-16 feel the same, so…” Elita jumped as she turned when a few of the bots started arguing and she groaned loudly. “Ugh! Why does everything seem to crumble when I am not there to help…” Elita shook her head as she stood up and looked at Galaxy. “Alright, I will check on you whenever I can, but make sure you stay here. And if you need something, you will be able to see me. Now I need to see what these glitches are doing before I rip their heads off myself.”

Galaxy giggled as Elita stomped away to deal with the current issue so it could be resolved quickly. Galaxy wished she had the same strong headed nature that Elita had. Elita was very confident and worked hard for what she wanted, and it definitely was something to admire. And Galaxy was glad that she had spent time observing Elita during the cycle she has lived in Iacon. But Galaxy herself definitely did not take on any of that kind of personality. As she didn’t want to cause trouble mostly, and it also wasn’t something she wanted to be herself.

Galaxy glanced at the tunnel to the lower channel as she wondered how long the bots would be down there before moving onto the next one. She shrugged and just relaxed while watching Elita barking orders at the other bots to ensure that things were being done. It was actually rather entertaining to watch and Galaxy felt it was enough to entertain her. Plus, as she watched the work continue, it allowed her think about things quietly too.

Galaxy was glad that Darkwing did not come down here as well. And since she was out of the way of everyone, nothing terrible should happen because of her. But she knew that may change. For all she knew was that Darkwing was keeping an eye out for things to ensure that Orion and D-16 would lose their guardianship over the sparkling. That would make it easier for Sentinel to get a hold of her. And since Darkwing has also been hard on Elita, who was another close to Galaxy, she had no idea if something would happen to her.

Galaxy could not help but feel worried for them. While she knew that Elita avoided having a friendship with Orion and D-16 due to her focus on her career, she also knew that Elita probably did want to be actual friends. But she was focused on climbing higher than where she was currently in her career, which was fine, but she was letting that be her main focus. Not that Galaxy would blame her, since Elita did not have a cog like she should have.

Galaxy sat in silence for several hours as she watched the bots work the mines. She did not find any feeling of boredom due to her mind often thinking about the future and what things might happen. She knew she should not worry about it, but it was hard not to. But as worried as she felt, she did enjoy watching how the bots worked together to get the energon from the lower channel up the tunnels to be taken to the processors while empty carts were carefully moved down. Elita was ensuring that the entire process was moving smoothly. And the femme sometimes would crack a smile, clearly feeling the achievement of each load being brought up.

Elita would look in Galaxy’s direction sometimes, as she was making sure that the sparkling was still sitting in the spot the femme had placed her. And Elita was always happy to see that Galaxy did not move from her spot. But Elita did also seem concerned due to the fact that Galaxy was unusually quiet. She wasn’t interested in looking for a mud pit, or playing with loose stones like she would normally when left alone in a safe area of the mine. She was just happy to just sit and watch. It wasn’t bad, but it still had Elita worried due to the out of character nature Galaxy was currently exhibiting.

After another couple hours, Galaxy began to feel restless and hungry. It wasn’t unusual at this time of day, and she was hoping to go home soon to fill her tank with energon. She did not feel tired at this time though, but that would likely change rather soon. It always does, especially while taking the train back home. The motion of the train often put Galaxy into an almost hypnotic, tired state that causes her to fall into a light recharge sometimes. And Orion or D-16 would have the unfortunate task of waking the tired sparkling to feed her, and she tended to not like it. But she couldn’t help it when it did happen.

Elita was well aware of the time as well. She was already stepping towards Galaxy as she gave out commands and making sure everything was running smoothly. She wanted to ensure that everything would run smoothly so that when she would reach the sparkling, she would not have to worry about a lot. Elita moved towards Galaxy, though Galaxy did consider getting up from where she was sitting to approach Elita. But she might startle the femme by accident and she didn’t want to do that, so she waited patiently for Elita to reach her.

When Elita did finally turn to the sparkling, she could see Galaxy had an amused expression on her face. “Now that is a lot better to see than no smile at all.” Galaxy shrugged as Elita leaned down to pick her up. “I guess I should let your dads know that it is time to take you home. I am sure they know the time, but they always have to wait for me to tell them that they can take you home.” Galaxy nodded as she knew that too. “Still quiet, huh?” Galaxy shrugged as she laid her cheek on Elita’s shoulder. Elita chuckled a little as she shook her head. “Yesterday really shook you up, huh? Well, if there is anything that I can do to ease your mind, let me know. I will do what I can. Ultimately, Orion and D-16 have more say over you than I do, which is fine. But I do wonder if I could have done it better.”

Galaxy giggle as she listened to Elita as the femme turned to walk towards lower channel entrance. She moved her hands to sign to Elita. ‘I am sure you would be a great mother. But you are focused on climbing the ladder, and I think having me or any sparkling as a distraction might hinder that.’

Elita shook her head. “If that was true, you would already do that, Galaxy. So I don’t think that would be the case. But...maybe my work ethic might be a bit much to take care of a sparkling...though I may never know that.”

‘I see...good to know, Elita. I am glad you’re my aunt at least.’

Elita chuckled softly. “That’s because you decided to appoint me as Auntie Elita. But I do like being called that, so I can’t complain. It’s endearing to me.” Elita stopped by the lower channel entrance to speak over the com link. “Okay, Orion and D-16, you both know what time it is and one of you have to decide to come up and take this sparkling for her feed and recharge.”

Galaxy raised her hands to sign again. ‘I would like dadda to take me.’

Elita smiled when Galaxy told her who she wanted. “Actually, seems like D-16 has been chosen this time around.” Galaxy smiled as she hid her face in Elita’s shoulder. “I am now starting to wonder what might have happened this morning, Pax. Since I heard that you went to the...” Elita paused as there was a sudden tremble through the ground. “Scrap, is that Cosmic again...wait...” Elita glanced around in confusion before Galaxy shrieked, tapping Elita’s back in a panic as the femme turned and widened her optics to see a blue cloud rushing towards them, filled with energy, from an energon vein that had been cut into. “Evacuate!” Galaxy screamed as she clutched Elita’s body tightly as the blast hit the bots, sending them flying backwards. Elita held onto the sparkling firmly, though when she landed on her side, the sparkling yelped due to Elita accidently landing on the sparkling’s body. “Scrap, sorry, Galaxy.” Galaxy whimpered as she looked at Elita as the femme scrambled to get to her feet while opening her com link to all the bots. “Everyone out! Evacuate immediately! The tunnel is closing! I repeat, the tunnel is closing!”

Galaxy looked towards the tunnel with a whimper as Elita held the sparkling while turning on her jet pack to fly out of the tunnel. Galaxy did not know where Orion and D-16 was right now, and her urge to run into the tunnel just to find them was strong. But she was also afraid. Especially as she could sense how quickly the tunnel was closing up, and she wanted to be let down so she could try to slow it and ensure all the bots would get out safely.

Once Elita was out of the tunnel, she stood watching as other bots were quickly leaving the tunnel. “Good, everyone out! Was D-16 and Orion right behind you, Ironhide?”

Ironhide nodded as he landed next to Elita. “He was, until the blast wave pushed us all forward and a few bots damaged their jet packs on the way out. Orion and D-16 are on their way though.” He glanced at Galaxy who was whimpering and staring at the tunnel. “Do you need a hand while you ensure she doesn’t leave?”

Elita looked at Galaxy to see she was staring at the tunnel while trembling as she clung to Elita. “Hmm…no…” Galaxy jumped as Elita firmly, but gently, pulled the sparkling off her and placed Galaxy on the ground. Elita looked at Galaxy with a stern expression. “I want you to stay up here, okay? You are not to go into that tunnel. I know you’re worried about your parents, but they are on their way. Understood?” Galaxy nodded and turned to stare at the tunnel. “Good.”

“Jazz is also with them, I think,” Ironhide added as he stared at the tunnel, watching the other bots flee it. “Looks like they should be back any moment now.”

Galaxy did not like Ironhide just said that, as now she was expecting Orion and D-16 to show up within a minute or two. She glanced at the wall for a moment to consider trying to stall the tunnel, but with everyone looking in this direction, she felt like she was cornered and unable to do anything. After all, any further hints of being a draconic bot was not safe, even though she wanted to do something to protect her parents. Or at least, try to prevent someone else from being hurt.

After a few minutes, Galaxy flinched and looked at Elita when the com link went off and Orion spoke. “Elita, we’ve got a trapped miner. I’m falling back to assist.”

Elita frowned, with a hint of concern and sadness of what she was about to say. “Negative! Do not break protocol! Evacuate!” Galaxy stared at Elita in shock at her response and Elita continued. “You already have a concerned sparkling here waiting for you and…HEY!” Elita was shocked when Galaxy suddenly pushed at her stomach and the sparkling frowned at her. “What in the Pit? Are you serious, right now?!”

Galaxy nodded before she began to sign. ‘How can you prioritize protocol over the life of another bot? Do you really feel that your own lives are so worthless that even helping another is not worth it?’

Elita grimaced as read Galaxy’s sign before sighing deeply. “That’s not what I am…trying to expect…”

‘That is what it looks like to me.’

“Eh, you wouldn’t understand, you’re just too young.” Elita rubbed her neck a little before flinching as they all heard the sound of an explosion. She frowned as she opened her com link. “Pax, what’s happening?”

“Uh, nothing much, just normal, protocol following stuff. It’s all good,” Orion responded with a false, calm tone which he was clearly using to try not to worry Galaxy. “Galaxy does not need to worry so, uh…”

The com link went static and Galaxy whimpered, turning to look at the tunnel with a worried expression while pressing her knuckles together firmly, eagerly waiting for Orion and D-16 to exit the tunnel. But they have not yet, and Galaxy was getting really worried. She didn’t want to recharge now that her parents were in danger and she was on the verge of hyperventilating, but she was able to hold it together for the moment.

Elita was not waiting though as she still had the com link open. “Orion Pax, could you please exit the tunnel of death?”

“Elita!” Orion’s voice responded in a panicked tone. “It’s about to get messy out there!”

Another blast wave surged through the tunnel and Galaxy shrieked as she knocked backwards from the blast. Ironhide caught the sparkling before she could hit the ground and she looked back at him with a grateful smile. “Don’t worry, kid, I got you.” She nodded as she stood up slowly while intaking and exhaling quickly. “They should be here…any second now.”

However, Galaxy didn’t want to wait. She could hear and sense the tunnel closing, and it made her run forward. “Galaxy, no!” Elita gasped as she rushed forward to grab the sparkling, making her shriek loudly. “You can’t go in there!” Galaxy whimpered and whined loudly, struggling in Elita’s grasp as she could see the tunnel closing while the staffs holding the tunnel open broke from the force. And they both soon saw Orion and D-16 running towards them with Orion carrying Jazz. Elita quickly shoved Galaxy over to Ironhide, who had run forward when Galaxy rushed forward. “Hold onto her, and don’t let her go!”

Galaxy struggled in Ironhide’s arms as she shrieked, staring at the tunnel as she watched Orion and D run forward. She saw they had lost their jet packs, which was why they had not left the tunnel quickly enough. Elita rushed forward, grabbing a staff and throwing it forward to try and slow the closing of the tunnel. It held up the rock close to the bots briefly, but it barely gave them enough time, so Elita threw several more to aid the three bots in getting out of the tunnel, even as D-16 was punching rocks out of the way.

Elita managed to hold up one staff at the entrance, holding it for as long as she could to keep the exit open until Orion and D-16 jumped forward, unintentionally tackling Elita and causing the staff to be thrown until the staff hit one of the lines of a processor, causing it to short circuit and the line snapped, with the hum of the machine quietening as the power was cut from the processor. The other mining bots were relieved that there were no casualties, but this was another set back.

Galaxy squirmed out of Ironhide’s grasp finally, as the bot let her go, and the sparkling rushed towards Orion as Elita stood up, unhappy with Orion. “What in the Pit, Pax?!” Elita snapped as she glared at Orion. “I told you to evacuate!”

“I did, eventually,” Orion responded with an exhausted expression as he slowly got onto one knee before the sparkling launched herself at him. Orion was a little caught off guard, but he smiled as the sparkling’s arms locked around his shoulders and she began sobbing. “Aw, I am sorry for scaring you, Galaxy. I did not mean. I am okay. Maybe a little dusty and bumped up, but I am okay.”

“Me too,” D-16 added gently as he looked at Galaxy who looked at him before she lets Orion go so she could hug D-16 as well. D-16 chuckled lightly as he hugged her gently. “Easy, Galaxy…” He rubbed her back gently as she sobbed into his shoulder. “We are okay. And so is Jazz. Maybe a little broken, but he is…” D-16 tensed as Galaxy suddenly gagged and purged over his shoulder, making him sigh a little. “Ugh…I guess that was a little bit much.” D-16 pats the sparkling’s back as Galaxy whimpered with a guilty expression. “It’s okay, better than not letting it out. Now I have to take you home so I can clean myself up too.” Galaxy chuckled a little as she sniffled softly.

“Or perhaps all those shockwaves from that blast affected her body to that point,” Elita responded curtly as she glared at the two bots. “If I get fired because of you…”

“Oh, please, they’re not going to fire you,” Orion responded confidently with a smile on his face.

Galaxy flinched and turned her head when she heard Darkwing’s jets as the bot transformed behind Elita suddenly. “Elita One, you’re fired!”

“What?! Why?” Elita turned sharply in surprise, as she had not even been serious about the fact that she could be fired. “I followed protocol to the letter! I was able to keep everything on schedule yesterday after the dragon incident, and…”

“Uh, that is true,” Orion interrupted, worried and guilty that Elita was suddenly fired from her job. “I was the one who broke the rules today, and yesterday too with Cosmic getting close to me and such…”

Elita huffed as she pushed Orion way. “No one asked you! Go and help D with your sparkling!” Orion stepped back as Elita turned back to Darkwing desperately. “Darkwing, please! I’ve worked too hard for this. You cannot…”

“You are no cog bots with limited options,” Darkwing interrupted the femme bluntly, not caring about what Elita had done. “Report to waste management immediately!”

Elita stared at Darkwing in shock as to where she was being demoted to. “Waste management?!” Elita huffed as she turned away from the bot, taking her tag from her chassis as she glared at Orion and D-16, keeping her gaze from Galaxy who was standing on the ground as D had put her down, as Galaxy was now sad for Elita.

Orion looked at Elita with a guilty expression. “Elita…”

“Next time, why don’t you stop and think before you ruin someone else’s life?” Elita barked at him, shoving him to the side. “Maybe it will be Galaxy’s next after your next archive journey or something like that.”

“I’m sorry.” Orion couldn’t believe that had happened as well, and Galaxy whimpered, not understanding the injustice of what just happened. After a moment, Orion frowned and turned to look at Darkwing. “Hey, Darkwing!”

D-16 looked at Orion in surprise, as did Galaxy. “Don’t!”

“I may not have a cog, but my finger can transform!” Orion barked at Darkwing angrily, clearly upset for Elita for her losing her position. He held up his right fist as Galaxy stared in shock of what Orion was about to do. “Guess which one. I’ll give you a limited option.”

Orion began making a sound similar to the transforming sound while his middle finger shifted, making Darkwing growl and throw his fist to punch Orion, only for D-16 to grab his fist midair, stopping the impact on Orion’s face. “Excuse me, sir. Allow me.” Galaxy shrieked when D punched Orion’s cheek, even though it wasn’t as hard as the punch Darkwing would have thrown. Galaxy ran over to Orion and he gave her a reassuring expression that he was okay, and Galaxy frowned, looking at Darkwing and D-16, still in disbelief of what was happening. “I apologize on his behalf for the dis…”

Darkwing punched D-16 hard in the cheek, getting another shriek out of Galaxy, and he turned sharply before the sparkling even stepped towards D. “And will you just shut up?!” Galaxy immediately huddled behind Orion in shock. “Don’t think that you can get in the way when Orion and D-16 were the ones who made a mistake. So keep back, brat!” Galaxy trembled as Orion shifted his arms protectively in front of Galaxy. Darkwing glanced at D who was rubbing his cheek and scoffed. “Get yourself cleaned up, D and take your brat for her recharge. I want no further interruption, otherwise I will ensure further action.” D-16 nodded as he understood while he stood up and Darkwing looked at Orion, changing his tone to a smug tone. “And I hope your little stunt this morning will be worth. You are a few more strikes, and you will find yourself demoted and sparklingless.” Orion tensed as that made him worry immediately as Galaxy immediately clung to Orion firmly and Darkwing huffed lightly. “As Elita said to you before, stop and think before you ruin someone else’s life.”

Orion nodded slowly as understood. “Understood, Darkwing. I will…assist getting things sorted so we can get back to mining.” Darkwing nodded as he turned away. Galaxy was trembling as Darkwing just threatened Orion and D-16, and it seemed that neither one of her parents realized it. Orion rubbed Galaxy’s back gently as he looked at her. “Alright, I know Darkwing was very…unkind, but you need to let go. D-16 will take you home now.” Galaxy whimpered as she looked at Orion as tears fell from her optics. Orion kissed her forehead gently. “I am okay. I am…better than Elita right now. I hope she will still spend time with you…even though…today happened.”

Galaxy hoped for that too, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Elita’s demotion was deliberate. Elita followed protocol completely, and this was unusual. At least, to Galaxy it was. She released her grip around Orion’s shoulders so D-16 could pick her up and take her home, but that didn’t stop Galaxy with clinging to D tightly as well. She was trembling and she was now worried even more than ever if there was a plan to remove Orion and D-16 from her life. And that made her cry some more at that very thought.

If I am right, Darkwing removed Elita because she is close to me. Does that mean Ironhide is next? Or Jazz? They’re all close to me too. I hope Elita really is moved to waste management, because she at least will be alive and unharmed. But…daddy and dadda…I hope they will not be harmed because of me. Primus, I hope this new Prime is revealed soon. I’m scared. Sentinel is coming for me, and I have no idea how to stop him now…and I don’t think daddy and dadda will see it coming as well. Oh…I have a bad feeling in my tank right now.

Chapter Text

Sitting on D-16’s lap while drinking low grade energon in her hands, Galaxy relaxed against D-16’s chassis as he sat on the sofa in their home. It was the end of the day finally, and both Orion and D-16 were glad to be home. It was a very stressful day, even after D-16 returned to the mines with Galaxy. With Elita being demoted, Ironhide was given a promotion to her original position and he was a little rusty when it came to orders and ensuring things would stay on task. But he got into the position rather quickly, and they made their quota quite early today, which was good. But Darkwing was hanging around and keeping a close eye on things, which Galaxy did not like. And she hung around Ironhide during the last part of the day while D-16 and Orion were in the lower channel with new drills to mine more energon. She has had a bad feeling all day and she didn’t know why, but she was on alert. Even now.

D-16 rubbed his cheek as it was aching from the punch he had received from Darkwing earlier. Orion was okay, since D did not hit him so hard. But Galaxy felt bad for D for receiving the punch to the face, even though it was also meant for Orion. “Ugh…that really hurt. This has been aching all day since he punched me.”

“What’s you expect? He’s metal.” Galaxy huffed lightly at Orion’s sarcasm, knowing that wasn’t really the point.

D-16 knew it too as he looked at Orion with a frown. “You know you were out of line, talking back to a superior like that.”

“Hey, Darkwing was out of line. He deserves it. And…” Orion glanced at Galaxy who was staring at the screen while remaining relaxed against D’s chassis, though he knew she was listening. “He also took it out on Galaxy a little bit too. He should not have done that.” Orion sighed as he shook his head. “Aren’t you tired of being treated like we’re nothing?”

D-16 just shrugged a little. “He had every right to hit me. I interfered.” Galaxy turned her head to look at D with a frown and D looked at her with a nod. “He did, Galaxy. I know you struggle to understand, but you will have to expect this kind of thing for the rest of your life. We aren’t at the same place as Darkwing, so…we have to listen to him and everyone else who is a superior to us. It is what it is.”

“But he didn’t have a right to shout at Galaxy for being upset about us both getting hurt. Especially after we both almost had the tunnel crush us and Jazz.” D-16 hummed as he agreed with Orion. Orion smiled a little as he nudged his friend’s shoulder. “Though I appreciate you having my back. I’m glad you were there with me to get punched in the face, that was fun.” Galaxy looked at Orion with a frown and Orion smiled at her. “I’d do it for D as well, Galaxy. We take turns looking out for each other.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “That we do.” D-16 hummed a little as he thought about the day silently before looking at Orion. “So, uh, maybe now is a good time to talk about what happened between you and Galaxy this morning.”

Orion was a little surprised, but he knew that he would spoken to about it and he was about to respond, when an alert noise came through from the monitor. And both he and D-16 immediately tuned in as the screen suddenly changed and a voice spoke through the speakers. “Attention, all sectors, stand by for a live transmission from Sentinel Prime.”

Galaxy gagged as she almost spat out a mouthful of energon and pulled the bottle away for a moment as she didn’t want to drink it while Sentinel was addressing the city again. But Orion and D-16 were surprised and excited at the same time as D-16 almost stood up from his seat. “He’s back? He’s back already?”

Orion nodded with a smile. “Maybe he found the Matrix.”

Galaxy knew that wasn’t the case as she stared at the screen with a frown, not wanting to see or hear Sentinel Prime right now, but it was also important for her to hear. She shuddered when Sentinel Prime appeared on the screen, showing him looking back as he was looking at someone in the background. "Is it on? Okay, thank you.” The blue and gold bot turned back with a smile, a smile that made Galaxy’s tank clench as she couldn’t help but think that smile was fake. “Hello, my friends. Hello, Iacon city! Hello to our saviours, the industrious miners, who toil selflessly to maintain our energon reserves. I celebrate you.”

Galaxy flinched when Orion and D-16 cheer as they both fall for the words from Sentinel. And she could even faintly hear cheering from the other bots outside the home too, and she grumbled softly as D-16 spoke cheerfully. “Humility and presence! That’s leadership! Ah! Nobody does it better!”

Except for the real Primes…and Oranos, and a few draconic bots…they do it way better. I bet even the Quintessons do it better with their own too. I wish the Quintessons squashed Sentinel many cycles…I wonder how things would be if that happened.

Galaxy shook her head in disgust as she watched and listened to Sentinel continue to address Iacon. “Once again, I have narrowly returned with my fleet after another treacherous expedition across the desolate, dangerous surface of our planet. I departed with hopes of finding the Matrix of Leadership…” An image of the Matrix was shown in front of Sentinel, as though trying to keep up the trust of Iacon, which was unfortunately working. “The key to bringing balance to Cybertron. I regret to inform you that we’ve returned without locating the Matrix. But we did not return empty-handed, as we did find something up on the surface. Something that required the same courage and bravery I had to endure many cycles ago.” Galaxy raised an eyebrow as she did not know what Sentinel meant. The screen flickered as Cosmic Dust, Firedrake and Sky Blade were shown behind Sentinel, but Galaxy widened her optics as a fourth draconic bot walked forward with a low growl and Sentinel placed his hand on the top of the dragon’s head. “My team stumbled across this draconic bot on the surface, and it took a lot of effort to tame this beast. She is now another dragon who will aid in future expeditions.” Galaxy stared as she had no expected that. “This here is Scorched Flare, and she is a lot younger than the three draconic bots I have already. But she is just as strong.”

Scorched Flare?! Oh no! Sentinel got to her too! Oh, she must have sent that warning just before that collar was put on her. That makes sense. Scrap! I hope…oh…maybe the fact that he found her, Sentinel may have worked out there was more about me than he thought. She could have unintentionally made him realize that…oh…this is not good.

“While I know that finding another dragon on the surface is not as good as finding the Matrix of Leadership, rest assured that this is merely a small set back, not a failure. After all, I believe finding Scorched Flare could lead to other draconic bots out there, and some whom I have been trying to track for a long time.” Galaxy shuddered, knowing that Sentinel probably knew that Galaxy was watching and listening, so he was saying things that were subtle that the other bots wouldn’t notice, but Galaxy certainly noticed the hints Sentinel was dropping. “And not just other dragons, but I now have renewed confidence in locating the Matrix of Leadership so that energon can flow again. But that’s in the future. Right now, I think we all deserve a little bit of fun.” Galaxy’s frown deepened as she listened quietly. “Tomorrow there with be no work. All shifts off because tomorrow is the Iacon 5000.” Orion and D-16 immediately cheer excitedly as they both love watching the races, and Galaxy has seen a couple races herself, but she didn’t find the same interest in them as her parents did. But she did enjoy how happy the races make them. “My favorite event. A high-octane race all across Iacon city. Let’s all see which competitor can prove they are truly more than meets the eye.”

The transmission finally ended and Galaxy was glad, but she was feeling angry. Angry that Scorched Flare had been captured and was wearing the same collar Cosmic, Sky Blade and Firedrake were, and she wanted nothing more than to rip the collars off. But Galaxy had no way of reaching them right now. D-16 laughed as he looked at Orion with a big smile. “Yes! Finally! I have been waiting for another Iacon 5000 race, and we finally get it. And, the best part, we get a day off work.”

“Yeah, yeah, I am excited too.” Galaxy looked at Orion as he didn’t seem to show the same energy as D-16. It was odd, but he was thinking about something rather deeply.

D-16 noticed too. “Come on, Pax. You’re normally a lot more excited than this. You are almost acting sad or something.”

Orion looked at D in surprise and shook his head. “Pfft, no I am not. I am just…thinking.” Orion intakes deeply before he spoke softer. “More than meets the eye…” Galaxy raised an eyebrow as she was surprised by that, and wondered if Sentinel had just unintentionally made Orion think some more about what she said. “More than meets the…” Orion looked at Galaxy, noticing she has not even finished the bottle and he smiled at her. “And here I thought you were hungry.” Galaxy smiled slightly and immediately began drinking again from the bottle, making Orion chuckle. “Good. But I guess you were focused on what Sentinel said, huh?” Galaxy nodded a little. “Well…do you know Scorched Flare?”

Galaxy shook her head a little before lifting her hands to sign. ‘I have never met Scorched Flare before, but I do know she is. She sent a warning not so long ago about Sentinel. Her warning had made me wake up and I have been on alert for some time now.’

“Wait, what?” D-16 frowned and looked at Orion who rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Why did you just ask Galaxy that? Of course, she’s never met Scorched Flare. This draconic bot has just been tamed. Why did you ask?”

Orion pondered thoughtfully as he looked at D-16. “It’s just…Galaxy implied this morning that she is a direct descendent of a draconic bot called Wraith. And that dragon…does not have a good history, as her powers were rather dangerous compared to what the draconic bots usually have. But...I am not sure how Scorched Flare would have communicated with Galaxy.”

“Maybe because she didn’t,” D-16 responded bluntly as Galaxy murmured a little while she continued drinking from her bottle. “Besides, Pax, you have told Galaxy a lot about what you have learned from the archives. There is a high probability that Galaxy has decided to remember a lot of these things and come up with something on her own.” Galaxy looked up at D-16 in surprise and D-16 smiled at her. “That’s true, isn’t it?”

Galaxy shook her head. “Actually, D, Galaxy did not know a thing about Wraith from me. I never once said a thing about Wraith, not even to you until now. For Galaxy to know about Wraith has given me a lot to think about. And, to quote Sentinel just now, there is more than meets the eye.” Galaxy did not know if she liked that it took Sentinel to even say that for Orion to even open his mind, but it was better than him not believing her.

“Alright…” D-16 gently shifted Galaxy to turn her around so she was facing him as he looked at her. “Since Orion has not told me anything about Wraith, I think you should tell me about Wraith and then Orion can confirm if it is all true.” Galaxy was not sure if she liked the tone that D-16 had when asking about Wraith, because she was certain that D was not going to believe her, though Orion still might. “Just know, that whatever you tell me, I will not get angry at you, Galaxy. Plus, I also want you to know that I still love you, and no matter how crazy your imagination is, it won’t change that fact.”

Galaxy stared at D-16 as she did not know if he was being serious or not. Plus she knew that D-16 was less likely to believe her, especially since Orion has not so far. She sighed as she put her bottle down briefly to sign. ‘There is no point of telling you about Wraith if you are just going to brush it off. Wraith is my ancestors, my birth father Comet Hammer, was also her descendant. And Sentinel tried to capture him. But it does not matter to you.’

D-16 intakes deeply as he could not really disagree. “Whether or not I believe you...”

‘I will not waste your time with information that you won’t care about, dadda. I am sorry, but I don’t want to talk about Wraith right now. The only thing I will say is that she had abilities stronger and more frightening than any draconic bot. She had a black frame with white armor across her chassis, limbs, horns, back and tail, and her wings were a teal blue. That is all I will say.’ Galaxy intakes deeply as she picked up her bottle to keep drinking.

D-16 hummed a little as he had not really expected that and he looked at Orion who was staring at Galaxy in disbelief. “Why are you looking at her like that?”

Orion looked at D-16 and glanced back at Galaxy. “I never mentioned what Wraith looked like. Not the colour...nothing like that. I...I only know a little about Wraith, but enough to know she was dangerous.”

“Coincidence. She could have learned this from her birth parents.” Galaxy shook her head, but D-16 was certain about that. “Besides, since I see it is upsetting Galaxy, and confusing you, Pax, maybe we should just not talk about it. Otherwise, we could end up encouraging Galaxy with her imagination, and I am not sure if that will be good if she believes it to be real life.”

If only you knew the truth, dadda. I have no idea how to tell you the truth now. I am a bit annoyed Sentinel may have helped daddy lean towards believing me, but better late than never, I guess. But I am lost on how to tell them...I wish Oranos was here to tell me what I should do.

Orion himself was still thinking it over deeply, but he also somewhat agreed with D-16. After all, Galaxy didn’t want to talk about it, and he didn’t want to press it too much with her. “I agree.” Orion sighed as he checked the time briefly and looked at Galaxy. “But there is a bit of time left to play. What do you think? Should I get out some toys?” Galaxy shook her head and Orion’s smile faded immediately. “Are you sure?” She nodded and pointed towards her berth. “I see...well...maybe I can tell you a story from the archives so you can have something else to think about before recharge.”

Galaxy looked at Orion with a smile before shaking her head and signing. ‘Thank you, daddy. But I think I just want to recharge. After today, I almost want to be in the harness against your chassis.’ Orion couldn’t help but smile, as he wasn’t surprised. ‘But I am okay with just going for recharge after I’ve finished my bottle. I hope that is okay.’

“Of course, it is. Plus, I know you don’t like Sentinel, so having that broadcast before probably upset you further.” Galaxy made no reaction, but Orion was certain that is what Galaxy was feeling. He stretched his arms for a moment before holding his hands to Galaxy. “I can put you to berth now, if you want. And maybe another bottle.”

Galaxy smirked while D-16 gave Orion an amused expression. “Are you trying make her grow faster? Her sick from an overfull tank?” Orion chuckled as he shook his head. “Good. Besides, it will be up to Galaxy if she wants another bottle, especially after emptying her tank over my shoulder earlier.”

“Yeah, but that was due to the fact she was likely scared and the impact of the explosion wave probably affect her system a bit. At least we did not need another trip to see Ratchet.” D-16 nodded in agreement before Galaxy reached her right hand towards Orion, and Orion smiled. “And there is one answer. Did you want another bottle, Galaxy?” Galaxy shook her head with a smile. “Very well. But are you sure you don’t want a story? How about…a story from before we met you? Maybe you would like that more.”

Galaxy giggled softly as Orion picked the sparkling up and cradled her in his arms. She shook her head again as she wasn’t interested at the moment. ‘Sorry, daddy. But I just want to lay in my berth for a while. My mind is filled with a lot of things, and I need to calm it down to recharge. Maybe tomorrow you can tell me after the race is over.’

Orion nodded as he understood. Galaxy wanted time to herself, and that was okay. He walked over to her berth to sit her in it. “Alright, well, D and I probably won’t go for our recharge just yet. We do have to go to the main miner living quarters for a briefing, as you know that happens, so I do hope you don’t mind being alone for a short time.”

‘I do not mind, and I will likely be recharging when you come back, daddy.’

Orion nodded before leaning down and kissing Galaxy’s forehead. “Alright, well…I hope you know that we still love you. I am…” He glanced over his shoulder before lowering his voice to speak to Galaxy. “I am starting to consider that what you said about Wraith and your own identity…well…I am still not sure, but I think I am starting to believe you.” Galaxy widened her optics in surprise. “I never told you what Wraith looked like. And I never spoke about her at all to you, so…and Sentinel made me think that it is possible. But…if you are one, why did you wait so long to tell me?”

Galaxy stared at Orion in shock as she did not expect that. And she didn’t know if he really did believe her now, but it was hard not to think that he might. She lowered her bottle as she needed a moment and wanted to sign. ‘I waited because I did not want any news about me to spread through Iacon. And I was protecting you and dadda from Sentinel. But I think I can’t anymore. I have had a bad feeling since the mines, and now it is more so since Sentinel’s transmission.’

Orion’s expression softened as he read her sign before he responded quietly to her. “I wouldn’t have said anything.”

‘I know that now, daddy, but back when we first met, I did not know you. It took time to trust you and dadda, and now I trust you both. But I cannot keep quiet about myself anymore. Especially since Sentinel is likely going to come after me soon.’

Orion was still unsure about Sentinel being an actual threat, because he knew nothing else but the kindness that Sentinel has shown. “Well…I am still not sure about Sentinel being a problem, but…” Galaxy sighed as she knew that was going to be harder to convince Orion and D-16 about unless she had actual proof that Sentinel was indeed evil. “I am going to consider what you have said. I have a lot to think about. But my mind is also on something else, so I will…think about it a lot. I promise you that.”

Galaxy smiled slightly at him before Orion kissed her forehead again and she hoped that Orion was being honest, and not trying to give her false hope. She wanted him to think about it, because it would mean things would get easier in terms of being honest with him. And she also hoped D would follow as well, though he would be harder to crack. But it was certainly promising that Orion could be coming around.

Curse, Sentinel Prime! He actually did something good, unintentionally…well, at least one good thing may come out of that bot…oh, no, the second good thing will be for him to die after an intense trial and maybe time in a prison for…fifty cycles is fair, and then he can die.

D-16 walked over to Orion and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I hate to interrupt your private conversation, but we should probably go. If Galaxy does not want to come with us now, she will be fine. She won’t get into any trouble.”

Orion nodded as he stepped back from the berth with a smile. “I know. It is not the first time. After all, she gets bored.” He looked back at Galaxy who resumed drinking from the bottle quietly. “Last chance to come with us.” She shook her head and waved her right hand to shoo them away. “Oh, well, we aren’t wanted here it would seem, D.”

D-16 laughed once in amusement as he looked at Galaxy. “Until she needs us, then we are wanted. But it is okay.” He stepped over to the berth so he could lean down and kiss Galaxy’s forehead, making the sparkling smile at him. “I hope you’re excited for the Iacon 5000 tomorrow.” Galaxy grimaced and looked away. “Oh, well, it’ll be a fun day, regardless. I know it isn’t your favorite thing, but it’s fun.” Galaxy did not react and grabbed one of her draconic bot figurines to hold against her chassis. “Well, I hope you will be okay. We will have the monitor on, so if you get upset, we both will come right back over. So we will never be far away.”

Galaxy smiled at D-16 as she was glad to hear that. She doubted anything bad would happen, so she felt okay for them to go to the briefing. D-16 kissed her forehead again and gently grabbed the blankets of the berth to pull them back, ready for Galaxy to lay under them when she was ready. She smiled as she thoroughly appreciated it from D-16 as he wanted to ensure that she would be comfortable in her berth. D-16 glanced at the bottle to see Galaxy had only drunk half of the low-grade energon and he was amused at how long she was taking to drink it. Not that he blamed her.

“We should be back in about two hours, maybe less.” D-16 rolled his shoulders before turning to Orion. “We should get going. Only Jazz will be absent, since I think he is still at the medical centre get surgery for his legs.”

Orion nodded, feeling bad that happened to Jazz, but it was better then Jazz dying from the closing tunnels. Galaxy raised her hands to sign to them. ‘And don’t forget to apologise to Elita again. Even though it wasn’t your fault, she still believes that it is.’

Orion and D-16 glanced at each other as they both knew that when Elita was demoted, she was moved to a different living quarters, so she won’t be there. But they both said nothing. Orion smiled at Galaxy to ensure she did not suspect anything different. “I will remember to do that, Galaxy. I feel terrible for her, so I completely understand that she probably would want another one. But, knowing her, she might also not want to hear it. But I’ll try.” Galaxy smiled as she glad to hear that, not noticing at all that they wouldn’t see Elita when they go to the briefing. Orion walked to the door with D-16. “As D said, we will be listening if you need us, Galaxy. When you are finished with your energon, make sure to sit the bottle so it doesn’t leak on your berth. We will be back soon.”

Galaxy nodded with a smile as her two parents walked out the door. She sighed as her smile faltered and she stopped drinking the energon as her mind went to the many things she was worried about. She couldn’t shake the bad feeling in her tank. She sighed as she looked at her draconic bot figurines, feeling sad about Scorched Flare and the other bots under Sentinel’s control. She didn’t want to cry as she knew her parents would be listening, but she couldn’t help but feel sad. Tears welled in her optics and she hugged her draconic bot figurines tightly. She hoped that the new Prime would arrive soon. He was the only one to stop all this.

Galaxy intakes deeply as she finished drinking the bottle before placing it at the end of her berth, making sure it wouldn’t’ fall before laying down under the blankets. She did wish Orion or D-16 could tuck her in, but she wouldn’t be lucky tonight. Closing her optics while hugging two draconic bot figurines in her left arm and sucking her right thumb, Galaxy fell into a deep recharge. Despite how worried she was and the bad feeling she felt, Galaxy found herself being able to rest rather easier than she had expected. Which was good, since she didn’t want to be tired and groggy the next day, even though Galaxy wasn’t really thrilled about the Iacon 5000.

When the next hour and half past, Orion and D-16 came back as they had said they would. They entered the home quietly and Orion walked over to the berth to find Galaxy holding her two draconic bots and sucking her thumb, making him smile as she looked adorable. The blanket as laying over her stomach and was a little messed up, so he gently pulled the blanket up and tucked the sparkling in. She murmured a little and shifted onto her left side, wrapping her arm tighter around the figurines while remaining in recharge.

Orion kissed the sparkling’s forehead before grabbing the empty bottle to take it over to the counter to rinse out and place it with the other empty bottles to be sent to be refilled. He looked over at D-16 who had already stepped into his recharge pod and he looked back at Pax with a smile, while signing see you tomorrow before he closed his optics to fall into a deep recharge. Orion sighed deeply as he turned and walked over to his recharge pod.

He stepped into the pod and sighed deeply while trying to relax his mind. His mind was restless about today, and he also couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility that Galaxy was telling the truth. But he still struggled with the fact that there was no evidence draconic bots could even transform, which was why he was still doubtful. But her knowledge of Wraith alone was enough to really send his processor into a spin.

And trying as hard as he could, Orion just couldn’t fall into recharge. He stepped out of his pod, rubbing the back of his neck for a moment as he glanced at the berth before walking over to the cube containment to get a couple energon cubes, hoping that maybe filling his tank a little bit will calm his processor down. After grabbing a couple cubes, Orion popped one into his mouth as he walked by the front window of the home while trying to clear his mind, and he stopped when he spotted something at the corner of his optic.

Stepping back, Orion looked outside to see the projection of the Iacon 5000 thousand lit up above the city in bold, bright, neon lights. Orion stared at it as he smiled, knowing that the next day was going to be rather exciting with the race. But then an idea popped into his processor. They had new jet packs after their old ones were destroyed in the tunnel collapse earlier, and that made him think about that they could be used for more than just going into the energon tunnels.

Orion knew it would mean he would have to figure out how to ensure Galaxy would be okay, but he doubted it would be an issue. He smiled as he turned and walked towards D’s recharge pod. “D!” He called out in a hushed tone. No response from D. “Psst! Hey, D.” Orion glanced at the berth in case Galaxy was stirring, but she was not, and he walked over to the recharge pod and lightly tapped on D-16’s helm. There was no response again. “D, wake up.”

Orion tapped on D-16’s helm again, making D groan and open his optics, only to widen them when he saw Orion. “Wait, is Galaxy…”

“Yep, she’s okay,” Orion interrupted while placing his index finger on D-16’s lips to make him quiet. “But keep it down, or we will have a screaming sparkling. But since you’re up, I’ve got an idea. But we need to go outside for a moment so we don’t wake her.”

D-16 groaned as Orion walked away and he rubbed the bridge between his optics. He was groggy as he did not like he had just fallen into recharge, only to be woken up by Orion for an idea of his. D-16 stepped out of the pod, glancing at the berth briefly as he followed Orion to the front door and stepped outside. “Whatever this is, it better be good.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah! It will be!” Orion’s enthusiastic response did not convince D-16 at all as the tired bot shook his head at Pax. “Listen, all right, what if…” Orion chuckled a little in excitement. “What if, what if tomorrow we ran in the Iacon 5000, huh?”

D-16 widened his optics as Orion gestured to the Iacon 5000 projection and he frowned at Orion. “What if I kill you for waking me?!”

D-16 turned, still unhappy about it, but Orion wasn’t giving up. “No, no, no, hear me out. We don’t even have to win!”

D-16 huffed as he responded in a slightly sarcastic tone. “Oh, that’s good, but we wouldn’t.”

D turned to walk away again and he grimaced when Orion stopped him again. “But, but if we beat just one transformer, it proves we’re just as good as they are. Not only would we go down in history, the mining bots that did the impossible, but we would show everyone, and especially Galaxy, that we’re capable of so much more!”

“Or we get publicly humiliated and busted back to tier one, and lose our right to be parents of Galaxy all in one swoop,” D-16 argued back, turning away from Orion again.

“I doubt that would happen, but…” Orion grabbed D-16’s shoulders as he stepped in front of him. “But at least we would have done something, you know?”

“Pax.”

“Come on, D…”

“Pax!” D-16 was exasperated at this point, and he had no interest in following Orion’s idea. “We’re mining bots who can’t transform.” He placed his hand on Orion’s shoulder, seeing the bot’s disappointment in D’s response, trying to at least reassure Orion it was okay. “We can’t fly, we can’t roll, we can’t race. Come on, let’s go before Galaxy wakes and finds we aren’t there. And remember, we can’t race because we could become seriously injured, and it would be unfair for her to see that. So let’s just go and recharge, and we can enjoy watching the race tomorrow. Okay?”

Orion sighed deeply with a frown. “Alright, fine.” D-16 smiled at him as he turned and walked away, leaving Orion to look up at the projection, which still thinking over things deeply. “Yeah, maybe you’re right. Hmm…maybe…”

Orion smiled a little to himself as he was already coming up with how he could get himself and D into the race, but it would require a little patience. Plus, Orion did feel it would also show Galaxy that they were all more than what they were, and inspire her to look for things that are different. Even though he still did not yet know if he believed her yet, even though he was leaning towards it a little, he wanted her to take on the quote of more than meets the eye to spark, so that it might make the future better. At least, that is what he was hoping for after the race tomorrow.

Chapter Text

“Oh, Primus! I am so excited!” D-16 exclaimed as he was eager to leave to find a place to sit at the stadium to watch the Iacon 5000. But the race does not start for another hour and a half, so Orion and D-16 were still home. Orion was cradling Galaxy while feeding her as he sat at the sofa with a smile on his face. “If only time could go by a lot faster. We need to go soon if we want to get a good seat, otherwise we will be stuck at the back somewhere.”

“Relax, D. We have plenty of time before the race even starts. Besides, we got to let Galaxy fill her tank. Especially since she decided to wake up earlier than usual today, which I think is not a bad thing.” Orion himself was feeling a tad tired due to not being able to go to recharge for a while during the night, but he wasn’t making a big fuss about it. “So I think we will be fine.” He looked down at Galaxy as she drank from the bottle happily. “How are you feeling about the race today?”

Galaxy shrugged a little before she signed. ‘I do not care for the race, daddy, so I am not sure. But I do not really want to go and watch the race. I am happy to just watch it here on the sofa. We have the screen, and we will see the race from all angles here.’

“Oh, well, that’s fair. Yes, we could watch it here…” D-16 looked at Orion in surprise as he did not want that. Orion wasn’t bothered as he understood why Galaxy feels that way. “But it really is a lot of fun to just sit in the stadium, watching all the transformers race and battle it out for first place. Don’t you enjoy the energy that it brings?”

Galaxy nodded a little. ‘The excitement in the air is enjoyable, daddy. But as I do not share the same interest in the races as you do, it does not excite me in the same way. I get more excited when I see Arcee, Ironhide, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Cliffjumper and other bots who go to the races to watch as well. That is much more meaningful to me.’

“That is fair. Spending time with the other bots I definitely just as fun, especially since we get a day off out of it.” Galaxy smiled as that is what she looked forward to the most. “Though you don’t seem as excited about seeing them, so I guess because we see them everyday, it is just the atmosphere that makes it better.” Orion chuckled a little. “Well...where do you think we should sit when we go there?”

‘Dadda is better knowing where to sit than me. I never care, since I also can never see either.’

Orion frowned a little. “Wait, you couldn’t see the races?” She shook her head. “Huh...you never said anything. But since you don’t really care about the races, I suppose it did not bother you.” It certainly did not and Galaxy was content with that fact. Orion wasn’t too bothered by it because of that fact and he smiled at her. “Maybe you should sit on my shoulders today.”

‘No need, daddy. I would rather stay on the ground and spend time with another bot anyway. But if we did stay home, I would be happier about it.’

Orion could not help but chuckle gently. “I am afraid staying home to watch the race isn’t an option for us.”

D-16 nodded in agreement as he walked over and leaned over the couch as he placed a hand on Orion’s shoulder, gripping playfully. “Pax is right, Galaxy. There is no way I am staying here to watch the race. Besides you get to spend the whole day with us. And that doesn’t happen very often.”

This was true. But Galaxy did want to stay home today. She felt like that she had to. Even if it meant fighting her parents to stay home. But she didn’t want them to miss out either, so she didn’t know what to do. But Orion has had an interesting expression this morning. It was similar to the expression Orion would have whenever he would go the archives or have some kind of idea. And that made Galaxy wonder if he had a plan for today.

Galaxy soon finished the bottle and licked her lips when Orion pulled it away. “All done. Do you feel full enough now, Galaxy?” She nodded with a smile and moved to sit up on Orion’s lap, making him chuckle. “Alright, you can get down if you want. I will put this away, and we can get going.”

Galaxy did not react as she laid on her stomach to slide off Orion’s knees to the ground and she stepped back to let him get up to put the bottle away. Galaxy glanced at the screen thoughtfully as she was still angry about Scorched Flare being under Sentinel’s control right now. She wished she was bigger and stronger so she could give Sentinel Prime a slashing and maybe broken limbs, as she felt that was the least he deserved. And then to remain in pain and chains for the next fifty cycles, maybe more to count the many lives he has destroyed. And he would be completely rusted by the time he would eventually be executed. That is Galaxy’s ideal punishment. A quick death seemed to good for him in her mind.

Galaxy sighed as she walked over to her toy box and opened it. D-16 turned when he heard the unclipped of the box and he was surprised. “Galaxy? What are you doing?” Galaxy looked at him before reaching in and grabbing a plain, blue and green bot figurines. D-16 smiled a little. “There’s no time for any play, I am afraid. I promise we can play when we get back.” Galaxy placed the toy on the ground before reaching in to grab another. D-16 frowned a little and walked over. “I know you do not like the races, but we are not going to clean up for the next half hour because you want to dump the box out.” D-16 leaned down to grab the first figurine to put back and gently grabbed Galaxy by the armpits. “Now it is time...” Galaxy let out a sudden shriek and shifted sharply to get away from his hands, making D perk back in surprise and she grabbed the figurine he put back to place back on the floor. D-16 stared at Galaxy in shock as she placed a yellow and blue bot figurine onto the ground and he frowned. “Galaxy, I am not going to tolerate you screaming at mean. You have to come with us.”

Orion was watching curiously as D-16 reached to pick Galaxy up again, and she shrieked, almost making a no sound as she threw herself backwards and kicked at D-16’s hands, making the silver bot stare in shock. Orion almost wanted to laugh, even though Galaxy rarely throws any kind of fit. However, this might actually work in Orion’s favour. He had a plan that wouldn’t be safe for Galaxy to participate in anyway, so he watched and waited patiently to see how D-16 would handle this situation.

D-16 reached down and Galaxy kicked at him again before rolling to the right, and the silver bot huffed as he grabbed the figurines quickly before putting them back into the box. “Primus, Galaxy, stop being ridiculous!” He closed the box firmly and he looked at Galaxy with a frown as she laid on her back, frowning back at him. “Get up from the floor.” The sparkling shook her head. “Come on, you are being ridiculous. Now get up from floor!” Galaxy shook her head and D-16 placed his hands on his hips, already frustrated with the sparkling, and he proceeded towards her. Galaxy shrieked and kicked at him again. “Galaxy! Stop!” D-16 looked over at Orion who was standing by the table and glared at him. “Are you just going to stand there and do nothing?”

Orion hummed a little before shrugging. “I mean, I could, but I kind of find it a bit funny.”

“There is nothing funny about this!” D-16 rolled his optics as he looked back at Galaxy, only to widen them slightly as Galaxy rolled backwards to get onto her feet and run around the sofa. “Primus, this sparkling is being difficult today. Today of all days!” Galaxy stood on the other side of the sofa as D-16 frowned at her. “Galaxy, please. I don’t want to miss the race today.”

Galaxy shrugged as she pointed to the screen behind her and D-16 shook his head. She knew he wasn’t going to agree, and D-16 walked towards the sofa, and Galaxy was already ready to run again. D-16 watched her intently, while also glancing at Orion as he was annoyed that Orion wasn’t helping him. But rather that Orion actually found this to be amusing. D-16 wished that wasn’t the case, but he hoped Orion would get over it quickly to actually help him.

D-16 stepped to the right and Galaxy bolted to the left, running to the second sofa to get behind before D-16 sighed deeply. He stomped around the sofa towards it and Galaxy ran back around, before D-16 tried to grab her again. Galaxy shrieked while jumping to the side and running over to the toy box. “Galaxy, no! I just put them away!” D-16 glared at Orion. “Pax! Don’t just stand there, do something!”

Orion intakes deeply as Galaxy ran from the toy box over to her berth as D-16 once again tried to grab her. He looked at Galaxy curiously. “You really don’t want to go and watch the race in the stadium, do you?” Galaxy looked at Orion and shook her head before Orion just shrugged. “Okay, there’s no reason to push it.”

D-16 stared at Orion in shock. “Wait, what?” Orion shrugged with a smirk. D-16 narrowed his optics and shook his head. “Wait, wait, wait, are you really going to give in and go with Galaxy’s plan?” Orion did not respond, only kept smirking, which annoyed D-16. “Pax! We can’t just reward the behaviour that Galaxy was displaying right now. She is coming with us. We are not staying here.”

“I never that you and I should stay.” D-16 and Galaxy both stare at Orion in surprise, making Orion’s smile widen. “What? It is not that big of a deal. Besides, Galaxy wants to stay, and we want to go. There is a simple solution to that.”

“Simple solution? Pax, what?” D-16 looked at Galaxy who was as surprised as he was. D-16 huffed as he walked towards Orion, and Galaxy ran back over to her toy box, making D frown slightly. “You have never suggested leaving her home alone before. Are you seriously going to suggest it now?”

“Sure. It’s perfectly safe here. Galaxy has energon, toys and she can watch the race whenever she wants, and I can move a few things so that she has a way to get into her berth whenever she wants.” D-16 stood in front of Orion, shocked as he didn’t expect Orion to say that. “That way we all get what we want. You and I get to go to the race, and Galaxy gets to stay home. What do you think?”

D-16 was silent right now as he didn’t know what to say. Galaxy herself, although she reopened the toy box and grabbed the blue and green bot again, and looked at Orion curiously as she didn’t know what Orion was thinking. D-16 sighed deeply as he rubbed his forehead. “I never, ever thought that you, of all the bots in the city, would even suggest that, Pax. You used to worry so much about leaving Galaxy to be watched over by the other bots when we both had to work in the mines instead of just one of us. Where has that gone all of a sudden?”

“Galaxy isn’t that young, D. She will be fine. Besides, you and I won’t get in trouble...”

D-16 could not help but laugh, but his laughter was full of sarcasm as it was ridiculous. “I can’t tell if you are joking or serious right now, Pax. For Primus sake! Leaving her alone will get us into trouble. Especially since no one is working today, so of course they will know.”

“Maybe, but I have an idea for that. So don’t worry.” D-16 folded his arms as he was unconvinced. Orion looked over at Galaxy with a smile. “What do you think, Galaxy? You don’t mind if D and I go watch the race without you?”

Galaxy murmured a little as D looked at her curiously. She shrugged before signing her response. ‘I am not sure why you are suggesting this idea, daddy, but I actually do not mind the idea. You may have all day off, but the race does not last the entire day. I can entertain myself quietly here. You don’t have to tell anyone I am alone.’

D widened his optics and huffed as he looked at Orion. “And you are certain you aren’t biologically related, huh?” Orion looked at D in surprise before the silver bot smirked a little. “Regardless of that, I still think that it is not a good idea. Even though Galaxy probably will not kind being alone, but we shouldn’t be irresponsible.”

“I am not being irresponsible though. I am just giving us all what we want. Plus, Galaxy is okay with it. We have the monitor on, and she will make a sound if she needs us back. Okay?” D-16 grumbled under his intake as he really was not happy. Orion lightly pats D-16’s shoulder and walked over to Galaxy. Galaxy tensed as she thought Orion was going to trick her. “Now I just want to make sure you are okay with this idea, Galaxy. I know you will miss us, so I want to make sure this is okay.”

Galaxy murmured a little as Orion knelt on one knee in front of her. She raised an eyebrow at him before signing. ‘I will be okay. I can tell there is something else on your mind too. It is the same expression you get whenever you go to the archives or have an idea.’

Orion chuckled softly as he responded in sign. ‘At least that did not get past you. I have a special plan for D and I, and it is also a surprise for you.’ Galaxy raised an eyebrow again with a frown as she did not know what he meant by that. ‘When you see it, you will know.’

Galaxy’s frown deepened slightly as she was trying to understand. ‘I am not following, daddy. Is your plan going to be something everyone in Iacon sees?’ Orion nodded and Galaxy was immediately worried and she dropped the figurine in shock. ‘Wouldn’t it be better to be private?’

‘It could be, but I just want to show something to the world, that is all.’ Galaxy realized immediately that Orion was thinking of Sentinel’s words from the day before and she silently cursed Sentinel as she was angry this made Orion come up with something reckless. ‘Do not worry. Nothing bad will happen. And I know that everyone else will love it.’

I don’t know if I like this. I kind of hope it doesn’t happen, and all daddy and dadda get to do is watch the race. Maybe that is all there is, and there might be a mere glimpse of them being recorded. That might be it. I doubt they would do anything too drastic. Especially with dadda always trying to keep daddy from being too reckless.

Galaxy intakes deeply as she looked directly at Orion’s optics before responding. ‘I hope you are right, daddy. But I don’t have a good feeling in my tank at the moment. I have been feeling it since yesterday. So I hope that it will be okay.’

Orion softened his expression as he leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Don’t worry, I promise that nothing with happen. Okay?” Galaxy wanted to believe Orion, but she was still nervous. “I am not sure why you are worried, but it will be okay.” Galaxy sighed as she wanted to tell him that it was Sentinel that had given her the bad feeling, but he would probably brush it off. “I promise, when we get back, you can bring out the entire toy box and we can have a lot of fun after the race. Deal?”

Galaxy hummed a little as she was still unsure about what Orion had planned. If it was public, then it would be really bad. Especially as Sentinel will be watching. She smiled a little before she finally nodded and signed. ‘That sounds like fun. I hope we can do that, daddy. And I hope you will enjoy the race.’

Orion chuckled softly as he rubbed the top of her head playfully. “We certainly will enjoy the race. You don’t need to worry about that.” Galaxy smiled before she suddenly threw herself at him to hug him, surprising the bot and he chuckled softly as he hugged her back. “Alright, alright, I guess you will still miss us, won’t you?” Galaxy nodded with a smile. Orion kissed the top of her head with a light chuckle. “We shouldn’t take longer than a few hours, Galaxy. So you won’t be waiting too long. And I bet, with all the fun you will have on your own, the time will just fly. So we will be back sooner than you think.”

D-16 sighed loudly as he shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this. Pax, we both can drag the sparkling with us.”

“Yes, and I have a feeling that Galaxy may kick and scream if we did that, and annoy everyone else. I could be wrong, but after seeing her do that with you…well, it has made me think that.” Galaxy smirked as she stopped hugging Orion and stepped back from him, and Orion chuckled at her. “And I think she knows it too.” Orion stood up and walked over to D. “You should not have to worry, D. Galaxy will be fine.”

D-16 was still uncertain. But he also felt like he couldn’t really do anything now that Orion had pretty much made the decision, even though D was not sure if it was a good idea at all. “This is one of the most ridiculous ideas you have come up with. Even if Galaxy is okay with it right now…” He shook his head as Orion walked by him with a smile. “If we do get in trouble, I am going to pin all this on you. It was your idea and…” D-16 stopped as Galaxy ran over and wrapped her arms around his abdomen suddenly to hug him, looking up at him with a smile. D smiled back at her. “Are you trying to tell me you want to come now?” Galaxy shook her head and D’s smile softened slightly. “Alright, I guess I can understand. You just want to be here for today for a change, I can understand that.” D knelt down so he could hug the sparkling and she giggled softly. “But I am still unhappy about your decision to act out like that before. So I hope you won’t do that again in the future.” She shook her head and D-16 kissed her cheek. “I hope so, because I do not like it when you act like that.” D-16 sighed as he stood up and Galaxy stepped back, looking at him with a smile. “But I still love you. That won’t change.”

‘I know, dadda. And I am sorry for throwing a fit. I just did not want to go.’

“Yeah…” D-16 glanced at Orion as he knew Orion had signed something to Galaxy, but he did not know what and so he couldn’t help but be suspicious as he looked at Orion curiously. Orion smiled at him as he waited by the door. “But I can’t help but think there’s something more. And I suspect you won’t say anything, so I will go along with it. Even though I think this idea is ridiculous.”

“Don’t worry, D. It will not be that big of a deal.” D-16 huffed, still not happy about it at all. Orion just smiled as D walked towards him. “You are going to be thanking me later.”

“Oh, ha, sure I will.” D-16 glanced over his shoulder to see Galaxy watching them silently with a smile on her face. “Make sure you make a sound if you need us, Galaxy. I will come right back, even if it means missing the race.” Galaxy nodded as D looked at Orion. “And if anything happens when we are out, I am not going to let you off the hook for a while, Pax.”

Orion held up his hands immediately with a chuckle. “Alright, alright, I get it.” Orion looked at Galaxy and he winked at her. “We will be back soon. You be good now.”

Galaxy murmured a little as the two bots walk out of the door and she ran over to a window to look out to watch the two bots walk towards the train station platform. It was clear that D was still angry about leaving her behind and she was unsurprised. Though Galaxy had hoped that the two bots would have stayed home instead of going to the race today. That is what she had tried to do. But Orion had an idea, and Galaxy picked it up. But she didn’t know what that idea was yet, even though she was worried that everyone in Iacon will see what will happen. Including Sentinel. Galaxy sighed as she stepped back from the window before walking over to the door to lock it from the inside, as she felt it was needed for the moment.

I hope daddy won’t do anything foolish. But…I cannot help but think that he will. Ugh! I should have tried to figure out a way to make them stay…but…maybe I will be lucky. Hopefully.

Galaxy rubbed her hands together as she looked around the space silently and she realized just how quiet this place can get when she was on her own. The only noise was coming from the screen. She sighed deeply and ran over to the toy box to dig through it to find the Sentinel figurine, which would be at the bottom. Mostly because she was still angry about Scorched Flare, and she felt the need to vent that anger on something. And a figurine seemed like the most likely case. But she intended on creating a scenario with her figurines first, and it would take a little bit while partially listening out for the race to begin.

Meanwhile…

“Ugh! I still can’t believe you actually dragged me along without our daughter. You’re usually the one who is fretting over this kind of thing, so why did you suggest it, Pax?” D-16 was restless on the train as Orion was seated calmly watching his friend worry about Galaxy. “I know Galaxy will safe, but I just worry about getting in trouble.”

“We won’t be in trouble, D. You should not be worried. And I find it a little bothersome that you are actually more worried about being in trouble over Galaxy being on her own.”

D groaned as he shook his head. “Can’t it be both, Pax?”

“Sure. But don’t focus on us being trouble if that is the case.” D just grumbled as Orion watched him. “And, to be fair, if you were really worried about Galaxy, you would have stayed home. She will be fine. You can hear her ruffling through her toy box as much as I can through the monitor, and she’s making happy noises. So it is okay.”

“I know…I know.” D-16 intakes deeply as he sat next to Orion. “I guess I just…” D went silent for a few minutes as he thought about it before he smiled and looked at Orion. “Well…Galaxy’s getting older.” Orion’s smile widened as he nodded. “So, I guess…well…”

“I know, buddy. Galaxy isn’t as small as she was, and she is getting older. She is far from a youngling, but she will get there and she’ll be more independent. Though with her inability to speak, I think she will have some dependency, but not a lot.” D-16 hummed in agreement and Orion put his hand on D’s shoulder gently. “It is not unusual for any parent to feel a sense of sadness acknowledging that fact. And while, you and I never thought we would ever be parents, I am just glad that we are. It gave us a new purpose and I am so grateful that she showed up in the mines.”

“Yeah…me too. I guess I was kind of overreacting, huh?” Orion shook his head, as D’s reaction was understandable. “Still…even though it is obvious that Galaxy is having fun without us, unfortunately, I still feel a little worried about our daughter being on her own.”

“I am too, but she is unlikely to get hurt and she will be able to entertain herself. And maybe she will enjoy the race this time.” D doubted Galaxy will take an interest in the race, but that didn’t matter. At least she would know when the race starts and ends, so she won’t be wondering for too long. “So you don’t have to worry too much, D. If Galaxy does make noises that she wants us, we can go home. But until that happens, you and I will get the joy of enjoying the race.” Orion squeezed D’s shoulder gently as he was excited about today. “And that isn’t a bad thing.”

“It might not be. But I am still curious about what you said to Galaxy, Pax.” Orion shrugged as he smirked at him. “Clearly she knows something that I don’t.”

“She sure does.” D-16 rolled his optics with a shake of his head. “But she also doesn’t know what it is exactly. So you don’t need to worry.” D-16 was already thinking that he should be, but Orion was enthusiastic about his plan, so D-16 remained silent. “At least we will be there shortly. And you can stop pacing, even at the stadium.”

D-16 said nothing as he was still annoyed at Orion for how things were handled this morning. Orion knew this too and he kept trying to improve the mood, even though D-16 was not letting his wall. At least not yet. Underneath all that was excitement for the Iacon 5000. So Orion was definitely sure that D will go from being grumpy to happy very soon. The train was almost at their destination after all, and he knew that D was getting more excited. Orion was getting more excited too. But about something else.

Once the train finally came to a stop, both bots stood up and made their way out. D-16 relaxed as he could feel the excitement in the atmosphere around them. The whole city was buzzing with excitement and everyone was excited to see who the racers were. And everyone was also excited to see who would actually win the Iacon 5000 as well. It was a rare time that the entire city would come to a stop just for one day to enjoy something everyone was able to enjoy equally. But everyone was happy, so it made this day the best already.

The two bots did spot a few of the miners ahead of them too, and D-16 was already thinking about where to get a good seat, as they were early enough to find the space. Even with the stadium filling up fast. So getting to the stadium as soon as possible was very important to the bot, and D-16 was tempted to pick up the pace now that they were getting closer, and that the race would start soon.

“Alright, Pax, I am a little less mad now that we are here,” D-16 said in a slightly sarcastic voice as he relaxed the tension in his shoulders while looking at Orion. “After all, the Iacon 5000 is finally here! Now I am less worried about Galaxy.”

Orion chuckled softly. “Well, good, because...” He put his hand of D-16’s right shoulder gently. “I have a surprise for you. Follow me.” Orion turned right and walked through the crowd in the wrong direction.

“Huh, where are you going, the stadium’s that way!” D-16 exclaimed in shock before he sighed deeply, following his friend out of curiosity and irritation.

Orion shrugged as he waved at D to keep following. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Follow me.”

“Ugh!” D-16 slumped his shoulders, irritated as he guessed Orion was about to do whatever he had decided to do. It was irritating and interesting at the same time. “Great! We’re going to be late now. Maybe we should have stayed home. At least we wouldn’t miss it. I wanted good seats.”

Orion opened the door of a nearby building, and D followed Orion, not knowing where they were going. It definitely seemed like a way through the back of something, and D had no idea what it was. After all, shenanigans was something that Orion was too good at, and D-16 did not know if he was going to regret this or not. After all, he didn’t have to follow Orion if he didn’t want to.

Orion led D through the building until they came to a narrow hallway where they had to walk sideways through. “Ugh, this is ridiculous! We came all this way to miss the opening ceremony. This is wonderful!”

“Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” Orion responded reassuringly while ignoring D-16’s obvious sarcasm. D rolled his optics as Orion led D out into another open hallway and made a left. It became clear that Orion seemed to be following some kind of maze, or at least, that is what D thought. When reaching a corridor with bright red lights, Orion held up his hand. “Hold up!”

D-16 widened his optics as he grabbed the side of the wall, along with Orion, as a sudden rush of air burst through the side of the corridor, lifting them off their feet, and D-16 gripped firmly to prevent himself from being launched. And he was starting to realise why Orion suggested for Galaxy to stay home. The sparkling wouldn’t have been able to hold on, and she would have been hurt, and that would have been horrible.

When the gush of wind finally subsided, D-16 sighed in relief, but Orion seemed familiar with it as their feet dropped to the ground gently. “Get caught in one of those, it’ll launch you halfway across the city.”

As Orion walked into the corridor, D-16 realised it wasn’t a normal corridor was a large fan seen on the left. He frowned as he followed Orion. “Okay, where are you taking me?” D-16 gasped when the fan started to turn faster again and he ran to catch up with Orion. “I am really questioning you on your idea right now.”

“Don’t be a glitch, this will be totally worth it,” Orion responded as he began to climb a ladder. “Trust me.”

D-16 frowned at Orion before he followed him up the ladder. “Hey, you don’t be a glitch! I can now see why you didn’t want Galaxy to come, to stop her from getting launch by that giant fan or whatever, but this still seems ridiculous!” Orion just chuckled as he listened to D as he opened a hatch and stepped out into the next space. “This is, like, fun for you, like, we’re joking around, but if you make me miss any part of the Iacon 5000, I swear I will smelt your face right off your...”

D-16 stopped talking as soon as he saw where he was. A place that he did not know about, but Orion somehow did. Even though D-16 now realized exactly what kind of surprise this was. They were inside the room behind the powered glass used to start the race. And in front of them was all the racers preparing for the race to start. D-16 could not believe it, as they pretty much had the best seat right now. And he had wanted to get the best seat from the start.

“Welcome to the Iacon 5000!” The announcer finally began speaking as the competing transformers finally line up, showing off by flexing for the crowd of bots cheering loudly for them. “There they are! Put your hands together as today’s competitors are taking the field.”

D looked at the different bots as he began recognizing each racer. “Look! There’s Thunderglide and Behemoth! This unbelievable!” Orion was smiling as D’s excitement had now gone up ten-fold. “I feel like I’m in the race!” D stared at the racers as he took a moment of realisation before looking at D. “You did this for me?”

“No…” Orion turned his head, looking at D with a smile while holding up his fist. “I did this for us.”

D-16 fist bumped Orion’s fist with a smirk before looking back at the race. “I am just sad that Galaxy is not here to see this with us. Whether or not she likes the races, I am sure she would love the effort you just put in. But I am also glad no one else saw us, or they might spread more rumours about us.”

Orion chuckled softly. “Trust me, I did this because this is by far the best way to experience the race. And you’re my best friend, so I wanted to share it. But I agree. Bots still think weird things about us.” D-16 nodded in agreement. “As for Galaxy, I would have brought her, but it wasn’t safe. So she is safer at home.” He looked at D with a curious expression. “Now do you feel better about it?”

“Uhhh, no.” D-16 frowned and Orion widened his optics in surprise before D-16 laughed. “Ha! Got you!” Orion sighed and chuckled softly. “Now that I know the reason behind the choice of leaving her home, I understand. That gush of wind made it hard for me to hold on as well, so it makes sense she could not come.”

Orion nodded in agreement and he was about to respond when the announcer spoke again and the spotlights moved upwards. “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the icon of Iacon!” D-16 and Orion cheer as the spotlights shine towards the temple and they both were able to see him, standing at the top as he was excited to get introduced to the crowd. “The savior of Cybertron! Quintessons fear him, but we love him!” D and Orion watch as their leader jumped with a back flip and flew down towards the crowd with the spotlights following him and the crowds go wild upon seeing him. “Our leader, the one and only Sentinel Prime!”

Sentinel flew into the stadium and over the crowd as the bots cheer loudly for him. Sentinel seemed very happy to be there as he lands on top of a hovering platform to address the crowd with a smile on his face. “Yes! It feels so good to be here with you all today!” The bots cheer loudly some more before Sentinel raised his hands to quieten the crowd. “My friends, my Cybertronian family.” His expression changed briefly to grief, as he thought back to the past. “It has been precisely fifty cycles since the Quintessons attacked out home. Fifty cycles since we lost the Matrix of Leadership.” He grimaced again briefly before looking up at the crowd. “And our energon supply dried up. Fifty cycles since the battle that killed the other Primes, my brothers and sisters in arms.” Orion softened his expression as he listened, feeling sadness for the Primes who died protecting this world. “Today we honor the Primes who gave their lives for ours and we show them that the strength of Cybertron will never be diminished.”

D-16 and Orion watch as holograms of each of the thirteen Primes were projected for everyone to see. D-16 couldn’t help but look at Megatronus, feeling the weight of grief for his favorite Prime as he wished that he was still around. But he still wanted to try and make Megatronus proud in what way that he could. Even if it was just mining for the city, but he had no other work that he could do. So he would do the best that he could.

“Racers!” Orion and D looked at Sentinel when the bot addressed the racers, making both of them smile. “On your marks!” Sentinel gave the transformers time to transform quickly, ready to begin the race as soon as Sentinel would start the race, and the crowd began cheering again with excitement.

D-16’s excitement went up too, knowing that they were seeing the start of the race, without noticing Orion stepping away to do something. “I can’t believe we get to watch from the starting line! The best seats in the house!” D flinched when he felt a jet pack being put on and he turned in confusion, looking at Orion curiously. “Why’d you bring jetpacks?”

“Get set!” Sentinel shouted, causing the light of the glass to turn to orange.

Orion was smiling at D-16. “It’s time to show them we are more than meets the eye.”

D-16 immediately felt his spark dropping as soon as he realized what Orion had planned, and he fell for it. He couldn’t believe it. “Oh, no…” D grimaced with a shake of his head. “I can’t believe that you…” D-16 gasped when he heard the sound of Sentinel’s blaster going off, which was the signal to start the race, causing the light to turn green. “Is this why you wanted Galaxy to…AAAHHH!” Orion and D-16 scream as the trapdoor beneath them opened suddenly, dropping them right into the race itself, and it would seem that even if he wanted to, it was too late to back out and run from cover as the transformers speed and fly towards the miners, not expecting to be surprised by two small bots dropping down in front of them.

Chapter Text

Sentinel Prime smiled as he had transformed his right hand into his blaster, ready fire and start the race. He could see that the transformers were eager to race, and he was happy to get the race started. Shooting into the air, Sentinel beamed that the racers began racing. As exciting as the race was, Sentinel did glance at the stadium to see if he could spot Orion and D-16 as he was hoping that Galaxy was brought here. But he had not seen them, so he assumed they were still in their living quarters.

“And they’re off!” The announcer said enthusiastically as the racers sped forward with the path forming in front of the bots. “The Iacon 5000 has begun!”

Sentinel watched with a smile on his face as the sense of excitement and adrenaline was filling the air, and he was enjoying it too. However, something soon caught his optics. Two bots who were not supposed to be in the race, wearing jet packs, but were in the race nonetheless. “I’m sorry, are those, miners?” Sentinel turned to look at a nearby screen as the cameras zoomed in on the miners. Sentinel widened his optics in shock. “Wait a minute...is that who I think it is?”

As the crowd began to go wild upon realising there were miners in the race, Sentinel stared at the screen, shocked that there were miners in the race, but he was also shocked on who was in the race. And he couldn’t help but think how foolish those two bots were, but he also knew that those two bots likely were unaware of the trouble and danger they just put their daughter in. Even though Sentinel could not see Galaxy anywhere in the crowd, he already guessed where Galaxy was right now.

“I can’t believe what I am seeing here!” The announcer exclaimed as the cameras were focused on the miners. “There are miners trying to run in the Iacon 5000! This is insane!” Sentinel chuckled as the city had no idea just how insane those two miners were right now. “This a first in Iacon 5000 history. How are they going to survive?”

Sentinel huffed in amusement. “Yes, just how will they survive? Idiots.” Sentinel intakes deeply before lifting his hand to open his com link. “Airachnid, are you watching the race by any chance?”

“Yes, Sentinel. Though I was a little bit bored until about two minutes ago when two idiot miners decided to join the race.” Sentinel chuckled softly at Airachnid’s blunt response. “But now I know which miners are foolishly trying to race, I think I know what you are about to ask of me. How shall I serve you, Sentinel?”

“Well, unfortunately, it seems Orion Pax and D-16 have just shown the entire city that they have left their young sparkling home alone. And according to our laws, that is irresponsible due to the sparkling’s current age.” Airachnid laughed once in amusement at Sentinel’s fake concern for Galaxy. “And, from what I understand, their ignorance to protocol in a recent mining incident has made my judgement final. I need you to go to their living quarters right now, Airachnid. Galaxy is alone. She isn’t in the stadium with another miners, so...I think it is our responsibility to take her from them.”

“With pleasure.”

Sentinel chuckled softly. “After all, Orion Pax and D-16 have just revoked their guardianship over that sparkling. And I think...we need to ensure that they are dealt with properly. But...what do you think? If these guys survive, we need to figure out what to do with them.”

“There are some sub-levels that we can send them too, Sentinel,” Airachnid suggested and Sentinel’s smile widened, watching the screen as the two miners were now running instead of using their jet packs. “And since they don’t know the truth, or don’t believe whatever Galaxy has said, I doubt it will be difficult to speak to those two mining bots and make them believe that they will get special treatment.”

Sentinel nodded in agreement. “You’re right, Airachnid. Maybe...our friend on sub-level fifty could use some company.”

“That idiot?!” Airachnid exclaimed in surprise before she began laughing. “Oh, I think that will be perfect, Sentinel! After all, by the time those two realize how stupid they are, it will be too late. I am on my way.”

Sentinel nodded. “And just a reminder, Airachnid, Galaxy might be able to cloak herself. All dragons can do it. So if she is, you might want to take something to spray the interior of their living quarters with. Cloaking won’t stop powders from covering them, or hide their footprints.”

Airachnid chuckled again. “I am pretty sure that she can cloak herself. It would explain how she got into the mines without being spotted the first time.” Sentinel agreed on that, as there was no other explanation. “I will take a few vehicons with me, and I shall bring the sparkling back soon. And you will have a new dragon under your control after the Iacon 5000.”

Sentinel was very pleased with these developments. Originally, he had planned on something else at the end of the race, but Orion Pax and D-16 have just made things a whole lot easier for him. And they clearly had no idea about it either, so Sentinel was going to take advantage of it. He did not know if Galaxy was watching the race, but that didn’t matter. Even if they don’t catch Galaxy today, Sentinel intended on keeping Orion and D-16 apart from Galaxy, knowing that she needs them and the low-grade energon to function. Ignited Galaxy will soon be under his control. The power she has in her CNA will be revealed and Sentinel couldn’t be happier.

Meanwhile...

Galaxy hummed softly as she set up the figurines on the floor. She had a lot of the draconic bots set out in a circular shape on the floor with a bunch of bot figurines each side with the Sentinel figurine at the front. The only difference was that Galaxy had managed to pull the limbs off the figurine, and she had found some spare wires that Orion and D would use to mend their tools, and she had wrapped the wires around the figurine’s neck and around his body, as though to keep him from flying away.

And she had the Prime figurines at the front, acting as judges for Sentinel’s trial. A trial that would never happen. But it was something that Galaxy wished would happen, and she was more than happy to play it out. Maybe the new Prime would do something like this, but she didn’t know if anything else would happen by that time. Regardless, it still felt good to rip the arms and legs off the figurine, even if it wasn’t the real Sentinel Prime.

“Welcome to the Iacon 5000!” Galaxy glanced over at the screen as she had set the figurines up in front of the couch so she could watch and listen. She wanted to see if Orion and D would be seen, though she wasn’t sure, even with Orion clearly having some idea. “There they are!” The camera pans over the various transformers lining up and flexing as they get ready to race. “Put your hands together as today’s competitors are taking the field.”

Wait, is that Darkwing? What the frag is he doing in the race?! Ugh...hopefully, he does not win.

Galaxy had not expected that Darkwing would race, but he was capable of it. But as he wasn’t a nice bot, Galaxy would sooner see him at the back of the race than anywhere near first place. He didn’t deserve it. Though the race wasn’t peaceful, as all the bots would do anything to get first place. So the medical centre would likely be prepped for any racers who would need medical attention after the race. It happens all the time, so Galaxy hoped that maybe Darkwing would end up there. And for at least a week. That would make the mines nice for a short while.

When the camera began to pan upwards, while following the spotlight, Galaxy gagged as she knew who it was for. Especially as the announcer began speaking again. “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, the Icon of Iacon!” Galaxy gagged while sticking out her tongue and shaking her head, glaring at the screen. “The savior of Iacon! Quintessons fear him, but we love him!” Oh, if only Iacon knew the real truth, they would not be saying that. If anything, Sentinel would be in prison with charges being laid out by a judge. Watching Sentinel backflip and fly down like he was the best thing in Iacon was so irritating. Especially as she could see his smile, was irritating since he did not care for Iacon at all. Only himself. “Our leader, the one and the only, Sentinel Prime!”

Galaxy picked up the Sentinel figure and she couldn’t help but slam the toy onto the ground several times, causing the chassis to crash and pieces to shatter. She huffed as she wished she could do that for real. But she was not big enough, and she wished she was. But she also would want burn his veins with a plasma bite, which would cause searing pain for weeks if the tooth pierces a vein, and the only way to ease it was by a cooling breath that one dragons can give. Which Sentinel did not deserve.

“Yes!” Galaxy shuddered as she heard Sentinel’s voice through the speakers, looking at the screen to see Sentinel on a hovering platform. “It feels so good to be with you all today!” Galaxy mocked Sentinel as she mouthed what he said. “My friends, my Cybertronian family!” When Sentinel’s expression changed from his arrogant smile to grief, which looked forced to Galaxy, she expected him to speak about not finding the Matrix. But he didn’t, which was slightly surprising. “It has been precisely fifty cycles since the Quintessons attacked our home. Fifty cycles since we lost the Matrix of Leadership, and our energon supply dried up.” Galaxy let out a soft growl while also thinking fifty cycles since you destroyed Tempest and killed my birth parents as she glared at the screen. Though the growl unintentionally stirred a heat within her body, causing her to cough and expel smoke, making her widen her optics slightly in surprise as she has not even tried using any of her breath abilities. And she didn’t expect to use them in her bot form. “Fifty cycles since the battle that killed the other Primes, my brothers and sisters in arms. Today we honor the Primes who gave their lives for ours and we show them that the strength of Cybertron will never be diminished.”

If only Sentinel was one of the rustic serpents in the Sea of Rust, because the venom he is spewing right now would be dripping from his mouth. Ugh…but comparing him to them is too kind…if only I could find one here, but…they would probably devour a lot of bots if they did…

Galaxy shuddered as some of the creatures on the surface were definitely dangerous and scary, but she didn’t know if they were even still around. Given that the Quintessons tend to destroy anything on the surface that moved. She stared at the screen as the holograms of each of the Primes were revealed and she softened her expression as she saw Zeta Prime, Alpha Trion, Megatronus and Solus, to name a few, on the screen. She could vaguely remember Megatronus when she had hatched a long time ago. He was there when she was born. It was so long ago that it sometimes felt like a dream.

I bet dadda would feel jealous knowing this…even though Megatronus was the strongest Prime, I often thought he also had the biggest spark out of all the Primes. He loved us draconic bots. I wish he was still here.

The camera turned away from the holograms of the Primes to look at Sentinel as he rubbed his hands together with a big grin. “Racers! On your marks!” Galaxy murmured softly as she turned away from the screen, as she was already bored of the race, even before it would start. “Get set!”

Galaxy shook her head as she wanted to refocus on playing with her figurines, even if she had damaged her Sentinel figurine further. She looked at the figurine and grimaced as she knew it used to be Jazz’s figurine before he had given it to them as a kind gesture. She hoped that Orion and D-16 would not be too mad, even though Jazz would certainly be spark broken over it, especially with the legs and arms ripped off roughly enough that they couldn’t be put back on without careful repair. It was the only thing that Galaxy cared about the figurine, but she quickly got over it as she threw the figurine down and grabbed a Zeta Prime figurine to start trying to play out a scene.

She ignored the sound of Sentinel’s blaster going off, knowing it was the start of the race. “And they’re off! The Iacon 5000 has begun!” Galaxy made sounds as she pretended that the trial of Sentinel Prime has started with Zeta leading it. She signed a few words with her hand, even though she didn’t need to, but it helped her imagination. “I can’t believe what I am seeing here!” Galaxy did not look to the screen as she assumed it was how a bot was racing. “There are miners trying to run in the Iacon 5000!” Galaxy immediately looked towards the screen and gasped loudly as she saw the camera zooming on the miners. “This is insane!”

What?! No, no, no, no! What are they doing?!

Galaxy jumped to her feet, running up to the screen, staring at it in shock as she could see Orion and D-16 with jet packs racing alongside the other transformers. Not only was that dangerous, but Sentinel Prime was watching them! “This is a first in Iacon 5000 history. How are they going to survive?”

What about me?! How am I going to survive?! Sentinel will know I’m on my own now! What…daddy, why was this the stupid thing you were going to do?! So much for not being public.

Galaxy felt her spark pulse race as she lightly punched the sides of her head with her fists in frustration over Orion’s choice. She knew D-16 would have just been dragged into the race and wouldn’t want to be in it like Orion would be, but now he would have no choice with every single bot now watching the two of them, and the pressure from Pax was likely pushing D-16 to at least now try to race with the transformers.

Knowing this was likely now a time ticking situation, she had to act fast. Sentinel himself wouldn’t come for her, he will send someone. And Galaxy was certain it would be Airachnid. Sending the draconic bots would be too noticeable, even with everyone watching the race. The size of the dragons would be enough to draw attention, and even her parents would notice, and be distracted and worried about the situation. As they should, but they were completely distracted now.

Galaxy thought about leaving straight away, but she knew she needed to take some energon for herself. She couldn’t ingest cubes yet. She huffed as she backed away from the monitor before yelping as she accidently stood on the Sentinel figurine and fell onto her back with a grunt as she landed on a few of the draconic bot figurines. She grunted as she kicked the Sentinel figurine away and scrambled to her feet before running over to the table and began pushing a chair over to the bottle containment.

I wonder how many I can take. I might be able to extend my cloak a bit to cover a bottle carrier or something…but it will hurt a little doing that. But I can’t let Sentinel catch me.

She pushed the chair all the way to the side of the containment before pulling herself onto the chair to reach the handle. This containment was unfortunately built with the handle high up on the door. She reached up and pulled the containment open, smiling as she saw at least twelve bottles left. She knew that Orion and D had been trying to get more recently, but this will be fine. She was pleased with this as she grabbed one bottle at a time to take all of them out, setting them onto the counter before closing the containment and climbing down before going through the cupboards to find a carrier.

Where is it? Where is it? I saw daddy bring it some weeks ago! Not sure when or why he got it, but he said it was a just in case sort of thing. And this certainly seems like the situation for it!

Galaxy didn’t care she was knocking a few things over like cleaning detergent and some tools, as she didn’t want to waste time. But it felt like she was wasting a lot of time just by looking for what she needed. As much as she wanted to leave, she also didn’t want to starve. She also thought about taking cubes with her for her parents, but she wasn’t even sure that there was a carrier for them.

Galaxy smiled when she finally found one and ran back to the counter to climb onto the chair to begin putting each bottle in. Luckily, it was big enough for twelve bottles and once it was filled, Galaxy managed to lift it off the counter and place it on the ground before jumping off the chair. She intakes deeply and glanced towards the monitor curiously to see Orion and D were using the other transformers in an attempt to move ahead in the race. She shook her head in disbelief.

If I could speak, daddy and dadda would certainly punish me for what I would say to them. Even though it would be deserved.

Galaxy shook her head again before looking to the door, knowing that she had to leave, but she needed to cloak first. She intakes deeply as she looked at the containment, placing her hands either side of the rectangular, light pink containment and focused. She focused on her cloaking mechanism, and send the ability through her veins, creating an external orb from her hands and around the containment. Galaxy smiled as she could see it, but she knew other bots couldn’t. Which was the only concern, since if a dragon did come with Airachnid, she would want them to point Galaxy out.

Okay, now that it is cloaked, I should cloak too. Ugh…cloaking it took a bit out…

Intaking deeply, Galaxy focused on her cloaking mechanism again. She hoped that it wouldn’t be too rusty since it has been a long time since she’s used it. She felt the sensation and looked at her hands and feet, seeing the ghostly appearance of her hands and feet, just like the bag. She adjusted the containment’s straps before she lifted it and tied the straps around her waist and shoulders, which was heavy, but it was more comfortable than carrying it around in her hand.

She glanced at the screen again, feeling uncertain right now, but she knew all racers would go to the medical centre. And maybe Orion and D-16 would too. She hoped for that. But she had no idea what will happen after the race. She walked towards the door, only to stop and gasp when she saw Airachnid and four vehicons transforming and landing in front of the miner living quarters. And behind them, was Firedrake. Which surprised Galaxy as she did think that wouldn’t happen, but it seemed she was wrong.

Oh, scrap…I hope Firedrake is like Cosmic right now…

Firedrake stood behind the five bots, looking towards the house that Galaxy was in, with his pink optics observing it curiously before glancing at the window. Galaxy flinched as the dragon clearly saw her. Airachnid did not seem to notice as she walked towards the front door with a smug expression. Firedrake glanced at Airchanid before looking back at Galaxy, carefully gesturing with his fingers to tell her to wait as close as possible by the door.

Galaxy nodded, as she guessed Airachnid would be aware of the cloaking abilities, and would have something with her. And it seemed she was right as the vehicons were carrying cannisters with large nozzles. They looked like fire extinguishers, but were not actually for putting out fires. Galaxy shuddered as she walked towards the front door and whimpered a little, covering her mouth with her hands as her noises wouldn’t be quiet and any noise would give away her location.

Airachnid also realized that the front door was locked, and Galaxy almost yelped when she saw the right and left sides of door being cut through with the fire torches from the vehicons and that cut through the whole retangle of the door. Galaxy kept herself still and jaw clenched as she watched, ignoring the sparks flying from the metal and she clenched her optics shut when the door fell forward and hitting the ground with a loud, metal thud.

Airachnid walked in with a smug expression as she looked around, noticing the mess of the figurines on the ground by the sofas first and she huffed lightly in amusement. “Heh, seems like the little one was having some fun.” She glanced at the monitor briefly before walking further as she glanced around with the vehicons behind her. Airachnid looked down when she noticed the damaged Sentinel figurine and she chuckled softly. “And a little dragon has destroyed a toy. Well, that won’t matter now.” Airachnid turned sharply, glaring at the vehicons. “Spray the entire place with that powder. If that brat is here, she cannot hide.” Galaxy tip toed towards the open door and walked out quickly just as the vehicons began spraying blue powder all throughout the house. “Firedrake…” Galaxy froze and glanced up at Firedrake who was looking at her, but it also seemed like he was intentionally not focusing on her. He lowered his head and looked into through the door at Airachnid. “Puff some smoke in here. If the cloak works well, it can’t hide from your smoke. Let it loose, Firedrake. And make sure you are looking out for her.”

Firedrake just growled a little and opened his mouth to exhaling, breathing out a low, slow stream of smoke, blocking the doorway and Airachnid’s vision briefly. This allowed him to look at Galaxy directly and gestured for her to go to the train. She wanted to reach up for him and he waved his finger to signal no, before gesturing for her to leave. Galaxy wanted to whimper as his orange horns, neck and abdomen glimmered while the white silver armor over his chassis and limbs still seemed to have their gloss, which was nice. The light filtered through the transparent, pink wings, which almost caused Galaxy to cast a shadow. She sighed as she walked away as quietly as she could, knowing Airachnid was looking for her.

“Scrap!” Galaxy flinched when she heard Airachnid shouting in frustration, followed by the sound of clanging as furniture was thrown. “Where are you, Ignited Galaxy?! You can’t hide forever! We will find you!” Galaxy began running towards the station as she saw a train coming to a stop by the station before hearing Airachnid again. “Firedrake!” She glanced over her shoulder, worried for the dragon as he stepped back, looking at Airachnid. "Did you see anything cloaked?" Firedrake did not respond, only tilting his head slightly. "Oh, frag, you guys are so useless sometimes!" Galaxy smiled a little as that was amusing. Airachnid turned away sharply, brushing off some powder from her own arms as she opened her com link. “Sentinel, she got away. There was no sign of her here, aside from her toys and a little berth. But the low-energon containment is empty and she is gone. What do you want me to do now?”

Galaxy was tempted to stop and listen to Airachnid, but the train arrived at the station, and she didn’t want to wait and miss it. She ran over to the open doors and jumped in, looking around to see it was pretty much empty. But the train was just going through its route. She sighed as she was relieved, but she would need to stay cloaked for now. She whimpered softly, climbing onto a chair to sit, knowing she would have to go to the medical centre in the hopes of meeting Orion and D there. And she had no idea how that was going to go.

“I don’t believe it!” Galaxy flinched and looked up, spotting a screen inside the train with the race still going and she smiled a little as it looked like Darkwing had just crashed with D and Orion ahead of him. And that meant Darkwing had been taken out. “The miners take down Darkwing!” This moved Orion and D up to third place, which was really great, and Galaxy realized they also lost their jet packs again somehow. She shook her head with a smile.

I wish I could feel happy that they are doing this. It is great, but…oh…if only daddy believed me. I hope they will not get hurt because of me. Oh no…they might…now that our home has been trashed, I don’t think they will be let off the hook. Scrap, scrap, scrap!

Galaxy watched as Orion and D-16 run towards the magnetic tunnel. They were overtaken by a few of the transformers, but once they were caught in the tunnel and it was turned on, the transformers were forced to transform to prevent themselves from being pulled apart as they were pulled to the sides of the tunnel. And Galaxy did worry that Orion and D-16 would be trapped, but as they didn’t have as much weight as the other bots when they jumped through the first part, they were able to get to the other side fine.

The two bots did have to wait a moment to get through the next one though as it pulled a few other bots into the sides. Galaxy was glad that Orion and D-16 were at least being smart about it, and not running through the race without any care. When the tunnel’s power went off briefly, Galaxy watched as her parents ran through, but it didn’t take long before the magnet turned back on and Orion was almost pulled back, but D grabbed Orion pull him out and they continued running towards the finish.

“A four-bot pileup in the magnetic tunnel and the two miners are now in first position!” Galaxy giggled a little as the camera showed Sentinel’s shocked expression, but she could also see he was irritated, likely due to Airachnid contacting him. “This is unbelievable!”

I would be a lot more excited if this wasn’t…bad for us all.

Galaxy was trying her best not to cry as she didn’t want to make any sound right now. However, as the camera focused on her parents, a transformer had gotten caught in the magnetic tunnel, and ended up getting damaged, causing a piece of their leg was torn off and thrown towards the bots. Galaxy gasped and covered her mouth to keep herself from yelping too loudly when the piece hit D’s legs, throwing upward a little and when he landed, his right leg was twisted and clearly painful as Orion ran over to help D get up.

Galaxy could tell even from the camera footage D was telling Orion to keep going, but she knew that Orion would never do that. “One miner is now carrying the other miner mere steps from the finish line! In the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heartrending, exciting, thrilling finish in the history of…” Galaxy almost yelped again when another bot rammed Orion and D-16, throwing them onto the ground and transforming to cross the finish line first. Galaxy grumbled a little as she frowned as a light blue and silver femme cheered loudly. “We have a winner! Chromia comes from behind to take the prize!”

There was a prize? I wonder what that was. Eh…either way, even daddy and dadda finished first, they would still lose. Aw…this hurts. I want to be happy, but I can’t.

Galaxy could see that her dads were injured from the impact from Chromia as they sat up, but they weren’t in a hurry to move it seemed as the other transformers speed past the two of them, which would put them in last place anyway. She sighed as the race was now over and she looked out the window, looking towards the stadium, frowning as she knew that Sentinel had been watching, and she now had no idea what to expect.

I will meet you both at the medical centre daddy and dadda. I hope to Primus you will listen and believe me now. Ugh…I wish I stayed to listen to Airachnid, but I hope that what the new plan would be wasn’t so bad. But knowing what they have done before, Sentinel will do something. Maybe they already have a plan to get rid of daddy and dadda…oh scrap…I wish this train would go faster! And hopefully, I can keep my cloak up for long enough…or…I’ll be in a worse position than death.

Chapter Text

Galaxy remained on the train for what felt like hours until it finally stopped at the medical centre. She was lucky that very few bots got onto the train and did not sit on the seat she was on. Being cloaked had disadvantages, as she experienced the very first time she met Orion and D-16. So she was a lot more cautious this time, especially with the containment she had with her, which she had to expand her cloak again due to it being weaker than cloaking just her own body. So she was very lucky that no one had sat on her. She was more focused on finding her parents though. She was extremely worried about them as she knew Sentinel would be unhappy that Airachnid could not catch her.

So as soon as the train stopped, Galaxy got off at the medical centre. But she quickly realized that running through the medical centre was going to be a bad idea. It was busy with the racers coming into the medical centre to get check ups after the race. Some needed immediate medical attention, others had minor injuries and most only needed a check over. So potentially looking for Ratchet would be out of the question. Plus, Ratchet himself may not be the best bot to go to right now. He would have seen the race, and he would not be happy with Orion and D-16, and perhaps, would likely say something to his superiors about the reckless behaviour from the two mining bots.

With the medical centre very busy, Galaxy had to think about how to actually get through the medical centre. Orion and D-16 would not be on the high priority list, so they might be in a ward on their own. Which was good, in a way, since they wouldn’t be around other bots if she could find them on time. After all, she had no idea where they were, and the medical centre was huge. And, unfortunately, she hasn’t really paid attention to the floors and where to go the few times she has been here. And she was angry at herself for that, but there was nothing she could do about that now.

Galaxy watched and waited for about ten minutes before she slipped inside the medical centre. She clutched the containment close to her tightly as she avoided every bot that was moving through the medical centre. She was glad that she wasn’t able to speak, as the temptation to call out for her parents would be strong. So she was glad that she couldn’t as risking her presence and location was not an option for Galaxy. She hoped that she could avoid being detected. After all, she didn’t know if Sentinel would be here or not.

Galaxy walked through the first, long hallway as she peered into each room that she would pass in the hopes of finding Orion and D-16. So far, she has not been successful. She did have to slip inside a few rooms just to avoid a few of the bots, and some of the carts being moved around by the medical staff as well. Galaxy at least was happy that the noise of the medical centre would cover the sound of her feet on the floor.

Where could they be? Are they being held in a room somewhere? Miners in a race would have made everyone curious about daddy and dadda. So…whether or not they will be in trouble will be interesting. Especially given they did cause Darkwing to crash, so I bet he is going to angry.

And Galaxy didn’t not have to wonder as she heard the familiar huffing and puffing from Darkwing in a nearby room and she almost ducked to hide, only to realize he was being seen by a medic. “I can’t believe those idiot glitches managed to knock me over! And they almost won too! Argh! Hey, I need my arm to keep those idiots in line in the mines!”

“Sorry, Darkwing, but you are just moving them about. So please keep still.”

Galaxy smirked as she found this amusing. “Argh, fine, fine…I just hope you won’t take too long, doc. I need to go give those two idiots a piece of my mind! And I am going to make sure they will be punished, and I think removing that brat from them will be a good start.” Galaxy tensed with a grimace as she listened to Darkwing before she walked by the door. “Especially since I’ve been told to see if those two idiots will end up failing as parents. And guess what? They did! They left that sparkling alone at home! How stupid was that?!”

At least Darkwing and I can kind of agree on one thing. But I still don’t like him.

Galaxy walked down the hallway for another few minutes before she made a right and checked some more rooms as she walked by them. Still there was no sign of Orion or D-16. Galaxy soon found some stairs and walked up to the next floor to keep going through the hallways to try and find her parents. It really was turning into a maze at this point now, and Galaxy was irritated. Mostly because she had no idea if she would actually miss her parents with all this time looking for them.

After going up to the next floor with no luck, Galaxy went back down the previous two floors to go down to the next floor, hoping to find her parents. However, Galaxy was shocked to find Darkwing stomping through the hallway. It seemed his visit to a medic was done, and he was ready to fight the miners. And she covered her mouth with her hand, whimpering with worry, but Darkwing knew where they were, so she had to follow him unfortunately.

Darkwing was muttering to himself and Galaxy could not hear him. But she followed him closely as she hoped that he would lead her to her parents. Maybe he won’t hurt them since they’re in the medical centre, but...she wasn’t sure. Darkwing didn’t respect the miners and he never cared about them. He only cared about his job and himself, so his ego was the main thing that Orion and D-16 hurt, and he wasn’t letting it go.

As Galaxy followed, she almost let out a shriek when a familiar bot rounded the corner with a smile. “Ah, Darkwing! Just who I was looking for.” Galaxy scurried into a nearby room, almost knocking over a cart and causing the tools to shift loudly. Luckily, the bots didn’t notice. At least, that is what Galaxy thought. “That was...a very interesting race, huh?”

Darkwing himself was shocked as he stopped in his tracks. “Sentinel Prime, I wasn’t expecting to see you here, sir.” Galaxy wasn’t expecting to hear the most respectful tone she has ever heard from Darkwing. However, as Galaxy hid inside the nearby room behind a desk, despite being cloaked, a shadow loomed through the doorway and her spark was pulsing wildly within her chassis. “Airachnid? Is something the matter?”

Galaxy tensed as she did not expect Airachnid to be here too, but it seemed that the bot was very quick. Which was not good at all. “Hmmm...I saw movement...something hit that medical cart.” Galaxy tensed as she hugged the containment against her chassis with her knees pressing against it. She didn’t want to look up in case Airachnid was looking right at her. It took another moment before Airachnid sighed loudly. “Hmm...it was nothing. You must have hit the cart, Darkwing.” The shadow moved away from the doorway, giving Galaxy a moment of relief. “A minor distraction is not so bad, but still irritating.”

“Um...” Darkwing knew that he did not hit the cart, so he wasn’t sure how to respond. But he was also not in a position to argue, so Darkwing seemed to overlook it for the moment to speak to Sentinel. “Sentinel, I am not sure what you wanted to talk to me about, but I am definitely unhappy about the race. Did you need me to say anything about it or...”

“I am not really searching for opinions on the race itself, Darkwing. I know everyone who was in and watching the race was shocked that a couple of miners dared to jump into the race. Though it was quite entertaining, I must admit.” Darkwing huffed a little as he disagreed, even though he did also understand why some would feel that way. Sentinel smiled as he understood the bot’s frustration. “But…I will be honest, if it were different miners, it might not be so bad. However, these two are parents to a sparkling. And therefore, have to follow the rules in place of caring for a sparkling, and well, leaving a sparkling alone is not so good.” Galaxy tightened her jaw as she listened, not liking where this was leading to.

Darkwing nodded in agreement. “This would be the stupidest thing those two have done. But I will say that D-16 probably was dragged into it. It is Orion Pax who is the biggest idiot out of the two. He likes to venture into the archives often.”

“Oh, does he, huh?” Sentinel chuckled a little as he seemed happy by this. “Well, I guess that means Orion might know a little too much.” Galaxy felt tears welling in her optics as she listened. “Huh, though it is nice to know that. Even though D-16 likely would have been the one to care for Galaxy, he did kind of allow it by not stopping Orion from going to the archives.”

“Agreed, Sentinel. It makes them both foolish,” Airachnid chimed in with a slightly smug tone. “It makes this idea all the more reason to go through with.”

“Idea?” Darkwing was surprised as he glanced between Airachnid and Sentinel. “I assume I am somehow involved in the idea since you have come looking for me. How am I able to help you, Sentinel? I will be more than happy to beat those two senseless!”

Sentinel let out a light laugh. “No, unfortunately we are not going to do that.” Galaxy was relieved as she wouldn’t want her parents to get seriously injured from this. “In fact, we are going to do something else. After all, I need to remove Orion and D-16 out of my way.”

“Your way? I am not following, Sentinel. I know I received orders to keep a closer eye on them and observe Galaxy for odd behaviours, but I haven’t fully understood the reason.” Oh, Darkwing did not know who Galaxy really was. He acted like it to try and get a response from her. Galaxy nodded a little to herself as that now made sense. “Is it too bold for my to ask the reason why, Sentinel?”

“Not at all, Darkwing. Since Orion and D-16 made a fool of themselves, and have revoked any guardianship over their sparkling according to our laws…” Darkwing laughed as hearing that Orion and D-16 were legally no longer Galaxy’s parents was amusing to him. But he didn’t laugh long as Sentinel continued explaining things to Darkwing. “I think it is fair to inform you that Galaxy is not exactly a normal bot.”

“You mean, more unusual over the fact that she can’t talk and her t-cog is not in her chassis like the rest of us?” Sentinel nodded affirmatively and Darkwing huffed. “I am surprised you never mentioned this earlier, Sentinel.”

“At the time, I was not certain about Galaxy. But now I know. Her fulled name is Ignited Galaxy, and she happens to be the daughter of the late Comet Hammer and Solarian, great draconic bots of their time, but were unable to get contained enough for me to get any control of them.” Darkwing was completely silent on this as he was shocked. “Oranos was able to create some kind of stasis pod for the sparkling, and they hid it somewhere. And Galaxy, technically, should be much older than she is now. But the stasis pod slowed her growth a lot. Now I know who she is, I need to ensure things are removed. You were able to remove Elita, which I am grateful for, even though she wasn’t as much of an issue as the other two.”

“I had no idea.” Darkwing was almost speechless from Sentinel’s explanation. “So she’s a dragon?” Sentinel nodded. “But…how? She’s a bot, not a dragon. Can they transform?”

“While there’s no evidence that they can, and no matter how many times I ask the three, now four, dragons to transform, they don’t seem to understand or know the request I am asking of them.” Galaxy found that funny as she knew that all draconic bots can transform, it just has not really been necessary to do so. “I believe that it is possible that they can. We have found that the draconic bots we have here have t-cogs, so it stands to reason that they can transform. It is just not something they do regularly like us.” Darkwing hummed as that seemed to make sense. “Regardless of that, Galaxy is still a draconic bot. And she has the CNA of a long past draconic bot with power that would terrify the entire city, and I want that power to protect us from the Quintessons.” Galaxy grimaced, knowing that was a lie from Sentinel. “And since I have two troublesome miners in the way, Airachnid and I have come up with a solution to get rid of them.”

“Oh…” Darkwing laughed as he rubbed his hands together. “So beating them is not the plan, but terminating…”

“Oh, no, Primus, no!” Sentinel chuckled softly with a shake of his head. “While I had considered it, it would look bad for me. So we have another idea.”

Darkwing could not help but grumble a little from disappointment. “I understand, Sentinel. How may I help with this plan?”

Sentinel hummed and Galaxy was listening intently as she wanted to know for herself. “It is rather simple. I will be going to speak to Orion and D-16 myself shortly, and give them a pep talk so to speak.” Darkwing seemed surprised as he grumbled again and was about to respond. “Now, now, I am only doing it to ensure that they still view me as the best thing of Cybertron. After all, they clearly wanted me to be impressed with their stunt in the race today, so…I figure, why not play into that?”

“Errmm, okay, I guess that seems like a plan.”

“Hmmph, it is. Come on, Darkwing, you keep up with your processor. Relax it from all that anger for a moment and think.” Galaxy almost giggled as hearing Sentinel tell Darkwing to focus was kind of funny. “Now, I want to make Orion and D-16 think that they are some sort of inspiration to the other miners, which they kind of are since they loved seeing one of their own in the race, but I will be making them believe things that aren’t necessarily true. Especially when I send them to one of my personal service facilities… at sub-level fifty of course.”

Wait, what? No! Isn’t that where they send trash and stuff? And bots that have done terrible things?! Or…bots that know too much…scrap!

“Sub-level fifty? But…isn’t that where that…glitch is? You know, the one who is all talk and no brains?” Sentinel nodded and Darkwing could not help but laugh. “Ha! Talk about a punishment! They will be driven so mad by him, maybe they will all rip each other apart. Great idea, Sentinel! But I fail to see how I will play into that…”

“That’s easy, Darkwing. You will come in after I’ve left, and you will personally escort them to sub-level fifty. How does that sound to you?”

Darkwing chuckled deviously as he rubbed his hands together. “Oh! I love it, Sentinel! Thank you, sir! Being the one to personally escort those idiots to their new home will be an honor. I cannot wait!”

Sentinel chuckled softly as he turned and began walking down the hallway. “Good. But you need to be a little patient for a moment, Darkwing. I need to now go and speak to these heroes. Airachnid…” Galaxy stood up slowly, peering over to the table as she could hear the bots walking away and ran over to the door to peer out, looking down to make sure she knew where they were going. “If you wouldn’t mind going ahead and making sure those two aren’t hiding a little sparkling in there at all, that would be great.”

Airachnid nodded as she walked ahead and extended her spiny legs from her back to walk ahead. “With pleasure, Sentinel Prime. If the sparkling is smart, she would have come here and maybe use her nose to find her way to them.”

Scrap! Airachnid is right, I should have tried looking for their scent. Ugh…sometimes I forget my draconic abilities, I’ve been living like a bot for so long. Not that it matters, it’s good that I am not with them. But…sub-level fifty…there are only specific chutes, I think, that go down that far. Hopefully I can follow them somehow.

Galaxy stepped out of the room cautiously, while avoiding the cart to prevent them from noticing, and followed Sentinel, Darkwing and Airachnid down the hallway. She at least knew they would lead her to where her parents were right now, so it was a good thing. But it was bad since they had another plan for them right now. And Galaxy did not even know if she would be able to follow, since going down to sub-level fifty was a restricted access too, and while there were trash chutes that went down to it, and she could fit in them, she wouldn’t know where to look.

The three bots ahead of her made a right into another hallway before she heard Sentinel tell Darkwing to hang back as they were nearing the room. Galaxy almost ran over to where the room was, but she managed to keep herself calm enough as she continued following. When she peered around the corner of the hallway the bots had turned into, Darkwing was pacing impatiently as Airachnid and Sentinel walked ahead. Darkwing really wanted to get rid of Orion and D-16, but Galaxy at least had a bit of comfort that he would have to wait.

She grimaced as she walked forward, wanting to get by Darkwing so she could actually listen on what Sentinel would say to Orion and D-16. Especially as she saw Airachnid walk into a room ahead, and there was a room across from it that she could hide in. Galaxy walked a little faster so she could duck into the other room before Airachnid would leave the room to give room for Sentinel. Once she was hiding in the room, Galaxy was relieved and she listened intently.

She heard Airachnid walking backwards before she spoke. “It’s clear.” Airachnid sounded disappointed as Airachnid would not have seen Galaxy in there, or that Orion and D-16 knew where she was.

Galaxy shivered as she listened to Sentinel walking into the ward, with Orion and D gasping in shock as they did not expect to see him. “Orion Pax, D-16…” Galaxy shivered again as Sentinel addressed the two bots. “What you two did today was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.”

“Sir, this was all my idea and we’re so sorry…” Poor Orion, trying to stick up for D, as it was Orion’s idea in the first place, and Galaxy felt helpless right now.

“I loved it!”

Sentinel’s sudden exclamation was a surprise to Orion and D, as they both thought he would be angry. “You did?”

“How could anyone not love it?” Sentinel sat down, smiling at the two bots as they too sat down. “You gave my best racers a real run for their money.”

“So…we’re not getting demoted?” D-16 asked nervously.

“Demoted?” Sentinel stared at D before he began laughing. A laugh that sounded forced and fake as Sentinel did his best to sound genuinely amused, while Orion and D laugh awkwardly and Airachnid also joined in, though Airachnid wasn’t hiding that she was forcing a fake laugh.

Dadda…if only you knew how demoted you’ve become now…ugh…I feel so bad!

“The fact of the matter is we’re halfway into the first shift since the race ended and that mining crew has already reached one hundred fifty percent quota. You inspired them to work harder!” Galaxy grimaced as she knew that wasn’t really a good thing. “And, I have no doubt, you inspired your daughter to be the best miner when she finally gets older.”

Sentinel shook D-16’s hand while D remained speechless with a smile on his face. Orion, though, was happy, but he spoke to Sentinel. “Sentinel Prime, sir, we joined the race to show everyone our potential.” Orion extended his hand to shake Sentinel’s hand. “We did it to also show to our daughter that we can do more than just mine…”

“Outstanding!” Sentinel interrupted Orion with fake enthusiasm, with a hint of irritation at Orion’s response. “I love a bot that can think for himself. Perhaps you two could tour the mines, speak to your brethren and help them see their potential.”

Orion chuckled in disbelief at Sentinel’s suggestion. “Wow! Okay, great! That sounds incredible! I admit I was a little worried we would be in trouble…”

“Well, you did leave a sparkling unattended in your living quarters…” Orion and D-16 were immediately worried a little, but Sentinel kept his reassuring tone. “But given what you two did, I can overlook that for you. After all, you needed to do something to inspire her, huh?”

Orion nodded in agreement. “Yes, we did. And I would love to…”

“Sir!” Airachnid interrupted bluntly. “It’s time.”

“Ah, yes!” Sentinel glanced back with a forced smile as he acknowledged Airachnid before looking back at the two miners. “I’m sorry, friends, we’re preparing our next travel to the surface. And I have a feeling that this time, we might find something worth while.” Orion’s expression lit up as he assumed Sentinel felt as though he will find the Matrix, not realizing that Sentinel was talking about Galaxy. “But in the meantime, I’ve got a treat for you. Hang tight.” Orion and D glance at each other excitedly as Sentinel looked back at Airachnid. “Airachnid, have someone escort these heroes to my personal service facilities. And ensure that their daughter is cared for by one of our top caretakers from the temple. Best care in Iacon.” Sentinel stood up, smug as he smiled at the two bots. Sentinel backed out of the room, still forcing that smile. “Until next time, legends!”

Sentinel walked backwards away from the ward with Airachnid following before Sentinel turned around and his smile faded as he shook his head. Galaxy could hear with the huff from Sentinel that he was glad that was over and they walk down the hallway, knowing that they were going to leave. But Galaxy peered out of the doorway, tempted to run over to the ward to her parents, but she quickly realized that Sentinel and Airachnid were too close.

“Darkwing…” Sentinel spoke quietly as he glanced at the bot while walking by him. “You know what to do. Escort them for me…”

“As you wish.” Darkwing chuckled as he stomped towards the room.

“Before we leave, Sentinel, I should mention that I gathered up all the figurines that was in their home.” Sentinel looked at Airachnid in surprise. “I left them all in a box by the chute to sub-level fifty. Shall I dispose of them? Or should I wait a little bit until Darkwing sends them down there so that the gravity of their situation becomes a reality.”

Sentinel smiled deviously as he nodded slowly. “Oh, that is a bit too evil. But I love it. I think that is a good idea. Care to show me where you push that stash?” Airachnid nodded and began leading Sentinel.

Galaxy widened her optics as she glanced over at Darkwing as he stomped into the ward. “Ugh! Miners!”

“Hiii…Darkwing…” D-16 acknowledged the bot nervously as the two bots were nervously. Darkwing stomped towards them and bot miners yelp in shock. “OW! Hey! What are you…no, no! Wait, where are you taking us?!”

“Let us go!” Orion shouted desperately as Galaxy whimpered softly as Darkwing stomped out of the room, hauling Orion and D-16 in his hands as he held bot by the back of their necks, holding them up from the ground and made a left to stomp down the hallway, the opposite direction from Airachnid and Sentinel. “Wait! Sentinel! You don’t understand, Sentinel Prime just…”

“Shut up, glitch! You are coming with me!”

Galaxy stared down the hallway as she wanted to follow, but she looked back down the way Airachnid and Sentinel had gone and she ran down the hallway to follow them. She knew that where Darkwing was going would be restricted, so she could not follow. But a trash chute was easy access. And it would be a much easier and faster way to get down to sub-level fifty then by following Darkwing. But the downside was that Galaxy would have to slow her fall somehow, and she couldn’t fly right now.

Galaxy slowed from running as she followed Airachnid and Sentinel down a few floors until they reached the trash room, where there were multiple trash chutes. Galaxy slipped inside and hid behind a cart to see Airachnid had brought her toy box here, which was covered in the blue dust that had been used to try and find her, and she opened it to show Sentinel all the figurines inside, including what was in the berth.

At the very top of the pile, was the decapitated, crack, Sentinel figure. Sentinel grabbed it and looked at it before he chuckled. “Wow, I can tell that Galaxy took her anger out on the wrong thing.” He chuckled before casually tossing the figure into the chute. He looked at the draconic bot figurines and shook his head. “Well, all these dragon figures, and no one realized the reason why Galaxy liked these a lot.”

Airachnid hummed in amusement. “Clearly, Orion Pax and D-16 are not bright. They could have died in that race, which would have made things a lot easier. A grieving sparkling would be easier to find.”

“True, it would have made things easier. But it does not matter.” Sentiel picked up the Zeta Prime and Megatronus Prime figurines, huffing as he smirked at them. “Too bad these fools couldn’t stop me. And now, Ignited Galaxy will be mine.” He tossed the figures into the chute. “I do wonder how much Galaxy has told them.”

Airachnid shrugged, throwing several more figurines into the chute. “No idea, Sentinel. But there is a chance she has tried to tell them something, but you have made your version of the truth so believable, that even they would have a hard time believing her. Even Orion, despite his excursions to the archives. Which, by the way, I have ensured that no one will be able to access ever again. So we will have no more rogue miners.”

Sentinel was pleased about that. “Yes, I think you’re right. D-16 was staring at me with such admiration, that I wanted to laugh in that idiot’s face. But that does not matter.” He turned away as he got bored. “Pour the rest out now, Airachnid. I think we should leave and scour through the city in order to find that sparkling. She will be here somewhere. She cannot cloak herself forward.”

Airachnid nodded as she picked up the toy box and tilted it, pouring everything in it into the chute before breaking the lid off to put the box and the lid in separately as an added measure. She brushed off some of the blue powder from her hands and followed Sentinel out of the trash room. Galaxy remained still in case that Airachnid would see her, but the two bots finally left and the door closed behind the bots.

Galaxy sighed in relief as she stepped around the cart carefully before running over to the chute that Airachnid and Sentinel through the figurines into. She looked at the numbers on each chute to make sure it was the right one, as she luckily could read numbers. And it was the right one. She dropped her cloak and she shook her head, uncloaking the containment now that she was alone. She glanced back at the door briefly as she worried that Sentinel and Airachnid would come back, but luckily they did not. She looked back at the chute and peered into it with a grimace at how long way down it was.

Ugh…well…this is the only way to get to them…hopefully. And this is probably going to hurt…daddy, dadda, I hope you can catch me. I’m coming down. But I hope that whoever is also down there with you will be nice…I’m kind of nervous about that now. Oh well, this is now or never.

Pulling herself into the chute, Galaxy shrieked as she almost lost her grip on the containment, which caused her to slip forward and Galaxy couldn’t help but scream as she fell down the long, deep, dark tunnel. And she closed her optics, clutching the containment against her chassis as she was not sure how deep it was, although she was met with a little bit of cushioning as the chute curved a little before dipping straight down again, and Galaxy had no idea how far it was.

Chapter Text

Orion and D-16 both had not expected Darkwing to come in and drag them away by their necks. But here they were now, feeling a sense of humiliation and panic as it quickly became apparent that Darkwing was not taking them to Sentinel Prime’s facilities, and they both were trying to tell Darkwing that this was a mistake and that he should talk to Sentinel. But Darkwing ignored the two of them as he dragged Orion and D-16 the medical centre while not paying attention to other bots who were seeing the two bots being carried by Darkwing to a restricted around right outside the medical centre.

Orion and D-16’s optics were wide as Darkwing walked into a dark hallway and proceeded forward before an automatic door opened ahead of them and Darkwing turned on his jets, startling the bots as they had no idea where he was taking them. But as he stepped through the door and began hovering, Orion and D looked down to see a long, deep, dark tunnel with dull lights lighting the way down. And they did not know where it was going.

“Darkwing! What are doing?!” Orion looked at him as he hoped for an answer. “We need to go back home! Not only has Sentinel Prime…” Orion gasped as Darkwing began dropping down suddenly and very quickly, keeping a firm grip on the two bots. “No, no, no, no! Darkwing, you need to stop, please!”

“Talk to Sentinel Prime, Darkwing. He will clear this all up!” D-16 pleaded as he stared downward in shock. “And we do need to go home! We can’t just go somewhere else now!” Darkwing said nothing as he continued descending. “Why won’t you say something?!”

“Yeah, we need to go back to Galaxy!” Darkwing huffed a little in amusement and Orion frowned a little. “I am serious! I know you’re burned over us landing on you in the race, but it was an accident. We just wanted to join the race, that is all.” Still no response and Orion looked down to see the ground was coming up fast. “Please, Darkwing! Galaxy will be upset and hungry right now, and…”

“Shut up!” Darkwing snapped angrily, starting the two bots as he continued his descent.

“But, Darkwing!” Orion exclaimed, not knowing how they could get out of this. “Sentinel Prime had told us what will happen. You should talk to him! He’ll explain everything!”

D nodded. “Yes! You need to speak to him!” He gasped loudly as Darkwing came to an abrupt stop suddenly and threw the two bots forward onto the ground. “Wait, wait! You don’t understand! We were supposed to go to Sentinel Prime’s service pod!”

Orion nodded as he turned to face Darkwing. “D is right. But we need to go back home so that we can feed Galaxy…”

“HA!” Darkwing leaned down sharply, almost headbutting Orion as the miner flinched back in shock. “Do you really think, after the stunt you both pulled today, that you are even allowed to care for that brat again? You left her alone, and you have a bad habit of going to places you shouldn’t, like the archives. And you…” Darkwing turned his head sharply to look at D. “Allow it, and subsequently, the blame is extended to you also.”

“What?! But I always tell him not to go!” D-16 snapped back with a frown. “Look, Galaxy will be hungry right now and we need to…”

“Oh, don’t worry about that sparkling. Sentinel Prime has already ensured that something special with be done for her, so neither of you need to worry about that!” Orion and D-16 were surprised as Sentinel never said anything about that. Darkwing huffed in slight amusement. “In other words, you can consider any guardianship you had over Galaxy to be officially terminated! And now you two dolts aren’t going to see her and anyone else ever again! I’ll make sure of that!”

Darkwing looked up and flew upward as a pair of doors slammed shut with D-16 shouting after him. “You’re making a mistake! Ask Sentinel!”

“Ugh I hate that guy.” Orion rolled his shoulder as D-16 looked down in disappointment. “Hmmph, hopefully this will get cleared up quickly.”

D-16 nodded. “Yeah, but not quickly enough with Galaxy waiting for us at him to get fed. We promised to be home to play with her, and now we’re…” D paused as he heard the sound of metal falling and they both look behind their shoulders to find they were in a much smaller space. A small room where a trash chute with garbage falling onto a conveyor belt. “Well, wherever we are. It’s a lot smaller here.”

Orion nodded as a red light was the only think that allowed them to see anything in his room. They lean a little and they spotted a yellow bot standing by the conveyor belt. The bot was keeping a close watch on the items piling onto the conveyor belt before it turned its head towards them. Orion and D gasp as it appeared that the bot had mask over his face, and they could only see a red lit line on the helm itself.

And then the bot pointed at them, making them flinch. “You! How did you get down here?!” Orion and D-16 could not help but back away as the deep voice from the bot was uncanny and he seemed threatening as he walked towards them. “There’s no access to this level. There is nobody here but me!” Orion and D crawled backwards nervously until they were against the door as the bot seemed to stammer for a moment before the helmet opened as a pair of blue optics look at them in shock. “Oh my gosh! You’re real! Y-Y-You’re others! You’re not…me!” Orion and D stare as the bot smiled in both relief and excitement. “You’re here and you’re not me!”

The bot laughed in relief as Orion and D were still trying to understand the situation as Orion spoke uncertainly. “Uh, yeah…”

“Awesome!” The yellow bot exclaimed, making both Orion and D jump back from being startled again. The energy coming from this bot was something they weren’t used to. “I am so sorry, that must have been weird for you. I-I just haven’t had a lot of company since they put me down here in sub-level fifty.”

“Fifty?” D-16 frowned in surprise, relaxing a little now that they knew that this yellow bot was not going to harm them. “But there are only forty sub-levels.”

The yellow bot nodded a little. “That’s what I thought. Turns out there are ten more, and they are not pleasant. Probably why nobody ever really talks about them.” Orion and D glance at each other again as this new information was unexpected, but as they were just dumped down here, they guessed that some things weren’t told to everyone.

“How long have you been down here?” Orion asked curiously, mostly concerned that they too would be left here a long time.

“How long have I been here?” The bot laughed as he tried to leaned on the basket by the conveyor belt, though he leaned on a piece of metal and almost fell, causing the helmet to cover his face briefly before the bot pulled it up as he responded. “Uh, let’s see, somewhere between a long time and forever. I mean…” The bot shrugged while still smiling. “I had other jobs, but I kept getting reassigned because I’m so good at what I do.” Orion and D did wonder what jobs he had before this, as they suspected this bot had gotten into trouble too. “Oh! I’m B-127, by the way. But you can call me B. I’m actually working on some nicknames. The one I’m floating right now is Badassatron.” D-16 raised an eyebrow as he wasn’t feeling amused by this as B then pronounced how his supposed nickname was supposed to sound. “Which is actually pronounced Badassatron! But if you have any critiques…”

“Yeah, great…” D-16 interrupted as he held up his hand to quieten B to stop him from going on about his name. “How, how do we get out of here?”

“Great question. You don’t.”

D-16 frowned instantly. “We don’t?!”

B shook his head. “Nope! We have limited access to the waste management area…” Orion grunted as he moved to stand up and dust off his legs as he listened to B, and D-16 did the same as they both was unhappy with their situation. “But the new shift manager there does not like distractions. No, no they prefer we stay here on the task at hand.”

“Which is?” Orion questioned curiously, slightly worried on what kind of task they now had instead of mining.

“Oh!” B stepped backwards towards the chute at the end of the conveyor belt. “The scrap comes in from the chute there…” B gestured to the chute before taking the helmet from his head as he stepped over to the conveyor belt and held up the helmet for a moment before dropping it. “Onto the conveyor belt. Our job is to look for anything that might be worth salvaging before it hits the furnace and gets smelted.”

D-16 was immediately disappointed by this as it certainly seemed like wasted potential. “So you watch garbage burn?”

B nodded with a big smile. “Yes! It is so great you’re here now! I can’t wait to learn anything about you, and then tell you everything about me! I have a lot of hopes and dreams that I am dying to share with one or two new best friends!”

“Uh, yeah I would love to…” Orion started until something caught his optic. He glanced at the conveyor belt and he immediately recognized a figurine that landed on the belt. He widened his optics as he ran around B over to the belt to grab it. Hold it in his hand as B turned in surprse, Orion gasped soon as it was the same Sentinel figurine Jazz had given them for Galaxy, but the arms and legs were missing, and there was damage on it. “What…this is…” Orion looked at D to show him. “Isn’t this one ours?”

D widened his optics, walking closer in surprise. “Yeah…yes it is. It’s the Sentinel figurine Jazz gave us for Galaxy to play with. But it wasn’t damaged like that.” Orion looked over it curiously and frowned as some blue powder substance smeared over his fingers. “And we definitely don’t have any kind of blue powder. Maybe lead, but that’s grey, not…” D paused as he glanced at the belt and gasped, grabbing a Zeta Prime and Megatronus Prime figurine from the belt. “Okay, this is weird.”

“What’s weird about it?” B asked curiously as he stepped closer to D. “These kinds of figurines get dumped a lot. I have more than enough of these around here, so we do not need more. But were these figurines yours or something? Someone is throwing them out, it seems.”

“These are ours.” D looked up at the chute with a frown and widened his optics again as more figurines fell onto the belt, and these were draconic bot figurines. “No, no, no! These are Galaxy’s!”

Orion grabbed a few of the draconic bots that were Galaxy’s favorites, especially the ones that resembled Cosmic, Firedrake and Sky Blade, and a few others as he was also shocked. “But why?”

D shook his head as he held a white draconic bot, a blue draconic bot and a Solus Prime figurines in his hands in disbelief. “It is like…someone is throwing them away…but why? Why would they do that? Galaxy isn’t dead. She’s…back home, isn’t she?”

“She is. And look…” Orion brushed off more of the blue powder off the figurines in his arms. “There’s more dust.” Orion stared at it curiously and he frowned. “This looks military grade. I think this is used for things that are invisible…”

“Invisible? You mean, like, cloaking?” B questioned and Orion nodded without looking at him. “Well, I know it might sound crazy, but I think that powder is used for detecting cloaked draconic bots on the surface and stuff, and it also can mess with their breath abilities if the particles are inhaled and can make them sick. I think…”

“I am not sure telling us that is going to help us why these things are here, B,” D-16 responded as his optics quiver with worry.

“Right, um, about that…” D and Orion look at B as he looked at them curiously. “Who is Galaxy? You both seem worried about her, and I don’t see a third bot here with you. So you have me quite curious.”

Orion could not help but hug the Prime figurines and draconic figures against his chassis, already missing Galaxy, and feeling a sense of grief that he might have just lost Galaxy today. “Uh…Galaxy is our daughter.”

B widened his optics and looked at D before gesturing between the two. “You have a daughter?” D-16 nodded. “Oh…” B tensed as he immediately felt awkward while glancing between the two and cleared his throat. “Um…okay…did not expect that…” He rubbed that back of his neck as D looked at him with a raised eyebrow. “Hey, I am not upset about it, I guess I thought that we’d all be just friends. But I guess this now means that if you both want some…uh…time alone, you know…”

“Time alone?” D frowned a little. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, I hope you are not making this more awkward deliberately, um…because I was wondering which one of you..." B gestured between Orion and D-16. “Is your daughter’s carrier? That is all I am wanting to know…” He cleared his throat again, trying to hide his visible discomfort.

Orion almost slapped his forehead with his hand. “Primus…should have seen that coming.” Orion turned to B with a forced smile. “Actually, Galaxy is adopted. She is not related to D and I at all, and I am going to be clear that D-16 and I are just best friends.”

B sighed in relief while placing a hand on his chassis. “Oh, thank Primus. I was worried that I was going to see a mask or some kind of plugs to keep from hearing you both interfacing, because there is not a lot of space here. And now with you here, it is a lot more crowded.” Orion huffed lightly as he was a little embarrassed by that. “Now I don’t have to worry about that so…WAH!”

B jumped as there was a loud slam on the conveyor belt, making them all jump, and both Orion and D were shocked to see the toy box with the lid torn off on the belt. “What?!” Orion almost dropped the figurines as he stared at the toy box, which was also covered in the blue dust. “That’s Galaxy’s toy box! What is going on?!”

D-16 shook his head as he did not know. “I wish I knew.” He stared at the box and glanced at the chute with worry, expecting more to fall out, but there didn’t appear to be anything else. And they didn’t save every figurine, just the ones Galaxy loved the most. “If Galaxy is being cared for by someone else, they shouldn’t have to throw these out. It seems so weird.”

Orion nodded while thinking back to Galaxy telling him that Sentinel was after her. And that he was a danger to her. He could not help but wonder if maybe she really was telling the truth. He held the figurines tighter against his chassis as tears welled in his optics. “Maybe…these could also be thrown down here to tell us that…” Orion paused as he let a few tears fall. “We won’t see her again.” D’s expression softened as tears well in his own optics. Orion turned to B who had a sympathetic expression. “B, is there any way we can get out? You said we had access to the waste management area, could we go through there at all to get out?”

B rubbed his arm as he felt bad for them. “I haven’t found a way since being down here, I am afraid. I may have access to the waste management area, but it is under heavy guard. Going back to the city itself would be difficult. Unless you could somehow redirect the trains that go there to transport the waste away from the city onto one of the routes for the city trains, then it isn’t easy. I can show you the way, but…”

“If it is a slim chance, we will take it. After all, I am pretty sure that this was a misunderstanding from Darkwing’s perspective. He was angry we were in the race, especially when we caused him to crash out.” Orion intakes deeply, looking at the light blue draconic bot figure and looked at D. “What do you think?”

D-16 tightened his jaw slightly as he did want to get out, but he was also worried. “I do want to get out, Pax. I also believe this a misunderstanding, but I also worry that if we do that, we will get into bigger trouble.” This was also true, plus they didn’t know how long it would even take to get back. “Maybe, just maybe, if Sentinel and Darkwing talk, this might get straightened out and we both can see Galaxy again. But...we are kind of in a place where it might take a long time to get out from, even if we started right now.”

“You aren’t wrong, D-16. After all, there really is one way up if you don’t want to be seen. Otherwise, going through the waste management is the only other way.” B looked between the two bots as he softened his optics. “I am sorry that you been separated from your sparkling. I hope that she is okay, and it is sad that her toys were thrown away. But you at least have things of hers, so it is not so bad.”

Orion and D-16 were not very comforted as having Galaxy’s toys weren’t really the same. It just filled them with a sense of grief and dreadful that they haven’t felt before. And Orion was now regretting the decision to trick D-16 in racing in the Iacon 5000, as they both now were facing that consequence. He could feel his spark shattering knowing he might be the reason of never seeing her again, and his mind went back to the very first time he saw her. A small, frightened sparkling hiding behind one of the processing tanks as the two had stared at each other.

“I’m sorry, D.” D looked at Orion as Orion dropped to his knees. “I...It is my fault. I’m sorry.”

D-16 hummed a little. “At least you admit it, but it doesn’t change how I feel either.” Orion didn’t expect nothing less. “But there might still be a chance, so...” D paused for a moment as he heard another sound and he looked around for a moment. “Odd...do you hear that, Pax? B?”

Orion looked up as he and B listened for a moment. The furnish hissed loudly as scrap metal continued feeding the fire with hot metal and sparks flying out a little. While it was loud, it took a moment for then to hear anything. D was closest to the chute, so he leaned and tilted his head as he listened with a frown for a moment before his optics widen in disbelief at first, as what he was hearing was familiar and he felt he should not be hearing it.

B frowned when he could finally hear it. “That sounds like screaming. Must be something scraping along the sides of the chute, maybe.”

Orion stepped closer to the chute before stepping around B with a gasp. “No, that sounds like...but it can’t be.”

D-16 suddenly climbed onto the conveyor belt, making B shriek loudly. “What are you doing?! That’s not very safe!”

Holding sides of the belt to stop him from moving along the belt, D turned on his helm flashlight and looked up the chute before D-16 gasped as he widened his optics. “Primus!” D dropped the figurines onto the ground suddenly before he shifted to lay on his back across the belt. “This is going to hurt!”

“Why? Why would it hurt? Shouldn’t you move?” B questioned as he stared in shock.

Orion widened his optics as he could now recognise the screaming, and he stepped closer to D. “Scrap! Is that really her?” D nodded, grimacing as he had to hit pieces of metal off his abdomen and Orion helped to keep them off. “Do you have any first aid kits here, B? Because we might need it in a moment.”

B was about to ask why when he noticed that the screaming didn’t sound like metal, but a bot. He widened his optics as he suddenly panicked. “Scrap, Scrap, scrap! I, uh, I had one...but...frag!”

“Well, find it!” D-16 snapped and B jumped as he nodded before running over to a pile of metal containers and crates B had stacked to go through. “Pax, if you can keep the metal off me, I’ll try to keep myself still on this belt. Because I will not be held responsible for her getting stabbed.”

Orion nodded as he continued doing so. “How the frag did she find the right chute to come down in?”

D-16 shrugged. “She’s smart, Pax. She has that same kind of awareness you have, so I think that is probably why.” Orion frowned as that didn’t make sense and D held up his arms. “Frag, she has some kind of containment with her. This is going to hurt!”

D-16 braced himself as he could see his sparkling falling towards him, and she was falling face first too. Her own yellow optics were wide as she also knew that this free fall was going to hurt, even though see D was making her feel rather happy. There was little she could do about it though as she couldn’t figure out how to slow herself down. And she did worry that D would get hurt.

Orion kept brushing the metal pieces onto the belt as they fell until he leaned to look under the chute and he gasped loudly. D was about to push him aside as Orion leaned back and extended his arms, causing both bots to catch Galaxy, though the containment hit D-16’s chassis hard, making him groan loudly as he exhaled with a loud gasp, though as Galaxy had a hold of it, it did not fall onto the belt and Galaxy intakes and exhales heavily as D-16 made sure that he was holding Galaxy as Orion let’s go before D rolled off the conveyor belt onto his feet.

“Galaxy...” Galaxy was looking around erratically due to the unfamiliar area and the fact she had followed them down here. Galaxy looked at D-16 as he stared at her in disbelief before Galaxy began to sob and threw her arms around his shoulders, making her let go of the containment she had. “Whoa, easy...” D caught the containment with his right hand and grimaced. “Pax, I need...thanks.”

Orion took the containment from D and he opened a little, surprised to see the last bottles of low-grade energon within. He did not expect it, as he thought it would be a figurine. But it wasn’t. Orion closed it and looked at Galaxy as D-16 caressed the sparkling’s back as she cried loudly, keeping her arms locked around his shoulders as she trembled in his arms. While it made the two bots happy to see Galaxy, they did not know how she found them or figured out what even happened to them. Regardless, the sparkling needed time to calm down.

B, who had looked for a first aid kit, walked to Orion and tapped his shoulder, making Orion look at him. “Um…I am afraid I am out of any kind of first aid…it is something that I can’t really get here either, so…I’m sorry.”

“It is okay, B. It seems Galaxy is okay.” B smiled as he was glad and he looked at D curiously as he worked on soothing the sparkling. “Wow, a sparkling!” Galaxy flinched and turned her head sharply upon hearing the new voice, spotting B as she cried. “Hi there! Oh, Primus, you are so cute!” B was about to step forward, but Orion placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him back, making B look at him in surprise. “I am not going to hurt her.”

“I know, B, but Galaxy needs a moment. Once she has calmed down we will…” Orion paused as Galaxy made a gag sound and D tensed as he glanced around quickly before grabbing a nearby bucket and moving Galaxy around quickly before she began to heave into the bucket. B grimaced as he stepped back while Orion knelt down as Galaxy purged her tank contents. “Easy, Galaxy. You clearly needed that.”

Galaxy clenched her hands as purging while crying at the same time was extremely comfortable. But once she felt the nausea fade away, she turned to Orion and she threw her arms around his shoulders, and Orion chuckled softly as he picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his abdomen and Orion kissed her cheek as he rubbed her back gently. Galaxy looked at B for a moment before she cried into Orion’s shoulder.

“We are here, Galaxy. And we still love you.” Orion kissed the sparkling’s cheek again and smiled. “And it would seem someone tried getting rid of things you own. We have a few of your figurines down here. Do want me to…” Galaxy shook her head quickly. “Alright, alright, alright. Just me. Or just D-16.” Orion pats the sparkling’s back gently as he looked at D with a smile. “At least we can stop wondering where she is.”

“Yeah…but…how will we feed her?” Orion grimaced before gesturing to the containment on the ground and D-16 opened it briefly to see the bottles inside. D sighed deeply as he closed it and looked at Orion. “Pax, that isn’t going to feed her for very long. We have to figure out how to let someone know she’s here…” Galaxy whimpered and shook her head. D-16 hummed a little as he knew she didn’t want to leave. “Alright, we’ll discuss that soon.”

B-127 watched quietly as seeing a sparkling for the first time in his life made him feel excited. After all, he knew that bots were banned from producing more sparklings, so he didn’t know who would have had Galaxy. And while Orion and D-16 had said that Galaxy was adopted, B wasn’t really convinced. After all, B didn’t have to look very hard to notice that the sparkling’s appearance definitely resembled the two bots.

Her face was silver with a helm that had similar resemblance of both Orion and D-16. The top of her helm was smooth and shaped like the top of D-16’s helm, while Galaxy’s cheeks resembled Orion’s. Her horns were also in the same position as Orion’s on either side of her helm with a blue streak running down from the horns along the sparkling’s cheeks to her chin. Though while the cheek part of her helm was shaped like Orion’s, there was a little difference with the base of each side was a small, red, sharp spike curved upwards against the sparkling’s chin. Which, B did not know this, was longer and sharper than when Orion and D first met Galaxy.

The femme’s chassis and shoulders were white silver with blue panels beneath her undercarriage and down her stomach to her hip plate. Her wrists were light blue with streaks of red on the sides of her wrists, and her hands were silver with red fingertips. Her thighs were silver and her knees and calves were red with a blue streak down the outer side of each knee down to the tip of her toes in a wave shape. He also saw that the back of the sparkling’s neck was blue with the white chassis that wrapped around from the front to the back. The only thing that was a little odd was the two red and blue stripes on the back of the chassis shaped like feathers, and there were more red and blue streaks down her back that were feather shaped, which Orion and D did not have.

Aside from the obvious colours of Galaxy’s body and her yellow optics being the same shade as D’s, her shoulders were quite broad for a femme. And while D’s shoulders were broad, Orion’s was a little more so, and Galaxy seemed to take after that. Her undercarriage was also a little shaped like D-16’s, something that would take a very close look to even notice the similarities between the bots. But Galaxy was still very small too, so these might be more apparent as she gets older.

Regardless, B-127 was unconvinced that Galaxy wasn’t theirs biologically. And as Galaxy was calming down in Orion’s arms, B wondered if she was closer to Orion than D. Not that it mattered, the two bots clearly loved their daughter, and were almost very distraught over not being able to see her again. But now she was here, even though this was the worst place for the sparkling to be with no access to low-grade energon.

B stepped forward with his arms behind his back with a smirk. “So…” Orion and D look at B as his amused expression as he glanced between the two bots. “Are you both sure that this sparkling is adopted?” Orion and D both roll their optics as soon as he said that. “I mean…aside from a few things, I could point everything out about her that resembles to the two of you. I can’t get upset and tell you that you broke the law if she is yours, because she’s here, so…you might as well just tell me. Unless there’s a really awesome story behind it all.”

D-16 couldn’t help but feel a little irritated with B-127, but Orion understood B’s curiosity. It really was uncanny at how closely she resembled the two bots and had zero relation to them. Orion just felt it was luck mostly, but they also were very used to other bots looking at them with curiosity. After all, almost all bots believe Orion and D-16 were in a closer relationship than just friends. So it would seem they will be telling B their story about how they met and adopted Galaxy once she calms down enough so they can talk.

Chapter Text

It took about an hour before Galaxy was even able to calm down. Galaxy needed to let it all out as being forced to leave home, go to the medical centre and almost get caught multiple times by Sentinel and Airachnid, on top of Orion and D-16 being taken to sub-level fifty to remain for the rest of their lives, was all too much. She was just glad that she was able to find Orion and D-16 without needing to go through the entire city believing that they were gone. And while it was bad that Orion and D-16 were down here, it was better because now they didn’t have a lot of optics watching them or listening to them. So it was actually safer here.

When Galaxy calmed down enough, Orion began feeding Galaxy one of the bottles and he also told B-127 the story of how Galaxy became their daughter. It took a bit of convincing that Galaxy wasn’t biologically related, as B teased the two bots about them pretending that neither one was her real parent. And B somehow believed Orion would be the carrier, which irritated both bots, but Galaxy found it funny. She actually could see it herself, but she was born to two draconic bots. Something she hoped to convince them of.

B-127 was sitting on a crate as he watched Orion cradle and feed Galaxy while seated opposite the bot with D next to him. “I can’t imagine the chaos that would suddenly happen here if a sparkling showed up unexpectedly. Maybe even different to how she fell from the chute before.”

D scoffed as he was unsurprised. “Well, since you also seem a bit young, I am not sure how you’d go being a parent.”

B wasn’t offended by that as he nodded in agreement. “Honestly, I agree, D. After all, I mean, caring for a sparkling is a lot of work for one bot, let alone two. You both clearly were the best ones for the job, even though you ended up here eventually.” B looked Galaxy as she had her hands cupped either side of the bottle as Orion held the end of it. “Though since I never thought I would ever get to see a sparkling in my life, it has brought me a lot of joy already.”

“We felt the same way, honestly. After all, no one is supposed to be having sparklings right now with no energon flowing through the world. So…you can imagine our surprise at the same. But…” Orion chuckled softly as he looked at Galaxy with a smile. “I could not imagine life without her now. Having her here had given us something more important than just mining energon for the city.”

B nodded with a big smile on his face. “Which would be a wonderful feeling! And if that happened to me, I would step up.” D and Orion weren’t sure about that, but they did just meet B-127, so he probably would be responsible. “At least, down here, I don’t really get bothered by bots and I’d have a lot of time to play with a sparkling too. The only downside would be medical attention if a sparkling needed it and feeding them. After all, without a cog, producing low-grade energon is kind of impossible.”

“Which is why we have to figure out how to get Galaxy back…after some time.” D-16 did not want to take Galaxy back, but they had to. “Still…” He looked at the chute as more trash fell onto the belt and he looked at the Megatronus figure in his hand with a frown before looking at Galaxy. “How in the All Spark did you even get down here, Galaxy? I find it hard to believe you got lucky finding the right chute.”

Galaxy glanced at D and she moved her hands off the bottle to sign. ‘Would it be better if I started from the beginning? After seeing you both in the race and Sentinel knowing that you left me alone at home?’

D nodded. “I guess. But I doubt that has anything to do with this.”

‘It has everything to do with this. I had to leave home or…I would not be here, but another…slave to his stable.’ D’s frown deepened as Galaxy glanced at Orion who was looking at her curiously while keeping a hold of the bottle as she drank it. ‘I know you both think that Darkwing made a mistake, but he did not. I hope when I tell you what happened, you will believe me.’

Orion hummed softly as he read what she signed. “Well…I guess this might mean that it will be better to wait until you’re finished ingesting this.” Galaxy nodded with a smile. “At least you’re halfway finished, so not long now.”

D-16 sighed softly. “I guess…but now I am left with wondering. Especially since all of your figurines were thrown down here and almost all of them ended up being smelted. You’re not even upset about it.”

‘Because those figurines weren’t alive, dadda. They can be replaced.’

D was surprised that Galaxy didn’t really care about losing some of her toys, and that she understood the reason. “I see…that…that’s real mature of you, Galaxy. You’re right. But…hopefully we can replace them for you at some point. Or…whoever gets to care for you.” Galaxy frowned slightly as she would refuse to leave this place.

B-127 had been watching and he was confused by Galaxy’s signing, as he didn’t understand. “Uh, sorry, um…” D looked at B as the bot spoke uncertainly. “I hate to but in like this, but…” B looked at Galaxy curiously and looked back at D and Orion. “I am not sure I understand what she’s down with her hands.”

D-16 raised an eyebrow. “You don’t recognize sign language?”

“Oh, that’s what it is.” B rubbed the back of his neck as he immediately felt awkward. “Sorry, I-I haven’t really met anyone who used sign language and I have not ever seen it. I apologize if that upset you at all, but…I just wanted to know.” Galaxy couldn’t help but giggle a little as she wasn’t too surprised, since the bot has been in sub-level fifty for a long time, and likely hasn’t needed to use sign to communicate. “But…why does she sign? Can she not talk?”

“Unfortunately, no. She cannot. She can make noises, but her vocal processor won’t allow her to form words.” B immediately looked sad for the sparkling as he had been talkative just now, and she couldn’t talk at all. Orion smiled as he knew bots were sad for Galaxy, but it hasn’t stopped her from doing normal things. “It’s okay, though. While it took time to learn sign, Galaxy is capable of doing the same things as us. She just…doesn’t have a voice.”

“Aw, that makes me sad. Maybe a spare voice processor might fall down here that we can use.” Orion and D-16 were immediately horrified by the idea while Galaxy knew B wasn’t being serious. B smirked at the two bots. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t serious. I would never butcher a sparkling, because I am not a medic and I would probably…you’d probably rip me apart before I get the chance.”

D-16 nodded. “Mmm hmm, yep. Ugh…” He shook his head and looked at Galaxy before he signed. ‘Maybe he needs a new processor to think before he speaks.’

Galaxy giggled while Orion shook his head at D. “D, that wasn’t necessary.”

D shrugged with a smirk. “What? Am I wrong?”

“B hasn’t done anything wrong, D. Besides, Sunstreaker and Jazz are just as loud, and you would never suggest that about them.” D-16 grimaced as he knew that was true and Orion looked at B who seemed worried. “Sorry, B. I know you probably couldn’t understand that, but…I can tell you kind of understood.”

“It’s okay, Orion. I guess I am just a little too excited about having some news friends down here, and I haven’t been able to really talk to anyone for a long time. So being able to speak so much is just exciting for me! But I also feel bad since…” B-127 looked at Galaxy as she finished drinking the bottle and pushed it away to look at B. “Since someone here cannot speak at all.”

Galaxy smiled at him and lifted her hands to sign. ‘It is okay, B-127. I think you are sweet for being worried for me. Hopefully you can be a new friend to my dads.’

B looked at Orion who was smiling. “What did she say?”

Orion looked at him, keeping his smile on his face. “She said that you are very sweet for being worried for her and that she hopes you are a new friend for us.” B gasped excitedly as he had not been sure Galaxy would accept him. “Seems like she likes you.” Galaxy nodded as Orion placed the empty bottle onto the conveyor belt, knowing there was no need for it anymore and Galaxy slipped off Orion’s lap. “Galaxy, you need to tell us how you got here. Don’t get distracted now.”

B-127 chuckled as Galaxy walked over to him curiously. “Nothing wrong with her being curious about me, since we’re all new to each other.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as she looked at him with a smile before holding her hands towards him, making B beam excitedly. “Aw, no way! You want me to hold you?” Galaxy nodded. “Ha, ha! This is the greatest day of my life!” He leaned down and picked up the sparkling and sat her on his knee. “I think we are going to be best friends. What do you think?” Galaxy shrugged before she nodded. “You’re right, it’s too early to tell. But I’m super excited!”

“Well, it is great that Galaxy likes you and all, B, but...” D-16 placed his hands on his hips as he looked at Galaxy. “Now is the time to tell us how you got here Galaxy. And I don’t believe you were thrown into the chute, because that would be horrible.”

Galaxy smiled at him. ‘Luckily, I was not thrown down here. Only my toys were thrown down here, dadda. I climbed into the chute myself.’ D wasn’t sure if he believed that too, but he couldn’t think of any other way. ‘After you and daddy left for the race, I had pulled out almost all of my toys...’

Orion held up the decapitated Sentinel figure. “Did you do this, by the way?” Galaxy paused on her signing before she nodded. “Why? This was Jazz’s gift to you. You shouldn’t have taken off the limbs and damaged this. We were going to give it back at some point when you were older.” Galaxy shrugged as she didn’t feel bad. “I’m disappointed that you would do this.”

Galaxy frowned at Orion and signed again. ‘I needed to vent my anger on something. I wish I could do that to Sentinel. Especially as I was pretending to put Sentinel on trial with the toys...which would be good in reality life.’

Orion groaned with a shake of his head. “Well, you didn’t have to destroy this. We cannot give it back to Jazz anyway from down here, but I don’t approve.”

B-127 was curious as to why Galaxy disliked Sentinel. “Interesting...” D and Orion glance at B when he spoke. “Do you two like Sentinel?”

D-16 nodded affirmatively. “Of course, he is our leader.” Galaxy grimaced in disgust, not hiding her dislike for the bot. “Just before Darkwing dragged us down here, Sentinel was praising Orion and I for being in the race and he invited us to his personal pod. But...clearly it’s a misunderstanding as to why we are both here.”

B nodded slowly. “Good, so do I. I think he’s great, even though I don’t get to hear any announcements from him here, so I don’t really know what is going in the city anymore. So I didn’t get to see the race. But Sentinel is still our leader and I respect him for it.” Galaxy did not hide her disgust as she listened to him. B looked at Galaxy curiously. “So why don’t you like him?”

“Galaxy has told us a couple times that her birth parents knew Sentinel and that he had murdered them.” B-127 widened his optics in shock as he found it hard to believe. Orion shrugged a little. “I am not sure about it, but her birth parents have a close connection to draconic bots too, and Galaxy seems to believe because of that, her parents were killed. Um, she’s mentioned the draconic bot city of Tempest a few times, since her parents were there when it had been destroyed.”

“Oh.” B’s mouth was shaped in an O as he was surprised by the information. “That is interesting...and unsurprising I think. A sparkling can easily misinterpret some things because of their age.” Orion nodded in agreement. “No wonder she doesn’t like him.”

Galaxy rolled her optics as she signed again. ‘And I have told you that Sentinel wants me, daddy. I’ve already told you about Wraith and my real name too. Plus, Oranos was the one who sheltered me for almost fifty cycles in a stasis pod located in a cave above the city where I was able to sneak down from when we first met.’

D and Orion widened their optics at that. Orion frowned a little at the new information. “A small cave above Iacon?” Galaxy nodded. “You never have said that before.”

“Yeah, that is why I am certain she is just making things up, like when she told you about Wraith and somehow being related, which would make her a draconic bot.” Galaxy grumbled as D-16 agreed with Orion. “Which is why I have thought it was a coincidence that Galaxy spoke of Wraith and such, so...I think it is her imagination. And her love of the dragons as well.”

Galaxy shook her head and continued to sign. ‘You may not believe me right now, but I know you will, dadda.’ D-16’s expression softened as he felt worried about Galaxy potentially living with delusions. ‘Can I continue telling you what happened?’ Orion and D nod. ‘Good. After I set up my toys to start playing, I overheard the announcer about two miners in the race. And it would seem that you made a stupid decision, daddy.’

Orion was taken aback when Galaxy said that and D-16 smirked, trying not to laugh. “Galaxy, it might have seemed stupid, but...”

“Even you admitted that it was the stupidest thing we have ever done just before the finish line,” D-16 interrupted and Orion grumbled a little. “She has a point. After all, we still ended up in last place, despite being so close to the finish.”

Orion shook his head while D chuckled softly and B was trying not to laugh as well, knowing that this was between them and not him. “Alright, alright, it was stupid. Anyway, uh...keep going, Galaxy.”

Galaxy nodded with a smile. ‘I did not get to watch the entire race though. I knew Sentinel was watching, so I was able to get the bottles of energon out of the containment and put them into that carrier containment that you have by you, daddy. I had to because Airachnid showed up at our home.’ Orion and D widen their optics in disbelief and shock. ‘She brought four vehicons with her and Firedrake was with her.’

“Firedrake?” Galaxy nodded and D-16 hummed softly as he seemed to think for a moment. “Odd...I actually saw Firedrake flying over the city at the end of the race as we picked ourselves up.” Orion looked at D in surprise. “I didn’t see anyone else with him, but I wouldn’t be able to.”

Galaxy was glad because that would make her story more believable. Orion looked back at Galaxy. “Keep going.”

She nodded as she continued to sign. ‘The blue powder that you see on the toys right now, that was from Airachnid.’ Orion and D glanced at the figurines briefly as they had not mentioned the powder yet. ‘Airachnid had the vehicons spray our whole home in it. It might even still be covered with blue dust.’

“But...B said that the blue dust is used for those who are cloaked.” Galaxy nodded and B nodded, even though he had no idea what Galaxy was saying. Orion frowned a little as that confused him. “But...you can’t cloak.”

Galaxy gave a smirk as if to say are you sure in response and both of her parents nod. She giggled as she focused and all three bots jump when Galaxy suddenly disappeared. B-127 shrieked loudly. “Where did she go?! Wait!” B felt Galaxy getting off his knee and he looked around. “Hold up, she can cloak!”

“But that is impossible!” D-16 was about to stand when Galaxy dropped her cloak, making D almost fall back in fright as she was standing close to him, while pulling a face with her tongue sticking out. “Oh, Primus! Galaxy!” D-16 put his hand on his chassis as he intakes deeply as he thought his spark was going to burst from his chassis.

Galaxy fell backwards with laughter as seeing D-16’s reaction was so funny. She didn’t expect to scare him so bad like that, but his reaction was so funny. It even made B laugh too. Only Orion did not laugh as he was staring at Galaxy in shock. Because he knew what creatures can cloak without a device. And Galaxy had no access to that kind of technology. Nor did she have one when they met. As it became suddenly clear as to why Orion was tripped on the train the day they met Galaxy, and how Jazz was pushed in the stairs.

Orion stood up and stepped towards Galaxy to kneel on one knee. Galaxy stopped laughing as he reached down to pick her up by the armpits to stand her up and begin brushing off some dust off her shoulders. “I am surprised that you did not show us you could cloak before.” Galaxy shrugged as she didn’t need to until now. “Were you cloaked the day we met you?” Galaxy nodded. “I guess that at least explains why I fell and so did Jazz and a couple others.”

Galaxy nodded and signed. ‘It was not my intention to trip or push anyone that day. It was all an accident.’

Orion nodded as he gently brushed more dust from her arms. “I assumed that to be the case. But...” Orion grabbed her hands gently as he looked at her yellow optics. “Um...you don’t own a secret cloaking device, do you?” She shook her head. “I...I know you also have no access to them. Only military do.” Galaxy nodded with a smile. “But...” Orion sighed as he rested his right elbow on his knee. “You shouldn’t be able to cloak naturally.”

Galaxy tilted her head. ‘Why not?’

“Yeah, what are you getting at, Pax?” D-16 asked with a frown.

“Well...as far as I know, the draconic bots can cloak naturally. They have a system within them to let’s them do it.” D-16 widened his optics briefly before rolling them with a groan. Orion intakes deeply as he stared at Galaxy. “But...you can’t be a draconic bot. They can’t transform.”

Galaxy chuckled softly as she responded. ‘I know you believe that because the archives have no record. But do you think that the archives has everything about the Quintessons?’ Orion shook his head. ‘Just because no bot has witnessed it, doesn’t mean it isn’t impossible. After all, draconic bots do have t-cogs, but not in their chassis.’ Orion’s optics widen slightly. ‘I suspect this information is not in the archives. But within the right side of their abdomen is where the transformation cogs are located, along with the cloaking system which is connected right next to it.’

Orion stared at Galaxy as he was shocked. While draconic bot anatomy was not something in the archives itself, the fact Galaxy pointed these out was interesting. After all, Galaxy’s own t-cog was in the right side of her abdomen. This was something Ratchet found out very quickly. So while Galaxy may remember that, the fact she can transform and can point out the cloaking system within a draconic bot without a sign of lying definitely made Orion think. Plus, she could not lie about her own ability to cloak, so it was definitely making Orion think she was telling the truth.

D, on the other hand, was having trouble believing her. “Pfft...so you still think you’re a draconic bot, Galaxy?”

Galaxy looked at D without frowning as she signed to him. ‘I don’t think, I know I am. Comet Hammer and Solarian are my birth parents, and Cosmic Dust is my aunt.’

Orion intakes deeply as he lifted Galaxy as he moved to sit back down and sat her on his lap. “Can you continue telling us how you got here?” Galaxy nodded, knowing he needed to ponder on what she just said. “We can discuss the draconic bot and cloaking thing later.”

D-16 looked at Orion in shock. “Don’t tell me you are considering the fact that she might be a draconic bot?”

Orion shrugged and looked at D. “I’m not sure. My processor is spinning right now. Can’t you see that there is evidence pointing to her being one?”

D-16 wanted to dispute that, but he couldn’t. He glanced at Galaxy who was smiling as she was glad they were now likely to believe her. He sighed deeply. “I guess...but...she hasn’t transformed. Unless draconic bots are born as bots, then...then it would make sense.”

Orion looked at Galaxy with a smile. “Can you continue, please?”

Galaxy nodded affirmatively before looking at B who had his right elbow on his knee while resting his cheek on his knuckle. She could see he was listening, but not understanding. B smiled when she looked at him. “Don’t worry about me, Galaxy. I know it might make you feel bad that I cannot understand you, but this conversation is for between you and your parents, so I’m staying out of this.”

“It is nice you are worried about leaving him out, Galaxy, but he is right.” Orion kissed her forehead and she looked back at him with a smile. “Please, continue.”

Galaxy nodded as she proceeded to do just that. ‘While Airachnid and the vehicons were filling our home with the blue dust, I was able to get by Firedrake. One thing you should know is that draconic bots can see cloaked draconic bots, so he saw me. But he never made it clear to Airachnid that he did. Which I am thankful for.’ Orion hummed softly as he didn’t know that draconic bots could see other cloaked draconic bots, but it did make sense. ‘I was able to get to the train without being seen and...’

“Sorry for interrupting, Galaxy, but how were you able to not be seen while also carrying the containment?” D-16 asked suddenly as that struck him as strange. “I would assume you can’t cloak other objects.”

Galaxy smiled as she turned around slightly and leaned down towards the containment. Orion held the sparkling to keep her from slipping off as he watched her place hands on the containment and concentrated. It took a moment before they saw the containment disappear, but it appeared a bubble engulfing the containment with how it disappeared. Galaxy pulled her hands away as D and Orion touched the containment, widening their optics as they felt the containment with their hands. Galaxy giggled as she was happy to prove how she did it.

B couldn’t help but chuckle. “That’s one way of proving how she did it.” D-16 nodded in agreement. “Seems like your daughter is very intelligent.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “Just like Orion.”

Orion chuckled softly before flinching as the sparkling dropped the cloak from the containment and he looked at her. “I didn’t know you can do that. Could you cloak us?”

She nodded before signing. ‘I wouldn’t be able to cloak you or dadda forever, as it saps energy from me and I do not want to pass out. So it would only be for specific situations.’

“Ah, I see...” Orion smiled at her as he felt that would be useful. “Maybe you could cloak us if and when we get out of here.” Galaxy giggled with a shrug. “But...it would drain your energon reserves, so I agree with specific situations.” She was glad to hear that as she would be hesitant to cloak her parents for a general reason. “Anyway, uh, continue. It was a little rude for D to interrupt you.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but be curious about that.”

Galaxy understood why D asked, and it wasn’t unreasonable. After all, they did not know she could cloak objects and others as well. ‘Do not worry, dadda. Your curiosity was warranted.’ D smiled as he was glad that she felt that way. Galaxy intakes as she proceeded with her story. ‘I did get to watch the end of the race on the train. I was surprised it was shown on the train, despite how quiet the city. But I did see it. And that you both almost took first place, but that did not happen. Chromia won.’ D and Orion nod, knowing that the bot won, despite the injuries they got from being hit from behind. ‘After, I just had to wait until the train arrived at the medical centre. And it took me a long time to search the floors to try and find you both. I knew you would be there, because all racers go there after each race.’

Orion smiled as he was pleased Galaxy had known where to find them, but he was still curious if she found them. He and D-16 never saw Galaxy once, so it was going to be fascinating to know how Galaxy knew where they were. Because so far, it didn’t seem like Galaxy would have found them on her own. So he was certainly curious about what happened. And Galaxy’s expression did shift to nervousness as she continued.

‘I did almost eventually run into Darkwing, Airachnid and Sentinel. Darkwing was on his way to beat you both.’ Orion and D-16 grimace, as this was not unusual behaviour from Darkwing. ‘But Sentinel stopped him to tell him about a plan. He wasn’t happy that Airachnid could not find me, so removing my adoptive parents was the next option.’ Orion and D-16 frowned immediately. ‘I also found out that it was Sentinel who encouraged Darkwing to fire Elita down to waste management, since she cared a lot for me. Anyway, I listened to them and Sentinel basically told Darkwing that he was going to play on his fake, hero personality in front of you, before Darkwing would bring you down here.’

“Are you kidding?” D-16 asked in disbelief as he stared at Galaxy as she shook her head. “You have to be. Sentinel would never do this!” Galaxy whimpered as she looked away from D. “Sentinel spoke to Orion and myself, and...”

‘Sentinel told you that he thought what you did was one of the craziest things he has seen and that he loved it.’ D went silent as soon as Galaxy signed that, because she shouldn’t know that. ‘He also told you that you inspired the other miners to work harder, by telling you that the quota had reached one hundred fifty percent. And he encouraged you both by saying he loved a bot who can think for himself and that you should inspire the other miners. And finally, he told Airachnid to escort you to his personal service facilities.’ Galaxy then gestured to the small space. ‘After he left, he told Darkwing to bring you here. We are already in his service pod.’

D-16 shook his head. “I don’t think so.” Galaxy sighed as D-16’s admiration for Sentinel was too deep. “I think you misunderstood.”

Galaxy shrugged as she continued. ‘After Darkwing took you both out of the room, I was going to follow. But I am sure he took you through somewhere that I couldn’t access. So I followed Airachnid and Sentinel to the trash room of the medical centre. All the figurines here were thrown down the chute by them. And Airachnid broke the box.’ D-16 still didn’t know if he should believe Galaxy about Sentinel as he read her sign. ‘After Sentinel and Airachnid left the room, I climbed into the chute and here I am.”

Orion smiled as he processed what she had just told them. “Well, I am glad you found your way here. But D and I do believe that Darkwing has had a misunderstanding with Sentinel. I believe you with what you’ve said, but...” Galaxy grumbled as she jumped off Orion’s knees in frustration. Orion softened his expression. “Galaxy...”

Galaxy shook her head as she looked at him with a frown before signing. ‘Why won’t you believe me? I have shown you I can cloak myself. I don’t know what more I can do. Does Sentinel have to kill you for you to believe me?’

Orion’s expression softened some more. “It isn’t that we don’t want to believe you, I just think you are misinterpreting things. Your dislike for Sentinel mixed with your grief for your parents can do that.” Galaxy whimpered as her shoulders slump, feeling stuck on what to do. Orion sighed as he looked at B, who seemed bored. “Sorry about this, B. I hope you weren’t too bored.”

B-127 shook his head. “Nah, it was quite interesting watching, honestly. But I do have a question.” Orion smiled while gesturing for the question. “I understand why you’re not sure about her view on Sentinel, but what about her being a dragon? Cause to me, all the evidence points to that.”

Orion was surprised by the question and Galaxy looked at him, wanting an answer too. “Actually, I actually think that she could be one. The evidence is there. I always thought that a few features on her looked draconic anyway.”

Oh, so it is just their deep trust in Sentinel that will be harder to break. At least daddy seems to believe that I am a draconic bot. And I am surprised that B-127 seems to too, and we only just met him. I hope dadda does as well.

D-16 sighed loudly. “I kind of feel the same, but I also am unsure. After all, Galaxy cannot fake cloaking, so...yeah it is something I might be open to as well.” B smiled as he was glad. “But...” D frowned a little as he looked at B. “I am not sure you should be getting involved. You aren’t exactly part of the family.”

“Oh, sorry. I just...feel bad that...” B-127 paused for a moment before he gasped in realisation. “Oh, scrap! I am a fool! I forgot to introduce you to the rest of the crew?” B stood up as the three bots watch him curiously as B walked over to a wall, which actually was a metal shutter as the bot lightly punched the wLl. “Hey, guys! We got company!” B slid the shudder to the side, revealing a table with three figures that had been built from scrap material. Galaxy was surprised and saddened since it showed how lonely B-127 has been. B walked over to the first figure, turning the top slightly to make it seem like it was looking at them. “This EP-508...” He walked to the next one and grabbed its arm, pretending it waved at them. “This is A-Atron, and...” B put his arm on the shoulder pad of the last one, which did have a strange head which looked a bit like a data device to Galaxy. “This fella here is Steve.”

Galaxy raised an eyebrow as that was an odd name. Orion even noticed too. “Steve?”

“Yeah, he’s foreign,” B responded with an affirmative nod.

“Question…” D looked at the bot with slight concern. “Do they talk back to you?”

“Um, they’re not real!” B-127 chuckled and Galaxy smiled as that was good he acknowledged that, though she did think D shouldn’t have asked the question. “Jeez, you think I’m that crazy?”

“No, no, it’s just you’ve been down here a long time…” Orion began before B interrupted.

“I was talking to Steve.”

D looked at Galaxy and noticed her concerned expression before he signed, making her look at him. ‘He is nice, but I am starting to notice a few loose gears in that bot’s processor.’

Galaxy snorted in amusement and Orion glanced back, raising an eyebrow as he looked at D who said nothing before Orion looked back at B as a light turned on in the side of Steve’s head and a muffled voice began speaking. Though B-127 didn’t think it strange as he laughed and wrapped his arm around its neck. “Classic Steve!”

“What is that?” Orion walked over as he immediately zoned in, looking closer at Steve as he could tell it wasn’t normal. “It’s coming from inside…”

Orion grabbed the side of Steve’s head gently, which was enough to cause the head to fall forward. B-127 shrieked in horror, startling Orion a little. “Steve! No!”

“I am so sorry!” Orion exclaimed as he hurried to try and fix it.

D and Galaxy watch quietly as they look at each other and Galaxy signed to D. ‘I actually feel bad that B thinks these things are real bots.’

D-16 shrugged and responded. ‘I don’t. He’s a little too weird, but I guess that’s what we will be if we stay here too long.’

Galaxy nodded in agreement when Orion nudged a beacon chip from Steve and it began projecting an alert. Galaxy gasped as she immediately recognized Alpha Trion and walked over to the table, looking at the projection with a shocked expression as this was the moment Alpha Trion sent an alert to the High Guard for assistance back when they had been ambushed by the Quintessons. It actually was surprising that this alert had been recorded, but unsurprising it had been tossed away. B just happened to find it within a piece of scrap where the chip likely had been lodged in, and he decided to keep it, so it didn’t get smelted.

“That’s Alpha Trion.” Orion stared at the projection in disbelief.

“One of the Primes?” D-16 was also staring in disbelief as he listened to the message continue.

Orion frowned a little as he listened. “It’s an SOS message.” They listen as Alpha Trion spoke about protecting the Matrix and sending location coordinates. When Alpha Trion’s message stopped and the projection transformed to show Cybertron and the location of where the Primes had fallen, they all were in shock.

“Holy, Primus!” B-127 likely felt foolish as he knew that he had this information for a long time, but never cared.

“Those are coordinates to a location on the surface. This could be where the Primes died in the Quintesson war.” Galaxy nodded as she believed this and looked at Orion as he thought about it and what it could mean. “Which means this is where we could find the Matrix of Leadership.”

“What are you talking about?” D-16 looked at Orion with a frown, thinking he might be foolish to think that. “It’s an old beacon inside a statue made of garbage.”

“Or it’s a clue of how we could the Matrix of Leadership!” Orion touched the map, pointing at the location on the surface.

“No! Now way!” Galaxy looked at D in surprise as D-16 immediately didn’t want anything to do with it. “Absolutely not!”

“Hey D, come on, this could be our chance to show everyone we’re not…”

D-16 quickly interrupted Orion in frustration of his friend’s insistence of showing everyone they were more than just regular miners. “You already tried to show everyone in the race you tricked me into running, which got us stuck down here in this waste hole with this, uh…” D-16 extended his hand to B who stared at him as D immediately had to change what he was about to say. “Really cool guy.”

B-127 smiled immediately. “Oh, thank you!”

Uh oh, B is a little bit too naïve and innocent if he didn’t understand dadda’s dislike for him, despite that dadda tried to hide it with neutral words.

Orion sighed as he spoke again. “I’m just saying…”

“There’s a reason no one goes to the surface!” D-16 interrupted Orion again. “It’s dangerous! I’m waiting right here until Sentinel Prime finds us.” Galaxy looked at D in surprise and D ignored her. “No matter what Galaxy has said about him, I am positive that this is all a misunderstanding. Once he realizes we are missing he’ll come down here for us.” D leaned against the conveyor belt with his arms folded.

Orion nodded a little. “Oh, okay, yeah. We’ll just stay down here forever.” Orion backed away from D with a frown to lean against the wall and glanced at B. “That cool with you B?”

“Forever?! This is great!” B-127 exclaimed excitedly. “I have new co-workers and new roommates! There’s plenty of room now that Steve is dead…” Galaxy covered her mouth to try not to laugh as it was sad and amusing at the same time. “I usually recharge on the conveyor belt, but you can totally have it. I’ll recharge in the corner with A-Atron.” D-16 groaned a little as B’s chatter was annoying him. “Plenty of room for you to stretch out too, cause you’re taller than I am.” D-16 turned his back to B-127, trying not to show his irritation too much. “Know what I mean?”

“Hey, D…” Orion began with a tone that sounded like he was teasing, while also dangling some kind of temptation for D-16. “What do you think Sentinel’s reaction would be if you personally handed him the Matrix of Leadership you found?” Galaxy picked up a long, piece of metal and held it up for Orion to see and acted like she was stabbed in at the chassis, by making a death sound and fell onto her back. Orion frowned at her. “Galaxy, that’s a little overdramatic. He would be pretty happy I think.”

Oh, you have no idea…

“Okay, Pax, stop, I what you’re trying to do. And…” D-16 turned with a smile. “It’s definitely working! I’m in!”

Orion cheered excitedly as Galaxy stood up, brushing off the dust and tossing the metal piece onto the conveyor belt. “Yeah, buddy!” Orion picked up the beacon from the table to keep the map so they knew where they would be going.

D-16 looked at B-127. “How do we get to the surface? I doubt it will be as simple as the same access we have to the waste management.”

“Pfft! You kidding me?” Galaxy smirked as B responded with a confidence like he knew how, and she suspected he likely would make it up. “The surface?” B folded his arms and leaned to the right. “Easy! I know a way!” Then he frowned with a sudden seriousness. “But it won’t be easy.”

Galaxy slapped her hand on her forehead, loud enough for them all to look at her as she was immediately irritated with B’s response. Orion and D were also confused too. Orion intakes deeply and looked at B. “Alright, well, which direction should we go?” B pointed to the chute and Orion looked at it in surprise before looking back at B. “The chute?”

B-127 nodded. “Mmm hmm, that chute connects to a multitude of tunnels, and if you want to get to the surface without being noticed and avoid making Galaxy cloak all us, that is the best way to go. And we will be going to waste management, as those trains go to the surface. And we can’t go in there normally, so it is the only way.”

I guess that is the won’t be easy part.

“Alright.” Orion hummed softly as they had no harness for Galaxy. He looked at the sparkling and he thought of how to ensure she could go with them. “Hmm…since we don’t have a harness with us, you are going to have to cling to one of us.” Galaxy nodded in agreement. “I think if I get you to cling to our back, so we can climb easier, that should work.”

“Wait, should we take her to the surface with us?” D-16 asked with a frown. “Shouldn’t we find…”

Galaxy immediately hugged D-16’s right leg with a whimper, shaking her head. D looked at her in surprise and she began to sign. ‘Do not ask me to be separated from you, dadda. I don’t care that Darkwing and Sentinel tried separating us, you’re still my dadda. So I am coming with you.’

Orion smiled as he was glad that she wanted to and he looked at D. “I think it will be fine, D. Her coming with us won’t be bad.” D smiled as he nodded in agreement. “Okay.” He looked at the chute before he knelt down. “Which one of us do you…” Galaxy turned to Orion and ran around behind him and slipped her arms around his shoulders. “Good girl…” Orion stood up and shifted his shoulders to make sure she was secure and her legs wrapped around his waist. He looked at D-16 with a smile. “You can carry the energon bottles.”

D-16 chuckled as he picked up the containment to attached it to his hip port. “I guess we should get going if we want to get to the surface.” He turned as B-127 walked over to the chute and climbed onto the side of the conveyor belt. “I hope you are right about this B, because this might be the only way out.”

“Don’t worry! It is the only way! Just make sure you don’t slip, because it’s a long way down, as Galaxy has already experienced.” B grabbed the base of the chute to begin pulling himself off. “At least its mostly small stuff falling in here, so you will be fine.”

D-16 nodded as he walked over and stepped up to the conveyor belt and grabbed the base of the chute to follow B. Orion did the same, making sure that Galaxy was secured as the sparkling tightened her grip. This was going to be rather tricky going through the chute this way, but B-127 at least was right about this being the most stealthy way to go. After all, no one would be checking the vents for cogless bots trying to get to the surface.

Galaxy herself was feeling anxious and excited about returning to the surface. She knew as soon as she would reach the surface, the protocols in her vocal processor that was preventing her from speaking will expire, as will the protocols in her t-cog preventing her from transforming back into her draconic form. She had no idea if that will feel weird or not, but she was going to shock everyone when she could speak and prove, once and for who, that was indeed a dragon. And in some way, she couldn’t wait to see their faces and prove them wrong. And hopefully, it might actually make them believe her about Sentinel. Because that was the sticking point that was the most difficult to prove that Sentinel was evil. And it was irritating, but she had no other way to prove he is evil. Hopefully, it really won’t come to Sentinel killing them for them to believe her.

Chapter Text

Galaxy whimpered softly as Orion, D-16 and B-127 climb through the trash chute to make their way to the waste management area. She was a little irritated with how much garbage hit her in the face, and she couldn’t swat it away because she would fall if she let’s go. She held Orion tightly, even though he has told her a few times she was holding a little too tight around his neck, despite the fact that Galaxy did not mean it and didn’t want to fall. And as it took the bots a lot of effort to climb through the chute, due to the metal and steep climb, it wasn’t very easy. And while D and Orion did complain a little about the trash falling on top of them too, they were making progress, and that was good.

Though Galaxy did wonder if Elita was working right now. Since they were going to the waste management area, she was bound to be there. Though Galaxy did not know if Elita would be happy to see them, since she did blame Orion for losing her job. Plus, Elita likely would have refocused herself to climb the ladder again, so she wouldn’t want anyone in her way. Even if it was bots she knew. So that will be interesting if that did happen.

“Ugh! How much further, B? We have been climbing for what feels like hours now!” D-16 grunted as he continued to climb. “If we keep going, I might lose my limbs from the rust that will inevitably form quickly as we keep climbing.”

“Don’t worry, my friends, we are almost there!” B responded enthusiastically. “I can see the right chute we have to go through up here to get to the trash facility. There will be less garbage since they deal with the worst waste. So we won’t have metal slapping our faces.”

“Thank Primus, for that!” D-16 exclaimed with a huff. “I’m starting to regret this!”

“Hey, well, if you want to turn back, you got to wait until the tunnel is clear, D.” Orion joked while D-16 loudly groaned in irritation. “It’s up to you when we get there. Otherwise, we can just keep going, D. We are almost there, and it will be okay.” Galaxy murmured softly as Orion turned his head slightly. “Are you okay, Galaxy?” She nodded. “Good. I can feel your spark pulsing quickly against my back, that’s all. At least you got a strong grip.”

Galaxy smiled as she was also glad that she had a strong grip. She wasn’t going to let go. She was glad that nothing covered in oil fell down through the chute, as if any splattered on them, it would make things more difficult. Galaxy looked up for a moment, but she couldn’t really see anything, on D-16’s legs and aft in the way, so she didn’t know how far they really were.

“Alright, just a little bit up to the right here, and we will be out!” B-127 shouted excitedly. “I can see the end of the tunnel now, so we can all take a moment before proceeding. Hopefully we won’t get spotted.” That would certainly be the only thing to worry about. “Galaxy, if you think you should cloak us all, now is the time.”

Galaxy smiled as she understood why they would want that, but she felt it might not be necessary. Especially as she felt her current excitement and anxiety would likely cause her to make a mistake. So for the moment, she felt it should be fine. Because it was unlikely that they would encounter someone, unless Sentinel had a bunch of bots looking for her, even though the chutes may not necessarily be the first place he would have the look or patrol. Especially as Sentinel believes she is in the city still.

“Oh, finally!” D-16 exclaimed as he continued to pull himself through the tunnel. “We are here!”

B chuckled softly as he crawled out of the chute and checked their surrounding before he turned and held his hand towards D. “Told you we didn’t have far to go. Now we just need to head to where they load the trains.”

D-16 took B-127’s hand as the yellow bot helped D out of the the chute. Once D was out, he sighed in relief and turned to help Orion out of the chute. Galaxy was smiling as she was glad that they were able to get out of the chute. It took a lot longer than they had expected, so they certainly were feeling a little bit tired from it. Only B seemed to still have the same energy.

Once they were out of the chute, Galaxy slid off Orion’s back and began brushing off dust and debris from her body. Though Orion turned and knelt down to help her brush off the dust, which made Galaxy try to help him as well, which Orion found very endearing, even though he was capable of doing it himself. And so was Galaxy, but Orion just enjoyed giving extra care to his daughter. Especially since he knew Galaxy was still upset about how they reacted to her story.

He kissed her forehead and Galaxy shook her head, looking at him with a grin. “Ready to go to the surface, hmm?” Galaxy nodded excitedly. “It will be dangerous.”

Galaxy shrugged as she lifted her hands to sign. ‘You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this day, daddy.’ Orion raised an eyebrow as he was curious about that. ‘Am I not able to dream about it?’

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course.” Orion chuckled as he thought Galaxy was going to tell him something new, but he felt relieved. Galaxy knew he was thinking that, but she couldn’t wait to show him and D. Orion cleared his throat and stood up, brushing himself off some more and turned to B-127 and D-16. “Okay…where to now?”

Galaxy looked around to see that the trash room of the waste management was actually quite small. There were shelves filled with cleaning products and equipment nearby, and a few other chutes to deeper sub-levels. There was a container filled with some pieces of items that may or not be thrown, but this place wasn’t big. It seemed like it was mostly used for storage. The archway leading out of the room had no door, so they would need to be careful.

“Follow me, and don’t move too quickly. We will probably get spotted that way.” B-127 tip toed towards the archway, followed by Orion and D while Galaxy walked between the two bots. B leaned as they reached the archway as he looked out. “Oh, good, looks like they’re still loading the train. But it will be filled soon.”

B stepped out and made a sharp right with the bots following. Galaxy looked at the massive waste management area. This space was way larger than Galaxy expected. There were many crates that were likely filled with trash that had brought here by a different train, and bots were carefully moving the boxes to the disposal train. Galaxy wondered how often disposal trains go to the surface, though she suspected at least a few times a week.

There was a pile of toxic waste that was covered with oil that needed to be dealt with before it can be put into a crate to get rid of or get reused, so there were bots dealing with that. And some of the waste was even being incinerated, which made sense. Though that was at the very far end of the space. It was a very busy, dirty place and Galaxy could see why bots would not enjoy working here. She was trying to spot Elita as she knew that the femme would be here somewhere.

B led the bots quietly and as quickly as they could. They all knew this was risky, but so far, it seemed like that it was going to be very much worth it. B-127 was looking around for where they could go and he spotted a large, crate magnet ahead. It was currently lowering down to pick up some crates and would move them to a pile beside the train, which was their opportunity and B gestured to it.

The bots walk over to it quickly, though the magnet was quick and began rising, so Orion picked Galaxy up as B and D climbed on top of the magnet before D grabbed the sparkling and helped Orion onto the top of the magnet. “At least this hasn’t been too bad. Was this the easy part or the hard part?” D-16 asked as he looked at B.

B-127 smiled at him. “Well, technically, this was the easy part. But at least we are here, and those disposal trains are the only vehicles that go all the way to the surface.”

D-16 nodded as he crouched, looking at the train. “Yeah, I know, but they don’t allow passengers. The trains autonomous, but they should still get us up there if we stay on this thing and get off onto the roof of a car when this magnet gets us close enough to the train.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the won’t be easy part. After all, we need to hide in there until the bots have completely loaded the train, and it might not be as easy as you think.” B-127 glanced at the worker bots curiously. “But…since it looks like they’re almost done, we might get a bit lucky today.”

“It’s perfect.” Orion was pleased with this plan as it was currently going rather smoothly. He looked down at the bots as the magnet moved towards the train, preparing to lower the crates down. “We’ll be safe inside.” He looked at Galaxy as she was crouched him. “And I want you to stay close to us, Galaxy. You might have to get on my back again since we’re about to drop down.” Galaxy nodded as she quickly did just that, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist. “Good.”

Galaxy smiled as she kissed his neck as she was grateful for her parents being here. She was still feeling anxious, excited and nervous right now, so her spark was pulsing really quickly. And it was unlikely to slow down until they did reach the surface. She was mostly worried about this going wrong and they would be caught, so she hoped that wouldn’t be the case. As while it has gone well so far, it could change any time.

Orion, D-16 and B-127 climbed down to the end of the magnet as it moved over the train and they drop down onto the car below them. Luckily, no one saw them. Orion knelt so Galaxy could slide off his back and she walked quietly with them as they walked along the roof of the car, looking for a way to get inside. Galaxy couldn’t help but grab Orion’s right hand as she felt the need for comfort. Orion gently squeezed her hand, knowing she was uneasy right now, just like they all were, but he knew this would all be worth it.

“Looks like there is a hatch over there,” D-16 noted as he gestured towards the roof of the car in front of them. “Hopefully it isn’t locked.”

“It shouldn’t be. I think they only lock when they head to the surface, so we should be able to get in.” B-127 glanced over the side of the car before looking at D. “The only thing is, we will need to make sure that we aren’t spotted. So we will need to wait a moment anyway.”

D nodded as he understood. Upon reaching the hatch, the bots crouch down and open it slightly. Orion glanced through the gap, watching a pair of bots carrying a large crate before they placed it down and walked out of the car. This was good, as the two bots said that it was the last crate and it was time to send up the train, so they came at the best time possible. Orion smiled as he watched the bots leave before pushing the hatch open.

He stepped down from the hatch onto a shelf before D-16 picked up and lowered Galaxy down to him. Galaxy murmured softly as she immediately wrapped her arms around Orion’s shoulders once he held her and he smiled. “Easy, Galaxy. You need to try and relax. Your spark is still pulsing wildly.”

“Can you really blame her though?” D-16 asked quietly as he slid down from the hatch and B-127 followed after. “We’re about to head up to the surface. I am nervous myself, but my spark isn’t pulsing wildly like hers is.”

“No, I cannot blame her. I am feeling the same, honestly.” Orion rubbed Galaxy’s back as he looked around and spotted a ladder. “You better hang on tighter, Galaxy, there’s a ladder right here.” Galaxy wrapped her legs around his waist immediately before Orion began climbing down the ladder carefully. “You are doing a good job remaining quiet, Galaxy. We shall be up there in no time at all.”

Galaxy just nodded as she waited until Orion reached the floor and lowered the sparkling down before walking towards a pile of crates to hide behind. “Hold up!” They all froze as soon as they heard a familiar voice. Galaxy smiled as she was happy, but Orion gently placed his hand over her mouth, knowing she would likely get the femme’s attention. “One more!” The doors slide open slowly to show Elita walking in with a large crate, and it blocked her view so the bots could hide behind the crates, though D-16 moved to hide away from them as there wasn’t room behind the crates Orion, B and Galaxy hid behind. Elita placed the crate down and pushed it forward before turning around. “I’ll lock it down!” She walked over to the door and pressed a button on the side of the door, causing all the crates to be clamped down on the floor within the train. However, as Elita looked back to make sure they were all in place, she looked up and noticed that the hatch was open. She immediately knew that someone had snuck in here as she frowned with a smirk, walking towards the hatch while looking around. “Ha! Thanks for being an idiot, whoever you are.” Orion and B ducked behind the crates, with Orion keeping Galaxy down as Elita looked at the crates briefly. “Turning you in will definitely get me promoted back up a rank or two.”

D-16, who had been hiding behind another crate, ran up from behind Elita and lunged, grabbing her suddenly. “Got her!”

Elita quickly got out of D’s grasp as she used the wall in front of her to push her feet on it and backflipped over D-16 before sweeping her leg to knock D onto the ground. B-127 ran out from behind the crates over to Elita with his hands up. “Wait, wait, wait, I…OW!”

Galaxy grimaced when Elita kneed B’s chassis hard, and Orion ran from behind the crates with his hands out to try and calm things down. “Elita! Stop!”

Elita tried punching Orion and he ducked under before she realized who he was. “Orion?!”

“Hold on!” Orion began to speak quickly. “Let me ex…”

Elita punched Orion’s cheek, cutting him off and Galaxy could not help but shriek as she ran over, making Elita gasp in surprise. “Galaxy?! Wait, what are you…” Elita stared at the sparkling briefly before she shook her head and turned on her heel sharply to rush towards the door. "Security! Sound the alarm!”

The doors clamp shut before Elita could run out and the train proceeded forward, which Galaxy was surprised by since the other workers would know Elita was still on the train. Elita punched the door in frustration and Galaxy walked over to her, with Elita looking at her briefly with concern before she ran forward. Galaxy whimpered a little as she knew Elita didn’t know why they were there, and she ran after her. “Galaxy, no! She’s headed to the engine!” D-16 exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, I got this!” Orion responded before he ran after Elita with D and B following, while subsequently reaching for Galaxy. “Hold up, Galaxy!” Galaxy shook off Orion’s hand as she knew Elita wouldn’t hurt her. Orion huffed and looked at Elita as they were quickly gaining on her. “Hold on, let me explain! We’re on a mission!”

“So am I!” Elita snapped back as she ran through the doors to the next car, leaping onto a cart and glaring at Orion briefly. “To ruin your life and find a better caregiver for that sparkling!” Galaxy was impressed with how agile Elita was as the femme flipped over the carts like they were nothing, and wondered how great of a warrior Elita would be if she had a cog.

Though while she was impressed, it was a little annoying that Elita was more interesting in dealing with them over listening to them. It was understandable though, as Elita would still be angry at Orion for her losing her position. And since Orion showed up with D, Galaxy and a different bot, Elita probably thought Orion was up to something no good, so it was somewhat understandable.

The bots managed to get around the crates to try and catch up to Elita when the train began to ascend, tilting upwards and shifting the gravity. Elita was able to sit on top of one of the crates before Orion and Galaxy could reach her when that happened. Elita looked at Galaxy with worry as the sparkling shrieked in surprise and Orion caught Galaxy as they fell backwards, landing on top of D-16 and B-127 unintentionally as the train continued to climb upward.

“Ugh…” Orion shifted off the two bots, looking at Galaxy who looked at him with wide optics. “Are you okay?” She nodded and she looked up at Elita. Orion looked at the femme as well as Elita was relieved Galaxy was okay, but her hardened glare returned as she looked at Orion. “Elita, wait!” Elita leaned and pressed a button on the side of the crate she was on before pulling herself up. “We found a message! We know where…”

Galaxy gasped when Elita pushed her feet on the crate, causing it to slide quickly towards the bots. B-127 shoved Orion out of the way as Orion held Galaxy in his arms. Galaxy was surprised Elita would do that, given Elita was still concerned for the sparkling’s safety, though Elita seemed to be getting desperate. And it was clouding her judgement, maybe. Though Galaxy hope that they could reason with the femme sooner than later.

“This bot is crazy!” B-127 exclaimed, looking up at Elita with wide optics. “Who is she?! She almost squished your sparkling!”

D-16 shrugged as he looked at Galaxy. “Well…Elita has already been very…serious about things.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as she kept her arms around Orion’s shoulders. “I hope you are okay.”

Galaxy nodded again and signed quickly. ‘I am not angry at Elita for that. I am very anxious though. The train is moving faster.’

D nodded in agreement, looking up as Elita continued climbing through the train, eager to get to the engine. “Dead end, Elita!” Orion called out as it appeared that there wasn’t a way out on the other end of the car. “There’s no way…” Orion grimaced as Elita opened the hatch of the car and Orion shrugged. “Well, she’s gone.” Orion looked at Galaxy sympathetically. “You’ll have to move to my back again, Galaxy. I’m afraid…” Orion grimaced as Galaxy scuffled around to his back rather than dropping down to climb onto his back and she did so pretty quickly, and she clung to his back firmly. Orion shuddered as that was unexpected. “Eh, that felt a little weird.”

“Doesn’t matter, she is safer now.” D-16 began climbing up the car, using the crates to help him get up, as did Orion and B-127. “Primus, this train is moving! I think it is moving a lot faster than the racers in the Iacon 5000!”

“It probably has to, to get to the surface,” Orion responded while he pulled himself onto a cart. Galaxy’s anxiety grew as Orion climbed and Galaxy looked up, knowing that they were about to reach the surface. But as they were getting closer to the surface, she felt her vocal processor pulse and itch as the protocols were sense the closeness of the surface, and it made her cough a little, and she startled Orion as the cough was a heavy cough. “Oh, you okay, Galaxy? You didn’t intake any metal dust from the chute, did you?” Galaxy shook her head and hid her face in the back of his neck as her t-cog felt like it twisted as it twitched and pinched, making her uncomfortable. “Hmm, okay.”

“There’s a bit of dust coming in from the hatch.” B-127 gestured towards the hatch, and he wasn’t wrong. There was a lot of dust rushing in from the outside. “That could be why.”

Orion hummed as he could feel Galaxy’ body tensing and she was whimpering lightly, which made him think something else was going on But he couldn’t check until it was safe to do so. Galaxy at least still had a firm hold around his neck, so that was something. So he hoped it was just some of the dust coming through from the open hatch that made the sparkling cough and uncomfortable. It would be easy to deal with after.

As Orion reached the hatch first, he peered out and widened his optics and looked down. Seeing the train going straight up was one thing, experiencing it was definitely another. And he could see how far they were from the city. Galaxy saw this too as she leaned to take a look and she couldn’t help but whimper, making Orion gently rubbed her arm briefly to give her comfort before he looked up to see Elita was struggling a little to climb up to the engine of the train.

“Hold on tight, Galaxy! This is going to get a little wild, I think.” Galaxy just nodded, hiding her face in his back as Orion pushed himself out and climbed up the car to try and catch up to Elita. “You are doing good, Galaxy. Keep holding on. We should be safe soon.”

I hope so…I can feel the protocols in my vocal processor and t-cog about to drop, and I’ll be free…kind of. But this train is moving so fast and Elita’s reaction was completely unexpected. Ugh…

Galaxy heard B-127 complaining about why he was doing this now that he was out of the train. She didn’t blame him. He met three news bots, and he was basically thrown into this mission unexpectedly, and he likely was excited about all this too, so this wouldn’t have been what he thought would happen. But none of them really anticipated it either, so it was a surprise to everyone. But they also all knew it would be highly risky.

Orion huffed as he continued climbing and he was gaining ground on Elita who was focused on getting to the engine as fast as she could. She wasn’t glancing back at all, just remaining focused, which was good. And at least they were almost caught up to her, but Galaxy did not think that Elita was going to make it easy for them. She already has shown that she was going to put her job above those she considered friends, or acquaintances in this instance.

Galaxy glanced up, widening her optics as a cloud of dust and metal particles filled the air as the train tilted again, and it seemed to be snaking through the cloud as it was finally reaching the surface. Galaxy hid her face in Orion’s back again as the bots brace themselves before the force of the train almost threw off the bots. Galaxy yelped as Orion held onto the sides firmly and she tightened her grip herself, not wanting to get thrown off, and she briefly checked to see that D, B and Elita were not thrown off either. She was thoroughly relieved to see they were okay.

The train straightened out as it continued speeding through the cloud of dust and metal particles, and Elita crawled forward to get away from the bots. Orion though took the opportunity to grab Elita’s right ankle, and the femme immediately turned sharply, raising her fist with a glare. Galaxy shrieked as she thought Elita was really going to punch Orion, while at the same time, she began to cough as her vocal processor tickled with a sharp pinch and her t-cog stopped twisting within her.

Orion shifted as he was worried about Galaxy, but as the train drove out of the dust and metal particles, the bots glance around to a clear, open sky on the surface of the planet. Orion glanced around briefly as he moved Galaxy onto the ground, and she coughed loudly as her vocal processor needed a moment while Orion rubbed her back and D-16 stepped forward, concerned as they both assumed she had a lot of dust and metal particles stuck in her throat.

Elita, though still mad at them, knelt with concern. “Is she okay?”

Galaxy coughed a little more before rubbing her lips with the back of her hand and looked up at Elita with a smile before she signed. ‘Yep, I am fine. My throat is a little ticklish.’

“Must have been the cloud…” Elita frowned a little as she looked at Orion. “Which is your fault for dragging her along with you on some more shenanigans!”

Orion groaned a little with a roll of his optics before he glanced around. “And yet, we’re on the surface.” Galaxy looked up and she smiled, intaking the cool, fresh, open air of the surface of the planet. Now that the train was running on a smooth line, the bots all stood up and Galaxy was smiling as seeing the stars again was very exciting. Along with beautiful, aurora lights that reflected off the surface of the planet and the solar system sun rising ahead of them. Orion looked down at Galaxy who had a big smile on her face. “Feel better now?”

Galaxy nodded without looking at Orion. She could see some metal plates shifting and forming new cliffs in some places in front of them as the train rolled by and there were patches of water laying on the surface. She looked around to see if there were still some plants growing on the surface. She has longed to try some of the energon fruits that draconic bots often ingested from the surface of the planet. And it was safe for her, as it would all be low grade and has different tastes compared to the formula Galaxy has grown accustomed to.

“Oh…the surface…” D-16 was staring in disbelief, as they had been told for so long that it was dangerous, but now they could see it. Galaxy hoped that the bots would consider that it was lie that they were told about the surface, as it wasn’t as dangerous as they believe it is to be.

“It’s...beautiful...” Elita stared in disbelief of what she was seeing as Orion glanced at Elita with a subtle smile, glad that he was able to experience this with her too. Even if it wasn’t intended, he was still glad.

“I am speechless!” Galaxy almost giggled as hearing B say that was understandable, but as he was such a chatterbox, it also was very funny coming from him. B looked at Galaxy and smiled as she glanced back at him. “You are so lucky that you get to experience this at your age. I can tell that you love it.”

Galaxy nodded as she glanced at the lights in the distance. “Even I am happy too.” D-16 stepped closer to Galaxy, kneeling beside her and she looked at him with a giggle. “This is amazing! I am glad you are here. Sorry about suggesting that someone else should care for you.”

Galaxy wanted to respond with her voice, but she decided to wait for a moment and signed her response. ‘It is okay, dadda. You were just worried for me. I am not mad at you. But now you are stuck with me.’

D-16 chuckled softly and kissed the side of her forehead. “I’m glad you are not mad. I guess...I just want what is best. But you are here now, and we might as well make the most of it.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement as she certainly wanted to do that. Now that she was on the surface, the protocols Oranos had put in place on her vocal processor and t-cog will not be reinstated now. Even if and when she goes back to Iacon. She could talk and transform whenever she wants to now. But she did feel that it was the wrong time currently. At least, for now. She would surprise them soon.

Orion looked at Elita now that everyone has calmed down. “Elita, listen to me...” Elita tensed a little as Orion spoke. “We know where the Matrix of Leadership is.”

“Oh, sure!” Elita turned to Orion with a frown as she spoke sarcastically. “And I’m really a Prime, I just prefer loading crates of toxic waste on a train. And Galaxy can actually talk, she just chooses not to.” Galaxy opened her mouth to say something when Orion turned the beacon on to show Elita the map. This quickly made Elita quiet as she now believed him. “Whoa...where did you get this?”

“From my friend Steve.” Galaxy looked at B in shock as B-127 responded with a smile. “Orion killed him.”

Orion sighed in slight irritation, knowing that the bot wasn’t even alive. “I did not kill Steve.”

“He was never alive!” D-16 barked, making B frowned slightly at them.

Elita frowned in confusion at them all. “What?”

She glanced at Galaxy who signed at her. ‘That poor bot was along for a long time. Daddy and dadda are right, but B has some issues that is all.’

Elita nodded in understanding now, even though Orion and D-16 did not really notice that Galaxy told Elita why B was a little odd. “Look...” Elita looked at Orion as he spoke again. “Sentinel told us he was going to the surface and then we found this message.” Galaxy rolled her optics a little, knowing Orion and D still believed that Sentinel was good. Elita touched the map to turn it to get a better look for herself. “We figured that we could hand deliver it to him or scout the locations ourselves. Whichever comes first.” Elita stared at the map intently as the interest was definitely there. She certainly was tempted to join. “This was too important to wait. It will change all of our lives. Especially...” Orion placed a hand on Galaxy’s shoulder. “As I want to ensure that Galaxy’s future is brighter than it currently is.”

Galaxy thought it was sweet that Orion felt that way, but she also knew he was using her as a way to guilt Elita. Elita glanced at Galaxy for a moment before Elita intakes deeply while composing herself. “No, no, no, no, no, I’m not going to get demoted again because of you. And bringing Galaxy with you, what were you thinking? This has to be the stupidest thing after your stunt in the Iacon 5000, and at least you didn’t bring her with you in the race. But I assume she was home alone during it.” Orion grimaced, which was the answer Elita needed. She sighed deeply as she turned around. “I’m turning this rig around and I’m notifying the authorities...”

“Hey, guys.” Galaxy, Orion, B and Elita turned around as D spoke suddenly with concern. “Guys, what is that?”

Galaxy looked at what D-16 was talking about, and she widened her optics as she immediately recognised the shifting plates ahead of them. But they were not away from them, this was coming towards them. And moving a lot faster than the train was moving too. It seemed that it was likely trying to make a new mountain, but it also looked like it was folded forward, which was extremely intimidating, and Galaxy stepped backwards nervously while the bots looked at it curiously. Which she knew would be bad if they stared it for too long.

“Is it getting bigger?” D-16 asked as Orion and Elita step forward, looking at the metal curiously.

“Or closer?” Elita questioned as Galaxy whimpered loudly, tapping Orion’s hips to get his attention.

However, B-127 turned swiftly and began running along the top of the train towards engine, and an alarm began to go off, which signalled all of them that this was bad. When Orion, D and Elita turn around, D-16 picked Galaxy up just before Orion could and held the sparkling against his chassis as they ran. Galaxy whimpered watching the approaching metal land mass with wide optics as the ground shifted, turning into sharp cliffs as they rose from the ground like saws cutting through beams.

The metal cut through behind the train, slicing pieces of the path that formed as the train moved, causing the train to shake and vibrate from the land mass. Galaxy whimpered as she couldn’t help but hide her face in D-16’s shoulder, and he immediately placed a hand over the top of her head protectively, knowing that this was extremely dangerous and they needed to get back inside the train. And fast, as they did not want to have to perform any emergency medical treatment without a medic bot around.

B shouted desperately as he ran towards an open hatch. “Don’t close! Don’t close!” B gasped as the hatch ahead of them began closing. “No, stop!” Elita slid forward to try and open the hatch, as did B and Orion as they knelt to grab at the hatch doors to try and open it. “It’s closed!”

D-16 did the same as Galaxy clung to him tightly. She looked up and screamed as the spikes began hitting up the back of the train, causing the cars to fly up slightly, while the attachments held them together. “Oh, now I know why no one comes to the surface!” D-16 threw himself to the side, grabbing the railing while bracing himself protectively over Galaxy. “Hold on tight, Galaxy!” Orion moved closer to D as well, and D looked at him in shock as Orion held a similar position to protect Galaxy. “What are…”

“We both need to make a wall for her! This is going to get very wild!” Orion gripped on the railing firmly before shouting as the train rocked, throwing them about as the sparkling shrieked while hiding her face in D-16’s chassis. “Hold on, Galaxy! We are right here!”

Galaxy couldn’t stop the tears flying from her optics as the train jolted violently and she was digging her fingers into D-16’s back, which was likely scratching him a little. But it didn’t matter. The train hit a metal spike when it rose suddenly, jolting the train to the side, throwing the bots around as they grip the railings of the train as best as they could. Not only was this happening, the train was also picking up a lot of speed at this point and it was adding additional force as the bots were thrown.

Galaxy yelped as she felt D-16 almost being thrown off the train and he fell back down, unintentionally landing on top of her and she exhaled loudly. "Frag! Sorry, Galaxy!” D-16 exclaimed in shock. "Argh! This isn’t good! My hands are slipping…AHH!”

Galaxy screamed as she felt D rolled to the right side of the train before the bots were thrown to the left again. She did not remember the surface being this volatile before. But this was after the Matrix had been lost because of Sentinel. So, in a sense, this could be how the planet was acting without energon flowing through it. And it was terrifying. Galaxy wondered if the draconic bots living on the surface experience this often.

But that curiosity was thrown away quickly as the train was thrown side-to-side again as the metal pieces continued moving forward and from the sides, hitting the train and almost completely throwing it off its path. However, one sharp cliff rose suddenly, hitting the train from beneath hard enough to throw the train of the car hard enough to cause the bots to let go and get thrown from the train, and also snapping the back car clean off the train itself.

Galaxy screamed as the force not only threw the bots off the train, but her grip around D-16 slipped as his body unintentionally pushed her away. She screamed as D tried grabbing for her, as did Orion, but they were propelled forward so quickly and with such force that they didn’t. And all they all could see was the ground coming up very fast, and the land was still shifting as well, and Galaxy braced herself for a hard landing before hitting the ground hard and everything went black.

Chapter Text

Orion groaned as he came to after hitting his head hard. His head throbbed a little as he opened his optics, blinking as his optics adjusted to the light reflecting off the surface of the planet. It took his a moment to remember what had happened and he sat up with a gasp, glancing around with wide optics as he had to remind himself he was on the surface now. The stars above were shining and he realized that it seemed that the plates weren’t shifting now. It was much calmer than when they were on the train. Orion looked towards the sun briefly before he brushed the dust off his shoulders and looked to the right.

He gasped as he could see his friends were all knocked out on the ground not far from him. They had all been thrown in different directions, but they luckily were nearby. B-127 had the most unfortunate landing though, as he was stuck in a crack of the planet, so he would need some additional help getting out. And it seemed that B had woken up as he was kicking his legs and calling out for help at this time.

Orion wanted to go over and help B, but as he looked around, he gasped as his optics spot Galaxy. She was laying unconscious beside a sharp, metal formation and she her back was towards him. Orion looked around for D-16 briefly as he scrambled to his feet and ran over to his sparkling. He worried about how injured she might be from being thrown from the train. Orion was lucky that only his head and frame ached, which will pass quickly. Galaxy might not be so lucky.

“Galaxy!” Orion fell to his knees beside her and gently touched her shoulder to roll her onto her back. Galaxy’s chassis rose and fell gently, which was good since she wasn’t dead, and he check her limbs and shoulders to ensure that there was no damage. He was thankful none of her limbs appeared to be twisted, but her right foot was bleeding some energon from the inside of her foot and he could see that that was some damage, which he knew was going to hurt. Her right shoulder looked a little damaged too, but he checked to make sure it wasn’t dislocated. “Galaxy…” The sparkling frowned as she began to stir and murmur softly. “I’m right here, Galaxy.”

Galaxy groaned a little as she opened her optics slowly to see Orion’s worried expression looking back at her. She glanced up at the stars above as she remembered they were on the surface, but she grimaced as she felt a sharp pain in her right foot and aches through her frame, especially her lower back. She whimpered softly as she intakes deeply while Orion smiled back at her with a gentle, reassuring smile.

Galaxy moved to sit up and Orion placed a hand on her shoulder. “Easy, Galaxy. Don’t sit up just yet.” Galaxy huffed with a frown. “I know you want to, but we all were just thrown off a train. Um, looks like your right foot had cut on something and there’s a bit of energon bleeding. I imagine it hurts.” Galaxy nodded. “Does anywhere else hurt?”

Galaxy nodded again and signed. ‘My whole frame hurts, especially my back. I guess I got lucky.’

“Maybe, but aren’t medics and we don’t have a patch kit.” Orion intakes deeply and he gently lifted Galaxy to sit her up, making her grimace a little before sitting her against the formation behind her. She rolled her shoulders a bit as she looked around before she coughed a little, making Orion flinch. “Alright, alright, that is fair.” Orion grabbed Galaxy’s right ankle to lift it gently to inspect the sparkling’s foot. He spotted a small metal piece stuck in her foot, as her external covering around the area had shattered. “Oh, this might hurt a bit more.” Galaxy looked at Orion in surprise. “There’s a metal piece in your foot. I have to pull it.” Galaxy widened her optics and she yelped when Orion pulled the shard out, and it hurt. However, when she saw it, she was surprised it hurt a lot because the shard was small. “I guess the force of what happened hurt you.” Galaxy nodded as a few tears fall from her optics. “I know you didn’t say it, but I bet your head is hurting a bit too, isn’t it?” Galaxy nodded and she reached her arms towards him. “Alright, alright…” Orion picked up the sparkling to hug her against him. “I’m here. I’m here. But I should check up on the others. B’s awake and kicking…literally…”

Galaxy looked over and she saw B’s legs sticking out from the crack he was stuck in and they were kicking wildly. She snorted as she burst into laughter as she forgot the pain she felt in her body currently as it was hilarious to see B like that. She knew she shouldn’t laugh at him, but it was hard not to laugh over the fact that it looked ridiculous. But at least B didn’t appear to be hurt, since he was shouting for help.

Orion chuckled softly as he kissed the top of Galaxy forehead. “I know, it is pretty funny. But I need to…”

“Galaxy!” Orion turned his head to see D-16 running over to them. It appeared he had just woken up as he was stumbling towards them. “Oh, Primus!” He knelt in front of Galaxy as she looked at him with a smile. “I’m so glad that you are...” D-16 paused when he noticed her foot. “Oh no, you are injured.”

“She is, but it isn’t too bad. Unfortunately, I don’t have a patch kit so...” D-16 huffed as he grabbed a patch kit from his right, hip port. Orion was surprised. “Where did you get that?”

“I’m surprised you never thought of keeping one on you in case we need it, even in the mines. Especially after when Galaxy got injured.” D-16 was slightly smug about this fact too as he leaned down to begin applying the gel to soothe the wound and stop the bleeding, but it made Galaxy flinch as it stung slightly. He glanced down at the energon containment and looked at Orion. “While I do this, you should probably check the bottles. I imagine they have broken from that wild ride.”

Orion nodded as he removed the containment from D-16’s hip and opened it, finding that only one had broken, while the other ten were undamaged. “Oh! I guess we are in lucky.” Orion pulled out the undamaged bottles and D-16 was surprised to see that. Orion tipped the broken bottle and energon out. “I guess Galaxy managed to secure them well. Only one was destroyed because we already used one bottle. But that is still one less.”

“Better than having nothing.” Galaxy hissed as D-16 finished applying the gel and moved to bandage the wound. “Sorry, Galaxy. I’m not a medic, but it is the best we have got right now.” Galaxy understood. She looked over at B before looking around for Elita. “Might be a good idea to wake the recharging femme now, Pax. She will be mad at us otherwise, and I’ll get B once I am finished here.”

Orion huffed in amusement. “He may not like being left upside-down for too long.”

“Hey! He doesn’t know we are awake yet. And plus, it’s nice to have a little peace and quiet, don’t you think?” Orion rolled his optics and D-16 chuckled. “Aren’t you going to agree? That bot is way too annoying with all that talking.”

“You can’t really blame him for it though, D. He has been stuck at sub-level fifty for cycles.” Orion looked at Galaxy, smiling as she was sucking her thumb while looking around as she was trying to ignore the pain in her foot. “Everything will be okay. I imagine Elita will want to know you’re safe too.”

Galaxy knew that. She spotted Elita after looking around to see Elita slumped against a boulder. Orion stood up and walked over to the femme to wake her up. Elita was unlikely to be happy, since being thrown off the train meant that going back to Iacon would be difficult. After all, going back and explaining where she has been and why would be difficult. And Elita certainly would turn the bots in so she could climb the ladder again, even though Elita would want someone she knew to take Galaxy in.

D-16 intakes deeply as he finished applying the bandage and looked at Galaxy. “Does that feel better?” She nodded and he kissed her forehead. “Good. I bet that hurt. Is there anywhere else that hurts that I should know about?”

‘Just my frame and head. I know I hit something hard after landing, but there’s no metal burn. The only bad injury is my foot. Hopefully, I can walk.’

“If you can’t, you can sit on my shoulders for a bit. Does that sound good?” Galaxy smiled as that did sound like a great idea. She also knew that transforming so she would not have to rely on Orion or D-16 would also be good. D-16 chuckled softly as he stood up. “Least I know you would love it. Anyway, I’d better get B out of that before he rusts.”

Galaxy giggled as D-16 walked towards B-127 before looking over at Orion. She was glad that everyone seemed okay. The injuries weren’t as severe as expected, and Galaxy herself was glad her own injury was minor. And D-16 had a patch kit on him, which was very convenient. She intakes deeply, enjoying the fresh air around them now they were on the surface. She didn’t want to be stuck underground again, and she looked forward to getting rid of Sentinel as soon as possible.

“Elita.” Galaxy watched as Orion spoke to the femme with concern. “Elita!” Elita’s optics flutter open as she hears Orion speaking to her. Once her optics locked onto Orion’s, she frowned. “You okay?” Without a response, Elita punched Orion hard in the cheek, making him stumble backwards with a groan. “Ugh! Please stop punching me in the face!”

Elita ignored Orion as the smooth, slippery surface of the planet made her slip and struggle to get up. She took a moment to realize what happened. “Iacon...the train. The train?!” Elita began panicking while Galaxy looked at D-16 who grabbed B-127’s foot and began pulling him out. “Where’s the train?!”

“Relax, okay, here it comes.” Galaxy was surprised to see the train moving by, but it took her a second to realize it wasn’t the same one they had just been thrown off of. Elita and Orion watched it go by as Orion stood up. “And there it goes. Okay, I was wrong about that, it was going the other...”

“AAAAHHHHH!”

Galaxy flinched, smirking with amusement, and almost burst into fits of laughter at Elita’s frustrated response, which was warranted. She did hope that the scream wasn’t loud enough to draw attention, but Galaxy wasn’t about to get in the way of Elita’s frustration, as she would certainly make it very well known as to how irritated she was. Even to Galaxy, but maybe not as harsh.

Elita walked over to a metal formation to start punching out of frustration, causing a little bit of damage with each hit. D-16 and B-127 walk over as B had now been freed. D hummed softly as he turned to walk over to Galaxy and grabbed the containment to reattach to his hip and he looked at the sparkling who seemed to be okay. He knew she might still be in pain, but at least, she should mostly be okay.

“Did you want to try and stand?” D-16 asked gently as he knew that any weight on her foot might cause the wound to sting really bad. “I know you won’t mind being carried, but I think we should try anyway. What do you think?” Galaxy nodded as she held up her hands and D-16 grabbed them with his right hand and placed his left hand on her back. “Alright, lean your weight on me.” B-127 watched as he was already worried over the sparkling’s injury, despite that it was already cared for. Slowly, D-16 lifted the sparkling to her feet. She kept her right foot up for a moment as she leaned her weight on D before she placed her foot down slowly. At first, it didn’t hurt. But when she put some weight on it, she winced as she felt the pain. It wasn’t terrible, but she will be limping. “How bad is it?” Galaxy shifted her weight a little more before looking at D with a smile, showing it wasn’t so bad. “I hope it really isn’t so bad.”

He let’s go of the sparkling to see as he stepped back, and Galaxy giggled, limping towards him without losing much balance. That was a huge relief for D-16 as he worried how sore she would feel. But it seemed she had reasonable tolerance for pain, or she really didn’t feel the pain so much. Plus, the gel D had applied to her wound to stop the bleeding does also act like a numbing substance, so it likely has reduced the pain for the sparkling anyway. Which was really good.

B-127 was smiling as he too was glad. “How wonderful! It’s bad that you got hurt, Galaxy, but you’re one tough little bot. I’m impressed.”

“Pfft, well, she is my daughter...”

“But not biologically, unless you’re about to...” D-16 turned sharply and B-127 giggled as he stepped back from the bot’s frown. “Okay, okay! I was just joking, but we are on the surface now, so anything illegal in Iacon technically doesn’t apply here.”

Galaxy giggled softly as she was always amused whenever someone teases Orion and D-16 about being her biological parents. It was the easiest way to get between their gears. D-16 sighed deeply as he shook his head. “B, just so you know, you aren’t the first one to think that about us. And while Orion and I are really close friends, we have never seen each other more than friends. After all, Orion has his optics on someone else, and I have no idea why since she’s quite happy to throw hands at anyone in her way.”

B-127 widened his optics and glanced at Elita, who was still punching the formation while Orion stood by awkwardly. “Wait, as in, this femme here?”

D-16 nodded as he walked towards them. “And don’t disrespect her like that either, B. Her name is Elita One. This femme will not fly with her, and believe me, she will let you know it.”

B-127 didn’t have to be told twice as Elita’s swing was very strong, and he didn’t want to be kicked or punched again. Galaxy watched D and B approach Orion and Elita as she looked around with a big smile. Despite their current situation, it actually was the best thing to happen. Now they were on the surface, and would need to go to where the location on the map was. Though Galaxy had a feeling that it was the place the Primes did die, and Oracle too.

She sighed as she lifted her right feet to shake it a little as it was irritating her before she widened her optics as she spotted something near a large, metal boulder. Growing out of the ground, oval-shaped figures with a red skin might seem unusual, but Galaxy recognized it instantly. It was a type of root that the draconic bots used to farm and ingest. Galaxy looked at the other bots briefly before limping over and kneeling down to pull one out as they were ripe and ready.

I hope the lack of energon flowing through the planet hasn’t made these taste terrible.

Galaxy remembered being fed these by her parents. Though the pieces were cut up very small and she remembered them having a zesty, sweet and sour taste, but it wasn’t terrible. And these were filled with low-grade energon too. She broke the tip of the root and saw that the inside was still light blue, as they should be. She sniffed it and she immediately recognized the zesty scent and she took a small bite, feeling the crunch of the root between her teeth, before she giggled as the taste was immediate.

I forgot what these are called. Mmm, it is so good though! Daddy and dadda won’t have to worry about the bottles if these roots and fruits are all still this good enough to ingest. But hopefully they won’t worry about it being poisonous. It is not.

Orion intakes deeply as Elita continued punching the formation as he raised his left arm to bring up the map. “Okay, so I think this is us…” Elita turned abruptly, glaring at Orion as he gestured to the map. “And if we follow the path to…”

Elita snatched the beacon from Orion, stepping forward as she held the beacon in her fingers. “Now you listen to me Mr Zero Seconds Since My Last Accident!” Orion stepped back slightly as she hissed the words to him. “I’ll go on your little quest, because I don’t have a choice!” Galaxy looked over at Elita as she chewed on a piece of the root as she heard Elita’s voice rising slowly to yell at Orion. “But I carry the map, I navigate! And if this leads to nothing, then I’m dragging you and those two idiot go-bots back to Iacon city and to the first supervisor depot we see, at which point you will explain everything that has happened…” Galaxy rolled her optics as Elita was starting to get a little worked up over this, but no one was interrupting the angry femme right now. “Using words that reflect me in a very positive light! Got it?!”

Orion nodded nervously. “Yeah, okay. Deal, great, all right…”

“Oh! And one more thing!” Elita barked as she continued her tirade. “Not only might I turn you over to the authorities, you will inform the superiors you are inferior caregivers to that sparkling…” Orion frowned slightly and he was about to respond as Elita raised her hand to keep him quiet. “No, no! You don’t get to speak! You, for whatever reason went through your processors, decided it was a good idea to bring Galaxy up to the surface! Now I haven’t checked her, because I am too angry at you right now, and I don’t want to upset her by my anger…” Galaxy bit into another piece of the root in her hand and grabbed a second one to pull out of the ground. “But if she is injured, it was because of you!” Elita poked Orion in his chassis as she glared at him. “She would have been far, far safer in Iacon! I still can’t believe you were in the race either, but out of all the stupid things you’ve done, this is by far the worst. And D-16 is no better by going along! So I, yes I, will be recommending that I should be Galaxy’s new guardian. I would be way better than the two of you if you both keep doing things like this. Understood?!” Orion nodded silently and Elita huffed as she was pleased. “Good.” She glanced at D-16 who was frowning and ignored B who was staring silently and glanced around. “Where is your daughter, anyway?”

“Huh?” D widened his optics slightly and turned in confusion. “She was just right behind…” D-16 immediately noticed Galaxy sitting against a boulder, holding an almost completely, ingested piece of a red root with a glowing, blue internal flesh which has clearly been bitten into, with a second, untouched root on her lap. Her lips was slightly smeared with pieces of the root with some of the light, blue juice of the root on her lips. D-16 couldn’t help but panic almost instantly. “What the frag are you doing, Galaxy?!”

Galaxy smiled and waved nonchalantly as Orion hit D in the back of the head. “I thought we discussed how we should speak…”

“She’s ingesting something we’ve never seen before, Pax!” D-16 ran towards Galaxy, and the sparkling quickly jumped to her feet, wincing a little as she dropped the untouched root as she ran around the boulder and shoved the last bit of the root into her mouth. “No, no! Spit that out!”

Galaxy shook her head as she chewed quickly as the bots reached where the rest of the roots are and she swallowed the piece happily. All four adult bots were shocked that the sparkling would even ingest something they knew nothing about, and they were concerned about what she had ingested, as it wasn’t a lot too. Orion and D-16 were worried that Galaxy was going to get severely sick now too, as being a sparkling, she wouldn’t have the most tolerant tank.

“Primus, I am a fool for not keeping watch!” D-16 rubbed his forehead in frustration as B-127 reached down and picked up the oval shaped root curiously. The skin was rough, but the flesh on the inside looked soft and gel like from what they could see with the one Galaxy had ingested. “Galaxy! I cannot believe you just ingested something that might make you sick! We don’t know what it is.”

B broke the root in half and looked at the flesh before holding the pieces towards the bots. “It looks like it is filled with energon. Maybe low-grade energon.”

“Doesn’t matter if it has energon in it, what matters...” Orion gasped when B licked the flesh of the root curiously. “That is not what we should do, B! Now you might...”

B-127’s optics widened suddenly and he bit a small pieces off to chew. “Holy, Primus! This is actually good!”

Orion sighed as he grimaced with a shake of his head. “B...just because it might taste good, doesn’t mean it is good for you.”

“Maybe, but this is definitely low-grade energon. But it has like a sweet, sour taste to it. And the texture! Oh my! It’s crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.” B licked his lips enthusiastically. “I can see why Galaxy couldn’t help but ingest this. Besides, have we ever come across any bad energon. It’s not like there’s any dark energon in this thing. You should try it.”

Orion shook his head. “Absolutely not. It might seem that way, but I don’t think it is.” He looked at Galaxy as she wiped her lips and cheek with the back of her hands. He sighed knowing it was too late to stop her ingesting the root she had already ingested. “Alright, there’s no point in getting angry. We weren’t watching her.”

“Hmmph, which is why I would be better…” Elita began before D rolled his optics. “Alright, I was distracted by you three. But I would definitely be a better parent.”

“Considering it has almost taken you a whole cycle to figure that out, Elita, means that Orion and I have shown we are more than capable of raising a sparkling. The recent incidents shouldn’t change that.” D-16 softened his expression as he looked at the roots before walking around them towards Galaxy to see she was not putting much weight on her right foot. “Okay, Galaxy. We aren’t angry, I just want you to know that. We are just worried. Are you feeling sick at all?” Galaxy shook her head. “Um…what about anything else? Numbness, pain outside of your frame, or what about your veins?” She giggled softly as she was amused. “I am not kidding, Galaxy. This is serious.”

“He’s right, Galaxy.” Orion walked towards the sparkling as she watched them with an amused expression. “I can tell this might be a game to you, but it is not to us. Look around you…” Galaxy intakes deeply as she glanced around before looking back at Orion. “The surface may not be rather calm, and it is good that it is calm. But it might not be for long. And doing stuff like that, may slow us down. Do you understand?” Galaxy nodded. “Alright, well…” Orion rubbed the back of his neck, glancing over his shoulder a little as B-127 was still ingesting the root happily and he shook his head. “Hopefully, you and B do not get sick. Elita is going to lead the way instead of me. Which, I think, is a good idea.”

Elita nodded affirmatively. “Obviously, I am the one most qualified for it. Plus, I will ensure we will avoid detours like before. No train, so we are going to keep going.” She smiled at Galaxy as she intakes deeply. “Since you don’t seem to be sick, we will wait a few minutes until we know for sure and then we can go. I don’t think a purging sparkling and a purging idiot will be a good idea to travel with.”

B-127 looked at Elita with a smile. “I am not even feeling anything, by the way. I think this is totally safe to ingest. And it is so good too! Maybe we should take some with us.”

“No way!” D-16 immediately stood in front of the roots with his arms folded. “And I am going to make sure of it.”

B-127 shrugged as he was happy with just the one he had. And Galaxy thought it was hilarious too. She knew that the roots were not dangerous in any way, and they were perfectly safe to ingest. But while she had hoped they would not worry, it was not unusual that they would panic over it. And she fully understood why. So Galaxy was not upset over it at all. But taking the roots would be good, even though it might take a bit of convincing.

Orion smiled at Galaxy as he held his hand towards her. “Come. Let’s just sit down. I just don’t want you to get sick.”

Galaxy looked at his hand before looking back at Orion. His optics soften and she could see the worry. She hummed a little before she opened her mouth. “Well, I don’t know about sick…” Orion retracted his hand so quickly as he was startled. “I feel perfectly fine. I’ve had those roots before, but that was a long, long time ago. So I feel perfectly fine, daddy.” A loud, resounding gasp from all four bots seemed to echo. B froze, his hands were cupped over his mouth with the root in his palms as he stared at her, and the other three stared as if they just seen a ghost. Galaxy looked between them as not one of them said something. “What? Why are you all looking at me like, huh? Does my voice sound weird or something? Oh, wait let me just…” Galaxy lifted her hands to sign. ‘I am not feeling sick at all, daddy, dadda. I feel perfectly fine. And being here on the surface is exactly where I want to be.’ There was no sound made by the bots at all. ‘Okay, I guess I will just wait until you stop staring and Elita can lead us forward.’

Chapter Text

Orion, D-16, B-127 and Elita stared at the sparkling in shock as they all thought they were hearing things. And to both Orion and D-16, they thought they might still be unconscious, because imagining Galaxy actually speaking was something they would dream of. So hearing the soft, sweet tone coming from their daughter so suddenly was not expected. And while they wanted to be excited, they weren’t even sure if it was real now. And Galaxy was smiling at them in amusement. Galaxy knew this would happen. Not being able to speak from the start to suddenly speaking would shock anyone. But it was still amusing.

Galaxy glanced between the bots with a giggle. “Yeah, well, I know. We are on the surface and there’s a lot of surprises.” Orion and D-16 were frozen as Elita stepped closer as they process this. “I am just glad we finally got here so...”

“Elita.” Orion looked at the femme as she glanced at him. He pointed to his cheek. “Can you punch me again?” Elita widened her optics slightly in surprise. “I think I need to wake up. Hitting my head has...”

“Then I would need to punch myself in the face,” Elita interrupted bluntly as Galaxy giggled. “Because I heard that too. And...” Elita looked at Galaxy before raising an eyebrow. “I was joking before about how Galaxy was faking that she couldn’t talk.”

“Even so, Ratchet checked her vocal processor and she can’t speak,” D-16 interrupted as his optics never left Galaxy. “But...are we really dreaming? Your vocal processor shouldn’t let you speak, Galaxy.”

“I guess I waited too long to tell you, dadda, but I can speak. But my vocal processor had a...” Galaxy looked at Orion as he stepped closer as he listened intently. “And don’t think that I am not Ignited Galaxy, because that is me.”

“Ignited Galaxy? Wait, that’s your full name?” Galaxy nodded as Elita smiled. “Whoa. That’s wonderful! I guess Orion guessed Galaxy perfectly back than.”

“He did. I would have told you my real name eventually if he guessed something else that I might have liked, but only after learning to sign.” Orion’s lips curl slowly into a smile as Galaxy looked at him. “I am speaking now, daddy. I only can speak now because we reached the surface. Oranos put a protocol on my vocal processor...”

Orion gently knelt down as he grabbed her shoulders gently. “Am I really not dreaming?” Galaxy shook her head with a giggle. “Are you sure?”

“Daddy, I know you have wished for my voice to be heard. Now you can.” Orion’s optics quiver as tears fill them as he was still having a hard time believing what he was hearing. Galaxy giggled as she knew Orion was feeling overwhelmed. “I know you have questions, daddy. But I have been trying to answer them. You just don’t want to believe me.” Orion softened his expression and she giggled again. “And now, instead of signing, I can talk officially. But that doesn’t mean it won’t still be useful, you and uh…OH!”

Galaxy squealed as Orion picked up as he hugged her against him tightly, and he couldn’t help but spin around a few times, making her giggle excitedly. “You can talk! I can’t believe it! Oh, Primus! I have dreamed of this moment!” Galaxy giggled loudly as Orion’s happiness was catching as D-16, B-127 and Elita all smile. B finished eating the root in his hand and he was wiping his mouth clean as Orion stopped spinning. “This is so amazing! But I still think I am dreaming.”

D-16 chuckled as he stepped closer while Galaxy giggled. “I would think so too, but there are four adult bots here and we all heard her speak.” B and Elita in agreement as Orion looked at him. “Galaxy is now speaking, and I am still shocked.” D looked at Galaxy curiously. “Why can you speak now, Galaxy? Ratchet said you couldn’t. Or was Elita right?”

Galaxy giggled some more as she shook her head. “She is not. It is true, when Ratchet checked my vocal processor, I couldn’t talk. A unique protocol was in place in my processor to prevent me from able to form words. Oranos made sure of it.”

“Who is Oranos?” Elita asked curiously as he tilted her head slightly. “And why would he do that? It’s not really fair if you could speak from the time you came online.”

Galaxy opened her mouth to respond when Orion spoke before her. “Oranos was one of the oldest draconic bots in Tempest. He was considered a chronicler, as according to the archives, he was able to have the gift of foresight and a different connection to Primus, or something like that. He could see things of the future, but not everything.”

Elita widened her optics as she had not heard that before. “Daddy is right.” The bots look at Galaxy as she spoke. “But Oranos did not always know the context of what he might see. So he would often observe the world a lot more closely, along with having a much deeper connection to Primus that even regular draconic bots don’t have. He was a great bot. Unfortunately, he is not around anymore.”

D-16 sighed deeply as he looked at Galaxy. “You still believe you are a draconic bot, huh?”

Galaxy frowned a little at D as Elita stood stunned for a moment. “Wait, wait, wait! Hold up a moment.” B-127 smirked a little as he had already heard all this before, but Elita has not. “What do you mean that Galaxy thinks she is a draconic bot?”

“Ah, well, recently Galaxy told us her full name. Ignited Galaxy was that, and she also spoke about a draconic bot called Wraith. A deceased draconic bot with unusual, dangerous abilities not seen in other draconic bots. And Galaxy claimed to be a direct descendent.” Elita looked at Galaxy as Orion responded to Elita. “But there is evidence now mounting that Galaxy is a draconic bot. For one, she is able to cloak naturally without any kind of device. She actually followed us down into sub-level fifty where Darkwing had taken D and I to, and no one found her. And it would also explain how she got into the mines the day we met her without seeing her.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “However, there is no evidence that they can transform, so I have a hard time believing this to be the case.”

Elita looked at Galaxy for a moment before she shrugged. “Well…what if she is telling the truth, D? She did start talking today, after all. And, you know, didn’t Ratchet also say she couldn’t transform?” D and Orion glance at each other as they realize this to be true as well. “What if, uh, her t-cog had the same kind of protocol as her vocal processor? Now that we’re on the surface, she could transform.”

Orion and D-16 did not know how to respond to that. Galaxy herself giggled as she looked at Elita. “Thank you, Elita. You’re probably the first one to really think that, even though daddy did say he believed that I could be a draconic bot.” She looked at Orion as he looked down at her. “Can you put me down? I can’t transform in your arms or you’re probably going to get a few scratches. Draconic bot wings are not very blunt, just as a warm. My wings are like my mother’s and Cosmic’s wings, and they can slice through arms like nothing.”

“Cosmic?” Elita was even more confused before she gasped. “Wait, is Cosmic related to you, Galaxy?”

“She’s my mother’s sister.”

Elita gasped again as she didn’t know how to respond to that. D-16 huffed with a shake of his head and looked at Elita. “You might be right about Galaxy’s t-cog, Elita, but I fail to believe that she is a draconic bot. Being able to cloak could be just something she was given…” Orion frowned immediately as he knew that wasn’t the case, but D didn’t know this. “Or, maybe, she does have a tiny, little device to cloak herself and…”

“Oh, for the love of…put her down, Pax!” Elita stepped forward as she interrupted the silver bot.

Orion widened his optics. “Why?”

“Just do it!” Elita put her hands on her hips as she frowned at him. “Clearly you two idiots don’t want to believe that Galaxy is a draconic bot. But while I understand the reason, Galaxy is talking now and she does not appear to be lying to me. Plus, if she transforms into a tiny vehicle, instead of a dragon, then you can say she isn’t one. But I am willing to see if she is. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

Orion looked down at Galaxy as the sparkling nodded to him to let her down. “Honestly, yeah, I am.” D-16 looked at Orion like he was crazy as Orion looked back at him. “We have to consider the possibility, D. Are you not curious?” D-16 grimaced, trying not to show that he was curious, but he also felt that indulging the belief was bad. “While it might seem impossible, Galaxy kind of just did the impossible.”

B-127 nodded in agreement. “I know this isn’t my place to say anything, cause I’m new to this group and all, but I think you should at least see.” D-16 looked at the yellow bot with a frown. “It is like when you two were dropped into sub-level fifty. I thought I was seeing things, and I didn’t even think you were real. And, well, you are.”

“I am not sure how similar this is, B. Comparing seeing new bots to a bot transforming into a draconic bot is not exactly the same.”

“No, but the experience of witnessing it is the same, D-16. That is all I am saying. Besides…” B shrugged as he leaned against the boulder beside him. “What is the harm? Let her transform, and you will have your answer.”

“Are you afraid of her being a draconic bot, D?” Orion asked curiously as his expression softened with concern as D shook his head. “I hope not. Because I don’t really care if she is a dragon or not. She’s my daughter. And I will always love her.”

Galaxy kissed Orion’s cheek as she couldn’t help but smile. “I love you too, daddy.”

Orion’s spark fluttered as he looked at her with a big smile. “Hearing you say that instead of signing…oh, Primus. I still feel like this is a dream.” She giggled and he kissed her forehead. “I…I am so glad you can speak, Galaxy. It is wonderful!”

“I know, daddy.” Galaxy looked at D who seemed to be worried. “Dadda, would you still love me even as a draconic bot?”

D-16 flinched before he smiled and nodded. “Of course. I mean, I am not sure how I feel about it. But…you are still you. And maybe…if you are a dragon, we certainly have a completely different understanding of draconic bots.”

“Well…you have lived shrouded in what you have been taught. But I am glad. I mean, sure…” Galaxy shrugged as she looked at Orion with a smile. “It does mean I’ll get bigger than you. And stronger, but draconic bots do take a bit longer to grow and mature than you bots do.”

“That is true. And you’ll be carrying me instead of the other way around.” Galaxy giggled as she nodded in agreement and Orion lowered her to the ground gently, making sure that he didn’t cause pain to her foot unintentionally. “Well, I guess you might as well show us. I…” His smile faded slightly for a moment. “I am sorry that…that we had a hard time believing you.”

“Well, I hope that you might open your processor after, daddy. Because…I am not lying about Sentinel either. I hate him." Orion and D were not surprised by that, but they said nothing. Elita was surprised by Galaxy’s words though, since Galaxy has never said this to her. Galaxy intakes deeply and limped a few feet so she could have space and she was excited. She looked at the sky with a smile. “I am glad I will be able to fly...I never got to learn.”

Orion glanced up with a smile, and he looked back at Galaxy. The anticipation was making them all anxious right now as Galaxy’s transformation was something they were trying to imagine right now. But if Galaxy could really fly as draconic bots can, Orion would love to see it. And he knew how graceful that they can be in the sky. Orion couldn’t wait, as he was trying to imagine what she looked like. He was honestly imagining a small version of Cosmic with Galaxy’s colours. Though he wasn’t sure, since she has said her sire was Comet Hammer, and he was a very large, muscular, bipedal draconic bot. At least, that is what the archives said.

Now that Galaxy had enough room, she intakes deeply and with a small amount of concentration, she began to transform. Even if she wasn’t a draconic bot, seeing Galaxy transform made all the bots gasp excitedly. Especially Orion, Elita and D-16. As Galaxy has lived with them for so long, now seeing that Galaxy could transform after all this time was like Primus answering their prayers. And it was wonderful.

Plates in her back shifted and twisted before a long, slender tail snaked out, while seeming wearing a little to create blue, red and silver armor that looked like her tail had actually been braided. At the very tip of the tail, was several, blue, sharp, feather-like blades that likely could pierce armor, but they weren’t fully grown, so they wouldn’t do much damage at this time. But one couldn’t be too sure.

Her legs shifted and shaped, bending the knees naturally and her feet shifted as well, with four, silver clawed toes tapped the surface of the planet as her body naturally shifted further to create a further layer of armour underneath the surface. This was mostly to protect the draconic bot from elemental attacks, though dragons were still very susceptible if they were to attack each other.

Her abdomen extended slightly, making room as her wing limbs seemed to snap from her sides, shifting slightly to attach to her shoulders as they bulked and the armor rounded around the joints protectively. Her wing limbs extended before her knife-like, feather-like wings shot out from open ports within the limbs, shifting into place. Orion and D smile as the base of the wings were red with the tips being blue, and some of the wings appeared to be purple due to this mix, and they were slightly transparent, which caused a little glow of colour around Galaxy’s body.

Her chassis shifted and seemed to sharpen slightly while her arms extended slightly with her shoulders shifting so she could be on all fours, as a regular quadruped draconic bot, with her fingertips shifting with sharp, silver and red claws glimmering from the sunlight. Her chassis under carriage moved forward as the base of the triangular shape of her chassis was blue with the red streaks sitting closer to her shoulders.

Finally, her neck extended with the horns on her helm shifting and extending a little and her chin horns rotated back to the back of her neck as her helm and facial plates shifted, moving her optics slightly to the sides of her face as her face shape changed with a long snout and her teeth sharpened with a solid jaw. She did actually look a lot like Cosmic in this instance, but slightly different, as Galaxy’s jaw was a little wider and her forehead was a little more reinforced, like her sire’s head, and the crown of her horns definitely took after Comet’s, even though they were still small.

^^I do not have a sparkling image of Galaxy, but this is Galaxy's youngling age here. Her legs are a bit stubbier as a sparkling with smaller horns. So she does look like this dragon here, just a lot smaller at the moment.

Galaxy intakes as she looked down at her paws, lifting her front right foot to wiggle her fingers before looking at her wings. She extended them and admired them. She was happy that her wings was mixture of her sire and carrier’s wings, with the frame of her wings taking after Comet’s and the shape of the blades taking more of Solarian’s wings. It was great! And even though she was never taught how to fly, the natural instinct was there.

“Wow!” Galaxy turned to face the bots and she realized that after transforming, she actually seemed a little larger. Especially with her tail and longer neck, but she would still be able to be picked up. Orion stared at her before he stepped closer. “Oh Primus…I am so sorry for not believing you the first time.”

Galaxy stepped closer and Orion flinched, kneeling down as she did seem larger in this form, but he was still happy. “It is okay, daddy. I could have been honest from the start, but I did have really good reason to not speak of it at the time.” She rests her head on his shoulder and Orion chuckled, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as Galaxy lifted her front feet to place on his chassis. She kept her back, right paw off the ground though from her injury, but she wasn’t bothered by it. “Now you see me. We can transform, but it hasn’t really been necessary until now. It feels weird now that I am in my dragon form, but I am happy.”

Orion chuckled as he looked at her wings in admiration. They were beautiful. He kissed her cheek before he tried to figure out how to pick her up. He gently placed his hands under her armpits and lifted her like he used to, only to notice she wasn’t heavier or awkward than he realized. Galaxy giggled as she folded her wings against her back and she squealed when he moved her onto her back as he cradled her, and Galaxy’s tail began wagging as well as she was glad that Orion felt at ease still giving her affection.

“Oh, my Primus!” Elita stepped closer with a smile on her face as seeing Galaxy curled against Orion’s chassis actually looked adorable. “I never realized how adorable sparkling draconic bots looked until now.”

“I know.” Orion kissed the tip of Galaxy’s snout and her nostrils twitch as she giggled before she nuzzled his neck. “At least all this does explain the nuzzling against us that she has done. I always thought it was strange, but it was genuine affection.”

“I thought the same too.” D-16 looked at Galaxy with a smirk as the sparkling nuzzled Orion. She looked at D, smiling at him. “So...I guess I should apologise too. I was the one who didn’t believe you. And I am really sorry.”

“I know, dadda, and thank you.”

D-16’s expression softened as he was glad. “And I guess it also means you are genuinely Wraith’s descendant.” Galaxy nodded affirmatively. D frowned slightly. “Does that mean you already can use the...dangerous abilities?”

“No, I can’t. One, I’m not old enough, and two, it might be in my CNA, it doesn’t necessarily mean I can use them as I get older. It would need to be...brought to the surface...force my body do produce those kinds of abilities, which I do not wish to happen to me.” Galaxy shuddered as that was a very real risk of happening. Galaxy looked at Orion. “I know you still don’t believe me about Sentinel, but the truth is coming out now. Since you know I’m a dragon now, the truth about him is next.”

The other bots were doubtful of this fact, but they did not say anything. “Well, whatever happens, we are very happy right now, Galaxy.” Orion placed his hand on her abdomen and Galaxy let out a purr as he rubbed, making him chuckle. “I had wondered if dragons liked belly rubs.”

“We do.” Galaxy wiggled a little as she giggled. “You’re starting to…AH! No!” Galaxy giggled as Orion quickly realized she was ticklish as the dragon squirmed and laughed in his arms. “Stop! Daddy! No!” Orion chuckled as she squirmed and pressed her left back foot on his shoulder before she managed roll onto her stomach, surprising Orion before she climbed over his shoulder, unbalancing Orion suddenly. “Oh, scrap!” Galaxy spread her wings to help Orion balance, but he fell forward and she jumped, startling D-16 as she literally tackled his chassis, making D fall backwards immediately and Galaxy giggled softly. “Sorry, I forgot how strong I would be in this form.”

D-16 grunted as Galaxy’s weight sitting on top of him was so sudden. “You don’t weigh more than you did before, Galaxy. But you had a lot more power in that jump, even with an injured foot.” Galaxy giggled again him as D-16 rubbed her neck and she nuzzled against his neck. “Primus, now this is something else to get used to.”

Orion nodded as he was brushing off his frame after falling forward and he looked at D with a smile. “Yep. We are not prepared for a draconic bot, that is for sure. But at least we have done well so far, so I don’t think we can say we have done a terrible job.”

“I know. And we have done so without knowing she is a dragon.” D-16 looked at Galaxy with a smile as he kissed the top of her head as she nuzzled his neck. “Alright, Galaxy, could you…ARGH!" D huffed in surprise when Galaxy suddenly star fished her legs out, which made her weight press down suddenly and she giggled at him. “Ugh! Okay, okay…” D-16 chuckled before she licked his chin, making him flinch and gently push her snout away. “No, no! No licking!”

“Aw, but dragons cannot kiss because our lips aren’t like yours, and, uh, the movement in our faces are a little restricted too,” Galaxy responded with a soft whine as D wiped his chin. “I’m only doing so cause I love you.”

“I love you too, Galaxy, but I am not sure if I don’t…” Galaxy licked his hand suddenly and D-16 frowned at her, making Galaxy stand up suddenly. “Alright, I don’t mind you teasing and…ARGH!” D yelped as Galaxy looked at B-127 suddenly as the yellow bot pulled out another of the red roots and she suddenly jumped towards the yellow bot excitedly and her tail accidently slapped his crotch plate hard and D-16 curled immediately as he rolled onto his right side. “Argh…this is not my day.”

Orion chuckled softly as he held his hand to his friend to help him to his feet. “She’s a little too excited.” He looked over as B-127 had been startled by the dragon running over to him, and he started to run from Galaxy, making her chase him and it quickly turned into a game of ‘Keep Away’ as Galaxy was trying to grab the root from him. “At least we have a new friend to keep her occupied.”

D-16 groaned as he brushed himself off, while shifting a little as he was a little uncomfortable at the moment as he looked at Orion. “Yeah, well, hopefully that excitement dies down a little bit, because we still need to follow the map.” D-16 grumbled a little, looking over to see Galaxy had jumped on B’s shoulders and she had her wings open to keep them balanced before B almost fell and she jumped off while snatching the root with her mouth and danced on her feet while teasing B that she had the root before B tried tackling her. “Ugh, feels like we have two sparklings.”

“Technically, one youngling and one sparkling.” Orion chuckled softly as he shook his head. “Maybe we can help her fly on the way.”

“Eh, well, whatever you think is important, we really cannot just stand around here and not do anything.” Elita watched as Galaxy and B-127 play tackle each other, which was great even as Galaxy kept her back, right foot raised. “It is nice Galaxy can actually embrace being a dragon sparkling for once, and she found a new friend. Or rather, you guys did first. But we need to go.”

Orion nodded in agreement and almost burst out laughing when Galaxy rolled on her back, tripping B suddenly and she jumped onto his chassis to sit on him, sitting with a smug expression while holding the root and chewing on it to tease him. She looked at Orion and giggled as she stepped off the yellow bot, allowing him to stand before she bounced towards him, flapping her wings a little and not getting any lift off the ground.

Orion braced himself as the dragon sparkling wasn’t used to being a draconic bot again, so he hoped she would calm down. Plus, he also knew this activity might make her fall into recharge, since it is about the time she normally naps in the middle of the day. Orion stepped forward and scooped the dragon into his arms, making her giggle happily. “Alright, Galaxy. I know you’re over excited, but it is time to calm down now. You may hurt someone accidentally and we don’t want that.”

Galaxy nodded as she chewed on the root some more before ingesting it properly as Orion shifted her in his arms, resting her against his hip and chassis. “Sorry, daddy. I am just overjoyed to be...me again. I can transform back if you want. It might make...”

“No, no, you should stay as you are, Galaxy. Only transform if you need to. And right now, you don’t need to.” Galaxy giggled as Orion tapped her snout lightly and she rested her head on his shoulder. “Your tank will at least be full. Maybe we should take some of those strange roots with us, since draconic bots would know what is safe to ingest on the surface.”

B-127 chuckled as he walked over. “As long as she does not chase and tackle us over them, even though that was a lot of fun.” Galaxy giggled as B pulled the last five out of the ground and put them into his hip ports. “I’ll keep them safe, luckily there is one each for us all if we decide to have them.”

“Good. At least we can now move forward.” Elita pulled out the map again before turning sharply. “This way, follow me. And make sure you keep up.”

B-127 smile widened as Elita began walking ahead. “I’m so glad she’s coming with us. It’s fantastic.” B ran over to Elita as the bot looked at the map curiously. “Hi there, Elita, is it? Sorry, we haven’t been formerly introduced, as you kneed me in the face earlier. I’m B-127, but you can call me B.” Galaxy smiled as Orion and D-16 followed behind the two bots as the excitement seemed to wear off on Galaxy and she was already starting to yawned, even though she doubted she would recharge for as long as she normally would. “Or Badassatron, it’s a nickname some of the guys gave me, I don’t know.” Galaxy chuckled as she realized that B was trying to flirt with Elita. “I didn’t give it to myself or anything.” Elita wasn’t looking at B at all as she continued walking, and it was unlikely she believed B. “Actually it’s pronounced Badassatron.” Orion chuckled as Elita did not react to B’s over exaggerated name for himself. B was a little surprised she didn’t react to it and he walked faster to catch up to her. “Um, you did hear me, right? Badassatron! You like that right?”

Elita rolled her optics. “I’m going to need you to talk less.”

B widened his optics in surprise. “Sure, yeah, no problem.”

“And I am about to add to that,” Orion said in a soft, hush tone, making B look at him. “We have a very tired, draconic bot here. She is trying hard to fight it, which is adorable and all, but it will help if everyone is quiet.”

“Oh, sorry. I guess with a full tank and exertion of energy has finally hit her. And you’re welcome, since I helped with some of that.” Both Orion and D-16 frowned at B due to his voice not being hushed. B-127 immediately quietened his voice. “Sorry. Uh, I promise not to speak so loudly. But, um, how long does Galaxy recharge at this time of day, anyway?”

D-16 huffed loudly. “Doesn’t matter. She can recharge for as long as she wants. We aren’t in a hurry right now. Elita...” Elita turned despite D-16’s soft voice. “How long do you think it will take to reach our destination?”

Elita smirked at him. “A few hours, maybe more. At most, half the day, I think. That’s plenty of time for her to recharge, maybe help her learn to fly.” Orion and D-16 smile as they did want to help her. “Hopefully, she won’t mind.”

Galaxy smiled as she kept her head resting on Orion’s shoulder. She did hope that he wasn’t feeling awkward holding her, but he seemed to be able to just fine. “I think she will love it. And we would love it too.” Orion kissed the sparkling’s cheek, making her giggle before yawning suddenly. “But I bet that’s exhausting for her to hear about, since I imagine flying is exhausting for dragons when they first fly.” Orion was not wrong about that. It will be exhausting the first time, but Galaxy wanted to fly. It was in her CNA after all. “So we should just keep moving quietly.” Elita nodded as she looked ahead along with B, though B still continued speaking quietly as Galaxy closed her optics. Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back with a smile on his face before looking at D to whisper to him. “Hey, you’re thinking about what you’ll say when you hand the Matrix to Sentinel, aren’t you?”

Galaxy almost let out a groan as soon as she heard that. She thoroughly disliked their admiration for him, but she would wait until she would wake up a little later, hoping to make them believe otherwise. “I can’t help it!” D-16 let out a light chuckle. “But I also can’t help but think about Galaxy right now. I feel so bad I didn’t believe her.”

“Don’t worry, buddy, me too. And I can’t believe we’re actually doing this!” Orion intakes deeply as he glanced around at the surface. “I still can’t believe we’re up here on the surface.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “So glad I’m out here with you and Ignited Galaxy…” Galaxy almost opened her optics in surprise when he used her full name, but she decided to ignore that. He was just happy after all. “This was a great idea. Initially, it wasn’t, but it is now.”

It certainly has turned into a great idea. And yet, while Galaxy was excited to be on the surface, she did actually have a strange sense of dread within her. It was small, but it was as if there was a warning. And Galaxy knew all too well that it was likely something either happening now, or something that was coming. She sniffed a little as she was slowly falling into recharge in case there was a scent.

Galaxy snapped her optics open as she did pick up a scent and raised her head suddenly, startling Orion from the movement. “Whoa! Galaxy! You okay?” Elita and B jump as they turn to look at Orion to see Galaxy sniffing the air. “You were about to recharge, what are you smelling?”

I recognize that scent…that…that’s…oh…

B hummed a little as he looked around to see what Galaxy might be smelling, and he quickly spotted, down the ridge from their position, what Galaxy was likely smelling. His optics widen and he tapped Elita’s shoulder, making her glare at him briefly before he gestured to what he saw and he lowered his voice. “I think I know what she can smell. But they’re not alive.”

Elita stared at what she saw and nodded slowly. “I see…” She glanced back at Orion as he was trying to distract Galaxy and D looked at her just to see her gesturing for him to walk over. D-16 walked over quickly with a curious frown as Elita whispered to him. “B just spotted what she is smelling. And…” D-16 leaned and widened his optics at what they had seen. “Um…one of them kind of looks like Cos…”

“Mama!” Galaxy jumped out of Orion’s arms suddenly, flapping her wings rapidly, but fell onto her chassis and sliding forward a little before lifting her head as she had seen exactly what B spotted. Tears well in her optics as she ran down the slope while jumping and trying to fly.

“Galaxy! Wait!” Orion ran after the sparkling, stopping briefly at what he saw. “Oh scrap…no, Galaxy, wait!” The sparkling ignored Orion as she ran down the slope, jumping over several boulders and clumsily falling as she was clearly trying to fly. D-16 raced down alongside him with Elita and B-127 right behind them. “Did you hear what she said?”

D-16 nodded with a slightly grim expression. “I did…but…she shouldn’t see them like this.” Orion nodded as he too had a grim expression, knowing that his daughter was about to grieve.

Plus, Orion and D-16 weren’t really expecting this. Especially as there were two dragon bodies at the base of the slope instead of one, and it looked a little different, but it still looked like it was related to Cosmic. They didn’t really know if Cosmic had more than one sibling, so this might be an unrelated dragon. Regardless, they now had to deal with this new situation, and while they weren’t in danger currently, they didn’t really want to stay in one place for too long. Just in case something were to happen. 

Chapter Text

Galaxy whimpered as she landed hard on the ground again, not caring about the light scrapes and scratches she had on her body as she finally reached her mother’s body. However, as she looked at her mother’s body, her optics quiver as tears fell from them. She knew her parents had been killed, but didn’t know how or where. But Solarian’s body being here also meant that they were right by the tunnel that Solarian had taken the stasis pod in almost fifty cycles ago to protect the sparkling. And Galaxy guessed it might have been fate in that way.

She walked over to the dragon’s body. The lifeless husk was dull with visible damage from vermin on the surface. All the energon veins likely has been chewed out already. But it wasn’t what Galaxy was upset about. Her mother’s neck still bore significant damage from a blade that had pierced it a long time ago. The edges around the cuts were rough and sharp, and it was obvious someone had struck the dragon multiple times.

Which resulted in her mother’s head being cut off. Galaxy whimpered sadly as she looked at her mother’s, dull face. She couldn’t believe this was how her mother died. She sniffled as she nuzzled the cold, dust, dull muzzle as she wanted to her imagine her mother being alive. Even though, with Solarian’s body in front of her, it wasn’t easy to imagine that right now. But she tried to. It was the best way to remember her, at least, in Galaxy’s mind.

Galaxy whimpered softly as she looked at her mother’s optics, widening her own optics as she noticed that her mother’s optics were destroyed. She shook her head as she sat down, rubbing her muzzle against her mother’s muzzle, wishing that things were different. She loved Orion and D-16, but she did wish her birth parents were still alive. After all, she felt Solarian and Comet Hammer would have liked Orion and D-16. And she was certain they would be friends if they were alive, but she could only dream of that.

When the four bots finally catch up, they stop as they intake and exhale heavily while glancing at the bodies of the two bots. Orion looked at Galaxy with a sad expression, feeling guilt that Galaxy had to see her mother this way. After all, he never expected to find the body of the sparkling’s mother. No one really did. And as he looked at the dragon’s body, it did appear that a bot had killed her. Which Orion felt bad for, even though he still doubted it was Sentinel who had killed the dragon.

Gazing at Solarian’s body, despite the lifeless husk of the dragon in front of him, Orion could see that this was Cosmic’s sister. They seemed to share the same crown of horns and wing shape, though it was hard to know if they were the same colour. Which Orion would think so, even with the dulled, blue dagger-like wings laying on the ground with visible damage to the limbs of the wing from cycles of decay. Some of the protoform within was exposed too, but luckily, the armor still covered the body enough so it wouldn’t look terrible.

B-127 stared at the dragon in shock and looked at the second dragon as well. “Primus…so are these…” He pointed at them while looking at Orion and D-16. “Her…real parents?”

“Only one of them is.” Orion looked at the other draconic bot body. Unlike Solarian, who appeared to have been also silver with blue wings, this other bot looked like it was mostly red with a silver neck, chassis and abdomen. He looked similar to Solarian and Cosmic in shape though. However, he didn’t have any wings. They looked like they had been blasted off, and there was still a visible open wound of a blade piercing the skull. “I am not sure who this was, but…I’d say he or she would have been trying to help her mother.”

Galaxy whimpered as she looked over at the dragon and looked back at Orion. “That was Magma Wisp.” Orion looked at the sparkling with sad optics. “He…he was my uncle.”

D-16 widened his optics. “Oh…so Cosmic had two siblings…oh…” D softened his expression as he looked between the two and he huffed a little. “At least I can see where she has gotten the blue and the red colouring. It was clearly all in the family.”

Orion nodded and looked at D. “Yeah. It clearly is. But…” Orion looked around as he wondered where Galaxy’s birth father was. “This also means her birth father wasn’t here with his sparkmate when…they died. That’s sad.”

D nodded as he walked around the dragon bodies curiously. He didn’t know what exactly happened to the point where the dragons were killed. Especially since these two dragons were related to Cosmic, and D-16 didn’t even know if there were more relations still alive. He looked down at Solarian’s front paws and tilted his head when her claws seemed to match the scar Sentinel had on his face. Sentinel had told Iacon a long time ago it was from a draconic bot, and he likely was not lying about it. But knowing it could have been Galaxy’s mother made him nervous.

“I guess it is better that we find these bodies now rather than later.” Elita looked around sombrely and looked down at the sparkling who had curled on the ground beside her mother’s head. Elita intakes deeply and walked over, making Galaxy tense as she thought Elita was going to try and grab her. But Elita sat down beside the sparkling and gently grabbed her before shuffling a little closer the dragon’s head and sat Galaxy on her lap, making the sparkling look at her in surprise. “There you. I’m sorry about your mother. It looks like her death was…terrible.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as she sniffled and nuzzled Elita’s neck. “Easy, Galaxy. I have no doubt that your mother would be proud of you right now.”

Galaxy smiled a little as she looked at Elita. “I hope she would be. Sometimes…I’m not brave like her or my sire…”

Elita hummed a little as she understood. “Well, you aren’t big yet either. So it is okay. Being afraid is normal and no one can blame you.” Galaxy nodded as Elita rubbed her back. Orion sat down beside Elita as Galaxy looked at him with a smile. “What was her name?”

“Solarian. And Comet Hammer was my sire.”

“From what I was able to learn in the archives about Comet, he was a great warrior.” Galaxy looked at Orion with widened optics as she was not expecting that. Orion smiled back at Galaxy and Elita was interested too. “I wonder if you will get as big as him. From what I understand, he was massive. Much bigger than the Primes.”

Galaxy giggled a little. “Maybe. But…I might be just a little bit bigger than my mother.”

Orion shrugged with a smile. “Maybe. Regardless, I have no doubt that you will make them proud, Galaxy. You already have. I know you’ve already made me proud too.” Galaxy shifted on Elita’s knees so she could nuzzle Orion’s shoulder gently and Orion rubbed the sparkling’s neck gently. “It will be okay.”

D-16 sat down next to Orion while B sat on a boulder across from them, as B decided as he wasn’t really part of this, he would just watch and listen. “Orion is right, Galaxy. It will be okay. I am really sorry that you had to see your mother and uncle like this.”

“I know. It also brings…almost a full circle.” Orion, D and Elita were surprised as Galaxy turned her head, looking towards the slope before turning her head right. “There won’t be evidence, but there was a cave a long time. But…it was close after my mother brought the stasis pod and hid it deep within. It makes sense…we aren’t that far from Iacon yet.” The bots were immediately confused as Galaxy looked away from the slope, looking at Orion with a smile. “I know you don’t believe me. It is okay. I doubt they archives would specify draconic bot abilities regarding shifting plates of the earth when needed.”

Orion thought back to what he has learned about draconic bots from the archives and shrugged. “It was implied. But I guess not everything about dragons are in there.” Galaxy smiled at him. “So I guess a cave was there, but it is gone.” Galaxy nodded. “Well...if that is what happened, the evidence is sort of here next to us.” Galaxy said nothing as she knew that they may not believe her right now. But they might later. Orion looked at Solarian, gazing at the damage that would have been inflicted upon the dragon by a bot. He was hoping that this was not because of Sentinel. “It does sadden me that she did not have a peaceful end. It hurts my spark for you, Galaxy.”

D-16 nodded. “Me too. I kind of wish you didn’t see this.”

“Maybe, but...I kind of wanted to. But I wish we could honour them the way they should be honoured. But that has to wait.” Galaxy looked back at Solarian and sniffled. “At least I have you two in my life. Though...I have wished for someone to be...my mama again...”

Elita softened her expression. “Why didn’t you say anything before?” Galaxy looked at the femme and Elita wiped tears from the sparkling’s cheeks. “You could have asked me.” Orion raised an eyebrow in surprise as he looked at Elita. Galaxy shrugged as she laid her head on Elita’s shoulder while the femme rubbed her back. “I guess I have been mostly the aunt type, and I wasn’t your official guardian, and may never be. But you can call me that if you want. Even if it is just while we are up here on the surface.”

Galaxy sniffled as she was happy to hear that, but she also knew that calling Elita mama just on the surface wouldn’t be right. She would want to call her that all the time. Even though she did not know how things would go. “Well, that is nice, Elita. But could I call you that even back in Iacon? If we ever get back.”

“Sure, if that is what you want. I’ve kind of thought of you as a daughter myself anyway, even from a distance.” Galaxy chuckled a little as that she was not surprised. “And unfortunately, it has always been at a distance. But if that ever changes, I would be happy to a part of helping to raise you.” Orion was smiling as he was glad to hear that while D nudged him with a chuckle as D-16 already knew why Orion was happy. And it wasn’t just so Galaxy could be cared for by Elita and be able to call the femme mama. Elita intakes deeply as she she caressed Galaxy’s back. “But until that happens, you might as well just relax while we’re up here. On the surface, we don’t really have any rules, so I think if you decide to call me mama, you can.”

Elita is being so nice. I’m tempted to call her that. But…what if…I worry that Elita will still end up working separated from Orion and D-16 even if we succeed in defeating Sentinel. Maybe I’ll be surprised. I don’t know. I might hold off on calling her that though. I’m just grieving for my real mama.

Galaxy sighed as she nuzzled Elita’s neck. “I don’t know just yet, Elita. Plus…seeing mama here in front of me…I…I would need a bit.”

“I know. It is okay. There is no pressure.” Elita looked at the dragon’s head briefly before intaking deeply. “But I do think we should head off now, Galaxy.” Galaxy whimpered and shook her head. “I completely understand why you want to stay, Galaxy. But staying here means we have to stay, and we can’t follow this map. Plus…” Galaxy sniffled as more tears fall from her eyes. “I wish it was possible, but we cannot bring her back. Take comfort that she is at peace in the All Spark, Galaxy. And I have no doubt that she is smiling at you from there.”

Galaxy still did not want to go. Orion intakes as he reached over to take Galaxy from Elita, which the femme allowed, but Galaxy whimpered and moved her paws towards Solarian as she wanted to be closer. But Orion shifted the draconic bot onto her back and cradled her, looking down at the dragon as she sniffled. “Elita is right, Galaxy.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. “I am truly sorry, but we cannot stay. I know you love and miss Solarian a lot. But…staying here until we rust ourselves is not what we should do, and I doubt she would want that for you either. So…we should go.”

Daddy is right. I’m being selfish. But at least I found my mother. No idea if we will find Comet, but...I don’t think so. If we are going to find the Primes, they died far from Tempest. And I think my father died closer to our city. I’m not sure of that though.

Galaxy intakes deeply as she looked at Solarian and Magma before she looked at Orion. “Okay...we can go...can you hold me?” Orion nodded as he moved to stand. “Thank you, daddy and dadda...” Galaxy looked at D and extended her right paw towards him, and D gently grabbed it with a smile. “I am glad you are both here with me. I am…sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“To be fair, we both have to apologize a lot over the fact that we didn’t believe you when you told us as well,” D-16 said gently as he gently caressed her paw as guilt filled his optics. “After all…I…I guess I was too used to the way things have been…”

“And I think that is why you struggle to believe anything else.” D shrugged while not disagreeing with Galaxy. “Hopefully, you’ll open you mind. We’re up on the surface now. Aside from the plates shifting…the way they should not be, the surface is not dangerous like you have been told.” Orion and D nod as they have noticed that. “But…I can’t force you to do that. I am just glad you are here. Maybe if we find the Primes, things will become clear.”

Orion kissed Galaxy’s cheek gently. “I am sure we will find answers, no matter what they are. But you should try to recharge for a bit, Galaxy. You need it.” Galaxy whimpered and looked back at Solarian’s body before snuggling against Orion’s chassis. “Good. I hope you have a good dream about her.”

“I will be sad if I do.”

D-16 chuckled softly as he understood. “I can understand that. Don’t worry, Galaxy. We will be here if you need that when you wake up.” Galaxy nodded as she stared at Solarian’s body. D-16 intakes deeply and looked at Orion. “I think we should go. As sad as I am for Galaxy, and that we have found her mother this way, I don’t want to stay much longer. We don’t know what else is on the surface, in case we find ourselves in bigger trouble.”

Orion nodded as Galaxy let out a light sob, knowing they had to leave. “Yes, we should.” Orion shifted to stand and glance at Solarian’s body for a moment with a slight smile. “If there is someway that you can hear us from the All Spark, Solarian…” Galaxy looked at Orion in surprise when he spoke to the dead draconic bot and it warmed her spark. “I hope you know how wonderful your daughter is. And I promise that we will keep Galaxy safe, and ensure that she will grow up strong, and have a better future for herself being a dragon. And thank you for bringing her into this world as well.”

Galaxy was shocked Orion did that and she appreciated that a lot. She whimpered as she buried her face into his shoulder, feeling the warmth of Orion’s body against her which was comforting to her. What he had just done really showed her how much he cared and loved her. It really made her spark warm knowing this, and she was never going to forget today. Even if it held bitter sweetness, after all, there was so much that has happened today already.

“You are welcome, Galaxy.” Orion kissed her forehead again as he knew that what he had just done meant a lot to her. “It will be okay. Time to recharge now.” Galaxy whimpered as Orion, D-16, Elita and B-127 began walking away from the draconic bot bodies. She stared at them as she knew she wouldn’t be able to come back for a while. She hoped she could to give them a proper burial. “We are here, Galaxy. Just remember how much we love you.”

Galaxy nodded as she did know how much they loved her. She was thoroughly grateful for them being in her life. Even B-127, who has only just joined today. And she already knew that she liked him. He might be talkative, but she understood. And she could see him being like a brother or an uncle in her optics. But only time would tell as it did take Galaxy a little bit of time when she first met Orion and D-16 to fully trust them, followed by Elita and the other mining bots.

Galaxy stared at the bodies as Elita reopened the map to lead the way and Galaxy wanted to jump out of Orion’s arms again to run back over. But she knew that no matter what she did, their bodies couldn’t be revived. Even with the best energon, their bodies were too damaged and decayed to be revived. And it might not even have the result she would want if she did that. Galaxy whimpered and let a few more tears fall from her optics as her optics close slowly and she finally fell into recharge.

Orion rubbed the dragon’s back gently as they walk away as he felt a great sense of sadness. While there was a little bit of closure, in the sense that finding one of Galaxy’s birth parents and another relative with evidence of how they perished, there was still no sign of what or who killed them. Galaxy’s voice about Sentinel killing her parents and destroying Tempest did echo in his processor, but he shook his head and pushed that back for a moment.

D-16 intakes deeply as he was also feeling heavy in his spark. “So…uh…that was not expected.”

“I don’t think even Galaxy expected to find them either, D. I…I feel sad that she did.” Orion could not comprehend how Galaxy was feeling at all. He hoped that she would be okay as they keep going. “She shouldn’t have had to see them. But…we can only help her, D.”

D-16 nodded. “Yeah. I’ve never really dealt with grief, so I have no idea how to even help.”

“Well, I have kind of dealt with it.” Orion, D and Elita look at B-127 in surprise as he spoke softly. “Sorry…” B smiled at them as he thought he was being too loud. “I’ll just whisper…”

“No, no, you’re not being loud. It is okay. But…you’ve dealt with grief?” B-127 just shrugged and Orion didn’t know what that meant. “Well, have you? Or are you just trying to help, B? Lying is not going to help.”

B grimaced as he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “I am trying to help, and…at the moment, I don’t really want to talk about it. But…” His optics quiver slightly as he sighed deeply. “It does have a partial reason as to why I was sentenced to my solitary life in sub-level fifty. But it wasn’t my fault.”

D huffed, making Orion look at him and D-16 signed to him. ‘And here I thought he was down there for another reason. Especially since he likes to talk too much.’

Orion frowned as he disagreed with D’s statement completely. “That’s not very nice, D. And I highly doubt that too, and it would be a terrible reason.”

B-127 raised an eyebrow as he did not know what D had said, but he ignored that for the moment. “I know you probably want to know the reason, but…maybe some other time. We already just seen something sad and made Galaxy sad at the same time. Besides…” B intakes deeply and relaxed with a smile. “We have an adventure on our hands, and hopefully, Galaxy will recharge nicely.”

“She will, as long as we remain quiet,” D-16 responded and B nodded as he understood. He looked around as he wondered if they would come across any other dragon bodies along the way. “Hopefully…they are the only dragons we will find.”

“Well, there is always the chance of meeting a live dragon up here. Cause this is where they live.” Orion and D immediately look up with wide optics and Elita chuckled softly. “I would think that you would realize that. Maybe, if we’re lucky, we may run into them.”

The bots had not considered that. After all, Sentinel did bring Scorched Flare to Iacon not so long ago, so they were definitely around. And if they were to meet a dragon, they had no idea how that was going to go since having Galaxy with them may not necessarily stop a dragon from potentially going on the offensive. After all, Orion knew that draconic bots were protective of their own sparklings.

“I suppose if we ever get the chance of meeting an adult dragon who isn’t under Sentinel’s control, or however he does it, it will be fascinating,” B-127 said with a smile as he too was trying to imagine what that would be like. “With Galaxy being so nice, I would like to think that the rest of them are just like her.”

“Uh, well, we can’t know that for certain, B. You can’t base that assumption from knowing a single dragon, let alone a sparkling.” D-16 himself didn’t know how he would feel if they would meet a dragon. They had no way to defend themselves, so it would likely be a case of trying to hide from one. “But…they would be intelligent enough. Galaxy does prove that fact, because I used to think they weren’t as intelligent as us, but that isn’t true. So I do believe we can at least speak to them.”

“I agree. So I think we will be fine.” Orion did somewhat hope that they might run into a live dragon. Maybe they could tell them more answers, and even offer help. But he was not sure. “However, their city was destroyed a long time ago. The archives have said that they are living in the Wight Canyon, which stretches far across the surface of the planet, but it very treacherous. To the point, even the best flyers couldn’t go through it.”

“But…dragons can?” D-16 looked at Orion and Orion nodded. “How?”

“Well…they do possess different skills and abilities that the transformers don’t have, D. They can adjust their optics naturally to see through thick fog and cloud, for example, and they can even use echolocation. Which would help them traverse that kind of place even better.” Orion wondered if Galaxy could do that yet. He wasn’t sure, given her age, but he figured she could learn it. “So if they are living within the Wight Canyon, we may not run into them. But…this is the surface, so we have yet to really know.”

D-16 hummed softly as he was still uncertain about the idea of potentially meeting a dragon on the surface, but he did believe that they may unlikely meet one, so it did make him less worried. “I suppose the only thing we should worry about now is the terrain the further we keep walking and when Galaxy wakes up from her nap. I doubt she will be loud, but…it wouldn’t be the first time.”

“I think Galaxy will be okay, D. Once she wakes up, she will want a bottle and she will probably just walk alongside us happily. And maybe, point things out that we know nothing or little about. Which will be fascinating.” It may not exactly happen in that way, and Orion knew it, but it would be something to witness and he would enjoy it. “But we should just focus. After all, we might have the Matrix of Leadership in our hands very soon.”

D-16 nodded in agreement with a big smile as they continue walking. They refocused their attention on this mission and they would continue walking across the metal surface as Orion cradled Galaxy in his arms. The sparkling remained in a deep recharge, which Orion was thoroughly grateful for as he knew she would be tired and would need that rest for the continuing journey.

But Orion did think back to the two bodies they had found. Orion still felt sad for Galaxy, as he felt she should not have seen them. But the damage to their bodies did not really appear as though Quintessons killed them. And he knew this because of the archives. Evidence of their weapons would have been more noticeable, but the weapons that were used against Solarian and Magma were not Quintesson. Which is why Orion still felt conflicted over whether or not Sentinel did kill them and destroy Tempest. But guessed maybe the Quintessons used a transformer weapon against the draconic bots, even though it might be unlikely. Regardless, Orion was certain they would find more answers, and more questions the further they travelled along the surface. 

Chapter Text

As the next couple hours go by, the bots found themselves thoroughly fascinated with the world they were seeing as they continued to walk towards the location of the beacon as Elita ensured they would continue moving forward. Not only did they find themselves seeing different metals throughout the terrain, but some of the unusual nature that they did not recognize that was growing on the surface. Even with all the knowledge Orion had learned, he was definitely more surprised to find that there were things of the surface he did not know about. In a way, it was exciting. But without Galaxy being awake to acknowledge it all right now, they could only look at it and touch it as they would walk by.

Anything living on the surface, they have yet to find. No sign of any other dragons, and other creatures so far. This was a good thing, since they did not know if they would be in danger or not. But that didn’t stop them from being aware of their surroundings and try to see anything to indicate what else is living on the surface. So far, there was nothing, and they were not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But the world was big, so they could only keep walking.

After another hour passes by, Galaxy whimpered and sniffled as she began to stir in Orion’s arms. Orion smiled as the dragon stretched out her paws and he almost burst into laughter as her front paws tapped his face lightly before Galaxy realized and opened her optics immediately to see Orion smiling down at her. She stared back at him in shock before she smirked at him when she realized he wasn’t mad at her. He was amused by it. She whimpered as she yawned and intakes deeply before looking up, smiling as she could see the stars above along with the beautiful aurora lights.

She turned her head and she could see the sun shining down ahead of them and they were far from where they had left. She was sad briefly about her mother and uncle they had to leave behind before she could see that the terrain had changed a little and they were walking along somewhere more rusty. She whimpered as she knew that was bad, since the flow of energon stopped, it was causing rust to set in slowly across the surface and internal structure of the planet, and Primus himself.

“We still have some more hours to go yet, Galaxy. But you have recharged for over three hours. I bet you needed it.” Galaxy nodded as she looked around some more, not noticing D-16 grabbing at bottle out from the containment to give to Orion. “And I bet you are hungry too.” Galaxy turned her head and smiled immediately as Orion adjusted the sparkling in his arms. “Your wings have been something to get used to, but I think I am doing okay.”

Galaxy giggled softly. “I think so too, daddy. Dragons just carry their sparklings around in their mouths, so I think I like this better, if I am honest. But I still miss being carried around like I used to be.”

Orion could not help but chuckle lightly. “Interesting to know there are positives from different races. And I am glad that you are comfortable, as knowing that cradling you the way that I have wasn’t comfortable would make me feel bad.” Galaxy just grinned as Orion tilted the bottle in his hand and she immediately latched on. “And we have to enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Don’t say that, Pax. We know she will grow much bigger than us, and she will probably tower over us when she’s a youngling, but I hate thinking about when we can no longer hold her in our arms.” Orion chuckled as D did not like that they now knew that Galaxy will likely grow bigger, and probably even be bigger than themselves during her sparkling stage, but they were going to enjoy it while it lasts. “Though I suspect that won’t stop Galaxy from trying.” Galaxy nodded as she could definitely agree with that. “And since you are awake, Galaxy.” The dragon turned her head slightly as D-16 raised his right hand, holding a small, round, light blue fuzzy object that seemed to stick to his hand. “Do you know what this is? We came across some strange nature about a half hour ago, and when I brushed my hand over it, this thing has stuck to my hand. And no matter what I do, I can’t pull it off, as it will stick to the other hand.”

Galaxy widened her optics as she stared at it. She already knew what it was. She reached towards D to try and grab it, only for Orion to shift a little out of worry. “Is it even safe, Galaxy? You could be mistaking it for something else.” Galaxy grumbled as she shook her head and reached further towards D. “Alright, give it to her, D. If she knows what it is, she might know how to take it off.” D-16 held his hand towards Galaxy and she grabbed the object with her claws to pull it off D’s hand and she giggled as the fur tickled as it now stuck to her left paw. She looked at it with a smile, remembering she used to play with these things when she had hatched. Her mother had placed a basket of them by the nest, and the only way to pull them off was by creating static. “I wonder if these are fairly common up here. But among the nature we had gone by.”

Galaxy nodded while using her paws to sign. ‘These are very common. I forgot what they are called though, but these little fuzz balls are harmless. I vaguely remember playing with these. They get stuck to each other too, so I used to build with them. You have to create static by rubbing it or using a large leaf to create static so the bristles can’t stick.’

“Oh, so it was actually easy,” D-16 said as he realized while Galaxy nodded, showing them by rubbing the fuzz ball quickly until they heard a light zap and the object fell loosely, making Galaxy whimper a little as she wanted to keep it. D caught it and flinched as a light static shock zapped his fingers before he gave it back to Galaxy. “I guess this might be part of the plants, or whatever they are. We don’t really know about the nature up here.”

Galaxy could tell. The fact these bots knew nothing about the plants on the surface was a surprise, even from Orion, who should know about the plants, but the archives probably did not have any information. It was quite sad, as she would think that information about surface plants wouldn’t be something that would be removed from the archives. But she guessed that anything that would suggest that the surface was not as bad as Sentinel has told the city was removed from the archives and either destroyed or moved to a more secure location.

“I wonder how much of the world is covered in the strange nature on the surface,” B-127 commented as he looked around curiously. “So far, we are walking over a rusty surface, which feels terrible on the feet, by the way. But I wonder what else we might find.”

Elita shrugged as she glanced around briefly as they were approaching a few tall, steep hills with a path leading between them. “I am sure we could find just about anything up here, B. We could even run into other bots up here, you never know. But I think the fact we haven’t found anything or anyone yet is a good thing. I admit that I am a bit anxious being here.”

“I don’t blame you. Especially since I’ve been surrounded by a small, dark room for such a long time. Seeing the surface with the nearby star blinding my optics is quite overwhelming. Even more overwhelming than meeting new friends.” B-127 brushed his hand against some of the rusted rocks, grimacing a little as the rust brushed off like dust and he quickly wiped it off his fingers. “But it is interesting to see how the lack of energon has affected the world. It is sad. I am actually glad that I am up here, even if my optics feel like their burning from the bright light everywhere.”

Elita nodded in agreement. “I agree. Being used to seeing rock all the time does make this seem brighter. But…” Elita glanced at B curiously. “You never really said why you ended up in that sub level. I know you mentioned about grief before…”

B-127 tensed immediately. “Um, I am not sure if I should speak about it yet. No offense, Elita, but it isn’t something I want to talk about to just anyone. And I know you guys will be great friends, but…” He grimaced as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Until I feel like I can talk about it, it will just be my story. If that makes sense.”

“Sorry, B, I guess I was curious. But there is no pressure, since we are focused on trying to locate the Matrix. Or wherever this map will lead us to.” Elita hummed softly while walking towards the path between the two mountains. “At least we have not had anything to slow us down. I think we should be there in another hour or two...depending on the terrain and stuff.”

“Great! At least we are a bit over halfway there.” B looked at Galaxy with a smile. “I am rather excited about it. Are you?” Galaxy just shrugged as she knew she herself may not like what they find. “I suppose you are just happy to be up here. But maybe we still have time to help you learn to fly.” Galaxy did not react to that, but Elita did as she felt it would be a waste of time. B noticed immediately as he looked at her. “What? What’s wrong with helping her? I mean, why not do it while we have the time, Elita?”

“Because I’d rather not waste further time on unnecessary things. We can help Galaxy with her flying later. Plus, in case you haven’t noticed…” Elita gestured to all four bots. “None of us have wings, or even jets to help her into the sky. Teaching her to fly might not be as easy as you think, B. Even if it is something she can do naturally, I highly doubt she could fly from the minute she was born.”

“That doesn’t mean we cannot be successful, Elita. Especially as now that I know I’m a father of a draconic bot, I think it is in our best interest to help her.” Elita sighed deeply as Orion spoke gently. Orion looked down at Galaxy with a smile. “Even though I haven’t dreamed of it for too long, seeing her flying in the sky will make my spark sore with her.”

D-16 nodded in agreement. “I agree. But…I haven’t really observed how they fly. Did the archives share any valuable intel on how to teach a dragon to fly?”

“Um…not really. Which is understandable, because, why would we or the transformers need to know?” D huffed lightly and Orion smiled at him. “But there was a lot that showed their wing movements, so I think that will help a lot. But it isn’t just teaching her to fly, she also has to know how to land. And I imagine that will be harder than flying.”

“Oh, right. I had not thought of that.” D thought over it before he shrugged. “Doesn’t matter though. Galaxy will learn eventually. I think learning to fly is more important than landing for the moment. Plus, she is smart, so she will get it quickly.” Galaxy smiled as she was glad that D believed that about her. “So I am not worried.”

Elita sighed loudly. “Shouldn’t we focus on this before teaching that dragon to fly? Plus, a dragon in the sky is kind of a beacon to our location, when you think about it.” Galaxy whimpered softly and Elita looked at her sympathetically. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. It is not because I don’t think you shouldn’t fly. It is just that I think it isn’t the right time. I am sure you want to spread those wings, and it will be amazing when that happens, but we do need to be patient.”

“That makes sense, but if Galaxy tries to fly and wants our help, even on our way, we should help her.” Elita frowned at Orion slightly as she knew that was a subtle way of saying they would help her learn to fly anyway, regardless of the fact they needed to keep moving. “And also, Galaxy does not have to fly so high either. So being a beacon or whatever probably isn’t going to happen, Elita.”

“Maybe, but I am just a little concerned since we are all unfamiliar of the surface. Even Galaxy, to an extent. She was a new born the last time she was on the surface, so I have no doubt that what the surface was like for her back then is different as it is now.” Elita had a good point. Galaxy hummed as she had not thought of that. It was a long time since she had been on the surface, so caution was a good idea. But Galaxy still felt that the surface wasn’t as dangerous as they believe. “Maybe Galaxy can learn to fly today, and I will be happy, but just understand why I am uneasy about it.”

“Fair point, Elita. We will have to certainly take that into consideration.” Orion looked down at Galaxy as she has almost finished the bottle already. “So I think that when you are finished, you keep your feet on the ground for a while. Plus, I can’t help but think a little excitement will make you purge because you haven’t let it settle.” Galaxy giggled as she wouldn’t try to fly right after ingesting energon. “I hope you will be okay with that.”

Galaxy nodded as she drank the last bit of low-grade energon and licked her lips as Orion pulled the bottle away. “Yes, I am, daddy. I don’t like running around right after ingesting some energon. Elita would be right about the world being different from when I was born, so I think just taking it all in for now is a good idea. It won’t stop me from at least spreading my wings to flap them and ensure the joints are strong. After all, I am supposed to be able to fly on my own right now, but…” She shrugged with a chuckle. “It is okay. Eventually, when I’m bigger, maybe you can sit on my back.”

Orion shook his head. “I think you might be jumping ahead a bit, but I think it might happen eventually. But even when you get big enough, I would wait a bit more. I might not be as big as Darkwing or Sentinel, but…” He looked down at himself for a moment and looked at D-16, who raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “I think D and I might be a bit too heavy.”

“I don’t know about me, but you…” D playfully nudged Orion’s shoulder with a big grin on his face. “I can agree with that statement. I am sure I will be okay. But it will all depend on Galaxy, since I doubt flying with a bot on the back isn’t the easiest thing to do.”

“It takes practice, with the added wait and shifting of gravity. But Megatronus was really good at it.” D immediately raised an eyebrow at Galaxy’s comment. Galaxy whimpered as she shifted before she pulled off the fuzz ball from her paw to place it on her shoulder and she looked at Orion. “Can you put me down now? I’d like to stretch my legs.” Orion immediately lowered the dragon to the ground and Galaxy giggled as she moved between Orion and D, while keeping her back, right paw off the ground since it was still sore and healing. She looked at D as he still was interested. “As I have said that Megatronus loved the draconic bots, it makes sense he learned to ride them. He was really good at it too.”

“Interesting…that would actually would have been awesome to witness.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as D-16 sighed deeply while pondering it. “But I guess I can only image it right now anyway.” He glanced up at the rusty, steep hills briefly before looking ahead as they walk between the hills. The sun glimmered against the surface and they all realized they were pretty high up due to the distance they could see, which was a very rough terrain ahead. “Wow...” As they walk further along the path, the horizon was very daunting. They would be clear of the rust soon, but the metal surface ahead was quite colourful. Spiked mounds and cliffs were bursting with blues, greens, yellows and reds, the smooth surface between these also boasted purples, blues and reds too, making it a very colourful way. “This world is so big.”

Galaxy giggled and looked at D. “Did you really expect the world to be small, dadda?” D-16 shrugged, not really knowing how to respond. “You are used to a very small world, dadda. But it has always been grand. I wish I could have spent more time up here, but we can’t always get what we want.”

“That is a very humble way to look at it, Galaxy. You’re so sweet.” Galaxy giggled as Orion gently rubbed her cheek with a smile. “I’m proud of you, you know that right?” She nodded and leaned against him gently. “I am glad to be your father. And you gave me and D-16 a new purpose, aside from mining all day, every day. And I am forever grateful for your existence.”

Galaxy sniffled as she shook her head. “Daddy, I just woke up.” Orion’s smile widened immediately. “I don’t want to cry every time I’m awake. My cheeks get crusty from dry tears and I don’t like it.”

“Yeah, Pax. I would rather that she is laughing and having a lot of fun. And being on this quest, we should focus on all the…”

Galaxy gasped loudly suddenly and ran forward, startling D-16 mid sentence. “Yay! A bristle patch!”

D-16 stared as the dragon ran ahead of them and proceeded down the slight slope towards a large patch of long, slim, goldish coloured plants. “Galaxy! Wait! Don’t run off like that!”

“Yeah, Galaxy! Get back here!” Orion shouted as he ran after the dragon with D, Elita and B quickly following. “Ugh! I worried that this would happen. Now she has twice as many legs as we do.”

“Almost, she isn’t putting weight on her back right foot yet. It hasn’t even had a day to heal though.” D-16 was frowning as he watched Galaxy run over to the plants. “Even if that nature is harmless, we don’t know what’s out here. That sparkling has suddenly gotten bolder, and I’m not sure I like it.”

B-127 was smirking in amusement. “Maybe with being stuck in Iacon, she has a lot of energy to burn. Or, just like, I have had a sudden burst of energy now that I have some new friends.”

“That’s not very helpful, B, but I can also see your point.” Elita watched as Galaxy stopped in front of the strange nature and quickly realized it was much taller than them. The sparkling sniffed it and began wagging her tail excitedly. “Galaxy! Wait!”

Galaxy turned her head as she saw the four bots running toward her. She knew they weren’t too thrilled, but she was in no danger. She sniffed the tall brush again before she giggled and jumped forward, disappearing into the nature and making all the other bots gasp loudly, as they likely did not expect the sparkling to actually jump in it.

But Galaxy was perfectly safe. The tall plants were soft and while the main stems were thin and lean, the small bristles on the leaves tickled against her body. And the scent was rather pleasant. An earthy scent mixed a little bit of sweetness, and it rubbed onto the sparkling’s body. She purred happily as she leaned against the grass a little as she walked through it before finding the centre, which was the best part, as these plants always had a central area of the patch where there was a mossy, little bristle patch, as this plant grows on specific metal areas. And this happened to be one of them.

Galaxy immediately star fished on the ground with a huff. She purred as the mossy plant was soft underneath and she couldn’t help but begin to rub against it and rolled onto her right side and she giggled happily. The fuzz ball that she had fell off as this did create a lot of static, but she didn’t care. At least for the moment. She knew that Elita would not be happy about them stopping again, but Galaxy knew that they would get to the location on the map quickly.

“Galaxy!” Galaxy lifted her head as she rolled onto her back with a smile. “Get out of there, Galaxy!” She giggled a little as she listened to D-16’s voice. “Don’t make us come in there!” She pushed herself backwards a little before rolling onto her left side and sliding around. “Fine...Galaxy, we have no time for games. So you get out here or I’ll drag you out!”

“What’s the harm that she might know what this stuff is anyway?” B asked curiously as he touched the plants curiously. “They don’t feel dangerous.”

“That is not the point, B! You’re not a parent, so I doubt you’d understand.” B made a face as D glared at the plants in front of them. “Galaxy! Do you hear me?” D turned his head slightly as he could hear movement as Galaxy was still rolling and rubbing against the moss at the centre of the patch. D-16 sighed deeply. “Looks like we’re dragging you out…”

“Just don’t be too harsh on her, D,” Orion said as he placed a hand on D’s shoulder gently. “I’m not thrilled by her sudden action either, but…”

“We shouldn’t even consider that this was okay, Pax. I don’t care if it was from excitement. Something could have happened. We are unfamiliar of the surface, as you are too. So I think it is fair that we are cautious. So don’t tell me not to be too harsh.” D-16 shrugged off Orion’s hand as he pushed through the grass to get to the center. He glanced around at the plants briefly with a brief sense of curiosity until he finally reached the center. He pushed the grass to the side to find Galaxy rolling around and rubbing her neck across the mossy center, and she looked at him with a smile. But D kept a stern expression as he was unhappy. “I’m not happy, Galaxy. I don’t care that this isn’t dangerous, but it could have been.” Galaxy murmured a little as she rolled some more and D huffed loudly. “No one else here is smiling, Galaxy. You could have seriously found yourself in a dangerous situation. We don’t know anything about the surface, and to a point, you don’t either.”

Galaxy rolled onto her stomach as she looked at D as he folded his arms with a frown. Orion pushed some of the plants aside as he looked at her, also with an unhappy expression, but not as intense of a gaze as D’s. Galaxy’s smile faded as she understood their fear. “Sorry…I…I got a bit over excited. This feels amazing to roll in and…”

“You could have said so without running off like that, Galaxy. You have never done that before, and you always stayed by our side.” Galaxy whimpered softly and looked away from them. D-16 softened his expression as he stepped forward, only to be a little startled by how soft the mossy center of the bristle patch was, but it wasn’t slippery or unsteady, so he walked forward and crouched by Galaxy. “I know you are happy to be on the surface, but just please don’t scare us like that. Okay?” Galaxy nodded as D-16 smiled slightly. “Good. Because I am tempted to throw away those roots we found.” Galaxy immediately widened her optics and shook her head. “I’m not above rewarding bad behavior, but I think it will be okay. As long as you don’t do anything else, then we will get rid of those roots.”

“I understand, dadda. I’m sorry for scaring you.” Galaxy whimpered as she shuffled closer to him. “I guess…we should continue. There’s no point in staying here. Even though this is so nice on the body.”

D-16 nodded. “Yep, we have to go. Staying here means wasting time.” Galaxy nodded as she understood before she stood up. D sighed as her sad expression tugged at his spark. “I still love you, that is why I was so concerned. I hope you know that.” Galaxy nodded again as she walked towards the tall grass and D reached to grab her, only for a loud zap made Galaxy flinch and D pull back suddenly. “Ouch! What the…” Orion snorted in amusement and Galaxy grinned at him. “Primus, that static hurt.”

“Did it?” Galaxy raised her front, right paw and pointed her claw towards him.

“Hey, hey!” D stood up and jumped back immediately, almost tripping through the grass. “Don’t go around zapping us, Galaxy.”

“It’s just static, it’s not real electricity. I could do that instead, you know.”

Orion widened his optics immediately. “Can you?”

Galaxy nodded. “I can, well, maybe not yet. I haven’t really had the chance to learn how to do that. I can probably breath fire and plasma, but…lightning and other stuff, that takes time to learn.”

“Oh, I thought it all came naturally.” Galaxy shook her head as she giggled at Orion. “Well, I guess it is like learning to fly, isn’t it?”

“Yep, that’s correct, daddy. Some things might come naturally, but there are still things I have to learn. Dragon abilities are not toys…that I have to remember, or I could hurt someone. But…” Galaxy playfully extended her right wing suddenly and Orion gasped as the tip touched him with a loud zap. “Static is a lot of fun.”

D-16 chuckled softly as he shook his head. “Well, we cannot stay here for much longer. So instead of zapping all of us, we should get going. Or Elita might drag us all by the legs, and I can actually see her doing that.”

Galaxy huffed in amusement. “Quite the picture, dadda. But I will not run off again.” Galaxy walked through the grass and she whimpered as she saw Elita standing next to B with an angry expression. She wasn’t looking at the plants while B had pulled one out of the ground to look at it closely, but Galaxy knew she wasn’t happy. Galaxy whimpered again and Elita looked at the dragon as she walked over. “Sorry, Elita. Um…I won’t hold us up again.”

“I hope not. Like D said, no running off. You’ll give us all a spark attack otherwise.” Galaxy smiled as she was glad Elita didn’t seem overly angry. “Just please don’t even think about zapping me with that static either. You can torment your parents and B if you want, but not me.”

Galaxy giggled softly. “I wasn’t even going to. You are kind of scary sometimes.”

Elita widened her optics in surprise and she raised an eyebrow. “Really? Me? Of all bots. Isn’t Sentinel scarier than me?” Galaxy nodded affirmatively. “Huh…not sure how I feel about that. But I guess I can be a bit tough when I want to be. I don’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay, you don’t do it intentionally. Besides, right now, without all the protocols and work you need to do, you’re not as scary.” Elita hummed a little as she realized why Galaxy thought that way. Her firm leadership skills was the reason, but it wasn’t enough to make Galaxy dislike her. After all, Galaxy does want to call her mama, so Elita wasn’t going to take it to spark. “I think you have kind of needed this.”

Elita shook her head. “I don’t think so, Galaxy. I’m worried about what will happen to us when we go home. But at least we can at least find the answer to this mystery here.” Elita looked at Orion and D as they stood behind Galaxy with smiles on their faces. “I still think this will lead to nothing, but it will definitely be something to share to our friends about. If we aren’t all imprisoned for it.” Elita intakes deeply as she brought up the map again to proceed forward. “Alright, let’s go.”

B-127 beamed happily. “This is so much fun! Even with the brief scare, this is still so awesome!” He began following Elita when Galaxy playfully tapped his right hip, and the bot yelped as the static zapped him too. “Wow! How long is static even supposed to last?”

Galaxy giggled softly. “Dragons are kind of good at keeping static and electricity in their bodies.”

“Oh, so you are hanging onto it deliberately or something?” Galaxy just shrugged and B chuckled softly. “I think that is so cool…”

“But we do not want to create unnecessary attention,” Orion said gently as he interrupted B. “No more zapping now. You’ve had your fun, but you need to settle now. Especially since your foot is still healing. And I am thinking we should wait for another day to help you fly too. Since today isn’t a good day.”

Galaxy sighed deeply as she understood. She had unintentionally scared them, and she didn’t mean to. She just had been overexcited to find something that her race enjoyed using. That bristle patch wasn’t just nice to roll in, it was relaxing. Especially the scent of the plants was quite attractive to the draconic bots. There used to be a lot of it growing outside Tempest, and Galaxy had no doubt they were often used. But they were also cared for, since over rolling around in the patch would kill the plants.

But now that they were on their way, Galaxy decided to just stay close to them. She didn’t want to scare them anymore. Though Galaxy did look around, as she knew it was possible to find other dragon bodies. She did not know if she would recognize them, but it didn’t matter. It would show signs things were bad for her race on the surface, and not just before of the Quintessons. But trying to show it was Sentinel would still be difficult since no regular citizen of Iacon really know about Sentinel’s weapons.

Galaxy intakes deeply and she relaxed while continuing to walk. B-127 began to sing after sometime, and while it was a surprise to them all, Elita, Orion and D-16 did try to convince him to be quiet. But B simply couldn’t keep his mouth shut for them time being. He was overexcited, and it was a good thing, but like Galaxy suddenly running off, he could draw attention. But no matter how much the bots would tell him to be quiet, it didn’t work. And so they just resolved to trying to ignore him, while Galaxy did not mind at all. It helped to pass the time after all.

Hey readers! Hope you don’t mind the little dragon stuff I’ve added before moving into the next part of the story. It’s a lot of fun, especially since I’ve referenced both How to Train Your Dragon and Dragon Prince within the last two chapters in Galaxy’s draconic behavior, and will likely put more in future chapters. This story has been a lot of fun to write, and I look forward to completing it, and possible sequels, since Transformers Two probably won’t happen unfortunately. 

Chapter Text

B-127 was still singing happily, even after thirty minutes had passed. Galaxy found it amusing, but also annoying. After all, she had just got her voice back and she should be the one speaking so much. But Galaxy was used to being rather quiet, and she just wanted to walk with her parents, Elita and B towards the location of the beacon on the map. Though that didn’t stop Galaxy from posting out a few things along the way, and the bots were quite happy that she knew some things. Admittedly, Galaxy knew she only knew a small amount, so she didn’t know everything yet.

Though as they continued walking, the clear sky soon filled with a cloud. Galaxy disliked it as the overcast made the journey feel more dreary, and they wouldn’t be able to see what might be flying through the sky. So it was a disadvantage, but there was nothing they could do. It just meant there was some moisture in the air and that was completely normal, and Galaxy just reminded herself that it might just rain. That was an experience the bots definitely have bot had before. And it also was something Galaxy missed experiencing as she remembered how startled she was about the falling water on her head as a new born. She will always laugh at herself for her reaction at trying to bite the rain as it fell.

Eventually, they reached a slight slope that was leading down to an open plain that was filled with long grass. B-127 was still singing enthusiastically, while Galaxy was amused. However, as they continued walking, Galaxy stopped in her tracks as her whole body tensed and she looked around as she felt as though she needed to be alert. She immediately knew she had sensed something was not right and she was immediately on edge. And she even noticed that the sky itself almost sounded completely silent, though she knew she might be imagining it.

Orion turned and stopped when he realized Galaxy wasn’t by him, and looked over his shoulder to see the dragon looking around with worried optics. She was sniffing the air curiously while seemingly trying to see something. He frowned as he was concerned. “Galaxy?” D-16, Elita and B-127 stop when Orion spoke, and turned to see the worried dragon. Galaxy looked at Orion briefly before she continued to look around. “Are you okay? You seem distracted or worried about something.”

“Um…I’m…not sure, daddy.” Galaxy turned her body to the right briefly as she looked around some more before she whimpered softly. “I just…have a feeling. A sense something isn’t right, but I’m not sure why or what it might be.” She shuddered as Orion walked over to her while she kept looking around. “I…” She looked in the direction they are meant to be heading, and she could see some mountains in the distance. “I am not sure if we should continue right now.”

“Hold up, why?” D-16 turned his fall body to Galaxy in surprise. “We are almost there, Galaxy. I don’t understand why you would suddenly have a bad feeling.”

“It’s more than a bad feeling, dadda.” Galaxy sniffed the air again and huffed softly. “Draconic bots have a keen connection to the world. And now that I feel a sense of unease right now. I’m…I’m not sure. I don’t see or smell anything dangerous, but…” She shuddered a little before letting out a soft growl. “I don’t know if we should proceed. I feel like it would be the wrong thing to do.”

“And what if it is the right thing to do?” Galaxy looked at Elita in surprise. “You feel a sense of unease, but what if it is behind us? That is always a possibility, you know?” Galaxy knew that, but she was still unsure. “So I think we should continue for the moment, while being extra cautious as we proceed.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “Elita’s right, Galaxy. I think we should continue.” Galaxy whimpered as she was not sure. “Besides, now that we know something might be wrong, we should proceed.”

She looked at Orion curiously. “So…you believe me? Or are thinking I’m being paranoid?”

“Oh, no, I believe you, Galaxy. What you said actually is mentioned in the archives. So sensing danger before the rest of us is normal for dragons. But Elita is right, since moving forward might still be safer.” Galaxy was happy Orion believed her, and she felt better, but not by much. Orion glanced around curiously before he gently tapped Galaxy’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s keep going, Galaxy. Stay close to us, and we will keep a close eye out.”

Galaxy hesitated as she was not sure. D-16 walked over to her with a smile. “I agree with Pax, Galaxy. Come on, let’s keep going. We are not far, and there is no way to really turn back and go home right now. So I think we will be okay.” Galaxy whimpered softly and he leaned down to kiss her forehead and playfully tapped her snout, making her smile slightly. “That’s better. You will be okay, we all will be. Let’s go.”

Galaxy intakes deeply as she nodded. She was still uncertain right now, but proceeding forward could certainly be safer than going back or taking a different direction. She walked forward with the bots while sticking close to Orion and D-16 as she was still nervous. The feeling of unease did not vanish at all, and she knew that she had to remain alert. Just in case something was to be approaching, she could warn them sooner than later.

Galaxy’s unease also made the others feel uneasy, except for B. He was still humming with a smile on his face, mostly due to the fact that he was thrilled to have new friends. Though Galaxy didn’t know if Orion, D and Elita saw him as a friend. Orion probably did, since Orion wouldn’t be closed to having another friend, but she wasn’t sure about D and Elita. Those two weren’t thrilled about B being noisy and talkative, but they didn’t really complain about it either.

Orion glanced around curiously, as he knew that dragons were able to detect danger a lot sooner than bots. So Galaxy’s sudden alert definitely was not fake. And he didn’t know if what they were doing right now was even the right thing. After all, anything could happen. And while they were not in obvious danger, there was no way he was going to act like nothing was happening. B was, so was Elita and D, but he wasn’t. They weren’t too concerned like he was.

Orion turned his head as he noticed some more grass growing along the ground. He hummed softly as he reached out to touch it and Galaxy looked at him. “It’s a shame we don’t have anything like this back in Iacon. I doubt anything would grow underground.”

“There are, but…I don’t remember what they’re called or what they look like.” Orion looked at Galaxy with wide optics as he was curious immediately. “But there are plants and…something else that grow underground. And they glow as well. Um…but I think only specific areas of the world do they grow. But I don’t remember exactly where.”

Orion couldn’t help but smile. “Wow…that would actually be quite something to see.”

Galaxy nodded. “I agree, daddy. Seeing all the different flora on the surface is one thing, but there is some magical things below the surface. But also places around the surface of the planet, if they haven’t been destroyed at this time.”

“I think now that we’ve been on the surface, going back underground kind of seems bland to me,” B-127 said enthusiastically. “If I could avoid going back, I would. I don’t want to be stuck in a dark, lonely room again for cycles.”

Orion placed a hand on B’s shoulder, kindly giving the bot a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, B. We will make sure that does not happen.” Elita glanced back at Orion in surprise as she felt that kind of promise was a bad idea. “Especially since D and I saw how small the place was, so I am positive that once we find and hand the Matrix to Sentinel…” Galaxy rolled her optics immediately at that comment. “We all will find our lives will improve substantially.”

B-127 pumped his fists enthusiastically. “I am totally thrilled by the idea. Even if there is a possibility we won’t find it, I am still stoked over the idea.”

Galaxy sighed as she shook her head, knowing that even if they found the Matrix and gave it to Sentinel, the bot would act like he is grateful for their help. Until the very moment of their execution, then it would be way too late for them to realize exactly who Sentinel really is. She did feel like that is exactly what will happen, unless someone else could actually say something as well. After all, a single sparkling saying that Sentinel was evil…Galaxy did understand why her parents hesitated in believing her.

D-16 touched the grass lightly as they walk by it. “Even though I think all this strange nature is weird to me, I can see it is quite beautiful.” Galaxy smiled as she looked at him. “I imagine that there are lots of different kinds in different colours.” She nodded affirmatively. “And how many would be considered something safe to ingest?”

“Um…” Galaxy widened her optics as she pondered on the question. “Uh, actually, I don’t know. I know a few…I think there are some that grow on the trees, bushes…and a few other type of roots…but I don’t know. I wasn’t…” She intakes deeply as she shook her head. “I am afraid it was information not shared to me in the pod. But that isn’t really important information for me to know.”

“Do you think you’d be able to find your pod again?” D-16 asked and that surprised Galaxy. “Or do you think it was removed?”

“Um…I can find the cave it was in again, but I cannot answer the last one, dadda.”

D placed his hand on the back of her neck to rub gently, making Galaxy purr a little. “It’s okay. It has been a while, so I guess we can only speculate about it.”

Elita hummed as she turned her head as she didn’t know what they were talking about. “What are you talking about, D? A pod?”

“Yeah, a stasis pod.” Elita glanced down at Galaxy as the dragon responded immediately. “I was still a very young sparkling when Tempest was destroyed, Elita. Oranos had foreseen it, but he did not know when or who destroyed the city. But I was the target. After all, my…CNA line has a history of someone who is stronger than any draconic bot in history. And I might have that power too. Which is why Oranos made a stasis pod for me.” Elita was surprised by this, since she hasn’t heard the story before. And even B-127 went silent as he was also interested. “But my mother had to hide me away so I wouldn’t be found. So…I was hidden in a cavern above Iacon city. It is a miracle that I was not found, despite it had been almost fifty cycles. When the pod opened, I found my way into the city and cloaked myself before ending up in the mines.”

“So…were you still in your draconic form when you left the pod?” Elita asked and Galaxy shook her head. “Oh…interesting…and that would also be the day that we met…well, at least it has worked out for you. Though it also shows how much your growth was slowed if you were still very young, but we you like freshly born, or a few mini cycles old or something?”

“No, I was about a couple cycles old when I was put into the pod. So I at least had time to spend with my birth parents and the other dragons during that time.” Orion’s smile softened, pleased to know this fact. He had wondered how long she had with her birth parents, and it made him happy to know she did have enough time with them. “If I wasn’t in that pod, I would definitely be bigger than all of you. Probably…maybe half Cosmic’s size…unless I get my sire’s size, then that might be a different story. Comet Hammer was big…he was much larger than the Primes in general, and probably one of the largest dragons in history. But I hope I don’t get as big as him. I won’t fit in Iacon, otherwise.”

Orion chuckled as he gently hugged the dragon’s neck lightly with his arm. “I have no doubt that if you did grow that size, we would still love you, Galaxy.”

“So long as you don’t feel the urge to, maybe, snap up and ingest a random bot here and there.” Galaxy looked at B-127 with bewilderment and tilted her head in surprise. B smirked in amusement. “What?”

“Um...draconic bots ingest energon...not bots...” Galaxy frowned a little as she wondered why he would say that.

B-127 chuckled as Galaxy’s baffled expression and tone was amusing. “Well, I don’t know that. Plus, those things...” B pointed ahead and they all look ahead to see a herd of creatures. Galaxy smiled upon seeing them due to knowing what they are. “I am pretty sure they would make for a tasty treat for you.”

Galaxy shook her head. “I am not sure why you would think that, B. Plus, those are part of the cervibot species.” Looking at the creatures ahead with their slender bodies as the creatures were focused on eating the grass. Their faded, gold colour did seem dustier under the brown cloud and their purple optics glowed brightly as they look up to look at the bots. Their antlers on their heads were sharp, but were rather a sonar detector and they often, like dragons, sensed something before bots did. “I don’t know what these guys are called, but I do know they’re harmless. They grass upon the nature you have all seen so far.”

“Mmhmm, which makes them juicier...” Galaxy frowned at B-127 and the yellow turned and grabbed Galaxy’s upper and lower jaw to open her mouth, making the dragon squeal in surprise. “Come on, look at those teeth! You aren’t even an adult yet, they look sharp! Plus, I bet you could rip someone apart if...” B gasped as Galaxy threw her head to side to get away from his grasp and snapped her teeth at his hands, making him jump back. “Uh, yeah, just like that.”

Galaxy shook her head again as she looked at B curiously. “Is it common for bots to think that dragons devour other creatures?”

“Actually, I don’t think so,” Orion said as he shrugged while shaking his head. “And honestly, there was nothing in the archives to say that, so I always believed that they ingested energon like us. Though, I suppose, it is understandable if someone does believe that. There is energon in us and those cervibots, which wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they could be ingested.”

Galaxy chuckled softly. “Primus…this is the most ridiculous thing I have heard. I don’t know any draconic bot who would do that, or have done so in the past. If they have, I don’t know a thing about it. But you are all okay.”

“Good, good…” D-16 hummed, smirking slightly as he lightly tapped Galaxy’s shoulder to get her attention. “But…if you think that you want to, I think it would be perfectly fine to nip off some of his fingers and toes. What do you think?”

B-127 widened his optics in shock. “Now that’s not very nice, D.”

“Hey, I mean, I am sure she feels that way after you decided to forcefully show off her teeth. I wouldn’t be surprised if, when you are recharging, you’ll wake up with a few missing fingers and toes. And she doesn’t have to ingest them either.”  B immediately folded his arms to hide his hands while Galaxy giggled. D-16 chuckled softly as he grinned at B. “I can’t believe you thought I was being serious.”

B-127 sighed as he relaxed. He smiled as soon as he realized they were joking. “You certainly almost gave me a spark attack, D-16.” He chuckled as he relaxed him armed. “But I guess do kind of deserve it. Oh well, that’s good, by the way. Dragons don’t ingest...ah, HEY!” B jumped to the right in surprise when Galaxy snapped her teeth as the bot’s right hand. “What in Primus?!”

Galaxy chuckled softly as B stared at her with wide optics. “What? Maybe I should start the tradition, since you suggested it, B. Nothing wrong with losing a couple fingers.” B grimaced and Galaxy giggled as she looked at D, who was grinning, while Orion had a smaller grin on his face. “He takes us way too seriously.”

D-16 chuckled, lightly tapping her shoulder with his closed fist. “You are definitely my daughter.”

Orion huffed lightly. “She certainly is. She has learned from the best.” He elbowed D playfully as the silver mech chuckled softly more. He looked at B who was smiling again. “Relax, B. She had to take advantage of the moment, that is all. It wasn’t personal, just so you know.”

“I know that now. I should have seen it coming.” B chuckled as he stepped closer to Galaxy. “And here I thought I was the biggest joker.”

“Mmm, well…” Galaxy glanced at Orion briefly and looked back at B. “Maybe you are, but daddy’s the biggest joker here.” Orion pretended to look offended at Galaxy’s comment, while Elita chuckled. She had not said anything ever since the bots started to joke with each other, despite being amused. “He enjoys making me laugh, and he also enjoys pranking dadda, and dadda enjoys it too.”

Galaxy squealed as Orion scooped the sparkling into his arms and she giggled as he snuggled her, making her squirm against him. “How else am I supposed to make you laugh, huh?” Galaxy giggled loudly as she squirmed in his arms. Orion chuckled as he kissed her cheek gently. “If I could, I would ensure that you would never shed a tear of sadness, fear and grief again. Your smile and laughter is much more meaningful to me.”

Galaxy nuzzled Orion’s cheek gently. “Thanks, daddy.” She giggled as he kissed her cheek again. “But can you put me down, please?”

“Alright.” He placed the sparkling down, and she jumped away from his arms and turned sharply, looking at him while wagging her tail. “And I think it is time to calm down now, Galaxy.”

Galaxy could not help but whimper a little as she was wanting to play some more, but a distant rumble through the sky, and a light tremble through the ground made the draconic bot tense and look around immediately. The sound also made the other bots stop, and the cervibots look up upon hearing the sound too.

“What was that?” Elita asked, glancing around before flinching as the purple antlers began turning red.

“Scrap, that’s an alert for danger,” Galaxy said, as one-by-one, each of the antlers turned red and the herd began to run. She trembled as a loud sound echoed through the sky. “Looks like I was right, but going forward was also right by Elita.” She stepped forward cautiously with a whimper as the four bots were nervous.

Orion nodded in agreement as wind blew against their legs, picking up the dust from something quite powerful. “Galaxy is right, and since they’re running that direction, we should probably follow them.”

D-16 nodded as the bots began running and Galaxy ran ahead slightly, though as she was keeping her right, back foot raised, she couldn’t run as fast as she would like. “Good idea.”

“But what are we running from?!” B-127 exclaimed nervously, glancing around to try and see what might be following them.

“Doesn’t matter, B. Whatever it is, we do not want to be out in the open like we have been.” Elita glanced over her shoulder before looking ahead, surprised to find a small city or abandoned military structure that has been mostly destroyed, with some buildings left standing and abandoned. “This isn’t the draconic city, is it?”

“Nope, Tempest is further north from here.” Galaxy glanced back briefly and she thought she could see a shadow looming through the clouds. Something was flying through the sky. It looked like a ship. She shuddered as she whimpered softly. “Oh, no…it better not be who I think it is.”

The bots focus on running to the abandoned structures that had some overgrowth growing over it all. The ominous, ruined city at least was going offer them cover from what was coming. And hopefully, they do not get seen. Especially as it was unlikely to be Sentinel, and Galaxy knew this to be a fact. Unless there were actual ships that have been built in secret that he has not made a mention of at all during his reign of Iacon.

Running through a set of broken gates, they run to the right and hide behind the wall with Orion looking past the wall to try and see something, but it was the loud humming of engines above that made them all look up. Galaxy whimpered as she pressed herself against the wall, and she almost knocked D-16 and Elita over as she squeezed between them, and she unintentionally shoved them to try and huddle against the wall.

Soon the ship flying slowly over the city could be seen. D-16 gasped as he stared at the ship in shock. “What is that?”

“Oh no…” Orion recognized it instantly, which was good, as it meant he had learned about the Quintesson ships from the archives. “It’s a Quintesson ship.”

Elita widened her optics immediately. “What?!”

“What do we do?!” B panicked nervously, watching the ship continue forward slowly. “What do we do?!”

“Shh!” Orion hushed as he looked at B with a slight frown. “Quiet.”

Galaxy whimpered and D-16 knelt down suddenly, placing his arm around her protectively while also placing his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. Galaxy appreciated it as she leaned against him, trembling nervously as she waited. A single cervibot ran through the door in a panic, as the sudden appearance of the ship and the sound of the engines frightened the animals, and the herd has likely spread out.

However, the Quintesson ship clearly had picked up on the movement as a blast was fired from the ship and impact the ground upon landing a direct hit of the animal. Galaxy shrieked into D’s hand and she hid her face into his shoulder, moving her front legs to hug around his shoulders and D-16 picked the sparkling up, making sure to tuck her tail under his armpit as he looked over at the impact zone, and a scanner light beamed down from the ship and expanded before the ship moved over the city to continue scanning.

“It’s scanning for lifeforms!” Orion exclaimed as he began gesturing for them to keep running. “Move, move!”

Running towards a gap between buildings with beams over the top seemed like a good idea. But the ship was still flying around slowly while it scanned for lifeforms. Galaxy was unsurprised that the Quintessons would kill the fauna on the surface of the planet too, even if they pose zero threat to the alien race. But there was little that could be done for them right now as the bots were focused on getting to shelter.

“Shouldn’t you put her down?” Elita asked in a hushed tone as she ran beside D-16. “She would move a lot faster if she was.”

“I think she’s safer in my arms right now, Elita.” It might be true that Galaxy was faster than them, but he also knew that keeping Galaxy in his arms, D-16 could ensure that Galaxy was safe and she wouldn’t run into the beam unintentionally. “And I doubt she would let me, even if I wanted to.”

Elita wanted to say something else, but she realized that D-16 was right. Galaxy running off in a panic could lead to her death, and they did not want that. Plus, D-16 was not hindered in any way right now. Maybe once they found a place that was clear and safer, that might change, but they all focused on running. The ship was still moving over the city while continuing to scan for lifeforms. And it was very tense right now.

As they continue to run, they were forced to hide against another wall as the ship flew by with the beam scanning in front of them. They intakes heavily, waiting to see if they could continue safely, only for the ship to make a sharp turn and they had to run away from the beam to keep the Quintessons from finding them. It was a wonder if the Quintessons could see anything from their ship, but they weren’t really looking at it to spot any kind of window.

Galaxy whimpered as heard the loud rumbling of the Quintesson ship engine seemed to rumble through the ground. She was still hiding her face at the moment, but she glanced over D’s shoulder, widening her optics to see the beam was following them. She whimpered and turned her head to see B-127 was starting to struggle in keeping up with the bots, which made Orion fall back slightly to ensure that B would be okay.

Galaxy gasped with a flinch when B almost tripped forward, and Orion caught the bot, making sure he was quickly back on his feet to keep running. This put both of them behind and Galaxy watched nervously. She glanced up at the ship briefly and she whimpered as she was terrified of what will happen if the Quintessons were to find them. She sniffled as she wanted to cry, but she was able to hold back the tears.

D-16 climbed onto a ledge carefully and quickly with Elita with a roof above. The two bots turned, and Galaxy turned her head, looking at Orion and B nervously. Elita gestured for the two bots to catch up. “Come on!” Though as the two bots were still running, the ship was faster, and the light from the beam was getting closer to their heels. “They’re not going to make it.”

Galaxy growled a little as she looked at Elita with a frown, not appreciating the comment from Elita and it made her try to wiggle in D-16’s arms. The silver mech tightened his arms around the sparkling, and she whimpered, wanting to get out of his arms and run over to Orion and B to try and help them. D-16 looked at Galaxy as she growled lightly in frustration. “Stop it, Galaxy! Elita didn’t mean it.”

Galaxy whimpered some more as she could see that the beam was too close to B and Orion. “Yes, she did! Even I can see that, dadda!” Galaxy gasped as Orion reached out and grabbed B’s chassis as they were able to get underneath a beam, and Orion held the bot back and the two bots were awkwardly trying to not let themselves be detected. Galaxy squirmed some more and she couldn’t help but shout. “DAD…”

Elita immediately placed her hands around Galaxy’s muzzle, making the sparkling whimper and glare at her. “Shh, Galaxy! They might hear you!” Galaxy tried shaking her head and tears fell from the sparkling’s optics. “Just wait a moment, Galaxy.” Elita glanced over her shoulder, intaking deeply as she stared at Orion and B as the two bots were tense, staring at the beam as the ship seemed to be taking a little longer than it did before. “They should move any moment now.”

Galaxy looked at Orion and B-127 as she really wanted to run over to them right now. But she could only watch. D and Elita made sure she was quiet and secure as they all stare at the two bots as they waited for the Quintessons to keep moving. And it was clear that Orion’s grip was already slipping too, and B was trying so hard to not let himself fall forward from the bot’s grasp. All of their sparks were pulsing quickly as they stared and waited.

And the wait felt like hours to Galaxy until the ship moved forward far enough that the beam would not touch the two bots. She sighed deeply in relief as Orion lets go of B, and the two bots were able to relax, though were clearly shaken. Elita let go of Galaxy’s muzzle, and the sparkling smiled at the femme briefly before she squirmed some more, but D-16 wasn’t about to let Galaxy loose, even with Orion and B safe for the moment.

The bots stare at the ship before it came to a stop and the beam was turned off. At first, they thought that the Quintessons may have seen them, but the ship ascended suddenly and quickly, which made them all relax as D-16 and Elita walked over to Orion and B, staring at the sky while listening to the sound of the engines fading away into a loud echo. Galaxy was sure they would be back though, and they would at least be gone by then.

“What…what were they searching for?” B-127 asked nervously as he was trembling as he slowly rose to his feet.

“Someone to hug, B,” D-16 responded sarcastically, making Galaxy frown a little as she wasn’t amused by that. “How should I know?”

“No one does, dadda. But it really could be anything.” Galaxy squirmed some more in D’s arms and looked at him. “Can you let me down now, dadda? I like being held by you, but…”

“Alright, alright…” D lowered the dragon to the ground and Galaxy smiled at him. “And I bet…” D didn’t have to say much as Galaxy darted around D and lunged at Orion, who was a little startled as he caught the sparkling as she nuzzled him and whimpered. D-16 chuckled softly. “Yep, knew it.” D looked at Orion with a slight smirk. “But you did almost die again.”

“Yep, and nothing wrong with ensuring to our daughter that I am okay.” Orion rubbed Galaxy’s back gently and kissed her cheek before glancing around. “However, I am not willing to wait around for them to come back and try again.”

Elita nodded as she turned on the map, before a loud thud made them all flinch and Galaxy hid her face in Orion’s shoulder. “This way! We’re close!” Elita gestured as the bots ran forward, glancing around briefly to make sure that the ship wasn’t around.

“Quintessons haven’t been here for fifty cycles,” Orion said in disbelief, while Galaxy whimpered as she knew that wasn’t true.

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Elita exclaimed. “There’s nothing out here!”

If only that were true, daddy, Elita…but I know exactly why the Quintessons are looking for life signs. They know other draconic bots are alive and they are looking for them. Any draconic bot that has strayed from the Wight Canyon would be easy pickings to them. At least they now are questioning some of what they know. And hopefully, they will learn the answers before it is too late. I still feel a sense of unease, but maybe that’s because the danger’s still nearby…or something else is around. Ugh…at least daddy and B-127 are safe. That was too close for comfort.

Hey readers! Wanted to say since there was no actual name for the Cybertronian deer in the movie, I figured giving the race part of the scientific name for deer was a good idea. Cervibot seemed like the right thing to call them lol.

Chapter Text

The bots did eventually stop running after about fifteen minutes as they reached a small, spacious forest filled with trees and numerous metal formations throughout the area that looked like crystals. Moss covered these formations, and there were many plants with flowers growing on them as well. The bots were looking at them curiously, and Galaxy had been let down at this point as she wanted to walk beside them. Plus, seeing the nature for the first time in many cycles was just exciting for the sparkling. Though it was hard to feel happy about it with the looming threat that was likely still present in the world. And in orbit above the planet too.

B-127 looked around curiously at the forest with a slight smile. He intakes deeply, smelling the different scents of the air. “You know, I never even knew what we were missing while living underground. The surface is actually quite beautiful, despite a few things.” Galaxy looked at B with a smile. The bot was touching the plants curiously as they walk by them. “All of these strange plants are beautiful. What are those things at the top of some of these plants?” B looked at Galaxy curiously. “They seem to have different aromas and they’re so nice.”

Galaxy chuckled softly. “The flowers? Well, there are lots of different flowers. Some turn into delicious fruit as well. Looks like we are here at the wrong time, but I am not sure if these plants produce any fruit.”

“Oh, interesting.” B looked back at the plants, stopping briefly to smell the aroma of a red flower and Galaxy watched happily. “It is fascinating that each plant has a different scent. It’s weird, but it’s cool.”

D-16 huffed lightly as he was slightly amused. “Agreed. But I am not sure if you should be doing that. What if one of those things are unsafe?”

Galaxy looked at D in surprise. “The flowers won’t cause any illness, dadda. You might sneeze if a flower has a potent smell or you don’t like the scent, but that’s about it.”

“Oh, well, nothing wrong with being a bit cautious, Galaxy. You know we are...foreign to the surface.” Galaxy giggled as that sounded funny to her. D-16 smirked at her. “Hey, hey, that’s not nice.” Galaxy giggled some more as D-16 began being sarcastic and playful towards her. “I know we are all born on the same planet, but we are still from different places. I mean, you haven’t been up here in cycles, so it makes sense for you to also not know some things. Maybe some of the flowers are dangerous.”

D-16 did have a point, but she didn’t think it was a major concern. “Fair point, dadda. But I doubt it will be dangerous.” Galaxy looked around with a smile. “Hmm…normally these are teaming with…”

B-127 shrieked suddenly, jumping back for a white flower with wide optics. “What in Primus is that?!” The other three bots flinch in surprise, while Galaxy looked at the flower and smile as she saw an insect bot, with large, translucent, green wings that filtered through light and made it look like it was glowing. The insect was drinking the energon from the flower. “It’s drinking from that flower!”

Orion looked at it curiously as the insect didn’t appear to notice them. “Maybe it is how it gets its energon.”

“Or maybe it saps life from the plants this way.” B hummed a little as he looked around. “Maybe we will save it by…”

“Don’t hurt it!” Galaxy exclaimed as she ran in front of B, looking at him with a frown. “It’s just a fae bot.”

“Fae bot?” B-127 repeated and Galaxy nodded, before he leaned a little to look at it. “Oh…” He stared at the creature before he smiled a little. “Did I just overreact or something?”

Galaxy nodded. “Yeah, you did. Fae bots are harmless. It drinks the energon from the flowers because it is how it gets energon. It doesn’t kill the plant, it is actually beneficial. Devora bots are also strange insect bot that make nests in trees. They harvest the energon from the flowers and take it back to the nest to purge it into the combs they make from waxy energon.” This made the four bots shudder in disgust. “And they make a very thick, sweet, liquid type of energon to feet themselves, their queen and their offspring.”

“Uh, interesting…and what do those bots look like?” Elita asked curiously before shuddering again. “And that also sounds disgusting.”

Galaxy chuckled. “Actually, their energon is very tasty. Draconic bots use to have hives built just for them to help with fields of plants, and there was often too much of it. So by taking some of that energon from the devora bots, we actually stop them from drowning in it and being forced to relocate.” She turned her head slightly as another insect flew over her. It was yellow and black with tiny wings and large abdomen. It landed on a different flower to the fae bot. “That is a devora bot. Unlike fae bots, they can sting you it you aggravate them. But otherwise, they do their own thing.”

“Interesting.” Orion watched the insects with a smile on his face. “They are very interesting. So you do have a collective name for them? Like insecticons?”

Galaxy widened her optics. “Um, no, actually. Insecticons are actually…different to these guys. And you wouldn’t want to meet them. But at least they’ve cave dwellers…though they might have lost a lot of numbers since. Regardless, you do not want to meet one. Trust me. They were a pest to draconic bots, and they probably will be in the future if they’re still around.”

“Odd, there was nothing in the archives about insecticons.”

Galaxy frowned immediately as that was weird. “That is weird. I would have thought the insecticons would have been used as part of the fear about the surface…but I guess there was a reason why that knowledge was pulled from the archives. But I am not sure what that would be.”

Orion shrugged, as he didn’t know the reason and as Galaxy has only said a few things about insecticons, he could only go by what she has said. “So do you have a collective name for those little bots?”

“Not really, but bugs is probably the closest thing to that.” Galaxy looked at the fae bot as it flew away and began flying around the other flowers, making her smile. “At least these guys are alive. Hopefully there are more.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “It will be great to know that too.” He intakes deeply. “But we should keep going. We don’t need to get distracted by more of these little creatures and flowers.”

Galaxy nodded as she turned to continue moving forward. “At least we aren’t being followed by the Quintessons. Hopefully, that was the only time we will see them today.”

“Yeah, I still can’t believe they’re here.” D-16 frowned slightly as he pondered about it. “Maybe they are scouts. Even though Sentinel has fought the Quintessons, he cannot be everywhere at once.”

“That makes sense. Plus, Sentinel is just a single Prime, too. I bet he misses having the other Primes assisting him.” Galaxy shook her head, knowing Orion was wrong. “And maybe that ship we saw left because it was called to assist another ship fighting Sentinel. So I think that is a possibility.”

“So why wouldn’t he tell us that the battle is still ongoing?” Elita asked bluntly. “It makes no sense. We have a right to know.”

“Maybe he thought that if we thought we were safe, we would remain calm and continue to work without worry. But...” Galaxy rolled her optics in slight irritation as she listened. Orion exhaled deeply as he shrugged. “To be honest, I think he should have told us. It would make us view him as a better leader, and I would at least want to know if we are winning.”

“Seeing them out here does make me question how things are going. But if he had time to be there for the Iacon 5000, he must be doing okay.” Elita looked ahead as she saw a slanted group of mountains ahead of them. “Looks like that is where we are supposed to go.” Galaxy gazed ahead at the mountain, looking at it with a slight smile, though she felt sad knowing that they might find the bodies of the Primes there. “It’s so beautiful here. If only we could just stay here. Maybe we would be alright.”

Orion nodded, glancing at Elita with a smile. “I think we would. We could survive on the different plants containing the energon we need, and we wouldn’t have to worry about mining and protocols ever again. Life would be good.” Orion intakes deeply as he glanced around. “Even if this mission to the surface is short, I am definitely going to remember it.”

“I am sure we will be back on the surface, daddy. I don’t think this will be the only time it will happen. After all, I am pretty that things are never going to be the same after today.” Galaxy glanced up at the sky briefly and she looked at Orion. “I hope you think that too. After all, I am sure that even if we don’t find the Matrix, there will be something else.”

“Yeah, you’re right. And hopefully, it will be for the better. I want everyone’s lives to change for the better.” Galaxy nodded. Orion’s desire to make changes for the better was always noble. So Galaxy hoped that Orion would soon see the truth. “And it really cannot come soon enough, honestly. It will be so good once things get better for everyone.”

I cannot agree more, daddy. I wish things would have changed much sooner, but things don’t always happen so quickly. But hopefully things will start to change. And maybe, just maybe, the new Prime will rise very soon. We really could use him right now. And I bet he will be an amazing leader for Iacon.

“Well, I agree, Pax. But I also don’t know if I would want to stay hidden on the surface. Having to hide often from the Quintessons would not be very peaceful. I would rather go back to mining than do that.” Orion widened his optics in surprise and D shrugged. “What? That is how I feel. As beautiful this place is up here, I don’t want to be stalked. I know you wouldn’t either, in spite of the fact we could technically survive up here.”

Orion smirked at his friend. “I would have thought you would agree, D. Going back to the mines after this experience doesn’t seem that great now.”

“Oh, I know. But I am also worried about what would happen. However, I hope we are not up on the surface for longer than a day or two anyway. Only because I think we may not actually survive that long, but I could also be pleasantly surprised. Just like…” D-16 skipped forward and hugged Galaxy suddenly, making her squeal in surprise and giggle as he leaned down slightly to hug her and she looked at him with a big smile. “Finding out my daughter is definitely a draconic bot was the most pleasant surprise, even if we were foolish to think she wasn’t.”

Galaxy giggled as she licked D’s cheek happily. “I hope you remind yourself of that each day.”

D-16 lets go of Galaxy, wiping his cheek. “What did I say about licking?” He grimaced a little as he disliked how the dragon’s saliva stuck and smeared on the surface of his skin, and creating a cloudy reflection on it. “I don’t get how you can’t kiss.”

“When you have a long snout like me without the right nerves and gears to perk your lips, you’ll understand, dadda. But…” Galaxy turned and jumped at D, making him flinch as he caught the sparkling by her armpits in surprise. “How else am I supposed to show I love you aside from nuzzling, dadda? I can’t always be in my bot form, if I don’t want to. After all, it isn’t fair that I can’t show affection like any dragon would.”

Orion smiled as he nodded in agreement. “She has a point, D. We can always wash dragon saliva off with water later. It’s a small price to pay, honestly.”

“I guess…it is just…” D-16 turned his head to look at Orion. “I am not used to…” D-16 jumped when Galaxy licked his cheek again and he looked at her with wide optics, making her giggle. “Now you’re just being sneaky.”

“Am I?” Galaxy giggled as she licked his chin and D-16 rolled his optics at her as he realized she was playing. “You’re looking right at me, dadda.”

“Alright, alright.” D-16 placed the sparkling onto the ground and wiping his face with the back of his hands. “I see you are having your fun…HEY!” D-16 flinched his right hand back when Galaxy licked the back of it and she giggled, spinning around excitedly while wagging her tail. “You made your point, Galaxy.” D-16 intakes deeply, ignoring the chuckling from Orion and B, and Elita was smiling as she kept walking ahead of them. “But just don’t get any other ideas.”

“Like what?” Galaxy questioned, and D-16 frowned slightly as she stepped towards him. “I am just curious, dadda. Nothing to be concerned about. I just enjoy spending time with you, you know that.”

D-16 relaxed his expression, stepping to the left, while Galaxy watched him and he could tell she wanted to play. “I know, I know. But don’t be silly right now, Galaxy. We are still in potential danger and I don’t think now is a good time to have some fun.”

Galaxy shrugged as she prances on her feet on the stop before moving backwards. “Are you sure? Because we still have quite a few miles to go before reaching our destination.” D-16 frowned slightly. “Come on, please!” Galaxy whimpered softly. “Can’t we wrestle down the hill?”

Orion chuckled at Galaxy’s pouty expression as she was clearly begging D-16. “Come on, D. A little romp isn’t going to hurt anyone. If something seems to be dangerous, just stop.”

“Well, I will advise that you do not give in, D-16. We need to remain stealthy and I don’t think it is worth risking further injury.” Galaxy whimpered as she turned around as Elita huffed loudly. “Do not try that with me, Galaxy. Unlike your dads, I am not going to give into that pouting and sulking.” Galaxy wasn’t surprised. “Just stay focused.”

“Elita is right.” D-16 watched Galaxy as the sparkling whimpered as she walked in front of him. B-127 was watching quietly before he seemed to have an idea, but only for D to cut him off as he stepped around Galaxy with a fringe. “Maybe we can wrestle later, Galaxy. And don’t...” D looked at B as he had seen the bot’s expression. “Encourage anything, B. I know she chased you earlier, but we need to remain calm.”

B-127 raised his hands as he looked at D in surprise. “I wasn’t going to say anything.”

“You thinking about it though, weren’t you?” D-16 asked with a slight smirk as B glanced away for a moment before looking back. “It’s much easier for you to talk than not, so you might as well fess up now, B.”

B sighed with a smile. “Alright, I was thinking about something. However, I know if I say something, you are still Galaxy’s parent. So I can’t really say much. Plus I am also skittish after seeing that ship.” He shuddered with a grimace. “And I absolutely do not want to get caught by the Quintessons. So I agree with Elita, if I am honest.”

“Oh, so you would have agreed that we should wait for another time to wrestle?” B nodded and D chuckled. “Alright, I apologise. I guess I should not have aimed anything at you.”

B just shrugged. “Eh, it’s alright. I’m not bothered by that at all.” B chuckled as he looked ahead. “At least we can kind of see where we are going.” He looked at Elita with sudden curiosity. “I don’t suppose that map shows if we have to go to the top of that mountain at all?”

Elita looked at him in surprise before she shook her head. “No, it does not. We will find out when we get closer, B. I wouldn’t be too worried. That mountain doesn’t appear to be too difficult to climb.”

Orion huffed softly in amusement. “I don’t think we should make that judgement yet until we get closer, Elita. It may look okay to climb from here, but I would also be ready to see that it is hard to climb without proper equipment.”

Elita smiled slightly. “Okay, that is true, Pax. But I am allowed to try and make everyone feel hopeful that it will be easy, especially if it is at the top of the mountain or a cave further up the side of the mountain. Either way, I think we are climbing.”

Orion did not disagree as he gazed ahead. He was smiling as they were not far now, and he couldn’t help but imagine what it they might find there. He didn’t expect it to be amazingly beautiful, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t imagine what they might find. If the Matrix was there, he knew they might find the other Primes, and he did not know how to process that at this time. But he knew that what they will find, they won’t be able to forget it. And he hoped that the Matrix was here, as he felt that Sentinel needed it.

However, things were still strange. The Quintessons were here, and they shouldn’t be. They should be gone from the planet. Orion wasn’t so sure if Sentinel lied to keep the civilians of Iacon calm, or if there was another reason. Regardless, Orion knew that going to the location on the map was the most important thing they have ever needed to do, and that overshadowed some of his feelings and questions about a few things that just felt odd.

Galaxy herself though was not sure how to feel about this. She was still feeling a sense of unease, despite it not being as strong as before. But she was not sure what they would find. If they find the Primes, she didn’t know what would happen after. She did not expect to find any of the Primes to be alive, as she would believe that one of them would have tried contacting Iacon if that were the case. But she also knew Sentinel probably would have stopped the Prime and ensured they were actually dead, so it didn’t make a difference in that regard.

The bots walk through the forest towards the mountain while keeping an eye out for any further sign of Quintessons. Galaxy did end up chasing a fae bot a little bit after one landed on her snout, and she chased it around the four bots, and Orion even noticed that the fae bot seemed to respond to the draconic bot to enjoy the chase. It was cute and fun to watch, and she didn’t go anywhere either. So it definitely was a win, win in the sense of Galaxy having a bit of fun, while also the bots were still proceeding towards the mountain. Even Elita found it endearing to watch, even if she was a little annoyed with Galaxy zooming in front of her multiple times while chasing the flying bug.

Though after Galaxy stopped chasing the fae bot, she ended up being hungry again and ingested a couple more of the roots instead of drinking a bottle of energon, which she did not mind at all. And while munching on one of the roots, she pointed out a hive of devora bots, which was full of activity with loud buzzing, and Galaxy was super excited to see it. And she even assumed that the first devora bot they had seen earlier was from this hive. Though the bots were not interested in getting closer to the hive, mostly due to the fact that Galaxy did say that the bots could sting, and they didn’t want that.

After another hour of approaching the mountain, the bots looking up as the shadow of the mountain covered them in its presence. It wasn’t a tall mountain at least, but as they were about to reach the base of it, it was becoming more and more obvious that they would need to climb it. And thankfully, it looked easy to scale. So the bots wouldn’t need to worry, but Galaxy was the only one who would need assistance since her right back foot will make it hard for her to climb.

“So how far up the mountain do we have to go, Elita?” Orion asked as they stop before the mountain as Elita observed the map. “Is it about halfway?”

Elita hummed a little as she zoomed on the location for a moment before she nodded. “Um, yeah. A little over halfway, but not by much.” She looked up at the mountain for a moment before looking back at the map. “Hmm…we are a little off…” Elita moved to the right as the other bots followed her. She walked for a few minutes before stopping and looking up. “Okay, we should be directly under it. It seems there might be a cave up there.”

“Alright, looks we are climbing.” D-16 turned to Galaxy as she looked up at the mountain. “Galaxy…” She flinched and looked at him in surprise. “You are probably going to need to hold onto my back or Orion’s. I don’t think you can climb with an injured foot.”

Galaxy hummed a little as she looked up at the mountain again. “Even if my foot was okay, dadda, I would still struggle.” She looked at him with a smile. “I’m much smaller and younger than you.”

D-16 chuckled softly. “Yes, I know.”

“And since I can’t fly yet, I would rather the ride.”

B-127 giggled. “Lucky, sparkling.”

Orion huffed in amusement as he looked at B with a raised eyebrow. “And why would you want to get a ride up this mountain, huh?”

B shrugged. “I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think she’s lucky. Plus, I think all that running before tired her little legs out, anyway.”

“Oh, yeah, that would definitely be another reason.” Galaxy giggled at Orion as he looked at her with a grin. “And you know that we are right.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Galaxy giggled some more as she looked back at the mountain for a moment before stepping to D-16. “Dadda, you’re closer to me. You can carry me up the mountain.”

D-16 nodded as he dropped to one knee and leaned a little forward. “Okay, I hope your tail can help as well.”

“Considering our tails are used to help us balance, I will be fine.” Galaxy walked behind D-16 before she crouched with a smirked and jumped at his back, making D-16 yelp in surprise as he fell forward, almost onto his face from her sudden tackle. Galaxy giggled as she placed her front paws around his shoulders. “Just a pre wrestle for later.”

D-16 sighed as he pushed himself back up, glancing over his shoulder at her. “Just warn me next time, Galaxy. You almost made me meet the mountain up close, and I don’t think I need a metal burn on my chin right now.”

Elita was smirking in amusement. “But it did look funny, D. She might just do that more often against you in the future.”

D-16 grinned while shrugging. “Oh, I know she will.” He waited until Galaxy seemed secured before he stood up with a sigh. “Too bad we don’t have the harness, but I don’t think it would fit her. Her wings would be in the way.” Galaxy nodded before she nuzzled the back his neck. D smiled, reaching back to rub the top of her head. “Alright, make sure you don’t distract me or we both might tumble back down. I don’t want to do that.”

“Don’t worry, dadda.” Galaxy spread her wings suddenly. “I won’t be silly.”

“Why are you spreading your wings for?” D-16 asked with a raised eyebrow.

“So I don’t weigh you down, dadda. With wind under my wings, it will also give you a little extra lift. So climbing will be easy for you.” D-16 was surprised and impressed at the same time. Galaxy licked his cheek, making D flinch slightly as she smiled at him. “And if a gush of wind suddenly rushes up the mountain, I’ll just fold my wings so I don’t get blown off.”

“Wow, you are very smart, Galaxy.” Orion was thoroughly impressed. “Might as well make use of those wings while you have them.” He intakes deeply as he stretched his arms in front of him. “Alright, I think we should make a start before it gets dark.”

“This is so exciting!” B exclaimed as he jumped up and down on the spot. “I cannot wait to see what we find. But I’m also terrified.”

“You and me both, B.” Elita reached up, grabbing a ledge of the mountain and proceeded to climb. “Hopefully the plant grossing along the side of the mountain here isn’t slippery. I have no idea how we will get up here otherwise.”

Galaxy knew that the plant growth on the mountain would not cause the bots to slip and fall. It might look like it, but as the bots would climb the mountain, they would find it would keep them from slipping. And Galaxy had no doubt they would reach their location very soon. She intakes deeply as she turned her head to look at the horizon, as she wondered where Sentinel was, and where the Quintessons were.

She did know that there was likely other Quintesson ships roaming the surface of the planet, but they were not here right now. Which she was grateful for. But she was still worried. She turned her head in the direction of Tempest, softening her expression as she wished that the city could be repaired. She didn’t know if it was possible, even if all this was to get dealt with when the new Prime rises. Maybe not. If not, a new city would be okay, but she did not know where it would be.

I am certain there is at least an underground city somewhere in the Wight Canyon. And since Scorched Flare is new, I am sure the numbers have grown. If only I could know. But I am not Oranos, so I don’t have that gift. In a way, I am glad. The burden of that is kind of scary. And he handled it well. If it weren’t for him, I have no idea what Sentinel would have done to me if he got his hands on me. Ugh! I would hate to imagine.

Galaxy shook her head to not think those things right now. Galaxy had no idea what to really expect right now. She was anxious. She just hoped that answers will be found here, and she felt that was the most important thing. But she did also wonder how those answers would be brought to Iacon. The other bots there would have zero idea of what has been happening, and would likely still follow Sentinel blindly. And probably even if truth was shown to them.

I wouldn’t be surprised, honestly. If daddy and dadda had a hard time believing me, the other bots of Iacon would be much harder. So whatever we find…may not be enough.

And that made Galaxy sad. She didn’t want Iacon to lose. After all, the draconic bots have had a long history with Iacon and have always been allies. So she had no doubt that she wanted the rest of Iacon to know the truth. And hopefully, sooner than later. As Sentinel will likely raze the city to the ground before ever giving up his position as a leader, even if that title should never have belonged to him in the first place.

“I see a ledge up ahead.” Galaxy flinched as she blinked, not realizing a lot of time had already gone by and looked up now that Elita had her attention. “Keep it up gang, and make sure no one is looking down. We’re pretty high and no one is going to fall on my watch.”

“Don’t worry, Elita. I won’t,” B responded nervously as he climbed beside her. “Not that my spark feels like it’s going to burst out of my spark chamber and…”

“We are almost there, B. You will be okay.” Galaxy smiled at the immediate encouragement from Orion. He never misses a beat when he needs to. “Just keep climbing. We can rest our arms and legs shortly, too. And just think, we are about to make history as cogless bots.”

Ugh…he had to say that. At least this is bigger than the Iacon 5000.

Galaxy sniffled a little before she whimpered as a leaf suddenly got stuck up her nostrils from an intake. She shook her head and snorted a little, making D glance at her briefly. “You okay, Galaxy?”

“Yep, just…” Galaxy gasped as she tensed. “Scrap…uh oh…no, no…”

D-16 was immediately worried. “Why are you saying that?”

“A…A leaf got stuck in my nose…” Galaxy grimaced slightly as she was trying to hold it. “I’m gonna sneeze…”

D grimaced a little. “Alright, we if you have to, sneeze away from my head, please. I already have dragon saliva on my face, I don’t need coolant on top of it.”

“Um…” Galaxy groaned a little as her optics twitch. “Coolant is…the…least of your problem…”

Orion gasped as he widened his optics in realization. “Scrap! Hold it in, Galaxy!”

“Why are you freaking me out now?!” D exclaimed as he began moving faster to reach the ledge. “Please don’t do that!”

“Sorry, D, but…um, she might…accidently hit you with fire or plasma if she sneezes, and she knows it.” Galaxy nodded as D-16 immediately tensed some more, scurrying at fast as he could. Orion followed quickly. “Careful, D. Make sure you are not placing your hands and feet down incorrectly.”

“I know, Pax!” D-16 flinched as Galaxy inhaled sharply and clamped her mouth shut. “Can’t you just turn your head?” Galaxy wished she could as a sudden sneeze will create a sudden gust of wind, no matter what she would exhale. “Ugh…this is…” D could see the ledge ahead of him. Elita reached the ledge first and pulled herself up, pushing leaves aside as she turned to look down with worry. “Almost there!”

Elita nodded as she gestured for D to keep going. “You’re almost there, and then she can fry these plants up here. They’re the reason why she is going to sneeze anyway.”

“Yup, go idea.” D-16 reached up for the ledge as Orion reached it and turned to grab D’s arms to pull him up, and Galaxy immediately jumped over Orion’s head, startling both bots. “Woah! Galaxy!”

B-127 grumbled as he pulled himself up, looking over at the dragon as she began sneezing, unleashing a small, but hot, powerful blue blast of plasma at a fern. “Woah…that’s kind of cool.”

Galaxy sneezed again before shaking her head with a grumble. Orion helped D to his feet. “Yeah, but not when you’re almost blasted in the head from that.” D shuddered as he intakes deeply. “Phew…that was close. Better now than halfway up the mountain.”

Orion nodded as he walked over to B-127 to help him up to his feet. “I agree, D. That was too close.”

“Good thing you know more about dragons than we do,” Elita teased with a smirk at Orion before glancing at Galaxy when she sneezed again and began rubbing her head into the ground in frustration before she wiped her nose with her paw and turned to look at them. “Got it all out now?”

“I think so.” Galaxy sniffled a little before nodded. “Yep. All gone.” She looked at D-16 and softened her expression. “Sorry, dadda. I didn’t mean to almost kill you.”

D-16 widened his optics slightly before softening them with a smile. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean it.”

“But…it would have been bad…”

“But it didn’t happen, Galaxy.” Orion walked over to the dragon and knelt in front of her. She whimpered as she looked away. “Hey…” He placed his hand on the side of her muzzle and gently turned her head to look at him. “It is okay, Galaxy. It was no one’s fault. I doubt that blast would have killed him, by the way.” Galaxy pulled her head away from his hand and turned to point at the fern she had destroyed. “I don’t think that is a good comparison, Galaxy.”

“Eh, daddy, plasma would burn through the back on your head. Especially at close range. So…I feel guilty.”

“And I am not mad.” Galaxy flinched as D-16 walked over and leaned down to pick her up, making her whimper as he rolled her onto her back as he cradled her. “It was an accident. We were just lucky we were in the right spot. Okay?” Galaxy whimpered and he lightly tapped the tip of her snout, making giggle instantly. “There’s my girl.”

Galaxy smiled at him and shifted to nuzzle his neck gently. “Thanks, dadda. I still feel bad, but I also feel better.”

D-16 chuckled softly. “Good. And I hope you continue to feel better.” Galaxy nodded and he leaned down to put her back onto the ground. “Alright, now that we are…” D smiled as Galaxy began to chase her tail suddenly and she caught the tip of it, holding it in her mouth as she looked at the four bots with a smile. “Now is not the time to distract us with cuteness.”

“Why not?” Galaxy responded, muffled slightly with the tail in her mouth.

Orion chuckled softly. “We need to make a crown when we get home. She’s the princess of cuteness." Elita and B nodded in agreement. “But D is right. After all, I can see a cave behind you.”

Galaxy turned before dropping her tail as she saw what was in front of them. A large round cave with metal spikes pointing inward of the circle, making her shudder and run behind Orion with a whimper. “It had to look that.”

“I agree, Galaxy. A cave with teeth.” B-127 looked at the cave with a worried expression. “Nothing scary about that.” Elita pulled up the map for a moment to read it before glancing at the entrance before she turned it off and gave it back to Orion, which surprised the bot and signalled they were in the right spot. B-127 gulped nervously as they walk towards it. “Knives coming out of the ceiling, amazing. Maybe we will…uh, I bet there are some loose spears and…”

“Will you stop that?!” Galaxy hissed at B, making the young bot jump in surprise. “I don’t want to know what might be in there, B! Please.”

“Sorry…” B-127 intakes as he looked at the other three bots, as he and Galaxy he slowed down a bit, nervous to go in. “Everyone, do we have to go inside?” He got the answer as Orion and D turned their helmet lights on. “Okay, yep, we’re going in.” He intakes deeply and leaned down to pick up Galaxy, even though it was awkward as he held her by her armpits with her back and wings against his chassis. “Why shouldn’t we? Walking into the scariest place I’ve ever seen in my entire life!”

Galaxy grumbled a little as she let B hold her awkwardly. “Please, stop talking about scary things.”

“Sorry!”

Galaxy shook her head as she looked around. The cave was not completely dark like they had expected. The sunlight filtering through the entrance seemed to not be just the only place it was filtering through. There were beams of light coming through from cracks in the ceiling of the cave, but it was still necessary for the helmet lights to be on. And despite that, there was a lot of plant life living and growing in this cave.

D-16 did slow down and turn so B-127 could catch up, though he smirked at how B was carrying Galaxy as she looked so adorable. B was kind of holding her like how Galaxy would hold her toys in her arms. But at least he wasn’t squeezing. Regardless, he wanted to make sure they would not get left behind in this tunnel. After all, it seemed that it was deep in the mountain. And there was only one way that they could see into it. And they had zero idea of what to expect, other than hoping that the Matrix of Leadership is here.

How does a family picture sound? Great!

But, oh my gosh, it took two programs to get this put together. Especially as the original photo made Pax look like he was forced to be in the picture, and while I found it funny, it wasn't his character. Luckily, I got this image. Ignore the random glow on D-16, I don't know why he got it.

But I was happy that Galaxy's youngling form was given a sparkling form with this image. Almost exactly identical!

Also, if you were wondering, the fae bots are butterfly bots and devora bots are bees. Devora is a Hebrew word for bee. And if I ever do write a sequel, I do intend on adding the insecticons in it.

Chapter Text

Walking through the tunnel further into the mountain, the bots were all cautious as they continued walking. B-127 kept Galaxy in his arms as the draconic bot resided to the fact of how he was carrying her. And she didn’t feel like making a fuss. She sniffed the air, trying to pick up recent scents, but there was none. This place has not been visited in many cycles. So any trace of someone being here, even the Quintessons, was long go. All Galaxy could smell now was the dust and the scent of the moss growing along the walls and ceiling of the cave. There were small insects living down here too. Glowing bots that were small, but group in large numbers would fly around or huddle to the wall, or land on the cave flowers. Galaxy didn’t remember their names, but they were pretty as they glowed in different colours.

Regardless, Galaxy was at least grateful some light was still filtering through cracks in the ceiling. It made the tunnel not so intimidating, despite how deep the tunnel was. But even though the tunnel did not seem dark, Galaxy was still anxious. She knew this was where the Primes died, and she also knew that Oracle River had been with them, but she didn’t know if he died alongside them. Regardless, she knew that what they were going to find would not make them smile.

“Any idea how far we got to go?” B whispered suddenly, startling the dragon as everyone had been silent until now.

“No idea, B,” Orion responded in a hushed tone. “But we should not be far. Be patient.”

B-127 nodded slowly. “Okay…just wondering…I don’t like this place that’s all.”

D-16 huffed in amusement. “It’s better than being cramped in that little space you’ve been stuck in for so long.”

“Mmm, yeah, you’re right, D.” B-127 glanced around curiously, looking at the insects flying around them. “At least these little glow bugs are pretty and minding their own business.”

“And they are also quiet,” D-16 said bluntly.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. They are. Their little buzzing is hardly noticeable.” Galaxy smirked as B completely missed the point that D was trying to tell him to be quiet. “These guys would have been nice to have around where I was. At least I wouldn’t have been too lonely.”

Galaxy did not blame B for feeling like that. After all, these little insects would have been way more interesting to watch instead of watching scrap burn in a furnace. Even though the insects don’t speak, it would have been better. But these insects wouldn’t survive since they would need this type of cave to live in. So it was unfortunate, but at least B now had new friends and Galaxy hoped he would be around for a long time.

“Take care, guys, looks like the tunnel is a bit smaller ahead of us,” Elita announced as she points forward.

Galaxy smiled as she saw the smaller tunnel ahead of them. It wasn’t too narrow, so they could all get through easily. But she knew B would have to put her down so he could get through. For the moment, it was okay though. She sniffed the air curiously and she sighed, not knowing how much longer this was going to take. She doubted it would be much longer, but she didn’t like all this waiting. Now that they were on the surface, Galaxy felt strange now that the routine she has been used to was gone.

The bots climb a slight slope to the narrow tunnel and Orion turned his head to look at B, smiling as he looked at Galaxy as well. “I am glad you have helped bringing Galaxy along like that, but I think she needs to be put down. I don’t want her to get a metal burn by accident while we move through here.”

“Don’t worry, I was just thinking that.” B lowered the dragon onto the ground and Galaxy stepped forward with a smile. “I might pick you up again on the other side, Galaxy.”

Galaxy giggled a little. “Only if it is needed.” She walked over to the tunnel and sniffed it curiously. “Hmm…well, nothing alive is in here, aside from us and those little bugs.” Galaxy turned her head to look at Orion. “I should go first. I don’t need to crouch through here.”

“Okay, well…” Orion hummed as he was uncertain for a moment. “Actually, I’ll go first, you can follow right behind me.” She smiled at him as he crouched and began moving forward. “Just in case if something is alive and you can’t sense it.”

“Um…okay.” Galaxy giggled a little as she pressed her wings against her back as she followed Orion while Elita, B and D-16 crouch to follow them. “But I think we are close, daddy. I am not sure we will find what you hope to find.”

“We won’t know until we do.” Orion was remaining confident, and Galaxy felt bad about it, but at least he would find out. “Though this place does look like no one has been here in many cycles. Do you think the dragons would have been here?”

“Maybe, I don’t know. But with the Quintessons scanning the surface, I don’t think so. This place has been abandoned for a long time. Even Sentinel…” Galaxy frowned slightly as she mentioned his name. “Would not have been here, unless he thought it was important. But clearly, I smell nothing new here…except for everyone who is here.”

Elita huffed a light laugh. “I bet I stink the worst since being in waste management. Ugh! I didn’t even get a chance to wash it all off today.”

“Um, no, not really. Whatever waste is being moved onto the trains isn’t that bad. Or you just have used a nice fragrance.” Elita smiled as she was glad to hear that from Galaxy. “Whereas daddy and dadda, they do smell like dust and oil, but only because of their stunt in the Iacon 5000 and being tossed down to sub-level fifty.”

Orion chuckled softly. “And I bet you can smell the rust too.”

“Yeah, but...I don’t want to point that out too much.” D-16 chuckled in amusement behind her. “Dadda was right about that metallic stench from you though.”

“Oh, really?” Orion stopped as he glanced back at her with a smirk before he suddenly moved his right arm around her, pulling her forward to playfully rub her right side, making the sparkling giggle. “I didn’t really want the other two to know that.”

“She did not have to say anything.” Orion looked at Elita in surprise as the femme smiled at him in amusement. “I don’t think you realize who else might have noticed. And not just D and Galaxy.”

“Oh...” Orion grimaced as he had not realized and looked straight ahead. “I didn’t know. You should have said something, Elita.”

“Pfft, I would have if I lived with you. But I don’t.” Elita shrugged, while Orion felt even more embarrassed that others may have noticed, even though he had thought D-16 had been joking about it the smell from his under carriage. “However, it isn’t that bad, honestly. It won’t take much to fix.”

Galaxy chuckled as she stepped closer to Orion and spoke to him softly. “Guess if you want her to be interested, you might have to get yourself waxed and polished, daddy.”

Orion smiled a little as he responded quietly. “I guess...I had not really considered it...”

“Don’t worry, daddy. Elita is just teasing you as well. But when we get back, I bet you will shine up so well. Plus, I think you are handsome.” Orion was surprised to hear that coming from his daughter. “I think she does like you, but Elita is good at keeping things to herself.”

Orion’s expression softened as he was happy to hear that from her. “Thank you, Galaxy.” He glanced ahead and widened his optics. “Looks like we are...Galaxy, wait!”

The sparkling had walked around Orion and ran towards the exit of the tunnel. She gasped as she stood on the ledge, overlooking the large cavern before her. With the light filtering through the ceiling, it not only showed the expansive cavern that had become overgrown with cave dwelling plants. But it was not the plants that made Galaxy gasp. She recognized all the Primes laying before her, except Alpha Trion. She assumed his body was somewhere in the shadows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ElaMAMEgy8

Couldn't help myself but put this in. Love hearing Transformers Prime in this theme

“I don’t believe it!” B-127’s surprised tone startled Galaxy slightly as she had not paid attention as she stood and stared at the cavern in front of her.

“It’s the Primes.” Orion’s voice of disbelief echoed as he stared at the cavern in front of him. He intakes deeply and looked down at Galaxy. “At least you didn’t go too far ahead, Galaxy.”

“Sorry, daddy. But...I didn’t go far.” She looked up at him with a smile. “Just right ahead of you.” She looked back at the cavern before looking over the edge at the slope down. She stepped over the ledge. “At least you see them now.”

Orion nodded before flinching as Galaxy slid down the slope suddenly, but it was a short slope as the draconic bot did not get hurt and she simply walked ahead, looking around with a sad expression on her face. She had the urge to run over to each one to nuzzled against their cheeks as a sign of grief for their lost lives. But she kept herself from doing so, mostly because she didn’t want to disturb the bodies. She hoped that maybe their bodies could be given a proper burial. Leaving them here this way was disrespectful to who they were.

However, when Galaxy spotted Solus Prime, she ran over to the Prime’s body with a whimper as she knew Solus Prime had made many things. She made tools that only Primes can use, and these tools would be important for the future. And she had no doubt Sentinel had all the weapons and relics of the Primes locked up somewhere like a trophy cabinet for himself to gaze upon each day. It made her feel angry just thinking about it.

Galaxy hummed as she turned away from Solus Prime as she looked around quietly. The other bots had walked down the slope at this time and they were also walking around slowly as they took in the sight of what they were seeing. Galaxy wished she had known all the Primes, but she didn’t. She only met a few when she was much younger, and she treasured those memories closely. Sometimes she would replay those memories in her processor when she is about to recharge. But it was a rare occasion that she would do that.

Galaxy walked by Onyx Prime and she spotted Megatronus Prime’s head laying by his body. She widened her optics as she walked over to him, gazing at him with soft, sad optics. She whimpered softly as she knew Megatronus would have been great to grow up with. He would have taught her so much. And he would have eventually been a partner in battle, just like he was with the other draconic bots. She wished he was still around.

And she would have liked to ask him about Wraith. As it was Megatronus who had killed Wraith, putting the draconic bot out with mercy to stop the reign of terror that the Quintessons had over the bot and the rest of Cybertron at the time. Megatronus and Wraith were incredibly close before the Quintessons poisoned Wraith and used their technology to brainwash the dragon into their bidding. Galaxy has wondered if what was used on Wraith was a prototype of whatever they have used to make the collars with. And it probably was.

Galaxy sighed deeply as she turned away from Megatronus, spotting Zeta Prime laying against a smooth rock and she ran over to him. She saw that his chassis had been ripped open and she didn’t have to look within to know that the Matrix was not there. But she did look and she sighed as she sat beside the Prime, turning her head to look back at the other bots as they were still looking at the other Primes as they walk by them. She could see their sad expressions on their faces, and she was also trying to read Orion’s and D-16’s expressions to see what they were thinking.

But D-16 turned away when he saw Megatronus Prime’s head on the ground and knelt in front of the Prime’s head in sadness. Seeing his favourite Prime dead like this would certainly hurt. After all, he was a hero that D-16 was never going to meet, and Galaxy did wish that they could have met him. But there was nothing that could be done to bring them back now. Their bodies were too decayed to be restarted, so there was only their memory that could be looked back on. And Galaxy tried to think of all the good things that has happened with them.

Galaxy whimpered softly as she looked back at Zeta Prime. She intakes deeply and whispered to him. “I am sorry it took so long to get here. And I wish you were here, but...I am glad we are here. I hope, that even from the All Spark, you see that I am okay. You and the other Primes didn’t fail. Sentinel failed you and Primus.” She ignored the tears welling in her optics as she spoke to him. “At least you got to hold once before, Zeta. And I could fit in the palm of your hand once. Now...maybe not so much.” She smiled a little. “If you can hear me, I hope you know when the Prime will rise. We really them.”

Galaxy intakes deeply as she laid down, curling her front legs underneath her as she relaxed while paying her respect to Zeta. She turned her head, looking at the other bots again to see they were still walking around and looking at the other Primes. She glanced around to see if she could spot Alpha Trion. He was the only one that she could not see, and she didn’t know where he was. Maybe he didn’t die here, but she wasn’t sure about that. She was certain he was still here somewhere.

She glanced up at Orion when he walked over to her with a smile. “Zeta Prime, your favourite.” Galaxy nodded. “Well, one of them.” He glanced at the Prime’s face briefly before glancing at the bot’s chassis. “The Matrix!” He knelt down to take a closer look at the open chassis, seeing it was indeed gone. “It’s gone.”

The other bots walked closer, looking at Zeta Prime’s chassis to check for themselves. Elita softened her expression as soon as she saw it. “Let’s keep looking.” She turned to the right with B-127 to keep looking while D-16 turned left.

Galaxy watched them curiously as Orion followed Elita and B instead of D-16 before she stood up to look around herself. While she knew that the Matrix was not here, she did know that answers to questions will be. Even if it wasn’t another recording. It would be good if it was, but she doubted it. She hummed as she looked around quietly on her own before she stopped as she sensed something.

It was a familiar presence. It was faint, but she could sense it. She glanced around for a moment before she focused and realized she could sense a nearby spark of someone else. She turned in the direction of the sensation and she widened her optics as she saw a mound of boulders covering something with moss growing over the top. And there was a faint glow from within the rocks. Galaxy trotted over to the rocks curiously and sniffed at them.

Hold up...that smells like.

Galaxy sniffed at the rocks some more as she stepped closer before her tail began wagging a little. “Alpha Trion!” She knew exactly who it was and she turned to Orion who was walking by. “Daddy!” Orion jumped when she shouted excitedly suddenly, while also startling the other bots. “I found something!”

Orion smiled a little as he turned to her. “Don’t shout so loudly next time, Galaxy. We want to stay low and not get detected by the Quintessons.” Galaxy giggled at him as Orion looked at the rocks and moss while also noticing the glow beneath. “Huh...I wonder what this is.”

Galaxy was still wagging her tail excitedly and she grabbed a rock to pull it away suddenly. “Let’s find out.”

Orion nodded as he and the other bots also began pulling the rocks away. Galaxy was ecstatic as the scent from Alpha Trion was fresh, which meant he was still alive. He was just not online right now. She knew he would be happy to see that she is alive. And knowing that, Galaxy wanted to free him from the prison around him. She did wonder if it was by accident that this happened, but it didn’t matter.

Once the last of the rocks were pulled away, Orion gently removed the vines clinging to Alpha Trion’s face, staring in disbelief. None of them were expecting to find any of the Primes still alive, and while this might be a surprise, it was a good surprise. This meant that Alpha Trion could help them, and Galaxy also knew that he would tell them the truth of what had happened in the past, and who Sentinel truly was.

“It’s Alpha Trion!” B exclaimed in disbelief as he stared at the Prime.

“He’s powered down.” Orion could not take his optics off Alpha Trion. “But his spark is still lit.” He glanced at Galaxy as the sparkling spun around excitedly and he smiled slightly. “You found him, Galaxy. Good job.”

Galaxy smiled at him happily. “Now we just got to wake him up. And he can tell us what really happened.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “It is a good thing I have a few of these.” Orion turned, looking at B and smiled to see that B opened a panel in his right wrist and grabbed out a small cube. “Hopefully, this will be enough to wake the bot up.”

Galaxy watched excitedly as Orion stepped up to the Prime, who towered all of the bots, and gently placed his hand on the bot’s chin to open Alpha Trion’s mouth to place the cube in and closed the mouth, causing the natural reflex to swallow the cube. Staring at Alpha Trion, the bots waited for the cube to be absorbed within Alpha Trion’s tank. They didn’t know if he would need more energon or not, given he would have been like this for such a long time.

However, after a couple minutes, Alpha Trion’s body began twitching and Galaxy was ecstatic. The bot’s fingers twitch as life spread through his veins again and the systems within him powered on, reigniting the rest of his body. Sparks did flew from the bot’s hands and elbows as he twitched, showing the long term damage to his body that may be difficult to be repair, but not impossible for a skill medic. Now Galaxy hoped they could bring him to a medic to have Alpha Trion fully repaired so that he could help them.

When Alpha Trion’s blue optics finally came online, he lunged forward yelling loudly. “Quintesson ambush!” Galaxy yelped and ran behind Orion as the bots step back in surprise at the Prime’s sudden shout. “Guards, return!” His body twitched as Alpha Trion grimaced from the pain of the sudden movement in his body and he fell to his knees, bracing himself with his hands as he intakes deeply. “Message before…”

“Woah, woah, it’s okay!” Orion stepped forward, raising his hand slightly to try and comfort the Prime as Alpha Trion looked at him. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. The war is over.”

Alpha Trion listened to Orion’s calming voice as his optics flicker slightly as he observed the bots in front of him before slowly turning his head. His expression softened upon seeing Zeta Prime and he forced himself to his feet slowly, placing a hand on his abdomen from pain, and he limped towards his old friend. Galaxy watched with sadness, knowing that Alpha Trion would be feeling a great sense of guilt and sadness of being the only surviving Prime from the attack. She didn’t blame him for feeling this way at all.

Galaxy widened her optics as Alpha Trion stumbled slightly, but he managed to remain balanced as he approached Zeta Prime. Orion, B-127, D-16 and Elita watch quietly, giving the bot the space he needed as Alpha Trion fell to his knees, placing his hand onto Zeta Prime’s forward with grief. “I failed you, old friend. You deserved so much better than this end.”

“No, you didn’t fail.” Alpha Trion turned his head slightly to look at Orion when the bot spoke. He was still observing the four bots curiously, as he was surprised to see these bots were small and didn’t have a cog. “We heard your message. We’ve come to find the Matrix.”

Alpha Trion glanced down as he spotted Galaxy peering from behind Orion’s legs and he widened his optics. “Ignited Galaxy? Is that you?” Galaxy smiled immediately as the other four bots were surprised. Galaxy quickly bounced around Orion and over to the Prime, with Orion staring in shock. “Oh, Primus! You are okay! Oranos’s plan worked.” Galaxy nodded as Alpha Trion gently lowered his right hand and picked the dragon up with one, bringing her closer to him. “I guess that stasis pod was too good. You still are very young.”

Galaxy nodded. “Uh huh. Oranos did a great job. It has been fifty cycles since all that happened, Alpha Trion.” Alpha Trion smiled as he brought her close and the dragon immediately nuzzled his cheek. “I’ve missed you. I am so glad you are still alive, Alpha Trion! I remember seeing you when I hatched from my egg.”

“That was such a long time ago. I can’t believe you still remember it.” Galaxy nodded as she began licking his cheek, making the Prime chuckle softly. “And I can see you resemble your parents. Your optics are from your carrier…” Galaxy whimpered a little as she looked at his optics with a smile. “Your wings, well, they’re like Comet’s. Your shape is like Solarian’s, but I think you’ll grow larger and bulkier like Comet.”

“Ugh, I hope I won’t get as big though. I might step on daddy and dadda otherwise.” Alpha Trion was surprised and glanced at the four bots before Galaxy pointed at Orion and D-16. “They are my adoptive parents. I kind of made a lot of trouble when we first met, but I am glad I met them. They’re awesome!”

Alpha Trion smiled as he was glad to hear it. He glanced between Orion and D-16 who were smiling. “It would seem you both have the mission of raising a draconic bot. Well done. And on be half of Galaxy’s birth parents, and as a guardian over her too, I bid you both our thanks. It would seem you have done well. Despite…” Alpha Trion looked at Galaxy’s injured foot. “Some clear rough play that has happened.”

“Oh…” Galaxy looked at her back right foot and shrugged. “That was from something else. Dadda already put stuff on it to help it heal, Alpha Trion.”

“Good.” Alpha Trion looked at Galaxy and she nuzzled his cheek again. “It really does warm my spark to know you are okay, Galaxy. I am…sorry about Tempest.” Galaxy whimpered softly as she licked his cheek before he lowered her to the ground and the Prime rubbed the dragon’s cheek gently. “Hopefully, things can be dealt with soon enough.” He glanced up at the bots as he looked at them curiously. “Your transformation cogs, what happened to you? And who are you, exactly? Aside from two of you being Galaxy’s parents.”

“We’re cogless miners from Iacon,” D-16 responded calmly to the bot.

“Miners?” Alpha Trion frowned, glancing down at Galaxy as the dragon nodded. “Why?”

“Well, we’ve had to drill for energon ever since it stopped flowing,” Elita explained gently as Alpha Trion’s frown deepened.

“Impossible.”

“That’s why we came.” Alpha Trion softened his expression slightly as he listened to Orion, glancing down at Galaxy as she grasped at his hand while he was still rubbing her stomach. “To fix things. If we find the Matrix of Leadership and get it to Sentinel Prime he can fix…”

“Sentinel is no Prime!” Alpha Trion snapped, standing up suddenly and startling Galaxy a little as she rolled away from him. He glanced down at her apologetically while also not relaxing his body from irritation.

The bots stare at Alpha Trion in shock and disbelief at the sudden response from him. “What?!” B-127 exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

Elita sighed with a roll of her optics. “He’s broken, fantastic.”

Orion frowned slightly, glancing at Galaxy who was frustrated and he looked at Alpha Trion. “Are you sure? Galaxy has said she does not like Sentinel and…”

“With good reason, young one.” Orion hummed a little as he was uncertain and looked away from him. “What is your name?”

“Uh, Orion Pax.”

“A good strong name. Orion Pax, do you trust the words from your adoptive daughter?” Orion nodded, as did D-16. “I have no doubt that she didn’t tell you straight away, as it appears to be living in a way where you look up to Sentinel. And for a sparkling, I don’t blame her for being afraid of what would happen if she said something. Especially since Sentinel wants her.”

D-16 shook his head. “That’s impossible! Sentinel Prime is our protector. I know my daughter may dislike Sentinel for some things revolving around other draconic bots, but he has been protecting us from the Quintessons ever since…”

“You have been saved.” Alpha Trion gently picked Galaxy up with his right hand again, making her smile a little as she rested on her back in his palm. “You have been living a lie. And Galaxy would have known it too. She told you that Tempest was destroyed, did she not? And did she not tell you that Sentinel has targeted her?”

“Well, yeah, she has,” D-16 responded with a shrug. “But that doesn’t mean…”

“It would seem you need that veil removed from your optics. As I have witnessed the truth with my own optics. Come…” Alpha Trion turned away, gesturing with his head for them to follow. “I will show you.” Galaxy smiled as she knew she was about to witness something cool. Alpha Trion’s way to showing stories of the past was something she didn’t get to see, but now she could. Alpha Trion walked over to a smooth, open space and gently placed Galaxy on the ground before placing his hand down and concentrating. Galaxy wagged her tail a little as she saw him transfer a memory from his processor and bringing it to his hand as the specs of sand and dust rose from the ground and swirled around them with a gentle breeze against their bodies. “For thousands of cycles, the war with the Quintessons had been a brutal conflict.” The dust suddenly expanded around the bots, startling Orion, D, B and Elita before an image of Zeta Prime formed, first showing the Matrix within his chassis, before the other Primes were also formed and Sentinel was shown to be speaking to them through a hologram. "Until Sentinel, the Principal Aide to the Primes, intercepted an enemy transmission.” The silent image of Zeta Prime had turned to listen to Sentinel, who was clearly acting like he had information that he had given to the Primes at the time. “There was going to be a secret gathering of Quintesson commanders. Their elimination could end the war.” The dust dispersed briefly and moved around behind Alpha Trion to form the other Primes, and Oracle River, making Galaxy gasp as she saw the golden and white dragon beside Megatronus Prime. “It was a misson so important, we Primes took in on ourselves. And while we had wanted to be the ones to proceed, Oracle River, one of the warriors from Tempest, had be present when Sentinel delivered the message and insisted on accompanying us. And I think it was the right thing.” The sands shifted again, showing the magnificent dragon standing on top of the hill, overlooking the very mountain they were within, with his concerned expression. “And yet, I do regret that we did not listen to Oracle. He was the one who had sensed something was wrong. And he was right.”

Orion gazed at Oracle River in awe as he had learned a bit about the dragon from the archives. And seeing the dragon had actually been with the Primes during the Quintesson attack was actually fascinating to him. Sentinel did not ever mention that Oracle had been there, but it was likely that Sentinel did not bother to say anything to anyone about it. And Orion did not really know how to feel about that right now as his spark was pulsing quickly within his chassis.

“Even though we had agreed to meet Sentinel for his sensitive intel in secret, here in this very cave…” Galaxy shuddered as she watched the sands change again to the Primes and Oracle within the cave itself. “But we were not alone.” Alpha Trion glanced up and Galaxy shifted to huddle against his leg, making the Prime lean down to pick up the sparkling, holding her in his hand and rubbing her neck as she watched the Quintessons pour into the cave with the sound of the Primes shouting as they moved into defensive positions, ready to fight, and showing Oracle unleashing a wave of plasma and fire at the Quintessons, hitting several successfully. Galaxy felt pride in watching him helping Oracle, though the scene kept moving quickly as the Quintessons shot at the Primes and Oracle, who shielded himself with his wings before the Quintessons lunged down and began striking the Primes. Oracle was seen tackling and mauling several Quintessons as the scene moved quickly. “We were outnumbered but stood as one.” Alpha Trion turned slightly as the scene changed again, showing Megatronus riding on top of Oracle while the dragon unleashed fire and plasma at the Quintessons and Megatronus shot at them, and speared them with his spear. It was wonderful to witness. Galaxy glanced at D-16, seeing the shock on his expression knowing that Megatronus worked closely with a draconic bot. She looked back at the scene of Megatronus leaping off Oracle’s back to use the momentum to slice several Quintessons and pierce another on the way now. “Our victory was near.”

Galaxy flinched hearing the roar from Oracle and she widened her optics as the scene showed a Quintesson had landed on his back and pierced his right shoulder, which had cut important lines and veins, and caused the dragon to crash into the side of the cave and onto the ground. Though Oracle did throw the Quintesson off him, before looking at Nexus Prime shooting the Quintessons with his laser weapon, only to be stabbed through the back with a large blade. Galaxy whimpered as when Nexus fell to the ground, Galaxy couldn’t help but growl when she saw Sentinel.

“Until we were betrayed.” Alpha Trion intakes deeply as he watched the memory unfold before him. Sentinel was seen glaring at the other Primes, before he approached Megatronus who became restrained by Quintessons. Oracle’s voice could be heard shouting at Sentinel to stop and Oracle tried to blast Sentinel, but a Quintesson had shot at the dragon’s mouth, which resulted in a secondary blast in the dragon’s throat, causing a severe wound within him. And this forced the dragon, and the bots to witness Sentinel raise his blade and slice down on Megatronus’s neck, beheading the autobot as a result, making D-16 frown upon seeing it. “Oracle River would have managed to kill Sentinel at the time if he had not been weakened or overpowered the Quintessons. And Sentinel used that to his advantage.”

The scene showed Oracle being held down the Quintessons and Sentinel was seen to be mocking the dragon, though no words were heard. Galaxy knew it was likely because Alpha Trion would not have heard what was said at the time. But he still showed what happened as the dragon kicked and swiped at the Quintessons that were holding him down, and this was because his claws were glowing with plasma, which easily cut through the Quintessons and Sentinel ended up punching the dragon in the side of his jaw to try and force him to stay down. But the dragon stood up, bucking the Quintessons off him, and swung his body around before kicking Sentinel with his left, hind foot and pressed his weight down on him.

Galaxy whimpered as she watched Oracle being thrown off Sentinel by two other Quintessons, giving Sentinel a chance to grab Nexus’s weapon and aimed it at the dragon as Oracle ripped one of the Quintessons in half before Sentinel shot at Oracle and hitting the dragon at the base of his neck, sending him into the wall. Galaxy shook her head as she could see that Oracle would have killed Sentinel, if not for the Quintessons helping him.

The scene turned away from Oracle to show Sentinel shooting Zeta Prime in his chassis, sending him to land hard on the rock where he would remain laying upon as he was now, which the bots braced themselves as the way the scene was moving it showed the Prime seemingly landing on top of them. The bots turn to watch as Zeta tried to get up, despite the injury that he had sustained, but Sentinel stamped his foot down onto the bot’s right arm. Zeta looked at him in shock with weakened optics. He couldn’t help but ask weakly. “Sentinel, why?”

Sentinel simply smirked while charging the weapon in his hand. “For all the power of Cybertron.”

Galaxy grimaced and clenched her optics shut briefly when Sentinel shot Zeta Prime’s chassis again to break through the metal, revealing the Matrix within and undamaged, which also instantly killing Zeta. Alpha Trion shook his head as he watched. “But Sentinel never understood the true power of what he desired.” Galaxy watched in disgust as Sentinel pried Zeta’s chassis apart and reached in to grab the sides of the Matrix and pulled it out with a victorious expression on his face. “The Matrix of Leadership can only be wielded by one that Primus himself deems worthy.” Galaxy smirked slightly as Sentinel frowned as a force suddenly pulled the Matrix from his hands and disappeared in front of him like dust, making the bot panic upon realizing what had happened. “And Sentinel most certainly was not.”

With that, Alpha Trion stopped the scene as the sand and dust fell to the ground. Orion fell to his knees in shock and Galaxy looked at him with worry. “Wait, wait…you’re saying that the Matrix of Leadership just vanished?”

D-16 shook his head as he clenched his fists, walking around for a moment in disbelief. “No. No, no, no! That’s impossible…” He frowned for a moment and looked at Galaxy for a moment before looking away. “Ugh! I’m not sure I believe it.” D-16 glanced around again before looking at Sentinel. “What happened to Oracle? I don’t see a dragon’s body here?”

“That is because I ordered Oracle River to lead just as the High Guard arrived to try and give their assistance to us. I told him to leave and warn the others.” Alpha Trion glanced down at Galaxy as she looked at him, while his thumb was still rubbing her neck gently. “And I think he did warn them. But…” His expression softened with sadness. “At the cost of his own life.”

Galaxy intakes deeply as she placed her front, right paw on his chin. “I don’t think he ever made it back to Tempest. I don’t remember him at all when I was placed into that pod.”

Alpha Trion hummed softly as he intakes deeply. “Somehow, I am not surprised. Oracle wouldn’t have been able to use his breath abilities at the time, so Sentinel would have used that to his advantage. But at least his death was not in vain. You are here, and you are safe.” Alpha Trion smiled at her and Galaxy smiled back at him. “At least, for now.”

“But, why would Sentinel do that?” Elita asked as she sat on a boulder in disbelief with B-127 standing beside her while not knowing what to think himself.

“To make a bargain.”

“A bargain?” B-127 frowned in disbelief. “With who?”

Galaxy tensed and immediately huddled against Alpha Trion’s chassis as a loud rumbling echoed through the cave with a familiar sound of an engine from outside could be heard. Alpha Trion looked up as the other bots also tense upon hearing it as well. “With the new rulers of Cybertron.” Galaxy shivered as she whimpered, not liking that the Quintessons are most likely outside right now.

Orion looked around with a worried expression before he had an idea. “Maybe…we should see for ourselves.” D-16, Elita and B-127 all nod in agreement. Orion looked around as he saw there were other tunnels leading out and looked at Alpha Trion. “Would the way we came be the best…” Alpha Trion pointed at a different tunnel and Orion smiled at him. “Thanks.” He glanced at Galaxy who looked at him. “Did you want to stay here? Or do you want to see too?”

Galaxy pondered on the question as she did want to stay with Alpha Trion. But she also wanted to see what was happening outside. She glanced at Alpha Trion before he seemed know her thoughts as he lowered her to the ground. She smiled at him before stepping out of his hand and ran over to Orion before jumping at him suddenly, making Orion flinch as he caught her, but he understood as she was nervous as he cradled her as the bots turn and run to the tunnel to make their way outside the mountain to see what was happening outside.

Why do the Quintessons have to be outside right now? Ugh…oh…this is not good…maybe now everyone here will believe me. They have to! Alpha Trion was there when it happened. I know dadda is just in denial right now at least. Hopefully…hopefully things will be okay. But I’m scared.

Chapter Text

Orion cradled the dragon as he and the other bots found a way up slightly, reaching a different level of the mountain. It was a little steep, but not enough for Orion to move Galaxy to his back. Plus, he had a feeling she would likely fight him on that, even though it would be to keep her safe. Though the loud sounds of engines rumbling through the cave made Galaxy afraid, and put them all on edge. And they were all assuming it was a single Quintesson ship flying over the mountain. And that the Quintessons were likely just scanning for life signs.

However, as they saw the opening out on a ledge, they immediately saw multiple ships hovering in the sky. Galaxy whimpered a little as she stared at the ships that were positioned in different areas, and she worried that they were here because the Quintessons had picked up the bots entering the mountain. It seemed to be the only explanation in Galaxy’s mind for the moment. Especially as Alpha Trion could also be giving off a signal, and it seemed like a coincidence.

B paused in climbing up the slope as he stared at the ships. “Um…we don’t all have to climb up here, do we?”

“No, but you should if you want to see for yourself,” Elita responded in a blunt, but kind tone. “I am not happy to see how much company we have out here right now either, B. But I don’t think they know we are here.”

“Are you sure about that? Because…” B-127 intakes sharply as he eyed off the ships. “It is kind of weird they’re all here when we are. Don’t you think that means that they know something is up. What if they sense Alpha Trion?”

“I think they would have attacked us already if they did, B. I doubt they would have waited until now, and they might have destroyed the whole mountain to ensure we didn’t escape.” Orion had stopped climbing and shuffled over to B with a smile. “Come on, B. You will be fine. As long as we stay low and don’t shout out to them, we will be okay.”

B-127 shuddered a little as he glanced back up. “Mmm…okay…if you say so.”

“I’m scared too, B.” B looked down at Galaxy when she spoke to him in a small voice. “I…I am scared that they know. But something else could be happening. I want to see too, even though I just want to go back to Alpha Trion.” B smiled at the dragon, knowing that the sparkling wanted to see as well. “But…I don’t want to be kept in the dark. I want to see the truth.”

B-127 intakes deeply. “You’re a lot braver than me.”

Galaxy smiled at him. “I don’t know about that.”

“Course, you are! I mean, with what your parents have said and what little information Alpha Trion has said, you’re definitely braver than me.” B-127’s smile widened as Galaxy shook her head. “Maybe you don’t believe it, but I do. And I only just met you today, but I feel like I know so much already. And…” B-127 glanced up nervously as he noticed Elita and D-16 had stopped climbing to wait for them. “Well…I think I’ll keep going too. I don’t want to not know what is happening. My curiosity won’t allow me to stop I think.”

Galaxy smiled at him, even though it was slightly forced. “Or you just want to be there for us? Your new friends.”

B nodded. “Yeah…that…that’s a better way to look at it.” B intakes deeply as he proceeded forward. “Alright, I am wasting everyone else’s time.” Galaxy was glad that he wanted to keep going, even though she understood. “This now tops being the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced in my entire life.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement as Orion also proceeded forward to follow the other bots. They were all nervous about what they were going to see, especially with the many ships around the mountain itself. They all could only hope that they would not be spotted by the Quintessons as they would all be killed instantly. But she did hope that the cover of the plants of the mountain, and that the Quintessons weren’t actively searching for anyone, they would be okay.

Galaxy was trembling as Orion climbed and he had considered taking her back to Alpha Trion. But he had a feeling she might resist him. And that was okay. He ensured that she was cradled in his arms, and the slope up to the ledge was not steep enough that he had to use his hands. But he was certain that Galaxy would stick close if he had to place her down. Or she would run over to D-16. Either way, Orion caressed the dragon’s back gently to give her the comfort she needs.

Upon reaching the top, the number of Quintesson ships became very clear. Galaxy whimpered as she curled herself tightly against Orion as the bot was crouched, moving behind a fern as he gazed out. “Oh, Primus…Quintessons…”

“There are so many!” Elita exclaimed as she stared at them in shock. “But why? They don’t know we’re here, do they?”

Orion shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Looks to me it is a gathering. But for what?”

D-16 frowned as he stared at the ships. “Maybe they’re gathering to plan for an attack on our city.”

B-127 nodded. “Yeah, and that would be bad. If that’s the case, we should find a way to contact Iacon and warn them. Especially if Sentinel is on their side.”

“But…how would we do that? We have no proof with us, aside from Alpha Trion.” Elita intakes deeply as she stared at the ships. “Primus…” She shuddered as she shook her head. “Never thought I would be this close to Quintessons.”

“None of us ever did. We all thought they were gone.” B-127 intakes deeply as he looked around nervously. “If they aren’t here to plan an attack on Iacon, what do you think they are here for?”

Orion was about to respond when a loud sound rumbled through the mountain again. Galaxy whimpered as she tensed and Orion held the sparkling against his chassis as he looked up. Galaxy forced herself to look up and she stared as the massive size of a mother ship slowly flew over the mountain. The very size of the ship and the engines alone were enough to make the mountain tremble, and she had no doubt that the ground was rumbling as well.

As the ship rolled over slowly, Galaxy knew that it was here for something important. She didn’t know what it would be, but it was definitely something important. She didn’t like that they had to do it here, but it also made sense. This was far from Iacon, and the Quintessons would know that the bodies of the Primes were in the mountain, and they didn’t care that this was a desecration by being in their presence.

Orion rubbed the trembling sparkling’s back gently as he watched the ship slowly turn after it glided over the mountain. He could not take his optics off what he was seeing. He knew this was a mother ship, but there wasn’t much in the archives about it. He guessed that most of the time, the Quintessons only sent their battle frigates to Cybertron to fight, which makes a lot of sense in his mind. But it also mean that this ship is carrying thousands of Quintessons. And their leader.

The mother ship descended slowly, turning the massive ship slowly to face towards the mountain, while landing just before the razed city that the bots had run through earlier. Galaxy guessed that the Quintesson ship that they had seen before was clearing the way for this mother ship. After all, if this was planned, it made a lot of sense to her. But she couldn’t be a hundred percent confident, and it could have just been routine for the Quintessons.

Regardless, Galaxy had no idea what was going to happen. “He’s here.” Galaxy glanced at D-16 briefly before turning her head to see what D-16 was looking at, and she whimpered as soon as she saw what he saw. “Sentinel Prime is here.”

Galaxy grimaced when D-16 called Sentinel a Prime again, but she saw nothing. She stared at Sentinel was he, Airachnid and a team of vehicons fly down towards the Quintesson mother ship. And behind him, two trains were following him. Although one of the trains didn’t have as many cars as the other. Which made her assume that one of the trains was the one that they had used to escape Iacon earlier.

But why would it be here? Is it truly toxic waste that is being carried within those cars? I had been sceptical before, but now I know that Elita was not loading toxic waste. It was something else. What could it be? It definitely is not draconic bodies, and I see he has left the dragons behind somewhere. Good. I didn’t want to see them being abused by the Quintessons.

Orion shuffled forward as he was in shock while watching Sentinel and his followers approach the mother ship with the trains behind them. When Sentinel landed, he and his followers stood before the massive ship with the trains stopping behind them, ready to either deliver or receive something from the Quintessons. Orion couldn’t help but wonder what Sentinel is thinking right now, because this seemed crazy to him.

And Galaxy was thinking how much of a fool Sentinel was. She knew when the Quintessons had no more use of him, they will kill him eventually. After all, he was useful for them because Sentinel had control of several draconic bots and that Sentinel likely told the Quintessons that he had found Galaxy. But as Sentinel did not have Galaxy in his clutches, she wasn’t so sure that the Quintessons would be impressed.

When the ramp at the very front of the ship opened slowly, Galaxy shuddered as the movement of ramp lowering to the ground and top opening to allow easy passage for the Quintessons reminded Galaxy of a creature opening its mouth. After all, the mother ship itself kind of looked like it was a creature. But it was simply how it was designed and built by the Quintessons, and Galaxy did not like seeing it at all. Especially as the Quintesson soldiers have already begun to walk down the ramp.

Galaxy shuddered again as seeing the Quintessons for herself, even from a distance, was more than enough for her. They were creepy creatures with large, round bodies, bulky arms and sharp, pointed legs with a blade and canon ready on each arm. It was hard to tell them apart from each individual Quintesson, but it was unlikely to know which one would be which, unless someone spent a lot of time with each other. But it didn’t matter.

As the Quintesson soldiers moved to the sides of the ramp, leaving a space between them, a larger Quintesson began making its way down the ramp. But unlike the soldiers, this one was much larger and seemed to be hovering rather than standing. As multiple tendrils were attached to its appendage and Galaxy grimaced as this thing not only looked creepy, but she also felt a sense of disgust. She did not know if this was the actual Quintesson leader, or a general, but she did know it at least had some kind of authority.

I do wish I knew a bit more about Quintessons. Oranos did not leave a lot of information to pass to me in the stasis pod. I do know that the Quintessons live in a hive-like way, so I think that this Quintesson is not the actual leader. But I don’t know. I wish I knew more. Maybe daddy knows a bit more than me. Or maybe I should ask Alpha Trion. He would definitely know more than me.

Galaxy did want to ask some questions, but now was not the time. She did not know what was going to happen before her, but she wanted to see it. The only thing she did wish was to be able to see Sentinel’s expression as the large, towering Quintesson approached him. It was definitely a contrast to see how small Sentinel really was before this Quintesson. It might even be taller than some of the Primes, but she didn’t care about that.

Once the Quintesson stopped in front of Sentinel, there did not appear to be any exchange. But when Sentinel and his followers suddenly knelt before them, bowing their heads at the Quintessons, Galaxy heard Elita, B-127, D-16 and Orion all gasp in shock at what they were witnessing. Galaxy did not. She was unsurprised. After all, Sentinel had to do this if he wanted to stay alive. And that is all she could see that is what he is doing. Keeping himself alive. He would certainly throw his followers, including Airachnid, into the fire to save his own aft if he had to.

Though Galaxy was certain that the Quintessons would ensure that Sentinel would die first, even if he tried throwing someone else in front of him. He is the current leader of the transformers on this world, so the Quintessons would know where to go. And it would be for the head, and Sentinel was standing on the shoulders of that right now. But even so, Galaxy wouldn’t really want the Quintessons to kill him. For the simple fact that the Quintessons would likely go straight to Iacon and kill everyone there. So, in a sense, Sentinel was the wall between them and Iacon.

Sentinel turned his head and gave a nod, and then the roofs of the train cars all opened slowly. The Quintesson leader was watching intently as the boxes within were all revealed to the Quintessons. From the sides of the ship, long tendrils slithering out and the sharp tips shifted downward, moving over the top of the trains in preparation for something. Galaxy did not know what these were, but she assumed they were going to take whatever was within the train into the mother ship.

A light illuminated from each of the tendrils and it was clearly magnetized as the crates rose out from the train cars. Elita frowned as she watched in disbelief. “I load those crates. Those are filled with contaminated metal.”

Orion frown deepened as he shook his head. “I don’t understand. What do the Quintessons want with toxic waste?”

Galaxy wanted to respond, but the lids of all the crates opened and large, perfectly polished energon cubes lit up the sky. The bots all widen their optics as soon as they saw what was truly within the crates. “Our energon!” D-16 exclaimed, watching as the mother ship began sucking up the energon cubes like a vacuum.

Galaxy let out a small growl, surprising Orion as she was still trembling, but she was also angry. “What a waste…Quintessons don’t even ingest energon, they just use it for power.” She shook her head in disappointment. “Sentinel has committed treason to everyone on this world.”

D-16 nodded as he stood up slightly. “TRAITOR!”

“D, no!” Orion exclaimed in shock.

Galaxy widened her optics when D-16 yelled and Orion placed an arm on his chassis to push him back. Galaxy stared at D in shock. “Are you crazy, dadda?! Don’t you know Airachnid’s optics are so sharp, that she might have just seen and heard you?”

D-16 intakes deeply as he softened his expression. “I don’t really know Airachnid that well, Galaxy.” He looked at her as she stared at him with worry. “But…you know how much I looked up to Sentinel. I’m sorry that…that it took this for me to finally believe you.”

Galaxy smiled slightly at him as she was glad to hear that. “I know. I don’t really blame you.” She turned her head to keep watching. “But you know now.”

D just nodded, looking back just as the Quintesson leader seemed to get angry with Sentinel. It grabbed Sentinel’s arms and legs tightly with its tendrils, lifting the bot up and pulling him close, angry at him. D smiled slightly. “Huh, guess they’re not happy with him either.”

“I think one of the trains is the one we took out of Iacon before, dadda. And I think it lost one of the cars, so I think that the Quintessons were promised a certain quantity of energon.” D-16 hummed as that made sense to him. They all wished that they could hear what Sentinel was saying though, as he was clearly saying something to the Quintesson. Galaxy could not stop watching either. “And I think it is clear that they do not like having a little less than promised.” She shook her head with a frown. “And to think you have been mining energon just for it to be delivered to those monsters.”

“I know.” Elita clenched her fists tightly. “And I worked so hard for it too. And for what? This?!” She intakes deeply as they watch Sentinel being roared at by the Quintesson. “I cannot believe I wasted so much time…I believed in what I was doing.”

B-127 looked at Elita with a sad expression. “Better that we know the truth now.”

“Yeah, but it…frag…” Orion looked at Elita with a frown. Elita saw that at the corner of her optics. “Don’t tell me that I should keep my words toned down because a sparkling is here, Pax. She has heard us all get angry before.”

D-16 nodded as he looked at Orion. “She’s right, Pax. Just let it go for now.”

Orion intakes deeply as he looked back at Sentinel. “Fine. I will. But we still need to be mindful, even if we are angry.”

Elita just hummed a little as they watch the Quintessons turn around to return to the mother ship. Sentinel himself was clearly irritated too after being thrown back onto the ground. They saw him turn and shout orders at his followers, though they did not know what was being said. But given how the Quintessons had responded to the amount of energon delivered to them, it was already suspected that Sentinel would be determined to get more energon.

Galaxy whimpered when Sentinel and his followers began to fly away as the mother ship closed the ramp before ascending. She was glad that Sentinel was not flying towards the mountain, but she was still worried that they would be discovered. Especially after D-16 had shouted and almost given away their location to the Quintessons. She had no doubt Airachnid probably had seen him, but she has said nothing. For now.

Now that the ships and Sentinel were leaving, Orion intakes deeply and gently tapped D-16’s shoulder before he turned to head back down. Elita and B followed quickly, both were in shock at what they had seen. Galaxy was able to relax a bit now that they were heading back into the cave and she definitely wanted to go back to Alpha Trion. After all, she felt safer inside the mountain than outside. Even if the Quintessons and Sentinel were not on their way to it.

When Orion reached the bottom, he intakes deeply and looked down at Galaxy. “Do you mind if I put you down now?” She looked at him in surprise. “Sorry, I just…” He intakes deeply as he blinks in disbelief. “I guess I need a moment to process everything.”

Galaxy hummed a little as she wanted to remain in Orion’s arms. “I understand, daddy. But…” She glanced whimpered a little before she nodded. “Okay, I’ll go to Alpha Trion than.” Orion smiled as he kissed the top of her head gently. “Thank you, daddy. I know that was not what you wanted to see.”

“I know. And I am truly, truly sorry. I should have believed you.” Galaxy smiled as she nuzzled his cheek gently and Orion kissed the top of her head again. “I hope that you are not upset.”

“Not really. I did get frustrated. And I could tell you were open to the fact that Sentinel is not a good bot. He…he sold Cybertron out to the Quintessons. And he will destroy our world if we let him.” Orion nodded a single time as he agreed and Galaxy smiled at him as she licked his cheek. His smile widened as he looked at her with kind optics. “I love you, daddy, even if you took too long to realize. Same with dadda.” Galaxy looked up to see D-16 climbed down slowly, but he heard Galaxy and he looked to smile at Galaxy, grateful for the sparkling’s words. “I hope you’re okay, dadda.”

D-16 intakes sharply as he reaches the bottom and turned to Galaxy before pulling the work badge from his chassis. “Not really. I wish I could say that I am okay, Galaxy. But…I’m not.” Galaxy whimpered softly as she looked at him. “But don’t worry, Galaxy. I…I am sure I will be fine. I just…I don’t know. I’m just…” He clenched his hands a little as he shook his head. “I’m angry. That means when you said that he killed your birth parents…scrap, how foolish were we?”

Orion smiled kindly at his friend. “D, it is not our fault. We were told many things from the time we came online. We knew nothing else.”

“Maybe, but...” D-16 intakes deeply and exhaled loudly before looking at Orion. “But I don’t know why you didn’t believe her. You went to the archives, and your mind is much sharper than mine.”

“Well...” Orion grimaced as he did feel guilty and stupid for not believing his daughter. “I think I just wasn’t sure what to believe. Or that I...I didn’t want to believe it. But...I know now. And that is what counts.” D-16 huffed a little and Orion placed a hand on the bot’s shoulder. “Now that we know the truth, we need to tell everyone back at Iacon.”

“Yeah, sure. As if that will be easy.” D-16 shrugged Orion’s hand off his shoulder and walked forward. “Still...I cannot understand why Sentinel would target Galaxy. Is it really because of this Wraith you’ve mentioned?”

“I think so. And maybe Alpha Trion can shed more light onto the subject. He would have been present when Wraith was alive.” That was a good idea. Galaxy didn’t know the full story of Wraith, only the powers Wraith had and the reasons why the Quintessons wanted Galaxy, but Alpha Trion would know it better than her. “And I think it would be good since you and I are here for Galaxy. Sentinel may have destroyed her birth parents, but we are still here. And I am do not want to allow her to live in fear.” D-16 looked at Orion and he smiled slightly before be proceeded down the tunnel back towards the cavern with the other bots behind him. “Do you want her to grow up without fear?”

“Course I do, Pax. Especially now that I know the truth. Still...I also wish I didn’t know the truth.” Galaxy was surprised that. She would have thought that D-16 would be happy to no longer be in the shadow of a lie. “I know it might seem weird to say, but…I…I don’t like any of this at all.”

“Hmm…being complacent is not really much of an option now.” Orion hummed a little and looked down at Galaxy before he lowered her to the ground, making her smile at him. “Go on over to Alpha Trion. Like I said before, I need time to process. I hope that is okay.”

Galaxy nodded as she immediately jumped away from Orion with a smile before she stopped as D-16 walked through the tunnel with a frown on his face. His fists were clenched and his body was rigged. She was worried for him. She whimpered as she walked beside him. “At least we might be able to do something to make the world better, dadda.” D glanced at her and he nodded. She smiled as she nuzzled his left fist gently, making him flinch and open his fist so his palm would brush over her head. “I know we can do it. I really want the other dragons to come out of hiding, and realign with Iacon once again. And take down the Quintessons for good.”

D-16 nodded with a small smile on his face. “I would love to see that happen too.” Galaxy giggled and he gently rubbed the top of her head. “Though I do wonder how we could free the dragons Sentinel has under his control. I know they have those strange collars on…I wonder if they would be easy to break.”

“I wish I knew that, dadda. And I don’t even know how those collars really work, honestly.” Galaxy shuddered as she knew Sentinel had one for her. Even though she was still a sparkling, Sentinel did not care. He saw her as a tool. “Maybe Alpha Trion knows.” D nodded and Galaxy ran ahead of the bots to return to Alpha Trion.

Galaxy did not know how much Alpha Trion would tell them, as she knew that there were things he would want them to learn on their own. But she didn’t mind. The one thing she did hope for was that he would help them with t-cogs. After all, none of the bots had them. Without the cogs, Orion, D-16, B-127 and Elita wouldn’t be able to defend themselves properly or help Iacon. So she hoped he could help, even though she knew that the only cogs available would be from the fallen Primes.

Upon returning to the open cavern, Galaxy saw Alpha Trion sitting by Zeta Prime with his hand on the fallen Prime’s shoulders. The Prime looked towards the sparkling and he smiled kindly at her, making her smile back at him. She glanced around at the other fallen Primes as her smile faded and she walked towards Alpha Trion while glancing around at the Primes. She wished they were still alive, just like Alpha Trion was. Having him here was like a small spark of hope that had just ignited.

She looked over at Megatronus Prime’s body and stopped as she gazed at the severed head on the ground. She had no doubt that if he were alive and Sentinel failed, she would have had many days playing with Megatronus and training with him. But that was taken from her. She intakes deeply as she was trying not to cry. She missed the Primes terribly. She wished she didn’t have to experience so much loss in such a short amount of time.

“I have no doubt that Megatronus would have been a soldier alongside you, Ignited Galaxy.” Galaxy smiled and looked at Alpha Trion as he smiled at her. “He was excited for your cycles of life. Just as he was when Comet Hammer was born, and your ancestors.”

“Thank you.” She looked back at Megatronus before she turned to walk towards Alpha Trion. “Although, I must admit, I might have steered towards Zeta. Mostly because…” She looked at Zeta Prime’s body with a sad smile. “I remember he was telling me stories when I was still fresh in the nest. I don’t remember the content of those stories, but I still remember what he did.”

“Ah, yes, Zeta Prime and his stories. That was definitely something he enjoyed. I would have done the same, but I didn’t get the chance.” Galaxy could easily see that. Alpha Trion lowered his hand and Galaxy immediately walked over so he could pick her up. “But I know have the chance to do that now. After all, I know the reason why Oranos made that stasis pod in the first place, he had foreseen someone desired the potential power you might have.” Galaxy nodded and Alpha Trion frowned slightly. “Sentinel certainly makes the Quintessons seem less monstrous.”

“He certainly does.” Galaxy looked over at the other bots as they approach, though they were tense and silent. D-16 walked to the side to sit down with his back towards Alpha Trion while Elita and B sat on moss covered rocks while Orion remained standing. She looked back at Alpha Trion curiously. “Do you think you could tell me more about Wraith?” Orion looked at Galaxy before glancing at Alpha Trion. “Daddy knows a bit about Wraith from the archives, but even I don’t know the full story. Could you tell us?”

Alpha nodded. “Yes. Normally, due to your age, I would wait until you are older. But given these circumstances, it is right. After all…” The Prime gently tickled Galaxy’s chin, making the sparkling giggle and let out a chirp, making Orion smile as he appreciated Alpha Trion’s gentleness with Galaxy. “You are mature for your age, and you have forced into a situation that is not of your making. And before I start, I hope you know that I am proud of your bravery, Ignited Galaxy.”

Galaxy’s smile faltered slightly. “But I’m not. I…I have been scared a lot, Alpha Trion.”

“Being scared doesn’t mean it overshadows bravery, Galaxy. I know it may not make sense to you, but you are here now. And you should be proud. I know Comet and Solarian would be.” Galaxy whimpered as tears well in her optics and Alpha Trion gently moved the sparkling in his palm so she was on her back and he cradled her against his chassis. “And now that you want to know about Wraith, I want everyone here to be aware that what I am about to tell you…I think you might have a hard time recharging. It was one of most…painful parts of our history, and the reason why when you visited the archives, Orion…” Alpha Trion looked at Pax as he spoke and D looked over his shoulder as he zoned in on what Alpha Trion was saying. “You likely only learned the surface of who Wraith was and what happened. But I also know some of it might have been inaccurate, so any bot who learns of Wraith, are not confronted with something so difficult. And this was by Megatronus’s request, since he was there for most of it.”

Orion nodded as he understood. “So…will it really reveal why Sentinel is after Galaxy?”

“Yes.” Orion tensed a little as he did not like the quick, blunt reply from Alpha Trion. “Understand that we still did not fully grasp everything that Wraith could have done. But what she could do, a lot of it was forced by the Quintessons. And you will understand why when I am finished with the story. After all, you have learned the truth about Sentinel, now must know more about this sparkling and why you must protect her from Sentinel.”

Galaxy’s spark was pulsing quickly as she was nervous about what Alpha Trion was going to say about Wraith. After all, she knew that Wraith was strong and had unusually stronger abilities that seemed darker and almost like dark energon was within that dragon, but if what she knew had been watered down, than she knew that meant she had to throw everything that she knew about Wraith out of the window. But she was also realizing she was afraid of what she might be able to do. And she didn’t want Sentinel to even try to bring it to the surface.

Chapter Text

Galaxy lay relaxed in Alpha Trion’s hand as she stared him them. The Prime was rubbing her back with his thumb gently, as he knew that what she was about to hear would likely shake her to her core. After all, if what Alpha Trion said was true, Wraith’s story was sadder than she ever knew. And it definitely concerned Galaxy that she too had the same powers as Wraith. She had no idea if it was possible to even be rid of those abilities. But she knew that it was unlikely to be possible, as all dragons couldn’t part with who they are. So Galaxy just didn’t know what she should do.

“I would sit down for this story, Orion Pax,” Alpha Trion warned the bot as he was pacing a little and looked at the Prime with a smile. “You might fall to your knees as I tell the story. Especially towards the end of it. As that is where most of the tragedy occurred.”

Orion nodded, walking over to a boulder to sit on as he took the warning well. He glanced at his daughter and he knew she would be okay in Alpha Trion’s arms, but he also worried about how she would react. He glanced back at the Prime’s optics curiously. “I am curious about one thing. Is Galaxy really a direct descendent of Wraith? I assumed she had no offspring.”

“Oh, she did. Wraith bore six eggs before her death. The sire to those sparklings was also a great and powerful draconic bot. But…unfortunately, the circumstances didn’t allow either of them to be parents to those draconic bots.” Galaxy was surprised as she had thought a relative of Wraith had offspring, especially as she had not thought Wraith would have been able to find a spark mate. “Ignatius Spark was the sire to Wraith’s offspring. Those two were sweet on each other during their youngling cycles, and it blossomed into a deeper relationship. It…was such an unfortunate time for those two.”

“Ignatius Spark…” Galaxy didn’t recognize the name as Alpha Trion looked down at her. “Why don’t I know him?” She looked at the Prime curiously. “If he is also my ancestor, why do I not know him?”

“Because Ignatius’s fate was…worse that Wraith’s. Especially when he tried to save Wraith before she was forced under the Quintessons’ control.” The sparkling shuddered and Alpha Trion smiled at Galaxy. “Do not worry, Galaxy. I will not share the graphic details of what happened to him. Only a window of what happened to him. After all, Ignatius's fate...Megatronus refused to speak of it after. And I do not blame him.” That made sense. If Megatronus had refused to talk of it, it must have been terrible. “But I can at least tell you a little bit about Ignatius. After all, he did win Wraith’s spark.”

“That’s good.” Galaxy hummed a little before she grabbed her tail with her front paws to hold it against her, which looked adorable. Alpha Trion’s expression softened upon seeing that, knowing draconic bot sparklings often did that when afraid. “Could you tell us about Wraith from the start, please? I would love it.”

Alpha Trion intakes deeply, glancing at D-16 who had turned his body around to face Alpha Trion at this point as he also wanted to understand Wraith and why Galaxy was important to Sentinel Prime. “Very well.” Alpha Trion intakes deeply as he placed his hand on the ground to concentrate, and once again cause the dust and stones around them to swirl and showed an image of a single, round draconic bot egg sitting within a nest. Orion and D both were immediately entranced as seeing a dragon’s egg for the first time fascinated them. As this egg was a dark silver with a triangular pattern on the outside that looked rough. “This might surprise you all, but from the moment Wraith hatched from this egg, it was already realized that she would be different. As Wraith bore almost no resemblance to her sire, Icicle Lightning, who was white and pale blue in appearance…” An image of Icicle, who was slender in appearance, a quadruped draconic bot, and he had green optics. “And she also bore no resemblance to her carrier, Cavern Blossom, who was mostly light green in appearance…” Galaxy watched as the second dragon was shown, who was much smaller than Icicle, also a quadruped draconic bot, but she definitely appeared to be more delicate and she had yellow eyes. “Whereas Wraith, she was mostly black and white, with teal wings. At the time, when she first hatched, it was assumed someone switched the eggs. After all, draconic bots have specific cycles that allow them to bear sparklings. And it doesn’t occur regularly.” Galaxy raised an eyebrow as that did seem strange. The memory played to show the dragon egg cracking as the sparkling hatched, with the two parents watching, but were shocked when they saw the sparkling. While they were clearly upset, Alpha Trion left the moment where Blossom did not ignore the sparkling and immediately began tending to the sparkling by licking the sparkling clean and ensuring she had been healthy while Icicle left to try and find answers. “But when the CNA was matched with those two bots, they accepted her. Especially after it was assumed that there was a simple mutation that caused Wraith to appear the way she did. At least she bonded with her parents, and Megatronus was her biggest advocate as well.”

^^I forgot if I shared Wraith's appearance, but here she is

^^Wraith's sire and carrier, Lightning Icicle and Cavern Blossom

“Was he?” D-16 asked curiously as he listened intently. He was still holding his worker badge in his hand, though he was paying little attention right now. Alpha Trion nodded affirmatively. “Galaxy did mention he and Wraith were close.”

“You have no idea. Each of us Primes have token oaths whenever a new sparkling is born, bot or dragon. And we take on a unique role of guardianship over them. And Megatronus was vocal about being Wraith’s guardian at the time.” Galaxy smiled as she knew that. And she did also now know it was Alpha Trion who was her guardian, based on what he’s said before. “And, as you would have realised, I am Galaxy’s guardian.”

“Does that make you a parent or something to her?” Elita asked curiously and Alpha Trion shook his head. She raised an eyebrow curiously. “So what does that mean exactly?”

“It means a vow of protection and teachings. That is where my role is as a guardian over a draconic or bot sparkling. It is unfortunate that we can no longer do that.” Alpha Trion intakes deeply as his expression softened to sadness. “There were many other sparklings I had failed. But it is because of Sentinel that we were never able to continue. At least I can do a part of what I was committed to do with Galaxy today.” Galaxy smiled as she purred, gently nuzzling Alpha Trion’s fingers to try and give him comfort. “And I hope it will bring some achievement from learning about Wraith.”

“It will, Alpha Trion. It will.” The Prime smiled as he looked down at Galaxy as she giggled, tugging on her tail gently as she held it against her chassis. “I am already learning a lot.”

“Indeed. And I could give you encouragement to fly, if you haven’t done so already.” Galaxy shrugged as she wiggled a little and Alpha Trion let out a light chuckle. “I guess you haven’t tried yet. You know you are old enough to fly, Galaxy. I know you can, you just have to open them.”

“I know. I just...” She glanced at Orion for a moment and looked back at Alpha Trion. “I just worry that if I try to fly, I will be spotted. I might be small, but...you know...”

“I understand, little one, you worry about what might happen if you do something. But you should not. Especially when your own abilities develop further naturally, they too will give unique signatures that can be detected when used. But you should not be afraid. It is something you must master, or you may find things will go badly if things were to happen.” Galaxy nodded as she understood. She was still worried even if she would get better at flying. Alpha Trion smiled at the sparkling, sensing the worry. “And the other reason why you should finger courage is that you have two parents who care for you. They will protect you and encourage you.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “I definitely will. I hope to Primus you will be soaring through the sky soon. And, eventually, when you’re big enough, maybe you could take one of us up on your back.”

Galaxy grinned with an affirmative nod. “I would love that. After all, I will get much bigger than you, daddy. But expect bigger hugs from me.” She looked over at D-16 who was smiling at her gently. “Same for you, dadda.”

“Good. I also look forward to it.” D-16 placed a hand on his chassis, knowing he couldn’t transform or use weapons to protect Galaxy right now, so that was something that did deeply concern him. He glanced at Alpha Trion. “Could you continue telling us about Wraith, Alpha Trion?”

The Prime nodded. “I apologize for getting off track.” He cleared his throat and intakes deeply. “As I was saying, Megatronus was Wraith’s biggest advocate. Megatronus quickly became Wraith’s best friend. Most who had met Megatronus for the first time generally feel intimidated. But Wraith never felt that. She actually walked, well, stumbled over to him when she first walked. And…” Alpha Trion grinned in amusement. “When she first flew, well, let’s just say Megatronus had been paranoid about dragons flying into his face after that day.” Galaxy giggled loudly as she knew immediately what he meant. “After all, learning how to brake while flying is hard for a draconic bot. Luckily, neither one was hurt.” The other bots were grinning, and it also put into perspective as to why Galaxy might be afraid in case that happened with her too. “And Megatronus’s staff was also Wraith’s favorite toy to play with, believe it or not. She was obsessed chewing at the end of the spear, and she would hold onto it and try to yank it from Megatronus whenever she had the opportunity. He never fixed the staff, and the marks are still on it.”

“I would have thought that the staff was heavy,” B-127 commented as he was grinning while imagining how Wraith played with Megatronus. “At least, it looks that way.”

“Wraith didn’t start doing that until she was at least ten cycles old, so she was entering the early youngling age. And you will find this out, but that is when they start to play rough. And Wraith was no exception to that. Especially as Ignatius would join in as well.” Alpha Trion focused on the dust and stones to show memories of Wraith and Ignatius, who was a golden dragon with beautiful, red wings and red claws, and the two dragons were rough playing with Megatronus standing in the background next to Icicle, and other memories showing Wraith tackling Megatronus and holding his spear in her mouth as he chases her. It really looked like a great friendship. “As you can see, Megatronus was Wraith’s best friend. Even when Wraith’s abilities began to emerge, he remained her friend. But it became pretty clear from the start that her abilities were darker, stronger and we never found the reason why that is the case.”

^^Ignatius Spark

“Could it be that the mutation that caused Wraith’s appearance to be different to both her sire and carrier, also caused her abilities to be different to all other dragons?” Orion asked curiously as he thought deeply about it. “And if so, did anything happen to Blossom while she was carrying the egg before birth? Anything unusual?”

“Hmm, I wish I knew that answer, Orion Pax. I do believe that is likely something that may have caused the unusual nature of Wraith’s being. I did ask Cavern Blossom once, and she didn’t really answer. But Oranos did give me…an answer of a sort. This was back when he was extremely young and learning to understand his own abilities.” Galaxy hoped that even the smallest bit of knowledge would help them understand why Wraith ended up being different. “Apparently, this was before Cavern Blossom had even known she was expecting a sparkling. But it was after she and Icicle had become spark mates, so she would have had some assumption at the time. Cavern had travelled into a cave within Wight Canyon. She had travelled there because there are unique fruits that grow and can be harvested at specific times of the cycle. And she had travelled there because these fruits were due to be harvested, and Blossom had harvested these before. But, according to Oranos, when she had gone to the usual location, something else was there. Blossom thought it was a crystal, but it exploded when she was there and knocked her out. There wasn’t any substance left behind, and Blossom had been given the clear by the medics at the time. But…” Alpha Trion hummed a little as he thought of it. “I think they must have overlooked something. I think whatever it was, was placed there deliberately by something or someone, and it caused something within the new spark within Wraith to change her. But there is a small rumour that Blossom was meant to have carried four eggs, but Wraith was the only one to survive. That I am not certain is true.”

“How many eggs do the dragons generally have at a time?” Elita asked curiously. “Is it more common to bear multiple eggs, or single?”

“Both, if I am honest. But more often, they only have a single egg. After all, Comet Hammer, Galaxy’s sire, was a single child and both his sire and carrier didn’t have any other offspring after him. Whereas Solarian, Cosmic Dust and Magma Wisp were all from the same clutch, although Cosmic is the youngest of the three as she was the last to hatch.” Alpha Trion glanced down at Galaxy and looked back at the bots. “And if you are curious, Galaxy was a single sparkling to Solarian and Comet Hammer. She has no siblings.”

“Ah, I had wondered if she might have had some. But I guess, under these circumstances, it is good that she did not.” Orion rubbed his hands together before he smirked. “Though, I must admit, not sure how D and I would have been able to deal with four draconic sparklings under our care.” Galaxy giggled softly as she looked at him with a big grin. “Especially as Galaxy clung to the two of us so much in the first several weeks and she had a hard time adjusting to the new routine, despite feeling safe with us, and it took both of us time to get used to the new task given to us. I cannot imagine trying to handle four.”

D-16 smirked slightly as he nodded. “I have to agree with you, Pax. One is enough. Four would have kept us off our toes, and I have no idea how we would have been able to work in the mines at the time too.”

Elita was smiling as the very idea was funny to her. “It would have been funny. Imagine all the other bots looking at you and Orion thinking that you birthed the sparklings. By the way...” She turned her head to look at Orion with a teasing expression. “I am sorry for ever thinking you and D were more than just friends.”

Orion huffed in amusement. “I’m not taking that bait, Elita. You know we are friends. D and I just happened to be parents to one, amazing sparkling.” Orion turned his head to look at Galaxy. “I can never say it enough I love her so much. I am just sorry that she ended up with D and I in such a desperate situation.”

Galaxy whimpered as she loved hearing how much Orion loved her. It meant so much to her. Alpha Trion listened in amusement. “Whether or not as to why Galaxy was a single sparkling, it matters not.” He intakes deeply as he then proceeded to continue the story about Wraith. “As I was saying, as Wraith matured and her abilities became more apparent that there were abnormal, it was something that scared everyone at first. But Wraith did still possess regular fire, plasma, lightning and boiling water breaths, and she could emit lightning, plasma, lava and a few other abilities that dragons can do. So it was just the unusual abilities that were of concern. And unfortunately, we did not know the extent of them until much later.”

“As in when the Quintessons got wind of Wraith’s abilities?” Orion asked curiously. “Or...”

“Unfortunately, the extent of her abilities were not realized until the Quintessons managed to lay their hands on her for themselves.” Alpha Trion intakes deeply, concentrating as the dust and stones around them showed a fully grown Wraith with Megatronus and Ignatius. They were talking, clearly, about something. “Wraith’s abilities may have been stronger, such as a plasma that is darker in colour and hotter than regularly, a fire breath that is fuelled heavily by energon and bears the shade of dark purple to white, and a lightning so powerful that splitting this mountain wouldn’t even make her blink. But that was surface power. The rest all came from what the Quintessons did. And they had done so by ambushing Wraith, Ignatius and Megatronus while they were alone discussing matters that were not related to the war.” Galaxy watched the scene as she was curious and frightened by what they might see. “I must admit, as well, Megatronus almost died that day. But Wraith ensured that he survived, even though…she lost so much more after.”

The bots watch the scene unfold as Megatronus, Wraith and Ignatius were talking, while not being aware of their surroundings, when a blast from above nearly hits them directly. The impact on the ground exploded with green light as the force from the blast sent shockwaves through the ground that caused the three bots to lose their footing, and they were thrown from the impact, with Wraith hitting a large boulder nearby, but while Ignatius and Megatronus fell onto the ground hard, and Megatronus stamped the end of his staff into the ground to stop himself from sliding away.

A small Quintesson ship hovered above them and shot again, clearly aiming for the Prime as the shots were not aimed at either dragon. But Megatronus was aware and able to avoid the blast with ease as he jumped to the side. Wraith and Ignatius were both back on their feet at this point and Ignatius’s mouth filled with molten plasma, one of the last draconic bots to have a natural ability to this power, and he prepared to unleash blasts at the ship when hundreds of Quintessons leap from the ship towards them.

Wraith scurried over to Megatronus with a determined expression and as she ran by him, the Prime effortlessly swung onto the dragon’s back. Wraith and Megatronus were capable of fighting on their own, but they all knew that fighting together would make them stronger. And it also showed that the two were very close as well. Ignatius would have had an opportunity, if he wasn’t already firing blasts of molten plasma at the Quintessons, hitting and piercing their chests instantly.

And due to this, Wraith quickly took to the sky, and white electric currents danced over her body as she growled. D-16 raised an eyebrow as Megatronus seemed unfazed by this. “I would have thought that if a dragon fills their body with a power like that, it would be dangerous to right on them.”

“Oh, it is. It is. Megatronus just happened to have been built differently than the rest of us. He wasn’t afraid of feeling the power of the electricity, and he had actually modified his staff to be able to absorb some of those abilities and use that against the enemies. Which has proven to be useful, though he didn’t think to do so when we were ambushed here in this cave.” D-16 smiled as hearing that made him feel happy, even though he knew Megatronus had been killed with the Quintessons. “I think this battle made the Quintessons realize that they couldn’t come at Megatronus one at a time…which is why multiple Quintessons were needed to hold down. Regardless, please keep watching, my friends.”

The scene changes to a later point of the battle where Megatronus was no longer on the back of Wraith, but on the ground tearing a Quintesson in half. He had visible injuries to his right side as energon was bleeding from wounds, though they were not affecting his ability to fight against the Quintessons. Though his staff was glowing at the tip, as the blades of the spear were fuelled with a dark purple plasma that Wraith had infused for him. And right after he had torn a Quintesson apart, he speared another straight through the chassis with the spear, pulling out the internals with a swift retract to stab another.

Wraith was fighting close by Megatronus. She too had sustained injuries to the sides of her neck and across her face, but she was fighting fierce. Her teeth and claws were glowing, also from the purple plasma filling with the hot, raw power she possessed. They were desperate at this point, and Megatronus was also sending alerts to get reinforcements to their location. As while they were fighting well, there was still too many Quintessons for them. And they knew that they needed to get help, or they would simply exhaust themselves and they wouldn’t be able to fight any further.

Though as more Quintessons continue to leave the ship and attack the two dragons and Prime, they were losing numbers and quickly began to think of a new tactic. The scene changed to show the Quintessons had changed tactics, and Megatronus was leaning against a rock with his right arm severed from his body. Wraith stood before him as she had her wings spread and she had unleashed a unique breath that paralysed the Quintessons on the spot. And using that moment, both she and Ignatius filled their claws with plasma to slice and decapitate the Quintessons on the ground.

However, Wraith was shot in the right shoulder by a large Quintesson with a large rock, causing her to stumble as the blast pierced her shoulder and cut through varies veins within. She lost feeling to her front right leg which caused her paw to drag on the ground. But the shot from the Quintesson made her turn to face the warrior. She lunged at the Quintesson with her teeth bared and a white glow began filling her mouth, preparing to kill the Quintesson warrior, who was likely a general. However, the Quintesson seemed to give a signal and she heard a canon shot, and turned her head slightly just as she felt a net snapping around her neck, front legs and wings. Wraith stumbled immediately because of this, as the net around her was not just tight, it had tiny spikes on them that sliced into the dragon’s body, while also releasing something that was making her whimper from pain.

Megatronus, upon seeing this, stood up and held his spear in his left hand as he rushed forward to attack the Quintessons. Ignatius tried getting to Wraith at this point, but he was dealing with so many Quintessons too, but as thunder clapped in the sky, the Quintessons knew that the dragon was about to ignite a storm and use it to his advantage. So they would have to work quickly, and the bots watched as Quintessons surrounded Wraith and threw thick, tethers around the dragon’s body, tying them tightly around her legs and wings, making the dragon hiss and she began charging electricity through her body.

As she did so, Megatronus sliced through threw Quintessons and he was about to lunge again, when the general Quintesson turned his weapon towards the Prime, aiming for his chassis. Megatronus did not see this, but Wraith did. The dragon roared as she managed to lunge to the side, taking the full impact of the rock on her left side, and the Quintesson was both shocked and irritated. Megatronus was shocked too, but that didn’t stop him.

However, what did stop Megatronus was a sudden lightning strike to the ground. The sudden strike caused Megatronus to be thrown back as Ignatius was targeting several Quintessons at once, frying their bodies and killing them instantly. Megatronus caused his balance with his staff and he looked up to see Wraith shaking her head to him. The Quintessons were already pulling her away as the small Quintesson ship descended with its ramp already lowered.

Megatronus clearly wanted to help as he stepped towards Wraith, but the dragon shook her head again as her blue optics softened, filling with tears with small whimpers. Megatronus was heaving heavy intakes and exhales, and he shouted to Zeta Prime on the com link to get there now, informing them that Wraith was being taken hostage by the Quintessons, and they needed to stop them.

And at that time, Ignatius caused more lightning strikes and his whole body seemed to ignite with the magma plasma, causing his golden armor to glow ever so brightly and he stood ready to fight as he charged. The burning, golden, plasma around his body would burn any Quintesson upon contact, and his paws burned into the metal ground beneath him as permanent marks in the ground. He was determined to save his spark mate.

But the general knew this would happened, as he changed his rockets in the missile launcher, and the Quintesson shot Ignatius with it. It hit the dragon right in the chassis, stopping him in his tracks as the dragon fell and all his power stopped suddenly. Alpha Trion softened his gaze and placed his hand over Galaxy’s optics, making the sparkling jump in surprise, but he did not wish for her to see what was about to happen. However, Galaxy could still see it.

When Orion saw Alpha Trion do that, he immediately braced his processor for what he was about to see. Ignatius may have been stopped, but he stood back up again with determination, only for him to be shot again. This time, in the right shoulder and he didn’t seem bothered at first. Until he let out a cry of pain as he felt a spread of a virus spreading within him. Ignatius lost feeling in his right leg and it fell off, shattering on the ground beneath him.

Ignatius gasped in shock as he tried to walk towards Wraith, looking at her as she tugged on the tethers around her body. Alpha Trion changed the scene quickly, but the bots could hear Ignatius’s body creaking and breaking painfully from the virus, which quickly weakened the metal within him, turning it to something weaker than rust. This caused the systems within the dragon to quickly shut down painfully, and Ignatius could be heard collapsing.

And Megatronus, rushed over to the dragon, not knowing if he could be saved. But as he did so, there was a sudden, loud, high-pitched scream, that caused the bots to cover their ears suddenly and Megatronus looked towards the Quintessons, realizing it came from Wraith and he saw that there were hundreds of Quintessons crawling over the dragon’s body, shielding her from view as the dragon is dragged onto the ship.

“What happened to her?” Orion asked in disbelief as the scene fades. Tears were in his optics as he shook his head. “What…what did they do?”

“I am afraid, I do not know.” He uncovered Galaxy’s optics as he rubbed her back. Galaxy was trembling as she was terrified from what she had just heard. “We can only summise that they experimented on her. It was made worse because at this time, she was carrying those eggs.” The bots all widen their optics in shock. “Luckily, her sparklings never seemed to be impacted, mostly because Wraith had ensured that they would be protected. I don’t know if the Quintessons knew she was carrying, or if they cared. But…” Alpha Trion shook his head. “Most of what they had done to her seemed to be aimed at her processor. You mentioned something about collars that Sentinel must have forced on several dragons.”

Galaxy nodded. “Yeah, my aunt Cosmic Dust, Sky Blade, Firedrake and, most recently, Scorched Flare. Those collars seem to keep the dragons under Sentinel’s control.”

“Hmm…then I am not surprised. My guess is, those collars do not do the same as to what the Quintessons had done Wraith. And, I fear, they would also do to you…” Alpha Trion points at Galaxy and the sparkling shuddered. “If they were to ever get their hands on you. Sentinel won’t. He might use a collar. But it would be only a taste of the Quintessons may do.”

Galaxy whimpered as she frowned at him. “Why do you have to give me nightmares?”

“I am sorry, Galaxy. I want you to also understand the gravity, even though I wish you did not have to. You are too young.” Alpha Trion intakes deeply. “But we are not finished. There is more to the story. After all…you have to see how Wraith ends up. And…what Megatronus was forced to do.” He looked down at Galaxy. “And I will be covering your optics for most of it, Galaxy.”

“It does no good if I can still hear it.”

“Hearing only gives you the ability to imagine it. But you won’t see the graphic nature of it.” That was true. And Galaxy did not yet know if covering her optics was going to shield it though. “However, I may shield your ears at certain moments. You do not need to hear it either.”

“I could have used that just now.”

Alpha Trion smiled gently. “I apologize if I frightened you. However…my spark aches every time I hear Wraith’s cry. We regretted not being able to get there in time. Because we got there right after, and we couldn’t save Ignatius. His body had already crumbled…and it was horrendous. We were able to give aid to Megatronus and give him a new arm. But…admittedly, after this whole ordeal, a bitterness had been planted within Megatronus. Normally, it would not be the case. But he saw Wraith like a daughter. More so than any other dragon since.”

“Understandable. I imagine if it were Galaxy, Pax and I would feel the same way.”

Alpha Trion nodded as he glanced at D-16. “And I hope it never happens to you.”

Same here. Ugh…Alpha Trion just had to make me think that it will happen to me. Hopefully, we can tear the Quintessons down enough that it will never, ever happen to anyone else.

Orion stood up as he began to pace. “Could you keep showing us the story? Is there any chance Sentinel had been involved?”

“Possibly. Sentinel had been recruited around the time Cavern Blossom laid her egg. But…it is hard to say. We focused so much on the war, that we failed to keep a close eye on what was happening in our close circle. It was a mistake that I hope will not be made in the future.” Galaxy knew Alpha Trion was thinking of the new Prime. She did want to ask him if he knew who it was, but he might not give her the answer. Or if he did, it would be a riddle. Alpha Trion intakes deeply again as the scene changed. “We shall proceed. Keep your minds open, and…I would advice if you need to turn away, do so. Even I have a time not being able to purge whenever this memory comes to my mind.”

Chapter Text

“Wraith had been in the clutches of the Quintessons for almost a full cycle before she emerged. Or rather, she had been instructed. By the end of whatever the Quintessons had done to her, she was nothing more than a drone under their command. But Wraith was still there, she was simply a passenger in her own mind. And she fought it.” An image of an outpost on the surface was shown. Many transformer soldiers and several draconic bots were present, and were conversing with each other or keeping guard. It took a moment, but Orion realized this was the same place they had just ran through before. “We had no warning. Wraith’s powers were stronger, they were forced to be stronger. To the point that such a force was detrimental to Wraith’s very life, and it was worse than a debilitating plague for Wraith. And we only realized it after we were forced to engage battle with Wraith in order to protect others, while also trying to save her life. As being a slave to the Quintessons...” Alpha Trion let out a low growl as he spoke the last few sentences. “Was nothing short of a living Pit for Wraith. And her strength to endure such treatment, was all because she had to stay alive for the sake of her sparklings.”

The bots watched as a shadow slowly formed over the outpost, the dragons and bots that were there were immediately on alert. However, it wasn’t a simple shadow or cloud. Something had create a moon-like sphere to cover the sun, creating an eclipse atmosphere that was unexpected. But clouds did form, only to move and create circular lines around the sun, as if creating a guide or a building of power. Thunder rumbled through the clouds, and lightning began to flash. But the lightning within these clouds were not white. They flashed purple, black, dark blue and even a mixture of dark colours, and a few was completely transparent like a ghost. It was as if the power was uneven, unstable. And then, finally, a shadow of a dragon flew across the sky. Though as it moved, it was flying fast. A lightning strike hits the dragon, making it disappear suddenly.

The bots and dragons in the city were confused. But when a large lightning bolt struck the ground, a powerful quake shook the ground, immediately damaging the buildings and causing multiple to collapse at the same time, and all the bots within the buildings fled outside in shock. But the pulse and power of the strike killed a dozen bots instantly, and injuring five dragons as the blast wave of the strike was powerful enough to power an entire ship. And when the strike faded, a black mist was left swirling on the ground. It was hissing, from both the heat from the lightning that had struck the metal ground and the hiss of a dragon.

The bots were all staring. The injured dragons quickly moved away as best as they could, while they were all staring at this mist. They were not sure what to do, other than the bots prepared to fight. However, optics glowed from the mist. Instead of light blue optics, these were dark, indigo with a mix of violet on the rims. The energon veins within were enlarged, swollen even, as more energon was forced to pump through the dragon’s body. With a low growl, a growl that was deep and dangerous, making all the bots step back before the transformers charged their weapons to shoot. But as they were about to shoot, the dragon let out a loud roar. The loudest, earth trembling roar, that they have ever heard. Galaxy whimpered and covered her ears, especially as the roar also made thunder clap loudly, causing everyone but Alpha Trion to flinch in shock.

The mist blasted away from the roar, as black lightning ignited across the ground, striking bots and dragons nearby, killing almost everyone instantly. With the mist gone, everyone could see Wraith. With her mouth frothing with energon and saliva , her nostrils flared constantly and veins visibly enlarged in her neck, chassis, wings and limbs, the dragon almost appeared to be rabid. She looked angry, but she also didn’t appear to concentrate until she lunged forward. Her claws looked black, as were her teeth, and a shadow seemed to follow them, but they were filled with a plasma not seen before. And she struck the first draconic bot she saw, slicing right through their abdomen and ripping the spark right out of them.

Orion widened his optics as he noticed there was a constant tear stream from Wraith’s optics. Her optics were also quivering and a grimace would show on her face briefly. “Oh...she looks like she is in pain.”

Alpha Trion nodded. “She was. She was in constant pain.” Orion’s expression softened immediately. “I am impressed that you noticed straight away, Orion Pax. It took us time to even notice. But it was Megatronus who realized when he first faced her the first time alone.”

“I am not sure it’s worth being impressed when I...I simply have a spark for others, Alpha Trion. It hurts my spark, even if this is in the past. The archives really only gave a small amount of who Wraith was and why.” Orion shook his head as he paced a little bit more. “I wonder if what I’ve learned was twisted.”

“Perhaps, but it would have been watered down a lot. After all, Wraith was under the control of the Quintessons. While you might believe she turned evil, she did not. Almost nothing is born evil, Orion Pax. But it is most certainly made.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as she did not believe that too. “And while I say most is not born evil, there are some who are. Unicron is a good example of that. I don’t need to go into that story, since we are focused on Wraith’s.” Alpha Trion looked at the scene as Wraith was seen mauling a bot and ripping out their internal systems swiftly and striking a draconic bot in the neck with her tail. “As you can see, Wraith was made capable of staining the ground with energon without assistance.”

“I noticed that the shots from the bots hitting Wraith were bouncing off her. Why is that?” Orion gestured as Wraith turned to face a bot, who was shotting at the dragon, but the blasts bounced off or simply evaporated upon contact. “Is that also because of the Quintessons?”

“Yes. Wraith was constantly emitting a force of plasma, or a personal shield, that protected her from injury. It drained the dragon all the time. But it didn’t last forever.” Alpha Trion shifted Galaxy a lifted in his hand so he could stand and turn, lifting up his cape for the bots. “There is a reason why I started wearing this. I figured out how to cut off the shield of Wraith, but I was left with a permanent injury.”

B-127 grimaced and he turned away. “Ew…I did not want to see that.”

Elita was grimacing too, but she did not look away. “Wow…is that a scratch or something?”

Alpha Trion nodded. “Yes. And whatever power she was using, has kept a constant wound that will never heal. Luckily, it has not impeded my ability to fight, nor was it fatal. But I do believe Wraith made sure of that, even though she likely didn’t intend it to be a constant, painful scar.”

Orion stared at Alpha Trion’s back. Underneath the cape was a deep cut where the claws of Wraith had pierced his armor. While there were deep wounds, it looked fresh. And there the metal around the wounds looked decayed, but they were not rusted and there was no horrid smell. But the wound did expose some veins, and he could see the glow of the energon pumping through them. It looked raw and painful, but it was a surprise that he had not died from the wound.

“Wow…it looks infected.” Orion was about to step closer when Alpha Trion dropped his cloak and turned back to sit down. Galaxy was wiggling as she wanted to see, and Orion looked at the sparkling. “Galaxy…” She flinched and looked at Orion in surprise. “You don’t need to see that.”

Galaxy whimpered a little and she accepted that as she relaxed in Alpha Trion’s hand. “You would be right if you were in that time. It was infected. But the medics were able to remove the toxin that was within the wound from her claws. And I will admit, Wraith was actually able to whisper to me that she was glad that I had done so. Because Megatronus managed to get her away from me.”

D-16 hummed as he looked at the badge in his hand. “What about the Matrix?” Alpha Trion looked over at the silver mech as D did not look at the Prime. “Isn’t the Matrix able to help with stuff like that?”

Alpha Trion smiled at him. “I am afraid, the Matrix is not capable of reversing physical afflictions like you believe. Wraith underwent things that we cannot possibility imagine, and I hope you never experience it. After all, if what you have said is true, Sentinel is the least of your worries when it comes to Ignited Galaxy. After all, she has Wraith’s CNA, and Ignatius’s too. He was one of the last who could use molten plasma and other various powerful powers that most dragons no longer have. Which makes her potentially very strong, and a big target.”

Galaxy whimpered and Orion could not help but step closer to Alpha Trion instinctively. Alpha Trion smiled as Orion took the sparkling from him and held her close to him. “I wish you didn’t have to say that, Alpha Trion.” The Prime smiled kindly at the bot as Galaxy nuzzled Orion’s cheek gently and Orion kissed her cheek. “Now you have me worried about so many more things about the future.”

“I apologize, but I also hope you understand why I say this.” Orion nodded as he held the sparkling in his arms, not wanting to think of what would happen if Galaxy would end up in a similar experience. Now Alpha Trion just put that fear in his mind. D-16 also did not like it, but he was remaining seated. He seemed to be thinking on what he had heard and seen so far. “However, I would advise that you do not believe it will happen. Your story is only just beginning. And while you are about to witness Wraith’s tragedy, do not take it and believe it will be the same for you. Only learn from it.”

Orion nodded as he agreed to that. “Thank you, Alpha Trion.” He looked at the Prime with a smile. “That brings a little comfort. But…ever since I became a parent to this sparkling, I feel as though a lot of my thoughts and feelings have changed.”

“As to be expected.” Alpha Trion looked at D-16, noticing that the silver mech did not seem to react the same way. “And what are your thoughts, D-16?” D flinched as he had been staring at the badge in his hand and he looked at the Prime in slight surprise. “I would think you would feel the same as Orion. As Wraith’s fate is tragic, and as I have said, the Quintessons would see Galaxy as a target. Only if they knew of her existence, of course.”

D-16 intakes deeply, looking at Orion to see his friend cradling the sparkling against him and Galaxy looked over at him as she was curious too. He hummed a little as he looked back at the badge in his hand with a frown. “I do not wish to think of it, Alpha Trion. Galaxy is not Wraith. Related or not, I won’t let that happen to her.”

Alpha Trion smiled. “Good.” He intakes deeply as the images changed to show still images of Wraith fighting and killing other bots and dragons, and several images of the other Primes fighting her. “Wraith’s enslavement didn’t last a long. A half cycle at least, but it still caused many lives to be lost during that time.” Each image of Wraith showed that her veins were still enlarged from the excessive energon pumping through her body. But several images showed swelling in her limbs and neck, which was strange. “The swelling you see is a result of the extreme flow of energon pumping in Wraith’s body. The Quintessons harvested an excessive amount of energon just to keep up with her body’s requirements. But…it was fatal in the end.”

Galaxy turned her head to watch as the next scene shown within the dust and stone was of Zeta Prime, Alpha Trion and Megatronus standing by a tall mountain, with steam rising from the ground from her breaths and steam was also rising from the dragon’s body, and from her mouth. She was barring her teeth and Galaxy noticed that Alpha Trion was wearing his cloak at this time, it was new and had no visible damage like it did right now. She didn’t know how long before when Wraith had struck Alpha Trion’s back. And she was surprised he would be fighting Wraith at this point, but she knew that the Primes would not have given up on Wraith. Even though she already guessed that Megatronus had killed Wraith to stop her rampage.

Zeta Prime had his energon weapons ready as Wraith growled angrily at the three Primes. She was glancing at them, while there also small moments where there were pauses, as if she was fighting herself. It was painful to witness, even through just the memories that Alpha Trion was sharing right now. The three Primes around Wraith did seem like they did not want to hurt her, but they were also standing in defensive positions. As behind them, were injured bots dragons trying to flee with the other Primes assisting them. So it seemed that Megatronus, Alpha Trion and Zeta Prime had decided to keep Wraith busy as long as they could. And it was already obvious that this was going to be very heavy to witness.

“Wraith!” Zeta Prime shouted as the dragon lunged towards him, her teeth barred as she was ready to strike him as her neck started to glow white upwards as a white plasma fire, which has been since called akari plasma, building impressive and strength. Zeta rolled to the side just was Wraith breathed out a wave, striking the ground and turning her head to follow him. “Please, stop! We know you are still there somewhere.” Wraith just growled before Megatronus ran from the right side. “Grab her, Megatronus! We might be able to relieve the pressure in her body if we can hold her down.”

Megatronus lunged forward, using the momentum to grab the dragon’s back. Wraith stopped breathing out the akari plasma as she turned her head, attempting to snap at Megatronus’s legs to pull him off. He kicked her snout, making the dragon shriek and recoil immediately, shaking her head before he moved his spear around her neck, making sure the staff reached the other side, so he could grab both ends of the spear and pulled, pressing the spear against the dragon’s neck. She shrieked as the pressure was tight, but not enough to hurt her too much as Megatronus was clearly just wanting to stop her.

Megatronus grimaced as while Wraith was trying to throw him off and she was beating her wings but not actually flying, she was spreading lightning and plasma through her body. Molten plasma and shadow lightning specifically. Despite being well trained with dragons, Megatronus had not grown a resilience to Wraith’s new powers at the time. And the lightning was hurting by stinging and burning, and the molten plasma, which made her body glowed slightly within her veins due to the plasma heating up her body. She was doing everything she could to throw him off.

With Wraith not being held as still as they had hoped, Alpha Trion and Zeta Prime circled the flailing dragon, who was also attempting to whip them and swipe at them with her tail and claws. She had not forgotten them. And a few times she breathed out the akari plasma at them, and a few times, pure energon fire, causing a blaze to start with some surrounding plants and melted several stones and damaged a nearby mountain. It was a difficult to find a moment to get the dragon off her feet due to all the movement.

However, Alpha Trion spotted an opportunity. He waited before he ran towards the dragon, just as she was turning his direction and he skidded underneath her wing as it lifted up, and he stuck his legs in an attempt to kick the dragon’s legs. And with all of her movement, it would make her fall instantly. But Wraith had noticed Alpha Trion and she turned her left wing suddenly, making the Prime gasp as she slammed the wing down, catching him right under the curve of her mainsail, and stopping his momentum immediately. Alpha Trion grimaced as she turned, glaring at him with a single optic and her mouth filled with molten plasma, causing it to drip onto the ground.

Megatronus pulled harder on the spear, pulling her neck towards him to prevent the dragon from turning her head to Alpha Trion. But as Wraith had stopped thrashing to keep Alpha Trion down, she was swiftly changing tactics as she turned her right wing, tilting it inward before striking her wing claw against Megatronus’s shoulder. The Prime grunted in surprise, especially as the claw bent to essentially grab him internally of his shoulder and swiftly pulled, using the upward movement to throw him off and the spear staff slid up before being pulled to the left as Megatronus lost grip on one side of the spear. Megatronus may not have expected it, but when he was thrown off, he landed on his feet, skidding a little while stamping the end of his spear in the ground to stop the momentum.

Wraith had turned her attention to Alpha Trion, growling angrily while the inner fight to regain control was stronger. Zeta Prime tried to get Wraith’s attention by grabbing the dragon’s snout to pull her face away, but she struck him with her claw and she looked back at Alpha Trion. Wraith’s mainsail was holding Alpha Trion’s shoulders down, so he could not move his arms properly to try and push the wing off.

His optics widened as the dragon’s mouth approached, and the molten plasma filled the maw. “Wraith, stop!” Alpha Trion shouted and the dragon flinched with a grimace, closing her optics briefly. “Lift your wing. We don’t want you to kill anymore bots.”

Wraith paused suddenly, while her optics and mouth twitched. Alpha Trion’s words had stopped the dragon for a moment and she lifted her wing slightly. It wasn’t much, but Alpha Trion was able to move back from underneath the mainsail and get back onto his feet. The molten plasma dripped from Wraith’s mouth as she growled and whimpered while she was fighting the control she was under.

“How much pain do you think Wraith would have been in?” Elita asked gently as she did not take her optics off what was happening. “The way she is twitching here, and those veins that look like they could burst at any time…I cannot imagine she was comfortable.”

“I am afraid we will never understand how painful this was for Wraith. And it probably best that we do not. But Wraith suffered every minute of the half cycle she was enslaved by the Quintessons. As you can imagine, Wraith wanted nothing more than for it to end. The tears that were constantly streaming down her cheeks…” Alpha Trion looked at the scene sadly, seeing the tear streaks down the sides of Wraith’s cheeks. “Were a mix of extreme pain and sadness. I don’t think she could ever stop crying.”

Orion stared at the image as he wiped a single tear from his cheek. “This is making me sad. And I don’t even know Wraith.”

“No, but you are a parent to a dragon, Orion Pax. And if you were in Megatronus’s position…you may never recover from it.” Alpha Trion watched as Wraith suddenly turned her head towards the group of bots and dragons, making the Primes gasp loudly. “Regardless, it is clear that the primal, beastly, savageness that Wraith portrayed was a parasite. And while she might have had been concentrating on us three at that time, I had almost made a mistake by mentioning the wounded. If not for Megatronus’s quick thinking, I am not sure we could have saved these bots and dragons at the time.”

The bots watch the scene as the three Primes around Wraith widen their optics as Wraith’s neck glowed with the molten plasma. “Wraith, no!” Zeta shouted, running forward and raised his right arm, creating an energon shield as Wraith unleashed a streamline towards the injury bots and draconic bots. “Nexus, Prima, Solus, Onxy, Micronus…” The Primes turned hearing the desperate shouts from Zeta. “Shields up! NOW!”

Nexus, Prima, Solus, Onyx, Micronus, Vector and Quintus all turned to create a large, energon shield, standing firm as the plasma hit the shield and fell onto the ground before them, building up a puddle of plasma as it burned the surface of the ground loudly and the Primes had to use their strength to hold back the stream. This left Alchemist, Amalgamous and Liege Maximo with getting the injured bots and dragons away quickly. Though there were several dragons assisting them, and they were moving faster now that Wraith had redirected her attack.

Zeta Prime ran at Wraith and she stopped the molten plasma stream to lunge at him, startling him as she snapped at his right arm, though the energon shield prevented Wraith from closing her mouth and grabbing his arm with her teeth, which was black with mist around them, showing the dark, hot plasma was ready to injure him. Zeta was pleased he had his shield up, and he kicked at the base of the dragon’s neck, making her cough and step back from him, releasing his arm and shaking her head before looking at the injured bots again. With the Primes fully alert and in the way, Wraith’s entire body began igniting. A goldish, transparent flame spread over her body and her teal wings seemed to change to gold briefly as the power was charging.

“Scrap!” Alpha Trion hissed as he moved to step between Wraith, with Zeta next to him. “Wraith, do not unleash that! We do not know what ability that is! But it will evaporate any bot you touch! Do not do this!” The dragon raised her front right paw, which was twitching at the moment as she stopped proceeding forward, clearly fighting the internal struggle right now. “Yes, Wraith, that’s it. We might have found a way to free you.”

Wraith stared at the two Primes in front of her. It was hard to tell what she was thinking as her savage, angry expression remained the same. She simply growled before she blinked and roared loudly. The flame around her body grew stronger and she was about to charge again. Zeta and Alpha Trion prepared themselves as this was not going to end well if Wraith touched them, but they had to get her attention.

Zeta Prime turned his head sharply and gasped loudly. “Megatronus, don’t! Stop!” The bots turn their heads, gasping to see Megatronus running at Wraith. Wraith did not even notice, or care to, as Megatronus swung his spear up and hit Wraith’s jaw, making her roar and immediately stop building up her power. Zeta sighed in relief. “One less thing to…” Zeta widened his optics as Wraith snapped her jaw at Megatronus and he rolled to the right before lunging and tacking the dragon, slamming the dragon to the side and causing her to stumble before the two of them fell through a weak surface plate. “Megatronus!”

The scene fades as Zeta and Alpha Trion are seen rushing to the hole, which quickly caved as they had not expected Wraith and Megatronus to fall beneath the surface of Cybertron. But as the scene slowly changed, Alpha Trion turned to Orion who was staring at the scene. “Orion Pax…” The bot flinched and looked at the Prime in surprise. “I suggest that you cover Galaxy’s optics now. For what you will see…not only is it heart breaking, but she does not need to see how Megatronus…finishes it.” Orion nodded as he gently placed his hand over Galaxy’s optics, making her grumble in slight irritation. “Wraith and Megatronus remained underground, fighting each other for at least sixty hours within caverns beneath the surface. A lot of it was due to the fact that being underground, with a lack of signal from the Quintessons, Wraith regained some control, but only to communicate. Or try to.”

“Sixty hours?!” D-16 exclaimed in shock. Alpha Trion nodded. “Wow…” He softened his expression slightly before he smiled. “But he survived.”

“Yes, but Megatronus was never the same since, D-16. I do not believe you should take comfort in the fact that he survived. After all, he witnessed Wraith’s birth, stayed beside her as she grew, taught her how to fight and spent so much with her that she became his favorite dragon. And he wanted to protect her so much from the Quintessons, that he had felt like a failure when she had been captured.” D’s smile faded as he listened while nodding as he understood. Alpha Trion intakes deeply. “I do not know what you have been told about Megatronus. But just know, that before all this happened, Megatronus was not as stoic and quiet as he was after this incident. He was a very outspoken warrior, and he did not shy to help others. After, it was like the very part of him that made him Megatronus died with Wraith. Even though I had hoped that with her offspring, he would have some spark left within him. But I guess some wounds are just too deep to heal from.”

Orion felt awful for Megatronus. He almost didn’t want to see what Alpha Trion was going to show. But it was important for them to understand Wraith’s story, and it was already tragic. He kissed the top of Galaxy’s head, making her purr a little as she nuzzled him, while he kept his hand over her optics so she would not see what was about to be shown. He hoped that hearing it wouldn’t hurt her either.

The scene finally unveiled a large, underground cavern with multiple tunnels leading away from the area. Cave plants were glowing a faint green and white colour on the ground and even the moss on the walls were giving off a faint light. But it didn’t matter. Some of the plants had been torn up from the fighting between Wraith and Megatronus. And it was clear that these two were exhausted from the many hours of fighting. Megatronus had wounds to his body, and Wraith also had wounds to her wing mainsails and her back, left leg had been broken, so she couldn’t move as quickly. But it was obvious, Megatronus had been reluctant to hurt her.

Wraith lunged at Megatronus and he raised his spear, making her clamp her teeth down on it as he managed to push her back. She growled as he pushed her back, causing her weight to press onto her broken leg, making her release him and step back from him before intaking deeply. Megatronus raised an energon shield as she breathed out fire at him, as Wraith’s exhaustion had also caused her abilities to weaken. So this meant he could withstand any of her current attacks.

Wraith growled as she ran at him again as the fire was somewhat blinding Megatronus, but the Prime jumped to the left, rolling as he did so and stood right back up, turning to face the dragon as she turned sharply to face him. Her optics twitch and she whimpered a little. Megatronus’s optics soften. “Wraith, your energon stores should be drained enough that I can take you home. Our medics can help you.”

Wraith shook her head slightly. “They can’t.” Megatronus gasped as Wraith spoke to him. “They can’t. I can’t control it, Megatronus. I need your help. Please.” Wraith growled as she grimaced, snarling as she fought for control. “It festers…” She grunted with a grimace. “Corrupted.” Her expression softened briefly before electricity began charging across her body with bright, white light. She glared at Megatronus briefly as containing the savage response was too hard. “Corrupted…I can feel my very being shattering from the inside out!”

Megatronus raised his energon shield as Wraith unleashed a shockwave of lightning, causing the cavern to shake and rumble, with stones falling and collapsing several nearby tunnels. He gasped as Wraith ran at him again with her teeth bared and bit down onto his right arm, piercing his armor and making him cry out in surprise and pain. Wraith swung Megatronus into a nearby wall, slamming his body hard and he punched her in the right side of the muzzle to make her let him go.

He fell to the ground and rolled to the left as she unleashed a plasma blast, hitting the ground where he had just been. He got to his feet to avoid further plasma blasts as the dragon did not stop. Megatronus ran around the dragon as she blasted the ground, walls and ceiling around them before he ran to jump onto Wraith’s back, so she would stop blasting the walls, ceiling and ground to prevent a cave in.

And it worked as the dragon immediately stopped, but she turned her head sharply, snapping her teeth at him as he leaned back and kicked her snout, making her grimace and open her mouth to blast plasma at his chassis. Megatronus grimaced as he was shot off the dragon’s back, feeling the burn of the blast on his chassis as the burn hiss and he rubbed the wound as energon bleed from the damaged veins.

He intakes deeply as Wraith turned, only to stop with a deep groan as Wraith’s body shuddered and her face twitched in frustration. Megatronus shifted the spear in his hand, ready to use it again as Wraith gazed him. “I don’t want to kill you, Megatronus. You know it will happen if we keep fighting. I am done. Please. You know what you must do.”

Megatronus shook his head. “No, not when there is another way to…”

“THERE IS NONE!” Wraith roared loudly as she lunged forward, raising her front right paw in an attempt to slash Megatronus’s chassis. Megatronus stepped to the left and he raised his spear, his optics quivered as he hesitated slightly. “I cannot stop this! You can!”

Megatronus tensed as Wraith’s mouth filled with molten plasma again, which he didn’t realize was deliberate from Wraith as she wanted to exhaust the last of her own strength, while also giving him a reason to react since her mouth was right in front of him. He reacted quickly, swinging his spear around Wraith’s neck and piercing the side of her neck at the base, near her shoulders, pushing firmly as he caused the tip of the spear to several several spinal cords and the dragon dropped immediately in front of him with a loud thud.

Megatronus lets go of the spear as he stumbled back, falling onto his aft in disbelief. He intakes deeply as Wraith turned her head, and he realized she wasn’t completely paralyzed. But enough that she couldn’t move her legs. He clenched his fists as he shook his head. “This isn’t what I wanted…” He looked at the spear still lodged in the base dragon’s neck, seeing the energon bleeding down the staff and down her neck. He shook his head again. “Wraith…”

“It is alright.” Megatronus flinched as Wraith spoke and he looked at her, realizing she had regained control. But her body was still flinching as the side that the Quintessons had made was trying to take over. “Do not feel bad, Megatronus. You and the others did what you could. I thank you.” Megatronus crawled over to the dragon and placed his hand on her neck gently. “But please…help me save them.”

“Them?” Megatronus looked at her in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

Wraith intakes sharply as turned her head some more to try and gesture to her abdomen. “The Quintessons don’t know about them. There are six of them.” That immediately made Megatronus realize what she was talking about and he looked at her abdomen. “I’ve been laboring for the last few hours…”

“Oh, Primus.” Megatronus shuffled quickly to find the swelling in Wraith’s abdomen, and he reached under to feel she had been fully dilated. “But…” He looked at Wraith with concern. “Your sparklings would have been affected, wouldn’t they?”

“No…I made sure of it.” Megatronus pressed his hand on her abdomen to feel the eggs within. They were ready to come out. “Please, Megatronus. I cannot push them out. You have to cut them free.” Megatronus looked at Wraith with sadness. “I know you’ll do well by them.”

Megatronus closed his optics as he intakes deeply. “But…if I do it, you’ll lose too much energon…”

Wraith smiled sadly at Megatronus. “Megatronus, you have already saved my life. You cannot change what was done to me. I’d rather die free than a slave.” She purred softly as she could see Megatronus’s discomfort. “I knew only you could do it. I’m sorry it had to be that way, but…we never knew this would happen.”

“I know.” Megatronus appeared that he was going to cry, but he was really containing his emotions. He looked at the dragon who watched him quietly. “I wish there was another way. But I promise to protect your sparklings with my life.”

Wraith nodded slightly. “And make sure that the Quintessons never find out about my descendents. They will try to do it all over again.”

Megatronus nodded slowly before forming an energon knife. He hesitated, but he knew that her sparklings were completely innocent. He grimaced before slicing carefully into the abdomen. B-127 had to turn away as seeing the procedure made his tank churn, especially as the energon spilled out of the wound and the internal damage of Wraith’s system was apparent. Orion and Elita grimaced uncomfortably, while D-16’s expression was calm as he watched.

Megatronus was forced to move some internal systems aside to reach the gestational chamber. And he could see that the chamber was under stress from the labor protocols being in overdrive. He intakes as he gently cuts the chamber, and the first two, dark silver eggs immediately slipped into his hands. Megatronus quickly and gently moved them out to place on the ground, and the third egg, which was a dark red, slipped out just as Megatronus had placed the eggs on the ground.

He caught the egg and placed it by the other two before reaching in and grabbing the last three eggs carefully. A dark golden egg, a white egg and a pure black egg. Megatronus stared at them for a moment before looking at his energon covered hands and he shook his head as he couldn’t believe what he had just done. Even though it was save Wraith’s sparklings, he had no idea how long she had been holding onto them just to ensure their safety.

Megatronus looked at Wraith to see her optics were flickering and he quickly stood up to move around the eggs and walked over to her, falling to his knees as he gazed into her optics. “They’re alive, Wraith. They’re safe.”

Wraith smiled at him and she weakly lifted her head slowly to lick his right cheek gently. “Thank you. And I love you, Megatronus Prime. May we meet again in the All Spark in the future.” Megatronus finally let tears well in his optics and he wrapped his arms around her neck. “And take comfort that you saved my life.” Wraith intakes sharply as she felt Megatronus move his arm to hold up her head against him and he pressed his forehead against her muzzle. “I’ll always be with you, Megatronus.”

Megatronus nodded as he knew that she would be. He intakes deeply as he felt Wraith’s body grow heavy and he leaned back, looking at her optics to see they were closing and he sensed her spark stop in that moment. Staring in disbelief as this draconic bot was one he had watched grow from sparkling to adult, Megatronus held the dragon’s head and pressed his head against the side of her head, finally letting the tears flow before the scene finally fades.

Orion wiped tears from his cheeks as he lifted his hand from Galaxy’s optics. He saw she was crying and he knew she understood. “That was…that was a lot.”

Alpha Trion nodded. “Yes. It was. And it took us a further week to dig down into that cavern. Megatronus mourned that dragon the entire time, and he was extremely weak from his own wounds as well. Wraith was given a proper burial alongside Ignatius, and Megatronus kept his promise about her sparklings. But we did find dragons willing to adopt them, and Megatronus was involved with their lives. But not to the same extent. Which…” Alpha Trion intakes heavily. “Is unfortunate. He stopped building deep connections with dragons. And he did not speak of this since.” Alpha Trion dropped the sand and stone now that he was finished showing the scene.

“So how did the Quintessons find out about Wraith’s descendents?” Elita asked curiously while wiping tears from her cheeks. “Was it by accident?”

“No. I do not believe so. I believe Sentinel told them, and he wasn’t part of the council until eighty cycles after this incident, and things have been strange since. We…” Alpha Trion gestured to himself and the other Primes. “Did not see the warning signs until it was too late. I do not know when Sentinel decided to try and take the Matrix, but it does not matter.”

Orion nodded in agreement. He shook his head as he couldn’t believe how much he has learned from the Archives, and realized some of it wasn’t even true. And on top of that, they now knew about Sentinel. Especially as it seemed like that this was a long time plan for Sentinel Prime, and it made Orion few frustrated. And he wished that he believed Galaxy now. That was something he severely regretted.

However, now that he has seen what has happened to Wraith, there was that fear now that something similar may happen to Galaxy. He didn’t know if the collars contained something similar as to what Wraith experienced. Or if they were a simple substitute for the real thing. But Orion knew that he would never let it happen. And if the Quintessons did somehow get a hold of Galaxy, he wouldn’t let them turn her into what Wraith became. After all, repeating history would not be something he wanted to do. Especially now that they knew the story and they could inform the rest of Iacon. Hopefully, doing so will prevent such a tragedy occurring again.

Chapter Text

Orion paced as he could not believe what they had learned in such a short time. Now that they have learned about Sentinel’s treason to Cybertron, and Wraith’s story, the combination of the two was worrisome, and brought other questions now that many answers have been revealed. Plus, Orion now understood why Sentinel was after Galaxy. She might not have all of Wraith’s powers when she gets older, but she certainly has the potential if pushed to her limit. And Orion did not want her fate to end up like Wraith’s. Seeing Megatronus in a vulnerable state as well, also brought pain to his spark. And it made Orion remember that the Primes had just as much spark as the rest of them.

He had placed Galaxy down and she had walked back to Alpha Trion, and she was now cradled in his arm while holding a bottle in her paws as she had become hungry and she needed to fill her tank again. And D-16 was happy to grab out one of the bottles to give to Pax who brought the bottle to their daughter, and she was now happily drinking the bottle. And she also was doing this so she could try to forget what she had heard too. Though it wasn’t really easy.

D-16 had turned his back again and he was frowning, looking at the badge that he was playing with in his hand. He was very unhappy about this whole thing. He looked up to Sentinel, and he felt crushed. And seeing Megatronus deal with Wraith hurt too. He never thought Megatronus could have a vulnerability, but he now knew that he was wrong about that. Regardless, it actually made him favor the Prime a lot more because of it as well. And he also wanted justice for both Megatronus and Wraith by defeating the Quintessons and killing Sentinel.

Galaxy did feel bad for the bots. They have lived a life believing something because they were taught it, and now it has been smashed into pieces for them. She didn’t know how she could help them accept it and find a new path, but she didn’t know if it was even possible for her to do since she was just a sparkling. But she at least would be able to try and make them feel happier. After all, they would need it. She could tell D-16 would need it more than the others since he looked up to Sentinel a lot more than Orion has.

“Now you have seen the truth,” Sentinel said gently as he watched Orion pace before him. “Both about Sentinel and origins of Galaxy’s ancestors, and tragedy. I bear no joy telling you this information. But it was needed.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement. “Every day...” She turned her head, looking at D-16 with sad optics as he spoke. “Every single day of my life...” He glared at the badge in his hand with disgust before tossing it to the ground. “Has been a lie. Even up until I became a father. And yet I believed those lies, even when she tried telling us the truth.”

“Primus, I knew it! I should have followed my tank when I began to see things from Galaxy’s perspective! Ugh! I was so hoping that maybe it was misinterpreted.” Orion grumbled as he continued to pace in disappointment at himself. “Deep down, I knew something was off. Going to the archives opened my spark to the possibility, even more so after Galaxy came into our lives. Frag...” Orion gasped as he glanced at Galaxy. “Don’t repeat that either, Galaxy.”

Galaxy giggled a little as she stopped drinking for a moment. “Daddy, there are much worse words to say. You aren’t always around when the other bots would say something.”

“Huh?” Orion was surprised before looking at Elita who was looking at her hands with a frown. “Does she mean you let the other bots curse around Galaxy?”

Elita grimaced as she frowned at Orion. “Why is that a problem right now? We just found out a whole truth, and you’re worried about a few words? Let it go, Pax.”

“He deceived everyone,” D-16 continued speaking in disbelief, not really paying attention to the others.

Elita nodded. “Sentinel bought himself power by appeasing to the Quintessons. Clearly, he has given promises and stuff to them, then put us to work to pay off his debt. If you can even call it that.”

“I can’t believe it,” B-127 said softly as he gazed at the ground. “Well, obviously I can believe it, I just saw it.” Galaxy smirked slightly in amusement, as B’s line of thinking was different and amusing at the same time. “But I still...I can’t believe it.”

“Sentinel lied to my face!” D-16 growled as his fists tightened. “He lied about how he thought of our participation in the Iacon 5000, he lied about Galaxy...”

“It was all a sham, how could we have been so gullible.” Orion shook his head as he looked at Galaxy. “And you saw through everything that had gone on. I’m a little envious of that.”

“Though the difference would be because you were fed the lies from the time of your birth, while Galaxy knew the truth via the stasis pod she had been placed in to protect her and slowed her growth substantially.” Alpha Trion smiled as he looked at Galaxy. “I have no doubt if you weren’t in that pod, you might be a little taller than B-127.”

Galaxy shrugged. “Does not matter to me, Alpha Trion. I’ll get there. And then we might really able to play tackle.”

B smiled as he nodded. “That would be a lot of fun. But I hope you don’t end up heavier than me at that time, because you might squish me.”

“Dragons are generally heavier than us, B. So you shouldn’t be surprised. But she will learn her own strength over time, so no unintentional deaths with occur.” Galaxy giggled softly in amusement and Alpha Trion smiled slightly at her. “You may find it funny, but accidents have happened in the past. No deaths, thankfully, but severe limb injuries were common.”

Orion chuckled a little. “That’s kind of funny, even if it was all accidents.” He intakes deeply as his mind went back to Sentinel. “But all this, what we now know about Sentinel and why he’s after Galaxy is going to change everything.”

The bots turn their heads when they hear D-16 stamping his foot, crushing his worker badge on the ground in frustration. “You just had to do it, didn’t you?!” Galaxy frowned as she was immediately confused as to what D was saying, especially as he seemed to be blaming Orion.

Orion frowned as he too was surprised. “Me? What did I do?”

“You just had to go to surface, had to enter the Iacon 5000.” Galaxy whimpered as she definitely did not understand why he was suddenly blaming Orion for this. “You just had to break protocol!”

“Who cares about protocol?” Orion retorted with a shake of his head.

D stood up suddenly in frustration. “I do!” He turned and glared at Orion Pax before approaching Orion as he shouted at him. “I care! Because nothing bad happens when you stay on protocol!”

“Sentinel Prime has been forcing us to work in the mines until our gears strip...” D-16 tightened his jaw in irritation as he listened to Orion. “And all the while he’s been giving away the energon away to our greatest enemies. And let’s not forget he has been parading those dragons and telling us they are savage, mindless beasts...” Galaxy finished her bottle and whimpered a little as she listened. “While he’s likely had us monitored closely because Galaxy's bot form looks like the two of us, and Sentinel likely knew her color scheme too. And then her name raised a red flag, so there was always a high chance that he would have come for her eventually. And he tried to do that during the Iacon 5000.”

“Ugh, and what do you think he’s going to do to us when he finds out that we know?!” D-16 snapped back before poking at Orion’s chassis. “And, just for the record, if you never got your good idea to enter that fragging race, Galaxy would have safe in the stadium with the rest of us. And don’t tell me to watch my words, because I don’t care right now!”

“Okay, you have a point. But after watching Wraith’s true history, I do not want a repeat with her...” Orion gestured towards Galaxy as Alpha Trion rubbed the dragon’s stomach gently, as he knew she was a little upset seeing her parents argue. “So I am not thinking about what he is going to do. I’m thinking about what we’re going to do.”

“Well, that’s the whole think!” D-16 snapped, gesturing at Pax again angrily. “You’re never thinking about anything else, just yourself! Fantastic!” D-16 turned to the side while mocking his friend a little. “Another Orion Pax plan, I can’t wait to hear this and maybe even risk our own daughter because of it.”

Orion frowned as D turned his back to him. “Wait, don’t you want to stop him?”

D-16 turned back sharply as he stepped closer to Pax in rage. “No, I want to kill him!” Galaxy shuddered as D’s sudden raised voiced echoed through the cave and she was a little scared because she’s never seen him so angry before. This also made the other bots stare in surprise, especially Orion who was speechless at D-16’s response. “I want to put Sentinel in chains and march him through the mines so everyone can see him for the false Prime that he is! I want him to suffer and to die in darkness.” D-16 intakes sharply and turned his head to look at Galaxy. “And he will not forget how he robbed you of your birth parents either, Galaxy. That I promise you.”

Galaxy stared at him as she whimpered a little. “Um...as long as he gets the same damnation of fifty cycles per bot that he has ever harmed with the minimal required energon per day within a secluded dungeon. I can see that as what he deserves, since that is easily multiplied by thousands.”

“Hmmph, I think having him suffer directly would be a better justice to me.” Galaxy murmured as she didn’t know if she agreed or disagreed with that. D-16 intakes deeply again as he looked back at Orion with a glare. “But we all know that it doesn’t matter what I want, right, Pax? The fact is, we're just cogless bots. I can’t even put my fist in Sentinel’s face even if I wanted to he would overpower me, no matter how much I intend on making him suffer for his crimes.” Orion grimaced as D-16 was right. D chuckled bitterly at the whole situation. “We had limited options before and now...now we have none.” Galaxy whimpered as she felt like they had more options, but she understood what he meant. “No cogs, means we cannot protect Galaxy like we would want to, Pax. I hope you know that. Wraith’s fate felt like a foreshadowing of Galaxy’s to me. And it hurts my spark to even think that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKI6cEph-Fc&t=1s

Orion’s optics were filled with worry as he had not really thought of that. But it now made sense in his mind. And he didn’t like it. “No son or daughter of Cybertron is born without a cog.” The bots look at Alpha Trion as he spoke gently. He already knew something was wrong when he noticed the bots had no cogs, and now hearing the despair made Alpha Trion feel bad for them.

D-16 rolled his optics with irritation. “Oh, yeah. I’ve been with myself since I came online...” He gestured to himself as he spoke before pointing to the center of his chassis where his cog should have been. “And this slot’s always been empty.”

“And when we took Galaxy to the medical centre day we met her, we all thought her cog couldn’t work because it wasn’t in her chassis like ours are meant to be.” Galaxy smiled as she remembered that day and she stretched her limbs a little as she looked at Orion. “But...if we were meant to be born with them...what does this mean?”

Elita nodded in agreement as she looked at Alpha Trion. “Yeah, what exactly are you saying? Are you saying...” She lifted her hand slowly to her chassis as the realisation began to set in for the bots.

“No!” B-127 snapped as he didn’t want to believe it. “No way! Nobody could be that evil…” Galaxy rolled her optics as she still thought it was crazy that the bots were trying to see Sentinel as less evil. “Not even Sentinel.”

“Even though he is more than happy to slap a collar around my neck, the same one my aunt, Firedrake, Sky Blade and Scorched Flare have around their necks, and control me for my potentially, strong abilities?” Galaxy responded sarcastically and B-127 grimaced as he didn’t want to think of it. “You should stop thinking Sentinel as good. If he had any ounce of it left, he would have already done something to repair what he has done. But he hasn’t. He has grown too comfortable with his life right now.”

“Galaxy is right, B-127. Evil festers wherever it touches. And while Sentinel was not evil from the start, he had been plotting to take our places for a long time. And it seems, he came up with a plan after the Matrix was taken from him and the energon stopped flowing.” Galaxy nodded in agreement as she nuzzled Alpha Trion’s thumb gently as he rubbed her stomach. “He removed your cogs before you came online.”

Orion lifted his hand towards his chassis in shock at the realisation. “We were born with transformation cogs?! But he…” He paused as he couldn’t say the words.

“He took them from us.” D-16’s voice was filled with venom at the very thought. He glanced at Galaxy and he sighed deeply. “And you knew that he did that, didn’t you, Galaxy?”

“Well, I didn’t really have any proof that he did it. And honestly, I don’t think he would have done so to every bot. But he would have had those following him do it, so it is still the same thing.” Galaxy rolled gently, pushing Alpha Trion’s hand away to jump down and walk over to D-16. “However, I honestly did not know if I could have told this to you, dadda. You believed you were born without one, and…I couldn’t put it on you. I wish it wasn’t this way, but…you know now.”

D-16 hummed softly as he looked away from her for a moment before he looked back at her. “But none of this is your fault, Galaxy. You did try to tell us, but we were too stupid to care or listen.”

“I would never call you stupid, dadda. You’re not. You’re very smart. You just believed something you were told your whole life. How could I blame you for that?” Galaxy smiled at him as D-16 smiled a little at her. “Besides, you shouldn’t allow not having a cog make you feel any less of a bot or transformer, dadda.”

D-16 shrugged as he wasn’t sure while Alpha Trion nodded. “Ignited Galaxy is correct. She understands what defines a transformer is not the cog in their chest.” He stood up slowly as he looked at the bots while Galaxy looked back at him with a smile. “But the spark that resides in their core.” He glanced at the fallen Primes as he walked towards them slowly, intaking deeply as he continued speaking. “A spark that gives you the will to make your world better.” Galaxy nodded as she began wagging her tail a little, excited by what Alpha Trion just said. “My fellow Primes had that spark.” Alpha Trion gazed at his fallen comrades before gesturing to them slightly. “And I see their strength in you.” He turned sharply, facing the bots as they stare at Alpha Trion in confusion. “Take their cogs and access your full potential.” Galaxy gasped loudly as Alpha Trion dropped to his knee and placed his hand on the ground, using his ability suddenly. She saw he was reaching out to grab the cogs from the fallen Primes, which was undamaged from the battle. “Prima…” Orion, D, B and Elita stare in shock as they saw the cogs being retrieved from the Primes. “Onyx, Alchemist, Micronus…” Alpha Trion stood up as the cogs flew towards the Prime. “Warriors of noble spirit, loyalty and strength..." Galaxy could not help but spin around in excitement a few times as she watched, knowing her parents were getting the upgrade they deserved. And she couldn’t wait to see what they would look like. “Their uniqueness enhanced by these.”

Alpha Trion moved his hands forward, essentially throwing the cogs directly at the chests of the four bots. Galaxy giggled as she ran to the front of them, watching excitedly as she saw Orion received Prima’s cog, D-16 received Onyx’s cog, Alchemist was gifted to Elita and B-127 received Micronus. As soon as the cogs connected with the systems of the four bots, they were all a little shocked and alarmed as they felt the surge of power through their bodies. And this caused a shift within their whole being as panels began shifting and their internal systems were given a burst of energon, and activating dormant systems that they were not aware that they had.

And while the panels shifted, their size changed too. Without the cogs, the bots really looked more like youngling transformers, but now they were growing to the full size they should have been. Almost twice the height they had been, and their armor strengthened, and made them look stronger. Polished, thick panels covered their chassis, reinforcing them to allow them to take hits if shot at the chassis and their helms shifted slightly, mostly to accommodate more systems that they would eventually learn to use. Aside from the com link, they now had processor systems that would allow them to access situations easier. But they would have to learn to use these new systems now that they had them.

Galaxy couldn’t help but spin around again excitedly, as the bots all looked so shiny now. They were rusted and dusty before, their bodies were dull, and now they were so vibrant that they didn’t look like themselves at first. But Galaxy loved it. And she especially liked that Orion’s helm received some antennae, which she could almost view as like mini draconic horns like her own, but she knew that was a stretch. She was just so happy that they could have what they wanted, and have a chance at making a change in this world.

“They were one. You are one. All are one!” Galaxy giggled excitedly as she listened to Alpha Trion as he was taking this whole thing with pride too, and she was glad. Alpha Trion smiled as he glanced down at Galaxy. “And I hope you can teach them to use them too.”

Galaxy giggled as she looked at him. “I could try. But nobody taught me to use mine. I already knew how to.” Alpha Trion huffed in amusement. “But I’ll give them pointers anyway. Especially since I now have to learn to fly.” Alpha Trion nodded as he glanced back at the bots as they landed back on the ground. They were all looking down at themselves in disbelief, but the smiles on their faces said it all. Galaxy tapped her feet excitedly before running over to Orion. “Daddy!” Orion looked down as she jumped at him, now that he was much bigger, she didn’t worry about tackling him as much. He caught her with his hands and she giggled loudly, nuzzling his cheek. “You look so new and shiny!”

“I know. I-I can’t believe it!” Orion chuckled as Galaxy licked his cheek while he looked down at himself. “We have…” He shook his head as he glanced at Alpha Trion. “You-You gave us…”

“The ability to change your world.” Orion stared at Alpha Trion, still in disbelief, but he had a new surge of confidence and certainty now that he had a t-cog. And Galaxy was happy for him. She climbed up onto his shoulder and stood there, with her wings out to keep her balanced as she looked back at Alpha Trion. “How you use that power is up to you.”

“For good! Always for good.” Galaxy turned her head before she looked at D-16 who was smiling as well. She leaped from Orion’s shoulder, making him flinch and turn as D-16 glanced up in time to see Galaxy had launched herself him. “Dadda!”

D-16 caught the sparkling, surprised she would even down that, but he smiled at her as he held her with his hands and he brought her closer to hug her. “Hey, now. You don’t need to injure anything else. Your foot won’t heal properly if you decide to get a bit rough.”

“I know. But I am so happy for you.” Galaxy shifted to climb up onto D-16’s shoulder, making the bot chuckle a little as she couldn’t even do that before. But she could now. She placed her front paws on top of his helm and he flinched in surprise. “Your helm is so smooth now! And so shiny!”

D-16 grinned as he reached up to grab her again. “Well…” He pulled her down, and realized she was upside down and she giggled at him before he shifted her so she was laying on her back in his right arm. “I am glad you like it. But you don’t need to be overexcited, okay?” She nodded as she wiggled a little and he placed her down, knowing she had a sudden rush of energy. She immediately ran circles around the bots excitedly. “And here I thought we would have that burst of energy.”

B-127 nodded in agreement. “I feel like following her lead myself, D. Maybe we should all do that and get it out of our system.”

Orion chuckled as he was about to respond when there was a loud rumble all of a sudden. Galaxy yelped, running over to Orion as the cave shook from the rumble, hearing the sound of dust and rocks falling from the tremor, and it didn’t stop. It became apparent that it was an engine, which meant only one thing. And Galaxy did not like it as she whimpered, with Orion leaning down to pick her up and hold her protectively in his arms as he glanced around with concern.

“They’ve found us!” Alpha Trion was not too concerned, though he knew that they now had very little time on their hands.

“Oh, yes!” Galaxy glanced at D-16 in surprise when he sounded rather excited. “Time to fight back!” He punched his right fist into his left palm, clearly wanting to vent some of the anger he was feeling.

“No!” Alpha Trion held up his hand, knowing that the bots couldn’t take on whatever was outside the mountain right now. “You must return to Iacon city and alert everyone.” He turned slightly while raising his hands, showing a recording of Sentinel kneeling before the Quintesson within the sand particles that Alpha Trion had create. “Embedded in this are the records I have shown you. Use it to reveal the truth.”

He pushed it towards Orion, who held up his arm and opened a panel as the recording transformed into a small chip to fit within. “We will.”

“This tunnel…” Alpha Trion gestures as he walked towards a dark tunnel leading away from the cavern. “Leads to the mountains. Cybertron’s future, and the future of the draconic bots, is in your hands.”

The cavern trembled loudly as the sound was getting closer and Elita stepped around Orion suddenly. “We’re out of time! We got to move!”

Elita, D-16 and B-127 run into the tunnel, and Orion was about to follow, but Galaxy gasped loudly. “Wait! Alpha Trion!” Orion stopped in his tracks and turned to the Prime who did not try to follow. Galaxy whimpered as she stared at him with worry. “Are you not coming with us? You being alive is just as much proof that we need to tell Iacon about Sentinel.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “We can’t just leave you here. You are also Galaxy’s guardian. You said so yourself.”

“Being Galaxy’s guardian will always be an honour I have carried, even in my power down, Orion Pax. But understand that your fight will come, my friend.” Alpha Trion glanced at Galaxy as she whimpered softly, reaching her paws towards him. “At least I have seen you are alive with my own two optics, Ignited Galaxy. I know you will do great things in the future, and the Quintessons will finally be destroyed.”

“But…we need you.”

Alpha Trion smiled as he reached up to rub the dragon’s cheek gently, and she grasped his fingers desperately. “Primus has a purpose for us all, young dragon. I hope you will understand this someday. But alas, my time as your guardian has reached its end. I have done my part. Now you must do yours by going with your parents and return to Iacon to tell everyone the truth.” Galaxy whimpered as she tightened her paws on his fingers, making his smile soften slightly. “And I believe that you will be the descendent who will bring Wraith’s name into glory. I see her in you a lot more than your father and ancestors.”

Galaxy shuddered. “I don’t know if I like that.”

“Remember, Galaxy, no matter what kind of power you have, it can only be evil if it is used for evil. Just like any kind of weapon.” Alpha Trion glanced back at the walls trembled some more and he pulled his hand away, making the dragon whimper louder. “You need to go now, Orion. This fight is mine.” Orion hummed as he held the dragon closer to his chassis. “Now go!”

Orion nodded a little as he understood while he walked backwards a few steps in shock as Alpha Trion turned away from him. Orion intakes deeply as Galaxy’s optics fill with tears. “Sorry, Galaxy…” He turned and ran into the tunnel, and when Galaxy opened her mouth to shout, Orion placed his hand over her mouth. “You need to stay quiet now. We cannot let them know we were here. I am sorry about all of this. I will protect you.”

Galaxy grumbled a little as she wanted to call out to Alpha Trion. But she heard the sounds of something breaking through the walls of the cavern, and she knew Orion was right. She let tears fall from her optics as she knew that this might mean this was the last time that they would ever see Alpha Trion again. She wanted him to come with them. He would have been a fantastic mentor for everyone. But now he was giving them a chance.

I promise I’ll do my best, Alpha Trion. I’ll learn to fly…I’ll learn to fight…I will do my best until the new Prime rises. Hopefully, sooner than later.

Galaxy wiggled in Orion’s arms a little as she didn’t want to be carried anymore. Orion held onto the sparkling firmly, but he was holding her under her wings, so she could reach up with her front paws to his shoulder. With Orion now being bigger, he was a lot stronger, so she was struggling. But as she wiggled, Orion just held her while glancing over his shoulder a little as they could hear the rumbling and loud noises behind them.

It wasn’t until Galaxy opened her wings and began to flap them did Orion loosen his grip, because she ended up slapping his face with her left wing, and he was taken by surprise that he loosened his grip slightly, and she used that moment to pull herself out of his arms and leap forward, startling him as she jumped upward slightly and turned her body. She spread out her wings and she whimpered a little as she almost regretted it as she glides through the air and her paws were stiff from sudden fear she was feeling.

Orion stared at her before he smiled, realizing why Galaxy was trying to get out in the first place. “You can do it, Galaxy!” D-16 turned his head when he heard Orion and gasped when he saw Galaxy gliding above his friend. “Flap your wings, Galaxy. There’s enough air in here to keep you up. You can do it!”

B-127 dropped back a little as he watched and opened his arms, flapping them to try and encourage the dragon. “Watch me, Galaxy!” The dragon glanced at him and he looked anything but graceful to her. “Come on! You can do it!”

Galaxy whimpered a little before she intakes deeply and began flapping her wings, closing her optics as she did so. “Don’t close your optics!” Galaxy yelped as she reopened them upon hearing Elita shout at her. “Good! You don’t want to face plant into a wall, Galaxy!” Galaxy whimpered as she was still flapping her wings and she tensed her legs nervously. “You’re flying, Galaxy!”

Am I?

Galaxy glanced down and she saw she was still moving forward. She glanced at her wings to see she was moving her wings slightly forward as she flapped, which helped her to move forward naturally. She smiled as she realized she was flying. She had thought she would fail, but she knew that she was old enough to fly, and there was a lot of wind rushing through the tunnel right now. Luckily, it was not throwing her into the wall or ceiling, but she was flying. She just now needed to figure out how to turn, ascend, descend, hover and land. But she felt like it was a big achievement. Especially with Alpha Trion’s words echoing in her mind, replaying over and over as she wanted to make him proud. Even if they never meet again.

Chapter Text

As she flapped her wings while flying through the tunnel, Galaxy glanced back a few times as she was hoping that Alpha Trion would be able to catch up with them. But she knew that may not happen. Now she was feeling a bit more confident in flying as she began trying out how to move around. She was thinking back on the instructions on flying that she received while within the stasis pod, and it was helping. But with this kind of situation, Galaxy was having a bit of trouble. But she worked it out as she was able to avoid things hanging from the tunnel ceiling and she worked out how to descend and ascend as well. It was great, even though they weren’t out of the tunnel yet.

They could still hear the sounds behind them, and they did not know if they were being followed either. So far, it seemed like they were not, but they had to keep going. Especially as the bots have just received their new cogs, and they might have to put them to use. Though Galaxy didn’t know if she would be able to give them some pointers on using their cogs, since they have yet to even try to transform or to activate any weapons they might have.

Orion glanced over his shoulder for a moment as he too was worried. “We need to hurry!”

“I still think we have better odds fighting than outrunning them!” D-16 argued as he was very eager to turn back and fight whoever was attacking Alpha Trion right now.

“Are you kidding, D? We would be outnumbered!” Orion shook his head as D-16 grumbled loudly. “We aren’t in the right position to fight just yet. Plus, don’t forget we have a very important draconic bot with us…” He gestured to the flying dragon above them. “Who does not deserve whatever plan Sentinel has for her.”

D-16 did not respond, but he was still clearly wanting to turn around and fight. However, knowing that Galaxy could be hurt or captured did flash over his mind, and he did not want that for her. So D-16 continued to run with the bots, despite the urge to turn around. Galaxy herself was worried for D-16. Her attuned senses did allow her to pick up things the others couldn’t. She didn’t know if she could help him, but that would have to wait until later.

“Wait! We have cogs!” Elita shouted as she smiled, glancing down at her chassis. “We can transform now!”

“That’s right!” Orion smiled immediately as having a cog was still new to them. “Everyone ready?!”

“I was born ready!” Elita exclaimed excitedly, ready to transform as soon as possible.

“On three!” Orion began as the four bots smile.

Galaxy gasped as she glanced ahead. “Wait, wait! Daddy! Keep watching ahead there is…” Galaxy stared in shock as the four bots literally run over the edge of a ledge she had seen and she angled her wings to slow down and watch the four bots fall. “A ledge.” Galaxy shook her head with a chuckle. “Maybe I should have said it before they got too excited.” She shrugged and turned her head, gasping as she spotted some vehicons that clearly noticed the shouting bots falling down the side of the mountain. “Scrap! Wait for me!”

Galaxy folded her wings to dive and quickly follow the four bots as the vehicons transform to fly towards them. She widened her optics as she was the only one to see them right down as she quickly caught up to the bots as they struggled to find their footing, but they did eventually push themselves up right, which was a big relief. She would hate for them to get injured from the fall, despite it being an accident.

Orion brushed off his arms and glanced up to see Galaxy, and he noticed she was smirking at him slightly. “Uh…you saw that ledge, didn’t you?” She nodded. “Sorry…should have stopped when you said so.”

“It’s okay, daddy. We now…AH!” Galaxy yelped as the vehicons began shooting and missing them all. The blaster fire rushed past her and she glanced over her shoulder to see five vehicons following them. “Daddy! You might have a blaster to fight back!”

“We haven’t even worked how to use the cogs yet!” Orion was extremely worried as Galaxy rolled and moved to avoid the blaster fire as the vehicons were hitting the ground at this time. “Keep dodging them, Galaxy! We will figure out how to transform.”

“Yeah, how do we use these things?!” D-16 tapped his chassis in frustration.

“I don’t know!” Orion shrugged as he glanced at D. “Just try!”

“Oh, Primus…” Galaxy dove down slightly to fly ahead of them slightly and glanced at them. “Daddy, dadda, don’t overthink it! It is no different than blinking your optics! It is all natural. You just need to feel the new system in your chassis and give it a command!”

“Easy for you to say!” Elita barked as she covered her head with her arms. “You knew how to transform before us!”

“Yeah, but I needed a moment after so long.” Galaxy glanced over her shoulder before she growled a little. “Let me see if I can stop them or slow them down.”

Orion gasped immediately. “No, Galaxy! You are small, and…”

“I am still a dragon, daddy. I can try.” Galaxy hummed as she tried to think of something before her throat began to glow a bright blue as her mouth filled with plasma. She rolled onto her back suddenly and launched the plasma at one of the vehicons, hitting the left wing upon impact and causing the vehicon to crash and explode. Galaxy rolled back onto her stomach, feeling happy that she could do that, but she wobbled a little in her flight as she was not used to that. “Um…maybe not that again.”

D-16 was smiling as he was impressed. “Well done, Galaxy! You could take them all down!”

“I don’t think so.” Galaxy didn’t think that she could as she was also avoiding the blaster fire from the vehicons that were still chasing them. “I will try, dadda. But…maybe a different thing.”

Orion frowned as he glanced at D. “Don’t encourage her to get into a dangerous situation, D! I will not have it.” D rolled his optics as Orion began to concentrate, trying to transform. However, Galaxy already could see Orion was overthinking it, even as his chassis shifted and seemed to expand. “It’s working!” Orion shouted with a smile. “Ha! It’s working!” The exhaust on his shoulders shifted outward as Orion looked at them with a smile. But as he did so, he wasn’t expecting his head to be pulled within his chassis suddenly. “Ah! My head! My head!”

Galaxy stared at Orion in shock as he waved his arms in front of him and she chuckled softly. “I told you not to overthink it! You look weird, daddy!”

Orion was somehow not getting hit by the vehicons, but it was obvious because the vehicons were a terrible shot. D-16 was trying as well, and his right leg transformed suddenly, and seemed to be a connection of his vehicle form. Likely the wheel. But in doing so, his leg seemed a bit long with the tip of his foot forced downward and D could only limp a little while trying to transform as well. And Galaxy was trying so hard not to laugh.

“This is not faster!” D-16 grimaced as it was a weird feeling to him and he glanced at Galaxy. “And I promise I’m not overthinking this!”

Galaxy said nothing as she knew that they were. She turned her head as Elita’s right leg transformed too, but she only successfully shifted her ankle into a tyre and there was a slight engine sound coming from Elita. But this made her fall onto her back and get dragged down the mountain as she was a little alarmed, while also trying to transform. Galaxy could hear Elita complaining about it, but with the vehicons shooting at them, there wasn’t really time to think on it.

“And transform!” B-127 shouted with a smile on his face before he leaped forward and transformed. Galaxy gasped as she saw his sleek, slip stream vehicle mod as she descended a little with a smile, only to notice that he did not have wheels. And B was at least able to catch himself with his hands, but he looked hilarious as he moved his arms quickly to pull himself forward, and it was ridiculous to see. “Wheels! I need wheels!”

“You almost got it, B!” Galaxy shouted at him with a chuckle. “You can do it!” She yelped as a blaster fire almost hit her and she glanced back at the vehicons. “Scrap, they are way too close!” She filled her mouth with plasma again and unleashed a blast at them, but the vehicons avoided her shot this time and she whimpered before looking at Orion and D-16. “Daddy, dadda! We need to do something!”

D glanced back at Galaxy and looked up, noticing there were more vehicons approaching. “Keep flying, Galaxy! I know you are faster than us. Come on!”

Galaxy whimpered as she glanced back at the vehicons. “But…” She yelped as a blast hitting the ground exploded and she immediately flapped her wings faster to fly forward quicker. “I won’t get too far ahead of you.”

“Better that then you getting shot down after flying for the first time!” D grimaced as he placed his hand on his leg. “Ugh! But how in the Pit are we supposed to transform?! Is it really as natural as ingesting energon or speaking? Because I’m about to just turn and fight them!”

“You haven’t even worked out how to get your weapons, dadda! You can’t fight them!” Galaxy filled her mouth with plasma again and rolled to fire at the vehicons, and she just hit one as it moved to the right, but the plasma hit the wing and he fell into a tree. She smiled as she rolled back over. “And yes! It is as easy as intaking! Don’t think so hard! Just trust your instinct and transform!”

D-16 grunted as he was irritated. “I am trying, Galaxy. But these fraggers are closing in and I don’t know…OW! Hey!” D glared at Orion as Orion had managed to slap D in the cheek, even though he couldn’t see. “For someone without a head, you’re doing an awesome job of hitting everyone else!”

“I can still hear you too!” Orion’s muffled voice responded sharply.

“Oh, Primus…” D rolled his optics. “Now is not the time to complain about what we say around Galaxy! We are under attack!” He glanced to his right as a vehicon who was chasing Elita crashing into some trees as she slid between a couple trunks. “So don’t make me lose my footing over a word, Pax!”

Orion said nothing as he began to stumble a little before his head moved out from his chassis and he placed a hand on his head. “Whoa! That was totally weird, and I will always care about what we say and do around Galaxy, D-16.”

“Oh, shut up!” D-16 shook his head as he glanced up for a moment to see vehicons flying ahead. “Scrap! We’re about to be cut off!”

Galaxy whimpered as she glanced back as well. The vehicons following them were still a problem, even with the ones flying overhead to get ahead of them. She did not know what they were going to do. Elita managed to push herself up and was able to balance herself on one leg since it was the only one with the tyre on it. But Elita was still frustrated. But not as frustrated as B since he was still trying to get his wheels out. Galaxy just hoped that they would work it out sooner than later because they were quickly running out of time. Especially if the vehicons report what they have found.

The vehicons that had flown ahead transformed and landed in front of the bots, arming their blasters to shoot at them. Galaxy gasped as she rolled to the left and right to avoid the blasts, and she glanced at the bots to see if they were being hit. Luckily, they were not, but seeing the vehicons in front of them definitely alarmed them. As they were being shot at on both ends, even though the vehicons were terrible at aiming.

But Galaxy didn’t have to wait too long as Elita, Orion and D jump over a log, they finally began to transform. Galaxy gasped in surprise, before she quickly became excited to see what they were transforming into. Elita was a two-wheeler, so that was easy to guess when she transformed into one, which was sleek and capable of reaching very high speeds and she would be capable of sudden, sharp turns. She looked like a missile on wheels, which Galaxy was certain Elita would like hearing that about her vehicle more.

While Orion transformed into a large, heavy vehicle with a reinforced bumper and fenders that were heavy and could take hits with ease. And he would be capable of ramming opponents should he need to, which he was about to do as the trajectory of the bots was flying right into the vehicons. Galaxy did not know what other secrets there were, but she could see there was space on the back for her to lay on. And she would intend on that later.

While D-16’s vehicle mode was an all-terrain type vehicle and it was a lot less reinforced than Orion’s vehicle mode. However, this vehicle had a blaster on the top and could easily do damage from a distance, and if D had the right angle and speed, could certainly ram someone as well. But his mode wasn’t built for that, even though there was clear heavy armor to tap hits in this mode with ease. And she knew D would want that.

Galaxy watched Orion, D and Elita ram into the vehicons in front of them, while B was shouting due to not being able to control his vehicle mode without his wheels. And that resulted in him ramming into a pile of rocks and becoming lodged within them because of it. She chuckled a little, before she avoided another few blaster shots from the vehicons still behind them and she growled a little before she turned sharply, stopping to hover as she unleashed a large wave of fire, breathing all around in front of her to blind as she created a wall before her and the vehicons.

And it worked as the last few vehicons swerved and they ram into nearby trees, exploding on impact. Galaxy huffed as she felt a sense of joy that she could protect herself, but she felt this was just luck. She turned and descended towards the bots, just as B’s wheels finally popped out within his empty fenders, and she smiled with excitement. After all, she was excited they could now transform and she was excited that she could fly, and she couldn’t wait to defeat Sentinel.

She watched Orion transform, laughing with a big smile on his face. B and Elita transform, both were also laughing about the experience of transforming for the first time. “Ha! We’re alive!” Orion looked at Galaxy, holding his hands towards her, and she squealed as she flew towards him. “You’re alive!” She nodded as Orion caught her and she folded her wings immediately as he hugged her, and she nuzzled his cheek. “You were so brave!”

“Thank you, daddy.” Galaxy licked his cheek happily as she purred. “And you did it! Just in time too!”

Elita nodded in agreement. “Oh, yeah! We certainly did! I’ve never moved that fast before in my life! That was incredible!”

“I know! Even though I only got it completely at the last second, but wow!” B-127 pumped his fist excitedly. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me, uh, us!” Elita and Orion nodded in agreement. “Did you see me slide all over?”

“Oh, I certainly did.” Galaxy looked at B with a giggle. “But I am not sure I would call it sliding, more like running on your hands.”

“Ha, ha! Yea, you’re right, Galaxy.” B stepped closer to Orion to rub Galaxy’s head gently. “But I did better then the others…at the time. I mean…” He glanced at Orion with a grin. “Orion was a bit headless for a bit.”

“I cannot tell you how weird that was.” Galaxy giggled as she licked Orion’s cheek again before he gently and playfully nuzzled her snout with his nose, making her giggle some more. “But we did it, and I am forever grateful that we have…”

Galaxy glanced over Orion’s shoulder to see one more vehicon aiming at them. “Wait, daddy…”

She shrieked as a blast hits the vehicon and killing it, and making the other bots flinch as they turn in surprise to see D rolling over. Galaxy was relieved that the vehicon was dead, but she was surprised when he transformed and punched the vehicon in the chassis, making her frown a little in concern. “Yes!” D-16 laughed loudly, clearly feeling the same exhilarating feeling as the others, but it seemed different. Especially as his laugh sounded off. “Wow! So awesome!”

Orion noticed as well as he walked towards D in concern. “Hey, whoa, buddy…” D looked at Orion with a smile. “You okay?”

“I’m great! Are you kidding me?!” D lightly punched Orion’s shoulder playfully. “We can transform!” Galaxy smiled at D as she relaxed upon thinking he was just excited. “We transform!”

“Oh, hey! I know!” Orion chuckled as he brushed it off too. “We were pretty lucky and…”

D placed his hand on Orion’s back and gestured to them that they should keep moving. “We’re wasting time. We have to get back to Iacon.”

Orion nodded as he shifted Galaxy so he could bring up his right arm to pull up the map Alpha Trion gave them. He looked at the hologram of the planet and began looking for a quick way back to the city. “Looks like the fastest way back to Iacon is…”

D suddenly reached and grabbed the disc from Orion. “Here, I got it.”

Galaxy widened her optics as the sand began spilling from it and she knew that contained the intel they needed to tell Iacon the truth. D placed the disc into his own wrist slot to bring up the map as Orion walked after him. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“Don’t worry, I got it.”

“Yeah, but, be careful.” Orion was worried as he saw the sand leaking from the disc too. “Our proof is inside and you’re spilling it everywhere.”

D stopped at the moment and tensed before he turned slowly with a glare on his face, taking a few steps towards Orion. “I…got…it.”

Galaxy whimpered as the sudden change of D’s demeanour and personality frightened her, and his optics seemed to have changed to a darker shade of yellow, which was unexpected. She stared at D as Orion moved his arm around Galaxy knowing she was nervous all of a sudden. Deciding not to push it, Orion just intakes lightly as he responded to D. “Okay.” D did not respond as he turned and walked away. Galaxy was confused as this was unexpected. Orion hummed a little and looked at Galaxy. “Don’t worry, Galaxy. I think he’s still angry about what we learned from Alpha Trion.”

Galaxy did not respond as she guessed that was it. She watched D for a moment as D looked at the map before he spoke again. “Follow me.”

She wiggled in Orion’s arms, wanting to be let down and Orion placed the sparkling down, though he was surprised she ran over to D. Galaxy figured that he might want her company as she ran over to him. “Are you happy you can transform now, dadda?”

D glanced down at Galaxy as she looked at him with a smile and he nodded before glancing ahead. “I am, Galaxy. I am very happy.”

“I am glad. I am happy that I finally decided to fly, but…I am still little awkward.”

“I know, I saw. It was nice.” Galaxy tilted her head as D was responding in a very monotone voice and she didn’t like it. “You were able to keep up and avoid being shot down. Your foot is okay, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, you patched it up really good, dadda.”

“Good. I was also impressed by another thing.” Galaxy’s smile widened instantly as D glanced at her with a slight smile. “You were able to fight back.” Her smile faded a little as that confused her. “I thought you could only breathe fire, but I guess the plasma shows you were pretty strong. Can you use lightning yet? Can you influence the weather?”

Galaxy frowned a little. “Dadda, I’m a bit too young to influence the sky. I could try to make a gust of wind, but that’s about it. And lightning is something I could use, but plasma and fire is a bit more effective. I…I am not sure that’s something to be impressed by. It’s normal for me, daddy.”

D intakes deeply a little as he looked at the map to focus on it a little bit. “I guess I should have thought of that. So I guess you can’t fill your claws with plasma yet?”

“I don’t know how to do that, and I think I’m too young as well. But why are you caring about that, dadda? Being able to do that is only for self defence. I cannot storm a Quintesson ship or even storm the Iacon Prime chambers to kill Sentinel.” D grimaced at the mention of Sentinel and Galaxy smiled. “Oh, you don’t like his name now either. Good, good. I don’t blame you, dadda.” D hummed in response and he kept walking. Galaxy whimpered a little as his sudden indifference to her was bothersome. “Um, can I right your shoulder, dadda? I won’t bother you with the map and stuff. My wings are a bit tired from that flying.”

“I think you should ask Pax about that, Galaxy. His shoulders a little bit bigger than mine, so they’re more comfortable for you.” Galaxy shook her head and D glanced at her. “Besides, you don’t want to knock the rest of the sand out, do you?” She frowned with a whimper as she didn’t want that and D looked ahead again. “So it would be best if you stick with Orion for the moment. I will let you up on my shoulder a bit later.”

Galaxy said nothing as she stood in her tracks, watching D-16 walk ahead of her as she was confused. He had been happy with her back in the cavern, and he even hugged her right after getting his t-cog. But something was different in the few minutes that have gone by. And she didn’t know if liked it, because D-16 definitely seemed way too different. She didn’t think that knowing the truth would hurt him like this. And she hoped he would return to himself soon.

Galaxy jumped when she felt a pair of hands picking her up, and she looked up to see Orion. He looked at her kindly as he shifted her in his arms so she was laying on her back, and she smiled at him. Orion kissed the top of her head gently. “I think we all should leave D alone for the moment, Galaxy. I am sorry he is being a little weird about all this, but this isn’t your fault.”

“I know.” Galaxy looked ahead at D, seeing he had already made some ground between them. “But…” She stared at him for a moment before tears well in her optics. “He’s never acted that way before.” She looked at Orion with worry. “It’s like he…he’s a shadow of himself. I am not sure I like it. Do think he’ll be okay?”

“It is hard to say. He’s taken this a whole lot harder than the rest of us. I am worried as well, but you let me do all the worrying for you.” Galaxy whimpered as she wasn’t sure if she could stop worrying. “Besides, we will return to Iacon and reveal the truth, no matter what.” Orion kissed her forehead again as Galaxy sniffled a little. “And when we do, I am certain it will be all okay, Galaxy. You will see. D-16 will be himself again.”

I hope so. He’s never been indifferent to me before. Was that all in act in front of Alpha Trion before? I hope not.

“I completely agree with Pax on this one, Galaxy. We are all still reeling from this information. And since D looked up to Sentinel the most, it’s understandable. He was more comfortable with what we’ve known. Even me and I feel so stupid.” Elita intakes deeply as she couldn’t believe it she had believed it for so long. “At least now, all my hard work in the mines, no longer matters.”

“You don’t feel it was wasted?” Galaxy asked the femme curiously.

“Of course, it was. But I’m not the one who wasted my cycles. Sentinel did. And he should be paying us all back.” Orion nodded in agreement with Elita. Elita looked at B and gestured to him. “And don’t forget the time B was forced to spend in that confinement he has been in. He might not have been in prison, but I think that is what it should be called.”

B huffed with a wave of his hand. “It wasn’t that bad. Besides, I think looking backwards is not worth it now. We have a chance to change the future.”

“B’s right. Moving forward, I have no doubt things will look brighter for us all.” Orion glanced up at the sky with a smile. He was feeling very confident right now. Galaxy yawned suddenly and he looked at her to see she was rubbing her optics, making him chuckle. “It has been a long day. Looks like the sun is going to set soon.”

“Are you not tired?” Galaxy asked as she looked at him curiously.

“Nah, I think these t-cogs boosted my energy stores. I don’t feel tired at all.” That was good. Galaxy yawned again and Orion chuckled a little. “I suppose we do put you to berth at this time back home. I’ll carry you in my arms. And I also noticed I might have some space in my vehicle mode.” Galaxy looked at him in surprise. “You saw I was kind of bulky at the front. Well, there’s a space that will allow me to carry smaller passengers. So that might be something if we decide to transform at some point.”

“Really?” Orion nodded and Galaxy smiled immediately. “Ooh, can you show me? I want to see! I don’t want to wake up and not know where I am later.”

Elita chuckled as Galaxy began to wiggle in Orion’s arms. “I kind of want to see too, now that you’ve mentioned it.”

Orion gently lowered Galaxy to the ground. “Alright, I’ll show you. But I hope nobody else gets jealous of me. I am just glad that Galaxy can have somewhere safe and warm to recharge other than my own arms. But within my chassis, essentially…” He taps his chassis with his fist confidently. “She will be completely protected.” Orion glanced down at Galaxy as she spun around excitedly. “Give me a bit of room, Galaxy.”

Galaxy nodded as she quickly backed up and Orion transformed again. And she saw that he could do so at ease this time. She was definitely very intrigued right now and she wanted to see for herself. When Orion fully transformed again, she admired his vehicle form for a moment as she still couldn’t believe he could transform. And she was so glad that he could now do what he could to save Iacon, and hopefully, Cybertron as a whole. She was certain all of them could do it.

She blinked when a door opened and she jumped up and down excitedly before she ran over and jump into the door and landed inside, with her tail hanging out for the moment. Within the cab, it was warm and she saw that there was like a berth within. It had a softer material that she did not recognize, but there was a lot of room to recharge on. There were some lights on the inside too, so it was not completely dark.

“Wow, this is cozy. I love it!” Galaxy looked around excitedly. “But…I think I want to fall into recharge in your arms first, is that okay, daddy?”

Galaxy gasped when Orion began to transform again, she was not expecting it, but Orion was careful and slow as he was able to ensure Galaxy was unharmed and she shifted into his arms as he transformed back. Galaxy giggled as she was glad that Orion felt comfortable doing that, even though he didn’t warn her that he would try. “I have no problem at all with it.” Orion kissed her forehead as she nuzzled his cheek gently. “Now you go and recharge now, Galaxy. It’s been a big day for you. And I’ll see if D-16 can give me one of your bottles. I know you’ll want one later.”

“He should. Dadda won’t let me starve.”

Orion chuckled as she rested her head on his shoulder and curled her body slowly as he cradled the tired sparkling. He was glad she was able to find rest after what just happened. He knew a lot was likely overwhelming and another reason why she was tired. He hoped that she would be able to let go of what has happened today for now, and not let it impact her dreams. After all, she’s seen her carrier’s body, the fallen Primes, Alpha Trion and not knowing if he is still alive or not, and now D seemed to be indifferent towards her suddenly.

He looked up at D to see he was still walking ahead, and didn’t even notice Orion transforming before. He was very worried for his friend. His sudden change of personality and attitude was really concerning. He didn’t want D-16 to remain angry. He understood D’s anger, and why he was lashing out. But he also hoped D would not be indifferent to Galaxy for long. Maybe sometime will pass and he can relax enough that he can spend time with the sparkling again. He hoped for that. He was her other parent right now. And having them all on the same page would, hopefully, prevent a disaster from happening. Especially as if Alpha Trion was alive and captured, Sentinel would be asking for some information. And Sentinel would be asking about Galaxy, as he would know that the dragon is no longer in the city. So he will be looking for her, especially as the vehicons located them before and might do so again.

Chapter Text

His spark was heavy that he had to say good-bye to the four bots and dragon who had travelled to this cavern to find the Primes. He knew they were trying to find the Matrix that has not been here for many cycles. His spark was sad for them, but at least now they knew the truth. And Alpha Trion hoped that the bots could reach Iacon and tell the truth. But he also knew that a new Prime would rise soon, and it would be one of the four bots who he had met. Galaxy’s meeting with Orion and D-16 was no accident, it was fate. And Alpha Trion knew this, but he had made no mention of that with them during that time.

Now Alpha Trion stood alone, his body tense as he waited for what was outside the mountain to break through the walls. He knew that they wouldn’t care about using the already open tunnels into the mountain. At least it gave a chance of ensuring the others would get to safety, and Alpha Trion could only hope that they would be able to stay safe for as long as they possibly could. But that was not longer something that he could ensure now that they were gone. He just hoped that Ignited Galaxy would be safe, and that if something were to happen, she would not lose her life.

Watching the walls crack and shake, Alpha Trion did not flinch. He remained patient, while also ready to fight as soon as whoever was breaking through the walls would get through. He did not believe this was Sentinel, as Sentinel would know how to get in. So he guessed these likely were vehicons. A line of bots that were drones, and often cloned in vast numbers to create an army for Sentinel. These were servants bred and cloned for one purpose, and Alpha Trion knew this for a fact. It was an unfortunate reason why the vehicons were created, but they were part of the enemy.

Finally, as the wall finally collapsed and created a massive cloud of dust, creating a cloak for several vehicons jumping through the hole they had just made. But Alpha Trion could see them. The vehicons aim their weapons at Alpha Trion, turning on their infrared beam as if that could intimidate the Prime. Alpha Trion smirked slightly, partially amused by these bots daring to face him, but he remained calm and still as they stare at him.

“Stand down, old timer,” The vehicon at the front spoke in a monotone, robotic voice.

“Ah…” Alpha Trion smirked slightly at the bot. “Old you say.”

With intense focus, Alpha Trion once again influenced the dust and stones within the cave, raising it up like a cloud around him before launching the stones at the vehicons, blanketing the cavern and blinding the vehicons as they had lowered their guard slightly from confusion. They shot at the cloud in a desperate attempt to stop Alpha Trion, but they were forced to stop as the gust from the dust and stones within the cloud rushed against them.

But that was only brief was they began to shoot, not realizing that Alpha Trion had transformed. And unlike most transformers, Alpha Trion transformed into a beast form rather than a vehicular form. One that allowed Alpha Trion to turn and react much quicker than someone in a vehicular form. While he also might seem to not be as fast as a bot in a vehicle form, that wasn’t necessarily true. He was capable of racing a transformer if he chose to do so.

Alpha Trion let out a roar as he charged towards the vehicons, effortlessly moving to avoid the shots as the vehicons were practically shooting blindly at this time. The dust and stone cloud had completely blinded them, and their senses weren’t very good. Alpha Trion used this to run through the cloud and lunge at the first vehicon he could reach, and the bots were all shocked by this, even though they should have expected it.

Alpha Trion grabbed the vehicon, tackling it and forcing into the cloud where the other vehicons tried shooting at him. But as he had practically disappeared, Alpha Trion quickly snapped his teeth into the vehicon’s neck, ripping the head off the vehicon’s body. In doing so, he pulled several important systems and the spinal line right out from the vehicon, staining the ground with the energon from the bot’s body.

Leaving the bot as he turned quickly, he ran a circle around the vehicon for a moment as they shot blindly at the cloud around them. Despite the glow from his tail and horn, it would seem that the vehicons do not have good vision and can only shoot targets that they can see. It was unfortunate, but this is due to the reason of these not being pure transformers and were created as drones only.

Alpha Trion growled as he ran to the next target and tackled him quickly as his back was turned to the Prime. The other two bots turn to try to shoot at Alpha Trion, but again, they could not see him ripping the spark from the chassis of the vehicon. They could vaguely hear the scraping metal and crunching of wires, but they couldn’t get a visual. Alpha Trion was pleased he learned these kinds of tricks from the draconic bots as this was also a classic move for a dragon in battle. Especially in a small space like this.

He turned sharply with another low growl as he charged at the third target, tackling the vehicon quickly and snapping this sharp teeth through the vehicon’s neck before the body landed on the ground. Alpha Trion huffed as while he might be damaged and stiff, he could still fight very well. And he knew that the vehicons realized it too, but it was too late for them now.

Alpha Trion charged at the remaining vehicon as the vehicon shot at the wrong direction. He was slightly amused by this, but it did not matter. The vehicon turned as Alpha Trion leaped at the vehicon, landing on top of the chassis and knocking the bot to the ground. He grabbed the vehicon roughly by the abdomen with his jaw, biting hard while swinging his head. The vehicon shot in random directions desperately in vain as Alpha Trion lifted it into the air and with a crushing bite, his teeth pierced right through the vehicon’s abdomen, shattering the internals as he snapped the bot in half.

Alpha huffed as he landed back on the ground while glancing at the bodies around him. “Not too old for you.”

Alpha Trion intakes deeply as he considered leaving, but he heard a sound from above and glanced up to see Airachnid falling towards him with a glare. Unprepared from this falling enemy, Airachnid landed hard on Alpha Trion’s back and struck him repeatedly with her legs mercilessly. Alpha Trion fell to the ground from the impact, and while she struck his body, Alpha Trion didn’t give her the satisfaction of keeping him down.

He snapped his teeth at one of her legs, successfully grabbing a hold of one, and throwing Airachnid off his body, allowing him to stand up again. Airachnid hissed as she landed, using her spider legs to catch her fall and glare at him. “You must be a fool to think that you could pin me down for long, Airachnid.” Airachnid smirked slightly as Alpha Trion tensed his body, ready to fight her again. “But I know you are no vehicon either. So don’t think I will underestimate you like you seem to be underestimating me."

Airachnid hummed slightly in amusement. “Old fool! You think you know it all, don’t you?”

Airachnid lunged at Alpha Trion, attempting to tackle him again as the Prime dodged her attack to the right and turned sharply to lunge at her. She jumped back and swiped the ship tips of her spider-like legs at the Prime, successfully slicing at his right shoulder, though he ignored that as he ran towards the bot without slowing down. Airachnid jumped back again and launched herself to sit up on a high rock and armed her blasters to shoot at Alpha Trion.

Alpha Trion growled as he swerved to avoid her shots as they graze the ground beside him as he moved. He used the cover of the different boulders to try and get closer, but Airachnid jumped to another to avoid him from tackling her. So he used a different tactic. Alpha Trion manipulated the stones and dust again to create a cloud, but not to hide himself. Airachnid could see through it. But as she was focused on him, he was able to pull a loose boulder from above.

Airachnid glanced up in shock and jumped out of the way, just to be tackled to the ground by Alpha Trion. Airachnid gasped as Alpa Trion opened his mouth to try and bite at her neck, but she charged her blasters to shoot at his face. Alpha Trion flinched back, biting onto one of her legs again and began attempting to tear it, while raising his claw to try and pierce her chassis.

Airachnid narrowed her optics. “Scorched Flare, pin him down! Now!”

Alpha Trion widened his optics in surprise and turned his head sharply, gasping as he been unprepared and he saw a pink draconic bot lunging towards him with her teeth bared. Alpha Trion immediately jumped back, letting go of Airachnid as he barely avoided the dragon’s claws from grabbing him. He was shocked to see a dragon here, and given an order by Airachnid. However, as he was able to get space between him and Scorched Flare, he observed the dragon for a moment. And he quickly noticed the collar around the dragon’s neck.

“By the All Spark, I do not know who this dragon is, but I cannot believe what I am seeing.” He had not expected to see the collar Galaxy had mentioned to him that was used to control the dragons. But to act like he had not seen her, he glared at Airachnid as the dragon turned towards him. “What in Primus is around that dragon’s neck, Airachnid? A sick, twisted means of control?”

Airachnid grinned at him. “How else are we to control these beasts?”

“Beasts?!” Alpha Trion widened his optics and growled. “Pathetic! And you used a dragon because you knew I would defeat you.”

“Mmhmm...you got it right, old timer.” She aimed her blasters at Alpha Trion. Alpha Trion tensed as Airachnid glanced at Scorched Flare. “Don’t kill him, Flare. Sentinel has a few things he wants to know. But a little molten lightning won’t hurt.”

Alpha Trion gasped in shock of what she had just said. “What?! Molten lightning isn’t a common ability, Airachnid. And this dragon is young, how could she possibly be able to use such an ability?”

“Well, you see...” Airachnid lifted one of her spider-like legs to place on the collar casually. “This thing around Flare’s neck here forces the dragon’s body to increase power and access abilities they probably could not have been able to before. It has been very useful.”

“Monster! You call the dragons beasts, while you and Sentinel, and his followers behave exactly how you somehow believe those bots are.” Alpha Trion growled deeply, glancing at Scorched Flare as lightning began to ignite across her body. Unlike the white lightning, molten lightning was infused with plasma, electricity and magma, which caused the lightning to change colors like a rainbow, and it was a strong form of lightning that could kill. But it’s ability to paralyzed someone immediately, whilst causing extreme pain, brief blindness and loss of hearing was the main concern Alpha Trion had. “Are your intentions to recreate the incident with Wraith?”

Airachnid huffed in amusement. “No, I am afraid that is reserved for a different draconic bot.” Alpha Trion tensed before he ran to the right as Scorched Flare unleashed a wave of the molten lightning at Alpha Trion and he was able to avoid the stream, though Scorched Flare followed him with her optics as she prepared another wave. “But I am sure you already know this. I assume you saw Ignited Galaxy just before, so I hope you wouldn’t mind telling me where she has gone. It will save us a whole lot of time.”

Alpha Trion just growled, skidding as he ducked under a wave of the molten lightning while glaring at Airachnid. “I have not seen Ignited Galaxy since she was a hatchling, Airachnid. Any attempt at trying to get fabricated information will be futile.”

“Hmmph, sure. Even though I am pretty sure I saw some interesting faces staring at us from the mountain before. No matter...” Airachnid snapped her fingers and Scorched Flare ran at Alpha Trion suddenly, making the Prime stop in surprise as he did not want to fight the dragon. Knowing she was under control of Sentinel, he felt hurting her was the last thing he should do. “We will get the answers from you. If not, we will find her.”

Alpha Trion backed away from Scorched Flare as she just missed grabbing him, but her teeth were glowing from molten plasma filling them and he could feel electricity all around him. This magnetised the rocks around him and even caused electricity to filter through the vines around the cavern, which zapped at Alpha Trion’s feet upon treading on them, and making him grimace in surprise. The swollen veins in the dragon’s neck and visible energon veins in her optics were not as extreme as Wraith, but it definitely seemed like Wraith’s shadow was over this dragon right now, Alpha Trion couldn’t stop seeing that.

Being close to Scorched Flare though, Alpha Trion wanted to wait for an opportunity to rip the collar off. But he didn’t know how that would affect Scorched Flare, since it was a technology that was new to him. But it would be better than being enslaved to Sentinel and he knew it. Scorched Flare snapped her teeth at him, the froth in her mouth dripped onto the ground, hissing slightly from the heat and burning some of the algae growth within the cavern. Alpha Trion also made sure that the dragon didn’t unintentionally damage the bodies of the fallen Primes as he knew that would easily happen.

When Scorched Flare lunged with both of her paws pointed towards him, Alpha Trion caught the dragon’s paws, grunting as he slid back from the force of the dragon and glanced up at the collar. He swiftly threw his front paws to the left, letting go of Scorched Flare and making the dragon stumble and lose her footing, causing her to fall to the right. Being incapable of catching herself with the collar on at least worked to some advantage to Alpha Trion, along with the slower reaction from the dragon as well.

With the dragon off her feet, Alpha Trion jumped onto the dragon’s neck forcing her head against the ground as the dragon growled and strike at him with her wings, he ducked from the swipes as he snapped his teeth around the collar. He felt it was not only extremely tight around the dragon’s neck, but as he tugged on it, he felt something was holding the collar on the neck. He realized quickly as he could see the tube on the collar that still contained liquid in them, which meant needless were embedded directly into the veins of the dragon’s neck, pulling them out might cause severe bleeding. But as they wouldn’t be deep enough to hit the main artery within the neck, Alpha Trion knew he had to yank hard.

But Airachnid wasn’t about to let him do that as she ran over and jumped onto the dragon’s back before lunging at Alpha Trion to kick him in the face. Alpha Trion let’s go of the collar as he glanced up as her foot hits right in his chassis, forcing him right off the dragon’s neck and landing on the ground, skidding backwards to catch himself while he watched Airachnid step off the dragon’s back with a smug expression as the pink dragon rose to her feet sharply with a growl.

Airachnid snapped her fingers again, and Alpha Trion didn’t have time to avoid the attack this time. Scorched Flare struck him in the chassis with the molten lightning, making the Prime cry out from the sheer pain from the strike and being launched into the wall behind him was extra painful. He landed hard on the ground on his right side, feeling the stinging of the sensation all through his body, and the wounds on his back felt like they were burning again just as they had when Wraith scratched him so many cycles ago.

His vision blurred and his hearing was blocked, and this forced him to transform back to his bipedal form and he coughed up energon, spluttering it over the ground as he intakes heavily. He blinked and looked up to see Scorched Flare approaching him and he was about to try and punch her jaw when the dragon opened her mouth and grabbed him around the abdomen. He felt the dragon’s grasp was firm and she moved her mouth tighter a few times as if to threaten to bite right through him. Especially with the plasma glowing brightly in her teeth, she would be able to do it.

Alpha Trion coughed again before looking at the collar around her neck. He huffed, opening his right wrist panel to grab out his energon blade, turning it on and swinging the blade towards the collar to cut it off, only for Airachnid to shoot at his arm, making the Prime drop his weapon and he glared at the bot as she smirked at him with a smug expression. She said something, but he could not hear her due to the ringing in his hearing processor. Airachnid noticed straight away, and she laughed at him before she seemed to give an order to Scorched Flare before she transformed to fly out of the cavern with Scorched Flare taking off to follow her.

Alpha Trion was slightly startled as no dragon has carried him this way before. It was usually reserved for enemies, but he knew that Sentinel saw him as an enemy rather than an ally. So this humiliating treatment was fitting to Sentinel, even if Alpha Trion was extremely uncomfortable due to the height that the dragon was flying, and the fact he felt like he could fall at any moment. And he didn’t appreciate the threatening grind from the dragon's teeth, even though he could find no blame in the dragon’s actions.

He glanced back at the mountain that he was being carried away from. His spark ached for his fallen brethren, but he knew that he would be with them again very soon. He smiled slightly because that was a comfort that he had as he was not afraid of death. He glanced in the direction he knew Orion, Galaxy and the other bots might be. He did not know how far they have been able to get to at this point, but he remained hopeful they would be able to a succeed. As Alpha Trion already knew that one of the four bots would rise as the new Prime. He did wish that this did not have to happen to be the case, but a new age must rise after the previous one has fallen.

Scorched Flare followed Airachnid as the bot was leading the dragon back to Iacon. Alpha Trion did see a few Quintesson ships scanning the surface of the planet, but they did not seem to care that Airachnid was flying by them. They would likely know that they were there, but as Airachnid was clearly handling it, the Quintessons wouldn’t bother her. Plus, the Quintessons likely were interested in something else at this time anyway.

When they reached Iacon, Scorched Flare followed Airachnid down through the entrance into the city and flew towards the Prime Temple where Sentinel had clearly made it his own. Alpha Trion grimaced as he spotted statues of Sentinel situated around the city, something that he and the other Primes did not do as they did not desire to be seen in such a way. The only acceptable time would be to build statues to remember their lives, not for whatever fame they might have.

But none of that mattered. Airachnid transformed and landed on a platform and walked towards a doorway leading into the main room, glancing back as the dragon landed behind her and followed the bot. Alpha Trion expected to be dropped at this time, but Airachnid did not give the order for the moment and the dragon simply followed her. Alpha Trion glanced at the collar again, wishing he could take it off the dragon. He did not know who Scorched Flare was, but knowing that this was a young dragon, made him hopeful that there were higher numbers of draconic bots that could overwhelm the Quintessons. Wight Canyon had many secrets below the surface of it, and he knew it since Comet Hammer had shown him a long time ago before Galaxy’s existence.

Upon entering the large chamber that was familiar to Alpha Trion being the place where the Primes used to gather for important meetings. Though it was familiar, it wasn’t the same in Alpha Trion’s spark. There were changed made to the room that he could see, but it did not matter. Sentinel stood at the massive table at the centre of the room, not paying a glance in the direction Airachnid was entering from. But his tense stance showed that he was fully aware of what was happening.

Beside him though, stood three familiar dragons. Alpha Trion widened his optics as his optics met the optics of Cosmic Dust, Sky Blade and Firedrake, and he saw they were also wearing the same collars around their necks. But there was a difference. Their veins weren’t swollen and visible like Scorched Flare’s. They were a little, but not as much. It seemed the potency of the collars might have worn off. Especially as the dragons were also expressing surprise, though they were trying to hide this from Sentinel.

Airachnid snapped her fingers and Scorched Flare dropped the Prime onto the ground. Alpha Trion managed to catch himself, grimacing as the hot, foamy saliva from Scorched Flare’s mouth covered his back and abdomen, and was already running off his body to the ground. But he paid little attention as he glared Sentinel as the bot turned with a smug expression. “Alpha Trion! You are still alive!” Sentinel walked towards Alpha Trion with his arms behind his back. “Would you look at that?” Alpha Trion wanted to get up from the ground, but the pain from the molten lightning was still fresh in his body, and Wraith’s wounds on his back were stinging painfully, so he could not get up. “You look horrible.”

Alpha Trion glanced at the three dragons behind Sentinel with disgust in his face. “Traitor. You are a disgrace.” Alpha Trion glanced up at Sentinel, moving his arms weakly to slowly push himself up. “Primus will surely…”

“Uh huh, yes…” Sentinel interrupted with a grimace, not caring about what Alpha Trion was saying. “Shut up.” Alpha Trion narrowed his optics at Sentinel. “I seized an opportunity to take control of my future. Anything to get out of working for you and that boring council of elders.”

Alpha Trion huffed as Sentinel circled him. “Take control of your future, or take control of beings stronger than you? Beings who are greater than you? Beings, if they could, they would…”

“Oh, yeah!” Sentinel laughed as he glanced at Scorched Flare as the dragon stood, staring with a blank expression as she waited for her next order. The frothy saliva was dripping from her mouth as she was now able to relax. “I see you too notice. Hmm, well, I guess I cannot hide the fact that I have hated the draconic race. Seriously! That line of predacons should never have been allowed to evolve and adapt the way they have!”

“That was never something for you or for me to decide, Sentinel.” Alpha Trion coughed, grimacing as he coughed energon onto the ground as he glared at the bot. “I know you hate them due to their unique nature and ability to be one with Primus that even I cannot connect to. Their level is something you will never achieve. Even those collars won’t give that to you.”

“Mmm, maybe. But it does feel good to have them under my control.” Sentinel glanced at Cosmic with a grin before looking back down at Alpha Trion. “Seriously, I would watch you Primes spend half the day losing the war. Even those stupid dragons weren’t even helping. They were listening to whispers of a potential future from Oranos. While you also spent the other half of the day sitting around waxing poetic about loyalty and honor.” He shook his head as he mocked the Prime and frowned at him. “Now look at you, and look at them. Once we get the technology to safely traverse the Wight Canyon, we will get the entire race under my control.”

“Your control? Or the Quintessons?” Sentinel turned sharply in irritation at Alpha Trion’s sharp response. “I recognize the technology wrapped around their necks. I recognize the same reaction that happened within Wraith. Are you trying to repeat the same thing?”

“Pfft, Wraith? Ha, ha!” Sentinel laughed as he shook his head. “No, no! I would never cause the same thing with these guys. They’re way too weak and pathetic compared to what Wraith could do, and was never able to achieve. But…” Sentinel chuckled as he leaned down with a smug expression as he looked directly at Alpha Trion’s optics. “There is one who I am happy to hand over to the Quintessons. They learned a lot from Wraith, and there will be no mistakes. Especially since it will be easier to do it to a sparkling than a fully grown dragon.” Cosmic tensed as she listened with Firedrake glancing a warning at Cosmic to keep herself self controlled. “I have a special collar just for her, and once I deal with a few things, the Quintessons will do the rest.”

Alpha Trion was disgusted at Sentinel’s plan for Galaxy. He worried that Sentinel would succeed, but he doubted he would succeed fully. But at least he knew that the Quintessons have refined their knowledge that they learned from what they’ve done to Wraith, and were happy to apply it again. “Hear my words! You will fall! And a new Prime will rise…”

Pulling out his sword and swiftly placing the blade under Alpha Trion’s neck, forcing him to look at Sentinel as Sentinel was irritated from the words from the Prime. “There you go again. I don’t want to listen to anymore speeches.” Alpha Trion grimaced a little as the blade grazed against his throat while Sentinel glared at him. “There were others in the cave with you. Who are they? Was Ignited Galaxy with them? She is not in the city anymore, so I know she’s on the surface somewhere.”

“They are to be your undoing!” Alpha Trion warned Sentinel, making Sentinel grimace immediately upon hearing that. “You’ve lost, Sentinel. Nothing you can do…”

Sentinel raised his blade with the intent on slicing through Alpha Trion’s neck when he heard a loud roar behind him and the sound of heavy footsteps charging towards him. Smirking slightly, Sentinel swiftly pulling out a small, black and white cylinder object and pressed a button to transform it into a staff with two, sharp tips. He turned sharply as the tips of the staff glowed with plasma and electricity sparked at the tip as he thrusts the spear forward, striking the side of Cosmic’s head, causing her to shriek and collapse immediately from pain and paralysis.

At the same time, he saw Firedrake and Sky Blade charging forward too, and Airachnid snapped her fingers, making Scorched Flare shoot them with the molten lightning, causing them to shriek and fall to the ground too. Cosmic Dust growled as she glared at Sentinel as he looked at her. “Well, well, well. Seems like your little deception has finally fallen. I had suspected you and the other two beasts had become self aware and feel superior now that you have seemingly beaten those collars.”

Cosmic coughed as she tried to get up, but she couldn’t feel her feet or her wings right now. “Clearly you have underestimated us. Again.”

“Mmm, no. No, no. You underestimated me, Cosmic Dust.” Sentinel chuckled at her. “Your feeble attempt to save this Prime’s life was so stupid. Airachnid…” Sentinel turned towards her as she had pulled out three, large syringes from her hip port. “I think we need to give them a nice, big dose.”

Alpha Trion groaned as he wanted to get to his feet, but Scorched Flare’s paw was pressing down on his back. When Sentinel had turned his back. Alpha Trion had tried rising to his feet, but the pink dragon stamping her front paw on his back, and now her claws sat either side of him. He could only watch as Airachnid gave Sentinel one of the syringes that were filled with a cloudy, silvery grey liquid with a thick needle.

He glanced at the spear as it was new before he glanced at the tips and gasped. “What have you done, Sentinel?”

Sentinel glanced at Alpha Trion and held up the spear. “Oh this? Ha, ha! Oh, you recognize the teeth used to make the tips, huh?” Alpha Trion widened his optics as he shook his head. “Even in death, it seems Wraith and Ignatius Spark are still very useful to me.”

“You desecrated their graves?!” Firedrake hissed as smoke rushed from his nostrils. “You monster!”

Sentinel huffed with a roll of his optics. “I’ve already had enough of this!” He turned and stabbed Cosmic in the neck with the syringe, making her shriek loudly as he squeezed the contents of the syringe into her body. “That should ensure the collar will make you a mindless beast again. Airachnid, make sure the other two the same thing.”

Airachnid was already standing next to Firedrake as she stabbed his neck with a syringe. “As you wish, Sentinel. At least we don’t need to be worried about Scorched Flare. For now.”

Alpha Trion stared in disbelief as he watched as Cosmic and Firedrake shudder and convulse as the liquid now in their bodies was the same substance as what was in the tubes of the collars. Their collars seemed to be empty, so this definitely seemed to be something that was temporary if they didn’t have the liquid. As Airachnid stabbed Sky Blade’s neck with the syringe, Alpha Trion glared at Sentinel as he walked back towards him. “If I had known you were this much of a monster, I would have personally ensured that you would never rise to the power that you have now.”

“Aw, well, I am afraid is a late for that, Alpha Trion,” Sentinel mocked with a chuckle as he transformed the spear back into the black and white cylinder object to slip into his right hip port. “I don’t need any lectures from you about being a monster. As far as I am concerned, you and the other Primes were by not winning the war.”

“As I have said, nothing you can do will stop what will…”

Sentinel raised his blade swiftly and pierced the blade through the back of Alpha Trion’s neck, slicing right through. Airachnid smirked as she walked back over and Scorched Flare stepped back as the Prime’s body fell forward, with his head rolling away and energon spilling onto the floor. Sentinel shook his head. “Oh, didn’t I just say no speeches?” He glanced at Airachnid as she looked at him with a grin. “You heard me, right?” She nodded while he looked back at Alpha Trion with a glare. “This is what I’m talking about! Unbelievable! All of them were like that! So disrespectful!” He flinched and turned as he heard Cosmic getting onto her feet slowly. The dragon was intaking deeply as she groaned while her optics flicker with the grey colouring overshadowing the bright blue as she seemed to stare blankly. “Pfft! I wonder how long these bloody things have been acting for?”

“I assume since Galaxy ended up with those mindless mining bots,” Airachnid responded bluntly, glancing at Sky Blade and Firedrake as they stood up, though their legs trembled from the shock. “But they have essentially been reset now. They should remain under our full control for several more cycles.”

“Yeah…though this flaw in those collars are so annoying. I wish the Quintessons actually made it so we didn’t have to do that, and almost get my aft bitten off.” Sentinel sighed deeply as he shook his head. “Okay, hunt down the others. And if Galaxy is with them, bring her to me alive and unscathed. Any scratch on her will not go down easy on me.”

“What if she has some injuries I did not inflict?”

Sentinel shrugged. “Hmm, well, I guess that just means we will have to punish those who were with her at the time. After all, executing them sounds like fun. But…” He glanced at Cosmic with a grin. “I have another idea for them. But don’t waste any time, Airachnid. Leave Scorched Flare here and take a large squadron of vehicons. All the dragons will remain under my watch.”

Airachnid nodded as she understood, backing away from him. “With pleasure.” She backflips away and jumped off a short, half wall, transforming before ascending quickly.

Sentinel intakes deeply as he glanced down at Alpha Trion’s body before he shouted. “Somebody come and clean this mess up! I don’t want to see it staining these floors! And I don’t care how you get rid of him.”

He stomped away, not caring that the dragons had been left within the council room alone. With him gone, Cosmic glanced down at Alpha Trion’s body and tears well in her optics. The liquid given to her intend sent a shock through her processor and she was already fighting to regain control. But while she wasn’t in full control right now, the pain of seeing a Prime die before her optics hurt a lot. And now she knew Sentinel’s plan for Galaxy. She glanced at Firedrake and Sky Blade, and they nod to her as they too were now in the same position. They weren’t going to make it easy for Sentinel if he succeeds now. And she hoped that the ones travelling with Galaxy will find a way to defeat Sentinel and free them all.

Chapter Text

As the bots travelled across the surface away from the mountain, Galaxy remained deep within her recharge. With all the energy she had used today, it was no surprise that she was tired. But it was also roughly the time she would normally be put to berth in the city anyway. Given that they could not see the sky in the city, they went by the times within their work schedule. Not that it mattered. Orion made sure that Galaxy was comfortable, even though they quickly realized that she wouldn’t wake easily when B-127 had accidentally yelped when a herd of cervibots ran out by some trees and startled all of them. Luckily, Galaxy did not wake from that, and the bots were simply moving to another location at the time.

The bots did decide to transform into their vehicle modes an hour after leaving the mountain area, and Orion had been extra careful. Elita held the sparkling when he transformed and she placed the recharging sparkling inside the cabin. The sparkling had immediately curled and nuzzled against the softness around her, which Elita and Orion found adorable. And she has remained with the cab for most of the time since. It was quiet, and the gentle rumble of the engine helped to keep the sparkling recharging within Orion’s cab. Orion felt pretty happy that his vehicle form had the space to hold Galaxy within him and keep her safe. He knew she will outgrow it eventually, but he at least would get time to enjoy it.

As the day darkened and the sun began to set, Galaxy finally woke up after four and half hours. Her tank rumbled and woke her up. Normally, she would not have woken up, but the use of her energy also made her hungry. She was a little startled when she didn’t at first realize she was safe within Orion’s cab, but once she did realize, she nuzzled and rubbed her body against the soft fabric with a smile on her face with a few yawns while pawing gently at the fabric before she rolled onto her back with a flop.

She stretched up her legs, though grimaced as when she stretched her back, right paw she felt a sharp pain from the injury. She sighed as she stared at the ceiling. “Daddy, can you see if dadda can give me a bottle? I’m hungry and I don’t feel like eating one of the roots, even though B is keeping them safe for us.”

“Of course. He has been a bit silent, so I hope he won’t mind the bother.” Orion wasn’t wrong. D-16 kept leading the way for the past several hours and he hasn’t said a word to any of the others. Orion, Elita and B-127 have spoken quietly among each other as they were concerned that D was taking this much harder than he should. And they worried he will do something rash. But D-16 did not drive too far ahead of them, so he at least was still with them. Orion drove up towards D-16. “Hey, D.” D didn’t react when Orion spoke to him. “Someone has awoken from her recharge and she is chasing some energon. Care to stop for a moment to give it to her?”

D-16 stopped immediately, making Orion swerve slightly in surprise before D transformed and opened the containment to grab out one of the bottles. D-16 turned to Orion with a slight smile. “I am surprised she didn’t recharge for longer. But I guess this might just be a short moment she’s awake.” D-16 walked towards the right of Orion. “Mind opening the door? And don’t expect me to climb inside. Pretty sure I am too big to fit in there.”

Orion chuckled as he opened the door. “I know, D. I know.” Galaxy stood up when she saw the door opening and walked over wearily. Galaxy smiled as she saw D in front of her. “Do you want to stay snug inside my cab, Galaxy?”

Galaxy was about to respond when D-16 spoke first. “I think she’s better off in the cab anyway, Pax. This is just a short stop so she can get some energon. We shouldn’t waste time. I’ll transform as soon as she has the bottle.” Galaxy stared at D in surprise and he smiled at her. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Galaxy tilted her head curiously. “How?”

“A really nice, oil bath.” Galaxy frowned and shook her head. D-16 raised an eyebrow. “How about tackling me like you wanted to? But you can tackle me from the air and we wrestle. What about that?” Galaxy shook her head again. “Uh, how about I pick a bunch of those roots for you and cut them into pieces and hand feed you?” Galaxy pondered on that for a bit before shaking her head. “Okay, well, not sure what else I can think of.”

“I want you to just hold me.” D-16 softened his expression slightly at Galaxy’s response. “And not flinch when I lick your face. That’s all I want. Even if it means you hold me all day.”

D-16 hummed before he shrugged. “Alright, easy enough.” Galaxy smiled and he hands the bottle to the dragon. She grabbed the bottle with her paws and he playfully tapped her snout, making her giggle and shake her head away from him. “Don’t worry, I will keep to my promise, Galaxy. You won’t need to wonder where I am.”

“Okay. Will you do it later?”

D-16 chuckled a little. “How about after we get rid of Sentinel?”

Galaxy’s smile faded slightly. “Oh...okay...we are in a bad situation...”

D-16 nodded. “Yep, we are. So we should get going. And if Orion makes you spill any of that, give him a little zap.” Galaxy shook her head with a slight giggle. “I knew you wouldn’t agree. Oh well, guess you will find another way to let him know you didn’t like it being spilt.”

Galaxy giggled some more. “I am not going to get upset over an accident, dadda. A little lost energon won’t hurt me or daddy.” Galaxy yawned again while stretching out her limbs. “Alright, we are wasting time now. I don’t want to do that for anyone.”

“Don’t worry, I am the one standing here and not leading, so it is on me.” D-16 brought up the map to look at it before he stepped away from Orion and transformed. “Let’s get going again.”

Orion closed the door as D-16 drove ahead of them again and he followed. Galaxy shuffled back to lay against the chair and curled up against it before she began to drink from the bottle, placing both paws either side of the bottle as she drank from it. She always looked cute whenever she would drink from the bottle this way. Orion could easily watch her intently for an hour and he wouldn’t be bored. But he did have to focus driving and he didn’t want to accidentally collide with something random while not paying attention.

However, he was still worried for D. D had been stiff and tense the whole time he had been transformed before. It was as if he had been irritated that he was asked to give Galaxy a bottle. It was unusual for him to be that way, and Orion considered asking D-16 for the bottles so he didn’t have to be bothered again. But D was still kind towards Galaxy, but he didn’t seem to be his usual self when interacting with her. Orion just guessed that D-16 needed a bit of time before he would relax again, and that might only happen after they had returned to Iacon, revealed the truth to everyone and bring justice to Sentinel and his closest followers, like Airachnid. This way, D-16 would be able to be free of this burden he clearly has on his shoulders.

Elita drove up beside Orion. “Hey, so...what do you think we will do once we get to Iacon? Cause you know Sentinel is going to be watching, and he will definitely have Airachnid watching out for us too. Along with using those dragons he has under his control.”

“I have not really been thinking about that honestly. I should be, but...” Orion groaned a little as he was mostly focused on D in front of him. “I feel like we need to compose ourselves. Some of us really need to clear our minds and relax before doing anything rash.”

“By some, you mean D.” Orion didn’t respond to Elita. “Right...can she hear us?”

“Galaxy is enjoying her bottle right now. She probably will fall back to recharge after, so she’s not paying much attention.” Galaxy perked up a little as she could hear, which was a surprise. It seemed that within the chassis, Galaxy was able to hear, without knowing this was due to the fact Orion’s hearing processor was linked to an internal speaker so she could hear everything outside. And she already knew they were talking about D. “Look, I don’t know if we should speculate on anything right now. I know something is different with D, and I think I should try take back the chip Alpha Trion gave to me since I am not sure he will keep watch of it with his mind thinking about a lot of things. But I am concerned.”

“I agree. I am concerned too. Not just because that he is hurt deeply by all the information we just found out, but I am concerned that he might pull away. D has never been like that...but...we can never know how someone will cope with such news. You handled it better than him, because Galaxy already warned you.” Orion hummed in agreement, even though she had also told D. “And I was demoted by Darkwing over something stupid. I’m still mad about that, by the way.” Galaxy smirked as she wasn’t surprised Elita brought that up. “But I am glad to know the truth. It makes everything clearer, and why we were put to work in the mines. We were slaves, and now we are not. I am happy about that, but I am also sad. D obviously is taking it just a bit harder than us.”

“I agree. I may not know you guys very much, since we just met, but I saw D as a good guy and a great dad to that cute, little sparkling.” Galaxy refrained from giggling from B-127’s compliment as the bot drove closer to Orion and Elita to speak. “And I still think he is good. But I guess he must have really looked up to Sentinel. Do you think that might make him dislike Primes and Primus?”

“Um, I don’t know. I don’t think so.” Orion did not think that was something to worry about. “But I am not sure what he is thinking right now. All I hope for is that once we get back to Iacon, we can set things straight. But we still have the Quintessons to worry about.”

“I think once Sentinel’s out of the way, we will be able to re-establish the alliance with the others dragons easily, so fighting the Quintessons won’t be a problem,” Elita said confidently. “But we could really use a Prime. Even if we beat Sentinel and the Quintessons, we will still wither away without the Matrix and the flow of energon.”

“I doubt it will be pointless, guys. Everything will turn out okay.” Orion was confident about it, and Galaxy agreed with him. Plus, she knew that the new Prime will rise very soon. “Personally, I think we all should just try to help D. He needs all of us, so I think we will be okay. He should be back to himself soon.”

Galaxy was hoping for that. She did not like this new personality D-16 had, even if she understood that it was from pain and anger. But as he had been indifferent to her, even a little bit just before, she wasn’t sure what to expect from this. She wanted him to be himself, but she also knew that what he learned can really turn someone into something else. But she still had hope. D-16 still loved her and she knew it. So she was confident like Orion was. They just needed time and Galaxy didn’t want to worry about something that might be overlooked in the future.

“You’re right, Pax. I think we are just all worked up. Might as well just enjoy this moment of driving along the surface. Especially since I still can’t believe this has happened to me.” B chuckled a little as he was very happy. “So I think we should just enjoy it. Like I never knew how many colours the sky would create from the sun going down. Or those beautiful lights dancing on the horizon.”

“Indeed. This is going to be a day I cherish for a long time.” Orion wanted to focus on the gold, red and orange colours in the sky, but he kept focus on the path in front. With his lights guiding the way with D in front, he hoped they would be there soon. “I wonder how much further we have to go though.”

“Mmm, maybe ask him soon. I don’t think I will need to recharge soon anyway. I am just happy to keep going through the night if we need to.”

Orion agreed silently with Elita as they travelled along the road in front of them. Orion did not know how much further they had to go. They weren’t going the same way as they had come from, so at least they wouldn’t be at higher risk of being caught if any patrols were still happening the way they had come from. They were still at risk of that right now, but they were lucky at the moment. And Orion was hoping that it would stay that way.

Galaxy finished her bottle after taking her time with it. She licked the tip of it as she pushed it away. She rolled onto her back, rubbing against the softness fabric behind her and she sighed with a smile. “Too bad dadda doesn’t have a space like this in his vehicle mode, daddy. I wonder if he would have let me travel with him like you did with me.”

“I am sure he would have, Galaxy.” Orion was amused as Galaxy rubbed against the fabric some more and pressing her paws into it before she rolled onto her right side. “Hmm, maybe we should see how he is doing. He’s been silent most of the time since he took the map. What do you think?”

Galaxy nodded. “Yeah. It might be a bit soon, but he could need a friendly conversation. We can talk to him.”

Orion was glad to hear that. “Good. I have considered it, even though he might still need space even if I say something to him. Hopefully, he will be receptive. He has never had a wall up like this before.”

“He should be. Uh...” Galaxy covered her mouth when she burped lightly and Orion chuckled softly at her. “At least we got a chance to make things right. I have waited so long for it.”

“I know. You want to see the other dragons again without fear.” Galaxy nodded. “Maybe they will have some new sparklings around your age to play with. That would be nice.” Galaxy smiled as that did seem nice, but she wasn’t sure if that was going to happen. Orion would love to watch Galaxy play with other dragons, and it would fascinate him to see it. “And when you are older, you might find someone pretty.”

Galaxy giggled a little. “Daddy, I am not interested in that.” Orion chuckled softly as he knew she would say that. “But you think Elita is pretty. Will she ever like you enough to maybe be your sparkmate?”

“I cannot answer that right now, Galaxy. I think she has seen me as a friend, mostly. If anything changes in the future, we will have to see. Plus, it did seem that she though D and I were sparkmates. Especially when we met you.” Galaxy giggled as she remembered that too. Orion chuckled softly as he was still amused by it. “I can understand why. But that might change. I know I like Elita, but I will respect her enough if...if she just wants to stay friends.”

Galaxy hummed a little. “Hmm...well...maybe if I call her mama, I could help.”

“That is sweet, but not necessary, Galaxy. It is better for things to form on their own.” Galaxy shrugged as she listened to him. “I am serious, Galaxy. It is sweet that you want to help, but just allow it to happen on its own. Okay?” She nodded without saying anything. “Well, I hope you will listen to me on this.”

Galaxy just nodded quietly, while knowing she may help Orion indirectly. She already had known for a while that Orion liked Elita, and his attempts at flirting wasn’t doing much. But that didn’t mean Galaxy wouldn’t want to help. But she would figure it out in time after Sentinel has been dealt with. Galaxy yawned a little as she was a little tempted to go back into recharge, but she did want to speak with D-16. She felt it was needed, even if he might need a bit more time before he would be more rational to talk to.

Luckily, it seemed that the terrain was becoming a bit rough along the edge of the cliff they were driving along and D-16 transformed ahead of the group. Orion was pleased with this, and he warned Galaxy briefly before he transformed carefully. Galaxy had been a bit tense at first, as feeling the shift around her as his parts moved back into place in his bot form was a little unnerving and dragons never really experience this anyway. But Orion was gentle as he moved her into his arms, making sure she was okay.

Galaxy smiled as she relaxed in his arms, nuzzling against his chassis before turning her head to look at D-16. His body was tense and his hands were clenched. He was clearly deep in thought as he continued walking. Galaxy was tempted to jump out of Orion’s arms and run over to D to see if he would pick her up, but she decided against it. After all, he was too focused and she didn’t want to startle him unintentionally. Plus, she was still tired and groggy, so she didn’t really want to run at this time.

Orion jogged over to D-16, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. “Hey, buddy.”

D-16 glanced at Orion and Galaxy briefly with a blunt, soft reply. “Oh, hey.”

Orion softened his expression as D-16 looked ahead. “You’ve been a little quiet. Are you alright?”

“All I can think about is Sentinel’s smirking face. He must pay for what he’s done. Someone has to do something.” D glanced at Galaxy to see she was staring at him with worry. “Especially since we have other bots to bring justice for, not just us.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “Well, we are doing something. With Alpha's proof inside that device, we will show the truth to everyone.”

D-16 held up the disk with a frown. “You honestly believe it will be that easy? After you and I both doubted Galaxy, it took a Prime to make us finally believe!” D-16 frowned as he glanced at Orion. “Like us, Iacon doesn’t want to hear the truth. They worship Sentinel. There’s got to be a better way to bring him down.”

Orion intakes deeply as he listened to D and rubbed the bot’s shoulder lightly. “We just have to trust everyone will believe what we show them. Unfortunately, I agree that you and I didn’t believe Galaxy at first. But with evidence like this, it should be easier.”

D-16 did not notice Orion taking the disk from D-16’s fingers as the bot wasn’t completely focused. Galaxy had noticed, but she didn’t make a fuss about it. Galaxy whimpered softly. “Daddy is right, dadda. You didn’t believe me because I didn’t have proof.” D-16 huffed a little as he listened to her. “You know I am not mad that it was hard to believe what I said, right?”

“I know, Galaxy. But I am also right. Iacon does not want to hear the truth.” D-16 grimaced with a shake of his head. “I didn’t want to hear the truth.”

“It is okay, dadda.” Galaxy reached out to place her paw on D-16’s arm gently. “It isn’t easy to hear. But you know now. No use in...being angry for something you can change.”

Orion nodded. “Galaxy’s right, D. If she can trust that Iacon can...”

“I trusted Sentinel!” D-16 snapped, making Galaxy recoil with a start and Orion immediately placed his hand on her cheek to reassure her, but the sparkling was rather startled by D’s reaction. “With everything!” D-16’s frown darkened as he glanced at Orion. “I will never trust a so-called leader again.” Orion and Galaxy stared at D-16 in shock. That made Galaxy worry how he would react to a new Prime, even though it is Primus who picks the Prime, not anyone else. She whimpered a little as D-16 did not soften his gaze. “There’s only one bot I know I can trust…”

D-16 was cut off as a large, round, red disk had been shot at him and landed on his forehead, giving a sudden jolt of electricity and knocking D out. Galaxy stared at D in shock. “Dadda!” She shifted as Orion was also shocked, before Orion received the same discs, although they hit both of Orion’s shoulders instead of his forehead. Galaxy shrieked as Orion’s arms go limp and he falls forward. She wasn’t able to jump out of his arms when he fell and his chassis landed on her tail and legs, making her yelp as pain shot through her back right paw. “OW!” She gasped as Elita and B-127 were shot in the foreheads with the same discs, knocking them out. Galaxy wiggled desperately, placing her front paws on his head to shake him. “Daddy! Wake up! What in Primus?!”

Galaxy glanced around to see who shot them, worried instantly that it was Airachnid or someone else working with Sentinel. She slid her back legs and tail from under Orion’s chassis, looking around in a panic as she couldn’t see anyone. She sniffed the air as she looked around, knowing that even though she couldn’t see anyone, they were nearby. She caught no scent at the moment, but she wasn’t about to run and hide.

She nuzzled Orion’s cheek gently. “Daddy, wake up!” She jumped when she heard rocks falling from above and she looked up, but she saw no one before she ran over to D. She held up her back right paw so she limped a little as she ran over to him and nuzzled his cheek before she looked at the disc and thought about trying to take it off. “Dadda, you were knocked out. Someone wake up!”

She looked up again when she heard movement again, and she spotted a couple bots jumping from above. Galaxy hissed as she ignited her mouth with plasma and turned to face them as they look at her in surprise and confusion. She did not recognize the bots in front of her as they land with a loud thud, staring at the sparkling as though they did not know what they should do right now.

“Um…where did she come from?” The blue and silver mech with red optics as he glanced at the purple mech beside him, whose red optics stare at the sparkling curiously. “You said you spotted four random bots travelling close to our base, Skywarp, and now there is a sparkling draconic bot with them?!”

“Uh, I swear it wasn’t with them, unless it was within one of their vehicles modes.” Skywarp rubbed his chin as stared at the sparkling, who remained in her defensive position with her wings spread, covering the faces of both Orion and D-16 with her mouth fueled with white plasma. “And Starscream would never get off our afts if we shoot a sparkling, especially a dragon.” Galaxy widened her optics a little when she heard the name Starscream. “Should we tell him, Thundercracker?”

Thundercracker frowned as he looked at Skywarp with a slightly irritated expression. “Obviously. You know the dragons occasionally come out from Wight Canyon, and it seems that a sparkling snuck out, maybe…”

“Alright, alright!” Skywarp sighed deeply as he looked at the dragon and noticed her surprised expression before he stepped forward. Immediately, Galaxy tensed again and she hissed at him. “Whoa, whoa, easy little one. We won’t hurt you.”

Galaxy growled little. “But you did hurt me!” Skywarp and Thundercracker immediately tense with worry. “You hit my daddy with one of your weapons, and he fell on top of me.” The two bots glance at each other as if they were worried, but they were also surprised that the dragon referred to the largest of the bots as daddy. Galaxy glanced between them. “You said Starscream, right?” The bots nod as they look back at her. “But…I thought the High Guard were killed.”

Skywarp and Thundercracker were even more surprised and Skywarp frowned. “But all dragons know we are alive. Maybe not as many as we once were but…” Skywarp blinked as he stared at the dragon. “Wait, wait, wait…what is your name?”

Galaxy growled at him. “Why is that important? You should already know. But then again, I don’t recognize either of you. I know of Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave. My sire was pretty close to them.”

Thundercracker hummed softly as he stared at the dragon. “Huh, she kind of looks like Comet Hammer…”

“He had a daughter, didn’t he?” Skywarp looked at Thundercracker curiously and the bot nodded. “What was her name again? Starscream mentioned that she is still alive, but was hidden in some stasis pod and likely will still seem very young.”

Primus…these two bots are not very smart. But if Starscream and others of the High Guard are still alive, that is good news! We could use their help.

Thundercracker shook his head with a shrug. “I don’t know. Um…” He rubbed his cheek as he looked at the dragon. “And she’s probably not going to tell us because we knocked her…uh…family out, right?” Galaxy said nothing as she glared at the bots. “Oh, what in the Pit, I am going to tell Starscream about this. He needs to know.” Thundercracker opened his com link as he said so, while Skywarp raised his hands like he wanted to stop him, but it was too late. “Hey, Starscream! Um, Sky and I were able to knock out the trespassers, but we’ve run into…a situation.”

“Well, spit it out!” A snap from Thundercracker’s com link made him and Skywarp flinch, while Galaxy tilted her head as she recognized Starscream’s voice immediately. “Don’t tell me you and Sky are twiddling your thumbs, because I am not in the mood today. We missed our chance snagging some energon from those trains, and I need some good news.”

“Not exactly, Starscream…um…” Thundercracker glanced at the four bots before him. “We will bring them to you, but Sky didn’t realize that the bots were travelling with a draconic sparkling.”

There was a loud gasp from the other end. “That had better be a joke, even if it is a bad one! That is not funny!”

“No, no, I am not lying. She’s standing protectively in front of us as I am speaking to you, Starscream.” There was a loud groan from Starscream through the com link, showing his irritation as Thundercracker continued. “She’s…mostly unharmed…”

“Mostly?!” Starscream snapped. “Of course, you would hurt a draconic sparkling, wouldn’t you?! Idiots! Ugh!”

Galaxy smirked slightly as she listened to him. Thundercracker gritted his jaw as he continued. “We did not mean it. But she is not unconscious, Starscream. But it was strange that she referred to one of the bots though he was her sire. But she mentioned her sire was a friend of yours.” There was silence from Starscream as he listened intently. “And, I admit, this little draconic bot looks a bit like Comet Hammer. She has a bit of his color, horns and his shoulders a bit…”

“Wait, really?!” Starscream gasped loudly before he seemed to be happy. “Hey, can she hear this conversation?”

“Yeah, she can.”

“Great! Um, Ignited Galaxy…” Galaxy relaxed slightly as she smiled, and the two bots seemed to relax as Starscream knew who she was. “Is that…you? Have you finally emerged after all this time?”

Galaxy hesitated to respond before she sighed. “Yes, Starscream. It’s me. I think I was just an egg when you last saw me. So…you never met me. But I know my sire and carrier, Comet and Solarian, met you many times.”

“Wonderful!” Starscream exclaimed before his excited tone turned back to serious. “Alright, you two! You better get our guests here without any additional scraps and…” Starscream paused and Galaxy flinched as she heard B-127 suddenly begin to mutter and she turned her head in surprise. B was still unconscious, but he was speaking in his recharge. “Eh, guess one of them is dreaming. Anyway, don’t wake them up until you bring them here. I will send a few others to help you. Especially since that sparkling obviously cares for them. So make sure they are safe. Got it?”

Thundercracker nodded. “Understood.” He turns off his com link as Skywarp walked closer to Galaxy, making her growl at him. “Ignited Galaxy, huh? That’s quite a strong name.” Galaxy ignored Thundercracker as Skywarp suddenly knelt down to try and pick her up. “Um, Sky, I don’t think…”

“YEEOUCH!”

Thundercracker sighed deeply. “I rest my case.”

Skywarp was holding his right hand with a grimace while blowing on it as Galaxy had bitten the palm of his hand, with her mouth still hot with plasma which caused a painful metal burn and she had pierced the metal too, so the open wounds stung even worse as Galaxy remained next to Orion and D-16. “Ow, I didn’t think sparkling dragons could hurt like that.”

Thundercracker chuckled softly. “Idiot, of course they can. They’re born with that, you know?” He shook his head and looked at Galaxy. “Don’t worry about Sky. He’s an idiot.” Galaxy growled at him and he smiled at her. “I am sorry we had to knock them out, but we have a good reason for it. They won’t be harmed, okay?” She didn’t respond. “Okay…” He glanced at her back, right foot to see it was raised and clearly sore. “Starscream is going to be fragging furious at us. That foot is bandaged, but…ugh…”

Skywarp sighed deeply. “But it was an accident.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Thundercracker glanced around to make sure they were not spotted by anyone. “I hope whoever Starscream will send will be here soon. I hate being out in the open like this.” Skywarp nodded in agreement while still nursing his hand.

Galaxy did not relax at this time as she was not sure what to think about the High Guard right now. She had not expected them to be alive, or even on the surface. She would have thought they were killed the same day most of the other Primes died, or were captured and executed. But she hoped this was a good thing. Starscream has been the leader of the High Guard for many cycles and she knew he would want to fight Sentinel. Even though he clearly didn’t have the smartest bots with him.

She glanced at her two parents and she hoped that they would be woken up soon. She did not like how they were knocked out. Especially as it seemed that the High Guard were already treating the four bots like they were working for Sentinel, even though she did kind of understand. Regardless, she hoped that they would be woken up soon. And to Galaxy’s surprise, the bots Starscream had sent were two other bots she knew. Soundwave and Shockwave, and they immediately confirmed who she was with Starscream, despite him hearing Galaxy through the com link. Clearly, he had not fully trust her, or rather, Skywarp and Thundercracker with the news about her existence. Which made Galaxy feel a little more distrust towards Starscream, as she knew a lot has changed since the death of the Primes and he obviously isn’t the same Starscream she had been told about. And that was either a good thing or a bad thing.

Chapter Text

Galaxy stayed very close to Orion, D-16, Elita and B-127 as they were transported to where the High Guard had been living. When she saw where the High Guard had been staying, it was rather unexpected. It was a base built on top of a cliff against a high mountain that covered the area so they wouldn’t be spotted very easily. All the material that had been used to building the base had come from various places on the surface. Galaxy even noticed some material looked like it had come from Tempest, but she wasn’t so sure. Regardless, Galaxy did wonder how long the High Guard have been here for as she wasn’t sure if they moved around or not.

She also never let any of the bots pick her up. Soundwave and Shockwave offered, but she almost bit at their hands like she had with Skywarp, so the bots relented and none of the bots dared to touch the dragon. Despite being young, she was already showing she could defend herself if needed and she wasn’t going to let anyone hurt her parents, Elita or B-127. She even snapped at a few of the bots when the bots had unintentionally almost dropped the bots or scraped their bodies against something, which made them flinch.

The only thing that she allowed was Shockwave wanting to gag B. He was just talking incoherently while unconscious, and Shockwave was extremely irritated by it. It was like B-127 was having an entire conversation, and everyone could hear him. He was loud enough that he could have drawn attention. Though Galaxy insisted that the gag was not tight, so she watched intently when it was placed around B’s head, though that didn’t really stop him from mumbling through the gag either. Galaxy at least knew that he would be quite a loud talker in his recharge.

Upon entering the base, Galaxy glanced around to see there was a lot of the High Guard still here. She estimated at least a hundred, though she wasn’t sure. They were all staring at her in surprise, while also glancing at the four bots with frowns and distrust. Galaxy growled as she didn’t know if she was going to like this, especially as the High Guard would be trying to protect themselves and have distrust for any new bot that they meet.

“Knockout!” Galaxy flinched when Soundwave spoke suddenly and she glanced around before spotting a red bot approaching. “Make sure you take a look at Skywarp’s hand. He decided to be a dolt and get himself bitten by this little dragon here.”

Knockout leaned a little to see the dragon was close to the four bots being carried into the base. He noticed she was favoring her back right foot. “And what about her back paw there?”

Shockwave sighed deeply as he glanced at the sparkling for a moment. “I doubt you are going to drag her away from these four trespassers. She called one of them daddy so I am assuming she has been adopted by them. And judging by her colours, the big blue and red one probably is one of them.”

“Right, right…” Knockout huffed as he looked at Skywarp, who was still nursing his hand and Knockout smirked a little. “You really should know better than to try and pick up a dragon sparkling, Skywarp. Their bites hurt just as much, you know?”

“I know that now.” Skywarp glanced at the sparkling as she walked by, though she ignored him as she remained close to the four bots. “Uh, if she lets you, you’d better. Um…she ended up getting her tail and back legs crushed by the large bot’s chassis. It is no wonder she is a bit worked up about it.” Skywarp shook his hand as he walked with Knockout to head to the med bay.

“And we didn’t make a good impression either,” Thundercracker added bluntly while glancing at Soundwave. “What are your thoughts on this? You can usually detect things better than we can.”

“You were the two fools who didn’t notice the sparkling before you knocked these four unconscious. My opinions matter not, only whatever Starscream will decide. For the moment, he will want to speak with the sparkling since dragons are still on our side.” Galaxy glanced at Soundwave as she wondered how often the dragons from the Wight Canyon interact with the High Guard. “Trojan will want to know of this.”

Wait, Trojan is still alive?! I had no idea! A lot of the strongest draconic bots were killed at the fall of Tempest, so I am so happy to hear that. But I must not let that on, since they clearly want to interrogate. Ugh…hopefully, Starscream is still as reasonable as he used to be. But all this fighting might have made him lose hope.

Speaking of Starscream, the crowd of bots had moved aside to leave a path, and Galaxy spotted Starscream. He was sitting on a throne, which surprised her as he once never had that kind of desire. But it seemed he definitely has changed now that they were no longer working for the Primes or helping to take Iacon from Sentinel. And seeing him sitting on a thrown made her tank churn a little as she didn’t like it.

Starscream was watching silently as B, Elita, Orion and D-16 were placed on the ground before Starscream. Galaxy checked the four bots for any injuries and Starscream immediately noticed the sparkling’s injured paw. Starscream slammed his fists on the sides of the thrown as he stood up. “Thundercracker! Skywarp! Get over here! Now!”

Thundercracker grumbled as he walked over with a grimace. “I knew you would say something. But that injury to her paw was there when we had shot the bots before, Starscream…”

“I don’t care about that! Clearly, she still ended up hurt because of your incompetence. Where is Skywarp?!”

“The dragon had bitten his hand and he is now with Knockout getting treated for the injury, Starscream,” Shockwave responded and Starscream seemed surprised before he was immediately amused. “In my opinion, I think that would be enough punishment.”

“Heh, yes. I agree. Draconic sparklings can have a very sharp sting if they bite. I remember the many dragons who would bite on my wings while playing with them.” Starscream shuddered as little as he thought about it. “Even though they never mean it, it hurts. But Skywarp would have received the full power. Anyway…” Starscream looked at Galaxy as she glanced around. “Ignited Galaxy…” The sparkling flinched and growled lightly as she looked at Starscream as his voice softened. “I apologize for this…um…the way we are meeting. I assure you we didn’t know you were with those four bots, as I would have ordered a completely different apprehension of them. Regardless, you know them, don’t you?”

Galaxy nodded. “I do. But I would think it would than make it obvious that they are not your enemy, Starscream. I don’t ever remember knowing you ever being rash like this.”

“I am afraid fifty cycles are a very long time, young one. Things have changed much since the fall of the Primes and Tempest. You cannot expect me to be the same as I once was.” Galaxy was silent, even though she did know that was a true fact. “At least my spark can feel relief knowing that Oranos’s plan had worked. Triton had told me of the plan sometime after the fall, just as he and the other dragons helped to protect the rest of us within the Wight Canyon before settling here.”

“Oh, so you’ve been here that long.” Starscream nodded affirmatively. Galaxy looked around some more before looking back at him. “But…you’ve done nothing since?”

Starscream scoffed loudly. “I am afraid we aren’t able to do anything, Galaxy. I know you are looking at the numbers of the guard still here, but this is not even more than half of the numbers we used to have. Our numbers have dwindled from the many raids we have attempted against the Quintessons and Sentinel alike. Unfortunately, we are actually outnumbered now, and doing anything would be suicide.”

Okay, I guess that is fair. I guess without the help of the Primes and new recruits being trained to become part of the High Guard, the army has dwindled so much. I do not even know how many there was supposed to be anyway.

“And unfortunately, with the dragons being targeted by the Quintessons as well in their patrols, they have had to remain within the chasms of the canyon since. I know the numbers have grown, as Triton tells me from time to time. And they have taken refuge within a large cavern under the canyon, but they’re undetectable at least.” Starscream intakes deeply as he rests his right fist on his cheek. “I can tell that you might have thought overwise, Ignited Galaxy. But I am sorry that things have not gone in the way we would have wanted. Even with you being alive and mostly well, I am not sure if that changes anything. Even though one of Oranos’s sister’s sons is starting to show signs he has Oranos’s abilities and I hear rumors of a new Prime rising soon, I am doubtful things will ever change.”

I totally forgot about Oranos’s sister! I think her name was Iris…Iris…something, I do not remember. I think she was all white with golden streaks on her back and her wings were gold and some rainbow tips…I think…Primus, I don’t even know if Iris is the right name now. Ugh…

Galaxy intakes deeply as she relaxed slightly. “Well, I believe things will change, Starscream. It would be great to have your help. After all, these two…” Galaxy points to Orion and D-16. “Are my new parents. They’re called Orion Pax and D-16. They have been for the last cycle and a bit. And they have just learned the truth about Sentinel.”

“Hmmph…about time…you must have been pretty convincing.” Galaxy shook her head and was about to respond as Starscream continued talking. “Well, whatever, I do not even know if you are telling the truth.”

Galaxy frowned immediately and growled a little. “And why would I lie?”

“I don’t think you are, intentionally. For all I know they’re spies and…”

“You know Sentinel would have put one of those fragging collars on my neck if we were!” Galaxy snapped and Starscream narrowed his optics at her interruption. “You saw Cosmic, Firedrake and Sky Blade with the collars on them, haven’t you?” Starscream nodded slightly. “The Quintessons gave the collars to Sentinel to use on the dragons. He’s wanting to tap into my ancestry. With…Wraith.”

Starscream stared at the sparkling for a moment and he hummed slightly. “Yes, I am aware of the collars, Galaxy. But I also know that even though dragons are smart, sparklings can be taught things that aren’t necessarily true. I won’t even bother asking Soundwave to confirm it because I know it for a fact.” Galaxy whimpered as she didn’t like that Starscream was implying that what she has been taught wasn’t necessarily true. “Anyway, I think that’s enough talking with you.”

Galaxy shook her head at him. “Starscream, I haven’t lied. I was the only one living in Iacon to know the truth. I had been transformed in my bot form for the whole time I was there. It is why I wasn’t ever caught, because Sentinel is still looking for me. He still wants to put that collar around my neck.”

Starscream listened quietly as he intakes deeply. “I believe you on that fact, Galaxy. Sentinel’s goal is to put one on every single dragon alive. And any existing eggs, he will want to give to the Quintessons so they can alter for their own desire.” Galaxy grimaced immediately as she did not know that part. “We found out that part a long time ago. I don’t know how much has changed, but it does not matter. Since you refuse to get any help for your injury, I guess there isn’t much else to talk about.”

“Of course there is!” Galaxy snapped in frustration. “You cannot be that dense, Starscream. I thought you were reasonable, or at least, that’s what my sire would tell me. My carrier said the same thing, but she was more partial to Soundwave than you.”

Soundwave seemed pleased by this as the blue bot hummed softly. “Solarian was a very noble draconic bot. It was a great honor to know her, and to know and fight alongside Comet Hammer.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Solarian preferred Soundwave because she liked that he is quiet. She apparently never liked the sound of my voice, for whatever reason. That was more apparent when she was carrying her egg and carriers always find small things to get upset over.” Galaxy wanted to laugh because she did not know Solarian felt that way about Starscream. “But while I will always hold Comet and Solarian as highly, respected warriors, along with the many others who had fallen, like Eruptor, Juggernaut and many others, we are in a war right now, Galaxy. We cannot always trust the words of others, even those who might be an ally. Even you.” Galaxy growled a little. “And why is that yellow bot muttering in his unconscious state?! That’s so annoying!”

Shockwave shook his head. “Not sure, Starscream. But he was talking nonsense before, and clearly the gag hasn’t stopped him. If Solarian disliked your voice, I bet she would feel the same for him.”

“Well…B-127 was banished to the sublevels for a long time. He’s talkative because he hasn’t socialized in cycles and he had lost someone to Sentinel as well.” Starscream didn’t react to Galaxy’s explanation. “Um, but, look they’re good bots. Daddy, dadda, ma…uh, auntie Elita and B-127 are my family now. They mean no harm.”

Starscream sighed deeply. “Well, I am afraid that is for me to find out, Galaxy.” He glanced at Thundercracker who stood by the four bots. “Alright, take those stunners off and wake them up, Thunder. We are wasting time.”

Galaxy turned her head when she heard the stunner discs being removed and Orion woke up instantly with a loud gasp. She immediately ran over as Orion blinked while intaking heavily and sitting up slowly. “Daddy, are you okay?”

Orion nodded as the sparkling climbed onto his legs before he picked her up for a moment. “Yeah, I am.” He glanced around at the bots looking at him, and a couple holding weapons at the bots, noticing Elita, B and D-16 all sitting up as well. “Um…what is this place?”

Galaxy glanced around at the bots. “Well…not sure, but these guys are hiding up here.” She nuzzled his chassis gently. “At least you’re okay.” Orion nodded as he moved his arms around her protectively. But Galaxy began to wiggle. “I want to go to dadda now.”

“Not right now, Galaxy. I don’t know if they will…” Orion paused for a moment as he realized Galaxy might have been stunned too and he looked at her with worry. “Were you knocked out too?” She shook her head. “Are you sure?” Galaxy nodded. Orion was relieved to hear that. “Good. I guess they saw you were a sparkling and didn’t do anything. At least that is good, that is.” Orion intakes deeply as he glanced around. “But you’re staying with me.”

Galaxy huffed as she wanted to go to D. “Okay…but your chassis did squish my sore paw when you fell.” Orion widened his optics in shock. “Not your fault, daddy. These bots…didn’t know I was with you until they shot you.”

Orion frowned slightly. “I am surprised they haven’t given you medical attention.”

“I wasn’t leaving you or dadda alone. I already bit one of them for trying to pick me up.” Orion raised an eyebrow, not knowing if he should approve or not with Galaxy’s response. “And I won’t go anywhere unless you come with me."

Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back gently as he cradled her protectively in his arms. “Now, that sparkling has already given some explanation about you four.” Orion glanced towards Starscream, not knowing who he was as he didn’t recognize any of the bots before him. “But I am wanting to know from your four yourselves. So are you spies? Or just some incompetent lackeys?”

Orion shook his head immediately. “We’re not spies…”

“But he is incompetent.” Galaxy looked at Elita in surprise, and Elita smirked slightly at the sparkling. Galaxy had no idea why Elita would even say that.

Soundwave raised his hand to the side of his helm, producing soundwaves to see Orion’s mind. “Scanning electrical impulses. He speaks the truth, just as the sparkling had done before.”

“That could mean he simply believes himself, like any spy would. But…” Starscream leaned back in his throne slightly as he looked at Galaxy. “Galaxy has told me you and that silver mech behind you are her new parents.” He frowned when B-127 began trying to shout through the gag, pointing at the bots excitedly. “Oh, great! What is he trying to say now?”

Elita was staring at B in confusion as she glanced at the bots. “Why is he gagged?”

“He wouldn’t stop talking!” Shockwave gestured to the yellow bot in irritation.

“Even when he was unconscious?”

Shockwave stamped his foot in irritation. “Especially when he was unconscious!”

Galaxy giggled a little. “I can confirm. B is very talkative in his recharge.”

“Enough!” Starscream barked, looking at the bots with a frown. “Now, normally there would only be two options for you. Either option would result in your deaths. But as Ignited Galaxy here is the daughter of a couple of old friends of mine, I no longer feel that it is needed.” Galaxy smiled in relief as she had not expected for Starscream to admit he was thinking of killing the four bots. “Comet Hammer and Solarian probably would haunt me in my dreams if I hurt their daughter that way.”

“Wait, you knew Galaxy’s birth parents?” Orion asked in surprise as he stared at him. “Wait, if you knew the dragons from Tempest…why are you out here in exile?”

Elita nodded. “Yeah, who are you guys anyway?”

B-127 yelled through his gag as he pulled on it until he was able to throw it off with a sigh. As soon as he did so, he began shouting and gesturing excitedly. “The Cybertronian High Guard!”

“Ugh, I told you it wasn’t tight enough!” Shockwave complained to Soundwave in irritation. “But you had to listen to the sparkling not wanting it to be that tight.”

“Prestigious defenders of Iacon!” B-127 continued and Orion stared at the bots as he finally realized who they were.

Elita was frowning in confusion though. “Prestigious?”

“He’s right. I read all about you in the archives.” Orion seemed to relax a little bit upon this realization and Galaxy was smiling as she was glad that they did know who they were. “You were the most legendary warriors of Cybertron. It now makes complete sense that you knew Comet Hammer and Solarian. You would have fought alongside them in the Quintesson war before…everything that happened fifty cycles ago.”

“Yeah, yeah! They certainly did!” B-127 exclaimed excitedly before gesturing and pointing to each bot in front of him. “Look, look! That’s Starscream, and you’re Shockwave and Soundwave!” He chuckled before raising his hand. “Raise your hand if wave is in your name. There’s a lot of waves.”

“Silence!” B flinched from Starscream’s sudden bark and Galaxy looked at Starscream with a frown as Starscream relaxed slightly on his chair. “The yellow annoying one is correct.” B-127 cheered immediately, and Starscream frowned slightly at him, but proceeded to speak. “We were once the High Guard. We witnessed Sentinel’s betrayal, saw the Primes fall, watched Tempest being razed to the ground. Since that day, we’ve been fighting in the shadows, doing whatever we can to sabotage Sentinel. And unfortunately, what you see around you is not as many of the guard as there used to be.” Orion glanced around as he had not noticed the lower numbers before him. “We were lucky that the draconic bots were able to assist us while Sentinel was focused in trying to hunt down the stasis pod Oranos had made for Galaxy. They brought us into Wight Canyon until we were able to leave and reside here.”

Orion smiled as he relaxed completely. “That means you must get draconic visitors from time to time.”

Starscream nodded. “We do, but it is not as common now. The Quintessons regularly patrol the borders of the Wight Canyon. We are not sure if any other dragons have fallen into their clutches or not. But unfortunately, due to our lack of numbers, we cannot assist them. So our focus is trying to disrupt Sentinel’s alliance with the Quintessons.”

“That’s great!” Orion stood up suddenly, making the guards in front of him raise their weapons towards him and Galaxy tensed, hissing at them and surprising Orion at her sudden protectiveness, and also hearing her hiss slightly startled him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, I got a sparkling in my arms. You don’t need to be aiming them at her. So we’re good, right? Relax!” The bots lower their weapons as Orion did not proceed forward. “I am saying we are also allies. We are not spies, and what Galaxy has told you is true.” Starscream tightened his jaw knowing Orion had no idea what Galaxy had told them. “We were on our way back to Iacon, and now with your help, we can unify Cybertron against Sentinel Prime and the Quintessons. We can bring the truth to everyone in Iacon and free the dragons from hiding in the Wight Canyon.” Galaxy didn’t know why Orion called Sentinel a Prime again, but she figured it was just a habit.

Starscream was unmoved by Orion’s words though as he seemed to be irritated by it or simply uncaring. “The idea of a unified Cybertron is a myth. We had tried it once before, and it didn’t work then. Now all that counts is the strength of one bot over another!”

Galaxy flinched as the guard cheered suddenly and she raised an eyebrow as she didn’t fully understand why. Clearly, Starscream was seeing Cybertron through a different lens now due to what he has been through. He probably would enjoy a unified Cybertron if it happened, but she guessed maybe he felt this war was hopeless. That would actually explain a lot as to what was going through Starscream’s mind at this time. Especially since he didn’t seem to trust the bots in front of him, even her.

B leaned towards Elita with a worried expression. “Okay, so these guys are a little intense.”

Elita nodded as she glanced at the bots. “Yeah. Just a little.”

Orion and Galaxy were both a little worried at this time too. Galaxy grumbled as she glanced around, feeling disappointed about the High Guard at this time. Her sire wasn’t the only one who had spoken very highly of Starscream. But Galaxy was guessing that this was simply the result of a war going only for many cycles. After losing the Primes, witnessing Sentinel’s betrayal and the destruction of Tempest would scar just about bot. So this was merely what was left, in a sense that they were just surviving now. They were not really fighting anymore.

“HEY!” Galaxy flinched as she looked at Starscream when he stood up suddenly after shouting. Orion stepped back a little, but they quickly realized Starscream was looking at someone else. “What are you doing?”

Orion turned, surprised to see D-16 had stood up and turned to walk away. Galaxy was also surprised. They didn’t hear him move at all. Several bots moved to block D-16’s way, making him stop, his body was rigged and his hands clenched tightly. Galaxy worried that this brazen action would make them all look bad, because she didn’t want any of them to die because of the action of one, even though D-16 wanted to leave.

“I tell you what I’m not doing.” D-16 turned sharply, glaring at Starscream with optics filled with the same anger he had for Sentinel, which Galaxy wanted to jump over to him to remind him that Starscream was not Sentinel. “I’m not cowering in some busted ship, playing king of the throne.” Starscream walked down the stairs slowly, glaring at D as D-16 walked towards Starscream. “I’m not pretending like I’m making a difference by throwing a punch and running away to hide!” Galaxy hummed a little as D was making a point, even if his frustration was being vented to the wrong bot. “I found out Sentinel is rotten today, a little too late because I was too stupid to listen to my daughter when she told me he was evil. And I’m gonna make him pay for it! I’m going to make him pay for everything he’s done! TODAY!”

Starscream was unmoved and unbothered by D-16’s words, approaching him slowly and Galaxy wiggled in Orion’s arms, still wanting to get out. But Orion kept a hold of her, knowing she was too small to get between them, even if she had tried protecting them earlier. “You think you can insult me and just walk away?” Galaxy whimpered as she watched Starscream walk closer to D. “No one leaves here, unless I say so.”

D-16 smirked slightly as Starscream stepped right up to D, clearly trying to use his height to intimidate D. “Is that right?” D glanced down at the ground for a moment, licking his teeth roughly before looking directly at Starscream’s optics. “Well, how can you say so with my head in your teeth?!” Starscream was confused briefly before D-16 headbutted the bot right in the mouth.

“D!”

“Dadda!”

Orion and Galaxy shouted to him at the same time, shocked that D-16 actually decided to fight Starscream. However, even though he had started the fight, the other bots of the High Guard did not even step in. In fact, they began to cheer and encourage the fight between D and Starscream. Elita and B-127 both get to their feet in shock as they didn’t want to be in the way in case the fight was unintentionally moved in their direction.

The force from the headbutt did make Starscream stumble back in surprise, before he quickly got into a defensive stance, glaring at D-16 as D also raised his fists, ready to fight the leader of the High Guard. Turning on the jets in his feet, Starscream flew upward slightly before flipping forward in an attempt to kick D-16 right on the head with his left foot. D-16 raised his arm to block the attack, only to widen his optics as Starscream turned the jet on right in his face, making him stumble back and Starscream flew upward again.

Galaxy stared in confusion and shock as Starscream flipped again, flying directly at D-16 and grabbed up, flying upward towards the ceiling. She didn’t know if D could even fight back, since D didn’t have any fighting experience, while Starscream had cycles of experience behind him. Plus, D couldn’t fly, so he was at a disadvantage right now and Galaxy did not know what kind of fight this was going to be. Even though Starscream didn’t do anything to warrant this fight.

Starscream slammed D into the ceiling and held him against the metal as he began to punch D in the abdomen multiple times, getting really hard hits against him. D grunted loudly before transforming his right leg into the wheel part for his vehicle mode, and used it to kick Starscream in the chassis. The reinforcement of the part made the kick on Starscream even harder than it would be normally, which resulted in Starscream falling from the ceiling towards the stairs.

D transformed his leg back to normal when he pushed off the ceiling, glaring down at Starscream as the bot landed hard on the stairs. Starscream tried to get up as D landed on top of him, pressing his knees down firmly against the bot’s chassis, holding the bot down and causing Starscream to grimace slightly. D raised his fist and proceeded to punch Starscream right in the face, making Galaxy whimper and wanting to look away, but she couldn’t at the same time.

“Hit me!” Starscream shouted suddenly, smirking at D as if he was encouraging something out of D, while also enraging D-16 at the smug expression from Starscream. D-16 grabbed the bot’s shoulder firmly and punched him again. “Do it! Come on!” Another punch landed on Starscream’s face and Galaxy noticed Shockwave stepping forward, only for Soundwave to prevent him from interfering. They were intrigued by this fight somehow. “Yeah, more!”

Galaxy shook her head in disbelief. “Why is Starscream encouraging him?!”

“I don’t know.” Orion placed his hand over Galaxy’s face, and she nipped at his fingers. “Ow!” He looked at Galaxy in surprise. “You shouldn’t be seeing this. Don’t do that again.”

Galaxy’s bottom lip trembled. “But I have to. Dadda is…different.”

Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back gently, knowing he was as confused as her. He looked at D as D-16 had paused on punching Starscream’s face when he noticed that the guard were cheering loudly. It had not occurred to him that no one would step in and stop him from attacking Starscream. That only seemed to solidify to D-16 that Starscream was not a good leader. Orion could not understand this at all. Especially as the bots were chanting D-16’s name.

D-16 looked at the bots, his hand had moved from Starscream’s shoulder to his neck, holding firmly as the bot struggled to pull him off. “You want to see the strength of one bot over another? Huh?!”

D-16 glared at Starscream, punching his face again. Starscream grimaced while also still speaking to him. “Is that all you got, tough bot?” Galaxy gasped as she noticed something was wrong with Starscream’s voice. And she realized that D-16 was crushing Starscream’s vocal processor, making her worried he was genuinely going to kill him. “Let’s go! Do it! Come on!”

D-16 didn’t notice or care that Starscream’s voice was now higher pitched than before, and not as clear. While he would still be able to speak, his voice would now forever be damaged without an expect medic to repair the vocal processor. D-16 narrowed his optics as he raised his fist again, yelling angrily as he prepared to strike Starscream with a much harder punch. One that might just completely end Starscream’s life.

But in that moment, a panel opened in his right arm and a canon shifted out, arming as the large barrel pointed towards Starscream. Orion, Elita, B and Galaxy gasp as they were not expect D to pull out a weapon. They didn’t think about what kind of weapon they would even have from the t-cogs in their chassis. This also seemed to silence the other bots, as they had not realized just how enraged D-16 truly was until now, and they were now waiting to see what he would do.

D-16 looked at the weapon, staring at it in surprise, but he also seemed pleased by this. He stepped back as he took the moment to take it in before glaring at Starscream who stared at him and he pressed the barrel of canon against Starscream’s cheek. Starscream raised his hands, now genuinely concerned for his life. “Please! I beg you!”

“Stop!” Orion used his shoulders to push past a couple bots in front of him. “D, he’s not the enemy!”

“Please, stop, dadda.” D flinched and blinked when he heard Galaxy’s voice. Her tone was shaky from fear and he turned his head slightly to look back at her. The fear in her optics as she seemed genuinely afraid made his expression soften briefly, but he failed to realize she was afraid of him. “Starscream is not bad. He is…just surviving. Don’t kill him. Please…my sire fought alongside him.”

D-16 intakes deeply as his optics twitch slightly and he looked back at Starscream for a moment before he pulled the canon back. He turned to look at the other bots with a newfound confidence. “Bear witness! This is the last time I show mercy!” Galaxy whimpered as she shook his head, while D-16 was looking everywhere else but Orion, Galaxy, Elita and B-127. “Decide right now, you can stay here in hiding, bowing before your pathetic leader…” He pointed sharply at Starscream who flinched fearfully while he sat up and coughed some energon from his mouth, due to the damage from his vocal processor. “Or follow me as we march on Iacon and I take down Sentinel once and for all!”

D-16 charged his canon and shot directly at the sky, showing that he was serious, and it seemed that the High Guard had bought D-16’s words. Especially as they cheered loudly for D-16 and began to chant his name, now seemingly making him the new leader of the High Guard. Something D has never done before, and it would remain to be seen how much of a leader he would be. But he had already made a reckless decision. Storming Iacon while four dragons remain under Sentinel’s control was a terrible idea. D-16 did not know how to defend himself from one, and Sentinel would use the dragons to kill them all.

Galaxy shivered as she and Orion stare in shock, not knowing what to say or what to feel. Their sparks pulsed rapidly within their chassis as they stare, while the bots of the High Guard pushed past Orion, Elita and B to crowd around D-16 while they cheer. However, they both could see that D-16 was different. He took control of something that shouldn’t be under his leadership. And it was all done from his rage towards Sentinel.

But seeing the complete transformation within a few shorts hours since leaving Alpha Trion has left Orion and Galaxy shaken and worried. Especially as they both saw the shade of his optics changing. They were a dark orange, which were clearly filling with the mounting rage D-16 was feeling. And the fact he vented some of that rage of Starscream, almost killing him and it took Galaxy to pry him away with her voice, was extremely worrisome.

Dadda, why? Why are you different? You don’t seem like…dadda anymore. Why did Alpha Trion give you a cog? He knew something was wrong with you too, but he trusted you would do right by the ability given to you. Ugh…if I was bigger, I might take that t-cog back…if that would save others from…your rage.

While they were left stunned, a loud bang caught their attention. Orion turned his head and gasped loudly, spotting a large squadron of vehicons flying straight for them, with Airachnid flying right at the front. Galaxy widened her optics as she too noticed, as the missiles were launched from the flying bots directly at them and the High Guard. Though most of the bots didn’t even see them, so they were not expecting this ambush, and it seemed that D-16 might have been the reason due to the canon blast directly to the sky.

Orion held Galaxy tightly as the missiles impacted the ground, killing multiple bots immediately, while sending the rest flying from the impact and shockwaves from the missiles. Orion grimaced as he landed on his back, sliding backward while holding onto the dragon as she knew now that they had been found. And she had to hide, or figure out how to fight against the bots, as she had no doubt Airachnid was here because she had been searching for them. And now she had found them.

Hey readers! Wanting to let everyone know that I am heading off on a two-week cruise for a well-deserved break, and during that time, I will not be posting any chapters due to wanting to disconnect during that time. But you will know when I am back as soon as I post the next chapter. Sorry to leave this story right before where things get very interesting, but it is what it is. Feel free to read, reread, other stories on my profile in the mean time.

Chapter Text

Orion scurried to stand up and ran as the vehicons and Airachnid were still shooting at the High Guard. Many of the bots had already started to shoot back now that the shock of the ambush wore off quickly and that was good, but Orion was looking for a place of cover. B-127 followed him as he spotted Orion running with Galaxy in his arms, and he was more than willing to help cover him and the sparkling from the fight. Elita had seen them, but she had already begun to engage in combat, while D-16 likely had been thrown somewhere else or he was fighting someone. Orion didn’t see him among the chaos at this moment.

Finding a short, metal wall to crouch behind, Orion leaned and widened his optics to see that there was a lot more vehicons than there were before. Galaxy shivered as having the vehicons here with Airachnid was frightening to her. Airachnid may have already seen her, but with so many of the High Guard in the way, she probably won’t get to Galaxy for some time. And Galaxy was hoping that it would stay that way, and she also wanted to find somewhere to hide.

“Holy Primus! Where did they all come from?!” B-127 stared at the sky as he watched the vehicons fly around, shooting at the bots and many of the vehicons transforming and landing on the ground to fight. “Did we lead them here?”

Orion shook his head. “No, I think D may have got their attention with that shot at the sky.” B hummed as he realized that might be the case. Orion hummed as he looked at the trembling sparkling. “Alright, Galaxy, looks like we need to fight.”

Galaxy looked at Orion in surprise. “We?”

“I know it is scary right now, but I don’t know where you can hide that will be safe. So you need to stick close to me.” Galaxy whimpered as she was hesitant and Orion kissed the told of her head. “It will be okay. Just…bring out that inner dragon within you…” Galaxy tilted her head as she was confused by what he meant. Orion smirked at her. “What I mean is, bring out that power. Use that plasma and lightning. I know you can do it. As long as you stick close to me, you will be okay.”

“And I will have your backs!” B-127 responded enthusiastically. “Um, as soon as I find a weapon, of course. But I will definitely have your backs.”

Galaxy was not sure about it. She flinched at another explosion and she looked at Orion with tears in her optics. “But…um…I’m afraid.” Her voice was so small that it tugged at Orion’s spark, and almost brought tears into his optics.

“I know.” Orion softened his expression as he wiped a tear from her face with his thumb. “And I am asking a lot of you. But if Airachnid has already seen you, separating is not a good idea.” He had a point and Galaxy swallowed nervously. “I’m sorry you have had to become a soldier from the age of a sparkling. None of this is your fault. We will get through this, and we will get to Sentinel and stop all of this. Okay?” Galaxy grumbled a little before taking a deep intake, pushing back her tears. “Good girl. I will be right here. Okay?” Galaxy nodded before flinching from another explosion. She looked at the fight with a worried expression. “We will find Elita and D-16, and we will leave. Just stay with me.”

Galaxy stared at the fight for a moment before she swallowed and ignited her mouth with plasma, looking at Orion and Orion smiled at her. “Okay. I will…do my best, daddy. Just…don’t let me go. I don’t want to…I don’t…”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Orion flinched, moving his arms protectively around Galaxy from a nearby explosion and a blaster slid across the ground towards the bots. “But keep those wings ready if you need to get out of here. I want you to understand that if things get bad, you leave. If you can get to the Wight Canyon, then that is where you go.” Galaxy nodded, not liking that Orion was saying these things, but it was a necessary thing to say. Orion intakes deeply as he leaned down, picking up the blaster. “Let’s move!” Galaxy tensed and Orion threw the blaster at B. “B, come! Galaxy, hold on tight!”

Galaxy yelped as Orion ran forward before he transformed suddenly. He moved her onto the top of his cab rather than within his cab, and Galaxy had to open her wings slightly so she could remain balanced while holding onto Orion. Galaxy had to ignore the pain in her back right foot just to remain balanced too, but as B jumped onto Orion while holding the blaster and began shooting at the vehicons, Galaxy ducked slightly from fright.

“I got you, Galaxy.” B winked at Galaxy as she glanced at him. “Start shooting them with your plasma. We got you.”

Galaxy nodded before looking at the vehicons as B shot at them before she intakes and began blasting the vehicons with her plasma. She did not know how many vehicons were here, but it didn’t matter. She shot at them while B also shot the bots with his blaster. As the plasma were hitting the bots directly in the chassis, Galaxy was able to kill them instantly. Even at her age, her plasma was very strong. But that was unsurprising, given it was one of the strongest attacks in dragons. Even in sparklings, though not all sparklings could use plasma until much later or never.

Orion sped ahead while moving as gently as he could as B and Galaxy shot at the vehicons as he didn’t want to throw either of them off. Especially Galaxy, as he knew she was going to struggle a bit from her injury. But B and Galaxy were hitting their targets very well, and that was a good thing. Orion was very pleased that Galaxy was able to help fight back because this would give them some advantage, though it wouldn’t be much.

B dropped the blaster in his hand suddenly and launched himself forward, making Galaxy duck in surprise when the yellow bot jumped over her and used the force from Orion’s speed to launch himself at a couple of vehicons to proceed fighting them. She had not expected him to do that, as she thought he would stay with them, but she refocused on blasting the vehicons with her plasma as she did not want to allow them to get overwhelmed.

Orion also found his weapons as he opened the panels on his bumper beside the headlights and began to shoot at the bots in front of him. Galaxy smiled as he successfully shot and killed several in their way and she glanced around in the hopes of spotting Elita and D-16. She did spot Elita, who was using her two-wheeler form to speed around quickly and transform to attack the vehicons around, which was going rather well for her and she didn’t appear to have any injury, which was good.

Galaxy wanted to tell Orion where Elita was, but she heard something shift on his sides and she glanced down. “Hold on tight, Galaxy. You might have to fly a little bit, but I am able to launch myself upward to try and get a few of the bots still in the sky.”

Galaxy widened her optics in shock. “Oh, okay…” She spread her wings a little wider while tightening her hold on the cab. She glanced up at the vehicons above and she smiled a little. “I’m ready, go for it, daddy.”

Orion needed no further encouragement as he lurched forward. Galaxy realized that Orion had some kind of jets now, but not quite the ones that would allow him to fly. But rather give him a boost of speed that would allow him to launch himself upward with the right momentum and angle. And Orion was driving towards a metal rock, which pointed upwards, so when he activated the jets and sped forward, Galaxy held firm and tensed as he sped up the rock and launched upward towards the bots.

As they shot at Orion, Galaxy felt Orion transforming and she flapped her wings to push herself off him for a moment and blasted plasma at one of the vehicons. When Orion fully transformed, she grasped his shoulders, keeping her wings out wide as Orion grabbed a hold of one of the vehicons, grabbing onto the blaster of the jet and ripping off the wing with the blaster, and Galaxy blasted a few more vehicons while Orion stood up the wing as it spun in a circle and he shot at the vehicons with the blaster.

Galaxy huffed as she jumped off Orion’s shoulders for a moment as she filled her mouth with lightning instead of plasma. Orion glanced at her briefly before he continued to shoot at the bots around him before he blinked from the bright flash and Galaxy hit three vehicons with the lightning breath and caused the bots to shriek loudly before falling straight down from the electricity paralyzing their flying suddenly. After that, she unleashed a huge wave of fire in the sky, turning her head sharply to spread the flames and burning any of the vehicons flying through the flame and causing their jets to implode and make them fall to the ground.

Galaxy was pleased as she turned her head to see Orion throwing the blaster he had at a vehicon, hitting it directly in the jet and causing an explosion before a vehicon slammed into Orion’s side. Galaxy shrieked and followed them as the vehicon had transformed and tried to punch Orion’s cheek. Orion caught the bot and clamped his legs around the bot’s abdomen, which confused the vehicon and Galaxy, while she also blasted two more vehicons and rolled a few times to avoid being shot at herself.

When she heard the sound of Orion transforming through, Galaxy was surprised as while Orion held the vehicon with his arms and legs, his body twisted while transformed. This caught the vehicon’s body to immediately tear and energon spluttered from his veins as the bot was literally being snapped in half. Galaxy did not expect it at all, but it wasn’t exactly the situation to make second guesses. Especially as the vehicons were just drones for Sentinel.

Orion landed roughly on the ground once he fully transformed and Galaxy immediately landed on top of his cab, gripping firmly as she kept her wings out to keep herself balanced. “That was rather nasty, daddy. You rip him in half.”

Orion huffed lightly. “I know. It didn’t feel good though.” Orion shot at bots in front of him as Galaxy blasted two behind them. “Can you see the others? I don’t know where B went when he launched off before, and I haven’t seen Elita or D-16.”

“I saw Elita before…” Galaxy turned her head and gasped as she saw Airachnid on the ground. The bot was effortlessly shooting and moving through the guard like they were nothing, using her agility to her advantage. “But I see Airachnid! She’s cutting down everyone in her path!”

“That is not good. Is she heading our way?” Galaxy shook her head. “Good. That’s the way we want it to be. Now where are the others? We need to get out of here! And hopefully, D will be okay with being pulled away so we can leave.”

Galaxy was looking around to try and spot Elita, D and B. But she couldn’t. She was also helping blasting vehicons around them, so she couldn’t really focus on finding them. But her optics would look in Airachnid’s direction, seeing how effortlessly the bot was killing many of the members of the guard. She had no doubt that even if they leave, Airachnid will not let them get very far and she feared what will happen if and when Airachnid gets a hold of them.

Looking away from Airachnid’s direction, Galaxy spotted Elita speeding around the vehicons. “I see Elita!” Galaxy gestured in the direction she saw Elita. “I don’t B-127 anywhere, or dadda.” Galaxy whimpered as she worried about what that meant. “They might be okay.”

Orion was worried about the status of their friends, but he couldn’t exactly look around for B and D-16 right now. “Alright, we will regroup with Elita and then we will look for the other two. This is chaotic!”

Galaxy nodded in agreement, yelping as she ducked to avoid a blaster fire zipping right over her head and she hissed, blasting plasma at the vehicon who shot in their direction. She turned her head and noticed vehicons behind them and she blasted them as well. She was tempted to try and fill her claws with lightning or plasma, but she didn’t want to try to slice and dice bots up close right now. This was the best she could do. And she wasn’t about to be apart from Orion.

Orion rammed through several vehicons as they continued forward, speeding towards Elita as landed hard on top of a vehicon’s head and proceeded forward to knock over another one while speeding towards a vehicon shooting at the guard. Elita transformed, keeping herself on the ground as she used the momentum and the slow transformation of her types back into limbs as she cartwheeled forward and kicked the vehicon in the head. She knocked his blaster from his hands and stood up, glaring at the bot and kicking him firmly in the chassis. She used her foot to kick up the blaster into her hands to begin shooting at the vehicons.

Elita had been successful and she continued to shoot and dodge the vehicons as much as she could. Orion himself was glad to see how capable Elita was in combat. He was unsurprised too, since Elita was pretty good at sticking up for herself in the past, so she was more than able to take care of herself. But Orion knew she would appreciate a hand, so Orion continued to speed towards Elita, shooting at vehicons and ramming a few on his way while Galaxy was still blasting vehicons with her plasma.

But as they got closer, a vehicon landed behind Elita and she did not notice it was aiming a blaster at her. Orion did and he increased his speed, surprising Galaxy and she noticed the vehicon too. “Elita, get down!” Galaxy yelped as Orion launched himself off a rock, using his body to block the shot. “Galaxy, get off!”

Galaxy beat her wings once to jump off Orion just before Elita had turned to see Orion being shot in the side by the vehicon. The impact of the blast caused Orion to be hit into Elita, sending both of them flying. Elita was knocked unconscious from the impact as she landed onto her chassis on the ground and Orion was forced to transform, though he too was knocked unconscious as he hit the side of the mountain and landed hard on the ground, with a bunch of boulders falling on top of him.

“Daddy!” Galaxy shrieked in horror before blasting the vehicon who had shot Orion with plasma and she landed on the ground, wanting to pull the boulders away. “Daddy! Wake up!” As Galaxy placed her paws on one of the boulders to push off Orion, she flinched from explosions behind her and she looked over her shoulder. She widened her optics as she saw the High Guard was being overrun and it seemed they were losing. “Oh, no.” She looked back at the boulder pile. “Daddy, I don’t want to leave you.” She sniffled as tears fill her optics before an explosion nearby made her shriek. His words echoed in her mind for her to leave. “I’ll come back after finding a place to hide.”

Though she didn’t even know where to look. She looked over at Elita and scurried over to her, nuggling the femme’s cheek gently. Elita frowned and murmured a little, but she was clearly knocked out and Galaxy didn’t know if she would wake up. But now, Galaxy was worried that prisoners will be taken. She did not know where she could go, as there was still so much chaos happening right now.

She glanced around in a panic before she cloaked herself, deciding it was best to not be visible. As she did so, she glanced around some more before a nearby explosion made her shriek and she bolted towards the mountain in the hopes to find somewhere to hide. She at least wouldn’t have to worry about being spotted, but Airachnid will know she is here. So she just hoped that she could remain hidden until this moves on, and she could come back out safely to get Orion out from under the pile of boulders. And to find where D-16 is, along with B-127.

She ducked behind a body of a fallen bot and looked over the torn chassis, watching as the vehicons were overwhelming the High Guard. Many of them were starting to take unconscious bots and Galaxy began to count how many there were that were being taken as prisoner. She did not see Starsceam, Shockwave, Soundwave, B-127 or D-16 at this time, which she was able to sigh in relief of, but seeing it made her worry even more. And she was tempted to go back to try and hide Elita, in case Airachnid decided to take the femme.

She shrieked when there was another explosion and the ground shook before she ran from the torn body and jumped when the lower torso of a body dropped down in front of her, making her grimace as energon spluttered over the ground and the internals of the body was hanging loosely from the hip joints. She felt her tank churning in disgust before she ran from the body, still looking for somewhere to take shelter in and wait for this to be over. Since she was not sure if she should try to make for Wight Canyon right now, hiding was the best option for the time being.

Flinching from another explosion, Galaxy found a small cave covered by moss and she immediately scurried over to it and crouched to fit inside. She whimpered softly as she pressed herself against the wall, shifting so she could look out of the cave so she could see what was happening. The only thing she could see was vehicons taking down the High Guard, and gathering prisoners to take back to Iacon with them. Galaxy felt utterly helpless right now. All she could do was wait for something to happen, and she didn’t know what to expect.

She glanced around as tears fall from her optics onto the ground, flanci g back towards where Orion and Elita were, and she spotted Airachnid. The femme had a smug expression as she gazed around at the destruction before her. She was thoroughly enjoying what has happened to the bots of the High Guard, though she was looking around for something or someone at the same time. Galaxy didn’t have to guess very hard on who Airachnid was looking for, but she still remained where she was for the moment.

That was until she saw two vehicons dragging an unconscious D-16 and B-127 over and set them down hard beside Airachnid. Galaxy widened her optics with a gasp, staring in disbelief. This is what she had feared would happen to them, and now she worried that Orion and Elita would face the same fate. After all, they too were unconscious, and Airachnid has either not noticed them or didn’t care that they were there at this time. Either way, this was not good. And Galaxy wished she was bigger, because she would definitely do something.

“Ignited Galaxy!” Galaxy flinched when Airachnid shouted her name, which echoed over the razed base of the former High Guard. “I know you are still here. You are cloaked somewhere, and I bet you are waiting to come out. But that is not going to work this time.” Airachnid armed her blaster on her right arm and aimed it directly at B-127’s forehead. “You have exactly five seconds to reveal yourself, and surrender willingly, or I kill your new friend. If you do not come out when he dies, I will kill D-16.” Galaxy shook her head. “The choice is your. One...”

No, no, no! This cannot be happening! Why, Primus, why?

“Two!”

Galaxy flinched as she let out a sob. “Dadda...why did you shoot at the sky?”

“Three!”

Galaxy gasped as Airachnid began charging her blaster, getting ready to fire at B-127. “Four!”

Galaxy shrieked as she scurried out of the cave. The movement of the moss, dirt and dust made Airachnid look in her direction as Galaxy dropped the cloak. “Please, d-don’t shoot. I...I will cooperate. Don’t hurt them.”

Airachnid grinned as she lowered her arm now that the dragon had revealed herself. “Well, well, about time.” Galaxy shuddered as she glanced down, not wanting to stare at Airachnid’s optics. “We have waited a long time for this moment.” Airachnid turned to the vehicons behind her. “Start gathering all of our prisoners. Sentinel will want to make an example out of all of them, along with the demonstration of his new pet.” Galaxy frowned as she knew Airachnid was referring to her. She heard footsteps approaching and she crouched fearfully, whimpering as she waited. “Don’t be afraid, little dragon. You are...AARRGH!”

Galaxy jumped to her paws in surprise as Airachnid was shot at from the left and she turned her head to see Starsceam had shot at Airachnid and he ran over towards them. “Get out of here, Galaxy!” Galaxy was stunned to see he had come out to protect her. Galaxy did scramble back, but only because Starscream ran to stand between her and Airachnid, aiming his blasters at Airachnid who smirked at him in amusement. “You had better keep back from the dragon, Airachnid.”

Airachnid chuckled softly. “Wow, what happened to your voice?” Starscream narrowed his optics at the mocking tone of the femme. “You sound like something burned your throat. Maybe it, a dragon perhaps?” Airachnid chuckled as she raised her spider legs, ready to fight. “Do you really think you can take me on, all by yourself?”

“No, but...”

“No, is the right answer.” Airachnid did not give Starscream time to answer as she lunged and tackled Starscream to the ground roughly. Galaxy ran to the right to avoid being hit, watching as Starscream punched the femme’s head a few times before she caught his fists, holding them firmly with a smirk before she knocked him out with one of her blasters. Galaxy had thought he was dead, but he wasn’t, and she was glad. “Fool.” Airachnid stood up, brushing dust from her arms while glancing at the trembling sparkling. She huffed in amusement before raising her left to open her com link. “Sentinel, you will be happy to know that I located some of those who were with Alpha Trion. That babbling idiot you sent to sub-level fifty and D-16. I don’t see Orion Pax anywhere, but it doesn’t. They led me to what is left of the High Guard.”

Sentinel’s laugh through the com link made Galaxy shuddered with fear. “Seriously?! Wow! That’s wonderful! Have you apprehended Starscream and the rest of the crew?”

“I can confirm I have Starscreamin custody and many of the other former High Guard. But Shockwave and Soundwave are probably under the rubble here.” Sentinel huffed through the com link, still pleased with what Airachnid has achieved, even if it wasn’t everything that he wanted. “But that is not the best part. We have her.”

Sentinel gasped loudly. “Ignited Galaxy?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful!” Galaxy grimaced as she didn’t want to hear the joy in Sentinel’s voice from knowing he now had Galaxy within his grasp. “Ugh! I have waited so long for this!” Sentinel sighed deeply. “Okay, make sure none of you injure her on the way back, and I will send you coordinates to the room where you will bring Galaxy to, Airachnid. The last thing we need is for the dragons to react badly again to try and protect their little sparkling, just as they failed to protect Alpha Trion.” Galaxy gasped as Alpha Trion essentially admits that he killed Alpha Trion out loud. “That way...there will no trouble once I acquire her officially.”

“Understood. But you should be aware that Galaxy already has an injury on her back right paw. It does not appear to have been inflicted today, but it definitely is recent.” There was silence on the other end, which meant that Sentinel was not happy about that. “I am not sure how bad it is, but will there need to be a medic?”

Sentinel was silent for a few minutes before he responded with a sigh. “I guess there isn’t much we can do if those dolts ended up injuring that sparkling while in their hands. Just bring her, and I will decide if she gets treated or not. But it won’t matter once she is under my control.”

Airachnid nodded. “Understood, Sentinel. We are on our way now.” Galaxy flinched as Airachnid walked towards her and Galaxy hissed when the femme leaned down to pick her up. “Just a fair warning, Galaxy. Any attempt at escape will result in the deaths of these two bots. So if you want them to live, you will not act like a brat.”

Galaxy just nodded as the femme picked her up roughly, making Galaxy grimaced at the feeling and she looked over at B-127 and D-16 to see they were being lifted off the ground by vehicons. Starscream was also being carried off from the ground and Airachnid transformed part of her body to begin flying upward. Galaxy sniffled as she felt defeated right now. She didn’t want to go to Iacon now. She just wanted to be in Orion’s or D-16’s arms right now, where she would feel safe and feel reassured that things will be okay. But she couldn’t right now.

She glanced back down, looking toward Elita and the rubble covering Orion. She noticed Elita had just awoken, and Galaxy thought about alerting her, but she decided against it in case Airachnid killed B or D-16. However, Elita did seem to notice them, though she seemed to need time to get herself up and not feel dazed from being knocked unconscious like the way she had been. But at least she knew that Airachnid had captured multiple bots, and the sparkling, so a plan can be put in place. It was needed.

I hope you and daddy figure something out, and fast, Elita. I know Sentinel will put a collar on me. And I don’t know what he will force me to do. I am scared...very scared. Especially since Sentinel will have me separated from the other dragons so they do not see until it is too late...I am...very worried. Hopefully, if you can cut the collar off, I will be okay. I will be waiting for you.

Chapter Text

Galaxy trembled as Airachnid held firmly onto her. Airachnid deliberately had moved her arms to press Galaxy’s wings against the sparkling’s back. But the femme was squeezing hard enough that her sharp fingers were digging into her wings and it Galaxy did not like it. And she didn’t fully understand since Sentinel had given Airachnid instruction to not let the sparkling be harmed. Though the femme probably was pushing it by ensuring Galaxy knew that there was no escaping the femme’s grasp. And Galaxy didn’t want to since she knew that Airachnid would kill B-127 and, or D-16 in front of her. She did not want to do that.

Galaxy was still hoping with all her spark that Orion and Elita would be able to save her. Galaxy did think they would get to Iacon right now, but she also knew that they would not leave her to suffer from what Sentinel has planned for her. She just didn’t know how long she would have to wait though. She knew she may not remember anything if Sentinel was going to put a collar on her. But that gave her little comfort since she knew it meant that whatever action she would do, would be because of Sentinel’s control.

Galaxy glanced at the unconscious D-16 and B-127, worried what fate awaited them. She knew the reason why they had not been executed yet since Sentinel likely had plans for them. She could really only guess what they were as whatever he planned was going to benefit Sentinel, and Sentinel alone. She shivered as she tried not to think of it, as she really wished she could go back in time a few hours and maybe stop all of this from happening. But she could not. She could only hope this nightmare would end.

As they got closer to Iacon, Galaxy could see the entrances down into the city and she grimaced, knowing they were about to descend into the city. She thought about how she might try to reach the other dragons, but she wasn’t sure if she had time. She also wasn’t old enough to be able to send a signal through the planet to alert other dragons that she needs aid. So she was thinking of a way that she could try to get their attention, but she didn’t have much time to do it. And her mind was not able to calm enough for her to be able think clearly enough.

As Airachnid and the other vehicons descended through the entrance into Iacon, Galaxy trembled as she gazed around the city. She wanted so badly to flee and tell the truth to everyone, but she knew that would not work. She glanced at D-16, B-127, Starscream and the other bots who were being carried by the vehicons to see they were separating. Galaxy whimpered as she didn’t like that she was being separated. But she knew it was to shield her from being detected by the other dragons. Which told Galaxy that Sentinel didn’t trust them to not react, which was somewhat good because Galaxy wouldn’t want them to be killed over her.

Airachnid flew towards a small tower just right of the council chambers and Galaxy whimpered. She did not know if Sentinel was going to be waiting inside or not, but she was terrified and she closed her optics, wishing this was nothing more than a terrible nightmare. Though Airachnid tightened her grip and pressed her fingers into the sparkling’s sides, making the dragon squirm a little from pain, though she didn’t make a huge fuss in case Airachnid would react badly to it.

Airachnid landed firmly after flying through the entrance and walked inside before she dropped Galaxy onto the ground. Galaxy yelped as she reopened her optics due to being startled and landed hard on the ground of the empty space. She whimpered as she slowly stood up, hearing the door slamming shut and making her flinch fearfully. Galaxy turned her head to see Airachnid circling her with a smug expression. The femme was clearly feeling very pleased with Galaxy’s situation. Airachnid was showing zero remorse for it too.

Airachnid lifted her hand to her com link to activate it. “We are here and waiting for you, Sentinel. She won’t go anywhere while I am here keeping an eye on her.”

“Excellent work, Airachnid. I am on my way.” Sentinel sounded too gleeful and Galaxy whimpered, looking around to see there was nothing in the room. It hasn’t been used for anything in a long time. “Make sure she does not try to escape or alert the other dragons. And do not hurt her, though I know I can’t stop you from scaring her. Just don’t intimidate her so much that she hurts herself.”

“I will do my best, Sentinel. We will be waiting for you.” Airachnid turned off the com link as Galaxy remained where she was. Airachnid huffed in amusement at the sparkling’s terrified form. “You should not be worried, Galaxy. You are already his favourite. So you will be treated well.” Galaxy grimaced and looked down at the floor. “No matter, I don’t like your race. It gives me a lot of joy to have power over dragons. Hopefully the rest of them will emerge from Wight Canyon so we can claim them.”

That wasn’t a surprise to Galaxy. Airachnid loved having the power she had and she wasn’t afraid to show it. Galaxy said nothing as she knew it didn’t matter. Nothing she would say would change anything. Her fate was already sealed, and all she could hope was for Orion or D-16 to save her. She kept her optics down as she didn’t want to look at Airachnid. She could faintly see herself reflecting from the tiles of the floor, but it brought her no comfort.

Primus...I don’t want to end up like Wraith. She didn’t deserve her fate, neither do I. I hope the new Prime rises soon, because we need him. Desperately.

Galaxy flinched as Airachnid scratched her claws along the wall as the femme continued to walk around Galaxy. The intimidation was working rather well, even without the additional tactics that Airachnid was using. It wasn’t needed, but Galaxy already knew how much Airachnid enjoyed tormenting victims. If Airachnid had her way, she would be a lot more vile in her tactics. Galaxy had no doubt that there would be times Sentinel would allow it too. She shuddered at the very idea.

“I look forward to witnessing the power your little body conceals.” Galaxy looked at Airachnid as the bot’s smirk remain plastered to her face. “After all, Wraith’s powers were barely scratched. Including how she could bite a bit, and turn their entire body into either rust or cause every part of the body to suddenly weld together in a painful, excruciating petrifying manner.” Galaxy whimpered as she knew about that. “Not to mention things that could even be seen as a small portion of Unicron’s power. Sometimes I wonder if he managed to get a drop of his blood into your ancestor. And if he did, I would want to know how he did it.”

Galaxy doubted it, but she did understand that Wraith did have abilities that could have been a tiny portion of what Unicron’s power could have been. And that small amount of power was strong enough to cause chaos. And since chaos and destruction of Cybertron would be Unicron’s desire, it certainly wouldn’t be something he would pass. But he would also prefer to take down Cybertron himself. A puppet like Wraith would bore him quicker than Airachnid’s sniper vision.

Airachnid glanced up with a gleeful expression and Galaxy stared at the door as she heard a loud thud from outside. She backed away from the door nervously as she knew who was behind the door. Airachnid chuckled as she moved to stand by the door with her arms behind her back with her smug expression staring down at the terrified sparkling. The footsteps approach the door, and Galaxy could tell each step was filled with excitement, despite that Sentinel was not walking quickly.

Galaxy kept her optics on the door and when it opened, she flinched and moved back as the shadow of Sentinel’s frame towered before her. The bot’s victorious expression made her tank clench fearfully as the bot stepped forward, his blue optics piercing into her spark as he smirked slightly at her. His overconfidence was clear, and he obviously had a plan in his processor at this time. And Galaxy knew what it was. She already saw the collar in his right hand.

“Well, well, well…” Galaxy flinched when the bot finally spoke. “Ignited Galaxy. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” She grimaced as his fake, pleasant tone made her want to purge, but she didn’t respond as she listened and watched quietly. “I must give credit to Oranos for making a pretty good stasis pod for you. You are still a little, helpless sparkling, despite it being fifty cycles since you hatched from your real egg. Which means that he never thought I would get my hands on you. He was so wrong.”

Galaxy didn’t really know if she should respond to him or not. She didn’t like the mockery Sentinel was spewing about Oranos, but she also was not surprised. She was certain he has said a lot worse things about Oranos and the other dragons for many cycles, so this could be a small portion. But she didn’t care either. She didn’t have anything to say to him right now, as her optics glance at the collar in his hand.

“And I also must give credit to you too.” Galaxy frowned as he gestured to her. Sentinel chuckled as her silence was amusing to him. “You evaded me quite well, Galaxy. Though I must admit, I was foolish when you somehow showed up in the mines and managed to slip through my fingers for a long time. Not that it mattered, I knew where you were at least. Along with who your adopted parents were.” She shuddered as that confirmed that Sentinel had terrible plans for them if they hadn’t left Iacon. “Despite how long this took, I am glad you are here now, Galaxy. After all, it simply means I can move ahead with the plans I’ve wanted to go through with for a while. But not before we deal with the prisoners.”

Why did he say that we will deal with his prisoners? Wait…oh no, that collar puts me under his control…no…

Galaxy swallowed nervously. “W-What plans? With the Quintessons?”

“Partly, but mostly to get to the other draconic bots in the Wight Canyon. Once I have dealt with the prisoners and the rest of the former High Guard in the wilderness, we will have no one else in the way of stopping me from using your hidden abilities to make Wight Canyon safe for us to fly into.” Galaxy widened her optics as she listened to Sentinel. The bot’s smirk widened slightly and he began to walk a circle around Galaxy slowly. “And once we can go into the Wight Canyon, we will have the power to not only be in control of this planet, but with your power, we might be able to create new energon. Better energon, that we can all use for fuel for ourselves and power.”

“Better energon? Nothing’s better than what Primus has already given.”

“And yet, he stripped it from us the minute I grabbed the Matrix. So I say we make our own.” Galaxy growled a little as she did not like that at all. Sentinel huffed lightly at the sparkling’s response. “Plus, I already have some pretty decent calculations of being able to make our own energon. My best scientists, along with some information shared from the Quintessons, have created a formula.”

A formula? If that’s the case…OH! That means Sentinel is being used by the Quintessons to get to me. But it cannot just be for energon. It’s for something else. And he can’t see it. What a fool! He’ll be dead before he sees anything fall into place, and maybe the new Prime will be here before that can happen.

“But I have other reasons aside from making our own, better energon. After all, you are Wraith’s only descendant. And I intend on ensuring we make use of that power correctly this time, and not allow anything to get in our way.” Galaxy flinched as Sentinel grasped the collar in both hands. “The other dragons will be the ones making the energon. Especially since the formula requires a unique source.” Galaxy tensed as she didn’t like the way he said that. “You’ll be the lucky one. And when you are old enough, I intend on ensuring your bloodline grows.”

Galaxy intakes deeply as she frowned at Sentinel. “What if I die before you achieve that, Sentinel? My CNA will die with me. And so will Wraith’s power. What will do then?”

Sentinel narrowed his optics. “I wouldn’t worry about it, Galaxy. I already know what we will do in case of an untimely death. With you in my control, we will have access to your spark matter, even if you die. We only need to save it for a dragon suitable to provide some transfluid for the gestational progress.”

Galaxy stared at him as she was horrified that he had already planned for that. “You’re a monster.”

Sentinel’s smile widened and he began to laugh. She shuddered because his laughter was cold and malicious, and he didn’t care she had called him a monster. He intakes deeply before kneeling onto one knee suddenly, leaning down to glare at Galaxy as she stepped back from him. “Luckily, that narrative is only for you to see. But for everyone else in Iacon city, the monster won’t be me. After all, the truth is what I make down here.”

Galaxy’s frown hardened as she listened to him. “So you are going to make everyone in the city fearful of dragons?” Sentinel shrugged with an expression that told her that was his plan. She shook her head. She glanced at the scar on his face that her mother had left on Sentinel many cycles ago. She knew he’s used that to show the citizens of Iacon that dragons were dangerous. She tensed her claws a little and she intakes deeply. “It is too bad Primus won’t kick you off this world. You don’t deserve a planet to live upon.”

Sentinel shrugged. “Like I care. After all, he’s asleep. He has been since he became our planet. So there’s nothing he can do. But…” He moved the collar closer, and Galaxy flinched as she glanced at it. “It seems removing the Matrix from my hands did nothing. He saved no one, and he will not save you. Not even a Prime can stop me now.”

Galaxy growled as she felt her frustration growing while filling her claws with plasma. “A new Prime will rise and defeat you, Sentinel. For a new age will upon us very soon, and you will not be here to see it. I look forward to seeing justice served upon the world, and the Quintessons eradicated when you are locked away, where no light can fill the void until you’ve lived fifty cycles, times by those you’ve killed, and rust settles between your joints until you beg for mercy.”

“HA!” Sentinel glanced at Airachnid. “Can you believe this thing? She is feeling brave all of a sudden!” Airachnid chuckled softly as Sentinel looked back at Galaxy. “But I am surprised you say that. Alpha Trion said that too. But at least your speech was a little better. I get so bored, and he deserved to have his head cut off for it.” Galaxy’s optics widen slightly knowing how Alpha Trion died. “So I hope you don’t start…AAAHHH!”

Sentinel stood up and dropped the collar in shock as Galaxy lunged forward suddenly, and slashed her right claws into his left optic, attempting to pierce deeply with the plasma within them. Though the plasma wasn’t so strong like it could be. Energon immediately seeped out of the wound, and Galaxy clutched the bot’s head while opening her wings for a moment before attempting to slash his left optic.

“Let go of me!” Sentinel shrieked, feeling Galaxy’s claws pulling at his optic. Sentinel grabbed the sparkling firmly. “Little glitch! Let go!” Sentinel pulled her off and threw Galaxy to the ground. Galaxy yelped when she landed on her side, but she was not terribly injured as she looked back at Sentinel, holding his hand over his left optic while Airachnid stood by him in shock. “AH! That hurts!” He lifted his hand as he looked at Airachnid. “How bad is it?”

Airachnid widened her optics slightly. “Ow…uh, she didn’t destroy your optic. She pierced it.” Sentinel seemed relieved by that as his vision from his left optic was blurry. “But…that doesn’t appear to be normal plasma, I think. Your optic kind of seems violet. Maybe a bit more purple, but…it’s some kind of infection, maybe.”

“What?!” Sentinel placed his hand over his optic again and frowned. “But…how?” He turned to look at Galaxy as the sparkling stared back at him. Her right paw was covered in his energon and tears were falling from her optics. “How did you do that? You aren’t ready to use plasma in your claws without help. So what did you do?” Galaxy said nothing as she knew it was plasma, but not quite the same type. Sentinel hummed a little. “If it is something Wraith could do, you just proved it to me.”

Galaxy grumbled and rolled her optics. “Not really. It’s just a little…venom.”

“Venom?! Pfft, sure.” Sentinel leaned down and grabbed the collar, grimacing as the pain in his optic stung, but he seemed resolved. “It is fitting though. Your mother gave this to me…” He points at the scar on his face. “You went for the optics. But you really should have gone for the throat, even though Airachnid would continue in my place.” Airachnid nodded in agreement. “Airachnid, hold her for me. I can’t really see well for the moment until I see a medic. But this purple colour or whatever in my optic, if it stains my optic, it will be more ammunition. The city is about to see your vicious side when you rip apart some bots for me.” Galaxy tensed as Airachnid walked over quickly and grabbed the sparkling roughly. She wiggled a little as she didn’t like Airachnid’s fingers digging into her sides and she looked at Sentinel as he walked over, though she didn’t know what he meant by that. “Luckily, there are specific bots that you will be ripping apart, and everyone will see it.”

Specific bots? He means the High Guard, right? Or…he can’t be talking about B or dadda…no, no, no…who is he talking about?

Galaxy widened her optics as Sentinel stepped closer and knelt down, glaring at the sparkling as she looked at him fearfully. “Let’s see if you will be as strong as your ancestor was, or if we can force a lot of it out of you. Time to join the others.” Galaxy shook her head and Sentinel chuckled at her. “Not even your new parents can save you now. No one can, and no one ever has. You’re mine now.”

Galaxy screamed as Sentinel placed the collar around her neck tightly, and she felt the collar clamping down on her neck and the needles piercing into her veins. She coughed as she fell onto her side as Airachnid lets her go. Galaxy’s body shuddered and convulsed as she tried to claw the collar off. Her vision blurred from the tears and the sheer force rushing through her body. She tasted energon in her mouth and gurgled as froth filled her mouth. Her spark pulse raced painfully within her and she felt extremely hot. Her veins felt like they were on fire, and all she wanted to do was to relieve that, but she couldn’t cool down. She vaguely heard Sentinel laughing before giving an order to Airachnid as her processor began to blur and everything felt like it was spinning.

Daddy, dadda…help me! Please.

Meanwhile…

With a low groan, Elita rubbed her forehead with a grimace. She couldn’t believe what the past twenty-four hours have been like, and while she had been knocked out the previous night, she was glad that she had been able to fight well enough that she had not been killed. But if it was not for Orion taking the brunt of the blast that had knocked her out, she wasn’t sure if she would still be alive. She was grateful for his assistance.

She sat up slowly, dusting off her shoulders and glancing around. She widened her optics a little as she saw that there were still members of the High Guard present. They were getting up and checking the other bots for injuries at this time too. There were many bodies of both the vehicons and High Guard members around, but she was glad that not everyone had died or be taken prisoner.

Elita grimaced and glanced up as the sunlight had creeper over the mountain, and she gasped as she had not realized how much time had passed. She had witnessed Airachnid taking as many prisoners as possible, including D-16, B-127 and Starscream. But she had also seen Galaxy held tightly within Airachnid's hands. She frowned as knowing that the sparkling had been captured tugged at her spark. She felt awful that had happened.

She shook her head as she knew now wasn’t the time to just sit around. She stood up slowly, making sure she wasn’t injured, before looking over at the pile of boulders that had fallen and she could hear Orion’s groaning underneath. She ran over and began to pull the boulders away. Orion was lucky to not have been seen too, since he was well covered by the boulders, but he would now have to learn what has happened and she knew he would not be happy.

As Elita pulled the boulders off, Orion sat up slowly and coughed the dust and small stones that were stuck in his throat. Elita smiled as he seemed okay and Orion dusted off some dust from his shoulders before she held her hand out. He smiled as he took it to stand up slowly with a groan. Orion himself felt a bit stiff and sore, but he was grateful that was still alive. Though he did look around for Galaxy to see she was not there.

“Ugh…” Orion rubbed his forehead with a grimace. “I feel like someone dropped a cliff on me.” He walked away from the boulders and sat down with a groan. He glanced around some more and looked at Elita as she sat on a boulder. “Where are the others? Is Galaxy here, or did she get away to flee to Wight Canyon?”

Elita’s expression filled with sadness and a little bit of guilt knowing she had to tell him the truth. “Sentinel’s troops took as many prisoners as they could carry.” Orion widened his optics slightly as he listened. “They got D-16 and B.”

Orion groaned deeply. “Oh no.”

Elita glanced at the High Guard troops who were still here. “And half of the High Guard nut jobs.”

Orion looked at the High Guard to see Shockwave and Soundwave were still here. They were going around to the other bots and checking on them. He intakes deeply and looked at his wrist to check the disc and pulled it out. “Ugh…our proof…” He held it up to see the sand fall out of the crack. “It’s gone.” He threw the disc away in frustration before looking at Elita. “You didn’t answer me about Galaxy.” Elita’s optics quiver and she looked away. “Do you know what happened to her?”

Elita swallowed as she hesitated for a moment before looking at Orion. “Um…G-Galaxy didn’t get away.” Orion’s optics widened instantly as fear and worry instantly gripped his spark. “Airachnid was holding her…and not very nicely either. I think Airachnid had some plan to get Galaxy to come out.”

Orion nodded with a groan. “She probably threatened the lives of D or B if she didn’t comply…and Galaxy wouldn’t have wanted that to happen.”

“But…that means she might…the collar that Sentinel has for her.” Orion shuddered and rubbed his neck at the thought of that, even though he himself will never experience it. Elita sighed deeply. “So…what do we do now?”

Orion shrugged a little as he frowned, looking at the ground in frustration. “D was right.”

Elita raised an eyebrow in surprise. “About what?”

“Everything!” Orion glanced around and gestured to the razed base around them. “Look at it! Look around, this is a disaster! And now Galaxy is gone…”

“Except it was Galaxy who has been waiting to reach the surface this whole time to speak and tell the truth, even when she signed the truth before.” Orion grumbled as he rolled his optics at Elita. “And finding Alpha Trion clearly wasn’t something Galaxy had expected, but he told you what you already knew from her.”

Orion clenched his optics shut for a moment. “It’s all my fault. I should have listened to her sooner. Maybe…maybe none of this would have happened…but reaching the surface was what she needed to speak and transform…ugh…” He shook his head in disbelief. “And yet, I also wish I stayed on protocol, despite…she was in danger anyway. It feels like we only had two options, and…I feel like I failed her.” Orion’s optics fill with tears. “If he hasn’t already, Sentinel will snap a collar around her neck and use her…I don’t know what he will make her do first, but…it won’t be good. And I couldn’t protect her, even with this cog. It was…useless.”

Elita frowned a little as she listened to Orion before she sighed and stood up slowly. She walked over to him and crouched down in front of him. “Listen to me. I really want you to hear this. Are you listening?” Orion looked at Elita as a single tear fell from his right optic. Elita’s expression remained calm as she spoke. “I’m better than you.”

Orion was a little surprised, but he also didn’t really care. “Yeah, okay. I’m hearing you.”

Elita smirked slightly at his slightly sarcastic tone in his response to her. “I’m better than you in every way, except you have hope.” Orion’s shoulders slump slightly. “You always have. You went back into the mines to rescue Jazz, you were the first one to find Galaxy when she ended up in the mines and I have no doubt she saw the same thing in you the very first time you met. She clung to you for a reason.” Orion replayed that memory in his mind, seeing the small sparkling hiding in the mine, behind one of the energon processors, looking back at him with fear filled optics. Remembering that day often tugged at his spark. “You stood in front of Cosmic when she came into the mines and you were not afraid to venture to the archives as often as you could. You snuck up to the surface to find the Matrix of Leadership…”

Orion chuckled bitterly as he shook his head slightly. “Yeah, and how’d that work out?”

“My point is, that your instincts tell you to break protocol for a reason. It is the main reason you held your hand up to adopt Galaxy in first place. Even D-16 did not agree at first, and you know it too.” Orion did not argue that, as D was fearful of caring for a sparkling and he understood the reason. But he knew D wouldn’t change that now for anything. “This blind optimism you have is why you make such bold and courageous choices, that are also extremely stupid.”

“First time giving a pep talk?” Orion asked as he wasn’t quite sure if this was Elita’s way of encouraging or subtly insulting him at this time.

“You’re inspiring. You can envision a better future that no one else can see. It is no wonder that between you and D-16, Galaxy’s relationship with you has always been the strongest. She loves you and D equally, but the relationship has always been a bit different. And, unfortunately, we can see that even more so now since D-16 has struggled with everything we know about Sentinel.” Orion grimaced as he wished that was not the case. “But if we ever want to see B and D-16 again, and to free, not only Galaxy, but the four dragons enslaved by Sentinel, we need that version of Orion Pax right now. That is who she needs.” Orion nodded slowly as he glanced down for a moment. “Listen to me.” He looked back at Elita’s optics as her voice softened. “We can do this.”

Orion felt better thanks to Elita’s words. He definitely did not want anyone to suffer further from Sentinel’s hands, and he definitely wanted to rescue Galaxy. He didn’t want to imagine what Sentinel will do, but it was hard not to. But he quickly thought about a plan since time was ticking quickly. “Those energon trains will be heading back to Iacon. If we intercepted one…”

Elita’s smile widened immediately. “Frag yes, I can reroute it. What else do we need?”

Orion intakes deeply as he stood up slowly. “Well…my bold instincts tell me we have to recruit some nut jobs.”

Orion looked over at what was left of the High Guard and Elita had followed his gaze. She groaned a little, even though she knew that they may not have a choice. “I was afraid you’d say that.”

Orion smiled slightly before walking towards the High Guard. He had no idea what to really expect, since he knew that the bots were still recovering from the attack, and without their leader, they needed to make a new plan. But he knew that attacking Sentinel was what they needed to do now. And Orion hoped that with the plan he had in mind, they would be able to defeat Sentinel with as little casualties as possible.

“Uh, Shockwave, Soundwave…” The two bots who had been talking, looking at Orion as he addressed them, and they did not seem too pleased. “You in the back…” The rest of the High Guard look towards Orion as he spoke to them, a little curious about what he has to say, but also angry that they might have been the reason they were attacked. “In order to save our friends and the dragons who are held captive by Sentinel, now including Ignited Galaxy, we have to act now.”

Shockwave tensed as he walked towards Orion, raising his canon slowly. “How about I blast you back to Iacon? UUGGH!” Orion widened his optics in surprise as Elita had ran up and punched Shockwave in his optic. Shockwave stumbled back as he placed a hand over his optic. “Ugh! She punched me in my optic!”

“Everyone, shut up! All of you!” Elita shouted in her commanding tone she usually reserves for when she is giving orders in the mines and Orion smirked slightly. She pointed at Orion confidently. “Listen to him!”

Shockwave shook his head as he looked at the two bots, while Soundwave has remained silent as he was a little interested in the plan. “Most likely, our friends and my daughter are being held captive at the top of Sentinel’s tower. A surprise attack would give us a chance to rescue them, and give us a chance to free the dragons from their enslavement.”

“Impossible,” Came Soundwave’s monotone response. “We do not have enough soldiers or a way inside.”

Orion gestured to Elita briefly as he spoke before pointing at himself. “Elita will get us in and I will get more troops.”

Shockwave huffed loudly. “Why should we follow you?” He demanded before Elita tensed with a frown and punched her fist, warning Shockwave she will not be so merciful again. Shockwave grumbled a little, not wanting to get punched again, agreed begrudgingly. “We will follow you.”

Soundwave was a little amused, and as both Elita and Orion had confidence with the plan, he decided it was worth risking as he glanced back at the High Guard. “Attention, High Guard, prepare for battle.” He looked back at Orion who was happy to see the response. “What is our first move?”

“We roll out.”

The High Guard stood staring as they had not heard Orion’s response and one of the bots called out. “What?!”

Elita snickered slightly and leaned towards Orion. “Louder.”

Orion intakes deeply before tensing with confidence as he spoke loudly, feeling a new sense of hope that they were going to do this. And he would be able to rescue everyone who has been taken by Sentinel’s troops, while also revealing the truth to the people of Iacon. Though he had not yet thought of how without Alpha Trion’s proof just yet. But he was going to figure it out on the way to the city. All the while, he was hoping to Primus that Galaxy will be okay, and she will hold on until he got there.

“Transform and roll out!”

Chapter Text

Gathered within the council halls that was once previously used by the Primes for meetings regarding the war and various other issues, all the several dozen prisoners who had been captured by Sentinel’s troops were now conscious. They were all kneeling with their arms bound behind their backs with vehicons standing guard watching over them. Along with Cosmic Dust, Scorched Flare, Firedrake and Sky Blade also standing nearby, keeping guard and ensuring that the bots would not do anything that would result in their death.

D-16 glanced at the four dragons in front of him. He could see that they were twitching a little and their veins seemed to be enlarged like Wraith’s were. But not to the same extent. Clearly, the collars they had on them were not giving the same thing as what Wraith had gone through. But it didn’t really matter, since they were not comfortable. Frothy energon dripped from their mouths, their optics quivered as they struggled to keep focused and they seemed to be a little unsteady.

However, he did notice that Scorched Flare seemed to be more savage than the other three. The constant snarls and baring of her teeth she was doing while seemingly darting her optics around for any chance to kill someone, while also waiting for an order, showed how freshly under control she was. And yet, it was kind of impressive that the collars even ensured that the dragon remained calm enough to not go against her master.

D glanced at Cosmic as she was calmest of the four dragons. Her optics were observing him, reading him. He glanced at the collar around her neck, narrowing his optics as he saw rust bordering the collar with visible signs of an inflamed injury from the needles embedded in the dragon’s neck. The enlarged veins pulsed as energon was pushed through her body like a tyrant, and the dragon still seemed to be managing it somehow.

D-16 wanted to ask Cosmic a question, but as he knew that they were being watched, there was no way he could discreetly talk to the dragon. He couldn’t even sign with his hands behind his back, and he didn’t know if Cosmic even understood sign language. Regardless, he wasn’t sure why Cosmic was observing him specifically. Her optics didn’t look at anyone else, and he didn’t know if that was the way when he was dragged into this room while unconscious. He didn’t know if it was because she was waiting for him to do something, or if it was something to do with Galaxy.

D-16 gritted his teeth as he realized he was foolish. He knew he might have alerted Airachnid by mistake, and he did not know what happened to Galaxy. He only knew that Orion had her in his arms last, and that was it. Not knowing what happened to her weighed heavy on his spark. All he could hope for was that she was okay. Even though he was blaming Sentinel for all of this. He was the reason as to why they were in this situation. Not being able to protect Galaxy when he needed to, was because Sentinel couldn’t leave well enough alone.

B-127 had been silent for the first time since they had met. And he was genuinely concerned at this time, rather than the happiness that D-16 has known him for. B leaned towards D, noticing D-16’s frown riddled with some guilt and a lot of anger. “I don’t understand. Why are we still alive?”

D-16 gritted his teeth as he did not respond. They heard the door behind them open and the heavy footsteps of bots approaching. He clenched his fingers tightly, knowing who exactly was walking between the bots at this time. If his wrists were not bound, D-16 knew that he would not hold back. However, he also knew that he couldn’t go up against Sentinel with a lot of his soldiers present, and he had no idea what order would be given to the dragons at the same time.

“Look at this rowdy bunch!” Sentinel’s sarcastic voice filled the room as D-16’s frown hardened hearing him speak. “The High Guard!” Sentinel chuckled as he glanced between the bots as the High Guard glare at him. “You know you guys have been tough to find. Every trip to the surface, I’ve been searching for you. Too bad you were never offered sanctuary in the Wight Canyon, or you were too stupid to take it. Pathetic!”

Airachnid glanced between the bots with a smug expression. “Tracking the bots in the cave led me right to them.”

Sentinel laughed, amused that the miners had been the reason the High Guard was found, but he was also happy to see Starscream. Starscream glared daggers at Sentinel as he walked over to him. “You captured Starscream!”

Airachnid shrugged. “It was too easy. The fool thought he could protect her from me, even when I had already dragged that little glitch from hiding.” D-16 turned his head slightly as that caught his interest, wondering who Airachnid was talking about.

“I’m going to rip you apart piece by piece so that your death is painful!” Sentinel stared at Starscream as he had not expected for his voice to be higher pitched, not knowing that it was because of D almost completely destroyed Starscream’s voice box. It made him laugh as Starscream’s threats did not even bother him. “I’ll make sure that whatever is left of you is given to the dragons so they finish you off! You’ll regret the day you were…”

“You sound ridiculous!” Sentinel interrupted, waving his hand as he walked away from Starscream. “It’s weird.” He glanced at D, his smile widening. “Oh, D-16.” D tensed, glancing up slightly as he saw Sentinel walk around him. “What a tragic story you’ll be. Tsk, tsk, tsk…” Sentinel waved his index finger at him with a light huff of amusement. “Atop the leader board in your sector, a noble father to an orphan, a seemingly normal little sparkling, and secretly a traitor while conspiring with dragons to tear down the city.”

“I’m not a traitor!” D-16 hissed, not looking at Sentinel’s optics as a form of defiance. “You’re the traitor!”

“Nuh uh! You, all of you…” Sentinel gestured to all the prisoners in the room. “Are traitors. You’ve been working with the Quintessons to sabotage my expeditions. You’re the reason why I haven’t found the Matrix of Leadership yet. Oh! And you…” He points at D-16 and B-127, making the yellow bot harden his expression. “Both of you, sent dragon savages onto the High Guard, allowing them to be ripped apart, in a false pretence of showing power like how the Primes did over the Quintessons once long ago. “

“None of that is true!” B-127 snapped, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Oh, trust me…” Sentinel’s smile widened as he looked at B. “It’ll be very true when I’m executing you…” He paused before shrugging. “Oh, I mean, executing a few members while making sure that everyone sees how savage these beasts…” Sentinel gestured to the dragons behind him. “Are as they rip you apart, and torture you with…enhanced abilities. All of Iacon will witness this and continue to see me as their saviour. Because down here…” Sentinel leaned down, glaring B right in the optics as the yellow bot flinched back, though glancing at his left optic to see it was not blue anymore. But the center seemed to be violet or purple, and there was recent damage that had been dealt with. “The truth is what I make it.”

There was a loud thud, and Sentinel glanced to his right to see D-16 he stamped his foot down and stood up slowly. Sentinel smirked as the miner stood defiantly. Sentinel could see the anger within D-16, and it made him feel rather happy. Seeing how much rage this miner had in him was amusing, and yet, he was also powerless. Especially when Sentinel had a surprise for D-16, and it will be something D was never going to forget.

Sentinel intakes deeply as he stepped closer to D. “Well, well. What’s this about?”

D-16 kept looking ahead for a moment, still not meeting Sentinel’s gaze. “I’m not kneeling in front of you.”

“Feeling confident, are we?”

D finally met Sentinel’s gaze, and immediately noticed the colour change in his left optic. However, he didn’t care or think that there was a reason why he had that. “You don’t scare me. You want to know why?”

Sentinel’s smirk widened as he was intrigued. “Please.”

D-16 narrowed his optics at Sentinel’s confidence. “Because I don’t have anything left to lose. You took it all.”

Sentinel did not argue that. “I sure did…well…most of it.” D was immediately confused and Sentinel huffed. “Oh, don’t tell you seem to think you’ve lost everything, huh?” D-16 growled as his glare hardened. Sentinel nodded as he was amused. “Well…hmm…for someone who was quite the good father, I would think that would be far from the truth.” D-16 did not react, though he glanced at Cosmic when the dragon let out a hiss as her optics glance away from him and stared at something else. “But I guess…I have taken the very last thing from you. But I am giving her back.”

D-16 stared at him for a moment before widening his optics slightly as he realized what Sentinel meant. Sentinel chuckled a little and D-16 hardened his expression as he felt Sentinel was mocking him. “You dare try to hold my daughter over my head like that? I don’t believe you.”

“Of course, you don’t. You don’t want to believe that. But…” Sentinel gestured to his left optic like it was just a little scratch. “You see this. The little change in my optic.” D did not react to him at all. “You’d think I would do that to myself? No, of course not! After all, it comes from a particular toxin found in a specific plasma that only dragons can produce. But not all dragons, of course. More specifically, a particular line of draconic bots can do it.” D-16’s expression changed again, though he didn’t know if he should believe it. “At first, I thought it was something else, but my medical team confirmed it. This…” He points at his optic. “Is a toxin that will remain in my system for many mini cycles. Not only is my optic stinging like the fires of the Pit, but the pain spreads through the nervous system, and could blind me completely. There is no cure. Except for a simple optic transplant when the time comes.”

B-127 turned his head and he gasped loudly. “No…” He looked back at Sentinel as the bot glanced at him victoriously. “No…you can’t do this.”

“Oh really? Because I already have…” He gestured to the dragons behind him and Starscream yelped in shock, almost making D turn his head. Sentinel shook his head. “You really haven’t grasped the situation, have you, D-16?” D narrowed his optics again. “Why do you turn around? Because while I would love to execute you myself, I don’t think I can do that after hearing what you said. It almost means that you think Galaxy is not your daughter anymore.”

D grimaced with disgust. “That is not what I meant! Do not twist my words!”

“Oh, but I am not twisting it!” Sentinel chuckled as he turned to walk away from D, looking at Cosmic to see her gaze was staring. “Even Cosmic Dust here can see it. After all, this is now a little family reunion.” Sentinel turned to look in the direction Cosmic was looking. “Ignited Galaxy…” D-16 intakes sharply with a gasp as his optics widen slightly when Sentinel addressed her name. “You might want to show your father here that you are still here and I am giving you back to him.”

D-16 finally turned his head and his optics widened further as his expression changed to shock as he saw his daughter walking between the High Guard. The small dragon twitched with frothy energon dripping from her mouth and a stream of energon dripped from her nostrils. Smoke exhaled from her mouth as she walked between the bots. Her body was tense, like she was in a constant, offensive position ready to fight. Her teeth were bared, though her gums were dark grey as her white teeth seemed to shimmer with constant plasma or electricity within them.

Her veins were very enlarged and it was obvious her spark was pulsing quickly. In fact, her chassis even seemed swollen due to her spark being forcefully enlarged to pump energon through her system and the light of her spark could faintly be seem through her chassis, while also her veins quivered and pulsed. Steam rose from the heat within her back and her once yellow optics were completely white with deep, blue energon veins pulsing within the optics. And it also seemed that the colors of her body had been darkened slightly. Almost as if Wraith’s pigment was brought out, and could potentially fool anyone in believing she truly was savage.

D glanced at the collar tightly fastened around her neck. He could see energon dripped from under the collar from the fresh wounds beneath the collar and the inflammation around the collar due what she had been given. Even the wound on her back right paw was bleeding again, and it looked worse than before. But she was not limping. She was walking while growling and hissing without any kind of expression on her face. The only thing D noticed was the stream of tears falling from Galaxy’s optics.

To D-16 and B-127, it was as if the ghost of Wraith stood over Galaxy, as they both had seen exactly what Wraith looked like from the Quintessons. While the collars have done minor inflictions on the adult dragons, a sparkling’s body was much less able to resist it. And Galaxy was completely under Sentinel’s control now. And D-16 tugged at the bounds on his wrists, grimacing as tugging on him shocked him and he gritted his teeth from the pain. His movement made Galaxy look at him and she hissed at him.

“Galaxy…” D-16 stared as the dragon walk by him, staring at him with intent. “It’s me. It’s…dadda…”

“Pfft, you think she even recognizes you?” Sentinel mocked with a chuckle as he walked back over with a grin. “Even if she does, she heard what you told me. And I agree with her. That was pathetic. Besides…” Sentinel placed a hand on the top of Galaxy’s head, making D-16 glare at him. “Aside from the fact you managed to escape Iacon and slip to the Primes without being caught, you should be asking yourself why this happened.”

D-16 huffed with disgust. “I already know why. Galaxy told us…”

“Oh, no, no, no!” Sentinel interrupts with a chuckle, pushing Galaxy away from him and the sparkling stumbled, but she didn’t react to how casually she had been pushed, while also making D angrier. “I am not talking about Wraith, the collars and such. No…” Sentinel walked back over to D to stand right in front of him again. “I do not know how you ended up with the High Guard, but someone told me that a little blast to the sky signalled your location.” D tensed his jaw as he knew he had done that. “You were no where near that dragon to protect. You were so focused fighting my troops, that you failed to leave and take her somewhere to hide.”

B widened his optics and glanced at D. “Don’t listen to him!”

D glanced at B while Sentinel continued. “And even now, you stand before me, and your concern is only how you are going to defy me. Not where your daughter is and if she was safe. No, clearly, you don’t care enough about her.” D-16’s expression crumbled a little as Sentinel’s words burned his spark. “And, honestly, I got what I want. I was always going to get Galaxy, regardless of the situation. But how I got her…well…” Sentinel points his index finger directly at D-16’s chassis. “It is all your fault. You failed her.”

D-16 opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. His spark tugged with guilt as Sentinel’s words fill his processor. B-127 glared at Sentinel with disgust. “Don’t let Sentinel get into your head, D! He’s twisting this whole thing and blaming you for it! Don’t fall for it!”

D-16 hardened his expression again as he glared at Sentinel. “You disgust me! You are the monster, not me.”

Sentinel hummed in amusement. “If you say so.” He punched D-16 in the chassis suddenly, making D yelp as he was sent flying back and landed hard on the ground, making him intake sharply as D glared at Sentinel. Sentinel walked towards him with a big smile. “Ah, Megatronus Prime!” Sentinel knelt down and snatched the decal from D-16’s shoulder, making D gasp a little in shock. “Of course, you were a fan. Megatronus was the coolest Prime! The biggest! The baddest! The toughest!” Sentinel chuckled a little as he smirked at D-16. “And quite ironic that you also ended up father to a draconic sparkling, just like he did. And where did that get him?” D-16 narrowed his optics. “But that did not stop me from taking his cog for myself after I killed him.” Sentinel opened his chassis, revealing the purple cog within his chassis.

D-16 stared in disgust, knowing Sentinel had Megatronus’s t-cog. “He was greater than you’ll ever be!”

Sentinel shrugged as he closed his chassis. “I don’t know, I’m pretty great.” He glanced around at the room and gestured to the dragons. “After all, I managed to overpower these guys behind me. These dragons could have killed me fifty cycles ago, but they were too foolish to underestimate me. And now I have the most powerful of them all right in my hands.” D glanced at Galaxy to see she was watching and not reacting to anything. “But I can understand why you’d want to wear his face over mine. Here…” D narrowed his optics as Sentinel placed the decal on the middle of his chassis and held up his hand. Airachnid walked over gleefully, handing Sentinel an already lit blow torch. “Let’s make sure if doesn’t come off.”

Sentinel lowered the torch to begin burning the shape of Megatronus’s face into D-16’s chassis. D cried out as the burn melted the decal into the metal, and he could feel energon veins being exposed and the heat of the blow torch dried up any of the energon that would seep from the wound. D-16 tried to look at Galaxy, but he couldn’t. The light of the torch blocked his view, while the other bots watched on in horror.

Cosmic stepped forward towards Galaxy with Sentinel distracted, but Airachnid turned sharply and grabbed out a black and white cylinder object to transform into a staff, activating the tips with plasma and electricity, making the dragon glance at Airachnid. Airachnid stepped between Cosmic and Galaxy. “Do not even think about it, Cosmic.” Cosmic tilted her head as she stared at Airachnid. Airachnid observed her for a moment and glanced at Sentinel. “Seems she can sense Galaxy being related to her. We knew this might happen. She’s still under the influence of the collars.”

Sentinel chuckled a little while focused on his task. “Make sure Cosmic, Firedrake, Sky Blade and Scorched Flare understand what the stakes are if they try anything.”

Airachnid nodded as she moved the staff, pointing the tip directly at the back of Galaxy’s neck. Cosmic wanted to react, but Airachnid was much closer to her niece right now. “I am afraid you cannot get closer to Galaxy right now, Cosmic. Keep your distance, or you will get to witness her death. And we will take everything we need from her body to ensure Wraith’s legacy will continue. So, keep back!”

Cosmic stepped back as she understood the warning very clearly. She did not want Galaxy to be killed because of her. She wanted to protect Galaxy, but the override in her system was still in affect. So she had no choice but to listen to the orders given by Sentinel and Airachnid. And it seemed like this was the only way to protect Galaxy at this time. Airachnid was pleased and relaxed, but she did not put the staff away, as she felt it might be needed to use again should someone else cause some trouble.

Sentinel finished burning the Megatronus decal into D-16’s chassis. He smirked as the decal itself was completely melted, but he had made sure to keep the detail of the Prime’s face so that it would remain imprinted on D’s chassis until it gets repaired. But that will depend on D-16’s pride. As it was primarily his pride and stubbornness that was making D-16 stand up to and defy Sentinel. Not that it bothered Sentinel very much. He found it extremely amusing.

Sentinel intakes deeply as he hands the torch back to Airachnid, glancing at the dragons. “At least they now know the stakes.” He looked at Galaxy as she remained standing, facing the bots in front of her and he looked at one of the High Guard bots in the front row. “And I think it is time we let our new friend unleash some of that fury building inside of her. Don’t you agree, Airachnid?”

Airachnid nodded. “Indeed, Sentinel. Shall I drag one out for her to play with?”

Sentinel shook his head. “No. I want D to witness her power.” He looked at the bot beside Starscream and smirked before looking at Galaxy. “I think should rust that bot beside Starscream for me, Galaxy.” The blue bot jumped with a start and a gasp, looking at Sentinel in shock as Galaxy turned towards him with a growl. “Good…but make sure he really feels it with that hot, black plasma within you first.”

Starscream widened his optics as he watched Galaxy stalk towards the bot beside him. Her mouth filled with black plasma, with shimmers of grey, while the sparkling’s expression showed discomfort. “Monster!” Starscream shrieked as he glared at Sentinel. “Are you too much of a coward to kill us all yourself?!”

Sentinel huffed. “Nah, not at all. But you already know my plan.” He looked at Galaxy as she prepared to pounce and he snapped his fingers. “Go savage, Galaxy. Rip that bot up and rust his whole system!”

D-16 turned his head with a grimace as the pain from the torch kept him down. Plus, the fight the night before had weakened him a bit. He widened his optics as he watched Galaxy launch herself at the blue bot, and the bot screamed helplessly as the sparkling bit down into the bot’s ride side of his abdomen. The scream from the bot made every bot in the room squirm because the black plasma instantly melted through his side and burned through systems. And energon began to gush out of the wounds like a running river.

Sentinel rubbed his hands together as the sparkling’s wings darkened as they filled with the black plasma, with shimmers of purple, before turning the tips of her wings and slamming them down, slicing into the bot’s shoulders as she bit into the chassis and pulled it open with her teeth as soon as the plasma melted through, exposing the essential systems within the bot’s body. Galaxy twitched and shuddered as keeping the plasma constantly burning and ready was energy taxing. She huffed, expelling smoke from her nostrils as she moved her wings back after dislocating both arms of the bot before biting into his neck.

Instead of the plasma, she pierced the bot’s veins with a venom that took affect immediately. The bot shrieked and bucked as the dragon stepped back, intaking deeply as energon dripped from her teeth, watching as the deep, brown rust began to spread through the bot’s body quickly. The bot immediately began gasping as the rust spread through his vocal system and quicky began to spread up towards his processor, while it spread down through his chassis.

Sentinel clapped lightly before he stepped forward and roughly grabbed the sparkling off the bot. “She needs some more energon cubes.” Airachnid nodded and walked over to one of the vehicons that was holding a box and grabbed it before walking over to Sentinel as he lets go of the sparkling. Galaxy growled a little with a light whimper. “She’s really hungry, come on, Airachnid.”

D-16 tried to sit up, but the pain kept him from doing so. But he saw Airachnid open the box to see energon cubes. And they were not low grade. He widened his optics, as even though the cubes were small, Galaxy was not ready to ingest regular energon yet. And yet, Sentinel ordered Galaxy to open her mouth, and Airachnid shoved the cubes down her throat, making the sparkling gag a little as she was forced to ingest the fuel.

B-127 shook his head in disgust. “How can you treat her like that?!”

Sentinel shrugged as Airachnid walked away, glancing at the dragons will a warning expression as she walked by. Sentinel looked at the bot beside Starscream to see he had already succumbed to the rust that was still spreading through his body, causing his body to fall to pieces. “Because she belongs to me. I can treat her however I want. Do you think I should care?!”

“You should if you don’t want to kill her!” Starscream snapped, making Sentinel glare at him. “You know that she cannot handle that much energon!”

“Oh, she can. She will handle it just fine. She needs that energon to do what I want her to do.” Sentinel hummed as he looked at the next bot, who flinched nervously and looked at Galaxy. “I think we should see if you can use what we think is dark energon fire, Galaxy.” Galaxy grumbled as she listened to him. “And use him and him…” Sentinel gestured to another bot, who flinched nervously. “As target practice. And you can rip their limbs off for me.”

Cosmic gritted her teeth as she knew this was not good. She focused internally to heat up her own system and focus deep to reconnect with an ancient ability to force the manipulating substance in her body out. And she could only do that by absorbing as much sunlight as she could. She silently shifted panels on her wings and back to begin absorbing the little sunlight filtering into the tower. She hoped she could get the power as quickly as possible so that she could break free enough to fight Sentinel and Airachnid, and maybe rip off the collars off the others to help her too.

“Hoo yeah!” Sentinel chuckled as Galaxy unleashed a small, focused stream of dark, purple energon fire at the yellow and red bot in front of her, focusing on the body’s legs and causing the bot to scream. “Yes, yes! And that’s just the scratch of the surface! Well done, Galaxy!” He turned his head when he heard D-16 grunting and groaning, and noticed he was trying to sit up desperately. D-16 didn’t want to lay there right now while his daughter was forced to kill other bots in front of him. Sentinel huffed and signalled to Galaxy to stop as he walked over to D. As D placed his feet on the ground, glaring at him, Sentinel shook his head at D. “Not a good idea.”

B-127 looked at D with concern, knowing why D was trying to sit up, but worried that this might be a bad idea. “D, stay down. So you can stay alive for her.”

“Exactly! Listen to that yellow bot here!” B frowned at Sentinel. Sentinel smiled at B. “Though it’s a shame you didn’t have the same intelligence when I sent you down into sub-level fifty. You and that…uh…” Sentinel hummed as he thought about the bot he had killed before sending B to the sub level. B-127’s expression changed to grief in that moment, while also mixed with disgust. “Uh, what was his name? He was…kind of small…smaller than you…and much more annoying than you. Uh…”

B-127 scoffed loudly. “I don’t expect you to remember him. It’s not like you cared. He was the only one who was my friend at the time.”

“You’re right. I don’t care.” Sentinel chuckled as he looked at D-16 as the silver mech stamped his foot down, now that he was sitting up and slowly forced himself to stand in front of Sentinel. Sentinel was somewhat impressed with D’s strength. He glanced at Galaxy who was watching, her white optics focused on the silver mech with a ready to fight stance. He chuckled as he looked at D as the mech glared at him. “Such a shame, you really were a great miner.”

D-16 narrowed his optics at him. “You have no power over anymore, Sentinel.”

“True. But if you think I am the one to kill you, you’re wrong.” His left optic quivered a little from discomfort before he stepped aside and looked at Galaxy. “Ignited Galaxy, if you please.” D-16 gasped and widened his optics, looking the sparkling immediately. “Make it nice and slow. He deserves it. And messier you rip him up, the happier I’ll be and greater reward will be for you. Now fetch!”

D-16 couldn’t believe what Sentinel just ordered Galaxy to do. The dragon stalked towards him with her teeth bared and wings spread, ready to pounce on D-16 to attack him. D tugged at the restraints as he stepped back from her, knowing he could not defend himself. “Galaxy! Please, I know you can hear me!” Galaxy twitched as she stalked towards him, her mouth slowly filling with plasma. “I beg you! Stop, you don’t want this. I’ll rip that collar off you! Just…”

“And you think she is able to listen to you?” Sentinel chuckled softly as he stopped Galaxy for a moment as he knelt down, grabbing the base of the dragon’s jaw firmly and pointed at the collar. “Have you even wondered how I can order these things when this technology is not mine?” D-16 frowned in disgust. “That’s a simple answer. There’s a tiny amount of genetic material within the substance that forces them to obey Airachnid and myself, and no one else. So in her mind and her eyes, you are nothing. Nothing but an enemy for her to kill.” D-16 shuddered as that disgusted him and he wanted to kill Sentinel. “Now…” Sentinel lets go of Galaxy and she resumed stalking towards D-16. “Kill him. And do not hold back.”

Cosmic shook her head as she growled softly watching her niece stalk towards D-16. She glanced at the others to see Firedrake and Sky Blade also absorbing the light of the sun into their systems to power up. She opened several more panels to force more sunlight to fill her body, and steam was starting to hiss out of internal systems as the substance was essentially being evaporated, and replaced with an internal forced that may snap the collar right off her neck. But she also knew it might not do that.

“Galaxy! Please!” D-16 begged as he took several more steps back. “I…I don’t want to hurt you, but I know you don’t want to kill me!” Galaxy hissed as him as her body tensed, preparing to tackle him. “Please…don’t do this. I’m right here. It’s dadda, please.” Galaxy stopped for a moment as her optics flicker for a moment before she let out a low roar and recoiled her body. D-16 shook his head at her. “Please stop! I know you heard my voice! Please, ignore Sentinel and we will kill him together!”

Airachnid turned her head sharply suddenly in surprise. “We’ve got a breach!” Sentinel looked at Airachnid in surprise as the femme ran while signalling orders, with vehicons following her, along with Scorched Flare. “Protect Sentinel!”

Sentinel was surprised as several vehicons stood around him, and he looked at Galaxy as hearing the order to protect Sentinel made her stop and turn suddenly, which made D-16 sigh in relief. But not before he was knocked to the ground by a vehicon, a movement which made the sparkling look back a D and he widened his optics as she stood right by his legs, and he worried she would resume attacking him. But she stepped back towards Sentinel protectively and seeing that made his tank clench with disgust. If Galaxy was aware of what she was doing, she would not be happy. He tugged at his restraints again, desperate to get out, while wondering what had caused Airachnid to leave. Especially as Cosmic, Sky Blade and Firedrake suddenly flew out of the tower to follow the femme and the other vehicons, which meant a war was finally starting. 

Chapter Text

Standing on the edge of a hole, looking down at Iacon city, Orion’s spark pulse was beating quickly as he had not realized how high he would be when returning to the city. He, Elita and the High Guard had been able to track down and reroute one of the trains before it could reach Iacon, and Orion had been dropped off close to the city so he could go in. After all, they needed more troops. And the only ones Orion knew that they could count upon were the miners being forced to mine more energon. He felt awful they were under this pressure. But that was going to stop very soon.

He glanced at Sentinel’s tower for a moment, as his mind was still thinking about Galaxy. He had no idea what has happened to her right now. And he was also concerned about D-16 and B-127, as he knew that they could be dead. But he assumed that not to be the case if Airachnid and the other vehicons took as many prisoners as possible. So something else had been planned on Sentinel’s part, and Orion hoped that it would also give him time to gather more troops.

He also did not know how the other miners were going to react to seeing him. Orion had no idea what they have been told after he and D were put in sub-level fifty and even after they had left Iacon city. Orion at least knew that whatever had been told to the miners were all lies, and him going back to the mines would be enough to show he is telling the truth. So he was relying on that so that the miners would have the courage to take control of their future.

Intaking deeply, as falling from this height was a lot different than falling from the archives. “Okay, I-I can do this.” Orion stepped back and glanced at his shoulders, shifting the small exhausts upside down and looked at the entrance. “I’m on my way, Galaxy. I hope you can hold on a little bit longer.”

He stepped forward and jumped down into the gap, letting himself free fall for a moment before he turned on the jets. They weren’t large or powerful enough to allow Orion to fly freely like other flying bots could, but it allowed Orion to glide through the air and hover enough to prevent himself from free falling straight down into the city. Being able to glide through the city, Orion aimed to get low enough so that the tracks would form beneath him and allow for him to drive through the city to the mining quarters, where he assumed most would be at, at this time.

As soon as the path formed underneath him, Orion transformed and drifted slightly before angling himself and kept the jets on within the exhaust to speed through the city as fast as possible. He jumped off one of the paths onto another one, descending safely through the city and Orion kept alert for anyone who might notice him. While the general population of the city will likely ignore Orion, he had no doubt that the sentries may alert Sentinel if they see him. They work for him, after all.

There was a part of Orion that was still amazed at being able to transform and move so quickly through the city. In all of the cycles he has lived, Orion had never once thought that he would ever be able to transform. But there was always a part of him that would suggest that he had been able to transform, and that yearning to be more than just a miner digging for energon that had been running out, all because Sentinel was pawning it off to the Quintessons to ensure he lived comfortably.

And even though all these recent events have unfortunately led to what Galaxy had feared the most, Orion was more determined than ever to ensure that Iacon was freed from Sentinel’s tyranny, and to rebuild a strong alliance with the dragons on the surface. Orion wished he could somehow send a message to the dragons in Wight Canyon, though he did not know if they could even leave Wight Canyon if there were Quintesson ships near where the dragons leave the area.

Though Orion already knew that ripping the collars off the dragons was definitely a high priority. He did not know which dragon would be first, but he certainly knew that if Galaxy now had one around her neck, that would definitely come off. He did not know if the collars will hurt the dragons if pulled off or not, but he had no doubt that they would not care. A little pain was better then being enslaved for many cycles. At least Galaxy wouldn’t have to go through nearly fifty cycles wearing one like the other three dragons have. And Scorched Flare has only had a short time being afflicted by the collar too. He certainly wouldn’t forget about her as well.

As Orion approached the miner quarters, he was not sure who he would find there. He knew that Sentinel was forcing the miners to work overtime to meet the demands of the Quintessons, so he hoped there would be some in their living quarters, as Orion did want to avoid going directly into the mines themselves. But he knew there would likely be bots there, he just needed to get a lot of the miners and encourage them to fight for their freedom and future.

He also knew he would have to tell the bots about Galaxy’s identity. After all, none of them knew Galaxy is a draconic bot. It was going to be interesting to see how they react. But they did need to know the truth. Plus, it also will make the bots realize how Galaxy was able to slip into the mines without being seen the day they met. Her being invisible had caused a lot of chaos, even if she had not meant it to be that way. Regardless, the main thing was to get their help. Otherwise, storming Sentinel’s tower will not succeed. Especially with the dragons being forced to guard it.

Upon reaching the mining quarters, Orion transformed and approached the door. As he approached, it made him realize just how much bigger he was since receiving the t-cog. He had not really noticed too much about the size difference, but as he approached the entrance, that became clear. He glanced to his left, as the place he and D-16 had called home with Galaxy for nearly a whole cycle was still there. But it was vacant, and the door had been sealed shut completely. Erasing any existence that two bots and a sparkling had ever lived there.

Orion intakes deeply as he looked ahead and walked through the doorway. As he did so, he heard Ironhide speaking suddenly. “You can’t be serious!” Orion frowned as he looked around and followed the voice silently. “We just worked twenty-two shifts without a break!” His frown deepened immediately, disgusted that the bots were being forced to work this way. “These miners need rest and time to repair, and…”

“Sentinel Prime wants more energon!” Orion rounded a corner, spotting Darkwing as the bot barked back at Ironhide, completely ignoring the needs of the miners who were all trying to recover from their insanely long shifts. “So get back in the mines before I make you get back in the…”

Darkwing raised in right fist to punch Ironhide, only to flinch in surprise when Orion grabbed his wrist. When Darkwing saw who it was, he was shocked and about to speak as Orion punched Darkwing hard in the face. Darkwing grunted as the force knocked the bot back and he slid back across the floor until he hit one of the arcade machines in the mining quarters, that the bots used as one of the means of entertainment. The punch had knocked the bot out immediately.

The miners were shocked that someone had even stood up to Darkwing. But as Orion walked through the hallway, the miners were all muttering to each other about who he was. They were extremely shocked to see Orion, and even more so that he was larger than the rest of them. Orion could hear their chatter, and he felt rather awkward that he towered over most of them, and he even had to duck a little bit through the hallways until he stopped as the miners surrounded him, looking at him in shock.

“Orion?”

Orion glanced down at the silver bot who addressed his name. “Jazz.”

Jazz glanced the bot up and down in shock. “Is it really you?”

“Yeah, I know I, uh, look a little different,” Orion responded uncertainly, raising his arms as he glanced at himself.

“Little?” Jazz sized up Orion again in shock as seeing Orion taller and stronger than they were was like they were all having the same dream. “There’s nothing little about you.” He stared before glancing around.

“Uh, how is this possible?” Ironhide asked, stepping forward.

“Sentinel told us you died from your race injuries and that Galaxy had been taken in under his wing.” Orion visibly grimaced as that comment from Arcee made him feel disgust. Arcee tilted her head as she noticed the reaction immediately. “I guess that did not happen if you are here. Where is Galaxy?”

Orion intakes deeply as he hardened his expression slightly with confidence. “Sentinel is a liar.” All the miners were surprised, glancing at each other, though it was hard to really disagree since Orion was standing before them right now. Orion lowered himself onto one knee, meeting them at their level. “Look, I know how this will sound coming from me. I was never the most focused miner, and sometimes, not even the most focused parent. And…Galaxy told myself and D-16 about Sentinel before we found the truth and finally believed her.” Orion’s optics held guilt in them before he intakes deeply and opened his chassis. “But as you can see, everything is different now.” The miners all stare as they see Orion’s t-cog for the first time. Their mouths hung open, speechless that Orion even had one and it glowed like a veil of hope in front of them. “I went to the surface and I learned the truth. A truth Galaxy had told me time and time again, but I did not want to listen.”

“How could Galaxy know the truth?” Ironhide asked curiously. “She’s so young, how could she know? Or…” Ironhide gasped as he paused for a moment. “Is that why she ended up here? In the mines where you found her?”

Orion nodded affirmatively. “Yes. The reason why she managed to sneak into the mines was because she was cloaked. We couldn’t see her, but we definitely tripped over her.” Jazz smiled slightly as that memory was funny to him now. “And I am sure you know no regular bot can do that. But dragons can.”

Arcee widened her optics in shock. “Dragons? But…she…how can she be a dragon? I thought they couldn’t transform.”

“They can. Galaxy’s t-cog was functional, and it was made dormant because of Oranos, the chronicler of Tempest, ensured that she couldn’t transform. And also, made her unable to speak.” Orion gazed as the bots listen silently to him. “I wish she was here to show you her true self, and hear her beautiful voice. I wish her aunt, Cosmic Dust, was able to free herself from the enslavement, but she has not been able to.”

“Cosmic is Galaxy’s aunt?” Wheeljack stared in shock and he frowned slightly. “Are you sure? I mean, she never looked like that dragon. She always looked more like you and D.”

Orion smirked slightly. “I am positive. Ignited Galaxy’s birth parents was Solarian and Comet Hammer. They both were killed by Sentinel. Solarian died protecting Galaxy from Sentinel, as Galaxy had been placed into a stasis pod fifty cycles ago. Her parents share colours that both D and I have, and I believe her bot appearance is nothing more than just a coincidence. Or fate, whichever you prefer.”

“Ignited Galaxy’s her full name, huh?” Ironhide smiled as he listened to Orion. “Wow…I never thought she’d be a dragon. But when Cosmic came into the mines, her actions make sense now. Especially with how Cosmic acted with you and D.” Orion nodded and Ironhide intakes deeply. “But where is she now?”

Orion’s smile faded immediately. “Captured by Sentinel. The reason why Sentinel has been able to control those dragons is by using a sick, twisted piece of technology within the collars they wear around their necks. Something in them forces their system to obey Sentinel and Airachnid without question. But I did see signs that those collars only have a limited use. The dragons will overpower them eventually, but they are enslaved by Sentinel. And I fear, Galaxy has one around her neck too.”

Ironhide clenched his fists upon hearing that. “Even though she’s a sparkling?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, Galaxy’s ancestor named Wraith is the reason Sentinel has been trying to get her for cycles. I am afraid there is too little time to explain. After all, there is more that I learned on the surface about all of us.” Orion placed his hand on his chassis as he looked at his friends. “My friends, we were all born with transformation cogs. And then Sentinel, he stole them from us.” The miners gasp as they listen to Orion, many placing hands on their chassis thinking about what had been taken from them. “He took away our ability to make our own decisions. He stole our freedom. He stole the freedoms of the draconic bots, forcing them to do his bidding, no matter how heinous those actions are.” Orion closed his chassis as he intakes deeply. “But now I’m offering you your first real choice. You can work a twenty-third shift and mine yourself to death, or fight back against Sentinel with me. Right now.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Wheeljack asked bluntly.

“We can’t fight,” Arcee added, shaking her head slightly. “We don’t have cogs.”

That was a true fact. But Orion quickly remembered the words Alpha Trion had told him, Elita, B-127 and D-16, and he felt compelled to tell his friends the same thing. “What defines a transformer is not the cog in their chest, but the spark that resides in their core. A spark that gives you the will to make your world better. And that spark…” Orion held up his right fist confidently as he encourages the bots while also tapping on his chassis. “Sentinel can never take from us.”

“There’s not enough of us,” Jazz responded uncertainly. “We’d need an army.”

Orion smiled as he placed a hand on the bot’s shoulder. “And we have one. Elita is bringing troops.” The miners were all surprised at how organized Orion seemed to be. He’s never been that way, so they were all intrigued and encouraged to agree with Orion’s plan. “We are not alone in this. If we want to be in control of our own destiny, we will have to fight for it.” Orion stood up slowly as he looked around at every miner. “Now is the time for us to stand up, for ourselves.” The miners began cheering enthusiastically. “Stand up to this injustice! I promise you, this fight will be worth it.” The cheering grew louder as the bots were excited and encouraged to fight, now knowing that they could win and be free. “Follow me. Nothing can stop us when we stand together. Together as one.”

Orion gazed around as the miners were chanting his name. He was glad that all the bots were ready to fight for their freedom, though he still felt awkward being in a place of leadership. He never thought he would be in that position, but it somehow felt right. The bots were all looking to him for support now, and now that he has given it to them, they were all ready and willing to fight for their freedom. He only hoped that minimal lives would be lost in this.

Orion turned to Ironhide. “Ironhide, how many jet packs do we have left?”

Ironhide nodded affirmatively. “More than enough. Even some spares for you.” He turned and gestured to the other bots. “Come along! Let’s get the jet packs and get ready! Though…” Ironhide glanced back at Orion. “But…we don’t really have any weapons. I don’t suppose we could ask Darkwing about the nearest weaponry.”

Orion looked over at Darkwing to see he was still unconscious and shook his head. “I am afraid we are going to have to improvise, my friend. We may not have any blasters to shoot from afar. However, you still have tools that are just as capable of causing as much damage as a rifle does.”

Ironhide widened his optics as he had not thought of it. “Huh…you are right. Yeah, we have a lot of drills! But you probably don’t need them.”

“That might be true, but I think using the drills as weapons are going to be more useful than you think. I intend on, hopefully, getting close enough to one of the dragons and using the tools to cut the collars off their necks. Freeing them will ensure that they will help us take Sentinel down.” Orion glanced up, looking at the tower as he was hopeful. His spark was heavy about Galaxy, D and B-127. “Hopefully.”

Ironhide followed Orion’s gaze before looking back at him. “Just for the record, I believe you.” Orion looked at Ironhide in surprise. “You have a cog now, and even though I can’t really imagine Galaxy as a dragon, but it all makes sense. She had no medical record, no CNA matches and she showed up like she came from no where. And while we all joked that you and D somehow go together and made a little sparkling…” Orion rolled his optics immediately with a smirk. “And to be fair, she has a lot of details on her body that matches the two of you, so it was hard not to think that way. But I believe you. After all, there’s no way you would disappear and come back looking a little different with a cog without a story to tell.” Orion was relieved to hear that. “So I hope that we can rescue your daughter. I am just sorry that Sentinel…fooled us all. I had suspected something was strange when we were instructed to mine so much. I wonder what the reason is for that.”

Orion intakes deeply. “I know the truth to that too.” Ironhide immediately wanted to know and Orion placed a hand on his shoulder. “But I am afraid that truth might be harder to hear than Sentinel betrayal to us about having freedom and being able to live like all the other bots in the city. After all, there’s more to the story and a main reason why Galaxy ended up with us in the first place.”

“I see.” Ironhide observed Orion for a moment before he turned away. “Alright, Pax. You know what you know, and I will wait to hear it. But I promise you I won’t think you’re a dolt if you told me now.” Orion chuckled softly as he followed Ironhide. “Let’s get all the tools together and get the job done. I have a lot of hope that we can do this. Thanks for coming back and ensuring that we know the truth, and allowing us to fight for our next choice.”

Orion nodded as he was glad that the miners were glad to join in on the fight. Orion raised his hand to open his com link. “Elita, it’s time.”

“You got it.”

The confidence in Elita’s response gave Orion some reassurance. He was glad that this was all coming together. He glanced down as Wheeljack walked over with a jet pack. “I hope these can still fit.” Orion knelt down so the bot could place it on him. When Wheeljack saw that the jet pack connected to Orion’s back, he stepped back in surprise. “Wow, it does! Hopefully you don’t need two. You’re probably heavier now with the extra bulk on your body.”

“I should be okay, thank you, Wheeljack.” Orion stood up slowly. “Now we need to retrieve all the tools you have in here. Time to use them for a better purpose than digging through rocks every day.”

Wheeljack cheered loudly as he turned around pumping his fists are he was ready to get going. Orion felt the same way. But he would wait until everyone was ready, as this wasn’t going to be easy. As ready as everyone was, Orion hoped that there would be little lives lost from this. Asking them to fight was big enough, but if any feel hesitant or scared, he would offer them a chance to stay back. There was no shame in that after all. But he knew what he must do.

As the bots gathered the tools, Orion took two stone cutters as he knew these should be able to cut through the collars. But he knew that if Galaxy had one around her right now, he would need something else to remove it. As he knew from that the collars may not be easy to remove. But it didn’t matter. Orion wanted to free the dragons, no matter the cost. He knew that once they were free, they would turn on Sentinel and fight his troops alongside them.

Meanwhile...

“Elita, it’s time.”

Elita smiled upon hearing Orion’s voice through the com link. “You got it.” She turned off the com link and glanced at Soundwave and Shockwave behind her. “Buckle up, Blinky. We’re going in.”

Elita guided the train over the surface as the sun shone down upon them before reaching the entrance into the city. Descending straight down into the city, Elita remembered how this looked when she was on the train before when leaving Iacon city. Despite that it was not something she had wanted to do initially, she was now glad that it had happened. And she was very glad that Orion had a reason to go to the surface, and they learned more about Sentinel, the dragons and Quintessons than they ever have in their lifetime. And knowing this meant they had the ability to change it, and ensure that they would not allow the deaths of the Primes be in vain.

“I hope this works,” Shockwave commented bluntly, making Elita flinch at him suddenly speaking. “I like that your friend seems to be very confident, but I don’t know if this will work.”

“Why wouldn’t it? You are former High Guard, are you not? Wouldn’t this be your element? To fight?”

“Starscream already told you how our numbers have dwindled over the cycles. We were once an army a long time ago, but the Quintessons and Sentinel had killed many of us.” Shockwave huffed as he folded his arms. “It is true we are able to fight, but you should know that if they bring our the dragons under their control, even with the numbers that Orion has managed to recruit, fighting them is not easy.”

“Perhaps. But I don’t think they’re in full control anymore. At least, Cosmic Dust, Sky Blade and Firedrake might resist easier than Scorched Flare. And Galaxy probably is in the tower.” Elita glanced towards the tower as her expression hardened. “The things I would love to do to Sentinel if I could get my hands on him…”

Shockwave laughed suddenly. “Yeah, well, get in line!”

Elita chuckled lightly as she whole heartedly understood. “I already am in line.” She frowned as she saw a squadron of vehicons flying out of the tower with Airachnid leading the charge. “They spotted us, it’s about to get bumpy.”

Elita began to move the train to the left so she could begin moving the train in a coiling motion to ensure that they were not as easy of a target for the bots. But as Airachnid and the vehicons were already shoot at the train, their blasts were already hitting the sides of a few of the cars and trying to disrupt the tracks forming beneath the train itself so the train would fall straight down and no one would survive the impact.

Soundwave opened his com link to the High Guard waiting within the cars. “High Guard, eject!”

The roofs of the cars opened, releasing the High Guard within. Elita gasped as she spotted Scorched Flare flying behind the squadron. “Scrap! Seeing if you can order the High Guard to try and use opportunities to try and rip that collar off the dragon’s neck. I don’t know what will happen, but we need her to regain control.”

Soundwave nodded. “High Guard, use any and all opportunity to get close to Scorched Flare…” He paused as Cosmic, Sky Blade and Firedrake finally emerged from the tower. “And the other three dragons to attempt a removal of the collars. Relinquishing the control of the dragons from Sentinel is a high priority.”

Elita clenched her jaw as the bots began to engage battle. The vehicons spread out, along with the High Guard, and Scorched Flare flew over the top of the bots with her mouth filling with a hot, white flame, ready to attack the bots in front of her. The train began to shake as bots shot and transformed for close combat right beside the train, and Elita did her best to keep control of the train to drive it as smoothly as possible.

She gasped as Scorched Flare breathed a wave of fire, hitting three High Guard bots within the stream and killing them instantly. Seeing them fall from the sky before Scorched Flare looked towards the train and suddenly stopped with a hover, angling herself as her claws filled with white plasma and her mouth filled with electricity. Airachnid transformed briefly in front of Scorched Flare and clearly gave an order to her.

However, Cosmic suddenly nudged the dragon roughly from the right side, distracting Scorched Flare and it appeared to have been an accident. Airachnid seemed frustrated as Cosmic turned right sharply and seemed to be chasing one of the High Guard, but she was actually chasing a vehicon who was behind the bot at the time. Airachnid transformed, giving another order to Scorched Flare and the dragon refocused on the train, ready to breath out a stream of fire.

Again, Cosmic flew close to Scorched Flare and hit the dragon’s back, her right wing scraped against Scorched Flare’s neck and she turned her attention to some High Guard bots to dive towards, instead of focusing on the train. Elita smiled as while it looked accidental, she had a feeling that it was not. Cosmic was being deliberate about her actions, as were Sky Blade and Firedrake, though it was not being made obvious.

However, despite seeing how Cosmic was reacting, the vehicon numbers was much larger than that of the High Guard, and they were already taking down many of them. And this allowed the vehicons to focus on the train, shooting at the cars and the wheels of the train. The engine itself began to rumble louder and there were some rattling sounds that showed that there was damage already being done to it. Alarms within the train began to blare loudly and the heat within the train engine was rising.

“There’s too many!” Shockwave exclaimed, flinching as Scorched Flare flying up from the left, and she was so close that her blue optic glared at them before swinging her head and piercing the side of the train with her horn. “Argh!” The three bots lost their balance a little. “We have to abort!”

Elita stared as Scorched Flare angled herself to fly right next to the train and she began trying to yank the engine from the rest of the cars. She glanced ahead at the tower in shock and felt a sense of desperation and despair suddenly. “We’re not gonna make it…”

Elita widened her optics as she spoke too soon. Several dozen bots flew straight up with jet packs on their backs, holding mining tools as they immediately began to attack the vehicons. Only Airachnid had seen them and flew upward, but the other vehicons were not prepared. The sharp drills, grinders and stone cutters pierced the vehicons from below, and many were sliced right through almost instantly. Elita sighed in relief as Orion flew in front of the train, holding the cutters in his hands, punching and swiping at the vehicons in front of them.

“Metal to the pedal, miners!” Orion shouted as he cut through a vehicon, glancing at the train to see Elita cheering them on. “Let’s break some protocol!”

However, he looked at Scorched Flare as she yanked her head back, almost throwing the train off the track, as she let out a roar, startling a lot of the bots as she glared at the bots now fighting the vehicons. The miners were a little unsettled, but the High Guard quickly began teaming up with some of them and they began to focus on fighting the vehicons, and some tried to engage battle with Airachnid, but she either kept her distance to shoot or rip bots apart viciously.

However, it was hard not to ignore the large, pink dragon flying towards them. She snapped her teeth as one of the High Guards as they tried flying close to her to get the collar, but she pierced the wing and grabbed them with her front paw, pulling the wing right off with her teeth. She spat the wing off and threw the bot towards the ground, just as Sky Blade flew underneath Scorched Flare, catching the bot in their paw.

Orion himself was trying to fight the other vehicons, while keeping an eye on Scorched Flare. Elita pumped her fist as she watched Orion fly in front of them. “That’s what I’m talking about, Pax!” She glanced at Flare as the dragon suddenly flew upward, rolling onto her back and Elita yelped as the controls began sparking from electricity. “Scrap! What’s happening?!”

“Oh no! Scorched Flare must have zapped the train with the tip of her tail! She’ll be able to shut it down if…” Shockwave yelped as a loud thud made the train roll slightly to the left. “What was…” Shockwave turned his head and gasped. “Oh! Firedrake distracted her. He hit her with his claw…” Scorched Flare roared and followed Firedrake. “Oh! He’s chasing a vehicon. But…huh?”

The electricity stopped damaging the controls completely and Elita was relieved. But as she tried to turn the train, she gasped. “Oh, scrap…” She intakes sharply. “Looks like we are going to collide head on into that tower. Hope you two are…” Elita turned her head sharply as a flash of silver caught her attention and she opened her com link as she looked at Orion. “Orion! Look out!”

Orion turned and widened his optics just as he saw Cosmic’s blue optics locking onto his while she rammed her body against him. Orion yelped as he dropped one of the stone cutters and almost lost the jet pack while he rolled back, only to land roughly and he grabbed a curved, silver spike. He quickly realized her was on Cosmic’s back. He groaned as the dragon was not slowing down, however she was not trying to throw him off.

She glanced briefly at him and Orion looked at the collar on her neck. He intakes deeply, pulling himself up a little so he could steady himself and not lose balance, while also realizing Cosmic was chasing a vehicon. The vehicon didn’t notice, as Cosmic spat a small, but precise plasma blast right at the vehicon’s jet and destroyed it immediately, causing the vehicon to fall and she rolled to the right sharply.

“Whoa!” Orion tightened his grip on the spike as the roll almost threw him off Cosmic’s back. It didn’t held that it felt like the sun was reflecting off Cosmic’s body. He glanced down and raised an eyebrow because that is when he realized something. Her scales looked different. It looked like some kind of mirror, and he realized she was absorbing power of the sunlight. He intakes deeply as he moved carefully over her back. “Okay, okay…she’s not throwing me off yet.” Orion looked at the collar, glad that it was around her neck near the base of the neck rather than right behind her head. He could see the enlarged veins around the collar and he grimaced. “I’m so sorry if this is going to hurt. Ah!” Orion fell forward suddenly, while Cosmic moved slightly so he fell between one of the back spikes, though almost hitting it as he managed to press his feet into her shoulders to stop himself almost gave Orion a spark attack. “That would have been messy.” Cosmic growled a little and Orion flinched, thinking she was going to attack. But she was growling at something else and he flinched as she snatched a vehicon into her mouth and bite down instantly, biting the vehicon in half. “Okay…dragons…they’re dangerous. They’re smart, but dangerous.”

Cosmic huffed a little, turning her head slightly. “Please…” Orion widened his optics as she spoke suddenly. “Cut it off. It won’t hurt any worse than being a slave. Cut it off!”

Orion stared as the dragon looked ahead again and he nodded. He looked at the collar and he frowned. He carefully shifted so he could move the stone cutter closer and turned it on, cutting through the surface off the collar. Sparks flew as he began cutting through the metal, and he quickly realized it wasn’t easy to cut through. He huffed as he focused before Cosmic yelped as she had not been paying attention and almost flew into Firedrake, making her brake suddenly, causing Orion to drop the cutter and fall forward sharply.

“WHOA!” Orion gasped, grabbing onto the dragon’s neck and almost slipping off the right. He looked down as the tool fell before looking at the collar right in front of his face. He frowned as he pulled himself up, moving between the sharp spines again as he grasped the collar, either side of the cut he has made and he intakes deeply. “Okay…please don’t fall to our doom.”

Cosmic wanted to laugh, but she also didn’t know what will happen. But she felt Orion pulling at the collar, using his strength to peel it away. It took a moment before it would give. Cosmic intakes sharply as Orion snapped it off. Orion watched as the needles were pulled from the dragon’s neck and energon began to bleed from the wounds. Her whole body shuddered and she threw her head slightly as feeling the sudden removal of the substance being forced into her body sent a shock to her body. But Cosmic did not lose control. She intakes deeply as she blinked a few times and she turned sharply to the left as Orion dropped the collar, letting it fall.

Cosmic turned her head slightly, looking at Orion as he looked back at her, noticing her optics were now full of colour. The veins were slowly returning to their natural size and she smiled at him. “Thank you, Orion.” Orion smiled back at her as hearing her voice properly was very nice. “But now is not the time to just sit there and enjoy the ride!” She glanced towards the train and she began to beat her wings more to fly faster, making Orion hang on tightly. “I will help the others with their collars, you help your friends get to the tower, stop Sentinel and free Galaxy.” Orion opened his mouth to respond. “There’s no time for niceties, Orion Pax! Time to be a soldier is now.”

Orion nodded before Cosmic suddenly rolled onto her back, making Orion yelp as he fell from her back, before turning on the jet pack as Cosmic flew straight towards Firedrake, where Scorched Flare was also still following him and she was actually attacking a few of the High Guard at this point. They were trying to get to their collars, but Scorched Flare was keeping them away. While Firedrake had two on his shoulders. Orion intakes deeply as he resumed punching and slicing vehicons out of the way of the train.

Orion did wish he didn’t drop the other stone cutter, but it wasn’t intentional. Regardless, he was doing a good job. But it seemed someone else had seen him free Cosmic, as Orion widened his optics as he saw Airachnid flying right at him, transformed and rammed him into the front of the train. Orion gasped as she broke some of the glass with her sharp leg, almost reaching Elita, Soundwave and Shockwave in the process, though he was glad that did not happen.

Airachnid narrowed her optics and began to strike at Orion multiple times with her legs while he blocked her strikes from his face with his arms before punching her in the head. He wasn’t expecting her head to turn a one-eighty suddenly, though that didn’t stop her from pinning his wrists against the glass of the train roughly. And in that moment, the back of Airachnid’s head opened slowly, revealing dozens of optics within.

But it also made Orion’s tank clench as seeing that was extremely uncomfortable. “Whoa! That’s intense!”

“You can’t win, miner!” Airachnid hissed as she glared at him. “Freeing one dragon won’t change that! I see everything!”

In that very moment, Orion realized exactly how they were going to reveal the truth to Iacon. “That’s right, you do.” Orion smirked a little as he leaned to the right. “Except the tower we’re about to crash into."

Airachnid opened her optics on her face and she saw Orion was telling the truth. She lets go off Orion as Orion pushed her off with his feet. Orion gasped as he had no time to get off either, and he used his elbow to punch the window. It didn’t break straight away, and he punched harder the second time and fell through into the train, sighing a sense of relief, before being forced to brace himself as the train collided into the tower, breaking through the doorway into the council chambers and Orion could only hope that Galaxy was not in the way of the train’s impact. 

Chapter Text

B-127 and D stare as they could see the train speeding towards the tower. While D had been punched back to the ground, he had managed to sit up, though he did not stand as the vehicons all had their weapons towards him. Plus, Galaxy stood between the vehicons, glaring and snarling at D-16 as she stood with her wings spread protectively in front of Sentinel. It sickened D-16 that she was forced to protect Sentinel and he wished she could understand what was happening. The froth dripped from her mouth, and D-16 could see she was burping a little, which likely meant her tank was not handling the energon cubes she had been force fed earlier. And yet, she was still forced to be in this position. He wanted nothing more than to kill Sentinel right now.

He turned his head as he saw that the train was not moving, or slowing down. D-16 scrambled backwards quickly to avoid being hit, as Sentinel stood staring at the train speeding towards him. For some reason, he did not move. Whether it was because of disbelief or fear keeping him still, it didn’t matter, and hoping that he would find himself squashed by the train that he would die from impact would be the most favourable scenario. When he tried to stand, a vehicon kicked him back onto the ground, making D narrow his optics at the two vehicons following him even though they should be moving themselves.

B-127 managed to get to his feet and he was about to run out of the way, only to see Galaxy had not moved. And as D-16 scrambled back, with the vehicons still aiming at him while he tried to get to his feet, B-127 looked at the sparkling. He glanced at the train, and he ran towards Galaxy. The dragon snapped her head towards B and she turned with her teeth bared before yelping as the yellow bot tackled her with his shoulder to push her out of the way.

And he was lucky too, as the train hit the tower and the entire building shook and trembled, the walls collapsed and both B-127 and Galaxy slid across the polished floor away from the impact site of the train. However, Galaxy stopped herself as debris fell beside them, and she placed her right paws on the rock, pushing herself up as B-127 intakes deeply, looking back at the train in shock, as he had not noticed that the train hit a few vehicons and Sentinel into a wall. But when he didn’t see Sentinel, B smiled a little until he looked back at Galaxy.

“Oh, scrap…” B scrambled back, trying to push himself up from the ground as the dragon stalked towards him, with a white glow filling her mouth. “Come on, I saved your life!” Galaxy growled as she glared at him. “That stupid, fragging collar’s really screwed your processor, huh?” Galaxy inhaled deeply and B widened his optics. “Oh, scrap…” B sat himself up and jumped to the right, rolling as Galaxy unleashed a wave of white fire, and unfortunately, she hit one of the High Guard bots who had gotten to his feet behind be as the stream burned across the ground quickly, burning the bot’s left leg and making him shriek. “Sorry!” B-127 was not expecting anyone to get hurt and he pushed himself up as Galaxy was still stalking towards him with her teeth bared. He glanced at the collar on her neck. “Scrap! If only I could…AAHH!” B jumped to the right as she spat a firebomb and it hit the ground, exploding right beside him and cracking the floor as pieces flew against his face. “Talking does nothing, does it?” Galaxy growled as her mouth glowed brighter again. B-127 backed away as he glanced back at the train for a moment and looked back at Galaxy. “Help! I need help! WOAH!”

B-127 ran to the right to avoid another firebomb and Galaxy let out a roar, which was higher pitched than he expected. She began to chase B-127 while growling deeply at him as she was irritated by this bot running from her. B glanced over at D to see he was moving to get up, but a vehicon was already aiming at his chassis, so he wasn’t in a position to help B at the moment. But B hoped he was fast enough as Galaxy was a lot faster than him being on all fours. Especially when he felt her jaws snapping right behind her.

“No, no, no!” B-127 panicked as he ran around another bot, who ended up with their leg bitten by Galaxy, despite her being zoned in on him. “Scrap! Move out the way! AH!” B-127 jumped to the right when Galaxy almost bit his left thigh. “Not good, not good...this would only be fun if this was playful, but this...” B-127 shrieked as he heard another inhale and he jumped to the left, moving his legs to skid towards a pile of rubble as Galaxy breathed out white flame. “I don’t want a dragon nipping and blasting my...AAAHH!” B jumped back as Galaxy climbed over the rubble and jumped at him, making him lift his right knee to kick her in the chassis. “Sorry, Galaxy! I don’t want to...” Galaxy snapped her teeth again and managed to clamp down on his right foot. Despite being small, her jaw was strong and her teeth pierced through some veins. “Ow! Not good!” B-127 pulled his foot, only to drag Galaxy along the ground. “Ah, that hurts! And I can’t even get my wrists free! Ugh!”

Running out of the train, Orion gasped as he spotted B-127 with Galaxy’s jaw clamped down on his right foot. His optics spotted the collar immediately and his spark filled with anger and pain for his daughter. But he saw D-16 was restrained, along with the rest of the High Guard, though a vehicon was charging a weapon to shoot D-16 right in the chassis. Though he wanted to run over to B-127, Orion knew he had to help D first so he could also them with getting to Galaxy and removing the collar from her neck.

“Hey!” Orion shouted, getting the vehicon’s attention, as he jumped from the train, aiming and shooting the vehicon directly in the chassis. When landing on the ground, Orion threw the blaster a vehicon flying towards them and the bot exploded upon hitting the blaster. Orion ran over to D who didn’t really react to Orion’s presence. Orion spotted the Megatronus shaped burn on D’s chassis immediately as he rushed over to him as D got to his feet. “What has he done to you?”

D-16 shook Orion’s hand off immediately. “This is nothing compared to what I am going to do to Sentinel.” D and Orion turn their heads when they heard B shrieking suddenly and sudden a huge wave of hot, purple fire on the other side of some rubble. They could not see B or Galaxy, but they saw several High Guards running away, and a couple of them had some of the purple flames burning on their shoulders, legs and chassis. “And you’re worried about a little burn compared to that?”

“Of course, I am! You’re my best friend and Galaxy’s parent! Why wouldn’t I be?!” D-16 rolled his optics and Orion glanced up to see Soundwave flying above. Orion lifted his hand to open his com link. “Soundwave, free the prisoners.”

Soundwave flew over the prisoners, releasing pulses of energon down to them to cause the cuffs on their wrists to release them immediately. Upon being released, the High Guard were quick to jump into action to fight Sentinel’s troops, and to assist those who have been hit by Galaxy’s attacks unintentionally. B-127 saw Soundwave releasing the prisoners, and he made sure that Soundwave noticed him so he could get released, but it was hard with Galaxy still following him.

Orion stepped closer to D as the silver mech rubbed his wrists upon being freed. “I know how to stop him. Airachnid is the answer…”

“I’m doing this my way!” D-16 snapped, turning to run and join in the fight.

“D, wait!” Orion shouted as D shot at a vehicon. “We need to free, Galaxy! I was able to free Cosmic from her collar!”

D looked at Orion in slight surprise. “What?! You freed her? Well, where is she?”

“She’s gone to remove the collars from the other three dragons. She needs to free Firedrake and Sky Blade first, because Scorched Flare is under the full force of the collar.” Orion looked over at B as he was finally freed from the cuffs, but he ducked as Galaxy lunged at him and he managed to avoid being tackled, but another High Guard was tackled from behind instead. Orion’s optics quivered as Galaxy immediately bit the back of the neck of the bot and he shook his head. “We need to rip that collar off her! She’s not in control!”

“I know! Sentinel tried to force her to kill me before!” Orion gasped sharply as D-16 turned and punched a vehicon in the face, knocking it out. “So I am doing this my way! So stay out of it!”

Orion stood shocked for a moment before he had to react as vehicons began to shoot at him and Orion raised his arm to block their shots before running towards them. He saw Elita fighting some vehicons as well, as she was trying to get a blaster. He wanted to assist, but he focused on the couple who were focused on him. He knocked their weapons out of their hands before kicking them away and picking up one to shoot them.

B-127 stared at Galaxy as she mauled the High Guard, her teeth and claws cut through the metal due to the plasma and she coughed up some energon in the process. He glanced at the collar, wanting to help her, only to turn when he saw movement. “AH!” He shrieked as the punch from the vehicon was unexpected, and he was shocked when the bot’s hand almost made contact, a helmet suddenly shielded his face. B touched the helmet in shock. “WOAH! I’ve got a battle mask!” He turned in shock and he spotted Elita fighting a vehicon for a blaster, and yet, he was too excited about the battle mask to really help her. “Elita! Battle mask!” Elita glanced at B briefly and smiled for a moment as she shifted the wheels in her legs to speed around the vehicon quickly to kick and punch him. “It appeared when this guy tried to…” B swung his hand to point at the vehicon, only to be surprised to see glowing, blue energon filled knifes had unsheathed from his wrists and cut through the vehicon unintentionally. “KNIFE HANDS?! I have knife hands!”

Elita didn’t get to respond as she sped around and kicked the blaster out of a vehicon’s hands and backflipped to kick him in the chassis. The force of the kick, sent the bot flying towards B. B-127 shrieked in surprise, holding up his hands towards the bot protectively, only to see the knives slice through the bot’s body and stop it from hitting him in the face. B-127 felt even more excitement over his new weapon.

Elita stared in shock as B laughed triumphantly and he shouted loudly. “Badassatron!” Though that was cut short when he felt a sharp pain in his right wrist as Galaxy bit down. He shrieked, looking at her in shock. Her face was covered with the energon from the bot she had mauled and she was trying to rip through his veins. “Ow! Ow, ow, ow!” B-127 tried to pull his wrist out of Galaxy’s mouth. “Come on, you already bit my foot!”

Elita ran over to B. “Don’t use your knives on her!”

“I know! AH!” Galaxy lets go of B and turned to Elita as Elita was reaching to the sparkling, only to pull back as the dragon inhaled. “Oh, scrap! Get out of the way, Elita!” Elita transformed to speed away as Galaxy breathed out the purple fire again, which a line of vehicons were in the way off and were hit. “Orion! D! Look out!”

Orion and D turn their heads to see the powerful stream, and jumped out of the way. Orion looked over to B to see he was limping away from Galaxy and saw the wound on his arm. It was a good thing Galaxy wasn’t using any of her venoms on him, but she might not without a prompt from Sentinel. Galaxy roared loudly, and Orion stared at her as hearing her roar should be a moment of pride. But it sounded wrong. It sounded like a tormented roar rather than one filled with power. Orion wanted to help her so badly.

“Where’s Sentinel?!” D-16 growled loudly as he glanced around, looking for him. “Did that coward flee?!”

Orion did not know. He didn’t know Sentinel had been right in front of the train when it hit the tower. But if Sentinel had fled, that would be good. Without Sentinel here, he wouldn’t be able to give commands to Galaxy. And getting to her and removing the collar from her neck would be easier. They just had to get rid of the vehicons still here, and when they dealt with most of them, then they could help Galaxy.

He looked at Galaxy as the dragon stalked towards Elita now, as her target had shifted from B to Elita. B himself was already slicing vehicons with his new knife weapons, but he was worried about Elita as the femme wasn’t sure how to react to Galaxy now a threat to her. And Elita did not want to hurt Galaxy, even though Galaxy probably will hurt her. B was lucky that his injuries weren’t severe, as Galaxy has already shown she could kill a bot. And it wasn’t a clean death either.

Elita backed away from Galaxy as the dragon’s mouth filled with bright, purple plasma. She shuddered as she didn’t know what she could do or say to try get through to Galaxy. But seeing her condition hurt her spark. Galaxy’s white optics seemed to hold not recognition for the femme at all. But Elita could tell that the sparkling was in tremendous pain. But clearly, she couldn’t feel it or do anything because of what the collar was doing to her system. Plus, the energon froth dripping from mouth, combined with some partially digested energon her body was struggling to process made Galaxy look pitiful, despite the snarl on her face.

Just as Galaxy was about to blast the plasma at Elita, there was an explosion in the center of the room. The blast hit everyone in the room, throwing the bots away. Galaxy was hit as well, and she almost hit some rubble. But she beat her wings and flew upward to avoid the impact, which Elita sighed in relief as she didn’t want to see Galaxy injured further, even if she had already inflicted injuries to B-127. Though B was handling the injuries quite well, despite that it hurt to put pressure on his foot or move his wrist.

“You pathetic little twits!” Sentinel’s angry voice echoed through the room. Orion and D-16 stand up, narrowing their optics before they run over to hide behind some rubble, with Elita and B meeting them by the hole that Sentinel had made. “Did you really think that you knock down everything that I’ve built?!”

Orion hardened his expression as he knew that what he has built was built on countless lives lost and abused. It wasn’t something that should be glorified. “It’s over, Sentinel! You can’t escape the truth!”

“What truth?!” Sentinel retorted with a slight mockery in his tone. “That plucked the cogs from your new born chests? That I took a hold of special collars to take command and treat them like the mindless beasts they should be?” Orion and D-16 both narrowed their optics in disgust. “That I forced you the mine so that I pay off the Quintessons and live like a king? None of that matters!” Sentinel rose out of the hole from the ground, transforming into a battle form as he prepared to fight. “Because the truth is what I make it!” He flew out of the gap, hovering over the hole with multiple missile launchers open and armed to fire. “Ignited Galaxy...” Orion flinched and glanced up as the dragon flew closer to Sentinel. “Stay true to your name, ignite this tower purple with dark energon dragon fire!”

Galaxy growled as her mouth glowed purple and her neck glowed as the fire rushed up her throat. At the same time, Sentinel fired his missiles towards the bots and the High Guard who were still fighting. “Incoming!” Orion shouted, turning sharply as he, Elita, B-127 and D-16 transform to speed away from the impact of the missiles. But the impact was amplified when Galaxy unleashed a huge wave of fire, increasing the power of the missiles. “Get out of the way!”

The High Guard who were present transformed to speed away from the fire, and luckily, they got out. The vehicons were not so lucky, but they weren’t the brightest either. Sentinel smiled as he watched the fire expand quickly from Galaxy’s fire and she stopped with a sharp inhale as she flew closer to Sentinel. He was very impressed with the strength of her fire, even as a sparkling. The collar was working as it should in his optics.

He looked at Galaxy as he gave her another. “Create a storm in here. We don’t need a lot of optics watching the tower right. And create inside here.” Galaxy just snarled in response as electricity began to spark over her body. “Oh, and fill it with some dark energon too, while you’re at it. Show them your power from your ancestor. And don’t let anyone here stop you.” The electricity sparking over Galaxy’s body changed from white to light purple and dark clouds began to form with the wind slowly starting to pick up. “Wonderful! I cannot...” Sentinel yelped as a blast hit his chassis and he glared down to see D-16 had shot him. The barrel of the tank was aimed at him. “Pest!”

Sentinel immediately began to aim and shoot at D-16 as the mech focused his attacks on Sentinel. D-16 wanted to get Sentinel away from Galaxy to fight him personally, even though the environment was changing quickly. It was darkening, even with the fires burning throughout the tower. The wind fed into the flames and dark energon lightning began to strike the ground and hit some of the bots, including vehicons which killed them instantly. The power of this lightning was almost impossible for the bots to protect themselves from, especially that it was amplified with the storm that Galaxy was creating.

“What are we going to do, Pax?!” Elita asked as they sped away from Sentinel, swerving to avoid the lightning strikes that caused a loud clap of thunder as the cloud formed into a dark shadow. The only thing giving light was the fire, and even then, it was hard to see. “I don’t want to hurt, Galaxy. Sentinel is forcing our hand!”

“I know.” Orion was not sure of what to do. “I don’t have a plan yet to get to Galaxy. Sentinel’s made sure of it. But…” Orion had already noticed that Galaxy was hovering in the centre of the storm, which was both good and bad. “Since she’s at the centre, all the wind and lightning will be outside. So if we can get close, the rubble beside the hole might provide a bit of a ramp.”

“Not quite, Pax. We would need to stack it or hope someone hits enough over to it.” B shrieked as a lightning struck right beside him. “Ugh! She’s already bitten me! I don’t need to get my aft shocked!”

Orion felt bad that B-127 was injured by Galaxy. “I am sorry she’s hurt you.”

“I am not mad at Galaxy, Orion. Galaxy is not in control. But those teeth are sharper than you think.” B swerved again to avoid another strike. “It’s getting really dark in here with that cloud. But I think I see a place to hide up ahead.”

“I see it too.” Orion swerved before he transformed, punching his fist down to slide behind the debris, with Elita and B transforming to crouch by the rubble with him. “However, I do have a plan on how to expose Sentinel to the entire city.”

“What?!” Elita exclaimed as she widened her optics. “Why should we bother about that now? We have no way to show everyone.”

“Yes, we do. Airachnid gave the answer.” Elita frowned in confusion. “We need her memory. She’s the only one we need to expose everything, even when she and Sentinel have done to the dragons.” Elita hummed as that was a good idea and she smiled at Orion. “Now if we can get her, we would need to get to the broadcast station.”

“Where is she?” B asked as he flinched due to another strike near the rubble

Before anyone could answer, Airachnid was already flying towards them. She grabbed a hold of Elita, pulling her away from the tower. Elita was startled, but quickly realized who it was. “Found her!”

“Scrap!” B-127 stood up in surprise. “That bot really does not miss anything, does she?”

“She does not. I’m surprised she didn’t stop me when I pulled the collar off Cosmic’s neck.” Orion ran over to the edge, looking down to see Airachnid was striking her spider-like feet at Elita, and Elita had managed to turn herself around to face Airachnid. Orion opened his com link to Elita. “Elita, do not break her. Bring her to the broadcast station when you can.”

Elita liked that Orion had a lot of confidence, but she was focused on avoiding being hit by Airachnid, which was irritating the bot. “Easier said than done!”

Elita yelped as Airachnid kicked Elita, sending her towards another tower. Elita crashed through the glass. She did not know this was an important, research centre, as she rolled backwards through the large office. The bots who were in there had been watching the fight at Sentinel’s tower, and were alarmed by Elita being kicked into the building. They all had moved out of the way, as they feared she would attack them.

But Elita transformed before she went through the other side and sped along the window for a moment to get back to the other side of the building. She zipped past the other bots as they stare in disbelief and she could already see Airachnid flying on the other side. Airachnid seemed to be amused that Elita was following her and flew a different direction. Elita brakes hard and turned sharply and powered her jets to speed along the side of the building to keep an eye on Airachnid, which was easy with the many windows this place had. She spotted a window ahead of her, and she powered the jets again to launch herself towards the window and break through it, transforming as she launched out and grabbed a hold of Airachnid.

Airachnid grunted loudly as Elita grabbing her caused the femme to spin out of control. They land hard on top of a satellite, breaking it into pieces as they land onto the platform. Elita quickly got onto her knees to stop herself from sliding back and Airachnid tried to pierce her chassis with her foot. Elita caught Airachnid’s spider-like leg and broke it off the femme’s leg, making Airachnid grimace and she tried to stand before Elita began to hit her hard in the head.

“I said don’t break her!” Orion shouted through the com link as he had been watching from the tower.

Elita rolled her optics. “Relax, I’m being very gentle.” She kept hitting Airachnid until she was certain Airachnid was out. “But I don’t need her waking up and cutting my head off either.”

Orion hummed as he understood. He turned and flinched as a lightning strike hit the rubble behind him and he could see Galaxy vaguely through the thickened cloud around him. He turned the lights on his chassis so he could see and he was trying to think of a plan. He looked around to try and locate D-16, but he could not see him or Sentinel, which was not a good sign. He intakes deeply as he had to think of a plan.

He flinched, looking back out of the tower as he heard a shriek and Orion saw Cosmic, Firedrake and Sky Blade holding Scorched Flare and they were forcing her up away from the city. She still had her collar on, and he could see that there were some injuries inflicted on the dragons. Scorched Flare was not making it easy for them to remove the collar it would seem, and Orion hoped that they could help her soon.

Orion turned away and ran towards Galaxy, but was stopped by some vehicons landing in front of him and aiming their weapons at him. Orion widened his optics and prepared to respond when he was surprise to see B-127 moving behind them quickly, and he saw the bright, energon knives slicing through the abdomens of the vehicons, and B sliced one of the vehicons up the middle of his body, and Orion smiled slightly in surprise.

“Orion!” B opened his helmet as he waved at him and showed off his hands. “Orion, look! I have knife hands!”

Orion nodded with a smile. “I can see that.”

Two vehicons land behind B and B glanced at them with a smile before looking back at Orion. “I’m gonna cut these guys. Watch!” The vehicons seemed to be aware suddenly as they turned and bolted. “Come here!”

Orion glanced at Galaxy again before looking at B. “B, wait!” B stopped and looked at Orion in surprise. “You can jab them later, we got to go. I think I have a plan for Galaxy now. But I need your help.”

B-127 looked in Galaxy’s direction and jumped to the right when a lightning strike struck the ground beside him. “AH! Well, I have already been bitten, so I guess I got to go back in.”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think we can do this.” B nodded as he understood. Orion looked back at Galaxy. “I’m going to have you climb on my back again when I transform and speed over to Galaxy. There is some rubble to allow some lift for a jump. I don’t need to jump very high. That might get her attention, stop this storm and I can grab her away.” B nodded slowly as he listened. “And you…” Orion looked back at B. “Can use your new weapons to cut the collar off.”

B-127 widened his optics and looked at the knives before he was immediately nervous by the idea. “You want me to cut it off?” Orion nodded. “Uh…b-but what…w-what if…I…what if she is moving around too much and I…uh…”

“You won’t.” Orion walked closer to B and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you can do it. You can, for her sake.”

B looked at Galaxy before he intaking deeply. “O-Okay. I hope you have a second plan if she is thrashing around too much though, Orion, because I am not going to use these if I think I might…you know.”

Orion nodded affirmatively. He knew that this was a high risk. But it was a risk he was willing to take. Orion turned towards Galaxy and transformed. “Let’s go! The other vehicons are distracted, we have a window now! Or we won’t get it again!”

B nodded as he jumped on the back and Orion sped forward, making B hold on tightly as he stared at Galaxy nervously. He was terrified of hurting her, even if it was trying to do what was needed for her. But Galaxy was not able to stop herself from hurting them, and that was going to be the reason why that an accident might happen. But Orion trusted him. B-127 did not want to let him or D-16 down. Especially as B caught a glimpse of D-16 fighting Sentinel on his own through the darkness of the cloud around them.

As they got closer, Orion turned his jets on. “Alright, let’s hope this works!” B nodded. “Make sure you let go and transform to land safely, unless I can’t reach Galaxy myself.” B nodded again.

As Orion sped up the rubble, launching himself towards Galaxy, the sparkling immediately glared at Orion and she turned as B jumped off Orion as he transformed. She growled as her focus of creating the storm immediately faded, causing the storm to start fading, and her whole body ignited with electricity. Orion widened his optics as he grabbed a hold of her, making him grimace and grunt loudly as the sudden shock to his body pierced through his veins and caused him to intake sharply.

“Orion!” B shrieked as he saw Orion wasn’t just shocked with regular lightning, but with the dark energon. Orion landed hard on the other side of the hole, rolling and letting go of the sparkling as she quickly got to her feet. Orion’s body shuddered and his vision blurred with some black spots. “Scrap!” B landed and transformed, running over to Orion and looking down at him. “Oh, Primus, at least you’re alive.”

Orion forced a smile. “Yeah, but, ow…” He tried to sit up, but the pain shot through his body like a missile. “She must have drawn some of that into her body suddenly before I grabbed her. Ow…” Orion placed his fists onto the ground to force himself up. “That hurts…”

B looked at Galaxy as she stalked towards them with low growls. “You’d better get up, Orion. She’s coming, and she will kill you if you don’t move.”

Orion turned his head slowly, softening his optics as seeing Galaxy softened his spark. And it hurt his spark to see her this way. “Distract her, B…” Orion coughed a little, tasting energon in his mouth and he grimaced. “Ow…frag, oh…” Orion wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Distract her.”

B-127 nodded. “Alright, I’ll…get my feet chewed off, but okay.” B waved his hands at her, and Galaxy glanced at him. “Follow me, Galaxy! Let’s go…” B yelped as she lunged at him and he jumped to the right, and her optics follow him. “That’s right, this way!” Galaxy turned towards him and she inhaled before turning her head back to Orion as he groaned. She huffed and turned back towards him. B gasped loudly. “No, no! This way!” Galaxy ignored him completely as she snarled, her teeth turning black and her optics quiver before gagging as some more energon was purged from her system a little. “This way! Come on!” B grimaced as he reached and grabbed her tail suddenly, making Galaxy shriek and turn sharply, swiping her claw and nearly striking B in the face. B scrambled back. “That’s right, uh, th-this way.”

Orion blinked as his vision returned and Galaxy turned to face him. Orion took a moment before he widened his optics as her teeth were still black, likely with black plasma and electricity sparked over her body. He was already feeling stiff and sore from the shock before and Orion wasn’t going to be able to move so quickly. However, seeing Galaxy ready to lunge at him, he had to be ready. He grimaced as his spark hurt, and raised his hands as Galaxy lunged at Orion with her mouth open ready to attack with B shouting at Galaxy, wanting to get her attention which was not working.

Chapter Text

Orion grimaced as Galaxy landed on his chassis as he was able to grab her jaws to stop her from biting him, but holding her jaws with his hands put them into contact with her black, plasma filled teeth and he grimaced as they were always burning through the surface of his hands and energon trickled out of these fresh burns. However, Orion widened his optics as her mouth immediately filled with plasma and he had to throw her to the side as she unleashed the blast, hitting rubble behind him instead of his face. Orion’s body was still stiff and aching the attack before, so moving was a little hard.

And Galaxy must have noticed since she turned to him again with a growl. He was weakened, and that made him an easy target. She didn’t recognize him at all. Galaxy inhaled again and Orion widened his optics as he moved onto his knees. B-127 ran over, getting Galaxy’s attention and she turned to blast him instead, and B ran away from Orion so she could focus on him so Orion could get to his feet.

However, Galaxy turned back to Orion and saw he was slowly getting to his feet. Galaxy growled as she snarled before lunging at him. Orion rolled to the right, avoiding the tackle from Galaxy, though she turned sharply and lunged at him again. Orion raised his hands to catch her jaw again, but it seemed that the sparkling learned quickly, as she turned her head and snapped her jaw around his right wrist, biting down hard.

Orion grimaced as her teeth pierced his armor and she was close to hitting an artery vein if he didn’t stop her. Orion moved his left hand to grab her shoulders and rolled, attempting to force her down onto the ground. Galaxy raised her wings and swiped them forward. Orion flinched back and winced as the tip of the blades of her wings almost scratched his face, but she did scratch his left shoulder and she raised her right wing to slam it into his shoulder. Though as she wasn’t using plasma, the wing merely cut through lightly, and Orion wasn’t going to lose his arm from it.

But it did make Orion loosen his grip on her shoulder and she raised her front claws to scratch at his chassis. Orion grimaced as he grabbed both front legs and held them together as he used his weight to force her onto her side. Galaxy shrieked, releasing his right wrist and lunged at his face. Orion jumped back with a yelp of surprise, letting go of the sparkling as he had not expected her to do that.

B was watching closely as he stepped closer. “Do you want me to grab her?”

Orion shook his head. “No. I need you to be able to cut her collar without restraint. I just need to prevent her from biting and slashing with her claws and wings.”

“But she could still hit you with lightning through her body. Or even fire.” Orion knew that as well. But Galaxy may not, since her battle movements were not of someone focused and capable of battle. Galaxy stalked towards Orion again and Orion waited as she glared at him. Galaxy glanced at his hands as she clearly knew he was going to grab her. B wanted to get her attention. “Are you sure you don’t want me to get her attention?”

Orion wanted to respond as Galaxy lunged at him again. Orion moved to the left and firmly, but gently, grabbed Galaxy’s right wing and side, pushing her down onto the ground, making sure she did not hit the ground hard. Galaxy shrieked, flailing her legs as her left wing was now underneath her, and she couldn’t move it now that she was pinned. She was swiping her tail in an attempt to strike him, but Orion placed his hand over her mouth, holding her firmly as he used his weight to hold her down as gently as he could.

He made sure to move slightly so B could get to her neck. He did his best to stop her from thrashing about. Orion looked at B-127 as he walked over nervously. “You need to get in and do it now, B.”

B nodded as he walked closer nervously, only to stop as Orion grimaced as electricity began to spark over Galaxy’s body. He gasped loudly. “Let go of her!”

Orion did not want to, but the shock from Galaxy’s body was growing stronger quickly and he leaned back, though as he did so, Galaxy pulled her head free and bit down hard on Orion’s hand. Orion widened his optics as her teeth pierced the metal and the hot pain seared through the nerves of his hand, and he quickly realized it must have either been plasma or energon fire in her teeth. Energon dripped from the new wounds and Orion had to fight the urge to not yank his hand back, as that would either hurt Galaxy, or she would rip off some of his hand.

Orion grimaced with a grunt as he tried to ignore the pain and looked at B. “We have to do it now, B!” Orion grimaced as Galaxy’s body was still charging with electricity, and it hurt. “I can’t hold her down forever.”

B was nervous, but he didn’t want Orion to die either. That would crush Galaxy if she knew. B-127 intakes deeply, scooting over and unsheathing one of the knives slowly. Galaxy let out roars of frustration as she bit down again on Orion’s hand, making the bot grimace from the pain. “Oh…this is the worst thing I have had to do…” Orion raised an eyebrow. “By that, I mean, you’re trusting me with something so important.”

“Because I know you can do it. Just like I knew Elita could obtain Airachnid.” B seemed to relax a little before Orion grimaced as Galaxy managed to free her front, right paw and swiped at his face, scratching across his cheek. “Ugh! Don’t waste time! Please!” Orion shifted so Galaxy’s neck was more exposed. “I really don’t need to find myself in a medical emergency, because I might need to visit Ratchet after all this is done.”

B did not find that funny. Orion’s injuries weren’t just external. He was lucky that the dark energon that Galaxy’s used has not been confirmed to be the same dark energon that Unicron has, but that research was for another time. B stepped forward and crouched next to Orion. His spark was racing in his chassis as he clenched his fist, lowering the knife towards the collar on her neck. B was trying not to cause his arm to shake either as he knew that would cause him to harm Galaxy unintentionally.

“You can do this. You can do this.” Orion smiled a little at B-127’s muttering. He said nothing as Galaxy tried to pull her mouth off his hand, but Orion shifted a little to hold her, even though doing so hurt and caused more damage. B-127 hovered the blade right above Galaxy’s collar. “Alright...just a little cut...”

B lowered the blade slowly and the tip pierced through the collar with ease. B was relieved as he sliced it down slowly and pulled his arm away once he had cut it and moved to grab it, just as Galaxy freed her right wing, moving it violently and poking B-127 in his left optic with one of her feather blades. He yelped, jumping back in surprise. He placed his hand over his optic, thinking she pierced it, but she didn’t. It was just a poke and he was relieved.

But Galaxy’s body discharged the electricity suddenly, and Orio was forced to let go and stumble to his feet as the lightning began to rush across the ground in a wave with her at the centre. Orion and B rush to get away from the stream and hit behind some rocks for a moment before a stream of fire hits the rubble as she launched herself upward to fly to where they were hiding.

“Ugh! So close!” B-127 exclaimed, rubbing his optic a little. “I’m glad she didn’t just partially blind me.”

“But now all we need to do is pull it off. The collar is secured because of the needles underneath. Now we just need to pin her down and pull it off.” Orion intakes sharply as he placed his hand on his chassis. “At least her attacks haven’t been full force, I don’t think.”

B nodded in agreement. “She’s too young to reach Wraith’s level.” Orion nodded in agreement. B was worried as Orion was clearly in pain. “I hope you can manage.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Orion intakes deeply, glancing up as Galaxy’s wing beats got closer. “We have one more chance.” He turned his head as he saw movement and widened his optics as he saw D-16 still fighting Sentinel alone. “We could really use D’s help.”

“He is helping by keeping Sentinel fixed on him, and not remembering that he has one dragon left under his control.” That was true, but Orion wasn’t sure if that is what D was doing. B elbowed Orion gently. “I got your back.”

Orion smiled and glanced up again as Galaxy landed on the rubble, and he widened his optics as she inhaled again. “Look out!” Orion pushed B-127 to the left as Galaxy breathed out a wave of dark energon fire and she ran down the rubble, sliding a little to catch up to them. Orion turned sharply as she ran towards them. “This is going to hurt, but it needs to be done.” His optics softened as he looked at her white optics. The constant stream of tears from them hurt his spark. “I wish you could hear me, Galaxy, but I will save your life.”

Galaxy roared as she inhaled again, turning her head sharply to the right as B ran towards her before he stopped and Orion used that to run at Galaxy. Galaxy glared at Orion and jumped up to fly away, as Orion jumped upward suddenly and wrapping his arms around her stomach, holding her close to his chassis. Galaxy was surprised by this, but she growled and tried snapping she teeth at Orion’s neck, but Orion swiftly moved her into a cradle position on her back, holding her wings against her back with her paws pressed against his chassis, Orion was able to press her head under his elbow and hold her against the side of his chassis. She growled loudly as she began charging her body with lightning again.

Orion grimaced as B ran over to him. He looked at B who hesitated as he worried about being shocked. “Take it off, B! Now!”

B-127 intakes with a nod and grabbed the collar firmly and yanked hard, grimacing as electricity immediately struck his hands. However, it took a moment as the yank made Galaxy yelp due to the needles being pulled at, and he worried he hurt her. Even so, he pulled the collar firmly, though gentler than before, and he watched the collar finally pull free. He was glad, but seeing the wounds oozing with energon hurt B-127’s spark. Especially as the sparkling began to shudder and whimper uncontrollably.

Orion sighed in relief as this was good. He freed her head from between his elbow and chassis, moved her so her head was could lay against his shoulder. Her optics began to return to yellow and her veins within her optics were already shrinking, though it was very slow. Orion smiled as he rubbed her back gently, ignoring the pain from his injuries as he only cared about comforting his daughter.

Galaxy blinked as she turned her head slightly to look at Orion, seemingly recognising him finally. Orion smiled softly at her. “Galaxy...” Galaxy’s mouth gurgled as she gagged before turning her head to purge suddenly. “Oh, scrap.”

“Whoa, oh, oh!” B-127 jumped back as Galaxy’s purging of her tank was projectile and his chassis was almost covered in the energon she had in her tank. He grimaced as the partially digested cubes fell onto the ground. “Eh, I guess we should known. Airachnid forced her to ingest so much before.”

Orion nodded as he rubbed Galaxy’s back gently. “Easy, Galaxy. Let it all out.” Galaxy whimpered as she heaved heavily. Orion felt awful. Her body still felt hot against him, and he knew she was going to need a medic to look over her after. She intakes as she stopped heaving and she turned her head weakly to look at him. “I am here.”

Galaxy looked around for a moment, spotting B as he waved at her with a smile and she looked back at Orion. “D-Daddy?” Orion’s spark felt a pang as her voice sounded hoarse and forced. Orion nodded and kissed her forehead gently. Galaxy smiled as she sniffled. “You saved me.” Orion nodded. Her smile weakened a little as she closed her optics as tears roll down her cheeks, laying her head on his shoulder. “Thank you...I...I...”

“It is okay, Galaxy. You’re free now.” Orion looked in Sentinel’s and D-16’s direction for a moment and looked at B-127. “We should head to the broadcast station now.” Galaxy opened her optics slightly. He smiled at her. “Sorry, but I will not ever let you go. Okay?” Galaxy nodded, closing her optics again as Orion and B ran to the edge of the tower and transformed. Orion made sure Galaxy was within his chassis safely. She whimpered and curled inside, placing her paws on her stomach. “Oh, you have a tank ache.”

“It hurts...” Galaxy whimpered softly. “I might purge again...I don’t remember what happened...I was in a room, alone...”

“You don’t need to tell me now, Galaxy. We still have to stop Sentinel.” Galaxy flinched at Sentinel’s name and whimpered softly. “Don’t worry, he is not going to win. I have a plan to expose Sentinel. Plus, Cosmic Dust, Firedrake, Sky Blade and Scorched Flare are free now.” Galaxy widened her optics immediately in shock, even though Orion didn’t know about Scorched Flare yet, but he was certain she was free. “And now, D-16 is fighting Sentinel. Most likely angry about what he did to you.”

Galaxy’s smile faltered slightly. “Dadda is fighting Sentinel? Why didn’t he help me?”

Orion didn’t have answer to that. “Um...he wants to inflict on Sentinel what he did to you.”

Galaxy placed a paw on her neck, grimacing as touching the area where the collar was stung upon contact. “I don’t know. I think dadda might be angrier about being lied to. I hope he doesn’t go too far. Sentinel deserves death, but I don’t want dadda to find his mind clouded and forget that…uh…um…I…”

“I am aware, Galaxy. Unfortunately, D-16 has been angry since learning the truth. And I too hope it won’t cloud his judgement. But do not worry yourself with that, Galaxy.” Galaxy whimpered a little as she listened to Orion. “I want you to rest. B and I are on our way to meet up with Elita. She was able to knock out Airachnid.” Galaxy flinched upon hearing the name. “Do not worry, Galaxy. Airachnid will not hurt you. We lost the device Alpha Trion gave to us, but Airachnid has seen it all. So we can use her memory.” Galaxy had not expected that at all. “And we now can show Iacon more than just his betrayal about the Quintessons, but also the dragons.”

Galaxy smiled as she was glad before she sniffled for a moment as tears fall uncontrollably from her optics. The shock of the collar’s removal was wearing off, and she let out a sob as she curled tightly. Orion’s spark ached as feeling Galaxy nuzzle up against him made him want to transform and hold her. But they did need to get to the broadcast station, so Orion didn’t have much of a choice as Galaxy’s uncontrollable cries were muffled against the fabric.

Orion did at least make sure that he wasn’t moving sharply so she wouldn’t be disturbed. He was trying to think of how he could comfort Galaxy. He did wish D-16 was with them, as having him here as well would help tremendously. But he was not. He was focused fighting Sentinel, and Orion really hoped that D would come around as soon as he knew that Galaxy was free and okay. She would never medical treatment, but she was alive and well.

As they approach the broadcast station, Orion spotted Elita standing outside, holding onto Airachnid, though she was trying to not make herself noticeable. “Elita is right up ahead.” Galaxy lifted her head as Orion spoke. “B, maybe you should help open the door for us. Elita has her hands full and so do I, and…” Orion paused for a moment as a shadow flew over them suddenly. “Wait…”

“Orion, looks like you have a silver dragon following you,” Elita’s voice through the com link warned, and Galaxy gasped as her sobbing stopped almost immediately. “Seems like Cosmic is paying us a visit, or trying to see what we are about to do.”

Galaxy smiled a little as she let out another sob. She did not know how long ago Cosmic had been freed, but she was overwhelmed with emotions. Her whole body was aching and she had no memory of what has transpired since the collar was placed around her neck, but she was glad. However, as she sob, she knowing that she was in Orion’s arms when her consciousness took over and she saw him clearly through her optics, she already knew she probably had fought Orion.

Galaxy sniffled loudly. “Daddy…did I hurt you badly?”

Orion was not surprised that she asked that. “I will be fine, Galaxy. None of it was your fault. You were not in control. A little visit to Ratchet will be all that I need to get well.” Galaxy sobbed some more. “Don’t feel bad, Galaxy. It was worth going through to save you. Sentinel would still be in control of you otherwise, and he might have ordered you to do something you would never do.”

“Like kill you or dadda?” Orion did not respond, but Galaxy already knew. “Did I kill anyone?”

Orion didn’t want to answer that either. “No. Any action you have done under the collar’s influence, was because of Sentinel. Any deaths were because of him. Not you.”

Galaxy was unconvinced. “I don’t know if…I don’t remember anything.”

“It is best that you don’t remember it, Galaxy. After all, once Sentinel is dealt with, we have to rebuild and refocus our attention on the Quintessons.” Orion sighed deeply. “Hopefully, everyone will…or at least, most bots will accept the truth and we all work together for a better, brighter future for all of us.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement. “Yeah…me too.” She sniffled as she sobbed some more.

Orion knew that is all Galaxy wished for. He hoped the other dragons felt the same, but he would find out shortly. As Orion and B reach the exterior of the broadcast station, Orion transformed gently and moved Galaxy to cradle her against him. Galaxy nuzzled his chassis immediately as she sobbed before turning her head as B transformed behind Orion with a big smile on his face.

He looked at Galaxy to see her sad face. “Aw, don’t worry, Galaxy. We’re going to win. Oh!” B-127 pulled up his helmet. “Look! I have a battle mask!” Galaxy’s sobs lighten immediately and B raised his hands, and she saw the energon knives unsheathing from his wrists. “And I have knife hands! How cool is that?!”

Galaxy smiled a little with a giggle, a giggle that made Orion’s spark warm. “I guess the cog you have helped you when you needed it.” B nodded and she looked at Elita. “Mama.”

Elita looked at Galaxy in surprise and smiled at her. “Galaxy, by the All Spark, I am so relieved to see you without that ugly collar.” Galaxy nodded as she sniffled. Elita glanced up as the wing beats from Cosmic grew louder and the bots turn to see the dragon gently descending to land on the edge. “But it seems someone has been waiting a long time to reunite with you.”

Orion turned to face Cosmic as the dragon landed on the edge, keeping her wings out to balance herself as the large, silvery white draconic bot looked down at them with kind, blue optics. Tears shimmered in them as she looked her head. “Thank you, Orion.” Orion smiled as the dragon’s head could reach the bots. “I am glad we can finally introduce ourselves properly. I have longed to speak freely with you.”

“I am just sorry it took so long.” Cosmic nodded in agreement as Galaxy sniffled in Orion’s arms. Orion rubbed the sparkling’s back gently. “I am sorry that you’ve endured what you have. I hope you and the others will be okay.”

“We are alive, Orion. So it gives us the opportunity to make things right. As long as energon flows through my veins, I will never give up.” Cosmic looked at Galaxy as the sparkling gazed at her. Cosmic’s voice softened immediately. “Ignited Galaxy…” Galaxy wagged her tail and Orion gently lowered her to the ground, though the sparkling stumbled as she walked to her aunt. “I have missed you. I love you so much.” Galaxy whimpered as she stumbled closer before nuzzling Cosmic’s muzzle and the dragon gently nuzzled the sparkling’s cheek. “Fifty cycles, and you barely look to be six cycles old. Oranos did a good job with that stasis pod. Maybe too good of a job.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement as she sobbed some more. “But I was able to find new parents, Cosmic. Being small helped a lot.”

Cosmic chuckled softly. “I have no doubt.” Cosmic glanced at Airachnid as the femme groaned before Elita knocked the femme out again. “And what do you plan to do with Airachnid?”

“We are going to use her memory to show the truth about Sentinel, the dragons, everything to Iacon.” Cosmic smiled as she listened to Orion. “Originally, we were going to use proof Alpha Trion had given to us, but it was destroyed at the High Guard’s hideout. So…” Orion gestured to Airachnid. “We have a plan B.”

“Good. Might as well make use of that ugly creature’s processor. Especially when she’s tried to butcher memories from my own mind before.” Cosmic softened her voice again as Galaxy licked her cheek gently. “You are a very strong, young dragon, Galaxy. Solarian and Comet Hammer would be proud of you.” Galaxy sobbed softly as she placed her front right paw on Cosmic’s muzzle. The dragon let out a soft purr. “I am also proud of you. You found two wonderful parents, and a third...” Cosmic glanced at Elita who was immediately uncomfortable though she smiled with a shrug. “However, I am not so sure about D-16 at this time. His spark is filled with a rage I haven’t seen in a long time.”

Galaxy sniffled as she looked at Cosmic’s optic. “What does that mean?”

“I do not know. But...unfortunately, it is a rage that blinds the mind.” Cosmic sighed deeply as she looked at Orion who was also sad to hear. “But I do know his spark still holds a light. We only need to pull it out of him, and remind him what he still has. His life is not destroyed.”

Orion nodded. “I know. Our young lives might have been crushed, but the future can be bright.” Cosmic nodded in agreement. “That is all I hope for.”

Cosmic purred softly as she gently lifted her head away from Galaxy to move her snout near Orion, making him a little cautious as he raised his hands slightly before she nuzzled his cheek gently. “You need not fear me, Orion. We are family after all.” Orion placed a hand on her muzzle to rub gently before he widened his optics when she licked his cheek. “You may not be my sister or Comet, but you are worthy of being Galaxy’s parent. You have no idea how grateful I am. You’ve done a good job, for someone who knew nothing about draconic sparklings.”

Orion wiped off some saliva from his cheek as he chuckled softly. “Thank you. It was a little trying at the start. But we managed. Plus, at least if Galaxy wants a private conversation, we can just sign.”

Cosmic chuckled. “Indeed, but I do understand sign. So if you try to hide anything from me, that is not going to work.” Galaxy giggled and Cosmic gently leaned back to nuzzle Galaxy, and the sparkling stumbled onto her side. “Oh, I am so sorry I couldn’t protect you from Sentinel, Galaxy. Your system is in dire need of medical assistance.”

Orion widened his optics immediately. “How dire?”

“Do not worry, Orion.” Cosmic looked at Orion kindly. “She will not die. But as soon as possible. Even for you. I can sense internal damage within you.” Galaxy gasped as she looked at Orion in shock and Orion smiled to comfort her. “However, it will be okay. You are also in no danger.”

Orion nodded in agreement. “I probably feel worse than it is.” Cosmic chuckled softly. “But I imagine you need medical too.”

“Yes, I do. Sentinel and Airachnid have given myself, and the others injuries, both external and internal, that will likely be permanent. But treatment is necessary.” Orion felt awful for Cosmic knowing this fact. “Scorched Flare is the luckiest of us. She has very little injury on her.”

“Where are the others anyway?” B-127 asked curiously, glancing up for a moment before gasping. “Oh! There they are! They’re fighting alongside the High Guard.”

“And I should probably join them. After all, I have no doubt that once you reveal Sentinel’s betrayal, he is going to lose his spark for fighting.” Cosmic intakes deeply as she leaned back. “Especially as the others now know we are free, and we’re about to free to Iacon again.”

Elita frowned a little. “Others? There aren’t any other dragons here.”

“I’m talking about those who have been in refuge in Wight Canyon for the last fifty cycles.” That made the three bots widen their optics while Galaxy bounced a little excitedly. “Trojan and Tirade are on their way…”

“They’re still alive?!” Galaxy exclaimed excitedly and Cosmic nodded. “Whoa! But…Tirade would be old now. He was getting slower than Sky Blade, I think.”

Cosmic chuckled softly. “Tirade is still a fighter. No one would want to mess with him. However, they will not be the only ones. Trojan’s younger brother, Glazed Thunder, Oranos’s nephew, Prometheus along with Oranos’s sister, Sharp Tongue, and Sunlight Shard, a sweetheart Sky Blade had been courting before all this, are on their way.”

B gasped in surprise. “Aw, I didn’t realize that Sky Blade had a girlfriend.”

Cosmic nodded. “Yes. And she has waited all this time. She’s refused every dragon who have approached her for bonding as sparkmates. She is…Sentinel will not want to meet her in person. And…” Cosmic glanced down at Galaxy. “What Sunlight said isn’t not sparkling friendly, so I’ll keep that quiet.”

Orion chuckled softly. “A good thing you feel the same about me and how others act around Galaxy.” Cosmic huffed in amusement. Orion glanced back at the broadcast entrance and looked back at Cosmic. “I apologize here now, Cosmic. I would love to speak some more…”

“I understand.” Cosmic licked the top of Galaxy’s head and she squealed happily. “I promise that we will finally spend time together after this. Properly.”

“I hope so.” Galaxy stood up and walked over to Orion before stopping and looking back at Cosmic. “But…I am curious. Why hasn’t the new…”

“Primus’s timing is not something we fully understand, Galaxy,” Cosmic interrupted the sparkling gently, knowing she was asking about a new Prime. Cosmic glanced at Orion briefly as she spoke. “However, if you focus, you will be able to sense the new power rising.”

Galaxy murmured a little. “Hmmph, okay.” She looked at Orion as he leaned down and picked her up to cradle her. She looked back at Cosmic. “My tank hurts.”

Cosmic chuckled softly. “I am afraid I cannot help you with that, Galaxy. Unless there is a rock nearby to heat up and place on your stomach, you’ll have to endure.” Galaxy whimpered and Orion smiled in amusement. “I’m sorry, Galaxy. Don’t worry, tank aches don’t last forever. You’ll be fine.”

“Mmm…okay.” Galaxy sighed deeply before she smiled. “At least you’re okay, auntie. I…I hope today will be okay.”

Cosmic nodded. Orion looked at B with a smile. “You can go ahead and tell the staff to let us in.”

B-127 nodded excitedly. “Okay! I’ll get us in!” B turned and ran towards the entrance excitedly.

Cosmic stared at the yellow bot and looked at Galaxy. “I see you also found a brother, of a sort.” Galaxy nodded with a giggle. Cosmic huffed in amusement. “Well, I shall leave you to it. We shall take a victory for today.”

Cosmic pushed herself off the ledge and began to beat her wings to fly upward to join the other three dragons to help the High Guard fight Sentinel’s troops. And luckily, the numbers of Sentinel’s troops were dwindling, so it wasn’t going to be an issue to defeat them and get to Sentinel. Galaxy watched as Orion turned to walk to the entrance with Elita. She wanted to watch as much as she could as it made her feel hope within her, even if Cosmic’s words about D-16 unsettled her spark.

As Orion and Elita enter through the front, they all heard the sound of slicing in the broadcast room itself. Elita frowned upon hearing that. “What the…B isn’t using his knife weapons is he?”

Orion shrugged with a groan before he and Elita jog ahead and they quickly noticed the door had been sliced open. Galaxy couldn’t help but giggle a little as Orion was unhappy about it, especially as they step through the open door and saw B with his helmet on slicing the blades through the panel screens within the room. He had not killed the bots who were in the room, but he had damaged the chairs and control panels beforehand.

“B!” Orion shouted, making B-127 stop and look at Orion to see Orion and Elita staring at him in shock and confusion. “These are not the bad guys.”

“Why did you cut the door?” Elita pointed at the door as she kept a hold of Airachnid, making sure she wouldn’t be dropped onto the floor.

B stood staring at the two bots as he felt guilty and uncertain about it. “What? No, I didn’t…” Galaxy covered her mouth with her paws to keep herself from giggling too loudly. “That was an…I…It was already like that. Right?!” B pointed the blades at the bots, and the bots quickly agreed with B that it had been like that.

Orion sighed deeply. “B, come on.” B lowered his arm and opened his helmet. “These guys only broadcast information, that is their job. They’re not our enemy.” Orion looked at the bots sympathetically. “I am sorry about my friend, guys. He is just a little too excited about his new weapons.”

“No, no, we understand,” One of the bots responded quickly. “Uh…can we go?”

“Of course.” Orion and Elita move to the side to let them leave, and the bots quickly rushed out of the door. “I am sorry about this! I promise we will fix it for you guys.” The bots did not respond and Orion sighed deeply. “Alright, let’s get to it.” Orion walked over to an undamaged chair and sat Galaxy on it. “Sorry, Galaxy.” She looked at him curiously. “I need to activate the broadcast for the whole city.”

Galaxy shrugged. “It’s fine. I don’t know all that technology yet anyway.”

Orion smiled, walking over to a panel to bring up the centre control panel. B-127 moved back and watched quickly as Orion activated the broadcast panel. It took a couple seconds before the familiar sound of the live transmission alert that would get the attention of every bot in Iacon. Galaxy shuddered, hearing the recording of the female bot alerting the bots to stand by for a transmission from Sentinel Prime. At least for this time, it will be a whole other reason. Galaxy watched Elita lay Airachid on the panel to activate her memory to bring up a holographic recording of her memory, and Orion activated the broadcast. It was now or never to see how the rest of the city react to the truth.

Chapter Text

Raising his shield to block a shot from D-16, Sentinel kept a smug smile under his mask as engaging battle with D-16 has been entertaining to Sentinel. This former miner was not so bad at fighting, and Sentinel had been thoroughly amused when D-16 abandoned Orion to pursue him. He wasn’t even thinking about Galaxy, even though Sentinel had considered calling the sparkling to give him aid and attack D-16. But this had become rather personal, so Sentinel was more than willing to give D what he wanted. And that was to fight.

D growled loudly as he raised his fist while running at Sentinel, punching the bot in the face as hard as he could. Sentinel raised his hand to grab D-16’s fist, but D pulled back. He had already seen how Sentinel had been able to grab his hand with a clamp and use it against him. So D swiped his right leg in an attempt to trip Sentinel, but the bot jumped and punched D in the cheek, making D stumble back and narrow his optics, shifting his feet to ensure he doesn’t stumble again and tensed his arms, ready to keep fighting.

Sentinel huffed in amusement as he watched D clench his fists. “Not so bad for a miner, I must admit." D-16 narrowed his optics and ran at Sentinel again. Sentinel raised his right arm to block a punch to the face and uppercuts D’s jaw, making D grimace and punch him again, landing a direct hit on his face. “But I guess you are just so angry!”

“You took everything from me!” D-16 shouted at him, trying to punch Sentinel in the face multiple times but Sentinel blocked him each time, which angered D further. “You must pay for it!”

“Oh, sure, except you still have a daughter, which you haven’t bothered to even pay attention to since.” D gritted his teeth as he felt Sentinel was mocking him. “In fact, I probably could call her over to deal with you, and I would love to see that confrontation!”

“You wouldn’t dare!” D hissed, raising his fist again, only for Sentinel to grab it and clamp down on his fist. D widened his optics as Sentinel prepared to throw him again, but D kicked Sentinel’s arm, and Sentinel released him, making D stumble back. D heard explosions behind him, but he didn’t look. “You took everything from her too.”

Sentinel shrugged. “I sure did. But she still has you and that Orion Pax. So I haven’t really taken everything from her. Plus, Cosmic is still alive. I could have killed her the same day I killed Solarian, and watched Comet Hammer rip his own spark from his chassis.”

D growled at him. “You lie about Comet!”

“Oh, no, no. That is no lie. I tried to put a collar on him. But he was too stubborn and preferred death than being alive to see his daughter today. Pathetic!” Sentinel shot at D and D-16 was forced to jump behind some rubble. “Keep running, D! But I thought you wanted to take me down!”

D charged his canon and stepped out from behind the rubble to shoot at Sentinel. Sentinel flew upward and to the left to avoid being shot, but D shot at the bot relentlessly multiple times and he did not land any of his shots due to not being a hundred percent focused and aiming properly. So Sentinel was able to avoid the shots with ease and aimed at D-16 to shoot at him, and D had to hide as Sentinel managed to shoot D’s right shoulder and D grunted angrily.

“Get back down here and fight me!” D-16 shouted at Sentinel angrily.

Sentinel chuckled loudly, flying over the rubble and landed right in front of D-16, raising his fist and punching at him. D ducked, which resulted in Sentinel punching the rubble instead and D punched Sentinel in the stomach. Sentinel stumbled back a little and kneed D-16 in the chassis before swiftly punching him in the cheek. D-16 stumbled back with a grimace, glaring at Sentinel as he did not like that Sentinel was a strong fighter. It angered him a lot, especially as it had seemed that Sentinel had been a coward by using the dragons for his own means, rather than using his own fighting abilities to get things done. He certainly had underestimated Sentinel.

And Sentinel had silently admitted that he underestimated D-16. For someone with zero fighting experience, D-16 was a pretty good opponent. D-16 claims he has lost everything because of Sentinel, but Sentinel knew that wasn’t true. Even so, Sentinel was thoroughly amused and he couldn’t help but wonder if D would be blinded by this fact for a long time. Even if he managed to kill him. In a sense, Sentinel still had a hold of D that D-16 couldn’t see. Which is very much a victory on Sentinel’s side.

Sentinel and D-16 jump back as a missile hits the ground between them, blinding them both with dust and fire. Sentinel stumbled back, taking the opportunity to look around and noticed Galaxy was no longer in the tower. He figured she was attacking someone else, but he had already thought about calling the sparkling over to kill D-16. While fighting D-16 had been entertaining, he was also growing tiresome. Getting rid of him would make things easier.

However, as Sentinel was thinking this, D-16 had transformed and spend through the fire and dust, making Sentinel flinch in surprise and fly upward as D fired at him. Sentinel huffed in amusement as he avoided being hit by D-16 and he flew around, shooting at D to force him to transform and eventually, D-16 did just that after speeding up some rubble in an attempt to launch himself at Sentinel to punch him. But Sentinel simply kicked D-16 to the ground, and D landed on his back with grunt and grimace, making him intake sharply from the pain of the impact.

Sentinel chuckled as he landed on the ground and grabbed D-16’s right wrist, making D widen his optics before being thrown into some rubble again. D-16 grunted upon impact and he tried to get up, only for Sentinel to do it again. D-16 grunted and intakes deeply before glancing around for a moment, not knowing that Galaxy was not in the tower anymore. He noticed Orion was not present either, but his optics sharpen as he saw Sentinel approaching.

D-16 stood up again quickly, ducking as Sentinel swung a punch at him, and D landed another punch to Sentinel’s face. Sentinel huffed in amusement. “You fight pretty well for a miner.” D prepared to punch again as Sentinel kicked his abdomen. “But I am getting tired. Your friend let the prisoners out. Galaxy…” D-16 widened his optics when Sentinel shouted and Sentinel grabbed D’s right hand when D tried punching and threw him to the ground again. When there was no response, Sentinel looked around and shouted. “Ignited Galaxy! I command your attention!” Nothing. No roar or response. Sentinel finally realized Galaxy was not present. “Hmmph…I’ll deal with her later I guess.”

D-16 shook his head, trying to sit up as the impact of Sentinel throwing him was getting to him a little. He turned his head slightly when he saw Scorched Flare flying by suddenly and he didn’t realize the collar was gone, and he worried that she was going to listen to Sentinel instead. But Sentinel did not call out to her as he walked over to D-16, now knowing that he had to deal with the silver mech himself. Not that it bothered him.

Arming his canon, Sentinel stamped on the bot’s arm, crushing it slightly under his weight as D widened his optics, thinking he was pinned down. “What’s wrong, D-16?” Sentinel mocked the bot, the mask hiding the smug smirk on his face. Sentinel aimed at D’s face, arming his canon. “Rise up!”

“That’s why after I killed him, I took his cog for myself.” Sentinel frowned, glancing up as he heard the sound of his own voice echoing loudly through the city. “What truth? That I plucked the cogs from your new born chests. Forced you to mine so I could pay off the Quintessons and live like a king?” Sentinel stepped of D-16’s arm as he turned and walked towards ledge, lowering his guard as he widened his optics, spotting the screens playing memories of recent events. The next one showed Galaxy within the dark room with him holding the collar and Airachnid pinning the sparkling down. ““Not even your new parents can save you now. No one can, and no one ever has. You’re mine now.” D sat up a little, glancing at the screen hearing the sound of Galaxy’s shriek echo through the city like a shrill cry. He widened his optics, knowing full well this was a memory. Followed up by Sentinel kneeling before the Quintessons themselves.

The next recording was something D didn’t expect. It was Solarian. Sentinel was scene shrieking, stumbling back on the surface as Solarian swiped at the left side of Sentinel’s face, leaving the fresh deep wound on his face that has turned into a scar. Something Sentinel’s never hidden. Solarian’s optics were gone, destroyed and yet the dragon still managed to leave her mark on Sentinel. “I will never tell you, Sentinel. She will never be yours.”

Watching Galaxy’s birth mother shout at him made his spark hurt and his anger only grew as he watched Sentinel’s glare at the dragon while nursing the injury to his cheek and stomped to the dragon with his sword raised. “You are a pathetic, lowlife, worm! I will get my answers, with or without your cooperation!” D-16 grimaced as he saw the blade slice through Solarian’s neck, not slicing straight through in one swing though, which caused the dragon to shriek and splutter painfully. “At least I can put a dent in your sparkmate’s fight. He’ll feel every bit of this right now!”

D-16 clenched his fists angrily, glaring at the back of Sentinel’s head. He wanted nothing more than to kill him. But a gush of wind surprised him, and D turned his head to see Cosmic Dust, Sky Blade, Firedrake and Scorched Flare all entering into the tower. Sentinel had not noticed as he was staring at the screens in shock, seeing how the lies he had told to the entire city were completely unveiled. And Sentinel had no idea that Airachnid had been captured for this reason.

As soon as Cosmic landed, she glanced at D briefly before looking back at Sentinel. “It would seem your façade has finally faded, Sentinel.” Sentinel turned and stared at Cosmic with wide optics. He quickly glanced at the other four dragons as they growl at him, and he noticed their collars were gone. “Your attempt at being a leader has failed. You were never destined to be one.”

Firedrake cracked his fingers as he stepped forward. “Fifty cycles you have put us through the Pit, Sentinel!” Fire filled his mouth slightly, he opened his mouth to let the smoke out as Sentinel stepped back a little. “And now, I cannot wait to ensure that you endure your well-deserved punishment. You not only destroyed our lives, but also those in Iacon.”

“I did not destroy their lives!” Sentinel snapped, frowning at the dragons, though he wasn’t feeling confident with four dragons now facing him. And he could tell that they wanted to tear him apart. “I simply…told them what they wanted to know. That is all.”

“And you disgraced your own kind by butchering new, young bots of their t-cogs to serve as slaves to you and the Quintessons!” Sky Blade snarled as he shook his head. “You bring shame upon yourself, the Primes you have liked to parade as though you were friends with them in the end and you dared to even try to repeat what happened to Wraith. The Quintessons are not your friends, and never will be.” Sky smirked a little. “You’re just a puppet, a tool. A fool blinded by the desire for power.”

“I still got it! I don’t care about the Quintessons! If only I could get into the Wight Canyon…”

Scorched Flare laughed lightly. “You would be dead. There are creatures that live in the Wight Canyon that we dragons have allied with, but they’re the savage creatures you tried to pin us as. And we would have fed you to them.”

Sentinel shuddered at the thought. “Well…good thing I never went in there…uh…”

“Hmm, I think it could still be an option.” Sentinel widened his optics immediately. Firedrake huffed in amusement. “And we would all get to watch as fuse by fuse, circuit by circuit, are consumed slowly and painfully over…hmm…” Firedrake placed a paw under his chin. “He’s large, so I think a couple of cycles. As long as he is pinned and cannot move.”

Cosmic nodded. “I agree. It would be a justifiable option. But only after he has served his time. Fifty cycles for every spark your have inflicted pain upon.”

Sentinel blinked in shock. “Fifty cycles for each…but…that…that’s too many!”

“You brought it on yourself!” Cosmic roared angrily, making Sentinel cover his head a little fearfully as he thought she was going to strike him. “The venom Galaxy was able to inflict upon you…” Cosmic glanced at the purple, violet optic Sentinel had as he frowned. “Is a perfect start. Because not only will you become blind, but you’ll also lose your voice and mobility. And you’ll become a worthless husk, no even worth caring for.”

Sentinel rubbed his arm nervously. “But…shouldn’t th-there be a trial? Oh…but…we n-need a Prime to do that.”

“Oh, don’t worry. A new Prime is going to rise very soon.” Sentinel narrowed his optics as Alpha Trion said that, but Sentinel knew that the dragons would know. So hearing Cosmic respond so casually about it made him worried. “So you’ll find yourself in a trial very soon, Sentinel. And…” Cosmic paused as she heard D-16 run over to Sentinel with cry of rage. She widened her optics immediately. “D-16! Stop!” Cosmic rushed forward to try and grab D with her mouth as D tackled Sentinel, sending them both over the railing and began falling from the tower. Cosmic stared in shock. “No…”

“What in the Pit does he think he’s doing?!” Firedrake exclaimed, peering over the ledge, watching D punch Sentinel repeatedly on the way down. “Sentinel’s been exposed! There’s nothing Sentinel can do now!”

Cosmic growled with a shake of her head. “He’s blinded by rage, Firedrake. He believes that everything he has is gone because of Sentinel. But it is far from the truth when the future has not happened yet.”

Scorched Flare sighed deeply. “I had hoped that this wouldn’t happen.” Firedrake, Sky Blade and Cosmic looked at the pink dragon as her optics were full of sadness. “Prometheus has similar abilities to Oranos. He has been seeing things of the future. He said something about the day Sentinel would be revealed, that not only a new Prime shall rise, but from the ashes, a fiery rage shall rise and…as we know, the kind of rage D-16 seems to have, it isn’t a simple fix. Even with Sentinel defeated.”

“Ugh! I hate it when this happens!” Sky Blade hissed as he stepped forward and jumped out of the window. “Come on! We might be able to stop it! D-16 is still Galaxy’s parent!”

Cosmic nodded. “Yes. He needs to be reminded he still has her, and a good future with her if he stops this.” She intakes deeply as a few tears fall from her optics. “Maybe she can get through to him.” Cosmic lunged off the ledge, opening her wings a little before diving to follow D-16. As she did so though, she caught the sight of Orion transforming and speeding along the road to try and get to D-16. “Hold up…you deal with D, I’ll make sure Orion gets to him. Maybe he can talk sense to him.”

The other dragons nod and proceeded to follow D-16. Cosmic herself couldn’t believe D would have even done that while the four dragons stood before Sentinel. He should have known that Sentinel had been defeated. And Cosmic also felt that it should be them, the dragons, who should have tackled Sentinel that way. After all, D-16 was still young and had many cycles ahead of him. Whereas for Cosmic, Sky Blade, Firedrake and Galaxy have had fifty cycles stolen from them. Ripping Sentinel apart if what he deserves, but the dragons do know that an immediate execution was a bad idea.

Cosmic glanced at the falling bots as she flew closer to Orion. Orion had seen Cosmic’s approach, while also watching D-16. He was extremely worried for D, as he had not expect D to do something so reckless. But he was glad that Cosmic was here, along with the rest of the dragons, to hopefully help resolves this situation. It needed to be resolved as quickly as possible to prevent further casualties and to prevent anything bad from happening.

As Cosmic flew closer to Orion, she lowered just below the road. “Jump on, Orion!” Cosmic shouted at him. “I can get you to D-16 faster.” Orion hesitated. “I will catch you. Do you have Galaxy with you?”

“Yes. She insisted on coming. She wants to stop D too.”

Cosmic groaned a little. “Ugh…alright. Make sure you hold onto her. I doubt she’s strong enough to fly right now. But…” Cosmic gasped as she watched Sentinel activate his jets and Sentinel flew through the city, though it wasn’t controlled as he broke through a screen. “We don’t have time! Climb on!”

Orion agreed as he transformed quickly, which made Galaxy squeal in surprise before she noticed Cosmic beside them, and as soon as Orion transformed, the road began to disappear. He jumped while holding onto the sparkling and Cosmic moved slightly to ensure he landed on her back. Orion landed on her back with his feet, and he grabbed onto of her spikes to balance himself before swiftly sitting down, intaking deeply as Cosmic turned gently to fly in the direction of D-16 and Sentinel.

However, the surreal feeling of flying on the back of a dragon was still very new. And unlike before where he had to remove the collar from her, this was nicer. Orion glanced at the mark around Cosmic’s neck that had been left by the collar, though he was glad that Cosmic was well enough to keep fighting. It showed how strong dragons were, and Orion was lucky to know them for who they really are, and not what he had been told his whole life.

Galaxy herself whimpered as she watched Sentinel fly towards a tower with D still punching him. “Why is dadda not paying attention to what he is doing? We won, we…we don’t need to…do anything else.”

“I wish I knew, Galaxy. This isn’t like him at all.” Orion stared at Sentinel flew into the tower, clearly not paying attention and Orion grimaced as that looked like it hurt. Sentinel’s legs and wings seemed to be broken, especially as they fall. “Scrap…Cosmic, I know I am new to this, but…”

“You want speed? You got it.” Cosmic flew faster towards Sentinel and D-16, making Orion hold on tighter and Cosmic chuckled. “You’ll get used to this eventually, Orion. Galaxy will one be big enough to fly with you, so you’d better get used to it.” Galaxy smiled a little as she watched D-16 and Sentinel fall on top of a Prime memorial tower, and it was a hard landing. D-16’s right arm was damaged and it appeared he couldn’t move it easily, but he was still angry. “Now is our chance!”

Orion nodded as Cosmic flew closer, worried that his friend may not stop even once Sentinel was dead. He wished he could have calmed D-16’s rage down sooner, but he didn’t know how. The only one who might be able to do it would be Ignited Galaxy. Especially once D-16 would see that Galaxy was free from the collar. He would hope for that, because he hoped that D-16’s love for Galaxy was greater than his anger towards Sentinel.

Sky Blade landed heavily on top of the memorial as D-16 stood up, turning towards Sentinel who was moving himself backward from D-16. Sky Blade walked over, his heavy footsteps got D’s attention. “Stand down, D-16. You have made your point to Sentinel loud and clear, but you must stop.”

D-16 narrowed his optics at him. “You don’t give me orders…”

“Actually, I do.” Sky Blade’s nostrils flared as Firedrake and Scorched Flare land. “Like it or not, we still must follow due process in order to bring justice. Killing him now would not be justified, especially when we already have ideas of his punishment.”

D gritted his teeth, glaring at Sentinel. “He took everything! He must pay for it…”

“He hasn’t taken your future, D-16!” Firedrake’s voice was deep and made D-16 almost stop in his tracks as the dragon stepped in front of him. Sentinel seemed relieved by this. “This scum will be dealt with, but not by you. You have vented your anger now, it is time to put your weapon down and not screw up.”

D-16 glared at the dragons and clenched his fists. “Even without those collars, you are still puppets to him? Get out of the way!” D-16 walked towards Sentinel, ignoring the dragons as he moved around them.

Sky Blade hissed as the comment about them being puppets offended him. “Fool!” He moved quickly, stepping in front of D and making him stop and look up at him. “I’m in your way now. So what are you going to do about it? After all, you must step down now. Soften your spark and clear your mind, you are not yourself, D-16.”

“Not myself.” D-16 scoffed a laugh and shook his head. “How could I have ever been myself when he…” D lifted his canon and aimed it at Sentinel, charging his weapon while ignoring the dragon in front of him. “Took it from me?!”

Sky Blade immediately stepped aside just before D-16 shot at Sentinel. Sentinel managed to turn his jets on and flew to the side, avoiding the blast, but the blast stream hit one of the spikes that had been carved for the Prime memorial and caused severe damage to it. The blast also caught the build to tremble slightly and civilian bots who were watching began to flee. The dragons were not expecting that kind of power.

“Holy Primus!” Scorched Flare exclaimed in shock as she stared at the damage. She glanced at D as he was still walking to Sentinel. “D-16, if you keep going down this path, there is no return for you.” D ignored the pink dragon, and Scorched Flare turned her head as Cosmic landed as Orion jumped off the dragon’s back and placed Galaxy down before running towards D. Flare smiled a little and looked back at D. “Ignore me if you want, but if you kill Sentinel today, a new fire shall rise from the ashes of his destruction.”

D-16 was still ignoring Scorched Flare as he walked towards Sentinel. Sentinel had rolled on his back and was pushing himself back with his arm up. “D-16, we can lead Cybertron together.” D narrowed his optics as Sentinel’s fear filled voice didn’t bother him. “Don’t do this! The dragons are free, so is your daughter. Like they said, I haven’t taken your future. Listen to them, they’re wiser than me.”

D-16 ignored everything Sentinel had just said to him. The dragons were a little surprised that Sentinel gave them credit for their wisdom, but it also showed that Sentinel understood them very well. He knew that what Scorched Flare had said was likely to be true. And he simply wanted to try and stop D-16. Even though he wouldn’t get away with what he’s done, but he didn’t want to die this way either.

D’s canon charged to full power and he aimed at Sentinel. Sentinel closed his optics as the anger in D-16’s optics burned into his processor. However, just as D was about to shoot, he was tackled to the side suddenly. D was shocked and looked up, widening his optics to see Orion had pushed him to the ground. “What are you doing?!”

“It’s over, D,” Orion responded to his friend calmly. “Everyone in Iacon knows the truth.”

D-16 stood up and shouted at Orion, with a tone filled with pain. “So do I! He took everything from us!” Orion placed a hand on D’s shoulder and pushed his weapon down to try and stop him. “I have to do this!”

“I am still here, dadda.” D gasped as he stopped for a moment as a weak, raspy voice caught his attention. He looked down to see Galaxy moved between them and Sentinel. She looked at him with her yellow optics and he could see the tears in her optics. “He did not take everything. You have me, Orion and our future. Please stop. You…he will get what he deserves, but don’t do this to yourself.”

D stared at Galaxy in disbelief. She was alive and okay. It made him almost smile, but he noticed that the mark around her neck was still fresh. She was weakened and clearly needed time to rest. The injury on her back paw had stopped bleeding, but she also was not putting weight on it. Seeing that, immediately made him angry again. She wouldn’t be this way if Sentinel did not put the collar on her. “I have to do this! Get out of the way!”

Galaxy flinched as D-16’s shouting startled her. Orion frowned at D a little. “No you don’t! Rebuilding Iacon, and rebuilding a new home for the draconic bots, cannot begin with an execution.”

“He deserves to die!” D-16 snapped, trying to push past Orion. “Can’t you see that?!”

Orion agreed, but he also knew that Sentinel’s punishment needed to be done with the agreement of the dragons too. “We’re better than this. Don’t be like Sentinel.”

D-16 looked at Orion in surprise as hearing Orion comparing him to Sentinel angered him. Galaxy was surprised too, but she could also see why. Flipping Sentinel’s coin meant a different version of him, but by someone else. “Please, dadda. Listen to daddy. We are better than Sentinel. Let this go.”

D-16 did not look at Galaxy even though he heard her. “Pax, you need to move out of my way. Before I move you myself.”

Galaxy gasped as she moved out of the way nervously, as seeing D-16 threaten Orion made her afraid of him. She didn’t like it. Orion stood his ground though. “D, listen…”

D-16 punched Orion in the face suddenly, causing him to stumble. “Daddy!” Galaxy shrieked as Orion tried to get back up and stop D before D-16 kicked him back down. Galaxy limped over to Orion quickly. “Are you okay?”

Orion groaned as he sat up, widening his optics as D-16 stomped towards Sentinel angrily. Cosmic walked towards them worryingly. He glanced at her and gently pushed Galaxy towards Cosmic. “Stay with you aunt.”

Orion got back to his feet and ran towards D as D-16 was charging his canon. Sentinel had stopped crawling away and stared at D fearfully. Galaxy watched nervously. “No...no, no, dadda, stop!” Galaxy coughed as her voice cracked as she tried to shout and she let out a sob. “Cosmic, stop him.”

Cosmic was about to react as she also wanted D-16 to stop. However, Orion ran in front of D-16 just as he shot at Sentinel. “STOP!” Orion shouted as the blast from D-16’s canon pierced through Orion’s chassis, obliterating his left shoulder and chassis, shattering many of his internals and causing energon to spill out from the hole like a river. The only thing that was left untouched had been his spark chamber.

Galaxy couldn’t help but let out a shriek. “DADDY!!” She watched in horror as Orion’s left arm had been shot off and he rolled back from D-16. Galaxy ran forward, stumbling a little as she flapped her wings desperately to run over to him as she saw he was sliding back towards the ledge.

Cosmic was alarmed when Galaxy ran forward. “Galaxy, don’t!”

Galaxy ignored Cosmic and she watched D-16 rush forward as seeing what he had just done stunned him and a pang of guilt hit his spark. Especially when he heard Galaxy’s voice shouting behind him as soon as Orion had been hit. D-16 rushed overed to Orion and just as Orion almost fell over the edge, D-16 grabbed Orion’s right firmly arm, staring at him in shock and disbelief at what Orion had just done. He had never done this to Orion before, so he was even shocked at himself.

Galaxy managed to reach D and looked over, looking down at Orion as Orion looked back weakly. “Daddy…” She placed her paws on D-16’s shoulder gently. “Pull him up!” Tears fall from her optics. “Please, dadda!”

D-16 heard Galaxy and felt her paws on his shoulder as he began speaking. “No, no, no, no! Why?” Galaxy blinked as D sounded strange. He was talking both to himself and Orion somehow. “Why did you do that? Why?!”

It sounded like D couldn’t believe he shot Orion, while also not believing Orion ran in front of him. Galaxy tapped his shoulder, trying to shake him. “Pull him up! Please!” D-16 was intaking and exhaling heavily as he stared at Orion. “Dadda…” D flinched as hearing her hurt his spark, but also anger grew. “Dadda, please.” She intakes quickly and she wanted to reach her paws down to Orion, but she wouldn’t be able to reach. She shook her head as she sniffled. “Please…you’re always there to help him. Do the same…please…”

She placed her forehead on his shoulder, pushing against him to try and get him to respond. But D-16 was still staring at Orion and as he stared at Orion, the anger continued to build. And Galaxy was right. D-16 has helped Orion in so many situations, especially when Orion would go to the archives and he’s had to cover for him in some way. But now, Orion blocking D-16 from killing Sentinel made him think that Orion might have sided with him somehow. Even though Orion had told him that he didn’t want D to be like Sentinel.

Orion’s hand twitched from the pain while also extending his fingers, wanting to reach up to D as his blue optics stare at D. He could see the rage building in D-16. His spark hurt tremendously for his friend, and even more so for Galaxy. She was right next to him watching. “D…” Galaxy glanced down at Orion as he spoke in a weak whisper. “No…”

“D, pull him up!” Cosmic shouted, making Galaxy flinch. The dragons had been staring in shock at what happened, and Cosmic walked towards them. “Don’t be a fool!”

D-16’s optics twitched as he gritted his teeth. He heard the dragon’s footsteps approaching from behind. And while the dragon was approaching, he didn’t care. D-16 intakes deeply as he clenched his optics shut, as the rage finally boiled over within his spark, as the pressure of being lied to, having Orion compare him to Sentinel and seeing his daughter being made a slave all compound into one feeling. Something he couldn’t shake and he didn’t want Orion to interfere anymore. He looked back down at Orion, glaring at him as his eyes filled with red, startling Galaxy as she flinched back. “I’m done saving you.”

Galaxy screamed when D-16 lets go of Orion’s hand, dropping him into the seeming abyss below. Galaxy stared as Orion fell, his optics were still locked onto D-16 as D stared back at his friend. Orion’s optics glance at Galaxy for a moment before his body fell into the darkness of the cavern beneath them. Galaxy wanted to follow, but Cosmic was quick to place her paw in front of Galaxy, while Cosmic glared at D as he turned slightly, looking at Galaxy as the sparkling cried, gripping Cosmic’s leg with her paws, and when Galaxy looked at him, she stepped back as she didn’t understand what just happened. D felt more guilt in his spark, which filled the rage even more, and he blamed all this for Sentinel as he slowly turned to glare at the bot.

Now, now, I know everyone was hoping this would not happen. But it is a pivotal moment in the story, and this actually needed to happen due the second book requiring it to be so. Plus, Orion couldn’t really become Optimus otherwise. Love it, hate it, I am sure you’ll understand once the second book is written. And don’t worry, this is not the last chapter. Only several more to go before it’s done.

Chapter Text

Galaxy stared at D-16 as he turned, his crimson red optics glowing brightly upon his face. Galaxy felt as though she didn’t even recognize him anymore. He had changed so suddenly, and there was an aura from D-16 that frightened her. She whimpered as she trembled while grasping Cosmic’s leg tightly and tears streamed down her face through sobs. She was scared and upset. Seeing D-16 drop Orion and now seeing him turning to Sentinel to continue his quest for revenge was overwhelming her processor. She did not understand. She looked back at the edge, wanting to fly down and grab Orion’s body, as she didn’t want him to fall and be destroyed.

Cosmic watched as several vehicons drop in front of D-16 and she looked at the other dragons, gesturing for them to give D space. Firedrake, Scorched Flare and Sky Blade were unhappy, but getting in the way was not a good idea. Plus, Prometheus had seen this happen, and maybe even Oranos before he died. So unfortunately, they had no choice but to not interfere. And even if they did, it might not even do anything.

Cosmic lowered her head, looking at Galaxy with a soft, gentle expression. “I am so sorry you had to witness that, Galaxy.” Galaxy looked up at Cosmic and she sniffled as her nostrils were full of coolant at this time, and Cosmic was not surprised. “That was not fair.” She glanced at D-16 as he ran towards the vehicons in anger. “I am afraid D-16 is going down a path that is hard to come back from.”

Galaxy sniffled, wiping her snout with her paw. “Why? I don’t understand…”

“D-16’s spark has been broken that is why. And he does not know how to process, except through rage.” Galaxy frowned and looked at D-16 as the vehicons run at him, trying to attack him and protect Sentinel. But D-16 punched them and threw them into the ground. Cosmic’s optics watch D-16 with sadness. “It is a hard thing to understand at your age, Galaxy. It is not your fault. D-16 clearly is only thinking about simple things he has lost. Even though he hasn’t lost you, he had not lost Orion until now, but…” Cosmic looked back to the ledge and she smiled a little. “The future may yet still be good.”

“How can you say that?” Galaxy asked in a small voice. “Dadda…” She sniffled, looking at D as he punched another vehicon. He wasn’t using his weapon at all, and he was killing the vehicon’s quickly as he smashed their heads and chassis’s. “I…I don’t want him to be like this. Does he love me or…”

“I think he still does. He has not tried to hurt you, and I can sense he has guilt from his action. But it is being twisted into his rage.” Cosmic licked Galaxy’s face gently to clear away from tears, though the sparkling waved her paw as she felt it was not needed. “However, can you sense that?” Galaxy looked at Cosmic in surprise. “Something is happening. I sense a shift within the planet.”

Galaxy stared at Cosmic for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“Focus, Galaxy. You know we are very attuned to this world. To a point the transformers would think we have some kind of magic. But we are simply able to sense and listen to the world and Primus differently than them.” Galaxy did know that but she shook her head and pressed her forehead against Cosmic’s leg. Cosmic softened her expression as the sparkling sobbed. “Alright, you’re too upset. But just know that the new Prime is about to rise.”

Galaxy was happy to hear that, but she didn’t realize who it might be. She was too overwhelmed with emotion. Galaxy looked at D as he threw a vehicon into the ground, punching it in the head and kicking it off the top of the Prime memorial. She intakes deeply as she wanted him to stop. She did not know if she could get him to stop if she tried. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted to run over to him just yet. She glanced back at the ledge as she was not sure how to feel about the fact that D-16 had killed Orion. And he let him go while she was watching. That was burned into Galaxy’s mind and she would never forget he had made that choice.

Firedrake walked over to Cosmic as he watched D-16 with a frown. “Are you sure that we shouldn’t stop him?”

“If we try, he will just turn on us. And believe that we are also part of Sentinel’s ploy, even though he knows that we were enslaved.” Cosmic shook her head. “But we need to be patient.” She glanced back at the ledge for a moment and looked back at Firedrake. “D-16 will have a new choice soon. I do not know if he will choose the right path.”

“Do you think, with time to reflect, he might stop this?” Firedrake asked curiously. He glanced back as D killed the last vehicon and he was glaring at Sentinel who was still moving back from D fearfully. “I don’t know if anyone as angry as D has ever…come out of that kind of anger.”

“That is because they were often killed before they were given a chance. But D has a daughter. She might not be his biologically, but he still loves her. That has not faded.” Firedrake nodded in agreement. Cosmic watched as D walked towards Sentinel, his hands clenched while she expected him to shoot Sentinel. “The coin has flipped though. We may still have the Quintessons to fight, but there will always someone else on this planet that will become enemies of Iacon. Sentinel was not the first.”

Sky Blade watched with his hands clenched with a low growl. “It’s a pity we could not alert Tirade and Glazed Thunder sooner. We could use their presence.”

“I doubt even they could stop D-16, Sky Blade. It would only escalate.” Cosmic intakes deeply as she watched D-16. She did not like the fury within him, but they couldn’t do anything. They had little to do with D, aside from Galaxy being a draconic bot. “Hopefully, the D-16 Galaxy has grown to love will still be in there somewhere.”

Sentinel rolled onto his chassis to try and get away, but he couldn’t get up. His leg was too damaged and the trail of energon from his crawl stained the ground. Galaxy sniffled as she watched D-16 grab Senintel on the back, gripping the bot behind the shoulders and lower abdomen, widening her optics as D-16 lifted Sentinel up. It was at this point she heard cheering from other bots and turned her head, noticing what was left of the High Guard watching. She also noticed B-127 and Elita watching, and the shock and horror on their faces were cleer. Even Elita had sadness over Orion being dropped into the chasm below.

Glancing back at D, Galaxy whimpered as D held Sentinel up, but she saw he was pulling. Not pulling Sentinel back, but using all the strength he could muster to pull Sentinel in half. Sentinel cried out as D held the bot above his head, the pain of his internals snapping and breaking within pierced through his body sharper than a sword. A crack quickly broke through Sentinel’s abdomen, right above his hips, and energon poured out of the wound as the veins were ripped apart.

Stop, dadda! I want Sentinel to die, but…but not this way. He deserved a longer, painful punishment, not a quick, painful death…

Those were the words Galaxy wanted to shout, but nothing came out. She could only stare, watching the sparks of Sentinel’s body fly as energon spluttered and gushed out the veins as they are ripped apart. D-16 did not care about his hands and chassis being stained by Sentinel’s energon as the anger had blinded him completely. The cries of Sentinel echoed through the city until D-16 dropped the two halves of Sentinel’s body and the colour drained from the bot’s body almost instantly upon hitting the ground and life fully drained from his body.

Galaxy had thought she would feel happy that Sentinel was dead. But she was not feeling that at all. She only felt horror. D-16 stood by Sentinel’s body, looking at the crowd of cheering former High Guard in front of him, before he looked at his stained hands and he glanced towards Sentinel’s chassis. Galaxy waited. She wanted to see if he would calm down now that Sentinel was dead. There was nothing else that needed to be done. She wanted the D-16 she had known back. She didn’t like this side of him and wanted it to go away.

Scorched Flare sighed deeply. “Even killing Sentinel has not made his spark calm down.” Cosmic nodded slowly as Galaxy looked at Scorched Flare with wide optics. Flare smiled kindly at the sparkling. “I’m sorry, Galaxy. It is an anger that is hard to calm down. Killing Sentinel was never going to be the end of it.”

Galaxy whimpered, laying her head on Cosmic’s right paw as she had stayed right next to her aunt. She wanted D-16 to stop so bad and she wanted him to comfort her. But she could only watch as D-16 walked closer to Sentinel’s chassis, glaring at the lifeless husk while the puddle of energon around his body slowly grew as the energon drained from the severed veins of his body. Galaxy whimpered as she shuddered, feeling as though D-16 looked different now, even though he was still the same.

D looked at the middle of Sentinel’s chassis to see it had opened automatically. The purple t-cog glowed within and D-16 narrowed his optics as Sentinel’s mocking voice, while showing D Megatronus’s cog within his chassis, flashed through his mind. D-16 growled as he leaned down and reached into Sentinel’s and grabbed a hold of Megatronus’s t-cog. He ripped out with a loud cry of anger, showing the cog to the rest of the bots as they cheered.

Sky Blade growled angrily. “I hope that was just because he hated that Sentinel had butchered Megatronus for his cog.”

Firedrake nodded in agreement. “Yes. Though he too has a Prime cog within him. Onyx’s cog I believe.” Cosmic nodded affirmatively, and Galaxy was surprised that they could sense which Prime cogs were within the bots. He looked down at Galaxy. “If believe your other friends, Elita and that yellow bot…uh, um…what is his name?”

Cosmic chuckled softly. “He is B-127. Another unfortunate victim of Sentinel’s cruelty. I was there when B was banished to sub-level fifty.” Galaxy looked up at her in surprise. Cosmic’s optics turned to sadness. “I…I remember it because I was ordered…B’s close friend at the time had done something, and I was told to deal with it. I don’t know if he knows. But…”

Galaxy gasped as she was shocked at what she heard. “Oh…so that’s what happened…” Cosmic nodded sadly. “B won’t blame you though. He’s so good in his spark that I don’t think he would.”

“Maybe. But I will accept it if he’s still upset. But given he did not seem to have any animosity before, I think you are right. Your big brother, if I can call him that…” Galaxy smiled a little with a sniffle. “Is very good. Strong. I am just sorry I had some part to play in his…banishment, so to speak. But he now has Micronus’s cog, and Elita has Alchemist's. Alpha Trion did good…but I don’t know if he knew that D-16 would turn this way.”

Galaxy was certain that Alpha Trion did not know this would happen. He might have noticed that there was something off about D-16, but he wouldn’t have given D a cog without seeing something within him. And that was the part that Galaxy was still holding onto. The D-16 she has known was still there within D somewhere, but she did not know how she could try to get him out. She needed him so much right now.

D-16 turned to face the crowd, holding up the cog with a defiant expression. “The Age of Primes has ended!” He shouted angrily, stepping forward as he gazed at the crowd. “No more false prophets! Follow me, and you will never again be deceived! Rise UP!” The High Guard cheer loudly, while the citizens watching was uncertain about D-16. However, the High Guard began chanting rise up as they approach D, gazing at him and clearly looking to him as the new leader. D looked at the cog in his hand, smiling slightly as holding his favorite Prime’s cog felt good, even though he was desecrating Megatronus even further then Sentinel. “I will lead us all into the future.”

Staring at the cog for a moment, D opened his chassis, reaching in for Onyx’s t-cog to pull out and replace with Megatronus’s. Sky Blade’s nostrils flared in disgust. “Fool! He claims the Age of Primes has ended, and called them false prophets, and yet he still puts a Prime’s cog into his chassis rather than a regular cog!” He stamped his foot, which D-16 did not notice. Sky Blade cracked his fists. “Maybe I should give him a piece of my mind. A weakened, broken Sentinel was hardly a challenge for him, I doubt he could take me.”

Galaxy whimpered as she stepped away from Cosmic for a moment, watching as Megatronus’s cog connected with D-16’s body. His body began to change and shift, and his size grew due to the power of the cog. She shook her head before she began stumbling towards D-16, startling the four dragons as they had not expected her to try to approach D-16, especially with how enraged he was. But D-16 currently was focused on waiting for his body to grow in size and strength, and even his canon changed shape and grew in power.

Glaring down at the crowd, D-16 armed his canon as he intakes deeply. “I…am…MEGATRON!” Galaxy almost stopped in her tracks when D-16 just announced a new name for himself. She whimpered and shook her head as she ran forward as quickly as she could. She did not want anything further to happen now. Sentinel was gone, there was nothing more that needed to be done. “It is time to clean out this city of everything Sentinel has ever built. Burn it…”

“Dadda, stop!” D-16 widened his optics and looked down as he felt Galaxy front legs wrapping around his right leg, feeling her trembling body as she stared at him as tears fell from her optics. “Please, stop this. Sentinel is dead! Why are you so angry! You don’t have to destroy the city. I’m free, so are the other dragons. Why?” She sniffled as she let out a sob, watching D’s optics soften a little and she could almost see a hint of orange. “You won. Please, stop. I need you, please.”

She buried her face into his leg as D stared down at Galaxy. Hearing her pleading, broken voice hurt his spark. And yet, his rage didn’t calm down. He stared at his daughter for a moment as he intakes deeply. “Do you not get it, Galaxy?” Galaxy looked back at him in surprise. “I am doing all of this for you!” He gestured to Galaxy and Galaxy gasped, staring at him in surprise. “Sentinel took everything from us. Your birth parents, your aunt, your home, he took my cog as a new born and forced me to work in the mines…but all of this…” D gestured to Sentinel’s body. “Is for you?! Are you not happy?”

Galaxy glanced at Sentinel’s body and looked at D-16 before shaking her head. “No.” D widened his optics slightly in surprise. “Because you…I don’t know you anymore.” His spark panged as hearing her voice crack as she spoke. “You…y…I…I don’t want Megatron. I want D-16. My dadda, please. You already killed daddy in front of me…” D-16 grimaced slightly and looked away from her. “Don’t tear down the city with fire. We just need to refurbish for a new future. Please…stop this. I love and I need you.”

D-16 stared at nothing as he processed what Galaxy had said to him. Hearing her pleas with him hurt him. And angered him at the same time. He clenched his optics shut as he gritted his teeth. “And what if I don’t stop?”

Galaxy blinked in confusion as his response was cold. It made her release his leg and step back nervously. She did not know what to say for a moment before speaking. “Why not aim your anger at the Quintessons instead of the city?” D did not respond, nor open his optics. “You can destroy as many ships and Quintessons as you want. They were likely the reason why Sentinel became what he was. They might be a bit too good with word, and he fell for it. And it killed him in the end. So please…I need you, dadda.” She sniffled loudly. “And give Megatronus his cog back too.” D opened his optics and looked back at Galaxy in surprise. “It’s his, not yours. Alpha Trion gifted you Onyx’s because he saw something in you. So take that back, and we can take Megatronus’s cog back to his body for a proper burial.”

D-16 stared at Galaxy for a moment as he intakes deeply. “No. It is mine now. I am the right person to get it! Not Sentinel, not anyone!” He clenched his hands as Galaxy stepped back from him. “I plan on destroying the Quintessons, but it is time to clear this city.” He turned his head, looking at the crowd before addressing them again. “Rise up and…”

“Dadda, please!” Galaxy shouted, lunging at D’s right leg to grab it again. “Stop this! Stop this! Stop…WAAHHH!”

“Stop getting in the way!” D shouted as Galaxy stared back at him as he had kicked her off his leg, not hard, but firm enough to shake Galaxy as she slid across the ground a bit and stared back at him in horror and fear. D felt guilt for a moment. “Stay there and…”

D gasped as a large paw stamped in front of him heavily and D widened his optics, stumbing back as Cosmic had lunged forward and she growled at him as she stood protectively over Galaxy. “If you ever dare to do that again, I will rip you to shreds!” Galaxy scrambled to her feet, running behind Cosmic as D was staring directly at the snarl of Cosmic’s teeth. Her hot exhale warned him that she would burn his body if he tried anything. “You lose the right to call yourself her father, D-16!”

D narrowed his optics. “Did you not hear me? I am Megatron!”

“PAH!” Sky Blade spat at the ground as he stomped forward. “You dare to insult Megatronus by tearing his t-cog from Sentinel’s corpse and use his likeness as a means to gain leadership of those who have fallen away! You shame yourself, D-16! You bring shame to Megatronus, and you bring shame to Alpha Trion who gave you a way out.” He growled as he circled around Cosmic so D could see the green dragon and he stepped back from him. “We have more right to Megatronus’s cog than you. Especially Galaxy.”

D-16 grumbled as he stepped back some more from Cosmic, noticing Firedrake and Scorched Flare had also stepped forward. He hadn’t realized how protective the draconic bots were of their sparklings, and it didn’t matter that he was Galaxy’s father. “You fools don’t understand! You were under his control!” He gritted his teeth and turned his back to them. “You don’t understand I am doing this to avenge all of us!” He charged his canon as he shouted at the High Guard. “Burn it down! All of it!”

D aimed his canon at one of Sentinel’s statues and began shooting at it repeatedly to destroy it. Starscream, who had been in the crowd watching, smiled as he raised his fists. “All hail Megatron!”

Just as the High Guard were about to shoot, Firedrake snapped his head towards Starscream. “STAND DOWN HIGH GUARD!” His voice boomed loudly enough for the bots to freeze, and Galaxy whimpered, hiding underneath Cosmic as the sound vibrated through the tower they were on. Even D was startled and looked at Firedrake in shock. “You are Iacon’s finest warriors, hand chosen by the Primes to protect and fight for Iacon. Are you really going to listen to this wannabe…” Firedrake pointed at D who flinched and glared at the dragon. “Leader who seems to think he is above Primus by proclaiming the Primes were false prophets, or are you going to do your job and arrest him?” D narrowed his optics, glaring at Starscream as the bots stood, glancing at each other uncertainly. Firedrake growled deeply. “Remember who you answer to, Starscream. You know that we have the higher command here. D-16 is not. Or…” Firedrake jumped off the top of the memorial, opening his wings slightly as he jumped to the lowered platform, making other bots run as the dragon landed heavily and his wings began to charge with electricity. “Are you now proclaiming to be a threat to Iacon? And by extension, us? Reinforcements will be here, and it will swift if you choose poorly.”

Starscream, Shockwave and Soundwave were very unsure of how to respond. They knew that they couldn’t fight the dragons. Especially as Scorched Flare joined Firedrake, standing beside him as she glared at the bots. The High Guard were charged up with adrenaline and wanting to destroy everything of Sentinel’s, as D-16 had proven to beat Starscream and essentially become the new leader. But Firedrake overlooked that, as Starscream was still the leader of the High Guard.

D also did not know what Firedrake meant by reinforcements, and that made him growl. He shook his head and shouted at the High Guard. “Follow me, High Guard! I am your leader! I defeated Starscream, and now you must rise up! Burn everything down! Now!”

D resumed shooting at the statues, and the High Guard quickly followed, shocking the dragons that they would listen to him. But it was worse now, because D wasn’t shooting at just the statues. He was shooting everywhere, and he didn’t seem to care he was starting to shoot at the fleeing civilians who were trying to get away from the carnage, and the dragons quickly realized that fighting the High Guard was the last thing.

“Scorched Flare, follow me!” Firedrake beat his wings to fly up with Scorched Flare joining him quickly. They flew over the High Guard who glanced at them for a moment as the two dragons avoided the shots being fired at the civilians before their bodies began to glimmer. “It’s about time that I use some solar power. Spread a shield out to protect the civilians!”

Scorched Flare nodded, moving to the left slightly away from Firedrake as their bodies seemed to turn iridescent with multiple colours shimmering over their bodies. Firedrake hovered and spread his wings, groaning as he formed a shield around his body and expanded it drastically over the civilians, blocking the shots being fired upon them. Scorched Flare did something similar, excepted she also created a shadow effect, which essentially turned the civilians invisible. The High Guard did notice this, but they did not try to stop the dragons, as their shields were always protecting them.

D-16 did not notice as he was too busy shooting at the towers. Galaxy sobbed as she stared at D. “Why, dadda?” She whimpered softly as Cosmic stepped back gently, looking down at her. “He…I…does he hate me now?”

Cosmic shook her head. “No, he’s just confused. And angry, which is a terrible combination. But I think it is time I took you somewhere safe.” Galaxy looked at Cosmic in surprise. “It is too dangerous for you.”

Galaxy nodded as she understood as Cosmic leaned down and gently picked Galaxy up with her mouth. Galaxy whimpered as it had been a long time since she had been carried this way. Elita and B-127 ran over to Cosmic as they had managed to get out of the crowd. Galaxy whimpered as she looked at them. “Dadda has gone mad.”

“We know. We are going to try to stop him,” Elita said with nervousness on her tone. She softened her expression as she glanced at Cosmic’s optic. “I guess you’re taking her somewhere safe?” Cosmic nodded. “Alright…” Elita glanced towards the ledge where Orion had fallen over and tears almost seemed to form in her optics. She intakes and looked at Galaxy. “At least after all of this, I will still be happy to be your mama.”

Galaxy smiled as she nodded. “I’m glad. I need someone else.”

“And you got me!” B-127 pointed at himself with his thumb. “I’m not going anywhere either!”

Galaxy wanted to laugh. But D-16 turned and noticed that Cosmic was holding Galaxy in her mouth and he quickly realized she was going to leave. D-16 narrowed his optics and aimed his canon towards Cosmic suddenly. “Do not even dare to take her away from me!” Cosmic narrowed her optics and growled as Galaxy looked at D with wide optics. “She is staying with…” Sky Blade stepped between Cosmic and D, growling as he glared at him. “Get out of the way! You are…AAHHH!”

D stumbled back in surprise as Sky Blade punched him in the forehead. D-16 managed to balance himself, but he was a little dazed because the force of the punch was a surprise to him and he looked at Sky Blade as the dragon walked towards him. “You are a fool if you think we would leave her with you, Megatron!” D narrowed his optics when Sky Blade mocked his name. “All I want to do now is to rip Megatronus’s cog right from your chest! You do not deserve it!”

D-16 clenched his fists angrily. “I am not scared of you.”

“Oh, but you should be, Megatron.” D didn’t flinch as electricity sparked through Sky Blade’s body and his wrist armor plates began to glow a bright, rainbow light and he crossed his arms and D narrowed his optics. “Don’t think because you fought Starscream or killed Sentinel that you could possibly defeat me. If you don’t get out of that way, I will throw this plasma and it will slice you into four pieces.” D-16 widened his optics slightly as he realized. “Yeah, so back down, D-16. You’ve had your temper tantrum, now it is time to cool off before you truly lose everything.” D narrowed his optics again. “It is over.”

“It’s over?!” D-16 snapped before aiming his canon at Sky Blade’s face, which the dragon did not flinch. “It’s over when every last one of his follower’s is dead!” D shot a Sky’s face, but he was surprised when the dragon’s face plates shifted suddenly and created a helmet over it, stopping the blast from damaging his face and his blue optics glowed through the glass. “Ugh…you are still nothing more than his slaves! I’ve had enough!”

D-16 ran at the dragon and Sky Blade released the plasma, creating a bright, white soaring directly at him. D cartwheeled away from it as he ran at the dragon, seemingly feeling an overconfidence that he could fight the dragon. Sky Blade punched D in the chassis, hitting him away from him and he leaned a little with a signal from his hands, and both Elita and B-127 jumped over his shoulders. The two had been watching and waiting, and Sky Blade had decided to let them help. D was surprised, but as Elita and B ran to engage battle, he immediately grabbed Elita and threw her into the ground while Sky used the opportunities of his lack of awareness to hit him down.

Cosmic watched as she glared at D before she widened her optics for a moment, looking towards the ledge where Orion had fallen. Galaxy did the same as she felt something. Something new, and something powerful. It took a moment as she gasped loudly. “Wait…is that…the new Prime?” Cosmic nodded and Galaxy widened her optics. “Really?! Put me down! I want to watch this! Or take me somewhere safer, but I want to watch!”

Cosmic smirked as the sparkling squirmed. She still wanted to leave, but she too wanted to see the new Prime. She already knew who it was, but she didn’t know what his new name would be. But the surge of power sent shivers through her and Cosmic was excited, and so was Galaxy. It didn’t take long before a powerful pulse exploded from beneath, making Cosmic tense to keep herself steady, while the force threw Sky Blade, Elita and B-127 away from D-16. Sky Blade was able to catch himself quickly, and he was thrilled as he saw what had just happened. Who had finally arrived in time to deal with all this destruction from D-16.

Chapter Text

“I’m done saving you!”

When D-16’s hand let go and the high-pitched scream rang through the air, Orion could only fall in despair. His body was weak, he was in terrible pain and it took all of his strength just to keep his optics open. He could not believe D-16 had just let him go. Especially in front of Galaxy when she was pleading with him to pull him up. But it seemed that D-16 couldn’t hear her, or he was hearing something else. And maybe it wasn’t words from Galaxy, but his own mind and spark that was filled with something that had completely replaced the D-16 Orion had once known. One he saw as a brother. Now that had been completely shattered, and maybe forever.

As Orion fell into the darkness, his optics lingered on D-16 as much as he could. The sadness in his optics for his friend may have burned into the bot’s processor, but that didn’t matter. Orion glanced at Galaxy, noticing she wanted to follow him and Cosmic had come over to stop the sparkling from falling with him. That brought some relief to his spark, but all he knew now that he wouldn’t be there for Galaxy anymore. Tears fell from his optics as he silently apologized to Galaxy that he failed to stop D-16. He wanted to hug her and tell her he loved her, but he couldn’t do that anymore. He could only hope that she would be okay.

The darkness surrounded him as his body fell backwards and he could no longer look up to see what happened next. Orion intakes sharply with a cough as he could only see the metal around him. His vision blurred and he closed his optics, knowing that was going to happen was inevitable now. His spark had weakened within his chassis, and he no longer had any way to fight this. At least he had some peace knowing he was about to enter the All Spark, and he hoped that the Primes who might be there would welcome him and comfort him, while also informing him if there was some good coming to the future.

As his body fell down deeper into the darkness below, Orion had expected to hit something. But he was still free falling. Despite his optics being closed and feeling as though life stopped flowing through his body, he had not realized that he had not died. He was floating still within his body, despite that it could no longer function. It was too damaged to fix, even by the best medics. Orion accepted that he was gone and wouldn’t come back. No matter how much he wanted to, he knew that he couldn’t.

However, after some time, Orion did realize that he had not awoken within the All Spark. It was strange, it seemed wrong, but Orion was worried that maybe this was it. And nothing else would happen, that he would remain within his own body and could only listen to the world around him. He tried to speak, but his vocal processor was dead, and his optics were stuck closed, so he could not see. He could only hear, and yet, he could sense a powerful presence. The world around him was familiar and different at the same time. It was pleasant, and Orion was intrigued.

The world around his sounded like it was shifting, moving so that he could fall without hitting anything below. Gravity pulled him further down through the planet and Orion questioned why the planet was moving to keep his body undamaged. It was strange to him, and yet he still felt hopeful somehow. This could be how he would reach the All Spark, but he doubted it. He has never heard of this happening with others who have passed on, so this likely wasn’t the reason.

And then something touched his body. Like a hand reaching out to him. A powerful forced seeming to hit his chassis, and he could feel it open, reaching within him and touching the spark that was no longer pulsing within him. It was a power he had never felt before. Yet it was gentle, warm and Orion was already entranced by this being. His body was pulled further through the planet gently by this force and Orion’s hope only grew some more. This had to be good. It had to be.

Orion heard the metal around him shift as he was pulled further into the planet, but he didn’t care about that anymore. The power that had touched him was somehow also keeping him alive. Even though his spark was out, the power touching his spark chamber seemed to send small signals through his body to keep him alive, even if his mind was still present within him. Orion wanted to thank whoever was doing this, and it slipped his mind of who had reached out to him.

Until a blinding light seemed to pierce through his optics. Orion could see it, even though his optics were tightly shut. A warmth from this light enveloped around him, reassuring and comforting him as he was pulled closer. The familiarity of this light in front of him at first made him think that this was the All Spark. But as he was pulled closer, and the enormity of the power before him grew, he realized this was not the All Spark. It was Primus himself. Primus had kept his soul alive within his body, and pulled him directly to the centre of the planet. Being in front of Primus made Orion happy and grateful, as very few have actually been before their creator.

He really wanted to open his optics to gaze at the full glory of Primus. Feeling his presence so close to him would make him tremble with excitement and gratitude if he could. The light through his optics seemed to be enough though. Not being able to see him with his own optics did make him a little disappointed, but it was nothing compared to the fact he had been brought before Primus at this very moment. Orion could not think of what reason there would be, but Primus clearly favoured him for a reason.

“Orion Pax...” Orion was shocked to hear the gentle, ghostly voice of Alpha Trion speak to him. And I that moment, he could almost see the outlines of all the Primes standing before him, surrounding him like a wall of protection as though they were welcoming him into their circle. It was strange, but Orion felt incredibly humbled to be in their presence. Especially as he felt the kind gaze from Megatronus, who seemed to also approve of his presence, likely due to Wraith’s descendant being Orion’s daughter. “Your noble sacrifice for the greater good has proven you worthy in the eyes of Primus. He entrusts in you the future of Cybertron.” Orion couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Primus trusted him with the future of Cybertron. He never thought that this would happen. His hope for the future has become more important than ever now. “And the Matrix of Leadership!”

The Matrix of Leadership! Orion heard the sound of it forming before him, and he wanted to reach out to it. He couldn’t, but knowing that the Matrix of Leadership was now being given to him was a dream come true. He has wanted to find it for a long time. Originally to give to Sentinel in the hope to bring back energon to the planet. But now he was being given the very thing that he had wanted to give to Sentinel, and all because he was deemed worthy of it. Orion wanted to cry and thank Primus, but he was certain that Primus could sense his feelings, because he could sense happiness and approval from Primus himself at this very moment.

His chassis was still open, and he did not know what was about to happen. But he felt the Matrix being placed gently above his spark chamber, and the power suddenly surged through his body. It was an energy like nothing he had felt before. It was a pure energy. The power coursed through his veins, reigniting the life within him. His spark pulse to life, his wounds were healed, his chassis was repaired and he received a new arm. His armor was thickened and strengthened, his size changed and his chassis size had to be changed to accommodate the size of the Matrix within him. Prima’s cog was restored properly too and he was given new weapons that he may use in the future.

All of this had been gifted to him. Orion felt incredibly grateful and humbled by this, and he knew that he would use it for what it was intended to. To protect Cybertron, its citizens and to bring a new future for everyone. That is all he wanted. And now he was given a second chance. As much as he disliked it, he knew the first thing he had to deal with was D-16. D-16 had betrayed him and Galaxy, and now Iacon itself. And it was the first thing he now had to do as a new Prime.

With his newly repaired body, cleaned of any marks of previous battles, Orion’s appearance was almost identical to what it was before. He was larger and stronger, and filled with a feeling of wanting peace. While he never sought to be any leader, Orion was not about to reject this mighty gift from Primus. He wanted nothing more than to return and hug Galaxy tightly and protect her, but that would have to wait.

“Arise!” Alpha Trion’s triumphant voice echoed through his mind. “Optimus Prime.”

Bestowed with a new name for his rebirth, Optimus Prime immediately opened his optics, and took on the new name with pride. Optimus gazed at Primus and the ghosts of the previous Primes for a moment, nodding with a gracious expression before looking up at the cavern he had fallen through and immediately turned on his jets, soaring through the planet as fast as he could. As much as he wanted to take the moment to thank Primus, he had no time to waste.

And with how deep he was within the planet, Optimus put all he had into the jets to soar through the planet. The power surging through his body was unlike anything he had ever felt before. And it almost seemed like the planet itself felt it. The plates shifted closed behind him to prevent other bots from travelling down to the core of the planet, though he paid little attention as Optimus soared through the tunnel, the light emanating from his body glowed against the metal as he sped through to the surface.

As the golden light glowed in front of him, Optimus did not slow down. Like a missile bursting through its target, Orion punched through the top of the Prime memorial, causing the base to explode with blue light as the power from the new Prime filled the tower, causing it to shake from the impact and those watching, all froze or were thrown from the force. But they all saw Optimus rising from the depths of where he had been dropped, and he landed with a heavy thud on his knee, causing dust to explode around him like a cloud, creating a shadow around him with only his blue optics glowing through the dust.

D-16, who had been knocked away by the explosion, stood up slowly and stared in shock. Optimus stood up slowly, gazing around at everyone for a moment before his blue optics locked onto D-16. His optics were filled with pain and disappointment with his friend. While D stared in shock, as he immediately noticed the Matrix of Leadership now within Optimus’s chassis. Something he had thought they would find before. Dropping Orion into the depths did nothing. He was reborn as a Prime.

Galaxy squealed loudly in happiness as she saw Optimus. She wanted Cosmic to put her down so she could run over to him. After all, she had not expected it to be Orion to be the new Prime, but she was ecstatic. So much so she was sobbing happy tears and she was trying to get away from Cosmic. But the dragon did not let her go, as she knew this was not a time for her to go over to him yet. Even Optimus knew, even though hearing her happy tears brought joy to his spark.

Whereas D-16 completely ignored his daughter’s happiness, as Optimus was now standing before him and stopping him from completing his mission once again. And Optimus had no idea that D-16 had now taken on the name of Megatron in front of everyone else. “Impossible.” D clenched his hands as narrowed his optics. “Primus gave you the Matrix?”

Optimus’s optics softened slightly. “We could have built the future together. For everyone, for Galaxy and her draconic family.”

“I’ll build it myself!” D snapped back as his optics darkened slightly, and Galaxy looked between the two bots as she widened her optics as she realized they were about to fight. “After I tear down everyone in my way!”

D ran towards Optimus and Optimus quickly shifted into a fighting stance, and pulled a mask over his face. Galaxy was surprised, but she was glad that Optimus had a new mask to protect himself. But she stared as her spark hurt to see both her parents fight. One because D-16 wanted to remove everyone in his way, which will include the dragons, Elita and B-127, and the two, because Optimus did not wish to fight, but he had to for the sake of Cybertron itself.

D ran at Optimus with rage in each step and launched himself at him to punch Optimus in the face. Optimus turned away, feeling the graze of D-16’s fist against his chassis as he avoided the full force of the punch. D-16 turned sharply, facing Optimus as his optics glared at Prime, and Optimus punched D-16 in the side of his face. D-16 did not flinch as he knee kicked Optimus in the abdomen, making Optimus flinch before he transformed as D armed his blasters.

Optimus spun around quickly as D shot at him, tripping D as he drove away for a moment before turning sharply and driving straight towards D-16 as the silver mech moved to get up on his feet. Before he could, Optimus rammed D-16’s chassis hard, forcing them both off the top of the memorial and the civilians and High Guard were quick to move out of the way as Optimus rammed D to the ground and transformed to punch him as they slid down the side of the memorial.

Firedrake and Scorched Flare land by Cosmic as they did not need to protect the civilians anymore, and they watched in shock as when Optimus and D land on the lower level of the tower, Optimus turned sharply to punch D and D had turned sharply too, catching Optimus’s fist and arming his canon suddenly. Optimus widened his optics in surprise at the rather genius move from D-16 to use it instead of shooting him right in the face.

The barrel hit him in the face and Optimus stumbled back and caught himself as D stood up fully, aiming his canon at Optimus and began to charge it. Optimus narrowed his optics slightly as he opened panels in the sides of his arms and unleashed a wave of fire from his new flamethrowers. D blocked his face as the fire bared down on him, but he quickly looked back at Optimus to shoot him and hits Optimus directly in the chassis.

Optimus was thrown backwards and he landed on the ground on his knee, while taking a brief glance at the chassis as he worried that it had been damaged. But it was nod. He glanced up just as he saw D-16 had launched himself at Optimus, so he was slightly startled by it. His fists were raised and landed a heavy blow on Optimus’s shoulders, pushing him onto the ground and D began to punch at Optimus’s face repeatedly with heavy blows.

Optimus turned his face to side while lifting his arms to block each punch. He lifted his legs as he shifted the tyres within them and placed them down onto the ground to try and throw D off him from the force of the speed. D-16 widened his optics slightly as he almost fell off, but he kept his balance as he glared at Optimus, aiming his blaster at Optimus’s face. He began shooting and Optimus moved his head within his chassis to prevent the shots hitting his face.

D narrowed his optics as he saw that didn’t work and raised his fist as Optimus moved his head back and raised his fist, igniting his jet for a moment to punch D in the chassis, launching D-16 off his chassis and fell hard, tumbling backwards for a moment before D transformed into his vehicle mode. Optimus shifted the tyres back into his legs as he stopped sliding back, standing up quickly as D-16 began to shoot at him.

Optimus dodged the first blast as he ran towards D quickly and transformed as a blast to the ground created a bright enough cloud to block view of his transformation. He sped through the cloud as D shot at him again and Optimus transformed, using the momentum to slide towards D-16 and grab a hold of the barrel and turned it sharply to the left before backflipping over the top of D-16, pulling off the barrel with a spark, causing D-16 to grunt loudly and D transformed, turning to face Optimus.

Optimus swung the barrel around and hit D in the side of his chassis, which the force caused Optimus to almost stumble a little, however D managed to use his new t-cog to catch the barrel and move it onto his back and aimed it at Optimus. Optimus had not been expecting that and he raised his arms to block the shot from hitting his face directly, but as D-16 fired at him Optimus was thrown backwards several feet from D, causing Optimus to roll until his back hit some rubble from the nearby destroyed statue.

Optimus stood up as D stomped towards him and picked up a piece of heavy rubble, hitting it across Optimus’s face. Optimus grunted as he stepped back from the blow and D grabbed the bot firmly by the shoulders. D gripped tightly as he jumped up and forward, pulling Optimus up and slamming him down onto the ground. With Optimus on the ground, D picked up a nearby metal piece and began to strike at Optimus’s head.

Optimus grunted before lifting his left arm to block the strikes. Galaxy stared as she watched before she shouted. “Dadda, stop! Stop it, please!”

D paused for a moment upon hearing his daughter’s call and his optics glance in Galaxy’s direction for a moment, not noticing that the Matrix within Optimus had been reacting to the fight. Energon began to fuel through the Matrix as it powered up before the power within the Matrix dispersed through Optimus’s left arm, making Optimus confused in that moment as D looked back at him to resume striking him repeatedly in the face.

He pushed D-16 away, causing D to step back and Optimus looked at his hand, watching it transform with wide optics as it seemed to become a conductor as an orb of energy swirled in his palm and he moved his wrist in front of him as D raised the metal piece to slam it down on Optimus, completely ignoring what was happening to him. Which had been a mistake due to the fact that as soon as D slammed the metal piece down, the energy exploded as it blocked his attack and D-16 yelped in surprise as he was thrown back by a sudden energy burst.

It exploded like a bright, blue bubble and Galaxy smiled a little as she saw that Optimus had formed an energon axe. She didn’t know that Optimus simply had reacted in instinct and the Matrix responded accordingly. But she already knew that the Primes could do this. Zeta Prime specifically could do this, due to containing the Matrix within him for the longest time. So this was not new to her, but she was happy. Though the other bots stare in surprise, even the High Guard, who should know that this had been possible.

Optimus stood up, looking at the new weapon with curiosity as D stared at him in shock. But Optimus took the moment to use the knowledge he now had from the previous Primes that was now embedded within the Matrix itself as Optimus locked optics with D-16. He intakes deeply and turned around to throw an axe towards D-16. Surprised, D moved to the side to avoid the hit and began to shoot at Optimus.

“What in Primus?” Galaxy flinched as Firedrake spoke, and she noticed Starscream, Soundwave and Shockwave transforming and flying towards the two bots. “What are they doing? This isn’t their fight.”

Scorched Flare huffed as she narrowed her optics. “Showing their new allegiance to the rest of us. It is no longer with Iacon or a Prime.”

“Shameful!” Sky Blade hissed in disappointment. “Starscream was a great warrior, Soundwave was a great…well, he is way more than a warrior. His intelligence is unmatched. But clearly…that intelligence has fallen today.”

Galaxy whimpered a little and looked at Optimus, watching as he threw another few axes at D and D-16 had been able to dodge each one while Optimus ran at the silver mech. Galaxy wished that they did not have to fight. She knew D-16 brought it upon himself though, so she could only watch and see the outcome. Even though she only knew that there were two outcomes. Death or banishment. Neither was good, because she would be separated from D-16 regardless. But at least banishment may give way to a second chance.

Optimus kicked D-16 off the platform, glancing to his right as he spotted Soundwave flying directly at the Prime. He was surprised that someone else, especially someone from the High Guard, had decided to join the fight. And he seemed to notice Starscream and Shockwave at this point too. He jumped and spun over Soundwave when the bot tried to ram the Prime and he transformed, sliding away from Optimus to try and shoot him.

At the same time, Shockwave flew directly at Optimus and transformed, launching himself at him and Optimus caught the bot by his left arm tightly, holding it and used it to flip Shockwave onto his back as Starscream landed and aimed to shoot at Optimus, though Optimus used Shockwaves gun to shoot at Starscream’s chassis and the bot yelped, stumbling back in surprise that Optimus used Shockwave’s weapon against him. He transformed and flew upward to circle around to try again.

Optimus rolled to the right to avoid Soundwave punching him and he stood up, looking at Soundwave with a frown of disappointment as he caught Soundwave’s fist from punching him in the face. Though once he caught Soundwave’s hand, he punched Soundwave to the ground, hearing Starscream flying towards him again and firing a missile directly at Optimus, which making Galaxy shriek in surprise and worry for her father.

Though Optimus glanced up just in time and caught the missile with his hand, surprising the bots watching and he held the missile tightly before slamming it onto Soundwave’s face, causing the bot to stumble back as his face mask was damaged and he turned to kick Shockwave’s canon, while also using enough force to kick the former High Guard away from him and almost breaking the bot’s arm from the force.

Starscream had circled around again, annoyed the Optimus used his missile to almost kill one of his closest warriors and he flew directly at the Prime again, transforming to attempt to fight the bot directly. He kept his jets on as he lunged at Optimus, reaching to grab a hold of him, but Optimus grabbed Starscream’s wings, surprising the bot as Optimus held tightly, causing him to slide backwards before throwing Starscream towards the top of the memorial. Starscream slammed into it hard, almost landing against Sky Blade’s feet and the dragon watched the body roll to the other side with disgust.

D-16 had watched in shock that Optimus had managed to handle the three, most experienced High Guard warriors without killing them and without receiving any damage to himself. It made D feel even angrier as Optimus shouldn’t be able to do this. But he had no idea that the fighting knowledge of the past Primes were present within the Matrix, and it had now passed onto Optimus. So Optimus was more than capable of taking them all on at the same time.

Optimus armed his axe again, looking at D as the bot shuddered with anger and armed in main canon and blaster, running towards Optimus with a cry of anger while relentlessly shooting at Optimus. Optimus leaned slightly and began to spin the energon axe quickly which acted a shield, repelling the shots fired at him, though the shots did not bounce back at D as the blaster fire was cut through by the axe.

Optimus lunged forward and turned off the energon axe on his left hand to grab D’s left arm blaster, twisting it tightly which caused D to grimace as his arm was also being twisted painfully while Optimus activated the axe with his right wrist and sliced through D-16’s main canon, cutting it half and Optimus turned the axe slightly before the blade could even touch D-16’s neck and kicked D onto the ground hard, making the bot grunt as he landed on his chassis.

It was at this point D seemed to concede defeat as he laid on the ground, intaking deeply and staring at the ground in disbelief. Cosmic finally lowered Galaxy to the ground at this point, which Galaxy was grateful with as she shook off some saliva from her body, which amused Cosmic and Galaxy looked at Optimus and D-16 with a frown before she stumbled towards them. Cosmic did not try to stop her this time, but the dragon did follow behind her since Cosmic was still on edge due to D’s comment earlier.

Optimus approached D, looking down at his former friend with pain in his spark. He never thought this would ever happen to them. He never wanted to be enemies. But somehow, D-16 became something he probably never thought he would be. Optimus took a moment to intake before he spoke to D. “We were given the power to change our world, and you chose to destroy it. Just like Sentinel.” D shifted up onto his knees with a grimace, and it became clear that a stream of tears could be seem on his face, but there was no sob coming from him. The tears were merely silent, while they streaked down from his optics. “You have betrayed Cybertron and its citizens.” Optimus lowered his mask as his expression softened with pain and sadness. “And you betrayed me. And Ignited Galaxy.”

D flinched when he was told he betrayed his daughter. He did not believe that for a second. However, knowing that fighting Optimus was no longer an option, he did not argue. He glanced up at Optimus for a moment before he finally forced himself up onto his feet. He grimaced as pain shot through his body, but he completely ignored it as he turned to face Optimus and look directly at his optics with a hardened expression. He stared for a moment before glancing when he saw Galaxy walked up behind Optimus before she stopped, looking at D with an expression that told D she was sad, worried and she was longing for comfort. It tugged at his spark, but he felt irritation when he saw Cosmic approaching from behind Galaxy and the dragon’s lips moved into a warning snarl if D tried to do anything.

D intakes deeply and glanced back at Optimus. Optimus had not noticed the dragons behind him, but he did hear them as he observed D-16 silently for a moment before he finally gave his verdict to D-16. It hurt his spark to do this, but it was needed to protect the rest of the city. “Go, take the High Guard and leave.” Galaxy glanced up at Optimus with a slight gasp and she whimpered as she knew what he was about to do. Starscream, Shockwave, Soundwave and the rest of the High Guard who were nearby, stared in shock as they learn their new fate. “You are banished from Iacon.” D gasped as his optics darken with surprise before narrowing them as he glared at Optimus. Optimus softened his expression as a response. “It didn’t have to end this way.”

D-16 shook his head, defiant over this ruling, and only feeling resolved in his feelings towards Optimus. “This isn’t over, Prime!” The cold, disgust in D-16’s voice sent shivers down Galaxy’s body as the two bots stare at each other. Optimus frowned as he knew that D meant what he said and he did not react, only to step aside and allow D-16 to pass by. D huffed as he limped passed Optimus, glancing down at Galaxy as she looked at him silently. He intakes deeply and looked ahead. “Come along, Galaxy.” Optimus tensed immediately as Galaxy flinched in confusion, and Cosmic immediately placed her right paw by Galaxy, prepared to protect her. D limped a few more steps before stopping and looking back at the sparkling. He saw her confused expression as she stared at him and he softened his expression. “Didn’t you hear? I’m banished. Why do you not follow?”

Galaxy stared at D-16 as despair filled her spark. He still wanted her to go with him, even though he had been told, and he knew, that he had betrayed and failed her. He didn’t shy about letting Orion go into the depths of Cybertron, he ripped Sentinel to shreds violently, kicked her away from him and threatened her aunt from taking her away from him. She didn’t even know if his love for her was true or twisted right now. But Galaxy knew she could not go with him. D turned slightly to face her as Galaxy glanced down for a moment and intakes deeply as tears fall onto the ground as she prepared to respond to him. Even though, this was hurting her tremendously within her.

Chapter Text

“Dadda...” D-16 flinched as the sparkling spoke in a small, frightened voice. “I love you. I will always love you. I do not regret meeting you and that you have raised me to think point in time.” A small smile formed on D-16’s lips as he listened to her. “We...have had a lot of good times. You were there for me, and you stepped up even when you were afraid and though daddy was a fool for adopting me.” Optimus smiled sadly as he listened to her. “You were there when I was sick...when that accident happened in the mine with Moon...I won’t forget.” She glanced at his chassis and sniffled. “I wish that decal I bought for you was still glimmering, but it is now melted and marked on your chassis. Like a permanent reminder of your past.” D placed his hand on his chassis, not thinking about that. “But that was D-16.” D looked at Galaxy in surprise. “I don’t like Megatron. I want D-16.”

D’s optics widened a little as hearing her say she didn’t like Megatron hurt. Especially when she separated Megatron from D-16, implying she didn’t see him the same anymore. And D-16 felt his spark break a little as he listened. But he remained composed as he responded. “I am still me, Galaxy. I want you to be by my side. W-we will find somewhere safe from the Quintessons and from him...” D pointed at Optimus and Galaxy frowned. “I promise it will be okay.”

Galaxy shook her head. “No, you are not D-16. D-16 would never, never let go of his best friend. He would never seek vengeance. He was a strong, level headed bot who didn’t want trouble. He kept his here down, while sticking up for his friend and daughter when needed. But...” Galaxy paused as she intakes sharply with a sob. “Megatron is angry. He wants only to destroy.” D’s optics widen some more as he listened. “Megatron killed daddy, he threatened my aunt and he has hurt many bots in his short existence. I don’t want Megatron.”

D stared at Galaxy as each word was slicing deeper within him. “But I had done all that for you. You were enslaved by him!” D pointed at Sentinel’s body as he raised his voice, making Galaxy step back as she whimpered while he spoke loudly. “He forced you to rip bots apart. He forced your body to endure something that should have never happened. I am merely doing this so it will never happen again.”

Galaxy sniffled as she frowned at him. “So was dropping daddy off a cliff into the abyss really for me?” D flinched and he glanced away, looking down at the ground. “Or for yourself? Was killing Sentinel in a violent way really for me? Or for you?” D clenched his fists as she listened. She shook her head as she sniffled. “I might be young, but I am not stupid. That stasis pod I was in held memories and information from many draconic bots. I am a lot wiser to words that seek to fill sparks with doubt and lies.”

D-16 gritted his teeth as he listened to her. “It was all for you.” He softened his voice as he looked at her. “You can’t stay here anymore.”

“Why not? Even if daddy perished, aunt Cosmic will care for me. I would go with her to Wight Canyon, with the other dragons to be raised by my own kind.” D-16 glanced at Cosmic to see the dragon was watching him intently, waiting for something to happen. He looked back at Galaxy as she continued to speak. “But this is my home, dadda. Iacon became my home. I don’t want it destroyed like Tempest. Because...you were trying to do that before...”

D huffed as he glanced away from her. “It needs to be reconstructed and rebuilt. Everything touched by Sentinel must be destroyed.”

“But this city was built before Sentinel took power, dadda. Remove his statues, fine, but don’t kill the innocent bots in the process.” D-16 grunted and leaned a little as his body was aching while he listened to Galaxy. “So I don’t understand your reasoning.” He huffed again and shook his head slightly. “I wish you would understand that you went too far. You’ve become someone I...I am afraid of.” D widened his optics and looked at her in surprise. “D-16 would never kick his daughter. Megatron does.” Optimus was surprised and glanced at Cosmic who nodded to confirm that Galaxy was telling the truth and Optimus frowned in disappointment in that moment. “I don’t know why you cannot see what you’ve done.”

D-16 intakes deeply as he stared at her. “I wanted to do what was needed, Galaxy. We don’t need him...” He gestured to Optimus as he said so. “A Prime is a...”

“Bot hand chosen by Primus himself,” Galaxy interrupted D, and the silver mech frowned at the sparkling in slight irritation. “Primus chooses the Primes. No one is worthy of the Matrix without his approval. Alpha Trion explained that to you.” D couldn’t argue with that and glanced away. “I wish you would have been happy that a new Prime has risen. Energon can flow through the planet now.”

D huffed with a roll of his optics. “Whatever. They’re all liars...”

“Then take your t-cog out and return to its rightful owner.” D flinched and glanced at Galaxy for a moment when she interrupted again. “Megatronus was never a liar. And yet you call him so, a Prime you’ve favoured the whole time I’ve known you. You bring shame to him.” Galaxy let out a sob as she wiped tears from her cheeks. “But I think you need time to collect yourself, dadda. A clear mind will help make things finally have sense.”

D glanced up at the way out of the city. “So you are not coming?”

“No. I won’t.” D clenched his optics shut with a grimace and he stepped forward as Galaxy sniffled. “I love you, dadda. But you’ve broken my spark...and I needed you, but you abandoned me to fight Sentinel while daddy and B freed me.” D-16 clenched fists tightened as he listened to her. “I hope you will turn around and come back from the path you’ve taken. But...if you don’t...I will accept it, and...then I will accept D-16 is dead.”

D almost stopped in his tracks at her last sentence. He intakes and exhale heavily as he almost broke down, but he composed himself as he limped away, glancing at the High Guard who were watching and listening. “High Guard, follow me.”

D-16 transformed to begin speeding away, driving upwards away from the bots behind him. The High Guard transform to follow D-16 quickly. Galaxy and Optimus both watch as D leaves Iacon, and the family that had been built. D and Orion may never have been spark mates, but they were friends. Brothers as they had always promised to watch each other’s backs. But that was now nothing more than a memory. Galaxy herself was shattered that she has lost D-16 to Megatron. She wanted him back. But she hoped that with time, he may come back once he could have time to think.

Cosmic watched as D-16 and the High Guard approach the sunlight filtering into Iacon and she intakes deeply, glancing at Optimus with a smile. “Prime...” Optimus turned his head as she addressed him. “It warms my spark to finally have you in our presence. Primus was patient, but no one else deserves this title more than you.”

Optimus smiled as he appreciated the compliment. “Thanks, Cosmic. But I never really intended on being a Prime.”

“Perhaps not, but it was in your future. We don’t write it, I am afraid.” Firedrake relaxed his body for the first time and laid down on the ground with a groan. “Oof...I really need a long nap and a lengthy oil bath.”

Scorched Flare chuckled in amusement. “I don’t blame you.” She looked at Optimus curiously. “So...is it Orion Prime now?”

Galaxy looked up at Optimus as he shook his head. “No, though it could have been. But I have been given a new name. Optimus Prime was bestowed upon me as I was given the Matrix.”

Elita chuckled as she walked over to Optimus with B. “How ironic given how optimistic you have always been.”

Optimus chuckled as he nodded. “Ha, ha, you’re probably right about that, Elita. But I think that isn’t the reason I was given the name. But I wasn’t able to...” Optimus paused as he felt Galaxy wrap her front paws awkwardly around his right leg, as it was larger and thicker than before, so she couldn’t reach around and she looked up at him with longing optics. Optimus smiled at her and softened his expression. “Galaxy.”

Galaxy wagged her tail as he leaned down and picked the sparkling up. “Daddy...” She nuzzled his hands as he picked her up and lifted her into his arms. The size of his arms was much larger than before and she looked very small now in his arms. She nuzzled against his chassis and licked his cheek. “Don’t ever do that again, please. Don’t die again.”

Optimus huffed a laugh as he kissed her cheek gently while rubbing her back. “I promise that won’t happen again, Galaxy. I did not intend to before, but...it is now in the past. I am alive and well.” Galaxy licked his cheek some more before nuzzling with whimpers that made Optimus’s spark softened. “I am sorry that you saw it. You did not deserve it.”

“It is not your fault, daddy.” She sniffled as she laid her head on his right shoulder before turning her head slightly to look at the direction that D-16 had travelled towards to leave the city. “I never expected dadda to change so much. Do you think he will come back some day? Or will he become an enemy?”

“I wish I could answer that. But I think his response before has answered that in my spark. Maybe with time on the surface he might need able to stop and think.” Optimus kissed her cheek again as he kept rubbing her back gently. “However, I think we should look towards rebuilding Iacon.” Galaxy nodded in agreement. Elita walked closer and Galaxy looked at her with a smile. “A new beginning for Cybertron.”

“And a new leader,” Elita commented with a smile.

Optimus glanced at her for a moment with a smile. “Yes, about that.” Galaxy looked at Optimus as she knew he likely still felt awkward being in a leadership position. But she felt it really suited him. He never aimed to be a leader, but he became one by being himself and being concerned for others more than himself. “I could use some help from a bot who is better than me in every way.”

Galaxy was curious about what Optimus meant by that as Elita almost chuckled at him. “Who me? Oh, no, no...” She folded her arms with a smug expression. “I have a pretty sweet gig working in waste management.”

Optimus was amused by her response. “Well, captain, I do owe you a promotion.” Galaxy nodded excitedly as she knew that Elita deserved it. “How’s Major Elita sound?”

“How about Commander?” Elita asked curiously and Galaxy squealed with a nod. “Galaxy seems to agree with me.”

Optimus chuckled softly as he couldn’t disagree with his daughter. “Even better.” He looked at B as the yellow bot was smiling for the two of them. “I’m sorry B, but I cannot let you go back to sub-level fifty. I maybe a Prime now, but I’m going to need you by my side.”

B-127 gasped in shock before a big smile formed on his face. “Are you serious?!” Optimus nodded as the yellow stared in shock. “This is the greatest day of my life! I get to work for the government!”

Galaxy giggled at B-127 before she sensed a surge of energy. She glanced at Optimus’s chassis as he looked down to see the Matrix was glowing. “Okay, so that’s new.” Elita stared for a moment before walking closer. “Let me take her.”

Optimus gently moved Galaxy to Elita’s arms and the femme cradled the sparkling as B raised his hand to block the light as it was a bit too bright for his optics. “I’m sorry, what is happening?” B asked in confusion.

Cosmic was smiling as Optimus opened his chassis to reach for the Matrix. “Restoring the flow of energon for Cybertron and giving back what was taken.”

Elita and B glanced at Cosmic as they were surprised she already knew. Firedrake chuckled at their confusion. “Hey, we have seen a lot of things that the Primes have done. It should not surprise you that we have a little more understanding.”

“I keep forgetting you guys are much older than us,” Elita said with a smile and looked at Galaxy. “Did you know, Galaxy?” She shrugged as she had not been sure. “Fair. You’re still too young, and you were very small when everything else happened.”

Galaxy giggled as she watched Optimus raised the Matrix as it glow, and she could feel the pulses of energy emanating from it. She glanced to the side and gasped loudly as she heard the sound of liquid energon rising, filling the canals and pools around Iacon and she pointed excitedly. “Look! It’s so beautiful!”

Elita smile widened as shock filled her expression while B ran to the side, watching the rise, glowing energon fill every empty canal and river and waterfalls formed, falling gracefully from the sides of the memorial and B pumped his fists excitedly upon seeing this moment. They no longer had to the mine for energon. The miners who were watching among the rest of the transformers cheered loudly as they got to see this fulfilled.

“This is amazing!” B jumped up and down excitedly. “Oh…if only EL-23 could see this.”

Optimus looked at B as he softened his expression. “Is that the bot you were friends with when you were banished to sub-level fifty?”

B nodded. “Yeah. He and I were practically raised together. And then…one day, EL decided to try something.” He looked at Optimus as his optics softened upon remembering his old friend. “We used to work in a different sector of Iacon. Instead of mining, we were responsible for building new work tools for all the miners. It was a very busy place. And…EL decided to break protocol and try to make a new tool…which…” B’s smiled faded a little. “I told him it was a stupid idea. Because it was a tool that…it was meant to slice through rock and process the energon at the same time. But it ended exploding and destroying part of the working space. And because I was his friend, I was partly blamed for it.”

Elita narrowed her optics as she listened to him. “Huh…I actually remember that incident. Didn’t even know who caused it. I was told that it had been dealt with.” Her spark filled with guilt as she softened her expression. “And I used to think whoever did it was a stupid bot.”

“He was smart, but it bit him in the aft.” B sighed deeply as he stared at the energon. “It was a surprise that he survived the explosion. But Sentinel came to look on his own and I tried to stand up for EL, but because I have always been a very openly happy guy, Sentinel didn’t really listen. He told me that EL’s actions would result in his termination, even though he was willing to rebuild the workshop on his own as punishment. But Sentinel told me these consequences were serious and EL had been dragged away. I don’t know how he died, but I was taken when I tried to run after him and knocked out, only to wake up in the sub-level and I remained there ever since.”

Galaxy whimpered softly as she listened to B. “I am sorry, B. I hope you don’t blame yourself.”

“I don’t. Especially after all this.” B-127 looked at the dragons curiously and noticed Cosmic looked guilty. He hummed and walked over to her. “Cosmic…” She looked at him and she sighed deeply. “Do you know what happened?”

Cosmic pondered for a moment before she responded. “Sentinel instructed me to…deal with EL.” B widened his optics slightly. “I will not go into detail, because Sentinel gave many orders until he was dead. But I am sorry. I was the one who ended his life. But I hope you will not hate me for it.”

B-127 stared at Cosmic in shock as he now knew the truth. Cosmic lowered her head as she understood that he might be mad, but she was taken by surprise when B wrapped his arms around her muzzle. “Are you kidding? How could I blame and hate you for something you did when you were forced to do it? Sentinel killed him, not you.”

Cosmic was surprised but she smiled as she relaxed with a light chuckle. “Thank you, B. I did not enjoy anything that I was forced to do. I am sorry you lost your friend. I promise to ensure that I protect you as if you were my own family. Since you’ve become Galaxy’s brother, that is even more important. And I am grateful that you have been freed from your prison.” Cosmic gently pulled her head back and B let go of her before she licked his cheek gently, surprising the bot, though he didn’t stop smiling. “I look forward to spending time with you, B. I’ll do my best to not spoil you.”

B-127 chuckled with a wave of his hand. “I have been too spoiled the last few days, Cosmic. I highly doubt that anything you might give me could top it off. But…” He changed his tone to tease Cosmic and the dragon’s smile widened. “I cannot help but feel a little bit curious about what you might offer.” Cosmic chuckled before B glanced up for a moment and gasped. “Wait, t-cogs!”

Cosmic turned her head and gasped with a big smile, noticing Optimus standing with a smile as the Matrix was back within his chassis and glowing brightly. Behind him, dozens of t-cogs flew out from within the energon, forming into the proper cogs as they fly towards the cogless bots. All of them cheered loudly before Optimus as they received their t-cogs, excited to finally get something back that had been stolen from them. Any cogless bots who weren’t present before Optimus right now, will soon receive their mighty gift to change their future.

All the bots were cheering with their new cogs and Optimus intakes deeply as it felt good that everyone who had been forced to mine were now able to make a choice. They have defeated Sentinel, but the war was not over. The Quintessons were still a threat to the entirety of the planet and Optimus knew it. At least they may have a chance to rebuild Iacon and Optimus would be able to rework the city to work better than before.

Galaxy reached her paws towards Optimus and Prime happily took her back from Elita and he cradled her in his arm, laying her on her back in his arms. Galaxy smiled at him happily. “I am so happy things will be good again, daddy. I love you so much.”

“And I you. I also think it is time to take you to see Ratchet.” Galaxy grimaced a little, though she placed her paws on her stomach with a whimper. Optimus already knew she agreed. “Is your tank still hurting?” She nodded. “Alright. Now that Ratchet will be fully equipped now, I think he should be able to handle your care. Unless…” He glanced at Cosmic curiously. “Unless you are better at medical care for draconic bots.”

“Oh, no, no.” Cosmic shook her head. “That was never my specialty. Medical stuff that I know is very basic. Besides, even I need a medic. I really need it after all these years under Sentinel’s control. But one is on the way.” She glanced down at Galaxy with a smile. “And maybe you should let her look over you instead of Ratchet this time. Mostly because he isn’t specialized in caring for a draconic bot, even though I have to thank him for all the times he has treated her in the past.”

Galaxy chuckled a little. “I am sure Ratchet will be happy to learn a bit. I’ve always liked him as a medic. He was great from the start and he did well.”

“He sure has.” Cosmic groaned as she stretched her paws, with loud sounds of creaking through her body. “Oh, I not been able to do that in a long time.” She twisted her neck a little and tensed her wings up and stretched them upward. “An oil bath for a whole day is going to be a dream.”

Elita chuckled softly. “I have to admit, that is going to be nice if we all can enjoy it. Especially since we should celebrate this moment.”

“I agree, Elita. However, we do need to clean up the city a bit and remove anything of Sentinel’s, and place Airachnid into a prison if she hasn’t escaped. But after that, I do believe we should celebrate. Especially when some of the other dragons arrive from Wight Canyon.” Optimus glanced at the entrance into Iacon curiously. “How far is Wight Canyon from Iacon, anyway?”

“Far enough that it might take them time to get here, plus there could be Quintesson ships they have to avoid as well,” Scorched Flare responded calmly as she lowered herself to lay on the ground. All the dragons were relaxing down, and they were glad that they could. “It took me over half a day to get to Iacon to observe before I was detected and Sentinel captured me. It might be easier now, but since it is more than one…”

“But you can cloak. How could they detect you?” Elita asked the dragon curiously.

“Unfortunately, the Quintessons have improved their sensors. Our cloaking abilities no longer hide us from the Quintessons.” Optimus widened his optics in shock, as did Sky Blade, Firedrake and Cosmic, as this was new to them. Scorched Flare sighed deeply. “Unfortunately, we have no choice but to adapt to this new development. But I have no doubt that with a fresh, new plan, we can obliterate the Quintessons from existence. They’ve been attacking and invading this planet for far too long.”

Optimus nodded in agreement. “I am hopeful for that too. Once the Quintessons no longer pose any threat, hopefully we can finally have peace on this planet.” Optimus looked at Galaxy as she relaxed her head on his shoulder and her optics were half closed now as she was starting to feel tired now that the adrenaline had died down. “For the sake of future sparklings, we have to.”

Ironhide walked over cautiously, now larger than he had been before. “Uh, Orion, I mean...” Optimus looked at Ironhide with amusement. “Optimus...ugh, sorry, this going to take time getting used to calling you that now.”

“It is okay, Ironhide. I am also needing to get used to being a Prime now, let alone getting used to my new name.” Ironhide was glad that Optimus was not bothered at all as he relaxed. “If you slip up and call my Orion, I will never apprehend you or anyone else. It would not be right, because Orion was the name I had been given from birth. But enough of that, what is on your mind, my friend?”

“Well, uh, now that we don’t have to mine for energon anymore, what will become of us now?”

That was a really good question. Optimus understood completely as to why Ironhide would ask that. “You have a choice on what you want to do, Ironhide. You could be a scientist, part of a new group of warriors I will need now that the High Guard have betrayed Cybertron, you could be a medic, construction worker or whatever you want.” Ironhide smiled as soon as Optimus said that, and it made him happy. “I know you may have limited knowledge, but I am going to make sure everyone gets the education they deserve to thrive in Iacon. I am not going to abandon any of you.”

Ironhide nodded as he approved and felt valued by Optimus. “I have to admit, Optimus, because you never gave up on any of us, I have no problem standing by your side. I may not be the best fighter yet, but I would gladly learn and stand by your side. And maybe learn a bit about weapons specifically. We certainly need the fire power.”

“I gladly accept your offer, Ironhide, and anyone else...” He looked passed Ironhide to address the former miners who listened with smiles on their faces. “Who wish to stand beside me as new warriors of Cybertron, you have my approval. Without you, a single Prime is powerless against many. But now that we fight as one, I no doubt that we can finish what the previous Primes have started. Ending the war with the Quintessons once and for all.”

“And we draconic bots...” Optimus looked at Sky Blade as the dragon spoke proudly. “Are proud to reconnect our alliance with Iacon. We have always stood with Primus, and by extension, the Primes he has selected as the best defenders of Cybertron. We might be without a city, but we are as strong as we have always been.” Sky looked down at the transformers to address them. “And to any future warriors of Cybertron, we welcome the opportunity to train with you all. And help you to develop resistance to some of our abilities, so battling beside us will be safer, and efficient. It will be a great honour to have dragon riders once again in the skies above.”

“Hop yah!” Wheeljack cheered with a pump of his fist. “I have always wanted to do that!” The dragons chuckled because they were not surprised. Riding a dragon was the most thrilling experiences for any transformer. “Could we maybe start now?”

Sky Blade laughed loudly in amusement. “I like your enthusiasm young bot, but we need to take care of ourselves first. But I promise that I will let you have a try in a few days. We have much to process before we can begin training.”

Wheeljack nodded in enthusiasm, while pumping his fists in excitement. Galaxy was smiling before she whimpered. “Maybe we should go to Ratchet. I don’t know how long the other dragons will be.”

Cosmic sighed a little. “Yeah, you’re right.” She widened her optics a little when Galaxy transformed back into her bot form suddenly, which also surprised Optimus. She tilted her head curiously. “Why did you do that? Ratchet will know you’re a draconic bot, Galaxy.”

“I know, but...” Galaxy looked at Optimus and sniffled softly. “I don’t mind putting my wings away. Plus...” She smiled with a slight giggle. “I look more like daddy in this form.”

Cosmic softened her expression immediately as she felt her spark practically melt. “Aw...I suppose it is true. You do have a very close resemblance to Optimus, and...D too.” Galaxy nodded as she knew that as well. Cosmic looked at Optimus with a smirk. “I’ll be honest with you, Prime, Comet’s bot form actually did look almost identical to you. Though he had more distinctive features that would show he is not you, but you could almost be siblings.”

“Would that mean Solarian looked like D in some way?” Optimus asked as he raised an eyebrow curiously while Cosmic chuckled and shook her head. “Oh...wonder where the other bit comes from.”

“Probably my sire. He was completely silver with white wings. And he tended to be in his bot form a lot, for some reason. He believed that he just liked it better than his dragon form. He was odd, but not stupid.” Optimus hummed as hearing that was interesting to him, even Galaxy was surprised. “Though I will say that my father was named Raging Steel, which is kind of ironic when you think about it.”

Optimus chuckled softly. “Maybe it just shows how destiny likes to write out the story.” Cosmic nodded in agreement as Optimus intakes directly. “I guess I better take her to the medical centre. You can come if you wish.”

Cosmic pondered about it for a moment before nodding. “Sure, just give me a moment.” Cosmic began to transform suddenly, surprising everyone who were watching her, though Galaxy was glad because she would be able to fit inside the medical centre in her bot form. It took a couple minutes for Cosmic to fully transform, and the transformers realized just how compact the dragons were in their bot form as Cosmic was drastically smaller in her bot size than dragon form. Cosmic rolled her shoulders as she looked at Optimus with a smile. “I hope that corridors are tall enough in your medical centre for me.”

Staring at Cosmic’s bot form, she was a little taller than Optimus. She stood with an elegance that immediately captured the optics of all bots looking at her. As she had transformed, Cosmic’s back fins and tail shifted and flattened against her body. Her wings folded tightly, and a few of the feather-like fingers shifted and formed sharp, shoulder spikes and a few others had shifted to the back of her wrists. Her crown of horns shifted against the back of her head, leaving her with two horns on her helmet. At the center of her helmet, a few of her horns had curved back, and formed a diamond shaped emblem that glowed bright blue. She may look elegant, but she also had a foreboding presence that gave off her strength when it could come to a fight.

^^Cosmic's bot form^^

Optimus smiled at Cosmic as he nodded. “There is enough space for you, Cosmic.” Optimus turned to walk away and Cosmic followed with Elita and B-127 tagging along with them as well. “You might frighten a few of the medics though. Not your fault, of course. We are not used to very large bots like yourself.”

“I never considered myself large, but I guess our average is large to you. If you saw Comet’s, you would say something very different.” Cosmic glanced towards the medical centre as she pondered for a moment. “I will let you know when Tirade, Glazed Thunder and the others are close to Iacon as well, Optimus. I believe you will want to greet them, as they wish to meet you. And to discuss our alliance.”

Optimus was not concerned about when the other dragons would arrive. He wanted to ensure Galaxy was okay. She was needing a lot of medical attention. But she at least will be able to get more low grade energon than she would ever need now. It might have to be formulated again, or harvested from plants from the surface, but it didn’t matter. She needed it. But he did worry what affects has happened to Galaxy’s body from the collar. And he wondered if Ratchet may even try to examine Cosmic, but she might refuse the offer.

“Now that you are free, Cosmic, are you planning on going to the Wight Canyon with the others?” Optimus asked curiously.

“I am. Only because I want to find my friends who I have not seen in fifty cycles. And assist, since now that you are here, we might be able to leave Wight Canyon and build a new home. Maybe even closer to Iacon this time. Especially since Galaxy will live here with you now.” Optimus nodded slowly as he listened to the draconic bot politely. “I will visit often, as I don’t want Galaxy to not be forgotten. And when she’s old enough, she will definitely need to start on some training she will need. But that is way into the future.”

That was good to hear, even though Optimus did wonder if Galaxy will get to be brought to see the other dragons too. Especially if there are other draconic bot sparklings that she could befriend and play with. A part of him felt like she needed to go back and be raised by the dragons, but he also never wanted to be apart from her again. So hearing that Cosmic would come back regularly was good. Galaxy needed it now that they were free.

For now, Optimus only wanted to make sure that she would be okay. He had a feeling the internal damage done to her body was greater than he believes. And he hoped it wouldn’t cause any future effects. Even so, he worried about how Galaxy was going to handle living without D-16 in her life. She’s already had to grieve for her birth parents, now she had to grieve for D. Even though he was alive, she didn’t view him the same now that he had Megatron as his name. Optimus knew he had to be there for her, while also working with the other bots on rebuilding Iacon and even expanding if the dragons decide that it was time to merge the two worlds together. And Optimus believed that it should happen, as it would strengthen the outer barriers and show that they were all one now. After all, the dragons were not savages, and Optimus was willing to welcome them into Iacon should that become the plan.

Chapter Text

After Optimus had brought Galaxy to the medical centre, he met Ratchet who was happy about receiving a t-cog for himself. He thanked Prime profusely for never giving up and obtaining the Matrix and becoming the new Prime. He was a little nervous about Cosmic, given he soon learned who she was and her relation to Galaxy. But that did not stop him from accepting the challenge of tending to Galaxy’s injuries, especially after he was told about the collar and what it did to her, and the consumption of energon forcefully by Sentinel and Airachnid.

Galaxy was uncomfortable the entire time due to pain within her system, and Ratchet eventually determined that Galaxy needed surgery. Her internal systems required it and he discovered some internal bleeding, which was likely caused by the forced expenditure of the sparkling’s veins by the collar. So the sparkling had no choice but be induced into recharge and moved into the operating room where other medics joined Ratchet to work on the sparkling. And unfortunately, Optimus was told it would take a few hours, and that hurt his spark.

So he waited outside the operating room, though he felt like he should be helping the other bots begin to plan for the next step and repairing Iacon. But Cosmic, Elita and B-127 told Optimus that it was okay. The other bots will understand since Galaxy was his daughter, and she needed him to be with her, even if he was now a new leader. Which is why he will need to appoint someone else to be in his place when it was needed. And Elita would do it, but she has already committed to being Galaxy’s mother now, so she was going to stay.

Optimus sat patiently in a chair beside Elita with his hands clasped as he was deep in thought. Elita was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed while B-127 was fidgeting a little while seated. Cosmic sat on the other side of Optimus and she seemed to be a little worried for her niece as a surgery wasn’t something that they wanted to hear. But it was necessary. And at least, there was plenty of time for her to rest and recover without worrying about mines and such now. So Optimus was glad that she could have that.

But something else had been on his mind and he looked at Cosmic to see she was staring the wall in front of her. “Cosmic...” The dragon turned her head when he addressed her. “I have something to ask you. It may come as a surprise, but I feel it is something we have to talk about.”

Cosmic was immediately curious about what Optimus wanted to discuss. His tone seemed to be filled with heaviness though, as that told her what he was about to say wasn’t something he liked, but had to say it. “Whatever you wish to ask of me, I will do my best to answer, Optimus. If this is about how long Galaxy will take to heal, I am not a medic. So I can’t answer that.”

Optimus did not smile at her response as he gazed down at the floor. Elita was side eyeing him curiously as she was also curious about what Optimus wanted to ask of Cosmic. But she didn’t nudge him. After all, they were all feeling anxious about Galaxy right now. And anxious about the future too. There was a lot more to do, but they would figure it out as time would go by. And hopefully, defeating the Quintessons once and for all.

Optimus glanced at the operating room door for a moment and he intakes deeply as his shoulders slump. “This is not easy for me to ask this of you. But now that Sentinel is gone, and it would seem we will have dragons here more regularly, and as the new leader, I am going to be busy. So I was wondering if you would take Galaxy with you?” Cosmic widened her optics in surprise. “I am grateful that I had the opportunity to raise Galaxy to where she is now, but I am not a dragon. I am not even related to her. I feel like I should allow her to return to her real family.”

Cosmic stared at Optimus in disbelief as hearing Prime say that was unexpected. However, as she thought about it, she understood why. She softened her expression with a slight smile. Elita though had frowned sharply at the suggestion and she shook her head in disappointment at Optimus. “Are you kidding me, Prime?” Optimus looked at Elita in surprise at her sharp tone. “Why would you even consider that? She is your daughter, no matter what you think. You cannot possibly think about giving her up. She’s already lost D, and her birth parents, I don’t think she could handle anymore loss.”

“It is not an easy decision, Elita.” Optimus intakes deeply as he seemed to be fighting back tears. “I love her. I will never stop being her father, but I also acknowledge that she has been away from her own kind for so long. I don’t know if I can give her everything she needs, especially now.” Cosmic softened her expression as she listened to him. “That is why I have come to this decision. I know what I am saying seems wrong, but...”

“It is not wrong to doubt yourself being a good father now that you have a whole lot more on your shoulders than before, Optimus Prime.” Optimus looked at Cosmic when she interrupted him with a gentle voice. He had expected her to be upset or overjoyed, but she wasn’t reacting with either emotion which surprised him. “However, while I am happy that you now understand the gravity of your new position, I am afraid that I am going to have to decline.”

Optimus widened his optics in surprise while Elita smiled. “Good. She has the right processor, because Galaxy should not be separated from you again.” Cosmic’s smile faded slightly as she glanced at Elita while the femme spoke in a blunt tone. “Galaxy needs you, Optimus. It does not matter if you are a Prime. Why did you even ask that anyway?”

Before Optimus responded, Cosmic spoke directly to Elita with a soft, yet stern tone. “I appreciate that you care deeply for my niece, Elita. But I do not appreciate the disrespect you are showing right now.”

“Huh? I’m not disrespecting you, Cosmic.”

“Not me. But I also do not tolerate disrespect towards a Prime.” Elita tensed slightly as Cosmic’s voice filled with a soft growl towards the end of the sentence. “You need to always remember that he isn’t the same bot you knew before. He might have been Orion before, but he is in a different position than you, and we dragons have a vow to protect Primes from disrespect.”

Elita shifted a little as she was uncomfortable, glancing down at the polished, medical floor with a sense of uncertainty. “Um...sorry, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I just...Galaxy needs him.”

“And I agree. Galaxy will stay with Optimus.” Optimus stared at Cosmic before opening his mouth to speak and Cosmic raised her hand gently. “Let me explain before you respond, Optimus.” Optimus stared for a moment before he nodded. “Galaxy is and always will be a dragon, this is true. It would be better if a dragon was raising her, true. But you have done a marvellous job as Galaxy is healthy and she is growing as she should. Lacking on some things because you’re a transformer and not a dragon has not impacted her at all.” Optimus smiled slightly as he appreciated her compliment. “There will come a time where she will need to be trained by dragons to fight, and transformers too should she desire to use both forms, as we rarely use our bot form generally anyway. But that is not now. Galaxy has many more cycles before that can happen.”

“I know, but...”

“I am not finished, Optimus.” Optimus closed his mouth when the dragon interrupted gently. “If circumstances were different, I probably would have been the one raising her. But that did not happen. I might be Galaxy’s aunt, this is true. But that is all I will ever be to her.” Optimus knew that, and he wasn’t asking her to be Galaxy’s mother. “I also don’t know Galaxy either. I know I am related to her, but even when she was a new born, I only got to spoil her with her favorite berries and flowers back then. Solarian and Comet knew Galaxy better than I did. And now, she is a stranger, as am I to her, in some way. You know her likes and dislikes while I don’t.”

Optimus had not really thought of that, and it was true. Cosmic only knew Galaxy because of her sister, and Cosmic did not really know a thing about Galaxy. So he understood that. “You can learn all that with time.”

“Oh, I know. But that’s not really the most important thing here, Optimus. And I know you want to do what is best for Galaxy, and so am I.” Cosmic’s smile widened slightly as Optimus looked away from her, seemingly uncertain about the future now. “And what is best for her to stay with you.” Optimus sighed as he had expected that answer. “Besides, being a Prime doesn’t really change that fact. You know Megatronus was involved in Wraith’s life, and he did eventually adopt her because Wraith needed someone like him in her life. Her birth parents were in her life, sure, but Megatronus was what she needed. And he was a Prime. He was busy all the time. Yet, he still was there for her.”

B-127 clapped his hands once as he had been silent this whole time and that clap made them all flinch in surprise. “You make really good points, Cosmic. Is it okay if I interject and add in a few more reasons why she should stay with Optimus?” Cosmic nodded, intrigued by what he might say and B looked at Optimus. “I suspect the only reason you are thinking this way is becoming a Prime, with all this added responsibility, is overwhelming at the moment, am I right?”

Optimus nodded. “Yes. I…when I received the Matrix, it was as if all the knowledge of the previous Primes surged through me, along with the confidence to lead and be what Cybertron needs. And I feel like that I will not be able to give what she needs. Megatronus may have done that for Wraith, but there were twelve other Primes at the time. There’s just me this time.”

Cosmic hummed softly in amusement. “But you are not alone, Optimus. You know that.” Optimus looked at the dragon as she spoke softly. “No one here is expecting it will be easy. Raising sparklings is the hardest thing to do generally, but you being a Prime does make it more so. Even if I were to take Galaxy, she will remain a target for the Quintessons, and D-16 may go to horrible efforts to try and convince her to go with him. Unless something changes in him, of course.” Optimus knew that, and that was another good reason for her to stay with him. She was more protected with him. “Furthermore, you aren’t alone. Even if you think so without D, that is not true.”

B nodded in agreement. “Cosmic is right. You have me…” He gestured to himself enthusiastically and pointed to Elita. “And Elita, as she’s now in the position of mama to Galaxy, and…I am going to assume the other miners loved Galaxy too.”

Elita nodded. “Oh, they do. Ironhide, Wheeljack and Jazz in particular enjoy spending time with Galaxy. They would be like the uncles in this situation.” B chuckled and Elita looked at Optimus with a kind expression. “Cosmic is right, Optimus. You are not alone. We all will help you with Galaxy. I understand you are fearful, and I think that is perfectly normal for any parent to have for their sparkling. And I honestly have to admit that you are an amazing sire to that sparkling.” Optimus smiled, looking at Elita in appreciation. The femme placed a hand on his shoulder as she continued to speak. “You were the one who decided to take her in. I know it could have been anyone she had met, but no one thought you would have been mature enough to raise a sparkling, let alone a draconic sparkling. And yet, you have done a fantastic job.” Optimus looked towards the operating room doors again and Elita followed his gaze. “You cannot leave her now, Optimus. She will need you more than she has before. No matter your fear, she needs you.”

Optimus stared at the door for a few minutes in silence as he processed everything he heard. He intakes deeply as he placed his right hand over Elita’s hand on his shoulder, appreciating her words to him, along with everyone elses. “I suppose this is way better than getting slapped in the face about it. And I know you would have been happy to do just that, Elita.” Elita chuckled, as she certainly would have. “However…” Optimus looked at Cosmic with a smile. “Thank you for giving me the reasons I needed to hear to keep Galaxy. I am afraid for her future, that I cannot deny. Her ancestry seems to have cursed her for what might be a difficult future.”

“Yes, unfortunately. And it might seem strange to hear, but I do believe that Galaxy may just be able to access the powers of both Wraith and Ignatius Spark within her. I have noticed she gives off that aura, which hasn’t happened since those two were alive. So I think after all this time, it would seem those powers will be reawakened with a new Prime.” Optimus stared at Cosmic in shock and Cosmic shrugged. “I am not sure if I am right. Prometheus likely will know this fact. He can answer that when…” Cosmic paused for a moment and she smiled. “Right on time. They’re here.”

Optimus widened his optics in surprise. “They are?” He glanced at the operating doors and looked back at her. “I assume they want to meet me, right?”

“Yes, and they will meet us at the entrance of the medical centre. I informed them of where we are.” Cosmic stood up while Optimus hesitated. She smiled at him as she understood why. “Do not fear, Optimus. Galaxy is in good hands. I would have suggested that Sharp Tongue assists them, but I think Ratchet will be okay. Especially since Sharp Tongue would practically be a stranger.”

Optimus was not sure about greeting the arrival of these dragons since he wanted to be here for Galaxy. He intakes deeply as he stood up before looking at B and Elita. “Would you both mind staying here while I meet these dragons?”

B-127 nodded affirmatively. “Of course! That is why we are here, Optimus. We’re here to help when you are needed elsewhere. I am sure that they are going to be happy to meet you as well.”

“Oh, they are. A new Prime is a big deal for all of us.” Cosmic walked towards the hallway entrance that would lead to the front of the medical centre. She looked back at Optimus to see he was glancing at the operating room again. “If something happens, we will be alerted, Optimus. It will be okay. We can come back as soon as the introductions and such are out of the way.”

Optimus nodded as he understood. His position made things harder to choose what was important in that moment. He knew that Galaxy will be okay, but he hoped that he wouldn’t regret walking away for a moment to greet the new arrivals. “Alright. I suppose it will not hurt. I know I will wonder why I was worried if things go smoothly, so hopefully I won’t be so worried.”

“Nothing like the worry only a parent can experience,” Cosmic said with a light chuckle, stopping at the hallway entrance and looking back at Optimus. Other medics who were nearby would glance at Cosmic with worry as her size intimidated them. “We shall not be as long as you think we will be.”

Optimus hoped for that. He wanted to come back to the waiting room as fast as possible. But he would give the dragons respect for their arrival. It was a shame Galaxy couldn’t see it, but it was not something that he could control or change at this time. However, he knew that when she would wake up after the surgery, he would ensure she would meet the other dragons as soon as Ratchet would allow her to be discharged.

Optimus proceeded to walk down the medical centre hallway, with the occasional glances over his shoulder as his spark was hoping to hear Ratchet call out to him or call him over the com link about Galaxy. He knew that might be selfish to feel this way, but Galaxy is still his top priority over everything else. He was glad that he was given reassurance that Galaxy should stay with him. He didn’t expect that Cosmic actually respected the reasons why he would question himself being Galaxy’s primary caregiver moving forward. But she also ensured that he understood why he should keep her, and he was grateful for her encouragement, and from B and Elita to reassure him that they would help when needed too.

While his processor was focused on Galaxy’s well being, Optimus did try to focus on how he would greet the arriving dragons. He knew having many more dragons in Iacon may cause others to be alarmed, as the other bots weren’t used to dragons around. But as Sky Blade, Firedrake and Scorched Flare had already offered to help pull down the remaining Sentinel statues and clear up the rubble left in the city, the other bots may not be as alarmed, since they now know that the draconic bots were not their enemies.

Upon walking outside the medical centre, Optimus noticed that Sky Blade was standing outside, and he stood with an excited expression while looking up at the entrance into Iacon. Optimus raised an eyebrow as he looked at him. “Sky, were you not helping Ironhide and the others?”

“I was. But I am waiting for someone. Sunlight Shard, she is coming with the others, and we both didn’t get to become sparkmates fifty cycles ago. I know she missed me as much as I missed her.” Optimus smiled as he listened, looking up as he noticed that the dragons have not entered into the city yet. Sky Blade grunted as he was feeling a little impatient. “This waiting is killing me!”

Cosmic chuckled in amusement. “You’ll have to contain yourself when she gets here, Sky Blade. We have other duties to deal with first before you entertain the idea of bonding with her officially.”

“I know…but I cannot hide my excitement.” Sky Blade grumbled as he looked at Cosmic. “A shame you never got the opportunity to find someone.”

Cosmic shrugged. “It is not like I had much time, Sky. The war with the Quintessons kind of kept me pretty busy. But that’s not to say that I won’t find someone. I’m not in a hurry.”

“I suppose in a way it might make your spark less worried, since if you had a sparkmate, they might have had to endure what you did through the bond,” Optimus said gently and both dragons nodded in agreement. Optimus glanced over his shoulder at the doorway and looked back at them. “Now that we can change things, I too hope to find…my own.”

Cosmic chuckled softly. “I am to assume you are sweet on Elita, right?”

Optimus’s smile softened as he nodded. “Yeah. I have always found her to be a fascinating bot. She would always brush me off though, even if she seemed to like my compliments or whenever I would speak to her. I guess I understand now. We were…” He gestured down towards the mines. “Stuck in the mines all the time, and that is all we had in our life. And she focused on climbing to a better position to ensure she had a good life. I…had dragged her down at the time.”

“But now that is no longer a barrier. As long as Elita sees you for who you are, and not the title you now have, then I am sure you and Elita will make a fine couple.” Optimus was glad that someone else thought that. And Cosmic likely could tell something was there anyway. He has noticed how intuitive dragons can be. Cosmic looked up and she sighed loudly. “And about time. It has been too long.”

Optimus stared at the entrance into Iacon and he first saw the shapes of the dragons’ shadows as they enter into the city. His smile widened as he watched, feeling a sense of awe as seeing these magnificent bots arriving in the city was not something he had ever expected. Especially as the light of the sun began to reflect off their bodies, creating a rainbow affect throughout the entirety of Iacon.

“Now that’s an entrance,” Optimus commented as he stared in shock.

Cosmic chuckled. “Please, we can’t control where exactly the sun hits our bodies. But it does give quite the affect and makes us seem more beautiful than normal. Though these dragons do have a bit more colour on them, so it makes sense.”

Optimus could see that. Two of the draconic bots were darker in colour than the rest, with gold, purple and blue gleaming from their bodies. A full white, bipedal dragon with yellow wings flew beside them, and it appeared that the dragon was flying a little faster than the other four. One of the other dragons was the youngest of the five dragons arriving in the city. He was clearly a youngling, but he had travelled with them. He was white with fluorescent, rainbow-like wings and he flew alongside another white dragon, though this dragon would need a second look to see she was white.

Mostly due to the natural, golden glimmer over her body, her feather-like wings were golden with shimmers of rainbow coursing through them and her body looked like it was changing colour, and could easily reflect the light of the sun, or even draw the sunlight into her body to practically transform her into a full, golden draconic bot. And she did appear to be an aged dragon, along with one of the darker coloured dragons.

The white dragon with yellow, feather-like wings had a smile on her face as she dives to get closer faster. Her light, ruby-red optics glowed with excitement as she was clearly flying towards someone. And Optimus quickly guessed this was Sunlight Shard. Her golden, yellow spines glimmered brightly in the sunlight, but she was completely focused on reaching Sky Blade, and Sky was wagging his tail slightly in excitement.

^^Sunlight Shard's appearance^^

“Sky Blade!” She squealed loudly as she flew closer to him.

“Sunlight.” Sky Blade stepped forward to keep his distance from the medical centre. “Try not to tackle me into the medical centre her, Sunlight Shard. I know that…” Sky was cut off as the dragon landed against him with a loud, heavy clang as Sunlight Shard wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling his neck with small whimpers. Sky Blade nuzzled her neck back. “I missed you too. I am sorry you waited this long.”

Sunlight Shard whimpered as tears fell from her optics. “I would wait forever if I had to. I have never felt love for anyone else, except for you.” She licked his cheek and nuzzled his muzzle gently. “I am so glad that you are alive, and you are free from that monster.”

Sky Blade purred softly as he held her tightly against him. “That I am. And you will not lose me again.” He licked her cheek again before glancing up as the other four dragons were about to land. He smiled and looked at Optimus. “As much as I want to stay this way, you will have to thank our new Prime for saving our lives.”

Sunlight widened her optics and immediately looked at Optimus as he smiled with an awkward wave. “Primus, I completely forgot.” She blinked before stepping back from Sky, letting him go as she turned to Optimus and bowed her head respectfully. “I apologize, Prime. I wanted to see my soon-to-be sparkmate as soon as I could. It has been a long time since I’ve seen him.”

Optimus chuckled lightly as the dragon’s response. “It is okay, Sunlight. I will never stop you from what is important to you. Sky Blade is a great warrior and I am sure he will not let you down. At least, that’s what I’ve seen in such a short time.”

Sky snorted in amusement. “Oh, yeah. Not that I am the most agile here…”

Sunlight elbowed Sky Blade playfully. “I am afraid I might have taken your place, Sky. I’ve been practicing a lot. Plus, there are some younglings who might out manoeuvre us both anyway.” Hearing there were other younglings was a good thing to hear.

“It would seem that our young Prime has already been able to observe some things in his very short hours of being given the responsibility a lot of bots crave.” Optimus looked up due to the deep voice coming from one of the darker dragons. He was almost black, though a very dark violet with bright purple optics, golden horns, spines, claws and golden plating down his neck, chassis and abdomen, following to the tip of his tail. His wings were dark purple in the inner membrane, while the outer part of the wing membrane was light purple. He folded his wings as he bowed his head to Optimus. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Prime. I apologize, I am not aware of your full name, however my spark doesn’t feel any less joy. It seems things can start to look brighter from today forward. My name is Trojan.”

^^Trojan's appearance^^

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Trojan. I am Optimus, so you don’t have to keep calling me Prime. I am still getting used to it.” Trojan smiled in amusement and Optimus looked to the second dark dragon with a dark blue body instead of dark purple. He had red optics instead of purple, and he had less gold over his body than Trojan, but he still had plates of gold along his neck and his wing arms were gold as well. His wings were dark purple in the membrane with lighter blue on the tips. “I suspect you are Glazed Thunder, Trojan’s brother.”

“How’d you guess?” Thunder smiled with a laugh. “My older brother is kind of ugly compared to me.”

^^Glazed Thunder's appearance^^

Trojan rolled his optics and side-eyed his brother. “Are you sure you are talking about me? And not someone in the mirror?” Thunder huffed in amusement and Trojan looked at Optimus. “My little brother is kind of a handful, just to warn you. Glazed Thunder likes to try and be the best when it comes to fighting and sometimes gets too distracted. But he is the youngest, since he was an only sparkling after myself and my sister.”

“How is Hover anyway?” Cosmic asked curiously as she stepped forward, with Trojan looking at her. “Does she still do medical stuff alongside Sharp Tongue?”

“She did, but now she’s expecting a hoard of sparklings. So she’s kind of taking a break from that, as she should. Regardless…” Trojan lowered his head and gently nuzzled Cosmic’s cheek. “It is a little strange to see you in your bot form, Cosmic Dust, but I had worried so long that you would have perished, just like your brother and sister.”

Cosmic shook her head. “Nope, I still got a lot in me, Trojan. Plus, my niece needs someone from the family with her.” Trojan was pleased and glanced around to try and see Galaxy. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that Galaxy sustained damage while she was under the influence of the collar. She’s in surgery right now.”

The white dragon with orange optics let out a soft purr, making Optimus look at her as the golden glimmer shined off her body with curved, golden horns either side of her head as she softened her expression. “I am not surprised. I wish I knew what affects those collars have, as treatment would have been easier.” Her voice showed this dragon was aged, but wise. She was gentle as she spoke and she looked down at Optimus with a smile. “However, I have no doubt that you have a lot of confidence with your medical team.”

Optimus nodded. “I do. They are the best, and Ratchet has been the medic who has treated Galaxy before. I know she will be okay.” The dragon nodded with a smile. “You are Sharp Tongue, right?”

“I am. I am Oranos’s sister. It is a pleasure to meet you, Optimus Prime. Oranos told me many things before he was murdered, and he had touched on you a few times before.” Optimus widened his optics in surprise and the dragon lowered her head to nuzzle him gently. “Just know that you will be the best thing to happen to Cybertron.”

Optimus did not know what to say as he placed his hand on the side of her muzzle. “Uh, thanks. I hope he is right. I fear a lot of wars are ahead.”

“Unfortunately, that will be inevitable, even with Sentinel’s demise. The Quintessons are still out there. And, I believe, a new threat.” Optimus nodded as he glanced up at the Iacon entrance as his mind went to D-16, his spark still heavy for what has happened today. Sharp Tongue nuzzled his cheek gently. “I am sorry that this has happened to you, Prime. From what I know, he was like a brother to you.”

Optimus nodded as he appreciated the dragon’s gentleness. He looked at her orange optics to see they were soft, and he smiled a little at her. “Yes. From the first day we met, we became best friends. We promised to watch out for each other, and became like brothers over time. I would get into trouble, and he would get me out of it. And I would do the same for him. And them when we met Galaxy...” His optics quivered as he intakes deeply. “I had no idea that the line between friendship and enemy would ever become blurred.”

“Unfortunately, it is a circle that seems to go around a lot. And it makes the betrayal all the worse when it comes from inside the family.” Optimus couldn’t disagree. The pain will remain raw for a long time. Sharp Tongue nuzzled his cheek again gently and Optimus rubbed his muzzle. “What was his name?”

“D-16. He goes by Megatron now, an abbreviated name of Megatronus.”

Sky Blade snorted in disgust. “I really wanted to knock some sense into that bot! Especially when he put Megatronus’s cog in the place of Onyx’s, which had been gifted to him by Alpha Trion.”

Sunlight huffed as she was also disgusted. “So that’s what happened. Ugh! I hate when anger and arrogance take over a bot. It’s like they become possessed by something we cannot see or understand.”

“And unfortunately, that hold over Megatron is going to last for cycles.” Optimus looked at the youngling dragon as he spoke. He was slender compared to the others, and his fluorescent, rainbow wings were large and elegant. His green optics were soft as he looked at Optimus with a smile. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Optimus Prime. I am Prometheus.”

^^Prometheus's appearance^^

“The prodigal son!” Glazed Thunder joked, making Prometheus chuckle while Sharp Tongue rolled her optics. “Well, it is true. You are gifted with Oranos’s abilities, young dragon. You can’t tell me anything that won’t make me believe that.”

Prometheus shrugged with a shake of his head. “I don’t even consider them gifts, Thunder. They’re a responsibility, just like being a warrior, a medic, a scout and other things that we do. My position isn’t that great really, no matter what you say.”

“Except you can predict what may happen,” Thunder continued with his teasing tone. “Just like how you knew who Optimus will be, especially that he is also Galaxy’s father now.”

“So? That’s not something to joke about, Thunder. Besides, these visions I see are mere glimpses. It has to mature some more before I can see more visions. I haven’t seen many, and what I have seen, have not all made sense.” Prometheus sighed deeply before smiling again. “But I did see Optimus and Galaxy, and I have seen some things of Megatron. Though at this stage, I am still trying to understand what I have seen. Considering I have only seen seconds of a future.”

Optimus didn’t know if he liked that, and he was tempted to ask about it, but he didn’t know if he wanted to know right now. “I guess we all have our important roles.” The dragons nod as he smiled at them. “I am glad that I can welcome you to Iacon. And not only re-establish the alliance we have had before, I also welcome the opportunity to merge our two races into one. We have lived separately for so long, and I feel that if we have a united front, we can work together on many things and improve on them. Though...” Optimus paused for a moment before he continued to speak. “I assume you would want to rebuild Tempest in some aspect.”

“Tempest is unfortunately going to remain a memory for us, Optimus. I appreciate that you would want to help, but even if we wanted to, that mountain is no longer safe to build on. The Quintessons damaged it so much when they razed the city to the ground.” Trojan sighed deeply as he closed his optics. “I went there five cycles after it all happened to see if it was possible to fix. But it was not. I at least was able to retrieve the bodies of the fallen dragons and give them a proper burial. We haven’t found everyone, but we have buried most of them.”

“I am sorry...well, hopefully we can rebuild. Even Iacon needs rebuilding, that is why I am fully open to opening up that small entrance into the city and build up to the surface.”

“I would suggest not making it so big. The reason why, is because the natural cloud and dust that is produced by crystals around the entrance, it keeps Iacon shielded from being seen. But building on the surface would be fine as long as it is not directly over Iacon. There is the mountain nearby that was used as Galaxy’s sanctuary for the nearly fifty cycles where Solarian had hidden her that we could use.” Optimus had not expected that to be an option, since he would think that the dragons would not like it. But Trojan seemed to think it was good. “It might be a surprise, but it is a good place to build.”

Optimus moved his right hand to his chin for a moment before raising an eyebrow. “But I did read somewhere that dragons can influence the land. Isn’t that true?”

“Yes, we can move the plates of the planet when needed. But we cannot repair what has been damaged, Optimus.” Sharp Tongue chuckled a little as Optimus’s question wasn’t a surprise to her. “If we could, we would rebuild Tempest. But we cannot move any of the plates there because it would further damage the area. And it would not be right to do so. So that place will remain a ruin, a memory, for all of us.”

“I see...I guess I shouldn’t assume you are as powerful as Primus himself.” Optimus huffed in amusement. “Well, I am open to hearing ideas. But I do need to go back into the medical centre. My daughter is in surgery and...”

“We understand, Optimus,” Prometheus interrupted gently. “Galaxy is important to you, and she’s important for our future. I have already seen things that will come to pass, and it will be great to witness.” Optimus was immediately curious and was about to ask. “I am not at liberty to spill the information at this time, Optimus. Spoiling that type of information wouldn’t be right. But just know she will eventually do amazing things.” That made Optimus feel a lot better, even if he was still worried. “So don’t let us hold you back. But we should probably discuss things with the next person you trust. Who would that be?”

“I would have suggested Elita, but she’s now Galaxy’s mother, so she’s in the waiting room. Um...” Optimus pondered for a moment before he opened his com link. “Ironhide, are you free to come and meet me out the front of the medical centre? I will need you to do something for me while I wait for Galaxy’s surgery to finish.”

“On my way, Optimus. I will have Firedrake fly me down to you with the other dragons. They’re very beautiful, by the way.”

Sharp Tongue chuckled softly. “I do love compliments, even at my old age.”

“You’re not as old as Tirade, mother,” Prometheus said with a smirk. “The poor dragon wanted to come, but he can’t really fly anymore. So he is more of a grumpy, old dragon now, but he is a great mentor when it comes to training for battle.”

“Now, young dragon, you know you should not be disrespecting the elders here.” Prometheus grumbled as Sharp Tongue looked at him with a slightly stern expression. “Yes, Tirade is old, but he is wise. You weren’t even an egg when he fought to protect the dragons and assist them to Wight Canyon. And he has taught you many things as well, my son. When you get to his age and feel the aches and pains when the rust sets in, you will be as grumpy as he is. Plus, he still has patience for younglings, like yourself.” Prometheus pressed his front right paw into the ground to twist, showing he has heard this before. “When we get back, he will be waiting to continue training with you.”

“I know, I know. I was only kidding.”

Optimus chuckled as seeing that Prometheus still had maturing to do gave him a glimpse of how Galaxy might be when she reaches his age. He glanced up as he saw Firedrake was already approaching with Ironhide on his back. “I really need to formally establish a chain of command.”

“Take one day at a time, Prime. Changes like this is big, and it does take a bit to get used to. Especially in your case with the monumental amount of knowledge you would have received from the Matrix. But fear not, young Prime.” Trojan smiled as he was filled with confidence. “You have us. There are hundreds of draconic bots ready to stand by your side. We are willing to rebuild and train alongside the bots here. But we acknowledge the patience we will need.”

“Thank you, Trojan. You being here has never crossed my mind before, but I am glad. Sentinel tried his best to paint all of your as savage creatures, but I now see you are kind, strong, intelligent creatures, and I am so glad he no longer has the type of power to control you.” Optimus intakes deeply, glancing back at the medical centre. “So I hope that the future will bring good things. But now I must retreat back into the medical centre. I’ve been out here a little too long.”

Sharp Tongue chuckled as she lowered her head to gently nudge Optimus towards the entrance. “Then don’t keep her waiting. I would offer my help, but I doubt the medical staff need to have spark attacks when a large, draconic bot like me struts into the operating room like I own the place. I am a bit larger than Cosmic, so I think I’d actually be a bit clumsy.”

Cosmic chuckled loudly. “That would be funny to see.”

Sharp Tongue huffed. “It would. But I now have to ask you, Sky Blade, Firedrake and Scorched Flare to let me to check your systems now. That is not up for debate either. Transform so I can check you over properly.”

Cosmic sighed deeply. “Sure, doc.” She looked at Optimus with a smile. “Can you keep me up to date about my niece while I get checked over?”

Optimus nodded affirmatively. “I would never misinform you, Cosmic. She is your niece, so I know you need to know.” Cosmic was pleased as she walked away and transformed back into her dragon form and Optimus walked back to the entrance of the medical centre. “I shall inform all of you. I know Galaxy will want to meet you all.”

Prometheus nodded with a smile. “And I look forward to meeting her too, we all do.”

Optimus turned away to hurry back to the waiting room and he couldn’t help but feel a lot less worried. These dragons were large, but they were definitely kind and intelligent. He had worried at first since Glazed Thunder has red optics, but they weren’t crimson red like Megatron’s optics were. So he was not likely to be feeling any anger, and it was clear that he didn’t with his interaction with Trojan.

But now he could refocus on Galaxy. As there was no news from Ratchet or Elita, he was assuming the surgery was going smoothly and she would be okay. She will need time to recover, but he was going to be there the whole time. There was a lot of work ahead, but he did not mind. It was a promise he had in his spark for Galaxy that he would ensure that nothing bad will happen to her again. He just hoped that promise will not be broken unintentionally, given that he knew the Quintessons may still try to do to Galaxy as what they had done to Wraith. And that was a fate he did not want on his daughter. Not now, not ever.

Chapter Text

Two weeks later…

Sitting on the floor within her new berth room, Galaxy was holding a Megatronus Prime figurine in her hands as she had not expected to be given any toys so soon. But there were still plenty around, Optimus had been able to get one for her. And she was glad, but she also felt a sense of sadness now that she had it. After all, Megatronus was more than just a favourite Prime now. She felt a great sadness as her memories with D-16 was still fresh, and she missed him a lot.

And while she was glad that she had recovered from her surgery enough to be discharged, and Sharp Tongue had been able to confirm that Galaxy would heal quickly, Optimus was able to obtain a new home for them. Since miners were no longer needed, new accommodations were required. And with the help of the dragons, Ironhide, Elita, B-127 and a few other bots, a new home was obtained for Optimus. He was glad, and Galaxy also now had a new berth. One that was larger than her previous berth, and she would likely have space to grow with it for many cycles.

And Optimus was glad he had a berth himself instead of a recharge pod like before. It was a lot more comfortable than a recharge pod, and when Optimus recharged in the berth the first time, he already knew he would not go back again. He did learn that the transformers who were spared Sentinel’s cruelty of having their cogs removed did have berths, only the miners were not given the luxury due to not needing them and the smaller, mining quarters could really house so many, so the recharge pods were made due to being able to put as many as possible into the living quarters.

Regardless, it was great. There was a large washroom with a proper oil bathtub, and Optimus had been given lotions and oils specifically for draconic sparklings, thanks to Sharp Tongue. She had brought a lot with her and gifted them to him and Galaxy, which Optimus was grateful for. And Galaxy was able to ingest low-grade energon again. It took a while for her tank to soothe enough to ingest it, and with the energon flowing again, low-grade wasn’t difficult to make anymore. So she had free access to the low-grade whenever she wanted it.

However, as great as that was, Galaxy couldn’t find a lot of joy. Especially as she stared at the toy in her hands and placed it onto a shelf where all the other Prime figurines were. The only one missing was now a figurine of Optimus, but Galaxy knew she didn’t need that. So she would not miss it. But her spark did hurt knowing that D-16 was not here. Especially as she was still recovering from the surgery as per the orders from Ratchet, and Sharp Tongue as well.

Galaxy had been thrilled to meet the other dragons once she had been discharged. She had been really happy to meet Trojan and Sharp Tongue, since she knew these bots were old and had been present at the time of Tempest’s destruction. Especially as she knew Trojan had fought alongside her sire a long time ago, so it really had made her overjoyed to meet him. And Sharp Tongue, since she was Oranos’s sister and she was a very wise dragon. She didn’t have the same abilities as Oranos, but she was great with medicine and had healing abilities that can work in her favor when treating a dragon. Which she has done so on Scorched Flare, Firedrake, Sky Blade and Cosmic Dust.

Galaxy also thought Prometheus was pretty awesome, and she had already asked him about D-16 and the future. But he only told her that he couldn’t say because he didn’t have a full image of what will happen. Plus, he said that it was better for her to rest and take her mind off him. After all, he was Megatron now, not D-16. He was a shadow of who he was, so Galaxy needed the time to not think about him. But it was hard not to. She has cried herself into recharge for the past few days, and Optimus has been there each time. Especially as she had been clingy with him since leaving the medical centre.

Right now, Optimus was in the open living space right outside Galaxy’s room speaking with Ironhide, Elita, B-127, Cosmic and several other bots over things regarding the city. She was glad that Optimus was able to take charge and work with everyone seamlessly. The only ones who were disgruntled were sentry bots, like Darkwing, as they didn’t like not having anyone to step on anymore. But Optimus has given them an opportunity to redeem themselves, by working with the former miners in rebuilding the city and working with the dragons. It was fitting now that they no longer had any sort of command over the former miners, but it was also good to humble them.

Galaxy sighed again as she sniffled, looking towards the door as she considered going out of her room to see if Optimus would hold her for a bit. She had been on her own for only an hour, but it felt longer to her. No matter how nice the glossy, pink walls were or how shiny the silver floor was, and plenty of things to keep her entertained. Galaxy longed for Optimus, but she also didn’t want to interrupt the meeting that was currently happening. She knew she wouldn’t get in the way, but she still didn’t want to bother the other bots who were there.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a light tapping and turned her head to look towards the window. She was surprised to see Prometheus standing at the window and she stood up in surprise. She couldn’t help but sign to him. ‘What are you doing here, Prometheus?’ Prometheus tilted his head in confusion and Galaxy realized he couldn’t understand. “Oh, right…no dragon knows sign, but me.” Galaxy hummed as she looked around for a moment before moving over to her toy box and pushed it over to the window before stepping onto it to press a button to roll down the window. “What are you doing? Daddy probably won’t like it if you’re hanging out there like that. It’s kind of weird.”

Prometheus chuckled softly. “Sorry, Galaxy. I was just getting bored with all the adult bots being so serious. Plus, mother is helping the medical staff with some things, like giving advice and working with the head medics to offer aid in supplies since we grow a lot of things in Wight Canyon that we use for medical stuff.”

“Ah, right. And we’re the only young ones here. Though B probably could almost be like a youngling.”

“I think he might just be older than one, but I agree. Well…” Prometheus leaned his head closer a little so he could see her room a bit better. “This is quite nice. A bit small, but I am used to sleeping in a rocky cave, so this is all weird to me. Plus those figure things…” He uses his right wing to point at the Prime figurines and Galaxy chuckled a little. “We don’t have those too. Seems a bit odd to me.”

“I don’t have any other way to entertain myself, Prometheus. No other sparklings or younglings to play with, but Ratchet also told me I can’t run around so much. I agree, since…” Galaxy placed a hand on her chassis. “My system is still a bit sore from the surgery. And I can’t even transform back into my dragon mode for a while.”

“Not much to do but wait. I’m glad I haven’t had any major injuries yet. Mother would be so overbearing if that happened.” Prometheus flared his nostrils as he sighed. “Anyway, you kind of looked sad before. Did you want me to get Optimus or Elita for you?”

Galaxy shook her head. “No, they’re still in an important meeting. I don’t want to bother them.” Galaxy glanced up past Prometheus’s face towards the Iacon entrance and he turned his head slightly to see where she was gazing before looking back at her. “I am just missing…him.”

“I see.” Prometheus understood completely as he looked back at the sparkling. “I wish I could tell you things will be okay. But I barely have seen much of the future. I only knew Orion would become Optimus Prime, that Megatron will be the next concern after Sentinel and there will definitely be another big war with the Quintessons. If I knew a bit more I would tell you.”

“I…I am not sure I believe that. I know Oranos was pretty good at keeping his secrets unless it was needed to be shared.” Prometheus chuckled as he understood the reason why Oranos would do that. Galaxy smirked at him. “Yeah, now I know you are keeping some information to yourself.” Galaxy folded her arms as she stared at him. “Are you sure there is nothing you could tell me about dadda? I mean…Megatron.”

Prometheus sighed deeply and shook his head. “I am afraid not. I see more visions of the Quintessons invading Cybertron more than Megatron. I am not sure I am the right person for you to ask questions about his spark and if he may change. Only Optimus may know.”

“But Megatron isn’t D-16. That’s the problem. It is like a new person somehow emerged in him, and though he has the same shell, they aren’t the same. If that makes sense.”

“It does. But Megatron will likely go through many more changes as cycles progress. So I do think he will be even more different than before.” Galaxy did not know how to feel about that. But it made sense to her, since it will probably be a long time before she would see him again. Prometheus tilted his head as he was not well experienced yet dealing with younger draconic bots. That was always left to the adults. “But you never know, Galaxy. You were adopted by him for a reason. And Alpha Trion gifted him Onyx’s cog, so I assume he saw something that we couldn’t too.”

Galaxy nodded slowly. “Yeah. But I wish that part would come out sooner than later, Prometheus. I don’t understand why he now sees Primes as enemies, when that has never been the case. Sentinel was never a Prime, and it has been proven that as a fact. So…I-I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I, and I am older than you…sort of.” Galaxy looked at him and she chuckled softly as he smirked. “You know, since you haven’t been able to grow due to the stasis pod, but also you were born before me…this is going to take time to get used to.”

Galaxy nodded in agreement. “Yep. It sure will. But maybe just think of me as younger, Prometheus. It’s easier. I mean, as much as I still love my birth parents, I am Optimus’s daughter now. And I don’t want that to change.”

“It won’t ever change, the only changes that you have to get used to is a new way of life with him. That’s the only thing, and of course, the changes we go through as we get older.” Prometheus shifted a little and Galaxy peered out of the window a little to see how he was hanging off the side of the building and she chuckled. “Hey, it’s not my fault I am so bored! Until you get to run around, that is.”

“Just ask B to have some fun.”

“I have, but he’s busy too. So…” Prometheus groaned as he was thinking of what else he could do. “I have to wait. Mother won’t take me back to Wight Canyon right now either. I didn’t realize I would be bored coming here. But I guess I didn’t think about all the talking that would be done. Ugh!”

“We just have to try to be patient, I guess. Plus, I have to be more patient because I am still recovering. So…” Galaxy giggled as the white dragon groaned a little. “We just need to put up with their talking. Plus, talking is good, because if they didn’t, then things wouldn’t get done. And the city is going to look better than ever when it is repaired.”

“I agree. No more Sentinel statues. Bleh!” Prometheus made a face as he had not liked seeing the statues when he first arrived. “For some bot who wasn’t special, he tried his very hardest to make himself out to be special. I still can’t believe he fooled the city, even when he convinced everyone he was a new Prime.”

“I have wondered if there were bots, aside from the High Guard, who weren’t fooled. But if there were, they might have been killed for it. After all, Sentinel seemed to do that to anyone who wasn’t on his side.” And unfortunately, that was something Galaxy will never know. If there were other bots who were aware of Sentinel’s betrayal aside from the High Guard fifty cycles ago, they weren’t alive anymore, or were jailed until they rusted completely. And none of the younger bots would know, due to the fact they were born believing Sentinel was their protector. “But I also think a lot of bots also sided with Sentinel. Especially when Sentinel had created a two-tier system by removing cogs from new born bots.”

“Unfortunately, that does happen sometimes. But now we have a new leader, and someone who is kind, strong and the right bot to take the place of the previous Primes. We are so fortunate to be alive to witness that.” Prometheus turned his head towards the door as he heard movement and he sighed. “I should probably go. Sounds like they’ve stopped talking. And like you said, Optimus may not like me hanging on the side of his home like this.”

“I don’t think he’ll be mad though, Prometheus. I think he will be surprised and just…”

“What will I be surprised by?” Galaxy turned her head as she was startled as she saw Optimus standing in the doorway with a surprised expression. He looked at Prometheus in confusion and raised an eyebrow. “What are you two doing?”

Prometheus grumbled a little as he glanced away. “I…uh…I was bored. I guess, uh…”

Optimus smiled as he walked towards the window. “If you were bored, you could have asked me if you wanted to come in and I would have let you. As long as you transformed, of course. You and Galaxy would be able to play if you did. I am not that intimidating.”

“Oh, it is not you. It’s…uh…mother. She’s told me not to bother you.”

“Oh! Right, did she?” Prometheus nodded and Optimus chuckled softly. “Ah, I’ll talk to her and tell her that it is okay. Besides, there is always time for you young ones to speak to us when you need to. It would be rude for us to ignore you.” Prometheus smiled and relaxed when he realized they weren’t in trouble. “Plus, it would save you hanging outside the window here. I hope that isn’t going to become a habit.”

“I promise it won’t. It will only be one time, Optimus.” Prometheus turned his head suddenly as he noticed Sharp Tongue flying by and she was giving him a stern expression. He grimaced and he sighed. “I’d better go…mother isn’t happy that I did this too.”

“I will let her know it is not a big deal, Prometheus. That should make her relax.” Prometheus grumbled as he knew that wouldn’t be easy and Optimus huffed in amusement. “But, of course, she is your mother. So I cannot promise if things will change.”

“They won’t. Mother is pretty strict with me,” Prometheus responded bluntly before he flinched a little as Sharp Tongue shouted something at him. “Ugh…I’d better go. Um…” He looked at Galaxy for a moment. “Get well soon so we can play. Okay?”

Galaxy nodded as Prometheus pushed himself away and turned himself as he opened his wings to follow Sharp Tongue. Optimus closed the window as the dragon flew away while Galaxy watched him before she felt Optimus pick her up into his arms. Galaxy smiled as he shifted her to cradle her properly. “Were you able to talk about what you want to, daddy?”

Optimus nodded. “Yes, I did. The archives will be reopened and remodelled so everyone can use it, a new science lab is being built, the medical centre will be given a special expansion, courtesy of Sharp Tongue, and a new memorial will be built in honour of, not only the fallen Primes, but also the dragons who fell that day.”

Galaxy gasped in surprise. “Really?” Optimus chuckled as he kissed her cheek gently. “Wow, that’s…great! I didn’t expect you to do that, daddy. Especially since a lot of bots are still a bit scared of dragons.”

“I think it really is time to show the true side of the dragons. It is understandable why bots are afraid of them, but they’re not too different from us. But you don’t need to worry about that.” He kissed her forehead before pulling out a bottle filled with low-grade energon and Galaxy clapped her hands happily. “I knew you would be hungry. I also decided to mix it with those…I forget what those berries are called, but Trojan brought some for you.”

“Wight berries, I think…but they’re so sweet and juicy! You saw how B fell in love with them after the first bite.” That was very true. B could have ingested a lot of them if he wanted to, and Optimus was amused. “The only place they grow though is, well…Wight Canyon, but they’re delicious. I’m glad you mixed them in.” Galaxy began to drink from the bottle and she sighed loudly as she immediately loved the taste.

Optimus smiled before glancing at the window curiously. He had not expected to see Prometheus hanging at the window speaking to Galaxy. He wondered what had been spoken about, but he understood why the young dragon might be bored. He didn’t blame him at all. But he wondered if it would become a habit. He knew that when Galaxy saw him for the first time, she really thought he was beautiful. B even teased her that she had a crush on the youngling, and Galaxy had denied it of course, but Optimus did wonder what things may turn into as they get older.

He looked down at Galaxy as drank the energon happily. “So how are you feeling, Galaxy? Still a bit sore?” She nodded and Optimus hummed softly. “Ratchet has said you’re recovering pretty well. A little bit more rest and you should be fine. Luckily, now that I have time, we can spend it by playing with some of your toys.”

Galaxy squealed happily as she raised her hands to sign. ‘Really? We have time to finally play?’ Optimus nodded. ‘I am so happy!’ Galaxy stopped drinking for a moment to throw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him, making Optimus chuckled. “I’ve waited for this moment. We barely had time to do that before when you were a miner. I’m so glad we can do that now.”

“Me too.” Optimus glanced towards the window, gazing towards the entrance of Iacon for a moment as his mind went to D-16 for a moment before looking away. “It would seem we will have a lot more time. I never thought it would be possible.”

“But with so many other bots around us willing to help, it will be possible. Although...” Galaxy leaned back as tears fill her optics as she gazed at Optimus’s optics. “There is one bot less that cannot be here to play with me like you.” Optimus softened his expression immediately as he rubbed her back gently. “I miss dadda.”

Optimus sighed as he moved to sit on a chair by Galaxy’s berth. “Yeah, me too, Galaxy. I haven’t stopped thinking and worrying about him since I told him to leave. But…in light of his actions, I did it for the best thing for Iacon at this time.”

“I know. I don’t hate you for it, daddy. But…he is dadda to me still.” Galaxy sniffled as she let the tears fall from her optics. “Do you think he can come back?”

Optimus really did not know how to answer her question. She was yearning for D-16 because the recovery from her surgery had made her cling to him. And she would do the same to D if he was here. "I think it is too early to answer right now, Galaxy. And…Prometheus has seen some things of Megatron, which probably indicates that it isn’t going to be simple. Even if he has kept the details to himself.” Galaxy whimpered as she moved to drink from the bottle again while listening to Optimus. “However, I have no doubt that in my spark, D-16 is still in there. We just have to dig him out somehow. I am not going to give up on him, Galaxy. The same will be extended to the High Guard in due time.”

Galaxy was glad to hear that as she sniffled some more and raised her hands to sign. ‘Do you think with the time he will have to spend thinking long and hard will help? Or do you think that when the Quintessons show their ugly faces again, he may help us and rebuild that trust again?’

“Uhhh, again, that is too early to answer, Galaxy. I am sorry that you are looking for the answers right now, but I hope you understand that we can only do what we can.” She nodded and Optimus kissed her forehead gently. “I’m sorry that I cannot give any promises, only that I will do what I can to protect you, especially keep you from the same fate as Wraith. And I can also promise to do what I can to help D. But…” Optimus paused as he thought about the grim alternative. “I am not going to lie, if Megatron stays…there may not be a future.”

Galaxy shuddered as she let more tears fall before she signed. ‘At least I am not a Prime. I don’t have to make hard decisions.’

Optimus forced a smile. “That’s not really a good thing though. There’s already a lot on my shoulders. So…decision making is really going to weigh me down. But at least I have you, Elita, B and the other bots to help alleviate it when needed. I cannot rely on my own self for everything.”

Galaxy smiled as she was glad to hear that before she became curious about something and signed to him. ‘Does this mean you and mama are going to have time alone?’

Optimus chuckled softly. “Well…not yet. Elita’s too focused on helping the rest of the bots repair the city. You know how she’s always been. Work first.” Galaxy nodded as she did know who Elita was. “But…Elita did seem to be more inclined to the idea today. Just try not to help like you said you would.”

Galaxy giggled with a shrug. ‘Okay, I won’t. For a bit.’

“Oh, Ignited Galaxy…”

‘Plus, you and mama being together would make the family official.’

Optimus huffed in amusement. “I suppose. But we already were an official family, Galaxy. We didn’t need to be sparkmates for that to be the case. Though I understand your logic.” Galaxy giggled again and he kissed her forehead. “I am so glad you entered my life, Galaxy. You may not be related to me, but sometimes I like to pretend you are.”

Galaxy widened her optics in surprise before fresh tears filled her optics as her spark was warmed by that. ‘Really? You pretend that I am related to you?’ Optimus nodded, kissing her forehead again and she stopped drinking again to hug him tightly as she sobbed happily. “That makes me happy. I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too.” Optimus rubbed Galaxy’s back gently with a gentle smile on his face. “I always will.”

Optimus glanced towards the window again as he thought about D-16. His spark would continue to grieve and ache for the loss of his friend at this time. After all, the line between friend and enemy was not as clear as he once believed. Once it’s crossed, there’s no going back. Not without a lot of time to pass and things to occur for things to change. Even if D were to come back, their friendship would not be the same as it once was. Optimus saw him for who he was now, and that won’t leave his mind.

But for Galaxy’s sake, Optimus intended to keep his promise to do what he could to try and bring D-16 back. Even though he was already expecting to fight Megatron and the former High Guard in the future, Optimus would do what he could. Even though he knew that not all wars that end with a victory, are wars that should be celebrated if it ends with so much sorrow. While it would be remembered, it wouldn’t be worthy of celebrating. But Optimus had no intention of giving up until he was given a reason to. And he knew, in that moment, one shall stand and one shall fall.

Elsewhere…

Far from the city of Iacon, far from the remains of Tempest, far from the large canyon, shrouded in fog and mystery, where Wight Canyon holds the rest of the dragons living peacefully, and far from any source of flowing energon, Megatron and the former High Guard have taken refuge in a dry part of Cybertron. A rough, dry, rugged, rusty mountain terrain that was incredibly hard to travel over and a natural, magnetic energy that makes flying over difficult for unprepared fliers. But for them, this place was where they would call home.

A lot of work was needed. But now, as the new leader of this group, Megatron knew that this would be the base of their operations. They would build and prepare, become a much stronger army than what Iacon has. Though he knew that going up against Iacon with the dragons by their side will prove difficult, Megatron knew that they would be able to prepare with time. Especially as all the High Guard have experience dealing with the dragons, so fighting them would be something they all can do.

Despite the pain he had felt when Sentinel burned Megatronus’s face into his chassis, it became a symbol to Megatron. A symbol that will soon be seen by all the other bots of this planet. A symbol of freedom, a symbol to bring down all who has betrayed him. All those who spill lies to the entire world, regardless of the fact that Primus has favored them and gifted them with a tool that has brought back energon after fifty cycles.

When the energon flowed again, Megatron had been shocked to see it. But when he remembered the reason, it angered him. While the High Guard had been happy, he was not. He detested it, even though they no longer had to mine for it. But free access to the energon was not in his interest, and he convinced the High Guard to find somewhere away from a regular source of energon, as they would only procure the energon when they needed it. Starscream did try to argue, but Megatron had put him back in his place. Beneath his feet.

Now with a place of their own, Megatron created a proper brand of Megatronus’s face and applied the symbol to his chassis. A symbol that was cleaner and glossier than the lines Sentinel had burned into his chassis. And the former High Guard accepted the brand upon their own bodies as a sign of loyalty to Megatron, and a sign that they will always stand by him. Their own anger about being banished by the new Prime brought out the red optics in them too. They wanted nothing more than to take back Iacon for themselves. And make Cybertron their own.

Standing on a cliff, overlooking the former High Guard with a confident gaze and tense body, he spoke in a loud, clear voice. “Sentinel, the betrayer, is dead. But his death has given life to a new enemy. A stronger enemy.” He clenched his fists as he thought about his former friend being the new Prime. “A personal enemy. We will not be blinded by his deception! We are the ones who will stand up to him! We are the ones who will make the dragons see him for he truly is!” He pointed his weapon at the as he shouted at the bots before him confidently. “Decepticons! Rise up!”

The decepticons responded, chanting rise up while shooting at the sky. Megatron was pleased that these bots were all willing to stand by him. While there were no real plans yet to attack Iacon, but that will change soon enough. After all, his mind did go to Galaxy as he did not know what has happened since he had been forced to leave Iacon thanks to Prime’s mercy. Though he felt it was a foolish thing for him to do.

However, this now gave him an opportunity to finish what he has started. Sentinel was dead, this was true. But now he had to deal with the new Prime, regardless of who he used to be to him. And yet, Galaxy’s words about how she was afraid of him would replay in his mind. And it only angered him. Mostly because he felt she would be safer with him than she would be with the new Prime. But that did not matter right now. Right now, it was time to build strength up in the decepticons, and be prepared to take on both the bots from Iacon, and the Quintessons to ensure this world would finally belong to them. And no other false leader again.

Embers of Spark will arrive 2026, keep your eyes pealed.

Well, readers, that was a fun ride with this one. I look forward to writing the sequel next year some time. Now I have finished this one, I can finally move onto a few other books I’ve been neglecting to finish all year. Feel free to read the rest of the stories on my profile or reread this story.

Transformers Bayverse:

Heart of a Prime *Completed*

A Prime Destiny Fulfilled *To be completed*

Transformers Rise of the Beasts:

Through Ash and Dust *Completed*

Transformers Prime:

Hidden Spark on Earth *Completed*

Hidden Spark on Earth II *Completed*

When All Lights Go Out *Completed*

When All Lights Go Out II *To be completed*

I am Broken *To be Completed*

Five Nights at Freddy’s:

Sparkle like a Superstar *Completed*

Why Me? *To be completed*

Possessive *To be Completed*

The Hobbit:

The Dwarf and the Dragoness *To be Completed*

Bakugan:

Your Choice *To be Completed