Defending a Companion (A Transformers Armada FanFic)

Prologue

     Wild alarms rang through the hallways. Crashes and muted explosions sounded all around, shaking the floors.

     Headlight jerked his head up, dread sinking in him, shattering the hope that had been palpable just moments before. No. No, no no no! This wasn't supposed to be happening! They were finally leaving! None of them would have to fight anymore!

     An explosion sounded below him, rocking the entire ship and nearly knocking the little Mini-Con off his feet. He stumbled past capsules holding the stasis panels where his brothers waited in hibernation. Mini-Cons who couldn't feel what was happening to the ship and thought their pain was finally over. It was slowly starting to feel like a cruel joke. 'They promised...' He thought frantically. 'They told us...'

     He dashed into the control room, wishing he had a vehicle mode like some others. How much faster could he have gotten there if he did? Half a dozen other Mini-Cons stood, panicked, at different monitors around the room. They were the skeleton crew of the ship who had volunteered to stay out of stasis until they were well on their way.

         "What is happening?" He cried in their language. Looking at the large monitor in the center, he saw his worst fears were realized.

         "It's the Decepticons." High Wire murmured sadly. His hands were clenched into fists and pressed against the keypad in front of him.

     Headlight ran toward the screens, shaking his head, desperate to regain some of the hopes that now lay shattered. "No! They wouldn't. The Autobots promised us-"

         "The Autobots lied," Barrel growled from the side, punching the console before him. "There was never a truce. They just hoped to sneak us away before Megatron realized what was happening. The Decepticons never agreed to let us go." He fought back a bitter laugh. "Did you really think they would just let us leave? With the power that we bring to their battles?"

     Horror slowly sunk in as Headlight realized the truth. It was a false hope. The Mini-Cons were too valuable in their fight. The Decepticons would never have let them leave.

     Images flashed before Headlight's eyes. Gunfire in the air around them. Cries and thuds, the sounds of brutal combat. Bodies on the battlefield. A shouting Cybertronian forcing him to take part in it all.

     He cringed, trying to shake the thoughts away. Why had it taken so long to convince the Bulks that they didn't want any part of their war? No matter what they thought they were fighting for. Why was it so hard for them to understand that the Mini-Cons felt so different than how they did? The Mini-Cons hadn't been people to them. An obedient slave. A useful tool. A powerful weapon...

     Screams of the dying...

         'Focus.' He shook his head. 'Focus! Fight it! They need you right now!'

     Bright flares of light lit up every monitor in the room. Ships, large and small, were locked in battle just outside. It wasn't for show. With every flash, how many Cybertronians died at that moment? Died because of them.

         "We have to go now." Headlight pushed his way forward. "We are out of time! The longer we stay the more..." He choked. "The more of them will die out there. And the more chance there is that they'll take us right back into their fight."

         "We can't go! We don't have the warp gate programmed yet!" Someone cried on the side. "And with the damage we've already sustained, I don't think we can make it! "

         "If we activate it the way it is, it could take us there, or it could rip us to pieces long before we get close. Even as we are right now, I don't know if we can handle a safe landing!" Longarm interjected.