Branched Sparks || Transformers: Animated

{Prologue} || Lost Through Stars

The day was like any other on the Decepticon warship-turned-ground-base, the troopers patrolling the halls, the light from the nearby star filtering in through the windows, the quick typing of steady blue hands as they recorded everyday events. Nothing was out of place, except...

"UNCLE SOUNDWAVE!" A small but loud voice shouted.

Soundwave let out a small sigh, there it was, the highlight of his day, but the most strenuous without a doubt. "Yes, Lady (Y/N)?" He called back calmly as he watched the (A/C) plated child burst through the sliding doors of the Nemesis.

"Rumble and Frenzy are fighting again and I can't break them up!" You said with a disgruntled expression, the sounds of the young minicons tumbling coming up behind you.

Soundwave couldn't help but snicker, you were such a worrier, just like your carrier was. He watched as the twin cassettes came in bawling, scuffed up because of their little dispute. They weren't too much younger than you and they weren't much bigger than you either, but he knew they wouldn't grow nearly as much as you would in the future. He stood up, took the two of his cassettes by the hand, and gave them a deep glare.

"Command: You are not to harm one another." He said, both of the cassettes proceeded to shut themselves up as they gave a nod, energon tears brimming on their optics, but not daring to spill. He let the two of them go and they rushed to your side, hiding behind your figure. They knew Soundwave wouldn't scold you.

"Question: Why were you fighting this time?" He asked, massaging his helm. They shoved you forward, both of them giving a nervous smile and waiting for you to explain.

Letting out an annoyed grumble, you complied, "They were fighting over what paint job to wear this stellar-cycle."

"I want Blue!" Rumble spoke up.

"No, I want Blue!" Frenzy said, glaring at his brother.

"Why can't you both just wear Blue!?" You snapped.

"But we don't wanna look like each other!" They whined.

"Oh for the love of-" Soundwave was cut short by the loud siren that had been triggered throughout the base. An Autobot attack? On a base this far away from the battlefields? On the outskirts of the known galaxy?

"You three, find Ravage and get to the bunkers!" Soundwave said in a commanding tone, not even bothering with his usual formalities. You took charge, rushing the twins away as you all bolted down the halls of the base.

You could hear the sounds of battle from outside of the base, blaster fire, swords clashing on one another, metal on metal pangs, and cries of death. You almost wanted to cover your audio receptors, but you needed to Comm Ravage first.

:Ravage!: You called, :I have the twins! We're going to the bunker! Soundwave said to get to you first!:

:Just get out of here!: Ravage hissed from the other side of the comm. :There's no time to come and get me, take the twins and shove yourselves into an escape pod instead!:

"What's that supposed to mean!?" You yelled out in frustration as you reached the records room, opening the doors and rushing inside. You pulled at a series of datapads, stuffing them inside your subspace and pulling the hidden latch on the shelf. A staircase opened up at your pedes and the three of you descended downwards. The long, steep staircases led to the bomb proof door, placing the decepticon pin-number in and reaching for the console to certify your spark signature, the doors opened and closed behind the three of you just as quickly.

The noises were muffled now, but you had all known the battle had reached the inside of the base. Inside, the makeshift bunker was reinforced enough to prevent bombs from penetrating the used-to-be hull of the warship.

"Initiating Freefall protocols." A voice echoed from through the ship. Slowly the ground beneath you began to shake, the warship was taking off again after centuries of being bolted to the ground as a base. The feeling of the ship moving beneath your feet was unfamiliar and you all toppled over easily.

"Hold on!" You shouted to the twins as you pulled them close, the thrusters of the ship were far too close to the hull to be comfortable taking off. The room shook and cheers could be heard from distinctly Decepticon voices.

The victory was short-last.

The entire ship trembled and explosions could be heard from all corners, the smell of smoke and the heat of fire consumed your senses. Soon enough you could hear the sound of the stairway opening to the hull and the steel-enforced doors creaking open. All three of you unsheathed your built in weapons system and pointed it at the door. Soundwave pried apart the doors as to quicken the process, the ship was breaking down and the security systems with it.

"Command: Get to the escape pods on the upper-deck. Quickly, before it's too late." Soundwave said with a hint of pain in his mechanical voice. He knew it was too late to save everyone, but not too late to save the three of you.

You all exchanged looks, the twins feeling the distress from their sire. Clenching your fists and gritting your denta, you took the minicons' small hands into your own and rushed to Soundwave's side. You all forced your way past Autobot forces to get to the upper decks where the escape pods were, some destroyed, others taken by deserters. There was only enough room for a single one of you in the last remaining escape pod.

Soundwave bit his lip-plates, he could hear the sounds of Autobots getting closer, and though he wanted to save all his children, he knew it was unrealistic to get Ravage and Lazerbeak into the escape pod at the same time as you and the twins. The doors burst down with a fiery explosion and he pulled the three of you into an embrace, his larger frame protecting the three of you from the blunt of the blast.

The smell of fried wiring and burning energon made you want to purge your tanks, but seeing one of the most cherished mechs in your life lay on the floor, crippled and struggling to stand in order to fight triggered something in you. Something that your sire would gladly take pride of, your warbuild coding had finally settled in.

"SOUNDWAVE!"

_____________________________________________________

It was a blur in your mind about what happened after you had lashed out and proceeded to fight off Autobot forces as the twins repaired their sire. You remembered the shifting of your vision from (O/C) to red. You remembered the sounds of your sire's gift to you, a pair of dual daggers, unsheathing, the sounds of anguish, the splashing of scorched energon on the violet walls of the warship. The filled feeling in your subspace and the banging on glass as energon tears filled your eyes, a sorrowful expression on Soundwave's faceplates. And finally, the desperate pleas coming from your mouth as he launched the escape pod far off into space; the Decepticon warship being lost to the stars as it combust spontaneously in front of you and you slipped into stasis.