Optimus looked at his crew after sending Bumblebee and Cliffjumper the message that they will be joining them. He was taking Ratchet with him obviously, Ratchet was his most trusted ally, even before Sentinel had announced him Prime. Despite not meeting the human sparklings, Prime could admit to becoming quite fond of the three. From the reports, they receive through the many Earth cycles, it was very obvious human sparklings were innocent and gentle beings. It was the adult humans however that made him very wary of the planet in front of him.
He would chose Ironhide next, he has always been good at understanding the personality of those around him. Ironhide does not have much interactions with humans yet, but give him a year and he will figure them out. His weapon specialist did not become a high level Enforcer just because of some sheer dumb luck after all. The third Officer he chooses would be Jazz, he would pick Prowl, but he needed his Second in Command on the ship while he was on planet side. Jazz was known for picking up and understanding the culture of other planets while Prowl kept everyone in line should something happen.
Next he chose Blavkracer for her speed and ability to adjust and meld in with her surroundings. The young femme was found by Prowl of all bots when she tried to steal more Energon for her younger sibling Blacklight. Prowl had been very impressed and had taken the two younglings in much to Bumblebee's delight a few cycles before they left Cybertron. Blacklight was a very quiet Praxian Mech preferring to follow his older sibling's que instead of taking charge, most of the time. Finally, he chose the triplets Arcee, their hive mind would be useful while battling against the Decepticons.
What happened to Arcee was a shock to everyone but Optimus was however grateful Shockwave spared her life. Optimus was the most distressed when Arcee returned to them broken in more ways than one, divided into three different physical bodies. The femme now divided into three parts were the talk of town for vorns as Ratchet and the other femmes tried their best to help. It was during this time Chromia, Elita One, Moonracer, Blavkracer, Greenlight and Flamewar grew closer. Before they would just greet each other in passing but during Arcee's recovery period they got closer to each other. Arcee even joked about how Shockwave actually helped them trust each other more.
Optimus looked back at his screen, the human adults had proven themselves to be very cruel, horrific and could give some of the worst and despicable Decepticons a run for their credits. Of course, not every adult was that way, there were many throughout human history like Mahatma Gandhi, Clara Barton, Nelson Mandela, Florence Nightingale, Henry Dunant, Mother Teressa, etc. Their kindness and empathy for others humbling many was a source of inspiration for his crew who went through their historical documentation in wonder. It gave Optimus a whiplash when he compared the kind humans famous through history to the cruel ones.
Ratchet nudged him, "Are you looking through that list again Primeling?"
Optimus looked up at him, "I just wonder lately."
Arcee looked up at that from her station, "What is the matter Sir?"
Jazz turned around on hearing the conversation curious, "Speak to us big guy."
Optimus shook his helm, "It is nothing serious I promise you that. Just some flighty ideas about the past."
Ironhide, "Like?"
Optimus, "I wonder what our world would be like if we had someone like these humans here helping out."
Kup paused before nodding, "I understand what you mean. They are too surreal to be true, are they not?"
Prowl muttered a little envious, "Indeed, it is almost like the Gods themselves blessed them."
Jazz sighed removing his visor and rubbing his optics, "True that. They have many gifts that others would fight spark and servo for."
Ratchet, "And yet they are so ignorant about it, well most of them."
Optimus finally got up, "That's enough chit chat. Be ready to depart in three Earth hours."
"Yes Prime."
Chromia meanwhile was talking to Elita, "You need to tell the Mech how you feel Elita. At least you will be able to get over the feelings if you do."
Elita One, "It is not that easy Chromia. Not as long as Sentinel is out there. He would find out somehow."
Chromia vented in frustration, "And do you think you would be the first one to confess their feelings for Optimus Prime. Do you think there weren't many other before?"
Elita One shouted, "I know Chromia, I know I was there when Shockwave was not the monster he is today. I was there.... I was there, Chromia. I was there."
Chromia was stunned, "What do you mean Elita? What do you mean you were there?"
Elita One crumbled, "I was there before Shockwave became a monster. I was there, I did not mean to eaves drop on them. But I was there when he confessed his feelings for Optimus."
Chromia held her, "And did he accept?"
Elita One, "I could not bring myself to listen in anymore and left. So, maybe he did or maybe he did not. But all I know is that after Sentinel got a wind of it.... He.. I'm sure it was him. He made sure Shockwave would not come anywhere near Optimus. You were not there Chromia, but I saw how desolate Optimus was when Shockwave left as if it meant nothing to him."
Chromia hugged Elita speaking in a more subdued manner, "I didn't know, they had a history or this happened."
Elita One mumbled into her shoulder plate feeling tired, "Yeah, well, I did not tell anyone about it. How could I, just the thought of being reminded I could be... so forcibly.... you know?"
Chromia tightened her hold, "I understand."
Unbeknownst to the two, they had been overheard by a certain twin who frowned as he left the two femmes to give them some privacy. Elita would not want anyone to see her so vulnerable and weak, she always made a point to show her strong side. He knew Sentinel was protective to the point of disturbingly possessive over Optimus, he understood Prime was his sparkling. But that was just going way too far, no matter what angle you look at it, it was just horrific and terrifying how much power the old bot has over them. Sure, Sentinel is a Prime but Optimus is a Prime too and Optimus acts nothing like the way Sentinel does.
Bulkhead saw him, "Aye Sideswipe, a little help here?"
Sideswipe, "Sure."
Bulkhead, "What's the matter? You look tense."
Sideswipe, "Just learned something I'm not sure I should have found out."
Wheeljack, "What are you talking about?"
Sideswipe looked around and saw there were wreckers and femmes working, "Not here, maybe somewhere more private."
Wheeljack shrugged, "Fine with me. Hey Bulk, help me carry these items once you are done with that. The big boss asked for it earlier."
Bulkhead, "Sure."
They worked silently on the ship making sure it was up to par and working without any problems so far. One of the scout team had detected Energon on Earth's moon which was both relieving and very suspicious. It was on the side facing Earth and Optimus agreed to do a quick search for security and safety purposes before landing on Earth. Three Earth hours later Optimus and his team were leaving for Earth's moon to scout the reading they received. Elita One felt troubled by the sudden appearance but she trusted her team, her pack, family as the humans say to return alive.
Optimus landed on the moon and looked around, "The readings came from here."
Blavkracer volunteered, "Sir I can go scout the area, something is not right."
Ironhide, "Not without back up, you won't."
Jazz, "I'll go with her, don't worry."
Optimus, "Very well, stay connected though."
Blavkracer and Jazz nodded and went scouting the moon surface, the sun shining bright on them making the surface of the moon bright. Something was not right, they knew the moon was barren compared to the Moon's planet but something was making their instincts go high wire. Then it happened a group of Deception gestalts started to attack them mercilessly making them swerve sway from the path. Jazz cursed while Moonracer hissed as they started to return the attacks at the Decepticons.
Jazz, "Optimus, it's a trap."
Optimus, "I suspected as much. It was too good to be true."
Optimus smirked, "Autobots roll out. Kick their ass as the human saying goes."
Ironhide, "With pleasure."
Arcee, "Give us the signal."
The four took battle stances and jumped to battle fighting the large gestalt who was joined by Swirl, Deadscrew and Breakmark, three ex - Gladiators, now con. The Autobots lead by Optimus clashed with the cons who growled and hissed at them. Blavkracer and Jazz used their small size to their advantage to dodge the attacks and race around u der the large Gestalt. Blavkracer narrowed her optics, she had sneaked a peak into the reports Elita One received. Over the many solar cycles, she and the others had become somewhat fond of human sparklings.
Blavkracer growled as she dodged another punch, 'It has to be because there has not been anymore sparklings after the war started. So we are no doubt going to probably be possessive over them.'
Jazz, "Are you alright there Moonracer?"
Blavkracer nodded, "I'm alright Sire. Don't worry about me."
Jazz, "Well then my sweet femmeling, let's teach these bastards what happens when cons mess with our family."
Blavkracer, "Hell yes!"
Ironhide, "Deadscrew, fancy seeing you all the way here."
Deadscrew gave a feral grin, "Hello there Officer, let's dance."
Arcee, "Who's this?"
Ironhide, "An old enemy and a criminal."
Ironhide knew Deadscrew from before, he had to arrest him because he bombed a popular tourist site when it was populated. It had taken him many vorns before he found him and arrested him for killing so many civilians from Velocitron. There had been strict curfews and angry citizens that he had to deal with because he was the Enforcer till that one cycle when he found the con. The two sworn enemies brawled just like that cycle many vorns ago only this time instead of arresting, Ironhide was aiming to offline him. The con gave a feral laugh when he realized it and taunted him calling him a weak willed fragger who was too soft for his own good.
Arcee jumped on him, holding him back using her three bodies, "Got him Hide."
Ironhide took out his hidden sword slicing through the neck cord, "I may be soft sparked for many reasons but I am no pushover."
Swirl, "Old Mech Ratchet and Prime, it's our lucky day."
Breakmark, "Yes, we will receive quite the prize if we take you both down."
Ratchet threw a wrench at them, "Old? Old? I'm Ancient, you fool."
Optimus warily eyed the wrench that hit Breakmark straight on, 'Where does he even keep those?'
Breakmark, "You old fragger!!!! Where the frag did you even get them from?"
Ratchet, "Like I said I'm Ancient and have many tricks up my sleeve."
Swirl, "You'll be ancient and offline once we are done with you."
Ratchet, "Big words, can you back it up youngling?"
Breakmark snarled and started the attack which Optimus answers with his own, not missing a beat. Optimus had known Ratchet and knew he could be very harsh when the situation called for it. The Prime also knew better than to get involved between Ratchet and whoever he was talking to unless he wanted the ire to be targeted towards him at a later date. Ratchet was spiteful enough to do it as well, he was Lockdown's best student for a reason and learned to combine healing and punishment as seen fit.
Optimus, "Ratchet deal with Swirl, I'll deal with Breakmark."
Ratchet, "Of course, Prime. It looks like Ironhide is dealing with Deadscrew."
Optimus, "We will help him after dealing with these two. Or he does not require assistance and is joining Moonracer and Jazz."
Ratchet, "Arcee, are you alright?"
Arcee, "We are good. We will distract, while you take them out."
Optimus nodded as the three Arcee raced around taunting the two cons with insults and shots making them divide their attention between her and them. That was all Ratchet needed to use his plasma blaster, a gift from Kup on Breakmark making him curse when his left servo was blown off. Swirl cursed them but Optimus shot at him not allowing him the chance to escape and offline him using his sword. Arcee and Ratchet worked together to take down Breakmark permanently before turning to head towards Optimus.
Ratchet grumbled under his breath, "I am not old, I am ancient. How many times do I have to remind people I'm older than even Sentinel."
Arcee chuckled despite the circumstances, "Of course, Ratchet."
Ironhide meanwhile was helping Jazz and Blavkracer take down the four Decepticons that could combine to form a Gestalt. Jazz and Blavkracer had already taken down one by the time Ironhide joined them angering the other three. They would get revenge for their fallen brother and started to attack Jazz, Blavkracer and Ironhide without a care for their own safety. Jazz shouted at the two of them to be careful, as Gestalts according to what they know become unstable when they loose one of their partners.
Blavkracer screeched, "Get off me!!"
Jazz, "Blavkracer, hold on little one."
The femme con hissed, "You took my my brother, I will take you."
Blavkracer made a quick decision and wiggled herself away from the crazed femme con though she was still holding on to her arm tightly. Not seeing any other choice and noticing the self destruct countdown almost reached zero, Blavkracer cut her arm off just as Jazz offlined his enemy and jumped to tackle Blavkracer to safety. Ironhide snarled as he offlined his own target who had become more feral and went to check in on the Site and sparkling.
Ironhide, "Jazz, Blavkracer, speak to me."
Jazz, "Urk! We are alive."
Blavkracer, "We #hiss# got the fragger good."
Jazz, "Little racer, don't move, Ratchet, Ratchet, quick."
Ratchet rushed over hearing Jazz shout for him frantically, Jazz was one of the most notorious patients he had. The saboteur would rather pretend to be a hundred percent healed and healthy, instead of admitting he was hurt or unwell. The fact that he was screaming for him meant only one of two things, either Prowl was hurt or one of their sparklings. Ratchet huffed internally thinking how much of an fool Jazz was, he could be hurt but still demand someone else was healed first. Ratchet cursed when he saw the condition both Blavkracer and Jazz was in and called for Elita.
Elita One, "What happened? Are you all okay?"
Optimus, "Calm Elita, we are alive but Jazz and Blavkracer were hurt."
Elita One, "I'll send a crew to pick you up."
Jazz, "I'm fine, it's mostly surface burns. Yeowch!"
Ratchet had thrown a wrench, "I will be the judge of that."
Jazz sat down, "Yes sir."
Blavkracer giggled despite the pain, "No escape this time Sire."
Jazz grumbled under his denta but shut up when Ratchet waved a wrench at him again this time bigger in size. Not wanting to be hit by another wrench Jazz sat quietly as Ratchet started to heal his sparkling making sure she did not bleed her Energon out. Then Ratchet turned to Jazz warning him to not even try to hide anything from him. Jazz lowered his helm into his collar plates feeling like a sparkling himself at the mercy of Ratchet. He could feel the amusement wafting from Ironhide, Arcee and Optimus who were standing guard around them.
Elita One came with a group, "Ratchet, we are here. Oh Primus! Blavkracer!"
Bulkhead, "I'll carry her inside."
Ratchet nodded, "I already stabilized her. But she needs rest for a few Earth months."
Elita One nodded, "Understood, we will watch over her and make sure she heals."
Jazz grunted as Ratchet fixed his outer plate, "I have no doubts Elita. Prowl will no doubt baby her, as the humans say."
Optimus rumbled amused beside him, "Well, all things considered we found a few Energon crates here. I believe it was the stash that these Decepticons used to patrol the Earth's moon."
Elita One looked around suspiciously, "Why would they want to patrol the moon?"
Ironhide, "Hard to say. Maybe they were hiding something or maybe they were planning on making a moon base."
Bluestreak, "Strategically speaking, this would be a good place to set up a check point. We could keep an optic on Earth as well as watch out for any incoming Cons without any interference from the locals."
Jazz, "I have ta agree with Blue here. The moon is technically not an inhabitable place for humans but for us it would be perfect."
Optimus, "You make good points. Prowl come in."
Prowl answered through the comm, "Here Prime, is everything alright?"
Optimus, "Everyone is alive Prowl. Do not fret."
Prowl, "Have you met my sparkmate and sparklings, Prime? It is impossible for me not to fret about them."
Optimus chuckled, "I understand my friend. Do not worry. Elita One is taking good care of your femmeling. She's a tough youngling and Jazz is well in Ratchet's servos."
Prowl, "That's a relief. I feared the worst when many Con signatures came online. But that is not why you called me."
Optimus, "Correct, I want you to set up a check point for us on the moon. Make it an easily adjustable one."
Prowl, "Understood Prime, I will get to it."
Optimus, "Good, I am trusting you. Prime out."
Ironhide, "Prime, I don't like it."
Optimus, "What is it Ironhide?"
Ironhide, "There is no way they are the only ones here. I feel like they are a distraction."
Prowl commed in sounding worried, "Sir, we just received another report from Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. They are currently battling Barricade, Breakdown and Knockout."
Optimus, "I fear your suspicions were correct Ironhide. It was indeed a distraction."
Elita One looked alarmed, "Optimus, leave the care of Blavkracer and the check point to us."
Chromia, "Go help Bee and Cliff. There may be more cons hiding on Earth just like on the Moon."
Optimus nodded, "I'll leave it to you Elita One, leader of Gamma Movement. Autobots, we are heading to Planet Earth, roll out."
Elita One watched with worry as Optimus and his group got up and left for planet Earth after saying goodbye. She was not sure what would happen in the future and could only pray to Primus the people she cared about returned safely. Elita took charge after they left and started giving orders for a medical base to be built, she had a feeling she did not see the last of the cons. Prowl shared her sentiment as he gave orders for a check point to be built on the Moon and the two decided to focus on securing Earth's natural satellite.
Wheeljack, "We have a problem."
Elita, "What is it?"
Bluestreak, "More cons, and they are heading straight for us."
Prowl, "I'm warning Optimus we might be engaged in a battle here."
Chromia, "Let them come."
Flamewar, "We can deal with them."
While the base was being built Optimus, Ratchet, Jazz, Ironhide and Arcee had landed in a large cold lake. It was very close to the Witwicky property but far enough to not be seen by most of the population. Ratchet cursed the freezing temperatures as they rushed to get out of the cold water which had started to freeze as it was winter. Optimus ordered them to check for an alt mode either online or on the road as he scanned a passing truck. Arcee ran their fan to get rid of the water and went and saw a motorbike which she decided will be a good choice. Ratchet, Jazz and Ironhide decided to check the internet to pick their alt modes and they started to head towards the Witwicky farm.
[A. N.: Thank you for the Power Stones.
I was inspired by TFP season one, Darkness Rising and combining it with Cyberverse their battle on the moon.
I adore Cyberverse, they added some much to Cybertronian culture. I especially love Maccaddams. He is a darling.]