"OC Episode #3"

[New Moon]

Feralnight nodded when giving monitor duty but before she moved she took a glance towards Wintersong who seemed uncertain of staying. but when the tigeress looked elsewhere she relaxed and went to the monitors, keeping a eye out for any Predacons or the Decepticon again, sitting in one of the chairs. It was still bothering however that the Decepticons had been able to get away with such a thing as murder, if that was what they would call it anyway.

Watching the others go about what they needed to do Frilla looked over and came over to Cheetor, "Well what all do you need Cheetor?" She asked pushing the sadness aside for now.

[Night-Hunter]

"Rhinox is currently preparing the funeral arrangements, and an announcement will be made as to when the funeral will take place,"

Saber noticed that Optimus was now talking in a firmer and steadier tone which was a good idea seeing how the moral of the crew depended on his state of mind.

"Some of you may have noticed we have a couple new recruits with us. Whitegrazer was successfully recovered today, and her stasis pod is in great shape. We'll want to bring that back to Base as soon as we can for whatever purposes we can use out of it. Frilla has also decided to leave the Predacons and join our team after the battle we had with them. I hope everyone will show her the same courtesy as you would show me or any other Maximal here. Please make her feel welcomed since it is not an easy transition to make from one allegiance to another."

Saber simply glanced in Whitegrazer's direction then looked at Frilla before looking away as her past decided to rear it's head, it was never easy losing any one who is under your command. She to had lost crew, both at her hands and at the hands of the Predacons and it never got any easier.

"Feralnight, you're on monitor duty," "If that Decepticon returns to the Predacons, she may inform Megatron of our tragic loss and he might take advantage of the situation."

Knowing Megatron he will. Saber thought.

"As for everyone else," "get repairs if you need them, and get some rest."

Saber felt Optimus' gaze on her for a split second but did not lift her head to meet his, she then turned to leave when Whitegrazer voice caught her attention.

"...so if you ever..you know...need an ear, I will listen." "That goes for all of you, too. If you want to."

The last thing I need is a heart to heart. Talking about it, doesn't help it just becomes more Complicated. For me any way. She thought her shoulders sagging.

Seeing how she didn't need repairs, she left the main room and headed for her quarters. Once inside she closed the door and headed over to the berth... she was out before she even fully hit the bed.

[Alak]

"Thanks," Orcariner quietly spoke, accepting Optimus Primal's invitation to enter the quarters first.

He waited until he heard the door seal shut before turning around. It was rather difficult to speak at first, so the giant Maximal simply stood with his mouth opening and closing in an awkward manner as he tried to gather his wits. Orcariner spent the entire trip back reviewing his debriefing and attempting to formulate an adequate way to explain his actions up north. He knew it would not be an easy conversation but at least he ran the scenario so many times to the point that he felt prepared. Now that Nightmist's death had been announced, Orcariner was thrown into a state of disarray. Every "what if?" conversation that he had imagined before was now gone. Static was what filled the void. He knew Optimus was waiting for something to come out of his mouth. The larger Maximal could not just give his captain nothing for his debriefing. It would be unprofessional and outright disrespectful. Yet, nothing came to mind other than the words of Optimus' announcement.

"I, um," he started, trying not to come off as a dimwitted fool, "I mean, we, sir. We set out earlier today."

It was quite a pitiful start. Orcariner just had to spit out words, and as long as he could muster up words, he would eventually go on a roll. Completing the debrief was all that mattered at the moment. Telling Optimus the truth of everything that happened was his top and only priority.

"Icebreaker and I took the terrain path while Feralnight was on aerial scouting duties. We never really made any plans to meet up with Tigatron and Wintersong prior to reaching the crash site. We, um, I mean... it was I who made the assumption that we would all end up regrouping at the LZ and discuss any further action."

It was slow, but at least Orcariner was moving somewhere. He still did not hit the bad news yet. Optimus already knew what happened due to the end result, but it was still very painful for the orca to explain himself. He inhaled and sighed during his pause. It was time that he quit stalling because even the captain did not have a infinite supply of patience.

"Once we reached the glacial regions, I chose to take the underwater approach while Icebreaker and Feralnight maintained the above sea level route. They were stalled by the rough weather and from what Tigatron and Wintersong informed me, those two had difficulty with the terrain, as well. As a result, I managed to proceed ahead of the others and I was aware that I was approaching the LZ alone. My radar picked up two Predacons who we know as Glowstick and Snowtrix. They confronted Tigatron and Wintersong before Icebreaker and Feralnight could reach their location. I chose to continue with the mission under the assumption that the latter two would arrive in time to provide the necessary back up for the felines. Approximately 2.34 cycles after I made this decision, I arrived at the LZ. I chose to extract the alien object from the surface and found that it was mostly buried within the ice sheet itself. I recognized it as Cybertronian design and after further inspection, I discovered a Decepticon ensignia branded on her body."

Orcariner tried to take a breath, but at this stage in his debrief he found even inhalation to be a difficult task. Trying to take a quick but much needed break from talking, he cocked his neck to allow his armor to open. Retrieving a small memory chip, Orcariner inserted the drive into the side port of Optimus' computer. Still images popped up in the form of holograms that displayed the damaged body of the Decepticon in her original form.

"I, uh," he swallowed, realizing that it was difficult to start up again, "Um, notes. I took notes of the body for you. While damaged, you can still see the remains of what appears to be wings on her laterals indicating that she's a flyer... possibly a Seeker. Lacerations show physical combat and burns show signs of sustained energy fire. The wounds, while present, are still old so I was unable to tell what era of weaponry she came from. The Decepticon did not have any signs of firearms on hand. She must have been disarmed, and given her state at the time, I would assumed she was defeated in combat before arriving to this planet."

All this information was trivial. None of it had any impact on what she was now and how they would deal with her in the future. Orcariner was stalling and he knew it. He did not want to give Optimus the chance to ask why the killer whale did not return with the body, so if there was any time to explain it, it was now.

"I was... unsure."

His voice just cracked. Clearing his throat, Orcariner tried to hide his fear and pretended to shrug it off as if it were an accident with his voice box.

"By unsure, I mean I didn't know what to do."

That sounded even worse. The recollection of the Decepticon flying off in Nightmist's beast form hit him and Orcariner's optics blinked from the shock. He looked down, and then to his left. Looking down again, he tried to remind himself to breathe so that he could finish the story before his captain became frustrated.

"I had... a Decepticon in front of me," he continued, struggling to keep his voice from wavering, "I knew she would remain in stasis if she was frozen. If I brought her back, there was no telling what would happen if she reacquired consciousness. She could ambush us during the trip home. She could wake up in the Axalon and then..."

The announcement echoed in his head.

"...and then... maybe hurt one of the crew. I don't know, I was unsure of myself and maybe I was paranoid but I was actually... scared."

Orcariner was unable to look into his captain's optics anymore and instead looked to his left, aimlessly darting his optics while awkwardly shifting his weight.

"I also knew I couldn't just leave the body there for the Predacons. If Megatron had his hands on a Decepticon warrior, the Beast Wars would be tipped in his favor. I thought about killing her. I really did, blades to the neck and everything. I just... I guess... I wasn't strong enough to do it. I couldn't justify myself taking the life of someone who wasn't even in this war. I was under the assumption that it would have been murder. I didn't think things through... I... I didn't think. The Predacons somehow bypassed our resistance and were advancing on my location. Apparently, the Predacons held Wintersong hostage underwater and threatened to kill her unless if our crew backed off. I was running out of time and I panicked. I tried to bury the body in the arctic ocean's abyss but I didn't think to verify that the body actually made it all the way to the bottom. Glowstick and Snowtrix managed to retrieve the Decepticon before we even left the arctic. I'm sorry, Optimus. I didn't know that things would end up like this."

It was apparent that Orcariner was losing himself now. The full shock of his actions' consequences was meeting him head on, and the Maximal was putting up a feeble resistance to it. For the first time since the death of his first comrade on this planet, Orcariner felt utterly weak. His knees begged to collapse underneath the weight of his guilt. His vision blurred from the blasted lubricant that was contaminating his optics.

"I thought I was taking the right course of action, sir. Honest to Primus I did. I knew in the back of my mind that Megatron would eventually find her. I just couldn't imagine her being revived this fast. I couldn't even fathom that preserving one life would mean ending one of ours."

Orcariner felt anger swell within him. While most of it was geared towards himself, a part of him tried to blame shift today's events towards the Decepticon. He should have taken her head when he had the chance. The Maximal wanted to finish what he started. Whatever way was used to kill Nightmist, Orcariner would enact that same course of action on his new enemy. Anger at this level was new for the orca, but he much preferred this emotion over sadness. He hated the feeling of futility. He hated the feeling of being responsible for the death of one of his own. Realizing that his body was shaking, Orcariner exhaled and tried to remember what was imparted to him: patience. He questioned whether or not he would even be able to go through with any form of revenge. The Decepticon looked like his former teammate now. Punishing her would only reflect the images of what had happened with Nightmist. That would only plunge him deeper in his grief.

"Um," he said, realizing that he stopped his debriefing, "We, um."

He really should avoid pausing in his reports. It was terrible for him to pick up where he left off. The assaulting emotions did not help with the matter either.

"We knew the Predacons had their hands on the body. I informed the squad of my encounter as well as my actions. The Predacons loaded her onto the Leviathan transport and headed south... the same direction we were headed. They must have done something to thaw her, because before we knew it, the Decepticon broke through the ship's hull and took off. We sent Feralnight to warn you and the crew. I suppose it goes without saying that we were unsuccessful."

The conclusion of his debrief report felt rather rushed, but Orcariner no longer cared. He already got the important parts out of the way. The orca braced himself for his leader's reprimand. The Maximal was his own worst critic so nothing Optimus could say would be new to him. Then again, this was just another assumption. Orcariner already proved that he was incapable of taking every possible scenario into account. Someone lost her life because of him today, and the killer whale knew it was not the first time he had failed to account for something that could occur.

[NaitoKage]

Icebreaker nodded as he heard Optimus listening as the others spoke. He remained quiet however, continuing work on his shield. He listened to the others as they spoke. His head lifted as he looked towards Wintersong, she seemed as skittish as ever. She was still rather young and nervous around the crew, in a situation like this it would be hard on her. He set a few of his tools down inside of his shield and set it on the floor taking in a deep breath and letting it out. He stood up walking over to Wintersong. His mask and visor slid back as he looked down at her forming a slight smile and speaking in a calm tone Hey.. how are you holding up? If you want to use the CR chamber, you can go ahead. You don't need to be so shy.
____________

"How are you holding up, Rhinox?" he inquired. "I can be there soon if you need any assistance,"

Rhinox looked up from Nightmist's body wearing some sort of strange scanner on his head I'll hold up.. But my autopsy is showing some.. concerning information. That Decepticon appeared to use some sort of..Nano machine infestation on her.. there are trace nano machines left inside of her and I'm not sure what they're doing... I believe I'm going to call Icebreaker down here to keep this from escalating into a problem as they seem unstable at the moment integrating with our technology..

[Blazemane]

Nightmist was... dead? Like, gone to the matrix? She couldn't be repaired at all?

Cheetor only had a few similar experiences on Cybertron to compare this with. He couldn't think to try comforting any of the rest of the crew. He couldn't reason out why it hurt so much. He couldn't even really fully realize what the hurt was. Some sense of having something stolen away from him before he was ready to see it go? Some sense of dread for what had, and could, come out of this war? A wish that he'd been around to change the end of the fight between the medic and her killer?

The only thing he instinctively knew was to put on a brave face.

Cheetor, if you could gather Frilla's data and enter it in the ship's computer, it will add her to our roster, communications, and recognition for Sentinel.

Cheetor stared absentmindedly in Optimus' direction for a second, before fully realizing what he'd been asked.

"Oh, uh... yeah. I'm on it," he replied. He turned and saw Frilla was already coming to him.

Well what all do you need Cheetor?

"Uh... your name. We've got that. Your com frequency... and the computer needs to scan your signature. Have you changed your activation code yet?"

Dinobot watched the outpouring of open Maximal sentiment with disdain. But if this was indeed the way they chose to deal with the loss of a comrade, it would be a horrible for group morale for him to express his dislike. So he remained silent.

[Wintersong]

Wintersong looked to Icebreaker when he spoke, somehow the penguin always seemed calm even in a situation like this. "Just stings a bit but I'm fine. Though not more of really being shy just not use to a crew I was never around before." She said glancing back at the remaining Mximals. It was true though. She hadn't meant to be on the Axalon exploration ship but by a dumb prank had ended up with them and now in their war. "I wonder if my instructor blew a circuit yet." She said smiling a bit since it was likely chance.

Back on Cybertron Wintersong remembered ow her and two of the unit she was with, friends she had made since coming to the military academy for the Maximal forces use to always try and irritate the instructor. It was funny because he nearly seemed to loose his temper to blow a few circuits. This would definitely top off everything. If they ever got back she foresaw several cycles of punishment. "Alright I'll get repairs." She said trying not o laugh at the thoughts and went tot eh CR chamber to let the frostbitten parts be healed.

(Just a little more history for Wintersong. She is different between the time on Cybertron and prehistoric earth huh.)

[Phoenix]

Having put a great distance between herself and the Maximal base, Nemesis found herself flying rather aimlessly through the night sky. As she was not a member of the Predacons, she did not know the exact location of their base.
What little she knew was based on her observations of the movements of their aircraft that she had encountered earlier, which had proven much more difficult to track than the ground unit that had been heading for the Maximal base.

Whether her limited tracking ability was related to the overall increased concentration of raw energon preserves in this particular area or the limitations of her new form, the Decepticon did not know. Regardless she missed her old form; that of a larger and faster transformer. She could simply find no comfort in being trapped in this new body, finding that her existing form was forcing her to rely on the aid of these pathetic Predacons just so she could get off this forsaken planet and hopefully find a way to return to her old self. Nemesis was simply not willing to even think that her current state might be permanent, finding the mere notion of such a thought to be degrading to what she was.. and to who she was.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

(( OOC: I was at the Philadelphia Zoo all day today, so I'm catching up. I was hanging out with Optimus and Rhinox and Cheetor. I got some really nice photos of the gorilla and cheetahs (as well as many other animals), and I'll share them on the board as soon as I have them uploaded; hopefully tomorrow sometime. ))

"Hey, Optimus? If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here. I may not have been a commander but I have been put in charge of squads before..." "so if you ever..you know...need an ear, I will listen."

"Thank you, Whitegrazer," said Optimus to her before following Orcariner into the room. He might just take her up on that offer. Although a leader probably wasn't suppose to speak so personally of himself, it would be theraputic for him to talk to someone about it. It was unhealthy to bottle up so much emotion. Just talking could simply relieve the stress, anxiety and pressure.

I'll hold up.. But my autopsy is showing some.. concerning information. That Decepticon appeared to use some sort of..Nano machine infestation on her.. there are trace nano machines left inside of her and I'm not sure what they're doing... I believe I'm going to call Icebreaker down here to keep this from escalating into a problem as they seem unstable at the moment integrating with our technology..

Her body had nano machines? What exactly were those? What could they do? Were they what helped the Decepticon become a Predacon? Optimus had a lot of questions which couldn't be answered just now, especially since Rhinox might be struggling to find a way to keep those things at bay. Interesting. "Understood, Rhinox. Keep me posted," and he ended the link.

"Thanks,"

Primal nodded to Orcariner and followed him inside, the door sliding shut behind them. As the taller Maximal settled himself, Optimus walked over to the other side of the table, standing quietly, and patiently gave Orcariner his undivided attention. He wasn't in any rush for the debriefing, he felt he had all night to listen to him, but apparently the whale didn't feel the same way. Then again, when brought into confrontation, Orcariner always appeared to have an uneasiness about it. Optimus wasn't that intimidating, was he? He didn't think he ruled with an iron fist.

"I, um," "I mean, we, sir. We set out earlier today."

The leader nodded and allowed him to proceed without interrupting him.

"Icebreaker and I took the terrain path while Feralnight was on aerial scouting duties. We never really made any plans to meet up with Tigatron and Wintersong prior to reaching the crash site. We, um, I mean... it was I who made the assumption that we would all end up regrouping at the LZ and discuss any further action."

That was understandable. There was a snowstorm, after all, that probably interfered with communications. The tundra was a very dangerous and unforgiving place, so to just meet up at a mutual and specific point of interest with the others was quite acceptable.

"Once we reached the glacial regions, I chose to take the underwater approach while Icebreaker and Feralnight maintained the above sea level route. They were stalled by the rough weather and from what Tigatron and Wintersong informed me, those two had difficulty with the terrain, as well. As a result, I managed to proceed ahead of the others and I was aware that I was approaching the LZ alone. My radar picked up two Predacons who we know as Glowstick and Snowtrix. They confronted Tigatron and Wintersong before Icebreaker and Feralnight could reach their location. I chose to continue with the mission under the assumption that the latter two would arrive in time to provide the necessary back up for the felines. Approximately 2.34 cycles after I made this decision, I arrived at the LZ. I chose to extract the alien object from the surface and found that it was mostly buried within the ice sheet itself. I recognized it as Cybertronian design and after further inspection, I discovered a Decepticon ensignia branded on her body."

Optimus folded his arms across his damaged chest while the orca spoke. Not out of impatience, but out of the climaxing details that peaked his interest. However, he noticed that Orcariner was beginning to struggle with his speaking. Why was he growing so anxious? Did it have to do with Nightmist? The Decepticon? As the large Maximal moved over to his computer, Optimus stood aside and watched him insert a chip that brought up data and images that the killer whale had acquired of the 'Con. Primal sat down infront of the monitor and studied them closely. So, this what she had looked like before he, Rhinox, Dinobot and Saber-Fang found her. If Nightmist had been against her in this size, she really had no chance of escaping her grasp. Recalling her last words to him and the 'Con when she had left her comm. link open, he imagined Nightmist was in the Decepticon's hand and whatever caused it to lose control, if that was what really happened, the anguish and lack of breath in Night's voice was probably an indication of her literally being squeezed to death. Primus. His optics darkened for a moment before he realized Orcariner had begun speaking again.

"I, uh," "Um, notes. I took notes of the body for you. While damaged, you can still see the remains of what appears to be wings on her laterals indicating that she's a flyer... possibly a Seeker. Lacerations show physical combat and burns show signs of sustained energy fire. The wounds, while present, are still old so I was unable to tell what era of weaponry she came from. The Decepticon did not have any signs of firearms on hand. She must have been disarmed, and given her state at the time, I would assumed she was defeated in combat before arriving to this planet."

Examining the images while Orcariner described them, Primal nodded while many more questions filled his mind. Where had she come from? What was her name? Why was she drifting through space? What battle was she in? When had that battle taken place? Who sent her away in what appeared to be stasis lock? And so forth. He agreed with everything Orcariner said.

"I was... unsure." "By unsure, I mean I didn't know what to do."

Optimus lifted his optics above the monitor to look at the tall Maximal when his voice cracked and cleared his throat. He knew what he was about to explain was a sensitive but essential part of "what went wrong" in their mission. Primal sat back in his chair, observing the Maximal who seemed to be desperately searching for something. Not with his eyes, but in his thoughts. It must have been a very tough subject for him, so Optimus gave him all the time he needed.

"I had... a Decepticon in front of me," "I knew she would remain in stasis if she was frozen. If I brought her back, there was no telling what would happen if she reacquired consciousness. She could ambush us during the trip home. She could wake up in the Axalon and then..." "...and then... maybe hurt one of the crew. I don't know, I was unsure of myself and maybe I was paranoid but I was actually... scared."

Ah, there it was. "And then maybe hurt one of the crew." Orcariner was blaming himself for Nightmist's death. Primal disagreed, of course. And he certainly didn't blame him for being scared. No one would have ever thought that a Decepticon would be crash-landing on this planet, of all places considering how long and far it must have traveled to get there. Optimus was beginning to think that this planet attracted things, and that the aliens had a big part in that. There was something they were missing about this world... Something significant.

"I also knew I couldn't just leave the body there for the Predacons. If Megatron had his hands on a Decepticon warrior, the Beast Wars would be tipped in his favor. I thought about killing her. I really did, blades to the neck and everything. I just... I guess... I wasn't strong enough to do it. I couldn't justify myself taking the life of someone who wasn't even in this war. I was under the assumption that it would have been murder. I didn't think things through... I... I didn't think. The Predacons somehow bypassed our resistance and were advancing on my location. Apparently, the Predacons held Wintersong hostage underwater and threatened to kill her unless if our crew backed off. I was running out of time and I panicked. I tried to bury the body in the arctic ocean's abyss but I didn't think to verify that the body actually made it all the way to the bottom. Glowstick and Snowtrix managed to retrieve the Decepticon before we even left the arctic. I'm sorry, Optimus. I didn't know that things would end up like this."

The Maximal leader frowned. So much pain and stress from his words. They had almost lost Wintersong as well?! By the Matrix. Optimus unconsciously crossed his arms over his chest again, and then lifted a hand to cover his mouth in minor anxiety, his gaze lowering from Orcariner who was refusing to maintain eye contact anymore. So the mission was doomed from the beginning. It wasn't Orcariner's fault and he needed to assure him of that. He felt what he did was right. What else could a Maximal do? It didn't sound like there were many options for them, especially when the Predacons had the advantage.

"I thought I was taking the right course of action, sir. Honest to Primus I did. I knew in the back of my mind that Megatron would eventually find her. I just couldn't imagine her being revived this fast. I couldn't even fathom that preserving one life would mean ending one of ours."

His last sentence was difficult to bear, but Primal lowered the hand over his mouth to refold it with his other arm over his damaged front side as he watched the large Maximal before him grow even more upset while he continued to speak. He couldn't have known what would happen. No one could have.

"Um," "We, um." "We knew the Predacons had their hands on the body. I informed the squad of my encounter as well as my actions. The Predacons loaded her onto the Leviathan transport and headed south... the same direction we were headed. They must have done something to thaw her, because before we knew it, the Decepticon broke through the ship's hull and took off. We sent Feralnight to warn you and the crew. I suppose it goes without saying that we were unsuccessful."

Optimus Primal stood up out of his chair, looked at the aquatic Maximal, and said, "Orcariner, please, take a seat," motioning with his hand to one of the larger chairs. He would have offered it earlier but the Maximal dived in to his debriefing too quickly. At any rate, he hoped it would help Orcariner relax a little bit. He was by no means preparing to "bite his head off," it just seemed that maybe it would make the nervous 'bot more comfortable if he wasn't put so much in the spot light standing there explaining himself before his commanding officer. Not to mention all the guilt the poor fellow was experiencing. Optimus was very much a compassionate leader. "Orcariner, I don't see that you or anyone else on your team did anything wrong," he said calmly. "You made all of the decisions I would have had I been in that situation. Your team was simply unmatched by the Predacons and the terrain, and no one expected it to be a Decepticon that fell from the sky. You were right in not killing her," Primal assured him. "I am grateful that Wintersong's life was spared. If we had lost her, too..." He paused momentarily, trying not to think about such a tragic scenario of losing two Maximals in one day. "I believe you, Feralnight, Wintersong, Tigatron and Icebreaker did everything you could have to prevent the Decepticon from falling into Predacon hands. Nightmist's death was not your fault, and I can not stress that enough. It could have been anyone who crossed paths with her. Me, Dinobot, Wintersong or Feralnight. Anyone. We couldn't have known that she would escape the Predacons and find her way toward the Axalon. Nightmist..." Optimus found it a little difficult to explain it, but moved on anyhow. "Nightmist failed to inform anyone of her whereabouts before she disappeared. She didn't call for help until she was already in grave danger. I failed to reinforce my orders with consequences about Maximals leaving the base without notifying anyone else. And this was that result. Her death is no one's fault but my own," he told Orcariner firmly. He did not want him feeling guilty for something that no one could have foreseen. These Maximals were Primal's responsibility, not theirs. It would have been extemely un-Maximal-like if Orcariner had killed that Decepticon when he had the chance. Had he done so, Optimus would've been very disappointed in him. What events unfolded after his merciful and wiser decision was out of his control. Somehow he doubted Orcariner would see it that way.

-----

"I'm fine."

Rattrap squinted a suspicious optic at Whitegrazer but let it go as she continued to speak.

"That goes for all of you, too. If you want to."

The rat wasn't really one to talk about stuff like that. Maybe to Rhinox as he sought some unjudgemental and confidence in the big guy, but not particularly to anyone else. He just wasn't that kind of Maximal to talk about his emotions and feelings, not that anyone should take offense if he didn't confide in them.

"All right. Let's find ya some quarters," he said as he lead her down the ship. "So how do ya feel about everythin' so far? I mean, well, you know, everythin' besides losing Nightmist." Rattrap was just trying to make casual conversation and learn a little bit about how Whitegrazer thought about things. He didn't want to dwell on the death.

-----

"This is why I stick to the jungle or solid ground."

Tigatron looked at Wintersong after everyone began splitting up and carrying on with their duties. But before he could comment, Icebreaker spoke up.

Hey.. how are you holding up? If you want to use the CR chamber, you can go ahead. You don't need to be so shy.

"Just stings a bit but I'm fine. Though not more of really being shy just not use to a crew I was never around before." "I wonder if my instructor blew a circuit yet."

The tiger wondered what she meant by that. He'd have to ask her sometime and get to know her a little more. Icebreaker seemed like a good friend, a caring Maximal. His kindness was good for Wintersong since she did appear to be a little stand-offish with the rest of the group. He didn't quite understand why but maybe she just needed more time to adjust to the crew. Whether she wanted to be there or not didn't matter anymore. The fact was that she was there and she might as well lend a hand or get to know some of them. Who knows, maybe she'd really connect with one or a few and form some strong bonds. As for Tigatron, he very much liked this crew of Maximals. He felt that he got along with just about everyone, even Rattrap, but he did enjoy the outdoors and his time with Snowstalker. However, tonight he would spend his evening in the Axalon since he felt he should be surrounded by friends during this darkened time. He took a seat at one of the consoles and simply watched everyone else, familiarizing himself with their behaviors and how things were handled in the main control room. After all, he was sure he'd have to deal with these mechnical obstacles eventually.

[una]

"I'm fine."

Rattrap squinted a suspicious optic at Whitegrazer but let it go as she continued to speak.

"That goes for all of you, too. If you want to."

The rat wasn't really one to talk about stuff like that. Maybe to Rhinox as he sought some unjudgemental and confidence in the big guy, but not particularly to anyone else. He just wasn't that kind of Maximal to talk about his emotions and feelings, not that anyone should take offense if he didn't confide in them.

"All right. Let's find ya some quarters," he said as he lead her down the ship. "So how do ya feel about everythin' so far? I mean, well, you know, everythin' besides losing Nightmist." Rattrap was just trying to make casual conversation and learn a little bit about how Whitegrazer thought about things. He didn't want to dwell on the death.

Whitegrazer just tilted her head when Rattrap gave her a suspicious optic, making her wonder if that was not the answer he was looking for. What answer did he want? She was confused.

She shook her head, following the rat. When he tried making some conversation, she answered calmly, "The situation is clear to me now and I'm glad that we have a strong, compassionate leader and crew. I have no doubt despite these events that we will all pull through as one. It's... I been in war before but I thought that chapter in my life was over. Though, it won't be hard for me to adapt to it again. I was told once a soldier, always a soldier."

"Well...I suppose that's true especially when you are put in a classroom full of young, impatient, not to mention loud students who think they know better than you when it comes to fighting," chuckled Whitegrazer, adding some humor, "Ever told a full classroom of students that the the first fundamental of fighting is not to fight?"

She chuckled in even more, "I laugh everytime I said that to them. All the groans, irritated and confusion glances are priceless."

She nudged him alittle after she gave him a wink, "And who said instructors can't have some fun?"

[Alak]

"Orcariner, please, take a seat,"

The large Maximal quickly did so without a word. Part of him was grateful that he would not longer have to stand. The more compact position gave him a firmer grip over his body. On the other hand, perhaps Optimus was asking him to sit because his next words would be too much for the younger Maximal. Orcariner braced himself for what was to come.

"Orcariner, I don't see that you or anyone else on your team did anything wrong," "You made all of the decisions I would have had I been in that situation. Your team was simply unmatched by the Predacons and the terrain, and no one expected it to be a Decepticon that fell from the sky. You were right in not killing her," "I am grateful that Wintersong's life was spared. If we had lost her, too..." "I believe you, Feralnight, Wintersong, Tigatron and Icebreaker did everything you could have to prevent the Decepticon from falling into Predacon hands. Nightmist's death was not your fault, and I cannot stress that enough. It could have been anyone who crossed paths with her. Me, Dinobot, Wintersong or Feralnight. Anyone. We couldn't have known that she would escape the Predacons and find her way toward the Axalon. Nightmist..." "Nightmist failed to inform anyone of her whereabouts before she disappeared. She didn't call for help until she was already in grave danger. I failed to reinforce my orders with consequences about Maximals leaving the base without notifying anyone else. And this was that result. Her death is no one's fault but my own,"

Orcariner looked at Optimus. He was so prepared for negative feedback that his leader's words of comfort were actually quite surprising. It only took few nanoclicks for Primal's words to register, but the moment felt as if it lasted for days. So it would appear that Optimus also blamed himself for what had happened today. The orca supposed that it would make sense given the leader's patriarch-like role around the rest of the crew. Given his history, Orcariner developed too much of a soldier's mentality. The only close friend he had here was Icebreaker due to their constant partnership in the field. As for the rest of the crew, he maintained a professional relationship with them, especially Optimus Primal. The latter was first his exploration captain and now he was his field commander. Orcariner would often forgot to try and view Optimus on a personal level. This time he had forgotten to try and see how Optimus was dealing with the killing, being drowned in his own misery and all. It was selfish of him to do so without considering anyone but himself. Every Maximal around him was also affected by this loss, and Optimus was right there with them.

"I guess this burden's for all of us to share then," he finally said, showing Optimus his recognition of the latter's grief, "Thanks... for the words... for everything. I shouldn't have been so..."

He paused to find the right words to convey his thoughts.

"I shouldn't have been so focused on myself. This is Nightmist's moment. If I grieve, I should grieve for her and not for my actions. Same with all of us."

Orcariner realized that he said the words, but it was exceedingly difficult to believe them at this moment. He still held himself accountable for the death even though he knew it was wrong to do so. Primal's comfort did help and it was a major relief to hear that he was not angered by the orca's debriefing. Looking back at the ship's captain, Orcariner noticed something different about him. It was not so much that Optimus changed in physical appearance, but rather held a different atmosphere around him. Perhaps he was no longer just the commander Orcariner looked up to him as. Maybe, just maybe, this Maximal sitting across from him was a potential friend. Befriending a superior was not entirely new, because Orcariner had a good relationship with his previous mentor before the events of Omicron. Even still, Optimus came off more amiable and more open to the killer whale. Looking back, he recollected the memories of the mission where he accompanied Icebreaker into the desert to retrieve a stasis pod. The mission ended poorly, but he could not remember any fury or disdain from Optimus when Valkyrie provided her debriefing. The leader probably only cared that they made it back alive.

"Does it scare you?" he asked, "Every time we go out there into the fray. Do you ever get frightened by the... the... idea. The idea that any one of us would go out there and never return?"

Orcariner knew that fear would be embedded in his spark for a long time, if not for the rest of his life. When Ice Sight died Orcariner was indeed saddened, but this was different. The feline had passed away in combat against difficult odds. This was a different matter. Prior to this day, Orcariner held a different attitude about this war. Unlike his time with Ice Sight, he actually had a team now. He had a home that was armed and shielded. As strange as it may have sounded, especially with the accumulation of his wounds, Orcariner felt somewhat immortal. With a crew like this, he could not have imagined any of them dying in combat. Up until now, they survived everything that the Predacons threw at them. They survived the planet's attacks including the energon storms and weather impediments. They survived the mind blowing encounters with the alien technology. Optimus was vaporized and he still came back to them. This death was too alarming to the orca. It was too... random. Of all things that could have happened, a Decepticon arrives out of nowhere and simply takes one of their lives. Who was to say that something like this would not happen to anyone else?

What scared him the most is that Orcariner had noticed a trend during the past few months. Optimus was giving him more responsibilities and the orca found himself taking on more leadership roles. He did not want to lead a mission one day and return with dead soldiers due to poor decisions. Despite his huge body, Orcariner was younger and more inexperienced than what the others treated him as. His emotional breakdown in front of Optimus was proof of his lack of readiness. What if his fear of losing more Maximals hindered his missions? What if he was too scared to give anyone else a chance to take on a dangerous task, and that ended up frustrating them? Still, Orcariner could not think of a way to shake this fear. He truly was curious to hear how Optimus dealt with his role as a commander in this war, as someone who took the responsibility of being a guardian to them all. Perhaps he was much stronger in willpower. Perhaps he was hardened by experience. Perhaps... Optimus was not so different from himself.

[New Moon]

"I have, made Rattrap cringe because of it." Frilla said with a nod, finding it stupid still the rat had done so. Was it really so bad for some they had an extra ally? Mentally shrugging she focused back on this, "So com frequency right?" She asked.

[Optimal Optimus Primal]

"I guess this burden's for all of us to share then," "Thanks... for the words... for everything. I shouldn't have been so..." "I shouldn't have been so focused on myself. This is Nightmist's moment. If I grieve, I should grieve for her and not for my actions. Same with all of us."

Optimus gave him a small smile. Orcariner's last sentence was a good way of looking at it. "Each of us has our own way of grieving." Walking over to the large window on one of the walls, he cupped his hands behind his back and thoughtfully looked outside at nothing in particular since his mind was else where. He turned back around to the other Maximal when he began speaking again.

"Does it scare you?" "Every time we go out there into the fray. Do you ever get frightened by the... the... idea. The idea that any one of us would go out there and never return?"

Walking back to his chair, Primal rubbed the side of his stomach for a moment that had been burned earlier in battle as it ached every so often and felt itchy sometimes before sitting back down and returning his attention to Orcariner. "Every time," he answered. "I fear for each of your lives, including those in the stasis pods orbiting this planet." Which he had also put there as a result of what he thought was the best decision at the time. Those protoforms were even more helpless. Or were they safer than those who were battling below with the Predacons? "Did you know that this was my first mission with my own vessel and crew?" Orcariner didn't have to answer that. "I went through all of the training, and the politics," which he was not so fond of because of the egos, the corruption, the popularity, the power that he didn't want, "climbing my way through the ranks as many of us do with ambition and recognition. I was trained to lead for exploration, not war. This crew... We were not prepared to be in this situation. Megatron is. He thrives on the power of control and disaster. His advantage over me is his experience." Optimus paused in thought. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. He knows war, he knows techniques. "What are the odds of my inexperienced crew being the only ones close enough to chase down one of the most dangerous Predacons?" That was rhetorical. We don't even know where we are, or when. "So, you can imagine the doubts I have about myself and my leadership. All I can do is rely on my training, trust my instincts, trust my crew, and never give up on hope."

"Does it make you uncomfortable to be in charge, Orcariner?" Primal asked him, expecting an honest answer. It was okay if he said yes, now that he knew a little bit more what his own leader was going through every day. "I try to assign certain roles, or functions, to each Maximal whom I see has great potential. Sometimes they need to be pushed a little to find faith in themselves and discover things they never thought they could do." He saw leadership in Orcariner, and Icebreaker, as well as Rattrap and Rhinox. And possibly Whitegrazer, although he would have to learn a little bit more about her before putting her in such a position. Orcariner just needed encouragement and self-confidence in his decisions. There were enough Maximals now to be split up into two or three teams for different missions, and each team needed a leader. Primal's other reason in finding those who could lead was someone who could take his place should his life be taken. It was no secret, really. As the commander of this crew, Optimus was automatically a prime target and number one on Megatron's hit list. And as if that wasn't enough, the aliens also took interest in him. Why? Why him? He was outnumbered. However, in some strange way, he felt that was the way it was supposed to be. By his selfless nature, he would have traded his life for Nightmist's. She didn't deserve to be punished, to be killed. If he could have, he would've taken her place in an instant. But that was not the case. Not this time.

-----

"The situation is clear to me now and I'm glad that we have a strong, compassionate leader and crew. I have no doubt despite these events that we will all pull through as one. It's... I been in war before but I thought that chapter in my life was over. Though, it won't be hard for me to adapt to it again. I was told once a soldier, always a soldier."

Great. Another optimistic. Eh. Rattrap had to admit that without that optimism, the crew would be in really bad shape. "I guess dat chapter just ended in a cliffhanger," he lightly teased her. "Well, we aren't even supposed to be here, and I blame it all on Megadump."

"Well...I suppose that's true especially when you are put in a classroom full of young, impatient, not to mention loud students who think they know better than you when it comes to fighting," "Ever told a full classroom of students that the the first fundamental of fighting is not to fight?"

"Uh, was I one of those students in yer class?" Rattrap joked about himself, chuckling with her. Yeah, he would've been the cocky, loud-mouth prankster in the bunch, but he knew Whitegrazer had never taught him before. He might've been older than her, actually.

"I laugh everytime I said that to them. All the groans, irritated and confusion glances are priceless." "And who said instructors can't have some fun?"

"Hah!" Rattrap bursted out after her nudge. "I knew all of you weren't so tough. It's all just for show," he said as he playfully lifted the palm of his hand to her face as if to say, "talk to the hand."

Finally walking up to a door, after all the ones they had passed, Rattrap stopped and opened it for her. "Well, this is yers. It's got everythin' you need. You can re-arrange it and add stuff or whatever." The room was a decent size all around, certainly adequate for her height both in beast mode and robot mode. And it was clean. "You could probably but yer trough over there, and a bail of hay there," he teased her, pointing in the corners opposite of her berth. "And a block of salt right here next to the door." He tried grinning innocently.

[una]

Great. Another optimistic. Eh. Rattrap had to admit that without that optimism, the crew would be in really bad shape. "I guess dat chapter just ended in a cliffhanger," he lightly teased her. "Well, we aren't even supposed to be here, and I blame it all on Megadump."

"Yes, Megatron is a very troublesome Pred. Very dangerous." She knew just by fighting him, his ego and very brutal tactics. Ruthless and powerful. Megatron was the embodied of those.

"Uh, was I one of those students in yer class?" Rattrap joked about himself, chuckling with her. Yeah, he would've been the cocky, loud-mouth prankster in the bunch, but he knew Whitegrazer had never taught him before. He might've been older than her, actually.

"No, but you do remind me about most of them." She chuckled.

It won't surprise her the least if Rattrap and her were the same age.

"Hah!" Rattrap bursted out after her nudge. "I knew all of you weren't so tough. It's all just for show," he said as he playfully lifted the palm of his hand to her face as if to say, "talk to the hand."

Finally walking up to a door, after all the ones they had passed, Rattrap stopped and opened it for her. "Well, this is yers. It's got everythin' you need. You can re-arrange it and add stuff or whatever." The room was a decent size all around, certainly adequate for her height both in beast mode and robot mode. And it was clean. "You could probably but yer trough over there, and a bail of hay there," he teased her, pointing in the corners opposite of her berth. "And a block of salt right here next to the door." He tried grinning innocently.

"Oh I'm tough," she put her hands on her hips and smirked, "Only when I need to be."

She examined her room, she was never picky and she saw that the room was much better than what she had in the past. Rattrap's little teasing made her give him a playful glare, knowing his game, "Oh very cute, little rat. I wonder what you have in your room? I think I smell it from here."

She gave an innocent smile at Rattrap then laughed as she entered the room to inspect it, "As long as no one gives me a saddle. No one is going to ride me."

"Unless in extreme circumstances." the femme added.

[Phoenix]

The nanobots left behind after Nemesis had consumed a big chunk of Nightmist's body, almost appeared to be aimlessly moving about inside the crushed remains of the Maximal. They were extremely small, but in large quantities like what Nemesis had integrated into her circuits, it was quite impressive how effectively they could work together towards a common goal.

Yet now, with such a limited number of them left behind in Nightmist's broken form, they appeared to serve no purpose. Their movements were slow, dulled, and did not appear to serve a specific purpose. In not too long they would stop functioning alltogether, having been designed to work with the circuitry of the Decepticon and not by themselves elsewhere. But for the time being they were merely going about what they had been created to do; making minor alterations to the shell left behind.

[Alak]

Orcariner sat through Primal's response and contemplated what he had just heard. It seemed to be a recurring trait amongst the Maximals to take the meaning of friendship and comradery to a whole new level. This resulted in a fear of loss and a fear of failures, not to oneself but each other. Orcariner could see how this may compromise missions sometimes, but it was a trait he would still gladly cling on to.

"Does it make you uncomfortable to be in charge, Orcariner?" "I try to assign certain roles, or functions, to each Maximal whom I see has great potential. Sometimes they need to be pushed a little to find faith in themselves and discover things they never thought they could do."

"No sir," was his first response, "I mean, sometimes. Maybe, sir."

He had to think about how he was going to go about phrasing this.

"I am both willing and afraid, sir. I find myself passionate for constructing plans, missions or otherwise, and I like to see if I can execute these plans. I'm just a little unsure of myself sometimes. It's not that I don't trust my teammates, because I do. The thing is that soldiers follow their orders without question during battle. If the person in charge constructs a faulty plan, then the soldiers will still follow him on that doomed path. I know it's not the best analogy here, especially since a lot of us question everything or improvise at a constant rate. It's just that, the choice I made today eventually led to... you know. Who's to say that my future decisions won't have the same consequences?"