The Primary Encounter

By: Sinead

Author’s Note: This is my first fan fic, so tell me honestly what you think. I started writing this mainly because I was bored outta my brain, and needed something to do. Oh, and another important note: Rhinox mentions something about “cubes.” I’m not talking about the geometric figure, but a measure of weight. One “cube” equals roughly half a pound. I pronounce Awn’néad’s name AWN-aid. The second “n” is almost silent. The name Sinead, is generally pronounced as shyn-AID.

Author’s Note, March 20, 2006: The above is true. This is my first fanfic, and the first of the first fanfic series that I ever wrote. So . . . this is basically what you’d call ancient history. I wrote this back in 1998, when I first got into Beast Wars. I’ve edited it the best that I can, without losing the essence of the fic itself. Thank you for reading it!       

~< Part One >~

Altaire was sitting in her quarters, listening to one of Celine Dion’s older songs, thinking of her loved one. Her story was a mirror image to the lyrics themselves. With some exceptions, of course.

Without realizing it, she started singing the words softly to herself, her mind back on Cybertron, her home planet that she had left only hours ago . . .

I never found out why you walked away

And never said goodbye

But now that I see you

I’m torn inside, but I’ve still got my pride

I understand that some things are better left unsaid

I’m afraid of the truth

But what can I do if I still want you

If we could start over again

I know if we try our love could be stronger

If we could start over again

I’m sure, wo oh

That we’d never have to let go

For so many years now

I’ve held inside things I meant to say

But faced with the past now I realize

I can’t let that stand in our way

I never knew that a love so strong could never fade

But what can we do

If I still want you

And you want me too

If we could start over again

I know if we try our love could be stronger

If we could start over again

I’m sure, wo oh

That we’d never have to let go

How can we walk away

From something that was once so strong

Have we the strength to say we’re wrong

“If We Could Start Over Again”

Preformed by: Celine Dion

“Altaire!”

Altaire snapped out of her trance, and said, “Yeah?”

A large bot opened the door to her quarters, and she immediately recognized him as the technician, a fellow Guardian, who had accepted her onto the exploration ship, the Axalon, as a warrior/computer-hacker-in-training.

“We have a situation, and the recruits are all supposed to get into Stasis Pods.”

“Why?”

“There’s a Predacon ship 5,000 klicks ahead. Thankfully, it hasn’t scanned us yet,” he replied. “But you and all the others are to get to the cargo bays now. Just in case we crash.”

He stopped for a second, and said in a low voice, “I know that you are still getting over losing Steele, and then being separated from Awn’néad so soon after. Even I’m regretting that I had signed up for this mission.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Steele would want you to be safe, and get into a pod. So would Awn’néad. Just know this, in case things go wrong: Neither I, nor any of the others who have worked with you will ever forget you. Never.”

Altaire didn’t say anything, but instead stared sadly at the floor. The technician, whose name was Stormblend, pulled her into a fatherly hug. “Keep faith. Without it, you’ll never go anywhere. With it, you can work miracles. I’ll see you in the cargo bay.”

And with that, he left her, and she pressed the button marked STOP in her CD player, then put the CD back in its case, and without a look back, she grabbed her sword and shield to walk down the hall with a prayer that Stormblend would miss her with the virus that would partially wipe her memory . . .  

Four Months Later

A blaze flashed across the sky as a pod fell silently to the earth. A creature watched the descending Stasis Pod just as silently.

This creature was one that was definitely not of the time era: A Velociraptor. Being a medium tan, with mahogany stripes, he stood out against the green foliage of the tree he was sitting in. His white, cat-slit eyes tracked the descent of the pod, noting the angle and the speed of which it fell.

And noted that it was too steep, and too fast.

The Velociraptor saw the pod begin to aim for the other side of a ridge that was considered the edge of the neutral territory between the Maximals and Predacons. There was a desert that neither side really wanted, and it spanned the whole of a three-hundred mile basin.

When the Stasis Pod left the sight of the ’Raptor, he stood and was just about to climb down out of the tree that he was scouting for fliers in when the shockwave hit. He was thrown off of his feet, and almost plummeted to his death, had he not caught the side of the platform. The ’Raptor pulled himself up to the wooden platform, panting, forcing himself to get over the shock. He never liked heights. He hated both them and the sensation of falling. When combined, it always caused his Spark some trouble from the shock. Once calm again, he started climbing down the side of the giant redwood, and called his base in his comm-link.

“Dinobot to base.”

“Hey, Choppuhface. Good thing dat you called. Dere’s a new pod dat–”

“Silence, vermin. I know where it is. I need to talk to Primal.”

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, Fearless Leaduh! Scale-butt wants ’ya!”

The voice changed from a rude Brookline accent, to one that held status and a steadfast commanding tenor.

“This is Optimus. What’s wrong?”

Dinobot jumped the remaining ten feet to the ground, used to that distance of airborne free fall, and started jogging in the general direction of where the pod landed. He knew that he’d have to hurry to make up for the time he spent trying to breathe normally.

“The Stasis Pod landed hard. I have a suspicion that something might be damaged. However, I do not have any true facts.”

“All right,” the voice that belonged to Optimus said. “Okay, I see your co-ordinates. Airazor and I will be there in a few cycles.”

The voice changed back to the Brookline accented one. “We don’t need any more Preds, so ’ya bettuh make sure dat ’ya gets tuh it first! Uhduhwise, ’ya won’t be happy with what I’m gonna do to ’ya! Base out.”

The comm-link went dead with a crackle, and Dinobot kept running toward the pod.

I do not need to be dishonored again, he thought grimly. This Stasis Pod must be secured with the Protoform alive, or I will never be able to show my face in battle again. Matrix and Primus help me if it ends up being someone I know. That could end up uglier than the Pit . . .

Airazor loved flying in her beast mode. She was free unconfined, in contrast when she was at the base, she felt horribly imprisoned. Another reason that she liked about not being in the base was that when she and her informal boyfriend, Tigatron, got together, they could have total privacy and watch the sunset together, without having to watch out for Rattrap, who took it upon himself at every chance that he got to tease them about their fledgling relationship. Airazor sighed happily, thinking about Tigatron’s face. Not his white tiger face, but his face when he was in his robot mode.

“Optimus to Airazor!”

“Airazor here. What’s the matter?”

“We have a new Stasis Pod. I already called Tigatron, and Dinobot’s probably at the pod by now.”

“What are the coordinates?”

“Grid Klach, sector two. And don’t take your time. Optimus out.”

Slag, Airazor thought as she Maximized, and flew toward the designated coordinates. I seriously hope that this Protoform makes it. Poor Dinobot. He blames himself that he didn’t get to the other two in time to save their Sparks from Energon poisoning. He must be thinking about that three strikes thing humans talk about . . . I hope that he’ll be all right . . .  

Dinobot reached the desert, and he saw the pod. It was beeping and humming to itself, when it said, “No suitable life forms detected. Accessing alternate programming. Searching for the remains of perished creatures. Scanning now.”

And with that, a secondary skinny robotic arm reached out of the side of the Stasis Pod. A yellow beam shot out of it, circling. After a minute, it retreated. “Scanning complete. Found: Remains of a five-year-old member of the dromaeosaurid family.”

What the Pit is a dromaeosaurid? Dinobot thought. I know that I’ve heard that somewhere, but where? Does it even mean anything?

“Well?” came a voice directly behind Dinobot. He whirled around, tail thrashing furiously, ready to transform at the slightest threat. Optimus was standing there, calmly surveying the Stasis Pod.

“The Protoform will be a Maximal. If it survives,” Dinobot reported.

“What’s his beast mode?” said a voice above him.

“I do not know. I only know that it is a dromaeosaurid, whatever the Pit that is.”

Tigatron had come up behind Optimus while Dinobot had been talking. He said, “You may know more than you think, my friend.”

Airazor landed, and the other three bots transformed, and walked over to the pod. When they were six feet away, however, Dinobot saw that the hinges looked strange. That was when the pod started shaking and quivering, as if a creature wanted to get out, but couldn’t.

Thoughts of a third chance began to fade quickly for Dinobot.

The creature inside stirred, and opened her eyes.

What am I doing here? She thought. I’m supposed to be on the Axalon! Wait a minute, I remember. I was talking to the technician . . . Storm . . . when he said that I was to get into a Stasis Pod . . .  No way! They actually did crash! And . . .  and . . .  Hey, isn’t this door supposed to open?

The creature started to throw herself at the Stasis Pod door, trying to open it. Once she did this five of six times, she felt something deep inside her chest lurch, and she felt suddenly weak, too weak to even twitch her tail. She closed her eyes, and prayed to the Matrix that it would be fast, and she wouldn’t suffer . . . 

Dinobot ran over to the pod, and it stopped jerking and quivering.

“Matrix . . . ”

They all saw the same thing, at the same time.

The Stasis Pod door was melded with the pod itself.

“Dinobot?” Primal asked gently.

“What?”

“I’m sorry, but . . . I . . . Primus, Dinobot. I doubt that even the strongest of Protoforms could survive this.”

“I will not just stand around while another Protoform dies!” Dinobot exploded furiously. “I will not let this one perish without trying to interfere! Last time, and the time before, you already decreed that they didn’t survive landing, yet this one did! He will not die if I have anything to say about it, slaggit! We need all the help we can get to defeat Megatron!”

And with that, Dinobot leaped on top of the pod and kneeled at the head of it. The glass was pitted and scarred to the point that it was opaque, shielding the Maximal within from view. He took his sword and held it in both hands, the point just above the smooth metal surface. Then he carefully pushed it into the pod, making a hole about three inches deep. He pulled it back out, then kept widening the hole, slowly, using only the tip of the sword.

What he didn’t see was Tigatron and Airazor edging toward Primal, not wanting to disturb him, and not wanting to leave, either. They all knew that something inside Dinobot had snapped, both horribly and terribly, and that he was better left undisturbed. Primal hoped that the ex-Predacon hadn’t lost it completely.

The creature inside the pod heard the squeal of metal against metal, then a shaft of light hit her eye, and, after a minute or so, she opened it. A shadow loomed above her, and when he saw that she was alive, he threw down a sword, came closer, and started opening the hole with his own two hands.

Steele, she wanted to cry out. Steele, is that you? I . . . I still . . .

The last thing that she saw before she passed out, was two crimson optics, glaring right into her own eye, and she knew that she would live . . .

Dinobot had opened the hole large enough, so that he saw an eye.

It was closed.

Dinobot was just about to cry out a warrior’s cry of ultimate defeat, knowing that he couldn’t take any more, when the eye opened ever so slowly. It was a deep emerald green, with a vertical slit for a pupil. It reminded him strangely of his own beast mode eyes.

The Maximal threw his sword down, and started to peel the metal away from the face. The eye closed, but Dinobot kept ripping at the metal with his hands. His energy was renewed with the hope and confidence that he saw in the emerald eye.

“Why hasn’t he given up yet?” Tigatron asked Optimus.

Optimus shook his head, just as confused as Tigatron. This wasn’t like Dinobot, not at all. If he saw the Protoform, then he would know if . . . Airazor shook her head in exasperation and awe, beginning to smile. “You guys can keep talking, but I think that I already know why. And I’m going over to him, and ask to see if I’m correct.”

Airazor walked over to Dinobot, with the two other bots faithfully in tow, and was just about to ask him if her suspicions were true, when he took his hands away from the metal.

Right then and there, he realized what a dromaeosaurid was. A Velociraptor.

“Dinobot?” asked a soft feminine voice from behind him. He turned, and saw Airazor, Tigatron and Optimus standing there. “Is . . . is he alive?”

Dinobot took a deep breath, and looked away from the other bots. When he looked back, Airazor saw something that she never thought that she’d see on his face.

Dinobot was smiling. It was a bit of a sad smile, but it was there, and it spoke wonders.

“Let’s move!” Optimus ordered, and took out one of his backup weapons out of sub-space. It was a scimitar, or a curved blade. He then joined Dinobot on top of the pod, and made a long slash on the top of the pod’s lid. Dinobot had since gone back to tearing the metal back away from the end of the snout, not caring that it had already cut deep into his hands and that he was bleeding.

Airazor and Tigatron pulled the metal back from the slash that Optimus had made, and a half hour later, the new Maximal Recruit could be pulled out of the pod, without any risk of being cut by the metal. Neither Optimus, Tigatron, nor Airazor was big or strong enough to haul the sea green and light tan striped Velociraptor out. However, Dinobot was, and he did pull it out with great caution, for fear that he, or she, would get cut by the uneven jagged edges of the pod’s metal lid. Once that task was done, Dinobot carried the Velociraptor to a shaded oasis about fifty yards away. The other three bots stood by, watching, as Dinobot blew the Stasis Pod to scrap, then walked back to them.

“Why did you do that?” Tigatron asked out of curiosity.

“We do not need the Predacons to find out that we have a new Maximal recruit. Therefore, we destroy any evidence that even slightly suggests that the Protoform survived,” Dinobot said matter-of-factly.

“Smart move,” Optimus Primal approved, hoping that he hadn’t offended the ex-Pred.

Dinobot merely nodded, then dropped to beast mode, and so did the others. He looked at the new Velociraptor. He, or she, was built lightly, with hips that were considerably slimmer than his own. It was also colored differently. Its scales were mostly a light sea green, with emerald green stripes.

“I wonder,” Airazor said, a faraway look lingering in her eyes, “what its eyes are colored like? Did you see them, Dinobot?”

Dinobot nodded at Airazor’s question, and then thought of a color that would describe the eye color of the recruit. “The closest color that would represent his, her, its, or whatever, eyes, would be emerald.”

“We’d better get back to the Axalon, and put this ’Raptor into the CR chamber,” Optimus said.

“I will carry the recruit. You would be burdened, and would tire easily,” Dinobot offered.

“If that is what you want, Dinobot,” Optimus replied. He was just about to pick the recruit up to put it in Dinobot’s back, when it stirred, and opened its eyes slowly, and focused on Dinobot.

The eye closed, then opened again, and it raised its head off of the ground, and looked at Optimus, then Airazor, and finally Tigatron.

“Who are you?” it asked in a feminine voice.

“I’m Airazor, and welcome to your new life as a Maximal Transformer!” the falcon replied, smiling broadly.

“Thanks,” the ’Raptor replied.

The Tiger was the next to introduce himself. “I am Tigatron, and although I will not see you much, know that I welcome you into the Maximals as well.”

The female ’Raptor nodded, acknowledging what the white tiger said with a brief smile. 

Dinobot was transfixed with the tone of her voice. It sounded so much like his beloved . . .  No. She will never again be his. He left her on Cybertron, and he suddenly wished that he said “good-bye” to her.

“My name is Optimus Primal, and I lead the Maximals that were stranded on this planet along with me,” the gorilla said.

“I remember you!” The ’Raptor said happily. Dinobot mentally winced again with the sudden familiarity of her voice, but he shook it off.

“Whaddya mean, ’ya remembuh ’im? Protoforms ain’t supposed tuh remembuh deir pasts!” cried a voice with a Brookline accent. The sea green Velociraptor turned her head around, and came snout-to-snout with what seemed to be an oversized rodent.

“Who the Pit are you?” she wondered aloud.

 The rodent took one look at her emerald eyes, and his eyes widened slightly. He grinned as if he was the most desirable bot on Cybertron, and said, “Rattrap at your service, ma’am. Computuh hackuh, demolitions expert, an’ one real fun guy, if ’ya knows what I mean,” the rodent said, with a smile, a deep bow, and a kiss to her three-fingered hand.

She whipped her hand out of his, and wiped it on a large leaf nearby. After a moment, though, she turned back to him, looked into his eyes seductively, and said in a voice so sweet it was sick, “I do know what you mean, and if you think that I’m impressed, you’ll need a full reprogramming. Just to let you know, Master Rattrap, I have achieved the rank of dire-warrior, quite handy with a sword, mind you. I have achieved quite a high rank in close combat, and I was a co-writer on writing the book on long-range shooting. Or so I’ve been told, if my opponents could talk at all. All in all, if you are even thinking about trying to get me that way, I will rip out your core processor, and wipe the surprised look off your face with it. Not only will I do that, but you should be able to bet all the credits that you have on the fact that if you even think one of those thoughts, I will make a permanent impression of your face in the next piece of bedrock that I find. Understood?”

Rattrap gulped, the color drained out of his ratty face, and nodded, apparently totally speechless.

“Good,” the ’Raptor snarled through her sparkling razor-sharp teeth.

Then, the rhinoceros behind Rattrap started chuckling. A cheetah joined in and said, “You go, Raptor Girl!”

The ’Raptor settled back down in the shade, her energy all spent,  and said, “My apologies. I did not mean to interrupt.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Optimus replied, a smile playing across his features. “Rattrap had it coming, is all. Now, how about we start back to the Axalon, and finish the introductions on the way?”

“Um, I don’t think that I can walk. I seem to have used up all of my energy telling the rodent off.”

“Here, I’ll carry you,” said a familiar voice. The sea green Velociraptor looked around for the owner of the voice, and found out that it belonged to the rhino.

“You . . . ! Stormblend!”

“Welcome back. I guess that I missed you with the memory wipe injection, didn’t I?” his face held a bit of a mischievous glint around it. “Anyway, we’d better get you to the CR chamber soon.  Otherwise, you might have to go into Stasis Lock,” he said simply.

“Well, I’m all for that idea. I certainly don’t want to revisit that old and uncomfortable territory!” she said as the brown and tan Velociraptor, who strangely didn’t say a word, helped her up to sit up on the rhino’s back.

All that she knew for the moment was that she felt happy for the first time since her Steele had disappeared . . .  

Dinobot watched her expressions, her vocabulary, and her actions. Each time new thing that he saw, each habit of speaking, they all reminded him of the femme that he left behind on Cybertron, when he went by another name, and had been forced to help Megatron steal the Golden Disk from the Maximal Elders’ building. He had to, or else he would’ve been killed. He didn’t want to cause . . . her, his love, to grieve, because he knew that she would’ve died of it.

If only he could have gotten a message to her . . . If only he could have found out how she was doing . . . If only he could find out who she loved now . . . If only he could find out if she still loved him . . . If only . . .  If only he wasn’t at that certain area on that certain night.

Matrix, Dinobot thought. I could “If only” all my life, and I will never get her love ever again. At least I had a love that I lost, than not have her love at all. I wish that I could speak to her, to tell her that I still love her . . .

Later on in the day, after they had arrived at the Axalon, Optimus knocked on Dinobot’s quarters.

“Enter,” the tan ’Raptor snarled from inside, and Optimus stepped inside, and closed the door after him. Dinobot had been staring into space before Primal knocked, thinking about the one bot that he truly loved.

“Are you all right?” was the first question.

“Why do you ask?” Dinobot asked back.

“Because you haven’t talked since she arrived.” No doubt who “she” was. The new recruit. Optimus knew what he was doing. He knew exactly who this bot was, but he wouldn’t let him know that. He needed to hear the truth from him, without interference, and with only a little prompting. It had been bottled up for too long, and the stress was starting to get to the slightly-younger bot.

The leader sighed and began ticking off the points on his fingers. “You haven’t insulted Rattrap since this morning. You haven’t talked about how we shouldn’t be sitting around, just waiting for the Predacons to attack. You haven’t said how worthless she is. Whenever we get another Maximal, you always complain that he or she will never be of any use to the Maximals, and how he or she will only slow down the battle. So enlighten me, please: Why aren’t you acting at least slightly ‘normal’ as we know you as?”

Dinobot hung his head in shame. “I. . . You must swear that you will never tall another soul what I’m just about to tell you,” he murmured.

Optimus blinked. Good. He took the bait. Wonderful. “Of course.”

“Swear it, slag you!” the bot leapt to his feet, towering over his leader.

Optimus gently pushed him back into a sitting position. “All right, Dinobot. Calm your circuits. I swear I’ll never tell.”

Dinobot sighed. “It all began when I was a Predacon, back on Cybertron. I was approached . . . by one of my father’s friends. He encouraged me to take up arena fighting, since I needed an outlet for my anger at a lot of my past as well as anger I held towards some individuals I knew. I was in the Eleventh Level, one year away from graduation, when I went to the bot who would teach me. He immediately began, which was all for the better.

He paused, remembering the days of his training, then shook his head and continued. “Finally, he said that I should think about fighting in an arena. It was the only thing left for me to learn, and that was how to react to different strategies that were thrown out at a warrior. There were many arena guilds to choose from, but I found my niche as a Battle Simulation Combatant. I was a student for a week or so, and they simply thought that I was a fast learner, instead of the fact that I have known the rules and regulations for months. They ‘graduated’ me, and I was allowed to battle with other graduates. It took me years to become undefeated. When I had achieved that rank, and held it for two months, I knew I was ready. I became Part-Time Guardian for a human child who was orphaned by Protoform ‘X’, the Predacon with the indestructible spark. Her name was Awn’néad.  I. . . You and I met then, although you might not remember it. I was the only Predacon who volunteered. My name was–”

“Steele. I know. I knew the moment I saw you in the Wars, that you and him were the same bot. Do you think that I was stupid, that I wouldn’t recognize someone who I have lived with for over five, six . . . maybe seven years? Primus, Dinobot, think about it! Tell me that you don’t take me for being that stupid.”

The dire-warrior sighed, and looked at his hands, realizing that he shouldn’t have tried to conceal it. “I didn’t want the others to know. They would have been suspicious of the fact that you knew a Predacon as a comrade, back on Cybertron. I simply did not want them to try to overthrow you, being a better leader than the rodent.”

“You were worried about my safety.”

“In a nutshell,” the Velociraptor replied, “yes.”

“Matrix Dinobot, you always had been hard to figure out. Anyway, is there anything else that I don’t know about?”

“During the time I was a part-time Guardian, I found another battle simulation arena. You know about that. It’s how Awn’néad began wanting to be trained in swordsmanship. Yet, the exception for this place, was that it was for experienced fighters, and not just graduates. It was there, that I slagged more Cybertronians than they got me. It was also there, that I met the only Maximal that could’ve ‘kicked my butt,’ as she put it multiple times. Her name was Altaire.”

Dinobot seemed to forget that Optimus was still there. Optimus stayed silent as his friend began talking, knowing that this was a pure memory from the deepest realms of his Spark. “Her name described her personally perfectly. She was bright, intelligent, and as unique as the double star Altair. She was also the most deadly Maximal that I have encountered.

“For weeks, I had entered the stadium, while she was finishing off her fights. I had seen the bots that she had just about scrapped. And I pitied them. Finally, at the Competition, we met. I was the highest in my section, she the highest in hers. When I was just about to enter  to battle, I saw that Awn’néad had entered the arena. Cheetor . . . Cyclone was escorting her, along with Rhinox . . . who was Stormblend then, wasn’t he? She announced the fight as a princess would announce a duel for her love. Instead, both the winner and the Second-Place would be accepted as full-time Guardians for either her, or for someone who needed it more.

“After she had finished her announcement, she announced both me, and Altaire. Once we entered, we walked over to her, she took the tips of our swords, and, as custom, crossed them, and said, just loud enough for the two of us to hear, ‘Just as these swords are crossed, our paths will  be crossed, but we will not understand why it was meant to be.’ I never really understood that, but you know how she was . . . wise beyond her years.”

Dinobot shook his head, blinked, and then came back to himself. Some of his thoughts had to remain private. “Then we had gone to our separate corners, and the rules were addressed to us again: Do not go below the belt; No going for the Spark; and finally, once one of the bots has fully disarmed the other, thus rendering him or her defenseless, the winner would be announced, and the Second-Place winner, then Third-Place, etc., would be announced.

“I will spare you the torture of saying all the different moves we had pulled on each other, because it all ended in a surprise. You were watching. I know that you were. You know that I didn’t win, and neither did she.

“And from there until I ‘disappeared,’ we were both full-time Guardians. However, what you don’t know, is that we met each other at arenas on free time, and tried our best to beat each other in fights, but it didn’t happen. Other times, we taught each other tricks that we had both learned. One of those times, although I do not know when, you and Awn’néad saw us practicing. You asked us to teach Awn’néad about both swordfighting and close combat. During that time, until a few days before I left Cybertron, my life was in perfect order.

“And then it fell apart.” Dinobot sighed, and stood to face his window. He couldn’t look at his commander right now. The painfully sweet memories that included Altaire also mainly included being a Guardian . . . over Awn’néad, and serving under Primal . . . known as Optimus Prime back then, number whatever as a direct descendant. “As you know, some Predacons were stirring up trouble, and had already killed some of the human ambassadors to our planet. When Awn’néad was practicing and training one day, a Predacon came in, and openly tried to get me to kill her. You remember about the aftermath of that. Awn’néad, Altaire and I rushed straight home to the stilt-house, and security was heightened twice over.” Dinobot finally looked at Optimus, then looked away. “And later that evening, Altaire and I were alone for the first time in weeks, merely to talk in privacy. We had harsh words with each other, and she left. Not one hour later, I was forced to help Megatron steal the Golden disk. And I was unable to return to the house.”

“I said that I won’t tell. I promised. I plan to keep my promise, Dinobot. Even the most insignificant detail, I’ll keep as confidential as the most important truth: That you loved, and maybe still do, Altaire. My only question is, what has this to do with the new Maximal?”

Dinobot sighed. “I have the suspicion that she, the new Maximal, is Altaire.”

“I don’t know, Dinobot. Time can tell, and you and I both know that. She sounds like her, and I remember Altaire as much as you do, but she could just be a relative.”

Dinobot nodded, and said, “My biggest regret is that I never told her . . .  I never said goodbye to her. I tried to find her, right before we left, but I . . .  I couldn’t. I wanted to tell her that . . . that I’d return someday, but I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to go back to Cybertron, and if we do, I’d be just be another Predacon criminal. Even if Awn’néad was still there, she’d . . .  she’d probably never want to see me again . . . and that would hurt, since she was . . . Primus . . . I love that girl, Primal, just as you do. I . . . I just . . . don’t . . . Primus and Matrix!”

“You don’t know what to do,” Primal finished for him calmly.

Dinobot nodded silently, trying to get his emotions under control.

Optimus put his hand on Dinobot’s shoulder, and said, “Thank you for confiding in me. I thought that you would rip out my core once I had started talking.”

Dinobot looked up, and said in a surprised tone, “You know Primal, I would’ve actually attempted to do that only a few months ago, I was still that angry at Megatron.”

Optimus started chuckling, and Dinobot allowed a half-smirk to slip out.

“Rhinox to Optimus.”

Optimus sobered up, and said, “Optimus here. What’s up?”

“She’s just about to come out. I’d hurry.”

“All right. Me and Dinobot will be there in a klik. Optimus out.”

Dinobot and Primal looked at each other, and Dinobot said, “I am not expecting a warm or friendly ‘hello,’ so do not be surprised if a fight breaks out.”

“Don’t worry, I know how you and her got when you were angry at each other. If this is Altaire in the first place,” Optimus said in return as they left Dinobot’s quarters and headed toward the main control center. “And I can bet that it would be worse than when you met your own clone, eh?”

“Oh, will you have enough with that subject?!”

“Seeing his skin on your wall doesn’t help, Dinobot.”

“. . . forgot. Slag.”

How the Pit will this work out? Optimus wondered, as they walked along the corridor . . . 

“I’ll transform, and wait out here, if you’ll announce me in an informal manner,” Dinobot suggested in a low snarl.

Optimus nodded, seeing the logic in that. “Just take my cue.” As a reply, Dinobot stopped and transformed, while Optimus went into the room. “So, who isn’t here?”

Cheetor and Rattrap appeared to be playing with holographic cards, while Rhinox was looking at the CR chamber stats, and Tigatron and Airazor were talking in low voices about the new recruit. 

Suddenly, Cheetor started whining. “Awww, c’mon! No fair! You always win! Why can’t you just let me win once in a while?!?!?”

“’Cause ’ya just ain’t worth da trouble, is why! C’mon, hand over da chips, ’ya wussie cat,” Rattrap replied. “Once ’ya do, I’m gonna teach you how t’ play real Poker!”

“No way! I quit.” Cheetor walked off, grumbling under his breath, but loud enough to be heard, “GrumbleRattrapgrumbleUnfairgrumblegrumbleStinkin’grumbleCheatergrumblegrumbleRoadkill.”

“Where’s Dinobot?” Rhinox rumbled when Optimus came up next to him.

“He said that he’d be here as soon as he could. I think he was raving something about another virus in his laptop . . . ” the gorilla’s voice trailed off, and Rattrap felt eyes burning into the back of his skull.

He turned around, and said, “Dis time, it wasn’t me! I swear! Sheesh! By da Pit, nobody believes me nowadays!”

“Stow it,” Rhinox said. She’s ready to come out.”

And with that, the CR chamber opened, and out stepped the sea green Velociraptor. She looked around and saw the Maximals standing around her. She wondered where the other Velociraptor was. Or the bot with the crimson optics. Could it be possible that the bot with the crimson optics was the same being as the Velociraptor?

“Welcome back,” said Optimus.

“Thanks. Uh, Primal?  Who was . . . How . . . wait, when did . . .  Aw Matrix, I have so many questions, and I don’t know where to start,” she said.

“You can ask as many questions as you like, but first, allow me to introduce you to Airazor, Tigatron, and Rattrap. Rhinox, Cheetor were renamed, and this is . . . slag. You didn’t meet Dinobot. Rattrap, would you see if Dinobot is-”

“Right here,” came a deep yet gruff voice right behind the recruit.

She whirled around, prepared to beat the slag out of the owner of that voice, but she only saw a pair of crimson optics hovering in midair about seven feet off the ground. They were the same optics that she saw when she opened her eyes in the Stasis Pod.

“Who are you?” she hissed, unaware of the menace residing in her voice.

“Maybe that is a question that you should ask yourself,” he replied, although not in an unkind manner.

“I already know who I am. And at least I am brave enough not to stand in the shadows, while your adversary is staring you right in the eye.”

“Who said you were my adversary? What is your name?”

The recruit took a deep breath, and bellowed, “ALTAIRE, MAXIMIZE!”

Altaire transformed, and Dinobot only got a brief glimpse of her face, before she rushed at him, and flipped him over her back into the light. She then pinned him to the ground with her knee, and held her sword at his throat, quivering with rage.

Well, Dinobot thought, as he forced himself to breathe calmly, at least she’s reacting the way I thought she would, and not throwing herself all over me in a fit of affection.

Click here for part two