Shadowfire

Chapter 25

And just like that, as if triggered by Sam's words, we were under attack. There were Decepticons storming NEST's walls, attacking indiscriminately. We fought with brutal efficiently, working as a team, Jazz would go in first, distract the attacking 'Cons, while I attacked from the side, injuring them as much as I could, and Ironhide finished them off. I could feel the Sparkbond between us, I knew what he was going to do before he moved, knew where to position myself so I didn't get in his way, felt the energon pumping in his systems as we fought together. This was what it was like to be alive, this what what it was like to be a true team, one spark in two chassises.

The battle was over far too quickly, and once the last 'Con was dead I embraced my sparkmate.
"Is this what it always feels like?" I asked. He grinned, joy written across his countenance.
"Yes. Sparkbonds were originally made between warriors, to improve fighting, their use between mates came later"

But of course we had to come down from our high, Sam's pitched yells dragging us back to reality.
"You've gotta guard him, because he's the key to the whole thing" he was telling Lennox, as if my dad didn't already know that.
"Don't worry Sam, I've got my whole team on high alert"
"Ironhide" Lennox said, turning to his technically-sort of-son-in-law "you and Shad will protect Sentinel, you cannot let the Decepticons get him"
"Indeed not" Sentinel said, emerging from inside the NEST base, clutching the Control Pillar "what you need to realise, my Autobot brothers, is that we were never going to win the war, for the sake of our planets survival a deal had to be made, with the Decepticons"

Time seemed to slow down, Sentinel engaged his canons, they whirred unnaturally, and I remembered his reputation as an inventor of unspeakable weapons. He raised his arm, aimed his weapons systems at the nearest Autobot- Ironhide, I lunged forward. Distantly I heard myself begin to scream. But it was too late.

Sentinel shot Ironhide in the chassis at point blank range, he collapsed to the ground, pain wracking his frame, energon leaked from between his lips, but none fell from the wound, covered as it was by a demented rust.

I felt his pain, it overtook me, set my spark aflame, but I didn't let it consume me.
"What have you done?" 'Hide gasped, servos coming away from the wound covered in a dusting of the insidious rust.
"I hear by discharge you from duty" Sentinel said, and raised his other canon, lining it up with Ironhide's helm.

"No!" I screamed, pushing past the pain that kept Hide glued to the ground as I threw myself onto the traitorous Prime.

"Get off me youngling" Sentinel sneered, and threw me off. Bee began firing on the treasonous 'Bot as soon as I was clear. Dimly I could hear Sam screaming, as Bee dodged bolts from Sentinel's poisonous canon. The old mech made his escape, transforming into his alt mode and tearing away. I rushed to my fallen sparkmate.
"Hide, Hide are you alright?" I demanded, grabbing his shoulders tightly. He coughed, a rasping gurgle- like a pack a day smoker, and raised his hand to my helm before his optics offlined. I panicked, tearing open his chest plating until I exposed his spark, still glowing a brilliant blue. My beloved wasn't with Primus just yet.

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::Tell me everything you know about Sentinel Prime. How long has he been a traitor?::
::When Sentinel left Cybertron it was to defect, he was meant to rendezvous with Megatron, who was sent to Earth upon the Fallen's command, but fate waylaid them both::
::I will kill him for this, I swear it to Primus::

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By the time Optimus and I caught up with Sentinel, he had met up with Soundwave.