Shadowfire

Chapter 48

Over time the visage of a proud city began to take shape from the dust and ruins. We still had no consistent energon source, but had been able to make do. Society was beginning to settle into routine, a stable system of governing- a monarchy, my data banks supplied. It was a simple system but it worked, it was what the ravaged mechs and femmes needed in the aftermath of the Great War. In time I may cultivate an oligarchy, or perhaps a system of governors, I wouldn't chance democracy- it had worked so poorly in the past.

"Pime!" A little voice chirped, closer to my pede than my chassis. I smiled down at the youngling, Striker- the first sparkling born on Cybertron in decades. He was barely beyond sparkling babble, had just started forming real words.
"It's Prime, little Strike" his carrier cooed, emerging from the street behind me and walking up to her young, another sparkling in her arms. The tiny child chirped unintelligibly, and motioned to be put down.
"I'm watching him for Wideblight and Jetburn" she explained, and for a moment we watched the two children play together.
"I wanted to thank you" the femme said, turning to face me with an earnest expression "what you've done, I wouldn't've thought it possible. You've saved us, Great Prime"

I dipped my head in acknowledgment, and we returned to watching the sparklings play.

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"How was your walk? Grant you any clarity oh great one?" Jazz snarked at me when I returned to the command center. I smiled benevolently, used to his teasing by now. After his bizarre confrontation years ago the mech had mellowed, and come to recognise me as Prime. I respected him for his insight, and he had come of view me as a friend.
"Striker and Landslide were out playing in the streets" the silver mech's optics lit up- he had a soft spot for sparklings and doted on them outrageously.
"This is a good thing you've done Shadis, you're- everything we needed"
"What's this? Flattering the Prime are you? Good luck getting anywhere that way, I should know!" Crosshairs entered the room laughing and came to stand by my side, resting an arm about my shoulders. My faceplate heated.

He withdrew his arm swiftly, and went to lean against the window offering a view of the city. My frame cooled once more. Jazz glared. I ignored the glowering mech, and asked Crosshairs for his report. It wasn't my fault the intuitive 'bot seemed to hate what he saw between me and my right hand lieutenant, it wasn't any of his business besides.

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"Everyone's here Prime" Kickcycle, my multipurpose scribe-recorder-secretary announced "except the Decepticons, they're refusing to come to the ceremony"
"Antisocial scrap heaps" Hound snarled "want me to round 'em up for you Prime? How many are we after Kicks?" Strung out on free flowing high grade as he was I didn't want Hound near the antsy faction, they were probably smart to stay away anyway- Primus knows I would if I could.
"No need Hound, let them rust" the mech laughed boomingly, and moved off to hassle some of his friends.

Crosshairs appeared at my side.
"Drift says the security arrangements are running smoothly Prime, Overload is about ready to begin" I nodded, and we stood side by side, surveying the organised chaos before us. It had been Kickcycle's suggestion, a celebration-slash-religious ceremony to please the masses. High grade, energon and a cycle long suspension of rules- mixed with the heady somewhat worshipful attitude people had developed in reference to Primes was guaranteed to create a festival of debaunchery. Even the ever stoic Drift was looking forward to it.

Synthetic purple flames wreathed the night sky and Overload's voice drifted out over the screaming crowd.
"Look at what we've achieved, in the space of a mere decade we have rebuilt our civilisation, gone back to our roots- all united under the leadership of Shadis Prime, our leader, our saviour, Primus incarnate" Overload's words made me uncomfortable, the religious fervour that had gripped the population of Cybertron worried me- a select group had developed a near cult like fascination with Primus and by extension me. Crosshairs knew it was a concern for me, but to him it didn't matter why people followed me, only that they did.

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"Shadis!" My optics spun lazily to the source of the voice, it was Jazz- I think. But it couldn't be- he wasn't gonna come to the celebration, wanted to watch over the younglings, keep them out of the madness- there were three or four of them now.
"Yu're n't Jazz, he's n't 'ere" I chortled, vocal processor blurring.
"Primus!" Jazz exclaimed "you're drunk!"
"'s t' hi' grade, where's Cross, 'm gonna-"
"Snap out of it Prime, the Decepticons are revolting! Their leaders have arrived on Cybertron" that sobered me up, the Matrix responding to the alarm and, where previously it had been exacerbating the effect of the alcohol in my systems it now prevented it.
"Wha-"
"Optimus and Megatron arrived not half an hour ago, the Decepticons intend to leave the planet"
"Where are they? Get Crossfire and-" I stalled- slag, the celebration! Every mech and femme was like to be drunk out of their mind, no one was in a fit fighting state "You'll have to do, lead me to their location, be on your guard"

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I faced the Old Prime, the deserter, and the mechs arrayed around him.
"Our old enmity has died Shadia" Optimus announced, servos extended in a placating gesture. I refused to be calmed.
"My name" I ground between clenched denta "is Shadis. I am not like the Primes of recent past, I have returned Cybertron to its old glory, before your war destroyed it"
"You're insane" one of the Decepticons snarled "you're possessed"
"By the spirit of Primus perhaps" Optimus said, tone grave and sarcastic.
"Or maybe this is nothing more than a reaction of your circuitry to being fried with an overcharged Matrix in the Well" The grey mech by Megatron's side said. It took a moment but the Matrix offered up his name- Starscream, Megatron's loyal lieutenant.
"No, she is a Prime, and Primus has chosen her- maybe this is his plan" Jazz retorted.
"Cybertron below me!" Another of the Decepticons snapped "you actually believe this scrap"
"I've seen it. She's not Shadowfire anymore, she's pure- untainted by your influence" he snarled towards the group "all her atrocities of before have been wiped clean. She's a Prime of the highest order, a tool of Primus himself" there was devotion in his eyes, and it became quite clear that Jazz was a worshiper of Primus. I had thought he'd managed to steer clear of it, but apparently even he had succeeded to the fervour.
"I take it back. You're insane" the same 'con snarled, shoving Jazz roughly "you're a fanatic"
"Primus has saved us" Jazz retorted "look at what's happened, Shadis has saved us. The people love her"
"The people loved the Fallen when he was Tarchus too" Optimus said. I reached my limit.
"Don't you all just stand here discussing me as if I'm not here!" I rounded on the Old Prime "and you, abandoning a people in need- your own people. Don't you dare compare me to Tarchus"
"We should go" Megatron said, and for some reason there was pain in his optics. He rested a hand on Optimus' shoulder "she is lost to us"
"Surely there is something we can do?" A seeker amongst the Decepticons asked plaintively. I didn't understand, hadn't understood much of their conversation, but I knew I didn't want them in my city, corrupting my people.
"The lot of you, get out" I snapped, comming Drift- my head of security, he'd be here with a team to escort these unwanted guests to the boundary "get out of my city and get off my planet"

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"And you're sure, they won't be back?"
"There's no reason for them to return" Jazz assured me.
"Where will they go? What do they want?"
"Maybe they just want to live in peace, like we do?" Crosshairs suggested, Jazz snorted.
"Not likely, not with them having lost Sh-" he paused suddenly "having lost so much"
"You think they'll be back?" I asked "are they likely to attack us?"
"If an attack is eminent we should prepare, build up a defensive fighting force" Crosshairs said, he turned to me "has Cybertron ever had such a force?"

My optics dimmed as I began searching the wealth of information the Matrix provided. There had been such a force in ancient antiquity. Twelve mechs had risen up against an oppressor, led the Cybertronians in a revolt, united as never since seen.
"The Knights of Iacon?" I suggested and Crosshairs grinned.
"It does have a certain ring to it"