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The Gift
by Katy Edwards and Barb Brewer
Wind Rider slowly walked down the aisle of the bustling market place, crowded stalls on either side of her, vendors shouting their prices and wares into her audio receptors. The market sold a hodge podge of items, from perfume to syringes to baubles to umax-carved statuettes. The stalls were decorated with bright colored cloths: many of them striped in a rainbow of hues to match the rainbow of items sold by the owners.
Wind Rider liked markets, she always had. She was surprised, however, to find that this particular market seemed to like her. Being one of the Decepticons' major strategists, she was often on campaign, planning the take over of this place or that. Faimu, where she was now, she had just successfully incorporated into the Decepticons' growing empire. The natives, all mechanical, had given the fight of their lives at first, but soon realized the futility of their resistance. As it always is, Wind Rider thought. The rest of her campaign had gone smoothly with only small pockets of real fighting breaking out every now and again. The natives had quickly adapted to the Decepticon way, and seemed to hold no true ill feeling toward their conquerors.
It wasn't as if barbarians conquered them, after all. Wind Rider had made the natives a responsibility of one of the most advanced races in existence, why would a people want to fight progress, when that is what the Decepticons stood for? Faimu was entirely subdued and she was enjoying the fruits of her labor by perusing her market.
It wouldn't be her market for long. Megatron would appoint an overlord to rule Faimu and she would move on to bigger and better things. Other campaigns to organize, other planets to enlighten, she mused. But for now, Faimu was hers. And she decided that she would souvenir shop with it. Her particular favorite kinds of souvenirs were war games. She had the largest collection of war games of anyone that she knew. She had almost every game that Cybertron produced, and innumerable ones from other places, most from planets she had planned the conquering campaign for. She had a crystal set of Unga from Gran, she had an ivory chess set from Earth, and she had an entire series of Triga games from the Trigan cluster. She did not have one from Faimu, and it was beginning to look like she wasn't going to get one either. She asked a few vendors where she could obtain one, and what its name might be, but they didn't seem to know what she was talking about. Surely they have some type of war game in existence, she thought exasperatedly, they aren't pacifists. But she had been to other planets where war games did not exist, so it would not be extraordinary that Faimu did not have its own version. Finally deciding that it didn't, Wind Rider changed to object of her search. Something pretty from Faimu, she decided, turning into the booth of a vendor that seemed to sell such things.
His booth was small, but held no small amount of items. It was crammed with bottles of perfume, cloth, crystals of every shape, form and fashion, some of them in jewelry. He had an impressive array of headpieces; most of which were inlayed with colored glass and polished stones. In one corner, he had a basket of jewelry, and Wind Rider began picking through it with a ginger finger for anything interesting.
"A pretty lady like you, you need something better that what's in there," the vendor said quietly to her. She looked up at him; he was tall and thin and curved, like all the natives of Faimu. His paint was a soft gold, and he had bits of cloth, colored bright reds, blues, and yellows, tied all over his body. Many of the natives seemed to decorate themselves in this way, so much so, that Wind Rider had declined to wear her customary cloak when she ventured among them. Don't want to be mistaken for one, was her philosophy. "I have something very nice for you, pretty lady." The vendor assured her.
"Do you now?" she asked him in her deep, melodic voice. She smiled a small, amused smile, the only kind she deigned to give anyone, and asked, "just what might that be?"
The vendor reached behind his stall and took out what looked to be a bracelet. It was made of a yellow metal, or either painted yellow, with a deep green stone inlaid in the middle of it. The clasp was an ordinary hinge, and it was made for a thin wrist. "I think this will fit you." The vendor held it to her. She stared at it a moment. It was awfully ordinary, but it was smooth and shiny, and the stone was certainly nice to look at. She held out her wrist for the vendor to put it on her. He placed it on her wrist, and she held her arm up in the light. She glanced back over at the vendor, who was smiling widely, and queried, "How much?"
"3 brakas," the vendor replied, indicating the native money with which he wanted it paid. Wind Rider opened a compartment on her arm and took out three glass coins. She placed them in his open hand, and said, "Thank you."
The smile on the vendor only widened. "No," he replied, "thank you. I hope you get much happiness from your purchase." Wind Rider merely glanced at him for his salutation, and then continued winding her way through the market.
* * *
Kynight sighed as she re-input the census figures. Glancing up at the stack of data pads on her desk, Kynight frowned, she'd been spending a lot of late nights here instead of at home with loved ones, like she wanted to. Suddenly the door flew open and Glacterra came flying in with Eolian on her heels. Kynight jumped as she looked up at her unsuspected guests. "Kynight! I found one! I found a gift of Primus!" Glacterra screamed at the top of her vocals.
"Glacterra's right, she found one and I think it's near activation." Eolian breathed as she leaned over placing her hands on her knees.
"Damn!" Kynight yelled as she active the communication system, opening a planet wide channel. "This is Lady Kynight! We have a code G! I repeat a code G! Prepare The Explorer. Get the dimensional grid on-line," Kynight ordered as she quickly got up, looking over at her friends.
"Learned your lesson from the last time, hey?" Eolian said with a smile.
"Yeah, now you two get going to The Explorer and get the coordinates down and the grid up. I'll be along shortly." Kynight ordered as she unplugged and her friends left.
* * *
Moving up the ramp, Kynight entered The Explorer and closed the door. Walking the length of the hall, she began to wonder what kind of gift was found. "Report!" she ordered as she entered the bridge. Eolian jumped up and Glacterra whipped around.
"The coordinates are set, we are ready go," Eolian responded as she quickly took her seat. Glacterra snickered with malicious glee as she began to warm the engines. Kynight shook her head taking in the scene; they'd been together for so many adventures and now another would be added to their list.
* * *
"We're clear. Open space ahead," Glacterra stated as she began to lock down coordinates and bring up grids, looking for a star chart of the system.
"We have no power reading from the gift. Not active yet, I guess. Kynight, you got anything with the Dagger of Knowledge?" Eolian asked as she continued her scan of the area.
"Nothing..." Kynight sighed, the Dagger of Knowledge was quiet, not a -- Glacterra jumped as a ship came from around a moon and at them.
"We got company! It's a ship coming right at us!" Glacterra yelled as she brought weapons and shields on-line.
"We also got a reading!" Eolian yelled as she fine tuned her instruments.
* * *
The screen came on, to reveal a bridge behind a large boxy Transformer. His scarlet coloring glowed like embers in a fire, the edges of gray heightening that effect. "This is Jai'Shada," he announced, "Captain of The Luminary, state your business in Decepticon Space."
"Jeez...is anything ever easy anymore?" Eolian snorted as she stared at the screen with a tired look.
"Why not just blast them out of space? And continue our quest for the gift?" Glacterra asked as she rubbed her hands together looking forward to a skirmish between the factions. Kynight sighed frowning at Glacterra, attempting to ignore her comment. "Guess not."
"Computer open a line of communication between our two ships," Kynight said as she stood up and activated her transformation chip, becoming a dark green Decepticon seeker jet with black trim.
"Hey, since when has this been Decepticon Space?" Eolian said more to Glacterra and Kynight than to the Transformer on the screen as she realized what was said.
"Since I made it so," from behind Captain Jai'Shada, a new figure emerged. She was thin and straight, with a few curves. She had a sharply angled face, from which two brightly glowing violet optic sensors leapt out. "State your business."
"Greetings, I am Kynight, we do not mean any harm, we are simply looking for a stolen item," Kynight responded as she gave Wind Rider a second look, she was lovely. Glacterra snorted beside Kynight, causing Kynight to throw a look in her direction.
"Indeed... who do you work for?" Wind Rider asked suspiciously of the foreign ship, Jai'Shada seemed to be talking to someone else on the side.
"Work for? ... I guess myself. Who is..." Kynight voice trailed off as an alarm sounded and automatic guns came on line.
"We got company! Unknown vessels! They have us targeted!" Eolian yelled as she brought up a screen showing the approaching vessels. Kynight noticed that Wind Rider was having similar reactions on The Luminary. The screen went fuzzy for a moment, and Kynight could see Jai'Shada and Wind Rider reel to one side with the force of a hit. Jai'Shada took hold of Wind Rider's shoulders to steady her and then the screen focused upon the two of them again.
"Kynight!" Glacterra yelled suddenly jumping up and turning towards her.
"Computer, return fire!" Kynight ordered as the other ships began to open fire on both The Explorer and The Luminary. "Let's put some space between us!" She took her seat and plugged into the system.
"Kynight wait! The Gift of Primus is on that ship... well, I think it is anyhow..." Glacterra said, as a child-like confusion entered her face plate. Kynight growled as she bringing her hand to her forehead...her CPU was beginning to ache.
"Why is everything difficult! By the fates! Okay return fire, aid Wind Rider, that gift better be on that ship!" Kynight sneered in frustration.
* * *
"Kynight, Glacterra is right, I have a faint reading, that Gift must be on that ship!" Eolian responded as she banked the ship nearly missing the incoming blast.
"Great...." Kynight muttered to herself, the screen suddenly came alive. As bright sparks of explosions and the small pinpoints of ships receded in the distance, Kynight could see normal order returning to The Luminary on the screen in front of her.
"Damage report," Jai'Shada was saying, and Kynight could hear various responses given. "Casualty report," commanded Wind Rider in an imperious voice. The response, which Kynight could not hear, did not make the fembot on the screen happy, she let out a frustrated sigh. She then turned her attention to the screen in front of her. "Kynight, I have a plan. Will you help?" Wind Rider asked as the ship was rocked by another blast.
"Yes! Let's fry these fools!" Kynight responded with a sneer. Wind Rider downloaded her plan to Kynight as Eolian gasped. Kynight glanced over to see what Eolian was shocked about. "What the..." Kynight said to herself, staring at the screen. Eolian had figured out that the attacking ship belong to Unicron. "Unicron...Glacterra! I need a time line. Let me try to contact them through the Eye. Eolian get ready to go through with Wind Rider's plan." Kynight ordered, as she focused on the Eye of Unicron trying to make contact. Kynight blinked, the Eye was refusing to work meaning a few different things, none good.
"Here we go!" Eolian yelled suddenly dropping the ship downward and beginning to move. Wind Rider's ship responded by crossing above, firing as The Explorer fired as the same time. The ship that they fire upon exploded in a wave of color. The other ships seeing this, fled the area. "They'll re-group and return," Wind Rider radioed to them.
Yes, I suggest we stick together until we get our ships to a repair base," Kynight responded as she looked at Wind Rider on the screen.
"Agreed... we have a way to go before we hit a base that can defense up properly. You claim I have something that belongs to you? Or I can help you find it?" Wind Rider asked.
"Yes...and I would like to come aboard your ship, perhaps you know something of the item we're looking for? It is a gift from my home world that was stolen, and our sensors picked up at least a residue of it on your ship," Kynight said.
Very well. Your sensors did pick something up?" Wind Rider sounded like she was playing, "And your home world is...."
"Paix," Kynight answered, looking directly into the screen, she did not like the impertinent tone this Decepticon was using with her. Wind Rider's optics dimmed for a moment, as she thought about the word.
"Paix," she repeated, and then her optics flared and she laughed a high tinkling kind of laugh, like water bouncing off a wind chime, "Peace," she said.
At least she has a grasp of the language, Kynight thought. "Yes," she answered, "will you assist us?" She was getting tired of this silly game.
"Why should I delay my schedule to aid you?" Wind Rider asked, her violet optics dimming slightly.
Kynight was taken aback by the rude question, but did not show it, "Because we helped you defeat the attackers," she answered staunchly, "And it would be in your best interest to help us."
Wind Rider smiled, but it was condescending, "I could blow you out of space..." she threatened.
"But you won't." Kynight rebutted and they both knew it. There was a short silence before Wind Rider's answer.
"Yes," She agreed, "I won't. You have piqued my interest. I will help you find your gift of Paix, even if it does delay my busy schedule." With that the screen went dead.
" The time line shows that we are here before the Great Battle and before Unicron has awoken," Glacterra reported as she turned towards Kynight, Eolian turned as well.
"Yeah and the Eye doesn't work, so now we have to face Unicron's minions, get the gift of Primus from Wind Rider, stay alive, and make it back in one piece." Kynight sighed as she got up and headed out the door to Wind Rider's ship.
* * *
The transport technician drummed on the console in a bored manner, waiting for the call to come in that Captain of the other ship was ready to transport. Where is she? he wondered. How long does it take to get permission to transport? The technician continued to tap at the console, annoyance clearly written on his faceplates. "Technician Eriald," his internal comm-link clicked in his audio sensors. "You need to come to landing bay 4."
"Why?" he asked, marching briskly from the transporter deck toward a lift.
"Your guest has arrived," was the answer.
"Through the landing bay?" he asked, stepping into the lift. "Landing bay 4," he told the computer. "Did she take a shuttle?"
The voice in his audio sensors chuckled, "Sort of."
"Sort of?" Eriald reiterated. "What does that mean, sort of?"
"You'll see," was his answer. Eriald marched, at his still brisk pace, off of the lift, straight across the hall to the control room for the landing bay. He stepped inside, crossing his arms across his chest plate.
"Sort of?" he repeated, his voice clearer in his head, now that his com-link was off, "Just how did she get here?" he asked the technician who stood in the bay.
"I flew," came a voice from the corner.
Eriald turned around, to see a slender, sleek Decepticon in front of him, her wings extended behind her, her helmet giving her head a very rounded look. She was all dark colors and lovely, half in the shadows and half in the faded light of the control room. Eriald blinked, he hadn't even notice the figure standing there. "Kynight?" he asked, giving her a polite salute.
"Yes," she replied, stepping forward, "I am Kynight."
Eriald gave her a quick looking over, trying not to be too obvious. Hmmm, not bad. "If you would follow, me please, I'll take you to the General." He turned briskly and made his way out of the bay control room. Kynight followed him at a fair distance, this was just how she wanted to spend her time, following a technician around. She thought she would get a larger reception at the landing bay, or at least Wind Rider would have been waiting for her there! If not Wind Rider herself, than at least the first mate or second mate. Well, if Wind Rider wanted to play power games, then Kynight could certainly oblige her. And who was this dolt that was escorting her, he didn't even have the decency to be less obtrusive when he looked her over. And he certainly wasn't anything to look at. She sighed as he turned a corner, not ever looking back to see if she was still there, in typical Decepticon fashion. Her strides were long, to keep up with him, but that wasn't difficult for the tall fembot to do.
Eriald opened a door into a small corridor, obviously the ranking officers quarters. It was a thin corridor, with door on either side, spaced out across from each other. At the end of the hall, she could see the lounge, a large open space with cushioned chairs and a large window looking out into space. Still not looking back, the tech stopped in front of a door, and gently touched it.
Wind Rider sat in her chair on her personal quarters, toying with the bracelet she had bought from the vender on Faimu. A pretty little bauble, but she really had no use for it. What had possessed her to buy it in the first place, she wondered. She didn't even wear jewelry. The door clicked, signifying that someone wanted to enter. She put the bracelet down in her desk drawer, slid the drawer closed, calling, "Open," to the door in her clear, low voice. The door obediently opened, and Technician Eriald came in, followed by a sleek fembot. A seeker jet, Wind Rider considered to herself, inconspicuously glancing at the Decepticon symbol on her wings. She stood up, and nodded, giving Kynight the salute of an equal, "Welcome to The Luminary," she gestured around her office, "you will excuse the fact that Captain Jai'Shada cannot be with us," she didn't make it a question, "he is doing--other things." She let the comment stand. "Please," she resumed her seat behind her desk," have a seat." Her eyes traveled to the technician at the door, "You are dismissed," she told him, in a regulatory tone. Eriald saluted to her briskly, before turning on his heels and walking out of the room, the door closing behind him with a hiss.
"So," Wind Rider placed her elbows on her desk and laced her fingers together. For a moment, she just sat suspended there, but then placed her chin on her fingers. "What shall we do about this 'menace?'"
Kynight slowly moved toward the seat Wind Rider had waved too, as she tried not to give anything away. Non- interference was the standard but somehow the Paixens always seem to interact with the Cybertronians. "This menace seem to get very powerful and to have a huge power behind it...for the good of the Decepticon Empire we should look into it.\rdblquote Kynight responded as she made her body relax.
Wind Rider remind silent, Kynight had said all the right things...too many right things. "So we should go after them, with our ships damaged?"
"No, we should repair our ship and then go after them...and perhaps you will allow me to look for the stolen item I mentioned earlier?" Kynight asked, knowing that Wind Rider wasn' t buying anything she just said.
" Yes, it does need to be looked into," Wind Rider said slowly as she watched Kynight closely. She was hiding something. "Very well, then let us go to this repair base and then you can inform your superiors telling them about this attack on your ship in Decepticon space and I can look for the stolen item," Kynight said trying to get an answer from Wind Rider.
"Yes...I..." Wind Rider started as the alarms suddenly sounded through out the ship! Kynight jumped up as Wind Rider got up slowly and moved towards the door. Kynight stared at Wind Rider wondering why she didn't move faster, Kynight would have been to the bridge already.
Entering the bridge, Wind Rider moved towards the command chair, as Kynight looked at the screen. The Quintessons were back with reinforcements. Some of the ships were ones she could recall, others were differently designed.
"REPORT?" Wind Rider asked of the captain, Jai'Shada as he yelled orders about the bridge.
"Ah, exhaust fumes...they are going to board us..." Kynight said, not even realized she had said it out loud until Wind Rider was in front of her staring into her optics.
"How do you know that?" Wind Rider asked in a strong under tone.
"That is the basic idea... they board you and then conquer you," Kynight said as she closed one optic and hoped that she didn't blow anything. Kynight had gotten a command through the Eye of Unicron, even though he wasn't fully awake he was beginning to gain control of his functions. He needed slaves, and they looked pretty good to him, so he was ordering the Quintessons to take captives.
Wind Rider kept her optics on Kynight for a moment longer, before twisting around to face Jai'Shada, "Do not let them board," she said calmly.
"Too late, General," said an officer, "they're already in the lower decks." Wind Rider turned back to Kynight, her violet optics linked with Kynight's for a few moments before she answered, "Do not let them board the upper decks then," an edge to her voice. "What do you suggest we do as a plan of action?" not as if she couldn't come up with one, she was a tactician after all. But it seemed as if Kynight knew more about this menace than she did.
Kynight stared back at Wind Rider, this one was annoying, highly so. "I suggest we remove them from this ship," was her reply.
Wind Rider tilted her head to the side, and gave a laugh, a high, tinkling sound, not at all like her talking voice. "A very good plan of action, she said amusedly. Jai'Shada was beginning to get restless, his great red and gray bulk shifting uncomfortably, while his ship was being attacked, these two were playing power games.
"Jai'Shada," Wind Rider turned to the Captain of The Luminary, "close off all decks that are unmanned, of course, and then---" her instructions were not completed, as the door to the bridge was blasted open, sending a gush of warm air through the now gaping hole, and allowing a wave of Sharkticons to enter. Wind Rider let out an interesting explicative, before floating over to the large Captain, and brandishing her weapon. Kynight, taking a fighting stance, aimed her weapon at the Sharkticon in the lead of the wave. With a quick shot, she had disposed of him, and retreated back to where Wind Rider and Jai'Shada stood by the Captain's Chair.
"Defensive!" Jai'Shada yelled, obviously the code word for some sort of action, as he literally shoved Kynight and Wind Rider behind his great bulk. Wind Rider went with little resistance, obviously understanding what the Captain was doing. She turned, so her back was against his, and readied herself for an attack from that direction. Kynight gave him a glare, but then, seeing Wind Rider's reaction, turned her own back, pressing herself against Jai'Shada's and Wind Rider's arms, before taking her own battle stance, her concentration on the Eye of Unicron.
Kynight knew she had a slight chance of influencing the Skarticons with the Eye of Unicron since he was still in a half-wake/half-sleep state. Though it would cost her Decepticon form. "Damn...this would be easier with the gift," Kynight muttered under her breath as Wind Rider glanced at her through the edge of her optic.
Wind Rider made a small hmmming noise, difficult to hear over the hum of blaster fire. "Gift?" she asked non-chalantly, despite a laser blast whizzing by her head. She moved deftly out of the way, her head actually turning to watch the energy fly by her.
Kynight merely watched surprised for a moment, before replying, "A weapon of mine. It makes it easier when I--" she grunted as she let another barrage of laser blasts fly, shattering the optic sensors of one Sharkticon, and then filling his chest with holes, "fight."
Wind Rider nodded, her own laser slicing through the very close Sharkticons. "A weapon of such power would definitely be of help here now," her voice was conversational.
"Ladies," Jai'Shada let a blast from his cannon, creating a huge crater in the chest of an advancing Skarticon, "this is not the time nor the place to be discussing," he mowed another one down, "things we don't have." Before either could reply, the Captain of The Luminary turned his head to his navigator, "Hyperspace, NOW!"
Kynight felt the familiar crunch and lengthening of time and space as the navigator followed Jai'Shada's order. The lurch of the ship told her they had come out of warp, and again she sent a barrage of lasers into an advancing Sharkticon. "Why did you do that!?" she demanded of Jai'Shada.
The Captain of The Luminary kept his optics on his target as he answered her, "They were boarding my ship in a continuous stream." Wind Rider, much more attuned to what it was people were truly asking when they asked questions, began to elaborate before Kynight could get out a protest, "We needed to cut off their reinforcements," she said calmly, "So Captain Jai'Shada simply removed us from where their reinforcements were.
"But you cut us off from our reinforcements," Kynight kept her voice at the same level as Wind Rider's.
"Nonsense," the strategist replied, "we'll send them a communique', as soon as we get rid of our pest problem," she fired a shot and brought another one down.
"Hull breach," the feminine voice of the computer began to intone, "hull breach imminent."
"Take us down please, Starstealer," Jai'Shada yelled over the din of the fight, his cannon making repeated shots at advancing Sharkticons, where did they all come from?
"I can't Captain," the navigator managed to get out, "I'm indisposed," he grappled with a Sharkticon, trying to hold open its gaping jaw. Jai'Shada let out a growl, and turned his cannon on that target, freeing Starstealer, "Now, please--" he was cut off as fire hit his shoulder.
"Where?" Starstealer asked hastily, turning to the control panel.
"Anywhere," Wind Rider answered for the Captain, turning from her shooting position, trying to see how badly he was damaged. Kynight, seeing that she was the now the only one left defending the three of them, sprayed the air in front of them with blaster-fire, and then felt the all too familiar sinking feeling of a too-quick decent. The ship began to shake with the force of entry into the atmosphere, and both Kynight and Jai'Shada lost their balance. Wind Rider, saved by her levitating, managed to get in a last shot, and then she too lost her balance, as the ship jerked sharply.
"We've landed," Starstealer announced.
Kynight got to her feet trying to control the anger she felt, though letting none of it show on her face plate. Finally, she turned to Wind Rider, "Did you by chance let the anyone know our whereabouts? My crew most likely doesn't know a thing as to where we are."
Wind Rider turned to Kynight, though her face plate showed nothing, her optics sparked slightly. "This is not the time to talk of such things, we need to figure out where we are and if this planet is friendly," Wind Rider said calmly and turned back to the captain.
Kynight sighed inward as she nodded to herself, first order of business was repairs, and hopefully she could get a look around. "We have a slight problem with communication, but we should have it up shortly," Jai'Shada said as he began to get reports of damage, injuries, and loss of lives.
"I need a drink," Kynight muttered under her breath.
Wind Rider turned to her as she had just barely heard the comment. "Yes, a drink sounds good," Wind Rider replied, moving towards her office. Kynight shook her head behind Wind Rider and followed.
* * *
"While we have that drink, let's look at star maps and see just where we are," Kynight suggested.
"Yes, that was my thought too," Wind Rider said as she poured two glasses of energon, turned and handed one to Kynight, "You seemed to know a lot about our attackers?"
"Mmm, well, I have seen their like before...Sharkticons usually work for the Quintessons," Kynight remarked as their took their seats. Maybe some of this information might save a few lives.
"Quintessons, yes...traders of sort, no?" Wind Rider asked, hoping that Kynight would keeping giving information out, while she brought up the star maps and began looking at where they were.
"Ah, kinda...more like crime lords, working for the highest bidders," Kynight sighed as she began to look around the room, maybe she should check for power reading.
"Interesting," Wind Rider said as she looked up with a slight smile. "We are in the Cariton section of space. Not much here."
"And the planet we are on?" Kynight asked as she took a drink and noticed that there was an odd power reading in the room, despite the limited power of the ship.
"Mural, a small planet with primitive people," Wind Rider replied.
"Ah, and that means no help...so we are on our own for now?" Kynight tightened her hand around her glass.
"Unfortunately, for now, yes," Wind Rider admitted as she got up and moved towards the door.
"Wind Rider?" Kynight asked as she looked about for what might be giving the odd readings.
Wind Rider turned around, "hmmm?" her low voice resonating through the room. She spun the glass in her hand, a Terran design, between two long fingers, slowly, before taking another sip.
"I'm getting a strange power reading, similar to the reading of my stolen item," she replied, "from somewhere in this room..." she allowed her voice to trail off inconspicuously. Wind Rider found few things inconspicuous, however.
"In this room?" she asked, genuinely. She couldn't think what could be causing strange power readings in her office. In Engineering or the Deck she could--but not in her office.
"Yes," Kynight replied, looking Wind Rider in the optics. She returned the gaze as it was given, violet optics not moving.
"I am at a loss," she said quietly, floating over to the door, finishing off her drink as she did so. Kynight controlled her temper. The gift, she was positive, was in this room, but she couldn't search for it without Wind Rider's permission. Kynight's optics following Wind Rider as she levitated by, she sighed.
"At a loss--" she repeated, moving her entire body out of the room. She took her drink with her, as she was not yet done with it.
"Nothing could be causing readings like that?"
"I don't see what," Wind Rider replied over her shoulder, floating over to Jai'Shada, and bending next to the medic to inspect his wound. "There are only trinkets in there from my conquests," and that was more information that Wind Rider usually gave. Kynight should have felt lucky.
But, she didn't. It only made her frustrated. She knew that the gift was in that room, but how to get it? Especially if Wind Rider didn't know she had it. A list of the gifts ran through Kynight's mind, and she could think of numerous ones that the Wind Rider could easily mistake as 'trinkets'. She needed to get in that office, alone, without Wind Rider, or anyone else seeing her. Question was, how?
Wind Rider inspected Jai'Shada's arm, looking over the medic's shoulder, as if she knew what she was doing. Starstealer was at the Captain's other side, holding his other arm in a comforting manner. "Where are we?" he asked Wind Rider, wincing at the medic's small medical blowtorch against his metal skin.
"We're in the Cariton system of space," Wind Rider said almost absently. "Mural to be exact."
"And that means?" Jai'Shada asked irritably.
"That we have no help," Kynight finished her drink after making that announcement. Starstealer gave her a rather incredulous look. "It's a primitive planet with no technological breakthroughs that could be anywhere near helpful to us."
Wind Rider tried to suppress a snort, as Starstealer replied, "We need to make our own repairs? I hate repair work!"
He got a bop on the head from his Captain, "You want to stay here forever?" he asked, nodding to medic when he finished, and rotating his arm around a few times to see how it worked. Satisfied that it functioned properly, the medic then went to deal with some more serious, though lower ranking, injuries.
"No," Starstealer looked down sheepishly, and helped Jai'Shada to his feet.
"Then you help repair," the Captain told him in a rather bland tone of voice, indicating that, he too, disliked repair work. "As soon as Engineering decides what needs to be done."
"Did the Central Computer not announce a Hull Breach?" Kynight asked, thinking it pretty obvious what they needed to do--repair the breach.
"It did," Jai'Shada replied, heading toward the door of the bridge, "that is what brought us down. I would imagine that we have other, probably more serious damage elsewhere. A hull breach is an easy enough thing to fix, but alas," he gave her a sheepish smile, as he put his hand on Starstealer's back to usher him into the lift before him, "one cannot fly with a hole in one's ship."
Kynight tried not to laugh at that, as the lift took them down to the unloading bay. She couldn't see what they would be unloading at this time, but, when they exited, she saw this was where the hull breach occurred, and a great deal of equipment, and Kynight imagined, personnel, had been unloaded before the force shield barrier had been set up. She heard Jai'Shada swear under his breath. A huge hole gaped before them, it took up almost all of the side of one wall in the room. It was obvious from the way the metal churned inward that it had come from a blast, this port, considered rather unimportant, having less protection that a more manned area.
"Ouch," Starstealer muttered, looking around in a sort of bewilderment. Jai'Shada merely sighed, shaking his head. His beautiful ship had a huge hole in her. Kynight turned to see Wind Rider's reaction, when she noticed, for the first time, that she wasn't there.
* * *
Kynight was prying. Something in her office was giving off strange readings and Wind Rider knew exactly what it was. It had to be that bracelet she picked up on Fairmu. It had to be. There was no other explanation. But why would a bracelet be giving off strange power readings?
She opened her desk drawer, and toyed with the little, plain gold thing. Nothing seemed special about it. It was simply a bracelet, like any other. In fact, it was sort of plain, save the stone that lay in the middle of it. Why would you give off strange power readings? Wind Rider asked it. And, as one usually gets from bracelets, she received no answer. She heard the crew working outside her door, diligently trying to fix the damage to the controls that The Luminary had sustained. She looked down at the bracelet again, bewildered.
"You do something," she said out loud to it. She regarded it carefully, putting it down when she heard the speaker beep, "General," it was Starstealer's voice, "the breach is going to take a while to repair." His voice did not sound hopeful.
"What do you mean?" Wind Rider asked, feeling her ire rising.
"It's a big hole, General," the navigator replied. "It's going to take time and manpower--" his voice trailed off, and Wind Rider let out a huff. "I'll be down there in a moment," she said, dismissing the speaker with a wave of her hand. Then her attention was back on the bracelet. She hated those speakers inside this, what was supposed to be a modern ship. They glared down at her like insect eyes, and distorted the voice of the speaker. She'd like to hull breach one of those things, and get something that was worthy of what this ship was supposed to be carrying. As if sent by her thought, a beam of light flashed from the jewel in the center of bracelet, and hit the speaker. For a moment, it glowed a bright blue, before bursting into a thousand pieces with a loud BANG!
* * *
Kynight knew instantly that the gift of Primus was active. After finding Wind Rider gone, she knew that she had the gift on her person. Kynight would have no trouble now hunting her down.
* * *
The force of the blast sent Wind Rider reeling backwards. Her back hit the opposite wall near the door, a burst of hot air erupted at her face plate. Her audio sensors rang with a high pitched whine, and for a few moments, her optics registered no image as they adjusted to the change in light. She shook her head. Color slowly returned to her optic sensors and the ring in her audio receptors died down.
Before her was a gaping hole, like a mouth of some deformed corpse, showing the inside wiring and insulation of the wall that it had breached. A slow hiss emitted from it, steam escaped from a broken line. Small sparks of lightning blue and electric green jumped form one metal circuit to another. Wind Rider looked at the jeweled bracelet in her hand, her mouth hanging agape, and back to the cave in the office wall.
"By Primus" she whispered, her mind running at the speed of light. With a weapon of this power-- her mind reeled. Her violet optics stayed glued to the piece of jewelry as she tried to think. I bought this a bazaar, she thought, and this is what it does? This is what Kynight has been looking for! Then, the ringing in her audios died completely, she heard feet clanging against the floor and a hand banging at the door console outside. I have to get this thing hidden, her mind went blank as to where to put it. She slipped into a small compartment in her thigh, I'll find a safer place later, just as the door next to her hissed open.
Several Transformers with weapons drawn rushed into the office, stopping just as they passed Wind Rider, and looked about. "A little late," she almost hissed, standing up and dusting herself off.
"General," one of the mech's addressed her, tearing his head away from the hole where the speaker had once been. "Are you alright?"
Wind Rider slowly turned from the crater in her wall where the speaker used to be to the Crew Chief, "What does it look like, you cyberlily?" she snapped at him, her mouth curling unbecomingly for a moment, before she regained her composure. "Yes," she said imperiously, "I am fine."
"What happened?" was the next question asked her, but she wasn't ready for it. Her optics went to the hole in the wall as she groped for an explanation.
"The speaker malfunctioned." There was a long moment of silence, Wind Rider watched the soldier who had addressed her and he looked back at her. She broke the silence with, "Get it repaired," she turned in the air and floated out of the room. She had to report this!
* * *
Kynight gasped as she felt the power of the gift split the atmosphere. It's been activated and is pulsing energy, her mind screamed as she held out a hand to steady herself. She knew that Wind Rider had it, and now she had activated it. She couldn't tell what gift it was, merely that it was close, its power coursed through her circuitry like a lightning bolt, sizzling, calling out to her.
The lift finally stopped. She glanced around and flew down the hall, her hand out to the side to steady herself. She reached the lift, and pressed the button to bring it down to her. Then, looking about to make sure she was alone, she opened her chest plate and took out the Dagger of Knowledge. Holding it to her chest, grasping it with both of her hands, hearing the lift creak slightly somewhere in the transport tube, she centered the call of the gift inside of herself.
Slowly the hall of the ship faded, and was replaced by a three dimensional grid, glowing a pale orange in a dark blue background. "Where is the gift?" she asked, her inner optic searching for the small green dot that was her target. Three grids above her she saw it, a soft beacon in the grid. She followed it, her feet moving her into the lift, even though her optics weren't focused in this world. She felt the lift jerk as it took up, and saw the grids move by her slowly. One. Two. Three. The small dot moved within the third grid, taking paths and hallways that Kynight couldn't see in the Dagger's dimension. But she could follow that small green dot, until she got to Wind Rider, and she would get the gift back. Whatever it might be.
* * *
Wind Rider flew fluidly into the communications lab. Effem, the communication officer, bent over a circuit board. "I need to contact Cybertron," Wind Rider informed him, her voice imperious and her optics glowing.
Effem looked up from the circuit board. "You can't General," he stood up, a helpless look on his green faceplate. "Communications were cut off when we were attacked."
Wind Rider turned to him, "Then fix it," she told him, her voice deathly calm.
"I'm trying, ma'am," Effem held his arms up to show his defenselessness. He was a smallish Transformer, Wind Rider towered over him, especially with her feet dangling above the floor. "It takes time."
Wind Rider let out a hiss, as frustration vented itself through one of her ventilation ducts. "I don't have time," her voice rose a little in volume. She look at the door, something inside of her telling her that she only had a short time before Kynight found out about the bracelet. Wind Rider was positive that was the item she was searching for. Effem remained still for a moment, before going back to his circuit board.
* * *
Kynight watched as the small dot moved away from her, and quickly followed it. At all costs she must retrieve the gift, for her sake as well as this dimension's. Not to mention Primus would be pestering her to no end if she lost his gift. Kynight flinched as she thought of Primus hovering over her tormenting her about the gift, making an annoyance of himself.
* * *
"You can try it now," Effem stepped away from the circuit board, and looked at Wind Rider tentatively.
She reached for the tab to turn on the speaker, "Wind Rider to Cybertron. Come in Cybertron."
She waited a few moments for a reply, but nothing happened. Not even static. "Shockwave, can you hear me?" she asked, switching channels. Again there was only silence.
"Ach!" she made a frustrated sound, turning back to Effem, who merely stared at her with his red optics and a blank look on his face. "Fix it!" she blared at him, flipping the tab again. "Wind Rider to Cybertron."
* * *
Kynight noticed the door to the communication center begin to slide closed as she neared it and rushed forward. "Wind Rider to Cybertron. Cybertron, come in," Wind Rider called into the microphone as Kynight walked in.
"What are you doing? What have you done with it? I know you have the gift, where is it?" Kynight demanded moving farther in the room.
Wind Rider slowly went to her full height and turned to face Kynight. "I have no idea what you are talking about," Wind Rider said with a note of false bravado. How did she get up here? Wind Rider thought she was occupied with the repairs. And how did she know that I was in the communications center?
"Don't give me that exhaust, you know what I'm talking about. Now where is it? It doesn't belong to you." Kynight tightened her hands waiting for Wind Rider's next move. Effem shook slightly, his head whipped back and forth between the two powerful fembots, worry on his face plate.
"Your sensors are malfunctioning," Wind Rider said as Kynight took a menacing step forward.
"So be it," she replied, "then you wouldn't mind if I searched you."
Effem gave a little gasp and ducked behind a chair, saying under his breath, "I'm too young to die!" The two fem-bots stared each other down, both beginning to move slowly into a fighting stance. The echo of the audio siren and the sudden flashing lights indicated that an attack had begun aboveground also. Neither seemed willing to back down, even with the chaos around them. Neither of them had to, Jai'Shada burst into the room.
"Effem! Call for reinforcements at once! The Sharkticons found us! They're everywhere! Wind Rider? We've been looking for you! We need you topside!" Jai'Shada yelled about the siren's squeal. He grabbed Kynight's arm and pulled her outside the room. Wind Rider flew past both Kynight and Jai'Shada, rushing to get topside. Jai'Shada trailed after her to the lift.
Kynight unattached his grip, and slipped back into the communications center. Effem had his head bent over a circuit board, when Kynight whacked him on the back of his cranial unit. "Poor guy--oh well, survival of the fittest." She glanced down at the circuit board, and scooped it up. Maybe she wouldn't have to fight Wind Rider after all.
She turned about and ran out of the communication center heading topside to the battle. Suddenly, her communication link on her arm erupted into static at the same time as the sounds of battle rang in her audio sensors. "Eolian! Glacterra! If that's you, home in on my signal. We are under attack from Sharkticons and Wind Rider has the gift of Primus! Hurry!"
* * *
Looking behind her, Wind Rider saw Jai'Shada entering the lift, and hissed. "What?" he asked.
Wind Rider floated out of the list just as the door was closing, leaving Jai'Shada's question unanswered. She retraced her steps to the communications center, glanced in, but heard a clang down the hall. She looked, and saw Kynight jogging back toward the lift.
"Kynight!" she called, her voice low. Kynight flexed her hand and locked optics with Wind Rider. "What have you been up to? There is a battle going on outside if you didn't notice," Wind Rider hissed.
"I think we have a trade to talk over," Kynight replied, the corners of her mouth lifting. She showed the circuit board from the communications center.
"I don't think so, save yourself any trouble and give me the board," Wind Rider stated in a haunting voice. She levitated forward.
A deep growl, and a strong humming erupted from behind her, Wind Rider caught sight of Eolian appearing at Kynight's side. She turned around to see Glacterra with her rifle at her side, staring at her with an insane glint in her optics, energon foamed at the corners of her mouth and she twitched with deranged movements.
"I think we will trade now," Kynight said, waving the board at Wind Rider.
Wind Rider's optics didn't leave Glacterra as she asked, "What do I get out of this, that is of equal value?"
Kynight was silent for a moment, "Very well," she sighed, "I'll take care of the Sharkticon menace for you as well." She flipped her free hand.
Wind Rider became totally silent as she turned back to Kynight, with a face plate that gave away nothing. But Kynight knew she was considering the offer. Glacterra started to gurgle in her anger at having Wind Rider turn her back on her. Slowly Glacterra crouched, preparing to attack Wind Rider at Kynight's signal. Wind Rider opened her leg panel and removed the bracelet. "I agree. Give me the circuit board first, then I will give you the bracelet."
"Ha, I don't think so," Kynight said, "we trade at the same time, and do remember," she pointed, "your exit is behind you." Glacterra made a sound of pure glee at the thought of facing Wind Rider in battle. Wind Rider, seeming not at all rattled by either statement, glided forward.
"You are a worthy opponent," Kynight told her, putting down the circuit board on one side of the hallway. Wind Rider slowly floated over to the other side, saying nothing. Dropping the bracelet, she immediately flew to the board as Kynight bolted to the bracelet, rolling underneath Wind Rider, sliding the bracelet on her wrist, and then turning to face her.
"Let's get moving!" Kynight ordered to Glacterra and Eolian. She bolted down the hallway, the other two at her heels.
Wind Rider lingered in the hall for a moment, the circuit board in her hand. She glanced down at it, and then floated toward the exit. She heard the sounds of battle above her as she floated toward the surface again. Entering the sunlight, she saw a Sharkticon lunge at on of her mechs. Instinctively, she held out her hand, making a fist, and shot the rotund Sharkticon in the faceplate. It let out a scream, bringing its hands to its face in agony. She looked up, the sounds of melee still surrounding her, would Kynight keep her end of the bargain?
* * *
"Glacterra! Destroy the Sharkticons! Eolian, stink bombs and any treats you may have in your bag of goodies!" Kynight roared orders, before turning inward, feeling the bracelet's power come to life. Taking aim the Quintessons ship, Kynight summoned up the power of the bracelet. A vortex of golden flames surrounded Kynight as a small star burst forth, going directly at the Quintesson's ship.
Glacterra screamed her battle cry and kicked in her refrigerator system, freezing several Sharkticons that came for her, and shattering them to pieces. Eolian frowned at the parts of frozen Sharkticon that fell in front of her. Kynight watched as the golden star hit the Quintesson's ship and exploded with an array of light.
"Kynight! The Sharkticons don't seem to get the hint that their masters are dead! I hope you have another idea!" Eolian let a stink bomb loose on a group of Sharkticons.
"Look! Wind Rider!" Jai'Shada yelled over the laser fire, pointing to the sky with one hand while the other entered a Sharkticon's central computer and pulled out its internal parts," the enemy's ship is destroyed!" Fuel spilled everywhere, Wind Rider barely had time to look up at the golden flames falling to the planet.
"Enough of this!" Kynight screamed as she loosed a golden fireball into the middle of the Sharkticons' forces. Not stopping as Sharkticon parts and fuel go flying into the air, Kynight let loose four more smaller fireballs.
"NO FAIR!" Glacterra yelled in disappointment as 90% of the Sharkticon army disappeared in golden flames. "Thank the Light God!" Eolian whispered to herself, as she shook off the enemies' parts and fuel. This just wasn't her thing. "I wanted to take one home!" Glacterra screamed like a child who sees a toy in a store.
Hearing Glacterra's outburst, Wind Rider saw that Kynight's group was still planetside. She began to levitate toward them.
"Ugh, Computer, please beam us up and get us out of this section of space," Kynight said wearily as Eolian gave Glacterra a look of pure disgust, watching her pick up the jaw of a Sharkticon. Kynight waved to Wind Rider. The Computer obeyed and the three fembots dematerialized.
Wind Rider said nothing as the other Decepticons looked around with dumbfounded looks on their face plates, mass destruction strewn before them. She watched The Explorer disappear into the blackness of space. This isn't over, she promised herself, I'll get even with you, Kynight.
She was shaken from her musings by Jai'Shada lumbering up to her. He limped, a small hole, covered in fuel, on his thigh plate. "I want to go home," he muttered, "I'm calling Cybertron."
Wind Rider clicked at him derisively, opening her leg panel. "You're going to need this," she sighed, holding out the circuit board to him.
* * *
Kynight drug herself out of The Explorer, she was tired and her CPU ached. Listening to Eolian and Glacterra arguing over that Sharkticon jaw was more than she could take. "I am going to the Temple to return the gift!" she yelled without looking behind her, "I want you to be finished with this argument when I get back!"
Upon entering the temple, Primus appeared beside her, smiling joyously. Kynight simply growled and threw the bracelet at Primus, before turning on her heel and walking out. Primus' optics flickered as he watched Kynight's backside leaving. Shrugging to himself, he disappeared, taking the bracelet with him.
* * *
Wind Rider paused on the bridge to the newly repaired Luminary. Megatron's face loomed before her on the view screen, "I just received your report, Wind Rider," he said, "who was the name of their leader again?"
"Kynight," Wind Rider answered.
Megatron looked thoughtful for a moment. "Kynight," he repeated, and was silent. He shook his head, and looked at Wind Rider again. "Report to me when you get back to base," he told her, "I want to see all the security information you have on this Kynight." Then his face slowly shrank until there was only a dot in the middle of the screen.
The End
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