Void saga (hopefully) finale!

[hidden_watcher]

[From Cyclonus's journal here.]

*on the bridge of the Dis, absent-mindedly with an arm around Dreadboots to reassure her* *one optic and audial monitoring the copilot's station, but mostly just watching Galvatron, watching the console lights throw shadows across his proud, fiercely set features, watching those strong fingers move with caressing

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[chaos_gunner]

*head snaps around at Scourge's frantic squeak* What?! Cyclonus?! Put that on the main speakers, Scourge!

Cyclonus? This is Galvatron! Report! *and though the words and tone are military-disciplined, the way his optics flash and the sudden twist of his smile are anything but*

[hidden_watcher]

*scrambles to comply* The signal isn't very good, Galvatron, but this is the best I can do, you should be able to hear enough...

[firstlieutenant]

*even faint and corrupted over a crackling subspace radio link, it's still his commander's voice, and the mere sound is enough to turn him weak with relief* *Galvatron...*

My lord! *tries not to say any of the thousand things he could think of* I...

*pulls himself together, shaking off the pain that's rapidly making it harder to think about what he's doing*

Void is my prisoner and his Air Commander has defected to us. I have the bridge of Void's ship, there is no need to attack. Repeat, no use of force required. Requesting reinforcements to secure position.

*trailing off a bit* ...and a med team if such is possible. With someone experienced in handling forced reprogrammings. *worried sidelong look at Jetstorm*

[apprentice_lurk]

*doesn't quite manage to stifle a yelp of her own* He's all right! *...well, he's alive - ogod, I hope he's all right - what does he mean, reprogrammings?* *presses closer beside Scourge, leaning in and concentrating intently, the beardlings perching on her rather less restrained and bouncing up and down in delight*

[thebasi]

Basi raises her head at the static-garbled voice, only identifying it when she hears the name. She doesn't react as strongly as the others, but her posture and expression eases a fraction, and she almost smiles in gladdened relief. Thaln, less enthusiastic, makes a mild "sound" at the back of her mind, agreeing with her.

She glances around the room, then returns her attention to the monitors, watching the bridge.

[corruptedhope]

*Meanwhile, somewhere in the bowels of the Cocytus, Rodimus Void's starting to wonder what the hell he drank last night*

[blackwingdove]

*Immolator wanders in, and the light in his optics flicker dangerously. He smirks a bit, but his pace is still too slow for his trademark flames to ignite.* Usually find Jetstorm hung up, y'know.

[corruptedhope]

Cut the slag and get me down from here. *wriggles slightly* What the hell happened, how'd I get up here?

[blackwingdove]

*Immolator smirks.* Like I keep up with what you two perverts get up to.

*But he does drift over to work on unchaining the Void, glancing inside the cavity of the dark Prime's chest.* You're missing a piece.

[chaos_gunner]

[clean thread since everything has gotten a bit muddled above]

All right, Cyclonus! Stand by!

*laughs, for no real reason other than sheer relief and delight that things seem to be finally back on track around here!*

*under Galvatron's guiding hands, the Dis emerges from whatever mysterious dimension its drives take it through. There are no wormholes or coloured blurs, Unicron gave it no such petty flash - rather, the giant ship is simply, suddenly there, decelerating to come smoothly alongside the Cocytus, looming like a vast iron ghost above Void's pale mirror-ship*

*looks out at the other vessel* Cyclonus! Can you let us on board or do we have to cut our way in?

[firstlieutenant]

*watching the Cocytus' viewscreens, closes his optics for a moment in relief as the familiar shape of the Dis slides into parallel orbit beside them*

*touches the control panel again, lightly* My friends, Cocytus. May I let them on board? Don't mind Galvatron, he adds with a hint of a smile. Threats are a habit with him.

[blackwingdove]

~~If he damages my mirrors...~~

*The Cocytus rotates slowly, bringing her docking clamps alongside the Dis. She extends them slowly, giving the other ship time to jink back if it so chooses.*

*Jetstorm sits as still as a statue, optics barely lit.*

[firstlieutenant]

*remembering something he heard from one of the ex-human Triad once* Seven years' bad luck, yes?

*over the radio* Initiating docking protocols. Dis, stand by.

[chaos_gunner]

((Cleaning up again, new thread!))

*The yellow line runs out at the foot of what is, obviously, the bridge door of the Cocytus. Galvatron steps forward, gesturing those behind him to wait, and palms the door control. Let me pass?*

*the door slides open, revealing Jetstorm lost in his trance and Cyclonus beside him, leaning heavily against the console - he looks up at the sound of the doors opening, showing ravaged, half-blinded features twisting in an expression too complex to identify beneath the damage and the streaks of drying oil...*

Cyclonus! *feet barely touch the ground across the intervening distance and Galvatron is at his lieutenant's side, catching Cyclonus as his body finally gives out and he falls*

*voice breaking with rage* WHO DID THIS?!! *nobody else is allowed to do this to you, you're mine, I say what is done and when and why...!*

[firstlieutenant]

*hasn't really been aware of anything but the pain for a while now, nothing left to do but focus on staying conscious, staying alive, not letting his guard drop until someone else is here to take over* *so when Galvatron walks through the door it's an immediate stand down, and his overstressed systems plummet into long-delayed failure* *dimly he's aware as he falls of Galvatron's arms around him, Galvatron's thigh bracing his back as the warlord folds to one knee to take his weight*

Mighty Galvatron... *so many things he could say, wants to say, so many possible endings to that sentence*

*but somehow all that comes to mind, and vocaliser, is...* My lord... what took you?

*fractional smile, as remaining optic goes black*

[apprentice_lurk]

*beardlings stream into the room, perching on the consoles to look into monitors and peek at the controls, not touching anything but familiarising themselves with what goes where...when they're settled and ready, they all turn to Cyclonus and instantly let out soft, shivery little noises of shock horror Galvatron make it not hurt him-!*

[hidden_watcher]

*and a larger blue-winged shape is only seconds behind them, near-flying to his triadmates* *Scourge kneels awkwardly beside Cyclonus, uncaring of his wings scraping the deckplates, reaching for his friend*

Cyclonus? *touches him, feeling the cold fading flicker of his aura faltering on the edge of sensing* *quietly, desperately* Oh, hells...