Shadowfire

Chapter 29

The majority of the battle had passed without my knowing, and while we had had sustained a few injuries, both to humans and Autobots, the only fatality was my sparkmate.

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I could read the questions in their eyes, amplified by their grief- what had happened to Ironhide? The 'Bot who had been their friend and comrade for centuries.

I looked them in the optics, stared down their pain, and lied. I couldn't let them know that it was he who had offlined himself, couldn't tell them of his final moments- I felt certain that the proud and strong weapons specialist that he had been would never want anyone other than me to know of the weakness he felt as he neared the end of his existence, how he had begged to die but been so afraid of joining Primus, how joining with me had given him the courage to end it, how he had torn out his own circuits and handed them to me- a final gift from a mech to his femme.

He deserved better than that, deserved to be remembered for how he had lived, not how he had died. And so I lied to Optimus, to Jazz, to Bee and Ratchet and Lennox, who wept openly for the loss of his friend and son-in-spark.

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I spotted Sam sitting alone, tucked into a corner as life at the base went on around him, I was about to approach him, but a soldier beat me to it, sitting down next to the younger man as I drew back.
"You did what had to be done Sam"
"Have you-" Sam didn't finish his question, but the older man didn't need him to.
"Yeah. I was special forces before NEST, war- it's hell you know? This is better, I'm protecting the whole world, not just my country, something bigger to fight for I guess"
"Do you ever get over it?"
"I'll be honest with you kid, I've come to terms with what I've done- but the Marines prepares you for this, you? You're just a civvie, but if you ever need to talk, and believe me I understand wanting to bottle it all up but don't, then me and the guys are always available"
"Thanks, uh?"
"Jason Cogar, sergeant"
"Right, Sam Witwicky" the man laughed and Sam flushed "right, of course, you knew that"
"Don't sweat it kid. See ya 'round?"
"Yeah, Kayla 'nd I'll be hanging around the base more now, government wants us to help them try get ahead of public opinion about Chicago" Sergeant Cogar's face darkened
"Don't trust any of 'em as far as you could throw them" Sam frowned
"But aren't you a US soldier?"
"Technically, but the UN's looking to authorise NEST as an international taskforce"
"Why-"
"It's their fault this happened, if they hadn't kicked the Autobots off this planet then we could've minimised casualties in Chicago, hell- we might've been able to stop them reaching the city in the first place. We were prepared to go rogue after what they did, and Congress graciously allowing the 'bot's back doesn't change anything" Jason explained with so much malice in his voice I was surprised it wasn't corrosive "hurt be on your guard around 'em, alright?"

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Everyone at the base was tense, operating on high alert in prelude to the upcoming congressional visit. Mearing was beside herself, she hadn't forgotten how NEST soldiers had purposefully ignored her commands, and was aware of the animosity the soldiers held to the men who had caused this mess, trying to make preparations to keep the congressmen separate from the soldiers as much as possible; Lennox she could trust to remain professional, but Epps, or any of the others? There was no way to be sure they wouldn't frag the whole lot of the slag-for-brains humans.

Mearing had eventually decided to empty the base except for a skeleton crew stationed at specific points with very strict instructions not to leave their posts, Lennox had given the order, so she knew it would be obeyed.