Red Star : Reunion…. Many years into Orion's Star

Late at night, the phone rings at Alexis bedside. Blinking she looks to the alarm clock, 2:30. She groans and grabs the phone, "Paxton."

"Alexis?"

Alexis quickly realizes, this isn't Angel's Wing's dispatch. But who else would call her this late at night. Warily she answers, "Yes?"

The voice tries again, "We need you….. Red Star."

Now she knows the voice. Softly she answers, "I already told you, Rad, no."

The line is silent. Then the voice tries again, "After graduation. You must come."

Alexis takes a hard sigh and rubs her eyes, "Rad you called me in the middle of the night for an old argument."

"With new information that you won't respond to."

"Rad, no."

He can hear her moving the phone and so he belts it out, "He's calling you!" Alexis considers his words carefully. Because she didn't hang up, he knows this as well. "Alexis, did you hear me?"

Her voice cracks, "I heard you but I don't believe you. We both know he was atomized. There was…. Nothing."

"I have his sword."

"Don't Rad."

"We are getting a message on a Decepticon wave length asking for Red Star."

"Stop it Rad."

"He's been calling more often in the last month."

"Please, don't Rad."

"I've held off telling anyone why he is calling for you…. Alone."

"Rad…." she warns.

"Just a few hours ago he called for Starlex." That did it. Alexis lets out a sob and throws the phone across the room ending the call. Alexis just sits there looking a the open window and the summer shooting stars. After a few minutes she gets herself calm and goes to her daughter's room. The room is packed for college that will start in a few weeks. Across her ceiling are the glowing stars she always had as a child. Even as a mature teen, she wanted them. If anyone teased her, she reminded everyone her name was part of her father's call sign: screamer of the stars.

And then Alexis looks down on her beautiful daughter. A gift of the stars and God's amazing grace. Starlex is asleep face down on her bed of pink and blue star sheets among a clouds of pillows. With her arms tucked under her pillow and face to the side, she looks so much like her human father -minus the scars. The deep black hair framing her face, the smirk of satisfaction, an air of mystery to her dreams. So many times, Alexis had stroked Star's face hoping to bring him peace. And now here Alexis is looking down to his gift of peace. Could he really be calling her?

Alexis strokes the black hair from her daughter's forehead. And then she notices something on her daughter's back. The fabric of Starlex's pink tank top is twisted in her sleep and Alexis can see directly between her shoulder blades is a red star, trimmed in blue and gold. But this time, it has white feathered wings coming off each side. So that is where Starlex went with her friends for her 18th birthday…yesterday. It is still fresh with the Vaseline protection. It looks good and not infected. Alexis leans down and kisses her daughter's forehead. She had hoped she wouldn't become like herself. But she has to smile, one little tattoo is nothing compared to the more crazy things she had done. Hopefully Starlex doesn't sign up for the Canadian Airforce. What would Starscream say? Would he really return from the grave to haunt her for that?

Looking back out to the stars, could he really be calling her? How could he? She saw him die. She saw the replay of his death, too many times in her own mind. There is no doubt. She watched his exposed spark chamber turn to Unicron. He released Swindle, to save him, and then released every last weapon he had in order to get Unicron's attention and prove to his arrogant leader that Unicron was their bigger foe.

"Oh God, I can't go through that again. Please, don't do this to me. Don't make me leave my living daughter for a dead husband." She begs her prayer. "Let him lay in peace, please."

Starlex stirs, "Mom? Is everything alright?"

Alexis wipes her face and turns to her daughter, "Don't worry, Starlex. Just your mom being crazy again. Get some sleep. You have finals tomorrow."

Starlex smiles, "Piece of cake."

Alexis laughs, "Yes, of course."

Starlex yawns and smirks like her father, "I take after my mother."

Alexis shakes her head at her cockiness, "Yeah, but so much like your father." Starlex looks up to her curiously. They hadn't talked about her father in a very long time. Alexis heads for the door, "Yeah, he was just as cocky, arrogant and a smart mouth."

Starlex yawns and taunts, "Maybe, but you found it extremely sexy."

Alexis' jaw drops at her daughter being to brazen to talk about such things. Starlex laughs at her mother's reaction. Alexis points a warning finger at her, "You know, you don't have to embrace all of your parent's traits. It is alright to throw many of them off."

Starlex smiles, "But-"

Alexis tips her head and narrows her gaze, "Remember, his arrogance got him killed. And mine ended my career."

Starlex smirks once more, "Yeah but I got the benefit of two very smart parents. Clearly I'm twice the genius."

"Starscream!" It slips out before she could stop herself. Starlex laughs. Alexis rolls her eyes and leaves the room shaking her head at her slip-of-the-tongue.

"I love you, Mom."

With a strained voice Alexis answers her daughter, "I love you too, Daughter of the Stars." Whenever her mother said it that way, Starlex knew there was more to her birth than the half-truths her mother has told all these years. "Good night."

With that, Alexis closed the door and headed downstairs. She took out her computer and tapped into the EMC communications channels. She hacked into Rad's account. And there, she found the message he left for her. She had to shake her head. Yeah, Rad knew her just a little too well. She found all the information that had been coming across the Decepticon wave length. But there was too much information for one rough night of analysis. Starlex found her mother asleep on the couch with the lap top, timed out, on her lap. Starlex headed off to school after making her mom a pot of coffee.

~~It look Alexis a few weeks to realize, Rad was right. There really was something there. The signals were just too… too convincing.

So while preparing for Starlex's graduation, Alexis also began to make arrangements with Rad. Rad agreed to help her with her deception to her daughter. The worst thing she had ever done to Starlex.

The night of graduation, Alexis turned over her mate's armor to their daughter. And told her the important parts of her father. Within the week, Alexis took her daughter to a Taranto University. With a very tearful depart, Alexis let her daughter go. Poor Starlex had no idea to the truth of her mother's departing words, "Live in peace, dear daughter. Until all are one. Until all our sparks are reunited in heaven."

Starlex grasps her mother tightly, "Mom, it's just college. I'll be home for Christmas."

Alexis smiles, "Yes, of course you will. But remember, if anything should happen, find Connie in Taranto. She said she would look after you."

Starlex looks deep into her mother's eyes, "Mom, what is really going on?" Alexis just shakes her head. And then in a language Starlex hadn't hear since she was a child, her mother whispers, "We love you." And with that, Alexis had to run or never let her daughter go. Starlex was quite confused.

Six weeks later, Connie called Starlex. "Starlex, I have some bad news. Your mother was killed in an accident. There was a storm and her helicopter crashed."

Starlex tried to be light, "Are you sure, Connie? You know my mother, it would take a lot to knock her down."

Connie chooses her words carefully, "An act of God is the only thing that could take your mother's life. Certainly not anything a living being could do."

The university gave Starlex a week off to take care of her mother's funeral and belongings. Connie had made arrangements with the funeral home. Search and rescue had warned to make it closed casket. Neither one knew EMC's involvement. Connie had promised to store most of her mother's things. But Starlex did notice her mother's red flight bag was missing. Along with her lap top and a couple other items. One last thing she did find curious: The sketched drawing that always hung beside the mantel was now laying on her pillow. Like her mother had left it for her to find instantly. Her mother never told her directly what this was, but she knew it was some kind of an image of her father.

Starlex went back to the university and dove into her design and acting classes. She found her gift in acting and choreography. And she excelled, just like any task her parents took on.

Starlex had no idea what really happened to her mother. While Carlos was attending Alexis' fake funeral, Rad was helping Alexis gather the notes she would need for their interpretation of the information they were receiving.

And then they stepped through the warp gate. But not to Cybertron. No, it was too the Moonbase. Rad and Alexis decided to bring her in under an alias. She decided to go by her middle name. Grace. Funny that her parents would choose such a tender name. But at the time they had no idea what a wild card she would be. On this section of the base was mostly humans. There weren't very many 'Bots. Alexis-Grace was grateful. None of the Bots recognized her. But there was one mini con she was very pleased to see. She couldn't help but wrap her arms around him as soon as she saw him, "Swindle." She couldn't stop the tears. Swindle looked at her and smiled returning the embrace. He was the only one who truly knew what she had been to Starscream. But as the good partner he was, he remained silent.

Rad took them to a secured room and locked the door. Instantly, Alexis turned to Swindle, "Please, I need to know your take on this."

Swindle responded carefully, "It can't be him. I saw him die. I felt him die. This has to be some sort of trick."

Rad nods, "I agree."

Alexis looks between them both, "The messages are simple. I am here. That's it. Why isn't there more to the message? Why tell us he is here and not ask for more?"

Rad and Swindle agree shaking their heads, "It doesn't make any sense."

Alexis claps her hands together, "Fine, then lets go."

Both Rad and Swindle stare at her, "What?"

Alexis puts her hands on her hips, "Get real, you want an answer. What are we going to do? Sit around an analyze the data for another year? How long has the message been calling out? Has it changed?" They both continue to stare at her. "Alright then, fine, I'll go myself."

She reaches down tugging her helmet from her flight bag and heads for the airlock. Swindle puts a hand on hers, "He was my partner, I'll go. You stay."

Alexis clamps on her helmet, "He was my mate. I'm going." She stares directly at him daring him to stop her.

Rad pops on his own helmet, "I think both of you are too emotionally distracted. I'll go to keep you both in check."

Alexis laughs, "We are emotionally distracted? And who kept on this research when the EMC brass said it was feedback, a scam and to drop it?"

Rad steps into Alexis' face and whispers, "I did it for you."

Alexis seethes back, "I had already let him go." She steps back and seals her helmet. Rad seals his, and the team heads to the airlock.

Leaping onto the hulk of what was left of Unicron, it was like walking among a battlefield. True the three of them had traipsed through scrap and wreckage like this many a time, but never looking for the ghost of a friend. It was heart/spark retching to walk among the remains of friend and foe in this most vial of all enemy.

Alexis finally had to stop. She touched the wall. This is where Starscream had covered all of them when all hell started breaking loose. Swindle touches her shoulder lightly with a smile. He had been on his partner's back at that moment. He could feel the emotions Starscream had tried to hide from himself. Alexis smiles back to Swindle.

And then they heard it, "Swindle? Are they here?" Swindle sends out his electronic responds. And then before them, Starscream in his white & red proto-form materializes like a hologram. Alexis finds her breath catching in her throat. Starscream first nods to Rad, then to Swindle. And finally he lowers himself to one knee before Alexis.

She smiles but shakes her head in disbelief, "I let you go. I can't do this." Then right before them all, he changes his image to Star in the windbreaker, leather pants and spiked black hair with the soft red eyes. Alexis chokes out a warning, "You are a cold hearted creature to do this to me. Why would you be so mean?"

He whispers, "I need you."

Once again she shakes her head, "What could you possibly need from me?"

His smile turns ever so soft and tender. He glances over to Swindle, as well. "The only two people I can trust whole-sparked." Then he nods to Rad, "And the only person who could bring you both here." Rad nods back.

Swindle steps forward, "Sir, what do you need? I am here to serve."

Changing his image again, back to proto-form but the same size as Swindle he smiles broadly at his partner, "I am not Sir. I am not your commander, Swindle. You are my friend and confidant. We are partners. There is trouble brewing again. This beast is still alive."

Rad sighs heavily, "How many times can it be resurrected?"

"How many times can Galvatron get his greasy claws on it?" Starscream retorts.

"Why is he constantly trying to bring this thing back to life?" Alexis asks.

Starscream nods to an intelligent question, "Because Unicron is Primus' brother. Just as you never want Primus to die, you never want Unicron to live." He laughs.

Rad barks, "Not funny, Starscream."

Starscream turns his angry face back to Rad, "Don't I know it!" He takes a sigh and looks down to his feet. Then softly he raises his face back to Alexis, "I had to stay here. I had to be a warning. Primus has granted this favor on me." Alexis reaches out to him, but her hand goes right through his face. His smile is tender, "The down side, my love. I have no physical form." With a wink he smirks, "Oh believe me I wish I did." Alexis blushes. He steps very close to her and softly asks, "How is our daughter?" Rad's reaction to Starscream's loyalty to his family is mixed: it binds Alexis tighter to her mate but leaves less room for her to ever turn her heart to him.

Alexis can barely breath, "Oh dear God help me." Starscream's smirk matches Starlex's, "She is so much like both of us."

Starscream laughs, "Ah, I think it was a good thing I was dead then." Alexis instantly turns her back on him and strides away. She can't let his arrogance turn her heart to thoughts of them being together again. Too painful to consider. He calls to her, "Alexis, come back."

She waves a hand in the air to him, "Go to Primus, Starscream!"

He takes a deep breath and bellows a painful retort, "I DID!" She stops instantly. Both Swindle and Rad are looking between the mates. Who will bend? Who's grief is deeper? Alexis can't move wrapping her arms tightly around her chest clamping her hands to her shoulder trying not to break down. It's like a stab to all. So Starscream strides towards her with all the confidence they are used to seeing. But with each step his appearance changes back to the Star who created her daughter. This time he stops directly behind her. His hologram arms wrap around her. His head lowers to whisper in her ear. "I begged Primus to let me guard my daughter and wife. He granted me that favor by putting Unicron in check and let me send the warning."

Alexis turns around to face him. His arms still looped around her waist. She can feel the vibrating energy that creates his hologram. She looks up to him with all the love that had shared. "Forgive me."

He whispers with a smile, "Never. There is nothing to forgive."

And then Rad can see it for himself. He never had a chance. Even in death, Starscream held her heart tightly. No, that's not the way to phrase it. Her heart never ever belonged to anyone else. It was more than physical between them. Rad can see clearly that Alexis had revealed parts of her life to Starscream that Rad didn't even know existed. And the look on Star's face was so soft and tender. He had to admit, even in his proto-form, Rad now recognized it. Starscream must have given himself to Alexis very shortly after their first meeting. Rad never stood a chance. And for all the love he had for Alexis, he would never want to take this moment from her. He wasn't that cruel.

Alexis asks the deadly question, "What are we going to do?"

Starscream says it again, "I need you, Alexis. We are mates in so many ways." He turns to Swindle. "I need you to get the word out. Rad, you need to make sure they don't ignore my warning."

Rad shakes his head, "They think I'm crazy, Starscream. They haven't listened before. Why should it suddenly change?" Swindle nods in agreement.

Starscream pulls away from Alexis to bring the team back together. "I am running out of time in this manifestation. Unicron will find out soon enough. Alexis, you must come with me." He turns to Swindle, "You must link with her. You have to protect her. Rad, I will give you more information to take back."

Alexis gives Starscream a confused look, "What are you getting at?"

Starscream waggles his eyes back at her, "Time for the Red Hot Bot to take my partner and power link. Time for you to send a physical warning to Soundwave."

Alexis narrows her gaze, "I don't have the disk."

Rad leans in, "Red Hot Bot? What are you talking about?"

"I flew with Starscream." Rad still is confused. "As much as he became human, I became a 'Bot."

Starscream snorts, "'Con."

She shoots a warning finger back up at him, "Bot! Don't you forget it!"

Starscream winks back at her, "Fine, have it your way. Still damn sexy and still a smart mouth." With the most endearing smile, "My Red Star."

She smirks back, "Look who's talking."

Rad waves his hands in the air. "Time out! Let me see if I get this straight. Starscream, you are going to turn her into an Autobot have her power link with Swindle and send her straight into Decepticon territory bearing a warning?"

Starscream scrunches his nose, "I'm afraid, my love, in order for them to take you seriously, you will have to bare my shield." He turns to Rad and nods. Rad now understands why he was supposed to bring the pack. Carefully unzipping it, he pulls out Starscream's sword. He lays it in Alexis hand.

Alexis strokes it ever so softly. Then she looks back to the hologram, "Looks like I got you back in my hands again."

Seriously he states, "You will need it strapped to your back. You bring my sword of truth to their doorstep. Got it?" All joking stops. Then his face changes again. "Clutch it tight, you must come with me now. Swindle take him back then meet her here. Go quickly."

Swindle nods and begins to lead Rad away. Starscream leads Alexis to a nearby consol. She steps onto a red and black round disk. Swindle and Rad are almost away when Rad looks back. Not completely sure he should trust this Starscream. But then he sees Starscream, in proto-form down to Alexis size, lean his face closer to hers. Alexis leads her face up to his. "I have missed you so very much," she tells her mate deeply.

He is now also on the disk, wraps his arms tightly around her, "I never stopped loving you. Hold on." In order to distract her from the transformation, he kisses her. With the disk changing her body modulation, realigning her atoms and molecules, along with his holographic energy signature, Alexis can feel him once again. He consumes her. He surrounds her. And then she feels the change. He is physically one with her. And she feels herself physically change. It has been such a long time since she was that Red Hot Bot (Red Star) racing the skies with the sleek and sexy-dangerous Seeker Commander. Now they would physically do it together. Until all are one. Her eyes close at feeling their souls in one body. Her mate is caressing her mind and soul like he had caressed her body so many times before.

But Rad doesn't see the final transformation and emotion on Alexis' face because Swindle pulls him away. But he does see a small flash of red light from Unicron as he lands back at the airlock. And just a swiftly, Swindle nods to Rad, dropping a communication chip in his hand and dashes off. Rad watches from the window of the airlock. A streak of red comes from the hulk of Unicron. Swindle zips through space, alt-forms and locks himself to the red Terra Jet's (not an Earth jet) back between the white wings with red and black trim baring a particularly chipped and damaged Decepticon shield. With a twist reminiscing of a certain Seeker Commander, the red blur dashes away.

"God protect them." Rad is not only praying for their physical safety but for their relationship.

Swiftly, Alexis arrives at the current Decepticon base with Swindle's guidance. She proto-forms. Swindle remains on her back tightly locked between her wings. Striding confidently she approaches the front door. Using Starscream's old code, the door opens. With a swing to her hips, she strides right up to Soundwave's console. She sees Ravage standing guard at his master's feet growling. "Hello Ravage? Eaten any good Insecticons lately?" Ravage takes a swipe at her, but Alexis lithely leaps back.

Soundwave turns with his weapon warmed up. Alexis waggles a finger at him, "You really should have cleared his code."

Soundwave retorts, "I did. Personally."

She raises an eyebrow, "Then you must have a ghost in you system." Ravage steps forward growling. She steps back a respectful distance but draws her face serious, "I have come to warn you. Galvatron should leave Unicron alone."

"And just who does this warning come from?"

She pulls one of her wings: Starscream's sword. But she holds it out flatly. An offering. "Primus has set a guardian over Unicron."

Soundwave laughs, "You are telling me that Starscream's ghost is warning me of Unicron's reawakening? You are cracked."

Alexis turns the sword over in his hand and takes a chip from the hilt, "Fine, don't listen to me. Listen to this." Soundwave carefully sets the sword at a safe distance from her hands. With a hand signal to Ravage to guard her, he turns to plug the chip in. Alexis doesn't move. She keeps her hands in sight and watches Soundwave's reaction to the readouts.

He taps the reading to narrow down the detail. "This is bad news."

Alexis nods, "Yes it is. The Autobots have been warned as well. Just to let you know, they aren't taking Unicron as a threat either."

Soundwave turns back to her, "Yes but are they trying to reactivate him?"

"No, they aren't that foolish."

Soundwave scowls, but agrees. He takes a deep sigh and crosses his arms over his chest, "Why are you telling me?"

She cocks a hip and crosses her arms, "I need your help."

"My help? What can I do?"

"We need to stop Galvatron before it is too late."

Soundwave narrows his gaze. "Why? What do you have a stake? Why don't you let Galvatron or the Decepticons destroy themselves. I know that isn't your shield you bear." He chucks a thumb over his shoulder to the sword behind him, "It's his."

"You got that right! I lost my mate because your leader was a fool! It took the death of his second in command to get through to him. You're second now. Do you want to die this time?" Soundwave snorts. "So you are going to just stand by and let him destroy the universe for a fools errand?" Soundwave just stares at her. She holds a hand out, "Fine give me the sword and I'll take him out myself."

Soundwave gives her the sword, "You are the fool. He will cut you down before you get the first swing."

Alexis twirls the sword and barks, "Well somebody has to do something! Primus didn't make him a guardian for nothing. And I have to try protecting my daughter. Too bad Starscream had you pegged wrong. Maybe he was a fool." She takes a step towards the crew quarters.

Soundwave instantly clamps a hand down on her wrist, "Wait!" She stops and turns to him. "Let me lead the conversation. I'll let you know when to bring in your information. Deal?"

And then Starscream's voice comes out of her mouth, "Deal, Commander." Soundwave takes a second look at her. He sees that sideways smirk of Starscream's come across her face. Soundwave knows he is in trouble now. The ghost has come home to roost. And then to Soundwave's complete shock, Red Star closes her eyes but Starscream's voice comes out, "Still got my painting, Sounwave?"

"Ye-yes." Soundwave answers.

"Made any additions?"

"Ye-yes."

The eyes narrow and come back to the femme voice, "Then you know exactly what is at stake! Let's move."

Alexis, Rad, Starscream Swindle Soundwave all Hasbro's.

Starlex's name comes from a screen name I found on you tube posting a tribute to the couple. Loved it, found it fitting.