Contralto

Disclaimer: I never thought it possible. I made a small prequel to my (oneshot) of Accelerando. Imagine that. I never thought I would. Huh. But I was inspired by you my inspiring fans. :) And there is some naughty stuff here as well. I should have the doctor tend to my nose bleeding. LOL.

"Everyone who wills can hear the inner voice. It is within everyone."

-Mohandas Gandhi

"The voice of the intellect is a soft one, but it does not rest until it has gained a hearing."

-Sigmund Freud

By: VampireQueenAkasha

"Must bear witness..."

-Soundwave, echoing Starscream in TF: Prime

Cybertron

Pre-War

The sound of an explosion rattled practically every building in Iacon. The sound reached the tables of Orion Pax as he scrambled to gather the fallen data disks that had toppled all over the floor in his office. He groaned with dismay and shook his head, bending to gather them up. Jazz quickly caught sight of this and emerged to help his friend.

"Easy Orion," he said, with a gentle laugh, "I'll help."

Orion sighed with annoyance, glancing back briefly toward his window. "Must they always blast every hour?" he muttered.

Jazz chuckled and stood up, placing a few disks back into his friend's hands. "They've been excited about it all morning," he said, "Let them have their fun. It's not often you see their kind eager to get down and dirty and actually enjoy it."

"Still ... I have work to do too ... " Orion mumbled.

The two parted ways before Orion stepped into the Hall of Records with the data disks. The Archivist of Iacon himself - Alpha Trion - was bent over, going through something at his desk with his back to Orion. He chuckled softly, his rich voice filling the silence of the expansive hall.

"You are troubled, young one," he said.

Orion sighed heavily. "Alpha Trion, they work all day..."

"Yes, I know." Alpha Trion replied, "But we all must play our part."

Orion shook his head. "It's not that idea that bothers me."

Alpha trion paused and turned; Orion noticed that he was holding a microscopic lens in his hands. "Then what is it?" he asked.

"They work so hard and yet shouldn't they receive the same treatment as the rest of us?" Orion asked, "We're all the same, are we not?"

Alpha Trion turned in his seat with a gentle sigh. "Orion, I know you feel something for them and needless to say; I do as well. But you are here and they are out there. Don't grow too concerned over these matters." He paused. "After all, they seem to enjoy it."

Another explosion rocked the entire hall and Alpha Trion moved slowly aside when a piece of metal landed with a loud clatter on his desk. He glanced down at it briefly before he raised his thick, metal brows.

"Although everyone requires a break once in a while ... " he agreed.

The message was delivered to the mines just outside of Iacon. A filthy hand reached up to pluck the plate. It belonged to Nyx, a female Cybertronian with black armor and jagged points on her body. She had bright blue optics and long, thick fingers. When she transformed, she would turn into a driller. The jagged points along her back and arms were obvious key points in that.

She cupped her mouth and called back through the darkness of the mines. "Ladies! We're closing up! Get your gear and lets go!"

The rest of the workers - surprisingly females - began to gather their tools from their places. They were all black in color which - surprisingly - didn't change the fact that dirt and grime could still be seen rather well on them.

Nyx counted them all as they departed with their time cards before frowning back into the shadows when she noticed one missing. "Timbre!" she shouted, "Come on! Don't make me come back there for you!"

After a few moments, the black and red, feminine shape of Timbre stepped out of the darkness, covered in dirt and carrying a rock deposit.

"We're all due at Maccadam's place for drinks tonight," Nyx told her, grinning, "You should get yourself cleaned up."

Timbre pricked her chin up with a grin. "Yes, mother."

O

Maccadam's Old Oil House was buzzing with activity. Timbre and her group took a spot at the bar as drinks were passed out to them. There was laughter, cheering and jokes being shared between all of them.

"Bia, can you decide the difference between Energon and an old lugnut?" Timbre joked, patting her friend's back.

Bia was a larger worker built much more thicker than the rest. She had large arms and two extra ones on her chest. Many of them thought that she may have been molded from the Insect Caste, but she never said otherwise.

"Usually when I shove it down your loud processor," she sneered back.

There was a soft laugh behind Timbre and she looked over to see a mech approaching with a smirk on his face; a smirk that spoke of ill - intentions. He surveyed the females for a few moments before eying Timbre.

"I hear you like dirt," he said, "Perhaps you'll enjoy a bit of the clean."

Timbre smiled coldly. "I do like dirt; but isn't it a surprise that I don't really like you?"

There was a snicker from one of her friends. The mech looked furious by this. "I think it's time I taught you some manners!"

Timbre stood up off of the stool and faced him with a smirk. "Ooh, big boy!" she hissed, "Hit a female. Yeah, you must be real tough!"

The mech's two friends seemed amused by her words. One of them she actually recognized as Astrotrain. He gestured to her while whispering in his friend's audio receptor. "Are you going to let her talk to you like that?" he sneered.

The mech glared down at Timbre. "You will show the proper respect to your superiors!"

Timbre laughed and grasped her drink glass. "Superior! Haha! You must be joking, you old fool. If left to us, no one would be better than the other. So in doing so, I will gladly show you all the respect you deserve," she said, "NONE!"

She flung the drink in his face. The oil dripped down his chin and down his armor. He snarled and raised his hand in a striking position. "Why you insolent little - " he spat, about to bring his hand down on her.

Timbre looked stunned and started to raise her fists, but a hand shot out between them and grabbed the mech's wrist, inches before it contacted her. The two looked over and noticed the tall, blue and violet shape of Soundwave standing there, gripping the mech's wrist tightly in his long fingers.

"Soundwave, what are you doing?" the mech demanded.

Soundwave flung him aside like refuse and he staggered back into his comrades, sending them flying into a table that cracked under their combined weight. He took a few menacing steps forward before someone shouted.

"FIGHT!"

It became chaos at the bar while mechs and femmes alike engaged in fighting. Oil went flying through the air like Earth bugs in a swamp and bits of tables and chairs joined them. Timbre started to back away when she bumped into someone.

"Can I ever find my group not engaging in fights?"

She turned and noticed that it was Asteria, her group leader. She stood tallest of most females and was also all black. She had gold fingers and bright blue optics and one of them was cracked and the armor around it dented from fights.

"Perhaps so," Timbre said, amused, "But I think it's time we made a rather hasty retreat, wouldn't you say?"

O

The following morning, Timbre spent it early at the mines drawing up schematic plans. Eros and Eris - two driller twins - were busy getting their equipment started and spent most of that morning arguing with one another.

"It's supposed to be like this!"

"No! I told you! Do you want to roast us all alive!"

"I'd like to roast you!"

"I bet you would!"

"Hm, this is nice," Timbre mused, ignoring their rants, "Perhaps I could find a ... "

She trailed off at a strange humming sound and looked over her shoulder, just as something landed. She turned and spotted a strange, disk - think shape that resembled a bird that had landed right there. It had small, barely there eyes and jagged wings. Timbre smiled at it.

"Oh, hello," she said, "Are you lost?"

The small creature seemed intrigued with her schematic plan and she caught it staring and laughed, holding it up for it to get a better look. "There now, what do you think?" she asked.

The creature took one look before snatching it up in its beak and taking off. Timbre cried out in surprise and angrily gave chase. "Hey! No! Give that back you little thief!" she snapped. She stumbled across a busy intersection with a frustrated sound, dodging various Cybertronians in their alt modes who angrily shouted at her. "Well isn't this just lovely ... I wake up this morning and get my plans snatched by a bird!"

She chased the creature toward the Alpha Preserves and it occasionally stopped to look back at her, seeing if she was still following before it stopped at the edge of a spire. She put her hands on her hips and glared up at the creature.

"Come now, enough of this!" she snapped, "I want those schematics back on the count of two." She began to count on her fingers. "One ... two ... "

The creature seemed to glance beyond her briefly before swooping down and depositing the schematic board back into her hands. It passed over her head and she watched in surprise as it reconfigured itself onto the chest of Soundwave.

"Oh, fancy meeting you here," she said, smiling, "Soundwave is it?"

He barely moved his head forward in a nod.

Timbre furrowed her brow and gestured to the stagnant creature on his chest before she pointed back to the spot it had originally been. "Is there ... a particular reason that you sent that creature to pinch my data board?"

Soundwave beeped.

Timbre raised her brows now. "You wanted to speak with me?"

He nodded.

"Why didn't you just come over to the mines?"

Soundwave hesitated before he beeped again. That made Timbre blink once, twice in surprise. "I see. I suppose it would seem rather strange for a communication's officer from up high to step down into the mines requesting the presence of a female."

Soundwave nodded again.

Timbre smiled now. "It must be quite fun to stand beside Megatronus though," she said, "I bet all that time at the Arena must really be something to behold. He really knows how to speak his mind too. I respect that."

Soundwave stepped forward and murmured now. Timbre smiled at him.

"I know just the place."

O

It was a strange place.

Soundwave would not have felt anything otherwise for the solitary rocky area with a small Energon fountain streaming violet had he known that it would be a suitable location for talk. Timbre seemed pleased by it, so he didn't argue.

"Like it?" she said, "It's where I go to think."

Soundwave didn't reply and took a spot beside her. He looked down at her for a moment and beeped.

Timbre shook her head. "No. It's different now. Things are getting bad. Don't you sense it?"

Soundwave nodded. He chirped something again.

"Megatronus speaks the truth; we should all be allowed to live as equals and not fight over who waves the bigger gun than the others," Timbre agreed, "I know that already. But really. One can one do against many?"

Soundwave paused before chirping again. Timbre laughed. "Yeah, my friends would probably agree. But to have an army of females by your side isn't exactly threatening to some." She paused and rubbed her chin. "Though Asteria has been known to shake a few but ... " She trailed off and frowned at him. "But why did you stop that mech from hitting me at the bar? It wasn't really your problem. You didn't need to do that."

Soundwave's body relaxed before a recorded voice played back for her. It was the voice of Megatronus.

"There's no need for it."

Timbre raised her brows. "And why me?" she asked, "I'm sure there are others around in the same situation."

Soundwave looked at her. Another recorded voice of Megatronus played back.

"Such a waste of potential. This doesn't suit you at all."

She looked surprised. "You feel like I have more potential and that it's being wasted in the mines?"

A nod answered her.

Timbre looked a little surprised by the mech's opinion. She had never heard that from anyone else before. She assumed that it was simply the life that had to be regardless of her own personal feelings. But she knew about Soundwave; he lived a sheltered life in the labs and the offices. What did he know about that kind of life anyway?

Another recorded voice played back for her. It was in the voice of a mech she briefly knew as Knock Out. He was a professional street racer with a bit of a cocky streak to him that she found particularly annoying.

"You have to go out there and do what feels right to you. The Council is filled with old rust buckets waiting to expire anyway. Their opinions mean very little to me."

Timbre laughed gently. That was almost flattering. "I appreciate that, Soundwave."

He stood up and started to walk away and she followed him, stunned by his suddenly departure. She gave him a look as they walked toward Iacon East. Timbre's housing quarters was close by; she and the rest of the miners lived there under somewhat reasonable conditions.

"Soundwave, did I say something wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"I guess you have to go then, huh?"

Again, he shook his head.

"Then what is it?"

He paused and moved into the shadows. Timbre furrowed her brow and a strange collection of voices played back for her. She recognized a few as Shockwave, Starscream, Skyfire. A few others were unfamiliar to her.

" ... She ... "

" ... Lovely ... "

" ... Not possible ... "

" ... Different ... "

" ... Unusual feeling ... "

Timbre chuckled, somewhat embarrassed by the position that she was put in. "Do you want to hear a confession then?" He didn't make an indication of no, so she told him anyway. "I actually found myself ... attracted to you."

Soundwave beeped, incredulous.

"Why?" Timbre repeated with an embarrassed laugh, "I don't know. I suppose it's the way you present yourself. You don't sneer at the lesser castes and you have utter loyalty to who you are, including Megatronus. Loyalty and devotion are two things that are sadly dying out in this age. It's rare to see that in anyone." She sighed and hung her shoulders. "During the Mating Ceremony several years ago, I stayed behind in my apartment."

Soundwave was surprised and she took that silence as some kind of rejection. Instead of being upset about it, she smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Sure the ceremony was for everyone, but I had eyes for one and really, would you want a female who crawls around dirt all day long?" Timbre continued. She laughed again. "I love the smell of dirt, the feeling of the flames from my bombs. I love every bit of it; but in this shallow existence, I know it won't be deemed acceptable to many of the hot - headed fools around here. So I decided not to even bother with it."

Another collection of recorded voices played back for her.

" ... Foolish ... "

" ... Allowed to feel ... "

" ... Ignore them ... "

Timbre chuckled softly. "I know. But why waste my time with the rejection when I know what the answer is anyway?" She stared upwards. "It's time to recharge."

She walked passed him without so much as a farewell and Soundwave disappeared as well. He played back a recorded message.

"You don't know..."

O

Knock Out was practicing a few punches and kicks in the training hall when Soundwave stepped through. He smiled when he saw the mech and continued with his practicing.

"Well if it isn't my favorite aft in the mud!" he joked, "Where were you off to?"

Megatronus' voice played back for him. "Gathering recruits."

"Oh really? Hm. How was the walk?"

Soundwave beeped and Knock Out paused, turning to see the mech sitting at a chair in front of a computer screen. He was typing in something and he looked up at the various images that filled the screen; images of Asteria and her mining group as well as their professions.

Asteria - Mining Supervisor

Nyx - Mining Assistant Supervisor

Bia - Systems and Networking Engineer

Ash - Pyrotechnics

Eros - Senior Medic

Achlys - Scientist

Lyssa - Steel Press Operator

Aether - Geographer

Eris - Medical Officer

Timbre - Demolitions Expert and Bomb Disposal

"Oh! The female miners from Polyhex," Knock Out mused, "A little rough around the edges, but they would make fine additions to the cause."

Soundwave raised one finger to the photographic image of Timbre. Knock Out chuckled dryly.

"Yes, I remember Timbre," he muttered, "She threw a container of High Grade at me from the stands while I was riding. They are considered to be dreadful by female standards given their behavior and attitude."

Soundwave shook his head with a murmur of dismay.

"Well, you certainly are riled up about this one," Knock Out said, folding his arms across his chest.

Soundwave beeped quietly and played back another message broken down from various speaking voices. "I want to see ... Her ... Again ... "

Knock Out shrugged. "Why?"

Soundwave didn't answer.

Knock Out seemed to understand and grinned, patting his shoulder. "I never thought I'd live to see this day; you've found yourself a possible mate." He pushed his friend out of the chair. "Well, why don't you go to her? You're not getting any younger."

O

Timbre was starting to slip into recharge when she heard a loud, almost frantic knock at her door. She sighed impatiently.

"Achlys, I told you a thousand times!" she started to protest, "I didn't take your fragging news reports!"

She opened the door and Soundwave was standing there. As soon as she saw him, she quickly slammed the door in his face and pressed her back against the door with a soft gasp of shock. He was here right now? He knocked again, only this time, it was softer and slower. Wincing, Timbre opened the door and stared up into his facial screen.

"Sorry ... " she said. "But I was just about to slip into recharge and my place isn't exactly - Oh, okay ... "

Soundwave was already stepping passed her into her apartment to survey his surroundings. She sighed and shut the door behind her, embarrassed and failed to see him advancing upon her like a silent, hungry storm.

"Listen, that was really dumb what I said out there," Timbre told him, "I shouldn't have put you in the spot like that and - "

Soundwave pinned her to the wall with his larger form, drawing a surprised sound from her lips. He leaned forward, their foreheads barely touching and emitted a strange static jolt to her processor from his own; it was a hot and heavy sensation that left her legs buckling beneath her. His next words came out in a low, whirring sound; his intentions for what he had in store for her. Timbre's mouth parted in a startled gasp.

"Wait, I thought you ... " she began.

Soundwave reached up and cupped her chin with one hand, making her look up at his face. He played a recorded message back from a voice she wasn't familiar with, but it was old and ancient, filled with wisdom even in a recorded voice.

"You cannot assume the thoughts of others before you've even asked them what they are feeling."

Timbre laughed softly. "Yes, you're right. That was dumb of me."

Soundwave teased her lower lip with one finger, weaving a prickling sensation down the length of her abdomen. Another recorded message played back.

"Stop talking."

His hands began to explore her body slowly, fingers moving into little seams and dips that made her tremble in his arms. His knee slipped between her legs and pushed them apart so that he could reach down and stroke the inside of her thigh before moving to the spot between her legs with slow, sensual grace. Timbre practically vibrated below him, her optics partially closing and her lips parting with a soft moaning sound. He teased her slowly with that hand while working his other down her side.

"Soundwave ... " she whispered.

His hand cupped her outer leg and lifted it to wrap around his waist. He made a sound that resembled a pleased hiss before she leaned forward and began to kiss the side of his face. Her teeth delicately bit and sucked at the metal around his neck and the actions caused static to tickle over her lips. She could hear his cooling fans slowly whir to life and her own eventually joined when he started to grind his hips against hers.

Then, Soundwave felt something and stared down, noticing that she was starting to touch herself. She was biting her lip, arching into her own touch. He quickly stopped her by grasping her wrists in one hand and pinning them against the wall above her head. She made a desperate pleading sound and looked up at him, writhing against his hips.

"Please, it aches ... " she moaned.

Soundwave shook his head and reached down, stroking the warm metal of her access port and it folded away immediately at his touch. She sucked in a sharp breath as the air contacted her delicate, sensitive circuits. He reached down and gently brushed the edges, making her cry out with desperation and a small sob that followed.

Soundwave reached one long finger inside of her, brushing against the sensitive wires before he penetrated softer metal that felt hot to the touch and gripped him tightly, refusing to let him go. A broken hollow sound echoed out of him. From such a feeling in his finger alone, Soundwave could only imagine what it would feel like when his interface spike was inside of her. His movements caused a very happy sigh to burst from Timbre's vocals.

"Ah! Right there ... yes!" she cried.

She moved forward, pressing their bodies close and kissed the exposed wires of his neck, licking nipping and gently sucking. She uttered a muffled moan against his shoulder when he stabbed his finger deeper into her. Lubricant began to trickle over the length of his fingers and her fleeting sounds, begging him to finish her was more than enough for him.

The armor between his legs shifted and clicked and out slid his interface spike. The sound made Timbre moan with pleasure.

"Now, slaggit!" she rasped.

Soundwave tossed his head back in silent triumph as he pushed himself into Timbre's eager, aching body, scraping across several sensory nodes in the process. She moaned against him, her body shuddering and her arms wrapped around his waist, her fingers digging into his back. Soundwave arched against the pleasing, stabbing sensation. He backed away until he reached the edge of her berth and laid himself onto it; still connected, Timbre fell with him, lying on his chest.

Above the communication's officer, Timbre smiled down at him, tracing her fingers through the seams of his chest plating to explore what could be pleasurable spots for him. Soundwave gripped her hips and attempted to move his own, but Timbre shook her head and grinned, leaning forward to whisper near his audio receptors.

"No, no, let me find your hot spots," she whispered, "You might enjoy this after all."

Soundwave hesitated before he nodded and leaned back; the concept of having her explore him was far - too pleasing to really ignore.

Timbre shivered against the sensation of being filled and instead, bent forward to kiss and lick his chest. She undulated her hips above him, drawing a static - filled sound from his vocals that reminded her of a moan. Her nails raked down his chest, sending hot showers of sparks everywhere. Soundwave arched into her touch and his hands grasped her hips. She didn't chastise him for it this time; he could tell by the quick, rapid sounds of her breath and the shudder of her body that she was close.

It was then that Soundwave hooked one leg over her and he flipped her onto her back. She was too close to her own climax to even argue with the change in position. She whimpered and leaned forward, but he moved his hands out and pinned them over her head on the berth with one hand. She started bucking against him in a way that allowed for him to press deeper into her. She looked up and met his gaze with a delicious moan to follow. He could feel his own response slowly starting to turn inward just from the sight of her blissful, aching expression alone.

Timbre murmured his name desperately in rapid procession over and over again. "Please Soundwave ... " she cried, "So close - I'm so close!"

He granted her release; he pressed himself deeper into her with one swift push of his hips and struck something new within.

Timbre arched up to him, despite her arms being restrained and uttered a strangled wail as she overloaded. There was something savage about the way that she writhed against him, moaned, swore and sobbed in broken fragments of Cybertronian Old Verse. After her overload dwindled, she looked up and noticed that Soundwave was attempting to hide his face in her shoulder before he reached his own climax. His body trembled above her and she could feel the energy pulses that he fired start to change into intermittent throbs.

"Soundwave," she whispered, taking his face and making him look at her, "Don't hide ... "

Static and lights flickered across his face screen. He grabbed her shoulders and after a few moments, he finally strained up, calling out in a strange melody of sounds and noises. Timbre thought the sight of him in overload was the most amazing thing she had ever seen before; he couldn't keep his hips still if he tried and his face screen flickered wildly with various levels of static and light. Timbre kissed the underside of his chin and she could make out the following sounds of chirping half - formed sobs.

O

Once he relaxed, she felt him slide out of her and his open port closed. She did the same with her own and rested long enough to rub a hand down his chin. He responded by bringing his arm up to rub her sides. She felt oddly relaxed and satisfied ... and somewhat embarrassed by what she was going to say next.

"Did you like it?" she asked.

A nod answered her.

"Well, it was good considering that it was my first." Timbre said.

Soundwave's hand froze on her hip and he pulled away, staring at her with that blank screen filled with accusation. He beeped and it sounded angry. He played back a recorded message now that sounded like Megatronus.

"Why did you fail to mention that to me?"

Timbre laughed gently. "Because I didn't want to say that I'd rather have no one else but you," she told him, touching one of his fingers, "I was saving myself up for the possibility that I thought would never come."

Soundwave didn't seem very convinced by this, so she kissed his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "It's okay, I promise," she assured, "It was everything I had dreamed of."

He waited for a moment before nodding slightly.

Timbre chuckled and climbed out of the berth and started to go toward her bathing room, but paused and looked back at him. He was laying in the bed like a regal, contented feline and she gestured with a brief flirt of her head.

"Care to join me?" she asked.

He immediately stood up and followed her into the room where she had started up the water. She stepped inside and let the hose wash down over her. After a moment, she beckoned to Soundwave with one finger. He stepped inside and his body immediately relaxed under the warmth of the water. She smiled at him and gathered a container of green cleaner. Soundwave took it and began to pour some onto his hands. Before she could protest, he gestured for her to turn around with one finger.

She did and he started washing her back. Timbre jumped in surprise and then relaxed as his fingers worked at plating in her armor, lightly digging inside to get rid of earth chunks and dirt. She made a contented sound when he worked the suds between her legs and lower back plating. Then, they moved upwards toward the front of her body and against her chest, pausing to feel the warm hum of her spark beneath.

Timbre smiled and leaned her head back, reaching one hand up to cup his face before placing a gentle kiss against the side of his head. Soundwave pulled her close and let the soap wash over his body. She could feel his spark pulsing against her back.

She never wanted to lose that again.

O

Note- And there you have it. I have no idea why I've grown fond of this little fan pairing. It's cute in a sense.