#femmebot

This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long, LOOOONG time. Like, back when I was still in grade school. When I first got into Transformers, I found myself, despite their limited appearance, the femmbots to be some of my favorite characters. True, they didn’t do much, and Elita One basically was little more than Optimus’ girlfriend (who was never heard of until that episode), yet Search for Alpha Trion is still one of my favorites out of the G1 cartoon. And it seems that I’m not alone, as there are several other fans of the femmebots as well. Notable figures being that of Ty-Chou of Deviantart (known as Ghost of the Dawn on FF.Net) and Lecidre, also of Deviant, have inspired me long ago to make my own stories for the femmes and how they got to be where they are when you see them all.

Granted, these stories take place in a universe of my own with my own headcanons and whatnot, as it also connects to a Transformers project I’m also working on. And there will be characters from the original toys, to the cartoon, to the comics, future and past generations, and vice-versa. I’m so excited to be doing this!!!

Anyhow, given we have a lot of ground to cover, I’d suggest we get started! First up is, of course, Elita One, or rather, Ariel, as to how she becomes Elita herself is a part of this. Also, while I like her and all, her ‘special power’ in the episode was lame, so I switched it out to where it’s a condition that actually IS dangerous to both herself and others. Also, as this series goes out, even if it’s about the Autobot femmes at first, there will DEFINITELY be some Decepticon action in these, and in more ways than one. I’ll also show off some ship teases, both more popular ones, yet also personal favorites of mine. And some that are more or less plot convenient, but rest assured, everyone is free to interpret as they choose. It’s free for all.

Locations of Cybertron and certain events referenced from the Transformers Universe MUX and TFWiki. For future clarification, measures of time, currency, and various other tidbits of information vary in between versions of the franchise, yet I believe I’ve made it work in the context of this universe.

Ariel 1-After Hours Sightseeing

Protihex, one of Cybertron's many city-states, was the largest area in Sector Six-Zero and one of the three that made up the Tri-Torus Loop. It was far from large or magnificent, nowhere near close to Iacon. Its neighbors varied between the ever increasingly dangerous Polyhex to the calmer, more quaint city-state of Uraya. It had a little bit of all three in its buildings and layout. However, while it bore no grand monuments or had many attractions that provided entertainment, much of what those other, more notable city-states had come from Protihex.

For what Protihex says lacked in splendor, it made up for its contribution to those around it. Mills to produce metal, mines to harvest and farm precious materials, blacksmiths to craft fine weapons and armor, and perhaps most importantly of all, the shipyards, notably Shipyard Twenty-Six. From that yard came deliveries from all over the galaxy and beyond, from shipments containing minerals and oils from Darhos to samples of various organic materials from inhabited organic planets such as Delta Pavonis IV and Feminia for study by the scientific communities. Indeed, it seemed anything, and everything came to Shipyard Twenty-Six.

Which only fueled her lust for knowledge more.

"Hey, Ariel!" she heard a voice cry out. "Get your head out of the clouds and get the rest of Ghennix's shipments!" a rather bulky, burly mech of grey and blue armor chastised her, his arms folded over his broad chest. "Dion! Go with her to make sure she doesn't screw anything up!"

"Yes, sir!" another mech approached her, his armor yellow and blue while his facial region, forearms, and thighs were pale grey. "C'mon. Let's get down there," he said, though it was mainly urging her to go before their oh-so-kind boss could find another thing to complain about.

"Yeah, sure." with that, both mech and femme made their way to the other sections of the massive shipyard, shifting into vehicle mode to make travel faster.

Ariel was smaller in shape and frame than Dion and, frankly, most of the other workers here, many broad-chested and built with the capacity for physical labor. Her vehicle mode also demonstrated this, taking the shape of a standard, four-wheeled model of pink, smaller and more circularly shaped than that of any of her co-workers. Her root mode was standard for a femme her size, her outer shell not overly built or heavy in armor, and it was pink in color with varying shades and grey areas on her waist, arms, and thighs. On her head rested what, had she been an organic creature with hair, would've been referenced as a ponytail, the piece coming to a curve above where her head connected to her neck. Her optics were bright green, contrasting with her pink outer body. She had always been told that she had something of a 'femme's' charm to her appearance, not too underdeveloped yet proportioned decently enough. Though she felt that her being made her stick out like a sore thumb servo, she was sure that everyone looked at her the same way, whether they said it or not.

"Sorry about that." Dion apologized. "It looks like Hardiron's had it out for you today."

Ariel let out an exasperated sigh. "So what else is new? That mech will find ANY reason to complain about my work."

Indeed, it seemed that ever since she had taken this job, her supervisor always had some sort of comment or had to point out some kind of error on her part that would, and quote, "cost them a Pit of a lot of shanix," so she had to get corrected, lest they lose money. But frankly, she just believed it was because she was the only femme here working in the shipyard. Ever since she had arrived here, Hardiron had found every excuse he could to tell her that she was doing something wrong. "Ariel! Be careful with those Energon Cubes!" she mocked in her processor. "Ariel! You clumsy clod! You nearly dropped those containment units! Primus, what am I going to do with you?!" and the subsequent threats of firing that she received over and over again had begun to wear down on her patience and general mood.

After stacking and loading in units for transport and taking those coming in, the day went by, and eventually, it was time to clock out and return home. The trek to the small apartment complexes nestled on the outskirts of the Sector Six-Zero area was at least not too long of a drive for both Ariel and Dion, yet their living quarters could use a lot of work. While it was still stable for now, neither of them would've been surprised if the entire complex fell apart in a few more stellar cycles, or heck, even a few orbital cycles! Nevertheless, for now, it was what they called home, and they had no other choice but to make the most of it.

Entering the small room labeled 'B-52', Ariel and Dion switched on the light and looked at the small space the two Cybertronians occupied together. It was a single room with one refreshment counter, one chilled containment unit, and two berths. Dion was on the bottom by the window while Ariel's was on the smaller, upper section of the room, a balcony beside it. The two bots wasted no time sitting on the couch, Dion going over and getting two cubes of chilled Energon for them to ingest.

"You know, I don't think that Hardiron hates you as much as you think he does," Dion told her as he handed her the cube with violet fluid inside.

She rolled her optics (or rather, the internal units hidden behind the glass barrier). "Yeah, and him pointing out me not even standing up straight is grounds for potentially firing me." she began to chug down the Energon, the slightly acidic, tingly sensation in her mouth just what she needed.

"He just wants the shipyard to be the best it can be." the mech told her. "After all, Protihex isn't exactly known as a prestigious area." he then took a swing from his cube.

Well, that was true. All this city-state was known for was it provided for its other, more luxurious neighbors, all the while having little to nothing for itself. "Still," she said. "It's not like he has to make me feel like I'm even MORE out of place."

Dion couldn't help but sympathize. True, he didn't think Hardiron hated Ariel, yet their supervisor made it clear that the pink femme was the only femme working in the yard, and thus, may need a little extra 'help' in some of her tasks. "Well…he WAS a former instructor in the Academy. Maybe he's trying to bring out the best in you. He wants you to prove him wrong."

"You're too nice for your good." Ariel sighed. True, while Dion was a good company to have, his optimism and feel-good attitude about everything could get grating when she needed to vent and NOT have to hear some sort of 'silver-lining speech attached to it. It was then that what Dion had just said jogged her memory. "Speaking of, what IS this talk of some 'gang' or something forming?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean," Dion thought for a bit. "What were they calling themselves? Decepticons? Yeah, Decepticons!" he confirmed. "Not too much. I heard that there'd been some activity in places like Tarn, but overall, reports have been somewhat quiet." he then leaned back. "I guess there's nothing wrong with peaceful protests. Though some of them have been getting a little out of hand from what I've heard."

"Out of hand?" Ariel questioned.

"Some bots think that they're going to be doing more extreme 'demonstrations' which probably include making a physical mark on where they visit. Like sending a message of some kind." Ariel couldn't help but feel a chill in her spark upon hearing that. "But I wouldn't worry," Dion assured her. "After all, it's not like any of those demonstrations have been anywhere near here."

...

"Anywhere near here…" Ariel mused upon her berth while Dion recharged soundly down below. Recharge never really came to her easy, and now that her roommate had to bring THAT particular fact up, it only made getting rest harder.

True, it dealt with matters that she had no part in, yet she couldn't deny that she and everyone else was beginning to feel the political unrest going on all across Cybertron. While Dion had heard more, his and her coworkers having the opportunity to travel with shipments all over the planet, everyone had the same general mindset that it was none of their business and that it wouldn't affect them in the slightest. Ariel wished she could believe that, yet still, a nagging feeling in her spark told her that it was unwise to ignore all these signals and signs. Opinions regarding the Decepticons varied in between the works as well. Some felt that they were well within their rights to question and demand change, while others thought they wasted their time. True, no one cared for how the strict codes of the system only allowed them to scrape by due to their status and past mistakes barely, but many had come to accept it for what it was. Not like it, but accept it nonetheless.

Ariel herself was stuck in the same position; she could only find work here in Protihex because Dion convinced Hardiron that she could prove to be an asset to the team. Not much of one (Hardiron just HAD to keep reminding everyone that she was a femme, and by definition, 'weaker'), but still, she could be a good worker. Thus, she went through training (of which her oh-so-lovely supervisor worked her to the skeletal structure), and soon after, despite some MORE protests from Hardiron, she was hired and went right to work. Work in the shipyard wasn't bad. While monotonous, it was simple enough to figure out, and she DID meet some nice mechs around the yard. They were an all right bunch, some clearly from rough backgrounds, yet she was quite fine with them all.

All of that was secondary compared to her not being able to enter recharge, though. Seeing as she wasn't going to be able to for some time, Ariel lifted herself up and quietly made her way down the stairs and out the door, trying her best not to rouse Dion. Once she was out of the complex, she transformed into vehicle mode and began driving. By Primus, she adored driving. Trailing down the roads and highways of Cybertron, the lights illuminate the area beneath her. It was somewhat childish, yet she always felt as if she were traveling the star ways, past the confines of the planet and to other worlds, the worlds where the goods she received and stocked came from. A distant dream, yet still, one that she indulged in from time to time.

She traveled a good distance, exiting Protihex driving up further, heading south from the city and towards a far more compelling sight. Finally, at long last, she reached her destination, the city's high walls before her. This was only a short setback for her, having used the cubic spaces in between the squares that made up the structure as stepping stones before. Climbing the border wall was far from anything new to her, and as long as she wasn't caught, she wasn't planning on stopping any time soon, for the reward was worth it.

Hoisting herself up, Ariel's green optics were greeted with the sight of towering structures and buildings bathed in pure, pristine light, her sights centered directly on a massive, golden dome that lay in the center of the grand city.

Iacon. Capital of Cybertron.

A short distance away from Protihex, her home paled in comparison to the majesty that was this place. Iacon was located at the northern pole of the planet and nestled in the heart of a cluster of other city-states such as Nova Cronum and Vos, all of them having their distinguishing features and landmarks that separated them greatly from the more humble place she called home. Yet Iacon was her favorite, a place that she could go to again and again and have no problem returning the next solar cycle. Despite that, she was only familiar with the area where she was now, having never entered before. Yes, she had tried to go past the wall, yet she had heard stories of how strict the border patrol was, as well as how expensive it was to get another passport simply. Slag, she had up and nearly spent ALL she had to get to Protihex!

And the less time she thought about WHY she had to go anywhere else at all, the better. If anyone at the border patrol found out why she was working such a low-end job, let alone why she even took it, they wouldn't let her in within five hundred mechanometers of the polity! As far as she moved from where she was forced to go, it seemed that it would be right up on her again.

But she couldn't dwell on such things now. She had come here to see the majesty of this place instead of allowing her processor to dwell to those she had since left behind. So Ariel positioned herself to rest her head on her right knee while the other leg was dangling over the wall, green optics taking in all she could see from her current position. While she had never officially BEEN in Iacon before, she held some knowledge of what lay behind the towering barrier separating it from the rest of Cybertron. A short distance away from the large, glowing dome stood three tall structures that surrounded it, as if standing guard over it, protecting the heart of the entire polity. What lay in those towers, let alone in that dome, she had no idea. Yet, her processor conjured up a billion or so theories, ranging from it being an important meeting place to a religious temple. Yet, whatever it was, it must've held some sort of significance. And if not on the surface, then perhaps somewhere deep within. Beneath the streets, deep down in the chasms and chambers that were hidden away from the naked optic.

Or she was simply getting ahead of herself. Still, her curiosity skyrocketed when she had first seen the dome and towers, and only seeing them again did little to discredit the wild possibilities that filled her processor.

She began to adjust herself to perhaps get a closer view of it, yet as she turned around, she saw, to her horror, she was no longer alone. A mech had apparently climbed up onto the wall with her, and judging from his expression, he was not pleased in the slightest. He bore ivory armor and blue optics, an Autobot insignia on the center of his chest. His helmet was a simple dome shape, yet two angularly shaped, red extensions on his forehead. And on each of his shoulders rested sizable cannons, seemingly ready to fire whenever needed.

"Oh! Um…hello?" Ariel greeted, giving a small smile. The mech was not amused.

"Would you care to explain yourself?" he said, folding his arms.

Ariel inwardly groaned. She was in trouble. "What seems to be the problem…officer?" she asked.

"Officer Prowl, if you must address me," he said, clearly not in any mood for idle chit-chat. He then approached her, cuffs in hand. "And I suggest you stay still while I read you your rights."

...

A detention center. A late cruise and some sightseeing had landed her in a detention center. A slagging detention center! Ariel rose from the interrogation room she was currently locked in and angrily pace around. Of all things that could've happened…gah! It made her want to scream!

Apparently, according to Officer Prowl (who was her LEAST favorite bot at that moment), she had violated border laws by attempting to enter without presenting her passport. She, of course, told him she didn't have one, yet also that she wasn't going to go into Iacon, she was just observing it from afar. He thought it was something she pulled right out of her afterburner (he didn't say it, but his face said it all), and promptly dragged her to the station situated right outside the wall.

A million questions filled her processor on what issues her incarceration would bring up: how long would she be here for? Would she be able to get back before Dion noticed she was gone? And if not, would she even be able to get to work? Primus, if Hardiron ever heard about this, she was going to be working for another job by the end of this cycle!

Better yet…if this gets on her record, then it'd only make it harder to earn a living. As if her previous 'incident' didn't make it difficult enough.

Suddenly, she heard a door open, another mech coming up to her room with Officer Prowl. This one was quite a stark contrast to Prowl, his helmet was black and his armor bore markings of red and blue, though it mostly remained ivory. In addition, he sported a thick, shining visor, and while it was perhaps too early to judge, he appeared to be far friendlier than the other mech she had come across.

"Well, hello there." he greeted.

The fact his voice was so amiable threw Ariel off entirely, her optics shifting. "Um, hi?"

"Jazz." Prowl introduced matter-of-factly, the other mech holding out his hand for the femme to shake.

Still surprised by the sheer contrast between the two, Ariel nonetheless took Jazz's hand. She was gently led back to the table, Jazz presenting her with a smile while Prowl's expression remained neutral, albeit with a good degree of apprehension. It seemed that he still believed that Ariel was right where she belonged.

"Now, Ariel, was it?" he asked, Ariel, in turn, nodding her head. "I don't think I need to remind you of why you're currently in custody."

The pink femme shook her head. "No, officer. You don't."

"Then I don't need to remind you that this offense could get you some time in the penitentiary, yes?"

"What?!" Ariel rose from her seat. "That's ridiculous! I've done nothing wrong!"

"You violated border regulations, which is something we take very seriously in times like this," Prowl responded cooly.

"I never went past the wall!" Ariel argued.

But you DID know that you had to have a passport for confirmation, right?"

Ariel went silent. "Look," Jazz interjected. "You look like a pretty ok bot to me." He told her, quite a degree friendlier than his fellow officer. "You're not that bad of a looker either."

The pink femme chuckled. "Well…you've got a nice physique yourself."

Jazz laughed in response. "A nice femme like you is a far cry from the other folks we have to deal with. Somebody like you doesn't belong in some dingy old cell. All we want is for you to answer a few questions."

Ariel looked at Jazz, then to Prowl. "Fine." She relented. "What do you want to know?"

Prowl crossed his arms, surprised she wasn't immediately asking to call for an attorney. "You'll tell us just like that?"

"I've got nothing to hide." The pink femme answered.

Well then, if she was equally as anxious to start, Prowl figured that he might as well get on with it. "Then we start from the beginning," he said, bringing out a datapad.

From then, he sent question after question her way, such as her serial code, current residence, place of employment, any sort of detail that allowed Prowl to construct an image of the femme before him. Or rather, her true image, one other may not see. As valued as Jazz was to the force, the white officer couldn't fathom how he could be so optimistic about these things. This femme was not what she seemed, he knew it. Still, everything she had said had checked out. He then came upon a small section that gave him pause.

"What?" Ariel asked. Despite appearing to not be concerned, she was nervous.

"It says here that you have a reported incident that occurred not too long ago."

Frag. She thought. "Yes, there was something that…happened," she admitted. "Yet it was settled between me and those involved."

Prowl seemed unfazed. "It also says here that your previous residence was in Tagan Heights."

"Yes, it was," Ariel answered. "And that's relevant; why?"

Prowl narrowed his gaze.

"There's been several reports of peculiar activity in that area as of late."

"What kind of activity?"

Prowl didn't answer her question, continuing with his own. "And it also says that you've only relocated to Protihex little more than a deca-cycle ago. Any particular reason as to why you left?" He narrowed his gaze.

Ariel felt his optics on her. Who knew that blue could be so intimidating? "What does that matter? Why are you so interested?"

"That's classified," Prowl told her plainly.

"Well then, I'm not answering," Ariel said back.

Prowl was unmoved, still and studying the femme. Jazz hung around observing the both of them, waiting to see which one would talk first.

"You do understand that all you've said just now can be used against you, right?" The white mech questioned. "I'm not a fool, so don't make me think that you are."

Ariel's optics widened. "And all I'm asking for is a simple answer as to why you're so interested in my previous residency, let alone place of employment."

"So why can you not answer something that should be so simple?" Prowl was having none of her games, whatever they were. "You are the one that said you have nothing to hide after all. Or was that a lie?" He then crossed his arms. "I don't think I need to tell you that any mistruths aren't going to put you in the most flattering light."

Ariel was torn between seething and wanting to give this bot a piece of her mind to swearing her cables had been infused with cooling fluid, spinal cortex feeling chilled. Anger and fear fought over her, for she knew the officer had her trapped. There was no getting out of this. But what would she say? "I…" she began. "I…was let go from my work." She finally admitted.

"Why?" Prowl asked.

"I was searching for other opportunities." She answered.

"It had nothing to do with what occurred?"

"No, it did not. I was looking to move out of Tagan Heights for some time. I wasn't satisfied with the living conditions there." Before Prowl could speak, she interrupted. "And no, it had nothing to do with what occurred." She read his face. "But you clearly don't believe me." It was then that something Dion had said earlier came to her processor. It was out of the blue, but all the same, given the questions she was being asked, she found her own question rather appropriate. "This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with these so-called Decepticons, would it?"

Prowl stared her down, Jazz still keeping an eye on both of them. Then, after a short bout of silence, the officer rose from his seat. Jazz ultimately followed, the door secured and prevented Ariel from leaving herself. She folded her arms and sighed. How was she going to explain this to her boss? Better yet, how long were they planning on keeping her here? She cursed herself for getting in this situation. And that white mech too for his overall attitude.

Just then, the door opened, an unfamiliar mech entering the room. He bore red and blue armor and had the standard, blocky form for a mech, his optics were a natural blue color, yet what drew Ariel's attention was the angular facial covering that concealed his mouth and half of his nose. The pink femme watched as he sat opposite of her, already pondering on where this was going.

"Hello, Ariel."

Ariel nodded. "Yes, I'm she. And you are…?"