First story in a long while, tried to get all the characters right on point with their personalities. This takes place in the Prime show some time after The Human Factor with all the events from Legacy on never happening. Will be a time skip of several years after this.

I don't own anything other than some OCs that will come later.

The sky over Jasper Nevada was clear and blue, the winds calm and the sun shining. It would be the perfect day for a rocket launch, and most people would see the fair weather as a reason to be cheerful. Jack wasn't moved by it. Since receiving the news that the Autobots were leaving, he just hadn't been in the mood to be happy.

"So," he turned to face Arcee, as they both stood waiting on the ground floor of Omega One, "this is really it. This is . . . goodbye."

"Orders are orders Jack" Arcee was keeping up a deceptively calm demeanor. "All the signs say that the Decepticons have left earth, and we have to follow."

Less than a month ago a Decepticon signal had been detected coming from deep space. Ratchet's computer's were not designed to comprehend the Cons code algorithms, but nevertheless the doctor had been able to decipher just a few of the words. Wreck, energon, relic, ready. The message also included a set of coordinates that had only been partially decoded, but pointed to a solar system lightyears away from Earth.

The Con ship Nemesis had appeared on sensors shortly afterward, flying to a position beyond the dark side of the moon. Agent Fowler's people had scrambled human satellites until they could get a view of their activity, and were just quick enough to get an image of the Con ship departing for through a spacebridge, right before the giant ring began an automated disintegration.

The Decepticons had left Earth.

So here they were, on the last mission that would ever be launched from Omega One, as Team Prime made their final preparations to depart as well.

"This is completely whack!" Miko stomped her foot on the floor in frustration. "You guys can't leave, not just like that! We still have so much we have to do! I never got to go to another planet! We still need to have an all night monster movie marathon!" She rounded on her sheepish looking guardian, "Bulkhead was supposed to come visit Tokyo with me, he PROMISED!"

"Ah Miko," the big Bot looked like he wanted to pick the girl up and squeeze her to his chest. "I don't want to do this, none of us do. But we don't have any choice."

"Uh, you could decide to stay," Miko crossed her arms and turned away.

"But the Cons won't just be off on some interstellar vacation," Agent Fowlers called down from where he had been going over readings on one of the bases platforms. "They must have gone after something that could help them bring someone a world of hurt. And if Megatron gets his metal hands on it, its sure as apple pie that Prime and the other Bots will be first on his hit list."

"But you probably don't all have to go," Raf turned from his own station to join in. "I mean, couldn't you just send a strike team." He didn't seem to believe the words even as he said them. "Someone should stay behind to keep the base running for when you, well you know . . . come back."

"It's doubtful we'll have any need to," Ratchet didn't even look up from the equipment he was packing. "We've located all the relics that remain on Earth, and all the energon mines have been sucked nearly dry. Our operation on this planet was never supposed to be permanent anyway, just on an as needed basis. We really don't have any reason to stay."

Miko turned to glare at the indelicate Bot. "Fine then! Rocket off to your big important war and

leave us puny humans behind."

Ratchet looked up in surprised, realizing how what he'd said might sound. "Wait, I didn't mean that-."

"It will be a great blow to all of us to leave this world," Optimus turned from his monitor to address the room, and both humans and bots fell silent in response. "We came here simply searching for a new hope to continue this war, and saw this planet and its inhabitants as simply the most recent battlefront in our long struggle."

The Autobot leader's gaze swept over the humans among them, and his normally stoic face bent with affection, taking on a look something like fatherly pride. "But we found more than just allies, or a place of refuge. Earth became our new home, and we discovered not only the remarkable courage and strength of its inhabitants, but also a new family."

Then the moment of tenderness passed, and Optimus resumed his normal look of grave determination. "But our war with the Decepticons seems no closer to a resolution. We must continue to oppose our enemies on any front they may appear, or Megatron and his followers may gain an advantage that will tip the balance. The Decepticons have returned to the stars to further their plans, and if we do not follow, the consequences could be fatal." Optimus razed his penetrating gaze to the opening in the top of the Autobot base, contemplating the worlds that lay beyond the clear blue skies. "And if Megatron can gain dominion over Cybertron, it will likely be only a matter of time before his evil spreads across the galaxy, to threaten other planets." His eyes came back to rest on the small natives they had all come to see as family, "Including this one."

There was no argument for the Prime's words, and after a moment he returned to his work. One buy one, the others did the same. The old missile silo of Omega One was filled with the new ship that would carry the Bots away from Earth. It was a strange looking craft, made up from bits and pieces of rockets that Agent Fowler had scrounged and pried from half a dozen government agencies, and Ratchet had testily latched and welded together. It would be a tight fit to get all of Team Prime on board with their equipment, and it wouldn't get them a fraction of the distance of a spacebridge. Ratchet said it would travel far enough to reach a "civilized" world, were they could make upgrades or trade it in for something better. Many on the team privately doubted it would even get that far.

Arcee had been less than private.

"I just want you guys to know that I'll miss you too," Smokescreen spoke to the gathered humans. "I mean, I barely had time to get to know you all, but I'm still going to be sad we didn't get the chance to do all the fun Earth stuff you guys did with the others."

"Well, it wasn't all fun and games you know," Ms. Darby replied from one of the platforms. "To be honest, when I first found out about the Autobots, I wasn't sure I wanted Jack or myself to be a part of it." She looked out at the room full of Bots and Humans. "But I guess at some point you guys just became . . . family."

As the final preparations were made, so were the final farewells.

"See if you can send me a message from wherever you end up," Raf handed Bumblebee a flash drive that was almost lost in the Autobot's massive hand. "Ratchet can help you figure out how to triangulate a message to Earth, and that program should ensure it gets to me no matter where I am." He kept up a smile, "I'll send you the family pictures we take every year, and the science projects I do in College."

Bumblebee responded with a series of whirs and buzzes that would have been unintelligible to any other human, but made Raf take off his glasses to rub tears from his eyes.

Bulkhead reached down and picked up Miko in his hand, lifting her up to wrap her arms as far as she could around his massive neck. "Take care of yourself Bulk," she sniffed back tears, "don't stop being a rockstar. Keep the Cons begging for mercy."

Bulkhead laughed at the girls bravado. "Don't worry, Miko, any Con who doesn't keep their distance is gonna find out what it means to deal with a Wrecker!" To prove it, Bulkhead turned his spare hand into a battle mace and put a Autobot fist sized dent in one of the nearby crates.

"BULKHEAD!" Ratchet shouted from across the room. "I NEEDED THAT!"

Miko looked passed bulkheads shoulder to glare at Wheeljack. "You watch his back Jack. If you let anything happen to him, your gonna have to deal with me!"

Wheeljack smiled back at her, "I wouldn't dream of it," he through her a mock salute, "Wrecker."

Jack walked over to Arcee starring at the ground and scratching the back of his head. "So I guess this is goodbye," he looked up at his guardian. "I'm . . . I'm really going to miss you Arcee."

The Autobot put on her best brave smile in response. "Take care of yourself Jack, and stay out of trouble," the emotion in her voice undercut her poise, "don't make me hunt you down."

The human boy did his best to smile back.

"All systems check out and diagnostics are clear," Ratchet announced, trying to sound a little more tactful than before. "Optimus, we're ready to launch at any time. We should probably go as soon as possible, while the sky remains clear."

"Then it seems it is time to depart," the Prime's words were gentle, but firm. "We should not delay any longer."

Fowler came down the stairs from the platform. "Just let me say once again that we are in your debt. Your service to this country, and this planet, could never be repaid. Just know that whatever happens, you will always have a home here on Earth." He stood straight, bringing his right hand to his brow in a crisp salute. "God speed."

None of the humans spoke as Fowler's car drove them out of the base. Miko sat with her legs drawn up, burying her face in her knees. Raf double checked the settings on his camera, he would only get one chance to take pictures of the launch. Jack just stared at the floor, while Ms. Darby put a comforting arm around his shoulder.

Once outside Fowler drove to the road and pulled over, and everyone got out of the car to turn and face the rock outcropping. "Nice day for a flight," Ms. Darby tried to brake the silence awkwardly, "They shouldn't have a problem." No one responded.

A dull roar began to come from the silo opening. It sounded like the rumbling of a human rocket, but with an electronic hum that alternated pitch erratically. The noise was dull at first, then without warning the rocket burst from the top of the silo, and the sound became deafening. The ship shot up like a cannon ball, rising through the air faster than anyone had expected. The humans only just recovered from the blast when the ship began to shrink, disappearing into the sky with its trail evaporating behind it. They all stood by the roadside, watching the skies long after the Autobots had vanished from sight.