This is, stupidly overdue, I apologise to everyone who has been asking if I was ever going to continue Stealth. I burned out on Stealth two years ago with chapter 29 half written.

But I also bring good news, I burned out on Stealth, but not on Nova.

Please see the large block of emphasized text after this half chapter is finished for the full announcement.

Chapter 29

Thundercracker groaned under his vents as one of the small boulders he was half propped up on shifted under his weight, sending a sharp bolt of pain through his spinal strut, even with his pain receptors as dulled as they were already.

It was only after Thunderblast had left him here that he'd come to terms with just how much damage Starscream had done to him… he couldn't remember it really… it had all been a rage filled blur, triggered by the sight of Thunderblast being pinned to that wall.

He didn't regret beating Starscreams helm into the stony floor, but his aching frame was certainly a good counterpoint to the satisfaction he'd gotten out of it.

Thunderblast had been gone upwards of two hours already… his internal systems barely functioned enough to even keep track of the time…

Time… it was something that had mocked him for most of his cycles online.

He either never seemed to have enough… or had far, far too much…

He never had enough time with Skipper… even when they lived together in Vos, her growing popularity had her away from their unit during the nights, when he was back from his own work… But on those rare cycles he had her in his arms… it had been perfect.

After their capture… after he tried to cut ties with Starscream and Skywarp in the early days of the war… he was never allowed to see her… Thunderblast was the only one allowed to see Skipper that wasn't Shockwave… the first time he was allowed to see her… was to see the emergence of the Sparkling they'd hoped to raise far from the war, on a distant planet… it was the last time he ever saw Skipper online…

His spark, worn and weary from his millenia of grieving, clenched at the memory… yet… swelled at the same time, hearing that shrill cry of life from his daughter… the next time he'd seen her online… himself… was here… on this planet… where the fact the Decepticons numbers were slim to none, gave him more freedom… but anything was considered more freedom compared to what his imprisonment had been before.

He still remembered seeing her, plummeting downwards towards the ocean, the malformed Predacon of unknown origin falling around her, it's body reflexively coiling around her in it's own spasms.

It was a moment seared into both processor and spark, the lightning burns still smoking and one limp servo reaching upwards, reaching out…

He'd grabbed it… but it had been too late to pull up, and he and Skywarp had ended up pulling the two to shore along the ocean floor.

He'd been given seldom few moments more with her as they pulled the two unconscious frames, how they'd even managed to move the Predacon was something he still mused about, before Skywarp had dragged him away…

That was the only time he'd ever seen her adult frame, so akin to Skipper it was like he was looking at a ghost…

But she also looked like him… in a way…

His spark clenched again… he was going to see her again… today… he didn't think any level of mental preparation was enough… that morning he'd onlined to a lifeless existence… now, he was badly wounded, stashed in a cave, with the promise of his daughter being on her way to finally meet him…

Reaching up he let his faceplates fall into the palm of his servo, the digits clasping at the metal surrounding, trying to ground himself in the moment.

A moment later, something caught his audio, pede steps, two sets of them.

And a voice, Thundercracker instantly recognised Thunderblasts rolling drawl.

She was talking… and there was someone else.

His spark twisted in panic, but at the same time, it was overjoyed…

A shadow fell on him, his red optics met the gold of Thunderblast and the femme stepped out of the way to let the larger femme into the cave.

Novalight, his precious Novalight.

Their optics met for the first time, his spark cried out in it's casing, begging to finally complete that bond he'd only felt the first tendrils of before they'd been separated.

He saw a ghostly recognition fill his creations features as she took a shaking step forwards, then another… a few more followed in silence outside the keening of her vents before she dropped to her knees beside him.

The embrace was fervent, their servos grasping at one another like lifelines.

His daughter, his wonderful beautiful daughter openly wept in his arms, and he was not above admitting he was in just as poor an emotional state.

Finally, finally after so many eons he had her.

And by Primus he would fight Unicron himself before he let anyone take her from him again.

The bond would take time, with Novalight already a grown adult, and a sire bond already formed with Ironhide.

He held no ill will against the Autobots weapons specialist, if anything, he wanted to thank the mech, for saving his precious creation during the fall of Crystal city, for taking her on as his own and raising her in his stead.

Thunderblast watched the scene before her with a spark flooding with warmth.

Which froze ice cold a moment later when she felt a blast of acidic air hit the back of her helm.

She didn't need to turn to know that somehow that giant malformed Predacon was behind her.

"Nova? Swee' spark?"

The growl that came from the Predacon, a warning if she ever knew one, seemed to be enough to bring her niece and brother in law back to the present.

Novalight slowly rose back to her full height, though had to drop her upper set of wings to keep them from scraping the ceiling. "Qwez… Easy… A lot's... happened."

The predacon kept growling for a few more moments before huffing. "Fine, but get out here."

Thunderblast and Thundercracker alike jolted at that, neither having previously even know that the Predacon could speak.

And with a voice so deep that it in and of itself sounded archaic.

Novalight nodded but turned to help haul her sire upright again, letting him lean a lot of his weight onto her, her own expression darkening as she was able to take in the full extent of his injuries as she led him out into the light. "Qwez, we need to get him back to Diego Garcia."

The look of perplexed concern on her best friends features was understandable.

She sighed, hoping this wouldn't immediately explode in her faceplates. "Quez… he's… he's my sire."

The words were heavy with their importance and she could see the gears turning within her friends processor.

After a moment he sighed and shifted, offering the wide span of his back behind his wings. "The others are going to protest."

Novalight shook her helm. "Let them, they need medical help and the Decepticons are hunting for them." With no small amount of effort and help from Thunderblast, they were able to get her sire up onto Qwezels back plating, the blue and white seeker letting off a small half contained groan as he finally resettled.

"We're going to have to pick up the others, I had to drop them off to catch up with you." Qwezel announced, seeing no reason not to state that fact.

Novalight nodded almost numbly patting his marron and acid green patterned platting. "Ok… I'll fly alongside."

Qwezel turned to regard Thunderblast then, the ex-con femme was looking at the badge still embedded into the centre of her plating.

Looking between those present for a moment she dug her claws under the plating and tore it off, energon dribbled from torn lines but the deed was done and she turned the scrap of metal to look at the badge that had taunted her for so long.

Sensing the femmes disdain for the emblem, Qwezel dropped his helm down, tusks opening enough to snag the plating, Thunderblast let it go without hesitation.

The giant predacon threw his helm back, opening his maw wide, and let the little scrap drop down into his waiting tanks.

Predacon and Ex-con exchanged a look for a moment before Qwezel gestured with a sharp jerk of his helm for her to get on as well.

After a bit of scrabbling and a near fall, Thunderblast managed to situate herself just behind where Thundercracker lay strewn out, the intention being to raise the alarm if Thundercracker started to slip, Primus knew she didn't have the strength to stop him falling if his momentum was too great.

Qwezel exchanged a final look with Novalight, it was all they needed before both nodded and Qwezel began to move, his form rumbling between the crags to build up speed enough to back up into the air.

Novalight jumped and transformed into her alt mode the moment she saw Qwezel take to the air, her own engines roaring as she easily caught up with Qwezel.

It was only a few minutes later that Qwezel's frame dipped and he began to hurtle downwards again.

Novalight didn't even hesitate to follow, transforming way above the ground so that she could use the thrusters on her pedes to land into a run to catch up with Qwezel.

The Predacon hit the ground not far from her, but his bulk and momentum kept him going for a few moments.

They'd barely both come to a stop when her designation was shouted and something collided with her side.

Letting off a startled shout at the sudden impact, the two frames toppled to the ground, leaving a venting Flare Up to stare down at the startled Novalight.

After a moment Flare Up grabbed up her niece and pulled the Seeker Femme tight against her chassis. "Primus we were so worried!"

Everything seemed to rush to the front of Novalight's processor then, her vents laboured she gritted her denta to hold back a sob and just grabbed at Flare Up's plating and pulled the older femme down on top of her and into a desperate hug.

Flare Up made a noise of surprise at the crushing hug, but swiftly recovered to cup the larger seekers helm and coax it to her neck cables, where Novalight tried to bury herself into.

Chromia watched the scene, and decided to let Flare Up handle Novalight, turning slowly to the mech who shared her colour scheme who was currently half out of it on Qwezels back. "Thundercracker?"

The seeker slowly nodded.

Chromia looked to her daughter, then back to the mech, then to Thunderblast, to her daughter… Trying to put the pieces together.

Thunderblast slid off Qwezel to help clear everything up. "He's her sire… an' ah'm her aunt on her carriers side… Skipper… ain' with us no more…"

Before Chromia could say anything, Thunderblast rushed forwards and grabbed the smaller femme up in a tight hug. "Thank you for raisin' her… knowin' she was online an' safe… it gave us hope…"

Chromia took a moment to process that, and then carefully hugged Thunderblast back. "It was our pleasure to raise her…" She looked to where Flare Up was coaxing Novalight into sitting up and was helping to wipe away the mess of lubricant on the seekers face.

Her daughter was always so full of surprises….

Standing to the side and away to give everyone space, the twins, Bumblebee and Solar all exchanged looks of contemplation, there was a lot of implications… it was obvious they were going to be taking the two former cons back to Diego Garcia… Things were only going to get more complicated from there…

And that's it, that's all I ever wrote for Stealth.

I never managed to finish this chapter, my energy just finally ran out, I burned out on Stealth and I could never get the motivation up to write anything else for it.

And then the Bumblebee Movie happened.

And I got new inspiration, that I kept on a tight leash because I was at University, I was already writing the Birds rewrite which I love to death and have devoted a lot of my time to these last three years.

But now, in a strange twist of fate, the global pandemic made my Uni switch to online, I'm home for good, no more travelling by train to the other side of the country and living alone in a small room, no more long days that leave me too drained to do much of anything.

And so, I've decided I've let the pot of ideas stew long enough, over a year of idea stewing and brainstorming ideas and plots and I've come to a decision.

One that has manifested in a pilot chapter, (plus four more chapters that are waiting until I write more before I potentially post).

And now, after a prolonged hiatus, Novalight is returning in a brand new fic.

I would like you all to try and show the same incredible love to this as you all did to Stealth.

So without further adieu, I present, Novalight's return, in the new fic, Integration.

Chapter 1 - The fall of Cybertron

"AUTOBOTS! FALL BACK!"

The shout echoed across the battlefield, the red branded forces breaking away from where they'd been desperately trying to hold the line.

Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobot resistance forces, did what he could, waiting for the rest of his forces to move back before beginning to fall back himself, his ion cannon firing out into the encroaching mass of Decepticon forces.

His optics darted across the battlefield, desperately searching for the one member of his team he hadn't seen retreat.

A few more moments of desperate searching, and he heard it, just as everyone else on the battlefield.

The whine, that high pitched sound that balanced on the edge of being too high for even their advanced hearing to catch, and so shrill it caused many to flinch, both from the sound, and what that sound promised.

It was the only tell, that ring that caused all to flinch.

So late in the war, only a fool turned off their audios to avoid it.

He caught the flash, the shimmer in the light of blaster fire.

Coming in hot, hurtling towards the battlefield at a rate that the atmosphere burned around it.

There was a flash.

He was running, shouting to his forces to fully disengage, to reach the launch pad.

They all felt the blast of heat as the payload detonated.

The entire walkway they were running down lurched upwards from the blast's shockwave, the burning heat knocking them forwards.

The wall of fire and ash was already catching up, having engulfed a massive chunk of the Decepticons forces directly behind them.

Those on the surrounding sides were quickly moving in, despite the massive fireball, trying to cut off him and his forces.

All while the Decepticons anit-seeker weaponry was quickly brought back online, firing volley after volley into the sky.

Trying to catch the last Autobot.

The noise was so great, it took the brush of a familiar EM field to put the Prime's spark at ease.

The Autobots last surviving trump card, N-0V4, was keeping pace with him, outpacing him, her momentum from dropping from the upper atmosphere still forcing her forwards despite now being in a brutal sprint, plating red hot and pinging as it started to cool in the wind that rushed around them.

At some point she'd transformed into her bipedal mode.

He didn't think to look beside him. He could hear her and feel the intense heat radiating off her.

Considering the lack of blaster fire trained on him, or really, the normal amount, he doubted N-0V4 had dropped her cloak.

She'd pulsed her EM field to let him know she was there, outpacing him, following his orders.

The ever loyal soldier, just like all his remaining forces.

They reached the launch pad, and he turned his attention to B-127, intending to give the scout his new mission.

N-0V4 broke away, finally dropping her cloak, revealing the large, sleek seeker frame, her purple white and gold, extreme heat and explosion damaged colour scheme standing out against the fiery hellscape that surrounded them, her vents labouring as she tried to somewhat cool her systems.

The seeker still ran over to the solid red mech already getting into one of the launch pads.

"Hide!"

The weapons specialist looked over to the seeker. "N-0?"

The seeker glanced skyward, pulling a large gatling gun like weapon from her back. "I'll cover you all… stay safe out there."

Ironhide looked over the seeker, really looked over the much taller femme, she was three helms over Prime, but her light build often made her seem smaller.

Ironhide reached out, and grabbed onto her arm, getting her attention back. "Keep safe, we need you online."

N-0V4 stared at him for a moment, before nodding, and running back towards the Prime.

It wasn't goodbye forever, they were parting for now, but they'd soon meet back up.

She'd make sure they all made it off planet safe.

"Prime!"

Her voice was a sharp one, and it caught the Prime's attention a moment after he sent B-127 on his way.

N-0V4 was already firing upwards, trying to force the dispersion of the seekers flying overhelm.

"You need to get to an escape pod! Now!" She shouted over the artillery fire.

Optimus Prime seemed to hesitate, regarding her for a moment. "N-0V4, disengage."

Her optics, still focused on her targets above, widened. "Sir… please tell me you're your not planning what I think you're planning?!"

His resolve only hardened at her statement. "N-0V4, disengage, the others need you in the air."

He caught her glancing around the launch pad, already it was beginning to keel to the right under their pedes, the explosions that were rocking it's base throwing the entire structure into collapse.

N-0V4 was no fool, scattered in thoughts at times maybe, but anyone who thought she was dumb, made a grave mis-calculation.

He held her optics, making sure she understood how serious he was on this. "I will buy you all time by drawing their fire."

He could see her work her denta, but relented with a nod. "We need you Prime… don't do anything too stupidly heroic."

With that, she activated her thrusters and launched upwards, keeping pace with the escape pods as they rocketed upwards.

Optimus Prime tracked their departure for a moment, before the Launch pads pillars began to truly give way, groaning as the platform tilted further and further in it's descent towards the ground.

It was time to run a nice diversion.

N-0V4 easily kept pace, and outpaced the other seekers, her drives, engines and systems running red hot still as she rocketed across the smoke filled atmosphere, dodging the blaster fire trained on her uncloaked form, drawing all the fire she could away from her teammates.

Already in the first atmospheric belt, N-0V4, B-217, Ironhide and their comrades rocketed upwards, some looking back at their home world they were now abandoning to Decepticon rule, others focused on the Universe beyond.

N-0V4 and B-127 were in the former group, though one had the ability to look out of his escape pod, the other only had the grainy cracked rear camera they had, their attention split as they dodged the last few blaster shots aimed by the last few of her fellow Seekers as they tried to chase her, using their fire power to try and catch her otherwise unmatched speed.

Deciding now was as good as ever, she jammed all of her systems in a hard right and transformed back to her root mode, pulling the gattling gun from her back once more as she let off volley after volley of rounds at the Seekers racing up to try and blow them out of the sky.

It used to hurt her spark to shoot at her own kin, but now, she didn't care, they were the enemy, and they were going after her unit.

So, she continued her volley, thrusters keeping her from plummeting back down to the surface as each round sent her just that bit further upwards into the stars.

She watched as armour shredded and fuel tanks ignited, a manic grin slowly developing on her features as she pressed her attack, a wild grin that promised much.

Eventually, her unit was clear of where the seekers were willing to shoot at, and began to disperse, the few left sending a last volley at her, a last attempt to slag her.

She was a traitor to their kind after all, they had every reason to shoot her out of the sky as far as they were concerned.

It didn't take long for her to pick off the last one, his face exploding as three separate rounds scoured direct hits.

Only as his frame began to burn up on re-entry, did she turn, and gun her systems to full power once more, and blast out of Cybertron's polluted atmosphere, tailing and quickly gaining on the escape pods, sending a salute to B-127 when she spotted him peering back at her.

He had his destination, she had hers.

They'd meet up on the planet Optimus had chosen for them once B-127 had gotten a proper location scoutout done.

So long as nothing went wrong…

She was being sent to hold tight on the planets moon as back up…

She sent a little prayer that she wouldn't go stir crazy waiting all alone.

Only time would reveal their fates though, and for once in her life, N-0V4 was going to have to be patient.

This is a pilot chapter, I know where I want to take this, I have pretty much everything planned out, something I didn't have with Stealth, and now, all that I need left, is your input.

Are you all still interested in seeing more of Nova, or more accurately, N-0V4, and her story in Knightsverse?

Or has the window of people interest for this all long closed?

Review or PM me if you want me to keep going with this.

Moon.