Oneshot: Heimat
Feb. 7th, 2014 12:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
silberstreifTitle: Heimat
Beta: none
Continuity: G1
Rating: PG
Characters: Astrotrain, Skywarp
Note: Written for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
tf_speedwriting weekly challenge, prompt 4: Heimat; I tried to expand the meaning of the translation, the deepness of the feeling behind it. Despite this oneshot, it's a really positive word. ;)
Summary: War was coming, and he was needed. But still, what would he be fighting for?
[Translation of “Heimat”: A place that you can call “home” – includes a sense of belongingness, acceptance, safety and connection to the homeland]
Heimat is a very positive thing. And today it is often used by people who miss it – or fight for it. This is a Decepticon though, so he has a bit darker thoughts, then let’s say Optimus Prime. Even though he might feel the same. :)
Heimat
He entered his room. It was already nearly empty, all his belongings but the berth packed and stored away. He had said goodbye, it was time. His optics fell on the one thing still waiting for him – his issued weapon.
Gently, he closed the door behind him and walked towards it. It was big, massively and of a dark silver, similar to protoform grey. Not by chance, he knew. Over the centuries it would become one with his armour.
He knelt next to the gun, but hesitated to touch it. This was it. War.
He had always seen himself as a peaceful mech, as friendly and helpful. If he accepted the weapon he would become a soldier, someone who killed.
And all of it for his Heimat.
He had heard the rally cries of the Decepticons. Justice, they had cried. Equality, they had promised. Kaon, Tarn, even Helix had joined to become one massive army.
Then, the senate sent the Autobots and Optimus Prime offered peace. Talked about their duty to protect and the crimes of the Decepticons. This time Iaconians, Praxians and Crystal City mechs followed.
Altihex and he had never been moved.
But now, now they threatened his home. Worse, his Heimat.
The land that had created and nurtured him. The people that had loved and cared for him. The culture that had formed his thoughts and opinions.
He wasn’t blind about justice, equality and the dozen other things. He wanted them and would fight for any of them, but Heimat… Oh, for
Heimat he would kill and die. For it, he would fight and continue fighting, until complete defeat or destruction.
Heimat was his spark. The place he wished for when he travelled, became a perfect dream the further away he went. Here he just was himself.
Yes. Heimat was his, and he was Heimat.
And he would burn everything to protect it. To keep it.
He took the gun, and pushed it into his arm ports, starting the process that turned a peaceful citizen into the feared soldier Astrotrain.
*+*+*+*+
“Hey, Astro!” Skywarp, the most annoying seeker he ever met, flopped into the seat next to him. “I heard some triple changer talking about Heimat. You know what that is?”
“Yes,” he simply answered with a grunt. Maybe the Seeker would simply vanish as he so often did, but no that would’ve been too much luck.
“Great, so tell me?” Skywarp leaned forward with a grin. “If it’s perverse, I promise I’ll tell no one.”
Astrotrain had the sudden urge to punch the warper, and it seems to have shown on his face, because Skywarp leaned hastily back, wings raised in a half-apology. “No.” He took a big gulp. “Nothing perverse.”
Skywarp shrugged. “Well, bit of a disappointment. But what is it then?”
Astrotrain opened his mouth, to say ‘home’, but that didn’t cut it. Standard-speech didn’t have a similar word. He tried a few other definitions in his mind: a place where he was accepted, where he belonged and was safe. But it was all that and more. It was his home-city, but not only that.
He sighed, as the familiar feelings of pain and longing rose in his spark.
“Everything. Everything I miss.”
Beta: none
Continuity: G1
Rating: PG
Characters: Astrotrain, Skywarp
Note: Written for the
tf_speedwriting weekly challenge, prompt 4: Heimat; I tried to expand the meaning of the translation, the deepness of the feeling behind it. Despite this oneshot, it's a really positive word. ;)Summary: War was coming, and he was needed. But still, what would he be fighting for?
[Translation of “Heimat”: A place that you can call “home” – includes a sense of belongingness, acceptance, safety and connection to the homeland]
Heimat is a very positive thing. And today it is often used by people who miss it – or fight for it. This is a Decepticon though, so he has a bit darker thoughts, then let’s say Optimus Prime. Even though he might feel the same. :)
Heimat
He entered his room. It was already nearly empty, all his belongings but the berth packed and stored away. He had said goodbye, it was time. His optics fell on the one thing still waiting for him – his issued weapon.
Gently, he closed the door behind him and walked towards it. It was big, massively and of a dark silver, similar to protoform grey. Not by chance, he knew. Over the centuries it would become one with his armour.
He knelt next to the gun, but hesitated to touch it. This was it. War.
He had always seen himself as a peaceful mech, as friendly and helpful. If he accepted the weapon he would become a soldier, someone who killed.
And all of it for his Heimat.
He had heard the rally cries of the Decepticons. Justice, they had cried. Equality, they had promised. Kaon, Tarn, even Helix had joined to become one massive army.
Then, the senate sent the Autobots and Optimus Prime offered peace. Talked about their duty to protect and the crimes of the Decepticons. This time Iaconians, Praxians and Crystal City mechs followed.
Altihex and he had never been moved.
But now, now they threatened his home. Worse, his Heimat.
The land that had created and nurtured him. The people that had loved and cared for him. The culture that had formed his thoughts and opinions.
He wasn’t blind about justice, equality and the dozen other things. He wanted them and would fight for any of them, but Heimat… Oh, for
Heimat he would kill and die. For it, he would fight and continue fighting, until complete defeat or destruction.
Heimat was his spark. The place he wished for when he travelled, became a perfect dream the further away he went. Here he just was himself.
Yes. Heimat was his, and he was Heimat.
And he would burn everything to protect it. To keep it.
He took the gun, and pushed it into his arm ports, starting the process that turned a peaceful citizen into the feared soldier Astrotrain.
*+*+*+*+
“Hey, Astro!” Skywarp, the most annoying seeker he ever met, flopped into the seat next to him. “I heard some triple changer talking about Heimat. You know what that is?”
“Yes,” he simply answered with a grunt. Maybe the Seeker would simply vanish as he so often did, but no that would’ve been too much luck.
“Great, so tell me?” Skywarp leaned forward with a grin. “If it’s perverse, I promise I’ll tell no one.”
Astrotrain had the sudden urge to punch the warper, and it seems to have shown on his face, because Skywarp leaned hastily back, wings raised in a half-apology. “No.” He took a big gulp. “Nothing perverse.”
Skywarp shrugged. “Well, bit of a disappointment. But what is it then?”
Astrotrain opened his mouth, to say ‘home’, but that didn’t cut it. Standard-speech didn’t have a similar word. He tried a few other definitions in his mind: a place where he was accepted, where he belonged and was safe. But it was all that and more. It was his home-city, but not only that.
He sighed, as the familiar feelings of pain and longing rose in his spark.
“Everything. Everything I miss.”
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no subject
Date: 2014-02-07 02:23 pm (UTC)Where is Astrotrain from, do you think?
no subject
Date: 2014-02-08 10:37 pm (UTC)Good question. I chose altihex here, because Skyfire the shuttle had in many fanfiction been linked to that city. So Altihex is kind of the shuttle city in fanon.
It was the best place I could think for a triple changer that is at least part shuttle.
no subject
Date: 2014-02-09 11:54 pm (UTC)I love it!
Especially the mindset of AStrotrain - how he and everyone he knows is firmly neutral, until Heimet is threatened.
(in a way thought, the triplechangers carried part of Heimet with them when they joined the cons - it might not be the peaceful existance it was before war came and changed their world, but they still hold the memories and the existence while they still live).
*poor Skywarp*
Outsiders are lost when it comes to understanding some very unique concepts.
Thanks for sharing!
no subject
Date: 2014-02-12 07:16 pm (UTC)It's a sweet thing to see that they carried a part "Heimat" with them. I really like that though.
*nod* It's a difficult concept, but I admit sometimes I just like to tease Skywarp.