Sleeping Beauty } OPEN]

From within the ship, all sound had been muffled or seemingly nonexistent before its current disturbance. The screeches and cry of abused metals had disturbed the loud silence within. The once proud ship, still sleeping, could not bear against the claws of the being that let itself in without question or invite.

With how the ship sat, everything was at an eighteen degree angle. Panels were knocked from their rightful places and a jungle of wires and cables hung from the ceiling off and on on the jungle through the cold corridors.

The elevator, broken down and out of commission, was easily bypassed by whoever entered through the main deck. The largest room, its heart, was home to a broken down bridge, crates of cargo and doorways to other sections of the vessel. The largest path through the room led straight to a pair of sealed inactive doors.

The ship's walls gave an uncomfortable lurch in response to having someone walk within it after being left untouched for over a decade. Its groan echoed through the lifeless compartments and eventually settled back down to allow the sound of Luthien's footsteps to be heard by dead ears.

At first attempt, the door was selfish and would not give. After some prying from the merciless endeavors that was curiosity, it eventually cracked open. After a momentary stall, the doors could be forced open just enough for entry.

A cold mist broke into the stagnant air and ice chips exploded in all directions, escaping the tomb they were forced from. All was blinding for a moment, eventually, revealing the precious cargo inside. In the chair was a limp body, frozen over and taken by the cold. Her right hand had been placed over a gaping wound on the upper right quadrant of her abdomen. Her wings looked as though they had become a part of their surroundings, frozen to them and her optics shut tight in comatose sleep.

The sound of Luthien's teeth raking into the armor was horribly loud in the dead silence of the tomb. After some time and give, the sound of cracks confirmed that her hard work was paying off. The femme's body was removed from the chair. There was a loud bang when part of her hit the ground. Rather than being hard and stiff, her limps dropped, limp.

The large, draconic wings were not so easy to maneuver. They remained frozen, at first. They caught onto the door sides, preventing Luthien's immediate escape with her throw away cargo before they too eventually became null and limp.

In the darkness of the ship, the movement of the cockpit triggered part of the system and lights flickered on. The ones nearest the two in the corridor promptly burst with sparks before going out once more.

Nothing had yet registered. All she could see were the abused and broken panels above her passing by with wires and cords galore hanging from the ceiling. She felt a large cord of some roll beneath her back as she was dragged and the sensation of pain shot through her. Her body cringed as much as it could as her thoughts tried to gather.

Her optics had started as faint slits, but eventually opened up to flickering scarlet daggers. The vapor from her optics was starting up strong as she turned her head in the direction of the Predacon that had its hold on her. Genuine thought process kicked back into place. Some creature had her in its grips and it wasn't going to like what the consequences were for that. It felt unreal as her hands lifted to wrap around the underside of Luthien's neck and apply unforgiving pressure beneath the jaw hinge mechanism. It was meant to be painful and it get the dragon to release her. The light in her optics became very real afterwards as she used to minimal force necessary to free herself.

Much of it was still trying sink in and understand what was going on. Who she was, where she was, how she got here, why she was here. All of it being put off to answer after the current situation at hand was taken care of.

The moment she was dropped, her hands went with her. Her head smacked onto the ground and she rolled onto her left side. She blinked a time or two, pulling back her lips in pained grimace. As she vented a few hesitant breaths, she turned and pushed herself up and onto her knees. From there was the struggle as she drunkenly placed her left hand against the wall and held her right side and abdomen with her other free appendage. Drooped wings picked up, back to their rightful place as she struggled for a moment before standing at her full. From there, her optics shifted to the draconic figure before her and her head slowly drifted with it. The stance the Predacon held spoke of some surprise and fear. Chainsmoker's body language spoke hostility and aggression with pride and some wisdom in its mix. At the same time, it was apparent that she was weak and hurting, but that did not make her glower any less intense.

The essence of cold still gripped her as one could see from the aged ice and frost particles clinging to ever crevice. She had defrosted quickly enough, which would prove bothersome when that wound that had downed her before began to bleed anew. "Hn."  There was a twinge in her voice, but there was no further complaint than that. Her wings drew apart and opened somewhat menacingly, making herself appear far bigger than she already was.  ~"Who are you?"~ Threat would not yet come. Whoever this was, technically may have saved her from wasting away until there was nothing left. Now more questions had begun to bustle in her aching head. Where were they at in the war? Where had she crashed?

Where was Windstorm???

Windstorm. Chainsmoker did not wait one more second. Though her body attempted to talk her into rest and her energy reserves begged for her to feed, she pressed on passed the Predacon with wide optics. Her hand remained on the wall as she forced herself forward. How long as she been out??? Was Windstorm still secured?? What had happened to her Windstorm?? The questions could wait until after. From there.. she would need to find a way to get Windstorm the medical aid that she needed.

Luthien's attempts to return challenge were outright and fully ignored. Chainsmoker simply leaned against the wall and momentarily lifted her right hand to move the Predacon's wings in order to push passed and continue. ~"What in the name of Cybertron is one of them doing on my ship?... In what way did this war turn?"~ Though she muttered it, a Predacon with keen hearing was very likely to pick it up.

She cringed again, furrowing her brows and grimacing as the wound defrosting began to weep through her fingers. Huffing in displeased response, she turned into another room on the way towards the entrance Luthien had created for herself. For a moment, she gripped the open door frame with its door broken and in the way, sitting crooked. The attempt to remain balanced while the ship sat at the angle it was in was hard enough. With a grunt, she shoved the door aside and entered.

Her optics were bright and piercing in the darkness. In response to her presence, the automatic lighting flickered on. It was very dim, flickering and humming loud with threatening sparks now and then. Directly below the light.. the broken cryo chamber holding her dear Windstorm. Chainsmoker lurched forward, nearly falling and having to catch herself on cords and wires to avoid falling. Most of them were ripped from the ceiling as she painfully hoisted herself back up and then threw herself back down next to it. ~"HRN!!!"~ Pain shot through her entire frame, making her tremble for a moment as she looked down upon the open glass. Inside.. Windstorm lay dead. Broken, mangled and dead for who knows how long now. Chainsmoker grabbed for the latch, and rather than gently opening what had now become a casket, she ripped it from the chamber completely in order to get to her fallen comrade. She looked down at her lifeless frame in disbelief, venting in the air she did not need quickly and repetitively.

How could this happen?.. Why?... Why did this have to happen?.. This.. This could not be real.. She didn't want it to be. Reaching inside, her hand soaked in her own energon gingerly lifted Windstorm's frail hand. The passed femme only had one after that fight. She was supposed to remain frozen.. until Chainsmoker could get her immediate medical help.. and she would survive.. Chainsmoker would help her come to full health again and the two would fight side by side as they always had. She'd never truly lived until Windstorm entered the picture. Now, thanks to her screw up, Windstorm suffered a terrible fate and Chimney had no one but herself to blame. She'd failed.