Chapter Text
Gods, this is going to be a hell of a year... Rhonda sighed internally as her pencil tapped against the top of her desk. She takes a sip of her iced coffee, trying her best not to yawn as Huffer continues speaking at the front of the lecture hall. Listening to the little minibot talk was like listening to a chicken with ADHD and an anxiety disorder. But this announcement was important. Very important.
You see, today was the first day of Rhonda's senior year in college. College of the Primes, to be exact. Rhonda happens to be the only daughter of the current Autobot leader Rodimus Prime, so she qualified for automatic enrollment at the university. The matrix of leadership had already decreed that she was to wield it next when the time was right. The war between the Autobots and Decepticons had ended long ago, and both factions had since gone on to rebuild their cities and raise families. Rhonda grunts when a sharp elbow hits her side. She turns and growls quietly at Maggie.
"Ow! I'm paying attention!" she hisses into their private communication line.
Maggie motions toward the door with a look of worry on her face. Through the door window, Rhonda can see her dad, Maggie's dad Ultra Magnus, and another mech she didn't recognize. He was purple and silver with what looked like a three-pronged crown on his head. She couldn't stop staring at his ruby-red eyes. Confused, she looks over at Maggie.
"That's Galvatron with our dads. The former Emperor of Chaar," she explains to the young prime.
Rhonda blinks in surprise. "Why is a Decepticon here? Their college is next door. And why are our dads with him?"
Maggie shrugs. "I don't know, but I'm sure we'll find out eventually."
Huffer clears his throat loudly. "Eyes and ears on me, please. What goes on in the halls during class is no concern of ours." He pulls up a hologram of the headquarters of the Galactic Alliance. "Now then, as I was saying. The Galactic Council and our leader, Rodimus Prime will oversee your final project. I have no further details to share, but within the next 48 hours, your class elites will be briefed and then you will be filled in on the project rules and goals. From here on out, any questions must be taken up with your elites and/or Rodimus. Tomorrow we will start on chapter one of your textbooks. Class dismissed." Huffer ends the hologram and goes to the door to bid students farewell on their way out.
Rhonda gathers her books and stands up with Maggie. "Has your dad requested us yet?" she asks curiously.
Maggie shakes her head. "Not yet. I'm sure it'll be within the next few hours."
The femmes politely wish Huffer a good afternoon as they exit the classroom and head for the main lawn in front of the campus.
"Rhonda! Maggie! Wait for us!" a navy blue and gold seeker femme calls out from the stairs of the College of Astro Sciences. She pulls along her slightly smaller pink and gold twin sister.
"Hi Luna! Solstice! How was your astronomy class?" Maggie smiles brightly at the two.
Solstice pants for a few moments until she catches her breath. "Quite interesting. To think it's only been a century since the humans captured a black hole on camera. We've been doing it for millennia. It's kind of cruddy that we have to hold back most of our technological advancements from them. Think of all the things they could fix overnight."
"We've been over this before, sis." Luna sighs. "The humans have to evolve at their own pace. If we interfere too much we risk upsetting their planet's natural order and its evolutionary intentions."
The younger femme can't help but let out a small huff of annoyance. "I know, I know. I just hate to see them struggling so much when we could do more to help."
Rhonda is about to chime in when she gets a message from her father that she and Maggie are needed in the Hall of Primes.
"There's papa. We'll see you femmes later." She waves goodbye and hurries off to meet Rodimus.