Prologue

Jerrod saw the falling star first. By the time he had convinced his mother to look with him, it was gone, and she scolded him for taking her away from her work - certain things needed to be done if the colony was to obtain its much-needed support, and her duties were no less important than anyone else's. But her lecture was cut off by a loud rumble, and CRASH of sound.

"I told you!" Jerrod cried, tugging on her apron. "Come on, Mother! I want to see the falling star!"

"Stars don't fall!" she protested, but Jerrod manged to drag her along to see. It wasn't that far from their home, but Jerrod didn't care if it had been across the planet. They may have lived on the outskirts of town, the other adults would come look soon and -he- wanted to see it first, scorch it!

This was how he came to the edge of a crater deeper and darker than anything he could have imagined. His mother was quick to grab his hand and pull him away from the edge.

"Jerrod, get back, it's not safe-"

He pulled his arm away. She just didn't get it! "I wanna /see/!" He insisted loudly, moving back towards the edge.

The ground crumbled beneath his feet.

His mother screamed, reaching for him, but she was too slow; Jerrod fell, absolutely silent as the woman who had raised him howled in anguish, just before his back hit something hard, and made of metal. Rather, something hard and made of metal caught him, moving lower as to ease the stress of his fall. Still, he could only tremble in fear as his mind caught up to what had just happened, and by the time it had, he was gazing into a pair of glowing blue eyes.

Large, glowing blue eyes.

It spoke a strange language at him, which startled him out of his shock - he cringed away, looking up in a frantic attempt to spot his mother. She was there, still, but white in the face. Jerrod swallowed, and looked back, realizing that he would have to be the brave one. Mother had always told him to be brave, and even if this was really scary he had to be brave to show her it was all right, he was all right...

"T-thanks," he stuttered, sitting up in the palm of what appeared to be a large hand. The blue eyes blinked once at him, and then the being spoke again.

"T-thanks," it repeated, a mimicry of his voice. "Thanks. Thank you." Another blink, and what could have been realization spread over its features. "Human?"

It was just confusing him. "Um, I'm human, but my /name/ is Jerrod." He paused. "Thank you for saving me."

"You are welcome," it responded in a decidedly female voice. The same one it had been speaking with before, but now that it was speaking actual words it was more noticeable. What's more, it was far less scary, for some reason. Jerrod began to relax, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Who are you?"

The robot's - that's what it was, it was made of metal and it was alive, right? - face darkened a little, and Jerrod was frightened that he'd said the wrong thing. Then she (not it, it was a girl robot, Jerrod thought) sighed softly. "Please, call me Ver," she said.

She sounded sad. Jerrod patted her finger, not knowing why, but wanting to help make her sadness go away. She offered him a soft smile, then looked up.

"Is that your mother?"

Jerrod followed her gaze. "Um...yeah. I think she's kind of mad at me, though, I went too close when she told me not to-"

"I am sure she is more concerned with whether or not you are hurt," Ver reasoned. "Hold on, and I will take you to her."

Jerrod obeyed, grabbing onto the robot's fingers to support himself. The palm was big enough to hold him, but it was still scary, being carried up the walls of the steep crater. When Ver lowered her hand to the ground to allow him to climb off, he didn't mind it at all when his mother swept him back off his feet to give him a big hug and fuss over him. Still...it was a little embarrassing, especially when she began to berate him for being so reckless.

He was happy that Ver was more interested in the surrounding area than him. It made the embarrassment a little less. A little.

Mother soon turned her attention from him to her. Unlike Jerrod, she only seemed a little afraid, which confused Jerrod - wasn't he being the brave one, here? "Thank you for saving my child," she said, making a deep bow. Ver looked back down, smiling a little again.

"You are welcome. You...do not seem afraid of me?" she added, cocking her head.

"Though I've only heard stories of your kind, they have told tales of your species' bravery and kindness to us. Without you, we would not have reached the stars for many more generations."

Ver...smiled again, but it had that sadness as well. "I see. Are there...any others here?" Now she sounded afraid, worried. But it passed once Jerrod's mother shook her head.

"No. We're a small colony, there isn't much contact with our /own/ people off-planet, much less anyone else." She laughed a little, nervously. Ver only looked at her, considering.

"I...see."

There was a brief, awkward silence, Jerrod's mother trying to smoothe down his hair and Jerrod trying to fix it. Finally, Ver spoke again.

"If it is of no objection, I would like to stay here for a time."

"Oh! I'm sure there'll be no trouble with that. You seem like a nice person, I'm certain the Presider won't mind your company at all. He lives in the main part of town," she added, turning around to point.

Jerrod followed her gaze, but a noise caught his attention. By the time he turned back around, Ver wasn't there anymore - instead, there was a large, many-wheeled vehicle. A pane of glass slid aside in the front, revealing what looked like one of the cockpits of his dad's haulers. "Please, let me give you a ride," it said with Ver's voice.

Jerrod's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what she was, and he tugged on his mother's sleeve. "Is she-?" Mother smiled down at him, taking his hand and leading him over to Ver.

"Yes, dear. She is."

With new excitement, Jerrod climbed inside, his mother following suit. The pane of glass closed behind them, and Ver began the trip back into town.

"No sign of her?"

"Trackers lost her signal around Quadra IV. Wherever she is, she's far enough that she'll give you no trouble, Prime."

"Hn." Red optics narrowed, then turned away, angrily. The plating on his back rippled in annoyance as the Prime set his hands on either side of the sill, gazing out into Cybertron.

Behind him, another mech took this as permission to rise from his kneeling position. "If I may, Prime, she does not seem the type to return and confront you. We may have seen the last of h-"

"Are you suggesting that Malis Prime's concern is not a valid one!?" another voice snapped from the shadows next to the Prime. Its owner stepped out, gazing down her nose at the other. "Watch your vocalizer, Battlemaster, less you find yoursel-"

"That is enough, Ruin," Malis said curtly, turning his head just enough for her to see his expression. Ruin immediately backed down, posture shifting into one of deference. "Battlemaster Halberd's opinion is no less valid than your own, and I would suggest you watch your own vocalizer less you ignite my ire."

"Forgive me, Prime," she murmured, bowing her head. "I spoke out of turn."

Halberd frowned, then shook his head. "Regardless, Prime, I must tell you that she has raised some questioning over your position. The other Battlemasters, for on-"

"I am well aware of the trouble she has caused with her little...display. But if what you say is true, then she is dealt with, or are you keeping something from me?"

Malis Prime turned around slowly. Even before obtaining the Matrix, he was a large mech; his mass had increased significantly since then. Midnight blue danced with white and gray on his armor, giving him a rather striking color scheme that only accentuated the sharp, yet fluid curves of his design. Points that were more graceful-looking than deadly - though Malis's battle prowess was known throughout Cybertron while he was still being tutored to take his place - finished off the primary form of the triple-changer.

And Halberd, though he had been designed for battle, knew his own form paled in comparison. Thankfully, he was not a vain mech, putting stock in one's actions rather than their chassis. He straightened, wings shifting slightly behind him as he met Malis's gaze. "I have little doubt that Veritas Prime will not trouble you directly," he said slowly. "But my concern is that others will doubt you because of her. Already, there is talk of others going to find her - and as I mentioned, the other Battlemasters do not put as much faith in you as I."

"And just how much faith is that?" Ruin sneered. Unlike Halberd and the Prime's forms, even in her primary mode her alt showed itself - a canid head resting on her shoulder, spots over her chassis and face...she had chosen her alt-mode on a whim, looking through archives until she had found a creature from another planet that had made her smile with its description. As such, rather than a treaded or wheeled vehicle, Malis Prime's troops now followed a great, robotic hyena into battle.

Halberd did not give her a response, waiting on the Prime. Malis considered his words for a few moments...then nodded slowly.

"I leave the Battlemasters to you, Halberd. You know them better than I. As for Veritas...or whatever she calls herself..." He shook his head. "...She has deceived the entirety of Cybertron." Malis looked out the window, towards the starry sky. "For that, I see no other choice than to add another title than the one she has tried to steal from me.

"I name her Decepticon."