Some things you will want to know before you start reading.

This is all based on a picture I saw on Deviantart, originally done by ~glovestudios and redone by *khaamar. The picture is called Thunderous Prime. That should give you a hint as to where this book is heading.

Second, there are a lot of OC's in this fanfiction. They are all a compilation of OC's I've ever come up with. First one you meet is Kyrus. She is the epitome of everything I hate about a Transformer's fanfiction, because she was once human. She had tuburculosis, but she was a genius (you'll soon learn). Mostly it was because Ratchet had fallen in love with her. the Autobots made her into a robot like them. She is metallic cerulean with gold flames. She has wheels in her feet (so she can skate, or she can lock the wheels and walk normally) and she transforms into a 2001 Mazda Miata. She is Ratchet's bondmate.

Hope you enjoy the book. I'll fill you in as more s*** happens.

~Cara Lea

Chapter One

Thundercracker leaned back against the frame of the entryway to the crashed Nemis's main bridge. He narrowed his red optics as Soundwave typed relentlessly at their main computer. Hate pulsed in his spark as he watched the Decepticon officer do his work. The casette-transformer, he knew, was looking for any energon source simultaneously to his watching for any Autobot activity. It was a good deal of work for one mech to do alone, but he didn't offer to help in anyway.

If there was a good place to start this story, Thundercracker supposed the beginning was the best place. Back in the "Golden Era" of Cybertron, he had been built in a trio of seekers to fight in and guard the great city of Kaon. The southernmost city of Cybertron was not at all as "great" as it was made out to be. In fact, he could not think of a worse place to have grown up, so to speak.

Not only had their been mechs crawling along the trash-written streets, finding anyone who may have been injured and dragging their bodies away to be emptied of all lifeblood, or the cruel underground that dominated the streets and vehemently fought against the seeker regime, but then there was the robot trafficking, the fights, and the serious wealth for those who made bets.

The underground arena had been one of those highlights back in those days. Watch a couple of stupid robots thrown into a battle ground to fight until one is no longer functional, relax and drink your energon. But there was just something off about anyone who came out of the arena; a crazy look that came about them suggested they were just...different. No matter how anyone went in, they always came out that way.

Then the underlords rose to an exceptional level. They had found and killed the senators, and most importantly, the emirate. To the seekers who had been programmed to protect the city, this was impressive. Not only were most of these mechs not battle-made, but they were starving and had no place to recharge. The stupid machines had been fighting for their lives, and somehow, they'd ended up killing all of the power-savvys the southern city had to offer.

Not ones to pick fights with those who were in charge, the seekers had joined the Decepticons. It hadn't been something that had decided, or even thought upon. One moment, they were under the authority of emirate Sycarus or Lutus or whoever, and the next they were following Megatron.

His air vents sighed as he remembered the beginning of the war. Whether Megatron had planned this power shift so perfectly or not, it had seriously worked in his favor. With the seekers now at his disposal, they were able to take city after city. The capital Iacon had been completely unprepared. There were no enemy soldiers, just common workers who rose to the challenges now placed before them. It was so easy to take, and maime, and destroy all the got in his way. His optics gleamed as he remembered Altihex, and how easily it had fallen.

A small siren shook him from his reverie. He jerked at the abruptness and looked up. In the time it had taken for him to switch from thinking to watching, Megatron had appeared. "Soundwave, report," the silver gun-transformer ordered with an air of urgency.

Monotonous as ever, Soundwave answered with little to no enthusiasm. "Energon source detected. A new human-made generator. It has much potential."

His vents thrummed in defeat. Just another energon source. He should have known. It always worked that way. An energon source would crop up on the screen and Megatron would lead the Decepticons to get it. While they were successfully siphoning the energy, the Autobots would attack and beat them down until they were forced to retreat. It was almost unfair how simple this war had become. So predictable was the pattern after the millions of years it had grooved itself.

Thundercracker hated it with all his spark.

What would he give to have a change? Even a small one, like Starscream being nice for instance, would be better than this. This monotony worthy of Soundwave's cerebral core processor. Anything to make his life less boring.

And it was with that attitude that the dark blue seeker followed his commanders onto the bridge and into the never ending battles.

…

Kyrus followed the other Autobots as they raced into the main bridge. "What do you think's going on?" she inquired of her lab-partner and best friend, Ratchet.

"Probably Decepticon activity spotted again," he answered with an air of boredom. "And Prime'll gather warriors to go with him into battle, and I'll have to go and do battle-field repairs."

Kyrus rubbed took his hand comfortingly. "It's a sign that Optimus trusts you that he takes you with him. And if you're asking me, I think you're all the braver for going into battle when I know you only want to heal."

He smiled at her appreciatively, but didn't have time to respond, as they had now reached the bridge and had to listen to what Optimus was saying.

"Teletraan has picked up Decepticon activity near the new generator. If they get to these generators, they will be able to harness it's power to make energon cubes. Unfortunately, the generators aren't complete. They're liable to explode in an instant. We can't let this happen.

"I'm going to take Prowl, Jazz, Bluestreak, Brawn, Cliffjumper, and Gears to check it out."

"Watch this," she whispered to the white ambulance transformer beside her. She raised her voice so that it carried across the room to Optimus's sensitive audio receptors. "I'll go too, Prime. You'll need an on-field medic."

"Excellent idea, Kyrus," he agreed. "Wheeljack can come and help you."

Wheeljack twisted to wink at her, and she smiled back. Of all the mechs that he could have ordered to help her, she was glad he had chosen Wheeljack. The white engineer was one of the Autobot's she got along with well. He was scatterbrained, sure, but he had a good sense of humor and seemed to really understand her more human tendencies. He was also very trustworthy, and if she did end up in a pickle, she knew he would do everything in his power to sort her out.

As she began to skate away on the wheels in her feet, Ratchet caught her arm and held on tight. She jerked in surprise, glancing up at him in wonder. It took less than a second to register the fear pulsing straight from his spark to hers. Her surprise ebbed as she felt his fear pulse through her spark. They had been bonded since she had joined the Autobots all those years ago, but she still wasn't entirely accustomed the emotional side affects that came with.

One of his carmine hands reached up to gently cup her face. From somewhere in the background, Wheeljack wolf-whistled. The two transformers ignored him. "You be careful, okay," he breathed to her. Kyrus smiled, allowing a strong wave of affection to surge through her spark into his. He blinked, his azure optics swimming with emotions that she couldn't understand. Reading optics was so much more difficult than reading human eyes.

She pulled away from his cupped hands, regretting that they were going to be separated but confident just the same. After all, she would be back before too long, and hopefully her efforts on the battlefield would give them more free time together later.

…

The small field that the battle was taking place on literally shook as one of the fighters shot off a bomb. Thundercracker had since lost track of who had done what. It was too confusing in the midst of a battle to try and keep track anyway.

The mini robotic creature he was battling was a good warrior. He was forced to dive and duck, often caught in the wings despite his efforts to spare them the most damage, from shot after shot fired from this little mech. It was a welcomed challenge, no matter how much taunting he had to deal with later. It reminded him of his time on Cybertron, and how lucky he had been when life wasn't simple.

Simplicity in itself wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was being caught in this stinkin stalemate that had lasted for so many years. Megatron and Optimus had been head-to-head for as long as could be remembered. Why? He thought angrily as he dodged another shot from (was that Prowl?). If Megatron could annihilate Sentinal Prime and the others he could find of the original 13, why can't he beat some stupid truck-transformer, hnh?

It was rather embarrassing how often their 'great, almighty' leader had been beaten down by one simple machine. It was what kept Thundercracker's own humiliation at bay. No matter how much mocking he would have to endure later, it was nothing compared to what Megatron would be suffering. Not that he would know it, but almost every mech in the Decepticon army ragged on him behind his back. It was awful that their 'amazing' leader would be defeated so many times. Any other warrior's lack of ability on the battlefield was almost forgotten in the wake of their leader's failures.

Suddenly, a sound similar to the screaming of his jets whenever he took off carried over the noise of the battle. Thundercracker turned his head, ignoring the shot that had fringed the outer plating of his right knee. Over in the thick of the fight, Megatron was standing with his back to Thundercracker. Just visible beyond the silver warlord was Optimus Prime, a gaping whole where his spark chamber should be.

A ringing silence followed as everybody watched, as though in slow motion, the body of the once great Optimus Prime fell to the ground. His vermillion optics flickered briefly as he stared. Somewhere in the back of his head, he wondered if he should be feeling happy right now. After all, a change in the Great War had been exactly what he'd been looking for, and this was one helluva change in the Decepticon's favor. As he watched his practically glowing leader reach down to open Optimus's body, however, he felt none of these things. Instead, a cold sense of dread filled him. Battles did not turn out this way. Any moment now, Optimus was sure to wake up, or Megatron would call a defeat.

"Prime?" breathed the Autobot commander before him. Thundercracker barely spared him a glance, and noticed in the offset that his own feelings of shock were reflected quite marvelously on Prowl's face.

Maybe it was because Starscream was genius. Or maybe it was because his ambition drove him past any sort of surprises. Whatever the case, it seemed that finally his opening for power had arisen. His leader was too busy paying attention to the dead Prime before him to notice Starscream raise his twin null rays. Even in success, Megatron was always destined to be a failure.

There was no time for words. Starscreams weapons fired off and the next thing Thundercracker knew was chaos. Megatron was lying on the ground, just as dead as the Prime beside him. Robots of both factions were scattering, weapons were firing. Another shot grazed Thundercracker's side as someone (he couldn't tell who) fired openly at him. Somewhere in the fray, he noticed Starscream bend over Prime's body and pull up something. Over all the commotion, a high pitched voice cried, "Autobots, retreat!"

And suddenly, Skywarp was there. "Come on TC," he growled in his ear. It took the blue transformer a moment to realize his fellow seeker was frightened. "Come on. We gotta move!"

His fellow gripped his arm tightly, and then all Thundercracker knew was blackness as Skywarp transported them back, away from the battle and hopefully to safer ground.