Gazing at the Forge, I wondered what compelled the green Autobot who used it to repair Optimus at the cost of Cybertron. I did not think that it was the wrong decision, or the right one. Turning to face the young warrior, I spoke up.

"Smokescreen, I would like a word with you."

"Yes sir!"

I smiled. Even if he was raw and incompletely trained, the soldier still obeyed protocol. As we walked to a different part of the hangar, I was surprised to see that he had such a garish paintjob.

"Soldier, I understand that you were making a decision based on instinct, but I must know: had you not repaired Optimus, what would you have done with the Forge?"

"Ultra Magnus, sir, if Optimus had died, he chose me as his successor. I would have used the Forge to repair the Omega Lock, but I don't have command skills or even knowledge of how to plan farther ahead than the fight I'm in."

Nodding, I contemplated another green Autobot I had under my command during the final exodus; Hot Shot. Though I didn't know where he was, the one before me seemed to share many of the same traits, but had more potential than he did.

"I believe that you made the right decision, but if you had been named the next Prime, I would have mentored you, like Optimus did me."

"Thank you sir, it would've been an honor. I've studied your battles during the war."

"Do you have any combat skills aside from basic training?"

"No sir, but I have been studying diversionary tactics so that I might help Optimus by leading Decepticon forces astray."

He was a diversionary specialist in training, then. It would be easy for me to take him under my wing for training, but I would need to clear it with Optimus Prime first.

"Sir, I have a question."

"What is it soldier?"

"The Autobots you've met on your travels, who were they?"

"Most of them have fallen, but ones I can remember clearly are Railspike, Kup, Whirl, Trailcutter, Huffer and Brawn, the Protectobots, Perceptor, Skids, Ironhide, Jazz and Prowl. Of them, only the last five remain online."

I turned my head away, and bowed in shame. I had led them to their deaths. Even with this group, the largest group of Autobots I've met, we still would have trouble bringing down the Decepticons.

"Come with me. I believe we have to clarify the Chain of command with Optimus."

Moving back to our leader, I nodded at Ratchet. Upon reaching him, he turned to us.

"Yes, Ultra Magnus?"

"Sir, I believe that with eight Autobots on Earth, we need to clarify our chain of command. With you permission, sir, I would like to take my two former sub-ordinates and Smokescreen as my team."

"Granted, but why do you want Smokescreen under your command? He is rebellious and plays loose with the rules."

"I understand that, sir, but I feel that under my command, he will flourish into a diversionary expert and field leader."

Turning to face the forge, I paused, and turned back to Optimus.

"Sir, given that the Forge has been drained, I would like to use it in battle, as my previous hammer was lost when I was taken captive during the final exodus."

Walking over to my new subordinates, I gestured for them to listen and began to instruct them on drills and exercises I wanted to run them through. Even with the slim chances of the instructions I gave the last Autobots I had met to rendezvous with me when they could, I still needed to ensure that Optimus Prime's soldiers were ready for whatever the Decepticons may bring.