Chapter 2 – Interrogation

Stratowing dreamt, in the way of the mechanical beings known as Transformers. It is a familiar dream, one that has haunted his shutdown periods for many a century. There was weapons fire, explosions, violence, death, and there was Stratowing swooping down for the kill. There was pain as from behind he takes fire and veers off to face the new threat only to find that once again it is the ones that were supposed to be allies. The Seekers, or even just one, coming into steal his victory from him and take the credit for the kill. It did not matter that it was his own skill that brought low the enemy, all that mattered was the final blow. His vision flashed with the explosion and once again he has been robbed of the mark.

Stratowing dreamt of the many times he was beaten and damaged almost to the point of death for nothing but sport, the shrill laugh of Starscream or the booming voice of Thundercracker as they used him for target practice. It was only his skill and maneuverability that kept him alive and functional. Pleading with Megatron for a mission, some task so that he could prove himself. Never was he granted this. Always it was the Seekers given a chance at glory. Always was it Starscream that would laugh at each humiliation.

Stratowing did not dream up the hatred that burned truly in his mechanical heart. With a final echoing laugh he awoke from his self imposed shutdown to a dark prison cell. The sound of the magnetic lock on his cell unlocking echoed slightly until it was overcome by the faint swooshes of air as the door came open.

The old and grizzled Autobot Kup came into focus as Stratowing's optic sensors booted up. He held a laser rifle pointed almost casually as Stratowing.

"Alright Decepticon, on your feet." Kup gestured a little with the tip of the rifle and Stratowing slowly rose. Kup simply watched and said nothing as he rose to his feet and pressed his stiff joints back into motion.

"Come here to put an end to me Autobot?" asked Stratowing, desperately hoping that he did not sound as nervous as he felt. He looked straight at the Autobot as the grizzled veteran eyed him. Kup grunted slightly and nodded, noticing the straight stance and bold eyes of the Decepticon. Stratowing was not a tall Transformer; he stood a head shorter then Kup himself. The dark purple of his stubby wings created a cloak effect that darkened the grey of the rest of him. The darkened circles of his aft antigravity units created black circles on his knees in his primary mode.

"No, I have not come to kill you. Prowl wants to talk to you."

"Again? I have told him already what I have to say. I have no new information to offer," grumbled Stratowing. He was actually relieved to get out of his cell, but he would not give any Autobot the satisfaction of knowing that.

Kup shrugged. "Maybe he thinks you are lying. After all, you are a Decepticon, that is what your kind does."

Stratowing, angered by this comment began to sorely miss the blasters that he had turned over willingly to his captors. Instead of violence, Stratowing just glowered. "'My kind' fight because that is what we do. Your kind just can't deal with it."

Again Kup just shrugged, refusing to be baited into the age old argument. He gestured with the barrel of his blaster rifle and Stratowing stepped out of the cell and into the light. Giving his visual sensors a moment to adjust to the light, he paused. After a few seconds past, he started walking.

He knew the way, he had walked it to his interrogation by first Optimus Prime, then with Wheeljack about the specifications that he had stolen, and then again for his trial in front of the Autobot council. He waited still for the verdict, but he had little faith in Autobot justice.

Windows decorated one side of the hall, showing to observers the ruins of a once great skyline. Stratowing himself had not been party to the destruction of Paradise City, but he had heard tales from his comrades. The plunder and violence had been plentiful, but the cost high. Many warriors had died to take the city, and several more to keep it occupied. After many years the Decepticon Council had decided that the city was too costly to keep and that is should simply be erased from the surface of Cybertron as a message to the Autobots. They got the message, but not the message that the council wanted to send. Instead of hiding in the shadows as is the Autobot way, they attacked the city early in the destruction and took out many of the Decepticons one at a time as they were occupied by rampaging. The battles are still a sore point to the Decepticons, and a cause of rejoice for the Autobots.

Stratowing stood before a door that opened up into the interrogation room. It was a plain door with a magnetic lock and a keypad. Kup punched in the numbers and the door slid open. Not waiting to be told to do so, Stratowing entered the room and looked at the Autobot that sat in a chair at the opposite end of a square table.

Prowl stared long and hard at the purple and grey Decepticon, waiting for him to move or say something. He was rewarded with a look of fear and uncertainty that washed over the Deception's face. Sure, Stratowing attempted to hide it, and did so well, but Prowl has been doing this duty for a long time. He could see the fear that tightened Stratowing's chest, see the twitch of his finger.

Prowl stood and gestured that Stratowing sit in the only other chair in the room. When he did sit, Prowl again sat in his seat. Kup nodded to Prowl and vanished as the door closed.

Time passed as the two just looked at each other. Stratowing did not fidget, much to his credit. Instead he met the Autobots gaze evenly and openly. There was no hostility in the room as the two studied each other quietly. The camera in the corner clicked quietly. Prowl began to respect this Decepticon a little.

"So," started Stratowing, "am I to be shot outright or will I be given a chance to defend myself?"

Prowl started to speak, but decided to stay silent for a moment longer. He knew well the thing that Decepticons called justice. You were either murdered on the spot or thrown into an arena and given a chance to redeem yourself. "No," Prowl said. "I have been given the task by the Council to interrogate you and determine if you are a spy, a coward, or simply tired of being a Decepticon. I have already decided that you are no coward. The other two, well, we will have to see about. My decision alone will provide you with either stasis for an undefined time, exile, or death."

Stratowing nodded. So, he thought to himself, maybe they did listen after all.

"Tell me again why you decided to leave Megatron and his forces," said Prowl.

Stratowing sighed. He had already been through this three times. He started again with his story.

All the time that Stratowing had been a Decepticon he had been under the command of Starscream. His alternate mode was an antigravity fighter. He is extremely agile, but not fast. And because of the power requirements of his antigravity units, he was not overly powerful. Because of these limitations he was hardly ever included in missions, and if he was it was always in a secondary role. A scout, a messenger, or if he was lucky he was allowed to work cleanup. He never gained the respect of his fellow Decepticon brothers, having never had the opportunity to prove himself in battle.

Once he went to Megatron asking to be reassigned or at least given a chance. Megatron would not give him even a moment. The other Seekers, at Starscream's order, beat Stratowing nearly to death for going over his head.

After many, many centuries of this abuse, Stratowing grew tired of this. He spent years planning an escape, a way of revenge. His opportunity arose when after a major battle (that he was not permitted to participate in) all the Seekers, including Starscream, returned severely damaged. Instead of being repaired, they were reformatted and given completely better and upgraded fighter and primary modes. Stratowing managed to hack into the Formatting computer and retrieved the schematics for the new Seeker bodies. He downloaded them into his own memory core and then deleted them from the database.

Using a routine patrol as an excuse to leave the base, Stratowing then went right into Autobot controlled territory and turned himself in. He had hoped to curry favor with them with the information he held on the Seekers, but instead he was met with only distrust and aggression. He was hurried to New Paradise and imprisoned, questioned, tried, and left to rot in a cell.

Which now brings him to the present, sitting in a small grey room with the Autobot Prowl.

Prowl looked at Stratowing and interrupted for clarification on a few points, but otherwise only listened. Once the story was told he sat silently for a few moments.

"Tell me please, why you only took the data on the Seekers and not the whole Decepticon army," asked Prowl.

"I took the information on the Seekers because they are the ones that brought me to this. If not for Starscream and the others I would have been able to prove myself and rise into the ranks and gain power."

"You would have done this by killing and destruction. Why should we allow you to join us, when not so long ago it was your goal to prove yourself by killing us?"

"I wanted to prove that I was not inferior. I still want that. I need to prove to myself and everyone else that I am capable of performing anything asked of me. If I cannot fight, then why should I continue to exist?"

Prowl was somewhat taken aback by the response. "There is more to life then fighting and death."

"And when was the last time you remember doing something that did not involve this war? What function do you serve, if not to protect your way of life?"

Prowl paused for a moment and thought. Time passed. The camera clicked again.

Prowl stood and gestured that Stratowing should do the same. He did and they both walked toward the door of the room. Kup was waiting on the other side and turned to face them as the door slid open.

"Kup, go ahead and escort Stratowing back to his cell. I have to prepare and submit my report to the Council."

"Sure thing," Kup replied. With a nod Prowl turned and began to walk down the hall. Stratowing started walking back to his cell, Kup following.