LAST CHAPTER:
The first source of energy we came upon was on a platform out in the middle of the alien world ocean, these creatures are gathering liquid substance called oil, which has a good potential to be converted to energon.
"Megatron, the substance the creatures are gathering is called oil. It can be used to convert into stabilized energon cubes." I stated after filing the information on the data pad.
"Let's go down and help ourselves then. Decepticons, clear the area of those creatures!" Megatron chuckled. This was too easy; the creatures of this planet were puny in stature and too weak to properly defend themselves without armor or weapons.
I gained intelligence on all their capabilities by my tiny aerial drones and I had hacked into their global communications they called the internet. Amusing, it was something akin to what we had on Cybertron but aside from being an access tool to public files, we didn't use it for entertainment. These beings used theirs for many purposes, strangely enough my firewalls buzzed with alerts to primative viruses to the millions of access "sites" and files. These creatures are strange, why would they infect their own data stores? My firewall and scrub programs cleaned all the information infected with trojan viruses and malware. My processors hummed with excitement as I made quick work of information. I could spend many months investigating the data, this made me very happy.
I snapped out of the rush of new information to assess the situation at hand. Megatron and the others started the process of claiming the oil platform.
As the main forces landed to swat away these "humans", as they call themselves, I prepared several small drones to attach themselves to satellites that were orbiting this world. Accessing their military satellites would give me a thrill. I wanted to know more of this species and their capabilities. They were organized; they had militant and civilain technologies, I must obtain knowledge of the range of their advancements. Also I wanted to make sure that if they choose to strike at us we would be ready.
I activated several spy drones and placed them in launch pods then shot them into the sky…
The drones I had were part of the modifications I made long ago while in Kaon. I had many such body "mods" that helped our cause; I choose to keep some of them secret from Megatron and the others. I cherished my advantage over everyone and everything. Especially, since many of our Decepticons love double dealing, I needed to make sure nothing would interfere with the cause and more importantly I wanted to make sure I could use information to keep our fellow Cons in-check. How I loved to black mail, Ravage was all too happy keeping all my targets reminded of it too.
I quickly joined the others; many humans had opted to jump off the oil rig than face Starscream and his merry band of Seekers. Skywarp decided to do some target practice using various large metal containers as projectiles and making a disgusting mess of them all. He was a ruthless killing machine, no empathy or remorse for laying waste to those that can't defend themselves. He also had a dark sense of humor that plays out when he's in battle or just on a killing spree.
Thundercracker however took a different route and decided to just chase a large group of the creatures off the rig in his earth-mode using aerial acrobatics to change then double around and blow them off the platforms with his thrusters. I wasn't surprised with his lack of relish in killing inferior creatures, it's a part of his programming to be begrudging fair. A vast contrast to his murderous Trine mate.
The rest of the Cons were shooting and shoving who they could. The humans that made it safely into the water were swimming as far as they could to brave the open ocean. It was better than remaining another astro second anywhere close to the siege taking place on the platform.
I landed besides Megatron, Starscream was inspecting the best place for us to siphon the bounty. The platform was fixed with a temporary subsea wells that were being fed thru pipelines.
"Right here, the contents are being routed thru this pipline." He said.
"Soundwave, prepare the energon cubes. This will be a good start. After we are done here we can begin planning the construction of our new ship." Megatron chuckled in satisfaction especially taking in the view of his minions making light work of all the humans they could find.
I went to work producing cubes to be filled, a convenient mod I had created purely for survival. It expended considerable energy to produce but nothing I couldn't handle.
Starscream opened the line and the oil poured forceably out which quickly filled the cubes. The excess spilled into the ocean. I dispatched Rumble and Frenzy to help with the conversion as others came to help with the task of bundling the cubes to be transported.
Then that's when several other bots landed on the platform, surprise and fury swept us all. Optimus and his Autobots had reanimated and were here. Starscream screeched and started shooting before Megatron and I could fully comprehend the odds of it all. The battle quickly ensued; I dispatched the rest of my Cassesticons to help with battle and the cubes.
"Hold it right there MEGATRON!" Optimus was in fine form as always. The heroic entrance never seems to get old with that guy, I'm sure if I looked closely his optics would be burning with righteous fury.
He shot at Megatron hitting him in the shoulder; Megatron raised his fusion canon and started shooting. The Autobots scattered taking cover and to engage other Decepticons. I crouched to become a smaller target and brought out a weapon from my subspace compartment.
"How did they revive? Soundwave, convert these cubes quickly! Starscream, get the other Seekers and get what cubes we have and go to our designated area of operations!" Megatron said as Optimus quickly approached for the obligatory hand-to-hand fight our faction leaders loved so much.
Megatron jumped from the platform we were on and tackled Optimus. I hurriedly converted the last group of cubes into energon as the Seekers gathered what they could and flew off. Rumble and Frenzy went to join in the battle to help hold them off till we got all the cubes out. Then a shot that nearly took my head grabbed my attention, well, that and a familiar voice…
"HEY! What in fragging Prime are you doing!WHY? SOUNDERS!" HIS voice breaking as he said my name. I felt my spark hitch, I could have been blown over by a gentle breeze then another shot, this one hit my shoulder and I fell to my knees.
"HUH? JUST WHAT THE FRAG!" He roared in fury but also there was misery in his outburst. I almost wanted him to shoot me again, the accusatory tones in his voice stung.
I cradled my scorched shoulder and quickly faced Jazz. I was a whirlwind of emotions: fear, loss, guilt, rage and relief. I was relieved because he was alive but he lived so we could have this confrontation. I raised my weapon at him, albeit shakily, even though this mech had once been my best friend, we were now enemies. I allowed a tendril of my telepathic ability to sweep his immediate thoughts; they were as turbulent as mine. I sensed he didn't have the resolve to kill me but he would do what he could to stop me.
Then another familiar mech rushed up behind Jazz, this one I knew well. Prowl, was his name. He was Chief of Police for Iacon, I had run–ins with him many times through energon raids and undercover sting operations in Kaon. He tried many times to squelch our numbers and to trap Megatron but he never succeeded. He managed to get a few bots into custody but he never got much information from them. Prowl did come close once to apprehending me but Senator Ratbat had called him off, what reasons he gave him…I do not know.
"Jazz, I heard you yelling I thought you were slagged!" Prowl had his weapon on me the whole time.
"I'm fine. Let's get this sucker!" Jazz said with dripping venom.
I could see Prowl's grin over his weapon "Well, if it isn't the infamous Soundwave, I been itching to get you into a pair of energon cuffs for a long time! I suggest you lay down your weapon and surrender!"
"Negative." I said aiming my weapon at him. I swept his mind quickly and saw he was more concerned for Jazz then he was for himself. Then Jazz shot at me once more almost hitting the cubes. This was getting dangerous quick, unstable ex-friend and a police chief with a chip on his shoulder. Slag it!I ducked for cover behind a large structure of steel beams.
I heard Skywarp teleport next to me and he wasted no time shooting. He clipped Prowl sending him running for cover. Jazz shot at him but missed; Skywarp had teleported and grabbed the last pile of energon then transformed and flew off. There was no sense in staying now that all the energon was secured. I heard Megatron giving the retreat order as he blasted the oil in the ocean setting the place in flames and using the black smoke to cover the retreating Cons. I could hear Jazz running to confront me before I had a chance to fly off.
Then I sensed Rumble and Frenzy attack Prowl as they kept him at bay with weapon fire and scathing insults. "Hey! Prowl! Heard you got assigned to babysittin' duty 'cause you couldn't produce any real results in Kaon!" Rumble shouted. That earned a mental chuckle from me. Frenzy kept him pinned under a blanket of fire as I heard Jazz rush to confront me before I could escape.
He barreled around the corner of my cover, I lunged at him, taking his arm carrying the laser weapon and pulling it behind him. The move knocked the weapon out of his hand sending it skidding across the floor and over the edge into the ocean.
"Stupid move Sounders…" He snarled.
He jumped spinning on his arm socket in a frenzy of maneuvers and kicked me in the face all in a few astro seconds. I forgot he was a master of many fighting styles, and his small flexible frame facilitated them all perfectly. I recovered quickly and sent a blast of disorientating waves thru his neural processors. He staggered back but retaliated with his own barrage of sonic frequencies, he also got mod'ed with weapons. Not surprising since he was a police officer, but that particular weapon was my creation, I felt a slight indignation at that. I brandished my laser weapon at him.
He was lightening quick and I barely time to register him disarming me of my weapon. He was getting ready to shoot me with it but I kicked it out of his hands. I then grabbed him by the neck and started crushing. I was enraged and sick of it all, I hated how his presence made feel. I wanted to kill him so I could go back to grieving him, which was easier to take than feeling like this.
He spat in my face then kneed me right where my spark casing was. Holy Prime! That fragging hurt. I let him go I was more concerned with not passing out. The attack had sent jolt of searing pain thru my whole body and I struggled to keep standing. I soon fell to my knees unable to shake the pain.
I could hear him breathing heavily as he stood over me with my own weapon at my head. I heard the weapon charge- up; he meant to really shot me this time. His thoughts emanated thick blankets of hurt, betrayal, sadness but also…love…He loved me?
I choked back a sob that threatened to escape my vocalisers, I wanted him to just end it. I then heard a growl as Ravage jumped Jazz her mouth clamping down on his arm holding the weapon. She shook violently sending them both skidding away from me. The gun dropped and I took it wielding it at Jazz as he was trying to defend himself against her attack.
"Ravage, stop." I said. Ravage disengaged from the struggle and ran to my side. Her head held low, I could feel her mind. She was heartbroken and frightened, she didn't want to destroy Jazz but she would do just that to save me. She stood protectively between me and Jazz, growling under her breath.
Jazz was unable to contain himself anymore and started sobbing at the sight of Ravage. All the fight had been drained out of him. He stood shakily on his last reserves of strength, the silent stare down was unbearable but he finally spoke up.
"Why…why did you turn to the Decepticons? Sounders!...Why? Why did you betray me this way? Betray everyone that…"
Ravage then did something I thought I never HEAR her do, she spoke aloud "Don't judge him! You don't know what he's been through!" She growled.
Both of us were stunned by her voice, I knew she could talk but I never questioned her why she didn't. Jazz never knew she had the ability.
Jazz covered his face and fell to his knees his grief having sapped the last bit of mental and physical strength he had left. His agony flooded all my senses and I shook as his emotions overlapped my own. I wanted to go to him, but the distance between us was too great to cross. However Ravage without hesitating went to him and nuzzled him briefly, he looked up. His face covered in tears, tears I never seen him shed before till now. He's been hurt before but I never seen him cry, never. This shook the core of me, and seeing Ravage nuzzle him like she use to made me ache for the past.
"I really missed you Kittamers." He whispered. Kittamers was the nickname he given her when she was young. He reached out and gently stroked her cheek.
I could sense Megatron looking for me, this could turn ugly for Jazz and I if we were discovered like this.
"Ravage! We must go." I said regaining some composure. She licked Jazz's face and whispered "Goodbye" She then transformed and nestled back into my chamber. She was struck hard today and it would be a long time before I would be able to console her.
I wanted to say something to him before I departed but I couldn't. I had no words to say, nothing that would matter anyhow. He was still on his knees staring at me, he wanted to run to me too but found no words he could say either. I hesitantly took to the air, glancing back at him as his comrade Prowl rounded the corner and went to him. Jazz embraced him and he was helped to his pedes. Prowl gave him a quick inspection for damage; I could feel Prowl's love for Jazz as I flew away rejoining Megatron in the air.
My other Cassesticons, met up with us and also nestled back into my chamber to join their sister who cut off mental links to us all. She could go days without saying a word when depressed or moody. Today was the worst I seen it get for her, she's angry with the situation but not me. I would feel better if she hated me but she harbored no ill will. She knows what all I been through to get to this point because she's been through it as well. It was a choice both of us agreed on to help Megatron all those years ago.
Everyone else had fled for the rendezvous point where Starscream had started laying out his plans for our ship. He sent Constucticons to gather materials at different locations. All the Cons already industriously employed in the efforts to get us back to Cybertron.
Megatron eyed me as we flew to rejoin Starscream and the others. The fact I had lingered behind on the oil rig long after the battle had him wary. I could sense he wanted an explanation for my actions.
I had none to give him, I wanted nothing more to just get to work and put all this behind me. Jazz's presence back in my life could not come at a worse time. The fact he was here on Earth would make avoiding him hard enough, I got a feeling where ever we go the Autobots will try to stop us. He will be there to confront me again.
Megatron halted in the air and grabbed my arm pulling me in front of him. His look was stern, made worse with his new earth-mode having altered some of his Cybertronian appearance in his default configuration. He looked foreboding and I felt like he knew my secret confrontation with Jazz. I cut my mental link to my symbiots, I got a feeling my ordeal won't be over anytime soon.
Megatron was boiling himself into a blind rage, his optics exploded brilliance as he stared me down.
"SOUNDWAVE, I said just what the frag were you doing down there!" He hissed. Oh slag…did I not hear him question me the first time? I was deep in thought so perhaps I didn't hear him.
"Just what were you doing down there after I had given the orders to retreat?" He was holding himself back from exploding on me. He grabbed me by both of my arms, his grip was like a vice and crushing down ever so slightly each astro second I didn't answer.
I exhausted his patience and he backslapped me. I felt broken in the inside and this just added to my torment. Displeasing him in such a way that now I am just a minion for him to beat. "ANSWER ME!" He pulled me to his face and retracted both my visor and mask.
This was not going to end well for me; I used the visor and mask to hide my emotions. Without them it would be difficult to hide the truth of what happened. I gazed at him, I felt disgusted with myself. I earned his beating today.
I could feel his rage back down slightly as he looked upon me, uncovered and unprotected. My face wore the mask of emotional pain, I couldn't hide it all. I hadn't realized that he pulled us down to earth until landscape filled the background. I was however still in the air; Megatron didn't relinquish his hold on my arms.
"Well?" he waited an answer.
"I was cornered but I was able to fight to get free." I said. Not entirely a lie but not the complete story either.
He must of sense I was being vague probably because I felt my face get hot and I dared not look at him any longer. His burning optics felt like they cut through me and I so wished I had my mask and visor on to hide my face. I could have told him the complete truth but that would no doubt mean the end of Jazz, or me for that matter.
"Do you think me a fool!" Megatron whispered as he drew me in closer to his face. I shook my head and I could feel a wave of agony wrap itself around me once again.
He backslapped me so hard I spun and skid on the ground a few feet from where we were. I laid on my back trying to orient myself while all my processors flashed hot with pain. He slowly approached and knelt over me with a smile.
"We have been together for many vorns, Soundwave. Even though I like you, I will NEVER trust you. When it was apparent you and I would become partners in the uprising, I did some research of my own on you. You were the bastard sparkling of an upper class politician and a third class citizen. Even though you didn't suffer to struggle in Kaon, your femme spark creator did. She placed you in middle class academies like communications and intelligence; with the credits your politician spark creator gave her to keep quiet. You had a rare gift, mental telepathy and projection. With those gifts, you would have soared through to Iacon Security Police. BUT after some unforeseen circumstances involving the death of your femme spark creator you decided to retreat to Kaon. Amazingly enough it was the same time your politician spark creator met with a horrible end, was it not?"
My optics must have popped out of my head, he chuckled. He then stood up and walked away. I was too stunned to get up so I laid there wallowing in past memories of anger and hatred, the killing I done to satisfy an injustice. My spark was bitter and my mouth spoke words I wish I had bit back, "Why tell me something I already know and LIVED? What are you getting at with this?" I barked. My anger swelling deep within, I resented Megatron for the first time.
He stood next to me while I remained on the ground; I ran my hands down my face and looked up at him. His eyes looked like two meteors about to plummet on me.
"The point I am getting at? Well allow me to get on with it then. I also obtained information on where you lived and who with for most of your young life. Amazingly, he went on to join Iacon Security Police and even more astonishing he joined the Autobots. The same Autobots that are here now, he is here with them on this rock!" Megatron's frown darkened and I could sense he was on a precipice of making a rash decision. I thought I heard his fusion canon charge up.
My spark felt like it wanted to fizzle and die; I felt something I haven't felt since the day my femme creator died...tears. I looked away from Megatron unable to face him now that my shame radiated from me in full force. He was accusing me of being a spy.
"Did you think I didn't know? How you found him in the Ark. When I was revived I made note of all the Autobots that were on the Ark. He caught my attention because I was knew who he was. I relished in the fact he was dead, yet just like the rest of the Autobots he is revived as well! So then, you disappear after the battle and you're behaving strangely so unlike yourself! Just what the frag happened, tell me the truth! You were with HIM…weren't YOU! If I ever see him again I will personally make sure he is gone for good!"
There is was, the very thing I didn't want to happen. Did. Megatron would stop at nothing to destroy Jazz and I wasn't so sure he wouldn't destroy me either. I'm so fed up with entire outcome. I decided I would rip out my emotions, be hollow and a pure machine. I had to let Megatron know how I felt before I do this.
"He means nothing to me now! It was long ago! IF you think I am a spy or traitor you're wrong! He's just a ghost of my past come to haunt me." I covered my face willing myself to stop crying and to regain some dignity in front of Megatron but I was in the dirt, on my back, and the tears kept coming. Slag it. I need to end this pain. I sat up folding my legs under me, I side glanced Megatron .
"He was going to kill me for betraying him, for being a Decepticon. We fought but neither of us could do it. It was the last bit of who I once was that died on that oil rig. That's the reason I didn't come back to you, immediately." I whispered.
I looked up at him and stated, "It's the truth. Yes, I have my secrets and hidden agendas but I never schemed against you. NEVER! I gave myself to you wholly, on that day I swore an oath to you."
I decided to end this misery now and my hand trembled as I reached for my head and opened the access panel to my neural processors, specifically the one that registers emotions. I was going to destroy those clusters to be the complete machine I needed to be. If I ever saw Jazz again it wouldn't hurt anymore and I could continue being Megatron's.
Megatron swooped down and grabbed my hand, "What the frag do you think you are doing?"
"Becoming someone you can trust for now on. I have to destroy all emotions that would threaten to take me away from you, from the Decepticons. If I continue this way, I can't say for certain if I wouldn't seek Jazz again and that isn't something I want. I want you, you alone. Can't you see?"
I smiled at him and this shook him visibly that he momentarily softened the grasp he had on my arm. He then grabbed my shoulders and forced me to turn and face him fully. I felt numb and I just wanted to get this over with. My optics still felt wet and hot as I gazed at the mech I worshipped for so long. He was fully seeing me for the first time, unguarded and stripped.
He was my first love and obsession, he is also my last. He caressed my face then said "There are so many reasons I shouldn't trust you, reasons and circumstances that would have had me destroy any other bot." He shook his head then continued "It infuriated me that I never found evidence that you would or had betrayed me. To me it just meant you were too skilled in hiding and the more I dug the more I realized how devoted you were. Soundwave….I…I.."
He then leaned in and kissed me. He kissed me and it wasn't the way I was expecting, perhaps a dominant kiss full of fire and hunger, yes. But this, it was soft and it was cautious, I wish it had been more often. As he was distracted, I yanked out the tiny processor which sent my systems into hard reboot.
I fell from Megatron's kiss all of it happening in slow motion. The look on his face as my vision faded, forever carved into my memory. He regretted what he done to spur me into this final act of passion.
I awoke to my Lord Megatron, assessing if I had neural damage to my processing clusters. I promptly got up and closed my cranial access panel and said "Behavioral problems: rectified." My voice seemed altered somehow, I ran a systems check. Default voice program initiated, problem with inflictions of speech when there were no emotion data to superimpose.
His countenance was dubious for about ten astro seconds as I stood and re-engaged my visor and mask.
"Emotional interference problematic. Better function and processing in this mode." My voice falling into a rhythmic tone. Megatron was about to say something but an incoming call distracted me.
"Proceed. This is Soundwave."
"Uhhh, Soundwave? You sound different. Whatever nevermind! Where are you two at? Starscream is about to blast the Constructicons for bringing poor materials." Thundercracker stated. Sounds of a screeching Seeker and angry Constructicons were in the background. "Crap! Skywarp 's smacking Constructicons with steel beams…HEY NO Cut it out!" The "comm." link went dead.
" Megatron we should return."I stated flatly.
He nodded and I took off in flight. I could sense my symbiots prodding the mental barrier. I reestablish the link. I could feel all of their questioning minds all at once, all except Ravage who has retreated to silence.
"Hey boss, what gives? Everything ok? Hmmm…whoa what's that feeling?" Rumble said.
"Yea, you feel different, the link feels different." Laserbeak stated.
"I removed some of my processing clusters but I duplicated them in the area of my processing units that allow me to mentally link with all of you. In simple terms, I moved my emotion clusters to only be functional in the mental link we all share." I said.
"Why didchya do that!" Frenzy piped up.
"My emotions were causing me to acting irrationally. I had to do it to for me and for Megatron. Even though I can communicate to you all my feelings and emotions, it will not translate to my functions outside the link. This way I can continue being who you all know I am but how I feel about you all won't be on display in public."
"Ok, boss. I think I understand even though you aren't tellin' the whole story. But that's ok, you never done nuthin' without thinkin long and hard 'bout it." Rumble said.
"I understand Creator." Ravage linked.
I linked privately to Ravage: "I know how much he meant to you. I was never blind to your suffering when we disappeared from the life we once had. I am so truly sorry. Perhaps in the future I will require some Ark reconnaissance work. As long as you promise to return to safely I will like for you to do this for me."
I could feel her smile inward and linked "I would like that."
I sensed this was what she wanted. She wanted to ensure Jazz was happy by checking up on him thus also soothing herself. Secretly, it was for me as well.
I could feel my neural patch program reroute clusters to compensate for the damaged area and trying to find the lost codes. My visor flashed a message,it was my patch program was trying to access the codes that I stored my mental link cluster. I locked access to the clusters from the program. I kept getting errors but ignored them they will go away once my auto repair systems are done rerouting.
This maybe the last chapter for now. I may add more later so I left it somewhat open ended for now. But there are other stories I want to write.
Thank for reading!