Author's Note: Thanks to Riptide2 (kind of ironic that the first sign of trouble comes from them), Foxbear (Jazz is a little bit of all three right now), and Lynn Jones (Glad that you think the plots are strong enough to stand alone) for reviewing the last chapter! I own nothing but my OCs

Alternatives

"Many evil things there are that your strong walls and bright swords do not stay. You know little of the lands beyond your bounds. Peace and freedom, do you say? The North would have known them little but for us."-Aragorn, The Fellowship of the Ring

Trouble had breached Cybertron before and it had weathered the test of time. It had survived through drought, famine, and war but it had yet to see what was to come. A storm was brewing inside the hearts of some of the people, a dangerous storm formed by mercenaries and illegal gladiators. A storm that cared nothing for innocents and their safety or lack of. Call it a self centered revolution full of self indulgent people or an antirevolution that seemed to pop out of nowhere.

The Badlands between Kaon and Syntach were the perfect place to hide a revolution. Reddish brown rock caves once house a people that had faded into the general population long ago. The land was long parched and it rained less than a quarter of an inch every year except for the rare years where it flooded. If you didn't know how to navigate the twists and turns of the caverns and rock formations it would be easy to lose your way. It was these twists and turns that made it such an excellent hiding place except for the few that had ventured there before.

Cybertron clung to peace because it was this that everyone believed they had finally achieved the ultimate balance between power and fairness. Little did they know that balance clung to a thread and should their leader lean one way or the other the tightrope would snap and send them all tumbling into the black abyss of war.

Day 5 of the Fifth month, 0845 hours- Badlands

The shard of reddish brown stone stained with black shoe polish was tilted carefully between her fingers and then dropped to land with the others. "Well someone was here," Nyana said, glancing up to see Jazz stepping out of the cave he had been inspecting. He glanced at her and nodded once before dropping a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. Nyana frowned and stood, brushing her hands off on her black pants. Thunder rumbled above them, an empty threat seeing that it never rained in the Badlands.

Jazz was already making his way through a slim gap between two caves and Nyana followed him, scrambling over a twisted spire of rock and hissing under her breath when her ankle slammed into a jagged section of the reddish stone, blood from the nick staining her sock a darker black than it had been before. He paused at the edge of an overhang and when Nyana joined him she saw smoke. She squinted, studying the town before asking, "Is that Syntach?" A nod of affirmation came at the same time a blaze of fire rose into the sky. She sucked in a breath, eyes widening slightly. "What in Primus' name is going on?"

"They're burnin' Syntach ta the ground." There was no need for Jazz to elaborate on who They were. "Murderin' and destroyin'."

"Isn't that what you do?" Nyana asked, the words blurting out before she could stop them. She took a step back as Jazz turned his head to face her.

"You have no idea what Ah do." Nyana narrowed her eyes at him but didn't say anything else as he turned back to watch Syntach burning. He had brought up a good point; no one really knew what Jazz did. Rumors fluctuated between anything from a spy to an assassin but one thing everyone agreed is that his kill count was in the hundreds and there were probably more killed that they had never found. She took another step back, stone cracking under her foot. "Ah wouldn't advise runnin'." Jazz continued without looking back. "Ah'll just track ya down if ya even get outta here."

Nyana paused, considering her options before she whirled and bolted. This time she dodged the rock she had hit the first time as dark clouds swirled around her. She desperately wanted to look behind her for Jazz but she didn't dare slow her speed to do so. She skidded around a corner and hit the steps, seeing the flash of a black coat out of the corner of her eye as she climbed. Her foot slipped and she let out a little cry behind forcing herself up and into the shadows of one cave. Her breathing was just slowing to normal when she heard the crack of a step. She spun but the wrong direction and was jerked back. There was another click, this one metallic, and something pressed lightly against her head.

Nyana kicked back but her heart was trying to pound its way out of her chest. She was a Healer and occasional pickpocket but not a fighter. "Let 'er go Blackout." Jazz's voice was hard as diamond and the sunglasses firmly in place as he stood in the entrance of the cave.

"Have you finally gone soft in your old age?" Blackout responded mockingly. Nyana clenched her teeth, biting her tongue to keep from trembling as she focused on Jazz.

"Not likely," Jazz said coldly. "Go on, shoot 'er if you're goin' ta." There was a hesitation and then Nyana knew Blackout's finger tightening on the trigger. Jazz moved, faster than she had ever seen anyone move, to ram into Blackout and send the gun flying. Nyana jerked free as Blackout stumbled and then whirled to face Jazz. She ran then, scrambling out of the cave and back down the steps, heartbeat like a war drum. She slipped in the crack they had walked through before, tasting blood from chewing on her tongue.

She would have yelped when someone grabbed her arm and yanked her through the gap had she had any air left. They paused behind an outcropping of rocks, giving time for Nyana to focus on Jazz. "Listen ta me," he said, sunglasses gone and eyes serious. There was a metallic click again and he shoved the gun to her chest. "If anyone comes here aim for the center a their body and empty the clip inta 'em before ya run."

"What if it's you?" Nyana asked breathlessly.

"If it's me ya won't see me," Jazz replied and Nyana managed a shaky nod before he vanished in the direction of Syntach, pressing her slim frame against the rock to brace herself.

Day 5 of the Fifth month, 0958 hours- Syntach

Ravage was choking on smoke as she shoved the rubble aside but she couldn't stop until she found Luna. Beside her Steeljaw worked in equal silence. Both knew if they drew the wrong attention they could be killed. The massacre had moved from the outskirts of town to farther in, leaving Ravage safe to search for her sister. "Ravage." She ignored her oldest friend, tossing another rock aside. "Ravage." This time Steeljaw pulled her up and she gazed desperately into his eyes. "I don't think Luna's here. She's too smart to stay in a falling building."

"Right," Ravage said a little breathlessly, trying not to give into the tears welling in her eyes as panic washed over her. "She'll be fine. We just have to find her." Steeljaw nodded, his eyes meeting her panicked ones calmly. They both knew what they had to do. They headed for the town square.

Syntach was in chaos. They had been unprepared for attack. No one came from the Badlands, least of all a rag tag army of mercenaries and ex-gladiators. Ravage and Steeljaw stuck close together, scanning the fleeing people for any sight of Luna. "Ravage!" The scream broke through the chaos and chilled Ravage's beating heart. She broke into a sprint, shoving people aside with Steeljaw guarding her back. She saw one of the mercenaries grab Luna and her blood turned cold.

She shifted before the conscious signs reached her mind. She cleared the crowd as a black panther, the massive mountain lion guarding her back snarling at anyone who got too close. Despite the extra speed she couldn't make it in time as the sword removed her little sister's head from her shoulders. She lunged, teeth flashing as she ripped his throat open and left him to drown in his own blood as she shifted back. A tortured shriek flew out of her mouth as she fell to the ground next to her sister's headless body, the stone rode gritty with dirt and slick with blood against her bare skin. Steeljaw paced around her as the massive mountain lion and all Ravage could do was wail as the clouds above Syntach broke far too late and drenched the emptying streets as the attackers moved on.

Day 5 of the Fifth month, 1024 hours- Internym

Lying in the center of a diamond flanked on either side by Kaon and Praxus and faced by Syntach and Archon, Internym would not be distinctive had it not been home to the second best medical and scientific program on Cybertron, second only because of Iacon's superior technology. That was why the three of them were in Internym; Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Moonracer. Out of the three of them Wheeljack was the odd one out as an engineer but Moonracer was in both looks in gender. While the two boys were both dark haired Moonracer had long pin straight blonde locks.

Ratchet and Moonracer were both studying medicine and were working on an assignment when Wheeljack burst into the room. Both looked up only to blink when the door was flung open again by a harried looking assistant. "Haven't you heard the sirens?" she shrieked at them.

"I was just coming to tell them," Wheeljack said instantly, trying to placate the furious woman.

"Good," she snapped. "Get out then and pack. All of you!"

"Yes ma'am," Wheeljack said, pulling his two friends into the hall.

"What's going on?" Ratchet snapped the instant Wheeljack let them go.

"There's been an attack on Syntach," Wheeljack explained, his tone almost frantic. "The whole town is destroyed and the Elders are afraid Internym is next. They're sending all students to Iacon."

"Iacon?" Moonracer squeaked.

"Syntach has been destroyed?" Ratchet said at the same time and Wheeljack nodded in answer to both their questions. They packed quickly and met in the hall, all but running to make the final transport shuttle. None of them spoke along the ride as they wondered who had dared attack and destroy Syntach? And were there any survivors?

Day 5 of the Fifth month, 2400 hours- Iacon

Starscream nursed the drink in his hands and stood on the expansive marble balcony. Somewhere in the bustling room behind him were his too brothers and if he bothered he would have found them quickly. Instead he let the humid sea breeze wash over him. "You got tired of the fuss as well?" The tone was cultured, amused, and definitely feminine. He turned to see a young woman, possibly a year or two younger than him, with dark brown curls pinned up in an aqua dress. "I'm Aurora."

"Starscream," he said with a slight nod, turning back to gaze across the city again.

"My brothers are back there," she said, joining him at the railing. "Older and twins; Jetfire and Jetstorm."

"My brothers are there as well," Starscream admitted. "Skywarp and Thundercracker." A wry smile twisted his lips and she smiled easily at him.

"So you're the new lieutenant," she said after a moment. "I might as well tell you what's going on, in confidence of course."

"Of course," Starscream replied wryly. "I shall tell no one."

"Not even your brothers?"

"Not even them," Starscream said and her smile turned to a smirk.

"Syntach has been destroyed by rebel forces," Aurora informed him seriously. "My brothers and I are here to inform Sentinel Prime of the fact but he refused to see us until this party and we have yet to see him." She smiled enigmatically at him before turning and leaving him alone with his thoughts.

"Why tell me?" he asked the silent sky before shaking his head slightly and heading back into the crowded ballroom.

Next chapter you should see the return of; Nyana, Jazz, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Citrine, Carbonite Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Aurora as well as being introduced properly to Blackout, Jetfire, and Jetstorm