Chapter 12: Departure

Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave had returned to Kaon in order to start with the preparations for their visit to Earth. The Nemesis needed to be refueled, the space bridge needed to be prepared with the coordinates, and they also had to select an appropriate crew, gather supplies, etc.

Starscream, Eleonor, Blitzwing and Alpha Trion were still at the Hall of Records, near the main entrance. The ancient Prime didn't have a flying alt-mode, so, they had called Thundercracker to bring a small cargo ship for them, and they were currently waiting for him to arrive.

The old mech was currently staring at the devastated cityscape of Iacon, a expression of sorrow in his usually benevolent face-plates. The city had been once the most important metropolis of Cybertron. But now... it was just a painful reminder of the War.

"Hmm... Alpha Trion, Sir..." Started to say Eleonor. The sorrowful look in the old mech's optics had not gone unnoticed by her, and she was hoping to distract him with a little conversation.

"There is no need to be so formal, little one." He interrupted her, with a kind smile.

"Uh, OK. I was wondering... Are you alright? You have been in stasis for a long time without maintenance." She asked, with sincere concern.

"I will be fine, don't worry about me." He said dismissively. "I'm almost as old as this world, remember?"

"Don't mind her." Intervened Starscream, with a devious smirk. "She worries about everyone and everything."

"Well, someone has to." She shrugged, ignoring the seeker's playful taunts. But it only served to make the seeker smirk even wider.

Alpha Trion smiled faintly at the exchange.

"So, we cybertronians have made contact with this alien species, and forged an alliance with them?" The old mech asked. Blitzwing snorted in the distance. The triple-changer was looking to the cityscape, giving the impression of been lost in his thoughts, but he was clearly paying attention.

"Well, the truth is, that we aren't exactly in good terms with them. We had a little... rough start." Starscream explained. "We kind of... tried to kill each other a couple of times. Also the Autobots got in between..."

"What? You have been waging war against the humans and between yourselves? Things indeed had gone out of control!" The Librarian huffed, indignant.

"It's a very long story, Alpha Trion. You have missed a lot. You would never understand." Starscream replied, with a grim expression. "Ask Soundwave to send you a complete report of what happened. Then, you can judge." Starscream stopped to spare a glance at his human, who was silently sitting on a boulder, listening to the conversation. "And maybe you should also ask the Autobots about their version of the story. Just to be fair."

"I will then." Replied the old Prime, caressing his long beard-like face-plates. "So, if you are not friends with human kind, and human kind equally hates you... What is this little female doing here?"

"She is... my pet." Starscream smirked evilly, looking at Eleonor. The young woman just face-palmed and laughed heartily. Of course, there was no way in the Universe for Starscream to admit befriending a lowly organic creature.

"You, bad mannered sparkling!" Alpha Trion used Starscream's momentary distraction to punish the seeker with one of his patented smacks to the helm.

"HEY!" Barked the seeker. "Would you quit doing that! I'm the Decepticon's Second in Command, for Primus' sake! I deserve some respect!"

"Precisely. Respect." Scowled the old mech. "Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. And calling a sentient being pet is not respectful."

"Are you planning to teach the Decepticons some manners? You have arrived a little late for that." Starscream huffed. "You should be grateful I respect the original Thirteen Primes enough to not retaliate against a senile old-"

"Thundercracker is here." Blitzwing intervened quietly, a bored expression adorning his blue face-plates. He didn't know he had just saved Starscream from another smack to the helm.


Meanwhile, back in Kaon, Megatron, Soundwave and Shockwave were orchestrating all the necessary arrangements for the Nemesis' close departure. Soundwave was at the docks, and Megatron and Shockwave were alone at the control room.

"So, how is it going to be, Lord Megatron?" Shockwave asked, unexpectedly. "Should I run some battle scenarios?"

Megatron paused for some seconds, tapping his chin-plates thoughtfully.

"I am going to ask nicely first." Megatron replied coldly. "We left Earth in not too bad terms and having won the War. We have minded our own business for more than three Earth years. And Prime is a prudent mech, but not paranoid. He will give dialog a chance. At least he will listen."

"Prime will listen." Shockwave flickered his single optic. "The rest of his troops, however, are less prone to do so."

"That's why I need to chose wisely the mechs that are going to come along. I want a crew with a cool mind. Reliable mechs that would think it twice before disobeying my orders and giving in to the autobots' taunts and start a skirmish. I want them to keep quiet unless told otherwise."

"That would be quite a feat, considering our past squabbles..." Shockwave shook his helm slightly. "May I suggest some of the mechs of the first team that went to Earth? They already have some experience in that terrain and Earth alt-modes."

"That would be favorable." Megatron nodded. "I was already thinking in Barricade. He can be subtle if he is ordered to."

"But not Brawl, he is too trigger-happy. The same as Blitzwing, one third of the time."

"Starscream and the human. That seeker has survived at least a pair of visits to the Autobot base, I will give him that." Megatron admitted. "And of course, I can't leave his wing mates behind."

"And a medic? Knock Out is usually well-behaved, unless someone scratches his paint. And he is already inclined to human entertainments." Suggested Shockwave.

"Then Breakdown would have to come along too. It would be impossible to separate those two." Replied Megatron. "And I'll need Soundwave and his symbionts."

The Decepticon Leader was in silence for some minutes, considering the list of the mechs that would accompany him back to Earth.

"I wish to go too." Shockwave said suddenly. Megatron was surprised by his request.

"I was planning to leave you here, in charge, while we were out." Said Megatron, adverting his gaze from the terminal he was currently using, and looking back at the cyclops mech.

Shockwave held his gaze for some never-ending seconds.

"I..."

"No." Repeated Megatron, cutting off his Lieutenant.

The cyclops mech looked away, and back to his terminal, resuming his duties for several minutes of awkward silence.

"I was here. In charge of everything during your absence, since you departed from Cybertron in search of the Allspark... Starscream and Soundwave left later, looking for you. For the longest of times they looked for you, but none of them could find you. You were frozen during thousands of years in that Pit forsaken planet... And I wasn't there to help you. I failed." Shockwave shook his helm. "And when they finally found you, it was already too late. I failed a second time..." He hesitated and heaved a sigh "I...I can't fail again. I don't want to fail again." He glanced up and was surprised to find Megatron by his side. His Leader had approached without been noticed.

"You have never failed to me, Shockwave." Megatron placed a servo on Shockwave's shoulder-plates. "Not a single time." The Lieutenant was stunned in silence for a long moment until his Leader spoke again. "Now, look for someone reliable to be left in charge during a couple of days and run some battle scenarios. Just in case."

The Decepticon Leader dedicated one last glance to his stunned Lieutenant and exited the control room. Shockwave was in silence, unable to do anything during several minutes.

"Thank you, Lord Megatron." He whispered mostly for himself, when he managed to come out of his stupor.


Fortunately, Thundercracker had had the great idea of using Starscream's cargo ship to pick them up. Eleonor had there some of her supplies, and she was currently in her quarters, enjoying a quick meal and a little privacy.

Starscream, Blitzwing and Alpha Trion were at the control bridge with Thundercracker, informing him of the latest news. Well, it was actually more like Starscream debriefing his trine-mate, while the old Prime snooped around the controls and terminals, and the triple changer was comfortably seated on a chair, unusually quiet.

Blitzwing was lost in his own thoughts. Many things had been revealed recently. Sure thing Megatron had not planned to enlighten him about them at that moment, but the outcome of the events had been quite unexpected, and he had learned about it. A serious menace was surely to arrive in the future. When exactly, was still a mystery. But they should be prepared for it, because it posed a great danger for the cybertronian race. And he didn't like the idea of loosing his home planet that he had fought so hard to help conquer.

Yes, he will help to destroy Unicron.

Teaming up with the Autobots, well, that was another story. He didn't like it at all. Thousands of years of war were hard to put aside. And he couldn't stand the humans either.

"May I come in?"

And speaking of humans. Starscream's pet had arrived to the control bridge at that moment.

"Of course." Replied Thundercracker, offering her a servo, and leaving her over the desk, near the main terminal. "I've heard that you had quite an adventure today. Starscream has told me everything. And it has been an honor to meet one of the Original Thirteen." He added, bowing his helm slightly in the old mech direction.

"At least there is one mech with good manners left in this planet!" The old Prime intervened, making Eleonor giggle softly. If the Librarian liked good manners, Thundercracker was just the right mech. The blue seeker was, of course, a strong Decepticon warrior, but he tended to be more honorable than the rest of his faction, and he usually was very polite.

The triple-changer, for his part, was still lost in his thoughts while the rest of the team chatted animatedly. He didn't like humans. They had been a good distraction to keep his mind busy while he had been on Earth, but he didn't like them. And Starscream's pet was no exception. He didn't like her. But still...

…He couldn't stop thinking about the moment he had saved her from falling off the berth. He had done it more in reflex than anything. But still... She had beamed at him. A smile that could have lit up a room. And had thanked him for saving her.

It had been purely a reflex, he kept telling himself. But still... it had felt different. Refreshing. To know that he had just saved a life instead of taking it. Extinguishing enemies was a thrilling experience, nonetheless. But saving a life... had not felt bad at all.

To fight to protect? That sounded so Autobot-like, Blitzwing thought. But he had to admit that the mere thought of fighting with the very Unmaker to protect his fellow Decepticons and his planet, filled him with a strange feeling of rightfulness.

Yes, he could fight for that.

"Blitzwing, are you alright? You have been oddly quiet." Starscream asked suddenly, and it took Blitzwing some seconds to realize he had been addressed.

"Uh... Yes. I was just zhinking." He replied, still a little absently.

Starscream tilted his helm to a side. The triple-changer had been unusually quiet since the discovery of Alpha Trion. He had no problems been quiet, but doing it for so long was strange. Something was troubling him, Starscream was sure.

Sighing internally, he approached to the beige and purple mech.

"Let's talk." Starscream suggested, and motioned to Blitzwing to follow him to another part of the ship. That way they would be able to talk alone without been interrupted.

Long time ago, he wouldn't have cared about what the triple-changer may had in mind. But lately, he had been decided to keep an exemplary behavior as Air commander. And Blitzwing, as a flying mech, was his responsibility too. And, well... discovering how truly alone was the beige and purple mech had also helped to soften his mind.

Alpha Trion and Thundercracker exchanged confused glances as the other two mechs exited the bridge. Eleonor just shrugged.


"What troubles you?" Asked Starscream, direct to the point, once they entered another room in the ship and the door closed behind them.

Blitzwing was silent for a while, since his cold strategist personality was controlling him, he was more prone to keep his emotions in check.

"I've veen zhinking about vhat Alpha Trion said." Blitzwing said, quietly. Starscream nodded and kept listening. "He said... zhat we were meant to be protectors."

The seeker frowned slightly, thinking. The triple-changer, however, took the gesture as a reprimand, and rushed to excuse himself.

"Primus forbid me to sound like an obnoxious Autobot." He said, holding up his servos defensively. "Vut I have noticed zhat zhe mere zhought of fighting to protect somezhing feels different zhan fighting to destroy. I never stopped to zhink about it, and now I realize zhat-"

"Blitzwing!" Starscream exclaimed suddenly. The triple-changer couldn't stop a flinch, fearing that his Commander was enraged by his words. "You are a genius!"

The beige and purple mech flickered his optics in surprise. The last thing he was expecting was a compliment.

"Vhat?"

"You are right, Blitzwing. Terribly right." Said the seeker. "Think about it. Why had the Autobots won most of the battles during this War, even when we were superior in numbers and firepower? Because they fought to protect. Not to destroy, like us." Starscream was pacing up and down the room, his talons clicking on the metal floor. "And when did we finally won the War? Precisely when we started to fight with the purpose of saving and protecting. We had managed to built a new Allspark and all that we wanted was to save our planet and bring hope to our race."

Blitzwing gasped softly, realizing the truth.

"Alpha Trion is right." Continued the seeker. "The desire to protect is embedded in our code. It gives us strenght in battle, and the will to surpass our enemies. And fighting against Unicron is going to be our final challenge." He finished, his optics flashing brightly with determination.

The triple-changer was silent for a while, thinking about the seeker's words and finding the truth in them.

"I'll keep zhat in mind zhe next time I have to fight." He finally said, smirking very slightly.

"Good job, Blitzwing." Added Starscream, as they exited the room, patting the triple-changer on a shoulder. They headed back to the control bridge.

The beige and purple mech smiled for himself. Today had been a strange day, but he had received several praises about his performance. And that was sufficient to warm up his spark a little.

Starscream, for his part, kept thinking about that last bit of information. The last pieces of his puzzle were slowly falling in place. Everything made sense now. The strongest mechs had always been those who had more to loose. Those who fought not only for their ideals, but to protect something else.

Soundwave was an unbeatable communications specialist and spy master, but his skills in close combat were not to be underestimated either; he fought for his symbionts.

Breakdown, despite his paranoid behaviour, was one of the strongest ground fighters among the Decepticon ranks. He had always fought to protect Knock Out.

Starscream himself was feared by Autobots and Decepticons alike. His mind was as sharp as his aim. He was ruthless and had back-stabbed many mechs in his lust for power in the past. But there were two mechs that he would never betray. His trine-mates. Thundercracker and Skywarp meant everything to him, and he had risked his life for them many times during the War without a second thought.

And Megatron, he was undoubtedly the strongest Decepticon, because had always been High Lord Protector. That's why the Fallen had fooled and poisoned his mind all those years ago. He wanted a strong and dangerous puppet. Who better than the High Lord Protector for that job?

'I have to inform Megatron about this', Starscream thought for himself. 'Hmm and what about Shockwave?', he continued wondering. The cyclops mech was decidedly strong, but who he fought for, that was still a mystery for him.

The seeker was still lost in his thoughts when he reached the control bridge.

Thundercracker bowed his helm slightly in greeting, and sent a questioning ping to Starscream through his trine-bond. The beige seeker replied with a pulse of reassurance and the promise of explaining everything in detail later.

Eleonor just waved happily and smiled warmly. Starscream smirked inwardly. Now he understood why the mere thought of protecting his human from all harm felt so strangely right and soothing.

"Is there... something wrong?" She asked timidly, noticing how Starscream was looking at her.

"Nothing." The beige seeker grinned and shook his helm, coming close to the main terminal and gently nudging her with the back of a claw. "We have arrived." He announced. Looking through the glass, they could see the lights Kaon, piercing the night in the distance.


Soundwave had been very busy the whole afternoon. Checking the supplies. Making sure that all of the Nemesis systems were alright. Notifying the mechs that had been chosen for the mission, etc.

Fortunately, Laserbeak, Ravage and Frenzy were with him. That way he could be at many places, inspecting several cargo bays at the same time.

::Boss, Starscream's ship has arrived at the dock number seven:: Chirped Frenzy through the comm. link.

::Acknowledged:: Soundwave replied, as emotionless through the link as he was verbally.

The Communications Officer then put in contact with Starscream. He had some orders from Megatron to relay.

::Commander Starscream:: Saluted Soundwave, formalities came first.

::I'm listening, Soundwave:: Replied the Second in Command, already expecting this call. After all, they had a serious business between their servos.

::Megatron's orders: meet with him at the conference room. Purpose: mission briefing. Bring also: Thundercracker and Alpha Trion::

::Should I bring Eleonor too?:: Asked the seeker.

::Not specified::

::Hmm...:: Starscream tapped his chin-plates, thinking. He looked down at Eleonor, still seated on the main terminal of his ship. It had been a long day, and he new that humans didn't had the endurance of cybertronians and needed to sleep more. And she had been yawning frequently by the end of the trip. The ship still had one of its rooms adapted to human use, conveniently sealed and filled with oxygen-enriched air, so that she didn't need the cylinders to breath there. ::Eleonor really could use some rest before leaving for Earth. But I don't want to leave her alone in the ship::

Soundwave stopped to think for a nanoklik, and he came up with a solution.

::Suggestion: Frenzy and Ravage::

::Don't you need them with you for the briefing?::

::Physical presence: not necessary. Briefing: via symbiotic bond::

::That would be perfect, Soundwave:: Said Starscream in relief. Frenzy and Ravage were in the short list of mechs that could be entrusted with his human. Frenzy was small enough for not accidentally squishing her, and ravage was big enough to defend her if it was necessary. ::Thank you::


"Hi, Ele!" Chirped Frenzy, waving one of his servos. He came riding on Ravage's back.

Eleonor laughed heartily.

"Congratulations, Frenzy. You have been the first one to put me a nick-name." She smiled.

"That's because I have no respect for anyone." He grinned, climbing off the cybertronian panther.

Starscream, Thundercracker, Blitzwing and Alpha Trion were descending the ship's ramp, ready to leave.

"Behave." Warned the beige seeker, looking back at the symbionts and his human.

"Yes, Sir!" Smirked the tiny silver mech, with a smirk that indicated just the opposite.

Starscream shook his helm, starting to think that this had been a bad idea. But it was the only solution, and Soundwave's minions were reliable, most of the time...


Blitzwing had left. He was no longer required and was officially off-duty until his next shift.

That left Starscream, Thundercracker and Alpha Trion, who were now arriving to the conference room in the Palace of Kaon. Inside, were already waiting Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, Skywarp, Barricade, Breakdown and Knock Out.

"Ah, Starscream. You arrive just in time." Said Megatron. The beige seeker approached to his usual spot, next to the Decepticon Leader. The old Prime remained next to Thundercracker, receiving several curious glances from the mechs who didn't knew him yet.

"All of you have been called here because you have been chosen for a very special mission." Megatron continued. "We are going to pay the Autobots... a visit."

Several gasps could be heard in the room, coming from the mechs that had not been informed yet.

"This, however, is not an offensive mission. I do not intent to start a skirmish if it is not necessary. That is why you have been chosen. Because I know that you are capable of keeping a cool mind, have friendly tendencies, don't completely dislike Earth or would not act without my command. Whatever your excuse is, don't pick up a fight without my consent. Is that understood?"

Megatron regarded his troops with a severe glare, and received silent nods from everyone.

"I have some important matters to discuss with Optimus Prime. But I am not a suicide, and I have no intention of visiting a hostile planet seething with Autobots, alone and unarmed. That is why I am bringing the Nemesis and all of you. Just in case our plans fall through. But only in that case." He paused. "We will leave in two joors. Any questions?"

Skywarp rose a servo slowly. The Decepticon Leader nodded to him, giving him permission to speak.

"Who is him?" The black seeker asked, pointing to the old Prime.

"He was one of the archivist of the Hall of Records. We found him in stasis lock today at the ruins of Iacon. He is unarmed and poses no threat. We are bringing him with us to Earth." Megatron explained.

"People just call me the Librarian. Please to meet you." Said the old mech with an affable smile, glad to remain anonymous a little longer. He liked to be respected and treated properly, but he didn't like to attract the attention too much. That was why he had kept his true identity a secret during so many millenia.

"Any more questions?" Megatron asked again, but the rest of his troops shook their helms. "In that case, you are dismissed until the Nemesis departure. Starscream, Soundwave, remain with me for a breem, I still need to finalize some details."


"I can't believe we are going to Earth!" Cheered an over-excited Knock Out, once he and Breakdown were out of the conference room. "Think of all the things we are going to do there!"

"I don't know, Knock Out. This seems like an important mission. Besides, that place would be teeming with Autobots and humans..." Said the blue and grey mech.

"Don't worry, Lord Megatron will be very busy with Optimus. So, that will leave us with nothing better to do. We won't pick up fights with anyone, and everything will be alright!" Replied the red medic, bouncing around his larger partner.

"This is going to be troublesome..." Sighed Barricade, passing beside them.

"Aw, come on, 'Cade. This is going to be fun. You heard what Commander Starscream said. Optimus doesn't mistreat anyone if you come in peace. We can stand a couple of hateful glares in exchange of some fun!" Cheered Knock Out.

"Yeah... Optimus. The rest of his troops can be very trigger happy." Barricade let out another aggravated sigh.

"Oh... and I just had my paint waxed..." Murmured the red medic, with a concerned look.


Frenzy and Ravage, in the meanwhile, had been quietly listening to the briefing of the mission thanks to Soundwave's feedback. They had been waiting outside Eleonor's quarters, because she wanted to have a bath and needed intimacy.

"Honestly, I will never understand what's with the humans and their strange habits. We don't wear clothes and no one gets hurt by looking at us!" Complained Frenzy. Ravage shrugged in reply, tilting his head.

That was when they heard a scream coming from inside the room. Fearing the worst, they quickly opened the door and rushed in.

Inside, they found Eleonor. She seemed to have came out of the bathtub at that moment, and only had a towel covering her body.

In front of her, perched on the headboard of the bed, was a big mechanical bird, all his metal feathers puffed up in a menacing gesture.

"Laserbeak! How did you get in? Does the Boss knows that you are here?" Said Frenzy in a reprimanding tone that didn't suit him at all. The bird mimic shook his head. "Well, I hope that you understand that Eleonor is an ally, ans she is not to be harmed in any way." Laserbeak nodded, and shook his metal feathers, accommodating them in their normal position against his body.

Eleonor face-palmed. This was going to be an interesting night.

"Can you please get out so that I can dress up?" She sighed.

"Oh for the love of Primus, I will never understand you humans! What's the matter with been naked?"

"Well, it feels uncomfortable to be looked at while been without clothes. We feel... unprotected." She replied, hesitantly.

"As if your clothes served as armor." Frenzy huffed.

"Well then... I give up. We are stupid. But we still don't like it..."

"And we can't be physically attracted to humans either, if that's what bothers you." The small silver mech smirked.

"I know but..." Eleonor was starting to lose her arguments. "I can't forget that you all have photographic memories. You could use the pics as blackmail." She blushed bright red.

Frenzy laughed so hard that he almost fell to the floor.

"Why would I want to do that?" He managed to say once he regained his composure. "Besides, I'm sure that Laserbeak already has some good material."

The bird mimic emitted a shrill caw and puffed up his feathers proudly.

"Oh, for the love of... Primus..." Eleonor face palmed, and picking up her clothes, she hid behind a folding screen, no longer caring about who may be spying.

She came out after a while, wearing a simple pink nightdress, and ignoring Frenzy's triumphant smirk, she proceeded to dry her hair.

"Well, that has been taken care of." She said, when she was satisfied with her hair. A sudden yawn assaulted her. Despite the rough ending, the warm bath had been very relaxing, and it had been a long day with many adventures. "Do you think I could sleep for a while?"

"What? No sleepover party?" Said Frenzy, with feigned indignation.

"Please Frenzy, I am very tired. We puny humans need to recharge more frequently." She begged, putting it in cybertronian terms.

"Alright, alright. But you owe me a party." Frenzy chuckled. "I've got it! We can have a party on Earth. I want to see the faces of Mikaela and Sam, that boy is so easy to freak out! And this time, nobody will help them! Mwahaha!" The small silver mech laughed evilly, and Eleonor couldn't help but smile too. That visit to Earth was going to be very awkward for some mechs and very amusing for other mechs. And Frenzy was clearly decided to be on the last group.

Ravage gave a low content growl, and jumped over Eleonor's bed, decided to recharge on a soft and comfortable mattress that night.

But the bed's legs were not prepared for the weight of the metal panther, and all four of them broke at the same time. The cybertronian cat emitted a surprised hiss as the bed broke with a loud creak and fell to the floor with a thud.

Ravage looked at eleonor and, incredibly, he managed to look sheepish, with his head down and ear-fins lowered. The bed was broken, but the mattress was undamaged.

"Well, I guess that sleeping a little lower tonight won't hurt anyone." She shrugged, trying to remain serious, but she couldn't stop a smile from crossing her features as Ravage cheered up and curled on one side of the bed, making room for her.


[The next morning.]

Starscream had spent the night at his personal quarters in the Palace of Kaon. He was still a little worried about Eleonor, but as a high ranking Decepticon Commander, it was not good to show any kind of soft spots, much less for a human. Besides, Frenzy and Ravage were with her. They would have called him in case of necessity. And she still wore the pendant he gave her. He focused on the incoming signal. It transmitted her position and several vital signs such as temperature and heart rate. And judging by her slow and steady heart rate, she was still asleep.

"Good morning, 'Screamer!" Chirped Skywarp, that had appeared suddenly by his trine-leader.

"Skywarp!" Exclaimed the beige seeker. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't teleport next to me without a warning! I swear to Primus, one of these days I'm going to shoot you in pure reflex! ...And don't call me that!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I won't do it again." The black seeker apologized with a sheepish smile. But it was a blatant lie. He was not sorry, and he will do it again. His trine-leader knew this as a fact.

"I see that you are very happy about visiting Earth so soon." Starscream huffed. This was a very serious mission, but his oblivious brother was more interested in having fun than accomplishing his duties.

"Of course! I need more comics and video-games!" Skywarp replied, barely suppressing his excitement. "By the way, where is little Eleonor? I thought she was with you."

"No. She is sleeping in my ship. I was going to fetch her right now. The Nemesis will leave in ten breems."

"Oh! I'm coming with you then." Said the black seeker.

"Fine, but don't-" Starscream tried to say, but it was too late. This trine-mate literally jumped over him, hugging him close, and with a cracking sound and a purple glow, they were at the docks.

"Here we are!"

"For fragging sake, Skywarp!" Starscream was bristling.


The doors of Eleonor's quarters opened with a swoosh, and Starscream was frozen in place as he saw the interior.

"What happens?" Whispered Skywarp. His brother had not let him teleport inside the room, fearing that it could had been detrimental for his pet's health. And now Starscream was frozen in place. "Wha-" Skywarp peeked inside the room, pushing the beige seeker aside. "Pfft-" He covered his vocalizer with both servos, trying to muffle a laugh. "Oh, I am so taking pictures of this! Soundwave is going to fry a logic circuit!"

Ravage was recharging on the bed, curled beside Eleonor, who was sleeping in fetal position, with Frenzy snuggled against her lap. And Laserbeak was nested over Eleonor's long curly hair, resting his head on the woman's shoulder. And they were all sleeping over a mattress that was directly laid on the floor, because the bed was broken.

"Eleonor?" Asked Skywarp, suppressing a giggle.

"Hmmm..." The young woman murmured, and tried to get up, but found that she couldn't, because something had her hair pinned.

Laserbeak hissed and stirred, feeling Eleonor shift.

"Holy frag! Since when do seekers have stealth mode?" Frenzy exclaimed suddenly, finishing to pull Eleonor out of her dreams.

Ravage gently nuzzled Laserbeak off of Eleonor's hair, and the young woman straightened, coming to a sitting position on the mattress. Looking around, she noticed Soundwave's symbionts next to her, Starscream looking at them with a dumbfounded expression, and Skywarp with a devious smirk.

"So... what happened last night?" Asked Skywarp, still smirking.

"Humm... I'm not completely sure..." Murmured Eleonor, still half asleep.

Laserbeak emitted a shrill caw, and jumped over Eleonor, perching himself over her shoulders, and started to peck at her hair, messing it even more.


Half an hour later, Starscream, Skywarp, Eleonor and Soundwave's symbionts were entering the Nemesis, that was at the dock number one. The young woman looked at the wide halls and corridors. She remembered well the interiors of the Decepticon flagship.

"Commander Starscream." Saluted Knock Out, who was at that moment speaking with Breakdown and Barricade.

"Hello-." Starscream greeted back.

"Knock Out! We are going to Earth!" Cheered Skywarp suddenly, cutting off whatever Starscream could have said after his greeting.

"Hell yeah!" Knock Out chirped back, raising a fist triumphantly in the air.

Breakdown and Barricade let out an aggravated sigh at the same time, and Starscream just face-palmed.

"This is madness. I'm going to the main bridge." Said the beige seeker, resuming his way with Eleonor.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" Asked Eleonor when they were out of audio range. She was an expert by now at reading the seeker's body language. His shoulder-plates seemed a bit dropped, and his wings were hanging lower than usual. He was worried about something. Starscream vented a sigh very slowly.

"A couple of Decepticons visiting the Autobot Base in a harmless cargo ship is very different from the Leader of the Decepticons and his army visiting the Autobot Base in a battle cruiser." He said after a while. "Something could go wrong. A stray shot, an old squabble resurfacing, a misunderstood glare... and everything could turn into hell. We must be very cautious in this mission. Megatron wishes to try the diplomatic way first." He paused. "Half of the crew still don't know what we are looking for or who really is the Librarian. And the other half is looking forward to be on Earth to organize a party."

Eleonor dedicated Starscream a sympathetic smile.

"Don't worry. We have gone this far and we are not going to falter now. Everything will be alright, you'll see." She smiled warmly. Starscream couldn't help but let a small smirk crept into his features. His pet had a special talent cheering people up. "Even if I have to kill Optimus with my own hands and rip off the Key from his cold off-lined servos!" She added, trying her best evil pose and evil laughter.

And the beige seeker couldn't help but openly laugh at that.

"I'm sending that clip to Optimus. Maybe then he will only put you in the brig and let the rest of us visit peacefully his base." Intervened Shockwave, who had appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Eleonor flinched and shrank in her spot, for Starscream's amusement.

"You are the strategist, Shockwave. If that translates into higher success probabilities for this mission, don't hesitate to do it." Replied the seeker, trying very hard to keep a straight face.

"I'm running numbers." Said Shockwave, his single optic didn't betray any hint of been jocking.

"Nooo..." Eleonor wailed theatrically.


Only Megatron and Alpha Trion were at the bridge at that moment. The Decepticon Leader had asked the old Prime to tell him more about the beginnings of the cybertronian civilization. The Librarian was more than pleased to comply. He loved to tell stories.

The door to the bridge opened with a swoosh, revealing Shockwave, Starscream and Eleonor.

"Soundwave and Thundercracker are at the control tower, clearing everything for the Nemesis' departure. They will arrive soon." Announced the cyclops mech, as he made his way towards his terminal.

Starscream did the same, leaving Eleonor over the desk. She seated with her legs crossed near the terminal, watching the seeker, who was initializing the ship's navigation systems.

"So, we are going to your planet." Said slowly the ancient Prime, in his characteristic affable voice, running a servo down his long beard-like face-plates. Eleonor nodded with a smile. "How is Earth?"

The young woman was thinking in silence for some seconds before answering.

"Earth is very difficult to describe in few words." She said after a while. "It is very different from your planet. On Cybertron, everything gives the impression of having been made to last forever. On Earth, everything seems fragile in comparison." She explained. "But it is full of contrasts. Full of colors. Full of different landscapes. The sky is never the same shade. The sea has never the same waves. There are valleys and plains. Mountains and marine trenchs. Places where water is always frozen. Places where it never rains. There are forms of life that can only be seen with the best microscopes. And there are others bigger than most of the cybertronians. Life grows and dies with every season, it is fragile, but tenacious at the same time. When an organism dies, its body decomposes in its basic molecules, so that they can be used then by other organisms to grow."

"Woah." Exclaimed the old mech, who clearly didn't expect such a descriptive answer. "It sounds like an interesting place." Eleonor nodded. "And how are the humans?"

"Again, small and fragile compared to cybertronians." She smiled. "Humans are a young species. We are capable of great evil and great good. We live short lives, but unfortunately, we usually don't truly appreciate what we have until we lose it. Some humans hate what they don't know, while others live to discover new things. We can hate, and we can love. We can destroy, and we can care. We can hold grudges, and we can forgive."

"I see..." The old mech smiled softly. "You are not so different from us then." He added. "And who are you?"

"Me?" Said Eleonor, a little lost, tilting her head to a side.

"Yes, you." Repeated the old mech. "I am the Librarian, after all. I enjoy knowing things. And I have noticed that Decepticons are clearly not very fond of humans, speaking in general terms. But they permit you to stay here. You must be special then."

"I am not special." She replied awkwardly. "I don't know... I'm just an ordinary human..."

"Don't worry." Alpha Trion smiled, seen how she fidgeted. "I'll just have to ask the other mechs around."

Starscream, for his part, was listening to their conversation while he typed in his terminal. 'Oh, you have no idea of how special you are, Eleonor', he thought for himself.

"Hmm... Alpha Trion..." Said Eleonor shyly. "May I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Replied the old Prime. After all, he had been practically questioning the poor human. She was in silence for a while, gathering her thoughts before speaking.

"Is future irrevocably written?" She asked, with a grim expression. Starscream stopped abruptly his typing and looked down at her. "Are our choices really ours? Or we walk preordained paths?"

The old Prime locked his gaze on her for a long minute, as if he was staring into her soul. Eleonor, however, kept a resolute expression, decided to get an answer for the question that had been plaguing her mind since the discovery of the Covenant of Primus.

"Eleonor." Starscream intervened suddenly, and using her name was a sign that he was been very serious. "Asking a Prime about his gifts is very impolite. Besides, I am sure that he can't reveal anything, because he could compromise the future."

"I-I am sorry..." She apologized immediately, lowering her gaze. Starscream rarely reprimanded her.

"It's alright, earthling." Said the old Prime, his expression softening. "I guess that discovering the Covenant of Primus can be a little shocking. Specially for the likes of you." Alpha Trion took a seat on a nearby chair, his joints hissing in protest. "The flux of time is a complex matter, even for me. All I can see are glimpses, fragments of past and future. Things that don't make any sense, at least when I see them. Only when the time comes, I can realize what they really meant."

Eleonor kept staring at the venerable Prime with wide eyes.

"But I have realized one important thing in my life." Continued Alpha Trion. "One can only look into the future within a limited range. The further you try to look, the more blurry it gets. And I can't see the future of single individuals. I only see important events that can change the destiny of many beings. Great crossroads. Decisive choices." He tried to explain. "For example, I could see that there was going to be a war, but I didn't know against who. I could see that humans were going to be important in the future, but I didn't know why. I could see that our race was going to be at risk, but I couldn't see if we succeeded." He paused and dedicated Eleonor an affable smile, nudging her gently with a finger. "So, no. Your future is not written. Your choices are yours only."

The young woman was in silence for a long moment, her expression filled with gratitude as she looked at the ancient Prime.

"Thank you." She simply said, unable to form any other coherent sentence. Starscream smiled inwardly, secretly feeling relieved too.

The doors of the main bridge opened again, this time to reveal Soundwave and Thundercracker, accompanied by the rest of the crew.

"Everything is ready to leave, Lord Megatron." The blue seeker informed.

"Start the engines." Said the Decepticon Leader, intertwining his servos together. "We are leaving for Earth."


[A/N]: Woah, this chapter came out longer than expected. Too much conversation, I am sorry about that. But it had very funny moments (Eleonor sleeping with Soundwave's minions) and beautiful speeches (Starscream discovering about their role as protectors and Eleonor describing Earth and human kind), at least in my humble opinion. I promise the next chapter will be very interesting! They will arrive to Earth! How will the Autobots react? What will Optimus think? Will Sunstreaker and Sideswipe pull a prank on anyone? Will Sam die from a heart attack? Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions!