A/N: I'm getting major "Revenge of the Sith" vibes from this... you'll see why later. Enjoy!


29. Reckoning


According to my chronometer, I'd been in recharge for six megacycles. I felt wonderful. My processor was clear, and I reflected on the new goal of the Decepticons: complete rule of Cybertron.

Some good had come of my slavery under Ratbat. My old idealism, my foolish naïveté, had been scoured away. Before, I had been blinded by lingering affection for Optimus Prime, reluctance to harm those with whom I had once lived. Their actions against me, against all Decepticons—Starscream's death—had proven Megatron right. The Autobots didn't deserve to dominate Cybertron with their hypocrisy and cruelty. I would finish the work begun by my creator, but I would never be like him. Unlike him, I would succeed.

Some of my violent emotions must have reached Apis, for I felt a faint question in my Spark. I sent back only reassurance. No need to distress my bondmate. I would win for her a world of peace.

I drank a cube of energon and went through the washracks. Refreshed, I set off for the command center, sending out a request for the generals to join me. I arrived first and had time to look over supplies, something I had been too distracted to do lately. For once, we didn't face a shortage of energon, thanks to our refineries. Starscream had set our Autobot captives to work after all.

Once the command team had gathered, I listened attentively to all reports. Soundwave, the last to go, informed us in his usual monotone of massed Autobot forces in Gygax and the ruins of Tyrest, straying close to the border of Uraya, the least well-defended of the Decepticon territories. It was likely that an attack would not be far behind.

I mulled this over. "We'll meet them. Or, better, we'll hit them first. Oil Slick just completed another batch of sabot rounds." I turned to Shockwave. "Do we have sufficient workers in the refineries?"

"A surplus, in fact."

"Then we have no need for prisoners. Am I understood?"

Everyone nodded except for Skywarp, who frowned in uncharacteristic thoughtfulness, but he didn't speak.

"Excellent. Soundwave, I assume that you've pinpointed the location of another Senator?"

He had. I authorized the air strike, which concluded our meeting. I paced around the command center once the rest had left, wondering why things couldn't move faster. Every wasted cycle postponed our victory. The rest simply lacked my motivation. Very well, I would have to wait. Mobilizing troops took time. There were things to do while they prepared, after all, like taking two trines of fast, powerful Seekers for the assassination.

Obliterating another blubbering Senator did nothing to ease my mood. It wasn't enough—even if I had destroyed the lot in one fell swoop, something made impossible because the Senate had been too terrified to come into session since Ratbat's termination, I doubted it would have helped me. How many remained? Still enough to do some damage, and they grew more difficult to track by the orn, even for Soundwave.

I planned to send a message at Uraya's border, showing how the playing field had changed. The Autobots had planned for an all-out assault, intended to drive into Uraya and Trypticon and through there to Kaon, the core of Decepticon territory. They had brought in their heavy artillery and their toughest fighters. They had even prepared marginally well for an aerial assault. I wished that Starscream were still with me. He would know the best way to counter such a move. I took Skywarp and we pored through the Archives, searching out memories of ancient battles, finding strategies.

I recharged badly before we finally set off for the border. I ordered our fliers into position, then angled in with Skywarp at my side, aiming for the heavy cannons.

Thinking of Starscream's death, dedicating myself to his memory, drastically improved my performance in the air. It helped that I was no longer held back by my old weaknesses. We didn't need more prisoners.

I had to do this. For Starscream—and to avenge my own slavery.

The warmth from the explosions below swept through me, intoxicating, sending a shiver through my plating. It felt wonderful to let loose, to reach my full, deadly potential.

/Aerial units, hit the main force. Ground troops, capture those cannons,/ I ordered. /By any means necessary./ I signaled Skywarp. /Lead the fliers. I'll join the groundlings this time./

/As you command,/ he answered. I detected a hint of resentment in his signal, but I had no time to speak to him further.

I landed hard atop an Autobot, slamming my thrusters into his faceplates as I drew my one remaining sword, its partner lost at Helex. Perhaps some Autobot scum had claimed it as a trophy. I would reclaim it soon, I vowed. Nothing would stand in my way.

Only when I nearly ran into one of the cannons did I realize that the Autobots had either retreated or been killed. The fighting continued nearby.

"Secure these," I ordered the mechs around me.

/Commander./ It was Stryka calling over the comm line. /Ze Autobots are falling back./

/Pursue them./

/Commander, the troops need rest,/ Trannis replied. I checked my chronometer in disbelief. Megacycles had passed? I felt no twinge of fatigue, but checking my fuel levels, I found that they had dropped into the red levels.

/Hold position,/ I snapped finally. /We'll continue tomorrow./


At the close of the third orn of fighting, the command channel was pinged by a signal from the Autobots. I recognized the code—parley.

"What do you think?"

"It could be a trick," I murmured thoughtfully. Flamewar shook her head.

"Those Autobots wouldn't know a trick if it bit them in the aft."

"Even so, if you plan to speak with them you'd best take someone along," Trannis put in. "Lugnut, perhaps?"

"I'll go," Ramrod answered. I spared him a smile—I would feel better with Ramrod at my side.

I responded to the Autobot signal and received a set of coordinates. Ramrod and I scouted out the area, then approached. The Autobot general, plated in blue with a bronze Senate insignia on his shoulder, sat at a low slab of metal. His lieutenants stood around him. I sank down across from him, feeling Ramrod step into place at my back. I knew he would be scanning the Autobots for threats.

"Commander Nova himself," the Autobot said. "I'd half thought you might send a lackey."

"I'm afraid I don't recognize you."

"Of course. I realize that you've been… away for several vorns." I forced myself to smile thinly. "General Modus, appointed by the Senate to command their forces."

I raised an optic ridge. "I was under the impression that the Prime commanded the Autobots."

It was Modus's turn to feebly disguise his annoyance. "Perhaps once. I follow only the Senate."

"What's left of it," I couldn't resist pointing out.

"It's enough."

"I'm not interested in pleasantries or whom you're working for," I told him flatly. "I'm here to negotiate the terms of your surrender."

"Surrender?" Modus repeated.

I narrowed my optics impatiently. "For three orns your army has been taking heavy losses. We've captured most of your cannons and you haven't advanced more than a few hundred astrometers. If this battle drags on, you're bound to lose."

The Autobot leaned forward. "I believe you overestimate your chances."

"Don't be a fool. Your mechs may have limits to their loyalty. How long will they continue following your orders when they're being decimated?"

"Deserting is for Decepticons… as is disloyalty. In the end your mechs look only after themselves."

"It sounds as though you've been reading too much propaganda."

Modus narrowed his optics and sat back, raising a hand to brush casually at his shoulder. "Your arrogance will be the end of you."

It could have been one of many things that saved me: the flash at the top of a nearby spire, the movement of Modus's hand, Ramrod's watchfulness. On instinct I shoved myself back from the metal slab and felt Ramrod's hands on my shoulders, pulling me further aside.

A scorch mark appeared on the slab, raising a wisp of smoke. I shoved off from the ground before the shot had finished echoing, igniting my thrusters and soaring to the top of the spire. The sniper was unprepared, staring at me in shock; I bowled him over, dragging him along behind me on the way to the ground. Ramrod had incapacitated one of the Autobots and pinned another. Modus looked at once stunned and furious as I landed, shoving one of my cannons under the sniper's chin.

"I believe this belongs to you," I hissed, processor seething with rage. "Who authorized this?"

"My orders come from the Senate," Modus replied. I clenched my fists, preparing my arm-rifle.

"They ordered this?" I urged angrily. He didn't reply. I glared at him, wrath forcing my Spark into a frenzy. The Autobots had tried to kill me many times, but never with a ploy so underhanded. Did they not see that each attempt only pushed me further?

I would show them.

I fired and let the sniper's frame fall. "You have six megacycles," I hissed. "Six megacycles to leave Decepticon territory in peace. After that—" I kicked the grey frame. "—we send you back in pieces."

I whirled and stalked off, hearing Ramrod let go of the Autobot he held and follow me. After relaying my ultimatum to the rest of the command team, I took off into the sky, hoping to alleviate my frustration in the air.


Once the Autobots had fallen back to Gygax and the rim of the Rust Sea, I made a trip to Khalkon, braving the dust to visit my bondmate. The change in Apis since my last visit was remarkable: she'd obviously cleaned herself up, repairing her accumulated damage, replacing slightly-rusted parts, and getting a fresh coat of bright orange paint. The sight of her sparkling chassis and the smile on her face made me laugh and hoist her up into my arms, spinning her around. I felt her joy as my own.

"It's so good to see you," she whispered happily, before taking me by the hand and leading me upstairs to her room. "When we heard about the battle at Uraya, I was so worried… even though I knew you weren't hurt."

I stayed with her for the night, recharging while she nestled into me with her fingers curled into the gap under my shoulder plating. I woke first; though I would have liked to remain in this warm and comfortable position, I knew I needed to leave soon. Sighing regretfully, I shifted just enough to move Apis off of me, sitting up and gazing out of her window at the small, dusty settlement.

I wondered whether I would ever be able to live peacefully, like the Neutrals here, without worrying about battles and death. Dark resentment of the Autobots bubbled up in my Spark.

Apis stirred behind me, murmuring softly as she woke. A moment later her arms wrapped around me from behind. "Nova? Are you all right?"

"I need to leave." I didn't want Apis to worry, so I tried something I'd never done before: I blocked my feelings from escaping across our bond, narrowing the connection to spare her the anger. Apis's Spark was so pure; I didn't want to sully it with my hatred.

She frowned, moving so I could see her face. "Nova, if something's the matter, you can tell me."

"I know. I'm fine, Apis. Don't worry about me," I soothed, giving her what I hoped was a comforting smile. I felt a questioning probe from her Spark and evaded it, instead sending calm reassurance.

Apis's frown deepened. "Don't hide it from me. I can help you, Nova, don't shut me out. Isn't that why you bonded with me? We're supposed to share everything now, even the difficult things."

Anxiety pressed at me; I had to return to Kaon, to plan our next attack. I stood up. "It isn't your burden to bear."

"Don't you trust me?"

Something in Apis's voice made me look at her, taking one of her hands and turning her face up from where she stared at my pedes, pressing my mouthplates briefly to hers. "Of course I do."

I sent her an embarrassed apology across our bond, gently unwinding our hands. "I can't stay."

She nodded, looking again at my pedes. "Be safe."

"I will." After a moment's hesitation, I added, "I miss your smile."

"I miss you," she murmured back, almost too softly to hear.

"I'm right here."

Apis didn't reply.


When I went down to the training grounds, Ramrod was waiting for me.

"During that battle at Uraya, you were amazing," he told me. "I've never seen you fight like that. Do you think you could do it again?"

"I could try," I answered, ducking into a ready position.

As usual, I landed flat on my back, cursing vividly.

"No, that's not quite it," Ramrod snickered, helping me up. "How did you do it last time?"

"I don't know." I sighed and tried to clear my processor. "Let's try again."

I blocked his first punch. The Autobots… the Senate. Ratbat. What gave them the right to enslave us? They disgusted me. Their hypocrisy, their twisted morals… I hated it. I hated them.

It came as a complete shock when I heard the clang of metal on the floor and realized that it was Ramrod on his back, that I had pinned him with a knee on his chest and the end of my arm-rifle jammed under his chin. I scrambled up with a gasp, the shock dousing my fury.

"Ramrod, I… I'm sorry!"

"For what?" he managed, coughing and rubbing his throat. "That was amazing. Do you want to try it again?"

"No. I could have killed you!"

"Not a chance," Ramrod answered, but his optics were uncertain. I stared anywhere but at him. I hadn't meant to lose control, and I certainly hadn't intended to hurt my friend.

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know. I'll only do it on the Autobots."

"I'd appreciate that," he laughed, but he still looked disturbed. He wasn't the only one; I saw Skywarp watching us with alarm.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked him.

"What's wrong? Nova, you don't even realize it?"

"Realize what?"

"Come with me." Skywarp grabbed my arm and pulled me through the halls, refusing to stop or answer my questions. Ramrod followed us, equally concerned about the other Seeker's actions.

We entered the Archives, then the Hall of Memory. Skywarp pushed me down before a console, linking both of us into it. Almost immediately, I was immersed in one of Skywarp's old memories. I recognized it from some old holo-vids I'd studied when I'd first arrived in Kaon. It was a gladiatorial match, and I recognized one of the contestants—a tall silver mech with my face.

Megatron fought ferociously, to the delight of the cheering crowd. Skywarp and I watched as he overpowered his opponent, another bulky tank-type, tearing him apart with fierce joy.

"See anything familiar?" Skywarp asked. I watched Megatron crush the other mech's Spark chamber. The audience roared out its approval. "I do."

"What, exactly, are you trying to say?"

Skywarp disconnected us. "I thought you wanted to avoid becoming Megatron. That's what you said back then."

"Back then I was a fool. Megatron was strong. I would be proud to be the kind of fighter that he was."

Skywarp opened his mouth to respond, but I held up my hand to stop him. I didn't want to argue with him, not now.


Frustrated beyond relief, I divided my time in the coming decacycles between fighting Autobots and planning our next attack. Again I began to spend less time in recharge, but passion kept me running through the long orns. Every orbit, I led a strike force of Seekers and bombers, hitting targets deep in Autobot territory. We aimed for mines, refineries, supply lines, anything that might hamper their war effort and keep the populace in hiding. The Autobots attempted further offensives, few of which showed much progress.

"They're not using their truly effective leadership," Shockwave explained. "These generals are mechs we've never seen before."

"Flunkies of the Senate, most likely," Ramrod said, Trannis nodding in agreement.

"This speaks of some power struggle," Shockwave continued. "Prime and his officers are by far the most successful, but we encounter these forces less and less. The Senate is attempting to overshadow the Prime. This confusion among the Autobots presents an opportunity, as long as the Senate continues to keep their best commanders from the field."

"Commander, news from the front." It was one of Soundwave's cassettes, the red one, though I could not remember whether this was Rumble or Frenzy. Soundwave himself was in Polyhex. "And it's big. The boss says that there's been a surprise attack on Polyhex. Not the biggest army we've ever fought, but they're good, and they've already pushed us back to the equator. Prime's commanding them."

"Ready the troops and send out advance scouts. We must gather what troops we can spare." If we lost Polyhex, the Autobots would have easy access to Tarn; because of its huge border, we couldn't patrol all of it at once. "Quickly. We need to start sending mechs out now."

I hurried to my quarters for a quick cube of energon, which I had almost finished when Skywarp entered.

"Nova, you need to rethink this."

"Rethink what?" I answered, running through a systems check. "They're attacking us. We need to counter."

"In this strength? Nova, I know what you're up to. Don't do this."

I double-checked my arm rifles. "The Autobots need to learn what we will and will not take. Prime abandoned me to them. I owe him nothing. He is my enemy now."

"You can't be serious! Nova, that's the mech who raised you. I understand that you're angry. You have every right to hate the Senate, but not Prime. It wasn't his fault."

"Whose side are you on?" I snapped, rounding on him.

"Yours!" Skywarp answered desperately, grabbing my arm. "We're trine, Nova. You have to listen to me!"

I pushed away, backing towards the door. "I'm not your trine. I never was."


The fighting at Polyhex was thick. Soundwave's information had been correct; these Autobots were the Prime's elite, the best of the best. Somehow this gave me an extra surge of satisfaction each time I cut one down.

This is for peace. For us, Apis.

Someone pinged my comm. /Commander, Prime is here./

/Where?/

I followed the coordinates and saw him below, battling my Decepticons. There could be no mistaking him. My intakes cycled faster—at last, after all this time, there would be a reckoning.

/Fall back,/ I commed all Decepticons in the area. /Leave Prime to me. Ensure that no Autobots interfere./

Robbed of any other opponents, Optimus turned just as I landed, blaster aimed. His blue optics widened when he saw me and he half lowered his weapon.

"Nova!"

"Prime. I was wondering when you would finally show yourself. Were you worried that you would share the fate of most of the Senate?"

Optimus took two steps forward. Though his battle mask remained raised, I knew that he frowned. "In these past decacycles I've seen a side of you that I never knew existed. I could tell you how many Autobots you've killed if I thought that it would affect you. Civilians, Nova. Innocents!"

"I think I might cry," I shot back.

"Why are you doing this? It's not like you!"

"How do you know what I'm like?" I hissed. "Fifteen vorns you left me there. Slavery changes one, Prime."

"I…"

"You abandoned me. You gave me to him! Nothing you say can change that."

"You know that isn't true," Optimus answered, softer this time. I could sense his guilt. "I would never—"

"I suffered while you were trying to play nice with the Senate. You have no idea what it was like there! But I know the truth now. All your talk about justice… freedom for all sentient beings… it's a lie."

"You sound like Megatron," Optimus replied sorrowfully, grip tightening on his blaster. "Starscream succeeded after all."

He reached into his subspace. I tensed for an attack, but instead of the weapon I'd expected, he drew out the sword I'd given up for lost and tossed it in my direction. I caught it, confused.

"You must be held accountable for the destruction you have wreaked," Optimus told me slowly, as though each word pained him. "For those you have killed and for the planet I swore to protect, you must be stopped. If I must fight you…" He put his blaster away. In its place, his rarely-used energy blades slid out from his wrists as his hands folded aside. I had seen these only through memories kept in the Archives. "…then it will be on equal terms."

"So you betray me again," I said, readying Megatron's swords.

"You have betrayed yourself," Optimus answered, and I attacked.

Prime moved faster than I had expected, catching me off-balance. My reflexes saved me; even the legendary weapons of the Prime could not easily cut through my swords. Planning to take advantage of his lesser agility, I propelled myself from the ground, flipping in midair—a trick I had learned from Starscream—to strike at his unprotected back. Optimus twisted to avoid it.

This wasn't like my duel with Starscream—I could and did exploit my ability to take to the air, avoiding his blows. I could turn a long-range fight to my advantage, since Prime would need to switch back to at least one hand to draw his blaster. Unfortunately, Prime seemed to realize this as well. Doubtless he'd fought against airborne mechs before. With a leap, he evaded the shots I fired in his direction and swiped at me. I tried to rise safely out of reach, but one blade clipped my pede with sufficient force to send me spinning.

My momentary loss of control allowed Prime to slash at me again. I darted out of the way, having regained my bearings, and landed a solid hit on his shoulder. Aside from jerking with the shot's momentum, Prime showed no outward sign of injury. His armor was thicker than mine, and though this impeded his movements, it would make him difficult to wound.

Reversing my grip on my swords to keep them out of the way, I continued to fire on my opponent. I knew that Prime couldn't possibly dodge all of them. He staggered as a slug struck him; excited by this small victory, I dropped into a pedes- first dive, aiming to burn his face with my thrusters.

Instead, my exhilaration disappeared in a flash as his huge hand closed around one of my pedes with crushing strength and threw me to the ground. I both heard and felt my cockpit glass shatter, some of the shards lodging painfully in my wiring. Pushing the pain away, I hoisted myself up just in time to block a heavy blow from both energy blades.

"Give up, Nova," he said. His voice revealed no sign of exertion, though my struts ached. "I do not wish to harm you further. Surrender."

"And let them make me a slave again?" I hissed. "Never."

Prime continued to attack, driving me backwards as I barely parried the glowing blades. My pede twinged with more and more pain each time I rested my weight on it; an alert blinked in the corner of my visual field, alerting me that my right thruster had been disabled. I was grounded.

Fear flickered in my Spark. Fighting against Ramrod was one thing, dueling Starscream had pushed me to my limits, but Prime was different. I was out of my depth. I couldn't even focus my fury on him as I had before, to other Autobots… my Spark wouldn't let me.

The idea of defeat in battle at the hands of an Autobot had never occurred to me. The thought that I might even be terminated filled me with dread.

Now that Optimus had me on the defensive, he fought harder, bringing his massive strength to bear. I started to miss parries, resulting in deep, sparking gashes across my armor. More alerts flashed at me.

Prime locked blades with me and twisted, sending one of my swords spinning from my hands. His next slash cut across my arm, severing the neural lines there. I switched my remaining weapon to my good arm, tripping backwards. Desperate to take the offensive, I tried to attack. Instead, a blow to my helm knocked me back, followed by a slash across my torso. One of my optics went dark, sending my vision into static before I boosted power to the other.

I heard a crack as Prime landed a crippling blow on my leg. I fell onto my back, coughing to clear energon from my intakes. Prime kicked away my remaining sword. I brought up my arm to fire at him, but his energy blade whistled through the air and I screamed as my arm vanished from my sensory network. I couldn't bear to look.

Alarms continued to flash on my screen, reports of intense damage, but I was barely conscious of them. I could hardly make out Prime's face through my dimmed optic; the battle mask rendered it cold and impersonal. I couldn't see the hands that had lifted me as a sparkling—they were concealed in his wrists, replaced by blades.

"I hoped that it would never come to this," I heard him say. I couldn't shutter my optics as he raised his weapons for the final blow. My body tensed automatically, ready for the burning pain.

Instead, there was a furious shriek and Prime stumbled backwards under a barrage of laser fire. I heard the sound of turbines and a Seeker landed, crouching over me protectively.

"Don't you touch him, Prime!"

He turned to gather me up in his arms, his face indistinct in my darkening vision. I tried to focus.

"S-Star…?"

The world swirled around us; I realized dimly that this hadn't been my processor malfunctioning, but the usual disorientation following teleportation. "Warp," I corrected myself with the last of my energy. I vaguely saw blurred shapes moving around us, heard his voice as though from a great distance.

"Hang on, Nova. We're getting you help. Hang on."

The strain was too much, the energon loss too great. The last thing I registered was the clack of my helm hitting Skywarp's chest armor as I shut down.