Chapter 44: Dilemmas


Chromia couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she activated the ship's com channels to ping the Watch Tower of Prime City. It was Wheeljack's voice that answered over the line.

"Well well, if it isn't the Tenacious crew, back from oblivion!"

"Good to be back, Jack."

"Everyone's intact I hope?" Wheeljack asked. Chromia glanced over her shoulder at Firestar and Flare Up.

"Mostly. It's a long story, but Elita One is in need of Ratchet's assistance. Please contact him and tell him to come immediately."

"Of course, but is everything alright?" Wheeljack inquired, his concern apparent over the line.

"I believe with my whole spark she will be just fine. But there's another matter as well. We brought back a few prisoners. Ex-Cons," Chromia added.

"-What?"

"Two to be exactly. It's a long story, just prepare the most capable team you have to escort the prisoner's from the ship to a holding cell."

"I'm almost afraid to ask but-"

"Don't. You'll see soon enough."

There was a long moment of silence. Then…

"Primus, Chromia now you have me worried."

"I have things under control. Just get ready on the main landing pad and bring a lot of guards."

"Alright."

"See you soon."

With that, Chromia cut the transmission and turned to her young cadets.

"One of you, wake Moonracer and alert Greenlight to get Elita One prepped for our arrival," she instructed. Firestar nodded and without a word, darted out the door. She woke Moonracer first, and then bounded into the med room to assist Greenlight with lifting Elita One onto a hover berth for transport.

"Can't believe we're back finally," Greenlight said.

"Me neither. I'm just relieved we can get Elita the professional help she really needs," said Firestar. Greenlight looked up at Firestar and it was in that moment the red femme realized her mistake.

"Not that you haven't been providing her with excellent care! Of course you have! She will be indebted to you! We all are! I just meant-" Firestar fumbled for the right words.

"I get it," Greenlight sighed.

"Sorry," Firestar looked away awkwardly. Just then, the ship rattled and came to a complete, abrupt stop. The sound of the landing pads extending from the bottom of the ship echoed throughout the Tenacious' frame, and it tipped one way and then the next till at last it was still. The femmes jumped to action, moving Elita One out of the medical room and towards the exit ramp.

It lowered at their approach and they were met by the brightness of day, followed by a crowd of faces waiting on the landing flats. Only a few of them did Firestar recognized.

Ultra Magnus, Bumblebee, Smokescreen, Bulkhead and Arcee were the first to approach them as the lifeless shell of Elita One was lowered from the ship.

"What happened?" Ultra Magnus demanded. Firestar opened her mouth but it was Chromia who answered first. The blue femme had quite suddenly arrived on the scene from within the ship, followed by Flare Up, Ultra Violet and Moonracer.

"The mission was a success, but unfortunately, there were a few consequences," Chromia said.

"Please explain with haste," Ultra Magnus replied.

"As you know- Elita One received a vision from Optimus Prime with direct instructions to find the Book of Allsparks. Well she did- but when she opened it, apparently something happened. She's in stasis now. She's stable, but we need Ratchet to figure out what to do to get her out," Chromia said.

"Ratchet is here now!" Wheeljack called, racing over and transforming.

"He said to meet him at his hospital! He's preparing a room as we speak."

"Very good," Chromia said, nodding to Greenlight, "Follow Wheeljack and stay with the Commander. I'll be there shortly."

"I'm going too," Firestar stated. Chromia nodded and gestured they got going. Together, the femmes pushed Elita One after Wheeljack. That was until Inferno and Sideswipe appeared from the crowd.

"We'll help you," Smokescreen said. Inferno waved hello. Firestar startled, surprised to see Inferno again so soon, yet also, thankful. Both mechs appeared just as concerned for Elita One as she felt.

"Allow me," Inferno offered, moving to take Greenlight's place. Greenlight nodded and stepped back, allowing both Inferno and Smokescreen to push the hover berth, and together all four went speedily in the direction of the hospital.

"I sense you have more to say, " Ultra Magnus said to Chromia, folding his arms.

"There was mention of prisoners," Bumblebee chimed in.

"I'm getting to that," Chromia sighed. "It's a long story- but I'll try to break it down as simply as possible. The night before departure, Elita One received another vision from Optimus Prime of someone on Titan who would guide us to the Book's location. Well, that guide was an ex-Con."

The entire crowd gasped, and several soldiers erupted in cries of shock and fury.

"I know, just wait," Chromia said, trying to quiet the crowd.

Ultra Magnus turned and slashed his bright blue optics over the crowd, silencing their tongues immediately with one withering look.

"Proceed," he said, looking back to Chromia.

"We don't need more of a stir than we already have. Select a few of your most trusted soldiers and follow me," she said quietly, turning to re-enter the ship. Ultra Magnus turned and pointed to Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead and Wheeljack. All six bots entered the ship and made their way into the brig.

"When we found him he was in a rather sad state. Well, both of them were. But I want to go on record now and clarify, neither of them attacked us. So far, they've been cooperative, to my own surprise. Nonetheless, my crew and I have been exceedingly cautious around them. They did help us on our quest, but they also nearly got us killed." As she spoke, she led the highly intrigued team into the brig entrance, and opened the doors with a loud swish.

Both Galvatron and Soundwave were on their feet and faced the entourage.

"By the Primes," Wheeljack muttered. The rest of the crew simply stared in shock. It was Ultra Magnus who stepped up to the cell first.

"You were the mech on Titan?" Bulkhead exclaimed.

"And look who made his way back from the Shadowzone. I knew it as only a matter of time."

Bumblebee paced over to examine the faceless spy closely, glaring at him through the cell shield.

"Megatron," Ultra Magnus growled in greeting.

"It's Galvatron now," the ex-Con corrected, measuring up the Autobot warrior with cold, dead eyes.

"Makes no difference what you call yourself. You're still the same bot," Ultra Magnus replied.

"I did not choose this new name. It was given to me, by Elita One. I graciously accepted," Galvatron said.

"Why would she do such a thing?" Bumblebee asked.

"She believes she can reform me. That I might endeavor to account for my past sins."

"And do you agree with her?" Arcee asked.

"I don't believe there is any length of time I could serve or any amount of good I could possibly do to ever account for my past. No. I don't think I am redeemable."

This statement eclipsed the room into total silence. Even Chromia folded her arms and just looked at her peds. Galvatron took this as an opportunity to continue.

"I've had a long time to process what I need to say. So please allow me to speak."

Ultra Magnus looked to his fellow council members. Everyone fixed their attention on Galvatron without protest. Ultra Magnus then nodded to him.

"I have no desire to lead the Decepticons. Or any faction. The Desepticons are disbanded. Any stragglers from the dead faction you might find are no longer under my command, or indeed affiliated with me. My purpose for inhabiting Titan was to remain an outcast. I desire nothing more than to be as far away as possible from anyone or anything. The only living being I wish harm upon is myself. I wish to remain stranded, to starve and to rot into oblivion, if my immortal blood will one day allow. It is nothing short of what I know I deserve."

Every bot in the room leaned on every word from the ex-Cons denta. Most were too shocked to believe these words were being spoken by the war Lord himself. Galvatron continued.

"With this in mind, I ask only one thing: return me to Titan. Allow me to remain banished there. We all know I do not belong on Cybertron. So long as I am, even as a prisoner, I will only be an uncomfortable burden on each of your minds. The new generation need not be so chained down by the tragic events of our recent history, much less with my presence planetside, always serving as a bleak reminder of the future they almost didn't have."

It was at that moment that Bumblebee spoke up.

"There's just one thing I don't understand. If all you say is true, why in the world would you help Elita One?"

"She compelled me in a way no femme or mech has before. I felt an insurmountable guilt to her, and she treated me far kinder than I have or ever will deserve," Galvatron answered, "I know she has hopes to remold me into something good. A part of me wishes I could be, just to please her. But I know for a fact that no matter how repentant I prove myself to be, I can never be trusted. Never accepted. Nor should I be. And that is not what I seek. Frankly, if you were to allow me so easily back onto your planet, much less as a part of your society, I would detest your leadership and consider you all the greatest fools to ever walk the planet."

With his speech concluded, Galvatron stepped back away from the cell shield and gestured in the direction of Soundwave.

"As to all I have said, I do not speak on Soundwave's behalf."

Finally, Ultra Magnus turned to look at Soundwave.

"Do you share Mega- Galvatron's sentiments?" Ultra Magnus asked the spy.

"Negative," was the monotone reply.

"Why am I not surprised," Wheeljack huffed.

"In light of your previous master's proclamation, have you anything to say?" Magnus pressed. Soundwave stood silent for a long moment. The entire room's optics were on him.

"Long live the Decepticons."

Ratchet was no sparkling when it came to his medical knowledge. That was for certain. Firestar and Greenlight both watched in awe as he performed the most skilled tests with flawlessly steady hands and calmness of mind. And he performed these tests all while asking the two of them questions as to Elita One's condition, and the events leading up to this moment.

"Stasis again. She can't seem to escape it," Ratchet cackled, shaking his head and sighing as he left her berth to collect a different type of processor reading instruments

"What's that thing? I've never seen one of those before," Greenlight said, pointing at it with wide, excited eyes. Ratchet proceeded to place little readers all over Elita One's processor and said,

"That's because I invented it."

"Whoa!" Greenlight beamed.

"What's it do?" Firestar asked nervously.

"Well, I designed it to communicate with Elita One's thoughts. It's perhaps a little invasive, but last time this happened, she was in a heavy dream state and unable to extract herself except through internal triggers. Looking back, it would have helped us greatly if we were able to bring Elita One out of stasis on command, rather than the internal protocols she put into place… We respected her decision of course, but I believe it wasn't a smart move to have her in stasis during the entire war. I know Optimus Prime missed her terribly…" Ratchet dazed off, his optics fixing upon events and times Firestar couldn't see or imagine. After a click he shook himself out of his reverie.

"Anyway, I designed this thing to reach into her mind, to project messages into her subconscious."

"That's incredible!" Greenlight praised.

"Well I can't take all the credit. I won't hide the fact I ripped the concept off of Shockwave. He used a device similar to this to interrogate me once, back when I was a Decepticon prisoner of war. I hated the experience, but scrap it all if I wasn't impressed," Ratchet grunted.

"You did good, doc. You always do," Smokescreen offered, from the corner of the room where he stood with Inferno.

"Well, at least this device won't inflict any pain, anyway," Ratchet shrugged. With a few careful calibrations and switch settings, Ratchet's instrument hummed to life and began translating processor data in a language on screen that none of the sparklings could understand. Firestar blinked. A feeling of familiarity rose up inside her spark at the sight of the texts.

"Is that…?" Smokescreen gasped.

"Ancient Cybertronian," Ratchet supplied. Ancient Cybertronian? Firestar inwardly panicked. How was it she felt it was familiar? She had never seen or read it before… Or had she? Perhaps she had seen it somewhere, and only forgotten?

"Can you read that, doc?" Smokescreen asked.

"Some. I've been studying it in my spare time," Ratchet admitted.

"Just how much spare time do you have these days?" Smokescreen gawked.

"You'd be surprised with how much I've been able to accomplish when I'm not having to deal with all of you young bots and your endless distractions," Ratchet chided. Greenlight giggled and then covered her face quickly when Smokescreen ducked his head in embarrassment. Inferno just smirked at him then looked to Firestar. He noted the very serious look of confusion on her face and reached out to nudge her shoulder ever so lightly. Firestar looked at him thankfully and offered a small smile.

"Now everyone be quiet so I can concentrate," Ratchet ordered. The sparklings obeyed and Ratchet studied the screen and it's moving texts carefully.

"She's speaking with someone." Ratchet said.

"With Optimus?" Firestar asked.

"I can't quite tell," Ratchet waited and all the young bots hesitated to ask any more questions.

"I don't...think it is. Someone far older than Optimus is speaking," Ratchet said at last.

"How do you know?"

"Because the voice is speaking of the Primes… personal experiences with the Primes."

"HOLY SMOKES," Smokescreen exclaimed.

"The first Primes?" Firestar asked. "I learned about them not long ago in my history class!"

"Yes, yes," Ratchet waved at them to be silent again. He continued concentrating and Firestar bit her lip, glancing to Inferno. He gave her a small, comforting smile. Finally, Ratchet broke the silence.

"I'm going to need some time alone to figure this out. Will you please excuse me for a while. You are free to wait outside in the hospital waiting room," he said, gesturing to the door.

"Of course, doc," Smokescreen said. The group of sparklings moved to the door, but Firestar lingered just a moment longer to look at Elita One nervously and then the texts on screen before exiting.

Flare Up, Ultra Violet and Moonracer lingered outside the Tenacious as Chromia and the others re-entered. None of them felt right to follow them, so instead they glanced to the remaining bots who were also left outside with them.

"Who is it in there?" asked Sideswipe, barging over to them with his twin just behind him.

"I don't know that we have the authority to release that information just yet," Ultra Violet answered.

"There's no way it's going to be secret once they bring them out here. I don't see any harm in you telling us-"

"Sideswipe, shut you shaft," Sunstreaker interrupted, "Stop badgering them."

"I'm JUST curious is all!"

"Too curious. We'll know when we're supposed to know," Sunstreaker said. Ultra Violet offered a thankful smile to the golden colored mech.

"What's been new with you while we were away?" Flare Up asked.

"Ah, well Nautica was a total bust… One date with her and I wanted to burn my own audio systems out of my head. That girl can talk-"

Sunstreaker slapped the back of his twin's head with a sudden clank.

"They didn't ask for your dating history!" he exclaimed.

"Definitely not," Flare Up gagged, "I meant what's new in Prime City! I don't care who you date or don't!"

"Ah, so what I'm hearing is you do care," Sideswipe grinned wickedly.

Moonracer snorted and Flare Up covered her eyes. Flare Up's two pipes that jutted from her shoulders began to spew steam and her entire frame shook with fury. Her orange flame decals even began to glow blue.

"I'm this close to properly introducing your face to the tarmac," she threatened.

"I dare you, Little Flame," Sideswipe challenged.

"It's FLARE UP you gear head!" and with that the femme lunged and Sideswipe quickly dodged. But the pursuit did not end there. Soon the two bots were transformed and racing around the landing pad in a dramatic chase.

"Primus," Moonracer muttered, watching their frankly awful swerving skills.

"Is this how Sideswipe normally attracts his dates?" Ultra Violet asked the remaining twin.

"This is more effort than normal for him, actually," Sunstreaker chuckled. Ultra Violet giggled and looked down.

"So what is new around here?" she asked.

"Well, Shockwave attacked Prowl, supposedly on accident, but when Prowl reported the incident, it had to be taken to court. There's a hearing with the Council about what the ex-Cons punishment should be. I don't think they've decided yet. They were in the middle of it when your ship came into contact with the Tower," Sunstreaker replied.

"Do you think Shockwave's guilty?" Ultra Violet asked.

"Guilty of attacking Prowl? Yeah, but I don't think he did it to harm him, so much as defend himself. The mech's been making some pretty serious advancements in reversing the Dark Energon that still taints part of Cybertron's surface. I'd say he's more trustworthy than most may think."

"That's good news," Moonracer said. She bit her lip and then asked. "Do you think Shockwave would likely plan a coo against the city if he were left unattended though?"

"It's difficult to say. I don't know," Sunstreaker shrugged. Moonracer nodded and then gestured to Flare Up and Sideswipe.

"I better break them up before they damage more than their pride," she said, transforming and racing after them.

Sunstreaker looked to Ultra Violet and she awkwardly looked away.

"So your first mission was a success. Or at least it sure seems to be," Sunstreaker offered kindly.

"I guess it was," Violet said, daring to look back at the handsome mech.

"Well congratulations. I hope you plan on celebrating," he said.

"My team hadn't talked about it yet, but maybe we will," Violet replied, her optics beaming brightly, "It sounds like fun."

"Whatever you do decide to plan, don't let Sideswipe here about it," joked Sunstreaker, "He'll definitely want to crash the party and that won't be fun for anybody."

Violet offered a polite laugh. "Well, it's a real shame Sideswipe isn't more agreeable like his twin."

Sunstreaker snorted and shook his head. "That's hardly a fair comparison. Sideswipe would make the company of Megatron more tolerable."

This time Ultra Violet laughed tremendously. Sunstreaker laughed with her.

It was as they were laughing that Chromia disembarked from the Tenacious, quickly followed by Ultra Magnus.

"I think it best that for the time being they remain in the ship. Transporting them to different cells would present too high a risk," Ultra Magnus said.

"I agree," Chromia said.

"I will leave a contingent of my soldiers here to guard the ship and to stand post in the brig," Magnus went on as the two walked across the tarmac.

"Very well. I will take my team to join Ratchet at the hospital," Chromia said.

"Call me if there is any change in her condition," Magnus ordered. Chromia nodded and looked to Ultra Violet, then out onto the ship landing platform to see the racing sparklings. Chromia opened her comlink to the team channel.

"Femmes, assemble at Ratchet's hospital, immediately," Chromia ordered, "And leave those twins alone."

Moonracer was the first to zoom away into the direction of the city. She was followed swiftly by Flare Up, and Chromia nodded in Ultra Violet's direction before transforming herself. As the captain and the rest of her team drove away, Ultra Violet turned to look at Sunstreaker one more time.

"I hope we cross paths again soon," Violet said shyly. Sunstreaker smiled.

"I'd like that," he replied. Violet nodded and promptly transformed into her sleek two wheeling form and drove away, joining her team swiftly.