As the orbital cycles turned to stellar cycles, the group fell into a routine of doing their own thing. With more supplies to work with, Bolthex tended not to leave the base much. Char still went out on patrols by herself. Echo and Alfa would often disappear together, sometimes for solar cycles on end. Since Fritz and Delta were grounders, they tended not to explore as far out as the flyers, but they too would leave the base from time to time to stretch their struts and get away from Bolthex. Scythe usually was gone for two orbital cycles at a time, occasionally three if she could convince Leech. But no matter what they were doing, everyone came back to base just before the cold season for a little anniversary celebration.

The solar cycles are getting quite short now, aren't they? Leech mused, noticing how dark the forest had gotten.

I suppose they are. Scythe agreed, pushing aside some branches as she walked.

That means it's almost time, isn't it? Excitement oozed from the second processor.

Scythe laughed aloud. Indeed it is. This is the fourth one, right?

Yes! I can't wait to-

Hold that thought. She cut Leech off as she stopped in her tracks. I heard something.

Dialing up her audials, she listened. Tree branches snapped. Metal smashed against metal. A decidedly Cybertronian snarl. The all too familiar sound of a teleportation. And then…

"Whoa!" Scythe exclaimed, diving out of the way as a pair of huge mechs crashed into the trees nearby and almost crushed her.

"You're a traitor and a coward, Jetfire!" one of them roared, pinning the other.

"What we were doing was wrong and you know it!" the other mech, Jetfire, shot back, trying to shake him off.

From her spot on the ground, Scythe stared at them in fascination. In terms of frame type, they were very similar to Megatron, but these two were older, much older.

The one on top happened to glance up and he saw her.

"Oh, look. It's one of those disgusting fleshlings now!" he said, bringing his weapons online.

Jetfire didn't even look her way. He just reached up and grabbed the blaster. "No!" he snarled, rolling as the other fired.

The shot missed Scythe entirely and obliterated the tree next to her, showering her with leaves and wood splinters.

Hey! Move your peds next time! Leech demanded. That could have been us!

Yeah, yeah. Scythe got up and followed after the sounds of fighting. She kept her distance this time, listening and waiting.

Finally, with night completely fallen, the sounds of fighting stopped. Scythe ventured forward to take a look. She could sense the spark of the one called Jetfire but the other mech's was gone.

The mech looked down at her as she entered the small clearing where he sat. She looked around and didn't see any remains of the other mech, only marks of their battle.

"You're still here, eh?" Jetfire said. "You fleshlings really are annoying sometimes. Too curious for your own good, really." He sighed. "Hhh. What am I doing talking to you? It's not like you can understand me."

Scythe smirked and asked, "Would you prefer it if I could talk back?"

Jetfire looked startled. "What in the AllSpark? Have the fleshlings learned our language, or am I having a strange dream?"

"Neither," Scythe replied. She partially transformed her right arm and that half of her face and allowed the biolights across the rest of her body to glow. She didn't want to fully transform and expose him to Leech. "I am simply a pretender."

"A pretender, huh? Now that's an incredibly rare breed, even back in my day. I had heard rumors that there were some of the younger generations around. Are you one of them?"

Scythe returned back to normal. "Probably, since you seem old to me."

"I am old," Jetfire replied with a sigh. "Too damn old. And tired. So tired."

"How long have you been here?" Scythe asked. "And why are you even on this planet?"

Jetfire sat back. "I honestly don't know how long it has been. Up until recently I was in stasis after I fell in battle. But I'm on this planet because the Fallen-"

"The Fallen?!" Scythe suddenly interrupted. "You know the Fallen?"

"I knew the Fallen. More accurately, I worked for him."

Scythe looked over his armor and realized that he was indeed wearing the triangular face. "You're a Decepticon."

"Not anymore," Jetfire replied. "I had my optics opened, even if it was too late. Or maybe it wasn't. The star is still here." He looked down at her. "What about you? How do you know of the Fallen?"

Scythe sat cross-legged on the ground before answering. "Up until recently, I was a slave to his apprentice. The Fallen seems to be locked away in a sarcophagus that was dug up on Cybertron, but that didn't stop him from corrupting an apprentice, who became the new leader of the Decepticons in his place. War has consumed Cybertron again and I've heard that it may have killed the planet."

Jetfire was startled. "Our home is dead? How can this be?"

Scythe shrugged. "The AllSpark was launched off-world to keep it out of Decepticon servos."

"Yes, that would definitely kill it," Jetfire agreed thoughtfully. "Do you know what happened to the AllSpark?"

"I heard it is safe, for now," Scythe said, wanting to keep the answer vague. "But, I want to ask, I know Megatron was ruthless. Was the Fallen that way as well?"

"Hmh. Ruthless, cunning, deceptive, power-mad. This apprentice, Megatron, was it? The Fallen must have seen something in him that was worth corrupting."

"I've heard some of the stories, but they are pretty much reduced to vague legends now. What exactly did the Fallen do?"

Jetfire looked down at her skeptically but realized she genuinely wanted to know. He sighed again. Whatever. He'll tell her.

"The Fallen was one of the original Primes," he began, "the first leaders of our race. They had been tasked with harvesting stars for energon to replenish the AllSpark. They would seek out distant stars and when they found one suitable, they would build a machine called a Star Harvester. The Star Harvester could only be activated by a special key called the Matrix of Leadership.

"The other Primes realized that destroying stars was hurting the universe, so they set down one rule: Never destroy a star that nourished life. The Fallen, even back then, thought that our race was superior, and that he was superior, even among his brothers, so he did not care.

"A star system with life was destroyed and the other Primes were angry. I was… partially to blame. After that, they decreed that a Star Harvester could only be activated when all of the Primes were present. The Fallen reluctantly agreed. But then he went off to another inhabited star system, made his own Star Harvester, and tried to activate it with a fake key. It failed, of course. That was when the other Primes decided he had gone too far and branded him as the 'Fallen'.

"Somehow, he still managed to get back into their good graces," he continued, "if only under heavy suspicion. I honestly don't know how it happened. Why he ended up that way. Perhaps he was like that from the beginning and I just never noticed. I did not notice that I was being deceived. Or perhaps I did not want to notice.

"Anyway, one solar cycle, he claimed that he had found a suitable star to harvest. I was sent, along with his servo-picked Decepticons, to build a Star Harvester on none other than this planet." He pointed at the ground. "When I realized the planet was inhabited, I tried to stop him. But I was too late. The Harvester was finished and the other Primes were walking into a trap.

"I was teleported away with the constructicons, and I had to fight for my life even after being injured by the Fallen. In order to kill the last one, I teleported both of us into orbit and shot him as we fell back to the planet. I dropped into stasis after crash landing, so I did not know what the outcome of the Primes' battle was. But seeing as how the star is still there and this planet is still alive, the Fallen failed.

"I also heard from my fellow seekers, like the one earlier, that the other Primes gave their lives to keep the Matrix away from the Fallen, hiding it in a tomb made of their own bodies, somewhere on this planet. The seekers are searching for it, under the Fallen's orders no doubt."

What an interesting coincidence. Leech sent. The AllSpark coming here.

Maybe it wasn't a coincidence. Scythe sent back. Maybe it was drawn here.

Are you going to tell him?

No. I don't trust him yet.

Jetfire sighed tiredly.

Scythe looked up at him. "May I try something? I think it will help you."

"Hmm?"

She stood to her feet and stepped closer to him. "May I?" she asked, eyeing his leg.

He nodded. She climbed up and stood on his leg. Calling forth the energy from her own spark, her biolights started to glow again as she put her right hand over his spark chamber.

Oi, oi, oi! What are you doing? Leech demanded.

Relax, we'll go eat from the AllSpark after this. Scythe replied calmly.

As she did when she called on the power of the AllSpark, she pushed the energy down her arm and into the other bot.

Jetfire gasped. "Ah! This is…!"

She gave him as much energy as she dared and then cut off the flow. "I know it's not much, but it will help you."

Jetfire lowered his helm. "I thank you. I am beyond words. Just… why?"

Scythe shrugged. "Think of it as a thank you, for taking the time to tell me your story." She jumped off his leg.

"I never got your name, pretender," he said, realizing she was preparing to leave.

"Oh, my name is Scythe," she replied with a smile.

"Scythe. I will remember that. I am Jetfire. Again, you have my thanks."

"I hope we get to see each other again, Jetfire."

"As do I."

"Farewell." And she disappeared into the trees.

Once she was far enough away, she transformed and teleported. She reappeared in the air over the river and dropped into the water, letting herself sink to the bottom and the AllSpark.

You know I hate going this way. Leech complained even as they greedily latched onto the cube.

But this is the only way you can reach the AllSpark. Scythe sent back.

We need to fix that.

I'll think about it.

After Leech had their fill, Scythe teleported out of the river. She set off for the base at a leisurely stroll, shaking off the excess water as she went.

"It's good to be back," she said, looking up at the night sky and the countless stars there.

"Yes," Leech agreed. "I wonder if everyone is already waiting for us."

"Let's go and see." She broke into a run.

They could hear a loud commotion going on as they entered the base. Scythe and Leech glanced at each other as Scythe headed toward the main area. The cause of the noise was everyone else arguing while an exasperated Echo just stood there with two larger, practically identical flyers clinging to him.

Echo saw her first. "Scythe…"

That got everyone's attention and they all stopped arguing to look down at her. She glanced around the room before settling her gaze on the ridiculous looking trio again, the middle mech in particular.

"Um, Echo… What… is going on?"