Author's Note: Greetings, acolyte's! It has been a long while, hasn't it? It's been over two years since I've veered from the Transformers genre - two years since I lost muse and was unsure of how to continue this piece. Needless to say, I got busy in two years - I graduated college, moved out of my parents' home, got my first "career" job, and became enchanted with Star Wars and Jurassic World. There's been a lot going on, for sure!

With the release of The Last Knight's trailer going live this week, I found new inspiration and muse once again. I'd like to complete this journey before the new film hits theatres, because I'm certain I'll have inspiration to write a new piece when that comes out (tends to happen - curses, fangirl passions!). There's quite a ways to go, and I'm sure many of you have moved on to bigger and brighter horizons, for which I don't blame you. Those of you who return, thank you much. I apologize for my absence.

Now - let's continue this, shall we?


Crosshairs jammed the gearshift on his floorboards, the transmission in his alt-mode screaming loudly as his tires spun against the tar. He didn't bother with his holoform – instead, Cade was sitting in the driver's seat and watched as Elaina Rutledge began to apply basic first-aid to Mira's wounds.

Bumblebee was returning fire to prototypes behind them just as a spattering of gunfire danced across the gravel just beside Crosshairs' front tires from Savoy's gun, who peeked around the corner of the shop he was currently taking cover behind. Crosshairs cursed in Cybertronian, spun the wheel quickly, and opened a line to communicate with Bumblebee.

Let's go, 'Bee! He demanded – he could feel the mechanical workings of his alternation mode straining to keep up with the sophistication of his Cybertonian systems, but he didn't care. Instead, he slammed the accelerator, bypassed the transmission's shifting patterns, and instead fueled it with Cybertronian code to override the mechanics. He lunged forward with newfound speed, almost soaring. Bumblebee was right behind him.

Another incoming transmission pinged him – it was from Hound.

Crosshairs – just got orders from Optimus. Rendezvous with us back at the ship. There was a break in the transmission, until he returned. Mira wake up, yet?

Unsure of how to respond, Crosshairs tilted the rear view mirror for a better look at Mira. Elaina was taking her pulse and glancing at her watch and he dared to ask, "How're we doin' with Mira, Elaina?" He was careful to mind his tone – his past history with Elaina had taught him that when she was working, you should stay back. She'd learned that detail from Ratchet, more or less, as she'd worked beside him in the field and in the NEST labs.

She sighed and glanced at the mirror, shaking her head. "She needs some of Ratchet's adrenaline," she said, jerking her hair out of the way, "but its back at my place."

Crosshairs swore under his breath and jerked a hard left; down a side street. The flash of yellow in his rear view told him Bumblebee was still following him. He fanned out his sensors to check for incoming bogies, and satisfied there were none following him, he flashed his break-lights to Bumblebee. He coasted to a stop.

"How far?" He grunted from the stereo.

She looked around the area, "About a mile, headed towards the city limits to the east."

He groaned. "Okay, fine. We get the juice and then we've gotta split. Hound wants to rendezvous with us at our ship." He reversed, Bumblebee backing around as well, and punched in the address Elaina rattled off. It instantly came up on his scanners and he targeted the location before sending it over to Bumblebee and responding to Hound's message with the typical, We'll meet you there.

He spun his tires out, causing smoke and tidbits of gravel to fly, but didn't care. Elaina's place wouldn't have been difficult to find on a normal basis, but nothing was normal these days. It took re-routing around blocked streets and evading prototypes twice before he pulled up outside Elaina's place and got a message from Sideswipe, asking how things were going. Crosshairs ignored the message and cleared it as Elaina scrambled out of the car and disappeared into her clinic.

Cade leaned over the console to slap Mira's cheek in an attempt to rouse her. He was mumbling something along the lines of, "C'mon, Mira – wake up!" When Crosshairs rolled backwards and scanned the perimeter. They had three bogies incoming rapidly– before he could react, Bumblebee spun around to intercept them and disappeared around the corner.

"We gotta go," Crosshairs pressured, revving the engine, "Gotta go –"

Elain burst out of the clinic, a bag over her shoulder and sunglasses over her eyes. She dashed back into the car, scrambled over the seat, and almost instantly injected Ratchet's miracle adrenaline the vein on Mira's arm. Almost immediately the woman began to stir, and let out a slow and terrible groan.

"Merrick," she mumbled, her head rolling against the seat, "Bryce, Merrick – Optimus," her eyes slid open slowly, and she registered Cade staring at her from over the seat. Bypassing the transmission again and prepping his weapons system, Crosshairs barely heard her whisper Cade's name. He did, however, hear Cade's response.

"Atta girl," was his slow reply, which was quiet and gentle, "I'm right here, Mira. Right here." Her satisfied groan faded away as Crosshairs felt her head lull back across the seat, carefully, as his weapons system finished priming.

Elaina looked back up to the rear view and nodded once, unzipping her bag to take out a first aide kit, "Let's go," she demanded, "she'll be awake and alert shortly."

Needing nothing more, Crosshairs flooded his transmission for CYbertronian code, and took off towards the city limits. Bumblebee was not far behind him.

. . .

Optimus had engaged his bi-pedal form to approach Lockdown's ship, which was looming darkly over the outskirts of the South American city. It cast a long shadow of both regrets and uncertainties that made Optimus linger more than he wanted to – all around him he could hear the noises of destruction as a war raged on in his wake. Above him, the working mechanics of Cybertronian technology were loud and riveting through the vessel. Inside himself, all he could hear was the regret swimming around his spark chamber and filling his head with memories and echoes of the past.

There was a serious shift of movement from the ship, and Optimus focused his optics upward, to the three o'clock position to see one of the grappling houses engage. Almost immediately the anchors engaged and flew heavily through the air; down, until they slammed into the earth deeply. Momentarily, the ship was be anchored to the soil.

Optimus glared – he watched as one of the docking ramps released and fell outward towards the ground. Midway released, it paused, and a solitary figure descended – Lockdown. Heat raced Prime's energon to the boiling point and Optimus disengaged his sword's housing clamps to lift it out of its place along his back-plates. It was heavy in his hand – as were his many regrets and memories – as he stepped towards the ship.

The ship released the pressurized air to stabilize the thrusters; hot air steaming at high speeds and releasing into the atmosphere. Optimus didn't care – he was entirely focused on Lockdown and the fight he knew that was waiting for him. He knew that the only way to ensure that Earth was safe from the bounty hunter – from his Creators – was to destroy him. It was the only way he could ensure that Mira and her family, and his Autobots, and Cade, Sam and countless other - would be safe. Earth had never deserved the war that stretched out across the stars between he and his brother – it had never deserved the destruction, and it had never needed them. He understood that now as deeply as he understood this moment.

"Prime," Lockdown chuckled wickedly, "I see our paths have twisted again." With a mighty thrust, he leaped off the ramp and fell to the earth, colliding sharply and creating a massive indent into the soil. The ground rattled with his incoming, but didn't dismay Optimus – he had battled Lockdown's kind before, and he'd do so again, this day. He tightened his grip on his sword, and readied his various other weapons by priming their systems and engaging battle protocols that seemed a millennia old.

"My path has brought you to me," Optimus insisted with a snarl, "but it will not be for long."

His opponent guffawed. His left arm twisted and shaped into a thin blade that Optimus recognized immediately – it was engraved with the ancient code of the Knights, much like his own was. His other hand transformed into a ragged looking hook – another device that Optimus was familiar with, but not intimidated by. HE knew the bounty hunter's array of weaponry was both more impressive and extensive than his own, but that didn't dishearten him. He was a Prime – the leader of Cybertron, and had defeated countless enemies. One more on his roster made no difference.

"You're right," Lockdown glared at him, and Optimus dropped his battle mask, "you will die before this day is done," he concluded.

"If that is what it takes," he replied calmly, and lowered into a fighting stance.

. . .

By the time Crosshairs and Bumblebee had met the rendezvous in the mountains, Hound had already engaged the ship's protocols and lowered the security shields. The others – Sideswipe, Drift and their human charges – were gathered around outside; Autobots patrolling the perimeter, sensors outreaching, while the humans paced in wait. Upon the arrival of the green and yellow escorts, everyone gathered around the mouth of the ship.

Much to everyone's relief, Mira was the first one out of the car. Her Cybertronian armor was gone – in its stead, the Shield shone bright around her neck; glowing an electric blue color that almost resembled the blue flame from a welding torch. She didn't seem to mind, however, and moved cautiously towards the group; Merrick and Bryce rushing towards her.

Her young son, arms outstretched, was received when she dipped and picked him up. He latched onto her like a rigid starfish, and she held him tightly, not saying anything. Instead, she touched her ear where the earpiece from her suit still remained. Nodding at the orders filtering through the piece, she gave Bryce a grim smile and clapped a hand on his arm, before kissing his cheek in a sisterly appreciation and mouthing the words "Thank you", while gesturing to Merrick.

Hound was the first to speak. "Hiya, Princess," he crossed his arms over his barrel chest, "good to see ya up and kickin' again."

She nodded and moved towards the ship, reaching to flick the earpiece off, "It's good to be back," was her calm reply. Nobody missed the bandage on her forearm or the stitches above her eye, but none of them said anything as she embarked on the ramp and carried the boy towards the massive Cybertronian vessel. At the mouth of the ship, she set the boy down, and knelt before him.

"Merrick," she said quietly, "I want you to stay out here, alright? Stay close to Drift. I'll be right back." Her tone was mellow, "It's okay –"

His face took on a pale pallet and he shook his head furiously, latching onto her again. "No!" he said strongly as she held him tightly and buried her nose into his hair, "I won't leave you again. Please don't go!" She sighed, only to take a deep breath filled with his scent and shuffled him backwards a few steps.

"I need to go," she said, pinching her fingers together to indicate a small amount, "but only for a second. I'll be right back – I promise," she stood, looked past her boy to Drift, who activated his holoform immediately and rushed up the steps to retrieve her son. Sweeping him up in his arms, he began carrying the boy down, whispering something in his ear. Mira concluded, "It's okay, Merrick. Mom'll be right back."

Nodding to her group of comrades, her eyes softening on Cade and Tessa Yeager, she offered them a placating smile and turned on her heel to enter the dark depths of the ship.

Smaller than the mothership, this vessel was uniquely crafted to fall away from Lockdown's main vessel lest anything happen to the mothership in battle. It was an ingenious design by which only Cybertronian's could achieve – true artistry; masterful, in every sense of the word. As Mira moved farther away from the entrance and it grew too dark to see with natural eyes, she whispered "CAST," and the Autobot insignia around her neck shone brightly to life and began to split apart.

Already assimilated to the transformation of armor over her clothing, she continued her journey to the ship, moving towards the vessel's cargo bay. In the dark, she noticed her armor glowed brightly the same color as the insignia: a piercing blue – and the See-All system now equipped within her glasses guided her towards the beings she knew she needed to confront.

A deep-rooted fear slipped into her soul at what this meant for her. Optimus had entrusted her with this task – to rally these ancient warriors that he had once rejected as the christened Prime. It made her shudder to think about how they would respond. One of two things would happen – either they would accept her, or they would reject her, and she didn't have the courage to think about what would happen should the former transpire.

She finally came to the cargo area and stopped in the middle of the room – it was pitch black naturally, but with the assistance of her armor and See-All, it was decently lit. Her lenses detected life forms in the area – four unique signatures. As she looked around the room, taking a step forward, she browsed the lens with her eyes and blinked twice on the Translator in the upper left hand corner.

The suit immediately reacted and she gasped when a pinprick of pain pinched her throat – there was a warm trickle of blood before something cold pressed inside against her larynx. Pain erupted through her head and throat, and she staggered, having to take a knee as her hand flew to the neck of her armor. Something began to vibrate and burn and she opened her mouth to speak.

"What is going on?" The English translated on the screen over her left eye, but her ears picked up on the distinct and effortlessly immaculate Cybertronian rasping from the depths of her throat. It was an odd sensation that filled the entirety of her esophagus – hardly believable. She'd never spoken the language so effectively, before. She began to tremble and sweat formed on her brow as the light pain in her throat intensified.

The room came alive, then. There was a squawking that sounded like a robotic bird, and then snorting and a series of screeches and grunts so profound that Mira had to cover her ears. There was the sound of shifting metals all scraping and moving on the air – of course, all familiar transformation sounds. But, suddenly, from around her, four pairs of scarlet red eyes glowed out from the darkness as the echoes grew louder and louder.

"Who be you?" Was the reply in Cybertronian, again translated to English before her left eye. It was a dark and rasping voice that was tainted with pent-up hatred and evil only eons old. It sounded ancient, and weary, and unsure – while simultaneously powerful and reassured. Mira tried to swallow, but there was pain and more blood that slipped down her throat, and she tried to make out the beings on her See-All lens. It failed.

"My name is Miriam," she replied with a murmur that appeared more powerful than it was, "I am a friend of Cybertron."

"Cyyyybertron!" That voice, in Cybertronian, was pitched high and bird-like. There was a series of mechanical squawkings as a pair of eyes lifted higher off the ground before her – she heard the heavy flapping of what she thought was metal against the wind, which caused a heavy and loud breeze that whisked her hair off her shoulder as it continued, "We are exilessss of Cyyyybetron," the being carried out the words with a hiss, "Not been there for eonssss."

The first voice inserted deeply, with a biting tone, "Lockdown send you?"

She hesitated. "No," was her reply, as she stepped forward.

"The Creatorsssss?" That was the second voice, followed by an array of pounding and shaking that made Mira stumble in place. She righted, gathered herself, and covered her ears again as they carried on in a series of squawks, shrieks, shouts, and roars. Mira wondered briefly if these beings were alien creatures, or Cybertronian, or a mixture of the two, but did not receive an answer.

She shook her head, the four sets of glowing red optics still cemented on her being. "No. I am the Keeper of the Shield to the Matrix of Leadership – an ambassador, for Optimus Prime. I believe you know of him."

Suddenly, a piercing quiet struck the air. It was heavy to the point Mira was certain her lungs had been crushed beneath the protection of the CAST armor. Much to relief, it was only surprise that had stolen her words and uncertainty – she looked around the room when she sensed movement. The earth trembled as something massive moved forward – something so much larger than Optimus Prime.

There was a pause only momentarily before there was a deep – almost demonic – growl. "We know Optimus," came the reply, slowly, "he exile us from Cybertron." The voice hesitated, "You too small for Cybertronian."

"Yessss," the second voice responded with dripping evil, " smallll…."

Mira was quick to a rebuttal, whirling back around to face the oncoming onslaught from the second voice. When nothing arose, she replied slowly, "I am not Cybertronian," she said strongly, raising her chin to emphasize her statement, "I come from a distant world, many lightyears from your home – Earth. This vessel is currently anchored on that world." When there was nothing other than rustling movement, she continued, "The war on your planet has stretched to mine – Optimus Prime has been working with my people to stop your enemy, the Decepticons, and their tyrant ruler, Megatron, from destroying my home. I have known him for a great while. He is my friend."

There was a roar, "He is no friend of us!" An echo of shrieks, roars, snorts, and growls forced Mira backwards half a step, covering her ears and squinting her eyes in pain. The earth suddenly rattled beneath her feet savagely – she fell forward, caught herself on her hands, and looked up to the glowing red eyes towering above her. She looked up and glowered at them.

A growl escaped her throat as she mentally took an inventory of these creatures' testimonies. These being had been subjects of Optimus Prime's once, living on Cybertron and coexisting with Prime's people for eons as Cybertronian's. They'd been exiled from their world, for whatever reasons, and somehow had managed to come under the rule of Lockdown on his accursed ships. Her stomach burned with the knowledge – these beings had been rejected from the only home they'd ever known, instead lost in purpose until they'd been ultimately humiliated by becoming prisoners. Mira could sense their spirits were crushed, even in the dead scartlet optics staring down at her.

Their freedom had been taken from them – and freedom was their right, as sentient beings. That was Optimus Prime's code, and that was the code of the Matrix of Leadership. That was her code as Keeper of the Shield. She stood carefully and raised her chin, clearing his throat again.

She exhaled sharply, the probe biting into her neck again. A fresh trickle of blood streamed down her neck and down her shirt. "I don't know who you are, and I don't know why you were exiled from your home," she started, "but I know what it is like to be lost, and afraid, and alone with no one to guide you and offer you hope. I know what it is like to be imprisoned – my world has suffered under the oppression of Megatron and his subjects for years now, and we have done little but survive. I understand."

"You understand nothing!" The roar came louder, with more shrieking venom and pain, "Prime exiled us – he exiled us and Megatron hurt us. You know nothing!"

The beings were suddenly silent, unmoving, as she continued. "I know that you do not know me. I am a foreign stranger, from a distant world, that has befriended your enemy. But," she approached the control panel along the far wall of the ship's cargo area and activated her thrusters – immediately, Mira rocketed into the air and stabilized herself as her system flashed to life on her See-All lenses, and guided herself towards the panel, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Megatron tore your world apart – he made it unstable. Now, all of your people are exiled." There was a quiet pause as she pulled up in front of the panel. Signaling the See-All, the palm of her armor came to life in her left hand, and a probe ejected. Her lens began to translate the mechanics of the panel, highlighting an area where her probe would connect.

She inserted it with a thrust of her hand, and instantly the panel roared to life. It began to were and shift and communicate with the devices of her armor and the Shield, and data began skipping across her lens furiously. The records of the ship indicated that these beings were once legendary warriors that served besides the Knights, and Optimus Prime, picked up by Lockdown after being exiled from Cybertron for destructive tendencies and insubordination at a capital level. Once the data streamed passed, she filed it away in the memory of the Shield. After a moment, she saw the release for the creatures' prisons, and she turned to face the four sets of optics staring at her.

"Optimus Prime had a vision for your world," she paused, "a vision that died at Megatron's hand. Now, he has a new vision – to save another world from exile. My people cannot survive apart from this world like yours have. We have no other world where we can run." After a long pause, she looked back to the panel, "You are warriors of the strongest kind – bred to be victorious. You fought beside the Knights in honor, once. There is time to do it, again." Mira's throat was beginning to strain under the translation from her the probe, but she persevered.

The second being let out a squawking shriek, "You be not Cybertronian. Who is you?"

"I," she stated strongly, thrusting her hand deeper into the port. The panel lit again and whirled loudly, letting off a Cybertronian alarm as she maneuvered the mechanics of the prison for analytical data and schematics. She realized how huge the prisons were, but still could find no energy signatures for the beings to clue her in as to what they were.

Suddenly, there was a burst of light and she was ejected from the console and thrust backwards. The thrusters in her feet overloaded and died, and she slammed into the floor of the cargo bay with a heavy, metallic thud. Moaning as shockwaves resounded through her bones, the information on her lenses started to illuminate and shift, translating into English for her to read. In the upper right corner, something had suddenly downloaded from the vessel, and she opened it by blinking twice while staring at it. It was a simple phrase – Identification confirmed. Ready to receive orders, Countess.

Her mouth parted, and suddenly the voice that emanated from her throat came as naturally as breathing: "I am Miriam Lennox; Keeper of the Shield of the Matrix of Leadership, Countess of Iacon, and friend of Cybertron – and I have come to set you free."