Optimus sighed as he read over the reports. Megatron had tried to point out that Optimus was supposed to be on vacation, but Optimus had finally got him to concede the point that the attack meant that he was needed. They were going to be at war, and the heir was an important part of the chain of command.

The species that had attacked them was still unidentified, and unfortunately, they hadn't managed to keep any of the captured ones alive. From the reports he was reading, they had some sort of poison device implanted in their chest, that they could activate with a thought. By the time they'd figured that out, all but one of the captives was dead, and that one was dying. They didn't know enough about his anatomy to keep him alive.

They were learning a lot from the ships they'd captured, thankfully. They didn't have anything on the species itself, but their star maps and flight plans at least showed the general area of the universe they were from.

The door behind him opened and he heard someone fly in. Almost immediately, he put down his papers and looked up.

His guest was hovering in front of him with another report in hand. He didn't care about the report.

"Sari!" he said in genuine happiness. He hadn't seen her since he'd remembered, but luckily as Prince he'd spent plenty of time with her and she wouldn't think anything of his reaction.

"I have the information you asked for, my Prince," Sari said. She retracted her facemask and smiled at him. He held up his hand and let her settle down into his palm.

Optimus remembered being a sparkling, and how Megatron had indulged him in allowing Sari to stay near them. He remembered wondering why their playmate had grown up faster than they had, even if she stayed smaller. He also remembered when she'd been injured, and the way Megatron had reacted to the metal in her arms.

He also remembered how Megatron had raged about Sari, and finally decided that she was going to come with them to Cybertron. Sari hadn't taken it well at first, but after she'd stopped aging like a human, and her human father had died of old age, she'd adapted well. She'd eventually taken on the Decepticon badge.

Optimus wondered, though, how she felt about it. She'd been very young for a human when he'd been an Autobot, after all, and had then spent the rest of her childhood with the Decepticons. He'd have to ask her later.

"It's good to see you," Optimus said out loud. "I've got things to tell you, but they can wait. Does the diplomatic corps know who we're dealing with?"

"Not yet," Sari said, her red optics meeting his. "They're not a species we're familiar with, and we're still waiting to hear from our allies and those we're in neutral status with."

Optimus nodded. "Understood. What do we know, from the diplomatic side of things?"

"Next to nothing," Sari reported promptly. "They're completely organic, no cybernetic implant, not even the usual medical ones that most organic species are willing to use. Highly religious, we found a lot of their religious documents on their computers. Its… disturbing. Very focused on the…" she paused and checked her datapad. "The supremacy of the evolved organic," she quoted. "They're not against technology, but only so long as it's not used inside organics, and so long as it is kept "properly restrained."

Optimus grimaced, and she echoed the expression. "Which would they say is worse, you or me?" Optimus wondered outloud.

Sari scowled. "Probably me," she said.

Optimus nodded. "I know we normally have you as point of contact for organic species, but not this time, then," he said.

Sari sighed. "That's what Magnificus said."

Optimus smiled at her. She still had so many of her human mannerisms, and that was part of what made her so good when they had to be diplomatic to organic species.

"Alright," he said out loud. "Is there anything else I need to know now?" he asked.

"There's nothing really to know, Sari admitted.

Optimus nodded and set his hand down so she could hop off and stand on his desk. "In that case… Sari, there is something I need to talk to you about."

The smaller Decepticon nodded and perched on a cube that Optimus knew he kept on his desk for some reason, but wasn't sure why right now. "Is something wrong?" Sari asked.

Optimus smiled. "No, not wrong. It's just important, and I think you need to know. This is Optimus to Sari, not Prince to Diplomat."

Sari took a deep breath. "Alright, big guy," she said, already falling into the informality they maintained when it was just the five former Autobots and her.

Optimus debated for a second with himself on how to say this, because he hadn't had a chance to figure out how. Finally, he decided to just say it. "I woke up, three days after my confirmation as Heir, and I remembered."

"Remembered?" Sari asked. "What did you remem…" she trailed off and stared at him. "Optimus?" she whispered after a second.

Optimus nodded. "I remembered my life before I became a sparkling," he said.

The next second, Sari had activated her jetback and flown up so she could hug his neck- at least, as much as she could reach. Optimus gently held her as she sobbed against his neck. "I missed you so much," she finally whispered.

Optimus picked her up so they could look each other in the optic. "I thought so, that's why I wanted to tell you."

"Does anyone else know?" Sari asked. She was still crying, a little, but she was smiling too.

"Just Megatron," Optimus said. "But I… I knew you remembered me, as I was, and not just as an enemy."

Sari smiled. "Yeah, Boss Bot," she said.

Optimus stilled for a second and then smiled at hearing that old nickname. "Yes," he said. "Back when I was Optimus Prime. And now I'm not, not anymore."

"You're still a lot like you were," Sari said.

Optimus smiled. "I know," he said. "But I'm also the Decepticon Prince now," he added. "And we will talk about the past, I promise."

Sari took a deep breath and reengaged her facemask. "And we have to prepare for war," she said.

"Yes," Optimus said. "But we will talk later."

"Of course, Boss," she said.

"Would you like to come with me to the war room, to plan?" At her agreement, he held out his hand. "Let's go," he said.

She hopped into his palm and he set her on his shoulder and they headed out to get ready to make war.


Yep! Here's Sari! All grown up, and a diplomat, mainly because she's about the same size as most organic species the Cybertronian Empire either knows or rules. And yes, you'll get more about how she went from little girl to diplomat as well. Yep! Here's Sari! All grown up, and a diplomat, mainly because she's about the same size as most organic species the Cybertronian Empire either knows or rules. And yes, you'll get more about how she went from little girl to diplomat as well.