Authors Notes: Happy Saturday to all! Thankfully, this week has not been an absolute travesty, so the new chapter with little trouble other then me sleeping in... :P So as always, please comment and enjoy this new chapter. Let me know what you think!


Soundwave

"Report, Rivet," Soundwave said as he stepped into the Engine Room a full half day sooner than he had expected to.

Miko popped her head out of a portion of the nearly completed Spacebridge. "Basically done! Old Con bot here mine as well be a clone of Ratchet back home. Grouchy but gets the job done. And the two of them fought every time they had to collaborate."

Rivet scoffed from under the floor paneling of the Spacebridge. "Pa-lease. Me and that Autobot suck up don't have anything in common," he pulled himself up with effort and addressed Soundwave with a lazed salute. "But the twerp is right. It's basically done. It just needs to calibrate, and there's nothing I can do to speed that process along."

"Excellent work," Soundwave praised. "I am impressed with your ability to work with our limited resources and deal with Autobot collaboration with the time delay. In addition to, other distractions." He added, aiming an optic at Miko.

Rivet shrugged. "The organic ain't that bad. She had no clue what to do but fetched stuff if I described 'em well enough. Fiery little thing… reminds me of my old apprentice really. Same fiery Spark."

"I'm sure you'll see him again," Miko offered with a rare show of sincerity. Even from the vague context clues, Soundwave assumed Rivet must have shared with her more about his lost apprentice during their time spent together. Thunderblast had been busy preparing the cargo ship to see action, so Miko spent most of her time with Rivet in the Engine Room.

Rivet waved her off. "Eh, I'm sure that sad excuse for a constructicon has better things to do then dredge me up. You're young like him, responsibility isn't your strength."

Miko laughed. "Seriously, you are just like Ratchet. Why did you even join the Con's anyway? You're not bad."

"Bad?" Rivet demanded, the lecture bursting past his denta before Soundwave could order him to refrain. "I'll tell ya something about your precious Autobots, kid! They weren't all innocent in this war! Bunch of caste loving, elitist wannabees, the lot of 'em!"

"Time's change," Miko shot back. "But, you're an old bot, so I understand why that may upset ya."

"What is the status of the Groundbridge completion?" Soundwave managed to interrupt.

Rivet took the moment to compose himself, wiping his oil covered servos with a rag. "About thirty percent. Calibration should only take twenty more kliks at most."

"Master!" came Thunderblast's merry voice over his commlink. "You are needed on the Bridge! There is one hell of an update from Cybertron."

Rivet's chassis shuttered. "I fear to know."

"The Bot's back home may have done it!" Miko squealed with excitement. She wriggled from the machine she was wedged in and slid down to the floor. "I bet they turned the whole thing around and are just waiting for us to Bridge there and rub the Council's faces in it!"

"Optimism. A curse of the young." Rivet said with a shake of his helm.

Soundwave returned to the Bridge with low expectations. Unlike Miko, he was far from young. He knew better then to be carelessly hopeful. But, things were changing. He never would have thought Megatron would give up the cause. Most of all, he didn't think the Decepticons and Autobots, for however short a time it had been, would toast Energon together.

A small but familiar rumble caught Soundwave's auditories. He glanced back at Miko, who hurried behind them. She was scowling in discomfort, rubbing her midsection tenderly. She was hungry. He never would have known this if he hadn't lived alongside Rhea.

"Ya sure Energon won't shut that alarm up?" Rivet offered to her.

Miko laughed. "I doubt it, but thanks."

Demolisher greeted them as they entered with a frowned. "It's more propaganda," he said to Soundwave, a thick digit pointed over his shoulder to the viewing screen. "The Council is advertising the faceplates of everyone on the executioner's block."

"And it has been quite the spectacle so far!" Thunderblast sang, her voice dripping sarcasm.

Soundwave approached the viewscreen, Miko's small feet tapping up beside him. He scanned over the bots being shown off for the camera. This promo was being broadcast into the reaches of the cosmos. Some bots he recognized, even past the electric bars and shackles, but others…

"Wait, why are some of the prisoners Autobot?" Miko piped in.

Indeed, some of the slouched over forms wore the Autobot emblem, chained alongside Cons.

"Deserters of the Decepticon cause, like your flashy sports car medic," Thunderblast said with an optic roll. "Or just Con sympathizers. This new Council sure did their fragging homework. I don't even recognize some of these bots. They must have switched sides millions of years ago."

"But they are still marked for death all the same," Soundwave stated coldly.

"How did this happen?" Miko's voice was quiet, almost inaudible by all in the room, except Soundwave. "How did the Council get this much power so quick?"

"In times of panic," Soundwave began to explain to her, "Bots trade in their common sense for the facade of safety. Arachnid's unstable presence has given them the chance to act. I am sure the timing is far from a coincidence."

"Not everyone's on board this time," Thunderblast added. She typed on the console and the image changed. A mob of angry Autobot aligned bots chanted along a barricaded portion of Cybertronian street. "Loads are protesting the upcoming execution. Many have been threatened with treachery, but they aren't backing down." She gave the scene one last wistful glance before changing the feedback to the prisoners. "Protesting. Such an Autobot thing to do. The ship's fusion cannon will make a much more convincing argument…"

Rivet's stalled intakes interrupted wherever Thunderblast was going with the thought. "Those Bearingless, Unicron fragging, pit dwelling scrap eaters!" he hissed.

There was a long stretch of silence as the Bridge staired at the older bot for the outburst.

Thunderblast whistled. "Scrap, Rivet! And here I thought I had a mouth plate on me!"

As soon as Rivet's anger had manifested, it was replaced with wide opticed fear. He pointed to the screen with a trembling servo. Soundwave followed the motion and caught a gleam of orange among the death row inmates. Almost too small to notice, cowering and shackled behind the much larger bots was a bot bearing a proudly polished Autobot emblem.

"That's my old apprentice… That's Wedge. Those fraggers are going to kill him." Rivet whispered in despair.

"No they won't!" Miko insisted from the ground. "If we don't get there first, then Bee and the others will stop them!" it was a firm promise aimed Rivet's way.

"Rivet, what is the progress on the Spacebridge calibration?" Soundwave said to snap everyone's focus back.

Rivet fumbled with his arm readouts while keeping one optic on Wedge. "Um, 83% my Lord."

Soundwave turned to address the Bridge. "Final weapons checks will be completed before we arrive in Cybertron's airspace."

His crew answered with a salute before hurrying back to their stations. Rivet rushed back to the Engine Room, curses still rumbling his voice box.

"Sooo?" Miko's somehow massive voice carried from the ground. Only when Soundwave registered a feeble kick to his left ped did he realize she was addressing him. "What else are you going to say before the rescue?"

He staired at her for probably too long. "Elaborate."

The human rolled her eyes. "You're the leader of the Cons now! Aren't you going to do some inspiring leaderly speech to rouse the troops? Optimus used to, and Bee does it all the time! And I'm willing to bet ol' Bucket Head used to have a few."

'Is she referring to our old Lord Megatron?' Laserbeak inquired indignantly.

In fact, Megatron had given many a great speech before significant battles. Soundwave had them all documented by the exact date and time and location. Of course, Soundwave wouldn't have been a good spy if he hadn't documented every public speech of the late Prime as well.

As for him… Soundwave could admit to himself he was not the best with public speaking of any kind. As a gladiator, he wasn't required to talk at all. The spilt Energon usually did the talking. Megatron had been the exception back then.

Going over the plan of attack again should be sufficient. Soundwave finally acknowledged, and his focus found Thunderblast and Demolisher. "When the first row of prisoners arrives on the stage to be executed, we will assault the elite guard around the perimeter from the air."

"The ship's fusion cannon could make real quick work of the Elite Guard," Thunderblast reminded everyone. Again. With barely contained excitement, she flipped the cover off the button for the cannon and caressed a single finger along it.

Soundwave's stern look aimed her way was enough of an answer, but this was Thunderblast. He further elaborated regardless. "The fusion cannon would terminate everyone, the prisoners included. It is to be saved for a last resort. The Renegade will also remain in deep space, so the forces around Cybertron cannot give chase."

Thunderblast's wings slumped. Disappointed, she re-covered the button.

Soundwave continued, "I will take the first wave and Thunderblast will take the second as backup. Demolisher will take the four grounders and assault from behind the perimeter. This will be a surprise attack, so our awaiting troops hidden in Cybertron's orbit will assist only if we require it. We do not know the condition of the prisoners, so they cannot be relied upon for backup. Demolisher, you will herd the prisoners into the Groundbridge I open back onto the Renegade. From the air, we will do a final sweep for any remaining prisoners, and if there are none, we retreat through a final Bridge. We will be outnumbered, so there will be no unnecessary risk. We need to be gone before the New Council's Decepticon hunting task force can arrive. We don't know who they are or their abilities. All we know is how many Decepticon prisoners they have currently collected. This task force is an unknown factor, so we need to avoid them."

Though everyone seemed on board, Miko piped up again. "…Really dude? That's all you got to 'inspire?'"

Soundwave scowled at her. Taking Rhea's advice, he chose to ignore the comment before it bit his ego any deeper.

"Master, the Spacebridge has finished calibrating with the Autobot's main systems," Rivet reported through their commlink.

Through his own connection to the Renegade's systems, Soundwave uploaded the Spacebridge launcher into his processor so he could control it. Everything was ready.

"Any word from the Bots?" Miko asked hopefully. Soundwave only gave her a shake of his helm. Her face fell, "They couldn't talk this Council out of it… but they will come. Trust me."

Without comment, Soundwave activated a Spacebridge back to Earth before her. "As I promised the Autobots, your portal back to Earth. Whether you take it or not, I do not care. But I am inclined to inform you once on Cybertron, do not breathe the air."

Miko frowned, glancing between the open bridge and Soundwave. "They will come. Just wait and see," she reaffirmed before running towards the portal. "Thanks for the gun practice Thunderblast! And say bye to Rivet for me!" she added before vanishing from the Renegade.

Soundwave closed the portal behind her. He purposely opened the bridge's location in Rhea's hospital room, so the Bot's were physically unable to come through and stop them.

'She made it through,' Rhea confirmed in his auditory. 'Now go kick the New Council's elitist asses.'

Soundwave refrained from smiling as he ordered his troops to mobilize. With everyone in place on the flight deck, awaiting his command he opened a new portal just above Cybertron's orbit.

It hadn't been an unreasonable time since he had glimpsed the surface of Cybertron. But the view he beheld through the portal stirred emotion within him that he liked to forget he had. The planet swirled with electric blue light, radiating a golden aura that after so many eons, was alive and thriving. He could feel Laserbeak's own emotion as the minicon staired at their world in awe.

Politically, Megatron wanted to be the one to restore their world. It would win any bots still unaligned to their side and secure his future as leader on their restored world. Despite this plan, the Autobots had been the ones to officially revitalize Cybertron. But now, beholding his home, Soundwave didn't care who had done it. They would just have to fight to maintain it.

Soundwave jumped through the portal and transformed, his army following in formation to attack.

With Soundwave leading the charge, the formation of jets came screaming out of the Cybertronian sky right as the 'event' was scheduled to start.

He zeroed his focus. Nova Point within the Autobot City State of Iacon was in the process of being rebuilt. But despite continued reconstruction crowds were accumulated in the new city center. There were cheering bots towards the front of a large makeshift stage. Farther back were the protesters. Jeering voices shouting their disapproval as a chorus line of cuffed Decepticons were marched single file onto the stage. At the end of the line was a young and scared orange bot, the shortest of the visible prisoners. His Autobot loyalties had not helped Rivet's old apprentice it seemed. The same went with the others who wore the emblem, yet still stood alongside Decepticons to die.

Behind the prisoners came new members of the Elite Guard. None Soundwave recognized from any moment in the war's history. These were new bots, forged from the recently revived Well of All Sparks. The New Council had made quick work to throw together an easily manipulated army. These bots wouldn't know who was friend or foe. They would only know what their leaders told them. Though there were many, Soundwave had a hard time believing these inexperienced soldiers was the 'Con hunting task force' they were told to remain wary of.

Inexperienced they may be, their blasters were all too real, taking aim at the backs of the prisoner's helms. Some prisoners staired off vacant into the crowd. Other more notable Decepticons struggled against the shackles that held them, intending to go down cursing the Autobots, the New Council, the Primes, or anyone else who may have ever slighted them. Then there was Wedge, who closed his optics and winced in anticipation as the blaster buzzed behind his helm.

Soundwave opened fire. His and his units combined fire power pelted each executioner on the stage, throwing them off and away from their targets before they themselves could fire. Cheering crowds morphed into screams of terror as confusion washed over the spectacle.

"Cons!"

"Another ambush!"

Soundwave dove low. The move flushed out more hidden gunners around the stage. Laserbeak broke off from him and took aim at each prisoner's chains. Soundwave continued to provide Laserbeak cover to free the prisoners. Through Laserbeak's optics he could see each reaction on stage. Those affiliated with the Autobots were startled, but the full-fledged Decepticons were completely shocked they were being rescued. Soundwave acknowledged such an errand of mercy was not a very 'Decepticon' thing to do. He wondered momentarily 'when did that happen?'

He flung the thought along with another guard off the stage. He transformed and landed before the prisoners and the screaming crowd. He opened a portal back to the Renegade, and Demolisher's massive tank vehicle mod came rumbling through. He left the portal open and turned to the startled prisoners as they remained unchained but frozen with uncertainty. "Through the portal, now!" he shouted over the fray. Many didn't need any more instruction. They had just witnessed the famously silent Decepticon barrel out of the sky to their rescue and then snap orders at them to run to freedom. Laserbeak did have to shove Wedge to get him to thaw from his fearful state.

Soundwave jumped down behind the stage where more prisoners were being held in an electrified cage. The guards didn't hesitate to open fire, but their aim was lacking. Soundwave did not have the same problem, bringing them all down within moments of his landing. Once at the data panel he unfurled his tentacles and hacked into the system to get it open. Thunderblast's manic laughter filled the air above him as she provided him cover. "I'm at sixteen! What are you at Demolisher?" he heard her wonder one of the many times she flew overhead.

The tank plowed into a squad of guards. "You got here first, cheater!" Demolisher snarled.

The electricity dropped. "The portal, go!" Soundwave ordered. He opened a new portal before the group. Many vanished into it, but some remained in place.

"Thanks for the backup boss," said a jet with a smirk. "But color me surprised you showed up." Soundwave recognized this seeker. The unstable and eccentric Blitzwing. Loyal, to a point, or at least the reasonable half of him was. So, word of his new leadership had even reach Cybertron.

"Retreat, soldier," Soundwave told him sternly.

"After what they did?" Blitzwing snarled. His merry optics changed murderous within moments. "Not a chance. We're staying to fight."

"They were really mean…" a small voice whimpered. The innocent girlish voice was offset somewhat by the massive one-eyed bot that could give Demolisher's size a run for his shanix. This brutish Decepticon's large, hinged jaw made a sort of pout, just as she snatched a charging guard with ease and smashed him lazily into another. "There was this big flash of light that did something to my T-cog that really hurt, and now I can't transform. The name's Clobber by the way." She introduced as if it had just occurred to her that was the polite thing to do before her new Lord.

"No transformation, but we can still fight!" Blitzwing laughed darkly. While Soundwave had been looking at Clobber, the jet had relieved a guard of his gun, with a servo still attached to it.

Soundwave scowled. He did not have time to argue. He pointed to Demolisher's unit across the stage. "Give the ground units backup. But once I give the final order to retreat you jump through the Spacebridge!"

"Plenty of time to get some payback!" Blitzwing said with a laugh before he raced off towards Demolisher with his makeshift gun. Clobber searched the ground before settling on a simple piece of metal beam to brandish. She stepped over fallen guards with careful massive peds, but hesitated. "Um, thanks for coming to get us, Master." She said sincerely before she vanished into the chaos.

Soundwave jumped into the air and transformed. He flew alongside Laserbeak, scanning the area for more cages or approaching guards. There was only one more group of prisoners, who he had free in moments. Most fled where they were told, but a few stayed to fight like Blitzwing and Clobber.

"The Sparkless cowards are retreating, Master!" Thunderblast reported from the air. "Should we hunt down the New Council. I'm sure they are lurking around here somewhere!"

It was tempting, but Soundwave knew better. "No. Herd the remaining prisoners into the portals. We will do a final sweep of the area to assure-" Even from a distance and in the air, Soundwave spotted a bot. He was surrounded by a flank of Elite Guards, a newly erected energy shield providing him cover. Despite not seeing this particular bot for over four million years, Soundwave decided it had not been long enough. It was a Council member indeed. One of the original two the Autobots brought in to 'assist' the new members acclimate to the job. Of every Senate member it could have been, why in Primus' name did it have to be Decimus?

The old Senate member, Soundwave's old master, was currently barking orders under his shielded umbrella. He was blissfully unaware Soundwave had turned his alt modes nose towards him and was careening out of the sky. He had ordered Thunderblast not to hunt down the New Council, but he had managed to glimpse Decimas by accident.

At the beginning of the war, he and Starscream were tasked with killing the Senate. At a hearing where the Council and Decepticons would all be in one place; the Senate had planned to unveil their staged political trap to slowly kill off the Decepticon movement. But as Decimus himself once liked to bolster to his fellow elite, Soundwave was the greatest spy to ever work for them, so he had been well aware of the plan. Then the doors were locked behind the Senate and Starscream's team unleashed a trap of their own. One with much more immediate casualties.

Soundwave did warn Decimus many times before he switched his loyalties to Megatron. The Senate wasted too much time talking. Unlike Decimas, Megatron heeded his advice and the Decepticons struck first. But despite his efforts, Decimus lived to corrupt yet another age of Cybertron. Soundwave charged his guns. He intended to remedy that mistake of the past.

There was a flash of white searing light. Every surface of Soundwave's body was suddenly in agony. His commlink went to static, cutting him off from his crew. Inner joints bent against his will, electrical currents forcing his insides to shift out of vehicle mode. His wings came apart into servos that groped at the air uselessly. He came out of the daze of pain to find himself plummeting towards the ground in bot mode, unable to transform.