Author's Notes: Holy moly it is the story that will never end! Believe it or freaking not this is still not the final chapter. My friends, after this, there is one more with the epilogue attached at the end. So, this shall be the second to last…. I intended to have it all connected, but the way this chapter ends, I decided it deserved its own chapter break and not just a time jump cut. At the very least, I have most of the last chapter already written, so it will not take me a year and a day to get it out. Thanks again for everyone's understanding for the chaos that is this uploading schedule. You are all in my heart. Here's to the second to last chapter, here's to all of you! And here's to me hopefully not crying at the end of the final chapter as I go off to finish it. XD As always, please tell me what you think. Favorite, comment, and enjoy!


Location: Renegade's Brig

Autobot New Council Member, Sigil

Sigil hadn't anticipated waiting in such conditions for so long. He had long since grown exhausted from the act of glaring at the dark gray walls of his cell. His aching pistons were yet one more thing to contend with in his confinement. If he didn't have public appearances, he had his physician block his pain receptors most cycles so he didn't have to deal with it. The limp and slouch old age had produced achieved him a certain level of respect and innocence in the public's mind. It made it worth not having his joints replaced to alleviate the pain. He was now regretting that decision as he continued to rot away in the Decepticon war ship's brig.

He remained languishing on the thin berth, the only 'luxury' his quarters contained. Even if his joints were being reasonable, anxiously pacing the cell was out of the question. It was far too small. Even if it weren't, Sigil was not one to show outward signs of anxiety. Fear got Decimus where he was in life, but it wasn't worth the stress. When the occasional guard came to deliver subpar Energon rations or throw mocking insults through the energy bars, Sigil tried to keep a persona of borderline senile coldness. These were Decepticons. They fed off fear, and reason was lightyears above them. His innocent elderly persona would not work in this place like it did amongst his own Autobot kind. He had to rely on his other attributes to escape whatever horrific end the new Decepticon tyrant had in store for him.

With no sign of Team Prime returning to their senses to help him, he turned to other options. Sigil managed to hack into his deactivated commlink even through the cells energy interference. He hadn't been able to send a distress message much farther than the confines of the ship he resided in. But it hadn't been totally hopeless. A few unaligned bots and even an occasional Decepticon answered his distress messages. Usually, they only offered help for preposterous prices.

Though there was one Con who answered, and as of now was still Sigil's best bet for escape. All this notoriously untrustworthy Decepticon wanted was political protection if the Autobots, Primus willing, won the war for good. That price Sigil could pay. But it had been a while since Sigil had heard anything from his would-be Con rescuer. His worry was starting to reemerge from his carefully constructed ruse. If he didn't find some means of escape, Soundwave would make good on his deadly threat. Sigil had no intention of meeting a bloody and humiliating end. Not after everything he had endured.

A distant door slid open, and Sigil went rigid. This was not the time the guard delivered his rations. In fact, on this cycle, that time came and went with no sign of anybot coming at all. He had assumed Soundwave intended to starve him. It would make it even easier to drag him onstage before jeering Cons for execution. But as he heard the pedsteps coming fast through the cramped hallways of the brig, Sigil decided plans must have changed.

Dread crept into his Spark as his mind spun with countless possibilities. It had been blind luck Soundwave hadn't intercepted any of Sigil's destress messages. He thought the notorious spy turned tyrant would be consumed with maintaining control of his new unstable forces. Fighting off Arachnid's infected army and more Autobot resistance. It was what gave him the confidence to send out so many distress calls without fear of detection.

But now he was wondering if he had been careful enough. Soundwave may have finally caught on to his attempts to escape and was now sending some brute to rip him apart. Sigil hadn't had enough time to prepare a means of defending himself. He had deactivated weapons, creaking joints, and an empty Energon cube. Hardly anything he would call useful in means of defense. And thanks to the anti-transformation aura emitting around his cell, he couldn't even transform and make a break for it.

As he feared, the pedsteps ended outside of his cell. He heard the beeping of an inputted code, then the energy door to his cell vanished. Red optics glared at him, the lanky bot they belonged to standing in the now open path to freedom.

"Starscream?" Sigil said, equal parts relieved and confused. The Decepticon insider who had answered his messages, and not somebot to kill him. "What is goin-"

"Get up." The Decepticon hissed. "We need to go, now."

Sigil didn't question his savior further. He grunted as he rose from the berth, joints making every motion difficult. He finally got himself together and limped towards the open door. Starscream spun about face, paranoid optics scanning the halls as they hurried along. "You received my new communications?" Sigil inquired in a hushed voice.

"All ten of them, yes." Starscream informed him grumpily. Though he didn't speak further about said message's contents.

Sigil stiffened, only a little annoyed by the attitude. But this was Starscream. His bitter arrogance was very well known. His other distinct personality trait was treachery. That was what Sigil had been counting on when sending out his distress messages. Now as he finally stepped out of the dreary hallways of the Brig, he decided the risk was worth it.

Starscream thrust out his thin servo. Sigil smacked into the block, just before they rushed out into another adjacent hall. They stood still in the shadows, waiting for Starscream to give them the all clear to move again. Now so close to the Con, Sigil noted the rough condition his rescuer was in. Going by the scratches, dents, and rushed weld scars, Starscream had seen battle. Clearly, Sigil had a lot to catch up on, once they were in a better position to talk without risking detection.

Sigil managed to peek over Starscream's scratched wings. Save for the occasional cloned guard, the Con warship appeared deserted. So far, there was no sign of Soundwave stalking the shadows. But the spy was everywhere. He gave a near invisible security feed nestled in the ceiling a weary glance. He was placing hope in Starscream that he had deactivated those cameras for this daring escape.

He knew they were supposed to be quiet, but Sigil couldn't help himself. "The security feeds." He whispered.

Starscream snorted, retaining his focus on the trooper shadow as it carried on into another hall. "Soundwave is in the Med Bay and distracted with his human pet. This was the only time."

Starscream snatched Sigil by the servo and they hurried on. More than hope was now permeating Sigil's Spark. Soundwave was not only distracted, but he still had an easily exploitable weakness. For whatever absurd reason, Soundwave had become captivated by the fragile organic race. Once Sigil regained control of the New Council another trip to Earth was in order. To further cement their control, it would be ideal if they wanted to have leverage over the Decepticon War Lord. But all that would come later when he wasn't running for his life.

With flying digits, Starscream unlocked a final door. It was the Renegade's Ground and Spacebridge hub. No doubt due to Starscream's careful planning, it was empty. Sigil stood idle as Starscream inputted coordinates into the machine. He assumed he was assuring no one could follow them. "You will have my eternal gratitude for this, Starscream." Sigil said, now in a safer position to speak. "I will assure you are rewarded handsomely for this, in addition to your other requests."

"Sure." Starscream grumbled, focus still on his work. By Primus's mercy, a Groundbridge burst open. Sigil couldn't help his smile at the sight. It promised life for himself, and a true future for Cybertron. He limped fast after Starscream into the embrace of the swirling portal. The bleak Con warship vanished. Sigil stood instead under the early morning sky of his wonderous world. They were far from any civilization, somewhere in the north by first glance. It must have been the only place Starscream could input without a risk of tracking.

After the portal vanished, he took a deep, cleansing intake. "I have heard so many good things about you, Starscream. I knew my intel was accurate." Sigil praised. "Intelligent and resourceful. It is no doubt you have survived this war so long."

"The Autobot New Council is in shambles without you." Starscream informed him. "Soundwave took Decimus captive. Since Prowl disappeared, the New Council has been relying on you. So, you can imagine how they have been floundering with you gone."

Sigil vented, though he was far from surprised. It was how he had set the new system to function. Decimus was far to flitty with his decisions, and Prowl had been preposterously too liberal. "Sacrifices must be made, to assure everything would run as it should." Sigil finally said.

For the first time since he had set optics on Starscream, the Decepticon traitor grinned. "Prowl was one of those sacrifices, right?"

Sigil's expression sank. He hadn't anticipated Starscream to be so well informed. He wondered who Decimus may have blathered to about Prowl's unfortunate fate to put him in this awkward position now. "I regret the choices Prowl made that stood in the way for our future. It couldn't be helped."

"We can only do what we can." Starscream agreed with a shrug. He began to fiddle with what looked to be a communication scrambling device he had brought along. Not a bad idea to keep anybot from the Renegade from tracking them down.

Sigil only nodded, watching Starscream work. Having such a well-informed Con around would be helpful in their new world. It would also be equally as dangerous. He knew about Prowl, and no doubt many other things Sigil would rather him not be savvy to. Starscream would absolutely be one to blackmail him with this when it suited him. When the time was right, Sigil would have to deal with Starscream as he had dealt with Prowl. But as of now, Sigil needed what he knew. "Is Arachnid no more?"

"Cured and locked away." Starscream said with a snarl, not turning away from his work. "Why 'Lord' Soundwave didn't blow a hole through her Spark the moment he had the chance, I have no fragging idea. The Autobots and those fleshlings have gotten to even him I'm guessing."

"Team Prime lives too?" Sigil asked, more worry edging into his tone. Optimus Prime's flunkies knew of his involvement in Prowl's termination and his manipulation of the New Council.

"Again, unfortunately." Starscream grumbled.

"That will be a problem for us." Sigil said, tone turning grim. "They know everything, and they are in league with Soundwave. Though challenging, it is not utterly hopeless."

Starscream paused his work. "How so?"

"As the oldest member, I will have the largest pull over what remains of the New Council. That is even more so now that Decimus is gone. I also have a great deal of sway over the newest recruits that emerged from the Well before this mess unfolded. In those troops will be our greatest hope." He offered Starscream one of his more confident smiles. "Those who own the youth, gain the future."

The distant foreboding call of a pack of Cyberfox pulled Sigil from the conversation. "If you have assured we are not followed, then we must move. I have associates in Iacon that will give you safe passage despite your Decepticon affiliation. But being in the wilds for too long is making me uneasy…"

"Sigil, do you know what happened to Sentinel Prime?" Starscream asked, totally out of the blue.

Sigil was sure the expression he offered the Con gave away his utter confusion. Why was he bringing up the Prime before Optimus came to exist? "I, hardly think that has anything to do with the matter at hand." Starscream continued to look at him, beaming that smugness he was famous for. Sigil's confusion melted into one of annoyance. He was starting to understand where this accusation masked as a question was headed. He was digging for more dirt no doubt. "Me terminating Prowl is not connected to the events that predate the war. I had nothing to do with Sentinel Prime's disappearance."

"Oh, I know. Because I had everything to do with it." Starscream assured him.

Sigil blinked. The calls of Energon thirsty wild animals now a distant issue. "I… I don't-"

Starscream stood from his device with a vent. He stretched his helm from shoulder to shoulder in a casual manner. "I was the head of Sentinel Prime's bodyguards before the war; in case you didn't know that. The world was crumbling in around us politically. That jester of a Prime spent his time going to shows, gambling, flaunting his fake power, and overall just being an optic sore in my every cycle life. But I grinned and bared it, because it was my job, and I took great pride in my duties. No matter how much Megatron's words were starting to turn me, I reminded myself that Sentinel was a PRIME. What was best for Cybertron. A true leader to look up to."

Starscream's smile fell into one of pure disgust as his mind wandered to some distant memory. "And then in the face of a Decepticon attack, one which we were assured to get out of just fine, I found him cowering. The face of our people. A glorious Prime. Leaking lubricant in the face of a few untrained foes. That was when I decided, he was not my boss anymore. Me and my team hitched a ride with those same Decepticon attackers. I gave Sentinel my resignation right before I handed him over to Megatron. It was cathartic."

The fear in Sigil became somewhat manageable when the lasting effects of his cell's anti transformation aura finally wore off. He did not intend to stick around long enough to decide where the lunatic's damning confession was going.

Against protesting old joints Sigil transformed. He started for the direction exact opposite of Starscream. Starscream was a flyer, and among the fastest. But if he could get in-between a ground plate and out of view of the sky, he would be safe.

A flash of white, blinding light enveloped Sigil, and pain ripped at him from the inside out. His transformation reversed against his will. It landed him flat into the ground. Realization hit him even through the internal assault. Sigil creaked around with a grunt, back towards the smirking Decepticon. What he had thought was a simple locator scrambler, was in truth a weapon he should have recognized right away. He had forced the Decepticon Scientist Shockwave to create it, after all. The Transformation Cog scrambler.

Starscream snickered. "I found one of these when we raided the lab to steal back Shockwave from your Council's clutches. I decided I wouldn't bother telling Soundwave I had it. A device that stalls all transformation! Very ingenious of you. But you stopped using them when Soundwave's forces were able to shield their effects. I figured hanging onto one would be helpful. You said it yourself, I'm famously resourceful." Starscream pressed a button on the device, and it folded into itself to become portable again. He hitched it over his shoulder, looking unaffected by its effects. How? He had been in the device's radius as he set it off too!

Starscream tapped a small piece of plating clipped right over his left chest plate Sigil hadn't noticed before. "Another of Shockwave's ingenious inventions. It blocks the scrambler device's pulse." He explained, as if he heard Sigil's internal confusion. "I assume you never got to see this? It's the shield that made your great weapon against the Decepticons obsolete. As much as I can't stand Shockwave's greater than thou attitude, I must grudgingly admit, he can create works of art."

"I- I don't understand!" Sigil demanded, wheezing against his protesting intakes. He couldn't force himself to stand despite the desperate need to. His T-Cog burned as he tried to transform again. His internal weapons were beyond unresponsive. "I promised you whatever you wanted! Political power, protection. It's not too late… I can oversee this; we can talk through whatever you have issue with!"

"Trust me, we can't." Starscream hissed. He started forward towards Sigil with a casual gate. Sigil tried crawling away, but Starscream was over him within moments. "The war changed a lot of bots. I never wanted to admit I was one of them." He grumbled. Starscream knelt to be closer to Sigil. "It was like I was the only one who saw Megatron losing his fragging mind. But no matter how hard I tried to close the distance between our power dynamic; he was greater than me. He beat me down. Over time our positions changed. He no longer needed me for my ariel forces. Only because one by one my forces all went screaming in flames into the All Spark… I needed him to survive. And before I knew it, four million years went by, and I had become more of a coward then Sentinel Prime."

Starscream shifted a blaster into being and fired a single shot into Sigil's left ped.

Sigil cried out, stumbling backwards. He smashed into the ground as the pain exploded out from the wound. He grasped the smoldering spot on his ped. Exposed circuitry mixed with the sharp scent of hot Energon assaulted his senses. "I don't understand!" He managed to gasp.

"Well that makes two of us." Starscream admitted, circling Sigil in a slow, predatory fashion. "Blame your pal Decimus for this. He let it slip that you had everything to do with Arachnid getting her claws on Tarn's location and calling him down here."

"W-what?" Sigil managed to gasp, not understanding. Tarn was here?

"You've missed a lot since Soundwave locked you up. Tarn did take up the invite and came down to snuff us all. But as the biggest twist of fate, Megatron came back to have some scrap hero moment…"

Sigil looked up from his screaming wound, vision blurring. Starscream had stopped pacing him. The Decepticon was glaring into the soft light of the early morning. He looked as if he had been the one deeply betrayed, and not Sigil. "Why did that fragger save my life? After a life of me trying to snuff him out… He jumped in the way of Tarn's attack. He died making me OWE him. What do I do with that?"

Starscream's hostile stare refocused onto Sigil, and he flinched. "Megatron may have finally been in the mindset for what I wanted, what I needed him to be. An equal. And now he's dead. Do you have any idea how much closure you stole from me?"

"Whatever you want, I can give you!" Sigil promised through a gasping intake. "The New Council needs me Starscream! Without me-"

"They'll fall apart?" Starscream guessed. Sigil hesitated as Starscream chuckled. "That's sort of the point of what I'm doing now. You're the brains of the operation, right? The puppet master controlling it all from the shadows. Thanks to you, Megatron is gone. You robbed him from us. Now we are forced to deal with the human loving, subpar Soundwave. The least I can do is assure the Autobots get off to the same fresh start on the leadership front as we are."

Sigil's Spark sank. He watched hopeless as Starscream's blaster charged red. The call of wild Cyberfox interrupted the execution. The Decepticon's cold optics found the distance. He rose an optic ridge, then shifted away his blaster. Sigil felt a flicker of hope.

Starscream vented loud, then looked down onto Sigil. "Soundwave is trying to take the highroad, whatever in the Pits that even means these cycles. I just don't share that same sentiment."

"You are sparing me?" Sigil asked, desperate and quiet. Careful not to press anything with this unstable beast before him.

Starscream smiled. He knelt before Sigil, who couldn't help himself as he flinched. "I won't be killing you today, Sigil." He assured. A blast, and Sigil saw black. Within moments he was back in the painful present. Through the haze of pain, he saw Starscream splattered with Energon. Sigil's Energon. Starscream shot him in the other ped, crippling him completely. "But I cannot guarantee the flora and fauna of Cybertron will grant you the same mercy."

The howls of hungry predators were closer, lured to the smell of his life fluids. Sigil grasped to Starscream's blaster. He didn't have enough energy to fight, but the killer was also his only chance at survival.

"Starscream! Please! Whatever you want! I can give it!"

"What I want, Sigil?" Starscream asked. He took his time thinking, the snarls growing closer by the moment. "I want you to disappear, like Sentinel Prime. And when bots ask me what happened to you, I'll just smile and shrug."

Starscream forced something into his hands and then yanked himself free. Sigil looked down and found a small gun in his hands. "So you'll have a bit of a sporting chance. Or you can put yourself out of your misery before the packs descend. But I doubt you'll have the barings to do that." Starscream explained. Sigil gaped up from the gun, coming to meet the Decepticon's burning optics. "Long live Megatron." He whispered hatefully. He then stepped out of the way as the first of the fanged creatures spotted Sigil bleeding on the ground.


Location: The Renegade Med Bay

Soundwave

Every member of his crew and probably every Autobot in his general radius tried to convince him to get medical attention. It wasn't his priority after the fight. The only thing that shut up Bumblebee and his followers was what he wanted happened to be in the medical bay.

The doors parted and Soundwave stepped into the chaos of a post battle triage unit. Those who were well enough cheered when they saw him, saluted, or praised their victories. Soundwave was their leader, so he acknowledged them all, even with his Spark heavy.

"You one with the All Spark so soon?" Knock Out asked off handed, servos deep in a soldier's wound.

"Come again?" Soundwave asked, humoring him.

"Have you seen yourself lately? You look ready to drop." He clarified. He sealed the wound he was working on and slipped around the table. "He's stable. I assume that's why you're here."

Soundwave nodded, utter relief flooding every circuit at the doctor's words. "I wish to see him."

Knock Out waved his servos in a grand sweeping motion to lead him towards recovery. Into a room only a little more peaceful, Soundwave spotted on a berth among many. On it was a small Cybertronian laid out with a group of humans surrounding him.

Soundwave took a deep intake. He was nervous despite Laserbeak having survived the worst of his ordeal. He walked forward with quiet steps. Amongst the moaning of the wounded, he heard the whimpering chirps of Laserbeak. The human seated next to his loyal Minicon's helm, gently hushing him, was Rhea. Just as she promised, she was by his side.

The distraction of battle was gone, and guilt had long since eaten away at his insides. Soundwave reestablished their symbiotic connection and heard everything.

'I still can't feel them.' Laserbeak whimpered.

"Your wings are there, I promise." Rhea whispered back.

'But what if I can't fly? If I can't fly, then I am useless to Master Soundwave.'

"He doesn't think you're useless." She promised.

'I thought I heard Ravage and the others…' Laserbeak vented to Rhea. 'But then they were gone again, and I was here. I wanted to be with them, but that makes me terrible. I would have left Master Soundwave! I would have left you… I don't want you to leave, Rhea, stay.'

"I'm not going anywhere. Not a robot zombie army in this universe can get me to leave this spot." Rhea said.

"He'll be lethargic." Knock Out warned. Soundwave assumed the doctor felt the need to make that statement after seeing the expression on Soundwave's faceplates. "We have him on a comfortable amount of pain killer."

Soundwave could only nod again. He approached the table, and many pairs of human eyes glanced up. They were inquisitive, silently asking about their respective Autobots. Soundwave assured them all with an affirming nod. Rhea found his gaze, as he came to a stop by the table. He found his legs weak again, and he had to pull up a chair to sit down.

Her hands shook. He guessed his outward condition was alarming, but it couldn't compare to her relief at seeing him alive. "Welcome home." She whispered. Nothing else had to be said right now beyond that. Soundwave ran a gentle finger along her cheek, coming to rest the same hand on Laserbeak. He was careful of the stitch work welding the wings back onto his Minicon's frame. He avoided the endless supply of wires and tubes tangling Laserbeak down to the table. When his hand rested on Laserbeak, he managed a weak jump. His red optics flicked about, finding Soundwave in an unfocused haze.

'M-Master?'

"I'm here." Soundwave assured.

Laserbeak started to whimper right away, trying to flap despite having no ability to. Soundwave held firm, pulsing assurance through their connection to calm him. "You, are not useless." He clarified; his tone soft but stern. Laserbeak stilled. His gaze finally focusing somewhat on Soundwave. "Thank you, for everything my friend."

Laserbeak managed another chirp, pulsing longing and adoration back before the connection quieted.

Knock Out glanced the monitor and hummed. "He has been fighting shut down forever. It's cute that's all he needed."

"Come on Doc," Miko huffed from her cross-legged pose by Rhea. "We know you have a big Spark too. Don't act surprised." The comment only opted Knock Out to roll his one optic.

"Is that Master Soundwave?"

Soundwave glanced up at the quiet mention of his name. Clobber was across the recovery room. Her single optic patched, leaving her blinded to her surroundings. Seated on the edge of her same berth was his Second, Thunderblast, one wing and her servo in braces. "Sure is, Clobber. And he somehow look's worse than Demolisher." She said with a tired smile.

From the berth next to Clobber's, Demolisher groaned. "Good to know even on death's door I'll be the butt of your jokes."

Soundwave opened his hand before Rhea, and she hopped into it. With Laserbeak resting and Rhea pressed to his torso Soundwave limped to his crew. "It is good to see you have all survived."

Thunderblast saluted with her good servo. Clobber did so where she thought Soundwave was standing and ended up facing the empty air to his right. Demolisher sort of motioned a wave from his horizontal position.

"Same to you." Thunderblast scoffed. "Though I'm sad we missed Arachnid biting it. I do hope it was therapeutic for everyone present."

Soundwave huffed a chuckle. "In a way, yes it was." He was being too vulnerable with his crew. That was asking for a painful death sentence on a Decepticon ship. Where his mind was currently, Soundwave couldn't force himself to care.

"My Lord…" Clobber said, octave above a whisper. Something in her tone let Soundwave know what was on her mind. "What will we do, with Lord Megatron?"

Thunderblast stiffened, but Soundwave caught her optics glance the corner of the room. He couldn't help but follow her gaze. In a quiet corner, covered on a lone berth was a still chassis. The outline under the sheet was painfully familiar.

Soundwave considered going over to that corner next. He decided he didn't have that much strength left in reserve. He could deal with it later. He could push the grief away for a little while longer. "After everything is settled, we will put him to rest." He answered.

More commotion came into the recovery bay. Autobot allied doctors rushed in with more supplies and offering servos. The overwhelmed Decepticon doctors didn't complain, accepting the help without a hitch. The familiar faceplates of Team Prime arrived in search of their humans. Miko jumped off Laserbeak's berth, Bulkhead just managing to stumble forward to catch her.

"Really, Miko, again?" Jack demanded but didn't push the near death jump further as Arcee arrived, smiling next to him.

Raphael all but threw his computation device to the side and raced to the edge of the berth to get to Bumblebee. "We knew you guys could do it!"

Bumblebee glanced Soundwave, then beamed a smile down to Raphael. "Was there ever any doubt?"

"Eh." Thunderblast vented as she observed the many new faceplates. "I guess Autobots can be useful."

"In small doses." Demolisher grumbled from his berth.

"I like these Autobots though." Clobber offered, rather brave despite herself.

"Most Autobots are beyond help. But statistically, there are always exceptions to every rule." Soundwave agreed.

Despite the happiness in the recovery room he felt his mind pulled to Megatron's still presence. Cheery voices ran together in the background. All he could do was stair at that sheet covered berth, willing the form to rise and share in the victory. Share in the burden of all that was ahead of them. The Decepticons could still faulter under his rule. But if Megatron woke up, things could work. They could watch each other, keep the other from falling again.

But was wanting that selfish of him? Megatron had suffered almost every waking moment of his existence. From slavery to the Pits of Kaon, betrayal, war, and the deepest depths of insanity. He recalled working long nights on the Nemesis, monitoring frequencies alone as most of the crew recharged. Sometimes, if he was feeling bold, he would check Megatron's private quarter's security feed. Megatron would be deep in recharge, faceplates scrunched in anger and caught in violent flux memories. Not even recharge was an escape.

As Megatron slipped away in Soundwave's servos, that anger was gone. His chassis for once limp with relief as the burden of a tragic life lifted. Even if it were within his power, he couldn't force Megatron to come back. He had earned this rest. He deserved to be happy.

Always somehow empathic to his internal struggles, Rhea tapped at his shoulder. It brought him back to focus on those still among him. Thunderblast was patting Clobber, the latter of whom was poking at her optic patch. "Hey, it's still there, so they can salvage it. I'll act as your optic till the patch comes off, so you aren't trippin' over everything."

"Thunderblast." Soundwave said, grabbing her attention. "I have not commended you for all you have done for this cause. You were the one who took the initiative to steal the Renegade and a handful of crew to escape Arachnid. You answered my distress beacon from Earth and have fought by my side without hesitation. We would most likely not be here if not for these decisions."

Thunderblast smiled at him. "Shucks Master, you're gonna make me cry."

"It is in the early stages of personal consideration. But the Decepticon higher command will be changing very soon." Soundwave explained. Thunderblast rose an optic ridge at that. "If a position arose higher than my Second in Command, would you be interested?"

Thunderblast took a moment to study him, un splinted wing giving a nervous twitch. Such hesitation was uncharacteristic from her. "Are, you ordering me to take this promotion?" she asked, careful.

Taken aback by the comment, Soundwave shook his helm. "It is totally voluntary."

She relaxed at once. "Then with all due respect, I'll have to decline the position. I've been neglecting my poor pets. Also, after everything that happened in the Pits, admissions I can never take back, I have a scrap tone of Spark searching to do."

"Admissions?" Demolisher huffed. "You mean when you admitted to everyone, yourself included that behind all the flirting and swears, you're just a lonely loser who's terrified of commitment? And in hindsight that is probably why you collect organic pets? Creatures who will love you unconditionally no matter what kind of emotional disaster their caretaker is."

Thunderblast turned halfway around to sneer at him. "Why didn't you die back in the Pits again?" she asked. "I am not above shoving your half dead aft off that berth."

"Wow…" Rhea mumbled.

Soundwave snapped out of his mild amusement. Rhea was staring shocked at the door. He looked, reluctant, not sure what other surprises he could take in a single cycle.

It was Starscream. He huffed in his usual agitated fashion to get bots to move out of his way. What was different, was the hard to miss fact he was currently drenched in Energon.

Starscream snapped at the doctors who offered him help. Soundwave tried to wrap his helm around Starscream's condition. He wasn't hurt that bad when they parted on the battlefield not that long ago. But as Starscream approached, Soundwave his intended destination, it became clear the Energon was not his own.

"What in the Pits happened to you?" Thunderblast asked in disbelief, looking him over from helm to heel strut.

Starscream hissed a snide insult at her before turning to Soundwave with a glare. "You summoned me, my 'Lord.'"

Soundwave picked that apart. Starscream's appearance reminded him that indeed he had requested to talk to him. But that Comm had gone ignored a while ago, and Soundwave hadn't thought much else of it, until now.

"If I could." He whispered to Rhea.

"If you think you should." Rhea said back, eyeing Starscream suspiciously.

Starscream scoffed. "For the love of Primus please do not ask the vermin's permission to leave the room!"

Soundwave ignored him. He set Rhea down next to Laserbeak amongst the gaping Autobots, who were also demanding what had happened to Starscream. Of course, they're questions were only answered with the Seeker's red glare.

Soundwave led Starscream out of the Med Bay. On the way out Knock Out chastised him for going against his word to receive medical treatment while there. Again, he insisted he would return. He knew he had to. He was running on empty and any second, he would topple over into stasis lock. But he needed to know what was happening. This was suspicious, even for Starscream.

They arrived at Soundwave's own quarters. He unlocked the door and let them both in, giving Starscream a curious look once the door closed. Starscream glanced down at himself, as if he just realized the obvious. "I tripped." He said, unconvincingly. He vented as Soundwave only remained staring at him, expectant. "But on an unrelated note, the prisoner Sigil escaped."

Soundwave considered that explanation, realization dawning on him. He tapped into the security feeds of the past hour or so, filling in the context he had missed while he was distracted in the Med Bay. The recordings spoke for themselves. He vented. "Sigil, escaped… that is a shame." He offered.

"It sure is." Starscream huffed while heading towards Soundwave's private oil showers. "You should tighten security around here. Who knows what kind of damage he would have done if he went back to the New Council?"

"Will he?" Soundwave asked.

Starscream hesitated in the doorway to the wash rack. "No. Just a feeling, but I doubt we'll hear from him again." Starscream grumbled, continuing into the wash rack to rid himself of Sigil's Energon.

Soundwave sat on his berth, unable to stand anymore. Starscream's grumblings became incoherent over the sound of the oil showers. Soon enough Starscream returned, refreshed and free of Energon. "So, what exactly did the great Lord Soundwave have to discuss with the disgraced Decepticon's Second in Command? Just to inform you, I am in no mood to hear a lecture."

"No. I need to discuss Megatron's affairs." Soundwave specified.

Starscream's somewhat relaxed demeanor vanished in an instant. He crossed his servos tight against his torso in an attempt to cover his fidgeting. "Why ask me?"

"Because you were his Second in Command from the beginning. Whatever reasons he had for retaining you in that post was his business. I will not step all over his last decisions while he controlled the Decepticons." Soundwave explained.

Starscream huffed, avoiding direct optic contact. "Megatron never listened to anything I said. And you only listened to me when you were going to narc on me. Why are we starting to validate my opinion now?"

"Consider this." Soundwave offered tiredly. "When Megatron left us both in charge, do you recall how efficient things ran?"

Starscream lost the edge in his glare. He almost seemed to be recalling the memory fondly. "Megatron did make me second and you third for a reason. We did make a half decent team I suppose."

"I am proposing such an alliance again, instead of me ruling the Decepticons alone."

Starscream hummed at the offer. "But what will happen when you inevitably meet an unfortunate accident, and I am burdened to lead the Decepticons alone?" He asked, a little to innocent.

Soundwave had to refrain from laughing. Things had become casual between them, hadn't it? "That is why it won't be only the two of us. I intend to instate one or two other members with the same level of authority. A team, rather than a corrupt council, or dictatorship. We will lift each other's strengths and compensate where others are lacking. And if one of us ends up terminated in not-so-subtle circumstances, the others can hold the guilty party to account."

"I assume you want your own second in this other position?" Starscream said, optic ridge rose.

Soundwave forced a shrug despite his aching shoulder joints. "I already asked her. She declined it. She had a list of excuses, but I sense she has another engagement to pursue. I didn't push it."

Starscream pretended to flit his focus to the rare odds and ends around Soundwave's quarters. "So aside from the inevitable want to kill each other for power, why have you settled on more than you and I? The two of us could get the job done."

"We could." Soundwave agreed. "But I've come to realize the bare minimum is not enough. We were passable when Megatron promised to return. But he is not coming back this time." Soundwave caught Starscream try to hide his stance stiffen as he continued to root about the room. "As a leader, I have been told I am cold and detached. And you, frankly, are insufferable to be around on a good cycle."

To Soundwave's surprise, Starscream laughed at that. Such a comment would have brought about a vicious remark thrown right back at him before. He took the rare opportunity to finish his point. "What I propose still may decay into chaos. In fact, I am sure that it will. But it is new. And that is something our cause has been in desperate need of for millions of cycles."

Starscream turned about face, making sure to flaunt a dramatic vent in the process. "Well, in the name of fairness to give our cause a fighting chance, I humbly accept your begging for help. If we are now on equal footing concerning power, may I ask who our third partner in this little venture is, now that Thunderblast has turned you down?"

"I've had somebot in mind, but I've yet to ask." Soundwave admitted. "I intend to ask after things are settled... and when I am able to stand and be confident I will not topple over."

Starscream scoffed, making his way over to him. He shoved a hand out in front of Soundwave for him to take. "Then by all means, let's drag you back to the Med Bay. But I warn you, this is the last time I'll let you lean on me moving forward."

Soundwave chuckled, taking his hand and help to stand. "How very benevolent of you."


Location: Renegade Med Bay Recovery Ward

A few hours before the Memorial to Megatron

Soundwave

"The answer is still no." Knock Out snapped.

Laserbeak continued to whine regardless. He had recovered enough to glide from one berth to another. He abused this privilege shamelessly to follow Knock Out around the recovery bay.

'Tell him I am well enough to go Master! Order him too!' Laserbeak pleaded in Soundwave's auditory.

Soundwave was already on thin ice with the doctor. He glanced up at Knock Out. The doctor stood in front of him, re-welding Soundwave's left shoulder joint in the temporary brace. It was the second time they had done this procedure in the past few cycles. Going by his resting frowned, Knock Out wasn't happy about it. Soundwave had been pushing himself, hence why the brace broke, again.

'Knock Out is no longer Decepticon. I can't order him to do anything.' He reminded Laserbeak between them.

'You can still threaten him.' Laserbeak said matter-of-factly.

'Oh my God, guys, what are you doing to poor Knock Out?' came Rhea's voice in response to their commentary. She had been on Earth for the past two days and was set to return shortly. 'He has been nice enough to stick around to help out and we are scheming bodily harm behind his back?'

Laserbeak's helm fell into Soundwave's lap. 'But I have to go to the memorial…' He pleaded, red optics pitiful and despondent. The Minicon was working this from every available angle, wasn't he?

There was a beat of silence between them, the guilt now pulsing hot in Soundwave's Spark. All according to Laserbeak's plan, no doubt.

'I'm ready. Bridge me there and I'll convince him.' Rhea offered.

Soundwave executed her request. He opened a bridge beside them with no verbal warning to the doctor. Rhea jumped out, looking rather different then she did on a daily basis. Her curled hair was now weaved back in rows and adorned with earthen charms made of glass. Her clothes were all matching, flowy, and a single uniformed color. Black. He assumed the look meant something culturally significant. The only thing he could think would spur the difference in appearance was the day in question.

"Really?" Knock Out huffed. "You're going to sic the human on me now too?"

"What's the problem?" Rhea asked from the floor, crossing her arms through her long black sleeves.

"This one," Knock Out pointed at Laserbeak, who sank in Soundwave's lap under the doctor's accusing digit. "Is making a whining fuss because I have ordered him on strict rest. No transformation or unneeded activity! And yet he is determined to disregard that because what in Primus's name do I know? I've only been doing this job since I crawled out of the Well!"

"It is to pay his respects to Megatron." Soundwave offered in Laserbeak's defense.

Knock Out turned back up to glare at him. "And when he transforms to dock on your torso, bursts his welds and splatters Energon all over the Kaon Capital, can I say, 'I told you so' or will that simply go without saying?"

"He can move though." Rhea pointed out.

"He shouldn't be doing that either!" Knock Out snapped.

Rhea rolled her eyes. "I mean, if he can move on his own, then what if someone carried him?" Knock Out pursed his lip plates, and Rhea took his rare silence to continue. "I'll be in a smaller space with air. If Soundwave carried Laserbeak there, he could stay with me. No transformation or docking needed."

Laserbeak glimpsed Knock Out, waiting to hear if that was at least acceptable.

Knock Out scanned them all. He relented with a dramatic vent. "FINE. So long as he comes right back after!"

Soundwave glanced down at Laserbeak, who nodded along in agreement to the plan.

Knock Out finished the brace on Soundwave's shoulder then wandered off to some other tasks that wouldn't irritate him.

'Thank you both…' Laserbeak muttered.

Soundwave lifted Rhea up onto the berth and she rested a hand on Laserbeak's helm. "No worries. We've got your back. It's going to get better every day."

'Unrelated query: You look very unlike yourself on this cycle.' Laserbeak pointed out to Rhea. Soundwave could always count on his Minicon to cut directly to the point.

She glanced her attire and shrugged. "It's a human thing." She said, confirming his previous theory. "Different colors for different life, or… death events. We get the special clothes, usually on the way to said event if we are particularly bad at planning ahead."

Soundwave only nodded. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course." Rhea said, serious again. "No one should ever be alone on days like this." Though her hesitation was only a fraction of a second, Soundwave caught it. He couldn't help but wonder if she made the statement with a good deal of personal experience.

His one data cable was still braced and recovering from damage, but he unfurled the other to wrap around both Rhea and Laserbeak in a gentle embrace. Secured in his grasp, they both looked up at him. "I pride myself for being a bot who is prepared for every scenario. But going into this cycle, I find myself unsure how to face those who will gather to see Megatron off. But I've decided that is ok, as long as I have you two by my side."

He felt Laserbeak's pulse of assurance, and Rhea smiled wide at him. "We're not going anywhere." She promised.

It was an assuring comment, though he couldn't help but wonder if it implied more under the surface. He was selfish, he was at peace with that. He wanted to keep Rhea with him beyond what her humanity would allow them to have. They had already decided to postpone that decision for when she had lived more of her life. But he so desperately wanted to ask if she had thought more on the subject of her Cyberformation. He forced himself not to.

With Rhea nestled by his neck, he took Laserbeak from the berth and left the Med Bay. He arrived at the Bridge spotting his engine specialist, Rivet. He was making the final repairs needed from battle. "My Lord. You received a Bridge request." He said in his usual gruff tone, while still servo deep in the wall.

"From whom?"

"Our favorite Autobot scum." Rivet further explained with a shrug. "You were busy, they were pushy, so I told them they could wait, or we would blow up what was left of Iacon. Really, the nerve of those Bots. They say 'jump' and expect us to say, 'how high?'"

Soundwave linked into the Autobot frequency and answered the incoming comm. It was still odd to have the open channel without the need to hack into it. Then came another oddity. The Autobots were requesting to Bridge where Soundwave intended to drop off Rhea and Laserbeak. The pavilion overlooking the center of the Kaon Capital. The best vantage point to witness Megatron's Memorial in the streets below. He answered the request and braced for whatever awaited him on the other side, opening his own portal to the pavilion.

He had already checked the oxygen levels before walking through, assuring Rhea's safety. They arrived in the elevated, heavily fortified viewing space that overlooked the city center. Ceiling high windows encircled the dim lit room. It would be a safe place to leave his two most precious assets while he finally mourned Megatron's passing. What he wasn't sure how to feel about, was stepping through the portal and seeing the Autobots there.

"Lots of Cons." Noted the Wrecker Wheeljack from one of the massive windows. "It's even making my mesh itch." He was studying the crowd that had gathered long before the event was scheduled to start.

From all corners they had come. From under the massive plates of Cybertron to the far reaches of space. In the sky above them, ships were still landing. He suspected those too far to make the journey in time would continue to come long after it was over.

"You are free to go if the event makes you unsettled." Soundwave offered.

Wheeljack lifted both servos, assuring he meant no offense despite his scrap eating smile. "Not at all, Chief. I'm told this is what allies would do. And Bulkhead promised I could chuck grenades into a black hole just to see what happens if I behave through the whole thing."

"You also weren't supposed to say that part out loud." Bulkhead reminded him.

"Soundwave."

He turned to face the authoritative voice he had not heard for a good few cycles. Standing tall over the others was the Autobot Commander Ultra Magnus. He seemed well, only suffering the occasional tremor from the lingering effects of the virus.

"You have recovered well." Soundwave offered. It seemed a diplomatic thing to say.

Ultra Magnus nodded. "I have brought my team here to reinforce our thanks. What today signifies for us is, complicated. I don't pretend to hide that. But without your and the Decepticon's help, I do not know how much of Cybertron there would be left to inhabit."

"May I ask, are you here to offer condolences, or assure your faction's continued alliance is on good terms with ours?" Soundwave wondered.

"Both, in a very broad sense." Ultra Magnus confessed. "Though I assume you would consider our condolences for your loss anything but sincere. You may infer whatever you wish. We will pay our respects to you, by staying out of the way."

Soundwave found that reasonable, considering. "I don't pretend our many differences have been unified by what has happened." Soundwave began to say. He felt Rhea on his shoulder, a reminder to remain civile. He also caught Bumblebee, who mine as well have been peering through his Spark by Ultra Magnus's side. He continued. "But it is a chance to refrain from future violence. To dissect the problems of the past so we may resolve our differences in a more productive matter."

Bumblebee smiled, visibly proud, which irritated Soundwave immediately.

"I am relieved to hear you say that." Ultra Magnus said, and Soundwave thought he did sense genuine tension leave the room. Well, if they were all friends here…

"If I may inquire, what has become of the Autobot New Council?" he asked.

The tension was quick to rush back in. Ultra Magnus frowned, hesitating as he glanced at Bumblebee, who in turn shrugged. "We have suspended the current members." Ultra Magnus answered to Soundwave's legitimate surprise. "I am acting as a sort of lead commander but need more under my advisement. Admittedly, our faction sits in a limbo in the form of leadership."

"I find that hard to believe." Soundwave said, taking a que from Laserbeak in an attempt at being more blunt. "If you are looking for leaders, why not choose from those among you?"

He motioned to Bumblebee and the others. All of Team Prime reacted to that in their own characteristically unique way. Bumblebee stepped back and stammered. Bulkhead held a long 'uuuuuhhhh' of uncertainty, and Smokescreen just started laughing.

"We are far from leadership of all Autobots material." Bumblebee insisted. "Ultra Magnus, definitely, but us…"

"That is what I said to Megatron when he relinquished command to me." Soundwave interrupted. "I did not think I was the right bot for the job. How could you lead when the ones before you were so great? But I learned very quick you must put aside your own doubts and do what is right by your own faction. You cannot leave it to others. To stand by and be complacent is how my people lost Megatron to madness. It is how you lost the New Council to Sigil and Decimus."

Ultra Magnus considered him in silence, only breaking away to look to his shorter soldier at his side. Bumblebee lost his smile. He looked like he was suddenly faced against a hoard of virus infected Predacons. "I'll um, leave the leadership thing to Ultra Magnus."

"I don't see why." Ultra Magnus spoke up. "From what I have read while I was in stasis, you took great strides to lead your team."

Bumblebee stammered, embarrassed as the focus shifted onto him. "I'll… think about it." He conceded finally.

"I think I could handle it." Smokescreen volunteered.

Ultra Magnus gave the smiling young bot an irritated glance. Luckily for Smokescreen, a distraction came along. Through the still swirling Space Bridge two final bots emerged. Alongside Arcee was the Autobot Medic, whom Soundwave had not seen in quite some time. Also on his heel struts were the human children and Agent Fowler. The oldest human was holding his breath as he stepped through, bracing for whatever Cybertron's atmosphere would do to him. He released it as the kids rushed through, none dropping dead from their environment.

"It is good to see you survived the attack from your own faction." Soundwave told Ratchet.

The Autobot medic grimaced at him. "Good to see you didn't double cross us like your faction is known to do." Ratchet quipped right back. "I was also done babysitting the bots in the North Carolina Base. They've almost blown our cover on a daily basis."

"It's actually been kind of funny watching Wedge and the others try and cover it all up." Jack added with a bit of a grin.

"Worse than that." Ratchet continued to grumble. "Many of them want to stay on Earth to start over. I can see that being a problem for us, considering how they have disregarded the rules so far."

"Can't say I blame them. After how they were treated here." Smokescreen said with a shrug, acting Unicron's advocate to the concept.

"Speaking of that incident." Ratchet vented. Soundwave concluded from context clues he was referring to Decimus and Sigil's failed execution that almost terminated all those who now resided on Earth. "Many of the refuges on Earth have switched to Decepticon affiliation, or at the very least unaligned. Autobot authority goes through one auditory and out the other. It's only a matter of time before one of them does something stupid and blows our cover straight to the Pits."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Rhea intoned from Soundwave's shoulder. "I know our media likes to say we can't handle the whole alien life thing, but I swear we aren't a bunch of panicking apes. Aside from a few fundamentalist lunatics, the bulk of us could handle knowing about aliens just fine."

Agent Fowler groaned. "Don't wish that on me kid. It was already a fight to get to my desk through the sea of paperwork when I first had to deal with Team Prime's few blunders. I'm guessing I'd never see my house again if the whole cover got blown. For my blood pressure's sake, please tell me we have a long-term plan with dealing with the Bots that want to stay on Earth?"

"Not much we can do, they aren't Autobots anymore." Arcee huffed, going to lean against one of the room's many windows.

All optics and eyes were on Soundwave. He was no longer able to remain silent and mildly amused during the back and forth. "Don't worry. I have a few ideas regarding how to deal with that issue. I'll do so once things here are settled." He promised, though kept the explanation vague.

"Good, it's no longer our problem." Ratchet huffed.

Fowler cleared his throat. Soundwave looked down to the floor, seeing the human adjust his tie. "I'm sorry for the bad timing. But today was the only day I managed to crawl out from under the previously mentioned pile of paperwork to get here. Seeing as how you Bots are all getting along, the authorities on Earth have invited Decepticon leadership to the next assessment summit alongside the Autobots here. That is, if you would be interested in continued activity on Earth."

"I would be interested." Soundwave agreed. "Thank you for the formal invitation."

Agent Fowler nodded, seeming very relieved by his answer. "Great… Now if I can take a minute to wander a bit. After all the time you bots stomped all over my planet, the least you can do is let me poke around yours." He explained. He shuffled to the window to ogle at the Kaon Capital, taking the occasional snap from his camera. "Sweet lady liberty that's a lot of bots." He mumbled to himself.

As if taking a que from the military man, Ratchet broke away from the group to also observe the massive crowd that had gathered. "Not exactly how I pictured the war ending for good. I guess beggars can't be choosers… What Optimus wouldn't have given to see this."

"You ok Ratchet?" Miko asked. "You seem more Ratchety than usual."

Ratchet glared down from the large window. "Miko, when have you ever known me to be 'ok?' Let an old bot have a sentimental moment for Primus sake! Let me have this before I jump helm first back into work. After escaping the chaos on Earth, I thought I'd make myself useful and add myself to the lacking number of doctors. I shudder to think what Knock Out has been up to with so little supervision."

The Autobots were always so quick with the jokes. Perhaps if it weren't such a gloomy day for the Decepticons, Soundwave would join them in the merriment. But there was at least one Autobot who was far too quiet. Though this was her normal standing amongst her peer group, it was more obvious.

Arcee remained in the corner away from the others. Gazing off into the crowds below them and lost in what appeared from the outside to be miserable thought.

"She's been like that for a few days now." Rhea whispered to him. "Not even Bumblebee could cheer her up."

It wasn't any of his business. One gloomy Autobot did not affect Soundwave in the slightest. But perhaps it was the day, because he was feeling sentimental, almost empathetic.

Rhea's communication device buzzed. She retrieved it from her flowy clothes and flipped it open to read the text. Soundwave noticed Jack across the spacious room with the two other humans, discreetly putting his own phone away. It gave away who the communication was from.

Rhea tilted her phone so he could glance the small human text. Jack's message read: (This is a lot to ask today, but could Soundwave maybe talk to Arcee? I'm guessing it's about Arachnid. I haven't been much help, since ya know, I never had a mortal enemy, save for Vince. But me and him never hunted each other across the universe before… Kind of over my pay grade for giving useful advice.)

'A moment?' He asked Rhea silently.

"Thanks for doing this." She whispered back. One servo braced and the other busy holding Laserbeak, he lifted her to the ground with his one undamaged data cable. Rhea was now wearing a much smaller and more movement capable caste on her leg. She stood fine without crutches. 'I was considering it regardless. It seems what an ally would do.' He explained.

As Smokescreen continued to assure Bumblebee they could all do a great job at running Cybertron, "After all, we can't be worse than the last crew!" he laughed, Soundwave snuck away unnoticed.

"I assume this lack of productivity is due to your decision to spare Arachnid?" Soundwave guessed.

Arcee jumped. He had tried very hard not to sneak up on her, but he had failed. When she registered his question, her face plates fell into a frowned. "Am I that easy to read? I guess we all can't be so steely like you."

"It has taken a great deal of practice to perfect." He explained. "But that aside, I've been asked to assess your condition."

"Jack?" She guessed, expression drooping.

"I noticed your demeanor as well."

"I'm, fine… But you were right. It is about her. It always is." She growled to herself, glancing her own reflection in the glass. Her optics softened, catching his gaze behind her in their reflection. "Sorry if I'm bringing the mood of the funeral down."

"This cycle's mood is somber regardless of your own inner turmoil." He assured her, though just as he said it, he wondered if she was being sarcastic. "To be perfectly honest, I am surprised your faction has decided to join in the occasion." He admitted and couldn't help but add just a touch of suspicion in his tone.

Arcee shrugged. "Promise, we'll keep Wheeljack from crashing it. But you did technically invite 'All who reside on Cybertron,' in your broadcast a few days ago. And last I checked; we take up space here." She huffed, leaning heavy into the pillar.

'Her previous jest is more factual than I anticipated it to be.' Laserbeak said between them. 'She has managed to dampen the mood of this funeral very efficiently.'

"You are technically correct." Soundwave agreed, not allowing himself to smile at Laserbeak's comment.

She paused to watch a small swarm of Insecticons land on a rooftop, gazing down at those below. Soundwave noticed her fists tense. "It's only been a few days and I already regret my decision…" she hissed to herself. She looked up to him. "Can I ask you something?" She muttered, quiet, not wanting her fellow Autobots to hear. They were too self-absorbed to, even if she didn't whisper. Soundwave nodded, and she continued. "You got to take Tarn out for what he did. Did that help you? If I had killed Arachnid, would it have made the hurt go away?"

The vulnerable gaze in her optics caught him off guard, and he almost didn't know what to say. But he had been where she was, and there had been no one for him to ask at the time when he needed it. "No." he said. "Killing Tarn has not brought me any peace. Nothing short of bringing back the ones you lost will make what you feel go away."

Arcee nodded, slinking back to lean against the pillar nearest the window. "Logically, I already knew that, but it helps to hear." She dropped his gaze, finding the floor much more interesting to investigate.

"Megatron wasn't the only one whom Tarn took from me." Soundwave said before he could stop himself. He felt Laserbeak's pulse of unease, and Arcee rose her curious stair back onto him. "He had murdered another of my Minicons, long before I even knew who had been responsible. Ravage was his name. He was a remarkable know it all, a fiercely loyal Decepticon, and a dear friend. Despite my hesitation to send him on a solo mission, I sanctioned it. He was among others to infiltrate one of your Autobot Bases. A large Wrecker base on the outer rings. It was being a particular hindrance to Megatron's current goal at the time."

In his peripheral, Soundwave registered Wheeljack stir. His smile at Smokescreen's continued shenanigans faded. He turned his full attention towards Soundwave and Arcee. He must have heard the reference to the Wreckers and was curious. Despite the additional listener, Soundwave continued. "Your faction managed to root them out of hiding. Ravage and the others held themselves up in the base to avoid capture. Much like right now, the two factions were able to come to an understanding. Ravage talked them into a temporary truce that would avoid further violence. I'm proud of him for that. He was clever and despite his occasional smart mouth plate, he could be very negotiable.

"Unfortunately, Tarn overheard the interaction. He considered the temporary cease fire a declaration of treason. Tarn came down and murdered every Autobot and Decepticon on that asteroid."

Across the room, Wheeljack uncrossed his servos, his casual stance turning rigid. Going by his serious expression, Soundwave assumed he knew of the event. He guessed Wheeljack was well informed regarding the many battles or unknown instances in Wrecker history. Much like the Decepticons, the Autobots would have never known what had become of their base. He assumed other Wreckers had arrived there after sudden radio silence, finding the carnage left behind. Just another mystery lost in the chaos of war.

Arcee was less invested in the historic aspect of the story. She remained quiet, saddened. "I felt Ravage slip away to the All Spark back then, but for millions of years I had no idea what had happened. But even after all that raw pain for so long, taking Tarn's Spark didn't help me. I doubt anything will."

"I'm sorry." Arcee offered in the silence that followed his story.

Soundwave felt Laserbeak pressed harder into him. He vented, pulling himself together. "Thank you, but your condolences were not my goal. We may not be on the same team, but it would be unfortunate for you to go through the same unproductive emotional pitfalls I did. Not if I can help it. It is not," he almost said efficient, "Worth the pain it will bring to you." He settled on instead.

"Did you ever recover him?" Arcee muttered.

Soundwave didn't know what she meant at first. "Ravage." She elaborated. "Did you ever retrieve his body?"

"No." He said, keeping his composure despite Laserbeak's sobs in his mind. "The remains of the fallen of that mission were never recovered. Having him put to rest would help close this chapter, but the location of his chassis is lost to me. After the attack, your faction moved the base to an unknown location. I was never able to track it back down. In the aftermath of the battle a few cycles ago, I attempted to recover the location of the Wrecker base from Tarn's ship to perhaps learn more. But due to the… thorough damage taken from Grimlock's team, the Peaceful Tyranny's travel logs were beyond recovery." He was in danger of letting to much of his emotional reactions come through. This wasn't even supposed to be about him, and yet here he was. "What's past is past. In regard to your concerns, I would not doubt your decision to spare Arachnid. Her Energon was not worth cleaning off your hands if you had ended up taking her Spark."

Though it wasn't a joke, Arcee laughed at the comment. "Good way to look at it… But I have to know what you're going to do with her. For my own peace of mind. I promise not to break into any Con prisons to snuff her if I end up changing my mind."

Soundwave rose an optic ridge. "Don't trouble yourself. I've offered you my personal experiences, but if you change your mind and decide to kill her you can be my guest. Remember, our factions are currently on neutral terms. You may go up to the prison and ask for access. They'll leave a door open for you. No need to take out any unsuspecting prison guards." Again, she laughed, and that time he had been trying for it. "But to answer your question, Shockwave had requested custody of her. He was curious to know how she had managed to remain somewhat coherent while in the thralls of the virus while others totally lost their senses. I assume his means of finding out would not have been painless. For science's sake, I almost indulged his request.

"I opted to imprison her instead. In the lowest level of the Bunkers. The location will keep her from regaining telepathic control over the Insecticons that remain. They are Decepticons after all. I had to assure those that remained were safe from her manipulation."

"Very merciful of you." Arcee said. She sounded a tad disappointed.

"I opted to not have her be in permanent stasis." He went on. "Though solitary confinement can be mentally harmful. So instead I have her cell stationed right besides another recent prisoner. I know from personal experience Decimus can fill any silence with relentless chatter. She will have adequate company in the foreseeable future."

Arcee blinked, then burst into a fit of laughter. "Ok. I think I am happy with that arrangement for now. The lowest level of the Con bunkers and stuck with Decimus? Good to know, I want to pay them both a visit to check in."

Soundwave caved and offered a small grin. "Indulgence in others misery. You do have a bit of Decepticon in you."

Arcee shrugged, still snickering. "You know what, I can live with a little inner Con. Though you're far from innocent yourself. You got yourself a human partner. That's so 'Autobot' we might as well have the concept copyrighted and made into a franchise." She crossed her servos, fixing him with a mocking glare. "Enough about me. How are you holding up?"

"I've managed to suppress most of my outward emotions." He said.

"That doesn't sound healthy." Arcee quipped.

"I intend to deal with any negative repercussions down the road." He explained.

"I can try to offer words of support… though like Ultra Magnus said, it may come off empty coming from us." Arcee admitted. "I can say this about Megatron. He tried to kill me more than once. But at least he never made it fragging personal, like others we mentioned previously."

Soundwave nodded. "Megatron kept things very professional." He hesitated a moment before adding, "Your Prime held his attention for a personal want for vengeance. I doubt he had room left in his Spark for anyone else."

Soundwave hadn't intended to upset her, but mentioning the Prime was clearly a mistake. Her shoulder's slumped, and her gaze left him in favor of the crowd once again. To his surprise, Arcee continued the conversation despite its obvious negative impact. "Optimus talked about him sometimes. He was always sad when he did. I think he blamed himself for the way the war went, and how Megatron felt. Though I assume you would agree with him on that?"

"I would have before." Soundwave said. "But, in the same way your Prime spoke of my previous Lord, Megatron spoke of him in turn. To me, of course. I have a knack for listening. But also anyone who would listen."

He glanced up at the high ceilings of the pavilion, chasing the shadows of a very distant memory. "This building, or what we have reconstructed it from, was where I swore to Megatron my vow of silence. That was after he returned from speaking to the Senate, Orion Pax at the time, no longer with him. When the Senate chose your leader to be Prime over Megatron, it was more than jealousy. True, that was there. An entitlement to a role he felt should have been ordained to him after everything he had fought for. But most of all, I knew he was wounded deeply by Orion not agreeing with him. He wanted Orion to storm out of the Senate by his side after denouncing the title."

"He may have, if he could have foreseen what would have happened." Arcee said with a shrug. "Wishing isn't going to do much, but seeing how things have turned out…" She released a regretful vent. "Doesn't matter." What did she regret? Looking out onto the Kaon Capital to see the endless hoards that had gathered, Soundwave pondered. Though most were Decepticon, as one would expect, there were others. The occasional Autobot hidden amongst the crowd. Perhaps curious to see what remained of the fallen tyrant.

Soundwave would soon have to walk through that crowd. Arrive at the city center where he was expected to bring solus to the Sparks of all those in despair. So far, he seemed to have failed to even ease Arcee of her true sorrows. How was he supposed to do so for a whole world? Damn to the Pits, he was only just holding himself together.

"As Megatron was dying in my arms," Soundwave found himself saying, still gazing out over the city. He was vaguely aware Arcee was looking at him again. "His Spark was fading away, but he reached out, and he spoke as if your Optimus Prime was there. In his optics, I did not see hatred or jealousy. I saw relief. Like after so many eons lost in a storm, he recognized the face of a true friend, come to guide him home. I don't know if what he saw was true, or the last firings of his mind as he died. I will probably always wonder. But if it was true, then Optimus had returned for him. And not in that corrupt Senate room before the war, but when he needed him most."

He came out of his musing; keenly aware he was the only one in the room talking. More than Wheeljack had long since started to listen in. Each Autobot was a mix of different emotion or a determined stoic persona. And it wasn't only the Autobots. Raf sniffled. Jack was slumped with his hands in his pockets. Miko started to weep, and Agent Fowler pretended to clear his throat of debris.

"It sounds… Like something Optimus would have done." Ratchet managed to agree through a trembling voice box. Bumblebee was the first to rest a hand on the doctor's slumped shoulder.

Soundwave found Arcee's jaw hinge was agape ever so slightly. She hung on his every word regarding the phantom of their fallen leader. Ironic. The passing of their greatest foe brought about long repressed grief for their own honored leader.

"Thank you, for sharing that." Arcee finally said.

Soundwave got another Bridge request. It was from his ship, and it was the one he had been dreading most. "Excuse me… I am needed." He offered to them all. Even his quiet Ped steps were loud in the silent room. He stopped before Rhea and the other humans, who stood sniffling near one of the windows. He knelt, lowering Laserbeak to the floor. "This is where we part, until the end." He explained to both Laserbeak and Rhea. As his hand lingered near the ground, Rhea tapped one of his fingers. "I love you, and I'm here for you both." She promised.

"Thank you." Was all he could say. He knew she saw the gratitude in his optics.

He stood and opened the Groundbridge. From the portal many of his officers arrived. At the forefront was Starscream. Newly polished and impossible to read beyond his permanent resting frowned. This event was establishing his power, Soundwave had to remind himself. They had yet to announce Starscream would be joining Soundwave in his ruling endeavors. Only those present now knew.

This massive audience was why Starscream was here. That was what he wanted everyone to think anyway. But after their discussion, and especially after killing Sigil, the one who could be blamed for tracking down Tarn, Soundwave wasn't so sure if that was Starscream's only motivation anymore.

Behind Starscream, far less outwardly confident and shining, trailed Thunderblast. Clobber was immediately in tow. She was able to see on her own thanks to the vision enhancing lens fashioned onto her helm. The apparatus would stay there until her optic healed, if it healed. The lens gave the illusion of her optic being much bigger than what was true, in a similar way Raf's glasses distorted the size of his eyes.

Demolisher was being helped along by two of Sharpshot's troopers. Though hobbled, he was mobile. Sharpshot and their second in command Crossflare were last along with Rivet. The Engine Specialist wasn't needed, so hadn't been sanctioned to be here. But Soundwave wasn't going to bring that up now. The only officer absent was Shockwave. Soundwave knew that would be the case before he even asked the scientist to attend. He had "more productive activities to attend to," as he put it. Soundwave doubted Shockwave would even care to show up to his own funeral if the occasion ever came to pass.

Sharpshot, Crossflare, and Rivet pushed along the casket. Seeing the simple gray box hover silent over the floor sent Soundwave's mind reeling. He wanted to retreat inward. He grit his denta and forced himself to remain. Everyone needed him.

"Reporting, my Lord." Sharpshot said, their characteristic chipper tone absent.

"Give it a rest kid. Protocol don't mean much at this point." Rivet said. "What is a cause without its leading light anyway?" He muttered to himself, his hand rested on the top of the casket and gazing off into the far reaches of grief.

"Everyone here needs to shape up, now." Starscream hissed. "This moment will be remembered for the rest of Decepticon history! The least you can do is not let your blubbering be immortalized in the minds of every bot present."

"Sorry." Clobber muttered while readjusting the lens on her face plates.

"You do not need to answer to that." Thunderblast insisted, sharp glare aimed at Starscream.

"Sorry…again." Clobber said.

"Ug." Starscream grumbled and leaned over the casket to address Soundwave. "Did you really need to invite the Autobots?"

"I invited everyone." Soundwave explained simply.

Starscream vented loud enough for the crowd outside to hear. "Well, let's get on with it. Soundwave and I at the head of the casket, helms high and stoic to at least give the illusion we know what we're doing. The rest of you trail behind by rank. And for Primus sake, if you cry you'll be blasted into a sun, or banished from Cybertron forever, if I'm feeling merciful."

"There is somebot else coming before we leave." Soundwave explained.

Starscream looked very suspicious. "Who, and why do we care?"

"It was the terms in which they agreed to keep their loyalties to us." Soundwave said.

As the final Groundbridge request came through, Soundwave glanced the Autobots. "This visitor has a particular issue with organic life, so you should keep the humans at a safe distance."

The Autobots stumbled to snatch up the humans and back up even farther as the Groundbridge burst open. Only a single small figure rolled through. The sound of the portal almost drowning out the small sounds they made. Tarn's maintenance Minicon Nickle came to a stop before Megatron's casket. Soundwave had expected her to put up more of a fuss regarding the human's proximity to Megatron's remains, but he was wrong. She was singularly focused. She remained quiet and thoughtful, gazing at the smooth reflective gray of the casket's surface.

Soundwave came to her side. He reached down to the hover tech under the casket and let it sink to the ground. It brought the top of the casket closer to her height. After a moment's hesitation, he pressed the button to slide the lid away.

The still bot laying before him was identical to Megatron. Even still, he could not understand how this corpse was his old friend. He didn't have long to ponder it. Nickel shimmied up herself, not asking for help. She leaned over the edge of the casket and gazed down into the face plates of her Lord. At first, her expression could be considered bored. She blinked, reaching out a tentative hand and running it over Megatron's broad chest. It was still, no longer plagued with constant constriction issues as he had suffered. A lasting side effect of a particularly brutal fight in the Pits.

"Your medics did a damn good job with the wound." Nickel complimented. "Any random idiot would never notice. But I can tell this was Tarn's voice…" She withdrew her hand and her helm fell. Her small frame shook with silent sobs as she clung to the side of the casket with tiny digits. "Please find it in your Spark to forgive him, my Lord." She whispered, and Soundwave was completely sure she was not addressing him. "I could have helped Tarn, but I didn't feel it to be my place. That is my mistake I will regret to the end of my life. I am sure Tarn has already begged you for forgiveness while in the All Spark alongside you, but I will insist for it. He was a good bot, once. We all were better some time long ago. I'm not sure what cycle I woke up from recharge and pretended not to notice how much we had changed." She released her grip and let herself hop down to the floor. Shaking her helm to get herself back together, she fixed Soundwave with a more familiar scowl. "Thanks, for keepin' your end of the bargain."

Soundwave gave her an affirming nod.

"I'll pass it along to the others. They wanted to come. But those filthy Dinobot fraggers made it hard for most of the crew to recognize themselves in the mirror…"

"You are sure most are still intending to carry on serving?" Soundwave asked.

Nickel shrugged. "Yeah. Most were just surprised by the pardon… me included. Considering… Everything. Could have sworn you'd line our sorry afts up and shove us into a smelter."

"It was mercy you all did not deserve." Starscream grumbled. "You better make this visit quick. Least the crowds learn one of the murderers of Megatron is lurking around here."

Nickel shot him a glare. "Don't remember anybot asking you chuckle fragger." She returned her focus up to Soundwave, then shrugged again. "So, I guess call us, if you ever need anything done in a less then moral way." After the informal goodbye she turned for the still swirling portal. Soundwave closed it down behind her. They were once again left in the silence of the hall with himself as the primary focus.

"Is it time already?" Starscream huffed.

Soundwave hesitated. He reached down to close the lid of the casket. Instead, he placed a hand on what was once Megatron's shoulder.

"If anyone wishes to say anything in private, this will be your final chance. After this, Megatron will be returned to his people." He informed his officers.

He glanced his fellow Decepticons when no one moved. He saw the many shades of hesitation, concern and panic the invitation brought on. He understood it all. Showing emotion was a sign of weakness. Nickel got away with it because she was a Minicon. So, she was already perceived as weak. Though he was sure she didn't much care what others thought of her. But for everyone else, weakness could mark them as an easy target amongst the ranks of the Decepticons. He was once a strong proponent of that very mindset. Only the strong must survive. But now his world view had been thoroughly disemboweled in recent cycles. He decided Nickel had a point regarding not caring what others thought. "Things will never change, unless we put ourselves on the line to force them to." Soundwave said to the stoic bots all staring wide at him. "Do not regret later words that were left unsaid."

To no one's true surprise, Sharpshot shuffled up to the casket first. They bowed low, not able to bring their visor up to gaze into Megatron's faceplates, even now. That saddened Soundwave more. Decepticon hierarchy was still in play, even after death.

"I never actually spoke with you, my Lord. But I have listened to every speech, I have watched every fight. From the moment I was brought into this world, you inspired me to be more than I am. I have seen many things in my short life. I have outlived others of my kind… But I would give it all up if I could have had the opportunity to speak politics with you in some dingy Energon bar, before the war, before it all. But without the war I wouldn't be here. Without you standing to fight, much like a thirst for freedom in the minds of a repressed people to scared to fight, I would have only been a dream. Thank you." He shuffled back, awkward, nodding to Soundwave. "I-I'm done, my Lord." They said.

"Nothing I can say." Rivet said, helm held low. "He sparked the revolution that brought me my freedom after eons of slavery. For my old aft to be living while he lays dead is a crime."

"I don't think I can do this." Demolisher admitted. "First, I'm scrap with this kind of thing, and the damn Autobots are right. There." He pointed out.

That fact went forgotten when Clobber collapsed at the casket's side. A hastily constructed emotional dam more unstable then Energon stocks at the end of the Golden Age crumbled along with her resolve to stay quiet. She clung to the casket. Her still healing optic welling with lubricant behind her large lens as she sobbed. She looked like she was debating whether she wanted to grasp Megatron's hand but was forcing herself not to. As with Sharpshot, long standing social rules were hard to shake even despite what Soundwave said.

Through her weeping she managed to say, "Clobber! I chose the name Clobber! I don't know if you remember me, my Lord, but I will never forget you! I was young… They were torturing me because I was too sick to work. All I wanted to do was die and wake up with Primus. I saved up for two orbital cycles. I had enough shanix and bought enough nuke on the Black Market for a lethal dose. The same night I was gonna take it, you came into the ditches and gave that speech. I was so nervous to talk to somebot like you, but you looked me in the optic. You told me my life was worth it. I deserved a name. Everything changed because of you! So… Clobber, is what I chose, and I wanted you to know." She couldn't continue, sinking further to her knees and into her thick servos.

Thunderblast stirred, laying a hand between Clobber's broad shoulders. She vented, gazing down at Megatron. "I was forged a bit to high up to side with your views, but Primus, I was obsessed with you. I loved to see you fight. It wasn't for the gore, though that was a plus, but because you always had something stirring to say after.

"I sort of jumped helm first into the deep end with everybot else with the whole take no prisoners, sort through the damage later thing. I never thought much about the logistics of what came AFTER the revolution. Maybe you didn't either. But ya know, that's ok. Who in the Pits actually knows what they're doing? We show up to this life, after no one ever fragging asked us to by the way. Then we struggle to make something of our selves. Struggle to survive, struggle to be remembered. All while usually making some rich fragger even richer, and they expect us to be grateful for the opportunity. And we wonder if this path we are carving through the cosmic storm is that unique, because you can't see anyone else through any of the scrap. but if you can just make it to the end, you'll not only be somebot unique and successful, but be worth remembering. Then when you get to the end, you realize that path that kicked your aft was the exact same one every other living sentient thing has trekked before you and will after. Then you wonder what is even so great about being remembered?

"Sometimes you hear someone say, 'It's not about the destination it's about the journey!' and you just want that person to die, preferably in a fire. Damn, what the frack am I even saying? Long story short, I wanted to be like you. I wanted to be remembered for talking like you and following your every ideal. I wanted to trek your exact path. Then in the Pits, you told us to not make your same mistakes. To do everything in our power NOT to be like you. But you also said once, I have the freedom to do whatever I damn well want. So, with all due respect, go frag yourself. I'll be like you if I want to be, insane tendencies and all. But I guess most of all, thanks for showing up in those ditches, and finding Clobber when ya did."

Her wings slumped, and she took Clobber by a servo to encourage her to rise. They stepped aside, and Soundwave looked to Starscream. He was stiffer than usual, servos crossed tight and glaring at his peds.

He caught Soundwave staring and rolled his optics. "Please, I have nothing to say. As future leader of the Decepticons, it is important to always maintain command of my emotions." He glared at the Autobots, as if he expected a biting remark from Wheeljack on the heels of what he said. Soundwave half expected it to. But to his legitimate surprise, Wheeljack kept true to his word and did not interrupt. None of the Autobots did. They only stood far out of the way, observing with professionalism, and under that, empathy.

Starscream stood resolute, appeased he did not receive any back talk. He had been careful with his outward appearance since their arrangement to share responsibilities. Soundwave did not intend to inform him his attempts to hack the security feed to the Renegade were not successful as he thought they were. Because of that, he knew Starscream had already paid a very late-night visit to the Med Bay and sat next to Megatron's chassis for a long while. Soundwave didn't know what Starscream's parting thoughts had been. For the first time in his life, he had voluntarily cut the security feed's audio, so he didn't hear what was said.

Soundwave vented, and turned to Megatron, laying far to still in his lonely coffin. He knelt beside the casket, laying a hand on Megatron's shoulder. "You have not left us with an easy road." He informed the Sparkless shell of his friend. "In fact, I dare say you have paved the way for the most complicated, dysfunctional band of unstable freedom sick fools the Universe has ever had the displeasure of dealing with. But I have seen horrific things done to our people before the war. From the Autobots, from those twisted Quintesson, to the Primes. I have no idea why we are even still attempting to sort out this mess, or if we can. But I will continue to try. I'll remember everything you have done, the good, bad, and horrific. I will tell it all to those who come after. I will lead our people to the best of my abilities.

"I have already learned from your mistakes. When I was overwhelmed, I asked for help, something you were either to stubborn, or to scared to do. I understand. You didn't want the Universe to have the satisfaction of having just one more laugh at your expense. I only wish I could have been less stubborn myself and told you the Universe was far beyond caring. Optimus Prime should have remained by your side, but you should have stayed on the high road regardless. You should have forgiven him and continued to work as a team. That is something neither of you did. You were both fools. It only took you a four-million-year war, your death, resurrection, possession from a destruction God and then second death to finally get that. But, at the very least, no one can say you were anything but determined.

"Megatron, I am sorry I was not a true friend to you. I should never have taken a vow of silence that night. I should have seen past my own bias towards the other side. I could have convinced you to get over the damn title of Prime and continue your great work. Go talk to Orion Pax face plate to face plate and set things right. But I was just as much a fool as you were.

"It's time to start over, and I don't know how I will do it without you. Frankly, it isn't fair you don't get to suffer with me. You caused most of this. But…" He glimpsed the Autobots. He found Rhea beside his whimpering Minicon. Her face a gentle reminder that this was all worth it. "But we'll be ok. The Decepticons do not rule Cybertron with total authority, and that's ok. Our ideals are shifting more to the Autobot's, and that's fine. Like I learned from your mistakes and my own, I see the Autobots learned from theirs too.

"I want you to know, that not a Cycle will pass, I won't think about you." His other knee joint lowered to the floor, and he shifted his hand to rest on Megatron's helm. He felt his Spark writhing in its chamber. Instinct told him to shut up and stop talking because his voice was becoming unreliable. He had to remind himself of his own words to his soldiers at his back that it was ok to do this. He had to undo this toxic damage done to their cause. To start, he had to undo the damage in himself. "You were the reason I rose from recharge. The reason I worked. Why I believed. I acknowledge what you became was unhinged, but I don't regret any of it. I will spend the rest of my life regretting every action that may have helped you return to your senses. I will regret you not meeting her… You asked me on Pluto to do what I wanted. I want her, and I want peace. If I can't have you back, I'll be damn sure to never let go of those other two goals. Your stubborn determined nature. That's what I've chosen to take from you Megatron." His voice hitched on the name. He pressed his forhelm to Megatron's, Spark feeling ready to wither away. He intook hard. He vented out a sob. It was quiet, painful, but freeing. He pulled away, hand still on Megatron's faceplates. "The only thing you did not teach me was how to say goodbye, so I will spend eternity until we meet again trying to learn. I hope where you are, you never again have to banish hardship. For the love of Primus, my friend, just rest."

He released Megatron. He stood from the ground and turned to his officers despite the grief still on his faceplates. "It's time."

They left the casket open. The room sealed behind them to preserve the air for the human occupants. Silence encompassed the Decepticon party in the lift as it lowered them to the ground level. Where Megatron's people awaited. The massive doors opened, letting in the light.

The roar of the crowd assaulted Soundwave's already shredded senses. It wasn't cheers, jeers, or sobs. He wasn't sure what noise the people of Kaon made as he led the parade forward, right hand on the front of the casket. Starscream mirrored his stance on the other side. Soundwave didn't glance at him beyond his peripheral. He could only focus down the long-cleared path the people made as they walked.

Hands brushed him, his faceplate, reached for Megatron's casket. He carried on, reaching out despite his left braced servo and brushed against those reaching out to him in kind. Some bots he recognized in the crowd from eons of service. Others were strangers. Not one he would ever forget. They led the casket up the steps onto the platform at the city center. Soundwave turned around for the first time and took in the near dizzying size of the gathering before them. It was overwhelming.

His officers fell somewhere behind him. Those among the front rows got as close as they were able. Soundwave stepped forward. He said something he had memorized but could not for the life of him recall any of after he was done. The sounds of the crowd never ceased as he spoke. Starscream stepped forward when he fell back. He shouted out his own prepared statement, much more animated than Soundwave had. His polished finish did its job to show off every angle of his shaking fists and expressions.

That was it. That was all that was required of him. Soundwave could step back and let the crowd morn, come forward, cry, or cheer before the fallen leader. But he felt empty. Like something was left unsaid. He found THAT hard to believe. He had done more talking in the past few kliks then he had in his whole life.

But it nagged him. There was a finality of sorrow in the masses. He felt it in the air. He found Megatron's lifeless faceplates and wondered what he would have done. Not during the war, but before. When there were whispers of freedom in the mines and among the powerless. How had they passed on news of hope, or kept their Sparks raised in their darkest depths of despair?

He heard the memory of Clobber's voice somewhere in the depths of his mind. Singing in the weapons vault when she thought no one was listening. A sad yet hopeful ballad sung by the lowest rungs so even those on high could not ignore it when all sang as one.

He had forgotten the crowd for the briefest moment. He focused on Megatron, thinking back on good times. He could still hear the tune. He would hear it on the airwaves from his post back before the war. It would echo through the black market as thieves sold their stolen wears to survive. On the Nemesis, he caught a far distant broadcast from a lonely traveler, humming it to themselves and the void before the broadcast vanished back into static.

While coming out of a haze of memories, he realized he was singing it out loud.

"Keep up the good fight my friends, my friends,

Primus see us through to hardships end,

They'll be brighter cycles to come,

Together our chosen Spark's drum.

Come with me to claim your voice my friends,

Outward our cries extend.

Come with me to claim your name, once more,

Meet me again on freedom's shore.

Friends await me there, when freedom we claim,

When ya welcome me there, we'll all have a name.

And a voice as one that extends to the sky,

Primus, let our hopes never die!

Keep up the good fight my friends, my friends,

They'll be brighter cycles to come,

Primus see us through to hardships end,

Together our chosen Spark's drum."

One of the many songs of the revolution, long lost to the blaze of war. He thought he, Clobber and that lonely space traveler were the only ones to remember it.

He was wrong. As he reached the third staff of the song, others had joined in. His own officers. Clobber, despite her weeping. All those bots in the first row. Then all others followed.

Starscream was silent as the voices of Kaon rose, but he was not glaring or embarrassed. He recognized it too. The sounds of sorrow replaced with voices of hope through the streets and alleys. They had not forgotten. He could feel it. The people were relived it was not lost. They sang on, sending Megatron away on its assuring words, and Soundwave was able to smile through his tears.