Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers

Ratchet awoke with a groan, rubbing his sore helm, Where am I? The last thing he remembered was Laserbeak flying into the Medbay and reactivating Soundwave, who had promptly knocked Ratchet out.

"Ah, good, you are awake," Ratchet turned to find Shockwave. "Megatron is on his way to converse with you."

Ratchet realized with a small amount of horror that he must be in Shockwave's laboratory. He tried to make a run for the exit, but the heavy metal doors clanged shut before he could reach it.

"Running would be most illogical," Shockwave intoned, having just pressed a button to close the door.

Ratchet scowled as Megatron entered the room, "What did you bring me here for?"

Megatron narrowed his optics at the medic, "We require your formula for the synthetic energon."

"What makes you think I'll give it to you, you barbaric imbecile?" Ratchet growled.

"How fortunate that we do not require your cooperation," Megatron said smoothly. "Shockwave?"

The scientist approached Ratchet with what appeared to be a cord to a cortical psychic patch.

"No," Ratchet gasped as the two forced him into a corner. "You can't!"

Meanwhile the entire Autobot base was in panic. Prowl had shown Optimus the security tape of Laserbeak sneaking in and activating Soundwave, who captured Ratchet.

"I don't understand what they would want with Ratchet," Prowl said when the tape was over.

"Perhaps they are after his Synth-En formula," Optimus sighed. "It was almost complete. Whatever they took him for, we must get our friend back."

Raf stared miserably at Ratchet's ruined Medbay, when something sparking caught his eye. A large metal fragment about the size of his head was partially covered by a medical berth. Raf struggled to drag it out from under the berth and carried it precariously to Optimus.

Optimus scanned it quickly, "It appears to be a piece of Laserbeak's wing. Ratchet must have shot it off while they were fighting."

"Why is it sparking like that?" Prowl frowned.

"It is trying to reconnect with Laserbeak," Optimus stated. "Of course, it has no way to get to him."

Raf rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "What if we gave it some wings?"

Both Prowl and Optimus stared him incredulously, "What?"

"If we attached a flying mechanism to it, it would fly right to Laserbeak, on the Decepticon ship, which is cloaked right?" Raf said eagerly. "It would lead us right to Ratchet!"

"It's possible," Prowl said hesitantly. "I'm not sure how something like that would be constructed though."

"Then it's a good thing we have Rafael," Optimus winked at the little boy. "Do you think you can manage it? We'll get you all the supplies you need."

Raf rubbed his hands together gleefully, "Let's get started!"

Back in the Decepticon ship, Megatron had Knockout bring Ratchet out of stasis in the Medbay, disappointed. All they had learned from the cortical psychic patch was that the medic had not stabilized the synthetic energon formula.

"It seems we will need your cooperation after all, medic," Megatron said calmly. He was going to have to be pleasant to this Autobot if he wanted him to complete the formula for him.

"What in Pit makes you think I'll help you with anything?" Ratchet said groggily. He was still a little woozy from the cortical psychic patch. He glanced around quickly, looking for an escape route, but he was outnumbered; Knockout, Starscream, and Soundwave were here as well.

"I don't think you fully realize what we're trying to accomplish here," Megatron turned to him. "We need the synthetic energon to combine with CNA to form cybermatter that will be used to restore Cybertron."

"Collaborate with the barbarian who essentially destroyed our planet in the first place? No thank you," Ratchet's optics glowed angrily. "You sadistically crushed Bumblebee's voice box while looking him in the optic, and you murdered my bonded. I will never help you."

"Maybe you will change your processor when you see this," Megatron motioned to Soundwave who stepped forward and displayed something on his visor.

As Ratchet leaned closer, he realized it was a photo of the children; Jack, Miko, and Raf. "Pfft you think I care about those squishy humans?" he said nervously, trying to act indifferent.

The image on Soundwave's visor changed to that of the Autobot base. Megatron grinned cruelly, "If you agree to work with us, the humans and Autobots at this base will not be harmed. I will leave you to consider my offer. Shockwave, restrain him to that berth. Knockout, I trust you can keep an optic on him?"

"Of course my lord," Knockout bowed low as Megatron swept out of his Med bay with Soundwave and Starscream. Shockwave left the two doctors alone shortly after he finished restraining Ratchet to a medical table.

Knockout fiddled uncomfortably with some of his medical reports for a while until he finally sighed and turned to Ratchet.

"Not that I care…but did he really offline your bonded?"

Ratchet nodded wordlessly.

Knockout bit his lip and turned back to his work, worried about his own bonded, Roulette. But what reason could Megatron possibly have to offline her? He had probably only offlined

Ratchet's bonded because she was an Autobot. Satisfied with that answer, he returned to sorting his medical reports.

After they had left the Medbay, Starscream turned to Megatron, "Master…you weren't being serious were you? About not destroying the Autobot base?"

"Of course I wasn't," Megatron smirked. "Starscream, assemble your armada and destroy the Autobot base once again."

Starscream grinned gleefully, "Yes sir!"

Back at the Autobot base, Raf was hard at work transforming the fragment of Laserbeak's wing into a flying locator, which he was planning to call 'Chip'.

Ultra Magnus, Optimus, and Agent Fowler were growing increasingly worried at the lack of Decepticon activity.

"They know where our base is now," Ultra Magnus frowned. "Why haven't they attacked?"

Fowler opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by blaring alarms, signaling an incoming attack. "You may just get your wish, Ultra Magnus," he swore, and then began commanding soldiers to prepare a defense with the jets.

Starscream and his fleet emerged from the skies as the military jets opened fire. "Focus your attacks on Hangar E!" he shouted to his armada, while evading the humans' artillery.

While his troops kept the humans busy, Starscream quickly let loose a volley of missiles that hit Hangar E. It was soon reduced to a fiery ruin, and Starscream commed Megatron, :Mission a success my lord.:

:Good. Return to the ship immediately.:

Starscream signaled his troops to pull back and the Decepticons departed the same way they had come.

Once they were gone the Autobots watched as the soldiers put out the flames amidst what used to be the mess hall.

"The Decepticons were fooled by a simple paint job," Ultra Magnus chuckled.

Raf glanced up from his work on Chip to the top of the still intact Hangar E, which had been repainted to read Hangar F. "They're not terribly bright," he grinned.

Back on the Nemesis, Megatron ordered Ratchet released. As Shockwave removed his restraints Ratchet glanced at Megatron curiously, "What did you do that for?"

"I wish to give you a tour of our grand ship," Megatron said, almost mockingly.

Ratchet would have rather jumped off of the ship and plunged into space than take a tour of it, but Knockout and Shockwave closed in behind him. He sighed, seeing that he had no other option but to follow Megatron on his 'tour'.

As they led him through the control hub of the ship, Ratchet felt himself growing reluctantly impressed by their technology. He had been reduced to using the humans' inferior technology basically since they had crashed on this planet. It was refreshing to see some of the Cybertronian technology he was used to.

Megatron noticed the medic's fascination and quickly tried to use it to his advantage, "The Autobots and Decepticons share a common goal. The restoration of our home world would be beneficial to both parties."

Ratchet huffed angrily, "Megatron, you would just try to conquer Cybertron all over again, and enslave anyone who refuses to pledge allegiance to you."

"Of course I would!" Megatron laughed sinisterly. "But at least we would have a world worth fighting over."

Ratchet sighed, his processor staining to try to make the right decision. He did want his home back…but to do it he would have to work with this merciless bot, who might endanger Earth. "What assurance do I have that you will leave humankind be, and that you wouldn't instantly terminate me once you get what you need?" Ratchet asked warily.

"None whatsoever," Megatron replied. "After all, we both know that as a Decepticon any assurances I might offer would be worthless."

"Then I refuse," Ratchet crossed his arms. "Besides, what makes you think you can rebuild the Omega Lock and restore its mystical powers?"

"Well, we have nearly accomplished rebuilding it, and as for the mystic powers, we won't know until we try," Megatron pressed a button. "See for yourself."

The metal shielding on one of the windows retracted so Ratchet could see out. Attached to the side of the ship, almost fully reconstructed, was the Omega Lock. Ratchet could feel his spark beat quicken; they were so close! So close to going home after all these years!

"It will not take long for this Omega Lock's drives to be fully operational," Megatron interrupted the medic's reverie. "All that is needed to restore our home is the cybermatter to launch through it."

"Which requires a stabilized formula for the production of synthetic energon."

Megatron smiled wickedly, "I have every confidence in you, doctor."

Ratchet sighed guiltily, "I'll do it. But then you already knew that, didn't you?"