Jazz
They were screwed. There was no two ways about it, they would be tried for attacking the Prime and whatever other charges Prowl could trump up against them, and they would be either executed or stuck working in the deepest pits of the Honorum mines until their bodies got too worn to sustain their sparks any further. Even if Perceptor could get the Lord Commander of the Wardens to speak on their behalf, it would do them little good, and chances are Kup would refuse to lift a finger to help them; Perceptor had obtained proper leave to attend to personal matters, but his vows to remain apolitical were still in place until his tour with the Wardens came to a close. No, they were screwed.
What made it all the worse was that they were separated. Jazz was surrounded by cells, but they were either empty or occasionally occupied with strangers who would come and go before he really got a chance to get to know any of them. As the corridor doors started to click, indicating they were being unlocked, he prepared for another short-term prisoner to pass the time gabbing with. The sound of footsteps bounced off the wall, the same familiar ones of the four guards that always escorted the new prisoners to their cells, and the one unknown set belonging to the new prisoner. Jazz had made a game of trying to derive information about the new prisoner based on the sounds of his or her footfalls. Based on the stride, someone likely tall with long legs, based on the sound, heavy, no, light, nooooo, large, but light on their feet, likely a good athlete. While there was no way to glean any details involving color from the footsteps, Jazz guessed the newcomer to be green, with white or cream face and extremities. The group rounded the corner and stopped in front of the cell across the hall from Jazz, opened the cell door and pushed the prisoner in, shutting the door behind him. The guards quickly walked away, leaving Jazz to stare at the robot that had been the cause of he and his comrades' incarceration. "You!"
The other robot looked across the hall at the seated Jazz rising to his feet, glaring angrily at him, and simply nodded. "Hello Jazz, my name is Orion."
"I know your damn name!" Jazz snarled. "You kicked my ass on a roof and then jumped down from that roof to kick my ass some more! Trust me, I'm not forgetting your name."
"Yes, but we'd yet to be properly introduced." Orion replied, remaining amicable. "I've met with Blaster and Perceptor several times, but I had not gotten a chance to speak with you yet."
Jazz peered quizzically at the robot across from him. "So you got yourself arrested just to have this chat?"
Orion laughed. "No, of course not." He peered down at the ground for a moment. "I'm being charged with assault on a member of a royal house." He looked up and saw Jazz's optics widen in surprise. "I arrested Lucox Honorum and a few of his friends for assault outside of a bar in downtown Iacon. They resisted, so…"
Jazz nodded. "Right. But why did you arrest him. You had to know he was an Honorum."
"Yes, he told me. But it didn't matter, he was breaking the law." Orion answered. "Nobody is above the law."
Jazz laughed. "I'm afraid they are everywhere outside the Torus Heights, kid."
Orion looked off to the left. "That needs to change."
Jazz backed up and sat back down. "You know, I should be rejoicing at hearing this. Lucox and his prissy noble sycophant bitch squad catch a beating, and the guy who landed me and my pals in this dungeon is getting in trouble for it." The Autobot looked his apprehender over a bit more before continuing. "But you're just a naïve kid who did what he thought was right in Polarus, so it's hard to take pleasure in your misfortune, despite the ringing I still have in my head from that punch of yours."
"What I did in Polarus was right." Orion curtly corrected. "I may be at odds with Sentinel Prime and customs he's trying to keep in place, but that doesn't change the fact that your group was assaulting him in Polarus and needed to be stopped."
"We were using glue guns, for Primus's sake!" Jazz grumbled. "And even then, we minded our P's and Q's until the Primal goon squad was ordered to come and get us."
"I've already debated this with Blaster several times," Orion replied, "and while I recognize your frustrations and the failings in the system, I cannot accept your course of action in Polarus as being in any way justifiable."
Jazz shrugged and gave a chortle. "You're about to be given a hundred vorns of hard labor for these royal shits you're defending, you know that, right?"
Orion's optic darted away but he nodded. "Yes, that's likely what's going to happen."
Jazz leaned back against the wall. "Yeah, sorry kid, you don't deserve that fate. Neither of us do really. But at least you can entertain me by telling me about the beating you gave Lucox and his bros."
Orion shrugged. "As I said, it was outside a public house in downtown Iacon. He and four of his friends were dragging out two small robots, clearly intent on beating them. I intervened, Lucox walked over to me and explained who he was with the expectation that I would leave and allow him to do whatever he was planning on doing. I didn't, we discussed the situation for a bit before I informed him that he and his friends were under arrest, he took a swing, and, well, it all devolved from there."
Jazz grumbled. "Look buddy, we're going to be down here for at least several hours, probably much, much longer, so the glossing over of the good parts is very annoying."
"I'm not proud of the violence I was forced to employ." Orion explained.
"Yeah, maybe, but you're slagging brilliant at it if I remember correctly, and Lucox Honorum is more than deserving of whatever you did to him, so spill." Jazz insisted.
"I'm sorry for your continued boredom, but I will not be describing the violence used to apprehend suspects." Orion replied.
"Fine, whatever." Jazz grumbled. "Were the two little bots at least appreciative of what you did. You may have been ignorant as to what you bought for yourself, but they must have known you just sacrificed any hope of a normal life to keep them from a temporary hurtin'."
"Yes, they seemed very appreciative." Orion replied. "Though the yellow one disappeared right after the aggressors were subdued. He yelled thanks, then disappeared."
Jazz chuckled. "Probably had an outstanding warrant."
Orion shrugged. "I considered that, but I ran a scan on the name his friend provided me and no, there were no open warrants or anything else that would have aroused police interest."
"What was his name?" Jazz asked.
"Hubcap." Orion replied, noting Jazz's optics getting wider and a slight grin coming over his face at hearing the name. "He's an Autobot, isn't he?"
"What?" Jazz replied less than convincingly. "Never heard of him."
"That could be why he ran." Orion said.
Jazz smiled at Orion. "That's not why he ran."
"So he is an Autobot?" Orion smiled.
"Not saying that." Jazz replied. "But I may have heard his name come up before, something about him being adept at all things media related. And as he seems to be at odds with at least some of the fancy-pants nobles, and as he was rescued by your common-born ass…" the prisoner's grin widened, "he may have ducked out early to make sure the truth had an outlet before the Honorums sealed it up…again."
"Meaning what?" Orion asked.
Jazz leaned forward and peered intently at Orion. "You were justified in doing what you did, right?"
"Yes."
Jazz cocked an eyebrow under his visor. "You were by the book in every way; nothing you did could be used against you if it were displayed in its entirety, right?"
"Everything was by the book." Orion clarified.
"Then maybe, just maybe, this Hubcap, whoever he may be, might just return the favor you did him." Jazz leaned back and smiled.
N'che
The screen was divided into three sections, each displaying a different face. The first was mammalian and nearly covered in fur, the second was reptilian, with green scales and sharp teeth in a room so warm and humid that the steam around him was visible, and the third was gray, with a different type of scales covering the face, these being almost armor-like, and all looking back at him expectantly. The being, also mammalian but hairless and possessing an olive green skin nodded to those on the screen to whom he was communicating. "I understand their concerns, but you must let your friends from Quintessa know that at the very least I must meet with this individual. It depends on what it is he is seeking, but in all likelihood I will refuse him, and I certainly will not suggest or entertain any idea that they be considered for admittance into the Galactic Council."
"Our friends feel we should take this individual into custody, interrogate him and learn all about the world he comes from, and perhaps prepare an invasion." The reptilian being stated. "According to them, these beings hail from their world of origin, that these machines are manufactured beings with artificial intelligence that was advanced enough to let them think of themselves as living beings, and that they rose up and took what was rightfully the Quintesson homeworld."
"I appreciate their position," the four-armed green alien replied, "but your friends have proven themselves to be dishonest on more than a few occasions, which is why they are no longer members of the Council. I will listen to their input, their apparent immortality is undeniably valuable, but ultimately the Council makes its own decisions, and it is not here to facilitate planetary conquests for other species." He then looked to the other two creatures. "Is there anything else?"
"Negative." They replied in unison.
"Excellent. I will forward the results of the meeting to all members of the Council." The dark-green skinned creature replied. "N'che out." He flipped a switch, causing the screen to go black. He then pressed a button on the array in front of him. "Malkas, please send this…Nightbeat in." N'che leaned back in his chair and looked to the door. A moment later a blue and yellow robot walked into the room, standing roughly fifteen feet in height and fairly bulky, it appeared roughly the size of a large Ilxian. "Greetings Nightbeat, I appreciate the distance you have traveled. So why are you here?"
"Thank you for meeting with me, Commander N'che, I have come in search of a Cybertronian vessel that has been lost." Nightbeat replied.
"Your fluency with our language is nearly perfect." N'che courteously commented. "As for this missing ship of yours, I have no knowledge of any Cybertronian craft in our space. And I mean, EVER in our space."
"Languages are easily deciphered and downloaded by and into our brain modules Commander." Nightbeat replied. "As for our ship, it has been missing for over one million years, so given that the majority of your members are mortals, it is unlikely that you would have any remotely current knowledge or data regarding it."
"One million years." N'che replied, giving the robot a look of incredulity. "That predates the origin of a great many intelligent species. It even pre-dates the origins of some of our member species."
"I understand, Commander, but as this ship was the last major undertaking on our part to explore distant parts of the galaxy, whatever data you have on our species may include information on this ship." Nightbeat answered.
N'che rolled his eyes as he tapped into the console he was seated at. "What we have on your species is little to say the least, but I'll look. What is the name of this ship?"
"It's called the Manifest." Nightbeat replied, praying that there would be information regarding it in this alien's database. He studied the alien's eyes closely, and noted the widening of the pupils and lids, knowing that the alien had found something. "Anything Commander?"
"What can you tell me of Alpha Trion?" N'che asked, ignoring Nightbeat's enthusiastic question.
"Alpha…, uh," Nightbeat was caught off guard, but provided what he knew of the Cybertronian in question, "he was an ancient Cybertronian, born into and headed House Trion for awhile. He was also the greatest scientist on our planet at the time, perhaps ever, and was the one to determine the true function of the Matrix." Noting a perplexed expression on the alien's face, he explained. "The Matrix is, well, it's an object of great power and wisdom, but prior to Alpha Trion's discovery its purpose was unknown, it was just a decorative bauble. But he was able to interact with it, something only he and three other individuals in our planet's history have been recorded as being able to do. Upon his interaction with the Matrix he was given the name of Primon, our planet's first Prime."
"So he is an individual of great respect and reverence on your world, correct?" N'che verified.
"Yes, absolutely." Nightbeat replied. "Though he is also called Primon the Abdicator because he stepped down to allow another he felt was better suited to rule as Prime. The Matrix accepted her, but she was killed in battle, so he reclaimed the Matrix and renewed his role as Prime. He engaged the warlord that had killed Prima, the second Prime, and both he and the warlord were killed; or so the legend goes."
"When was this?" N'che asked, still studying the screen in front of him.
"Oh, about nine and a half million years ago." Nightbeat replied, but noticed N'che's head twist away from the screen and stare him in the optics.
"Nine and a half million years ago?" N'che asked. "Are you sure?"
"Well, no, it's all just legends for the most part, but it was probably around then." Nightbeat asked. "I'm not sure what this has to do with the Manifest."
N'che stared silently at Nightbeat for over a minute before finally replying. "Our database has nothing on the Manifest. I'm sorry I can be of no help to you in your quest. Please feel free to refuel your ship, and you may have access to any resources we have for sustenance, but I will be expecting you to be off our station by tomorrow evening."
Nightbeat looked at the alien, was tempted to appeal his dismissal, to beg him to look further into his data archives, but ultimately he knew it would be a futile effort. "Of course Commander, I thank you for your time, efforts and hospitality."
Soundwave
They would need to be more careful if they were ever planning on holding an event near Harmonex. The roar of the crowd was thunderous, and despite the attempts at sound-proofing the structure, those in the vicinity would definitely be aware of something significant going on inside. Perhaps Scrapper and his crew could be employed to improve the sound-proofing and other shortcomings of the arenas used for these events. With the right offer, Soundwave was sure they'd be more than happy to accept the job.
And with the wagers he had placed tonight, he would have more than enough non-traceable credits to hire whoever to do whatever for a very long time to come. The main event was of little interest to Soundwave, a battle between Skyquake and Lugnut; two brutish fliers who the fight fans regarded as 'gatekeepers', fighters not quite good enough to be considered in the elite, but powerful enough to defeat all but those top tier warriors. No, it was the fight before theirs, one between another gatekeeper, Hydrau, and a complete unknown from Tarn named Megatron. The odds had the fan favorite Hydrau as a thirty to one favorite. Soundwave had placed one hundred thousand credits on Megatron and was already planning on what he was going to do with the two million nine hundred thousand credits he would have after returning the borrowed one hundred thousand to the Torrent House accounts. He knew Lightwave would never notice it missing, and while Shockwave likely would notice, he knew he would keep Soundwave's secret out of sheer disinterest if nothing else. The idea that he might lose the one hundred thousand never entered his head; he had seen Megatron in action, the Tarnian would never be defeated.
The crowd roared as a light gray, red and blue jet zipped overhead, transformed and landed in the middle of the arena. The guest announcer had arrived. "Greetings fight fans!" Starscream called out through the voice amplified speakers in his mouth. "Do we have a treat for you tonight! As if the tremendous undercard we've given you wasn't enough, we have three top-tier veteran war machines waiting to do what they do, and one up and comer who looks as though he was made to crush everyone and everything unfortunate enough to be in his path!" Starscream smiled at the uproarious crowd and waited for them to quiet down just a little bit. "Let me introduce you to him now. Hailing from Tarn, fighting out of Kaon, a physical specimen looking to beat a path to Grimlock himself, I give you…Megatron!"
The boos from the crowd made a low rumble that caused a light vibration in the floor. If Soundwave had a mouth, he'd have smiled at the reaction. Perhaps it would push the odds further away from Megatron and give Soundwave an even bigger pay-out. The gladiator in question stepped out onto the floor and looked up at the booing crowd, giving them a genuine smile before graciously nodding his thanks to Starscream for the introduction. Starscream nodded graciously back before going on to introduce Megatron's opponent. "You all know who he'll be facing! The pride of the Hydrax Plateau, the warrior who takes out entire teams, the gladiator always willing to make it a mortality bout, I give you...HYDRAU!"
The crowd exploded, all chanting the gladiator's name in a rhythmic thunder. "HYDRAU! HYDRAU! HYDRAU!"
Hydrau came running into the pit, a huge grin on his face and his own name plastered on the back of both of his shoulders. He trotted up to Starscream and pointed to his own throat, which caused Starscream to smile and nod, making some manual adjustment to his own throat while Hydrau did similar movents. A moment later Hydrau's amplified voice was heard by all. "You all paid to see some beatings, but I'm more than happy to give you a killing for free!" The crowd roared at Hydrau's offer, to which he smiled and raised both hands seemingly to embrace them all. It was an offer he had made prior to every fight with one exception. It was almost always turned down, even the most confident of fighters know that they can have a down night, and Hydrau was powerful enough to capitalize on it and kill them. Of those few that accepted, Hydrau either won and executed his opponent, battered his opponent to the point where even though they won, they didn't have the strength left to end his life, or his opponents recognized the value of rematches and chose to let him live. The only time Hydrau didn't make the offer was when he faced off against Grimlock, and it was fortunate that he didn't. Grimlock may not have been allowed to kill him, but he came as close as he possibly could. It took Hydrau over a year before he was able to fight again. But Hydrau had made a full recovery, and was still as eager to offer every non-Grimlock gladiator a chance at killing him or death as he had ever been. He looked over at Megatron and waved for the crowd to be silent. They complied and Hydrau politely addressed his opponent. "Hello Megatron of Tarn, how would you like an opportunity to become a legend in your very first match?"
The expectation was that Megatron would decline, keeping it a standard knock-out/submission match, and a new line of gambling indicated as much. The line was fifty to one in favor of him declining. Soundwave stretched out his perception to the warrior in question and politely made his mental presence known. 'Greetings Megatron'.
'Hello Soundwave'. Megatron replied mentally. 'I suppose you're wondering whether I'll be accepting or not.'
'Affirmative.'
'Place your bet on a fatality. Which is unfortunate, I've enjoyed footage of Hydrau's battles, it'll be a shame when he's gone.'
Soundwave accessed the terminal at his seat and put another twenty thousand on the line. Megatron looked up at him and smiled before tapping his neck to activate the amplification settings. "Hydrau, it is an honor to face you for my first bout. You are a legend, and I have studied a great deal of your footage. You are an inspiration to so many young fighters…not me, but there are so many that look up to you. It truly is a shame that I will be killing you tonight."
The crowd went crazy, the cheering, the yelling, the sheer chaos was almost more than Soundwave's enhanced senses could endure, but he did endure it and watched as the surprised Hydrau gave Megatron a glare followed by a malevolent smile, and Starscream roared with laughter and delight before raising his hands to address the audience. "I'm taking that as an acceptance!" The two fighters marched over to their designated starting circles and waited for Starscream to engage his foot thrusters and hover into the sky. "Megatron of Tarn, are you ready for this fatality bout?"
"Yes."
Starscream then turned to the other fighter. "Hydrau of the Hydrax Plateau, are you ready for this fatality bout?"
"Hydrau is always ready!" The fan favorite bellowed.
"Then fight!" Starscream sang out before flying out into his special box in the stands.
Hydrau charged the young newcomer and slammed him with a right cross, followed immediately by a left and then a snap kick that sent Megatron stumbling back. The three strikes garnered roars of approval from the crowd, but only got a broad grin out of Megatron. Hydrau charged again, throwing a wild flurry of punches, all of which Megatron blocked or parried with ease, eventually growing tired of demonstrating his defensive capabilities, Megatron grabbed one of Hydrau's arms and flung him back. The newcomer waited for Hydrau to get back to his feet, and then the two marched at one another. Megatron's right fist shot out like a blur, slamming heavily into Hydrau's face and sending him flying back and to the ground.
"My apologies Hydrau, I have no desire to separate you from any of your senses just yet." Megatron taunted to the downed warrior. "Please, take your time, make sure you're back to one hundred percent before getting up and re-engaging me."
"Eat mammalian shit, Tarnian scum!" Hydrau roared as he got back to his feet and charged Megatron. Megatron dodged his strikes again, simply pushing him back as he got too close, and overall just played with the veteran gladiator. "What's the matter coward, afraid to trade blows with me?" Hydrau yelled at the chrome newcomer.
Megatron smiled. "If that's what you want." He stepped forward, arms at his side. "You first." With that Hydrau swung heavily with a right roundhouse, connecting perfectly with Megatron's jaw. Megatron turned his head back forward, revealing a broad smile. "My turn." Megatron followed suit, landing a thunderous right round house that tore the left side of Hydrau's jaw from its housing and sending Hydrau to the ground.
The crowd was silenced by the clear display of superiority on the part of this unknown. Megatron looked down at Hydrau. "Your turn."
Hydrau looked up at Megatron, terror in his optics. "Nnnnaaauu" he tried to say through his damaged mouth. "Ercy. Ercy, ease."
"Mercy?" Megatron questioned mockingly. "But it was you that pushed for this to be a fatality match, was it not?"
"Orry. Ease, ercy."
Megatron looked down. "I bear you no ill will, Hydrau, I truly do not, but first impressions mean so much, so I'm afraid I must make this memorable."
"Rowd. Rowd. Ak da rowd." Hydrau pleaded.
Megatron looked down at the warrior. "Two things. One, we both know they want to see one of us die. Two, it is my will that the masses will bend to serve, not the other way around. Now get up, you aren't beaten yet!"
Megatron took a step back to allow Hydrau an opportunity to get to his feat. The veteran warrior climbed back up and got his bearings, raising his hands to prepare for further battle with the young powerhouse. Hydrau charged one last time at Megatron, one final desperate attempt to regain control of the fight. A straight left jab stopped him with enough force that he was falling back again, but an unstoppable over-hand right to Hydrau's stomach folded him up, and a lightning quick left roundhouse caught his right side and sent his entire frame flying forty yards across the arena floor. Hydrau writhed in pain, but managed to push himself up to his feet before Megatron's leisurely pace brought them back together. Hydrau swung desperately with his left hand, but the strike was dismissively pushed away and Megatron's right fist came down from overhead and tore the already heavily damaged jaw completely away save for a lone strap of metal on the right side of Hydrau's face that kept it connected.
Hydrau whimpered lightly as Megatron delivered a left uppercut to his midsection that sent him flying up into the air and crashing back down. Megatron walked leisurely over to the downed opponent and stared down at him. "Pick which one gets pulled out; spark or brain module."
"Ooooo, eeee, oooo!"
"Hmmm, well, as you refused to pick, I guess I'll have to pull both out." Megatron dropped to his knees, bringing both fists down in a pair of hammer strikes, one to the forehead, the other to the center of his chest. He then reached back up and drove his fingers back down into those same areas, gripping and tearing through until a smile came over his face. He then wrenched his hands out of Hydrau's body, each clutching a vital organ and displaying it to the suddenly ravenous crowd. Megatron stood and marched around, holding the faded spark and brain module for all to see before tossing them both away and re-engaging his voice amplification settings. "Is there anyone else?" Megatron then looked to two of the preparation areas on either side of the arena where Lugnut and Skyquake were warming up. "Perhaps any-two else?"
Lugnut and Skyquake looked to one another and shrugged. Skyquake looked back at Megatron. "Fine, two on one, but knock-out/submission, OK? No fatality."
Megatron smiled. "Fine. Come out and fight!" The crowd went crazy.
A-Three
They had left immediately upon hearing of what had happened and what was likely in store, which was good as Sentinel Prime seemed to have severely fast-tracked this. They were aware of the charges, they had read the reports filed by both Sentinel Prime and his kinsman Lucox Honorum, and they knew full well that the word 'lies' wasn't enough to describe what had been written of young Orion. The only thing that had delayed them in the least was dealing with Roller's refusal to remain at Tyger Pax. The young robot demanded that he be brought, forgetting his place in the House, and frankly, he could not of cared less. Even Arlon would not hold the momentary disrespect and insistence against the youth; his best friend was on trial, of course he would fight anyone to be there for him, but eventually they had made it clear to him that his presence would be more a detriment to Orion's cause than an asset. And the fact that A-Three was leaving the Torus Heights for Cybertropolis, something that was unheard of, let Roller know that they were pulling out all the stops on Orion's behalf.
He, Arlon and Torenia had just arrived at the Senate and were marching their way in. Emir's had seats behind the Co-Consuls, but Torenia and A-Three would have to sit up in the viewing section. There was no time for a separate section for nobility to be designated. But Arlon was the key person in the fight to help Orion, so they bid him good luck and headed up to the viewing section. It took nearly half an hour, but they finally found available seats, and they could see Arlon in his place behind the two highest ranking senators. "He has to get him out of this!" Torenia muttered insistently, the fear plain in her voice.
"He will." A-Three tried to assure her.
"All rise!" The Senate Sergeant at Arms announced, and all present did as instructed. A moment later Sentinel Prime marched in and stood in the center of the forum.
"Thank you all for coming." Sentinel Prime addressed the senators. "I realize that this is outside of our due process, but I need for this to be dealt with quickly, and as it involves my House, it must be evaluated by the highest authority as to avoid any question of my influence. I recognize that the speed with which this is being tried has put the defendant at a slight disadvantage, but to offset that I have assigned not just a state-appointed advocate to fight for him, but will allow his defense to be performed by a senator." Prime looked over the senators and smiled as his optics glided over Senator Proteus. "Does anyone volunteer to represent the defendant?"
A low murmur went out, and after a moment Senator Proteus stood. "I will represent the defendant."
Sentinel Prime smiled and was about to accept when another voice called out.
"I am also willing to represent the accused." Senator Xaaron announced as he too stood up.
Sentinel Prime stared at Xaaron with barely concealed anger for several moments before responding. "I thank you for your offer, Senator, but I think Senator Proteus…"
"The defendant should have the right to choose his advocate for himself." Arlon called out.
"You are out of order, Emir Pax!" Prime snapped at the bestial robot.
"Perhaps, and I will submit to the punishment for that," Arlon replied, "but I am right none the less."
Sentinel Prime glared at Arlon, who met his gaze unflinchingly. Realizing he had no justification for refusing Orion's right to choose, Sentinel relented. "Fine, the accused can pick his advocate! Bring him out to make his choice and face the charges!" Orion was led out in shackles and placed in the center of the forum, several steps from Sentinel Prime. Prime looked at the accused. "Choose your representative."
Orion looked at the two standing senators offering their assistance to him, and as his gaze passed between them he caught sight of Torenia and A-Three in the crowd. He saw A-Three nod toward Xaaron and he turned back to Sentinel Prime. "I choose Senator Xaaron."
Sentinel Prime's face twitched slightly in anger, but he nodded. "So be it. Senator Xaaron, come down here and take your place next to the accused." A few moments later Xaaron was standing next to Orion. "Orion of I…"
"Your Grace, I have an important matter that must be addressed prior to initiating these proceedings." Arlon Pax called out.
Sentinel Prime whirled around and glared at the mechanical beast. "Another interruption, Lord Pax?"
"It is pertinent, your Grace." Arlon assured him.
"It had better be!" Prime grumbled and waved for him to proceed.
"Thank you Sentinel Prime." Arlon said. "I am uploading documents related to Orion and his social status." The senators and Sentinel Prime accessed their screens and looked at the file being uploaded. "As you can see, I have drawn up the legal paperwork to have Orion of Polarus adopted into House Pax. Please note that the approval has been given by every member of House Pax."
"I object!" Sentinel Prime roared. "This is clearly an attempt to mitigate the trouble this boy is in!"
"Look at the date the documents were drawn up, your Grace." Arlon replied immediately. "They were created the day he left for Iacon, long before any of this trouble came about."
"Do you expect me to believe that?" Sentinel Prime roared, but at hearing the absolute silence, realized that he may have made a mistake.
"I apologize for not having a response at the ready," Arlon calmly replied after a long pause, "this is the first time anyone has ever called my word into question."
A low rumble went out through the crowd as well as the senators, and Sentinel Prime looked up at them all and realized the he should not push in this direction any further. "Of course, Emir Pax, I was caught up in my role as prosecutor, it's customary to call everything into question. I rescind my doubts as to when these documents were drawn up." The rumble of the crowd grew louder. "But I still must contest your claim to this youth."
"On what grounds, your Grace?" Arlon asked.
"On the grounds that this Orion is not from Polarus. Nor is he from Burthov or any roads in that vicinity." Prime smiled at Arlon. "It took some looking, but Orion's frame came into existence on the island of Avalonius, within the borders of Iacon. I can show you my evidence if you'd like." Sentinel Prime followed Arlon's optics as they darted up into the crowd. The Cybertronian leader turned and saw Torenia Pax, a look of despair and sorrow on her face before she covered it with her hands.
"No your Grace," Arlon replied sadly as he turned away from Torenia and looked to the floor, "I will not need to see your evidence."
"I might like to see it." Senator Xaaron called out. "I'm sorry, but from what I understand, Insula Avalonius is barren of life. Well, let me amend that, it's filled with life, but it's barren of spark-based life. In our historical record, no spark has ever emerged from that island."
"I am aware of Avalonius's traits and history, and that this is beyond rare, but the data confirms that this is Orion's place of origin, and that is falls within Iacon's bord…" Sentinel Prime's optics grew wide, and he stared disbelievingly at the prisoner standing quietly in the center of the Senate Forum.
"Your Grace, are you alright?" Orion asked, noting the Prime's apparent disorientation.
Prime continued staring at him a moment longer before getting his bearings and snapping at the youth. "I'm fine, you need only worry about yourself!"
Orion nodded and then looked to the Co-Consuls, prompting everyone else to look to the Senate leaders as well. The primary Consul, Augustus Decimus pondered the situation for a few moments before delivering an answer. "The law is quite clear in this regard. As there is no contesting where the individual originates from, the House holding jurisdiction over the individual determines his fate until he reaches the age of self determination, at which time, provided he is free of debt, he will be free to do and travel as he wish or accept an invitation into any noble or royal House that provides him one."
"So until he reaches the age of self-determination, he cannot be admitted to a noble or royal House, is that correct?" Sentinel Prime said almost gleefully.
"He may enter the House which holds jurisdiction over him, otherwise, no." The Primary Co-Consul replied. "Do you with to offer him admittance to House Honorum, your Grace?"
"Hell no." Sentinel Prime replied with a smile. He then turned and faced the crowd. "With that out of the way, I would like to bring charges against this commoner."
A-Three watched sadly as Arlon could do nothing more to prevent this farce of a trial from taking place, but then watched as an athletically built, mid-sized black robot with a blue helmet ran into the forum and right up to Prowl. He whispered something to Prowl, who looked at him disbelievingly. The black robot handed him a data pad and Prowl scrutinized it. He saw the Security Chief mouth a profanity before walking into the center of the forum and approach Sentinel Prime. The already silent crowd seemed to hush even further as Prowl unexpectedly walked up to the Prime and whispered something to him, handing him the data pad as he did so.
A look of disbelief and rage slowly came over Sentinel Prime's face. Several moments passed, and during this time the data pad in his grip shattered. Prowl continued looking up at him, and finally Prime hesitantly met his gaze. Still looking down at Prowl, Prime made an announcement to the forum. "New evidence has been brought to light. The State will be withdrawing the charges against Orion of Iacon for now." He turned and stormed out of the forum, Prowl following after him.
Senator Xaaron was stunned for a moment before turning to Orion. "I think you're free to go." He nodded to a guard who marched over and disengaged the shackles from Orion's wrists.
Orion gave the senator a surprised smile. "Thank you Senator, I appreciate you stepping forward to help me."
"I didn't do anything, Orion Pax." Senator Xaaron chuckled.
"Huh, no, I'm not…"
"Yes you are!" Arlon approached them. "You may not be a noble until you reach the age of self determination fourteen and a half years from now, but you may take any name you wish, including that of a noble or royal house provided they give their permission." The bestial robot peered deeply into Orion's optics. "And I think I've made it clear that we want you to have our name. We want you to be a part of our house. In time, I see you as the Emir of the Torus Heights."
"In time, he may be more than that." A-Three said as he and Torenia approached them, Torenia shooting out and wrapping Orion in a tight embrace.
Arlon looked to A-Three. "Meaning?"
A-Three thought quietly for a moment before shaking his head. "Nothing. Never mind."
Mindwipe
"I hate cops." The dark, winged robot noted to his two comrades in the subterranean chamber they were in, all of them watching a large screen split into two scenes, one showing the security footage of a confrontation between a constable-in-training named Orion and five individuals outside a bar, the other showing the recently aborted trial of Orion in the Senate Forum. "But as much as I hate them, I hate high-borns even more. Northern high-borns especially." He chuckled. "Nice to see ol' Sentinel eating a rod."
"How the hell did this footage get out?" Another darkly colored robot asked him.
"Not sure, Bugly." The winged robot replied.
"My guess is the Autobots." The third member replied, a large robot with several slender bestial limbs protruding from his back. "They seem to hate high-borns as much as you do, Mindwipe."
"Nobody hates high-borns as much as I do, Shokaract." Mindwipe replied casually, but was startled as a buzz came from his wrist. He looked at the scrolling display on his wrist and then to his comrades. "The Torus Heights…polar region."
The other two excitedly sat upright and stared at him eagerly. Shokaract finally nodded his horrific looking head. "It's them. Answer it."
Mindwipe nodded and opened the channel. "Hello."
"Pleasant greetings, is this Mindwipe?" The weathered voice came through.
"It is. To whom am I speaking?" The winged robot replied.
"I am Kup, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Tartarun Gates." The voice replied. "I'm contacting you regarding your correspondence in which you indicated an interest in joining our order."
"Yes, I am very interested, Lord Commander." Mindwipe replied eagerly, smiling at his comrades.
"That's good to hear." Kup replied. "Tell me what you know of the order."
"Well, fifteen million years ago the planet was being overrun by an army of sparkeaters. The Knights of Cybertron arose from each of the emirates and raised the armies of the living to repel the sparkeaters north, to our planet's very pole, where an immeasurably deep pit existed. The Knights and their army pushed the remaining sparkeaters into the pit, sealed it numerous times and stationed the legendary guardian Omega Supreme there to stand eternally vigil. The Wardens were established a short time after that to aid the Guardian and protect the realms of the living from the horrors trapped within the pit." Mindwipe replied.
"That's a pretty good history lesson, and a better answer than I get from most prospective recruits." Kup replied. "But I want to make sure you recognized the commitment you will need to make. Each tour you commit to…"
"Lasts for an entire vorn, yes, I know." Mindwipe replied eagerly. "And upon initiation of that tour, I am to close all non-official contact and abandon all business or personal matters for the duration of my time as Warden."
"Correct." Kup answered. "It's a much larger commitment than that statement makes it sound. I just want to make sure you understand what you'd be getting yourself into."
"I understand, Lord Commander, and I still wish to serve and protect the land of the living from the horrors that dwell below." Mindwipe replied. "I am ready to take my place at your side."
"Alright then," Kup responded, a bit of surprise in his voice, "I will make ready your arrival. I look forward to meeting you, Mindwipe."
"I look forward to it as well, Lord Commander." Mindwipe grinned, and waited for the sound of Kup severing the connection before turning off his communicator. He then looked up at his comrades. "It is beginning, my brothers."
"Excellent!" Bugly announced. "We have been waiting for too long."
"Do they still call out to you, brother?" Shokaract asked.
Mindwipe nodded. "Yes, I hear their cries for freedom louder now than ever, as well as their vows to make us like them. To give us the power we crave; that we deserve."
"The power to consume the life of our enemies…" Bugly mused.
"Of our friends." Shokaract added.
"Of all living beings." Mindwipe continued. "We shall consume them all, we will rule over the non-living wasteland, and then spread our chaos throughout the galaxy.
Shokaract began chuckling. "It has finally begun."
Nightbeat
The Vikor was a vast, powerful warship. The Galactic Council referred to it as a peace-keeping craft, and it certainly went a long way toward keeping the peace, but the weapons at its disposal made it clear that it was fully capable of waging war like few other constructs in the galaxy. And it was just one of the 'peace-keeping' tools at the disposal of the Galactic Council. They were supremely powerful, they had little in the way of threats or opposition, and that was likely the main reason Nightbeat had such an easy time bypassing their security measures and gaining access to the Vikor. He slipped through the opened door, jacked into the control panel on the inside of the room to verify that his blocks to the security sensors were still in place, and then snuck over to the main computer terminal.
He jacked in and began sorting through the data. It was the most efficient filing system that he had ever come across, but the virtually limitless amount of data could make this take much longer than the amount of time he had at his disposal. But in all likelihood he would not be getting another chance at this, so he had to make it work. He sorted through different repositories of data, finding nothing before deciding that retracing N'che's steps might be a good start. Sifting through the recent files, he came across what his host had accessed earlier. A report, or rather, a warning from someone calling himself Alpha Trion of Cybertron. He then understood N'che's surprise at Alpha Trion's reported death occurring nine and a half million years before; this report was roughly one million years old. It was nearly contemporaneous with the launch and disappearance of The Manifest, and Nightbeat, being a detective, couldn't accept that this was a coincidence.
There were security blocks keeping him from the contents of the report, but it took him less than an hour to work his way through them. There were anti-duplication measures in place, and he was running short of time, so he would have to read it and hope he made it out to tell the tale. A moment later it popped up.
'Esteemed members of the Galactic Council,
I am Alpha Trion of Cybertron, a world that you have had virtually no contact with, but that you are very much aware of. I am contacting you to provide you with fair warning concerning a ship that launched from our world recently. The launch was successful, but there was an issue in the wormhole generation technology that landed the ship within the Benzuli Expanse, an anomaly that I am sure you are familiar with. While the placement of the ship within the expanse was such that it is intact, do not attempt a rescue effort. In all likelihood it would be futile, and were you to be successful, you might regret the attempt. The stated mission was one of exploration and diplomacy; I have compelling reason to believe that the ship's captain, Guardian Prime, had another agenda. Leave the craft where it lies, no good can come of devoting any of your attention to it.'
There it was. A contemporaneous document that all but confirmed Nightbeat's long held belief that the Manifest's mission had been sabotaged. Of course, he never would have guessed that someone claiming to be the long dead first Prime would claim responsibility, or that he would ward off scrutiny of other worldly organizations. But why would he sabotage the craft? Could his assertion that Guardian Prime was interested in more than just exploration be accurate, and if so, would that even justify such an act of sabotage and…Primicide? Only, the document claimed that the ship was intact within the Expanse, that while ill-advised, a rescue mission was possible. Or rather, might have been possible a million years ago. But if he had the resources to direct the ship into the Benzuli Expanse, then he would have had the resources to just have the ship blow up, killing them all immediately as opposed to a slow starvation.
The Matrix. Of course, Nightbeat thought as he quietly made his way out of the room. Regardless of whether it was the real Alpha Trion or not, there were many reasons why someone would not want the Matrix obliterated. Which could also play a role into why he would throw the Galactic Council off the path of any sort of investigation or rescue mission. All they would need to do is wait for those on board to expire, and then...somehow get aboard the ship and retrieve the Matrix.
Nightbeat cut through the hallways, avoiding the occasional sentry and finally made his way back to his ship, slipped inside and relaxed. "Hello Prime," Nightbeat quietly practiced what he was going to say to his leader, "the good news is that I found the Manifest. The bad news is that as of a million years ago it was trapped within a completely inaccessible and thus far unquantifiable phenomenon in deep within the galaxy and even were the crew still alive, they and the ship are completely inaccessible; including the Matrix, which you want more than your kinsman because you're a greedy slag who wants nothing more than to completely cement your position as Prime by sticking that trinket in your chest. Oh, and to top it all off, they were all murdered by the first Prime…eight and a half million years after he died." Nightbeat slunk into the seat in his cockpit and prepared to power down for a few hours. "Yeah, really looking forward to reporting this. Prime'll be thrilled."
Sentinel Prime
"Can we discredit the footage?" Prime snapped as he and Prowl marched down the hall toward his quarters, or at least his quarters while he was in Cybertropolis.
"I don't believe so sir." Prowl replied. "We can certainly try, but by this point the majority of the population is already convinced that the footage is authentic."
"I don't care about the slagging rabble!" Prime growled.
"Well, I don't see it working with the nobility either, Prime." Prowl explained. "You see, most of them know Lucox, and well," Prowl hesitated slightly, not out of fear, just trying to phrase it correctly, but then giving up in that attempt, "let's just say everything in that footage screams Lucox."
"Careful, Prowl." Sentinel grumbled ominously. The statement prompted Prowl to stop dead in his tracks. Sentinel stopped and stared back at him. "What are you doing?"
"Why did you select me?" Prowl asked, a hint of venom in his voice. Sentinel Prime considered the question for a moment and then turned his face as he realized where Prowl was going. "You picked me because I will give it to you straight. I will always give you the honest truth. I'll try to be respectful and all that, but sometimes, like in this situation with Lucox, there's just no way to completely polish a turd." The smaller robot continued looking up at his leader, but his tone softened. "Frankly sir, according to the law, Orion did everything correctly. He was justified in every way, and Lucox, well, he should be sitting in a cell right now."
Sentinel turned back and glared at Prowl. "I know how Lucox is, damnit. And you're right, there's no getting the polishing cream back in the tube with that footage, but don't ever, EVER defend that upstart little shit Orion. Do you understand?"
"Clearly sir." Prowl replied.
Prime looked down at the ground in frustration. "How does he even exist?"
Prowl pulled out a data pad and activated it, swiping through data until he got to the medical report. "Not sure sir, but they've collected samples from the island, they've compared them thoroughly against his scans, and yeah, he appears to be made of the dense metal native to Avalonius."
"But how?" Sentinel growled. "It can't sustain a spark."
"They're theorizing that enough power was generated by his spark to create his frame." Prowl looked puzzled until he scrolled to the next page. "Ah, ignis superius, though even that doesn't fully explain it."
"Igna, what?" Prime asked.
"Green spark." Prowl replied, his focus still on the report.
"Of slagging course!" Prime bellowed and marched back toward his chambers, barking back at Prowl as he went. "Go find out how that footage got out of Iacon!"
"Yes sir." Prowl replied, turning and heading back down the hall.
Sentinel Prime finally reached his door, and turned into his room as it slid open for him. "Open a secure line and wipe record of transmission once the conversation has been ended."
"Yes Prime." The feminine automated voice replied. "Contact code?"
"Lockdown, code ROTF-09." Prime replied as he sat down and looked out the window in his dimly lit quarters.
"Cancel that call." A voice from the corner ordered.
"Yes Prime." The automated voice replied and did as instructed.
Sentinel Prime lurched up to his feet and turned to face the individual in the shadows. "Who the hell are you? Do you know what I'll do to you?" The form stepped out of the shadow so that Sentinel Prime could look upon his face. "I know you, you were sitting next to Torenia Pax in the forum today! Oh, if the Pax's want a war…"
"The Pax's have no idea I'm here." A-Three interrupted.
"How did you get in here?" Prime snarled, standing menacingly in an attempt to intimidate the smaller robot.
"I helped design this room." A-Three replied, apparently oblivious to the implied threat coming from the Prime. He walked across the room and peered out the window over Cybertropolis. "This entire building actually. Truth be told, much of this city was built per my designs."
"I see." Sentinel replied slowly. "A lunatic has somehow managed to get into my room. Great."
"Come now, Sentinel Honorum, would a lunatic really be able to bypass all of the security that you've put in place here and wait for you in your own room?" A-Three posed.
"You can enlighten us on our security failings from a cell." Prime replied. "I genuinely am looking forward to hearing that, I assure you."
"Well, before we get to that point, perhaps I should let you know why I'm visiting you." A-Three countered as he took a seat adjacent to the large chair that was Sentinel's, and Zeta's before him, and Guardian's before him. "It wasn't just to interrupt your call to your assassin."
"Lockdown is a bounty hunter!" A defensive Sentinel snapped.
"Lockdown is whatever he's paid to be." A-Three countered calmly. "And as Orion Pax is not wanted on any charges, I can only assume you were employing Lockdown to have him killed."
"Believe it or not, you crazy old fool, Orion, and it's just Orion, is barely a speck on the mountain of things I have to deal with." Prime snarled.
"It's Orion Pax." A-Three replied. "He may not be able to accept the rights and entitlements that go with the name, but he can, and has, accepted the name itself. And I know you have a great many other things to concern yourself with, but you are most definitely focused on Orion. And it has little if anything to do with the perceived slight against your house anymore. No, you made the same connection regarding the boy that I did."
Sentinel's optics widened, but he retained an otherwise surprise-free face. "And what connection is that?"
A-Three studied Sentinel's optics for several moments. "I didn't think he told you. After all, you were so young when he went missing, and even if he told you, I would have doubted that you would remember. But at seeing the panic, the absolute terror at the realization that suddenly came over you in the forum a few hours ago, I knew. Gallus told you what I told him, and you believed that the reasons he and I felt the prophecy fit him applied every bit as much to you. And why not? It seemed reasonable, you emerged from the same pit he did, one that was deep within Iacon, barren at the time of the prophecy, you enjoy hunting even more than he did, you are a great warrior, and your life-long dedication to law enforcement could be interpreted as a quest for peace. So I can see why you felt you were the Prime who was promised. And I saw the devastation that went through you as you realized that another better fit the prophecy. That another fit," A-Three looked up at the ceiling and a euphoric smile spread across his face, "perfectly."
"I have no idea of what you're talking about." Sentinel growled unconvincingly.
"Really?" A-Three asked, a smirk on his face. "Please, I am not recording this conversation, and no other living soul has any knowledge of this prophecy. Let us drop the charade and speak honestly."
"Fine," Sentinel grumbled as he took his seat, his throne, "let's start with who you are."
A-Three nodded. "That is fair. I have gone by many names in the more than twelve million years I have been alive. The name I have gone by for the last million years is A-three, the name I gave Gallus when we met nearly eight million years ago was Atrium of Crystal City. For the roughly one and a half million years prior to that I bounced through names quite frequently in an attempt to hide who I was. You see, the world believed I had been killed in a horrific battle with Deathsaurus, my second with that monster, and I let them. I had long been weary of leadership, my connection to the Matrix was a tremendous burden that I rejected once before and only accepted again when it was absolutely necessary. So, when I awoke, an unidentifiable husk of a frame in a battlefield hospital, and heard that my forces recovered the Matrix from Deathsaurus's palace, and that Nova Onyx had shown an affinity for it, I quietly rejoiced and set out to live a life of anonymity. It was during my life as Atrium that events once again forced me into action; another southern warlord, this one from Polyhex, had once again risen and killed the Prime, taking the Matrix back to his stronghold. I was on the cusp of revealing myself and reclaiming leadership again when I met Gallus Honorum, and knew he was worthy. I knew that he was not only worthy, but to the very core of my spark I believed him to be the Prime who was promised, the Prime the prophecy foretold. It was he who would light our darkest hour."
A sadness seemed to come over A-Three as Sentinel Prime just stared at him, his face a mixture of awe and skepticism, but beckoning the old robot to continue the tale. "And he did. Our forces battled those of Galvatron for…well, for a very long time. Millions were killed, but we finally turned the tide, gained the offensive, and Gallus led our forces deep into Polyhex, took Galvatron's fortress at Kolkular where he was keeping the Matrix, still slick with Prime Nova's fluids, and all my hopes seemed to be realized as Gallus took the Matrix, and it transformed him, enhanced him, turned him into Guardian Prime." A-Three looked up at Sentinel Prime and smiled sadly. "And he was everything I hoped he would be, winning battles, negotiating a just and lasting peace for the entire planet, making enemies friends and creating a government that, at least in theory, would represent all. But you know all that. What you asked was who I am. Well, the name I was born with was Alpha Trion, as I connected with the Matrix that name changed to Primon. Hopefully that answers the question that you asked."
"It is a fantastic tale, old one, but I do not believe it." Sentinel replied with a hint of uncertainty in his voice.
A-Three smiled and looked up toward the ceiling. "Increase illumination settings."
"Yes Prime." The feminine automated voice replied, and the dim room became brighter.
"You are clearly familiar with this room and adept at manipulating the settings, but that doesn't make you Primon!" Sentinel growled as he leaned forward a bit.
"Fine, I have answered your question fully and honestly, I cannot force you to believe me." A-Three replied, leaning forward a bit as well. "But know there are methods out there that can confirm my identity, and should anything happen to Orion Pax, I will reveal myself to the world and challenge your position as Prime."
Sentinel laughed, though the laugh was clearly forced and devoid of amusement. "Some fool declaring himself to be Primon the Abdicator, revealing himself to be alive after nine and a half million years?" Prime's face took a stern look and he leaned back. "Even if you were who you claim, why would they want some coward renowned for avoiding the responsibility of leadership."
A-Three smiled. "I was chosen by the Matrix, you never were."
Sentinel Prime's face displayed even more agitation, but another forced smile took shape. "That may change soon enough."
The first Prime stared at the current leader, at a loss for words for the first time in the conversation. He finally found his voice. "What do you mean by that?"
"I will find the Manifest." Sentinel growled quietly. "I will intern Gallus with the highest honors, I will claim the Matrix, and neither you nor that upstart island-born commoner will every lay optics on it."
A-Three leaned back and shrugged. "I wish you luck in your quest, so long as you are no threat to Orion or any other member of House Pax. If you are, well, the planet will have to decide between following a Prime chosen by the Matrix or one chosen by the Senate. And even if you were to be holding the Matrix, it would be clear that you possessed no affinity for it."
Sentinel Prime glared at his uninvited guest. "What makes you so sure? Am I not all that Gallus was?"
"No." A-Three replied, his face devoid of expression. "Not even close. And Gallus, even at his most noble and pure, was no Orion Pax."
"Enough!" Sentinel Prime lurched to his feet and roared. "I am graciously tolerating your referring to him as a Pax, even though he's just a low-born slab of ore, but to insinuate that he's worthy to be a Prime is enough to make be beat you senseless. To claim he's greater than Gallus Honorum? I should pull your ancient head off and shove it up your ancient ass!" A smile came over his face as he glared down at the seated Primon the Abdicator. "In fact, there are many reasons why I should do that, and nothing that can prevent me from doing it."
A-Three sighed and pulled a small disk from a compartment on his wrist. "I was hoping this wouldn't be necessary, but I knew that it would be." With that A-Three flicked the disk onto Sentinel Prime's broad chest. Sentinel Prime looked down at it just as it emitted a buzz and his body went limp, forcing him to collapse heavily to the floor. "I was genuinely expecting you to rise up and conduct yourself as a Prime, not as a spoiled entitled shit, but apparently my expectations were too high." A-Three stood up and walked to stand over Sentinel Prime. "Just so we're clear, as long as you refrain from acting against Orion or any other member of House Pax, I will remain in the shadows, making no claim to the title of Prime. If you do act against them I will see to it that all you hold dear is stripped from you, and that your legacy will be one of shame and corruption. And, should I deem it necessary, I will kill you. You wouldn't be the first…" A-Three paused and thought before continuing, "corrupt leader that I have been forced to kill. Choose your actions carefully, and should you prove to be a good and noble leader, you shall never feel friction from me again." The intruder turned and started walking toward the door. "As for your current condition, the device will burn itself out in ten minutes, you'll be back to normal after that." Sentinel Prime tried to struggle, but he was completely immobile, and all he could do was listen to his door open and shut.
Orion Pax
"As of now you remain a Constabulary Trainee and Academy Remote-Cadet in good standing." Prowl said, his face on the view screen that Orion was looking at. "Given the circumstances though, you'll likely be relocated out of Iacon."
"That's good to hear." Orion replied "Both my status and the prospect of being transferred. Where will I be going? Cybertropolis?"
"That hasn't been decided yet." Prowl replied, his face took on a slightly pained expression. "Look Orion, I'm sorry that all this has happened. I can't help but feel partially responsible for this, it was my interest in you that brought you to Iacon in the first place."
"Don't apologize Prowl, you had good intentions." Orion replied.
"Yeah, well, it's over now I guess." Prowl replied. "But Orion, you need to accept the way things are. Perhaps now with your name you might be given more leeway, and when you reach the age of self determination your membership in a royal house will certainly make you less vulnerable than you are now, but the status quo has existed for millions and millions of years, only Omega Supreme is old enough to remember a time without the royal houses, and even the nobility pre-dates him."
"I don't care how old something is or how established certain traditions are, Prowl," Orion replied, "if it's unjust, it must be changed."
Prowl chuckled. "Then unfortunately you'll likely be replaying the events of today repeatedly throughout your life, only you won't have the Autobots there to save your ass. Even if your luck holds up, it'll be an uphill battle to say the least."
Orion nodded. "I understand and accept that."
Prowl smiled and shook his head. "You're a gutsy kid, Pax, but for the foreseeable future I would suggest keeping your head down and letting this blow over."
Orion smiled. "I'll genuinely try to do that, sir, I just hope the situations I find myself in allow me to do so."
"Primus protect us from goofy, idealistic kids." Prowl chuckled. "Good luck Pax, I'll let you know when your assignment comes in."
"Thank you sir."
"Prowl out." The screen went black.
Orion switched off the computer screen and leaned back in his chair, the open door to his room behind him. "You're a lot quieter than you used to be."
A-Three walked into the room, a smile on his face. "I may have upped by stealth game since your time at Tyger Pax, but believe me, I am nothing compared to what I used to be."
Orion swiveled around in his chair, a broad smile on his face. "I'm glad you stopped by. Arlon and Torenia just left about fifteen minutes ago."
"I'll have plenty of time to talk with them on the trip home." A-Three replied in good humor as he found a seat on Orion's dormancy slab. "You always are at a loss for space."
Orion chuckled. "It suits me. I really don't have much in the way of stuff."
A-Three chuckled as well. "I suppose that's true. It's funny though, I was just in a room that's probably better suited for you, stuff or no stuff."
Orion gave a quizzical look, but just shrugged. "I'm fine with here for now. Actually, I might be here for awhile. I'll likely be transferring out of Iacon, and I may wind up here in Cybertropolis full time."
The older robot looked at Orion intently. "You showed tremendous bravery and integrity in Iacon. You knew things were going to be bad if you did the right thing, and you did it anyway."
"Of course," Orion replied with absolute sincerity, "it was the right thing."
A-Three gave a chuckle that did little to hide the pride he felt in the youth. "Such a Pax."
Orion nervously looked down. "I hope I live up to the name."
"You're certainly on the right track." The old robot replied. "Though it's possible that you may have a different name someday."
"What do you mean by that?" The large red and blue robot asked.
A-Three looked intently at the police cadet for several moments before posing a question. "Orion, if you could know something about what your future holds, would you want to know it?"
Orion thought on this for several moments. "Would this knowledge save lives or prevent injury?"
"No." A-Three replied. "Nothing specific enough for you to truly act upon. Just a general prediction on your future greatness, malevolence, a title or titles you may hold, or possibly achievements."
Orion thought quietly for a few more moments. "No. I'd rather not know. Not if it's not something I can take action on to prevent a tragedy."
A-Three nodded. "That's the right answer." He pondered quietly for a moment. "Something that differentiates you from him."
"Sir?"
The older bot smiled. "Nothing."
Orion looked down. "Sir, Lord Arlon knows that I'm fine without being a noble, right?"
"Yes, he knows you'll be fine no matter what social strata you find yourself in. Why?"
"This isn't some sort of charity, is it?" The youth asked earnestly.
The question caused A-Three to laugh loudly. "Charity? Boy, you're humility has got to stop overpowering your sense." He leaned forward and grabbed the youngster's shoulder, and easy task in the small room. "I have more respect for House Pax than for any other House or organization on the planet, including the one from which I originate, their standards could not be too high, they are the ones we should all look to for an example, and Orion, having you there makes them vastly better than they were. Part of me hopes that someday you recognize how truly great you are," the older robot looked away, "and part of me hopes you never do."
Orion nodded and considered that for a bit before looking deeply into A-Three's optics. "I appreciate that sir, and I am beyond proud to take their name. But," he paused, "but I think it would be wrong for me to accept membership to their house. Not out of any sense of humility, and certainly not out of any disrespect to House Pax, but because I feel that any sort of enhanced citizenship based on location of birth to be, well, unjust."
A-Three stared at him for nearly a minute before rising to his feet. "You're definitely him."
"I'm definitely who?" Orion asked, completely bewildered.
A-Three smiled. "Orion Pax." The older bot took a few steps to the door. "You have a birthright, Orion, I just need to retrieve it for you."
"Sir, I have no idea…" a beeping at the small console on the wall drew Orion's attention. "Excuse me sir, this might be important." Orion switched on the screen to see Prowl again. "Hello Prowl, was there something we forgot to cover?"
"No, we didn't forget anything," Prowl replied, a look of frustration on his face, "your orders have come through."
"Wow that was quick." Orion excitedly replied, while A-Three nervously listened off to the side.
"You're being transferred to Rodion." Prowl read matter of factly, his optics avoiding those of Orion.
"Rodion?" Orion questioned. "That's in Polyhex."
"No!" A-Three blurted out and positioned himself before the screen. "Tell your master that this will not stand!"
"Who are…you're the Tyger Pax polyhistor." Prowl stated.
"Sentinel Prime knows very well who I am!" A-Three snapped back. "Tell him that his attempts to get this boy killed will have repercussions!"
"I'll let him know." Prowl replied, both annoyed and filled with guilt. "Prowl out." The screen went black.
A-Three looked down at the seated Orion. "We'll do our best to get you out of that snake pit, but until we do, keep yourself safe."
Orion nodded. "I'll do my best, sir."
