Chapter 13 – The New Recruit

Starscream hovers over the massive robot Skyfire, a few of the robot's chest panels are open as the Decepticon commander uses his scientific knowledge to repair the large robot. Watching his work carefully, Megatron stands at the back of the room and taps his hand on the side of his leg.

"Well Starscream? Will this friend of yours live again?"

Starscream gives a sigh as he places the panels back on again.

"Some of the circuits were fried, but I believe he will reactivate."

Megatron smiles and approaches the table where the massive robot lies.

"Excellent. A new recruit into our Decepticon army."

"Not quite Megatron." Starscream interjects. "Skyfire was once a scientist of Cybertron, much like I was before the war. He was loyal to no faction. He left our world just as the Decepticons began the strike against Iacon citadel…he felt a war was an un-necessary need and sought to seek out the origins of our species."

"An intellect is he?" Megatron says with disappointment. "Another self proclaimed 'Origin theorist', marvelous…"

Starscream becomes lost in thought as he rubs his chin and continues to talk of his friend.

"He's an idealist mainly. He was always trying to convince me and the others on the science council that our species should be rid of our faction emblems. He always felt they were a reminder of the past, of which he believes is that we were once slaves of another race of beings. Naturally the council disagreed on his theory, there was no proof that Cybertron ever was occupied by another race in our history records."

"With the many wars of our past…" Megatron now adds. "Information like that would have been lost millennia ago. Besides, who cares about the past…Decepticons only look towards the future and beyond."

Starscream leans over and closes the large robot's chest and steps back wiping his hands.

"That should do it. He should be coming online at any second."

Megatron stares at the massive robot with a greedy smile. A few clicks within the massive being and the sound of a high-pitched whine of the power, the giant transformer awakens as his red eyes flash with energy again. A slow sound of his voice groaning gives both Decepticons a moment of pride as they realize they've brought him back to life.

"Where…" Skyfire says as he stirs awake. "Where am I?"

"You're on a planet called Earth." Starscream responds to him.

"That voice…" Skyfire rises up off the table and glances over to him. "I know that voice…"

"Welcome back to the land of the living my friend."

"Starscream? Starscream is that you?" He suddenly smiles and hops off of the metal table with joy. "It is you! Starscream, my friend!"

The massive robot runs over and gives Starscream a huge hug, unknown to him; the overjoyed hug was crushing the jet commander.

"Uhh…ackk." Starscream sputters. "Skyfire! Let go of me immediately!"

Skyfire lets out a deep booming laugh at him and ends the embrace.

"Still the same ol' Starscream. You never did like displays of emotion. How did you find me? More importantly…how did you get here? Earth did you say?"

Starscream brushes himself off as if he's been wrinkled and clears his throat.

"Yes…it's a long story, we crashed here a long time ago much as you did, but we'll go into that later. I want to introduce you to someone."

Megatron now steps in closer as Skyfire suddenly notices him there.

"This is Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons."

Megatron smirks as he stretches out his hand in friendship. Skyfire looks a bit hesitant to shake his hand, but soon gets a comforting nod from Starscream as if to get his approval to do so.

"Decepticons? A faction group much like the Autobots…I see nothing has changed in my absence."

The Decepticon leader now paces around him to eye this new potential recruit.

"Factions are what defines us Skyfire. But yes, you're right…nothing has changed. At least…not yet anyway. The Cybertronian War continues to this day, but with your help, we might just be that much closer to ending it."

"My help?" Skyfire recoils suddenly. "I don't understand what you mean."

"To aid the Decepticons of course. You may not know this, but the war still rages on to this day. The Autobots are our greatest nemesis and are trying to destroy all that we've accomplished." Megatron smiles as he steps back in front of Skyfire. "A warrior like you would do well in our…faction."

"I…I can not help." The massive transformer says backing away from them both. "I'm not a warrior…I'm just a scientist."

"So was I before the war my friend." Starscream quickly responds. "But all things change in time. You left Cybertron just when we needed you most."

"Yes, do tell me." Megatron now adds as he strokes his chin and glares at the sizable robot. "I find it curious that you left our world when it was in a time of great crisis."

Skyfire sighs and tilts his head back as he becomes lost in thought.

"As I said, I was a scientist. On Cybertron, before the war, I had made some significant findings that might implicate that our species was once enslaved by another during our origins. I tried to get permission from the Science Council to let me leave so that I might go and seek out the answers in deep space. But they of course denied me and found my research to be rather flawed. Starscream tried to convince the others to let me go, but they also denied his request and even stripped him of his seat on the council for supporting my wild theories."

Megatron looks at the air commander. "Is this so?"

"Yes." Starscream nods in frustration. "I stood up for a colleague and they took away my position on the council. The Council was always trying to find a way to remove me; there wasn't anything against me to do it…until I supported Skyfire. Fools that they were…I told them they would regret that day."

"I'm sorry for that my friend." Skyfire says lowering his eyes. "But after that incident and the talk of a new war on the verge of beginning, I had to flee Cybertron. I wanted to find my answers out in the stars and not on our world struggling against each other."

Megatron keeps his eyes locked onto the giant robot and begins to scowl.

"So…you are a coward."

Skyfire quickly looks up after his harsh words.

"I am no coward! I chose not to fight! I am a Cybertronian scientist…not a warrior."

"So you keep professing." Megatron scoffs. "But if you truly were a loyal subject of Cybertron you would have joined the battle to end the conflict once and for all. You may keep telling yourself you were only doing what was right…but in the end you betrayed your own kind by turning your back on them all."

"Not True!" The giant robot shakes his head.

"It is true." Starscream growls at him shaking his finger at him. "You and I could have been there together fighting back to back. But instead you left; after all I did to defend you, after the great sacrifice I took because I believed in you…wasn't I your best friend? You're only friend? Why did you leave our world when you knew what was about to happen?"

"Starscream…" Skyfire whispers in disgrace. "I…I couldn't face what was coming. The war meant set backs and I couldn't have that happen. I needed to find the answers to my theories, so I went into deep space to search for them. It was the only way I could prove myself to the Council…and to you my friend. But it had to be done."

"Don't kid yourself Skyfire…" Megatron continues. "To this day you are still regretting that action deep inside yourself. Our world is burnt out and on the verge of death itself. One more soldier could have been the difference that turned the tide, you could have been the one that helped to bring about the end to the conflict."

Starscream nods in agreement. "The Decepticons could have won by now…all they needed was another soldier…another scientist like you. Working together to end the Autobots tyranny and bring about a new world order…a lasting peace for all time."

"Did you hear the voices of the many that died in this war while you were out there in the stars?" Megatron stares at him intensely. "Could you not hear the millions of Cybertronians shouting your name to help them as you traveled through deep space? Don't you feel ashamed that while our planet was engulfed in flames, you were out cruising the galaxy for you so called theory?"

Skyfire broke down and dropped to the floor on his knees. If tears could pour of his eyes, they would have streaming down his face. The giant was quivering and holding his face in sorrow.

"Yes!" He shouted back in a sad voice. "I do regret that decision long ago. But I was no fighter, I wasn't someone who could kill another…I am no murderer. To fight or flee was my only option….and I took the one that seemed right to me at the time."

Standing back up and gazing up at the ceiling, Skyfire calmed down and gave a sigh.

"I did hear the voices…calling to me in the darkness of space. I could almost hear them begging me to return and save them. My research gave me no comfort as years dragged on, in my mind I thought of our people embroiled in a savage battle with one another and it made me wonder if I could have helped them some way…some how. I was a scientist…I could have used my knowledge to end the war, what a fool I was to leave."

Starscream stood beside his contemplative friend and put his hand on his shoulder.

"All is not lost my friend. You have a second chance to redeem yourself and to aid our people."

"Yes." Megatron now smirks. "You have returned to help you fellow Cybertronians once again just when they need your help the most. Join with us…and peace will follow. I promise you. The Decepticons will welcome you as our own and strengthen our forces."

Looking at both Starscream and Megatron, Skyfire gives in to their combined persuasion and nods reluctantly.

"Yes. It is time for me to stop running away from the problems and do my duty to help our planet. I will serve under the Decepticons…but what is the difference between you and the Autobots? Why are you at war with them?"

Megatron smiles and gives a slow chuckle under his breath.

"Let me start at the beginning and tell you about all the evil they have done."