"Optimus," the black Decepticon jet bound in chains, and resting in the dirt floor of the barn, stared up at his warden. "I have told you all I know. Now I ask that you have mercy on her. You know as well as I the extent to which the humans would be willing to travel in order to advance their own technology. It would be considered a necessary evil, and in light of the atrocities she is eledged to have commited, it would seem a fitting end in their minds. Her life sacrificed to save others of her kind. But she is a living being. She should be allowed to live, given the chance for repentance and even redemption."

The tall blue and red Autobot leader bowed his head in thought. He had dismissed the others, Jazz and Ironhide dragging a protesting Bumblebee out of the barn into the morning light. Optimus had knew well the details of the yellow scout's handling and mistreatment by the sector seven personel--Ratchet even taking the time to point out every bit of miniscule damage done to their faithful spy. He resented it, as did all the Earth bound Autobots, but sector seven, he had been repeatedly assured was no longer in operation.

However, if the humans could spawn one such group, could this greedy seed still blossom in other manifestations? The cyborg herself had stated that it was not sector seven, nor groups like it, that she so feared, but rather the scientific community in general. Would the trusted United States military so willingly hand her over from imprisonment to a cruel death at the hands of malevolent scientists? Was there a line that they wouldn't cross and where exactly was it drawn? Was it worth the risk? But who was he to pass judgement on the life of a human?

On the other hand, she had participated in the battles against his own men on Cybertron. She had been spying on them as well as thier human allies. She even bore the mark of the Decepticons and called herself by that very allegiance. Her crimes and atrocities committed were also against his own people on his own planet. Didn't that warrant action on his part, justice for his own? According to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice--the U.S. military's own law book--crimes committed on foreign soil would be judged by the governing bodies of that land first and the U.S. second. In that case, it was his decision alone as to who would control her fate. He was, after all, the one remaining governing body of Cybertron.

"I have a proposal, Optimus Prime." The deep voice snapped Optimus out of his thoughts; he lifted his head to gaze steadily at the chained prisoner still seated on the ground. "You need to destroy both bridges at the same time for the best tactical devistation to the Decepticons. If you were to send a team across the bridge they could do just that. But any Autobots sent through that bridge would be identified before their forms solidified on the other side. They would be deactivated immediately."

Optimus nodded, he could see where this was going, but he let the large mech continue without a word.

"If I were to cross the bridge, I would be questioned, but not destroyed. I could bring an Autobot task force with me under the guise of 'prisoners for the arena' or some other such brutality. It could be arranged for another Autobot team to be waiting in the holding cells in the Decepticon Command Center. We would rendevu with them restoring their armament and together fighting our way out. It would be the sneak attack that Starscream would never see coming. The last thing he expects is my betrayal."

"That's quite a risk."

"With what's at steak, do you have a better plan?"

"No." Optimus's head hung at the admission. "I would have to run this idea of yours past my tacticians. There is also the question of trust. How do we know you wouldn't turn on us once inside the security of the Decepticon headquaters?"

The black mech frowned. "I'm afraid I have run out of guaruntees to offer. You hold us completely at your mercy." He turned his head and heaved a heavy sigh. "I had promised the little one that we would deliver the information you needed to save her world... and then we would leave."

"Leave Earth?" Optimus questioned, suprised.

"Leave the war. Neither of us wants to fight for either side. We both want peace, whatever the price."

"So do I," the great leader whispered, his sad optics downturned.

It was at this moment, Jazz's voice tenatively called through the thin wooden door of the barn in which prisoner and leader tarried. "Optimus? We got a situation back at base. I need ta go sort it out. Wheeljack's latest experiment went the usual way, and damaged part of the med bay. Ratchet says he's gonna do somethin' to Wheeljack that defies all logic, an' I feel th' need for an intervention! If he's able, I'll send Wheeljack out to take my guard shift--that is... if Ratchet don' get hold a'him first!"

Optimus chuckled, "Alright, Jazz. I think I'll head back with you, I have something I want to discuss. Ironhide and Bumblebee can handle things here for a while."


"You did WHAT?!" Natty yelled furiously at nothing anyone could see. Ironhide and Bumblebee were dumbfounded. She was sitting in the back corner of the cage, bawling and unbawling her fists with an occasional pound to the floor of her prison. With her face turned away from them, she looked much like a lunatic having a screaming match with an imagined demon. The alarmed mechs stared warily with wide optics as she ranted on. "You know, I can understand why you would want to return to Cybertron, since that's where you're from and all, but WHY THE HELL would you VOLUNTEER to land right in the middle of the DECEPTICON COMMAND CENTER?! And WHAT IN GOD'S GREEN EARTH AND PRIMUS FORSAKEN CYBERTRON gave you the idea to include ME in this insanity?!" The two Autobot guards exchanged confused looks.

Why does Cybertron have to be "Primus forsaken?" Skyfire answered in her thoughts.

"Because Primus's silver Cybertron didn't come to mind right away! ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

Little one, I need you to do this. We need to do this. They will never succeed without us.

"Fuck that. Fuck YOU for that matter! What the HELL are you thinking? Landing us BOTH in the middle of Decepticon territory with not a CHANCE... IN... HELL... to get out of there ALIVE!"

Is "hell" your curse of choice today, or are you using it to make a point?

"EAT ME, YOU CYBERTRONIAN SON OF A BITCH!"

A most unsatisfying meal. You would likely disagree with my distributions systems.

"AHHHHHHH!" Natty screeched furiously, her face turning crimson with rage.

"Natty, are you okay?" Bumblebee asked cautiously.

"What?!"

"You seem... a... little... "

"Psychotic," Ironhide cut in bluntly.

Bumblebee gave him a sidelong glance, "... off. You were... talking to yourself."

"No, she was screaming to herself!"

Natty tapped the side of her head, grimacing as the sound of the laughter that surged through her head softly echoed out of the barn. Laugh it up, ass, she shot back at her half brother.To the bewildered Autobots she offered only, "Skyfire," as explaination.

"Oh," understanding flickered in Bumblebee's optics, but Ironhide was more perplexed. "She can hear him," the yellow mech waved a hand at his head, "in here. They have a connection." Turning his attention back to the prisoner, "What did he say that has you so... upset?"

"Ever the tactful one are you?" she snipped, "He's talking out his ass! Wants me to go back to Cybertron with him. Idiot. Suicidal MORON!" she yelled toward the barn. "And you've been spawned by one of Starscream's more inane moments of stupidity if you think for one moment that I'm gonna go along with this!"

Harsh. She could feel Skyfire's smirk in the tone of their link.

"Ouch." The yellow scout winced at her vehemency. "How, exactly, would you be getting back to Cybertron in the first place?"

"Oh, the brilliant tactician in there wants to lead an attack directly into the Decepticon Command Headquarters itself via the space bridge."

Both mechs stared in suprise.

"Yeah, exactly. That's what I said," she gestured one hand helplessly. With a sudden urge to change the subject she asked, "Who's this Wheeljack character, and what does it mean when someone says his 'experiment went the usual way?' "


It was a changing of the guard in a way. Ironhide took Captain Lennox to work at the Autobot's base, and Bumblebee was out with his own charges Sam and Mikeala. In their place two new faces studied the small prisoner in her cage hung from a high branch in the old tree.