Duty and Deceit

Chapter 20

Unmarked

She had just finished her shift. She had read the memo saying that there was a new commander in Kaon. He had apparently just transferred from a long term, top-secret mission in Kolkular.

Yes, she had read the memo; but did she pay much attention to it? No. They got memos like that all the time. So naturally, she didn't read it thoroughly, and missed the rather important note in small lettering at the bottom, which stated just who he actually was.

As usual, the corridors were mostly empty with only a few mechs and femmes passing by occasionally. She walked with determination towards the huge jet she knew was Skyquake.

He would always wait for her to come in from her shift so that he could take his fuel with her. At first, he had tried to pretend that he only sat with her because she was at his usual table – which she was – but after a while, she experimented with her suspicions.

She sat at a different table. It was a simple experiment really, but it worked. Skyquake had gone straight to the table she was at, his own table forgotten. After that, a silent agreement was made and they both would wait for the other so that they could share their breaks.

When she reached the mech, she was slightly puzzled by his new paint job, but didn't think too much of it. After all, just last orn she'd done the same. Walking up to him, she laid her hand lightly on his arm. She also lowered her usually ever-present battle mask. She always kept it down around Skyquake; no one else.

"Hey mech. Sorry I'm a little late, Shift wanted me to help him with the filing. Ready for your Energon? I assume you want a little bit of copper in it as usual?"

Skyquake ignored her, but she was used to his silence in public. He didn't like to act himself around others; there was an impenetrable wall that only a select few could get past. She was one of those few, but he still rarely opened up in public areas.

When he didn't move to one of the tables though, she got a little worried. The little femme brought two cubes of Energon with copper flakes in his and silver in her own over to where Skyquake was standing and passed him his Energon, lowering her mask again as she did so.

"So... What's with the new paint job? I personally liked the old one better." She commented, looking him over critically.

"You will address me with the proper respect, femme. And my paint job has not been altered."

"Is this one of your jokes? Have I just completely missed it?" She asked smiling. It wouldn't be the first time she didn't get one of his jokes. She didn't miss it often, but occasionally his humor would just fly over her head.

The mech continued to work on his datapad, sipping at the Energon she'd brought him. Normally he didn't ignore her quite so obviously. Normally he would try to ignore her, and she would just know that he really was listening, but this time… Skyquake was just flat out ignoring her.

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Really Skyquake? Cut it out, the joke's not funny anymore." A hint of annoyance tinged her voice.

"I am not Skyquake." He stated blandly, still tapping away on the pad.

Terabyte laughed softly and examined the jet closely. She grinned up at the towering mech. At her tallest, she only stood a foot above his waist. "Right... New paint job, new persona? Still, you've had your laugh, now cut it out already."

The jet finally looked up at her with cold optics. The color was just slightly... off... "Specialist Terabyte! If you do not address me properly and continue such improper pestering of your superiors, I shall call security to escort you to the brig until you've learned. Understood?"

Her mouth hung in a silently whispered 'Oh' as the dark-colored spy tried to process that. Golden optics blinked several times before she recovered slightly. Her battle mask snapped into place faster than ever before as realization struck her like an anvil.

"You really aren't Skyquake, are you?" She asked quietly as she considered all the possible consequences of her mistake. "Sir."

He shook his blue and gold helm firmly. "I am Dreadwing. Skyquake is my brother."

She frowned minutely. Skyquake never mentioned that he had a twin. That was a rather important piece of information to neglect telling her... "Yes sir. My apologies sir, I will just... um... go now."

Still clutching her Energon cube, the two-wheeler very nearly ran back to her lab. She checked in for work half a groon early, her break all but forgotten.

Terabyte paced back and forth in the hallway, glad to have a fully functioning sensory relay again. She'd come out of her quarters that morning only for Optimus to give her orders to remain in the hallway while all of the Autobots held a council. It bothered her; not knowing what they were discussing.

She hadn't even gotten her morning Energon yet. Her tanks were at thirty-eight percent, but she'd be alright. The night before had been long and painful. Repairing broken sensory networks was a rather difficult task to perform on one's self, though her pride had not allowed her to request assistance. She had several sore spots on her face where she'd poked herself with the tools.

Optics narrowing, the femme glanced up at the cameras in the corners and started pacing again. The Autobots' meeting was taking too long. What were they talking about? A few klicks ago their voices had been raised to the point that she could almost hear, but all she'd gathered was that they were arguing over something.

Now the room they were in was shrouded in a disturbing silence. She slowed suddenly at the end of the hall closest to the brig. A familiar sound was coming from the prison cells. A low voice falteringly humming a tune... it was a simple marching song, like the kind taught to young cadets in their first orns of training.

Terabyte frowned. When had Skyquake been moved to the brig? How long had he-

"Terabyte." Optimus's voice rumbled to her, effectively cutting off her contemplations.

She turned around with her helm dipped respectfully. "Prime."

"We have reached a decision... it is regarding your place among our ranks."

Her spark rate doubled as all the possible meanings of that statement flooded her processor. She must have been discovered. What had she messed up on? Would they imprison her again? Or would they just find a way to disp-

"Please follow me to med-bay; Ratchet is ready to begin the procedure." Optimus said, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

Terabyte followed the Prime, her armor slightly clamped and her whole frame trembled. Procedure? What kind of procedure? Was this how they would end her? How very Autobot... they were just going to off her without even telling her why. And they'd smile kindly at her as they led her to her slaughter.

Her fear melted as she walked behind the towering scarlet Autobot. If the Autobots were going to terminate her, she could take comfort in knowing that she died for a good cause. And she could be with her family again. She was going to the Well of Allsparks, to her friends and family.

When they entered the med-bay, Ratchet motioned to her to lay down on the berth. She obeyed, though her armor shrank a little closer to her form. The steel medical berth felt even colder than normal.

Ratchet looked at her, his face neutral. "This procedure may be moderately painful. Are you ready?"

Her gaze flicked over to the tool in his hand. It looked like a precision welder. In the medic's other hand was a small metal square... carefully painted to the color of her belt-plate? As she considered the medic's question, Terabyte swallowed down a brief rush of terror and nodded slowly.

The medic nodded firmly and approached where she lay on the berth. Instinctively, the spy shrunk away from the medic's touch. Ratchet scowled impatiently. "You are aware of the procedure?"

Terabyte shook her helm fearfully. "N-no, Medic."

He growled, frustrated. "Prime! You didn't brief her?"

Optimus's optics widened slightly before he recovered his 'Prime' face. "The matter slipped my processor, I apologize Terabyte. We have agreed that you have proved yourself to have truly denounced the Decepticon ways."

Ratchet narrowed his optics at his leader for a moment before turning back to her. "So I'm going to remove that accursed symbol from your chassis."

Terabyte's lip-plates curled up in a silent snarl. Now they would carve out her pride and honor. For the Decepticon cause. "Will I be receiving the Autobot insignia then?"

The medic brandished his torch as if considering using it on her. "You haven't earned that honor, 'C-"

"Ratchet..." Prime interrupted in mild warning.

Ratchet backed down and, glancing at her first, began the procedure. He neglected to provide painkiller. Her frame went stiff as she forcibly prevented herself from showing any signs of pain. Inwardly she writhed against the fiery burning sensation blooming from her abdomen where the medic sliced out a square of her outer-most plating.

She bit her glossa to block a small whine. The medic was being anything but gentle as he worked. Branding was nowhere near as painful as removing an insignia, even when done normally.

When the procedure was finished, Terabyte couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief. Her whole frame relaxed for a second before she flared up her armor.

Slowly, the black and Prussian blue femme sat up and inspected the medic's work. Grudgingly, Terabyte admitted – within the confines of her processor – that the medic was very good at his job. She couldn't even distinguish where the weld mark was. It was as if the symbol she'd worn had simply been erased without trace. It felt like a part of her had been erased.

Terabyte restrained a shudder. Would this mission ever end? Or would it merely end her? The Autobots were trying so hard to erase all that she knew herself to be, but she must stand strong. She must not waver. So demanded her duty.

One Orn Later

The Prussian blue and black spy lay on her berth, she being alone in the small quarters that she shared with Arcee. Many thoughts weighed on her processors as she tried to reorganize her mind and plan the future of her mission.

"Why did I save Cliffjumper though?" The femme asked herself quietly, speaking her thoughts into the silence. The mech was an Autobot. Of course she'd planned on saving him to reinforce her cover, but risking her life? Nearly taking a knife for him? That definitely hadn't been part of her plans…

Her armor was relaxed, though her mask remained in place. Discarding that thought process; Terabyte fingered the smooth, blank piece of armor on her waist. The beautiful symbol that was her pride, joy, and honor: removed. She growled lowly. "Autobots." Always destroying any good that they find.

Growling at the thought, she sat in silence for a moment before shrugging. "Only temporary, soon I will again wear that glorious symbol. I've already convinced them that my spark is as 'pure' as theirs."

Not that that was saying much. The spy laughed darkly. She was making good progress and the Autobots were beginning to accept her. Soon enough they would grant her that despicable mark: the mark of an Autobot. Then, entrusted with the location of their base, the spy would have Decepticon fleets raining justice down on them.

"Cybertronians will at last be free from the tyranny of the Autobots and the insignia under which so many have been slain."

Terabyte wasn't sure just why this didn't bring the light to her spark that she'd so long looked forward to, ever since the destruction of her home. That should have made her happier. So distracted by this, she didn't hear the silent click of the door opening and closing.

"Twenty-six thousand, nine-hundred and forty-two." The spy said suddenly.

"Twenty-s- ...what?"

Hearing the intruding voice, Terabyte's armor flared out immediately and she leapt to her pedes, just barely holding her blade in. "Arcee! What are you doing here? How long have you been there?"

Her spark was racing. How much of that had the Autobot heard? How much of that had she spoken aloud? Had she just incriminated herself without realizing it? Terabyte forced the shocked expression off her faceplates, deciding to play innocent until she had more of an idea of how deep she was in trouble.

The pink and blue femme's optics narrowed in obvious displeasure. "Relax, I just walked in. And in case you'd forgotten, these are my quarters."

Terabyte considered her possible options before nodding in mock meekness. "I apologize Arcee, you startled me and I reacted rashly. It won't happen again."

"Accepted." Arcee said as she slipped one datapad into her desk and pulled out a different one. She sat down on her berth and the room was silent again for several klicks before the Autobot looked up curiously. "So. Twenty-whatever thousand?"

The spy frowned at the roof for a moment as she reformed the interrupted thought line. That thought was what had troubled her spark. "Twenty-six thousand, nine-hundred and forty-two. That's how many soldiers, miners, and technicians fight for the Decepticons. For the Autobots fight a mere seven, and that's counting Wheeljack and even myself. How has the War continued so long, if you've been outnumbered so greatly?"

"Dunno." The Autobot femme stared at her datapad for so long afterwards that Terabyte wondered if that was the only answer she'd get. Finally, she spoke up again. "I suppose it's because we just keep going. We care about each other and our ideals and we fight fiercely for them. We fight for a better life, a prosperous home, and most of all: we fight for a future free of fear."

Terabyte scowled inwardly. She was only being told what she wanted to hear, not the truth. She knew what the Autobots were really like. Sparkless murderers with no cares for life.

Aloud she whispered, "A worthy cause. I don't know what to fight for any more though. I fought for my family, my home, and my people, but look around... The Wreckers killed my family vorns ago, destroyed my home, and now my people are scattered through the galaxy with no world left to return to. What is the point of this war? Everything we fought for is long dead."

Arcee stared at her in... Shock? Admiration? Pity? Terabyte couldn't tell and didn't really care. Never had she been so doubtful of her cause. She was in enemy lines, gathering intel with the intent of their destruction, and all the while the Autobots were being nicer to her than even the Decepticons had been.

At the same moment, both femmes reached their own conclusions. The spy's resolve hardened and she again swept her doubts away, or at least out of her thoughts for the time being. She knew where her duty lay and she would heed it. The Decepticons were relying on her.

The Autobot got up and sat down beside her on the berth, resting one hand 'comfortingly' on Terabyte's shoulder. "There is always a reason to fight for what's right. And no matter the odds, right will always be here and so will wrong, so we fight for what we know's right. There will always be hope to lead the way. Even in our darkest hour."

Terabyte's spark twinged slightly. She shouldn't need an Autobot to remind her of her duty. She couldn't afford to waver, especially here.

Meanwhile. Autobot Brig.

He was soaring through the crisp air, thrills of pleasure and adrenaline throbbing through his frame. He sent a mental wink to the blue and gold jet flying beside him with one of the non-fliers perched on his cockpit looking rather ill.

All around him was a Decepticon fleet, each jet carrying a grounder. They were about to 'drop in' on the Autobots. It would be a victorious battle; he could feel it. This Energon refinery would soon be in Decepticon hands.

There was something else about this battle... He couldn't think what it was.

But right now, all he cared about was feeling the wind under his wings, watching the world make way for his passing, and the warrior laying on his back, hanging on just a little too tightly to the sensitive edges of his wings.

Grinning inwardly, the large green jet swerved into sharp barrel roll, rolling several times before pulling straight. The mech on the blue and gold jet's back let out a weak groan before purging all over the jet and two other mechs below him.

He hardly noticed the groans coming from his troops though. All he was aware of was the frightened squeal of his passenger and the beautiful sound of her laughter. He never noticed the tiny dents in his wings where she'd gripped them even tighter during the spin.

/Sky! How do you ever manage it?/ He read her tidy compact little glyphs contentedly, her exhilaration seeping into each glyph. /If I could fly... Oh! I'd never land!/

He was about to send a reply when the memory melted into another, maybe only a groon or two later.

He was firing a huge machine gun on the enemy. They were already defeated, yet he and the others around him fired on them anyway. The inhabitants of the moon couldn't be allowed to escape. Those were his orders; that was his duty.

He turned around and with a swing of his gun, decapitated an Autobot mech that had snuck up behind him. Where was Terabyte? He'd been keeping an optic on her throughout the battle, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly a roar came from the storage shed destroyed in the bombing. It was Terabyte. Ignoring the life-En splattered on him and the soil of the moon, the soldier fought his way towards the shout. If she was hurt...

Gun raised and ready, the mech burst in only to find Terabyte seemingly alone in the room. She was on her knees, one knee on an Autobot's chassis. The golden dagger he'd gotten for her came down repeatedly into the mech's empty spark chamber. Coolant was streaming from her beautiful gold optics and stained her uncovered faceplates.

"For Protihex!" He heard her whisper brokenly. "For my family! My people!"

His spark ached to see his small friend in such a condition. She just kept stabbing and stabbing the long-dead Wrecker. A spark-rending keen came from her engine as for the first time since that horrible day, Terabyte mourned her home.

He ran to her side and knelt beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders both in comfort and in an effort to pull her away from this senseless mauling of the dead. She went still, but her frame was stiff and rigid as she continued to stare at the heap of scrap that was once the Wrecker called Pyro.

As he consolingly rubbed her arm, the green jet could feel her vents heaving and shuddering with the small femme's sobs. His spark reached out to her, wanting to comfort her in any way he could.

The battle outside no longer mattered to him. His duty was with the Decepticons, but above even that was his duty to Terabyte. She needed him far more than the army ever would.

When at last the two-wheeler's cries stilled, she looked down at her delicate servos, stained with the life-En of the Autobot. With a shaky gasp, the femme collapsed against him, burying her face in his chest. Her coolant streamed down his chassis as she wept.

Holding her close he gently rubbed her upper back in consolation. He didn't know how long he held her like that, nor did he care. All he knew was that he was there to comfort her as she wept for all the wrongs she'd seen in this pointless war.

When her tears had subsided slightly, Terabyte looked at her hands again then met his optics with her own wide, golden ones. She didn't move from where she knelt beside him.

Her voice was nearly inaudible as she whispered, "Sky... What have I done?"

He bolted upright on his berth, waking once more from a memory-filled recharge. In the time he'd spent in prison, Skyquake had remembered so much of his life. There was so much war and death in his past. There was still so much he hadn't remembered too. It kind of made him wonder just how old he was. Right now, he felt ancient.

Terabyte hadn't visited him, a fact which was very disappointing. With all of this time, the mech could tell that his processors were recovering even faster, resulting in the regaining of his memories.

He was mystified by the blue and gold jet that spoke in his mind. He was in so many of his memories, especially his childhood. It seemed that they were always together, yet Skyquake had no recollection of who the mech was.

Even more curious was the fact that Skyquake hadn't just forgotten, but there was simply no file, remembered or not, identifying him. The things that he knew but couldn't remember, Skyquake could tell had been forgotten. He could sense the blocked memories.

Drinking the Energon one of the Autobots had left for him, Skyquake could already feel his mind slipping back into a restorative dream state once more. With nothing better to do in the claustrophobically small space, Skyquake welcomed the embrace of his memories.