Chapter 12

The Truth

After several days of interrogation, Stripes was back in the same quarters he was in earlier. He was trying to get some recharge time again, but he kept having bad fluxes every time he shut off his optics.

It always seemed to revolve around a single, gargantuan robot chasing him through his dreams. Every time it seemed he was caught, he awoke with a startled jolt.

He awoke again from another flux, nearly falling out of the berth. He then heard a laugh outside the cell.

"Yes?! What now!?" Stripes asked, snippy. Then Cheetor walked in.

"Good morning?" Cheetor asked.

Stripes got to his feet. "That's a matter of opinion, what is it?"

"Boss-bot has been looking over your story, and after analyzing every single bit of historical logged sensory data we have from the past few days, he thinks you are telling the truth." Cheetor explained. "Well, that and there's several ships heading this way from out of the system on our long-range scanners."

"So, you finally believe me, huh?" Stripes said.

"Don't push your luck." Dinobot said, walking up. "Primal wants us to bring you to him, so don't get any ideas."

They escorted Stripes to the craft's bridge, through many twists and turns through the decks and lifts. After going through the final lift, they ended up on the bridge. Primal was sitting in a large chair in the center of the room, on a platform overlooking all the other posts around him.

"So, you were changed against your will, and are on the run from the Decepticons." Primal said. "That explains how you ended up here, and the reason why there are ships in this system according to our historical sensor data… What strikes me as odd, however, is that there are both Autobot and Decepticon ships. Both of them have been scanning the system and it's planets in concert with each other. Is there something else I should know about?" Primal gave Stripes a look that spelled out his distrust.

Stripes was shocked. "Scanning in concert with each other? I didn't know about this! This is news, even to me!" He looked at the sensor data.

"Don't forget: I'm watching you. We all are." Primal warned. "If this is a show of treachery, you will not live long."

"This isn't a show of treachery!" Stripes put his palm up to his faceplates. "Look, I can't explain why they are working together. I don't have the answers..."

That's when an alarm went off at one of the Stations. It was Cheetor's.

"Boss-Bot! We've been painted by one of the ships in orbit! They have a weapons lock on us!" Cheetor exclaimed.

Stripes scowled. "Which ship?"

Cheetor brought up the design on the screen. It was the scout ship, Salvation!

"What in the…?" Stripes was now confused. "Can you contact that ship? Maybe I can talk to them!"

"Opening communications..." Rattrap said, pressing a few buttons at his station.

Bumblebee appeared on screen.

"Bee, what are you doing?!" Stripes snapped.

"I could ask you the same thing." Bee said. "You're not damaged, are you?"

"No!" Stripes said. "But I might get damaged if you don't release your weapons lock!"

"Apologies. Just standard procedure." Bee said.

"The weapons lock has been canceled." Cheetor reported.

"Now would you explain why you are in that ship?" Bumblebee asked.

"Sure. After you explain why you are working with the Decepticons." Stripes countered.

"I'd rather discuss that in person. We will land near your ship. Expect to meet up in about two hours." Bumblebee said.

The transmission then cut.

# # # # #

Stripes waited outside the Axalon as Bumblebee drove up with Arcee and Ultra Magnus from the Salvation. Megatron was there with Starscream, but they kept their distance as the Maximals were outside with Stripes in robot mode. Ready to attack or defend.

As soon as Bumblebee, Arcee, and Ultra Magnus were face-to-face with Stripes, they transformed to robot mode.

"Bumblebee, what the hell is going on here?!" Stripes asked.

"It's not simple to explain." Bumblebee said. "Is there someplace we could speak about this? Not out in the open?"

Stripes then noticed the look in Bubmblebee's optics. Something was not right.

"Bumblebee?" Stripes asked. "Is there something I missed?"

"Yes. A very big something." Arcee answered for Bumblebee.