Thank you for your reviews and feedback KOL0RLUC4S and mahatter! To answer your questions, Elita-1 will be in this story. I intend for her to come up her in a future chapter. If you read about Elita-1 on one of the wikis, you'll see that she's part of Sentinel's Council. Bumblebee isn't alive yet. He was created toward the end of the war as the last wave of sparks from the Allspark.

Anyways, here's the next chapter. I finished the next one, since I've been working ahead and I'll release it here in the next couple of days. Hope you enjoy!

Megatronus gazed at the holographic map of Cybertron that hovered above the table before him. He interacted with it, moving the orb to hover over the Sonic Canyons—rumored to house Vector Sigma, which is why it was so important to him. The map was highlighted with markers that indicated key points on their home planet's infrastructure.

He was planning the next phase of their strikes, determining where the bombings would have the most strategic impact while minimizing the risk to civilians—as much as he possibly could without jeopardizing the Decepticons and his and Orion's cause.

The faint hiss of the sliding door pulled him from his thoughts, but he didn't bother to look up. His optics remained fixed on the map, but the gladiator knew from the sound of the pedes walking into the room that these were the mechs he'd ordered Soundwave to report to him.

These were the ones responsible for the unauthorized attack on Sentinel's statue—the same ones who had disregarded his strict instructions regarding Orion's safety.

He let the silence hang, letting their discomfort build as he continued to stare at the map. Finally, he looked up at them, optics filled with an icy fury. They flinched under his scrutiny, the larger one shifting uncomfortably, while the smaller mech kept his optics firmly downcast, as if hoping to avoid his wrath.

"Do you understand," Megatronus began in a low, dangerous growl, "the position you've placed me in?"

The larger mech's voice trembled slightly as he tried to muster the courage to speak. "Sir… we—we thought that by striking the statue of Sentinel Prime, it would send a message. That it would embolden the others, that—"

"I am not interested in your thoughts on strategy," Megatronus cut him off sharply, fields flaring. "I gave you specific orders. I made it abundantly clear that nothing would happen without my permission. And yet," he took a step closer to them, "you not only disobeyed, but you placed Orion Pax in harm's way."

Both mechs flinched, feeling the furious field again theirs. The smaller mech cringed at the mention of Orion, optics darting up momentarily before he quickly looked down again. "It… it was an accident, Megatronus," he stammered, barely able to keep his voice steady. "We didn't know he would be there. He… he must have arrived after the explosives were set."

"An accident," the gladiator repeated. His optics bored into them, scrutinizing both mechs. "Do you think I care whether it was an accident? Do you believe that excuses your carelessness?"

The two mechs were silent, unable to meet his gaze. The smaller one's servos clenched at his sides, while the larger mech seemed to shrink under Megatronus's scrutiny, optics darting to the exit as if considering a retreat.

The Champion took another step forward. "Orion Pax is worth more than a hundred of you. More than your ill-conceived ideas of rebellion. If I am forced to explain this again, I will make an example of you both."

Their helms snapped up to look at up, optics going wider than Cybertron's moons. They both knew that Megatronus was a mech of his word. His threats were not empty.

"Now, listen well," he continued. "There will be no further incidents like this. You will not act without my orders, and you will ensure that those under your command follow this to the latter. We do not waste resources. We do not endanger those who have not earned our wrath."

The smaller mech nodded quickly. "Understood, sir. It… it won't happen again."

The larger mech managed a hesitant nod. "Yes… yes, Megatronus. We… we'll follow your orders exactly. No more… accidents."

The gladiator opened his intake to kick them out when he received a notification that an unknown caller was contacting him. Confused, he furrowed his optical ridges and after a klik, accepted the comm.

"Who is this?" Megatronus demanded.

"Is this Megatronus?" the mech on the line asked, sounding oddly familiar.

"That depends on who's asking."

There was a chuckle. "Consider me… an admirer."

"An admirer," he repeated flatly. "I have no use for flattery. State your purpose, or this call ends now."

"Of course," the mech drawled. "It's a rare chance to speak with someone of your stature, Megatronus. You've built quite a following. In fact, it's inspiring."

Megatronus scowled, displeased with the vagueness of this mech. "How did you get this comm?" he demanded, patience thinned by the two mechs in the room with him and running thinner with this stranger on the line.

The caller ignored his question, instead saying, "I simply wanted offer you an opportunity."

The Champion's irritation grew. He couldn't tell if this wasn't some fanatic or a trap from the Functionists themselves, though he doubted they had managed to get a hold of his personal comm. "Enough games. I'll ask again: how did you get this frequency?"

The voice on the other end paused. "Let just say that I have ways of finding what I need."

Megatronus's optics narrowed. "If you want something from me, you'll need to do better than that."

"Very well," the caller replied. "How does Sentinel Prime sound?"

The gladiator froze for a klik. "Go on," he finally said, managing to get his vocalizer working.

"In exactly one megacycle from now, Sentinel Prime will be attending a special event at the Altihex Casino—a show by none other than Armorhide," the voice continued. "The venue, I hear, will be packed with the highest of the highest. It would be quite… unfortunate if something were to go wrong."

The stranger's information was appealing, but how did he know if it was true? He didn't. "And I suppose you know this because you're simply well-informed?" he challenged, testing the mech on the other end.

"You could say that," the voice responded. "My line of work allows me certain privileges. As does my position. Air Commander Starscream, at your service."

Starscream, Megatronus thought, recognizing the name. Lord of the Seekers, respected leader of Vos, and Prime's personal guard. A valuable ally should his intentions prove genuine. And if he were to betray Sentinel, it would place him in the perfect position for the Decepticon cause.

"Why betray him?" the gladiator asked bluntly. "You serve Sentinel Prime, and yet here you are, handing me the means to his downfall."

"I have my reasons, Megatronus. Like you, I want to see Cybertron freed from the corruption at its core…" he trailed off, not quite finished.

"What do you want in return?" he questioned, knowing that there were bound to be strings attached.

"All I want to witness change," Starscream responded. "As I said before, I want to see a new Cybertron, rid of false Primes and corrupted leaders. And if, in such a world, I should happen to find myself in a position worthy of my talents, well… so be it."

Megatronus was silent, gauging the sincerity of the Seeker's words. He knew well enough that a mech like Starscream didn't do anything without some ulterior motive—it was in his energon as a high caste. Yet, if this mech's intel was true, and Sentinel could indeed be vulnerable… then perhaps this conversation wasn't a waste after all.

"You would do well to remember," the Champion said finally, warning the Air Commander, "that the Decepticons are not a tool for your ambitions, Lord Starscream." He paused, allowing the words to sink in. "We are a force to crush the corrupt. Should you stand in our way, you'll find yourself just as much a target as the Prime."

Starscream laughed. "Duly noted, Megatronus. I'm not foolish enough to stand in your way, only wise enough to stand by your side. After all, we both want the same thing… don't we?"

Megatronus didn't respond, neural net already working through the possibilities. It was a dangerous alliance, no question. "We'll see," he finally said. "Do not contact me unless you have something worth my time. And if you're lying about Sentinel…"

"Oh, I'm many things," the Seeker replied. "But I'm not a liar, Megatronus. I'll be in touch."

With that, the line clicked off, leaving the gladiator in silence. He didn't move for a klik until he remembered that there were two mechs still in the room. He looked up at them, seeing their intakes slightly opened.

"What are you waiting for?" he growled. "Do you need an invitation to leave?"

The smaller of the two immediately stammered, "N-no, sir, we'll… we'll get right back to work."

They quickly shuffled out, throwing nervous glances over their shoulders before the door slid shut. Turning his attention back to the holographic map, he spun the globe of Cybertron over to Altihex, zooming in on the city. He adjusted the view, expanding it to include the city of Altihex and Altihex Casino, stationed in orbit.

The casino was accessible only to the wealthiest of the high castes, mostly those in Sentinel's inner circle, such as his Council of Thirteen and senators and certain High Council members. He highlighted Altihex Casino red, marking it as the third target for bombing.

This bombing would be the most important of them all, followed by the Sonic Canyons. His neural net shifted to the new opportunity Starscream had unwittingly presented. Perhaps he could ask the Air Commander for assistance, to send a few Seekers to the Altihex bombing. If Starscream was indeed trustworthy, he wouldn't refuse.

But Megatronus wasn't one to place all his trust in promises made over a single conversation. Starscream would first need to prove himself.

The Champion keyed in several adjustments to his strategy, shifting the timing of the Decepticon operations to align with this new information. Originally, he and Orion had planned to host their rally two megacycles from now, but that would no longer do. Shifting the rally back an entire megacycle, he turned his focus to a target he had his optics on.

Blaster City. It was a munitions hub critical to the High Council and Functionists, situated in the Badlands in an industrialized sector, under control of High Councilor Halogen. Taking Blaster City offline would not only cripple their supply of weapons but would also put the Decepticons in a favorable light among the factory workers.

Megatronus would not allow these workers to die, knowing how they were being treated. They deserved another chance at life, and he would provide that opportunity. Rescuing them from their backbreaking work could prove beneficial—perhaps earning them a fresh wave of recruits.

Now, with the Sonic Canyons, Altihex Casino, and Blaster City, they had a triad of high-impact locations. One more, he thought, something less populated to minimize casualties among innocents.

He glanced over the map, optics settling on the less inhabited region of Polyhex. Polyhex was home to research facilities that housed advanced communications tech that helped run the Grid, along with other nodes scattered around Cybertron, and satellites. Its capitol was Darkmount that held the smelting pits and some gladiator facilities.

With limited personnel in the facilities, the risk to lives would be minimal while still achieving a message: no system was invincible.

With the four sites decided, Megatronus leaned back, considering how best to approach Orion with the news of having to accelerate the timeline of their rally. They would have to quicken their preparations, compress weeks of planning into mere solar cycles to meet this revised timeline.

The gladiator activated his comm line, selecting Soundwave's frequency. "Soundwave," he said. "I need one of your Minicons on surveillance. I want an optic on a mech named Air Commander Starscream, I assume you know of him. I want to know of his activities at all times."

There was a brief pause, and then the spymaster's voice replied, "Understood."

The Champion cut the line. Soundwave's efficiency was always something Megatronus appreciated and could rely upon at any time. With the Decepticons' most trusted spymaster monitoring Starscream, any potential betrayal from the Seeker would be detected and dealt with before it could become a problem.

Megatronus took a vented, searching through his contacts for Orion's comm, waiting for the line to connect. It was late, and he knew his friend could be recharging. He didn't want to disturb Orion. The line clicked, and after a few klik, his brother's voice answered.

"Megatronus," Orion greeted him lightly.

The gladiator felt his frame relax as he listened to his friend's soothing baritone voice, not realizing he had been tense until now. "Orion," Megatronus replied, keeping his voice as even as possible, "I know it's late, but there's something we need to discuss. I need you in Kaon tomorrow."

Orion's response was immediate. "Of course. Is everything alright?"

Megatronus hesitated. "It's… nothing to worry about," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I want us to go over our plans for the rally. We need to accelerate the timeline."

"Accelerate?" Orion repeated, and Megatronus could practically see the gears in his friend's processor moving. "Is there a reason for the rush?"

Megatronus kept his answer vague. "Opportunities are arising, and it's important we take advantage of them." He paused, adding, "The rally will need to make a stronger impact. I want to make sure we're still on the same page."

Orion hesitated for a long klik. "I understand," he replied finally. "I'll be there tomorrow."

"Good," Megatronus said, wanting to ask if his friend was alright. He ultimately decided against it, knowing that he could ask him tomorrow. "And Orion… get some rest. I'll see you soon."

"I will, Megatronus."

The Champion disconnected the line, venting deeply. The rally would be the spark that ignited their movement across Cybertron. As much as he wanted to tell Orion everything, he knew that his friend's idealism would clash with his plans. But he refused lose his friend. He would willingly carry the weight Orion could not bear, if it meant keeping the archivist at his side.

Pushing thoughts of his friend aside, he made some final adjustment to the map and compiled the data into a package to send to Soundwave. Megatronus knew that their upcoming event would be vital to swaying the sparks and neural nets of their race. Sentinel would lose his hold over their kind, and the system that he so desperately clung to would continue to crack until it shattered, bringing the false Prime's world crumbling around him.

The pieces were falling into place, and with Starscream's intel, he knew that Sentinel Prime's reign was already beginning to crumble.

Finally got Starscream in, wanted him in this chapter. I already did Arcee, so there's another future Team Prime cameo coming up! This book might be slow right now, but I swear it's going to pick up here soon. I just want to give a look into their personal lives before getting into "the awakening" ;)