Chương 14: LOG-014.

"Dreadwing stop-" Arranging for Starscream's 'interrogation' session had been trivial. Knockout wasn't needed either, considering I had invented the technology behind the cortical psychic patch.

"NO! I WILL AVENGE MY BROTHER!" Gaining some privacy had been complicated, but doable. Soundwave was good. Very, very good. But not infallible. He was only one mech after all.

"Gah! Wait, please! Listen to Shockwave! See reason-!" Keeping Dreadwing from offing the spineless Seeker then and there? After being shown just what had been done to his twin? Difficult, to say the least. Clang! I wrapped an arm around Dreadwing's neck, pulling the snarling officer back while Starscream merely groaned in misery, still strapped to an operating berth. He'd be fine, the large dent on his faceplate was superficial. Mostly. Finally letting go of my... accomplice?

Accomplice, I let the mech merely grind his denta for a few moments, before he finally elected to face me, his optics outright murderous.

"Remind me just why we can't offline this cowardly wretch?" I shook my helm, cycling air.

"It is the worst possible time to do so, now follow me. We don't need his prying audio sensors right now." To his credit, Dreadwing did stomp after me as I walked out of the secondary medical chamber (read: torture room). For obvious reasons, I didn't want Starscream in the same room as us while we discussed our 'situation.'

"I presume you now share my perception of things?" Dreadwing grunted, crossing his arms.

"I admit that you... have a point. But what are we to do? Storm the bridge and defeat our Lord in combat?" Stepping over to a nearby terminal, I entered the appropriate commands to begin putting Starscream back into a medically induced stasis lock. I'd figure out what to do with him later. Maybe feed him to Predaking? Food for thought.

"No. The first thing we need to do is convince everyone that there's actually something wrong with him, lest we be branded traitors." I shrugged.

"Knockout should be reasonable enough. Despite his... quirks, and occasional moments of stupidity, he is an intelligent enough mech. The rank and file will likely remain neutral as well, awaiting a victor." Turning away from the screen, I glanced at Dreadwing.

"The problem of course, is our resident spymaster." The Seeker nodded, optics narrowed. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Soundwave." I nodded back.

"Correct. His loyalty to Megatron remains a double edged blade. He will be... difficult to persuade. But if we could do so, our Lord would stand little chance of resisting all of us." Dreadwing tilted his helm, sighing." If we can do so."

"Indeed." The warrior quirked a brow plate.

"You believe you can?" I inclined my helm, patting a servo on the terminal.

"I will simply provide him with a more... objective perspective of things. If I am correct, Soundwave will come to his own conclusion."

The intelligence officer likely knew I was there before I had even entered his chambers, a blocky module clutched in my left servo.

"Soundwave." His only response was a brief inclining of his helm, before turning back to his massive monitor, near indecipherable lines of Cybertronian script moving across it.

"I would speak briefly with you. Regarding a matter pertaining to Lord Megatron." The silent mech didn't move, but my own voice did play back at me.

"Pertaining to Lord Megatron."... Fuck if that isn't a little unsettling. I nodded, walking forward and standing next to the thin Decepticon.

"I have had time to... reflect on things. I will not waste your own time with a prolonged conversation." The data module dropped onto his desk with a thump.

"Please analyse the notes contained within this device at your earliest opportunity. I believe it vital to the Decepticon cause." Another, ever so slight nod.

"Earliest opportunity." Bowing my helm, I quietly made my exit.

The medbay was far busier than it had been before. My regular visits weren't anything new either. After all, someone had to make sure Knockout kept his word and didn't start disregarding the Vehicons again.

"So you think Megatron's still under Unicron's influence, and that he's slowly and subtly being manipulated into somehow reviving the Destroyer, effectively dooming us all?"

"That is correct." Knockout stared at me for a moment, then finally responded with a shrug.

"Well I suppose it makes sense. I do remember him swearing off the dark energon, and now he's lugging around that dark star saber of his. But ah... what exactly are we meant to do about it?" The shiny mech shuttered his optics as I placed a firm servo on his shoulder.

"I have a plan, but first we will need to confirm a few things. Until then, continue as you were."

I'd made a choice. It was a gamble to be sure, but one I felt was... necessary. My plan wouldn't work without certain information coming to light. So I'd approached the bridge, asking for Megatron's attention. He'd been... pleased when I'd told him that I had 'discovered' the purpose of the Omega Keys. He'd told me I had been the right candidate for researching them. His pleased expression had turned to shock when I explained just what the artifacts were actually for.

Though to be fair, the rest of the crew aboard the bridge had also been a little gobsmacked at the knowledge that Cybertron could effectively be restored. A single day had passed, and our warlord had finally tired of waiting. His shock had turned to dark, malicious glee. The message to the Autobots had been composed and sent, the terms fairly straightforward. Meet on neutral ground. Exchange the kids for the Keys. Nice and simple.

And of course I had been charged with transporting the children while we broadcasted our ultimatum across all frequencies. Because of course. The fact that I had volunteered was irrelevant. I had a right to bitch about annoying organic spawnlings. Even if it was almost disturbingly convenient how Megatron distinctly approved of my 'newly found enthusiasm' for taking to the field. I'd merely justified it as increasing our odds of success. Optimus would be more easily manipulated thanks to our prior history.

Obviously. No other reason. None at all.

"Come on big guy! Have a heart!" I couldn't quite glower, but I did manage a somewhat disappointed stare at the young girl trapped in the cylinder I was carrying her in. Her two far more sensible friends being transported by Zero and Z-2 as a matter of course.

"I don't have an organic heart."

"Have a spark!"

"No." Miko huffed at my refusal to release her as I strode past several Vehicon technicians. If Soundwave was to be believed, the Autobots had answered our call and accepted our terms, providing a set of coordinates. All that was left to do was initiate the trade.

"Energon levels stable! Please stand by... activating groundbridge, good luck Commander Shockwave!" I ignored the oddly chatty groundbridge technician, stepping forward and mumbling under my standard volume as my Zakus took up positions in front of me.

"Once more unto the breach..." We traversed the emerald passage, stepping out into the sweltering heat of a desert, I idly picked up Zero's fans spinning a bit faster to counter the heat. But of course that was just secondary data. The first real thing I noticed were a pair of narrowed blue optics attached to someone I had known in two past lives, glaring into my own crimson lens. I cycled some air in my approximation of a sigh as the Prime began to approach, flanked by his own very pissed off looking troops.

"Let's get this over with..."