2. MAPPING THE STARS
--Cybertron, astronomy tower--
"See? Solus' Arrow is pointing towards The Core, as it always does in orbital cycle Chokoneon."
"So?" Outrigger grunted, obviously disinterested.
Drift rolled his optics. "So it must mean something! Maybe Cyberutopia is among the stars that make up The Core."
"Or maybe the night's just getting to you." Outrigger stifled a yawn. "I wouldn't put any faith in constellations, Drift. All they are are the results of someone playing connect-the-dots with the stars. They don't mean anything."
Drift frowned at him. "I thought you wanted to find Cyberutopia."
"I do-- believe me, I do. But we need something more concrete to find it." Outrigger turned to leave. "I'm turning myself in for the night. Don't stay up too late."
Drift remained out on the balcony, staring up at the nighttime sky. He was determined to find what he was looking for, if only so that Hot Rod's quest could go underway.
"Star Saber told me you'd be out here."
Drift did not turn around to face his visitor, though he knew who it was. "Were you looking for me, Windblade?"
"Yes." The red and black fembot walked up to stand beside him as he continued to stare at the stars. "I wanted to talk to you. About what happened on Earth."
"You mean when you tried to kill me?"
Windblade bristled slightly at Drift's bluntness. "Yeah, that. I just wanted to stay... I'm sorry."
Drift shrugged. "Hey, don't fret about it. You're not the first Autobot who's tried to kill me."
Windblade looked at him, surprised. "Wait... so you forgive me? Just like that?"
"Why not? I can hardly blame you for how you acted and why. Heck, I'm the one who needs to apologize; not just for killing Yoketron, but for all the other atrocities I took part in as a Decepticon."
Windblade tilted her head. "You know, I always meant to ask... why did you leave the 'Cons?"
Drift was silent for a moment before speaking. "During my time at Garrus-9, after you captured me on Taros Seven, I got my fair share of cellmates and got snippets of the war from them. As time went on, the more I heard about the war made me horrified by what the Decepticons had done. When I got out of Garrus-9 during a P.O.W. exchange, I took for the stars, abandoning my Decepticon life."
"And then you decided to join the Autobots?"
"Not immediately. First I traveled to Theophany and trained under the Circle of Light for some time. Then I went to practically every corner of the galaxy, exploring all sorts of religious sects and their beliefs. After I helped a team of Autobots defeat the Decepticon warlord Gigatron, I decided to become one myself and ended up on Earth."
"Wow." Windblade couldn't help but smirk. "You've had quite the eventful life."
Drift returned the smile. "Yup. Which is why I'm determined to help Hot Rod find Cyberutopia. It's my belief that only the Knights of Cybertron can absolve me of my guilt and only then will I be at peace with myself."
"Interesting." Windblade cast her gaze to the stars and said, "Have you found anything yet?"
"I think I might have." Drift let out a sigh. "But it'll have to wait for tomorrow. It's by time I recharged."
"I'll be seeing you then," Windblade said as she got up to stand on the balcony's railing.
"Where are you going?" Drift asked.
"To tie up loose ends." With that, she leaped off of the balcony and morphed into her jet form, taking off into the night.
--Maccadam's--
"You know, you're not the first person to come to me with an offer," Devcon said.
Ginrai set down his glass of engex, sitting across from the Autobot bounty hunter at the reopened Maccadam's Old Oil House. "The Wreckers?"
"Yeah, they thought I'd fit right in with my hatred for 'Cons and hunting skills. But I declined them."
"Why?"
"Have you seen them in action? The things they do to 'Cons make them no better than our enemies."
"Well, the Circle of Light isn't anything like that," Ginrai said. "We could use someone with your tracking skills, Devcon."
Devcon snorted. "One problem: I don't believe in any of that scrap you preach about Primus and the Guiding Hand. Besides, I thought your boss hated Autobots as much as Decepticons."
"He's become more... lenient towards them in recent times," Ginrai replied. "Anyway, I'm not here to offer you membership in the Circle, Devcon, but to hire you."
"What's in it for me?"
"Five million Shanix."
Devcon's optics nearly bulged. "Five million--? Slag, man, you do not joke about that."
"I'm being serious."
The bounty hunter thought this over for a moment before saying, "What's the job then?"
Ginrai steepled his fingers. "It's not really a singular objective. Dai Atlas wants to find whatever has been left of our first Golden Age: the Artifacts of the Primes, the Titans... and eventually the Knights of Cybertron. I know you have no interest in myths and legends, but we have evidence that the Artifacts do indeed exist."
"What sort of evidence?"
Ginrai reached into a compartment on his hip and brought out a strange round object, dispensing it onto the table. Devcon regarded it with a surprised look.
"Is that--?"
Ginrai nodded. "The Chimera Stone. Micronus Prime's artifact."
Devcon picked it up and held it away from his scrutinizing optic. "And it's authentic?"
"Yes, and I should know." Ginrai beckoned with his hand and a small purple jet suddenly flew up next to him, transforming into its robots mode. "I asked an expert."
"Beta Maxx, at your service," the Mini-Con said. "It is my wish to continue where Alpha Trion had left off in exploring Cybertron's past, and your services would be greatly appreciated in such an endeavor."
Devcon rubbed his chin as he looked from the Chimera Stone to the two expectant mechs. Finally, he held out a hand for Ginrai to shake.
"You've got yourself a deal."
* * *
Windblade found Star Saber exactly where he had said he would be: standing outside the Old Oil House in Iacon, waiting for his fellow Circle member Ginrai. She transformed to her jet mode and landed right in front of the red and blue warrior.
"Okay, I'm here," she said. "Why did you ask to see me?"
Star Saber regarded her silently for a moment before saying, "I'm surprised it's taken you so long to remember me."
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Gigantion wasn't our first meeting. We originally crossed paths on Theophany, less than a millennia ago."
Windblade tapped her chin as she recollected her memories of Theophany. "I only remember meeting someone named Wing Dagger. Are you and he...?"
"We are one and the same, yes," Star Saber said. "I left the Circle of Light twenty-five years ago to follow my own path, though it wasn't long before I encountered Chief Justice Tyrest. He spoke of rediscovering Cybertron's past, which swayed me to his side. He then gave me a new body, dubbed me his enforcer, and I took on the name Star Saber."
"Huh. So, in a way, you essentially became the Dark Evangelist you were trying to warn me about all those years ago."
Star Saber slowly nodded. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Heh... sounds like the premise of a tragic fable."
After a brief lull in the conversation, Windblade decided to change the subject. "So will you be returning to the Lost Light?"
Star Saber shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Dai Atlas has allowed me back into the Circle of Light and we're preparing for a quest of our own, one which I have a great interest in."
"Well then, I guess this is goodbye. It's been nice knowing you, Star Saber... even though you were trying to kill us at first."
"Likewise, Windblade. And who knows...." Star Saber lifted his gaze to the twinkling stars. "Perhaps our paths shall cross again, if Primus allows it to be so."
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