Star Wars Endgame: Finale, Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

--Ossus--

   Lord Kallus took in the familiar scenery of Ossus as he stepped off his and Serpriss' ship. It had been a long time since he had last set foot on this planet, having put it behind him when he joined the Dark Jedi Order. Even when the order was disbanded, he did not return to Ossus, in part for the repercussions he would face from the High Council.

    In fact, now that he thought of it, he wondered if any of his fellow Dark Jedi had actually rejoined the order. Mar Voran, he knew for one, had left to rejoin his wife and daughter. His apprentice, Tasen Denon, had left for parts unknown, and stars knew where the other Revanchists were; even Sedriss did not know their whereabouts.

    As Kallus continued to observe Ossus' unique beauty, which he hadn't realized he'd missed, Lord Serpriss slithered up beside him. "We have company," the Thisspiasian murmured.

    Kallus soon saw what he meant. He saw another ship land not far from where they were. Minutes later a human male emerged from it, taking quick strides towards the two Sith. It took Kallus a moment to realize who it was.

    "Toah Jarsan," he said. "I had no idea you were still alive."

    Toah came to a stop before them, staring darkly at them. "I've been getting that a lot lately. The details of my story can wait, however. What I want to know is what business two Sith have on Ossus."

    "We do not mean any ill will," said Kallus. "As a matter of fact, we are here to warn the Jedi of an incoming threat."

    "That threat being you. We all know about Darth Taral."

    "Please understand," Serpriss said. "Taral -- or Varon, as we know him -- is a student of ours that has gone astray, and has gathered a number of followers."

    "So you're his masters," Toah said, his hand reaching for a lightsaber. "That still makes you Sith."

    "Yes, but we are not like Sith of the past," Kallus said.

    "Is that right? Then you have a minute to convince me."

    The two Sith exchanged looks. Kallus then turned back to Toah, folding his arms.

    "Tell you what. You take us to the Jedi Council and we shall explain ourselves there. If either of us show the slightest hint of turning against you, you are free to strike us down."

    Toah snorted. "And how do I know I have your word on that?"

    Kallus chuckled. "Well... we'll just have to find out for ourselves, won't we?"

*  *  *

    "It landed where?"

    "Somewhere out in the forests," Master Noran Raun said, standing on a balcony with Grand Master Kro Sadoon and Kyle Katarn, pointing to where he had seen the mysterious ships minutes ago. "I didn't recognize either one of them, although one had strange markings on it."

    "I'll take a group to go investigate," Kyle said. "They could just be lost travelers, for all we know. I doubt anyone outside the Alliance know where we are on Ossus."

    "If it's all the same to you, Master Katarn, I would like to come along."

    The three Jedi turned to see Master Odan Murk standing there, arms behind his back. Kyle gave him a bemused look.

    "Er, there's no need, really. I doubt it's anything to worry about. All I need are two, maybe three Knights."

    The Weequay inclined his head. "All the same, I wish to accompany you. That won't be too much of a problem, will it?"

    Kyle exchanged looks with the other masters. Kro Sadoon then looked at Odan and nodded slightly. "Very well. You and Master Katarn shall take two Jedi to investigate these ships."

    "Right then," Kyle murmured, already walking past Odan. "Let's get going."

*  *  *

    "Natia! What's wrong?"

    Natia Dorn could barely hear the concerned cries of her friend. Her vision was starting to blur as her head spun. A sudden chill fell upon her whole body.

    "Natia!" Sadi's voice sounded like it was light-years away. "Natia, are you all right?"

    Darkness. It was here. She could feel it. It felt just as it had in her dream. Already she could smell the smoke....

    A splash of water to her face finally snapped her out of the trance she had fallen into. Sadi was kneeling before her with a concerned look, while a Rodian youngling stood nearby with a dripping bucket.

    "Are you okay?" Sadi asked. "You nearly passed out there."

    "I'm fine," Natia murmured.

    Sadi frowned, a stern gaze in her indigo eyes. "You didn't look fine."

    "It was just another vision, Sadi. I... I don't think it means anything."

    "Was it the same one?"

    "No. I didn't actually see anything, I just felt... cold." Natia rubbed her shoulder, looking away. "And... dark."

    This only further alarmed Sadi. Turning to the Rodian, she said, "Teeva, go get Master Cilghal."

    "Sadi, I told you, I'm fi--"

    "Shut up," Sadi snapped. "You're not fine and you know it." She nodded to Teeva and the Rodian girl ran back into the temple to fetch Cilghal.

    Natia opened her mouth to protest once more... only for the cold, dark feeling to return, this time with more intensity. The last thing she heard before falling into the black was Sadi calling out her name.

*  *  *

    He could hear the shadows speak his name, calling to him.

    Come, Jaden. Come to us.

    Several faces flashed in his mind. Toah. Vorath. His own. Anakin. A man and a girl, neither he recognized. Then he saw fires. A sea of red. A dark man leading them. Death. Despair. The end of the Jedi.

    "Jaden?"

    Gray eyes snapped open. Jaden looked over his shoulder to see his former master, Kyle Katarn, standing outside his open quarters.

    "Sorry to bother you. Two ships just landed outside the temple, and Master Murk and I are going out to see what's going. Care to come along?"

   Jaden uncrossed his legs and got to his feet. "Sure. Not as if I'm doing anything else."

    As he started to walk alongside his master, Kyle put a hand on Jaden's shoulder. "You were meditating again, weren't you? About the whole Vorath thing."

    "You can really read me like a book."

    Kyle smirked. "Hey, I wouldn't be your master if I couldn't." He then became serious. "Honestly, Jaden, you shouldn't put too much thought into it."

    "I just need to know, master. All I want is clarification."

    "Frankly, if you ask me, I don't see how any of it is possible. If you're Vorath's clone, then how could the Empire create you without Palpatine knowing? And if you're his son...." Kyle shuddered at the thought that had just crossed his mind. Jaden didn't need him to voice it.

    "Yeah, that... that I think is the least likely." He fell silent for a moment, falling deeper in thought. "But if I'm not a clone, then why did those other clones think I was one of them? And if I'm not related to Vorath at all, then why did I see my face as his on that planet?"

    Kyle sighed. "The Force can play tricks on one's mind, especially when it's the dark side. As for the clones... you did say they were crazy, didn't you?"

    "Yeah," Jaden murmured. "You could be right. Maybe the Force was trying to tell me something."

    He looked straight ahead, a distant sense of foreboding creeping in his mind.

    "But what?"

*  *  *

    Zarin Kal stood in the shadows, undetected as he watched Kyle Katarn and Jaden Korr walk past him. He had overheard their entire conversation, and each word Jaden had spoken only increased Zarin's sense of dread.

    As soon as they were gone, the Kiffar Jedi emerged from where he had been standing, unsure of what to do next. Did he follow the two to find out where they were headed, or did he tell the council of what he had heard, what they did not know about Jaden? Or were his fears simply unwarranted?

    No, he firmly told himself. They was definitely something afoot; he had sensed it when he and Jaden had gone to Korriban, and he had sensed it again when he spoke with Odan Murk.

    He would not ignore it. He was not going to let the dark side catch the Jedi unawares yet again. Without another moment's hesitation, he set off after Kyle and Jaden. One way or another, he would get to the bottom of this.

Star Wars Endgame: Finale, Chapter Eleven

CHAPTER ELEVEN

--Coruscant, present day--

    "Kasra, if I told you once, I've told you a thousand times," muttered Heol Girdun, director of Galactic Alliance Intelligence, as he stepped out into the broad daylight that graced the ever-busy Galactic City. "I don't want anymore intel on the Imperial Remnant. They're not even remotely a threat to us."

    "But General Loran said--"

    "I don't care what Loran said," Girdun snapped. He scanned the parking lot for his personal airspeeder. He saw his pilot wave to him and he made his way towards the inexpensive silver and blue SoroSuub speeder. "Just stop sending me useless information. Is that clear?"

    "But-"

    "Is that clear, captain?"

    "Yes, sir," Kasra replied.

    "Good. It would pain me to let go of another operative." After ending the call, Girdun got into the speeder and sat next to the pilot. He didn't quite recognize the young human male, but given his youthful appearance, Girdun figured him to be a new hire.

    "What's your name, son?" Girdun asked as he bucked himself in.

    "Officer Tomm Windraker, sir."

    Windraker. Sounds like another Tatooine farmboy. "This your first day on the job?"

    "As your pilot? Yes, sir."

    "You've had other jobs prior to this?"

    "Yes, sir. As a taxi driver, sir."

    Girdun held back a derisive snort. "So this is still your first day as an Alliance pilot, then."

    Windraker looked confused. "Is there a difference, sir?"

    "Only if you've never flown people of significance before." Girdun raised an eyebrow at the pilot. "Have you?"

    The boy's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Uh, no, sir. Sorry, sir. It's been a long day, sir."

    Girdun waved dismissively. "Forget it. You know how to get to the Galaxies Opera House, Windraker?"

    The boy nodded. "Yes, sir."

    "Good. Take me there."

*  *  *

    "The rancor is in the cage. Repeat: the rancor is in the cage."

    As soon as Myri's voice had come over the comlink, Wallen was already leaving the hotel room he had been waiting in with the Wraiths Drikall Bessarah and Wran Narcassan.

    "Copy that, Gambler Girl," Wallen responded. "Moving into position now." He then looked to the other two. "You guys ready?"

    They both nodded.

    "Then let's do this."

*  *  *

    The speeder hadn't gotten far from its original location when it unexpectedly started to slow down upon hitting the speed limit. 

    Girdun glanced at Windraker, who didn't seem to notice it at all. Clearing his throat, he said, "Er, officer, you seem to be slowing down."

    "Am I?" The boy glanced at the speedometer before applying his foot to the pedal, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I tend to get a bit overly cautious whenever I have people of importance in my vehicle."

    Girdun chortled. "Ah, think nothing of it."

    The speeder started to accelerate and Girdun leaned back in his seat... until a thought crossed his mind. He turned to the pilot and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

    "Wait," he said gruffly. "I thought you said you've never flown anyone significant before."

    The boy simply stared at him and Girdun's suspicion started to grow. Before he could say anything else however, a dart shot from above and went into his neck. As the director of intelligence slumped unconscious, Tomm Windraker blew out a sigh of relief.

    "Boring conversation anyway," he muttered to himself, before making a hard left towards the rendezvous.

*  *  *

    "This is Gun Boy and Drug Boy. The rancor has been tranquilized. Repeat: the rancor is down."

    "Roger that," Bhindi Drayson responded, waiting at the spaceport with the other Wraiths. Turning to her teammates, she said, "Remember, everyone: stay in character. If anyone notices us carrying an unconscious Girdun, you know your lines."

    "Hey, Turman is the actor," said Trey Courser, fixing his paramedic uniform. "I thought we were all just extras."

    "Even extras have to follow directions," Sharr Latt commented, scanning the traffic through his macrobinoculars. 

    Eventually, Turman's speeder came dashing into the spaceport, coming to a short stop before the awaiting Wraiths. The disguised Clawdite got out of the speeder and, with Trey's help, lifted up the unconscious Girdun.

    Once the two men had given Girdun to the Wookiee Huhunna, who took him onto their Baleen-class freighter transport, Sharr approached Turman. "Did security suspect anything when they let you into the spaceport?"

    "I told them he was a heavy drinker," Turman said. "They seemed to buy it."

    "Is it just me, or does this seem to easy?" Trey asked. "I mean, surely the guards would have recognized Girdun and pressed you for more info."

    "I say we just be glad for miracles and get on with the mission," Bhindi said. "Once Wallen and the others get here, we'll be in the--"

    Sharr saw it before anyone else; a gleam of sunlight bouncing off a chrome-coated sniper rifle. He only had time to cry out when the green plasma bolt pierced through the air and struck Bhindi square in the chest. As her body crumpled to the ground, as Sharr rushed over to her side, Trey drew his blaster and fired it at the sniper, yelling a string of curses. Immediately, at least a dozen figures dressed in obscuring black uniforms emerged from the corners of the spaceport and started firing upon the Wraiths.

    Hearing the chaos, Huhunna came rushing down the ramp, bowcaster in her hands, with Thaymes Fodrick and Doc right behind her. While the Wookiee and the Corellian provided supporting fire for Trey and Turman, Doc rushed over to the injured Bhindi.

    "You have to save her, Doc," Sharr said urgently as the medic examined her wound. "Please... you have to."

    "Sharr." He looked down at her just as she raised a hand to his face, touching it gently. "Just... go. The mission... the mission comes...."

    She started to cough violently. He gripped her hand tightly, doing his best to control his emotions. "I'm not leaving you," he said firmly.

    "Sharr... you have to go. This... this is too important... for you to risk jeopardizing. Please... go."

    Sharr opened his mouth to protest but a blaster bolt zipping over his head and hitting the ship's hull forced him to concede. Squeezing her hand, he gazed into his old friend's eyes.

    "I won't let you down."

    With no time to waste, he got to his feet and called out to the other Wraiths. "Get onto the ship! Quickly!"

    "What about Wallen and the others?" Trey asked, shooting down one of the several assailants. "They should be here any minute."

    "We don't have time," Sharr said. "We'll have to regroup with them later. Now let's go."

    Relucantly, the Wraiths followed the command and hurried after Sharr onto the ship. Some of the shooters tried to take pursuit but were held back by a barely alive Bhindi, who held a pistol loosely in her hands. The last to reach the ship, Huhunna swiftly picked her up and brought her on board, closing the hatch behind her.

    Fishing out his comlink, Sharr said, "Get us out of here, Solo."

    "And here I was about to join the fun."

    In seconds, the engines of the ship roared to life and they were lifting off.

*  *  *

    "Well, there goes our ride," Wallen muttered as he, Xemer, Wran, and Drikall watched the freighter that was the Wraiths' transportation take off. The four of them had been prevented from entering the spaceport due to a sudden lockdown, forcing a number of speeders to wait at the entrance.

    "I'm sure they had a good reason," Xemer said. "Given who we were kidnapping, things were bound to go south."

    "So what now?" Wran asked. "Do we find another way off Coruscant or wait for them to get back to us?"

   "They probably won't allow any ships to leave for at least the next forty-eight hours. We'll just have to go back to the hideout and wait."

    Wallen frowned as he watched the ship grow smaller in Coruscant's sky. "Will they even be able to leave?"

    "Considering who's piloting, I'm sure they'll manage."

    Wallen looked at Xemer. "Who's piloting them?"

    "Why, only the best pilot in the galaxy, of course."

    Wallen thought for a moment. "Wedge Antilles?"

    "Er, no. The other Corellian."

    "Baron Soontir Fel?"

    Xemer sighed. "Okay, now you're just trying to be funny."

Star Wars Endgame: Finale, Chapter Ten

PART II: RECKONING

--------------------

CHAPTER TEN

--Kursid, six months ago--

    The sound of thunder rolled through the arid fields of Kursid. Lightning struck the horizon, lashing out from black clouds. Not a single ray of sunlight shone on the planet; whether it was night or day, no one knew nor cared to find out.

    A large procession of a dozen moved through the dry lands, walking in an orderly single file. Not a single piece of clothing covered their blood-red bodies, leaving them fully exposed to the harsh icy winds. Waiting for the parade at their destination were three figures -- two males and one female -- all dressed in simple dark robes. Black tattoos of archaic designs marked their red faces, and their eyes glowed yellow.

    Once the procession had come to a stop before the trio, one of the three -- an aged Iktotchi male -- raised his arms in greeting.

    "Welcome, children, and congratulations for making it this far. You twelve were the only ones out of fifty to make it through the trials. Without food, water, or clothing, you have fully embraced the dark side and have become one with it. His Darkness Valtheran has truly blessed you."

    He gestured to the leader of the procession, a muscular man with long black hair. He stepped forward and, at the Iktotchi's beckoning, knelt before him.

    "What is your name, child?" the horned Iktotchi asked.

    "Haarkon, my lord."

    "Haarkon, you have been blessed by His Darkness Valtheran and been marked his disciple." As soon as the Iktotchi had spoken, the robed woman -- a Twi'lek -- stepped forward and dropped a pair of arthropods onto the man. Immediately the pincerbugs started to move all across Haarkon's bare form. He screamed in pain as their venom burned into his skin, creating patterns along his body.

    "Fear is our fuel," the three robed ones said in unison. "Anger is our conduit. Hate is our weapon. And through suffering, we are one."

    Finally, the screams ended and the bugs returned to the Twi'lek's hands. Panting heavily, Haarkon stood to his full height, baring his new tattoos with pride.

    "We are the Marked."

*  *  *

    "Barbaric, isn't it?"

    Standing next to Varon as they witnessed the ritual from afar, Karis folded her arms. "And yet somehow I'm not surprised someone like Prodd came from a cult like this."

    "It also produced Zashra," Varon said. "I suppose they're not all savages."

    Karis snorted. "So long as they're useful."

    Varon glanced at her. "You sound doubtful, Karis. Do you not think they'll be enough to destroy the Jedi?"

    The winged woman did not look at him, keeping her icy gaze on the continuing ceremony. "It's not the Jedi I'm worried about."

    "Then what?"

    "The three scions of Vader."

    At this, Varon's hands started to curl into fists, his breathing becoming heavier with anger. "You overestimate their abilities," he muttered. "They won't pose a threat at all."

    "Are you sure of that?" Karis asked, raising an eyebrow. "They must be strong in the Force."

    "Strong or not, they won't stop us, even with their fellow Jedi. With our combined strength, they will be outmatched." Varon then turned, walking away from the scene. "Besides, they aren't the only ones with someone of Vader's bloodline."

    Karis blinked, looking back confusedly at the retreating Varon. "Are you saying... we do?"

    "Yes. And he will prove most useful when the time is right."

--Kesh--

    The last few rays of sunlight shined across the Takara Mountains. The Sith Temple appeared gold under the light.

    Darish Vol, Grand Lord of the Sith tribe, stood outside the temple on a cliff edge, watching as the sun slowly vanished behind the horizon. As the cool night air started to set in, he sensed someone approach him from behind.

    "You'll have to do better than that if you plan to kill me," Darish said darkly.

   The man behind him softly chuckled. "Now, what would ever give you that idea?"

    "Here I am, standing on the edge of a cliff, alone and vulnerable. Who wouldn't take the opportunity to take the title of Grand Lord when it is made easy for them?"

    The other Sith came to stand next to him, his blond hair shining brightly as a ray of light hit his face. He looked at the Grand Lord with a smirk. "Please. You know I always do things the hard way."

    Darish considered this. "True," he admitted. "You would probably try to make the mountain shake to topple me over the edge."

    "You know me too well." The other man fell silent for a moment, watching the sunset, before saying, "So, any word from our 'protector?'"

    Darish shook his head. "I have not heard from him. He did say it would be some time before we were needed. I imagine he is getting other things prepared."

    "Are you certain of that?" the Sith Lord asked, raising an eyebrow. "For all we know, he could be leading us on."

    "You think someone affiliated with Taral would deceive us?"

    "For all we know, he could have been deceiving Taral, or Taral us. If I were you, I would err on the side--"

    Darish whirled on him, anger in his eyes. "You are not me, Xaros. You never will be. For as long as I still breathe, I shall do everything under my power to make sure you never become Grand Lord."

    Xaros stared back at him evenly. "You are welcome to try, my lord."

    The two men stared each other down. It wasn't until the sun had completely vanished behind the horizon did Xaros break eye contact, turning and walking away. Darish watched him leave before following him back to the temple.

--Elsewhere--

    "A new age is upon us. Can you feel it?"

    The man in black kept his head down as he knelt before his master. "Yes," he replied, his voiced altered by his mask.

    The tall figure before him leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping against the armrest. "As with any such transitional period, there shall be many changes, large and small. Some which may even affect you."

    "I am prepared to face them, Supreme Leader."

    "Are you? Even you, master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test. In time, you will be faced with a choice. Whatever your decision is, it will create ripples that shall influence the course of everything. Are you confident that you shall make the right choice?"

    "I shall. I will not fail you, Supreme Leader."

    The figure chucked as his image started to flicker and fade. "We shall see."

    Once the Supreme Leader had vanished completely, Kylo Ren rose to his feet and walked out of the chamber.

    The long night had begun.

Transformers Regenerated Profiles: Garrus-16 (The Monstercons)

The Decepticons imprisoned at Garrus-16 are all characters from the 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon (along with its supplementary media).

The prisoner IDs refer to the release date of each con's first appearance, with some alterations for those who appeared simultaneously (or have episodes with the same air date).

Some of these bios may very well get contradicted by future Regenerated stories. These were mainly made for fun.

EDITED 6/28/2023 Replaced Convobat with Searchlight due to changed plans for the former.

THE GARRUS FILES: GARRUS-16
History

   Garrus-16 was established shortly after the Battle of Talrus in Cycle 9015. The largest of all of the Garrus facilities established thus far, it became recipient to many prisoner transfers from Garrus-9 and other facilities, most of them being petty crooks and criminals from before the war. This allowed the other prisons to have more room for prisoners of higher priority. As time went on however, Garrus-16 would receive more dangerous prisoners, as High Command had more faith in Warden Halonix Maximus' security than any other.

Class A

Prisoner #220: Overload

    Before the war, Overload was a well-acclaimed actor, starring in plays such as Primon of Cybertron and The Merchant of Iacon. After joining the Decepticons, Overload became one of Megatron's top spies and was responsible for the fall of Perihex in Cycle 9364. He was later defeated and captured by Optimus Prime himself.

Prisoner #227: Polar Claw

   Polar Claw was a member of the Malware Brigade before the war. He later became a well-known crime lord and was rivals with his former colleague Thunderhoof. As far as any records show, his criminal empire is still active despite his capture at the Manganese Mountains in Cycle 8927.

Prisoner #305: Saberhorn

   A Proto-Insecticon, Saberhorn was once a member of Hammerstrike's pirate crew before striking out on his own, roaming the spacelanes and plundering freighters. According to some reports, he had once trained under Sensei Yoketron, evident in his swordfighting and tactics. He was apprehended by Devcon in the Skriixos system.

Prisoner #312: Crazybolt

   A prominent racer in Cybertron's Golden Age, Crazybolt fell onto hard times when the race tracks were shut down by Zeta Prime. Down on luck, he ended up getting wrapped into the Decepticons and served as a data courier. His constant need to race soon drove him mad and he became an unstoppable force on the battlefield. This led to him being assigned to Velocitron during the Asphalt Wars of Cycle 9514 and it required the joint effort of the Turbomaster and the native Velocitronians to bring him down.

Prisoner #314: Underbite

    A Chompazoid given proper intelligence by the Decepticons, Underbite was unleashed on the neutral city of Nuon in Cycle 9621. As a ravenous creature known to feed off of metal, Underbite allegedly devoured the city whole. He was eventually defeated and restrained by the Wreckers.

Prisoner #319: Razorpaw

    "Survival of the fittest" is Razorpaw's motto. Several medical clinics have fallen prey to his attacks, in which he murdered patients and siphoned their energon. For the longest time he managed to evade authorities until the Elite Guard set up a trap for him at the Durax Hospital for Protoforms, where he was finally arrested.

Prisoner #326: Simacore

    A graduate from the Academy of Science and Technology, Simacore had always been underestimated by his colleagues for his brutish appearance and short-temper. When an experiment of his went wrong, Simacore took out his frustrations on his fellow scientists. He was shortly apprehended by the Dynobots and sent to prison.

Prisoner #402: Scorpinok

   While a relation to the similarly-named and more notorious Scorponok has not yet been made, Scorpinok has nonetheless made a name for himself in Cybertron's more remote areas, outside the law's reach. Stalking the Badlands, many a settlement fell to his claws, all for his sick enjoyment. He was among the first to join the Decepticons for their resurgence and proved to be a formidable soldier. To his misfortune, however, he fell under the command of Scorponok, who left him for dead at the Manganese Mountains in Cycle 9314. He was then apprehended by the Autobots.

Prisoner #404: Steel Jaw

    A member of the Malware Brigade, Steel Jaw is notorious for leading the riot of Cycle 8269. As an expert on sub-sonics, Steel Jaw was able to escape prison numerous times, the last time being Cycle 9705 when he escaped Garrus-6 only to be captured by Ultra Magnus. Garrus-16 staff have thus taken extreme precautions to keep him restrained. Spark extraction is currently being considered.

Prisoner #405: Hammerstrike

    A former member of the Seacons, Hammerstrike broke off from Snaptrap's unit when they migrated to Aquatron. Kicking off a career as a pirate, Hammerstrike roamed the stars with her motley crew, often coming into conflict with the Star Seekers. Her century-long reign soon came to an end when High Tide and the Hydrobots defeated her on Aquarius.

Prisoner #411: Bisk

    A long-time participant of the Ibex Cup, Bisk always came in last, never able to move up to the Velocitron Circuit as was his dream. Spurred by this, Bisk went on a murderous spree during a race, violently forcing other racers to crash. Before he could reach the leading two racers, Blurr and Fasttrack, the Elite Guard interfered and restrained him.

Prisoner #412: Chop Shop

    Chop Shop was one of the first Insecticons created by Airachnid early on in the war. A closet kleptomaniac, Chop Shop became responsible for a number of thefts, stealing from Autobots and Decepticons alike. After trying to steal one of Megatron's prototype weapons, he was thrown into the Autobots' care by the Decepticons, who had abandoned him at Verus Centralus.

Prisoner #416: Silverhound

   An abused mech who lost his audio receptors to thugs working for the High Council, Silverhound soon found work in Thunderhoof's cabal. Upgrading himself to a larger body, he decided to not replace his audio receptors, keeping their absence as a reminder for why he fought against authority. He was arrested when Thunderhoof's operations were shut down.

Prisoner #418: Terrashock

    A brute of a mech, Terrashock served as hired muscle for the High Council, often employed by Contrail. When the Seeker joined the Decepticons, Terrashock went with him. However, after Contrail was executed by Starscream during the war, the now-masterless Terrashock was left in disarray. During the Battle of Paxis Prime, he went on a rampage, attacking both factions. It required the combined strength of the Dynobots and the Warriors Elite to stop him.

Prisoner #425: Thunderhoof

    A member of the Malware Brigade like Steel Jaw, Thunderhoof became infamous as a crime boss when he raided a Functionist complex in Harmonex. Over the course of his career, Thunderhoof attained many High Councilors on his payroll, keeping his activities hush. It wasn't until his informant Clampdown alerted the Elite Guard did his reign come to an end.

Prisoner #430: Stockade

    A decorated general in the Decepticon Army, Stockade went for centuries with a clean reputation, never losing a battle to the Autobots. Knowing this gave him a massive ego, and in Cycle 9114, he staged a coup against Megatron, concurrent with Contrail's assassination attempt on Starscream. When things went downhill, Stockade retreated from New Kaon and allowed himself to be taken prisoner by the Autobots. For seven hundred years straight, the Decepticons offered to swap P.O.W.s for him, but High Command refused each time, knowing his worth to the Decepticon Empire.

Prisoner #502: Filch

    Known across the Tri-Torus States as the Thief With Wings, Filch has broken into more museums and banks than a Tetramand can count on all four hands. As it happens, Filch initially wasn't arrested for any of the numerous thefts she had committed, but for breaking air traffic laws in Rodion. It wasn't until while she was in custody was she identified as the infamous thief.

Prisoner #506: Crustacion

   Criminals are said to be a superstitious and cowardly lot. While far from cowardly, Crustacion is most definitely superstitious. Built as a manual labor bot, Crustacion abandoned his old life and reverted to a life of crime, committing robbery sprees with little forethought, believing pure old-fashioned luck to be his only guiding force. It was his large size and great strength that lent him several successful robberies, only to finally be apprehended in Lower Monoplex by the Elite Guard in Cycle 8362.

Prisoner #507: Glowstrike

   A Proto-Insecticon like Chop Shop and Saberhorn, Glowstrike was a creation Airachnid cherished more than others, seeing the traits of an ideal Decepticon leader in her. As such, Airachnid made Glowstrike leader of the Proto-Insecticons, much to their chagrin. Despite her mother's hopes, Glowstrike never got high up the Decepticon ladder. Her most notorious action during the war was leading a raid on Regulon IV, an Autobot outpost commanded by Thunderclash. Needless to say, she and her fellow bugs did not last long.

Prisoner #513: Ragebyte

    Ragebyte was once a member of Hammerstrike's crew, having broken off from the Seacons the same time as his sister. However, Ragebyte displayed little interest in piracy and instead desired to devote his life to science. Having no use for a scientist on her crew, Hammerstrike abandoned her brother on a backwater planet, where Ragebyte scrounged for parts and cobbled together a makeshift laboratory. Over the next several centuries, he would perform experiments and do trade with other races. This eventually attracted the attention of the Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord and Ragebyte was quickly arrested. 

Prisoner #516: Springload

    Springload probably wouldn't have been a Decepticon had they not told him they'd help him find Doradus. A born-again Cyberutopian, Springload is obsessed with finding the mythical city, specifically for the Fountain of Energon it is alleged to contain. As his fixation often lead him astray, he was left behind by his comrades at Cabraxas IV and captured by the Autobots.

Prisoner #520: Zorillor

    While part of Malodor's gang, Zorillor preferred to operate on his own, being more interested in stealing valuable artifacts rather than do any of the High Council's work. Regardless, he ended up getting roped into the Decepticons with the rest of his gang and ended up being captured during the Fall of Grindcore.

Prisoner #523: Ped

    A lowly Made-To-Order Decepticon soldier, Ped was deployed at the Battle of Vextor IX and sent to scout the underground tunnel system dug up by the razor-slugs. When the subterranean creatures were disturbed by the surface battle above, Ped was lost amongst the chaos and only barely managed to rejoin Megatron's forces afterwards. He was later dumped on Talrus along with other soldiers who had disappointed Megatron.

Prisoner #530: Quillfire

    A notorious anarchist, Quillfire resents control of any kind. As such, he never became affiliated with Triple M, the Malware Brigade, or other such movements. Why he joined the Decepticons despite Megatron's authoritarian rulership is a mystery to anyone but him. He was captured by Ultra Magnus midway into the war.

Prisoner #606: Fracture

    The name Fracture has been feared across the galaxy for centuries. Once a member of the Tremorcons, Fracture decided to strike out on his own following a defeat on Hydrus V in Cycle 9004. Becoming a bounty hunter, he has turned in many an Autobot to the Decepticons and has often worked in conjunction with their Secret Service. In Cycle 9699, he came into conflict with fellow bounty hunter Lockdown, who tricked him into going to Talrus and coming under Autobot radar. He was subsequently apprehended. 

Prisoner #610-612: Boostwing, Jacknab, and Pilfer

    Just as their sister was infamous in the Tri-Torus States, Boostwing and his brothers were likewise notorious thieves in the Tagan Heights, a cluster of valuable cities such as Ultirex and Durax. Unlike Filch, who was more of an impulsive thief, Boostwing preferred to plan out his robberies, leading to many a success in his 10-year long career. In Cycle 8610, after monitoring the trio's activities for years, the Elite Guard were able to lure them into a trap set up at the Durax Museum using nothing but the shiny armor of one of their bots.

Prisoner #613: Malodor

    Before the war, Malodor and his gang of hoodlums -- derogatorily known as the Skunkticons due to their coloration and foul odor -- were often employed by the High Council to do their dirty work. When the war started, Malodor and his hooligans were conscripted by the Decepticons, who were seeking out expendable soldiers. They were stationed at Grindcore before being taken prisoner themselves when the prison was taken by the Autobots.

Prisoner #617: Shadow Raker

    Shadow Raker is a mystery even to those who work with him. One of the many Proto-Insecticons created by Airachnid, Shadow Raker is trained in several forms of martial arts and, much like his brother Saberhorn, is an expert swordsman. While most of his brothers and sisters ended up getting captured by the end of the war, Shadow Raker managed to evade the Autobots for several years after the Truce of 9701. It was not until a former student of his sold him out to the Autobots and led them to his lair in the Umbra System was Shadow Raker finally apprehended.

Prisoner #620: Clampdown

    A measly mech who is always making deals to save his hide. Once a thug for Thunderhoof, Clampdown was responsible for the crime boss' downfall when he notified the Elite Guard of his illegal activities. He later wound up in prison as well when he attempted to blackmail a member of the High Council.

Prisoner #627: Nightstrike

    Before the war, Nightstrike was among the wealthy mechs who resided in posh Translucentica Heights. For the longest time, his actions of manipulating and mentally tormenting those he saw as his rivals went unnoticed until he used his fear-stimulating sonic scream on the warden, who immediately alerted security. He was imprisoned at Garrus-1 before being transferred overtime.

Prisoner #704: Vertebrake

    During the Golden Age, Vertebrake went by the name of Backstrut, a renowned scientist famous for his study of Cybertronian anatomy. However, he was expelled from the Science Council when his horrific cyber-grafting experiments became known. He later joined the Decepticons, renaming himself, and became partners with his old colleague Rossum. He was captured during the Vomisa campaign in Cycle 9691.

Prisoner #716: Flamesnort

   A gallant (in his mind) follower of the Decepticon cause, Flamesnort was lost during the Fall of Fortress Sinister in Cycle 7811, ending up buried beneath the ruins of the Decepticon fortress. As such, when he reemerged a thousand years later, he was completely unaware of the Decepticons' defeat and attempted to contact Decepticon High Command. He was eventually apprehended by Thunderclash, who had been the one responsible for Fortress Sinister's fall in the first place.

Prisoner #718: Octopunch

    In his early life, Octopunch was known across Cybertron as a famous boxer, his skills rivaling those of Star Upper. During the war, he was assigned to Bludgeon's unit at the Battle of Klo and captured by the Lightning Strike Coalition.

Prisoner #725-726: Groundbuster and Headlock

    Headlock was among the first of Trannis' followers, fighting in the Kaon arenas alongside the likes of Scorponok and Grimlock. At some point his chassis was heavily damaged and his spark was transferred to a weaker model. At some point he took on the brutish Decepticon Groundbuster as his pupil and trained him in the arenas of New Kaon. Following the Truce of Cycle 9701, the pair took part in an illegal gladiator match on Taurus XIII and exchanged Cybetronian tech with the arena owners. This, of course, violated the Tyrest Accord and earned themselves a visit from Ultra Magnus.

Prisoner #808: Kick Back

   A member of the Proto-Insecticons, Kick Back's jumping ability paled in comparison to his more well-known namesake. As such, he, like the other Proto-Insecticons, was seen as disposable by the Decepticons and was among those dumped on Talrus after the Battle of Vextor IX.

Prisoner #815: Scowl

    A rejected member of the Dynobots, Scowl sought work with Thunderhoof's crime cabal, serving as hired muscle. He was arrested along with his boss when Clampdown sold them out.

Prisoner #822: Zizza

    The caretaker of several protoforms, Zizza attempted to user her Outlier hypnosis abilities on her "children" to consolidate an army and overthrow Sentinel Prime. However, she soon discovered that the effects were only temporary and the Elite Guard were able to arrest her before her plans could come to fruition.

Prisoner #823: Scratch

   Often mistaken for her brother Razorpaw, Scratch was a simple thief before she joined the Decepticons. Known for her agility and stealth, she proved a useful asset for the Secret Service and successfully infiltrated a number of Autobot outposts in the early days of the war. In Cycle 8992, she attempted to break Razorpaw out of the Graviton Prison, only to end up imprisoned herself. The two siblings were later transferred to Garrus-16 following its construction.

Prisoner #829: Pseudo

    As a Shifter, Pseudo was a worshiper of Adaptus and proclaimed follower of Amalgamous Prime. He detested monoformers, seeing them as heretics, and would sneak into Triple M complexes and murder all those inside. These actions soon earned him the pseudonym 'the Militant Ripper'. At some point during the war, Pseudo was arrested for dealings with the Black Block Consortia.

Prisoner #910: Paralon

    Paralon had always fancied himself a "relic hunter." Obsessed with history, he would frequently break into museums and vaults to steal artifacts so that he could study them more closely. His last and most notorious heist was the theft of the Apex Armor from the Iacon Vaults in Cycle 8805, in which he used the armor itself against the Elite Guard. It was not until Sentinel Prime himself intervened and brought Paralon to justice.

Prisoner #917: Scatterspike

    Constructed cold as miner, Scatterspike spent most of her life working in the energon mines on Luna 2. One day, she unexpectedly struck gold, discovering a deposit of tironium. Not wanting anyone else to come across her findings, she created a secret stash near the Raskol Arena. When the Great War began, Scatterspike joined the Decepticons but remained on Luna 2 to search for more tironium. In Cycle 9315, the Battle of Luna 2 occurred and Scatterspike's precious stash was destroyed. She was apprehended by the Lunabots after the battle.

Prisoner #924: Thermidor

    Many tales have been spun on the origins of the space pirate Thermidor. Some believe him to have once gone by the name Cannonball. Others say he was part of Hammerstrike's crew before going his own way. Regardless, his notoriety among the spacelanes knows no bounds. For centuries he proved a menace to Autobots and Decepticons alike. It wasn't until Cycle 9724 was he thwarted by his own crew, overthrown by his first mate Clawtrap. He ended up in Autobot captivity following Clawtrap's failed attack on Garrus-16.

Prisoner #925: Clawtrap

    Throughout his life, Clawtrap has always lead by example. Before the war, he had worked his way through many gangs to achieve his goals, becoming a well-known crime lord. As a Decepticon, he served under General Strika, whom he knew well enough to not try to deceive. Following the Truce of 9701, Clawtrap and several other Decepticons managed to strike out on their own, eventually joining the crew of the pirate Thermidor, whom Clawtrap became first mate to. It wasn't long before Clawtrap returned to his roots and overthrew Thermidor. Taking command, he attempted an attack on Garrus-16, only to be defeated by the Autobots and taken captive.

Prisoner #1021: Wingcode

   Created by the Decepticons during the Software Wars of Cycle 8891, Wingcode was made with the ability to release clouds of particles that can infect Cybertronians with malware. This malware could only target Autobots and would have meant victory for the Decepticons were it not for the quick thinking of Mainframe who developed a virtual firewall system which, once installed into an Autobot's processor, could kill the particles before they could accumulate and take effect. Thanks to this development, the Autobots were able to win the Software Wars and apprehend Wingcode.

Prisoner #1105: Shadelock

   Shadelock was once a lowly Vehicon known by the simple designation of Unit 115. Tired of being treated like scrap, he deserted from the Decepticons and became a bounty hunter, taking up jobs from the scrupulous crime lords of Monacus. It was during this time that he met the rogue Autobot RoughEdge and the two have been partners in crime ever since. They were apprehended by Ultra Magnus during the Dark Age for their violations of the Tyrest Accord. 

Prisoner #1106: Roughedge

Prisoner #1107: Razorhorn

   The first of Airachnid's prototype Insecticons, Razorhorn was designed after the ancient Insecticons that once dwelt beneath Cybertron's surface. Known more for his strength rather than his intelligence, Razorhorn served as little more than dumb muscle for the Decepticons. Falling under the command of Proto-Insecticon leader Glowstrike, Razorhorn participated in the attack of Regulon IV and was summarily defeated by Thunderclash's forces.

Class B

Prisoner #107: Overhead

   The spark-sister of Terrashock, Overhead was a renown space bridge technician in her day. When the Functionists rose to power in Cycle 8314, Overhead's alt mode dictated that she provide manual labor and she was removed from the Board of Space Bridge Operators. Enraged by this, Overhead established the Cybercomrade Sect and became an infamous crime boss in the last days of the Golden Age. When the Decepticons reemerged, Overhead and her gang were quick to join and the Sect continued to operate as a division of the Decepticon Secret Service. After the Truce of Cycle 9701, the Cybercomrade Sect attempted to gain back control of Cybertron's underworld until they were exposed and arrested in Cycle 9715.

Prisoner #111-112: Razorgrille and Skullcruncher

   Razorgrille and Skullcruncher grew up in the slums of Kaon during the Golden Age's twilight years. Doing work for a number of crime bosses, it was only a matter of time before they were pulled into the Cybercomrade Sect and became disposable thugs for Overhead. Becoming Decepticons was a lateral career move for them and they continued to be little more than simple brutes under the command of higher-ranked Decepticons. They returned to Overhead when she made her move in Cycle 9715 and ended up getting captured with the rest of the cult.
   [ADDENDUM: Skullcruncher has since been released on bail]

Prisoner #502: Flamefeather

    Along with his fellow Firecons, Flamefeather was involved in the Battle of Varas Centralus, in which they burned the planet's atmosphere. In the three hundred years since that atrocity, only Flamefeather has been arrested; the other two Firecons -- Cindersaur and Sparkstalker -- remain unaccounted for.

Prisoner #722: Spinhead

   A mech wracked with paranoia and a phobia for mnemosurgery, Spinhead fell in with the Free Will movement shortly after the rise of functionism in Cycle 8314. While the movement was quickly silenced by the High Council, Spinhead found another venue for his activism in the form of the Cybercomrade Sect, which was dedicated to overthrowing the Functionists. Spinhead was a still a member of the Sect when it folded into the Decepticons and was likewise captured in the Sect's resurgence in Cycle 9715.

Prisoner #826: Transit

   A short-tempered mech from Helex, Transit was removed from the Transportation Guild due to his brutal treatment of passengers and ended up working as a thug for some of the High Council's more unscrupulous members. Upon joining the Decepticons, he ended up working in the Cybercomrade Sect and was captured in Cycle 9715.

Prisoner #827: Retrofit

   Washed out of the Kaon Police Academy, Retrofit was left to wallow in the slums of Kaon, living among the Empties. She lucked out when the Cybercomrade Sect moved in looking for recruits and Retrofit was the first to make herself heard. Thinking a former security bot would be useful, the Sect sent Retrofit on recon missions near the academy she had been dropped out of, gathering intel the Sect could use to undermine the government. When the Sect got folded into the Decepticons, Retrofit worked for the Secret Service as an errand 'Con, continuing to run recon missions for her superiors. In Cycle 9705, frustrated with the Sect's inactivity following the Truce, Retrofit fell in with the Decepticon upstart Steel Jaw and ended up captured by the Autobots.

Prisoner #828: Clipshade

   [CLASSIFIED DATA REDACTED BY ORDER OF THE DULY APPOINTED ENFORCER OF THE TYREST ACCORD]

Class C

Prisoner #105: Skinkbomb

    A veteran of the First Great War, Skinkbomb was a member of the Primal Vanguard. After the Vanguard was disbanded following the end of the war, he went into retirement in his home city of Peptex. However, he was still haunted by the atrocities he had seen committed during the war and wanted to see justice be fully brought to the exiled Decepticons. While sessions with Rung kept these urges at bay for a while, in Cycle 7913 he started creating explosive weapons to use on any Decepticon he saw. His operations were uncovered by the Elite Guard and he was promptly arrested. After a few centuries at Garrus-1, he was placed into stasis to keep his sanity from decaying further.

Prisoner #123: Viral
Prisoner #502: Abominus

    The mech who calls himself Abominus -- after a legendary creature presumably of Eukarian origin -- was a member of Polar Claw's crime cabal. When Polar Claw was apprehended, Abominus took over most of the cabal and took it off Cybertron, hiding on criminal hot spots like Monacus and Pz-Zazz. Laying low throughout the course of the war, Abominus was finally arrested in Cycle 9744 for dealings with Lord Gyconi, though the cabal is reported to still be active.

Prisoner #503: Brakepad

   The only thing keeping Brakepad from breaking out of his prison is a metal clamp over his eyes. An Outlier who has suffered oppression from the Functionists, Brakepad's optics have a hypnotic effect that can make anyone who looks into them just as lazy as he is -- which is extremely. This power made him a very successful thief, and it required a joint effort by the so-called "O-Bots" -- Outliers who used their power for good -- to apprehend him.

Prisoner #504: Shocksprocket

   Shocksprocket was one of the last Proto-Insecticons made and would have been a final model had it not been for his erratic behavior and complete stupidity. Loathed by his brothers and sisters, Shocksprocket was eventually abandoned during the Battle of Talrus and took in by one of the guard at Garrus-16 as a "pet." The warden found out about this and was disgusted, immediately firing the guard and putting Shocksprocket into solitary confinement for safety.

Prisoner #505: Scuzzard

   No one knows what exactly Scuzzard is or where he came from. His earliest sighting was in Kaon circa Cycle 8798, where he was seen attacking a mine. He managed to escape arrest and would continue to strike mines in Kaon and even on satellites such as Luna 2 and Croteus 12. This would appear to suggest some sort of obsession with energon and is believed to be a Scavengebot gone wild, despite having shown signs of sapience. He was finally apprehended by the Elite Guard in Cycle 8814, shortly before the war.

Prisoner #506-508: Slink, Sneak, and Snitch

   Slink and her two cronies were little more than petty criminals back on Cybertron. A notorious cat-burglar whose record rivaled Filch's, Slink was constantly pursued by the Autobot vigilante Searchlight. In Cycle 8792, she was finally caught while in the midst of a theft. Her two thugs Sneak and Snitch, loaned to her by Thunderhoof, were also apprehended and sent with her to prison.

Prisoner #901-903: Forager, Foxtrot, and Stilts

    These three bounty hunters -- who call themselves the Ronin -- were once Decepticons who were disenchanted with Megatron's movement. During the disastrous Vomisa campaign, they finally decided to desert and became mercenaries. In Cycle 9691, fellow ex-Decepticon Deadlock joined their ranks. The following year, during a mission to Athena, Forager moved to destroy the moon to obtain a bounty, but was stopped by Deadlock, who destroyed their ship and abandoned them, although not before signaling Ultra Magnus to their location, where they were arrested.

Class D

Prisoner #321: Rollbar

    The name Rollbar is a common designation among Cybertronians, and unlike Prowl or Starscream, it has never been a reputable name to spark confusion between those who shared it. Rollbar of Kalis nearly made it one, however. A staunch follower of the Decepticon doctrine, Rollbar hated organics with a passion and was a strong advocate for their extermination. As a result, he attempted to craft a bomb that would target all organic material. This backfired on him and he ended up being captured by the Galactic Council, who then handed him to the Autobots as part of a deal.

Prisoner #322: Roadblock

   Like his frequent partner Rollbar, Roadblock shares his name with another, more well-known Roadblock. Unlike his namesake, Roadblock of Uraya is remembered as nothing more than a common thug. Loud and abrasive, Roadblock likes to pick on those weaker than him, whether they be Cybertronian or not. For this reason, he usually ended up getting partnered with Rollbar, despite the two never getting along. In order to get rid of the hindrance that Roadblock caused him, Rollbar abandoned him on Roxtus Secundus in Cycle 9519, allowing him to be captured by the Autobots.

Prisoner #628: Phantomjaw

    The Decepticon who calls himself Phantomjaw (which is believed to be a codename) is one of the faction's best spies. Many an Autobot base has been successfully infiltrated by him and a number of Decepticons have been freed by his efforts. His last strike was at Garrus-16 on Talrus, in an attempt to free the Decepticon general Stockade. The presence of the Dynobots, who had been turning in another prisoner, prevented him from succeeding. 

Transformers Regenerated: Tales --Trapped in the Spotlight

This is the last story I had written for Tales. I may go back and add more, but for now, this is it.

TRAPPED IN THE SPOTLIGHT

--Cybertron, after the war--

    "No, no, no." Bumblebee dug frantically through the crate which contained his personal belonging, tossing several items this way and that. "Where the frag is it?"

    He eventually dug out the very last thing in the box -- a broken model of some ship he'd forgotten about -- and carelessly threw it over his shoulder, kicking the crate at the wall in frustration.

    "Slag it! How could I be so fraggin' stupid?!"

    As he sat dejectedly on his recharge slab, a blue-helmeted head poked out from the open door of his room, surveying the mess he had made before looking at him. "Is everything all right?" Arcee asked.

    Bumblebee sighed. "Fine. Everything's fine."

    "Oh. So making a huge mess while yelling loudly is just something you do in your spare time?" the blue femme asked, stepping fully into the doorway with a hand on her hip.

    Bumblebee glared at her before sighing again, looking away. "I... left something behind on Earth."

    "Left what behind?"

    The yellow Autobot shook his head, standing up. "It's nothing. Nothing important."

    Arcee stepped into the room and walked up to Bumblebee, placing a hand on his shoulder. As he looked up at her confused, she smiled slightly. "It's your toy, isn't it? Your Bombast Major doll."

    Bumblebee's optics flickered in embarrassment. "You... you know about that...?"

    "I saw you drop it from your box when we were boarding Metroplex. I picked it up and put it with my--"

    "Wait, you have it?" Bumblebee grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her vigorously. "Where is it?! Is it still in good condition? It's not broken, is it? You handled it with care, right? You didn't thow it away, did you?"

    "I haven't touched it since we left Earth," Arcee said irritably, pushing the smaller bot off of her. "It should be fine. Let me go get it."

    Bumblebee followed Arcee to her quarters, watching her skeptically while a dozen scenarios played through his head: a battered Bombast Major on a dark shelf; pieces of his toy strewn across the room; the hand of Bombast Major poking out from a smelting pool, giving one last thumbs-up....

    They finally reached Arcee's room and Bumblebee immediately started searching, looking underneath the recharge slab and behind the computer station. Arcee rolled her optics as she pulled out a crate from her storage closet.

    "I haven't even unpacked it yet," she said as she opened the crate's lid. "Just give me a minute."

    As she tarted searching through the box, taking out each item one at a time, Bumblebee skidded up next to her, watching her intently. Mercifully, he did not say a single word... that is, until a particular item caught his optic, and he picked it up before Arcee could.

    "Hey, hands off!" Arcee snapped, trying to grab it back.

    Keeping it out of her reach, Bumblebee said, "This is Forever Glass, isn't it? Ironfist told me you could only find it on Moldavite VI."

    "I got it from some dealer in Praxus. Now give it back!" Arcee tried again to take the item, but Bumblebee held her at bay.

    "Hang on, there's an image reflected in it." He narrowed his optics as he studied the permanent reflection. In it, he could see two female bots, both in pink armor, standing together with arms around each other, beaming brightly.

    "Who are these two? The one on the right kinda looks like Elita-One... are these your sisters?"

    Arcee finally snatched the glass from Bumblebee and put it aside, glaring at him. "Mind your own business, will you?"

    "Sorry," Bumblebee murmured. "It's just... you never really talk much about your family. I don't think you even said a word to Elita when she and her crew arrived on Earth."

    "She was too busy reconnecting with Optimus," Arcee muttered, returning to her search.

    "Still, did you at least try to talk to her? I mean, she is your sister--"

    Arcee turned back to him, an irritated look on her face. "Am I missing something here? I thought we were here to find your stupid doll, not put me in the spotlight."

    Bumblebee backed away, holding his hands up. "Okay, okay! Sorry! Sheesh... ask a simple question...."

    Satisfied with this response, Arcee resumed her search. However, her mind was no longer focused on the matter at hand, but rather on things she had thought been buried in the past....

--Cybertron, before the war--

    "...One hundred fifty... two hundred... two hundred fifty...."

    Elita-Seven watched as the multi-armed mech counted the credits on his desk, his green optics growing wider the higher he counted.

    "...Four hundred... four hundred fifty... five hundred thousand Shanix! My word! That's more than I make in a week!" Scooping up the credits and putting them away, Limelight grinned at Elita, showing well-polished dental plates. "I was right in hiring you. You sell alt modes like engex. Tell me, what's your secret?"

    She shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "I can't say, sir. Must be some sort of untold talent."

    Limelight leaned across the desk, resting his chin on a hand as he studied her. "Hmm... you do have something of a... curvaceous appearance. Tell me, are you from Caminus? I know we've been getting some Camien immigrants over the past few centuries."

    "No, sir. I come from a small town called Venix. Most bots constructed there are given a slender, sometimes curvy appearance. It's always been our style."

    "Ah yes, Venix. Been there once myself. I have a friend from Venix who fancies himself an alt mode enthusiast." Limelight snorted derisively. "He won't make it anywhere in the world."

    The mech then moved across the room, his spindly body moving with overly pronounced grace and style. From a shelf he picked up a datapad, into which he punched a few keys. 

    "You on the other hand...." He looked at Elita-Seven, smiling brightly. "I'm planning a fashion tour that'll take us from Triax all the way to Carpessa... and I'm only taking my best models with me. What do you say?"

    Elita blinked, taken aback by the offer. "Me? You want me?"

    "You are one of my best, Elita -- and believe me, I've had quite the number of models under my hire." He extended one of his four hands to her. "Well? What do you say?"

    She stared at the proffered hand for a moment before finally shaking it. "Count me in."

--Five months later--

    She could not believe this was happening. She would not.

    She kept her eyes on the floor, listening to the incessant chatter around her.

    "...violation of Code AR-C103-55--"

    "I know that already, Twelve-of-Twelve. I still have to wait for Prime's orders."

    "Your obsession over semantics is unnecessary. We are wasting our time by stalling their punishment."

    "These bots did nothing wrong. All they did was walk down a walkway and show off their chassis."

    "They were advocating the act of changing alt modes; again, a violation of Code AR--"

    She did not hear the rest of the conversation. She saw a pair of feet appear before her and looked up to see a magenta-colored femme. She instantly looked away ashamedly.

    "Sister... I'm sorry."

    "Save it," Elita-Two said harshly. "If you get let off for this, don't bother coming back home. There is no way the others are letting you back in."

    "Sister--"

    "No. Not 'sister'. Not anymore. Not ever again."

    With that, the femme turned on her heel and left to join the other police bots in containing the rest of Limelight's models and workers. She could see Limelight himself trying to resist arrest.

    Elita-Two's departure begot the arrival of another mech, the officer who had been arguing with the Functionist Castigator. He looked down at her as he held out a datapad.

    "Name?" he asked.

    She hesitated to answer. Giving him the name she had always gone by would only cause more problems, especially if her sister was working for him and had just effectively disowned her. But then, she couldn't give him no name at all.

    Her mind raced. What was that code she had violated? AR-C something?

    "Arcee," she finally said. "Arcee of... of Actox."

    The officer eyed her for a moment, leading her to fear that he had somehow seen through her deception. He then moved his gaze to his datapad and pressed in a few commands.

    "Arcee of Actox, you are relieved of all charges by order of Sentinel Prime."

    She looked up at him in surprise. "Really?"

    "However, you are to turn yourself in to your local Relinquishment Clinic and transfer your spark into a more basic body-type. In your case, I would suggest you change to a motorcycle."

    "Is that... allowable?"

    "Under sub-clause C of Code AR-104-A11, yes," he replied, throwing a sidelong glance at the Functionist. "Turns out I do know my rules very well."

    As he removed the stasis cuffs from her hands, the officer put a hand on Arcee's shoulder and looked her straight in the optic. "Do you still have a home to go to, once you're free?"

    She starred at him blankly. "Why are you asking? Why do you care?"

    The officer spared a glance at Elita-Two before saying in a low whisper, "I know who you are. I've heard your sisters talk about you."

    "You... you... what?" Arcee stammered, trying to form a coherent response.

    "You're pretty much the only one from House Elita to not join the Security Force. If you're looking for a job or a place to live even... we're always looking out for new recruits."

    Arcee considered his offer. At this point, she knew there was no going back. Her dreams had been quenched. Her family had rejected her. Now she was about to lose her own body in exchange for a simpler one.

    She knew she had no choice. It was either this or the Dead End.

    "All right," she said. "I'm up for the job."

    The officer smiled. "Glad to hear it. Just stop by the base in Iacon. Tell them Prowl sent you."

--Present--

    "Hey, you found it!"

    Arcee shook her head as she snapped out of her reverie, realizing that she was holding Bumblebee's toy in her hand, about to set it aside.

    "Oh. Er...." She handed it to him. "There you go, then."

    "Thanks!" Bumblebee eagerly took the doll from her, looking at it with childish awe. "This always brings me back, you know. I downloaded every episode of his show to my processor and put them on constant replay throughout the day. He was my biggest inspiration in becoming an Autobot."

    Arcee smirked as she got to her feet. "You do know his actor joined the Decepticons, right?"

    Bumblebee's expression become one of disbelief. "WHAT?!"

    "Yeah. He was one of Megatron's top spies. Optimus captured him on Kaiba-5. I thought you knew that."

    "Wait, you mean Overload? Overload played Bombast Major?" Bumblebee slapped a servo over his forehead. "Oh my god. I always wondered why they looked so similar." He then looked up at her 

expectantly. "Hey, you joined same time I did. What inspired you to become an Autobot?"

    Arcee hesitated to answer. To do so would be giving Bumblebee an insight into an aspect of life she did not care to have him know of just yet. As her mind raced for an answer, a white and black figure suddenly appeared outside the doorway.

    "Arcee," Prowl said. "Do you have a minute?"

    Grateful for the interruption, she turned to face him. "Yes. What do you need?"

    "Elita-One wants to meet with you at Maccadam's. She says the two of you are long overdue for a time to catch up. Do you want me to tell her you'll be there?"

    Arcee said nothing at first, taken aback by his words. After all these years, she never once thought any of her sisters ever wanted to speak with her again. Then again, Elita-One, being the eldest, had always been the wisest among them and perhaps this offer was genuine.

    Nodding firmly, she said, "Yes. Tell her I'll be there."

    Even though she never was for me, she left unsaid.