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Chapter Text

Transformers: Cold Steel - Prologue

The Autobot, struggling to walk, read the damage report sent from her internal system as it flashed across her optics. With injuries across her body, a massive loss of energon and her self-repair systems not knowing where to start, she knew she was in bad shape. But it didn't matter. The Autobot’s only thought was to finish off the Decepticons who moments ago almost ended her life.

With rage carrying her better than the energon she had left, each step the Autobot took sent pain through her legs but it was nothing compared to the pain within her spark. From her leg compartment, she removed a high-powered battle pistol as she got closer to the Decepticon who was dragging his damaged body across the coarse ground, trying to escape.

Raising a foot, the Autobot drove her heel into the Decepticon's back, flattening his body against the ground. Unable to move, the Decepticon was at the Autobot’s mercy as she pressed the barrel of the pistol against his back.

With energon dripping from the smile on his face, the Decepticon almost laughed. "This is not the way Autobots do things," he taunted. "What of your code? Your honour? Would you have me believe your superiors would approve of your actions?"

"You have only yourself to blame," the Autobot said, fighting the urge to squeeze the trigger for just a few more moments. "This is no mission. I am not here as an Autobot. I am here because you murdered my friend!" 

Transformers: Cold Steel - Chapter 1

Autobot Headquarters,
Two solar cycles later…

Though he knew it was an exaggeration, Ultra Magnus, commander of all Autobot forces on Cybertron, felt he had over a thousand things he needed to attend to other than this hearing. But as it turned out it was a security issue that couldn't be ignored. And when disciplinary actions were included, it was a priority that had to be addressed sooner than later.

Traversing the control center of Autobot headquarters, buried more than a mile beneath the surface, Ultra Magnus was saluted as he walked through the maze of command stations. There, he accepted each data pad given to him, each containing mission reports and updates, before continuing on his way. 

The control center functioned by following a rigged set of rules, just the way Magnus liked it. However, on the ever-changing battlefield of this war, fought for millions of years, Magnus recognized the need for adaptation. Though stubborn since the first day of his life cycle, he learned to listen to the input of his subordinate officers. Their insight had always proven to be valuable, serving him well in the long run. Which is why he ordered a number of them away from their duties to attend the hearing. Though all his officers were busy maintaining their assigned duties, protocol dictated that time had to be made to attend such proceedings.

Leaving the command center, Magnus found himself alone as he made his way down a corridor, with the exception of running into guards on patrol and centuries stationed at key positions along the way. While it wasn't complete solitude, it allowed Magnus to ponder what was ahead of him.

Arriving at the council chamber, the guards on either side of the entrance nodded to their commander as the doors slid open. Magnus felt the tension pushing against him as entered the council chamber, like the wind flowing over the battlefield before the conflict.

"All rise," said the hearing's acting moderator. "First commander of the Autobot forces, Ultra Magnus."

Everyone in attendance stood as Magnus took his seat at the head of an octagon-shaped table. Around the table stood over twenty individuals. Magnus knew all the officers in attendance. Many of them had served directly under Magnus, all of them experienced, professional and dependable. They greeted the Autobot commander in true military fashion and remained standing until Magnus was sitting down.

The moderator activated a holo-projector, set up in the center of the table, used to display visual information required for meetings and debriefings. A hologram appeared just above with data pertaining to the classification of the hearing.

"Let the record show," began the moderator. "This disciplinary hearing will be recorded by Autobot archivist, Rewind and designated file number 987234.894. The offensive in question takes the form of desertion of duty by action of abandonment of the accused’s assigned post. On cyber date 6272.76, the accused had been assigned to take position as a lookout in sector 23.G, exactly 3.4 mega miles away from the command center. When the accused missed their scheduled check-in and failed to answer all encrypted transmissions sent out to her, a two-bot unit was sent to investigate. They found the accused's post abandoned with no evidence suggesting a forced removal of the accused by enemy forces. Upon further investigation, the unit discovered the accused returning to base, heavily damaged. The accused claimed to have fallen victim to a random attack by two individuals not allied with the Decepticons, believed to be thugs in search of energon. One of the Autobots of the unit returned with the accused while the other took position at the abandoned post. The accused received medical care and was then later questioned about their whereabouts. When the question period had concluded, the accused was immediately suspended from active duty until further notice and restricted to the confines of their quarters. An inquiry into her actions began which led to this hearing."

Magnus had been debriefed of the situation and the charges brought against the accused Autobot in question. The moderator's recount was more of a formality for the records and to ensure all in attendance understood the nature of the case. Sitting across from Magnus, facing him directly and waiting for him to speak, the accused Autobot didn't seem in the least bothered about the charges against them.

"You are one of the last individuals I would ever expect to see here, Chromia," remarked Magnus. "As one of the most professional soldiers the Autobot army has ever produced, it's a shock to see you in this predicament. And for the dereliction of duty in safeguarding the location of Autobot headquarters. Never in a million years would I expect such gross negligence from one such as you."

Magnus picked up a data pad. "When questioned about the reason why you deserted your post, you claimed to have spotted some suspicious activity you believed to be hostile. You attempted to radio base however your communicator wasn’t functioning properly. Nothing but static?"

Chromia's optics scanned in the room. She saw everyone looking at her, forming their own opinions, wondering what she had to say for herself. "When I tried to call it in, I found my communicator wasn't working. I decided to investigate to see if they were Decepticon spies and could come up with some solid evidence."

"Solid evidence," repeated Magnus. "In which none was ever found. The two subjects you encountered and fought with were never located or any signs of the struggle you described."

"They were tougher than I anticipated, as I said when questioned. But I gave as good as I got."

"Speaking of evidence, your medical report couldn't confirm your claim that your communicator, or more precisely your built-in comlink, was indeed experiencing technical difficulties. As you described it, it had been smashed during the fight with the two subjects."

"Things got messy," Chromia said in all seriousness.

"Protocol dictates that during surveillance on the outskirts of headquarters, one must maintain a steady watch on the area. They are to remain in position until relieved of duty. In the situation where a threat is in close proximity to the base, in the absence of direct communication with one's superiors, those on guard duty are to return back to base and report."

Magnus leaned forward with both elbows on the tables and his fists locked together., "You left your post to identify the two subjects. In doing so you risked giving away the location of this compound and the lives of every Autobot stationed here. Hundreds of Decepticon patrols have ventured over this location before today and hundreds more will come and go so long as we maintain a vigilance on remaining unnoticed. You should have allowed what was assumed to be a Decepticon patrol to continue on its way, not leaving your post and engaging them."

"The point was they didn't seem like your average Decepticon patrol," said Chromia. "It looked more like a Decepticon scouting party searching intensely for something. I took the initiative to gather more Intel to see if they posed a threat to the security of this base. Now I think they were just scavengers, desperately looking for energon."

"The only threat to the security of this base was you by way of your actions," countered Magnus. "This is the sort of thing I would expect from a hot shot looking to make a name for themselves but not you. Not with your record."

Magnus looked at the data pad with Chromia's military file on the screen. He didn't need to as he had her dossier memorized. The list of accomplishments was impressive, especially those which involved teamwork, considering Chromia's profile states she preferred working alone. It seemed that over her career, Chromia learned to become an excellent team player and never let any of her comrades down.

"I believe your actions have been influenced by recent events," said Magnus. "Rewind, Bring up the file we have on the Decepticons known as Grindstalker."

Within a couple of astro-seconds, Rewind had the Decepticon's file open for all to view on the table’s holo-projector. Alongside the readout of all the information compiled by Autobot intelligence, a blue, 3-dimensional rendering of the Decepticon floated above the table.

"Grindstalker," began Rewind. "Leader of one of Shockwave's death squads. When not engaged in battle, Grindstalker and his squad are usually hunting down Autobots hidden among those who sympathize with our cause. Grindstalker joined the Decepticons shortly after the gladiator pits were shut down, inspired by Megatron's exploits. Once he was no longer able to fight as a gladiator, Grindstalker took it upon himself to clash with other Decepticons, to prove his might and superiority. Grindstalker won every single fight he started and went on to gain notoriety among the Decepticon ranks and eventually caught the attention of Megatron. From there, Grindstalker was used as an enforcer for various Decepticon commanders, sometimes taking on the role of second in command. He was the one who kept his squad in line and was first to dirty his hands when the time arrived. This went on until Megatron disappeared, along with his sub-commanders, Soundwave and Starscream. Shockwave, now in control of Cybertron and all Decepticon military operations, began to reassign many of the higher-ups to new positions to maintain order on Cybertron. Grindstalker soon found himself promoted and in command of his own squad. 

“Since then he had terrorized Autobots and locals alike. He has been at the front of many campaigns and though not a powerhouse like Shockwave, at least not yet, he is a frightful excellent combatant. We know very little about his personality except he craves the power of authoritativeness. He demands the respect of those who serve under him and uses violence to achieve his goals. He is extremely organized and it's the opinion of this report that he's intelligent enough to take charge of more than just a squad of soldiers. He could very well take a position of leadership within the Decepticon hierarchy and run any Decepticon-controlled city-state."

Before Chromia picked up where Rewind left off, Magnus swore he saw Chromia's face shift slightly for a moment before returning to its stoic expression. "My team and I came across Grindstalker during a reconnaissance mission in a small town called Defaxus, located in the city-state of Vos. My team’s mission was to identify the Decepticons who were terrorizing the locals of various towns across the region. Autobot command wanted to know what their motivation was. During our investigation, my team and I received information about Grindstalker and his ambitions. The rumor was he wanted more than just a city-state. He was gathering resources to take down Shockwave. If the stories are true, he wanted to be the next one in charge of Cybertron."

As she finished, Chromia had a feeling she knew what the next question was going to be.

"What else can you tell us about Grindstalker?” asked Magnus, “Is he still alive?"

Chapter Text

The Morning Star Cantina, Tarn. 
2 solar cycles earlier...

Laughter filled the cantina each time an intoxicated Decepticon was pushed off the circle and hit the floor. As the winner drunkenly strutted around the circle, other Decepticons raised their drinks in praise, cheering on the game of strength.

To win in this contest, opponents simply had to push the other off the circle, a section of the cantina raised a couple of feet off the floor. The amount of energon consumed didn't allow anyone to think of a more elaborate game, which was fine with those who watched. So long as whoever was tossed off the circle hit the floor harder than the last loser.

The establishment, in the western region of the city-state of Tarn, was called The Morning Star and only Decepticons were allowed in for free. Everyone else was charged an entrance fee and they usually paid while at gunpoint. It was the only bar in the area and anything else was mega-miles away. The unscrupulous owner, who employed a few brutes for security, took advantage of that fact, relieving all of their shanix one way or another. 

Inside the pub were Decepticons of all kinds. Occupying every table and seat along the bar,  leaning against the walls and huddled in every corner. They spent the time drinking, trading war stories, boasting about how many Autobots they had dispatched and occasionally challenging one another to a fight. 

The pub has reached its capacity tonight, resulting in a rowdier than the usual crowd. The reason was due to the red clouds approaching from the west, signifying the coming of an acid rain storm. Those outside needed shelter and the Morning Star was the only place available in this sector. The owner didn’t care since the shanix was flowing in faster than he could pour energon. 

As the next round inside the circle was about to start, the bar doors slid open. The bouncer, tipsy after a few high-voltage shots, turned to greet the newcomers with the usual routine of intimidation to make sure they understood who was in charge here. When the bouncer saw who it was, he sobered up immediately.

"You know who I am, right?" asked the newcomer as he walked in, followed by a group of Decepticons.

The bouncer nodded once with his wide-eyed optics locked on the mech's face.  He had never met the newcomer before but many had described him in stories. The facial features were sharp with an underbite that stuck out far enough to appear uncomfortable. The mech's head was shaped like a helmet, with mini spikes running up on either side and a larger one on the forehead. The Decepticon’s upper body carried extra armor, making him seem larger than he truly was. Purple highlights covered the dark blue and green body, the only other color present were red optics that addressed the crowd stuffed inside the pub. The only weapon visible was a battle axe, attached to the newcomer's back, well within reach if trouble was to arise.

Shifting his line of sight towards the ceiling, the bouncer stepped aside to allow the Decepticon and his envoy inside, avoiding eye contact with the rest of the group who looked almost as terrifying.

As the crowd continued its reveries, the music playing seemed to grow louder, when in fact it was the crowd who became quieter when they saw who had just entered. Everyone made room for the newcomers to pass by. Tables were abandoned, some with drinks unfinished, while those further away made sure to remain hidden in the shadows. Along the bar rail, patrons shifted to the closest corner, moving out of the way as the group walked right up to address the owner.

“The usual for my warriors,” the lead Decepticon said to the owner before turning around to address the crowd. "Don't the rest of you have somewhere else to be?"

The crowd looked at each other, unsure of what to do, waiting to see what someone else would do. Then a voice broke the silence, "But the acid rain is coming."

The Decepticons at the bar, who had helped themselves to the free energon, put their drinks down as their leader looked for the one who spoke. The crowd froze as they watched the Decepticon in charge reach for his axe and pull it off his back slowly. "Who was it that thinks this is a conversation?"

The crowd didn't say a word.

"You know, maybe I don't need to know exactly who said it," The Decepticon nodded to his crew at the bar, who turned to face the crowd, all armed and aiming their weapons at the drunken patrons. 

Before anyone protested or panicked, a commotion was heard coming from the rear. The crowd backed away, revealing the Decepticon who spoke out of turn, being forced forward by his peers. With a final push, the unfortunate Decepticon was shoved to the floor as everyone else backed away.

On his knees, the Decepticon tried to talk his way out of his predicament, "Hey listen, Grindstalker. I’m sorry, all I'm saying is -"

"Interesting," interrupted Grindstalker. "You think I actually give a damn about what you have to say. Well since you have an opinion to share, why not come a little closer so that I may hear you better."

The Decepticon shook his head, refusing to move.

Grindstalker's expression flashed a smile before snapping his arm up and forward, releasing the axe through the air.

The Decepticon slid across the floor as the axe struck him in the chest. Everyone looked on and did nothing when Grindstalker’s victim skidded to a stop. The Decepticon, still alive, tried to move but the weight of the axe buried in his chest prevented him from escaping.

“You know, I savor these special up close and personal moments,” said Grindstalker as he walked up to the Decepticon leaking energon across the floor. “This is where I can get to know someone for who they really are!"

Pushing down on the axe, forcing it deeper into the Decepticon’s chest, Grindstalker’s victim screamed until his vocal corder cracked. The sound of crushing metal was all that was heard until a backlash of energy surged through the Decepticon’s body, up into his head and erupted out through his optics.

Shifting his attention from the dead Decepticon on the floor, Grindstalker stared at the rest of the crowd. " The Morning Star is closed! Don't bother finishing your drinks."

Without further hesitation, the crowd started to leave the bar quickly. Even the largest of the Decepticons didn't waste time as they sought the closest exits, pushing their way out, some commenting how the frontlines would be safer than this place.

Grindstalker turned back to his squad, who were all smiles as they continued drinking, enjoying how their boss cleared the place out. Grindstalker returned his attention to the owner, who wanted to leave his own establishment but was so afraid he couldn’t move, as if his feet were bolted to the floor.

"Barkeep, I'll have the usual," said Grindstalker.

"Your usual, sir?" the owner managed to say. "If I'm not mistaken, this is your first time here. Usually, it's only your warriors that come in and...oh!"

The owner cursed himself for not catching on quicker as he bent down behind the bar and returned with a heavy, rectangular steel case. Placing it on the bar with an audible thump, the owner opened the case revealing its contents. Shanix. Filled up to the top and shining almost as bright as energon.

Grindstalker said nothing as his glare drilled straight into the owner's spark. "And the other one," The owner smiled nervously as he fetched another case, just as heavy as the first one. 

"Looks like the drinks are on me tonight," Grindstalker said to his troops. "Primus knows I can afford it, even for wretches like you."

The crew laughed as they began to make themselves more comfortable and drink faster. "A toast to the future Lord of Cybertron. May he never run out of Autobots for target practice!"

Grindstalker took a seat at the bar as cups were raised in his honor, "Lord Grindstalker does have a nice ring to it.” he mused. “However, anyone can place a title in front of their name. What counts is power. And I want it all."

One of Grindstalker's warriors finished his drink and decided to say, "Imagine all the shanix you'll collect once you’re the one running Cybertron. You'll be rich enough to fill up the Sonic Canyons twice!"

"I seek power, not wealth,” said Grindstalker as he eyed the Decepticon sharply,  “The shanix is strictly to make what I desire possible"

Everyone at the bar stopped drinking and began listening as Grindstalker carried on. "Resources on Cybertron are scarce. In order to become powerful enough to overthrow Shockwave, I shall seek what I need off-world. While the intergalactic black market is plentiful in terms of weaponry and tech, Cybertronian technology is superior. Its presence is rare but not impossible to locate. The shanix I collect will purchase what I need."

"Why not just take what you need by force?" asked a member of his squad.

"And scare off all who sell it on the black market? What part of rare did you not understand?" rebuked Grindstalker. 

The Decepticon who spoke turned away embarrassed as the others laughed. Grindstalker shook his head, he wouldn't discipline the idiot, he was quite content with how the night was unravelling. He turned to the owner as he rose to his feet and took a full cup of energon for himself. "You can reopen after we have left. Be sure to keep my squad happy. I'm headed to the upper level. And remember, no one must know why I’m here. There are enough rumors about my personal business flying around."

Grindstalker left the bar with his drink in hand, leaving his motley crew behind to drink to their spark's content. The group was made up of Grindstalker's finest warriors. While not the smartest batch of Decepticons, they were ruthless enough in any situation that required violence. Grindstalker didn’t usually partake in collecting the shanix he needed, but tonight he decided he would oversee its collection. He had a feeling his troops were skimming off the top and keeping some for themselves. But now he had a good idea how much was being picked up, and since he was present, no one would dare to steal from him. 

As he reached the second level of the Morning Star, Grindstalker walked onto the balcony to survey the area around him. From there, he looked over the twisted land where the war had left its mark. While ruins in this region looked much like the remains of any other Cybertronian city touched by the conflict, Grindstalker knew where he could find more shanix. Other bars could be looted, as well as locations where illegal gambling took place and small black market depots. Yes, he would take it all.

Eventually, he would overthrow Shockwave’s position on Cybertron. Once he gained his new powers, whether it was strength enhancers, overwhelming firepower or more battle armor, none would stand in his way. Not even Megatron.

Grindstalker thought for a moment and wondered how he would deal with Megatron once he returned to Cybertron. Once he was in control of Cybertron, he would have an army at his disposal to deal with the Decepticon leader and his little squad. He decided worrying was a waste of time as he took a swig of energon from his cup.

As he went to swallow, Grindsatlker felt something poke him in the back of his head and realized it was the barrel of a gun.

"At this range, I'll crack your chrome wide open," someone said from behind. "But if you want to play the odds then by all means humor me. Because none of them are in your favor."

Chapter Text

Autobot Headquarters, 
Two solar cycles later...

"What are the odds of me knowing that, Magnus?" asked Chromia, annoyingly. "In all honesty, I have no idea if Grindstalker is dead or alive."

The room was silent with the exception of Magnus taping his index figure against the table, "But you wouldn't mind seeing him dead, correct?"

"Who wouldn't? Isn't that how we feel about most Decepticons?"

"I meant even more so due to recent events."

Everyone sitting at the table turned to Chromia, wondering how she would answer. Chromia took in all the faces regarding her, "Our actions can't change the past. It's a wasted effort to even think about trying."

"Right," said Magnus, though not convinced Chromia meant what she said. "Two solar cycles ago, Grindstalker and his crew were confronted in the ruins of Defaxus, in the city-state of Vos. At an establishment known as the Morning Star. Do you know anything about that?"

Chromia only replied, "My knowledge of Grindstalker's activities is limited. I only know what my team and I learned on our last mission."

"Please share with the rest of us what you discovered?" requested Magnus.

"Is this really necessary?" asked Chromia. "Am I here because I'm in trouble or because something is wrong with my reports?"

Chromia's response drew some comments from the room, Magnus raised his hand for the room to be quiet. "Chromia, share with us what you discovered. That's an order."

Chromia shifted her body in her seat slightly. It appeared she was trying to get comfortable when in actuality, she was fighting the urge to give Ultra Magnus more attitude, "My team and I went undercover in various locations in the northern section of the planet. Where towns and cities were still populated. Our objective was to gather Intel on Decepticon interactions with said populations to see what we could learn. Besides trying to root out Autobot resistance fighters, we learn that some Decepticons were stealing shanix from any functioning establishments."

"Which led you to discover that it was Grindstalker's soldiers who were doing the looting, correct?* asked Magnus.

"Yes," confirmed Chromia. "When we asked why, the most common answer we received was something about gaining more power to contend with Shockwave. What that meant we never confirmed."

"Perhaps to bribe other Decepticons to ally with him when it came to overthrow Shockwave?" pondered Magnus. "Regardless, if Grindstalker's soldiers were tasked with collecting shanix, Grindstalker may be close by and easier to find. After all, even the most loyal of Decepticons can't be trusted with large amounts of wealth for long periods of time."

Chromia knew where this was going, "Knowing where Grindstalker’s squad is doesn't tell you where he is. He could be on the other side of the planet for all we know."

"Incorrect," said Magnus. "After analyzing your team's reports, a pattern appeared. Grindstalker's soldiers would often visit the same areas within a deca-cycle. The only significant difference between each visit was the duration of how long they stayed. The only other variation is when the pattern is cross-referenced with Decepticon military operations occurring in the area. Military operations Grindstalker was involved with."

Chromia shifted in his seat again. "I'm not privy to information that tells me what the Decepticon's next move is or how Grindstalker is involved. Even during the mission we never found him looting alongside his soldiers in the establishment they robbed."

"True, while you never found him in action he did manage to find you."

Magnus' words shook Chromia. She felt like she was sinking in her seat and couldn't move to get up. Then Magnus asked, "You and your team were forced to engage Grindstalker in combat, correct?*

"Affirmative." Chromia felt a coldness creep up her back

"In the report, it states you believe that one of the locals informed Grindstalker's troops that you and your teammates were asking about him, right?"

"That's right."

"And the three members of your team fought to escape but only two of you made it back to base safe?"

"....yes."

Chromia gripped her seat’s armchair, squeezing it to the point she thought she was going to break it. She retreated within her mind, trying to find something to distract her from the emotional build-up that Magnus' line of questions was causing. She told herself to forget where she was and to ignore everyone in the room as she brought up a distant memory to focus on.

Many Vorns ago…

Stomping out from the firing range within Autobot headquarters, Chromia blazed past a group of warriors who knew better than to get in her way. Though they didn't want to get on her bad side, they couldn't help but laugh at the fembot as they knew exactly why she was angry.

"Settle down everybody, settle down," said a young Autobot exiting the firing range. "There's no shame in losing to the best."

The comment only drew more laughter at Chromia's expense, who earlier had accepted the challenge from a young Autobot boasting they could outshoot the best of them. Chromia saw this as an opportunity to put the trash-talking Autobot in their place and accepted the challenge. Chromia soon learned the young Autobot had marksmanship skills beyond her years.

The firing range was set up within a maze where the participants would shoot holographic enemies as they appeared. The appearance of targets occurred randomly so those who took the test repeatedly wouldn’t know what to expect on their next run. But regardless of the difficulty of the firing range, the newcomer hit every target with precision. It was almost as if she knew where they were going to appear. Chromia found herself shooting nothing but air as her opponent managed to shoot the hologram before she did, making it disappear.

Unable to accept that she was beaten fairly, Chromia made for the armory. As soon as she arrived, Chromia approached the closest quartermaster and slammed her pistol down on top of his workbench, "The sites are off! Do you expect me to go into a firefight with a piece of scrap like that?"

While the quartermaster began inspecting the weapon, Chromia's opponent entered the room, "Not to preach, but it's a bad warrior who blames their firearm for poor shooting."

Chromia's optics flared as she turned to face the Autobot, "The luxury of the firing range is holograms don't shoot back. The battlefield is a different story."

"Which is why I like to keep sharp," replied the Autobot. "By the way, once your weapon has been seen to, I won't refuse you a rematch, out of fairness and all."

"You think I'm looking to prove myself?" spat Chromia. "I don't know who you think you are, but I've put down more Decepticons than you've deactivated soft targets. With or without a firearm."

"I think we've gotten off on the wrong servo," said the other Autobot, hands raised in defense. "Full confession, I was actually trying to introduce myself. I'm-"

"Moonracer," interrupted Chromia. "I know who you are. I figured it out once I saw you in action. They say you never miss."

"I'm sure I've missed maybe once or twice," said Moonracer, extending her hand in an attempt to shake Chromia’s.

Slowly, Chromia took the other's hand and shook it, "Chromia. Now I'm not looking to make friends so if you excuse me, I have to report back to my commander"

"Actually, we have the same commander."

"Sorry?"

"The reason why I wanted to introduce myself was because I've been assigned to Elita-1's unit. We'll be serving together."

Chromia dropped Moonracer's hand when she let go to cross her arms. "You've been accepted into Elita-1's elite commando squad? When?" 

Chromia wasn't happy to have found out this way. She was always the first to know what was going on with Elita-1's squad. Chromia figured it must have been a last-minute decision for her commander not to inform her ahead of time and for a good reason. Regardless, Chromia didn't like finding out like this.

"It was news to me as well," began Moonracer. "I got my orders about 12 cycles ago. I was already with a solid squad but to serve under Elita-1 is an incredible honor but I'm sure you know that."

At that moment, Chromia realized she would rather be pinned down in a firefight, outnumbered and with only one clip left, "Well, good for you. Now, if you're looking to make new friends just remember, I ain't that Autobot. We're fighting a war and if you think you can win it just by shooting everything that lines up in your sights, think again. It's like you new recruits think you got enough laser charges to take on the entire Decepticon army. Trust me, they'll keep coming well after you've become a memory. If you want to prolong that from happening, and it will, stop trying to make friends and impressing others. Show-offs don't last long and the memory of their actions even less."

And to punctuate that she was finished making her point, Chromia snatched her firearm from the quartermaster and walked out of the armory, without giving Moonracer a chance to respond.

The quartermaster looked at Moonracer while shaking his head, "I don't think she gets invited to many parties."

About an astro-hour later, Chromia, looking over his pistol as she sat at a table in the middle of the base’s common hall, fiddled with her weapon trying to locate any possible problems it could be experiencing.

In truth, she knew there was nothing wrong with her pistol. She only did it to distract herself from the anger she felt. And she was more angry at herself than losing to Moonracer.

Chromia had meant what she said to the young Autobot earlier. She had seen too many hot shots come and go, all due to their over-inflated egos and inability to listen to advice.  And while any Autobot who was killed in action was tragic, it was especially so when they processed a great deal of skill when it came to combat or any other talent for that matter.

Moonracer's reputation was known to many Autobots. Tales of her sharpshooting were the subject of many conversations, ranging from the realistic to the exaggerated. Many wondered how one Autobot could be so good while others criticized the authenticity of each story. Some claimed to have witnessed her in action, saying everything was true while others criticized Moonracer's weapons of choice, stating that anyone could use the pistol she used and make accurate shots. If she was using a heavy firearm that packed a bigger punch, then that would make a difference in her shooting. And if not, only then would they be impressed.

And now, Chromia had seen the young Autobot in action and was leaning towards believing every positive word spoken about her. The fembot had the talent and worked hard to keep her skills sharp. Chromia just wished these hot shots weren't so cocky and tried to at least act like they were professionals.

The sound of something sliding towards her broke Chromia’s train of thought. Arriving in front of her on the table was a cup of energon. Chromia's optics darted toward the direction it came from and saw Moonracer standing there with a cup of her own. "You look like you could use some cheering up."

"Just because I don't smile doesn't mean I need cheering up," countered Chromia. "Ultra Magnus never smiles and no one is trying their luck to make him happy."

"I've seen Shockwave smile more than Magnus," said Moonracer as she grabbed a chair to sit down. "And I bet he tells funnier jokes."

Chromia forced back a grin at the fembot's comment as she looked down at the drink. She picked it up and swirled its contents around, "Magnus reacts to humor like a slap in the face. I think I'd rather defuse a bomb than listen to him put together an anecdote."

Chromia sipped her drink and realized it was stronger than she thought. "Where did you get the beverages? This isn't standard rations."

Moonracer reached behind her back and pulled out a canteen, "Swiped a little extra charged energon from the armory. They won't miss it."

"That's against regulations!" Chromia almost said louder than she intended to.

"Well then, stop drinking it and report me," said Moonracer as she took a gulp.

Chromia put her cup down, "I should. But why would you do something so stupid?"

"Well, I figured you needed a drink since I know I can be annoying as frag." Said Moonracer. "So, I figured if you want to report me for stealing you can and get back at me at the same time."

"You think I'm that petty?"

"Yes."

Stunned by Moonracer's comment, Chromia couldn't help but laugh, "You really like walking on the edge, don’t you? Ok, so since you're trying to get on my good side, tell me, in all honesty. Have you ever missed a shot? Most of the stories present you as a living legend and that you've never missed the mark."

Moonracer looked around as if seeing if anyone else could hear them, "You really want to know?"

"Of course."

"Between me and you, ok?"

"Whatever. It better be a good one or I'm reporting you and taking your stash for myself."

"Deal," said Moonracer as she leaned over the table. "Ever hear about the weapon's depot in the upper north region of Tyrest?"

"Yeah, they were turning out high long-range rockets for their tank squads and airborne forces. The Autobots destroyed that facility in a sabotage mission."

"Yes, but the only thing that went wrong was the Decepticon in charge wasn't there. His name was Gremtron, a Decepticon weapon engineer. Nothing to speak of on the battlefield but he was known for designing some of the nastiest stuff the Decepticons have ever thrown at us. Anyways, the mission was originally supposed to be a raid but my commander realized we'd be better off sneaking in and setting some charges to take down the whole place. Save us a whole bunch of Autobot lives."

Chromia interrupted, "What about stealing the ammo they already had in stock there?"

"The Decepticons had already shipped out most of what they had, now it was time to stop them from making any more. So some of the team snuck in, and rigged an explosion for maximum destruction, while in there they learn Gremtron isn't around. They come back out and report to the commander all is set to go but no Gremtron. The commander goes ahead and orders that the facility is to be destroyed. So the place goes up and lights up the sky, black smoke everywhere, I mean you could see it for miles. So after the place went up, my commander got this idea. He orders the team to head back to base as originally planned but the two of us stay. He figures the attack will bring Gremtron out from wherever he is and if so, we need to take him down. He stays since he's the only one who knows what he looks like and he chooses me to take him down since I'm the best shot out of the squad.

"So we find ourselves a hiding spot in direct view of the carnage and wait. My commander describes what Gremtron looks like. The commander is playing spotter with a pair of high-powered optic scopes while I'm armed with an eliminator rifle. The rifle is equipped with long-range sights, I could shoot a Decepticon in between his insignia’s optics. Anyways, the commander spots our target as he rolls up with a group of Cons. I go to train my sights on the target but there’s one problem; there's so much smoke we can't find him again. I'm aiming in his general direction but I'm not seeing him. My commander tells me that as soon as I lay optics on him I'm to open fire and not to stop until he says so. So while we're waiting, more and more Decepticons are showing up.

"Even with the highly advanced sight that I have attached to my rifle, I can't find him. I can't use infrared with the facility on fire, night vision can't help, it's like looking for a nanobot in a stack of wires. So I'm waiting to catch a glimpse of the target, the smoke isn’t letting up and with more Decepticon reinforcements arriving, chances of our escape are getting lower. But then for just a 16th of a microsecond, I see the target's head in my sights. I didn’t hesitate, even before my commander gave me the word I took the shot. I can't see the target anymore and I don't know if I hit him but I continued shooting as ordered. I get off seven shots before the Decepticons start shooting back. They don't know where we are exactly but I've given away our general position. My commander then says it's time to leave and we break out of there as fast as we can before they're on us. Took us two solar cycles to return to base since we had to hide most of the time. And when we returned, we were unable to confirm whether or not we terminated the target. You know what they say, it doesn't count unless you see the optics go dark. I didn't see Gremtron go down, nor did my commander. So even though sabotaging the facility saved a bunch of Autobots, the mission was considered a failure. They reasoned that since we couldn’t confirm that I struck and killed Gremtron after firing 7 times, he could still be alive and working at another weapons depot. After that, I swore to myself I would never miss another target again and practiced whenever I could. I was a pretty good shot before, and if I may say so, I got a lot better. Before I knew it, I wasn't using the target scope or looking down the barrel of a pistol. I could line them up and knock them down as I saw them.

"Then sometime after that, I heard that Gremtron was dead. Not one Autobot spy had seen him since destroying the weapons depot but they learned he was no more. Maybe I did shoot him or maybe some Decepticon warlord killed him out of anger for not having more security posted at the weapon depot. Who knows? The bottom line is, I can't say I got him when I tried."

Clutching her cup and her optics wide, Chromia sat silently after the story was finished. "You missed seven times? Does anyone else know that story?"

"Just my commander and the higher-ups at Autobot command."

Chromia leaned back in her chair and thought about what Moonracer had told her. The story was more than just Moonracer's first major failure, it was the beginning of how this expert sharpshooter came to be. Any knowledge of it could potentially harm Moonracer's reputation, especially among the more macho Autobot, who Chromia found to be the most aggravating when it came to being taken seriously. This young fembot, who owed Chromia nothing, shared with her a secret not many knew about and one that could cast her in a different light. If the truth got out, Moonracer may lose the trust of others and worse, instead of her being selected for a mission dependent on her skills, some other Autobot not nearly as good would be chosen instead.

Chromia swore to herself to never reveal what she had learned today to anyone. And now she realized Moonracer was just trying to make friends with one of her new squad mates. Chromia wanted to say thank you to Moonracer for sharing her story but in her own way.

Picking up her cup, Chromia finished off its contents in one go before slamming it down on the table. "Pour me another and listen up. I got a story for you..."

Chapter Text

The Morning Star Cantina, Tarn.

"Even at that range, your weapon won't break through my armor," said Grindstalker. "So unless you have a fusion cannon pointed at the back of my head, I have nothing to fear."

"I know all about your armor," replied the one holding the gun. "I know who you are, I know all about your schemes, I know all about your past sins. So shut up and listen. You and I are walking out of here quietly, leaving your crew behind to play with the shanix you've planned to steal. Think differently and I'm more than ready to change your mind."

"You know all about my past sins, you say?" replied Grindstalker. He started to wonder who this person was and how he had wronged them. "I can tell you want revenge, otherwise you wouldn't be trying to make a point. Clearly, you're no assassin or else I'd be dead. I think maybe you’re an Autobot. Whatever I’ve done, you've taken it quite personally. The question is, what?"

"You talk too much. Now keep your trap shut or we'll see what kind of an assassin I am."

Grindstalker felt the barrel of the firearm push the back of his head forward. He could tell it was a double-barrel weapon and that it might cause some damage at that range. If the opportunity to get the upper hand presented itself, Grindstalker would take it. He was not going to allow whoever this was to get the better of him.

The click of a comlink activating got Grindstalker's attention. He listened as the one behind him started talking to someone else. "Listen up. I have him at gunpoint. Get ready to leave but stay alert. If this goes sideways you know what to do. Chromia out."

"Chromia? So that's your name then," said Grindstalker. "Never heard of you. Regardless, I at least know what to call you when I ask how you wish to die."

"Very funny, slag-licker. We'll see how tough you are once I get you away from your friends downstairs."

Just as Chromia was about to lead Grindstalker out, the doors to the balcony slid open, revealing one of Grindstalker's troops. "Hey, Grindstalker, guess what? The owner had another chest of shanix hidden behind his bar. Hey, what the...?"

Grindstalker’s chance was here. The gun against his head would be used against the Decepticon who had just stumbled upon the situation, allowing him to deal with this fool who thought she could take him on alone. However, Grindstalker's audio receptors exploded when Chromia fired both barrels at point-blank range. As his head was thrown forward, Grindstalker lost his balance as he felt himself go over the guard rail and fall from the balcony.

Chromia turned her focus on the newcomer. Before the Decepticon could gather his wits, his chest was perforated by a rapid-fire repeater she had in her other hand. With him out of the way, she rushed to the guard rail to deal with Grindstalker. With both weapons aimed over the side, Chromia cursed when she saw that Grindstalker wasn't there.

Down on the main floor of the bar, the Decepticons had heard the shots and were scrambling to figure out what to do next. That's when the front door slid open, revealing their extremely angry leader, holding the back of his head. "She's upstairs, you idiots! Get after her and make sure she is crippled before bringing her to me!"

With weapons drawn, the Decepticons ran for the upper level. Whoever had assaulted their commander was about to enter a world of pain.

Peering around the balcony's entrance, Chromia heard the Decepticons coming for her. Activating her comlink, she radioed her comrades, "All right, knuckleheads. Looks like you're going to see some action. I'm going to lead them outside then they're all yours. But remember, Grindstalker in mine"

Chromia received a double click, confirming her message was received and understood. As the first Decepticons made it to the top of the stairs, Chromia greeted them with a couple of shrapnel grenades thrown their way.

Ripping through Grindstalker's troops, the grenades made short work of their targets, causing the Decepticons to tumble back down the stairs and the others to think twice before venturing upwards. Walking towards the stairs despite the searing pain coursing through his head, Grindstalker began scolding his warriors as they were now hesitant to fight. "What are you standing around for? Get after her I said!"

To emphasize his point, Grindstalker pushed a Decepticon closest to him towards the stairs. As the warrior regained his balance, a laser bolt tore through his head, dropping him to the floor.

More laser bolts flew through the air as Grindstalker and his troops began flipping tables over to use them for cover. Sliding down the stairs on her side, Chromia let loose with her repeater as the Decepticons fired blindly from their position, hammering the wall behind her.

Staying low as he reached the floor, Chromia rolled across a table, knocking it over to use for protection and laid low as energy blasts tore through the top. Seeing as she was pinned down, she needed a way out. Seeing her chance, she made another throw, knowing it would get the Decpeticon's attention.

In the middle of the main floor, the Decepticons heard something land hard in between them. "Grenade!" someone shouted, causing the shooting to halt as everyone hit the floor and repositioned their tables to take the blast.

Instead of an explosion, the sound of glass smashing broke the silence. Grindstalker rose to see that a window had been smashed out. Looking towards the area where the ‘grenade’ had landed, Grindstalker wasn't impressed when he saw energon leaking from the steel mug Chromia had thrown at them.

"She's making fools out of the lot of you," proclaimed the Decepticon commander. "Get outside and hunt her down And she’s not alone.", The Decepticons hurried through the front entrance, scanning the area once they were outside, ready to open fire on anything that moved.

Chromia was nowhere to be seen. And no one else for that matter. There was no way anyone could have disappeared that quickly, not across the open area where the Decepticons stood. Grindstalker was about to order some of his troops back inside to search behind the bar when something fell at his feet.

The Decepticons nearly panicked before Grindstalker calmed them down, "Stand your ground! She threw another mug, she thinks we'll fall for the same trick twice."

As Grindstalker watched the mug roll away, something inside of it fell out and then exploded, blinding everyone looking in its direction. Decepticons began to stumble about and bump into each other as they tried to readjust their optics and compensate for the violent flash of light.

With his vision impaired, Grindstalker cursed the Autobot. How dare this fembot think she can get the best of him! Who did she think she was and more importantly, what did he do to earn her wrath? It didn't matter what he had done. Grindstalker was ready to extract the reason why she thought it would be a good idea to confront him as painfully as possible.

As Grindstalker’s sight began to come back, he heard the roar of an engine up above.

"I gave no orders to go airborne!" shouted Grindstalker as he saw a blue helicopter rising into the air. As he realized it wasn't one of his warriors, the helicopter began to open fire on his squad, cutting down three of them before they recognized the threat.

The Deception's counterattack was a mess, as many soldiers hadn't completely regained their vision and fired sporadically into the air. Others ran about, trying to dodge the barrage of energy bolts fired from the helicopter. Those who did manage to fight back were frustrated as the helicopter avoided their shots, performing a half-crazed dance of evasive maneuvers.

Cussing that his squad had somehow turned completely incompetent, Grindstalker drew his heavy, automatic rifle from his weapon compartment. It was time to show these drunken rejects how to deal with these over-ambitious Autobots.

That's when Grindstalker heard his troops screaming behind him. He turned around to see two spinning drills coming for him after they had ripped apart one of his soldiers. Grindstalker jumped to the side, avoiding the sneak attack and watched as a tank wielding double drills tore into more of his soldiers.

Grindstalker stood in complete dismay. One by one, his squad was being taken down in a half-brazen, half-coordinated assault, which he couldn't make sense of. His troops would dodge one attack only to fall to another. When one avoided the tank, they fell victim to the helicopter and vice versa. It was the perfect ambush. Had their attackers had more numbers on their side, Grindstalker was sure he and his soldiers would have been dead by now.

"Back inside!" shouted Grindstalker to his troops. Heading for the doors of the bar, the surviving Decepticons scrambled to get inside, jumping over corpses and leaving their comrades behind. Once the last of them were inside, the doors were closed and locked tight.

Soon, the fighting outside stopped. The sound of transformations was heard and then nothing but silence followed.

Cautiously, Grindstalker looked over the edge of a window and saw nothing but dead bodies that used to be the soldiers. He ducked his head back inside and then looked at who survived the attack. He counted only four. How it was possible that a small squad of warriors, presumably Autobots, could decimate his kill squad so easily bewildered Grindstalker. He was furious but he had to remain in control. Same as the gladiators in the pits of Kaon, when their backs were against the wall, he had to remain calm and fight his way out.

"Give up Grindstalker and the rest of you can go free." The demand spooked the Deceptions. Not because of what it asked for. But because of where it came from.

Grindstalker and the rest of his troops turned their attention away from the windows and back towards the bar. From somewhere inside the Morning Star, Grindstalker knew the fembot was lurking. While they were distracted by the ambush outside, she had made her way back in.

"Don't any of you so much as think about it," said Grindstalker as he cast glares toward his troops. "Autobot! Let's see what type of metal you're made of. If you want me, come and get me!"

Chapter Text

Autobot Headquarters.

"I believe your actions as of recent are due to the results of your last mission," said Ultra Magnus. "And that your otherwise professional conduct has been affected due to you taking the outcome personally. And in an effort to come to terms with it, you have taken matters into your own hands. But you didn’t do it alone."

As the hearing continued to test her patience, Chromia couldn't deny that Magnus was right. He was no fool and he demonstrated it by putting the pieces of her words and actions together. But a large part of her didn't care. What she did felt right and she would do it again. She had no regrets on the matter and she would dare anyone to tell her that she should feel otherwise. Regardless of her defiance, she felt the smothering vice of consequence weighing down on her. But she would not allow it to compromise her resolve. She had done what she had to do. And she would surrender no apologies for her actions.

Magnus turned his attention to one of the officers sitting at the table, "I would like to call on Impactor to answer some questions. If it pleases everyone."

Chromia felt the attention on her shift towards the leader of the elite commando squad known as the Wreckers. Impactor, with his harpoon resting on the table, distracting some of those in attendance, stared squarely at Magnus, "What would you like to know, Magnus?"

Magnus picked up his datapad and glanced at it before returning it to the table, "How well do you keep a watch on the warriors under your command?"

"Until I get sick of looking at them. Why? Did you have some questions for them too?"

"Perhaps," Magnus simply replied. "Two members of your team, Twin Twist and Whirl, took an unscheduled leave of duty at the same time as Grindstalker was assaulted at the ruins of Defaxus. I'm wondering if this is more than just a coincidence. Because honestly, I don't think it was."

"First things first," began Impactor, shifting his weight forward. "As leader of the Wreckers, I get to decide when my soldiers take time off. In your terms, that's strictly my prerogative. And let's not mince words here, I know everyone considers those two the craziest of my bunch. It's not like I haven't heard some of you here call them unstable behind their backs. But I'm not here to defend who they are, after all, I agree with most of you, they’ve lost more than a few screws fighting this war. But as for their whereabouts. I gave them permission to drink their face plates off at Maccadams and to be back within a solar cycle."

"And were they back in time?" asked Magnus.

"Nope. They came back half a solar cycle late."

Magnus pressed on, "And had they appeared to have gotten into any sort of confrontation during their time away from headquarters?"

"Yeah, they got into a punch-up while out on leave. One too many shots of energon, some bots can't hold their own, know what I mean?"

"But no one fights at Maccadams, it's forbidden!"

"You actually believe that garbage?"

Under different circumstances, Chromia may have laughed at Impactor's comment. She didn't even crack a smile seeing how aggravated Magnus was with the Wrecker’s leader. She would kill to have the freedom to say what she wanted as Impactor did. If she wasn't under so much scrutiny she probably would have. But this was more than just a hearing, it was far more serious than an Autobot abandoning her guard post. Chromia and everyone knew exactly what this was all about, there was no need to say so out loud.

But Chromia wondered if she told them the truth, perhaps that would set her free from the pain of her loss. As Magnus and Impactor traded words, Chromia couldn’t help but think about the reason why she was where she was today.

Defaxus, Vos
One Orbital Cycle ago…

"I need a hobby."

In the municipality of Defaxus, located in the city-state of Vos, wondering about a crowded marketplace, Pipes kept his optics to the ground. He was pretending to be a simple Cybertronian, surviving like everyone else while the war depleted the planet’s energon.

He didn't look anyone in the face, didn't talk to any merchants trying to sell him something but occasionally he inspected a table full of items Pipes believed to be overpriced and stolen. But worse than that, Pipes didn't find anything of interest that would cure him of his boredom. Nothing stood out as unique, which may have been for the best since Pipes was supposed to be providing support while on this reconnaissance mission.

He had been instructed to provide backup for Chromia and Moonracer if they got in trouble. He was strictly the muscle on this mission and Pipes had no problem with that. If he was shot at he knew how to shoot back.

But more importantly, Pipes was to keep watch on all the escape routes the team had designated earlier. The idea was after the mission was completed, they would use the closest one and get away from this settlement as fast as they could.

Pipes just had to wait it out and though at his wit's end, he appreciated the lack of incident. But when his comlink buzzed, he hoped it meant it was time to leave. "I'm listening."

"Get ready to move," Pipes heard Chromia say. "We're coming your way along with a squad of Decepticons behind us. Head for the east exit by the former communication tower and we'll be right behind you."

"Affirmative," said Pipes. "I'll be waiting."

As Pipes turned to leave, two Decepticons seemed to come out of nowhere and were blocking the way out. He could tell they hadn't recognized him but he knew they were looking for him and the rest of his team. When he turned back around, he spotted three Decepticons coming from an alleyway, headed for the others. "Ahh slag!"

Further down the busy block littered with Cybertronians, Chromia made her way along one side of the street, using its occupants as cover. She walked swiftly, trying not to draw attention to herself, knowing danger wasn't too far off behind her. "Pipes to Chromia," came Pipes’ voice from his comlink. "Our escape route is cut off and you have company coming from my direction."

"Blast it," she said. Chromia knew she had asking the locals too many questions. But she had received some vital information so the results were worth the risks. She had learned about a Decepticon by the name of Grindstalker and that he was responsible for a string of robberies involving large amounts of shanix. She also learned of his ambitious plans for gaining more power, in the form of physical upgrades for his body, to eventually overthrow Shockwave. Chromia and her team had been trying to figure out who was behind the robberies and now all their hard work paid off. All they had to do now was get out alive and report back to base.

"Thanks for the heads up, Pipes. Maintain your position and stand by," Chromia could see the Decepticons Pipes warned her about coming her way. She stopped behind a pillar, pretending to rest against it and saw the Decepticons who were following her getting closer.

Activating her comlink again, Chromia looked across to the other side of the street to Moonracer. "Got any ideas, Moonracer?” We need another way out."

"We can’t leave now," said Moonracer as he hurried past civilians oblivious to the situation. "These Decepticons have already started to violently harass everyone they can get their hands on to find us. We can’t leave them here with these slag heads."

"We're outnumbered and our mission is done," Chromia shot back. "Even if we did take them all down, more Decepticons will show up sooner than later."

"And in that time, everyone here will have a chance to leave town before they arrive."

Moonracer broke from her path and headed for the middle of the street. Chromia told herself that she should have been used to Moonracer's cavalierness by now. And every time she tried to set the young fembot straight, Moonracer would remind her how she defied the odds. But even though she didn’t want to admit it, Chromia knew Moonracer was right. Leaving the citizens here to the mercy of the Decepticons was not what Autobots let happen.

Stopping in the middle of the street, Moonracer took in everything within sight. All the possible places to take cover, alleyways, rooftops, doors and windows, any spot where an attack could come from. She could see the three Decepticons who had been trailing her and Chromia and knew more were behind them. Her weapons compartments on either side of her legs opened slowly, revealing a pistol in each. While the Decepticons were well within range, Moonracer waited for them to get closer.

Chromia peeked around the pillar to see the Decepticons Pipes had warned her about harassing the locals and questioning them. As soon as Moonracer made her move, they would hear the commotion and come running. Chromia knew if she dropped them quickly, she could cover Moonracer, then they could make a break for it.

With too many citizens around, Pipes decided the best way to deal with the Decepticons blocking their escape was to deal with them physically. He would have to get up close and personal but he was confident that he could make short work of them before they let off a shot.

When the Decepticons were finally close enough, Moonracer decided to break the ice. "Hey ugly," she said, immediately getting the attention. "Looking for me?"

The Decepticons came to a stop when they heard Moonracer. The two Decepticons on either side of the one in the center began to spread out, not wanting to make themselves easy targets. The Decepticon in the middle spoke. "Where are your friends, Autobot? We know if there's one of you there's at least more around for us to kill."

"Autobots? I don't see any Autobots, do you?" said Moonracer as she moved her left hand closer to her face, rubbing her fingers across her thumb. Despite her bravado, Moonracer was relieved to see the citizens clearing the streets. They could tell there was going to be a fight and didn't want to get caught in the middle. While it made it easier to take down the Deceptions, Moonracer knew it left the Autobots in the open too.

Waiting to see which one of the Decepticons would move first, Moonracer saw one of the Decepticons mutter something, as if talking to himself. She couldn't hear what he said, then realized he had whispered something into the comlink that rested on his shoulder.

Dropping to the ground, Moonracer brought up her pistol and shot a Decepticon on the roof of the building across from her. He had been ordered to take down her but she spotted him, killing him before he hit the ground. With her other pistol already in her hand, Moonracer fired at the Decepticons standing in the street, striking the one in the middle. The other two drew their pistols and started firing as they ran for cover. Before they could even fire a shot, they were struck by energy bolts tearing into the body as Moonracer rolled across the ground. The wounded Decepticons ducked behind whatever they could find and fired back as Moonracer hid behind a stack of containers.

Chromia saw it was time to make her move. She slid out from around the corner of the pillar and fired at the Decepticons coming from the other direction. She dropped one and wounded another as the third took to the sky to escape and returned fire. Projectiles from above forced Chromia back behind the pillar. She had to drop down lower as the pillar couldn't stand up to the assault, with laser bolts burning through the weakened structure, threatening to hit the Autobot. For the moment Chromia was pinned down.

Pipes watched as the two Decepticons blocking the exit made their way to the fight. Slipping in behind them as they hurried to the fray, Pipes walked up and grabbed each one by the leg. Pulling them backwards, Pipes dropped both Decepticons on their faces before dosing them with a cloud of corrosive gas from the exhaust pipes on his arms. The Decepticons shook violently on the ground, clawing at their bodies to remove the substance that burned their steel skin but failed to rid themselves of the acidic substance.

Pipes left the Deceptions behind to deal with their dilemma, knowing they didn't have long. He hurried to help his team, hoping they didn't have to deal with the possibility of reinforcements.

Safe for the moment as she took cover behind a pile of crates, Moonracer saw that Chromia was in trouble. Raising her pistols, Moonracer shot the Decepticon in the air several times and brought him down. Chromia saw her chance and leapt out from behind the pillar, finishing off the Decepticon she had wounded earlier.

With no visible threat behind her, Moonracer stood up to take on the last of the Decepticons, both of which were firing blindly as they stayed hidden. With a quick burst of her pistols, Moonracer shot both Decepticons in their hands, causing them to drop their guns. Before the unarmed Decepticons got away, they were gunned down by Chromia as she rushed to Moonracer's side.

"Aww, shucks," complained Moonracer. "You could have at least left one of them alive so they could tell others about how good I am."

Moonracer's joke was lost on Chromia as she saw a group of land vehicles coming at them. "Looks like you'll get your chance to tell them yourself."

Running to join the others, Pipes could hear the sound of engines roaring ahead. He knew it wasn’t his teammates coming his way and feared the worst. As he came closer, he saw Chromia and Moonracer rushing to opposite sides of the streets, firing at a squad of Decepticons that had just arrived.

Pipes took cover, drew out his heavy blaster and started firing away. He saw that Chromia had found cover but noticed that Moonracer had taken a different approach. She was in the open, dodging everything that came her way, almost dancing, while every time she fired she scored a hit. Pipes didn't know if she was crazy or if this was a strategy the two fembots had developed over the years of working together. Whatever the case, it seemed to work as Chromia took down any Decepticon focused on her partner instead of her. But regardless of their teamwork, they were facing overwhelming odds.

"We can't do this forever!" yelled Chromia, loading a fresh clip into her rifle.

"Can't argue with that,” said Moonracer, firing a pistol after the other, maneuvering out of harm's way, finally ducked behind a merchant's table. She hoped their efforts gave the citizens a head start out of town and the Decepticons second thoughts about ever coming back to this place. "But we can't leave the party without a parting gift."

That was the phrase the fembots used when it was time to exit a situation they knew they couldn't win. Before making their move, they tossed a combination of grenades towards the Decepticons. A flash of light blinded all caught by its brilliance as a couple of explosions went off soon afterwards. For a moment, the Decepticons stopped shooting as they tried to collect themselves.

"Ok, Moonracer. Let's get out of---!"

Chromia didn't finish her sentence as she saw an armored cybercar rush past the stunned Decepticons and slam into the table Moonracer hid behind, knocking the Autobot backwards. She brought up her rifle to fire but the Decepticon had already transformed and had Moonracer in his grasp. Chromia knew she wasn’t the sharpshooter Moonracer was and couldn't risk hitting her friend.

The Decepticon, larger than the others, had a hand around Moonracer's neck and the other one crushing her hand and the pistol it held. The Decepticon took Moonracer with him as he leapt through a building's window, crashing to the other side.

Chromia got up to follow them but almost had her head blown off as energy bolts flew by. She jumped back behind cover and returned fire with no intention of letting up. "Pipes! Where the frag are you?"

Inside the building, Moonracer fought to get up, but the Decepticon had her pinned down with his superior strength. Disregarding her damaged weapon, Moonracer tried to free the other hand holding her remaining pistol but the Decepticon was too strong. "Think you could take down my squad that easily, arrogant Autobot?" asked the Decepticon. "You're a good shot, I'll give you that. But what happens when both your hands are non-functional?"

As the Decepticon began to crush her hand, Moonracer thought now was a good time to let her enemy in on the secret to her marksmanship skills. "Shootings all in the wrist, slag-face!"

Twisting her hand slightly, Moonracer fired a laser bolt that burned the Decepticon's face, leaving a deep graze. He instinctively let go of Moonracer to hold his wound, allowing the Autobot to fire point-blank into the Decepticon's lower torso.

The Decepticon fell backwards, allowing Moonracer to push herself free. To Moonracer’s shock, he was still alive, realizing he was equipped with heavy armor. While he felt pain every time he took a hit, he was far from damaged. As the Decepticon got to his feet, from his back he pulled a battle axe. One swing from the weapon would take down anyone on contact.

Moonracer knew she was in trouble. The Decepticon, despite being on the receiving end of her assault, moved after her. Each shot connected and slowed him down, but it made him angrier and more determined to get his hands on Moonracer. He thought the Autobot would wind up getting away but when the shooting suddenly stopped, he saw his chance.

Shocked, Moonracer realized her pistol was out of energon. She struggled to reload her weapon as her damaged hand made it almost impossible to do so. Just as Moonracer finally managed to put in the new clip, Moonracer’s pistol flew away as it was smacked away from her grip. She couldn’t see where it went as a fist crashed against her face, knocking her to the floor. Looking up through cracked optics, Moonracer saw the distorted image of the Decepticon standing above her with his axe raised high above his head —

Outside, Pipes ran over to Chromia, almost getting hit in the process. "We’ve gotta get out of here! Where's Moonracer?"

"She's trapped in there with a Decepticon!" yelled Chromia, pointing at the broken window. "Cover me, I'm going in!"

Before Pipes could protest, something came flying out of the window. It bounced along the ground and landed next to the Autobots. It was Moonracer's pistol. As Pipes fired back at the enemy, Chromia watched in horror as the Decepticon who attacked Moonracer stepped through the smashed window, carrying something over his shoulder.

"This is what happens to all that cross Grindstalker!" yelled the Decepticon as he threw Moonracer's body through the air. With a sickening thud, Moonracer's body crashed on the ground where it laid still.

"Moonracer?" Chromia said, looking for a sign of life. But she knew she would find none as she looked at Moonracer's once bright optics, now cracked and blackened, void of energy.

Then giving into her anger, Chromia stood up, switched the firing mode of her weapon as she made her way towards Grindstalker and let off a supercharged blast in his direction.

The direct hit to his chest sent Grindstalker tumbling back, causing him to trip through the window he came through. Chromia was about to finish him off when a laser bolt struck her shoulder, knocking her rifle out of her grip.

Seeing he had to take charge, Pipes sprayed the Decepticons with a burst of corrosive gas. The shooting decreased enough for Pipes to run for Chromia without getting hit. With his blaster in one hand, Pipes picked up Chromia. "Time to go!"

"We can't leave her!" protested Chromia, elbowing Pipes to break free of his grip.

"I'm sorry but she's gone!" answered Pipes, wishing he could at least retrieve Moonracer's body.

Like a wild beast, Chromia screamed as she reached out for her friend. She refused to believe she was gone and fought to pull herself from Pipes, clawing the ground to get to Moonracer. She didn't care about the laser bolts flying by or her injury, she needed to get to her friend. But it was hopeless as Moonracer grew further away.

Then as Moonracer's body was almost out of sight, Chromia's outstretched hand grabbed onto something. Looking down, she saw she had snagged Moonracer's pistol. As she held it right against her chest, she looked up again to see that Moonracer's body was no longer visible as the mist from the corrosive gas blanketed the street.

Chapter Text

The Morning Star Cantina, Tarn.

"What's this about anyway?" demanded Grindstalker, as he and his troops waited for Chromia to make her move. "What did I do to make you come after me?"

Grindstalker was curious. This Autobot and her partners outside had managed to take down more than half of his squad. He could replace what he lost, but it agitated him not knowing who wanted to kill him this badly.

Then it struck him as what the Autobot said earlier came back to him. He and his squad had encountered a pair of Autobots in Defaxus, fembots to be exact, who had been asking too many questions about him. He believed they knew too much and had to be put down. He managed to kill one of them while the other escaped. And now she was here for revenge. Now it made sense, now he had a better idea of who this Autobot was.

“Don’t shoot!” Grimstalker and his crew lifted their weapons when they heard a voice from behind an overturned table. Coming out with their hands up, the Decepticons watched as the owner, completely forgotten about during the fight, crept out and slowly made his way for the closest exit.

"Where is she?" demanded Grindstalker before the owner went any further. Before he could answer, something flew over the bar. In mid-air, the object exploded, releasing a corrosive gas that began to eat away at the Decepticon's armor plating.

As the Decepticons tried to escape the deadly mist, Chromia stood up from behind the bar with both guns blazing, firing into the cloud. Laser bolts began making short work of the weakened armor, making even indirect hits painful and destructive.

Then something came flying at her from the mist, missing Chromia by micro-inches as she ducked out of its path. It destroyed rows of shelved energon beverages as it struck the wall behind the bar. Chromia turned to see Grindstalker’s axe, the same one he used on Moonracer, now embedded in the wall.

Before continuing her attack, Chromia heard something land on the bar. Looking up, she saw a Decepticon standing above her on the ledge. Chromia ran against the underside of the bar as he began to open fire, trying to utilize what little cover was available as projectiles trailed alongside her, ripping apart the floor.

When she reached the end of the bar the shooting stopped as she almost ran into another Decepticon. Blocking her escape route, the Decepticon raised his rifle intending to shoot her at point-blank range. Chromia reacted quickly and fired her heavy blaster into his knee, blowing his leg in half. Screaming in pain, the Decepticon fired, his spot went astray as it hit his comrade standing on the bar, dropping him on the countertop. Chromia rolled out from under the bar's inner ledge to finish off the Decepticon in front of her, with an energy bolt to the head.

Popping back up, Chromia felt something grab her shoulder. To her horror, she saw it was Grindstalker. Leaning over the bar, with her shoulder in his grasp, Grindstalker pulled Chromia across the bar before she could retaliate. She smashed through the remaining drinks on the countertop until she crashed into the Decepticon she downed moments before. Falling back behind the bar, Chromia lost her repeater but maintained her grip on his heavy blaster. As Grindstalker leapt over the bar, Chromia scrambled back to her feet to go on the offensive. Retrieving his axe, Grindstalker saw Chromia lineup her weapon to fire. The Decepticon cut the heavy blaster in half with a swing of his axe but the weapon’s blade drove itself deep into the counter and became stuck.

A fist to her face sent Chromia backwards, as Grindstalker struggled to free his axe from where it had embedded itself. Seeing she needed to put some distance between herself and the remaining Decepticons, Chromia ran to the back of the bar into the supply room.

"After her!" demanded Grindstalker as he finally freed his axe. The two remaining Decepticons ran after Chromia as Grindstalker followed, determined to make this Autobot suffer for reducing his squad to almost nothing. And he hated the fact that she and her comrades outside had done so with relative ease.

Inside the supply room, Chromia hid behind a large barrel of unprocessed energon. She listened for the Decepticons as she went over what she had left in his arsenal. She opened up her weapon compartment on his leg and felt the pistol resting inside. It was powerful enough to take down the remaining Decepticons in their weakened condition, But she didn’t want to use it just yet. She was saving it for the right moment if it was destined to come.

Hearing footsteps, Chromia closed up the compartment and grabbed her last party trick. She was out of grenades and had to rely on a more up close and personal approach, one she was sure would be effective and satisfying. As the Decepticons crept closer, Chromia prepared herself to make as short work of her foes as she could.

Searching the storage room, looking around the stacks of energon barrels that were scattered about the room, the last of Grindstalker's troops searched for their target. They wanted to find Chromia and get this terrible ordeal over with. The pair covered each other as they made their way through, not wanting to let the Autobot who killed most of their crew get the drop on them.

When they heard a bang followed by what sounded like a surge of energy, the Decepticons weren't too surprised when the lights went out. They realized the Autobot had found the controls for the lights and deactivated them, trying to gain an advantage over them. What they didn't see coming was a stack of barrels that came crashing down on top of them, knocking them to the floor.

Relatively unharmed by the fall, the Decepticons hurried to regain their footing when two glowing objects came flying towards them. Striking one Decepticon in the face, the second glowing object connected with the other’s midsection. Bits of steel flew off with each strike as the Decepticon's armor had been weakened by the gas grenade. When the Deception's optics finally adjusted, compensating for the lack of light, they saw that Chromia was wearing energon knuckles on her fists, making each blow explosively stronger on impact.

Trying to fight back, the Decepticons tried shooting Chromia but each shot failed to hit its mark. Chromia was breaking her opponents down with each punch to the point they could barely stand. Seeing as she could now finish them off, Chromia swung a fist and connected with a Decepticon's shoulder joint, knocking his arm clean off his body. Then with a roundhouse kick, Chromia smashed the Decepticon's head, sending him crashing to the floor.

As she turned on the second opponent, Chromia barely had enough time to get out of the way as Grindstalker's axe came swinging from the darkness. Missing his intended target, Grindstalker’s axe ripped through the last of his troops by mistake. Rage coursed through Grindtalker’s body once again, furious that he had finished what the Autobot set out to do.

Now it was just the two of them. With no one to get in her way, Chromia could settle the score. Where Grindstalker was stronger, Chromia was faster. Being small would work to her advantage, making her a harder target to hit. All she had to do was not allow herself to get cornered. She hoped the corrosive gas she doused Grindstalker with weakened his impressive armor. But regardless, she wasn't going to hold back. She was going to make Grindstalker suffer every bit as Moonracer had and more.

"Foolish Autobot," said Grindstalker, sizing up Chromia. "You may have eliminated my warriors, but do you truly believe you can take me and live?"

"If I’m destined for the void then I’m taking you with me. Because there's no way I'm living on this planet while you're still functioning."

“Then you had best put your guard up, Autobot,” said Grindstalker as he raised his weapon. “Because no savior is coming to your rescue!”



*****

The doors unexpectedly slide open making Chromia turn to see who came in. Marching in unannounced came Elita-1. Chromia had assumed she was miles away, nowhere near Autobot headquarters. "Magnus," called Elita. "Why wasn't I informed about this so-called hearing?"

"There's no need for you to be here, Elita'" Magnus answered calmly. "Chromia is currently assigned under my command. She no longer serves under you. As her former commander, your presence has no relevance to what you referred to as a so-called hearing."

"I called it that because you practically have her on trial!" shouted Elita. "We all know the penalty for abandoning your post, especially when it comes to guard duty. And Chromia isn't above the rules, she understands just as well as anyone that she has to put in the time for guard duty. And she understands the consequences of her gross negligence. So it’s clear to me that the reason she isn't locked away, serving time for her offense, is because you want to make an example out of her."

Magnus rose from his seat. "Chromia is here because we believe this has more to do with simply abandoning her post. She did so while guarding the very center of the Autobot command structure. While it is enough to have her status as an Autobot revoked, this hearing has been called to determine whether or not she took it upon herself to carry out a personal vendetta. To avenge the death of Moonracer. No matter the reason for her actions, whether or not it was to seek out the Decepticon responsible for Moonracer's unfortunate demise, Chromia must answer for her actions. We are not judging her, but if this was a trial, she would be better off pleading guilty if just to make things easier on herself."

"Guilty?” scoffed Elita. “If Grindstalker is actually dead and if she was responsible for his death, I wouldn’t blame her if she pleaded justified. An Autobot died doing what she was ordered to do. Collecting information on a potential Decepticon threat, a new player within the ranks of the enemy with the ambition to take down Shockwave. While he didn't have the physical strength to do so yet, we learned that Grindstalker was gathering a significant number of loyal soldiers. If he did achieve his goals and remove Shockwave from his position, then we'd have to learn how this new Decepticon command thinks. At least the current Deception in charge is predictable. And we've learned to counter what Shockwave throws at us. Learning how Grindstalker operates could cost heavily and we've lost one too many Autobots already."

The silence in the room almost hurt those listening. Those in attendance were eagerly waiting, curious to see how Magnus would reply. Measuring his words carefully, the Autobot commander addressed the room, "Elita, it seems you, like Chromia, have taken the death of Moonracer personally. And I can't blame you, for this is a loss I feel as well. As you know, my first command position was as a squad leader with Moonracer as a member of that team. Back then, I was privileged to watch her turn into one of the best sharpshooters I have ever known. She was an excellent Autobot and a friend."

Chromia was caught off guard by Magnus' confession. She remembered the story Moonracer told her about a former commander allowing her to take down their target. She never told Chromia who her commander was. Had it been Magnus?

"But the fact is, Elita," continued Magnus. "If the Autobots went after any Decepticon in an act of vengeance, how would we win this war? If that was our focus then anyone could use it as an excuse to break the rules. Security would be compromised and order within the ranks would fall apart. We would fight amongst ourselves and turn out no better than the Decepticons. We’d start killing indiscriminately on our own terms we saw fit. I will not allow the Autobots to become a mob of thugs, each with their own vendettas. We’re better than that."

"You fail to see the effects this war has had on us," began Elita. "After all these eons fighting what many have called the eternal war, we can barely remember who we were before it started. The normalities of living are a mystery, especially for those who came into existence during this conflict. We make friends only to lose them on a planet that bears no resemblance to what it was before the fighting began. This war has made everything personal for all involved.

"Can anyone blame another Autobot for wanting to put down the Decepticon who has done them wrong? This war has twisted us so far that I wouldn't even judge the noblest of Autobots for taking it upon themselves to rid us of any Decepticon, no matter what it risked the rest of us. So why punish Chromia? I can't speak for every Autobot but there are those who don't blame her for what she's done and even envy her. And while we blame the Decepticons for starting this war, who's going to take the weight for not ending it sooner? We're supposed to be the guardians of Cybertron but the Decepticons have already taken the war beyond our planet to other intergalactic civilizations. We can blame the Decepticons all we want but the rest of the galaxy, and even the universe, will hold us accountable for not stopping them when we should have. Do you want to tell another alien race we couldn't stop the Decepticons because we had to play by the rules? Be my guest. Your sanctimonious attitude would see an Autobot, no different than the rest of us, punished for killing the enemy who has turned us into something so ugly I doubt even Primus would recognize his own creation."

No one spoke or even looked at one another after Elita finished speaking. Everyone present at the hearing knew Magnus and Elita had their differences but always kept their disagreements between themselves. But this was different. No one had spoken to Magnus like this in front of others. No one had challenged the methods of how the Autobots conducted themselves. And no one had blamed the Autobots for how long the war had lasted. If anyone thought the same as Elita did, then Chromia's only crime was acting on her need to avenge Moonracer's death. And vengeance was an action other Autobots would only be too happy to commit themselves.

Not one to dwell on the moment for too long, Impactor couldn't help but sneer. He knew where Elita was coming from. As far he was concerned, Chromia had every right to go after Grindstalker. And if she did put that slag-sucking piece of trash in a gorge, then all the better. In Impactor’s opinion, time spent putting down the enemy was better than arguing about how Autobots should fight. And Elita was right, every Autobot in this army had a debt to settle and too many were going unpaid. Now Impactor waited, curious to see what Magnus would say next as he had a feeling he was going to be sitting here for a long time.

Chapter Text

The Morning Star Cantina, Tarn.

Chromia didn’t have to wait long for Grindstalker to come at her, with his axe swinging for her head. Ducking and causing him to miss, she shot back up to drive a fist into the Decepticon’s lower torso, causing the charged energon knuckles to crackle on contact.

Grindstalker paused for a second when the pain lanced through his body. He hadn’t expected it to hurt as much as it did. Angry that the fembot had managed to harm him, Grindstalker twisted his body around and swung the axe back the way it came.

Chromia jumped back this time as the axe missed her neck by inches. She saw an opening and took advantage with two swift but powerful punches to his midsection. Grindstalker yelled in pain this time as he swung the axe again. Chromia dodged the strike but the Decepticon lunged again and slammed his shoulder against her.

Sliding across the floor until she slammed into the side of an energon storage tank, Chromia was stunned but saw the large Decepticons coming at her. She rolled out of the way when the axe came down, digging itself into the floor, just missing the energon tank. Thankful Grindstalker’s not only missed her but the tank as well. If the axe had penetrated the tank on contact and produced a spark, the tank would explode and possibly the entire supply room. And perhaps the Morning Star as well.

Chromia rolled again as Grindstalker attacked once more, striking the floor with his weapon where the Autobot was a moment ago. Chromia moved to get up but felt something grab her leg. With the Autobot in his grasp, Grindstalker pulled Chromia closer, bringing his axe up to drive it through her body. Chromia sat up and punched Grindstalker’s knee, causing him to curse but the axe still came crashing down.

She managed to twist out of the way of the devastating blow and wrap one arm around Grindstalker’s arm while she shoved her other fist into his exposed elbow. The strike caused Grindstalker to drop his axe to the floor. Continuing her assault, Chromia threw another punch and struck the underside of Grindstalker’s chin, snapping his head backwards. In a fit of anger, Grindstalker used his free hand, pulled Chromia off from him and threw her across the room.

Smashing through a row of glass cases used for brewing energon, Chromia came to a crashing stop as she bounced off the wall. The impact affected most of her body, lingering longer than Chromia would have liked. The sound of glass being crushed told her Grindstalker was approaching. Looking where she could go, Chromia saw more vats of energon and limped towards them, hoping for more time to recover.

“Where are you going?” said Grindstalker as he drew a heavy blaster from his weapon compartment and fired. The laser bolt flew over Chromia’s head as she cursed Grindstalker’s recklessness. One shot was all it took to ignite the energon stored here. It was clear to Chromia that she had pressed him over the edge and wanted some payback.

Before Chromia found cover, Grindstalker fired again and grazed her forearm. Grimacing in pain, Chromia disappeared among the various storage units of energon, using the darkness to her advantage. The shooting stopped but it was only a matter of time before Grindstalker found her.

With her back against a barrel, Chromia inspected her injuries. She looked at her forearm and saw her comlink was damaged. She didn’t bother her, it wasn’t like she was going to call Twin Twist or Whirl for help. They had been told to stay out of this from the beginning and to leave Grindstalker all to her. But since Grindstalker was using a firearm, she wouldn’t mind if she found herself something to even the odds. Then again, she knew he was never going to play fair. Wasn’t like she had any intention of doing so either.

“Autobot,” said Grinstalker, tapping his axe repeatedly against the closet energon vat. “Are you coming out to play or did you curl up somewhere to hide?”

Grindstalker was losing his patience. Grindstalker needed this Autobot to die in the most painful manner possible, especially after what she had done to him and his squad. He refused to allow her to get the better of him anymore, she had humiliated him in every way imaginable and needed to find her. Seeing as locating Chromia wasn’t happening fast enough, he decided to change tactics.

“I’m going to make you beg for your life the same way Moonracer did!” he yelled. “That’s right, I know who she was. The Autobot sharpshooter was known to some of us Decepticons. Now she’s known as a rusting carcass deteriorating into dust. But don’t worry, you’ll be joining her soon!”

Grindstalker never saw it coming. Attacking from behind, Chromia jumped on his back and struck the side of his head with an energon knuckle. “Keep her name out your mouth!” she yelled as she began hammering his head. Grindstalker raised his blaster to shoot Chromia off his back only to have it smashed apart with one punch. Out of options, Grindstalker purposely fell backward and slammed Chromia against the floor.

Roaring in pain, Chromia held on and wrapped an arm around Grindstalker’s neck while grinding an energon knuckle into the side of his face. Fighting to free himself, Grindstalker rolled onto his side, pushed himself up to his feet and reached over his head. Grabbing one of Chromia’s arms, Grindstalker pulled as hard as he could and threw her forward. Chromia collided with the wall of an energon silo, fell to the floor then lay there motionless, on the verge of falling into stasis lock.

Grindstalker took a moment as he saw Chromia wasn’t going anywhere. As he closed in to deliver what would be the final blow, his inner systems delivered a damage report. Grindstalker was impressed with the amount of damage the smaller Autobot had managed to deliver. But he knew his superior armor would prevail in the end. “You’re tough, I’ll give you that,” he said. “But you're not nearly strong enough to take me down.”

Chromia focused her optics to correct her blurred vision. It wouldn’t be long until Grindstalker was standing over her, ready to end her life with one fatal swing. She thought about the gun she had stored in her leg but it wasn’t strong enough to break Grindstalker’s armor, even in its weakened state. What she needed was something with more punch.

Looking at her hands, Chromia had an idea. As Grindstalker got closer, Chromia forced herself up, slipped off an energon knuckle into her hand and with all her remaining strength, hurled it past the Decepticon. Grindstalker thought the Autobot was making a desperate attempt to defend herself, watching her throw completely miss him. But with horrifying realization, Grindstalker froze in fear when he saw the knuckle hit an energon tank.

The tank exploded when the energized melee weapon perforated its surface, knocking Grindstalker off his feet, and slamming him into the next storage tank. Upon impact, the tank cracked open, releasing the volatile liquid inside, washing over Grindstalker where he lay. Before the Decepticon could get away, the escaping energon spread out across the floor and made contact with the fire caused by the first explosion.

As the second tank blew up, Chromia was crawling away to avoid the shrapnel that flew from the explosion. She looked for a way back to the bar but all she could see were more energon tanks. Chromia needed a way out as it was only a matter of time until the rest of the energon went up.

Then she saw it. At the back of the storage area was a security door. Pushing herself up, Chromia began limping her way out as the fire continued to spread, threatening to detonate the rest of the energon. Even with the distance she put between herself and the flames, she felt the room getting hotter. Reaching the door, Chromia’s fears were confirmed when she discovered the doors were locked. Rather than trying to hack the controls, she punched the panel with her remaining energon knuckle, shorting the door's locking mechanism.

As Chromia pushed the doors to open, two more explosions went off behind her. Chromia slipped outside but she wasn’t far enough when the storage area exploded. The force of the blast followed Chromia, knocking her off her feet and throwing her across the ground.

As the fire began to consume the building, the front door of the Morning Star opened up as the owner ran for his life. Under his arms were two heavy cases of shanix. Their weight threw his balance off as he made his escape. While concentrating on avoiding the dead bodies scattered about the ground, he ran face-first into something solid, causing him to fall backwards, dropping his cargo and spilling the contents of the cases across the ground.

Looking up, he saw the angry face of one of the Wreckers looking down at him.

Scampering away, the bar owner began to gather up the shanix he spilled when another Autobot, one with a single optic, leaned towards him. “Leave it.”

With the need to preserve his life outweighing his greed, the owner transformed and took off. Twin Twist and Whirl let him go as they headed for the entrance of the Morning Star.

“Chromia!” yelled Twin Twist as he entered the bar. With most of its inventory ignited, the countertop was covered with flames with the fire swiftly moving across the rest of the sitting area. Whirl searched for Chromia amongst the dead bodies inside the bar, assuming he would find her but came up with nothing.

“She’s not here,” said Whirl. “Maybe she got out through the back, come on.”

The two Wreckers hustled around the building, hoping to find their fellow Autobot. The situation had gotten completely out of hand. Twin Twist and Whirl agreed to back up Chromia if she needed the support and while they were happy to take down a squad of Decepticons, they didn’t think things would escalate this badly. They hoped the fire didn’t catch the attention of more Decepticons or even the Autobots.

As they arrived at the back of the building, the two Wreckers saw flames coming out the back exit. But then they spotted something moving on the ground. As they ran towards the robot struggling to move, they saw it had been badly burnt. Smoke rose from its body while parts of its limbs still burned. It was a miracle they were still alive but they needed medical attention. How Twin Twist and Whirl were going to explain this once they brought Chromia back to base was beyond them.

Whirl reached the body first and realized it was too big to be Chromia. Before either Wrecker could react, Grindstalker pushed himself off the ground, lashing out for the Autobots with his axe still in hand.

Twin Twist and Whirl leapt back and raised their guns as Grindstalker’s attempted strike missed, causing him to lose balance and fall back to the ground. The Decepticon struggled to get up again but his injuries were too intense. His armor, blackened from the fire, had saved him from the explosion, but the heat damaged most of his inner circuitry. He was in a storm of pain and moving was torture. The Wreckers looked at each other and without a word, decided to put the Decepticon out of his misery.

“He’s mine!” Twin Twist and Whirl lowered their firearms and saw Chromia approaching.

Chromia, struggling to walk, read the damage report sent from her internal system as it flashed across her optics. With injuries across her body, a massive loss of energon and her self-repair systems not knowing where to start, she knew she was in bad shape. But it didn't matter. Chromia’s only thought was to finish off Grindstalker, who moments ago almost ended her life.

With rage carrying her better than the energon she had left, each step Chromia took sent pain through her legs but it was nothing compared to the pain within her spark. From her leg compartment, Chromia removed the high-powered battle pistol as she got closer to Grindstalker, who was dragging his damaged body across the coarse ground, trying to escape.

Raising a foot, Chromia drove her heel into the Decepticon's back, flattening his body against the ground. Unable to move, Grindstalker was at Chromia’s mercy as she pressed the barrel of the pistol against his back.

With energon dripping from the smile on his face, Grindstalker almost laughed. "This is not the way Autobots do things," he taunted. "What of your code? Your honor? Would you have me believe your superiors would approve of your actions?"

"You have only yourself to blame," said Chromia, fighting the urge to squeeze the trigger for just a few more moments. "This is no mission. I am not here as an Autobot. I am here because you murdered my friend!"

“Ah, yes. The sharpshooter,” spat Grindstalker. “They said she never missed. I don’t believe that. No one is that good and look at where she is now!”

Refusing the bait, Chromia leaned down closer to Grindstalker, so she could whisper something only he could hear. “My friend told me a secret once, That she’s only missed 7 times. But you know what? I bet those shots were intended for someone else.”

Forcing the gun’s barrel into one of Grindstalker’s wounds on his back, Chromia pulled the trigger. Grindstalker’s screamed as his body jerked in pain. As Grindsatlker tried to force himself up, Chromia aimed at another wound and fired at point-blank range. Grindstalker, completely at Chromia’s mercy, dropped his axe as his body shook violently.

Chromia fired again and again, piercing the Decepticon’s armor each time she found a weak spot. As she looked for another opening, Chromia spotted one on the back of Grindstalker’s head. It was the one she caused before the battle began. When she had snuck up behind Grindstalker and shot him in the back of the head with her heavy blaster. Seeing as this night had to come to an end, Chromia pressed the barrel against the back of Grindstalker’s head and fired for the seventh and last time.

A strange mix of fatigue and pain overtook Chromia, more emotional rather than physical. She felt lost as she looked ahead, weighed down by a heavy spark that moments ago was full of rage. She had ended Grindstalker’s life but now her own continued to sting with each thought of Moonracer. The emptiness of her absent friend remained and avenging her didn’t help. She thought perhaps she’d gain some satisfaction, taking the edge off her anger. But instead, her anger disappeared as it made way for the rush of sadness that consumed her. She felt as if happiness had never existed before in her life and would avoid her for the rest of her days. Chromia wanted to disappear, to be forgotten and to forget. As the grief began anew, she wondered if she would ever be free from it.

She looked at the pistol in her hand. It had belonged to Moonracer. Chromia had managed to grab it when Pipes pulled her to safety after Grindstalker had thrown it after ending Moonracer’s life. It was all Chromia had left of her old friend. Believing Moonracer would want her to put it to good use, Chromia made good on the promise she had made to herself.

As she opened up her weapon compartment to put the pistol away, Chromia saw red clouds off in the distance. An acid rain storm was coming, meaning it was time to head home. The pistol was stashed away before Chromia addressed Twin Twist and Whirl. “Ok, get me as close as you can to HQ. I’ll be able to get myself the rest of the way.”

“Are you sure you don’t want us to take you in?” asked Whirl. “We can make up a story…”

“Thanks but no. After you drop me off I’ll need some time to myself.”

Chapter Text

Autobot Headquarters,
Two solar cycles later…

Sitting by herself, Chromia watched as the Autobots began leaving the council chamber. Many spoke amongst themselves, keeping their voices low as they traded opinions while others argued. A few spared a moment and glared at Chromia before leaving, letting her know they didn’t approve of her actions or the decision made by Ultra Magnus. Chromia didn’t care what any of them thought. She did what was right by her and Moonracer.

Walking past the officers making their way out, Impactor came right up to where Chromia sat. He fixed her with a hard stare as she stared back. Then with a crooked smile, the leader of the Wreckers gave her an approving nod before turning to leave.

As Impactor made his way out, he passed Elita-1 as she approached Chromia. “Great speech,” he said. “Knew there was a reason we keep you around.”

“Coming from a Wrecker, I’ll take that as a compliment,” replied Elita.

Impactor chuckled. Before the hearing, and before Chromia was arrested, he knew Twin Twist and Whirl were involved in something Magnus wouldn’t approve of. The two Wreckers told Impactor they needed some time off to sort out some business. Impactor knew what that meant and didn’t want to know the details. Nothing more was discussed before and afterwards. After he learned that Chromia was in trouble, Impactor put the pieces together himself and figured out what happened but kept it to himself.

“Well don’t let it go to your head,” said Impactor. “If Grindstalker had been called in to speak, Chromia would be on her way out of the Autobots. But the dead don’t talk, so she should consider herself lucky.”

Elita smiled. “Even so, Magnus would interrogate the dead if he thought it would help.”

Despite asking Chromia earlier if Grindstalker was still alive, Magnus knew the Decepticon was dead. A cycle before the hearing, a reconnaissance team discovered that the Decepticon commander and his squad had been slain and that the Morning Star had been destroyed. In light of this discovery, and knowing the history Chromia and Grindstalker shared, Magnus knew there was more to this than the dereliction of duty.

After finishing with Impactor, Elita took a seat next to Chromia and sat quietly until the room was empty. “I’m supposed to tell you how lucky you are that Magnus didn’t throw you out of the Autobots. And that I don’t condone your actions. You're still going to be punished, I don’t know what Magnus has in mind, but knowing you, you're not going to like it no matter what it is.”

“I was ready to walk out of here in shackles and thrown into the smallest of cells,” replied Chromia. “You didn’t have to come here and defend me.”

“Yes I did,” countered Elita. “I know you went after Grindstalker with a little help. And while you did so irresponsibly, I don’t blame you. This war has pushed all of us too far. Some of us are just better at not showing it. I’m here for the same reason that made you do what you did. Because you mean something to me. The same way Moonracer meant something to you. She was my friend too. Primus knows this war has taken too many of them away from us.”

“Thanks,” said Chromia. “I hope coming to my rescue doesn’t cause you any trouble down the road.”

“There’s no need to worry,” she replied. “The truth of the matter is I’ve brought up something that needed to be addressed a long time ago. Most Autobots are noble because they follow our code. But deep down they're just regular Cybertronians. No red badge protects them from the long-term damage inflicted by the pain of loss and suffering. After all, this fighting has grinded on us for so long, it's normal to lose yourself and lash out. And with no one able to heal our pain, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.”

Chromia turned to face Elita. “Does Optimus Prime know you feel this way?”

Elita smiled. “Optimus and myself have a great deal to catch up on. And while I believe that day will come, it's not a conflict I wish to contend with. But I have fought the war on Cybertron much longer than he has. He won’t like it but he’ll understand where I’m coming from. Until then, we take care of our own.”

It was times like this that Chromia wished she had more friends who understood her. Despite having different ideologies, Chromia and Moonracer were close friends. And now that she was gone, Chromia realized she may have been the most rewarding relationship she ever had. Moonracer challenged her in terms of accepting others who possessed a different way of thinking or methods. Chromia usually gravitated towards those similar to her in some respects.

Chromia always appreciated Elita’s thoughtfulness when it came to decisions and her straightforwardness in giving commands. Her former teammate Firestar was always dependable and professional, never making excuses and was always ready to tackle any situation. And then there was Ironhide. In many ways, he was Chromia reflection. She thought he had been lost, the same as Optimus Prime was thought to be lost millions of years ago, but he had come back into her life though he was far away now. Chromia wished he was here. He would understand where she was coming from and wouldn’t pass any judgment on her. She wished they were all here, instead, their absence made the loss of Moonracer harder to bear.

Taking in all she had told her, Chromia thanked Elita again before the two of them left their seats and made their way out of the council chamber. As they passed through the doors, a hush fell over the group of Autobots who were outside. Pausing their discussion about what went on during the hearing, those gathered watched as Elita and Chromia made their way down the corridor, leaving them behind without so much of a thought to their existence. Even after the two Autobots disappeared from sight, no one continued the discussion.

*****

After a stellar cycle of guard duty inside Autobot headquarters, Chromia refused to let the boredom get to her. Standing next to a pair of doors that led to the garbage depot, Chromia hardly saw anyone during her time stationed there. She had been permitted to re-energize when she needed it but denied any downtime. Also, she wasn’t allowed to speak with anyone unless she was asked a question related to her duties, which never happened as hardly anyone came down to that level. She was stuck there until her punishment was declared over.

And today it was.

Her comlink buzzed with static as Ultra Magnus’ voice came out of the speaker. “Chromia, your time serving out your punishment has come to an end. Report to me within the cycle. Magnus out.”

Taking a moment, Chromia closed her optics, thankful to finally be free. As she started down the corridor, Chromia felt she could almost run the rest of the way out. Though she was relieved to leave, a nervousness overcame her, almost as if she was afraid to venture back into the world. Perhaps that was because it was now a world without Moonracer. She realized it scared her, knowing she would no longer navigate her life without the hot-shot rookie who became her best friend. She would miss her comradery but she would never forget their adventures together or her voice. She would have to remember how she got on living her life before. She had been a loner for most of the war, not because she was unfriendly or aloof, but because others couldn’t keep up with her when it came to the job. She could always rely on herself to get the job done but when she met Moonracer and learned she was just as good, she couldn’t help but gravitate towards her.

Chromia made up her mind. Despite what Elita had said all that time ago, Chromia wasn’t sticking her neck out for anyone anymore. For the duration of the war, no more friends. Chromia was looking out for herself from now on.

Making her way to her living quarters, Chromia passed several Autobots, paying them no mind. She didn’t know if any of them still felt the way they had after the hearing and she didn’t care. They could carry on as judgemental as they wanted to, Chromia thought. After all, they probably felt the same as she did, full of vengeful thoughts against the Decepticons, but were too afraid to do anything about it. And if they didn’t, Chromia knew one day that would feel the same as she did when she lost Moonracer. She didn’t need them or anyone else.

Seeing the doors that led to her quarters, Chromia spotted a blue Autobot sitting against the door. “Pipes?”

The Minibot saw Chromia approaching and stood up. “There you are! I’ve been waiting for you.”

“You’ve been waiting here for an entire stella cycle?” asked Chromia.

“Yes. And no. I’ve been waiting, that is true. But not here. Not the whole time. See, I wasn’t able to find you after… what had happened. Then you got in trouble and disappeared. I heard you were serving some time for whatever you did or didn’t do. And considering I was on that mission in Defaxus, it didn’t feel right not finding you. So, I decided to wait here on my downtime until you returned.”

Chromia was taken back. “Well, all I can say is that’s really commendable of you, Pipes.”

“I know, It’s kind of weird, isn’t it?” admitted Pipes. “I need to find a real hobby. Truth be told, when it comes to situations like this, I don’t have the words. But I know you and Moonracer were tight. And I wanted you to know most of the Autobots here don’t blame you. Maybe they thought you should have gotten in more trouble but a lot of them came around and began to envy what you did.”

Chromia felt an unexpected ease come over her. As if the pressure of continuing was lifted off her shoulders. Maybe she did care about what others thought about her, and now she didn’t have to deal with any further judgment of her actions. “Thanks, Pipes. That actually means a lot to me. A lot more than I expected.”

Pipes and Chromia spoke for a moment more before they gave their well wishes and said their goodbyes. Entering her living quarters, Chromia saw it was as she left it. The small space was organized and neat with all her belongings where they should be. She sat on the bunk and reached down, pulling a draw open. There along with some of her belongings was Moonracer’s battle pistol. The same one she had used on Grindstalker to finish him off. She wondered what she would do with it. Keep it to remind her of her friend forever? She didn’t need any objects for that. Maybe she would honor Moonracer’s memory by burying it so that it wouldn’t be destroyed or lost elsewhere. If Moonracer was alive, she might argue that it would be a waste to do that.

Unable to make up her mind despite all the time she had to think about it, Chromia placed it in her leg compartment and left her quarters to meet Ultra Magnus.

Chromia gained access to the command center where Magnus was overseeing all current Autobot operations. All about the command center, Autobots were processing field reports while soldiers were debriefed and issued orders. Chromia missed the activity of official Autobot business after being on guard duty for so long. She knew she would feel better once she got back into action.

“Reporting for duty, Commander Magnus,” said Chromia as she arrived behind the Autobot commander. Chromia had wanted to ask him about the time he and Moonracer had served together. But in the busy atmosphere of the command center now wasn’t the time to ask If he had been the squad commander who allowed Moonracer to take point on the mission she had spoken about when they met, Chromia suspected her respect for Magnus might change. After all, there weren’t too many who took fembots seriously among the Autobots.

“Chromia,” said Magnus as he turned to address her. “Ready to return to active duty?”

“Yes, sir,” replied Chromia.

“Good. I’m assigning you a new partner.”

“Sir?” Chromia felt as if she had been punched in her lower torso.

“Don’t worry, she’s no beginner but she does need a mentor. She’s a qualified hand-to-hand combat expert, her marksmanship skills are top notch and can hold more than her own as a warrior. But she needs to be trained for our special elite operations. You’re one of our best. I’m sure you’ll bring her up to speed.”

Chromia was convinced the time spent on guard duty was all a ruse and that her actual punishment began today. Even if it wasn’t, what could she do? She couldn’t refuse a direct order from the Autobot in charge of all Autobot forces on Cybertron. And if she did, then what?

Keeping her composure, Chromia agreed. “I understand, sir. Who is that I’m partnering with?”

“She’s over there.”

Chromia spotted a fembot, about her height, pink and slender. She didn’t look like a warrior but Magnus was no liar. After Magnus dismissed her, Chromia made her way over to the command station where the fembot stood, being debriefed by one of the officers on duty. Warrior or not, Chromia just hoped she wasn’t some hot-headed rookie who thought she could take on the Decepticons single-handedly. She didn’t need anything to remind her of Moonracer just now.

“My name’s Chromia,” she said as she stepped up to the newcomer. “You’ve been assigned under me. I’m going to show you how things are done properly, so you better have your engine revving before your wheels hit the ground.”

The new Autobot straightened up respectfully and nodded to her superior. “I’m ready to do everything you tell me to do. I will do my best not to let you down.”

Chromia wasn’t expecting such a humble response. “Magnus has filled me in on some of your skills. You can tell me the rest later, I just want to know one thing. Why are you fighting this war? You could be off-planet enjoying yourself on the other side of the galaxy. Why bother getting involved?”

“To be honest, it’s more about defending those in need,” the answer came without hesitation. “I only got involved in the war to protect who I could. I don’t want to fight but I can’t stand by and let others fall victim to the Decepticons.”

“How many battles have you fought?” asked Chromia.

“More than I wish to remember,”

“How many friends have you lost along the way?”

“Too many,” the response was swift but mournful.

“You sound as if you grasp what war is all about,” Chromia realized what she had here was a seasoned warrior who had seen her share of actions and knew what was at stake. And it sounded as if she understood all too well what war was truly all about. “Well, since I’m stuck with you, let's make the best of it. What’s your name?”

“They call me Arcee,” said the newcomer. “I have a question. I was told I could upgrade my arsenal at the armory. Can we drop by when we have a moment?”

A thought crossed Chromia’s mind. She reached down as her leg compartment opened up and retrieved Moonracer’s battle pistol.

“Here,” she said as she handed it to Arcee. “This weapon is as reliable as it is effective. Just promise to take good care of it.”

Arcee held the weapon in her hand, examining it. “This gun has a good feel to it. Looks like it’s seen some action.”

Chromia found herself smiling. “That’s not cold steel you’re holding there. Come on, let me show you how we do things around here.”

THE END

Dedicated to the memory of Morgan Lofting, and every Transformers actor who has passed on and gave our childhood heroes a voice.