Chapter 4

The Paz base was something the Autobots had yet to discover. It was on Cybertron’s fourth moon. It was chosen because of its irregular orbit, which kept it far from Cybertron except for the southern hemisphere. It was the perfect place to create a base for Shockwave and Soundwave.

The two bots had set about making the base the central hub for all Decepticon communication throughout the galaxies. Shockwave had specifically coded one of the monitors to receive two signals – one for his Autobot persona, Longarm, and the other for communication with Lord Megatron and other Decepticons.

Soundwave had greatly assisted when he had first joined Shockwave at the base. Having two mechs on board sped the process on some of the larger, more physical projects Shockwave had been neglecting in favor of his double duties.

Now the base held a whole wing of quarters, a room specifically for the manufacture of energon, functioning washracks, two meeting rooms, the monitor room (which had been the first room completed), and a rec room that was as barren as the mechs who lived there. Everything had been prepared for the inevitable stay of the rest of the Decepticons.

Starscream and his trines currently had most of the quarters filled, and Shockwave took care to ignore them as best as he could. It wasn’t easy with the strong, one dimensional personalities that each seemed to have, but it did show him practical insights into Starscream’s personality.

The first trine was made of Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp. Somehow the ego and the cowardice had created a strong tie to each other, and Starscream was more than happy to be leader. Thundercracker had mellowed out once Starscream had come to his senses, and Skywarp no longer jumped at every little sound. Progress all around, in Shockwave’s book.

The second trine was made of Slipstream, Sunstorm, and Ramjet. While the liar and the sycophant sometimes butted heads, Slipstream was able to keep the two of them in line with an iron servo. The only true friction in the group was between Slipstream and Starscream, but Shockwave doubted their differences – or rather, similarities – would ever be resolved.

He could only get his work done if he were completely unaffected by outside sources – it was hard to explain to the Magnus why he was never on planet anymore, much less if any strange noises came from the background. So he kept the trines busy with in space exploration of Cybertron’s surface, and for guardians of the planet.

(Sunstorm was oh so gracious to Shockwave for allowing him such an important job and just couldn’t wait to show his appreciation to the mech – but Slipstream quickly intervened before Shockwave took away what few liberties they were allowed to have.)

Now the two faced mech stood at the monitor talking to Ultra Magnus. Shockwave – or Longarm, as was his designation at the moment – stood at attention like a good little Autobot would.

He could barely hold in his shudder of revulsion.

“…and signals indicate that there should be a surge in Decepticon activity in the Northern Hemisphere sometime in the next lunar cycle, Sir. I think they plan on attacking the archives,” Longarm advised, keeping his servos crossed behind his back as he watched the Magnus receive the news.

It wasn’t a total lie; Decepticon forces would be attacking the base at the Northern-most point of Cybertron. But they weren’t there for the archives. The archives were thought to be destroyed, especially by the public, but Ultra Magnus had told his officers that the Northern base was the one to be protected at all costs. (Probably because that was where the Magnus himself resided, but the Decepticons weren’t supposed to know that.)

“I would go myself, but you know my duties are tied up as it is. Trying to decode the Decepticons signals is tedious work. As is trying to send along Autobot messages across the galaxies. Sir.”

“Of course, Longarm. Issue a security order to double protection around the base. We can’t have them get their servos on our history.” Even when faced with an imminent attack, the Magnus remained impassive as always.

Shockwave wanted to claw that stoic face apart. “Will do, Sir.”

Magnus nodded and clicked the screen off, the image fading away. As soon as Shockwave had the signal completely offline – to appear idling to other Autobots – he shifted back to his true form. “Ugh, I can’t stand it, Soundwave! All the pleading and careful mannerisms – at least our cover is set,” he grumbled, clearly more than a little disgruntled with the way the conversation had gone.

Soundwave shuffled out from behind the side room, Ratbat and Laserbeak sitting contently on his shoulders. “Statement; acknowledged. Sentiment; shared.” The Egyptian-blue and gold mech knelt on the adjacent wall, fiddling with some wires again. Ratbat fluttered over to Shockwave, making a soft chittering sound. Shockwave extended a claw for the older twin to land on.

“I mean, I don’t know how much longer I can take this,” the soft voiced mech continued, watching Ratbat with a merely curious optic. “It’s not the lying, Soundwave, don’t think that. It’s the feeling that I’m betraying Lord Megatron every time I speak to that blasted mech.”

“Reaction; illogical. Shockwave; following Lord Megatron’s orders. Shockwave; obedient.” He finished setting up what seemed to be the last physical part of the monitor, clicking something into place behind the screen. Then he pulled up a smaller screen alongside it, linked them with a data cable, and began streaming code.

“I know it’s what he’s ordered, Soundwave,” Shockwave replied patiently. The other mech was still somewhat new – the nuances of conversation were sometimes lost on him. “And I’m more than happy to follow the orders.”

Ratbat tilted his head, imitating the curiosity along the symbiotic link with Soundwave. He didn’t move any closer from his position on the purple mech’s claw, instead blinking with his onyx eyes at the one optic’d mech.

“It’s just that…you have a curious symbiote here, Soundwave.”

Soundwave turns around, able to take his optics off the lines of code for a few nano kliks. “Query; Ratbat cause of conflict?”

Shockwave allowed himself a small chuckle, something anyone of the opposite faction would have thought him incapable of. “No, no Soundwave. I simply meant that he is a curious symbiote. Very hungry for knowledge.”

The other mech turned back to his code, nodding slightly. “Symbiotes; proper designation for mechlings?”

“Yes, Soundwave.” Shockwave walked closer to the visored mech, pulling a chair over with his free servo. He sat, giving Ratbat ample opportunity to leave, but the stubborn bat remained.

Laserbeak fluttered to Soundwave’s far shoulder, cawing nervously. Shockwave couldn’t blame him; the last time a stranger had touched the red and black symbiote, he had been instrumental in Soundwave’s destruction.

It was in the aftermath of Laserbeak flying the mech away that Megatron had found them. Shockwave had heard the story from Megatron upon receiving his…unusual gift from his leader.

The two symbiotes had stood guard over the small golden cassette of their leader, screeching and flapping their wings protectively at any that passed by. It took Megatron at least a week of feeding them energon to keep their strength up before they allowed Megatron to carry their leader – and even then, Laserbeak kept his distance.

Personally instructed by Megatron to take care of the new addition to the Decepticon ranks, Shockwave began the reconstruction of Soundwave’s body at once. He looked like his old self before, but slimmer in the shoulders and not so boxy. He looked like a new mech, and seemed to better fit into this smaller, slimmer body than he had his last one.

But he was still naïve and young. Hard working and smart, no doubt about it; but Megatron had his reasons for wanting to protect the surveillance officer.

Ratbat had warmed up to Shockwave after he had rebuilt Soundwave from next to nothing. Never before, however, had Ratbat stayed with Shockwave when Soundwave was available.

“Understood,” Soundwave said softly, his expression hidden behind his facemask. It was retractable, but he only ever took it off for refueling.

“It’s not a bad thing. Merely an observation.”

Soundwave looked up at Shockwave, tilting his head. He had questions, lots of them, as he was designed to obtain information and process it at his own speed. But still…

“Query; why?” He absorbed himself in the code scrolling by on the screens as Shockwave gave another breathless laugh.

“Quite a broad question, Soundwave. Care to specify?” The shifter had an inkling as to what Soundwave would be asking – after all, now that he had a proper carrier body as opposed to Earth junk thrown together, it made sense that his body would need things before he knew how to give them.

“Observation; feeling within spark. Burning, aching. At first infrequent. Now, more frequent. Soundwave; apprehensive,” the mech replied.

Shockwave thought it over, idly watching as Ratbat watch him. Eventually he stopped giving the symbiote all the attention and turned his focus to Soundwave. “The feeling is natural, Soundwave, especially for a mech of your caliber. To create Ratbat and Laserbeak, you used a fragment of the AllSpark itself to do so, correct? So they have their own spark. But you were in the wrong body type before. Now that sensation you’re feeling in your spark is natural for someone of your model. It simply means that you’re ready to create another symbiote.”

Had he a mouth, Shockwave would have smiled. As it was, he only changed his tone slightly, to evoke a feeling of empathy. “You may have more control over it this time. But, as an offering, I have something to show you.”

Soundwave paused the coding, unhooking one end of the data cable so it wouldn’t stream in his absence. Standing, he followed his superior officer down the hallway, to Shockwave’s personal labs.

It wasn’t very impressive, but it was a military base. Scientific ventures were at the bottom of everyone’s priority list. There were a few flat, stainless steel tables that had been imported from Earth. They could have been used to assemble cars, they were so large; but here, they were used to assemble symbiotes.

In the middle table, surrounded by tools of various shapes and sizes and data charts and data pads, lay something under a white sheet. Shockwave beckoned Soundwave closer.

Laserbeak and Ratbat were both curious, but unnerved to be in a cold and sterile place such as the labs. Ratbat fluttered closer to Soundwave, tucking himself neatly on Soundwave’s shoulder. They watched with bated breath as Shockwave revealed what rested under the tarp.

A long, lithe feline creature lay on the table. The Decepticon insignia stood proudly on the feline’s grey shoulders. She had red optics, the same shade as Soundwave’s, and a long, flexible tail that was made of many minute pieces of armor, similar to Shockwave’s limbs. Her claws here black, as were her paws, though her stomach, shoulders, and hips were a shade lighter, more of a grey than a black.

“May I present to you, Soundwave…Ravage.” Shockwave didn’t touch the creature with any warmth, merely a clinical claw. “She has been my pet project, for lack of a better word, for some time now. Ever since you properly exhibited the ability to create more sparks without bonding, I knew you would need a way to channel that energy. Ravage is yours to command, once her spark chamber is full.”

Ratbat squeaked and dove forward, flying in circles above his sister. Like us, Master?

Nature, similar. Soundwave; understands. The blue and gold mech looked over at Shockwave with a hint of gratitude in his visor. “Query; other symbiotes to be made?”

The scientist shook his head, folding the tarp meticulously. Ratbat landed back on him, but this time chose to alight on his sensory horns. “Soundwave…” he merely replied, noting his patience was growing thin.

“Ratbat; return.” Best not to test boundries today. Another time. The keytar flew back to his master, settling on his shoulder.

“As I was saying, Soundwave, it is a possibility. It simply depends on how strong of a spark you have. And I mean that literally, for it is your spark that is breaking apart to make these new mechs and femmes,” he explains. He reaches between Ravage’s limp forelegs, effortlessly opening a chamber there.

Soundwave feels a surge of hot protection and almost steps closer to the scientist to protect Ravage’s nonexistent spark. Shockwave, for his part, merely huffed in amusement. “Relax, Soundwave. Her chamber is easy to open now, simply because she is not online. When she has her own spark, it will seal shut, only to be opened by her or you. Have no fear, Soundwave. She will be as sturdy as your other two operatives.”

The mech in question nods, feeling a pulling in his spark, but not quite enough to drive him to want to get rid of the feeling.

“When the time comes, Soundwave,” Shockwave continues, “You’ll know what to do. Until then, she’s in good servos. Let us resume our work?” He turned expectantly toward the door, watching Soundwave out of the corner of his optic.

Soundwave nods, and leaves the labs in favor of finishing coding the monitor. He had more than ample to think about for now.

The next few megacycles consisted of playing keep up with Megatron’s decisions from Earth, managing Ultra Magnus’ questions and inquiries, and aiding Soundwave in making sure the code was written correctly for the second monitoring system. All that was left by this point was the signal scrambler that would only allow Decepticons to find its frequency.

Soundwave’s spark grew hotter and hotter every day, pulsing and pulling him from his station more than once. He was restless, as was usual of mechs like Soundwave. At least, that was the impression Shockwave garnered from his reading. Having symbiotes was a rare trait, used even less since the Great War. Mechs distrusted others who had their own…personal guard system.

It wasn’t taboo, but it certainly wasn’t the norm.

Shockwave couldn’t blame them, but it was completely unreasonable to think Soundwave would use them for his own personal gain. The mech was loyal to Megatron, loyal to the Decepticons; and in turn, his symbiotes were loyal as well. It was simple.

He supposed it was inevitable that Soundwave would have to give his spark over to Ravage – he just didn’t expect it to be when he was in the middle of a call with Magnus. When he powered down the monitor and switched back, catching Ratbat on his claw as was now the norm, he didn’t expect to see Soundwave leading a very online, very protective Ravage through the control room.

The panther sniffed around the ground, audios pricked forward to catch even the slightest movement. Her body was stiff, alert, and low to the ground, ready to pounce at anything that so much as moved. Her head jerked up as Shockwave took in an audible breath, a growl building her vocalizer.

“Soundwave…I see it went well,” he replied, shock clear in his vocalizer. “Imagine that…”

“Ravage; protective. Healthy. Soundwave; pleased.” Ravage positively purred at her Master’s approval, but remained suspicious of Shockwave. She took a step in front of Soundwave, her tail curling around the sound system’s leg.

Shockwave; ally. Ravage; respect, Soundwave chided, probing into the newly formed symbiotic link.

Ravage, built to be more instinctual in her decisions, replied with a pulse of trust/love/acceptance/protection.

“That is excellent news, Soundwave. When Lord Megatron next calls, perhaps you can give him the news. A new youngling such as this is both beneficial to our cause, and to the future of Cybertron,” Shockwave replies.

The two mechs walk back to what had become Soundwave’s unofficial station, as it was where the communications expert spent most of his time. Ravage curled at his feet, out of the way and alert, already scanning the area for entrances and exits, and other things that could capture her attention. Soundwave petted her gently, before resuming his work on the code. “Understood, Shockwave. Will do.”

Shockwave would have continued the conversation had it not been for the small ping his systems gave, indicating someone wanted to speak with him on his Decepticon frequency.

Interesting. Though it could only be a handful of mechs if they weren’t using the monitor system like they would have for an official call. Shockwave did not take kindly to meaningless chatter, but he had a soft spot for this particular caller.

He silently stood, putting his servo close to Soundwave’s shoulder. Ratbat obediently sashayed off, nuzzling his Master’s golden chevron obediently. “Farewell, Soundwave. I trust you can finish the coding for yourself. I, however, need some recharge. All that changing has worn me down,” Shockwave sighed, turning around.

Soundwave nodded, getting deeper into the trickier part of coding the monitor. The moment Shockwave was gone, Ravage was up and moving, sniffing out the only room she had seen thus far. She was a curious creature; and that was a feature that Soundwave felt an unprecedented appreciation for. Wordlessly, he instructed Ratbat to watch over his sister in her explorations. Laserbeak would stay with him, as always.

 Meanwhile, Shockwave felt the pinging growing more anxious. Had he a mouth, Shockwave would have smirked.

He answered the desperate signal once he was closed in his quarters. //Patience has never been your strong suit, has it love? Don’t worry, you have me all to yourself tonight…yes, I’ve missed you too.//

He settled down on his berth with a cube of energon in his claws, his optic halving in relaxation. Selfish rewards for a selfless commitment for a day in, day out grind.

//Don’t you worry your pretty little head, I’m fine. I don’t know when we can see each other again…hopefully sooner rather than later. I’m almost done with my screen, love. It will be soon…I know, I know…I love you too.//