Shattered Glass: Dodge.

Chapter two: Shadow puppets

They had been on the ground for almost two cycles. Frozen in their seats. "Cloaking device holding." Starscream said quietly. He leaned back slowly. "Hook has Soundwave on a manual pump, they can't trace that."

Megatron reached over and touched Starsceram's forearm. "You've done well."

"Well?" Shockwave shook his head "We're in the center of the Quintesson Collective. " He stepped around his console and shook his helm his one eye glaring. "We're in worse trouble if you ask me."

Megatron smirked. "We didn't ask you brother." He looked back laughing. "We've got little time-"

"Megatron? I'm picking up a large underground facility." Starscream said slowly. "Lots of interconnecting tunnels, and passageways. Making a holo-mesh lets see what we have here…"

"Below us?" Megatron's chair swung around as Shockwave came to his other side.

"Yes, getting a better scan now." He said slowly looking up at the main screen. "Bringing projection up of the mesh core." The mesh core built upon itself from the bottom up, it twisted and turned and looked just like a human child's top. It was much larger at the top and got progressively smaller as it tapered at the bottom.

"By Unicron…" Megatron said slowly. "Look at that." He smiled. "That's an Autobot ship." He started to laugh. "Shockwave, isn't that something?"

Starscream nodded. "It's buried." He stated softly. "It's directly below us…." He said fingers working over the keys. "Designation...that's not possible."

"What's it saying?" Megatron turned.

"Says its Tripticon." Starscream shook his head. "I only remember stories of Tripticon from when I was a winglet."

Megatron smirked "Tripticon's been missing since-"

"The Quintesson retreat." Shockwave finished abruptly. Starscream was far younger than either Megatron or Shockwave. "It's a space station, what's it doing below ground?"

"They could have knocked it out of orbit." Starscream surmised and rolled his chair around. "It could have drifted here…it would follow the teachings."

"Yes." Megatron mused. "Can we bridge in undetected?"

"Perhaps…" Starscream said slowly. "It seems to be deserted. How is it standing up all on it's own though?"

"If we could bridge in there, how long do you think we could survive?" Shockwave shook his head "death trap. Tripticon is, like Omega Supreme, a being."

"That death trap as you so call it may have a main line pump for Soundwave." Megatron said clearly. "Energon we need to stay alive, and shelter from the Autobots."

"When you put it like that…" Starscream continued his scan. "It is sitting on a small Energon deposit…." Starscream drew up the images on the screen. "Enough to keep us viable for Orns and Orns." Starscream looked up "Enough time for the Autobots to give up pursuit."

"Our spy would be left to his own devices." Shockwave spoke calmly. Though his veins ran cold with Energon.

"I know how you feel about him Shockwave but he's safe, take solace in that." Megatron said. Starscream blinked looking up at Shockwave with almost disbelief. "He chose that assignment."

"Against my better wishes yes he did." Shockwave shook his head.

"Would he recognize you now?" Megatron asked slowly. "Would he even know you? He's been so immersed with them it's hard to tell anymore whose side he's on. What of Throttle?"

Starscream blinked holding up a hand. "Wait…you and He?" He shook his head "Really? I wouldn't have guessed." He smirked at the scientist. "The hatchling does resemble him now that you put it that way."

Shockwave shook his head and ran his fingers over his helm slowly from fore to back. "It doesn't matter at this point, chances are we've lost him forever."

"We'll think of something." Megatron smirked and pulled his hand from Starscream's arm. "Lets get ready to ground bridge down there, and find a way to keep ourselves hidden. What's the population count of the Ark at this very moment?"

"Thirty five sir." Shockwave said, "That does not include the two hatchlings, or Soundwave's cassettes."

Megatron nodded "So Thirty Nine?" He moved his head from side to side slowly considering. "Shockwave is the station large enough to hold us all?"

"Yes Sir." Shockwave said slowly and stood turning to his console. "It has room for at least a crew twice our size."

"Good prepare to bridge down with a boarding crew see what we can do with it." Megatron stood up and stretched his arms.

"Yes Megatron. Starscream, I'll need power from the pulse drives if we're to bridge everyone."

"Headed your way." Starscream said.

"I'm going to help Hook Prep Soundwave, he and his cassettes will be bridged directly to the station's medical ward with hook to prep for repairs."

Shockwave nodded "Of course commander. Starscream get me the coordinates for what you could perceive as medical."

The station's main corridors were lit with a dim yellow light. Megatron took slow easy steps along the main chambers checking on his mechs as they took rooms of their own.

The first room in the corridor had been held aside, it was near the rooms designated for the commander and his senior staff. The doors were wide open and Megatron rapt his knuckles on the doorframe, and waited. This crewmember in particular was special.

"Commander?" The female voice broke over the quiet. "I am sorry I was." She set the box in her hands down. "Getting settled."

Megatron held up a hand "No apologies needed slipstream." He smiled looking around "Will this be sufficient for you? If you want me to give you quarters elsewhere…"

"Sir I'm fine. It's perfect, I will begin assisting Hook with medical first cycle." She smiled. "We were able to find a pump for Soundwave in the medical surplus."

"Good, I am sorry this was all thrust upon you." Megatron tried to keep an even tone looking around. "If any of the mechs give you any trouble…."

"I'll let you know." She said slowly. "Thank you sir."

With a slow nod Megatron turned and made his way into the corridor. "Sir." Deadend saluted as he walked by holding the hand of their youngest cargo: one of only two surviving hatchlings from Cybertron, the last two born from the great well.

"Hello Deadend, and to you Tarantulas, my how you've grown." The small green mechling blinked and his long legs on his back trembled as his main arm lifted in a small wave to the commander. "Still shy I see."

"Yes sir he is, but very smart. Come youngling." Deadend spoke quietly. "It's time for you to recharge." Deadend reached out and shook Megatron's hand and smiled "Have a good evening sir, I'm going to get him back to our quarters or Coilspring will have my helm."

"Yes Sir." The green mechling reached up for Deadend. The white sports car lifted up the hatchling in his arms with a smile. "Good night Commander." The hatchling said softly.

Megatron chuckled "good night little one."

He crossed the main causeway to the quarters he'd chosen for his own, which opened into the next quarters that were Starscream's.

Starscream turned as the doors opened and his consort entered slowly. The yellow lights in the room lit their frames in a faint glow. "Is everyone settled?"

"Getting there, I just spoke with Slipstream, and saw Deadend with Tarantulas."

"He and Throttle are both getting big." The seeker shook his head "They could fit into my palms when we escaped Cybertron."

"Indeed they are." Megatron came to him, and turned the seeker around to face him. "Is the ship gone? Tell me you've gotten the Ark well out of range of Mora"

"Yes I set the Ark on Autopilot, it will have headed for deeper space, and made minor course corrections as it went, it will look like someone is flying it. There are also false spark indicators all throughout her, shockwave's idea." Starscream turned. "I cannot believe we abandoned our ship."

"We can survive here a long time unnoticed." Megatron smiled. "We've got to survive."

"I know, and agree. This was the only course of action." He narrowed his eyes as his fingers rose to touch Megatron's frame quietly. "We'll start rotating shifts to mine Energon starting in two solar cycles."

"Good." Megatron drew him closer and tried to stray away from the business talk. "We'll have more time together." He said slowly. "I also found a room filled with holo vids." He laughed, "We'll have entertainment."

Starscream shook his head "I can't let my guard down just yet."

"I didn't ask you to." Megatron continued slowly. "I just wanted you to know there were things to do, when not working." Megatron offered him a data-pad and smiled at him. "I know how you like to read."

"Where did you find this?" Starscream smiled and looked over the ancient tome. "Oh this is marvelous."

"More where that came from in the records room." Megatron smiled as Starscream stepped away with the book. A chuckle as he spoke, "Now I've lost you to the book."

Starscream waved a dismissive hand at him. "Quiet I'm reading." Megatron couldn't be angry the smirk on the seeker's face gave him all comfort he needed. "I'll need your help though." The pad lowered. "Not being able to get into the sky from down here may become. …Detrimental to my mental state."

"I know and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you're not going to go mad on me." Megatron smirked "Enjoy your book Starscream I have a few more mechs to check on before we turn in for the night."

Shockwave looked around the tiny cell he'd chosen for his room and nodded his approval. "Where should I set this down?" His small charge stood behind him holding a large crate.

The Cyclops turned and took the large tote from the hatchlings hands and set it beside a table. "Does this mean we won't see Ironhide?" He asked slowly.

"I'm not sure." Shockwave said steadily. "Your sire is good at taking care of himself." Shockwave's hand rose up and rubbed against his temple. "Throttle?"

"Yes sire?" The red mechling looked up slowly.

"Could you gather up the last tote from the bridge in site?"

"Oh yes!" The little one turned "I'll be right back."

Shockwave nodded pleasure in his voice "I know you will." He turned once the mechling was gone and retrieved a clear crystalline gem from his subspace and set it upon his desk. "I'll never forget you." He said slowly and the gem turned into a hologram of Ironhide that turned slowly.

The start of the Great War, Iocon, Ironhide's quarters:

"It's not for you to like." Ironhide said slowly turning.

"Ironhide." Shockwave let his lifted hands fall. "There's no convincing you not to do this?"

"No." Ironhide shook his head. "Megatron needs someone to go, no one else can be trusted, I've known Orion a long time."

"He hates you." Shockwave protested.

"Maybe so but he knows I'm good at what I do, good at weapons, good at tactical, and he doesn't have an officer assigned to him yet." Ironhide turned and folded his arms across his chest. "As Sentinel's former officer I'm the best, no the only choice. What would you have me do?"

"Stay, logically." Shockwave shook his head. "I can't believe you are even considering this!"

"Don't fight me Shock." Ironhide said slowly. "I don't want to fight, especially not with you, I already told Megatron I'd do it."

"What?" Shockwave was livid. "In all my orns I never thought you would do something as back handed as this."

"Backhanded?" Ironhide shook his head "You think that's what this is?" He stormed forward pressing Shockwave against the wall despite the mech's protests. "I love you, and if I don't do this we'll never survive to finish what we've started." He growled. "Why can't you understand that?"

Shockwave tried to combat him with some sort of argument, but none came as their helms connected together slowly. Ironhide's hand rose and ran along the length of the dark mech's jaw. "I'll come back for you I promise."

"Best keep it than." Shockwave said slowly.

"I will." Ironhide tipped up his helm, and kissed him. They didn't part until the suns over Cybertron rose.

Present day Shockwave's Chambers: Tripticon Underground:

Turning off the holo-gen he sighed, Ironhide wouldn't even recognize him; he didn't have two optics anymore. Just one large eye that gave him all the sight he'd ever need, and his mouth was gone. It was probably for the best; he couldn't kiss him not anymore, but he would think of something. Ironhide didn't even know that Throttle existed. That too was most likely for the best.

"I'm back!" Throttle announced proudly holding a grey tote.

"Good young one please set it down over there, and we'll get you a berth set up." He smiled "You and Tarantulas will have lessons in the morning."

"Okay." Throttle blinked his blue optics slowly. "But will you tell me the stories again?"

"Again?" Shockwave turned "You've heard those stories many times."

"But I like the story of Primus and Unicron!" The red mechling protested

"I know you do Throttle, and we'll see, lets get things straightened out first." Shockwave's optics flashed brightly at the little one who smiled up at him. "It's going to be ok."

"Thank you Creator." He said slowly and stepped up wrapping his little arms around his creator's leg. "Thank you."

"For what hatchling?" Shockwave's helm tipped slightly to one side.

"For everything." The little one broke free and turned into the small room adjacent to his Creator's and started to put his data-pads on a shelf.

Shockwave turned to the doorway to watch his small charge and was pleased. He was growing into a fine mech. Ironhide, his Ironhide, if he were still out there, would have been so proud.

To be continued...