In a moment of lapsed focus, Soundwave's super-senses overwhelm him, and his mind drifts back in time... back to when he was supervisor in the mines of Luna 2 under the overseeing eyes of Sentinel Prime and Prowl, when Ravage was still helping him learn to focus his abilities. Then, his thoughts move forward to the recent past, to when Optimus Prime blackmailed him into working at his side, threatening to fracture the Decepticon dream he had built aboard Sanctuary Station by revealing that Soundwave was responsible for taking Horri-Bull's life. Realizing how much he had compromised in the name of his dream, Soundwave believed he could move past old grievances and work with Optimus...

...but today, he finds himself in a mine once more, in Kentucky, on Earth, mining Ore-13 for Cybertron, and wonders if it was all worth it. As he ruminates, a call comes through from Aileron; something has happened on Cybertron. Soundwave heads to Autobot City, where Pyra Magna and the Torchbearers are on standby, awaiting what Pyra believes is an inevitable call to action to save Cybertron—but until such a call comes, she isn't going anywhere, so Soundwave heads through the Space Bridge to Cybertron alone. He is unprepared for the sight that greets him: the colossal eyeball-ship of Onyx Prime, who now descends to the surface of the planet to meet with its leaders. Onyx asks to speak with Optimus Prime alone, Prime-to-Prime, to discuss the fate of his prisoner, Liege Maximo, but Windblade denies the request. At the urging of the Mistress of Flame, the Council of Worlds and the Primes—including Alpha Trion—withdraw to the Spire to discuss matters together, behind closed doors instead of in the middle of the street, leaving Soundwave behind.

From a nearby rooftop, Scoop and the Constructicons watch the scene. The fact that Starscream knew about Onyx's arrival despite being locked away in prison has proven "miraculous" enough to re-ignite Scoop's dormant faith, but the other Constructicons aren't buying it, and suggest he find a different drum to bang.

Of course, Scoop has no way of knowing that Starscream was given the information by the invisible "ghost" of Bumblebee—who even now is updating the imprisoned former ruler of Cybertron on what's going on. Starscream isn't very interested, though, instead lost in thought staring at the hologram of his "true self". But Bumblebee doesn't believe in all that Camien talk about "god-given forms"; in his opinion, a 'bot makes their own shape, and Starscream needs to accept that it wasn't being denied some idea of his "true self" that led his life to this point—that is on Starscream himself.

Happy to see that the word of a Prime is not being taken as law, Soundwave brings news of Onyx Prime's return to a group of Decepticons visiting from Sanctuary Station. Dreadwing and Needlenose aren't convinced this isn't the beginning of a slide back to the way things once were, so Soundwave invites them, Swift, and Tracks to accompany him to the Spire so they can learn for themselves. There, Liege Maximo is being guarded by Beachcomber, Seaspray, and two of Onyx's "Maximal" beast-bots; feeling guilty after a recent error of judgement concerning Starscream, Beachcomber allows Soundwave five minutes to speak with Maximo, but Soundwave is unable to obtain any information from the Prime of Lies, as he finds he cannot read his mind. He instructs the rest of the group to wait while he ascends the Spire to the Council meeting chamber...

Floors above, Onyx and the Council discuss matters. Onyx is happy to see Cybertron becoming united again after millions of years of disharmony, but Alpha Trion reminds him that, misguided though they were, the Decepticons' rebellion against the Functionism that arose from the Primes' tribal divisions of the populace was ultimately a good thing. Onyx is suspicions of humanity after the recent invasion, however, and claims to have the power to repair Cybertron's tainted, diminished energon, f

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