In the Necrobot's fortress, Ratchet finishes up repairs on Megatron while simultaneously perusing Velocity's case notes from recent events in order to get caught up on what has happened while he's been away. He expresses some concern for Tailgate, observing that other crewmembers exposed to the energy released by his spark upon its mutation have experienced sudden system crashes, but the group can't worry too much about that right now, as the little 'bot is hard at work demolishing part of the fortress to provide Brainstorm with raw materials to make weapons. Although the team is making ready to fight, they also must prepare for the worst, and so Rewind records some last words from each of them, to be sent out in the event of their deaths.

Despite the danger, Nightbeat's mind is preoccupied with the mystery of the hollow planet on which they now stand, and he convinces Minimus Ambus to allow him to spend the remaining daylight hours investigating it. He ropes Rung into helping him, but just before they depart, they are called into a room by Nautica, along with Brainstorm, Velocity, and Skids. Casting hesitations aside in the face of impending death, Nautica recites the formal oath that bonds each of them to her as Amica Endura. Afterward, however, as Rung leaves with Nightbeat, his parting with Skids seems noticeably awkward.

Chromedome volunteers to perform mnemosurgery on the captive Pet in order to obtain the location of the DJD's spaceship for Rodimus. As he injects the little creature, however, the experience proves stranger than expected, and he soon comes to a horrifying realization: the Pet is not a turbofox at all, but a Transformer...

Simultaneously, Rewind watches as Brainstorm measures Minimus Ambus for a new armor, which leads Minimus to mention that the ability to carry a heavier load was the one thing he was better at than his brother and fellow Loadbearer Dominus Ambus. Rewind is shocked to learn that his former Conjunx Endura kept the secret that he was a Loadbearer from him, and immediately opens the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy on the Necrobot's computer so that Minimus can find Dominus's true appearance in it. Minimus does so with ease, pulling up his brother's base alternate mode: a turbofox.

Understanding strikes Rewind and Chromedome at the same time, and the little archivist runs straight to the medibay (pausing only to sock Rodimus on the jaw for letting Chromedome inject yet again), where Chromedome pulls the full truth from The Pet's memories. Dominus disappeared because he was the Autobot undercover operative Agent 113, but when his true identity was discovered by the D.J.D., they "domesticated" him as a form of torture, locking him in beast mode by removing his transformation cog and lobotomizing him, turning him into their Pet. Chromedome has begun to repair Dominus's mind, but the mnemosurgeon's spark starts to fade thanks to the rigors of the procedure. Rewind urges him to stop, but Chromedome explains that Dominus will die if he does, and that he is willing to give up his life so that Rewind and Dominus can be together. Rewind refuses to let him, grabbing Drift's sword and slicing Chromedome's needle-arm off, severing the connection, and saving his life at the cost of Dominus's.

Hours later, the forces of the D.J.D. gather outside the fortress's storm shield, while Whirl and Cyclonus work to finish assembling perimeter defenses. As Cyclonus puts the finishing touches to a turret, Whirl asks him about his relationship with Tailgate and whether or not they are "together." Cyclonus angrily informs him that they are not, because Tailgate deserves someone better than him, but vows that no harm will come to him this day. With the turret completed, Whirl fires upon the Decepticon mob, but unfortunately discovers that in addition to preventing the Decepticons from firing in, the storm shield prevents the turrets from firing outward. With only twenty minutes until sunset, Whirl and Cyclonus head bac

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