"1x20" " Partners" "I have been a fool, made mistakes -- monumental ones." "I now realize that I was never destined to be a leader or even an equal partner," "And I'm at peace with that." "I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe, of who I am, of who I was always meant to be " "Starscream, second in command, humble servant to lord Megatron." "Thank you for listening, Soundwave." "Is this true?" "Starscream never mentioned it?" "If he's up to his old tricks, I shall grind him into powder." "Starscream." "Lord Megatron, please excuse Airachnid's impertinence." "Now, what was it that I allegedly failed to mention?" "The Harbinger." "What about it?" "Eons ago, a decepticon transport" "Crash landed on this planet." "Oh, please." "Common knowledge." "I scouted the crash site when we first arrived on earth." "Then I presume you recovered" "The experimental weapon prototype" "The Harbinger had been transporting." "Where is the crash site?" "It was never logged into your ship's database." "You failed to record the coordinates of a decepticon transport?" "!" "An oversight, master." "But I noted its exact location." "Then you can lead airachnid there" "So that she may retrieve the prototype for me." "My personal native guide -- how delightful." "Hey, partner." "Heck of a view you got up here." "If there's even a small chance" "Your spark is out there listening," "Well, we could really use you, Cliff." "Seems like every day another decepticon arrives on the scene." "We're outnumbered and outgunned." "Yeah, I know what you'd say -- "sounds like a fair fight."" "If that's the world we live in, so be it." "I just want you to know..." "I haven't given up." "I'm gonna find the 'con who took you from us." "Your chosen vehicle mode lacks thrust." "Are you going to preen, or are you going to guide?" "I will reveal the exact location of the Harbinger when you tell me exactly what we're looking for." "That information is need-to-know," "And right no you don't." "Oh, you would do well to respect me, airachnid." "Before I joined Megatron," "I was air commander of a squadron of energon seekers." "On Cybertron." "And how many eons ago was that?" "Just recently, I personally vanquished one of Optimus Prime's fiercest warriors " "Cliffjumper." "You snuffed an autobot?" "Yes, I did -- without mercy." "Oh." "Even Megatron showed you mercy when he planned to terminate you at the mine." "What?" "!" "He told you about that?" "!" "We talk." "The wreckage lies just beneath where we stand." "I will need to find a point of entry." "Show off." "Suit yourself." "I conducted a thorough search of this husk years ago." "What are you doing?" "Accessing the cargo manifest -- or didn't you think to do that during your thorough search?" "Idiot." "The ship's systems haven't been activated for eons." "The autobots could detect its energy signature." "Ah, here it is." "Section 23." "Optimus, our scanners have detected" "A decepticon energy profile, but it's ancient." "The past has a way" "Of catching up with the present, ratchet." "Section 23 should be right about..." "Here?" "The ship just ends." "It must have broken in half during the crash." "Or in the air." "If you performed actual research," "You would have learned that an autobot battalion" "Shot the Harbinger out of the sky." "How far away is the other half?" "I'm afraid that information is need-to-know." "What are you " "You're trying to make me look like a fool before Megatron," "Have me return empty-handed" "While you locate that weapon yourself." "How dare you accuse me?" "!" "You are nothing but a scavenger, an opportunist!" "Aren't you one to talk?" "Perhaps, but I've changed, seen the error of my ways." "I live to serve Megatron now." "You won't live to serve anyone" "If you don't tell me where to find the rest of this ship " "Now." "A few clicks north of here, through a stone arch." "Now release me." "When I have the weapon in hand " "That is, if I can find my way back without my guide." "This is not funny, Airachnid." "Come back here right now and cut me loose!" "Airachnid, that is an order!" "I am your commanding officer!" " Airachnid!" " Surrender." "Airachnid, you traitor!" "Arcee!" "Wait!" "Arcee." "I didn't peg you for re-signing with the decepticons." "A temporary arrangement, Arcee." "You know I prefer working alone." "Speaking of, add any more deceased partners" "To your growing list?" "Airachnid, release her." "Arcee, you know better than to engage the enemy alone." "Not her." "Not after what she did to tailgate." "No." "Please." "Tailgate!" "She will pay." "Revenge will not bring back those we have lost." "Is that understood?" "Move it!" "No need to use force." "I'll tell you anything you want to know." "Is that right?" "And what do you want in return?" "I want to be..." "on your side." "On our side?" "Yeah, right." "And I've been lobbing with the fallen." "You wouldn't betray the decepticons." "Wouldn't I?" "What have they done for me lately" "Besides humiliate me, spy on me, demote me?" "Megatron tried to extinguish my spark in cold blood" "Then all but replaced me" "With that traitorous wretch airachnid." "She abandoned me, left me for scrap." "So, why not rat them out?" "He's telling the truth about Megatron trying to scrap him." "I saw with my own eyes." "You're not saying you actually trust Starscream?" "Trust him?" "Never." "But this may be the one time our objectives align." "You're right to be wary, Bulkhead," "But I agree with Arcee." "Be still, my beating spark." "What do you know?" "Could still be a trap." "Starscream's loyalty to Megatron" "Has always been questionable." "If he has truly split from the decepticons," "Our prisoner's knowledge of their agendas" "Could make him a valuable ally." "You don't mean permanently," "As in keys to the base and everything?" "However unlikely that scenario," "Every sentient being" "Deserves an opportunity for redemption." "Even bot killers?" "Even airachnid?" "Without that hope, we may never achieve lasting peace." "Rise and shine, screamy." "We're here." "Where's the ship?" "It's through the arch, among the stones." "Bulkhead, Bumblebee, you're with me." "Arcee, remain with our prisoner." "Optimus, please." "For Tailgate." "Your desire to avenge tailgate" "Will only continue to cloud your judgment." "Is the clamp really necessary?" "I promise not to fly away." "It's really giving me a crick." "I can shove you back in the trailer." "Be alert." "Airachnid is known to attack from below ground." "Right." "I got her." "The immobilizer, true to its name." "I'm not really so bad, you know." "Megatron -- he's the evil one." "Tell it to someone who cares." "Like whom, airachnid?" "What I wouldn't do" "To get my hands around her wretched throat." "So, we can agree on one thing." "Oh, you have no idea." "She showed up one day, and the next thing you know," "She's acting like she runs the place." "She whispered lies into Megatron's ear," "Maneuvered to rob me of my rightful place." "Well, she terminated my partner." "What?" "!" "She's taking credit for scrapping him now, too?" "That was my doing!" "What?" "You weren't there." "Of course I wasn't." "I don't know what I was thinking." "Who are you talking about?" "No one." "Who are you talking about?" "Tailgate." "Uh, who's Tailgate?" "You were the one." "You extinguished Cliffjumper." "Cliffjumper?" "!" "No!" "No, no, no." "You misunderstand." "It wasn't like you think." "The troopers mortally wounded him." "I was trying to help Cliffjumper " "Put him out of his misery." "He begged me to." "Okay, okay, it was a mistake!" "I've made many, but I've changed!" "You wouldn't terminate a defenseless prisoner, would you?" "What -- what is that?" "The key to your cuffs." "What for?" "Cliff would have given you a fighting chance." "No, please!" "I-I don't want to!" "What's past is past." "I'm one of you now." "No!" "No!" "Please!" "No!" "Take it!" "You're pathetic." "Something wrong, Arcee?" "I thought you wanted a fight." "Freeze." "You're tougher to scrap than your former partner " "At least, the one I scrapped." "Was Tailgate weak like Cliffjumper?" "Just keep talking, Starscream." "Tell me, bug." "Do you think Megatron will enjoy his new trophies?" "He'll probably use the Bulky one here for target practice." "Prime is the true prize." "Perhaps he'll adorn the prow of Megatron's warship." "But you, bug " "I suspect Megatron will simply dismantle you for spare parts." "As a rogue, a scavenger," "I should disappear into the night with this treasure," "But using it to worm my way into Megatron's favor" "Is too good an opportunity to pass up." "Wouldn't you say, Prime?" "I mean, with results like this," "I could end Megatron's eternal trust." "You fool!" "You should have finished me when I was helpless to fight, just like I finished Cliffjumper." "Now, prepare to reunite with your partners." "What's that?" "I can't hear your last words." "This... is for Cliffjumper!" "Go on, do it." "Megatron will only terminate me for treason" "If I dare return to the decepticons." "You may as well be the one to put me out of my misery." "As if I needed convincing." "What?" "!" "Wait!" "No!" "You left Starscream with the autobots?" "Do you have any notion of the consequences of your blunder?" "!" "But, my lordship, it was Starscream's incompetence that cost us the immobilizer." "I don't care about some trinket." "My second in command is a prisoner of the enemy... which means all decepticon intelligence" "Could be at the fingertips of the autobots!" "The damage looked bad, but it was a snap to repair," "Allowing us to reverse its effect on you." "You should regain your full range of motion before long." "And Arcee?" "She's rather resilient for a two-wheeler." "It is the external wounds which heal the quickest." "I thought settling scores would allow me to move on." "Instead, I chased away our hope" "Of winning this war any time soon." "Wisdom cannot be granted, Arcee." "It must be earned..." "Sometimes at a cost." "I have been a fool, made mistakes -- monumental ones." "But I have gained a clear understanding of my place in this universe, of who I am " "Starscream..." "Aligned with no side, servant to no one." "sync: f1nc0"