Thundercracker is struck dumbfounded by the sight of himself
turning on his new allies in the sky above.  Soon, however, his logical
thought processes return, and he begins to hash out his confusion.

	--*That's an interesting plan.  Laserbeak must have spilled his
diodes to Megatron.  Didn't think Onslaught had it in him to come up with
this.  Is that Skywarp with a paintjob, a cheap mockup, what?  I'd better
go straighten this out.*--

	Just as he makes a move to launch himself skyward, his double comes
soaring away from the battle, twisting, turning, and disappearing behind a

   The city is under siege.  The violet glow of Decepticon laser fire
illuminates the stormy night with deadly rapidity, carving canyons out of
the streets and tearing caverns into the towers.  The Autobot
counterattack is scattered, but fierce, creating seemingly random patterns
of orange-yellow light against the dark landscape of the city below.  If
the stench of burning metal wasn't so thick, the scene could almost be a
work of art.

   The thought startles Thundercracker as he soars above the battle,
trying to find a way to arrange himself comfortably within the flight
formation of the Aerialbot convoy that he was dispatched with.  War is not

   The briefing room is bright, antiseptic white all around, oddly
contrasting with the gold-orange of most of the rest of the Ark.  It is
predominantly a large circular forum with bench seating along the walls,
and in the center is a slightly raised platform, complete with a holotable
and a computer terminal, upon which the pertinent Autobot officers stand
and present the assignments.

   As the Autobots pour into the room and take their seats, Thundercracker
glances up to the platform and sees Prowl waving for him to join the
higher-ups in the center of the room.  Thundercracker feels suddenly

	"You can put that gun down anytime you like."

	Trailbreaker looks at Thundercracker and shakes his head.
"Negatori.  You may have somehow swayed Prime, but you still have to show
me a thing or two."

	"Cripes," comes the reply.  "Don't you guys LISTEN to your leader?
Don't you accept his judgment as the best?"

	The Autobot chuckles a little at this.  "Y'see, you still got that
Decepticon mentality goin' here.  Might makes right, don't question the big
cheese, all o' that.  You get a slice of free will around here."

	"Sure doesn't feel like it," Thundercracker mumbles, and trails

   "So, Thundercracker," booms Optimus 
Prime, "I hear that you wish to join us."

   The addressed, very much unnerved in the presence of his 'greatest
enemy,'  stammers and stutters a bit before replying.

   "Um, yes, well, I... uh, well,... I do."

   "I see."  The towering Autobot commander strides across the room,
towards a chair in the center of the bridge, seemingly reserved for him. 
As he takes his seat, he is quickly surrounded by several Autobots; some
that Thundercracker recognizes, and some that he doesn't.  Most notable is
Ironhide, who keeps close to his leader, but does not take his menacing

	Soaring over the Oregon countryside, 
Thundercracker's circuits are awash with anxiety.

	--*Has this ever happened before?  Has anyone done this?  Am I the
first Cybertronian in billions of years to defect?  I can't think of anyone
that's tried to.  This is amazing.  I can't believe I'm doing this.  But
there's nowhere else to go anymore.  It's got to be done.*--

	As he approaches the volcano, he feels a surge of nervousness
envelop him.  His thoughts keep him on edge and wrapped in pride for what
he's had the gall to do so far, and what he still plans to do.  But his
mental ramblings are interrupted by laser fire singing his nosecone.

	After the echoes of the explosions finally fade away,
Thundercracker once again allows himself to see.   As he slowly unfolds
himself from the primitively protective fetal position he had taken to
defend himself from backlash, he begins to lift his head up shakily to
survey the surroundings that have crackled back into view.  In the silence
of the room, small pops and quick buzzes make themselves obvious, as does a
slow, steady and musically monotone hum, and as the shuddering animal
finally musters the courage to look up, he sees Soundwave's body, smoking
and motionless, slumped against the far wall.

	"This is going to be fun," Soundwave 
boasts.  "I haven't had this
much dirt on anyone in a long time."  The communicator lets out a sinister
cackle of devious glee, which seems strangely uncharacteristic of his
melodic voice.

	"What have you heard?" a distraught Thundercracker demands.  At
that, the entire treasonous conversation he had just had with Dead End is
replayed from Soundwave's chest, and Thundercracker sinks back and leans
against the wall in defeat.  He glances towards his Stunticon confidant,
who has slumped down into a heap in the corner of the room, mumbling

	"OUT OF MY WAY, FOOL!" screams Motormaster, slamming Thundercracker
against the wall.  "Do not DARE attempt to impede me!"

	The Stunticon commander storms by, dropping Thundercracker to the
ground and leaving a cloud of hate in his wake.  Thundercracker picks
himself up, scowling and grumbling about how those who can't even fly have
no reason to be so full of themselves.  The quest for a confidant
apparently does not end here.
After pretending to shoot Motormaster in the back, Thundercracker turns and
continues down the corridor in search of someone to voice his thoughts to,

	--*I've pledged my life to this madness.*--

	Thundercracker is a very troubled Decepticon.  The more he thinks
about the way he's been living his life, the more it seems to be completely
senseless.

	--*Everything just seems wrong.  What am I fighting for?  What has
all the killing I've done in the name of the Decepticons really gotten me?
Am I destined to die at the hands of my own leader?  This is such insanity!
Does a life pledged to this madness have any true purpose at all?*--


	Thundercracker's hands reach for his head as the questions that he
has often dealt with relatively easily now refuse to be dismissed without