While Skygnaw and Optimus spoke, Lennox moved quietly to the side. He approached a row of technicians wearing headsets, their fingers flying across keyboards, and asked in a low voice, "Can you trace the Decepticon's location?"
"Sorry, sir," one soldier replied, pulling off his headset with an embarrassed wince. "They aren't using any technology we recognize. We can't crack the signal source yet."
"I see. Good work." Lennox nodded helplessly as he looked at the lines of code scrolling across the screen—symbols he couldn't even begin to decipher.
He had expected this, but the disappointment still stung. These damn Decepticons made their most advanced gear look like scrap metal.
"Optimus, you know why I contacted you, don't you?" Skygnaw asked, his voice pleasant, almost like an old friend catching up.
Truthfully, Skygnaw didn't harbor much hatred for Optimus. Their enmity was a matter of faction and stance, something beyond his personal control. It was as if he were born for this role.
"Skygnaw, just say it. What do you want?" Optimus looked at Ironhide and the others before returning to the original question.
"Simple!" Skygnaw's smile didn't falter. "Optimus, I want to trade Bumblebee and the others for our transport ship."
"What did you say!"
Lennox, standing beside Optimus, blurted out before the Prime could speak. Skygnaw glanced at the human. "What's the matter, human? You don't agree?"
With a wave of his hand, Onslaught stepped forward, weapons shifting into place as he moved toward Bumblebee and Robert.
"Hey! No! Wait!" Lennox yelled, stepping forward to stop them. "Skygnaw, right? We need to discuss this. Can you give us some time?"
"Of course." Skygnaw gave Optimus a cryptic look. "But my patience is limited. I expect to hear from you soon."
"Absolutely. We'll get back to you immediately!"
"Fine. I'll give you three days. After that, don't bother calling."
...
Once the monitor went black, Optimus spoke up. "William, why the delay? Are the lives of Ironhide and the others not worth a single ship?"
"It's not that simple, Optimus," Lennox sighed, waving a hand. "You know how this works. It's not just your decision, and it's not just up to NEST."
Lennox wanted to explain further, but he wasn't sure Optimus would grasp the nuances of human bureaucracy. He asked instead, "Optimus, so you agree to this... prisoner exchange?"
"I do." Optimus nodded. The ship was a trophy they had seized, and while losing it was a setback, Bumblebee and the others were far more precious.
"Good to hear."
With Optimus's approval, Lennox felt a weight lift from his chest. He knew his friend Robert wouldn't have to "die for his country" after all.
"Optimus, go get some rest. I need to report this upstairs."
...
The Pentagon, Cabinet Briefing Room
An emergency meeting was underway. The topic: the message Lennox had just relayed.
Aside from President Mitchell, the four cabinet members were deep in thought, each running their own calculations. Some were thinking about how to deflect blame, others were looking for ways to attack their political rivals, and a few were weighing the scientific value of an alien starship.
Only Clarice sat calmly. She knew this was all Skygnaw's doing, and she had already received what she wanted. Now, she just had to watch. Even if her collusion with the Decepticons was exposed later, the leverage she held would ensure her survival.
After five minutes of "intense discussion"—which was mostly a formality—Mitchell called for a vote. All four hands went up: Agree to the exchange.
Their main fear was that obstructing the exchange might cause the alliance with the Autobots to collapse, leaving humanity to face the Decepticons alone. Furthermore, without those captured Autobots, the remaining forces on Earth might not be able to hold the line.
The cabinet didn't truly understand what a "Leader-class" warrior meant in Cybertronian terms. They viewed the power levels as simple upgrades, like moving from a tank to a fighter jet, without grasping the sheer scale of the threat.
...
The day of the exchange was bright and clear.
In the Great Basin Desert, an armed convoy stretched across the sands, stopping where the road ended. Suddenly, a Cybertronian craft shrieked through the sky, while a missile launcher and a main battle tank rolled across the dunes.
The craft was a small assault ship—Skygnaw's new alternate form, enabled by the transformation cog he'd taken from the Wanderer. It was a massive, blunt-nosed triangle with four engine vents at the rear, exuding an aura that was both ancient and advanced.
Lennox watched the strange craft and the two military vehicles approaching. "Stay sharp! No one fires unless I give the word!"
The craft, over forty meters in length and width, made Lennox look up in awe.
SWISH!
The assault ship banked over the convoy before slamming into the ground and shifting into humanoid form.
THUD!
His stature, even larger than Optimus Prime's, gave Lennox a visceral sense of dread.
"Hey! Skygnaw!" Lennox stepped forward to negotiate. "Where are Bumblebee and the others?"
Skygnaw looked down at the NEST commander but didn't answer. "Human, where is the ship?"
"Right above you!" Lennox pointed to the sky.
A large Decepticon transport was slowly descending. Skygnaw had chosen this location near Konus Canyon for the exchange, mostly because Onslaught had requested it. He didn't mind the favor.
The ship landed to the side, creating a tense three-way standoff between Skygnaw, the convoy, and the returning transport.
HISS!
The ramp lowered, and Optimus Prime walked out with a group of Autobots.
"Skygnaw, where are they?" Optimus asked the same question Lennox had.
"Don't be in such a hurry." Skygnaw glanced at the familiar Autobots behind the Prime and waved a hand. Onslaught and Brawl shifted into humanoid forms and walked toward the transport.
"Relax, Optimus. I'm right here. Let them check the ship first," Skygnaw explained with a smirk. He wasn't like the mindless villains in movies; he wasn't going on board until he made sure there weren't any human-made bombs strapped to the hull.
His gaze swept over the Autobots, lingering on Arcee, who barely reached his thigh. He wondered how she would react if she knew Nightbird had been on Earth recently.
...
Lennox watched the two Decepticons board the ship with a sense of profound frustration. They had seized this ship in Konus Canyon not long ago, and now they were handing it back. It was a bitter irony.
"Skygnaw, why take the ship? Are you planning to leave our planet?" Lennox couldn't help asking.
Take?
Skygnaw's optics flickered. He almost drew his blade. What kind of pirate logic was this? Even with aliens landing, humans still stuck to their old ways. This wasn't taking; it was reclaiming property.
"Human," Skygnaw glanced at Optimus, deciding to let it slide for now. "My goals are none of your concern. You just need to know your soldiers are still in my hands."
Suddenly, the transport's ramp slammed shut. Lennox jumped. "What happened?"
Skygnaw smiled. "Optimus, I'm a bot of my word. You're about to see Bumblebee."
Skygnaw reached into his chest and pulled out several glowing pillars. He stepped aside and began arranging them in the sand as the others watched in confusion.
"A... Ground Bridge?"
Optimus recognized the pillars immediately. As the formation took shape, he realized what Skygnaw was doing. He watched the young Decepticon with newfound caution. In his mind, Skygnaw was now a threat on the level of Starscream or Shockwave.
"Done." Skygnaw stepped back and sent a signal.
Seconds later, a swirling, electrical portal flickered into existence like a ripple in water. A yellow-clad Autobot was tossed through, rolling dozens of meters across the sand. Then, one by one, the other captured Autobots were thrown through, followed finally by Robert and the soldiers.
30+ chapters are available now and daily updates! @patreon.com/AgentTwilight