Unknown Territory (TFP)

6.

Entry: 27/4/2021

TW: abuse, capture, slavery, war. Quite the heavy topic, you are warned.

A/N:This chapter will be quite long, just a heads up!

Before the two bots could voice their question, Jack beated them to it. "Hey um-Ioa? I got a question for you, if you don't mind?" he asked, afraid of offending Lightblade but he had to know.

"Go on..." she said, already half guessing what the human boy was going to ask. "No offense, but why do you... oppose the Decepticon? And if you are opposing them, why are you joining them? You don't want them to know of your powers because we know they are...... bad, yet you still are one of them?" he said, hitting the question hard. They all were also quite confused really, because other Decepticons used this technique to lower the bots guard down and attack them but Ioa is different, or so they want to believe.

"I-I ..." she trailed off, speechless. Waves of emotions flooding in her processors, but she deletes them all in a nanoklik. She can't break down here, not in front of them. Her optics started to gather coolants but she stops the procedure, enduring it and holding it in, not giving in to her emotions. The bots saw her demeanour change, seeing how her optics pooled with coolants but it quickly died down as she forced it down. She took a deep intake and tried to stabilise herself. "I-I.... It wasn't my call to say. I-I didn't have a choice." Her voice glitched a bit much to her dismay. The bots suddenly felt bad for her, even Arcee who earlier was all but ready to offline her moments ago. "It's a long story, you guys still want to hear?" She asked them, looking at Optimus briefly, but he saw the emotions in her eyes. Pain. Exhaustion. Hopeless. But it was gone as soon as it came. Optimus nod his helm solemnly. "If you must. But please know that whatever happened, we will neither judge nor condemn you." He said. She nodded in thanks and started her story.

Flashback

"Cybertronians! Hear me! A new era has come! Join the Decepticons, or perish! No negotiations! No mercy! Choose a side, but know that if you stand with the Autobots, only death awaits you. Choose wisely!" Megatron roared as Vehicons lined up captured bots in Kaon, some with family, some alone. Sparklings' cry could be heard, as carriers tries to comfort them. Sires all stand by their partners' side, shielding them from the Vehicons. Lightblade stood alone in line, ready to be sent into the front, where countless bots are to pick a side, those that choose Autobot or Neutral faced execution, they were to be offlined by Megatron himself.

"Move femme." A Vehicon ordered, nudging Lightblade to move forward. 'Dear Primus, please hear my prayers. Spare these innocent lives, take me instead. They don't deserve this, none of them do.' She sent a quiet prayer to Primus, hoping for a miracle.

She was supposed to be a sparkling care medic, for she has a spark for protoforms and sparklings alike. Unfortunately, war came and the system changed, ordering all medics and to- be medics alike to be in the field, not one left behind, changing the vast choice of medic to just field medic. Medics are also highly requested to take up in the researching department, some becoming doctors and scientists at the same time to help fight the war. Lightblade was a brilliant femme, but she does not boast about it. Instead, she would rather be humble and spend her time indulging in her datapads and megacomputers, drowning away her surrounding with knowledge.

Soon, she was up front and ready to be executed by the warlord himself, when the warlord himself spoke, voice sending shivers and terrors to all. "I have had enough! You all don't want to join me? Foolish! I'm offering salvation and redemption, and you imbeciles want to join the Autobots? Fine." He growled and grab a bot, lifting him up in the air and pointed his cannon at the poor bot. "Another denial in joining my ranks, not only this mech gets offlined, but ALL OF YOU WILL TOO! But if somebot come forward and join me, I will spare all of your useless sparks!" he roared, emphasizing his warnings to everybot. 'Wait a sec wasn't that- Primus! He heard my prayers! I do not wish to join in this bloodshed and help his cause, but for the safety of these innocent bots....' Lightblade sighed sorrowfully and looked around, seeing that no one dared to come forward, she braced herself and raised her servo, silencing everybot in the vicinity. Megatron's optics widened at the sight of her and smiled darkly, razor sharp dentas gleamed. He threw the mech into the crowds, and looked into Lightblade's optics.

"You, step up here." Megatron said, signalling her to go up the platform. Lightblade obeyed, quietly went up, her helm still down and seeing innocent cybertronians looking back at her. Some femme shaked their helm in sadness, knowing she has sacrificed herself for them. Some mech dipped their helm in respect, while others scowled and assumed she wants to be on the Decepticon's side because she's one of them, cruel and evil.

"Look up to me femme." Megatron said, using his digits to lift her chin towards him. "Designation." He ordered. "Li-Lightblade Ioa, sir..." she said, fear coursing through her energon. "Feeling rather brave young one? Join me and bring Cybertron to a new era! Together, we'll form a revolution! Cybertron will rise to a new era, the DECEPTICON ERA!" he roared and grab the white and gold femme. She was dragged away by the warlord himself, but not before hearing him said to the Vehicons in charge. "Only she has proven herself brave enough to step out. I see no use of the rest of them. Dispose them." He said.

Alarmed, Lightblade tried to plead her new master. "M-My Lord! But there are innocent sparklings! To kill them would be to decrease the cybertronian population! Mercy please!" Ioa begged. Megatron gave her a glance and backhanded her, knocking her to the ground. "You should be grateful I spare your measly life bot! They prove of useless to me, I have no need of them! All I need is bots to join my side and take down the Autobots for good, then this Primus- forsaken war shall end! Have I made myself clear femme?" he knelt down beside her and growled into her audials. Without waiting for her response, her tossed her into their ship, the Nemesis. "You're a medic, are you not? So I suggest you do what you are programmed for, to tend the injured Vehicons. Should I find you are not doing your work efficiently Lightblade, I'll have your helm hung in my berthroom!" Megatron said darkly, threat crystal clear in his tone. "Report to my CMO Knockout and scientist Shockwave, they'll show you around." He said and left the weeping femme alone on the cold floor, going out once more, thirsty for more energon spill.

Everyone and everybot was silent. The femme medic had dripped a few tears while talking about the past. "I-I couldn't save them..." Lightblade said sorrowfully. Bring up both her cuffed hands and wiping her tears, she continued. "Later on when the war ravaged even worst, they lost Shockwave along the way so not only Knockout was our medic, he too was the only bot with the knowledge in the Science and Research field, or so Megatron assumed. Megatron put Knockout in charge with the Science and Research department and also as our Head Medic. But considering Knockout have a lot to handle, I was in charge with tending only the Vehicons. I was not given the clearance to tend the other bots without Knockout's or Megatron's permission. I also became their.... service bot." Lightblade finished her story, sadness hovering around her and the Autobots thickly. They felt bad for making her open up an old wound, one that would never fully heal properly.

"What's a service bot?" Miko asked,breaking the silence and earning a hiss from Raf and Jack. "Miko! Now's not the time!" Jack scolded her, not wanting the poor femme to be hurted even more. "It's okay young one. I am fine now, thank you." Lightblade said, softly smiling at Jack. "A service bot is something you humans call a maid for femme or female and butler for mech or male.My duties were to clean after the Decepticons' mess, be it small matter or big." Lightblade explained to Miko, who felt even worse for Lightblade. Team Prime were now quiet, only looking at the white and gold femme with pity and remorse.

A/N

So that was long freaking chapter! How do you guys feel so far? Is it good? Let me know in the comments down below! Take care and stay safe!

Enigma signing out.