Silent Shadow's optics shot open. She was still in Feary's quarters, thinking. As she surveyed the room around her, she couldn't find any evidence of another sentient who could have spoken to her.

I'm dead, remember.

That voice...

Silent shadow, I was released. I thought I was going to stay in the pits forever, but your second cousin released me.

RAINSTORM!

I thought you would have known immediately, darling.

That battle... I guess I forgot what I was fighting for, I mean, other than survival.

That's understandable.

I made the small discovery of being able to phase in the Shadow Zone, so I should have been able to think clearly, there is no excuse that I didn't think of you.

You were focused on your allies, no?

I guess your right.

I would have thought you would be more persistent and outgoing in your thoughts, what happened?

Things have changed. I've been stuck in the form of a cybertronian for metacycles.

I see that. Well, while I was... imprisoned, I drew extra power from the magic barriers that made up the abyss.
Perhaps you can change modes again.

Perhaps...

____________________________
_______

Silent Shadow gains enough energy to transform back into her birth form with much less effort than she typically needed.

Silent Shadow walks out into the main foyer, relieved to find that she could once again saunter silently.

A long drawn out beep sounds as multiple signals appear on the Twilight Regiment's territory map.

"Hey, Thunder Claw, the detector's going off, allies or enemies?" Feary asks as she exits the hallway leading to the berthrooms, Wyvern nowhere to be found.

"The alert seems to be from allies, not any of those strong insignia signals you would see in Autobots or Decepticons," Thunder Claw answered, pulling up a scan of the area.

They chose the perfect time.

Indeed

//-Incoming transmission-\\
-/-This is an alpha omega class message
-/-Twilight Regiment respond - incoming allies require open landing pad//
——(security code /45g9\ confirmed)——

"Razor wing?"

"More like the entire division of Dawning Warriors..." Feary responded to Thunder Claw's question with a hint of sass.

Thunder Claw presses the dial button.

"Security code /45g9\ this is Thunder Claw, chief of communications and medical wing, we are opening flight pad in sector 3." Thunder Claw moves over towards another console and started typing.

"At least you can read that thing..." Feary grumbled.

"Well, I actually took the time to learn. Now go open the flight deck's doors." Thunder Claw shot back.

"Thunder Claw, see to it that you do your best to keep our previous journey to the shadow zone a secret, please." Silent Shadow asked before following Feary to go greet the Dawning Warriors.

"Got it."

__________________________________

Silent Shadow and Feary strode in an appreciative quiet until Feary broke it.

"Why do you think that they didn't come sooner?"

"I believe they have experienced just as many problems with the Autobots and Decepticons as we have when it comes to retrieving Energon."

"I guess, " Feary paused, "But what if something happened, what if they got attacked by Guardianos -"

"If they had been attacked by Guardianos, the Guardianos wouldn't have held that forum when they did, and there would only be a single survivor I suspect, " Silent Shadow replied, "My species can be ruthless killers once they select their target species."

"Oh, " Feary looked away for a while, "That brings up another question."

Before the femme could ask the roar of multiple engines and spinning of chopper blades filled the flight deck. In front of them, ten different Cybertronian alt modes slowed to a halt.

The first to transform is a black and red helicopter, one who Silent Shadow only knew as Shock Blade. His transformation was faster than the white stealth jet that shared the sky with him, after the white mech's slow transformation, Snowfall's visor slid up and revealed kind faceplates.
Along with them, two motorcycles and six grounders also transform.
The weary faceplates of Razor Wing meet Silent Shadow's optics, he looks worse than their last meeting. Multiple untreated battle indents and scratches littered his frame.

Wonder what happened?

"Dawning Warriors. I assume you have come to catch up with our recent activity?"

Silent Shadow stood tall, easily towering over Razor Wing as he closed the distance between them.

"I'm afraid we have come for more than catching up, but before we start, let's go to the main floor." Razor Wing's voice sounded silvery, as it always has, but there was a hint of hoarseness to it.

"Of course, " Silent Shadow took a quick glance at all the others before turning towards Feary, who had already started making her way to the foyer.

As she strode down the hall with all the Dawning Warriors behind her, Razor Wing caught up to Silent Shadow. The mech looked at her glowing visor as Rainstorm ran a system check, not that Silent Shadow cared.

"So, how do you multitask with your visor running things and keeping track of your surroundings?"

It was a simple question, really. The question was meant in good terms, and to show interest, but Silent Shadow didn't exactly want to tell Razor Wing about her sire, especially with his entire division behind him.

"Half-tint is a natural occurrence... Though I do not know what benefit that information will do for you." She side glanced at him, watching as he looked right into her optics, before stumbling a bit from the lack of looking where he was going.

"Oh, none at all, I just wanted to know if it ever becomes a disadvantage for you."

"I like having my visor semi-transparent, because it raises assumptions in my enemies, like a distraction, though it does reveal my over-expressive optics."
It was a half-lie, of course. She couldn't see past Rainstorm's monitors with the full-tint, and she rather liked it when her allies could tell what she is feeling instead of having to smile.

"I see." Razor Wing nodded.

As they conversed, Thunder Claw hid all her medical tools and tidied the remaining shards in a fashion that would look like they had more than was actually available. Feary spoke a short warning in Messapotamiam as the group neared the foyer. Hurrying, Thunder Claw closed the compartment stuffed to the brim with makeshift bandages shut. She then returned to the communications module and tried to make herself look busy.

"Peanut, look like your sleeping." Thunder Claw whispered.

Peanut caught on to the urgency in his femme's voice and laid down at her pedes, falling into a fake slumber.

Feary rounded the entrance that connected the corridor to the foyer, Silent Shadow and Razor Wing close behind.
Feary gave a short nod of approval when she noticed that the Energon shards were piled neatly near the harvester.

(They were so busy over the past few months that they didn't even think to contact the Twilight Regiment at all until they randomly check up on them now. hmmm, I wonder why?)

As the others entered the foyer, Razor Wing decided to promptly address his division.

"Mechs and Femmes of the Dawning Warriors, we are going to stay here for longer than originally thought, so please, stay out of trouble."
This earned a quick nod from his weapon specialist Nitro Blast and second-in-command Snowfall.
He turned to Silent Shadow, who had just muttered something in Mesapotamium to her SIC Feary.

"I'm sorry for coming without further notice." He apologized.

"No need, we had expected your arrival to be earlier than this and began to worry about your division." Silent Shadow nodded out of respect, though on the inside she was grateful they came at the time they did.

"Anyways, we have been quite busy lately, " he paused, something flashed in his optics but Silent Shadow didn't know what, "We, unfortunately, do not have any good news to be honest."

"Were you attacked?"

"Yes. I was visiting with one of the smaller divisions, filled with the neutrals that prefer solidarity. We were discussing relocating them as they believed that the Autobots were starting to track them down, " Razor Wing paused, drawing a deep artificial intake before continuing, "It turns out that the Decepticons had gotten past their shielding and were inbound. We had just made an agreement and planned out a few options, when... The Decepticons found the entrance to their main base."

(Oh... well that explains the suddenness)

"Casualties?"

"We lost the entire division, most were spies, an entire family had also been slaughtered."

By the grace of the creator...

"Any other survivors?" Silent Shadow asked as she internally sighed at the thought of an innocent family being painfully separated by death.

"There is one other survivor than me, but Aqua Charger is still extremely sensitive about this matter, so I recommend you to not bring up the event, " Razor Wing whispered, "Out of all the bots to possibly survive, I would put Aqua Charger at the bottom of the list." Razor Wing retorted with his servo concealing his dermas from his division.

"I see, " Silent Shadow again nodded her helm, careful to keep her voice plain, "I assume this means that you have graciously welcomed him into your division, yes?"

"I have offered all I can, though, the others are not so welcoming."

"Well, you have done more than I have ever seen the Dawning Warriors' previous leader accomplish in regards to assigning roles."

Across the room, some of the others stood around each other with only Aqua Charger and Cyber Blade sitting on the ledge of a nearby platform.

"I can't believe that mech, " Wild SpikeWave huffed, "Our so-called leader couldn't even protect our main spies-"

"Watch your tone, Wild Spike, wouldn't want ya to randomly disappear into the night." Shock Blade rolled his optics.

"It's Wild SpikeWave to you, peasant."

"Hey! Just because you were engaged to our previous leader doesn't mean you can boss me around, missy..." Shock Blade clenched his servos from their position at his sides, the faint whir of his helicopter engine accompanying his short temper.

"Watch it Shock Blade, before I pound you to scrap in front of our founder." Electro Breaker stepped between them, his frail two-wheeler frame becoming even less intimidating by the nano-klik.

"Oh yeah, I bet you couldn't even lift an Energon cube if your life depended on it, two-wheeler."

"Hey!" Steam Strike went to punch Shock Blade for the insult to her crush before being abruptly pulled back by Nitro Blast.

"I wouldn't intervene if I were you, this is gonna get nasty real quick." Nitro Blast remarked...

Silent Shadow half-listened to the rest of the details that Razor Wing continued to spew, instead, she went over her current emotions to settle her burning irritation.

What are you thinking, Silent?

I just... I hope that the Decepticons do not discover any more of our divisions, it would sabotage the well-earned peace we have established with this haven.

(And she'd have to face her ex... what a rough life)

A haven of Cybertronians, darling. They should have to face their own kind, not live in the shadows you created.

Well, another Guardiano wouldn't understand, not even you.

That you rescue the enemy?

I thought we already went over this, no matter who a sentient may be, they all deserve this sovereignty.

"-so we should only be here for the next month or so." Razor Wing finally finished his explanation.

"Of course, there will be no issues creating another berth room for your newest member, " Silent Shadow subtly shook off Rainstorm's argument to respond to Razor Wing, "though, I will say that we are rather low on-"

"FRAG YOU!!!" The shout startled the Twilights and Razor Wing as they all looked towards the source of the outcry.

At that moment, time slowed for the Guardiano, or, her mind was going fast. She noticed the slow flash of the timer, she scanned the room, two aggravated mechs, who were none other than Shock Blade and Electro Breaker, begun to charge each other.
Across the platform, Silent Shadow spotted the frightened faceplates of Thunder Claw with her symbiote Peanut galloping behind her as she dashed out of the room, obviously going to hide from the violence.

To her SIC, Feary barely had time to react and the burst of angered yelling put her in frozen shock as she deeply hoped that Wyvern won't wake up and rampage the whole building all over again.

Ssssiii-

Even Rainstorm's voice was slow in her thoughts.

Phase timer, now!

Her thinking slowed again, time returned to normal and, much to Rainstorm's confusion at the sudden command, her visor glowed as the timer flashed in front of her. They charged in the lucky spot, where the lights didn't reach and shadows loomed.

Silent Shadow reaches her hand forward and motions them away from each other.
The burning of energy pounded against her helm, power drained quickly as she bent the shadows to her will. The two shadows that accompanied the mechs seeped out of the ground and grabbed them by their respective shoulder plating. They stumble back to different sides of the room and stop dead in their tracks from shock.

(Sniff sniff. What's that I smell? Overpowered expresso!!!)

"Y-you two need to learn to behave wh-while your here..." she scolds with her servos covering her exhausted helm. She had been fortunate that the timing was right and that they had lunged into the shadows to fight, otherwise they would have done a lot more damage and she would not have stopped them.

"Woah. Now I know why her division is smaller." Steam strike whispered, receiving a quick glare from Nitro Blast. Had he not been just as shocked as the others, he would have scolded her for speaking freely of their founder.

Shock Blade suppresses his remark as he stares at the haven's founder and Electro Breaker bows his helm in agreement. They then glare at each other unapologetically until the proximity sensor goes off.

Thunder Claw rushes out with Peanut galloping close behind when the alarm blares loud enough to stir up the whole place. They turn the sound off.

"Autobots," Aqua Charger says in a small voice.

Razor Wing "no, they wouldn't scout out this area with all the cloaking we've accomplished, would it be Decepticons?"

"Neither, as I can clearly see, the signal has a signature slightly similar to Silent Shadow, heavy, uneven, almost chaotic pulses." Thunder Claw answers,

"So a Guardiano?" Feary says,

"Since when do they know more about those things than we do. I thought Razor Wing was supposed to take care of that... what a so-called leader..." Wild SpikeWave grumbles to herself. She finally notices the angered glare from Nitro Blast and decides to keep her intake shut for the time being.

"We need to take caution," Razor Wing side glares at the arrogant femme before continuing, "We never know what could happen."

"Agreed. We shall see what a lone Guardiano signal is doing in this virtually untouched terrain." Silent Shadow replies with a distraught voice. She was still recovering from the loss of energy.

They go out, minus Thunder Claw, Peanut, Snowfall, Aqua Charger, and Steam Blade.

___

Atop the hill that concealed their landing pads, a blood-dyed ribbon swayed in the strong breeze that attached to the arm strut of a giant mech. In his right servo, a single thin sword glistened in the sun.

The group finally spots him, he stands a mere kilometre away.

Dropping the sword with a renowned thud, Retrocharger greets them with submissive behaviour, raising his servos with open palms.