Catapult: Autobot Assassin
A native of Polyhex, Catapult remembers little of her early life. She's fairly convinced one or both of her parents were at least middle-caste workers, but she only remembers her father, who had a severe gambling addiction.
This addiction ultimately led to him losing so much money that they were turned onto the streets, scavenging for food and supplies. All this changed when they were saved from some criminals by the Raptoricon Thrashclaw, who was secretly a member of a hidden branch of assassins with a network across Cybertron.
Somehow in the aftermath, Catapult was given over to Thrashclaw as a new acolyte for her assassins' order. Catapult cannot recall if her father did this for more money or in an effort to save her from a life of poverty, and when asked, Thrashclaw refused to answer.
For the next few hundred millennia, Catapult trained in the ways of her assassin brethren, quickly becoming a renowned prodigy. Although Thrashclaw was her master, some others stepped in to teach her various forms of armed and unarmed combat that Thrashclaw was personally unable to impart to her student.
Eventually she "graduated" and was given assignments from the elder assassins on the behalf of various clients. Although none saw her, and her name was hidden behind the alias of "Crosswind" for their clients, Catapult's nature as an adaptive and effective assassin made her more sought after than some of her peers.
One of her peers, the rash yet formidable Backbite, did not take kindly to Catapult's runaway success in their shadowed duties. Oftentimes they came to blows, with Catapult's superior skills, strength, and patience yielding her victories over him. That, coupled with Thrashclaw's apparent favoritism of Catapult, permanently embittered him.
When the War broke out, the assassins were unsure of what to do. Their code of honor meant that they should only serve the lesser of two evils, and at the time none were certain of the legitimacy of either the claim to the Primacy Optimus held or Megatron's rebellion against Cybertronian society. Instead, they withdrew, and thoroughly vetted whoever sought their aid next.
Catapult, however, believed Optimus' words of unity and peace, and the ending of Functionism in favor of freedom for all, among his other proposed policies. She explained her beliefs to her elders, but stated she would not force the assassins to conform to her desires. Instead, she simply wished to offer the Autobots her skills under cloak and dagger.
Eventually, though, Catapult found her home of Polyhex had been destroyed and rebuilt into a Decepticon stronghold. This event changed Catapult, transforming her blithe humor into a more subdued sense of dry commentary. The most significant change, however, came in her asking freedom from her place among the assassins.
Some of the elders felt the success she gave them should warrant a negation of her wish, while others believed that it would be acceptable if she swore to not reveal her past and association with them. The ultimate decision rested on Thrashclaw's shoulders, however. And in spite of how Thrashclaw saw Catapult as the only child she would ever have, the now aged Raptoricon chose to let her have her leave so long as she did not compromise her brethren.
Prowl was surprised to find that a new recruit with no record to speak of had joined the Autobots' number. Catapult could only smile sagely as he puzzled over a single, brief name match to an impoverished Polyhexian. Confirming that her home's destruction and takeover by the Decepticons was her reason for joining their ranks, Prowl shrugged and put her through basic training.
Catapult flew through the courses, which were soon disregarded on account of her mysterious skills. Bouncing between units as needed, Catapult quickly helped turn many battles in the Autobots' favor. She found herself occasionally matched by the now Decepticon Backbite, having gone AWOL early in the War, but much changed when she was recruited into the Wreckers by Ultra Magnus.
Few of Wheeljack's original companions remained with this latest group of the Wreckers, either dead or deserted like Wheeljack. However, they found reason to like Catapult as she brought timely quick strikes or heavy firepower to the scene as the fight demanded, and Catapult felt camaraderie fill the sense of loneliness she experienced from leaving her assassin brethren.
When the Exodus transpired, Catapult and most of the Wreckers were stationed with Ultra Magnus' unit as they left Cybertron. While Ultra Magnus' location is currently unknown, broken transmissions hint at a specific planet - in addition to a ship by the name of the Arclight...
Before I leave you to absorb my expanded bio for the awesome Catapult, I leave you this video on her.