Predacon Satellite In far orbit around Cybertron:
The dark chamber lies ominous and foreboding. Tall and narrow, it stretches up through the Predacon High Command Station.
The room is lit only by long narrow windows that stretch up from the floor to the high ceiling. Through them, a myriad of stars shine. One larger spot can be seen, and if one gives it a closer inspection, they can make out the silver streets of Cybertron.
In the center of the room lies a tall pillar, on which sits a table. Across the circular table are inscribed many runes of archaic design, and around the outer circle of the table are three small panels, each with one ornate rune on them. The table has been here for over three hundred years now, ever since it was found on the planet Quintessa, which was once the homeland Junglear... The home of the beast-like Cybertronians.
It now serves one purpose.
Three forms rise up, out of the shadow and into a small pool of light given by a hanging light. Each sets a hand over one of the large runes, and a red glow emanates from the table.
"Tripredicus Council is now in session." Speaks the middle robot. A large helmet that resembled dragon's wings adorned his head. "You have each read the report from the earth planet?"
The other two nodded their heads, and the one on the right spoke up, "If the reports are true, then we stand in a very precarious position." A medallion on a heavy chain swayed about his neck and glinted in the red light.
The third one spoke, his face long and wise, "Indeed, if he is truly resurrected, then we all stand to loose a great deal. Megatron and Galvatron have placed our standing in the Pax Cybertronian Alliance in jeopardy. We can not handle another upset in the balance of power."
The first one nodded gravely, "Then we have only one option open to us. Our best operative, Ravage, has not returned from his last mission. This mission is too important and too sensitive to allow it to be dealt with by any other."
The council member on the right nodded again and gave a low growl, "Then I make a new suggestion. Let us take new forms and correct this situation ourselves."
The one on the left jerked, "You can't be serious! In three hundred years...."
The middle one interrupted, "In three hundred years we have sat on our rear plates waiting and planning, but now our plans are threatened and we send others to do our work. A war approaches, and it is time that we prepare."
"Then there is no more to say."
"Agreed."
"Council adjourned."
Earth : @ 100,000 BC : Predacon Headquarters : Terrorsaur
The quantum surge of energy slams into the shields with a ferocious crack. Everything starts losing power, even personal systems. The base shook with the shock. Balance seems to go off kilter sending you scrabbling for foothold, but something weird was happening. Your foot seems to shift and mutate, and you fall...
The hot lava sears you, for moments you feel your molecules separate and
shift. Surely this is the end... No structure could survive the grasp of the
volcano...
They say you don't dream in stasis...
They say you don't change...
They say a lot of things...
But everything changes...
Lava burns around you, and you feel it's heat and anger. You see the faces of your enemies...
Maximals, Predacon...
You should have ruled.
Lava sears your skin, but you are one with the pain it causes. You can not move, can not see, the boiling pop and churn of the titanic molten minerals becomes the music of your soul...
It becomes all, and silence takes you...
For thousands of years...
Earth : a crack in the earth : dark beginning
Lava cools and darkness surrounds...
But still it echoes in your soul...
Still... It burns in your body and mind...
Rumbling. Upset. Upheaval. The Earth moves.
A fissure opens and steam escapes in a jet of superheated anger. A sigh of relief as it's cargo is divulged.
A talon reaches up and grabs the rocky ground. Long green claws dig deep into the ground, and hoist a dark purple demon from it's shell. The robot is different. Powerful, deadly, and angry.
As it stretches and flexes it's mutated body. It sees a different landscape. Gone is the base it once craved to rule. Gone is the volcanos and ash that surrounded it. All that is left is rocky ground and silence.
"beast mode..." mutters the dark Cybertron... or was he a Cybertronian any more?
Purple wings stretch out, and a robotic Pterodactyl takes form, gold and darkness.
With a screech he wings into the air.
His golden abdomen splits, and two engine exhausts are revealed.
Fire erupts from the engines, scorching the ground and leaving a trail of death in their wake.
An alien world : The forest
A warm breeze stirs through her soft brown feathers.
1,000 centuries... has it really been that long? A lifetime of peace, a lifetime of love...
The wars long behind her, here she learned and grew. Never knowing why, never understanding for what...
Until now.
She leans down and ruffles the soft, snow white fur of her companion. The white Bengal tiger gives a low purr, and looks up at her with ineffably sad, lucid eyes.
They had been brought here, tested, sent forth and brought back. Their love had shown these alien beings what compassion was, and had saved so many lives.
A tear rolls down the tiger's fluffy, warm fur.
"Yes, I know... I will miss you as well, but the decision is made. One of us must stop him."
The tiger gives a low rumble.
The Cybertronian raises her silver face and green eyes to the breeze. The sun glints off of the golden beak that is her helmet. She will miss this place, she will miss this life.
She feels a surge of emotion, a thought... a question.
"Yes, I am ready." she answers the alien query.
She walks up the short path, and out onto a plateau. The vista is incredible. Mountains, forests, deserts, seas... they can all be seen from here.
The tiger paces out from the trees and looks up at her. A sad wisdom and knowledge filling his golden eyes.
She looks around at the world one last time, and at her friend and love.
Then she is ready. No words need to be spoken. The aliens know her heart.
Energy seems to crackle from the ground. At first it feels as if it is searing her exostucture, charring her feathers off, rearranging her being. Her first impulse is to fight it, but she knows that this is what must be. She accepts, and lets the waves of energy surge over her.
In her acceptance, she feels the aliens as never before.
She sees the past, friends long left behind, a home world she has never seen, a war she left in it's place...
She sees the present, her life, the peace of her race, the struggles that now begin...
And then she sees the one who is to be her nemesis. A dark face, a confused surge of anger, a demon.
The energy dies away. No longer does she stand as the brown and gold warrior from long ago. Silver blue metal gleamed on her torso as with a life of it's own. White, pearlescent arms and legs gleamed in the sun. A face mask seemingly made of deep red crystals of energon burned with an intense warmth and power.
And the eyes. The green shown through the burning mask, and they were filled with the wisdom of a race that new no boundaries in time and space. Filled with the knowledge and love of a race that had touched and held the very hands of the Creator.
Large soft wings stretched down behind her, no longer filled with brown feathers, but now the purest white, the softest down.
Then, in a blur of light and movement, she is swept away. Gone from this world. Returned to battle.
The tiger looks up, tears streaming from it's eyes. And a rolling, sad voice finally rumbles from its black lips.
"Wherever your spark travels... I will find you."
The tiger then turns and walks off into the deep forest to prepare for it's future.
warped space : a ship
"Well," begins the large grey/blue and khaki camouflaged robot, "You may nearly have cost us our prize, Swindle."
"Look," the smaller, tannish bot starts in, "I told you, I was just... making sure... that we didn't waltz into one of the boss' little traps. I sent two dolts to deliver the package. Starscream don't know what the ship is for. He'll likely slag the two and leave the ship to rot.
Meanwhile, we just slide in and catch him's off-guard."
"Heh," a large green robot slaps his smaller comrade on the shoulder, "Then we just go in and STOMP!!"
"Really Brawn, " a purple and dark brown robot at the consol turns to eye the green-tank robot, "Must you take everything and smash into subatomic particles with those oversized treads of yours?"
One more robot, grey and purple looks up from where he was brooding in the shadow, "Yeah, well if Swindle was lying to us, Blast-off, I will be the one to smash him into dust." He leaned forward in his seat, and a glint of light ran off of a set of wicked looking cross blades on his back.
The one who was speaking originally leans back in his chair, "Vortex, Brawl, Blast-off. Enough of the bickering. This is our time to take vengeance on our 'creator'. Starscream never made a competent leader, and now he shall suffer the consequences of his ludicrous attempts at glory."
"Yeah, Onslaught, that's what I'm sayin'," starts Swindle.
"No, we've heard enough from you Swindle. You may have cost us in timing. What's more, you may have let our ship fall into the wrong hands."
"Hey, no way. The dolt I sold it to couldn't find his way out of a garbage compactor without a flashlight!"
"Then let us hope he didn't have a 'flashlight' at hand when he took our ship."
The computer interrupts, "Warp coordinates reached. Beacon signal locked in below. Fighting reported."
"See," sputters Swindle, "I told you, MY beacon led us right to it."
Blast-off looks up, "I'm more interested in who is fighting below us. There's been peace on this mudball since WE last left it. Plus, we're zoned in on Metroplex."
Brawl's eyes sparkle with anticipation, "Autobots..."
Onslaught brings up a tactical display of the city, "Well, boys, look at this. Our shuttle, a Predacon ship... of impressive power, Metroplex himself, and a host of Cybertronians running about with guns."
Vortex stands from his chair and looks over Onslaught's shoulder, "Hah... heh... sounds like our kind of party."
"Indeed, Combaticons. Prepare for war."
Earth : Metroplex
Megatron picked up a collection of signals from the Predacon ship on the landing platform. He slowed down and transformed to get a better scan. Below, in the dark smoky night, a black robot stood with Aaron, watching in horror as monstrous mutants began to pour from the ship.
Four of them, the first was a creature with elephant tusks and legs, with gills and a leering mouth. He tore his way through the ceiling of the ship, and was followed by two others, strange bat-bull combination and a mantis-lizard monster that took wing into the sky. Out of the ships main doors crawled a alligator with a spiked shell.
Megatron reacted swiftly and cooly.
His hand gun took care of the mantis-lizard with a single blast, knocking him back through the hole he had flown from.
That cleared the path for him to land on the elephant monster. It had jumped down onto the platform, and was moving toward Aaron and the other Transformer.
He tackled it from the sky, but it was strong, and even he was having problems holding it.
The comm shut on, "Megapl... Megatron!" Flood's voice crackled over the system.
"Here..." He grunted as he was slammed into the ground and a tusk dug into his shoulder.
"Can you get to Aaron?"
"I'm trying to, but these creatures fight like mad bots!"
"They're berserk's, try not to hurt them, I don't think they know what they're doing!"
"Easy for you to say!"
"Listen up, whoever's out there. The creatures have a glitch. Don't hurt them, I think if we subdue them..." Flood's voice ended in static.
Anger swelled within him, he had been poked, prodded, scanned and questioned. Now he was in battle for the third time since his rebirth! Was this the way it was meant to be!?!? Somewhere, deep inside of him, a voice seemed to echo his question.
"Megaplex!" Aaron? Megatron looked over as he pushed the monster back with a kick. Aaron was standing less than four meters from the battle! "I heard Flood's message, I think I can help, if you can hold that thing still!"
The fleshling was resourceful, and brave. Perhaps he wasn't in need of rescuing after all.
Megatron got to his feet. The creature had rolled and was stamping the ground, ready to charge again. It let out a bellow that was a cross between a whale's song and an elephant's trumpet, and then it charged.
Megatron dropped a smoking grenade on the ground in front of it and jumped headfirst into the billowing clouds. With the smoke from the fires already choking the air, the two combatants were completely blind. However, Megatron knew how to use VR scanners.
There was a CRACK as the two met, and Megatron swept the immense monster off it's feet. He slammed it into the ground with a thunderous BOOM and pinned it's legs as best he could. The squeal of metal could be heard, as the creatures enormous strength threatened to bend
Megatron's very frame.
"Quickly, Aaron!" Megatron yelled from the smoke.
The human appeared immediately, and jumped directly onto the mutant! He sank some kind of patch cable behind it's gill, and began to tap furiously on a palm sized computer.
"O.K.! Get clear!" Aaron yells, as he jumps from between the two battling robots.
Megatron could see that he had some sort of light head gear linked to the computer.
He jumped out of the way, and then saw the creature roll over and bellow in rage.
It's slavering head whips toward the two of them. It's jaws clenching and unclenching as it began to lower it's head for another charge.
Aaron lowered a head mike to his mouth and yelled out, "TORCA MAXIMIZE!!"
His voice is echoed and overlaid with a much lower, bass vocal pattern coming from the surprised mutants voice!
Suddenly, the monster let out another trumpeting call as his body shifted and transformed into a robotic mode. He fell down to one knee, grasping his head in confusion...
orbit around Earth: Predacon flagship
Powerpinch looked up and wiped his forehead in frustration. Almost two days, and he'd been working his pinchers to the circuits. The stasis pods had taken heavy damage. And the Tripredicus council 'couldn't' get their claws dirty working like a grease monkey. He had only seen them intermittently during the past few days. They had taken to working in the ships labs. They were off limit to him. Supposedly something in the lab had taken damage and they had to stabilize it 'above all costs.'
More likely they had spent the time in the only locked down area of the ship, sippin' energon and snaking on fuel rods. That's ok, he had finally finished. And as he looked around he noticed the council standing looking down at him.
"Are your repairs finished?" queried SeaClamp.
"Ready to go, sir."
"Then prepare to activate the stasis pods."
"ALL of them!?"
"The remaining fifteen in this hold, and the unit in the lab."
"The unit in the...?"
"In the lab. There is one protoform held in the lab."
"Why would there..."
"No questions are necessary Powerpinch. Merely do as we command."
"Yes, Lord SeaClamp."
Powerpinch returned to the ship's bridge. Plopping down on the console, he brooded about how unfair it was to be an underling.
He reached up and activated the controls for power flow and DNA processing.
He didn't notice the small warning light that had begun to flash
incessantly, or the wave of liquid white energy that raced toward the Predacon
command ship.
Predacon ship lab
The council stood around the large protoform. Jury rigged wires hung suspended from the ceiling. Cicadon watched the power meters build up.
"Are we sure that this is wise?" asked Ramhorn for the tenth time this cycle.
"We need all the firepower that we can hold, and if this warrior is as powerful as our sources suggested..." snorted SeaClamp.
"But they also said he was unreliable. A chaotic element was created with the fusion."
"That was the Maximals faulty programming, our scientist have assured me that this one will be Predacon to the core."
"But if something goes wrong..."
"We smash it. We are the most powerful of ALL Predacons..."
"The reports said he was inde..."
"Enough," turned Cicadon, "the time has come, activate the replicators. This warrior will help us destroy Megatron AND the Autobots here on Earth."
Ramhorn reached over and pushed a small insignificant switch.
Suddenly, the room was fused with a brilliant light, and the council passed into unconsciousness.
An accident was repeated.
Earth orbit : The Predacon flagship
Equipment sparked off-line as the energy wave passed through the ship, and three heavy clunks heralded the dead weight of the Tripredicus Council's bodies hitting the floor.
A sudden, swift silence descended on the dark, inert lab.
It was broken by a low hiss.
Light poured over the inky darkness of the lab as a hatch opened.
A pulsing and a flash could be heard, then heavy steps as something left it's birth pod.
The new form looked down on the council with little interest.
It reflected on it's existence for a brief nanocycle, and then it walked to a small window port that was suddenly lit with some kind of light. He saw a planet come into view. Blue, close, and very peaceful from here. His mandibles twitched.
Something below called to him. Something below needed him. Something in pain. Something that should be dead.
He reared back with a cackle and smashed the wall with his fists, prying the tear open with brute strength. Wind ripped past him as the atmosphere in the ship poured out. He looked back at the council one last time... and jumped.
A loud thwump, and a hissing announced his arrival on Earth. The mud quickly covered the smoking, broken body and the crater that it had made.
And there was silence.
A few cycles passed.
Without warning, a hand shot up through the mud.
"Rampage, BEAST MODE!!!" came a gargling roar.
The mud seemed to shift, then a pair of antennae poked through, testing the air.
Six long, thick black legs pulled free and hoisted the crab-like body from the mud. It looked around.
Suddenly a jolt of energy shot through it's systems.
"System shutdown, host awol." chimed a soft computer voice.
"EAAAAHHHHH!!! OVERRIDE!!"
"Temporary overide in action, host has 5 mega cycles to return to post."
--So, the Predacon fools try to shackle ME!!--
Rampage II looked around the swamp. He still felt the dark void of the other, like a great gaping black hole in the swamp.
--My spark SHALL be free... I will feed your hunger, and together we shall FEAST!!--
The crab turned into the swamp and began to scuttle towards it's destiny.
The next two cycles he spent learning.
Other's were in the swamp, and they made their way toward the hunger. Maximal, Decepticon, Autobot, Predacon... all made a pilgrimage toward the vast darkness.
He observed and listened... snatches of comments, feelings, emotions.
He knew the lies and he knew the loyalties.
Now, he stared in awe at the massive structure before him.
It was a body without life.
It was a city without soul.
It was a transformer without spark.
And it was POWER.
From atop the tower he looked out at the incoming forms. They were only a few miles away. He needed a distraction to enter the city unnoticed.
His mandibles twitched, "Everyone is so nice and friendly, they come to gather under a new banner, they come to hunt, they come in confusion." he gave a low rumbling chuckle.
"Their confusion will be my herald." He lifted his body and a huge triple barreled cannon shifted out and spun into a locked position, a missile at the ready, "Oh... chaos is SO much easier to manipulate than order." He laughed wholeheartedly.
And a missile launched into the swamp.
Cybertron : The Hall of Cybertron
The stars glittered through the high, crystal walls and
ceiling of the Collective Council's chambers. A huge ring like table sat
in the center. The
table was made of a neutral, gray marble.
The area between the tables was filled with a hologram of
the Maximal Combat Hospital Facilities. The scene displayed was that of
the
hangar four days previous.
A Predacon ship was the center of a battle. It's hull
had burst outward as it sat in the hangar bay, pouring out centipede-like
battle robots.
They were bristling with cannons that seemed to fire in random patterns,
sending fiery tongues of hatred out to destroy anything they touched.
Gathered around watching were the Convoy Council, a
collection of Cybertron leaders, The Maximal Elders, the oldest of their race,
The
Destron Generals, ever represented by a multifaceted crystal avatar, and, where
the Tripredicus Council would normally be seated, two
Predacon dignitaries, speaking on behalf of their leaders.
They looked upset.
"This was NOT a Predacon ploy! I swear to
you. Why would the Tripredicus Council put the Pax in jeopardy with such
a blatant slap in
the face?!?" fumed the first dignitary, he was a brightly colored
Predacon, yellow and purple, with a enormous, sharp toothed mouth.
"Kind of like an attack on Earth might be seen...
Councilor Injector?" snorted a massive robot on the Convoy council.
The other Predacon stood at this, placing a large claw
on the shoulder of the first, "Now Councilor Terran, We all know that the
Tripredicus
Council's presence on Earth is not an attack, but rather for the apprehension
of the war criminal Megatron."
The Destron Avatar spun to another of it's sides and
pulsed, "Yes, Councilor SkyShadow, we all agreed and voted that Megatron
must be
brought in, but our interest is in how a Predacon's science
vessel contained a flurry of battle droids?"
An old, grayed Maximal leaned forward, "If it's
any consolation, the Maximal contingent believes the representative of the
Tripredicus
Council."
The heads of the Collective councils turn towards the
speaker.
The Destron cube shifted again, "Really,
Councilor Cerebrus, you of all people, believe the Predacon command?
Interesting."
"It's too convenient for the Predacon's to take
blame for the incident. I've been on the wrong side of Predacon treachery
in the past, and it
was never this foolishly blatant. I believe that there is something here
that we are not seeing."
"What about our creation,
Lightslayer?" asked the colorful Injector.
The Maximal General sighed, "He has memory
problems. We are have turned him over the the Convoy Council until he has
regained his
memory."
Anther of the Convoys leaned forward over the table,
"We have sent him back to the outpost where his former self was destroyed,
hoping
that it will job his memory some."
"You let him roam around alone?"
"No, he has two other Cybertron's with him.
Hubcap and Flatline are accompanying him and keeping watch."
The Destron cube spins thoughtfully.
"Then there is nothing else to be done, until
Lightslayer remembers who attacked the outpost?" ventured Skyshadow.
"Indeed," agreed the other assembled, the
Maximal Cerebus added, "The Predacon scientist will be released from the
Combat Hospitals
safety ward. Let us be wary against any infighting gentlemen, I fear that someone is trying to foment the seeds of Chaos among us."
Epilogue. A new life.
The dimly lit bridge was quiet in the early hours
of the planetary morning. Only a few crewmembers were seated at the
consoles that stretched on either side of the long walkway.
Two robots stood on the walkway, watching the rotation
of the large planet below them.
"We still have not heard back from
Fearswoop." Announced one of the forms, breaking the silence that they had
shared with a harsh, metallic voice.
A tall, black robot with a heavy look to him turned
his head slightly, "And so? His passing shall be mourned, that is
the way of war, Soundwave."
The silver, purple, and green camouflaged robot seemed
to ponder on this as a radar dish on his shoulder rotated, "There is more,
Clench. Word from that outpost has begun to
trickle toward Cybertron. Soon it shall reach the ears of the
Council."
"And what good will it do them?"
"It will give us a name to them."
"Then we will give them a name to fear." A
glint sparkles in the optics of the robot.
"My resources say that the Darksky was spotted in
the skies above Cybertron, one day ago."
Clench turns his head in surprise, "Are they
sure?"
"No, but it’s captain did use that name when
hailing the docks. The ship is the same, but there are no markings… As we
instructed."
"Hmmm…."
"Also, the shuttle is missing from the
ship."
"Then Fearswoop may yet be alive. Pity for
him if he is. His failure has pushed our plans forward… and backward at
the same moment. What news from Earth?"
"The Tripredicus Council has complicated things.
And there is some question as to Megatron’s loyalties."
"Then we must be sure to keep him there.
Contact our agents and let them know that he is to stay put. He shall
serve more as a figurehead than as a true leader, this time.
What of this… Lightslayer?" Clench turns toward
the large Soundwave.
"Both sparks are active within him. He
still is on the planet, searching for his past. If he finds it, he will
be terminated."
"And how?"
"We have been in contact with a group of Destrons
on the planet. They are there on other business, and are willing to tack
another head onto their killing list."
"Mercenaries. Not good enough send one of
ours. Send the Sparkacons."
"Sir?"
"Let them have their way with the planet.
It will keep the Maximal busy enough so that we don’t have to worry about
him."
"And if they attack the mercenaries?"
"All the better. I do not wish any
witnesses left there."
"Then the attack?"
"The attack will commence. Is the artifact
in place?"
"The final connections have been
made. Most of the fleet has gathered here. There are a few
stragglers."
"Instruct them to rendezvous at Cybertron.
Most of the planetary fleet is deployed in either exploration or in a vain
attempt to protect the other outposts. We have most of what we
need. The remainder must be aboard the Darksky or with the shuttle."
"But the weapon is not yet in place or
active."
"We shall not need it, yet. And we do
not have the shielding against it either. First, we announce our
presence. Then we will wipe those that do not bow to us… wipe them from
this chain of life."
Prologue: General Statement 1
Cybertron
The sky lanes above Cybertron had always been a
hustle of activity.
But now, everything stood at a standstill. Time
seemed suspended, and a silence passed over the planet and over those that had
come to visit.
Now, a new moon had appeared.
And with it came an armada.
Now, The Warworld hovered in stark, ominous silence in
the skies above Cybertron.
The Warworld had been seen before, three hundred years
prior. It was a planet bristling with armor and weaponry, and alone was a
dire threat.
The battleships, battleships of all shape, description
and size, that flanked the Warworld were almost unnecessary.
But even this didn’t explain the sudden cessation of
the shipping lanes. If anything, this would have made the lanes scatter
as ships sought escape from the onslaught that would soon
follow.
Something else had arrested the hearts of the
Cybertronian people.
The Warworld had a new addition, and any who had ever
visited Cybertron would immediately recognize the edition, the new crest.
For the battle moon now bore a solitary, massive horn.
A horn that had been removed for study, years before.
A horn that was thought to be kept safely locked away
in a training center on a far planet.
Unicron’s horn.
The horn of the dark god of Chaos.
A piece of the Great Devourer.
Across all viewscreens, planetwide. A face
appeared. It was dark and shadowed. The voice that shook out
commanded fear.
"Cybertron. We are the Decepticon
Empire. You are now under our control."
With that simple declaration, all the screens blinked
out.
Prime battles…
The platform separated from
its undercarriage forming a small air ski that was still fairly loaded down
with weaponry.
Optimus Prime left the lower
half under Ironhide’s control. He and the other Autobot’s would take care
of the Predacon forces. Optimus had bigger bugs to
zap.
Down below, in the warm waters
of the Atlantic Ocean, the mighty new Transmetal Trypticon thrashed in
frustration as a robot, that was no more than the size of
a fly to the massive fortress, slashed and beat on
Trypticon’s shielding, tearing away at the protective energies as if they meant
nothing.
Optimus kicked the air ski
toward the bug, "Optimus to Tripredicus Council. Stand down!
You’ve lost this battle."
The insect moster turned and
leered at Prime with a fang filled mouth, "You stand down! How dare
you break treaty with us!!"
"There has been no break,
Megatron did not want war. Why do you insist on his destruction!?!?"
"He is a criminal and
shall be brought to justice!!" The combiner launched itself toward
Prime, a deadly bladed arm extended to rip him apart.
But Prime was ready, two
powerful missiles smashed into the combiner from the battle ski. The
explosion knocked him back, but as the smoke cleared,
Tripredicus stood uninjured.
Meanwhile, Megatron
took the momentary respite from the Tripredicus’ barrage to leave the safety of
Trypticon.
--Time to settle an old
score…--
The slate blue jet roared
swiftly toward the Shuttle that had been taking pot shots at Trypticon for the
past twenty cycles.
As he neared it, he
transformed, coming face to face with the robot that stood on top of the shuttle.
"Starscream.
You dare show your impudence by challenging me!?!?! Surely the years have
taught you more wisdom that this!?!?"
"Spare me the toxic
slag talk Megatron. I am now master of this shuttle, and with it’s
firepower I shall rip you to pieces!!"
Suddenly, and oddly, the
shuttle dropped as if all power was cut to it’s systems.
Starscream tumbled
backward, catching onto one of the rear engines in surprise as the ocean sped
towards them.
Megatron watched from the
air, a grin of satisfaction on his mouth.
--Hooligan and Bladewing’s
work, no doubt. I must remember to congratulate them properly…--
Below, the shuttle
suddenly arced upward, as it’s systems tried to right it. It began a,
equally steep climb, but this time Starscream did not keep his grip.
Megatron dove past the
shuttle, slamming into the tumbling Starscream with full fury…
Optimus clung onto
Tripredicus back, the air ski tumbled away into the ocean below, smoking from
where the scythe-like missile had torn into it a few segments
earlier.
"Fool!!" growled the
Tripredicus, "Do you think an outdated warrior like yourself can truly
survive my strength!?!?"
"An old friend always
said that experience is the benchmark of maturity!!" roared Prime as he
kicked off the Insect with all his strength. Tripredicus tumbled off
balance and straight into Trypticon’s
shields. There was a crackle of energy as the energy surge caught
him off guard.
Behind him, Prime tumbled head
over heels. A small panel on his back slid open and two jump jets slid
out. He stretched the small, glass and steel wings on his
back as the jets lifted him, hovering in the air.
Tripredicus roared in fury and
agony as the wave of energies coursed over his body, "You are a traitor to
the Pax Cybertronia!!"
Optimus Prime hefted his
rifle, "And you are a traitor to all of Cybertron…" a powerful
blast of energy snapped into Tripredicus, dead center, from Optimus’
cannon.
The Tripredicus exploded into
different segments that fell, smoking and charred down into the ocean.
"Prime to Seaspray.
Get Swampvine, Flood, and Deepsea and commence picking up that scrap…"
Starscream didn’t stand
a chance.
Megatron ripped into him
with his bare hands, pummeling the robot mercilessly into submission.
With a handful of
Starscream’s torso circuitry, Megatron spiraled upward to come face to nose
with the Shuttle.
"What do you have to
say about your mighty shuttle now, moron!"
"You… you can’t
destroy me…"
"Indeed, but I can
make your life unbearable."
The other arm raised the
powerful rifle and fires a volley of blasts into the nose of the shuttle.
Metal dented and tore as the blasts ripped through the protective
armoring.
Starscream screamed in
pain as his link between himself and the shuttle allowed him to share in the
damage. He reached up, clawing at Megatron’s arm.
"You will never be
rid of me…" the black and blue Decepticon traitor squealed, "As long
as one of us lives, the other will always survive…"
"Then maybe I should
end this existence for the both of us…" mutters Megatron under his breath.
Then, a bright arc of
energy lashed out from the nose of the shuttle.
Reflexively, Megatron
brings Starscream up as a shield, but the blast engulfs them both in a blinding
halo of burning electricity.
Over the din of the blast,
both of them could be heard screaming…
Earth:Trypticon
The massive reddish-orange Cybertron stepped forward, taking in the assembled audience with a sweep of his visored optics. He raised two, char covered arms in greeting, “Greetings to all that have assembled, as Optimus has said, I am Backdraft. I have with me my crew. "
With that each of the robots around him are
pointed to and named.
First, there was Cerebrus, a Maximal Elder, and
a member of the Council, with a shaggy brown and gray coat of fur, spaced out
by steel and yellow colored plates of metal. A dog’s head was on his chest, as well as one on each of his
shoulders.
Next was, Retrohopper, a small, golden,
transmetal Cybertron. He gave a
cheerful smile and a quick wave to the audience.
The third was a Predacon, small of frame and
female. Her name was Rascal, and
the lizard-like head and brownish skin belayed a transformation of a small
dinosaur of some kind.
Then, two more Maximals, both similar in build,
but one was gray and blue, Wolffang, and the other was yellow, blue, and white,
with a shaggy brown coat, K-9.
Finally, there was a tall grey and red
Cybertron, Thunderfist. The metal
blades of a helicopter were on his back.
“Also, soon following will be Skyjammer, a
Destron mercenary, Roadbuster a fellow Cybertron law enforcer, and
Battlestripe, a newly formed Maximal.”
He takes in a breath and continues, "I am overjoyed
to see before me such a gathering. It is now as it should have been, a mutual
peace. My mind burns with dark memories that have taken us to this point. Inwardly, I grieve for the so many
allies I have seen fall underfoot during the many millennia of my life.
"This is something that will be hard for me
to say, and is even harder for me to visualize."
His
eyes glint as he affixes Optimus Prime with a steely glare.
"Cybertron is under seige."
He paused and looked around, but only silence
followed this proclamation.
"I was sent on a mission to find an ancient
leader, Optimus Prime.
"There is a renegade force of Transformers
who have taken the world, they came flying their space-borne base....The
Warworld.”
A few murmurs now pass among the crowd, and
Megatron’s eyes narrowed sharply.
Starscream, who was sitting next to his duo-part, Megatron, nearly fell
off his chair.
“Yes, these renegades are old Decepticons who have not been able
to learn the true goal, one world in which we can all live together as brothers
and sisters, side by side… no matter what allegiance.”
Some more murmus as well as sharp looks from bot
to bot surged up again. The
Cybertron Captain raised his voice, “My crew and I have been through much
together in our short journey and I have come to trust them with my life, yet
we are of diverse factions.
“You see, my fellow peers, it can work. Perhaps
we can bring the renegade Decepticons around and follow through with a true
Golden Age of Cybertron, but I need you to help me… I can't do this
alone."
The
robot’s voice picks up, gaining a new strength as he continues, "If you care for our homeworld,
Autobots, Decepticons, Cybertrons, Destrons, Maximals, and Predacons, as much
as I do, then I ask you to help us! With our combined forces we can do much.
Perhaps we can open free trade between the Earth and Cybertron again and become
an even greater world, maybe even a league of sorts!"
He
steps back, raising his head to Optimus and then to the rest of those gathered.
"It all depends on you and how much you
love Cybertron.
“Me? I go and fight, with or without help.
"Thank you."
Captain Backdraft stands back.
Megatron is first to stand, “If it is a war that
needs to be fought, then the Decepticons, the TRUE Decepticons will willingly
lend any aid to your cause, Backdraft.”
Optimus pronounces, “As will the Autobots. Our forces here on Earth are not great,
but perhaps experience will give us an edge in the oncoming battles.”
The human President stands as well, “Gentleman,
if I may?”
Megatron
seats himself again.
The
small human addresses all that are gathered, “Three hundred years ago the Pax
Cybertronia was signed on Cybertron.
It was signed by Maximal, Predacon, Cybertron, Destron, Autobot, and by
one other… human.”
That
seemed to get everyone’s attention.
“The
agreement contained a provision that Earth would remain a forgotten place,
removed from the collective memories of the Cybertronian race. Only Optimus Prime and a few others
would be allowed to stay, as well as a few select scientific representatives of
Cybertron, on special passes. But
all records, data, coordinates would be wiped from Cybertron’s main banks. What remained would be encrypted and
known only to a few.
“Over
the centuries Earth would become forgotten, a myth and a vague memory as
Cybertron grew and changed. It
would be left in peace, no longer to suffer the scars of a war that was far
greater in scale than the whole of human history.
“In
three centuries, we have learned a great deal from the Autobots here. We have cleaned up our planet, brought
peace to bear, and have begun some deep space exploration.
“We
have also learned a few other things.
We have learned tolerance.
We have learned that we are not the center of the Universe. There are others out there, other
races, varied, and each beautiful in their own right. We have learned we are a part of a gathering of beings that
must learn to survive, grow, and then to defend.
“And
that is the final thing that we have learned. No more can we stand by like children who are watching grown
adults fight over them. We can
stand on our own.
“More so, we can stand with you.
“What
I now speak of is that the Earth Defense Forces will commit itself to aiding in
the recovery of your world. We are
not currently tooled for war, but we can supply you with fifty of our EDF
mobile units. They will stand with
you and double your forces.”
This
proclamation is met with cheers from the assembled humans.
Optimus
Prime now stands, “Very well, then we will wait for the remaining ships from
Cybertron to gather here.”
The
President adds, “Perhaps we should use Starlight?”
“Agreed,
the ships will gather at the orbiting Earth station, as well as the Autobot
Moonbase Observatory Station.”
Megatron
leans forward, “There is still one problem.”
“And
that is?” asks Prime.
“Metroplex
and Trypticon. They will not fit
onto any Cybertron or Earth ship.”
Optimus
seems to ponder this, a murmur comes from somewhere along the side table. Megatron looks up, “Hooligan? Do you have something to say?”
The
red and orange robot looks chagrinned, shrugging, “Well, no, not really… I
mean… It’s just that I noticed the linkage area on the Soulfire. Both Metro and Trypy have similar
setups in their lower decks, as well as hover-transformations that might be…
altered.”
“Not
bad.” Murmurs Prime, “Megatron?”
“Hooligan,
you are head of the restructure team.
Find out if it can be done, and even if it can’t, do it.”
The
oily robot looks shocked, his jaw hanging down.
Optimus
looks out at everyone, “We have a lot to do, let’s start working.”
Epilogue
New Wars, New Gods
The
Warworld: 'Gigano's Command Throne'
The massive Destron General sneered as the Decepticon warships moved into
place. Already were his men moving to stop the intruders on board, as
were another twenty-five tank drones that Clench had held in reserve.
Clench... still his mutilated body lay crumpled on the floor at Gigano's
feet. He lived, but no longer would he be the one in control of this
station, these drones, or this world!
The shoulder harness' micro pistons pumped in anticipation as billions of data
streams shot through Gigano's mind. Clench did not have the true capacity
to handle such a magnificent creation. Even now, as his mind wandered
idly through his success, Gigano was controlling the policing grid of
Aerodrones and Tank drones on the planet below... he was watching as special
forces moved in on several Autobots just outside of Cybertropolis, these had
been set in motion by Clench, the slight lapse between removing Clench and
supplanting himself had caused one of the Autobots to escape segments before
his destruction, but still they continued on their way... On board he
could see tactical displays of the ships moving in, of the satellites that
defended Cybertron... and at the same time, he had already undertaken to create
a new drone form, one that was smaller, quicker... a scout form that would be
land based. One that would more effectively route out the rebels that had
eluded Clench.
These thoughts shot through the wire mantle, up into the massive cortex of the
central computer behind him. Feeding into the complex computers and
matrices that were used to make this Warworld.
From his position, he was a god!
He chuckles as the warships outside mill about, confused.
--That fool Vulcan may have sent his distress signal, but he didn't have the
whole of it. He merely brought the Decepticon's to their finale.--
Indeed, the ships out there were no match for this fortress. They each
had crews of less than five. They ran mostly on automatic. To
make things even more amusing, over half of them had drones in their holds.
Again he chuckled with a meglomaniacs amusement.
Then the Warworld seemed to chuckle with him.
Unsure of what he heard, Gigano frowned. A screen in front of him showed
the warfleet, but something... odd was happening.
Space warped and shifted..
And suddenly, there was an all new armada surrounding Cybertron.
Nearly forty ships had suddenly dropped in from nowhere, and in their center
sat a huge conglomeration of a flagship. To one side, it appeared to be silver,
the size of a city in itself, and on stretching towers on it's rounded surface
were Autobot sigils! on the other half were purple cromed stuctures, and
Decepticon sigils!! In the center sat a red and blue ship, very advanced
in design, holding the two together through heavy moorings.
--What the pit!!!--
The Admiral leaned forward, "Megatron, Optimus, signal your forces
to..."
"I hate to interrupt, Admiral Backdraft." Megatron's voice cut
through, "But I'm afraid there's a problem."
The red chrome Autobot leaned up, staring at his screen, Megatron's face had
appeared in one corner, and Optimus Prime's in another. Optimus was as
confused as Backdraft was, but Megatron had a sour, distastful look on his
face.
"Megatron," the Admiral spoke forcefully, "This isn't the
time to invent ghosts... we must attack now!"
"Sir!" A small female Predacon's voice cut through as she spun
to look at him, "Trypticon's moorings are undergoing emergency
seperation!!"
"What? Rascal, are you sure?!?" His red orange optics
glittered with a burning fire as he glared at the small brownish raptor-bot.
"No... I just thought it would be funny at the moment!" she
glared right back.
"Megatron...?"
"I'm sorry for this Backdraft, Optimus. I did not wish to return to
war, but the Predacons proved that I would never have peace."
A large blueish Transmetal Maximal slammed a thick fist down on a pannel,
"Sir!" he growled, "The Destron ships have all begun to
alter course, they are turning on the other ships and their weapons are powered
up!"
"What about the other ships, Battlestripe!?"
"No sir, just the Destron, *just* a quarter of the fleet!"
"And you will also find that the Decepticon warships, and the Warworld
itself are at my disposal."
"But... how..."
Optimus spoke up, "The Spacebridge."
"Yes." Megatron nodded, "I took a chance when you both saw
the bridge, betting on your Autobot idealism to blur the fact that there was an
operative bridge after three centuries. I have been using it to keep in
touch with Clench, using it to plot this moment, the moment where I claim
Cybertron and annihilate all other resistance. The Destrons captains were
contacted and told of the plan. None faltered in their agreement."
Backdraft staggered, dropping into his command chair under the blow of
betrayal.
"Please, surrender yourself and your ships, Admiral." Megatron
pleaded, "Let this war stop here."
Gigano was laughing hysterically.
"So, Clench... it was not you who was ultimately pulling the strings, was
it?!" The silvery dragon bot leaned over, energon sparkling through
the purple trasclucense of his under frame, "No matter... this Warworld
will be the one true survivor of whatever war there is to come."
--So true are your words, yet the wisdom to
understand them is not within you.--
Gigano nearly jumped as he heard these words, "Who is there!?"
No answer. Suddenly, his mirth seemed to have dwindled away.
Sitting down again, he pushed the thought away, perhaps it was just a data
glitch from the streams of code flowing through his CPU. Reaching over,
he began to bring up all tactical outputs...
On board the Soulfire, Backdraft's optics glowed with a pretanatural fire of
centuries of hate.
"Megatron." his voice was hollow and distance, "You have
undone everything that I have fought to overcome."
Visions of a war angle burned etched in his optics, --I am that
which you have wroght. The universe will again be clensed from the pain
and torment of suffering that my destiny brings.--
The
sound of metal squealing under pressure echoes in the bridge as Backdraft's
hands sqeezed relentlessly on the chairs armrests.
"Let the war for Cybertron begin."
Gigano leaned back, smiling.
Time to announce my presence.
A channel opens to the outside, on all frequencies, on all channels.
"This is Gigano. New ruler of the Warworld, and of Cybertron.
Clench is no more and I..."
The transmission ceased.
Suddenly, there was simply stillness.
All hatred seemed gone, all madness dispended.
Everything seemed instantly at peace.
A deep humming sounded across Cybertron, across space.... perhaps across time.
--And from you am I birthed.--
On board Metroplex, Optimus looked around, everyone was in shock.
He had heard that voice... or something like that voice before...
On board the Soulfire... Backdraft recognized the deep passionless voice of the
war angel within his 'dreams.'
Megatron leaned back, his green-gray camoflauged frame shaking slightly.
He recognized that feeling, that voice. It wasn't a voice in his CPU, on
a comm channel, or even in the room. It echoed in his spark, recalling
something from long.... long... ago.
Opening a channel with a shaking hand he questioned, "Unicron?!"
On the planet, robots stopped, staring at the skies in confusion.
A tall black robot on a rooftop dropped to a knee, a searing pain burning in
his chest. His name was Dreadnought, and that which he carried felt as
though it would explode from it's holding place.
"Primus....?!" his voice echoed hollowly as he reeled in pain.
Not far from him stood another bot on a rooftop, a unique Transformer, bred
from an offworlder and from the Vat of Creation. He sat in beast mode,
his bat-like wings and long tentacles stretched out and quivering as his
mind too was pitched into a tumultuous chaos.
He knew the voice... knew it's name... and now was beginning to understand what
truly it was.
Outside of Cybertropolis' city limits, another black robot transformed,
and landed, clutching a glowing spark crystal in his chest and staring at the
sky.
Two others land beside him, one a Beast warrior, and archaeopterix with
brightly colored feathers, the other a silver and blue Autobot.
The Autobot spoke, "Deathspire... who is it?!"
"It is not who I seek." The dark Decepticon narrowed his eyes
as he stared off into the stars.
On board the Warworld itself, on a docked ship called The Medusae, a Transmetal
II cat, in blacks and purples, growled a low, gutteral growl.
"Who is it 'Slayer?!" a tall Decepticon with a cyber skull
face, and a set of long demon-like horns asked.
"It... he's born Zabgoth..." the Maximal cat growled, his eyes
glittering dangerously
"What's born?!" a female Decepticon turned and looked down at
him.
There is a low, echoey chuckle from the shadows nearby. A monstrous
looking robot made of bone and black armor chuckled, his sigular optic blazing
with a hysterical edge, "The offspring!"
On board a living ship, not too far off in space, a Predacon leaned back, his
draconian features dark with contemplation as he watched the scene before him.
--Who is it Nimrod?--
--It *is* the Warworld, Captain Phalanx.
It's power levels have now shot off the scale.--
Prologue
To Sow the Seeds of Chaos...
Predecessor of the Spark
War
(Author's note: Title Song:
Roadbuster's Set, Track 10: Heresy, by Nine Inch Nails)
Gigano panicked as all these thoughts and images roared through his head.
He no longer was in control, he no longer had any power.
"Who... Who are you!? Unicron....? Primus...?!" His
voice could be heard by all, above below, the whole of Cybertron and it's
surrounding space was privvey to his panicked thoughts.
--Unicron.... Primus... no.--
Outside, the surface of the Warworld was on fire, lines were forming as pieces
seperated, and swivled, a bright corona of light shining from the depths of the
massive battle moon.
--I am the sum of both, from the Matrix was
my womb created, from the Horn was I inseminated.--
A robotic form appeared with startling speed. On it's backs were rows of
curved 'wings', on it's head was the Horn of Unicron. The front panel of
the Warworld had become it's chestplate. It was immense, but thin
looking. It's face was reminiscent of the dark god of Chaos, as were it's
colors.
--Long have you sworn by those pathetic icons. Using them
to continue your bloodthirsty quest for battle. I have come to correct
the mistakes of my forebearers, and from each of you have I suckled my lifes
blood.
Your wars are a pathetic attempt to finish a
battle that no longer shall exist, I am union. I am Wargod. Now,
you must come to accept that your gods are dead...--
A massive, flaming sword appeared as the Warworld-creature reached behind and
pulled it aloft.
--... and no one cares.--
With that the sword swept into the midst of the closest ships, mostly
Decepticon battleships. Five of the armored warships were caught in it's
path, each exploding into compacted and momentary balls of flame and energy.