Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga IX, Prologue and Chapter One

PROLOGUE

   "Thank you for choosing Sky Lynx Airlines!" the white, blue, and red shuttle transport said as it landed in the ruins of Tyger Pax, which had been declared neutral grounds for the Autobots and Decepticons to negotiate a temporary truce. "Offering the best in transportation services for over two thousand years!"

   Ultra Magnus rolled his eyes as he, Kup, Thunderclash, and Wing Saber stepped off of the transport. "Yes, thank you, Sky Lynx. Your services are always appreciated."

   "Of course they are!" Sky Lynx said as his transport form converted into a large, winged Cybertronian creature. "You can only find the best in the one and only Sky Lynx!"

   Kup grunted. "I still think we should've just driven here."

   "Quiet," Magnus snapped. "Shockwave should be here any minute."

   "Think he'll object to us being here with you?" Wing Saber asked.

   Magnus shook his head. "I fully expect Shockwave to bring company of his own."

   Sure enough, the five Autobots looked up to see a violet ship, followed by six similarly-colored Seekers, fly towards their position before converting into their robot forms, landing with mocking grace. 

   Looking up at Ultra Magnus, Shockwave's single optic rotated. "Hello, Ultra Magnus. Or do you prefer to go by Minimus Ambus again these days?"

   Magnus narrowed his eyes. "Let's skip the pleasantries, Shockwave, and cut to the chase. What do you want to negotiate?"

   "Well, obviously a straight-up convergence of Autobots and Decepticons would be risky for both sides," Shockwave said. "What we need is an offensive against the Fallen from each of us coming from different positions. The problem is that we don't know where the Fallen is."

   "Plus, we're a bit low on resources," Thunderclash noted. "We'd appreciate it if you Decepticons would be a bit generous in sharing your resources."

   Shockwave stared at him coldly. "If it would make this conflict end faster and easier, then very well. Now then, onto the matter of finding the Fallen...."

   "Sky Lynx and Wing Saber are here, so perhaps they and your Seekers can scout him out from the air," Magnus suggested.

   Wing Saber snorted. "Sky Lynx alone could spot a nano-flea from a thousand feet in the air, or so he'd tell you. Right, Sky Lynx?"

   But the egotistic, winged Autobot did not respond, for he had suddenly vanished.

*  *  *

   "How much longer?"

   "Two-point-five mega-cycles, Lord Megatron," Soundwave reported as the Nemesis went through hyperspace. "However, it is variable since the Ark appears to be making random jumps out of lightspeed."

   Megatron snarled as his fingers drummed the armrest of his command chair. "No doubt Optimus Prime's futile attempt to lose us. But even he knows that that won't be possible for long."

   Standing beside him, Air Commander Starscream scoffed. "I still fail to understand why you are so obsessed with Prime, or even the AllSpark he's after for that matter."

   Megatron glared at him. "You fail to understand anything, Starscream. You should know that Cybertron is a desolate wasteland now, and thus unworthy of our rule. The AllSpark can fix that."

   "If it even exists," Starscream muttered.

   As much as he wanted too, Megatron did not correct him. He could not; despite believing in a concept such as the AllSpark, he lacked concrete proof of its existence. However, it did provide him a good excuse for pursuing Optimus Prime.

   For he would not rest until his once-brother, now mortal enemy, laid dead at his feet.

THE DARK AGE
Part 2: Beasts of Burden

CHAPTER ONE

   Grimlock woke up to find a disgusting creature drooling over him.

   Alarmed, he scooted back, vaguely aware of the grass he was laying on- he certainly wasn't on Cybertron anymore- and searched for his energo-sword, only to find it missing. Snarling, he prepared to transform into his tank mode.

   Only to find that he couldn't.

   Feeling the creature's cool gaze on him, Grimlock tried to morph again, with the same results. He knew that his transformation cog was still in pristine condition, but it wasn't moving, at least not for his legs to compact into their position on his tank mode. He then tested the cog on his arms.

   And they turned into legs.

   Grimlock let out an alarmed yelp. To his further bemusement, the creature, which was large and had a long horn protruding from its face, wore an amused expression.

   Grimlock snarled at it. "Think this is funny, do you?"

   "Yes, it is rather amusing," the creature said in perfect Cybertronian.

   Grimlock's visor widened. "You... you're Cybertronian?"

   "Not in the sense that I am from Cybertron, but I am indeed a Transformer," the horned beast said. To demonstrate this, he began to transform: his four legs compressed into two; a right arm slid out from underneath the beast's head, the left folding out of its rear section; and a head emerged from the creature's back. Soon, a short, stout mech stood before Grimlock.

   The Dynobot leader stared in bewilderment at him. "Who... what the Pit are you?"

   The mech smirked. "My name is Knockdown, and I am a Maximal. And if you want to know what a Maximal is, and how you came to be here, then you'd better follow me. It would be best if you transformed into your beast mode, though."

   Grimlock glared at him. "I don't have a beast mode."

   "You do now," Knockdown said as he converted back into his own beast form.

   Grimlock growled before letting his transformation cog move again, not worrying about where his parts ended up. In mere seconds, he was in the form of a giant, reptilian beast.

   Knockdown smirked again. "Color me impressed."

*  *  *

   "Optimus, we've got a problem."

   Standing on the bridge of the Ark, Optimus Prime sighed. The fourth one this mega-cycle. "What is it, Sideswipe?" 

   "Something's pulling us out of hyperspace," the pilot said. "Again."

   Sure enough, the hyperspace tunnel vanished and the Ark was brought into a random star system. Sideswipe tried to activate the hyper-drive again only to receive a protesting groan.

   "Bulkhead, Wheeljack, go down into the engine rooms," Optimus said. "We seem to be having trouble with the hyper-drive."

   "On it, Prime," Bulkhead replied as the large green Autobot and a smaller white one left the bridge.

   "Any sign of a tractor beam?" Jazz asked.

   "I'm not detecting anything," Ironhide reported. "I am picking up a faint energon signal though. Wanna take a look at it, Perceptor?"

   The ship's scientist moved from his own station to Ironhide's and viewed his monitor, scrutinizing it carefully. "Hmm, it appears there is a faint signal," he murmured. "Coming from that planet over there."

   "Do you know which one it is?" Optimus asked.

   "Yes, it's Junkion, the Junk Planet," Perceptor replied. "One of the last worlds Nova Prime colonized, mostly just for the sake of colonization."

   "Do any natives or colonists inhabit it?"

   "No colonists were ever settled, but there is a race of Cybertronian-like beings who inhabit the planet."

   Ironhide snorted. "Hardly looks like a planet. More like a pile of-"

   "Junk?" Perceptor finished for him, smirking. "Yes, well, I suppose that's why they call it the 'Junk Planet' then, don't you think?"

   A half-hour later, a voice crackled into Optimus' communicator. "Wheeljack here. The hyper-drive's in pristine condition, Prime."

   Optimus frowned. "Then what's going on? Sideswipe, try another jump."

   Sideswipe punched in the coordinates for Gigantion and activated the hyper-drive again, but nothing happened. He tried kicking his monitor station but only got a whining moan in return.

   "Well, scrap," Ironhide muttered. "I guess we're stuck here."

   "How about we make a jump to somewhere else?" Sideswipe asked. "Like, say, Combatron."

   Before Optimus could reply, the Autobot communications chief Blaster said, "We're being hailed, Prime."

   "By whom?" Optimus asked.

   "Heck if I know. The signal's coming from Junkion, but that's all I can gather."

   "Maybe something wants us to come to Junkion," Bumblebee said. "Maybe the Ark purposely brought us here instead of Gigantion."

   "No offense, 'Bee, but that's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard," Perceptor said. "Blaster, can you answer the call?"

   "Well, it doesn't really look like it's a person hailing us," Blaster said. "It's more like a general signal being sent out to any passing ship. Like a distress signal...."

   Jazz turned to Optimus. "Your call, Prime. Do we make a stop here or keep trying to get to Gigantion."

   Optimus contemplated it for a moment before saying, "We stop here. If someone's in distress, then it's our obligation to help them."

   "It's just as well, too."

   The Autobot leader turned to see Wheeljack and Bulkhead returning to the bridge. "Why is that?" he asked.

   "Well, the hyper-drive's in great condition, like I said," Wheeljack replied. "But we seem to have another situation."

   "Tell me," Optimus said urgently.

   "We're missing a rear thruster."