CHAPTER FOUR
--Muta-Gaath Nebula--
Cosmos paced back and forth in the massive chamber, repeatedly checking his internal clock as the hours passed by. He knew that Cybertron had received his message; that much he was certain. But were they going to send anyone to get him? That, he wasn't so sure about.
Of course, why wouldn't they? This was Omega Supreme they were dealing with here. A legend among Transformers if there ever was one. And to be fair, the Muta-Gaath wasn't exactly easy to navigate.
Cosmos sighed as he looked at the inert guardian. Omega had lapsed into stasis lock a while ago and was probably running self-repair routines. Whoever had done this to him had not come back in the past few hours, meaning they were most likely alone on the asteroid. Perhaps it wouldn't matter if he left him for a few minutes to explore....
Stepping around the resting Omega, Cosmos found just behind him the throne which the guardian normally sat upon, support cables dangling uselessly from it. A lot of them seemed to be torn, indicating that Omega Supreme had been forcefully disconnected from his throne. But what could have possibly been large or powerful enough to perform such a feat?
Transforming to his ship mode, Cosmos began to circle around the throne as he inspected it further. All along the seat were scratch marks and scorches, further indication that there had been a struggle. Upon hovering closer, he also found the same words Omega had been repeating etched out on the seat.
Prepare. Confront. Repel.
Furthermore, just beneath the phrase was a strange hieroglyph, shaped like a gear with three points. He couldn't even begin to theorize what its significance was, but he was sure it had to mean something.
Flying back to Omega Supreme, he transformed and landed to check on the guardian. To his surprise, Omega was back online, his optics dim but alive. Upon seeing Cosmos, the larger Autobot frowned.
"Yuuu." He sputtered with static for a moment before finally speaking with clarity. "You... have to leave," the ancient robot rumbled.
"What? No." Cosmos shook his head. "I came here for you. I'm bringing you back to Cybertron."
"No." Omega Supreme's response was firm, despite his weakened state. "You cannot stay here. You must leave."
"Forget it. I'm not leaving you behind. Besides, there's already someone on their way."
"Then you have only assured their fates."
With that, Omega Supreme's optics went dark again. Before Cosmos could process what had just happened, he heard the large doors behind him slowly creak open....
--The Lost Light--
"This is suicide."
"This is what we like to call a rescue mission." Star Saber cast a glance over his shoulder, standing on the bridge of the Lost Light as it navigated the Muta-Gaath Nebula. "I realize the two may look the same to you, but when you're an Autobot...."
Vector Prime scowled as he stepped onto the bridge. "I thought we were searching for the Knights of Cybertron."
"Oh, now all of a sudden you care? Funny; I hadn't heard a single word from you on that for the last year or so."
"I was content when we were on track," Vector muttered. "Detours like Belruvia I can understand, given they were along the way. But this... this is complete backtracking. Not to mention foolhardy, reckless, suicidal--"
"Yes, I believe you've made your point." Star Saber turned away from the ancient Prime to the ship's navigator. "How much further now, Skyblast?"
"Shouldn't be too long," the white and red bot replied. "The storms are beginning to subside, meaning we should be getting close."
"And will our scanners be able to detect the asteroid?"
"It should, or my name isn't Signal Flare," said a blue and tan bot. "I mean... it'll still be regardless. I fought hard to get this name, y'know. I didn't want to be called Omnicon my whole life...."
Vector Prime harrumphed as he folded his arms. "Who is it we're even rescuing?"
"Omega Supreme, last of the Omega Sentinels," said Ginrai. "He's been with the Autobots since the beginning."
At this, Vector's demeanor softened a bit. "I wasn't aware he still functioned."
"I take it you know him?" asked Star Saber.
"The Omega Sentinels were involved in our attempts at making contact with life beyond Cybertron," Vector replied. "The first world we visited immediately turned against us and Omega Supreme was forced to wipe out the entire population."
"...I'm sorry, did I hear that right?" Devcon asked from the ship's controls. "Dude, you can't just drop something like that so casually."
"I'll admit, I wasn't there for that particular event. I only learned of it from Alpha Trion, who was chronicling for Onyx and Megatronus."
"Yeesh. No wonder he stayed out for most of the war," Devcon muttered. "He was probably afraid he'd kill us all by accident."
"In any case, we're bringing him home," Star Saber said. "We can concern ourselves with urban legends another time."
"Says the bot searching for the Knights of Cybertron," Vector murmured.
Ignoring him, Star Saber kept his focus on the path ahead as the nebula gradually became more merciful. Eventually, the ship's scanners began to ping just as a large stationery asteroid came into view.
"I thought it was supposed to be cloaked," Ginrai remarked.
"Guess he's decided to be more welcoming," Devcon said. "Shall I bring us in closer, captain?"
"Not yet. Big Bang, see if you can hail him first."
"No can do," Big Bang grunted. "Something is scrambling our radar."
Star Saber frowned. "The nebula?"
"Don't know, but it's definitely not on our part."
"Uh, captain?" Signal Flare turned in his seat. "I'm picking up another ship, just on the other side of the asteroid."
Star Saber sighed. "Please don't tell me it's Decepticon."
"No, sir, it's Autobot. In fact, going off of how strong its energy signature is... I want to say it's the Vis Vitalis."
"Thunderclash's ship?" Ginrai asked. "I heard he'd died."
"He did, but his ship was left behind on Caminus," Star Saber said. "Rodimus told me about it when were going over the Lost Light's logs. I would have thought they'd have kept it there, given how much the Camiens worship him...."
"So, let me ask again," Devcon interjected. "Shall I bring us in?"
Star Saber thought it over for a moment before nodding. "Yes, but proceed with caution. We don't know what's waiting for us there."
"I think I do," Vector Prime said. "I just don't believe it's anything good."
* * *
Cosmos hid behind Omega Supreme's dormant form as the door slowly swung open. He didn't dare try to sneak a peek to see who they were, but he could tell there were at least two of them.
"So are we done here?" grunted a gruff, masculine voice.
"The Transwarp device is nearly ready," hissed a voice with a feminine tone. "Honestly, these Cybertronian devices are so rudimentary. I wish Flame had provided us with something more--"
"Hold it. I sense something."
Cosmos' spark pulsed as heard the female purr. "Oh, so do I."
Before Cosmos could do anything, he was being hoisted up in the air by a large gray and gold bot with spikes protruding from his armor. He was unlike any robot Cosmos had seen before, as was the serpentine fem-bot that was now pressing an arm blade to his neck.
"Oh, my dear little green friend," she said with a savage grin. "You have made a terrible mistake in coming here."
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