THE LONG GAME
Starscream watched the devastation from the safety of his personal quarters.He couldn’t decide what he was most impressed with: the giant green-and-purple combiner attacking Fortress Maximus, or the fact that the Autobots had brought in every possible flier and soldier to combat him. Sure, some of his Seekers were present, but that was mostly for show. He wouldn’t want to come to the next council meeting and be assaulted with accusations of not doing enough to help.
That is… if there was a next council meeting.
He had to admit, this was a big decision for him to make here. He had no idea who these Decepticons were working for or why, but the fact that they were pulling out all the stops — such as a giant combiner — to attack the Autobots’ most heavily fortified base on Cybertron had to mean they were working towards something important. And he wanted in on whatever it was.
Scratch that then. It was an easy decision for him to make here.
Turning away from the window, Starscream made his way over to his desk. Laying on its surface was a datapad that had been given to him a year ago by a certain someone. Even now, as he stared upon the device, he could still hear the last words Megatron had ever said to him as clear as day.
I do hope you appreciate it, Starscream. I worked hard on it.
Since that day, Starscream had not dare switch on the device to view its contents, even after Megatron had given him permission to do so upon his demise. There was still a part of him that was paranoid about it being a bomb or something that would kill him one way or another. After all, it would be the perfect payback for all the times Starscream had tried to usurp command of the Decepticons.
Would Megatron have pulled such a trick, though? It was something he would have done, certainly. But Megatron tended to be a bit more… overt with his actions. Save for the “amnesiac” ploy he did back on Earth two years ago, the Decepticon leader had always been direct and blunt when delivering punishments to his underlings. If he wanted Starscream dead, he would have blasted him in the face a year ago as soon as he had stepped foot in the Seeker’s office. It wasn’t as if the Autobots would have cared if Starscream was murdered….
By this point, the curiosity was becoming overwhelming. Even if it was a bomb, Starscream had to know. He had to know what it was Megatron had worked “so hard on” and was willing to bestow to him. A year had become long enough for putting this off.
Picking up the datapad, Starscream braced himself before switching it on. The screen lit up and Megatron’s face appeared before him. The Seeker’s spark began pulsing quickly.
“Starscream,” the Decepticon leader said from beyond the grave. “If you are watching this, it means that I am dead or soon will be. Knowing you, you’ve probably put off watching this for a year, maybe ten years, before mustering the courage to view it. Or maybe you’ve destroyed it by now. I suppose I’ll never know.”
Starscream felt as if all his joints had locked up. The Decepticon leader knew him far too well for his liking.
“In any case, I want you to pay close attention. If you turn this off before I have finished speaking, or you decide to chuck this datapad across the room, then you will have one second to escape before it detonates.”
Starscream squawked but quickly sealed his mouth shut as Megatron continued speaking.
“Optimus Prime and I are about to depart for Luna One. I know not what we will find there; all I know is that I will not be returning. In order for my plan to work, I need to be taken out of the picture.”
The Seeker shuddered at the word “plan.” Was this yet another one of Megatron’s long games? Was the leader of the Decepticons still making plans even from beyond the grave?
“I’m assuming the Decepticons are under your command by this point, and that you are still making peace with the Autobots. Even if neither of those are the case, it is irrelevant. The pieces will fall into place regardless. Your first course of action is simple.
“On this device, you will find an encrypted message that, once sent, will be received by all Decepticons. This message will provide you and the others with your next orders, and you will proceed from there.”
On the screen, Megatron’s expression darkened. “You would be wise to obey my orders, Starscream. Even in death, there is no command but my own.”
With those parting words, the screen went blank and Starscream was left with Megatron’s cold voice haunting his audio receptors. Outside, Devastator continued his rampage, swatting away Autobot and Decepticon planes alike.
The time had come for him to make his decision.
And so he did.
* * *
“Deathsaurus has been freed, my liege. What are our next orders?”
Quake stood tensely before the stoic form of Ratbat. The leader of the Ultracons stood on the edge of an escarpment which oversaw Iacon and Devastator’s assault on Fortress Maximus. He had not said a word since the Ultracons had begun their attack.
“The other four have been freed as well,” Quake quickly added. “Shall I order them to form Liokaiser and proceed to the next step?”
Ratbat remained silent, keeping his gaze focused on the devastation below. It was at that moment Quake heard the distant rumble of a ground vehicle approaching. He turned to see an armored blue and silver truck rolling onto the ledge on which they stood. Quickly determining its identity, Quake drew his gun and aimed it at the truck as it transformed into the robot form of Soundwave.
“Don’t come any closer,” Quake growled.
“I am not here to fight,” Soundwave replied. “I have come to speak with Ratbat.”
Ratbat shifted as he looked over his shoulder at Soundwave. “And just what is it you seek to accomplish by speaking with me?” he asked in a monotonic tone.
“I wish to understand what has happened to you,” said Soundwave. “Ever since you sent me that warning, I have been unable to regain my connection to you. You gave me coordinates to the Ultracon base, but it was already abandoned by the time I got there.”
Quake glanced at Ratbat. “Is this true, boss?”
“It is,” Ratbat said flatly. “It was a mistake my past self made before I was fully enlightened. A mistake I was quick to fix, hence why I had us relocate.”
“But something has happened to you,” Soundwave said. “You were warning me that someone was ‘playing you’ and using Shockwave’s Regenesis ores. Who were you trying to warn me about?”
Ratbat turned around to fully face Soundwave. His yellow visor, which took up his entire face, began to glow. “Our loyalties lie with the Grand Architect. Everything we have done has been dedicated to furthering his agenda.”
“Who is the Grand Architect?” Soundwave asked. “Why are you working for him?”
Ratbat inclined his head to Quake. “Kill him.”
The maroon-and-blue Decepticon raised his gun at Soundwave but hesitated to pull the trigger. Something about Soundwave’s queries were striking a chord with him. Why were they working for the Grand Architect? Sure, Ratbat had made a convincing argument in aligning themselves with him… but they didn’t know anything about him. How did they know this Grand Architect wasn’t using Ratbat to deceive them?
“I said, kill him.”
Before Quake could even make a decision, Soundwave released a deafening sonic boom from his chest. The blast sent Quake flying backwards and off the edge of the escarpment, falling to the ground below.
Unaffected by the assault, Ratbat unsheathed his double-bladed sword and lunged at Soundwave. The communications officer dodged the first swipe before throwing his fist into the side of Ratbat’s head. The Ultracon leader did not so much as grunt from the blow and quickly delivered a slash across Soundwave’s chest with his blade. As Soundwave keeled over, Ratbat thrust his knee into his abdomen before kicking him onto his back. He then readied his left arm cannon and pointed it at Soundwave’s head.
“Nothing can stop the agenda,” Ratbat said coldly. “Our transcendence is inevitable.”
Soundwave groaned as the barrel of the cannon glowed. He stared into the visor of his former master and servant in one last ditch effort to probe his mind.
Nothing. All he found was nothing.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. Ratbat lost his balance and started to stagger backwards, his arms flinging wildly. Seeing an opportunity opening, Soundwave struggled back to his feet and threw himself at the Ultracon leader, sending them tumbling off the edge. They broke apart when they hit the ground, with the smaller Ratbat rolling several feet away from Soundwave. Waiting for him as he came to a stop was Quake, who had his arms poised to deliver another seismic attack.
Looking up at the Decepticon tank, Ratbat said, “Now is your chance. Finish him.”
Quake looked from him to Soundwave, who had yet to pick himself off the ground. After regarding the other Decepticon for a moment, Quake returned his eyes to Ratbat… and brought his fist back down, smashing it into the Ultracon’s head.
“No!” Soundwave cried. “We need him alive!”
Quake stopped himself from pummeling Ratbat further, though the damage was already done. The leader of the Ultracons laid before him with his visor totally shattered and his cranial unit crashed inward. It would have been a miracle if his brain module was still functioning.
Getting back to his feet, Soundwave walked over to join Quake, regarding the battered Ratbat with a somber look. “What made you decide to attack him instead?” he asked the tank Decepticon.
“He was closer,” Quake replied.
Soundwave sighed but dropped the subject. He couldn’t help but notice that things had gotten awfully quiet. It was then that he realized that Devastator had abruptly ceased his rampage and appeared to be frozen place, almost as if in shock.
That was when he heard it.
“Decepticons, this is your Emperor speaking.”
Quake stood tensely before the stoic form of Ratbat. The leader of the Ultracons stood on the edge of an escarpment which oversaw Iacon and Devastator’s assault on Fortress Maximus. He had not said a word since the Ultracons had begun their attack.
“The other four have been freed as well,” Quake quickly added. “Shall I order them to form Liokaiser and proceed to the next step?”
Ratbat remained silent, keeping his gaze focused on the devastation below. It was at that moment Quake heard the distant rumble of a ground vehicle approaching. He turned to see an armored blue and silver truck rolling onto the ledge on which they stood. Quickly determining its identity, Quake drew his gun and aimed it at the truck as it transformed into the robot form of Soundwave.
“Don’t come any closer,” Quake growled.
“I am not here to fight,” Soundwave replied. “I have come to speak with Ratbat.”
Ratbat shifted as he looked over his shoulder at Soundwave. “And just what is it you seek to accomplish by speaking with me?” he asked in a monotonic tone.
“I wish to understand what has happened to you,” said Soundwave. “Ever since you sent me that warning, I have been unable to regain my connection to you. You gave me coordinates to the Ultracon base, but it was already abandoned by the time I got there.”
Quake glanced at Ratbat. “Is this true, boss?”
“It is,” Ratbat said flatly. “It was a mistake my past self made before I was fully enlightened. A mistake I was quick to fix, hence why I had us relocate.”
“But something has happened to you,” Soundwave said. “You were warning me that someone was ‘playing you’ and using Shockwave’s Regenesis ores. Who were you trying to warn me about?”
Ratbat turned around to fully face Soundwave. His yellow visor, which took up his entire face, began to glow. “Our loyalties lie with the Grand Architect. Everything we have done has been dedicated to furthering his agenda.”
“Who is the Grand Architect?” Soundwave asked. “Why are you working for him?”
Ratbat inclined his head to Quake. “Kill him.”
The maroon-and-blue Decepticon raised his gun at Soundwave but hesitated to pull the trigger. Something about Soundwave’s queries were striking a chord with him. Why were they working for the Grand Architect? Sure, Ratbat had made a convincing argument in aligning themselves with him… but they didn’t know anything about him. How did they know this Grand Architect wasn’t using Ratbat to deceive them?
“I said, kill him.”
Before Quake could even make a decision, Soundwave released a deafening sonic boom from his chest. The blast sent Quake flying backwards and off the edge of the escarpment, falling to the ground below.
Unaffected by the assault, Ratbat unsheathed his double-bladed sword and lunged at Soundwave. The communications officer dodged the first swipe before throwing his fist into the side of Ratbat’s head. The Ultracon leader did not so much as grunt from the blow and quickly delivered a slash across Soundwave’s chest with his blade. As Soundwave keeled over, Ratbat thrust his knee into his abdomen before kicking him onto his back. He then readied his left arm cannon and pointed it at Soundwave’s head.
“Nothing can stop the agenda,” Ratbat said coldly. “Our transcendence is inevitable.”
Soundwave groaned as the barrel of the cannon glowed. He stared into the visor of his former master and servant in one last ditch effort to probe his mind.
Nothing. All he found was nothing.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. Ratbat lost his balance and started to stagger backwards, his arms flinging wildly. Seeing an opportunity opening, Soundwave struggled back to his feet and threw himself at the Ultracon leader, sending them tumbling off the edge. They broke apart when they hit the ground, with the smaller Ratbat rolling several feet away from Soundwave. Waiting for him as he came to a stop was Quake, who had his arms poised to deliver another seismic attack.
Looking up at the Decepticon tank, Ratbat said, “Now is your chance. Finish him.”
Quake looked from him to Soundwave, who had yet to pick himself off the ground. After regarding the other Decepticon for a moment, Quake returned his eyes to Ratbat… and brought his fist back down, smashing it into the Ultracon’s head.
“No!” Soundwave cried. “We need him alive!”
Quake stopped himself from pummeling Ratbat further, though the damage was already done. The leader of the Ultracons laid before him with his visor totally shattered and his cranial unit crashed inward. It would have been a miracle if his brain module was still functioning.
Getting back to his feet, Soundwave walked over to join Quake, regarding the battered Ratbat with a somber look. “What made you decide to attack him instead?” he asked the tank Decepticon.
“He was closer,” Quake replied.
Soundwave sighed but dropped the subject. He couldn’t help but notice that things had gotten awfully quiet. It was then that he realized that Devastator had abruptly ceased his rampage and appeared to be frozen place, almost as if in shock.
That was when he heard it.
“Decepticons, this is your Emperor speaking.”
* * *
“For too long have I been laying low, cooperating with the Autobots while they push on with their useless quests and endeavors.”
Krok sat in the deserted Swerve’s with Spacewarp and Nickel. Everyone else on the Lost Light had since migrated onto Metroplex, but the three of them had stayed behind on the ship. They simply weren’t in the mood to continue interacting with Autobots and having to explain their presence for the nth time. This was probably for the best, as otherwise this would have been difficult to explain.
“Since my return from the grave, I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to strike; for when the Autobots would become weak enough for us to move in and claim what is ours.”
“That better not be who I think it is,” Spacewarp muttered.
“This has to be some kind of joke.” Nickel glanced at Krok. “Right?”
But all Krok could do was listen to the message as it continued playing in his audio sensors.
“That moment has come.”
* * *
Scorponok seethed with rage while Banzai-Tron, Shatter, and the other Ultracons present stood in a state of astonishment. All of them could hear the voice of the departed leader of the Decepticons as he somehow spoke to them all from beyond the grave.
“It is time for us to gather as one once more! To abandon our alliance with the Autobots and assert ourselves as the true rulers of Cybertron!”
“This is a hoax,” Scorponok snarled, flexing his claws. “There is no way he can be back. He’s already died twice!”
“The signal it’s broadcasting from is legitimate,” murmured Banzai-Tron. “I would recognize it anywhere.”
Scorponok refused to believe it. If Megatron had indeed returned, it would throw a spanner into not only his plans but that of the Grand Architect’s. All of the progress he had made was about to be flushed away by a ghost of the past. He would not have it.
Storming up to Banzai-Tron, Scorponok grabbed his shoulder and forcibly turned the other Decepticon around to look at him. “Ignore it,” he growled. “Megatron is dead! You all work for me, now!”
“We never worked for you,” said Shatter, her voice deadly quiet. “We were simply working with you to further our own plans. But if Megatron has returned—”
“He hasn’t!” Scorponok bellowed. “You are being deceived! Prepare the Talisman for use; the Autobots should be here any minute now!”
The message continued playing, undeterred. “Your first course of action is simple.”
“Don’t listen to it! Obey my command!”
“Converge on Earth.”
Scorponok lost his composure at this. He had been expecting the message to direct the Decepticons back to Cybertron, not here on Earth. What interest could Megatron — if this was indeed him — possibly have with a planet such as Earth?
But the message did not offer any answers, for it had ceased playing.
A large shadow fell over them, eclipsing Scorponok and the others. He looked up to see a massive Titan hanging in the sky of Verenya.
The Autobots were here.
“It is time for us to gather as one once more! To abandon our alliance with the Autobots and assert ourselves as the true rulers of Cybertron!”
“This is a hoax,” Scorponok snarled, flexing his claws. “There is no way he can be back. He’s already died twice!”
“The signal it’s broadcasting from is legitimate,” murmured Banzai-Tron. “I would recognize it anywhere.”
Scorponok refused to believe it. If Megatron had indeed returned, it would throw a spanner into not only his plans but that of the Grand Architect’s. All of the progress he had made was about to be flushed away by a ghost of the past. He would not have it.
Storming up to Banzai-Tron, Scorponok grabbed his shoulder and forcibly turned the other Decepticon around to look at him. “Ignore it,” he growled. “Megatron is dead! You all work for me, now!”
“We never worked for you,” said Shatter, her voice deadly quiet. “We were simply working with you to further our own plans. But if Megatron has returned—”
“He hasn’t!” Scorponok bellowed. “You are being deceived! Prepare the Talisman for use; the Autobots should be here any minute now!”
The message continued playing, undeterred. “Your first course of action is simple.”
“Don’t listen to it! Obey my command!”
“Converge on Earth.”
Scorponok lost his composure at this. He had been expecting the message to direct the Decepticons back to Cybertron, not here on Earth. What interest could Megatron — if this was indeed him — possibly have with a planet such as Earth?
But the message did not offer any answers, for it had ceased playing.
A large shadow fell over them, eclipsing Scorponok and the others. He looked up to see a massive Titan hanging in the sky of Verenya.
The Autobots were here.
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