Transformers Regenerated: Origins - A Pirate's Life

Chronology: Cycle 9704 (AD 1904) (three years after Volume XI)
EDITED 6/24/2018 Changed Ferak's story

A PIRATE'S LIFE

--The Tidal Wave--

    In the three years that had followed Thundertron's demise at Scorponok's hand, Axer found himself enjoying the Star Seekers' company more than he ever had in the past. He owed much of that to Cannonball becoming captain and allowing more Cybertronians on board, primarily ex-Decepticons, giving Axer someone to talk to.

    Regardless, there was one Star Seeker whom he was the most friendly with, though only because they were friendly with pretty much everyone. Known only by the name of Thunderlane (despite his bestial alt mode), the old mech ran the oil pit bar on board the Tidal Wave. Having been with the Star Seekers since the beginning, he was an endless repository for stories. And Axer happened to be a captive audience for them.

    As Axer seated himself at the counter, Thunderlane flashed him a grin. "What'll it be, lad? The usual?"

    "Actually, I'm in the mood for some Nightmare Fuel." Axer dropped a few credits on the counter. "And maybe a tale of yours, if you're fine with that."

    Thunderlane laughed as he prepared Axer's beverage. "You're the only one who listens so of course I'm fine with it. What do ya want to know?"

    "How did Thundertron come to lead the Star Seekers?"

    Thunderlane's face darkened as he handed the ex-Decepticon his drink. "Aye, now that is quite the tale. Let's see... it all started over nine hundred years ago, give or take, when someone else was commandin' the Tidal Wave."

    "Who?" 

    "Cannonball. Oh, but not the one you know, rather someone with his name. Thundertron had been his first mate, up until then...."

--Toruin, 985 years ago--

    "Arr! These Genericons don't know when to let up!" Cannonball the Fourth bellowed as he fired his arm cannon from the boarding ramp of the Tidal Wave. The massive ship was trapped in the sky of Toruin, having been caught by a tractor beam.

    At his side was Thundertron, deflecting fire with his sword. "Maybe if you didn't murder their king, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

    The captain sneered. "Let's see you do better, beastie. You probably would have done the same, being the savage beast that you are!"

    "Yes, I might have," Thundertron snarled. "But I would have planned it out, consider the consequences, weighed my options, and do a much more thorough job!"

    Cannonball snorted. "A pity, then, that you are not captain."

    "That can be easily remedied."

    Cannonball never had the chance to react to this statement before he was sent plummeting towards the ground. As he landed hard on his back, he saw his former first mate close the boarding ramp behind him. Moments later, the Tidal Wave's outer guns fired at the tractor beam generator, destroying it, before taking for the skies. Cannonball opened his mouth to let loose a string of curses, but fell silent when a crowd of angered Toruin natives surrounded him....

--Present--

    "He pushed him off?"

    Thunderlane nodded. "And from that point forward, Thundertron had total reign on the Tidal Wave. He had all of the Cybertronians on board-- and any who tried to join afterwards-- executed... with one exception."

    "The current Cannonball."

    "Right on, lad." Thunderlane moved to serve a white mech who had just sat down next to Axer. "Hard to believe though, isn't it? All it took was a simple push to end-- at the time, of course-- the legacy of captains which had lasted for thousands of years."

    "Thank Primus it didn't last," muttered the mech next to Axer. "Otherwise, Tornado and I would still be moseying around asteroid fields."

    Axer turned to face him. "I know you. You're Ferak, right? Inventor of the Nightmare Engine?"

    "My reputation precedes me," the ex-Decepticon grunted. "What's it to ya', pal?"

    "Well, what the slag are you doing in a joint like this? I thought you died at Pova with the rest of Squadron X."

    Ferak smirked. "I would've if I hadn't done the smart thing and ran. Me and Tornado tailed out as soon as the Wreckers showed up. Macabre never got the chance to shoot us down when Impactor started pummeling him. We wandered the stars for spark knows how long until we were picked up by you guys a year ago."

    Axer nodded. "So how are you liking it here so far?"

    Ferak shrugged. "Eh, I've been on worse ships. The Pale Fire was nothing special... though I've been meaning to ask: is it just me, or does this ship look like it could--"

    "All hands on deck!" the gruff voice of first mate Stronghorn sounded through the intercom. "Repeat: All hands on deck! We need reinforcements here on the bridge."

    Axer frowned. "Are we under attack?"

    Thunderlane shook his head. "Don't reckon so, lad. If it's on the bridge, then our captain's probably just havin' trouble with negotiations...."

*  *  *

    "You loathsome cretin!" 

    All optics watched as the black-armored femme hoisted Cannonball up in the air, an impressive feat given her more slender form than his bulky build. "You chiseled me!"

    "So I gave you 650 Shanix instead of 700." Cannonball managed a grin despite the femme's choke-hold on him. "I'm sure you'll get by; a beauty like you probably has it easy."

    Flamewar's optics blazed hatefully. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

    "My first guess would be the High Duchess of Vestum, but you're not quite ugly enough."

    Infuriated by this statement, Flamewar prepared to claw at the captain's face but was suddenly tackled from behind by two identical mechs in white and aqua green. They wrenched the crazed femme away from Cannonball and pinned her arms behind her back.

    Massaging his neck, Cannonball smirked at Flamewar. "You're a fierce one, lassie, I'll give you that. We could use someone with your ferocity; you'd fit right in."

    Flamewar sneered at him. "My loyalty lies only with the Decepticon Empire!"

    Cannonball shrugged nonchalantly. "Your loss. It was a pleasure doing business with you, milady. Cutback, Lockpick, take her away."

    As the two clones left the bridge with Flamewar, Axer stepped from the crowd that had gathered to watch the spat.

    "Er, is everything under control, cap'n?"

    "Everything is just dandy!" Cannonball said, taking a swig from a can of energon. "Now get back to work, ye scaly wags! Set sail for Athenia!"

    As they headed for their stations, Axer whispered to Ferak, "So, any second thoughts yet?"

    Ferak grinned wickedly. "You kidding? This pirate's life is just right for me!"

    Axer returned the smile. "On that, we can agree on."

FIN

---
Below is the original version of Ferak and Tornado's story.
---

    "Well, what the slag are you doing in a joint like this?"

    Ferak smirked. "Simple, kid; when the Nightmare Engine didn't do as well as planned at Clemency, I wasn't willing to suffer whatever punishment Megatron or Macabre had in mind for me, so I took flight."

    "And Tornado went with you?"

    "Nah, I met up with him about forty years ago. Apparently Macabre and his gang had a little run in with our arch-enemies, the Wreckers. Things weren't looking so hot for Squadron X, so Tornado made a run for it. I then ran into him on Hedonia and we fared the space lanes until we ran into you guys last year."

Star Wars Endgame: Episode VI, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

    Jaden groaned as he came to his senses. His head weighed like a thousand tons of duracrete and his arms moved like a lifeless puppet's when he tried to move them. Eventually he managed to shake off his body's numbness and slowly sat up.

    The last thing he remembered was the ship heading straight into the Maw. Now he was a dark cave, moonlight pouring in from its mouth. No bird sang, no bugs chirped, no water rushed; he was in complete silence.

    And he could feel himself wading in the dark side.

    Whatever this planet was, it felt like a nexus of darkness. Fear, anger, hatred, and despair flooded through him; no positive thought or feeling could banish these emotions. If the dark side of the Force was living being, he was at its very heart.

    As he tried to resist the temptations of the darkness, a voice sounded in his head. It spoke no intelligible words, but it did beckon him to turn away from the cave's entrance and towards its abyss.

    Standing there, clad in ancient armor, red eyes blazing with malice, was Darth Vorath.

    Jaden's hand shot for his lightsaber, only to remember it was gone. He then lifted his gaze to meet the Sith Lord's and saw that the red eyes had gone out. Darth Vorath stood as erect and lifeless as a statue.

    Thousands of questions rushed through Jaden's head, though they were all pushed away by the voice's next command: Approach him.

    Jaden wanted to resist the order, but his body seemed to have other ideas. He slowly stepped towards the long-dead Dark Lord of the Sith. As he did, those red eyes came back to life.

    "Why do you fear the darkness?" The ancient, grating voice of the Sith caused Jaden to cringe. "The darkness soothes you with its cold air, while the light scorches your skin."

    "But you can't see in the darkness," Jaden said. "And it might be cold enough to give you frostbite."

    Vorath said nothing-- and Jaden didn't blame him; that had to be the worst comeback he had ever come up with. The two men stood in eternal silence, staring at each other. Then, the voice in Jaden's head spoke again.

    Remove his helmet.

    No thanks, Jaden thought back, but his hands were already moving to do just that. They grabbed either side of the Dark Lord's helmet and slowly lifted it.

    He saw the face of the monster. And screamed.

    Regaining control of his body, he threw the helmet aside and pushed Darth Vorath back into the abyss. He then turned on his heel to flee the cave but was stopped by a tendril coiling around his ankle.

    Don't leave your Mother.

    His blood ran cold for a moment before shaking off the tentacle and running out of the cave's gaping maw at incredible speed.

*  *  *

    "I keep telling you and you never listen."

    "Shut up, Yin," Arek muttered to the Kel Dor trudging behind him, Natia, and Arila. The four of them were traversing the strange jungle planet they had somehow arrived on.

    "Bad things always happen to us!" Zarn exclaimed. "We always get jinxed! We can't have a peaceful day to ourselves!"

    "Especially if you keep yelling," Arila retorted, rubbing her large ears.

    "Focus, guys," Arek snapped. "We have to find Commander Zanab and the others. They could've ended up anywhere on the planet."

    "Speaking of, this place is giving me the creeps," Natia said. "I just saw that plant move."

    "Ignore it and maybe it won't eat you."

    They continued their trek, their path illuminated by the moonlight. None of them noticed it at first, but the jungle landscape was slowly starting to fade away. By the time they reached a shore, any hint of the jungle had vanished.

    "Well, that's bizarre," Arila murmured.

    "Yeah, jungles usually don't disappear like that," Arek said.

    "That, too. But I was referring to the fact that you don't hear anything on this planet. No birds or bugs chirping, no wind howling, and ocean isn't even moving."

    Arek frowned. "I have a--"

    "Don't say it!" Zarn hissed. "You'll just make our predicament worse!"

    "Oh, I highly doubt that's possible, children."

    The four of them spun around to see a twisted figure standing rigidly before them. Humanoid and vaguely female, she had straw-like hair cascading down her back, kissing the ground. Her stubby arms extended no more than ten centimeters from her shoulders and ended in tentacle-like fingers. Her wicked grin crossed her mouth from ear-to-ear. Silver lights twinkled in empty, black eye sockets.

    She was more than just something from a horror flick Arek recalled from his childhood. She was a horror flick unto herself.

    While the troopers were too stricken with fear to speak, Natia said to the monstrosity, "Are you Mother?"

    The entity bared its teeth-- sharp and crooked. "To some, yes. But you are not my children. You may call me... Abeloth."

    A cold wind passed over the group as she spoke the name. A mist began to surround the twisted woman, giving her an ethereal aspect.

    "I'm gonna call you dead if you don't tell us what's going on," Arek growled, drawing his blaster.

    Abeloth let out a horrible laugh, sounding like nails scratching on steel. "Do you truly believe that you can harm me with that toy?"

    She lashed out with a tentacle and snatched the blaster away. At the same time, a dark fog began to surround them.

    "Naughty children deserve to be punished," Abeloth hissed. "Let Mother teach you your ways."

Transformers Regenerated: Origins - Unseen in Action

UNSEEN IN ACTION

--Tesarus, First Great War (Cycle 7784)--

    "Ripcord, where's Impactor?"

    From his spot in the trench which the Wreckers had dug out on Tesarus' battlefield, the silver and blue Autobot turned to his commander Crest and shrugged.

    "No idea, sir. I paired him up with Piston; haven't seen either of 'em since."

    Crest scowled as he dodged enemy fire. "That kid's gonna get us killed if no one keeps a leash on him."

    "Wait, sir! I see him!" Valve called from the watchtower. "He's... he's taken on Eradicon."

    Crest's optics dilated. "What?! Is Piston with him?"

    "Yeah, he's... one of the two corpses by Impactor."

    "One of--? Who's the other?"

    "Eradicon."

--Iacon (Cycle 7784)--

    "Crest, my suspension of disbelief can only go so far," Sentinel Prime said to the Wrecker commander as the former paced in his office. "Do you mean to tell me this rookie-- Impactor-- killed one of Trannis' top generals with his bare hands?"

    "That's what I said," Crest said sharply.

    Sentinel gave him a skeptical look. "Why should I believe you? Did you even witness him?"

    "Well, no--"

    "Then we have nothing more to discuss," the Prime said gruffly. "Regardless of the truth, Eradicon is dead."

    "But, Prime, he killed a mech--"

    "What else would you expect in war? I said we have nothing more to discuss, commander. Please leave."

    With a huff, Crest did as ordered.

--Uraya, First Great War (Cycle 7814)--

    "Medic! We need a medic!"

    Three vehicles drove up to the two Autobots' position. One of them, a white and blue rocket launcher, transformed and rushed over to them, carrying a first aid kit. The others morphed as well, grimacing at the gaping hole in Crest's chest.

    Cradling his leader's body in his arms, Impactor looked up at Fastfix imploringly. "Fix him."

    The medic frowned. "I'm sorry, Impactor, but... his spark's been extinguished. There's nothing I can do."

    The violet and gold Autobot lowered his head in sorrow. Hyperion, the late Crest's second-in-command, walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

    "Who did this?" he asked.

    "Clench," Impactor said through gritted metal teeth.

    "Where is he now?"

    "He got away. His friends weren't so lucky."

    Hyperion frowned as he looked up, finally noticing the corpses that littered the battlefield of Uraya. "You... caused all of this?"

    Impactor said nothing.

    Hyperion sighed. "No matter. Let's get back to Iacon."

    "The transports are all filled with refugees," Ripcord said. "We'll have to leave Crest here."

    The other Wreckers expected Impactor to protest, but instead the violet mech simply got up from Crest's body and walked with them to the last transport.

--Toxic Sludge Swamps, Second Great War (Cycle 8823)--

    "Take that, you cybernetic freak!" Springer shouted as he shot down a Slicer whilst in midair.

    Tomahawk rolled his optics at his comrade's bravado. It almost seemed like a requirement that all Heliobots be reckless thrill-seekers. It was a wonder that they had suffered little to no casualties yet.

    Suddenly, one of the abominable Slicers that lurked the Sludge Swamps was upon him, pinning him to the ground. He wrestled with the creature's grip, trying to get a missile launcher aimed at it, but his attempts were in vain.

    Just as Tomahawk was ready to accept his fat, a silver blade descended, cutting through the Slicer's neck. A couple blast shots finished it for good. The old Autobot pushed the creature's smoldering corpse off of him and looked up to see Springer's smug visage.

    As much as he wanted to slap the expression off of the rookie's faceplate, Tomahawk couldn't help but smile back. "Nice one, kid. I thought for sure I was a goner."

    "Don't mention it," Springer said. "Really you should be thanking Sensei Yoketron; if it weren't for him, I'd be slicing my own head off."

    Tomahawk chuckled. At least he can be humble at times.

    He suddenly stopped when he saw a figure approaching through the fog. Thinking it to be another Slicer, he scrambled to his feet and aimed his blasters.

    "Easy, old friend," a voice came. "It's me."

    Tomahawk lowered his weapons. "Impactor."

    A battle-worn purple and gold Autobot emerged from the fog, his hands planted on his hips. Looking at Springer, he said, "That was some nice work you did there, kid."

    Springer blinked, clearly awed by being complimented by a veteran such as Impactor. "Uh, thank you, sir."

    Impactor smirked. "Don't call me 'sir.' We're teammates, you and I."

    "We are?"

    "Yup. I saw your name on the reservist list. I am here to welcome you into the Wreckers."

--Pova, Second Great War (Cycle 9664)

    Consciousness gradually came to Springer as his systems began to reboot. Immediately feeling the aching pain in his midsection, he remembered what had just happened.

    The Wreckers had been cornered by their life-long rivals, Squadron X. He had been trapped under rubble. Impactor had been there, but instead of coming to his lieutenant's rescue, he had used his body as a shield and fired a gun straight through his abdomen. Then darkness consumed him.

    His optics finally coming back online, Springer saw Impactor and the others standing over him, most likely unaware that he was still functioning.

    "--Squadron X uncomfortable," Roadbuster was saying. "Got inhibitor claws and mode locks on them just to crank up the humiliation."

    Grunting in satisfaction, Impactor brought out a communication device; the holographic visage of Prowl appeared.

    "We've got 'em, Prowl. Macabre, Fang, Triton; they're all rounded up and ready to go to Garrus-9."

    "What is your location?"

    "Pova, in the Redan Quadrant."

    Prowl frowned. "Then we have a problem. Pova has been declared neutral territory by both factions. Release them immediately before the Decepticons use this to turn the Povians against us."

    Impactor scowled. "Over my dead body."

    Prowl glared at him. "This is non-negotiable. Let them go now; that's an order. Prowl, out."

    The connection ended and Impactor immediately held a hand out to Roadbuster. "Gun. Now."

    The orange Autobot complied. As Impactor stormed over to the facility where the Squadron X members were being held, Springer knew right away what the Wrecker leader was planning to do.

    "Impactor! Wait!" he cried as he got to his feet and staggered after him. But the Autobot he had long idolized and looked up to did not listen. He strode into the cell and locked the door behind him.

    Bang.

    Springer threw himself against the door.

    Bang.

    Whirl and Roadbuster looked away in shame.

    Bang.

    Sandstorm and Broadside turned a blind eye.

    Bang.

    Rack'n'Ruin was unreadable as ever.

    Bang.

    The door gave way and Springer fell through. He looked up and saw, in horror, that he was already too late.

    Standing there was Impactor. And at his feet were five murdered prisoners of war.

-

    The last scene is based on a flashback from IDW's Last Stand of the Wreckers comic series.

Star Wars Endgame: Episode VI, Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

    Leaving the diner, Boba Fett strode down the streets of Derapha, one of Phaeda's largest cities. As he got absorbed by a crowd of sundry aliens, he was eventually joined by a young, brown-haired woman in a similar disguise as his.

    "Any luck?" he murmured to her.

    "Kind of. It's not much, but it's something."

    "Do you have a location? A lead?"

    "Just look for the carbonite slab."

    Fett grimaced as he and the woman whom he had recently discovered to be his granddaughter continued down the street. It had only been a month ago that he encountered Mirta Gev on Mandalore, claiming to be the daughter of his own child, Ailyn Vel. While Mirta had been raised to hate Fett by her mother, she lost that contempt after Ailyn was killed near the end of the Glorian War. Instead, she wished to meet and reconcile with her grandfather.

    During their meeting, Fett learned that his wife, Sintas Vel, had been missing for over thirty years. In order to find out Sintas' whereabouts, the two of them took Mirta's Hear of Fire jewel-- a pendant Fett had given Sintas while they were together-- to a Kiffar Mandalorian named Gotab. Using his psychometric abilities, Gotab revealed to them that Sintas had last been on Phaeda, hunting a gangster named Hidu Rezodar.

    With that lead, Fett and Mirta had gone to Phaeda in search of Sintas. The progress was going slow so far, and Fett knew that he was being pressed for time. The doctor he had went to on Kamino recently told him that the degradation which afflicted all of Jango Fett's clones was starting to take its toll on him.

    If he couldn't find a cure, then he would be satisfied with seeing his wife one last time.

    "Where would one find a carbonite slab?" Fett asked after a while.

    "My informant tells me there are a few storage houses in the city," Mirta replied. "She could be in one of those. Of course, they're owned by the local government, so it would cost a fortune."

    "It'll be worth it," Fett said. "Let's go."

*  *  *

    Kadar stepped off his ship and into the city of Derapha. As one of Phaeda's largest cities-- second only to its capital Chinesti-- it was a place easy to get lost in. To Kadar, that seemed like the ideal place for Boba Fett to be, if hiding was his intention. 

    He moved straight into a crowd of humans, Duros, and Grans. No one paid him a second glance... save for the poncho-wearing man that bore the face of Jango Fett.

    Target in range.

    Boba Fett quickened his pace. So did Kadar. Neither of them heeded the angry shouts from the denizens they bumped into as they ran through the streets. Once Kadar had a clear range of Fett, he fired a stun bolt from his blaster. The blue pulse of energy hit Fett square in the back and he crumpled to the ground.

    Moving over to the Mandalorian's prone form, Kadar turned Fett onto his back and pressed the barrel of his blaster against his forehead. To his surprise, Fett was smiling....

    ...And was not Boba Fett at all, if the Aurebesh letter on his temple was anything to go by.

    "I would think most clone troopers were dead by now," Kadar muttered.

    The man snorted. "I'm no clone. You'd be confusing me with my father. The likeness is uncanny, though, or so I've been told."

    Kadar put away his blaster before grabbing the man by the collar. "Where is Boba Fett?"

    "If I told you, I wouldn't be much of a Mando'a. Besides, he already knows that you're after him now." As he said this, the Fett decoy held up a comlink. Kadar easily snatched it from his hands.

    "Fett, I've found your decoy," Kadar snarled into the comlink. "Tell me where you are. It'll make both our lives easier."

    "Derapha Storage. Come and get me."

    With that, the connection ended. Dropping the comlink, Kadar activated his jetpack and took to the sky.

*  *  *

    "This is it," Mirta breathed, standing with her grandfather before a closed-up storage locker. "Rezodar's vault."

    Boba Fett nodded. "Let's open it."

    As she moved towards the locker, key card in hand, Mirta gave him a meaningful look. "Why did you tell that bounty hunter to come get you?"

    Fett did not answer. As if on cue, a man clad in white Mandalorian armor landed right behind them, a blaster trained on Fett's back.

    "Don't move."

    Boba Fett turned to face the newcomer. "It's Kadar, isn't it?"

    "You know me, then?"

    Fett shrugged. "White isn't a common armor color among Mandalorians; not to mention you've made quite a name for yourself. Why are you here?"

    "To kill you."

    "And are you?"

    "No." To Fett's mild surprise, Kadar holstered his blaster. "I'm here to warn you."

    "About what?"

    "There's a conspiracy at works. Not just against you, but I think to the other major powers of the galaxy."

    "When did you find this out?"

    "A week or so ago. I was working with some Alliance agents on Orinda and found some rogue Imperials plotting things. Then my brother came along, wanting me to kill you...."

    "And you think they're connected?"

    Kadar shrugged. "Doesn't feel like a coincidence to me."

    Fett nodded while crossing his arms. "What would you have me do, then?"

    "Shouldn't it be obvious? Be a real Mandalorian; fight for your clan and those who follow you."

    Fett shook his head. "I was never a real Mandalorian; never felt like one, anyway. People only followed me for my reputation and heritage... though I can have a way with words."

    Even with a helmet on, Kadar's cold gaze could be felt. "What, then? If Tral finds out you're still alive, he will send more assassins after you."

    "I know," Fett said. "And I do intend to do something about it. But right now...."

    He turned back to the storage locker, letting out a sigh.

    "I have a wife to thaw out."

Transformers Regenerated: Origins - Alone Together

ALONE TOGETHER

Rung's Case Notes File TM-3-10-98
Submitted: Cycle 9099
Subject: Ariel

    Right then. This one's a tricky case.

    Ariel was constructed cold on Cycle 8514, approximately three hundred years before the start of the Second Great War. However, the spark she was spliced from was incredibly drained; as a result, several of her systems, including her transformation cog, were rendered non functional.

    Because of being, effectively, a monoformer, as well as being constructed cold, she was frequently bullied and picked on by her peers at the Omnihelix Academy. This eventually became too much for her, and she screamed for them to stop... only to unleash a super-sonic scream that destroyed a good sixty-seven percent of the academy.

    As a result, Ariel was incarcerated at Garrus-16 by High Command. However, her sister bailed her out and promised to keep a careful optic on her. Several years passed without any incident... that is, until two months ago when Ariel vanished while the scout team she was a part of investigated a breakout at the Ferromax Detention Center. Afraid that she had been abandoned by her somewhat bigoted comrades, I personally asked Autobot Detective Nightbeat to find her.

    Thankfully, just last week, he returned with Ariel, who was unharmed. I put her through a therapy session to hear her tale.

    The results were... starling, to say the least.

--Transcript of session--

    Rung: Would you like a glass of energon?

    Ariel: No, thank you....

    Rung: Very well, then let us begin. First, tell me how well you got along with your teammates.

    Ariel: I... they didn't like me very much. They always picked on me and made fun of me not being able to transform. One of them... he called me an Action Master. I... I don't even know what that is.

    Rung: The Action Masters were a subgroup of the Militiant Monoform Movement. They were a bit more... anarchist than the rest of Triple M.

    Ariel: Why did he call me that then?

    Rung: I don't know. He could have been trying to provoke you, which, thankfully, he failed in. How did you get separated from your teammates.

    Ariel: We... we found these... these ruins in an asteroid belt. We were exploring it in our ship and....

    Rung: And...?

    Ariel: ...And I was playing with Sparkle.

    Rung: Sparkle?

    Ariel: My doll.

    Rung: Ah, I see. Go on.

    Ariel: I was playing with Sparkle and... and Plummet started teasing me about playing with toys, then he... then he took Sparkle and... and threw her out the ship.

    Rung: What did you do?

    Ariel: I went after her and then... and the others... flew away.

    Rung: I see. Then what happened?

    Ariel: I found Sparkle and... we went exploring on the asteroid. I... at first, I wondered if Plummet and the others were playing a game with me, but... they probably weren't, were they?

    Rung: I... very much doubt that. Please, go on.

    Ariel: Then I found this cave and... I could hear noises. Someone was in there.

    Rung: It could have been something. It was dangerous to go in there.

    Ariel: Yes, but... there was a very nice person in there. He was big and red with green optics and--

    Rung: What was his name?

    Ariel: X.

    Rung: Just that?

    Ariel: Yes.

    (Silence)

    Rung: Did he say anything to you?

    Ariel: Oh, yes! We talked about lots and lots of stuff. We had a lot in common.

    Rung: Such as?

    Ariel: Well, he said that people didn't like him either. That he got made fun of too. That's why he was on the asteroid all alone.

    Rung: So... you became friends with him?

    Ariel: Of course! I wanted to keep him company, and he seemed to like having me around. 

    Rung: Is that right? So, when Nightbeat found you....

    Ariel: I was outside the cave, collecting gems-- there were lots there!-- when Nightbeat appeared and told me it was time to go home. I was happy that someone had found me, but I couldn't leave without X. I tried to tell Nightbeat, but he wouldn't listen....

    (Silence)

    Rung: Right. Um, you see, Ariel... there's something you need to know.

    Ariel: What, Rang?

    Rung: It's Rung. See, not every 'bot can be your friend-- I'm sure you know that what with your experiences with Plummet and the others.

    Ariel: Plummet's mean!

    Rung: But X is even worse.

    Ariel: Wh-what?

    Rung: Ariel, X is wanted for the deaths of hundreds. Those ruins your team were exploring? He mad them that way.

    Ariel: N-no... X would never do that.

    Rung: He would. He has. I do believe he was planning to kill you.

    Ariel: But... but he acted nice to me!

    Rung: A ruse, most likely, so you wouldn't expect--

    Ariel: You're lying! You just don't want me to have friends because I'm... I'm different!

    Rung: Ariel, please, I'm only trying to--

    Ariel: You're mean! All of you! (The sound of running)

    Rung: No, don't--!

    (A door slam. A crash. Silence. Then, a door opening)

    ???: That went well.

    Rung: Not now, Kaput.

--End transcript--

    Yes, that certainly could have gone better. We were eventually able to calm Ariel down and I went through more sessions with her. Over time, she learned to control her emotions and her power scream. As far as I know, she is now serving on another scout team, this time with teammates who accept her for who she is.

    As for her encounter with Protoform X... I must confess that I am curious. Ariel was with him for two months. For as... naive as she is, X could have easily tricked her into being murdered far earlier than that. Could it be that he actually found a kindred spark with Ariel, who had been rejected by society as well?

    Alas, the answers lie only with the mad.

Star Wars Endgame: Episode VI, Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

    "Don't tell me; you're watching politics again."

    The dark-haired woman smiled sheepishly as her Neimoidian friend stepped into their apartment room. "It's what I enjoy, Su. I don't make comments on your collection of commerce advice holo-books."

    Su Koda scoffed as she folded her violet-draped arms. "I'm a finance person. So are you. What do you expect me to be interested in?"

    The woman merely shrugged as she returned her attention to the wide viewscreen. The Chief of State had just arrived on her podium and the Galactic Senate was instantly in an uproar. The clamor lasted for a good minute or two until the Chagrian Chair of the Senate silenced them with his booming authorative voice.

    If Via Eerin had been unsettled by the furor, she did not show it. Instead, she calmly said, "Now that you have voiced your disquiet in that incoherent outcry, let us handle things like sophisticated beings."

    Nensu Kaatik gave the entire Convocation Chamber a glare before saying coldly, "The Chair recognizes the Senator of Sullust."

    A repulsorpad detached from its connector and carried Senator Luewet Wuul towards the central podium.

    "What is the meaning of this?" he cried angrily. "Is it true that you have given the Imperial Remnant twelve sectors to expand their territory?"

    "We had no choice," Via retorted. "They had taken hostages."

    "Then send the army to free them!" bellowed the Senator of Antar 4. "The Imperials had no right to take hostages!"

   Several senators erupted with roars of assent, requiring Kaatik to silence them again.

    "The last thing I want is a war," Via said. "If we show the Imperials force, they'll return the favor."

    "We outnumber them!" shouted the Senator of Bothawui. "They don't stand a chance against us!"

    The woman toned out the rest of the senators' squabbling as she fell into contemplation regarding this news. She felt that there was something else at work, something behind the Imperials' actions.

    "Lyrsira?' Su Koda said to her. "Are you all right?"

    Lysira Naris looked up and gave her Neimoidian friend a meaningful look. "You sense it too, don't you? A disturbance in the Force."

    Su Koda slowly nodded, consternation visible in her eyes. "Yes, now that you mention it. What should we do?"

    "We shall convene with the others on Dromund Kaas. Send out the summons."

*  *  *

    The very moment Rancor Squad's ship had escaped Bastion's orbit, both it and the Ralroost went into hyperspace. They took separate routes, with the Rancors' ship taking its Jedi passengers back to Ossus.

    Sitting opposite of Jaden, Taana, and Natia in the passenger compartment, Arek Cobalt said, "So, a senator and five others are dead."

    Jaden nodded. "Correct."

    "And the Sith are somehow involved."

    "It appears so."

    "And you say you left a bunch of crazy clones behind."

    "That about sums it all up."

    Arek sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "How do you Jedi always manage to find trouble?"

    Jaden smirked. "It's a bad habit."

    "So now what?" Natia asked. "I don't think peace is going to last between the Alliance and the Imperials after what happened."

    "Whatever results from this, we shall respond to it as seen fit," Taana said.

    Arek snorted. "That's the problem with some of you Jedi; you react instead of act. You won't take charge of your own destiny."

    The Jedi Master opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by the ship suddenly shaking, nearly throwing everyone out of their seats.

    "What the kark is going on?" Arek exclaimed.

    "Something's screwing up the navi-computer," Commander Zanab replied from the cockpit. "We're not dropping out at Ossus for some reason."

    As Jaden got to his feet, he suddenly froze, dread etching out on his face. "We're not alone."

    "What do you mean?" Reeda Kanu asked, drawing her blaster rifle.

    "We have a stowaway on board."

    "That you do, brother."

    The Jedi and the troopers all turned to see a bald, green-eyed woman emerging from the shadows. Jaden recognized her as one of the mad clones.

    Arek raised his blaster at her. "Who are you and how did you get on board?"

    She smiled. "I am Seer, and I have my ways."

    "Why are you here?" Jaden asked, already predicting the answer.

    "To set you on the course of your destiny. The path to Mother."

    "Who the blazes is Mother?" Sirul growled.

    Seer did not answer, simply smiling silently. The ship abruptly lurched as it came out of hyperspace. Jaden turned to see their destination.

    A cluster of black holes.

    "Stang it," Zanab cursed. "Not the Maw. Why are we here?"

    "It's where Mother is waiting." Seer's emerald gaze bore into Jaden. "You must awaken her, brother."

    "Forget about it," Jaden snapped. "And stop calling me your brother; I am in no way related to you. I'm not... I'm not a clone."

    Seer's smile vanished. "You still refuse to remember. Don't worry; Mother will help you."

    As she said this, something took a hold of the ship. In moments, it was shooting towards the heart of the Maw....

Transformers Regenerated: Origins - One Survived the Wreck [NON-CANON]

NOTE 1/31/2016 I've decided to retcon this story out of my Regenerated universe. Some parts of it will remain but the rest -- such as dates and the last scene -- will be considered "non-canon".

ONE SURVIVED THE WRECK

Foreword of Memoirs of a Hunter, by Cybershark

    Call me Cybershark; that's what everyone calls me. The name I was born with is actually Hammerstrike, but that just sounds... it lacks the creativity of "Cybershark."

    Anyway, I'm a retired Autobot Peace Marshal of the Altihex Security Force, having served under the renowned Depth Charge. We've been comrades ever since the First Great War ended. Back then, we were both loners. The only reason we worked together was because we both shared the same goal: to catch crooks. Sure, that's what all Peace Marshals were supposed to do, but we were the only ones who did our work religiously.

    However, Depth Charge was alone in sharing a vendetta against one single 'bot; a failed experiment at creating an immortal Cybertronian designated Protoform X. About a decade before the war ended, when it seemed like the 'Cons were going to win the war, Sentinel Prime ordered the creation of an immortal super-soldier. The result, predictably, was not up to standard and Protoform X was imprisoned at Colony Omicron, where Depth Charge worked at.

    When the war was over, X broke out of his prison and pretty much slaughtered everyone at the colony, save for Depth Charge. He was traumatized by the event, happening so soon after the war. He went through at least forty-six therapy sessions with Rung. When he requested permission from Sentinel Prime to hunt down X, he was only allowed to do so with someone accompanying him, to keep him from doing something rash. I was that someone.

    It took four years, but we eventually found X at Starbase Rugby... or what was left of it, anyway. Depth Charge just about snapped and nearly killed X until I stopped him. We then turned in X-- alive-- and he was imprisoned at the Ferromax Detention Center, a prison facility made specifically for mechs like him. 

    Depth Charge eventually moved on from his trauma, enough to become security chief at Altihex. I stuck with him, just to make sure he wouldn't lose it again. When the Second Great War came around, Colony Omicron was reestablished and-- for reasons that remain fishy to me to this day-- Zeta Prime chose Depth Charge to run it. I didn't like the idea of him returning there, so I volunteered to go with him.

    For a few centuries, he was sane for the most part, though he nearly got a spark-attack when a small-scale breakout occurred ten years into his service there. However, 285 years into the war, a scout team reported that one of their members was missing... and the Ferromax was destroyed.

    The very next day after this news came, he was gone.

    ...Over seven hundred years have passed and yet nothing has been heard of him. When the war ended, he was declared deceased in absentia. If he's still out there, if he's finally gotten his revenge... I do not know. His life is his own story; only he can write the ending.

    And some authors never get published.

--Space, Earth Year AD 1999--

    Bring out your dead.

    Wreck-Gar bobbed his head to the radio, transmitting television broadcasts from some planet called Earth. He usually liked what he heard from there, though there were often some rotten gems.

    Here's one.

    "Chief, we've got a reading," said Junkyard. "Right there, in the asteroid field."

    "Is it alive?" Wreck-Gar asked.

    I'm not dead.

    "Head to say. Let me zoom in on him."

    Silence reigned-- save for the radio-- while the Junkion worked on the salvage ship's visual scanner. He then said, "Kinda looks like he's dead. Shall we pull him in?"

    I'm getting better.

    "Sure, we could always use him for parts."

    The crew quickly went to work and in mere moments they had brought in the body. Rust concealed its silver and blue paint job.

    "Such a shame," Wreck-Gar muttered as he looked down upon the body. "That right there is a good chassis. I almost hate to take it apart."

    "I'm... not... dead."

    Wreck-Gar frowned and turned to the radio. "Is that blasted thing getting messed up again?"

    "No." Suddenly, the body shot up, startling the gathered Junkions. "I'm... still alive."

    "Huzzah!" Arclight cried. "It's a miracle!"

    "I'll say," Wreck-Gar said, kneeling down to become eye-level with the mech. "What's your story, mate?"

    "Revenge," was all he said as he stared out into space, remembering....