Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

-1,600 Years Ago-

   The first thing he remembered was darkness.

   He knew he was alive and awake, but he could not see, hear, speak, or even feel. The only thing he knew was that he was alive.

   He did not- or rather, could not- feel the passage of time, but eventually he was finally given sight. The first thing he saw with his newly-activated optics was a warm, comforting face staring down at him.

   "Good morning, young one," it said. "I am glad to see that you are awake."

   He opened his mouth to speak, just like the other being had just done, but no words came out. The other being laughed softly, but he did not understand the gesture. 

   "Do not worry," it said soothingly. "You will be able to speak in time. I will teach you all there is to know about you, me, and the Cybertronian race." It stretched out a hand and he instinctively took it. "By the way, my name is Magnum."

-Now-

   Optimus Prime winced as Megatron's flail struck his shoulder. Staggering back, he took time to regather his strength before charging with his axe. He swung the bladed weapon at Megatron's head, but missed as the Decepticon leader dodged and tripped Optimus, sending him falling to the ground. Optimus struggled to get back to his feet only to be kicked back down.

   "Pathetic," Megatron hissed. "Why would the Matrix choose you if you can't even fight back?"

   As Megatron prepared to kick him again, Optimus rolled and jumped to his feet, readying his axe again.

   "It chose me," Optimus Prime said, "because I have something worth fighting for."

*  *  *

   "What is my name?"

   As he followed Magnum through the beautiful, iridescent Helix Gardens of Praxus, the latter smiled at him. "What name would you fancy?"

   "I don't know," he said quietly. "I don't know anything about myself."

   Bringing their trek to a stop, Magnum turned and place a hand on his shoulder. "You are a member of the peaceful House of Pax, like myself. Forged under the sign of Shokaract in orbital cycle Inrituneon, you are born to be a hunter of what only you can decide."

   "But... what is my name?"

   "Look deeply into yourself and find the answer."

   He did so, keeping everything Magnum had said in mind. Peaceful... hunter... of peace.

   "Orion," he finally said. "I am Orion Pax."

*  *  *

   Trypticon roared as Metroplex slammed his fist into his chest. As the great beast staggered back, he opened his great maw and unleashed a pair of rockets, both of which hit Metroplex square in the chest.

   His red optics flaring, the ancient Titan lowered his two shoulder cannons and fired them at Trypticon. The beast shrugged off the attack and flipped over a pair of cannons of his own.

   For a time, the rest of their clash consisted of merely exchanging firepower, with neither inflicting damage on the other. Trypticon quickly grew bored with this and charged towards Metroplex, ramming his head into the Titan's mid-section. This attack sent Metroplex screeching back several feet, but failed to fell him, instead giving the Titan the chance to grab Trypticon by the shoulders and push him down to the ground.

   As he stood over the fallen beast, Metroplex said, "Now it is time to end your rampage, you spawn of Mortilus."

   Trypticon's maw curved into a savage grin. "A pawn of Primus to the very end."

   Then, opening his mouth wide, the Decepticon beast unleashed a blast of energy which tore apart at Metroplex's chest. The Titan struggled to fight back but was instead toppled over by the blast. Landing on his back, he crushed several buildings along the way, and even a few combatants on the battlefield.

   With the tide turned, Trypticon stood over Metroplex and chuckled. "And so it ends."

*  *  *

   For the next several days, Magnum led Orion Pax all around Cybertron, visiting historical places such as the abandoned fortress of Darkmount and the valued Tagan Heights, while detailing the exploits of Delta Magnus and the Primal Vanguard.

   They eventually arrived at the Ark-1 Memorial Grounds, where Magnum meant to explain the feats of Nova Prime and his crew but was interrupted by the sudden yet pleasant arrival of an old accomplice of his.

   "Orion, I would like you to meet Hydra," Magnum said, gesturing to the red and black Cybertronian, noticeably slimmer than him. "She is my bonded partner for life and, like myself, is also a caretaker.'"

   At this, Magnum and Hydra stepped aside to reveal another red and black being, though bulkier and with the same body-type as Orion.

   "This is Optronix," Hydra said to Orion. "You and he are going to be brothers and he will watch over you when Magnum and I cannot."

   Optronix slowly stepped forward and, smiling, offered Orion his hand. Hesitating only slightly, Orion took and shook it.

   And from that day forward, their brotherhood was sealed.

*  *  *

  Grabbing him by the arm, Megatron pulled Optimus Prime towards him and struck his face with his fist. As Optimus recoiled, Megatron raised his flail and lashed it at his former brother. Suddenly, Oprimus grabbed the flail by its chain and pulled it, tearing it out of Megatron's arm.

   The Decepticon leader howled in agony as he dropped to his knees. Mustering the rest of his strength, he raised his fusion cannon arm and fired, but Optimus dodged the blast and charged towards Megatron, swinging his axe to severe the weapon in half.

   It was over. The Decepticon leader was on his knees, at the mercy of his once and former brother. Megatron glared at Optimus Prime, whose axe gleamed in the magnificent sunrise now occurring behind him.

   "Go on," Megatron growled. "Finish it."

   Optimus Prime returned the glare and for a brief moment, Megatron thought his brother was going to comply. But instead, the person once known as Orion Pax sighed.

   "That would be the easy way out, brother. You don't deserve it."

   Megatron's face contorted into rage. "How is it, after all I've done, that you can still see me as your brother? How can I be anything more than a demonic spawn of the Chaos Bringer himself to you? How can you not have the bearings... to end a war?"

   Optimus Prime was silent for a long time.

 

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

   For Alpha Trion, it was depressing to see beauty and art fall so quickly and easily to destruction, and yet destruction took so long to undo.

   As his Elite Guard escort led him and other non-combatants out of Iacon to a safe haven, Alpha Trion took the opportunity to take one last look at the Celestial Spires, at the Imperial Amphitheater, at the Forum of Enlightenment... in mere moments, all of it would be nothing but rubble.

   While the ground shook violently with each step Megatron's new instrument of destruction, Alpha Trion suddenly felt another tremble- a lesser one, but enough for him to notice it. When he felt it again, he followed its trajectory down towards the Metroplex, where Zeta Prime had just met his demise.

   Realization quickly dawned on him... and he smiled.

   "Better keep up, sir," grunted one of the Autobots escorting him. "Don't want to lose you to that... thing."

   "No, of course not," Alpha Trion hastily said as he quickened his pace, the pulse of his spark matching it out of anticipation.

*  *  *

   Orion Pax- newly rechristened as Optimus Prime- trudged through the passage leading away from the Matrix's chamber, still dazed by what had just happened. He also felt weighed down by the burden that was suddenly placed on his shoulders by becoming a Prime.

   Leading a team is one thing, he thought. But an entire population? How could I repair the damage my predecessors have done?

   He came to a stop when he hit something protruding from the ground. Reaching out in the darkness, his hand came across a handle. After taking a minute to mull over his next move, he pulled it and the ground rumbled as a pair of large doors slid open, illuminating the room with light. A booming voice soon accompanied it.

   "Voice command required."

   Optimus Prime, shielding his eyes from the light, blinked. "Er, what's going on? Who and what are you?"

   "I am the last Titan," the voice said. "My brothers are either dead or have fallen from grace. If it is your wish to awaken me, then simply speak the command."

   "I don't know any command," Optimus said. "I cam across you by accident."

   "Destiny is no accident. You must be the true Prime, for no one else would know my location. If you do not know the command, then you need only think like a Prime."

   "Think like a Prime? I don't-"

   Then it dawned on him. The last of the Titans. Thought to be extinct...

   Straightening up, Optimus Prime spoke in the sternest, boldest voice he could muster. "Awaken... Metroplex."

*  *  *

   With their leader dead, it soon came to the Autobots' realization that there was no hope to be found in this battle. Their defenses were wearing thin, and Trypticon was proving relentless in his onslaught. At this point, it was either death or surrender.

   With the majority of the Autobots' ground forces cornered near the Metroplex, Megatron decided to bring the assault to a temporary halt. Once the Decepticons had held their fire for the time being, Megatron stepped forward to confront Ultra Magnus, the Autobots' current field leader.

   "Honestly," the Decepticon leader said. "The outcome of this battle should be obvious at this point. Either your surrender now and end this war, on you all die and end this war. The choice is, ultimately, all in your hands."

   Gripping his mighty hammer, Ultra Magnus glared at him. "If defeat is the only outcome, then we'd rather go out fighting and with dignity."

   Megatron smirked. "So be it, then."

   Just as he was about to give the signal to resume the attack, the ground rumbled, and Trypticon was not the cause this time. Suddenly, much to the shock- and in some cases, terror- of those on the battlefield, the Metroplex began to stir and shift. Buildings slid down and platforms folded in as the complex slowly rose into a bipedal shape, meeting Trypticon in sheer height.

   As the conversion sequence slowly completed itself, a head rose from the chest, red optics flaring. When the Titan spoke, its voice could have been heard from miles.

   "Metroplex heeds the call of the true Prime."

   For the longest time, everyone simply stared in awe. Finally, Megatron shook himself from his stupor and bellowed, "Trypticon, attack!"

   The beast roared out in rage and charged towards the Titan while down below, the Battle of Iacon began again.

*  *  *

   In the short duration of time during which everything on the battlefield was still, Optimus Prime took the opportunity to climb out of an opening from underneath where Metroplex had once been stationed. When Megatron gave the order to attack, Optimus quickly scrambled for cover as the two giants charged. The tremor made by their collision was enough to send him flying off his feet and onto the Interstate Bridge which passed through Iacon.

   As he struggled to get up, he heard the familiar sound of a fusion cannon discharging and in short time, the mech whom he had once known as his brother landed before him.

   "Well, well, well," Megatron muttered. "I should have known you were behind this. Our paths tend to cross at drastic events."

   Optimus glared at him as he stood up, bringing out his battle axe. "This war has gone on long enough, Megatron."

   The Decepticon leader snorted. "A decade hardly compares to the millennium the previous one lasted."

   "But Trannis' Decepticons never had something like the Warriors Elite or... whatever that is." Optimus gestured at Trypticon. "The first Great War was primarily a series of proxy wars that were all connected, while this is total war."

   "I suppose you're right, Orion. Perhaps I was aiming to make this a 'Greater War.'"

   "You're more arrogant than I always took you for," Optimus muttered. "And it's not Orion Pax anymore. Much like you, I have adopted a new name as well. You may refer to me as Optimus Prime."

   Megatron glowered at him. "How ironic. You take on the name meant for me when Sentinel wanted me to succeed him. But I did not need his petty title to confirm my own 'Primehood.'"

   Raising his arm, his hand suddenly retracted only to be replaced by a spike, chained flail.

   "Then let this be it then: a duel between two Primes, one truer than the other. The victor shall decide which is which."

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

   "I don't mean to complain," Swerve said, "but how exactly are we going to find the Circle of Light on a barren planet like this?"

   Windblade had to admit that Swerve had a point. Theophany was completely barren and devoid of any settlements. If the Circle of Light was indeed here, it would take ages to find them.

   As the eight Autobots began their trek through the desolate landscape, Wing Saber suddenly brought the group to a halt. "I saw someone," he murmured. "Over there, by the mountains."

   The others followed his gaze to the jagged mountains that dominated the horizon. Approaching them from that direction was a tall, hooded figure.

   "Identify yourself," Wing Saber demanded, raising his dual blades.

   "You know me, brother," the stranger said. "It's only been five years."

   Wing Saber blinked. "Wing Dagger?"

   The figure nodded, pulling his hood back slightly to reveal a visage similar to Wing Saber's but colored in silver rather than gold. "It's been too long."

   Wing Saber cracked a grin. "I'll say. Are you the one who summoned me and Windblade?"

   Wing Dagger nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, I was unable to set up a meeting with Dai Atlas, and I must not stay out here long lest the others notice my absence."

   Reaching into his cloak, Wing Dagger brought out a small, pointed object and handed it to his brother.

   "Bring this to Alpha Trion," he said. "He'll know what to do with it."

   "But wait," Windblade said. "What about the Dark Evangelist you told us about?"

   "Thankfully, he is not currently a threat, like my initial worry was."

   "And what is it that only Dai Atlas can find?" Perceptor asked.

   Wing Dagger stared at him, frowning. "I'm afraid I do not know what you are talking about. But if it was something incredibly important, I would know."

   Before any of the Autobots could inquire him further, Wing Dagger bid them farewell and turned to head back in the direction he had come, vanishing into the mountains.

   "Well," Jolt said after a long silence. "I've just about had it with these awkward moments."

*  *  *

   The ground shook violently with each step Trypticon took. Some Autobots scrambled for cover while others stayed and fought, only to be crushed by the Decepticon beast.

   Following Trypticon in his wake, leading the Decepticon ground forces while Starscream commandeered the bombarding aerial forces, Megatron admired the growing wreckage of Iacon. It was a terrible price to pay for him to conquer the planet, but it would be worth it in the end.

   "Megatron!"

   The Decepticon leader looked up to see Zeta Prime standing on the highest tower of the Metroplex. In his hands, thrust forward, was the Matrix of Leadership.

   "You have one last chance to end this madness now," the Prime declared boldly. "If not, then I shall unleash the Matrix and destroy your beast and your forces once and for all."

   Megatron smiled mirthlessly in response. "You have piqued my curiosity. Go on, then. Unleash your little trinket."

   Zeta Prime narrowed his eyes but complied. He pulled the handles of the Matrix, separating the sphere away from the blue orb of light, and brandished it towards Trypticon.

   Nothing happened.

   Had the Prime's face not been concealed by his helmet, his mouth would have dropped open in shock.

   "What? No!" He tossed the defective Matrix to the ground. "It was a fake! The Matrix never existed! Everything was a lie!"

   Megatron smirked. "Such a pity."

   Nonchalantly, he raised his fusion cannon at the false Prime and fired. Zeta dodged the blast only to trip and fall off the tower. His descent was quickly interrupted when Trypticon swiftly grabbed him and dangled him over his maw.

   "It's a pity that your progressive career must end this way," Megatron said coldly. "However, not everyone can have a dignified end."

   With a simple gesture from his master, Trypticon dropped Zeta Prime into his mouth, ending the reign of the seventh Prime.

*  *  *

   Orion Pax awoke in total darkness. That, or his optics had gone that.

   Either way, he slowly rose to his feet and carefully stepped forward. His foot instantly came into contact with an object and he picked it up, feeling it and recognizing it as the triangular Mini-Con Matrix.

   Orion.

   The soft yet bold voice rang in his head. Looking up, he saw a faint blue light slowly illuminating the chamber he was in.

   Step forward, the voice said.

   Cautiously, Orion did so, approaching the light until he reached its source, which was a golden sphere with silver handles on its side, perched on a pedestal.

   The Matrix of Leadership, Orion thought in amazement. He then realized that the golden sphere was missing a piece. And the gap was triangular....

   Instinctively, Orion raised the Mini-Con Matrix over the gap and it flew from his hand, inserting itself into the gap. The blue light brightened and the voice spoke again.

   Place the Matrix into your chest.

   "What?" Orion said aloud. "You don't mean...? I'm not worthy!"

   That is not for you to decide. The Matrix has made its choice.

   "But there's a prophecy about seven Primes and Zeta is the seventh. I can't-"

   Very few prophecies have any truth to them. And even when they do, they can always be interpreted in more than one way. Now, take the Matrix.

   Hesitating for only a moment, Orion removed the Matrix from its pedestal and placed it into his opening chest compartment- one which he never realized he had. Instantly, his body shot up from the ground while energy surged throughout it. The voice spoke once more, accompanied by what sounded like multiple others, some which he recognized....

   We are Alpha Prime. We are Nova Prime. We are Sentinel Prime. We are those who have advanced the prosperity of Cybertron and its people. You are the one who shall light their darkest hour.

   Arise... Optimus Prime.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Seven

   EDITED 7/29/2018 Changed Surge's name to Overrun

CHAPTER SEVEN

   The moment Wing Saber's ship came out of hyperspace and began to approach Theophany, Windblade was instantly hit by a vision: A golden orb, with a glowing light in its center and a silver handle on each side, hovered in nothingness. The light began to pulse brightly, until suddenly it shot downwards, reshaping itself into that of a blade....

   The vision ended as soon as it had begun and Windblade found herself being stared at by the others.

   "Don't tell me," Windblade sighed when she saw that Wing Saber was also staring. "I'm the only one who got a vision this time."

   "Pretty much," Wing Saber murmured.

   "It was pretty weird, too," Swerve said. "You were just sitting there, staring out the viewport, babbling about something called a Star Saber."

   "The Star Saber?" Windblade said. "The sword of Prima? Why would I be talking about that?"

   "Beats me," Wing Saber said. "Anyway, it can wait until after we meet with Dai Atlas. Who knows, maybe it's the thing that only he knows the location of."

   "But the Star Saber, along with Prima, don't exist, right?" Perceptor asked. "They're just myths."

   Wing Saber smirked. "Some of us would like to disagree."

*  *  *

   Orion grunted as he, Ironhide, and the others landed in pitch-black darkness. As the five Autobots activated their headlights, illuminating the tunnel, they quickly found out that they were not in a tunnel at all, but some sort of storage room.

   A storage room for very tiny things.

   "Think any of these things will be useful against the Decepticons?" Sideswipe said sardonically as he picked up a miniscule golden sphere. "Might be useful as a choking hazard."

   "Quiet," Ironhide hissed. "I hear voices."

   At that moment, a pair of (rather small) doors swung open and three Mini-Cons stepped in, one of them being Beta Maxx. The Mini-Con leading him and another, colored in a light gray, looked up at the Autobots in a mix of shock and intrigue.

   "Well," he said quietly. "This certainly is an interesting surprise."

   "Orion Pax?" Beta Maxx said. "What are you doing here?"

   "Er, rescuing you, of course," Orion replied. "Unless you are no longer in need of any rescuing."

   "Identify and explain yourselves, immediately," the Mini-Con leader demanded.

   "I am Orion Pax, Autobot commander. These are my teammates Ironhide, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, and Mirage. We came here to find Beta Maxx before the Decepticons could kidnap him."

   "Well, I almost was," Beta Maxx said before gesturing at the silver female standing beside him. "But Overrun here rescued me."

   "A pleasure," the female Mini-Con said.

   The Mini-Con leader continued to regard the Autobots with animosity. "In that case, now that you know Beta Maxx is in safe hands, you are free to leave."

   "Er, not quite," Bumblebee said with a weak smile. "One: we have a cybercat somewhere down here, and two: I don't think we can go up like we came down."

   "We've already sent the cybercat back up to the surface," the Mini-Con said, raising his arm. "And we can send you back the same way."

   Just as the leader was about to press a panel on his arm, Orion Pax noticed a triangular object being carried in Overrun's arms.

   "Wait!" he said, pointing at the object. "What is that thing, and why do the Decepticons want it?"

   The Mini-Con leader raised an eyebrow and turned to Overrun. "Ah, that is the Mini-Con Matrix, a fragment of the real Matrix of Leadership broken off and passed on to us."

   "The real Matrix?" Ironhide said skeptically. "The only one I know of us is the one Zeta Prime currently has."

   "Which is a fake," the leader said with a half-smile. "Anyway, it is our belief that Beta Maxx is the one to use the Mini-Con Matrix to find the real one and become the true Prime."

   "What?" Beta Maxx exclaimed. "You didn't say anything about that, Barrel!"

   "Yes, well, I was going to until these bulks showed up."

   "I don't believe any of this." Ignoring her protests, Beta Maxx wrenched the Mini-Con Matrix free from Overrun's grasp and held it up. "How is this thing supposed to lead me to the real Matrix anyway?"

   Suddenly, a beam of energy shot from the triangular object and hit Orion Pax square in the chest. In a flash of light, both he and the Mini-Con Matrix were gone.

   After a long moment of silence, Sideswipe sighed. "Well... that happened."

*  *  *

   Sirens blared throughout all of the Metroplex's corridors. Wheeljack moved through the masses of Autobots that were scrambling about and made his way to the command center, where Zeta Prime, Emirate Xaaron, and Security Director Red Alert were waiting, all staring out the window at the savage monstrosity that now ravaged Iacon.

   "I have never seen anything like it," Xaaron murmured as the beast promptly tore off a building from the ground as if it were a mere plant. "Megatron certainly does have a taste for the mythological."

   Wheeljack revved quietly to get Zeta Prime's attention, and the silver and gold Supreme Commander whirled around to face him.

   "Ah, Wheeljack," the Prime said. "Do you have the protocols?"

   While Wheeljack nodded and handed him the data slug, Xaaron threw the Prime a puzzled look.

   "Protocols?" the Emirate said. "Zeta, what's going on?"

   Zeta Prime ignored him and instead inserted the data slug into the computer. Once the data had been evaluated, a monotonic voice spoke out.

   "Voice command required."

   "Initiate C-70 conversion sequence," Zeta Prime said.

   "Access denied."

   His optics flared. "Initiate C-70 conversion sequence," he repeated, his tone harsher this time.

   "Access denied."

   Zeta Prime howled in fury and smashed the computer with his fist. He then turned on his heel and strode out of the command center.

   "Where are you going?" Red Alert asked.

   "Outside," Zeta Prime growled. "To finish this the only way I can."

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Six

EDITED 3/28/2018 Changed Caliburn to Barrel (Armada Leader-1); more befitting of a Mini-Con leader, I'd say...

CHAPTER SIX

   Little Iacon certainly lived up to its name. With its golden buildings and vast population, it felt and looked like a small replica of Iacon. Beta Maxx stared in amazement as the silver Mini-Con led him through the village. 

   "This is amazing," he said. "I thought the Scientist wiped out all of the villages."

   The silver Mini-Con smiled. "Not all of them. Modus Prime created this as an emergency refuge."

   "So, how many Mini-Cons live here?"

   "At least a hundred or so. Admittedly not as much as some of the other villages."

   "Why did you bring me here?"

   The female Mini-Con was silent for a moment before bringing out a triangular object, with a greenish-blue orb in its center. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.

   Beta Maxx shook his head.

   "We call it the Mini-Con Matrix. It is the belief of our leader, Barrel, that it contains the spark of our ancestor, Micronus Prime, and will thus lead us to the Matrix of Leadership."

   "Is that why those Decepticons were chasing you?" Beta Maxx asked.

   She nodded. "Thunderwing- otherwise known as the Scientist- is obsessed with tracking down the Matrix. He somehow knows that the one Zeta Prime has isn't real."

   "So, where do I fit in all of this?"

   She smiled as she grabbed him by the arm. "Follow me."

*  *  *

   "All right, Steeljaw," Orion Pax said as he set the yellow cybercat down in the desolate Mini-Con village. "Find Beta Maxx."

   In an instant, Steeljaw was on the trail, scanning the ground with his sensors. He then moved to a caved-in cove and began digging out a tunnel.

   "Looks like he's got a scent," Sideswipe said. "Are we all going to fit through that tunnel though?"

   "I have him on tracker," Orion said, "so we can follow him on the surface in alt mode."

   Once Steeljaw had created his tunnel and was going through it, Orion and his team converted into their alternate modes and followed the cybercat. At first, they were headed towards the city of Kalis, until Steeljaw took a sudden sharp turn and led them into a region of Cybertron Orion was not familiar with.

   "Ironhide, do you know where we are?" he asked the older and more experienced Autobot.

   "Looks like we're in Nyon," Ironhide replied. "It used to be a magnificent city, almost up there with Iacon. But over time, after Nova Prime left, it kinda got neglected by the new government. Now it's just a crime-ridden city like Kaon and the Badlands."

   When Steeljaw came to a stop, the Autobots did so as well, morphing into their robot forms. It came to Orion's notice that Ironhide was not joking about Nyon's condition. Scrap metal littered the streets, rust coated buildings, and empties dominated the sidewalks. The fact that neither Sentinel nor Zeta Prime had attempted to repair this made it even worse.

   Bringing out his scanner, Orion attempted to pinpoint Steeljaw's current location only to find that the cybercat's signature had vanished.

   "Slag," he muttered. "We've lost him. He could be anywhere at this point."

   "Can I help you guys?"

   The five Autobots turned with a start to see a young mech standing before them, colored in red and orange with a flame deco on his chest.

   "We don't get many visitors here in Nyon," he said. "Are you guys lost?"

   "Not exactly," Orion replied. "But we have lost a friend of ours. He's underground."

   The mech raised an eyebrow. "Why is he underground?"

   "Long story. Do you have any tools for us to dig?"

   The mech snorted. "Who needs tools?"

   Dropping to his knees, he dug his fingers into a crevice in the ground and pulled back a piece of metal, revealing a downward passage. 

   "There you are," he said. "Piece of energon pie."

   Orion nodded, smiling behind his mouthplate. "Thank you, er...."

   "Hot Rod," the mech answered with a grin. "If you need any more help, just ask me."

   "I'll keep that in mind," Orion said before he and the others dropped down the tunnel.

*  *  *

   "Star-gazing again, Cosmos?"

   Perched on the Fortress Maximus' observatory tower, looking through his built-in telescope, Cosmos turned to see his fellow Elite Guardsman Jazz.

   "Yeah, I can't help it," the green and yellow Autobot replied. "I mean, visiting planets and whatnot is one thing, but just sitting back and staring at them gives you such an idea of wonder and stuff."

   "I guess it does," Jazz said before grinning. "Just don't burn your optics out, okay?"

   Cosmos started to laugh until a blip of light appeared in the lens of his telescope. Adjusting its visual range, he saw that the blip was actually an object that had just exited hyperspace and was fast approaching Cybertron.

   "Say," Jazz said when he noticed the object as well. "What is that thing? Looks like a ship of sorts."

   "Are you sure?" Cosmos asked. "I mean, if it is, it looks like it's changing shape."

   Indeed, as the unidentified object came closer and closer to Cybertron, it appeared less like a ship and more like a beast....

   "Alert High Command," Jazz said urgently. "Looks like we've got a situation."

*  *  *

   After years of planning, Cybertron's reckoning was at hand.

   Seated upon his command chair on the bridge of his flagship, the Nemesis, Megatron watched as Trypticon slowly approached Cybertron, Decepticon warships close behind the beast. Although Trypticon would be doing most of the work, the fleet had been brought along to further ensure the Autobots' downfall.

   And so Megatron could pay a certain Prime a special visit.

   "Lord Megatron, your shuttle is ready," Soundwave said from beside him. "Do you wish to travel down now?"

   "Not yet," Megatron replied, grinning slightly. "I want to savor the beginning of what's left of the Autobots' lives." Opening up a channel to Trypticon, Megatron said, "You may begin."

   The beast's responding growl was briefly accompanied by a sinister chuckle.

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

   "This here cybercat is called Steeljaw," said the Autobot mech-animal handler as he let the yellow-colored, feline-like being out of its cage. "His olfactory sensors got a good range of eight hundred miles and has no problem distinguishing Autobot senses from Decepticon ones."

   "Can he tell Mini-Cons apart from them as well?" Orion Pax asked.

   "Uh, I guess," the handler said, scratching his head. "We've, uh, never really sent him after Mini-Cons or anything."

   "No matter," Orion said, bending down to pet the cybercat on the head. "Anything else?"

   "He turns into a data disk, so you should probably take someone with a large chest compartment to store him." The handler then smiled. "Oh, and he tends to rust."

   Orion looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "Rust?"

   "Yeah, the slightest contact with a liquid substance gets him rusting. So I hope you're not visiting the Pious Pools or anything."

   Orion chuckled. "Don't worry. I would've gotten a Manatronatee if that were the case."

*  *  *

   In general, if a Prime were to enter one's workspace, he or she would feel a mixed feeling of honor and nervousness towards the fact that the leader of Cybertron had come to them for whatever reason, instead of choosing one of the dozen others with a similar job. However, when it came to Zeta Prime, Wheeljack felt only one emotion: fear.

   Fear of getting demoted. Fear of getting branded a traitor (wrongly, of course). Fear of Zeta Prime being an overall pain-in-the-afterburner. Luckily, Wheeljack was able to mask his fear as soon as the Prime stepped into his lab.

   "Ah, Zeta Prime!" Wheeljack said, saluting the silver and gold Autobot leader. "What brings you here?"

   At first, Zeta Prime said nothing. Instead, he raised his arm and dropped a small chip of metal onto a nearby table. As Wheeljack picked up the data slug, the Prime spoke in an icy voice.

   "You remember what I said about the emergency protocols?"

   Wheeljack's optics flickered. "Yes, sir, but I must remind you: they haven't been used in... ever. In fact, some doubt they even exist."

   "Then why would Nova Prime have created them in the first place?" Zeta asked, his tone harsh.

   "They could have been for something else, or for something he thought existed, but-"

   Zeta Prime silenced him with the raise of a hand. "Remember," he said coldly, "when I give the word, head for the main chamber and enter in the code."

   Wheeljack hesitated before reluctantly nodding. "Got it."

   Satisfied with the answer, the Prime turned and strode out of Wheeljack's lab at the Metroplex.

*  *  *

   It wasn't until now that Swerve realized that, no matter how vast or expansive it was, space was incredibly boring. 

   He and the others were floating around, living in total silence, unable to reach any nearby celestial body or to hear or speak. Of course, they still had their radio transmitters, but Swerve had the strange feeling that the others had filtered his signal out of their receivers.

   Swerve sighed, aware that no one would have heard him. Being unable to speak was one of the top three things he hated, the others being Decepticons and Whirl. Lost as he was in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the shocked expressions on the others' faces until Perceptor's voice spoke in his head.

   "Swerve, behind you!"

   Swerve flapped his arms to swing around in time to see a small ship approaching him and the others. As it came to a slow stop, a hatch opened up on the side and a white and gold Autobot appeared.

   "Well," Wing Saber said. "That just happened."

*  *  *

   "Great, just what we needed," Chromia muttered as Perceptor, Swerve, Glyph, Jolt, and Livewire were brought on board. "Passengers."

   "Well, I wasn't just going to leave them floating in space," Wing Saber said as he closed the hatch. "If they were Decepticons, maybe, but, hey: my ship, my rules."

   "So, what do we do?" Windblade asked. "Do we double back and drop them back off at Cybertron?"

   "Wait, you guys are going somewhere?" Swerve grinned. "Are you on a quest?"

   "Why do you care?"

   "'Cause you know how much I love quests."

   Windblade frowned. "Actually, I don't. Who are you again?"

   Before Swerve could answer, Wing Saber said to the five newcomers, "We're headed for Theophany to find Dai Atlas and the Circle of Light."

   "Dai Atlas?" Perceptor repeated. "Actually, we're looking for him, too."

   "We are?" Jolt said.

   "Remember what Azimuth said before she... thew us out? She told us to find Dai Atlas because 'only he knows where it is.'"

   "Where what is?" asked Chromia.

   "I don't know. But I'm hoping Dai Atlas does."

   "Well, if that's the case, I suppose you can tag along," Wing Saber said. "Solve two mysteries at once."

   "What's your mystery?" Livewire asked.

   "Something to do with a 'Dark Evangelist,'" Windblade said. "For all we know, it could be connected with your 'it' thing."

   "Then here's hoping Theophany does indeed have our answers," Wing Saber said as he moved to the ship's controls. "If it doesn't, then someone's sending us on a wild sheepacron chase."

Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga VI, Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

   Find Dai Atlas. Theophany. The Dark Evangelist.

   Although it had been one full month since Windblade had encountered the mysterious voice in her head, its words continued to haunt her as she contemplated on whether to find the Circle of Light or not. They were not though highly of ever since they deserted from the war, and many Autobots saw them as cowards.

   But who was this Dark Evangelist? The name would suggest someone who preached their beliefs but through darker means. But in this day and time, such people were few and far in between.

   Thinking about all of this would have been easier had the people she was planning to meet with hadn't chosen Maccadam's Old Oil House as a meeting place.

   Windblade flinched as a discarded can of oil hit her in the back of the head. Behind her, the rowdy patrons were dancing on top of tables, spinning around arm-in-arm, in an over-energized manner while obnoxious music blasted from a music-bot's speakers.

   If Wing Saber doesn't show up soon, I swear I'm going to tear out his faulty internal clock and-

   "Windblade, you're driving grooves into the counter," said her friend Chromia. "Again."

   Windblade looked down to see her metal fingers digging into the counter. She then looked up to see the bartender glaring at her and instantly pulled her hands out, throwing him a weak apologetic smile.

   Once the barkeep had returned to his work, Windblade glanced at her blue and silver companion and murmured, "Thanks for pointing that out."

   "Don't mention it," Chromia said. A concerned look crossed her face. "What's got you so worked up?"

   Windblade sighed. "It's that voice I told you about, with that stuff about Dai Atlas and the Dark Evangelist. What do you suppose it means?"

   Chromia shrugged. "Like I told you, I have no idea. And why do you need to speak with Wing Saber about it?"

   "Because he and I were both trained by Yoketron, as was Dai Atlas. I know it may seem like a loose connection, but maybe received a similar message. Besides, Devcon is busy with bounty hunting...."

   "It's worth a shot, I guess," Chromia replied. "But why do you need me along?"

   Before Windblade could respond, a white and gold Autobot suddenly appeared next to her, taking a seat at the counter.

   "Probably should have picked a more quieter place," he muttered. "They're usually not this busy these days, especially with the war going on."

   "Right," Windblade said. "So, know anything about a Dark Evangelist?"

   Wing Saber turned to her and smirked. "You too, huh? How did you know I got the... message?"

   "I didn't. I just kinda figured it was connected to anyone Yoketron taught."

   Wing Saber shook his head. "I was with Springer when I got it, but he didn't hear anything even though he was also a student. So it must be just you and me."

   "Do you suppose we should find Dai Atlas and the Circle of Light?" Windblade asked. "I mean, this Dark Evangelist might be some sort of threat."

   "As if we don't have enough of those already," Chromia added bitterly.

   "I suppose we might as well," Wing Saber said. "There has to be some sort of reason behind it, and the only way to find out is to do what it says."

   "Thank you for that magnificent understatement," Chromia said wryly. "Can we go now? All these thrown cans of oil are going to make us rust sooner or later."

*  *  *

   "What do you mean it's gone?" Crankcase snapped as he wrestled with Ironhide. 

   "You heard me," Thunderwing snarled, dodging as Orion Pax swung his axe at him. "It's gone- vanished! Our quarry must've gotten away while we weren't looking."

   "Ah, frag it!" Crankcase roared. "Of all the dirty jobs-"

   The stout Decepticon was cut off as Ironhide slammed his fist into his face. At the same time, Storm Cloud was toppled over by Sideswipe, Bumblebee, and Mirage.

   Turning to Orion Pax, who had his axe at the ready, Thunderwing sneered. "What say we call it off? We've lost and there's nothing here for either of us to gain."

   Before Orion could answer, the general pressed a panel on his right arm and a ground-bridge portal appeared nearby. Moving swiftly, he seized Crankcase and Storm Cloud and dragged them to the portal. All three of them vanished as it closed.

   Ironhide grunted. "Well, that was awkward. And no sign of Beta Maxx either."

   "He must've gotten away to safety," Orion said. "No doubt with that 'triangle' thing they were after."

   "Great," Bumblebee said. "Now he could be anywhere. Don't suppose Alpha Trion has a way of tracking him, do you?"

   "I highly doubt it," Orion said. He then scratched his chin. "But that does give me an idea."

*  *  *

   "Where are you taking me?" Beta Maxx demanded as the mysterious silver Mini-Con dragged him through an underground passage. When she did not answer, he wrenched his arm free from her grasp.

   "Seriously, answer me," he said. "I hardly know you and you just pop out of nowhere... how can I even trust you?"

   The stranger turned to look at him and frowned. "I'm afraid you have to. It's for your own good."

   "I'm sure we've lost those 'Cons by now," Beta Maxx said. "We're probably far below Ibex, so you could just drop me off here."

   She shook her head. "We're a long ways from Ibex."

   Before Beta Maxx could inquire further, the mysterious Mini-Con reached into the darkness and suddenly pulled open a door, filling the tunnel with light. Once his optics had adjusted to the sudden illumination, Beta Maxx saw what was behind the door... and gasped.

   "By the Chimera Stone," he murmured. "It... it cannot be...."

   The female Mini-Con smiled. "It is. Welcome to Little Iacon, the last and only Mini-Con village."