Month: August 2021

The day of lift-off finally came. Fortress Maximus rose past the atmosphere once everyone was aboard. When he joined the Autobot fleet, the ships entered a large hangar and were secured once inside. A docking tube then extended for the Ark, Blue Typhoon, and Fang, letting everyone out and making their way to Fortress Maximus’ bridge. The bridge itself was large and spacious, designed to accommodate life-forms from Mobians to Omnibots in full robot mode. Sonic whistled in appreciation. “You don’t skip out, do you?” he remarked. Fortress Maximus then appeared on the main screen. His avatar was of him in full robot mode.

“Well, I was designed to be a city for bots of all sizes,” he remarked, “but I can be adapted for organic species.” Teletraan then appeared next to him.

“Hey, you mind if I keep my servers on the Ark?” he asked. “I kinda want some familiarity.”

“Don’t mind at all,” assured Fortress. Everyone then got settled in. Fortress then got a reading and looked a little frightened. “Uh oh!” he gulped.

“Uh oh?” repeated Optimus.

“I’m detecting a transwarp trail!” explained the Metrotitan. “The Decepticons must have used Scorponok’s transwarp drive!”

“He had transwarp capabilities?!” yelped Optimus.

“What’s transwarp?” asked Sonic.

“You know how warp speeds warp space?” asked Optimus.

“…Not really.”

“Well, it does. Transwarp speeds warp both space AND time! They may have gotten there literally last week!”

“No, thankfully, they’ll get there only an hour before us unless we leave now!” urged Fortress.

“All hands, strap in!” ordered Optimus. “Prepare for transwarp drive!” As everyone fastened their safety straps, Fortress Maximus extended more clamps around the ships in his hangar. His engines then whirled to life, and he vanished from Nebulos in a flash of ultra-violet light!

---

Inside Scorponok’s body, because they were already in transwarp, the Decepticons were walking around normally. Right now, Shockwave and Knock-out were at a pod with the symbol of an insect’s face on it. They opened the pod to reveal a blank protoform inside. Knock-out brought out the container carrying Scorponok’s Spark, opened it, and guided the Spark into the protoform. Shockwave monitored the terminal attached to the pod’s left. So far, vitals remained stable. A readout then revealed that the protoform was ready and that it would come out in alt-mode. The new bot then came out in a scorpion alt-mode, roughly the size of a normal Transformer. Its main carapace was blue-gray with purple-gray claws and a stinger, and red legs and eyes. It shook itself as if it were shaking a head. “Oogh!” it groaned in Scorponok’s voice. “What happened? I was on Nebulos, then Fortress…Fortress! He cleaved Black Scar in half while he was my head! Is he…?!”

“He’s dead, as is Zarak,” answered Shockwave.

“And your Spark, right now,” continued Knock-out, “is in a normal-sized body. Now, given the slightly…organic look,” Knock-out shuddered at that, “it’s clear that it was a Predacon protoform we used and-”

“I ORDERED ZARAK TO PUT ME BACK IN MY BODY WHEN IT WAS FIXED AND I GOT A NEW EMMISARY!” roared the now-Predacon Scorponok.

“I give the orders on this vessel!” roared Megatron’s voice as he stormed into the room. “I gave you orders to maintain standard orbit! Thanks to YOU, I had to waste time and Energon trying to call back the Novacons AND having to clean up YOUR wasted effort! I needed Nebulos to join us willingly, NOT by force!”

“I know what Nebulans need to comply better than you do! I won’t be commanded by an Autobot, even a former one like YOU! SCORPONOK, TERRORIZE!” His transformation in his new body was similar to his old one, but the head simply popped out from between the shoulders as the beast mode head, chelicerae and all, became shoulder pads. His stinger tail shot forward towards Megatron, but the Decepticon Lord grabbed it from behind the stinger and slammed him into the floor multiple times. He stopped, then let the tail go so Scorponok could tumble to the floor.

“Your Novacons didn’t need physical correction to know who the master was,” scoffed Megatron. “Even Apeface was smarter than you. You have to admit, that’s rather sad. Now, I give you a choice; you can either continue this fruitless endeavor and thus end your now short reincarnation, or you can serve me and prolong your life for as long as necessary. A difficult decision?”

“…All hail Megatron,” groaned Scorponok.

“I thought so. Oh, given your current condition, I saw fit to make Weirdwolf the new commander of the Novacons, since you’re no longer a Headmaster. When we get to Animatros, you will be working under the Predacon that contacted me and apprised me of the situation. Is that clear?”

“Yes, my Lord,” grunted Scorponok.

“Good, very good. Knock-out, fix him up.” Knock-out was about to protest when Megatron held a warning hand up. “I do NOT need to hear about how working on bots that even LOOK organic is beneath you. Is that understood?” Knock-out visibly deflated.

“Yes, Sir,” he moaned.

“Good.” Once Megatron finished, the alarms started blaring. Megatron rolled his optics. “Mobius calls it Murphey’s Law,” he muttered. “I’ll find out who Murphey is later.” He activated the internal comms. “Report!”

“Lord Megatron, Fortress Maximus is in pursuit!” came Thundercracker’s voice. “He’s right on our aft! I’ve already called for battle stations!”

“I should have made you Second in Command on Mobius instead of Starscream,” praised Megatron. “Shockwave and I will join you on the bridge. Scorponok will join us later once Knock-out’s fixed him up!” Shockwave followed Megatron to the bridge.

---

In a metal city within a jungle, three metal arthropods stepped forward around a table. They were all reddish orange and had red optics. One was a Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle, one was a lobster, and one was a cicada. “RAM HORN, TERRORIZE!” The beetle’s transformation was a simple one, the robot simply unfolded from beneath the bug as the beast head folded back and revealed a new head with bat-like ears.

“SEA CLAMP, TERRORIZE!” called the lobster. His transformation was similar to Scorponok’s, but his head was like a man’s with sunken cheekbones.

“CICADACON, TERRORIZE!” shouted the cicada. The beast mode’s head and thorax folded down to become a chest unit as the abdomen split and unfolded into legs while the wings tucked themselves to the robot’s back as the head, one evoking a demonic looking judge, complete with a pair of devil horns, popped up. The three bots then placed their servos on a sphere at their respective places at the table. The spheres glowed red, bathing the room in an eerie red light.

“Tripredacus Council now in session,” declared Ram Horn. Everyone turned to Cicadacon.

“The transwarp trail from Nebulos has been identified,” he began. “Signature matches that of Scorponok’s. Further investigation reveals that, while Megatron ordered his presence, his actions were spurred on…by Saurion!”

“Saurion?!” asked Ram Horn. “I thought we’d heard the last of that renegade!”

“His crew and a company of Maximals,” recalled Sea Clamp, “vanished into the jungle last mega-cycle. The Maximal rescue teams never found them.”

“Yes, but remember,” growled Cicadacon, “WE paid the price in diplomatic repercussions!” The Council joined in Cicadacon’s growling for a few seconds.

“Generals,” Ram Horn called to calm them, “ever since the Autobots defeated our Decepticon allies two thousand years ago, we Predacons have worked secretly, under Hydran’s olfactory sensors, towards the day where we might rise up and take what is rightfully ours!”

“Saurion is brilliant, but a rogue,” remarked Sea Clamp. “He causes too much trouble.”

“And if he’s taking orders from someone like Megatron,” grunted Cicadacon, “a former Autobot no less, Saurion’s clearly up to his old tricks again!”

“If he is,” declared Ram Horn, “we have to handle the situation first before the Maximals find out!”

“I have already sent a signal to one of our inner solar system satellites,” reported Cicadacon. “It will ‘accidentally’ explode, blocking Scorponok’s coming transwarp wavefront to keep Maximal sensors from detecting it.”

“And I have been in contact with our covert operative,” said Sea Clamp. “You know the one.” His fellows chuckled darkly as they knew exactly who he was talking about. “He is currently aboard Scorponok. His skills will allow him to find Saurion’s group in the jungle.”

“If Saurion is discovered still operating his own agenda,” asked Ram Horn, “what are the agent’s instructions?” He and Sea Clamp turned to Cicadacon for ideas.

“Terminate! With EXTREME prejudice!”

Five days after Galen and Rev went shopping for their outfits, the wedding began. The Autobots, Omnibots, and their allies were invited by Trema as she was going to officiate the whole thing per tradition. They graciously accepted the invitation. It was a traditional Nebulan wedding with four drums surrounding the venue. The guests and families sat around a stage with two doors leading from the stages underside. One door was styled to look like lava and the other looked like a waterspout. Surrounding the stage were multiple mouths with large teeth. Trema then stood in the center of the stage and began speaking. “In the beginning, the Gods forged Nebulan hearts, with the intention to frighten their enemies.” she began. The drummers then made soft drumbeats. “However, for a long time, the hearts were weak and could not inspire terror in anyone. The Gods then united three hearts.” One of the drummers then made a loud beat and a soft one three times over with a space in between the three pairs of drumbeats. “The Gods then felt satisfied, and from their emotions and their skin, they forged…Man.” Galen then came out of the lava door with an outfit of orange and brown colors. “And from their blood and their breath, the Gods forged…Woman!” Llyra came out of the waterspout door in a dress of dark and light blues. The second drummer then matched the first in the same beat. “It was then that the Gods felt satisfied! …But the hearts faltered.” The drummers then softened their beats. “And the Gods then asked…” By this point, people robed in black moved the mouths.

“Why do you falter?” they asked Galen and Llyra. “We have crafted you to be warriors that inspire terror.”

“The First Man and the First Woman then said…” called Trema.

“We are mighty, but we are alone,” continued Galen.

“What good is battle if there is no one to share it with?” asked Llyra.

“The Gods then realized their error,” continued Trema. “And so, from their emotions and their skin, they forged another Man.” Rev stepped out of the lava door in an outfit with the same colors as Galen’s. “And from their blood and their breath, they forged another Woman.” Kari then stepped out in a dress with the same colors as Llyra’s. The remaining two drummers then joined the first two in the same beats. “But the First Man and First Woman grew jealous of the Second Man and Second Woman. For whatever flaws were within the First Pair, the Second did not possess them. It was then that the Second Pair grew jealous of the First, for they felt that the First was stronger than they.” As she spoke, the brides and grooms grew expressions of anger. “As they grew jealous and angry, their jealousy soon appeared on their skin as their bodies, once pristine white, became green, their once-smooth chins grew spikes, their teeth sharpened, spots appeared on their skin, their ears became pointed, their hair grew gray and white, their eyes, once adorned with round circles with black spots, now altered so that their black spots became as pointed as the stars of the heavens, and the final alteration came from their fingers as claws of obsidian sprouted from their tips! It was then that the First and Second Pairs fought!” Galen and Llyra then slashed at Rev and Kari with their claws but missed them as Rev and Kari slashed at them. As the staged fight went on, the drummers then deliberately went into beats of discord. “And as they fought,” continued Trema, “the Gods made the error…of laughing in amusement. The laughter reached the Men and the Women and all four grew angry. And the Gods said…”

“You are perfect toys for us!” the people manipulating the mouths called.

“But the declaration tempered the First and Second pairs with wisdom,” continued Trema. “And so the Second Man and Woman said…”

“The Gods do not wish to treat their creations with respect! Why should we obey them?!” asked Rev.

“If we join forces, not even the Gods could stand against us!” declared Kari.

“The Gods learned of this treason and grew angry! They rose from their lurking places and attacked their creations!” When Trema finished, the people manipulating the mouths rushed up the stage and made the mouths circle the four. They slashed at the mouths with their claws, but they were weakening. “The Creations could not destroy the Gods with their own weapons, so they faltered and were about to be destroyed…until they broke eight of the Gods’ teeth!” The four punched the mouths and eight teeth fell out, one from each mouth. “The First Man then said…”

“We must use the Gods’ own weapons against them! They have given us the abilities to do so!” called Galen.

“And so the Creations gathered,” Trema continued, “and from the teeth, they learned how to make steel! They all sharpened the steel and made eight blades! These, they called ‘Ban’graza’, honored metal! With these new blades, the Creations slew one of the Gods!” The four then plunged prop Ban’grazas into one of the mouths and it fell dead. “It was then that the Gods knew fear! They tried to flee but could not escape their fate!” The four then killed the remaining mouths, all of them lying dead on the stage. “They then used their abilities for one final time, to make more of themselves as they stood now, jealousy scarred and all, to teach themselves that it was in-fighting that altered their original appearance.” The people that manipulated the mouths then rose and pulled their hoods back to reveal four men and four women. “From the remains of the Gods, the new people then used the skin to make stone, the blood to make water, the breath to make air, and the emotions to make fire that illuminates the sky! And the bones…they made rings around the new sphere of their world, their home which they called Nebulos, and they called themselves Nebulans! Unlike the Gods, the Creations were mortal and eventually died, but, to this day, none can stand in the way of twelve Nebulan hearts beating as one!” The drummers then unified and made a beat like the Nebulan hearts-beat. “Galen! Do your hearts beat for these three?!” called Trema.

“They do!” responded Galen.

“Do you swear to stay loyal to them and defend them against enemies as they would with you?”

“This I swear!”

“Llyra! Do your hearts beat for these three?!”

“They do!” answered Llyra.

“Do you swear to stay loyal to them and defend them against enemies as they would with you?”

“This I swear!”

“Rev! Do your hearts beat for these three?!”

“They do!” responded Rev.

“Do you swear to stay loyal to them and defend them against enemies as they would with you?”

“This I swear!”

“Kari! Do your hearts beat for these three?!”

“They do!” responded Kari.

“Do you swear to stay loyal to them and defend them against enemies as they would with you?”

“This I swear!”

“Then let none tear your twelve hearts asunder! Let them beat as one!” The drummers then made one final beat, signaling for the crowd to cheer! As the four newlyweds kissed one another, they stepped off the stage and were congratulated warmly.

---

At the reception, people were merry and happy for the Brides and Grooms. They all cheered as they stood for their speech. “Thank you!” called Galen. “Thank you very much for coming!”

“We have all often wondered what would happen after the wedding,” remarked Kari. “Now, though, we are certain.”

“Our union will take us to the stars, quite literally,” chuckled Rev. The guests mumbled to each other at that remark.

“I know this is a day of happiness, but the shadow of war has descended on Nebulos,” explained Llyra. “With Scorponok invading Nebulos in the name of a Decepticon Faction, they have declared war on us. Therefore, in the five days between Galen and Rev’s clothes shopping and today, members of the Nebulan Planetary Defense Force and the Omnibots have packed Fortress Maximus…and we shall pursue them to Animatros. Optimus, will you have us?” Optimus’ optics flickered, then he grinned.

“Llyra Rozak, you honor the Autobots with your invitation to join us! We accept! We’ll be leaving tomorrow! I trust that is an appropriate time?”

“A perfect time, actually. We’ve already undergone preparations.”

“Then, tomorrow, we go to Animatros!”

Scorponok recovered from the blow and growled at his hated rival. “You were just as pacifistic as Cerebros!” Fortress Maximus adopted a fighting stance.

“Galen taught us both!” he replied.

“Cute! But it won’t save you, Fortress!” Scorponok then pulled a rectangular shield with a pincer on the bottom from his back and fastened it to his left arm so the pincer was level with his claw. He then started swinging it wildly and fired from his stinger as well. The shot hit Fortress in the leg. Fortress grunted in pain but pushed it aside as he blocked a shield swing and slammed his fist into Scorponok’s chest. Scorponok gasped, then shoved Fortress backwards. “I’ve had it with you!” snarled the Predacon Metrotitan. “Always getting the fame for giving Nebulos the Headmaster technology!”

“You think I WANTED you to be overshadowed, old friend?!” argued Fortress. “I never wanted to be famous at all! At times like this, I wish I was still doing what Metrotitans are supposed to do, explore the stars!”

“My Spark bleeds for you, Fortress Maximus! Now you just BLEED!” Scorponok then slashed his shield’s pincer across Fortress’ torso, making him leak Energon. He then tore a mountain out of the ground and flung it at Fortress. Fortress fired on the mountain from the guns on his legs. He then knocked the shield off of his opponent’s arm and drew a large sword from his back in the process.

“I’m sorry, my friend,” Fortress then held the sword near his head, “but this is for the good of Nebulos. The people demanded your life a long time ago. They’ve declared you and your partners too dangerous to be kept alive. I’ll try to make this as quick and painless as I can!” He slammed his fist into Scorponok’s chest again, then followed through by running the sword through his face! As Scorponok stilled, Zarak appeared on Scorponok’s shoulder from an emergency teleport beam, holding a canister in his hands.

“You may have killed Black Scar,” he called, “but Scorponok was paranoid enough to place his Spark in a safe container and secure a means of transport!” He leapt off Scorponok as the body transformed back into scorpion city-ship mode.

“Where do you think he got it from?!” called Fortress. Galen then appeared and slugged Zarak, forcing him to drop the container. Megatron scooped it up and made a call.

“Nemesis! Beam us aboard! Radio control Scorponok’s body to return to the stars! He’s got supplies to get us to Animatros! Retreat!” Scorponok’s body then took off as the Novacons and Megatron vanished in a teleport beam. As they left Nebulos’ solar system, Zarak continued beating on Zarak. He then pulled out his Ban’grazas and pierced Zarak in the chest, causing him to gasp. The swords struck two of his three hearts. He collapsed to the ground in pain. Galen then panted before collapsing. Llyra and Trema caught him before he fell completely to the ground. Fortress Maximus then looked down at the scene below him as everyone gathered around the dying Zarak.

“…Why, Father?” asked Llyra. “Why did it have to come to this?”

“You tell me!” coughed Zarak. “Why do you not continually seek power as any living being should do?! Magic always preached restraint, science doesn’t!”

“…Is that why?” hissed Llyra. “Is that why you killed Mother?!” Zarak only stared at Llyra, his silence confirming her suspicions. “…RRRGHRRGAAAAARGH! WHY DO YOU INSIST THAT PEOPLE ARE OBLIGATED TO SEEK MORE POWER?! YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THOSE OF US WITH POWER NEED TO DOMINATE THOSE THAT DON’T?! YOU WANT TO HAVE AN ETERNAL WAR BETWEEN SCIENCE AND MAGIC?! THINK FATHER, THINK! SUPERPOWERED PEOPLE LIKE US HAVE PROVEN TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN SQUABBLERS WHO CAN’T SEE WHAT THEIR WAR IS DOING TO THOSE THAT AREN’T SO LUCKY! OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD NEVER SEEK POWER, IT’S US! ESPECIALLY SINCE, AS YOU AND YOUR OLD DECEPTICON BUDDIES JUST DEMONSTRATED, WE’RE JUST ONE BAD DAY AWAY FROM BECOMING THE NEXT BROLGUS! YOUR REGIME IS FIGHTING TO PROVE THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE STRIPPED OF OUR POWER AND LOCKED AWAY FOR LIFE! BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! ASK MOTHER!” Zarak groaned as he had no choice but to let his daughter unleash her pain verbally. “…WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?!”

“…You,” answered Zarak. “I would have had a safe future for you.” Zarak then finally died.

“…My future’s mine to determine!” hissed Llyra as tears came down her face. Hi-Q saw the whole thing and tapped his visor. As he observed what the results were on his visor, Hi-Test came up to him.

“We better organize for the remaining non-Omnibots to leave,” he recommended. “We’ll detonate another bomb with a different mechano-toxin and-”

“We’re doing no such thing,” interjected Hi-Q. “Our anti-Transformer and anti-mage agendas need to fall.”

“…It’s for the safety of Nebulos! The simulations-”

“The simulations didn’t account for those that limit themselves already!” Hi-Test opened his mouth to protest again. “HI-TEST! …Do you think people like Llyra are so rare?! Look at the scene! Recall what Fortress Maximus said! The powerful DO have people like us in mind, at least on THIS planet!”

“We can’t change our stance now! The people will eat us alive!”

“We’re scientists! Our stances change with new variables added to the equations! You’re not gonna tell us it’s not okay to change minds with new data added, are you?!”

“It’s NOT okay! Don’t you get it?! We HAVE to stay steadfast in our beliefs and opinions!” Hi-Q shook his head.

“That’s a pretty cowardly view, if you ask me with all the data I have available to me at this time.”

“If you won’t stay true to your original stance, then I want no part of this! I QUIT!” Hi-Test stormed off, throwing down his employee card in the process.

“…Did you really mean that, Hi-Q?” asked Galen as Fortress Maximus transformed back into city-mode and ejected Cerebros in shuttle mode.”

“Dad made what I said about changing minds with each scrap of new data a big part of my upbringing,” replied Hi-Q. “Supreme Counci…” He stopped himself when he saw Llyra still standing over Zarak’s body. He sensed that there might be a bit of impropriety over making a request now.

“…Yes?” Llyra asked. Hi-Q hesitated before answering.

“…Supreme Councilor, at the next meeting of the Council of Peers, I’d like to announce the formal end of our anti-mage and anti-Transformer weapons programs.”

“…Very well, but that won’t be for a while. We must send my father’s body into the sun.” Galen and Trema goggled at her declaration.

“That’s a surefire way of sending his soul-!”

“His exile was still in effect when he died, and he broke it! We must follow through with it!”

---

Sending a body into the sun, according to Nebulan beliefs, is to send the soul of the deceased to languish with the souls of their dead and damned gods. It is reserved for the vilest of traitors and is the only punishment that has to be authorized by the whole Council of Peers. This time, they all voted yes and so Zarak’s body was sent into the sun. Once it was confirmed that the body was consumed by the sun, the whole planet observes a five-day period of contemplation so everyone can examine their souls. It is announced a week before the body is sent into the sun so all businesses can properly prepare for inactivity. People usually stock up on food, clean their places of business, don’t go to activities of leisure, all that stuff. After five days, work resumes. It was after the five-day period that Galen approached Llyra. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I need some happiness sometime soon,” muttered Llyra.

“…Well, Kari, Rev, and I are debating whether or not we should all get married sometime this week.” Llyra’s eyes popped open.

“Married?! The wedding?!” she asked as her mood brightened. Galen grinned, relieved that mentioning the wedding was the right thing.

“Kari wants to invite you to go dress shopping with her tomorrow.”

“And I accept! Did she tell you what time?!”

“Mid-morning, around the hour of Thandrak.” (10:00 for us.)

“I’ll be there! When are you boys getting your outfits?”

“The next day, same time.”

“Perfect!”

“Did Scorponok just…fire on his own allies?!” asked Optimus.

“We could all see it!” remarked Grimlock.

“Is the Decepticon Empire really as stable as Megatron bragged?” asked Tails.

“It looks like Scorponok’s beamed down all the Headmasters, including Zarak and Black Scar,” reported Jazz.

“Hold on, we’re tracking their movements?!” asked Slash. “Why aren’t their internal ship cloaks online?!” Prowl was shaking his head.

“None of this makes a lick of sense!” he muttered. “He’s got us all in the crosshairs, but Scorponok’s more focused on Nebulos!”

“A communication’s channel coming from him is still open,” remarked Sparkplug. “Perhaps we can get an answer from him.”

“Hold on,” interjected Shadow, “are you suggesting we just call Scorponok and ask him what his game is?!”

“…It’s a shot in the dark, but it’s worth taking,” declared Optimus. Sonic then appeared on Tails’ part of the screen.

“Hey, has anyone seen Amy?” he asked.

“Isn’t she on the Blue Typhoon?” asked Optimus.

“No, I thought she went over to either the Ark or the Fang.”

“Well, she ain’t on my ship,” answered Grimlock. Yoketron then came onto the Ark’s bridge.

“Everyone, I can’t find Trema, Sira, or Natalie,” he reported.

“What’s going on here?!” demanded Optimus. “Teletraan, find Amy, Sira, Natalie, and Trema!”

“Searching…and…oh, for Primus’ sake!” groaned Teletraan.

“What’s wrong?”

“They’re on Nebulos! They’re meeting with Llyra and the Autobot Headmasters and are gonna face the ‘Novacons’ or whatever the Pit they call themselves now!”

“What?! Get them back!”

“Hold up…no, I don’t think we should.”

“WHAT?!” This question was repeated by everyone.

“It looks like they’re all about to prove that Hi-Q was being stupid with his bomb,” chuckled Teletraan. “He, Kari, and two other scientists are with them.”

---

The Novacons trudged through the forest with their Headmaster partners riding on their backs. Zarak looked through the trees as he sat behind Black Scar’s beast mode eyes. “He’s around here somewhere,” he muttered.

“We know he’s at the center of the forest!” grunted Spasma as she held onto Apeface’s back. “Why are we at the edge?!”

“Because he might have moved,” replied Zarak.

“I don’t see why,” muttered Vorath as he sat between Mindwipe’s wings. “He’s not exactly expecting combat.”

“Quit yakking!” grunted Krunk as he and Snapdragon knocked a few trees down. “He’s got Galen with him and he’s smarter than he looks!” Weirdwolf then stopped and sniffed the air.

“What is it?” asked Monzo as he looked to his partner. “What do you smell?” Weirdwolf’s optics then went wide.

“The Autobot Headmasters!” he yelped.

“What?! Now?!” cried Grax as she and Skullcruncher looked around the area.

“From the north!” warned Weirdwolf. “And I’m getting new scents now! …It’s a quartet of Nebulans and…and the Mobian Visitors that aided in our downfall!”

“TREMA!” growled Zarak. “Prepare for battle!” Trema, Amy, Sira, Natalie, Llyra, Hi-Q, a young Nebulan man named Hi-Test, another Nebulan man named Rev, and Kari stepped out of the trees first. They were all wearing Nebulan Planetary Defense Force armor and had their guns ready.

“You were ordered to leave Nebulos on pain of death!” growled Llyra.

“That’s no way to address your old father!” replied Zarak.

“It’s the ONLY way to address disgraced traitors like you and your friends!”

“I’ve hear enough of that skak’s mouth!” snarled Grax. Spasma then slapped the back of her head.

“Watch the slurs!” she warned. “If men cannot call us that, we cannot call each other that!”

“That’s enough!” called Llyra. “By setting foot on Nebulos, you have signed your death warrants!”

“Nebulos is MINE to command!” growled Zarak.

“Sorry, Nebulos is closed to Decepticons and all related branches!” came a new voice. Five vehicles then entered the area with the Autobot Headmasters riding them. Galen leapt out from a short-range shuttle, Stylor stepped out of a super car, Arcana landed her fighter jet and stepped out of the cockpit, much to the jet’s annoyance, Duros parked his tank before stepping out of the cockpit, and Gort jumped out of his twin-rotored helicopter, leaving it to hover in the air.

“Galen!” snarled Zarak. “It’s been too long, my son-in-law!”

“Not there yet, believe it or not,” remarked Galen. “Now, I say again, get the hurg off my planet!”

“All my life, my power was limited!” retorted Zarak. “Now, thanks to Scorponok and Black Scar, I have no need for limits!” He turned to his team. “NOVACONS, TRANSFORM AND CONQUER!”

“I guess we’re doing this,” muttered Galen. He turned to Llyra and her team. “Give us some cover fire.” After they nodded, he turned to the Autobot Headmasters. “Boys and girls, it’s time to put ourselves through our paces! OMNIBOTS, TRANSFORM AND DEFEND!” Grax stuck both arms to her right, then rotated them to the left until the left arm held her fist up and the right held her fist sideways.

“Head on!” she called. Her partner then spoke.

“SKULLCRUNCHER, ANNIHILATE!” The tail split down the middle from the tip and attached to each side, then the backside folded out to reveal legs. The lower torso then rotated to face the audience. The head swung down to reveal the robot’s shoulders and robot hands came out as the front beast feet folded onto the wrists. Grax transformed into her head-mode, one with a yellow face and a red visor, and attached to the robot’s shoulders. Skullcruncher was complete as he roared to the heavens. Stylor started his team’s sequence. He held his left fist to his hip and moved his right hand forward slowly.

“Head on!” he announced.

“CHROMEDOME, CENTRALIZE!” called the car. The front of the car folded to the roof as the sides split away and sprouted hands. The rear then split and folded down while letting feet pop out. Stylor then transformed into his head mode (one with an orange face and a pair of white horns) and attached to the robot. Chromedome was complete. Vorath was next. He swung both arms to his right side, then rotated them to his left, then pulled his right hand back before putting it back to its original position while his left hand went to his hip.

“Head on!” he announced. Mindwipe readied himself and Vorath changed into a head with a visor and a Fu Manchu moustache.

“MINDWIPE, ANNIHILATE!” shrieked the bat. The tail swung towards the front as the rear of the bat swung down to make legs. The areas where the wings were attached swung 180⁰ and unfolded arms with the hands popping out. The bat head swung down to allow Vorath’s head mode to attach to the shoulders. The rear of the bat was now the front of the robot. Mindwipe was now complete as he gave a screech. Arcana began her transformation sequence as she stuck out her right pointer and middle finger, then tapped them against her fist as if they were a tuning fork, and then held the right hand near her face.

“Head on!” she called.

“BRAINSTORM, CENTRALIZE!” called her jet. The underside of the jet folded towards the rear and the assembly rotated as the wings turned to the opposite direction and their sides split away from the fuselage as it folded down to become a torso. Hands then sprouted from the wing sides and Arcana transformed to her head mode, one with a yellow face and a white helmet, and attached to the robot. Brainstorm then gave a cocky smirk as he made a finger gun and pointed it at the Novacons. Monzo stuck his right arm to the side and his left arm pointed towards the right. He then rotated his arms, so they were sticking out to the left.

“HEAD ON!” he called as he pulled an imaginary rip cord on his left arm with his right. He transformed into a head with a red visor and a red face. Weirdwolf howled as he prepared to transform.

“WEIRDWOLF, ANNIHILATE!” The tail detached from the rump as it went up to allow the rear paws to fold into the legs. The legs then folded up and straightened to make robot legs. The front paws folded back to reveal humanoid arms as the wolf head folded back to allow Monzo to attach to his shoulders. Weirdwolf howled like a wolf when he was complete. Duros then moved his right hand near his shoulder, then moved it down to his left hip in a diagonal manner while his left hand ran parallel to reach his right shoulder.

“Head on!” he declared.

“HARDHEAD, CENTRALIZE!” The rear of Duros’ tank then tilted down and split with hands sprouting from the tread assemblies as the front of the tank split and unfolded into legs, making the cockpit the torso with the gun barrel resting on the right shoulder. Duros transformed into the robot’s head, a yellow face with a gray-brown helmet, and set himself between the shoulders. Hardhead then whipped out a gun and leveled it at the Novacons. Spasma was next as she placed her right elbow on her left wrist and moved the arm configuration across her chest, then she placed her wrists together with one hand on top of the other and pushed outwards.

“Head on!” she roared as she rotated her hands. She jumped up and turned into a head as Apeface roared and pounded his chest.

“APEFACE, ANNIHILATE!” he shouted. His gorilla arms swung backwards, and the forearms and hands folded upwards. The sides of the gorilla’s chest swung up and extended to become legs. The turbines he was wearing extended to reveal arms and the gorilla legs swung up to become shoulders. Spasma’s head-mode connected to the shoulders, completing Apeface’s robot mode as he pounded his chest, roaring. Gort was next as he rotated his arms so his left hand was above his right shoulder and his right hand was pointing down, resting below the left hand near his hip.

“Head on!” he called.

“HIGHBROW, CENTRALIZE!” called the helicopter. The front of the vehicle split and unfolded into legs and feet while the rotor assemblies rotated backwards and unfolded to become arms. The rear of the helicopter then folded to the underside (now the back of the robot) and Gort transformed into his head mode (one with a white face and a dark-brown helmet) and plugged into the space between the shoulders. Highbrow then twirled a gun in each hand before leveling it at the Novacons. Zarak put his left fist to his hip and thrust his right hand across his front in a diagonal fashion and slowly rotated it to his right side.

“HEAD…” he bellowed. He then pulled his right hand into a fist and put it to his hip and thrust his left arm across his front. “…ON!” Zarak then leapt into the air and transformed to his head mode

“BLACK SCAR, ANNIHILATE!” called Black Scar. The spider then changed in a fashion similar to Blackarachnia, but the mouth parts and pedipalps formed pincer-style claws. Zarak then attached to his torso. The visor flashed red and Black Scar snarled. Galen held his left hand to his left hip as his right hand was held past his left shoulder.

“Head on!” he called as he moved his right hand past his right shoulder.

“CEREBROS, CENTRALIZE!” called the shuttle. The transformation was like a Headmaster partner’s, just in reverse. Galen transformed into his head mode (standard Transformer silver face with a domed, purple-gray head) and connected to his partner. Cerebros then adopted a hand-to-hand combat stance.

“Covering fire now!” called Llyra. She and her team opened fire on the Novacons.

“NOVACONS!” bellowed Black Scar. “NO PRISONERS!”

“OMNIBOTS, DEFEND THE FOREST!” called Cerebros to his team. The fight then began!

The Council of Peers had met the next day, ready to discuss the situation above their heads. “Fellow Peers,” began Llyra, “it’s clear that having multiple warships above our heads that are ready to do battle with one another is causing a lot of frayed nerves to the populace.”

“Frayed nerves is putting it mildly, Supreme Councilor,” argued a man. He was promptly shushed by his colleague.

“However, I am in talks with both Autobots and Decepticons,” continued Llyra. “I have made it quite clear that we will have no fighting within our solar system, whether it be on the surface of a planet or out in the space surrounding said planets.”

“They’re programmed for war!” rebuffed the man that commented on her opening statement.

“Councilor, they’re beings that think, feel, and go beyond their ‘programming’ like you and I.”

“With all due respect, no, they aren’t. Why else would there be Headmasters except to control them directly?”

“If they were machines of that low a level, organic life would have stopped their war before it got worse. But, their brains are as adaptive as ours, so mind control is out of the question.”

“Then what can we do?! Surrender?!”

“We did that with the Decepticons, and we didn’t exactly prosper then, did we? No, there’s a way for us to enforce limits. I have spoken with other members of society ranging from the poorest farmers to the ones living in luxury and they have offered radical solutions that will benefit us. Solution 1: areas where weapons are not allowed, be they natural-born or artificial. So, no Ban’grazas, no blasters, no wands, no-” a woman then burst into the Council Chambers.

“Supreme Councilor! Trouble! In space!” she called.

“What’s so important that you must burst in here?!” demanded Llyra’s nay-sayer.

“Ma’am, you said in space earlier,” interjected Llyra. “What’s going on up there?”

“It’s the Decepticon Headmasters! They’re within our solar system! Scorponok himself is here!” The Council then started talking amongst themselves, worry crossing their brows.

“You’re sure it’s Scorponok?” asked Llyra’s nay-sayer.

“Scorpion-shaped vessel, purple, black, and green color scheme, Decepticon and Predacon symbols on the topside, massive amount of guns, it’s Scorponok, no doubt!”

“Have our planetary defenses ready! We won’t let the Decepticon Headmasters land on our soil!” Every Councilor scrambled to their battle stations.

---

“Scorponok’s approaching,” reported Ravage.

“Excellent. Hail him,” said Megatron. Ravage keyed in a command, then arched an eyebrow.

“No response.” Megatron raised his own eyebrow.

“Try again. Use all frequencies.” Ravage did so.

“…Still nothing.”

“Prepare a channel on an open frequency.”

“Channel open.”

---

Slash’s optics flickered before she reported her findings. “Captain, the fleet’s receiving an open channel.”

“On screen,” ordered Grimlock. “Maybe this will explain Scorponok’s presence.” Megatron’s face appeared.

“Scorponok, this is Megatron aboard the Nemesis. I appreciate that you wish to crush our enemies, but there is no current need at the present time. The situation is delicate and sending in troops now would only disrupt our operations. You are to join our fleet and await my command.” There was a brief pause until Slash reported something.

“Scorponok’s maneuvering himself above the Folassian Forest!” she warned. “He’s preparing a teleport beam!”

---

“What?!” roared Megatron once Ravage reported the same findings. “Scorponok, what do you think you’re doing?! I said join the fleet!”

“Lord Megatron!” called Thundercracker aboard the Decimator. “Scorponok’s training his weapons on us!”

“All ships, raise shields!” ordered Megatron.

“All shields raised!” reported Ravage. Scorponok then fired on the Nemesis and the shots went through the shields! The ship rocked as it took damage. Shockwave made course corrections to keep the ship steady.

“Lord Megatron, Scorponok’s hailing us!” called Ravage.

“Ignore!” replied Megatron. “Coordinate damage control!”

“The call’s forcing its way through! I can’t ignore!”

“All ships, do not tamper with the Novacons’ mission!” boomed a voice. “I care not about factions! This is your only warning!”

“Warning?!” demanded Megatron.

“We who were once merely labeled as the Decepticon Headmasters now have a new name, the Novacons! Our mission assumes priority! Anyone who dares interfere, regardless of faction, will be neutralized!” Megatron gritted his dental plates.

“Scorponok, I’ve put up with one usurper too many in my lifetime! I will not suffer another, especially not one who dares to address me in threatening tones!” At that point, Zarak appeared on the screen.

“You have little say in the matter, you failure!” he growled. “You cost me everything! You cost me my job, my family, my home, my planet, all of it! I had to reside with beasts, a whole faction of them actually ACTING like beasts while the other half was undergoing a civil war against the Tripredacus Council!”

“What?! I gave no order to go against the Council! Predacons and you ‘Novacons’ are extensions of my will! And my will is-”

“Your will is nothing, False Lord!” interrupted Scorponok’s voice. “Nebulos will take over as the center of the Decepticon Empire with my Emissary, his binary-bond partner, and I at the top of the heap!”

“I am Megatron, Lord and Master of the Decepticon Empire! I command you to cease your attack run!”

“You don’t have the power to command a Metrotitan of my caliber!” Scorponok then fired on the Nemesis again, this time with an electric cannon! The ship conducted the electricity all throughout itself and into the crew. The treatment stopped after a minute and all ship systems rebooted itself. Once Tactical got power, Ravage checked his readings.

“Lord Megatron, Black Scar and the Novacons are at the edge of the Folassian Forest,” he reported.

“Clench, with me! Shockwave, you have the conn!”

“Where are we going?!” asked Clench as he followed Megatron off the bridge.

“To voice my complaints to Scorponok personally!” They made their way to the launch bay and Megatron transformed. “Clench, POWERLINX!” Clench transformed and attached himself to Megatron’s front, deploying his guns. New guns then deployed from the underside of Megatron’s tip as he activated his fusion cannons. He was held in place by a sling-field, an energy field that throws a bot out of the launch bay like a slingshot. “This mutiny ends NOW!” At that, Megatron was launched out of the bay and switched on his thrusters. He then made his way to Scorponok, ready to tear the Metrotitan a new one.