Category: Transformers: Mobian Chronicles

“The Metarex Five?!” yelped Ratchet.

“Scarship?!” wailed Ironhide.

“Yes on both counts,” sighed Cosmo.

“Not good,” gulped Prowl.

“That’s an understatement, if my history is correct,” replied Optimus between handfuls of Energon Munchies.

“It would take an entire fleet of ships to scratch Scarship!” sighed Ironhide. “We don’t have that kind of strategy.”

“The Metarex clearly place Mobius very high on their list of priorities,” mused Prowl.

“Well, we’re just going to have to find out what those priorities are,” replied Optimus as he finished another handful of Munchies.

“How, pray tell, are we going to do that?!” asked Ironhide. “Prime, this is Scarship we’re talking about!”

“He’s taken more than a few Planet Eggs in his day!” supplied Ratchet.

“If we play our cards right,” remarked Optimus as he fished for a new package of Munchies, “he won’t take this one.”

“Sir, how you can lean back in your chair,” Prowl snapped, “calmly eating Energon Munchies when we’re in this mess, I just can’t fathom! You seem to be perfectly Sparkless!”

“I can’t eat Munchies in a worried manner!” protested Optimus. “The liquid Energon inside them would go everywhere and get into my joints! Then it would crystalize again and I’d have joint problems at an early age.”

“I say it’s perfectly Sparkless for you to be eating Munchies at all,” hissed Prowl, “given the circumstances!”

“When I need to think,” remarked Optimus, “Munchies and exercising the extra calories off are what help me. Indeed, when there’s a HUGE problem that demands my attention, as anybody who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except some form of kinetic thinking. At the present moment, I’m eating Munchies because I have an inkling of an idea. Also, I’m particularly fond of Energon Munchies.”

“An idea, sir?” repeated Prowl.

“You three,” recalled Optimus, “met Ms. Cosmo through your then-fiancés, right?”

“Right,” replied Ironhide. “That was after they…foiled…the Metarex……twice in a row…you’re getting reinforcements relating to this problem!”

“I’m getting reinforcements relating to this problem,” confirmed Optimus as he offered bags of Munchies to his bots. Cosmo, while she was a member of one of few species that could safely consume Energon, politely declined. The rest of the bots in the room accepted.

---

If Prowl were not a mech who kept a lid on his emotional reactions, he’d be bouncing off the walls that day. All Autobots patiently waited for the Ground Bridge to switch to Space Bridge functions. After 10 minutes, a Space Bridge portal opened and two figures appeared. As they got nearer, the details became clearer. Soon, Strongarm and Chromia were standing in the Command Center, wearing new armor that matched their now Mobian vehicle modes. “Somebody call for a Metarex Pest Control team?” Chromia joked. Strongarm saluted.

“2^nd Lieutenant Strongarm and Master Sergeant Chromia, reporting as ordered,” she called.

“Will you relax, Regs?” sighed Chromia.

“Okay, you two,” interjected Optimus. Strongarm put her hand down. “I assume you’ve been briefed?”

“We DID get updates on your battles here, Sir,” replied Strongarm.

“You bots have had a hard time of it,” remarked Chromia. “And now, Scarship’s in orbit.”

“Which doesn’t make sense, Sir,” mused Strongarm.

“How so?” asked Optimus.

“During the…‘Great War’,” Strongarm shuddered at hearing a war she fought in called great, “this planet was considered contested ground between the two factions. So far, there’s been no resolution.”

“Might I ask how you know such things?” quizzed Optimus.

“Regs and I,” replied Chromia, “still have ties to the Stellar Council.”

“…‘Regs’?” repeated Optimus.

“Short for ‘Regulations’, Sir,” explained Strongarm.

“I see,” remarked Optimus. “Regretfully, we don’t have time for a full tour. What can you two tell us about Scarship?”

“Even without his formidable shields,” reported Strongarm, “Scarship’s hull armor is made of tri-folded rezardium. It took the Nemesis to scratch him.”

“Rezardium’s not something that can be scratched easily,” recalled Optimus.

“There are two areas that aren’t so tough in terms of materials,” interjected Chromia. “He uses a pair of…what’s the Star Trek term…warp nacelles.”

“He uses nacelles?” inquired Optimus. “Our starships use warp sliders, much more efficient and safer. So, a shot to the nacelles will stop him?”

“If you get past his Quad-rotating shields,” replied Strongarm.

“Of course he has those,” grumbled Ironhide.

“And, against all logic,” continued Chromia, “his warp nacelles have weapons on them.”

“Weapons on warp nacelles?!” yelped Optimus. “How’s that possible?!”

“And is Scarship compensating for something?” asked Ironhide with a slight smirk.

“Tell me,” called Cosmo, “have you heard of Airlandia? Taros IV? Mirtonia? No? Thank Scarship for that. After their Planet Eggs were extracted, all manner of life died, plant, animal, bacterial, all of it.”

“So, how do we get past the shields?” quizzed Optimus. “Maybe a raiding party could clear Scarship out.”

“Ill advised,” countered Chromia. “Scarship’s gonna be crawling with Metarex.”

“Besides,” supplied Strongarm, “Quad-rotating shields would take too long for our firepower to drain.”

“So, in other words,” sighed Prowl, “we have an uphill battle ahead of us.”

---

Dark Oak entered the bridge and sat on his throne, between the rest of his commanders. The commander in the green cloak turned to him. “I have noticed you are going through with this mission in your full image,” the figure grunted. “May I share that honor?”

“All of you may,” replied Dark Oak.

“Thank you!” cheered the green cloaked figure. All of Dark Oak’s commanders undid their cloaks so they would become capes. The one with the turquoise cape had a mix between humanoid and insectoid. It had three eyes, triangular shoulders, a pair of horns, and was thin in appearance with a pale-greenish tint to his body. The light-blue cape owner had an insect head with a single large purple eye, large shoulder armor, and a thin, black body. The green cape owner was short for the Metarex, bulky, yellow, had a pair of broad horns, a green visor for his eyes, and a matching green jewel on both his forehead and his chest. The red cape owner had a stocky build, about the same height as the yellow one, wore crimson armor with many horns on his head, an orange eye, and similar orbs on his chest and forehead.

“Urgh!” grunted the crimson one. “My back was killing me, being hunched over like that!”

“A true warrior never complains about pain!” bellowed the yellow one. “And the only one who is a true warrior is me, Yellow Zelkova, the Eternally Strong!”

“More like Eternally Dim!” snapped the black one. “How you managed to get to where you are today, I can’t make out.”

“And you’re the Eternally Vain, Black Narcissus!” roared Yellow Zelkova.

“My title is the Eternally Observing, you dolt!” shouted Black Narcissus as he got ready to fight.

“That’s enough!” called the pale-green one. “It seems I must take over Red Pine’s role and play the Eternally Mediating.”

“Pale Bayleaf, please,” interjected the crimson one. “I’m the Eternally Mediating. You stick to being the Eternally Scheming.”

“Enough, all of you!” bellowed Dark Oak. All hostility stopped. “Our ally is coming to report on the test’s progress and I would like to give, at least, the illusion that the Metarex Five is not a group of children.” The teleport pod then flashed and Tower appeared in his Silas persona. “Greetings, Silas,” bid Dark Oak.

“Good day to you,” returned Silas. “I see that your companions aren’t hunched over. I’ll have to get their names soon.”

“And you will have them when we get your report,” replied Dark Oak.

“You won’t be disappointed,” assured Silas. “The spores you gave us grow well in our atmosphere.”

“Excellent!” cheered Dark Oak.

“Though, you DID say the spores were toxic to animal life,” muttered Silas. “Why test them at an abandoned town?”

“We cannot afford to attract attention to ourselves,” answered Pale Bayleaf. “If we start killing populated areas now, defenses will be raised and, with the Autobots involved, I hesitate to imagine the damage they could do.”

“Besides,” continued Red Pine, “there’s plenty of time for us to savor their fear.”

“The test site will be found,” supplied Black Narcissus, “and the Autobots will be notified. Their confusion will baffle them until we launch the assault. MECH will then take the survivors and whatever non-Mobian animals necessary for survival. They’ll hang in orbit for a few days until the air is safe again and humanity will dominate the world again.”

“And your name is…?” asked Silas.

“Black Narcissus,” introduced the black Metarex commander.

“And you try and stroke MY ego?” chuckled Silas. “What about your own?”

“Stroking yours strokes mine,” explained Black Narcissus.

“Silas, you held up your end of the deal spectacularly,” praised Dark Oak. “Now, we will hold up our end.”

“Very well,” chuckled Silas. “See you in the Winner’s Circle.” He stepped into the pod and returned to Mobius.

“…Why did he mention my stroking his ego?” asked Black Narcissus.

“He’s making a reference to one of his planet’s old deities called Narcissus,” explained Red Pine. “A vain, self-centered creature, centered only on himself. He was a vain creature, falling in love with his own reflection and committing suicide when his love could not materialize. I’d say it describes you perfectly!”

“At least I care about my image!” snapped Black Narcissus. “Unlike you! You’re the only one of us I know that actually converses with the troops!”

“At least the troops under my command,” countered Red Pine, “give me the same respect I give them!”

“Enough! Both of you!” shouted Dark Oak. “You both raise meritorious points, but your delivery of those points leave a lot to be desired.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on his face,” laughed Pale Bayleaf, “when the plan comes to fruition!”

“I eagerly await such an event myself,” boomed a voice. “Although the inaction bores me.”

“Your patience will be rewarded, Scarship,” assured Dark Oak. Scarship’s engines hummed in delight and anticipation. “With this victory, we’ll show the entire galaxy that only through being unchanging will life flourish! Eternal! Unyielding! Unchanging!”

“Eternal! Unyielding! Unchanging! Eternal! Unyielding! Unchanging! Eternal! Unyielding! Unchanging!” The Metarex continued chanting, pumping themselves up for battle.

“That’s quite the history you have with the Metarex,” remarked Aleena. She, Optimus, Topaz, Sira, Trema, Cosmo, and Sonic were all assembled.

“Regretfully, they never fully embraced our culture of change,” sighed Cosmo. “Fear of a new identity has made these Seedrian radicals resist regeneration so much that they are no longer able to do so.”

“And now we have one hanging over our heads,” hissed Trema, “which begs the question of how they got here.” She then looked at Cosmo.

“Why are you looking at me?” she asked. “Why assume I would bring them here?!”

“Optimus DID say that the Metarex are Decepticon allies,” answered Sira. “The skirmishes could have attracted their attention.”

“Unlikely,” countered Topaz. Everyone turned to her. “We intercepted a transmission going to the Metarex ship. Reports say that it was MECH that sent the transmission.”

“So MECH and the Metarex are buddy-buddy?” quizzed Sonic. “Why? The Metarex aren’t even from Mobius and MECH hates the non-humans here.”

“The issue here isn’t MECH’s motives,” interjected Cosmo. Optimus arched an eyebrow. “I can tell you right now that the Metarex’s endgame will result in MECH being betrayed in some fashion. They will, in all likelihood, die at the Metarex’s hands.”

“Which means they’re in grave danger,” continued Optimus, “and we Autobots are bound by our morals to help them.”

“So, what’s our move here?” asked Sonic. “The way I see it, we have two choices. Either we concentrate solely on MECH and overlook whatever the Metarex have for Mobius, thus risking extinction. But, if we attack the Metarex, we risk overlooking MECH and a city is attacked with its Mobian Population being the target.”

“Which means we need a third option,” replied Optimus.

“I may have one,” mused Cosmo. All eyes turned to her.

---

“I can NOT believe what I’m seeing!” snarled Shadow at G.U.N while the meeting went on. He was in the detention area and was looking at the occupants of separate cells. Tom, Jerry, and a Male Mobian Bulldog named Spike were all battered and looking sheepish. Tom and Jerry never talked much, preferring to let their actions speak for themselves, but verbal communication was the only thing available to them.

“Sir,” called Tom, “if I could explain…”

“Agent Tom,” interrupted Shadow, “do you think I’m in the mood for explanations?! Three of my colleagues brawling in the cafeteria!”

“With all due respect, Sir,” argued Spike, “we weren’t brawling, per se.”

“You should take a closer look at Jerry’s forehead!” rasped Shadow.

“Well, he shouldn’t have got in the way!” barked Spike.

“Got in the…?!” protested Jerry. “I was trying to stop the fight!”

“We were NOT fighting,” insisted Tom.

“Then what WERE you doing?” asked Shadow, not believing him for a second.

“Er…” gulped Spike.

“We were…” stammered Tom.

“Having a difference of opinion!” finished Jerry.

“I guess…towards the end…” conceded Spike, “there was a bit of shoving.”

“According to Sandra,” hissed Shadow, “Jerry was ‘shoved’ over a table!”

“Now THAT was an accident,” replied Tom.

“It’s just…” supplied Jerry, “things got a little out of hand.”

“Things got MORE than a little out of hand,” rasped Shadow. “I suppose I’m going to have to talk to Mike myself, get him to end this nonsense so we can have proper meals again!” He turned to leave.

“Sir!” called Spike. Shadow turned back. “…Can we leave now?”

“…I’ll tell Sandra to let you go,” replied Shadow. Tom, Jerry, and Spike grinned. “In the morning,” finished Shadow. Their faces fell as Shadow left.

“Well, I hope you two are proud of yourselves!” squeaked Jerry.

“You got involved in this too, Jerry!” barked Spike.

“Shut up, you wankers!” hissed Sandra as she picked her knitting needles up and started work on the sock she needed. Sandra was proud of her knitting, especially when she experimented with other types of Mobian Spider Silk as well as her own. However, her knitting still didn’t hide the fact that she was a fearsome looking Mobian Queensland Whistling Tarantula. Tom, Jerry, and Spike clammed up.

---

The next day, Optimus, Cosmo, Blackarachnia, Ross, and Sonic were arriving at the MECH base. This was a surprise as no one expected a blatant arrival. When Tower heard about this, he immediately demanded they leave. “I do NOT require you popping in for a visit!” growled Tower. “Especially the Spider-bot!”

“Nice to see you too,” snarked Blackarachnia.

“Interesting that you aren’t shooting at us,” observed Optimus.

“We’re in control here,” replied Tower, his face betraying the uncertainty to his visitors. Hiding his face made it so much easier to command, but his mask and goggles were being repaired.

“Yeah, not buying it,” dismissed Optimus as they all strode towards a storage barn.

“Ah, I see you still kept the Energon Shield I helped you make,” mused Blackarachnia. “How’s the Rectifier Coil working?”

“Is there a reason you’re here?!” snapped Tower. “We’re not exactly on the friendliest of terms!”

“I’d have thought,” taunted Optimus, “that since you weren’t a member of G.U.N, you’d have lightened up by now. But did you? No. You’re still all business as usual.”

“I find that I can give greater focus to our goals outside of G.U.N!” snarled Tower.

“Ah, yes, the ‘noble’ goal of putting Humans above Mobians,” muttered Blackarachnia. “I never understood your need to feel superior to someone. It feels like you’re compensating for something.”

“Perhaps compensating for a loss that YOU gave us!” growled Tower.

“The T-cog affair,” recalled Blackarachnia. “Well, I can update you. Turns out the bot we stole from had his repaired and replaced and now he’s leading OUR enemies, the Decepticons.”

“We’ve noticed,” replied Tower. “From what Sylvia told me, he threatened to crush her before we took his T-cog.”

“I’d say she got off lucky,” remarked Optimus.

“I’D say she was almost killed as a robot proved our point!” snarled Tower.

“And what point would that be?” asked Cosmo.

“That only HUMANS can properly control technology!” replied Tower. “By having us in charge, machine accidents could never happen!”

“Oh really?” snapped Optimus. “Need I point out the accidents that happened in your 18^th and 19^th centuries alone?”

“Mere learning opportunities,” dismissed Tower.

“Those accidents resulted in death half the time!” shouted Optimus. As Tower opened his mouth for a rebuttal, Optimus cut in. “I’m not here to debate MECH’s ridiculous goals, though. My team and I are here for an entirely different reason. We intercepted a transmission between MECH and a cloaked Metarex vessel. Why are you talking to aliens when it’s clear you don’t like us?”

“MECH has its reasons,” replied Tower.

“Blackarachnia,” called Sonic as he looked at a set of controls, “can you identify these controls?”

“Let me see,” directed Blackarachnia as she transformed. Her holo-form came on and she examined the controls. Cosmo looked over her shoulder and grinned.

“Now THAT’S clever,” she praised. Blackarachnia’s eyes then lit up like a child on Christmas morning.

“Are these the controls to a large scale, Multi-kinetic Pan-wave Survival board?!” she quizzed. “Are we standing on it right now?!”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” replied Cosmo.

“GENIUS!” giggled Blackarachnia. She turned to Tower. “You guys didn’t build this!”

“We have our means,” remarked Tower.

“No, you DIDN’T build this,” clarified Blackarachnia as she keyed in a code. The appearance of the ground with roads shimmered away to reveal a large silver disc. It spanned the length of the base and startled Optimus and Sonic. “This kind of tech,” continued Blackarachnia, “it may have been built here, but that’s like you guys building a Romulan Warbird in the Middle Ages.”

“I know saying this is sacrilege for tech-bots like us,” interjected Optimus, “but what does a multi…” He couldn’t remember the entire name. You could HEAR Blackarachnia roll her optics. “Hang on!” protested Optimus. “Multi…” he then started snapping his fingers to try and bring the name forward.

“Multi-kinetic Pan-wave Survival board,” answered Blackarachnia.

“Multi-kinetic…” ventured Optimus.

“Pan-wave Survival board,” finished Blackarachnia.

“Multi-kinetic Pan-wave Survival board!” repeated Optimus, finally getting it. Blackarachnia transformed and hugged him when he did.

“That still begs the question, what does it do?” quizzed Ross.

“Some disaster happens to a planet,” explained Cosmo, “like a nuclear winter, all the volcanos smothering the planet, or a meteor splitting the world, result: all life dies. BUT, this thing shrouds survivors in a force-field so they’re protected. Then you feed it coordinates and it will generate a concussion wave that you ride out of the solar system and puts you into stasis until you get to a habitable planet.”

“It’s a surfboard that can hold a lot of people!” realized Optimus.

“And has stasis pod functions,” elaborated Blackarachnia.

“What are the Metarex planning that you need to leave Mobius?!” yelped Optimus to Tower.

“This is a last resort,” explained Tower. “And how can you possibly know about the Metarex? They are a new species!”

“The fattest lie I’ve ever heard,” countered Cosmo. “They’re a splinter group of my people, the Seedrians. We were at war with them during the last 50,000 years of the Great War, the civil war of Cybertron.”

“The Great War?” repeated Optimus as he headed to a large pod. “That’s what everyone’s calling it?”

“It’s what the Stellar Council decided,” explained Cosmo.

“I’d like to argue that, but that’s neither here nor there,” muttered Optimus. “What IS both here and there is THIS.” He pointed to the pod.

“What is it?” asked Ross.

“A thing,” replied Cosmo as she stepped inside the pod. “A lot of people don’t question things. Me, I make connections and my connections lead me to the conclusion that it’s a teleport pod.” She pressed a button on the side of the pod and vanished in green light.

---

Cosmo reappeared in the last place a Seedrian wanted to be. She was on the Metarex ship. Several Trooper-class Metarex were walking around the large bridge she had arrived at. The Trooper-class Metarex looked like robots twice Sonic’s size and had insectoid bodies and heads. These were the grunts of the Metarex. They mainly had a brown coloration, with only the commanders having gold or silver armor. A few Jumpee-class Metarex were talking to five cloaked figures that were sitting on thrones. Jumpee-class Metarex looked a lot like Cybertronian sized frogs. The cloaked figures wore different cloaks and would be roughly a head taller than Optimus if they weren’t hunched over. The cloaks’ colors, from left to right, were turquoise, light blue, black, green, and red. The figure in the black cloak saw Cosmo. “Ah,” said Cosmo to herself. “The Metarex Five are involved.”

“We have an intruder!” called the black-cloaked figure.

“How did I get in here, you ask?” taunted Cosmo. “Intruder window! Bye!” She activated the teleport pod and returned to the MECH base.

---

“GET BACK!” she shouted. Optimus and the rest had moved back when the black-cloaked figure appeared. Cosmo chucked a stone at the control panel. The panel sparked. “A member of the Metarex Five!” she declared. The figure stopped as Optimus, Blackarachnia, and Ross raised their guns. “That’s what you are, am I right? A member of the Metarex Five? Now, how could I, a young-looking Seedrian diplomat, know that? Don’t you want to keep me alive for that long at least?”

“I order you to surrender,” demanded Ross, “in the name of the Guardian Unit of Nations!”

“That’s not gonna work,” remarked Cosmo. “Blackarachnia, did you see a purple box inside the control panel.”

“…That better not be a Tarzamp Signal Generator,” hissed Blackarachnia, “because I’d be furious if it were.”

“‘Fraid so,” sighed Cosmo. As Blackarachnia raged, Optimus explained what a Tarzamp Signal Generator did.

“It releases a signal,” he lectured, “that disrupts plasma cohesion, causing any laser fire to dissipate into nothing. That’s why we weren’t shot at. It wasn’t that MECH didn’t want to, they COULDN’T.”

“How do you know so much?!” snarled the figure to Cosmo. He then turned to Tower. “Who is she?!”

“She never gave her name,” replied Tower.

“This isn’t typical Metarex behavior!” recalled Cosmo. “Hiding? Using humans? Stopping laser blasts? A Metarex should face lasers with dignity. Shame on you.”

“You dishonor me, Madam!” shouted the figure.

“Do I?” quizzed Cosmo. “Then reveal yourself.”

“I will give the enemy a chance to understand the position they’re in!” declared the figure as its hands, its ROBOTIC hands, undid the broach. The cloak became a cape as the figure stood up straight, revealing a purple, Cybertronian-sized, robot-like being with one, large, green eye, silver horns on the head, and a large, green orb in its chest.

“…Oh,” gulped Optimus as he and Blackarachnia finally understood the danger they were in. “HE’S here.”

“The entire Metarex Five is here,” clarified Cosmo.

“Who’s that?” asked Ross.

“I am Dark Oak,” introduced the figure, “the Eternally Victorious! Supreme Leader of the Metarex Empire!”

“Eternally Victorious?” laughed Sonic. “What happens if you lose? Do you become Dark Oak the Almost-Eternally-Victorious-Except-For-That-One-Time-But-Forget-It?”

“He’s like a Gundam,” remarked Ross. “A purple Gundam. A purple, cycloptic Gundam. A purple, warped, cycloptic Gundam!”

“Now, Ross,” called Optimus, “don’t be rude. You look like your non-Mobian cousin after an argument with hair dye.”

“The Metarex,” explained Cosmo, “are the fiercest life-forms in this galaxy, dedicated to a life of conquest and thievery of Planet Eggs; the life-force of every planet, and Dark Oak here happens to be my father.”

“…Well, well, well!” chuckled Dark Oak as he folded his arms. “So, regenerated again, Cosmo, my child? And you threw away a life of battle to be a diplomat.”

“I’ve found being a diplomat to be much more rewarding,” replied Cosmo. “It covers my weaknesses better than that ridiculous cape you and the rest of the Metarex Five wear.”

“We have no weakness!” protested Dark Oak.

“Yes, you do!” argued Cosmo. “It’s a good weakness.”

“I thought you would have been clever!” snapped Tower. “Only an idiot provokes a warlord!”

“Besides,” said Optimus, “history would say that what Dark Oak said wasn’t an idle boast.”

“Well, history doesn’t have every fact,” replied Cosmo. “Because these Seedrian Radicals spend their lives in robot suits, the Metarex can no longer photosynthesize like I do. They have to get their energy from a crystal on their backsides. THAT’S the weak point.”

“So THAT’S why they always face their enemies!” giggled Blackarachnia. “They can’t turn their backs!”

“Metarex stare into the face of death!” boasted Dark Oak.

“Yeah?” taunted Optimus, gaining new confidence. “Stare at this!” He drew his wand and fired a magic blast into the teleport pod behind Dark Oak. It bounced into the crystal on Dark Oak’s back and the Metarex leader doubled over in pain. Blackarachnia got out Optimus’ Sonic Screwdriver and buzzed the teleport pod’s control panel. It sparked and flashed before going dead. “RUN!” called Optimus. He covered the retreat as a Ground Bridge opened for them. When they went through, Dark Oak waved the soldiers trying to tend to him away.

“Don’t touch me!” he snarled. “A Metarex would rather be forced to regenerate than show pain! I must return to Scarship.”

“But they broke the teleport pod!” replied Tower.

“Bah!” dismissed Dark Oak. “A mere stone and primitive Cybertronian magic!” Dark Oak fired a blast from his chest crystal at the pod. “The device is now fully operational.” They stepped into the pod and Dark Oak set the controls to send him and Tower up to his ship, the living flagship of the Metarex fleet, Scarship.

“All right,” whispered Optimus as the Autobots, Cosmo, and Sonic and his friends crouched down, hiding from Megatron’s forces, “are we ready?”

“For the record,” hissed Cosmo, “I still say we need to be diplomatic in our approach.”

“Your concern is noted, Ambassador,” replied Optimus. “But, Megatron threw the whole diplomacy thing out the airlock. We’re going through with the attack.”

“All right,” muttered Cosmo as she picked up a stone.

“On three,” directed Optimus. “One. Two. THREE!” Cosmo threw the stone at Megatron’s head, making him dizzy for a minute. A perfect amount of time for Optimus to leap onto him like a wild lemur. The other Autobots attacked the rest of the Decepticons. Ultra Magnus dealt with Starscream, Prowl with Shockwave, Jazz with Soundwave, Ironhide with Thundercracker, Ratchet with Knock-out, Blackarachnia with Skywarp, Bumblebee with Frenzy and Rumble, Perceptor with Ravage and Ratbat, and Cliffjumper with Laserbeak and Buzzsaw. Sonic and his friends attacked Eggman’s forces. Cliffjumper was NOT taking any chances. He fired on Laserbeak and Buzzsaw’s means of flight to keep them on the ground.

“What happened to striking only in self-defense?!” snapped Laserbeak.

“In the case of you Cons,” replied Cliffjumper as he picked the two up, “I prefer to strike first, strike fast, and strike hard!” He bashed their heads together and threw them hard onto the ground. They weren’t getting up anytime soon. He headed off to help Bumblebee who was having a little trouble with Frenzy and Rumble.

“STAND STILL, YOU SPASTIC SHORTIES!” shouted Bumblebee.

“Oh, the short insults!” chuckled Rumble. “Frenzy, what does that say about him?”

“He’s got his own height issues and he’s just lashing out at those weaker than him!” laughed Frenzy. “You’re a bully, you know that, Auto-boob?”

“And you’re a pair of barely sentient drones!” shouted Bumblebee. That did it.

“What…was that…you called me?!” snarled Rumble as he gripped his hammer.

“Uh oh!” gulped Frenzy. “You die-cast dolt! Nothing will chill him out now!”

“WHO’S A DRONE?!” roared Rumble as he slammed his hammer onto Bumblebee repeatedly. Bumblebee fell to the ground, battered and dented. “Prepare to become one with the Allspark!”

“GET OFF OF HIM!” shouted Cliffjumper as he fired his gun at Rumble. The gun fired some sort of gas at him. Rumble cleared it away and Bumblebee knocked him off. The blow caused Rumble’s armor to shatter at the shoulder.

“RUMBLE!” cried Frenzy as Rumble clutched his shoulder. He focused his rage on Bumblebee and Cliffjumper. “Over-charged buffoons! You’ll pay for striking my brother!”

“Beat it, pipsqueak!” snarled Cliffjumper as he kicked Frenzy aside to smolder with his fellow cassettes. Frenzy soon checked Rumble over and decided he needed expert medical care.

“KNOCK-OUT! BOT DOWN!” he shouted.

“I’M A LITTLE BUSY HERE!” replied Knock-out as he blocked a blow from Ratchet with his electro-staff. “Come on, we’re both medics here!” he protested. “You and I are bound to do no harm!”

“Do no harm?!” repeated Ratchet. “You have no right to say those words!” He then went below Knock-out’s belt! Knock-out went to his knees and dropped his staff. “I believe you have some patients,” joked Ratchet as he sped off to help Bumblebee. Jazz was dodging Soundwave’s tendrils with a few Michael Jackson moves. He even leaned waaaaaay over!

“Man, you ain’t got nothing on me!” called Jazz.

“And you think you got something on me, bro?!” snapped Soundwave.

“‘Bro’?!” laughed Jazz. “Dude, not even bros say ‘bro’!”

“And you would know?” argued Soundwave.

“I’m Praxian,” replied Jazz. “Prowl can easily confirm what I’m gonna say! Primus knew my people would go through more than a few struggles, so he gave us an extreme amount of cool to compensate while the rest of Cybertron got…what’s it called on this planet? Ah, yeah, ‘white boy rhythm’!”

“HEY!” protested Optimus. That distraction gave Megatron the opening he needed to punch Optimus.

“At least I have better rhythm than Songbird did! She couldn’t dance her way to a bar!” shouted Soundwave. Jazz dropped the act and simply grabbed the tendrils on the next lash. He then spun Soundwave over his head and slammed him to the ground.

“That was my grandmother you insulted,” snarled Jazz as he dusted himself off. Prowl was in a Cyber-ninjutsu stalemate with Shockwave.

“You know, you COULD have just joined us!” urged Prowl. “We would have helped you with your loss of Xitra!”

“You Autobots would have pried into my business,” argued Shockwave. “The Decepticons know when to leave someone alone.” Jazz then jumped in and kicked Shockwave in the head. As she tried to regain her orientation, Prowl delivered a punch to her gut. Jazz brought his nunchucks out and hit Shockwave repeatedly. She eventually fell. Prowl whistled, then offered a fist bump which Jazz reciprocated.

“Let’s go help Prime,” suggested Prowl.

“Not a bad idea,” agreed Jazz. As they headed off, Starscream was going at Ultra Magnus with his sword.

“Come on, Starscream!” taunted Ultra Magnus. “I thought you were better than dat!”

“Get on to my level,” laughed Starscream as he went into the air, “and I’ll show you who’s superior!”

“Here we go again,” sighed Ultra Magnus as he leapt onto Starscream. “Now, let’s see how Jet Judo works in Robot Mode. Want to find out the effectiveness?”

“Nice try!” shouted Starscream as he did a barrel-roll. As Ultra Magnus fell, Starscream was hit with a flying Ravage and Ratbat. They all fell after Magnus. Magnus landed on his feet. The Cons, no such luck. They landed in a heap. “WATCH IT!” snapped Starscream.

“You watch it!” snarled Ravage.

“How about you ALL watch it?” called Perceptor. “Now DANCE!” He set his rifle to machine gun mode and fired at their feet. Ultra Magnus took the opportunity to swing his hammer into their sides. They all crumpled in a heap. “Danke!” bid Perceptor.

“Just something I read in a book,” replied Ultra Magnus. He then called Ratchet over the comms. “How are the Stinger Brothers?”

“They just needed a patch-up,” called Ratchet. “They’re good to go.”

“Have them help Ironhide,” directed Ultra Magnus. “They can handle electricity better dan he can.”

“Understood,” replied Ratchet.

“Then, who shall WE help?” quizzed Perceptor. “Optimus?”

“He already has help from Prowl and Jazz,” remarked Ultra Magnus. “Blackarachnia, on the other servo, is having trouble with Skywarp.”

“I understand,” replied Perceptor as he powered his rifle up. They ran towards Blackarachnia’s position as Skywarp kept teleporting all over the place, just making her mad.

“Stand still!” she snapped.

“Can’t hit me! Can’t hit me!” taunted Skywarp.

“You act like a bot,” snarled Blackarachnia, “who’s had a crappy sparkling age!”

“LIKE FRACK YOU WOULD KNOW!” roared Skywarp as he drew his sword and started swinging.

“Kinda do!” replied Blackarachnia as she ducked. “In fact, I heard a lot of ugly rumors that you always give a warped backstory relating to your powers.”

“SHUT UP!” shouted Skywarp. She didn’t.

“Let’s see,” mused Blackarachnia, “You were a fighter since birth, a normal baby for only 30 kliks, then Cyber-ninjas took your maternal unit. My favorite was when you fell into a radioactive sand-pit and gained your powers that way. Why don’t you tell me the truth? We Autobots are all about truth.”

“THAT’S A FAT LIE!” shrieked Skywarp. “BACK WHEN ZETA PRIME WAS IN POWER, YOU WERE JUST LIKE US! YOU AUTOBOTS TRIED TO BURY THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SIEGE OF AXIOM NEXUS, MY HOME!”

“Axiom Nexus?” repeated Blackarachnia as she blocked a blow. Skywarp drew in a breath.

“All right, you wanna be the first Autobot to know the truth?” he snarled. “Here it is. I wasn’t always a Decepticon. I was once an Autobot by the name of Spanner. A genius in teleportation technology. I firmly believed that I was on the side of right, that is, until the Siege of Axiom Nexus. The Autobots were ordered to pull out and leave it to the Decepticons. I wasn’t going to leave my wife and kids behind, but Zeta Prime himself dragged me away from the city. The casualty list included my entire family.” Blackarachnia gasped. “Starting to put 2 and 2 together? You’d be the first Autobot to do so. When I was telling Zeta Prime off, he shrugged me off saying that their sacrifice was an acceptable loss in the grand scheme of things. When I protested further, he told me to keep my place and shut up. I fell into depression and drinking. I was about ready to kill myself until Jhiaxus himself came to me. I was about ready to shoot him, but he came unarmed and alone, genuinely wanting to hear me out. After some gentle convincing on his part, I told him everything. When I told him about my family dying, he handed me a hard copy of the orders he gave. An addendum was that any and all scientists and their families must be kept alive. The bot in charge didn’t follow that, so he was executed. I was surprised that Jhiaxus, after all I heard about him, would dispense justice like that, but satisfied that their deaths were avenged. However, there WAS the matter of Zeta Prime’s insult to their memory to consider. You know the story how a mole led Jhiaxus to Zeta Prime? You can guess who that mole was. In exchange for new armor and a position in the Decepticons, I told Jhiaxus where Zeta Prime would hole himself up. And, what do you know, I knew the access code to get in! So, with him good and dead, I was reformatted into a Seeker and became Skywarp, armed with the knowledge that it was best to laugh at the pain and hurt everyone who hurt you a thousand-fold!” As Skywarp finished, Blackarachnia sat on a large stone for her to consider her opponent’s words. Big mistake. Skywarp teleported behind her and slashed across her back. “You know what my motto became when I joined?” quizzed Skywarp. “Strike when the enemy isn’t looking! Okay, so you made me confront my past again! Made me all emotional and stuff! Once this day is done, I’m gonna cry myself to sleep on a bed made of victory!”

“HALT!” commanded Perceptor as he came out of hiding and shot Skywarp. Ultra Magnus then swung his hammer into his sides and tossed him into the heap of smoldering Decepticons Knock-out was working on.

“MEDIC!” called Ultra Magnus over the comms. Ratchet arrived in vehicle mode and transformed before he got to work.

“Go help Optimus!” he directed. “I can take care of her!”

“Got it!” said Ultra Magnus. While they headed to help Optimus, Sonic and his crew, including his new arrivals, Trema, Sira, Natalie, and Cosmo, tore through Eggman’s forces.

“I thought I’d get a work-out,” remarked Sira. “I’m still yawning!”

“I’m hardly sweating myself,” replied Natalie.

“It’s actually easier on my conscience,” answered Cosmo as she made vines tear the robots asunder, “given that they’re not actually alive.”

“Same here!” called Sonic as he spin-dashed more bots.

“MEGATRON! I NEED HELP!” called Eggman.

“Bit of a problem there!” countered Megatron. “My men are smoldering wrecks!”

“Megatron,” snarled Optimus, “your forces are weakened, your reinforcements aren’t going to come quickly enough, and G.U.N subs are on their way to the wreck of the Nemesis! Surrender while you can!”

“I don’t think so!” argued Megatron. “There are still forces to consider in that lake, parts of the Nemesis are already fixed, and those parts are related to the weapons systems! Those subs will be destroyed if you don’t pull them back! Trust me, it will serve you well in both the short and long run!”

“Why the long run?” asked Optimus as he gave a silent transmission to the subs to halt their advance.

“Because the Nemesis may be necessary to help you Autobots survive the threat in orbit!” replied Megatron.

“Erm, you mean the threat that’s landing right now?!” gulped Blackarachnia as she looked up. Everyone else followed suit to see a Quintesson warship pointing one of its ends to the ground and drilling into Mobius’ crust until it reached the landing ramp.

“…No, I was referring to something else,” answered Megatron.

“What are the Quintessons doing on this planet?” asked Skywarp.

“What are they doing on this side of the Neutral Zone?” quizzed Cosmo.

“We’re about to find out,” answered Optimus as the ramp lowered and the hatch opened to reveal Judge Commodore Brinn flanked by two thuggish looking robots.

“And he’s flanked by Sharkticons,” sighed Prowl.

“Optimus, I demand a word,” snarled Brinn’s face of Rage and Wrath.

“Judge Brinn,” called Optimus. “Once again, I find you on our side of the Neutral Zone. Explain yourself.”

“Don’t even TRY to play the victim here!” Brinn spat, still using the angry face. “We’re here to investigate YOUR aggressive charge across the Neutral Zone last month!”

“What do you mean OUR aggressive charge?” demanded Optimus. Brinn’s head rotated to his face of Bitterness and Wisdom.

“Last month,” he explained, “the Ark had flown through the Neutral Zone with another ship close behind.”

“Optimus, I think he’s talking about when the Dyno-bots saved our skid-plates!” whispered Jazz.

“The incident with Metal taking over my systems?” reminded Teletraan. Optimus then realized what was going on.

“Your Honor,” he called, “I can personally assure you, the charge across the Neutral Zone was a result of events beyond my control. My ship’s a.i had gone haywire at the time.” Brinn switched to his face of Doubt and Judgment.

“You honestly expect me to believe that?” he asked.

“Believe what you will, Brinn,” replied Megatron as he stepped forward, “but Optimus IS an Autobot, famed for telling the truth.”

“Megatronus?” quizzed Brinn. “You’ve joined the Decepticons.” His face switched to the smiling one of Laughter and War. “The only Cybertronians nearest to us in our way of thinking. Perhaps there’s hope for you.”

“Perhaps,” Megatron conceded. “Let me review why you’re here. The High Court sent you to investigate an Autobot incursion into Quintesson space. But, as you can plainly see, there IS no incursion.” Brinn switched back to his face of Doubt and Judgement.

“And the matter of the mysterious energy in this planet’s vicinity?” he asked.

“Ah, you must mean the cloaked Metarex ship in orbit,” replied Megatron.

“Metarex?” repeated Optimus. “Teletraan, see if you can get confirmation.”

“You there, Sharkticon,” ordered Brinn as he changed his face to Bitterness and Wisdom. “Confirm that.” The Sharkticon pressed buttons on a pad, then its face turned fearful.

“Er, Prime,” gulped Teletraan, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but…”

“There IS a Metarex cloaking signature in orbit,” Optimus guessed.

“Yep,” replied Teletraan.

“And last I checked,” mused Megatron, “the Metarex and Quintessons are on a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ basis.”

“Get us out of here!” said Brinn to the Sharkticons as his face turned to his face of Death.

“Without even an apology?” asked Megatron. Brinn briefly switched to his face of Rage and Wrath before settling on his face of Bitterness and Wisdom.

“If an apology will suffice,” he muttered, “then I offer it.”

“With Optimus, it may suffice,” hissed Megatron, “but not with me! I will spare you the humiliation!”

“Get on with it!” demanded Brinn as his face returned to Rage and Wrath.

“Knock-out, how go repairs?” called Megatron.

“Done, Lord Megatron!” answered Knock-out.

“Excellent!” cheered Megatron. He returned his attention to Brinn. “After taking you prisoner, I intend to dissect you and your ship for every scrap of information. After that, I’ll display your ship’s battered hull in Kaon. It will serve as a reminder for your species of our power and will inspire the Decepticons for generations to come! First, you will release control of your ship to me, then you will surrender as a prisoner of war.”

“Do you seriously expect me to accept those terms?” asked Brinn’s face of Doubt and Judgement.

“I honestly expected two more ships to land,” replied Megatron.

“Well, I see it as not your concern!” snarled Brinn as he switched to his face of Bitterness and Wisdom. The Quintesson ship then opened fire on all ground forces of both factions, allowing Brinn to escape and the ship to leave unmolested.

“Ah well,” sighed Megatron, “you win some, you lose some. Anyone dead?”

“Negative,” replied Shockwave.

“We’re fine too, thanks for asking!” snapped Sonic.

“As are we,” continued Optimus.

“I wasn’t concerned about you,” dismissed Megatron. “Now, given that you know about the Metarex ship above our heads, given your knowledge of how many Vanguard-class ships it took to take down one, much less Scarship himself, I suggest you allow us to continue repairs on the Nemesis. A Worldburner-class ship can handle an entire fleet of Metarex ships, even if Scarship’s involved.”

“What’s a Scarship?” asked Sonic.

“Scarship’s the living flagship of the Metarex fleet,” explained Cosmo, fear gripping her heart.

“Living flagship?” repeated Amy. “It’s alive?!”

“HE’S alive,” corrected Cosmo. Optimus considered his next move.

“Sir, we can still take him!” urged Bumblebee.

“…Not if the Metarex have designs on this world,” sighed Optimus. He called the G.U.N subs. “Pull back,” he directed. “The Nemesis must be allowed to fly.”

“Optimus!” protested a woman’s voice.

“I don’t like it any more than you do, Captain Darling,” replied Optimus. “Regretfully, we have no choice. Another alien threat is in orbit and the Nemesis’s weapons systems will be the only one to deal with it. I’ll inform G.U.N and Aleena on the details when we get back.”

“Better luck next time,” taunted Megatron. Optimus then grabbed Megatron by the shoulders and got up close to him.

“You better hope there ISN’T a next time, Mister!” he snarled. “Believe it or not, I have cut you a lot of slack when you attacked us! I even forgave you for roboticizing Sonic when I could have come down hard on you and Eggman, but those days are over! Now, your ship may be the only one that can keep the Metarex at bay, but you so much as make a transmission to the Metarex and I will reduce that ship to space dust!”

“You don’t have the firepower to make good on that threat!” hissed Megatron as he shoved Optimus away. He turned to the Decepticons and Eggman. “Resume repairs,” he ordered. As they moved to obey, Skywarp looked at Ultra Magnus who was giving him a pitying look. Skywarp thumbed his nose and turned to obey Megatron.

“All forces, retreat,” ordered Optimus. As the subs came out of the water and converted to land mode, a Ground Bridge opened for the Autobots and Sonic and his friends. Megatron had ultimately beaten them in this fight.

Cosmo had adjusted well to life with the Autobots. They had set up three empty patches of earth for her to get nutrients from as well as getting some sun in. Being a chlorophyll based life-form, she didn’t need to eat as animals did. Photosynthesis was all she needed. She got along well with Cream and Amy. In fact, the best person to get along with her was Amy’s mother, Cassandra Rose. She was a red hedgehog who was a botanist and a great lover of roses. Cosmo had given her a few seeds from the worlds she traveled to and so she was the first person on the planet to have alien roses thriving in her garden. However, there was one pot with a single blue rose with a silver stem that didn’t thrive at all. The pot was filled with sand instead of soil. She and Cosmo were examining it. Cosmo was in one of her soil patches, buried up to her waist as they looked it over. “A prime Secco Blue rose,” muttered Cosmo. “Wilted already. I can’t understand it.”

“It looked a little dry,” replied Cassandra, “so I gave a drink and…”

“You watered it?” quizzed Cosmo. “That explains it. Secco’s a desert world. Too much water will rot their roots at a faster rate than any plant on this world.”

“How often should they be watered?” asked Cassandra. “This is the only one I touched.”

“Once a year,” explained Cosmo. “And even then, it’s just a light sprinkling because Secco only gets…” she didn’t get far as a laser shot hit the ground between them. Cosmo leapt out of her soil patch as they looked around until they saw a MECH sniper! “Was really hoping not to meet them!” gulped Cosmo. “Come on!” They fled into the Autobot base.

---

“Target confirmed,” called the sniper. “According to the data we got from our ally, she’s changed.”

“So, the plant IS female,” replied Tower’s voice over the comms. “I’ll tell our ally now. Is she dead?”

“No, just ran scared into the base,” reported the sniper. “However, there WAS someone else with her, Cassandra Rose. Witness count?”

“Leave that red rat,” ordered Tower. “She’s not that deep in Autobot matters. We can dispose of her at our leisure. Return to base.”

“Yes, Sir,” replied the sniper. He started packing up.

---

“MECH?!” yelped Optimus. “This close to us?!”

“That’s disconcerting,” muttered Prowl.

“MECH’s getting bold,” growled Optimus. “Mrs. Rose, I don’t think it’s safe for you to travel outside of a Ground Bridge. We can get you home.”

“Thank you,” bid Cassandra. “I’ll take you up on that.”

“I’ve just told Amy what happened,” reported Teletraan. “She’s expecting the Ground Bridge in her living room.”

“Very good,” praised Optimus. The Ground Bridge opened and Cassandra stepped through. It closed once there was confirmation of Cassandra’s safe return home. “Now, we have another problem,” called Optimus. “G.U.N’s also reported a build-up of Eggman/Decepticon activity. Intelligence says they’ve intercepted a transmission between Robotropolis and Shockwave. They mentioned finding a ship with the registry number DFS-0001. That number has popped up in more than a few history books. I don’t need to tell you the danger that presents.”

“DFS-0001,” muttered Prowl, “a registry number I thought was part of a scrap-heap.”

“That registry number sounds familiar,” mused Cosmo.

“You snuck aboard that ship during the Battle of Femax,” recalled Prowl. Cosmo thought some more on that, then remembered, horror spreading across her face.

“The Decepticon flagship!” she breathed.

“The Nemesis,” confirmed Optimus.

---

“A thing of beauty, I say,” Megatron told Eggman as he looked over the blueprints for the Nemesis. “A Worldburner-class starship, even the Decepticons considered the armaments a bit overkill. On top of the standard energy weapons, missiles were stored. A tractor beam would hold enemy vessels in place or drag the ground forces inside. It’s a work of art, truly! …Doctor?” He then turned to see Eggman playing poker with Knock-out and Shockwave. “Dr. Eggman, would you please pay attention?!” snapped Megatron.

“Just showing that there IS a scientific principle to Poker,” replied Eggman. Megatron got the hint. Eggman wasn’t going to pay attention unless it stroked HIS ego.

“…Who’s winning?” asked Megatron.

“I have Queens and a pair of 6’s!” cheered Knock-out as he reached for the pot of rings and Energon chips.

“Keep your hands to yourself,” called Shockwave. “I have the most probable winning hand. A pair of Kings and a pair of 7’s.” Knock-out groaned as she reached for the pot.

“Claws off!” snapped Eggman. “Take a look!” He made a grab for the pot before Shockwave stopped him.

“Explain your logic,” she demanded. “You do not have a pair. I see a 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, all in different suits.”

“I thought you’d have played this during the first war,” sighed Eggman. “That’s a Kangaroo Straight!”

“…Kangaroo Straight?” Shockwave repeated as Megatron rolled his optics. “What does a Kangaroo have to do with this?”

“Explain it to her, Knock-out,” replied Eggman.

“A Kangaroo Straight jumps,” explained Knock-out, “from the 2 to the 4 to the 6 to the 8 to the 10! Very rare hand!” Shockwave calculated the probability.

“Illogical,” she countered. “The probability is 0.995 to 1 against, meaning it is more likely to draw such a hand than it is to draw at least one pair.” Megatron swiped five cards from the top of the deck and laid them down on the table.

“And the probability of my hand?” he asked as he revealed it.

“…649,740 to one against!” Shockwave yelped. “That’s a Royal Flush!”

“Now, if we’re done with Poker for a cycle,” snarled Megatron, “the Nemesis isn’t going to fix itself! I have no intention of having just the Ark hang over our heads! The Autobots must not keep that advantage. Do you realize the gap here?!”

“Megatron, this feels like a rehash to me,” replied Eggman. “I DID tell you what happened when we dug up the Enigma, right?”

“You didn’t use it properly,” answered Megatron. “Why go for such a complex plan as infecting Teletraan when a simple bombardment would do?!”

“The Autobots would try and take it,” countered Shockwave. “Besides, we ARE contending with two Arks. Remember the Space Colony?”

“A Worldsweeper-class ship,” argued Megatron, “could have easily taken them both, even IF that class was infamous for crashing. Now, thanks to some bungling, it’s a smoldering wreck on the…wait…I’m a fool. Shockwave, has G.U.N made any effort to salvage the wreckage?”

“…No, and I see where you’re coming from,” replied Shockwave.

“I don’t,” interjected Knock-out.

“We use the Enigma’s wreckage to retrofit the Nemesis’s operations,” explained Eggman in a bored tone.

“And, with a Worldburner-class ship,” continued Megatron, “our Ground Bridge will have greater range than that of the Autobots’. We could send our combined forces to the moon!”

“…A moon base?” asked Eggman, suddenly interested.

“A moon base,” confirmed Megatron.

“Well, why didn’t you say so?!” cheered Eggman. “That’s been on my bucket list for years!” He called up Metal. “Get the repair crews to put their backs into it!” bellowed Eggman. “There’s a future moon base with MY name on it!”

“Why is he so suddenly enthused to help us?” Knock-out asked Megatron.

“The thought of a future reward make anyone work harder,” explained Megatron.

“Your logic is sound,” praised Shockwave.

“Lord Megatron,” called Soundwave over the comms, “bad news. We found a cloaking signature in orbit around Mobius. It matches that of a Metarex ship.”

“The Metarex are here?!” snapped Megatron. “Why?!”

“Trying to find that out now,” reported Soundwave.

“I think this MAY turn to our benefit,” mused Shockwave, “IF we remind them of their place.”

“Good point,” replied Megatron. “The Metarex ARE members of the Decepticon Empire.”

“When was the last time you talked to these ‘Metarex’?” asked Eggman.

“Admittedly,” replied Shockwave, “it’s been a while. But, allies of the Decepticons aren’t so easily shaken.”

“Perhaps,” mused Megatron, “but this is more incentive to raise the Nemesis.”

Work on a Chaos Energy room was slow going for both factions. Optimus and Blackarachnia were playing a holo-deck video game. The level they were on was a tedious one. “Okay, this way!” called Blackarachnia as she headed towards a treasure pile.

“This is the game that tests our relationship,” remarked Optimus.

“This way, Prime,” urged Blackarachnia. Optimus then saw a large, flat, blue circle that could fit both bots.

“Oh, fracking THIS!” he declared as he jumped on the pad. The scene then started swirling.

“NO! YOU MISSED THE TREASURES!” wailed Blackarachnia.

“Okay, read my lips,” replied Optimus. “I don’t fracking care! You don’t need the treasure to win. It just gives you a better score in the end.”

“Are you seriously telling me…?” Blackarachnia asked before the scene changed into something more solid.

“Wait, did it really just send us back to this room?!” gulped Optimus.

“Oh, thanks a heap, Prime!!” snapped Blackarachnia.

“Okay, how was I supposed to…the Pad…!” protested Optimus.

“Thanks!” hissed Blackarachnia.

“The Pad usually means…!” Optimus tried to say.

“OOOOH! It ‘usually means’!” interrupted Blackarachnia.

“No! Frag you!” snapped Optimus.

“Even though I was telling you to get the treasures,” continued Blackarachnia while Optimus was trying to explain himself, “YOU GOT THE WARP PAD! You just went ahead and decided ‘OOOOO! I’m gonna get the Warp Pad’!”

“Dude, shut…it’s the wrong way. We’re going the wrong way,” replied Optimus as they turned around. “Shut your mouth! You didn’t even…you were thinking it was gonna take us to the next part…until it DIDN’T! Which way is it? You just show me.”

“I don’t…I don’t know!” answered Blackarachnia.

“Oh, you don’t know?” asked Optimus, taking it as his que to harp on what she said.

“’CAUSE I HAD IT IN MY PROCESSOR WE HAD TO GO LEFT!” shouted Blackarachnia.

“You don’t know! HOW LOVELY! YOU DON’T KNOW!!!” harped Optimus.

“Go to…we have to go back there!” urged Blackarachnia. “We didn’t get through all the doors! We have to go back there!”

“I’m going!” replied Optimus. “Where? How do I get?!”

“…The fracking lava area!” answered Blackarachnia. Optimus then cradled himself and rocked back and forth, hyperventilating.

“I’m just…I’m just a little bit scared right now!” he admitted. “Just a little bit scared, dude!”

“May I interrupt?” asked Teletraan.

“Pause,” called Blackarachnia. The game stopped.

“Go ahead,” replied Optimus.

“G.U.N found something,” reported Teletraan. “They said it looks like a pod that a Cybertronian could fit in.”

“A stasis pod?” quizzed Blackarachnia.

“Unlikely,” answered Teletraan. “They described it as being covered in tree bark. All Autobots and allies have been informed.”

“Tree bark?” repeated Optimus. “That sounds like something else entirely.”

“We gotta check it out,” declared Blackarachnia. “For all we know, Megatron has some scheme involving renewable energy.”

“I’d argue that,” remarked Optimus, “but I can’t afford to make assumptions. We all know the saying on this world.”

“Computer, save and end,” commanded Blackarachnia as they left the holo-deck. The program ended and they arrived at the Command Center.

“Bumblebee, Ratchet, Blackarachnia, Ironhide, you’re with me,” ordered Optimus.

“Ratchet and Ironhide?” asked Bumblebee.

“They may have seen the pod in the first war,” explained Optimus, “and we may need to give medical attention. Teletraan, Ground Bridge to the pod’s coordinates.”

“Got it,” replied Teletraan. A portal opened for them.

“Autobots, transform and roll out!” ordered Optimus. They did so and sped through the Ground Bridge.

---

They arrived to see G.U.N surrounding the pod with Topaz in charge. “Are the tanks really necessary?” asked Optimus.

“We cannot be sure if it’s a Decepticon ally,” replied Topaz.

“And if it’s an Autobot ally?” quizzed Bumblebee. Ironhide and Ratchet looked through the crowd to the pod and gasped.

“GET OUT OF THE WAY!” shouted Ratchet as he and Ironhide transformed. The soldiers dove out of the way as the two bots ran towards the pod. “It’s a Seedrian survival pod!” cheered Ratchet.

“A what?!” yelped Blackarachnia as she, Optimus, and Bumblebee transformed, following Ironhide and Ratchet.

“Yes, a what?” quizzed Topaz.

“A Seedrian Survival Pod!” answered Optimus.

“You guys are just making sounds now!” protested a male purple Mobian Weasel, Ross.

“Ah, good!” called Ratchet as he checked the contents of the pod. “The pilot’s still alive. She’s trying to finish up her regeneration!”

“Seedrians are a chlorophyll based life-form,” explained Optimus. “Hailing from the planet Greengate, their biotech is phenomenal!”

“…They’re talking trees?!” remarked Ross.

“Now, Ross,” chided Optimus, “don’t be racist.” Ross arched an eyebrow and looked to Topaz for an explanation. Topaz shrugged.

“Okay, bad news first,” reported Ratchet. “The Seedrian inside has just recently regenerated. The process is jarring. Good news, it’s not so bad. I can easily help the pilot inside adjust to its new body, male or female.”

“Should we head to base to revive it?” asked Bumblebee.

“Better news,” replied Ratchet. “I can revive it here.”

“Then get to it,” directed Optimus. Ratchet touched a knot on the pod and it opened, revealing a Transformer sized woman with no visible nose to speak of, leafy hair, a fully opened rose on each side of the head, a pale, green-yellow skin complexion, and looked like a tribal goddess. She had a red jewel at her collar bone that pulsed rhythmically.

“Even better news!” cheered Ratchet. “She’s giving some effort to stabilize herself! All we need to do is rewire the jewel and she’s good to go.” Ratchet took the jewel and slid a panel back. He then reconnected a few wires before something flashed into his head. He then smirked and handed the jewel to Ironhide. “Just attach the green wire to the green port,” he muttered. Ironhide arched an eyebrow, then did as instructed. When he did, he got the same flash and smirked. He slid the panel back and placed it back on the girl’s collar bone

“So, the old man changed gender this time,” he chuckled.

“Old man?” asked Optimus. “You met this Seedrian before?”

“She went through a few male bodies in the time Ratchet and I knew her,” explained Ironhide. The jewel then went through a long, soft glow before the light died. As it died, the woman started waking up. She sat up in the pod and started clutching her head in pain.

“Easy,” urged Ratchet. “You just went through a regeneration.”

“That explains why my cell walls are buzzing,” groaned the woman. “Where am I?”

“You’re on Mobius, ma’am,” explained Optimus. The woman opened her pale blue eyes at that and gave her full attention to Optimus.

“Why did you call me ma’am?” she asked.

“Because you’re a woman now,” replied Optimus.

“…I’m a woman again?!” she said happily. “Does it still suit me?!” She then realized something. “Oh, good heavens, how did I cope with all that ego?” she mumbled.

“You managed, Old Man,” replied Ironhide. The woman switched her attention to Ironhide and grinned.

“Well, if it isn’t the young whippersnapper, Ironhide!” she laughed as she held her hand out. Ironhide grabbed it and helped her out of the pod. “You’ve changed a bit,” mused the woman.

“You can talk,” replied Ironhide. “I’ve never seen any of your female bodies.” He turned to the crowd. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet one of my old war buddies, General Cosmo.”

“What?! Cosmo?!” yelped Optimus. “That Cosmo?! The one you fought with on Hydrus 4?!”

“Hydrus 4?!” repeated Cosmo. She turned to Ironhide. “What lies are you filling that boy’s head with?! It was Hydrus 5!”

“I think I know what Hydrus planet we fought on!” protested Ironhide. “It was Hydrus 4! I’m positive!”

“Moving along, Gener…excuse me, Ambassador,” interjected Blackarachnia.

“What?!” yelped Ironhide. He and Ratchet then looked at her clothes. “How did you…?!”

“I had retired from the military,” explained Cosmo. “Better to spread peace as an Ambassador than war as a General.”

“But there’s a ritual involving ambassadorship,” recalled Ironhide. “That ritual only takes place on Greengate. After we ended our first war with the Decepticons, I saw the list of the dead! All of Greengate was on it!” Cosmo was confused. “The Cons had used a Metarex Planet Egg Extractor on your world!”

“Oh, no, sorry!” replied Cosmo as she understood. “It was blended with Cybertronian tech. It only transported us to a safer part of the galaxy!”

“You’re kidding!” gasped Ironhide as his and Ratchet’s faces lit up.

“Safely orbiting a yellow sun!” confirmed Cosmo. “Everyone lives!”

“YES!” cheered Ratchet as he, Ironhide, and Cosmo hugged each other.

“Pardon me for interrupting the reunion,” interjected Optimus, “but there IS something that doesn’t make sense. What were you doing in a survival pod?”

“Oh, that?” replied Cosmo. “I was on my way to a planet called Earth. The Xorda had fired a mutation wave and I was sent here. The humans had sent out a distress call 2,000 years ago. I rather wish it were a subspace transmission, we would have come with an entire fleet to aid them within minutes!”

“About that,” called Topaz, “aid won’t be necessary. We survived.” Cosmo goggled.

“A human?!” she gasped. “I thought they were only native to Earth!”

“The mutation wave DID change Earth,” explained Optimus. “Animals of various species had changed to have humanoid appearances. After a bit of restructuring and conflict, they’ve created whole civilizations and renamed Earth. Mobius and Earth are the same.”

“Your planet adjusted to the change without aid from anyone?!” gasped Cosmo. She then whistled. “I’m impressed! Your planet is more versatile than anyone ever imagined! I better tell my mother the good news!”

“Earthia’s still around?” chuckled Ironhide. “Nice! Can’t wait to see her!”

“She’ll love seeing you,” replied Cosmo as she fixed various bits of her pod. Soon, she got the communications terminal working and made a call. “Contacting Earthia on Greengate. Come in, please. This is Ambassador Cosmo of the 9^th Diplomat Division.” A Seedrian woman’s face then filled the screen. She had powder blue hair, a white dress, and a white flower on the top of her head with a vine on each side.

“Cosmo, my b…girl!” answered the woman, Earthia. “Did something happen to make you regenerate?”

“A small asteroid struck my survival pod,” reported Cosmo. “It damaged a few life support systems. Ratchet and Ironhide helped stabilize my regeneration’s end.”

“Oh dear,” gulped Earthia. “Be careful with that one, all right? Because you ARE on your 34th body now.”

“34^th?” repeated Ironhide. “Oh boy, one regeneration left for you then?”

“Rude!” snapped Cosmo. “Talking about a Seedrian’s regenerations!” She returned her attention to Earthia. “Mother, I found a pair of friends you may be interested in.”

“Oh?” quizzed Earthia. Cosmo then let Ironhide and Ratchet show themselves. Earthia lit up like a Christmas tree. “IRONHIDE! RATCHET! IT’S BEEN TOO LONG!” she cheered.

“Hello, Earthia,” greeted Ironhide.

“We’ve heard about Greengate’s survival,” called Ratchet. “That’s been weighing on our minds for some time. We thought the Seedrian race was extinct. Thank goodness we were wrong.”

“We’ve been trying to contact you for a while now,” replied Earthia. “I never knew Cybertron to be an isolationist planet.”

“That was in accordance to the Pax Cybertronia,” answered Ironhide, “as space travel encourages both factions to find more allies for even more murdering, according to the bots who drafted it.”

“Pax?” Earthia repeated. “There’s peace on Cybertron?!”

“There WAS,” sighed Ironhide. “One of us Autobots defected and commands ALL Decepticons. He’s broken the Pax Cybertronia. 1,674.31 Stellar Cycles of peace, all undone in a mere day.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” replied Earthia. “Do you know which Autobot did it?” A pained look flashed across the older mechs features as they looked at Optimus. He took it as a que to approach the pod and talk to Earthia.

“Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong!” he greeted.

“Bah-weep-graaaaagnah wheep nini bong,” replied Earthia. “Might I ask who you are?”

“I am Optimus Prime, the current leader of the Autobots,” answered Optimus.

“Sentinel stepped down?” quizzed Earthia.

“He did,” confirmed Optimus.

“Then, could YOU confirm which Autobot betrayed you?” asked Earthia. Optimus gave a pained look before responding.

“He’s my older brother, Megatronus Pax,” he replied. Ratchet and Ironhide nodded as Earthia and Cosmo both gave a horrified look to them for confirmation.

“Megatronus…leads…the Decepticons?” gasped Earthia.

“He calls himself Megatron now,” confirmed Ironhide.

“For someone to fight their own family at so young an age,” sighed Cosmo.

“Oh, yeah,” recalled Ratchet, “your father’s the Metarex leader, Dark Oak.”

“That monster is not the sweet Lucas I had Cosmo with!” Earthia snapped. “…If only I can convince myself of that.”

“Mother, I know we can’t spare any military help,” called Cosmo, “but I wish to stay and help the Autobots end this second war in any way I can.”

“Of course,” replied Earthia. “Just remember your duties first.”

“I will find a peaceful solution first,” promised Cosmo. “Cosmo out.” The call ended.

“Well, I guess all we need to do,” mused Optimus, “is show you the base and give you your access card.”

“Lead the way,” replied Cosmo.

“You can confirm she is no threat?” called Topaz. Cosmo arched an eyebrow at that comment.

“Don’t worry,” assured Optimus. “Seedrians are the friendliest bunch in the galaxy, if not the universe. We have nothing to worry about.”

“In that case, Cosmo, welcome to Mobius,” greeted Topaz. “Let’s head home, boys.” G.U.N returned home as Optimus called a Ground Bridge, mentioning a new arrival.

---

Ravage growled as called up Robotropolis. “Did you get all that?” he asked.

“How could we NOT?!” snarled Megatron on the other end. “Return to base at once!”

---

As Soundwave opened a Ground Bridge for Ravage, Megatron paced the Command Center. “Of COURSE, Cosmo comes here!” he snarled. “Optimus’ allies grow while ours only consist of Eggman!”

“Lord Megatron, dude,” called Soundwave, “Shockwave and Eggman just reported finding a ship at the bottom of the sea. Its hull and the registry number are intact. Shockwave insists we need to see it.”

“On screen,” commanded Megatron. Soundwave accepted Shockwave’s registry number image. It was DFS-0001. Megatron and Soundwave’s faces displayed surprise. “It cannot be!” gasped Megatron.

“I thought you and your old buddies turned it to scrap!” recalled Soundwave.

“We had no time to conduct a proper investigation to confirm it,” replied Megatron. He gave a wicked grin. “Fortune smiles on us. Tell Shockwave and Eggman to detail repair crews. We need that ship in the air!”