Thundercracker was led to the grave site by Optimus and Megatron. They showed off the ghosts and Thundercracker became scared. “Is that what this is?!” he gulped. “You’re bent on showing me my sins?! A trial?!”
“Let’s get one thing out of the way,” replied Firestar’s ghost, “you ran me through with your sword. You made my parents grieve.”
“It’s a little late for sorry now, isn’t it?!”
“It is…but not for atonement.”
“…You really think I CAN atone for what I did?! I’ve tried every path, but there’s no chance of me escaping the Pit for killing a child!”
“Then train a new generation of Seekers,” directed Firestar. “A generation that blends both Autobot AND Decepticons together. …Before that, though, you need to defeat the one who planted the idea in your head during that fight.” Thundercracker arched an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that someone projected their will into you, forced you to think about killing me, then just watched as you did so.” Thundercracker’s optics flickered, then they widened in disbelief.
“…Starscream?”
“Starscream. He made you into his puppet. Now’s a good time to cut your strings and destroy him!”
“Starscream…Starscream! …STAAARRRSCREEAAAM!” Thundercracker then held his sword to the sky. “I say this pledge to all witnesses! Death to Starscream for his crimes!”
“Death to Starscream!” repeated Optimus, Megatron, and the ghosts.
“Good hunting, Thundercracker of the Seekers,” bid Firestar as she and her parents then faded.
“If you need help, you need merely ask,” offered Megatron.
“I’m gonna hold you to that, Sir,” replied Thundercracker.
A week had finally passed. Everyone had mastered their super forms and were ready to board the starships on course for the Galactic Council. As everyone was getting ready to board the ships, Optimus and Megatron stood by the teleport pads, facing each other. They then stepped forward. After staring at each other for a few seconds, they moved their hands towards the other and clasped their opposite’s hand. “TO THE UNITY!” called the two leaders.
“TO THE UNITY!” cheered the crowd.
“With this historic handshake,” continued Optimus, “I, Optimus Prime, pledge to both Autobots and Decepticons to fight together! Even if the Council won’t listen to us, we shall prevail to bring peace and harmony to the universe!”
“And to annihilate Primacron’s warped creations!” continued Megatron.
Kong Primal looked to Waspinator as the crowd boarded the ships. “I meant to ask, who’s leading you guys now that Saurion’s gone?” he asked.
“…It’zzz Terrorzzzaur,” replied Waspinator as he looked to Terrorsaur. “Tarantulazzz fled back to Animatrozzz to hide with refugeezzz.”
“What about you?”
“…Terrorzzzaur is Wazzzpinator’zzz friend…but not commander. No Predacon izzz! Wazzzpinator zzzick of being evil! Zzzick of being Predacon! And Wazzzpinator ezzzpecially zzzick of getting blown to ZZZCRAP ALL THE TIME! Zzzo, Wazzzpinator QUITZZZ Predaconzzz!”
“…You’re more than welcome to join the Maximals.”
“Go on,” urged Terrorsaur as he approached them.
“…Terrorzzzaur’zzz…okay with Wazzzpinator…leaving?”
“Let’s be honest, you don’t exactly like the Predacon side and only stayed because I was the only Predacon friend you had. Hopefully, you can make more among the Maximals.” Waspinator’s lower lip trembled behind his mandibles, then he burst into tears as he hugged Terrorsaur! “HEY!”
“WAZZZPINATOR ZZZO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT!” sobbed Waspinator. “WAZZZPINATOR GONNA MIZZZ TERRORZZZAUR!”
“…Um…there, there!” stumbled Terrorsaur as he awkwardly patted his friend’s back.
Meanwhile, Ransack looked at Override. Override grinned. “Hey, put her there, buddy!” She held her hand out for a shake. Ransack looked to Crumplezone who just shrugged. He then took Override’s hand and shook it.
“I’m only doing this,” he explained, “because we got a greater enemy.”
“I can’t believe I’m fighting for harmony!” complained Brawl. “What a load of bunk! I’m a lean, mean, conquering machine!”
“I gotta work with this guy?” muttered Afterburner to himself. “I’m not so sure about this.” Brawl heard that!
“Hey, put it on mute, soldier! The one thing I can’t stand is a smart-mouthed Technobot!”
“Well, Sonic, looks like we gotta work together again,” muttered Eggman. “How many times is that? Seven?”
“Eight. Remember the Unicron Games?”
“I remember, I still think it was seven.”
“…Weird, I thought it was eight. …Must have been a dream. I thought we both fought in Soleanna.”
“And you died, but came back to life by the Princess kissing you?”
“…You had the same dream too?!”
“I suppose we’re on the same side,” Morgane grunted to Merlin.
“For how long?” asked the wizard.
“…Until either our deaths or until we return to Mobius in victory against Starscream’s forces.” Merlin nodded sagely.
“I can work with that.”
“All right, everyone!” called Optimus to the crowd. “It’s time to get down to business!”
“All hands, report to your ships!” directed Megatron. “Set course for the Galactic Council Space Station!” Everyone then lined up and followed their leaders through the transporter beams.
Optimus made his way to the Ark’s bridge and looked around again. “Here we go again,” he muttered.
“Sir?” asked Goldbug.
“I’m just getting a little déjà vu. Some time ago, we left this planet to pursue a threat. Now, here we are, leaving Mobius to pursue a threat.”
“The only difference is that the threat is a divine one instead of a mortal one.” Optimus smirked as he turned to the rest of the bridge.
“Ordinarily, I would request someone to play the opening music for the original Star Trek, but we’re pressed for time. No splitting infinitives today.”
“Fleet reports ready,” called Prowl.
“Course laid in, Sir,” reported Cliffjumper. Optimus sat down.
“All ships to the Council Station, maximum warp,” he ordered.
“Maximum warp, aye, Sir.”
“The fleet’s moving off,” called Ravage.
“We bring up the rear,” replied Megatron. “Collective warp signature?”
“Warp 12.2,” Strika read from her console. “We’ll get to the Council Station in an hour.”
“Excellent.”
“Last ship’s spinning up its engines,” reported Ravage.
“Spin ours up and get us out of here.” Ravage obeyed and the Nemesis-A followed the fleet.
Starscream’s War-world entered Mobian space about an hour later after the fleet arrived. Starscream grinned wickedly as he could as he thought about the prospect of destroying the planet and all traces of the Prime. The boy was too nosy for his tastes. “Skywarp, scan for the Matrix,” he ordered.
“You got it!” replied Skywarp. He keyed in a command. “Scans underway and…FOUND HIM! HE’S BY THE MOON BASE!”
“Oh, how foolish of him! Deathsaurus, report!”
“I’ve got a torpedo ready, my Lord,” replied Deathsaurus.
“Ready another. The first one will destroy Prime as we want. Use the second one to destroy the base.”
“Readying second torpedo…done!”
“Fire one!” Deathsaurus fired the torpedo at the area where “Prime” was. It exploded on the moon’s surface.
“…Readings are still consistent,” reported Skywarp, shocking everyone.
“It should have killed him!” remarked Sunstorm. Skywarp checked his instruments, then his optics widened in horror.
“That wasn’t the Prime! It was a device masking the anti-matter residue in this area! He’s nowhere in the solar system! …He created false readings!” Starscream’s optics widened.
“…Deathsaurus, send a team down to the base! Download whatever data you can!”
“On our way!” Deathsaurus took a team, and they flew down to the base. They were offered no resistance. The team then got all the data they needed.
“Deathsaurus,” Starscream called over the comms, “do you have Prime’s location?”
“I have data…concerning a combined effort against us!” reported Deathsaurus.
“Calculating residue trail!” called Skywarp.
“Deathsaurus, return to the War-world!” ordered Starscream.
“…I don’t believe it!” breathed Skywarp.
“What? What is it?!”
“They’re heading towards the Galactic Council Space Station!”
“…They’re going to plead their case!”
“…Orders, Starscream?”
“Pursuit course! Maximum speed!”
“No!” came Primus’ voice in their heads. “Make your way to Voksphere.”
“…Voksphere, why?!”
“They will, in all likelihood, try to awaken your organic cousins and Gaia’s mothers. Do hurry to Voksphere. Unicron, Tornedron, and I will meet you there.” The mental call ended.
“That’s bad!” gulped Skywarp. “If they do, Primus and Unicron will be recombined, and we’ll be hosed!”
“Lay in a course for Voksphere!” ordered Starscream. “Maximum speed!” The War-world then turned and left Mobius’ solar system in a hurry.