Tag: transformers

Optimus entered an airlock and strapped on a harness that would allow him to fly through space without a spacecraft. He then activated a mic. “Deactivate artificial gravity in Bow Airlock One,” he called.

“Deactivating artificial gravity in Bow Airlock One,” replied Teletraan. Optimus then felt his feet leave the floor. He made his way to the wall opposite the airlock door and grabbed something on it, stopping his momentum and facing the airlock door.

“Open external door of Bow Airlock One.”

“Opening external door of Bow Airlock One.” The door slid open, letting a force-field take its place and do the job of keeping the air in. Optimus put his hands and feet onto the wall and took in a breath to prepare himself.

“…Depressurize Bow Airlock One.”

“Depressurizing Bow Airlock One.” The airlock then deactivated the forcefield and let all the air out. Optimus nudged himself off the wall and went through the airlock, activating the harness and making his way towards the meeting point between the two battlefleets. Ultra Magnus was at his right wearing the same harness and Vector Sigma was at Ultra Magnus’ right, simply flying with no aid at all. On Optimus’ left was Megatron in vehicle mode and on Megatron’s left was Gaia. They all flew through space and saw Starscream, Skywarp, Sunstorm, and a fourth Seeker arriving. This Seeker was purple with cyan highlights. Both sides stopped. The Seekers transformed, as did Megatron, and the mystery Seeker was revealed to be a femme.

“Who’s she?” asked Optimus.

“SLIPSTREAM?!” snarled Megatron. He prepared one of his fusion cannons.

“You fire that thing,” warned Starscream, “and this parlay is over!”

“You really wanna lose me now?” asked Slipstream.

“You gave Starscream a reason to conquer Cybertron so he could hide the truth about our race, didn’t you?!” growled Ultra Magnus.

“Don’t blame Slipstream,” remarked Skywarp. “She was merely the tool of your betrayal.”

“If you wish to see its grand architect,” chuckled Sunstorm, “look to your right.” Gaia turned her head to look at Megatron, Megatron then looked at Optimus, then Optimus looked to Ultra Magnus, then Ultra Magnus looked to Vector Sigma, then Vector Sigma looked to his right before realizing everyone was looking at him.

“Oh no, you don’t! My hands are clean of this!” he yelped.

“I believe we have business to discuss,” remarked Starscream.

“What do you want?” asked Optimus.

“An exchange. Slipstream has withheld valuable data from me. She won’t say what it is, even under Cortical Psychic Patch, so it’s her for the Chaos Emeralds.” Megatron noticed a wry grin on her face.

“Done!” he called.

“Not done!” replied Optimus.

“Give us a cycle,” Ultra Magnus said to Starscream. Starscream nodded as the heroes huddled.

“Megatron, have you lost it?!” hissed Optimus. “They’ve got Tornedron!”

“Slipstream, evidently,” replied Megatron, “has data concerning how to best him. Perhaps the notes on how Primacron made them in the first place?”

“I just read her mind,” supplied Gaia. “That’s exactly what she has.”

“Would we really have time to make a new set of Emeralds?” asked Ultra Magnus.

“If we follow Primacron’s formula, then yes!” urged Vector Sigma.

“…We’re outvoted, Ultra Magnus,” sighed Optimus. Ultra Magnus gave his own sigh. Everyone then turned to Starscream and his group. “All right, Starscream. We agree to your terms.”

“Splendid,” replied Starscream. “Now, the Emeralds?” Optimus made a call.

“Gather the Chaos Emeralds and beam them to my position,” he ordered. After a minute, a pouch containing the Emeralds appeared in front of Optimus. He then pushed the bag away from him and it floated to Starscream. Starscream then pushed Slipstream away from him. Megatron caught her. “Now, advise your fleet,” warned Starscream. “You can fight and all of you will die, or you can run and only MOST of you will die.”

“You manipulated us into remaining ignorant of our origins,” hissed Optimus.

“A necessary sacrifice. It was for the greater good to keep you to your fate.”

“That statement alone seals yours. We will fight and you will die.”

“…So be it.” Optimus then turned to Gaia.

“Get us back.” Gaia nodded and the group, with Slipstream, vanished.

Optimus was back on the Ark’s bridge. He sat in the Captain’s chair as Goldbug rushed to him. “Please tell me I didn’t see that!” he hissed. “You didn’t just give our only weapon away to the enemy!”

“Slipstream found Primacron’s notes on how he successfully made the original Chaos Emeralds,” explained Optimus. “We have a way to make our own.”

“Optimus, we don’t have time to make new ones!”

“More time than you think, actually,” called Prowl. “Sensors detect no energy build-up from the enemy.”

“…Really?” asked Optimus. “…That’s weird.”

“This is our chance!” urged Goldbug. “We can open fire and-!”

“No.” Optimus’ declaration made everyone blink in surprise. “Open a channel to the fleet.” Prowl obeyed and Optimus stood up. “All ships, this is Optimus. If there are those of you that feel I made a poor decision in giving the Chaos Emeralds to the enemy, do not panic. They surrendered someone that, unbeknownst to them, had Primacron’s data on their creation. They’ll be asking us for materials to make backups so we can still defeat Tornedron. They’re waiting for us to make the first move. Until the new Emeralds are created, no one is to fire unless I give the order.” The fleet acknowledged Optimus’ order. Prowl then examined something.

“Sir, I’ve noticed a discrepancy on the call,” he reported. “The bot who responded for the Nemesis didn’t sound like Megatron.”

“Hail the Nemesis.” Prowl keyed in a command.

“Nemesis is responding.”

“On screen.” The bot that came on screen wasn’t Megatron. “Thundercracker?! Where’s Megatron?!”

“YOUR brother,” replied Thundercracker, “stayed on the Nemesis long enough to give me command of the vessel while he, Vector Sigma, and Gaia headed to Voksphere.” Optimus groaned in frustration.

“Because, of COURSE, he’d go behind my back! Do you have a lock on him?”

“We have radio capability with him.”

“Give me his frequency. I need to chew him out!”

“Open a channel to all command ships,” Optimus ordered Prowl. “Ask for the Captains.”

“All command ship Captains responding,” replied Prowl.

“On screen.” The Captains appeared on the main screen. “All right, everyone, let’s get down to brass tacks. We need to plan our war against Starscream’s forces so that it’s only ONE battle.”

“What do we know about them?” asked Earthia.

“Primus and Unicron are planets,” replied Megatron, “and, like us, they can transform into robots, the biggest stable Transformers around. They also pack a wicked arsenal between them.”

“Tornedron also feeds off of energy, except for Chaos energy,” reported Gaia.

“Starscream has an immortal Spark, but that doesn’t mean he’s indestructible,” called Vector Sigma.

“And the best way to defeat Primus and Unicron,” remarked Eggman, “is to recombine them into Primacron.”

“Such an endeavor,” sang Basso Profundo, “will require timing.”

“Which is why we’re dealing with Tornedron first,” declared Optimus. “Before the fight, we all use the Emeralds to achieve the super form. Now, I must warn you all, that form’s going to last thirty minutes. We need to make our strikes against Tornedron quickly and with the most damage possible.”

“We received the instructions on how to use the Emeralds,” replied Alana. “We’re ready.”

“Good. Now we just need a Space Bridge to Voksphere.”

“Optimus, wait a minute,” remarked Gaia, “what about my mothers and the Vok?” Optimus sighed.

“…We need to take care of Tornedron first. Once it’s gone, we wake your mothers and recombine Primus and Unicron.”

“Optimus, having our mothers in the battle ahead would help us!” protested Vector Sigma. “A two-pronged assault-!”

“I’m sorry, Vector Sigma, we CAN’T afford a two-pronged assault. If we wake the Vok up now, Tornedron will drain them. We NEED to take it out first.” Vector Sigma sighed in annoyance. “Gaia, if you please.” Gaia then nodded before leaving the call.

She floated out into space, then stopped in front of the fleet. She made a circle with her hands, then blew into it and opened her hands as if she were scattering something to the wind. A Space Bridge portal then opened, the most massive ever seen. She then turned to the fleet and motioned for it to follow her.

“All ships, follow Gaia into the portal!” Optimus ordered over the comms.

The ships followed Gaia through the portal with the Ark right behind her. Gaia had a frustrated frown on her face as she led the fleet through the Space Bridge vortex. She then heard something in her head. “Gaia, if you can hear my thoughts-”

“Megatron?” she asked.

“Ah! There you are!” replied the voice in her head, Megatron on a mental frequency. “I was worried I would need special equipment to project my thoughts to you.”

“No, that’s not necessary.”

“Excellent. Do you think you could get Vector Sigma?”

“There’s no need,” replied a new voice. “I’m here. I was trying to reach her too.”

“What do you boys need?”

“Megatron, if you please.”

“Delighted. Gaia, Vector Sigma, we all know that having your mothers and siblings awake could help us and that Optimus made a poor call.”

“You’re not wrong,” remarked Gaia.

“Well, I have a solution that, regretfully, means going behind his back.”

“…You’re not sending your own squadron down there, are you?”

“If by squadron, you mean me and you two, then yes.”

“You’re going behind Optimus’ back?” asked Vector Sigma.

“I have a feeling that will reopen hostilities between Autobots and Decepticons in the future,” warned Gaia.

“Look, we need Primus and Unicron to become Primacron again,” reminded Megatron, “and Lux and Umbra are the only ones to do it. We actually have THREE weapons against us instead of one. Therefore, we have to get Lux and Umbra back.”

“…He’s right,” sighed Gaia. “We need our mothers back.”

“Lady Gaia!” protested Vector Sigma.

“I’m sorry, Vector Sigma, we can’t leave them to their fate. We HAVE to free them.” She then looked ahead. “We’re approaching the other end.” The vortex then pulled away in front of the fleet and revealed a large planet with two massive robots and a gold energy cloud near it. One robot looked like the devil while the other looked like a stern, helmeted man with wings.

“Primus…and Unicron,” mumbled Optimus.

“I never thought I’d see them in their full robot modes,” gulped Goldbug. Prowl then noticed something on his console.

“Sir, Starscream’s War-world is hailing the fleet!” he reported.

“On screen.” Prowl keyed in the commands and Starscream as well as the other Captains appeared on screen.

“My dear friends, I’m frankly mystified about your aggression!” he said.

“You shouldn’t be,” replied Ultra Magnus. “We’re all against you.”

“Maybe you Transformers, Gaia, and Vector Sigma, but not the organics, surely.”

“We’ve got a stake in this!” challenged Sonic. “You’d kill any Transformer ally to make sure the slate’s wiped clean!”

“My dear Sonic, there’s really no need to spread wild accusations. If you and your fellow organics would just leave the area, you will be spared.”

“And leave your split boss to wipe the universe clean of all life? Just feels like a delayed execution.”

“Sonic, I can’t be held responsible for what happens to you.”

“You WILL be held responsible, you sniveling worm!” hissed Megatron. “Every death that will take place today as we end this affair will be on YOUR head!”

“They really won’t, they’ll be the result of Optimus’ carelessness. But I’m willing to parlay.”

“What makes you think we’ll be interested in-?” asked Ultra Magnus.

“Name your terms,” interrupted Optimus.

“WHAT?!”

“OPTIMUS, NO!”

“Trust me!” The clamor stopped. “…Name the terms, Starscream.”

“I’d rather discuss them in open space.”

“Fine. Ultra Magnus, Megatron, and I will join you.”

“Bring Gaia and Vector Sigma with you, they need to hear this. I’ll be bringing Skywarp and Sunstorm with me.”

“…Fine.” Optimus didn’t notice the wheels turning in Megatron’s head. “We’ll meet you in ten minutes.” Starscream grinned.

“I look forward to your arrival.” He ended his part of the call.

“Optimus, we can’t trust that slime-ball!” urged Ultra Magnus.

“He doesn’t need to,” interjected Megatron. “He unwittingly gave us an edge already.”

“…Well, we’ll try to exploit it,” declared Optimus. “Megatron, Ultra Magnus, Gaia, Vector Sigma, meet me in front of the Ark.”

The next day, Optimus was back in his ready room, drafting a battle plan. He heard the door chime. “Come in,” he called. Dion then stepped into the room. “Dion, you look…better.” Dion was polished and had a sober look on his face.

“Optimus, I’m accepting Thundercracker’s recommendation,” he declared.

“You are?”

“Thundercracker is right, the position will help me fix my own problems. By having both Autobots and Decepticons under my command, I should be able to consider both sides more effectively. As such, I took the time between yesterday and today to study Decepticon Law. Megatron was very generous in giving me a copy of all Decepticon laws, past and present. Did you know Megatron banned the use of Smelting Pools as a means of execution after he killed Straxus?”

“He told me he passed that ban when we regrouped after getting rid of everyone but Nemesis Prime and Unicron.”

“Speaking of which, do we still have the Three Powers?”

“They’re safe in the cargo hold.”

“Perfect, we at least have weapons against Unicron. …Now we just weapons against Primus.”

“We deal with Tornedron first. The instant you’re inducted into the position as an Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord, you and I need to meet with all the leaders so we can discuss our battle against Starscream’s forces.”

“Agreed.” Optimus then handed a data-pad to Dion, then held up his own pad to read aloud the acceptance letter for Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord.

“‘I, Ultra Magnus, hereby accept the position as the Galaxy Convoy’s Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord. In accordance with its laws, I will see to it that no military technology is shared without express approval from the government sources of said technology. I will ensure that war does not spill out to planets with civilizations lower than or equal to grade 3. I will work with the Galaxy Convoy to ensure that peace is held throughout the galaxy and will apprehend any and all violators of the Tyrest Accord. Anyone that resists will have the option of doing it my way or the hard way.’ I just need you to sign your name and-”

“Just a minute,” interrupted Dion. “Why did you use my old title of Magnus? I thought Bumblebee became my successor as Goldbug Magnus.”

“He is, but he insisted that you take your old name up again. What do you say? Ready to be Ultra Magnus once again?” Dion looked at the pad, then smiled. He then signed the pad with “Ultra Magnus”! Optimus looked at the signature, then grinned. “Good to have you back, Ultra Magnus.”

“Good to BE back, Sir,” replied Dion Pax, Ultra Magnus, as he shook hands with Optimus. Optimus then handed him a new hammer. Ultra Magnus’ optics widened. “Tyrest’s Gavel?!”

“Tyrest made it the symbol of office when he and Sigmar Prime pleaded their case to the First Galactic Council. He was Sigmar’s Magnus at the time and said that just having the Magnus Hammer on his person was more than enough.” Ultra Magnus set it into the harness on his back. “Now, I need you to take command of the Galactic Council Ship, the Chief Justice, and get on the call with everyone.”

“Understood, Sir.” Ultra Magnus saluted and headed to the transporter room.

Over on Voksphere, Cybertron, Unicron, Tornedron, and Starscream’s War-world hung in orbit. Skywarp idly checked for galactic chatter. “Maybe I can get some of those Torkuli erotic strips,” he mused. “Maybe they’re really as wild as they…uh oh.” His optics found an article concerning the Galactic Council.

“First Galaxy Convoy is a Cybertronian!” read the headline. Skywarp read on. “The Galactic Community was turned on its ear yesterday as the Ninety-eighth Galactic Council has done what its previous iterations have failed to do and elected a Galaxy Convoy in light of the Transformers’ Gods turning against the universe. The Transformers were allowed to plead their case and debate what to do.

“In an act of good faith, the Transformers brought a member of the once-thought extinct race of Vok and one of its Goddesses, Gaia, Unicron’s jailor, to confirm that their story was true. The Galactic Council were urged to go to war against the Transformers Gods but had to elect a Galaxy Convoy to issue a formal declaration of war.

“In a surprising turn of events, the Council elected Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots and current recognized leader of Cybertron, to be the first Galaxy Convoy. When asked for comment, Optimus merely said ‘I’m as surprised as the Galactic Community, but here we are now.’

“Optimus and his rival, Megatron, have appeared to have put aside their differences and are leading a fleet of warships, including the Black Block Consortia, the Galactic Council’s law enforcers, to Voksphere, the home-world of the Vok. According to sources, the Vok and Gaia’s mothers, Lux and Umbra, are merely in a state of petrification, so they intend to release them from that state with the help of seven jewels from the remote planet of Mobius. Called the-” Skywarp shut off his computer as he growled, knowing full well what the jewels were called. He teleported into the War-world’s conference room where Starscream was talking to Primus and Unicron in smaller avatars. Unicron’s avatar looked like his Mobian body and Primus had jet-kibble.

“So, really, we have nothing to worry about,” Starscream assured his Gods. He then saw Skywarp. “Ah, Skywarp! I see that you decided to join us!” Skywarp then shot Unicron! The blast knocked Unicron to the floor. Starscream and Primus drew their swords and leveled them at Skywarp.

“WAIT!” shouted Unicron. He picked himself up and stalked his way to Skywarp. “…I hope, for your sake,” the Chaos Bringer whispered to the teleporting Seeker, “you were initiating some obscure modern Seeker ritual.”

“You were careless!” Skywarp accused Unicron. “You didn’t drain the Chaos Emeralds!”

“What?!” yelped Starscream.

“You and the Decepticons kept them out of my reach!” retorted Unicron.

“We had a working means of teleporting directly to where they were held!” snarled Starscream as he now pointed his sword at Unicron. “What about Gaia?! Is she gone?!”

“Gaia’s stuck on Mobius, still within the core!”

“Not what a news article told me,” replied Skywarp. “She and Vector Sigma successfully pled their case! The Council made Optimus the Galaxy Convoy! There’s a fleet of ships ready to bring war to us!” Starscream hissed to himself in frustration.

“Real smooth, Unicron!”

“We still have a weapon of unlimited power,” remarked Primus. Starscream rolled his optics.

“A weapon that’s weak against Chaos energy. If the fleet manages to tap into the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Tornedron can’t absorb their life-forces fast enough.”

“There are only two that can tap into the Emeralds, from what Unicron told me.”

“Five. Megatron and Shockwave tapped into them, and he forgets Knuckles. Besides, who’s to say that they won’t teach the fleet how to use them?” Unicron then grabbed Starscream by the wing.

“Perhaps we are tired of waiting!” growled the Unmaker.

“It WAS you and Primus who suggested we go back to Voksphere after all these years, hm?” Primus and Unicron glared at the Arti-Vok. “Besides, I have a way to turn this in our favor.” Primus looked to Unicron and nodded his head. Unicron released Starscream. “I would suggest, my Lords, that you assume your true robot modes. We may need the firepower should the parlay go south.”

While the Decepticons dealt with their own in-house problems and Drift and Nightbird patched things up between them, Optimus sat in his ready room. He was unsure of how the battle was going to be conducted. His thoughts were interrupted by a door chime. “Come in,” he called. Treadshot then entered the room. Optimus stood up. “…Dad.” He then winced at how slow he said that. Treadshot raised his hand.

“It’s all right,” he assured. “I was an absent father.”

“Not by choice, from what I recall. I never got a clear answer on what the charges were for your exile.”

“…Simply because I was found out. Majoris was just as Deceptiphobic as Dion was and regretfully, so was the Autobot Council. After the war, they were more interested in punishing their enemies. They kept my origins from Dion because he was the perfect soldier and their ideal Autobot.”

“…Did you manage to talk to him?” Treadshot winced.

“He’s…not in a receptive state. In fact, he’s not in a sober-enough state.”

“He’s over-energized?! Where?!”

“Last I saw him was at the bar in Four-Forward.”

“Come on!” Optimus and Treadshot dashed to Four-Forward and found Ultra Magnus with his face on the table and an empty bottle in his hand while three other bottles surrounded him. “Dion! Dion, we need to talk to you! …Dion, are…are you all right?”

“GOOOOONNNE!” wailed Dion as he suddenly sat up. He had clearly been crying and turned to Engex for counseling instead of Snarl. “Ish all gone! All of ish gone! Bye bye WOOHOO shee ya!”

“Dion, what happened?!”

“One minnit yer leedin a teem uf bosh to help Ahdobotsh wage der baddle to deshtroy de eefil forshesh uf de Deshepticonsh…den SHUDENLEE ya find yershelf…shuckin down Engex wif…Solush Prime and her liddle shishter!” Dion then drunkenly and sadly laughed to himself. Optimus arched an eyebrow.

“…I think you’ve had enough high grade for today,” he remarked as he managed to take the bottle out of Dion’s hand. “Let’s get you out of here, Dion.”

“DONCHU GEDDIT?!” Dion pulled Optimus right up to his face. “YU SHEE DA HAT?!” It was then Optimus noticed that Dion was wearing a Transformer-sized newspaper hat. “I AM MINIMUSH…AMBUSH!” Dion laughed like a lunatic.

“SNAP OUT OF IT, BOY!” snapped Treadshot. He separated the bots, took off the newspaper hat, and slapped Dion in the face.

“DAD!” protested Optimus. Other than Optimus’ protest, the bar was silent after the slap.

“…I-I-I…I’m sorry,” stammered Dion. “You’re right; I’m just a little depressed, that’s all.” He then stood up and headed to the door. “I-I can get through this!” He then collapsed to his knees and broke down. “OH, I’M A SHAM!” he wailed as his hands went to the floor as Optimus and Treadshot tried to get him to quiet down. “LOOK AT ME! MY WHOLE MILITARY CAREER WAS A LIE! …The…the hat looked good?! Tell me the hat looked good! The apron was a bit much!”

“What apron?!” asked Treadshot.

“It’ll be easier if Ratchet fixes him up,” declared Optimus. “Dad, help me get him to Repair Bay.”

“Yes, son.” Optimus and Treadshot then each put one of Dion’s arms around their shoulders and had to drag him to Ratchet, since he wasn’t moving his feet.

“YEARS OF ACADEMY TRAINING WASTED!” cried Dion.

Dion woke up on a repair berth as Ratchet checked over Thundercracker, of all bots. “Decepti-!” yelped Dion. As Ratchet and Thundercracker looked at Dion, he sat back down. “Ah, what’s the point?” He felt a major processor-ache.

“On the table,” directed Ratchet. There was Energon and a pair of tablets on the bedside table. Dion popped the tablets into his mouth and drank the Energon, thus swallowing the tablets. “Thundercracker wanted to talk to you about something.”

“…Sorry, I must still be over-energized,” muttered Dion. “For a minute there, I though you said Thundercracker wanted to talk to me.”

“He did. And I do,” replied Thundercracker.

“…Is this a hallucination?”

“Dion, will you just talk to him already?!” grunted Ratchet. “Even Snarl would suggest it!” He gave Thundercracker one final look-over. “And that’s a clean bill of health for you. For all the times we shot each other, I have to give you Seekers respect for how seriously you take your health.”

“An unhealthy Seeker can’t fly very well, so we kind of HAVE to take our personal health seriously,” replied Thundercracker.

“Well, that removes a lot of stress on this old medic. I’ll just leave you two be.” Ratchet headed off to another area. Dion looked at Thundercracker. An awkward silence filled the space between them.

“…Something I can do for you?” Dion finally asked.

“You could accept the position as Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord,” replied Thundercracker. “You know that Optimus made the offer to me? I had to refuse, saying that you were better for the position.”

“…No.”

“Whoa, hey, maybe those pills aren’t working yet, but-”

“No, Thundercracker. For the first time in my life, I AM thinking clearly. You Cons were right all along, I’m NOT anything. I’m…I’m just a cog. Just a small, insignificant cog in a machine that wouldn’t care if I stopped working.”

“Hold on a cycle there! The Autobots wouldn’t be talking about you if you WERE insignificant!”

“Yeah, right.”

“No, it’s true! They DO talk about you! Look, Optimus needs a bot that he knows has the experience to lead an army if he can’t, and you led armies more than he did!”

“Why would you, of all bots, pick me, a Deceptiphobe?”

“Because you’ve done some reexamination? Let me tell you, before I killed Firestar, I was a raging Autophobe, as bad as you were a Deceptiphobe. But we have a chance to change that now! Don’t misunderstand, our sins can never be fully purged, but we can make sure we do better in the future. I was already told how to atone and try to make up for Firestar’s murder as best I can, maybe being an Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord what YOU need. With Optimus as the Galaxy Convoy, he needs someone as his second-in-command on that front!”

“Why would you suggest me then?”

“Why would I suggest you?! LOOK AT YOU!” Dion’s optics flickered as he looked to Thundercracker. “You’re the Autobot War Hero, Ultra Magnus! Any kid would give their Spark to recreate your famous victories! You’re the best law-bot in all history! You kept order throughout the force! You helped Sentinel win over us! Your shoulders have missile batteries in them! You are the greatest bot around! …Besides, you never went through the hell of killing a kid. I can’t trust myself with that kind of power.” The Repair Bay went silent again. “…I don’t know, maybe I was being goofy. I just figured you would want a command position again.” Dion then looked at the data-pad on his bedside table. He picked it up and read it to himself. As he read, he thought about what Thundercracker said, then his face became one of determination.

Nightbird slept off her drunken state and spent the next morning mulling over what happened. As she thought, the comms activated. “Ravage to Nightbird.”

“Yes?” she grunted.

“Thunderhoof’s asking for you.” Nightbird sighed.

“Put him through.” She waited a few seconds.

“Ey yo! What’s goin on here?” demanded Thunderhoof. “Why was youse jus chattin with your target?”

“…I was making decisions.”

“Don’t tell me youse was makin decisions here! I hired ya to make sure she slept wid da piranhatrons! I don’t need ya goin soft on me!”

“We need all the soldiers we can get. Killing any of them will make our alliance dangerously unstable.”

“What’s unstable is youse if ya think I’m gonna accept dat! Tell ya what, seein as money’s always an issue, if ya do it, I’ll give youse a bonus.”

“…I’ll give that proposal all the consideration it’s due.” She ended the call.

An hour later, she and the Nemesis’ senior staff met with Megatron. Megatron cleared his throat and activated his reading glasses. “All right, we all know why we have these senior staff meetings,” he began as he pulled out a data-pad.

“In the past, yes,” replied Knock-out. “We discussed how to better kill the Autobots.”

“That point IS moot now, given the truth about our origins,” reminded Shockwave.

“…Fair point,” conceded Megatron. “This time, we’re discussing how our war against Starscream’s forces needs to go. As you may have guessed, the Council had voted to fight our Gods and Tornedron without help from Lux, Umbra, and the Vok. I’m due to meet Optimus and tell him about that option while we discuss strategies against the enemy. That should be the first point we talk about. Ravage, any news from Soundwave and Blaster?”

“Funny you should open with that,” replied Ravage. “I got a report from them about two minutes before I came in. That’s what I was trying to tell you earlier.”

“Then let’s make up for that and hear it now.”

“The enemy’s gathered around a planet near the center of the galaxy, over on the Delta Quadrant side.”

“Pretty far away,” remarked Thundercracker.

“There’s more. Before they self-destructed so they couldn’t be detected, the surveillance drones saw statues covering the planet, statues…that looked a lot like Vector Sigma.”

“Voksphere?” asked Shockwave.

“Gaia confirmed it.”

“And we’re going there? It’s gonna take a year to get there.”

“Gaia has offered to open a transwarp corridor into it. The other end will only be two hours away from Voksphere.”

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t we?” remarked Megatron.

“EY YO!” shouted a voice. Thunderhoof then kicked the door in, mad as a moose.

“…May we help you, Thunderhoof?” asked Megatron. Thunderhoof’s optics then settled on Nightbird.

“C’MERE, YA NO-GOOD LYIN BAG A BOLTS!” he shouted as he stormed up to her. Megatron got between them.

“Is there an issue?” he asked.

“Yer dame decided ta cancel da Deadlock contract after I paid good money t’ see her offlined!”

“I assure you; we can clear up this misunderstanding,” offered Nightbird. Thunderhoof tried to get around Megatron.

“YOU talked t’ Deadlock last night and she told youse about a little plan of hers where BOTH Cyber-Ninja corps managed to learn from each other! Den ya sent me a notice an hour ago sayin dat youse wasn’t gonna kill her no more! Ya call DAT a misundastandin?!”

“You WILL get your money back, believe me.”

“YOUSE betta believe I’m gonna stomp ya into scrap!”

“You will not!” shouted Megatron as he shoved Thunderhoof back. “What’s done is done. Nightbird was wise in cancelling the contract. We have other priorities than your reputation. End. Of. Discussion!” Thunderhoof glared at Megatron for a good while, then turned his head away. “Now, I will have to discuss-”

“EY YO!” Thunderhoof launched himself at Nightbird and tackled her. She drew her sai and stabbed him in the shoulder as Megatron pulled him off.

“THAT’S TREASON! THAT’S MUTINY!” roared Megatron.

“Ey yo, where’s da respect?!” Thunderhoof then slammed his foot to the floor, causing an energy wave to head straight for Nightbird. Nightbird leapt to the ceiling and fired shuriken at him. Once they embedded into his chassis, they unleashed an electric current that shocked him hard. Once they stopped, he fell to his knees, then fell forward, faceplanting on the floor.

“Knock-out, get your medical kit, then meet Thunderhoof in the brig,” ordered Megatron. “Thundercracker, Shockwave, get him into his cell.” The three Cons saluted and headed off.

Thunderhoof groaned as he got up from his berth in his cell. His optics were slow to kick in fully. “…Cybertron?” he asked himself.

“No, the Nemesis’ brig.” Thunderhoof looked to see Thundercracker and an energy field separating the two. His optics then sharpened enough to confirm what Thundercracker said. “You’re under arrest for assaulting Megatron’s wife.”

“Don’t go barkin rules n regulations at ME, Flyboy! I’m Thunderhoof, see? I run some of da biggest enterprises on Cybertron! Half yer law-boys are on my payroll!”

“You RAN some of the biggest enterprises on Cybertron and half our law-boys WERE on your payroll. Or have you forgotten that we evacuated Cybertron until we kill Primacron? Your criminal empire’s probably scattered and each part run by other bosses.”

“Dey’ll see sense when I get back!”

“I’m afraid that prospect isn’t an option. Once our war is finished and we’ve won, you’re looking at a life sentence in Kaon Prison.”

“WHAT?!”

“You’re too dangerous to be left to your own devices. Your empire will have to remain in disarray, and you will have to accept that you won’t see the world outside a prison’s walls again.” Thundercracker turned to the door and walked out.

“I’LL SNUFF MEGATRON’S SPARK WHEN I GET OUTTA DIS ONE!” shouted Thunderhoof. “NOBODY HOLDS THUNDERHOOF AND LIVES TO TELL DA TALE!” The door shut behind Thundercracker, silencing Thunderhoof.

Megatron returned to the Nemesis-A and ordered the ship to be ready for the next day’s battle. He sat in his ready room and stewed over his lost chance of power. The coming war against Starscream’s forces wouldn’t give him enough of an opportunity to wrest that kind of power from Optimus. “Peace,” he muttered. “All I want is power to bring peace. Why is it so difficult for the universe to understand?!” His door chime then rang. “Come in.” The door opened to reveal Treadshot. Megatron stood up. “Dad!”

“I met with your mother,” replied Treadshot. “She said she told you boys everything about what I was. …I’m sorry to hear about Dion’s reaction…and yours considering Dion’s. …My boy, making the same mistakes as me.”

“Oh, come on, Dad!” protested Megatron. “The Autobots had become decadent! They went all Functionist on the Decepticons! Someone had to stop them! That’s why I gained power! You were a Decepticon once! That’s how we obtain peace, isn’t it? By seeking power?”

“That’s not the trick to obtaining peace, my boy. The trick is knowing when to give up power, something both sides lost sight of during the war.” Megatron rolled his optics and sat down. “…How’s your wife?”

“…Physically, she’s fine,” remarked Megatron. “It’s her mental state I’m worried about.”

“Hadn’t you better check on her?”

“She locked me out when I tried.”

“…She’s hurting, badly.”

“…Try again?”

“She needs her husband now.” The two mechs then stood up. Megatron went one way and Treadshot went another.

Nightbird was in the mess hall with a bottle of Engex. She gave everyone the impression that she wanted to be alone. As she poured herself another glass, someone approached her table. She looked up and glared at Drift. Drift responded with a smile as she sat down. “I’m glad I could find you, Nightbird.” Her optics then rested on the bottle. “…I see you started without me.”

“My former target wanted to meet me,” replied Nightbird, “to discuss my bright future once we commit deicide. Did you expect me to deal with any of this in a sober manner?”

“I figured a somewhat casual setting would make things…easier. Fewer ghosts lurking around.” Nightbird scoffed.

“Says the only ghost that matters.” She downed her glass, then poured another one. Drift noticed that Nightbird spilled some Engex as she poured.

“…Don’t you think you should slow down?”

“This is nothing.” Nightbird set the bottle down. “And whether or not I want more will depend on where you think this conversation is going.” Drift realized that Nightbird might not be totally receptive, so she considered her words.

“…All right, let’s talk,” she sighed. “Look, our cyber-ninjitsu styles are similar to the ones Yoketron teaches, yes?”

“So?”

“So, why not have the two schools work together occasionally? I’m not suggesting a total merging of the schools, even Yoketron would be against the idea. What I’m proposing is the occasional student exchange. I mean, with Starscream beaten, do you really think either Autobot OR Decepticon will, deep down, WANT to resume hostilities? Maybe this is a good opportunity to try and…learn from one another?” Nightbird DID give the idea some thought.

“…No.” Drift was a little dismayed but held her course.

“Why?”

“It’s a ludicrous suggestion!”

“But why is it ludicrous?”

“Do I really need to explain why telling Yoketron that the exchange will involve his students learning how to kill, when his own dojo code calls killing impetuous courage, is a bad idea?!”

“No, but I might need some help understanding why it’s crazy to suggest that both schools at least learn from each other so they can better understand the other’s philosophies.”

“You’re being difficult!”

“Coming from you, that’s a compliment.” Nightbird slammed her hand on the table as she continued.

“You and I come from a school of killers, Deadlock! That is what we exceled in! That’s what we ALWAYS excel in! Decepticon Cyber-Ninjas are not, nor will we ever be, heroes!” Drift briefly considered her former pursuer’s words, then changed tactics.

“You said, when we were students, that you wanted to change the Decepticon Cyber-Ninja Corps; now, now you say that the Corps is irredeemable, it’s beyond redemption.” Nightbird folded her arms in annoyance.

“What are you getting at?”

“Nightbird, have you ever tried saving people instead?”

“…I’m sure that I saved plenty of people by removing certain unsavory individuals.”

“CERTAIN unsavory individuals. That means the clients had to wave a lot of Shanix under your olfactory sensors to get you to remotely care about them. You know what Bludgeon always said, never take contracts simply for the sake of others, and you didn’t. Tell me, even when you accepted the contracts, when you ran your sai into the head of a gun-toting drug lord with a resume shockingly like your own, were you really thinking about how many people you saved by doing so?” Nightbird looked away, uncomfortable at Drift’s questions. “So, let me ask again, have you ever taken up your sai because innocent people were in need, or are you chasing around potential personal futures, hoping that if you kill enough of them, you might get a decent recharge one day?”

“I…I wouldn’t…” muttered Nightbird.

“You wouldn’t…?” invited Drift. Nightbird finally stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

“I wouldn’t know where to start!!”

“How fortunate that you have someone who can help you with that!”

“What exactly do you want from me, Deadlock?!” Drift sighed.

“…I want us to move on. I don’t want to be a ghost locking you in a moment in the past. You already said that you don’t believe the Decepticon Cyber-Ninja Corps will ever change if you continue like this. If it hasn’t worked then, maybe it’s time to try something else.” Drift got up and headed towards the door. “I don’t expect an answer right now. Give it some thought. I’m not asking you to be a hero. A work in progress is good enough.” She left the mess hall, leaving Nightbird to her thoughts.

The brouhaha continued throughout the chambers with Marnath, Megatron, Aleena, Vector Sigma, Gaia, and Earthia staying out of it as much as possible with Earthia trying to restore order. Gaia then rolled her eyes and summoned an energy sphere the size of her hand. She then thrust it into the air and fired at the ceiling. That got everyone’s attention. “Councilors, if you’re worried about my mothers being wrathful on you, forget it. The energies this station puts out were once used in another manner to petrify my half-siblings and my mothers. They can be used to free them all again. In return, I promise you, my mothers will grant boons!”

“Whose boons?” asked Marnath as everyone returned to their seats. “The Transformers’ boons? Absolute twaddle-speak says I.”

“If you have a better alternative,” growled Megatron, “please, share!”

“…Space squids,” replied Marnath. Megatron’s optics flickered before he put his hand on his head.

“…Oh boy, here we go!” Marnath addressed the Council now.

“Let us not, dear friends, forget our dear friends, the space squids. Gloriously flippant planet-sized sausages, but if they were all penned up together, they would eat each other without a second thought. That’s the nature of life, isn’t it? So, yes, we could hole up here, well-armed and well-provisioned, and half of us would be dead within whatever passes for a month on everyone’s calendars. It seems, to me at least, a bit grim however it’s sliced. The second option is that we, as Gaia naively suggests, free the Vok and Gaia’s mommies and pray they will be understanding. …I really doubt it. Being petrified and knowing that the universe moved on without you would really enrage you. So, considering that psychological factoid, can we, in fact, pretend that they will be anything other than life scorned, like which fury whatever bad place for the dead in our respective religions hath no? We cannot.”

“Yes, but your 36^th Point of Profit says peace is good for business,” countered Earthia.

“That’s the 35^th Point.” Earthia thought about Marnath’s words, then realized she was right.

“What’s the 36^th?”

“War is good for business. It’s easy to get them confused. Besides Point 36 is the relevant point here. The previous options lead to a profitless peace, so we’re left with one option. I agree with, and I can’t believe I’m validating a man’s suggestion here, Vector Sigma. We must fight.” Llyra rolled her eyes at that.

“You Femaxians ALWAYS run from a fight!” Marnath looked hotly at her.

“Do not!”

“Do so!”

“Do not!”

“Do so!”

“Do not!”

“You do so, and you know it!”

“Do not, slander and calumny!” All eyes were now on Marnath. “We Femaxians only embrace the oldest and noblest of profiteer traditions. I submit that here, now, that is what we all must do. We must fight…to run away!”

“Run away to where?!” called Vector Sigma. “I’m asking for us to fight so we can end this nonsense! One major fight and that’s it! The universe can’t withstand a protracted war against Starscream’s ilk! You’re suggesting forever fighting to consolidate our forces elsewhere!”

“Besides, as per the Galactica Codex,” called Earthia, “an act of war, which is exactly what you two are suggesting, can only be declared by the Galaxy Convoy.” Optimus arched his eyebrow and looked to Megatron.

“Don’t look at me!” answered the Decepticon Lord. “I never heard of such a Convoy either!”

“Earthia, now’s not the time to make stuff up!” Optimus called to Earthia.

“Am I making stuff up?” asked Earthia. “I call upon Treadshot, the Keeper of the Code!” Optimus and Megatron goggled at that.

“…T…Treadshot?” stammered Optimus.

“Dad?” gulped Megatron.

“Oh, this is all ridiculous!” shouted Brinn through his face of Wrath. “Hang the Codex! Who cares-!” A laser shot then struck near his hand. Brinn switched to his face of Doubt/Judgement and looked down with a fearful expression. He then looked up to see a Praxian Cybertronian blow on the barrel of his gun. He had the alt-mode kibble of a generic sports-car and sported a blue and yellow color scheme.

“The Codex is the law,” he rasped. He then made his way to a seat between Optimus and Megatron. He looked to Megatron, then nodded. “You’re looking robust, boy.”

“Th-thanks, Dad,” gulped Megatron. Treadshot then looked to Optimus.

“…Orion, the boy I was forced to saddle with Ironhide during my exile. …He’s made a fine young mech out of you. I’m just sorry I was absent for all these years.”

“…Cybertron’s not gonna be the same one you were forced to leave,” replied Optimus.

“No, but that change will end the corruption you and your mother and brother fought against. …Megatronus, I just wish you didn’t see the need to join the Decepticons.” Treadshot then activated a computer screen and keyed in a command. A set of alien letters then floated across the screen.

“Galactica Codex,” Optimus read aloud. Treadshot keyed in another command and read out the section he wanted.

“Ah!” he called. “Earthia is right!”

“Hang on,” remarked Megatron as he read the entry aloud. “‘An act of war may only be declared by the Galaxy Convoy (title suggested by and acquired from Sigmar Prime), who would parlay with shared adversaries.’ Who woulda thunk it? There IS a Galaxy Convoy.”

“There hasn’t been a Galaxy Convoy,” remarked Alana, “since the Council first formed. That’s not likely to change.”

“Why not?” asked Aleena. Treadshot answered her question after finding the entry in the Codex.

“You see, Your Majesty, the Galaxy Convoy is elected by popular vote or is chosen by appointment by the previous Convoy.”

“Let me guess,” sighed Aleena, “since the Council formed, everyone’s voted for themselves and thus rendered the second means of succession moot.”

“Yes.” Treadshot then deactivated his computer.

“I call for a vote,” suggested Marnath.

“Seconded,” replied Megatron.

“All right, let’s get voting,” declared Earthia. “I vote Earthia of Greengate.”

“I nominate Alana of Tlalak.

“Basso Profundo of Eurythma.”

“Judge Commodore Brinn, last of the Quintessons.”

“Aleena of Mobius.” The crowd looked to the two Transformer Leaders.

“…You ARE members as of now, are you not?” asked Earthia. Optimus arched an eyebrow, then shrugged.

“Optimus Prime of the Autobot Alliance.”

“Megatron of the Decepticon Empire.”

“Llyra of Nebulos.” This went on and everyone voted for themselves until Marnath held the last vote.

“…Optimus Prime of the Autobot Alliance.” Her vote surprised everyone.

“…What?” asked Optimus.

“I know. Curious, isn’t it?” The Council Chambers then went into an uproar, with many Councilors demanding Marnath change her vote to them. “Am I to understand that we’re NOT going to keep to the Codex?” The whine of a blaster being armed silenced everyone as Treadshot pointed his gun at everyone. The Council then sat down.

“…Very well,” sang Basso Profundo. Everyone then turned to Optimus. “What say you, Optimus Prime, the Galaxy Convoy?” Optimus then set his head.

“Prepare every vessel that has weapons,” he declared. “Tomorrow, we go to war.”

A massive Space Station, twice the size of Jupiter, functioned normally as it orbited a gas giant three times its own size. It was shaped like a globe, but the bottom half was golden while the top was made of windows and atmospheric shields. Looking into the dome, one could see buildings surrounding a central sphere, almost like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. As it floated, multiple ships entered visual range after slowing down from their journey through warp space. The ships were assigned flight paths and docked at their respective air locks. An elderly Femaxian woman, a fat, elf-like man with a goatee and roughly half Optimus’ height, and Earthia of Greengate waited for their new visitors. The visitors (Optimus, Megatron, Llyra, Gaia, Vector Sigma, and Aleena) then came forward. “Welcome to the Council Station,” greeted the Femaxian. “I am First One Marnath.”

“I am Basso Profundo, Grand Conductor of Eurythma,” greeted, or rather SANG, the elf-like man in his bass voice.

“And I am Earthia of Greengate,” finished Earthia.

“Nice to finally meet you in person, Earthia,” replied Aleena. “I’m Aleena, Queen of Mobius.”

“I’m Llyra, Supreme Councilor of Nebulos.”

“I’m-”

“Transformers need no introduction!” sang Basso Profundo. “Especially not you, Optimus Prime and Megatron! You two upended the Council’s hopes that you had finally stopped fighting yourselves!”

“Basso Profundo,” replied Optimus, “what we’re about to tell you all will end our war.”

“Many Primes have said that; all have lied!”

“Basso Profundo, enough!” snapped Earthia. “We have to get going.” She turned to the new arrivals. “If you will follow us.” Everyone followed them to the Council Chambers.

“Very welcoming,” muttered Aleena.

“The Transformers’ reputation isn’t a good one,” explained Optimus.

“What’s that going to mean for us?”

“…No clue.” They entered the chambers and Optimus’ group was floored by how many members there were. Earthia then took the highest seat and tapped a gavel on a little stand. The chambers went quiet.

“As she who issued summons,” she called, “I convene this, the ninety-eighth Galactic Council.” Everyone sat down. “To confirm your council-ship and right to be heard, present now your pieces of Tarxanite, my fellow councilors.” Optimus’ optics went wide as he looked to Aleena, then Megatron. Megatron was still looking around the chambers.

“Bigger than I remember,” he muttered. “Must have added new members.”

“Megatron, Tarxanite!” hissed Optimus. Aleena looked to him in pleading.

“Relax, look,” assured Megatron. “This isn’t the first time I set foot on this station. Sentinel Prime and I came here to try and plead our case about Mobius when it was Earth. They laughed us out, but we still managed to be heard at least.” Optimus and Aleena then noticed what people were putting into a collection bowl that floated by their seats.

“…They’re not pieces of…Tarxanite, whatever it is,” remarked Aleena. “They’re pieces of junk!”

“The original plan was to use Tarxanite to buy your right to be heard,” explained Megatron, “but when the First Galactic Council came together, it was during a Galactic Economic Depression that was so bad, you couldn’t even buy a gemstone as common as Tarxanite. They were, to a point, flat broke when they came together.”

“…So, change the name!”

“To what, pieces of whatever we happen to have in our pockets at the time? Real grand sounding.” They then went through their pockets and put them into the bowl. This went on for a minute until it stopped at Basso Profundo’s seat.

“Basso Profundo, your Tarxanite, please,” directed Earthia.

“Might I point out,” sang Basso Profundo, “that we are still short a delegation. I am as content as a chorus to wait until the Quintesson Imperial Magistrate arrive.”

“The Imperial Magistrate is dead!” called a voice. Just then, Judge Commodore Brinn stepped into the chambers and deposited what he had in his pockets. “Thanks to THEIR banishment of THEIR devil from an insignificant planet,” he pointed an accusing finger at Optimus and Megatron as he spoke through his face of wrath, “my planet and people are gone! I have only a ship of survivors, and no women to help restart the race! Optimus and Megatron, I accuse you of using Unicron as a means of eliminating us!”

“Not guilty!” countered Optimus. “We only wanted Unicron out of our lives! The coordinates were supposed to go somewhere away from all civilizations, especially from those even bordering on the Neutral Zone!”

“Whatever crime we have committed, I assure you,” supplied Megatron, “it was NOT our intention. We have proof of this.”

“Oh, do you?!”

“He refers to us!” called Gaia. The Council members then got a better look at her and Vector Sigma and started chatting amongst themselves.

“A Vok?!”

“Is that Lux and Umbra’s daughter?!”

“This is impossible!

“Unicron is only the darker half of a Vok named Primacron,” continued Gaia. “The Transformers are not guilty of the Quintesson Genocide. If anything, we are.”

“What proof do you have that YOU are the real guilty party?!” demanded Brinn.

“Allow me to tell the tale,” explained Vector Sigma. “Attach me to the best mind probes you have. You will see that I am not lying.”

“…Bring out the T-9 model mind probe,” called Earthia. Vector Sigma was wired to a machine. “Now, speak.”

“It starts before the Big Bang,” began Vector Sigma.

Once he finished his tale, everyone got readings that confirmed he was telling the truth and was sane. Brinn seemed to have sobered up. “…Very well, I withdraw my accusation of the Transformers being responsible for the genocide of my race. You’re still accused of rebelling against us when we commanded Cybertron.”

“On that, we happily declare that we’re guilty,” answered Optimus. Vector Sigma was removed from the mind probe and returned to his seat.

“The question is not whether the Transformers are responsible for Quintessa’s destruction,” called Earthia. “The question is that Primus and Unicron woke Tornedron up and Starscream’s directing the action. So, how do we answer it?”

“We fight them!” called Vector Sigma. “We all have weapons and-!” The chambers hooted in laughter. Basso Profundo stood up.

“This station is a fortress,” he belted out, “a well-supplied fortress! There is no need to fight if they cannot get in!”

“My friends,” called Megatron, “there is a third option. In another age, when this station was much smaller, the First Galactic Council voted to leave the Vok home-world alone. …That was a mistake in the long run. Yes, it kept the peace, but gave Primus and Unicron a means for enacting their combined experiment! Better were the days when mastery of the stars came not from deals with distant Gods, but by working with active ones! Lux, Umbra, and Gaia were the example of divinity taking an interest in their creations! Councilors, we are left with only one option…we must free the Vok and Gaia’s mothers!” The chambers were silent…for only a few seconds. After the silence, jeers followed as everyone angrily pointed at Megatron and made threats.

“Shoot him!”

“Tear out his voice-box!”

“Shoot him AND tear out his voice-box!” called Optimus, prompting Megatron to roll his optics. “Then shoot the voice-box and buff out those scars!” Brinn then spoke up.

“The Imperial Magistrate would have freed the Vok!”

“No one rushed to their aid in the past!” countered Basso Profundo.

“And it’s not likely their mood will improve on their release!” called a woman that looked like a Vulcan but dressed as an Aztec woman and used her emotions. Her name was Alana of Tlalak.

“I agree with Vector Sigma!” called Llyra. “Why should we listen to the pseudo-mermaid?!” Alana twitched as she glared and answered Llyra.

“Because the ‘pseudo-mermaid’ comes from a race capable of conquering your world!”

“You threaten me?!”

“I silence you!” Alana then drew a pistol and leveled it at Llyra. Optimus rushed and knocked the pistol aside, but Alana had fired it at the ceiling from the impact.

“Rash idiot!” grunted Megatron as all hell broke loose.

“This is lunacy!” mumbled Aleena.

“This is politics.”

“Meanwhile, our enemies are bearing down on us,” muttered Gaia.

“If they aren’t already here,” mused Vector Sigma.