Shadow glanced at the monitors. His brain wracked with what those meteors could possibly be. Omega walked towards him. “Something troubles you,” said the robot in his usual stilted, booming monotone.
“Those meteors Tails found,” said Shadow, “they seem to have something inside them, but I can’t find anything alive in them.”
“Perhaps you should scan for non-organic objects,” suggested Omega.
“…Worth a shot,” said Shadow.
Cybertron, a world of metal and logic, now recovers after a war that has ravaged the surface for four million years. On the surface, things are going rather smoothly. At least, that’s what the public believe. Unbeknownst to them, a ship took off. The reports to the Cybertronian Elite Guard, the police force of Cybertron, said that a renegade group of Autobots, the Throttlebots, had hijacked a former Decepticon warship that is now in the hands of the Elite Guard. Three Cybertronians were running to the bridge. Dion Pax, now called Ultra Magnus, head of the Elite Guard and second in command to Optimus, his youngest brother, took the middle child of the Pax children, Megatronus, and the former Decepticon leader after the war ended, Jhiaxus. Jhiaxus carried a cane as he had a limp. The three were running (or limping) at top speed. Megatronus had a black tube around his right arm to modify it as a fist laser. Ultra Magnus had a sphere shaped pistol that wrapped around his hand. Jhiaxus stuck with a standard pistol. They soon stopped outside of the bridge doors. “All right,” called Ultra Magnus in his Swahili accent, “on the count of three. One, two, thr…” he was interrupted as the ship lurched. “Perceptor,” he called on his comms unit, “what in the Pit was that?”
“The hyper-drive is coming online!” reported Perceptor. “This ship is warp capable now!”
“Jhiaxus,” snapped Ultra Magnus, “I thought you and Lugnut installed the new safeguards!”
“We did!” protested Jhiaxus as he sounded like Marlon Brando. “I personally triple-encrypted them! There is no way that the Throttlebots could ever get past them!”
“Th-Then how did they d-d-do it?!” stammered Megatronus.
“It doesn’t matter how they got through,” replied Ultra Magnus. “Perceptor, can you find out why the hyper-drive is online?”
“The intruders are laying in a course,” answered Perceptor. “They are going to Earth.” That statement made everyone raise a metallic eyebrow.
“To Earth?” asked Ultra Magnus, making sure he heard correctly.
“That is correct,” confirmed Perceptor.
“B-B-Brother,” interjected Megatronus, “i-i-if I were the Th-Throttlebots, I would m-m-make for the n-nearest D-D-Decepticon city and start s-smashing buildings.”
“You wouldn’t even need the weapons,” said Jhiaxus. “With the shields raised, the Harbinger could steamroll through anything and not even scratch the paint job.”
“Perceptor, see if you can regain control of the ship from Engineering,” ordered Ultra Magnus.
“Yes, Sir!” confirmed Perceptor.
“And if there’s a radiation leak, don’t be a hero!” warned Ultra Magnus.
“Very little risk of that!” assured Perceptor. The comms unit went silent as communications were terminated.
“Ultra M-M-Magnus,” muttered Megatronus, “there’s s-s-something fishy here, b-b-but I can’t p-place my f-f-finger on w-w-what it is.
“Never mind that,” replied Ultra Magnus. “Once more. One, two, three!” The three robots stormed the bridge. There was a cloaked figure sitting at the helm. “Rollbar,” boomed Ultra Magnus, “you are under arrest for stealing Elite Guard property! Surrender now and I can promise you a swift and fair trial!” The figure didn’t move. “Rollbar, I know you can hear me!” hissed Ultra Magnus. The figure still didn’t move. “Rollbar, turn around!” snapped Ultra Magnus.
“That is not my name,” answered the figure. His voice was gravelly and nasal. As he turned and stood, the cloak slid off of him to reveal a slender robot with wings. The three robots stared with wide eyed expressions.
“Jhiaxus,” gulped Megatronus, “the b-b-bot, it looks l-l-like…”
“It is,” confirmed Jhiaxus.
“I am,” chuckled the robot.
“This is impossible!” protested Ultra Magnus. “You were locked up 1,674.31 stellar cycles ago. I saw you during your trial!”
“You honestly thought that I would stay locked up, Son of Arcanus Pax?” asked the robot. “Give me some credit. I have broken out of the stockade before. I’ve even broken out of Kaon Prison before. Did you really think I wouldn’t have a plan? I have been fighting you Autobots longer than you were even thought of. I’ve slain Titan class Cybertronians, Pit spawn, and anything the Wreckers threw at me! I am Air Commander Starscream of the Decepticon battle fleet, supreme leader of the Seekers!”
“Starscream,” ordered Jhiaxus, “release control of the ship to me at once!”
“Negative!” replied Starscream. “If I recall correctly, you gave up being my boss stellar cycles ago. I don’t follow your orders now. You will follow my orders and let this ship continue unimpeded towards Earth.”
“We d-don’t follow orders f-f-from war c-c-criminals!” stammered Megatronus.
“And I will destroy this ship if I have to,” growled Ultra Magnus.
“You’re bluffing,” scoffed Starscream. “I have no respect for those who bluff.”
“Computer,” called Ultra Magnus, “this is Ultra Magnus of the Cybertronian Elite Guard. Destruct sequence 1, code 1, 1 alpha!” Starscream still had his smirk. “Megatronus, do it,” commanded Ultra Magnus. Megatronus gulped.
“C-C-Computer,” he finally got out, “this is M-M-Megatronus Pax of the C-C-Cybertronian Elite G-Guard. Destruct s-sequence 2, code 2, 2 b-beta!”
“Jhiaxus,” directed Ultra Magnus.
“You don’t honestly believe that Jhiaxus would destroy a ship he himself commissioned?” asked Starscream.
“Computer,” called Jhiaxus, “this is Jhiaxus, former lord of the now defunct Decepticons. Destruct sequence 3, code 3, 3 gamma.”
“All initial codes accepted,” reported a feminine voice. “However, the self-destruct sequence cannot be initiated without final codes.”
“Final destruct code, Zero, Zero, Destroy, Zero, Zero, One, Zero,” instructed Ultra Magnus.
“Final code accepted,” replied the computer. “This ship will self-destruct in 30 cycles.”
“Computer,” smirked Starscream, “override Priority Star!”
“Code not recognized,” answered the computer. Starscream’s smirk was replaced with a look of terror.
“You may try whatever tricks you have,” hissed Ultra Magnus, “but this ship belongs to the Elite Guard now! So, I suggest that you surren…!” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence as Megatronus crumpled in a heap. “Megatronus!” called Ultra Magnus as he ran to his brother’s side. Ultra Magnus and Jhiaxus then felt something electrical course through their bodies. As they blacked out, Starscream chuckled as he walked to the helm and keyed in a command.
“Warning,” called the computer, “self-destruct overridden!”