Scorponok recovered from the blow and growled at his hated rival. “You were just as pacifistic as Cerebros!” Fortress Maximus adopted a fighting stance.
“Galen taught us both!” he replied.
“Cute! But it won’t save you, Fortress!” Scorponok then pulled a rectangular shield with a pincer on the bottom from his back and fastened it to his left arm so the pincer was level with his claw. He then started swinging it wildly and fired from his stinger as well. The shot hit Fortress in the leg. Fortress grunted in pain but pushed it aside as he blocked a shield swing and slammed his fist into Scorponok’s chest. Scorponok gasped, then shoved Fortress backwards. “I’ve had it with you!” snarled the Predacon Metrotitan. “Always getting the fame for giving Nebulos the Headmaster technology!”
“You think I WANTED you to be overshadowed, old friend?!” argued Fortress. “I never wanted to be famous at all! At times like this, I wish I was still doing what Metrotitans are supposed to do, explore the stars!”
“My Spark bleeds for you, Fortress Maximus! Now you just BLEED!” Scorponok then slashed his shield’s pincer across Fortress’ torso, making him leak Energon. He then tore a mountain out of the ground and flung it at Fortress. Fortress fired on the mountain from the guns on his legs. He then knocked the shield off of his opponent’s arm and drew a large sword from his back in the process.
“I’m sorry, my friend,” Fortress then held the sword near his head, “but this is for the good of Nebulos. The people demanded your life a long time ago. They’ve declared you and your partners too dangerous to be kept alive. I’ll try to make this as quick and painless as I can!” He slammed his fist into Scorponok’s chest again, then followed through by running the sword through his face! As Scorponok stilled, Zarak appeared on Scorponok’s shoulder from an emergency teleport beam, holding a canister in his hands.
“You may have killed Black Scar,” he called, “but Scorponok was paranoid enough to place his Spark in a safe container and secure a means of transport!” He leapt off Scorponok as the body transformed back into scorpion city-ship mode.
“Where do you think he got it from?!” called Fortress. Galen then appeared and slugged Zarak, forcing him to drop the container. Megatron scooped it up and made a call.
“Nemesis! Beam us aboard! Radio control Scorponok’s body to return to the stars! He’s got supplies to get us to Animatros! Retreat!” Scorponok’s body then took off as the Novacons and Megatron vanished in a teleport beam. As they left Nebulos’ solar system, Zarak continued beating on Zarak. He then pulled out his Ban’grazas and pierced Zarak in the chest, causing him to gasp. The swords struck two of his three hearts. He collapsed to the ground in pain. Galen then panted before collapsing. Llyra and Trema caught him before he fell completely to the ground. Fortress Maximus then looked down at the scene below him as everyone gathered around the dying Zarak.
“…Why, Father?” asked Llyra. “Why did it have to come to this?”
“You tell me!” coughed Zarak. “Why do you not continually seek power as any living being should do?! Magic always preached restraint, science doesn’t!”
“…Is that why?” hissed Llyra. “Is that why you killed Mother?!” Zarak only stared at Llyra, his silence confirming her suspicions. “…RRRGHRRGAAAAARGH! WHY DO YOU INSIST THAT PEOPLE ARE OBLIGATED TO SEEK MORE POWER?! YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THOSE OF US WITH POWER NEED TO DOMINATE THOSE THAT DON’T?! YOU WANT TO HAVE AN ETERNAL WAR BETWEEN SCIENCE AND MAGIC?! THINK FATHER, THINK! SUPERPOWERED PEOPLE LIKE US HAVE PROVEN TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN SQUABBLERS WHO CAN’T SEE WHAT THEIR WAR IS DOING TO THOSE THAT AREN’T SO LUCKY! OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SHOULD NEVER SEEK POWER, IT’S US! ESPECIALLY SINCE, AS YOU AND YOUR OLD DECEPTICON BUDDIES JUST DEMONSTRATED, WE’RE JUST ONE BAD DAY AWAY FROM BECOMING THE NEXT BROLGUS! YOUR REGIME IS FIGHTING TO PROVE THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE STRIPPED OF OUR POWER AND LOCKED AWAY FOR LIFE! BUT DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT! ASK MOTHER!” Zarak groaned as he had no choice but to let his daughter unleash her pain verbally. “…WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS?!”
“…You,” answered Zarak. “I would have had a safe future for you.” Zarak then finally died.
“…My future’s mine to determine!” hissed Llyra as tears came down her face. Hi-Q saw the whole thing and tapped his visor. As he observed what the results were on his visor, Hi-Test came up to him.
“We better organize for the remaining non-Omnibots to leave,” he recommended. “We’ll detonate another bomb with a different mechano-toxin and-”
“We’re doing no such thing,” interjected Hi-Q. “Our anti-Transformer and anti-mage agendas need to fall.”
“…It’s for the safety of Nebulos! The simulations-”
“The simulations didn’t account for those that limit themselves already!” Hi-Test opened his mouth to protest again. “HI-TEST! …Do you think people like Llyra are so rare?! Look at the scene! Recall what Fortress Maximus said! The powerful DO have people like us in mind, at least on THIS planet!”
“We can’t change our stance now! The people will eat us alive!”
“We’re scientists! Our stances change with new variables added to the equations! You’re not gonna tell us it’s not okay to change minds with new data added, are you?!”
“It’s NOT okay! Don’t you get it?! We HAVE to stay steadfast in our beliefs and opinions!” Hi-Q shook his head.
“That’s a pretty cowardly view, if you ask me with all the data I have available to me at this time.”
“If you won’t stay true to your original stance, then I want no part of this! I QUIT!” Hi-Test stormed off, throwing down his employee card in the process.
“…Did you really mean that, Hi-Q?” asked Galen as Fortress Maximus transformed back into city-mode and ejected Cerebros in shuttle mode.”
“Dad made what I said about changing minds with each scrap of new data a big part of my upbringing,” replied Hi-Q. “Supreme Counci…” He stopped himself when he saw Llyra still standing over Zarak’s body. He sensed that there might be a bit of impropriety over making a request now.
“…Yes?” Llyra asked. Hi-Q hesitated before answering.
“…Supreme Councilor, at the next meeting of the Council of Peers, I’d like to announce the formal end of our anti-mage and anti-Transformer weapons programs.”
“…Very well, but that won’t be for a while. We must send my father’s body into the sun.” Galen and Trema goggled at her declaration.
“That’s a surefire way of sending his soul-!”
“His exile was still in effect when he died, and he broke it! We must follow through with it!”
Sending a body into the sun, according to Nebulan beliefs, is to send the soul of the deceased to languish with the souls of their dead and damned gods. It is reserved for the vilest of traitors and is the only punishment that has to be authorized by the whole Council of Peers. This time, they all voted yes and so Zarak’s body was sent into the sun. Once it was confirmed that the body was consumed by the sun, the whole planet observes a five-day period of contemplation so everyone can examine their souls. It is announced a week before the body is sent into the sun so all businesses can properly prepare for inactivity. People usually stock up on food, clean their places of business, don’t go to activities of leisure, all that stuff. After five days, work resumes. It was after the five-day period that Galen approached Llyra. “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I need some happiness sometime soon,” muttered Llyra.
“…Well, Kari, Rev, and I are debating whether or not we should all get married sometime this week.” Llyra’s eyes popped open.
“Married?! The wedding?!” she asked as her mood brightened. Galen grinned, relieved that mentioning the wedding was the right thing.
“Kari wants to invite you to go dress shopping with her tomorrow.”
“And I accept! Did she tell you what time?!”
“Mid-morning, around the hour of Thandrak.” (10:00 for us.)
“I’ll be there! When are you boys getting your outfits?”
“The next day, same time.”
“Perfect!”