Transformers: Xenophobia

Backstory

2012-06-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

This was written in 1997 and the culmination of a few factors:

I was going to college for a business degree so I didn't have mental energy for another serious project and I was burnt-out from the epic First Contact series.
Transformers were having a renaissance thanks to the success of the "Beast Wars" line of toys and cutting-edge computer-animated TV show, the first season of which is pretty good.
The ascendancy of the Internet--in particular the World Wide Web and ISPs like America Online--allowed nostalgic fans of '80s toys/TV shows to connect like never before.

So basically I was surfing this relatively new thing called the Web and came upon all these Transformers fans who had stories of their own--some of novel length--and I thought, why not me too? Exactly.

Other fans had done an alternate continuity, only they used the apocalyptic continuity where the bad guys are winning and the good guys driven nearly to extinction. I took the opposite tack. In this alternate universe the heroic Autobots and their human allies--since humans couldn't fight Transformers straight-up I made them good at building starships to equalize things--have pretty much eliminated the evil Decepticons and killed their vicious leader Megatron. Everything is going great, right?

But with the war over, tensions rise between humans and Autobots. In sort of a foreshadowing of the Iraq situation, the humans begin to rise up against the Transformers whom they see as occupiers, not liberators. The result being that the Autobots abandon Earth. But at the same time, the remnants of the evil Decepticons are gathering under a new leader while a demented Autobot takes charge of the Transformers homeworld of Cybertron and another threat lurks at the edges of known space.

This story while it stems from a line of kid's toys was not aimed for children. It involves politics, spirituality, relationships, and even Transformer reproduction. (Trust me, it's not gross at all.) And just for the hell of it I focus less on traditional favorite characters like Optimus Prime and more on my favorites like Jetfire or relatively obscure ones.

Just remember it's an alternate continuity and it has nothing to do with the 2007 movie.

Please enjoy "Transformers: Xenophobia..."

Epilogue

2007-06-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Epilogue

Two months later, Hot Rod stood in the Great Hall to a roaring crowd of Autobots. The election results had come in and he had won by a landslide with over eighty percent of the vote. Despite not being able to campaign in person for the past two months, Hot Rod had made several speeches on the news networks and since Darkstar had fled and Jazz had died, Prowl had been his only competition.

Hot Rod’s new body had been finished and his spark loaded into it hours before the elections had been completed. His new body was taller, leaner, and more powerful, the proper look for the new president of the United Cybertronian Government. The cheering stopped when he motioned for quiet so he could begin his speech. “Friends, through your conviction we have won the election and ushered in a new age for Cybertron. In the coming weeks I will pick my advisors and then we will begin our mission to rid the universe of evil. I will make sure that the Decepticons are hunted down and destroyed to the last and that the rogue Autobots are finally brought to justice. I will work tirelessly to make it happen and to secure the peace we have fought so long for. No matter the cost our mission will be to make the universe safe for all beings.”

As Hot Rod continued, Camshaft stood in a dark corner, watching and hoping that he had been right. There was something unsettling about Hot Rod’s speech and his promises to bring peace at any price. It was almost like he imagined himself to be some kind of dictator. Perhaps he should have run and challenged Hot Rod, perhaps he could have won. His brief tenure as president had been uneventful as the Decepticons and rogues had disappeared and could not be found. The humans continued to act unwilling to open negotiations to let Autobots into their territory, despite what had happened. He sighed and Downshift handed him a drink and patted him on the shoulder. “You did a great job, Camshaft. Peace has been restored at least for now. It’s a pity that Hot Rod will take over now.”

Camshaft snorted, “Good luck to him on his foolish mission. It won’t be as easy as he thinks to bring peace.” He held up his drink and toasted, “To quixotic quests.”

Downshift laughed and they clinked glasses and then drank most of the contents. “I just hope Hot Rod doesn’t knock over too many windmills in his adventures.”

As Hot Rod continued speaking, Springer edged his way through the crowd and found Arcee standing with Chromedome and the Raptors. She saw him and he could see the mixture of sadness and joy in her eyes. He knew that his eyes mirrored that look and he finally made it up to her. She smiled at him and motioned him to Sideswipe, who was standing with the group. “This is our newest Raptor, Sideswipe. I’m sure you and Hot Rod will order us off to find the Decepticons, am I right?” There was a coolness in her voice that disturbed Springer.

“That’s right,” he replied calmly. “You are our best unit, we’ll need you to find the Decepticreeps before they strike again.”

Before Arcee could reply there was a massive crash. Everyone turned and Hot Rod stopped his speech. Joyride choked out, “Help.” Grimlock had his arms around his fellow Raptor and ready to squeeze the life out of him. Springer and Silverbolt tried to pull Grimlock off, but he shoved them aside.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, he leapt off Joyride and rushed Hot Rod. “You Hot Rod are a traitor!” Grimlock roared. Hot Rod was frozen in place as the massive Dinobot charged at him. He thought of what Darkstar had done to him and was paralyzed with fear. Just as Grimlock was about to jump and topple Hot Rod over, something stopped him. Optimus Prime had placed himself between the two and held Grimlock back until the Raptor settled down.

“What’s going on?” Arcee demanded as she helped Joyride up.

Joyride whispered, “I just said I was glad for Hot Rod and Grimlock went postal on me.”

“Him Hot Rod is traitor!” Grimlock shouted again.

Optimus continued to hold Grimlock back and said calmly, “He was before, but now he is your leader. He was infected by a Decepticon virus, it was not his fault. We have to forgive him and look ahead to the future.”

Grimlock seemed to be calming down at that and replied weakly, “He killed many friends. He weakened us so Decepticons could attack. Decepticon attack killed my Dinobots!”

Optimus nodded sadly, “I know that, Grimlock, but that’s over now. We cannot continue the violence against ourselves, we have to turn our attention to the real threat, the Decepticons.”

Optimus took his hands off Grimlock, who took a long, angry look at Hot Rod and stormed out of the Great Hall. Then Optimus turned to Hot Rod and said loud enough for everyone to hear, “Today begins a new age for Cybertron, Rodimus Prime.” There was a collective gasp as Optimus Prime opened his chest and pulled out the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Hot Rod had stolen it from him during the civil war, but now he was giving it to the young Autobot of his own free will. He had gone down to where he had hidden it deep inside Cybertron and recovered it days before the election, knowing that Hot Rod would win. “May the Matrix guide you and give you the wisdom to lead all Cybertronians through the dangers that lie ahead.”

Optimus held out the Matrix and Hot Rod accepted it in awe. His new chest opened up and he placed it into an open cavity. As his chest closed he felt wiser and more mature than ever before. He took Optimus’s hand and then hugged the veteran leader. “Thank-you, Optimus. Thank-you for believing in me.”

“Don’t let me down,” was all that Optimus said. He pulled out of the hug and silently followed after Grimlock. Optimus knew that danger lay ahead with the Decepticons rebuilding, the rogues still a threat, and the humans maintaining a hostile stance. He just hoped that everything would settle down. As he reached the door he spotted Camshaft and handed him a disk. Camshaft was surprised and before he could ask what it was about Optimus was gone.

“What is it?” Downshift asked.

Camshaft shrugged and they hurried to his office upstairs. The disk was a message from Optimus Prime containing advice, a warning, and a shocking discovery. There were detailed maps of the wormhole and the planet containing a large supply of nucleon. There were also plans for a ship the likes of which had not been seen in over four million years. Camshaft still had presidential authority until Hot Rod, now Rodimus Prime, was sworn in in two days. He activated his comlink and paged Grapple, the master architect who was supervising a new plaza in Iacon.

“Camshaft, this is a surprise,” Grapple commented.

“I need you to come to my office right away, I need you to evaluate a project for me.”

“What is it?”

“I can’t tell you over an open comlink, you’ll have to come here.”

“I’ll be right there.” It took Grapple ten minutes of tire-squealing driving to reach the Great Hall, which was packed for Hot Rod’s victory celebration. He shoved his way through the crowds and took the elevator to Camshaft’s office. “I’m here, what is it?”

Camshaft showed him the drawings and Grapple’s mouth dropped open. He touched the screen as if doing that would make the drawings somehow come to life. “By Primus, I thought the plans for the Ark had been lost during the war!”

“They were,” Camshaft replied. “Optimus must have kept a copy in his databanks.”

“It’s unbelievable. But, why did he give these to you now? What is he trying to say?”

Camshaft stood up and rounded his desk. He looked out the window at Memorial Park and then turned back to Grapple. “He wants us to build a new Ark to explore another galaxy. He found a wormhole that leads to an entirely different galaxy where there is a planet rich in nucleon. With nucleon we could power Cybertron indefinitely, we could bring about a new Golden Age. What I need to know, though, is this feasible? Can we build a second Ark?”

Grapple smiled and nodded. “It will take some time, but I’m certain of it.”

“Good. Grapple, I’ll need you to find a place where no one will be able to find something this big. We need to keep this project a secret, even from Rodimus Prime. If he finds out then he will use it as a weapon of war, a battle fortress to attack the Decepticons with. That’s not what Optimus or I want.”

“It’ll be hard to keep something like this secret.”

“We’ve kept other secrets, we can keep this one. Gather a team of engineers, but make sure no one gets word out to Rodimus.”

“I understand.” Grapple turned and then looked back at Camshaft, “You’ve done a great job Camshaft, I would have voted for you.” Grapple left and Camshaft smiled.

Downshift looked at his friend with satisfaction. “What do we do in the meantime? It’s likely the Decepticons, rogues, humans, or even Rodimus will find out long before that ship is built.”

“I’ll talk to Arcee and Silverbolt and get the Raptors transferred out that way to supposedly look for Decepticons. There isn’t much more that we can do without everyone getting wind of it.”

“We should bring Prowl, Kup, and Bumblebee into this, get their opinions.”

“I was already planning on it. I’ll arrange for a private meeting somewhere.” Downshift nodded and turned to leave. Camshaft called to his retreating back, “Thank-you for believing in me, Downshift.”

Downshift turned and replied with a grin, “It’s not a problem. Besides, I never said anything about you that wasn’t true. I just got you in the door, but you’ve done all the work.”

The door closed and Camshaft was alone in the office. He glanced at the terminal screen and all the information Optimus had provided them. He wondered what Optimus was going to do now, but suspected that everyone would find out eventually. When Cybertron needed him once again, Optimus would return.

***

James was sitting idly in his lab, wondering what he should do now. The Phoenixes were being put into production at a quick rate by Koromi, who was cheered by their performance in the short battle on Earth, but James was not needed on the moon factory any longer. He sighed and went to the secret cave where the Decepticon body, Roadbuster, and Override were stored. They were dissected and mangled, and looking at them made James wonder why he had done what he had done.

He turned away at them and tears came to his eyes. He had been so blinded with rage over the death of his wife and of his squadron mates that he had not realized that he was killing innocent beings just to further his research. He had even hampered Jetfire’s research that could have helped end the war sooner just because of his hatred of Transformers. He went back into his lab and grabbed an ultrapulse rifle. He went into the cave and turned the gun towards the ceiling. He fired and leapt back as an avalanche of rocks fell onto the three corpses, crushing and burying them forever. He would not kill for his experiments ever again.

He put the rifle away and heard the door chime sound. He answered it and saw that Marshall was at the door, looking pale and yet happy. He let her inside and she said without preamble, “Our intelligence network has uncovered something. A destroyer lost its propulsion systems a few days ago and was stranded just inside Cybertronian space. On its long-range sensors it detected an anomoly. When it returned our analysts checked it out and discovered that what they were picking up is a wormhole with residual traces of...nucleon.”

James took a step back in shock. “Nucleon? My God, I thought all of that stuff was destroyed!”

“So did we, but our hunch is that there’s nucleon through that wormhole. Command has put me in charge of a task force to investigate.”

“What? That would be an invasion of Autobot space.”

“I know, but if it is nucleon it would solve our energy problems forever. The Decepticons and rogues trashed the Io plants and the solar collectors on Mercury. Until those are reactivated, Earth and our Solar System colonies are hurting for energy.”

“Why did you come here?”

“I want you to come with me, to lead a squadron of Phoenixes. If we have to fight Transformers we’ll need some real firepower to repel them with. You’re an excellent pilot, Simon, and you understand them the best.”

James turned away angrily. “Don’t you remember that dead Autobot who risked his life to save Earth? How can we just forget that and go back to killing innocent beings?”

“Simon, Earth’s future is at stake! We can’t let this opportunity go by.”

“Then ask the Autobots and launch a joint venture.”

“Command won’t talk to the Autobots. Besides, Hot Rod has taken charge and from what our sources have heard, he isn’t too ready to talk either. He cares more about finding the Decepticons.”

James exhaled slowly and replied, “All right, but only because it’s imperative that we find this nucleon and secure it before the Decepticons or rogues get their hands on it.”

Marshall nodded and smiled. “Good. You know, there are a couple of hours before I have to be back in Toronto.”

James took her hand, grinning knowingly. He couldn’t support what Marshall and the others of the Confederated Army were doing, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still like Marshall for the person she was. He led her to the bedroom, determined that he would not harm any more innocent beings again no matter what happened out there.

***

President Raymond Chandler stood at the head of a joint session of the Confederated legislature. He cleared his throat and began his first speech since recovering from the rogue Autobot attack. “Let me begin by saying that I am glad to be back. However, I am dismayed by what has happened in my absence. How could all of you be so blind and force our allies out? The Autobots are our friends and were here only to help defend us.”

“Over the last couple of days I have spoken with many members of this body and have found that no one will support legislation to let the Autobots back into our territory or to even allow me to fire Vice-President Shale. I am appalled at this despicable policy enacted by the Confederation in my absence. Since it will not be repealed I have no choice but to resign effective immediately. I will travel to Cybertronian space with anyone who will accompany me and find the ‘rebel’ forces there who wish to see humans and Transformers work in cooperation once again. From there I will wait for this body to repeal the anti-Transformer policies.”

“I do not wish a civil war, but these policies must be repealed for the sake of ourselves and the Cybertronians who only wish to live in peace. The Decepticons and rogues are still a threat and will grow as one in the coming months. Only by working with the Autobots can we hope to stop them. However, since you will not cooperate, I will go to the rebels under Captain Hunter’s command and we will work with our Autobot friends to find the Decepticons and secure peace once and for all. God have mercy on your souls for what you have done and what will come because of it.” There was silence as Chandler angrily strode from the room. He went immediately to the airport and took the first shuttle to a courier ship that would take him to Cybertronian space.

Shale sat in silence in the assembly and Beckett nudged him to go and take the microphone. He did so unwillingly and began an impromptu speech. “My friends, we must stand upon our policies. New weapons are being developed that will allow us to repel Decepticon invaders and maintain our independence. We fought for over a century to gain our freedom, only to endure eight years of Autobot tyranny. How can we throw all that away now?”

“We will rebuild better than ever and develop weapons to stop any incursions of our territory. With faith and hard work we will maintain our independence. No Decepticons or rogue Autobots will stand in our way. Let today be our Independence Day!”

The legislature cheered and Shale was impressed with his own speech. Let Chandler try to stop his policies. He would find a way to defend Earth and keep the Autobots out even if he had to sleep with Robin Hoover to do it. He smiled and listened to the cheers and for the first time he truly felt like the leader of a great nation.

***

Omitron motioned for Darkstar to rise and smiled from her hoverchair. “I’m glad that you could join us, Darkstar.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” the gang leader replied. “I committed a murder, the cops would hunt me down if I stayed.”

“Actually that’s attempted murder. Hot Rod survived.”

Darkstar clenched his fists in rage and the other members of the gang backed away from him. “How is that possible?”

“I’m not certain, but he was elected president.”

“I’ll kill him! This time I will rip his spark out and crush it with my bare hands!”

Omitron chuckled and replied, “All in due time. First we have to get more energon for our conquests. Our supplies are low after creating new bodies for our comrades.”

Darkstar was puzzled, neither he nor the gang had seen more than a handful of Decepticons the entire time. “What comrades?” He asked. Omitron punched a button on the chair and the lights came on all over the tree fortress. Standing on the catwalks were fifty Decepticons, some of the worst criminals in Cybertronian history. Skullgrin leered at Darkstar, his huge nostrils snorting. Thunderwing had his arms folded against his chest and was smiling smugly. Frenzy cackled like a hyena about to devour prey. All along the base Darkstar could see Decepticon warriors. He was in good company indeed. “That is impressive. So what do we do, raid more human colonies?”

“No, no, nothing like that. We are going through a wormhole and raid a large supply of nucleon. Once stabilized it will provide enough energy to fuel our army to victory.” Nighthawk stifled a gasp. She had figured that Omitron would find out about the wormhole and nucleon eventually. Still, Jetfire had gone to the planet and could still be there. He would be outnumbered terribly and most likely Omitron would have him executed. “To the ships!”

The Decepticons began shuffling towards the hangar to await transport to the rogue ship and the Imperium. With Optimus Prime’s fleet back in Cybertron Omitron’s forces were able to move about freely, without cloaking devices. She noticed Nighthawk lingering and pulled her daughter aside, practically throwing her up against a wall. “What is it, Mother?”

“I know that you gave Jetfire the coordinates to the wormhole and the nucleon, it was a foolish thing to do.”

“I know that,” Nighthawk replied.

“If Jetfire is on the planet when we arrive I will do whatever is in my power to make certain that he is not killed, but I cannot promise anything.”

“Why would you do that, he’s an Autobot.”

“I love Jetfire. He’s intelligent, brave, and powerful, even if he is a compassionate, weak Autobot. I don’t want him killed, but if I must then I will. You have to understand that, Nighthawk. This is a war and we have to do what it takes to win.”

Nighthawk nodded. “I understand.” She turned and left and Omitron went to the vault and attached her fusion cannon. Then she remotely commanded both her shell and Nighthawk’s to walk to the hangar. Omitron would need every weapon at her disposal, she was certain of it. She thought of what she had said to Nighthawk and hoped that Jetfire was not on the planet, or, so help her, she would have to kill him.

***

Jetfire stood on a rocky plateau and gazed down at a valley full of nucleon crystals. He had been surveying the planet across the wormhole for two months now and was amazed at the amount of raw nucleon he had found. It was everywhere, even underwater. He finished his sensor sweeps and returned to the cave nearby that served as his base. It was one of the few places with no nucleon, which allowed him to rest there when the radiation from the nucleon was starting to get to untolerable levels. He sat down on the ground and wished he had brought some equipment with him. However, he had been able to use his sensors and some instruments he brought with him wherever he went, to study the nucleon.

What he had found out so far was amazing. It was almost as if the crystals were living things, as though they were growing on the planet like plants. Over the two months he had noticed that some areas had actually increased in the amounts of nucleon present. And yet he could detect no reason that the crystals should be growing. It was very strange indeed and he hoped to have some answers eventually.

He wished Perceptor were here to help him make some sense of all this, or Omi. He stopped as he thought of her and sighed. From what Nighhawk had said Omi was a Decepticon and she always had been. He had loved and trusted a traitor. He had made a daughter with the enemy. Now Nighthawk was one of the enemy. Would he be forced to kill his daughter and the one he had fallen in love with so long ago? He checked the radiation levels in his circuits to make sure they were subsiding. Suddenly he heard the sound of thunder, although the red-brown skies were clear.

He went to the edge of the cave and saw that some kind of ship was landing. By the Matrix, what is that, he thought? The signature didn’t match Autobot, Decepticon, or human signatures. The ship came lower and he could see it. It was dark gray and nearly spherical, long round pods on either side. A hatch opened and metal, insectoid creatures spewed out. Jetfire analyzed them and saw they were composed of alloys not like anything on Cybertron. The creatures had large, flat, rounded heads with huge sensors for eyes. Their legs were thick, rounded engine assemblies with clawed feet. They had two small, oval arms mounted on the squat bodies, each arm ending in a claw with some kind of weapon mounted over it.

In his two months Jetfire had not found any signs of civilization on the planet, which meant these had to be creatures not native to the planet. He stopped as the swarm of metal monsters turned towards him. In a vaguely Cybertronian dialect he could hear the leader shout, “The children of Primus are here! Destroy them!” Before Jetfire could react orange bolts of energy were erupted from the cannons on the arms of the creatures. Jetfire screamed as he was hit in the chest and legs and collapsed. The last thing he remembered before blacking out were the creatures standing over him, the leader saying, “Take this one back to the ship for studying.” Jetfire tried to will his legs to get up and fight back so he could warn the Autobots, but could in the end only surrender to the darkness closing all around him.

To Be Continued...(But it never was...)

Chapter Ten

2007-06-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

Chapter Ten

Cummings was in her office two weeks later when the call came from Hunter. It was very cryptic, but told her that all was ready. She quickly left her office, leaving a message with her secretary that an executive from CBN had called for an interview with Shale and that she had to go take care of it personally. Then she left the office and went to the airport. Hunter had a two-seat fighter there, which took her to the Prometheus. In less than an hour she had gone from a typical day in her office to boarding the Confederation flagship to defect.

“Welcome aboard,” Hunter said as she stepped onto the bridge. “I trust your ride was comfortable?”

“Not exactly first class, but it will do,” Cummings replied. “When do we leave?”

“In just a couple of minutes. I sent covert messages to most of the fleet, ships all over will be defecting to Cybertronian space. I estimate about fifty in all, which is a third of the fleet.”

“What about those who got the message and didn’t respond?”

“No one turned us down, I only sent the message to those I knew I could trust and I knew were tired of Shale and the anti-Cybertronian policies.”

“Won’t the other ships fire on us when we try to leave?”

“We’ll be too fast for them and get outside Confederation space in about a week. They shouldn’t be able to find us, and if they want a fight then we’ll give it to them.” Hunter looked around the bridge and then barked, “Ready the hyperdrive and prepare to take us out of here at maximum speed.”

The bridge crew went to work and Cummings took an empty chair. It took only seconds for everything to be ready for the jump to hyperspace. Hunter took a last look around and then commanded, “Engage.” The Prometheus and eight other ships had edged away from any nondefectors and leapt into hyperspace before anyone could react. Cummings saw Hunter relax a little at the clean getaway and two hours later they had cleared the Solar System.

On the border with Cybertronian space, another thirty ships suddenly went into hyperspace and crossed the border, sending a message over the comlink to Cybertronian ships that it was not an attack, but a defection to protest the Confederation’s anti-Transformer policies. After eight hours all the defectors were safely away and while some were already across the border, others would not make it for some time. Huge gaps had been made in the Confederation’s defenses, a display which Cummings and Hunter knew Shale and the rest of the government would have to notice.

Omitron smiled as she checked the sensor logs. The Home Fleet was at just over half strength now, which would make her plan go that much more smoothly. The rogue ship and the Imperium were at maximum speed, but invisible from the cloaking devices. They would reach Io in just hours, where the rogues would split off. The plan called for the rogues to orbit the area until all three teams were set up, then all three attacks would commence at once.

Scrapper’s transport would be the last to get in position and would be stationed near Venus to receive the energy from the solar collectors on Mercury. The energy was usually transmitted through a string of satellites directly to Earth, but Omitron had come up with a way to divert it directly to the transport. Once all three groups were ready, the attack would begin. Omitron knew that the human space fleet would be caught off-guard and since it had been weakened by the mass defection it would be harder for them to interfere with the two spacefaring groups. The attack on Earth would face more opposition since Earth air and land forces would be brought to bear as well as those primitive machines around the factory itself.

Omitron hoped she had enough firepower for the mission. From her calculations she did, but things could go wrong. At any given time three units would have to be taking apart and moving the machinery while the others manned the frigate and dealt with human resistance. For that reason she had borrowed three Autobots from the rogues who would take apart the machines and load them while the Decepticons worried about defending the factory.

Omitron wished she had more troops, then she would have launched diversionary raids across Earth to confuse their defenses, but that was not possible. She also wished Bugly were with her to help supervise, but she had needed someone to tail Jetfire and the others were not trustworthy or clever enough to pull it off. She would just have to hope that she could deal with problems as they arose and that she had enough firepower to accomplish her mission. She sat in the command chair and rubbed the fusion cannon on her arm.

She had to congratulate the humans on their stupidity. By forcing the Autobots out and a large number of their ships to defect, the humans had severely weakened themselves. Cocky fleshlings, she thought. They believe they are invincible, even after their last capital was brutally destroyed and their planet occupied for eight years by Decepticon forces. She had studied human history and noticed the xenophobic trend throughout their existence. They were always fighting amongst themselves when there was no one else to fight, usually because one group believed it was superior to another. The humans feared anything that was different and usually resorted to violence to try and eliminate it. Several times early in the war humans had tried to destroy Autobots and Decepticons alike. It wasn’t until about ten years into the war that all humans understood the difference between Autobots and Decepticons. They had simply feared all Cybertronians, and were doing so again. This time it would lead to their destruction.

“How long until we reach Earth?” Omitron asked.

“Four hours,” Nighthawk replied.

Omitron sighed and relaxed in her chair. “Excellent.”

It was nearly five hours later that Scrapper got into position. The Imperium had easily cruised through the atmosphere of Earth’s southern pole and made its way quietly to the South American continent. It was hanging silently over the Atlantic Ocean, able to get to the factory in only five minutes using its powerful thrusters. Omitron got to her feet as Scrapper checked in. She smiled and turned to Dreadwind, at the communications station. “Signal all units to begin the attack,” she commanded calmly.

“Attack!” Dreadwind screamed into the comlink. The signal was sent through space quickly to Scrapper and the rogues. The Imperium decloaked and shot forward on its thrusters. Within five minutes it landed near the factory Koromi had built in the jungle. The Decepticons and three rogues left the ship, except for Onslaught, who had been ordered to guard the ship.

Omitron and the other fighters formed up and streaked towards the factory at low level. Omitron suspected that calls were already being made to report the invaders, but she knew that the factory would still be taken by surprise. As expected, the defenses of several anti-aircraft guns and ATWVs were unprepared. “Fire!” Omitron commanded the fighters.

The initial barrage devastated many of the defenders, tearing open Executioners and Barracudas like tin cans. The anti-aircraft guns were wiped out and the fighters split up to mop up the remaining defenses. Nighthawk followed her mother and strafed three Barracudas trying to target Dreadwind and Dirge with their missiles. All three ATWVs went down, their legs blown out from under them. Omitron had realized almost instantly that the legs were the weakest point for the scout machines, while the heads of the others were a better target. She and Nighthawk took out two Executioners before they even had a chance to fire. Another pair fired plasma cannons and ultrapulse lasers, but the mother and daughter team easily avoided the shots. Nighthawk blasted one Executioner in the chest and it toppled over. She finished off with another pass and saw that Omitron had taken care of her target.

Dreadwind howled with joy as he blasted a pair of Barracudas. Dirge was on his wing and took out an Executioner. Dreadwind saw two more Barracudas and transformed. He set down between them and gleefully punched through the pod of one and kicked the legs from under the other. He stepped on the second pod, crushing it and the pilot inside. He removed the human pilot from the other and saw the man trembling with fear. “Foolish fleshlings, your world will be ours again!” He cried and threw the human headlong into a tree. The man’s back and skull were broken on impact and he left a bloody streak after falling to the ground. Dirge transformed and came up beside him. They high-fived and looked for more targets.

Security Chief Abrams was in an Executioner with the last of the security forces in the forest. The Decepticon blitzkrieg had taken them by surprise and the ferocity of the attack had taken out most of the security forces right away. Abrams had ordered a withdraw to regroup, but he doubted it would do any good. There were at least five Decepticons in the area, all of them heavily armed. “They’ll probably end up leveling the entire place with a nuke,” he grumbled. Human ground and air forces would not be able to stop the Decepticons and the handful of ATWVs left wouldn’t have much of a chance, especially once the Decepticons entrenched themselves.

Nearby, Ambush heard explosions and knew that his worst fears had been realized. Someone was attacking Earth! He left his base, making sure his kinetic shotgun had a full load and that he had ammo to spare. He also took along a handful of grenades, knowing that this was it. He activated his stealth armor and began creeping through the forest. He neared the factory and saw a red jet fly overhead. Misfire! He thought. That meant it was a Decepticon raid. He didn’t know how many there were and would have to quickly reconnoiter the area to determine the exact number. Then he would launch his attack and save Earth or die trying.

“The factory is under attack,” Koromi said to James and Marshall. “The defenses were massacred in minutes and it’s likely that the Decepticons have already taken over the area. The Home Fleet is concentrated near Mars with only a couple of ships near Earth. There will be no way to stop the Decepticons short of nuclear weapons.”

James shot to his feet and looked over at Marshall. “How many Phoenixes are ready to go?”

Koromi replied, “The first two are ready, plus yours.”

“The only other pilot is that test pilot you recruited. I guess that means it will be you, him, and I,” Marshall pointed out.

“Then let’s not waste any more time. Those may be Earth’s only hope to end this without resorting to radiating a good portion of the South American continent.” Marshall and James dashed from the room towards the hangar where the three Phoenixes were being kept. Koromi called the test pilot James had used to test out the modified Barracuda in his experiments, named Jared Hastings, who joined the other two in the hangar. The three vehicles took off in fighter mode and headed for Earth, hoping that they weren’t too late.

Scrapper heard Dreadwind’s scream through the comlink and decloaked the transport. He could complete the mission cloaked, but there was no point to it and the transport’s cloaking device worked for only a limited time. The humans would be able to tell where he was by where the energy was going, so he couldn’t hide. He accessed the hundreds of solar panels on Mercury, specially designed to withstand the high temperatures. He commanded the system controlling them to reroute the energy from a course to the moon to his ship. Instantly the satellites that ferried the energy from the panels realigned themselves. Scrapper pushed a button that opened part of the transport where a collection tank for the energy was. Solar energy began spilling into the container and Scrapper sat back to wait, keeping an eye on the sensors.

“Attack!” Dreadwind screamed over the comlink

“I guess that means to attack,” Repugnus commented dryly on the bridge of the rogue ship. It had taken several minutes for the signal to reach them, so their attack was delayed.

Ultra Magnus smiled and shouted, “All right ‘Bots, let’s move!”

Hosehead asked, “How do we handle the humans if they interfere?”

“However you have to, kill them if you must. We can’t let anything stand in our way now, we’ve come too far and fought for too long to be stopped by some humans.” Hosehead nodded and Magnus lead the rogues to the hangar. It opened and the ship decloaked over Io. The power plants were on hovering platforms over the volcanic moon and only the geothermic one was tied down in any way.

Like in an old-time pirate movie the rogue ship pulled alongside the gravimetric power plant and Repugnus and a group of rogues jumped from the hangar and landed on the platform keeping the plant hovering over the surface. The ship quickly shot away to the geothermic plant where Ultra Magnus and the others bailed out and landed on the platform. Then the ship moved back to orbit the area and cloaked, waiting for both plants to be secured.

Repugnus and his contingent of eight Autobots landed on the platform and immediately found guns aiming for them. Repugnus pulled out his laser rifle and motioned for the Autobots to spread out. The defenses began firing and one rogue was hit in the chest and fell over the platform, landing in a volcanic area and being destroyed by a flow of lava. Repugnus nailed the gun that had killed his comrade and saw that others were doing the same. Human soldiers scurried outside in spacesuits, carrying missile launchers. Repugnus blasted a catwalk where six humans were setting up a heavy missile launcher and the launcher was lost to the depths of space.

The gravity in the area was terrible, slowing the Autobots down. Io was Jupiter’s closest moon and part of the reason for its volcanic action was the intense gravity exerted by the planet on the much smaller moon. Repugnus bashed his way through a flight of human-sized stairs and through part of the plant’s hull. Hosehead followed him and they began searching for the control room. The gravity was normal inside the plant, but both Autobots had to transform to make their way through the human-sized corridors. Repugnus led the way and devoured several humans with his large jaws when they tried to ambush the rogues.

They found the control room, which was empty by now. Repugnus looked over the controls and used his claws to plant a device Omitron had given them. It scrambled the main computer’s systems so that no self-destruct or other security systems would operate. Thus the energy the plant harnassed from the intense gravity in the area could be transferred to the ship. He signaled to Hosehead and they made their way out. “Area secure,” Repugnus said over the comlink.

Ultra Magnus ran down a trio of humans in a corridor of the geothermic plant. He and Waverider were in a human-sized corridor, Waverider having to abandon his shell and go in via his water vehicle mode and Magnus in his truck mode. It was no problem to simply run over the humans that got in their way and keep moving. They soon found the control room, which was abandoned as in the other plant. Magnus suspected that the few human troops in the plant had simply been trying to buy time for the civilians to escape. Waverider, since he was shorter than Magnus, transformed and managed to crouch down to avoid hitting the ceiling. He planted a device like Repugnus had in the other plant and then the two Autobots left.

The fighting in the geothermic plant had been fierce, but brief. The sheer firepower of the Autobots had triumphed over the human defenses in minutes. Two Autobots had been killed by hyperpulse gun turrets, but there were no other casualties. The rogue ship decloaked and returned, placing itself between the two plants. Then equipment was unloaded and Autobots using jetpacks began setting up tubes from each plant to containers in the ship. Magnus supervised the construction and was glad to see how quickly it was completed. Within ten minutes energy began pumping into the containers from both plants.

Captain Heinrich Richmond was in command of the cruiser Attica. The Attica was the new flagship of the Home Fleet after Hunter and the others had defected. Richmond read the reports from Earth and Io with concern. He had only ten ships under his command, not much to repel three sets of invaders. His first officer looked over to him and Richmond knew he had to make a decision.

“Send the Boston to wherever that power from Mercury is being routed to. Send the Lexington, Columbus, and Saratoga to Io to deal with the invaders. Everyone else will go to Earth.” The first officer nodded and hurried to relay the orders and Richmond hoped that the invaders were able to be stopped. What concerned him is that it would take the fleet an forty minutes to reach Earth. How much damage would have been done by then?

The three rogue Autobots had entered the factory and were hurriedly taking apart the machines needed to build robotic machines. Omitron watched them and looked over at Nighthawk, who was standing next to her. “Give them a hand,” she told her daughter. “I’ll be up here, downloading the plans from the computer system.”

Nighthawk nodded and went down to the factory floor to give the three rogues whatever help she could. “What do you want me to do?” She asked.

“Unhook whatever machines you can and get them off the floor,” one replied. Nighthawk shrugged and grabbed a large machine. It took some straining, but she was able to get it loose and heft it off of the floor. She looked around and saw that the rogues had already gotten a good portion of the machines up. At this rate it would be less than an hour before the frigate was loaded and they could leave. Nighthawk just hoped that they could hold out that long.

Omitron was accessing the computer system for the factory and searching for blueprints. She found many useless files, including pictures of naked human females, but there were no blueprints yet. As she continued searching Dreadwind’s voice called over the comlink, “Have you seen Dirge? I can’t find him.”

Omitron stopped what she was doing and ran out of the factory. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Were there human defenses that hadn’t been neutralized yet? Or had Dirge simply gone AWOL? She found Dreadwind and together they began searching. They combed the forests nearby and stopped in shock when they found Dirge pinned to a tree, his chest ripped open. “There has to be an Autobot here,” Omitron said.

“All right, more fun,” Dreadwind replied. He hurried away and Omitron decided not to follow him. Whoever had killed Dirge would show themselves again soon and then she would be able to home in on them.

It had been a simple matter to kill Dirge. The Decepticon had been loitering near the forest and Ambush had simply grabbed him through the brush and hauled him to a secluded spot. There he had first destroyed the ‘Con’s vocal systems and then torn his chest open until Dirge’s spark was extinguished. Now Ambush was near the front of the base, still in his stealth armor mode. He had counted three rogue Autobots and five Decepticons, now four Decepticons, which meant that he was badly outnumbered.

Still, Ambush was a commando, trained to fight against terrible odds. He would do whatever it took to protect Earth, which had come to be his home. Even if it meant his life he would fight to the end. He planned his next move, but before he moved out he heard steps behind him. He spun around and saw Dreadwind beating through the brush. Obviously the Decepticons had found Dirge’s body and were hunting for him.

Ambush crouched down and waited for Dreadwind to approach. The Decepticon had his weapon ready, but was unprepared for Ambush to grab him from out of nowhere and throw him into the jungle. Dreadwind fired a shot that hit Ambush in the chest, but he barely noticed the pain. Dreadwind struggled and Ambush knocked his gun away. Ambush could hear another Decepticon approaching and knew he had no time for subtlety. He pulled out his kinetic shotgun and put a slug through Dreadwind’s neck. The Decepticon’s head was badly damaged, but not blown off, and he stopped moving. Ambush hurried away deeper into the jungle. Then he heard a deep rumble that he remembered well as the sound of a fusion cannon being fired. A volley of energy hit trees nearby and vaporized them. It also set the brush on fire, sending Ambush scurrying away for better cover. He heard fusion cannon blasts being fired all over the jungle and knew what the enemy was up to. They would burn the jungle to flush him out. So be it, he thought and readied himself for combat.

Abrams saw smoke rising and knew that soon his cover would be blown. “All units, attack,” he ordered. The four remaining ATWVs burst out of the brush and opened fire on the nearest Decepticons. Misfire and Savage were hit, but didn’t go down and transformed. From the air they blasted two Barracudas and an Executioner. Abrams’s Executioner was the last unit to survive and he knew that it was hopeless. He opened fire with everything as fire from the Decepticons destroyed the Executioner’s legs. It toppled over and in another pass the two fighters blew it up with Abrams inside. Misfire had taken a little damage and Savage was scratched a little, but otherwise the two Decepticons were in good shape.

Misfire’s sensors showed a large contingent of human fighters approaching and smiled. It was time to rack up some more kills. He and Savage moved out to deal with the invaders. The human fighters were small and poorly armed, older models that had been stocked in an area that had been thought to have little strategic importance. It was a turkey shoot, with the two Decepticons slaughtering the humans until they were forced to retreat. Neither suffered any damage.

Omitron finished firing into the forest, noticing that fires were beginning to rage. That would drive the unknown attacker out. She knelt down next to Dreadwind and noticed that his wound was bad, but not fatal. His central processor was still working, so that he would still function. She hefted them over her shoulder and took him to the factory. She kept a close eye out for the warrior who had killed Dirge, but saw nothing. Whoever it was was a formidable enemy and as soon as she had set Dreadwind down somewhere safe she would deal with him. She reached the factory and noticed that two of the rogues had transformed into transport vehicles and that the other rogue and Nighthawk were loading machines onto them. Good, she thought, soon we’ll be out of here.

Three ships were nearing Io and Ultra Magnus decided that it was time to evacuate the area. The rogue ship would be caught if it was still attached to the two plants and would most likely be destroyed. The equipment was hastily torn down and the rogues began piling into the ship. Most of the containers were filled, which would provide a lot of energon. Once everyone was inside, Magnus signaled for the ship to leave. Before it did, it fired barrages into the hover engines of both plants. They collapsed to the surface of Io and exploded, covering the rogue ship’s escape. As the platforms exploded it quickly left the area and cloaked, heading for Kortex. Magnus knew six ships were heading for Earth, but he knew it would be wiser to get the energy back to Kortex and let Omitron handle the humans. She was clever, she would take care of herself.

Scrapper’s container was filled and he began to head for Earth. Once he had finished collecting energy he had sent sabotaged the satellites by downloading a virus into the system. Part of Omitron’s strategy was to cripple the human targets once they were drained of energy. Scrapper cloaked the transport, anxious to get back to the Imperium and then out of the system.

The jungle was burning all around Ambush and he knew that he had to make his move soon. Misfire and Savage transformed and landed. They were heading for the front of the factory and Ambush readied two grenades. As the two Decepticons neared he hurled the grenades. They exploded when they hit the ground and both Decepticons were thrown off their feet, taking some damage. From the edge of the jungle to where the two Decepticons were was completely open ground, so his stealth armor would go off-line and he would be completely visible. Still, he had to take out the Decepticons, no matter the cost.

Ambush transformed and roared out of the jungle at full speed. Savage was getting to his feet and saw a green and black Hummer jeep shooting at him. He fired his gun, which took off the front grille of the Hummer, but it kept coming. It plowed into him, knocking the last Sweep backwards into the wall of the factory. The Hummer backed away as Misfire got up. It transformed and a large black and green Autobot stood before them, a shotgun cradled in its hands.

“Ambush, you traitor!” Misfire roared. He had been present when Ambush had nearly been killed by Megatron.

“Nice to see you again, Misfire,” Ambush growled and fired a shot. Misfire dove to the left and the shot went past him. As he hit the ground he rolled and pulled off a shot from his weapon. Ambush was hit on the right side of his chest and grunted in pain. Before he could fire again, another shot tore into him, this one from Savage. Ambush hit the ground, his shotgun falling from his hands.

He rolled over onto his back and the two Decepticons loomed over him. The scene was similar to when he had nearly been scrapped long ago. “This time we’ll make sure we kill you, traitor,” Misfire said and put his weapon to Ambush’s head.

As Misfire was going to fire, Ambush swung his legs to the left in a sweep that nearly knocked Misfire over. The gun went off and hit Ambush in the right arm, nearly severing it at the elbow. Ambush quickly got to his feet and kicked Misfire in the midsection. Misfire doubled over and Ambush punched him in the face with his left arm. Then he yanked Misfire around and hurled him at Savage, who was about to take a shot at Ambush. The two Decepticons were entangled with each other and Ambush picked his rifle. A shot into each of them took them out of the fight for good. He took Misfire’s weapon and hurried towards the entrance to the factory.

Omitron heard shots being traded outside and knew that the attacker was making its move. She had finally found blueprints for the factory machines and began downloading them. She tried to raise Misfire and Savage with no luck. “Nighthawk, deal with the intruder outside,” she commanded.

“Yes, Mother,” Nighthawk replied. The transports were loaded and she had loaded the third Autobot with whatever it could carry. All of the machines had been able to be loaded and now they had to be taken to the frigate. “The salvage operation is complete.”

“Excellent.” Nighthawk went outside and looked around. A shot whizzed past her and a green and black Autobot warrior stepped out from behind a corner of the building. Nighthawk fired her rifle and hit the Autobot in the chest. It stumbled back, but remained standing.

“Nighthawk, what are you doing?” Ambush demanded. She could tell that he had been badly damaged and was carrying his weapon and Misfire’s.

“I am a Decepticon now. It’s not too late for you, Ambush, you can join us. You were Decepticon once, you can be so again.” She had her hand on her weapon, waiting for Ambush to get careless.

Instead he fired both weapons. Nighthawk was hit in the chest and went down. Ambush jumped on top of her, putting his shotgun to her head. “You traitor, how can you join these murdering scum? They have killed millions of innocent creatures to satisfy their own goals. They will stop at nothing to succeed. I will never rejoin the Decepticons, I will never murder innocent beings,” Ambush hissed. Nighthawk struggled to free herself, but Ambush was larger and heavier, able to keep her pinned. Ambush was about to fire, but stopped. “I’m sure you have a reason to join these killers, but a part of you will always be Autobot as a part of me has always been Decepticon. Sooner or later you will see that they are wrong.”

Before Nighthawk could reply Ambush hit her in the head with the shotgun. She went unconscious and Nighthawk got to his feet. There should only be one more Decepticon and the three rogues. He could feel his systems starting to fail from the wounds he had taken, especially those to the chest. He moved towards the factory entrance again and saw a large shadow moving near the door. He dove back around a corner just as a fusion cannon blast streaked by. Misfire’s weapon had slipped from his hand and was lying yards away. Ambush stood up and could hear heavy footsteps approaching.

“Surrender, Autobot,” a female voice called out. “It is useless to resist further, I will destroy you.”

Ambush steeled himself and readied his last grenades. He leapt from behind the corner and tossed them. Two exploded harmlessly, but the third landed near Omitron, nearly knocking her off her feet. She steadied herself and fired a fusion cannon blast that clipped Ambush’s left leg and sent him sprawling. He rolled over onto his back and pumped round after round at Omitron while he struggled back to cover. The bottom of his left leg was nearly slag, but he managed to stand.

Omitron had taken a couple of shells to the chest, but her bioarmor was already beginning to heal the wounds. She knew where Ambush was and approached cautiously. He was a clever warrior and she bet he still had some tricks up his sleeve. She heard a rumbling sound and saw the three rogues hurrying out of the factory with the machines. She had the blueprints stored in her memory and so now there was no need for the factory. She turned towards it and fired a few shots from her fusion cannon at the roof. Debris was sent raining down into the factory as large portions of the roof buckled.

Ambush was hit with a large chunk of metal and sent crashing to the ground. It was obvious that the Decepticon was destroying the place in the hopes of catching him as well. He checked his weapons and saw that he was low on shotgun shells. It doesn’t matter, he thought. He forced his legs to work and charged out from cover. He saw the large black and purple Decepticon standing a short distance away, intent on taking out the building. He began firing his last shotgun rounds and Omitron’s fusion cannon was knocked away.

Ambush fired off his last shell, which just missed Omitron, and then wielded the gun like a club. He closed the distance between himself and Omitron and swung the gun. Omitron was hit in the chest and Ambush crashed into her, sending both of them to the ground. Ambush landed a flurry of blows to Omitron’s head, taking out one of her eyes. Omitron shrieked in anger and got her legs under Ambush, throwing him to the ground. Ambush got back up quickly, not caring about his damage any longer.

Omitron faced off with him and then lunged forward. Before Ambush could react she leapt into the air and landed behind Ambush. As he turned she smashed him in the face with her right fist. He stumbled backwards and she landed a kick to his midsection. He doubled over and she kicked him in the head with her left leg. Ambush stumbled back and smiled in grim appreciation of his opponent’s skills. He stepped forward and faked an uppercut. As Omitron moved to block the fake punch he came back with his other hand and caught her in the middle. She rocked backwards and Ambush took advantage of the situation to hit her in the face. Omitron managed to get her right arm up and shoved Ambush away.

Omitron knew that the fight could drag on for a while and so she ran and flipped herself over Ambush’s head. She didn’t pull out of the landing in time and hit the ground. She was able to reach forward and grabbed her fusion cannon. Ambush charged towards her, but before he could reach her she had it on her arm and fired. A blast hit Ambush squarely in the chest and he fell to the ground. He remained there and Omitron got to her feet. She limped over to him and saw that he was still alive. He looked up at her and saw her aiming the fusion cannon at his head. He waited and then moved his legs ever so slightly, sweeping Omitron’s legs from under her. She crashed to the ground and Ambush somehow managed to get to his feet again. He kicked the fusion cannon away from Omitron and kicked her. He reached down and grabbed her head in a headlock. He was about to savagely twist Omitron’s neck off, but a shot hit Ambush in the back.

Nighthawk had regained consciousness and had her weapon pointed at Ambush. Ambush fell over, his grip loosening on Omitron. She wriggled free and fixed her fusion cannon to her arm again. She aimed it at Ambush’s head and the Autobot commando turned to Nighthawk. There was no pleading in his eyes, only anger at her for betraying her people. “You will burn in the Inferno for your treachery, Nighthawk!” He shouted, coughing up fluids as he did so.

Omitron laughed and hissed, “You first.” Before she could fire, shots were raining down around them. Omitron looked up to see three Jetfires coming at her. They were different colors, all of them white but with different trim. One was gray, another was blue, and the last one was green. What in the Inferno are those? Omitron wondered. “Get Dreadwind, I’ll hold them off!” Omitron commanded. She fired her fusion cannon at the three Phoenixes and they broke formation.

Nighthawk quickly grabbed Dreadwind and hauled him over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She heard the sound of the frigate’s thrusters and knew that Onslaught must have sensed the danger and come to pick them up. Nighthawk saw Omitron get hit by a plasma cannon blast and lose her balance. Her mother ran and avoided more shots from the three fighters.

James was in the lead of the Phoenixes and narrowly avoided a fusion cannon shot. The female Decepticon was running across the open field, trying to draw their fire from the other Decepticons. “Jared, take out that other ‘Con, we’ll deal with the big one,” he said over the comlink.

“Roger,” Hastings replied and broke formation, heading for Nighthawk. He lined up a shot, but before he could fire the Imperium’s weapons tore into the rear of the Phoenix. Hastings tried to pull up, but couldn’t. He transformed the fighter into robot mode and it landed face-down on the ground at Nighthawk’s feet. She gasped in horror when she saw that the fighter had transformed into a robot that looked just like her father. She ran as the Imperium opened fire again. The Phoenix was torn apart and a fireball leapt high into the air.

James saw the frigate and knew that it was hopeless. “Pull back, there’s nothing more we can do.”

Marshall hesitated, but knew James was right. Two fighters, even as advanced as the Phoenixes, would have no chance against that Decepticon female and the frigate. The two fighters pulled up and streaked away. The frigate landed and opened a hatch. Omitron stumbled inside as did Nighthawk. Nighthawk and Onslaught retrieved the others, all except for Dirge. Omitron was sitting in the command chair, damaged but not destroyed. “Get us out of here,” she told Onslaught. The Combaticon nodded and the Imperium leapt back into the air. Once it had reached orbit, Scrapper’s transport landed and then the frigate cloaked. Six human ships had arrived at Earth, but the Imperium slipped by them and was soon safely into hyperspace.

James and Marshall circled back to look for survivors, climbing down out of their fighters. They found Ambush lying on the ground, barely functional. “An Autobot? I thought they had all left?” Marshall said, puzzled.

James knelt down next to Ambush and asked, “Where did you come from? Why are you here?”

Ambush looked at the two humans, his face slicked with mech fluids and torn up from the battle. “Earth…is…my…home,” Ambush whispered. His eyes went completely black and James leapt back as a green glow began coming from Ambush’s chest. As the two humans watched, Ambush’s spark emerged from his body. It streaked away and disappeared over the horizion, not returning to the Matrix, but burying itself in the stump where Ambush had many times sat and thought, looking at the beautiful Earth sky. The stump suddenly came to life, growing into an enormous tree that would last for eons to come.

Tears came to Marshall’s eyes and James was surprised when she rushed into him. He wrapped his arms around her, unsure of what to do. He consoled her as best he could and both of them began to wonder about the things they had done to other Autobots. This one Autobot had sacrificed himself to help save Earth, an Earth whose people had forced the Autobots out, feeling that they were not welcome. Yet to that Autobot warrior Earth had been his home, where he felt he belonged. Tears stung James’s eyes as remorse flooded him.

He had thought of the Transformers as machines, robots with no real feelings. Even after he had seen their sparks, their souls, he had still not believed anything else. But watching Ambush die it had finally sunk in: these were more than machines. They were alive, just like humans. They were capable of destruction, but also of self-sacrifice. Some were evil, but others were good and noble, as this warrior had been. He pulled Marshall back and whispered, “The Anti-Transformer League is finished as of today, at least for me.”

“Me too,” Marshall replied. The sun was beginning to set and wearily the two humans searched the area for human survivors, but found none. Soldiers arrived to the factory, but by then the Phoenixes were long gone, fading away into the night.

Jetfire arrived at the coordinates Nighthawk had provided and looked around. He hadn’t detected anything unusual yet. Suddenly his sensors began going wild and he was detecting massive levels of neutrinos. That was the classic hypothesis for the presence of a wormhole. Jetfire was blinded by a bright green light and gravitational forces began pulling him into the wormhole.

Jetfire felt as though he were going to be torn apart, but he managed to survive and the light faded. He was left in deep space, a planet on his long-range sensors. He was also detecting high concentrations of energy from the direction of the planet. He lit his afterburners and head for the planet, wondering what he would find when he got there.

Bugly waited at the edge of the wormhole, hoping that Jetfire would leave the area where the wormhole came out so he could go through unnoticed. Omitron had tasked him with keeping an eye on Jetfire and reporting the coordinates after he had found out what was through the wormhole. He had managed to stay just far enough behind Jetfire to go unnoticed for two weeks now and didn’t want to blow his cover now. He continued to wait and hoped that soon he could go back to Kortex and rest inside his cool, comfortable shell once more.

After waiting for nearly an hour Bugly decided to go through the wormhole. He went to where Jetfire had disappeared and detected the neutrino build-up that was the signal of a wormhole opening. The gravitational forces pulled Bugly through the wormhole and for a few seconds he was certain that he wouldn’t survive. He eventually made it through and was grateful when his sensors told him that Jetfire had already gone. Bugly ran a long-range sweep and smiled internally. As Omitron had told him, there was a high concentration of nucleon in the area. Bugly turned and left through the wormhole to report his findings to his commander. As the wormhole opened again, Bugly picked up two Autobot ships approaching. He went to maximum speed and set a course that would keep him out of their sensor range. He knew that he would return soon with Omitron and the rest of the Decepticons then Jetfire and the Autobots would die and the nucleon would fuel the Decepticons to victory.

***
Shale rubbed his tired face and took a shot of whiskey from a flask. “What happened?” He asked Beckett.

“Decepticons penetrated our defenses and attacked Hoover’s factory in South America. We also believe Decepticons diverted power from the solar collectors on Mercury. However, it’s believed rogue Autobots hit the power plants on Io. We suffered heavy casualties. At least one wing of fighters was destroyed to try and reinforce the factory and all the power plant defenders were killed. We found one Decepticon corpse in the jungle outside the factory, but it looks like the others all made a clean getaway.”

“God, they slaughtered us,” Shale breathed and took a slug from the flask.

“It’s worse, sir. Nearly fifty ships defected to Cybertronian space. We received a message from former press secretary Cummings. She said that the defectors are protesting our ‘anti-Transformer’ policies.”

“Screw them. Anything else?”

“There were reports from people living nearby of three aircraft that looked Cybertronian. We don’t have a make on them yet, but we think they may have belonged to Hoover.”

“Damn her. Make sure that the Home Fleet is deployed around the system to prevent any future attacks. Then put security all over Confederation territory on full alert.”

Beckett nodded, and as he turned to leave, Shale’s secretary ran into the room, looking pale. “What is it?” Beckett asked her.

“I heard from one of the doctors that President Chandler is showing signs of coming out of his coma. They estimate he could be awake in a couple of days at the least.” All three of them knew what that meant for Shale. Chandler would take over again and Shale would be lost in the background once more. “What should we do?”

Shale gulped down the last of the whiskey and snorted, “Nothing. Everything’s a mess right now, let that bastard Chandler have it back.” Beckett was about to reply, but Shale waved them both out of the room. He closed the doors and threw the empty flask away. His brief tenure as president had been nearly catastrophic. He had alienated the Autobots and been raided by rogues and Decepticons. All because of one person: Robin Hoover. He vowed that she would pay for causing him so much trouble.

A day before the elections for the new leader of the United Cybertronian Government would be conducted, the funeral for Jazz was conducted. It began with a procession leading down the streets of Iacon, winding down to Memorial Park. Brainstorm led a Missing Man formation over the Park and Prowl wished Jetfire and the Aerialbots had been there to conduct it. Prowl, Kup, Bumblebee, and the rest of the command staff were seated on a stage in Memorial Park in front of the altar-like device which would consume Jazz’s body. The procession entered the park and the bier was laid to rest on top of the device.

Prowl stood up and looked at the rows of Autobots and even some neutrals, all standing at attention. On his signal, Hardhead and six others fired off a twenty-one gun salute. The last shot echoed over the still park and Prowl spoke. “We are here to say good-bye to our friend and leader, Jazz. He was a brave Autobot whose passion and caring for all creatures was rooted deep in his soul. Like all of us he lost many friends. Some to the war itself, but others to politics. I am sad to say that I fell into the latter category. I have missed him greatly over the last couple of weeks and found myself longing to hear his cheerful voice and even the loud rock music he liked to listen to.”

“With him goes a piece of ourselves and the reminder of what war can do to a people. The horrors of the war have left deep scars inside all of us and on our entire society. We must not lose sight of who we were before the war and what we accomplished. The music, writings, and architecture all still exist from that happier time. A time which we can never truly recapture, but we must do our best to usher in a new Golden Age to Cybertron and to all of the universe.”

“I have been privileged to know Jazz for millions of years and he was always a good friend. He was a great leader, an honorable warrior, and a noble being. I know that you will all miss him nearly as much as I do, but we must console ourselves with the knowledge that after so much strife and horror our friend has become one with the Matrix. I hope he finds the peace he never could regain here.”

Prowl took a step back and saluted his fallen comrade. Tears were coming to his eyes and with a sideways glance he could see that it was the same for Kup and Bumblebee. The rest of the crowd saluted and everyone held their hand to their foreheads as the altar-like device began to glow with blue light. The light spread throughout Jazz’s entire form and in a flash of light his body dematerialized. As one those assembled slowly moved their hands to their sides.

Brainstorm and three other fighters returned and from nowhere loud rock music blared. Fireworks erupted from the rear of each fighter and lit up the sky. From the ground harmless laser lights were activated and began a fantastic light show. Prowl laughed in spite of himself and knew that Jazz would not have wanted his funeral to end any other way. “Do it with style or don’t bother doin’ it,” Prowl remarked quietly.

Bumblebee patted Prowl on the back, never having seen the strategist so moved before. “Come on, let’s party. It’s what he would have wanted.” Prowl nodded and they went down to the park to join the party.

The Great Hall was packed a day later with tables and chairs, all of which were occupied. Commanders from all over Cybertronian territory had come to elect the new leader. The tables were arranged in a circle, with a large table at the front of the room. Prowl, Kup, and Blaster were seated at the table. Dextrum stood in the center of the room and motioned for everyone’s attention. “We will now elect a new leader for the United Cybertronian Government. Nominations will be taken and a short debate will be held. Then each Cybertronian present will cast one vote apiece. The winner of the vote will become the new president and may select a commander for the Autobot Army.” Dextrum took a seat with Prowl and Kup and the meeting began.

Kup got to his feet and said, “Before we begin nominations I’d like you all to welcome our new Intelligence director, Bumblebee. Bumblebee was part of the rogues years ago, but he has come back to us, and I have to say it’s about time. We’ve never had a better espianoge agent than our dear old friend.” Bumblebee was seated at a table to the left of Kup and smiled. He looked over at Prowl and Kup and saw them practically beaming with happiness for their friend. The gathered representatives applauded for a minute and then Kup motioned for them to stop so he could continue. “Now then, let’s get on with business. We will now take nominations for United Cybertronian Government president.”

Hardhead practically threw Over-Run to his feet and Over-Run stammered, “I nominate Hardhead for president.” Dextrum laid a computer on the desk and input the name into it. He nodded to Over-Run, who sat down, looking embarrassed.

The room was filled with quiet whisperings as others decided whether or not to run. Streetwise stood up and nominated Hot Spot, who looked surprised but grateful. Downshift got to his feet and Camshaft tried to haul him back into his chair. “I would like to nominate Camshaft for president.” Downshift sat down and absorbed Camshaft’s dirty look. Downshift glanced over at Prowl, who was smiling. The quiet conversations continued, but no one else decided to nominate anyone. Dextrum waited a full five minutes and signaled to Kup.

“All right, unless there are any more nominations, we will begin the debate.” No more nominations came and Prowl stepped to the center of the room.

“The debate will be simple, each Cybertronian who nominated a candidate will be given a minute to state that Cybertronian’s qualifications. First, let me give you a general overview of the candidates. Hardhead is the commander of the Wayward colony, which survived an attack by unknown forces and another shortly afterwards by rogue Autobots. Hardhead received several decorations for valor during the war. Hot Spot is the commander of the Hreda Prime colony, which was attacked by some unknown force. Hot Spot led the Protectobots during the war and was given many medals for bravery and for saving innocent lives. Finally, Camshaft is currently the commander of the Maximus, a cruiser of the border fleet. He was in charge of the Cleveland garrison when it fell under attack by a group of unruly humans. His quick thinking saved many human lives and minimized casualties. Those are the candidates. We’ll begin with Over-Run: why did you nominate Hardhead?”

Over-Run got to his feet and saw everyone staring at him. He shifted nervously and joked, “Well, Hardhead, ah, kind of forced me to. But he is a great leader and commander. He didn’t panic during the crisis on Wayward, even after we were attacked twice in one day and Topspin and Powerglide were both killed. He’s brave and dependable, even if he is a little stubborn.” Over-Run sat down and Hardhead looked satisfied.

Prowl motioned to Streetwise, who stood up. “Hot Spot has always been a great leader. He stays cool under pressure and knows how to handle any kind of situation. He cares about all life and his bravery is limitless. He’s the most intelligent commander I’ve ever served under, short of Optimus Prime himself, and I don’t think we could ask for anyone more qualified. Hot Spot deal with the situation on Hreda Prime maturely and rationally. He’s a good friend and an honorable leader.” Streetwise sat down and Hot Rod patted him on the back

Downshift stood up and Prowl could see that Camshaft looked mortified. “Camshaft doesn’t want to be your leader, he doesn’t think he’s good enough, but I think he is. He made certain that the Cleveland incident didn’t kill hundreds of humans and it is unlikely that anyone would have died if a weapon hadn’t accidentally discharged. Camshaft is a caring leader, smart loyal, dependable, and honorable. He fights with tenacity and courage, but prefers peace. He’s kind and diplomatic, always keeping a cool head. He is well-versed in nearly every style of combat and indulges himself in learning in his spare time so he can be a more valuable member of the Autobot team. He may not want to be your leader, but if we elect him, he will do the job to the best of his ability and maybe he’ll finally realize what I’ve known for a long time: that he is a great Autobot.” Downshift sat down and there were cheers and applause from all over the Great hall. Prowl let it go on for several minutes before motioning for it to stop. He had calculated that if Camshaft was nominated Downshift would make a stirring speech on his behalf. Even Hardhead and Hot Spot looked touched and it was obvious who would win the election.

Prowl took his seat and Dextrum went to the center of the room once again. “We will now vote. Each representative has one vote and will approach me one at a time to cast their ballot. After the last ballot is cast there will be a recess to tally the votes.” The Cybertronians formed up in single file and approached Dextrum, who was still standing in the center of the room. Kup cast the first vote, followed by Prowl. It took over an hour for all the votes to be cast, the Cybertronians gathering outside after voting.

Camshaft stood by himself, and not even Downshift dared disturb him. He didn’t want the job, even if it was only for a couple of months. Nearly a dozen humans had been killed, and it was his fault. If he had not ordered Flak’s team outside, nothing would have happened. The communications equipment would have been destroyed, but no lives would have been lost at all. Even if Prowl, Downshift, and the others didn’t think it was his fault, he did. He could not forgive himself for what had happened and contemplated if he should do as Jazz had done and just end it all. He shook his head. No, he couldn’t do that, not yet. Downshift’s speech had moved many of the Autobots, they were counting on him now.

A bell was rung to signal that the votes were tallied and everyone filed inside. Camshaft wearily sat down and noticed how jubilant Downshift looked. Dextrum once again stood in the center of the room and everyone quieted down, waiting anxiously for the results. “With seventy-three percent of the vote, the winner is Camshaft.” Hot Spot had come in second with eighteen percent and Hardhead had brought up the rear with nine percent. All eyes turned to Camshaft, who reluctantly got to his feet.

“I won’t let you down,” he said and then sat down. Everyone waited for more, but nothing else was forthcoming. The assembly broke up and soon the room was clear. Camshaft remained seated at his table and Kup, Prowl, and Bumblebee came over to congratulate him. They shook his hands and patted him on the back.

“I’ve talked to Dextrum,” Prowl began. “He said that you can run in the general election for president in Jazz’s stead.”

Camshaft looked as though someone had slapped him. “I don’t want to be president. Can’t you see that! Because of me innocent beings lost their lives. Hot Spot should be president, not I.”

Kup frowned and replied, “Lad, if you don’t run then Hot Rod will win for certain. He doesn’t have your wisdom or experience. You have to run, for the good of everyone concerned.”

Camshaft shook his head, “No, I won’t do it.”

Bumblebee looked at him pleadingly. “I was once a rogue like Hot Rod, but I can see that he’s too hotheaded and reckless to handle leadership. He has potential to be a great leader, but he’s moving too fast. You’re the only one who can stop him.”

Camshaft got to his feet. “No. Hot Rod may be young and inexperienced, but he will learn. He led the rogues brilliantly. With time and guidance he will unlock that potential.”

“And in that time the Decepticons could rebuild and sack Cybertron,” Prowl replied.

“That is the chance we have to take, but we must give him the benefit of the doubt. If you excuse me, I have to go catch up with Hot Spot. I’ve decided to name him commander of the Autobot army during my tenure.” Camshaft walked away slowly, bent over as though the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

Kup shook his head and voiced the thought on all of their minds forlornly, “There goes our last hope.”

Bumblebee nodded. “We’ll just have to hope Camshaft is right about Hot Rod.”

Prowl watched Camshaft go and said quietly, “All of Cybertron is counting on it.”

Chapter Nine

2007-06-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

Chapter Nine

The forest was dark and the only sounds were from leaves rustling. Nighthawk flinched and turned her weapons towards some of the foliage. She was on patrol around the base and was still unused to the sounds of the forest at night. She lowered her weapon and continued walking, her footsteps sounding hundreds of times louder in her ears.

Suddenly something burst out of the brush and before Nighthawk could react hands had grabbed her and hauled her into the foliage. She was thrown to the ground and her weapon removed. She found herself looking up at a long, cigar‑shaped weapon. She moved her eyes up and saw that a white, red, and black figure stood over her. "Don't move," Jetfire commanded quietly. "If you try to do anything, I'll shoot."

Tears welled up in Nighthawk's eyes and she demanded, "Why didn't you tell me, Father?"

"How do you know about that?" Jetfire asked.

"My mother told me."

"Omi is here? Is she being held captive?"

"No. She is a Decepticon."

Jetfire took a step back and Nighthawk got to her feet. "A Decepticon?"

"That's right. She was undercover as your lab assistant. Now she leads the Decepticons. I...I have joined her." Jetfire hadn't noticed the Decepticon symbol on Nighthawk's shoulder, but he did now.

Jetfire lowered his rifle and shook his head. "By Primus. I didn't want you to find out like this. I was going to tell you when I came back to Cybertron, but you were gone." He suddenly raised his weapon again and hissed, "Why did you do it, why did you help them steal those sparks? Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"I helped my people in their war. I don't feel proud about that, or killing Sunstreaker, but the Decepticons are my people, I belong with them."

"You are only half‑Decepticon, Nighthawk. You are also half‑Autobot. Please, come back with me. Optimus and I will help you in your trial so you won't be punished too much."

Nighthawk looked into her father's eye and then shook her head. "No, I can't do that. All my life I have felt out of place among Autobots and now I know why. I hate most of these Decepticons, but some, like my mother and even Bugly, are intelligent warriors." She sighed and then continued, "Omitron will suspect something if I'm not back on patrol soon. You have to go. First, though, has Optimus said anything about what we were doing, what we discovered?"

"Not to my knowledge."

She touched his arm and explained quickly, "We found a wormhole to another galaxy and a planet full of nucleon. The power that could be gained from it is limitless. Optimus must not want anyone to find it, but I know Omitron will in time. If she does, the Decepticons will destroy everything. For everyone's sake you must destroy that planet, destroy the nucleon." A disk popped out of her chest and she pressed it into his hand. "Here are the coordinates. I love you, Father, but I can't go with you. Please understand."

Jetfire touched his faceplate to her head in a kind of kiss. "I understand, but deep down you are still an Autobot. I love you, don't forget that." Then Jetfire disappeared into the night and Nighthawk went back on her patrol beat.

Omitron stared at a monitor, her head in her hands. She was hiding something! Omitron's mind raged. She made sure to plant a monitoring device on Nighthawk once they had returned to Cybertron, hoping to gain Nighthawk's secret. She knew she could have Jetfire found and captured, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had loved Jetfire once, and a part of her still did.

A wormhole with a planet full of nucleon? She was tempted to shadow Jetfire and find it, but she didn't have the troops to hold a world like that or the transport capabilities to take out the nucleon. Even so, she had to make sure that Jetfire was stopped. She suspected that Optimus would tell the other Autobots and a fleet would be sent to the area, so she would have to work quickly. Fortunately her plan was all set to go, with both ships in her possession being capable of cloaking now.

She would have to continue her plan as expected and detail someone to hunt Jetfire down and keep him from the nucleon. She punched a button on her chair and Bugly entered the room. "Yes, Commander?" He asked.

"I have a mission for you of utmost importance..." The door shut behind Bugly and Omitron explained everything to him. Soon he had shed his shell and took off in his robotic plane mode. Omitron turned back to business and wondered what she should do about Nighthawk.

***

The Striking Eagle and five other ships were sitting dead in space near where the Discovery had been ambushed. Scans of the area had turned up no leads as yet. Optimus sat on the bridge of the Striking Eagle and looked worriedly out into space. Had he run into a random patrol of Decepticons? Perhaps that frigate had merely been in the area and wanted to stop him. He sighed and the sensors continued their sweep.

For a moment Chromedome thought he saw something on the sensors, but it was gone a fraction of a second later. Probably radiation, he thought. Arcee looked over at Optimus and asked, "Do you want Silverbolt to have a team sweep all of the nearby planets?"

"No. It would take months to completely survey those planets. Order the fleet to spread out in defensive formation. Perhaps the Decepticons will show themselves in time." He handed Arcee a disk and commanded, "Have the Valiant and Witwicky go to the coordinates on this disk and wait for instructions."

Arcee glanced at the disk and thought better of asking what was on it. She relayed the orders and wondered if the Decepticons would try to attack the fleet. If so, then they would find themselves in a world of hurt. A few minutes later the frigate and destroyer Optimus had designated left the fleet, disappearing into hyperspace. The Striking Eagle, two cruisers, and a frigate remained, taking up defensive positions and waiting for any sign of trouble.

Omitron watched the two ships leave the main group and smiled. Optimus must be in command of that fleet, she thought. He's sending a couple of ships to guard the wormhole and nucelon until he can secure it. A frigate and destroyer would not be hard to dismiss, especially once her army was ready. However, getting her two ships out would be more difficult now. She called Scrapper to her and laid out what she had in mind. He scurried away and Omitron wished that she had the firepower to destroy Optimus Prime and his fleet now.

You killed Megatron, my creator and counterpart, she thought venomously. She had never really loved Megatron, but there had always been a bond between them since she had been created. While Megatron had killed himself at Centauri, it was Prime who had made it happen, defeating Megatron countless times and driving him to that cursed sector of space. The Battle of Chicago was legendary, Optimus Prime and his army had set upon Megatron's temporary headquarters during the battles to liberate Earth. The two leaders had finally caught up with each other on the roof of an enormous skyscaper called the Sears Tower. Prime had defeated Megatron in hand‑to‑hand combat and nearly scrapped him, but a Decepticon commando had appeared from nowhere and saved Megatron.

Omitron had not been present for that battle, but Soundwave's archives of the war and Megatron himself had filled her in on it. That Decepticon commando had betrayed his people and joined the Autobots and Omitron wondered if she saw him if she could turn him like she had turned Nighthawk. She looked back at Optimus's fleet and cursed it and him. If she ever fought him she would tear his circuits out and destroy him very, very slowly. Megatron would be avenged. Perhaps I will mount Prime's head on the Sears Tower to avenge Megatron, Omitron thought. She laughed a little and shut down the sensors. She still had matters to attend to.

***

The sleek white and gray fighter streaked along the surface of the moon, its twin engines blazing with blue fire. Simon James had never flown a better fighter than the prototype VM‑1 Phoenix. The Phoenix looked like Jetfire in fighter mode, only James had made it just a bit smaller. The fighter was without the bulky extra armor and rocket boosters Jetfire usually wore, although James had designed those for the Phoenix for combat.

He spun the fighter to the left and barreled through a crater, inverting the Phoenix as he did so. He had never felt so free in his life and for a few moments everything, the war, the Transformers, his dead wife, all of it was gone from his mind. He had not flown a fighter in so long, but once he had climbed into the seat it had felt like he had never left.

He decided to test out the weapons and gripped the control stick tightly in his right hand. He armed the racks of missiles under the wings and fired them. The area he had selected was blown into tiny fragments and James smiled with satisfaction. He armed the four laser cannons in the belly turret and streams of ultrapulse light decimated more moonscape. "Phoenix to Control, time to put this thing through its paces."

James was decked out in a black flightsuit which covered a padded vest and pants that contained millions of sensors that were attached all over his body. His head was covered by a bulky, black virtual reality helmet that allowed him to see the terrain without distracting his conscious mind. His arms were encased in black armor, and from a side pod on his left arm was a wire that plugged into part of the cockpit of the Phoenix. The entire suit allowed James to become one with the machine, to allow his mind and spirit to act like the spark of a Transformer. The wire on his left arm was key, because it was what kept his special suit interfacing with the machine. In case it was severed, there were manual controls, but the Phoenix could not perform its miraculous feats with them.

Using all of this technology, James's spirit commanded the fighter to transform. Instantly machinery began moving as the Phoenix changed its form. The engines swung down as legs, arms unfolded from under the fuselage, the swing wings tucked in, a cavity of the chest opened to allow the laser turret up. The cockpit of the fighter moved backwards and part of the turret opened as it aligned with the cockpit and let the cockpit inside, then the hatch sealed and the turret swung up while the nose of the fighter went down. In moments the Phoenix had become a robot that looked almost exactly like Jetfire.

The turret was now the head of the plane, which stood on the surface on its engines, which had swung apart to form feet. The process had gone smoothly and taken only a couple of seconds. James had done everything he could to make sure that the fighter's systems were not vulnerable during any part of the transformation. He surveyed the area and clutched the cigar‑shaped cannon in the robot's hands. He pumped a few rounds out and noticed the plasma cannon worked better than he had hoped.

James looked around and mentally commanded the Phoenix to launch all of its missiles. Parts of the machine opened up to reveal racks of missiles, which shot out, trailing flame as they launched and struck distant parts of the surface. "Control, looks like we've got a winner. I'm bringing her back in." Marshall acknowledged and James transformed the fighter into an intermediate mode where the wings were up and the nose back in front, but the arms and legs were still extended. This intermediate mode allowed the Phoenix to bring the plasma cannon to bear while maintaining the maneuverability of a fighter. James cruised back to the factory and knew that at last he had a way to defeat the Transformers at their own game. Beware, Jetfire, James thought and a smile came to his face.

***

Kup handed the computer pad to Jazz, who frowned. "That's worse than I thought," Jazz mused. The latest polls across Cybertronian territory showed that Hot Rod had a commanding lead in the electorial race. He and Prowl were only a couple percentage points ahead of Darkstar, which was a definite bad sign. "At this rate he'll have everything wrapped up in a couple of weeks. There has to be some way to stop him."

"We could assassinate him," Prowl suggested, sighing.

"No way. This 'bot was working for the Decepticreeps for years, why is everyone trusting him now?"

Kup sat down and replied, "Most Cybertronians didn't like pulling out of Earth, it made you guys look weak. That and the rogue attacks and Decepticon penal facility raids."

"Don't forget that Optimus backed him," Prowl chipped in. "Maybe we should withdraw."

"That would just hand the election to Hot Rod. If Optimus can find the Decepticons then we can bring them to justice before the elections, that's bound to win us some points," Jazz replied.

Kup snorted, "Who would have thought we Autobots would be playing these silly political games?"

"Not I," Prowl replied.

"We've got to do what we've got to do," Jazz responded. "This isn't about maintaining power for ourselves, but keeping a former Decepticon agent out of office."

"Right. All Hot Rod can do now is make idle promises, we're the ones who can get things done, so that's what we need to do," Prowl said. "We need to find the rogues and Decepticons.

Before Kup could respond, his comlink beeped. He answered it and listened for a few moments before signing off. He turned to his two friends and explained, "The auditing team we sent to Vala Three just reported in. The Decepticon books are clean."

"Send three cruisers to Vala Three. I want a complete search of that planet, looking for any supplies of ore where they shouldn't be. The Decepticons have to be hiding something, why else would they have taken those sparks?"

Jazz and Kup looked at Prowl incredulously. "You're ordering an invasion of their sovereignty!" Kup shouted.

"It's the only logical course of action. Swindle is handling the books for those colonies, I know he's got some tricks to make things look right, even to experienced auditors. The only way to find anything is by force. Besides, that should take some wind out of Hot Rod's sails."

Before either of the other two Autobots could reply, Prowl stormed out of the room. The stress had been mounting on all three of them lately, especially for Prowl, who was used to remaining behind the scenes. Jazz finally looked over to Kup and said sadly, "Belay Prowl's orders on my authority. Then...relieve him of command until further notice. We need results, but I think this is getting to Prowl, it's becoming too personal."

"He feels, like I do, that Optimus betrayed us by nominating Hot Rod for leader. I don't know what's happening to us anymore, but I don't like it. There's too much politics, it's tearing apart friendships. You should know, you used to be close to Hot Rod."

Kup nodded. "I turned him from a snot‑nosed punk into a warrior, just like countless other Autobots. There is something different about him, though. There's an inner strength that allows him to take charge. That's why the rogues followed him, and why everyone will follow him now. They see a bit of Optimus in him."

"Call Wayward and have Hardhead on the first shuttle here."

"Why?"

"He's the new commander of the Autobot army."

"What?"

"We need someone who will get results. Hardhead is stubborn and close‑minded, but he gets things done. We need someone who will be able to breathe some hope to our cause." Jazz looked over at Kup and then added, "Under no circumstances will the Decepticon colonies be invaded by Autobot troops. We would lose face to the neutrals and humans and maybe even cause the Decepticons to revolt."

"I understand. I wish Ultra Magnus were still on our side, or that Fortress Maximus and Sky Lynx weren't dead. They were all experienced commanders with common sense."

"I know, but you have to admit, Hardhead beats putting Wheelie in charge." The two old warriors laughed and Kup left to relay the bad news. Jazz hoped he was doing the right thing and wished for the good old days.

***

Jazz was standing on the balcony of his Iacon apartment, gazing down at Memorial Park. It reminded him of Earth, a planet he would probably never set foot on again. When he had first woke up in 1984, he had found Earth to be a paradise. The landscape was so beautiful, the people were mostly nice, and the music had been so wonderful. All of that had been destroyed in the century of war since then. The humans hated the Autobots, Earth had been devastated in many places, and not even the music comforted Jazz's tortured soul any longer.

Looking at the park reminded him of all the comrades he had lost, human and Autobot. Some, like Ironhide had been lost to the war while others, like Bumblebee, had been lost to the rogues. He thought of the courageous Spike Witwicky, who at over 100 years old had died with Fortress Maximus, helping to control the giant warrior's weapons and defenses until the bitter end. Spike's son Daniel was supposed to have manned Fortress Maximus's command center that day, but the old human had knocked his son unconscious and given his life in place of his son's. He remembered how Ironhide had given himself to save an entire planet. So many sacrifices, he thought.

Looking down at the park, Jazz thought of what was missing now. The comraderie was gone, replaced with politics and backstabbing. Even Optimus was a part of it now, which signaled the demise of Autobot society. He remembered all the good times on Earth like driving around the countryside taking in the beauty, partying in Earth clubs, and cracking jokes with his friends inside the Ark. It was all gone now. Kup and Prowl were his only friends around to talk to, but now a rift had been formed between he and Prowl. The rest of his remaining friends were scattered across dozens of worlds, all too busy to have a friendly chat.

Looking down at the park, Jazz had seen enough. He was tired of the political games and the loneliness. He turned away from the park and went inside. He opened a chest and pulled out his old rifle. It was not even a hyperpulse rifle, just a standard laser rifle like the Autobots had used to use.

He walked back out to the balcony and looked down at the park again, his resolve hardening. Too many friends lost, he thought. Too many friends have sacrificed themselves, and for what? This is not what we fought for. We fought for peace and happiness, not politics and strife. Ironhide, Fort Max, and even old Spike had given their lives to secure a better future for the galaxy. Now it was all coming apart. "I belong with them, in the Matrix, at peace. This world has no use for me any longer. I will have no part of the destruction of all that my comrades and I fought for," Jazz whispered.

Jazz continued to look down at the park as he put the rifle to his head. He steeled himself and his finger pulled the trigger. A single shot was fired, destroying Jazz's head. His body stood upright for a moment and then fell backwards onto the balcony. It landed with a crash and the rifle fell from his hands.

Kup had been coming to Jazz's apartment to tell him that he had sent the messages when he heard the shot. He sprinted forward through the corridor until he reached Jazz's door. It was locked, but Kup threw himself against it, smashing it open. He charged inside and saw Jazz's headless corpse lying on the balcony. He knelt down next to it, but it was too late. Jazz's spark was already gone and there was no way to recover it.

For the first time in many years, Kup wept. "Why, Jazz?" He asked through his pain. However, as Kup saw the old rifle, he knew why Jazz had done it. He had felt guilty about what he had done to Prowl and lonely after losing one of his last friends. Kup had felt the same way and might have done as Jazz had done, except he had trained most of the Autobot army and had seen almost all of them die. "You were one of the last true Autobots," Kup whispered. He activated his comlink to report what had happened. Then he was left to weep for his friend and all the others who had gone before.

***

Four hours later Kup, Prowl, and Blaster were gathered in the dark, empty conference room. "I don't believe it," Prowl groaned. "I can't believe he did it."

"I know, I know," Kup replied. "We have to figure out what to do now."

"What can we do?" Blaster asked.

Prowl wiped away a tear and answered, "One of us can assume temporary command of the government and armed forces until a council chooses a new ruler."

"Is that legal?" Blaster wondered.

"It's Article 52 of the United Cybertronian Constitution."

"Won't that turn Cybertron into a police state?"

Prowl shook his head. "It can be used that way, but in the right hands it will keep the government functioning for the two weeks it will take to assemble a quorum of commanders to vote in the new leader. Kup...I think you're the best choice."

Blaster nodded, "Me too. You're wise and the people will trust you."

"All right, but only until the council elects a new official. Blaster, send out a signal to every Autobot outpost, colony, and ship. Tell them that all command officers are to report to Cybertron at once."

"It'll take a few hours for all colonies to get the message and another two weeks for them to start arriving. What do we do in the meantime? Everyone is bound to be upset about this mess."

Kup looked at both of them sadly. "We prepare Jazz's funeral. A big state funeral that will remind all of us what we used to stand for. Jazz's death is a symbol, a symbol of what we have become. By the Pit, we will make sure that he did not die in vain." Kup turned and left the room quickly, leaving Prowl and Blaster alone.

"I heard that Jazz suspended you," Blaster said.

Prowl nodded. "He did. Technically the order still stands. I'm glad you could make it. How are things with the Earth‑to‑Cybertron music station?"

Blaster frowned and answered, "It's been cancelled indefinitely. The humans don't want to work with us any longer. After three years they've cancelled the project. That shows us where we all stand, huh?"

"It does," Prowl replied and clapped Blaster on the shoulder. "Come on, I'll help you send those messages."

Blaster stood up and looked at Prowl for a moment. "It's not your fault, Prowl."

"I crossed the line and forced Jazz to do something he didn't want to do."

"You're a soldier, Prowl, you were doing your job."

"I know, but it doesn't make it any easier. At least some of the others will come back now for a day or two. It'll be nice to see some old friends, even if it is in a time of grief."

"Grief seems to be all we have left," Blaster replied solemnly as they left the conference room.

***

Shale and his staff, which was actually Chandler's staff, gathered in a conference room to discuss the situation in the Confederation without the Autobots around. "Hoover's machines are good, but that demonstration was rigged," General Sharpe said.

"It's either those or nothing," Minister of Defense Beckett replied.

"Ms. Hoover has more than the Confederation's best interests at heart, but Bill's right, we have no choice," Sharpe broke in.

"Ralph, there's no guarantee that bill will pass," Sharpe responded.

"It will, unless we try to stop it. I want your professional opinion, can those things stop a Decepticon assault?"

"It depends on how many are attacking, what the terrain is, etc., but I think they have a good chance."

"Good enough. The people are going to demand that we do something to make sure that they're safe once it sinks in that Earth isn't all that well defended. This is better than anything else we have."

Before the subject could continue, Cummings burst into the room. She had left earlier to take an urgent call, and now her face was ashen. "We've got a new problem," she announced.

She slipped a disk into a monitor and Kup's worn face came onto the screen. "Who's that old geezer?" Shale demanded.

"Kup, Chief of Security for the United Cybertronian Government," Cummings answered. She wished Chandler was back, but he was still comatose after the rogue attack.

"My friends, we now face a grave new problem. Jazz, our president and one of the most decorated Autobots in history, has died just a few hours ago. We believe that the wound was self‑inflicted, due to overwhelming stress."

"I should amend that, the wound was not self‑inflicted. It was inflicted by all of us. Our bickering, hatred, and rivalry is tearing us apart. Jazz and Prowl have done what they could, but it was not enough. We are facing the dawn of a new age, an age of unrest between Cybertronians and Terrans, an age of internal strife, an age of misery. It doesn't have to be that way though."

"It wasn't until I saw Jazz lying dead on the balcony of his quarters that I realized it, that it finally sunk in that we have lost something important. We have lost the spirit that allowed us and our allies to triumph over Megatron and his forces. We have lost the comraderie and courage we once had. We have lost our way."

"Now is the time to find it once more, to let the light of the Matrix guide us again. So many lives have been lost to the evil war that plagued us for eons, and yet the Autobot spirit of peace and honor endured all of that time. Just eight years of peace, though, has seen that spirit fading. It is time for all Autobots, all Cybertronians, to recapture that spirit, lest future generations end up starting new wars."

"Jazz has shown us the light, and now we must follow it. I have assumed command of the Cybertronian government as per the Constitution. In roughly two weeks commanders from all over our space will arrive to elect a new leader to last until the elections are completed. Upon their arrival we will hold the funeral for Jazz. I urge all of you to attend. And I urge that the candidates remaining in the election conduct themselves in a friendly, honorable manner. We are not enemies with ourselves or with anyone else. The old Autobot battle cry was ''Til All Are One!' Now we are one, and it's time we acted like it. We can't give in to our hatreds, fears, and rivalries. We must give ourselves to the light of the Matrix and led it guide us, for the good of all Cybertronians."

"I know that Jazz is one with the Matrix now and that he is finally at peace. He will no longer have to face war and hatred. We must work to make our reality the same way. May the Matrix protect you all." Kup's face faded from the screen and the humans looked at each other in surprise.

"He's even worse than Optimus," Sharpe grumbled.

Beckett nodded, "He talks like that old American leader, Kennedy. Full of lofty visions of the future and such nonsense. Will they buy it?"

Cummings nodded, "The Autobots are spiritual and emotional, something like that will touch them just like us if one of our most important heroes died."

Sharpe interrupted, "The Autobots are not our concern any longer."

"Sir, we have to make some kind of gesture to the Cybertronians."

"Why?"

"They have always been our allies."

"Not any more. I'll send them a standard condolence letter, but that's it."

Cummings was tempted to slap the heartless president, but only nodded instead. Shale wasn't half the man Chandler was and not even a quarter of the leader. "Fine."

"Now then, we are in agreement about Hoover's weapons?"

Sharpe and Beckett nodded and Shale smiled. "Excellent. I'll let her know to step production up immediately." Cummings left the room and went up to her office. She sat down tiredly and placed a call to Captain Hunter of the Prometheus, which was assigned to the Home Fleet.

"Captain, this is Margaret Cummings, President Chandler's press secretary. There's something I need to discuss with you."

The captain was in his quarters and she saw his brows knit together. "What is it?"

"You knew President Chandler a long time and you know that he'd never have severed our relations with the Cybertronians, right?"

"He valued them as allies, he'd never have forced them out," Hunter replied.

"Exactly. What Shale and the rest of the government is doing is wrong. There's got to be something we can do about it."

"There is."

"What?"

Hunter sighed and then replied, "We can defect to the Cybertronians. If a lot of ships defect, the government and people are bound to lose some of their cockiness."

"I see. Then let's do it."

"I'll make some quiet inquiries, but I know a lot of us will do it. Chandler is one of us and a lot of us served with Autobots. We know who the real enemies are. I'll be in touch."

"Thank‑you, Captain." Hunter nodded and broke the connection. Cummings sighed and wondered if Hunter's plan would work. It would take a lot to shake up Shale and the rest of the government. She went back to work, hoping that the Autobots could find their spirit again.

***

"I don't believe it," Hot Spot breathed, clutching the orders from Blaster.

"What is it?" Blades asked.

"They're calling for a council to elect a new leader. Jazz...is dead."

"By Primus," Groove breathed.

"Streetwise and I will take the first ship out of here at once. Groove, you're in command until I return." Groove nodded and Hot Spot hurried from the room. It would take two weeks to get to Cybertron from Hreda Prime, but Hot Spot would be there. He and Streetwise left twenty minutes later.

The cruiser Maximus was one of many Autobot ships patrolling the border between Cybertronian and human space. On the bridge, Camshaft read the message and handed it to Downshift. Without waiting for Downshift's reaction, Camshaft turned to the ship's helmsman. "Take us home at maximum speed," he ordered. The officer looked confused and Camshaft added, "To Cybertron, immediately."

The ship wheeled about and went into hyperspace. Camshaft sighed and Downshift said, "They asked for you personally, must be something big."

"I know. They must want me to help elect a new leader, but why?"

"You aren't the commander of a colony or outpost, just this ship, so it must be something else. Maybe they want you to be elected as the interim president."

"That's absurd!"

"But Prowl sent this message personally, it wasn't a standard one. That has to mean something."

"Perhaps you're right, but how could I possibly be elected after the fiasco in Cleveland?"

"It wasn't your fault, you did what you could, it was the humans who were at fault. In fact, your actions saved lives."

Camshaft looked up at Downshift, who was standing next to the command chair. "I will not assume command of the Cybertronian government, but I will give whatever aid is required of me to elect a new official."

Downshift nodded and walked away, deciding it was best not to broach the subject for the rest of the trip. Camshaft still felt responsible for the massacre at Cleveland, but Downshift knew that other commanders would have ended up with far more dead humans on their hands. That fool Hardhead would have gone out there and blasted them all, Downshift thought with a little anger. Camshaft was a talented officer and a great Autobot, but he didn't have the confidence in himself to allow him to be an Optimus Prime. Downshift sighed and hoped that Camshaft stopped blaming himself and tired to see himself as he really was.

"All right, let's move out!" Hardhead bellowed.

"I'm coming!" Over‑Run responded. The Action Master took the controls of a shuttle and readied the ignition sequence. Hardhead strapped into the rear compartment of the shuttle and waited impatiently for it to take off. Over‑Run began the ignition sequence and the shuttle's engines roared to life. It clawed for altitude and both Autobots were plastered to their seats from gravity. Then it broke through Wayward's atmosphere and emerged in space.

Hardhead unstrapped and went up to the cockpit. "Great to leave that dirtball, eh?" He asked Over‑Run, hitting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, it is," Over‑Run replied quietly, hating to be stuck with Hardhead for two weeks.

"Cybertron wants me to help pick the next leader, I wonder who I should vote for?"

"How about yourself?" Over‑Run joked dryly.

Hardhead rubbed his chin and smiled. "Not a bad idea, actually. I mean, who else is there?"

"I have no idea. I'm not into Cybertronian politics."

"Neither am I. I'll be back in the passenger compartment downloading some news dispatches."

Hardhead turned and left and Over‑Run shut the door to the cockpit. He sighed and turned to his controls. "Thank the Matrix."

***

Hot Rod sat in a bar in Cyberhex and had just seen Kup's speech. Bumblebee and Springer, his advisors, sat with him. "Never thought they'd make Kup president, even for a little while," Springer commented.

"He's not president, he's a dictator," Hot Rod responded.

"Kup was right about what he said," Bumblebee replied.

"What do you mean?"

"I was on the Ark mission, and a lot of things were different from now. We were fighting a hellish war, but for the first twenty years or so it was...fun. Not because of the killing, but because we were all friends. When we were able to get ships to Cybertron for reinforcements, things started to change. The war escalated and we were all spread out. We used to be like a family. Optimus was our father figure and Prowl was the big brother I never had. It's all changed."

"You're not going to go slag yourself like Jazz, are you, Goldenrod?" Springer asked.

"No. I'm going to get my old job back," Bumblebee got up and left the bar before either of his friends could try to talk him out of it.

"So what do we do?" Hot Rod asked.

"You have to go with the funeral and pay your respects and then clam down for a little while."

"And let those tyrants milk his death?"

Springer was about to reply, but suddenly the doors to the bar were broken open. A large black and silver Decepticon entered, his orange eyes sweeping the room and stopping at Hot Rod and Springer. Both Autobots shifted nervously as he strode towards them. "I was right!" The Decepticon shouted in a deep voice. "You are here."

Five other Decepticons, all wearing some kind of symbol with a black bird, came in and gathered around the leader, who stood taller than both of them. Hot Rod estimated the Decepticon was half‑again his height. Springer got up and said diplomatically, "Is there some kind of problem?"

The Decepticon shoved him aside and Springer landed in a corner of the bar. Two of the other Decepticons went over to him and leveled weapons at him, motioning that he stay on the floor. Hot Rod leapt to his feet, "What do you want?"

"I am Darkstar, your competitor for the presidency. I am an impatient Decepticon, I can't wait months for the election, so I want to settle things here and now. You and me, one‑on‑one."

"Hot Rod, don't!" Springer shouted.

Hot Rod didn't look over at his friend and growled, "Fine, just leave Springer and everyone in this bar alone. We'll settle the score outside."

"Excellent," Darkstar hissed. He reached behind him and pulled out a large fan‑shaped object. He affixed it to his arm and three blades slid out. Hot Rod pulled out his silver laser rifle and both of them went outside into the street. There were buildings all around, but the street was wide and flat, nowhere to run. Traffic was nonexistent, three of Darkstar's minions blocking it off at both ends.

They stood in the center of the street, only a couple of feet apart. Darkstar pulled out a rifle, a hyperpulse from what Hot Rod could tell. That meant he was outgunned and outmatched in size. I'm toast, he thought to himself. They took a few paces backwards and then steeled themselves for the battle. Hot Rod and Darkstar circled each other in the street, sizing each other up.

Hot Rod analyzed his opponent and knew that while Darkstar was large and packed a whallop, Hot Rod had speed on his size. Before Darkstar could pull off a shot, Hot Rod lunged forward and transformed. He gunned his engine and tore down the street. Darkstar fired a few shots from his rifle, but Hot Rod was too quick. He stopped and turned around. Then he roared at Darkstar, dodging more shots.

He waited for the right moment and then transformed, catapaulting himself into the air. His hands grabbed Darkstar's gun as he vaulted over and he managed to pry the weapon away. However, Darkstar swatted with his right arm and his blades lanced through Hot Rod's waist. Hot Rod screamed in pain and his momentum was stopped. They both collapsed to the ground, Hot Rod still skewered on Darkstar's blades. Hot Rod managed to pry himself loose and stumbled to his feet. Darkstar laughed mightily as he transformed into a large van‑like vehicle. The blades formed a kind of old‑fashioned cowcatcher on the front of the vehicle.

Hot Rod staggered backwards as Darkstar revved his engine. The attack had damaged Hot Rod badly and he was no longer able to transform. He still had Darkstar's gun and turned around, knowing he couldn't run. Darkstar shot forward and Hot Rod fired streams of pulsed laser energy. Armor was torn off Darkstar, but then the distance between them closed. Hot Rod managed to dive away from the Decepticon's attack, but before he could fire again, Darkstar had transformed and stomped over to Hot Rod. The weapon was batted away and the black and silver Decepticon loomed over the Autobot, his orange eyes blazing with fury.

Darkstar hefted Hot Rod into the air, laughing. He reached back with his right arm and without prelude stabbed Hot Rod through the head. Hot Rod screamed for an instant and then his head was crushed. His eyes were shattered and his central processor was exposed. The Autobot went limp and Darkstar threw him to the ground. "Let's fade, Crows!" Darkstar shouted to his minions. They all transformed and fled quickly.

"What do we do now?" One of Darkstar's lieutenants asked. "The cops'll be all over us now."

"We're getting out of here. I know someone who can get us a ship. Then we'll meet up with the 'Con army."

"The army? Why?"

"I've run long enough, it's time to start trashing those Autopunks again. The best way to do that is to join up with whoever is trying to rebuild the army. I'm sure they'll be impressed with fifteen 'Cons ready for some action." Darkstar's lieutenant said nothing, he was too busy celebrating. All of the Crows gang had been wanting to make some kind of move on the Autobots and finally Darkstar had a plan to make it happen. Finally, carnage, death, destruction, my best friends, he thought as the gang entered a secret tunnel leading back to Thorous.

Springer ran outside and saw Hot Rod's body laying on the ground. "Hold on, kid," he whispered. There was still a chance to save Hot Rod's spark, but Springer didn't have much time. He pulled out his sword and slashed Hot Rod's chest open carefully. He peeled through layers of cirucits and metal until he found Hot Rod's spark. It was still functional, but dying. Springer looked around and then found the port to trigger a manual stasis lock. This was designed for use by medical personnel on the field, so they could save a spark until it could get proper care. Springer opened his chest and pulled out a long cord which he plugged into the port. He was now linked with Hot Rod's systems and by using a special code he was able to trigger a stasis lock. Then Springer pulled his friend's spark free. He transformed into helicopter mode and headed for a hospital.

Hot Rod awoke what seemed like hours later and could tell right away that something was wrong. He had been dying, and yet now he was in a gray hospital room. What had happened? He examined his body and saw that it was silver and skeletal, not his at all. Rather it was a drone body where his spark had been installed until his real body could be repaired. Springer entered the room, smiling. "How do you like the loaner body, kid?"

"It's fine," Hot Rod replied, his voice monotonous and mechanical sounding. Drones had only basic systems, including vocal systems. "What happened?"

"Darkstar trashed you. His goons left after they thought you were done and I was able to put your spark into stasis. I got here with about three minutes to spare. They got you into this drone just before the stasis lock expired. You were lucky."

"What about my body? Has anyone retrieved it?"

Springer shook his head. "I took a sensor sweep of it and sent it to Hoist in Iacon. He said it's a total loss. We'll have to build a new one for you."

"So I'm stuck like this for a while?"

"Until the elections almost. Maybe it'll help your image, or maybe you should withdraw."

"No. I won't let Darkstar intimidate me."

"You can't campaign, though. That body can't leave this room, it's too fragile."

"Then I'll campaign from here. Just let everyone know what happened and find Darkstar. I'll need a terminal and a comlink."

"Anything else?"

"Nope. From now on this room is the Hot Rod electorial headquarters."

***

The transport was packed with all of the Decepticons and equipment. Omitron was at the controls and Scrapper activated the cloaking device he had hastily constructed for the ship. The ship became invisible to any sensors and eyes and Omitron took it out of the hangar. The cloaking device would only hold together for a few minutes, but it would be long enough to evacuate Kortex. Omitron had everything she would need until she returned and smiled as she entered the atmosphere. She could detect Optimus Prime's fleet in the distance and knew that soon revenge would be hers.

The transport managed to remain cloaked until it reached the Autobot frigate, which she had christened the Imperium to signify the rebuilding of the Decepticon Empire. It was tricky, but she managed to get inside the ship's hangar with both of ships cloaked. The Decepticons gratefully left the transport and followed her up to the bridge. Omitron activated the ship's systems and Scrapper and Onslaught readied it for takeoff. Omitron took the command chair and the others took up various stations, although they barely understood them.

"All systems ready," Scrapper announced.

"Signal the rogue ship to lift off, then take us up." Scrapper nodded and a few minutes later both ships had taken to space once again, although neither could be seen. Omitron looked around with satisfaction. Nighthawk sat at the sensors station and wondered what Omitron's plan was. Omitron, as if reading her mind, turned in the chair and looked all around the room.

"You probably all want to know what our destination is, so I will tell you. We are heading to the Solar System. We will attack the Jovian moon of Io, the planet of Mercury, and Earth itself."

"We're all going to die," Dirge grumbled.

"No. Using the cloaking devices and quick hit‑and‑run attacks we will hit strategic targets. Our mission this time is not to conquer, but to gather resources. Io's gravimetric and geothermic powerplants and Mercury's solar collectors provide huge amounts of energy. Earth has something even more valuable, machinery that can construct new bodies for our comrades in stasis. Using the metals gathered from the Vala colonies we will be able to rebuild our comrades and increase our army. The energy we gather will fuel our conquest."

"The secret is to hit all three targets at once. Scrapper will take the transport and access the solar collectors, which will beam energy into a container I designed. The rogue ship will take the Io power plants and fill it with energon. We will attack a factory in the Amazon rainforests where the humans have been constructing primitive machines designed to fight us. We will have to be quick or else the Earth forces will be all over us, but it should not take long, especially since our attacks will all be very sudden. We will then retreat to Kortex to begin preparing for a renewed offensive." Omitron looked around and saw that everyone was impressed. Bugly had been similarily impressed and he was a military strategist, so she had faith in her plan.

"What is this factory on Earth? I have never heard of the humans constructing such machines," Nighthawk spoke up.

Omitron smiled, "The factory was built months ago and kept secret from even the humans. However, our comrade, Ravage, has been operating on Earth since the end of the war and providing me with intelligence data. Since he can make himself invisible no one has been able to find him and by using some clever piggybacking on Autobot transmissions I have been able to communicate with him regularly. Ravage will remain on Earth after our attack to continue providing us with data and I have informed him to stay away from the fighting so he is not spotted. Through his bravery I have managed to learn much about the humans and their plans."

Nighthawk was impressed and said as much. That Ravage had been inserted and continued to go unnoticed for over eight years was a fine piece of espianoge. Then again the human's intelligence network was feeble to begin with and since Bumblebee's defection to the rogues the Autobot network had not been very effective either. Still, most agents were discovered after a couple of years. Omitron is clever, too clever, Nighthawk thought. The Autobots don't have a chance. The Decepticons cheered the plan and Nighthawk joined in. In two weeks the attack would begin and the Decepticon Empire would be reborn.

Chapter Eight

2007-06-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

Chapter Eight

All Autobot forces were now out of human space. President Shale frowned and wished that some deal could have been made, a deal which would have benefitted him. Instead, two weeks later, people were still celebrating the Confederation's independence, but Shale and others in the government knew that soon uneasiness would set in. "Sir, Ms. Hoover is here to see you," his secretary informed Shale over the intercom.

"Send her in," Shale replied, sighing. Just what he needed, a liberal whacko who probably imagined herself taking over the universe someday. Hoover entered quickly and Shale couldn't help but notice that the short skirt of her blue business suit emphasized her shapely legs. Shale got up and greeted her, taking his eyes from her legs. "Welcome, Ms. Hoover. What can I do for you?"

Shale sat down and lit up a cigar, hoping that it would help keep those legs out of his mind. "Mr. President, I know that the evacuation of the Autobot forces has left a rather big gap in our defenses, but I applaud your standing up to their tyranny and putting Earth first."

"Thank‑you. I'm sure there was some other reason that you came here to meet with me in person." Shale blew a cloud of smoke from the cigar, and noticed Hoover flinch. Good, he thought. He was just as good at intimidation as she was.

"Of course, Mr. President. I have recently backed a project by Koromi Motors to create a weapons system to give us the power to defend ourselves on the ground." Hoover stood and Shale blew another cloud of smoke to obscure those legs that were trying to draw his attention from the matter at hand. Hoover pulled a portable holoprojector from her pocket and put it on the floor. It activated and displayed an image of the Barracuda and Executioner. "These are called Advanced Tactical Weapon Vehicles or ATWVs for short. Are you aware of the work of Dr. Simon James?"

"He worked with the Autobots to develop the hyperpulse laser if I'm not mistaken," Shale replied. Shale had been part of the Confederation committee that had sponsored James's work during the war.

"Yes. Dr. James designed these for Koromi Motors and I provided the funding to get the project off the ground. In simulations these ATWVs have done extremely well, but we haven't had any chance to test them on live targets quite yet." Hoover laughed to make sure that Shale believed her lie. "These weapons are the future of the Confederated Army and will provide us with the firepower to stand up to a Decepticon or rogue Autobot attack."

"I don't control military spending, Ms. Hoover," Shale pointed out.

"I am aware of that. However, you are the commander‑in‑chief and I know that someone like you has a lot of power in the legislature."

Shale ignored her flattery, but he knew that she was right. There were a lot of people in the legislature who owed him a favor or two. "Your point?" He asked, blowing a cloud of smoke her way.

"The Confederated Army budget will include an order for two divisions of these ATWVs. I want to make sure that the budget passes. Will you help me?"

Shale looked at her and considered his options. These machines could hold the key for salvation when the euphoria died down and people started getting scared about not having robotic Big Brother around. Still, they were untested, and no matter how brilliant James was there were bound to be flaws. "I'll need a demonstration of the capabilities of these things."

"Good, I'll set something up with your secretary." Hooever deactivated the holoprojector and put it back in her pocket. "Thank‑you, Mr. President."

"And you, Ms. Hoover." Hoover left without anything else and Shale was left to wonder what kind of demonstration she had in mind.

***

In a crater on the dark side of the moon, lights came on in the side of the crater. Built into the side of the crate was the factory Koromi's architects had designed. Koromi, James, and Marshall sat in Koromi's office which provided a spectacular view of space. "Nice office," James commented and scooped up some raisins from the ever‑present bowl on Koromi's desk.

"Yes, for two weeks of construction, the engineers did a terrific job," Koromi replied.

"Is the assembly line ready?" Marshall asked.

"In two days we will be ready to begin. The first of these new things should be ready in a month. What did you call them again, Simon?"

"Omnicraft."

"Yes, we'll have a squadron of Omnicraft in a little over a month."

"Let me know when the first one is ready, I want to fly it," James said.

"I didn't know you were a pilot."

"I flew missions in F‑27s during the war, before I started into science. Remember the Yamato?"

"The carrier destroyed near Valhalla that covered the Third Fleet's retreat?" Marshall responded.

"I was on it for that mission. The rest of my squadron was destroyed. That's why I got into science, because there I could help make it so other pilots wouldn't lose their lives. I want to take the first Omnicraft up. We'll have to give them a better, more military handle, after a bird or something."

Marshall had never known that about James's past and was herself going to suggest a more suitable name for the fighters. "We'll have to think about that some time. I got word from Command that their budget will call for two divisions of Barracudas and Executioners. Looks like you were right about the lid getting blown off."

"Two divisions?" Koromi asked in disbelief. Before anyone could respond, Marshall's pocket computer beeped. She opened it and saw that someone on Earth had sent her a message. Her eyes went wide as she read it.

"Turn on CBN. Hoover's giving a demonstration of the machines live on the network."

James sighed and finished his raisins. "I knew it." Koromi activated the holoprojector in the room and tuned it to the proper station.

The cameras showed a large, tropical forest near a bunch of South American pyramids. Standing beside the pyramids were a Barracuda and an Executioner. "We're coming to you live from the rainforest for the first ever demonstration of the Advanced Tactical Weapon Vehicles..."

"Stupid name," James snorted and the other two waved him to be silent.

"A drone programmed to act like Decepticons during the occupation has been unleashed into the forest. The two ATWVs will hunt down and destroy the drone, maybe. What you are seeing is the first real combat these machines have ever seen."

A flare went up and the demonstration began. The Barracuda loped off into the forest and the view switched to a first‑person view from the cockpit of the machine. Using its infrared sensors, the Barracuda soon detected the drone, which was creeping through the woods. The drone was tall with thin limbs and painted an olive drab, and nearly impossible to see in the rainforest. The Barracuda sent a signal to the Executioner, which maneuvered to catch the drone.

The Barracuda swept in behind the drone and caught it on the edge of the forest. A rack of missiles unfolded from its side and the Barracuda fired. The missiles scorched the drone, but didn't destroy it. Instead, the drone fired the laser in its right arm, scorching the armor of the Barracuda. The Barracuda dropped back just as missiles, plasma cannon rounds, and ultrapulse laser bursts tore into the back of the drone and sent it crashing to the ground. The drone struggled to get up, but the Executioner stood over it and blasted its head with a plasma cannon. The drone's head exploded and it died, ending the test.

Koromi turned the holoprojector off and Marshall sighed, "Cat's out of the bag. Let's hope the public likes those things or we'll all be in trouble."

"One Omnicraft would have taken out all three of them," James said confidently, taking another handful of raisins. "I'm sure the public will be impressed with that display. Hoover knows what she's doing. That drone was not as much of an adversary as it could have been. Hoover knew that it would have taken out the Barracuda otherwise."

"So she rigged this whole thing?" Koromi asked.

"Of course. Decepticons don't usually creep through the brush. A real Decepticon would have taken out both units while they were standing by the pyramids. The Decepticons were never good at subtlety."

Ambush watched the test that was taking place near his base and laughed hoarsely. That was not a fair test, he thought. He had half a mind to activate his stealth armor and go out there and blow both machines away. At least now he had an idea what those walking tanks were for.

He remembered the details from the raids on Hreda Prime, the science station, and Wayward and knew now who the mysterious attackers were. The humans had killed four Autobots in cold blood to test their new toys. The manner in which the drone had been killed, the descriptions of the attackers on Wayward, and the firepower the machines possessed all told him that. The question was what to do about it.

He could easily blow the factory to pieces, but that would be foolish. The humans would need those machines to defend off an attack. He couldn't get word to Kup or anyone else on Cybertron to report his findings. In short, there was little he could do. At least the odds were better that Earth would survive an attack from Decepticons or rogue Autobots.

***

"Check out that girl," Sideswipe commented to his brother, Sunstreaker. While not biologically brothers, the twins had been created at the same time.

"I'd like to see the babe inside the shell," Sunstreaker added. The brothers were guards at the Cyberhex Penal Facility, a dull, tedious assignment. Decepticon prisoners didn't get visitors, so no one except the occasional maintenance team came. Who were the two female Pretenders that were coming?

The one that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were gawking at was young and gorgeous, a humanoid female with a purple and turquoise spacesuit that highlighted her curves. Next to her was another female in gray and black who seemed older and much sterner, not the kind the fun‑loving Autobots were interested in. The two females came up to the gate and Sideswipe shoved his brother aside to greet them.

"Hello ladies, what brings you to the Cyberhex Penal Facility?"

"Computer upgrade," Omitron replied evenly, playing her part out to the letter.

"You got some ID?"

Omitron produced a computer pad while Nighthawk remained a step back and stared at the two Autobots, trying to appear interested in them. Sunstreaker looked like he was ready to burst and Sideswipe barely glanced at the forged ID.

"Sorry, Scarlet and Stormshadow, but I got to run a scan before I let you in." Sunstreaker stepped forward with the equipment and ran scans on both females. Omitron had equipped both shells with special transmitters that would fool the Autobot scanners without them knowing it. Thus both Autobots checked out. The brothers waved them through, but stopped Nighthawk for a moment.

"So, why do they call you Scarlet?" Sunstreaker asked.

"I guess you'll have to look under my shell some time," Nighthawk replied coyly. She tossed them a wink and then followed Omitron inside. Once she was gone she shuddered. "Was that necessary?" She asked Omitron.

"Of course. Those two have nothing but interfacing on their mind. It will keep them distracted." Once through the main gate it was easy to get through subsequent checkpoints with their fake IDs and rigged scans. Nighthawk had to admit that security was pretty lax at the Penal Facility. They were allowed into the control room and Omitron accessed the computers. She downloaded a virus and then emerged from her shell, fusion cannon ready. At full size she could accomodate the cannon and didn't dare leave it with Bugly and the others. There were two technicians on duty and she destroyed both of them in one shot.

The virus was time delayed and as Omitron and Nighthawk left the control room, it activated. Instantly all systems shut down, including back‑up systems. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker noticed their terminals go down and knew trouble was brewing. "Go get help," Sunstreaker told Sideswipe. Sideswipe nodded and once outside he activated his jetpack to fly and get some help. Sunstreaker grabbed his rifle and headed into the complex to find out what was going on.

Guards took up positions around the two rooms containing the sparks. A corridor separated the two and the dozen guards posted to the Penal Facility were waiting in the corridor, shoulder‑to‑shoulder, for the enemy to arrive. Omitron didn't disappoint them, striding into the corridor with her weapon at ready. Nighthawk was still in her shell and stood just off to the side. The guards saw the look of innocence on the young Pretender's face and wondered how she had gotten mixed up in all of this.

"You there, surrender immediately!" Firebolt, the leader of the guards shouted. Firebolt was a large red and orange Autobot who could become a Cybertronian tank. The cannon was in a pod along his right arm and ready for trouble.

Omitron responded by firing a blast from her fusion cannon that hit the Autobot to the left of Firebolt in the chest. Firebolt noticed that his comrade was instantly killed, a large portion of his chest vaporized. "Return fire!" Firebolt shouted.

Omitron laughed as the Autobots opened fire, her bioarmor soaking up the shots. She took the Autobots one at a time, holing them with her fusion cannon. Firebolt was hit in the chest, but his armor barely protected him. He dropped to the deck, but was able to train his rifle on Omitron's head. He fired and watched in horror as she leapt into the air and flipped over his body to land behind him. She grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off of the ground.

She set him on his feet and he shakily regained his balance. She easily knocked the rifle from his hand and before he could throw a punch she jumped up a few inches and sent her left foot crashing into his face. The force of the blow sent his head careening down the corridor, where she vaporized it with her fusion cannon. With a light touch she sent Firebolt's corpse crashing down to the deck. "Enough play," Omitron said. "Time to get to work." Nighthawk nodded and they set about their task.

The sparks were held in large drawers inside of two circular rooms. Omitron took one and Nighthawk the other. The stasis fields had deactivated around all of the sparks and so all the Decepticons had to do was scoop them up and place them inside of their shells, which had been rigged with stasis field generators. Both shells had turned into cargo containers and it was an easy fit for all twenty sparks. In less than ten minutes all of the sparks were loaded and ready to be carried out.

Nighthawk stepped out of the room and a shot whizzed past her. "Hold it right there, Scarlet," Sunstreaker hissed, his rifle trained on her. He stepped forward noticed the pieces of five guards lying all over the corridor. Omitron had taken all of them out as though they were nothing at all. Sunstreaker was about to grab Nighthawk's weapon when Omitron's fusion cannon erupted and the Autobot was hit in the right arm. He went down and Nighthawk stood over him, weapon trained on his head.

"I'm sorry, Romeo, but we can't let you live," she said sadly. She pulled the trigger and Sunstreaker's head exploded. Nighthawk could see the look of surprise and horror on his face as she had fired, but ignored it for now.

The Decepticons hurried outside and transformed. Sideswipe and reinforcements were on the way from a nearby garrison. The two fighters, laden with the cargo of sparks, took off into the dark sky. It was easy to slip around the orbital defenses, which were searching for two female Pretenders and not noticing the bogus codes Omitron transmitted. They casually made their getaway, silent as they cruised through space. Nighthawk had killed her first Autobot and Omitron knew better than to speak to her about it.

Sideswipe pulled the body of his brother close and cried. They had been stupid to be taken in by little play the female Pretenders had staged in their honor. Never had the war hit so close to home for Sideswipe. He vowed that whoever had killed his brother would pay and pay dearly. Then he headed for Iacon to report to Command and request a change of assignments.

***

The Discovery returned to find all of Cybertron on alert. No one even recognized that Optimus Prime had returned until he had landed. Optimus transformed and headed for the government center. He arrived to find Jazz, Prowl, and a host of officers scurrying about. "How could this happen?" Prowl snapped at no one in particular. He turned and saw Optimus in the doorway. "Optimus!"

All activity in the room stopped and Prowl shook Optimus's hand. "I thought you had retired and left Cybertron?" Jazz asked in astonishment.

"I had," Optimus replied. "I was intercepted by Decepticons, my security escort bought my freedom with her life."

"I'm sorry," Jazz said slowly. "We've got a situation here. Decepticons broke into the Cyberhex Penal Facility and made off with all of the sparks."

"By Primus," Optimus whispered. "Thunderwing, Skullgrin, all of the worst Decepticon criminals that survived could be reactivated."

"It gets worse. The colony on Tehendra was looted by Decepticons. They got all the sparks there too. Sunstreaker and the rest of the guards were killed in the Cyberhex raid and Hosehead and Guzzle on Tehendra. We got a positive ID on the Tehendra raiders as Misfire, Dreadwind, Dirge, and a Sweep. We're looking for them now, but there's no sign of them."

"Have the humans helped with the search?"

"The humans and I aren't exactly as cozy as we used to be. They refuse to leave their side of the border," Jazz replied sadly.

Optimus shook his head. "It's obvious that we're dealing with a renewed Decepticon army. They must have a new leader, otherwise they could never have coordinated those raids. Where's Jetfire?"

Prowl sighed. "Jetfire's resigned. Silverbolt is in temporary command of the Raptors."

"You should have them lead the ship. The Striking Eagle's sensors are superior to all of the other ships."

"I've already ordered that."

"I'm sorry, Prowl. I don't mean to intrude on you and Jazz."

"It's all right, Optimus. I welcome your opinions, it makes me feel better just having you around."

An officer ran in, looking grave. "We've tested the bodies of the Cyberhex raid. Definite evidence of fusion burns. No signs of an explosion, though."

"By the Matrix, a fusion cannon." Optimus surmised.

"Megatron's dead, no one else had a fusion cannon or could build one."

"Someone has. This is getting worse all the time." Optimus felt guilt run through him. Things had fallen apart while he had been selfishly amusing himself. What a fool he had been to think that the war was over. "Those Decepticons are going to have to build new bodies for those sparks. All factories and mines should increase their defenses."

"Optimus, I want you to take command," Jazz said quietly.

"Jazz, I couldn't."

"Optimus, we're dealing with a major Decepticon threat, you're the only one with the experience to handle this."

Optimus looked at Jazz and then nodded. "All right, but only temporarily. Prowl, assemble all senior staff immediately for a briefing. We need to restore some order to this situation."

Ten minutes later everyone was assembled in the conference room. Prowl updated Optimus on the current layout of the Autobot Army and then Kup told him about the security forces deployed in Cybertronian territory. Optimus rubbed his faceplate in thought. He stopped and said, "Have an auditing team head for the Decepticon colonies and determine if they have been hiding ores. It's possible the Decepticons may already have the materials to build bodies for those sparks."

"They still won't have the machinery for that," Kup replied.

"Triple security on any factory they could use. Have Silverbolt head along the vector my ship took and scan for those Decepticons, their base is probably nearby."

"Anything else?"

"Blaster, make sure every outpost and colony knows about this and to keep an eye out for those raiders. I want them stopped at all costs."

The meeting broke up and Optimus wondered if he was doing the right thing. He noticed that Jazz and Prowl had remained. "Optimus, the candidates for the elections will be announced tonight in the Great Hall. We...we want to nominate you," Jazz said.

Optimus shook his head. "No, Jazz. I am still convinced of what I said before. The war may not be completely over, but it's time for a new leader to finish things."

"There is no one that could replace you, Optimus," Prowl replied.

Optimus sighed and replied, "No, there is someone."

***

The Great Hall of Iacon was a large ballroom‑looking affair with pillars and large chandeliers. Despite the chaos going on, Optimus had decreed that the election process should continue as scheduled. Jazz and Prowl stood in the front of the small crowd. Kup came over to them and growled, "He's not here and nobody's seen him."

"Optimus said he'd be here and Optimus doesn't break his word," Jazz replied softly.

"What do you think he's doing?" Prowl asked.

"Thinking about the future."

An ancient Autobot named Dextrum stepped up onto the small platform in the center of the room. He pounded his fist onto the podium and shouted, "Let the nominations begin!"

Kup nominated Jazz and Jazz nominated Prowl. For a moment no one else was nominated, and then a Decepticon entered the room. He was black and silver with orange eyes. Flanking him were two other Decepticons. One of them called out, "I nominate Darkstar for president!" There was a quavering in his voice that showed that the Decepticon had been drinking.

Kup whispered to Jazz and Prowl, "Darkstar is the leader of a Decepticon street gang in Thorous. We've tried to arrest them, but they're too slick, they don't leave us with enough evidence. A typical punk, he doesn't have a chance against you guys. His friends probably put him up to it."

"Great, we've got nothing to fear," Prowl murmured sarcastically. He had had more than his fill of leadership for one lifetime.

"Are there any other nominations?" Dextrum demanded in his scratchy voice.

"Yes," a voice boomed. Optimus Prime strode into the room and Prowl and Jazz felt their circuits race. "I nominate Hot Rod for leader."

There were shocked whisperings all around the room and Hot Rod entered the room. Dextrum seemed about ready to die then and there from shock and asked shakily, "Optimus, are you certain?"

"Hot Rod was wrong to lead the rogues during the civil war, but he was under the influence of a virus, which has left him. His past actions to not tarnish the fact that he is a leader and was an Autobot hero. He will be the one to lead the Autobots into the future."

Dextrum nodded. "Very well, then. Are there any other nominations?" No one else spoke and Dextrum slapped the podium. "Then let it be known that Jazz, Prowl, Darkstar, and Hot Rod are the nominees for president of the United Cybertronian Government. Nominations are now closed."

The assembled Transformers began milling about, conversing, snacking, and drinking. Optimus left without a word, wondering if he had made the right choice. It was not his choice, but that of the Matrix. He had travelled to where he had hidden it deep inside Cybertron and consulted with it. Hot Rod is the future leader of the Autobots, he will lead them to victory. Optimus just hoped that he and the Matrix were right.

***

Jetfire was sitting in his apartment, waiting for the crisis to die down so he could talk to Kup. The door chime sounded and he was shocked when Optimus Prime stood at the door. Jetfire let Optimus in and right away he could see the grave look in Optimus's eyes. Optimus sat down and there was silence as Jetfire sat down across from him.

Optimus finally spoke. "Kup assigned Nighthawk to me as an escort. We were jumped by Decepticons. Four fighters were trying to box us in and delay us so a frigate could attack. Nighthawk made me take get the ship out of there while she intercepted the fighters and kept them away. I hate to say it, but...your daughter is most likely dead."

Optimus could see how surprised Jetfire looked and added, "Yes, I know she is your daughter. You did not tell me that when you told me about your...project, but I have seen her fight. She has your skill in the air, and your courage as well. She fought bravely, like the warrior she was."

Jetfire got to his feet, anger rushing through him. "No! She can't be dead. I was going to find her and tell her. We were going to be together at last." Sadness brought Jetfire to his knees and tears came to his eye. Optimus knelt down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"She will learn the truth at last, when her spark has rejoined with the Matrix. Let her memory live inside of you and you will be together forever."

"Where did she die?" Jetfire asked, trying to keep the rage and sadness from his voice.

"In an unexplored part of space. I will provide the coordinates for you."

"Thank‑you."

Optimus was about to say more, but his comlink activated with Kup's voice saying, "Optimus, we've got trouble in Cyberhex."

"Have the Decepticons returned?"

"Worse. Hot Rod's inciting a riot."

"I'll be right there." Optimus deactivated the comlink and stood up. "Jetfire, would it be possible for you to fly me to Cyberhex? I need to get there as soon as possible."

Jetfire nodded wearily. "Of course, Optimus." Soon they were streaking towards Cyberhex and Optimus wondered about his choice once again.

Hot Rod stood at the gates of the devastated prison, a throng of Autobots around him. He scanned the crowd and could see the anger and fear on their faces from the raid. "See this devastation? See this destruction? This is the work of the Decepticons, who have renewed their war against us! What have our leaders done? Nothing! They sit in their offices in Iacon and do nothing for us while Decepticons kill innocent Autobots once more."

"These same leaders pulled Autobot forces out of human territory, leaving Earth ripe for Decepticon conquest. Our leaders have failed us, as Optimus Prime has said, it is time for new leadership. Elect me as your president and I will hunt down the Decepticons and renew peaceful relations with Earth."

Someone snorted, "That's all well and good, but what about the rogue Autobots that you incited in the first place? They nearly killed the human president and raided Wayward."

"I was the leader of the rogues long ago, but it was because of a Decepticon virus, a virus that is gone and has only left me stronger. I am more determined than ever to rid this universe of every Decepticon. I will find the rogues as well and if they will not see reason they will be executed for their crimes. The time has come for us to enter a new age of peace, and to that we must rid the universe of our enemies! The war will not end until all vestiges of tyranny are smashed and all evil erased. Our work did not end at Centauri, it began at Centauri!"

The gathered Autobots, and even a few neutrals and Decepticons, cheered. The cheering was drowned out moments later as a white and red jet streaked by. Something dropped out of it and Optimus Prime landed on his feet, fire in his eyes. The crowd was silenced and Hot Rod wondered what he should do. He couldn't ridicule or attack Optimus, because the veteran warrior was too respected. Nor could he apologize without looking weak. "Hot Rod, this has gone far enough. This is not the time for campaigning, it is the time for mourning for our comrades lost. We will find those at fault and punish them, but until then return to your homes. Provide the security forces with whatever help you can. Together we can find the perpetrators and bring them to justice."

Before Hot Rod could speak, the crowd dispersed. Jetfire landed and without a word, Hot Rod turned and left, tires squealing and engine roaring. Kup, Jazz, and Prowl arrived in a shuttle, looking satisfied that everything was in order. "Thank‑you, Optimus," Prowl said.

"Sometimes I think Cybertron would fall apart without me," Optimus growled.

"We were discussing a few things on the way here," Jazz began. "We want you to lead a fleet to find the Decepticons. I've already assigned the Raptors to the mission and a handful of cruisers. As soon as possible, we'd like you to take the fleet to where you were intercepted to look for clues."

Optimus knew that the three Autobots had monitored Hot Rod's speech and were trying to sabotage Hot Rod's platform by getting the Decepticons first. Still, he had to do whatever he could to help. "All right."

Kup looked over at Jetfire and asked, "Jetfire, would it be possible for you to retake command of the Raptors? We could use your help on this one."

Jetfire wasn't listening, he was inside the guard station, playing back the record of the visitors who had entered before the attack. He didn't recognize either one, but something about the purple and teal‑clad one caught his eye. She turned towards Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, facing the camera. Jetfire stopped the tape and looked into the girl's eyes. Her humanoid face was young and beautiful, but there was something in her eyes, a soulfulness that betrayed the youth of her face. Kup tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention. Jetfire turned off the tape and whirled around.

Without a word he shoved Kup aside and ran. Once he was a few feet away he transformed, his rocket boosters scorching the ground. He was into the air in a flash and disappeared from sight seconds later. "Kup, to Orbital Control..."

"Let him go," Optimus whispered. "There are many things troubling Jetfire, things that only he can sort out."

Kup deactivated his comlink with a nod. "What's he doing?"

Optimus stared up at the sky and replied, "Trying to find a piece of himself that he lost."

***

"Autobot ship is appearing on our sensors!" Scrapper called out.

"Where?" Bugly demanded.

"In orbit. It appeared from nowhere."

"Invaders!" Onslaught shouted. "We must get to the frigate and stop them!"

"No, they are on our side. These are rogue Autobots. Send them the coordinates of the hangar," Bugly replied. Omitron had told him to expect the rogues with a cloaked ship. Once again she had been right.

Twenty minutes later Ultra Magnus, Repugnus, and two other rogues landed in a shuttle. Bugly, Scapper, and Onslaught met them, weapons ready for trouble. "Greetings, I am Bugly, acting commander while our leader, Omitron, is away on business."

"Raiding Cybertron for sparks, yes, we heard about it already," Ultra Magnus replied. "Banzai‑Tron sent us here with a load of ore that he said would be of use. We have come to join you."

"I see. Autobot ships will undoubtedly be looking for us, so we will have to hide both of our ships. On the second moon there is an area of volcanic activity. Land your ship in a crater nearby, where there's a large, empty cavern carved by the lava. Your ship will be safe in there, as will ours."

Repugnus relayed the message to the ship and Bugly activated the autopilot, which he had programmed already. "Let me show you inside and we will let you repair yourselves in our restoration tank."

Magnus looked skeptically at the tank in the tree fortess and Repugnus volunteered to check it out. Bugly explained the basics of it to the two Autobots and Repugnus deactivated himself as he climbed in. The ooze covered him and minutes later Repugnus emerged, his armor gleaming like it was new. His eyes lit up and he climbed from the tank.

"It feels great," he said. The corrosion wearing at my joints is gone, I feel like a new 'bot." Bugly was grateful that the restoration tank did not repair the virus implanted within the sparks of the rogue Autobots. Ultra Magnus decided to take a dip and soon he was as good as new, his dented, dirty frame looking brand new.

"Amazing," he commented. "Can I have the rest of my unit use this? We are all damaged to some extent from our long journey."

"Of course," Bugly replied. He knew that now he had the rogue Autobots right where he wanted them. "First, I will need your engineers to give us the specs for that cloaking device."

Ultra Magnus rubbed his chin in thought. The cloaking device for use of the restoration tank? "Deal," he said. The ship soon sent the specifications to the computers inside the base and Bugly ordered Scrapper to begin working on installing such a device inside the frigate. If Omitron's revised plan was to succeed, both ships would have to be equipped with cloaking devices.

Bugly showed Ultra Magnus as much of the base as Omitron had instructed him to and then left the rogue Autobot to supervise his team as they began to use the restoration tank. He went up to the planning room and sat down. Everything was going smoothly and as soon as Omitron returned the time to strike would be at hand. With the help of the rogue Autobots there would be no stopping the Decepticons from restoring their comrades in stasis and destroying the Autobots and their human friends. This time there would be no occupation, just simple, straightforward destruction. It would be a scorched earth policy on a galactic scale, and ultimately the Decepticons would triumph and take their rightful place as masters of the universe. Nothing would stand in their way.

Chapter Seven

2007-06-13T06:31:00.000-07:00

Chapter Seven

An Autobot fleet was surrounding Earth, a sight which had not been seen since the campaign to liberate the planet nearly thirty years ago. This time, however, the ships had come to pull the Autobots off of the planet. The Striking Eagle was orbiting North America, waiting for shuttles from the garrison at Detroit to arrive. Jetfire sat in his office, reading over reports disinterestedly.

Chromedome knocked on the transparent door and announced, "We're picking up a signal from the surface for you, Jetfire."

"Who's it from?" Jetfire asked.

"A Doctor Simon James. Do you know him?"

"Yes, we worked together a while back. Put it through." Chromedome made a signal and the message was put through to Jetfire's computer.

Jetfire saw the face of James come onto the screen and was grateful that he didn't have a mouth or else it would have been hard to fight down a frown. He had never been fond of the human scientist. James had seemed too egotistical about his own abilities and had never been much of a team player. "Jetfire, I'm glad I could reach you. I know that the Autobots are pulling out, so I might not get to contact you for some time. I've made some new discoveries and I thought that perhaps you would like to come down and see them before you go. I think it's awful that your people have been forced to leave, so I thought I'd give some of this knowledge to you to help."

"How generous. Is your lab in the same location?"

"Yes."

"I'll contact Wheeljack and we'll be down shortly."

"I'm looking forward to it." James signed off and Jetfire sighed. No matter how much he disliked James, any improvements in technology would be worth checking out for use in the Autobot Army. He contacted Wheeljack, who was aboard another ship, and arranged to pick his friend up. Then he left the Striking Eagle and hoped that this was all worth it.

Jetfire landed and let Wheeljack out. Then he transformed and the two Autobots entered the lab from a special entrance that had been created especially for them long ago. They found James waiting for them, a long tube cradled in his arms. "Gentlemen, welcome," James said.

"So what is it you want us to see?" Wheeljack asked.

James held out the tube, "This is a prototype for an ultrapulse laser. I've had some difficulties with it, so it doesn't function right. However, I think if you look at it you may be able to find the problem. You can take it back with you to Cybertron and study it."

Jetfire took the tube and examined it. Then he asked, "Was there anything else?"

"Not that you would be interested in. Working on human weapons for the Confederation has taken up most of my time."

"What kind of weapons?" Jetfire asked. It was no secret that no love had been lost between he and James. The development of the hyperpulse laser had turned into a compeditive race that had nearly destroyed the team. Wheeljack was indifferent about James, but he could sense the tension in the air.

"I've experimented with tanks that are far more maneuverable and faster than current models. It's important, now more than ever, that Earth has the weapons to defend itself from any Decepticon attacks."

"And I'm sure you'll be more than happy to develop those weapons."

James looked hurt and replied, "Come now, Jetfire, I know we've had our differences, but we should bury the hatchet, so to speak."

"Bury the hatchet? You sabotaged my hyperpulse laser design, causing me to lose weeks of research so you could finish your own prototype ahead of schedule."

"It was an accident."

"Computer terminals seldom explode on their own."

"I already explained that I accidentally triggered a power surge..."

"Knock it off, guys," Wheeljack butted in. "We'll take this back with us and see what we can do. If we can fix it we'll let you know, Simon."

"Thank‑you Wheeljack." Wheeljack grabbed Jetfire's arm and they left the lab. Jetfire transformed and let Wheeljack inside. Then he lifted off and put his thrusters on maximum burn, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

James smiled and shut down an invisible scanner in the wall. The scanner had done an undetected scan of Jetfire's body and systems, using X‑ray, infrared, ultraviolet, and other radiation to make a complete map of the Autobot's systems. James downloaded the data and smiled. Then he set to work on his plan. He hoped the Autobots enjoyed the protoype he had given them. He had removed several key components so the thing would not function. He had needed bait to draw the Autobot scientists, but he didn't want to give his enemies any more firepower. He typed some commands in a keyboard and knew that soon a new age would soon begin for humanity, one in which humans could fight Transformers on equal terms and defeat them, and it would all be because of him. James smiled and continued his work.

***

Camshaft watched the last of his command climb into a shuttle and took a final look at the outpost he had commanded for several years. He didn't want to leave, he didn't want to leave the humans defenseless, easy prey for an assault by an enemy. However, orders were orders and a column of human vehicles was already en route to take the facility back.

Camshaft climbed into the shuttle and took a seat next to Downshift. Downshift put a hand on Camshaft's shoulder, sensing his sadness. "It'll be all right," Downshift said to comfort his friend. "Besides, we've been assigned to the border fleet. We can charge right in and help if anything goes wrong."

"We'll probably be too late," Camshaft replied as the shuttle took off. "The fools. To quote one of their religious verses: 'pride goeth before the fall'. The humans have set themselves up for a very long fall because they have too much faith in themselves to see the danger."

"Perhaps, but there comes a time for everyone when they have to stand on their own two feet and deal with their own problems. No matter what happens, I'm sure the humans will survive."

Camshaft snorted, "If only because of their stubbornness."

"Some would say we were stubborn to continue fighting the Decepticons for over four million years."

"Perhaps. However, these creatures couldn't last that long, they're too impatient. They'd atomize their planet before letting a war drag on for even a couple of centuries."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Yes, let's do that." The shuttle shook as it entered Earth's atmosphere and streaked towards a waiting cruiser. Camshaft just hoped that his friend was right, because if he was wrong then all of Earth could be a memory before the Autobots could lend a hand.

***

Ambush watched the last transports pull out and sighed. Now he was the last Autobot on Earth and quite possibly the last line of defense if the planet was invaded by the rogues or Decepticons. He checked the latest human news broadcasts and noted nothing of interest. He knew that there would be no invasion as long as the Autobots were still in‑system, but once they had left, then it would be the right time to strike.

"How long until all Autobot units have left human space?" Ambush asked the computer.

"Approximately four weeks and two days."

"Project estimated location of human defenses at that time." The computer, which could tap into a wide variety of human networks, including ones used for defense, began placing red dots onto a map. From the looks of it, most human ships would be located along the border in the Centauri system, which was uninhabited and cluttered with wreckage from the Battle of Centauri. The Centauri system had become a galactic graveyard where only Junkions would dare go. Still, the Centauri system provided the quickest attack route to Earth from Cybertron, so the humans would want to keep it well‑defended.

Other forces would be deployed along the other borders, which would put them strategically out of position to aid Earth if it came under attack. That would only leave the Confederation Home Fleet, a fleet of ships left to guard the Solar System at all times in case of an invasion attempt. It was a reassurance for the war‑weary population, but Ambush knew that a leader with strategic expertise could find a way to defeat the Home Fleet, someone like Ultra Magnus.

What bothered Ambush is that the rogues would have no real reason to attack Earth. They wanted Cybertron, not Earth. However, it was possible the rogues might attack to draw the Autobots and humans to Earth while they launched a raid on Cybertron. Then of course were his former people, the Decepticons. They had a great many reasons to attack Earth such as vengeance or to plunder Earth's resources to regain their strength.

"Correlate reported Decepticon sightings and defections and predict current leader of Decepticons."

The computer calculated once more, and Ambush was left to wait for several minutes. He couldn't help but feel that something would happen, that all of this was happening for a reason. Perhaps I am just getting paranoid, Ambush mused. The computer finished its work and announced, "Based on evidence current leader is predicted to be Bugly."

Bugly? Ambush nodded and rubbed his chin in thought. Bugly was a conniving strategist, a Pretender who knew martial arts and could be excessively cruel. Ambush could still feel his circuits burning from when Bugly had attacked him with electrical discharges from his shell's antennae when Ambush had refused to kill innocent civilians. He shuddered and knew that it made sense, to a point. Bugly had the brains and power, but he lacked charisma. "Project current renegade Decepticon roster."

The computer came up with a current roster of Decepticons on the run, according to all sightings by human and Cybertronian sources. He frowned as the list came up. Something was missing, it had to be. While Bugly was strong there was no way that hotheads like Dreadwind, Dirge, or Savage would follow him.

Ambush was left to discount the Decepticons as a plausible force. It was obvious that they would not have the cohesion to form a unit even if they all banded together and it was far more likely then that they had formed several splinter groups, which would be of no consequence. Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more than meets the eye. He would have to continue to watch and wait and be ready if the time came for him to reveal himself.

***

Omitron heard a beep on the sensor console of the captured frigate and looked up from her work. She went to the console and saw that a ship was nearby, an Autobot one. It was a small cargo ship with extra packages of sensors and science equipment, a research ship of some sort. She was tempted to let it pass, but with its boosted sensors, it would probably detect the frigate and come to investigate.

She swept the ship with her sensors and detected two sparks on board. Good, it should be easy to board and take over. She activated her comlink and ordered, "Air Commander Misfire, bring your squadron up immediately, we have an intruder nearby."

"Acknowledged," Misfire replied, teeming with confidence. He and the fighters hurried out to the hangar and took off, roaring into the sky, eager for battle. Omitron took the helm of the frigate and routed all main systems to her console. She activated the main engines and headed on a course to intercept the ship. As she did, she wondered who was on board. If it was a science ship, was Jetfire aboard? She hoped not, because if he was she would have to destroy him to keep him silent.

Optimus was still in the lab when the red alert sounded. He ran from the lab and saw Nighthawk at the ship's controls. "What is it?" He asked.

"An Autobot frigate is approaching."

"Perhaps Cybertron has sent someone to look for us," Optimus mused.

"Not likely. I think it's the frigate that a group of Decepticons stole just before we left. Otherwise they would have hailed us already."

"You may be right. Ready the shields and weapons, I'll try to hail them." Optimus worked on the communications gear, but no response came from the frigate. "No response. Activate shields and weapons and put engines to full power. There's no way we can stand up to the frigate, but maybe we can outrun it."

Nighthawk nodded and the Discovery's engines went to full power. As they did, the sensors showed even more bad news. "A group of Decepticon fighters is approaching. Sensors show four of them, moving to intercept." She stood up and began moving back towards the hatch. "I'll run interference, get the ship out of here and back to Cybertron."

"Nighthawk, you won't last long against four fighters."

"I know, but Kup assigned me to protect you. If I draw the fighters off you should be able to outrun the frigate." Optimus was about to say something, but Nighthawk shook her head. "I am a warrior, this is my duty." She opened the hatch and stepped out into space. She transformed into her sleek X‑29 fighter mode and shot away from the ship.

Optimus went to the ship's controls and doubted he would ever see Nighthawk again. He had left Cybertron to avoid war and destruction, but it had found him nevertheless. He drained the weapons power into the engine systems to get maximum output from them. He hated to leave Nighthawk, but that is what she wanted. I will make sure you name lives on with honor, Optimus thought as the Discovery sped away. Soon the frigate was left behind and Optimus was alone once more.

Nighthawk saw the four fighters approaching in a diamond formation. She was surprised to see Misfire in the lead and noted that Dreadwind, Dirge, and a Sweep were along with him. She kicked her afterburner to full and readied her weapons. As she neared the Decepticons she opened fire, corkscrewing at an alarming rate. The Decepticons returned fire, but Nighthawk's wild maneuvers allowed her to dodge it. She powered by the Decepticons and banked sharply back around. The enemy fighters broke formation to try and flank her.

Nighthawk found herself on Dreadwind's tail and he nimbly avoided her first shots. She could see him about to break left and at the last second threw herself in a hard right turn. As she expected, Dreadwind's move was a fake and he had banked right, only to get hit in the middle of his fuselage by her weapons. Dreadwind slowed and transformed, too damaged to continue flying.

Savage came at Nighthawk as she flew over Dreadwind's damaged form. He fired at her with all of his weapons, but she dove and his shots missed. He could see she was going to loop under him to try and get his tail, so he put himself in a loop to try and turn the tables. Nighthawk cut her thrust and caught Savage in mid‑loop. She blasted him and his front flared with fire for a moment and then he transformed.

Nighthawk streaked by him and narrowly avoided being hit by blasts from Dirge. She banked hard to the left and saw Misfire descending towards her. She readied herself as he was about to fire. She knew that he had no chance of hitting her and that she couldn't stop him from taking his shot anyway. He fired and Nighthawk saw with horror that his shot was expertly aimed and struck her in the left wing. She spun out of control, still in shock. Had Misfire actually shot her? She was skidding towards him and transformed. Her momentum carried her into him and he spun away, transforming as he did so to steady himself.

Nighthawk pulled her rifle out and took Dirge out with two shots. Misfire was still recovering as Dirge spun away, his left engine damaged. Nighthawk turned towards Misfire and before he could recover and blast her she shot him twice in the chest. He screamed and Nighthawk turned to transform and escape. Before she could, a blast knocked her weapon from her hand.

She turned, expecting Dreadwind or the Sweep, but instead saw a large black and purple jet approaching. The jet transformed into a female Decepticon, who leveled a large weapon at Nighthawk. Nighthawk stared at the weapon for a moment. Is that a fusion cannon? She wondered.

Omitron stared at the female Autobot in surprise. Ordinarily she would have disposed of the girl who had ruined her plan to stop the Autobot ship, but she knew this Autobot, knew that this was no ordinary Autobot sap. Omitron lowered her weapon, staring into the female's eyes. Yes, she could see it in the girl's eyes.

"Who are you?" Nighthawk demanded.

Omitron smiled and replied simply, "I am your mother."

The other Decepticons arrived, ready to slag Nighthawk on the spot. "Permission to finish the Autobot?" Misfire asked.

"No. This one is a long‑lost sister returning home."

Misfire tapped the symbol on Nighthawk's left shoulder in confusion. "But she's an Autobot!"

"No, she is half Autobot."

"How can you be my mother?" Nighthawk demanded and the other Decepticons were curious.

"Years ago I worked undercover in an Autobot lab on Cybertron, providing information to Megatron. It was after the Autobots had retaken the planet and their civil war, so they were running short on troops. One scientist, Jetfire, was trying to develop a new way of creating sparks duplicating the biological method of reproduction."

"Since the Autobots would have closed the project down immediately on moral grounds, only Jetfire and I knew about the project, working in secret. Once our calculations and tests were completed we decided to field test it. We...mated and a new spark was created, yours."

"I left shortly after that, recalled by Megatron, and Jetfire created a body for you. He finally delivered his findings to Optimus Prime, who closed the project immediately, as expected. He felt that such reproduction was blasphemous to Primus and the Matrix and assigned Jetfire and Wheeljack to work with a Terran scientist on developing new weapons instead. I discreetly left Cybertron, unable to take the equipment and Jetfire had destroyed all evidence and forced me at gunpoint to do so as well. Your spark had already taken to its body and you knew nothing about your heritage, so I left you."

"So I am half Decepticon?"

"Yes. That is why you are such a fierce warrior, the spirit of hundreds of Decepticon warriors is within you. You surely must have noticed that you don't fit in with the Autobots and their gentle, peaceful society?"

"I have always been...eager for battle. I thought it was simply because I had known no other life, but perhaps it is as you say, that I am part Decepticon." She thought about how hard a time she had had adjusting to peace and how she had always felt she had been an outsider. These Decepticons, they were her real people, not the Autobots with their peace and noble causes. Her soul was that of a warrior, she lusted for battle. She was...a Decepticon. "I want to join you, Mother."

Omitron smiled and slapped her daughter on the arm. "Excellent, we could use you. Now let's get back to base to repair ourselves." All six transformed into their fighter modes and slowly made their way back to the ship. Nighthawk could sense hostility from the others and wondered if she would really fit in any better here than she had with the Autobots.

***

"You want to do what?" Koromi asked, about to spit up his sake. He, James, and Marshall were in a trendy Japanese restaurant in Toronto's Japanese section. The restaurant was nearly empty, but they were still seated in a dark corner.

James took a pull from his own drink and smiled. "I want to start a secret production facility on the moon to produce a new kind of machine."

"Why on the moon?" Marshall asked.

"I want to keep it from Hoover's ears. I know she's going to blow the lid off our South American operation soon and I don't want anyone except whoever is necessary to know what is going on with this."

"What is so important?" Koromi asked and James whipped out a set of blueprints. Marshall and Koromi quickly swept the dishes aside and James laid the blueprints out.

"This is the key to beating the Transformers and safeguarding Earth's future. By using their own technology against them we will finally have the edge in ships and ground units. With enough of these and a fleet of ships we could take almost all of the colonies the robots possess and then Cybertron itself could be ours."

Marshall raised an eyebrow and asked, "How do you plan to fund all of this? There's no way I could funnel enough through the Confederated Army, and I don't think you and Takashi have enough money to do either."

James laughed and explained, "I've taken care of that already. There's a group calling themselves the Human Coalition. They're not an extreme group, but instead a conservative one that believes in maintaining a separation between us and the robots. They've got the money, and in exchange we will produce enough firepower to keep Earth safe forever."

"But these guys don't want Cybertron destroyed," Koromi reminded James.

"No, but our alliance with them is temporary. Think about the opportunity here. We will finally be able to be free, without having to worry about whether we will survive the next attack. The Confederation will be the most powerful entity in the universe and never, never again will humans have to fear an attack on their homeworld by some alien power."

Marshall smiled at James. He should become a politician, she thought. James had the ability to touch people, to convince them that they could do the impossible. He had a certain charisma that made people follow his ideas and had kept her interested in him for years. "Let's do it," she said.

"I can provide the workers and equipment. These friends of yours will have to provide the capital."

James nodded and put the plans away. He signalled the waitress and announced cheerfully, "The next round's on me."

***

It was two days later until the last Autobots were loaded onto the ships. Prowl and Jazz watched this from the Autobot command ship, the Liberator. "Well, it's all over with," Jazz said quietly. They were sitting in Jazz's office on the ship and Prowl nodded, pulling out a bottle of radium‑spiked oil.

Prowl poured two glasses and the Autobot leaders clinked their glasses together in a mock‑toast. "Here's to our alliance." Prowl downed the drink in one shot and Jazz looked at him worriedly.

"Maybe you shouldn't drink it that fast," he observed.

Prowl snorted, "I'm trying to freeze my logic processors before they can fully analyze this hopeless situation." He quickly drank another shot and was about to start with the bottle when Jazz stopped him.

"Save some for me," Jazz smiled. He punched the intercom to the bridge and ordered, "All ships move out at maximum speed. The sooner we're gone, the better." Then he took another drink. Before the Autobot fleet had even reached Mars the entire bottle was gone and Prowl was reaching for another one.

The Striking Eagle entered hyperspace and Jetfire sat tiredly in his quarters. He and Wheeljack had decided to take a break from examining the weapon James had given them. Jetfire turned from the window and was glad he didn't have a mouth or he would be doing like many other Autobots and try to drink his way to unconsciousness. He heard the door chime sound and answered it, finding Arcee standing at the door. "Can I come in?" She asked.

Jetfire nodded and she sat down in a chair facing the window. "I can't believe this is happening, the humans used to be our friends, and now they hate us. What has changed?"

"They see us as outsiders now," Jetfire replied, sitting in a dark corner and staring out the window, almost oblivious to Arcee's presence. "They see us as oppressors instead of allies."

"I guess we were just too different to get along forever."

Jetfire shook his sadly, recalling a pain from long ago. "No, we are not so different. The humans see us on the outside and think that we are just machines, that all we are is metal and wire, our minds programmed like a computer." He suddenly was up and grabbed Arcee by the shoulders, although the look in his eye showed that he was not even looking at her. "But we are more than that! Inside all of us is a soul that mirrors those of the humans. Our sparks are not artificial, they are organic. The Matrix is not some kind of holy vessel, but like a flower and our sparks are the seeds of that flower, the offspring to continue its legacy. Cybertron itself is a living organism, created from the spark of Primus in order to house his children for eons to come."

Jetfire's grip tightened on Arcee's shoulders and she winced in pain. "What are you saying, Jetfire?"

He released her and began pacing by the window like a caged animal. Then he began talking rapidly. "All my life I have wrestled with this dilemma, the border between religion and science. Now I can see, I can finally see that there is no border." He turned to Arcee and the look in his eye was frightening. "We live in a godless universe! We are just another of life's experiments, a part of the evolutionary process. Like the humans and any other creature in this universe we are all part of the great experiment of life. An experiment not conducted by gods, but by the forces of nature."

"The drive of anything in the universe is survival. Stars can survive for billions of years, and galaxies even longer. Cybertronians can live millions of years, but ultimately everything dies. That is the key, everything dies! But life evolves, it changes, it becomes more than it was. Slowly, very slowly, life is evolving to find a way to hurdle that final barrier: death."

Arcee shot to her feet and slapped Jetfire across the face. "What you are saying is blatant blasphemy! It goes against all of our principles as Cybertronians! How dare you even propose such a thing!"

"What I propose is the truth. Over twenty years ago someone tried to explain all of this to me and I had your reaction. Now, when I think about us and the humans, I can see what she was talking about."

"She? Is that the picture you keep in your apartment?"

Jetfire jumped back like Arcee had slapped him again. "No, that isn't her. That picture is of my...daughter." He could see Arcee reel back in shock and explained, "The woman I spoke of was a lab assistant I had for a short time during the war named Omi. She was a brilliant scientist and we worked very well together. Then she explained to me most of what I told you, about how we are biological creatures at our root. With her help I fashioned a device that would allow Cybertronians to create sparks by interfacing, mimicking the biological process used by the humans. We succeeded in creating a spark, our daughter."

"We had conducted this entire project in secret, because we knew that no one would accept what Omi believed. I fashioned our daughter a body and immediately enlisted her in the army, keeping her heritage a secret. Then I confronted Optimus and he demanded that all evidence of the project be erased immediately. Omi was heartbroken and left, and then I destroyed everything. I couldn't bear to see the child that Omi and I had created and I have never even seen her since that day when I enlisted her."

"I was a fool. I listened to what Omi had said, but even after all that had happened I never believed her, until now. I know what I have to do now, I have to find her. Together we can finish what we started and make a better future for both our race and the humans. First, though, I need to find Nighthawk, my daughter, and explain everything to her. I've neglected her for too long." He sighed and looked sadly at Arcee. "When we get back to Cybertron I'm going to resign my commission so I can find both of them. Kup should know where Nighthawk is, but Omi will be much harder to find. Don't tell anyone else about this, it will only cause trouble."

Arcee was speechless, but nodded. She touched him on the shoulder and tears came to her eyes. "I'm sorry about your family, Jetfire. We've all suffered because of the millions of years of war, but perhaps now you can find what you lost and make your peace with the universe." She wiped her tears away and smiled, whispering, "Maybe you'll even discover that there is a god after all." Arcee left and Jetfire was left staring out into space. So many secrets, he thought. Secrets that will not give themselves easily, but must be unlocked if we are all truly to understand our places in all of this. Now, however, I think I have found my place.

***

Nighthawk looked around the Decepticon base in astonishment. It was huge and packed with equipment better than anything on Cybertron. Omitron floated in the base in her chair, gazing at her daughter in interest. She had never seen Nighthawk, but she could see that Jetfire had crafted a good body for her daughter. It was sleek, fast, and deadly, well suited for a variety of tasks. "This is unbelievable," Nighthawk observed.

"Yes, it is," Omitron responded. "And now you are a part of it, a part of the army that will liberate the universe from the Autobots and humans."

Nighthawk shook her head. "You can't believe you can restore the Empire? The United Cybertronian forces are too powerful."

"Perhaps, but I have a plan. Now then, what were you doing so far from Cybertron? What was the mission of that research ship?"

"There was no real purpose. Optimus Prime retired from the United Cybertronian Government and decided to explore new parts of the galaxy. Kup sent me along to protect him."

Omitron smiled and nodded, "Yes, but your ship was heading back towards Cybertron. Why was it returning?"

Nighthawk hesitated. Should she tell her mother what she and Optimus had discovered? She was now a Decepticon like her mother, but she knew what would happen if the Decepticons found the wormhole and the nucleon. "The ship was new and the sensor equipment burned out. We were on our way back to have it repaired."

Omitron knew it was a lie, but she didn't want to press the girl just yet for details. In time Nighthawk would give herself over completely to the Decepticons. "I see. While Optimus would have made an excellent hostage, I am glad that you joined us. I've had Bugly take the liberty of creating something for you, something to help you on your first mission as a Decepticon."

Omitron pressed a button on her chair and the vault opened up. Inside were two humanoid Pretender shells, one belonging to Omi and another that had been cloned from it. It was an inferior version, since Omitron had yet to perfect cloning, but it would be adequate for her plans. The shell was a humanoid female wearing a pastel purple spacesuit with turquoise trim that hid most of its body, including half of its face. Light brown hair hung down to its shoulders, but most of its head was hidden by a turquoise helmet. It looked like most of the Autobot Pretender shells and would easily blend in on Cybertron. Omitron's shell was at full size and clad in a gray spacesuit with black trim that hid all but its eyes and nose.

"What is our first mission?" Nighthawk asked.

"You and I are going to break into the Penal Facility in Cyberhex."

"The Penal Facility?" Over twenty of the worst Decepticon criminals of the war were housed there, their sparks in eternal stasis.

"Yes, a new Decepticon army will need sparks, and the Penal Facility is an ideal place. Misfire, Dreadwind, and the others will conduct a similar raid on the Penal Colony at Tehendra." Tehendra stored another twenty or so sparks, but these were of lesser Decepticons. It was a medium security prison, but Cyberhex was a maximum security one. Nighthawk had been there once and she had been scanned from every angle before gaining access.

"How are we going to do that?"

"Autobot security is not all that tight, I have ways to get us in. I'll explain on our way there. First, we have to wait for Misfire and the others to finish in the restoration tank. In the meantime, try out the shell and see if it fits you." Nighthawk climbed up to the open vault and touched a button on the shoulder of the spacesuit that caused it to open. She backed inside the shell and it closed around her, its dimensions compacting to more tightly fit her. Her eyes closed and all neural commands were routed through the shell's helmet.

She moved the arms and legs a bit and adjusted to the added weight and size of the shell. Then she walked out of the vault. "This is adequate," she said, the shell's voice synthesizers making her usual gravelly voice sound higher and more human. Omitron floated up to her and nodded.

"Good. I estimate we'll leave in a few hours. The shell is able to transform into a cargo carrier that will fit under you in fighter mode." Omitron's expression hardened as she added, "The shell is equipped with magnetic restraints and a self‑destruct that can be activated at any time. Betray me and I will destroy you."

Nighthawk nodded her humanoid head, fear growing in her as she wondered if she had made a mistake. Omitron turned away as a button on her chair lit up. She was receiving a communique from Soundwave on the Decepticon mining colony. She zoomed away to somewhere private and activated it. "My lady, all goes well here. A rogue Autobot ship has arrived and asked for our help in finding you. The ship is equipped with a cloaking device that I know you will find useful. The ship and its cargo of raw materials will soon be en route to Kortex." Omitron smiled as she thought about the message. A cloaking device? That would be very useful indeed. Still, getting those sparks was important and her mission could not be delayed. She would have to trust that Bugly could take care of things in her absence. She hurried away to give him instructions.