Transformers G1: Factions
Prologue
It is a time of conflict on Cybertron, now so more than ever. It is not just as simple as autobots and decepticons. Several new factions have sprung up all over the planet, with their sites set on domination or conquest. Cybertron is in danger of being torn apart, no matter who tries to save it. Meanwhile, far away on Earth, a small outpost still stands, with several autobots still waiting for any communication with their former friends.
In the capital city of Iacon, Optimus Prime protects his autobots and anyone else who wants shelter from the raging war. In the decepticon city of Kaon, Megatron holds a strong fortress with his minions. On Earth, Bumblebee tries to keep his small group of autobots in check until they can rejoin their leader. In the Wastelands, Hot Rod leads a group of rebels who will attack either side for their profit. Somewhere in the abandoned underground subways, Starscream leads his own gang, bent on taking Kaon, and then the rest of Cybertron. In a capacitor-wrenching decision, Alpha Trion has split away from the autobots and formed the Peacekeepers, a group of police units for the benefit of the civilians. Several other groups dot the landscape of Cybertron, waiting for their chance to attack. Will one faction dominate the others…or will Cybertron be consumed in the tides of war?
Issue One: Factions
Kaon…
"All system maintenance checks complete," said Soundwave with his mechanical voice. "Security systems functioning, shields at full power."
"Excellent," Megatron said from his throne. "Everything continues to go smoothly. Before too long, Cybertron will belong to me. Soundwave! Contact Astrotrain."
Soundwave punched in a few commands on one of the computer consoles, and in seconds a full-size hologram of Astrotrain appeared on a pedestal in front of Megatron's throne.
"Yes, my leader?" Astrotrain asked.
"Have you infiltrated the rebel ranks yet?"
"Not yet, mighty Megatron, but I am not far from achieving our goal."
"Good. Just remember; any resistance can be met by the stunticons. They are standing by and ready for an attack."
"Yes, my lord. I'll keep that in mind.
As the hologram faded, Megatron began to laugh.
"Hahahahaha! Things have never been easier. Cybertron is practically mine already."
The Wastelands…
"I'm closing in on their last known position, Prime." Prowl said into his communicator as he raced through the Wastelands in police car mode.
"Good. Don't let yourself get caught or deactivated. If you run in to trouble, come straight back here."
"You won't have to worry about that, Prime. Oh, wait a minute. I'm picking up a new signal. Wait…"
"Prowl? Prowl?! What's going on?" Optimus asked worriedly.
"It's a decepticon signal! It's Astrotrain!"
"Astrotrain? What's he doing there?" Prime asked, slightly confused.
"I can find out!"
"Don't risk your mission, Prowl." Prime warned.
"No worries there, Optimus."
As he pressed forward, a laser blast struck his hood. He transformed, sliding into a nearby pile of rusting metal scrap.
"Unngh…" He groaned, slowly crawling from the wreckage.
Astrotrain had already transformed into robot mode, his laser cannons locked on Prowl.
"I will not have you ruining my mission!"
"You're mission?" Prowl yelled. "What about mine!" Prowl transformed back into police car mode, screeching his tires and racing towards the decepticon. Astrotrain fired his laser cannons again, but Prowl managed to dodge the blasts. He slammed into the triplechanger, sending him flying into a burned-out space cruiser. Prowl transformed, blaster trained on the downed decepticon.
Astrotrain slowly got back to his feet, clenching his fists.
"That's it. Die autobooooot!"
Astrotrain charged Prowl, tackling him and sending them both into another wreckage pile. As they struggled, the ground suddenly disappeared from under them as they fell beneath the scraps that covered the Wastelands. They landed with a splash, both of them confused. Prowl was the first to stand up and realize where they were.
"The Underground…" He said, surveying the abandoned waterway.
"Well look what we found, Skywarp." Came a voice from behind.
Prowl swiveled around to see Skywarp and Thundercracker watching him and the still downed decepticon.
"You know what Starscream says about intruders, don't you Thundercracker?" Skywarp asked of his comrade.
"Let no one escape." They both said in unison.
"Starscream? Who in their right mind would follow that punk?!" Prowl asked.
Suddenly, a laser blast slammed into Prowl's back, and the autobot fell to the ground, smoldering. Astrotrain stood behind him, his blaster smoking.
"Traitors! Now that we know where to find you, Megatron will have his revenge!"
"No! Stop him!" Skywarp shouted.
Thundercracker and Skywarp fired several laser blasts at Astrotrain as he transformed into shuttle mode and flew from the hole in which he and Prowl had fallen through. Starscream's minions transformed into F-15 Eagle mode and flew after the decepticon.
"If Megatron finds out where Starscream is, we're toast!" Thundercracker said.
Astrotrain struggled to get away from the faster jets trailing him.
Just as Skywarp got a missile lock on his foe, a huge black cloud enveloped all three.
"Ahhh! What is this?!" Astrotain screamed.
"You tell us!" Thundercracker shouted.
All three transformed back into robot mode and landed, trying to filter out the smoke from their servos. As the thick cloud cleared, the three found themselves surrounded by familiar faces; Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Dirge, Blitzwing, Tracks, and at the front of them all, stood Smokescreen.
"I shoulda known…" Astrotrain grumbled.
Iacon…
"Prowl? Prowl! What's going on?" Prime asked urgently, waiting for any reply. "This isn't good. I should've known this was too dangerous."
"Don't blame yerself, Prime." Ironhide spoke up. "We had to try somethin'."
"It doesn't matter now. We have to save him."
"But Prime, anything could've happened to him. Its rebel territory out there and he did pick up a decepticon signal before the transmission went out." Mirage reminded them.
"I know that Mirage, but no autobot will ever be left behind as long as I function. Ironhide, Wheeljack, and Cliffjumper; you three come with me. We're going to save Prowl."
The Underground…
Prowl's program restarted, and his optics blurred slightly before becoming clear. He slowly stood, looking around, regaining his bearings.
"Astrotrain? Thundercracker? Skywarp?" He asked, surveying the waterways for any sign of his enemies.
He looked up, finding that the way he had come in had caved in with wreckage from above. 'Guess I gotta find another way out.' He thought to himself as he began treading through the shallow murky water. After navigating a few twisting turns, a splash echoed throughout the tunnel.
Prowl turned around, looking for any rippling water or movement. He detected none, and began walking again. The splash came again and this time, Prowl stood still, waiting for another sound. The next sounds that emanated throughout the waterways were strange, metallic growls.
"What…the…" Prowl began slowly.
He was cut off as several sharkticons surrounded him, ready to pounce.
The Wastelands…
Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Wheeljack, and Cliffjumper all sped through the Wastelands in vehicle mode.
"Keep your optics open, the rebels could be hiding anywhere." Prime instructed.
An explosion rocked the autobots, sending them all sliding in different directions. Springing up from the wreckage, Dirge, Blitzwing, and Tracks moved in on their new targets.
"Cease movement, autobots!" Blitzwing commanded. "You will come with us or be destroyed."
Optimus Prime and the others transformed into robot mode, staying in position.
"We don't want any trouble with you scum." Optimus said firmly. "We only want our comrade back."
"Comrade?" Blitzwing asked. "Since when have Thundercracker, Skywarp, or Astrotrain allied with autobots?"
"He means Prowl, you pile of scrap!" Cliffjumper yelled.
"Easy, Cliffjumper." Optimus said, stepping closer to the rebels. "You're telling us you have Astrotrain, Thundercracker, and Skywarp captive, but not Prowl?"
"We're not telling you anything!" Tracks cut in.
"Why you no good lousy son of a-" Ironhide began.
"Decepticons! Attaaaack!" Megatron cut Ironhide off, with Soundwave, Ramjet, and Thrust flying with him.
Laser blasts began flying in all directions. Optimus and the autobots took cover behind a rusting ship hull.
"Damn decepticons, always showin' up at the worst time." Ironhide grumbled.
"Prime, by the sound of things, they don't have our guy!" Wheeljack spoke up.
"Then where could he be?" Optimus asked. "We can't give up."
"No, but we can get out of here and send a search party when the situation cools off." Wheeljack suggested.
"Wheeljack's right. Autobots, transform and return to base."
---
Meanwhile, the decepticons and rebels continued battle.
"Kill them all! If they won't join us, they will die!" Megatron shouted amidst the blaster fire.
"Join you?" Blitzwing shouted. "Cease fire!"
Everyone stopped shooting as Blitzwing stood up.
"You're crazy schemes never worked. Starscream set an example and left, but he wasn't able to follow either. Optimus Prime never defeated you, so he isn't fit. There was nowhere to turn but to rebel against everyone. Not a one of us will ever join you, Megatron! Not again!"
"You traitorous fool, you will die for your part in the decepticon uprising!"
Megatron transformed into gun mode, landing in Soundwave's hand. Soundwave fired, a blast hitting Blitzwing square in the chest.
"Blitzwing!" Dirge screamed.
Dirge picked up Blitzwing, motioning to Tracks. "We'll take care of the decepticons later. Let's get back to base!"
"Don't let them escape!" Megatron shouted, transforming back into robot mode. "Hunt them all down!"
The Underground…
Prowl fired blasts at the sharkticons as they closed in, but there were far too many.
"You Primus-forsaken sons of glitches…argh!" He screamed, falling as they began to tear his outer casing apart. Just as his optics began to fade, laser blasts lit up the tunnel around him, and the sharkticons fled. Prowl's energon levels were low and his sensors were fading, and he tried to make out who had saved him. Just before he went into stasis lock, he noticed the form who had saved him from destruction: Starscream.
The Wastelands, Rebel HQ…
"Hot Rod! Defense stations!" Dirge said as he and Tracks carried their damaged friend towards their base. As Megatron and the decepticons closed in behind them, giant laser turrets raised up from the wreckage and began firing. One of the blasts enveloped Ramjet, and he fell smoldering into the wreckage.
"Ahh! Retreat!" Megatron shouted. Soundwave and Thrust followed their leader away from the rebel base, leaving Ramjet where he lay.
As Ramjet struggled to stay functional, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker appeared over him.
"Another new addition, eh brother?" Sunstreaker said, laughing.
"Indeed, Sunstreaker."
Iacon…
"They say they don't have Prowl, Prime, and that is not fine." Blaster said amongst the autobots gathered in their fortress.
"The rebels are unpredictable, but we have to make sure they aren't deceiving us." Prime responded.
"So why don't we just send someone who can sneak up on 'em?" Mirage suggested, stepping forward.
"I know just who to elect. Let's send Eject." Blaster said, letting his comrade loose. Eject transformed from cassette tape into robot mode, giving a little salute.
"I'd be glad to do it!"
"Fine. Mirage, go with him, just in case you run into trouble." Optimus instructed.
"What if them punks don't have Prowl?" Ironhide asked.
"I've considered that, Ironhide." Prime responded. "We'll send the protectobots to search the Wastelands."
The Underground…
As Prowl's systems came back online, he realized two things; he was in a prison cell, and his autobot symbols had been removed.
"What….what's going on?" He asked, standing up and walking over to the thick steel bars that prevented him from getting out.
"Oh how charming. He's awake!" Starscream laughed, stepping into view. Behind him, the aerialbots stood, watching silently.
"So this is where you've been hiding." Prowl said, staring at the group. "In the sewers where you belong."
"Hahahaha!" Starscream laughed loudly. "Insult me all you want. Before long, you will serve me just as they do!" He motioned at the aerialbots behind him. He then turned and moved past them. "Come on! We have work to do!"
The aerialbots all followed Starscream through the corridor, except for Skydive. After everyone else left, he stepped close to Prowl's cell.
"Do not worry. All is not what it seems."
"What?" Prowl asked, confused.
Skydive only nodded before turning and walking away, leaving Prowl in his cell, alone, to think.
Third Moon of Cybertron…
A group of transformers sat around a table in an undisclosed location on the Third Moon of Cybertron. At the head of the table sat Alpha Trion.
"We haven't achieved anything in the means of unifying Cybertron yet, master Trion." Skyfire said.
"That's not true, lad. It seems like just a few breems ago we tried to stop a decepticon attack on Junkion." Kup reminded the council.
"He has a point, but it still didn't achieve anything." Red Alert piped up.
"We may have to start being more aggressive to unify any two parts of this planet nowadays." Ultra Magnus suggested.
"More force? But that's not what the Peacekeeper's are about!" Sandstorm argued.
"That makes us no better than decepticons, I'm afraid." Perceptor added.
"But he makes a valid point! What have we done to stop the pointless attacks?" Hound asked.
"Enough!" Alpha Trion finally cut in. "We are the Peacekeepers. We must not fight amongst ourselves."
"I'm sorry, master Trion." Ultra Magnus said quietly.
Suddenly, the door slid open with a hiss and Spyglass, Spectro, and Viewfinder came rushing in.
"Alpha Trion! Alpha Trion!" They said in unison. "We have troubling images!"
"Show us, then." Alpha Trion said calmly.
The three transformed together to form Reflector in camera mode and transmitted their images on the nearest wall. Everyone at the table gasped at the images of a mighty blue robot with giant wings and the metallic version of a beard.
"Scourge…" Octane sighed.
"This can only mean one thing." Alpha Trion began. "We are on the verge of his coming…"
"No…" Springer said. "Not…"
"Yes." Alpha Trion said, lowering his head. "Unicron…"
Be sure to catch Issue 2...coming soon to a near you.