Transformers: Fragments
Author's notes: I do not own the rights to Transformers, Doctor Who or any of the other shows that I may make refrence to. A believable Fraggle Rock cameo was planned and may be added later to this chapter, but who knows. So far this story falls into the same continuity as my Minicon Dawn story... and uses some of the ideas expressed in that story. as far as what continuity this story uses? All of them... even the contradictory ones (except for dreamwave comic continuity) everything happened on one cybertron or another on earth in one time frame or another. This chapter focues on Rodimus Prime starting at the end of his roll in the Japanese Headmasters series. Other chapters in the Fragments story may focus on other characters from different aspects of continuity, and may include some writing I had origonally done that was to be bookends to other chapters of Destiny Ascendant as it doesnt look like that story is going to continue.
Rodimus Prime:
It had been a good run, he decided, there had been a few regrets along the way but on the whole he thought he had done a good job as Prime. Of course when Optimus Prime returned, he had been relieved to hand command back over, even though it was impossible for him to go back to being Hot Rod without thinking more about the big picture. It had also been sad, all the sacrifice that had been made to restore Cybertron to a golden age, then the Nebulans returned home, and before he knew it the Great War began again.
Even though he told himself he had a good run, he didn't really know what had gone wrong with his short time as Prime. He was suppose to have been the greatest of the Primes, but instead the fanciest title had been 'Matrix Bearer.'
The next death of Optimus Prime and the destruction of Cybertron had spelled the end of his reign. It was time for him to leave, and that is what he did, taking Kup and Blurr with him, leaving Arcee behind to help Fortress with the transition. He was confident with that decision, Fortress would be a fine leader, and it wasn't like he would never see Arcee again. When he thought about it he would see a brief flash of himself with her in a spider form.
The Transformers, the Autobots needed a new home, not just a base like Athena or Autobot City; and he would be the one to find that new world to make up for his failure to save the restored Cybertron. When he left, he took the matrix with him, not thinking of how it would effect the chain of history. For the first time no active Transformer leader would have it, altering the entire mythology of the race, possibly to the point of evolution.
Time passed…
Rodimus Prime stood on yet another dead world. Each world they came to, they stopped to rest while they ran tests to see if it would work as. None of them was as young or as fully charged and equipped as they had been on Cybertron, and traveling the universe took a lot out of a being.
"You know, Lad," Kup started, "Me and some of the new guys on this quest cant help thinking that this whole search would go a lot easier if we had a ship."
"Blurr, check the surrounding area," Rodimus said, totally ignoring Kup. His eyes scanned the horizon, and the stars. Something was wrong about this place, and he didn't think it was the world.
Blurr, rattling off a 50 word acceptance of the order in his almost usual flippant way transformed and disappeared over the horizon.
The sun was already beginning to set, and the unease Rodimus felt only grew. The matrix within him grew cold, as if it were deliberately hiding within itself. "Blurr," he radioed, "Get back here, now."
The rapidly advancing dust cloud signaled the return of Blurr, but then Rodimus Prime saw it. The moon.
"Everyone down!" he ordered. It would make no real difference, but the urge to get down and hide was reflex.
It took the others a bit longer to realize what they were seeing. The distinct ring, attached at the equator, the protruding horns and spires, the gaping mouth. Actually the mouth design seemed a bit different, but there was no doubt. Unicron.
They all remained silent, watching in silent horror as the moon orbited overhead and hours later disappeared behind the other horizon.
Once he had finally disappeared the Autobots became suddenly vocal with explanation of disbelief, that he had been destroyed. Ironically time that drove the other Autobots into a panic, allowed Rodimus to center himself.
"No, its not him," Rodimus reassured his Autobots. "It is, but its not the one we know. This one is dormant, and when he wakes, I don't think he will be our problem." That thought didn't sit right with him. Wasn't it his responsibility to defeat Unicron regardless of Unicron's target, he felt guilty leaving some other unsuspecting planet to be terrorized by the beast of a planet. But he didn't want to risk waking Unicron too soon, he and his group were not ready to defeat it.
Time passed.
Rodimus Prime's group had enlarged even more as they searched for a possible home world. He had even managed to recruit a ship.
"I am receiving a message from Earth, for Rodimus Prime from Daniel," Sky Garry, their new ship reported.
A wave of nostalgia swept over Rodimus, he missed the human child Daniel, and his father. "Send the message to my quarters," he said leaving the bridge.
He returned a few minutes later, radiating a sense of loss that drew the attention of everyone else. Kup, Blurr, Sparks, and the rest who had joined him looked silently to Rodimus, waiting for him to speak.
"Ultra Magnus is dead. He was killed by a Decepticon named Sixshot," Rodimus Prime finally said, his voice sounding heavy. He walked to a window, resting a hand on a rail for support.
"So… Do we go back?" Kup asked.
"No," Rodimus answered. "We still have a job to do. Head for the next system."
Time passed.
Sky Garry halted at the edge of what use to be a solar system.
"Sensors detect a technologically based planet at the heart of this system… and another world is giving off strange sensor readings too," Sparks reported from his station.
"What sort of readings?" Rodimus asked.
"Null matter. The planets are going to collide!"
The view screen showed a glistening silver world that was launching wave after wave of fighter craft against the approaching black orb that was equally smooth. Within moments null-matter fighters from the approaching black planets had all but destroyed the Tek fighters. The front of the black orb opened, highlighted in red lights, reaching out a claw to grasp the shining metal world.
"A beast planet," Kup whispered. "I heard the legends, figured it was Unicron."
"It not Unicron, but its still the same Beast," Rodimus said, "Its too far. There is nothing we can do."
The heavens ripped open, and a single Tek fighter slipped through it, followed by a fleet of Beast Drones… and before long the black planet itself would follow.
"There is no longer any life on that planet," Springer reported, his voice somber.
Time passed.
"You should see this one," Kup called Rodimus. "I heard legends of this planet, but never thought I would see it."
"What is it, Kup," Rodimus answered, moving to the view screen.
The screen showed an impossible sight, a small ugly little planet that was in a close orbit of a black hole. Everything else was being pulled into the gaping maw of the black hole, but the planet remained, indifferent and uncaring. "Planet Bitter," Kup declared.
Something within Rodimus stirred, he knew what that the reaction within the Matrix usually meant. He studied the gravity map carefully. The ship was almost far enough away to be safe, but there was a narrow cone of safety where one could approach the planet without being pulled into the black hole.
"Move the ship in closer, being sure to stay in the safe area behind planet bitter. I'm going in."
"Shouldn't we set down, and all go?"
"No, this I need to do alone."
Rodimus touched down on the barren world, normally one could find a sense of exotic beauty on strange worlds where none have set foot before, but that was not the case with this world. As he looked around, he didn't see what he was looking for, until he looked over the side of a cliff into an abyss.
No doubt left in him, he jumped down… He saw the remains of a cave city that did have a sense of beauty about it, and prepared to land, but when he expected to land the ground opened up and he continued to fall. The landing was rougher than he had expected, but he was easily able to pick himself back up.
He saw a glow in the distance, he approached it. His mind noted and deciphered the pictographs that lined the walls, the language was one the Matrix knew from the time of Primus, translation was easy. He stopped between two vases, the key to the trap and the jail, according the pictographs.
It was organic, and huge by organic standards, smaller than Unicron, but Rodimus knew better than to rely on just appearances. And it was shacked by metal chains that defied analysis. It was a horned beast, with almost skeletal facial features, and cloven feet. Rodimus Prime knew that no force in creation would be able to break them, and no weapon he possessed would be able to harm the organic creature that roared in defiance of him.
"Unicron," Rodimus Prime said aloud.
The beast before him roared, but spoke clearly and intelligently in his mind. "Yes. One name of Many, but what of you, Rodimus Prime; Greatest of all the Primes; Savior of Earth; Matrix Bearer; Destroyer of Cybertron; Hot Rod. Do you know how many died when you failed to safe your planet? Do you know how many lost their lives unable to evacuate, cursing your name as their final act. Did you know that Ultra Magnus wondered why you weren't there to save his life?"
"Is that the best you can do?" Rodimus asked, "Prey on doubts and insecurities that I have already overcome? I've faced you many times, Unicron. You will have to do better than that."
An astral attack, a winged horned god attacked, the astral form of Rodimus parried with a shimmering sword. Rodimus was use to similar attacks from the beast Unicron in the past; this one was no challenge.
"I came here to kill you," Rodimus said flatly, no trace of anger, fear or glee in his voice. "I thought I needed revenge for the trouble you have caused, will cause. I wanted to put an end to it all, once and for all, just you, me and the Matrix."
The beast recoiled at the mention of the Matrix, but otherwise laughed at the boldness of Rodimus Prime's statement.
"Do you think you have the power? Break the vases and sacrifice yourself and friends along with me. You will forever live in the shadow of those greater than you."
"I don't need to destroy you, I've already defeated you more times that I can count, and I can do so again."
The beast roared in outrage.
"We will meet again Rodimus Prime… I shall feast on many of your Cybertrons."
Without another word, Rodimus Prime turned and left to rejoin the other Autobots on their ship.
More time passed, but Rodimus was not oblivious to what was going on with the Autobots or Earth. He did make the occasional visit to Earth to fight robotic ninjas, and to keep track of the ever-expanding war between Autobots and Decepticons. At least with the retreat of Scorponok from Earth, that planet at least no longer played a roll in the conflict, but the same could not be said of a hundred other worlds.
He had attempted to find a world where the Autobots could live in peace, but he had not been able to find a suitable world. Either there was incompatible organic life, or the world was too close to a potential source of conflict, or the ever-increasing scope of the Great War.
It was time to reevaluate his goals and criteria for a new planet. Cybertron had been a focal point that both sides had fought for, it kept the war relatively focused on a single goal preventing the war from expanding too far. For the sake of galactic peace the Transformers didn't necessarily need a planet of peace, but a war torn home to fight over to keep the war isolated from the rest of the universe.
He pulled up a log of his journey and reviewed the planets they had already visited looking for a world that suited his new criteria. This time around, it was easy to find, they changed course for the new world.
Upon arrival, Kup and the others stayed onboard the ship, while Rodimus landed alone. There was one thing the planet needed in order to be the home they needed. Cybertron always seemed to have a soul of sorts, he supposed the name of that soul was Vector Sigma… this planet would need that in order to be home… and maybe a plasma energy chamber, and all the other oddities Cybertron had at its disposal. The planet was a dead world, orbiting a youngish star. At one time it had supported organic life, but that time was long past. What the planet needed now was the Matrix in order to become the world they needed. Not exactly lighting their darkest hour… but the Matrix had absorbed the combined essence of Alpha Trion and Vector Sigma before the destruction of Cybertron.
He wondered briefly if any other Primes had the same issue of changing forms based on their proximity to the matrix, then removed the matrix and placed it against the planet.
Time passed.
New Cybertron… already most of the inhabitance had begun dropping the "New" aspect of the name. Slowly at first, then in droves, many of them assumed it was the original Cybertron, especially since the original planet did not have a set location, being blasted or teleported out of orbit. It made no difference that the planet was somewhere new.
The Decepticons had already established a camp at the geographic location of Polyhex, and the Autobots where Iacon would have been, but not just Autobots and Decepticons, but Horricons, Predicons, Technobots, Protectobots, Maximals, Microns, and more factions and sub-races than anyone knew existed.
Rodimus Prime was proud that the planet was quickly becoming a new home to his people, replacing Earth, Master, Micro, and the other assorted planets the Transformers had placed colonies on.
Time passed
Sky Garry landed at one of the established ports, dropping off yet another group of Autobots looking to migrate back home. One of the immigrating Autobots was a warrior who drew no unusual attention from the others. Rodimus Prime no longer existed, having returned the Matrix to Star Convoy years before, but he had also left behind the name Hot Rod. The Autobot warrior Rodimus returned home… he would see if he could have the normal life his young self had never wanted, but in the end, only time would tell.