Those That Touch the Sun
Most characters officially belong to Hasbro-Takara. Others are MINE I tell you!
Deep in the vastness of space, there are an infinite number of stars. Around each star is a number of planets, some are full of life, but most are dead and cold. Our story starts on a planet known to its inhabitants as Cybertron. Cybertron was once a glorious paradise, a finely tuned living machine born with the universe. Having its own thoughts, it gave birth to other beings in its own image since time immemorial. The race that lived upon its surface could alter their shape by force of will, and was the first and most advanced society to ever exist. But corruption crept in after the millennia upon millennia of peace. War broke out, spanning across the galaxy, then the universe. Primitive races saw it as a war among the gods, advanced races tried to defend themselves in vain. A single Decepticon warship would raze a planet, strip it of resources, and move on within days, leaving Autobot peacekeepers to salvage the ruins. And that is what happened on the planet Pythos.
Override, captain of the mighty Decepticon warship, SUNHOUND, was worried. He was months behind schedule, and was expecting a reprimand for it. There he was, at the helm of a five kilometer long war machine with six hundred thousand warriors, each as strong as an army and as smart as a supercomputer at his command, and he was afraid.
"Captain, the GIGALYTHE is hailing us", called his first officer, Teradive.
"Patch it through", answered Override. Staring intently, he knew in his spark that he was as good as dead. He had been lagging his ship behind the GIGALYTHE in a failed attempt to prolong this moment for as long as possible. This was it, the end of his career, and his life, literally! Desperately, he ordered his gunners to open fire, only for his first hand to say, "That isn't an option sir. The GIGALYTHE is over seven-thousand four-hundred kilometers long, and has armor and firepower to match! We won't make a scratch on her hull, and to shoot at another Decepticon vessel will be seen as treason. They'll board us, kill the crew, and give the ship to another, more trustworthy captain."
"Fine", spat Override. On that note, a hologram of a tall, strong cybertronian rose from the deck. It was him, it was Admiral Rampage!
"Young Override, you have disgraced our Lord Megatron's vessel-", rasped Rampage, "-the SUNHOUND, by allowing it to move out of communications range and fall behind the fleet. I have been sent back to retrieve your crew, your ship and most importantly, you. Clearance has been given, dock in hanger forty-thousand six-hundred sixty-six Delta. We shall converse further in the brig." With that, the transmission ended, and Override sank into his chair, ready to die.
Rampage stood in front of him, waiting for his answer. Was he serious? Was he offering to open the cell doors, return him to his ship, and have the chance to redeem himself?
"Why?" What possessed Override to ask this was beyond anyone present, but he certainly got an answer.
"Because yours is the only other ship that isn't on the front lines right now, and Megatron needs new troops and new vehicles. I have all of my captains training eighty-thousand squads of shock troops; I can't spare any to raid primitive planets of their materials in order to feed the on-board war factories. That's where you come in. You take down planetary defenses and load the spoils. Then, return to the GIGALYTHE so we can make the jump to the next system, and so forth. It's faster than strip mining and it'll keep us moving to the front."
"So what's in it for me?" Override cautiously asked.
"I am willing to re-write my report to keep you alive as well as your crew. The ship will still be reassigned though, as well as your rank. Take it or leave it." It wasn't a hard choice. One look at the torture rack in the corner, the oil stained walls of his cell, and the hulking guard in the door-frame was all it took to convince him. Shifting his bulk into a bow, Override regally said, "I accept your offer, my Lord. What is our first destination?"
"A small, insignificant, world that is rich in ore, it is known as Pythos."
"What of the inhabitants? Are they advanced enough to fight back?"
"Not really. Here is a file on the Pythosians, you may want it", Rampage grunted, handing Override a holographic image of a lean, humanoid flesh-ling covered in bony plates and some kind of clothing. This was the insect that stood between him and his life. This was the flesh-ling species that he was to make extinct, and rip Pythos from their rotting carcasses.
"Run!" he had told them. "Don't look back!" he said. What a fool he was, to give his troops any hope. The metal giants were just too strong, too fast, and too smart. A single one had demolished the entire airbase; the pilots didn't even know they were under attack until the attack was over! That was ONE! THOUSANDS of the demons fell from the sky that day, and more kept coming! THUD, THUD, THUD, thundered the beat of their march. Colonel Uri was his title, champion of the people. Some good it did him now, lying here in the wreckage of the city he swore to protect, every bone in his body shattered like glass. DAMN! What were these things? Monsters? Devils? More importantly, why was everything dark, and why was he so tired? Perhaps it was best that he sleep, and join the rest of his kind.
Standing in the planet capital (or at least what appeared to be the planets' capital), was exhilarating and saddening for Override. He had asked the squad leaders to spare this particular group of Pythosians, purely so he could ask them to surrender personally. Seeing him as some kind of monster, they threw rocks, shot him, and cursed at him. They completely ignored his pleas that they listen, that they save themselves. Eventually, Rampage became so annoyed by this, that he kicked down their fortress, crushed their escape vehicle, and ground a large group of Pythosians to a sticky mess under his heel. To finish off any poor survivors, he fired up the fusion reactors in his shoulders, and opened all his cooling vents, purging the entire area of life with massive amounts of radiation. Unlike Rampage, Override didn't like to see weaker, pathetic species fried to a quivering pulp. It was one of the reasons why he didn't quite fit with the Decepticons, in his own opinion.
"Move, Override. Organize your soldiers; take everything that isn't bolted down, as well as everything that is! I want the SUNHOUND docked with a full cargo hold; you will be on the GIGALYTHE's bridge in one cycle. Am I clear?"
"Yes, my Lord", Override replied, once again bowing obediently. That was what had gotten him into the Decepticon ranks, obedience. That was all they cared for really, for their soldiers to obey commands that average bots' wouldn't even think to act on unless forced. It was time he left it behind, by his choice or not.
Rampage stood back on to Override as he entered the bridge, the only recognition he got was a glance from one of the Vehicon pilots. The mood was foul here, and showed on Rampage's face as he faced Override.
"You are unfit to lead, Override, and you will not continue to do so. Bots' in this military must be strong! They must be resilient to others' pain, to their influence. For the simple fact that you adhered to our original pact, I have decided to let you go."
"Let me go, sir?"
"Yes. You will be provided with a small craft, supplies for one stellar cycle, and most importantly, your life" rumbled Rampage. "As you know", he continued, "It is not standard procedure to release defectors, or let them survive, whether they be willing or not. So enjoy the rest of your pathetic existence knowing the rest of your kind considers you dead, executed like a common prisoner."
"What of my crew?" Override inquired. He wasn't particularly amazed when he was told bluntly that, "Your crew and ship will be reassigned". What did shock him was that old Teradive was to be the new captain! Teradive, the bot' he stood by and trusted to the depths of his spark, would lead his crew! With this news, he felt ready to leave as the Vehicons walked him to the hanger. He was ready to start a new life among the billions of uncharted stars as they marched him to his ship. Taking one last look at his beloved SUNHOUND, he lifted his red-paneled arm to the dashboard, and pulled the ignition. He was correcting a mistake made eons ago when he joined the Decepticon navy, back when he had saw it as a spot of light in the dark, and rushed for it. He had gone and touched the sun, and now he was burned. Yet, he could heal, and travel the stars, teaching other races the lesson he learned slowly over the millennia of his lifetime. He would teach them what happened to those who touched the sun.