A Rats thoughts
When I signed on to the Axalon crew I did so with the intention of exploring the galaxy. If anything I wanted to get away from Cybertron for awhile. never imaged I'd take home for granted after making a simple decision. On the day that the Axalon was to take off I learned a few things: A skeleton crew of four would do the actual piloting, an old friend was also part of the crew and the Maximal elders had a covert mission in mind for us accomplish while in deep space.
Of the four of us only one, a.k.a the kid, didn't know of the covert mission. Thankfully he was unaware that Protoform X existed, which was one reason I wanted to get away for awhile. It was created almost five stellar cycles earlier in an attempt to replicate Starscreams indestructible spark and cross it with a maximal. However something in the process went wrong and the result was a crazed immortal transformer. It escaped its holding cell after a few months and than leveled the colony where it was held.
The sole survivor of the colony, Depth Charge, spent the next four stellar cycles hunting down Protoform X. When he caught it and brought back to Cybertron he demanded a way be found to destroy it's spark. Instead it was sealed inside a custom stasis pod and given to us to dump somewhere far and barren. Depth Charge wasn't too happy with the decision and I couldn't really blame him for it. As soon as our ship cleared Cybertron we got redirected from exploration to interception.
The report was that some predacons managed to steal one of the two golden disks Earth entrusted to us to safeguard and than steal one of the prototype combat ships currently at the space dock. We got the order to intercept on account of being the only ship in position to do so. Unfortunately the stolen ship had a transwarp engine like the Axalon so when we exited transwarp space we had no idea when in time we were at. Not knowing where we were didn't help either. Shortly after 'arriving' on the planet we encountered the thieves who were quick to shoot.
Somehow we managed to survive the encounter but Optimus pointed out that the theft report indicated that six predacons were responsible where as we only encountered five. I just as quickly to point out that the missing one could of been killed in the crash. Rhinox said that wasn't likely as it turns out the missing one was blocking our path back to our ship. He stated his name was Dinobot and he wanted to join our group as leader. Optimus said he could join us, just not as leader.
At Dinobot's provocation the two started to dual but it got interrupted by the other predacons. Sure the attack could of served to prove Dinobot's point of having left them but than again I didn't believe that. Like their decepticon ancestors predacons didn't care about their own. As such Dinobot was collateral in an effort to get rid of Optimus. The stone bridge collapsed as a result of all the shots fired but we managed to get across to the other side just in time. Despite that, and fighting atop a mountain of energon, Dinobot was aloud to join our group putting us on equal footing with the predacons numbers wise.
He was also able to provide some inside into Megatrons plan which was to bring enough energon back to Cybertron to fuel a predacon takeover. Coordinates to a large enough cache were suppose to be etched onto the golden disk they stole. I really didn't believe him much as I figured it was a matter of time before he betrayed us. But as the months passed his loyalty to us went more and more without question. However a few weeks after the quantum surge hit Dinobot did betray us.
After getting ambushed by Inferno, Waspinator and Quickstrike while out on patrol Dinobot was taken to the predacon base where he decided to renewed his loyalty to Megatron. As part to confirm his loyalty Dinobot was to return one of the golden disks he somehow managed to steal a few weeks back. The disk he returned was the voyager disk which he hid in a rock grotto in our territory. I got there just in time to see Megatron ready to run him thru when his back was turned but I stopped him just in time with a well placed shot.
Rather than get some gratitude I got shot instead by Dinobots optic lasers. Megatron welcomed him home to the predacons for that and for a final test ordered Dinobot to finish me off. Dinobot protested as he saw it as unnecessary since I was already down and that I could have backup on the way. Regardless Dinobot drew his sword and prepared to finish me. I told him that I always knew he was a stinking pred deep down. I thought for sure he would do so but I swear I could see reluctance in his optics as he started to drop his sword.
I guess I wasn't the only one to see it because as he dropped his sword Megatron got ready to run Dinobot thru again. Sensing what was about to happen Dinobot turned his sword against Megatron. He told him that his ambitions had made him mad and that everyone will suffer for it in more ways than one. For that Megatron told Dinobot to return to us maximals provided that we'll suffer a traitor in our mists. Megatron left and as soon as he did Optimus and Silverbolt showed up. Upon being asked I told them that they just missed Megatron and Dinobot decided to be a predacon again. That surprised Silverbolt who asked how his honor could lead him to that.
Dinobot explained that his honor was predacon honor and he believed Megatron was on the verge of a great victory and admitted to being a fool in wanting to be part of it. Optimus asked what he wanted to do now. Dinobots response was simple: He wanted to rejoin us and if not he would go solo. Optimus said the decision was left to me. Although I really didn't want a traitor in the base but at the same time I couldn't imagine the base without him. So I decided to let Dinobot return to our fold.
Over the next several weeks we all voice our distrust towards Dinobot to him one way or another. Days after Megatron got Protoform X, now renamed Rampage, on his side Optimus and Rhinox decided it was best to boost the base defenses which I agreed to start doing. As I was tinkering with defenses in one hall Dinobot exited his quarters. I couldn't help but bait him on his past betrayals - first to the predacons and recently to us. Dinobot said he didn't have to explain his actions to me and than dared me to push it.
The only thing I pushed was Dinobot to get him out of my faceplates. I told him that although he was a predacon traitor at least I knew where he stood with us but now I wasn't so sure. I closed the wall panel and went to work in another part of the Axalon. What I didn't know was that would be the last time I would see him alive. Hours later we got an emergency communication from Dinobot saying the predacons were laying siege to the valley that the human race was bound to evolve from. Optimus ordered him to hold his position and wait for us. We all heard a "negative" before the comlink cut off. It took awhile but when we got to the valley we were to late.
The predacons were already defeated and Dinobot was found laying on the ground heavily damaged and just as depleted of energy. Turned out Dinobot took on all the predacons himself, overriding stasis lock to do so. According to Rhinox nothing could be done to save his life - not even stasis lock. Rhinox didn't need to say that to me as something instantly told me that, just by looking at him, even if stasis lock could be induced Dinobot wouldn't have survived the trip back to the Axalon - he was just too low on power and the distance was too great.
So as he lied there dying there was so much I wanted to tell him but the only thing I could manage to say was that I now knew where he stood. Dinobot in turn told me he took comfort in that. I guess by the look on his face he took it as a sign that our trust in him was restored. With what strength he had left Dinobot told us to tell his story - good and bad. He died that night on the valley floor surrounded by us his maximal comrades. As much as I hate to admit it but I lost a friend that night.
When morning broke hours later we held a service for out fallen comrade. Per tradition we disintegrated Dinobots body and as I watched his body become particles in the wind it did nothing to erase the pain I was feeling over his death. Days later as I was going thru the files in the Axalons main computer banks I found a file that shouldn't have been there. As I looked closer at it I realized that Dinobot downloaded this file and based on the date he did so around the time Rampage was discovered, about a week before his death.
The file was a copy of his memories and personality, which wasn't uncommon during times of war. I guess Dinobot foresaw that he wouldn't come out of the beast wars alive. Don't know why but I downloaded the file onto a data disk. Good thing too because not long after the Axalon was dragged off the cliff it rested on, broke in two and was in the lake below. Thankfully the front half landed on some boulders above the water which we were able to recover. Unfortunately several files were either scrambled or corrupted.
Months after we resettled at the Ark Megatron was successful in creating a new Dinobot clone. Unlike the first one this clone was made from, according to Optimus, Cheetor and Depth Charge, a blank protoform, half of Rampages spark and I'm guessing Dinobots dna. Not only that it was also a transmetal 2. This new Dinobot gave me an idea. If I could upload the original Dinobot memories and personality into it we could get Dinobot back. I managed to somehow talk Depth Charge into helping.
He was doubtful it was going to work but thankfully was able to knock it out. I uploaded the memories and up to that point the plan worked just fine. It was after the clone woke up that it started to go down hill. The clone addressed me in Dinobot's voice but it soon clutched its head in agony and started screaming. When it stop it just looked at me with cold optics and addressed me in its own voice. I accepted the fact that Dinobot really was gone as I ran for my life. Not long after we were in more trouble than ever.
Megatron found and brought online the ancient decepticon flagship the Nemesis. Not only were we threatened but the Ark was threatened as well. We tried to bring the main engines online in a bid to move the Ark but to no luck. We were ready to give up when a monitor lit up. On it was a schematic of the Ark which revealed an emergency shuttle on board. The Autobots must of placed it on board prior to leaving Cybertron ages ago but the history books don't mention it. I guess I know why now.
Thanks to that shuttle we able to take down the Nemesis, capture Megatron and finally go home. According to Optimus the Dinobot clone declined to save itself, speaking its final words in the originals voice. I'm certain that, in the end, the memories I uploaded into the clone took hold after all. I mean Dinobot once told me that there was an emergency shuttle on board the Ark and who else would send us the schematics. Dinobot was with us to the very end if not in body than in spirit.