06.00

It was a day like the day before, the sunrise was beautiful and the moon could be seen slowly fading from sight. Birds could be heard singing in the trees near The Ark, rousing everyone for a new day.

No one could foresee what chaos this day would end in later in the day, no one really cared, they were used to the Decepticons regularly attacking humans' settlements for energon, and somehow always prepared to roll out to stop them. This day was no different; of course their long time enemy would show their ugly faces sooner or later.

Meanwhile at the rim of Jupiter:

"Sir, we have just entered the solar system from which the signal, our search party intercepted, is coming from. What are your orders?"

"Continue the course, but slow down power and activate defensive measures just in case these unknown entities are hostile. Keep the sensors alert, we need to know more about the source of the signal."

"Yes Sir".

11.50

On Earth the day was going as expected. Just before noon the Autobots got the alert from Teletran 1 that the 'Cons were on the move and set for a newly build nuclear power plant in Japan. Giving the order to move out Optimus prepared for takeoff to intercept the Decepticons' newest scheme. Little did he know that when they returned to base everything in their life would have changed.

While the Autobots prepared to engage the Decepticons to prevent them in destroying yet another power plant for selfish goals, a new player in the war slowly came to a halt behind Earth's moon.

The Dormanians, an civilization of machines molded like fliers, once a peaceful developing people, shaped in the face of oppression and now facing extinction, carefully surveyed the new world before them. Unlike their home world Dorm, the planet before them contained so much more diversity, consisting of a metallic core surrounded by an earth crust, where Dorm consisted of an earth core with a metallic crust.

"Sir, Our depth scanners show that this planet is mainly inhabited by organic life forms. It is surrounded by an electrical signal showing signs of being send from the surface. Somehow there is intelligent life on this planet, but I can't tell if it will be of any use to us."

"Interesting, report to the Search Trine; inform them to send out patrols to scout the planet. Locate the source of the signal and report back to me. The Atlantis will remain stationary behind the planets moon."

"Yes Sir."

"Finally!" Skyder exclaimed after getting the Com link from Zest. Their destination waited. After vorns of travel through space they could get planet side, just any planet would do at this time, even one so unlike their own. The atmosphere even seemed promising. A smile crept into his faceplate.

"Well let's get going? The troops don't organize themselves." Thorm added, while rousing Wrath from recharge.

"Huh?" was the only answer he got from Wrath, too deep in recharge to form a coherent sentence.

"Come on Wrath, we are stationary, finally!" Thorm said, while shaking his confused trinemate none so gently. "We got orders. We are to organize the scouts and then search out every bit of this new planet."

A cycle later every patrol unit had departed The Atlantis, headed for Earth, curious if the promising signal they had followed for so long could truly be the answer to their prayers.

12.10

Needless to say the incoming patrolling units from the Dormanian armada didn't go unnoticed by neither humans nor Cybertronians down on Earth. Teletran 1 was the first to alert them to incoming in Earth perimeter, showing the entering forces all around the planet. The sheer number of crafts shocking to the human's government's worldwide. Redalert stationed back at the Ark with Wheeljack and Perceptor Com'ed Optimus, clearly on the edge of breakdown from the sheer panic attack he suffered from.

Within few breems every major capital around the planet had a foreign craft floating above them, spreading fear in the civilian population.

This didn't go unnoticed by the Decepticons either. Megatron already assessing the possibilities of using the disarray to further the Cause until Soundwave reported that even the Nemesis and the Ark had been targeted, causing the Decepticon leader to call retreat. As the Autobots and Decepticons parted, murmurs followed the retreating forces, every bot wondering what was happening.

And sure enough Soundwave was right, high above the waters, under which the Nemesis rested, a metallic mass of a space craft floated calmly and silently, promising neither peace nor hostility to the returning Decepticons. Its presence making it dawn upon the fierce warriors that they might not be the biggest threat out there.

15.00

At The Ark the Autobots gathered in the command center upon returning from Japan and the interrupted fight with the Decepticons. The return had been swift after Megatron had commanded retreat of the Decepticons; this time no one felt reason to celebrate the "victory", the craft currently floating above The Ark one of the reasons to that and the panicking humans another one. Quiet murmuring could be heard as the bots vented thoughts and reasons to the invaders coming to Earth, some fearing more Decepticons, others thinking them hostile and yet others hoping for peaceful intent. The twins Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, hot heads as they were, in firm tones announced that no matter what the intent, they were going to slag their afts, not thinking the new forces any more a danger than the Decepticons, and the Autobots always gained the upper hand in those fights.

As the Autobots voiced their opinions, Spike was rambling in panic about some movie and the doom of all humanity, while Optimus had The Secretary of Defense on the line discussing the development in the States and the rest of the world. The UN couldn't agree on a course of action and it seemed every country had enough in handling the crisis the panicking human population consisted, evacuating the major capitals.

So far no communication had been established with the intruding forces to clarify their intentions, and the eerie silence from the crafts' resting in the air was certainly not helping either. It foreboded no good, like the calm before the storm, as the humans had a say.

Currently Teletran showed feeds from around the world, one screen saved solely to the area surrounding the Nemesis – in a crisis like this Optimus toke no chance with Megatron, in case he would try to push his luck. So far everything was calm – as calm as can be. Decepticons could be detected outside the Decepticon base, but with no indication of setting out on duties.

Dormanian POV:

15.20

Behind the moon Stroza, the trineleader of the Command trine, Commander and head of the high-command of the Dormanian armada, awaited news from the Search trine, impatiently pacing in the command center of The Atlantis, wings stiff on his back not showing any of the emotion they normally did. With him were the rest of his trine, Thorth and Zest, and the Defense trineleader Stormcloud. It was obvious that his pacing freaked his trinemates, their wings now and then twitching, while Stormcloud, wings held high, merely was annoyed. They had all expected to receive some news at this time, their internal chrono telling them that three cycles had passed since Zest gave the Search trine their orders.

Finally losing his patience Stroza opened his Com link, contacting Skyder for any updates; "Any news trineleader?"

Down on Earth, Skyder, currently flying over Asia opened the Com link, and responded with a firm "Negative Commander.", the wings of his altmode slightly twitching. The scouts were all build more delicate than the rest of the armada, designed for fast flying and being able to pass enemy line as stealthy as possible, they were all smaller than the average Dormanian, only armed with nullrays as both offensive and defensive procedure. With a sigh he continued "We got it all around us, not able to single out the specific location." Having no more to report Skyder closed the Com after saluting the Commander and returned his focus to Thorm and Wrath flanking him on each side, sped up and headed for the continent of America, continuing to receive reports from their troops around the planet.

As the Com closed Stroza returned his optics to the fliers around him, hoping that anyone had a solution to singling out the signal, as the mission seemed to be harder than first anticipated. The only solution he could think of was unthinkable, too risky he told himself. Everyone present seemed in their own thoughts running their processors for a solution, but after several breems it was obvious they, like him was at a loss. The silence in the room soon grew thick and the wary looks the others send, wings held stiff in tension, showed that he hadn't been the only one to have his thoughts, but like him they too deemed it too risky to proceed with.

"I guess we all have had the same idea?" he asked, voicing his musings to break the eerie silence in the command center, receiving nods from the others.

"I… It's just…It is too risky Sir!" wings vibrating in distress and fidgeting Zest added "We don't know enough to make such a drastic move, we don't know yet if they are hostile and how violent. We all know how dangerous these organic species can be. Risking our future in a move like this, this early… who knows if THEY even agree with us?"

"I first handed know how organics can be Zest!" Stroza countered, continuing he added. "I haven't forgotten The War, the sole reason why we now are here, but we can't let fear drive us, or we might as well deserve to perish. I know this is risky, but if we succeed, Dorm will flourish with life anew. For that vision, I'm more than willing to sacrifice everything I have." In the background Thorth just shook his head at his trineleader and third, the first showing his wings high on his back as the other's drooped low, wondering when Stroza would accept that Zest was more like a pacifist thrown into the war, while Stroza himself was built for the position he possessed.

-Flashback-

As a peaceful civilization the transition from peace to war in a blink had taken its toll on the people. Within a few lunar cycles the whole command structure had been decimated to almost nonexistent, the royals wiped out all but one. The Crown Prince, studying off planet, had been spared in the bloodbath. Thankfully, Thorth mused. This mech, no more than a youngling at the time, had been the sole reason that Dorm still existed. Upon returning from his adventures with his mentor, he had, faced with reality taken up his creators' mantle and led them, cleverly, out on the other side. Strengthening his people through scientific and inventive measures, developing armor and weapons, giving the people means to fight back the oppressors. The cost of the victory – the innocence the people had favored for so many vorns, now becoming a race of war and destruction. And still the victory was bittersweet, not enough survived to carry on the legacy of their people, fate would that in time their people would extinct.

The Prince himself, being no more than a youngling in the beginning of the war, developed nicely into mech-hood. At his official coronation – during the war there had been too much chaos, for the Prince to follow the needed rituals to rightfully place him as the ruler of Dorm, easily accepted by the people at the time, now a needed formality – he choose to rename. Reaching mech-hood every Dormanian have the right to change certain aspect to themselves, name, coloration and build, reaffirming their identity in the society. The Prince no less felt that the events during the war had shaped him, altering his identity in ways his current designation couldn't describe; taking up the mantle before time, leading his people in a war - developing weapons and USING them, something never before occurring on Dorm, and then barely having the people surviving.

So entering the royal throne room for the last time as Cloudshaper, a mech in azure blue coloration, he left as Starscream, same build as before, but with the coloration of ruby, sapphire and ivory. Only colors the same were his eyes, always the deep green of emerald showing him as royalty.

The Prince, now a grown-up mech, had once again accepted the burden on his shoulders and sought wisdom from his advisers together with the eternal knowledge from The Sphere, Dorms most treasured relic. The relic, following the current monarch to his death, resting behind his spark in the spark chamber, had been given to the young Prince at his return, over time altering the mech, becoming a part of his being. Needless to say, with the wisdom accessible the young mech, like in the war, had become the answer to their needs.

Upon departure from Dorm these many vorns ago, the Prince had taken up old rituals, forming his own command structure in his armada. Trines in the old way hadn't been performed during the war– being seen as too risky – instead of one mech you could end up with three dead. Now with the war long gone and a peaceful existence, old habits were now again a possibility. The Prince, the last pure blooded of their kind, was the first to use this as a means to form a powerful command structure, taking the last two surviving Winglords as his trinemates. Fighting side by side during the war, later being wingmates, they had formed a close bond.

Skywarp, a black and purple war build mech, with the signature ability to teleport, had proved himself during the war, being seen as a bloodthirsty assassin, and in many opinions the key to successfully keep the Prince alive and win the war. Intelligent and deadly in any way, he is a force to reckon, and as a Winglord, rightful keeper of the Prince's left wing.

Thundercracker, a light blue mech with white and red highlights on the wings, also a war build, with the signature ability to perform sonic booms, no less deadly than his wingmate, had used his advanced tactical knowledge to predict the enemy's move, utilizing Skywarps abilities most effectual. His part in the war had been essential to the survival of the people as a whole, and especially to the security of the Prince, his highest priority. His place as adviser and Winglord placed him as rightful keeper of the Prince's right wing. More so he bonded with Skywarp shortly after the war ended, his thoughtful demeanor calming the teleporters more erratic behavior.

And now they were here, so far away from their home, looking for a signal, no one knows the source to. They just know that this special signal would mean the survival of their people, no one questioning the messenger, since the vision came to the Prince in his recharge. No one questioned the wisdom of The Sphere; the origin of the relic so old, the legends told it contained the mind of their goddess. Created to be the voice of her wisdom and a guide to the rulers, in the favor of her people, she had sought out the Prince in his recharge, bringing a message of the future, a future with peace and survival of their people.

-End flashback-

While Thorth had had his musings Stroza and Zest finally had calmed down and gone back to find solutions making it possible to triangulate the signals source, avoiding the delicate decision it would have been to ask the Prince himself in on the search, as much for his safety as for their own professionalism. Thorth knew this was going to take cycles, the obvious solution ruled out.