This chapter can be ignored mostly. for this is merely the introduction of the story to bring everyone up to speed in regards of the timeline that will be in place. This is mostly an info dump where i summarise (and with a bit of tweaking to fit my AU) the entirety of the Generation 1 cartoon events, including the events in the Japanese seasons 4, 5, and 6. As well as introduce a little of my own additional details.

the main story begins in the Prolgue, if you wish to skip a head and more than welcome to flip back if any past event post 1986 movie is mentioned. there may be references from the aligned G1 story line from the covenant of Primus and some IDW comic references. but this is mostly G1 with a twist.

Now as per usual allow me to put the Disclaimer: Transformers, the transformers franchise and its characters are the shared property of Hasbro and Takara and are being used under the creative use act. i do not place claim on the transformers nor the established characters of the canon.

I do how ever own the various Original Characters that will be used in the Seeking Solace Saga, as well as the story line and i most definitely own the subgroup the Sparkmasters, they are a product of my own imagination and are not apart of the establish canon. Please do not use any of my characters, subgroups, and fictional location names without my permission.

Please Enjoy, i know i did writing it.

Seeking Solace – Ashes to Ashes

Introduction

"Shadows fell on them like predators as the light went out."

Times had changed. For the better and for the worst. Friendships forged, allies lost, and enemies gained.

The trials toward peace continued to scar the face of hope. Struggle for survival becoming ever greater. An end to it seemed bleak. Even if for but a moment that peace can be gained, it should be fought for.

No matter how tough the task, and no matter the cost.

...And it did cost dearly.

In the year 2005, Optimus Prime had fallen.

At the energon stained hand of Megatron, the once thought invincible Prime was defeated. Before the final pulse of his spark, Optimus revealed an ancient relic of Cybertron's past, the Matrix of Leadership. With it came the prophecy of the last Prime.

"When chaos reigns, one shall rise from the ranks and light our darkest hour"

Soon after, Planet Cybertron came under attack by a planet devouring rogue world. As it were foretold, the Chaos Bringer once again rose from oblivion.

Unicron had returned.

This new menace lead the Autobots to new worlds in their attempt to escape from the pursuit of Unicron's servant, Galvatron. From planet junk to planet Quintessa, the Autobots continued with determination to not only save their friends, but their home as well.

The young and brash Hot Rod, from within the bowels of Unicron, took hold of the Matrix and released the energy within the azure crystal. Unknowingly following an agenda laid out before even the first Prime wore the mantle of leadership, Hot Rod arose from the ranks. With the whisper of a new name, the young Autobot transformed into the new Prime, banishing Unicron once more. Hopefully never to return.

For a moment, peace was won.

Cybertron was once more under Autobot control. Learning from the mistakes of the past, the revival of the war torn planet was becoming a reality. Reconstruction of the ruined cities were already underway. Iacon, the home of the Autobots was once more the central hub of their society. Light slowly began to illuminated the once dark metal world.

The Decepticons lost the edge they held for millions of years. Facing an opposition like nothing they had seen. Their ranks scattered and undisciplined throughout the galaxies. Every plan, every raid, every attack, thwarted. Galvatron, no longer the menace he once was since his servitude to the planet-eater.

For once peace was becoming more than an optimistic dream. Even when the Hate plague was released on earth through the use of the revived Optimus Prime. No human or Cybertronian was immune, Rodimus Prime having been among the first infected.

Optimus Prime, having returned to his senses, sought out the rage filled younger Prime. Using a protective coating Perceptor created and retrieved the Matrix; returning the younger leader to his previous form as Hot Rod. With the Matrix in hand, Optimus released the relic's power, curing the Hate plague and returning those infected back to normal. Yet even Optimus could not have predicted the consequences of his actions.

In 2011, without the energy of the Matrix to regulate it, the mega computer and core of Cybertron, Vector Sigma began to destabilise. Opening the planet to an invasion by the Decepticons and their Headmasters. Cybertron would not survive the imbalance of its core.

Although, even with the Autobot Headmasters and Fortress Maximus, the day could not have been won without the Matrix. To which Hot Rod and the Headmasters then scoured Earth to recover a talisman that could revitalise the Matrix and stabilise Vector Sigma once more. During the conflict, Optimus Prime once again gave his life to stop Cybertron's destruction. Once more Hot Rod takes the mantle of leadership and accepts the matrix, becoming Rodimus Prime again.

War was renewed, with Rodimus Prime in command across Cybertron and the secondary command post on planet Athenia. Ultra Magnus leading his own individual unit on Earth and operating out of Autobot City. The Decepticons were based out on planet Charr; with Six Shot leading the forces on Earth, operating out of Trypticon. Like a puppeteer in the shadows was Galvatron's secret ally; the Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, who had his own vendetta with Fortress Maximus.

When a new alloy had been discovered, named Cybertonuron; Scorponok arranged for the destruction of Cybertron itself. It was in order to keep the alloy out of the hands of the Autobots and Galvatron.

Cybertron was ultimately destroyed.

Soon after, Scorponok sought after a new power. In his attempt to harness it, he destroyed the planet Mars in the process. With a lust for power so great the large Headmaster turned his sights onto Earth, hoping to acquire the plasma energy that would be released from the result of the planet's destruction. An outcome that fortunately for the organic world had been prevented.

The battle raged on until ultimately the Autobot Headmasters, led by Fortress Maximus, were finally able to defeat the Decepticons. Foiling their plans. Saving not only Earth but the Headmaster home world of Nebulos, when it too was targeted by Scorponok's new weapon.

Several years after the defeat of Scorponok, earth had seemed to be finally free of the Cybertronian war. The Autobots settled on Earth as their central home, with Cybertron now gone. Rodimus Prime focused most of the conflict free time to establish Athenia as the secondary home world of the Autobots. But with all calm days, a storm soon came upon the horizon.

On Earth the emergence of the Decepticon Pretenders shattered the peace. Having been pursued to Earth during the Stone Age by a group of Autobots, led by Metalhawk. Adopting disguises, the Autobots took on the forms of humans while their Cybertronian forms remained hidden in subspace. They lived among humanity for millions of years, guiding the evolution of their culture and society. While the Decepticons took the forms of monstrous creatures and tormented early man as "demons".

With the return of the Decepticons, the Autobot Pretenders were forced to drop their disguise and take up arms once again. Gaining allies in three young humans, who were imbued with the power of "masterforce" and bonded with three transtectors; sent to Earth from planet Nebulos by Chromedome. The three became the Headmasters juniors. The Decepticons too recruited their own Headmaster juniors and the battles on Earth progressed.

It was then the Decepticons true objective came to light. Devil Z, an alien being that muscled his way to command the Decepticon Pretenders, sought after the Powermasters. Super powerful lifeforms that are the perfect fusion of human and Cybertronian. Able to manipulate "soul energy" an energy believed to grant life to worlds. The fight between Pretenders and Powermasters went on. Until finally using a large amount of soul energy to destroy Devil Z once and for all. With the death of Devil Z, the Powermaster bond he forged between Cybertronian and humans ceased to exist. Ginrai and the other Powermasters were permanently separated from their transtectors.

However, the transtectors, having evolved through their partnership with the humans, gained their own life. Continuing to exist as true Cybertronians, with sparks forged by their bond with humans. Having been imprinted with his human's personality, Ginrai's transtector departed for space, to pursue the surviving Decepticons and join the greater war.

In the year 2025, following the defeat of the Decepticons on Earth in the Masterforce war, the remaining Decepticons once again began attacking other worlds. To counter the threat, the Autobots and other civilisations (including humanity) formed the Galactic Peace Alliance, which strikes back against the Decepticons. Star Saber leading the Autobots on Earth stood against the threat. Aided with the help of Ginrai, the transtector whom gained his own life and took the name of his human partner.

After series of battles and the arrival of Deathsaurus' reactivated, planet destroying, fortress; the Autobots were once again faced with the ultimate fight. Deathsaurus directed the fortress onto Earth, threatening the organic world with complete annihilation. In the desperation to protect the Autobot's second home, Ginrai is killed. Only to later be reborn as Victory Leo, gaining a new ability that allowed him to combine with Star Saber to create, Victory Saber; and end the threat of Deathsaurus and his fortress.

With the Decepticon threat reduced to small skirmishes the hope for peace once again bloomed.

Years had gone by and the Decepticons refused to give up their cause for war. Their leader, Galvatron, resisting with all his might until he's won. The Autobots fought on, losing planet Athenia in a battle that turned the thriving organic world into a burning uninhabitable wasteland. The Autobots looked to Earth to be their home, welcomed by humanity. The Autobots pushed the Decepticons back, Rodimus Prime leading the defensive.

New ways to fight back continued to spark the creative talents of science. With the technology gifted from the Nebulons that allowed the Headmasters and Targetmasters to create a binary bond, opened the door for possibilities. Creating an even closer connection between Cybertronian lives to merge with organic life in a symbiotic relationship. For the Powermasters the bond was deeper, human and transtector became a single entity. That bond along with the mysterious soul energy ultimately gave the Powermaster transtectors their own life, their own spark. In the attempt to recreate the Powermaster bond a new transtector group came to be.

The Sparkmasters. The binary bond between organic life and transtector was deep, believed more so than the initial bond of the Powermasters. Human or Nebulon and transtector are one and the same. Those bonded as Sparkmaster became the transformer, giving the components life in place of a spark.

Unlike the Powermasters, there was an adverse effect that left no Sparkmaster immune. The Sparkmasters would forget they were human. Thinking themselves as Cybertronian. In the attempt to recreate soul energy infused masterforce, the bonding ended up reversed. The Cybertronian half taking over the human half.

It was quickly discovered that even when separated, the Sparkmasters were still connected to their transtectors. Giving the transtectors what Perceptor had named, phantom sentience. The process of supposedly lifeless components coming to life on their own. Left with the task to resist the transtectors and keeping their humanity from being overtaken, the Sparkmasters were left with even further problems while as their human or Nebulon selves. Though the occurrences of phantom sentience did not last, it earned the transtectors the nickname, Phantoms.

The first sign of this occurred when there was an altercation between a member of the Sparkmasters and a member of the Earth Defence Command. The dispute had escalated to a weapon having been drawn, emotions having run to a boiling point between the two. It was then the nearby transtector sitting idly in vehicular mode rushed into the fray. Uncontrolled and for reasons unknown, it raced towards both the Sparkmaster and EDC member. Had the Sparkmaster not of pulled the soldier away, the disagreement might have become a fatal one.

From then on, the phantom reactions had earned the Sparkmasters the reputation of being unpredictable and uncontrolled. Try as they might, their emotions would create further outbreaks. Some of the members believing in the fear and paranoia of a Phantom occurring may be partly to blame. The Sparkmasters took it upon themselves to train, not only to control their extreme emotions, but to also control their transtectors should a Phantom occurred. The training eventually succeeded in preventing further outbreaks, maybe with one or more rare instances, but the stigma remained.

The human civilians that live in the Autobot city felt the Sparkmasters were too dangerous. Rodimus Prime and his senior officers were bombarded with demands to have the transtectors dealt with. Many suggested chaining the transtectors when separated. This of course was met with anger and protest not only from the Sparkmasters but from many of the other Autobots that felt pity for the subgroup.

Angered by the demand and in a subtle protest, the Sparkmasters had chosen to rarely separate from their transtectors, for as long as they could help it. Binary bonding comes with a downside, it does not sustain organic life indefinitely, causing their actions to place both health and their life at risk. Even with the ability to consume energon when merged with their transtectors.

It hadn't taken long for the adverse effects of the binary bond to appear. The longer the Sparkmasters remained merged with their transtectors the more of their human identity ebbed away. Subtle at first, but soon it became apparent the subgroup members would forget they were originally humans or Nebulon. They would forget the need to separate from their transtectors.

Rodimus intervened before things grew worse, ordering the Sparkmasters to limit their time merged with their transtectors outside of combat. It became common from then on for the medical team to force the Sparkmasters to disengage. The subgroup would put up resistance, their stubbornness began making them a liability in battle. In many times causing the loss of a Sparkmasters life. Including at one time the life of the subgroups commander.

The young Prime was caught in a tug of war between ensuring the safety of those under his command and the politics of Earth. All the while engaged in bringing a swift end to a war and removing the threat of Galvatron once and for all.

It was then things truly changed and with it an outcome no one knew if it would be for the better...

...Or for the worst.