A/N: If you've watched season 2 of the show, skip this chapter you'll probably confuse yourself otherwise. It's to say what has come before.
Previously, on Transformers Prime:
Optimus hurtled down the mountain in truck form. A cliff loomed ahead, gently sloped upwards, the perfect ramp. The semi truck launched high into the air, while the Nemesis tried to escape, hauling the enormous boulder skyward.
Optimus arced gracefully through the sky, and Megatron, in alt mode, rocketed towards him, firing his blasters. One energy bolt slammed into the semi's front end, sending it into a spin. In a cacophony of shifting metal, the truck assumed the shape of the Autobot leader. He reached out towards the boulder, where the hilt of an enormous sword protruded. In an instant, Optimus grasped the handle, dangling under the Nemesis, thousands of feet in the air…
Optimus held the Star Saber reverently, its mammoth blade shining with the power of the Matrix. His optics constricted so that he looked to be in a trance.
Ratchet interrupted his thoughts. "Optimus!"
"I am receiving a message," he states.
The medic paused and exchanged a glance with the others. "From whom?"
"Alpha Trion…"
The Autobots stood in rapture as Optimus spoke, briefing them on Alpha Trion's message. "It is paramount that we recover the four remaining Iacon Relics," he said. "The Omega Keys…"
Starscream leisurely strolled through the Autobots' ground-bridge into their base. Red Energon coursing through his veins allowed him to slip past the buffoons that were 'guarding' it at hyper-speed. "It would seem I have the run of the place," he laughed...
The ground-bridge closed behind Starscream, the Red Energon affording him just enough speed. He made his way over to the frozen figure of Optimus, reveling in his superiority, gloating over his triumph. The Red Energon chose that moment to expunge itself from his system. Time appeared to ripple as Starscream returned to normal-speed…
The Seeker dove through the open portal of the Decepticon ground-bridge, Optimus and the Autobots right behind him. As it closed, Optimus screamed in frustration and despair...
Megatron glared down at his former second-in-command, and the four Omega Keys laid in front of him. "What is it that you ask in return?" he said.
"Only to be a Decepticon once again," Starscream stated earnestly…
Knockout plugged the cortical psychic patch into the table on which his leader was laying. "And what will we be fishing for today, my liege?"
Megatron glared sideways at the Seeker lying on the other table and growled, "Starscream's true motives…"
The two silver mechas strode through the depths of Starscream's mind. The Seeker confidently prattled on, while in the outside world, Knockout and Dreadwing watched what transpired on a screen in the Nemesis' sickbay. "Skyquake is neither living nor dead," he said, the memory of him hurling a shard of Dark Energon into the grave of Dreadwing's twin replaying for them all…
Dreadwing stood on the deck of the Nemesis, lightning flashing and thunder booming. He threw back his head, letting out a howl of grief and anger that, had anyone been around to hear it, would have sent them running in fear…
The Autobots exited their ground-bridge, guns at the ready, prepared to fight…
"The Forge of Solus Prime?" Arcee inquired…
"What do you ask in return?" said Optimus.
Dreadwing replied amicably, "Only that you use it wisely…"
Optimus carried the Forge towards the Autobots ground-bridge. "With the Forge of Solus Prime in our possession," he said, "We now possess the means of reaching Cybertron…"
Dreadwing let out a roar of battle, preparing to bring his sword down on Starscream's head. A blast of cannon fire sounded behind him, accompanied by a hole that suddenly appeared in his chest. Megatron walked over to the Seeker, who was babbling his thanks. "Do not ever make me regret which one of you I chose to spare," he said…
The Autobots solemnly gathered the Iacon weapons they had collected, readying for the coming battle…
Optimus carried the repaired Star Saber in front of him, its huge blade shining in the light of the Autobot's new space-bridge. "Megatron must be stopped," he said, "No matter the cost…"
On Cybertron, the Autobots faced a horde of vehicons, battling their way towards the Omega Keys. Bumblebee used the Polarity Gauntlet's magnetism powers to take the keys while Bulkead held of the Decepticons with the Immobilizer, and the Autobots retreated into the Sea of Rust…
Deep within the Sea, the Autobots gathered around a small, insignificant looking block of metal...
Before the Autobots' astonished optics, the Omega Keys begin to glow…
The ground around the Autobots began to shift, a biblical opening of the metal ground. Massive towers rose and molded together, forming a massive structure that could only be the Omega Lock…
Megatron landed in front of the Autobots, and demanded they turn over the keys. Behind him, a space-bridge opened. Starscream, Knockout, and Soundwave emerged, carrying strange looking canisters. Inside were Jack, Miko, and Raf, the Autobots human allies…
The Decepticon leader touched an icon on the controls of the Omega Lock activating its powerful energies. An enormous beam exploded out of the Lock and disappeared through the open vortex of the Decepticon space-bridge. It emerged from the other side and traversed the distance to Earth in mere seconds, slamming into the ground just outside of Jasper, Nevada...
Optimus slashed down with the Star Saber, severing Megatron's arm. He leaped forward over the heads of the other Decepticons, and slammed the blade down on the Omega Lock. Energy backfired, and the Omega Lock exploded in a glorious conflagration…
Megatron, his stump of an arm doing nothing to diminish his regal presence, stood on the deck of the Nemesis, which hovered over the Autobot base, in front of the metal tower that rose from the Earth. Though he spoke to the entire army of Decepticons gathered behind him, he gave the impression that he was addressing each of them individually. "Our opportunity to revive Cybertron has been lost, due to the treachery of Optimus Prime," he said. "But from our fortress of New Kaon, we will instead seize control of THIS world! Decepticons! Transform, and rise up! ..."
Ratchet stood before the Autobot's space-bridge, ready to depart, as the others had before him. He paused to address his leader, one last time. "I- I never imagined it would end like this," he said sadly. Then he strode forward into the vortex, and disappeared from sight. "Neither did I, old friend," Optimus said mournfully…
The Nemesis slowly moved into position over the Autobot base, menacing…
Wheeljack's ship the Jackhammer chased after a pair of flying troopers, and they split off. Before Wheeljack could react, Starscream flew in behind him and loosed a pair of missiles, which slammed into the ship despite its pilot's best maneuvers. Wheeljack valiantly tried to control his ship's descent, and ultimately failed as the Jackhammer crashed behind a mesa. Starscream flew away chuckling to himself. "And that," he hissed, "Is how you wreck a Wrecker…"
The belly of the Nemesis opened, revealing an enormous cannon, large enough to rival even the Requium Blaster of lore. It charged quickly with energy, while Megatron watched triumphantly from a spar of his ship, and Agent Fowler and June watched in horror from the former's helicopter. The weapon fired, its beam slammed into rock, and Omega Outpost One was instantly obliterated…
Megatron and Starscream stood victorious among the flaming ruins of the Autobot base, and they laughed mockingly at the icon displayed proudly on the ground. Off to the side, the arm of Optimus Prime jutted out of the rubble, sparking, dead…