And now… Jetfire's rambling back story!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The morning sun beat down upon a group of figures lying stretched out on a wide swath of golden sand. The Autobots were already up and around, trying to locate each other and figure out what had happened. Their next concern was for the sake of their two human friends, even though Sarah technically couldn't be called human anymore. Jetfire, for his part, was seated on a nearby rock outcropping as the rest gathered around, demanding an explanation for what the heck had just happened. He nodded nonchalantly. "I opened a space bridge to bring us here… Hey, count your blessings, at least we're still on the same planet. And, like I told you before, we're in Egypt." Thoroughly frustrated with him, Sam gave a grumble. "Egypt? You didn't say anything about that!" Jetfire looked genuinely surprised. "I didn't? I could've sworn I did…" Sarah waved her arms to get his attention. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Could we maybe get an explanation before anything else happens?" Settling right back down on the rock, the old jet prepared to tell his story…
"In ancient times, before our species began, there was a race of dimension-hopping beings called the Dynasty of Primes. Now, I'm not sure whether they called themselves that, or if it's what others called them… But I digress. When they came to this dimension, they evidently liked it so much that they decided to choose a planet and settle down. To shape the planet they chose, they brought with them a single artifact from their travels… the All Spark!" Ratchet gave a gasp. "So that's where it came from!" Jetfire gave him a dirty look. "Quiet, you." Then he continued. "Drained from the trip since traveling between dimensions can hardly be called easy, the All Spark needed a source of energy… in short, it needed to be charged up with energon. Now, the methods of refining energon hadn't been invented yet, so they needed to find a way to get the refined stuff naturally. To that end, they invented the Star Harvester, which is exactly what it sounds like. It causes a star to go supernova, and then collects the energy released when it does so, converting it into energon." He paused. "But the Primes had a problem. Though they could hop between dimensions just fine, no problems there, they had no way to travel between stars. So they used the All Spark to give life to a new race of beings who could switch forms… in short, our distant ancestors. There were two kinds; those who could fly and those who couldn't. The flyers, called Seekers, were sent out as scouts, to locate a suitable star." Megatron cut in. "So that's why they're called that?" Jetfire used his cane to hit him over the head. "I said quiet!" The silver former Decepticon promptly shut up, rubbing his dented head and grumbling a few choice expletives. "Good. When they found one, the ones who couldn't fly were sent in to build a Star Harvester on one of the planets orbiting the chosen star, which would then be used to harvest its energy. When the Star Harvester was completed, the Primes themselves came in to operate it. Eventually they found their way here." Sam spoke up. "Hey, they came here? We kind of need our star!" Rather than snapping at him or swatting him with his cane, Jetfire nodded. "Now, the Primes had a rule. If they found a planet with life on it, even if it was just a bunch of silly little microbes, the star it orbited was automatically considered off-limits. But one of their number was dissatisfied with that rule, and with sharing power with his brothers. He turned on them all, betraying and murdering them. Even as they fell, they bestowed a name upon the traitor, a name he happily adopted. They called him the Fallen, after how he had fallen from grace. Now, I probably should have mentioned this to you earlier, but they designed the Star Harvester to operate through the use of a key, a key they called the Matrix of Leadership because the one who had it was pretty much on top since they would then have control over the Star Harvester. The key also served to focus and contain the energy, so whoever had it would have control over not just every Star Harvester already built and any built in the future, but also over all the energy obtained through their use. And believe me, that's a lot of energy! Fearing what the Fallen would do to the universe and everything in it if he got the key, they did everything they could to hide it from him, even as he slaughtered them. So they abandoned their world entirely, in favor of fleeing from their evil brother to keep the key from him. But before they left… Knowing the creations they left behind would need guidance in their absence, and granting them the ability to face the Fallen too if need be, they bestowed their power upon one of their number, raising him up to their level both in intellect and in strength. In their honor he then took the title of Prime, and he would pass both the title and the power on to his firstborn child, born from the All Spark just as they all had been." Though the revelation of the origin of the title of 'Prime' startled the lot of them, no one said anything because none of them wanted to have Jetfire whack them with his cane. "A universe-wide hunt began after that. The remaining Primes ran, they hid, but always the Fallen would find them. Eons passed, uncountable eons, and the Fallen created many Seekers to aid him in his chase. I was one of the first he created. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I like him or anything… He had no manners at all! Treating us like we were less than tools… He never even bothered to name any of us! But I'm getting off topic again." He paused. "The Primes only really tried to fight back once. They picked a promising-looking star located near this galaxy's fringe and chose one of the planets circling it, and built a Star Harvester there. They didn't bother summoning any workers for the task; no, they did all the work themselves. Then, when it was done, they brought the key out of hiding, purposely letting the Fallen detect its energy, to lure him in with the promise of obtaining the key with a Star Harvester already set up and seemingly just waiting for him. He came all right, and all his creations came with him. The battle that followed was awful. The Fallen was defeated, but the cost… Most of the Primes were killed. Only twelve were left, and they knew that they would stand no chance if the Fallen tried again. In their minds, there was only one course of action to take… And thus it was that the twelve came together, sacrificing themselves to hide the key away in a tomb made from their own bodies and sealed with their own life essences. Before they did, they left behind a clue in the form of writing left in various places all over the planet. The clue was left for if the descendants of their creations ever came, so the Prime they left behind could use it to destroy the Fallen for good. And here's the kicker. The planet they came to in order to try to defeat the Fallen was this one! That's what I meant when I said they eventually found their way here. I witnessed all of this myself. That's why I know about the sacrifice they made. The Fallen may have been defeated instead of killed, but us… His Seekers… We were decimated. There had been legions of us, but only ten remained, of which I was just one. We had no idea what to do, so we headed to the planet we'd heard so much about, the planet the Primes had reshaped with the All Spark's power… When we arrived, we found the civil war in full swing. In socializing with both sides, we were given names. …That's how I got mine, anyway. One by one the others chose sides, and one by one they died in battle. In the end, only I was left. Wanting no part in a conflict over an artifact that really meant nothing to me since I wasn't born from it, I came back here to wait until one of two things happened. One, someone came along with the power to destroy the Fallen once and for all, so I could help them do it. Two, the Fallen returned, so I could try to defend the key myself if I had to." He paused again, straightening up a bit. "If the Fallen has truly resumed his designs without leaving this planet to do so, there's only one thing he could be doing. He must be looking for the key again. As you can probably guess, he must not be allowed to find it. The universe is doomed if he does, not to mention this planet. We have to find it first, and keep it away from him. But that's where we run into a problem. We can run all we like, but only a Prime can fight him and have any chance of not getting completely flattened." Everyone looked down in grief. "My older brother," Megatron said in sorrow and great pain. "My brother was Prime, but he… he's dead. The Decepticons killed him a few days ago…" Jetfire looked down as well, for a different reason. "And all hope lies dead with him."
It was then that Sam had an idea. "Wait a minute! You said the key held the energy that was used to re-power the All Spark. Couldn't it also be used to re-power an extinguished spark?" Jetfire thought on the idea for a moment. "The energy's basically the same, so… it's possible. Not very likely, and somewhat suicidal, but possible." Megatron saw where he was going with things. "You're saying that if we had that key we would be able to bring my brother back?" Sam nodded. "That's exactly what I'm saying. And from what I heard it sounds like we kind of have to. But before anything else happens, we have to figure out the clue that was left for us. The only lead we have is the fact that Jetfire brought us here, which means it has something to do with Egypt. So we know it has to do with Egypt, and it also happens to be really freaking old." They all took a few minutes to settle down and think. After a few long minutes, Sarah broke the silence. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that I was so completely obsessed with Ancient Egypt as a kid. You tend to pick up a few things. For instance, the pyramids at Giza… You know, the really famous ones? They were positioned to mirror the alignment of the stars in Orion's Belt. Those three stars were very important and downright sacred to the Egyptians. They called them…" Her voice trailed off. "…The Three Kings…" Jumping to her feet, she started issuing orders like a madwoman. "I don't know what whoever wrote this meant about the 'dagger's tip' thing, but I think I can decipher enough of it to figure out what we have to do. We have to go to Giza. We have to watch the sun rise, and the stars will show us the way. Jetfire, would you be willing to lend us a hand?" Eager for a chance to actually do something after so much time spent just sitting around in that museum, he nodded. "All right, Jetfire, I'm going to need you to do the space bridge thing again to pick up a certain 'package'. Take Ratchet with you. He'll help you keep your coordinates straight and point out exactly what you should pick up. Ratchet, once you're done with that and ready to come back, use the internet to look up the coordinates for the Great Plain of Giza, then help guide Jetfire there. Use the pyramids as a reference point, as they're the area's most prominent feature. You couldn't miss them if you tried, and I really hope you don't plan to try missing them. Oh, and I think I ought to warn you. Be ready for a possible fight upon arrival, because the Decepticons will probably be able to follow your energy signature… That is, if they aren't already busy tracking us!" The duo nodded and walked off together, chatting in a rather unhappy fashion about disrespectful kids and obviously bonding as they did so. "Good luck finding the Tomb of the Twelve," Jetfire called over his shoulder. "Did I mention that's what we took to calling it?" Once they had gotten a good enough distance away from where the others stood, the two of them disappeared in the same brilliant cascade of blue-white light that had brought the lot of them there.
"Now," Sarah said after they departed. "We have to reach Giza, which is no mean feat in itself since we don't really know where we are. Megatron, can I fly with you? I don't feel safe transforming with the Decepticons around, just in case they can trace my energy signature, but I think my enhanced senses can compensate for that if I'm at a high enough altitude." Not bothering to question how she had somehow managed to end up in charge, he simply stepped forward and switched into jet form, opening his cockpit canopy to allow her to enter. A moment later they rose to cloud level and she scanned the horizon. She recognized the pyramids easily, just as she was sure any human would have done. Wasting no time, she began to give directions to the small convoy that swiftly formed on the ground so far below. Sam rode with Bumblebee as he always did, traveling right behind Ironhide for safety's sake. The rest fell in line behind him, and off they went. They found themselves heading north, almost due north, as morning faded into afternoon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The real adventure begins!
Read and review, please.