Chapter 7
Cybertronian universe
At the same time, in one of the large-scaled buildings of the sector, building several miles away from the fighting area, a meeting was taking place.
This meeting was held between nobody else than the four officially most powerful individuals of the Empire.
One of them was Jhiaxus, who had even temporally abandoned his work in organizing the `Games´ for this conference.
Next to him stood Megatron, the Megatron of this reality, alternate self of countless Decepticon Supreme Leaders. But he was a part of their Empire instead.
And beside him was a large green armored robot with jet alt-mode, not quite as tall as for example Overlord, but still larger than any regular seeker. This was Skyquake, commander of the elite-force known as the Predators and the youngest of the Liege Centurios.
But by far the most imposing of them was the fourth being in the room.
This one was different from the other three robots, in far more than one way.
One of these was simply that he had the average size of a gestalt. He was broad, massive, dark armored, completely in black. His face showed in opposite to most Cybertronians no humanoid features.
There were only the glowing red eyes and a mouth filled with razor sharp, savage looking metallic `teeth´. It was an appearance that the most living beings would have only imagined in a nightmare.
The others were standing in opposite to him in the room. They were facing him, referring to him.
He was the Liege Maximo. Beside many other things he was the barely seen but in the end ultimate Supreme ruler of the Cybertronian Empire. Even some of his own officers didn´t knew much about him beyond rumor,
many had never even actually met him.
Before him were standing his three so called Liege Centurios Megatron, Jhiaxus and Skyquake.
They were his enforcers, his right-hand men, they were the ones who actually kept the things running. It were this three who were the ones executing the direct political power in their state.
They were the three visible faces of the Empire.
All that while he was mostly staying in the background, quietly following his own plans for the future. His designs went further than only this Empire, than only this universe.
They all however ultimately answered to him alone.
Just as it was fitting. He was after all far more than just some military emperor or territory ruler, he was one of the Original Thirteen, one of Primus first creations, a Prime and far more than that.
Before them a line of visual screens showed various recording of events from different parts of the imperial territory. All of them had happened just during the last few days.
It were scenes of military movements, of attacks, terror and unspeakable horrors, but also of various construction sights and other civilian activities, all what was important enough to be discussed here.
"According to the reports from Sector E-2372 in Galaxy 001, the rebels have improved their defense positions," Skyquake stated. "They were still holding themselves on this organic planet called Earth. Our forces however have put them under siege."
"The rebels are not much more than a nuisance," Jhiaxus spoke up. "I am far more concerned with your inability to deal with them than with their actual strength Skyquake. This `Earth´ had been chosen for sterilization stellar-cycles ago and it is still intact."
Behind him one of the screens showed a large ongoing space-battle over a blue planet with a yellow sun. Another beside it showed pictures of a large Earth city lying in ruins, with a number of robots and native `humans´ standing between the destroyed buildings, rebel forces.
"Maybe you want to lead the outer-region forces instead?" the green jet-robot responded. "Then we can see how much luck you have in rooting them out."
"When I have been charged with the elimination of one small organic world in the past, it is usually done within a quintum," Jhiaxis said coldly and without emotion.
"That is enough," the Liege Maximo now raised his voice. "Maybe we should consider that the rebels might be stronger than we have expected. You are right however in one point Jhiaxus, the rebels are no real threat, not to us. But they could still be a hindrance to our plans. We will deal with them in full force soon enough. Something else?"
"Our commander in the E-2357 sector reported the successful elimination of all life on the planet E-2357-05 at the edge of disputed space," Jhiaxus now responded. "I think the rebels were calling this planet Tlalakan."
Another screen showed a world that was now a liveless wasteland, being roamed by Empire troops and construction forces that were preparing the construction of their newest base. Soon the `terraforming´ of the entire planet would begin, to harbor cybertronian life.
"With this we have direct access into the rebel territory. We can form better supply lines for our troops and eventually fight the rebels on two fronts," Skyquake assured him. "It won´t take long anymore."
"I will hope that," the Liege told him as he was literally looking down at his third leading officer, "for your sake. Otherwise I will follow Jhiaxus suggestion to put him in charge of our outside forces and you will be his first new target for termination."
"Yes master," he answered.
"See to it." The large ancient Cybertronian turned now back around to the others.
"Now tell me Jhiaxus, how is the current project you have been entrusted with?" he asked.
"The `Games´, they are progressing just as expected. A significant number of participants had already been eliminated. Soon we will see who will be left,"
"Don´t loose sight of the true purpose of the project," he reminded the officer. "I don´t care how many of the `participants´ loose their lives or keep it, as long as you bring in the promised results."
"Of course not my Lord," Jhiaxus answered. "We will have the expected data within a few solar-cycles."
"Good," the Liege Maximo stated. "That leaves us with your department Megatron," he addressed the last of them.
"Yes my Lord, our research is making remarkable progress."
"Is that true, I have been informed that you have just recently lost one of your scout-groups?" he questioned.
"True, this team was a regrettable but ultimately insignificant loss. The information we have gathered however more than made up for their demise," Megatron assured him.
"I see," the Liege responded. "You are right, the mission comes before any small number of troops. And I am sure the loss of Starscream was an especially regretful event for you," he commented.
"Of course, such an...`ambitious´ young officer. The Empire needs robots like him."
They both knew what he had done. He had send Starscream and his team to their death. They both knew that the other was aware of this and they both knew that he wouldn´t say anything.
Starscream had been a small but notable threat to his position and he had disposed of him in a way that was acceptable, even if not really commendable in their society.
Assassination and set ups for rivals or unwanted individuals were silently tolerated in their society. It was a leftover from the old, by now in it integrated Decepticon, culture. Starscream had been careless to fall into such a trap in the first place.
Yes, the Decepticons had been useful for his plans in the past, so it would be a good idea to keep `something´ of their culture alive. He would knew that perfectly since he was in many way responsible for their rise, in more than one sense.
His eyes laid now on the robot before him, his oldest Liege Centurio.
Megatron, named by him in irony after one of his old `brothers´, Megatronus Prime, The Fallen himself. Just like The Fallen had once brought down the society of the prehistoric Cybertron, Megatron was meant to destabilize the more recent one.
He was in some ways his greatest creation. Only Jhiaxus and Overlord could in the best case compare in strength and firepower, them and maybe a few others in intelligence and cunning.
But looking at what he had once achieved...
Megatron had reformed the once beaten ancient warrior caste of Cybertron into one of the strongest military forces in the known universe and that only in a few years. He had in many cases successfully and in some others nearly successfully taken over Cybertron with the army he himself had created.
When he had lost it, then it was mostly through outside influence, in many cases Unicron himself.
But all that didn´t mean this Megatron.
Like all of the Original Thirteen, the Liege Maximo was a multiversal singularity. This meant there were no alternate versions, only him across the multiverse. Even if he had in the past, like some of the others, tried to circumstance this rule in various ways.
He had created many Megatron´s in many different worlds, that then during the course of time branched off into even more alternate realities. In most of them he had started the Great War between the Decepticons and the Autobots in one form or the other and in all of them this had served directly his purposes.
Yes, Megatron was in many ways one of his most impressive creations. But sadly he was also one of his most uncontrollable.
Nearly all of the variants over the multiverse resisted his influence over him, his attempts to control him from the shadows. Most of them rebelled against him, in many cases successful. `Megatron´ then took over complete control of the Decepticons, in reality not only in name. This had more or less happened in countless different realities in one variation or the other.
But in the end it wasn´t a complete loss. With the formation of the Decepticons and the start of the war, they had in some sense already fulfilled their purpose.
Here however, this Megatron was the exception. In opposite to al this other versions, he had actually willingly submitted to his authority and even became part of their version of a new society. Out of all this variants, this single one had through some cosmic coincidence in his development actually became loyal to him.
But could he truly trust him? Or would he sooner or later turn against him as well, just like all the others.
He would definitely keep an eye on this one.
xxxxxxx
Both groups of Transformers were now standing nearly motionless, Autobots and Decepticons alike.
"Shockwave?" Arcee repeated.
"He is a double-agent, a spy," Bumblebee explained. "Shockwave had in our world been posing as an Autobot, for deka-vorn. We weren´t sure however if Shockwave had just made up the Longarm identity or if he had replaced an Autobot who already existed and when."
"Oh yes? So why should another Decepticons try to keep us from getting help from a bunch of Autobots and then stay with them?" Motormaster questioned somewhat unwilling to believe it. "On which side is he on?"
"On his own," Sari remarked. "He had infiltrated the Autobots a long time ago. He doesn´t care about any of us, just about is his mission."
"They are wrong, I am really Longarm, I am an Autobot" the robot pleaded.
He saw however that the others were hesitating, even Arcee and Cliffjumper, who had by what he could make out a deep distrust against Decepticons.
"Really, how many people do you know who are using the word `logical´ like a regular term?" Bumblebee remarked. "And why are you purposely trying to weaken our group."
They were good so far, both Sari and Bumblebee knew. But it wasn´t enough. A few random accusations and a story from their world would not be enough to convince the others that a member of their group was a traitor.
They needed to get Shockwave to reveal himself.
"If you are really a Autobot," Sari questioned, "then let these guys here take a look at your systems. It would not be more than a small check-up."
"Yes," Skywarp cut in now,"why not? It would be not much more than a check-up after all, right `Longarm´?" he stated, "Unless of course you have something to hide, now?" he asked.
At this point Shockwave knew it was over. He had hoped to find the device that had brought him here and then return to his own universe. In the ideal case he would have found a way to `loose´ the Autobots here and make it back alone.
But the meeting with this group of Decepticons had made everything more complicated. With everyone they took with them, the chance to be discovered rose. Of course they were fellow Decepticons, but they were not from his universe. So the logical decision was to leave them behind.
What he didn´t knew was that there were already others with them who knew the truth about him. They had only waited till they were sure that they were right. This meant he never had a real chance in the first place.
He saw that the weapons of Rotorstorm, Arcee and even Cliffjumper´s were now not longer pointed at the other Decepticons, but at him.
Shockwave now changed back into his original form. They all recognized the shape of the one eyed grey mechanoid.
"Well, isn´t that interesting Scourge?" Skywarp pointed out.
"I always said that one-eyed freak could not be trusted, neither version of him," the Sweep leader retorted.
"You really have a problem with old one-eye what?" the seeker commented.
"You can say that," he responded.
Shockwave now raised his own weapon.
"Please lower your weapons," he told them in his own voice. "There is no logical reason for us to fight each other."
xxxxxxx
During all that the `Games´ were continuing. All over the large fighting area Transformers of various worlds were fighting for their lives.
Two other groups of Autobots and Decepticons had just started to confront each other. In their case however the meeting ended up less peaceful.
xxx
Meanwhile they all were being watched.
Not only by the unseen audience of the entire barbaric spectacle, but also by a third team, the most dangerous of them all.
The Hunters had assembled on one of the higher plateaus of the giant construction and were overviewing the clash between the two groups of robots below them.
"Quite interesting, don´t you think?" Bludgeon stated matter of factly. "Who do you think will win?"
"Some of both sides will not make it, so much is clear," Wheeljack replied. "But in this case, my bet goes to the Autobot team. They seemed to have better weapons and more skilled fighters."
"Whoever it will be," Overlord stated, "they will have to deal with us later."
xxxxxxx
Unknown universe
Optimus and Sentinel were still trying to make sense of their surroundings. They didn´t know where they were or even in what kind of universe at this point.
While the planet they were standing on was different from anyone they had ever seen before, there was no denying that it had some obvious similarities with their home-world. Yet there were the organic areas that shouldn´t exist on a world like this.
Nothing of what they saw made sense.
And to that came something else. The two Primes had realized it just a few moments ago.
They were not alone.
Both of them saw them coming closer.
It was a larger group of…robots? Yes robots, but not quite.
At first, from the distance they had thought it were normal mechanical life-forms like them. But as the strangers came closer, they saw that just like the place around them they seemed to consist of mechanical and organic parts.
Their appearance to some level matched what they had been told about these so called Maximals and Predacons by the extra-dimensional Autobots, Optimus remembered. Two new races of Cybertronians, with organic components integrated into their systems.
These robots here however actually seemed to have gone a step further. By what his sensors told him, they seemed to be literally half-organic, techno-organics, like Sari and Blackarachnia.
There was however also someone else here. They, as they noticed right now, were not the only ones caught by the space-bridge transport.
Their enemy was brought here as well. He had landed in some distance to them.
xxx
The seeker, Starscream, or whoever he was, was just getting up again. Just like them, he was looking around in confusion for a few seconds.
"You," he shouted as he saw them. He personally blamed them for the fact that he was now left here, wherever `here´ was, instead of back home.
But he also noticed the group of natives coming closer. He saw that it were over a dozen of these strange figures. Were they friendly? Were they hostile? He wasn´t willing to take the risk.
The seeker transformed and blasted off into the sky of the unknown planet, leaving them behind.
xxx
Meanwhile Optimus and Sentinel were confronting the newcomers.
"Welcome fellow Cybertronians," the techno-organic who seemed to be the leader of the group greeted them, "my name is Cheetor."
"Wh...what are you?" Sentinel asked him in bewilderment.
"You know the way you are asking this question is not exactly the polite way to talk to somebody you have just met," one of the group of natives commented.
"Can you tell us where we are?" Optimus wanted to know.
"Of course," the leader of the group of techno-organics replied, "we are Maximals and this is our homeworld Cybertron. That you don´t seem to recognize it is not so much of a suprise however, after the Great Reformation."
"Reformation? Optimus repeated confused.
