[loud celebratory music is heard throughout the studio]

AN: YEAH! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY EVERYONE! [loud cheers and partying erupts]

Shinn: Now this is my kind of party.

Waltfeld: I'll drink a nice brew to that.

Bumblebee: Hey guys, readers are here.

AN: And the timing couldn't be better. Hey everyone, lyokoMARVELanime here with the cast of the Gundam SEED Prime series thus far, and in case it isn't already obvious, we are indeed celebrating a very big and very important occasion today, as this chapter is being posted on the very day that this story series was first posted on fanfiction. That's right everyone, today is the one year anniversary of the entire Gundam SEED Prime Series!

[the song "Celebrate Good Times" starts playing, and a lot the cast starts dancing]

Optimus: Truly today is a momentous occasion. One that shall live for a long time in all our sparks and memory banks.

Kira: Hard to believe that we've come such a long way in this story in just one year's time, and not only that, but it's also a late celebration for lyokoMARVELanime's joining the sight as an official author.

Mu: Yeah, no kidding. [wraps AN in one-armed hug] Without this guy here, we probably wouldn't be able to throw this little party, and people wouldn't have been able to read the work he's done on this series or any of his other projects.

AN: Aw stop it. You're giving me too much credit. I'm sure someone would've done something like this sooner or later.

Ultra Magnus: Regardless of whether or not that fact is true, the fact of the matter is that we wouldn't be here for this story right now were it not for your efforts, and if the following that you've gathered for this story is any indication, I'm sure that many would agree with the sentiment.

Athrun: Well then, here's to lyokoMARVELanime, the craziest guy we've ever known, and the guy who made this series come to life, and to the Gundam SEED Prime Series!

Everyone: Here, here! [raise drinks in toast as cheers of celebration continue]

AN: Speaking of you readers, don't think that our celebration doesn't include you guys, because without all of you, I doubt I could've gotten as far as I have in this story. It's thanks in no small part to your great reviews and your dedicated following of the series that this story is where it is now. So, here's to all of you readers out there who've stuck with us since the very first story, and for all of you readers that are still to come! You guys are the best! So please enjoy this chapter, as my gift to all of you for this grand celebration!

Once again, in case anyone's forgotten, new Transformers that are getting first appearances or cameo mentions will have their names in bold.

I do not own anything from any of either the Gundam or Transformers franchises or any other franchise mentioned in this story.


Chapter 12: Facing Beasts

Location: Junkion

Junkion was in a state that most would not consider normal even by the garbage planet's standards, as everyone was scrambling to either take cover or return fire on the Decepticon forces that were attacking them. It had actually been quite peaceful for a moment after Hound and Rey had finished helping Wreck-Gar and the others get the temporary power source into the gravity field generator, but that peace was short lived, as the 'Cons had shown up mere seconds later with an army of HorseMan mobile suits alongside them. The Decepticons were being headed up by Slipstream, along with what appeared to be an ace version of the HorseMan mobile suit, given that the color scheme was indigo and red as opposed to the deep purple and red that the Decepticon mobile suits normally had, and it was not long until Rey and Hound were leading the defense of Junkion with many of Wreck-Gar's people coming to aid them a few minutes later. While he had started out by charging in and attacking them head-on, Rey soon found himself putting some distance between him and the enemy after noticing that the generator had been deliberately hit by one of the enemy units, and he then transformed the Liberator to its tank mode so that he could fire on them with its guns and keep them from either landing on the planet's surface or getting close to the generator.

As he rotated the cannon on his Gundam's vehicle mode to each target, Rey took the chance to study the enemy mobile suits a little more closely, as Kira had informed him of the encounter they had with these machines on Velocitron and the blonde thought it would help if he could get more of an idea on how the enemy pilots fought in their machines. From where he was, he could see that most of the enemy mobile suits typically seemed to fight with a mindset similar to that of a crazed animal, lashing out in a way that was almost random from time to time, and yet they still seemed to be directed by some driving force, while a few of the others seemed more directed and focused like your basic level pilots. The strange thing about some of the machines with an animalistic fighting style was that they also employed skills that could only be pulled off by ace pilots. What really came as a shock to Rey was that some of those tactics employed were ones he recognized as skills that were used by ace pilots he had encountered in the past at some point or another in his life.

Rey was not entirely sure what to make of his observations for a moment until one of the HorseMans suddenly appeared right before him, forcing him to roll his machine back to avoid the attack and then transform it into Gundam mode. He then armed his machine's right arm blade and retaliated against his previous attacker, landing a powerful hit that exposed the machine's cockpit in an instant, and sent it falling to the ground before the pilot dropped out onto the ground bellow. Seeing that he now had a golden opportunity to discover the true identity of the enemy mobile suit pilots that allied with Le Creuset and the Decepticons, Rey directed his main camera towards the pilot and zoomed in, only to gasp in shock when he saw a familiar young, blonde haired woman in a pink, Earth Forces pilot's suit.

Hound had not noticed any of that until Rey suddenly switched the Liberator back into its vehicle mode, set it to autopilot so that it could continue firing, and then climbed out of his machine to approach the fallen pilot as quickly as he could. "Hey Rey, what do you think you're doing," Hound demanded as he kept firing on the enemy.

"I think I know who that pilot is," Rey shouted towards the Autobot.

"Yo dog, whaz he talkin' 'bout," Wreck-Gar asked. Hound only had time to give a confused shrug in response to the strange-talking 'Bot's question before he had to return his attention to shooting Decepticons as one of the other Seeker siblings suddenly tried to swoop down and strafe the area in order to clear a path to the generator that the two were guarding.

When Rey finally reached the enemy pilot, he was able to confirm without a doubt that the person in question did indeed seem to be who he thought it was, and after he turned her over to get a better look at her face, all doubts on the matter immediately vanished, and he found himself looking at the face of one Stella Loussier. Like any normal person, Rey was of course shocked to see that someone who was supposed to be dead had just been flying the machine that had previously attacked him, so his next thoughts were that the girl was just someone who looked a great deal like the Extended pilot, but that thought was dismissed when the girl suddenly opened her eyes, revealing them to be the same color as Stella's, except with a slight tinge of purple that Rey could only describe as something evil. He immediately shook the thought from his mind when he saw that the girl's attention had directed itself towards him and asked, "Stella Loussier? Do you recognize me?" When Stella did not respond, Rey elected to ask, "Can you understand me?"

Stella's response to Rey's question was not as quick as one would have expected, but it was surprising nonetheless, for a brief, tense moment after Rey had asked her that, she let out a horrid, inhuman shriek and then kicked Rey off of her. Rey was able to recover from the initial attack, but was then quick to go on the defense when the girl suddenly began to lash out at him like a deranged animal, swiping at him like she intended to claw his suit off him along with his face, or just spinning random kicks out at him. Rey did everything he could to avoid or block the girl's attacks while trying to get through to her without the slightest bit of success. After another minute of staying defensive, Rey finally felt that he had no choice but to try and fight back, and drew his Energon Pistol in order to shoot her until it was knocked out of his hand just as quickly as he had drawn it by someone else firing a disarming shot at him.

Rey looked towards the direction he believed the shooter to be in, and was met with the sight of a man that seemed a little taller than him, wearing a pilot suit with the same color scheme as the ace version of the HorseMan standing there with a gun aimed at the hand Rey was previously holding his weapon in. Rey could not see the man's face as the helmet's visor was heavily tinted in order to prevent someone from seeing it. The man then seemed to look towards Stella and ordered her to return to her machine and retreat from the battle. Stella snarled at the newcomer for a minute, seeming like she was going to charge him as well, but then Rey noticed the strange, glowing scars that littered her face seemed to glow for a minute, until the girl finally calmed down a minute after and ran back to her machine to carry out her new orders. Rey then turned his attention back to the newcomer as he quickly retrieved his weapon and aimed it at the mystery pilot as he asked, "Who are you? You're obviously not like she was, and I can tell by both your suit and your machine that your obviously not just another foot soldier."

The mysterious man chuckled before he hauntingly replied, "You're definitely the real thing, seeing as it's the only reason you can be so quick to reach that conclusion…Rey."

Rey paused for a minute, as the fact that this stranger had addressed him by name had thrown him off for a minute, but he quickly recomposed himself before he asked the mystery man, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

The stranger chuckled again before he stated, "I think it would be strange if I didn't know you're name, after all, we are brothers."

Rey had to pause once again, but this time for more than a minute as he said, "I don't have any real brothers. At least…not in the genetic sense."

"Oh but you do," the stranger corrected. "And with a little help from both that first brother and Shockwave, you now have many more, including me. I'll admit, those others are a bit more dull compared to Le Creuset, but for some reason, I was unique, had a will of my own, and that was enough of a reason for me to be our dear big brother's second in command, at least on the human front."

Rey's eyes then widened in realization at this claim, as he immediately connected the dots and gasped, "You're…you're a clone, just like me."

"Yes," the stranger replied with a grand wave of his arms. "And as such, I think it only right that I give you big brother Rau's offer in his place. Join us, Rey. You know we don't belong in this world, and those fools that side with the Autobots and Kira Yamato are just using you for their benefit, all so they could have another soldier. If you join us though, you'll become part of a much more grand plan that will make all life in the galaxy pay for their crimes against our kind and others like us."

Rey's eyes narrowed as he leveled his gun once again and fired a few shots at the other clone in warning, as he answered, "I know exactly what you and Rau are planning, and I'm not going to help you in any way at all. Your tomorrow isn't mine!"

Rey's fellow clone chuckled before he finally said, "I knew you would refuse. You've been completely brainwashed by those fools, just like I said you were, but there's no doubt that you are a worthy opponent if what I've seen in this battle so far is any indication." The clone then paused for a minute before decreasing the tint on his visor and revealing a face that did indeed look very much like Rey's, except with dark red eyes before he finished, "My name is Ro Co Zane. Remember that name well, Rey, for it is the name of the one who will kill you before this over."

Rey could only watch as Co Zane climbed back into his machine, until he finally returned to the Liberator so that he could properly rejoin the fight, knowing that he would have to make absolute sure that he made a note of this and his other discoveries in his report when he returned to Earth. It was a good thing that Rey had returned to the Liberator when he did, as not a second later, Cyclops's forces had arrived at Junkion and joined in the attack on Junkion, with the one-eyed, Decepticon warrior taking command of the enemy forces. Rey and Hound were quick to start firing everything they had on Cyclops and the soldiers from his team, but Rey knew full well that there was a likely chance that they would not last long at this rate, leading him to mutter, "Please hurry and get back soon, Shinn."


Location: Maelstrom Belt

As he raced across the massive asteroid field, searching for one of the scattered components from the power source of Junkion's gravity field generator, Shinn found himself worrying quite a bit both for the safety of him and his teammates, and for that of their friends on Junkion. He knew he probably should not worry so much about that, given that Spartan and his team had departed for Junkion ahead of them so that they could give a little more support to the defense of the garbage world, but given that his best friend was on the planet at the time, Shinn really could not help but worry about it. There was not really time to concern himself with such thoughts though, as Shinn had to put a vast majority of his attention on finding one of the scattered components while keeping the Grand Destiny from getting torn apart by the meteors in the Maelstrom Belt in one way or another.

Shortly after Spartan had left, Magnus and Waltfeld decided that it would save them all a bit of time if they split up to search for the parts in small teams rather than using one of the ships to search aimlessly. Thundertron was against the idea, having seen firsthand what happened to Transformers and other life forms that tried to move through the Belt without a ship, but in the end, given what was at stake, the pirate captain had to concede that the two commanders had a point, and so they all split off into groups, with Waltfeld and Ultra Magnus in one team, Lunamaria and Crosshairs in another, and Shinn and Bulkhead making up the final group while Thundertron and his crew kept track of them all from the Kalis' Lament. None of the Gundam pilots or Autobots were all that comfortable with leaving the Star Seekers on their own like that, but given what Thundertron had stated about Cyclops playing him for a fool, it did not seem all that likely that the Star Seekers were going to just up and leave them in the Belt before they could even blink, so they decided that they should just trust him for the moment.

So far, Shinn had heard that Lunamaria and Crosshairs were the only ones to find some of the missing parts, and since the two were searching the area closest to the ship, Shinn took that to mean that there was a good chance that the parts did not get sent too far off. Sadly, that idea was quickly dismissed when they did not hear any report of progress from Ultra Magnus and Waltfeld, who were at the midway point between the ship and the border of the Maelstrom Belt, so Shinn and Bulkhead took that as all the more reason to keep an even sharper eye out for the parts than they already were before. It was actually a good thing that they were keeping such a sharp eye out, because if they were not then the Grand Destiny would likely have been smashed apart by the dangers of the Maelstrom Belt more times than Shinn ever wanted to admit.

As Shinn steered his machine around yet another asteroid that would have caused severe damage to his suit, even while it was in its bomber plane mode, Bulkhead managed to leap from one asteroid to another by building up enough speed in his own vehicle mode, preventing him from ever feeling the effects of any gravity wells that he did not want to get caught up in. At one point, after they had reported on their lack of progress to the others, Bulkhead decided to strike up a bit of a conversation with his human partner and asked, "So Shinn, how're things going with you and Lunamaria, lately?"

"Why does everyone always keep asking me that," Shinn groaned in slight annoyance at how that was almost always one of the first things people would ask him about these days in casual conversation. Shinn then shook his head before he replied, "Things are going great, really."

"Are you sure about that," Bulkhead asked, as he could sense a bit of nervousness in Shinn's voice when he said that, almost like he was hiding something.

Shinn knew that there was no point in hiding something from Bulkhead, so he sighed in defeat before he admitted, "Yes, I am sure that things are going well, but I'm…a little worried about something."

"And what would that be," Bulkhead prompted.

Shinn hesitated for a minute before he finally answered. "I'm thinking about asking Luna to move in with me. I mean, not with me and my family, but rather, into our own place somewhere. Maybe in New Iacon or Orb, since I know that Luna likes both of those places."

"Whoa, hold up," Bulkhead interrupted. "Did I hear you right? It sounded like you said you were going to ask Luna to start living with you."

"I said I was thinking about it," Shinn clarified. "I mean, it's not that I don't want to, but I'm just…worried that we might be rushing things a little bit, you know? Like maybe we're not ready to take such a step in our relationship. I mean, that kind of thing is a big deal for any relationship, right?"

"Shinn, calm down for a minute," Bulkhead cut in once again, as he was quickly picking up on the signs of panic entering Shinn's voice. "Look, I don't know how different human relationships are from Cybertronian ones, but I do know that you and Luna are definitely ready for whatever step in your relationship comes next. I mean, you guys have been going out for three years now and are still going strong. To be honest, I think most people would be surprised if you guys didn't either move in together or just finally got married like Kira and Lacus did."

Shinn was extremely glad Bulkhead could not see his face at the moment, as it had turned as red as the pilot's eyes when he thought about getting married to Lunamaria. Still, he did have to admit that Bulkhead made a very good point in saying that he and Lunamaria had not really had any problems in their relationship since they finally became official three years ago, so maybe Shinn was worrying a little too much about the matter. It was honestly moments such as these that Shinn was very grateful to have Bulkhead as his Autobot partner, which showed as Shinn smiled to said Wrecker and said, "Thanks Bulk. You know, as soon as we get back to Earth, I think…no, I know I'm going to ask Luna."

"To what? Move in with you or marry you," Bulkhead asked, and despite hearing the teasing tone in his voice that indicated the Wrecker was messing with him, Shinn could do nothing to prevent his blush from flaring up again in response to Bulkhead's comment.

"Y-you know full well what I meant," Shinn stuttered. "Just keep it down, will you? She might be on the same frequency and overhear us or something, and I don't want to ruin the surprise."

"Okay, okay," Bulkhead laughed in a way that would have had him holding his hands up in surrender if he were in his bipedal mode at the moment. He would have added something else in addition to that, but that was before he spotted something just a short ways ahead of them, which he immediately pointed out to Shinn. "Looks like we've finally got one!"

Shinn flew the Grand Destiny over, blasting apart a meteor that drifted into his path as he went, before transforming the machine to Gundam mode and grabbing the component that they needed, while Bulkhead let the others know of their progress. When he heard that they now had only a couple more parts to locate, Shinn could immediately feel his worries beginning to evaporate a little, and his hope that everything would work out elevating.


In another part of the Maelstrom Belt, Ultra Magnus and Waltfeld had just received word of Shinn and Bulkhead's progress before they resumed their own search, certain that they would find at least one of the missing parts in their area before long. During this time, Ultra Magnus took the opportunity to ask Waltfeld some questions involving ways for the Autobot to improve his command style, as he thought the Desert Tiger was most definitely the best person to ask on such a matter since Waltfeld was such a well-respected soldier that had been said to be a great guy to work for according to many of his former troops. Waltfeld was happy to answer Ultra Magnus's questions, as he honestly liked the by-the-book soldier quite a bit and wanted to help the guy out in any way that he could. The fact that Magnus was certainly the kind of person that he would like to have his back as both a fellow soldier and a friend was also something that really grabbed Waltfeld's attention as well, so there was not much of a chance that he could have said no to Magnus even if he did want to.

Eventually, they came to a topic that had Magnus very much confused for the longest time since he first read about the Desert Tiger, when the Autobot SIC asked, "When the Decepticons had allied themselves with Z.A.F.T., you were not all that welcoming to them, despite what others may think, and not only that, but you even went behind their backs to temporarily shelter and speak with two Autobots and two enemy soldiers as well. Why would you really do such a thing?"

Waltfeld knew that Magnus was referring to the time when he first met Kira, Cagalli, Bulkhead, and Hound face to face in Banadia, something that Waltfeld had not really thought all that much about in a long time, so it was a minute before he finally gave Magnus a reply. "Well to be honest, at first it was just to confirm that Kira was indeed the pilot of the Strike, while also taking the chance to hear a couple of the Autobots' side of the story on your war with the 'Cons, mostly out of curiosity, but I will admit that there was one other reason as well," Waltfeld admitted. "I wanted to see just what kind of person they really were, and what Kira's thoughts were on what it would take to end the war. I know that he probably realized some of the things that I told him, but I'm pretty sure that before I did tell him, the thought had never occurred to him before then. I honestly didn't like the way that the world was at the time, so when I saw some of the things that Kira could do on his own, not just in a mobile suit but as a person as well, I couldn't help but think that with the right push, he could be a key part in finally bringing that war to an end."

"That seems like a very large gamble to make on someone you had only truly met once," Ultra Magnus pointed out.

"Maybe, but it paid off, didn't it," Waltfeld shrugged from the cockpit of the Gaia. "Plus, it also allowed me to really be ready for anything more that the 'Cons threw at us while securing any distrust I had for them. I'll admit that some of them seemed like okay guys, but overall, I was honestly more drawn to the Autobots and how they did things. Even so, I wanted to fight against Kira and the Autobots at least once before I knew for certain what I should do in my future, and all it took was that last battle I had against them along with a missile from Starscream to really help me see that."

Ultra Magnus found that he could not help but give a small laugh in humor to Waltfeld's small attempt at a joke before he located one of the last remaining parts. After radioing in the report of their find, he looked to Waltfeld again before he asked, "Even so, you knew full well that your actions later on would cause you to be considered as a traitor to your people and your comrades in Z.A.F.T., yet you still did it anyway. Why would you take such a risk and allow others to take that risk as well?"

"Well to be honest, if it were up to me, I wouldn't involve any more people than absolutely necessary in the Clyne Faction, but everyone who joined up with us had done so because they wanted to of their own free will," Waltfeld admitted. "In answer to why I did it, the reason is simply because I had signed on to fight so that we could one day have a world where we wouldn't have to fight anymore, not a battle where one side ended up completely annihilating the other, so when Lacus started up the Clyne Faction as a way of keeping the war from reaching that point, I didn't even need to think twice before saying I would help. It was really that simple."

Ultra Magnus had to admit that Waltfeld's reasons were certainly sound, as he knew of a few Decepticons who had left Megatron's fold to join up with the Autobots due to similar feelings, so it was only natural that he could sympathize with those reasons. Magnus had to admire Waltfeld for choosing to protect the future of his world and what he wanted for that world as a whole over preserving his loyalty to his army, because believe it or not, Magnus honestly felt that if one could not feel right in fighting for an army that they were a part of, then they had every right to leave that group so that they could. It may sound a little harsh when he said that aloud to others, but it was just his way of making sure that he did not lose anyone over one person not having all their heart and soul in the fight.

They soon dismissed any further conversation and thoughts when they located the final component of the gravity generator's power source, and immediately began their fast return to the ship as they reported in their find while ordering the other teams to return as well.


"So that's all of it, then," Thundertron asked once all of the Autobots and Gundam pilots had returned.

"Yep, that's everything," Crosshairs confirmed as he and Bulkhead finished repairing the power source. "We can get this thing back to Junkion, plug it in, and the planet will be good as new before you can say roll out."

"Now there's just the matter of getting there," Lunamaria pointed out. "In case you guys have forgotten, it'll take us forever to get back to Junkion, and I don't think they'll be able to wait for that long."

"Fortunately, they won't have to," Cannonball revealed, getting everyone to give him a small glance. "You see, before he and his team left, Spartan was kind enough to provide us with some parts to assemble a make-shift Space Bridge generator like the ones that the Autobot ships use. It would only be good for one trip, but thankfully, we don't plan to use it anymore than once."

"Really," Shinn asked. "I would've thought you would want to use it as a way to get away before we could have you all arrested or something."

"Ah Shinn, my poor, naïve boy," Thundertron sighed. "You see, that's the thing about being a pirate. You live for the thrill of the journey just as much as you do for the profit. While traveling with a Space Bridge would certainly get us where we want to go much faster, it would also take away the joy of traversing the stars and experiencing the thrills and joys that comes with doing so."

Shinn and Lunamaria had to admit that they could understand that a little bit, as they found that it was kind of like saying that there was no real meaning in accomplishing something if you always took the easiest way to get it, and to someone like Thundertron, using a Space Bridge to travel through Space anymore than necessary was most certainly be taking the easiest way to obtain what he wanted. With all that now cleared up and any final checks on the make-shift Space Bridge generator completed, Flamewar programmed the coordinates of Junkion into the computer, and they immediately began their journey through the blue vortex, back to Junkion as soon as they were clear of the Maelstrom Belt. Even after they had entered the Space Bridge portal though, none of the Autobots and Gundam pilots could do anything to keep themselves from gaining a nervous feeling about what they would find when they finally returned to their friends on Junkion.


Location: Junkion

The battle against Cyclops, Co Zane, and the other Decepticon forces had been quickly going downhill for the defenders of Junkion, leading Rey to believe that they were not going to hold out for much longer, but thankfully, that was the very moment that Spartan's team had shown up and joined the fight. Soon after, Hound was quickly joined by Boomstick as Kyne saw to any injuries that the other defenders had suffered, while Rey moved the Liberator to fight Co Zane while Spartan engaged Cyclops a mere few feet away from him. "It still amazes me that you haven't been scrapped after all these years, Spartan," Cyclops snarled in anger.

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual, Cyclops," Spartan retorted as he collided his sword with the shock-staff Cyclops had for a left arm. Cyclops then pushed Spartan back before moving to run his staff through his hated enemy, but Spartan was quick to dodge the blow and then follow up with a slash of his sword. Cyclops was able to dodge Spartan's attack, but he could not avoid the hard kick to his chest that the legendary Autobot had thrown out using the momentum of his sword swing a minute later. Thankfully, Cyclops was able to raise his staff up in time to block Spartan's next slash with his staff, and thus this cycle of battle seemed to repeat, with one of the two gaining the advantage over the other for a minute until their opponent suddenly did something to turn the tide in their favor.

From where he was, Rey could only catch small glimpses of the battle, as he was forced to put all his attention on either diverting the enemy mobile suits and trying to fight back against Co Zane, which was not an easy task at all. Co Zane proved beyond a doubt that he was in fact a very formidable warrior that could easily match the level of skill that Rey and Le Creuset possessed, given time, but from where he was sitting, it was quite clear to Rey that his opponent's current skill level was roughly that of his own back when he was first assigned to the Minerva, which gave Rey a very slight advantage. Even so, the advantage was still just barely there, so Rey was having to pull out all the stops that he could to make sure that Ro did not get the better of him, until the enemy clone suddenly backed off, almost like he was giving up for a minute. This confused Rey, as he was certain that Co Zane would not surrender that easily, until a sudden hit on his side showed him why the enemy pilot had suddenly retreated.

Cyclops had noticed Co Zane's sudden retreat as well, along with how a majority of the Decepticons seemed to focus more on the weaker soldiers of the defending forces, and he quickly pushed Spartan away to see why his forces were not giving all their attention to the greater threats. When he did look, he was shocked to see a massive, menacing looking warrior standing over the Liberator, which was currently lying on the ground after it had been hit by said warrior, with large spikes and clawed hands glaring down at the Gundam. "Where did he come from," Cyclops demanded.

The newcomer threw a small glare at Cyclops, making him suddenly feel a little nervous before replying, "You and I will be having words on your treatment towards me later, Cyclops. For now, I intend to deal with the enemies of our master's plans."

Rey was not sure why, but he got the distinct impression that he had seen this particular 'Con before, and when he saw the small beast-shaped sigil on the 'Con's chest, he immediately realized why. Standing before the blonde, was none other than the Predacon that had attacked the others on Earth and on Velocitron. Not wanting to let this former beast tear him apart like it had his friends, Rey immediately fired the Liberator's thrusters in order to blast away from the massive warrior, and fired a few shots from both of the Gundam's arm blasters. The Predacon did not seem to even flinch in response to this, but instead gave a small glare towards the Liberator before it shouted, "Prepare to taste the fury of Predaking and my brethren, Autobots! Predacons, transform and commence the hunt!"

Rey could only roll his eyes at the now-named Predaking's choice of a battle cry, but his worry immediately increased when a second and then a third Predacon suddenly shot up through the air towards them. Both of the new Predacons had alt modes that were dragon-like in appearance like Predaking at first glance, and both had armor that was different shades of blue, and when they transformed, they proved to be almost as large as Predaking, with their wings being folded back behind them like Predaking's were in robot mode. It was quite clear that both warriors were built for battle, which was not good news for Rey or any of his allies, given how much trouble they had with Predaking alone.

There was nothing that could be done now, though, as Rey and Spartan just prepared themselves for the confrontation with the beasts that stood before them, with Hound and Boomstick already sending out several rounds of weapons fire against the three Predacons. Predaking and his brethren shrugged it off before they finally charged in and engaged both Rey and Spartan in close combat just as Rey had armed the Liberator's right arm blade. Both of the two warriors did all they could, with Rey even deploying the Liberator's DRAGOONs at one point to try and even things out, but the Predacons were all far too strong for them, and so they were soon pinned down with their backs against the wall, in more ways than one, for they had soon found themselves backed up against the wall around Junkion's gravity field generator. As Predaking stood over his opponents in assured victory, Rey and the others could not help but feel that it was likely the end for them, until a sudden barrage suddenly struck the Predacons from behind, and this time they did more than flinch a little in response.

Turning to the source, Rey let out a sigh of relief when he saw that the barrage had come from the Grand Destiny, which was still firing its Ragnarok Cannon as it flew in, with the Pure Impulse, the Gaia, Bulkhead, Ultra Magnus, and Crosshairs right behind it, firing their weapons as they went. Shortly after, the Kalis' Lament suddenly appeared nearby, and the Star Seekers swarmed out with Thundertron in the lead, immediately engaging the Decepticons as soon as they hit Junkion's surface. Rey was honestly surprised by the pirates helping them, but decided to ask about it later, as he saw that the his fellow Gundam pilots and the Autobots were now standing between him and the Predacons. "You okay, Rey," Shinn asked from his cockpit.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rey nodded in confirmation.

"Well you mind explaining who these guys are," Lunamaria then asked as she indicated the Predacons.

"You have yet to meet Darksteel and Skylynx, but I on the other hand, am the very same one who had previously allowed you two to live, but will not today," Predaking replied.

Shinn and the others who had just arrived were all thrown off a little by this statement, until Rey clarified by calling out, "Guys, be careful! That guy's the Predacon!"

"WHAT," all the Junkion defenders who had just arrived exclaimed, but after they noticed the Predacon symbol on Predaking's chest, any doubts on the matter were immediately dropped while Shinn and Lunamaria quickly began throwing heated glares in Predaking's direction.

"I am no mere Predacon," Predaking snarled. "I am savagery and honor blended into one warrior. I am the master of all Predacons. I AM PREDAKING!"

"Well you're about to be scrap metal," Shinn shouted as he holstered the Ragnarok Cannon in favor of the Ascalon Beam Sword, and he then charged at Predaking before anyone could stop him, with Lunamaria following him with the Pure Impulse's Anti-Ship swords soon after. Bulkhead and Crosshairs were about to follow after their partners, but they were quickly diverted by the one that Predaking had identified as Skylynx while Waltfeld and Magnus found themselves facing off with Darksteel. Spartan's team was prepared to assist them, but they were quickly cut off by Cyclops's team once again, and so they elected to leave the Predacons to the other Autobots and Gundam pilots in favor of dealing with their hated enemy once and for all.

Rey had wanted to help his friends against Predaking, but he knew that since they knew nothing about the two new Predacons, the others would need his help more, so he quickly moved to assist Bulkhead and Crosshairs while Hound backed up Ultra Magnus and Waltfeld. Thankfully, it did not seem that Shinn and Lunamaria needed Rey's help all that much, as they were able to match Predaking much more easily than they did the last time they met, partly because they had a small idea on what to expect from their opponent this time, and also because they did not want to give the Predacon leader any chance to assume his beast mode, since there was no doubt that he would likely tear them apart as soon as he did. Predaking was honestly shocked by the two warriors' new battle ferocity, and found that he could not help but give a small, internal smirk at the challenge that they were providing him, even as the Grand Destiny landed a hard punch in his face. When Predaking finally managed to intercept Shinn's sword with his clawed hands, Predaking took the moment to say, "You are much more skilled now than before, from what I vaguely remember of our last encounter, though I doubt it is entirely due to the new upgrades of your machine, human. Tell me, why are you now fighting me with such spirit?"

"Simple," Shinn growled. "You attacked Luna, and I'll never forgive anyone for something like that!"

Predaking now found his admiration for the human pilot growing a little, as he discovered he could honestly respect someone who fought for their comrades just as he would for his brethren, but he could not dwell on the thought for long, as the Pure Impulse had used his moment of distraction to hit him in the back with a barrage from its arm blasters and beam cannons. The attack did little to faze Predaking thanks to his armor, but there was nothing he could do when Shinn suddenly slammed a powerful punch into Predaking's face, sending him rolling across the ground of Junkion just as both Gundams readied their blasters to fire on him again. Predaking just snarled at the two, and was about to assume his beast mode so that he could gain an advantage, when the ground suddenly shook beneath his feet. While Predaking did not know what it meant, Cyclops certainly did, as it was a sign that Junkion was likely about to come apart completely, so Cyclops knew that there was only one thing left for the Decepticons to do. "All units, retreat at once! Our job here is done," Cyclops shouted before he transformed and flew back to his ship while the other Decepticons quickly made a beeline for the Space Bridge that had just opened up for them.

Predaking hated to leave such an exciting battle unfinished, but he did not wish to go against the orders of one of Galvatron's soldiers, so he assumed his beast mode and let out a roar that the other Predacons knew to mean that they were falling back as well before he led his brethren through the Space Bridge as well. The Autobots and Gundam pilots did not make any attempts to pursue though, because saving Junkion came first, so they quickly unloaded the gravity field generator's power source from Thundertron's ship, and slid the power source into its device as quickly as they could.

The trembling did not stop for a moment, and everyone began to think that they should head for the ships to evacuate the planet, until the quakes finally started to die down, eliciting cheers of success from everyone. "We owe you a debt that we could never hope to repay," Wreck-Gar said to the Autobots as he shook hands with Ultra Magnus and the Gaia.

"Don't worry. We were just happy to help," Waltfeld assured the leader of Junkion.

"But the Decepticon threat is still at large, so I certainly hope that you will allow us to make sure that your planet is ready for anything in case they return," Ultra Magnus added.

"You've got a friend in me," Wreck-Gar sang for a minute, and the Autobots took that to mean yes, a fact that Junkyard quickly confirmed for them. Seeing that there was nothing more they could do on Junkion for the moment, the team then made to return to the Orion when Shinn suddenly looked to Thundertron, causing them all to pause for a minute.

"So what about them," Shinn asked his teammates.

They all seemed to pause for a minute before Ultra Magnus said, "Protocol states that we should bring the pirate captain, Thundertron and his crew in for their many crimes, but given the circumstances…I think it would be reasonable to allow them to be on their way for now."

"Mighty generous of you mate," Thundertron said with a mock salute. "And seeing as that is the case, we'll just be on our way. Now that I have the Lament back, there's an entire galaxy out there calling my name." Thundertron then moved to return to his ship before he paused and looked towards the Grand Destiny and asked, "You know, if you wanted, I think there might be a place in my crew for a fierce, yet loyal young lad like you, Shinn. What do ye say?"

Everyone was surprised that Thundertron would give such an offer to Shinn, so they could only look on in silence as they waited for Shinn to answer. After another minute of silence, Shinn finally stepped out of his machine to address Thundertron directly, and said, "I'm flattered, Captain Thundertron, but my place is on Earth with my friends, the Autobots, and…"

Thundertron did not need to be a genius when he saw Shinn glance towards the Pure Impulse as he trailed off at the end, so he simply smiled in understanding as he replied, "I understand that, mate. You've got your own adventure to follow and I've got mine, so here's hoping that we meet again someday amidst the stars, and that we'll be allies again when we do."

Shinn could only nod in reply to Thundertron with a smile before he climbed back into his machine and moved to board the Orion with his friends, while Lunamaria approached the captain and said, "I may not be your biggest fan, but still, thanks for your help, Captain Thundertron."

When she extended her Gundam's hand for a handshake, Lunamaria was quickly confused when Thundertron raised both his arms up in defense. That confusion was quickly lifted when the pirate explained, "I didn't want ye hittin' me again, lass."

Lunamaria could only smile in remembrance as she nodded to the pirate and boarded the ship with her teammates, only stopping to dock her machine in the hangar and power it down as the ship took off. Once she had reached the cockpit, Shinn had to pull her aside and ask, "So you actually hit Thundertron?"

"It was a while back, when the Autobots first encountered him," Lunamaria explained as though it were no big deal. "I'll tell you about it later."

Shinn nodded in acceptance of this, and then sat back to enjoy the ride back to Earth just as their ship entered the Space Bridge vortex.


Location: Earth

When the team returned home at last, they found themselves going through a great hassle before they could finally walk on Earth's surface, due to the fact that the storms and natural disasters covering the planet made it impossible to land the ship directly on the planet any time soon. They were all worried about this of course, but that worry vanished when they saw nearly the entire Gundam team and all of their Autobot friends applauding them for their success and safe return after they entered the New Iacon Base. After the applause had died down and everyone began moving off to start a small party like the one they had thrown for the Velocitron team, Waltfeld and Rey took a moment to give their reports on the mission to Optimus, Kira, and Bumblebee, at which point, Rey had taken the chance to report the discovery that he made in regards to the HorseMan mobile suit pilots. The news that Stella Loussier was the pilot of the HorseMan that Rey had shot down was shocking to say the least, but the fact that the one leading the team this time was another clone like Rey most definitely shook everyone to their core.

None of them wanted to think on how it was possible that the dead Extended girl was now alive again and piloting one of the HorseMans, but that did not stop the questions from arising, which were quickly answered by Optimus voicing his own theory. "It would appear that Galvatron and Le Creuset have discovered a way to use Dark Energon's ability to revive the dead on humans," the last Prime theorized aloud.

"So you're saying that Stella's basically become some kind of zombie because of the stuff that's still spewing out of the volcano that we first engaged the Decepticons at when this whole mess started," Waltfeld asked.

"Pretty much," Bumblebee confirmed. "And given how many pilots and soldiers had lost their lives in the previous war, they would have no shortage of warriors to pilot those things."

"Not only that, but if there are other clones of Le Creuset like this Ro Co Zane claimed there were, then we can easily assume that the 'Cons and Le Creuset have a near limitless army of pilots," Kira added on, his voice showing just how sickening he found the whole thing with every word, a feeling that Rey easily shared with the Ultimate Coordinator.

"The real question is, does that only apply to human soldiers, or fallen Transformers as well," Rey then asked, voicing everyone's worries for them.

"I don't think any of us want to know the answer to that one, kid," Waltfeld stated.

"Until we know the answer on that for certain, we should not raise the concern with the others," Optimus then decided. "I would not want to worry them about what the future may or may not hold. We should also hold off on informing the others of these discoveries for the time being, save for the team that we have dispatched to the third colony world."

"When did you discover this new world's location," Ultra Magnus asked.

"Just a few hours ago," Kira replied. "We had actually just sent Athrun, Elita One, and some others off to that world just a few minutes before you guys had returned."

Everyone nodded in reply to this and then moved to rejoin the impromptu party, save for Optimus, who was now doing everything he could to uncover the final set of coordinates as quickly as possible, each feeling a sense of dread at what they would discover about their enemies next as they did, until Bulkhead motioned for the group to come over to where he was for a minute. When they did, he signaled them all to be quiet before indicating Shinn and Lunamaria, who seemed to be in the midst of a very important discussion. They took this to mean that Bulkhead probably knew what was going on and wanted them to see without interrupting the moment between the two, so they quickly obliged the Wrecker and silently moved to where they could hear them better.

"So what is it that you needed to talk to me about, Shinn," Lunamaria asked her boyfriend with a smile.

"Well…" Shinn started to say, his hesitance clearly showing how nervous he was. "I was wondering if…that is, if you wanted to…maybe…"

"I would love to move in with you, Shinn," Lunamaria suddenly said, softly, cutting Shinn off. Shinn's eyes widened in disbelief for a minute, until he finally started beaming as brightly as the sun on a clear day and wrapped his girlfriend in a tight hug as he spun her around in excitement.

When he finally set the now laughing, violet-red haired girl down, he suddenly realized something and had to ask, "Wait, how'd you know I was going to ask you that?"

"I overheard you and Bulkhead talking on the radio," Lunamaria replied with a smile. Shinn's face lit up with a blush, as he was immediately wondering just how much of the conversation that his girlfriend had heard, and he was quickly stuttering like a dumbstruck fool until Lunamaria finally silenced him by whispering, "Just shut up and kiss me, Mister Super Ace."

Shinn did not hesitate to do so, and he was soon placing his lips against Lunamaria's in a gentle, loving kiss. Seeing the two take such a step in their relationship was exactly what the others needed in order to lift their spirits, and they knew that even with all these new mysteries and questions rising, leading them to wonder more and more about what may or may not come, they would be ready for any of it.


Location: Chaar

Galvatron was furious when he found out that the Junkion operation had failed, a fact he made abundantly clear to Le Creuset, Cyclops, and Predaking, until Cyclops finally felt that he should speak up in order to defend his actions on the planet. "Even if the Autobots hadn't received reinforcements, I'm confident that we would have succeeded, Lord Galvatron," Cyclops tried to reason. "Perhaps if I had been informed earlier of the beast gaining intelligence…"

Anything else that Cyclops was going to say was cut off when Predaking suddenly slapped the one-eyed Decepticon across the room, and then grabbed him by the throat as Predaking snarled, "Since you were not present when I first made the fact clear, I will only say it once more for your benefit. I am no beast!"

"Despite all evidence to the contrary," Cyclops gasped in a snarl, only to find Predaking's grip tightening in response.

"ENOUGH," Galvatron hollered, prompting Predaking to release Cyclops. "I would not blame your failure on Predaking and his kind, if I were you, Cyclops, though if I had known that their newly acquired abilities would serve to be such a great distraction, I may not have sent them to aid you in your mission. Regardless of that, it should have been no problem for you to have carried out your assignment, yet you decided to play with your opponent the minute you discovered that the Autobot, Spartan was among the enemy. I will not let some petty, past grudge prevent us from achieving our ultimate goal, Cyclops. Is that clear?"

Cyclops immediately bowed his head in response, indicating that he understood perfectly, which served to quell Galvatron's anger for a minute. At that point, Le Creuset took the opportunity to add in, "Not all is lost just yet though, Lord Galvatron. I've recently learned from Soundwave that the team we sent to the third world was able to beat the Autobots there, and they should not have any problem convincing a large group of locals to unknowingly aid us in our ultimate goal, as it turns out that the planet is in the midst of its own war at this very moment."

Galvatron gained a small smile at this news before he hummed, "Intriguing." He then looked to Predaking and stated, "Shockwave has reported that the last of your generals was just recently completed during your mission to Junkion, Predaking, so I would like for you and the other Predacons to join our forces in their conquest of this new world. We may have beaten the Autobots there, but I have no doubt that it will not be long before they arrive."

"As you wish, Lord Galvatron," Predaking said with a small bow before he departed to see to his the rest of his newly awakened brethren. As he made his way to the lab, Predaking could already feel his spark racing in excitement for the battles that were now lying before him and his kind when they reached this world, which would serve as all the reason for others to worry as to what awaited those that stood against them in their path to glory.


[Party still going strong]

Dearka: Man, now this is something else, and not just the party, but that chapter as well.

Yzak: What I find amazing is that no one's tried to give away any spoilers.

Rey: Don't you remember, we all took a vote and decided that since today was such a special day, we wouldn't try to ruin it by giving away so much as the smallest tidbit of information on what's still to come in the story.

Lunamaria: And we also didn't want anyone to get hit by one of the spoiler prevention gags as well.

AN: Well, even if someone did try to give away a spoiler, I would've just given the old warning from before I installed the spoiler prevention gags, because I didn't want to ruin this party with anything like that either.

Ironhide: That's pretty cool of you, boss-man.

AN: Well, you know...

Jazz: Uh, is anyone going to point out that we should probably be concerned that Predaking is not the only Predacon now? Or how about that other guy that showed up in front of Rey?

AN: In order, I was never going to stop with just Predaking, as that would've just felt like I was copying the final season of Transformers Prime too much, and thankfully, since Skylynx and Darksteel actually made an appearance in Predacons Rising, it made things a little easier when deciding which Predacons would come next. I'm honestly hoping to show off the last of the Predacon team with the next chapter, but only time and work on that chapter will tell what happens.

Lacus: And the newest addition of the Le Creuset clones?

AN: That's actually an original character I came up with. Since the Terrorcons are directionless beasts without someone with Dark Energon in their systems around to control them, I thought it would only make sense for Le Creuset to have a first lieutenant that could provide some direction. I came up with the name Ro Co Zane [which is pronounced "Rho Co-Zane", by the way] because I figured that I'd stick with the fact that Rey and Rau's names are both similar in their structure and pronunciation. This was also meant as a way to provide an additional human element to the antagonist side of the story, because really, it gets boring when there's only one guy on the enemy team who is not a mindless monster all the time.

Kira: And just when you think things are getting better, we find out about the human Terrorcons that are piloting the HorseMans and the clones, but then they get better again with the newest development in Shinn and Luna's relationship.

AN: Yeah, I wanted to end things for you guys on a relatively high note, and that just seemed like the best way to do it.

Smokescreen: Well let's not forget what's going on next chapter, seeing as Athrun and Elita are now headed out with a team to the third colony world in this story.

AN: I was just getting to that, actually. Onto the Preview!...

While things continue to be hectic on Earth, even with the few moments of peace that team find for themselves, Athrun, Elita One, and their team arrive on the third colony world to find that the world is completely consumed in their own war for the planet. When they find that the Decepticons are aiding the side that wishes to control the planet through force and fear, the team does not hesitate for a minute to provide aid to the warriors that fight to keep their world a peaceful one. Can the team truly provide any aid to the strange beings of this world, and what will happen when Predaking and his brethren arrive to aid the Decepticons? Next time on Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Prime: Chaos Hunters…Chapter 13: When Heads Start Rolling. Infinite Justice, Elita One, brace yourselves for the new discoveries that you will find on this world!

Oh, by the way. There was a little hint in the title of the next chapter as to what sort of beings our heroes will encounter next chapter. If you can't figure it out, don't worry about it, but if you do figure it out, don't blurt it out in a review and spoil it for everyone else, please? And most importantly...

Please read and review, we'll see you next time, and thanks for sticking with us for the past year!