47- The Native Factor.
Serenno
It was night, but there was still activity inside a secret facility. Inside of it, lots of separatist battle droids were making something.
One connected two cables. "Sir, all systems are linked. We are ready to proceed."
"Commence." Kraken ordered.
One of the droids pressed some buttons, and they witnessed how a bunch of electricity flowed inside a metallic body, alongside another cable which added energon. That caused the body to start moving, but suddenly the terminal started to make an alarm sound as the body accumulated so much electricity.
"What's going on?" Kraken asked.
"An overload, sir. It seems we have used too much power." One of the droids reported.
"Shut it down, now!"
The overload fried some systems, causing smoke, before they turned off everything. When the smoke cleared, the droids looked at the metallic body, which was actually Breakdown rebuilt. Suddenly, his eyes turned on and looked at the droids.
"What a surprise, it actually worked." One of the droids said surprised.
"Welcome back, sir." Kraken saluted.
"What have you done?" Breakdown asked as he looked himself, but he did not speak with his own voice.
"What we needed to, in order to save you, general." Kraken answered.
"I'm…one of them." Breakdown said, revealing to be now General Grievous.
"The logical evolution of separatists experiments in biotech: your brain, fused with the donor's nervous and skeletal systems." Kraken explained to his leader.
Now Grievous was inside of Breakdown, with cables connected from his head to parts of the former Decepticon. "The perfect meld of man and machine. Exquisite."
"So, now that we have you back, sir, what's our next step?" One of the droids asked.
"I think that now, with my new condition, we will be more equipped to face company…of titans. Prepare me a ship and get all forces ready. First, there is something I have to attend to."
Kalee
A VAC dropship landed in front of a lake, far from any sign of civilization. Grievous and a squadron of commando droids went out and made their way toward some kind of structure, some kind of tomb, that Grievous knew was hidden in an aquatic cave.
"Is been many years since the last time I came here." Grievous said, but when he found the entrance and other places of the tomb, they were torn apart, Grievous also could see research equipment, with the unmistakable emblem of the Republic, which caused him to roar in fury. "No, no, no, AAAAARRRRRGGGGGH! The tomb of my dear master, desecrated by those Jedi idiots and their foolish foot soldiers!"
Grievous pulled out his shoulder turret and started to destroy all the equipment. The droids could hear the sound of shots and explosions before they saw their general coming out.
"They have destroyed my most precious place and memory, and they have taken away what I kept here with almost care. And all they will pay."
"If you allow us, sir, we think we can know where they might have holding it now." The commando droid captain revealed to him as his squadron was taking a close look of a note written on one of the surviving pieces of the equipment.
"Find it, and prepare the troops. We will recover what rightfully belongs to me, and then reduce their base to ashes as they deserve."
"Roger roger."
Eadu
Time later, Grievous approached some Republic outpost in vehicle mode and stopped in front of the entrance. A clone soldier came to see the driver.
"This is a restricted area. Identify and explain the reason you're here." The clone demanded.
The window lowered, revealing Grievous's face. "You have desecrated my hidden sanctuary and taken something that is mine. I have come here to reclaim it, and all you will suffer my wrath!"
While the clone sighed in disbelief looking at Grievous, he didn't realize of a huge fleet of TIEs, flying droids and transport vessels were approaching to the outpost at high speed. Meanwhile, inside the Autobot base, while it was raining outside, Bulkhead was almost completely recovered, but he didn't look happy as he was still not able to go to the field yet.
"Bulkhead, you really mustn't allow yourself to decline." Ratchet said.
"Yeah Bulk, you got to put yourself out of this funk. You're almost fully recovered." Han encouraged.
"What's the use?" He answered still mad, sitting on the medical berth.
"You need to regain your strength." Ratchet continued. "The time will come…"
"When what? When all of you will need an assist? Isn't that what the new guy is for?"
"Hey Bulkhead, I've been thinking. With your injure and all, you might want to take advantage of the armor I snagged from Starscream." Smokescreen suggested as he offered him the Apex Armor. "Instant muscle suit!"
"You think I need a crutch?!" Bulkhead asked furious before he hit the armor with his wrecking ball, making it to smash and break one of Ratchet's terminals.
"Bulkhead, I needed that!" Ratchet scolded as always, making the children and BB-8 laugh.
"It's been a while since the last time we heard you say that." Leia said, which Ratchet only groaned.
"Out of my way, rookie." Bulkhead said as he shoved Smokescreen and walked away.
"He can walk!" Smokescreen said in disbelief as he saw Bulkhead pick up the lob ball and doing some exercises with it. "Looks like he's fit for duty to me."
"You don't even know what you're talking about." Ratchet mumbled before he went to repair the damage.
Smokescreen looked at the kids and BB-8, who gave him a thumbs-up.
"Hey, I have noticed we're only four. Where's Aris?" Han asked.
"I think Luke and Sky are talking with her right now." Leia answered as she pointed to the two boys, who were speaking to the terminal.
"What do you mean you can't come here? Are you grounded?" Sky asked.
"No, it's not that. Is just I forgot that today we are having a family meeting right here at home. Followed by an important meeting between all mandalorian clans." Aris answered from her own room, so she was calling from her home planet. "I'm probably spending too much time at the base."
"Cousin, your mother says that you must be ready to meet in two minutes." A boy's voice called from out of her room.
"Okay, Korkie!" She answered before returning to the conversation. "Say hi to Cliff for me. Until this is over, I'm off Team Prime."
She hung up, and everyone looked at Bulkhead.
"Just when we get one back, we lose another." Luke said sad.
Meanwhile, in the Nemesis, the screen showed something that caught Soundwave and Knock Out's interest, especially the last one.
"Strange. Lord Megatron, it appears that Breakdown's signal has popped back online, albeit corrupted." Knock Out reported.
"Investigate with caution. It may well be an Autobot trick."
"I certainly hope not. Breakdown may act the brute, but he's a maestro behind a rotary buffer."
A ground bridge took Knock Out and a squadron of Vehicons to the same Republic outpost, but now it was in ruins, with lots of military vehicles destroyed all around the place. Knock Out spotted a big hole made on the main structure, and heard footsteps coming from inside before seeing the figure of his old partner getting out.
"Breakdown, where have you…?" Knock Out started, but then realized something wasn't right with the blue Decepticon, besides the fact that lots of battle droids exited the building alongside him. "Breakdown, what happened to you? And what are you doing paired with all those droids?"
"Therein lies a tape, which won't be nearly as interesting to Megatron as this." Breakdown/Grievous answered as he showed a huge case to Knock Out. "So, take me to your leader."
At the same time, the Autobots were being informed by the recent event by their allies.
"At 16:30 hours, a satellite-like artifact was stolen from a high security military vault." Anakin started.
"Unfortunately, we have found no survivors. The entire place was completely destroyed, like if it was attacked by a huge invasion force. Fortunately, most of the officers stayed there were not present at that moment." Obi Wan continued.
"Surveillance showed the Decepticon known as Breakdown at the scene before the link was lost." Ahsoka said as the screen showed the image.
"Haven't seen him in a while." Bulkhead expressed.
"It looks like Breakdown entered the base in vehicle mode, with someone behind the wheel." Anakin continued.
"A Decepticon paired with a native?" Ratchet asked in disbelief.
"And I have a pretty good idea of who." Obi Wan said. "The stolen device was brought from the Kaleesh home world: something called Kalee's Doom's Eye."
"Invented by General Grievous." Optimus concluded.
"I guess the former Kaleesh chieftain wanted it back."
"But I can't help feeling that he has done it for something personal." Cliff deduced.
"I think you're right. For what we heard, it seems the ones who brought it found it inside a structure, probably some kind of tomb for what they described." Anakin revealed.
"And I fear that one might be related with Grievous's past, which would explain such berserker behavior." Obi Wan deduced.
"(But I thought Nemesis Prime squashed him.)"
"Yeah, I thought Grievous was paste and scrap metal." Arcee reminded.
"So than I."
"Master Kenobi, even if he were alive, are you suggesting that Grievous has allied the Separatist Remnants with the Decepticons? I highly doubt that Megatron would entertain such an idea." Ratchet expressed in disbelief.
"Why not? The native-Bot alliance works for us." Luke pointed out.
"Indeed. Most of the time." Arcee answered. "But they are all machines, very similar. What if Megatron sees that as an opportunity to make his forces grow?"
Talking of Megatron, on the Nemesis…
"Knock Out, what is this abomination, and why have you brought it here?" Megatron demanded.
"I am Grievous, supreme commander of the former CIS droid armada. Leader of the Separatist Remnants. By then, I was merely linked to a metallic body, but now I have evolved to a cybernetic lifeform augmented by symbiosis. I come with a proposition."
"I have heard about you: the fearsome Jedi hunter that spread fear between his preys during the Clone Wars."
"I see my reputation still lives on these days, even for those who are not from here."
"This is the cyborg who dissected Breakdown." Knock Out recognized mad as he changed one of his hands for a buzz saw. "Please, my liege, allow me to return the favor."
"I propose that you not overlook the one asset that provides Optimus Prime an advantage. At least on this galaxy." Grievous continued.
"And that would be?" Megatron asked.
"The native factor."
"Look around you, Grievous. I command an army from a mighty warship. What could a native possibly offer?"
"Perhaps you possess an army and your own battleship, but that's not commensurable with the power an entire fleet and its army can provide, like mine." Grievous said, making Megatron started to get interested. "Besides, I am no ordinary native, and this is no ordinary weapon." Grievous said pointing to the case he brought.
Back to base…
"Kalee's Doom's Eye is an axial superlaser cannon so powerful it can vaporize a star destroyer with just one shot, or reduce an entire city to an ash mountain. All from some kind of satellite-like ship, which can be controlled remotely like a simple drone, with engines that allow it to travel like a starship." Anakin described.
"So, is some kind of superweapon, like the Death Star secret project?" Sky asked.
"I'm afraid so, honey. It's the work of a tyrant, and in Megatron's hands…" Ahsoka started.
At the same time, on the Nemesis…
"…a threat to anyone, anywhere on the galaxy." Megatron ended.
"With pinpoint accuracy at a flick of a switch. Shields and anti-starfighter weapons included." Grievous added.
"Interesting. And what is it that you wish in return?"
"Merely a place at the table."
At base…
"The Cons may have the weapon, but they can't use it without the interface code. The only existing copy is stored on the secure serves at the scientific storage in Scarif. Unfortunately, even our best scientists have been unable to decrypt it. It seems that it only responds to Grievous's fingerprint or something like that. Codename: N-K Necrosis." Obi Wan informed.
"We must keep the code out of Decepticon hands at all cost." Optimus said.
"It's roll time." Bulkhead said cheerful smashing his fists together.
"Dat, dat, dat, I have not yet cleared you for active duty. Nor are you ready to roll." Ratchet reminded Bulkhead, making him groan in frustration.
Scarif
In that moment, the hole complex was starting a total evacuation.
"Attention, all personal are ordered to evacuate immediately! We have a level 5 radiation leak. Repeat, evacuate immediately!" A clone officer voice said, but it was Soundwave, who reproduced a recording.
Once the base was clear, Soundwave got inside the command center. He plugged one of his tentacles into a computer keyboard and started to download the code. Moments later, the Autobots appeared in the front beach by ground bridge, but they were forced to cover since the Decepticons already took defensive positions and fired at them.
"The Decepticons have preceded us." Optimus observed as he activated his cannon and battle mask. "We must secure the command center."
The Autobots charged as they fired their weapons. Megatron and Grievous watched them from a monitor from the Nemesis.
"The Autobots have arrived."
"Megatron, relax." Grievous told him, only to receive a mad look from Megatron. "Lord Megatron. Soundwave may need to download the code in order to remotely operate Kalee's Doom's Eye from here, on your warship. But while jacked into the mainframe, the weapon is his to command."
Grievous pressed a button, which made the Nemesis to eject the device into the space. It deployed, took position and started to charge the weapon.
"Soundwave, prepare the beta test." Megatron told to him.
Immediately, Soundwave inserted the other tentacle in other terminal, activating the targeting system, and zoomed it until it had a clear view of the area outside. The Autobots continued their approach when Smokescreen changed to vehicle form and ran over one Con before return back to robot form and shot down other two. One Decepticon tank tackled him, he managed to stand over him and punched him. In that moment, the weapon fired at him, but he saw it coming, as well as Cliffjumper, who pulled him out of the way in the last moment and the beam ended hitting the Con.
"Whoa." Smokescreen said when he saw the Con disintegrated.
"That's not how an axial superlaser should work." Cliff deduced.
"That's not a superlaser, it's a beam of pure energy." Optimus identified.
"Grievous has had improved his superweapon to a new level." Arcee followed.
"Now is more dangerous." Smokey added.
That was saw from the Nemesis too.
"And that was only a tiny part of its power." Grievous revealed.
"Promising, very promising." Megatron said.
The weapon fired again at the Autobots.
"Fall back." Optimus instructed.
Even as they did it, the beam followed them.
"Ratchet, we require backup!" Optimus called to base.
"I'm there." Bulkhead nodded as he was about to go.
"Dat, dat, dat!" Ratchet stopped him.
"Can you remotely disable the superweapon under the Jedi's advisement?" Optimus asked.
"On a native based computer network? Without my backup? Without Aris?" Ratchet answered.
Mandalore
Aris was on her room, just back from the familiar meeting, still wearing a dress, when suddenly a ground bridge appeared behind her and all her friends, alongside her father, R2-D2 and BB-8 came through it.
"Wow, you look wonderful and beautiful, Aris."
"Uh, thank you, Sky. But what are you guys doing here?"
"Dear, your galaxy needs you." Obi Wan answered showing her the file of the superweapon.
"But today there is an important event. And if mom…"
"No need to worry, dear. Your dad already told me, and I agree." Her mother suddenly said entering her room.
"Can I at least get more comfortable clothes?"
Meanwhile…
"Autobots, we must draw its fire to distract from Aris's efforts." Optimus ordered.
The superweapon fired again.
"Somehow, I don't think that'll be a problem." Cliffjumper said.
The Autobots changed to vehicle form to force the beam to follow them harder. Meanwhile, at base…
"Ratchet, you gotta send me in." Bulkhead begged.
"So you can be an even easier target?! You have yet to regain your full range of motion."
"But Breakdown's back, he's my arch enemy. Come on, even the kids are in on the action."
Ratchet groaned in defeat. "Very well, Bulkhead. You are cleared for duty."
"Yes!"
"A duty of my choosing." Ratchet corrected surprisingly, making Bulkhead scratch his head in confusion.
Back with the group, Aris was now back on her ordinary clothes and working on her laptop to stop the weapon.
"I'm in, but I can't reach the targeting systems. Too many firewalls and booby trap codes."
"Come on, dear. If the Cons make off at that interface code, the Death Star fear will become real, but ten times worse." Obi Wan encouraged.
"Let them have the code, it won't do them any good without the device."
"I can't say I follow, dear." Satine said.
"That thing is part satellite and part starship, so it will have maneuvering thrusters to adjust its orbit and engines to travel even at lightspeed. An ingenious piece of engineering, but with a drawback: it can't use both things at the same time. So if I can break into the navigation subroutine and activate both things at the same time, that will cause an overload that I can redirect to the weapon, making it to overcharge and explode."
"Great!" Obi Wan yelled.
"That's our girl." Satine added.
"R2, BB-8, I will need you both. You need to neutralize the anti-hacker blocker codes if I am going to access those systems."
Both droids nodded and connected to the terminal to help Aris. Unfortunately, that was detected by the Decepticons as they spotted a message telling system breach.
"An intruder in the system? Soundwave, we have a breach." Megatron reported.
Soundwave followed the trail of the breach and followed it until it pinpointed a location of a planet.
"Sundari, Mandalore." Grievous recognized. "It could only be the Autobots native allies: the Jedi."
"Then perhaps you should attend to the matter." Megatron suggested.
Grievous laughed. "With pleasure."
The superweapon continued trying to eliminate the Autobots.
"Clear shot! I'm going in!" Smokescreen said seeing his chance, so he speeded up, but he was forced to dodge and stop because of the beam. "Scratch that."
Moments later, Grievous was now on Sundari in vehicle mode, driving around the streets, until he stopped in front of the royal palace. He pulled out the turret of top of him and aimed at the palace.
"I recently discovered how important this place and its inhabitants are for you, Kenobi. I'm sure their death will force you to come looking for me and face me, a moment that I will savor. Goodnight, Jedi hacker."
Grievous had Aris' room at his sight and started to charge his weapon. But suddenly, Bulkhead came in vehicle mode and rammed him.
"Good call on curbside duty, Ratch." Bulkhead said.
Bulkhead dragged Grievous until they fell down a water canal, out of any civilian view. There, they changed to robot form in front of each other.
"Been itching to trade pain with you again. Where'd you been, Breakdown?"
"Be patient, I'm about to send you there."
"You're not Breakdown, but your voice sounds familiar."
"But you are Bulkhead, and this is the last time you'll interfere with one of my skirmishes."
Bulkhead eyes looked in shock. "Grievous?"
"In the flesh, in a manner of speaking." Grievous answered before he pulled out his hammer and charged.
Bulkhead did the same with his wrecking ball and both clashed their weapons, until Grievous pushed him back. He tried to smash him again, but Bulkhead dodged and punched him on the face. He tried to hit him again with his ball, but Grievous pushed him against the wall. It was obvious that Bulkhead wasn't recovered all for combat yet. Seeing that he had the upper hand, Grievous challenged Bulkhead to charged again, which he did. Of course, that caused that he didn't report to Ratchet.
"Bulkhead, do you read? Bulkhead?!"
Back at the command center, Soundwave continued downloading the code and targeting the Autobots as the Decepticons continued defending the base. Optimus managed to shot down two of them, but he was forced to retreat when the weapon fired again.
"Optimus, I fear that Bulkhead requires immediate backup." Ratchet told him.
Meanwhile, at Aris's room…
"Arg, where did they hide the substring? Come on, guys, just a little more. I already have access to the engine systems, but I can't overload it if I can't access the other too." She encouraged the droids.
Back with Bulkhead, Grievous already anticipated his movements.
"Reaction time is slow." Grievous observed dodging the attacks. "You're favoring your right side, legs are weak."
When Bulkhead tried to strike again, Grievous blocked him and hit him hard, sending him backwards.
"I'll show you weak." Bulkhead said getting up and charging again.
Grievous waited for when his opponent attacked and hit him on the back with the hammer. That caused Bulkhead to collapse.
"You should have stayed in bed, Autobot."
Grievous was about to give him the final blow when suddenly he heard a transformation sound and being kicked by Smokescreen. Bulkhead got surprised at seeing him.
"Assist, what the new guy is for." He said offering his hand.
Bulkhead grabbed it and allowed Smokey to help him up, but Grievous was already with them, ready for another round.
"One new guy to another…" Grievous started as he cracked his head and pulled out his hammer again. "This is your final day on the job."
And charged at them again. Meanwhile, Soundwave saw the process to try to destroy the device and pressed a button to send it to Megatron.
"They're attempting to disable the superweapon. Grievous, how difficult is it to squash a little Jedi child?" Megatron called, but no one responded. "Grievous!"
Unfortunately, Soundwave managed to download the entire code.
"We have the codes? Then target the intruder and destroy him." Megatron ordered.
Soundwave stopped firing at the Autobots, thing that they noticed.
"This is our opportunity. Autobots, storm the command center." Optimus ordered.
Soundwave even made the device to change shape to more like a starship and it jumped into hyperspace. At the same time, on Mandalore…
"Almost there." Aris reported.
Immediately, they saw that the weapon was not on Scarif anymore, but traveling far from there.
"Aris, you did it. It's moving!" Sky congratulated.
"Ah, that isn't me." She confessed nervous.
The Autobots continued advancing to the command center, eliminating the remaining Decepticons guarding the outside. At the same time, the group saw when the device reached and zoomed a very familiar planet.
"Uh, guys, that's Mandalore." Leia recognized.
"Oh, we can see all the planet." Han said excited, not aware of the imminent danger.
The screen stopped at a very recognizable area. "And I can see Sundari. Right in the target sight!"
"They are about to fire us from the orbit!" Luke said alarmed looking up.
"If that weapon is more powerful than before, it could obliterate the entire city." Satine said alarmed. "We need to warn the security forces to take down that thing."
"There is no time. Anytime, Aris. Is now or never." Obi Wan said.
"Activating both systems!" Aris yelled pressing the keyboard.
Just a second before the weapon fired, as Aris suspected, both systems activations caused a paralysis because of the uncontrolled energy that next flowed to the weapon, overcharging it and ending in a huge explosion. Megatron saw on the terminal that the weapon was no more, and roared in anger. Aris sighed in relief while her friends cheered for her.
"Yes, you did it!" Sky shouted.
"You're a genius. I knew you would do it." Obi Wan congratulated his daughter.
"You're my little great heroine." Satine said hugging her daughter.
"Thanks, mom. But I'm not sure if I can now endure that meeting after this."
"Rest now. You deserve it."
Back with Team Prime, they disposed off the last Con inside the complex and reached the command center, but Soundwave already took flight and left. At the same time, both Bulkhead and Smokescreen were hitting Grievous with everything they got, one after the other, until Smokescreen kicked him backwards.
"Grievous, return to base immediately." Megatron ordered through com-link.
Grievous pulled out the shoulder's turret and fired a missile, which both Autobots dodged. When the smoke of the explosion cleared, they saw Grievous disappearing into a ground bridge, right before seeing the explosion of the superweapon from the orbit.
"Looks like someone's big plan just burned up in reentry." Bulkhead said before he and Smokey high-fived.
"And for the record, I studied every one of the Wreckers battles."
"There's hope for you yet, newbie." Bulkhead said, finally accepting Smokescreen into the team.
After the incident, Grievous met with Megatron at the Nemesis' bridge.
"Grievous, you have earned your place at the table."
"Lord Megatron, I am honored."
"Knock Out's dissection table." Megatron revealed, making Grievous's face turned worried as he looked at Knock Out.
"Breakdown would be tickled." The Decepticon medic said glad.
"No, Lord Megatron. Why?" Grievous asked.
"Because Kalee's Doom's Eye was the best you had to offer, and it is no more. The native factor did indeed tie the scales, in favor of my enemies." Megatron explained as Soundwave showed an image of the kids on his screen.
Grievous had no time for react, because Knock Out used his staff to paralyze him and make him collapse to the ground.
"He will be a fascinating case for study." Megatron said.
"I will leave no fiber or fiber optic unexamined." Knock Out reassured as he touched one of Grievous's eyes before two Decepticon engineers dragged him with Knock Out.
"No, no. Megatron, I'm here to serve you. No, no, no, no, NOOOOO!"
"What is it, Dreadwing?" Megatron asked as his second-in command approached him.
"My liege, what about the rest of Grievous belongings?"
"Explain yourself."
"Didn't he also mention that he had a fleet? Besides that droid army he was commanding. Even if it is not cybertronian, it could be of some use for us."
"Hum." Megatron started to think about it. "Soundwave, show me the location of his whereabouts."
Hypori
Megatron traveled with a ground bridge to the entrance of what seemed to be an abandoned droid factory. He approached the entrance and pressed a button, which made the main door open. Inside, he saw a huge offline army of all kinds of battle droids waiting to be activated, the biggest droid army of all. Megatron looked them for a moment before smirking, but another thing caught his attention: a lever on the outside that looked suspicious. He walked at it and pulled it down. Next, a huge earthquake started to shake all the area. Then, the ground started to crack as what looked like a separatist ship emerged from the ground, but not only one. An entire huge fleet of separatist military ships of all kinds emerged from the ground and lined up above Megatron: the biggest of all fleets of the galaxy of all times, and was waiting for his new master's command. Megatron started to laugh maniacally, knowing that this present for him could chance the tides of the war completely.
Uh-oh, it seems Megatron has found something which can be very useful for the Decepticons in a very near future, something huge and bad for our heroes. And indeed, if you read previously with attention, you could see also another reminder of Necrosis, the droid version of General Grievous from the Expanded Universe/Legends. Sure you remember another detail like that from another previous chapter.
