49- Alpha; Omega.
Though the Nemesis finally recovered from Optimus surprise attack, Megatron was still shocked for what he witnessed.
"Forgive me, Lord Megatron. While I do not question the wisdom of our tactical retreat, know that I am fully prepared to lead the troops in a counterattack against the Autobots." Dreadwing proposed.
"Counterattack? Perhaps you failed to notice Optimus Prime cleave an entire mountain with a single blow." Megatron reminded. "With the Star Saber in his possession, my enemy can obliterate us all with a wave of his hand. I must find a way to tip the balance of power back in our favor."
"Do we not also possess a powerful relic of the ancients?"
"Indeed: the Forge of Solus Prime. But it is useless, except in the hand of a Prime." Megatron said, before he started to laugh sinisterly. "But I might wield that power if I were to control such a hand."
Meanwhile…
"Optimus, what is Alpha Trion saying?" Ratchet asked.
But Optimus couldn't hear him, since he was in trance, in a dark and empty place. Then a white light flashed and he saw Alpha Trion's silhouette.
"I wish that I could meet you under better circumstances, Optimus Prime, but I fear that Iacon will not withstand the next Decepticon assault." The elder Autobot started.
"So you speak to me from across the ages." Optimus realized.
"If you are listening to this message, then I take solace that you now possess the Star Saber. I am certain that you have deduced how these cybertronian relics and Decepticon weapons came to be found on such remote worlds. Indeed, I transported them there. Not so much to keep them far from Megatron's hands, but to ensure that they reach yours. As you may have long suspected, the Covenant of Primus records events of the future as well as the past. My imperfect understanding of its runes affords me a shadowy glimpse of what is to come. The covenant's pages foretold that you, Optimus Prime, would journey to a very far, legendary and significant galaxy and there engage in a crucial chapter in the war against the Decepticons. I know neither the nature of the battle or its outcome. I only hope that these relics of the ancients will aid the Autobots in your time of need. Of utmost importance, in a few moments I will launch the last of the relics. The most significant and powerful of them all."
Finally, Optimus came out of the trance, a little exhausted.
"Easy, Optimus." Ratchet said next to him.
"So, did Alpha Trion ask about me?" Smokescreen asked, before Bulkhead shoved him back.
"What was the message?"
"It is paramount that we recover the final four Iacon relics: the Omega Keys." Optimus answered.
"Keys?" Arcee asked.
"To what?" Cliff added.
"To the regeneration of our home planet." Optimus revealed.
Yashuvhu
Meanwhile, the Nemesis was still flying in middle of the space, heading for an unknown planet.
"That planet is not advanced inhabited, is it not?"
"Indeed, Dreadwing. But that planet is not our destination." Megatron said.
The Nemesis flew around its orbit until it revealed what was behind it.
"A space bridge?" Dreadwing saw.
"Our very own. Relocated here after the Autobots discovered its whereabouts on Wild Space. The Unknown Regions are hidden from prying native eyes, including both Jedi and the Republic. And more importantly: well out of the Autobots' reach. Come, Dreadwing. We shall travel to the one place in the universe which may provide us with the means of defeating Optimus Prime."
Both Decepticons transformed and flew right at the bridge, which portal opened before they entered it. At the same time, everyone looked excited at the Autobot base.
"Pack your gear: we're going back to Cybertron!" Cliffjumper announced cheered.
"(I still can't believe it.)"
Ratchet laughed happy. "Well, believe it now, Bumblebee. Civilization, at last."
"But I just got here." Smokescreen said.
"Remember oil baths? First thing I'm gonna do planet-side is soak for an entire solar cycle." Arcee revealed.
"Hahaha, I can't wait to tell Han." Bulkhead started, but then his humor changed knowing what would mean if they returned home.
"And…Aris." Cliff said sad.
"And…Sky." Arcee followed.
"(And…Luke and Leia.)"
Smokescreen approached Optimus. "Eh, Optimus, keys open doors. Can they really revive an entire planet?"
"While I am unfamiliar with the lore of these Omega Keys, Alpha Trion knew many secrets, and the ancients possessed technology that has long been lost to what we consider modern science."
Meanwhile, the space bridge took the Decepticons back to their home planet. Now, they were flying above one of the many cities in ruins.
"The devastation to our home world is worse than I remember. Curse the Autobots to the pit." Dreadwing said as he observed the ruins.
Back with the Autobots…
"Whatever their function, this much is certain. We cannot restore Cybertron without all four Omega Keys in our possession." Optimus explained.
"Which means we can't afford to lose a single one to Megatron." Cliff deduced.
"Four sets of coordinates from Alpha Trion remain encrypted. It is logical to conclude that each corresponds to the location of one of the Omega Keys. I must not waver until I decode them all. The future of our home world depends on it."
On Cybertron, the two Decepticons entered in a room of a mausoleum.
"A tomb?" Dreadwing observed.
"One known to contain the remains of Primes." Megatron revealed. "Please, tell me you're not adverse to desecration."
"It is that being in such a place evokes powerful emotions. Considering the fate of my twin."
"Then you should delight in our purpose here, to exact our revenge of Skyquake and of all our fallen brethren."
Dreadwing removed the lid of the tomb, making him step away in fear for what he saw. Megatron, on the contrary, pulled out his sword and made a slice on the body inside. Back at base, Ratchet was working on something for the Star Saber.
"You shall require a more practical means of carrying such a blade." He said to Optimus.
The other Autobots were together, talking about an important detail.
"I feel funny saying this but, I'm not sure I wanna go back." Arcee confessed.
"Who knew we'd ever get so used to our new home." Bulkhead admitted.
"(I do not know how we're going to say goodbye to our friends.)"
"Yeah, I don't think I'd ever want to leave Aris." Cliffjumper said.
"We've made friends here. Family." Arcee added.
"We can always…text them." Ratchet said, but they didn't like it.
"Ratchet, you don't know how we feel. This is serious." Arcee said mad.
"We're talking about not be able to see again someone very close to us." Cliff added.
"Sorry. I was just trying to cheer you up." Ratchet apologized.
"Besides, I've been fighting for so long. I don't know if I can do anything else." Bulkhead pointed.
"You can go back into construction. The power of the ancients may breathe life back into Cybertron's core, but our war-ravaged cities will surely require rebuilding."
"I wouldn't make any travel plans yet. We still have to locate these Omega Keys and secure them before the Cons do." Arcee reminded.
"Yeah, like that'll be a problem. Optimus has the Star Saber now, Megatron's end is in sight." Smokescreen said.
Moments later, Megatron was back at the Nemesis, lying on an operating table of the med lab.
"Yes, I can do it, Lord Megatron. If you're certain that's what you really want." Knock Out said.
"Like nothing I've ever desired before, doctor."
"I shall induce stasis."
"No! I wish to bear witness as you attach my new appendage."
"Coming up." Knock Out said as he pulled out of his buzz saws and started to cut Megatron's right arm, while there was another inside a tank full with energon.
Meanwhile, at the Autobot base…
"Autobots, I've decoded the first set of the final four coordinates. Divide into teams in the event that I'm able to decode another before the first team returns." Optimus instructed.
"I'm on Team One." Smokescreen volunteered himself. "Who's with me?"
"I'll go." Arcee simply said heading to the ground bridge.
"After you, sir. Ma'am. Commander?" Smokey said trying to find the correct meaning, making Arcee laugh.
"Forget it, Smokey. Just teammates."
"This should be interesting." Cliff said.
At the same time, Megatron, now with a new red and black arm instead his previous one, entered the room where the Forge of Solus Prime was storage.
He laughed sinisterly. "Yes." He grabbed the forge with the hand, activating it. "At long last, the power of the Primes belongs to me."
Jedha
The ground bridge transported Arcee and Smokescreen in middle of a desert. They transformed and checked the area with weapons ready.
"First ones here." Smokescreen noticed.
"No locator beacon, which means the relic's still buried. Right about…there." Arcee saw on her scanner, which pointed to which looked like ancient Jedi ruins. "Wow, I didn't expect that."
Back with Megatron, he was working with the forge.
"The Forge of Solus Prime possesses the ability to create anything from raw material." Dreadwing said.
"And in this case, said raw material would be a big hunk of dark energon." Knock Out concluded.
As they were about to enter the ruins, Smokescreen felt like he had something to tell to Arcee.
"Huh, Arcee, I…I owe you an apology. I never meant to endanger Sky. Humans squish easily, I get that now. Huh, besides of being important allies and friends and not to be underestimated. I saw it by my own."
Arcee stopped and turned at him. "I'm not the one you have to apologize. Besides, this isn't just about Sky: Team Prime can't afford any casualties, native or Bot. I've already lost one seasoned partner, I don't need a rookie on my scorecard." She concluded before continue.
"Not gonna happen, Elite Guard's men honor. Well, it would be worse if they were two or more."
And they got inside. Meanwhile, as Megatron was already done with his work, Soundwave entered the room and showed him his progress.
"You have decoded the next set of Iacon coordinates." Megatron observed. "Excellent work, Soundwave."
At the same time, both Autobots were moving through a corridor. Arcee held a flashlight to show the way.
"Heh, nice for the natives to pile all these rocks on top of our relic, huh?" Smokescreen objected.
Finally, the scanner located where the key was hidden: just where was a hieroglyph about two ancient Jedi holding a form that could only be the Omega Key.
"Pretty much spells things up, doesn't it?" Smokey asked.
"Come on, help me move this." Arcee asked.
They pulled the wall and found the key storage inside.
"The ancient Jedi must've though the Omega Key was a gift from the gods." Smokescreen deduced.
"And in a sense, they weren't wrong." Arcee replied.
When they reached the exit, it was already night. And Megatron was waiting for them outside.
"The relic. Now." Megatron demanded.
"Two against one, we can take him." Smokescreen reassured.
Megatron pulled out from his back a big purple sword which irradiated a dark aura, similar to dark energon.
"Ratchet, ground bridge! Now!" Arcee demanded by com-link.
Megatron spun and with a swing unleashed a wave of dark energy. The wave hit the ground in front of the Autobots, but it was powerful enough to send them flying. They landed on the sand, with the key between them. Smokescreen recovered first and charged against Megatron firing, but Megatron deflected all lasers with the blade like a lightsaber. Arcee fired too, right before Megatron unleashed another wave, one that caught Smokescreen. It sent him all the way to the temple and when it hit the structure, he vanished by a powerful blow from the wave.
"Smokescreen!" Arcee shouted.
But it was too late. Believing him gone, Arcee turned around and lowered her head in sadness. Meanwhile, Megatron took the key.
"What manner of treasure did Iacon sent us this time?" Megatron asked before placing the sword's tip on Arcee's neck. "I would slice you in two right now, but I need you to deliver a message. Tell Optimus Prime that if he wants this relic, he must come and claim it himself." He said removing the sword and tossed the key to the ground as the ground bridge was already there.
Moments later, Arcee was back at base, explaining what happened.
"And then Smokescreen was just gone. Like he turned to dust." She ended.
"Poor kid." Bulkhead lamented.
"Arcee, do not blame yourself. It could just as easily have been you." Cliffjumper said trying to calm her down.
Bulkhead activated his weapons. "Well I say we go claim a piece of Megatron's miserable metal hide!"
"(I'm right behind you, pal.)" Bee said with his guns ready too.
"No. We have already lost another one of our own today. I will not risk more lives." Optimus decided. "Given what Arcee witnessed, it stands to reason that Megatron now possesses might to equal the Star Saber. Which means only I have a chance of recovering the Omega Key."
"The fate of Cybertron rests upon its retrieval." Ratchet said.
"Whether Megatron knows it or not." Bulkhead added.
Optimus emerged from the ground bridge, now carrying the Star Saber on his back. He found the Omega Key on the same place.
"Claim your prize, Optimus. If you can." Megatron challenged as he approached in front of him.
When Optimus saw Megatron's new arm, he couldn't believe it. He knew who that arm belonged: Liege Maximo. "By the Allspark, Megatron. What have you done?!"
"This?" Megatron said showing his arm. "I find it afforms me certain advantages, such as the use of the Forge of Solus Prime." Next, Megatron pulled out his new blade. "My first creation: fashioned from the very blood of Unicron. I call it the Dark Star Saber. Slayer of Primes if you will."
Megatron let out a battle cry and charged for Optimus, who activated his battle mask, pulled out the Star Saber and charged too. Megatron launched a wave of dark energy, but Optimus jumped over it at the last moment. Next, he launched a wave of light energy, but Megatron sliced it in half with the Dark Star Saber. He sent another energy wave that Optimus sliced, but he quickly sent another one. Optimus jumped over a broken wall and jumped as the wave destroyed the wall. He prepared the Star Saber to strike, but Megatron blocked the attack with his own saber. When the swords clashed, they unleashed a sphere of mixed energy. They clashed their swords three times more until they held their positions in the fourth.
"At last we take our rightful places, Optimus. As gods, wielding the power of the cosmos." Megatron proclaimed before he grabbed Optimus by the throat and held him against a ruin wall.
"I am but a soldier, Megatron, and you are a prisoner of your own twisted delusions." Optimus declared before he knocked Megatron back with a small strike from the Star Saber.
Megatron unleashed another wave of energy. Fortunately, Optimus rolled to the left in time, because the wave sliced the temple in half. They clashed their saber three times more, but Megatron managed to make a cut on Optimus's right arm.
"My Dark Star Saber has tasted one spark tonight. It still thirsts for that of a Prime!"
They clashed the sabers again, but Megatron jabbed Optimus to his feet. After Optimus recovered, they were about to clash the swords one more time, but this time the Star Saber shattered upon clashing with the Dark Star Saber. After the remaining pieces turned into dust, Optimus fell to his knees defeated, as Megatron put his saber over Optimus's neck.
"And so it ends. Just as I envisioned, with your head beside my new trophy." Megatron said as he raised his saber, ready to finish his rival.
"Oh, you mean this?" A voice called, and Megatron turned to see Smokescreen alive, holding the Omega Key. "Finders keepers."
With Megatron distracted, Optimus took the chance and grabbed his opponent before cutting him with the edge of the Star Saber. Smokescreen charged for them.
"Smokescreen, fall back!" Optimus ordered.
Megatron sent another wave, but Smokescreen jumped to the right to avoid it. Optimus pinned Megatron to the ground, but he got one of his arms free and hit Optimus on the face. Megatron took the chance to send another wave, but before it hit Optimus, Smokescreen pressed against him and the wave went through them.
"Ratchet, ground bridge!" Optimus called.
"No!" Megatron roared.
"Missed us." Smokescreen mocked as the ground bridge appeared behind them.
Smokescreen and Optimus ran for it as Megatron roared in anger and unleashed another big wave towards them, but they escaped in time. Nevertheless, Megatron laughed sinisterly.
"Run, Optimus, run! Those trinkets of Iacon will not save you. Not when I now possess the power to tear any world apart!" Megatron shouted victorious as he raised the Dark Star Saber, making it to send some lightning to the sky.
Everyone saw Optimus exit the ground bridge before going with Ratchet, and got surprised at seeing Smokescreen.
"Smokescreen?!" Bulkhead said surprised.
"And Omega Key number 1." Smokey said showing it.
"But…how? I mean I saw you." Arcee started in disbelief.
"I, uh, decided to borrow the phase shifter." He revealed showing his wrist.
"Again?!" Ratchet asked in disbelief while he was checking Optimus's injure.
"Good thing too. The wave from the blast hit me like a wrecking ball." He started to tell.
In Smokescreen's flashback he did not died in the blast, but instead he passed through the rock and went inside the ruins' temple, but he went unconscious. After a while he recovered and noticed the shifter was on.
"The impact must have activated the shifter. I don't know how long I was unconscious. But when I made my way back outside, Optimus and Megatron were deep in an epic throwdown. I waited for the right moment to make my move."
"You're learning." Cliff noticed.
"So, can I keep it? I mean, it is really working out for me."
"I think he earned it. For all of us, he's the one who mastered it." Arcee surprisingly supported.
"Fine, fine." Ratchet confirmed.
"Yes, signature weapon!" Smokey yelled happy, but his happiness disappeared when he saw the Star Saber broken.
"You got yours, Optimus lost his." Bulkhead said sadly.
"The balance of power shifted again." Cliff added.
"While he may have wielded the power of the ancients for only one day, Optimus does not require it to be the mightiest of warriors." Ratchet reassured as everyone saw Optimus continuing the decoding.
