66- Synthesis.
In middle of the night, outside the palace's hangar, Team Prime was ready to allow their new scout drone to guide them to the Decepticon warship.
"You sure we don't need to install a tracker on our scout here?" Anakin asked looking at the drone, ready for launch.
"Too risky. Both sides are getting real good at rootin out that kind of trick." Wheeljack explained.
"Besides, we don't need a tracker." Smokescreen started.
"We have Optimus and Elita." Sky ended as the Autobot leaders walked toward them.
"But won't the Cons see you both coming?" Han asked.
"Not until it's too late." Bulkhead reassured.
"We'll be prepared for immediate mobilization upon your commands, sir." Ultra Magnus said.
"Good luck, Optimus." Cliffjumper said.
"Be safe." Arcee added.
"(We know you will achieve your quest.)"
"Whatever the outcome, know that Ratchet would be most proud of your contribution." Optimus said, cheering up the kids.
"Come on, kids. Let's light this thing." Wheeljack encouraged.
Luke used his remote control to make Chip blast off, Elita changed to her vehicle form and followed the drone while Optimus activated his jet-pack and followed it too, until they were at space, where he changed to vehicle form too. Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis, Ratchet was working inside the Decepticons' lab.
"Fetch me the quantum cybermeasure." Ratchet asked while he manipulated some kind of yellow energon.
"Hmp, do I look like hired help to you, Autobot?" Knock Out complained.
"Knock Out, attend to the needs of our esteemed guest." Shockwave ordered.
"Unless you want Megatron to believe you don't want to contribute to the most important operation in Decepticon history." Thundercracker added. "So give him a hand, I'm busy with the CNA samples."
"As you command." Knock Out said in defeat as he went for what Ratchet asked.
While Ratchet was working, Shockwave put on the table he was working a piece of the cyber-matter created by the explosion.
"So we know this cyber-matter to be produced by an atypical molecular displacement reaction?" Ratchet asked.
"Extensive empirical evidence indicates the fundamental instability within the Synth-En formulation to be the cause." Shockwave explained.
"Double-blind analysis?" Thundercracker asked.
"Naturally. The results only confirmed my original hypothesis. Once the erroneous variable has been corrected for, the stabilized synthetic material will bind properly with cyber-nucleic acid."
"And produce a stable form of cyber-matter. Remarkable." Ratchet finished.
"Yes. Quite an act of providence."
"Indeed. All this will be more than enough to activate the new Omega Lock." Thundercracker added.
"And to think that had we not let you destroy the beasts, none of this would be possible." Knock Out confessed by mistake.
"What?" Ratchet asked confused as he take what he asked to Knock Out.
Knock Out got nervous for what he said and how Thundercracker looked him. "Eh, what I meant to say was, those specimens you requested earlier aren't going to prepare themselves, are they?" And he left.
"There is much to do and little time, doctor. Shall we get back to work?" Shockwave asked putting a hand on Ratchet's shoulder.
"Certainly." Ratchet answered, but still thinking that the Decepticons were hiding something.
At the same time, Optimus and Elita continued following the drone in the space.
"Optimus, haven't heard from you in a while. Everything all right up there?"
"So far, master Skywalker." He answered.
"There's still no sign of the Decepticon warship. Not even the droid fleet." Elita added.
"What happens when the Cons recognizes Laserbeak's signal?" Leia asked.
"We're counting on Optimus and Elita making visual contact with the fleet or the warship before their radars can detect Chip." Aris explained.
"The bosses will be fine." Wheeljack reassured.
"It's not Optimus I'm worried about." Arcee expressed.
Meanwhile, inside the Nemesis's lab…
"Knock Out, I require a fresh CNA sample." Shockwave demanded.
"And don't forget to bring me an original synthetic energon sample too." Thundercracker requested with a signal, without stop looking at the screen.
Knock Out simply groaned for himself as he was going to the energon store.
"Knock Out, bring this. Knock Out, get that." He said to himself before groaning mad. "Apparently fetching is all I'm good for lately. It wasn't all that long ago I used to run this lab. Now I'm everyone's gofer."
The energon store door got stuck with one canister, which gave Ratchet an idea. So he went to grab it, but Knock Out saw him.
"Yes?"
"The Isoprobe. I… don't see one." Ratchet invented.
"What a surprise." Knock Out said sarcastically.
Ratchet made sure that no one was looking at him, so he grabbed the canister and pulled with all his strength. At the end he managed to pull it out before Knock Out returned to him.
"Anything else?" Knock Out asked giving him what he asked for.
"Thank you." Ratchet answered.
Knock Out was about to leave, but in the last moment he looked back to Ratchet happy. "You're welcome."
Even besides Ratchet thanked Knock Out really, it was necessary to not making anyone suspect about him. Meanwhile, in the bridge, Megatron was seeing the progress.
"We stand at the very precipice of a new age." Megatron proclaimed.
Suddenly Soundwave detected something, and showed it on his screen.
"What do you mean our scanners have detected Laserbeak's signal?" He asked before turning at his second-in-command. "Starscream, you did destroy the Autobot base, did you not?"
"With great fervor, my lord. Why do you ask?"
"Because Laserbeak's frequency has been detected on radar."
"But that's not possible. He's right here in Soundwave's torso." Skywarp pointed.
"Which is why this would appear to be an Autobot trick. Designed to uncover our position and rescue a certain prisoner. But then, one has to wonder, how would they possible manage to execute such a complex task without the proper facilities?!" Megatron questioned to Starscream, face to face.
"I, uh, hum…Allow me to troubleshoot." Starscream offered.
Optimus and Elita continued following the drone, which was heading towards a nebula, making their task harder. Meanwhile, Ratchet continue working, and it seemed like he finally discovered how to complete the formula.
"Ah, the final piece of the puzzle. Thank you, Decepticon engineering." Ratchet said to himself.
"Shockwave, assembly of the Omega Lock is entering the final stage. Your guidance is required." Megatron called from the bridge's com-link.
"Understood, my liege." Shockwave said heading to the exit.
"My fellow Seekers also need me for an urgent issue. Knock Out, supervise our guest in me and Shockwave's absence." Thundercracker said, also leaving.
"Wow, thanks for the big vote of confidence." The red Decepticon said.
Noticing that he was alone with Knock Out, Ratchet knew that was the perfect moment to execute his plan.
"I can't allow Megatron to possess the stabilized formula." He said to himself before he erased all the data. "Not now or ever."
Next, he grabbed one of the lab's instruments and threw it into an active mechanism, causing an explosion.
"For the love of... What is happening?!" Knock Out demanded.
"The formula instability. It must have triggered a chain reaction." Ratchet invented while the room was getting full of smoke.
"Guards, help me extinguish this inferno before it scorches the project…and my finish!" Knock Out called by his com-link.
The two guardians which were guarding the lab's entrance received the message and got inside, but the smoke covered the entire room that allowed Ratchet to transform and escape. Optimus and Elita continued searching for the drone inside the nebula. After a while, they spotted something, but it wasn't the drone, it was Starscream in vehicle form alongside his fellow Seekers, and they already saw them too.
"Optimus Prime…how dare you continue to live?" Starscream said firing a missile at him, the same as the other Seekers.
Optimus fired one of his missiles, one which divided into many smaller missiles that impacted the Seekers' missiles, allowing Elita to charge against them and him to change to robot form and fired his gatling gun. Of course, that force the Seekers to break formation and dodge.
"Blast those Autobots into oblivion!" Starscream command.
Then an entire squadron of heavy Seekers, droid starfighters and TIE daggers flew toward Optimus and Elita from above them. While the droids and TIEs went after Elita, the Seekers continued chasing Optimus firing at him, but as he tried to get away, he fired them back, taking down one. Meanwhile, the Seeker commanders were watching the fight from a safe distance.
"The frequency isn't emanating from Prime or Elita, and it's still on the move." Thundercracker saw on his terminal.
"Then there must be one of their allies hidden inside this bunch of space dust." Skywarp deduced.
"Finish them! If we cannot find the source of the signal before it finds the fleet, Megatron will have our heads." Starscream ordered before he and his siblings turned around.
Meanwhile, inside the Nemesis was another problem.
"Lord Megatron. Uh, there has been a situation. More like an accident really. I…" Knock Out called, a little nervous.
"Spit, it, out!" He said, starting to lose his patience.
"The prisoner has escaped!"
That made Megatron grunt in anger. Optimus was still trying to evade the Seekers. He flew above them and once he put some distance charged at them firing his gatling, destroying half of the squadron. At the same time, Elita was trying to get rid of the rest of the enemy squadron, but she noticed that the droids were missing: only the TIEs were after her trail. Fortunately, she spotted the droids' figures between the nebula's clouds, which gave her an idea. She changed her course and fired at the droids, forcing them to fly right at her firing as well. And just in the last moment, she dodged, causing both TIEs and droids fired at each other by accident, which ended with half of both squadrons destroyed and the remaining ones confused. Elita took advantage of that to shoot them down one by one, using the nebula's clouds as hiding places. Starscream and his siblings continued searching for the signal's source.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Skywarp said searching.
Optimus and Elita, who managed to meet with him, ended with the last Seekers with their vehicle form's weapons. As for Ratchet, he was trying his best to escape from the Decepticon warship, being chased by Decepticon troops and medium size droids that fired at him. But surprisingly his vehicle form was fast enough to lose them.
"Not bad for an old Bot." He said proud.
But when he turned right, he did not see Megatron, who stopped him by stomping his foot over him, trying to crush him.
"If you terminate me, you'll never get your hands on the formula." Ratchet excused.
Megatron retired his foot, allowing Ratchet to return back to robot form.
"Oh, I wouldn't be so certain, doctor. My experts are working diligently to disentangle your…false trail as we speak." Megatron revealed.
Finally, Slipstream found the drone with the signal she was tracking.
"There you are. And down you'll go." She said launching a missile that destroyed the drone.
Optimus and Elita arrived too late, finding the resulting explosion.
"No." Optimus said.
They saw Slipstream not far from them, so they started chasing her, also firing her. With their combined attacks, they managed to successfully hit her on one wing.
"Arg!" She groaned in pain as her injure started to smoke and spin out of control.
"Slipstream!" Starscream yelled. "Hold there! Skywarp, Thundercracker, cover me!"
Both Seekers put in middle of Slipstream and the Autobots while Starscream positioned himself below Slipstream, allowing her to change to robot form and land on him.
Skywarp gasped as one shot almost hit him. "We need a ground bridge, now!"
"And communicated that useless of Knock Out that we need him to check our sister, immediately!" Thundercracker added by com-link.
Once it appeared, they speeded up toward it before closing, right before the Autobot leaders could reach it. Back to the Nemesis…
"Nice try. I'll just put this back where it belongs." Knock Out said to Ratchet, taking the sample he stole.
"Spectrum analysis confirms that the synthetic energon is stable." Shockwave said checking an energon sample from the machine that Ratchet tried to sabotage. "The formula is now complete."
"And your time table for production?" Megatron asked.
"With the aid of hyper-acceleration technology: not long."
"Oh, a pity you won't live long enough to witness the fruits of your labor. But as much as we appreciate your contributions, doctor, I made a promise to someone that I intend to keep." Megatron said.
Later, the Decepticons threw Ratchet to the open area of the upper hangar, and someone was waiting for him.
"Do you feel defenseless, Autobot?" Predaking asked while Ratchet looked at him. "Good. Now you know what my fellow Predacons endured. Right before you massacre them!" He shouted grabbing his head.
Predaking threw Ratchet aside, and before he could get up, he saw Predaking changing to his dragon form, and approaching him roaring. Ratchet received a few scratches before being pushed down by Predaking. At the same time…
"Elita One to base, come in." She called by com-link.
"Commander, have you determined the warship's location?"
"No Ultra Magnus, the transponder has been destroyed."
"We are no closer to finding Ratchet than when we began." Optimus added.
Meanwhile, Shockwave was in the lower deck's main control. And by only pressing one button, it started to flow synthetic energon to huge canisters.
"Lord Megatron, synthesis of the cyber-matter required to cyberform a planet has commenced." He reported by com-link.
"Splendid, Shockwave. Move the Omega Lock into position. I want to be ready. Soundwave, prepare an official communication for all the fleet, the time has come." Megatron instructed from the bridge.
Soundwave followed his leader's command and made Megatron's hologram to appear in all the ships' bridges.
"Attention all units, all ships must be prepared for hyperspace travel, back to Naboo. The time has come, for the starting of our main operation of rising again. Codename: Final Order." Megatron pronounced.
"At last. Good riddance to a wretched galactic order." Skywarp said.
"For this very day, the Jedi will become extinct." Starscream followed.
"And so as the Republic. For the damage they inflicted to our sister, and in the name of all fallen Decepticons." Thundercracker swore.
"Although, I will say they manufacture some fine-looking vehicles." Knock Out admitted, making Skywarp sigh in disbelief.
Meanwhile, Ratchet was thrown against the wall, and just when he got up Predaking grabbed him with the mouth and threw him again. Next, he jumped and trapped him with his claw.
"Just get it over with. It's not like I could ever live with myself, knowing the role I played in the Jedi Order and the Republic's extinction." Ratchet said with some energon leaking from his mouth, while Predaking looked him threatening. "But if you want to avenge your cohorts, don't stop with me. Keep avenging all the way to Megatron!"
By hearing that, Predaking stopped and retuned to robot form.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Your high and mighty leader wanted your Predacons exterminated, and simply allowed us to do his dirty work for him." Ratchet answered once he got up.
"Nothing but a false claim to save your own spark." Predaking said grabbing Ratchet and raising him.
"You consider yourself an intelligent being, don't you?" Ratchet asked, making Predaking stop and listen. "Then rise above your base instincts and analyze the situation." Predaking released Ratchet. "We followed the trail of that day with the desperate hope that it would lead to an energon mine. We had no idea we would find Shockwave's laboratory." Ratchet told as he cleaned the energon of his mouth.
"A coincidence barely seems plausible."
"Because it wasn't a coincidence. Energon was clearly planted to lure us there by Megatron."
"Why would my liege wish to destroy us?" Predaking asked, still unconvinced.
"Having just been on the receiving end of your might, one theory springs to mind: Megatron fears you, and any like you."
That answer let Predaking shocked, and full of rage. What come next were his screams of fury as an explosion sounded inside the Nemesis, and a Decepticon tank's body came flying through it. While he was carrying the body of another one, Predaking hit with an uppercut one Decepticon soldier against the ceiling and used the body he was carrying to smash some droidekas. While two heavy soldiers and walker droids fired at him, he threw the body against one of them before blasting the other one and the droids with his blaster gun.
"Lord Megatron, Predaking is on a rampage and moving rapidly toward the…" Megatron heard from a droid's com-link before hearing some blaster fire.
Meanwhile, moving between the remains of the droids and Cons, Ratchet took advantage of Predaking's rage and reached to a terminal.
"Autobot base, do you read? This is Ratchet. Can anyone hear me?"
"Loud and clear, old friend." Optimus answered happy receiving Ratchet's call.
"We're glad you're okay." Elita added.
Everyone inside the base heard him too, so they cheered happy.
"Listen to me, Megatron has managed to rebuild the Omega Lock onboard his warship. I've deactivated the Decepticon shielding system. You should be able to get a fix on my coordinates." Ratchet explained as he heard shots near. "Optimus, you must hurry. Megatron has prepared the fleet to return back to Naboo to cyberform it as we speak."
Once he finished his report, Ratchet ran to the opposed direction of the shots.
"Ratchet?" Optimus asked, before deducing he done informing. "Autobots, lock on to those coordinates and prepare to storm the warship."
"Master Skywalker, you and the others contact your military forces and send them these coordinates. We're going to need all the reinforcements we can." Elita advised.
Anakin nodded. "R2, send it to both the Jedi council and the fleet command. The Decepticons are going back to Naboo. Tell them to mobilize all forces."
"I will warn the Royal Security Forces about the incoming attack." Padmé added.
"We also must prepare to join the fleet. They're going to need us up there." Obi Wan added.
"You heard our leaders! We're going in and we're going in heavy! Gear up!" Ultra Magnus instructed.
Arcee readied her laser handgun; Bumblebee did the same with his portable shield and neutron assault rifle; Bulkhead prepared his energon rocket cannon while Cliffjumper grabbed his shotgun and the Resonance Blaster; Smokescreen checked his phase shifter and also grabbed some kind of cybertronian bow; Wheeljack checked his grenades and his lighting whip and Ultra Magnus grabbed both the Forge of Solus Prime and his heavy rifle.
"You can't leave without saying goodbye." Leia said worried.
"There is no time for that, dear, and no need. We'll be back, all of us." Anakin reassured to his daughter.
"Initiating ground bridge." Aris said pressing the buttons that opened the portal.
"Members of Team Prime, Autobot and native, it has been my honor to lead you. On this day the fate of countless worlds hangs in the balance, and the battle to come may very well be our last. But for this galaxy, for Cybertron, for our comrade Ratchet, we must take the Decepticon warship." Optimus proclaimed as the Autobots walked through the portal.
Meanwhile, aboard the Nemesis…
"Are you sure confronting the beast-Bot directly is the best option, Lord Megatron?" Slipstream questioned.
"We shall see how his majesty fares against the most powerful weapon in our vault: the Dark Star Saber."
Once they reached to a crossroad of paths, they saw landing the body of a leaper in front of them. The cause: Predaking, who was finishing with two engineers and stomping on an entire battle droid squadron.
"Megatron!" Predaking called.
"I'll just go fetch that little something we talked about." Knock Out said leaving.
"Yeah, go and run away, you coward." Skywarp mocked.
"Is it true that you ordered the annihilation of my army?!" Predaking demanded.
"Indeed. And my only mistake was not seeing the extermination through." Megatron answered, pulling out his sword.
Predaking prepared his claws and charged against Megatron, who waited for him ready. Predaking attempted to strike, but Megatron dodged and hit him in the torso double time. But Predaking grabbed him and pushed him against the wall, and before Megatron could react he received a hard punch in his chest, before being sent to the other wall.
"I will tear you apart!" Predaking shouted grabbing one of the bodies.
He stroke Megatron with the body until it was shattered in pieces and Megatron was pushed to the other side of the hall. Once he recovered, he grabbed Predaking's hands and tried to push him back, roaring in the process. But Predaking, roaring too, was too strong for him.
"Seekers, fire at once!" Starscream commanded.
Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker fired their missiles, hitting Predaking's back. Predaking felt the impact, but had no time for react because Slipstream took the chance and grabbed him by the neck with her electrified whips, paralyzing him. Megatron took the chance and punched his head and kicked him inside the room: the escape pods room.
"That's the spirit. But I was a champion of the Pits of Kaon not only due to my savage might…but also my cunning. All ships, Predaking is going to be expelled from my warship. Fire at him once you have him at range." Megatron told as he pressed a button that opened one of the locks, and Predaking was too close for it, so the air sucked outside was dragging him out. "You should have headed my advice and faced me as a beast."
Megatron fired at Predaking his fusion cannon at full power. The impact sent him flying outside where the nearby droid ships opened fire against him, until he was no seen again. With that finished, Starscream pressed the button that closed the lock.
"Bravo, my liege. It isn't every day one witnesses the extinction of a species all over again." Starscream congratulated.
"One ultimate weapon coming right up!" Knock Out announced carrying the Dark Star Saber. "Where's tall, dark and scaly?"
"Good timing, Knock Out." Thundercracker said sarcastically.
Suddenly, they heard a call.
"Report." Megatron demanded.
"Lord Megatron, the ship is under attack. By the Autobots." One soldier reported.
"What?!" Skywarp asked in disbelief.
"Lord Megatron, we have Republic ships coming out from hyperspace. There's so many, not as ours, but they're surrounding the fleet, leaving no escape routes." A droid officer reported.
"But the warship's cloaked. How's that possible?" Starscream asked.
"The medic lives." Megatron realized. "Mobilize all our forces. Move the fleet around the Nemesis on protective maneuvers. The Omega Lock must be defended at all cost!" Megatron instructed as he grabbed the Dark Star Saber and the alarm sounded. "If Optimus Prime and the Jedi wishes to wage a battle for the fate of both the galaxy and Cybertron, then I shall oblige them. This will be our last stand." Megatron proclaimed as the Dark Star Saber started to glow.