Dark Energon: The Other Side Of The Story
A.N. As the title implies, this story is basically the same as Chapter 1 of the Decepticon Campaign (and Chapter 1 overall) of the War for Cybertron game, which I ordered myself a few months ago with money from my birthday back in March, but focusing more on Starscream and Jetfire. Enough said, so let's get right into it.
The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons was in its early days. As the two factions fought in space over their home planet of Cybertron, a Decepticon Star Cruiser made its way towards a space station in Cybertron's orbit. On the bridge of the ship, Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, spoke up.
"Hold your course!" he ordered. "Starscream wouldn't fight with such desperation if the legends weren't true!"
One of Megatron's crewmen, Barricade, spoke up next.
"Lord Megatron, you're certain it's here?" he asked.
"I am certain, Barricade." Megatron replied. "And when I find it, the balance of this war with the Autobots will finally tip in my favor."
Meanwhile, on the station's bridge, Starscream, who was at this time a Neutral, along with his companions Thundercracker and Skywarp, was watching the battle unfold with his partner, Jetfire, who was somewhat concerned about the approaching ship.
"That ship is coming closer every astro-second." he said.
"I can see that for myself, Jetfire." Starscream replied.
Starscream then turned to his soldiers, who were at several consoles.
"Keep firing!" he barked. "That ship must be destroyed at all costs!"
One of the soldiers pressed a button that launched missiles at the ship. They soon hit their target, and back on the ship, Megatron and his crew felt the blast. The next to speak up was another crewman named Brawl.
"Lord Megatron, stabilizers are failing!" he called.
"Maintain your heading, Brawl!" Megatron ordered. "Do not falter!"
"Sublight engines are offline!" cried Barricade. "Shields at 15%!"
"Reroute all power to forward guns and thrusters!" Megatron continued. "Full speed ahead!"
Another crewman spoke up. This one was just a generic Decepticon soldier.
"But sir, that's suicide!" the soldier protested.
The only reply the soldier got was a fatal blast from Megatron's arm-mounted fusion cannon.
"Any further objections?" Megatron asked.
Nobody answered.
"Ram this warship straight into the heart of that station!" Megatron commanded.
The ship grew closer and closer to the station, eventually crashing right into it. Up on the bridge, Starscream and the others felt the effects of the crash as the station rocked from the impact.
"What the frell was that?!" gasped Skywarp.
Thundercracker glanced at a screen and could see Megatron and any Decepticons, including Brawl and Barricade, who had survived the crash, as well as the crashed ship.
"That, Skywarp, was the sound of a warship crashing into the station." he replied.
At the crash site, Megatron, Brawl, and Barricade stood up.
"We're lucky to have survived that, Megatron." said Barricade.
"The strong survive." replied Megatron. "The weak perish."
He then began making his way to the entrance of station, with Brawl and Barricade following close behind him. Little did they know that Starscream was watching this from a screen on the station's bridge.
"It's time I greeted our visitors." he said.
Outside, Megatron, Brawl, and Barricade eventually came to a hologram projector, which soon produced a large hologram of Starscream.
"I am Starscream, and I have protected my station for over a thousand years." he greeted.
"I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons." Megatron replied. "This space station is Decepticon property. Surrender immediately!"
But Starscream was unfazed.
"Whoever you are, you've traveled a long way just to meet your doom." he sneered.
Sentry cannons then came out of the walls and opened fire, but they proved to be no match for Megatron and his companions, who quickly took them out.
"Piece of energon goodie cake." Barricade thought as he recharged his gun.
The trio soon made their way into the station's main corridor, where they were faced with more sentries, but they did little to stop Megatron from destroying them. Starscream and his men watched from the bridge.
"They took out our sentries!" Thundercracker pointed out.
"Inconceivable!" gasped Starscream.
"They must be invincible or something!" added Jetfire. "Send a squad to intercept!"
A squad was immeidately dispatched, and they soon found Megatron and his troops in one of the station's corridors.
"There they are!" one of the soldiers cried. "Move ahead and cut them off in Storage Area Beta! Move! Move!"
Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl soon found themselves in a large storage area, and Brawl was quick to notice the incoming enemies.
"Oh, look." he said. "The welcome wagon."
The soliders then transformed into robot mode and opened fire, but were soon defeated.
"Those fools mean to catch us in an ambush at the next door." said Megatron.
"Fat chance." said Barricade. "We can use that crane to reach the crash tunnel and flank them."
"Ambush their ambush." said Brawl. "I like it!"
They soon found the controls to the crane, and subsequently made it to the tunnel, but not without running into three more of Starscream's soldiers. Starscream, Jetfire, and their companions watched from the bridge.
"These suckers won't give up!" said Jetfire.
"What's it gonna take to bring down these piston heads?" asked Skywarp. "And what are they even here for anyway?"
"We'll find out soon enough, Skywarp." said Starscream.
Meanwhile, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl continued to battle their way in the station, soon coming to another corridor where another hologram of Starscream appeared.
"Megatron!" said Starscream. "I thought you'd be scrap metal by now. Your survival intrigues me."
"I shall not be denied, Starscream." said Megatron. "Surrender your Dark Energon program to me immediately!"
Starscream could not believe what he had just heard.
"Dark Energon?!" he gasped. "Are you mad?! Dark Energon brings only death and chaos!"
"I am counting on it." said Megatron.
Starscream turned off the hologram, then told his companions about the new development in Megatron's attack on the station.
"So that's what he's after." said Skywarp.
"Yes." nodded Starscream. "But he won't make it alive. Tell all units to mobilize! Hit them with everything we have! Foot soldiers, heavies, brutes, whatever! Just make sure they don't reach it!"
Elsewhere, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl continued making their way to the Dark Energon, battling Starscream's soldiers along the way. They eventually came to a wide chasm with a broken bridge.
"Wow, that's a pretty long drop." gasped Barricade.
"Jump, you fool!" Megatron barked. "There is nowhere to go but down!"
Megatron then jumped down into the chasm, with Barricade and Brawl following him. When they reached the bottom, they found themselves in an area with two gun turrets.
"But, Megatron, how do we get out?" asked Barricade.
"We will figure something out." said Megatron.
Just then, another squad of Starscream's soldiers showed up.
"The intruders are here!" one of them shouted. "Call in reinforcements!"
"Decepticons, mount those turrets!" ordered Megatron. "We'll cut them down with their own weaponry!"
Brawl and Barricade did as they were instructed, and began firing on Starscream's troops, who in turn fired on them. More came in through two doorways on either side and one more in the center at the bottom. At one point, Barricade even ripped his turret from its mount and used it as a minigun. Soon, the enemy squad was nothing but bits of scrap metal. Megatron was quick to notice the bottom door, which was wide open.
"The fools gave us our exit!" he said. "Onward! Through that door!"
He then led Barricade and Brawl through the door and through another room where they ran into more of Starscream's forces, but like all the other enemies they ran into, they mowed them down with gunfire without a second thought. Like they were always doing the whole time, Starscream and his companions watched from the bridge.
"This is really starting to get on my nerves." groaned Starscream. "Why can't they just blast them already?! It's not that hard to do!"
Just then, Thundercracker came over to him.
"They're on an elevator." he said. "And it's heading towards an area of the station under Decepticon control. Scans indicate that they've set up a command post."
"This Megatron individual seems most persistent." said Starscream. "But as persistent as he may be, the Dark Energon will never be his. Quickly! Lock down all routes to the Dark Energon reactor! Now!"
"I'll go." said Jetfire. "I'll take two of my Aerialbots with me to intercept Megatron, but I won't fight him."
"Do as you see fit." nodded Starscream.
With that, Jetfire and two Aerialbots left. They soon arrived at the elevator where Megatron was with Barricade and Brawl.
"My name is Jetfire." he said. "I'm not here to fight."
"That makes one of us." said Megatron. "Speak your piece. Quickly."
"I've seen the horrors of what Dark Energon can do, Megatron." said Jetfire. "It is not to be trifled with. Its power is too unstable. To use it would mean disaster!"
"You cannot frighten me, Jetfire." said Megatron. "I will use Dark Energon as I please."
"Then you are a short-sighted fool." said Jetfire. "You'll kill us all!"
"You say that as if it were a bad thing." said Megatron as Jetfire zoomed off in his jet mode.
"I hope this "Dark Energon" stuff is worth it, Megatron." said Barricade.
Meanwhile, a frustrated Jetfire returned to Starscream and told him what had transpired during the former's encounter with Megatron.
"Don't fret, Jetfire." said Starscream. "All routes to the Dark Energon reactor have been sealed off. There's no way they can reach it."
Elsewhere, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl had reached another corridor by means of another elevator and were battling more of Starscream's soldiers as well as some sentries on the walls, but managed to overpower them. After battling through another storage area, they came into a Data Matrix center that had been pointed out to them by another Decepticon in their ranks by the name of Soundwave, who had the role of communications officer. When they arrived in the room, they activated a switch that pulled up a holomap of the station.
"Soundwave, we've located the holomap." said Megatron. "I'm sending the data to you now."
Just then, two more holograms of Starscream appeared, one on either side of the room.
"Megatron!" said Starscream. "You may have gotten this far, but you'll never get your hands on the Dark Energon!"
"Starscream, this acrimony is needless." Megatron replied. "I know who you once were; Sky Commander, and that you were betrayed. With Dark Energon, I shall return Cybertron to its former glory, and you to yours, if you agree to serve me."
"You're a fool!" Starscream argued. "No one can control Dark Energon!"
With that, the holograms turned off. Once they did, more of Starscream's troops arrived and opened fire, but the Decepticon trio fought back, and at some point, a larger bot carrying a hammer and a shield burst through the door, and although he put up a pretty good fight, he was still defeated when Barricade shot the bot's backpack, causing it to explode, claiming the brute's spark in the process. When Starscream saw this from the bridge, he was furious.
"Not even our brutes are no match!" he growled as he clenched his fist.
"What are we gonna do?" asked Skywarp. "We have to stop them!"
"There is always a way, Skywarp." replied Starscream. "All we need to do is think about it."
Just then, a soldier approached.
"They're in the production facility!" the soldier said. "They must be trying to find another way to the Dark Energon reactor!"
"What?!" gasped Starscream. "I thought we locked down all routes!"
"I'm afraid we didn't." put in Thundercracker. "We missed one."
Starscream face-palmed.
"How can this get any worse?" he asked himself.
Meanwhile, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl, after battling another Brute and crossing another chasm by means of a bridge and then using an elevator, had made it to an area of the station that was in ruins. From there, Megatron could see Cybertron. But then, a jet trooper flew into view.
"Flyers inbound!" said Barricade.
Megatron fired his cannon at the flyer, but rather than going down after being hit, the trooper transformed into robot mode. More soon arrived, and another battle ensued, which Starscream watched from the bridge.
"Surely this has to work." said Starscream.
But Starscream's hopes were dashed when he saw Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl vanquish the flyers, and even made their way across the wreckage.
"I've got to make sure they don't reach the Dark Energon!" he determined.
He soon decided that needed to be done.
"I'm going to go after him!" he said. "Jetfire, you, Thundercracker, and Skywarp stay here. I'll deal with Megatron myself."
"Got it." nodded Jetfire.
Starscream then transformed into jet mode in flew off. Meanwhile, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl, after much time and effort, managed to make it to the Dark Energon reactor in one piece, only to be confronted by Starscream, who then transformed back into robot mode.
"Impossible!" Starscream gasped. "No one has ever survived to reach this place!"
"You shall soon learn, Starscream, I decide what is possible and what isn't!" replied Megatron.
Starscream knew right away there was only one more option left to try.
"Guards!" he hollered as he pulled up a holographic keyboard and a screen. "Hold him off while I destroy the last of the Dark Energon remnants!"
With that, while Starscream typed in some instructions into the station's computer system, his forces rushed in to carry out their orders.
"Stop him!" he cried as the battle raged on beneath him. "I need more time to initiate the sequence!"
As Starscream's fingers flew across the keyboard, the sounds of gunfire and shouting came from beneath him.
"Come on, come on!" Starscream said to himself.
Eventually, Starscream finished what he was typing out and entered it into the system.
"You're too late!" he laughed. "I have initiated the destruction sequence!"
More of Starscream's forces swarmed in as a couple of sentries appeared on the reactor, but despite this, Megatron and his comerades still managed to overpower them, and Brawl transformed into his tank mode, then, using his dual cannon, blew a hole in the containment field. Starscream flew down and transformed into robot mode, watching with pure shock and horror as Megatron approached the Dark Energon within the apparatus.
"You arrogant fool!" he snarled. "No one has ever survived direct contact!"
Megatron then stepped deeper into the reactor and, as Starscream continued watching, became infused with the Dark Energon.
"What?!" he gasped. "This isn't possible!"
But apparently, it was possible.
"No!" Starscream continued. "No one can control Dark Energon! It dominates and destroys everything it touches!"
Unfortunately, at least on Starscream's behalf, so was not the case with Megatron, who laughed with delight.
"I am the dominator!" he announced triumphantly. "I am the destroyer! I am Megatron!"
Starscream could not believe his optics, and he was mortified at what lay before him.
"I've got to get out of here!" he decided.
Starscream then transformed back into jet mode and flew off back to Jetfire and the others. When he arrived, he gave them the disturbing news.
"We've got to warn Zeta Prime!" said Jetfire.
But then, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl entered, still infused with the Dark Energon.
"Dark Energon is mine to command." Megatron announced. "Through my will alone shall Cybertron be restored!"
"It's too unstable, Megatron!" denied Jetfire. "Using that power, you're endangering our entire world!"
But Starscream had other ideas.
"Teach me, Megatron." he said as he stepped forward. "Teach me to wield Dark Energon the way you do. And I will serve you."
"And what could you possibly offer me that I cannot simply take?" asked Megatron.
"The supply of Dark Energon aboard this station is nearly exhausted." said Starscream. "I know how to manufacture more. There was once an Energon Bridge that fed this station directly. I know how to reconnect it."
Jetfire was horrified of what Starscream was saying.
"Traitor!" he shouted. "Zeta Prime will hear about this!"
With that, Jetfire transformed into his jet mode and zoomed off as Thundercracker and Skywarp fired at him.
"Shall I send Thundercracker and Skywarp to retrieve him, Lord Megatron?" asked Starscream as he bowed to Megatron.
"No." denied Megatron. "I want the Autobots' leader to know his doom approaches. Once we have this station online, nothing can stop me! Now go! Find this Energon Bridge and reactivate it for your new master!"
With that being said, Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp transformed into jet mode and flew off, now wearing Decepticon logos on their wings, to carry out their new leader's orders.
The End