The Autobots were indeed shocked about the idea of finding their old enemy, Megatron so that he would help them fight against Doomsayer and his New Decepticons. The only problem is, they don't know where he is or if he's alive or not in his exile. Ultra Magnus stands up and he raises his hand servo with the order for the Autobots to stop shouting amongst themselves over their recruit's crazy idea of getting Megatron back from his exile. "Orion Eclipse! Where did this idea come from? How can you know for sure if Megatron is still alive out there or not, after him being in self-exile for over five years!?" He exclaimed. "Your father's current status hasn't been confirmed yet." He said. Orion Eclipse knew that his Autobot leader and friends would be baffled or shocked by his crazy idea to find his father and get him to help defeat the Herald of Unicron. He was anxious but he swallowed his fear and he started to explain to the Autobots in the meeting room. "Hear me out: Megatron, my father, was the mighty leader of the Decepticons. So, therefore, the 'Cons who served under his rule would still be afraid of him since they all respected and feared him as their lord and master before Megatron disbanded his Decepticons." Orion Eclipse told Ultra Magnus and his group of Autobots at the meeting. "But what makes you think that Megatron, the ex-Herald of Unicron would be willing to help and to even collaborate with us on our fight against Doomsayer?! Sure, he did once help Optimus Prime defeat Unicron beneath the Earth to save humanity, but still...Just how are we going to find Megatron who is, may I remind you, still missing and is probably lost in space?" Springer asked.
Ratchet stepped in and he answered, "Because we may have a solution on how we can find Megatron." He said while carrying something on his hand servo. Orion Eclipse was curious about what the medic was holding. "What is that?" He asked. "It's called a CNA scanner. I transferred Megatron's original blood not infected with Dark Energon into it. If my calculations are correct, then I believe that we'll be able to use this scanner to locate our former enemy." Ratchet finished as he handed the scanner to Orion. "So, how am I going to use this thing to find my father?" The young mech asked. "This will help you find your sire's key energy signature and it will help you track down the very Cybertronian we need for help. It will beep repeatedly when you are getting closer to finding Megatron. Wherever he may be. I just hope that he would be willing to help us." Ratchet instructed him. With a hopeful smile, Orion took the CNA scanner from the white and orange Autobot medic, and when he turned the tracking device on, it began to detect where to find Megatron. "Thank you, Ratchet." Orion Eclipse said to Ratchet before Ultra Magnus spoke next. "Orion, if you're willing to begin your search for Megatron, then would you like to use one of our spacecraft to transport you to wherever your father may be located at?" The Autobot leader that looked like Optimus asked. "Yes, sir. Do you have a spaceship that can travel at light speed?" Said Orion Eclipse before the mech answered as he nodded. "I'm afraid we don't. But we can let you borrow one of our ships. But before you can leave, you'll need some utilities and weapons to help you on your journey." Ultra Magnus told Orion. "Okay, then. My only concern is that if I do manage to find my father then would he attempt to harm me if he didn't believe me to be his biological son?" Orion Eclipse asked. "Do not worry, Orion. You won't have to search for your father alone. You'll have backup." Hot Rod told the young bot. "Which is why the three of us are going to come along with you to help you find Megatron and recruit him." The red and yellow Autobot said as Smokescreen and Bumblebee came along to join Orion Eclipse on his mission.
Although he was glad that his friends, especially Hot Rod who had made amends with him after he attacked him when they first met, Orion knew that his father wouldn't be kind enough to greet any Autobots given Megatron's history with Bumblebee and Smokescreen, except he hadn't met Hot Rod yet in this story. It occurred to him that he would have to find the former leader of the Decepticons alone. So Orion Eclipse declined Hot Rod, Smokescreen, and even Bumblebee's offer to accompany him on his quest to get Megatron back from his exile.
"I appreciate you wanting to come along with me guys." Orion Eclipse said before he paused before he declined, "But if I am to find Megatron, then I have to go alone." He said much to the Autobots' shock.
"What?! But Orion, you need backup. You can't travel alone in space to find your father. You'll encounter something or someone dangerous! We can't afford to lose a friend like you." Hot Rod objected.
"Hot Rod is right; Besides, you don't have enough space traveling experience to go the distance in the galaxy." Said Smokescreen. Orion Eclipse nodded as he told his friends, "Jetfire has given me flying lessons and Wheeljack taught me how to fly a spaceship. I can take care of myself." He said. "But you can't travel alone. What if Megatron mistakes you for an Autobot and he hurts you if you happen to find him all by yourself?" Hot Rod said. "You need someone to protect and guide you on your journey to find your father and bring him back from his exile." The Autobot told Orion. "I know, but I don't want Megatron to hurt the three of you." Eclipse replied before he looked at Bumblebee as he reminded him, "Bee, I don't think he would be happy to see you again since you kind of...extinguished his spark to save Optimus Prime and Earth, my home when you got your voice back all those years ago. Forgive me, I—" Bumblebee interrupted, "It's okay, Orion. I know you know that Megatron won't forgive me for running that Star Saber through his chest that day." Orion Eclipse nodded in understanding before he looked to Smokescreen and told him, "And Smokescreen? Thanks for not hating me after I told you that my father is the robot equivalent of the Führer." Smokescreen didn't quite understand what Orion Eclipse meant by that last part. "The what?" Smokescreen asked. "Never mind the last part. Megatron maybe my father, but maybe I'll finally have the answers when I find him." Orion Eclipse said. Hot Rod patted him on the shoulder. "If you want to find Megatron on your own, then may Primus be with you. If you need any help, just remember to comlink us and we'll use the space bridge to help you out in space. But beware of meteorites or black holes. They're dangerous in outer space." Hot Rod told his former Decepticon amnesiac friend.
"I will be cautious in my travels. Thank you, guys." Orion said to the three Autobots. Later that day, Orion Eclipse said goodbye to his teammates as they wished him good luck before he went inside the Autobot spacecraft as he began to fly up into space outside of Cybertron while using the CNA scanner to track down Megatron wherever he may be.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, the people who were captured and enslaved by Doomsayer and his followers have already informed the government and the president of the United States about the evil Cybertronians, and turns out Bumblebee's human friend, Rafael Esquivel overlooked the other Cybertronian photos that were taken by random humans that were specifically agents who were investigating alien encounters. The U.S. President, Gabriel J. Henderson was skeptical of alien robots that were at war with each other in Jasper, Nevada until his team informed him about a terrorist organization called M.E.C.H and how their late founder, Leland Bishop a.k.a Silas and later renamed C.Y.L.A.S wanted to create man-made robots out of Cybertronian technology and biology before he met his demise on the Decepticon warship, the Nemesis, after possessing the dead body of Breakdown. But little did everyone know was that M.E.C.H was about to be remade into an anti-Cybertronian organization led by an ex-military colonel named, Adam Bowen. The man in his 50's promised the President of the United States of America that he would not repeat the same mistakes that led Silas to his demise and that he would make M.E.C.H into a military group that would fight against alien invaders and that he would exterminate the Transformers if they ever come back to Earth to either protect it, conquer it, or even destroy it.
"Believe me, Mr. President. You have my word that we will have those alien robots exterminated. My men and I will turn this dead terrorist organization into a military force in which I like to call "M.E.C.H" which is short for Military Extermination of the Cybernetic Hazardously." Adam Bowen said as he called President Henderson on the phone. Adam Bowen listened to the U.S. President speak to him further about what to do with Transformers if they're captured to which he answered, "To that, I agree, Mr. President. By any chance we capture any stranded alien robot, THEY will be the ones for experimentation and not us. After all, those Robo-nut bots do not belong here. They should go back to whatever planet they come from and I would love to mount an alien robot's head on my wall." Adam Bowen continued to listen to the President on the phone before he ended the conversation before the 50-year-old man lights up a cigarette but in the wrong way. One of his soldiers noticed that their boss lit his cigarette the wrong way and they were hesitant to correct him because they know his short-tempered behavior. But Adam throws away his cigarette before he lights up another one, this time he lights it in the right direction.
Back in space, Orion Eclipse was embarking on his journey to find his father, Megatron. He was riding his spaceship across space when he went through an asteroid field and he avoided a few meteorites and then he avoided going near Thetas Scorpii. During his month of training with the Autobots, Orion had learned about Thetas Scorpii and how hazardous it is in space and how it was the place for the Reliquary of the Allspark in which Optimus Prime used to exorcise Unicron and his Anti-Spark from Megatron before having him imprisoned after the final battle when the Chaos Bringer was tricked into thinking he got what he wanted before he no longer possessed Megatron and his body thanks to the late Optimus Prime.
Orion Eclipse steered his ship away from Thetas Scorpii and he avoided a few obstacles in his space travels until he was alone in the galaxy. Five minutes later, Orion began to think about going back to Earth with his spaceship to pay Anthony and his family a visit to Idaho, but he had to focus on his task to find his father and recruit him. "I wish that this Cybertronian space ship would go on light speed. But sadly, this ship is not the equivalent of the Millennium Falcon." Orion Eclipse said to himself. "You're talking to yourself. You haven't been talking to yourself since the day after you've met and befriended Anthony, until you met Ratchet, Ironhide, Hot Rod, and then you saw the spirit of Optimus Prime before you eventually befriended the Autobots. But there's no one to talk to right now since I'm all alone again." Orion said in self-awareness before he looked at the CNA tracker that Ratchet gave him.
He began to think about his father, Megatron, and he thought about how he'd react to meeting his son alive and well again after them being separated for over four thousand millennia. True, Orion Eclipse hated Megatron for what he did as a villainous warmongering tyrant when he hurt and nearly caused the death of Bumblebee's human friend, Rafael Esquivel, when he used the Blood of Unicron for evil, when he threatened to destroy humanity especially since he tried to use the Omega Lock 2.0 to cyberform Earth—Orion's home—into a mechanical and dystopian world so that Megatron would conquer it along with Cybertron. Orion Eclipse had hated Megatron for all the evil things he's done in the past, especially since the day he took Bumblebee's voice during the Great War and the fact that Megatron had attempted to kill him. But then, Orion began to think about what Bumblebee said to him about revenge and how it corrupts the souls of humans and bots alike.
"Don't let your hatred consume you, Orion." Orion Eclipse thought. "I know that what he did was evil and unforgivable as the Autobots said and told me about, but he gave me life, and given how my near-death experience, memory loss, and disappearance affected Megatron...he must've been so heartbroken that he refused to love again...and to think that Smokescreen tried to reform him once." Orion continued his search for his father as he flew his ship across space.
Meanwhile, in the Devastator, Air Commander Starscream was in his quarters reminiscing on the days when he used to serve under his former master, Megatron. When he killed the Autobot who was Arcee's partner, Cliffjumper, when he used the Apex armor, when he wanted to overthrow Megatron to rule the Decepticons and how he became weak as time went by. All that Starscream could think of what his hatred for the Autobots and the grudge he was holding against Megatron for all the years that he would abuse and punish the seeker for his insolence. Starscream looked at his reflection in the mirror as it transformed into his old appearance with Megatron looking down on him before the Air Commander snapped as his spark was fueled with rage before he shattered his reflection in the mirror. It broke into pieces and Starscream thought he had vanished Megatron from the painful memories he saw in the mirror which he broke.
"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Starscream shouted. He began to break down in tears when he heard Skywarp approaching the door. "Starscream? Are you alright?!" he asked. Starscream didn't reply. Skywarp opened the door to his room and he was shocked to see the broken mirror in front of Starscream and he can tell that he was having an emotional meltdown.
"What do you want, Skywarp?" Starscream asked in a low voice.
"I was worried about you. I thought I heard you shouting in your room. Is something wrong?" Skywarp asked.
Starscream sighed. "Yes...I'm tired of waiting for my revenge against the Autobots, against Knock Out who betrayed me, against those Predacons who tortured me as their prisoner for the past five years...and all I want now is to find Megatron and make him suffer for all the pain and torment that I've been through for the last few stellar cycles!" he vented out his feelings with Skywarp. "I did not just escape from Dark Mount and join Lord Doomsayer just so I can waste more of my precious time going on this extensive search for Unicron's Anti-Spark and the Autobots' new hiding place!" Starscream slammed his fist against a wall and it startled Skywarp. "Careful, Commander! I understand you want vengeance, but I promise that we will have our revenge on the Autobots! And if you want to make Megatron pay for his crimes against you, I have this idea that would make our former leader suffer." Skywarp told him.
"Your point?!" Starscream asked. "His son, Orion Eclipse, is alive and I was thinking...if he would die for real this time if we can kill him, just think of how satisfying it would be to watch Megatron's face when his spark would break if he sees his own son's broken body." Skywarp made a malevolent grin.
"You're right. Megatron would mourn the death of his son once again, to the point where..." Starscream stopped himself for a moment before he said, "Wait, I have a better idea; Maybe if Megatron would finally return from his self-exile, then perhaps we could turn his son against him. Think of it, Skywarp: if I were to persuade Orion Eclipse to join us, then perhaps he would be of great use to us!" Starscream said. "Well, that sounds like another way for revenge, but what if Orion refuses to join us. After all, he's an Autobot now and he's no longer a Decepticon." Skywarp replied. "Neither is his father! He was once a great and powerful warlord and a strong leader, but now he is an old coward and a traitor! I will destroy Megatron, his son, and the Autobots one day and they will drown in their own Energon." Starscream said cruelly. Skywarp held Starscream's hand, "And you will, Starscream. I believe in you and I will never, ever betray you...just as Knock Out did." he promised. "I will stand by you and I will follow you wherever you go. You won't be alone, Commander." Starscream hushed Skywarp when he laid his index finger onto his lips before he whispered, "I know, Skywarp. You're loyalty never ceased to amaze me...I never knew how much I've missed working with you and I'm very glad to have you by my side again...my partner." he said. Starscream and Skywarp gave each other a warm smile as they leaned their heads against each other before they began to kiss and make love. Then Starscream and Skywarp were beginning to have flashbacks to when they first met on Cybertron before the Great War began. How Starscream was always with Skywarp, Thundercracker, and Slipstream before they became separated and Starscream had to serve Megatron as his second-in-command. Starscream became partners with Skywarp after he broke up with Slipstream and she, Thundercracker, and the other seekers were either killed or went into parts unknown during the Great War.
Then we get a flashback to when Doomsayer had been caught by Soundwave and Shockwave before Megatron had sentenced him and his followers into exile.
~flashback~
It happened many stellar cycles ago when Orion Eclipse was still a young sparkling and his mother, Firestar was still with him before her disappearance and death. The banishment of Doomsayer happened a few stellar cycles, long before the Exodus of Cybertron even began. Megatron was sitting silently on his throne when he ordered his Decepticons to bring the traitors forward.
"Bring them to me."
Shockwave walked in with Doomsayer and his followers: Crossfire, Astrocharge, Reflector, and Skywarp who are all being held at gunpoint by Skyquake, Dreadwing, and Breakdown.
"I present to you my liege... Doomsayer and his "Congregation"!" Shockwave informed Megatron.
The five electro-chained Decepticons are then forced to their knees by Vehicons. Doomsayer, however, resists. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME, YOU FILTHY INFIDELS!" Doomsayer shouted at the Vehicons. Breakdown marches up to Doomsayer and deploys his hammer. "On your knees traitor!" Breakdown said before he hits Doomsayer in the face with his hammer. Doomsayer falls to the floor in pain before he growled and sneered at the brute, "You will pay dearly for that!" he threatened. Breakdown dismissively swipes his hand at the threat and Starscream laughs at Doomsayer on the floor. Megatron glares at Starscream and he hastily stops laughing and adopts a serious facial expression.
"So...this is what's comprised of the conspiracy against me?" asked Megatron.
Shockwave answered, "Yes my lord. These five criminals plotted to overthrow and take the Decepticons from your command. Soundwave has recordings of Doomsayer, the mastermind in the conspiracy announcing their plan before we apprehended them."
Megatron looked towards Soundwave and he orders the Decepticon's communications officer to report what he recorded, "Soundwave, report." he said.
Soundwave plays the audio recordings of Doomsayer announcing to his loyal followers about their plan to overthrow Megatron. "Today, we will rise against the false prophet of Unicron and I will gladly take his place as the rightful leader of the Decepticons and I will have Megatron's head as a trophy upon my wall!" Megatron and the Decepticons heard the recordings before the audio ends. Starscream then began to laugh out loud at what he and his Decepticon brethren had heard from Soundwave's recording of Doomsayer's plot for mutiny. "HAHAHAHA! Did you hear all those mad ramblings from this cretin? And to think he was once an honorary member of the Decepticons. Oh such a tragedy, such a pity, such a FAILURE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Megatron raised his voice to tell Starscream to remain quiet during the trial, "SILENCE!"
Starscream gasps and then he shuts up as Megatron thanks Soundwave and Shockwave for catching Doomsayer and his followers for their scheme of betrayal. "You have done well Shockwave." The silver mech then looks down at Doomsayer with disgust. "You are a disgrace and unfit to call yourself a Decepticon. Let alone call yourself the "Herald of Unicron"." Megatron said to the traitor.
Doomsayer glared at Megatron with hatred in his red optics as he barked at him while ranting and raving like a crazed lunatic, "You have no right to talk down on one's destiny. Especially MINE you pretender! I am the one worthy to lead, the only one! THE CHOSEN ONE! CHOSEN BY THE CHAOS BRINGER HIMSELF! YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME! YOU ARE BUT A PARASITE FEEDING OFF OF CHAOS! A FALSE PROPHET!"
Megatron replied, "And the one who's going to banish you." he said. Starscream jumped up with excitement. "YES! YES! Wait...Lord Megatron?" he said in confusion. Megatron didn't speak to his second-in-command as he continued to talk down to his former general who plotted to betray him, "Ohhh... I could just kill you, Doomsayer; but that would be too good for a delusional fool such as yourself. You and your followers will be banished from Cybertron and into the farthest reaches of the universe where you'll spend the rest of your loathsome existence knowing you were unable to fulfill your so-called "destiny"." Starscream started speaking to himself as he mumbled, "Hmmm, at least he's finally out of my way."
Megatron then orders his high-ranking Decepticons to have Doomsayer and all of his remaining followers banished into exile from Cybertron and into outer space where they will no doubt be lost and will eventually be covered in either ice or cosmic rust. "Take them away!" he said.
Shockwave nodded as he bowed in agreement, "At once Lord Megatron." he said.
As Breakdown, Skyquake, and Dreadwing dragged Doomsayer away with the Vehicons taking Crossfire, Reflector, Astrocharge, Skywarp away as well while holding them at gunpoint, Doomsayer shouted at the top of his lungs while swearing revenge on Megatron with a threatening promise, "YOU WILL REGRET THIS MEGATRON! I WILL FULFILL MY DESTINY AS THE HERALD OF UNICRON! I WILL RETURN!" he bellowed in rage. "Be quiet, traitor!" Dreadwing scolded Doomsayer as he continued to keep him away from Megatron. Starscream then looked at Skywarp as he saw him one last time before he was taken out into space with Doomsayer and his remaining followers.
"Goodbye, my dearest Skywarp." Starscream thought. His red optics began forming with tears as he knew that Skywarp was being sent away, never to be seen or heard from again. Before Megatron would notice, Starscream was quick to hide his sad facial expression before Doomsayer continued shouting and sending threats as his voice echoed and then faded.
~flashback ends~
Skywarp fell asleep in Starscream's arms after they were done making out. They were very happy to finally be reunited after being separated for four thousand millennia and Starscream had almost forgotten about how much he'd missed his partner and Skywarp was glad to see his romantic partner and no one know of their homosexuality except for Doomsayer who was also attracted to males, given his history with his ex-boyfriend and former slave, Knock Out. The medic whom the evil bot sexually abused and tortured for his own pleasure. Meanwhile, back on Cybertron, Knock Out went out for a drive in his vehicle mode and he went over to Iacon to watch the sunset. The Ex-Decepticon began to reminisce of the days when he and his partner, Breakdown were together before Airachnid extinguished his spark. When Arcee was walking by and she saw Knock Out watching the sunset, she noticed how sad he seemed. Arcee couldn't help but wonder if the medic was feeling sorrow because of what Doomsayer had done to him in the past or maybe Knock Out was mourning the death of his former partner, Breakdown, who had been killed by Airachnid. Arcee couldn't help but notice that she and Knock Out had something in common as they both suffered the loss of their partners due to them being offline by Airachnid. Although she pitied him, Arcee decided that she would have to give Knock Out some time and space to mourn Breakdown before she could have a chance to talk with him and since they have gotten to know each other better for four years that followed after Optimus Prime had defeated the malevolent Unicron and he sacrificed himself to return the Matrix to Primus in the Well of Allsparks, maybe Arcee and Knock Out would eventually find comfort with each other and that they would become more than former enemies and even more than friends.
Meanwhile, back in outer space, Orion Eclipse had been recharging until he heard a beeping noise that woke him up from his nap. The young Autobot got up from his berth and he returned to his seat as he grabbed the CNA tracker that was making that beeping noise from his desk. It indicated that Orion was getting closer to finding the mech he had been seeking for a few cycles across space. As he continued to fly across the cosmos, Eclipse was feeling rather hopeful that maybe he could find Megatron alone in space and that he would finally reunite with his father and then recruit him to help the Autobots defeat their enemies and save Cybertron and Earth. But then, the tracking device stopped beeping and it made Orion worried that it was running out of power as he tried to get it to locate Megatron's energy signatures again before the young bot sighed in frustration as he continued to ride his spaceship. But little did Orion Eclipse know was that he was about to enter a massive, dark, and derelict ghost ship floating in space.