I've been drawing the appearance of each character on my DeviantArt(Galvatream), go check them out. Some characters will have two versions posted.

Skirmish in Space

The brain chamber of Sol Regem wasn't much, the massive orb that served as the central processor for the great Titan sat, supported by a pedestal, large cables extruding from it. Nearby, a smaller Cybertronian was busy tending to some systems, the red and gold décor of the figure stood out against the darkened grey of the chamber.

"I sense great confusion in you, Commander." Regem's voice echoed around the chamber. Sabah and Pyrrah backed up slightly, the two of them glancing at each other. The Titans were a holy type of Cybertronian, their lifecycles dating back to the early days of Cybertron itself.

Callum stepped forward, bending down to his knees as he closed his optics. "Great Sol Regem, I seek answers that only one of your great kind may provide. Luna Tenebris has but helped me find my true calling in this war, but I am still incomplete."

Silence reigned, the great Titan processing the information. "I sense something different about you, your mere presence is… bright. Of all the Cybertronians present within my form, you have the brightest spark."

Callum opened his optics, watching the Titan's brain flash many different colours at once. "I am puzzled by this, but I am not sure how to help you and how you feel incomplete. I did hear you mention things you've seen in dreams though." Regem spoke, curiosity laced his voice.

Callum glanced at Sabah and Pyrrah briefly. "I keep seeing twelve of the Thirteen Primes, of the Titans and their companions, but also of a Cybertronian, once that bares resemblance to Primus' Opposite."

"I, I wish to know why I keep having these dreams, these nightmares. Some figures I see are familiar, but I just don't know why?"

Sol Regem processed the words. Searching through his memory banks. "I can not help you with many of these, but I will warn you of this Cybertronian. Beware The Midnight Star."

Callum sighed. "Thank you for the aid, Sol Regem." He slowly stood, pain shot through his endoskeleton as he turned to face Sabah and Pyrrah. "Get me to the forges, if we run into any threats while we're out there, I need to be in top shape."

Sabah blinked, her optics frowned at the request. "You require a new frame, Commander?"

Callum nodded. "I do, I fear the Ununtrium is being rejected." He stumbled forward, Pyrrah and Sabah moving to support him.

As they left the chamber, Marcos appeared. "Commander Khessa requires your presence on the command bridge Pyrrah." He said, moving to take over for the scout.

Pyrrah moved, vanishing down the hallways, leaving the three where they stood. "Where to Commander?" Marcos questioned, shifting the weight of his commanding office slightly.

"The forges, I need a new body." Callum replied, the three of them moving down the hallways.

Rayla frowned when she found Runaan, her gaze fell upon Bait, who was resting silently upon her mentors' shoulder. "When did he start handing out with you?" She questioned.

Runaan glanced up from the datapad he held. "He's refused to leave my side, he won't even go to Amaya or Soren." He explained, resting the datapad upon the table. "How are you feeling?"

Rayla stretched her form. "Ok, good be better. I'm headed down to the forges later to help my spark reformat my body."

Runaan frowned in concern. "What do you mean reformat?"

"Kazi noted that it has escape her previous scans of me, but my spark seems to be reformatting my form, most likely to what it wants." She answered, slightly easing Runaan's concern. "Oh, when did Callum get the rank of Commander?"

Runaan sighed. "Shortly before he passed out, he handed Khessa a hard drive, stored within were battle tactics, strategies and protocols the Decepticons make use of, he listed their leadership structure and everything as well, noting who to watch out for."

Rayla widened her optics. Callum had been busy during their journey. She assumed he'd done the downloading onto the hard drive sometime before he broke them out of prison. "And Prime gave him the rank, placing him in charge alongside Khessa?"

Runaan nodded. "He did, it was a shock to all of us, but having witnessed his natural leadership, and a strange drive to keep the peace between us, I have no issues with him leading us. It certainly does makes things interesting."

Rayla turned around. "I'll be back, I need to get this reformatting down before it becomes an issue."

Marcos and Sabah stood outside the forges, waiting for Callum to finish inside. "You and Soren came up with the idea of refitting several of our number with flight capabilities, did you not?" Sabah questioned, watching Marcos closely.

Marcos nodded. "It was mostly Soren's idea. I provided the schematics of our body design and suggested altering it slightly, separating us from the Seekers. I'll probably go and get my frame altered as well. Save having issues later down the line with others."

Sabah nodded. "I see. What made you defect?"

Marcos sighed, leaning against the wall. "When I first heard Megatron's orders. I though my audio receptors were playing up. But, I guess over the period of time after Callum's killing spree throughout Ziard and his escape, I just slowly started to realisation that the Decepticons no longer fought for what they did in the first place."

He adjusted his body, optics narrowed. "It was all about equal rights in the beginning, the be treated fairly. I guess at some point during the war, we lost sight of this goal and focused on domination and conquest instead. The order for genocide on the Autobots was the last straw for me. I couldn't bring myself to wipe out an entre faction because of a difference."

Sabah rested a hand upon Marcos' shoulder. "So you joined the Autobots, alongside the Commander as a result. I can see the reasons why. Sometimes, I long for the days before the war, back when things were simple. I miss my old profession as a teacher, teaching the young how to forge new Protoforms from metal."

Marcos nodded in agreement. "I remember my job before the war. I was a member of the senate guard, stood watch over Opeli at all times. I always wondered what happened to her when the war began. If she's still with us, or passed on to the Well of All Sparks."

The two noticed Rayla enter the forges. "Strange, never seen her come down here before." Sabah noted, her optics lingering upon the forge Rayla had entered.

"Must be having some issues with something." Marcos replied, his optics glued to the door that Callum had entered. The door slowly slid open, one of the forgers emerged, behind them, was Callum. His frame was different. His body showed more aspects of his dragon form, but his jet form was present as well.

The wings of the jet, much like how they did on Sabah, rested along the back, no longer sticking out to the sides. His helmet was also different, it now had more armour, and a crest of two towers. He had a bulker body as well.

"You look different Commander." Marcos commented, eyeing Callum's new form up and down.

Callum nodded. "Thank you, Marcos. I do feel like I belong in a body of my own once more."

Sabah slowly walked forward. "Commander Khessa was asking for your presence in the command bridge while you were inside, Commander."

Callum nodded. "Then come along, it's best not to keep her waiting."

Khessa turned slightly, her optics widened at the sight of Callum's new form. "You've changed." She noted.

Amaya, Janai, Soren and Gren all glanced towards him. Pyrrah smirked form where she leaned. Callum came to a stop, Marcos and Sabah hanging back. "I visited the forges, my Spark was rejecting my previous form. Something about it not being my true form. But you called me up here."

Khessa nodded. "We received an Autobot distress call, the Decepticons were assaulting them., Sol Regem is already moving to provide support, but we need troops to head out there and provide aide." A holographic image of two ships appeared before them. One of them was a standard Autobot Vanguard class cruiser, the other was a larger ship, but shape of the ship made it quite obvious which faction it belonged to.

Callum narrowed his gaze. "I know that ship, Kasef commands that warship. I'll lead make sure we save as many Autobots as possible. But we're going to need that Worldsweeper occupied."

Khessa nodded. "We need to move out now then." She turned, facing the bridge crew. "Battle station."

Callum turned fast. "Marcos, Sabah, gather the flyers and head to the launch tubes. We're going to hit them were it hurts." He said, racing out.

Kasef laughed as his forces sieged the Autobot vessel, while they put up a fight, it wasn't long till his forces had managed to breach the ship and board. Inside, he crushed the Autobots that came towards him. His optics locked upon those who continued to fight.

He made his way forward, blasting Autobots to the side till he entered the command bridge. His gaze fell upon four Autobots, no doubt the ones in charge. He smirked, his troops moving around them. While he didn't typically rake prisoners, he could make an exception, considering he needed to know where others had gone.

"Surrender now, and the bloodshed will be kept to a minimum." He said.

The four bots were all different in shape and size. Two of them had near identical frames, one being female, the other male. Another was similar to Runaan in colours, and the final one was large. She had aspects of a dragon lining her frame.

"Surrender to a Decepticon like you, never." She snarled, fingers spread far, the sharp tips ready to strike.

Kasef chuckled. "You are outmatched Autobots. No one will come to your aid."

Callum stood within his launch tube. He leapt into the air, shifting form before zooming forward. "All flyers, converge on the Vanguard and take down those Seekers. Sabah, Marcos, Soren and Pyrrah, with me. We're heading inside." He commanded.

Flying out into space, he opened up upon the Seekers heading towards them, in the distance, the weapon systems of Sol Regem opened up upon the Worldsweeper. Moving in, Callum flew towards the Vanguard.

As he got closer, Callum started to shift form. Landing upon four legs, he roared as he tore into the Seekers standing upon the ship. Talons sliced through the Seekers, lightning crackled around his body as he shifted forms once more, behind him, Pyrrah, Marcos, Sabah and Soren had joined the fight, taking down the Seekers Callum failed to take down.

Callum leapt up, drawing his blaster and gunning down any Seeker that dared stand in his way. Landing with a roll, Callum ignited his Energon sword, slicing through any that he raced past. Coming to a stop, he quickly found the entrance. Glancing back, he smirked. "Pyrrah, Soren, keep guard here. Marcos, Sabah, with me."

Kasef could hear the sound of fire in the distance, it echoed down the halls, he turned, just as Callum come, landing upon the body of a Seeker, the Seeker's head rolling to a stop before Kasef's feet. "Air Commander Callum, you betray us." Kasef growled.

Callum smirked, a face plate forming as he narrowed his gaze. "I won't let you harm them Kasef."

Kasef chuckled. "You're a fool if you think you can take us all down."

Callum stepped forward. "Saleer learned the hard way why you don't mess me Kasef, I'm sure if you heard his screams and begs for mercy you'd know why." Behind him, Marcos and Sabah entered, weapons primed and ready to fire.

"Deal with the others, Kasef's mine." Callum ordered, stepping forward as he readied himself for battle."

The two circled each other before charging forward. The two threw punches at one another, both taking blows. Callum leapt back, avoiding a blow from Kasef. He deployed his energon sword charging forward once more.

Kasef allowed his hands to form two blades as he leapt at Callum. The two clashed, Callum sliced, getting a cut in on Kasef's torso, Energon slowly dripped from the gaze. Kasef growled and charged once more.

Callum pushed forward, their weapons clashing against each other. "You can't beat me Callum." Kasef taunted.

Callum chuckled, he pushed harder, his size giving him the advantage. "Viren believed the same thing. I would've ended him had it not been for Ziard, a shame he is now deceased."

Kasef pushed back, his feet started to slip, Callum's strength was greater than his. "How are you so strong?" He questioned.

Callum quickly moved, kicking Kasef in the knee before slicing his hands off. "I do not know how. But I do know that I have an origin that even I have no knowledge of." He answered, slicing Kasef's head clean off his body. He soon looked up, watching as Marcos and Sabah helped one another against the Seekers.

"We need to go now, I don't know how long till Decepticon reinforcements arrive, but I don't want to be around when they do." He said, turning fast. "Pyrrah, Soren, help evacuate any surviving Autobots to Sol Regem now. Flyers, keep those Seekers at bay, those transports must survive."

Soren nodded, he glanced at Pyrrah, the two of them moved, racing towards small pockets of Autobot warriors pinned down by the Seekers. Leaping into action, they fired upon the Seekers, Pyrrah getting up close and personal as she sliced them apart with her sword.

Soren quickly moved, Null Rays firing away as Seekers fell to the ground, he glanced at the Autobots. "To the transports now." He cried, racing towards the Seekers as he fired upon them.

Callum raced to the outside of the ship, the others behind him. He widened his optics at the battle. "Those who can't fly, get to the Transports, those who can, provide covering fire." He said, shifting form as he took to the skies. Marcos and Sabah right behind him.

Flying and along, Callum zoomed around, by his side, Marcos and Sabah followed. Soon, the transports had taken off, headed towards Sol Regem. "All flyers, defend the transports." Callum cried, zooming towards the lead transport.

Seekers zoomed in, swarming above as they fired upon the transports. Callum moved fast, zipping through the Seekers, gunning them down as he did so. Marcos and Sabah cleaning up any that managed to get evade his sights.

Eventually, they made back, most of the transports had arrived intact, those that didn't make it, their deaths wouldn't be in vain. Callum shifted form, landing upon the ground, behind him, Sabah and Marcos followed. Runaan stood, Amaya, Gren, Rayla and Janai by his side, others helped the injured.

Runaan's voice soon echoed across the hanger. "Ethari!"

The Vanguard cruiser is an Autobot ship, the most famous one of these ships is The Ark. The Worldsweeper, however, is a Decepticon vessel that originated in the IDW universe, it is famous for being shaped like the Decepticon symbol, apparently, they had the firepower to devastate a planet, but their speed was something to be desired. Which I believe means they were really slow.

Callum has obtained a new body, this body will be important in his origin. Sabah and Marcos also seem to be shadowing him quite a bit. The two have seemingly become his guards. He now longer has the Ununtrium endoskeleton anymore.

Sabah and Marcos had a talk, revealing what they did before the war started. Sabah was a teacher, which was inspired by Animated Arcee, while Marcos was a Senate Guard. Opeli is mentioned, thought not seen, her fate is left a mystery on purpose.

The Midnight Star, there can only be one person who applies to this name, and not much is known about him.

Ethari is named, and appears. The other two that Kasef had outnumbered upon the ship were Tiadrin, Lain and Zubeia. All the pieces for Rayla's origin are in place. Rayla's new body will be revealed next chapter, as will her origin.

The art of forging a Protoform was slightly adapted from IDW's universe, where a spark would be forged with its body.

Also, what do you want to see happen in the sequel. I already have a few things planned. But here are some options to vote for(Note that the sequel will include transformer characters such as Soundwave and Starscream).

1. The siege of Katolis(Early Great War)

2. Fall of the Thirteen Primes

3. Trypticon vs Luna Tenebris

4. Amaya x Janai