Chapter 9
Cybertronian Universe, the Arena
On the ground nearly a dozen Transformers were fighting each other for their lives. Two groups consisting respectively of Autobots and Decepticon, but these had less luck during their meeting than the others.
Above them, on one of the platforms of the installation, five others were watching. They were observing the brutal spectacle with feelings that ranged from indifference to amusement.
This five were the team known as the Hunters.
Their special purpose was it to make the Games more `interesting´. They were the predators while the other groups were the one group was not willingly getting involved in confrontations, that happened quite often or was otherwise slacking off, they were targeting them.
With the two groups below them however this was hardly an issue.
At least usually this was the reason for their involvement.
This time however the purpose of the entire event was a bit different from before, at least in this case.
Originally the Games had been founded as an entertainment for the dekadent elite of the Empire. It became quickly a very polular and very brutal mass-event that was taking place at regular dates. Like just now.
It was right now the 20th run of the Games that came every deci-vorn or going by solar dates every 8,3 years.
And this time the audience had been promised something really special. This time it were not only fighters from random colony worlds or from the remote sectors of their own Cybertron who participated. No, it were Transformers from actual parallel dimensions that the government had collected for their entertainment. That was at least what they had been told.
Officially the reason for the entire bloody spectacle was just the same like any other of the earlier events.
Behind the scenes however it had this time a second, greater purpose. It was actually nothing less than a wide area field-test.
The leadership of the Empire wanted to find out about the exact combat abilities of the Cybertronians from each universe. In that way they wanted to determine the most easy and most valuable targets.
For many years now the Empire had been working on the technology that would give them access to new universes and realities. But now for exploration and scientific progress, certainly not. No, it was as a mean to conquest.
In their own world the Empire was currently locked in a ongoing static war with the rebel faction that had risen up one half vorn ago.
But if they could invade one of the other dimension, one that was an easy target, then they could find the recources to put an end to this situation once and for all and become the dominant force in known space again. Maybe even in both universes.
That was at least the reason that the greatest part of the military and political leadership had been given for this entire venture.
In truth however, just like the population, they also didn´t have the whole picture. Behind all the facades, the Liege Maximo himself had another, even more secret scheme that was going on.
xxx
Right now however nothing of that seemed to play a role as the eyes of the Hunters were directed at the carnage below them.
The two groups of Autobots and Decepticons were ripping each other apart. Both of them had come into contact less than a half hour ago and were were involved into heave close range combat. In opposite to the other two groups who had met around the same time, they had no cool and collected heads around who pointed out that a temporally alliance might be of greater benefit. Instead one of their members opened fire on sight and the others followed.
A quarter of them, two of each side were already dead. The rest was switching between taking cover between various superstructures and firing at their opponents.
From above them Overlord, the leader of the Hunters was watching the display in slight amusement.
One Autobot was just getting ready to fire as he had locked his weapon on it´s target, but then he froze. He recognized the opponent before him. Not only that, he knew her like barely anybody else.
She was a Decepticon femme who had defected millions of years earlier to the other side. He had met her as she became part of his sector crew on Cybertron, they became friend and over time they formed a close bond.
This was her before him and yet it was not. So far he had only seen her from the distance while both of them were covered behind metal structures. As he finally realized who was in front of him he could not bring himself to pull the trigger.
Only that in the universe the femme came from she had never changed sides in the first place. She had stayed a Decepticon and never actually knew him except as an enemy on the battlefield.
So came it that, while he hesitated, she fired at her opponent without any hold-backs. Her blaster bolt landed a precise hit, right at her opponent´s head and pierced his brain module, killing him in the instant.
The femme would never know what exactly had gone through the Autobot´s mind as she had killed him, what he had been for her other self. But even if she did...or cared, it would not have made any difference. Because seconds later she herself was hit by enemy fire and fell to the ground with lethal damage.
"Overlord, there is a message for you," Clench informed him.
"Now?" he questioned angrily. "Who thinks he can just disturb us while we are doing our duty?"
"It is the Liege Maximo," Clench informed him casually.
Something about Overlord´s expression changed.
"His excellency?" he said. "Has it stated what he wanted?"
The other robot shook his head.
"I see, I will answer it right away," the Hunter leader responded.
xxxxxxx
Beast Machines Universe
Optimus and Sentinel had by now gotten used to their own presence on this other Cybertron...and it was Cybertron, even if it was a version that they barely recognized.
To be precise they had come to terms with it enough to overcome their initial shock and start to find a way back into their own world. To their luck it turned out that the Transformers of this universe as well possessed transwarp technology. But sadly not exactly the form that they needed.
Optimus was talking to the leader of the group they had met who went by the name Cheetor. It was a name inspired by his alt-form like he admitted and slightly different from the one he had been created with.
Beside him there was also Silverbolt, a flyer of some sort and most disturbing for them a femme calling herself Blackarachnia, who on top of that had a spider alt-mode. But by what he had been told she was clearly not a reformated Elita 1 but a completely different being.
Even then Sentinel had nearly snapped as he saw her. He had still trouble dealing with the fact that he was on a planet full of techno-organics.
Cheetor had already told him about his and the other´s roles in the events known as the Beast Wars and the following take-over of Cybertron by Megatron the 2th. It was a more than fascinating tale, Optimus had to admit, even it it had some really disturbing implications.
The attempt of Megatron to change the past, his conquest of Cybertron and changing the entire population into mind-controlled drones and then of course the complete reformation of the entire planet.
Yes, this was all very unsettling, but it was not what was their problem right now.
"Cheetor, you said that your transwarp-technology can allow you to travel through time right?" he asked.
"Yes," he replied, "but not into alternate universes, that is probably what you are implying. Believe me...aehm Optimus," it was obvious that the Maximal felt somewhat strange using that name, "if we could do it I would gladly offer to help you. But we have no access to this particular variation. As we told you when you told us your tale, we can offer you shelter and a place to stay if you shouldn´t be able to return. You are welcomed as guests here if you aren´t hostile and willing to live by our laws."
"So you won´t help us," Sentinel stated. The accusation in his tone was equally easy to make out. He just couldn´t help it but the thought of actually having to stay here made him sick.
"You can not honestly expect us to develop a completely new form of technology just to bring two...pardon if I say it like that...interdimensional castaways back home," Cheetor pointed out, "or three if we count the guy who had flown off."
"As we told you, he isn´t one of us," Optimus replied. "He was one of the attackers who had indirectly caused us to end up here."
"That means he might be a threat," Silverbolt mentioned. "Maybe we should keep our eyes open for him."
"One robot who doesn´t even know the environment can hardly be so dangerous," Blackarachnia who was walking next to him responded. "That means of course if we can even trust this two," she commented.
"Hey," Sentinel called out.
"What do you mean, if we can trust them? They are Autobots... just like our ancestors," Silverbolt said to her.
"Yes they are and for all we know the Autobots could be a tyrannical fascist government in their universe. We just don´t know enough about them. You know your overly noble nature is the reason I love you, but sometimes it makes you just too trusting," she told him.
Or blind and stuck in a black-white world view, she thought silently. He always did have what could be called a serious white-knight syndrom, to the point where he was nearly considered somewhat crazy, even by the other Maximals. It was however something that had always in the same parts annoyd and fascinated her, even when she had still been with the Predacons.
"What do you just say you twisted abomination," Sentinel demanded now. "As if you were in any position to judge the Autobots."
"Don´t talk to Blacharachnia like that. She is a lady, so apologize you impertinent thug," Silverbolt berated him loudly.
"You call that thing a lady?" he responded.
The white colored Maximal was now more than just close to attacking him. In opposite to what many thought Silverbolt had actually matured a lot since his activation from a protoform during the Beast Wars. Some time ago he would have long blasted the bigoted Autobot at this point. Now he was showing serious restraint, but nobody talked about his beloved like that.
"That is enough Sentinel," Optimus interrupted them. "I have to apologize for my friend. He has strong...prejudices towards techno-organics and he is simply under much stress since we are here. I assure you that the Autobots of our world are not...as your collegue has put it, a tyrannical fascist government. Sure, we are not perfect, but believe me...we are trying."
Well, the Decepticons would certainly claim something else, he thought. But that wouldn´t mean much. It became clear a long time ago that Megatron wasn´t interested in either negotiations or compromises. He wanted them all dead and accepted no other solution.
"Okay Optimus," Cheetor answered, "You are right, there is no reason to start a fight here." He was looking at both Sentinel and Silverbolt. "I have to say you truly did just sound as if you were an alternate version of the legendary Optimus Prime just now. But somehow I can hardly imagine the ancient Autobot leader Sentinel Prime acting like this," he stated in a pointed voice.
The expression on both their faces became more uneasy and in the blue Autobot´s case, slightly ashamed. Sentinel himself knew all too well that his attitute towards organics and half-organics had not exactly caused positive results in the past, more like complete disasters.
He remembered how this bastard Karrus had used his own prejudices and fears to manipulate him and nearly bring his Cybertron into a war they could not win. After the entire scheme had been revealed and he realized what his way of thinking had nearly caused, Sentinel had tried to change, he really did.
But being here, in this place, had brought back out all his phobias a hundred times over. Especially with the looming possibility that they might not be able to return, he thought.
"Someone is approaching," Silverbolt stated, interrupting Sentinel´s thoughts.
It was indeed someone coming, it was the seeker they had been talking about earlier.
He transformed and landed right in front of them. They all had their weapons pointed at him, the two Autobots just like the native Maximals, as precaution. But he just raised his arms in a obvious gesture of peace.
"Wait...wait," he said, "I have not come to fight you."
"I didn´t have that impression the last time we met," Optimus responded.
"That was in another universe and under different circumstances," the seeker answered. "You can believe me, if I had things my way I would have never attacked your world. But sadly my superiors had the idea and I had to follow orders. But now we are all ahm how shall I say?...guests in this new reality."
"Who are you?" Cheetor asked him.
"My name is Starscream," he answered.
This statement made the three Maximals around them tense, as Optimus realized.
"Yes, we recognize that name. It is one of the most infamous ones in our history," Cheetor replied.
As a known mass murderer, backstabber and traitor, he thought silently. But it would not really be fair to judge this robot by the actions of his counterpart. Still the name was not exactly something that awoke his trust, especially since he and his team themselves had to deal with their Starscream in the past.
He would definitely keep an eye on this one...even more than on the other two. Blackarachnia was right, he knew, only because they ressembled and used the names of famous characters from their history, it was no reason to trust them blindly.
xxx
At the same time however, without any of them knowing yet, a connection was being built up to their world from another.
The enemies who their new `guests´ had left behind, were about to follow them.
It was however not a simple space-bridge that was being activated, but one of the large orbital warp-gates over their planet.
The invasion of their world was about to beginn.
xxxxxxx
Cybertronian Universe
At the edge of the fighting area one at the first look unremarkable building, was in fact one of the surveillance stations for the Games. From places like this the bloodthirsty event was recorded and broadcasted into the entire Empire.
The two bored looking guards didn´t seem to take their task that seriously. They were in the heart of the Empire after all. The only possible attackers were the ones in the arena and they would have never expected some of the `participants´ to come that far.
It was a conviction that they came to deeply regret now as Skywarp appeared right in front of them and shot them both at short distance.
Moments later Arcee, Scourge, Rotorstorm, Cliffjumper, Getaway and Motormaster came out of their cover and charged at them.
It was over withing seconds and the completely surprised guards were lying on the ground as two destroyed wrecks.
The allied group was now blasting open the doors of the building, while Skywarp teleported inside to attack whoever would be facing them from two sides.
Three more soldiers stood in their way, but were vanquished just as quickly as the first ones. All what was left was a small group of technicians who nearly instantly surrendered.
Arcee, Scourge and Shockwave were now forcing one of them all the information availlable at the station.
What they were in first line looking for was the location of the device that could transport them home. But they also received numerous other data about several topics. What shocked them the most was the information about the state and the policies of the Empire.
They found out about the ongoing war that it was waging against the rebel-forces, a war that had already devastated wide areas and entire population centers on the planet Earth that they all knew, about the background of the `Great Games´ and how long it had already been going on
and they found out about the policy of the Empire about other worlds.
"I...I don´t believe it," Arcee said in complete horror as she red the data that the tech had given to them.
This so called `Cybertronian Empire´ had, by what it stated, completely wiped out the population of at least 25 habitated planets and then started to terraform them in the image of the planet Cybertron.