Chapter 10
Beast Machines Universe
In orbit, high above the planet Cybertron, one of the transwarp-gates that were positioned in Cybertron´s orbit was being activated.
Only seconds after the connection was completed and the path between the dimensions had opened, the first of the invaders were entering the new universe.
These invaders were not a single force, in fact they were actually two allied groups who had just made the decision to work together only a short time ago.
The first of this two factions were the Decepticons from the same reality as Optimus and Sentinel Prime, the second one was the contingent of warriors from the Cybertronian Empire that had recently transfered into their dimension.
The Decepticon named Blackarachnia, who was one of these troops, thought back about what had happened.
How it had come to all of this.
xxx
The two groups of heavily armed robots had their weapons pointed at each other.
Both of them were waiting for the orders of their leaders, who ironically seemed to be two versions of the same person.
Yet despite that they had just infiltrated their base…and as it looked very likely their universe, the posture of the obvious alternate Megatron was not overly aggressive. It was quite the opposite actually.
"I am not here to fight. I am here to talk. I have an offer for you." That is what he had told them. It sounded a bit strange from someone who had just came in unannounced in front of an entire band of armed warriors.
On the other hand was the Megatron she knew also never one for smaller gestures and would have probably offered `peace´ in the same way.
They all, the Decepticons of this dimension, were looking at their leader.
He had lowered his cannon, they saw, but only by a little bit, so that he could readjust it in a split-second if needed.
"And what exactly do you propose?" he asked.
After hearing this question, the face of the alternate version showed a smile that could have easily come from their Megatron.
"For the beginning, access to the technology that brought me and my men here," doppelganger answered, "and a new target, a very valuable one. You will understand when I will tell you everything."
"Then explain it," their Megatron stated, "and don´t test my patience. You have stepped on this planet without my approval. So don´t expect to be treated as a guest, no matter `who´ you are...at least until we actually come to an agreement," he added.
"I see...just like I would react if I were in your place," the other Megatron replied.
In this moment however they were both being interrupted.
A single green colored, seemingly unremarkable looking, robot of the unmarked `cybertronian´ troops stepped forward, out of the line and addressed his commander.
"Liege Centurio Megatron, what are you doing?" the robot asked him. "This is not our mission."
His leader turned around to him.
"Ah Brunt, I see you are determined to your duty and loyalty like always," he said. "This is really commendable." Slowly his features turned into a smile. "It is too bad however that your true loyalty never was with me."
The expression on the robot named Brunt´s face now turned into one of, very unsettled, surprise.
"I...I don´t know what you are talking about," he replied nervously.
"Really?" the non Decepticon marked Megatron asked. "So it isn´t the case that you have been working for the Liege Maximo the entire time? That you are...how shall I say this?...a spy in my ranks?" He said this in a casual, matter of factly, tone. As if he had known this for a long time and it didn´t play a real role to him.
But as he said this he pointed his fusion-cannon at the smaller cybertronian.
"If you could give us a moment," Megatron now addressed his counterpart who had been following the exchange with mild interest while he was still aiming at Brunt. "As you see we have to clear up some `internal matters´here. I guaranty you it is not directed against you."
The Decepticon Commander gave his troops a gesture to stand down. A few of them had already once again activated their own weapons and were ready to fire as they saw the alternate Megatron raise his gun. But it was obvious that this was truly just a internal disagreement between the other group.
The look of Brunt´s face however had by now gradually changed into one of horror.
"No..that is not..." ...true... he had tried to say.
Before he could even end his sentence however, he was hit by a volley of blasts from another side. His head module literally exploded and his already dead body fell down.
"Thank you Ramjet," he stated, addressing the robot who had fired the shots. "Reliable like always."
"Of course sir," he answered.
"Now, let us return to our agreement," the Liege Centurio Megatron turned back towards his other self.
xxx
Their `negotiation´ didn´t take long. The Decepticon leader had nearly instantly taken a great interest in what the other Megatron had offered him. He had even agreed to this seemingly insane venture here. Invading another universe.
That didn´t meant of course that he trusted him. He had especially adviced his troops to watch out for their `allies´ just as much as for their enemies.
Now they were all part of the army that was materializing itself in this new reality. They arrived one group after the other, as they passed the upgraded space-bridge system.
After the first minute the first few dozen warriors were starting to secure the area around the gate, creating a bridge-head in this universe.
After a few more minutes however, the number of the warriors who were swarming through the open gate, in robot- or vehicle-mode, was already going in the hundreds.
It were not only the two groups who had met in their initial confrontation, but nearly the entire garrison of the Decepticon base and also all of the Cybertronian troops that were under the command of Megatron´s counterpart.
Of course even with their combined numbers, conquering all of this Cybertron would have been something very hard to realize...maybe impossible.
But that was their goal anyway. It had never been.
They were here for a special purpose.
Blackarachnia for her part was, if she was honest, less than thrilled about the fact that she was taking part in an attack on another universe. If it had been on her alone, she would not even be here.
But right now she had no great choice in the matter. She had officially rejoined the Decepticons under Megatron. That meant she had to follow orders. Even if that meant running head first into a battle in another universe.
A part of her still regretted the decision to come back. She would have never done it if it hadn´t been for the Autobots chasing her down.
That damn Sentinel, she thought. Couldn´t he have just left her alone? If he had, she wouldn´t be in this situation now.
xxx
The planetary defenses of course had long detected them and were moving to engage the invaders.
As the troop had taken their positions, a space-ship begann to appear out of the warp-gate.
It was one of the smaller vessels under the Decepticon´s forces. It´s size could not really compare to some of the truly gigantic ones under their command, like Megatron´s old flagship.
But it was still a dangerous opponent that would be able to hold the gate for some time against the forces of the natives. Especially if they wanted to avoid to destroying it
Two ships of the Maximal faction and one of the Predacons were engaging the Decepticon vessel that was flanked by a large number of Decepticon and Empire warriors in air or space-craft mode.
While this two forces clashed in orbit, others were descending down to the planet. They were attacking at different areas simultanously, targeting and destroying buildings, setting parts of the new biological portion of the landscape on fire, challenging Maximal and Predacon Transformers to fights, gunning down technicians and other unarmed natives.
All this however was ultimately also only a distraction.
During the global assault, one particular group of robots, led directly by the two Megatrons, that landed in the center of what was once the ancient Autobot capital in the sector Iacon.
The Decepticon leader was looking around at the transformed landscape of this alternate Cybertron with some uneasiness, that he was however masking in contempt.
"This is what became of Cybertron in this world?" he asked.
"Yes it is," his alternate self replied.
In opposite to the other Megatron this one´s disgust about what had happened to this version of his home-world was obvious and out in the open.
He used his fusion-cannon to blow up and completely obliterate a close by building.
"I can only hope that what you have promised me is truly here," his Decepticon counterpart stated.
"Oh I assure you it is," the other one replied. "We have spend years searching for it. Believe me, this here is the right world. It is one of the timelines where the object I am looking for exists."
It was a search that the Liege Maximo himself had originally set him up to, but that he had in the end continued for his own purposes.
"Come, from here on we have to go underground," he said.
xxxxxxx
Cybertronian Empire Universe
In another reality, the united group of unwilling `gladiators´ had just made a very unsettling discovery.
After they had formed their temporary alliance, they had managed to take over one of the surveillance posts that were monitoring the vast fighting area.
Here they had found the information they had been looking for...and much more.
Under the data they had discovered was not only the exact location of the device that could bring them home, like Shockwave had suspected a modified space-bridge, but also details about the activities and the history of the so called Cybertronian Empire.
What they had found shocked practically all of them. Not only followed the Empire a policy of imperialism and colonialism, no...it was in fact one of extermination.
25 habitated worlds had been wiped out, at least. Dozens, probably hundreds, of entire sentient species, societies and cultures were so destroyed.
It shocked even the Decepticons under them. Not ever either one of their versions of the Decepticon Empire would have gone that far.
The only one who didn´t seemed to be particular affected was Shockwave. His in `logical´ pattern working mind concentrated on completely different matters. In this case the way to go back to their universes.
He didn´t quite understood the importance that the fate of several groups of organics had to the other robots here anyway, even the Decepticons. For him this were simply lines of facts and priorities.
In all this however Shockwave missed one quite important detail, one that the more `emotional´ Transformers saw clear.
The very fact that this so called Cybertronian Empire was willing to do all that...to destroy these worlds, exterminate entire races...marked them as incredible dangerous. And they possessed a technology that made it possible for them to reach their worlds.
Alone the fact that they were willing to go that far marked them as a threat. They were a terrible enemy, waiting at their borders. But Shockwave, at least this version of him, whose CPU was concentrating only on the task at hand and it´s possible solution, wasn´t able to see that.
"What do you think?" Arcee asked nobody in particular, but everyone in the room.
"They are dangerous," Cliffjumper replied, "so much is clear."
"No kidding," Bumblebee commented, "even the Decepticons would not think about doing something like that."
"Our Decepticons at least," Sari added.
"You better watch what you say, half-human," Motormaster told her threatening.
"Well, think about it. Do any of you think it is a coincidence that they brought us all here?" Scourge threw the question in the room. "Do you really think it was just for `entertainment?"
"You mean? Yes, that would make sense," Skywarp replied. "They had made the effort to being us all here after all, just for the sake of this twisted `Games´ as they claim."
"Could you please tell me what in the world you are talking about?" Bumblebee called out.
"What they mean is that we are here for a special purpose," Arcee stated. "That this Games are a test...for us."
"We should concentrate on our current mission," Shockwave told them. "We have already wasted too much time."
"You really don´t get it, what one eye?" Scourge growled.
"They have already proven that they are able to reach our world when they had brought us here," Skywarp pointed out. "Having us fight here will give them at least a good general idea about our abilities, our weapon technology, our fighting skills, if you get the picture."
"You think they are testing us all as possible targets," Sari realized.
"That would at least explain a lot, wouldn´t it?" Arcee said. "For example why they had bothered to capture so many Transformers from so many different universes. Just to let them partake in some perverse `show event´? Does that really make sense to you? I don´t think so."