Chapter 7
Canion-city on the planet Scarvix
The planet Scarvix had once been the home-world of an organic species that had an civilization in the early industrial age. Over the time of the last centuries however, it turned into a galactic trading center for the members of a large number of worlds.
Space travelers of various races had found the natural resources of the planet and settled on it. By now it had become a harbor for traders, settlers, refugees and criminals from all over the known galaxy.
And while the native species had still a large number and was wide spread in known space, they were outnumbered by the newcomers on their home-world.
Even the planet itself had changed. Some parts were still the natural landscape of this world, others had been completely reformed by the alien settlers. Giant towns were spanning over the surface. Some areas were completely covered by metal and glass, more like a metal planet as Cybertron than an originally completely organic world.
The appearance of this world reflected like nothing else the diversity of it´s inhabitants.
Scarvix had one of the largest and well known space harbors in the galaxy.
It had the greatest concentration of different species living together in the known universe and also one of the highest criminal rates in the galaxy. It was for example the adopted home-world of the bounty hunter named Death Head.
And it was also the place of the most renowned mental asylum in the galaxy.
Originally it had only been the second most renowned after the one on the planet Torculon. That institution had a 100% healing rate. But, like it later came out, this "great" successes only came because the natives were feeding the living core of their planet with the minds of the patients they didn´t manage to cure. The core of Torculon was in fact a dangerous live form that was living from the mental energies of it´s victims. And the natives who were running the sanatorium found this a convenient way to dispose of the patients where they had failed. The planet was actually a giant death trap. You got only out of it either healed or without a mind at all.
That was until a ill faded attempt by Cyclonus and the Sweeps to cure the Decepticon leader Galvatron from his insanity. As none of their treatments had helped, the therapists had tried to let the planet consume his mind. That attempt backfired. Then the insane Decepticon got freed, he killed the planet´s core and devastated the greatest part of the surface. Torculon was for all aspects dead. Not that anybody felt bad about this after the truth about this world became known.
Since the destruction of the planet the asylum in Scarvix city was the absolute top facility of that kind in known space. Ironically this events actually helped it´s reputation in some twisted way.
Before Torculon, a asylum was in the eyes of the universe a simple clinic for mentally sick lifeforms. But afterwards it was a sinister place where dangerous creatures were lurking in the dark and where mad scientists would feed you to monsters.
Torculon had been the last planet that had been destroyed during the Autobot-Decepticon war, right after Paradron that the Autobots had blown up to keep their enemies from using it´s energon resources.
And it was a planet nobody was missing, at least after the truth came out.
There was actually a large number of creatures in the galaxy who thought that the crazed Decepticon leader and his second in command were in fact "really cool" or whatever else their native cultures would call it, for destroying that place.
Torculon was seen as a example how ruthless manipulators were using the trust of unknowing creatures to lure them in and get them killed.
And Galvatron, who had single handily devastated one of the most devious death traps in the universe, was seen as a symbol of rebellion and individualism and he and Cyclonus became popular heroes on some worlds. How far this ideas were justified was of course another question.
A large interstellar business company named Ha´bros had actually started to produce articles with the Decepticon symbol or Galvatron´s conterfile. Very popular under humanoid species were t-shirts with the Decepticon or Autobot logo.
Fan-clubs of Galvatron, Cyclonus and later even more of the Autobot leaders Optimus and Rodimus Prime, after the cure of the galaxy wide "hate plaque", had been spreading on several worlds. There was even an underground fan movement of the former Decepticon air commander Starscream.
Many Transformers of both sides were seen by the galaxy as heroes, even if their ongoing civil war filled the people more with uneasiness.
The planet Scarvix was a assembling place for everything, tourists, settlers, interstellar mercenaries like Death Head and criminals. Despite or maybe even because it´s dubious reputation, it was one of the cultural centers of known space.
xxx
Now a fleet of ten Quintesson space cruisers was entering the star system. They were flying a direct attack, something that was unusual for their forces. Normally they would prefer to manipulate other species into waging war against each other so that they could profit from it or to subjugate primitive lifeforms to exploit them. They were the perfect example of this "ruthless manipulators" the galaxy hated so much.
This time however they attacked directly, this time they had a special target.
As the Quintesson ships were closing up to the planet, their air locks opened and hundreds of black Sweeps were swarming out, ready to destroy everything in their way.
A defense fleet consisting of a several space ships of different size and form and a large number of fighter jets was started from the surface to engage the attackers. It were five battle-cruisers of the regular military of the planet, assisted by sixty space jets, two ships of two different mercenary groups who had been stationed on the planet and two others who belonged to private owners who were trying to defend their world. The defending forces of Scarvix were as diverted as the planet itself. But none of them had a chance against the Quintessons, a race even older than the Transformers and an army of Sweep clones. They were quickly overwhelmed. The native forces were both technically inferior and by far outnumbered.
Despite being mindless drones this variant of the Sweeps had the same strength and powers as Galvatron´s Decepticon warriors. They were easily shooting the jets down while their enemies could barely manage to damage them. Fifteen of them were destroyed alone in the first half minute of the battle. Two Quintesson cruisers concentrated their fire on one of the Scarvix ships that exploded after one salve. Then they concentrated on the next, that was as easily destroyed.
A third ship fired it´s main guns at two Sweeps in their spacecraft modes, who exploded in a burst of shrapnel, but a dozen more of them transformed into robot mode and attacked it from all sides. The blasts burned quickly through the outer shell of the ship and the crew, organic beings, were exposed to the vacuum. A few moments later the attack of the Sweeps had crippled the systems of the ship that was now hanging dead in space.
Many of the Sweeps had already gotten behind the defense line and were attacking the surface. The citizens were fleeing in panic as the drone warriors descended down on their cities and destroyed everything in their wake.
xxx
In one of the many bars on the planet Scarvix, a large number of customers of different races, organics and mechanoids, were spending their time.
Two of them were the reptilian alien Slizardo and his current partner, a skuxxoid bounty hunter. Both were sitting at a table in the background of the bar and discussing some of their last business deals.
Slizardo talked to his friend in his, for humans not understandable, language.
"Yes, I you say it", the skuxxoid answered, "Galvatron may be a chronically dissatisfied maniac, but at least he pays well and he actually holds his promises. What was again the name of this other Cybertronian you used to work with?" He asked.
As answer Slizardo gave him a line of high pitched noises.
"Oh yes, Devcon", he replied. "Have heard he had just let you behind somewhere in space, abandoned you after the job was over."
This was followed by another rubble of noises by the his partner.
"Yes, it is no wonder that the Autobots didn´t wanted anything to do with him anymore."
In that moment another creature came running in, a cyborg creature with a large number of mechanical implants on his body.
"The Quintessons, the Quintessons are attacking", he screamed.
The sound of explosions and blaster fire was to hear outside.
"Quintessons", someone else called out
"Why in the world should they attack here?"
"I don´t know", the first man yelled, "but they are attacking the town and they have an entire army of Transformers with them."
A few of the guests were running out to see what was going on for themselves.
What the found was the sight of Quintesson ships in the sky over the planet that were fighting with the last of the native forces that were left and squads of Sweeps, attacking the town.
They saw how two of the Quintesson cruisers were targeting another of the defending ships, that exploded in a ball of fire.
The Sweeps were firing at the building that were going up in flames, people were fleeing in panic over the streets.
Seeing this, Slizardo shouted another few lines of high pitched sounds.
"You say it", the skuxxoid answered him.
xxx
From one of the Quintesson ships, a small glider with one judge and two Sharkticons on board flew down to the planet, followed by a group of four black Sweeps.
They landed in Canion-city, directly in front of the infamous asylum.
"Go inside, find our target and bring it in", the judge ordered.
A group of guards, mostly organics and a few robots tried to fight them off. They were killed in a matter of seconds.
xxxxxxx
Orbit over the planet
The defense fleet was mostly destroyed. Only a few of them were left and were now fleeing. The most were ashamed to simply leave their home-planet to the invaders, but they knew it was their only chance of survival.
xxx
The glider was returning from the surface, with the judge and his two Sharkticon guards on board and that what they came for, safely secured in a large box. They landed on board of the flagship where a second judge greeted them.
"Do you have what we were looking for?" he asked.
"Of course we have", the first one answered.
"Good", the second said, "order all Black Sweeps to return from the planet."
They waited a minute to leave their drone troops enough time to retreat from the surface.
"We can not leave any trails. Nobody must be allowed to know what we have done", the second judge said.
"I agree", the first one replied.
"To all ships, get ready to fire, target Canion-city", the second judge ordered.
A few moments later all ten Quintesson ships activated their main guns and shot at a single point at the planet. The capital of Scarvix ended in a giant fire storm. Buildings, streets and entire districts were disintegrated, the space port was directly hit and replaced with a large glowing crater, millions of inhabitants were destroyed in only a few moments.
"Our mission was a success", one of the judges exclaimed. "We are finished here."
The attack-fleet retreated out of the system. What they left behind was a disaster area in the size of an entire planet.
Nobody knew at this time that this would only be the first battle of a much larger war.
xxxxxxx
Planet Cybertron, at the same time
A small group of Autobots was hiding in a vast corridor between the abandoned buildings of the sector. At the sudden Decepticon attack, their troops had separated into several smaller groups and were now trying to get into save locations and reorganize their forces.
The group around Optimus consisted of himself, Springer, Smokescreen, Skyfire, the scout Outback and the double-agent Counterpunch.
Their entire plan to retake Cybertron from the Decepticons was greatly endangered.
Not only had the Decepticon strike force attacked them to the worst possible moment, it had also turned out that another group of Cons was attacking Autobot city while the most of their warriors were here on Cybertron.
And there was something else, something that was nearly unbelievable, the identity of the leader of the attack on earth.
Optimus was right now watching a recording of a old enemy, standing in the middle of Autobot city and shooting at Autobot troops, the same Decepticon who was essentially gone for seven years.
"Megatron", Optimus murmured.
"We know that Megatron is Galvatron, recreated by Unicron", Springer said.
"Are we sure?" Smokescreen asked everyone. "Have we ever been really sure?"
Smokescreen´s statement was planting doubt in a few of them, but the truth was,
,"it doesn´t matter", Optimus said. "Whoever this is, they are attacking Autobot city and by Blasters report they have completely surprised them and our troops are loosing."
It only took a few micro-seconds for the others to let this sink in.
"We could loose Autobot city", Springer realized.
"And without our resources from earth, we would have no chance to retake Cybertron", Smokescreen concluded.
"Autobots", Optimus announced, "our people on earth are in grave danger and we are in threat of losing our supply base. All our plans are in question now. We have no choice, we must delay our offensive here and return to earth. We have to safe our fellow Autobots and our base or everything will be lost."
The others looked at him in shock for a few moments.
"You are right", Springer admitted.
"Skyfire", Optimus addressed him, "can you bring me back to the fleet? I know it will be difficult to get through the Decepticon lines and be a great risk, but we have to do it."
"I will try Optimus", the large shuttle Transformers answered.
He was a scientist, who had only reluctantly joined the fighting. Before the war, he had been one of the best friends of Starscream. Like Skyfire, the former air commander had once been a scientist and explorer.
Millions of years ago, as the two were together on a journey to scout new areas of space, Skyfire had been lost and only rediscovered a relatively short time ago.
He had suddenly been confronted with the war and was thrown in an era that was not his own. Back then he had been confused an insecure. As he had realized in that terrible way his old friend Starscream had changed, he finally decided to join the Autobots.
As Galvatron had called out the truce, he had been happy that he could leave the army and go back to his old profession. As the invasion on Cybertron happened however, he was one of the Autobots trapped on-planet and joined the resistance. Like before he didn´t like to fight but did it because he thought it was the right thing.
"If you want to go, you will have to leave quickly", Springer told them. "The Decepticons were close behind us and they will find us soon."
"Correction", they heard Soundwave´s voice, "the Decepticons are already there."
The Autobots looked upwards. They saw that on the buildings above them stood a large number of robots.
The communication officer and his followers opened fire.
xxx
Another group of Autobots was driving in car form over one of the roads of the sector. Hotrod, Ultra Magnus, Kup, Goldbug and the triple changer Sandstorm, one of the Autobots from the former colony on the planet Paradron. The paradronians had been pacifists who had left Cybertron millions of years ago to escape the war, much like Fortress Maximus group later. Sandstorm was one of the few of them who had volunteered to join the military.
They were on the way to Vector Sigma and from there they wanted to reach the way to Cybertron´s core. The special mission given to him directly from the Matrix.
It was not exactly the group Hotrod had in mind. He himself, Ultra Magnus and Kup, three commanding officers who would be missing for the battle if they should not be back in time.
But they didn´t have exactly a choice when they had separated under the Decepticon assault.
They had reached one of the tunnels that led into Cybertron´s underground and transformed back into robot mode.
"That is it?" Hotrod asked.
"Yes, the way to Vector Sigma", Kup replied, "the only access from this sector."
"Excuse me?" Sandstorm asked. "What do we want here anyway and why are we trying to reach Vector Sigma?"
The triple changer was not meant to be part of their group and since he wasn´t a commander, was of course not informed about their plans.
"It is a special mission", Ultra Magnus told him. "We are trying to reach the core of Cybertron."
"The core of Cybertron?" Sandstorm asked incredulous. "That was one of the legends we have told on Paradron. But why do we go there now, why in the middle of a campaign against the Decepticons?"
"There you should better ask our Prime here", Kup replied, pointing to Hotrod. "Something like, the Matrix itself had told them."
The core of the planet was one of the old cybertronian legends, like the Chaos Bringer, the darkest hour and the thirteen original Primes. But the other legends had turned out to be true, maybe this one would too.
"Believe me", Hotrod said, "the Matrix had told it both, me and Optimus and it is important. We know it somehow."
"Like you knew that the Matrix could stop Unicron?" Ultra Magnus asked.
"Yes."
Suddenly laser fire shot through the air. It was an ambush, they realized.
Several blasts caught Sandstorm in the back, ripped through his armor and hit his spark chamber. The paradronian fell dead to the ground. Ultra Magnus was hit in the shoulder. All that happened before the Autobots had even a chance to react.
"Sandstorm", he called out, but saw that it was too late for the triple changer.
They were under attack, they made out a few Decepticons hiding behind the closest buildings.
Goldbug recognized two of them.
"Wingspan and Pounce", he said, "two of Galvatron´s scouts. I don´t know that other one."
"This guy is called Fang", Kup identified the large green Decepticon, "really nasty piece of work."
The three attackers continued to shoot at them. Since they had far better cover, it was hard for the Autobots to fight back.
"We need to chase them out", Hotrod said. "I will try to get to the other side."
He transformed into a sports car and raced off with full speed. Kup followed him in a short distance. The two Autobot cars were driving directly through the Decepticon´s line of fire. It was a idiotic risk, both of them knew this, but far less idiotic than just standing still and being easily shot down.
They managed to evade several near hits and actually got through. Kup had been hit by a shot in the side and was damaged, but they had gotten around the ambush and were now behind the Decepticons.
Now under attack from two sides, their enemies were forced to leave their hiding place and come out in the open.
Ultra Magnus took aim at Wingspan and fired. The head of the Decepticon exploded and his burning remains fell downward.
His two comrades tried to break out and attacked Hotrod and the wounded Kup. They concentrated their fire at the former Autobot leader. Kup was hit again and Hotrod saw how his friend went down.
Hotrod shot back and hit pounce three times in the chest. The shots destroyed the Decepticon´s fuel pump and killed him in an instant.
But before Hotrod could react, he was hit himself and fell to his knees. He tried to reach to his gun, but another blast hit him square and was smashed to the ground.
The Decepticon laughed.
"Who had thought that I of all people would kill Rodimus Prime", Fang said. "Galvatron will reward me."
Hotrod heard a shot, then another one, then the sound of metal hitting the floor.
"And you talk too much." He heard someone saying.
As he stood up again he saw Kup, badly damaged, standing over the smoking remains of the Decepticon.
They saw Ultra Magnus and Goldbug in some distance, coming to them.
"We have to get away from here", Magnus told them.
"Yes", Hotrod replied, "let us continue before more of them show up."
The battle at Autobot city will be continued in the next chapter.
The attack of the Quintessons in the first half of the chapter will play a big role later. As it was shown earlier, the Quintessons have an entire army of the black Sweeps and were possibly the ones who had build them in the first place.
In the first half of this chapter are also a few obvious parodies of the Transformer fandom.