Chapter 22
Cybertron underground
"We have done it, the machine is ready", Nightstick told her.
Despite that the ancient device they were working on had clearly been built for far larger people than them, the three humanoids were somehow able to get it to work.
"Good", she said. "Then let us do it."
With this words Marissa connected the wires that would start the countdown.
xxxxxxx
In space
The transwarp-ship rematerialized at the border of the star system Cybertron was currently located in.
For millions of years the planet had been moving aimlessly through space, for the most part with only minimal effort to even coordinate it´s course through space.
It had only been a few decades back that the Transformers actually began to take control of the movements of their planet, in particular Megatron´s infamous attempt to transport Cybertron into Earth´s orbit.
One of the first things Galvatron had done after the Decepticons had once again taken the planet four months ago was to order the construction of a set of global engines that made possible to fly Cybertron similar to a space ship.
They had moved the planet into an empty star system to secure it for themselves and to made it harder for a Autobot counter strike. In a distance of several parsec there was no other life besides themselves.
It was a decision that was now paying itself.
The engines were used to bring the entire planet slowly outside of the star system, while at the same time Unicron´s drones were waging a world wide attack.
They were bombing districts, destroying bases, space ports and other important installations, blasting through buildings and tearing parts of Cybertron´s surface apart to use it later as raw material for their replication.
Some cities were already standing in flames.
This was how this new version of the Sweeps was like. They only existed for the purpose of destroying and replicating. By Unicron´s instructions, they targeted everyone he wanted, attacking their planets, consuming everything in their path and only becoming larger and larger in number.
This robots, the Transformes and especially Primus were aware of, had the potential to become a new plaque to the galaxy destroying one world after the other and only leaving the empty void that Unicron rejoiced in.
They needed to be stopped here and now.
xxx
The transwarp-ship with the leaders of the new Autobot-Decepticon alliance on board had just rematerialized itself at the edge of the system. They were now in a safe distance for what was going to happen.
"How is it going?" Optimus asked Soundwave who was sitting at the controls.
"Evacuation of Cybertron complete. Waiting for signal from plasma-energy-chamber", the Decepticon answered.
"Then let us hope that they succeed", the Autobot leader replied.
The plan had been simple enough, at least in theorie. Set a distraction for the black Sweeps, evacuate Cybertron and send someone to activate the plasma-energy-chamber, a job only a organic could do. The timing was however that all was depending on.
"Signal received", Soundwave reported a few moments later.
"They did it", Rodimus said.
"There is one last thing I have to do", Galvatron pointed out. "Soundwave, send out an hail to the drone armada."
"What?", the communications officer asked now. His mechanical voice was showing obvious surprise in that moment that was completely uncharacteristically for him.
xxxxxxx
Earth, on board of Fortress Maximus
"You must help us Fortress", Spike´s mental voice told him once again.
The human and the super-headmaster were still watching the other Autobots and humans hopelessly fighting Unicron.
"Replacing a bond is impossible", Fortress mind said.
"We don´t know that, we actually know far too little. At least we have to try."
"Try?"
"We have too", Spike repeated, "our people are being slaughtered out there."
He concentrated again on the massacre outside.
Unicron had been slowly crushing the first Autobot shuttle, completely destroying the inside and everybody on it.
"You know how, make the mental connection to me, now", Spike said as they were seeing the obliterating of the ship.
Now Fortress was finally reacting. He gave the mental commands to establish the new bond.
xxxxxxx
Cybertron
The Sweep leader named Carnage had just returned to his ship. His anger had begun to boil down.
Galvatron had escaped him, at least for now. But then he realized that it didn´t really matter.
As soon as Cybertron will be consumed his army would be invincible.
Galvatron would be hunted down and destroyed. And maybe it was even better this way.
Carnage would let him watch when his empire was getting ripped apart piece by piece and when he would find him.
Galvatron would suffer and when…
Then his line of thought was suddenly broken off.
"We are receiving a call", Flashlight, who was still controlling the ship, told him.
"What?" the black Sweep leader said surprised. "Put it on the screen."
The face of the Decepticon leader appeared.
"Galvatron", Carnage said.
"Sweep number four", his former commander greeted him.
"Not anymore, you can call me Carnage now."
"Carnage? Yes, a fitting name for you", he replied.
"What do you want? You know that your attempt to move Cybertron out of this star system is pointless right? My troops have already taken the planet. You are only delaying the unavoidable. You and your Decepticons will not escape."
"Escape? Cybertron is just leaving this system, that is the entire point."
"Why?"
Galvatron didn´t answer. In fact he did the last thing the Sweep would have expected, he smiled. And strangely not even a malicious smiling, it seemed actually benevolent, at least at the outside.
"I have to apologize to you", the Decepticon leader said to the completely flabbergasted Sweep.
"What are you saying?" He asked.
"I could have probably saved you, under only a minor risk. But I didn´t. I didn´t even try. It is true that I wasn´t in my right mind at that time, but that doesn´t change the fact. I was wrong, I admit that."
"Do you really know what you are talking about here?" The Sweep asked incredulous.
"Yes I do. I am truly sorry for leaving you behind this last time", he said, "Back then I was insane, I made mistakes." He let his words hanging in the air for a few moments.
"But I am not sorry for leaving you behind this time", he said now sharply.
"What?"
Goodbye Carnage. I admit my failures, but I won´t take the blame for yours.
You have made the decision to follow Unicron, you are attacking Cybertron, killing our troops, trying to destroy our planet. This was your choice."
The communication broke off. For a moment the two Unicron followers stared at the screen, confused by Galvatron´s words and actions.
Then something happened, quick and without warning. It felt like a shock. A terrible pain cut through then as every relay in their bodies was overloaded. They barely managed to scream from the sudden agony they felt. Around them the systems of the ship ceased functioning, some of the consoles short circuit.
This was milliseconds before their limbs failed and they fell to the ground, unable to move. It was a effect that was not limited to them.
All over the planet the same thing was happening.
xxx
At the same time, everywhere in orbit, the black Sweeps were now hanging motionless in space. Unlike their two leaders who were actually alive, they staid silent. They didn´t know pain, suffering or any kind of feelings at all.
Despite their appearance they were only unthinking machines and now that their systems were not longer working, they were essentially shut down.
xxx
The plasma-energy-chamber was active. Right now it was sending out a form of energy emission that was effecting every machine or mechanical life-form in the system, all beside the planet itself. The process was building up in light-speed and had already spread over a great part of the system.
In ancient times, like Primus told them, the chamber served as an energy source for all of Cybertron. It was used to overload the core of stars, to create artificial novae and collect the released energy of the sun explosions.
As a side effect it also caused similar overloading in the systems of every sort of regular machines, inadvertently "lobotomizing" them and rendering them useless. Over a longer time, it would destroy them.
The ancient cybertronians were immune to the effect, thanks to Primus design, the newer generations build by the Quintessons however were not and neither were Unicron´s drone robots.
It was to a great part all a question of timing, to evacuate Cybertron before the enemy had taken it over.
At this point, the chamber was beginning to influence the local sun. Occasional storms and fluctuations were already starting to predict it´s final fate.
xxxxxxx
Cybertron underground
The device was working. Like they had feared beforehand, they didn´t knew what kind of effect the plasma-energy-chamber would have on the binary bounded nebulons.
It wasn´t really a surprise as the shock went through their bodies. Like the Transformers, the mechanical implants in them were effected by the workings of the device. Both of them were now partly cybernetic and so assaulted by the emissions like the Transformers.
It was by far not as intense as it was with the full machines, but still enough to send the two humanoids to their knees. The pain for them was horrible.
"This is it", Firebolt said.
They had anticipated something like this. That was the sole reason Marissa was even here, she knew.
The point was that they didn´t knew how bad the nebulons would be hit. All in all it actually turned out better as they had feared. The two were still able to stand, even if barely.
That was the reason the Transformers had especially asked for an unmodified human for this mission, to have someone to shut the chamber down again after it had done it´s job.
xxxxxxx
All over the planet´s orbit and the neighboring area the drones now were drifting through space.
In this moment the effect of the plasma-energy-chamber had reached it´s critical point.
The star exploded.
On board the flagship-shuttle Carnage and his seeker lieutenant were still lying on the floor in pain, struggling desperately, trying to even stand up.
xxx
The first radiation that the exploding star was sending out had reached the drone fleet. It was already enough to destroy most of the electronics of the damaged and overloaded drones.
xxx
"Flashlight", the Sweep leader called out. "What has happened?"
"I don´t know", the seeker answered, "some sort of overloading."
Under great pain Carnage was able to get back on his legs. He could still barely stand. For a few moments he was fighting disorientation.
He looked around. The computers on the ship were off-line he realized, probably destroyed by the shock.
It had been a trap, some sort of secret weapon. They had just evacuated the planet and then activated it. And he had walked right into this.
He would need to get out of here and take all the drones that were still functional with him. This was a set back, sure. But they would just consume new raw materials to regrown their forces.
As soon as they had destroyed Cybertron this losses would be meaningless. Their numbers would be even higher than before.
In that moment he looked out of the windows and saw what was happening outside. The sun had become unstable, was exploding.
Alone in the second he saw it he knew there was no escape. The flashes of the overloading were still driving through his body and he could barely move.
In the following minutes he could only watch and wait until the nova was reaching the shuttle.
He could see the seemingly infinitive wall of fire closing up on him.
Carnage could only think of one thing, during all this all his thoughts circled down on one word.
"Galvatron", he screamed out the name before the arriving nova consumed him and the ship around him.
xxx
The planet Cybertron had passed the borders of the star system, with a high speed moving away from the sun. Despite that the first radiation of the nova had reached it´s orbit and was beginning to be absorbed into the mechanics of the ancient device.
The plasma-energy-chamber was doing it´s purpose, at the same time absorbing the unleashed energy and protecting Cybertron´s surface from the fallout of the nova.
Soon the "harder" rays began to hit the planet and energy storage and resources that had been empty for millions of years were automatically refilled and more.
Cybertron, despite empty of life now, was glowing from energy like not more since the golden age.
"That is it, the energy storage is filled", Marissa told the nebulons.
"One moment", Firebolt said under great pain. He checked the outside sensors. "The radiation levels have fallen under a non lethal level", he reported, "stop it, now."
At this words Marissa cut the connection that kept the device under power.
A few seconds later the pain the two nebulons felt stopped. The plasma-energy-chamber was shut down.
"Did we do it?" Marissa asked now, still a bit under shock.
"We did it", Firebolt answered.
After a short moment of comprehension what had just happened the human and the two enemy nebulons broke together out in spontaneous laughter.
xxxxxxx
Decepticon transwarp ship
Galvatron had just ended the communication.
"I have to say I am impressed", Megatron said, smirking at Galvatron´s behavior.
"Cybertron confirms, plasma-energy-chamber shut down, planet intact", Soundwave reported.
"And the drone armada?" Optimus asked.
"Unconfirmed, last seen in local sector."
"So in the same place as a super nova", Prowl pointed out.
"Yes, we have surely seen the last of them", Rodimus said.
"I had never thought that this absurd plan would work in the first place", Prowl commented.
"We didn´t have much of a choice, but ultimately it worked out", Optimus told them.
"That was the first half", Rodimus reminded them.
"Yes, the first", Ultra Magnus said, "but this wasn´t even our true enemy."
"We will defeat Unicron and finish him off once and for all", Cyclonus replied. For all his loyalty and often stoic exterior, it was known under the ones who knew him that his hate for their former "master" was barely smaller than Galvatron´s
"If you think so", Magnus said, not sounding as convinced as he had liked to be.
"Soundwave, we are jumping to Earth, now", Galvatron ordered.
xxxxxxx
Unicron was surrounded by a a large number of both Autobot- and human shuttles, a group of five Autobot jets and the three super robots Metroplex, Skylinx and Omega Supreme.
All of them knew trying to fight a enemy like Unicron was suicide, but they had no other choice if they didn´t want the planet Earth being destroyed.
While Metroplex, in his new space-ship mode, was firing his main guns at him from a long distance, the Autobot "seekers" were flying run ups at their planet sized enemy and attacking at short range. This attacks however were completely ineffective.
Omega Supreme, in his robot mode, was flying a charge at Unicron with blazing cannons. But even the giant guardian robot was barely able to scorch the "skin" of the planet destroyer.
Still it caused damage and that was actually more than it would be able to do against Unicron´s "real" body seven years back.
His new form, forged from what had once been the planet New Quintessa, was truly of inferior material. To defeat this weak opponents however, it was still more than enough.
He fired his eye lasers to decimate the enemy fleet.
One of the beams hit Omega Supreme, while the one from the other eye vanished harmlessly in space. Despite his advanced armor the super robot had no chance. The blast tore through him, destroyed machinery and circuitry and ripped his body apart, killing the super robot and letting the crippled remains drifting through the void.
Another shot went straight through the squad of Autobot jets. While the most of them were able to evade getting hit, one was caught by it. The giant beam burned the flyer to ashes without even losing any of it´s power.
xxxxxxx
In space, between Earth and Mars
A small ship was lying in waiting. On board was a larger group of Decepticons assembled.
They were the most of the ones who got scattered in space after the disastrous battle of Nebulos. This meant the rest of the group who had reformed after the disastrous battle under Megatron´s command
and others who had joined them by now.
When their, at least temporally, leader Megatron and his lieutenants had left for Cybertron to negotiate their alliance with Galvatron and the Autobots, they had been sent to Earth sector to wait and hold for further orders.
Under them were the powermasters Darkwing and Dreadwind, the triple changers Blitzwing, Talon and Ripper, the Predacons, the Seacons and a number of others.
"The Autobots are getting annihilated", one of the Decepticons announced.
"Is that such a bad thing?" another asked.
A few minutes back they had gotten Galvatron´s order to back up their old enemies and join the fight against Unicron, a order that, to say it lightly, was not received happily.
"Seven years ago we got slaughtered in masses. When the Autobots just came, marched in and took over our planet", Darkwing said. "Now it is their turn to get massacred."
"It was Galvatron´s order to help them", Dreadwind reminded the others casually.
"Why should we?" Jawbreaker asked.
"We don´t even know for sure if Galvatron is back in charge", someone pointed out.
"We got the confirmation that he is", another replied.
"Could have been fake."
"I say we wait till the Autobots are destroyed and then we take over Earth", Jawbreaker said.
"Earth will not longer exist if we do that you idiot", Skalor answered.
"Is that my problem?"
"Galvatron had possibly gone insane again", Ripper suggested.
A few of them registered that Blitzwing, Snap-Trap and Dreadwind were walking in the direction of the exit.
"What are you doing?"
"What we are ordered to do", Blitwing answered. "We help the Autobots."
"Against that, do you have some kind of death wish?" Talon asked them.
"See it from this point", it was Snap-Trap who answered. "If we don´t stop Unicron now, he will once again destroy one planet after the other and we will have to fight him anyway. I don´t know about you, but I would rather do this as long as we still have a few allies left."
The remaining Decepticons looked at each other for a seconds, deciding what to do.
xxxxxxx
Unicron destroyed another shuttle, this one with a purely human crew as far as he could make out, not that it mattered to him.
His enemies were crumbling before him.
If things continued like this, this world would fall very soon. Everything was going perfectly.
Until this point.
He felt it, knew it through the mental connection he had with his most committed followers.
His troops on Cybertron had been destroyed. How? It should have been impossible. Primus children had been outnumbered.
But he would still win, he would destroy this world first and Cybertron next.
In that moment he saw another object approaching, coming from a long distance. It opened fire on him.
He recognized it, Fortress Maximus. They were able to repair him, another thing that should not have happened.
But this also didn´t matter. Nothing of this would stop him. He would destroy them all and in the end he would be the winner.
xxxxxxx
Skorponok in his space ship mode had just entered the star system.
"We are nearing Earth", Mindwipe informed Zarak.
"Good", the headmaster commander answered.
In this chapter came the end of the so called black Sweeps that were basically a army of drones built by Unicron and the Quintessons.
And the activation of the plasma-energy-chamber. This happened here under different circumstances as in the "rebirth" three-parter. The device itself is also different, since for this story the plasma energy chamber is identical with the machine that the original Primes have used to destroy suns and collect their energy.
What happened in this chapter had actually been fore-shadowed since the chapter "ancient history".
Carnage, the leader of the black Sweeps, a OC who is based on the Sweep who died in FFoD is also dead. As you probably have figured out, he was in the end at least as crazy as Galvatron had been. The confrontation with him and so with a few of his past actions will have some impact on Galvatron´s character, possibly for the better.
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