Chapter 37: The Quintessons
Orion Eclipse and Elita-One were exploring the deserted planet when they stumbled upon an old Autobot spacecraft. To their surprise, the ship was still active but appeared to have been abandoned by its crew for centuries.
"Hmm, this looks promising," Orion Eclipse said as he stepped aboard the ship. "Think we can use this to get back to Cybertron?"
Elita-One nodded in agreement. "Good idea. Let's see what we can find."
As they continued to explore the ship, they activated the systems and it blasted off into space, taking them on a journey back to Cybertron. However, they soon found themselves surrounded by a group of strange robotic beings. The Quintessons had captured them.
Meanwhile, on Cybertron, the Autobots were on high alert. They had received intel about a group of surviving Decepticons that were still on the loose. They were on a mission to find the remaining Decepticons and bring them to justice.
One day, they stumbled upon a trio of robots that identified themselves as Reflector. The Autobots detained them and interrogated them for information about the other Decepticons. They eventually learned that the trio of Reflectors were the only surviving Decepticons.
During the interrogation, one of the Reflector brothers attacked Ratchet. The medic was taken aback but quickly regained his composure. Just as the Reflector was about to strike again, Wheeljack stepped in and killed the Decepticon with his katanas, saving Ratchet's life.
The Autobots knew that they had to act quickly to locate the other Decepticons and prevent them from causing any more trouble. Meanwhile, Orion Eclipse and Elita-One were still being held captive by the Quintessons, unsure of their fate if they would be able to return home again.
At the interior of a Quintesson prison cell; Orion Eclipse and Elita-One are chained and have been held captive by the Quintessons for a while. They are trying to come up with a plan to escape when suddenly, they are confronted by a group of Quintessons.
The first Quintesson greeted the two prisoners, "Welcome, Orion Eclipse and Elita-One. We have been awaiting your arrival."
Orion Eclipse was annoyed as he said, "Cut the small talk! Why have you taken us captive?" He demanded.
"We demand to know what you've done with the other Autobots," Elita-One demanded.
The second Quintesson smacked Elita-One at the back of her head, "Patience, my dears! You will find out in due time. But first, we have some news that might interest you."
Orion Eclipse raised an eyebrow and asked, "What kind of news?"
"We believe we have discovered the key to unlocking the secrets of the universe, and we wish to share it with you." The third Quintesson told Orion and Elita.
Elita-One sneered at the robotic aliens, "And why should we believe a word that comes out of your mouths?" She asked
The fourth Quintesson replied, "Because we are your creators, of course. Quintus Prime, to be exact."
Orion Eclipse and Elita-One exchange skeptical glances with each other.
Orion Eclipse reacted like he had been told the name of a historical person he'd never heard of before in his life, "Quintus Prime? We have never heard of such a being."
"Furthermore, you look nothing like us. If you were truly our creators, then why do you have these strange tentacles for faces?" Said Elita-One.
"Let us not get bogged down in such petty details, my dear. We have something much more important to show you." The fifth Quintesson told the prisoners.
Suddenly, the Quintessons lead Orion Eclipse and Elita-One to a huge laboratory filled with bizarre technology.
"Welcome to our laboratory, dear Autobots." A female Quintesson said.
"Who are you?" Orion Eclipse, trying to hide his fear.
The leader of the Quintessons introduced herself, "I am Quintessa, and I am the one who can give you what you desire most."
"And what is that?" Elita-One asked.
Quintessa answered, "The power to resurrect the dead." She said.
Orion Eclipse and Elita-One freeze in shock.
Orion Eclipse was surprised, "Resurrect the dead? That's impossible!" He exclaimed before he suddenly remembered what the spirits of Skyquake and Dreadwing told him earlier.
"And what proof do you have that such a thing can be done?" Elita-One asked.
Quintessa chuckled evilly, "See for yourselves, dear Autobots."
And with a wave of her hand, Quintessa activates a machine that whirs to life with a low hum. From a wall of chambers, Breakdown, Skyquake, Dreadwing, and even Cliffjumper stumble out, seemingly alive, but are nothing more than mere robots... shadows of their former selves, as they are under Quintessons' control.
"What have you done?" Orion asked, horrified.
Quintessa replied, "Merely a demonstration of our latest invention. We have achieved what was once thought to be impossible."
"You've created an army of undead drones... how the hell is that something to be proud of?" Elita-One asked angrily.
Quintessa chuckled evilly, "You don't understand, my dear. With this technology, we could revive any lost Autobots... Seaspray, Tailgate...we have even attempted the revival of Optimus Prime." She said.
Orion Eclipse's blue optics widened with shock, "You what?!" He half-shouted.
"Unsuccessful though, We'll need even more power... energies beyond your reach as mere machines," Quintessa explained.
Elita-One was gritting her teeth before saying, "That's taking it too far! Any fool can see that we should not toy with death like this!" She spat.
"But that's not all. We've discovered that Doomsayer and his Inner Circle of the New Decepticons are still alive." Quintessa explained.
"What do you want from us?" Orion Eclipse said as he demanded to know the answer.
Quintessa replied as she told Orion and Elita, "Your Autobot nature does not allow for such destruction as these Decepticons may bring to us. Fight against him for us, and we may consider releasing you instead." she said.
As Orion Eclipse and Elita-One struggle against their bindings, they now face two impossible choices...become slaves for the Quintessons or become fugitives fighting for their lives. Whatever decision they make, the fate of their friends, race, and world depends on them. The Quintessons had received orders from their Mistress to take both Orion Eclipse and Elita-One and throw them in prison. Scourge had attempted to free Breakdown, Skyquake, and Dreadwing from under Quintessa's mind control, and for that, he was to be executed.
Meanwhile, Starscream and Skywarp had trespassed on the Quintessons' planet and were caught. As punishment, they were thrown into a pool full of Sharkticons. Starscream tried to fight them off, but there were too many. Skywarp was quickly overwhelmed, and Starscream could only watch in horror as his lover was devoured by the ravenous creatures. He managed to escape, but he was filled with grief and rage. Meanwhile, Orion Eclipse and Elita-One were thrown into prison, their hands bound tightly with energy restraints. They had been betrayed by Scourge, and now they were at the mercy of the Quintessons. Orion Eclipse tried to break free from his restraints, but they were too strong. Elita-One tried to comfort him, but she too was filled with fear and uncertainty. "We have to get out of here," Orion Eclipse said, his voice filled with determination. "How?" Elita-One asked. "We're trapped."
"We'll find a way," Orion Eclipse said. "We have to. We can't let them win."
Meanwhile, Starscream was consumed with grief and rage. He vowed to get revenge on the Quintessons and their Mistress. He would make them pay for what they had done to Skywarp and for what they were doing to Orion Eclipse and Elita-One. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was determined. He would find a way to free his friends and take down the Quintessons once and for all. Orion Eclipse and Elita-One stood in their prison cells, both of them feeling hopeless and trapped. But Orion refused to give up.
"Elita, we have to find a way out of here," he said, scanning the walls of their cell.
Elita nodded, her eyes narrowing as she searched for any weaknesses in the cell walls. Suddenly, she spotted a small crack in the corner of the room. Without hesitation, she rushed over to it and began to pry at the edges with her fingers.
Orion joined in, using his strength to widen the crack. After several minutes of intense effort, they succeeded in creating a hole large enough for them to slip through.
As they crept down the dark, winding corridors of the prison, they could hear the distant sounds of battle. They knew that their friends were in danger, and they had to act fast.
Determined to rescue their comrades, Orion and Elita made their way through the maze of tunnels until they finally reached the cells where Breakdown, Cliffjumper, Dreadwing, and Skyquake were being held. But they were still being mind-controlled, yet they looked brain dead and unable to get up.
With a quick wave of his hand, Orion unlocked the cells and freed the prisoners. They were weak and battered and were unable to see their rescuers. "We have to get out of here," Orion said urgently. "There's no time to waste."
But Breakdown, Cliffjumper, Dreadwing, and Skyquake didn't respond to Orion's request before Orion Eclipse and Elita-One decided to find someone to help wake the brainwashed and drained bots up.
As they made their way towards the exit, they could hear the sounds of Quintessa and Doomsayer discussing their plans to revive Unicron and destroy Primus. The group knew they had to stop them at all costs. With their newfound freedom and sense of purpose, Orion and Elita led their team into battle, determined to save Cybertron and defeat the forces of evil once and for all. Megatron, Altair Comet, Ironhide, Chromia, and the other Autobots had been searching for Orion Eclipse for days, hoping to find their lost comrade before it was too late. As they scoured the galaxy, they suddenly came across an abandoned spacecraft drifting through space.
Curious, Megatron led the group inside, scanning the ship's systems for any signs of life. They soon discovered an old message, one that sent a shock through Megatron's circuits. It was a message from his long-lost parents, Indominus and Lunar Eclipse. Megatron's optics widened as he played the message, his parents' voices echoing through the ship.
"Dear Megatron," his mother's voice said. "We know that we have been absent from your life for far too long. But we want you to know that we have always loved you, and we will always love you no matter all you've done...and we are so proud of the mech you have become." His father's voice followed. "We have been searching for something, something that we believe could change the course of history. We don't know what it is yet, but we will not rest until we find it."
Megatron felt a surge of emotion as he listened to the message. He had not seen or heard his parents in forever since he was an innocent child being forced into slavery as a nameless miner and now he was faced with a message from them that had been recorded eons ago. But his thoughts were quickly interrupted when Altair Comet spoke up. "Sir, I've found something. Coordinates to the planet where Orion is being held captive."
Excitement flooded through Megatron as he saw the coordinates on the screen. He knew that they had to act fast if they wanted to rescue Orion and stop the Quintessons from carrying out their sinister plans. With a fierce determination in his spark, Megatron and his team set a course for the planet, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.