Transformers Beyond: Legendarium (old version)

by AtomicStudios101

From The One to the Guiding Hand, to the Covenant, to the Thirteen Primes, to the Quintessons, to the Golden Age, to the Age of the Functionists, to the Autobots and the Decepticons, and into the future. This is the story of the Beyondverse.

10. Chapter IX - The Age of Rust

Quick Disclaimer: I don't own Transformers, it is owned by Hasbro and TakaraTomy and any affiliated companies. This is nothing more than a fanfiction piece made for entertainment purposes for Transformers fans, by Transformers fans. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please support the official release!

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TRANSFORMERS BEYOND

LEGENDARIUM

Chapter IX

The Age of Rust

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The Age of Rust was a period of Cybertronian history marked with by social and societal atrophy, as a demoralized Cybertron sought to recover from the failure of the Golden Age.

Approx. 70 million stellar cycles ago

During the Golden Age, the Cybertronians utilized Space Bridges that allowed them to explore and colonize other worlds, learned and traded with far-away alien civilizations, and their armed forces maintained peace and security within their Great Cybertronian Empire for hundreds of millions of years. It was a great time of joy and prosperity among the Cybertronians, but it couldn't last forever...

One day, the Cybertronian Security Operations was getting reports that Nijita, a frontier colony of the Great Cybertronian Empire, is being ravaged by an outbreak of a deadly and untreatable plague of rust that was picked up on an exploration ship. This plague would be known by future generations as the infamous Rust Plague, a mysterious microorganism that slowly devours any and all metallic surfaces, including the living metal that makes up the Cybertronians, until they waste away to nothingness. The plague's exact origins were never discovered, though conspiracy theorists would claim to this day that the Rust Plague was actually a biological weapon created by the Quintessons as an act of revenge for their countless defeats in the Quintesson Wars, but there is no substantial evidence to this theory. Soon, in less than an orbital cycle, Nijita and all of its inhabitants are consumed by the plague and then disintegrated.

To the horror of the Cybertronians, the Rust Plague was using the Space Bridges to rapidly spread from planet to planet, infecting infrastructure, technology and Cybertronians alike. Over the eons that follow, further outbreaks are reported on far-flung colonies, eradicating all mechanical life. Though Cybertronian scientists and medics search desperately for a cure, none is found and the crisis grows exponentially as colony world after colony world is quarantined and falls silent. The vast majority of the Omega Sentinels and the Titans were killed by the plague.

Approx. 68 million stellar cycles ago

With the Rust Plague accelerating in its spread across Cybertronian territory, the Council of Ancients passes an edict at the urging of Guardian Prime and the Senate to blockade the Great Cybertronian Empire's borders and expel all non-natives from Cybertron and its colonies once it's discovered by scientists that organic lifeforms can become asymptomatic carriers of the disease, infecting any form of mechanical life around them. This action brings an end to Cybertronian cultural dominance of the galaxy as the peace they had maintained among dozens of alien races fractures.

Approx. 66 million stellar cycles ago

With the Rust Plague spreading like wildfire, the Senate and the Council of Ancients orders the closure of all Space Bridges until the crisis has passed. All transit between worlds is limited to ship travel in real-space so that quarantine measures can be instituted on all shipments and travelers. The order slows the spread of the Rust Plague, but doesn't halt it completely.

Approx. 65 million stellar cycles ago

At a loss on how to stop the Rust Plague and with it getting closer to the core sectors of the Great Cybertronian Empire, Guardian Prime makes a controversial decision as he orders Cybertron and its inner colonies to enter a self-imposed quarantine, destroying many Space Bridges and mining all space lanes approaches so to effectively isolate them from the Empire's infected outer territories and the wider galaxy. With all of the Bridges shut down, the Space Bridge Network in orbit around Cybertron was left to crumble in the skies, however, only one was still believed to be operational, but it was eventually forgotten about by the Science Guild under the fear of accidentally bringing the Rust Plague to the planet.

As a result of the Space Bridge Network's destruction, hundreds, if not thousands, of the colony worlds in the Great Cybertronian Empire's mid and outer territories, including Novatron, Eukaris, Mons Prima, Devisiun, Prion, Junkion, Gigantion, Paradron, Omnitron, and Aquatron, permanently lose contact with Cybertron, the inner colonies, and each other, with their fates following the Rust Plague seemingly left forever unknown. The Great Cybertronian Empire that once encompassed ten of thousands of worlds under its heel was now reduced to a small domain of less a dozen planets. The Cybertronian colonies that remained after the plague were Caminus, Velocitron, Carcer, Lithone, Arduria, Neutronia, Archon, Animatros, Regulon IV, Probat, and Combatron.

Approx. 64 million stellar cycles ago

With the loss of a majority of the colony worlds, Cybertron almost instantly fell into chaos and panic. Without an continuous supply of energon from the colonies, the planet's resources greatly diminished as the Cyber Planet Keys on the remaining colony worlds drew their power from the Well of All Sparks on Cybertron. Soon, the AllSpark was dying as the Cybertronians didn't have enough energy to replenish it and it was left to wither away within the planet's core, slipping into urban legend.

With the AllSpark largely forgotten about, lost beneath the planet's surface, and without a supply of energy regularly being harvested for it, Cybertron's energy levels were depleted to a dangerously low. The planet had already been overpopulated before the Rust Plague, only able to keep up with demand thanks to energon shipped in from the colonies, but the remaining Cybertronian colonies didn't have enough energy for everyone in the Empire. Eventually, the planet's energy level dipped so low as to put it in immediate, mortal danger. This all resulted in the "Great Energon Famine," a famine that lasted for over 12 million years. Hundreds of millions of Cybertronians throughout Cybertron and the colonies dropped to the ground dead without a near-constant supply of energon to keep them functional. The crime rate rose exponentially as those in power held on to large supplies of energon at the expense of the common masses. In order to prevent the famine from escalating ever further, Guardian Prime is forced to place a restriction on energon ratios of the average citizens and the number of forgings that were allowed. Many Cybertronian civilians were kept underfueled in order to save energon for everyone and most new Cybertronians were constructed cold at synthesized hatcheries, as very few newborns were forged from hot spots over the eons due to the planet's low resources. It was a time of misery.

Approx. 52 million stellar cycles ago

The Great Cybertronian Empire collapses as Guardian Prime struggled to keep everyone and everything in check in the wake of the Great Energon Famine. The Senate and the Council of Ancients then fell out of power. A provisional government based on Iacon known as the Conclave of Representatives headed by Guardian takes it place but it doesn't last, with all of Cybertron's city-states dividing themselves and quickly turning on each other, stockpiling any energon and other energy resources they could find. In the Golden Age, they were all united as one. Now, it was every Transformer for themselves.

Approx. 51 million stellar cycles ago

Cybertron was now under an age of factionalization and intercity warfare amongst the populace. Soon, a large number of citizens grew dissatisfied with Guardian Prime's lax reign and the strict energon rationing practices, dismissing the Prime's plight of trying to keep everything under control and blamed him for all of their problems. Chief among them was the charismatic Devron, a high general of the Cybertronian Defense Forces from Kaon. A veteran of many conflicts during the Golden Age, he believed that the Prime Lineage has become an archaic leadership, blaming them for Cybertron's stagnation and that the populace should unite to overthrow Guardian Prime and then return the Cybertronian race back to its former glory by conquering other worlds. He started off as a minor annoyance to Guardian and the governors of the divided city-states, but he became a concern when they realized he had millions of supporters across the planet. Among Devron's inner circle were warriors such as Ironhide, Silverstreak, Sideways, Stormdriver, Crowbar, and Widowmaker. This growing army called themselves the Destrons, naming themselves after the ancient Destron States that fought against the Quintessons in the Age of Wrath.

The Destrons eventually become an influential superpower on Cybertron as they gain control of the city-states within the Badlands, most notably Kaon, Tarn, Vos, Helex, Tesarus, Kolkular, Arken, Blaster City, and Slaughter City. They begin to expand their borders as they annexed several city-states across the planet, including Tyger Pax, securing the now-weakened Well of All Sparks, which they use its remaining power to create a new tithe of sparks to bolster their armies.

Approx. 50 million stellar cycles ago

Devron's forces attack Iacon with the hopes of securing the capital of Cybertron while Guardian Prime is there. The combined forces of the Cybertronian Elite Guard and the Iacon Defense Forces were able to repel the Destrons, but Guardian Prime fell in battle with Devron. In his dying breath, Guardian passes down the Creation Matrix to his conjunx endura Grand General Zeta, who then becomes Zeta Prime.

After achieving Primehood, Zeta Prime creates the interim government known as the Stratocracy in order to return some form of governance to Cybertron. Zeta was able to bring hundreds of millions of Cybertronians under her banner against the Destron advance. They called their faction the Protectons, of which Zeta Prime was the official leader with former members of the Senate and the Council of Ancients like Alpha Trion and Steelheart as her advisors. Among Zeta Prime's inner circle were heroes and other figures of great renown such as Nominus, Ratchet, Kup, Shockwave, Beta, Dai Atlas, Proteus, Xaaron, Traachon, Decimus, Termagax, Thunderclash, Delta Magnus, Zeemon Magnus, Halonix Maximus, Big Bang, Hyperdrive, Terminus, Eucryphia, Obsidian, Strika, and Threnody.

Approx. 49 million stellar cycles ago

Start of the Second Cybertronian Civil War: The Destrons conquer the neutral city-states of Decagon, Proximax, and Valvolux before extending their reach into the Tagan Heights, forcing the Protectons to respond to prevent them securing the resources of the Tagan city-states.

Supported by a large force of Omega Sentinels, the Protecton forces secure the Well of All Sparks at Tyger Pax and are besieged by the Destrons while other Protecton forces head south to counter the Destron expansion.

Approx. 48 million stellar cycles ago

The Protectons struggle to delay the Destron advance into Crystal City and the Sonic Canyons while falling back from Dendrex and the Badlands.

Several city-states and other settlements heavily affected by the war band together to form the Free Cities, declaring independence from and neutrality towards both factions, a state of affairs that will continue even into the Third Cybertronian Civil War.

Around this time, Shockwave becomes part of an elite squad of military scientists and specialists called the Devastators, developing new weapons and technology for the Protectons, including the development of Cybertronians with multiple alt-modes based on the Quintesson-created Triple Changers. Among the Devastators' ranks is Strafejetter, who proves to be a capable weapons specialist.

Approx. 47 million stellar cycles ago

The Destrons attack the Torus Orbital States, crossing through Thunderhead Pass to take the Torus Heights, but their assault is countered by the amassed forces of the Insecticon and Arachnicon hives from the Sea of Lights, who swarm north to support their Protecton allies, causing the Destron advance to collapse.

Approx. 46 million stellar cycles ago

Some Destrons begin to grow tired of this new wave of defeats against the Protectons and begin to believe that Devron's leadership was becoming unsuitable for the Destron cause of conquest and domination, chief among was one of his generals, Megazarak. Soon, Megazarak challenged Devron for leadership of the Destrons in a trial by combat, killing him and becoming the new Destron leader. Megazarak was a brutal and cunning warrior of absurd strength, however, he was held back by his unstable ego and the habit of killing his own soldiers under perceived slights.

In possession of powerful forces and having no qualms about sacrificing large numbers of his own followers, Megazarak launched a massive counterattack against the Protectons, raining destruction across the Protecton-controlled zones and their allied cities. During the Destrons' counteroffensive, Zeta Prime is killed in battle during an assault on Iacon, briefly causing the Protecton war effort to falter without their Supreme Commander.

But thankfully, things would eventually change for the better. After Zeta Prime's death, the Creation Matrix rose from her body and flew across Cybertron until it found the one that it deemed worthy being a Prime: Nominus, who would become known as Nominus Prime.

Right after receiving the Creation Matrix, Nominus Prime rallied the remnants of the Protectons across Cybertron and launched a counterattack against the Destrons, liberating their city-states and turning them into fortified strongholds in preparation for another enemy assault. The Protectons gain several stunning victories in the south, such as during the Battle of Kaon, led by the Elite Guard's young Commander-in-Chief, Sentinel Zeta, a direct descendant of the long-deceased war hero Sentinel EnN.

Approx. 42 million stellar cycles ago

As the Protectons quickly regain the upper hand in the war, Megazarak sends wave after wave of his own men at the enemy to slow down their advancements into Destron territory, sacrificing his people without care for the prosperity of anyone other than himself. Recognizing that their loyalty, valor, and hard work amounted to no personal gain, the Destron leader's senior commanders conspired to end his reign. In the end, Megazarak was so consumed by his egomania and dismissive of his underlings, he failed to see the threat growing around him.

The Battle of the Plurex Flats: Megazarak is abandoned by his own soldiers during the battle. giving Nominus Prime the chance to slay the Destron leader.

After Megazarak's death, the Destron Warlords appoint a young senior officer from Thetacon named Trannis as their new leader.

However, even with their new leadership, the Destrons are unable to regain their offensive as the Protectons continue to take more of their territory. Not only that, but bitterness, backstabbing, and bickering within Destron High Command also hampers their efforts of defending their city-states.

Approx. 37 million stellar cycles ago

As the Second Cybertronian Civil War begins to spread thin across Cybertron, the fighting lessened as the planet's energon stores became heavily depleted. The great battles of old were no more, reduced to mere skirmishes of a few dozen Cybertronians at most. Protectons and Destrons drifted from city-state to city-state, capturing territory and any energy that's left for their respective factions.

Approx. 34 million stellar cycles ago

The Battle of Valvolux: A young soldier within the Protecton-allied Cybertronian Defense Forces named Magnum valiantly leads his forces against the Destrons occupied in Valvolux, encouraging the populace to rebel against their oppressors. This allows the Protectons to break up the Destron lines in the planet's southern hemisphere.

Shockwave makes a early step in replicating Triple Changer technology as he creates the Duocons-Flywheels and Battletrap-which was a partial failure due to their consciousness being split between two vehicle modes.

Approx. 32 million stellar cycles ago

Nominus Prime eventually grows tired of the war and all the senseless violence, bringing his complaints to Alpha Trion within the Iacon Hall of Records. He explained to the old sage that he was looking into old Cybertronian historical records, hoping to find the fabled AllSpark, believing that he can use its power to unite Cybertron in a new era of peace, prosperity, and freedom. Feeling motivated for the first time in millions of years, Alpha Trion offered to help Nominus on his quest. Alpha Trion explained to Nominus that if he wanted to find the AllSpark, he must first enter the Ignition Chamber, which is at the very core of the planet. When asked if he knew where the Ignition Chamber was, Alpha Trion sheepishly admitted that his memories were a little foggy.

Gathering a small group of loyal followers including Sentinel Zeta and Magnum, along with a young member of the Protecton armed forces and the Iaconian Nobility named Ginrai Pax, Nominus Prime and Alpha Trion journeyed down into the Well of All Sparks and scoured the depths of Cybertron for the Ignition Chamber.

After an undetermined period of time, the Protectons finally found the gates to the Ignition Chamber, guarded by the Keeper, who's been guarding the planet's core for eons. The Keeper refused to give them access to the AllSpark, as he condones their kind for perpetuating the civil war, which has brought nothing but devastation upon Cybertron. He tells Nominus Prime that if he wishes to possess the AllSpark, he must earn it through a trial by combat. So, the two fought hard, with the Protectons watching from afar in amazement, but Nominus has proved his worth by helping the Keeper from a predicament when he could have easily took advantage. So, the Protectons were allowed to pass, entering the Ignition Chamber where they found the long-lost AllSpark, left in a dormant state after eons of neglect.

The Protectons unearthed the AllSpark, bringing the artifact up from the underground to the surface at the city-state of Simfur. Shockwave and Strafejetter use devices called Pillars, reverse-engineered by the Devastators from Space Bridge technology, that'll warp time and space to teleport energy from Cybertron's sun Hadean to the AllSpark. Nominus gambled that a small amount of solar energy would be enough to revitalize the AllSpark. However, their actions would be noticed by the Destrons led by Trannis, who believed that the Protectons' actions were an act of madness that would bring further destruction to their world. This prompted an attack by the Destrons at Nominus Prime and his followers, confronting them at Simfur. During the resultant battle, the Protectons held the Destrons at bay so the Devastators could continue their work on the Pillars without any interference. Thankfully, the operation was a success as the Devastators were able to teleport a portion of the sun's energy into the AllSpark's superstructure, reawakening it. The AllSpark's revitalization flooded Cybertron with new waves of energon that touched every reservoir and hot spot across the planet. The Well of All Sparks shined once more as new generations of Cybertronians emerged from the Well.

End of the Second Cybertronian Civil War: Upon the Protectons' success at reviving the AllSpark, the Destrons stopped their attack, acknowledged they had been wrong and then asked Nominus Prime what he would do now that he possessed the most valuable and powerful artifact on Cybertron. Nominus Prime replied that the AllSpark didn't belong to either Protectons or Destrons, but it belonged to all Cybertronians, and that they only wanted peace, not power. Impressed by this act of genuine benevolence, the Destrons laid down their arms and signed peace accords with the Protectons at Simfur, finally bringing an end to the war.

Seeking to atone for their lack of trust, the Destrons would build a beautiful temple around the AllSpark at Simfur. This temple would be known simply as the Simfur Temple.

A few solar cycles after the war's end, the Protecton and Destron factions officially disband as Nominus Prime and Trannis begin on reinstating the planet's government and infrastructure under their initial dual leadership.

Although the Second Cybertronian Civil War was over, Cybertron was left broken and ravaged by the war. In order to maintain the reconstruction efforts, the Cybertronian Guilds convince Nominus Prime to institute the rigid caste system of Functionism, somewhat based on the old Patterner Movement's ideals of a perfectly-ordered society, among the population to ensure Cybertron's stability. Functionism declared that one's role in life was determined by one's alt-mode. One's alt-mode was what decided whether they were part of the privileged elites, the common masses, or anywhere in between. The Council of Ancients was reformed and reorganized into the Functionist High Council to oversee the caste system and its mechanics. While the reinstated Cybertronian Senate handled the day-to-day realities of life on Cybertron, the Functionists, led by Steelheart, were dedicated on tracking a Cybertronian's position within the caste system.

During the first few years of reconstruction, Nominus Prime reestablishes contact with the remaining Cybertronians colonies, forming a new interstellar government known as the Republic of Cybertron.

With this age of reconstruction, Cybertron was once again dedicated to peace and an entire generation of Transformers would never know the horrors of war...