Chapter 7 - For the Future

Give everything. Regret nothing.

It was written in the Covenant of Primus that The First Thirteen fashioned a Sword capable of cleaving the very stars from the Night Sky. It was this capability that'd given it its name, The Star Saber. And it was Prima, The First Cybertronian and leader of the Primes, who was its master.

With the Stars in hand, Prima cut a path through Darkness and carved the foundation that would one day give rise to Cybertronian society and Cybertron's golden age.

When Prima finally met his end, the Legendary blade fell into myth. Some say it was buried with the Leader of the Primes. Others said that the remaining Primes had split it into pieces to be scattered across the verse. Whatever the legends were, the Star Saber was here, now, and it had chosen a new master to once again make history.

Leading the Autobot army against the forces of the Decepticons, Optimus Prime charged forth with the Star Saber in hand. "For Cybertron!" He roared before leaping into the chaos. The Saber in one hand and his hybrid Axe/Shield fashioned to the forearm of the other. Prime intended to put the legends of the mythical blade to the test.

On the opposite side of the conflict, Megatron glared through the chaos with intent at his greatest foe and once former friend. Optimus Prime had finally joined the battle, and he had brought the mythical Star Saber with him. The Leader of the Decepticons did not know where Prime had found the Sword, or why he'd wait until now to employ such an unbelievable power, but nonetheless, he was undeterred. Undeterred, but not ignorant.

Megatron, like everyone else on Cybertron, knew the legends regarding the blade and seeing it now first hand did give him pause, but it would not be a lasting deterrent, it couldn't be. Not now that he and his army were in so deep, having set foot once more in their enemy's heartland. This was not the first time Megatron had shared the battlefield with a Prime and one of the 13's relics and, just like when he tore Sentinel Prime from the Apex Armor, he would see his successor slain and the Matrix of Leadership pried from his cold, dead hands.

Behind Megatron, a large Navy Blue Decepticon with an Amber visor loomed. His name was Onslaught and, just behind him were 4 others. A tan flier - BlastOff, a green tank - Brawl, a yellow armored truck - Swindle and a gray helicopter - Vortex. Together, they formed the Decepticon's premiere black ops unit: The Combaticons. Megatron had personally led them into the battle with the express purpose of dominating the battlefield and he was not about to squander their talents.

"Awaiting your orders, sir." Onslaught said to his leader. Just like Megatron and the rest of the Warrior Elite, Onslaught could see Prime in the distance making a mess of their forces if ever there was a time to act, it was now.

Megatron turned to his Air Commander. "Starscream. Take command of your Seekers, get airborne and await my command." Starscream nods, then shifts form and joins the other Seekers in the air. Then, Megatron turned his attention to the Combaticons. "Combaticons? Take action." He ordered.

That was all Onslaught needed to hear. "Combaticons." He began. "On me."

The Combaticons left the back of the Decepticon line and pushed up onto the battlefield. Their typical combat role was to carry out off-the-book black ops missions. If Megatron wanted a City to fall or a territory claimed, they could do it in a night. But here in Iacon, it wasn't just their tactical prowess that Megatron valued. In truth, the team was a special case. They had a hidden ability that put them over other groups; one that they'd be utilizing very soon.

Back in the thick of the fight, Optimus ran an Eradicon through the chest and forced it to the ground. At his side, another Decepticon came rushing at him only to be grabbed and yanked back by Meister's high tech grappling hook. Vulnerable, the Decepticon could only watch as Optimus pulled the Saber from their ally, raised it up and then brought it down. The last thing the Con would see was the blinding white of star light just before the blade bore into their cranium and forcefully doubled their perspective.

"Wheeljack!" Prime said into comms in between swings. "How long are we to launch?"

"All systems go! Just waiting on you and the rest of the stragglers to board now." Wheeljack said, responding from the Ark's bridge.

Prime strained as he cut down another Decepticon. "Excellent work, old friend."

"Just doing what needs to be done." Wheeljack replied. "Don't keep us waiting long, boss!"

"Prime!" Optimus turned his head to see Ultra Magnus moving to his position. Not 20 feet from him was Saber, who was also approaching.

"Commander…and Saber?" Prime asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Sir." Magnus greeted.

"Father!" Saber exclaimed. "Is that the Star Saber? Where did you find it?!" Saber asked.

"Long story." Optimus answered before turning to the Autobot Commander beside him. "Magnus…?" He asked.

"Saber was already with me when the cons started shooting." The Commander responded with a quickness, as if he'd rehearsed the response in his head.

"I see." The Prime's voice trailed as he seemingly accepted the reason why his Son hadn't boarded the Ark as planned. "Now that I'm here, he can-" The Prime halted his speech, something on the battlefront had caught his eye.

"Hmm? Can what?" Saber asked.

"Oh no…" Optimus gasped, his attention captured by the sight of the five Combaticons on the battlefield.

Ahead of the cannon fodder, the Combaticons moved into formation. Dragging along his weapon's platform, Onslaught decelerated, allowing Brawl and Swindle to accelerate past him. The two Combaticons then sprung into the air, shifting their bodies as they transformed but, rather than their Robot forms, their bodies began to shift into a 3rd form - lower legs.

Swindle and Brawl landed in the middle of the street in their leg forms, Onslaught moved to follow their example. Springing into the air and converting both his body and the trailer he was hauling, Onslaught landed atop the two formed lower legs, his body and gear forming a set of connective thighs, a torso and an armored head with a red visor.

"By Primus…" The young Autobot exhaled as he watched the Unit merge. The Combaticons? They weren't just transforming, they were combining.

"Saber!" Optimus shouted for his Son. Saber, however, was too mesmerized by the Combaticons to react.

Just then, Blast Off came flying in and slammed into the rising gestalt's right side, forming an arm and Vortex came in on the opposite side and formed another arm. The mass of metal and conjoined bodies began to rise in the street, 2 great cannons extending up from its back as it cast a hateful gaze down over the Eradicons and toward the Autobots. "Bruticus online!" It declared as it rose up. "Ready for action!"

Horror filled Optimus' Optics. "Autobots! Retreat! He ordered just before the newly formed 'Bruticus' unloaded a massive flak cannon from it's back.

The Gestalt laughed maniacally as it turned the weapon on the Autobots and fired, a single pull of the trigger wiped a whole division from the face of Cybertron. The sight of the gestalt coupled with its horrifying display of fire power had sent the Autobots into a frenzied retreat, for they had the gross misfortune of having had a Decepticon Combiner set on them.

First successfully put into practice by the Decepticons during Sentinel Prime's tenure years ago, Combiners were the amalgamation of 3 or more unique Cybertronians into one massive gestalt. Created in an attempt to mirror the power of the First Combiner: Nexus Prime of the Thirteen, Combiners were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

The process of combining concluded the minds of their component members and instead replaced them with a new personality. More often than not, however, this union was imperfect. Combining so many personalities together at once gave the new personality reduced intelligence. Of course, in battle, this was hardly a deterrent. All Megatron needed was to point the brute in the right direction and devastation would follow in its wake.

"Hahahaha!" Bruticus laughed as it fired more munitions down range at the fleeing Autobots, blowing the opposition to bits in its relentless advance.

"Fight back!" One of the retreating Autobot shouted, turning to stand their ground. "The bigger they are, the harder-"

"The harder they hit!" Bruticus rebutted as it fired the cannons on its back and launched a volley of shrapnel mortars over the retreating Autobot forces. The mortars exploded overhead, raining shrapnel down on the fleeing Autobots and tearing those unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast to shreds. Those lucky enough to not take serious damage limped off with the limbs they had left. The survivors incapable of moving? They would find themselves crushed to death: all Four Hundred and Eleven Thousand Pounds of the Gestalt caused Autobot corpses to flatten underfoot, the sounds of their screams were masked only by the crunching groan of their bodies and the Combiner's own malicious laughter.

Optimus, Meister, Ultra Magnus, Saber and a host of Autobots retreated to the furthest reach of the Autobot line under a hail of Eradicon laser fire. Emboldened by Bruticus' war march, the Decepticon troops pressed their advance and their relentlessness saw the death of many Autobots, who went down all around Optimus, Magnus and Saber. All the while Megatron watched and waited for the perfect time to have Starscream and his Seekers strike.

Along the Autobot defensive line, Autobots poked their rifles and blasters out of cover and continued to fire on the Decepticons. Eradicons went down in the street but Bruticus just kept soldiering on, rotating Vortex's 4 Propeller Blades affixed to its upper bicep and used them as a makeshift shield.

As he watched their efforts to bring the Combiner down end in futility, a revelation dawned on Optimus. So long as Bruticus was online, Saber and the other Autobots could not safely board the Ark. Prime looked to the Star Saber in hand and saw its blade glowing with power. He had only just picked the Saber up today and had no idea how to tap into its true power. Even so, he was the only one with a chance of standing against the Combiner. For the sake of all the lives in his hands, he had to try.

"Magnus?" Prime began. "You're with me. We're going to make our stand."

"Copy." Ultra Magnus said without hesitation as he raised his Laser Rifle.

Optimus turned to Meister beside him. "Meister, when we push, you bring Saber into a retreat."

"What?" Saber began, but Optimus wouldn't allow him to get a word in.

"Make sure he gets on that Ship. Secure our future, let nothing happen to my son."

"I'll protect him with my life." The lieutenant promised.

"Hold on…" Saber lowered his Path Blaster down and turned to his father. "I'm not just gonna leave you guys out here. I'm an Autobot too!"

"Autobot or not, you need to get aboard that Ship." Optimus said.

"Why?" Saber asked. "What's so important that I get aboard the ship right now?"

"You're my son." Optimus replied rather matter-of-factly, but Saber wasn't buying it.

"No, it's more than that, I can feel it." Saber replied. "What is it that you're not telling me?"

Optimus broke his glance from Saber and looked back at the Combiner who was fast approaching, they did not have much time. The Prime turned back to his son, set the Star Saber down by his side and then knelt down to Saber's height.

"Saber." Prime began, looking his son in the eyes. "You said that Cybertron was the heart of your Universe and you couldn't fathom how it wasn't the heart of mine. Once upon a time, it was. The hopes and dreams of the people of Cybertron were all I worked for. Once I became Prime, all I could think about was how best to serve the planet and its people. But then you came into my life. You became my priority and, through learning how to serve as your Father, I learned how better to serve our people. I never said it often enough, but I love you, son."

Saber could only look into his Father's face, stunned. "Father…" was all he managed to get out before Optimus Prime gripped his shoulder.

"You are my Universe, Saber. It's imperative that I protect you...no matter the cost." Optimus picked himself up and took the Star Saber in hand, he twirled the mythical blade as he turned to face the looming threat of the Combiner. "Go. Get aboard the Ark." Saber's Father ordered. "I'll be right behind you!"

The Prime didn't wait for Saber's response before he rushed off into battle. The young Autobot reached out after the Prime "Father!" He called.

"Autobots!" Ultra Magnus started. "Follow Prime!" Magnus ordered and the troops under his command obliged.

The Autobots pushed into battle after their leader. Saber tried to follow too, but Meister grabbed his forearm, halting him. He shook his head 'no', this was Prime's fight. "Your time will come." He said. "But not today."

On the other side of the battlefield, Megatron watched as many Autobots broke cover to follow Optimus. This was the opening he had been waiting for. "Starscream, now!"

Megatron gave the order and the Seekers in the air came diving down. Their Null Rays ripped laser fire as they did gun runs over the Autobot forces and their bays fired missiles that split apart, scattered and ripped into the opposing force, killing many Autobots.

Explosions peppered the Battlefield all around Optimus, Prime raised his wrist shield overhead to protect himself while Ultra Magnus's armor buckled and shattered as he tanked full hits beside him. Down the street the Seeker's rain of fire struck the Combiner too but Bruticus, the gestalt that he was, shrugged it off with little care. Then the combiner raised his right hand and it began to glow an intense, heated purple. Now that the Autobots were being suppressed and the Prime had drawn himself out, it was time to finish this.

"Punch of Kill Everything, equipped!" Bruticus shouted. The P.O.K.E. was Bruticus' strongest, most devastating weapon. It was a concoction of energy gathered at a single point beneath his wrist that, when detonated, had the ability to level a City Block. Only the Strongest Cybertronians could even carry such a weapon lest they self-terminate and one would be hard pressed to find a single Cybertronian that matched the might of a Combiner.

Prime went wide-eyed at the sight of 'The Punch'. He knew the strength of that weapon and knew his little shield wasn't going to cut it. So, thinking fast, he projected energy from the edges of the Star Saber in hand. "Get behind me!" He ordered.

Magnus and many of the Autobots slid in behind Optimus. Bruticus threw his fist down, launching a Sonic Pain Wave that rushed out from his touch and obliterated all Autobots in its path trying to flee back to Optimus. Just as the Sonic Pain Wave was about to make contact with Optimus and the bulk of the Autobot force, Prime ran the Star Saber into the ground. The Star Saber's Energy rippled out of the Blade's Cerulean edge and met the wave of energon.

The two forces clashed. Optimus grunted and struggled as he bore the full weight of both the P.O.K.E. and the Star Saber's energies going at it. For all his struggles, the residual energy of the Star Saber was standing firm against the Decepticon's Pain Wave…however, the same could not be said for the material Iacon was built off.

Prime felt the Blade give way beneath his feet. When he looked down, he saw that the asphalt beneath him was turning to liquid, it was actually melting by the touch of the blade. It was then Prime had cursed himself: He should have known that a weapon purported to be able to cut the Stars would have no trouble melting Iaconian asphalt. The Autobot Leader had underestimated the power of the Star Saber and, in using the street as an anchor, he had erred.

Optimus' feet shifted as the Star Saber sunk in the ground before him. "No!" He groaned, then the Street beneath him gave way and Prime's hold on the Saber wavered.

Bruticus' attack overtook the might of the Star Saber and sent Prime and many of the Autobots behind him flying back. The entire Autobot line, including Saber and Meister who were at the back of it, were quickly and suddenly thrown into the air and sent sprawling.

The Autobots landed hard and the Decepticons? They gave them no quarter. Looking to kick the bots while they were down, the cons came rushing in by the droves. The opening Bruticus' attack had made was just what they needed to finish this.

"Go, my Decepticons!" Megatron ordered. "Let the Slaughter begin!"

Optimus Prime got back to his feet. He watched Bruticus rise over roaring flames and Eradicons charge in. Prime got back up to fight and Ultra Magnus rose with him but the two Autobots were slowed, dazed. Still, they did not care. Autobots that they were, they would fight to the last.

At the back of the line, Meister picked himself up. At his side he found Saber, the bot had been knocked unconscious by the blast. Meister turned back to the fight and watched the Decepticons as they came swarming in by the hundreds. He then remembered Prime's orders: 'Secure our future', he'd told him. Meister looked back down at the unconscious Saber. If they were going, now was the time.

Meister knelt beside the Autobot. "Alright kid." He began before hoisting him over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

With the Prime's son in tow, Meister began to make his way back to the Ark Launch platform. As he moved, he looked back toward what was left of the Autobot Frontlines. There he saw Ultra Magnus and Optimus Prime fighting valiantly against a growing horde of Eradicons. They were being swarmed and would be overrun soon.

The eyes beneath Jazz's visor filled with sadness. "It's been an honor, sir." He said. Then he turned back around and continued his way for the Ark.

On the battlefield, Optimus heard the sound of Ultra Magnus' Laser Rifle at his side. He turned and saw that Magnus was still with him. His armor was shredded and the White beneath the blue plates of armor was starting to show, but he was still alive which was more than could be said for the bulk of the remaining Autobots.

With Ultra Magnus at his side, Prime deflected incoming shots and threw waves of concentrated energy from the edge of the Star Saber until the volume of laser fire became too great. He took the Star Saber in his off hand. Deflecting shots as he reached to draw his Ion Blaster - that's when he took the first hit.

"Urk!" Prime groaned, a burning sensation in his side. He'd been hit by a blaster bolt. Moving fast, Prime deflected twice more and then put shots from his Ion Blaster down range while he moved for cover. That's when he saw a large flash of purple out of the corner of his eye. Thinking quickly, he put the Star Saber before himself and just barely riposted a shot of massive purple energy, though the recoil sent him tumbling backwards.

"Prime!" Magnus shouted.

Optimus landed with a heavy thud. "Grah!" He groaned, bouncing on his back and landing on his chest.

On the opposite side, Megatron marched on. With the barrel of his Fusion cannon smoking the Decepticon took aim and fired it again, utterly decimating an Autotrooper who had moved to take the position of the Prime he'd just shot. The Tyrant-to-be marched on while firing his Fusion cannon. Shockwave and Soundwave moved to join him, firing their weapons while Starscream and his seekers flew by overhead and Bruticus continued his rampage, blasting huge swaths of the remaining Autobots away.

Ultra Magnus tanked laser and missile fire from the incoming Decepticon invaders, but they were relentless and not even he could keep it up forever.

Wounded, Optimus rose up. Separated from Ultra Magnus, Prime took the Star Saber in both hands and continued to fight the Decepticons off on his end while the mass-produced Decepticons pounced on the Commander like animals.

Magnus snatched one out of the air, crushed its head and then threw it down. He blasted another, then bashed another, then from his free hand, he transformed a large Hammer, took it in hand and smashed groups of the Eradicons away. He fought valiantly, but there were just too many.

The Decepticons began to dogpile Ultra Magnus. He screamed as the Eradicons forced him down, his laser Rifle still singing with laser fire through the mass of metal limbs. Atop him, the lanky Decepticons turn their blasters on at point-blank range and fire everything they have, even shooting through their familiars if they have to - anything to bring the legendary Ultra Magnus down.

As Ultra Magnus was subdued, Optimus Prime cut an Eradicon down, then took a shot to his shoulder. He reels in pain; another Eradicon moved in on him, weapon aimed. Prime shifted, the weight of the Star Saber rises and he cuts the Eradicon's firing arm clean off. Wounded, Optimus Prime grabs the Eradicon with a free hand and holds it up, using it as a living shield long enough to muster the strength to cast another wave of energy from the Star Saber, cutting down a group of Eradicons before taking his makeshift shield in hand and slamming it into the ground so hard that it shattered on impact.

Tired and wounded, Prime notices the dogpile the Decepticon infantry have got Magnus in. Before he can go to help, Prime takes another shot. "Argh!" He groans before raising his shield to protect his vitals. He cast another gaze back towards Ultra Magnus, holding more concern for him than himself. That's when he saw the Decepticons atop Ultra Magnus suddenly and violently get blasted back and disassembled an explosion at Magnus' core. Out of the resulting flames and bursting out of his Navy blue armor, a White Autobot emerged from Ultra Magnus' armor.

"Yah!" The Autobot roars in defiance of his death, shedding the armor and identity of Ultra Magnus off like dead weight in the process. He bore Red eyes, a blue mouth guard and a body type entirely identical to Optimus'. Separated from his armor and weapons, this was Ultra Magnus' true form: Powered Convoy of House Convoy.

Powered Convoy pulled a Shotgun off of his discarded Magnus armor and put it to use. He blasted a group of Eradicons away with one shot, pumped the gun to chamber another shot and then blasted another group away. He pumps the shotgun again, then goes to blast another group - only to come up short as a violet beam suddenly tears straight through his Spark chamber and out the other side of his body.

"Argh!" Convoy groans at the gaping hole in his chest. Without the Magnus armor, he was just as susceptible to death as all the other Autobots gunned down by the Decepticons, a fact that Shockwave was all too keen to exploit.

Convoy turns to see the Decepticon, almost a hundred meters away, gun-arm pointed; barrel smoking. The White Autobot tries to take aim at the One-eyed Decepticon, but the encroaching Eradicons attack. Their laser blasters burn hot as they rip through his body.

"Magnus!" Prime shouts. He moves to help Convoy, only to notice an incoming blast at the last second. He raises his shield, the blast lifts him off of his feet and sends him flying back and away from his fellow Autobot.

After a brutal volley, Powered Convoy goes down in a heap amidst the Magnus armor. His Spark extinguished, the Convoy's body goes limp, the light fades from his optics and the color fades from his chassis.

Surrounded by fire and death, Optimus Prime goes sprawling across the ground. His hybrid axe-shield crumbles off of his forearm and his body, itself in no better position, starts to come apart at the seams. Even so, he still tries to rise up to his feet, stubbornly refusing to stay down - only to be shot again.

"Argh!" Prime screams as he loses his entire right arm in the blast. He goes tumbling across the ground - only to be shot again; this time a large sect of his midriff scatters across the floor. Optimus lays there on the ground in agony; he does not get back up - he can't. Structurally, his body just won't allow him.

In no condition to fight, Prime pulls the Star Saber in close. "You never belonged to me." He struggles to say to the Matrix at its hilt. "I was simply holding you for the next. Go now, find the birthplace of the next in line." The Matrix at the Star Saber's hilt shined in response to Optimus' wish.

From the back of the Autobot line, Saber regains consciousness, his eyes open and optics engage. He awakens to find himself slung over Meister's shoulder. "What-?" Before the question properly escapes his mouth, Saber's gaze lingers skyward where he finds a blue light rising from the flames scattered across the battlefield. Upon further inspection, he recognizes the shape at the heart of the light.

"The Star Saber!" Saber exclaims, his body jolting and nearly breaking free from the Autobot's grasp.

"Hey, what?!" Meister struggles to maintain his hold on the young Autobot.

On the Decepticons' side, acting purely on reaction, the Eradicons fire on the Star Saber, but the Sword's projected energy protects it from their assault.

Megatron looks skyward. "No…" He begins then, in an instant, the Blade shoots off into the sky, breaking Cybertron's orbit in a matter of seconds. The Leader of the Decepticons looks on incredulously, he watches as the target of his ambitions fades away into the heavens until not even its light is among the stars. The sight fills Megatron with a trembling anger.

He turns his Fusion Cannon on Optimus Prime, shoving its barrel in his face, a murderous rage overtaking him. "What did you just do?!" He asks.

"What I had to." Optimus chokes out. "You will never rule Cybertron."

Megatron trembles. His body shakes until his rage can no longer be quelled. "RAH!" Megatron lowers his fusion cannon and jumps on Optimus. His fists crash into Optimus' face over and over, pummeling the Leader of the Autobots to pieces with unseen brutality.

From the back of the Decepticon line, Saber watches on in horror as his Father is brutalized. "Put me down!" He struggles. "We have to go! He's going to kill him!"

Saber pleads with Meister, but the Autobot's grasp holds firm. Optimus' first Lieutenant looks towards the Ark, his hand transforms into a grappling hook. "I'm sorry…" He says with a whisper.

Saber watches as Megatron, still atop Optimus, charges his fusion cannon and takes pointblank aim at Optimus. His body in pieces now, Optimus uses the only eye that still works to look Megatron in his.

"Even if you destroy me…" Prime began, his voice cutting in and out by a failing vocal processor. "Others will rise to defeat your Tyranny…"

Megatron heeds Prime's words and, annoyed by Optimus' defiance, finds himself in an even deeper onset of anger. His Fusion Cannon charges to its apex. "Then I'll just have to destroy you all!" He promised.

Meister launches his grappling hook. It lands on the Ark's hull and the line goes taught. The Autobot then retracts the line, reeling himself and Saber up towards the Ark and away from the battlefield.

"No!" Saber reaches out for his father as Meister pulls them both out of the throes of hell.

Defiantly, Saber turns his hand back into its Path Blaster configuration. "I won't let you!" Saber screams out as he tries desperately to take aim for Megatron...but he's too slow.

BOOM

Megatron's fusion cannon goes off, and Optimus' body is blown apart. "NO!" Saber screams before firing a volley of shots at Megatron. A combination of being winched by Meister, the weight of his firearm, and his own inexperience sees all of his shots fly off target. He misses, but he does not go unnoticed.

Megatron flinches as the blaster fire comes his way. He turns and looks on to see the two Autobots making their escape. The Decepticon leader readies his fusion cannon, but the other Eradicons fire in his stead, shooting up at the fleeing Autobots.

Meister pulls Saber and himself onto the Ark's launch platform. A furious Saber tries to return fire, but Meister forces him down. "No!" Under a hail of gunfire, Meister keeps Saber down and forces him along. The two move for the Ark's boarding ramp as Eradicon Ace variants transform into their flight modes and move on them.

The Autobots get to the ramp, where Autotroopers are the last ones left to help them aboard. "Go!" Meister shouts as they come under a hail of laser fire, the scream of Eradicon flight engines getting louder as they close in. And theirs aren't the only ones.

From the air, Skyfire suddenly comes flying in. His wings are burning from having been shot at by Seekers. Barely able to control his descent, The Aerialbot launches 2 missiles downrange, shooting 2 Eradicons down before he himself transforms and slams into the ground.

"Ugh!" Skyfire groans.

"Cover him!" Meister, Saber and the Troopers fired on the incoming Eradicons, giving Skyfire time enough to thrust himself up onto the ramp and then onto the ship.

As the Autobots climb aboard the Ark, entering the Hangar. One of the Troopers hit a button on the entrance, retracting the boarding ramp.

Inside, Skyfire continued on into the Ark while Meister got on comms. "Wheeljack!" He called.

"Meister?" Wheeljack answered.

"Saber's aboard, launch the ship!" Meister ordered.

Wheeljack hesitated. "But, what about Prime?"

Just outside the Ark's Hangar, Meister could see Eradicons landing on the platform. They were beginning to take aim at the ship. "Prime is gone, I'm taking operational command! Now launch the damn ship!"

Meister and the other Autobots felt the Hangar shake as it was suddenly pelted by Eradicon fire. Meister turned back to his comms.

"LAUNCH!"

The sound of Meister's voice sent shivers across Wheeljack's chassis. In all his years, he had never heard the Autobot shout like that. "All hands, now hear this: Initiating Ark Launch procedure!"

The Ark's massive Engines began to glow blue-hot. Then sapphire fire poured out of its thrusters, incinerating any Eradicons too close and blasting many of the others away.

Elsewhere in the City, Elita One fought shoulder to shoulder with Armada Convoy - a Red and Blue, faceplated Autobot commander with Yellow Optics and a battle station-trailer. She and his forces were up to their diodes in Decepticons, just like everywhere else in the City.

Elita's Crossbolt Blaster ran hot as she shot the head off a Decepticon. That's when she noticed the Ark as it rose in the sky on the edge of her periphery. The mother of Saber watched on with wide, hopeful optics. She said nothing - she couldn't, there was a battle raging right in front of her - but she held great sorrow in her Spark. As she watched her Son climb towards the heavens, hers and her Conjunx's mission as Parents a success, she silently wondered if she would ever see him again.

Back beneath the launchpad, Megatron, Shockwave and Soundwave watched the Ark climb high into the sky. The sight brought confusion to the Decepticon leader as he watched the bulk of their enemy's forces flee the planet without Optimus Prime, the Star Saber or the Matrix. The only three things in the Universe that gave them any sort of a leg up on Megatron and his Decepticons. That they would launch without any of them either spoke to desperation, or hinted at a fourth contingency that the Decepticons knew nothing of.

From on-high, Starscream flew in and joined the rest of his Decepticon Elite, hovering in the air, just a few meters from Megatron. "They are in range." The Air commander said. "Awaiting your orders."

Megatron did not know what the Autobots were planning, but it would hardly matter after his next order. "None leave the slaughter without my permission." He said; that was all Starscream needed to hear.

The Decepticon air commander got back on comms. "Air Commander to Nemesis Bridge. You are clear to engage. Let us be done with this folly of a war."

Aboard the Ark, Saber barely had time to process what just happened when the ship suddenly began to shake violently. From within its hull, the son of the Prime and all the other Autobots could feel the boom burst of vicious explosions that peppered the surface of the great Gold Ship.

"What? What's happening?" Saber asked. "Are they shooting at us?"

A mere glance out of the Hangar's shield doors gave Saber his answer. Miles away, light shimmed and then took shape, revealing a massive purple Warship of aggressive design in pursuit of the Ark.

Saber watched lights flash across the vessel's hull then, moments later, explosions rippled across the surface of the ship, rocking all of the inhabitants so violently that all but the strongest were thrown to the floor.

Aboard the Ark's bridge, every screen was flashing with red danger signs. Autobots dedicated to the vessel's maintenance were shouting and a wounded Skyfire entered the bridge to a flurry of damage reports.

"Port and Hull flanks are taking heavy damage!"

"Shield integrity at 34 Percent!"

"Already?!"

"Ammunition running dry on Port and Starboard guns!"

"Where the hell did that thing come from?! When did they find the time to build a warship?!"

"The Bastards!" Wheeljack shouted from his place in the Bridge. "They were waiting for us all this time!"

"Wheeljack!" Wheeljack turned to find the damaged Skyfire on the bridge. "My wings are clipped, how can I help?"

"Take the helm!" Wheeljack said as he leapt out of the Captain's chair and Skyfire traded places for him. The seat was meant for Optimus, but at this point - any bot would do.

The Decepticon Warship pulled alongside the Ark, its cannons never once halting fire. Aboard the Decepticon ship's bridge, a Seeker in a specialized body watched the battle unfold. "Nova Warp." One of the Decepticons called him. "Ark shields are nearly depleted."

"Excellent." Nova Warp said. "Activate the Tractor beam and prepare a boarding party."

"At once sir."

The Nemesis continued to fire its main cannons while the Tractor beam moved into position. With a single shot, the Tractor Beam held both ships in place, locking them by way of gravimetric force.

The Ark shook violently - more so than it had been. "The hell was that?!" Skyfire asked.

"They have us in a tractor beam!" Someone answered.

"They mean to come aboard." Wheeljack realized. Then, his brows furled. "Not on my watch…" Wheeljack jumped up from his chair and moved to the central console where he began to engage the Ship's Warp controls. "Not on my watch…" He repeated.

knowing that they were the only hope the Autobots had of disengaging from the Decepticon ship, Wheeljack engaged the Ship's warp drive engines.

"Wheeljack, wait!" Skyfire began. "The Airframe might not take a Warp jump!"

"It's this or the Decepticons kill us all!" Wheeljack rebutted as he pressed forward on the throttle and the Warp engines began to engage.

Back in the Hangar, Saber was thrown to the ground as a combination of cannon fire, gravimetric forces and the Ship's own warp drives strained the Ark's airframe to the point where its hull began to rip apart. Whole stored aircraft began to drop from the roof onto Autobots as the Ark's recoiling threw everyone to the ground, Meister and Saber included.

"Meister!" Saber reached out to the Autobot Lieutenant in an attempt to pull him in close. But then, without warning, the Ark's Hangar tore open. Meister and many of the other Autobots were suddenly torn from the compartment and flung into the vacuum of space.

Saber held onto a piece of the Ark's Hangar floor, as did Meister a few Meters from him. But the pull of the air rushing out of the ship was entirely too great for the structural integrity of the Ark. The floor came apart and Saber was flung into the air.

"Meister!" The Autobot cried as he was thrown out of the Ark.

"Saber!" Prime's first Lieutenant fired his grappling hook, but it wasn't nearly long enough to reach the Autobot. He could only watch as Saber, the Autobot he was meant to protect, was violently ripped from the hanger and thrown into space where he went sprawling.

Back on the ground, Elita watched the Ark burn up in flames "No…" She gasped. "No, no, no…" The Autobot commander lowered her blaster.

"Elita!" Armada Convoy shouted. "We're being overrun! We have to go!"

The Autobot Commander heard Armada speak but she did not react. She could only think of her Boy's life as the Ark went up in flames. She did not snap out of it until she felt Armada's large hand grab hers. "Come on!" He shouted, snapping her out of her daze. The Autobot Commander took one last look at the Ark before falling back into a retreat with the rest of his forces.

From the Launch platform, Megatron watched the Ark burn by way of siege from the Warship under his Seekers' command. Dubbed 'The Nemesis' the ship had been commissioned using the body of a Titan of the same name. Its purpose was to bring ruin to Sentinel Prime's Ark - which the Decepticons had learned about through espionage - and it was carrying its designated function out flawlessly.

With the Autobot's final, desperate hope aflame, Megatron focused on the remainder of Iacon. "See how the Autobots' hopes and dreams burn? Let this City and its corrupt foundations suffer the same fate!" He said, his voice booming amongst his army. "Burn Iacon to the ground! And from the ashes of Autobot failure we will raise Decepticon victories!"

"Decepticon victory, Decepticon victory!" Soundwave chanted. "All Hail Megatron!"

The Eradicons raised their fists towards the sky. "All Hail Megatron! All Hail Megatron!" They cheered.

Surrounded by flames and Decepticon fury, Megatron takes in the Decepticon's chants. From humble beginnings as a Miner digging for Energon, to his time as a brutal Gladiator, to his ascension into politics, Megatron's life had always led to this moment: the usurpation of the Age of Primes and the conquering of Cybertron. Though his Decepticons' chants are in reverence, they begin to fade from his mind. Where he should have found glory in his victory, he had only found silence. Before he knew it, the world had gone mute; it was as if the Planet had come to a stand still.

Megatron shifted his attention to Optimus' limp body. There was a time the Prime had said that this day would never come. The sight of the fallen Last Prime brought a smirk to Megatron's lips; then the sound of victory came swelling back to him, for his victory was an absolute one.

Megatron looked to the defeated Prime then raised his fusion cannon bearing arm high. He raised his fist higher and mightier than all of his followers and Decepticon brethren and fired his Fusion Cannon off in celebration.'Never' was here.