DARK EXODUS

By Tony "Thunder" Klepack
 

    "Science log, data entry 68, day 72. After almost two and a half months in deep space exploring the G'brin Nebula and G'nora cluster, we are ready to return home to Cybertron."
    Nightbeat pressed a button on his console at the sciences station on the bridge of the Autobot mid-range starship Xaaron.
    "It will sure be great to get back home." Hotspot spoke suddenly, as he stood behind Nightbeat who was finishing up work on the data they had collated. "Don't get me wrong, I like traveling. It's just that I miss home sometimes when I'm gone too long."
    "I know the feeling." Hound admitted as he worked the helm console before him.
    "Besides, too much time in a ship is terrible on someone as good looking as myself." Tracks said quite seriously from the communications station, where he sat.
    "Trust me, your finish is fine." Nightbeat replied, a hint of humour in his voice. "I can't wait to get back and show Perceptor all this data."
    "Oh joy." Broadside snapped sarcastically as he strode onto the bridge. "The crowning glory in a mission of non-stop action!"
    "Well, you didn't have to come." Hound retorted. "After all, it's not like we forced you at gunpoint."
    Overrun tuned out of the conversation as he noticed something on his sensors.
    "I wouldn't have dreamt of missing out." Broadside continued unabated.
    "Nightbeat, I'm picking up something on the far side of the Nebula." Overrun finally spoke, his words immediately had the attention of everyone. "It's big and metallic."
    "Hound, set course to intercept." Nightbeat ordered as he went to sit in the command chair. It was clear his ever-present curiousity was peaked.
    Three Breems later, the ship was within range of the object, which now appeared to be a planet.
    "It looks like Cybertron." Tracks said as the planet appeared in the center of the screen.
    "Readings also correspond to a close likeness of Cybertron." Overrun replied as his optics scanned the data on the screen before him.
    Nightbeat had a strange feeling in his circuits as he gazed at the large steel planet. "Call up earlier charts of this region and tell me what was reported there."
    "What are you thinking?" Hotspot bent down and asked him as he continued watching the screen.
    "I'm not sure." Nightbeat responded. "But surely if it was there, say, ten years ago, we would've noticed it before now."
    Hound tapped a few buttons on his console and came up with the answer. "Earlier charts showed this as a Class-M planet. The date that a mission last chartered this sector was...twenty-two Terran years ago."
    "That would've been a Decepticon mission, right?" Nightbeat asked. "They were still in control of Cybertron back then."
    Hound tapped a few more buttons on his keypad. "Looks that way. Data on this shows they were transporting some ore back to Cybertron and passed through this way."
    "Did they stop?"
    "It doesn't say, but I doubt it." Hound replied. "You know those type of missions are fairly routine."
    "Yes, I concur." Nightbeat noted, acting like he already knew what Hound's answer would have been. "So, if they didn't do something here, then it's clear within the last two decades that someone, or something, was responsible for terraforming this planet into a likeness of our own."
    "But why?" Hotspot asked. "What would someone get out of that? The Decepticons would've just sucked it dry of energy if they had wanted it. Why go to all the trouble?"
    "Indeed." Nightbeat remarked. "Overrun, run sensor scans of that planet."
    "I've already started." Overrun replied. "So far, I can tell you it's got several cities and billions of lifeforms."
    "Interesting."
    "What?" Broadside asked.
    "Well, I think that answers why they went to all the trouble they did to terraform the planet." Nightbeat explained.
    "What do you mean?" Hotspot asked, confused at Nightbeat's in-obvious statements.
    "Whatever is behind this, it's clear they did this for one specific main reason. And that my friends, is to show their territory."
    "A visible marking of their Empire?!" Hound wondered.
    "It looks that way, yes." Nightbeat replied. " Overrun, scan the planet thoroughly and let's be on our way. Tracks, contact Cybertron about this and use a secure channel. I've got a very bad feeling about this."
    "Several ships of Cybertronian design rising from the planet on an intercept course." Hound snapped, as he read his Nav sensors. "Their weapons appear to be powering up!"
    "Shields!" Nightbeat snapped at Broadside, who now occupied the weapons and defense console. "Overrun, are you done yet?"
    "Just a minute!" Overrun yelled.
    "I don't think we have--"
    The Xaaron rocked violently as the approaching ships opened fire simultaneously.
    "What the hell's going on up there?" Scoop's voice boomed over the intercom from Engineering where he and Siren were stationed.
    "We're under attack." Nightbeat replied somewhat calmly. " Please tell me the Hyperdrive's working."
    "Sure, it's fine. What--"
    "Good. Standby for a quick retreat." Nightbeat said, cutting the comm-channel. The ship rocked violently again as he did so.
    "Broadside, do whatever's necessary to stop them. Hound, evasive maneuvers."
    "You got it boss!" Broadside replied happily. Finally, he had gotten his wish for some action.
    "Tracks, any luck raising Cybertron?"
    "No," Tracks replied, a bit of concern present in his tone. "They're not answering. But we're not being jammed either."
    Nightbeat said nothing, but knew something was not right about this situation.
    "I'm done." Overrun announced.
    Another volley rocked the ship, and was answered with Broadside firing back.
    "Hound, set course for Cybertron and take us into Hyperspace--quick!" Nightbeat snapped, worrying there might not be any ship left soon.
    The ship swung around and sped forward, it's form being swallowed by a nimbus of color as they slipped into Hyperspace, leaving their unidentified attackers devoid of prey.
    Nightbeat sighed in relief. But it was clear to him this was just the calm before the storm. He knew this planet they had seen and Cybertron's radio silence were two mysteries which had to be cleared up and soon. If not, he shuddered to think what would happen to the Autobots continued peaceful existence.
                               *                                           *                                      *
    Rad looked outward toward the burning buildings of Iacon on the horizon, from the shuttle's entrance. Overhead, the last stragglers in the Autobot evacuation group soared space ward bound for the rendezvous planet called Oberon. The noise was deafening for a few minutes, but Rad was unfazed. The engines noise meant many of his brethren were safe.
    But there were two he did not know about yet.
    BWEEP, BWEEP, BWEEP
    "What is it?" Rad screamed into his Com-Link as the last shuttles faded into the sky, taking their noise with them.
    "We can't wait much longer, Rad." Bumblebee's voice came from the bridge of the shuttlecraft. "Sensors show several fightercraft headed our way and they match Decepticon configurations!"
    "Damn!" Rad snapped, raising his gun in anticipation as he did so. "How far away?"
    "About five minutes to our south and eight minutes to our west. I'm going to warm up the engines for a quick take-off."
    "Understood." Rad replied. He mentally concentrated, and his optics zoomed inward on the western horizon which he faced. "I don't see anything yet, though."
    "Trust me, they're coming. And a heck of a lot, too!"
    Rad had sent Tornado out earlier to find Ultra Magnus, but the Air Defense Force leader had still not checked in yet, and Rad feared the worst. And if Bumblebee's sensors scans were correct--and Rad was certain they were, they could not wait more than another minute or so and still take-off safely.
    Rad swept to his right--and then he saw them! More Decepticon aircraft than he could immediately count were bearing down toward their location and would be at the launchpad in moments.
    Behind him, the shuttle's engines roared to life and the craft began slowly rumbling forward.
    "Rad?" Bumblebee called over the com-link. "We can't wait any longer! Get in the ship!"
    Rad refocused his optics to normal and turned around to face the shuttle entrance. Unfortunately, Bumblebee was right. He would have to leave Tornado here and--
    WHRRRR!
    Rad whipped around at a nearby sound and saw Tornado soar down and crash a few feet away. He transformed and tried to rise to his feet, but was unable to.
    "Rad? Rad!" Bumblebee yelled over the com-link, unable to see what was happening.
    "Warm up the weapons and keep moving! Tornado just crashed a few feet away and I'm retrieving him."
    "Ra--" Rad's com-link yelped as he shut it off before Bumblebee could object. He was already moving at a dead run and then he transformed into his hover-car mode, and sped toward the Autobot soldier he had sent into a near-death situation. He could not just abandon Tornado now.
    In moments, Rad was at Tornado's location. He grabbed the fallen Autobot and reconverted into his automobile mode. Behind him, several jets soared down and began opening fire on the shuttlecraft. Several sparse beams returned from the craft as the Autobots manning the weapons had no desire to die without a fight.
    Rad hit his highest speed and had caught up to the slow-moving Autobot shuttle in mere moments. As he got even with the entrance ramp, he transformed and leapt aboard. Warhawk grabbed him by the shoulder and flung him aboard.
    "Bumblebee, I've got them! Full power now!" Warhawk yelled into his com-link as Rad simultaneously retracted the shuttle's ramp and sealed the airlock.
    Almost Instantaneously, the shuttle seemed to jump forward. It's sudden inertia threw the two Autobots back hard against the nearby wall as the ship made it's run for space.
    "Damn, that's a rush!" Warhawk gasped as he and Rad recovered. He looked over at the Autobot scientist and said, "Did you get Tornado okay?"
"Yeah." Rad replied, rubbling the back of his head module. "He'll need a Doctor, though. He's in pretty rough shape."
    At that, Rad rose and transformed once more into his hover-car mode. Warhawk removed Tornado from the cockpit and placed him against the wall.
    "How are you, boss?" Warhawk asked him as Rad transformed back into his Cybertronian form behind them.
    "I've...been...better." Tornado gasped. "Tell, Rad...t-tell him, thanks."
    "It was the least I could do." Rad replied. "I'm going to see if there's a Doctor aboard now."
    "W-wait....I found...Ultra...Mag...." Tornado's voice trailed off, but Rad knew what he had meant.
    "You did? Where is he? Is he...?"
    "A...ffirmative...he's dead. Got him..in cargo hold.....`Cons ambushed me when...I found...him." Tornado went silent, but then added, "Lightning....he....b-butchered him."
    Behind the trio, Bumblebee, Airlift and Fixit jogged into the small corridor. "Is Tornado okay?"
    "Yes, but he needs prompt medical attention." Rad replied. "Thanks, Bumblebee. You didn't have to wait, but I'm glad you did."
    "Yeah, well...Prime would do the same." Bumblebee replied sheepishly. He was a good soldier and spy, but he was often too modest. Not that any of his fellow Autobots minded, of course.
    In front of them, Tornado transformed into his fighter/chopper mode and opened his cargo hold. Together, Warhawk and Airlift lifted up Ultra Magnus's tattered body and placed it gently on the floor.
    "I can't believe it." Warhawk spoke. "I knew Lightning was twisted, but this..."
    "It's bad enough Magnus is dead, but Lightning butchered him!" Bumblebee gasped. "How could he have once been one of us?"
    Fixit said nothing, but began checking over Tornado's wounds. Nearby, Airlift stared at Ultra Magnus's body, but anything she was thinking she kept to herself.
    Bumblebee walked over to a nearby wall, and activated an intercom. "Bridge, how long until Hyperspace jump?"
    "Three-point-five minutes. Decepticons still don't seem to be in pursuit."
    That seemed odd to Rad. He had expected a serious fire-fight all the way until they jumped.
    "I'm on my way up." Bumblebee announced into the intercom and switched it off. His red-and-yellow armor split open and his yellow-colored Cybertronian self emerged. "I'm going to leave my Pretender shell here so I can keep tabs on Tornado's condition. Rad, are you coming up?"
    "Yes. The fact we're not being pursued makes me want to get up there and check things out for myself."
    The two Autobots jogged out of the corridor, leaving Airlift, Warhawk, Fixit, and Bumblebee's Pretender shell alone with Tornado.
    "Hope..."
    "What was that?" Warhawk asked, bending down to hear Tornado.
    "Hope...Prime's..d-doing...better than...we...did."
    Warhawk said nothing. He hoped the same.
                              *                                         *                                              *
    Shockwave watched the last Autobot shuttle as it leapt into Hyperspace for their unknown rendezvous point. Most of them had survived their Decepticon pursuers and escaped, but he was not deterred.
    Cybertron once again belonged to it's rightful inhabitants, the Decepticons. The Autobots had nowhere to go and could easily be finished off at the Decepticons' leisure, while the Autobots stood by helplessly, debating whether or not they should go back to war.
    No doubt the other Decepticons would be angry for not being ordered after their enemy, but Shockwave wanted the Autobots to know fear first. Only after that, would he allow them to be completely destroyed.
    He only had two more problems to deal with now. Lightning had just barely survived his battle with Ultra Magnus and Darkwing had insured his survival by returning him to Moonbase for repairs. He knew at some point, he would have to dispose of his wayward accomplice, lest Lightning be allowed the oppourtunity to eliminate him first.
    However, the more important issue now was Galvatron. It was a long shot at best that Fortress Maximus could have killed him, and a new more thorough plan was needed to deal with their unusual leader...but what? What could possibly match his power? Shockwave had pondered that question for hours now and still did not have an answer to his dillema.
    The doors to the control centre parted open behind him and he turned around just in time to see Galvatron and the Predators enter.
    "Galvatron!" Shockwave exclaimed in genuine surprise. "Commander, w-why are you back from Earth so soon?" He feared the worst. Surely Galvatron could not have missed the fact Cybertron was decimated below them!
    Galvatron replied by slamming his fist into Shockwave's face! The Decepticon logistics officer flew backward across the room and crashed to the floor.
    Shockwave next remembered dizzily sitting up several feet away from where he had just been standing. He knew from past experience that Galvatron would probably not spare him for his disobedience.
    "You claim to be so logical, but tell me Shockwave, how do you expect to succeed at your takeover attempt by being so sloppy?" Galvatron finally hissed out, enraged. "Did you really expect to get rid of the Predators by personally sending them to Earth, and not arose my suspicions?"
    `Lightning!' Instantly, Shockwave knew he had been duped by his co-conspirator. He must have craved the Decepticons leadership all for himself! Well, he would not die at Galvatron's hands, without trying to take Lightning down too!
    "It was Lightning who gave SkyQuake the false orders, not I."
    Galvatron chuckled at that. "Loyal Lightning?? He is one of my best warriors, and his loyalty to me is second only to my Predators here!" He said motioning at the six warriors with him. "Really, Shockwave! I would expect such deception from Starscream, but you?!?"
    It was obvious Galvatron knew nothing of Starscream's involvement. After all, this idiotic plan was his idea.
    "If I am to die, then you will die with me!" Shockwave yelled, firing his gun arm at Galvatron. The blast slammed into Galvatron's chest and threw him against a nearby console.
    Shockwave knew it would not damage Galvatron much, but it bought himself some time to run out of the control centre and find a means of escape.
    "Mighty one, are you injured?" Skyquake's deep voice boomed, as he helped Galvatron to his feet.
    "I am fine" He replied. "Stay here. Shockwave is mine!" At that, Galvatron sprinted out of the control room after his enemy.
    Skyquake's jade optics glowed briefly. His true leader's plan was working excellently.
                                *                                                     *                                                     *
    It had taken several hours, but the Autobot City survivors lead by Hosehead, were finally pulling up to the frozen lake where the Ark's remains rested.
    Almost in unison, the convoy transformed into their robotic modes. Omega Supreme marched over a few metres to their aft side and took up a sentry position to watch for Decepticons.
    Hot Rod stretched and tested out his wounded leg. He almost wished they had taken Silverbolt up on his offer to fly up here instead of drive. Still, he knew Hosehead was right about the Decepticons and the fact they would spot Silverbolt on their sensors the minute he took to the air.
    It was likely with his concorde design he could beat them up here, but the Autobots needed time to restore a shuttlecraft to operation, assuming they could. At least this way they had time to work on a ship, before one of the Decepticons remembered the fallen vessel was up here and came with an assault force to investigate for survivors.
    The Autobots walked closer into the Ark's limited sphere of shelter from the fridgid artic winds. Almost immediately, they noticed the hologram of Ratchet standing nearby and the words on the cylindrical projector below which read in Cybertronian as "In honour of our departed."
    "It's kind of ironic," Pipes said as he stared at the hologram, "Five TransFormers on the Ark when it crashed here, and only Ratchet and Megatron died. If only the explosion had killed Galvatron, Shockwave, and Starscream instead. Then this war wouldn't even have started again!"
    "Actually, when we investigated, it appeared a particle blast killed Megatron." Hot Rod said, remembering back to seeing the remains of the so-called mightiest Decepticon of all time. "We suspected Galvatron killed him and declared himself leader."
    Nearby, Silverbolt kicked away some snow from a spot near the Ark. "That's odd."
    "What is?" Hot Rod asked, his and the others' curiousity piqued.
    "Megatron's remains are gone."
    A chill went through the group as their minds assumed the worst--that Megatron was still alive!
    Finally, Hosehead used rationality to asuade their fears. "This planet erodes metal a lot quicker than Cybertron." He reminded them. "Sure, it's cold up here, but in twenty years, exposed to the wind and snow, his remains probably eroded and decayed."
    The others were not entirely convinced, but Hot rod realized hosehead was probably right. "Besides," He added, "There was so little of him left back then, he couldn't possibly have survived."
    That seemed to do the trick. After all, even Megatron was not indestructible.
    CLANG!
    The eight Autobots spun around in surprise, their weapons aimed at the Ark's wreckage. All of them had heard one indistinguishable type of sound.
    Movement!
                                      *                                                 *                                                         *
    "Are you serious?" General Doug Edwards gasped in disbelief. "Why not just hand them the Earth?!"
    "Calm yourselves." G.B. Blackrock said to the miscellaneous group of the world's military and robotics lab officials seated around the conference table.
    Blackrock walked slowly over to his chair and seated himself. "I wouldn't have called you all here to Seattle if I wasn't sure of success. My top R & D man here," He motioned at Buster Witwickity, who stood nearby, "Assures me we can binary-bond Humans to Transformers with little or no problem."
    "Even so, it seems...risky." Karen Smith of Cybertech Industries said. "What if the Transformer component tries to take over the Human controlling it?"
    "My brother Spike was bonded to a Transformer and he seemed normal enough."Buster interjected. "Besides, our proposal calls for us to retrieve some of the damaged Transformers from around Autobot City and wipe their minds. Then, we'll re-program them to be friendly and non-threatening without our control. It's all right there in our proposal."
    "I think it would be prudent to devote some of our resources to the pursuit of this Project: Excalibur as you call it."Daren Stoke of Microcosm software announced. "Congratulations, Mister Blackrock, you've convinced me."
    "What about everyone else? Who's in favour?" Blackrock asked. He watched as three-quarters of the people at the table slowly rose their hands. However, General Edwards, the representative of the United States military was not one of them.
    "Blackrock, we'll agree to this little idea of yours, on one condition." He said.
    "Name it." Blackrock replied. He knew the United States was loath to admit the best armed forces in the world could not even slow down the advanced weaponry of the Decepticons.
    "I don't want him," Edwards pointed at Buster. "In charge of this Project. If his brother is involved with--"
    "Was." Buster corrected him. "He's dead now. The Autobot City massacre."
    "Exactly." Edwards snorted. "You're too personally involved--the revenge factor is an element here."
    "Listen here, I--" Buster began, but Blackrock motioned at him to be silent.
    "I agree completely." Blackrock said. A look of shock and betrayal played across Buster's face. He looked angry enough to kill Blackrock.
    "However, I have another person in mind. He's not personally involved in any way, but he has an excellent track record." Blackrock stopped and pressed a button on the table in front of him. He intentionally avoided looking over at Buster who was glaring at him. Nearby, a wall panel opened to reveal someone standing on the other side. "Gentlemen, ladies, may I present to you the new head of Project: Excalibur..."
    The man, who was dark-haired and appeared to be in his late-thirties, stepped inside the conference room. "This is Mister Matthew J. Kirkby."
                                      *                                        *                                                *
    Back on Moonbase One, Galvatron had tracked Shockwave from the control centre to a nearby maintenance bay. Shockwave tried desperately to activate a trans-time dimensional portal. However, before he could key in a destination sequence, Galvatron raised his particle cannon and loosed a beam, destroying the equipment and disabling the interface. The explosion caught Shockwave in the face and arm with shrapnel.
    Shockwave was trapped, and Galvatron knew it. If it had been anyone else, Shockwave would have tried appealing to their emotions and begged them not to kill him. But he knew Galvatron thrived on violence--he could not be appealed to.
    He aimed his particle cannon at Shockwave and a beam erupted from it and tore through Shockwave's left side, incinerating armor and circuitry. Shockwave slumped lifelessly to the floor. A puddle of oil and internal fluids leaked onto the floor from the exposed wound in his torso.
    In a last ditch effort, Shockwave rose his gun arm and pooled all his energy into one final shot. The beam slammed into Galvatron, but he was only slightly singed.
    He marched forward and hoisted Shockwave's tattered body into the air with one hand. "This is the end, Shockwave. For too long I have suffered your flawed logic." He said viciously. "Now, the eternal darkness beckons..."
    Galvatron aimed his particle cannon at Shockwave's head.
    Unexpected, the nearby wall exploded, throwing both Decepticons back and onto the floor.
    As the smoke cleared from the hole in the wall, eight Transformers burst through, their weapons raised at Galvatron and Shockwave, both of whom were dazedly recovering.
    Then the duo saw another Transformer in the shadows of the now-ajoining room. He stepped through the hole, coming into full view.
    Galvatron's jaw dropped in astonishment.
    "Megatron!"

TO BE CONTINUED...
 
 

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