Ultra Magnus had all available troops defend the outer perimeters. When Blaster notified him of Airachnid's sudden arrival with Meridian in tow, he immediately rushed to their medical center. But he was met by a five-helmed Predacon who started destroying everything in its path.
"Perceptor! Iacon defenses are taking a beating!" Prowl shouted over their commlinks. "Red Alert's team are pinned down! They can't reach the victims without going through that Predacon!"
"It's a femme! How could it have such power?" Sun Streaker asked as Firestar and Moonracer evaded fire from the roaring Predacon.
"You obviously don't have any idea about us femmes, do you?" Firestar asked, transforming her servos into blasters. "You mechs sure are a pain in the aft."
"What spawned this monstrosity?" Mirage asked, holding his helm from the debris falling around them.
"There are casualties in the lower districts but our teams can't reach them!" Red Alert reported back to Perceptor. "I've just lost two medics to that thing!"
"Kickback and Bombshell just got eviscerated!" Hardhead cried out, his scream drowned in the roar of flames.
Ultra Magnus watched the monitor from command center as each blip disappeared rapidly. One blip gone, one Cybertronian gone as well. The aerial contingent only have Powerglide left and he's running low on energon.
"Magnus!?" came Hound's voice through the comm lines. "Commander! The spacebridge is damaged beyond repair! There is no way we can jury-rig that thing to bring back Prime!"
"Blaster, have all teams retreat to the safety of the defense grid," Ultra Magnus ordered. "Sound the alarm. Have the city evacuated at once."
The klaxons blared and the general populace hurriedly got into the underground shelters, while the combined Autobot and Decepticon forces mobilized to subdue Obsidian. The Predacon merely watched as the forces advanced. By now, the Star of the Solstice Tide has reached a quarter of its peak. Obsidian remained still even as she got pummeled by the Cybertronians' weapons. When the smoke cleared, she stood fast before them, unscathed! The defending forces looked shocked! Obsidian roared and leaped into the air, and attacked!
His wheels screeched to a halt and he transformed into his alt mode. Ultra Magnus knew that this was no ordinary Predacon. He knows that no ordinary weapon can stop it. But perhaps his warhammer could. The powers of the Forge of Solus may have all diminished but its metal shimmers with an aura that could well have been from its creator.
"Powerglide! I'll need a lift!" he called out to the remaining aerial bot who survived Obsidian's attack. The aerial bot swooped in low and Ultra Magnus jumped on, straddling him for stability.
"Magnus! Do you think this is unwise?" Perceptor asked, seeing several blips disappear from the screen, the screams from the speakers were cancelled out by the static.
"Yes! But Optimus took the same risks to protect us!" Ultra Magnus replied as they got closer. "Powerglide! Get me above that Predacon!"
"You'll get fragged doing this, you know that?" Powerglide said, climbing higher.
"We'll all get fragged at one point or another," Ultra Magnus said. "Well, here goes!"
Powerglide watched as Ultra Magnus leapt from his back, servos spread to slacken his descent. He followed right behind in freefall. Obsidian haven't seen them yet, and turned too late when they were upon her.
With all his might, Ultra Magnus brought down the Forge upon Obsidian's back strut. She managed to twist around, receiving only a glancing blow. But it was enough to shatter her scaly armor, sending her crashing into the side of a building.
Powerglide grabbed Ultra Magnus and flew them both to safety. They landed on the rooftop of the nearby building. Smoke and dust emerged from where she crashed. For a moment, they felt a surge of triumph when something jumped out of the crash site, leaping over their helms, and landed just a few feet from them. The two were stunned!
Obsidian, in her robot mode, stood up sensually, arching her back strut provocatively. She flapped her wings behind her to show them that their attack was ineffective. The others joined the two on the rooftop while the Decepticon warship hovered above them.
"Dang! She's that Predacon?" Blaster remarked inside command center as the warship relayed to them their videofeed.
"By the AllSpark!" Perceptor exclaimed, opening a channel to Ultra Magnus. "Commander! Do not engage the enemy! I repeat! Do not engage the enemy!"
"What's wrong, Perceptor?" Blaster asked. "She doesn't look tough."
"I've seen her before. Optimus, or rather, Orion Pax, kept a record of the time when we were in the mercy of Unicron's servant. Look!" Perceptor zoomed in on the alluring image of the femme beast standing tall before the Cybertronian army. "See that mark near her collar strut?" He pointed at the image.
"I'll be-! Unicron's sigil!" Blaster vented.
"To be more accurate, she is his concubine," Perceptor said. "And she's here to resurrect her master."
"All forces, hold your positions," Ultra Magnus ordered, holding up his undamaged servo. His other servo was severely damaged when he went up against Predaking.
"Pathetic bunch of mechs," Obsidian uttered. "You think you can hurt me with your weapons?" she asked before looking at Ultra Magnus, pointing at the Forge that he held. "Although, I admit I am surprised to see that relic. Had you had me back then, I might have been seriously damaged."
She turned her body a bit to show her damaged side, but it was repairing itself in an amazing rate, the energy wrapping her was unmistakably Unicron's dark energon.
"You are not welcome on our world, worm!" Ultra Magnus muttered between clenched dentas.
Obsidian laughed, her voice intoxicatingly seductive. "You're such a loser," she giggled, taking a step back until she reached the edge of the rooftop. "My work isn't done yet, so, as those humans would say, 'Tah-tah, dahlings'". She leaned backwards and let herself drop. She transformed into her beast mode, blowing flames and lightning from her mouths.
"Don't let her escape!" Ultra Magnus cried, running to catch her but she was already too far from his reach. The warship fired a tractor-beam at her but she broke loose easily. They pursued her but as they arrived at the outskirts of Iacon, she dove into the ground, boring into the depths of Cybertron, away from their reach.
Perceptor began organizing teams to pursue her. They tried contacting Megatron but their communication lines with Earth can't be established. Obsidian managed to knock down their satellite relay stations, and without the spacebridge, communication is dead.
Airachnid managed to get Meridian into the emergency bay where Knockout immediately setup an operating berth with the medical staff running helter-skelter, bringing in more casualties and victims of Obsidian's attack. In all the confusion happening, Sandy stood in a corner, watching as Knockout hurriedly tried to save her nurse. Airachnid saw her and walked up to the sparkling.
"You shouldn't be here, femmeling," she said, a little irritated with the chaos but found it relaxing at the same time.
"Will my mommy be okay?" Sandy asked, looking up to the surprised Insecticon Queen.
Airachnid was stunned with her reaction. On her stint as one of Megatron's generals during the war on Earth, she had heard of that word used by the human younglings to call their dames or carriers. Starscream said it was a term of endearment between a female human adult and her offspring.
This Predacon sparkling thinks Meridian is her dame, probably because she never knew her true dame. Or probably because her nurse showed her such affection to earn her the sparkling's love. If she had a sparkling, will she ever know what it feels to be called with such endearment? That pang throbbed painfully in her spark, remembering how much she and Longhorn wanted to have sparklings of their own. A tiny servo held her own, pulling her out of her melancholy.
"Please? I don't want to be alone," Sandy said with her silver-grey optics welling. It was all it took for Airachnid to kneel down and wrap her servos around the frightened sparkling.
"Don't be," Airachnid softly said. "I'll stay with you."
"Thank you," Sandy whispered, holding on as Airachnid picked her up and brought her out of the emergency bay. Before the doors closed, she saw them taking Meridian into the operating bay.
Primus's sun was well below the horizon when Knockout came out of the operating bay. The operation on Meridian was tediously painful. She lost much energon and her spark stopped pulsating during the middle of the operation. Getting her spark pulsating again took a lot out of him. But he was able to save her and her unborn sparkling. He saw Airachnid sitting on a berth beside a recharging Sandy. She was stroking the sparkling's helm while holding her servo in the other. He walked up to her and sat upon a chair.
"How's the patient?" she softly asked.
"They're going to make it," he wearily replied, rubbing his forehelm. He then looked at the sparkling holding on to her servo. "It looks like you've gotten a soft spot there," he remarked with a chuckle.
"Watch it, Knockout," she warned him coldly, her forked glossa slithered between her dentas.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he said, not even caring for her threat. He noticed her rather pale palor as his medic sense told him what he knew. "When was the last time you refueled?" he asked.
"Does it matter? I'm an energon vampire, remember?" she snapped at him. Something flew at her and she caught it. She was surprised to find it was a bag of energon plasma. She looked at Knockout but he fell into recharge right where he sat. She smiled. "Thank you," she said and her glossa shot out, puncturing the bag and she drank.
Knockout moaned in his recharge. "Don't mention it," he said, scratching his belly before falling back into recharge. After guzzling the last drop of energon plasma, Airachnid laid herself beside Sandy, cuddling the sparkling close to her, and eventually fell into a deep recharge.
Ultra Magnus had just gotten out of their command center. Their drones and trackers lost Obsidian as she bore deeper beneath the ground. They're on high alert for what might come their way. He transformed into his alt mode and headed towards the medical facility. The Energon Sun, Primus's sun, will soon be peeking over the horizon. He came to a slow halt before the doors of the facility and transformed. Reluctantly, he walked through the doors.
Meridian lay in recharge upon her berth with Knockout checking her vitals when he stepped in. The medic nodded at him and they met by the door.
"Take your time," Knockout said and left the mech.
Ultra Magnus stepped up to her berth, gently taking her servo in his. "Meridian, can you hear me?" he softly asked, gently giving her servo a squeeze. He felt her servo squeeze his as her optic shutters opened to look up to him. She smiled but there was hurt behind her smile. She reached for him and he gathered her in an embrace.
"I'm sorry," she cried, burying her faceplate into his neck cabling.
"No. No. You didn't do anything wrong," he said, holding her closer. "Our sparkling is safe. You are both safe, thank Primus."
"Where is Sandy?" she asked, moving away, looking around for her charge.
"She's safe, Meridian. She's with Airachnid," he said, calming her down. She looked up to him, finding the assurance his gaze had given her. She looked down on her middle, her servo covering it protectively. He placed his servo upon hers on her belly, telling her that all will be alright once she has given birth. He kissed her helm and she leaned into the comfort he provided her. For a moment, they felt peaceful.
~~~~~
Arcee and the rest of the team arrived through Lazerbeak's ground-bridge. Megatron was already there with Ratchet and their other teammates. He was holding two objects in his servos when the rest approached.
"We're here," she said. "So where's our ride?" she asked, looking around.
"It's on its way," Megatron replied.
The sands suddenly exploded and flew into the air. The whine of warp-drive engines and roaring rocket boosters nearly left their audios incapacitated as the warship rose out of its eons long slumber beneath the sands. It was huge! Bigger than the Nemesis or the Harbinger combined!
Wheeljack looked shocked. "That's the Dreadnought!" he exclaimed as the warship rose higher into the air. "But, I thought it was destroyed during the war."
"Merely scratched but fully functional," Megatron said. "Bulkhead proves to be an excellent mechanic. He and the Constructicons repaired the damage to the warp-drives. We'll be in Cybertronian airspace before we know it." His commlink crackled as a call came through. It was Brawler.
"Lord Megatron, we're ready to board," said from the helm.
"Thank you, Brawler. Stand-by to receive boarders," Megatron replied. "Lazerbeak, if you please..."
A ground-bridge opened once more and the Cybertronians walked through it with their Predacon and Scourge allies. They came out within the docking bay of the warship. Megatron headed straight for the bridge. Ratchet had Soundwave brought into the med bay. The Predacons settled themselves around the docking area. The rest of the Autobots and Decepticons followed Megatron to the bridge.
Megatron stepped into the bridge and Brawler saluted him. "Set course for Cybertron, full speed ahead," he ordered as the rest came. He then began giving each a designated task. "Wheeljack, navigation. Springer, weapons. Arcee, communications. Bulkhead's in engineering. Blitzwing, telemetry. To your stations, mechs and femme!" He turned towards Jazz. "Councilor, you're number two until my return. I'll be in the captain's quarters."
"Yes, Prime!" Jazz replied, taking up his station. "You heard him! Let's get this show on the road!"
The Dreadnought rose higher into the sky, reaching the border that separates the atmosphere from space. It rose higher into space, its rockets maneuvering it into position. A wormhole opened allowing the warship to traverse the distance between this universe and theirs. In an instant, they were gone.
Megatron sat in the captain's quarters, looking at the two relics sitting upon the table before him. One was the relic that the Constructicons retrieved from this ship. Maybe they hadn't had to go to such trouble excavating the ship, but unforseen circumstances had to send them back here. The other is a similar relic but darker in nature, almost emanating with fear and dread just by looking at it.
"You won't win, Unicron," he muttered almost to himself, not expecting the demon to reply from within him.
"Oh, but I already have," Unicron said. "My servant already is on Cybertron, wreaking havoc to your beloved planet."
"I have the means to stop you, demon," Megatron said vehemently.
"How, Prime? Even by taking your own spark existence, I will always be free to dominate another such as yourself."
"There is no other like me," Megatron said.
"Oh, but there is, Prime," Unicron chuckled. "You haven't known it yet."
Megatron was taken aback. "What do you mean?" he asked.
Unicron chuckled. "You'll see soon enough," he replied, his laugh fading away.
Megatron stood up. He's clearly shocked. Unicron has another host to possess should he ever get expired. "How is it possible?" he asked. The intercomm sounded to receive an incoming call. "Yes?" Megatron answered. The call was from Ratchet.
"If you aren't moping around, sulking in the captain's quarters, I'd want to inform you that Soundwave is out of his stasis," came the chief medical officer's voice.
"Very well, doctor. I'll be there in a moment." Megatron switched off the intercomm and turned to leave but stopped short from exiting the room. He looked back at the two artifacts, and then he had an idea.
"ARE YOU MAD?!" Ratchet exclaimed with surprise when they spoke in the med-bay. "What in Primus's name gave you such an absurd concept?! I am definitely against that idea of yours! I understand that we need to get him contained. But to sacrifice your spark existence?! No way!"
"It is a certainty that our existence hangs in the balance, doctor," Megatron calmly said, surprising himself for his demeanor. If it had been his older self, Ratchet would've been scrapheap in an instant. He knew it was risky but to have this opportunity placed before him is too good to let it pass.
"Couldn't you think of an alternative? What about your Vehicon drones?" Ratchet was livid as he spoke. Megatron's plan in stopping Unicron was too preposterous to have even been conceived. So many lives will be at stake if he failed.
"But is it possible?" Megatron asked.
"It is possible, yes! But think of the consequences! You are the Prime!"
"And our world will thrive without one. So as Prime, I command you to do as I ordered you, doctor."
Ratchet glared at Megatron, obviously frustrated with the mech. Optimus would do that same thing but with considering an alternative approach. Megatron wanted instant results regardless of the consequences. He knew arguing with the mech would be fruitless. He vented out in frustration, throwing his servos into the air.
"Have it your way! Don't tell me I didn't warn you!" he said, taking the two relics into his servos, and stepped into the laboratory, muttering to himself.
Soundwave turned towards the doors opening to receive his visitor. Megatron walked up to the berth to see Lazerbeak perched nearby. He looked down at the mech lying on the berth.
"How are you doing, old friend?" he greeted his former third-in-command. Soundwave was a little bit taken by surprise by his former commander's greeting. It was a word alien to his character. Soundwave sat up on his berth.
"Query: salutation from Lord Megatron... incomprehensible," Soundwave replied. Megatron pulled up a chair and sat beside the berth. He reached forward and tapped his servo. It has confused Soundwave all the more.
"In all the years we've been together as master and servant, after I have wandered alone, only then have I realized how much of a loyal subject you were to my cause," Megatron said in admission. "You were the only one who followed my every command without question or pause."
"Soundwave: still loyal to Megatron," Soundwave replied. "Always."
"You have done a fine job in spying on Shockwave, although he was one of my loyal scientists."
"Shockwave: ambition led to demise."
"But you prevailed. Thanks to you and Lazerbeak, we wouldn't have known about Obsidian."
"Designation Obsidian: former Predacon clone. Assimilated into Deathworm."
"Yes. Lazerbeak told me as much."
"Lazerbeak: tell all."
With chirps and squeals, the avian related all what he knows about Obsidian. He told them how vulnerable she was to the Venerated Blood of the Primes.
"I learned as much of it from the Predacon Blight," Megatron said. "They found a pool that contained this highly concentrated energon."
"Lord Megatron: other detail on information about Venerated Blood of Primes," Soundwave said.
"What is it?" Megatron asked.
"Details: Shockwave found energon to be part of Lord Megatron. Venerated Blood of Primes... purified dark energon."
"What?" Megatron said in surprise.
"Unknown catalyst used in purifying it. Said to be a channel for the other Primes to communicate beyond the AllSpark when ingested in minute amounts."
"Wheelie," Megatron said, recalling the reports. "He only had his digit touching the liquid."
"Query: Minicon ally?" Soundwave asked.
"Yes."
"Good. Minicon convey messages from Primes when in contact with aether relics." Soundwave looked down, as in deep thought. "Additional information: powerful Minicons from the lineage of Micronus Prime have ability to reformat other Cybertronians."
"How do you know of this?" Megatron asked.
"Lord Megatron: designation Oziamuth, have long history with Minicons in the annals of the Iacon Halls of Knowledge." He pointed to one of the heiroglyphs etched on the far wall. "The Star of the Solstice Tide must not reach its zenith. If it does, it shall be in direct line of sight of the Well of AllSparks."
"From which Unicron can easily destroy the Well," Megatron deducted. Was this why the Primes sent Vector Sigma off-world? To preserve all the knowledge accumulated throughout the eons?
"Conclusion: positive. Vector Sigma appropriated the means to bestow the Requiem Blaster and unlock lost memory data within your processor."
"Vector Sigma suppressed our memories?"
"Response: Affirmative. Before it transferred itself to Earth, this unit was summoned."
"Summoned?" Megatron asked, his optic ridges coming closer in a frown.
"To catalogue this."
A holographic projection appeared before them through his visor. It showed Megatron in the form of Unicron stepping into Vector Sigma with a blank look upon his faceplate. The pedestal bearing the three sigils stood before him with the key laying just upon it. He saw how he reached for the key and a light emanated from the key, bathing him it a shimmering blanket. He saw an ethereal form of Unicron trying to escape but was trapped, unable to flee. When the light faded, Megatron stood in his former form. Then a voice spoke to him. It was Optimus Prime, the Mediator, not Orion Pax. A shimmering image appeared, holding the Matrix of Leadership.
"Take this Matrix of Leadership," said the first Optimus Prime. Megatron's chestplates opened to receive the Matrix. The Prime moved forward and inserted the relic into Megatron's frame. After it locked in place, his chestplates closed. Optimus Prime stepped back and spoke. "You have a task to fulfill, Megatron. Cybertron is in grave danger of Unicron's return. The Matrix will keep him docile but for how long? That depends on you. Either you give in to his influence or conquer the demon within you."
Megatron merely stared at the message. He was chosen to save Cybertron and Earth. The first Optimus Prime entrusted him with the Matrix. Everything is now clear to him. When the message ended, he looked at Soundwave.
"Looks like I've got my work cut out," he said with a chuckle.
"Soundwave: always at your side," Soundwave answered.
Megatron smiled a genuine smile. "Get your recharge. Where we're going isn't just a walk down the mines."
Soundwave nodded and laid back on his berth. After Megatron left, he switched on the hologram projector and watched the message again. He froze the projection on the instance Megatron stood before Optimus Prime.
"Megatron: not alone," he said, switching off the projector. Lazerbeak transformed and attached himself to Soundwave's chestplate. Soundwave powered themselves down for recharge and the med-bay lay still.
And on his visor, the Cybertronian word for "friend" lit up.