EPISODE IV: HOPELESSNESS
The planet is known as Charr. It is a rather barren planet, devoid of natural life. Yet a race of beings lives here: the Decepticons. Four years ago, they held raids against the Autobots led by Rodimus Prime. Under the leadership of Galvatron, whose mind had been damaged by the lava pits on the planet Thrull, they were very unsuccessful.
Lately, though, luck had been in their favor. The insane Galvatron was destroyed by Optimus Prime, and a new Galvatron had come to command. This Galvatron was actually from an alternate dimension, one where Unicron destroyed Cybertron and he had ruled North America. Plucked from that timeline, Galvatron was sent by Unicron to help him destroy Cybertron in this dimension. Turning against his master, he was eventually sent into an icy prison by Fortress Maximus.
With help from Unicron, though, he was reactivated and repaired. His mind was no longer unbalanced: it was now as sound as ever. Galvatron's unsurpassed might was now doubled due to his repaired mind, and thought as clearly as he did when he was known as Megatron.
Now he commanded his troops with a newfound zeal. There was one problem though: the Decepticons were few and far between. Galvatron needed more soldiers to begin his vast assault on Cybertron and the planet Earth. That posed a problem. The only way to obtain more soldiers was to use the Creation Matrix, and that was in possession of Rodimus Prime. And even as he now sat in his throne room on Charr, Galvatron wondered how he could trap the Autobot leader and steal the Matrix. As he pondered the problem, his lieutenant Cyclonus entered the room.
"Mighty Galvatron," he began. "I have returned from my search for that ship you requested. The Paladin has just passed the planet of Nebulos, and is currently heading out into deep space."
"Excellent!" Galvatron said. "Cyclonus, I want you to take me there. Tell Scourge to get the Sweeps and we will fly out there at once."
"Sir, what is so special about this ship?" Cyclonus asked.
"It carries cargo that I want destroyed," Galvatron said.
Shrugging, Cyclonus walked outside and told Scourge of Galvatron's plan. Scourge ordered the Sweeps to transform and follow Cyclonus. With that, Galvatron came out of his throne room and ordered Cyclonus to transform into his ship mode. Once his lieutenant did so, Galvatron entered, and they took off with the Sweeps behind them.
Aboard the Paladin, Optimus Prime was setting up the navigation systems to take him to the next closest planet. After leaving Nebulos, he was ready to continue his journey across the galaxy. The choice to make this trip came to him shortly before he decided to relinquish his command to Rodimus Prime. Optimus realized that the Decepticons always went out to conquest planets, while the Autobots stayed put wherever they were stationed. The Transformers had never gone exploring for a good purpose: trying to learn about other planets and their inhabitants in a peaceful way. Optimus Prime decided that he would go out and try to learn some things about other cultures and expand his knowledge beyond Cybertron.
So as he flew, he thought back to places he had been since his departure and how much he had learned in the week he had been flying. He had come near Nebulos, so he had decided to make a visit to Cerebros who remained there with Fortress Maximus as the planet's protector. Optimus thought warmly about how the Autobots had done so much good when helping out those in need. He hoped that maybe he would be able to do some good on this journey, as well as learn more about his galactic neighbors.
Suddenly, the radio light came on. Someone was trying to call him. It was probably Rodimus checking up on him. He pushed the button to receive the transmission.
"Hello?" Optimus Prime said.
"Hello, Prime," the other voice said. Optimus became startled: he knew this voice.
"Galvatron?!?"
"Yes, Optimus Prime," Galvatron said. "I have returned."
"How did you�.?"
"Oh, Unicron helped me escape from my icy prison, Prime."
Suddenly Optimus Prime realized that the Galvatron speaking was the one that had been defeated single-handedly by the first Fortress Maximus in the year 1990. No one was particularly sure where he had come from, but didn't worry because he had been missing for years, and assumed dead.
"What do you want, Galvatron?" Optimus Prime said.
"Nothing from you, Prime. I have not faced you in combat since I was Megatron, and I remember you being a formidable foe. Now that I have come to this particular reality, I suppose I should be rid of you before you cause any damage to my campaign."
Galvatron, aboard Cyclonus, ordered the Sweeps to take out the ship. Firing their lasers, they knocked out the engine of the Paladin, making the ship spin out of control. Optimus tried to regain control of the ship, but it seemed to be impossible. In a moment, the Decepticons would turn and fire again to destroy the remainder of the ship. He looked around for some way to escape, and saw none. He knew that there was nothing that could save him now.
"Fire!" Scourge ordered as the Sweeps turned around and headed for the Paladin once more. The ship rocked violently, and began catching on fire. Optimus Prime was still inside, trying to find a way out. He looked through the window and saw that the ship was heading for a nearby energy field, one that was charted years ago by the Nebulans. Prime knew that flying into this area was extremely dangerous.
Galvatron watched as the Paladin began drifting for the energy field. The ship entered the field, and exploded. Grinning, Galvatron knew that Optimus Prime would not be a problem again.
Back on Cybertron, Rodimus Prime was boarding a search vessel, along with a few other Autobots. They were going on this mission to investigate a recent development regarding Optimus Prime's sabbatical. Cerebros had called in a few days ago saying that Optimus had visited the planet to say hello, and left. A few hours after he had left, an explosion was seen in the sky. Explosions were not necessarily unusual due to an energy field that was nearby. A stray meteorite or object sometimes would enter the field and would explode. But when they attempted to regain contact with the Paladin, no response was heard. This led to a search crew being assembled: Rodimus Prime, Kup and Grimlock were boarding to navigate the area in question.
"Grimlock!" Rodimus said. He was a little impatient due to his concern for Optimus Prime. "Are you going to get on this damn shuttle or not?"
"Me coming!" Grimlock snapped. "Me coming almighty Rodimus Prime!"
As the Dinobot commander went inside fuming, Kup took Rodimus aside. "Are you okay lad?" he asked. "You're sounding a bit harsh."
"I'm sorry, Kup," Prime said. "It's just what's been going on with Optimus Prime's disappearance. He's always been there for me, and I can't stand the thought that we've lost him again."
"I'm sure he's okay," Kup said. "There has got to be a reasonable explanation for all this."
"I hope so," Rodimus Prime said. "I sure hope so."
They all boarded the shuttle, and took off. Ultra Magnus watched the lift off with dismay. He had been left in charge, and was feeling uneasy about the recent developments. If foul play was a part of what had happened to Optimus Prime, Magnus hoped that Rodimus did not face the same fate.
While the Autobots had launched a search and rescue team to find Optimus Prime, Galvatron and his forces were planning an attack. Without Optimus, nothing really stood in the way of the Decepticons retaking Cybertron. The real problem was taking Earth. On that planet, the Autobots seemed to always have the upper hand due to their friendly relations with the human population. Also in the Autobots' favor was their last line of defense, Metroplex, still in operation. Metroplex was by far the most powerful and largest Transformer to date, and on many occasions defeated Trypticon, one of the largest Decepticons. Unless Metroplex was defeated on Earth, the Decepticon army would stand no chance of taking the planet.
Galvatron had pondered over this problem for days. Finally, he had reached a conclusion: Metroplex may be strong enough to take on Trypticon, but Trypticon and Scorponok would be a stacked match. The only problem was that the giant Decepticon had been lying dormant for a number of years, deactivated on Earth. Trypticon could be easily repaired, but bringing it back to life was another question. What Galvatron needed was the Creation Matrix, to bring the giant dinosaur back to life.
He left his throne room and shared his plan with his troops. They planned on attacking Cybertron, and keeping the Autobots busy while Galvatron found Rodimus Prime and took the Matrix from him to rebuild Trypticon once again.
What Galvatron didn't know was that his target had already left the planet of Cybertron and was searching the area around Nebulos. Rodimus Prime, Kup and Grimlock were still looking for some clue to what had happened a few days earlier. Optimus Prime was still missing, and the crew feared the worst.
Back on Cybertron, Ultra Magnus was awaiting any good news from the search and rescue team. He had been in charge of the Autobots after Rodimus Prime had left, and ordered that they begin training for attack. Ultra Magnus had been a little paranoid since the disappearance of Optimus, and felt that something sinister was behind it.
As Ultra Magnus supervised the training sessions, a distant noise was heard. A ship! Many of the other Autobots began cheering. Rodimus Prime must be back! Everyone was optimistic, except Magnus. He had been expecting the worst for some time now. He was absolutely right. Instead of the rescue ship that Rodimus and the other searchers were piloting, they saw the gigantic body of Scorponok flying their way.
"Autobots! Prepare for attack!" Ultra Magnus ordered.
As he had said this, the ship began firing. The Autobots took cover, hopelessly outgunned. They saw the Decepticons leaving the giant ship and begin attacking. The battle began, but it wasn't exactly difficult on the Autobot's part. Many of the Decepticons were not even trying hard to fight, as if the raid had another purpose. Then Ultra Magnus saw a familiar figure come from Scorponok.
"Galvatron!" he said, as the Decepticon leader flew down in front of him. "But, but�.."
"Prime killed me?" Galvatron said mockingly. "Guess you were wrong to think that."
Suddenly Ultra Magnus had a frightening thought. "What have you done with Optimus Prime?"
"Oh, don't jump to conclusions," Galvatron said, smiling sinisterly. "I didn't touch him. You should blame the energy field that he flew into after we shot his ship a few times."
"NO!" Magnus cried. "This is for Optimus!"
Charging, Ultra Magnus began firing his gun at Galvatron. The Decepticon leader dodged the shots, and transformed, firing in his cannon mode. Magnus was struck in his shoulder, and fell. Struggling, he got up, and ran at Galvatron once again. Transforming, Galvatron stood as Magnus charged, and kicked him square in the face, making the Autobot land on his back. Galvatron walked over and knelt down.
"Where is Rodimus Prime?" he said. "Tell me, and I might let you live."
"Forget it, Galvatron," Ultra Magnus said weakly, but was firm. "You'll just have to kill me."
"Very well, Autobot," Galvatron said, smiling. "Say hello to Prime for me."
But before Galvatron could fire, he saw Ultra Magnus look off to the side. Following his gaze, he had just caught a glimpse of a fist before it struck his face. Flailing off to the side, Galvatron looked up and saw Rodimus Prime standing valiantly.
"It's a good thing I chose to return when I got that distress beacon," Rodimus said.
"Ha!" Galvatron said. "I'm glad you did, you're the reason I came to Cybertron. I will give you two choices: give me the Matrix, or I will tear it out from your cold dead hands."
"I will never give you the Matrix, Galvatron," Rodimus Prime replied. "And I doubt I'll be cold and dead any time soon."
"You stupid Autobots," Galvatron said. "Never willing to give up."
"It's an old Autobot doctrine, Galvatron," Rodimus said. "Stand firm until the end."
"Well, hope you stand as firm as Optimus Prime did," Galvatron said. "Especially when his ship exploded."
"What?" Rodimus Prime asked. "You��.you killed him?!?"
"Well, I can't take full credit," the Decepticon replied, laughing. "I merely told the Sweeps to take out the Paladin. Although I would love to be able to present his head to you as proof."
"Murderer!" Rodimus cried. "You'll pay for your crimes, Galvatron!"
The Autobot charged Galvatron with all the force he had. Tackling the Decepticon, he began pummeling Galvatron in the face repeatedly. Surprised, but not fazed, Galvatron kicked Rodimus off of him and transformed, firing his cannon. Foreseeing this, Rodimus Prime had transformed as well and began driving around, dodging each blast. When he had gone around Galvatron, Rodimus rammed him from behind as the Decepticon had transformed back into robot mode. Transforming, Prime ran over to Galvatron and picked him up, much in the way he had in the second Unicron War, and threw him into a wall.
This had stunned Galvatron, who was not used to such power with Rodimus Prime. Mistake, he thought. He should have never mentioned the death of Optimus Prime, angering Rodimus only made him more resilient. Galvatron remembered Rodimus Prime being a worthy opponent, but he was vanquished easily. This dimension's version of his old foe was by far more powerful.
As Galvatron struggled to get up, he saw Rodimus Prime charging once again. The Decepticon dodged as Rodimus attempted to tackle him, and turned to fire his cannon. He was too slow. Prime had seen that Galvatron would move. So, he stopped, and as Galvatron turned to see where he was, Prime landed a punch on Galvatron's jaw as he charged from the side. Galvatron flailed to the ground, and looked up as Rodimus Prime produced his rifle.
"This is for Optimus," Rodimus said.
BANG! The shot was heard, but it did not come from Rodimus Prime's weapon. Instead, he was the one who fell over, showing a smoking wound in his back. Galvatron looked over, and saw that Cyclonus had snuck up behind them and fired a shot into Rodimus's back.
"Thank you, Cyclonus," Galvatron said, getting up. "You're receiving top merit for this."
"I came over here during the battle," Cyclonus said. "And in my opinion, Lord Galvatron, we should retreat. The Autobots have gained an upper hand."
"Fine," Galvatron said, walking over to Rodimus Prime's body. "I have what I came for. Tell the Decepticons to retreat."
Cyclonus hurried off, and reported the news. As the Decepticons began boarding Scorponok, Galvatron knelt down to Rodimus Prime. Turning him over, he pulled up the Autobot's chest plate to reveal the Creation Matrix, and removed it.
"C-can't let you take it," Rodimus said meekly. His arm moved to grab on to the Matrix, which Galvatron easily shook off.
"I am taking it, Prime," Galvatron said. "And your life as well." He aimed his cannon at Rodimus's face.
"NO!" a voice said. Galvatron turned around to see Grimlock, along with his Dinobots. Their weapons were drawn. Grimlock himself was already approaching Galvatron with his energo sword.
"Give back the Matrix, Galvatron," Grimlock said. "Don't hurt Rodimus either, or we fire."
"Very well Autobot, you have me cornered," Galvatron said. He looked up and saw Scorponok's body in ship mode hovering overhead. "I will spare your leader's life, but I am sorry to say that the Matrix is mine now."
With that, Galvatron flew up to his ship, while the Dinobots began firing their weapons. Galvatron flew into Scorponok, and the giant ship took off.
When they had left, Grimlock ordered Slag to check on Ultra Magnus, while he went over to Rodimus Prime. He had already begun his transformation back to Hot Rod, and looked up at Grimlock with weak but determined eyes.
"We have to get the Matrix back," Hot Rod said. "If we don't, all is lost."
TO BE CONTINUED