The Energon Pub

PART 191

——“Your reign shall be far shorter than Starscream’s!” shouted Alpha Trion, from his prone position on the floor. “Already you have one less moon to rule!”
——Several Decepticons converged on the bound Prime, intent on stomping him into sheet metal.
——Galvatron forbid it. “No! Stand him up. I wish to hear what he has to say.”
——Cyclonus and Scourge each grabbed an arm and hoisted Alpha Trion to his feet.
——“The knowledge that you seek you will not gain from me, murderer.”
——Galvatron acknowledged Alpha Trion with a vicious backhand that sent some of his teeth clattering across the floor.
——“Where are your brothers hiding?” he demanded.
——“If I knew, I would not tell you.”
——“No matter. Scourge can track them anywhere in the galaxy. Where is the Covenant of Primus, then? Surely you know the whereabouts of that rusted old tome?”
——“My second reply is the same as my first.”
——“Annoying old Prime—!”
——Galvatron drew back his hand to strike him again, but Unicron’s voice gave him pause.
——”DO NOT INDULGE HIM. RIP OPEN HIS BELLY. THERE YOU WILL FIND THE COVENANT.”
——Galvatron delivered a single punch to Alpha Trion’s lower torso, bending the Autobot emblem that had been forged into a cover plate. He pried it off and then plunged his hand into the Prime’s internals. Slotted horizontally between his fuel tank and T-Cog is where the tyrant’s fingers fell upon the Covenant. Galvatron snatched it out, snagging loose the accompanying Quill in a loop of wires.
——Alpha Trion disguised his discomfort as disdain while Galvatron perused its pristine pages.
——“Are you searching for a way to destroy your master?”
——“Silence, librarian!”
——“I refuse. The Quill, in tandem with the Covenant, can be weaponized to accomplish such a feat. Sadly, you—a reforged slave held in Unicron’s thrall—lack the autonomy to utilize them.”
——“Tell me what I must do, quickly! I wish to be free of—“
——“KILL HIM NOW, GALVATRON, OR YOU YOURSELF SHALL SUFFER!”
——“Yes. I obey… my master.”
——Galvatron grasped the book with two hands, held it high, then brought it down repeatedly over the top of Alpha Trion’s head until it was a compacted, lumpy mass level with the horn jutting from his brow.
——Alpha Trion glitched uncontrollably in a cloud of smoke created by his own overloading cerebral circuits. When it became apparent that his injuries would not be enough to end him, Galvatron tore the Quill from his torso and stabbed the elder Transformer through the Spark.
——The energy unleashed lit up the entire Hall of Records. After it subsided, Alpha Trion’s body crumbled to pieces before the astonished Decepticons’ faces. Cyclonus and Scourge stepped away from the scrap pile so that the crowd could get a clear view of what remained of the Autobots’ greatest advisor.
——Galvatron threw the Covenant up in the air and shot it. Its foil pages floated down upon his cheering soldiers, covering them like confetti.
——“Cyclonus! Scourge! To me!” commanded Galvatron. “We leave for Quintessa immediately. Our mission isn’t over until all the Primes meet with a similar fate!”

(to be continued)

PART 192

——“Mighty Galvatron… a word please, if I may,” requested Cyclonus.
——“Make it quick, Cyclonus!” said Galvatron, as they strode to a far corner for privacy. “I’m eager to spill the energon of another Prime. My Spark sings for it!”
——“I advise caution,” said Cyclonus, in their huddle. “The Quintessons command a substantial army. Finding and killing a Prime in such a hostile—and alien—environment will be quite difficult. Also, we must consider the source of the information—!”
——“Yes… the Silver Snake,” sneered Galvatron. “What do you suggest?”
——“Send others in our stead. Once Quintus Prime is located, we will swoop in to terminate him if our proxies cannot complete the task.”
——“Excellent advice, Cyclonus.”
——Galvatron turned swiftly and found Astrotrain. “Transport the Seacons to Quintessa,” he told the Triple Changer. “If my aquatic assassins encounter Quintus Prime there, call me if they fail to leave him face down in that world’s fetid waters.”
——“As you command, Lord Galvatron.”
——Razorclaw stepped forward to speak with the Decepticon leader as soon as he finished giving Astrotrain his assignment.
——“Galvatron. We Predacons humbly request that you allow us to take our hunt for Sky Lynx to the stars.”
——“I grant you your request, Razorclaw. Take our fastest star cruiser. Contact me when you have tracked down your quarry so that I may join you. The Primes aboard that absurd Autobot are mine… and mine alone.”
——“Understood, Lord Galvatron. We thank you for this generous opportunity.”
——“You can show your appreciation by not failing me. I do not wish to be disappointed with your group a second time, Razorclaw.”
——“Enjoy your hunt… beasts,” bade Scourge, although his optics weren’t on the departing Predacons, they were focused on his doppelgänger pushing his way past the sentries posted at the Hall’s main entrance.
——“Sweep-3!” he exclaimed, upon reuniting with his scarred huntsman. “I see that the account of your demise at the hands of a mini-bot were in error.”
——“Thank the dark god for my superior design!” praised Sweep-3.
——“This particular Sweep does seem exceptionally resilient, Scourge.” conceded Cyclonus. “I did not expect him to survive the Autobot’s cowardly attack.”
——“If only my mind was as tough as my body,” replied Sweep-3. “It seems that the trauma of the ordeal erased much of my memory bank.”
——“An inconvenience, surely, but one of little importance.” dismissed Scourge. “We hunt and kill Primes for Unicron. That is all you need know.”

(to be continued)

PART 193

——Prowl

——Goldbug gives his latest report to me over Teletraan-1. Honestly, I’m impressed that his spy network is still functioning after all that’s happened. Alpha Trion is the latest casualty. Goldbug gets emotional when speaking about him the way a student would a mentor. He recounts how Alpha Trion rebuilt him after a Space Bridge accident left him wrecked and mostly mind-wiped one million years in the past. One Spark, two lives led… similar, but different.
——Ultra Magnus’ unit is on the run. The only way I can assist them is by preventing a bad situation from becoming worse. I know that Shockwave wants the key to Vector Sigma. This means that he either has someone coming to deliver it to him, or he plans to travel to Cybertron to get it. My blockade blocks both options. I have Broadside disguised as an aircraft carrier near the Nemesis. All five Aerialbots aboard are ready to fly on the word go. No one gets in… or out.

——Shockwave

——I no longer have need of the Nemesis. My forces abandoned it days ago in anticipation of an attack by the Autobots or the flesh creatures. The battle between Devastator and the Dinobots that resulted in the destruction of Sherman Dam achieved its intended purpose; it elicited an emotional response from the flesh creatures. In their anger, they have mobilized their feeble military against both factions.
——Predictably, the Autobots will intervene in any conflict between us and the inhabitants of this world. In doing so, the Autobots will become targets of their wrath as they seek to protect those who serve as the very distraction that leads to their downfall.

(to be continued)

PART 194

Prowl

——My agent imbedded in the human military tells me that they’re on the move. Some would say that it’s very functionist of me to use Outback as a spy because of his alt-form, but hey, I’m doing the best with what I’ve got.
——I send Tailgate and Hubcap out to make travel difficult. Hubcap fouls up the traffic lights in the city, while Tailgate causes crashes on the highways.
——Tailgate objects at first because he thinks that Earth vehicles are alive. Once I convince him otherwise, he does his job well by using a ferrocobalt magnet behind his bumper to add a ton of extra weight to cars as they switch lanes. The resulting fender benders and screwy signals bring traffic to a standstill. Prime probably wouldn’t approve, but it’s better to have some humans with hurt backs than piles of ashes lying around.
——Once their military begins off-roading their way out of that mess, I’ll have Groove tear through the city creating noisy, “giant robot disturbances” that will be impossible to ignore. Out of character for Groove, but his motorcycle mode is best suited for the role. Again, call me a functionist and I’ll deny it to the end. We can’t have humans getting caught up in our war.

Shockwave

——Our attack on the Ark was set to commence minutes after the arrival of the flesh creatures’ military, but I failed to factor in a lack of proficiency regarding the operation of motorized vehicles by the larger populace. The collective incompetence of this species will result in our pawns coming into contact with the Autobots much later than expected. My timetable makes no allowances for such delays. My plans must move forward without them.
——The Stunticons use their force field protected hulls to drive a wedge through miles of immobilized machinery en route to the Ark. A yellow Autobot, secreted among the Earth vehicles, attempts to impede their path and is ultimately dealt with.
—— After his destruction, it was reported that the Autobot attempted to charm my Stunticons into changing factions. Failing that, he offered Motormaster a Cygar that was soon discovered to be a listening device. Curious, I switch to my primary configuration, land, and then begin examining this crafty, fallen Autobot. His name is Hubcap. His last communication was with their strategist, Prowl.
——What I initially believed to be a series of accidents is now revealed to be a deliberate plot to hinder the advancement of the flesh creatures’ ground forces. Our enemies may now know that we are coming to destroy them, but meticulous planning insures that the element of surprise is not lost to us.

(to be continued)