CHAPTER 1

The Invasion

Civil war had ravaged Cybertron, homeworld of the Transformers, for millions of years. Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, recently discovered an ancient power that would give him the edge to win over the hated Autobots.

Called Dark Energon, this power remained locked away in an orbital station under the protection of a Sky Commander named Starscream.

Starscream had no intention of letting Megatron get his hands on the Dark Energon. For it was a dangerous substance, capable of destroying Cybertron itself if enough was acquired. Centuries ago, there had been an accident on Trypticon Station, where a stash of Dark Energon had exploded and destroyed nearly a quarter of the entire station. As a result, only small stocks were kept in the station since, to prevent further such accidents from happening.

And now, Megatron had begun his invasion of that very same station, intent on getting a hold of the Dark Energon. As soon as the guards reported the incoming Decepticon forces, Starscream ordered everyone, both Seekers and Grounders to fight back, whether using battle ships or their own alternate modes. Starscream himself remained with his Air Commanders, among them being Jetfire, Thundercracker and Skywarp, in the conference room deep within the heart of the station, trying to plan out their next moves.

"We need to use everything we've got," Starscream said. "And blow them away before they can even arrive here."

"Isn't that overkill?" Thundercracker asked. "It's just a few ships, we've got thousands of warriors and a giant plasma cannon available. There's no way we'll lose."

"We can't let the Decepticons get a hold of the Dark Energon," Starscream replied. "It would be the end of us all. And the war wouldn't have gone this long if our invaders were weak."

"Starscream's right," Jetfire went in. "There must be a reason why they chose to only send this few. But I also agree with Thundercracker, we can't use all our fighters, we'd leave the station under-guarded."

"Why not just fire that big cannon we got?" Skywarp suggested. "It should blow them to bits in seconds, and we won't have to waste any more Seekers."

"It's already launching fire on them every few seconds," Starscream replied. "And has a very unprecise aim, easy for them to avoid with their small cruisers. We need to send more warriors."

"Why don't you do something yourself then, Commander?" Skywarp snapped. "Go out there and face this Mega-something yourself, huh?"

"I do not appreciate your tone, Skywarp," Starscream snarled. "And there is no need for me or any of you to get involved in this fight. The troops will take care of it."

A violent tremor shook the whole room the Air Commanders and Sky Commander were standing in. They all fell onto the floor, taken by surprise at the tremor.

"What was that?!" Starscream exclaimed.

"Commander Starscream," a purple Seeker shouted as she came running into the room from the hallway leading to the containment chamber. "One of the Decepticon ships has crashed into the station."

"Any survivors?" Starscream asked as he and the others got up.

"Affirmative," she replied. "And it looks like the leader's among them. They're entering the station right now."

Starscream snarled and swore. "Didn't I tell you?" he hissed at the others. "Now I'll have to go activate the defense systems! Jetfire, get out there and lead a squadron to fight back their air support!"

"Right away," Jetfire said and reverted to jet mode, zooming out through the semi-windows leading to the outside.

"Thundercracker, get to the control systems and lock the doors! We need to block their way here."

"I'll get right to it," Thundercracker replied and left the conference room before assuming alternate mode to get to the control room.

"Skywarp, assemble the troops and fight back the invaders within the station!"

"Yessir!" Skywarp said and ran out of the conference room to find the troops.

"Slipstream," Starscream said to the femme, "remain here and report if anything changes."

Slipstream frowned for a brief moment before nodding. "As you wish, Commander," she replied.

"I will go speak with this Decepticon leader," Starscream informed before he too left the conference room, leaving Slipstream behind to guard the place.

Slipstream sighed in annoyance as she stood by the monitors, awaiting further orders and keeping an optic on everything.

"I'm an Air Commander, yet somehow I'm just a guard," she hissed to herself. "One of these days, I'll show that self-absorbed, loathsome lunatic what I'm made of..."

As Starscream left the conference room, he went over to one of the communications panels and accessed it. Wherever these Decepticons were, he would be able to give them a warning and a chance to turn back, before this invasion could escalate into an all-out battle. Starscream would rather not lose too many of his troops, but protection of the station was utmost important, especially as they had been tasked with this by the High Council and Zeta Prime himself, eons ago.

Soon, the communications link opened, and Starscream received a live video feed of three gray Decepticons, one with two cannons on his back, a small black one, and one big mech in the middle with a large fusion cannon mounted on his right arm.

That must be the leader, Starscream thought while gazing at the middle mech. I can sense power and dominance from this one.

On their side, the communications link displayed a large hologram of Starscream himself. Having made the connection, Starscream began to speak through the microphone.

"I am Starscream," he introduced himself. "And I have protected my station for over a thousand years!"

The mech in the middle with the fusion cannon shoved his two comrades aside and stepped forward.

"I am Megatron, leader of the Decepticons," the mech rumbled at the hologram. "This space station is Decepticon property! Surrender immediately!"

Starscream barked a laugh at the threat. "Whoever you are, you've traveled a long way just to meet your doom!"

Knowing where the invaders were now, Starscream activated the turrets and marked their location on his personal map of the station. Afterwards, he shut down the link and the hologram of himself, and then he opened a comm. to his Air Commanders. He told the coordinates of the invaders, and each of them got to work with their respective missions.

Thundercracker locked the doors around the area and activated the defense drones and turrets; Skywarp led the guards through the various sections of the station, after which he teleported away to lead the next group of guards from a different path; and Jetfire patrolled the area outside the station, assigning the Seekers to different posts and to take care of the reinforcements outside.

While his Air Commanders were doing their respective objectives, Starscream himself kept track of this 'Megatron's' position and activated the various traps and defense mechanisms installed on the station thousands of years ago. It was a pretty old facility, and much of its technology was outdated and antiquated, but Starscream was confident it would do the job.

Unfortunately, Megatron and his forces turned out to be much tougher than first assumed. Even though there were only three of them leading the main attack, they plowed through Starscream's troops like they were nothing. Megatron was accompanied by a big brute called Brawl, a Combaticon worthy of the name, and a smaller mech called Barricade, quick and effective in dealing with opponents without getting scratched himself.

But their leader, Megatron, was the very definition of a warrior. Before the war, he had been the greatest gladiator on Cybertron, and before that, he had been but a simple miner. No one had expected Megatron to pose as big a threat as he did. No one had expected him to not only start, but survive through a civil war lasting for millions of years. And certainly no one had expected Megatron to find out about the existence of Dark Energon and try to invade Trypticon Station, where it existed.

As Starscream had said, Skywarp and Thundercracker did not get involved in the battle themselves, merely doing their part to hinder Megatron the best they could. Jetfire led the air force outside and did fight the invaders himself, though the attackers on the outside were beginning to thin out. This was more due to the fact that they were moving inside the station than the fact that their forces were dwindling.

Starscream observed the path Megatron was taking on his map. As he saw where they were heading, he got an idea and opened a comm. link.

"This is Commander Starscream," he announced. "The invaders are leaving the storage chamber and are heading for the next room. I will transmit the coordinates. Prepare an ambush!"

"Yes, Commander Starscream!" sounded from his comm.

Starscream transmitted the coordinates and waited for the troops to gather and prepare the ambush. It took a few minutes before they reported back.

"Starscream, the ambush is set," a soldier reported. "They won't make it past us."

"I shall hold you to that, soldier," Starscream replied.

"Yessir!"

With that, the comm. link ended, and Starscream stepped away. He began pacing back and forth, waiting for the results of the ambush. Barely half an hour later, his comm. link pinged.

"Yes?" he said. "Have you taken care of the invaders?"

"Negative, Commander," the caller replied. "They saw right through us and ambushed the ambush! They're advancing to-ARGH!"

The comm. was abruptly ended. The caller had likely just been blasted to bits. Starscream swore and returned to the communications panel, opening an audio link to across the station.

"Megatron!" Starscream snarled. "I thought you'd be scrap metal by now. Your survival... intrigues me."

"I shall not be denied, Starscream," Megatron replied back over the comm. "Surrender your Dark Energon program to me immediately!"

"Dark Energon...? Are you mad? Dark Energon brings only death and chaos!"

"I am COUNTING on it," Megatron replied back.

Starscream snarled and ended the comm. "So he is looking for the Dark Energon after all," he mused to himself as he paced around, thinking about what to do now. "And he's not so weak either. This could prove troublesome. Thundercracker!" he added on the comm. "Lock the doors in sector 43! Megatron's headed in that direction! Do not let him advance!"

"On it!" Thundercracker replied.

"Skywarp," Starscream called on another comm. "Send reinforcements to sector 43! We'll eradicate the invaders with no way of letting them escape!"

"Got it, boss," Skywarp said.

"Starscream," Slipstream shouted, having left the conference room, catching Starscream's attention. "I have news!"

"Didn't I tell you to stay in the conference room?!" Starscream snarled at the femme. "Get back in there and-"

"The Decepticons have taken over one of our command centers," Slipstream interrupted. "And captured the troops stationed there."

"What?!" Starscream exclaimed. "How can that be? Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Because I first got the report now!" Slipstream hissed. "Apparently this 'Megatron' guy had his intelligence officer sneak in from another path and ambush the guards before they could report anything."

"Scrap," Starscream swore. "Just what we needed, the invaders having access to a base of operations within my station! This is outrageous!"

"What can I do, sir?" Slipstream asked.

"Get back in the conference room and obtain more information," Starscream snarled. "And next time you have something to report to me, do it over the comm.! We can't waste time with these bots, they're stronger than I thought!"

"Fine, I'll get to it, sir," Slipstream snarled back and returned to the conference room.

Starscream snorted in her direction. Soon, a comm. from Thundercracker opened.

"Uhh, Starscream, we have a problem here," Thundercracker reported.

"What is it?" Starscream growled.

"I locked all the doors, but the invaders figured out to use the shielded hallway as an escape route, by cutting its power."

"What? Why did you leave the hallway open?!"

"We needed to get the troops through to blow 'em up, remember?" Skywarp's voice sounded from a new comm. "Like you ordered us to?"

"Argh, I can't believe this is happening!" Starscream snarled in frustration. "Follow them and don't let them out of sight! Use your fragging maps, for Primus' sake!"

"Yessir!" the two Seekers replied before cutting the comm.

Starscream returned to his pacing and fumed in frustration.

"I'm surrounded by morons," he hissed to himself. "Can't anybot do anything right in this place?! Jetfire, status report!"

"Megatron has arrived in the captured command center, I'm afraid," Jetfire reported on the comm. "I tried to talk him out of it, but he won't listen."

"I suspect no amount of talk will convince him to stop, my friend," Starscream replied. "Any remaining attackers outside?"

"Negative. I think we got them all."

"Circle the station just to be sure. Assign patrol units and guard the shattered section. If Megatron plans to acquire the Dark Energon, he will have to go through there. It doesn't seem like he or his followers are capable of flight. We have the advantage as Seekers. Get to it, Jetfire!"

"Yes, Starscream!" With that, Jetfire left the comm.

Starscream sighed as he resumed his pacing. "It's barely been half a day, and already this Megatron has taken control of a fifth of the station. And it seems he has more forces striking us than we anticipated. This Megatron is a clever bot. Too clever. Thundercracker, status report!"

"I have locked down all logical routes to the Dark Energon reactor, Starscream," Thundercracker reported. "Now they won't be getting here so easily."

Starscream smirked. Finally, something was going his way. The smirk fell a second later as a thought struck his mind.

"What about the illogical routes?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"This Megatron bot is erratic and unpredictable. He anticipated our ambush and took advantage of your sloppy sealing of section 43. Are you certain there is no route to take to get to my position?"

"Uh..."

"I need an answer, Thundercracker!"

"Well..."

"Is there or is there not?"

"There is one route I couldn't get access to," Thundercracker finally admitted. "But it's old and dangerous, and there's no way Megatron would know where it is without access to a Data Matrix Center."

Starscream felt his insides twisting. "You mean, like the one they are currently within a klik's distance away from?" he asked strangely calmly. "You remembered to lock the doors to that section... right?"

There was silence for a moment.

"RIGHT?!"

"I... uh... I'll be right back," Thundercracker replied and abruptly ended the comm.

Starscream snarled and opened another comm. "Skywarp, make sure the Data Matrix Chamber near Megatron's location is properly guarded! It is, isn't it?"

"It is, Starscream," Skywarp replied. "They won't be making it through here so easy-Uh-oh."

"'Uh-oh'? What does 'uh-oh' mean?"

"Uhhhhh, call you right back!" And the comm. was cut.

Starscream let out a shriek of anger. "Thousands of years of nothing but an explosion that destroyed a quarter of the station," he growled. "And now suddenly there's an entire invasion, and for some reason everyone is unprepared and A BUNCH OF COMPLETE AND UTTER IDIOTS!"

Starscream paced back and forth in an attempt to calm his anger. "Maybe I should go meet this Megatron myself," he mused. "Give him a piece of my mind. If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself."

Starscream paused in his pacing and thought a bit more. "On the other hand, if this mech is as strong as it appears, even I might not stand a chance against him in a battle. Of course, I'm not a weakling like everyone else in this facility. If anyone stands a chance against this maniac, it is I. Then again... why bother, when they're not even anywhere near this place yet? There will be no need for me to participate directly in this battle. Everything will be fine."

Starscream went to the control panel and found the current location of Megatron and his followers. He activated the traps in the next room they entered, and ordered guards to enter with shields and fight back the invaders. They still had the advantage in numbers and knowing their way around the station. Megatron didn't. They could still win this battle.

"Starscream, I got some bad news," Skywarp reported. "Megatron defeated the troops and has now taken over the Data Matrix Chamber. And now they know where to go to get to your position."

"You've got to be kidding me," Starscream snarled and opened a holographic link to the chamber. "Megatron! You may have gotten this far... but you'll never get your hands on the Dark Energon!"

"Starscream... this acrimony is needless," Megatron replied, strangely calm. "I know who you once were, Sky Commander, and that you were betrayed. With Dark Energon, I shall return Cybertron to its former glory - and you to yours - IF you agree to serve me."

Starscream stared at the video feed as he listened to Megatron's words. He snarled in offense.

"You're a fool! No one can control Dark Energon!" And with that, he closed the link and opened another. "They're in the Data Matrix Chamber! Take them down!"

Starscream went back to his pacing. Megatron knew about him? Sure, Starscream used to be a famous Sky Commander, not to mention the former Winglord of Vos, which had been blown to bits eons ago now, by Tarn, which in turn was blown to bits by Vos itself, at the same time. Now, Starscream was Winglord of nothing, and now he could barely even call himself Sky Commander anymore, having been assigned to be a simple guard over this floating fortress for the last thousand years or so. Now was his chance to show everyone what he was made of, but the protection of the Dark Energon was more important than getting into a fight with a mad warlord.

"There is no way I would follow a bot like him," Starscream grumbled to himself. "I know his kind. He's nothing more than a brute, a simple gladiator who knows nothing other than slaughter. Why should I follow a maniac like him? I would rather abandon this place and let Cybertron rust than follow a lowly bot like Megatron."

Starscream paused in his pacing, thinking further on that thought. "That will be the last resort," he decided. "I'm not letting him have the Dark Energon. Even if I have to destroy it."

He'd rather not destroy the Dark Energon. Not so much because he wanted to use it, but because he worried how much the destruction of the substance would destroy of the station with it. It was very difficult to get rid of this element, just as difficult as it was with regular Energon. The only way to do this was to make it explode, but Dark Energon was incredibly destructive, so that would be the second last resort.

"As long as we can hinder Megatron from reaching this chamber, I won't have to risk my life destroying the stuff," Starscream decided. "But if he does, I won't let him or anyone have it."

"Commander Starscream," Slipstream reported on the comm. "It looks like Megatron found a way. He's heading for the manufacturing plant, and it's not blocking the path to our position."

"Can anyone deliver any good news for once?" Starscream grumbled. "Keep track of his position, Slipstream. Skywarp, send all guards to the manufacturing plant immediately! Don't let Megatron get through!"

"Right! You can count on me, sir!" The comm. ended, and Starscream was once again left in silence to pace around.

"Can I, though?" he mused, starting to get worried. "This isn't good. If they get through the plant, it's only a matter of time before they reach the shattered section, and then only the Seekers will be able to stop them from reaching this place."

Almost an hour passed before someone reported in.

"Starscream, bad news," Slipstream reported.

"What a surprise," Starscream said in a defeated tone. "What is it this time?"

"I'm afraid the Decepticons made it through the manufacturing plant and have reached the shattered sector."

Starscream's Spark skipped a beat. "Skywarp!" he shrieked on another comm. "The shattered sector is guarded, right?!"

"Uh... I don't think so," Skywarp replied. "Why?"

Starscream keened. "Jetfire! Send Seekers to the shattered sector immediately! Megatron has just arrived there!"

"Right away, Starscream!" Jetfire replied.

Starscream turned off his comm. and paced even faster around the chamber. "Scrap, scrap, scrap, scrap," he swore. "If the Seekers can't stop them, then their arrival here is imminent. It looks like I'll have to destroy the Dark Energon after all."

Starscream paused and vented deeply, trying to calm himself. "No need to worry here," he said to himself. "The Seekers are the best Fliers on Cybertron, and they are nothing if not highly trained. We have the advantage in air support here. And the gaps between the debris in the shattered sector are so large that they won't be able to jump through them all, not unless they possess jet boosters! And it sounds like they're Grounders, so naturally they don't possess those. They will never get here."

"Starscream, they're closing in," Jetfire reported. "The Seekers are falling one by one."

"Can anything go right today?!" Starscream shrieked. "Send all the Seekers to their position!"

"No one wants to go anywhere near those bots, Starscream," Jetfire replied. "They're losing their will to fight, I can't convince them to go!"

"Fragging cowards!" Starscream yelled. "Don't you dare leave me here by myself, Jetfire! If those morons won't do the job, you do it!"

"As much as I want to, I can't fight these bots by myself, Starscream," Jetfire protested. "What should we do?"

Starscream thought for a moment. "Keep following them," Starscream ordered. "Force the Seekers to fight if you have to! Threaten them, shoot them, do whatever it takes to make them fight! We can't let Megatron reach this chamber!"

Jetfire made an irking sound on the comm. "I will... do what I can," he replied and cut the comm.

Starscream let out a rattling sigh. "This is unbelievable, how could things end up this badly?" he said to himself.

Barely a moment later, Jetfire opened his comm. again. "Starscream, they've arrived at your position!" he practically exclaimed. "They're on their way inside! I can't stop them anymore!"

Starscream stiffened and felt his Spark skip a beat. "They're here?" he asked in disbelief. "They're HERE?!"

Starscream reverted to jet mode and opened a comm. to all his Air Commanders as he flew up within the protective force field surrounding the reactor.

"Everyone, regroup in the conference room immediately!" he shrieked. "I will destroy the Dark Energon, and then we must get away from this place!"

"We're coming!" Skywarp, Thundercracker and Jetfire replied. Slipstream remained silent on the comm.

As Starscream reached the top of the chamber, he noticed the three bots, Barricade, Brawl and Megatron enter the room. He reverted to bot mode in front of them and used his jet boosters to remain airborne.

"Impossible!" Starscream exclaimed in disbelief and shock. "No one has survived to reach this place!"

"You shall soon learn, Starscream..." Megatron said and took a step forward, his voice much louder and growlier than over the comm. "I decide what is possible and what isn't!"

Starscream snarled and opened a comm. "Guards! Hold him off while I destroy the last of the Dark Energon remnants!"

Starscream turned his back on the Decepticon invaders and instead accessed the monitor right where he was. The force field surrounding the reactor was strong enough that it would protect him from the invaders' attacks, should they try attacking him right there and then. In the background, he heard the roar of his guards as they made their way to Megatron and the others. He briefly gazed to the side and watched as the three Decepticons began making their way down.

Starscream turned back to the screen and accessed the Dark Energon stash. Destroying this substance was one of the last things he had wanted to do, but it seemed he no longer had a choice. The only thing he was more worried about in that moment than Megatron getting to the Energon in time was how bad the explosion would be. They would have to evacuate immediately.

Starscream heard several explosions from bombs and fusion cannons being fired. He felt himself pressed for time.

"Stop him!" Starscream shouted desperately on his comm. "I need more time to initiate the sequence!"

But Megatron's forces were already nearing the bottom, where they would be able to get under the protective force field and get access to not only the Dark Energon, but also Starscream himself.

"There's no time to destroy just the Dark Energon," Starscream hissed to himself. "I will have to destroy this entire sector!"

He was hesitant. He wouldn't have long to leave if he initiated self-destruct in this sector, and even if it did destroy the Dark Energon and the invaders, it could very well destroy the rest of the station as well.

"No, I must simply destroy the reactor," he said and accessed the controls to the reactor. "The force field should contain most of the explosion, hopefully it will leave this sector intact. Or at least the rest of the station."

Without further hesitation, he found the overload button and pressed it. He laughed merrily as he transformed and went for cover.

"You're too late!" Starscream cackled on the comm. in the chamber. "I have initiated the destruction sequence!"

It would take a few minutes for the reactor to self-destruct. Starscream entered the conference room to meet up with the others.

"Starscream," Jetfire greeted. "We're all here."

"How's it looking, boss?" Skywarp asked.

"You're blowing up the Dark Energon?" Thundercracker stated.

"It's the only way," Starscream replied. "Slipstream, activate the force field here. We're going to endure it."

"Yessir," Slipstream replied sourly. That femme was always so grumpy.

Soon, the sound of fighting ceased. And soon after, the sound of more firing and explosions sounded.

"What? I thought the fight was finished," Skywarp replied. "What's going on?"

Starscream gazed at the door. "They must be trying to destroy the containment field," he assumed. "Fools. They're trying to stop the destruction sequence by disrupting the reactor!"

"What do we do now?" Thundercracker asked concerned.

Starscream gazed at the door for a moment. "Open the door," he said to Slipstream. "I will handle this."

Slipstream stared at Starscream for a moment. "Are you sure, sir?" she asked.

"I am certain," Starscream snarled. "Open it now!"

Without further argument, Slipstream opened the door and deactivated the force field to let Starscream through. Starscream initiated jet mode and promptly left through the hallway into the chamber. He didn't know if he would be able to actually stop Megatron or even hold up against him in a fight, but it seemed there was no other choice. Starscream wasn't a weakling, he had taken on brutes bigger and badder than Megatron in the past.

When Starscream arrived at Megatron's position by the Dark Energon containment field - which, as predicted, had been destroyed - he reverted to bot mode and landed gracefully on the floor. But Megatron did not even offer him a glance, he just stood and stared into the gassy Dark Energon which was beginning to escape its containment. He slowly made his way there. Starscream scoffed at the sight.

"You arrogant fool!" Starscream shouted, both amused and slightly concerned about this mech's sanity. "No one has ever survived direct contact!"

Megatron did not even give him a reply. He just jumped directly into the containment chamber, right into the Dark Energon. Starscream felt a rush in his tanks, waiting for the Dark Energon to destroy the foolish warlord and gladiator.

But it didn't. Brawl and Barricade both stepped back in surprise, and even Starscream was taken aback. Instead of making him explode, the Dark Energon was absorbed by Megatron, and when the light from the unstable element disappeared, Megatron reappeared, not just whole, but glowing and sparkling, almost transformed.

"What? This isn't possible!" Starscream exclaimed and backed away in disbelief. "No! No one can control Dark Energon! It dominates and destroys everything it touches!"

Megatron laughed merrily while looking at himself and his sparkling body, and Starscream felt his courage and confidence leave him completely. This was no normal mech. There was no way Starscream could fight this bot, let alone defeat him.

"I... am the dominator," Megatron bellowed and descended to the ground with a tremor. "I... am the destroyer! I am MEGATRON!"

Starscream promptly transformed and fled the scene before Megatron could set his optics on him. He raced full speed to the conference room, through the open door, and reverted back to bot mode.

"Close the door, turn the force field back on, hurry!" Starscream shrieked at Slipstream, who immediately got to it.

"What's going on?" Jetfire asked concerned, as the door was closed and shielded. "Why are you back already?"

"Did you show that Megatron guy who's boss?" Skywarp asked.

Starscream stared at them all three. "That guy is dangerous," he said, strangely quiet. "He just absorbed the Dark Energon I tried to destroy. It... it made him stronger."

"What?!" Jetfire exclaimed in disbelief. "This can't be!"

"So what are we gonna do now, huh, Commander?" Slipstream asked from the side. "If he's as strong as we've seen, and can control that Dark stuff, I don't think the force field's gonna hold."

Starscream glanced from Slipstream to the door and back to his three Air Commanders. His mind was blank. He didn't know what to do. Every possible bad outcome had taken place. Every thing that could go wrong went wrong. The Decepticons had been so few, yet they had completely annihilated Starscream's forces and mowed their way through to the very thing the Seekers had been tasked with protecting.

"Starscream?" Jetfire called concerned. "Are you alright?"

"We've lost this battle," Starscream hissed. "And you ask me if I'm alright?! We have to evacuate this place if we are to survive!"

"We can't let Megatron have Trypticon Station and the Dark Energon!" Jetfire protested. "If they get this, Cybertron is doomed!"

"There's barely any Dark Energon left," Starscream protested back. "Whatever's left won't be enough for Megatron to do whatever he wants! If we leave, he'll only get an empty husk!"

"No, Jetfire's right," Thundercracker protested. "Trypticon Station is more than just a facility, remember? It's-"

Before Thundercracker could continue, an explosion sounded behind them, and the Air Commanders looked at the door.

"They're coming," Skywarp said. "The force field is down, and now they're coming for us!"

"Way to state the obvious, Skywarp," Slipstream snapped from the monitor and stepped back. "I'll just be over here in the corner if anyone needs me..."

"What are you doing?" Starscream snarled. "Get over here!"

"Nope!"

Starscream snarled but pulled his attention away from Slipstream, instead focusing on the window behind them. It was their only escape route. But if they escaped, Megatron would have Trypticon Station and everything in it, Dark Energon or not. Thundercracker was right, there was more to this station than met the eye. It was said that the station was the dormant form of a Titan. If Megatron got control over the station, he would likely learn this eventually, and then he would use this Titan to fight back the Autobots. Not only would he win the war, he would likely even end up destroying most of Cybertron.

Starscream stared into the thin air, desperately thinking of a solution here. He could only think of three options here: run away and survive, but leave Trypticon Station in Megatron's hands; stay and fight and face certain doom, also leaving Trypticon Station in Megatron's hands; or stay and beg for mercy and join Megatron, risky but with a chance of survival, and naturally letting Trypticon Station fall into Megatron's hands.

"Trypticon Station is lost, no matter what we decide to do," Starscream barely whispered. "The only choice we can make is to determine if we are to survive or not."

"We're giving up?!" Jetfire exclaimed in disbelief. "We can't just give up! We have to-"

Before Jetfire could continue his lecture, a lightning struck through the door and broke it down. The Seekers turned around and gazed at the emergence of Megatron, Brawl and Barricade, all sparkling with the power of Dark Energon.

"Dark Energon is mine to command," Megatron declared as the Decepticons entered the conference room. "Through my will alone shall Cybertron be restored!"

Starscream took a step back in uncertainty while Jetfire took a step forward in confidence.

"It's too unstable, Megatron!" Jetfire said, desperate to get through to the warlord. "Using that power... you're endangering our entire world!"

Starscream gazed at Megatron, Barricade and Brawl, but especially at Megatron. Suddenly, a series of images flashed by his optics, as brief as a second, but enough that he could remember them all. His Energon froze by the memory of the images.

Images of him getting attacked and brutalized by Megatron. Images of him getting threatened at gun point and knife point by the Autobots. Images of him getting a fusion cannon pointed at him by Megatron. Images of him getting laughed at by countless bots because he had failed. Images of a destroyed Cybertron.

Images of what was going to happen if he joined Megatron.

Without realizing it, Starscream had backed off almost all the way to the window, behind his three Air Commanders. Slipstream's idea of hiding in the corner didn't seem so stupid now. Starscream wished he had done the same sooner. He wished he had just left when he announced it. He wished he had just forced the others to go out.

Now, there was no escape.

At least, no escape for everyone.

Jetfire tried to reason with Megatron, but the warlord merely stared coldly at Starscream, who stared back, not coldly, but in fear. Fear of what this mighty mech could do. Of what he would do. There was no point trying to fight this mech. There was no point trying to persuade him into taking him in.

There was no point fighting anymore.

After several seconds of hesitation, Starscream made his decision.

He transformed to jet mode, drawing everyone's attention.

He turned tail and shot his way out through the window.

He accelerated to full speed toward Cybertron, leaving his allies and enemies behind.

He didn't even look back to see Jetfire, Thundercracker and Skywarp's shocked expressions as they realized they had just been abandoned and betrayed by their leader.

A leader who was too cowardly to face danger anymore.

I've had enough of this war, Starscream thought distressed, not even daring to look back to see if he was being followed. I quit.