Season 2

Orion Pax Part 1

Story POV

"In hindsight, we accomplished what was required.

With Unicron's awakening, extreme measures needed to be taken.

Enemies became allies, allies became confidants.

And, with the Matrix of Leadership, the planet Earth was saved.

Though at immeasurable personal cost When Optimus surrendered the Matrix, he'd lost more than the collective wisdom of the Primes…

…He lost himself."

Rachet grimly explained to everyone that was gathering around the main area of the base.

Everyone was either confused, angry, or both.

"That doesn't follow." Arcee placed her hands on her hips "Optimus knew Megatron!

"They we're like BFFs!" Bulkhead added followed by a few beeps from Bumblebee.

"If Optimus did not know his own name… perhaps it is because the title of Prime hasn't yet been granted to him." Ratchet theorized.

Fowler: Huh

Jack: What?

Miko: Say Again?

With the power of the Matrix no longer within him, it would stand to reason that Optimus has reverted to his pre-Prime state: the historical archivist, Orion Pax. Ratchet explained.

"You mean in his mind" June concluded.

"ARE YOU TELLING ME, PRIME THINKS HE IS SOME KIND OF LIBRARIAN? AND A DECEPTICON?!" Fowler called out at the top of his voice in disbelief.

Nemesis

As the warship flew across the sky in front of the setting sun. Megatron broadcasted a message to all those in attendance in the control room, and the ship

"Attention, crew." He began, as he had his arms behind is back.

"Our guest is currently in isolation, to help ease his transition.

But when Orion Pax emerges, he is to be shown every courtesy.

And the first to address him as "Optimus Prime" will have their voice-box torn out." He finished

Slipstream approached her leader.

"Lord Megatron. Is it wise, to allow an Autobot, current or former, full run of the premises?"

She questioned.

Megatron slightly turned at looked over his shoulder and addressed his current Second in command, after Starscream's supposed 'capture'

"Nothing happens aboard this ship without my knowledge. You would do well to remember that, Slipstream.

But there's no need for concern. Orion does not possess the same fight Optimus is so renown for."

"Actually, my lord, there are some concerns that need to be addressed."

Megatron raised one of his brows. "Such as…" he deeply replied.

"Blitzwing, Flamewar, and Thunderblast. The two formers have been known to be violent and unstable.

Blitzwing with his alt personalities, while one is clamming the other two are more likely to lash out if they catch sight of Optimus. And Flamewar is unstable enough as it is. You know what they are capable of doing."

"And the latter?"

"It's Thunderblast sir, you know how much she likes to talk"

Megatron nodded slightly in agreement. And turned away.

"Both issues can easily be avoided. I will make sure Blitzwing and Flamewar are sent on patrols more often. The less time they spent on this ship, the better. As for Thunderblast, you will keep her busy."

Slipstream looked appalled.

"B-But M-my, My lord" she stuttered "She is unbearable" she whined.

Megatron turned around and narrowed her optics at her.

"Then I would find a way to make it less unbearable, is that clear?" he leaned closer.

"Yes, sir." She said in defeat.

"Good, now if you have any duties left to go finish them, and if not go rest. But be ready to be called at a moment's notice, when I summon you."

Megatron turned away.

"Of course, my lord" She bowed her head and placed her hand on her chest. She turned and walked away.

"Looks like someone got stuck with sparkling duty." Barricade mocked as he and Swindle both gave a short laugh.

She paid no attention to them as she walked out. Only giving them the finger as she left. A Human gesture she found most fitting. And most enjoyable.

Medical Bay

Knockout was tasked with replacing the Autobot logo and switching it to the Decepticon logo.

"Welcome back to the winning team" he smiled.

Autobot Base

"Being a Decepticon is a choice, Agent Fowler." Ratchet explained

"One I have a hard time believing Optimus would make at any point in his life."

"So, if he's riding with the Con's…" Bulkhead began.

"…it's because Megatron is working some kind of voodoo." Arcee finished.

"Orion Pax may not currently be an Autobot up here, but I must believe, he will never stop being one in here." Ratchet placed a hand on his chest.

"We must locate him to know for certain"

Agent Fowler stepped forward. "Hold up." He then pointed to his rear

"I have a chip lodged in my behind that lets Uncle Sam know when I stop for donuts.

Are you telling me you can't just track Prime?"

G-force could only stare at Fowler before he quickly commented "…Gross…"

Ratchet opened up everyone's life signal on the screen.

"Optimus's signal has not reappeared since he embarked on Earth's core.

But we must get to work finding him. If we have any hope of initiating his contingency plan"

Everyone was confused.

Arcee: Contingency Plan?

Velocity: What Contingency?

Miko: Is that even a word?

Jack realized something and held out the key. "The Key card! … So, what does it do?" He continued to look at it.

"It grants access to Vector Sigma… the repository of the wisdom of the Primes."

Ratchet slowly explained.

"Is that some sort of supercomputer" Raf asked.

"So, we can just download Optimus's memories back into him? Great! Which one is the big V?"

Jack looked around.

"Over here? Somewhere in the back?"

"Vector Sigma is more than a "supercomputer", Jack."

"It is an ancient source of mystical power…

…On Cybertron"

Nemesis

Back on the ship, Megatron escorted Optimus back to the bridge. Megatron begins to fill Orion Pax in on what's been happening.

"You had been a captive of the Autobots and locked in stasis for quite some time, Orion.

Long enough for us to be in exodus on another world." He explained

Orion was confused by this new information.

"Exodus? Why?"

Megatron turned to him.

"Because the Warlord Ratchet's careless actions led to this"

Megatron then brought up a picture of their planet Cybertron. Completely dead and barren, no life to be seen.

This shocked Orion as he stared at his home planet.

"Cybertron" he gasped in horror.

First was shock and he became enraged as he grits his teeth.

Out of view Megatron watched with glee and smiled as his plan was working.

Autobot Base

"Jackson Darby! You will NOT be traveling to another planet" June instructed. Pointing her finger at him.

"I'm in" Miko quickly said.

"You're not going either, Miko. Not while one of YOU can" June put her hands on her hips as she angerly looks at the rest of the Autobots.

"Uhhhhhhhhh" G-force said in confusion.

"June's right. Why send a boy to do a bot's job?" Fowler questioned.

Ratchet began to clarify to everyone.

"Because only a Prime can access Vector Sigma. Or one chosen by a Prime."

"Optimus gave the Key card to Jack. It is now imprinted with his unique biosignature"

"So, you mean Jack's like some kinda honorary Prime?" Miko asked.

"Let's just say Jack is the only one who can return Optimus to the Autobot we knew."

"But why would Optimus willfully endanger a human? A child?" June questioned.

Jack was offended "I'm not a child, Mom!"

Arcee stepped forward.

"Maybe Optimus believes there's more to Jack than meets the eye."

"All of which is moot," Ratchet added

"The Key-card is useless to us without the means of reaching Cybertron, which we at present do not possess"

"Dude. What about THAT." Miko gestured to the Groundbridge.

"Miko, the Ground bridge barely got them into Earth orbit, remember?" Raf said

"Yeah, but Ratchet built it.

Can't he just turbo-charge the thing?"

Ratchet looked confused at first, but then an idea started forming in his head, as he began to think for a solution.

Nemesis

"I cannot believe Ratchet capable of such horrors" Orion look at the panning screen of the wasteland that is Cybertron.

"Yes…And to think the Doctor of Doom's mad quest for power continues. His marauders pursued us to this planet's orbit.

We feel its species are not ready to behold us. But we have resolved to protect this world from the same tragedy which was dealt to our own." Megatron started walking to the exit.

"One question, Megatron." Orion stopped him. "Why are we called Decepticons" he questioned.

He turned back around.

"Another craven Autobot scare tactic.

The name was meant to demonize us.

Instead, we wear it as a badge of honor.

For if speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty."

He paused.

"Now please, Orion. There will be plenty of time for catching up. You must rest."

He continued his way towards the exit. While Orion looked on at the video of Cybertron.

"Megatron! I will do my part to stop Ratchet's unspeakable crimes of aggression.

This I vow.

With all my Spark."

Megatron smiled as he walked out

'This is what I hoped for.'

Megatron's room

Soundwave Entered.

"It seems we have successfully achieved control of Orion's spark.

Now, to put his mind to work."

He turned to Soundwave

"Have you sanitized the data-core?"

Soundwave nodded in Confirmation

"Excellent." Megatron smiled.

"Our new archivist will require unlimited access to our files. It would be counterproductive for him to stumble upon any sensitive information."

The Next Day.

"When we stormed the Iacon Hall of Records in the winning days of the war for Cybertron, we acquired highly classified files.

Files are written with Autobot codes which we had been unable to decipher."

Megatron was talking a walk with his Medic, Knockout. Close to where Orion was working on the codes.

"Autobot codes which the Iacon archivist Orion Pax should have no trouble cracking."

They stopped.

"Considering what's at stake, shouldn't we beef up the security around here?"

He questioned as he gestured to the area around the door where Orion was working.

"Knockout, I believe that Orion will perform most effectively if he does not feel threatened or confined in any way. He assured his medic

However, it is no coincidence that Orion's work-station is located in direct proximity to the Energon storage vault."

He gestured towards the two guards standing by.

"Which is under constant surveillance Well played."

Megatron turned to the door. "Return to your duties Knockout. I wish to speak with our guest"

"Of course, Lord Megatron" he nodded and walked away.

Orion Pax watched the screen with a quick eye as he had just managed to decode some of the data from the Iacon archives. Just as Megatron walked in.

Orion! How fares project "Iacon"?

"I am a bit rusty; I fear. I've only managed to decode three entries." He responded

"And what do these entries comprise?"

"They were logged by Autobot archivist during the war after I entered stasis.

My only knowledge of its content so far is that they are coordinates, targeting locations on this very planet."

A hologram image of earth manifested next to them.

"I surmise that they could indicate hiding places for vessels shuttled from Cybertron for safe-keeping." Orion theorized

"Such as historical documents or cultural artifacts?" Megatron suggested as he walked closer to the hologram. Thou his suggestion was not what he was looking for. There was one thing he wanted more.

"My greatest fear would be weapons of mass destruction. Hidden away for later use."

'Yes, that is exactly what I wanted to hear'

Megatron kept his smile hidden from Orion. This is what he was after.

He turned back to Orion concealing his joy and keeping up with his façade

"All the more reason it is essential that we do everything in our power to keep said vessels from Autobot reach."

He placed his hand on his shoulder.

"We are fortunate to have you on our side, Orion Pax."

Just as he was about to walk out, Orion stopped him.

"Lord Megatron. I am puzzled by one particular finding.

I have discovered several historic references to Starscream as your second-in-command.

Yet I have not seen him aboard the ship."

He pulled up an image on the screen.

"Sadly, Commander Starscream is dead." Megatron quickly replied and walked out.

The Bridge

"Orion asks many questions." He told Soundwave.

"A valuable trait in an archivist, but not in a Decepticon.

It is a matter of time before he unravels our fabrications and his innate sense of right and wrong rises to the surface, I only hope that Orion will complete project "Iacon" before I am forced to destroy him, once and for all."

Night

Megatron dispatches he a few of his soldiers to retrieve a power core. They attacked the same military base they had done before. Slipstream and Thunderblast took out any and all Air support while Breakdown and Knockout got the core. Around the time they finished, The Autobots showed up to stop them.

Slipstream and Thunderblast attacked from the sky along with a few drones. Thou most of the drones were taken out quickly by the Autobots.

With that quick distraction, Knockout called in a ground bridge.

"Will be sure to tell the big O, you said hello" He smugly said with a salute.

He and Breakdown rushed through.

Arcee saw this and transformed after them.

"ARCEE" Jazz and Velocity called out.

The Latter transforming to follow her.

Arcee and Velocity raced to the portal. As Slipstream and Thunderblast rained heavy blaster fire on them.

Unfortunately, they could not land a hit as the two Autobots made it through the portal.

The two female Decepticons wasted no time in taking a long flight back to base. They got what they came for.

Arcee and Velocity emerged on the other side flying past Knockout and Breakdown.

"Scrap"

.

Arcee and Velocity tore through the long hallways searching for Optimus. Of course, they soon encountered heavy resistant from the drones. But they were quickly taken care of.

With Arcee and Velocity's speed, they with taken out anyone who they fought against. Their lighting fast reflexes help dodge enemy attacks, Their Kicks and Punches were very powerful as well.

Even a little bit of Duo takedowns too. Which on the final enemy, dropped it hard to the ground.

Both of them placed their foot on its body

"Where is Optimus!" Arcee shouted at the enemy, but no response, Arcee took out her arm blade. "ANSWER ME!" She shouted again, but before she could Velocity stopped.

"HEADS UP" She pointed the reinforcements who began shooting at them.

Quickly used the drone as a shield to protect them from the blasters.

The two femmes quickly made work of the reinforcement before transforming and racing away.

Bridge

Soundwave relays the camera feed to Megatron on his mask.

"WHAT!" he shouted in confusion and anger

"Megatron allows me to take them apart," Lockdown said

"No!" he stopped him from walking out the door.

"If Orion so much as lays eyes on another Autobot let alone be allowed to witness its destruction, everything he currently believes will be called into question."

He turned to Soundwave

"See to it that these femmes are escorted off this ship immediately!"

Soundwave gave a simple nod and walked out.

Arcee and Velocity were speeding through the hallways. Only interest was finding Optimus, so when they came across more squads of drones, they just plowed right through them and kept moving.

Alerted by the fighting, Orion emerges from his quarters, and see a few drones running down the hall.

"Orion! Please return to your station. Lord Megatron's orders." One drone stop, and ordered before running off.

Orion ignored his orders and walk out to the sounds of the fighting.

.

Arcee and Velocity dodge blaster fire as they race through the ship, desperate to find Optimus.

They soon found themselves in a long hallway with a 2-way split at the end.

One of them had to lead to Optimus.

Arcee was going to voice out that they should split. That was until Soundwave walked into view.

Arcee charged full speed ahead.

"ARCEE STOP" Velocity called out as she began catching up to her.

Just before Arcee and Velocity were about to tackle the silent mech to the ground.

He opened a Groundbridge portal right in front of them.

Sending them both straight to the Arctic.

Before Orion saw anything.

"I heard a commotion," he said to Soundwave. He ignored him and walked away.

Artic

Arcee and Velocity jumped through to the other side and transformed, slicing across the frozen wasteland taking in their surroundings.

"What the…"

"Are you kidding me" Velocity growled. Just before Arcee screamed in rage to the heavens.

"Ratchet…we need a bridge…" Velocity said in defeat.

A few Minutes Later

Autobot Base

"You weren't able to determine the Decepticons' location or if Optimus was even aboard ship?"

Ratchet asked while running scans on the two femmes. Check over them to make sure they were ok.

"We…couldn't confirm" Arcee said as she looked away.

Bulkhead became enraged and smash a piece of Ratchet's equipment.

"BULKHEAD I-"

"WHAT, YOU NEED THAT?! THE ONLY THING I NEED IS OUR HEAD HONCHO BACK" He shouted

"Bulkhead calm down," Ironhide said in a stern voice. Putting his hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault" Jack who was right next to her, trying to ease her failure.

"If any of us needed rescuing Optimus would have found a way.

I didn't.

Simple as that." She replied crossing her arms.

As if tensions were high enough.

Fowler called in on the console. And he was not happy at all.

"Ratchet! What happened out there? Reports indicate at least a dozen wounded. The hits on me to provide some explanation.

You bots better get your act together or the Pentagon will make me shut down your base."

…

"Well, this just got a whole lot worse" Velocity facepalmed.

"You mean kick us out?" G-Force asked in confusion.

"But where will you go?" Raf worried.

"Who knows." Ratchet was beginning to get furious about the whole situation. "Maybe they'll ship us out to some island or fire us into space! Wouldn't that be a welcome relief."

"I don't blame Fowler! Optimus would have evacuated all humans in the area before engaging the 'Cons." Arcee stated.

"We don't actually know what Optimus would have done because he's not here!" Bulkhead replied.

Arcee became furious and stomped up to Bulkhead.

"You're pretty good at stating the obvious, Bulk. Anything else you'd like to mention that we already know?"

"Nothing I can say in front of the children." He warned.

Before any more words were thrown around. Jack interrupted everyone.

Hey! Aren't we overlooking one positive? Nobody's talking about what the 'Cons just got their claws on.

Everyone was confused. Except for Ratchet

"Yes, we managed to allow them to finally acquire a POWER SOURCE for their space bridge!" he yelled in anger.

"And how exactly who that be a …positive?" Arcee questioned, looking down at Jack.

"We let them finish building their Space-bridge."

"Why? So, they can bring more zombies back from Cybertron!?" Bulkhead replied.

"No…So we can commandeer it.

And use it to send ME to Cybertron." Jack answered with confidence.

…

…

"Woah.

That's a pretty good idea." Miko said in amazement.

"Oh well, If Miko thinks it's a good idea" Arcee got a little sassy.

"Nobody saying it will be easy but you've seized the Space-bridge before!" Jack Argued.

"We blew one up." Bulkhead countered. "That's a whole lot different than seizing and holding one."

Bee gave a few beeps.

"Bee is right you guys; we have to find the thing first." Jazz said.

"UH HELLOOOO, if it's a space bridge isn't it-? Miko pointed up.

"The term "space" refers to its transport range, not its physical location." Ratchet argued

"And we've been monitoring Earth's orbit since the last one, we'd know if it were there."

"So, the Bridge could be somewhere right here on Earth?" Jack replied.

"- Like trying to find a servo at a scrapyard," Ironhide said.

"Then we all should start looking for it." Prowl added.

G-Force gave a short laugh. Causing everyone to look at him.

"This is ridiculous." He tones became more serious. "Even if we had all the time in the world to find it. How do we know it is even in this State, or this country, or in North America, Or this side of the planet?"

"We. Don't. Have. Time."

"We can't second guess"

He finished his rant.

.

"But the fact remains: We don't know what the Decepticons have in store for Optimus.

Or if he's truly safe from harm." Ratchet informed.

Outside the Nemesis

A squad of Aerial droneshad just finished their patrol and were no landing on the Decepticon Warship.

What they didn't know was that a familiar face decided to sneak on board with them

STARSCREAM

He mange to fly in just before the doors from the flight deck, closed off.

Sneaking around the halls, he found his objective. The Energon Storage Vault.

The past month of finding energon became more difficult for the lonely seeker. This was a big risk big reward for him. All he had to do was get rid of the two guards.

"Starscream!" One said as they raised their weapons.

"That's "Commander Starscream"." His raspy voice answered back. Walking up to them with his hands behind his back, showing no fear.

"What's your malfunction? Lower those weapons immediately" he commanded.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but Lord Megatron ordered that you be taken into custody should you ever return to the ship." One answered back.

He was shocked. "What? Clearly, there has been a mistake."

And in an instant, he sliced the drone head off in which his blaster shot the light above them and quickly sliced the head of the other one.

With no more interruptions. He gathers 4 energon cubes from the room.

Unfortunately, the sound of footsteps from patrolling guards caught his attention. He would have to wait form them to pass before he could make his leave. Lucky for him he ducked into the room opposite from the storage, and walked right in.

What he could never account for, was seeing Optimus Prime working at the console.

"OPTIMUS PRIME!" he shouted as he dropped the cubes and aimed his missiles at Orion.

Orion was terrified.

End of Chapter

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