Disclaimer: I'm Back! A long time ago (about four or five years ago) I wrote a novelized version of the original Transformers movie from 1986. It wasn't well received, even by me. The chapters were way too long and way too few and there was very little background explanation on display. I think the bio for Hot Rod said it best: Experience is the benchmark of maturity. So, here I am with a 2010 remake. Expect to see some changes, such as bigger battles, more back story into certain issues and even some additional characters from all over the Transformers Universe. I hope you enjoy.

And no, I don't own the rights to Transformers!

Prologue

Somewhere in the galaxy: Location unknown

In a time before time, before the existence of life both organic and technological, there was only the void. Then the sky became littered with stars, novas and in time, new worlds teeming with life. A galaxy was born. But a dark presence roamed the stars, consuming all that stood in its path. A force of evil bent on destruction, hungry for sustenance and determined to return the very plain of existence into nothingness. This great evil was thought by many to be just a myth, no more and no less. But the force of darkness was very real, and it was inching its way toward the unsuspecting planet of Lithone. It had a name to those who've heard the stories of this great un-maker. This Chaos Bringer. Its name was Unicron!

Lithone was home to a race of sentient machines that lived peacefully for millennia, ever since the day they broke away from another world devastated by civil war. Kranix was a brilliant scientist as well as a trusted friend to those who knew him. Walking on toward his laboratory, a tray of liquid filled glass beakers in his hands, Krenix was accompanied by his long time friend Arblus. Much like Krenix, Arblus was very well liked by his peers and a respected architect. Having known Krenix since they both came online nearly two and a half centuries ago, Arblus considered Krenix a brother. It was likewise for Krenix as they continued on toward their laboratory. Krenix was noticeably shifting his yellowish white optics from the path to the liquid.

"I believe this should be sufficient enough for Zeta's studies." Krenix exclaimed.

"Perhaps, but you know Zeta," Arblus commented. "He won't decide something is sufficient enough until it passes his tests."

"Well, one could hope, I suppose," Krenix said. "But if Zeta deems these samples sufficient, we might be able to provide a near endless supply of energon, and maybe we can finally return to Cybertron."

Arblus stopped short of the laboratory entrance and exclaimed, "Oh please, Kranix! As far as we know, Cybertron is still plagued by that pointless civil war between the Autobots and Decepticons. Why do you even want to go back at all?"

"Because, Arblus," Kranix explained. "I believe that with enough energon, we could finally bring their civil war to an end. Besides, Lithone is far too remote to attempt interstellar travel to anywhere but Cybertron."

"Well, it's a good thing we have ships capable of interstellar travel." Arblus commented before continuing toward the lab entrance.

"Smart mouth!" Kranix quipped before following Arblus.

The doorway into the laboratory slid open, allowing Arblus and Krenix to enter. The lab itself was exceptionally wide open, with plenty of room for moving around. Working at a nearly table was another robot similar to Krenix and Arblus, whom they knew as Zeta. Zeta appeared to be considerably older that the two robots; at least by three centuries. Zeta looked toward the arriving bots and took immediate notice of the liquids on the tray that Krenix carried.

"I see you both brought me what I asked you for." Zeta exclaimed.

"We most certainly did, Zeta," Arblus. "Of course, Krenix here believes the energon we might create with this will help quell the civil war on Cybertron."

Zeta glanced at Krenix, not surprised as much as intrigued. "Is that right, Krenix?"

"I stand fast in my hope that Cybertron can be salvaged and the war ended," Krenix said. "Then maybe we can return home."

"With all due respect, Krenix, Lithone is our home," Zeta stated. "I can understand you eagerness to return to Cybertron, but in my view, it is already lost to the ravages of war. However, if you feel compelled to return there, no one here will attempt to stop you."

"I might!" Arblus quipped.

"You can try, Arblus!" Krenix quipped back.

"That enough, you two," Zeta stated. "Now let us see what we can make from these liquids, shall we?"

Krenix wasn't going to argue with Zeta and handed him the tray of liquids. Zeta set the tray onto the table while Krenix and Arblus took separate seats on either side. As soon as the first of what would've been several tests was about to begin, the lab began to shake slightly. Lithone wasn't known for tremors, but the three scientists wrote it off as nothing at all. Then there was a second tremor. Arblus looked around the lab but no saw indication of the cause. A third tremor came, only this one was sustained for longer than the first two. Krenix was now as confused as his brethren and looked at the liquids. Tiny ripples appeared on the surface of the liquids and then a piece of the ceiling fell to the floor with a loud clang. Zeta immediately rushed toward an open view port, with Krenix following. Arblus was still seated at the table as the tremor became more intense. It reached a point where the glasses of liquid tumbled to the floor, shattering on impact and spilling liquid everywhere. Another piece of the ceiling fell to the floor and narrowly missed crushing Krenix, who soon after looked out the view port. What he and Zeta saw sent them into horror.

"Arblus, look at this!" Krenix shouted.

On instinct, Arblus joined his brethren and his own face mirrored theirs in shock. "By Primus, is that what I think it is?"

"I believe so," Zeta said in horror. "It's him… it's Unicron."

"We must evacuate Lithone." Krenix said.

"It is already too late for the planet," Zeta argued. "We've no choice but to save ourselves."

Before Krenix could argue further, more of the ceiling began to cave into the lab. The three robots immediately made for the exit. The entity known as Unicron was a sight both awe inspiring and terror inducing. It appeared to closely resemble a planet, and was clearly far larger than Lithone. There were clear differences. Unicron appeared to possess giant claws or pincers curved inward. There was a large opening at the very center, right between the pincers. A single, great ring circled vertically around the hull of Unicron as it inched closed to the doomed planet. Groundside, Krenix, Zeta and Arblus as well as the many inhabitants of Lithone, scrabbled to find a means of escape. There was madness all around the trio. Krenix stopped momentarily to see Unicron, and took noticed of a circle of smaller pincers opening around the hole, like a maw.

Arblus grabbed Krenix by his arm and shouted, "C'mon Krenix! We must get to the ships. They're our only chance."

Krenix wanted to speak but his thought process was interrupted by what sounded like a massive explosion. He, Arblus and Zeta looked toward the source and watched in horror one of the giant pincers began to dig into the surface of Lithone. The second pincer followed suit and then a great beam of light shot down to the planet. Anything and anyone caught in the beam was quickly whisked away toward the waiting maw of Unicron. It then felt as if Lithone was moving. It was, being pulled in toward the attacking monster planet. Krenix and company knew there was little time. They needed to reach the spaceport, provided it was still intact. They did make it to the port even as the giant tractor beam inched closer toward it. Krenix and Arblus managed to climb aboard one ship together, while Zeta climbed aboard a separate ship. Zeta noticed another escapee headed toward the spaceport. He never made it, instead being pulled into the sky by the beam toward his ultimate doom. Zeta also watched as several buildings were pulled from their foundations into the sky. Forced to ignore the carnage, Zeta climbed into his ship and started the engines. Arblus and Krenix were doing with their ship. The thrusters of each vessel roared to life, even as the ground crumbled around them. The ship soon launched into the waiting sky moments before the spaceport was ripped apart. There were other ships just launching. Most didn't make it, instead being thoroughly smashed by debris. Any that launched successfully were quickly sucked up by the beam. The ship containing Arblus and Krenix successfully escaped to the stars. Zeta wasn't so fortunate, as his ship was caught in the beam. His attempts to escape proved futile as the ship was pulled toward the great maw.

"Krenix!" he screamed in horror.

His screams clearly fell on deaf ears. The ship was violently pulled into the maw of Unicron, along with the rest of Lithone. Zeta was helpless as his ship was pounded to and fro by debris for the lost planet. Then he noticed to his unending terror that walls of the ship were closing in on him. The view port was beginning to crack and then it shattered, showering Zeta with glass. Then in the last act of attrition, the ship was quickly and violently crushed, in turn crushing Zeta and ultimately killing him. A safe distance away, Krenix and Arblus watched in horror as Lithone was literally ripped in half by Unicron.

"It's gone! Our home is gone; all of it," Arblus mused. "What do we do, Krenix?"

Krenix fell silent, unable to think much less speak. He finally said, "We must get to Cybertron. We must warn them of this."

"Krenix, they're far too caught up in their own issues," Arblus said in protest. "They won't listen to us."

"We have no choice, Arblus," Krenix explained. "They must listen, or Cybertron will suffer the same fate as Lithone. We cannot allow that to happen."

Arblus saw no more reason to argue with Krenix. Instead, they took the helm of their ship and took off into the stars. All the while, the full consumption of Lithone had left Unicron fully satisfied. The raw matter that once made up a planet was converted into energon. Its consumption completed, Unicron continued its trek across the galaxy. There was one destination that Unicron intended to pursue. One planet it intended to consume. Shockingly, Unicron seemed to somehow utter a single word.

"Cybertron."

Author's note: That's the prologue in a quasar-sized nutshell. One thing I wanted to do was establish a deeper connection between Lithone and Cybertron, which wasn't even hinted at in the movie. The single word from Unicron is meant to convey a similar connection, which if all goes well review-wise, will be better explained later.

Anyway, be sure to review and all that jazz. Adios!