A new, ambitious Decepticon leader declares war on the Galactic Council. Optimus Prime teams up with Garrus Vakarian, Rodimus and Megatron to stop the invasion, but the Illusive Man, Shockwave and the Quintessons have other plans.
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Shock ran through Orion as the world became a place of utter darkness and burning heat—a firestorm in which only he existed. A blackness that felt like being swallowed alive by the Sun itself—and yet seemed to be neither day nor night, but both at once. At last he was able to pull back from it just enough for one word: "What...?" It all started coming together then. He realized Bumblebee, Jazz and Arcee were trying to keep him standing upright as he was escorted through the snow.
"The Decepticons were intending to trap as many Autobots inside the dreadnought as possible after they noticed Gale was dead", Arcee explained. "Bombs went off everywhere - we got you out just in time!"
"On the bright side, Bruticus disassembled, and the Combaticons retreated. Cyclonus went after them though, and Whirl is down but not offline", Jazz said almost cheerfully.
Orion looked at his team wearily. "What about our organic allies? Garrus and the others?"
"Oh, they got out too", Bumblebee confirmed.
There was something bothering Orion - the strange trail of code-signatures on his HUD — and his mind raced over its own data stores looking desperately for something. There were always two sides to any equation. Maybe there's been an error somewhere?
"Something's not right, and it has nothing to do with the explosions", Orion grunted as a shuttle arrived to pick them up. "The war didn't end here."
"I hope you're wrong, to be honest", Bumblebee said worriedly. At a distance they saw Garrus, Miranda, Zaeed, Wrex and Javik waiting to board the Normandy, and the two groups met with solemn expressions.
"I'm glad you made it out alive", Garrus greeted the Autobots. His team looked haggard and bruised; Zaeed's face was covered in blood, Garrus himself was in dire need of a new armor.
"Likewise, old friend", Orion replied warmly. "I fear our battles did not end here, however." He then scanned the environment for Megatron and Ultra Magnus. "Where is Megatron?" he asked his fellow Autobots who looked something between surprised and awkward.
"Now that you ask, we thought he was dead but Ultra Magnus dragged him under cover just in case", Arcee mentioned. "He's definitely offline though." When she pointed at the hull's direction, Orion dashed through the snow despite his injuries, leaving his team staring. He thought he wasn't seeing clearly as he limped over to Megatron's chassis which was partially covered by a plastic sheet, appearing ignored and discarded.
"Get me a medic here immediately!" Orion shouted. "You can't leave him like this! Do you have any idea that this mech may well be our way out of this war? No one else in the crew has his level of experience nor knows the Decepticons as well as he does!"
