Transformers Beyond: Legendarium (old version)

Chapter XV: The Great War (Part 2)

Approx. 8.3 million stellar cycles ago

The unaligned Cybertronian Rodimus Minor, who's better known by his nickname Hot Rod, becomes the last spark to emerge from the Well of All Sparks during the Great War. Alpha Trion alone notes the young bot's resemblance to Primus-the Cybertronian creator-god who's been long consigned to myth by most Cybertronians-wonders what this forbodes.

The Battle of Uraya: The Autobot-aligned city-state of Uraya becomes a Decepticon target due to its strategic value as one of Cybertron's major industrial centers and largest of the Torus Orbital States. An Autobot/Primal Vanguard crack commando unit known as the Lightning Strike Coalition Force, better known as the Dynobots due to their reptilian alt-modes, are stationed there to defend the city. Led by their headstrong leader Grimlock, the Dynobots are able to rally the Autobot loyalists and force the Decepticons out of Uraya.

After the defense of Uraya, the Dynobots are then dispatched to the Toraxxis Plains alongside a support unit of Autobots under order of Sentinel Prime to investigate rumors of Decepticon cells hiding in the region. During their mission, the group come across a hidden reservoir of energon (unknown to them, underneath the reservoir was the resting place of the monster Titan Trypticon, who's been left in a dormant state since the First Cybertronian Civil War). In a desperate bid to solve the growing energy crisis, the Dynobots test out the reservoir's energon to enhance their strength. Unfortunately, they find out too late that the energon was tainted, and their minds deteriorate into those of beasts, leading to them going on a berserker rampage and mindlessly slaughter the Autobots that accompanied them. Horrified at what they've done, the Dynobots desert from the Autobot Defense Forces and go off the grid to live as mercenaries.

Approx. 8.2 million stellar cycles ago

The Decepticons develop a new combiner by giving the Stunticons-a group of street gangsters consisting of Motormaster, Drag Strip, Dead End, Breakdown, Wildrider, and Offroad-the ability to merge into the self-proclaimed "King of the Road," Menasor. With three combiners now in their ranks, the Decepticons rain havoc on the Autobot forces.

To combat the Decepticon combiners, the Autobots use the Enigma of Combination to forge two new combiners to fight alongside Superion: Defensor (formed from the Protectobots) and Computron (formed from the Technobots).

Approx. 8.1 million stellar cycles ago

With a majority of Cybertron's energy reserves being exhausted by both sides, the energy crisis begins to worsen as more and more energon is diverted to the war effort. As a result, Cybertronians everywhere began hoarding whatever energon they could find, while the Decepticons stole from local energon transmission stations, especially those within Autobot territory.

As a result, Sentinel Prime is forced to shut down a large number of energon mines and processing centers that were operating under quota, harvesting what little energy they have to fuel the Autobot war machine. This results in many city-states and settlements outside of Greater Iacon living in destitute and under-fueled.

Approx. 8.0 million stellar cycles ago

Tired of all the senseless fighting and the deaths of countless men and civilians, Sentinel Prime starts to grow a more arrogant and authoritarian attitude. Over time, this side of him became more obvious as he grew overzealous in his fight against the Decepticons and prone to outbursts of rage and callous dismissals of voices of reason. Though many within the Autobot Defense Forces, including General Orion Pax and Elite Guard Commander-in-Chief Magnum, grew concerned of their Supreme Commander's authority, they nevertheless continued to fight by his side for the meantime.