"Darn... I thought the sad train stopped with Dinobot... but... poor Transmutate..." Smokescreen said.

Arcee, while irked at the fact that she's related to Rattrap, agreed.

"So young... yet it lived for only a dozen mega-cycles." Ratchet gasped, unable to say further.

"As tragic as Transmutate's fate is... Primus shall grant it the peace it is yet to understand. Omega Scion?" Prime said next.

"Very well, though this may be unsettling to you all, in three...two...one..."

In outer space, the transwarp explosion last seen before in the alien ship incident began to expand forth and onward to the stars and into planets, even moons.

"That must the transwarp explosion created by that datatrax Tarantulas created." Prime spoke. "With luck, it should at least reach Cybertron, but whoever responds to it, either Maximal or Predacon, may sound of salvation or destruction."

"You're being awfully much astute in your obviousness, Prime. I assume Dinobot's death changed you for the worst?" Megatron challenged.

"There are matters at hand than grieving for a hero, Megatron. And I aim to witness whether the Maximals will be saved... or be destroyed.

Most of the audience just kept silent of the alien ship incident, especially when they remembered the Aliens having taken Tigatron and Airazor.

As Rhinox monitors the estimated time the transwarp wave reaches Cybertron, he announced "The transwarp explosion wavefront should be entering Cybertonian space now. They'll be detecting it within a few cycles." After pressing a few buttons and commands he turned his chair to face his comrades and stated "This is it! We're going home!"

Everyone cheered at the news, even the audience themselves, well, mostly the Autobots.

The Maximals rejoiced happily for the miracle. They believed that they were indeed going home, yet Silverbolt was unsure, he never even visited Cybertron before.

"We're going home, little buddy!" Rattrap cheered.

"Cybertron. The home I have never known." Silverbolt muttered.

"Oh, you'll get to your home alright! Since it's getting better and better than ever!" Silverbolt assured his 'descendant'.

"Yet our cities are far from finished, Bolt." Air Raid pointed out.

"I know that!"

"Oh, you are gonna love it!" Rattrap assured. "I know this little place where ya can get dirty mech-fluid mixed with just a touch o' radium. Take yer head right off!" yet Silverbolt doesn't seem interested. "Not only THAT. Not only THAT... but the servin' bots are walkin' around minus their torso plates, y'know what I mean?"

"Almost like you knowing places back when you were a delivery girl, eh Arcee?" teased Smokescreen.

"Don't remind me." Arcee groaned.

Cliffjumper chuckled. They had met when Arcee delivered him his fresh batch of instant Energon. 

Silverbolt didn't seem to comprehend what exactly Rattrap was saying, but went along in his chivalorus speech "Yes. Obviously a veritable nexus of culture and refinement. How can I refuse?"

"Hey! If ya took that broomstick outta yer tailpipe every once in a while, ya might have some fun for a change!" Rattrap challenged.

"Aw, forget him, big R." Cheetor then offered Rattrap "You and I can go to the Six Lasers Over Cybertron amusement park! There's the Space Slide, and the Galaxy Coasters, and-"

Bumblebee smirked, he remembered going to those rides when he was a mere sparkling.

"You slagging little- you want them back do ya?" asked Ratchet.

"I wished I do. Nowadays, things don't feel the same, Ratch." Bumblebee replied.

"Kid, don't make me hurt ya." Rattrap refused subtly.

In the Darksyde, the Predacons there were also observing the transwarp explosion reach Cybertron. Megatron was despondent, for he knew that Cybertron would respond for his actions.

"Blast." Megatron then asked "What news of the early humans?"

"Our interrupted attack on the valley caused several tribes to scatter, Royalty." Inferno replied. "It will be impossible to find them now."

The audience felt silent, yet the Autobots were incensed.

"Are the Preds planning to attack the humans now?" Smokescreen asked.

"If they are, they're going to regret it!" Warpath yelled.

Grimlock was silent, remembering Dinobot's heroic sacrifice protecting the humans.

Predaking bared his teeth and his claws, incensed of the mockeries of the Predacon name, daring to plan against a defenseless species.

"Then I have but one other high-risk option remaining." Megatron decided, revealing a monitor that saw Blackarachnia walking out of the Darksyde alone.

"And that is...?" Inferno asked inquistively.

"Gamble. And hope that the dice roll in my favor."

"If I were you, my dear 'grandson', I would never take such a bet because apparently, you have the most rotten luck in all of Cybertron." Megatron replied.

"Let's see if his bet can give him the win this time." Knockout pointed out.

Elsewhere, Silverbolt flies alone until he reaches the deserts, to a ruin where water can be found. He landed before the oasis to reflect, but Blackarachnia arrived with a gun aimed at his head.

"I think you're carrying a graviton generator, Maximal. Hand it over... or else." Blackarachnia demanded with a threat that had her load her pistol, although she seemed rather hesitant in pulling the trigger.

"Why the weapon?" Silverbolt asked swiping the gun from Blackarachnia, who did not offer any resistance when he disarmed her.

"Ohohohohoho! Looks like the heat sinks are getting hotter with the lovers~!" Jazz teased.

Silverbolt ticked a vein. "He's still not allowed anywhere near her until she defects."

"Chillax, Bolt, you're acting like a overprotective grandpa there. I'm sure she will. You just gotta give Blackarachnia there a chance." Sideswipe assured.

"Not. Until. She. Joins. The Maximals. Sideswipe."

"I thought it might make things easier for you." she replied earnestly.

"Nothing about this is easy." Silverbolt muttered. But he was a knight, who was he to refuse a fair lady anyway, so he retracted a circular device, likely the graviton generator she wanted.

"You brought it!" Blackarachnia gleefully spouted. 

"Blackarachnia. This is not necessary." Silverbolt said uneasingly. "Cybertron is coming. Join with us." He pressed the very offer she refused earlier. "You could be reprogrammed. Remember, your protoform was... a Maximal."

But she turned it down. Again "Sorry, chunk-style, but I like being a bad girl." and moved closer to Silverbolt "And you know something else? Somewhere, deep beneath this squeaky-clean armor plating of yours..."

"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU TREACHEROUS SPIDER!" Silverbolt yelled.

Arcee, on the other hand, felt rather sick.

Yet Jazz was going full kawaii mode on seeing the ship he wished to see sail to the Sea.

"I think you like it too." She replied smiling honestly in his face. Within moments, they shared a kiss so deep they dropped what's in their hands, particularly the graviton generator and Blackarachnia's pistol.

"YES!!! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I WIN! I WIN! IN YOUR FACEPLATE! I WIN!!!" Jazz cheered.

Prime smiled. It DID remind her of the kiss he first shared with Elita One.

Silverbolt was steaming like a boiling pot, infuriated his descendant's fraternization with the enemy.

Arcee felt so dizzy she passed out.

Meanwhile, the transwarp wave passes through the Cybertronian station, causing said station to fall in disarray due to power disruption.

[Warning! Circuits disrupted! All systems offline!] the crews of the station scattered about, some running into walls, some tripped and some parts of the station fell apart. [Predacon Command Outpost One: inoperative. Emergency power: activated.]

The Predacon station activated said power, restoring order at last.

As a result of the incident, three Cybertronians, presumably the Predacon councilors, assembled personally in one table, pressing their signatures in their table to prepare for the emergency meeting.

The Renegatrons were astounded. While they had control over half of Cybertron, they never considered having a council of anything. Megatron then ordered "Soundwave! When we are done here, we will create a council composed of the most trusted and most capable from those in my counsel.

Prime looked in wonder. "Who are these Predacons?"

"As the name implies, Commander, these must be the Predacon delegates and ruling body of the Predacon faction itself." Omega Scion replied for Prime, surprising him.

"Omega Scion?"

"The names of the councilors are Sea Clamp, on the left, Ram Horn on the center and Cicadacon on the right. They are composed of the oldest and most experienced Predacons that Cybertron had seen at that time." Omega Scion replied.

The Autobot and Renegatron elders looked in awe.

"Tripredacus Council now in session." said Ram Horn.

"The Transwarp wavefront that disrupted this station has been identified. Signature matches that of the ship stolen by Megatron." Cicadacon reported.

"Megatron. I thought we'd heard the last of that renegade." Ram Horn replied, sounding rather distateful of Megatron himself.

"His ship and the Axalon both vanished last megacycle. The Maximal probes never found them." Sea Clamp reminded.

"Yes, but remember, WE paid the price in diplomatic repercussions." Cicadacon replied. His fellow councilors growled in disdain, apparently despondent at the reminder as he is.

The Renegatrons, having remembered their defeat during their Decepticon days, just frowned. They all relatively painful reminders why they lost the Fall of Cybertron but won the War before it.

"Generals." Ram Horn mediated his fellow councilors "Ever since the Autobots defeated our Decepticon ancestors, we Predacons have worked secretly toward the day when we might rise up and take what is rightfully ours."

"Oh yeah, and unfortunately, you would fail at that." Bumblebee mocked.

"The whole time they were holding the peace together while it may last, waiting for the Maximals to become weak and ineffective, until the time has come for them to strike." Prime replied disdainful of the Council's motives.

"Megatron is brilliant, but a rogue. He causes too much trouble." Sea Clamp reminded.

"And apparently he may be up to his old tricks again." Cicadacon stated.

"If he is, we have to handle the situation first." Ram Horn said next. "Before the Maximals find out." He carried out a proposal.  "I have already sent a signal to one of our Cybertron satellites. It will "accidentally" explode, blocking the Maximal sensors fron detecting the Transwarp wave." as the Predacon satellite fell to pieces before the Transwarp wave.

"And I have arranged for a covert operative." Sea Clamp added next. "You know the one."

His fellow generals chuckled knowing exactly what he meant.

"He's been given our secretly developed Transwarp cruiser. He will trace the transwarp wave back to its source." Sea Clamp continued as the secret cruiser departed from the Predacon station.

"If Megatron is discovered still operating his own agenda, what are the agent's instructions?" Ram Horn asked.

Irate by the swinging lamp, Cicadacon held the lamp calmly and said "Terminate. With extreme prejudice."

"Terminate with extreme prejudice..." Megatron wondered.

"Lord Megatron?" asked Dreadwing.

"Not now Dreadwing." Megatron rebuffed.

"So aside from the fact that Pred-Megs is a rogue on the run from even his fellow Preds, they're sending an agent to terminate him and his cronies?" Wheeljack wondered. "Not a good thing, but also not bad either, given that this agent they're sending isn't a friend of the Maxies."

As soon as Silverbolt returned to the Axalon, Primal stated "About time you got back.Sentinel's on full alert."

"Is there trouble?" Silverbolt asked

"It's now or never for Megatron. If Cybertron shows..."

Cheetor cuts Primal off with "You think he'll try to take hostages?"

"I'm praying that's all he does." Primal stated.

"I don't think that would be the case." Prime stated.

"So, eh... Where ya been, bird-dog?" Rattrap asked.

"Scout patrol." Silverbolt lied.

Silverbolt frowned. Meeting Blackarachnia and giving her one of the Maximal's prized weapons wasn't scout patrol.

"Oh yeah, yeah. Scouting th' enemy, yeah. Find any new positions?"

Infuriated, Silverbolt yelled "Why you...!" and assaulted Rattrap, knocking him to the ground and holding his head underneath his foot.

"Whoa whoa, Maxie-Bolt, calm down!" Warpath piped up.

"Just like you when you saw Blackarachnia going lovey-dovey towards him, eh Bolt?"

"Shut up, Air Raid!"

"I suspect attacking Rattrap was to make sure he didn't find out what he really was up to." Ultra Magnus stated.

"HEY!" Rhinox shouted.

"What's going on here!?" Primal said next arriving.

"How should I know?" Rattrap asked, confused at Silverbolt's rather unreasonable tantrum on him "This hotheaded hound just went postal on me!"

"My... apologies." Silverbolt then released Rattrap. "I... overreacted."

"Hehehe, like the kids when their buttons get pushed at by each other." Bulkhead commented.

"Believe me, I know Rattrap can have that effect, but now is not the time." Primal then ordered "Back to your posts."

As soon as they returned to their posts, Rattrap whispered "Think I touched a nave."

Meanwhile, Waspinator and Inferno installed a console underneath Maximal detection, and just as they were preparing the device...

"I want you all to stay alert. Report any motion, any unusual readings. The attack will come... but it may be sudden." Primal announced.

"Given the Predacon activity underneath the Maximal radar, that attack may be less than sudden." Prime announced.

It frightened the Autobots.

Just as Inferno was finished booting the device, Rampage came in jumping in tank mode, smashing the device to pieces and fired off a salvo of missiles at the Axalon's shields, surprising the Maximals but Primal himself.

While they were disoriented by the attack, Primal spoke "Like I said... Sudden!"

"Like our Commander said." Ultra Magnus silently whispered.

"Shields at forty percent and falling!" Silverbolt announced upon approaching the console for status.

"External autoguns online!" Primal said upon pressing a button.

The Axalon's defenses activate and fire upon Rampage, but Inferno came in blazing in the sky and fired, destroying the external defenses easily.

"Without their defenses, the Maximals have to defend themselves." Ratchet pointed out.

"HA! Those defenses! Thought the Darksyde had those kinds of turrets before!" laughed Breakdown.

"NOW wadda we do?!" Rattrap asked panickingly.

"Given our proximity, I...breathe through my mouth." Silverbolt tried to joke.

Silverbolt and Arcee laughed.

"Take notes, Cliff, you'll need them if you want to be funny." Arcee stated.

"I accept it!" Cliffjumper replied.

"I bet he's gonna fail at it." Smokescreen stated to Jazz.

"Likewise, Smoke." Jazz agreed.

The Predacons press their assault immediately, with Megatron and Quickstrike arriving to reinforce to continue firing at the shields. Meanwhile, the secret cruiser passed through Transwarp space to enter to Earth.

"Looks like the Maxies are sitting cyber-ducks now!" shouted Blast Off.

The Combaticons sans their leader cheered. Seeing them into action reminds them of themselves during their guerilla war against the Autobots in Kalthann.

The Axalon is at full emergency with Silverbolt announcing "Shields at twenty percent and falling!"

"We're losing weapons systems power!" Cheetor announced next.

"Backup grid online, but it won't last!" Rhinox announced lastly.

"Any sign of Cybertron ships?" Primal asked.

"Nada! Ain't a blip on the' boards anywhere!" Rattrap replied.

"Then stand ready, team." Primal ordered preparing his hand cannon "We may have to-" he got cut off when a blast knocked him to the protective glass.

"I was gonna say the calvary's arrived, but I realized it ain't Maxie calvary. It's that agent the Preds sent to deal with Pred-Megs!" Warpath admitted.

"Good kid. You know common sense by then." Ironhide complimented.

The secret cruiser arrived, firing at the Predacons. This confused the strike force completely, they knew it wasn't the Maximals fighting back, but they didn't know who it was. Worse still, they didn't know where it was coming from.

"What?!" Megatron blurted out, confused.

"What in tarnation!? What's that firepower comin' from!?" Quickstrike asked next

"Royalty! I cannot see a target for my flame!" Inferno yelled.

"No, you can't, can you?" Megatron spat out. He then ordered "All Predacons! Return to base!"

The Predacons withdrew from battle, unable to fight back against the unknown foe. But not before Megatron commented "It is time to increase my wager."

"Well, can't blame them. Can't fight what you can't see." Barricade commented.

"There are other ways to fight your enemies aside from sight, Barricade." Dreadwing said next.

Equally, the Maximals were confused. The Predacon attackers just retreated from battle. "What th' heck just happened?"

"We had... help." Primal replied upon standing up.

"Oh, no way!" Rattrap denied. "I was scannin' across th' board! but was nothin', nada, bupkis out there!"

"Then what would you call this?" Cheetor pointed out to the ship that revealed itself landing towards the Axalon.

Primal ordered "Lower the shields."

"WHAT?!" gasped Rattrap "Oh, please Tell me that new brain o' yours is still under warranty! That ain't no Maximal ship!"

"IF it wanted to attack us, Rattrap, it would have done so already." Primal argued back. "Lower the shields." he repeated.

Rhinox complied "Sentinel standing down."

"Something's not right..." Prime said.

"What do you mean?"

"That Predacon agent that saved the Maximals... I fear they may be in danger already." Prime responded to Ratchet's question.

They looked at the strange cruiser attempting to hail the pilot, but it gave no response. No reply. Nothing. The Maximals were getting suspicious.

"Strange. One would think a greeting would be the next step." Silverbolt commented.

"Tried all the hailing frequencies. No response." Rhinox replied next.

"Looks like the guy behind that ship isn't one for talking." Swindle said.

Suddenly, some of the roofs of the Axalon opened up.

"Scanners!" Primal ordered.

"Nothin' up there! Nothin!" Rattrap gasped fearfully upon the unknown presence approaching "Oh man, this is gettin' weirder an' weirder..."

Silverbolt sniffed the air "I smell something. Someone's here!"

The Maximals prepared their