Transformers: Deep Space Exploration Team

by TcogArchitect

Chapter Eight: Explanations

Published December 25th, 2012

Chapter eight: Explanations

When they arrived in the large, circular room, Dark Lance motioned to a pair of benches as he removed his weapons and set them on a weapon rack. He then lifted his flight packs as he and the ponies sat down, draping them over the back of the couch he was now reclining on. He opened a small cabinet behind his head, and pulled out a canister, twisting open the cap and lazily taking a drink before finally speaking.

"I would offer you all cans, but I don't think refined Energon and oil would mix well with your biology," he said with a grin. The others looked surprised at his sudden change of attitude. The only one not looking at him like he had just grown another head was Pinkie Pie, who was humming happily. Noticing this, he took another drink before answering the question that was practically written on their faces. "The lounge room is the one area of the ship that everyone can forget about their duties. In here, I'm not the commander, just Dark Lance." The others seemed to accept this as he took another drink, emptying the can. Finally, he sighed, slouching a little as he organized his memories and thoughts to explain the story of his race and how his ship came to be here. Looking up, he saw that his audience was now comfortably seated, waiting for him to start.

"Alright. Well, I suppose I should start by telling you about our home planet, Cybertron. It's a completely mechanical world, with no organic beings of any kind ever existing on it naturally. Millennia ago, it was a peaceful place. No wars, no evil, no nothing. At least, it seemed that way to most folks. But there's no such thing as perfection, and our race is no exception. In the gladiator pits of Kaon, Cybertron's slums, a warrior appeared who utterly annihilated anyone he was put up against. His name was Megatronus. He became more popular with each victory, and as his fame grew, so did his power and influence. He eventually started speaking out against the Primes, our leaders, saying that they were corrupt and incompetent. He garnered support throughout all of Cybertron, talking of a new Golden Age where all would be able to live as equals, with no crime, no conflict, and enough Energon for all."

He paused to get another canister, and passed it to Bunker, who had just walked in and sat down next to him. "Sounds like a pretty cool guy," Rainbow Dash said, obviously approving of the ambitions of the character she was hearing about. Lance nodded.

"Doesn't he? He was certainly charismatic in his ascension. He eventually met an archivist named Orion Pax in Iacon, the capital of Cybertron. Orion also believed that the council of the Primes needed to change their methods, but while he thought to change the world government through diplomacy and law, Megatronus sought after the power to change Cybertron with greed and force. He demanded he be given the rank of Prime, as well as the Matrix of Leadership, one of our most prized and powerful artifacts, but he was denied and both of these things were given to Orion, who was also given a new name to suit his new station: Optimus Prime. After this perceived betrayal by both the council and his friend, he ceased all attempts at diplomacy entirely. He shortened his name to Megatron, seceding from the Autobots and creating a new faction of our race: the Decepticons. He began a mad quest for glory and power, destroying anything and everything that got in his way. Eventually, the Energon flows that both sides believed to be inexhaustible, began to run out and dry up. Cybertron had been ravaged nearly to the point of destruction, and Megatron showed no signs of stopping. Optimus Prime, who had once called him friend, oversaw the creation of a massive ship, designed to carry the remaining Autobots safely to another world, where they might be able to escape the destruction wrought by the Decepticons. I don't know if Optimus ever made it to that vessel, but I do know that Megatron chased him to a distant, inhabited planet known as Earth. Optimus now combats Megatron and his servants on that world, determined not to let his one-time ally destroy the inhabitants there as well. My team, however, was sent out to the stars long before most of this. When we left, Megatron was still Megatronus, and we payed him little mind. Since his ascension, though, we have had to combat another team across the galaxy, preventing them from taking over the worlds we come across while simultaneously looking for new sources of energy, and a new home. We were getting ready to search through this world, before we were blind-sided, and crash-landed here, stranded with the Decepticons."

His story finished, Dark Lance leaned back, patiently allowing the six ponies who had listened so attentively to work out the gravity of what he had told them. Their faces were etched with horror at what the seemingly benevolent Megatron had become. During the story, Skybreaker and Burnout had entered as well, and were now sitting in chairs behind their leader, not wanting to interrupt the telling of their history. Twilight eventually looked up from her thoughts, and Dark Lance waited while she tried to figure out how to word her next question.

"Have you ever tried to get them to join you, and end the war peacefully?" she asked hopefully. Dark Lance nodded.

"Every time I see them," he said sadly. "I have yet to convince even one of them of the foolishness of this conflict. Their beliefs and desires run too deep to be talked out of it. But defectors are not unheard of, and I still have hope for a peaceful resolution to the war." Twilight looked back at her hooves in thought for a second, before returning her gaze to the Autobots.

"So what do you plan to do here?" she asked simply. This time, Skybreaker was the one to answer.

"We're stuck here until we can get the ship repaired, but unless we can find a way to stop Bloodwing and his team from destroying this planet in our absence, we aren't going to leave either way," he said, the confidence and sincerity of his voice reassuring her and her friends. "We're Autobots. And we don't let our friends get hurt if we have any say in it." He pounded a fist into his other hand for emphasis.

Turning back to their guests after Skybreaker's proclamation, Dark Lance continued. "However, our disguises obviously need work. Do you think you could help us blend in more effectively?" he asked. The six ponies in front of him looked at each other, smiling, and then turned back to him, nodding in unison. "Alright then. Before we get started on that, though, we should check on the little ones." He got up, retrieving his weapons from their resting place as he walked out the door. After a short elevator ride back to the bridge, he and the others found the Cutie Mark Crusaders wandering around, looking at the screens which had been left on. Hearing the doors hiss open, the three fillies turned and walked over to see what was going on.

"Where were you guys?" Scootaloo asked as she came up to them. "You were gone when we got back here."

Twilight answered before Lance could speak. "We were finding out where our new friends came from," she explained, continuing before one of them could ask anything else. "We'll fill you in later. Right now, I need to send a letter to Princess Celestia." She started towards the door.

"Who's that?" Bunker asked, caution tinging his voice.

"Don't worry. She's my teacher. She's very nice, and I'm sure she'd be willing to help you all in any way she can." She suddenly stopped and turned around, as if she had realized something. "By the way, we've met Dark Lance, but I don't think we've met any of the rest of you properly yet." She looked expectantly at the other three.

^Well this could be interesting.^ Dark Lance thought to himself.

Author's Note:

Kind of a short chapter here, so have another as my Christmas present to you!