As they drew closer to Cybertron, Skygnaw got a perfectly clear view of the home world's current state.
Even though it was a machine world made entirely of metal, it still featured natural formations like towering mountains, vast plains, and rolling hills. He even spotted a massive body of liquid.
It was a vast, shimmering silver ocean.
"What is that?" Skygnaw asked, genuine curiosity in his voice. An ocean on a metal planet couldn't possibly be made of normal water.
Blackarachnia followed his gaze. Remembering that Skygnaw hadn't actually been born on Cybertron, she understood his confusion and quickly answered.
"That is the Mithril Sea. The surrounding regions are incredibly rich in rare metallic ores."
"There used to be a massive metropolis built right into those waters called the Sunken City of Prion. But a long time ago, for reasons lost to history, the silver sea rose and swallowed it whole."
"The Mithril Sea," Skygnaw murmured, nodding in thought.
The liquid flowing out there was likely a form of liquid metal, similar to molten iron but capable of staying in a fluid state without needing extreme heat.
Gliding past the silver ocean, the ship descended toward the planet's surface.
They punched through a thin, frayed atmosphere. Looking down from the high altitude, Skygnaw could see that the entire surface of the planet was completely torn apart.
Ruined cities appeared one after another, scarred heavily by centuries of artillery fire.
Massive, bottomless craters pitted the landscape, likely left behind by heavy orbital weapons fired from battleships long ago.
The entire planet had been thoroughly baptized by war and left riddled with wounds. Yet, looking at the towering spires and ruined military fortresses left standing, one could still see glimpses of Cybertron's ancient glory.
Once they entered the inner atmosphere, the ship naturally slowed its pace.
Cybertron was significantly larger than Earth, and the capital city of Iacon sat at the north pole, marking the absolute center of the world. Though by Skygnaw's modern standards, it felt like a cold, isolated wilderness.
Along the way, the fighters of the Forty-First Squadron crossed paths with several other patrol units. But under Skygnaw's strict orders, none of the guards dared to reveal who was sitting inside the trailing ship.
Moving quietly, the group finally approached the capital.
---
Inside a massive research laboratory in Iacon.
Shockwave was in the middle of a delicate experiment. As the chief scientist of the Decepticons, he spent almost all of his time here whenever there were no active military campaigns to manage.
Research required absolute focus. Shockwave's famously quiet, stoic nature was largely due to the fact that he spent his life running endless tests in isolation.
As his current experiment neared completion, the heavy laboratory doors slid open with a soft hiss, and a figure stepped cautiously into the room.
"Hardtop, this disruption had better be regarding an issue of extreme importance."
Shockwave didn't change his posture, nor did he look away from his console. But the absolute ice in his voice was unmistakable to anyone in the room.
"Lord Shockwave," Hardtop said, swallowing his nerves.
Everyone on Cybertron knew that Shockwave's directives had to be followed to the letter. The master logician was a strict perfectionist who tolerated zero errors.
It was a well-known rule among the Decepticons that no one was to disturb Shockwave without a critical reason, especially during a live experiment. But this time, he actually had massive news to deliver.
"Lord Shockwave, Commander Skygnaw and Blackarachnia have just returned to the planet."
The scientist paused, his hands freezing over the controls. He slowly raised his head, his previous indifference vanishing in an instant.
"Where are they?"
"The Decagon, my lord. I escorted them straight to the main reception hall and came here immediately to brief you."
"Excellent. I will join them at once."
---
Inside the grand halls of the Decagon, Shockwave strode through the entrance and immediately spotted the two commanders waiting comfortably in the center pavilion.
He recognized Blackarachnia instantly.
Even after thousands of years apart, she still maintained her fluid, dangerous grace, carrying an allure that masked a lethal edge. If anyone was foolish enough to be fooled by her demeanor, they paid for it with their life.
As for the large commander sitting beside her, that had to be Skygnaw. Still, Shockwave noted how relaxed and familiar Blackarachnia seemed to be around the newcomer.
Having worked together to eliminate Starscream and going through a recent chassis reconstruction, Skygnaw and Blackarachnia had formed a solid understanding.
They were both high-tier commanders who had fought side-by-side through multiple meatgrinders, so they lacked the usual backstabbing rivalry found among the other leaders.
In truth, putting aside her role as the deputy of the Air Division, Blackarachnia harbored a deep respect for Skygnaw.
The bot rarely moved, but when he did, he had systematically orchestrated the downfall of Starscream. It was a terrifying display of efficiency. Having dealt with Starscream for eons, she knew exactly how slippery and difficult the old seeker was to kill.
"Shockwave," Skygnaw said quietly.
The scientist's arrival naturally caught his attention. He silently studied the legendary one-eyed tactician.
Shockwave stood a fraction shorter than him, but his heavy build easily cleared twelve meters in height. His head was a stark, hexagonal block of metal, completely devoid of features, forming a blank face that revealed zero emotion.
His right hand was a standard five-fingered servo, while his left arm was replaced entirely by a heavy cannon barrel, connected to a massive nuclear reactor backpack that fueled his weapons.
The design was remarkably similar to Skygnaw's own loadout, though Skygnaw had chosen to integrate his own fusion core internally.
The most striking feature was the giant singular optic glowing in the dead center of his face.
In the historical logs, Shockwave communicated his emotional state entirely through the brightness of his optic: dim when calculating, burning like molten lava during combat, and flashing wildly when furious.
Right now, the red light remained perfectly steady and neutral, meaning he held no hidden hostility toward the new arrival.
The two commanders locked eyes, studying one another in complete silence for a long moment.
"Blackarachnia, welcome back to the ranks," Shockwave finally spoke, choosing to address his old acquaintance first.
"Shockwave, Megatron ordered Skygnaw and me to return to Cybertron. We are here to coordinate our efforts with yours."
Hearing this, Shockwave finally turned his attention to the rising star of the faction. "Skygnaw, welcome back to the home world."
Skygnaw gave a brief, polite nod. He didn't say much. They were strangers, and overplaying his hand with excessive warmth would only backfire against a logician.
"Skygnaw, Blackarachnia, what are Megatron's explicit parameters for this deployment?" Shockwave asked, taking a seat on a massive metal throne in the center of the hall.
As the historic palace of the central government, the Decagon held every amenity required for high-ranking officials. Even if Cybertronians rarely cared for luxury, the standard symbols of authority were fully intact.
"Lord Megatron requires us to wipe out the remaining Autobot resistance as quickly as possible," Skygnaw stated, stepping into the brief. When it came to the mission, he had no intention of playing dumb.
"Wipe out the resistance," Shockwave repeated, his singular optic flickering once.
If it were possible, he would have gladly liquidated the Autobot guerrillas long ago. Their constant hit-and-run ambushes were an endless drain on his resources. But achieving total eradication was easier said than done.
"I have a strategy prepared," Skygnaw said, breaking the silence. He lightly tapped his fingers against the metal armrest of his chair.
"Blackarachnia and I have just entered the atmosphere. Aside from the orbital patrol, no one knows we are here. The intelligence regarding our arrival is still highly contained."
"Skygnaw, you mean to suggest..." Shockwave paused, his thoughts tracking the variable.
"Exactly," Skygnaw smiled, dropping the cryptic tone.
"The Autobots have zero data suggesting that two high-tier commanders have just reinforced the planet. If we seize this window immediately, we can deliver a crushing blow to their entire network."
"If we can terminate Ultra Magnus, the remaining resistance will dissolve into a leaderless rabble. They will cease to be a threat."
Ever since the main armies left the planet, the Autobots had managed to survive on Cybertron solely because Ultra Magnus, their second-in-command, was running the front lines.
With Megatron and Optimus both tied down on Earth, the local forces lacked the overwhelming power to break the stalemate, forcing them into a long war of attrition.
If they could eliminate Ultra Magnus first, they would shatter the Autobots' will to keep fighting. Even if they didn't hunt down every last survivor, the remaining cells would eventually flee the planet.
Whether they fled to Earth to find Optimus wasn't something Skygnaw cared about.
"Skygnaw, your proposal is logical. I know exactly how to align our assets," Shockwave said, his optic dimming slightly as he calculated the operational parameters.
Unlike the other warlords, Shockwave relied entirely on precise data and hard intelligence to construct his campaigns. Skygnaw's strategy provided a solid baseline, and he could finalize the operational script the moment he returned to his tactical maps.
"One more thing," Skygnaw shifted the topic smoothly. "Lord Megatron previously assigned full command of the Air Division to me. I need a comprehensive report detailing our current flight strength."
"It would also be highly beneficial if you included our latest intelligence files on the Autobot positions."
"Very well," Shockwave nodded without hesitation. "Hardtop will deliver the data files to your quarters shortly."
"Skygnaw, once this campaign concludes successfully, I will formally transfer the full command structure of the Air Division to your jurisdiction, as Megatron directed."
The expected power struggle never happened, and the typical political infighting didn't take place. Shockwave was perfectly content to hand over the military authority that belonged to the Air Commander.
Skygnaw was slightly surprised by his compliance, but it was an excellent development. It turned out that not every high commander was a power-hungry snake like Starscream.
An officer who cared strictly about efficiency and logic actually existed within the Decepticon ranks.
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