Axis nodded.
“Thank you Sentinel. Before we depart, I do have one thing to ask. If I seek your guidance again, could you not shut me out again? I don’t think it would kill you to have a simple conversation every now and again.”
Axis paused for a moment as she remembered something else.
“And while we’re at it, what the hell was that stunt back at the space port?! That feeling of a frozen dagger striking into my chest. It was horrible! Why in Primus’ name would you ever do such a thing?!”
“O-oh! Yeah that definitely sounds really bad.”
Honeycomb stammered
“But we’ll probably be fine right? I mean, we’re working with the Prime herself. Well current Prime. You know what I mean. So I doubt anything will go too terribly wrong.”
She said nervously, trying her best not to fall into a panic spiral.
Defender, having saluted many of the Primes, bows before Amalgamous Prime.
“My lord,” he says, “it is an honor to meet you.”
Oreo, meanwhile, has decided that the stranger in the ship is likely not dangerous, just… well, rather crazy. He lets Overgrowth and Ivory continue talking, and goes to sit on the cargo bay’s ramp. As he does, he notices a stream of visitors leaving the Tomb of the Primes. He wonders what has happened that would cause the Knights and the Tomb’s stewards to make everyone leave.
“Such an act is beyond my power,” Sentinel tells Axis. “That pain was not my doing; rather, it was inflicted by the Matrix itself. It did the same thing to me.”
“Primes and their entourages are not infallible, Honeycomb,” Onyx warns Honeycomb. “All of you must be vigilant.”
“Sentient singularities are fortunately rare occurrences, however,” Micronus adds, perched upon the centaur-esque bot’s back. “Though I guess there’s something to be said for expecting the unexpected…”
Amalgamous’s torso rotates around as Defender approaches and bows before him. “Oh, hey!” the First Transformer says. “Nice meeting you, too!”
As the tourists stream out from the Tomb’s entrance hall, the two Knights guarding it peer within, also curious as to what may have inspired this exodus. Many of the cybertronians, humans, and people of other species are talking excitedly among themselves, and words like “empty”, “hologram”, and “ghosts” can be overheard through the rambling.
“These?” He asked, the question rhetorical. He pulled out his arms showing the various symbols on his particularly large fists, even on the knuckles. “Simple lessons told via emblems and pictures. Stories and parables, about you, your siblings and your decendants. Are many apocryphal? Perhaps, but is it not better to take the stories at their face and the lessons locked within them?” He explained “My siblings and I are known by most as the Followers of the Primes ascendant, but we merely call ourselves the followers, and we have many such symbols.” He turned around to show the emblem of the order on his cloak back
“Twelve points, one for each of your siblings, barr the foul Leige Maximo, whom we shun totally.”
Stopgap groaned, this conversation alone had tested every ounce of his patience, clearly, these two were terrible listeners. “Once again, to reclaim my godhood I have been tasked with assisting your little club of…” stopgap was extremely tempted to call them idiots, but decided against it. “with whatever it is that you’re wanting to do. If. I. Complete. My. Task. Then. I. Shall. Have. Reclaimed. My. Godhood. Understood?”
“Oh, I see. My apologies.”
Axis replied, quickly calming down. Her anger immediately switching to worry and concern.
“Do you know what exactly causes is?”
She asked.
“Gahh. You’re right. You’re right.”
Honeycomb closed her eyes and trembled a bit.
“I really need to learn to stop over thinking things.”
“Fascinating,” Megatronus remarks, and he truly is intrigued by what LD-L1 is showing him. “How long has your order been in existence?”
Many of the other Thirteen frown at the cursing of Liege Maximo’s name. In their eyes, he had redeemed himself five thousand years ago with the defeat of the Heralds of Unicron. To them, hearing that many still hate him is disheartening, though rather understandable.
“It is one of the ways the Matrix expresses its displeasure,” Sentinel explains. “It’s methods of communication are often indirect, as I’m sure you’ve observed. When I tell you that the Matrix may soon close itself to you, understand that it is no idle warning.”
“Now you see the curse of the title of Prime,” Nova Prime interjects. “All that power in your possession, and yet you’re expected to abide by the terms of a negligent god under penalty of-”
“I do not recall anyone asking for your input, Nova,” Sentinel snaps, cutting the disgraced Angelicon off. “Though I suppose you would be more familiar with the Matrix’s punishments than anyone else.”
Nova Prime scowls and withdraws again, growling something most assuredly unpleasant under his breath as he retreats.
“Perhaps,” Onyx says placidly, shrugging his great shoulders. "
“Very well,” Overgrowth replies. Though similarly frustrated, continued back-and-forth in this hallway would only get less productive. “If you are so insistent on assisting us, perhaps you should see what exactly we’re doing. Follow me, please.”
The Knight strides down the hall toward the nearest airlock, looking back periodically to see if Stopgap is instead wandering elsewhere.
“Salvage, I’m leaving,” she says into her commlink. “You must watch the prisoners in my absence.”
“You know I have a fear of being left alone on a starship, right?” Salvage replies. “Comes from an overconsumption of sci-fi horror. Seriously, when you get back I’ll probably have locked myself in an escape pod with a plasma cutter.”
“You will have several humans for company,” Overgrowth points out.
“Right. Humans who were just trying to kill us earlier today,” says Salvage. “That makes it so much better.”
“Believe me, I do not take your words lightly. But then I must ask, what can I do to avoid such a fate? What must I change to keep the Matrix’s favor with me?”
Axis humbly asked Sentinel.
Nova meanwhile confusedly looked around the room when she heard her name called, though she quickly realized they were talking to someone else who just so happened to be named Nova.
“So uh… any advice? I guess? For the whole adventuring thing. Sorry. I’m still not entirely sure how to handle all this.”
Honeycomb asked.
Ivory had no real drive to stick with the clearly insane god-bot, so he took his opportunity to duck out. “I’ll stick with him, you go on.”
———
“Unfortunately we do not have a precise date, due to our previous home temple being destroyed during the great war, but we are, in the grand scale of things, young, but we date to before the reunification. During the great war we served a welcome, if small solace to the conflict between our kind. Junkion to Decipticon were and still are welcome in our order. However our records were raided by all factions during the war looking for some nature of an edge, and much was lost. Though I believe some of our records at to at least Alistrian Prime, though perhaps older may exist on the Anchorite, our mobile grand chapel. A creation of Solus, if our records are correct. She may possibly remember it.”
“I am hardly the best person to ask,” Sentinel says, “as I could not manage to do so in my time. But I have told you that you are violent and reckless; the Matrix favors diplomacy, when possible, and careful consideration before employing force. It will disapprove of hesitation, however, to which I can personally attest.”
“Trust in your comrades, show the enemy no fear, and fight as though every battle is to be your last!” the spirit of Prima says confidently, raising a gauntleted fist.
“Whatever you’re gonna do, look cool while doing it!” Micronus laughs. “Give the historians something to write about.”
“Fight for something greater than merely the annihilation of your foes,” Onyx says, much more calmly than his siblings. “Without a higher calling, rage and bloodlust will consume you.”
Solus Prime leans in closer, now that her name and apparently one of her works have been mentioned. Her brow furrows as the tries to place the name Anchorite to a vehicle matching LD-L1’s description.
“Anchorite… Anchorite… I do not recall ever making anything by that name, though the phrase ‘mobile chapel’ can certainly describe some starships I’ve built for the Knights of Cybertron,” she says. " ‘Anchorite’ must be a name your order assigned to this vehicle."
“I believe he’s referring to one of your street-cleaners, Solus,” Alpha Trion comments, having paid greater attention to the mortal world over the eons than the rest of the Thirteen. “If this is the same group of cybertronians I’m thinking of, anyway.”
If the ghosts of the Primes have been observing the goings-on of the mortal world, as Sentinel’s words imply, then it’s possible that the spirits have seen no reason to consider Kitai a threat. Nova Prime, however, does not hold that opinion.
“What manner of abomination are you, that dares to enter this holy place?” the specter snarls as he glides past the hybrid. “As if the stewards of this place are not to be contented with allowing humans to leak their filth here!”
“Hear that, Salvage?” Overgrowth says to the Junkion, “you won’t be alone after all.”
“I won’t turn down the company of anyone with a rocket launcher,” Salvage remarks. “That’s a lesson I learned at a young age. Painfully.”
“Might very well be sire,” He said, responding to Trion. “As it’s primary feature is a large metal turbine that lowers in front of the entrance, that sucks up anything on the road. It then has some disassemblers inside of it that will break what it’s captured into it’s based components. We don’t often use it, but it has been for emergency purposes when a large force attempts to breach out sanctum. The cargo bay is primarily used for dormitories now.” He explained, hoping he may now have proof of it’s development.
“Smart kid, where are you? I’ll come join you.” Ivory asked
Seraphicon drew his sword and marches right up to Nova Prime, “do us all a favor: shut up.” He says to the specter.
“Okay, I may still be catching up but could we get some context for his outburst?” Firestorm asks Alpha Trion, more comfortable asking the Original 13’s historian.
“I suppose that’s helpful, if perhaps vague. Then again it’s not like I’m at a lack of resources at the moment. Now would be a good time for me to consult my other predecessor, while they’re all here. Unless of course there was anything else you wanted to share with me.”
Honeycomb grew a wide smile. The enthusiastic words of the Primes inspired quite a bit of confidence within her. Onyx especially.
“Thank you! That helps a lot actually.”
Defender asks, “Lady Prime, what shall we do next? I understand that we have the full council of Primes here, so this ought to be a good time to formulate a plan, at least for the next few days.”
Oreo heads back into the Tomb to find Razor. He is intrigued by the comments of the crowd.
Axis turned to Defender.
“I’m still not certain at the moment. I have a lot to consider. A lot to think about. Before I decide anything, I need to further consult my predecessors.”
She replied.
Solus Prime’s eyes light up as LD-L1 describes the Anchorite, his words jogging her memory.
“I thought those were all destroyed!” she says. “In any case, I’m pleased that it has continued to be of use to people, even if it isn’t serving its intended function.”
Alpha Trion frowns, now that his suspicions are confirmed and he knows that the Followers are the same misguided cult he’s been thinking of.
“Your devotion is… admirable,” he says tentatively to LD-L1, “but I have to say, you and your fellows have some rather strange and not-entirely-correct perceptions of us.”
“Peace,” Nova Prime scoffs. “I tried to uplift our species, to claim our rightful place in this universe, and they cast me down for it. What peace should I find in that?”
The shade of the disgraced Prime turns as Seraphicon storms up to him, blade in hand. “Perhaps I will,” he sneers. “Even after all these eons, my words fall upon deaf ears. Under my rule, our people would have been reunited far sooner. The war with the Decepticons, the return of the Heralds of Unicron, and even this new emerging threat could have all been avoided.”
With Alpha Trion speaking with LD-L1, Beta Maxx takes it upon himself to answer Firestorm’s question.
“Oh, that’s Nova Prime,” he explains. "He used to be an Angelicon, like Seraphicon, but he went mad after he bonded with the Matrix. He became a tyrant and was cast down in a revolt some twenty-one million years ago.
“It’s a shame,” he adds. “There must have once been something good in him for Matrix to choose him in the first place, I imagine. But ‘power corrupts’, and all that…”
“It is my pleasure,” Onyx says pleasantly. Micronus responds with a thumbs-up.
“I have nothing more to share with you,” Sentinel says to Axis, and to the rest of our heroes. “Go to Lacuna when you are ready. Find what I have hidden before your new enemy does, and do what you must with it. I could say more, but the Angelicon Order and even the Knights of Cybertron are not immune to corruption. The less I tell you here, the better.”
Oreo will find that the Tomb of the Primes is much brighter inside now, and currently populated by the ghosts of the previous Matrix-bearers, temporarily brought into the mortal realm by the Matrix through means unknown. It has never displayed such abilities before.
“I’m on the bridge,” Salvage tells Ivory. “Just keeping an eye on the cameras, making sure our guests don’t try anything stupid and looking for any more stowaways, I guess.”
“Oh! Well, I’m not sure that’s my place to explain…” Beta Max responds, nodding toward Kitai. He knew what the hybrid quintesson was, but he also wanted to show Kitai respect and give him the opportunity to disclose his identity on his own terms.
