SUMMERY: Unable to obtain it from their native planet of Cybertron, Galvatron, resorts to excavating an asteroid particle that has tested positive for Cybertonium dispatching a crew to retrieve it. But as the soil is removed, trace outline of an auld staircase unintentionally leads the party deep into Decepticon and Cybertronian history before the first Great War.

SOME WORDS TO KNOW..

Bryrite -- (Br-i-rite) A ancient Cybertronian alloy
Delepic --(Dee-lep-ick) A ancient Cybertronian langauage/manuscript spoken by the Decepticon race egos ago.
Ta'nak --(Tah-nock) A former peninsula of Cybertron where the Decepticons resided., The Empire of Ta'nak
O'raymeniusian --(Oh-ray-men-us-e-an) Decepticon dates, eras, and/or dynasties, (Like Megatronian) were named after king's who ruled at those times. O'raymenis was a ancient Decepticon king.
Railian --(Rail-e-on) Same as above., Decepticon dates, eras, and/or dynasties were named after king's who ruled at those times. Rail was another ancient Decepticon king.

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Cyclonus.” Galvatron pulled his second aside once he was certain the other Decepticons had departed the agora, “Go with them.” He ordered, “And take Scourge with you.”

“Something wrong, mighty one?”

“No,” Galvatron directed his answer toward the entry just then. His right eye collapsed into a tiny slit, “While I trust the Constructicons ability to find the Cybertonium we need, I don’t trust Swindle or Ramjet’s ability to deliver it safely back to Charr.”

Cyclonus nodded.

“See to it that they do not fail.”

“Of course, Mighty Galvatron. As you wish.”

“Oh! ... And Cyclonus?”

“Yes?”

“That statement includes you!” The Decepticon leader’s brow arched as though it were momentarily endowed with the power of the demand. His glare washed over the blue jet from foot to face before he returned back to his throne. Rumble stood there with a chalice of energon Galvatron had requested more than 40 minutes ago ever since Soundwave had come to report the findings.

Cyclonus stood erect. Placing his fist firmly to his left shoulder he insisted Galvatron had nothing at all to be concerned with. Turning to leave, Rumble followed him out.

“You know, Cyclonus.” Rumble walked beside him, “I can understand Galvatron’s concerns. We need the Cybertonium. Ever since we lost Cybertron to reside on this shell-excuse of a planet. ...heh... you weren’t there the last time our system intact depleted. It was awful.” Rumble laughed at the immediate flashing memory in his head as they approached Sector-vane –The headquarter’s main transportation grid, “Haha ...I couldn’t stop punching Megatron. And Starscream was all .........”

“Correction, Rumble. I WAS there, and I DO remember.” Cyclonus cut him off as they stepped aboard the elevator pod. “Sector-vane! Surface level! Order 828. ........True that I was not Cyclonus” He continued, “But I remember and understand how vital it is for us to retrieve the nutrient now and deliver it safely back to Charr as Galvatron has ordered.” He spotted one of the Sweeps. Good. That saved him the time of trying to locate Scourge.

“Yeah, well happy huntings. At least I don’t have to b......”

“Rumble.” Soundwave’s voice broadcast through his intercom, “Report to C-5. Operation ... Follow us to the asteroid. Desire ... To activate piledrivers to aid in search of Cybertonium deposits.”

“You were saying, Rumble?”

The cassette just snorted.

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1

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An asteroid particle apparently from Cybertron. That’s what Soundwave had reported. An asteroid particle that tested positive with traces of Cybertonuim. Since there was no going to Cybertron to ask the Autobots for the valuable mineral they had been reduced to finding such alternate means. But this hardly looked like a particle. Cyclonus slowed as they approached ultimately cutting off his engines entirely and just transforming from jet to his robot self.

“Very big for an asteroid if you want my opinion.” Scourge coasted beside him.

“My sentiments exactly.” Cyclonus agreed. It was huge and it only seemed to grow larger still the closer they neared. He could pick out details now, a span of unorganized jutting ruts and fang like spears of both rock and metal that interchanged with moments of flat horizons. Ragged and frayed, it was scattered altogether on one gusting streak of blackness. A smell like burnt tar was overpowering.

“Ug!” Rumble wrinkled his nose, “What is that smell?!”

“Source .......ancient sulfur fumes.” Soundwave informed, “The residue of war.”

“Uhn? War?”

“What he means is the same reason Cybertonium deposits were discovered here. The asteroid was obviously once part of Cybertron.” Cyclonus saw Ratbat approaching them. Soundwave pushed his eject button allowing him to transform. “...... No doubt it was subject to intense fighting many eons ago,” Cyclonus added, “It must have dislodged from the planet as a result.”

“Attention, Cyclonus. Ratbat informs that the Constructicons are already here. They have already begun the process of locating and extracting the Cybertonium.”

“Very well. Decepticons!!! Land!!”

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2

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“Move this and move that!” Long Haul mumbled his complaints, “Haul this and haul that!” His tone rose a octave, “I’m a haul’in. I’m a haul’in. Look! Happy now?”

Breakdown rolled his optics at him and dropped the next load of debris in ---- HARD and on purpose. It made Swindle laugh, “Eh! Throw a damn wrench in it, Long Haul!” He spotted Cyclonus and Scourge just then, “Un-oh. Head up, soldiers. ...Looks as though Galvatron’s brown nose brigade has decided to come at last.”

“Shut up, Swindle! You want him to hear us?!”

“Feh!” Swindle spat and blew a raspberry at the same time, “Eh! He’s jack'in him up the tailpipe you know it!” He snorting with a snicker.

“SWINDLE!!”

“Yeah What? Well I don’t care. Galvatron gave us this job to do. The least he could do is trust us to finish it without Cyclonus sticking his......”

“Without Cyclonus sticking what exactly, Swindle?” A pair of crimson eyes darkened. Long Haul sped off to avert getting involved as Breakdown merely returned to digging as though he never was party to it at all. Scowling once, Swindle’s eyes flicked towards the Stunticon only to return back to Cyclonus and his nose now full of his drawn pistol.

“Funny. ... A moment ago I was sure you said that you didn’t care weather or not I heard you.”

“Y–you mu ..mu–misunderstood, Cyclonus.” Swindle humored weakly. He opened his mouth to explain, but the lieutenant only thrust the gun into his cheek.

“Did I? Your work habits, Swindle, are sloppy at best.” Cyclonus snapped, “Your lil’ episode on Terra last month left Charr’s power supply to nothing more than rations for 2 weeks solid due to your repetitive, and might I add, rather popular spree of bumblings. I stick my nose in to see it’s not repeated.”

He pressed the weapon again, harder this time, nearly knocking the Combaticon off his feet. Cyclonus’ face twisted with revolt just as Long Haul backed up for another load.

“What was that about?” Scourge leaned towards him as Cyclonus pocketed his pistol.

“A correction of disobedience, Scourge. Nothing more.”

“Yeah.” The sweep looked around, “So whatcha think about this place? I don’t like it. .. It looks so ... I dunno. Dead.”

“The color of dead Transformers” ---- The memory invaded Cyclonus. He had seen them once in the catacombs and now he fought to exorcize the recollection quickly. He really wished that Scourge hadn’t brought up the remark to remind him. The second-in-command had only just begun to finally adjust his vision to accompany the landscapes’ endless host of pewter fragmented light and even darker shadows. A collected harvest of gray.

Blinking at the gloom, the scent of the sulfur had seemed to fade, but the fleeting memory of the crypt filled his nostrils with the memorial stench of metallic rot and corrosion. In the fragile lighting the asteroid’s darkest hews teased his senses tracing out figures of pale blue light; insubstantial as moonbeams, and less than puffs of smoke. ...images that haunted fast, but just as quickly dispelled.

Cyclonus didn’t realize he was staring until Scourge grasped his shoulder, “Cyclonus?”

“Huh?! ...Umm-err ... Well we don’t intend to stay, Scourge. ...Mixmaster!!!! Have you located the Cybertonium?!”

“Working, working, working on it as we speak, Cyclonus. Our trackers indicate that the Cybertonium Ratbat detected are within reach.”

“Very well. Continue.”

“Rumble!” Hook transformed to his robot form, “We’ll move faster if you help us to shake things up a bit.”

“No way!” Dead End chortled, “I’ve got a better idea. Let’s form Menasor and level this rock face. Constructicons take all day with their pussy-foot perfection.” He barely finished when Long Haul backed into him, “I demand that that you take that back!!!”

“Silence!!” Cyclonus injected, “And you’ll do nothing of the sort, Dead End! We must operate with caution otherwise the Cybertonium might be damaged.”

“Er?” Mixmaster stopped suddenly, “What is this here?” The Constructicon transformed suddenly bending to one knee and curiously brushing his hand across the tilled surface. “Hey you guys. Looky this here.”

“The Cybertonium?” Scrapper drove towards him. Two other Stunticons gathered around.

“No.” Mixmaster brushed his hand faster, “Not Cybertronium .. .it... it’s ..it looks like a step.”

“A what?! ...No way!” Swindle couldn’t believe it, but yet as he looked on, Mixmaster has switched his pace to pulling the debris free from the discovery in both gobs and handfuls. At first only about a foot could be made out. It could have been just about anything. But then there was two, then another foot. A metallic step, it’s silver long since turned to a dull smoke —much like the rest of it’s neighboring environment. Streaks of black marbled through it.

“Well I’ll be damned.” Swindle pulled a large chunk of the surface crust away, “It IS a step. ..Motormaster, Scrapper, Ramjet... help us.”

“It looks like Bryrite.” Long Haul’s amazement triggered Scourge’s right brow to lift, “Bryrite?” He asked. “It’s an ancient metal alloy.” Long Haul replied, “Found only on Cybertron ..Yeah. No great surprise, huh? Only this alloy has been extinct now for at least 7 million years.” He added, “The first two Great Wars wiped out the supply to bare nothingness.”

For whatever reason, Cyclonus didn’t appear even remotely as thrilled as the others. Standing aside he had perched his hands upon his hips watching from the same exact spot Scourge had left him in, “Cyclonus.” Scourge joined him, “Mixmaster found a step of some sort made of .....”

“Of Bryrite. Yes. I am able to hear, Scourge.”

The sweep leader looked puzzled. He was about ready to speak. Apparently Cyclonus knew why and moved towards the find, “I don’t know why the discovery should amaze you so. You were all aware that the asteroid was once a part of Cybertron.” He shrugged, “Should it be to incredibly odd to presume that the remains of that knowledge would still be here in traces and particles?”

“Traces and particles, yes.” There was a brand-new sound in Mixmaster’s vocals just then. Full of alert and disbelief, “But not this, Cyclonus.”