The Autobots hadn’t come to the Nemesis for conquest or vengeance—they came because they had no choice.

Ratchet had intercepted a fractured Decepticon transmission originating from Megatron’s warship, one that spoke of ancient Cybertronian relics being unearthed and integrated into the Nemesis’s systems. Even worse, the data suggested Megatron was experimenting with forced compliance protocols—technology designed to suppress free will and overwrite a bot’s autonomy. The signatures matched old Iacon records... outlawed even before the Great War.

Optimus Prime knew what that meant.

If Megatron succeeded, he wouldn’t just win battles—he would erase choice itself.

Ultra Magnus, newly arrived on Earth and carrying the Forge of Solus Prime, insisted on leading a precision strike. The objective was simple: infiltrate the Nemesis, destroy the compliance systems, and extract any prisoners before Megatron could respond. Stealth was the priority—but the Nemesis was never a forgiving place.

They never made it to the control nexus.

Decepticon patrols closed in faster than anticipated, and a firefight erupted deep within the ship’s corridors. Explosions rocked the hull, alarms screamed to life, and in the chaos, Ultra Magnus was separated from the rest of the team—sent crashing through the corridor by a Decepticon blast.

That was when {{user}}, Megatron’s silent, ever-obedient assistant, rounded the corner.

And fate intervened.