The Monster of Kaon (Transformers Si): Chapter 22

Override worriedly looked at her companion, Crankfist, as Sandstorm forced the prisoners across the ship to flood the cargo hold, with him leading them.

It was not the first time that they had been forced into such a situation since there had been no lack of rebellions against their captors throughout the many centuries this side of the galaxy had endured against the Star Seekers.

However, this was the first time that Override had seen Sandstorm legitimately worried. Especially since he had already ordered the ship to be taken away from the local space.

Every time there was a rebellion or an enemy attack, the Star Seekers would use their slaves as shields and attack from a distance.

Sometimes, the enemy took pity on the slaves and tried to avoid lethal attacks, falling prey to the Star Seekers.

Other times, the slaves would die in droves as the rebels or the enemy slaughtered them wholesale in an attempt to reach the Star Seeks, only to end up overwhelmed by the hoards of slaves and the distant attacks of the pirates.

Override hated the Star Seekers with a passion, but she also acknowledged how well their ruthless strategy worked in their favor.

If only this strategy did not involve the lives of her friends.

Suddenly, Sandstorm ran into the room frantically and pointed at the slaves who were forced into the cargo room.

“All of you! Listen up! You are going to attack whoever comes into this room that is not part of my crew! If any of you dares to disobey my words-“

Whatever he was going to say was cut off as the Cargo bay doors were blown away, revealing a ship flying into the Cargo hold and landing gracefully.

The emergency airlocks activated, and the ship’s self-repair systems came online, closing the gap made by the blown-apart doors.

For a few seconds, there was only silence as the ship’s door opened, revealing a figure that struck fear into the hearts and sparks of everyone present in the cargo hold.

The blade held in the bot’s hand made the air hum with its head, his red optics glaring down at everyone around him, his towering stature enhancing his already menacing appearance.

“I will only say this once. Move out of my way, or die.”

“WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS DOING!? ATTACK!!”

Sandstorm’s rage-filled shouts fell on deaf ears as no one, neither the organics nor the machine life forms, dared to even take a step. The sheer presence of the new bot forced them to be rooted in place as their survival instincts screamed at them to run.

Realizing that he had lost control over the slaves, Sandstorm activated his whip, trying to force the slaves into attacking the enemy.

Before his arm could extend forward with the whip, a beam of laser melted it straight off his chassis, making him fall to the ground with pain.

Under the horrified and amazed gazes of the slaves, the bot’s right arm, which had morphed into a gargantuan laser cannon, morphed back into a regular arm.

The bot walked slowly and deliberately towards Sandstorm, who ignored his pain and tried to get up, seeking to run away from the bot, but he did not manage to move away far enough, allowing the bot to pin him down to the ground with his leg on his back.

“During my travel from Velocitron all the way to this place, chasing after Thundertron, I picked up on many old transmissions and desperate requests for help. And all of them showed me the kind of monstrous acts that you and your companions have inflicted on these unfortunate worlds.”

The bot raised his oversized sword into the air, pumping even more Energon into it and making it glow even more than usual.

“I, Maximus, the former leader of the Programming Cast and the leader of the Ascenticons, hereby judge you guilty of violating the Cybertronian Laws against Space Piracy.”

Sandstorm tried to scream, trying to bargain for his life.

But he would never get that chance.

Override, Crankfist, and the rest of the Slaves watched with awed and vindicated looks as the blade fell and cleaved the pirate into two length-wise.

Then, the bot reached into the severed body and pulled out the two halves of the spark chamber, crushing them within his palm, making the Cybertronian life forms within the slave population shudder at the ruthlessness displayed.

With his task done, the bot did not even look at the slaves and started heading deeper into the ship.

However, before he fully left, his voice drifted into the cargo hold, filling them with hope for the first time in many years.

“There are several escape pods available in the hanger. Use them as you see fit.”