The next day, Sentinel sees the broadcast, and smashes the screen in anger.

Arcee is preparing material for Sari’s lessons when Ratchet arrives with a gift – a pair of laser swords. He admits that he was actually trying to make laser pointers, but got a little carried away. He says that things at Maccadam’s didn’t go the way he’d hoped, and asks Arcee on a second date. She agrees, but just as Ratchet suggests that they do something that night, Ironhide arrives, summoning Ratchet to the Project Omega lab.

Wheeljack, Perceptor and Red Alert are already at the lab. Sentinel tasks them and Ratchet to build him a suit of flying armour, dubbing the assignment “Project Powermaster”. He expects results within the decacycle.

Out in deep space, a bored Beachcomber pilots an energon transport ship and bemoans his job – at least he’s not on space bridge repair duty. Suddenly, the lights go off. Blackout punches his way into the ship from the outside and grabs Beachcomber. “Dude, that is so not cool,” says Beachcomber. Blackout starts to drain the life from the Autobot. “Seriously, dude, what do you get by taking meee offffliiiiiine…”

“A message,” states Blackout as he discards Beachcomber’s body. He heads back outside, shifting to vehicle mode, and begins to tow the ship away.

Act III

In her classroom, Arcee lectures Sari about the life cycle of Cybertronians: after a protoform is molded, it is given life by the AllSpark. Under her breath, Sari remarks that she actually misses Tutor Bot – when Arcee tells her to share that remark with the rest of the class, Sari snaps back that she is the rest of the class. At that moment, Bumblebee and Bulkhead arrive with Burger Bot hamburgers brought from Earth via space bridge. Thanks to a “subspace tachyon transmitter” installed in Sumdac Tower by Bulkhead, Sari is able to talk to her father.

All around Detroit, strange crystalline growths are forming – raw energon. Sari impresses Arcee by linking this phenomenon to the AllSpark. When Sumdac sees the protoforms, he doesn’t recognise them – apparently, Sari’s was much smaller. Bumblebee promises that they’ll find answers, and they go to the Cyber-Ninja Dojo, where Jazz – at Optimus Prime’s word – lets them in. Sari doesn’t know what to ask the AllSpark.

Ultimately, she doesn’t have to ask anything – the ghost of Prowl appears, having become one with the AllSpark. “Once you carried the key… now you are the key… to the future of Cybertron… and Earth.”

They question Prowl about the AllSpark’s motivations: “So what is its will? What does it want?” asks Bumblebee.

“What it wants, has always wanted… life.” The AllSpark grants visions to those present: Sari sees a spark merging with a DNA double-helix; Optimus Prime sees a larger version of himself fighting Megatron; Bumblebee sees himself wearing Elite Guard stripes.

Sentinel Prime meets Cliffjumper outside of the Metroplex, and asks the commander of Cybertron Intelligence to help make him look good. Cliffjumper is sceptical of this request, noting that it falls outside his job description, but Sentinel persists – asking not just as a leader, but as a friend. Cliffjumper bluntly remarks that he’s neither.

Rattletrap arrives, and says that he has a photo of Optimus Prime being friendly with Megatron. It turns out to be the photo of Optimus Prime and Rattletrap at Maccadam’s, with Megatron’s head crudely edited in place of Rattletrap’s. Sentinel sends Rattletrap off, but the photo’s given him an idea of his own.

Bulkhead returns to the energon farms on the moon. The Cybertronian energon is withering – Earth energon is ten times more potent, but because of its organic component it cannot be grown on Cybertron. Another Autobot, Trac-Tor, tends to the crops. The harvest gets worse every year – whoever controls the energon controls the planet.

Back on Cybertron, Sentinel, Jetstorm and Jetfire meet with Bumblebee. Sentinel invites Bumblebee to join the Elite Guard – leading the Autobot to remember his vision – on the condition that he endorses Sentinel as Magnus. Bumblebee is conflicted, and requests time to think on the matter – Sentinel gives him one solar cycle to make up his mind.

Once Bumblebee is gone, the twins ask Sentinel why he’s stooped to bribery. “It’s war,” says Sentinel. Ironhide arrives with an urgent message, but Sentinel doesn’t notice – he’s too busy cooking up another plan, one which requires an unremarkable Autobot which he can plant as Optimus Prime’s bodyguard to get dirt on his rival. Eventually, the twins point out Ironhide, and Sentinel realises Ironhide will be perfect for the job.

Bulkhead is enjoying the relative quiet of the energon farm… but not for long. Suddenly, General Obsidian and a strike force of Decepticons attack!

“Trial of Megatron, Part 2”

Act I

Upon learning of General Obsidian’s attack on the energon farm, Sentinel Prime diverts all power to Project Powermaster. Unfortunately, at the farm itself, this causes the planetary shields to deactivate. To combat the Decepticons now freely attacking the farm, the workers start using the energon crystals as makeshift grenades. “How’d they get past the planetary shields?” yells Bulkhead. He manages to save Trac-Tor from Obsidian, but is injured himself in the process. The Decepticons fly away with a silo of energon.

Later, Ratchet – having checked over Bulkhead – declares that the Autobot will recover. At that moment, the team sees Bumblebee’s endorsement of Sentinel Prime on the news, and turn on him. Defensively, Bumblebee states that it’s what the AllSpark wanted. “How could you?” says Bulkhead.

“He’s a big bot now, he makes his own choices,” says Sentinel Prime, entering the room.

Ratchet sees what he’s carrying “You sold out Prime for some Elite Guard stripes?!”

Afterwards, Sentinel returns to Trypticon Prison, looking to prise the location of the Decepticon base from Megatron. He gets a Mini-Con to remove the captive leader’s mouthplate, allowing him to speak, and threatens to use the Mini-Con to rip the location from Megatron’s memories if he doesn’t disclose it freely. The Mini-Con extends a nasty-looking spike. Megatron is willing to offer some information, but wants to be given the opportunity to stretch his legs in return. Sentinel gets the Mini-Con to remove the Decepticon’s stasis cuffs. Megatron reveals that the base is located on the fifth moon of Chaar – but all the while, he’s downloading information from the Mini-Con.

Sentinel immediately goes to the Project Omega lab and demands the Powermaster armour from Ratchet, ignoring the medic’s warnings that it’s not yet finished. At Fortress Maximus, the Autobots board their flagship and prepare to level the Decepticon base. Optimus Prime is convinced it’s a trap, but Sentinel is having none of it: “Bring it on,” he says. Omega Supreme joins the armada, reluctant as ever. Sentinel sees an opportunity in Optimus Prime’s doubts – “If you’re worried about your own shell, don’t think about it – I got you a bodyguard.” He presents Optimus with Ironhide, and says that his crew is to defend the energon farms. Hopefully, Sentinel thinks, they won’t see any action.

The armada travels to the fifth moon of Chaar and bombs the Decepticon base. A recalcitrant Omega Supreme transforms and unleashes his full arsenal. Elite Guard troops storm the base – with Sentinel in the Powermaster armour – only to find that it is deserted. In frustration, Sentinel pounds the rubble with his power lance – but his armour overloads, and he’s sent into an uncontrollable strafing run at his own soldiers. At the last second, Bumblebee speeds up a ramp and uses his stingers to sever Sentinel’s connection to the armour.

At the energon farm, Optimus, Ironhide and Ratchet see footage from the moon and realise that it wasn’t a trap – but rather, a diversion. A Decepticon warship bears down on them…

Act II

“We’re the only bots standing between Cybertron’s energon supply and a Decepticon invasion,” realises Ratchet.

“Not the only bots!” Arcee and Sari Sumdac warp in and join the fight, as General Strika, Cyclonus, Spittor and Oil Slick descend on the farm. Having never seen a flying Autobot before, Cyclonus is impressed by Optimus Prime’s jetpack. Sari is eaten by Spittor, but she manages to blast her way out from the inside. Blackout arrives, disabling everyone’s weapons – and Optimus Prime’s jetpack – and Oil Slick prepares to douse the Autobots in Cosmic Rust.

Suddenly, Jazz, Dai Atlas and the rest of the Cyber-Ninja Corps arrive and kick the canister away. Optimus ignites the canister, causing a chain reaction with the energon which kills all the Decepticons in the refinery.

Later, the Autobot High Council commends Optimus Prime. Bumblebee is chagrined. Optimus is granted the “Eternal Flame”, an honour which comes with a fiery new paint job.