Transformers: Rise of the Decepticon

A Sharkborn soldier stared blankly at the sky as a dark, oval drop pod grew rapidly in his vision.

Thud!

Before he could scream, the pod slammed down, squashing him into a gory pile of flesh and metal.

A moment later, several Decepticon warriors burst from the pod, charging into the surrounding enemy without missing a beat.

More pods rained down across the field, crushing unsuspecting Sharkborn troops left and right.

Surprised by the sudden assault, the remaining Sharkborn raised their weapons under the frantic orders of their officers, firing back in a desperate bid to survive.

It was Skygnaw's first time directing a full orbital pod drop from the Nemesis, and the results were devastatingly effective.

Simultaneously, the captured transport piloted by Blackarachnia landed nearby, disgorging over a hundred Decepticon soldiers. Led by Blackarachnia, Predaking and the Executioner squad charged directly toward the enemy legion commanders.

Knowing the invaders meant absolute extermination, the eleven Sharkborn chiefs were forced into a desperate battle for survival.

Aside from the landing Decepticons, the most terrifying presence on the field was a rising swarm of mechanical insects.

Under Blackarachnia's command, they wreaked havoc across the enemy lines. Groups of insects swarmed individual Sharkborn, gnawing viciously on their cybernetic armor.

With every soldier consumed, the insects grew visibly larger.

No matter how many were slain, their numbers never seemed to dwindle; in fact, they multiplied with frightening speed.

In the chaotic struggle for survival, few on the ground had time to notice, but Skygnaw watched from above, recognizing that Blackarachnia was cultivating her new army. Satisfied, he turned his gaze away.

Where the Decepticons relied on raw individual dominance, the insect swarm conquered through sheer, overwhelming numbers.

Calling the battle a one-sided slaughter was hardly an exaggeration. The combined assault of the Decepticons and the swarm held a crushing advantage.

Skygnaw stood on the deck of the Nemesis, opting not to join the skirmish personally. The Sharkborn legion commanders possessed combat power comparable to high-tier or elite Decepticon warriors.

If his squad leaders could not eliminate these targets on their own, Skygnaw would seriously doubt if Blackarachnia and Predaking were slacking off.

Down in Tas City, General Silae watched Skygnaw standing atop the Nemesis, correctly guessing that the titan was the supreme commander of the alien force. Seeing the tide turn outside the walls, Silae knew the moment had arrived.

"Deploy all units! Launch the counterattack!"

"Right away, General!"

The four gates of Tas City swung wide, spearheaded by six-meter-tall defense mecha, followed closely by infantry regiments from all four military corps.

After days of grueling siege warfare, less than ten percent of the city's heavy mecha remained, consisting almost entirely of defensive models.

The sight of these machines caught Skygnaw's attention for a moment, and he studied the native armor with mild amusement.

As the dominant civilization on Planet Kugrage, the Mindborn clearly possessed some military capability, even if primitive by galactic standards.

"Charge!"

A Mindborn infantryman clutched his railgun, optics blazing with fury. As memories of his fallen comrades flashed through his mind, a surge of raw adrenaline flooded his veins.

An endless reservoir of strength born from pure hatred.

Just twenty-four hours earlier, Tas City had lived in constant dread of its final defense line collapsing. Yet with the arrival of Skygnaw and his forces, the entire dynamic of the war had inverted overnight.

Caught in a vice between the Decepticons and the surging city garrison, the Sharkborn legions were pushed back step by step, their former arrogance wiped clean.

Though they fought with suicidal ferocity, they could not halt their inevitable collapse. Blackarachnia's swarm gorged on the dead, multiplying rapidly until their numbers crossed the one-thousand mark.

Boom!

Blackarachnia impaled the last Sharkborn chief, flicking dark fluid from her spider leg. "Fragile pests."

The eleven legion chiefs had been pinned down by Predaking and the Executioners, allowing Blackarachnia to step in and execute them one by one.

At best, these chiefs matched elite Decepticon warriors. Against a commander-class fighter like Blackarachnia, they stood zero chance of survival.

"Lady Blackarachnia," Dirge approached her quietly. "Lord Skygnaw requests your presence aboard the Nemesis."

"Understood," Blackarachnia replied, looking down at her newly spawned brood feeding across the field.

She felt no desire to slaughter the remaining rank-and-file. It was not out of mercy, but pure disdain.

Returning to the Nemesis, she was greeted by Skygnaw, whose first words were: "Blackarachnia, take command here. It is time I collected our payment from the Emperor."

Skygnaw looked at her with approval. Having a reliable officer to manage the battlefield saved him considerable effort.

This expedition had proven remarkably fruitful. He had secured critical intelligence regarding the Quintessons, and now stood on the verge of claiming a newly emerged civilization as his vassal state.

Inside the imperial palace of Menlo...

Receiving the report that the besieging forces outside Tas City had been annihilated, Emperor Yinm stared in utter disbelief.

"Repeat that report!"

The guard knelt lower, repeating the detailed accounts regarding the victory at Tas City and the capture of the enemy orbital fleet.

Hearing the confirmation, Yinm finally realized that the nightmare threatening his empire's existence was over.

In a single day.

The sheer speed of it felt surreal. But before he could process his relief, his expression shifted, and he waved his hand to dismiss the guard.

A mechanical bat fluttered into the grand hall, its metallic voice filled with smug pride. "Well? Do you appreciate the power of the Decepticons now?"

Yinm gave an absentminded nod.

Ratbat failed to notice the emperor's strange mood, continuing boastfully, "Lord Skygnaw is on his way. It is time to fulfill your end of the bargain."

"Lord Skygnaw mentioned that if you have trouble subduing your noble clans, he would be happy to lend a hand."

"That won't be necessary," Yinm spoke up, his face unreadable. "Please inform Lord Skygnaw that I wish to meet him in person."

"When?"

"As soon as possible," Yinm added after a brief pause. "Have the meeting take place right here in this hall."

The New Zenith Hall was immense, serving as the primary chamber where Yinm received high-ranking imperial officials.

Ratbat stared at Yinm for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I will pass your request to Lord Skygnaw."

"Thank you..."

When the Nemesis first appeared above Tas City, news of the Decepticons had spread across the Mindborn Empire. Yet no one knew the details of the secret pact between Yinm and Skygnaw.

The populace assumed the Emperor had offered immense resources to hire these alien titans as mercenaries.

Learning that Yinm wished to see him, Skygnaw, who had already arrived at Menlo, walked toward the central palace alone.

A master of his caliber had no reason to fear a primitive native civilization. Exercising excessive caution before such weaklings would be an insult to his own strength.

Ratbat remained by Yinm's side as a messenger, and Skygnaw intended to meet the ruler anyway.

"Ratbat tells me you wanted to see me?"

Inside the vast hall, Yinm flinched at Skygnaw's sudden appearance, relaxing slightly only after recognizing the titan. "Yes, Lord Skygnaw."

"What is it?"

"Lord Skygnaw... I must confirm first. Has the enemy fleet been completely wiped out by your forces?"

"Naturally," Skygnaw nodded smoothly. "You should have received the detailed reports by now. The army besieging Tas City was crushed, and their leader, Silas Trifang, is dead."

Skygnaw withheld all information regarding the Quintessons. Telling Yinm would only cause unnecessary panic.

The strong bore the weight of galactic threats. Since the Mindborn were becoming his vassals, they had no need to worry about forces far beyond their weight class.

In truth, had it not been for securing the Mindborn as a unified vassal race, Skygnaw would never have discarded a useful pawn like Trifang. Claiming Yinm alone was not enough; every member of the race needed to fall under Decepticon rule to form a proper vassal domain.

"Now, Yinm. It is time to honor your word."

Hearing those words, Yinm remained silent.

Skygnaw did not rush him, standing quietly as an amused glint flickered in his optics.

"Lord Skygnaw..." After a long silence, a sudden flash of resolve hardened in Yinm's eyes. "I am deeply grateful for your assistance. However... I cannot allow my people to become your vassals."

"Oh?"

Skygnaw raised an optic ridge at Yinm's sudden refusal. His face showed curiosity and mild surprise, but zero anger or shock.

The Decepticons had effortlessly annihilated the fleet that had pushed the Mindborn to the brink of extinction. What right did the Mindborn have to refuse him?

Where did Yinm get such foolish courage?

"Yinm, is this why you summoned me here?"

"Do you understand what a promise means? A promise is a contract that remains binding regardless of how circumstances change. I am truly curious, what gives you the confidence to break your word?"

Yinm did not answer. He merely shook his head, his lips moving silently.

A second later, Skygnaw got his answer.

Heavy, mechanical footsteps echoed outside the grand hall.

Thud, thud, thud.

Several massive mecha, each standing over ten meters tall with long arms hanging at their sides, stepped through the entrance.

They were significantly larger than the mecha units deployed at Tas City, each wielding a glowing power sword in its right hand. They looked imposing and formidable.

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