Chapter 200: First Impression is Bad Impression
The little destroyer fled behind Friedrich der Große, seeking shelter from Taihou's wrath.
"Enough," Friedrich said, stepping forward to protect her. "Let's focus on these Transformers and see what makes them special."
Richelieu studied the projection closely, watching the mechanical beings focus fire on Imperial fortifications.
"Their firepower is stronger than what we had before," she observed. "And they probably don't have commanders, no dimensional spaces or biological signals detected inside them."
"Sharp observation."
The Ship Girls turned toward the new voice.
A group of Astartes in blood-red power armor entered the command center. Among them walked the Ship Girl version of Red Tears, a beautiful woman with long crimson hair and an aloof bearing.
She wore crimson battle armor with various weapon systems floating behind her, and carried a spear glowing with scarlet energy.
Richelieu recognized several of the Astartes from previous meetings: Azkaellon, Commander of the Sanguinary Guard. Raldoron, Captain of the First Company. Amit, Captain of the Fifth.
"You're too kind, Commander Azkaellon," Richelieu said, saluting the senior Blood Angel.
"I heard you were an excellent commander in your own universe," Azkaellon replied, walking toward the command console. He stood before the floating displays like a god controlling the many worlds before him.
Of course, from the view of lower life forms, he was indeed a god.
With just one command, those planets and asteroid belts would turn into ruins and ashes under the Empire's bombardment.
"Just some insignificant deeds," Richelieu said, joining him at the console. "What's your next move?"
Azkaellon turned to look at her. "That's a rather obvious question. We counterattack with full force, naturally."
"The Thirteenth Legion's warriors and their flagship, the Macragge's Honor, have already been sent out. They'll deliver a decisive blow to these natives."
Primitive planet.
A battle raged across the contested territory.
Two groups, Predacons and Maximals, fought viciously over a super energon mine rich with high-purity ore that could trigger their next evolution.
Transformer development happened in different stages. Powerful individuals could transform multiple times, improving their combat power and environmental adaptation with each change.
Both group leaders, Megatron of the Predacons and Optimus Primal of the Maximals, had reached the fourth stage. They could transform three times, making them the strongest beings on this planet.
The super energon mine before them was the key to their next evolution.
Neither would surrender it.
"I've had enough of you, you fool," Megatron snarled, his armored form standing before his assembled Predacons. "After today, our feud ends permanently."
"Yes, your tyrannical rule ends today," Optimus Primal countered, his own large form equally impressive in its armored state.
Neither wasted more time with words. The battle erupted.
"Predacons, Transform!" Megatron roared.
"Maximals, Transform!" Optimus Primal bellowed in response.
Warriors from both groups transformed in waves.
"Tarantulas, Transform!"
"Rhinox, Transform"
Transformation gave them devastating abilities, energy weapons, missile batteries, and flight systems.
The two sides crashed into each other in brutal combat, their conflict shaking the land below them.
Megatron's dragon-head arm fired a brilliant beam. Optimus Primal dodged, the shot carved through a distant mountain instead, toppling it with a thunderous crash.
Optimus Primal fired back with heavy missiles, leveling several hundred meters of terrain in an instant.
The battle got worse. Mountains collapsed, rivers changed their paths. Massive craters marked the landscape while debris and dust filled the air.
"Die, Rhinox!" Tarantulas shrieked, his eight spider-leg appendages transforming into rapid-fire weapons that hammered the Maximal's position.
Rhinox hid behind a large rock.
Within seconds, the rock was destroyed, but he'd bought enough time to launch a grenade at his attacker.
BOOM!
The explosion sent Tarantulas flying.
"Gah—!" He crawled out of the dusty rubble.
As he prepared to fight back, a strange humming filled the sky.
He looked up.
A transport ship with a golden double-headed eagle descended from high above, its hull protected by shimmering force fields. Missiles and energy beams hit the shields harmlessly, making only ripples.
It landed at the battlefield's center, directly between the warring groups.
"This planet's energy readings are very high," Cawl noted from inside the transport, reviewing data on the control panel.
Since entering the atmosphere, he'd turned on every instrument available, measuring atmospheric content, energy levels, ecological data, and geological information. A complete planetary assessment was already taking shape.
"Where did that come from?" Waspinator stared at the transport, then glanced at Megatron. "Boss, should we blast it?"
"Not yet," Megatron said. "We don't know which side they're on. If we attack too soon, we'll push them toward the Maximals."
On the other side, Optimus Primal similarly held back his warriors' aggressive instincts.
High-pressure gas hissed. The hatch opened.
A tall figure descended, wrapped in bright flames, revealing himself to both groups.
A crimson and gold giant, warrior and scholar combined. He wore fancy golden armor carved with eagles and marked with strange runes. A crown with curved horns sat on his head. One hand held a scepter, the other a massive book pulsing with mysterious power.
Magnus had arrived.
His arrival on the Maximal-Predacon battlefield was like a thunderbolt. The loud combat fell into uneasy silence.
"Who are you?" Optimus Primal stepped past Cheetor and Rattrap, approaching the giant. "Are you with the Predacons?"
Megatron likewise advanced past his subordinates, flanking Magnus from the other side.
Magnus struck the ground with his scepter, a declaration of authority that echoed through the earth itself.
"I represent the Imperium of Man."
"The Imperium?" Optimus Primal looked confused. "What Imperium?"
"The Imperium is the great Empire created by my Father," Magnus said with an arrogant expression, "dedicated to unifying the powers of the infinite cosmos. I have come here to announce that this planet will also become one of the Empire's territories."
"This is our home," Megatron said flatly.
"It is your home, but it will also become the territory of the Empire; there is no conflict in that," Magnus explained. "Joining the Empire is a good thing for you."
"I don't think good things are forced into my hands by others," Optimus Primal said.
"You come here and say this is the Empire's territory; that's too overbearing." The conflict between the Maximals and Predacons was intense, but facing the threat from the Empire, they uncharacteristically reached a consensus, temporarily uniting against the outside.
"Are you questioning me?" Magnus said sternly, involuntarily gripping his scepter tighter. "Are you intending to resist the Empire?"
"We have no intention of being your enemies, but this is our home, and we don't need a master riding on our heads." Optimus Primal raised his weapon.
The Maximal warriors behind him also raised their weapons one after another.
The Predacons also raised their weapons.
Terrifying psychic power surged from Magnus's body.
How dare these damn guys?
Why, after he declared the name of the Empire, did they not bow down in submission?
This was an insult to his great wisdom!
It was necessary to show them his power.
To let them know that the Lord of Prospero was an existence they could never offend.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
"If you are unwilling to submit, then welcome destruction."
Magnus roared, and a terrifying psychic fire erupted from the scepter in his hand, sweeping forth.
"Counterattack!" Optimus Primal shouted, missiles shooting from his back, heading straight for Magnus.
The other Maximals and Predacons also attacked.
At this moment, the sky was suddenly lit up.
Two bright beams of light descended from the sky, striking the ground and creating vast ripples of light waves.
Guilliman and Sanguinius emerged from the beams with their guards.
Time stood still with their arrival.
They initially didn't want to interfere, but Magnus's actions made a simple matter turn into a bad situation.
Guilliman and Sanguinius activated the Gene Engine within their bodies, locking down the surrounding space-time, bringing everything to a halt.
They then moved to erase all the destructive attacks released by both sides.
After everything was handled and they confirmed that no one would die from this infighting, the two Primarchs reactivated time.
A battle was stopped before it could happen.
The power displayed by Guilliman and Sanguinius made the warriors of both the Predacons and Maximals groups deeply feel what despair was.
[End of Chapter]
Check out more than 45+ chapters right now! 🔥
👉 patreon.com/cw/Mr_UmU
https://www.patreon.com/Mr_UmU