Chapter 833: Total War 9 (Patreon)

Transformers Begin : Table of Content/Chapter List

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Sentinel Prime left Optimus Prime momentarily speechless.

In a certain sense, he knew that his teacher was not entirely wrong.

Decepticons were the archenemies of Autobots, and Earthlings held a considerable hostility towards Autobots as well. So, having Earthlings confront Decepticons and exhaust the strength of both sides as much as possible was beneficial for Autobots without causing harm.

But Optimus Prime also had his own beliefs. "Teacher, for Earthlings, we are indeed foreign invaders, a fact that all Autobots cannot deny!"

"Though Decepticons were not brought to Earth by us, our presence here has led more and more Decepticons to gather in the Solar System. The war between Autobots and Decepticons may be unavoidable now. The tragedy that once occurred on our homeworld, Cybertron, may well be replayed here on Earth!"

"This is of our making!" Optimus Prime's expression was exceptionally grave.

Since Sentinel Prime's awakening, even though his former teacher had never openly shown any intention to vie for the position of Autobot Leader, he had publicly supported Optimus Prime on numerous occasions, expressing his confidence and admiration.

However, Optimus Prime still felt an immense pressure.

His former teacher was now using his extensive experience to teach Optimus Prime the cunning and means befitting an emperor. Since Sentinel Prime's awakening, more than a month had passed.

During this time, Optimus Prime's trusted confidant, Gold Beetle, had been tirelessly collecting information about Sentinel Prime. The results left him disheartened.

Various signs indicated that Optimus Prime's teacher was continuously summoning more followers to Earth, even tacitly approving their organization of protests against Optimus himself.

Optimus Prime was not a power-hungry politician. He had humbly requested his teacher, Sentinel Prime, on more than one occasion to return the leadership to him. This request had been made not only in private but also during military meetings and public events.

But what were the results?

His teacher, Sentinel Prime, had repeatedly refused him, either with weighty words or stern rejections.

However, the information uncovered by Gold Beetle could not deceive Optimus Prime. His former mentor had a dual nature, one for the public and another behind the scenes.

As a result, the young Autobot Leader now not only felt disheartened by Sentinel Prime but also started to fear and guard against him. Encounters like today's clash of beliefs during an important military meeting between them had become increasingly frequent.

Sentinel Prime was displeased. Born into the royal family of Primus and pushed to the throne by the nobles of the Council of Primes shortly after his birth, his status and position remained highly esteemed, even during the years when his power was undermined.

At least those Cybertronian nobles who relied on royal authority, while continuously undermining his power on one hand, never ceased to extol the supreme authority of this Superior General. As a result, Sentinel Prime developed an arrogant and domineering personality.

During his rule over Autobots, he had suppressed numerous internal rebellions with an iron fist, surpassing even the Skytiger Legion's massacres of Autobots in terms of methods.

"Optimus Prime!"

His displeasure was now clearly audible in his voice. "As the leader of Autobots, you should consider the issue from Autobot's perspective."

"Though I loathe Decepticons intensely, I also understand that war means destruction and sacrifice. If you actively involve yourself in the conflict between Earthlings and Decepticons, who do not welcome us, all in the name of protecting Earth, Optimus Prime, have you considered how many Autobots may sacrifice themselves for this cause?"

"Teacher, if we Autobots become so selfish that we do not even take responsibility for our own mistakes, how are we different from Decepticons?"

The clash of beliefs between the two leaders made the atmosphere in the meeting room awkward. Several of Optimus Prime's trusted officers, including Ironhide, closed their mouths.

They were indeed Optimus Prime's trusted confidants and supported him in leading Autobots. However, Sentinel Prime was no ordinary Autobot. This Superior General had once served as Autobot Leader and ruled Autobots with an iron fist for millions of years.

When it came to the struggle between these two leaders, Ironhide could not openly take sides. Otherwise, given the current complex situation in New Iron Fortress, if they were to align themselves, there was a good chance that a group of staunch supporters of Sentinel Prime would come forward to support him, leading to a painful internal division within Autobots, who were already at a disadvantage.

Though Ironhide and his group could not intervene, among the Autobots invited to attend this military meeting, there were still those who could step in and ease the increasingly tense relationship between Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime.

One of them was Jack.

Sensing that all eyes were constantly falling on him, Jack discreetly exchanged glances with Ratchet, with whom he had a good relationship.

He actually didn't want to get involved in the conflict between the two leaders, but as he looked at his friend's pleading gaze, Jack sighed reluctantly.

He nodded slightly towards Ratchet, considering it as his agreement.

However, Jack didn't directly interrupt Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime's argument about belief and leader perception.

He needed a good excuse to interrupt the two leaders; otherwise, even though he had a high reputation within the Autobot ranks, they might not grant him that privilege.

As he pondered what excuse to use, his gaze unintentionally flicked over the projection device in front of him, which was continuously replaying virtual images.

He tapped on the projection device, and a portion of the repeating virtual image was immediately isolated.

Suddenly, Jack thought of a rather good excuse.

"Ironhide!"

Jack suddenly spoke up, interrupting the dispute between Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime. "I recall from the last batch of intelligence that Gold Beetle sent back, there was a segment of electromagnetic waves obtained from a human laboratory, right?"

As a renowned scholar and scientist in the Autobot ranks, Jack held considerable prestige.

Therefore, despite his abrupt interruption of Optimus Prime and Sentinel Prime's argument, the two leaders ceased their quarrel and turned their attention to him.

"What have you discovered, Jack?" Sentinel Prime was the first to inquire.

Jack shook his head. "I can't confirm anything yet. I need that segment of electromagnetic waves Gold Beetle sent back."

After being reawakened, Bumblebee had been reborn as Gold Beetle.

The post-reawakening Gold Beetle was quieter but more dependable than before. He always executed his assigned tasks with the utmost efficiency, whether it was gathering intelligence or assassinating Decepticons.

As a result, Optimus Prime had entrusted him with a crucial mission.

Upon learning of a large-scale Decepticon invasion of Earth and the ensuing conflict with humans, Gold Beetle, who was operating in North America, immediately began investigating the matter.

Ironhide nodded, "Gold Beetle did transmit a segment of electromagnetic waves!"

He pointed at the projection device, and the images of Decepticons battling the U.S. military in the town of Seville, which had been playing on the device, transformed into erratic and irregular electromagnetic waves without any discernible pattern.

This electromagnetic wave had been sent from North America not long ago by Gold Beetle. It was said to have been captured by a United States satellite at a ground-based data reception station and transmitted from the Seville region, the wasteland town where the Decepticons and U.S. military had clashed.

According to reports, this electromagnetic wave had been intercepted by a United States satellite and transmitted from the Seville region to outer space.

Gold Beetle had sensed something unusual about this electromagnetic wave and had attempted to decipher it, but it appeared chaotic and complex, seemingly devoid of any coherent information.

However, the keen intuition of an exceptional intelligence specialist had led Gold Beetle to suspect something.

So, Gold Beetle had transmitted that segment of electromagnetic waves back to New Iron Fortress City, hoping Ironhide could persuade Jack to help investigate it to see if it held any secrets.

Ironhide had indeed tried, but he had been turned down by Jack.

During the recent period, Jack had been fully engrossed in his research project called 'Machine Dinosaurs.'

Now, it had suddenly come to his mind, serving as a good excuse to interrupt the conflict between the two leaders.

The erratic and irregular electromagnetic waves, seemingly without any pattern, began to play in the meeting room as the projection device replayed them.

Initially, Jack didn't pay much attention, as his goal was merely to stop the two leaders from arguing further.

However, as he made some simple adjustments to the electromagnetic waves, he couldn't help but emit a soft exclamation.

"Hmm?"

Gold Beetle, formerly known as Bumblebee, was an expert in deciphering communication waves, being an intelligence specialist within the Autobot ranks.

Initially, neither he nor Jack had noticed anything unusual, and Jack had thought that Gold Beetle was simply being cautious and wanted his assistance to confirm it.

However, after a bit of processing of the electromagnetic waves, Jack felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

"This feels very strange. I seem to have seen these electromagnetic waves somewhere before!"

This statement silenced Sentinel Prime, who had been about to speak again.

All the Autobots turned their attention to Jack, and he closed his eyes.

Within his core, he conducted a precise search of his memories related to the electromagnetic waves.

Before long, Jack had managed to retrieve that nearly forgotten memory from a corner of his mind.

"...Quintesson...Planet Modification Squad...Damn it, these are Quintessons summoning the colonization fleet to collect communication signals from already modified and colonizable planets..."

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 834: Total War 10