Transformers: Rise of the Decepticon

Skygnaw learned almost immediately that Ridge and Wala had been captured alive. He commanded his troops to keep a close eye on the two captives before continuing toward the bridge of the Abyssal Lord.

He was glad he had made all the Decepticons study the local languages beforehand; otherwise, unnecessary misunderstandings could have gotten messy.

Having struck a deal with Emperor Yinm, the Mindborn were technically allies for now. It would be bad form to carelessly slaughter them.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the shaft.

Thud, thud, thud.

Reaching the heavy bridge doors, Skygnaw bypassed the lock mechanisms entirely, kicking the metal hatches inward with brutal force.

Boom!

Silas Trifang, who was frantically attempting to reboot the flagship's main control systems, spun around at the noise.

His eyes locked onto a towering, sinister transformer stepping through the smoke. The intruder regarded him with a look that felt uncomfortably familiar.

It was the exact look Trifang wore whenever he cornered prized game on conquered worlds.

The gaze of an apex predator scanning its prey.

"Decepticon," Trifang sneered, trying to mask his unease. "Do you truly believe I fear you? How dare you attack my flagship!"

Skygnaw raised an optic ridge, taking a slow step forward. "And who might you be? Let me guess. You must be the supreme commander of this fleet."

"Indeed!" Trifang boomed, beating his heavy chest plate. "I am Silas Trifang, leader of the Sharkborn!"

"Silas Trifang..." Skygnaw repeated the name softly, his optics narrowing into sharp slits. "Tell me, Trifang. What is your connection to the Quintessons?"

"The... what? What Quintessons?"

"Don't play dumb," Skygnaw said smoothly. "I asked a simple question."

"I have no idea what you are talking about! I have never heard of any Quintessons!"

Skygnaw let out a cold laugh. Had he not been staring directly into Trifang's face, catching the momentary flicker of panic across his organic features, he might have believed the act.

Silas Trifang. Quintessons. The structural similarities and naming conventions were hardly coincidental.

Moreover, the fact that Trifang recognized the Decepticon name on sight proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the creature had deep ties to ancient Cybertronian history.

"It doesn't matter," Skygnaw said, drawing his dark energon blade. "You will tell me everything. Right now."

His massive frame radiated an overwhelming pressure. Every step he took against the deck plates rattled the bridge like a mounting heartbeat, forcing Trifang's eyes wide with anxiety.

Nearby, a lesser officer named Steeljaw realized the situation was dire and quietly backed away into the shadows.

Unable to endure the crushing pressure any longer, Trifang let out a wild roar and charged forward.

"Die, Decepticon!"

Clang!

Trifang's heavy mace-spear slammed into a black-and-red broadsword, failing to move the blade even an inch.

He looked up, meeting a mechanical face set in a cruel, mocking smile.

"Is that all you have, Trifang?"

"Aaagh!"

Trifang raged, but as an organic-cybernetic hybrid, yelling did nothing to increase his physical output.

Skygnaw shoved his sword forward with minimal effort, sending Trifang stumbling back several paces.

In actual combat, Trifang was far from weak. At full power, his physical performance matched that of a Cybertronian commander.

Before returning to Cybertron, Skygnaw might have needed to exert real effort to subdue him. But now...

Boom!

Within three moves, Skygnaw sent Trifang crashing across the room, nearly crushing Steeljaw in his hiding spot.

"Restrain him," Skygnaw commanded, sheathing his sword as several Decepticons stepped into the room.

It was only natural for Trifang to lose so easily. If every random warlord in the cosmos possessed the strength of a Cybertronian Prime, the Decepticons would never have conquered the stars.

"Understood, Lord Skygnaw!"

The warriors pinned the struggling Trifang to the deck.

Thud!

One of the Decepticons kicked Trifang's knee joint, forcing the proud commander onto his knees before Skygnaw.

Skygnaw looked down at the defeated warlord. A loser needed to learn his place.

"Now, Trifang," Skygnaw leaned down, his voice smooth and cold. "Are you ready to speak? Or would you prefer to keep lying?"

"Do not celebrate so soon, Decepticon!" Trifang spat, glaring up with bloodshot eyes. "The Great Quintessons will never forgive you for this!"

Skygnaw's optics lit up. "So you do know them. Tell me, what is your relationship with them?"

"Hmph! I will never speak!" Trifang growled, digging his claws into the metal floor.

"A stubborn one," Skygnaw mused.

Just as he was considering harsher interrogation methods, his gaze caught a small figure trembling behind a fallen console.

"You. Get over here."

This lesser Sharkborn looked far more pragmatic than his commander.

Steeljaw froze, realizing he had been spotted. Crawling out from his hiding spot, he approached with trembling knees.

With their leader defeated, disobedience meant instant death.

"What is your name?"

"I... I am Steeljaw, my Lord."

"Steeljaw," Skygnaw said softly. "Tell me how to make your leader talk. If you give me what I want, I might just grant you your life."

Outside the bridge, more and more Decepticons were gathering, their dark frames filling the corridors. The silent threat was overwhelming.

Steeljaw hesitated, terrified of Trifang's lingering authority, but Skygnaw waited patiently.

He knew how to break creatures driven by self-preservation. Steeljaw was precisely the kind of coward who could be bought.

"My Lord... is that a promise?" Steeljaw asked hesitantly.

Trifang's head snapped around, his eyes burning with rage. "Steeljaw! You dare betray me? Have you forgotten that Sickle-Saur and Slash-Gnash are still on the surface?"

"Of course my word holds," Skygnaw interrupted, giving Steeljaw an encouraging nod before glancing at Trifang. "And thank you for reminding me about your legion commanders on the ground. Don't worry, they will be joining you soon enough."

Steeljaw swallowed hard. He had crossed the point of no return.

"My Lord, what will become of me afterward?"

"I am granting you freedom," Skygnaw stated plainly. "Break his silence, and you walk away alive."

A common soldier meant nothing to him.

"Very well! I will tell you!" Steeljaw resolved, avoiding his commander's murderous gaze. "I once overheard the leader talking with the legion commanders. Our bodies carry a fatal safeguard installed by our creators."

Skygnaw's interest was piqued. "What kind of safeguard?"

"A mind-wipe module built into the back of our necks... by the Quintessons."

Seeing Skygnaw's hostility toward that name, Steeljaw quickly dropped his respectful tone toward his former masters.

Skygnaw smiled slightly, ignoring the subtle shift in language. "Elaborate."

Steeljaw stepped behind the pinned commander. Trifang was held down so tightly by three Decepticons that he could only let out muffled growls.

"Deep inside our neck armor, there is a specialized control chip. If activated, it wipes our conscious mind completely, turning us into mindless killing drones—just like the mass-produced soldiers outside."

Skygnaw nodded. That explained the mindless, mechanical behavior of the common Sharkborn infantry.

"Can you trigger this module manually?"

"No," Steeljaw shook his head. "It doesn't need manual activation. It has a built-in tamper lock. If anyone tries to physically remove or force open the casing, it automatically triggers a signal..."

Skygnaw understood immediately. It was a self-destruct mechanism designed to prevent the Sharkborn from ever freeing themselves.

It was a classic Quintesson trick.

In the ancient past, when the Quintessons posed as the creator gods of Cybertron, they had used similar control methods to keep their creations in line. Engineering cyber-organic slave races to enforce their will across the galaxy was second nature to them.

30+ chapters are available now and daily updates!

@/AgentTwilight