Alignment

Grimlock's scouting party stumbles upon a new threat to the universe.

Writer: Simon Furman Illustrations: Lee Sullivan, Andrew Wildman, Geoff Senior, Kev Hopgood, Jeff Anderson, and Lew Stringer Editor: Paul Cannon
 * Originally published: 2002
 * Format: Text (prose) story with illustrations

Featured Characters
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Synopsis
The story begins sometime after the battle of Pinea Omicron. Pinea Omicron was a large battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. The Autobots "won" that battle, but it left both sides in very bad shape and in grave need of energon. Both sides were left leaderless after the battle. Optimus Prime defeated Galvatron II but was deeply wounded in the process and knocked offline and left in deep stasis lock.

The Autobots were left in control of Cybetron under the command of acting Autobot leader Ultra Magnus. The Decepticons were regrouping on New Cyberton. New Cyberton was formerly known as Pyrovar. It was transformed by the Decepticons into New Cybertron using methods learned from Jhiaxus.

Back in the present, Ultra Magnus sent out a scouting ship led by Grimlock to search for energon. The ship entered Hub space and was promptly attacked by Liege Maximo's forces. Grimlock's crew was able to get a message back to Cybertron before they had to abandon ship. Liege Maximo had been hiding in the Hub behind a stealth field preparing for the Alignment. Since he was discovered, he decided to attack the Transformers so they would not disrupt his plans. He sent attack parties against Autobot and Decepticon alike.

The Decepticons were taking heavy losses when a group led by Soundwave secretly restored Megatron to lead them. Megatron was able to get the bulk of Decepticon forces off New Cybertron unnoticed. When Liege Maximo's forces landed, he blew the planet up. Ultra Magnus was also able to get his fighting forces off Cybertron, and both sides then counter-attacked the Hub.

When the counter-attack came, Liege Maximo was in the process of performing the Alignment. Through the Alignment, Liege Maximo hoped to ascend to the realm of the gods through a portal and become a god himself. The combined Autobot/Decepticon attack, as well as efforts on the ground by Grimlock's crew disrupted the process at a critial moment. Liege Maximo's energy was caught between his physical body and the collapsed portal. His energy was left with no place to go and dissipated.

The resolution of this threat led to the signing of the Pax Cybertronia and the end of the Great War.

Quotes
"Me, I expected a little more bounce out of someone called Springer," Grimlock to Springer after jumping out of their doomed ship. I'm sure Springer has never heard that one before.

Items of note

 * Though written by Simon Furman to tie up dangling "G2" plot lines, this story is unofficial, does not Have Hasbro approval, and so is of debatable canonicity.


 * Grimlock's crew was made up of Blaster, Perceptor, Springer, and Swoop.


 * The Grand Forum on New Cybertron contained statues of former Decepticon leaders. Included were Straxus, Trannis, Shockwave, Scorponock, Bludgeon, Galvatron, and Megatron. Ratbat apparently didn't make the cut.


 * Skydive, Hound, and Trailbreaker were mentioned as Autobot regional commanders.


 * The group of Decepticons that secretly restored Megatron were Soundwave, Direwolf, Ravage, and Ramjet.


 * Mantissa is a female Transformer.


 * Liege Maximo is referred to as "it." (Not he or she.)


 * While the Decepticons were leaderless and searching for a direction, a sub-faction called the Predacons "advocated unconditional surrender to the Autobots, a pooling of resources, an extended time of gathering and secret re-building."