For the first time in a long while on Cybertron, the streets, neighborhoods, establishments, towering buildings, highways, and other bustling places were enveloped in complete and utter silence, as if any movement, no matter how small, would interrupt something far too important to miss.
Elita was watching the transmission, visibly anxious, tapping her foot repeatedly on the floor, trying to contain her nerves. Beside her, Alpha Trion stood with his arms crossed, silent, observing every detail of what the live broadcast captured.
"Good luck," Elita whispered, her words meant for Orion, not for Megatron who stood at the center of attention.
In the temple, the High Council bore stoic expressions, cold, merciless gazes, as if they were statues. Dreadnought, the unquestioned leader of the High Council, perhaps the being with the greatest authority on Cybertron, symbolically the closest one could come to the title of Prime, finally spoke.
"Megatron, your violent campaign has dragged on for far too long. Your hostile intentions are more than enough to prove to all of us that you seek to usurp command of Cybertron." Dreadnought accused, with a certainty that could make even the sharpest Cybertronian minds tempted to believe him for a brief moment.
"Since the founding of this so-called new generation of Decepticons, there has been overwhelming evidence that your followers crave violent action, an anti-democratic act."
"Your words are laced with false morality. For entire generations, Cybertron has sunk deeper, falling into an abyss of darkness where no one had the strength to rise and walk toward the light!" Megatron raised his voice, lifting his dominant arm with a clenched fist to amplify the impact as the cameras broadcast him.
"The Decepticon faction gave everyone the chance to speak freely, free from your manipulative tyranny, free to become who they truly are. What you call violence is nothing but our strength in the name of liberty!"
Dreadnought narrowed his gaze, calculating how to strike back with words that would crush Megatron as destructively as possible.
"Interesting words for a murderer. You built your reputation on the blood of Cybertronians, killing your own kind." Dreadnought pressed a small hidden button on his desk, causing numerous images of Megatron killing other Cybertronians in the arenas to be broadcasted across the chamber.
"You accuse the High Council of being unworthy to govern Cybertron, but you fail to understand that true leadership is not just about brute strength, it is about the ability to make decisions and build a legacy. What kind of example could someone like you set for future generations when your path is paved in blood?"
"Thousands of Cybertronians die every day because of the government you have established!" Megatron shot back, struggling to keep his emotions in check. "You call yourselves the rightful rulers, but you are nothing more than leeches draining the strength of the people, corroding their minds with lies and false promises!"
"Deaths occur every day, fool. There are countless factors that contribute to the deaths of Cybertronians. Blaming it solely on the High Council is nothing but an evasion of the true issues." said one of the councilors, his voice as imposing as Dreadnought's.
"We, the High Council, battle every day to ensure the safety of all Cybertronians, regardless of their race." Dreadnought declared, his confidence unshakable. "Unfortunately, there are factors beyond our control: workplace accidents, young bots consuming adulterated energon, or heinous crimes. Among all these, we know the true reason so many cities suffer is because of the overwhelming number of criminals who thrive in the shadows."
Dreadnought's words were seductive to Cybertronians everywhere, as if his charisma was almost impossible to rival. Even Megatron could feel the weight of the elder's words pressing against his mind.
"You, Megatron, who call yourself the sword bearing the blade of justice to destroy evil, and the shield protecting your followers, you are the one who feeds what makes our precious planet so decadent." For a brief moment, Dreadnought's optics flashed green with a hint of red.
"Many of your Decepticons are mercenaries, criminals who have taken the sparks of countless innocents who had bright futures ahead of them." He turned his gaze to the camera focused on him, as if he could truly see the audience.
"Your so-called liberator of Cybertron uses criminals to kill criminals, he feeds on and grows stronger using the very same methods that cause all of you to suffer each and every day."
Dreadnought's words felt like a bucket of cold water for many Cybertronians, so convincing that even some Decepticons began to feel confused, doubting their idolization of Megatron, questioning if it had been misplaced.
This influence, which disturbed the hearts of Cybertron, also affected Elita, who felt a slight headache as she heard the words of the High Council's leader, as if those words echoed endlessly inside her head.
"What in Primus' name… why do I feel so strange…" she muttered to herself, momentarily forgetting that the Prime was standing at her side, watching the events unfold.
Alpha Trion grew serious, noting the subtle glow in Dreadnought's eyes, almost imperceptible to the vast majority of viewers, something he had seen many times before in his long life. "How is this possible... This is Liege Maximo's skill!"
Those words struck Elita's ears, snapping her out of her daze at such a revelation.
"What do you mean? Are you saying that old bot has the power of a Prime?"
Alpha Trion approached the holographic transmission in front of him and analyzed Dreadnought's appearance as the camera focused on him. He spotted a small, subtle golden ornament that was remarkably similar to the one Liege Maximus wore on his armor.
"Now I understand why the High Council didn't immediately respond to Megatron's provocations when he began his speeches…"
Elita was growing tired of Alpha Trion's cryptic tone, even if it wasn't intentional.
"Enough with the drama, just tell me what's going on!"
"Dreadnought is using an artifact that belonged to Liege Maximo to amplify his most dangerous ability: the use of words as weapons." Alpha Trion's voice held no humor, only gravity, for this meant the Council had desecrated the tomb where his brother's body rested to seize this amplifier.
"With this artifact, he can turn lies into truth and if the words contain even a grain of truth, the effect is even more dangerous: it bends the common sense of the masses."
"Are you saying they've been using that artifact to control Cybertron all this time?" Elita asked, struggling against the idea of being controlled or influenced by such a tool.
"No, certainly not. It's more likely they only recently succeeded. They were probably trying to unlock the artifact's power for some time." His words were speculation, but perhaps the only explanation that made sense, how else could such a dangerous relic now be wielded to manipulate everything? "But what I don't understand is how Dreadnought can wield a Prime's relic so effectively…"
"That's cheating! That means Megatron and Orion don't stand a chance against someone who can lie at will!" Elita's frustration boiled over. She stared more intently at the broadcast, starting to feel the weight of Dreadnought's words less in her mind as her anger burned through the influence.
"You have to do something!"
Alpha Trion looked at her, his expression making it clear that her request was impossible, even for a Prime like him.
"I can't. We'd have to get through an entire crowd that now acts as a natural shield, and any disturbance could ignite a conflict between Megatron's followers and his opponents." His voice was firm. And beyond that, he knew his current physical state made it impossible for him to reach the temple in time.
"Couldn't Orion recognize the relic? Find some way to counterattack?" Elita clung to the hope that Orion's wisdom might shield him.
"Liege's relic wasn't something I ever properly documented. To be honest, Liege only ever used its power in very specific situations, mostly to sway crowds when it was absolutely necessary. Nothing beyond that was required."
"So he has no idea it exists… That means this is all pointless…"
"Not for the High Council. With this relic, they could crush any future force that might rise against their rule." Alpha Trion admitted his theory, but the way he spoke made it sound less like theory, and more like certainty.
"Perhaps the High Council deliberately allowed all of Megatron's actions, to turn him into an example, remembered for generations."
"Then how can they be defeated?" Elita asked, desperate to see any hope, but now understanding the situation, it was hard to see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Alpha Trion fell silent, unable to offer anything but hard truths. He knew there was a way, but it was so improbable, not even he would bet on it.
In battle, one always needed a combination of strength and intelligence. But in a battle where mystical methods were at play, to fight on equal footing, one had to use the same kind of power.