Heroic Fortress Maximus

"Optimus Prime, you'd better come take a look at Fortress Maximus. He... he's not going to make it!"

What Megatron did not know was that if he had held on a little longer, the outcome might have been completely different. Fortress Maximus looked incredibly fierce, but it was all forced. As the Autobots' super-heavy tank, such a massive body required enormous amounts of energy to maintain.

But the Autobots had long been on the verge of being hunted down and cornered by the Decepticons. Where could they possibly find enough energy to keep Fortress Maximus functioning normally? Then, when he had faced Megatron just now, this heroic Autobot super warrior had consumed far too much energy. He was now basically in a semi-paralyzed state.

The moment Megatron and the others were frightened away, Fortress Maximus collapsed onto the ground outside the Autobot base, unable to support himself any longer. He no longer had the strength to continue fighting. If the Decepticons came back at this moment, the Autobots would probably be wiped out.

"Fortress Maximus, your courage will forever be remembered by every Autobot!"

Optimus Prime, who had rushed over after hearing the news, looked helplessly at the colossal figure before him. Fortress Maximus had once been the greatest symbol of the Autobots' rule over Cybertron. Now, seeing a hero at the end of his road was enough to make one grieve. Of course, Transformers had no tears, but deep within their sparks came waves of sorrowful tremors.

"Commander Optimus Prime, you... you don't need to mourn for me! As an Autobot warrior, I should have expected this ending long ago! To sacrifice myself for the defense of Cybertron is my honor! But I still have one final thing to do. I will send all of you, my companions, safely away from this planet!"

Although most of the Autobots present found it difficult to accept, it was an undeniable fact. This home planet of the Transformers was no longer suitable for the Autobots to survive on. Even if they continued their guerrilla resistance, it would be futile. Their only path to survival now was to leave this place and seek a way out in other star systems across the universe.

"No! This is our homeland! We Autobots will fight for Cybertron until the very last moment!"

"That's right! Leaving means abandoning our own sparks! Such cowardice is not the Autobot way! We will fight those hateful traitor Decepticons to the bitter end!"

The instant Fortress Maximus said this, Autobots who could not accept it immediately voiced their opposition. This had been expected. Ever since the Decepticons led by Megatron had seized control of the planet amid the chaos, these peace-loving Autobots had suffered relentless purges. By now, fewer than one in ten remained. They were already on the brink of extinction.

Though he resisted the idea deeply, Optimus Prime understood their current situation all too well. As the Autobots' last leader, he overrode all objections and stated his view.

"Fellow citizens, I am Optimus Prime. I understand how everyone feels right now, but we have to admit that Fortress Maximus has spoken an undeniable truth. We have completely lost control of our homeland, Cybertron. This time, we truly must leave! I have already begun drafting an evacuation plan with Ironhide and the others. I know this is difficult, but we must do it. In a moment, Bumblebee and Ratchet will be responsible for releasing the coordinates and information for the shelters we have found. Everyone may choose their own destination freely! I, Optimus Prime, will fight until the very last moment, until everyone has evacuated safely!"

In truth, Optimus Prime had already made plans to evacuate Cybertron without Fortress Maximus needing to remind him. Today, he simply took this opportunity to announce them. Those capable of long-distance travel would be sent to new planets, where they might be able to establish new human bases. The fallen warriors would also be sorted: those whose sparks had not yet gone out could be taken away by their companions, and perhaps on a new planet, they could be reborn through other means. As for those Autobot warriors whose bodies were completely destroyed and whose sparks had fully extinguished, they would be given a cosmic burial: their robotic shells would be cast into the space near black holes, allowing their mechanical bodies to return to the universe. This would also ensure that their former comrades would not fall into Decepticon hands and become their puppets.

"Optimus Prime, take my spark as well. I can no longer fight. The strength I have left can provide power for your Ark. The rest will be up to you! I hope that one day, we can reunite!"

After hearing Optimus Prime's follow-up plan, Fortress Maximus made another heroic decision that no one had expected. He decided to sacrifice himself completely, buying his companions one final sliver of hope. Though many Autobots were unwilling to admit it, this was a cruel reality. With the energy reserves currently available to the Autobots, forget fleeing into the depths of the universe—even whether they could leave Cybertron's atmosphere was uncertain.

"No... how can this be? We're not leaving. Th-this is our homeland. All my family, my friends..."

"This vast universe... if we part today, when will we ever be able to meet again? I... I don't want to go!"

Perhaps it was Fortress Maximus's heroic act. Several Autobot warriors who had suffered mental breakdowns could no longer hold themselves back. They dropped to their knees, beating their chests and stamping their feet in grief.

"Rodimus Prime, you brat, get up! Hold your chest high like an Autobot warrior! We still need to entrust you with the sparks of those brothers who died in the First War Zone. You have to find a new place for us to live and bring all those brothers back to life!"

As Optimus Prime's logistics officer, Ratchet walked over to a young Autobot warrior and yanked him up from the ground. But this young Autobot officer named Rodimus Prime still seemed somewhat lost. Perhaps the kid still needed further tempering in the fires of war.

"You're asking me why? Fine, then I'll tell you why! Aside from a few civilians who were brought out, you are the only living Autobot warrior left in the entire First War Zone. Tell me, who else can your comrades rely on now? Fortress Maximus is even contributing the last of his own energy to find a way out for you. If you won't go, then who will?"

War was this cruel. But it could be foreseen that after being tempered by this war, many outstanding warriors would surely emerge among the Autobots' younger generation. Before that, however, these brave Autobots had to escape Cybertron first!