High above California, two massive C-17 Globemasters sped toward Los Angeles. Inside the cockpit, Colonel William Lennox donned his headset and listened to the report. Moments later, he removed it with a heavy expression, staring vacantly out the window. Optimus Prime had acted on his own, and despite Lennox's efforts to convince his superiors to send a special operations team for support, they were too late. Optimus had been killed by the Decepticons, leaving humanity with no power left to directly oppose Megatron. With a deep sigh, Lennox ordered a recovery plane to bring their comrade home.
The New Adjutant
At Base One in Alaska, Megatron stood upon the tundra, lavishing praise upon Skygnaw and Blackarachnia for the successful execution of Optimus Prime. He paced the frozen ground, declaring that without Optimus, nothing could stop the Decepticons. To reward Skygnaw for his contribution to the battle, Megatron appointed him as his new Adjutant.
Skygnaw was momentarily taken aback, realizing he had essentially inherited Starscream's former "legacy". Blackarachnia watched with a trace of envy; though she was not one to crave power for its own sake, no one would turn down a position that placed them directly beneath the leader and above thousands of others. She noted that in just over a year, Skygnaw had not only orchestrated Starscream's downfall but had also earned Megatron's complete trust.
Skygnaw eventually accepted the role: "Yes, Lord Megatron". Internally, however, he disliked the position, as being an adjutant meant constant proximity to the leader and a significant loss of freedom. Megatron then mentioned that his Master had departed and he was going to meet him. He ordered Skygnaw and Blackarachnia to find the human boy before his return. Megatron then transformed into a Cybertronian jet and departed.
Strategic Retreat and Refitting
That afternoon, while Skygnaw was repairing his chassis, Dirge arrived to announce the arrival of Alice and Black Panther. Skygnaw had ordered them to retreat earlier, recognizing that the death of Optimus Prime had shattered the unspoken truce with Clarice. He knew the Aura Group would soon suffer the consequences, but he felt no regret, as he could easily rebuild such a corporation whenever he wished.
Skygnaw completed his repairs in a Cybertronian medical chair, which allowed him to return to peak condition in just a few hours by efficiently processing Energon, though it depleted the base's reserves. He thanked Black Panther for protecting Alice and promised to build him a new, high-tier chassis at their new base. At Black Panther's request, the new body would maintain its beast form and have the transformation cog removed, as the scout had grown accustomed to his quadrupedal habits.
To reward Alice for her efficiency in the human world, Skygnaw promised to create a new batch of Pretenders to serve as her subordinates.
The Fallen Leader Returns
The following day, at the NEST base in Diego Garcia, a twin-rotor heavy-lift helicopter arrived carrying the body of Optimus Prime. Lennox and his soldiers stood in solemn silence as the remaining Autobots gathered, including the Arcee sisters. Bumblebee and the Twins were not present, having remained with Sam Witwicky after the battle.
Chromia attempted to console Arcee, who was immersed in grief, but Elita-1 intervened, telling Chromia to be quiet if she couldn't offer better comfort. Despite being sisters, the three often bickered over their differing perspectives. Elita-1 remained pragmatic, pointing out that since Optimus's body was intact, there might still be a way to resurrect him. Arcee took heart at the idea, though she worried that since the last AllSpark shard was used to revive Megatron, they might have to build Optimus a new body—and wondered if that would truly still be him.