#Galaxy Convoy

[protagonistprime]

Matrix and its' relatives from across Universe Collection part. 2:

f)Christmas matrix, aka Matrix of Christmas Spirit

g)Armada Matrix

h)The Dark Spark

i)Beast Wars OP Spark holder

j)Cybertron's Matrix of Leadership (Toy Version)

Here's part 2 and in a moment i will give you part 3 as well + more.

[blade-liger-4ever]

This. Is. AWESOME.

[wheeljackgaming]

"What if we gave optimus prime big fucking tits and a six pack" - Transformers Cybertron 2005

[jj-gold-falcon]

When you get your Friend who is also a Lion to become a Giant Lion Man Arm so you can both punch bad guys with the power of friendship and furries or somethin'

[short-wooloo]

Transformers fan made CGI "Arrival of Galaxy Convoy"

[jazzluca]

GALAXY UPGRADE OPTIMUS PRIME ( Leader) War for Cybertron SIEGE

Ammetto che appena uscì non badai troppo a questo GALAXY UPGRADE OPTIMUS PRIME, dato che come remold dell'Ultra Magnus Siege era davvero troppo estemporaneo e quasi una mosca bianca in mezzo a tutti quegli omaggi diretti ai personaggi G1, ma appunto questo omaggio al Cybertron Op era praticamente un precursore dei Legacy, nei suoi limiti, ed ora con altri rappresentanti della Trilogia di Unicron ha già più senso averlo in collezione, da qui questo mio recupero tardivo… e considerando pure che ADOOOOORO il Convoy Siege! ^^

Come CAMION DEI POMPIERI D'ASSALTO, il nostro è un cacchio di retool esteso del Magnus di qui sopra, omaggiando al meglio l'originale veicolo Cybertron, con un nuovo muso e paraurti e tutta la parte posteriore a parte le parti centrali del retro che diverranno gli "stivali" del super mode.

I fucili laterali neri che in Magnus erano un po' ridondanti qui trovano il loro perchè citando le armi laterali del Galaxy Convoy originale, mentre fa un po' specie che i cannoni argentati principali siano scambiati di posto da destra a sinistra, ma questo perchè poi saranno dritti nella modalità combinata. Anche qui però al cannone più corto si sistema il fucile argentato sulla punta.

Peccato che non sia possibile realizzare la modalità di camion volante come nell'originale, data la poca posabilità delle ali, ma il retro staccato con queste aperte almeno ricorda bene la modalità di "stazione di battaglia" del giocattolo del 2005.

Niente male neanche tutti i dettagli dipinti sparsi, sopratutto nel muso della cabina, anche se però sono caduti in una pacchianata, ovvero che hanno dipinto i lampeggianti sul tettuccio di rosso invece che lasciarli nella plastica trasparente blu originale, sminuendo così il look sempre dell'originale.

Anche qui la CABINA MOTRICE, così come era per Magnus, come veicolo a se' fa un po' ridere i polli, ma questo succedeva pure nel Galaxy Optimus, quindi passiamo direttamente alla TRASFORMAZIONE in robot, sempre uguale al suo stampo d'origine, con il muso che si apre per tirar fuori la testa, le braccia in vista che si proiettano in avanti, il bacino che ruota, le gambe che si abbassano ed il paraurti con le ruote anteriori che dal sedere sale su in cima alla schiena.

Il ROBOT risultante anche qui fa un po' specie, dato che a differenza della modalità normale del Galaxy Op ha il muso del camion come torso e non come spallacci, ma provenendo dallo stampo di Magnus, è praticamente un Optimus G1 col petto più cybertroniano, laddove sappiamo che in Siege un Commander tale c'era già nel Voyager uscito a parte, ma col torso dal design più terrestre a citare le stridenti prime apparizioni dei Transformers sul loro pianeta natale ma con già i corpi che richiamavano i loro prossimi alt mode terrestri… ^^'

Ma vabbè, sebbene sia un po' largo sui fianchi dello stomaco alla fine è guardabile e sensato nella sua cybertronietà, e non a caso è stato preso come riferimento durante il reboot dei fumetti IDW nelle storie ambientate appunto prima della guerra civile dei Transformers.

Di certo avere un Optimus simil G1 "in mezzo" ad uno che dovrebbe essere il Galaxy Convoy fra alt mode e super mode fa strano, dicevo, ma possiamo far finta di dimenticarcene così come ci si dimenticava del robot bianco di Magnus, e passiamo quindi a smontare il retro del camion per ricavarne l'ARMATURA.

Come accennato, la parte posteriore si stacca e diventa gli stivali, non prima di averci estratto da dentro le spalliere però, così come bisogna togliere dal paraurti posteriore del robot motrice le ruote anteriori che vanno sugli avambracci, ed ovviamente il paraurti va abbassato sul sedere e la testa normale rientra nel torso, in modo da accogliere l'ultimo pezzo col jetpack e la testa nuova, ripiegando adeguatamente il modulo di plastica grigio dietro la schiena.

Ora si che almeno il SUPER MODE ricorda bene l'originale Galaxy Optimus, fra ali, torso, avambracci, testa, eccetera eccetera, magari con solo le gambe con dettagli argento sugli stinchi con lo stesso stampo di Magnus, ma sono quisquilie.

Carina l'idea delle ruote farlocche scolpite e dipinte sulle ali, così come i cannonnazzi che possono stare a riposo dietro le ali, mentre quando sono in modalità di attacco rivolti in avanti, si ritrovano delle inedite impugnature per i pugni che sono una trovata semplice ma indovinata.

Bella la scultura in generale, sopratutto quella dei finestroni sul petto in plastica trasparente, ed il nostro guadagna la rotazione di pugni e bacino rispetto all'originale, ma il confronto con questo in generale resta impietoso per massa e gimmick, nonostante la comunque alta giocabilità data da fori per armi e l'assemblaggio del super mode.

Ma bisogna prenderlo per quel che è, ovvero un OMAGGIO a quel personaggio usato sfruttando lo stampo di un altro, piuttosto che non una versione aggiornata con tutti i crismi o QUASI, come i recenti Armada di Legacy, per citarne alcuni. E come dicevo nell'incipit, se ai tempi della sua effettiva uscita poteva risultare superfluo, ora che sono usciti e usciranno altri personaggi di Cybertron il nostro acquista una sua dimensione, e coi tempi che corrono non so quanto sarà probabile che venga ripreso di nuovo in una ulteriore versione Generations magari Commander.

Quindi, in definitiva, ovviamente non allaccia le scarpe al giocattolo originale, che consiglio a tutti di recuperare, ma per chi ci piacciono le varianti di Optimus, per chi ha adorato Cybertron E la versione Siege di Magnus, alla fine è un acquisto che soddisfa. Appaga pienamente magari no, ma soddisfa sì, dai. ^^

[maukiki1]

Go random bullshit go

Jumpscare warning

[hyunhol]

art request: Live Convoy eating pudding!

[megaturtle1012]

Nice to see Tobot Y changed his appearance to avoid Evac’s lawyers.

Pretty fun Tobot, not quite as fun as Z, but still a joy.

[pocoslip]

Maybe I should get Legacy Armada Hot Shot just so he and Override can be Together...

[ellen-andriodo]

LIVE LAUGH LOVE OVERRIDE MY WIFE.

Nitro convoy my beloved lil speedster…

[blueikeproductions]

The Matrix of Leadership is pry one of the most important aspects of Transformers, that it was pivotal in TFONE…

Buuut as usual these things don’t have a straight path.

The Matrix didn’t appear in the cartoon until the original animated movie, with its purpose largely being to destroy Unicron. Naturally the movie never really explained why we never saw the Matrix before or what it truly is. The succeeding third season would establish it as a very ancient relic with surprisingly mystical qualities that conflicts somewhat with the mechanical characters we follow.

Most of what we know is all past Autobot leaders had carried it up until Rodimus Prime, and that it’s potent enough to kill Unicron. Why it affected Unicron is never explained, but the Primacron episode would show the Matrix escaping the dead body of Primacron’s ape-bot assistant.

Which is confusing as the story suggests this wasn’t supposed to BE the Matrix, but a separate entity that would later summon Grimlock and the other Beast Mode Transformers to fight Unicron’s successor, Tornedron.

The Matrix’s final feat in the original cartoon was to vanquish the Hate Plague as its eons long accumulated wisdom was more than enough to cancel out the rage affecting the galaxy.

The funny thing is the Matrix wasn’t even part of the original scripts for the 80’s movie, which instead had Optimus’ “Life Spark” be the object passed down, upgrading Magnus to Ultra Magnus and ultimately be unleashed inside Unicron to kill him.

Megatron’s Life Spark was also a plot point originally, in that it was supposed to be entombed in the Decepticon crypt on Cybertron, but Megatron’s Spark and the Sparks of other dead Decepticons would be released accidentally, where these ethereal beings would come across Unicron who would instead encase them in new bodies as Galvatron and company.

The Matrix originally was featured in Marvel G1, a “Primal Program” housed in the current leader of the Autobots that allows them to bestow life on new Transformers. This was to explain how the Transformers reproduce in the absence of doing it the human way as the race (originally) wasn’t intended to have female characters.

Eventually the comics would retcon it that the Creation Matrix had a physical form similar to the cartoon, with the Matrix described as being the life force of Primus itself passed down to his creations.

This version of the Matrix would be transferred into Buster Witwicky’s brain by Optimus in an attempt to keep it away from Shockwave, which would temporarily give Buster Lawnmower Man like mastery over other machines, to the point he was able to disassemble (a non living) Decepticon Jetfire with his mind.

Buster, after Shockwave was defeated, was able to return the Matrix back to Optimus, with this concept loosely adapted in RotF years later when Sam Witwicky would be given the power of the Allspark in his brain by accident. Later the Matrix would need to be found once more, as the Autobots sent Optimus’ dead body to space, not realizing the Matrix still physically existed in him evidently, kick starting the Matrix Quest. The Matrix would be tainted by Thunderwing, creating the Dark Matrix Creature that served as the final antagonist of Re: Generation One, but the Matrix otherwise would be purified by Optimus and used to destroy Unicron.

G2 would see the Matrix restored, and later abused by Starscream briefly, while ReGen One would ignore this, instead having the Matrix completely gone…. Until Hot Rod was able to get an intact copy from another universe and evolve to Rodimus Prime. Yea it’s convoluted but this is Transformers, it’s always kinda convoluted.

After this the Matrix stopped having a major influenced for awhile, though the Japanese Beast Wars era would introduce the Energon Matrix, a personalized Matrix unique to different Maximal leaders from Optimus Primal, Lio Convoy, Big Convoy and Fire Convoy.

Other series like the Unicron Trilogy would include the Matrix, but it was just kind of there, mostly included just because G1 included it. The Matrix would instead become more of a religious concept during Beast Wars, and later become Transformers heaven in Beast Machines, and while it didn’t exist in Animated, the Allspark would later be contained in a container resembling the G1 Matrix.

Because of the life giving Allspark introduced in the Bay films, the Matrix, along with Vector Sigma, became somewhat redundant, with this being a problem Hasbro and other creatives haven’t been able to properly adapt. The Allspark became a sort of catch all for wisdom and life baring abilities the other two relics were known for, though modern media, albeit not successfully, has tried to make each relic distinct. Vector Sigma in Prime would be a repository of wisdom, while the Matrix was merely the symbol of leadership passed down by Primus to various leaders. Confusingly the Matrix would still display some holy power filled with wisdom, as using it shut down Unicron, but reset Optimus back to Orion. Vector Sigma’s back up data was necessary to reboot Orion into Optimus again… Cyberverse would see Vector Sigma and the Allspark used in conjunction in creating life, while the Matrix was a repository of wisdom from the past Primes as before, but its power could also be used by Megatron and Megatron X, showing the writers’ favoritism towards the Decepticons when they shouldn’t be able to be use it otherwise.

IDW would bring back the Matrix more prominently, but rapidly downplay its mystical nature to the point it was practically described as an advanced light up toy, and could easily be replaced with a fake or have multiple versions be created by Rung’s gizmo mode.

It still held religious significance and was thought to be part of Solomus, the god of Wisdom.

Tyrest would be revealed to be Solomus, so uh… take that as you will.

It’s not clear if Tyrest ever held the Matrix, but in his civilian life, he did work with it, being tasked with extracting life energy from it to make new Sparks after the life giving Hot Spots on Cybertron began to fade. This started the Constructed Cold Transformers, robots whose Sparks were housed in pre-built bodies rather than emerging from the metal of Cybertron naturally. Tyrest would later come to believe the Cold born Transformers were evil and try to kill them all, yeah wisdom my actuator.

After various trials and tribulations, the original IDW Matrix would be split in half, one half claimed by Rodimus the other Optimus, with each one being destroyed in order to fix a problem of the hour. Optimus’ half survived longer, being used as a means to sway the religious colony worlds into Optimus’ goals to have a Council of Worlds, Earth among them.

Despite downplaying the mystical nature, sometimes it would crop up to somewhat demean Optimus, implying he wasn’t worthy of it. Optimus would complain having the Matrix hurt him, while Rodimus instead felt like he just harmed the power of the Chaos Emeralds. The Matrix also temporarily was held by Thunderclash, and had to be surgically removed from his chest because apparently the Matrix didn’t want to leave Thunderclash.

SkyBound seems to meet in the middle, having some general rules with its Matrix, but not being embarrassed by its mystical nature like IDW was.

This Matrix seems to be more of an advanced machinery that has a finite power source, and while it can heal, it can’t reactivate the dead. It is tied to the barer’s life force, and exerting too much energy can kill the barer. Optimus’ selflessness saw him wanting to use what power was left to revive all the Autobots, but when talked out of it, he instead used the power to reactivate the Decepticon damaged hospital Spike was recovering in. Later when Sparkplug merged with the Matrix by unexplained means, the Matrix was re-energized, but also caused Optimus to be given flashes of Sparkplug’s memories and trauma, often seeing a memory of Spike as a baby, one that became increasingly distorted (a fan theory as of typing connected it as a side effect of wearing Megatron’s arm) when Optimus was pushed to his limit and killed Shockwave, and later, possibly due to Sparkplug’s PTSD from his own war, accidentally blew up a tank when the Autobots tried to respond to a Decepticon attack on another city.

Who originally bore the Matrix differs from series to series… Japanese media would try to expand on it in modern manga borrowing ideas from the 80’s cartoon and Beast Wars where appropriate.

The Matrix was originally owned by a survivor of the Big Bang, Primacron, who sealed his master Primus within to use his godly power to bestow life to his robots, eventually creating Unicron. The Matrix would escape and later bestow organic life to a barren planet, but early Quintessons would discover this planet and reformat it into Cybertron. The Quintesson leader of the era was the first leader to bare the Matrix, the being the 80’s cartoon would only describe as “It”.

Netflix War of Cybertron would state Alpha Trion was the first recorded barer of the Matrix, contradicting modern lore which states Prima, who originated from Marvel G1, was the first inheritor of the Matrix.

The modern lore with Prima was contradicted again in One, where Zeta Prime originally held the Matrix.

Who holds the Matrix before Optimus isn’t really nailed down as much as Hasbro wants it to be, as their intended idea is that the Matrix was originally part of the Star Saber, adorning its hilt, but the cartoons and comics tend to be a bit more resistant to this, preferring to to their own direction. Other leaders post Rodimus tend to not have the Matrix either, with Star Saber, Fortress Maximus, Ginrai, Dai Atlas, and RiD15 Bumblebee not using it.

Other Matrix variants are shown to exist here and there, most unusual is a Sharkticon Matrix briefly held by Megatron in Aligned media, and a Mini-Con Matrix held by Over-Run in the Dreamwave Armada comics. A Decepticon Matrix was said to exist in the G1 cartoon, but while it was a fib by the Quintessons to trick Galvatron into their servitude, an actual Decepticon Matrix probably DOES exist somewhere given all the variants I haven’t mentioned for simplicity.

Who can wield the Matrix varies, but for the most part it’s a heroic paragon of justice, hope, and goodness like Optimus who is considered worthy to use it. Hot Rod would also be shown to possess these qualities as would Optimus Primal, all being able to open up and use the Matrix. Ultra Magnus was unable to open it, with him even having to adjust the relic to better fit into his chest. Decepticons, according to the old cartoon, can’t use it. Galvatron tried to both open it and install it as a power source for his cannon and was unable to do so. Scourge and Starscream experienced mutations that did make them powerful when they installed the relic… but had side effects. Scourge was in inconstant pain (possibly, but never confirmed, to be the ancient Autobots retaliating when the Matrix wasn’t returned to Rodimus), while Starscream was instead slowly turning good by the Matrix’s divine power, something the jet was repulsed enough by to surrender the relic, as he loved being a dick.

The Cyberverse Matrix seemed more open minded to Megatron and Megatron X for some reason, despite their own atrocities, with the show implying Optimus wasn’t worthy. Remember kids, villain worship to this extent is unhealthy. Megatron being able to use the Matrix misses the point, something TFONE fixes. When the greedy Sentinel made a grab for the Matrix, it evaporated in front of him, only later reforming when Orion proved worthy of it. This version also attempts to be both a symbol of leadership and a life giving relic, as it controls the flow of Energon on Cybertron. What this means when Optimus goes to Earth has yet, if ever, to be explored…

The long and short of it is the Matrix typically is just an ancient ball that’s a symbol of leadership that occasionally can grant life depending on the demands of a particular story. The only object that’s similar in reverence is the Animated exclusive Magnus Hammer, with it able to generate intense storms and tremors by its user, but is carried around like Thor’s Hammer (never been shown if they need to swing throw it to fly with it tho’).

[wheeljackgaming]

I'm gonna be thinking about this so much. Galaxy convoy being the same size as Optimus Primal in robot mode. He needs super mode stilts to be Megatron's normal height lmao

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: The price of a meter

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)   The Klendari War saw the most brutal fighting the galaxy had seen since the days of the Fracture Wars.

On one side you had the Coalition of United Planet, a loose union of several dozen star faring civilizations brought together for economic and military security, and on the other stood the Klendari Empire which had reigned in its corner of the universe for some several thousand years.

The Klendari had survived so long because of their instinctual need to fortify their holdings. Their worlds were labyrinths of fortress walls, gun emplacements, razor trenches, and all other manner of engineering fortification. To try and take a world from the Klendari it was deemed the attacking force would need a minimum of ten times their standard forces to even have the slightest chance to succeed.

Relations between the two powers were cordial for many years. The Coalition had no desire to expand into Klendari space, and the Klendari benefited from wider trade access through the Coalitions standard market system. Events only began to take a downward spin when Klendari immigrants began spreading further and further into Coalition space.

Their travel permits were entirely legal and they established communities on several dozen worlds within the Coalition; often forming small Klendari quarters of larger cities as they would tend to group together. It was here that the nature of the Klendari began to upset their new world’s hosts.

They would begin fortifying their quarters and neighborhoods and turned them into sudo-military fortresses. Blockhouses became guard towers, avenues blocked off by reinforced gates, windows reduced in size to firing slits, etc. Within a few months of several families of Klendari settling on a world their new homes would be an impregnable bulwark of the Klendari Empire.

Naturally the legitimate rulers of the worlds were concerned by the sudden militarization of portions of their cities. Local law enforcement agencies tried to maintain order within the Klendari quarters but found with more and more Klendari migrating to them they began following the Klendari Empire laws instead. It was not uncommon for law enforcement to eventually refuse to patrol those areas as the Klendari began reacting hostile to them, as if they saw them as invaders.

Tensions reached boiling points on a dozen worlds but only when the Klendari Empire made an official statement declaring all Klendari settlements and enclaves within Coalition territory to be in fact part of the Klendari Empire did conflict erupt.

Coalition planets with Klendari enclaves issued ordinances denouncing the notion that they would relinquish sovereign territory and sent military units to demand the surrender of the enclaves. The enclaves refused, the military attempted to repossess the enclaves, and so the enclaves resisted triggering the Klendari War.

Each enclave took several months to reconquer, which was made worse by the fact the Klendari Empire was sending troops to reinforce each of the enclaves. Multiple convoys of troops were intercepted enroute, but a handful making it and further dragged out the war.  

By the seventh month of the conflict and only a handful of enclaves recaptured Coalition Military Command deemed that a new strategy was needed to bring the Klendari to the negotiating table. The idea was put forward that if the Coalition could capture a single Klendari world it would show them that they were not as invulnerable as they believed. Septimus Prime was deemed the perfect target as it was deep enough in Klendari territory to sends shockwaves when captured, but not too far that supplying it would become untenable.

So the Coalition assembled a massive invasion force, diverted 75% of their naval forces to protect it, and dispatched it for the heart of Klendari space. The moment the fleet exited their jump they found the Klendari resilience was well merited.

The first elements exiting the jump found themselves emerging into an orbiting minefield at the edge of the system. The mines were set to roam randomly throughout the system and only target ships that were not equipped with a Klendari transmitter. The “Righteous Fury” super battleship took the brunt of the damage upon emerging as it was the largest vessel. The shields held out as long as they could but by the time the rest of the fleet emerged it had sustained so much damage it had to be abandoned.

From there the fleet elements pressed forward to Septimus Prime while creating a cordon for the troop transports to move through safely. Though the Klendari had minefields in place they had not expected such a brazen attack into their territory and only a few Klendari fleet elements were present. These few ships hugged the orbit of Septimus Prime and used the orbital and ground based defenses to augment their lethality.

Coalition ships fought hard against the Septimus defense network, losing several more ships to ground based energy cannons. Klendari ships held out as long as they could but were eventually driven off when the final Hydron Cannon platform was knocked out of orbit removing the last of orbital defenses. They reduced themselves do hit and run tactics while they waited for the rest of the Klendari navy to arrive. With them driven off the Coalition could begin ground landings to take the planet itself.

There was a large debate about who would be the spear tip of the assault. Projections listed that whoever it was would take massive casualties. As brave as the various Coalition races had been to join the effort, none now were willing to be the first into the grinder.

Humanity did not share such hesitations.

Through the flak and energy cannon fire their drop ships rained down on Septimus Prime. 30% were lost in the first wave before they had even touched the ground. When they did the humans were met with an intense counter assault by Klendari forces that had been waiting to repel the ground invasion which resulted in a further 45% loss of forces before the Klendari withdrew.  

Despite their losses humanity had secured the beachhead and further reinforced it with additional forces. Soon the beachhead was a military compound with scores of humans marching out in columns.

To watch humans fling themselves at Klendari defenses was something beyond understanding. You would watch dozens of armored tanks charge across no man’s land to be wiped out one by one all for the destruction of one reinforced pillbox, or their soldiers crawl through piles of their dead to sneak up on their enemy unnoticed. Lesser species would have broken from the losses but humans simply put their heads down and continued marching forward. The rest of the Coalition contributed of course, but when faced with the stubbornness of the Klendari fortifications it was more often the humans who were brought in to finally break them open.

Meter by bloody meter the Klendari were driven from their strongholds as the death toll continued to mount. Wrecks of vehicles turned the surrounding landscapes into forests of rusting metal and were filled with the stench of rotting flesh. Some Coalition forces suffered such horrendous casualties that they withdrew from the assault, but humanity was one of the few that continued the fight until finally, after almost a year of intense fighting, Septimus Prime surrendered and the Klendari Empire as a whole opened up negotiations for peace.

[illuminatedquill]

Story Summary: Takes place post-Ahsoka S1. Stranded on Peridea, Sabine, Ahsoka, and Huyang pass the time listening to tales of Ezra from the Noti, one of which reveals the origin of their mysterious starbird medallions.

Happy Birthday to the one and only @alphaofdarkness! Hope it was a good one this year and thank you for being such a lovely friend and super talented artist for our fandom.

It had been another long day of travel for the Noti convoy and their new protectors. In the week since Thrawn, his Imperial Remnant, and a stowaway Ezra had made the escape back to their home galaxy, things had since settled down back into a mundane routine.

As evening fell, the Noti prepared a feast to celebrate another safe journey. In middle of camp, a massive cauldron hovered over a fire, boiling with some delicious smelling stew. Ahsoka took a sniff, her stomach rumbling at the aromas drifting in her direction on the gentle night breeze. Folding her cloak over her body more snugly, she took mental stock of their journey so far.

The nomadic bandit clans that roamed the wastelands of Peridea were dangerous, despite their primitive weaponry. The Noti had no real way of defending themselves, outside of the rock-like shells that were an extension of their physicality. But Ezra's presence had clearly left a mark; the turtle people were resilient and clever, relying on their wits and ingenious solutions to avoid a head-on confrontation with their ancient enemy.

It probably also helped that they now had two Jedi to protect them, instead of one. Although two was admittedly a stretch since Sabine was in training. She had pulled off some amazing feats of the Force since her reunion with Ezra, but her ability to wield it fully was still erratic.

Ahsoka wasn't worried, however. They had nothing but time now and Sabine was a fast learner . . . once she actually started listening, that is.

Sitting on wooden stump that serviced comfortably as a seat, the smell of tonight's dinner wafted through the air; a thick, creamy seafood broth that was a Noti specialty, according to Huyang. The droid had been chatting constantly with the turtle folk in attempt to learn their native tongue to better learn about their culture and facilitate easier lines of communication in case of emergency. Ahsoka had been trying to learn the language herself but could still only understand it roughly and was still unable to speak it.

Huyang stood near the fire, observing the Noti cooking. His vocabulator emitted a strange series of chirps and clicking sounds to which the turtle people responded in kind. When they finished, Huyang's mechanical head turned to find Ahsoka. She waved at him from her spot on the rock, a few meters away.

He gave a thumbs up. She blinked at him and then - hesitantly - gave one in return.

Familiar footsteps came up behind her. "Seems like we'll actually be able to taste tonight's supper then," remarked Sabine.

Ahsoka smiled, turning to find her padawan squatting down to take in the scenery before her. Every night, the two of them would take turns patrolling the perimeter, ready to send an alarm in case of a late-night bandit attack. So far, the bandits didn't seem interested in the Noti throughout this latest journey.

In fact, they seemed eerily quiet. The Noti elders had said that it was unusual - but not uncommon - for the bandits to not be seen for quite some time. There was no centralized leadership among the bandit clans; they were all separate and distinct, sometimes warring amongst themselves.

Ahsoka hoped that was the case. She knew that her and Sabine were not the only ones on the planet: Baylan Skoll, a fallen Jedi, and his apprentice, Shin Hati were also here. Whether they were together or plotting separately, only one thing was sure: neither of them were up to anything good.

But that was a problem for another day. For tonight, she would focus on the present and enjoy a relaxing evening after a productive day with some good food.

"You think that's what Huyang's thumbs up was about?" Ahsoka asked.

Sabine shrugged. The Jedi noticed the glassy, vacant look in the young Mandalorian's eyes. Her body was physically present, but Ahsoka knew that Sabine's mind - and heart - were elsewhere.

With Ezra.

Despite her reassurances that Ezra had made it home, she knew the young woman remained worried about him. Her feelings for him still burned bright after their long-awaited reunion. If anything, Sabine's feeling had only intensified since then.

Ahsoka prodded her gently. "All quiet out there?"

"Nothing but the wind," Sabine replied. "Maybe some tumbleweeds."

"Good to know."

A small Noti came up beside them then, tugging at Sabine's sleeve. She blinked and focused on the little turtle alien. "Hey, Fred," she said politely. "What have you got there?"

"Fred?" Ahsoka was surprised that Sabine knew the Noti's name. "How did you know his name was Fred?"

Sabine grinned at her. "I called him Fred. Didn't seem to mind. Now it's his name. Simple."

The Jedi snorted. That was her padawan's casual slant on things, alright.

The Noti - Fred - produced from his ratty shirt an unfamiliar object. It was round, in the shape of a medallion, but not too large since it fit in his hand. It was carved from pale wood that was native to the trees that grew on Peridea and painted on it in dark orange hues was a symbol.

"Looks like the New Republic symbol," Ahsoka murmured. She turned to Sabine, about to ask for her guess -

And was hit with a wave of melancholy and regret through the Force. Sabine stared down at the little wooden medallion with sad eyes.

"Sabine?" asked Ahsoka. "What's wrong?"

For a long moment, she thought Sabine hadn't heard her. Then, quietly, she heard an answer, whisper soft: "Ezra made these."

Fred jumped excitedly at the mention of Ezra. "Ezra Bridger!" he squealed, pointing at the medallion and then at one of Sabine's shoulder pauldrons.

"Really? You're sure?"

"She is correct, Lady Tano," came Huyang's voice. He had made his way over to them, joining the discussion. "Master Bridger did indeed craft these medallions for the Noti."

Ahsoka looked at the droid and then back to Sabine. Suddenly Sabine's outburst of feelings made sense.

"It's not the New Republic symbol, is it," she said. "It's something else that looks similar to it."

Sabine sat down on the ground; head bowed in sudden grief. She didn't reply.

"It is Lady Wren's symbol," Huyang answered instead. "Her personal Starbird, if I'm not mistaken."

Sabine remained silent. Ahsoka frowned and asked, "Why did Ezra make these?"

Huyang turned and knelt in front of Fred, relaying the question in the Noti's language. Fred chittered something back, making exaggerated hand movements all the while.

Finally, Huyang finished the translation. "Fred says that the medallions are charms to ward off fear. The starbird symbol on them makes them brave."

That elicited a reaction from Sabine. A choked sound that was half-laughter, half-sob. "Of course he would," Ahsoka heard her mutter.

She poked her padawan. "Care to elaborate?"

Sabine looked up, eyes glistening. "There are no birds on Peridea," she explained, her voice rough with emotion. "He couldn't give them a feather."

Ahsoka glanced at Huyang. The droid merely shrugged.

"I'm not following," Ahsoka said.

Sabine was quiet for a moment, struggling to regain her composure. The Jedi waited patiently, knowing how difficult it was for her padawan. Anything regarding Ezra was always a touchy subject for Sabine.

The young woman took a deep breath and began to speak, her voice soft. "When we were younger - still traveling on the Ghost with everyone, that is - I told Ezra a story about the starbird once."

Fred sat in front of Sabine, stubbly legs crossed, looking enraptured. Ahsoka felt amused. Despite the language barrier, the Noti still seemed interested.

Ahsoka turned to Huyang. "Translate for Fred, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all, Lady Tano."

Sabine blinked. "You want me to tell the story?"

"Well," Ahsoka pointed out gently, "seems like you want to tell it, Sabine."

She cocked her head. "I don't understand."

"That's fine. Just keep telling the story. It sounds lovely."

Sabine sighed. "Another lesson, huh. Fine, have it your way."

Her expression turned thoughtful, and then she began telling the tale.

"A long time ago, the first space travelers learned the secrets of hyperspace. At least they could be free of the confines of their lonely planets and travel to far beyond. They built ships and flew them into the void between planets, in the hopes of seeing what the vast galaxy had to offer. But, very quickly, they became lost. The planets were so far away and there was nothing to mark the path; no guide to point the way forward or back in the endless, deep dark. "

Ahsoka smiled, enjoying the vivid imagery her padawan was invoking. She was a natural storyteller, whether Sabine believed it or not.

Sabine leaned forward; eyes sparkling as she continued the story.

"For you see, there were no stars back then. None existed, as they do on this evening, brightening up the night sky. All those people, lost in the dark, with no way to go home. They were scared. In the void of infinite space, they cried out for anyone - anything - to save them."

A couple more Noti had come over to join them now, forming a small circle around Sabine. Huyang continued to translate, his voice chattering away in the Noti's tongue.

"Then the starbirds came. From where, no one really knows. But they came through the darkness, their feathers shining so brightly. To the weary and scared travelers, they each offered a simple trade:

'Give me some of your fear and, in return, I will give you some of my courage.'

"The travelers agreed, awed by the majestic beauty of the starbirds - but even more awed at their generosity and compassion. And so, the trade was made, over and over again. Because fear is never gone forever, right? Again and again, they fell into fear. Again and again, the starbirds gave them courage. And that courage came in the form of a feather."

Sabine pointed up at the night sky. "Starbird feathers burn forever, did you know? Whenever the travelers became scared, the starbirds left a feather to light their way. And that's how the first stars came into being. Guiding lights to shine their way home."

Ahsoka reached out to Fred and lifted up his medallion. "He had no feathers to give," she said out loud, understanding dawning her on Sabine's earlier statement.

The young woman nodded, smiling. "No birds on Peridea. No feathers to give. So, Ezra did the next best thing; he gave them the image of a starbird."

Huyang interjected with a sudden question. "I had heard of an ancient Mandalorian saying: 'May the Starbird come for you.'"

"Yes," Sabine said. "It originated from that tale. My people used to say it as a form of well-wishes, when undertaking a long journey."

"My understanding, however, is that the phrase was intended as a curse," Huyang said.

Ahsoka watched her padawan's face darken for a moment. "It can be meant as one," Sabine admitted reluctantly. "In some of the other stories about starbirds, they were used as weapons to punish our enemies."

Her eyes flashed fiercely. "But I always held onto the belief that starbirds were creatures of hope. Not vengeance. That's why I chose them as my personal symbol."

Huyang nodded. "I see. I concur with you, Lady Wren. I prefer your version rather than the other ones."

"Ezra made these to give the Noti hope and courage," said Ahsoka. "He was thinking of you when doing so, Sabine."

Sabine looked away suddenly. "He was thinking of a myth. Stupid."

The Jedi raised a surprised eyebrow. "You don't really believe that."

"He should have been thinking of how to survive!" Sabine shouted. Suddenly, the turbulent feelings were back in full force. A dam, somewhere deep inside her padawan, was beginning to burst. "A starbird wouldn't save him. Couldn't save anybody. These little trinkets he made - "

She stopped short of saying whatever came next. Shaking her head roughly, she stood up abruptly and stalked off into the dark.

Ahsoka watched sadly, watching her go. Then, to her surprise, Fred came up to her.

"What is it?" she asked.

He brandished his medallion and then pointed at Sabine, walking off into the distance.

"She looked scared," came Huyang's remark.

Again, Fred pointed at his medallion, then at Sabine.

It clicked for Ahsoka what the Noti was trying to tell her.

She smiled.

_ _ _ _ _

Sabine sat down in the dirt, feeling miserable. All these feelings, with nowhere for them to go . . .

She sensed a presence - no, two - coming up behind her. There was a small rustle and then Fred appeared beside her.

Ahsoka was right behind him. She squatted down next to her.

"Talk to me," her master said gently.

Sabine blew out a breath. "I shouldn't have walked off like that. I'm sorry."

"I understand," Ahsoka said. "And there's nothing to apologize for. You were upset. Walking away is never a bad idea when feeling overwhelmed."

Sabine glanced at her. "Better than shooting or blowing something up, huh."

"Infinitely preferable," Ahsoka replied dryly. "You've made some progress in that regard, thankfully."

Sabine felt a wisp of a smile cross her lips for just a moment, before turning melancholy again. But the tangled ball of emotions in her chest had loosened, just slightly.

"It's about Ezra," she said.

"Oh, is it?" asked Ahsoka. "I couldn't have guessed."

The young woman gave the Jedi a sour look. "Huyang's statement about the ancient saying. It bothered me."

"'May the Starbird come for you,'" Ahsoka repeated. "How did it bother you?"

"I know Ezra was thinking about me when making these," Sabine confessed. "But I'm not a Starbird. I'm not brave like the stories are."

"You're scared," Ahsoka said.

Her padawan stared into the dark, tears glistening in her eyes. "So scared. Like I might be crushed to death from the weight of it."

"What scares you, Sabine?"

"I . . . I just got him back, you know? After all these years. And now he's gone again. And Thrawn's back, too, which is partly my fault." The tears slid silently down her cheeks, glinting like diamonds in the moon light.

"I know you said he'll be alright, that he made it home fine, and my head believes it but my heart - my heart doesn't. The blasted thing doesn't want me to be happy."

Ahsoka sat in silence for a few seconds, her heart aching for Sabine's misery. She had her burden of guilt for her padawan being stuck here on Peridea instead of going home with Ezra.

Finally, she said, "Can I tell you my own story about Ezra?"

Sabine sniffed. "Sure. Why not."

"Hera was teaching you both how to read star charts, right? While on Atollon base."

The young woman turned her head curiously, caught off guard by the sudden change in subject.

"Yeah, she was a real pain about those. Ended up being saving our lives a couple times, though." Sabine snorted. "As usual, Hera was right."

"Always wise to think that about her," Ahsoka acknowledged. "One night, I visited the base after during a recon mission for Commander Sato. I came upon Ezra in the hangar, studying some maps."

Sabine titled her head but said nothing. Ahsoka continued on.

"He and I chatted for a bit, catching up on what he had been up to. I asked him about the maps, trying to quiz him on any constellations or polestars he would use in case he was lost."

"And what did he answer?"

Ahsoka laughed and said, "He admitted that he didn't know any. He also said that he didn't need to know any of this."

Sabine smiled. "Of course he said that. What a goober."

"Ezra Bridger," agreed Fred.

"So, what was he going to do if he got lost, then?" Sabine asked, incredulous. "Spin his lightsaber and then head off in whichever direction it pointed?"

The Jedi gave Sabine a serious look suddenly. "Ezra said that if he ever got lost, he would just go find you. Or that you would find him."

Sabine went still.

As if on cue Fred reached out with his tiny hand, something grasped within it.

It was his starbird medallion. Sabine stared down at it, then at him.

"You may not believe in the myth, Sabine," Ahsoka said softly, "but Ezra did. And it came true. Because you made it so."

Fred nudged the medallion at the young woman. "What's he doing?" she asked.

"Well, you just admitted you are feeling scared," Ahsoka pointed out. "He wants to make a trade, it seems."

Sabine caught on. A small smile appeared. "Some of your courage, for some of my fear," she whispered, understanding the gesture.

"A good trade, I think. I would take up the offer."

Sabine reached out and took the starbird medallion gratefully. "May I?" she asked Fred.

He nodded excitedly. Sabine slipped it on, clasping the symbol tightly in her hand. She looked to Ahsoka.

"He's going to be okay," she said. "That's real."

"It will be," Ahsoka confirmed. "You'll find each other again. You did so before."

Sabine closed her eyes, breathing deep. "Okay. Okay, I can do that. I'll believe it."

She cracked open an eye to look at her master. "Not in the myth, though. I'll believe in him. And in myself."

Ahsoka shrugged. "You two make a good story, I always thought. Someday, younglings might speak of you both as legends someday."

"As role models, you mean? To inspire or to warn?" Sabine asked.

The Jedi grinned at her. "Up to you."

Sabine stood up. "Well, guess we'll have to survive to hear what those younglings think someday."

Her stomach grumbled then, loud as a horn. Ahsoka laughed; Fred clapped for some reason.

The young woman blushed and said, "Guess I should get some chow, then."

"Seems like it," Ahsoka said. "Save me a bowl?"

"Of course," said Sabine. "Oh, and Ahsoka?"

"Yes?"

She turned to bow deeply to her master's surprise. "Thank you."

"Anytime, my padawan."

Sabine flashed her a quick smile and jogged back to the camp for supper.

Ahsoka stood up, intending to follow - but not before whispering to Fred, "Thank you for the help. Your idea did much to give my friend some much needed cheering up."

The Noti patted her on the leg in response and then chittered back to her something in his tongue.

She frowned, concentrating, but understood the gist of what had been said.

Is she worried about Ezra Bridger?

"She is," said Ahsoka. "But she trusts that one day they will be reunited once again."

The Noti tilted his head. She wasn't sure if he understood her, until Fred spoke again.

Ezra Bridger always spoke of the Starbird that would come down from the sky to take him home. Is that where he went? Did the Starbird come for him?

Ahsoka looked to the camp, seeing Sabine standing next to the campfire, in line for the food. She could just make out the starbird medallion on her padawan's chest.

"Yes, Fred," Ahsoka replied. "She did."

[jazzluca]

METROPLEX ( Titan ) Generations LEGACY *Cybertron*

Dopo i svariati Titan visti sin dalla Generations Thrillin 30, tutti dedicati a personaggi G1, e la novità dell'Arca trasformabile in coda a War for Cybertron, è stato giusto in una linea come Legacy, celebrativa delle millemila serie dei Transformers, guardare oltre la prima originale per proporre un nuovo gigante… anche se effettivamente la scelta era davvero risicata, a guardar bene, ma infine è ricaduta sul METROPLEX di Cybertron.

Che nel contesto di essere un Titano ci sta tutto, per carità, così come ho adorato il suo giocattolo originale ai tempi, un Leader "allungato" fino a raggiungere quasi la scala di un Supreme, ma fosse stato per me non sarebbe stata la mia prima scelta, dato che avrei dato la precedenza ad un più iconico Tidal Wave di Armada, ma poiché questi lo recuperano per il 2024, non pensiamoci più.

Sebbene sembri per struttura corporea più snello e piccolo dei colleghi precedenti come l'omonimo G1 o Scorponok, complice anche l'enorme arma il ROBOT invece come peso e massa non ha nulla da invidiare agli altri Titan, ed esteticamente migliora il design dell'originale, con un torso meno allungato, piedi più corti e delle spalle più massicce, fra le altre cose.

La colorazione è ottima e fedele all'originale, anche migliorata direi, con un bianco e grigio più chiaro che fanno risaltare meglio il blu scuro, così come ora le mani sono del blu un po' più chiaro come le estremità dell'arma.

Questa, la cosiddetta SPARKDRINKER, è un'enorme MAZZA che ricorda le clave degli orchi giganti della mitologia giapponese mitigata dai cartoni e fumetti degli ultimi decenni, alta quanto il Titano stesso, con un'articolazione in meno nella parte inferiore per poterla piegare nella sua modalità di scavatrice, e ok, ma con la ruota che girava come nell'originale che manco mi ricordavo che lo facesse, nonostante la gimmick della Cyber Planet Key che una volta inserita nell'apposito vano, faceva aprire ed allargare la ruota che diventava una sorta di ascia bipenne.

Ora, CAPISCO che copia incollare e / o riportare la gimmick a molla di Cybertron può lasciare il tempo che trova, ma davvero non sono riusciti o non hanno voluto rifare quell'espediente in un cavolo di Titano?? ^^'' Certo, per una cosa che manca ALMENO ne hanno aggiunto un'altra, ovvero la possibilità di poter dividere in due l'arma per modalità intermedia di drone scavatore di cui parlerò poi.

Ma lo stesso, parlando di accessori, salta all'occhio sopratutto la mancanza del Minicon Drill-Bit, già presente nel Leader originale, e ancora mi ripeto, ma DAVVERO per scelta o mancanza di due pezzettini di plastica non sono riusciti o hanno voluto metterci un cavolo di robottino piccino?? Sul serio??? In un Titan non avanzava quel po' di plastica per farlo????

Per fortuna, tornando al robottone, questo è ottimamente articolato, nonostante i già bei risultati ottenuti per lo stampo di Scorponok, qui abbiamo non solo l'inclinazione delle caviglie ma pure la rotazione, idem i polsi nonostante la rotazione dei gomiti, così come le spalle hanno due snodi per poter alzarle meglio lateralmente rispetto al busto, che può piegarsi sullo stomaco, e idem la testa che può alzarsi ed abbassarsi ed infine UAU! pure la bocca si apre, volendo!

In questo ben di Primus di articolazioni, magari fa strano che le mani possano "solo" aprirsi ma con le 4 dita unite e non separate come l'omonimo Titan originale, ma forse avevano paura che queste non potessero reggere adeguatamente l'armona, che tra l'altro si fa non poca fatica appunto a fargliela reggere al nostro, nelle sue due impugnature. ^^' Perlomeno, l'enorme clava può agganciarsi comodamente dietro la schiena.

Metroplex Cybertron aveva una TRASFORMAZIONE intermedia di drone scavatore, giustamente riportata nel Titan, accorcciando le gambe ed il busto, qui in un paio di passaggi invero interessanti, con poi dei pannelli che nella testa coprono di volta in volta la faccia del robot da quella del DRONE.

A dare un senso a questa modalità magari pretestuosa però PERLOMENO viene incontro una novità graditissima, ovvero la summenzionata possibilità di spezzare in due l'armona e sistemarla al posto delle mani retrattili, così da rendere effettivamente il drone con un po' più di "personalità", diciamo, laddove nel Leader del 2006 la Sparkdrinker era semplicemente posta sopra e dietro la testa / cabina di pilotaggio.

Perlomeno, l'aggancio delle due metà dell'armona ai polsi è più saldo di quello che dell'armona stessa fra i suoi due pezzi. Da notare la comparsa di un paio di laser per spalla mobili che nell'originale erano meri ornamenti, mentre il pannello centrale del petto che sorregge la testa non è fisso, ma il fatto che possa spostarsi lateralmente avvallora maggiormente l'idea di un drone robotico da lavoro, non so se mi spiego. ^^'

La "faccia" stessa del drone è più delineata rispetto a quella del Leader originale, che lì era chiaramente e semplicemente la cabina di pilotaggio senza tanti complimenti.

Ora non tocca altro che TRASFORMARE il nostro robot costruttore nel veicolo effettivo, e questo succede facilmente per le gambe, già pronte ripiegate, ma con in più la chicca dei cingoli nascosti sotti piedi da ruotar all'infuori, ma il torso torna ad essere in parte quello del robot normale, nascondendo la testa fra le spallone che ruotano verso indietro per rendere il mezzo più snello, mentre le due parti della Spardrinker restano separate aggangiandosi al modulo a forma di gabbia centrale che, da aperto, serviva a sorreggere l'arma sulla schiena del Megalo Convoy Legacy.

Lo SCAVATORE CON RUOTA A TAZZE gigante anche qui, come nell'originale, è abbastanza fantasioso, ma di certo aiuta il fatto che le braccia del robot siano rivolte in avanti piuttosto che indietro, togliendo così la fastidiosa sensazione che l'alt mode non fosse altro che il robot accovacciato a pancia in giù, anche se non era così manco il modello del 2005, ma purtroppo la sensazione era quella. ^^'

A parte la parte superiore che ruota e la pala che si muove ed apre, abbiamo ora le pale frontale che si alzano un po', e i laser bicanna laterali sulle spalle che si alzano, ma per il resto basta, direi, dato che la giocabilità che si poteva avere con un bel Minicon da sistemare su quei vani che paiono apposta quasi delle cabine di pilotaggio è svanita a monte, come sappiamo, e tocca a tornare a lamentarsi del fatto che un piccolo robot per questo veicolo anonimo ci DOVEVA essere, budget o non budget.

Anche qui, speriamo che al limite recuperino DRILL BIT in un pack a parte insieme agli altri Minicon, ma, aaaaaaancoraaaaaa, avrei vissuto meglio senza qualche nuova mezza articolazione del robottone grande se questo avesse garantito la presenza del suo compagno piccino originale.

Insomma, nonostante la summenzionata mancanza miniconica e della gimmick dell'ascia, di sicuro questo Megalo Convoy fa la sua degna figura, almeno come robot, anche perchè a guardare i cartoni è effettivamente in scala con la media dei Generations normali odierni, anche se gli altri personaggi di Cybertron si contano a malapena sulle dita di una mano, ma di sicuro è maggiormente gratificante poterlo comprare scontato ad un centinaio di euro ( anche se in ritardo ) che non a prezzo pieno, quindi se avete spazio in casa e lo trovate in offerta, fateci un bel pensierino. ^^