Cybertronian

**Cybertronians** are a race of evolved artificial intelligence aliens native to the planet of Cybertron. They are more commonly referred to by the moniker of 'Transformers' due to their ability to shapeshift into whatever alternate form they can scan. The most predominant alternate forms the Cybertronians are known to take have been vehicles of many different kinds, ranging from tanks to aircraft, and even ships. Some can even adjust their size to allow themselves to blend in more effectively by scanning smaller alt modes.

## History

The Cybertronian Empire, as the collection of worlds colonized or even allied with Cybertron is referred to, has a vast and storied history, so much of it will be condensed. One thing that is clear and consistent, however, is that the Empire is currently torn in two, with a massive Civil War raging between the heroic and brave Autobots, and the militaristic Decepticons.

At least that's how history portrays it.

In truth, the two factions are not so different from one another, only differed by their ideology and beliefs. Some Autobots believe that they are superior, and some Decepticons even fully support the Autobot cause, but only fight to try and stay alive for their loved ones. So there is no real difference, as even their origins are somewhat similar. Both factions started as underground movements to combat the Functionalist Senate, with the Decepticons promising to bring Cybertron back to her former glory and the Autobots promising to rid the planet of the corrupt caste system that once bound so many Cybertronians to a certain function.

The divergence between the groups began once Optimus Prime was elected to become Prime. Megatron, his former brother-in-arms turned against him and the flames of war were lit. The two sides each scrambled to raise an army, and although the Autobots were outnumbered, they possessed vast resources due to the allies they retained. The allied worlds of the Cybertronian Empire elected to assist them, but even then it was not enough. The Spacebridge Network was shut down during the war, and the Empire fragmented.

But somehow the allied worlds retained a loose connection to one another, so there is still hope the Cybertronian Empire can be resurrected in the future.

Cybertron itself fell into decay and ruin, with the Civil War ravaging its surfaces into mere ruins and shells, with great cities being destroyed and slums springing up to house the displaced. This very fact led to many other Cybertronians becoming disillusioned with the cause of both, leading to a third faction forming: the Neutrals. While not as militarily equipped as both the Autobots and Decepticons, they had experienced warriors on their side to offset the discrepancy. They formed their own nation and fought to protect their borders, rebuilding something of a society, but not based on functionalism like the original Senate.

It was during this point in the war that Vector Prime made his appearance to both Optimus and Megatron, urging them to agree to a ceasefire after giving a dire warning and message. The two leaders agreed to send a unit down to Earth to study the Dark Substance and the Grimm. But alas... the ceasefire did not last and the war resumed. Outpost Prima was therefore cut off from Cybertron.

The war became something of a stalemate until the Decepticons began to experiment with Dark Energon. It was this very substance that led to the downfall of Cybertron itself and the forced evacuation of both Autobots and Decepticons. The Neutrals' fate is unknown as of this time.

Around the time of the Gems began their attempt to colonise the Milky Way galaxy, a The Rebellion staged by a growing rebel group known as the Crystal Gems led by Ros Quartz, what started as a small rebellion escalated into an all out war throughout the galaxy against a common foe, the Cybertronians allied with the other races to stop the Gem Empire.

By the time long after the war happened, the Cybertronians formed an alliance with the group that Founded the United Stellar Alliance.

Around the time of the 21st century, the Cybertronians entered a non-aggression treaty with the Plutarkians in the with the assistance of their long time allies.

## Physiology

### Nutrition

Contrary to much popular belief about the Cybertronian race, they, despite being entirely mechanical, do not need to eat metallic objects such as bolts, nuts, or even scrap metal. Instead, all Cybertronians consume a unique mineral known as energon. This mineral comes in a variety of types, but there is one basic type that all need for sustenance.

Regular energon takes on a couple of colors, based on its physical state. Solid energon is formed in hard blue crystals, and these crystals when refined into a liquid form take on a bluish-white tinge. When it is further refined into a gaseous state, the energon becomes a greenish yellow color. This form is lethal to any Cybertronians that inhale it, so they must protect themselves via a faceplate or mask.

For those Cybertronians with organic alternate forms, they must rely on intake of organic matter needed for sustenance. When consumed, the organic matter is purged and the energon that exists within is refined for use in keeping their bodies alive. But these Cybertronians often need energon supplements to keep their weapons and recovery systems operational. Without these supplements, their bodies are more prone to running out of energon.

Energon is normally consumed through the mouth in both solid and liquid states, but it can be injected into fuel lines or siphoned through a tube in rare cases of energon vampirism. Such tendencies are often seen as immoral and downright savage by the Autobots and Decepticons, but there are some on both sides who partake in such activities. They are often watched out for, and monitored to make sure they don't get out of control.

There is also a drawback for those who have suffered energon deprivation for extended periods of time. As a Cybertronian's energon reserves decrease, their mentality start to shift from civilized to more animalistic, depending on how low their reserves are. The threshold has been found to be between fifteen and ten percent energy, meaning that if they don't get energon into their frames and systems, the Cybertronian will start to act more like an animal instead of a civilized being. An unintended side effect of this is consumption of organic life should their reserves drop below five percent. A few Autobots who have resorted to consuming organics have been shunned and cast out of the Autobot ranks as a result, as it is taboo to consume the weaker lives they are supposed to be protecting.

An interesting thing to note is that pure electricity, that derived from Earthling-made machines and technology, has a sort of hallucinatory effect, much like the Earth drug of LSD. Railspike has been a prime example of what happens when a Cybertronian's energon levels get too low, and electric siphoning only adds to the issues.

### Reproduction

Cybertronians are the only artificial race that is capable of reproduction sexually. Although most of the Cybertronian does not have gender connotations, most of them take on either male or female gender pronouns and aspects. Mechs are broader in the chest and shoulders and appear more 'muscled' whereas femmes are slimmer and curvier in the hips and chest, often times with red, pink, or light red paint on their lips to mimic lipstick. Sometimes their kibble - or alternate mode parts - will take on the form of either a dress or something feminine.

This also translates into what gender is more sexually active at any given time. Most of the time it is the females of the race, but sometimes the mechs will become sexually active. (Cybertronian mechs and femmes are both capable of conceiving and carrying sparklings, but it is primarily the femmes who do the carrying.) The femmes go into 'heat' more often than the mechs, so there are different cycles for both genders.

When a femme goes into 'heat', it causes her spark to fluctuate and emit a unique radiation that a mech's energy sensors can pick up on. This radiation appears to alter the mental programming of the mech to make him desire the femme in question, so he will often resort to courting her before making a move. If the femme doesn't approve, she has the option to turn down the mech in question and find another suitable mate. Sometimes the mech will pursue the femme regardless of her choice, and seek to interface with her forcefully. This kind of thing is termed 'force-bonding' and is highly illegal on the Autobot side, although some mechs do pursue it on the Autobot side. It is more common for femmes to find themselves the target of force-bonds on the Decepticon side.

If the femme chooses to accept the mech's advances, the courtship becomes more intimate, with subtle gestures and more elaborate rituals of pleasure. Then after sufficient time has passed, the mech may propose to the femme to form a bond.

Bonding is considered a sacred act among Cybertronians, as it consists of the merging of both sparks, allowing for intimacy of the utmost level. Bonded pairs can sometimes share thoughts and sense their mate's feelings through the link. In rare occasions, a bond can allow for telepathy, making it the ultimate link in spy ops and high risk stealth missions, as it cannot be intercepted or cracked.

When their sparks mingle and meld, sometimes the energy created can gather into a newer, smaller orb that barely has any life of its own. This is considered the newspark. The newspark then forms an energy tendril that latches onto the femme's spark, allowing it to sustain itself. This tendril is what keeps the newspark alive until it comes to term. Sometimes though a newspark can be parasitic, and must be removed for the safety of the femme carrying. On rare occasions, a newspark can split, becoming a pair of twins, or in even rarer cases, triplets. These siblings have a few of the same qualities that bonded pairs have, but much more diluted.

### Transformations and Weapons

As a fully mechanical race, Cybertronians have some aspects that are different from other races of the same nature. The Cybertronians are also referred to as the Transformers due to their ability to transform into different modes that they can scan. There are many subspecies of Cybertronians, and each one has the same capability to change their shape.

In order to scan a vehicle or other alternate form, a Cybertronian must look at it before willing their scanners to activate. A scanner beam then shoots out, and as the object in question is scanned, data is fed into the processor which then directs a large amount of nanites to reconfigure their body structure to allow them to transform into the scanned object. The process is painless, so most do not feel it. But sometimes the nanites can cause pain to some Cybertronians, a condition that makes it difficult for them to even transform. These 'monoformers' have formed a religious order because of it, but that does not make them liabilities on the battlefield.

Weaponry is almost always integrated into their systems and structure. Most possess a gun of some type, but some will have bladed weapons or even shields built in as well. Other weapons include rocket launchers and grenade launchers. These weapons often can be found on their vehicle forms or built into their arms. These weapons are entirely energy-based, but some are projectile-based for greater hitting power.

## Known Cybertronians

* Orion Prima
* Optimus Prime
* Megatron
* Vector Prime
* Jetfire
* Saber Convoy - O-000
* Bumblebee
* Ironhide
* Jazz
* Ratchet
* Wing Saber - O-000
* Shroud - O-000
* Starscream
* Railspike
* Nightstreak

## Trivia

* All Transformers from many continuities are involved in some way.
* Cybertronians can be found all across the universe, the most populated sectors of the Milky Way being where they primarily reside.
* They have also been found in Dimension O-000
* It is speculated that Primus put up a fight against Aku, only to be slain by him years later in the original timeline.
* The Cybertronian Empire is currently an enemy of the Gems.
	+ The Crystal Gems have knowledge of the war, and both factions as well.
		- In Dimension O-000, the Gem Empire has been contained by the more powerful Cybertronian Empire for thousands of years.
* The Cybertron in Dimension O-000 has not experienced a Civil War, so the planet has not been made into the lifeless husk that remains in Dimension GF-007.