Storyline

In the year 2010, Shockwave, who has grown disgruntled with Galvatron's abusive leadership, discovers the Zel Quartz on Zel Samine. Realizing that it is a power source even greater than the Heart of Cybertron, Shockwave implants the Quartz into himself. He stages a one-robot coup and becomes the leader of the Decepticons...until the surging power load fries his systems and he malfunctions, running amok. He destroys much of both the Autobot and Decepticon armies and eventually destroys Cybertron itself before setting out to raze many innocent planets. Unable to stop Shockwave in the present, Rodimus Prime allies with the Quintessons to send an elite cadre back in time to destroy the Quartz before Shockwave discovers it. In 2003, both the Autobots and Decepticons detect an explosion caused by the arrival of visitors from the future over Zel Samine and send teams to investigate. Both sides lose contact with their teams. The Autobots send another team consisting of Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, and Jazz to investigate, but their shuttle crashes, and Wheeljack learns that an abnormality in Zel Samine's sun causes electromechanical systems to malfunction and drains them of their power. The Decepticons likewise send Soundwave and Starscream (with Megatron arriving later by Space Bridge, a very bumpy ride). The Space Bridge malfunctions, causing significant damage to the Decepticon ship. The Decepticons lure the Autobots away from their own shuttle in order to steal their supply of energon and use it to repair their own shuttle. Afterwards, both sides skirmish over a series of local power sources, including the wind-power facility on Mount Jaad, the Ranpas Geothermal Power Plant, and the Monogan Hydroelectric Power Station. Along the way, both sides encounter members of their missing reconnaissance teams. Both sides also encounter their counterparts from the future: the Autobots Rodimus Prime, Kup, and Arcee; and the Decepticons Galvatron, Cyclonus, and Scourge. Galvatron reveals his identity to Megatron, but lies to him about the Zel Quartz, claiming he rules the universe in the future and it is part of an Autobot doomsday weapon that must be destroyed. Pursuing stories of items that may be the Zel Quartz, both sides clash over the Jewel of Mystery at the Lazalt Ruins, a superhard mineral in a drill bit at Karzite mine, and a giant crystal formation at the Atalstan gem mine. None of those leads pay off, but the planet's central archive includes reference to a "Zel Stone" which is part of the ELTA power transmission array, matching descriptions of the Zel Quartz exactly. Both sides stage a climactic confrontation at ELTA (which is either destroyed or kept intact, depending on the winner) to capture the Quartz. After the battle is done, Starscream, who has overheard Galvatron and Cyclonus discussing the Quartz's true nature, rushes in to steal the Quartz for himself, jetting off into space with it. Unbeknownst to Starscream, the physical structure of the quartz requires the atmospheric and electromagnetic properties of Zel Samine to maintain its integrity. Because he has fled into space rather than installing the Quartz on the planet as Shockwave had (and thus protecting it), the Quartz immediately degrades and becomes powerless. Outside of the atmosphere, exposed to the effects of Zel Samine's star without the Quartz's power to protect him, Starscream drifts powerless, left to contemplate his mistakes. Their own timeline averted, the future Autobots and Decepticons vanish into sparkles of light, and Optimus Prime and Megatron are left to contemplate what they've learned from the experience.