"On this day, the fates of two worlds hang in the balance, and the battle to come may very well be our last. But for Earth, for Cybertron, for our comrade Ratchet, we must take the Decepticon warship."
— Optimus Prime
The Autobots attempt to rescue one of their own by tracking a Decepticon warship.
Tropes
- All for Nothing: Starscream is able to shoot down Raf's Chip drone before it could lock onto the warship. Luckily, Optimus is close enough when Ratchet uses the ship's communications to contact him.
- Armor-Piercing Question: When Ratchet reveals that Megatron wanted the Predacons exterminated and manipulated the Autobots into the dirty work for him, Predacon believes that Ratchet is only lying to save himself, only for Ratchet to get Predaking to hear his side of the story by asking if he considers himself an intelligent being.
- Artistic License – Chemistry: Ratchet and Shockwave discuss synthetic energon, which is basically chemical research, and mention a "double-blind analysis". Problem is, that type of experiment is conducted in clinical trials when testing substances on subjects. That's why it's called double-blind: the researcher doesn't know what they are giving to which participant (drug or control/placebo), and the participant is likewise blind to what they receive. Here, no testing on live subjects is discussed and earlier, Ratchet specifically vowed never to touch the idea with a 10 feet pole.
- Badass Boast: Megatron gives one to Predaking after their fight:Megatron: "I was a champion of the pits of Kaon not only due to my savage might, but also my cunning!"
- Brutal Honesty: When Predaking confronts Megatron about being the mastermind behind the destruction of the protoforms instead of Ratchet, he doesn't bother hiding it, adding that he wished to have seen it personally instead of using the Autobots to do his dirty work.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: While attempting to run away from the Nemesis, Ratchet gets stepped on by Megatron. As a last resort plea for life, Ratchet tries to assert only he can complete the SynthEn formula. Megatron corrects him that Shockwave has corrected all the erroneous codes Ratchet wrote in and so Ratchet no longer is of use.
- Cassandra Truth: Predaking doesn't believe Ratchet's claims that it was Megatron that ordered his brethren's extermination, not the Autobots. When Ratchet assumes the deed was done because Megatron feared a possible Predacon uprising, Predaking decides to confront Megatron about it.
- The Dreaded: Ratchet describes Predaking and his fellow Predacons as being this to Megatron.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Knock Out clearly dislikes being under Shockwave's command, as he's just a glorified gofer at this point. He's actually quite appreciative when Ratchet gives him a thank you.
- Fights Like a Normal: During his rampage and fight with Megatron, Predaking relies on his brute strength. It certainly works for him, but when Starscream's sneak attack gives Megatron the chance to send him into the airlock, he gets chastised for not going all out when he had the chance.Megatron: You should've heeded my advice and faced me as a beast.
- Genocide Backfire: Subverted. As Knock Out suggested, annihilating the Predacons would infuriate Predaking to turning against his masters. Megatron dismisses the annihilation as incomplete, as the only regret he had about destroying the Predacons was not personally seeing it to insure Predaking join the body count.
- Get It Over With: Ratchet says this to Predaking out of guilt for what may befall Earth, though he makes sure to reveal one crucial piece of information.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: Predaking beats Megatron with a Vehicon. It gets Megatron Punched Across the Room.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: Ratchet getting to a communications console and contacting Team Prime gets this reaction from them.
- Howl of Sorrow: Realizing Ratchet is right about Megatron masterminding the destruction of his kind, Predaking begins his Roaring Rampage of Revenge with an enraged primal scream.
- In the Back: Starscream shoots Predaking in the back with a missile, allowing Megatron to get the better of the Predacon.
- Internal Reveal: Predaking learns from Ratchet that Megatron ordered the extermination of the Predacon army and simply manipulated the Autobots into doing the dirty work for him, all out of fear that the Predacons would become a threat to him.
- It Has Been an Honor: Optimus to his team, as he orders them into battle."Members of Team Prime—Autobots and human, it has been my honor to lead you."
- It Has Only Just Begun: Megatron's last line."If Optimus Prime wishes to wage a battle for the fate of both Earth and Cybertron, then I shall oblige him. This will be our last stand."
- Killed Mid-Sentence: An unfortunate Vehicon who attempts to warn Megatron that Predaking is coming for him."Lord Megatron, Predaking is on a rampage and moving rapidly toward the-"
- Last Stand: As quoted above, Megatron fully prepares for the final battle to be this. Considering the Decepticons have lost Predaking, the Insecticons, and almost all of the Vehicons, and the Autobots have finally gotten aboard the Nemesis, the Autobots have never had better odds than they do now. The Decepticons' only real weapons at this point are the Dark Star Saber and Soundwave. note
- Lock-and-Load Montage: The Autobots gather their weapons and prepare for the final battle.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Ratchet can't bring himself to just give Megatron the complete Synthetic Energon formula out, but his efforts at sabotage prove only a minor delay.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Knock Out lets it slip in front of Ratchet that the Decepticons "let" the Autobots wipe out the other Predacons. It's a bit to go on to figure out that Megatron terminated "Project Predacon". When he is thrown to the Predaking, he informs him of this.
- Knock Out then tips over a canister of the improved Synth En during his complaints about being Shockwave's gofer, allowing Ratchet to grab one for himself; not that he keeps it for long after his first failed escape.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Predaking against Ratchet and later the Vehicons.
- No One Could Survive That!: Megatron and Starscream don't consider the possibility of Predaking simply transforming and flying back to the ship, or being strong enough to survive a fall.
- Not Quite Dead: When the Autobot attack begins, Megatron realizes that Ratchet is still alive and deactivated the ship's cloak.
- Omnicidal Maniac: Megatron prepares to cyberform Earth, which would wipe out all life on the planet.
- Oh, Crap!: Megatron looks very unenthused when he hears Predaking is rampaging through the Nemesis, quickly realizing that the Predacon must've learned the truth about his brethren's demise.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: As Knock Out tries to delicately explain that Ratchet sabotaged the lab and has escaped:Megatron: Spit! It! OUT!
- The Reveal: Megatron still possesses the Dark Star Saber. It had previously been left vague if it was destroyed last season in the Omega Lock explosion.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Predaking intends to make Ratchet pay for what was done to the other Predacons, but then he learns the truth and turns on Megatron.
- Rock Bottom: Knock Out bemoans how he went from running the ship's lab to being a gofer for Shockwave and anyone else in need of something.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Subverted: Knock Out seems to be doing this when he runs off to retrieve the Dark Star Saber rather than face Predaking, but he does come back with the weapon shortly thereafter. By then, however, the battle's already over.
- Techno Babble: Shockwave and Rachet end up doing some of this when discussing the flaws of synthetic energon.
- Thrown Out the Airlock: Predaking at the end, as Megatron and Starscream are unwilling to fight him any longer.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Megatron feeds Ratchet to the Predacon as soon as Ratchet has completed the Synthetic Energon formula.
