Fight or Flee

The Decepticons descend on a planet of Autobot pacifists who refuse to defend themselves.

In space, Cyclonus and Scourge are pursuing Air Raid. Following him into an asteroid field, the two Decepticons are surprised to see the other Aerialbots. In the firefight, Scourge is damaged, so Cyclonus argues that they charge them. However, the Aerialbots form Superion and do further damage to the Decepticons. Cyclonus spots a vortex and decides to take refuge in it. Once they've passed through, they find a planet that looks similar to Cybertron during the Golden Age. Further analysis is discontinued, however, as they crash hard.

Nursed back to health by the natives, the Decepticons discover that the planet, called Paradron, is inhabited by Autobots. Native Sandstorm greets the two Decepticons, explaining their pacifistic ways, but Cyclonus and Scourge get a little too much energon... of which the planet has an unlimited supply. Contacting Chaar, they inform Galvatron of the discovery. Sandstorm calls an assembly, warning the populace that Cyclonus and Scourge are dangerous, but the others ignore his warnings. Soon enough, the Decepticons arrive and declare the planet a part of the Decepticon Empire. Naturally, the Paradrons don't agree with that, one claiming outright that the planet is a democracy. Galvatron shoots the dissenter.

Taken to a prison, Sandstorm manages to escape, but Brawl and Razorclaw follow him. They knock him off a bridge, but Sandstorm flies away and manages to lose the two Decepticons. Heading for a long-abandoned spaceship, Sandstorm manages to power it up and take off, narrowly avoiding Divebomb.

Making contact with the Autobots, Sandstorm explains that his ancestors left Cybertron during the fourth great war to escape the violence. The Autobots, knowing that they can't let the Decepticons have Paradron's energon, head for the planet. By now, the Decepticons have dug in and are using the Paradrons as slave labor. Detecting an incoming Autobot ship, the Decepticons use their molecular cannon to fire right through one of Paradron's moons, utterly obliterating the ship and the moon. Believing the Autobots destroyed, they carry on with business - but the ship is a decoy, and the Autobots launch their actual invasion from the other moon. Ultra Magnus takes a team to secure the energon, while Rodimus Prime takes Springer, Sandstorm, and Sky Lynx to rescue the prisoners.

Breaking through the prison defenses, the Autobots present the Paradrons with weapons, but the latter are reluctant to fight. Sandstorm claims that their forefathers would fight as well. The Autobot leader gives them a simpler choice: fight or flee. Reluctantly, the Paradrons take up arms.

Unfortunately, the Decepticons' control over the planet is too firm. Unwilling to let them have Paradron, Rodimus orders Ultra Magnus to destroy the energon core, which will destroy the planet. Sandstorm objects at first, but agrees to the plan when he learns that the Paradrons can live on Cybertron. Using escape pods, the Paradrons flee the planet, while Magnus and Sandstorm head for the core. Planting a time bomb, the two Autobots hightail it out of there. Galvatron sneers at their cowardice, then remembers that Magnus is anything but a coward. Realizing that something is wrong, Galvatron orders the Decepticons to abandon the planet.

From space, the Autobots watch the planet explode. Sandstorm remarks that even in death, it's still beautiful. Rodimus callously says that Cybertron is better anyway.

- Scourge and Cyclonus are very confused.

—A Paradronian and Cyclonus, after Scourge kicks the former into a wall.

—Come, sons of Paradron, kneel before Galvatron!

—Sandstorm, asking the question we're all thinking about Blurr.

—Galvatron's high-falutin' fancy talk is just too much for Bruticus to grasp.