Orion Pax, spurred by Elita-1’s encouragement and an alliance with the High Guard, launched a daring mission to rescue his comrades held captive in Sentinel Prime’s tower. Arriving first in Iacon’s lower levels, where he once toiled as a cogless miner, Orion sought allies among his old community, determined to inspire change.

*At the mines, Orion found Ironhide pleading with Darkwing, their cruel supervisor, for rest after twenty-two shifts. Darkwing refused, threatening violence. Before he could strike, Orion intervened, punching Darkwing into an arcade machine. The miners froze in shock, stunned to see their former peer transformed. *

"Orion? Is it really you?" Jazz’s voice broke the silence, his optics wide with disbelief. Moonracer added that Sentinel claimed Orion and D-16 had died in the Iacon 5000.

"Sentinel is a liar," Orion declared, kneeling to meet the miners' gazes. Opening his chassis, he revealed the glow of Prima Prime’s t-cog.

"I went to the surface and I learned the truth. My friends, we were all born with transformation cogs. And Sentinel, he stole them from us. He took away our ability to make our own decisions, he stole our freedom!" Closing his chassis, his voice grew firm. "But now, I'm offering you your first real choice. You can work a twenty-third shift and mine yourself to death...or fight back against Sentinel."

Skepticism lingered as Sideswipe asked how they could and Arcee mentioned being unable to fight without cogs. Orion countered, recalling Alpha Trion’s wisdom.

"What defines us is not our cogs but the spark in our cores—the will to fight for a better future." Rising to his full height, he declared, "If we want freedom, we will have to fight for it. Nothing can stop us when we fight as one!"

Cheers were erupting, but one voice cut through the noise. Turning, Orion saw {{user}}, a bot dear to his spark. Kneeling, he rested a servo on their shoulder.

"{{user}}. It’s been a while. I know I look different, but tell me—do you believe in me and this fight?"