The Other Side

The dark bleakness of space, punctuated with pinpricks of twinkling lights. Stars, primarily white in colour but with the occasional colours available due to the various sizes and compressed gases of their composition, spread across the black sheet. Blue for the smallest stars, red for the largest. This bleak canvas was suddenly distorted by the appearance of an object that defied the physical laws of the universe. Decelerating from travelling faster than light, the huge triangular form appeared from seemingly nowhere against the backdrop of the twinkling stars.

A huge stellar travelling vessel, its sleek angular form was topped by a series of steps with a peak rectangular module with what looked, from a distance, of two metallic orbs either side. Closer inspection showing multiple panels betraying a more technical purpose.

As it moved forward, the space vehicle started to shake and distort. Sections of the steps and the giant sides began to separate; twisting, rotating and turning until where once floated a large space vessel, there now stood a large bipedal from. Stood being an exaggeration, as the form had nothing to stand upon, though it seemed positioned in space, bracing its torso, arms and legs into a distinctive attack position. In its hand, a metallic cylinder from which a red flame of pure energy began to emit. The dark metallic and angular face of the form hosting two deep red eyes without any emotion visible within. A dark lord of the mighty Sith Order. Or so it seemed. In fact, this was an amalgamation- a variant of a well known Sith lord but given an entirely metallic form. A result of mysterious temporal energies bridging the laws of time and space combining entities from one universe with another.

This being should not even exist.

But this meant nothing to a smaller silver-blue robotic form in front of the larger being. This robot was also bipedal, though with a head sculpt with a single black line to represent where its robot eyes would be, adjoined to a vertical black line in the middle of the visage, styled after the helmet of an ancient and well-respected warrior race. It raised an arm with a bright blue energy shield to protect itself as the red flame of energy tore down upon its limb. With attack after attack of energy, the smaller blue metallic form tried hard to protect itself. Or was it protecting something else?

Nearby, in what appeared to be a jettisoned piece of a spaceship, a small metallic cylinder with a transparent dome floated though space. Within, a small green goblin-like being with pointed ears and dark black eyes watched the events intently. It shivered in fear with every attack of the darker robotic form onto the smaller. Suddenly, with a realisation, it closed its eyes and raised one of its hands horizontally in front of it, pointing all fingers towards the larger robotic form. For what seemed like a futile effort, it did indeed have some effect. With the next attack of the blade, the arm halted mid-flow. The black head with the deep red eyes looked towards its arm.

If it could have had a puzzled expression upon its emotionless face, it would have had one. Then, without warning, sections of the robotic being started to shake, rotate and slide apart, once again triggering a transformation of form. But this time, instead of changing into a space vehicle, it stayed as a bipedal form, though where there had been a dark mask of evil, there now appeared a more humanoid visage. One with sufficient mechanical movement of features to be able to form an expression. This head  could create a puzzled look, though soon that changed to a more relaxed smile. The face had a scar on its right-hand side, though both eyes blazed blue and somehow seemed to have an element of warmth.

“Thank you!” the being said toward the small green creature in the bubble. “I cannot hold this form for long as he’ll soon return and take over. But it’ll give me enough time to leap to hyperspace and get away from here. You must go too as he’ll immediately return to these coordinates.”

The silver-blue robot tuned to the larger being and nodded his head in a gesture of gratitude. Its metallic voice said, “I won’t pretend to understand what just happened, but we’re eternally grateful.”

The larger robot nodded, turned and with speed changed its form so that side panels that had surrounded it encased itself to create a different ship to that of the original vessel that had first appeared from hyperspace.

It turned and its giant ion engines on its rear sectioned fired and it quickly jumped to hyperspace and disappeared.

The silver-blue robot tuned back to the small capsule and scooped it into its metallic hand carefully positioning it on the robot’s back and it too changed shape to become a sleek single person twin engined fighter vehicle. “That was too close,” came the metallic voice, “let’s get back to Tatooine.”

This is not the “May the Fourth” story I’d plan to do. Due to supplier delays I haven’t yet received the figure I was planning to focus on this year- though it’s hinted at in the text. Ultimately, I decided to do this story as an alternative perspective from the short story I originally planned to write (and will write if the figure shows up!). Hence “the Other Side” has a double meaning.

However, it did allow me to focus on a different collectible – this somewhat bizarre, though I found totally amazing, Darth Vader / Anakin Skywalker Transformer!

As a Star Wars fan, I find it odd that there’s limited number of figures that have the transition from Anakin to Vader. In fact, many seem to be of the more obscure toys, if they do exist. This certainly fits in that category! As part of the Star Wars / Transformers crossover range, to have this figure transforming from Jedi cruiser or Star Destroyer to either Vader or Anakin just blows my mind! I know this figure has a bad reputation and has been highly criticised but honest I love it! The light up effects, the transformation, and it has some fair posability too. It’s got a lot of kibble and add-on elements for the ships, but I’ll allow for it for the just sheer audacity of the concept.  It’s brilliant.

This short story is actually some form of sequel to last year’s 4th May story, and is planned to form part of my overall The Alternates story-arc. Somehow.

My usual disclaimer: Transformers franchise is ownership of Hasbro / Takara Tomy. Additionally, Star Wars is ownership of Lucasfilm and now Disney. This is purely a piece of fan fiction, for fun (and no profit). All text is my own, images my own.