Editing Siege episode 4

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy: Siege]]''
|image=WarForCybertronSiege Ep4.jpg
|caption="I have fought Megatron for ages. I've seen countless innocents die. I have lived this nightmare for what seems like an eternity."
|prev=Siege episode 3
|next=Siege episode 5
|title=Episode 4
|airdate=[[July 30]], [[2020]] (Netflix)
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]], [[Rooster Teeth]]
|written by=[[Brandon M. Easton]] and [[Gavin Hignight]]
|director=[[Takashi Kamei]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
}}

'''Optimus looks for aid in unlikely places, while Bumblebee's destiny takes an unexpected turn.'''

==Synopsis==
As rain falls, an enshackled [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] leads [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and a group of [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] through the massive grave-site at [[Tarn-Hauser Gate]]. Magnus has a grim countenance as he leads Megatron to Autobot Command, hidden underneath the memorial of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]]. The former allies recall the teachings of Alpha Trion, and how the paths of Magnus and Prime diverged from that of Megatron. As [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] flies into position above, Megatron taunts Magnus for his betrayal. Magnus opens the door to the memorial—leading the Decepticons into an empty room!

Realizing he's been lied to, Megatron aims his [[fusion cannon]] at Magnus. But he merely responds with a smile. Megatron blasts Magnus through the chest. The smile remains on his face as he falls and dies.

As Jetfire lands, Magnus's optics glow green, and a [[Alpha Trion Protocols|strange energy storm]] begins to emanate from his body and flows away into the sky, leaving the Decepticons baffled. A distance away, [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] gets paid for his [[energon]] scavenging efforts. As he walks away, the energy storm reaches him and fills his body with energy, overwhelming him and knocking him offline. When he regains consciousness, he finds that his very sight has changed, seeing mysterious energy coruscating through everything, and he finds himself talking about someone named "Trion" and speaking mystically.

Megatron tells [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] to dispatch [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] in order to track the anomaly, and orders Jetfire to take Magnus's corpse to [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] to see if he can understand the anomaly. Before he can leave, [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] and a group of [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] land and confront him. Starscream blasts Jetfire for treachery and explains to Megatron that Jetfire recently killed [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]]. Jetfire defends himself by saying [[Autobot]] genocide is against all he's fought for. Megatron then orders his death, but Jetfire quickly attacks and flies away. Starscream and the Seekers give chase in the air, and despite Jetfire's counterattacks, he is eventually shot down.

At [[Ark (G1)|the Ark]], [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] is crestfallen as he senses the passing of Magnus. He tells [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] that the Alpha Trion protocols have been activated, which would only occur upon Magnus's death. 

[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] join [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] at the repair bays. Impactor is disillusioned by Megatron upon seeing the extent of death and destruction, and believes Megatron has abandoned the virtues they once fought for. Elita then summons Ratchet and Impactor to the bridge, where Prime orders [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]], Ratchet, Impactor, [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]], and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] to repair the [[space bridge|spacebridge]]. Mirage is appointed team leader. Elita expresses her concern about the fate of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] if the [[AllSpark|Allspark]] were to be removed from it, but Prime dismisses it and places her in charge of readying the Ark for launch. Optimus himself plans to contact the [[Guardian robot|Guardians]] before leading a team to retrieve the Allspark. 

Mirage's team hides from patrolling Seekers as Impactor gives them their timetable: they only have 20 astro-cycles to repair the spacebridge before Decepticon forces return. They work quickly, with Chromia and Sideswipe surveying the area for Seekers. Unfortunately, a patrol returns ahead of schedule and attacks the team. Impactor shields Ratchet from attack while Chromia returns fire, shooting the Seekers down. Mirage and Sideswipe go make sure the Seekers are no longer a threat while Impactor and Ratchet return to work, anticipating another wave of Seekers very soon.

At Decepticon headquarters, Starscream promises that Jetfire is dead, and Megatron promotes him to commander of the Seekers despite his uncontrollable ambition. Barricade, Soundwave and Shockwave endure Starscream's grandiose acceptance speech.

Prime journeys to the location of the Guardians and tells them the news of Magnus's death at Megatron's hand. He wonders if the Alpha Trion protocols have transferred into a Guardian, but even if not, he requests their aid against Megatron, who seeks to reformat all non-Decepticons on Cybertron. The Guardians refuse to interfere in the war, and they withdraw, leaving Prime full of frustration at Guardians who will not guard Cybertron. Prime swears to protect Cybertron without their help. He returns to the Ark to deliver the disappointing news to Elita, and is stricken with a bout of guilt for keeping the war going for so long, but Wheeljack remains in high spirits, promising to get the Ark online.

At that moment, Bumblebee attempts to barge into the Ark to speak with Prime. He wants to know who Alpha Trion is, and that's when Prime realizes that ''Bumblebee'' has been chosen by the Alpha Trion protocols. Bumblebee is suddenly pulled within the depths of his own mind, reaching a surreal landscape, and before him emerges a figure infused in light and energy. He learns that this is only a simulacrum of Alpha Trion, who explains the protocols are a collection of wisdom that protect the Autobots in times of crisis. He finds out that Prime and Magnus chose to share power between them, with Prime keeping the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] while Magnus had the protocols. As Bumblebee doubts his worthiness, the simulacrum says that Prime will need his support for the trials that await him. As he exits the trance, he tells Prime that he knows where the Allspark is.

Bumblebee and Prime are interrupted by an intruder alert. Prowl, Ironhide, and Hound discover that the intruder is a wounded Jetfire, who has come to join them!

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (1)
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
* [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] (8)
* [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] (9)
* [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (10)
* [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (14)
* [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (16)
* [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (17)
* [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (18)
* [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] (19)
* [[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (20)
* [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (21)


|c2=
* [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] (2)
* [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (3)
* [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (4)
* [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (5)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (11)
* [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (12)
* [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13)
* [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]] (15)
* [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (25)


|h3=Others|c3=
* [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (6)
* [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] (22)
*[[Guardian robot|Two Unnamed Guardians]] (23-24)
* [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Simulacrum of Alpha Trion]] (26)
}}

==Quotes==
"Most inferior."
:—'''Soundwave''' reviews Starscream's acceptance speech

==Notes==
===Transformers references===
* Bumblebee receives [[Shanix]] as payment for his energon scavenging efforts at the beginning.
*Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus being mentored by Alpha Trion is definitely an throwback to their RID 2001 origins.

===Continuity Notes===
* Jetfire and Skywarp discovered the location of Autobot Command in the previous episode after tracking Impactor's comm.

===Animation and technical errors===
* Ultra Magnus's handcuffs disappear the instant he gets shot by Megatron.
* When Jetfire is holding his hand against his chest after being shot by Starscream, his forearm is clipping through the sides of his chest.
* During Alpha Trion's conversation with Bumblebee, one of the floating hexagons abruptly disappears next to a clump of grass instead of continuing on its path upwards.
* The French dub suffers from several audio mix issues:
**Before Megatron orders the Decepticons to find where did the energy storm go, another disconcerted voice line starts playing ("Optimus, let me tell you one-") before being cut by the good one.
**The same problem occurs later when Wheeljack and Chromia are talking in the Ark. Wheeljack's line is cut by another one before coming back to the end of the first one ("If we can do what I'm suggesting here, ''They have used-'', I bet we can jumpstart the Ark").
**When the Seekers attack the group repairing the spacebridge, Mirage is supposed to call for Chromia following the first round of fire. In the dub, he is silent.
**A big pop is heard before Soundwave's line "Most inferior".

===Trivia===

===Foreign localization===

==External Links==
*[https://www.netflix.com/watch/81056816 Episode 4 on Netflix]

[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege‎]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy episodes]]