Editing Orion Pax, Part 1

{{disambig3|Orion Pax}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 27
|prev=One Shall Rise, Part 3
|next=Orion Pax, Part 2
|image=Orion-Pax-Part-1-OP-Megatron.jpg
|caption=
|title="Orion Pax, Part 1"
|airdate=[[February 18]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Nicole Dubuc]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

{{picsneeded}}

'''Megatron manipulates the impaired Optimus into joining the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
With the [[Autobot]]s back at base after [[Unicron]]'s defeat, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] grimly outlines the situation and speculates that [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] has reverted to Orion Pax, his pre-Prime self.

On the ''[[Trypticon (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] makes a ship-wide announcement that Orion Pax is to be treated as a guest. [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] doesn't think it's wise to let an Autobot on board, but Megatron isn't concerned and has his own plans for Orion. Elsewhere on the ship, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] affixes a new [[Decepticon]] [[insignia]] to Orion's shoulder.

[[William Fowler|Fowler]] wonders why they can't just track down Optimus's signal, but Ratchet says it hasn't been on their sensors since they left the [[Earth]]'s core. They must find some way to track down Optimus regardless, so they can somehow restore his memory. The best bet seems to be to use the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the problem is, [[Vector Sigma]]'s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

Megatron begins to fill Orion Pax in on what's been happening, spinning a yarn about how Orion has been a captive of the Autobots, who are led by the Warlord Ratchet. Orion is shocked at the images Megatron shows him of a war-ravaged Cybertron.

[[June Darby|June]] announces that there's no way [[Jack Darby|Jack]] is going to Cybertron, but Ratchet says only Jack can use the key to access Vector Sigma. The point's moot anyway, as they don't have any way to get to Cybertron. As [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] points out, the [[GroundBridge]] barely made orbit, though [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] wonders why Ratchet can't just "turbo-charge" it.

With Megatron finished "informing" Orion, the latter vows to help the Decepticons overcome Ratchet and the Autobots. Megatron has [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] remove any incriminating evidence from the ship's data core so Orion can be put to work furthering the Decepticon cause without any risk of him finding anything embarrassing.

[[Sierra]] turns up at [[KO Burger]] to visit Jack as he works at the drive through, confused that she never sees him outside school. Their discussion is interrupted by [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] picking him up as his shift ends. Sierra jumps to the obvious conclusion after hearing the female voice, and seems unconvinced by Jack's claim that it's his mother. Arcee reports that they haven't detected Optimus yet.

Megatron discusses their new comrade with Knock Out, specifically his task to decrypt records stolen from the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] archives near the end of the War. Knock Out wonders if they shouldn't beef up the security, but Megatron feels that Orion will work better if he feels he is not under threat. In any case, Orion's workstation has been located close to the [[energon]] storage, which is under heavy guard.

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Ratchet is "tinkering" with the GroundBridge.

Orion has managed to decode some of the data from the Iacon archives, giving coordinates on Earth of stashed Cybertronian technology, possibly weapons. He is puzzled by the absence from the ''Nemesis'' of [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] who is mentioned in the documents as being Megatron's second-in-command, but Megatron claims Starscream is dead. Megatron returns to the bridge, where he tells Soundwave he's concerned that Orion will soon learn the truth.

Fowler contacts the Autobots to let them know that the Decepticons are attacking one of the military bases they hit two months before. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee respond, finding Knock Out and Breakdown in the process of stealing a power source. As the pair GroundBridge out, Arcee races through after them and begins speeding through the ''Nemesis'', bashing Vehicons and hunting for Optimus. Soundwave soon relays her presence to Megatron, and though Airachnid offers to deal with it, Megatron sends Soundwave to ensure the Autobot is escorted off the ship. Alerted by the fighting, Orion emerges from his quarters, but Soundwave manages to GroundBridge Arcee off the ship just before Orion can see her.

Deposited somewhere Arctic, Arcee is soon back at base admitting she didn't succeed in determining the location of the ship or whether Optimus was even aboard. Fowler makes a brief call to yell at them for the human casualties at the base, and tensions among the Autobots soon spill over into arguing. Jack, however, believes they can commandeer the Decepticon [[space bridge]] once it's complete, and use it to reach Cybertron. The Autobots are doubtful, but determined to try and find the space bridge.

Meanwhile, [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] sneaks back on board the ''Nemesis'' to steal a stack of [[energon cube]]s. Though he deals with the Vehicons guarding the energon storage, more are on their way, and he's forced to duck into a nearby room. His relief is momentary, as he finds himself face to face with Optimus Prime.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (11)
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] (12)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|"Orion Pax"]] (13)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (14)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (15)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (17)
|c3=
*[[William Fowler]] (5)
*[[June Darby]] (6)
*[[Jack Darby]] (7)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (8)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (9)
*[[Sierra]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (18)

}}

==Quotes==
"—and the first to address him as Optimus Prime will have their voice box torn out."
:—'''Megatron''' makes plain the penalty for failure.


"Your mom looks good in leather, on your bike..."
:—'''Sierra''' is unconvinced that [[Arcee (Prime)|the girl on the motorcycle]] is really Jack's mom.


"One question, Megatron, why are we called 'Decepticons'?"<br>
"Another craven Autobot scare tactic. The name was meant to demonize us. Instead, we wear it as a badge of honor, for if speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty."
:—'''"Orion Pax"''' is (ironically) deceived by '''Megatron'''.


"Bulkhead—"<br>
"What? ''You needed that?!''"
:—'''Ratchet''' is eternally frustrated, and '''Bulkhead''' should invest in a punching bag.


"Who knows?! Maybe they'll ship us all to some [[Diego Garcia|island]]! Or [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|fire us into space]], wouldn't that be a welcome relief..."
:—'''Ratchet''' discussing future travel plans, after Fowler threatens to shut down the Autobot base.


"Whoa, that's a pretty good idea!"<br>
"Oh, well, if ''Miko'' thinks it's a good idea..."
:—'''Miko''' gets no respect from '''Arcee'''.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*During his first appearance, the scar on Starscream's right cheek is missing. In the next scene however, it's suddenly there. It also disappears when the lights are flickering after he killed two Vehicons.
*The Vehicons fail to notice that Starscream is flying in formation behind them, and don't hear him land with them inside the ship, even though on both occasions Starscream is no more than a dozen or so meters behind them.

===Continuity notes===
* Fowler refers to the "microchip in his butt" that allows the government to track him, which was previously used for that purpose by the Autobots in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]".
*Starscream's absence is finally acknowledged by Megatron after his supposed capture in "[[Partners]]". He evidently realized that Starscream may have betrayed him again and ordered him to be detained if he returned.
*Megatron refers to Ratchet as the "Doctor of Doom", as the Autobot medic called himself in "[[Stronger, Faster]]".
*The Decepticons previously attempted to seize the same power source in "[[One Shall Fall]]", which according to Agent Fowler, was two months before this episode.
*Starscream still has the scar on his right cheek inflicted by Arcee in "[[Partners]]".

===Continuity errors===
*Ratchet says that Optimus' signal never reappeared at the end of "[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]", even though it did.

===Transformers references===
*In summarizing his version of history for Orion, Megatron uses the rather specific terminology of "exodus" and "war for Cybertron", pretty blatantly alluding to the [[Transformers: Exodus|novel]] and [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|video game]]. In particular, the first name-drop is kinda forced, as the word isn't even used correctly: Megatron says they are "in exodus on another world", but he means [[Transformers: Exiles|"exile"]].
*Fowler calls Orion a "librarian" in disbelief that he has lost his memories: this was Megatron's favored insult for Optimus in ''Exodus''.
*Megatron refers to the storming of the Hall of Records in the final days of the war for Cybertron; ''Exodus'' climaxed with the Decepticons storming Iacon, and, in ''[[Transformers: Exiles| Exiles]]'', the building is occupied.
*Ratchet remarks that if the government shuts down [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], then maybe they'll "fire them into space", a fate that befell the Autobots when they fell out of favour with humanity in both the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]" and the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' film. His other suggestion, that they be shipped off to "some island", feels like a reference to ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', the cast of which operates on an isolated island (this episode's writer, Nicole Dubuc, is also the head writer for ''Rescue Bots'', strengthening the potential allusion).
*Arcee remarks that perhaps Optimus gave Jack the Key to Vector Sigma because he thought there was "more to Jack than meets the eye".

===Foreign localization===
'''Korean''' 
:*''Title:'' "'''Oraion Paekseu 1(il)'''" (오라이온 팩스 1, "Orion Pax, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[August 31|31 August]] [[2012]]

===Trivia===
*A 12-minute sneak preview of this episode was made available On Demand on [[February 10]], 2012.
*Polygon resolved the issue of the seemingly empty [[Jasper]] with roving cars!
*Arcee nearly blew her cover while balancing in the drive-thru without her [[Sadie|holographic driver]] touching the ground. Earth bikes can't do that, Arcee.
* One has to wonder why Megatron would have told Optimus that Starscream was dead, if he was also prepared for Starscream to return alive.
* The Decepticon GroundBridge seems to be able to open anywhere inside the ship, since Arcee enters in the middle of one hallway, only to be sent back out at the end of a completely different one.
*Despite [[Out of His Head|previously]] beating Starscream to a pulp for his attempted betrayal, Megatron still allows Airachnid to serve as his subordinate - though his brief scolding of her implies he's well aware of her treachery. This would indeed [[Crossfire|eventually]] catch up to Airachnid.
*It's a shame Sierra is so interested in what Jack does outside of School. Perhaps soon she will find out the truth eventually.
*Megatron's explanation for Decepticons' name origin is not as unlikely as it may seem. It was not unheard of soldiers adopting seemingly demonizing names as "a badge of honor", for example "Rats of Tobruk" (Allied soldiers defending Tobruk from Germans), "Night Witches" (Soviet all-female night bombers unit) or "Tunnel Rats" (American soldiers penetrating Vietcong's tunnels during Vietnam War).
[[Category:Prime episodes]]