Rockeroid

The Rockeroid is a type of Skuxxoid ship, cleverly disguised to look like any other asteroid floating in space. Its unassuming rocky exterior protects the ship during reentry, keeping the interior cool despite the blistering temperatures caused by air friction, and can open to reveal huge mechanical claws capable of grabbing and crushing passing spaceships. Its interstellar engines can bring it to a dead stop in an instant—as Springer puts it, it can stop on a proton. It also has a landing bay for smaller craft.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

After a Skuxxoid took part in an attack on the Galactic Olympics, Springer and Arcee pursued him back to his Rockeroid where he tried to crush their ship in its claw. The pair escaped their ship and broke into the Rockeroid, commandeering the craft and resulting in the Skuxxoid escaping in his smaller craft. Springer proved to be a dodgy Rockeroid pilot, though he claimed he'd learn to fly a different model. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1

They flew the ship to Chaar, where the Decepticons, who were attacking Rodimus Prime and Grimlock at the time, mistook it for a meteor and scattered. Springer brought the Rockeroid to a halt and opened the underside so he could scoop up Rodimus and Grimlock in the ship's claws before spiriting them away. Scourge recognized the Rockeroid as a Skuxxoid ship.

Springer next set the ship down on a desolate rock, where Rodimus proceeded to have a vision brought on by the Matrix of Leadership and ordered Springer to fly them to Quintessa. The journey to Quintessa was the Rockeroid's last, as the Autobots sent it as a decoy—it dropped down towards the Quintesson court and was blasted to pieces by their defense systems while the Autobots sneaked in a back way. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2

Energon Universe

The Rockeroid originally belonged to Skuxxoid Alpha, built from an asteroid he made his base in. As the Alpha built his strength, the Rockeroid was to be the flagship of his fleet before it was stolen by his first division, Skuxxoid Beta. Void Rivals #22

When a Quintesson Prosecutor was tasked to take a Quintesson Scorpia to the fighting pits of the planet Dominus, Void Rivals #5 he crossed paths with the Skuxxoid and boarded the Rockeroid. Discovering that the Prosectuor had a bounty on him, the Skuxxoid locked the Quintesson up. Void Rivals #3

Later docking not far from the Sacred Ring, the Skuxxoid brought the Agorrian Darak and Zertonian Solila aboard his ship. Void Rivals #2 The two managed to escape his immediate custody, freeing the Prosecutor and destroying the Scorpia in the process, only to be intercepted by their abductor at the cargo bay. Having realized that they had no bounties on them, the Skuxxoid offered them a Nebulan spacecraft if they gave him their ramshackle ship and left him the Prosecutor. The two agreed to the deal and blasted off. Void Rivals #3

Hoping to get something for the Prosecutor, the Skuxxoid travelled to Cybertron only to find that Shockwave had no currency with which to buy the Prosecutor and even less incentive to do so. When Shockwave threatened to strip the Rockeroid for parts, the Skuxxoid took the hint and left the planet. Void Rivals #4 When he tried his luck on Quintessa, the Skuxxoid found himself carted off for trial. Before he managed to save his skin by offering Zertonian metals, he offered his Rockeroid to the Quintessons. Managing to save his skin by bargaining Darak and Solia's craft, Void Rivals #5 the Skuxxoid delivered the ship and then made off in his Rockeroid. Void Rivals #6 The Rockeroid later docked at a space station where Skuxxoid caught up with Slizardo. Void Rivals Energon Universe 2024 Special story

The Skuxxoid later returned to his homeworld, leaving the Rockeroid in orbit as he took a shuttle down to the surface. Void Rivals #9

While milling about in angst and silence, Void Rivals #14 the Skuxxoid grabbed the Leviathan, certain that such a unique craft would bring him large rewards. Void Rivals #15 Unfortunately for him, his new prize contained Pythona and the Royal Guard, who promptly jumped out and attacked him. Though the Skuxxoid held his own against superior numbers at first and even managed grievously wound Akronus, he was eventually overwhelmed by the Royal Guard after Pythona injured his eye. Defeated, the Skuxxoid was bisected by Grakula. Void Rivals #16

The drifting Rockeroid was eventually found by Junkion scavengers who towed it back to their homeworld. When the Skuxxoid and the new individual who had budded off of him were abducted, the Rockeroid was left behind. Void Rivals #19

Notes

• It's unclear whether "Rockeroid" is the actual name of the ship class, or whether Arcee made it up on the spot.