Behalter Maximus

Behalter Maximus is a member of exitium in the Transformers: Extinction fanon.

"Pathetic little insects..."

- Behalter Maximus

Overview
Leviathan. Behemoth. Colossus. Gargantuan. Goliath. These terms pale into insignificance in comparison with the might of Behalter Maximus. The towering figure is exitium’s dedicated transport officer, using his vast alternate mode to relocate and deploy the unit at a greater speed than they could hope to achieve without him. This immense stature, and the sheer brute force which, understandably, accompanies it, are driven by a mind more scornful, arrogant and disdainful than any other. Behalter was not always this bitter and egotistic, though, and his descent from an innocent lunar civilian to an embittered misanthrope is only to be gleaned from him with great reluctance, though in telling it, he indulges his overactive self-confidence with an exaggerated epic.

Origins
Originally hailing from one of Cybertron’s moons, Behalter’s early life was spent mostly alone. The moons of Cybertron took longer to enter into the Great War than the planet itself, and Behalter, like much of their populaces, was not prepared for the full horror of the spreading conflict. Upon coming to Cybertron, he found himself appalled by the slaughter stretching from pole to pole, and sought refuge in the bombed-out ruins of the city-state Tarn, scratching out a living in the hollow peace of the nuclear wasteland.

The Titan of Tarn
Eking out his meagre, but peaceful, existence here, he became the subject of legends spread by those who had caught twilight glimpses of the “titan of Tarn”. Unknown to him, his reputation was feared, either as a savage monster, a force of nature, or a weapon of war. Although none of these were true, they drew increasing numbers of glory seekers into Tarn, wishing either to sway Behalter to their faction, or to wipe him out; the vast majority choosing the latter route. Having to defend himself on countless occasions, he grew less and less reserved with each fight, and more and more embittered and hardened as the months and years ground on. Eventually the lone attackers grew to bands of three or four, then to dozen strong units, until at last a Maximal battalion of over forty soldiers forced the lunar leviathan to flee to neighbouring Vos, where the Havocon Division; a fledgling faction at that time unique to the region; took him in and defended him. They too had heard of the Titan of Tarn, and had seen in his constant defiance of those who would put him down, the epitome of their anti-establishment views, and during the weeks of their time together, they imparted to him all of their hatred, arrogance, bitterness, and their unending thirst for justice. They also gave him a nom-de-guerre, as is customary between them, and dubbed him Plunder, to represent his apparent worth to the warring factions. Over time, their contagious rage had begun to fester deep within him like a cancer, which, together with a combination of his sense of pride at having defeated so many of the warriors who had come to test him, and the veneration of the Havocons, conspired to turn the once-gentle giant into a furious egotist, full of scorn and thunder.

Decepticon
From this start, Behalter left the Havocons, seeing that he did not share their socialistic ideals, only their bitter means. He resolved to better himself as a fighter, knowing that it takes steel, and not just fire, to forge victory. Knowing that his immense size and strength would be coveted by all of the factions in the Great War, he felt free to choose which to align himself alongside, eventually deciding that the Decepticons were the least worthy of his scorn. He was soon placed alongside the similarly titanic Trypticon and Gigatron, forming a devastating shock unit that comprised a veritable army in its own right. It was here that his ability began to truly develop, and as the Decepticon army began to bicker and devolve into individual, yet united, war-bands, many aspiring champions began to vie for his favour, hoping that such a living weapon would aid their rise to power. It was the honeyed words and promise of power fed to him by Firstfire, second in command of exitium, that finally swayed the giant, hoping to use his sheer power to gain control of the unit from its leader, Vertizor.

exitium
Thus began Behalter Maximus’ career in exitium, ostensibly as a transport for the squadron – and which he did indeed settle into eventually – an involvement which would help to spark the war which sundered the unit, almost irrevocably. It was only when the DREAD touched exitium that the warring finally ended, and Behalter, his mind erased of the conflict he so eagerly took part in, began his role, which he still carries out to the present day, still ensuring that all who gaze upon him know full well that they have come into contact with the fabled Titan of Tarn.