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Gobots - A slightly different point of view.
After looking at a few images of the Guardian Command Center and then Renegade Thruster base, I'm coming to an unsettling conclusion:
The Guardians were the bad guys.
In the Guardian Command Center are the following features revealed via stickers:
Executions:
There are no prison cells in the cramped Alien Detention Center. There is only a "Gobot De-Materializer", and it is shown in action. The enemy Gobots aren't restrained before they're destroyed, they're just thrown into a room and then executed. It looks quite painful. Also, the dematerializer looks large enough to do an entire batch at once. You'd almost think that there must be some less drastic measure to handle enemy Gobots. Oh wait, there is.
Brainwashing:
Across the elevator shaft is an "Enemy Re-Programming Center", shown in the process of reprogramming a Gobot who looks suspiciously like Scooter (which might explain a whole lot). If they have the means to wipe out the entire contents of a Gobot's mind and replace it with something else (say, the joy of eating ice cream in the cafeteria), why would they even need executions? You also have to wonder how ethical it is to resort to brainwashing the enemy so that they'll agree with you.
So the Guardians have the capabilities of making their enemies play nice, but still have means of execution. Seems like this is all to keep the rest of the population in line.
But back to the Cafeteria
Cafeteria:
Directly below the Gobot reprogramming room is the cafeteria containing food named after clever puns and a pair of Gobots who look overjoyed at those punny foods. Seems to be this is the room reprogrammed Gobots are immediately placed into.
Trauma Center:
This looks more or less like the opposite of the dematerializer. I'm guessing that the dematerialized Gobots are used as material to repair other Gobots in the trauma center.
Interrogation Center:
A very sparse room. No equipment to be seen. Almost as if they don't really care to interrogate. Or maybe the Guardians just pull a Gobot into the room and everyone just turns a blind eye. They can always dispose of the evidence using the dematerializer.
Fuel Bay:
The Gobots, being cyborgs, need both food and fuel to function. I'm guessing that in addition to using the dematerialized Gobots as material for the trauma center, they are also used as fuel for the mechanical bodies of the Gobots.
Okay, so at least they're recycling.
Now lets look at Thruster, the Renegade base.
Looks like there's a command center (with chair!) and a prison with ion bars. Oh, and an elevator.
No secret death machines, no brainwashing devices, no creepy cafeteria.
Looks pretty sparse. In fact, the only really sinister thing is the trap door, which could really be some form of emergency exit.
Another interesting thing is that Thruster has an identity, and is actually a Gobot himself. He is consciously and actively taking part in the Renegade's objectives.
While the Command Center does have a face, it lacks a name, and probably lacks a personality. I can understand why, it would cause some problems if your base of operations had a conflict of conscience and couldn't stomach the brainwashing and executions taking part inside of him.
So it looks to me like the Renegades are in fact the resistance against an oppressive regime run by the Guardians.
While the Guardian image is that of a Paragon elite, there's some sinister stuff going on behind closed doors.
No wonder the Renegades are branded as "renegades".
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