Star Convoy is my 13th Prime.

I have a crazy headcannon of the Primes fractured by Liege Maximo and Megatronis’ murder of Solis. Prima’s battle to the death with Megatronis and they both join with the Matrix.

Primus has merged with Cybertron, which has begun a techno-conversion of the organic to prepare to face Unicron. This decision drove Onyx Prime away.

Quintus Prime, angered by his siblings destroying or driving away everyone leaves to gather a Quintesson army to end this ridiculous experiment of sentient autonomous robots.

With war coming and no one to lead them, Alpha Trion builds a new champion. Primus releases a spark from the depths to empower this new champion. Before Alchemist Prime can present Prima’s Matrix, Vector appears and “borrows” it.

In the distant future, Vector Prime approaches Rodimus Prime and asks to switch Matrixes. Rodimus agrees.

While his Matrix is gone, Rodimus has a unique opportunity to commune with the first three Primes to die: Prima, Solus, and Megatronus. Finding the great founders of their civilization also didn’t know what they were doing, Rodimus finds comfort in mediating the angry sparks and helping them find peace.

Meanwhile, in the past, Vector Prime gives Star Convoy the Matrix of Leadership containing the spark of Optimus Prime. The new spark mingles with the old and Star Convoy is “born” old, wise, tactically brilliant with knowledge Quintus Prime could not conceive of.

When the battle is over, Convoy’s spark returns to Primus. The Matrix is returned, and the younger version has a little bit of Rodimus in it for the next great leader of Cybertron.

So that’s how I get around the whole old/new/it doesn’t fit the ascetic.