Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I do not own transformers, they are the property of Hasbro. Any other Copyrighted material is the property of its respected owner. Good reading.
Flying high in the sky, a trio of F-15 jets, one red/white, the other blue/white and the third black/purple. They have been flying for the better part of the day. Over the vast Atlantic Ocean they keep a watchful eye for anything that appears on their sensors. The trio log into their memories any contact they encounter wether it's military, civilian or other.
"Flight lead, I'm still not getting anything on my sensors. Are we in the correct sector?" The blue jet says.
" This is flight lead, I'm sure we are in the correct area. We are following the flight plan as directed." The red jet's screechy voice replies.
" Then where is the increased air traffic we were breifed on? Astrotrain made multiple sensor scan missions just yesterday." The blue F-15 rebuttals.
"I know Thundercracker. I saw the sensor scans yesterday when he got back to base. I even analysed the data with Soundwave." The red jet responds.
" Hey Starscream, do the humans have an airbase or airport somewhere around here?" The black/purple inquires.
"Negative Skywarp. We are too far out in the ocean..." the red's speech gets cut short.
"Contact!" Thundercracker's voice yells out. "Multiple bogeys on my sensors. About 150 miles ahead, and above the clouds." He finishes.
"I confirm TC's contact, I got them as well". Skywarp confirms.
" As do I. We will approach from behind them and stay just beyond their radar range." Starscream orders.
With his two wingmates signaling their confirmation of his order, the trio of F-15s plot an intercept course and activate their afterburners. As the trio approach the contacts' radar range they shut off the afterburners and slow their speeds as too stay out of radar range of their targets. The triad can now see about a dozen aircraft flying in different formations.
"Starscream, I make out a couple of large planes with ten much smaller jets flying around them." The black jet says.
" I confirm Skywarp's scan. Two KC-10 Extenders with ten F-22 Raptors flying in escort." The blue plane adds in detail.
"I agree with both of you. This might the increased air traffic Astrotrain was picking up." The screechy voiced red jet responds.
"Hey guys." Skywarp interrupts. "I'm picking more contacts. Behind and below us."
"I see them too." Thundercracker replies
"Thundercracker, Skywarp. Increase altitude to the stratosphere, we'll be safe from their radars once there." Starscream orders.
The three jets pull up in formation. Near vertical they fly to the stratosphere to avoid being detected. Once there, they level off and scan the new contacts. The three Seekers also scan a much wider area, revieling even more bogeys. A arial armada was forming with every new contact. Curiosity was beckoning for more information.
"Thundercracker, Skywarp. I want more detailed scans of this new development. Both of you drop to lower altitiude and scan them. I want to know EXACTLY what's down there." Starscream orders
"And what of you FLIGHT LEADER?" Thundercracker annoyingly asks
" I shall provide overwatch so that you both don't get ambushed. Now get to it." the red jet replies
"Wow. I feel much better knowing you're looking out for my well being, dear brother." Skywarp sarcastically includes.
Thundercracker chuckles a bit at Skywarp's somewhat misplaced humour.
"Get to work! NOW!" Starscream annoyingly commands.
The blue and black jets turn over and drop their altitudes to scan in detail. At a low enough altitude both F-15s turn back over and spread out get a better sensor reading, staying just outside radar range of their prey. Both jets slow their speeds to let the contacts pass below them. Now that Thundercracker and Skywarp are in position the scan can begin.
"Flight leader Starscream, come in." A digital monotone voice says.
"Starscream here. What is it Soundwave? The red jet asks.
"New marching orders from Megatron: Rendezvous with him and guest at the South American space bridge. ETA: two hours." The monotone voice replies.
"What of our patrol over the Atlantic Ocean?" Strascream inquires.
"No longer priority. Rendezvous with Megatron and guest takes priority." Soundwave responds.
"Fine. We will be there. Anything else?" His patience wearing thin.
"Negative." Soundwave replies and cuts off communication.
The blue and black jets pull up to the stratosphere and get into posision along either side of their now annoyed flight leader.
"What do you scans show?" The flight leader asks.
"Forty aircraft we located and scanned, thats not including the dozen we first detected. Thats makes well over fifty planes in total. All flying in the same direction." The purple F-15 reports.
"What type of planes are they?" Starscream queries.
"New contacts are five KC-10 Extenders, fifteen F-22 Raptors, and twenty F-15 Eagles. They're following our first batch of contacts. All have United States Air Force designations. What are they up too?" The blue jet retorts.
"No time for that now." The screechy voice answers. "Our mission priority has been changed. Our glorious leader and his so-called guest are arriving at the South American space bridge in a couple of hours. We have the pleasure of rolling out the red carpet for them." He sarcasticaly finishes.
"I hope the guest is a cutie." The purple jet cheerfully says.
"Shut...up." Starscream annoyingly replies.
"I'm just saying. Geez...You really need a girlfriend." The silly voiced Skywarp retorts.
The red jet's tempature rises at his brother's misplaced humour. The blue F-15's laughing now clearly audible doesn't help matters. Starscream doesn't like being made fun of, and he can hardly take a joke either. This can make him an easy target for taunting which some Decepticons take advantage of.
"SHUT...UP!" The flight leader yells out.
The other two's laughter drops to a small chuckle and eventually regain their composure. Flight leader Starscream turns west toward the new priority. He is followed by his two brothers who stay firmly by his side. All three brothers, Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp have flown and fought alongside eachother for millions of years. All know eachother's flight style, method of combat, and each weakness. Just a simple look at one's face and the other two know what he's thinking. Even in their F-15 jet mode they know what the other is going to do by simply watching a wing tip, rudder flap, or even a change in speed. They are the perfect trine.
Over the very thick canopy of the rain forest, the trio come to a clearing with a huge metal ring within it. The jets slow their speed and transform into their robot form just before they land. Starscream checks his internal chronometer. Only a couple of minutes until the Decepticon leader and his "guest" arrives. He looks around and sees his brothers walking along the edge of the clearing, scanning for would be onlookers. Starscream looks at the ground for footprints other than his or his brothers'. He sees that no other has walked around this area. His brothers report that other than some local wildlife, nobody else is here.
Their attention is suddenly turned to the huge metal ring with its omminous hum. Over the metal ring, clouds take shape and a vortex appears. Wind and dust spirals around the newly formed vortex and two shadows drop from it. The winds stop, the vortex disappears and the clouds disapate. The gate of the space bridge opens and two massive figures walk out to meet the trio. The first, a tall silver mech with glowing red eyes and a huge fusion cannon attached to his right forearm, Megatron. The second, an equally tall mech, purple coloured body, its left forearm a beam cannon with a wire going around the back, and its face is one gold glowing optic, Shockwave.
"Greetings leader. Care to shed some light on our being here to meet you and...your guest?" The flight leader cynically asks.
"Well Shockwave, looks like I owe you an energon cube." The silver mech looks at his travelling companion.
"What does that mean Megatron!?" Starscream demands
"I bet Shockwave here that you would complain only after we get back to base. I lost obviously." Megatron disapointly explains.
Starscream turns around and grumbles to himself. He feels a hand on his wing and turns his head to see who it belongs too.
"You failed me yet again, Starscream." Megatron says in a soft voice.
"We depart to the undersea base. We have a new strategy." The Decepticon leader bellows.
The Decepticons leap into the air and fly off to their base. The Seekers transform into their F-15 Eagle jet modes and escort the new arrivals.
Looking at one of many monitors before him, Optimus Prime concentrates his attention to events developing in the Middle East. Watching one monitor he sees a news reporter speaking to the camera. She talks about how the nation of Iran, one of earth's many nation states, has fired multiple missiles this morning. The firing was to test Iran's new missile system. It has a much longer range and much better targeting system than its predecessors. This event has highten the already fragile tensions in the region.
Prime turns his attention to some other monitors who are covering the same event. Different news repoters from different news agencies speaking and speculating about this current development and possible scenarios for action.
"How many different ways can you tell the same story?" The Autobot commander exhales.
He rubs a couple of fingers on his nose and hears the sound of aproaching footsteps. He then feels a hand softly touching his shoulder.
"Still talking to yourself?" A soft voice asks.
He places a hand gently on the one resting on his shoulder. "I thought I was alone."
"You're energy levels are very low. You need to rest my love." The female voice claims
"Elita, I have alot of things to do. With the humans at eachothers' throats, humanitarian efforts around the globe, and the ever present Decepticons..." Prime explains but is cut short.
"The world and universe can manage without you for a little while. You need rest..." Elita One pulls at Prime's arm. "...Come on, great leaders need a break too."
Both exit the room and to walk down the corridor. Two familiar mechs come into view.
"Ultra Magnus, Jazz. What do you have for me?" The red mech asks.
"Hi Prime. Magnus and I are here to relieve you for a while." The Porsche responds.
"Who told you to releive...I see." Prime says looking at his mate.
"Prime you need the rest. You've been working above and beyond for days now. Ultra Magnus and I will handle things for ya." The autobot second in command retorts.
Prime nods and gos to the elevator with Elita One at his side. Jazz and Magnus enter the Communications room and begin to analyse all the data coming in. For a few hours both watch the various holographic screens around the room. They log the most pressing situations as priority, other matters that are important but can wait are downloading into the room's various computers.
"Hey Jazz, looks like Decepticon attacks have been on a steady decline for the past few months." Ultra Magnus points out to his comrade.
"Lets see the data Magnus..." Jazz looks and examines. "You're right. Look at this too. Fleet Commander Seaspray along with Broadside report that Decepticon fleet movements have declined in the past year as well."
"Should we inform Prime about this?" Magnus asks.
"I don't think so. Lets wait until we have all the relevant data fully examined. Besides we have alot of other things to analyze too." Jazz answers while looking at all the holographic screens in the room.
In the massive conference hall of the Decepticon undersea base, many voices echo off the walls as almost all the Decepticons in the base are present. When Megatron and his entourage arrived at the base, he wasted no time to call an urgent meeting. All decepticons who are not currently working in the most crucial of base operations is to be present. On the well lighted stage, Megatron stands at the center. He raises his arms and the massed crowd hushes.
"Fellow Decepticons. Many of you may be wondering why I have been on Cybertron for the past month. I'm sure you're even wondering why we have declined our attacks on earth targets in the past several months. The truth is...I have been in counsel with Shockwave inorder to view our current situation here on earth. One thing is for certain, our current strategy and operations here on earth have lead to many failures. We have been formulating new scenarios with all possible outcomes. I'm pleased to announce that we have FOUND our new strategy. I will let Shockwave explain the details."
Megatron gestures to the figure standing in the shadows of the stage. The shadowy figure steps foward into the bright light of the center stage. Shockwave raises his hand with a small device cupped in it. He clicks the device three times and three massive holographic screens appear in front of the back wall of the conference hall.
"Our operations here on earth have failed because we are fighting two enemies virtually at the same time, and we have no clear strategic goals. Many operations have been centered on gathering energon from human facilities by means of brute force, which creates massive attention. Attention that the Autobots see and quickly counter alongside their human allies. This leaves us with much less energon gathered, and another raid must be hastly carried out. A raid that is full of operational flaws and leads to failure." The one eyed mech announces.
A voice from the crowd asks. "Then what are we to do? How do we get our energon?"
Shockwave answers: "Our raids must be carried out with subtlety. No more, as the humans call it smash and grab operations. We find isolated energy sources and use those to make the energon we need. If we must get our energon from sources close to prying eyes, then we must be careful to avoid contact. If we are seen, we are to leave with what ever energon we have gathered. Protracted combat increases the loss of energon cubes by enemy fire. This must be avoided. Subtle is now the new mantra to gather energon."
Shockwave's speech is met with grumbling from the crowd, many thinking this is a sign of cowardice.
The combaticon Brawl stands up and points at the purple mech. "Subltety? So we are to move like human mice now? Avoid battle when our foes appear? If we do as you say, we will be showing cowardice in the face of the enemy. We will be laughed at!"
Many in the crowd voice out their support of Brawl's rebuttal. Some even going as far to accuse Shockwave of being a coward. The heckling gets to a point where the huge silver mech walks to the edge of the stage.
"SILENCE!..." Megatron yells out to the crowd. "All of you SHUT UP! Shockwave and I have been all over new tactics and strategies for the past month, running countless simulations, and comparing them to our current tactics...which are a complete failure. Many of you have been calling for new tactics for years. And now that we have them, you reject it outright..." he suddenly gets cut off.
"HA HA HA..." Starscream laughs out loud. "...You actually expect us to believe that being subtle and quiet, and runnig away will win us this war? HA HA...this must be the stupidest..." the red Seeker yelps as a sharp burning feeling suddenly impacts his chest, and he lands hard several meters from his seat. Thundercracker goes to his fallen brother. He kneels down and gently holds Stascream's head with one hand and covers the hole in his chest with the other.
Lowering his fusion cannon, its barrel smoking from the shot, Megatron looks at the now hushed audience. "Anyone else want to express their knowledege of strategy? Well...anyone? Good!" He looks at the purple mech who is completely unphased from the incident. "Continue."
"Yes Lord Megatron." Shockwave complies. "As I have said before. We are fighting two enemies at once during our battles here on earth. The Autobots and their human allies. The Autobots can count on the human militaries to boost their operations against us. We eventually find ourselves outnumbered and out-gunned..." He points to the three holographic screens which show various locations on earth, graphs, statistics, pictures of military vehicles, bases, and other relevant information."...We must eleminate the human factor from our future operations. With the humans no longer available to effectively support the Autobots, victory for us on earth is greatly increased. The Autobots also have another crucial benefit from the humans: They receive a great number of energy sources which they turn into energon. With that source of free energy halted or even greatly reduced, the Autobots' energon reserves would run out and be very difficult to replenish. They will have to cut their various operations on earth, which the humans would view negatively. The humans' support for the Autobots would fall, and the Autobots would become more alienated. With no more support from the human militaries, sources of energy cut off, and moral support almost non-existent, the Autobots will be on their own. Now we can strike them directly without any interference." Shockwave finaly finishes.
"How do we eleminate the so called human factor?" A cautious voice asks.
"We have the humans fight themselves." The purple mech responds and continues. "With the current tensions between various nation states, their faultering economies, civilian apathy toward their governments, racial tensions, world food shortages, natural disasters, and vastly diferent cultural and religious views, the humans can be swayed to fight eachother. Lord Megatron and I know where to start." The single eyed Decepticon says.
Megatron steps forward to the edge of the stage. " Astrotrain, Skywarp, Thundercracker, Mixmaster! Meet Shockwave and I in the breifing room immediately!...We begin our new strategy NOW!"
Both mechs on the stage leave through the nearest door. As they exit, the crowd file out together. Thundercracker carrying his unconcious brother in his arms leaves the conference hall, but is stopped by the Constructicon Hook.
"Hey TC. I'll take him to the infirmary for ya." He says putting his arms forward.
"Oh...yeah. Here ya go. Take care of him ok?" The soft voiced Seeker replies.
"Don't worry TC. I've fixed him enough to know what to do. He'll be good as new when you get back from our leader's mission. Good luck." The Decepticon surgeon says holding the red jet in his arms.
Thundercracker feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see it belongs to his brother Skywarp who then takes his hand off. Both walk to the breifing room, wondering what the future has.