All Beast Wars characters are property of Hasbro, Mainframe and Alliance, but all others belong to me, the author.
Transitions
It has been two months since Specter joined the Maximals, and one month since Rogue was added to their ranks. Both of the new recruits have shown that they can be counted upon to help around the Axalon despite the doubts that Dinobot had made public to the rest of the Maximals. These doubts decreased somewhat when Dinobot went to stop the Predacons from killing the protohumans in the valley. Dinobot was ready to face the Predacons by himself when Specter and Rogue intervened, and with their help, Dinobot managed to stop the Predacons without the loss of anyone's life. Since that day. Dinobot seemed to accept their presence on the Axalon, though he occasionally made some quips here and there. The routines on the Axalon were normal after this, but change was in the wind, as they were soon to find out.
The excitement of the Maximals was apparent to anyone, due to the fact that the transwarp explosion would be detected by Cybertron soon. This would no doubt this would result in ships being sent to pick the Maximals up, and that it would put a stop to Megatron's plans and perhaps those of Blade's as well. The only two who did not seem to share in the excitement were Dinobot and Silverbolt, for different reasons. Specter and Rogue noticed these events as they were going to their assigned patrol duty.
Cheetor: Hey, did you hear the good news?
Specter: Of course, but I do not think we should be putting our guard down just yet. That is why I am going on my patrol.
Optimus: You both may go, but be careful; Megtron will no doubt try to pull something before Cybertron's ships arrive here.
Specter and Rogue nod in agreement.
Rattrap: Sheesh, those guys are nothing but work! I haven't seen them relax since they joined us.
Dinobot: That is because they are not a lazy good-for-nothing such as yourself, rodent.
Rogue and Specter did not hear Rattrap's comment to this, since by now they were down the lift and out on their assigned patrol. The patrol was uneventful and all seemed well, until a short time later they heard explosions coming from the direction of the Axalon. They hurried there and arrived just in time to see the Predacons retreat while black ship decloaked
Rogue: Looks like it is over.
Specter: Perhaps, but we should see what happens next before we can know for certain.
Specter and Rogue head for the Axalon. When they enter it, they see a transformer with an alt mode of a panther that they had not seen before.
Optimus: Oh good, you're just in time. This is Ravage, a representative of the Predacon Council. He is here to help us capture Megatron and help us get back to Cybertron. I already explained to him the situation we are facing here.
Specter: That is good. So what is the plan?
As Specter said this, he noticed the Decepticon insignia on Ravage's shoulder and knew that this Ravage was the same one that had fought against the Autobots. He thought to himself that Ravage could not be trusted, so he should be wary.
Later that day, the Maximals and Ravage went over the plan to capture Megatron and his Predacons. It was decided that Specter, Rogue, Anolis, and Dinobot-- despite his complaints-- would stay to guard the base while the others went. Time passed uneventfully for the four as they kept watch over the Axalon and the territory around it. This changed when the other Maximals, along with Ravage, came back with a captured Megatron. Once Megatron was safely put behind bars, it was then decided that the Maximals should go out and capture the wayward Predacons. Everyone got an assigned Predacon to capture, including Specter, who was told to go after Raven. He was in the process of leaving the Axalon when an alarm went off. He ran to the source of it to find that part of the Axalon hull had been blasted out, and near it was Optimus and Rattrap.
Specter: What happened!
Rattrap: Nothing much… just that the bird-dog has gone wacko!
Specter knew then that Silverbolt had decided to go after Blackarachnia himself. As Specter was thinking this, a faint moan was heard.
Cheetor: Ooh….
Optimus: Are you alright, Cheetor?
Cheetor: I will be in a nano-klick….
Optimus' comlink suddenly came to life as it signaled an incoming message.
Ravage: Optimus, I need your assistance in acquiring some energon for the trip back to Cybertron.
Optimus: I'm sorry, but I do not know where we can find a stable source.
Ravage: Do not worry, I already know where one can be found. Here are the coordinates…
Optimus took note of the coordinates indicated by Ravage.
Optimus: Very well, we will go and get it. Cheetor, you are with me.
Cheetor: What about Blackarachnia?
Optimus: We'll let Silverbolt handle her.
Cheetor regrettably complies and follows Optimus out. At this moment, Specter goes on his assigned mission, leaving Rattrap alone. Specter searched, but was having no luck in finding Raven. Nonetheless, he was determined to continue the search. A short while later, however, his comlink went off.
Rogue: We have a situation back at the Axalon!
Specter: And what is that?
Rogue: Ravage has switched sides, just as you thought he would!
Specter: I am on my way to help!
He hurried back to the Axalon, and arrived just in time to see Rattrap in vehicle mode fly out of the roof of the Axalon and land on top of Ravage's ship. Specter hurried to the Axalon and entered it. Inside the Axalon, he rushed past Rhinox.
Rhinox: Where are you going?
Specter: To get something that might be of use…
Specter went to his quarters and got the rifle that Rogue had given him. He exited his quarters and went to the nearby roof access hatch and climbed to the top. When he came out, he saw that there was now a missile pointing directly to the Axalon from the top of Ravage's ship. An explosion soon erupted from the back of the ship and made its way to the front. The explosion, instead of preventing the launch of the missile, jarred it loose, causing it to launch forward towards the Axalon. Specter thought quickly and fired his rifle. His target was not the missile itself, but the guidance fins of the missile. His aiming was dead-on, and he shot them off. This caused the missile to careen out of control. He had stopped the missile from hitting the Axalon, but unfortunately, the missile crashed nearby. The following explosion was tremendous, and caused the earth around the Axalon to shake until the fragile earthen bridge beneath it fell apart, causing the forward section of the Axalon to break off from the back. Specter was thrown backwards and fell down the access hatch, but as he tried to move he saw a support beam fall towards him, and then darkness.
Meanwhile, the Maximals had seen the Axalon split in two, but were forced to chase after Megatron, who was heading not towards the Predacon base, but somewhere else. It is said that time waits for no one. This was true especially for Specter, due to crucial events taking place despite his absence. Megatron managed to succede in entering the Ark and shooting Optimus Prime in the head in an attempt to change the timeline. This plan was, in the end, stopped by a treacherous Blackarachnia, and the Maximals managing to repair Optimus Prime, thus preserving history. After accomplishing this, it was decided to move into the volcano to better protect the Ark, and also due to the destruction of the Axalon. It was at this time that the Maximals discovered Specter's absence.
Cheetor: Does anybody know where Specter is?
Rhinox: I saw him before the Axalon was destroyed, but I do not know where he is now.
Rattrap: And for that matter, where is his buddy Rogue?
Rogue: I am here… and I see Optimus has gone through a change.
Dinobot: That is not important. Where have you been hiding?
Rogue: I was not hiding. I was retrieving some things that Specter had stolen before he left Blade's ship, just in case they were needed for a situation like this.
When they looked behind Rogue, they saw boxes of supplies, just as Rogue had said. Inside the containers they found weapons, ammo, energy cells, tools, and other supplies that they would surely need.
Rogue: He told me he kept these things hidden and was planning to use them only in a situation that required him or anyone else abandoning the Axalon. And, seeing how things are, I am glad he thought of it.
Optimus: Do you know where he is now?
Rogue: No, but the last communication I had with him was from…..the Axalon.
Cheetor: Maybe he was not there.
Optimus: We should have heard something by now if that was the case.
Dinobot: We should perform a search for him, then!
Optimus agreed, and so the Maximals searched, but they could not find any trace of the whereabouts of Specter. In the end, there was no choice but to consider him MIA. But this was their least of their worries, as they would later discover…