Combine and Conquer 35 of 52

by Echowarrior

Galvatron has been on the defensive long enough - it's time he evened the odds. Can Optimus Prime and the Autobots stop his daring attempt to replenish his troops and supplies?

Combine and Conquer

A Transformers: Armada Story

By William Rendfeld

The door slid open, the sound echoing through the stiff air aboard the ship. He entered slowly, allowing the door to close behind him. "You summoned me, Lord Galvatron?"

"I did." The Decepticon warlord sat before him upon his revolving chair, his fingers steepled before his face. He span the chair about to face his lieutenant. "We have a problem Thrust."

The tactician remained silent.

"I have been in...occasional contact with our remaining allies on Cybertron. Terrablast is heavily damaged, held for now within an Autobot medical facility. The remainders of her forces are incarcerated; only Tankor and Obsidian remain free." He leaned forward. "I'm also told that our enemies have another advantage over us – the Combaticons have learned a new trick."

"Barricade's unit?" The green and grey jet stared at his leader in astonishment. "Of what sort?"

"A five-part Powerlink." The warlord's optics narrowed as he leaned back. "And the Autobots and Starscream are most likely attempting to replicate this success. These bits of news, added to what Terrorsaur has kindly told us, make for a rather grim picture." The piercing crimson gaze locked onto its target. "You are the tactician. Extrapolate."

Processors fired – calculations and scenarios played out in the strategy portion of Thrust's CPU like crystals branching out from the main stem, equations fluctuating the variables in numerous ways with the available data. "They have the advantage. The Autobots have troops, manpower, and equipment, not to mention Starscream having managed to gain allies from our numbers. Should we ever return home, they will be ready for us. I'm sorry my lord...but I fear the conquest of Cybertron is no longer possible." He went still as a statue, fearing his leader's wrath at those words.

"Then perhaps it is time we shifted our priorities."

Thrust barely exhaled in relief and surprise, although mentally grateful at the lack of punishment. "The Artifacts of Primus? I thought you didn't believe in his existence."

"I don't," he replied sharply. "However, all myths are based in fact...and we have evidence that, whatever the origins of these artifacts, they do indeed possess unusual powers. More power than an army of Mini-Cons could bless us with...perhaps enough to reshape reality itself. They are our concern."

"But the Autobots already have four of them," the F-35 pointed out cautiously, "and the other three are lost, and we lack the resources to find them."

"Precisely." He leaned forward, his face emerging from shadow. "Tell me Thrust…how long has it been since you have seen Vector Sigma?"

---

"New transmission from Atlantis boss-bot." Scattorshot's voice came in over the inter-Autobot frequency. "Last hop was a success; Evac says they should be in Cybertron orbit in the next twelve cycles."

"Excellent. Let me know when they arrive." The line clicked out and Optimus turned contentedly to his guests. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll be glad to see that ship safely docked at Aegis."

"Not to mention that Key reunited with this," Jazz spoke up, holding the Omega Lock with a firm and respectful grip. "Don't get why the Keys and Lock were all kept separate before if they were so important together."

"The explanation is actually quite simple." The special ops agent passed the artifact along to Vector Prime, who held it with equal reverence. "Combined together, the Omega Lock and the four Keys generate a great deal of power, enough to catch the attention of anyone. So long as they remained separate, Primus maintained a level of stealth from Unicron."

"Then why are we adding the Key from Earth to the thing?" Jetfire casually leaned against one wall, his arms folded in front of him. "If those things can lead Unicron right to us, why bother giving him something bigger to home in on?"

"Unicron managed to locate Primus once, and stellar drift has not changed our placement in the universe by that much – he has a general idea of where to look." He shifted the device to one hand before facing the Autobot air commander. "Also, recall on Earth that a reaction was created when this was brought into proximity with the Matrix and the ChronoSaber. The seven artifacts are connected, and the beacon system works both ways. When the Key of Wisdom is added, a similar reaction will take place, and we will have a firmer idea of where to locate the three remaining Artifacts."

"Which is important, given that we have no clue where to look for the last one." Starscream entered quietly as the door slid shut behind him. "Sorry I didn't knock. Just came to inform you we've gotten a lead concerning Galvatron's whereabouts." He produced a small disk. "A listener recognized a voice on a radio show broadcast a deca-cycle ago. Have a listen."

He tossed the disk to Optimus, who quietly slipped it into the console on his desk. It started playing, and a pair of voices echoed out of the speakers.

"Welcome to the program!"

"Thanks...first time caller. First time listener, in fact."

"Tidal Wave," Jazz realized. "Or Mirage, whatever he calls himself now."

"Origin point for the transmission was near the Duke system, and the signal matches the Nemesis IDC." The Decepticon leader gave a frustrated and disappointed sigh. "I sent out a ship, but the Nemesis had already moved on by the time they arrived. What little trail was left was too weak to follow, and I don't see Galvatron allowing another call like this."

The younger Prime nodded. "Still, this is something. We can at least keep our optics open."

"That reminds me – thanks to Terrorsaur joining up with him again, Galvatron knows about us and the Artifacts." Jetfire straightened from the wall. "What's stopping him from chasing after them?"

An uncomfortable silence before Vector Prime admitted, "Absolutely nothing."

---

"'Adrift in a sea of stars, we three remain lost, our diodes show scars, from our past cost...'" The brown and purple Mini-Con shook his wide head. "That's terrible, less than bilge...I can do better."

"Don't get why you bother with the poetry, Oceanglide." His teammate Stormcloud lay reclining nearby, a mug of spiced Energon rum in one hand. "Not like many will be hearing it."

"The poet's first audience is himself, not the masses." The small Cybertronian looked out a window and took in the distant stars. "Aside from that, it provides a distraction to these doldrums. We've done nothing of serious import since leaving Earth, and I need something to reflect on other than our collective boredom."

"I be more int'rested in endin' the boredom, Cap'n." Their third teammate pounded a fist into one hand, casting an angered look over the empty rocket launcher on his right arm. "We be feared warriors the galaxy ov'r; why ain't we pillagin'?"

"The three of you aren't the only ones asking that question." They looked up to find their Decepticon partner standing over them, his own Mini-Con perched upon his shoulder like a gaudily-colored parrot. "Me, I blame our fleshy friend. Ever since he delivered his news to Galvatron, we've done little but hold anchor. I'm starting to think he wasn't worth bringing back with us."

His gaze briefly turned to the object of his dislike – Terrorsaur, the tech-org warrior who he'd risked life and limb for just to bring back to Galvatron. The lime green Transformer sat in one corner, smiling smugly as he looked out the windows before them and basically ignoring them.

"We could always scrap him right now," Ramjet suggested with a cruel look in his optics.

"Aye, that'd not be borin'." Waterlog began to share the puce jet's enthusiasm.

Mirage briefly entertained the idea, but shook his head after a few kliks of thought. "Not worth it. Besides, if we get lucky, Galvatron might just scrag him for us."

A loud chime sounded off around them, and the voice of their leader boomed over their internal radios. "All troops to the command deck immediately."

---

Breakaway stood in awe as his grey visor swept over the Iacon skyline before turning to his siblings. "So much beauty...I'd all but forgotten, as it had been so long. Thank you, for bringing me home."

A friendly hand found itself on the ruby jet's shoulder. "It was our pleasure brother, nothing less. I only wish your homecoming was under better circumstances, given how we found you."

"I feel better having simply found him." Landquake leaned against the nearby wall, keeping his distance from the railing of the balcony. "Our quest has one less hurdle to climb."

A low sound not unlike engine fire caught their attention and the trio turned to their fourth. Overcast looked over each of them thoughtfully. "Maybe it's just the whole outsider thing, me not being one of the chosen and all, but have any of you noticed a trend here?" At the lack of answers and slight looks of confusion, he decided to elaborate. "Skyfall set off looking for answers from Velocitron. Landquake was here, doing the same. And Breakaway was on Earth, in stasis. I know this is a slagging huge leap of faith here, but is anyone else noticing a pattern?"

"One on a colony world, one on the homeworld, and one where one of the four ships visited." The lone Decepticon among them reflected on that thought. "You think the others may be elsewhere?"

"There is a strong chance." The blue jet leaned upon the railing thoughtfully. "We went to Nebulos in the first place because I suspected a lead. If it hadn't been for the attack there, we may well have found one of the others."

"However, Nebulos was destroyed...and there weren't many survivors." Landquake shook his head mournfully. "If one of us was there, he could very well be dead."

The aerospace fighter shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. The Flash Frenzy was the only ship that got out that we know about. Someone else might've gotten lucky for all we know." He thoughtfully looked at Skyfall. "Besides, that still leaves us one colony world to check on."

A smile grew across the archivist's face. "Once the Energon recovered from Earth is removed from my ship, we'll start anew." He tilted his head. "Assuming everyone is willing to try once more?"

The ruby tank studied Skyfall carefully. "I'd feel safer getting input from Vector Prime, though I doubt he would be of much help right now. He's too occupied with the quest for the Keys, and he wasn't eager to help us before. Still, he may know something."

Breakaway stared at the skyline of his home wistfully. "To find home again only to depart once more. My own task is already complete. I'm with you."

---

"This had better be important." Thunderblast frowned as she glided down the dimly-lit hallway. "Or at least something that isn't a complete waste of our time."

Mirage silently agreed as he followed the femme into the command deck, several of their comrades already at stations. As they took up their places, Galvatron faced them upon his chair. "Perfect timing. We are about to begin our latest operation, my troops."

"It's about slagging time!" came a cry from near Mirage's feet. He looked down briefly to see Fetch tense eagerly. "What's the plan boss?"

"A homecoming that will be far more successful than our last." Their leader leaned back. "As all of you are aware by now, the Autobots have managed to apprehend many of our allies, as well as gain several advantages over us. This of course will not do, no." A loud beep issued from the navigation console. "Now it is time we evened the playing field."

"Ship coming in," Slugslinger reported.

On the forward viewer appeared a large rust-brown vessel, its shape immediately bringing to mind a massive squid and its allegiance marked by the Decepticon symbol laid upon a set of crossed struts. Just as the ship appeared upon the screen, another image replaced it.

"Hail Lord Galvatron!" chorused a pair of Decepticons, one massive and blocky with silver and black armor, the other techno-organic with a toothy mouth and narrow yellow optics.

Pleased by the warm reception, Galvatron smiled. "Overbite, Blastcharge, welcome back to the fold. I trust your commander has been dealt with?"

Overbite gave a toothy sneer. "The 'Dread Pirate Cannonball' isn't quite as dreadful as he looks. No need to worry about him."

"Excellent. Make ready to take on passengers." His newly-restored subordinates saluted before cutting connection. "Mirage, prepare a team. It is long since time that we returned home...yes."

---

Light from the midday sun shown down onto the Brasta dockyards, illuminating the gathered workers as they checked over numerous manifests, unloaded cargo, ran safety checks – several of the many activities that kept the world running. As he oversaw several of his fellow dock workers unloading massive freight containers from a recent arrival, Longarm smiled. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

His black, blue and silver Decepticon associate gave a disinterested huff. "Don't see how you can enjoy this. Not like it's gonna matter much in the end."

The black and white Autobot shrugged, ruby optics leveled cheerfully at his coworker. "We're doing an honest cycle's work Dropkick. We're helping people. I don't know about you, but to me, that counts for a lot."

Another disinterested grunt. "We don't even know what's in these things, or what they're for."

"And that isn't part of the job, just getting them off this ship and off to wherever they're going back home." The tow truck smirked. "Of course, you'd probably prefer to watch 'em explode."

The dour Decepticon's expression lightened significantly. "That would be fun."

Suddenly, an explosion tore through the air, prompting the two to drop to the ground. They looked up as further explosions occurred around them, their fellow dockworkers immediately ducking to safety in a shaky but practiced manner.

An ecstatic grin spread across Dropkick's faceplate, optics wide and eager. "Oh yeah, this is more like it!"

Ignoring his coworker's love of chaotic explosions, Longarm instinctively transformed to his alt-mode and charged into the shipyards. Dropkick followed as the Autobot started broadcasting on the emergency channel. "To port authorities, alert! Attack by unknown assailants at Port Brasta Alpha, requesting assistance!"

"So who do you think it is? Galvatron? The Eclipse Team? Maybe pirates?"

The Autobot nearly blanched at the purple and grey pickup's almost reverential sounding off of Cybertron's most wanted. "I really don't want to find ou-yeow!"

The tow truck skidded to a halt as an Energon-based boomerang flew past him, spinning madly as it swerved about in the air. He transformed and whipped out his quagma cannon, his optics following the projectile's path back to its source.

Standing atop a nearby crane was an angular Decepticon with deep blue armor, one of his claw-like hands deftly catching the boomerang with practiced ease. The warrior gazed down at the two of them like the eyes of a falcon surveying its prey.

Dropkick transformed and looked up upon the assailant in awe. "Shadowhawk!" he yelled in recognition. "It's the Terrorcons!"

Longarm took little note of the name as he opened fire, massive blasts of fiery orange energy being launched against their attacker. His target nimbly jumped from the crane and dodged, transforming into a metallic bird of prey as he swept down towards them. The Autobot's sensors could barely track him – stealth armor, Longarm figured. He hoped to the Allspark this was the only one.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

A startled cry from Dropkick prompted Longarm to divert his attention elsewhere just as a metal jaguar pounced upon the pickup, a maroon and grey dinosaur-like mech accompanying him. The feline floored the Decepticon and tore at his chest with his serrated jaws, while the dinosaur slashed a deep gash into the Autobot's upper body with a massive Energon sword. That sent both mechs into stasis.

"Perfect." Shadowhawk circled low before landing beside his two comrades. "Well done Doom-Lock. This prey has been excellently subdued."

"My pleasure," the saurian hissed. He dug the tip of his blade into Longarm's chest, toying with the larger mech but not cutting too deep. "Shall I gut him?"

"We've not the time," came the falcon's answer as he activated his communicator. "Chromehorn, report."

"I've retrieved one of the canisters from the ship – twenty deca-leades of liquid Energon, more than enough for our needs."

"Good. Prep extraction." He closed the line and surveyed the feline imperiously. "Battle Ravage, drop that. You've no idea where that filth's been."

The last of the trio growled in displeasure but obliged, dropping a shattered bit of chewed chestplate from his maw.

"Come!" Shadowhawk cawed, returning to his beast mode as Doom-Lock did likewise. Before them came a massive cargo hauler, an emerald green Decepticon at the controls. "We've an appointment to keep."

---

Demolishor wasn't what one would call a complicated mech. He operated based on respect, preferring to stick with those that he admired. That was why he had joined up with Megatron back in the old days before the Second War and stayed with him even after it ended. That he was fighting fellow Decepticons back in the old days wasn't a problem to him – most of them could defend themselves easy enough. That he was fighting on a side that was enslaving Mini-Cons seemed unlikely – many joined them willingly after all, who was to say that the use of that particular word was little more than propaganda? All the way until the Earth War, as they were starting to call the current conflict, he was with Megatron through and through.

That was until Megatron struck another world just to get at the Mini-Cons. Fighting another Transformer was no problem, but fighting a race of beings much smaller than you, not all of them trained in combat, much less unable to defend themselves...that never sat well with him. When Starscream came to him with the offer of a place at the Seeker's side – and after being egged on by his conversations with Blackout and the Land Military Team – he found himself on the opposite side of the war that had defined his life. However, it wasn't until Megatron shot him head-on and nearly killed him with little or no remorse that Demolishor knew which side he was properly on. But despite his odd doubts, he had no regrets.

"Something bothering you?" came a slightly annoyed drawl.

That was one of his odd doubts.

It had been the one major setback of Starscream's efforts against Megatron on Earth – the recovery of the Eclipse Team after being lost for millions of meta-cycles. Even then, there was a slight victory – Sharkticon had opted to side with Starscream. While they were under the same banner, Demolishor still felt uneasy around the unrepentant warrior.

"Sorry," he finally answered. "Just thinking."

Sharkticon shook his head, chuckling softly. "About how you don't quite trust me?" At the dump truck's sudden blanched expression, the aquatic fighter held up an empty hand. "Don't worry that fancy new chassis of yours. Not a thing's going to make me go back to Megatron, especially after that fight on Earth. Like it or not, I'm stuck with you guys."

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't keep an optic on you." Demolishor's Mini-Con partner piped up. "You can't say you don't miss your old teammates. Heck, the only reason you're doing your little errands for Screamer's because there's no chance you'll have to fight your old buddies."

Emerald optics locked on Blackout's silver optic bar. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not suicidal. Even without me, the Eclipse Team's a force to be reckoned with. We were the best, period. Only reason Crosswise got us was because he got lucky."

The orange and flax Mini-Con grunted. "Sounds like you miss them."

The shark declined to answer.

Blackout crossed his arms, unimpressed, and turned to the blue and white Mini-Con beside him. "Can you believe he'd miss being around those old scows?"

Crumplezone hesitated. "Actually, I can." The diminutive tank fidgeted at his friend's shock. "Believe it or not, I sort of miss being with Cyclonus. I don't miss the combat or his cackling or the violence...but I do miss the thrill of it all."

The diminutive radar truck simply shook his head. "You are one fracked up little mech."

"Whoa, break it up." Demolishor leaned down as the four continued along towards the entrance to a somewhat squat-looking cylindrical tower, the occasional steam and smoke billowing forth into the air above them. "He's entitled to his opinions Blackout, same as you. Besides, show a little respect...we're almost there."

"There" was one of several facilities scattered across the planet that bore the collective nickname of "The Forge". Constructed long ago by the Quintessons, these places – under them – were the construction sites for the nonliving robots they built as labor and defensive units for their massive economic empire, many of whom once granted life fought against them as the first of many Autobots, Decepticons and Mini-Cons. Today they served a great deal the same purpose, but constructed much fewer units. Transformers were no longer slaves and as a result, the Forge facilities had gone from being factories for slave labor to workshops for the construction of new Cybertronians, no matter what faction was ultimately chosen for them. Mini-Con construction had halted, due mostly to their exodus, but potential new Autobots and Decepticons were being constructed even now.

"Why do you think Starscream wanted us to come here?" Demolishor posed as they arrived at its primary entrance.

"Like your little friend said, an errand." An interface-jack emerged from Sharkticon's right forefinger before he slid it into a nearby computer console, unlocking the front door of the facility. "Starscream's got some kind of project going on here. All hush-hush, so no firm idea of what it is."

"What about vague ideas?" Blackout quipped, his tone now more concerned than argumentative.

"Something he doesn't want too many people to know about, ally or enemy." The door slid open just as Sharkticon withdrew his jack and the quartet entered. As they looked about, shock immediately registered on the younger mechs' faces and the older Decepticon grimaced. "Looks like security could've been a lot better."

Within the large facility were a number of machines, presses and assembly lines for specific parts. Numerous extras, either warped by accident, broken in assembly or unneeded were strewn around as if someone had carelessly tossed them aside. Several of the crafts-mechs lay on the ground, their bodies shattered and still twitching with the occasional spark of electricity.

The veteran growled as Demolishor and the Mini-Cons went to check for survivors. "Slag it." He activated his communicator. "Starscream, this is Sharkticon. Whatever you had going on here in the Forge, someone's found out about it." He gave a quick peek at an open workspace and five construction tables with no bodies under construction. "And I think they've made off with your toys."

---

A growl sounded off from the lower levels of Cybertron as a lone sentry kept watch. Steely optics watched over every corner of the tunnel, infrared scanners on their highest setting. Hands balled into impatient fists, yellow Energon-based talons jutting from them like dangerous barbs. As he kept watch, Dinobot knew one thing – he was not happy.

"You find something disagreeable?"

The Terrorcon snarled. "I find this situation disagreeable, Commander. We skulk in the shadows like Autobot vermin rather than strike like warriors. We should be out in the field, same as our brethren."

Command Ravage frowned at his subordinate. "Your concerns are duly noted, but unnecessary. We've more important tasks than going into battle, Dinobot. Do not worry; we shall see action soon enough."

With a quick look about, the raptor saw little reason to take his commander's word. Sitting in one corner of their little hideaway was his near double, Cruellock, sharpening his own Energon blade with an improvised diamond plate. Meanwhile, Insecticon tinkered with an odd device, stubby fingers working away at his toy with glee. The only other gathered Terrorcon keeping watch was Divebomb, who showed as much anxiety as Dinobot did. The warrior couldn't help but suspect it was for reasons aside from simply being idle – fliers never enjoyed being in an enclosed space for very long.

Almost as if answering Dinobot's thoughts, the loud sounds of several vehicles echoed throughout the tunnel. The present Terrorcons took quick notice and turned in unison, weapons at the ready. From the darkness approached a pair of vehicles – a massive tank with an impressive cannon mounted atop it, and a dark blue twin-rotor helicopter. Both transformed as they arrived, and surveyed the group imperiously.

"The famed Terrorcons." Tankor's sight swept over them. "I see that you more than earn your reputations for punctuality and preparedness. What of your comrades?"

"We've heard nothing from Shadowhawk and the others." The blue and gold Terrorcon commander narrowed his gaze. "Rest assured, they will be successful."

"What about you two?" Cruellock asked as he casually toyed with his blade. "You get what the big mech wanted?"

Obsidian produced a remote and pressed it with one razor-thin digit. Five more vehicles then rolled into view, each modeled after a Terran construction vehicle – two cranes, two bulldozers, and a massive power shovel. A different button had the five transform into robotic forms, their optics barren and lifeless.

"The one thing that we have had in short supply for ages," the aerial strategist elaborated. "New recruits."

Insecticon stepped forward and inspected the inappropriately procured mechs. "Hmm. No Sparks. These five are little more than drones. Curious construction in places..."

"A small secret, one with a great deal of potential if properly utilized." Obsidian triggered the mechs' return to vehicle mode. "The five of you are to reunite with your brethren; they should be approaching their departure point within the next cycle. We will continue ahead with our cargo."

The Terrorcon commander nodded before transforming to his bestial form, followed by his underlings. With a quick order, the five moved into a side tunnel and made their way through the network, their two superiors departing.

"The sooner we get to the Space Bridge Hub the better," Divebomb squawked indignantly. "Once we get to Brasta...clear skies. And what do you guys bet me the Autobots are gonna have someone chasing after the others?"

"Your rivalry with the Autobot bombardier isn't our concern." Command Ravage's optics peered into the darkness ahead. "We've other purposes. Should we run into trouble, then we shall do as we always have done – unleash terror upon them."

"And that's always fun," came the jade raptor's gleeful chortle.

Dinobot kept quiet as they moved forward. There were times when he wondered why he remained with this unit...

---

The Autobot leader's optics dimmed in sorrow as he surveyed the carnage before him. The injured laid about, being tended to by medics or moved for proper treatment elsewhere while the Security Forces sorted through the wreckage, looking for more survivors. "Status."

"Despite how it looks, this isn't as bad as we first thought." Checkpoint assessed the area with the same expression as his commander, but was less taken aback by the carnage before him. "The good news is casualties are light and no one's dead. The worst cases we've found are being tended to by the medics right now. Bad news is...this was the only area hit. Just this dock was attacked and just this ship had cargo stolen."

"And it doesn't take Nightbeat to figure out why." Overcast landed beside the two. "Transfer point."

"The liquid Energon from Earth." Optimus's processors immediately began firing, connecting the dots and drawing up conclusions. "Someone knew we'd be shipping it to Cybertron from here."

"And the only group that'd try would be Megatron's forces." The Security Commander crossed his arms in thought. "The only ones left on Cybertron outside of our custody are Tankor and Obsidian. They'd be able to crack the system easy enough, figure out where this stuff would be and where it'd go. But no way would they be able to get here without someone noticing." He grew downcast. "Which means either I've been lax again..."

"...or they had help." The four glanced over to find Grimlock tossing away a bit of wreckage with Slapper's help. A massive claw mark was prominent where it landed, one that wasn't the Dinobot commander's handiwork. "No way tank or chopper put claw mark in solid tritanium."

"That, I won't contest." Optimus walked to the temporary med-bay nearby. "How are they?"

Resting unconscious atop two makeshift diagnostic tables were Dropkick and Longarm, given that they had been attacked directly with the most serious injuries on the list. Arrayed around the pair were several monitors and medical equipment, the soft glow from their readouts washing over the two mechs. Ratchet and Minerva tended to one each, whereas the Emergency Team provided support by directing those with at least basic medical skills on the lesser wounded.

"Good news is that they'll live." The red and grey SUV shook his head ruefully. "Bad is they're too banged up to risk bringing them around. We'll need to get them to a CR chamber before you can find out anything from either of them."

"And whoever did this will be long gone before their repair cycle is finished." What sounded like a growl escaped from the ivory Autobot's synthesizer. "I've had security stepped up here and on Aegis, but I'd rather we know what blips we're looking for before we shoot them out of the sky."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury." After making a note to keep Magnus apprised of the situation, Prime tilted his head at Ratchet. "Do what you can for–"

"Optimus Prime...if I may." Those gathered turned as the newest among them stepped forward, a small barrel held protectively under each arm. As he surveyed the injured, Breakaway nodded as if to himself. "I believe I can help."

"How?" Minerva asked with curious optics on the ruby and cobalt mech. "Unless those barrels have medical tools we haven't seen yet, I don't see how they can help."

"These barrels contain no medical devices, merely the thing we need most to maintain ourselves: Energon." He tilted his head respectfully to the femme. "Like Skyfall and Landquake, I can manipulate Energon. But where they use it to create powerful force fields and to channel it for weaponry, I can use it to heal others as well as myself of the most grievous injuries. I see no reason not to do so here."

An optic ridge raised, Optimus looked over to the medics for their opinion. Ratchet remained silent, but seemed cautious. Minerva was another matter; with an eager smile on her face, the red and white femme dropped her earlier wariness and gave an encouraging smile. "Well, what's he waiting for?"

Those were Prime's sentiments exactly. "Do it."

Breakaway immediately set to work, setting the two barrels down upon the tables beside the unconscious Transformers and revealing their ethereally glowing contents – liquid Energon, from the very supply that he'd brought back with him from Earth. Optics dimmed, and the Energon rose and coalesced into a smoky grey chip that quickly affixed itself upon the slot on his back. He then moved his hands from the now-empty canisters to the unconscious duo, and they began to glow a brilliant blue.

Those present widened their optics in awe as they watched the ancient mech work. As the smoky grey chip diminished, fragments of armor restored themselves upon Longarm and Dropkick's bodies and within seconds, their optics flashed once more to brilliant life. The Autobot crane sat up slowly as Breakaway backed away, his fingers gently playing over where his injuries had been sealed. "What happened?"

"You supposed to tell us what happen." The Dinobot commander had joined the others, his red-orange optics still wide and impressed with the jet's work.

"Oh, I can tell you that!" All attention turned to Dropkick as he eagerly relayed the details of the attack as well as the attackers while Ratchet checked over him. When he finished, he shook his head in awe. "It was awesome."

"Terrorcons not be so awesome when Dinobots get done with them," the T. rex growled. "Three of them not problem."

"Four." Grimlock quirked an optic ridge at Checkpoint. "A cargo hauler's missing too; it was registered as out of its dock right about the same time when we got the distress call. Someone had to drive the getaway vehicle."

"That still leaves five unaccounted for." Before Optimus could issue further orders, his communicator chirped. "Yes?"

"We've got a problem Optimus," came Starscream's voice. "One of the Forge facilities was attacked and five bodies taken. Most likely Tankor and Obsidian's work. And there's only one place they could be going with them."

The Autobot leader narrowed his optics, realizing that the theft of the liquid Energon just became a secondary problem. "We'll meet up with you on Cybertron. Optimus out. Grimlock, you and your unit find the Terrorcons. Report in as soon as you find them, and retrieve the Energon. Take Overcast and Skyfall's group with you – they may be able to help. Checkpoint, you and your unit are with me. Ratchet, see to the wounded. Autobots, roll out!"

---

Far above the surface of Cybertron, past the orbits of its moons, the familiar squid-like form of the Sea Slug appeared. As it slowed and halted just outside of the planet's sensor range, a smaller vessel detached from the ship, correcting its position and disappearing from view as it moved towards the planet below.

Within the craft's cockpit, Slugslinger gave a low whistle. "Gotta say, when these pirates modify a stealth shuttle, they do a good job."

"A good power source was more than enough to increase this craft's stealth capacities." Galvatron allowed himself a thin smile. "I'll have to thank Cannonball for the initiative he took...should I ever meet him."

A disgusted groan issued from another corner of the cramped shuttle. "You'd think they'd at least have the sense to put it into a bigger shuttle. A femme can't even stretch her legs in here."

"Yeah, come on!" a second voice protested. "Land this thing already, Slugslinger! If I don't get out of here I'll-!"

"Blow a hole in the shuttle and thus blow our cover?" Mirage's optics leveled threateningly upon Snowcat's optic visor, his allied Mini-Cons doing likewise. "You keep yourself under control, or you get fried. Clear?"

Snowcat timidly nodded in assent. "G-got it."

The berserker's immediate assent sparked a smirk from Thunderblast, one all too clear to Mirage. He couldn't help but smile inwardly – as noted by the radio host some time previous, subtlety was indeed the way to go in order to attract the femme's attentions.

"One thing's still bugging me though." The shuttle's pilot flipped up the tiny scope mounted on his head as he turned to his commander. "Where did Cannonball and his femme get to? Overbite wasn't all that talkative about what happened to 'em after Ceti Alpha Seven."

"A fact that is of little concern to anyone, especially not you." Galvatron answered brusquely. "Now keep your optics upon the road and land this shuttle safely."

Slugslinger remained silent after that as the shuttle began to land in a dark corner of Kaon, but he couldn't help wondering just where the well-known pirate had gotten off to...

---

With a loud groan, Flareup slumped into her console, bracing her head above it with her hands.

"Bored?"

"Out of my processor."

From the Firefly's helm console, Chromia gave her protégé a small grin. "Enjoy it. Once you get to be my age, you start to appreciate not having something try to scrap you all the time."

The younger femme leaned back in her chair, her light blue optics darting over sensor displays. "But there's got to be something out here! A stray asteroid, some old Earth probe, a ship being attacked by pirates...anything!"

The elder's response wasn't reassuring. "Welcome to the glamour of courier duty. Learn to love it."

The red and goldenrod femme huffed and pouted, crossing her arms behind her head indignantly. She was shaken out of her fit as a chime sounded off from her console, causing her to lean forward to examine it before growing a smile. "Aw yeah, perfect! We've got a homing beacon, twenty degrees to port!"

"ID?" the elder femme asked as she checked thrusters.

"Running it now." The joy on Flareup's face shifted from surprise to concern. "Chromia...the ID code's for the Sea Slug."

The name of the pirate vessel she'd crossed paths with some weeks previous immediately prompted the pilot's attention. "Any sign of wreckage?"

She shook her head. "No, just a stasis pod and IDC. So what do we do?"

Chromia promptly altered her ship's course. "Code states we answer all distress calls. Besides, I owe that slag-encrusted buccaneer for Ceti Alpha Seven. Ready docking clamps – we're bringing on passengers."

---

Optimus took a moment to recompose himself as the orbital jump finished, Checkpoint and his unit appearing beside him. Awaiting them were Starscream and Vector Prime, a small Decepticon force alongside them. Next to the Decepticon leader stood Flamewar, her weapons at the ready and her optics steeled. Similar expressions were on the faces of Sharkticon and Demolishor, the familiar Mini-Cons Blackout and Crumplezone at their feet.

"All we could call up on short notice," the Seeker explained.

The Autobot leader nodded before taking in the sight of the familiar tunnel entrance in the ground before them. "He's going there, isn't he?"

"Indeed," answered the ancient Transformer. "We've little time to waste. Come."

Optimus simply transformed to vehicle mode as Vector Prime flew into the entrance, followed by Starscream's unit.

"That entrance..." Landquake realized, voice bordering on respect and dismay. "We aren't headed to..."

"We are." Grim determination and worry in his voice, the red and white semi confirmed their destination. "Vector Sigma."

---

The tunnels were ancient, yellow beacons on the support struts dimly lighting at set intervals along the passages. Those lights flashed to red as part of a warning system, signaling the activation of internal defense systems throughout the tunnel towards their endpoint. Autoguns came online and took a bead upon their approaching target.

They barely fired off a shot as the rogue Decepticon leader flew past them, peppering the autoguns with blasts of energy and tearing them apart in his wake. Galvatron transformed with relish and braked suddenly before turning about and eying his subordinates.

As if on cue, Galvatron's current Mini-Con partner popped from his place upon his massive fusion cannon. "Keep pace! We have a mission to accomplish!" Clench ordered with an aggressive bark.

Some distance behind were the small party of Decepticons and Mini-Cons, their weapons primed and ready as they approached.

"Sorry boss, we aren't as fast as you are." Optics scanning the tunnels, Snowcat looked about. "What's so important that we're slugging it down here anyway?"

"The turning of the tide." From a side-tunnel appeared Tankor and Obsidian, bringing their non-living Transformers in tow. The taller of the two stood proudly before his leader. "Hail Lord Galvatron. We hope these new recruits please you."

The smallest hint of a dark smile crossed Galvatron's face. "They shall do nicely."

Recognition flashed on Mirage's face as he took sight of the five Sparkless robots. "Of course...that's why all this is familiar. We're heading to..."

"Vector Sigma, the supercomputer which gave us life." The dull yellow and green mech gestured towards the wreckage before him. "This debris is a pitiful attempt at a defense system, put in place by the Autobots to dissuade anyone from using it without the presence of a Prime. Unless deactivated from within the Vector Sigma chamber, it will attack all who approach without a Prime in tow."

"Well, if that's all, then let's book it there and bring these guys to life already." Slugslinger gave his snarling half-grin. "Sooner we do that, the sooner we get back to kicking Auto-aft."

"It is not that simple," came his leader's sharp rebuke. "Vector Sigma has one more obstacle, a door which can only be locked or unlocked by that cursed sword of its Guardian, Vector Prime. Normally this would be a problem, as the old timekeeper is normally keeping vigil upon Vector Sigma and sealed away within its chamber. Now, however, we lack that problem." He pulled forth his sword. "Energon blades can be shaped, and a lock can be picked."

As Galvatron smirked and considered his next step, the sound of heavy footsteps sounded in the distance of the tunnel. He turned and looked down into the dimly-lit passage, several small lights approaching.

"We aren't alone." Obsidian's sensors went on full in shock. "Centurion drones!"

Approaching the gathered Decepticons and Mini-Cons were a score of silver-colored mechanoids, heavily armed and armored. Much like the five mechs taken by Obsidian and Tankor, they were not alive in the same sense as the present Cybertronians – more akin to a semi-autonomous part of Vector Sigma's defense system. Their feet were massive and wide, built to guide them through the harshest of environments, arms ending in pronged claws, and massive cannons resting upon their left shoulders. However, their most distinctive feature was their visual receptor – a single, unblinking red lens slid along a black track, taking in 180 degrees' worth of their surroundings. Nothing about them was comforting and everything looked vicious. Forty spotlights, two atop the shoulders of each drone, flashed into existence as they marched forward.

The Decepticon lord frowned darkly as he studied the new obstacles. "A nuisance. Decepticons, open fire!"

The gathered Transformers immediately unloaded their weapons at their opponents; laser blasts did little to their armor, while missiles tore off ignored limbs. The drones returned fire from their cannons, prompting all but one to scatter.

With a snarl of rage, Galvatron transformed back into his aerospace fighter mode and charged straight into the line of fire, his own guns blazing as he went. While his large cannons managed to disable two of the drones, the rest kept coming. When he reached melee range, he transformed again and took up his sword, viciously slicing through the drones.

"I've come a long way," Optimus' opposite declared, "and no simple-minded drones shall dissuade me!" His blade cleaved the head of a drone in two, shattering the lens of its optic before pulling it out and proceeded to commence tearing apart anything that didn't serve him. This was his hour; he would not be denied.

---

"I understand what the plan is easily enough," Prowl noted as the rest of the gathered strike force sped down the tunnels leading to Vector Sigma. "But something's still bothering me. Why can't you just open a warp gate and warp us in there?"

"Because the Vector Sigma Chamber is specifically shielded to prevent such an occurrence." Vector Prime led the charge, Optimus following on the ground and Starscream flanking him on one side. "Vector Sigma is not merely a supercomputer, but the central processor for Primus himself. If one could simply warp into the chamber, they could easily cripple or outright destroy Primus with ease."

"But that isn't what Megatron is after." Flamewar sped alongside of her former adversaries, Demolishor right behind her. "He took those bodies to give them life. Just because he doesn't believe in Primus doesn't mean that he doesn't think it'll work."

"Which raises another question," came the police racer's suspicious query. "Why those bodies in particular and what's so useful about them?"

"They were specifically made to mimic the Combaticons in construction, including the ability to combine into a larger robot." Starscream cursed himself mentally as he kept clear of the walls, part of his concentration spent on making sure not to overtake those ground-bound and not crashing into any other fliers. "This is what I get for relying on secrecy rather than high security."

"We'll lay blame later." At an inner level, Optimus disapproved of his brother's choice, specifically building these bodies for the purpose of combat. However, they had further concerns right now other than ethics. "Vector Prime, the only reason that we've been able to enter Vector Sigma in the past was because you allowed passage. Is there a way for them to get in with you gone?"

"Under normal circumstances, no. Another Transformer has to be inside in order to unlock it for others' entrance, and only you or I can open it from outside due to the Artifacts we carry. However, we must assume that Galvatron has planned for that."

The Autobot leader's engine rumbled sadly in agreement before pouring in more speed.

---

The last time that Mirage had ever visited Vector Sigma was the day he came online. He'd never ventured there again, and had never felt a need to do so. That was the same with most of them, being content to know they existed and not in a rush to figure out the whys or hows behind their creations. The only ones who regularly went there were high priests, followers of the Matrix Templars, or, most commonly, those bringing new bodies to be given Sparks and brought online.

Where a mix of genetic materials at certain times enabled the creation of life in most organics, Transformers – those living on Cybertron and its various colonies – were a different story. Their Sparks – the very aspect that separated them from mere machines and drones – could only be given through four methods, all with the end product of a living Transformer. Yet not all were commonly practiced. High energy bombardment was a risky endeavor, and not one guaranteed to work given its low success rate. And while there was no taboo against Spark bonding, where two Sparks would co-mingle to create a third that would be later placed in a body, it was also discouraged as the pair's bodies and Sparks would both be vulnerable during such a procedure.

The remaining two methods for giving life had no such risks; exposure to the Matrix of Leadership or to Vector Sigma was safe, clean and efficient. With them, one could even bring multiple Transformers to life rather than just one at a time and it was guaranteed to be successful. And now Mirage was about to see it happen, in a strange way taking part in an act of creation. The thought excited him and he was eager for it.

Only one obstacle stood between him and foster creator-hood – a very large gate.

"The seal to the Vector Sigma chamber," Galvatron murmured, looking over the barricade with narrowed optics.

The gate was circular, built into the walls so that it would split apart and slide into them. A small seam denoted where the split would take place, marred only by a circular portion that extended out of the door, effectively sealing the two halves together. Marked upon it was a symbol that immediately brought to mind not only the Autobot and Decepticon emblems, but also the familiar Mini-Con sigil.

"Nice door." Slugslinger's cannon flipped into position as his targeting scope locked into place. "We blow it down now or what?"

"A foolish waste of ammunition," Obsidian chided the sniper. "This has been part of Vector Sigma's defense since before recorded history. We can't simply smash it open." He hovered forward, fingers extended. "You need a key to unlock what is locked...or in this case, you need to pick the lock." Small bits of electricity leapt between the helicopter's digits. "I only await you, my liege."

With an approving nod, Galvatron pulled forth his Energon blade and searched the floor for a moment before tapping it upon the ground. A slot came into view, and his blade thinned and lengthened to fill it. The sword was then plunged into its slot as Obsidian laid his hands against the door, the general's gathered charge arcing into the device and through its intricate systems. It wasn't unlike hacking, although it was far more difficult than he had anticipated and he nearly grimaced on encountering the defenses, but that didn't dissuade him from fulfilling the current objective.

As Thunderblast was about to scoff at the presented theatrics, a clear clicking sound, like that of airlocks opening after pressurizing, rang out. More followed, some louder, some softer, until a number of loud clanks sounded in rapid succession. Obsidian drew back as the massive engraved emblem cranked down by one eighth clockwise, up by a fourth counterclockwise, then down again by an eighth, returning to its original state. The indent then slid into the door and then into one side of it as the door split apart, allowing the gathered Decepticons entrance into the Vector Sigma chamber.

As Galvatron pulled his sword free and strode in purposefully, Tankor and Obsidian following with their new toys, the others held back, looking about the chamber in awe. It was a massive dome, its reflective steel walls engraved with markings and etchings older than anything they easily recognized. A ring of consoles sat around the middle of the room, where the prize awaited them; a massive golden sphere floating in midair, its surface faceted and reflecting light, but dim and inactive.

"Really nice disco ball there," Ramjet whispered as the gate slid shut behind them. "How do we turn it on?"

As if responding to the Mini-Con's words, the sphere lit up brilliantly, rising up as if on unseen wires. At it reached its peak and its glow reached a brilliant golden yellow, a voice came from seemingly everywhere and yet nowhere at once.

"I AM VECTOR SIGMA. BEFORE CYBERTRON WAS, I WAS. WHO AWAKENS ME?"

A smug and satisfied grin on his face, Galvatron stepped forward. "I awaken you! I, Galvatron, your future master!"

If the super-computer had any reaction to that claim, it was well hidden. "FOR WHAT PURPOSE HAVE YOU DONE THIS?"

The Decepticon leader swept an arm towards the five non-living Transformers behind him. "To bring life onto these bodies. Make them loyal soldiers, powerful warriors, and the greatest threat my enemies have ever known! Allow them to be the architects of my legacy!"

There was silence from the golden sphere for a few seconds before it spoke once more.

"PRESENT THEM TO ME."

A different button pressed on the remote commanded the empty mechs to step forward and take their places around Vector Sigma. The golden sphere pulsed for a moment, flashes of lightning running down its surface, before lancing out and striking the chests of each individual robot. Color pulsed over their bodies as they took the bursts, twitching slightly with the energies received, and five pairs of optics came alive.

As the newly Sparked Transformers looked about their surroundings and themselves, the golden computer spoke once more. "IT IS DONE." Gradually, the light faded from it as it sank down to its original position.

The Decepticon tyrant chuckled as the five mechs studied him inquisitively. "Excellent. Decepticons, I am Galvatron, your leader! Declare yourselves to me!"

The largest of the quintet, colored neon green and deep purple and with the shovel as a massive claw at the end of his left arm, stepped forward and knelt. "I...I am Steamhammer. I place my humble services at your disposal."

One of the two cranes, colored in varying shades of blue, followed Steamhammer's lead. "My name is Duststorm. Should you need an action performed, it shall be done perfectly."

The other crane, colored black and green, eagerly presented himself. "I'm Wideload. Give me a job on the front lines, I'm ready to do it."

A deep brown and yellow scoop loader smashed his fist into a palm. "The name's Bonecrusher. Just let me at 'em."

The remaining scoop loader, who'd been staring into space curiously, snapped out of it. "Sledge. If you want me to find something, I'll dig it up. Speaking of...I think we have company."

---

The small strike force immediately transformed upon arrival at the entrance to the Vector Sigma chamber. Prowl shook his head as he surveyed the door with scrutinizing optics. "Something tells me we didn't beat them to the party."

"We did not." Vector Prime exhaled sadly, a trait he had picked up from their human allies. "They forced entrance and Vector Sigma has been active."

"Better make the best of it." Checkpoint ordered, his team preparing their weapons.

"Agreed." Starscream and his three troops followed suit almost immediately.

Inwardly, Optimus wished he had other options. More than likely whatever Megatron's forces were planning had already been accomplished. The last thing he wanted his first action towards a newborn Transformer to be was blasting them into scrap metal. As much as he hated it however, he saw no other choice. The Autobot leader looked to his mentor and nodded.

Without another word, Vector Prime drew the ChronoSaber and tapped it upon the ground. Once again, the panel in the floor slid away and the recessed slot rose up to take its place. With one swift stab, the sword was implanted into the ground.

The ancient Transformer cast a small glance to his Mini-Con partner. Safeguard simply linked up, taking his customary spot on his partner's left arm. "Prepare yourselves."

The sword was turned one eighth clockwise, one quarter counterclockwise, and one eighth clockwise. As its owner withdrew it, a familiar series of clanking and clicking sounds fired off, the engraved symbol once more repeating its motions and sliding into the door. The door itself slid apart, revealing the gathered Decepticons within.

Galvatron turned to face the newcomers with a chilling smile upon his face. "Ah, Optimus Prime and Starscream. Excellent timing. Allow me to introduce you to my newest recruits. Constructicons, ATTACK!"

A blast from the massive Decepticon's cannon kick-started the battle, prompting the largest of the Constructicons to surge forward, swinging his claw arm viciously. Optimus, Vector and Starscream barreled out of the blast's path as Landquake charged into Steamhammer, catching a hold of the smaller Transformer's claw. The Decepticon tensed and then pushed the larger Autobot out of his way.

Mirage's facial plates formed a smirk as he and Thunderblast opened fire, pelting Checkpoint's unit with missiles. The Security Commander and his team jumped to one side, Armorhide, Inferno and Prowl taking places behind cover and working to shoot the missiles out of the sky while Quickstrike fired off rounds against the attacking Decepticons. The four remaining Constructicons moved forward, transforming into their vehicle modes and attempting to ram the gathered Autobots. Their opponents managed to dodge, but their attention now remained divided.

While Optimus and Starscream worked to return fire from Galvatron, the Decepticon leader's unit scattered. Flamewar took cover and readied her weapon, but soon found herself fending off attacks from Slugslinger and the Sea Team. Sharkticon fared little better, his weapons firing on Galvatron but having little if any effect. Just as Demolishor linked up with his two accompanying Mini-Cons, a high-pitched cackle caught his audio receptors and he found himself being plowed away from the battlefield, rocketing a fair ways into the distance.

As they roared along from where they left the others, the arctic tank called out giddily, "Bet you've never seen anything like that before, have ya mean green?"

Demolishor took hold of the familiar Decepticon's sides and pushed his attacker away, transforming and rolling to a comfortable landing as he turned about. He transformed again, optics adjusting to the dim lighting within the side tunnel. "I have seen that before. You used it at a skirmish at Tyrest, Cyclonus."

The massive arctic vehicle slid to a halt before switching modes, goggle-like optics staring in surprise at his former comrade-in-arms. "Demolishor? What happened to you?"

"Megatron's happened to me, that's what!" Blackout and Crumplezone detaching and transforming at his feet, Demolishor looked at his former ally with pleading optics. "He nearly slagged me, Cyclonus! They had to dip me in liquid Energon to patch me up!"

"Well, serves ya right for turning traitor on him!" Snowcat shot back.

"He did the same to you when the Destruction Team overrode your systems!" He spread his arms and took a small step forward despite Blackout's questioning glance. "Cyclonus, think about it for a second! Megatron...Galvatron...whoever he is, doesn't care about us! As long as he gets what he wants, we don't matter! What kind of leader is that?!"

The former Cyclonus stood stock still for a klik, as if not wanting to believe. "Doesn't care about us?! Demolishor, he gave me this new body, remade me, made me better! And the name's not Cyclonus anymore, it's Snowcat!" A pair of massive emerald cannons popped from his back and positioned themselves over his shoulders. "And if you're gonna stand against the boss-bot, then we don't need you around anymore!"

The two cannons on the arctic tank's back whined as they prepared to fire before they were suddenly discharged prematurely when struck by a small blast, missing their mark. Demolishor jumped aside and looked in surprise as Crumplezone trundled forward in his tank mode, his cannon firing off round after round upon his partner.

"I guess you don't need me anymore either!" the little Mini-Con snarled, anger and a bit of regret laced in his words. "One last thrill ride, for old-time's sake! Partner!"

Snowcat, surprised at his old partner's tenacity, immediately transformed and darted past his ex-comrade as he sped from the battle as quickly as he could. Demolishor looked on sadly before he and Blackout looked over to Crumplezone as he stood up in turn.

"What I said earlier, about missing him? Not so much now."

The red and orange radar truck shook his head before giving his fellow Mini-Con a hard yet comforting nudge. "About time your processors started firing."

---

Despite her training, Flamewar found herself flying through the air and crashing to the ground unconscious, Tankor's laser cannon giving off light exhaust and Obsidian's fingers re-extending from his hands. The two turncoats regarded her with little emotion and then turned their attention back to the battle.

Thanks to attacks from the Constructicons and the remaining Decepticon forces, the combined force under Optimus and Starscream was showing serious strain. Their attention divided between the new combatants and their familiar foes, Checkpoint's team was hard-pressed to hold the line.

Parrying a blow from Starscream's combined sword and shrugging off shots from both Primes, Galvatron chuckled. "This is almost too easy."

"Aren't we missing a couple dance partners?" Slugslinger asked casually, a rictus-like grin growing on the side of his face.

Meanwhile, Thunderblast fired missile after missile against Sharkticon, leaving the larger mech to dodge. "Stand still, minnow!"

"What, so I can give your poor aim a better chance?" The Decepticon warrior had no desire to strike against his former teammate, but had no reason to let her scrap him either. Better to prompt the femme to mess up all her own. "Face it Thunderblast, you were never good with the small details. That dent on your helmet, for example."

That remark earned him an angered growl from the femme and a massive volley from her partner. "Best take that back, Sharkey."

Oncoming missiles were peppered with plasma fire. "Please Tidal Wave. You were never much better. Why the change to Mirage, by the way? Trying to impress someone? If you didn't think you were mech enough before, then why make yourself smaller?"

Mirage saw red, and then fired all his weapons at once upon his former ally. "I never liked you," he spat as the rounds made impact, sending the shark to the ground. Sweeping his arms in invitation, he prompted Thunderblast. "The honor is all yours."

The Decepticon femme leveled her cannon. "Happily taken."

The familiar sound of missile exhaust and a flash of blue and silver light quickly caught the combatants' attention. The Autobots and those on their side dropped to the ground as a quartet of flares streaked into view and burst one after another, flooding the confined space with light. Galvatron's forces shielded their optics as a fifth missile approached and exploded like a million fireworks all at once.

The Decepticon leader growled. "Our mission is accomplished here. Decepticons, pull out!"

Without another word, he transformed to his vehicle mode and flew past the gathered Autobots, his troops following close behind. As the Constructicons withdrew at last, the gathered force regained its bearings.

Armorhide shook his head as he stored his rifle. "Forgive me on the bad pun, but someone mind enlightening me about what the scrap just happened?"

"That was me." The gathered force turned just as Minerva arrived and landed, a bright white trail fading from her wake as Demolishor pulled up and rejoined them. "You told Ratchet to tend to the wounded, and he didn't need me, so he sent me to help you guys out."

Optimus stowed his rifle as Vector Prime moved to retrieve his sword. "We'll have to thank him for his foresight."

The medic nodded with a small smile before moving to check over the slowly standing Sharkticon and the still-unconscious Flamewar. As the larger Decepticon attempted to brush off her help, Checkpoint cleared his vocalizer. "Forgive me for stating the obvious, but I think we're in over our heads. We need to get topside and call in reinforcements."

"I agree, but that'll be pointless unless we know where they're headed." His communicator chirped. "Yes?"

---

"Nice to see that relay system we set up is working." Jetfire patted Scattorshot's shoulder proudly. "Got some good news and bad news for you Optimus. When we caught wind of Mega-jerk being back in the neighborhood, Scattorshot had the bright idea to do a sensor sweep of the planet. There's a stealth shuttle parked in Kaon."

"The thing's puttin' out extremely high background radiation levels," the communications officer explained. "More than enough to count as background noise. We sent word off ta Skywarp, and they found the thing. Shuttle's safely in their custody."

Relief was clear in the younger Prime's voice. "That's one mystery solved."

"And one more presenting itself – the shuttle doesn't have a TransWarp drive." The Autobot 2IC looked gravely into the comm. panel. "That means someone had to drop it off. Problem there is we aren't picking up the Nemesis on the long-range sensors."

"Which means either the shuttle was dropped off just out of sensor range, or Megatron brought it here with another ship. Thank you both and keep me posted."

---

Galvatron was practically beside himself. His new troops had performed rather splendidly, and despite some interference from the Autobots and Starscream, his plan had succeeded. Now all that remained was to return to the shuttle and depart Cybertron once and for all.

"Uh oh."

The tyrant halted his engines and landed with a loud screech on the floor of the tunnel before directing his gaze at Slugslinger as the flier and the rest of his forces halted. "Explain."

"I left a beacon on the shuttle so we could get back to it easily, on a sub-frequency." The sniper worriedly looked at his leader. "I'm not picking it up. The Autobots–"

"–have discovered it." Galvatron growled darkly before relaxing. "No matter. This possibility was prepared for – we shall simply fall back upon our second option." He turned to face his troops. "Regardless, we've still much to work upon this day. Tankor, Obsidian, the two of you shall remain behind. Frustrate the Autobots' efforts, keep an optic upon their activities, and report to me whenever possible."

"Of course, Lord Galvatron." Tankor gave a small bow and then departed down a side-tunnel, Obsidian following behind. "We already have a few ideas of how to do so. We will not fail you."

Steamhammer stepped forward. "And what of my brothers and I, Lord Galvatron? Shall we remain as well?"

Galvatron beamed proudly. "No. The five of you have performed admirably. You shall remain with me."

The Constructicon leader bowed. "We've done nothing special, sir, but thank you for your praise."

"Come then. We've a ship to rendezvous with."

With those words, Galvatron took off once more, his troops following behind him. As they sped along, near the back of the pack, Sledge hung back, his mind wandering.

Sledge was good at a lot of things, whether his fellows had noticed it or not, despite his recent entry into life. Among these was sensing things, picking up on various details. His sensors had overheard the conversation between Snowcat and Demolishor...and he couldn't help but begin wondering about what he had overheard...

---

Overcast could never say that he got along well with Grimlock. No one really could – the Dinobot leader wasn't known for being social, and neither was his unit. Still, he liked to think that Grimlock had a slightly higher opinion of him than most other Autobots.

However, the T. rex's dour mood at the moment wasn't very encouraging.

"Swoop, Skydive, you see anything?"

The bulkier of the two Pteranodons remained silent, his optics narrowed uneasily. Skydive shifted to his thin and lithe robot mode. "No sign yet, I'm afraid."

"Keep optics open." Grimlock readied his new blaster, its golden bayonet glinting in the light. "We find Terrorcons, we make sure they trashed."

"Especially Divebomb," Swoop muttered under his breath dangerously.

"I don't quite understand. Why is there such animosity between you and him?"

No sign was given that Swoop recognized Breakaway's question, whereas none of the other Dinobots present appeared to have heard. And something told the wanderer that neither of the ancient's spiritual brothers would know.

"It's a long story," Overcast finally explained. "Both major factions have their specialized units and strike forces. The Autobots had the Wreckers and the Dinobots while the Decepticons had the Eclipse Team and the Terrorcons. And just like our friends from Jurassic Park, the Terrorcons are among the fiercest and toughest warriors Cybertron has. But because the two groups often got mentioned in the same breath, a rivalry started up."

"It was long before I came along." Slapper slowed to keep pace with the others, taking some distance from his comrades to speak a little more comfortably. "But neither team really got along well, Divebomb and Swoop in particular. And when the Terrorcons decided to fight under Megatron's banner, Grimlock decided we were the only ones with the right stuff to take them down."

"Unfortunately Terrorcons better at hiding than turbo-rats in dark sewer." The Dinobot leader's rumble caught all their attentions. "But now they not hiding. This time, we deal with them, permanently."

Triceratron, Snarl, Swoop and Sludge all gave affirmative growls, confident in their chances of victory. Slapper's own addition to that chorus was half-hearted at best, and Skydive remained silent.

In a low voice, the lone Decepticon among them gave a disconcerted sigh. "Little wonder why I feel uncomfortable here."

"You aren't their quarry, Landquake," Skyfall reassured his friend.

The blue and red tank warily looked at the gathered Dinobots, fighting tension prominent in their frames. "I hope they don't forget that."

---

"Forgive me for stating the obvious, but right now, we need to review our situation and try to figure out all the details."

Quickstrike's words echoed through the Vector Sigma Chamber as he spoke with his superiors, his comrades tending to their wounds. In another corner of the chamber, Minerva silently tended to the now-conscious Flamewar, applying a medication pack to heal the smaller femme's injuries.

"An impressive bit of technology," the Decepticon mused. "Nanotech, like a CR Chamber?"

"Yeah, except a bit more focused. It'll deal with the major damage to you and help to kick start internal repairs, but it'll still take time to get you back up to snuff." The Autobot medic allowed a soft sigh. "Pretty much the only alternative I had back in the day, given the few CR chambers available."

"But a useful one," Flamewar assured her.

The femme's attention was reclaimed as Quickstrike continued, "We know that the Terrorcons stole a tank of liquid Energon. They have to be taking it somewhere."

"You're saying that's part of this?" Starscream asked.

"Makes sense – Galvatron has the Terrorcons steal the Energon and Tankor and Obsidian take the bodies, one group comes here for recruiting and the other goes off to a planned rendezvous point." Checkpoint thoughtfully crossed his arms and considered his options. "That means they probably have a ship waiting to get them out of the system. The question is, where?"

"I'd be more concerned about how they're getting to that ship and who's waiting for them with it." Prowl narrowed his orange optics as he mulled over the information. "Something tells me they had a little unanticipated help."

"From who?" Starscream sighed at the Autobot cop's accusatory attitude. "The majority of Decepticons who aren't operating under him now are either incarcerated or working under me."

"Maybe they aren't as loyal as you think. None of the guys you brought with you on this little trip were too willing to fire on their old friends."

"And yet we weren't too eager to fire on all of you either." Sharkticon's optic ridge rose slightly as he stared down the black and white Autobot. "If we were really following the old rhetoric, you think we'd have signed up with Starscream?" He nodded at Checkpoint. "Your friend's right about one thing though, that someone's helping them. But it's nobody in Screamer's administration."

Optimus tilted his helm. "Then who does that leave? Astrotrain?"

Sharkticon shook his head. "He's too sharp to get in the same trap twice. We're looking for someone else here, someone who used to work for Megatron, got busted, did their time, and sought employment elsewhere until they could get back to their boss's service. Only two mechs I know of who fit that profile."

"Overbite and Blastcharge," Checkpoint realized aloud. "Currently working under Cannonball. And if Astrotrain was right, they could have found that Dark Heart thing, rigged it up to supercharge a stealth shuttle."

"And what do you bet me those two would get smart and try scrapping their boss-mech once they got something really juicy in their hands?" argued the aquatic fighter.

All the pieces of the puzzle fit into place. A smile growing beneath his faceplate, Optimus turned to Checkpoint. "Is your unit fit to travel?"

The ivory Security Commander studied the group's only casualty from the battle, that being Landquake who was standing, armor patched up with help from Minerva. "We're good to go."

"Then roll out. Check the records to see if Cannonball's ship has docked, let the Dinobots know and head there. Chances are that's where the Terrorcons are headed."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the Dinobots'll already be there waiting for us," Armorhide offered hopefully.

Inferno checked the charge on his cannon, snorting. "Even if they do, they'll probably need the help."

With a call from Checkpoint, the six members of the Autobot Security Force left the chamber at top speed.

Flamewar got to her feet, groaning softly. "That still leaves the forces here on Cybertron. They can't have departed yet."

"We head after them."

Optimus pulled out his rifle, leaving Starscream to prompt him otherwise. "Chasing after them may not be the best way to handle things. I think I know where they're going."

"What do you mean?"

The Seeker grew mournful once more. "Those five weren't the only ones I had constructed. I'll explain on the way." He took flight, leaving Optimus and the rest to follow.

Before she departed, Minerva turned back and looked upon the softly glowing sphere that was Vector Sigma. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel strange here.

"Something troubles you, young one?"

She blinked, noticing that Vector Prime had hung back a small ways behind her. "Sorry. I just...can't shake the feeling of being out of place here. Being Earth-born and all that."

The ancient Transformer gave a comforting smile. "Minerva, you are as much a Child of Primus as my kin or I. You were mentored by my own sibling. You are not out of place here, but quite the opposite." He beckoned. "Come. There is much work to be done."

A bit comforted, Minerva nodded and took flight as Vector Prime transformed and did likewise, following the rest of the small force.

---

Neural processors restarted, systems slowly rebooting within the pirate's body. His optics flared to life, colors shifting slightly but out of focus. He hated sensory shifts, always did – an unfortunate side effect of a hangover.

"Wondered when you were going to wake up."

His sensors were still distorted thanks to the Energon rum he'd ingested, but they were clear enough that he knew what he was looking at. Standing over him were a pair of femmes, their coloring unclear thanks to his impaired vision, but he recognized the emblems they both bore.

A light smile crawled onto his lip components, caked over with dry rum. "Now how, pray tell, did I find meself in th' company of two well-polished Autobots?"

"We're lucky we're even in the company of two well-polished Autobots."

His optics were still distorted, but his audio receptors were as sharp as ever. He turned to look upon his first mate with widened optics, and for a brief second, dropped his old façade. "Strika?"

Laid out beside Magnum was his first mate, looking none the worse for wear. Her bulky frame let out the occasional spark at points, several blackened areas and tears in her armor suggesting damage in combat.

They hadn't been attacked...and he was careful to never take in too much rum lest he blow his cover. His hangover and Strika's condition suggested only one thing.

The word escaped his vocalizer with a growl. "Mutiny."

"I knew it!" Heads turned to one of the Autobot femmes, a look of excitement on her face. A disapproving glare came from her companion, prompting her to sheepishly exit. "I'll...just call home then."

The distortion on Magnum's optics faded as the femme exited, allowing him to confirm her fiery color scheme. He then turned to the other, white and teal and black, and returned to his persona. "I take it this be an arrest then?"

An optic ridge rose. "For what crime, Cannonball? We just found you out here, that's all. Besides, we're with Intelligence, not Security. All we'll be doing is taking you home and getting you properly patched up."

Inwardly he sighed in relief. Outwardly, he gave a charming smile. "In that case lass, mind lettin' me use ye comm.-line? Got a bit o' urgent business wit' a mech by th' name o' Starscream. Only one group'll be takin' in me mutinous subordinates...and I got a hunch I know where they be goin'."

---

"Grimlock, this is Checkpoint. You read me?"

The Dinobot commander barely restrained a growl as he answered. "Me read just fine. Bit busy tracking here, whitewash."

"Got some good news for you then – we know where the Terrorcons are going. Transmitting on a sub-channel – we'll meet up en route."

Breakaway approached the T. rex as he went over the coordinates. "We know where they are going?"

"Checkpoint many things, but rarely wrong with his hunches." His ruby optics narrowed eagerly as he declared, "Dinobots, move out!"

---

A small hatch hissed open as Starscream ascended from the passage, landing softly as lights flickered on all around him, the rest of his companions appearing alongside shortly.

"Another Forge facility," Optimus realized as he stepped out of the tunnels, surveying the area around him. As per protocol, this and the other remaining Forges had been evacuated following the attack on its sister facility in Kaon. "So you did do it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew this was how you'd react." The Decepticon's voice remained calm as he went to input commands on several consoles, their scattered troops taking up defensive positions around them. "Units like the Combaticons have demonstrated a great deal of potential. Where one has given us an advantage, more may win us a war."

"But granting life to five Transformers simply to send them into battle..." The Autobot leader hung his head. "I'd hoped we were past that by now."

"I recall long ago making a similar choice." Vector Prime murmured. "You and all who followed weren't granted life merely to be soldiers, Optimus; circumstances simply forced you into that role. I have no regrets for my decision, even accounting for all that has followed, and we've little sense in debating it now. We must make haste if we are to combat these new Constructicons, otherwise Galvatron's victory today will be complete."

"Which is why we're here, isn't it." The three turned toward Minerva. "That wasn't the only team you had built." Starscream looked at her in slight surprise before she gave a light smile. "They didn't name a goddess of wisdom after me for nothing."

The Decepticon leader dipped his head in acknowledgement. "You're right. They weren't the only ones I had constructed." He left the computers and approached a sealed-off corner of the facility, an interface-jack extending from his index finger before inserting it into a lock. A section of wall slid up and away, revealing its hidden contents.

Five complete fighter jets, all predominantly white and black with varying amounts of red, blue and gold were arrayed before the gathered teams. Two immediately reminded Optimus of Skyfall in terms of vehicular design, another two of Breakaway. The last and largest of them resembled the retired Earth-based SR-71 Blackbird.

"As the Constructicons are now under Megatron's command and the Combaticons have sided with me, I think it's only fair that the odds be evened up," Starscream offered with slight guilt, gesturing at the empty bodies. "As a peace offering."

Optimus glanced at his brother before grimly looking at the fliers arrayed before him. He hated his current choices, especially disliking his current situation, but unfortunately there was little he could do at this point. They needed all the help they could get...and he prayed to the depths of his spark that he'd be able to forgive himself for his next actions.

Without another word, the Autobot leader willed a silent command to his chest and it opened carefully, revealing the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Embedded in his torso since the Battle of Longs Peak, the Matrix was, for now, intertwined with his own body. A bright, almost holy glow softly radiated from it, bathing the five jets in light as if anticipating its task.

"Allspark, hear my words. I, Optimus Prime, implore you to grant life to these machines. Grant them wisdom and strength, as well courage and compassion. Let them experience life, and value and protect it in all its myriad forms. Have them value freedom. And above all, allow them to make their own choices. Let them enrich themselves, and in doing so, enrich generations to come."

From the Matrix shot five rapid sparks of energy, each one lancing through the air and into each jet. A light flash issued forth from each one as they made contact, a wave of color sweeping over their bodies. The quintet transformed, gazing about their surroundings with curious optics as the Autobot leader's chest swung shut.

One of the two F-22s, his bodywork a bright red with grey and black, stared at the gathered Transformers before him with curiosity that was common to newly sparked Transformers. "How...who are you? Who are we?"

What regret he had beginning to ebb to lower levels, the Autobot leader gestured to each mech introduced. "I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. This is Starscream, of the Decepticons, and Vector Prime."

The Transformer born of the SR-71 snorted. "And you guys gave us life? No surprise; you look like a sorry bunch."

The sparklings couldn't all be winners. "And you are?"

The tall jet Transformer stood up proudly. "The name's Storm Jet and I'm more than a match for anything you can throw at me."

Sharkticon gave a derisive snort. "Proud little scraplet."

The newborn Autobot shot the Decepticon shark a challenging look. "You want to say that to my face?"

The blue and silver A-10 tugged his brother's arm in warning. "Whoa, hold on! No point getting into a fight here!"

"Wise words." Optimus' battle mask hid his smile. At least one of them had some common sense.

The small jet looked to the Autobot leader, silvery goggles swiveling up and a friendly expression on his face. "Terradive, sir."

"Windrazor," the red F-22 added. "And you gave us all life, didn't you?"

"After a fashion," the younger Prime admitted.

"Not bad," said the second F-22. He had looked over his form with the most interest after coming online, surveying it just as Optimus himself had following his recent upgrade. "I'm Treadshot...and thank you."

"Same from me." The second A-10 carried himself with something of a swagger. "The name's Sky Shadow. You need me out there, and I'll fly circles around whatever you want beat."

Brushing off his earlier umbrage with Sharkticon, Storm Jet looked upon the Autobot commander. "And I guess you want us to beat off something. Fine; point us in the right direction then."

Optimus studied the new quintet – while a few of them gave him concerns, he saw far more to inspire confidence than to discourage it. "Then welcome to the Autobots. Welcome...Aerialbots."

---

The heavy roar of ship's engines thundered overhead as the Sea Slug descended into the docking port, magnetic clamps catching it and holding the vessel in place at its moors.

"What did I tell ya?" Blastcharge leaned back in his seat with a smug look on his faceplate. "No problems, no worries."

Thrust glared at the pirate with disdain. "And no forethought. The Autobots are not fools – they know full well that we'd make an effort towards getting the Energon away from Cybertron. The docks are most likely watched, and should the Terrorcons be foolish enough to arrive here, we won't be able to escape."

To the Decepticon strategist, he had every right to be worried. Galvatron and his group were elsewhere, waylaid by the discovery of their stealth shuttle. And aside from himself and his ebon associate, only Overbite and a host of Mini-Cons waited on the ship to greet their leader, or aid him should anything go amiss.

"That was always your problem Thrust; no sense of fun, no willingness to take risks," the heavily-armored Decepticon sneered at his comrade. "That's why you got stuck in the shadows for millions of stellar cycles."

The F-35 gave a sharp and imperious snort. "And why I was not nearly scrapped by the Wreckers and incarcerated for over two hundred stellar cycles."

Before Blastcharge could retort to that statement, a chime sounded off on the ship's comm.-panel. "Sea Slug, this is Chromehorn. We are inbound, ETA two cycles."

The tank regained his confidence. "See? You worry too much."

---

"Just as I'd surmised; the Terrorcons swapped transport."

"Awful glad you were right and all, boss, but are we going to get to work anytime soon? I'm feeling a little exposed out here."

Barricade allowed himself a small smile as he considered the readouts sent by his subordinate. "Patience, Stormcloud. We'll be with you shortly."

"Not shortly enough," Swoop growled.

Four of the five Combaticons found themselves hidden within an empty cargo container, packed in with the Autobot Security Force, the Dinobots, and Overcast and his trio. Not many of them were particularly thrilled with being inside of the container; between Landquake, Quickstrike, and the assorted saurian Transformers, space was quite the issue and the Dinobots themselves did not much enjoy being cooped up with any Decepticon for very long, friend or foe.

"Me still think this bad idea, all of us stuck in box," Grimlock grumbled at the Combaticon leader. "Prefer being out in open."

"And if we were out in the open, we'd be noticed in a nanoklik." Barricade coolly tossed back at the Dinobot commander. "This is a tried-and-true strategy Grimlock. Even the humans used this to great effect, if our Earth-born friends are truthful."

"Still don't see what horses have to do with ambush," came the guttural reply.

"It'll work, trust him." Overcast knew full well what they were planning; while it wasn't quite the same, it was very much what was used during the mythical siege of Troy. The only difference was that the horse was already within the walls – they were just waiting for the troops to arrive.

"But what do you mean by them swapping transport?" Breakaway asked.

"A cargo loader was taken from the shipping yard carrying the container of liquid Energon. Such a loader would be conspicuous, and it is quite easy to swap one transport for another. Also, it gives them the chance to pass through in a slightly less conspicuous manner; one container stores the Energon..."

"…and one carries other Terrorcons for easy transport." Grimlock finished gruffly. "Easy for us anyway; saves us trouble of finding something to ship them off to scrap heap with."

Barricade opted not to comment on the Autobot's callous choice of words, and returned to his comm.-link. "Stormcloud, wait until they enter the dockyard. Once the gates have sealed behind them, fire a warning shot right in front of the transport. When they exit, signal us, and we will join the fight."

"...Sounds easy enough..." came the jumpy helicopter's reply.

---

All was going well...so far. Chromehorn constantly reminded himself of that fact as he piloted the cargo transport, glad that its tinted canopy concealed him from anyone on the outside. It was about the only thing he could be glad about – if the mission went off smoothly and they got off the planet in one piece, his unit would be congratulated by their leader and all would be well. If things did go wrong, well, he'd be the one to get the blame.

The mechanical beetle was the odd man out among the unit – where the others were skilled and powerful warriors, he was a forager. Whenever the Terrorcons were dispatched, he was the one to search the area for useable supplies and bring them back. While a necessary task no matter the situation, his success rate since the beginning of the Second War had dropped. He always came back of course, often with little or no damage and good intel on the terrain, but he often came back empty handed beyond that. Gone were the days where he could expect to be thanked or acknowledged for his work – now he was lucky to be acknowledged for even returning, more so if he didn't find himself browbeaten by Divebomb or Cruellock. He didn't like it...but so far as the Terrorcon knew, there was nothing that could be done.

Still, he could hope. As he watched the gates to the dockyard close in the transport's rear sensors, the green bug allowed himself to dream of a return to his past glories. With this much Energon safely retrieved and his unit delivered safely off Cybertron, Chromehorn saw no way that he couldn't get praise from his superiors. For the first time in a long time, things were finally going to go his way.

The three bolts of laser fire across the cargo transport's path shot that fantasy down in a nano-klik.

Chromehorn slammed on the breaks, the transport screeching to a halt. He frantically looked about, sensors on maximum, before his communicator chirped.

"Hey bug, you mind watching the breaks? Bad enough we're stuck in this thing, we don't want to get smashed up thanks to you being a lousy driver."

"Divebomb, we're under attack!"

A derisive snort. "No wonder you stopped. Always the–"

The comm.-line cut off abruptly as a warning light flashed in the cabin, indicating that one of the cargo containers was opening. Chromehorn slumped in his seat.

So close. He was so CLOSE.

---

As the container doors opened, Battle Ravage leapt from them, landing on all fours atop the second container. He swept over the terrain with his yellow optics, letting out a growl as he caught sight of his prey.

"Our quarry is in sight." Command Ravage emerged after his brother, his Energon cannon at the ready. "Terrorcons, attack!"

Stormcloud gulped as his sensors locked in on the incoming Divebomb and Shadowhawk, the second flier not even bothering to activate his stealth systems. "Boss, the beasts are loose!"

From the far end of the dockyard, the doors of a third container among several others popped open, the combined Autobot-Decepticon force waiting inside.

"As are we." Barricade's weapons systems came online. "Combaticons, engage!"

His Autobot counterpart was slightly less diplomatic. "Scrap engage! Dinobots, maul them!"

Swoop didn't need to hear him twice. The Dinobot flier transformed to his beast mode and kicked on his engines, his optics already set upon his target. Without a second thought, he slammed directly into Divebomb, sending Shadowhawk into a slight spiral before crashing down into the ground hard with his rival.

The Terrorcon hawk flailing about in his claw, Swoop transformed and pressed down hard. "Hello Divebomb. Surprised to see me?"

The hawk stopped for a moment, then laughed. "Swoop. New body huh? Looks about as useful as the last one."

A light pulse went through the Terrorcon's body, forcing Swoop to move back as a light green, eight-pointed Energon star appeared on his opponent's back. Divebomb transformed, summoning a massive Energon boomerang and holding it in claw-like hands.

"Juiced ourselves up a little on the goods before we came," the Decepticon supplied with a nasty smirk. "Care for a taste, walnut brain?"

Swoop's optics narrowed and the bombardier flexed his claws. "Bring it."

---

"I'm saddened to say you come online in difficult times." Optimus looked upon each of the newly-born Aerialbots. "As we speak, a rogue Decepticon force is attempting to depart Cybertron with a large amount of high-grade liquid Energon."

"And you went to all the trouble to bring us online just to stop them?" Storm Jet scoffed. "Please. You screwed up and we're supposed to clean up your mess?"

"This mess is more than you give it credit." Starscream glared at the SR-71 with all the seriousness of the grave. "Right now they're desperate, vulnerable, low on Energon and low on morale. Give them a victory, and they'll have enough momentum to start trying for bigger fish."

Storm Jet gave his elder an arrogant snort. "And this is my problem? I didn't start all this."

"You are still part of all this," Vector Prime gravely stated. "And you are needed."

The newborn replied with a raised optic ridge. "And if we don't go?"

"If you don't go, innocent lives will be in danger." The Aerialbot's optics turned towards Minerva as she spoke up, the normally cheerful expression replaced with a far sterner one. "Do you really want that?"

Storm Jet looked at the medic, slightly less confident. "No...but what have these guys done to us? We aren't a part of this."

The Autobot commander's optics narrowed before turning about-face. "Very well then. If you don't want to fight, then you don't have to. We had no right to force you into combat anyway. I think we're done here."

The Seeker heaved a disappointed sigh. "Decepticons, move out!"

Storm Jet watched the witnesses to their birth depart, regaining his smirk. Terradive moved next to him, his optics grave. "What was that all about?"

"Laying down the line, bro. You want to be ordered around by him forever?"

"He wasn't ordering, he was asking!" The blue and silver A-10 shook his head. "He gave us life. We owe him something for that, don't we?"

"Are you suggesting you want us to go into combat?" Windrazor countered, trying his best to keep a neutral tone. "We've barely been online for a few cycles and I doubt we'd even be able to do much."

"So you're saying we shouldn't fight?"

"I never said that, Sky Shadow, only that we need to consider things." The red F-22 took a second to collect himself. "If we entered combat, we could be more of a hindrance than a help, between our inexperience and our poor first impression."

The largest Aerialbot laughed. "Like those old glitches are supposed to be able to hold their own. I could take them."

The last of their number suddenly perked up. "Guys..."

"Years of experience and combat training versus a young Autobot with a lot of fancy guns? I don't see much chance there of a victory."

"Guys..." Treadshot pleaded frantically.

"Well, the older you get, the slower you get. They wouldn't even see me coming."

Treadshot ducked as a laser burst tore through the air, the remaining Aerialbots dropping to the ground. The four turned to their brother, who gave a nervous glance towards them. "Um...we've got company!"

His cannon lightly steaming with exhaust, Tankor calmly walked into view. "So these are what they pass off as Autobots these days...a pack of sniveling scraplets."

"Not all sparklings can be us, I suppose," came his associate's reply, his guns at the ready. "Oh well. Best to put them out of our misery quickly."

With those words, Obsidian opened fire, prompting the five newsparks to scatter. As they ducked behind a workbench, Terradive looked at Windrazor with uneasy optics. "Guess they settled the debate for us."

---

With a bestial roar worthy of Terran jungle cats, Battle Ravage pounced upon Slapper, prompting the smaller Autobot to transform in turn. As the feline scratched at his thick armor, the ankylosaur shook violently, hoping to toss the Terrorcon off his back. As that plan failed and the cat dug in with his claws, the Dinobot transformed once more, knocking his opponent into the air before batting him away with the club-like end of his beast mode tail.

Doom-Lock charged upon Triceratron, finding himself ramming straight into the larger Transformer's left arm and the tri-horned dinosaur head at its end, followed swiftly by the ground. As Cruellock made a charge to assist his sibling, he found his massive blade met by Sludge's heavy shield.

"Out of my way fool!" the Terrorcon bellowed.

"Me not moving," came the Dinobot's firm reply. "You moving."

The saurian could only snarl at his smaller opponent.

Elsewhere, Snarl parried swipes from Insecticon's Energon spear, the spikes at the end of his closed tail weapon helping to dissuade his rival. Even shots from the smaller Transformer's shoulder-mounted guns did little to stop him; the stegosaur kept going, his face grim.

Meanwhile, blaster fire was exchanged between Grimlock and his counterpart, Command Ravage phasing in and out of sight with each salvo.

"We've done this before Grimlock," the feline mech called from the shadows. "What makes you think this can end any better for you than it did last time?"

"Me not think, me know." The Tyrannosaurus's ruby optics glowed, angry fires alight in them as he tracked his surroundings carefully. "You dealing with seven Dinobots this time, not five. We bigger, we meaner, we nastier."

"We have numbers and stealth – what do you have?"

If Grimlock had a visible mouth, he'd have flashed a toothy grin. "We got rage. That make us tougher than any Terrorcon. And we not afraid to hold back."

A laugh from nowhere. "That's because you're too stupid to see the facts. We've won."

Command Ravage phased back into view and opened fire just as Grimlock swung about and returned the salvo. The larger, heavier Dinobot withstood the strong, piercing blow – the smaller, lighter Terrorcon was knocked back by the heavy blast.

The T. rex gave a small laugh. "Won nothing until fight over, kitten."

Command Ravage countered by rolling to his feet and transforming into beast mode, Grimlock doing likewise. Feline and dinosaur charged as one, fangs bared and claws flashing in the light.

---

"As useful as the Dinobots distracting the Terrorcons remains, they still hold the Energon." Barricade tensed as he fired his pulse rifle at the ever-evasive Shadowhawk.

"Tell me something I don't know," Checkpoint countered back as his weapon added to the blasts directed at the ninja warrior. "Suggestions?"

"We need to get the Energon away from them somehow," Overcast chipped in, firing in turn. "Skyfall and the others could convert it into Energon stars and get it out piece by piece."

"No, we need to get the entirety removed, not just small bits," argued the Decepticon strategist. "Getting the entire container out is easier than ferrying out smaller parts."

"With what transport craft? Quickstrike and I are the only large fliers here, and there's no way in the Pit we can haul that thing out, Terrorcons or no." The aerospace fighter shook his head. "Unless you can think of a way to get it out in one go, piece meal's our only shot."

Barricade huffed. "Very well. But they'll require cover."

Checkpoint grinned confidently. "Leave that to my team."

---

"I feared something of this sort would occur." Thrust's optics were locked on a small viewer as he stood in the Sea Slug's command deck. "The Terrorcons are under attack from the Autobots and our former allies, and we can do little to stop it."

"And what makes you say that, squid-head?" Overbite hissed menacingly. "We've got guns on this crate, we can use them..."

"And risk potentially igniting the liquid Energon and obliterating all of us?" the strategist snapped back. "In case you've forgotten, we're moored down by magnetic locks – we couldn't get away if we tried. And even if we did manage to avoid the Energon, shooting at our enemies would potentially mean hitting our few allies, and I've no interest in eliminating some of the few proper assets we've had in this conflict."

"So what should we do?" Blastcharge asked in a mocking tone. "Wait on our skidplates and hope Galvatron comes back in time?" The brute's console sounded off, alerting all three of them. "Ah...never mind then."

---

Standing atop the driver's compartment for the cargo transport, Dinobot watched the ongoing combat with a seething expression. There was little chance at victory today – his unit was outnumbered and outgunned, and the Dinobots were holding them at bay. There was no point in him joining in on the skirmish – as things stood right now, they had lost.

"I'm glad to see you haven't totally lost your senses."

The raptor whipped his blade, only to find himself looking into the optics of the only Dinobot not to engage his comrades. "Skydive. You still follow Grimlock."

"Just as you still follow your commander." The thin and lithe Dinobot held up empty hands. "There's no need to prolong this, Dinobot, no dishonor in withdrawing from battle."

The Terrorcon warrior snarled, keeping his sword at the ready. "I made my decision, mentor. I have my orders...and there is dishonor in forsaking one's oaths. Until I have reason to decide otherwise, I will not turn on my allies."

The Pteranodon's face turned grim. "Very well then." His long arm-blades flipped into place. "Then let us be done with it."

The two regarded one another for a moment, before the smaller mech charged. He swept low with one sword, his opponent jumping over the strike and swiping with both his blades. Dinobot caught the strike, his blade pointed straight upwards and braced against both weapons.

As student and teacher fought, Skyfall and Breakaway flew in low, Landquake following along on foot. The ruby tank pointed the two towards a small connection port on the side of the container. Careful to keep close to the transport, the three approached the port, the Decepticon in the lead, and carefully snapped it open.

Liquid Energon began oozing out of the port like grease after being warmed up and the three reacted on instinct, activating their innate abilities instantly. As their hands took on a brilliant blue glow, the released Energon condensed and coalesced into the familiar form of an Energon chip.

"I hope the two of you have reserve storage tanks." Landquake looked upon the slowly draining Energon, another chip already forming. "We'll need to get as much of this as we can the first time – there's no second try."

---

A warning beep sounded off in the transport's driver compartment, eliciting yet another groan from Chromehorn. "Not another thing for me to be blamed for!"

A sharp chirrup sounded off from his internal radio. "Chromehorn, we're going to attempt to open the main hatch despite the attack. Can you get the transport into the ship?"

The green Terrorcon quickly looked over the controls. "I think so, maybe. But I need something to keep from getting scrapped!"

A massive explosion tore through the area as Thrust assured, "You have it. Our leader has returned."

---

"Oh bugger...heads up!" came Blight's depressing call as weapons fire poured in.

His engines at the max, Galvatron's silver and purple form blasted into the fray, the tyrant transforming as he breached the perimeter. Weapons primed and optics steeled, he opened fire. Following close behind came the rest of his small team, the Constructicons following and transforming as their older compatriots did.

"Is it just me, or has he gotten bigger?" Stormcloud gulped. "What do we do?"

"Just like always." Kickback then opened fire, catching Snowcat off guard. "Kick some skidplate!"

---

Skyfall barely put up a shield in time before cannon fire blasted towards him and his brethren. The shield buckled but didn't break, and behind its comforting blue glow the small jet watched as Galvatron approached.

The tyrant marched towards them, his shoulder cannons leveled and his sword tightly gripped in his right hand. "I believe you have something of mine."

Skyfall had heard the stories of the Decepticon warlord, easily among the most powerful warriors that Cybertron had ever seen. Even as Megatron, he was a force to be reckoned with, having struck with a massive display of power that even now split the Decepticon faction down the middle. He had seen the results of the Decepticon's power first hand following his strike on Iacon, the devastation that had come in his wake after his recent upgrade. He had his shield...but it was far from reliable.

Still...he could not afford to back down.

Summoning his weapon, the jet gave a mental prayer to Primus. "It was never yours to begin with."

Landquake and Breakaway at last turned away from their task as their spiritual brother opened fire. The latter joined in immediately, firing small guns in his arms at his larger opponent with unrelenting fury. The third was the last, reluctant but resolved.

The impacts caused the larger Transformer to buckle back slightly, but did little damage otherwise. With a burst of fire from one gun, he sent the trio flying into the air, away from the tank. Without a second thought, Galvatron then stepped forward, crushing the small port closed with a mighty crunch and giving his hand a thin coat of Energon.

Galvatron's optics dimmed with relish as he felt his armor absorbing the potent liquid, just a small bit more energized. He welcomed the rush from this fuel...but he had other priorities at the moment than enjoying it.

"Constructicons, to me! Shadowhawk, we require Energon chips, now!"

---

A massive electrostatic discharge washed over Tankor's body, the Decepticon tank chuckling as he felt the surge against his armor. "That almost tickled," he mocked, delivering a backhand blow to Storm Jet and sending the Aerialbot into a wall.

The Blackbird's four brothers fared little better. Windrazor and Treadshot had little opportunity to aid their comrade, trying their best to avoid being blown to smithereens by Obsidian. The two planes ducked and weaved through the machinery present, trying their bests to avoid the energy blasts fired by the twin-rotor craft.

"This isn't good," the red F-22 thought aloud. "We're boxed in, out-powered, out-maneuvered, and our weapons aren't even powered up."

"I've noticed," his ebon and light blue double cracked. "These things have power sources right? Maybe I can patch something up, give us a little juice."

"Anything's better than nothing, but we need a diversion!"

It took everything that the strategist had from not laughing at these pathetic Sparklings. They were behaving as predicted; lost, disorganized, and easy pickings. Numbers mattered little when you had strategy at your side – Tankor would take whatever the large one sent his way. There would be no problems.

"Hey, short, dark and gruesome! Comin' at ya!"

Heavy ordnance fired in his direction, refocusing Obsidian's attention on the black and red A-10, its weapons firing with abandon. Though he managed to dodge the blows, the strategist was still incensed that a Transformer barely online a cycle would dare to strike at him.

An example needed to be made.

Without a second thought, the twin-rotor aircraft transformed to robot mode and latched tight onto his opponent's engines, sending a massive shock through them and forcing Sky Shadow into robot mode. His razor-thin fingers curled around the jet's head, the fingers on his remaining hand retracting into his gun ports.

"A waste of a good spark. Here's hoping your next incarnation is more amenable to our cause...or at least, more of a challenge."

"Like this?"

Obsidian's optics widened for the briefest of seconds before his head was bashed down from behind, forcing him to release his grip upon the young Autobot. He turned about to find the last Aerialbot darting backwards, weaving under his rotors then plowing forward to deliver another punch. Control briefly lost, the strategist zoomed towards the ceiling for a few short seconds before several powerful bursts lanced towards him, blasting away at the thin rotors keeping him airborne and sending him crashing to the ground.

Terradive watched with satisfaction as Obsidian fell...and fell...and fell...and suddenly, the Aerialbot felt disoriented as he watched the Decepticon hit the ground. He was too high, had gone too high...he needed to land, now!

Sky Shadow staggered to his feet just as his blue and silver double landed softly and regained his bearings. Terradive looked at him, trying his best to hide his disorientation, and asked, "You okay?"

The red A-10 gave a proud grin and a thumbs-up. "Yup, thanks to you."

Another blast caught their attention, prompting them to dodge as Storm Jet continued fighting against Tankor. The larger jet's powerful laser bursts did little against the tank's heavy armor, and Tankor's returning fire kept him from making any real progress.

"Face it Autobot, you are outmatched. All that power, and you have no means of properly using it." Massive diamond saws on his forearms buzzing to life, the tank slammed his adversary down to the floor with one hand and forced him close to the opposite arm. "You are a sparkling forced into the role of a veteran, a situation that you do not – nor will ever – comprehend. You are weak, pathetic."

Storm Jet cracked a shaky grin, struggling against the rotating blades as they inched closer. "And you talk too much."

The Autobot jammed a fist down the open cannon on his opponent's shoulder and fired off a small rocket from his arm. The larger mech yelped, released his opponent and staggered away for a moment before the cannon's power unit, Tankor's turret in vehicle mode, exploded from within. The Decepticon general fell to the ground, defeated from the sensory overload inside his systems.

The large Aerialbot gave a weak laugh. "Should've known better than to mess with me, slagger."

"How can you say that?" Terradive protested angrily and gestured wildly around them. "They almost scrapped us without so much as thinking about it! So far as I can see, we just got lucky! And if they caused us that much trouble, then just imagine what their friends can do! Destruction, death, pain...you know in your sparks the same as me that this has been going on for too long! It needs to end!" The blue and silver jet cycled air to calm himself down before stomping towards the exit. "Prime needs us. I don't know about all of you, but I'm not about to let him down."

The Blackbird gave a snort as he propped himself up. "Don't we sound confident."

"He's not," Sky Shadow corrected quietly. The red A-10 rushed to catch up and quickly fell in line behind his brother.

Windrazor and Treadbolt followed shortly, the latter carrying some hastily taken battery packs, and left the remaining member of their unit to himself.

Storm Jet watched them as they left and gave a small glance towards his defeated foes. Their opponents were still whole, for the most part – damaged, yes, but far from being permanently off-line. The two had definitely come off worse from the battle...but Terradive was right. They had gotten extremely lucky for a first time battle, and Prime did need them.

Even if he was reluctant to admit it.

"Fraggit...hey, wait up!"

---

"Magnificent." Shadowhawk's distorted reflection looked back at him from the emerald Energon star he held in his clawed hands. "It's ready."

"Then begin distribution."

The loud clash of Energon against blade caught the warlord's attention, prompting him to turn and look up. Atop the container, Skydive and Dinobot continued their duel, neither one showing signs of fatigue. With a grunt, the Decepticon leader fired his arm-cannon at the lithe Dinobot sage.

Dinobot barely escaped the shot that sent his mentor flying through the air, hurtling and spinning towards a nearby wall. Skydive bounced off with a thud before sliding to an unconscious heap on the ground.

With a barely audible snarl, Dinobot glared daggers at his commander. "That was unnecessary!"

"As was that duel." Galvatron pointed towards gathered Energon chips on the ground, five in total. "You have a more important task."

The warrior's optics shifted to the arriving Constructicons and he barely suppressed another snarl. "As you command."

---

Skyfall slowly regained his bearings as Overcast helped him to his feet. "Lucky thing you can put up those shields, right?"

The deep blue A-10 nodded half-heartedly. "Not nearly enough." He glanced about to his comrades – both Landquake and Breakaway appeared no worse for wear. "How much?"

"I'd estimate they still have half of the Energon." The ruby Decepticon's expression turned from neutral to encouraging. "But we have more than enough."

---

"Almost home free." Mirage couldn't help but feel more than a little proud as he laid down suppression fire – the Constructicons were online and kicking skidplate, the Terrorcons had more than done their job, and they were all but off Cybertron. "Shame Tankor and Obsidian missed out on this action."

"Those two bucket-heads?" Thunderblast gave a laugh by his side, her missile launcher adding to the fire. "They never knew how to enjoy themselves. We're better off without them here ruining the fun."

As the small Decepticon force continued against the Autobots, Galvatron watched as the last of the chips was plugged into Steamhammer's port, the large Constructicon basking in his newfound strength.

Flexing his claw, the Constructicon leader grinned. "Thank you, Lord Galvatron. Have you any other tasks for my brothers and I?"

"Yes, I do." Galvatron turned towards the forces against him and ordered, "Reduce my enemies to rubble!"

Four of the five Constructicons each summoned a brilliant blue Energon weapon, glowing claws and fearsome hooks alike, their leader remaining weaponless.

"Sounds like fun to me boss." Bonecrusher turned to his brethren. "Well, what're we waitin' for?"

The Constructicons charged forward, their weapons swinging. Galvatron watched with a smug expression growing on his face before followed slowly, Shadowhawk behind him.

Dinobot remained behind, shaking his head in disgust. He turned away from the battle, opened the passenger-side door to the driver's compartment, and then climbed in, startling Chromehorn in the process.

The green beetle regained his composure and settled into his seat. "Job well done, right?"

Dinobot remained silent.

---

As the Constructicons charged, the Autobots and Combaticons continued trading fire with their enemies, only a few keeping an optic on the new arrivals. After several seconds the oncoming newsparks caught Armorhide's attention.

"Well, looks like their new friends are ready for another round!" the small Autobot called out.

Checkpoint also caught sight of the newcomers. "New targets 'bots, ready-!"

"Hold your fire!"

The Security Commander's optics widened as he and all of his allies halted combat. Surprised, the Decepticons did likewise, as a familiar red and white advanced semi with an oddly-shaped trailer rolled into the dockyard. As the rest of his escort arrived, Optimus Prime transformed, walking slowly towards the approaching Decepticons.

"Prime, I wondered when you'd catch up to us." Galvatron approached the Autobot leader. "Decided to surrender in person?"

Optimus's optics did not even meet those of his counterpart as he stopped, raising his empty hands and opening them. "Constructicons, hear me. You were given life at Megatron's behest, but that does not make you loyal to him. You need not be followers to one whose actions have caused nothing but destruction and pain. I ask you, all of you, lay down your arms and withdraw. No harm will come to you." Golden optics leveled onto the quintet, pleading to them silently. "Please, don't contribute to something you barely know of. Don't make this terrible mistake."

The carmine commander's words were met with a scoff from Steamhammer. "Mistake? We've made no mistakes."

The Energon chips on each of the Constructicons glowed a brilliant blue before they rose skyward, bodies shifting. Sledge and Duststorm each formed an arm, while Wideload and Bonecrusher formed lower legs, their Energon weapons taking up places to form clawed hands or feet. Steamhammer, in turn, shifted and folded on his own, forming a torso and upper legs and connecting to his brethren at the shoulders and knees. A head then locked into place, black with a red and silver crest and deep purple optics.

"Devastator Maximus serves Galvatron! And you are to be destroyed!" the combined form bellowed at the Autobot leader.

With that, the gestalt lunged forward and swiped at Optimus with his right arm, prompting the Autobot commander to jump back towards his allies as they returned to combat.

"What was that supposed to be?" Checkpoint asked, more than a little shocked at his leader's actions.

"Trying to make this slightly more agreeable." He tilted his head at Starscream as Sharkticon, Demolishor and Vector Prime entered combat. "Any ideas?"

"The humans have a saying; fight fire with fire." His guns thundering, Barricade smirked. "Why not fight gestalt with gestalt?"

"You'd still need an infusion of Energon," the Decepticon leader protested.

Overcast gave a light chuckle and beckoned towards the waiting Skyfall and his brethren. "Ask and ye shall receive."

---

"So, you think we should get the Energon onto the ship?" Chromehorn looked at his silent comrade anxiously. "I mean, get it out of danger, give Thrust a chance to shoot the Autobots and all?"

Dinobot remained silent.

"Right then, bad idea...whoa...they couldn't do that before..."

The raptor's optics flashed down towards the rear monitor, images of the continuing battle flashing upon it as the Combaticons transformed and combined into the towering multicolored form of Bruticus Maximus.

His own irritation or lack thereof, Dinobot knew full well that withdrawing was never a foolish idea. "Perhaps your suggestion has merit." With a negligent flick of a hand, he activated the cargo transport's comm.-link. "Thrust, this is Dinobot. Open the ship's cargo hatch, immediately."

---

"And why should we?" Blastcharge said with a cocky expression on his faceplate. "We can handle..."

A loud klaxon sounded off, prompting the massive tank to look. Thrust's clenched fist rested upon the depressed button marked "Cargo Bay Door."

"The sooner that Energon is loaded, the sooner this ship can contribute or depart." The strategist looked at his ally with cold optics. "No reason to prolong a battle."

Blastcharge scowled angrily at the jet but gave no other response.

---

Without any preamble, the two gestalts clashed, the powerful broad swipes and blows of Devastator held back by Bruticus, the laser blasts of the latter doing little damage to the armor of the former. As the giants continued to create sporadic tremors, the loud thrum of the Sea Slug's cargo bay door opening caught the attention of the other combatants.

"Well, looks like we won...again." Divebomb's faceplate formed a smirk as he continued grappling with his rival. "You Autobots ever get tired of losing?"

Swoop didn't respond, simply head-butting the smaller Transformer. The falcon, however, kept a tight grip on his foe despite the temporary disorientation, and responded with a literally knee-jerk reaction...by literally jerking his knee into his opponent's pelvis.

The blow didn't go deep but it was enough to cause damage, and more than enough to elicit a cry of pain from the Autobot Pteranodon.

Divebomb released his opponent and backed away, leaving Swoop to teeter for a minute before collapsing face-first to the ground. As the larger Autobot attempted to push himself up with his arms, the small Decepticon stomped upon his back.

"Always losing, never learning." Divebomb lifted his razor-edged Energon boomerang high over his head. "Any last words?"

A grin flashed across Swoop's face. "Yeah...watch your step."

Divebomb's optics widened as Swoop partially transformed his legs into their beast mode configuration as flight boosters and fired, disorienting the Terrorcon to loose balance enough for Swoop to transform all the way back and fire off a small laser burst, knocking his opponent into the open tank on the cargo transport as it entered the ship.

"That's just a sampler, Divebomb." The Pteranodon smiled as he relished his small victory. "Next time, I finish it."

---

A flash of blue and silver light heralded the activation of Armorhide's Cyber Key ability, the large grill on his chest opening to reveal an array of powerful ordnance. A swarm of rockets fired off, pelting the gathered Decepticons as they continued to press the attack.

"Lord Galvatron, the cargo is onboard but we remain locked in place. We can't shoot them ourselves with the ship's guns, as we'd risk damaging the ship."

Thrust's words caused the Decepticon warlord to grimace. "Then we will have to correct that oversight. Terrorcons, break off and destroy those magnetic clamps!"

Immediately, the remaining Terrorcons broke off from combat with the remaining Dinobots, rushing away and turning their weapons towards the clamps.

"They stop fighting," Sludge realized. "That good."

"Not good – smash docking clamps, ship free." Grimlock's ruby optics narrowed as he transformed and whipped out his gun. "Ship get free, Decepticons leave. Decepticons leave, ship's guns fire on us. We not have much chance against that."

"Then we smash Terrorcons?" Snarl offered hopefully.

"No – do this!" Grimlock immediately opened fire on an exposed gun port, blowing it apart in one shot. "Shoot guns! Shoot Terrorcons where possible, but guns more important!"

"You heard 'im mechs!" Triceratron joined in the fray, firing off missiles from his cannon at another exposed gun port.

Snarl, Sludge and Slapper soon complemented their comrades' attack, firing off at gun port after gun port until the weapons receded into the Sea Slug's hull. They soon turned their attention back towards the Terrorcons, who had made little progress towards destroying the clamps.

As their foes continued their attack, one of the docking clamps blew after a combined assault from five of the six guns, two more already smoldering. Shadowhawk was kept busy deflecting blasts from the attacking Dinobots.

"The sooner the rest of those are dealt with, the better," the condor called to his allies.

"We're working on it!" Cruellock snapped back.

---

The fight between Bruticus and Devastator continued, both gestalts furthering their attacks.

"Impressive," the combined Combaticon noted, "but not impressive enough."

The combined Constructicon said nothing, but continued his onslaught. However, his foe began to falter after several more seconds. A low laugh issued from Devastator and the giant punched a massive claw into his opponent's chest, forcing Bruticus into his component parts.

With a groan, Blackout transformed back to robot mode. "What happened?"

"Clearly, the second generation is a bit more Energon-efficient." Barricade immediately rolled out of the way of a large foot, Devastator taking his time moving towards them despite the increasing attacks headed his way. Galvatron's laughter and increasing fire faintly registered on his sensory units. "If anyone has a suggestion, I'm open to it."

"Yeah, heads up!"

The Combaticon's optics widened in surprise as a massive amount of ordnance made contact with the rogue gestalt, pushing him back a few steps. Despite himself, he gave a relieved sigh. "Thank Primus for small miracles."

Watching in surprise as Devastator staggered back, Optimus and Starscream briefly glanced back, watching the Aerialbots enter the fray and fire off their individual weapons as they landed beside their allies.

"You came to help?" Sharkticon regarded the five with a surprised look.

"Well, I gotta back it up somehow," Storm Jet shot back.

"We'll smooth out our issues later." Starscream activated his wing-mounted guns, shifting them about and letting them off at the massive gestalt.

"Works for me." Sky Shadow poured on the fire, peppering the attacking Decepticons with bolts from his Energon gun. "So, where's our giant robot?"

"That one is composed of five smaller mechs and they were made the same time as you five were with similar specifications." The Seeker grinned. "You do the math."

"Wait…we can do that too?" Treadshot looked up at the monstrosity and then over at the Combaticons as the Autobot Security members got them out of the firing line. "Of course, those Powerlinx mechanisms...we've got similar tech. But what's stopping us from ending up like them?"

"You're more fuel efficient." Skyfall ducked under a stray shot, Energon chips waiting in his hands. "As well as being...a little more streamlined."

The red A-10 chuckled at his dark blue cousin's joke. "I'm starting to see where I got our good looks."

A gentle pat from Terradive and a smirk from Skyfall were his only responses as five Energon chips were summoned and plugged into waiting slots on the Aerialbots' frames. As the energy coursed through their systems, they reacted by instinct, their forms shifting and changing just as the Combaticons and Constructicons' did earlier. Treadshot and Terradive formed arms, Sky Shadow and Windrazor forming lower legs. Storm Jet's form shifted into a familiar torso and upper legs, linking up with his four brothers into one giant. A panel in his chest slid out, allowing a new head to appear – golden faced with a black and gold helmet, twin white and blue head-fins rising out of it with dark blue optics looking upon the world.

For the first time in the entire battle, Optimus Prime was feeling more settled. "Megatron, your superiority is lost."

"Superion Maximus, online!" called the combined Aerialbot. Blue optics leveled on its rival, the gestalt beckoned with the gun-tipped fingers on its left hand after taking a stance. "Come on."

As this occurred, Optimus Prime's trailer converted and deployed four drones, the very same ones he used briefly on Earth as part of the Battle of Longs Peak. Two, bearing resemblance to an Earth submersible and a rescue vehicle, quickly formed armor over his lower legs while the other two, a helicopter and drilling vehicle, formed over his arms. His chest split open, revealing the Matrix, and a secondary helmet formed over his normal one.

"I couldn't have said it better." The Autobot leader stood fully armed and at the ready.

In response to his enemy's newest counter, Galvatron simply laughed before charging at his diametric opposite, Devastator Maximus following his lead. Leader met leader and gestalt met gestalt, and the battle continued.

---

While the main battle continued, the Dinobots kept up their efforts against the Terrorcons, the Autobot unit blasting at its Decepticon counterpart just as it finished with the last of the magnetic clamps.

"We're done! We can begin withdrawal! Keep our primitive friends occupied!" Command Ravaged ordered, ducking underneath shrapnel.

"Easily. If the Dinobots want a piece of me, they may have it!" Shadowhawk declared as he threw his boomerang.

The projectile sped towards the five, swirling in the air with its targets' optics locked onto it. However, Grimlock caught the spinning weapon out of the air as it was about to reach its intended target.

Shadowhawk's optics widened as the Dinobot leader spun slightly to stop the boomerang's momentum with one hand as he stowed his gun.

"Don't want one piece!" he roared as he took hold of both ends of the weapon and broke it in half with little effort, earning himself two very potent-looking Energon hatchets. "Want two!"

With those words, he sent both weapons back at their owner, catching the surprised ninja in the shoulders. Shadowhawk was knocked back by the weapons' momentum, sending him sliding onto the ramp. Command Ravage caught the barely conscious warrior and glared hatefully at the gathered Dinobots as the door gradually slid closed.

"Next time kitty, all you look like that," came his rival's promise.

---

"Oh, this is the end...energy reserves low, stasis lock incoming, spark returning to Primus..."

"You aren't scrap yet," Minerva encouraged Blight as she moved him out of harm's way. "Just a little further."

A weapon's lock caught the white and red femme's attention. "Not further enough."

The medic carefully set down her patient and slowly turned about, coming face to face with the distorted mirror image that was Thunderblast. She remembered catching a few glimpses of the Decepticon femme on Earth. A tough femme with a fondness for firearms. Big firearms at that.

If she were human, she'd make a sick joke right about now.

"And what are you supposed to be, some kind of copycat?" Thunderblast asked. "Stealing my gorgeous frame and my beautiful body work? The paint job's different, but it's terrible – way too much white. You'd look better in grey."

A flash of blue and silver light, and the quad-barreled missile launcher became a single-barreled, slightly longer gun.

Fighting back the urge to make that sick joke, Minerva stood firm. "I happen to like the way I look. Now if you don't mind, I've got someone injured here, and there are certain codes of engagement on attacking medics."

The Decepticon femme's optics widened slightly before smirking. "A medic! This is even better. And who gives a slag on those codes? They're just guidelines."

Before her counterpart could fire, Minerva snapped a roundhouse kick that sent Thunderblast's weapon flying to one side. The Autobot femme then whipped out her own quad-barreled flare gun and willed her own Cyber Key into existence, converting it to its longer and more potent form.

'Gonna have to do self-diagnostics if I keep this up,' she thought. "Not just a medic – I taught Hippocrates. The name's Minerva. Nice to meet you...and that's one code you shouldn't break."

She fired, sending a brilliant blue warhead straight at her opponent, designed to incapacitate rather than destroy. The missile made contact and sent a massive shock through Thunderblast's systems, prompting her to fly away in a furious screech and tear the warhead from her chest before it did further damage.

Her weapon converted back to its default form just as her patient remarked, "As much as I like a good femme fight...I'm dying here..."

Minerva holstered her weapon with a sigh. "Just a klik..."

---

"You cannot defeat me Prime!" Galvatron bellowed as he brawled with his opponent, taking the occasional swipe with his sword. "My armor is invincible! You learned that when I first received it!"

"It was invincible then," Optimus admitted, catching the blade in his left hand, "but I doubt it's remained that way."

Without another word, the drilled tip of Optimus's right arm began to spin and the Autobot leader jammed the limb into his rival's shoulder. Galvatron's armor gave way slowly, but its owner cried out in pain as it did so and Optimus immediately withdrew his arm.

"You bathed yourself in liquid Energon to upgrade yourself. Its residual effects – healing properties – stayed with you, but they didn't stay forever. You aren't like your friend Soundwave, Megatron – you don't heal instantly."

Galvatron growled. "Then I will have to change that. And it's GALVATRON now, Prime."

Beneath his faceplate, Optimus allowed himself a smirk. "New packaging, same product."

---

"You are weak!" Devastator bellowed as it attacked. "You are useless! Devastator will devastate you, same as it did Bruticus!"

"Devastator needs to learn to stop speaking in third person!" Superion shouted back, shooting at the giant's joints with its guns after dancing back several paces.

The Decepticon gestalt cried out in pain as the shots hit, and after a few seconds his power went out, the Constructicons breaking apart from their larger whole.

The sight made Snowcat gulp audibly. "Um...okay, our giant robot's now a bunch of little robots...what do we do?"

Mirage carefully picked up the fallen Thunderblast as his Mini-Con allies provided cover fire, slinging Sledge over one shoulder in the process. "We got the Energon, right?"

Another blow from Optimus Prime sent Galvatron to the ground. As he rose to his feet, one hand applying pressure to the gash in his shoulder, he laughed chillingly. "Very well, Optimus. You win this battle, but you've lost the Energon. I have what I came for, and my business is done. Decepticons, withdraw!"

Slugslinger quickly grabbed Bonecrusher and Wideload, tossing them onto Snowcat as he transformed into vehicle mode and sped back to their ship. He took Duststorm in turn, and carried him back to the loading ramp as the Sea Slug's engines exploded to life. Galvatron grabbed hold of Steamhammer with his free hand and flew back into the ship's cargo bay as its door closed with a thud. The ship thundered to life and rose up into the air as Optimus wordlessly motioned for the Autobots to hold their fire.

Splitting from his allies, Storm Jet eyed the pirate vessel's trajectory. "You're letting them go? Aren't they the bad guys?"

"Most, but not all." Optimus followed the ship as it rose into Cybertron's atmosphere, growing smaller and smaller as it picked up speed. "Their ranks have a tendency to shrink over time, given the right motivation. The Constructicons have that, however small. I won't let them die without giving them that choice."

"So what did we accomplish here? They got away, took a lot of Energon with 'em."

"Not as much as they started out with – half of it was used up in this battle." Starscream gave a tired grin to the younger jet. "And after what he saw of Combiner capabilities, I doubt Megatron will be in a rush to use it."

"Neither side gained much in this battle, but neither lost much either." Optimus separated from his armored components and turned to face the five Aerialbots. "But the real gains didn't come from this battle – all that did was cement them. You five are today's real victory." He gazed about at the wreckage that was the dockyards. "Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd say we have some cleaning up to do."

---

Tankor silently trundled through the various tunnels beneath the surface of Cybertron, Obsidian forced to ride upon his back as his rotor blades remained damaged and incapable of supporting flight.

"The youth was correct," Obsidian noted grudgingly. "We did underestimate them. We must be getting foolish in our old age."

"Old age or no, we still function." Tankor's cannon, while damaged, was far from irreparable. "We need only find a CR chamber...there are plenty of disused repair centers throughout, and we can jury-rig a suitable power supply easily."

"We'd be vulnerable however, more than we are now."

"Then you suggest surrender?"

"No, I suggest–"

CLICK CLICK

Tankor halted in his tracks, his sensors picking up on the sound of a large, egg-shaped object roughly bouncing around him. He went silent – a grenade seemed likely, though foolish given close quarters. "Obsidian, did you hear that?"

He suddenly felt something slump down onto his back.

"Obsidian?"

He transformed, then turned about as he heard something slump to the ground. It was indeed Obsidian...although the Decepticon strategist was doubtful to answer him again. His head was gone, clean damage at his neck suggesting it had been blasted off...a theory further collaborated by the presence of a clean hole through his chest, right where his Spark Chamber rested.

"That is how you should have let me take out Starscream – clean, quick, swift. No theatrics, no epic struggle, just two lone shots in the dark. Instead, you had to be dramatic."

CLICK

Tankor's internal diagnostics blared a warning as he watched Obsidian's body turn grey – the following shot had torn off the vestigial remains of his cannon. Only one shooter that would dare do something like that.

"Flamewar."

"You haven't forgotten." The Decepticon femme stepped from the shadows, her Energon crossbow armed and primed. "You made a mistake when you gave me those orders to scrap Starscream, Tankor. One, you didn't let me do my job right, like I did right there. If you had, Starscream would be dead, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The larger Decepticon charged, but two shots from his opponent's weapon separated him from his lower legs. He fell to the ground, his internal computers warning him of serious damage on leaking Energon and fluids at unsafe speeds.

"Two, you let me get caught. What leader abandons their troops, leaves them to an enemy that can – and did – treat them fairly? I admit, I'm still not fond of Starscream...but he's a much better employer than the two of you were."

Two additional shots found him without the use of his arms, and the all-but-offline Decepticon strategist found himself with his former soldier's high-heeled foot planted on him, the only thing keeping him steady as he looked up at her, straight at her crossbow's bolt. "Galvatron will..."

"Fall, eventually. Sooner rather than later. But you won't be here to see it."

CLICK CLICK

---

It would take several cycles before the Sea Slug would rendezvous with the Nemesis, and several more cycles from there before Galvatron would be fully healed. He walked his ship's halls, eventually finding the one he sought.

Terrorsaur gagged as he found the oxygen needed for his organic components partially blocked by his new commander's powerful grip. He weakly looked up to his leader as Galvatron surveyed him imperiously for a moment, before turning back towards the Mini-Cons at his feet. "We'll be just a moment."

The three members of the Sky Terror Team darted off, leaving Galvatron alone with his charge.

"Uh, hi boss...what's new?" Terrorsaur gasped.

"I've a few more questions for you Terrorsaur." He took hold of the Pteranodon's chest, pressing him against a bulkhead as he relieved pressure on the tech-org's throat. "For starters...these Keys the Autobots are interested in. How do we find them?"

Terrorsaur caught his breath for several kliks, gasping for air. "I...heard something...about those things being linked." The heavy gasps steadied. "When they found the Lock thing, they brought it into contact with the Matrix and Vector Prime's sword. They reacted, sent out some kinda shockwave. They got one of the Keys...they'll probably plug it into the Lock. When that happens, it'll probably send out another wave..."

"…Which will pinpoint the locations of the other Keys, yes." Galvatron smiled; this was quite promising. "We'll have to keep our optics open, won't we?"

The tech-org nodded eagerly as Galvatron dropped him and marched away.

As he considered this new information however, he couldn't help but be galled by something. Prime was right – he could no longer instantaneously heal his injuries. This was a problem, one that needed to be fixed. And soon.

---

"I've had the chance to look at the video logs from your encounter with Tankor and Obsidian," Optimus noted quietly from behind his desk, pausing the video on his console. "They made for interesting viewing."

The Aerialbots exchanged glances with each other – the only one who didn't look phased over this information was Storm Jet. "And?"

"And they demonstrate that the five of you are easily capable of defending yourselves." Starscream gave a proud smile. "Five young Autobots, barely a few kliks online and defeating two of the most powerful figures left in Galvatron's movement. You did well."

"We got lucky," Terradive insisted. "Very lucky."

"Still, each of you displayed a clear grasp of tactics, an awareness of one's surroundings, adaptability, and courage under fire. Lucky or not, you demonstrated qualities that we find in the best of Transformers. The five of you make a fine team, and that team, given time, will be an inspiration to Autobot, Decepticon, and Mini-Con alike. For now however, we need to pick a leader." Golden optics moved along the five before resting on one. "Storm Jet."

"Me?" The Blackbird stood up a little taller. "Well, I'll whip these guys into–"

"They aren't the ones that need to learn from you," the Autobot leader interrupted firmly, bringing up a clip of the Aerialbots arguing. "That footage didn't just have the battle, it also showed some of your weaknesses. As much as the troops gain from their commander, the commander must gain from his troops. You're reckless, foolhardy, arrogant, and prone towards going off without thinking about the consequences. I'm giving you this command to teach you something – they have as much to contribute as you do, and whatever decision you may make in the end, you need to listen to your troops. They're your responsibility now and if something happens to them under your watch, you'll suffer as much as they do. Am I clear?"

The newly-appointed Aerialbot commander immediately stood to attention. "Yes, sir!"

"Good. Dismissed, except for Terradive."

The other Aerialbots curiously looked at their brother before they silently exited, Storm Jet first with a slightly smug expression and Sky Shadow last with a worried glance. The remaining jet stared up to his commander nervously. "You saw what happened on the vid, didn't you?"

"We did, yes." Starscream gestured toward the Aerialbot. "What happened?"

The blue and white A-10 shook his head, hands twitching at the memory. "I...don't know, I just...suddenly got anxious when I saw Obsidian fell. I didn't think about it when I fought him, but we were so...high up...what happened to me?"

"The humans call it 'acrophobia', or fear of heights." Optimus gazed at the young mech comfortingly. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"But why me?" Terradive looked back and forth between his commander and Starscream. "I'm a jet! Who's ever heard of a jet afraid of heights?"

"Depends on the jet." Starscream tilted his head thoughtfully. "Your alt-mode is based on the Terran A-10 Thunderbolt. It's a close air support craft that was designed for ground support, especially against tanks or heavily armored vehicles. And while it's extremely rare, a Transformer's alternate mode can influence their personality. Although it usually just makes the Transformer vain and arrogant, which causes its own problems."

The young Autobot fisted both hands, feeling helpless for the first time. "So is that it? Am I stuck like this, liable to get all panicky if I'm stuck or go really high?"

"Did you panic when you were fighting Obsidian?" Prime asked gently. "You kept going, fought him off. You were able to fight past that fear – it didn't control you."

"I've actually seen far worse cases," the Decepticon admitted. "Keep your mind on the job, maybe talk to someone if you need it, and there shouldn't be any problems."

"And if it helps, your team has faith in you." The Autobot leader rose to his feet, his optics still locked on his much younger subordinate. "As does your overall commanding officers. Now get going – the five of you have a lot to do yet."

Terradive nodded and gave a salute before leaving, feeling much better. As the door slid shut behind him, Optimus turned to his brother. "Any ideas about what happened to Tankor and Obsidian?"

"'Unofficially', yes, but we don't need to advertise the exact details behind their passing." Starscream folded his arms carefully as he leaned against a nearby wall, mindful of his patched wounds. "The way Flamewar did it, we could potentially pass it off as energy loss accelerated by combat damage. Red won't be too thrilled with the 'official' report, but there are many things he isn't thrilled with."

"Unfortunately." The Autobot leader sat back down, stretching back in his seat. "I'm assuming you've had a chance to talk with Magnum?"

"I have. He and Strika have contacts on Brasta, so they'll be staying with them in the interim. Magnum promised help if we needed it. All he wants is his ship back and a shot at his former crew members."

"Seems simple enough, but I don't see how he can lend a hand."

A secretive chuckle from the Seeker. "You'd be surprised what that pirate can pull out of his subspace hold."

The Autobot commander almost considered that idea before tossing it away mentally – some things were better left unsaid. A chirp on his comm.-channel quickly alerted him. "Yes?"

"Finally got some good news for ya, boss-bot," Scattorshot's voice piped in. "Atlantis is on its way in to dock."

---

"All this mess...it'll take forever to clean up." Safeguard shook his head as he studied the debris from the earlier battles on the way to Vector Sigma. "Thankfully, we have forever."

Vector Prime allowed himself a small smile. "Don't be too certain of that, old friend. Forever is rapidly becoming a smaller period of time...and time is always growing short." The two approached the doors to Vector Sigma, still wide open following the earlier skirmish, to find another waiting for them. "What are you doing here?"

"You never bothered to close the door after we left," Minerva explained. "I thought you might want to head down here and lock up. And I wanted to ask you about something in private, so here we are."

The elder Transformer gave a bemused glance. "Very well. What is your question?"

"You said on the way over here that Vector Sigma could only be opened from without when someone came with one of the Artifacts. The only other way in is if someone opened the door from the inside." The medic ran a hand down the door's internals appraisingly. "Whatever they were doing to open it, they didn't do nearly enough. That only leaves one explanation – Galvatron got in because someone else opened the door for him, and it wasn't from within."

The bemused smile turned into a proud one. "Someone did indeed. You are a very insightful and clever femme, Minerva."

"The Romans named a goddess after me," the femme proudly admitted. "I like to think they got some of it right."

Her question made, Minerva stepped away from the doors as Vector Prime stepped towards them. He withdrew his sword, and slid it to the lock within the floor, turning it one quarter counter-clockwise. With a series of heavy whirrs and clicks, the door slid closed, its telling indent restoring itself.

"But assuming I'm right...what exactly does that mean?"

Safeguard looked up at the red and white Autobot. "It means we've still got a lot to do."

---

It was several cycles before the three returned to the surface, just in time to see Atlantis dock and for its small crew to disembark and set foot on their ancestral home, and just enough for Minerva to fill in her old friends on what had happened in their absence.

"You mean we missed out on kicking some real tailpipe?" Hightail groaned. "First I miss out on some action back on Earth, now I miss out on it here on Cybertron."

Evac chuckled as he led his old friend down the hallway, Minerva giving the motorcycle a playful nudge. "Don't feel too bad. Something tells me we'll have something to do soon enough."

"Unfortunately, that's a safe bet." Doors slid open before them and Optimus led them into the Command Center of the Decagon, more popularly called Autobase Central. Techs worked at numerous computer terminals, logging in reports from throughout Cybertron and its colonies and keeping track of everything else. Gathered together in the middle were Optimus's inner circle, the top commanders and most trusted advisors, with Starscream and his cadre in tow, the Mini-Con leaders standing proudly at their feet. Before them, placed with honor upon a temporary pedestal and with numerous wires and sensors linked to it, was the Omega Lock.

"Sensors primed and ready on the Omega Lock," Red Alert reported, checking his end.

"Aegis, Velocitron and Animatros reportin' standby," Scattorshot called from his console. "Just waitin' on that sucker to get plugged in."

Optimus gestured to Evac as Vector Prime and Safeguard took their respective places in the waiting crowds. "It's been in your care for centuries, Evac. It's only fitting that you be the one to install it."

The rescue helicopter nodded and reached into his subspace pocket. With reverence and fond memory, he withdrew what everyone had been waiting for – the Key of Wisdom, a brilliant blue and gold device emblazoned with the symbol of a rising sun. Without another word, Evac stepped towards the Omega Lock.

"Not see why so much fuss over little blue key," Grimlock grumbled in a low voice. "Just plug it in already."

Jazz gave the Dinobot a grin. "Still not got patience down, huh Big Grim?"

The Solstice was met with a smug snort in response.

As Evac approached, both the Key and Lock began to take on brilliant glows, blue and white respectively. As everyone watched, the Key rose from its guardian's hands and serenely floated in a swift circle towards the Lock, homing in before aligning with a slot and joining with it. The two artifacts glowed in unison for a few brief seconds before pulsing three times with light and then releasing a wave of energy in all directions.

The wave spread across Cybertron, radiating outwards into the heavens. It soon reached Velocitron and Animatros, an energy source on both worlds reacting in kind.

Elsewhere in the heavens, far distant from the wave's source, a similar reaction took place.

And yet elsewhere, much closer to the metal world, another sensed the Artifacts' reunion. And despite the lack of air in space, a roar carried out across the stars...

The End