Smugglers

Chapter 3: The Bassan Galaxy

The Bassan Galaxy was dark and uninviting. The stars were far and few between; serving as coordinates on a map instead of asteroid belts or planets as there were none. The Galaxy was barren; the only thing in it was an abandoned space bridge which was no longer in operation but had left as a marker or rather a point of origin.

The occupants of Omega Supreme were as silent as the Galaxy around them; its somber mood affecting them as well. Even Ratchet was quiet for once and didn't offer a single disparaging comment. Optimus would have commented on the momentous occasion but thought it irreverent to break the silence that had fallen.

Surprisingly enough Prowl was the first one to speak. "I don't understand how anyone can stand to pass through here let alone meet."

"That's exactly why the smugglers love it," Optimus explained. "No one else dares come here because they're too scared so the smugglers rule."

"Everyone else is too smart to come here," Ratchet grumbled.

Optimus sighed. "It was either that or the three of us were going to get kicked out and I would prefer to retire, not get fired."

Prowl and Ratchet exchanged uneasy glances then fell silent again. They stayed that way for the next several hours.

Bulkhead didn't like the Bassan Galaxy; it had unnerved him so badly the first time e traveled through it so badly that he had found a gun that he could hold and kept it with him at all times. He had also been extremely jumpy which was not a good thing when you were around Bumblebee who had a propensity to jump on unsuspecting victims. Needless to say they had spent the better part of a month patching up the ship.

Bulkhead wasn't quite so jumpy now but he still didn't like it. Bee on the other servo not only liked it but enjoyed it (although he did like the Milky Way better). Bee liked the fact that it was so empty. He'd told Bulkhead once that, "All of this emptiness; it feels like my processor at times yet it's so beautiful that it just makes me feel oh I don't know, hopeful." Bulkhead hadn't questioned his friend further but had watched Bumblebee thoughtfully the next few days. Bulkhead might not like the Bassan Galaxy but Bee did and as far as he was concerned that was a good enough reason to put up with it.

Starscream was fed up. He was fed up with listening to his clones arguing amongst themselves and he was really fed up with listening to Blitzwing's personalities fighting with each other. It was enough to drive him crazy, or give him a massive processor ache.

"Enough!" he screamed and rose to his pedes. Immediately they all fell silent and turned to look at the furious flier.

"We are on our way to destroy the Autobots and all you seem to care about is who insulted who first! Now either you get serious or I will off-line each and every one of you!"

Silence reigned as the Decepticons exchanged startled glances then looked at Starscream then back at each other.

"We'll be serious," Slipstream answered for them.

"Good," Starscream nodded in satisfaction.

He was about to sit back down when he overheard Blitzwing whisper to Skywarp, "He's vorse than Megatron."

"Blitzwing!"

The last couple of hours had been quiet, quiet enough to lull Optimus into recharge. Well it would have been except that he was still a little uneasy despite the fact that nothing had happened. He was just starting to relax ever so slightly when a beeping sound came from one of the consoles.

"A ship is approaching," Prowl announced.

"Really? Maybe we can catch a smuggler today and go home," Optimus said hopefully.

Ratchet gave a disbelieving snort. "Yeah and my name's Megatron."

"Bee," Bulkhead said slowly. "We're coming up on another ship."

Bee appeared from under the console he had been working on and peered at the monitor. "Slag," he cursed and threw down his tools. Moving to a different console his digits flew over the keyboard; enhancing the small blip on the screen.

"It's Elite Guard," he announced. "I'm picking up three energy signatures onboard; all Autobot."

"Uh-oh, that's not good." When Bee didn't say anything Bulkhead started to grow nervous. "It's not good, right?" Bee still didn't say anything. "Right?"

"I'm bored," Bee grinned mischieviously and entered in a command.

The nervousness in his stomach that Bulkhead had studiously been attempting to ignore all morning came back with a vengeance.

"Bee, what are you fixing to do?" Bulkhead asked nervously.

Bee's smile merely widened. "Why, Bulkhead, I'm not fixing to do anything. The Elite Guard on the other servo, is about to capture a notorious smuggler with a humongous price on his head."

Bulkhead groaned.

"Oh don't look like that, Bulky. You'll only be in there for a couple of hours, a day at the most then you're going to mysteriously disappear along with the majority of their weapons."

"Okay," Bulkhead sighed reluctantly.

"Have you identified the ship yet?" Optimus asked anxiously.

"Give me a minute," Ratchet growled, punching a few keys then read the information aloud. "The ship is called, Prime, you're not gonna this but it's called," Ratchet was laughing so hard that he was having trouble breathing.

"Are you all right?" Optimus asked hesitantly, not sure if he really wanted the answer.

Ratchet nodded. "I'm fine. It's just…the ship is called The Smuggler."

There was stunned silence then, "Please say that you are joking," Prowl begged.

"I'm not," Ratchet had finally calmed down enough to answer them without laughing every single breath.

Optimus ignored Prowl whose right optics was twitching and addressed Ratchet. "Any energy signatures?"

Ratchet nodded. "I'm reading one energy signature."

"Attempt to contact them," Optimus ordered.

Ratchet nodded again and entered in a few commands then a large green mech appeared on the screen.

"I am Optimus Prime, a member of the Elite Guard. Identify yourself and state your purpose for being in this galaxy."

"My name's Bulkhead and I'm just here to meet a friend," the bot looked more than a little edgy.

Optimus raised an optic ridge. "Out here in the Bassan Galaxy? Are you sure that you're not a smuggler and that you're here to arrange a meeting with a fellow smuggler?"

Bulkhead swallowed and glanced around nervously. "Uh…" he stuttered.

Optimus continued as if the green bot hadn't even spoken. "But if you really are here to meet a friend then you won't mind if we have a look around your ship, will you?"

"I guess not," Bulkhead said reluctantly.

A few minutes later the three Elite Guard members boarded The Smuggler, much to Bulkhead's dismay which he made no attempt to hide as it was all a part of Bumblebee's plan. At least that's what Bee had said, Bulkhead wasn't entirely sure about the plan; he trusted Bee but he didn't trust the little bot's plans.

After several minutes of looking around they had found enough weapons and explosive to power a small army.

"I think it's safe to assume that he's not just here to meet a friend," Prowl said drily.

"I'm placing you under arrest for smuggling illegal weapons through a protected galaxy and for conspiraring to sell said weapons to bots who intend to use them for malicious purpose." Optimus stopped and took a deep breath then slapped the energon cuffs on Bulkhead.

Bulkhead stared at the red-and-blue bot and blinked in utter astonishment. "Nice speech."

"Thank you."

"Did you have to memorize that or did you make it up yourself?"

Optimus thought for a moment. "I made it up," he admitted.

"Well it's very nice."

"Thanks."

"Starscream, our scanners are picking up two ships dead ahead and one has an Elite Guard signature," Blitzwing announced.

Starscream rubbed his servos together gleefully. "At last my plan is almost complete. All that remains is to capture them which will be delightfully easy as they won't be expecting us. Then we will attack Cybertron and rule the world!"

He laughed manically for several seconds then stopped when he realized that everyone's optics were trained on him. "What are you all staring at? Get ready to attack!"

Optimus was happy; they had already captured a smuggler and hopefully they were on their way home. A little voice in the back of his processor whispered that things were going too well but tired to ignore it. Tried being the operative word.

"Prime," Ratchet's voice an unusual note of urgency in it. "I'm up another ship on our scanners: it's the Decepticons."

A/N: 3 reviews.

A/N/N: Sorry it's so late but I just got back from my friend's house and then I had to type everything I had written on the computer.