NEST Classified Operations- Diego Garcia

"Holy shit…" Mikaela whispered as she stepped off the cargo plane beside Melony and Grayson.

Melony laughed in amusement as her best friend stared at the usual bustle of the base in amazement.

"That's what I said. ...just less swearing," Grayson smiled up at the brunette.

"Come on, this way," Melony said as she motioned for Mikaela to follow her.

The three of them headed for the giant open doors of the main hanger.

They had just gotten inside when Melony was nearly run over.

"Careful now. …wait, who are you?" The blonde girl questioned.

The girl also had blonde hair but with a single pink streak. She wore a purple and gold blouse but it was hardly visible from Melony's position standing above her due to the purple jacket with a yellow 17 on it. A pink and gold skirt and black boots completed the outfit.

"Jessica!" A blond boy with a single red streak ran over to help the girl up.

Side by side it was clear that they were related but they did differ from one another. Fraternal twins Melony assumed.

He wore black shirt covered with a red jacket that had a yellow 5 on it. He had paired the attire with black pants and black sneakers.

"Thanks, James," Jessica replied as she brushed herself off.

Elizabeth jogged over, "What did I tell you two? If you're going to stay here with me you need to not destroy anything or anyone. Especially Melony Prime."

"You're Melony Prime?" James questioned as he looked the slightly older blonde up and down, unimpressed.

"Well my father is Optimus Prime and my sister is Persephanie Prime so I'm still assuming I am," Melony joked.

"I'm sorry about them, Melony. They're too much like me for their own good I'm afraid," Elizabeth apologized.

"No harm, no foul." Melony held up her hands as she smiled.

"Run along you two. Go harass Jazz or prank someone," Elizabeth told the twins.

They grinned at each other and ran off in the direction they had came from.

"So… who are the new twins?" Mikaela questioned.

"My seventeen year old cousins Jessica and James Hughes. Techno-organics who recently moved here from Sodor to join the team," Elizabeth explained, "Jazz accidentally mentioned this place on our last visit to them."

"Sodor…? Where's that?" Grayson asked.

"It's an island in England," Melony supplied.

Elizabeth nodded, "Yes and unfortunately for the base they're almost as bad as me when it comes to prancing."

"'Almost'? Are you trying to save your reputation or are you being honest?" Mikaela laughed.

There was a crash followed by Ratchet's distinguishable yells.

"I guess you're about to find out." Elizabeth ran in the opposite direction of the noise in an attempt to not get blamed.

"Either way, just don't let them meet the Terror Twins and I think we'll all be safe," Melony called after her.

She shared an amused smile with Mikaela as they started towards the communication area.

"Secure link to JCS is up, Major!" someone called out as the girls neared.

Mikaela stared around herself in awe as Melony head up to the platform high above them alongside Lennox and Persephanie. Epps chuckled at her expression as he walked up beside her and Grayson.

NEST employees carried on indistinct chatter as they prepared to conference with the general.

"Secure line to Pentagon is now open," Maggie announced as she spun away from Glen in her chair. She stood and headed down off the platform, conversing with Mikaela as Epps messed around with Grayson.

Persephanie moved out of site from the screen as it turned on to show General Morshower.

"General?" Will said to test the connection.

"Will, Melony, I saw the Shanghai op," Morshower replied.

"We had a rough day out there," Epps commented from below and Mikaela offered him a supportive smile.

"Yes, sir. We have intel that I believe warrants an immediate debrief. Now with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots," Lennox continued, ignoring Epps' comment.

Morshower nodded, "Proceed."

Optimus, who was listening in from his altmode below them, instantly transformed and stood in front of the platform.

Galloway stepped forward, silently amazed with the alien robot before him.

Epps noticed and offered the man a few words, "You gotta wonder, if God made us in his image, who made him?"

Galloway scowled at him, upset he had been caught off guard, and rushed away from Epps.

"General, our alliance has countermanded six Decepticon incursions this year, each on a different continent. They're clearly searching around the world for something. But last night's encounter came with a warning," Optimus spoke. He pointed to Glen and the former hacker played the recording from the previous night in Shanghai, "The Fallen shall rise again."

Morshower leaned forward in his chair, "The Fallen. Meaning what?"

"Origin unknown," Optimus shook his head, "The only recorded history of our race was contained within the Allspark and lost with its destruction."

Lennox went to continue explaining only for Galloway to call up, "Excuse me! With this so-called Allspark now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?"

The advisor started up the stairs to the platform.

"Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor. The President just appointed him liaison. Which, to a…" Lennox trailed off in annoyance as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, I guess I didn't get that memo," Morshower grumbled discontentedly.

"Forgive the interruption, General," Galloway continued as he tried to make his way through the soldiers and tech staff that were working vigorously along the platform to keep the conference running and encrypted from eyes that shouldn't view it, "Excuse me. Coming through. Excuse me. Excuse me, soldier," he finally shoved his way beside Lennox, "Um. After all the damage in Shanghai, the President is, um, hard-pressed to say the job's getting done."

Melony cast her father an unamused side glance as she leaned against the railing in front of him.

Galloway turned to them, "Now, under the classified Alien-Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry."

Optimus answered before Melony could, pointing a finger at Galloway, "We've witnessed your human capacity for war. It would absolutely bring more harm than good."

Galloway leaned away from the finger until Optimus pulled his hand away, "But who are you to judge what's best for us?" The liaison demanded.

"How about the eons of war history this planet has?" Melony asked under her breath.

"With all due respect, we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years," Lennox tried to reason with the man.

"We've shed blood, sweat and precious metal together," Epps added from beside Optimus' foot.

Galloway looked over the railing at him, Grayson, Mikaela, and Maggie below, "Soldier, you're paid to shoot, not talk."

Epps glared right back as Galloway turned away again, "Don't tempt me."

"And the, ah, newest members of your team-"

"Easy," Optimus warned Epps, "Why don't you all show Mikaela around?"

Grayson grinned and grabbed Mikaela's hand to drag her away, leaving Maggie and Epps to follow after them.

"I understand they arrived here after you sent a message into space, an open invitation to come to Earth, vetted by no one at the White House."

Morshower decided to interrupt Galloway this time, "Let me stop you right there, mister Galloway. It was vetted right here. And in my experience, the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team has always been above reproach."

"Well, be that as it may, General, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake... No one is above reproach," Galloway glared at Morshower as if he had been out of line in Galloway's none existent order of power, "Now, what do we know so far? We know that the enemy leader, classified NBE-One a.k.a. Megatron, is rusting in peace at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyss, surrounded by SOSUS detection nets and a full-time submarine surveillance. We also know that the only remaining piece of your alien Allspark is locked in an electromagnetic vault here on one of the most secure naval bases in the world. And since no one can seem to tell me what the enemy is now after. Well, there's only one clear conclusion! You! The Autobots!"

Persephanie moved to Melony's side while Melony stood up straight and Optimus blinked in surprise as they all took offense to the accusation.

"They're here to hunt you! What's there to hunt for on Earth besides that?" Galloway asked, turning to the still busy staff around them as if they would agree with him, which no one did, "The Fallen shall rise again? It sounds to me like something's coming," The angry man turned back to Optimus, "So. Let me ask, if we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying you further asylum on our planet, will you leave? Peacefully?"

The twins turned to their father with fear in their eyes as they watched him think on the question for an Earth second.

"Freedom is your right. If you make that request, we will honor it," Galloway nodded at this response and started to walk away as if that was all he had come for. Optimus placed his hand on the railing beside Galloway making him pause and turn back, "But... before your President decides, please ask him this: What if we leave... and you're wrong?"

Galloway looked over at Lennox and then back at Optimus before his eyes settled on Persephanie and Melony and he stormed away angrily.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"That's a good question," Lennox told Optimus.

"That's a smart question," Persephanie corrected.

Optimus nodded before he returned to the debrief with Morshower. The twin Prime girls shared an eye roll before they headed down the stairs together. They conversed about the events in that had occurred in Tranquility after Melony had returned as they headed for the mess hall. As they went Optimus gazed after them, a pleased smile on his face plates.

"Optimus?" Lennox questioned.

Optimus turned to the man slowly, "My apologizes. I'm afraid the father in me tends to over power the commander in me when those two are together," he apologized.

"Understandable. Let us continue," Morshower nodded acceptingly.