Chapter 7: The Battle

Ratchet held a hand up and his four companions slowed. "There are definitely signs of life in there," he said, nodding toward the factory. Lights burned and a strange glow emanated from the end furthest from their position.

"Someone's in there for sure, but how do we know it's Starscream like Demon says?" Tank asked.

"We don't," Commander said. "I'm going in for a closer look."

"You can't," Ironhide protested. "If it is Starscream, and he's got an army of bots and another All Spark, you'll be dead."

"That's what I do," Commander said evenly. "It's my job to be first on-scene and assess the situation."

"Where do you want me?" Tank asked, as though this were the most natural thing in the world.

"On my flank, Brother, like always."

Ratchet and Ironhide exchanged looks. "Well," Ratchet said, "since you've decided you're in charge, where do you want us?"

"Airborne, equidistant from our entry point here at the closest door to us," Commander replied. "And I want you fully armed and ready to act. If it looks too dicey, get back to the Primes and warn them."

"I don't run from a fight," Ratchet said.

Commander placed a hand on his shoulder. "You wouldn't be with Optimus Prime if you did."

Ratchet almost felt like smiling as he nodded. This was an Autobot he wouldn't mind taking orders from any day. "All right, let's get going. Once you confirm it's Starscream, we're heading back to Earth on the double."

"You got it," Commander confirmed. He gestured to Tank and the two of them drifted into the light gravity of the lunar atmosphere, touching down silently with negligible puffs of moon dust rising around their massive feet.

Tank looked to Commander, who motioned for him to get the door unlocked. The shamrock green Autobot moved quickly, assessing the type of panel Demon had used and trying multiple combinations of the familiar Decepticon symbols until at last they heard a click.

They both waited, Commander looking up and to the left, then to the right, to assure himself both Ironhide and Ratchet were in place. When he was confident the factory's occupant hadn't heard the door unlock, he nodded to Tank to open it.

Something sailed through the door and had knocked Commander to the ground. It was an off-white robot that was roughly the same height as the Autobot second-in-command, but markedly thinner. The two robots bounced off the surface once, twice, then landed against the edge of the crater with a violent crunch.

"Commander!" Tank cried, but was surprised by another off-white robot tackling him to the ground.

Ironhide and Ratchet swooped in with guns and lasers blazing. They managed to disable the bot holding Commander down, but Tank cried out as the one he was fighting wrenched himself around and fired directly into his shoulder.

"Tank!" Commander cried as he, Ironhide and Ratchet ran to his side. They physically pulled the bot from Tank and Ratchet blew his head clean off.

"They know we're here!" Ironhide shouted. "We have to go now!"

"Can you fly?" Commander asked as Ironhide tried to refasten Tank's arm to his shoulder so it wasn't just dangling by a thin rubber hose.

"Have to," Tank ground out.

A voice from behind them made the Autobots freeze mid-movement. "Well, well, well, who do we have here?"

Tank looked directly at Commander, who shook his head ever-so-slightly. Then his eyes glowed a brighter blue, for he knew Tank was going to do it anyway. "Go!" Tank cried, whirling and charging into Starscream's torso. The two fell back into the factory.

"Tank, no!" Commander roared, but Ratchet and Ironhide were on either side of him pulling him with them as they took off.

"We have to go!" Ratchet yelled. "Now!"

"I can't leave him!"

"You must," Ironhide said. "He did that to save you."

"Warn the Primes about the Moonbots!" Commander yelled, wrenching himself from their grasp. The last words they heard as he disappeared through the door were, "Do not let Starscream win."

Ironhide looked at Ratchet and the two nodded once. "It has been an honor," Ironhide said as the door slammed shut behind Commander.

"I second that," Ratchet added, knowing Commander wasn't yet too far away to hear. He hesitated for only a second before he and Ironhide took off for Earth.

Commander could hear Starscream and Tank scuffling. There was laser fire and then there was silence. He could hardly bear to think of what he'd find when he crossed the threshold, but before he could stop himself, that's what he did.

He skidded to a halt just inside the door, eyes widening in disbelief.

* * *

Sam alerted Captain Lennox about Starscream and the Moonbots. Within thirty minutes the entire complement of the State of California's Army, Navy and Air Force were put on high alert, with Washington, D.C. taking charge of the rest of the nation's forces.

Bumblebee transformed into his Camaro alter ego. Sam and Mikaela jumped in and high-tailed it away from the warehouse to join the Army's forces. Pius and Optimus quickly put a plan of attack together that would see Speed, Aquos, Ratchet, Ironhide and the two of them head to the Moon to destroy Starscream, the factory and the Moonbots. And, Pius prayed, to rescue Tank and Commander.

K-12, Grandma, Chitchat, Lady, Lingo and Brains would remain on Earth. Lingo was to monitor all transmissions from inside the warehouse while Brains, Grandma, K-12 and Lady met up with Bumblebee and Captain Lennox's troops. Chitchat would remain with Lingo. Because she still couldn't speak, she couldn't be given a job that required communication…but she could sure help listen to it.

Plan firmly in place, the Primes took off with their group, hoping they weren't too late. From the door of the warehouse, Chitchat watched them go, hoping it wouldn't be the last time she ever saw Speed…or any of them…alive.

* * *

Speed and Aquos flanked Pius, while Ironhide and Ratchet took up position with Optimus. There was no sound from inside the factory, although the lights were still blazing as Ratchet and Ironhide remembered. They pointed to the door Tank and Starscream had tumbled through and Optimus indicated they would take that entrance while Pius and his team would go to the other end, where the strange glow was still visible.

There was nothing inside the door. There were no Moonbots, no Autobots, and no signs of Starscream. Ratchet and Ironhide shook their heads at Optimus's questioning look. Weapons loaded and ready, they moved into the mile-long facility, all sensors on high alert.

Pius, Aquos and Speed reached the far end of the building and softly landed just outside the door. Aquos moved to one side, Speed to the other. Pius worked the Decepticon-coded lock and heard the door click. Looking to Speed first, he waited for his ready nod before looking at Aquos and receiving the same. Slowly he opened the door.

What emerged from within wasn't exactly what any of them were expecting. A long black laser rifle poked through the entryway, hitting Pius's nose and pushing him backwards several feet before its owner emerged.

"Commander?" Speed squeaked.

"Speed!" Commander said, equally surprised. "Aquos?" He searched behind them. "Pius, where's Starscream?"

"He's not in there with you? Where's Tank?"

"Tank knocked Starscream out. We got our hands on the All Spark and I used it to restore Tank's arm; one of the Moonbots had nearly severed it. By the time I finished I heard your footsteps and thought you were Starscream returning."

"You have the second All Spark?"

Tank appeared behind Commander holding the worn-looking silver, gold and copper-colored cube etched with markings they now knew were the ancient language of their forefathers. Less than half a meter on each of its six sides, Pius thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen as Tank handed it gently to him.

"And to think," Optimus said quietly as he, Ratchet and Ironhide approached them from behind Tank and Commander, "that was once a giant monolith on our home world."

They gathered into a close circle, staring at the object they had sought for so many thousands of years it seemed sheer impossibility that they finally had it.

"It will be again," Pius said. "On my life I swear to you it will."

* * *

"Then I swear to you it won't!" a sinister voice hissed from behind him.

The Autobots whirled to face their Decepticon foe but Commander had already moved, throwing Pius out of the way as Optimus rocketed forward. Everyone but Pius fired as the copper and gold Autobot bounced several times until the edge of the crater stopped him and he was able to right himself.

But it was too late for Optimus and Commander, and Starscream wasn't alone. The laser fire and resulting smoke were so dense, Pius couldn't tell exactly who was where until the Moonbots started launching into the air. He fired and hit Moonbot after Moonbot as he rose into the air followed by Aquos, Ratchet and Speed. Ironhide, Optimus and Commander were nowhere to be seen as Starscream followed the bots into space.

"I'll be back for the All Spark," Starscream roared as the Autobots kept firing and he kept dodging them. "After Earth has been destroyed!"

"Where is Optimus?" Pius asked, jetting back down to the lunar surface as the smoke began to clear.

Aquos shook his head as he, Ratchet and Speed landed next to them.

"Commander," Pius whispered, kneeling between the bodies of his brother and his most trusted ally. "No."

"Pius." The clone of Optimus Prime looked up to find Tank and Ironhide standing over him. In his hands, Tank held the All Spark. He knelt next to his leader, raising the Cube before them. "Commander used this to heal me, to restore my arm." Pius nodded slowly as he stared sadly at the lifeless bodies. "Pius, you can use it to restore their lives."

"I thought only direct creations of Primus and those cloned from them could use the All Spark to create life or restore it," Ironhide said uncertainly. "Pius Prime could use it, of course, as long as the bodies are not too damaged. But how did Commander do so on Tank's arm?"

Tank looked up at the black and gray Autobot with three-pronged feet. He then looked at Pius. "Yes, how did he do what he did?"

Pius laid a hand on Commander's chest. "The Spark that is within him, that gave him life, came from me."

"What?" Aquos said. "When did that happen?"

"During the underground raid that cut off our only escape route, the Decepticons killed more than Nosey and Flash. They killed Commander as well."

"You can't be serious!"

"I am very serious, Speed," Pius replied. "Both Nosey and Flash were in far too many pieces for me to be able to do anything. But Commander was hit directly in the chest. His Spark was extinguished."

"I knew you two were trapped in the tunnel for weeks, but you never told us anything else about it," Tank breathed. "Does Commander know?"

"No, I never told him. Once I determined we couldn't get out of there in time to seek help, I gave him the only thing I had."

"Half of your Spark," Tank said as Pius nodded. "The same way Optimus Prime created you."

"Exactly."

"Can you use the All Spark to bring him back?" Tank asked, looking down at Commander's body.

"I will try," Pius said. "But you must hurry to Earth." He looked up at the Autobots standing and kneeling around him. "You must ensure Starscream and the Moonbots do not succeed, no matter what happens here."

"Optimus would want it that way," Ratchet said. "And so would Commander."

Tank hesitated as the others moved away to prepare for blastoff. Pius rose to his feet. "I know you don't want to leave him," he said quietly so the others wouldn't hear. "You two have been inseparable since that cave-in."

"And I had no idea he'd died," Tank replied.

"Neither did he, and let's keep it that way," Pius said, placing a hand on Tank's shoulder. "I'll bring him back to us, and Optimus as well. If it takes every ounce of energy I have left, Tank, I will."

"I know you will," Tank said, cocking his head to the side. "After all, you're Pius Prime."

Pius watched them all take off and turned to look back at Commander and Optimus. "You're damn right I am," he whispered fiercely, cradling the All Spark in his large hands. "And these are the most important lives I could ever save."