"Perceptor, you're being too finicky. It's a space bridge, it's already got redundancy in the design," Huffer called out, complaining about the too picky scientist. The assembled Space Bridge loomed overhead in its new, underground home.
"Accurate design mitigates energy usage by at least a factor of 10 %," the dark blue Transformer scientist said in an almost scolding tone.
"More like 12 %," Bulkhead spoke up.
"Can we increase that?" Jetfire asked curiously as he watched his elders work on the massive device, assembling it from local parts. Human scientists were assisting, helping set up the many sub-systems and power conduits.
Erica Simons had wandered down, as a couple of the A-1 ASTRAYs had been drafted to work on the project, using their large size and strength in a non-combat setting to give her pilots much needed practice. Everything was being recorded in the hope that someday, they could build their own bridges.
Lowe Guele sat in a wheelchair and looked extremely bored. He was the Junk Guild liason for Project Outreach and frankly rather be playing around with the guts of a mobile suit or helping with the Ark salvage operation. Sure ripping open portals in space to travel to other worlds was an amazing idea, but listening to the Autobots bicker over how to build it was extremely dull.
That was when Rachet came crashing through the massive armored door that led to the main part of Morgenrote. "Guys, there's some sort of fight going on. Swerve and that crazy Allster girl are trying to kill Drift."
"For Cybertron's sake!" Huffer grumbled. "Why haven't they sent that girl to a place like Torkulon?"
Perceptor was thinking fast and furious. It appeared someone had penetrated Drift's new identity. "Autobots, move out," he ordered.
"Ah man," Lowe grumbled. "Now I'll miss out on the action." He then sighed. "C-10."
"You sunk my battleship," A.I. 8 cried out petulantly.
Admiral Garcia stepped out of an elevator into the massive underground wet-dock beneath the island of ORB. "Well, that's not something you see every day," he said blandly to his staff lieutenant, Michelle Barnaby and to Lt. Commander Murrue Ramius as he surveyed all of the damage. Cranes were knocked over with holes blasted in the side of walls. Smoke issued from the port bay of the Archangel.
He had just returned on an express sub-orbital flight from Heaven's Base where he had been meeting with his superiors. Murrue was barely finishing briefing him on the fight between allies on the way down the elevator.
"We were getting some real muddled reports on the flight over," Lt. Barnaby stated as she shook her head.
"It is muddled. But I fully backed Ensign Allster. And from what I've gotten out of Hot Shot and Swerve, it appears that she thought she had uncovered a spy within the Autobots inside Morgenrote. I can't fault her for acting immediately on such a security issue," Murrue stated. "From Whirl's statement (which was mostly swearing) he was not given the chance to respond."
"Clearly the Wreckers after-action reports are not written by Whirl," Garcia remarked. Though he had to admit given he got into a fight with fellows over a cross between someone in witness protection and being on parole, he probably was justified in being somewhat angry. Still the only person he could fault (so far) for the whole mess was Deathcobra.
True, Deathcobra had lied about Drift being a spy, but with all the other additional information Flay had gotten from Swerve and Hot Shot she had probable cause to suspect him of being up to something. And she showed initiative to deal with what she thought was huge security risk.
Even if it was all so Deathcobra could make a failed prison break and now they had a new transformer on their hands. Garcia took a moment to study the white and gold ASTRAY that was being coaxed into opening her cockpit by Rachet and Perceptor. From what he had heard, Flay had not responded at all since the attack had ended.
'You get called away for a little while and everything goes crazy,' Garcia mused. At least the Strike Daggers were entering full production. In fact, the first shipment of Cyberium armor would delivered here to Morgenrote within a few days.
There was a great deal of tension in the air as Hot Shot glared at Drift, who stood there polishing his sword. The green Minicon Skysickle did the glaring at Hot Shot for Drift while Jolt was trying to play peacemaker between the pair.
Jetstorm shook his head as he watched, as he was outside the dynamics of that team of Autobots.
"Admiral," Strike (or rather Tri-Strike as he would like to be known) said respectfully. Each of his upper arms showed his single gold stripe of an ensign.
"Ah, Garcia," Whirl spoke up. "So can I light the fire?"
"I beg your pardon?" the newly promoted admiral asked.
"You know, for Flay. Isn't she going to get burned to death like you do with witches?"
"She is a very young and junior officer who was tricked into her actions. Actually, she showed iniative and will in acting immediately against a perceived threat. Those are valued qualities of a officer," Garcia started to explain. He was going to go on to explain what sort of action he was going to take on her, as she did react a little too abruptly without bringing in her superiors.
"WHAT! Are you slagging insane? She nearly killed him!" Whirl shouted out as his servos groaned as Drift and Jetstorm had to hold him back to keep him from doing anything. The entire time Whirl's knife was extending and retracting from his hand.
Tri-Strike hoped he'd be fast enough if Whirl attacked Garcia.
Whirl finally managed to slip out of the grasp and Tri-Strike got between Garcia and the enraged Wrecker. While the Earthly Transformer did not like Flay that much, he thought Whirl was right over the top right now.
"If she ever puts the lives of my team mates in danger again I will kill her myself!" Whirl growled with a dark timber.
"And I'll help you do that," Downshift stated leaning against a wall. "I believe there's a human statement that applies to this. Three strikes and you're out."
Tri-Strike put his hands on his hips, where his Armored Schnieders were located.
"Autobot Whirl..." Murrue asked ominously. "Do you normally threaten allies and issue ultimatiums to their command?"
"Usually they don't try to get me killed in the crossfire of their vendettas," Whirl snapped at her. "By the Great Smelter I am really tired of her slag!"
"I just think we need to direct her at the Decepticons," Jetstorm commented quickly to try and defuse this before it turned into a fight. "Before she makes an even bigger mess here." Besides, he could understand her driving force that sent her to try and kill the Decepticons. After all, he was not too dissimilar.
"Admiral Garcia," Downshift stated harshly. "Flay Allster is on very thin ice with us. Every time she gets into a mobile suit she causes trouble and now it seems like you are rewarding her for it. This better not be some ploy to play with Kira's heart strings."
"Ensign Yamato's personal life is not involved with this at all," Garcia stated very clearly, anger starting to tint his words. "Ensign Allster has shown to be a promising officer and volunteered to fight on her own."
"And like, Grimlock is a pain in the fan belt off it," Whirl commented snarkily.
"The same Grimlock that is a major leader of your Autobots? Or did you threaten to kill him to keep him in line?" Murrue snapped out.
"You have obviously never met Grimlock or you would not say that. You need to reign her in," Downshift ordered Garcia in an angry tone. "The incidents she is causing are getting worse and worse."
"Are you dictacting to me, Autobot?" Admiral Gerard Garcia asked, causing his aide to wince. Flay Allster was one of his officers, that made her one of their own. He might be a total bastard to people not under him at times, but he had a very strong esprit de corps.
"Downshift, that is enough" Optimus Prime said as he and Lord Athha came back into the devestated dock. It appears he had misjudged how important it was to get back to negotiating with Prime Minister Athha. He had just overheard the latest part of that conversation. "That is not how we deal with our allies. That path would make us no better than the Decepticons. This coversation is now over until both sides can cool off."
Whirl glared at Optimus Prime for a long moment. "Fine. I'm done with this scrap heap." He shrugged off Drift and Downshift and started to walk off.
"As long as they don't start something," Drift remarked with a whine, energon sparks leaking from his battered torso.
"I'm going to be watching you," Hot Shot snarled.
"Just as long as you keep it watching," the white ex-Decepticon said in a slow tone that hinted at sadness. He had thought Hot Shot was a friend.
Garcia wondered if Drift staying dead would have kept him from having to deal with this mess.
"Hot Shot," Optimus Prime ordered. "I need to speak with you and Swerve in private."
Whirl smirked as he knew Hot Shot and Swerve were not going to be getting medals for their actions with Flay. He just hoped it would not breed more resentment given they didn't need that slag right now. 'If ever,' the blue Wrecker mused.
"Whirl, go blow of some steam before I talk to you."
The Wrecker winced at that, as it appeared the Autobot leader was also not pleased with him. "Whatever."
"Optiums Prime, if you could set aside some time for a meeting, I would appreciate it," Admiral Garcia called out. "We definitely need to work closer to avoid future problems."
The blue and red Autobot nodded grudgingly. None of his team leaders had fine praise for the human, but he had to admit the man was a leader cut from a very different cloth.
Rachet had finally convinced the new Transformer to open her pilot's hatch, allowing Mu La Flaga and a medic to enter the cockpit, which felt very funny to her. Of course, funny isn't a word that could be used when they saw Flay.
"Hand me a neck brace and get a stretcher! She's alive, but in serious condition!" the medic called out.
"Hang tough, kid. You don't deserve your hard life," Mu said sadly as he looked at the unconscious girl hanging from her crash harness. Blood was seeping out of her cracked face-plate of her helmet.
Jetstorm realized what Kira was going to do when he found out about this and hoped Optimus Prime would send him somewhere safe until Kira cooled down. Like the other side of the galaxy.
In a slightly pricy restaruant called Dini's Kira had gotten together with his friends, unaware of the trouble back at base. Lacus pretty much invited herself and Athrun went along with her. Before the Transformers Kira would be nervious about having Athrun meet his friends. Now it pretty much was that as long as you could fit in the door, they'd at least try to have small talk with you.
"This is getting way too dangerous," Kuzzey said to his friend Sai. "And they said we could leave if we wanted to. So I think I'm opting out."
Sai nodded. "I am as well." After all, staying around Flay was just driving a dagger into his shattered heart.
"Well given your working on Transformers tech I'm sure you can write your own ticket with any electronics firm."
"You think you have it bad?" Athrun grumbled. "I'm one that got stuck writing reports on this stuff."
"And you've managed to avoid being requested to seek psychatric help?" Tolle asked as he thought over going back to civilian life.
"I'm as surprised as you are about that," Athrun replied with a grin.
"You got to be kidding me," Kuzzey said as he saw a news report on a TV.
"What is..." Kira said and gasped as footage of a group formed to ban the Transformers from the solar system protested in Washington D.C.. For some reason they called themselves the Circuit Breakers. The news reporter noted that one of the main leaders had been part of Blue Cosmos.
"Really?" Athrun remarked as he watched the news. "They honestly think Galvatron will do anything but shoot them for even suggesting the idea?"
"They are avoiding the fact that many of the N-Jammers are gone because of the Transformers," Sai noted. "Or that our conflict as slammed to a halt because of them."
Athrun was glad Yzak and Dearka didn't involve themselves in this social gathering or they might have harshly disagreed with that statement. Though he had to admit he thought he'd seen Yzak giving Miriallia some interesting glances. Which showed hormones didn't hold Coordinator or Natural in any regard.
"And this is going to get bigger," Kira said before realizing he should not have said that. There would a panic once word got out.
"What do you mean bigger?" Miriallia asked in a worried tone.
"More Decepticon ships are coming," Kira replied. "That's why the Ark came to the solar system."
"Coming from the sky above and there's nothing you can do," Haro spoke up.
"You mean even more Decepticons are coming here?" Tolle gasped. The ones they already had were bad enough.
"That is correct," Athrun said shaking his head. "Kira, I know you want to keep them informed but you don't have to spill your guts."
Kira remembered the lessons he'd gotten on keeping quiet on military secrets. "Sorry." Though he doubted it'd be secret much longer. Not when the production of mobile suits, weapons, and ships had skyrocketed. He hoped he'd be able to protect everyone in the middle of the escallation of war. Things were getting nasty.
"This is getting ludicrous..." was all the head of LOGOS/Blue Cosmos, Muruta Arzael, could say. A really good singer could in the presence of Transformers give life to machines? And for a group that wanted war to keep themselves in money, they now found their world was going to be the front lines of an impossibley old interstellar conflict.
Not through force of arms, but due to their singers being a resource to birth armies. Though their mobilesuits could fight Transformers as well. If anything could scare most of them it was that the Transformers would destroy their world. Bruno Azrael found the war with the Decepticons profitable but worrying.
After all the money he was making won't be worth anything to him if he was dead.
"If this is true," Lord Djibril stated, one of the other higher ranked members of Blue Cosmos considered aloud. "Then we need to hold a global singing contest with Autobots as judges or VIPs. Along with getting our extended troops in 105 Strikes. And let the European Federation have their Combat Coordinators."
"What about... them?" Captain Summerfield asked.
"As soon as our 'guests' are fixed and fitted with tracking systems and bombs in their heads we're going to use them as well," Muruta ordered. "We will make sure it's on fronts the Autobots won't be at."
"And the Autobots?" Elaidia Ulars asked.
"We need to recruit those Autobots Wheeljack and Perceptor to help improve our mobile suits at Heaven's Base," Muruta demanded. If the Autobot engineer was going to be giving out free ideas for weapons then LOGOS needed him around their scientists and weapon designers. He might even be able to make the lightwave barrier and other energy needy systems more affordable.
The true power behind the Atlantic Federation then pondered what ambassador to send to the Autobots. What he needed was an idealistic pawn. Then it hit him. Ambassador Thi Dang would work perfectly for that. She was young, idealistic, and would put forth the sort of public face they needed. And she wasn't a member of LOGOS or Blue Cosmos so they couldn't use her to find them.
A week later...
Kira was spending his time were he usually did when he wasn't busy. He was at Flay's side.
"And you want to know what scares me," Yzak commented. He'd ended up in the sickbay after he slipped while rock climbing. It wasn't very far but managed to hurt himself.
"And that is?" Kira asked.
"Optimus Prime is the nice leader. I'm not sure want to think about what the other guy does."
"I learned when he says stand down you do it," Flay sighed. She was sitting in one of the medicals bay bed. Her head was swathed in bandages where they had to carefully piece glue part of her skull together. Another bandage covered her left cheek where a shard of 'shatter-proof' glass had cut her badly.
"You show her Whirl's after action report Kira?" Yzak asked with an amused look. "I think we all learned how to swear like Transformers from that."
"I didn't think she wanted to know Whirl hates her," Kira remarked.
"I honestly don't think Flay here cares."
Flay nodded carefully. "I don't." She was barred from active duty from a week except for emergencies.
Kira looked uneasy at that as he ran his hand through his brown hair. He'd gotten access to the Wreckers: Declassified logs written by Fistitron and read some of them. There were only two groups of Decepticons that had survived as rivals of the Wreckers. The others like Destrongers or the Malignus were very, very dead. The Crimson Shooting Star had literally had his spark ripped out by Impactor.
Kira had to admit to himself that Flay liked to live life dangerously. A part of him actually liked that.
"The big question is are you done messing around in a mobile suit?" Yzak asked in a dead serious tone.
"Those are not toys Flay and you better respect them."
"I wasn't messing around the second time," Flay growled.
"Astrotrain... I thought you told me you had destroyed Optimus Prime?" Galvatron asked the Decepticon that had joined him and his crew on the Revenge. "So what exactly is that?" He pointed his finger at a 3D video screen from his throne showing Optimus Prime talking with some of the repugnant flesh-bags of this world in some meeting hall. He had thought the war had turned after the Revenge had seen the Autobot ship crash.
"That should not have been possible for him to survive!" the newly branded Decepticon exclaimed.
"By Xal, can anything kill Optimus Prime!" Scourge gasped.
"We'll see if the Mayhem Attack Squad can," Galvatron stated as he drummed his purple and gray fingers on his throne's arms.
Leozak grumbled low enough that no one would be able to understand him. Galvatron had ordered him to fill in the empty socket in his group. So Hellbat was getting his old slot back. He hated that damn coward. Having to work with him on the bridge of the Revenge was bad enough.
That was when the Revenge's sensors picked up the transponder codes for General Strika's ship, the Obsidian Blade, as it exited hyperspace. The massive ship was actually not that dangerous... by itself, but what it carried could change the course of battles.
A com window opened. "Lord Galvatron, I have arrived. With the Autobots being trapped on this mudball, I have devised a simple plan to crush them. I will assemble a Space Bridge here in orbit. We shall quickly press the attack to Optimus Prime and the remaining Autobots from several bases, then return our reinforcements back to their homes before they can be counter-attacked." Strika's cruel features showed her mirth at the idea. Then she could use the remaining supplies to start Cyber-forming this world into another work of art.
"Ah, a Rush and Crush. Usually your plans are more long term and strategic." Galvatron nodded as he considered. "The natives may try to resist, but their ships are quite inferior." Well, except for that tri-glitched Supreme, he quietly admitted to himself.
"By your command then, Galvatron?"
"Of course," Galvatron ordered. "And have Bludgeon sent over to the Revenge."
"As you command Lord Galvatron," Strika stated. "Decepticons Forever!"
"Decepticons forever," Galvatron said with an evil smile.
The alarms were blaring aboard the Archangel and deep within the Morgenrote base as video screens on its bridge and CiC activated, showing a menacing sight.
Bumblebee had been in the starboard launching bay of the Archangel, being shown around by Hot Shot and Jolt. "What's that?"
"The alarm to come to battlestations," the bright yellow and flame-painted Hot Shot noted. He flipped open a small panel on his arm. "Hot Shot to the bridge, what's going on?"
"We're getting a sensor feed about a huge ship up in orbit that it starting to assemble a giant-sized version of Project Outreach," Murre called out. "Hot Shot, I think we need to talk with Optimus Prime and Perceptor as soon as possible." She flicked off that circuit, looking over to her right where her XO Natarle Badguriel was studying the sensors over a non-com's shoulder. "What do you have so far?"
"The alarms just triggered themselves, captain. I've never even heard of a hyperspace-shadow sensor, but it's showing up that huge ship in orbit and its Decepticons," the black-haired woman called out.
That was when Admiral Garcia entered the bridge. "What is going on?" Ratings and non-commissioned officers were rushing to their seats and activating their control panels as the marine called out his entrance. "As you were."
"A new Decepticon ship has appeared in orbit. It appears to be disembarking and assembling a giant scale Space Bridge, sir." Murrue was glad that most of the crew was back from leave.
In the port docking bay, Mu popped the lid of his Moebius Zero Omega and doffed a special helmet. "Looks like we will have to cancel our attempt to awaken my old ride," he called out.
"Lt. Commander, we are going to head to our mobilesuits just in case we are needed," Athrun called out, even as he took off after the rest of his group. Kira rushed waved as he rushed behind them towards the pilots training room.
The massive freight elevator from the deeper section of Morgenrote, where Project Outreach was situated, was crowded with Autobots. Optimus Prime led the way with almost every single Autobot except for the ones involved in recovering equipment and supplies from the Ark. "So you are sure, Perceptor?" the prime asked.
"This unit calculates that General Strika will assemble the Space Bridge within eighteen hours, leaving us in a tactically inferior position," the monotoned-voice scientist explained.
"Slag that, Perceptor. We'll smash that Space Bridge of theirs first," Sideswipe declared as they tromped over to the Archangel as requested.
"And how exactly are we going to get there?" Whirl asked. "The Ark's shuttles will get blown out of the sky and I'm not sure after a certain human's utter insanity, I doubt they'll let use one of their ships to get there."
"I agree with Ensign Allster's assessment in theory," Prowl stated. "However I would have requested you to stun Drift with your null ray module and explored Drift's actions, then asked for statements from the rest of the Steel Haven crew. And of course call in Optimus."
Drift scowled but then shrugged it off. He always knew that this might happen. He did have a lot of sparks to atone for.
"Glad at least someone can be rational," Whirl muttered.
"This human is rational like that," Admiral Garcia said sardonically as he stepped out a hatch onto a second floor catwalk, which put him shoulder level to most Autobots. "The Archangel would be more than happy to host you as we counter-attack the Decepticons in orbit." At his side stood Murrue and Natarle, with Mu La Flaga in his flight suit. "But attacking them two to one odds is going to be hard."
Cagalli and Kisaki ran up, huffing from their short trip from the surface. "Then you'll apreciate that you will have backup. ORB has offered the use of battleship Kusangi in defense of our world. We will also be willing to host any Autobots willing to fight."
Optimus Prime nodded. While these humans were not like the Autobots, they were fierce in the defense of the world. "Thank you. And I may have an idea that will help stack the odds. Jetfire... Jetstorm, this is right up your alley. Perceptor, contact Vignas Altair. I want the Aerialbots here ASAP. Prepare a shuttle. We are recovering the Steel Haven."
"And pray to Primus it doesn't end up in pieces," Swerve grumbled. Seriously everything but the Revenge had been trashed when they got near Earth.
