Chapter 13: Beast Wars

*****

Planet Animatros
Earth Date August 30, 2006 (approx.)

It really shouldn't have surprised Marissa much. After all, by now she'd become more than familiar with the fact that all Cybertronians had at least two distinct forms, sometimes more. She had also seen Autobots 'customize' themselves for certain missions, applying extra arms or shielding, that sort of thing. Still, though, the next logical step hadn't occurred to her until now.

Animatros was nothing like Cybertron. It was a world as Earth might have been millions of years ago. Tectonically active, an aggressive fauna and flora, and very little infrastructure. Before the war the Cybertronians had mainly used this world for mining and power generation, it had never been much of a population centre due to the planet's tectonic activity. The war hadn't really changed that, except that the former mining operations had been heavily fortified. Much of the planet was still in a primal state. Which meant, of course, that the usual car-like alternate modes most Autobots had were rather useless here.

Coming out of the Space Bridge, Marissa had quickly noticed that Grimlock looked different. The tank threads on his legs were gone and other details on his body had changed as well. It wasn't until he transformed, though, that she realized what exactly he'd done. He – as well as many of the other Autobots here – had adapted their alternate modes to the terrain. Grimlock now transformed into something that resembled a giant Velociraptor or maybe a T-Rex, with vicious-looking claws, a swishing tail, and a huge maw. It was still quite clearly robotic in nature, but apart from being made of metal it looked exactly like some kind of B-movie dinosaur monster from outer space.

"Finished gaping, meat puppet?" Grimlock growled, wrenching Marissa out of her fugue.

"Sorry, just... admiring your new 'do, Grimlock."

"Animatros not Cybertron, meat puppet. Change our nature, we adapt, we conquer. Time to stomp Decepticons. You ready?"

Marissa had already bonded with Thrymir's body, as most of the Autobots on this mission were unaware of her true nature. It would be quite a chore, as she'd have little opportunity to shed her disguise while on this mission, but if being constantly sweaty and chaffed raw was the price she had to pay for getting one step closer to home, then she would pay it gladly.

"Ready and eager, Grimlock. Let's kick the bad guys off this planet!"

All the ground-based Autobots had assumed beast-like forms and went stampeding off into the foliage. The Predacons' main base, which was currently under siege by Decepticon forces loyal to Megatron, was quite a distance away, but they weren't in a hurry. For now they were here mainly to observe, pick off stragglers, and wait for the opportune moment to strike. They had timed their space bridge transfer to coincide with that of the Decepticon force, so with any luck neither side was aware of their presence just yet.

"Aerialbots, form up!" she commanded, transforming Thrymir into his jet mode. This was the first time she'd actually be in charge of a group of Autobot flyers and she was feeling very nervous, truth to tell. She was also excited, though. Very much so.

*****

Planet Animatros
Earth Date September 12, 2006 (approx.)

Nearly two weeks on Animatros and so far they'd been very, very careful. The first few days (by her measure, Animatros had a mere 14-hour day, which was part of the reason the planet was so volatile) she spent getting used to the new environment and putting her squadron (which her second in command Swoop had named 'Maverick's Maniacs') through training. Initially a lot of them had trouble with the thicker air and volatile thermals, but they learned quickly. They adapted, Marissa reminded herself. Change was the Cybertronians' nature and they changed into whatever was needed to prevail. As did she.

So far the Autobots had done little in the way of aerial operations on this planet. The Decepticons (or Predacons, as some of them called themselves now) had always ruled the skies here. Marissa was looking to change that. So far they restricted themselves to ambush tactics, picking off Decepticon and Predacon patrols, occasionally leaving the odd clue that pointed toward the other bad guys being to blame. As best as their scouts could tell no one was aware of their presence yet.

So far 'Maverick' had amassed six kills on Animatros. Her squadron combined had blown over three dozen Decepticon and Predacon flyers out of the sky. Grimlock and his ground troops had taken down nearly five times that number. And all the while the fighting between Predacons and Decepticons near the planet's important installations intensified. Their scouts only observed from afar, but it seemed they were grinding each other down.

It was just a matter of time before they would strike and take out whomever remained.

*****

Planet Animatros
Earth Date October 3, 2006 (approx.)

Marissa clenched her teeth hard to keep from screaming in pain. They'd just returned from an extended scouting mission and she'd spent far, far too long in her exo suit and with her cybernetic limbs attached. Her entire body felt raw and the stumps of her legs were actually bleeding. She barely managed to get out of the suit, but standing on her cybernetic legs sent waves of pain through her and blood ran down the glittering metal limbs. Unable to bear it any longer she simply collapsed on the floor and triggered the sequence that made her legs and arm detach. Finally the agonizing pressure fell away and she simply remained there on the ground, panting in relief. Maybe this had been a really bad idea. She wasn't ready for this. She was just a tiny, damaged human amidst hordes of fighting robots. And look where it got her.

Knowing her limitations, she'd been given a private room near the outskirts of the Autobots' hidden base deep in Animatros' jungle. The official explanation was that Maverick hadn't originally been designed as a flyer and needed special maintenance. Only one Autobot currently on Animatros knew her identity and of course he chose this very moment to walk in unannounced.

"Meat puppet, where..."

Grimlock trailed off as he saw her. Thrymir stood off to the side, linked up to a recharge unit. Her exosuit stood open beside it. Marissa was lying on the ground before it, her three cybernetic limbs scattered all around her, the connecting ports red with blood. Her entire body was sweaty and stinky, her hair was plastered to her face. In short, she didn't look her best.

"I'm not really dressed for company right now, Grimlock," she said, embarrassed that he was seeing her this way. Grimlock respected strength and only strength. These last few weeks she seemed to have gained his respect. But now...

Grimlock knelt down beside her, putting his huge sword aside.

"Need help with anything?"

She stared at him, open-mouthed. Was Grimlock... was he actually...?

"I thought you were disgusted by organics," she blurted out before really thinking about it. "I mean... look at me. I... I can't even sit up right now."

Grimlock seemed to consider her words for a moment, then nodded. "True, don't like organics. Weak, break easily. You, though: not weak. Fight on, even when limitations of body hold you back. Even strongest bots fall down and need rest & repairs. Then get back up and fight on. As you will. Today, you rest. Then, we kick Decepticon skid plates again. Now, need help with anything?"

Marissa laughed, even as fresh tears of pain ran down her face. Who'd have thought that Grimlock, of all people, would be giving her a pep talk the likes of which she hadn't heard since she'd nearly quit the Academy after her first flying lesson had been... less than stellar.

"If you could help me onto that bed where the medical supplies are, I think I can handle the rest."

With surprising care Grimlock picked her helpless body up in one giant hand and deposited her on the bed. From here everything she needed was in easy reach. Using her remaining hand she quickly applied some self-sealing bandages to her bleeding leg stumps and then poured half a bottle of water over her head. There was a small shower unit she could use later, but for now she was just glad she was lying down.

"Thank you, Grimlock."

"Would do same for me," he simply said, rising. "Will inform others that 'Maverick' needs time in CR chamber. Won't disturb you."

With those words, he left. Marissa laughed again, feeling glorious as the pain slowly started to ebb. Yeah, today she would rest. And then she'd kick Decepticon skid plates again. Sounded like a plan.

*****

Planet Animatros
Earth Date December 20, 2006 (approx.)

Nearly four months of fighting and finally a winner had emerged. Transmissions from Blaster had informed them that Megatron had decided not to reinforce his troops on Animatros, as he was already hard-pressed by Ultra Magnus' forces along the Hydrax Plateau, where most of the loyal Decepticons currently on Animatros had been withdrawn from. As a result Razorclaw and his Predacons had managed to push their enemies back.

They didn't have an exact count how many Decepticons had retreated into the Animatros jungle, but it couldn't be many. The Predacons were regrouping near Axalon, their primary base that was situated near a very large volcano and also contained a truly humongous geothermal power plant. It was the single most strategically valuable position on Animatros.

Today, they would take it.

"All units, call in," Grimlock's voice rumbled over the coms.

"Aerialbots ready!" Marissa announced.

"Dynobots ready!" she heard from Slag, Grimlock's second in command.

"Wreckers ready!"

The Wreckers, the Autobots' elite special forces unit, had space bridged onto Animatros specifically to take part in this mission. They'd be needed elsewhere immediately afterwards, but for the moment they supplied much-needed firepower. Their leader, Springer, was an impressive bot and from what Marissa had heard many Predacons might take off running the moment they saw him and his group.

"Attack!" Grimlock yelled.

Moments later the beast-formed Autobots exploded out of the jungle and rushed toward the unsuspecting Predacons. Marissa transformed and a moment later her Aerialbots were on their first strafing run, targeting what little remained of Axalon's fixed fortifications after four months of bitter fighting.

Marissa nearly lost herself in the chaos of combat. On an instinctual level she remained aware of her squadron mates, heard the commands issued by Grimlock over the coms, but everything else was drowned out by the frenzy of laser blasts, the ever-shifting G-forces of aerial combat manoeuvres, and the sheer terror of being in the middle of a fight between giant alien robots. This was nothing like those ambushes they'd been doing for the last four months. This was sheer, mad, rush'em-and-pray combat where even the slightest mistake could cost you your life.

No, she resolved. She wouldn't die here! Not today! Not on some alien world far away from home! She intended to die on Earth, in her bed, of old age. Not here!

Blast after blast, explosion after explosion. She heard a terrible scream off to her right side and briefly noted that Airazor, a fellow Autobot flyer she had grown to like quite a bit these last four months, was torn apart by enemy fire. A moment later she banked and had Airazor's killer in her sights, extracting payback in a hail of blaster bolts. She briefly had the ground in sight, saw Slag spew fire that melted a Predacon soldier into a puddle in moments. Then she was off into the air again.

A Predacon flyer reconfigured to look almost like a giant eagle was before her suddenly. Thrymir's system identified him as Divebomb, Razorclaw's aerial commander, and she her wingman Swoop were immediately upon him. The fight took hours or maybe seconds, she wasn't sure. Finally Divebomb broke off, one of his wings shredded, and headed toward the ground.

The skies were clear, she realized with a start, so she immediately ordered her remaining Aerialbots to give ground support. She briefly paused in awe, seeing Grimlock in T-Rex mode take on a Predacon transformed into something resembling a humongous lion. That had to be Razorclaw. The two giant robotic beasts tore into each other with a fury that seemed so much more intense here in this primal jungle setting than on the cold steel landscapes of Cybertron.

There was more blaster fire, more explosions, and finally someone called for the Predacons to retreat. Marissa transformed, landing on the ground beside Grimlock on Thrymir's metal feet, and looked to her commander, who was back in robot mode and looked like he'd been through a trash compactor but didn't really care much.

"Skies are clear," she reported. "I'm keeping Swoop and Fireflight up there as lookouts. They'll warn us if the Predacons come back."

"Good. Will have less-damaged bots do perimeter detail. Rest will make use of Decepticon CR chambers and..."

With a screech of tortured metal his right arm, which still held his giant sword, fell off and crashed to the ground. Grimlock looked at his mangled shoulder, where Razorclaw had gotten a particular good lick in, as if he didn't quite get what had just happened.

Marissa smiled. "Need help with anything?"

Grimlock stared at her for a moment, then threw back his head and laughed.

"Maybe pick that up and bring it to CR chamber."

End Chapter 13