Insubordination

Part 2

Longbow, 1800hrs, Optimus exits the GB chamber, immediately he knows something is aloft. "Teletran 2 Straxus location."

"Straxus is in her quarters." Teletran 2 responds with the new female voice Wheeljack installed. Prime thought the ships computer's new voice would just make his team hot and bothered but it did the opposite is invoked calmness. The Prime figured it was just him now that Straxus was with him.

"Override, Optimus alpha 3 run diagnostic and repair damaged files." He knew her too well and was already prepared for this action. To him it was sad but he knew her better than anyone.

"Diagnostic complete, files repaired and defragged." Teletran 2 replied.

"Straxus?" Optimus inquired clinging on to false hope.

"Unit Straxus is not on board, location unknown." Teletran 2 crushed his hope.

"I know her location. She never listens." Optimus states shaking his head now knowing he had to prepare for a rescue mission.

"Cybertronain vessel detected, Star Hopper Class, hailing." Teletran 2 announces over the PA system.

"Wow she's early." Optimus ponders and heads to his temporary office. "Direct hail to my office secure transmission level 3." Optimus orders as he walks towards his office.

"Acknowledged…transmission secured, good day." Teletran 2 replies as Optimus enters his office then his desk. A datapad is sitting on it, at first Prime believes it's from Straxus but as he picks it up the letterhead reads Wheeljack. It's the blueprints for their new flagship, as he sits down he realizes the ship has docking ports for three other ships. "Its massive, impressive." He says aloud and leans back turning to Rodimus' Cybertronain sized minibar and pours himself a strong one. "Aurora… vintage, Rodimus you do have exquisite tastes." Optimus pours himself a glass and activates the vid screen.

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself even after losing Embalse." Elita 1 pops up on the vid screen.

"Don't start, or I will cut this transmission and have your ship just orbiting the Earth rather than landing on it." Optimus replies his voice flat and in control.

"I told you about Straxus; she's a liability to your operations." Elita 1 began to rant venomously.

"Ariel, not now please." Optimus warns her hoping she'd take the hint.

"She went rogue didn't she?" Elita 1 smirks as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Affirmative to confront our daughter." Optimus states "SHRKT!" his face shield snaps shout over his mouth and his emerald green optics glow.

"Oh yes her." Elita 1 continues ignoring Optimus' geastures.

"I recommend caution Elder that is my offspring. She may be con but she is still… " Optimus states with steel in his voice as his optics flash at her.

"Understood my Prime; I take it you're preparing some sort of rescue plan for that pleasure bot reject." Elita 1 taking notice of his rising anger yet she pushes further.

"ENOUGH ARIEL! I will not stand for your antics much less your taste for the mother of my offspring. You ended us before Axis came into being." Optimus' statement hits her like a fusion shot to the spark and she looks away.

"I… you'll never understand." She tries to regain composure.

"Fair enough…New Jerusalem's capital awaits your arrival along with Rodimus, as you can see I have other rather pressing matters to attend to so I will not be..." Optimus states brushing off her last statement then is cut off.

"Take the Aerialbots with you they got stuck as my personal guard, I'm sure they want to see, as the humans say "the sights."" Elita 1 regains composure on the surface.

"Very well, but who will..." Optimus is taken back by her sudden offering.

"I have Perceptor, don't worry about it just get her out safe." Elita 1 states as she begins to crumble emotionally inside she still loved him but she keeps reliving the day she and the soon to be overlord Megados were sent to Rous Three.

"10-04, Primus be with you." Optimus states bringing her back to reality and the present.

"And with you." She cuts off the transmission. "My love." She wipes her baby blue optics then calls for her personal guard.

North Pole, zero hour, Torrence and his guard land at the coordinates given to him by Galvatron. "Weapons ready." Torrence commands as the others comply with hums of weapons charging and sounds of weapons extending and locking into place. A snow storm whirls and howls around them as sixteen pairs of optics glow red and blue in the darkness. They move wildly as they blink off and on then surround them. "Back to back." Torrence orders as Battlespear and Broadside comply.

"Easy vice commander." Motormaster calls to them from the darkness. "Galvatron ordered us not to fire."

"Sure and Megatron is the tooth fairy." Battlespear jeers

"I suggest you silence your guard dog vice commander." Motormaster stated flashing his optics

"Step forward." Torrence orders "So we can see you."

"You're not in position to give orders." Motormaster growled.

"We are in position to bring the pain on you." Broadside states boldly "So be a nice con and do what he says."

"Insolent Autobot we could terminate all three of you here and now." Motormaster said with venom in his voice.

"Not before we cripple your forces critically then who would save you? Megatron? He'll laugh in your face. Galvatron? From what the vice commander told us you'll be S-O-L." Battlespear pointed out gesturing with his spear hitting something metal with his spear.

"Yeah so go ahead." Broadside stated distracting them as Battlespear disarmed the device by tauntingly squatting spear in hand.

"Such foolishness but very well." Motormaster realizing they were right but would never admit it. Torrence releases his vents then looks at his soldiers they were going get him terminated. Motormaster stepped forward with a datacorder Torrence meets him and takes the datacorder and links it to a datapad he brought along and it crashes. "VESSURE!" his Widow Maker beams fully charged from subspace the barrel inches from between Motormaster's optics. Red dots cover Torrence's body, he grunts signaling Battlespear and Broadside to slip away unnoticed.

"Intel." Torrence states as screams come the darkness and red dots start to disappear. "Now." Motormaster snaps his fingers…nothing…he snaps his fingers again and Torrence raises a proxy-mine disarmed. "Thanks Battlespear." Battlespear grunts as Motormaster turns seeing him spear in hand glowing and pointing at him. He turns to the other side and Broadside is standing there looming over him.

"You heard him." Broadside urged.

"Intel Now." Battlespear states coldly and the Stunticon Leader moves for his knife but touches the mine now attached to his right side.

"Frag." Motormaster curses "VESSURE" the real datacorder beams from subspace, Torrence checks it on another datapad it passes. His processor takes a series of visual shots and tests it against the data in front of him it passes. Torrence throws the datapad in the air, pistol whips Motormaster then shoots the datapad and datacorder destroying both completely.

The vice commander grunts then looks to the left and takes to the air transforming as he goes disappearing into the night followed by Broadside and Battlespear, it's now 0444 hrs.

Motormaster shakes his head and shouts in anger he had no intention in giving Torrence anything. What he wanted was to capture them and then ransom them for valuable Autobot Intel. After he got what he wanted, terminate them; was it insubordination? Yes, but the payoff would have been more than justifiable in his optics.

South Pole, near Nemesis Cove, 0600 hrs., she had been searching for mega-cycles all the information Teletran 2 could give her was that the Decepticon Base was in the South Pole. Her instruments and equipment she took along with her came up with nothing. So she did something drastic making her way to the center of the continent. Straxus fired a drill missile dead in the center of the continent. "I'll estart here and make my way out! I will find that base." Straxus proclaimed aloud as the missile exploded. Alarms blared "WHOOP!""WHOOP!" she could not help herself she smirked "Well I'll be damned." She mused as the debris and smoke cleared revealing a hole large enough for her to go through in bot mode but not alt mode. "Well I'll be damned." She cursed when she realized the size of the whole in contrast to herself. She hated to be stuck in one mode losing that needed edge in an upcoming battle. She could hear the cons rustling into position, "Now is the best chance I'm going to get." She swayed herself against her better judgment and leaped in feet first.

As she landed and looked up then raised to her full length only with her hands raised to the sky. "CLICK!" The rustling sounds cut off as Megatron hits a button on a remote. "I told you she'd come my lord." Axis smarts off and slowly walks to Straxus. "She just cannot help herself." She transforms her left hand into a torture device and stabs it into Straxus neck.

Straxus bends her knees but does not fall; Axis cranks up the juice. Straxus growls but refuses to fall. She head butts her then slams her fist into her solar plexus, Axis caves. The warlord recovers but takes an open palm strike to the face knocking her to her knees. With tear filled optics Straxus roundhouses Axis knocking her out cold with her right shin to the "Ooo's" and "Aahs" of the other Decepticons.

Megatron simply claps in admiration of her bout with Axis. "Now that's entertainment my dear." The overlord states solemnly, "I haven't seen such ferocity since my humble beginnings in the gladiatorial pits of Kaon." He continues to clap, "Nor such pain in its fullest capacity. I would offer you a position at my side my dear but I won't offer what I already know the answer too."

"I see you're not estupid as chu look." Straxus states defiantly. Astrotrain comes from behind and pistol whips her.

"Respecto" Astrotrain mocks her. Straxus charges wall sprinting then launching off coming down with a haymaker knocking Astrotrain down. Flipping forward she comes down with a heel drop kick keeping Astrotrain on the ground. Megatron looks on amused with the fembot with the odds stacked so high against her. He replays Straxus' statement chuckling.

"Not at all my dear not-at-all." Megatron's optics glow a deep crimson. From his research about Optimus, he could see why his nemesis choosed her. Without missing a beat he watched Straxus tear into Astrotrain with a slight smirk. He wanted her alive so he set his arm cannon to a slightly medium setting and fired. Direct hit…stasis lock to Straxus and Astrotrain was out cold. "Chaos take her to cell block omega." He orders and Axis recovers, the overlord's optics flash and he back hands her sending her flying as he turns his back to her.

She wipes the mechfluid from her mouth "SHKRT!" her face mask snaps shut over her mouth. "Not this time." Axis hisses and launches from a crouch into vehicle mode at full speed. She slams into the overlords legs causing him to tumble forward. Using the momentum from the impact she flips up grabbing his shoulders and throwing him into a wall. Despite her frame Axis has her father's pre-matrix strength. It was an oversight that the Decepticon Overlord allowed to constantly slip his processor.

"You dare attack me?" Megatron bellows as Axis engages him. She charges him with a leaping elbow to his lower torso. The other Decepticons look on and place bets on how long their warlord will last. Megatron feels the hit and his oversight corrects itself quickly. With an open palm Megatron comes down but misses her as she slides in between his legs grabbing his forearm and flipping him over. Megatron spins on the ground intertwining his legs with hers then slamming her face first into the ground. He then pops up and comes down missing the ground pound. Rolling up Axis she launches her knee into Megatron's right temple. The overlord recovers in a spin slamming his left elbow into Axis' back flipping her with his right arm into a back breaker on his left thigh. "CRACK!" "SNAP!" Axis screams and slips into stasis lock.

From medical a howl is heard echoing the halls, as Megatron rises dropping Axis like sack of mangled parts. As he turns in the direction of the howl Sixshot leaps upon him ripping into his armor. He transforms to bot mode in a flash and slices downward with his Katana across Megatron's chest then up the middle with his Konchi. Megatron stands for a moment stunned at what just occurred. The warlord turns his back on his leader then snaps his fingers and mechfluid bursts from the overlord's wounds in a spray of glowing violet.

"DAMMNNN!" The other cons shout in unison at the gory scene playing out before them.

Megatron drops to his knees and his optics shut off as the mechfluid flows from his wounds. Sixshot rises then moves to Axis he kneels taking her in his arms.

"I will never let him hurt you again." He whispers to her.

[Initializing emergency protocols….] Megatron's wounds seal stopping the bleeding. [Cyber venom detected….Purging…Purging…] Nanites swarm his internal systems firing sterilization beams. [Purge complete…Rebooting…Rebooting…] Megatron's optics flicker as fresh energon is injected into his systems. [Emergency Secondary Power Activated…85% good day.] Megatron looks up as his optics flash enraged. He charges grabbing Sixshot's head lifting him up in a reverse hangman's hold. Sixshot instinctively grabs Megatron's hands and the overlord gives the warlord a powerful kick as he releases his head into a wall. Megatron charges and holds him there followed by slamming the warlord's head four times into the wall.

"I still function; so long as I do remember your place." Megatron states sinisterly as he grabs him, spins and embeds Sixshot's head into the wall. "Scalpel take these scrap heaps to medical." Megatron orders and the medic complies. The rest of the cons remain in reverent silence till Megatron ordered them back to their duties.

Southern Ocean, Coast of Antarctica, Optimus in alt mode dropped anchor and scanned his surroundings…nothing. "Optimus to Silverbolt."

"Go ahead Prime." Silverbolt replies over the commlink.

"Report recon stasis." Optimus ordered his voice cool yet on edge.

"Nothing from Fire Flight, Skydive, and Airraid. I'm also picking up nada." Silverbolt replies keeping his tone in check.

"Slingshot to Prime and Silverbolt." Slingshot reports in.

"This is Prime go ahead." Optimus replies turning his full attention to the bot.

"10-04 I got blast hole and debris of a driller missile at my 20." Slingshot reports; Optimus prediction seems to be proven true.

"10-04 Slingshot that's part of her arsenal. Silverbolt and I are en route to your 20. Prime to Arielbots set up a perimeter at Slingshot's 20, copy?" Prime ordered and one by one the remaining Arielbots acknowledged. Opening a GBT Optimus transforms to bot mode followed by Silverbolt they enter and exit at Slingshot's locale.

Silverbolt transformed from his SR-71 Blackbird to bot mode as he exited the GBT. From above an SU-27 dives and transforms to bot mode its Slingshot he lands and points Optimus and Silverbolt to his findings. At the same time a Mig-29: Skydive, an F-22: Fire Flight and an F-117: Airraid descend transforming as they go to bot mode and land. They set up a perimeter and give Optimus and Silverbolt the all clear.

From an icy plain about 40 clicks from the blast hole, five bots observe the Autobots' actions with keen interest. "So what'cha thinking Onslaught?" Vortex inquired his alt mode was an Apache AH-64 copter specializing in demolitions.

"How Trius left us for dead and our next move lieutenant. Master Sgt. what do I need to know?" Onslaught replied his alt mode was a semi with a rocket launcher platform flatbed. He was the leader of his team, the Combaticons.

"From what I gathered that's the Leader of the Autobots. As for the fliers, they're unknown." Swindle replied and as his name suggests the bot was a swindler willing to do what was necessary to make sure he survived at all costs even to those on his team. He had an alt mode of a desert camouflage Humvee. His job was the team's intelligence gather due to this it lead him to become the team's deadliest sniper.

"Anything else Master Sgt.?" Onslaught further questioned watching the scene unfold before him as Optimus finished making the blast hole bigger and hopped in.

"That hole leads to Megatron's base." Swindle added to his report as he checked his sniper rifle.

"Goodie. Sgt Major how are we looking?" Onslaught hit his commlink connecting to his optic-in-the-sky.

"If they spot us, it's your own damned fault, captain. We are the snow." Blast-off stated boldly, he loved his job as the team's eraser.

"Noted. Command Sgt. tools?" Onslaught cut the com satisfied then looked behind Swindle and Vortex to Brawl the team's weapon specialist his alt mode was an Abrams tank.

"Just say the word, captain." Brawl states cocking his own sniper rifle he dubbed "Wasp 3" due to its special feature that coins the phrase "3 in the head I know your dead."

"10-04 on my mark we declare our allegiance." Onslaught ordered Brawl and to the others over their personal frequency.

Back at the blast hole a GBT opens and a dark pink with bright pink metal flake Lamborghini Conquisto exits and transforms its Elita 1. The Arielbots snap to attention and salute the elder. "Where are they?"

"Down there Ma'am." Fire Flight replies pointing to the blast hole.

"Thank you." Elita 1 walked to the hole and mused, "I may not like you Straxus, but Optimus cannot afford to lose you in all aspects of the word." "VESSURE!" her gamma spear beams into her hands and she jumps in.

Nemesis Cove, Silverbolt and Optimus stealthily move through the exit elevator shaft. They take cover at opposite posts of the entrance door to the former elevator. It opens and Optimus and his partner grab the con that entered to repair it. Its Naylz before he can sound an alarm he is beaten by both Autobots into critical stasis lock after Optimus caves his face in. Prime attaches a heavy magnet to the Decepticon Chief of Science's back and sticks him left of the entrance.

Cycles pass and Starscream enters, but before Optimus and Silverbolt can grab him Elita 1 comes down stabbing her gamma spear into him through his mouth. "TWIST!" "CRUNCH!" "RIP!" The elder rips the spear out removing Starscream's bottom jaw… critical stasis lock.

"Damn." Silverbolt states in shock and looks at Optimus who agrees by simply nodding. "Ma'am you have a little something on your... never mind." Starscream's mechfluid was splashed like war paint on Elita 1's face.

"What's the plan Optimus?" Elita 1 inquires ignoring Silverbolt.

"Simple." Optimus cocks his blaster then "VESSURE!" his scepter beams in his other hand from subspace "CRACK!" his scepter ignites in an electric blaze and forms a Triton construct. "I'm getting her back plain and simple." Elita 1 flashed her optics deep purple she had never been more attracted to him than right now.

Nemesis Cove's brig, Megatron pays his captive a visit. Straxus laughs at him defiantly. "Do tell me my dear what is so amusing?" The overlord asks her.

"Pendejo, I recommend you release me and esave yourself embarrassment."

"The only one who should be embarrassed is you." He smirks, "You break in to my base, no plan but to get your precious daughter back, she betrays you and now you're in here." Straxus stops laughing. "What did you expect fool?"

"I expected to put two en jour cabeza y me esword en tu culo cabron." Straxus spat back. "But I will esettle for…" she smiles "CLICK!" the shield comes down "THIS!" Straxus charges extending her arm sword. Megatron turns to his side "STAB!" Straxus' sword enters the overlord's shoulder. Megatron charges "RIP!" slamming his stabbed arm's elbow into Straxus' side as the blade rips out of his shoulder. Straxus takes the hit "STAB!" "RIP!" her talon hand tears a chunk of armor and soft metal-tissue from the overlord's side in a burst of glowing purple mechfluid.

Megatron growls in pain as he grabs her picking her up and slamming her into wall. Dazed, Straxus falls to the ground as Megatron comes down with a hammer fist to her back. She cries out as sparks and electricity fly. Megatron comes down for another but Straxus forces herself to spin and scissor locks her legs with his and brings him down. The overlord falls as but recovers kicking Straxus across her face as he spins. He grabs her throat and stands with her in hand.

Back with Optimus, Elita 1 and Silverbolt all hell has broken loose. Servo and Scalpel have the trio pinned down with help from Thundercracker. "Prime we have to get to the brig" Silverbolt shout over the shots being fired.

"Agreed get down." Optimus orders as his emerald optics flash and his rail cannons rotate, slide and lock on his shoulders. "FOOM!" "FOOM! "He fires, Thundercracker takes the first shot it rips through his chest and explodes out the back end in burst of sparkling blue and red flames mixed with orange and yellow. The seeker then explodes completely his remains hit the floor in husks of death gray matter. The first shot hits the wall behind him revealing medical.

The second shot takes out the wheel-blade Scalpel bot and Servo who goes into emergency stasis lock. Scalpel looks at his mangled bot and loses his will to fight and flees warping out. The wall behind Servo and the Scalpel bot explodes revealing the brig. Optimus spots Megatron holding Straxus with one hand and slamming his knee into her repeatedly.

Without another word Optimus tosses up his scepter, catches it, pulls back, times his shot perfectly and heaves the weapon at Megatron pinning him to the wall behind him. Straxus is dropped and she lands on her knees. Optimus charges full speed at his greatest adversary.

Astrotrain goes to meet him but Elita 1 nails him in the chest missing his spark with her gamma spear. Astrotrain falls on his knees looking at the spear "RIP!" Optimus tears it from his chest as a recovered Axis comes from Optimus' left "SLICE!" Prime swings the gamma spear slitting Axis' throat without looking; she falls mechfluid pouring from her neck.

Optimus leaps through the hole his rail cannon made "STAB!" he embeds the spear into Megatron's neck. "RIP!" Optimus tears it outwardly and coldly as he tosses it aside.

"So the hero comes for his fem." Megatron jeers and grabs Optimus' scepter but is shocked brutally. "Well played Prime I am at your mercy."

"Elita 1, Silverbolt get Straxus back to base." Optimus orders both nod and take Straxus out and promptly leave. Optimus and Megatron are left alone, "Surrender you're done."

"Am I now Prime?" Megatron replies coldly as explosions are heard above them. "I see my new team has made their presence known." Optimus pulls out his scepter and slugs Megatron with all his might. Megatron falls to a knee spitting out glowing purple mechfluid as Optimus turns to leave. "You dare turn your back on me!" Megatron calls out only to be shut up by a barrage of missile pods from Optimus' back…stasis lock.

At the blast hole, Optimus shoots out and on to the battlefield. The enemy is unseen and they already took out Elita 1. In addition to an already worsening scenario an ice storm is making visibility next to null. Just as suddenly as the fighting began it stops. Cycles go by like stellar ones…"BRUTICUS AWAKENS!" a booming voice bellows. Soon a body lands in front of Optimus and his troops his optics glowing a fierce purple.

"Autobots Prepare for battle!" Optimus calls out.

END.