Chapter 24-Siege
The atmosphere within the Ark was tense with urgency as Optimus and Prowl walked down the hall to the command room to have what was probably the most important meeting of the Terra Campaign.
Just a few minutes ago, Teletran-1 detected a sudden energon signature in the Pacific Ocean. It came from an island that suddenly appeared on the map in a manner that was definitely not natural. There were dozens of Decepticon signatures, and it was quickly deduced that this was the Decepticon headquarters where Megatron was staging his war. At the same time, Colonel Barnett called to inform the Autobots that satellite coverage and energon detectors also spotted the island, and there was confirmation from local Atlantian patrols that the island was definitely owned by the Decepticons.
Right now, Optimus, along with Prowl, were having an emergency meeting regarding their next course of action given this new, unexpected development. Also attending the meeting was President Flagg and his cabinet, the Colonel, and Queen Tyr via tele-monitor. As soon as they entered the room, Teletran-1 switched on the monitor, showing the leaders in question.
"Optimus Prime." President Flagg greeted them.
"Mr. President." Optimus nodded. "I'm sorry, but we must shirk formalities for now. Time is of the essence."
"No arguments from me, Prime." Flagg said. "Our satellites just detected the island suddenly popping up on radar. It caught everyone by surprise, but not like the sudden alerts we were getting from our energon detectors. Multiple Decepticon Spark signatures, all identified as their highest ranking leaders and officers. I don't want to be too optimistic, but am I right in thinking that this island is the Decepticon headquarters?"
"It is, Mr. President." Queen Tyr said. "I've sent scout ships to survey the area, and they have confirmed sightings of Megatron, Starscream and Nightshade, as well as an artificial structure built into the mountain at the heart of the island. It's definitely them."
"How come we're just finding them now?" Maria Cortez, Secretary General of the League of Nations, asked.
"Electromagnetic shielding is rudimentary for hiding from surveillance equipment. The island and the Nemesis were essentially invisible to anything electronic. It's why it's taken us this long to find them." Prowl said. "The Ark uses the same principles to keep itself hidden from Decepticon spy satellites."
"Megatron would never willingly expose his base like this for any reason, so something must have gone wrong on his end." Optimus said.
"Honestly, Prime, I'm more eager to strike when the iron's hot. We don't have a lot of time before the enemy fortifies their defenses." The President said.
"I can have League forces move out and surround the island. The full force of our military might will fall down on them." Cortex said firmly. "You'll have the full support of the League, Prime."
"We will attack, but not all at once." Optimus said. "I cannot condone massive human casualties."
"I admire your concern for us, Optimus, but this has become our war too when they invaded our world. If we want to have a long standing alliance, then we must fight together." She said.
"The Nemesis is fully operational and combat ready. It will tear apart any aircraft that gets too close to the island and wipe out any naval forces as well." Optimus said.
"There's only one landing zone onto the island, and that is the beach. Megatron will probably have the Nemesis engage any naval forces while having the bulk of his firepower defend the base." Prowl said. "We will have to play this smart."
"My Autobots and our Minicon allies will assault the island first. The base will have numerous automated defenses installed, so we must be wary." Optimus said. "I cannot authorize the involvement of human infantry, even talos, but an air strike should be enough to put the pressure on them."
"Optimus, you have the full support of Atlantis and her military. Our weapons and vehicles can take more damage than conventional forces." Tyr said.
"Thank you, your grace." Optimus said.
"What about the Nemesis? That thing could do some serious damage from what I've heard." Flagg said.
"That's where the Ark comes in. It's no substitute for a battleship, but it can take and deal its fair share of damage." Optimus said, getting a look from Prowl.
"The Ark?" Prowl questioned.
"It's the only ship strong enough to combat the Nemesis, Prowl." Optimus turned back to his guests. "With the Nemesis fighting the Ark, your aerial forces should only expect serious resistance from the Seekers. Skyfire will aid them in fighting Dreadwing's forces."
"And my gigas battalions shall aid you, Prime." Tyr said. "We will not let you fight alone."
That earned a smile from Optimus and Barnett. Autobot, human and merfolk, working together to protect Terra's future. This unity will be needed for the tough battle ahead.
XXXXXX
"So it's about to go down."
"Yes, Darren, it is."
The tense exchange marked the beginning of a difficult conversation. The Omega One base was rife with activity as the Minicons who chose to take part in the upcoming operation prepared themselves for a lengthy battle. Sparkplug was among those taking part in the siege.
"You nervous?" Asked High Wire.
"Kind of. Not sure why, though. This isn't my first tangle with the Cons." Sparkplug said.
"That's because of what's at stake. This battle might end up with kicking Megatron off Terra for good." Gina said. "You'll be fine, Sparkplug."
"I still wish we were going." Annie grumbled. "We have talos of our own for heaven's sake."
"No can do, Annie. The entire Osean military will be assaulting the island, and we don't want them seeing your talos. That'll lead to some questions we don't want to answer." Sparkplug said. "You're just going to have to watch from here."
"Great." Annie sighed.
"Be careful, Sparkplug." Sureshock said. "Make sure everyone comes back safely."
"I will, Sureshock. I will."
The group shared a small group hug for a minute before breaking apart. It was time to move out.
XXXXXX
"What's the ETA on the Nemesis, Dreadwing?" Megatron asked.
"Within the hour, Lord Megatron." Dreadwing said. "We're moving at full speed towards the island."
"Make it here in half an hour, Dreadwing, not a second longer. Annihilate anyone who stands in your way." Megatron ended the call and turned to his assembled Decepticons. "Soundwave, has there been any change in the humans' forces?"
"Their naval forces are forming a perimeter around the island. Laserbeak has reported seeing two combat submarines off the coast." Soundwave reported.
"Aircraft carriers carrying fighter aircraft, and submarines with cruise missiles." Nightshade said. "Nationality?"
"League of Nations Peacekeeping Forces, with additional naval support from Osea, Britannia and Xing. Atlantian fighters also spotted just below the surface."
"But no Autobots?" Starscream questioned.
"The Autobots will not waste the opportunity to hit us where it hurts." Megatron said. "Everyone, take a booster shot of ultra energon and head out to the beach. Dreadwing, let Rumble and Frenzy pilot the Nemesis and assemble the Seekers to mount an aerial assault. Minicons, Powerlink with your partners. No one, human or Autobot, will leave this island alive!"
XXXXXX
The powerful thrusters of the Ark propelled the ship through the air at full speed, moving exceptionally fast despite its massive size. Its flight was mostly unseen by humans, but there were those who were lucky enough to see the ship before it disappeared into the clouds.
Sideswipe piloted the ship alone with Teletran-1's assistance, while Prowl and Bumblebee handled cloaking and other systems as they flew across the east coast of Osea toward the ocean.
"We are already on our way, Colonel Barnett." Optimus said. "We'll be in the combat zone within the hour."
"Understood. League Forces already have the area barricaded, so feel free to let loose. Queen Tyr already has her aerial assault teams in place, so just give the word." Barnett said, and added, "God speed, Autobots. We're with you all the way."
Optimus nodded and turned to Prowl. "How are our weapons systems?"
"Weapon systems are fully charged and operational, and our hard light shields are holding." Prowl said. "All in all, we're prepped and ready for battle."
"Good, because we're going to be putting through the biggest battle it's seen since the War for Cybertron." Optimus said. Down in the munitions plant, the Autobots and their Minicon partners were stocking up on every weapon they could carry. Guns, cannons, missile launchers, rifles, grenades, overshield generators, and emergency vials of Ore-13.
"We're using Ore-13?" Bumblebee said.
"Prime's not taking any chances." Tomahawk said. "The Cons will most likely use Ore-13 to fight back, so we'll need some of our own to even the playing field."
"Just use it if you're in a real punch. That stuff packs a punch but it'll wear off before you know it." Jazz said.
Ironhide grabbed two large cannons and attached them to his arms when he spotted Armorhide also gearing up for combat.
"Not so fast, kid." He said. "You're not going anywhere."
"What? But I can fight!" Armorhide protested.
"No doubt about that, kid, but this is heavy combat. The kind of stuff that could get you snuffed out if you get distracted. It's too big to be your first combat mission." Ironhide said. "You're going to remain in the Ark and help Lifeline manage the ship's weapon systems."
Armorhide frowned, but Ironhide gave him a hard pat on the shoulder. "Chin up, kid. You'll still be in the action. This ship's going to have its own mission, and it's your job to make sure it can handle the fighting."
"Thank you, sir." Armorhide smiled. "I won't let you down!"
XXXXXX
Back on the bridge, Sideswipe kept an eye on the sensors while flying the ship.
"We're nearing the island, Optimus." Lifeline said.
"And I see the Nemesis a few miles east of our position." Sideswipe said. "Now's the time to get going."
Optimus nodded and left the bridge with Sideswipe, passing Armorhide on the way. Nothing was said until Optimus made it to the shuttle bay and his team were all fully armed and waiting for his orders.
"Optimus." Sparkplug walked up to him, full energized and ready for war. "You ready?"
"Always. Thank you for joining me in this battle, Sparkplug." Optimus said sincerely. Sparkplug smiled.
"It's the least I could do for you guys." Sparkplug replied before climbing into Prime's hand and transforming to vehicle mode. He attached himself to Optimus's left arm and Optimus tensed up as he felt that familiar rush of energy brought about by powerlinking.
Optimus clenched his fists and attached the Temenos Blade to the magnetic holster on his back. Now that he was fully armed and strengthened, he turned to his assembled team.
"There is not much I can say to you that you don't already know. We will lead the vanguard on the island to combat Megatron and his forces on the beach. The Ark will combat the Nemesis and allow Skyfire and the League forces an opening to launch an air strike on the island. The rest of obvious." Optimus said. "Capture any Decepticon if possible. If not, neutralize them with lethal force. We're not taking chances with so many lives on the line. Stay alert and watch each other's backs."
The Autobots nodded and Teletran-1 activated the ground bridge. Optimus took the lead and ran into the portal with his team, ion rifle in hand, on to the definitive battle.
XXXXXX
The minute the Autobots stepped onto the beach, the Cons opened fire. Optimus, who was the first one out of the bridge, quickly drew his sword and used it to block one of Gandiva's arrows, the force of the explosion pushing him back. Optimus raised his sword and pointed it forward.
"Onward, Autobots!" Optimus roared. "Attack!"
The Autobots flooded out of the ground bridge and began to attack. Nightshade was leading the Decepticon ground team, but there was no sign of Megatron. Four laser cannons rose up from hidden compartments along the edge of the forest and began shooting at the Autobots.
"I've got four gun placements along the treeline!" Ironhide said.
"Avoid the turrets until we can get closer. Focus on the enemies right in front of you!" Optimus commanded.
They had to get off the beach to avoid the cannons at them. The beach was littered with explosions as the Autobots quickly moved to push forward, though their advance was slow. Optimus called upon the power of the Temenos Blade and let it charge with energy before spinning around and slashing the sword. The crescent energy wave tore through the forest and destroyed two of the turrets, but the other two remained operational.
At the edge of the forest Demolishor powerlinked with Search, raised his arms and transformed them into cannons.
"Decepticons, show no mercy!" He shouted and opened fire with a barrage of plasma blasts.
His companions, Wreckage, Fracture, Nightracer and the healed Darkshadow all unleashed heavy weapons fire on the Autobots. Both sides shot at each other in a chaotic mess of energy fire and bombs as they fought on the beach. Prowl ducked under a plasma bolt and looked around.
"Where's Soundwave and Knockout?" He asked. Then something large slammed into his back and he fell forward into a roll before jumping back to his feet. Nightracer advanced upon him with her Minicon, Shakar, who was extended as a large grappling claw. "You're a little small for this battle."
Nightracer charged at him and spun her grapple arm at his face. Prowl jumped back to avoid it, but the she got a shot off with her hidden pistol, shooting his leg before reaching out to grab him and throw him to the ground. Prowl rolled away and kicked her grapple arm aside before slamming his shock baton into her side.
"The strong, silent type. Good." Prowl pointed his rifle at her. "You Cons always talk too much. This is a welcome change."
XXXXXX
Optimus and Ironhide had managed to break away from the main group to take out the last two turrets. Optimus raised his sword to destroy the cannons when he saw a powerful blast of compressed air heading his way.
"Move!" Optimus and Ironhide jumped apart as the ground was torn apart by the blast that destroyed the tree behind them. Optimus almost thought it was Megatron, but looking up he saw that it was Dreadwing, wielding the Sword of Storms that vibrated in his hands. The Seeker commander glared hatefully at Optimus as he landed on the ground and charged at them, slashing at Ironhide, throwing a star shaped bomb at him.
Ironhide avoided the bomb that detonated a bit too close to his head and brought his war axe up to block Dreadwing's slash. Optimus went to help his friend, but quickly raised his sword to block that silver arrow fired at his head. The arrow's explosion pushed his back a couple of steps and he glared at the attacker.
"Prime!" Nightshade leapt out of the trees and brought her swords down on his.
"Nightshade!" Optimus forced her back and swung his sword at her. "Where is Megatron?"
"Preparing for your arrival." She said. "As a Prime, you deserve far worse than an assault team meeting your invasion."
Optimus had no time to think on her meaning as she charged at him to attack.
XXXXXX
Armorhide took a deep breath to calm himself as he sat at the computer on the Ark's bridge. Wheeljack had given him a crash course in the Ark's piloting systems, which were designed to be simple enough to allow one person to fly the ship. Armorhide's duties were to handle the weapon and shielding systems while Lifeline piloted the ship. It sounded simple enough, he had the training put in. So why was his Spark pulsating a mile a minute?
"Armorhide, relax. We're going to get through this." Lifeline said. Armorhide turned to her.
"How do you—"
"I'm a doctor, Armorhide. I know the signs of stress when I see it." Lifeline sent him a small smile. "Just follow my lead and focus on the target. We can do this."
Armorhide nodded, taking a deep breath. "Right, we can do this. Thanks, Lifeline."
Lifeline turned back to the viewport, where she saw the Nemesis directly before them. Tightening her hands on the ship's wheel, Lifeline gave the command.
"Fire the forward laser emitters!"
Armorhide pressed the button and four large laser beams shot from the ship's starboard emitters at the Nemesis. Two beams missed, but the other two hit the port side of the warship. He kept up the assault until the lasers hit the red zone, where he switched to the other weapons.
Lifeline saw the Nemesis turn towards them and spotted the warship's four neutron cannons take aim at them. "Get ready, Armorhide!"
He was already on it, and had the Ark's particle combustion cannons take aim as well.
Both ships locked onto each other and waited until they were fully in position before unleashing a barrage so powerful that the entire sky above the ocean lit up in a fiery display.
XXXXXX
Back on the beach, the Autobots were slowly advancing on the offensive line, but not as fast as they would've wanted. The two remaining plasma cannons were keeping them at bay, and the empowered Decepticons kept them pinned in place.
"We're going to be torn apart if we don't take out those guns!" Ratchet said.
"Cee and I can go on ahead, doc. With Emulator, she's the fastest." Jazz said.
Arcee nodded and called upon the power Emulator's bond granted her to move at high speeds. She sprinted out from the group and circled around the Decepticons to enter the forest. Arcee's body was just a pink blur as she ran for the cannons and took out her swords. Just as she lunged for the cannons, a bright purple flash knocked her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" Skywarp growled as he appeared in front of her.
"Scrap." Arcee charged at him for an attack, but he fired off a volley of laser blasts that forced her back.
"You ain't the only one sporting a power up!" Skywarp grinned and charged at her.
She deflected a strike from his bayonet, but the blow still pushed her back into a tree. Skywarp swung his blade at her head, which she dodged, but he kicked her back into the tree behind her.
"Ore-13. Of course they would have it." Arcee grunted.
"Come on, pinkie. I know you're not done." Skywarp rolled his neck. "Let's continue our dance."
"The lady doesn't want to dance, Skywarp." A voice said.
"What?" Skywarp looked around to see who spoke, but saw no one. Then a bullet pierced his left eye and something sharp stabbed into his chest. "S-Slag!"
He tried to fight back, but his invisible assailant severe the servo-motor connections in his arms and sliced a deep cut in his neck, cutting open a few important fuel lines. As Skywarp fell to the ground, Arcee looked up and saw Mirage smiling down at her.
"Wasn't going to let you leave by yourself." Mirage said.
"No complaints from me." Arcee took his hand to be helped up and turned to the cannons. "Now let's take these things out for our friends on the beach."
XXXXXX
The sky was aflame from the dozens of missile bursts and laser beams firing between the Ark and the Nemesis. Both ships were locked in intense combat, and it was the perfect setting for the equally destructive battle on the ground.
Optimus and Nightshade dueled with their swords in hand while Ironhide and Dreadwing fought beside them. Optimus used the Temenos Blade to keep Nightshade at bay, not fully using the sword's power until he knew where Megatron was…if he was even still on the island.
"You're not doing either of us any favors being defensive, Prime." Nightshade shot another arrow at Optimus, which he deflected. "You don't get to play games when you're invading our island. Get serious and fight!"
"I'll get serious when you tell me where Megatron is." Optimus replied.
Nightshade cursed at him and flew back, shooting an arrow near his feet to blast him back. Optimus landed against a tree and raised his sword for a sneak attack, which came as expected.
Nightshade attacked him from above, and he leaned back to let the blade of her razor thin sword slash past his face by inches. She landed on the soles of her feet before stabbing upwards at his face. With one hand, Optimus parried her attacks with one strong swing before punching her square in the face with his other hand. Nightshade hit the ground and Optimus pinned her there with his foot.
"I will not ask you again, Nightshade." Optimus growled, finally losing his patience. "Where is Megatron?"
Nightshade smirked up at him. "Just listen for the thunder, and he will come."
Optimus heard a rumble come from the mountain, and he instinctively raised his sword just in time for a jagged lightning bolt to slam into the flat of the sword's blade, pushing him back several feet. Optimus felt the air around him heat up to an alarming degree as ne backed up and raised his sword.
"Hello, Prime." Megatron walked past the line of incinerated trees, Leader-1 powerlinked to his arm. "Apologies for the lateness. I had some last minute preparations to make."
Optimus looked at the crackling scythe in Megatron's hands that surged with electricity. "Megatron, what have you done?"
"I've simply leveled the playing field, Prime. You have your mighty blade, I have this." Megatron raised his scythe. "Keraunos, the Thunderbolt! And its first kill shall be you!"
Optimus charged the Temenos Blade with power and ran at Megatron. He swung the sword and released an energy wave at the warlord. The wave tore through the forest before Megatron cut it in half with his electrified scythe. Megatron grinned and swung his scythe around, shooting a lightning bolt that slammed against Prime's sword.
They traded attack after attack at each other until they were close enough to fight melee. The two leader swung their weapons and the two mighty weapons of Cybertron and Terra clashed. There was a powerful burst of energy that blasted them apart, but they forced themselves onward, attacking each other relentlessly. The ground and trees shook from the energy discharges caused by their blades repeatedly smashing against each other.
"At last, we finally meet or rightful place in the cosmos, Optimus," Megatron said, pushing his scythe against Prime's sword. "As gods!"
"I am just a soldier, Megatron." Optimus said. He forced Keraunos to the ground and punched Megatron across the face. "And you are a demented psychopath stuck in your own twisted delusions!"
Megatron slashed Keraunos upwards and scored a deep gash in Optimus's right shoulder. Optimus blocked the next attack and pressed his assault, continuing the fierce battle that rattled the entire area.
XXXXXX
Ironhide grunted as he took the brunt of another bomb exploding on his shoulder before shooting multiple plasma blasts at Dreadwing, who ducked behind a tree for cover.
"I'm getting really sick of your bombs!" Ironhide growled. His body was covered in serious burns and missing chunks of armor from Dreadwing's bombs. Though his armor was dense enough to take a serious punishment, his stamina was another question entirely.
"Let's switch it up a little bit." Ironhide detached the cannons from his arms and combined them into a single larger cannon and hefted it up with both hands. "Say hello to my BOOMSTICK!"
The mega-cannon gave a loud hum as he charged it up and fired it. A powerful plasma blast erupted from the cannon and tore through the tree Dreadwing was hiding behind, hitting the Con directly in the chest and blasted him back several feet. Dreadwing smashed through several trees and skidded to a stop, falling to his knees with a big red smoking scorch mark on his chest where he was hit.
"Here's an encore!" Ironhide fired another blast, but this time Dreadwing managed to dodge it and charged at the Autobot with his boosters.
Dreadwing slammed into Ironhide and both mechs went tumbling through the forest, smashing through a couple of trees. They landed in a clearing and broke apart before Dreadwing took out his cannon. But before he could fire, a quick shot from Ironhide's pistol into the cannon's barrel quickly blew it apart. Dreadwing growled and drew the Sword of Storms, making Ironhide grin.
"That's more like it." He said and took out his war axe. "Come and get some!"
XXXXXX
On the beach, Prowl assessed the situation. The battle was largely a stalemate, but Arcee and Mirage taking out the automated cannons and turrets from behind enemy lines was lightening up the pressure on them. With the Nemesis still occupied with fighting the Ark, it appeared that conditions were ready for Phase 2 of the invasion.
"Skyfire, we've taken out most of their automated defenses. Bring the rain!" Prowl reported.
On one of the Osean aircraft carriers, Skyfire heard Prowl's order and changed into jet mode. Behind her were a squadron of Osean fighter jets lined up and ready to take off.
"All right, boys, you know the drill. We fly in, drop out payload and light the beach up. Watch out for any anti-aircraft fire and Seekers. Let me handle those flying fraggers." Skyfire said over the comm-channel. "Now let's go kick some ass!"
Skyfire took to the air, with the fighters following her one after the other. From the sea, silver stingray-like Atlantian fighters also took flight from the ocean and joined the aerial team in their assault.
XXXXXX
"Starscream, Thundercracker, shoo down those planes!"
The two Seekers heard Dreadwing's command and looked to the sky to see the approaching squadron in the distance. Starscream decided not to chide Dreadwing for ordering him around as he and his Seeker brother leapt into the air and transformed.
Dreadwing dodged a swipe from Ironhide's axe before punching him in the jaw and transforming. "Another time, Autobot!"
Ironhide glared at Dreadwing's retreating figure. "Nice to see you too." He grumbled.
"Nightshade, enemy aerial forces detected." Soundwave reported.
"I see them." She said, taking out Gandiva. "Soundwave, deploy our little gifts for our visitors."
"Understood."
XXXXXX
Optimus and Megatron continued their chaotic duel that laid waste to a large portion of the forest leading up to the beach. Optimus looked up and saw the fighters heading toward the island.
"Do you see that, Megatron? Within seconds the join military forces of this world will lay waste to your base. You have nowhere to run." Optimus said.
"Oh really, Prime? Do you honestly think you have the upper hand?" Megatron smirked. "Let the Terrans come. I've been waiting to reveal my own hand."
Optimus looked up and saw the upper part of the mountainside slide apart as artificial plating opened to reveal the chamber inside. Dread filled Optimus's Spark, expecting to see some kind of new weapon Megatron developed. What he saw emerge from the darkness was much worse.
From inside the mountain came three large reptilian beasts, hissing and spitting flames from fanged mouths, while their bodies sported a combination of shiny green scales and silver armor plating. Optimus recognized them immediately.
Dragons. Megatron had raised three fully grown dragons on the island.
The three dragons climbed out of the holding chamber into the sunlight, and Optimus got a good look at the alterations done to the beasts. Parts of their bodies had cybernetic implants; much of their bodies were covered in silver armor, and their eyes glowed an abnormal red. Their wings were reinforced with lightweight, flexible mesh to support their weight and flames spewed from their mouths as they eyed their prey.
"My god." Optimus gaped.
"I've been busy these past six months, Prime. Raising and weaponizing the strongest predators in the world takes time and resources, which I have in spades." Megatron boasted. "Soundwave, have the dragons target the Autobots and their human pets. Annihilate them!"
"NO!"
XXXXXX
It was an act of madness only Megatron could conceive. Kidnapping adolescent dragons and implanting them with Decepticon technology, then train them to attack any non-Decepticon like massive fire breathing guard dogs was not an easy feat. Megatron knew that weaponizing the apex predator of Terra's skies was their trump card in case slag hit the fan, but so far they were only strong enough to protect the island from intruders. As luck would have it, today's battle was exactly the kind of situation they were ready for.
On the beach, the Autobots and Decepticons paused in their fighting when they saw the three cyborg dragons take to the air and fly right towards them. The Decepticons retreated as one of the dragons flew straight towards the beach, the implants in its brain labeling the Autobots as targets.
"Oh frag me sideways." Rodimus groaned.
The dragon exhaled a massive fireball at the Autobots, making them scatter. It felt close to the beach and launched a stream of fire after the fleeing Autobots, bathing the beach in dragon fire. Bulkhead and Rodimus shot at it, but their laser blasts bounced off the dragon's reinforced hide.
"Why are we even trying? That thing's got armor plating!" Rodimus yelled.
"You got any better ideas?" Bulkhead said.
The dragon landed on the beach hard enough to make the ground shake before snapping its jaws at Cliffjumper, who was nearly cut in half had Moonracer not grabbed him. Tomahawk peppered its back with missiles, but the dragon swiped its long tail at her, forcing her back.
"We won't be able to land a scratch on that flamin' lizard. Its hide is too thick and dense." Jazz said.
"And it's fast." Arcee said, running up to him. She looked around at the beach and saw the Autobots trying to fight off the dragon while the Cons shot at them from afar. "Primus, this thing is tearing us apart."
"Don't panic, Cee. We can still salvage this." jazz said.
"How?"
"I might have a plan." He said, glancing to Roadbuster on his arm. "But it's kind of crazy."
Arcee winced when she saw the dragon smack Bulkhead aside with its claw and nearly snatch up Trailbreaker in its jaws. "We could use a crazy plan right about now."
XXXXXX
"I hate dragons!" Skyfire yelled.
Skyfire had been ready to bomb the Cons to hell and back with the fighter squadron she was leading, but her fun was cut short when she saw three huge cyborg dragons take off from the island and send everything to hell.
"Scatter before that thing fries us!" She told the squadron and the fighters broke formation to avoid the dragon as it barreled into their fight path. The Atlantian fighters sharply turned and fired thin blue beams that tore into the dragon's hide, while the Osean fighters released two missiles each at the beast. They all scored direct hits, but the dragon completely ignored them as it headed towards the aircraft carriers.
"Don't let that thing torch the ships!" Skyfire chased after it and shot particle blasts at anything she could hit. "Human fighters, help me save the ships. Atlantians, continue the mission and bomb the beach. Give our boys some help down there!"
XXXXXX
Optimus watched horrified as the battle was completely turned around. One dragon was attacking his Autobots on the beach, another dragon was attacking the Navy fleet out at sea, and just above him the third dragon was attacking the Ark. The entire forest was in flames around him.
"What a familiar sight. Having all your aspirations, your hopes and dreams go up in flames." Megatron laughed. "Must be a common theme for you."
Optimus glared at him and raised the Temenos Blade. "Not today, Megatron. This battle is far from over."
"No, Prime. It is." Megatron gave a sharp whistled and jumped back as the dragon assaulting the Ark stopped in its engagement and dived towards the island.
Optimus ran out of the burning forest as the dragon shot a fireball at him. Flames licked his back and he spun around just in time for a lightning bolt to shoot out of the forest and hit him in the arm. The Temenos Blade was knocked from his hand and fell to the sand. Megatron lunched at him with Keraunos, but Optimus drew his battle axe and slashed at Megatron's arm, snatching away his scythe and threw it aside. Megatron extended his own arm blade and charged at Optimus.
They traded fierce blows as the island burned around them. Megatron kicked Prime away and raised his hand. Keraunos flew back into his hand and he turned to face Optimus, only to find that he was gone, as well as his sword.
"Don't you run away from me, Prime!" Megatron shot a lightning bolt at Optimus, destroying a tree near him. "I want you to look at me when I kill you!"
Optimus ignored Megatron and ran for the crescent mountain at the center of the island. Stabbing his sword into the rock, he slowly climbed up the mountain side, near the entrance to the hidden Decepticon base. The dragon above him was biting and scratching at the Ark while the Nemesis shot at it whenever it had a clear shot. Pulling himself up onto a narrow ledge, Optimus glared up at the dragon.
"Get away," Optimus raised his now glowing sword. "From my ship!"
He swung the blade and shot an energy wave that cut through the air and slammed into the dragon's back. The dragon howled in pain and roared angrily at Optimus before letting the Ark go in favor of killing this interloper.
Optimus waited until the dragon was close enough as it swooped down to snatch him up in its jaws. He jumped to the side to avoid its sharp teeth and took out his battle axe to blurry it into the dragon's skull. He grunted as his arm was nearly pulled from its socket and he was pulled into the air with the dragon. Using his axe as a handhold, Optimus pulled himself onto the dragon's back and kept a strong hold on his sword. Optimus eyed the Nemesis and raised the Temenos Blade.
"I hope you're watching, Megatron," Optimus said. "Because I'm about to return the favor!"
Using his axe, he forced the dragon to fly toward the Nemesis and slashed his blade. The smoke-filled air was briefly illuminated by the energy wave that slammed into the side of the Nemesis. Optimus couldn't dent the satisfaction he felt when the sport side of the Nemesis exploded and the ship actually rocked to the side. To add insult to injury, the Ark unleashed its own payload of missiles at the stunned ship, further staggering it.
Down below, Megatron was once again forced to admire Optimus Prime's ingenuity and willingness to keep fighting. That drive is what kept him in this fight for over four million years.
"Soundwave, what's the status of the ship?" He asked.
"Half of our thrusters are severely damaged and we've lost our port side missile batteries. Shield generators are at 40 percent and dropping." Soundwave said, his tone not changing even the slightest as he gave the bad news. "I can redirect power to the engines, but that would leave our remains operating at half power."
Megatron gnashed his teeth together. "Do not let up on the Ark. I will be there to draw Prime away." He said. "That ship cannot go down under any circumstances!"
XXXXXX
Skyfire and the Osean squadron were steadily doing damage to the dragon's metallic hide, but not enough to stop its course. The dragon had begun torching the ships as soon as it was close enough, breathing massive gouts of flame that shot several feet in front of it, incinerating the entire landing deck of the first ship. It then moved along from ship to ship, bathing each carrier in fire with one long continuous stream of red hot flames that torched anything and everyone in its sights.
"Slag!" Skyfire cursed. They weren't strong enough to kill it right now. She needed to find a weakness to exploit. Thinking back to Jazz's stories on his first encounter with a dragon, she remembered him saying that their insides were surprisingly combustible for a creature that breathed fire. "Wait a klik, that's it!"
Skyfire circled around to the dragon's front and fired a couple of particle blasts into its face. The dragon roared at Skyfire and flew after her, its implants tagging her as an Autobot, and thus a high profile target. Something big enough to diverge from its original mission of destroying the fleet.
"That's right, follow the leader." Skyfire flew back to the island with an angry dragon close on her tail. She signaled the human and Atlantian fighters to avoid engaging the dragon until she gave the order. Skyfire made sure the dragon was close to her as she led it to where her comrades were fighting for their lives on the beach. "Hey, you little buggers down there. I'm bringing the party to you!"
Down on the beach, the Autobots were slowly being pushed back by the Decepticons, though the dragon that was tearing into them earlier was mercifully gone. Nightshade was using Gandiva for force the Autobots back toward the water, and it was only thanks to Trailbreaker's shields that they weren't sporting any serious casualties. Jazz looked up and saw Skyfire approaching them with the dragon.
"I don't see how that's a party." Jazz drawled.
Starscream gaped at his former comrade as he tried to decipher her intentions. "What the hell is she doing?"
Skyfire felt her armor sizzle from the fire blast that missed her by inches and forced her thrusters to maximum output to remain out of its reach. When she got close to the beach, she transformed faster than she ever had before and spun around, firing a particle blast right into the dragon's gaping mouth as it inhaled for another fire breath. The dragon choked and sputtered, flames leaking from its mouth as its insides ignited.
"Incoming!" She shouted.
The Decepticons tried to get out of the way, but reacted too late. Skyfire warped away just seconds before the dragon slammed head first into the ground. Its head exploded in a fiery burst and caused a chain reaction that engulfed its entire body in a pillar of fire.
The Cons were sent flying everywhere from the exploding dragon, and even the Autobots were thrown off their feet by the force of the blast. Skyfire reappeared next to Arcee, tired but satisfied that her risky plan worked.
"Bloody hell," Skyfire panted. "I've never doing that again."
Arcee glared up at her. "I second that."
XXXXXX
Optimus struggled to maintain his hold on the dragon as it struggled to shake him off. He kept his axe buried in the back of its neck to steer the creature, but that was all he could manage so far. Regardless, he succeeded in giving the Ark a fighting chance. A few more hits like that and the Nemesis might even go down, leaving the Decepticons stranded on the island.
"Another blast should completely destroy its shield array." Optimus said and raised his sword for one last attack. The Temenos Blade glowed blue and hummed with energy.
Just as he was about to attack, a lightning bolt slammed into the dragon's underside from below. It hissed and wavered a little in the air before regaining its balance. Optimus saw another dragon fly right past him and saw Megatron riding on its back.
"No one runs from me, Prime!" Megatron roared and swung Keraunos to shoot another bolt.
Optimus swung his sword and diffused the bolt with its energy. "Am I running now?"
The two leaders unleashed their firepower on one another, the clash of the opposing energies causing the air to simmer and crackle with explosions of light. They angled their dragons forward and flew straight at each other. As the dragons strafed, Optimus and Megatron swung their weapons against one another, causing sparks to erupt and nearly knocking themselves off their mounts. Their dragons circled around and flew at one another again, but Megatron was in no mood for a joust.
"Die!" Megatron slashed Keraunos and shot a lightning bolt that moved faster than the eye could see.
Optimus jumped off the dragon just as the bolt hit the dragon's body, electrocuting it with thousands of volts of electricity that fried it from the inside out. Now in free fall, Optimus saw Megatron flying at him and raised the Temenos Blade just as Megatron attacked again.
Their weapons clashed and though Optimus was almost sent flying back, he managed to bury his axe blade into the dragon's back and remain on his nemesis's mount. Megatron swung Keraunos at Optimus's head, but he dodged it and punched Megatron in the jaw. The warlord swung Keraunos wildly around, leaving arcs of lightning in its wake, but he could not hit Prime.
Optimus raised the sword and hooked Keraunos's blade on his, trapping Megatron. They glared at each other over their grappled weapons.
"You aren't leaving this battle unscathed, Megatron. You will pay for your crimes against this world and all the others!" Optimus said.
"Four million years and you still can't think of something more original to say?" Megatron retorted. "Wasting troops and energon for a species that would gladly turn you all into coins to fill their pockets with. We could have ruled together once!"
"Once." Optimus growled and kicked Megatron away.
Megatron slashed Keraunos and Optimus swung the Temenos Blade, both weapons channeling enough energy to cause an explosion big enough to nearly blast the dragon in half. Charred bits of the dragon's corpse rained down from the air, but Optimus and Megatron still fought furiously as they fell. Arcs of energy and lightning blasts flew everywhere, one blast even carving a hole into the Decepticon base.
"Damn it, Megatron, you're going to tear the island apart!" Starscream yelled, seeing the damage their base was taking.
"Forget it, Starscream, the base it lost." Nightshade said.
"Lieutenant!" Demolishor ran up to them. "Multiple Atlantian fighters heading our way, along with two dozen gigas coming onto the beach to reinforce the Autobots."
Nightshade bit her lip and looked up at the Nemesis, still fighting the Ark despite its damages, but both ships were clearly running on fumes. Looking back toward the beach, she gripped Gandiva tightly in her hand.
"Dreadwing, have the Seekers intercept those fighters. Everyone else, we're going to route the Autobots." She ordered.
"What? But our dragons are dead!" Starscream exclaimed. "We're outnumbered. How could you think we would win this? We need to retreat!"
"We retreat when Megatron gives the order to retreat, and not a second sooner!" She hissed. "And if you even think of running Starscream, I'll shoot you down here and now!"
Starscream scowled, but said no more on the subject. "Fine. If we lose, it's on your head anyway."
Nightshade waved him off and nodded to Dreadwing, who transformed and flew off with Starscream. Raising Gandiva, Nightshade fired at the Autobots, intending to take out as many as she could.
Up in the sky, Optimus and Megatron continued to fight in their descent towards the island. Lightning arced off Keraunos as Megatron swung the scythe so hard that the lightning blast he released carved off a large chunk of the mountain under him. Optimus slashed the Temenos Blade and created a sonic boom that rattled every joint in his body. Both leaders were still falling hundreds of feet in the air, but all they were concerned about was killing each other.
Megatron fired his fusion cannon behind his body to propel himself forward and Optimus did the same with his ion rifle to shoot himself at the warlord, and as they flew at each other they raised their weapons and swung them as hard as they could. The Temenos Sword and Keraunos met in a brilliant flash of light, followed by a defeaning explosion that shook the air and the earth from the force of it.
It was like a hydrogen bomb detonated fight over the island. Everyone paused in their fighting as the thunderous boom nearly blasted out every audio receptor in the vicinity. From the massive thick cloud of smoke came two bodies that fell from the cloud like meteors. Optimus and Megatron.
"Decepticons, retreat!" Nightshade immediately ordered and flew off after Megatron's falling body. "Soundwave, send us a ground ridge and move the ship out of the area!"
"Prime!" Ironhide exclaimed.
"I got him!" Skyfire transformed and flew after Optimus.
"The Cons are getting away!" Cliffjumper called out, pointing at their retreating enemies who were fleeing into their ground bridge.
"Don't bother, Cliff, you won't catch them." Bulkhead said wearily.
Up above them, the Nemesis broke engagement with the Ark and changed its course. Before the Ark to chase after it, the Nemesis glowed and folded away in the blink of an eye, too fast for anyone to react. The Decepticons had completely abandoned the island.
Bumblebee looked around at the burning island and turned to his equally battle scarred friends. "Um, does this mean we win?"
"Against the Cons? No, they're still out there and we don't even have any prisoners." Prowl said. "But we've run them out of their only major headquarters on this planet and they're on the run. I don't want to be an optimist, but I'd say we're on the right track."
The rest of the team remained on guard as Skyfire brought the unconscious Optimus back down to land, but for the most part, the battle was over for them.
XXXXXX
At 8:30 PM, Pacific Time, the Autobots, with the assistance of Osean, Atlantian and League naval forces had attacked and secured Decepticon Island. Both sides suffered major casualties, but the battle had ended largely in an Autobot/Terran victory. It would mark a turning point in the Battle for Terra, and the Great War in the long run.
XXXXXX
"That's my report, sir."
General Abernathy leaned back in his seat with a weary sigh. Reading the casualty reports of the League naval forces was harder than he'd like to admit. Colonel Barnett understood how he felt, having actually seen footage of the battle from Atlantian recordings.
"So many dead." Abernathy sighed. "And the Autobots had no intelligence of this?"
"No, sir. Apparently those dragons were Megatron's trump card in the event that the island was actually invaded." Barnett said. "Thankfully, all dragons have been killed in the battle."
"Thank god for that." The general said.
The Battle of Decepticon Island, as the media was calling it, had mixed reactions from the public. On one side, they had ran the Decepticons off their home turf and had them on the run, beaten and defeated. On the other, they failed to capture or kill any major officers and suffered massive casualties from the dragon attack alone. Senator Lidell had a field day criticizing the Autobots for the human death toll, as the remaining Human Front representatives. Still, the enemy no longer had a solid foothold on the planet, so that was something."
"The President, secretary general, and Queen Tyr have made moves to secure the island so that the Cons don't come back. Right now we're looking for any solid information they might've left behind, but the Decepticons had thoroughly cleaned out any computers they didn't smash." Abernathy said.
"That was to be expected, sir."
"I now, but even a weary old war dog like me can dream, eh?" Abernathy smiled. "How is Prime?"
"He's made a full recovery from his battle and is thanking the President, League and Atlantis for their aid in the battle. We've obtained a huge advantage, but he warned us of possible retaliation from Megatron."
"That's what's concerned the President." Abernathy said. "We've won the battle but the war goes on."
Neither man truly realized just how true those words would be in the future.
This chapter was nuts. Optimus and Megatron sword fighting while riding cyborg dragons. Anyone else done that before? When I've started writing this chapter I've been reading Avengers: Siege for some kind of inspiration. Megatron's sickle is named Keraunos, after Zeus's mighty thunderbolt. Stay tuned next chapter for another return of a fan favorite(s) from both sides as the battle for Terra escalates. Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on WordPress. Thanks for reading, please leave a review, and stay safe everybody!