Chapter 38-Conquest part 1
The island nation of Assiah was a new country born from a violent political revolution that ended in the deaths of its previous ruler, an esper warlord who a global drug empire. Assiah consisted of five islands, with the capital residing on the largest one. After ten years of severe infighting, the country had been taken over by the rebels and began cleaning up its act before opening relations with the rest of the world, namely their closest neighbors, the Republic of Osea.
Assiah had an embassy in Washington, where they conducted business with Osean diplomats and formed trade deals regarding their surprisingly advanced technology, but ever since Karaba had started gaining ground in their revolution, anyone related to Assiah suddenly began staying close to the embassy. Unfortunately for them, they were too late to avoid the watchful eyes of Karaba.
"Haha, you have no idea how satisfying this is!" Daniel Alder laughed. "Eat it, Wolfe!"
The attack had been meticulously planned in a way only Dreyas could manage. Daniel, along with Susan and Jane, had pulled up to the embassy in an unmarked black van and fearlessly approached the security checkpoint. Susan struck first, completely incinerating the security guards in a fountain of lava, and David caused massive damage with his powers, generating powerful vibrations to cause localized earthquakes. The objective was simple—destroy the Assiahn embassy, and send a message to its leader, Johnathan Wolfe.
Sidewalks cracked and the surrounding streets trembled from the seismic upheaval. Anyone nearby immediately fell into disarray as the peaceful late morning rush turned into utter chaos. The epicenter of the attack was focused right on the foundation of the building. The entire north side of the embassy cracked as windows shattered and the foundations shook.
"More, Daniel!" Jane commanded. "Dad doesn't want any survivors!"
"Trust me, no one's gonna survive this!"
Clutching his fists, David unleashed another wave of seismic force. This was the death blow for the entire building. When it hit, the deafening sound of concrete shattering and steel beams warping sounded loudly as the ground trembled and the whole embassy crumbled under its own weight.
The three Karaba agents showed no mercy to the people inside. David kept the tremors going, making sure that nothing was left standing and any survivors lucky enough to survive the first wave were crushed in the second wave. Susan took care of any guards sent to stop them, turning the ground into a growing pool of molten lava.
While this was going on, terrified civilians and news helicopters watched the carnage from afar. This was perfect. Dreyas wanted them to make a statement to the world, and to Assiah's leader especially. Jane spotted one of the security cameras and flipped it off.
"You see this, Wolfe? Your days are numbered!" She proclaimed. "We know exactly what kind of bastard you are and what you're doing!"
"Jeez, tone it down, sis. I thought David was supposed to be the crazy one." Susan said. "Nothing crazy about sending a message." Jane grinned.
More news helicopters appeared on the scene, and Jane decided to wrap it up. She had Susan cause an eruption of magma to burst right over the wreckage to cap it off. It was so easy breaking things than building them.
"I think we've made our point." Jane said, pressing a button on her wrist device. "We better go. I hear the police heading our way."
The air crackled with energy before the massive purple form of Skywarp appeared in the middle of the street. He fired a laser bolt at the oncoming police cars, killing several of them in a single shot, and gathered up the three espers in his arms before teleporting away.
The terrorists were gone and in their wake was a scene of death and destruction. This wasn't some random attack, but a warning of what was to come. A message to the rulers of Assiah—they were next.
XXXXXX
Over a week had passed since the assault on Skywatch, and the cleanup was terrible for everyone. The only thing that had gone right was that the Autobots had rescued the children and killed Thornment. Everything else was just bad.
OZ had been incredibly thorough in purging Skywatch of its personnel. Soldiers, scientists, mechanics, pilots, it didn't matter to them. They were all gunned down without mercy, and hundreds of people lay dead inside the base. Most of those deaths were attributed to the inhuman Uber Katrina.
The Decepticons and Karaba had completely cleared the place out of anything they could find, though in terms of classified information, it appeared that they didn't get much. What Director Hollander didn't destroy already was taken by OZ, and what they in turn had no time to acquire, they also destroyed. Any digital documents were transferred or destroyed, and physical documents were in a similar state.
At the children's request, a funeral was held for former Agent Veronica Howards. It was a small funeral, with only Colonel Barnett, the children, Optimus, and surprisingly, Prowl in attendance. No one will forget what she risked helping the people she was supposed to be fighting against. Her sacrifice will not be forgotten by those she helped, and the children made sure of that.
Speaking of the children, this was the first time that Annie, Darren and Gina had been together since their big fight. Though they fought well together, the air between them was still tense, and neither of them said a word to each other after the funeral.
When all the excitement had died down, the three friends spent their days recovering back at the Providence Institute. They sat alone in the front yard of the school, sitting in the shade of a tree that was just starting to lose its leaves. Gina sat between Darren and Annie, an awkward silence between them, mainly because neither sibling knew what to say to each other. Eventually Gina got sick of the silence and decided to take charge.
"Okay, look, I've had a long and stressful week, and watching you two dance around each other isn't helping anyone at all." She said. "So how about we do what we all should have done from the start and talk?"
The twins looked at her for a moment before turning to each other. After a minute of silence they took a deep breath and said…
"I'm sorry."
Darren and Annie blinked and laughed a little.
"You first." Darren said.
"Darren, I'm really sorry. I didn't want to stress you out this badly. I didn't tell you about the Neo Knights because you were still hurting from Justine." Annie said. "I know you hate me running around and playing hero, but—"
Darren cut her off. "You weren't playing hero, Annie. You were just doing what you thought was right." He said, looking tired. "I was just angry at you because I thought you were taking too many risks that'd put our family in danger. I thought you were ruining any second chances at us having a normal life. But after Justine, after OZ and Brianna and everything else…I'm starting to realize that we'll never have a normal life. Not with the enemies we've made."
Annie looked down at her hands, playing with some blades of grass between her fingers. "Yeah, that's the awful truth. I guess our childhood days are over."
They went quiet once more, but it noticeably lacked the awkwardness from earlier. Darren and Annie smiled and reached to hug each other.
"I'm so sorry for being such an asshole." Darren whispered. "So much has happened and I just couldn't handle anything else…"
"You've been through a lot." Annie said back. "I understand.
Gina smiled at finally seeing brother and sister act nice towards one another after spending so long apart. It was a nice wholesome scene after all the pain and violence they went through recently.
"Gina."
Gina blinked and saw Darren and Annie looking at her. "W-What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"How are you feeling, Gina?" Darren asked. "You haven't talked about Brianna since we got back."
"What's there to talk about, Darren? Brianna and I fought, beat each other black and blue, and hit a stalemate." Gina sighed. Just talking about Brianna sapped the energy from her. "The Autobots and military had searched every inch of the base but they couldn't find any sign of her afterwards. Funny enough, I just got word that Stephanie Bergen had also vanished abruptly without any word."
"Seriously?" Annie said. "You don't think—"
"I don't think, I know." Gina grumbled. "I guess we know who Brianna's caretaker was."
"Well, worrying about Brianna anymore won't do us any good." Darren said. "Honestly I just want to have some peace and quiet before the next big fight flares up. How does that sound?"
He held out his hand to Gina, who took it with a smile. Annie grinned and stood up.
"Well, if we're going to have some quiet time, I better follow your example and find Brit. Been feeling like crap with all the doom and gloom and I could use a little private time with my girl." Annie said.
Darren rolled his eyes with a smile. "Good to have you back, Annie."
"Same with you, bro."
XXXXXX
While the children were making up for lost time, the Autobots had their own thing going on. Optimus had most of the Autobots out scouting for energon and seeking out Karaba cells to stop, but Ratchet and Lifeline were doing some work on their own. Namely studies on Thornment's body.
The two medics had spent several days dissecting Thornment's body, and though Optimus hardly condoned such macabre practices, he needed to know just what the dolems did to Thornment to make her so powerful. This might be their only chance to really understand how the dolems could empower a cybertronian so much.
"Optimus, you must know that I am a mech of science." Ratchet began. "I look at the universe from a rational point of view, unbiased by things such as religion or fantastical beliefs. I went into this thinking that there had to be an explanation to the secrets behind the Order's power."
"How bad is it?" Optimus asked.
"As bad as it gets. There's nothing externally different about her body, no implants, no upgrades, nothing. Yet she was able to channel so much energy from somewhere, and even that's barely visible on my scanners." Ratchet said.
"Just like Edo." Optimus said, remembering Wheeljack saying the same thing about the energy readings in Ginza. "There's clearly something we're not seeing, Ratchet, but we're just not doing it the right way. OZ clearly knows more than they let on, or else Thornment wouldn't work with them in the first place."
"Your guess is as good as mine. At this rate, we might possibly wipe out the Zodiac before we get any decent answers from them." Ratchet sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm really getting tired of looking for answers that don't want to be found."
"In time we will get our answers, Ratchet. I just hope that it won't be too late when we do." Optimus said.
Their conversation was cut short when Tomahawk entered the medibay with a grim expression on her face.
"Prime, we have a situation." She said. "You have to see this!"
XXXXXX
This was a big day for Johnathan Wolfe. The destruction of the embassy in Washington provided the spark he had been waiting for. An attack on Assiahn soil by a team of renegade espers and a Decepticon was tantamount to an all-out invasion of one species upon another. The Decepticon/Karaba alliance was doing a great job of turning global reception against espers, which will make his job easier.
As soon as news broke of the attack on the embassy, Wolfe was rushed to the main research facility on the island under heavy guard. He already delivered a message to his military to instill martial law. Every man, woman, and child of Assiah would now be subject to wartime measures. That meant everybody was technically a soldier and obligated to follow orders from the top military brass. But Wolfe wasn't under the illusion that his people alone could withstand the evil alliance. To defeat his enemies, he had something far grander in mind.
Security around his main research facility was among the tightest in the world. Nobody without top military clearance was allowed in. if a stray farmer ventured onto their grounds, the guards were allowed to shoot on sight. The facility was already on high alert with troops, tanks, talos and fighters preparing for battle. Some of Wolfe's most elite units were stationed here and were getting ready for what was sure to be a battle for the ages. As Wolfe rode by in his armored convoy, he smiled. This is what he had been working for since he seized power on this island. Now it was finally coming together.
As they rode up to the checkpoint, his personal guard turned back to address him.
"They're ready for you, sir." His driver said.
"Excellent, take us in." Wolfe said. "But first, send a message to every commander. Have all units fortify their positions. They are to hold firm until I say otherwise."
"Yes sir."
The driver relayed the message to the security personnel outside. They respectfully saluted their leader, affirming that his commands will be carried out. Within an hour this whole island will be one big fortress. It would be a glorious stand worthy of any historical battle fought over the ages. But unlike the Alamo or the battle of the 300, this one would have a very different outcome.
Wolfe and his convoy passed through the checkpoint and several others until they drove into a large, warehouse-like opening in the west end of the front building. This facility, one of the largest structures on the island, was a hotbed of research and advanced weapons development. It was here where the fruits of his labor took form and substance. What other countries spent decades developing, he and his regime had attained in a few short years. The cost was high, both in terms of resources and in money, but the payoff was potentially huge.
Once the convoys stopped, the large sliding doors behind them were closed and secured. Before Wolfe even stepped out of the vehicle, he was surrounded on all sides by heavily armed men and women. One guard opened the door for him, and the first person he saw was the man responsible for their progress—Edward Newton, Assiah's lead scientist and engineer.
"Hello Newton," Greeted Wolfe. "It's good to see you."
"You know how to make an entrance, Wolfe." Newton said, shaking the man's hand. "I heard about what happened at our Osean embassy. This is really going to happen, isn't it? It's just as we planned."
"Don't tell me you're surprised." The Assian leader said coyly.
"Of course not. It's a little overwhelming, that's all. I knew the espers would rise up sooner or later, but the inclusion of the Decepticons was an honest surprise."
"Well we're ready for the aliens too should they come to our shores. Is everything in place?"
"Yes, they're all programmed and ready to go." Newton said. "Come, I'll show you."
Wolfe and his bodyguards followed Newton into the bowels of the vast facility. The middle aged scientist and engineer looked as though he hadn't slept much these past few weeks. Not that anyone could blame him, but he knew this was coming. He knew the part he was going to play.
Newton had been a part of the Osean research division for the military, designing weapons to enhance talos capabilities, and was brought on as an assistant to Henry Arkeville for developing the ERD's technology. He was a brilliant man, but was mostly overshadowed by Arkeville, and that led to quite the pissing contest between the two men. Learning of Arkeville's death had been the happiest Wolfe had ever seen him since he arrived in Assiah.
Wolfe and his entourage were led to the primary observation deck of the manufacturing area. This part of the facility was a noisy, chaotic place. Teams of scientists, engineers, technicians, and workers labored around the clock on the pride and joy of the Assian military. As they passed by, workers paused and saluted their leader before quickly returning to work. Wolfe smiled at the fear he inspired in these people. Good, this will make them work harder.
Once in the observation room, Newton brought up a program and projected it onto the screen. In big, bold letters was the name of the project—Project: Enforcer.
"As you can see, we've been working overtime on the first batch." Newton said as he brought up a production report. "Every part of the facility is working at full capacity. As it stands now, there are a total of 300 units. At our current pace we can have 300 more by the end of the month."
"Cut that figure down to two weeks." Wolfe said. "We'll need the reinforcements once the conflict is in full swing."
"Are you sure that's necessary, sir?" Newton asked incredulously. "300 should be more than sufficient enough to put Karaba down and eliminate the Decepticons."
"Don't get overconfident, Newton. Karaba and the Decepticons have been running a train on the major powers of the world and are steadily becoming a powerful and dangerous force. Underestimate the cybertronians at your peril, because they have ways of making us look like morons before killing you." Wolfe looked out over the manufacturing plant. "We have to make sure we overwhelm them with the first wave so they cannot reorganize. Give those aliens a chance to breath and we've lost the advantage."
"I…I understand." Newton said. "But I assure you that no amount of organization will be enough. Every one of my Enforcers is sufficiently equipped with the necessary firepower, strength, and intelligence to counter any enemy attack, human, esper, or alien."
"They had better, considering all the resources I've given you to develop them." Wolfe said darkly. "This technology does not come cheap or readily available."
"I'm fully aware of that, sir, but I would be able to progress much faster if you could give me more details as to where this technology came from. These advanced computer chips and fusion battery cells are beyond anything I've worked with before and are difficult to integrate into the systems."
"We've been over this before Newton, I cannot divulge where this technology came from. I can only tell you that it is unique to Assiah and if you want to continue to have access to it, you had best stop asking questions about it."
Newton fell silent. This wasn't the first time he inquired about these advanced components that Wolfe was providing him. They were decades ahead of anything humans had made beforehand. If anything it was something similar to what the Atlantians had. But Wolfe was very secretive of where this technology came from and Newton wasn't going to risk a front row seat to the preservation of mankind's independence because he pushed too hard.
"Now then, what is the status of the demonstration I've organized?" Wolfe asked.
"It's still on schedule." Newton answered. "We're set to begin within a few hours in the central arena."
"Did you have any problems with our participants?"
"None sir. Your men have kept them in check. Most have already been weakened. They should prove easy prey for my enforcers."
"Hopefully not too easy." Said the Assiah leader. "We want them to be prepared for when they face this dark alliance giving Osea the runaround."
"Come, I'll take you to the arena." Newton said. "We'll commence as soon as possible."
"Good, I look forward to seeing your creations in action." Wolfe grinned.
"Just out of curiosity, though, how much longer until the attack begins?"
Wolfe laughed and place a hand on his colleague's shoulder. Newton was a brilliant man, but he was too anxious for his own good. He could hardly blame him considering his tumulus career. But that was the past, and this was about the future.
"Oh you need not worry about that, my friend. Everything is under control." He said. "Just take comfort in the knowledge that when this day is over, humanity will take back this planet in the dawn of a new age."
XXXXXX
News reports from several different countries were being streamed into the command center all at once. They all covered the same ghastly scene at the Assiah Embassy in Washington. Images of rubble and charged debris dominated the screen. It looked like a war zone, but the fact that this was in the nation's capital struck hard and was sure to leave an impact on millions of viewers around the world.
But one scene that kept playing over and over were the video feeds from the security cameras that weren't knocked out. They clearly showed the three Karaba members, one of them a high profile member, responsible for the carnage. Jane, Sue and Daniel showed no hesitation or remorse for what they did. Their lack of mercy or empathy was sure to enrage a lot of people.
Optimus's expression was grim. A sentiment shared by his Autobots.
"Those miserable punks!" Growled Ironhide. "You'd think they'd had enough when it came to this slag, but they keep raisin' the bar!"
"Primus, to attack a foreign embassy in Osea's very capital…what were they thinking?" Ratchet asked. "There's no logic to this, and the randomness of this attack baffles me."
"Dreyas is clearly dead set on starting a war, and he's doing a damn good job of it." Hound said. "That's not even taking into account Megatron being the driving force behind his war machine."
"Still, as bad as this is, something about it doesn't seem right." Optimus said, rubbing his chin. "Megatron may be aiding Dreyas in starting a war between humans and espers, but this seems too random even for him. The significance of this attack is too obvious. He's calling Assiah out."
"It's possible that Megatron and Dreyas are targeting Assiah specifically." Prowl said, staring up at the large monitor. "There must be a reason to this."
"Assiah has been the most vocal about how they see espers. The espers living on that island are little more than slaves in a labor camp. Never mind the fact that most of the ERD's anti-esper tech was made by them." Rodimus said, crossing his arms. "Taking that place out seems like a good place to start."
"This is riding on the coattails of Johnathan Wolfe boasting that he's on the cusp of finalizing a revolutionary anti-esper system. It sounded like he was preparing for war." Tomahawk said.
"Is that something we can take at face value?" Prowl asked.
"It would be prudent to do so." Ratchet said. "I've read up on Assiah and they have a history of mysterious advancements in technology that shouldn't be possible for a country ravaged by centuries of civil war."
"All this talk is great and all, but what the hell are we going to do about the Brotherhood? Megs and Dreyas just called out Assiah and Wolfe is creating some superweapon to be used against espers. We're on the verge of a pocket war, people, and it's going to be bloody." Ironhide said.
Optimus grimaced. This was what he was trying to avoid when he came to this world. Megatron and Dreyas were working in perfect synch right now, inflaming hatred in the hearts of millions, and Assiah was taking the bait. Megatron was no fool, he wouldn't start a fight he knew he couldn't win. That country was going to be wiped off the face of the planet and made an example of.
"So who do we hit first?" Rodimus asked. That got him a few looks, making him scoff. "What? You all know that Wolfe is as much of a danger to the world as the Brotherhood is. You think that nutjob is going to stop at Karaba and the Cons? He's going to lead some rabid crusade against all espers in the world."
"Rodimus, you don't know that for sure." Tomahawk said, glaring at him.
"You going to bet the lives of Darren, Annie and Gina on that?" That made Tomahawk reel back in shock at how spiteful her boyfriend sounded. "I told you, Optimus, we can't just focus on the Cons anymore. If we want to change things, we're going to have to get involved. The last thing we need is Assiah declaring war on everyone that's not human."
"Rodimus slow down. We don't even know what kind of weapon he has, or if he even has one." Hound said. "He could be bluffing for all we know."
"I'm not taking any chances." Bulkhead grunted. "After dealing with OZ and Skywatch, I'm done being taken by surprise. Let's snuff them all out and be done with it already."
"No one's doing anything until Prime gives the word." Prowl said icily. He turned to Optimus. "Prime, what's your decision?"
Optimus was silent for several minutes, weighing his options. It was clear the Brotherhood was spoiling for a fight, but there was most likely another reason behind this blatant declaration of war. Megatron never did something without good reason. And Rodimus did have a point. Wolfe's supposed superweapons could be dangerous to all races in the long run if left to his own devices. He didn't like interfering in the affairs of other races, but at this point, all bets were off. All that mattered was maintaining the fragile peace Terra had before this mess started.
"Teletran, call the White House." Optimus ordered, opening his eyes. "We need to have a talk."
XXXXXX
In times of peace, the President's office was chaotic enough. In times of war, however, the tension was beyond measure. Decisions that could affect the lives of millions if not billions were debated and made within these walls. No president ever wanted to be in office when a major conflict broke out. But as history had shown time and time again, conflict of the greatest magnitude can break out at any time.
At the moment the president and his staff were dealing with such a conflict. The destruction of the Assiah embassy sent shockwaves throughout the international community. This was the first time that Karaba had taken such direct action against a country in such a blatant way that didn't involve liberating espers in some manner. The implications of this attack were even more harrowing. This could very well start a war between the species, and considering the tremendous growth in Karaba's forces, as well as their alliance with the Decepticons, it was bound to be devastating.
Sitting behind his desk, President Flagg listened to his most trusted advisors. Among them were the Secretary of Defense, John Keller, Vice President Hauser, three of the joint chiefs, and Colonel Barnett.
"I believe I speak for everyone in the country when I say that this is the Dark Alliance's declaration of war." Hauser said. Like Flagg, he was a former military man, Army, who got surprisingly deep into politics following the end of his deployment. "This is the first time they've taken direct action against a foreign nation like this."
"This could be a bluff." One of the chiefs said. "A ploy to have everyone on their guard and attack us somewhere we didn't expect."
"Except that Assiah is the perfect target for the Alliance. The country hasn't exactly made its attitude towards espers within their borders a secret, thanks to Johnathan Wolfe." Barnett said. "Between that, and their arsenal of advanced technology, it seems like the perfect target for them."
"If that's the case, then we need to know our next course of action. The Dark Alliance are already being seen as heroes by the majority of the esper population. The last thing we need is this on their scorecard." Keller said.
"Honestly, gentlemen, I'm more concerned about what Wolfe in this situation." President Flagg said. "General Abernathy, what do we know about Wolfe's plan?"
"At this point, very little, sir." He answered. "All our spies efforts have failed to infiltrate Assiah. But based on satellite reconnaissance, we can say with near certainty that Wolfe's nation is a veritable fortress and he's the warden. I can't imagine too many happy citizens living in such a closed society. But somehow he's managed to amass the technology and hardware to create a number of impressive facilities."
"And where exactly did he get the materials for that?" Asked the president.
"Private contractors, mostly," Responded Abernathy. "Some from Osea and most from abroad. We've tried repeatedly to find out what he's working on, but whatever it is it's safe to assume it's big. So it's reasonable to assume that whatever this so-called esper containment system he's been bragging about is, it's every bit as big as he claims."
"Do we have any details as to just what exactly this system is?"
"None sir," The general answered. "Nobody seems to know, which is why many other nations are hesitating to get behind Wolfe. I believe they may be waiting on us to make the first move."
Flagg muttered a curse under his breath. So many countries were quick to criticize Osea's policies, yet when the important issues came along they turned to them without so much as a polite inquiry.
"Say we do get behind Wolfe," Inquired the president. "What are the potential risks?"
Hauser took over from there."
"If Wolfe succeeds somehow and fights off the Alliance, he'll have a lot more credibility in the international community and his systems would most likely be sought after by a multitude of other nations, us included. Which means he would not only have authority, but leverage on us all."
"That's a lot of power to give to a ruthless dictator." Flagg mused. "What about if he fails?"
"If Wolfe is unable to repel the Alliance, then the fight is one. They won't stop at attacking Assiah. They'll take the island and march on the rest of the world, attacking humans regardless of nationality. Karaba's popularity is at an all-time high and if they win, then esper populations in every country may rise up and create civil unrest. It would be tantamount to a genetic civil war."
Both outcomes were hardly desirable. It was a lose-lose situation no matter who won. President Flagg's expression sank for a moment as he digested every scenario he could think of.
"Is there any possible outcome that may be remotely positive?" He asked almost desperately.
None of his staff said anything at first. Then Keller stepped forth.
"The chances are remote, but if both sides bludgeon each other to a point where they're both too weak to carry on, the conflict may burn itself out. But that is contingent on the will of both sides. And with Karaba being allied with the Decepticons, I doubt that's very likely."
"The Decepticons." Flagg growled. He turned to Colonel Barnett. "Colonel, what is Prime's opinion on this?"
"The Autobots are ready to intervene if need be, but Prime is hesitant to get involved with Karaba given Dreyas' tremendous power over them. His magnetic powers put the Autobots at a severe disadvantage, and they might not even get close enough to make a difference." Barnett said.
"Yes, I heard that Karaba has two espers with that power." Abernathy said. "Not to mention the Decepticons might even waylay them before they even reach the island."
"That's if Wolfe doesn't attack the Autobots first. He's preached vehemently against all nonhumans, merfolk, cybertronian and esper." Keller said.
"So it falls to us, then." Flagg said, taking a deep breath.
"Mr. President, whatever you decide, we need to take action." Said one of the joint chiefs. "I know you're not in prime position to make such a decision with so little time left in your term, but you have a chance to do something that could very well affect the course of history."
With the general's words in mind, President Flagg sighed and made his decision. "For now…let's stand pat. But I want every carrier group and military wing we have in that region on high alert. If I see for a second that the situation is getting out of hand, we'll intervene."
"For Wolfe or the espers?" Asked Abernathy.
"We'll scale that mountain when we get to it." He replied. "I want our entire military focused on that area. Also, Hauser, get as many world leaders on the line to make sure they hold steady too. I know it's risky, but if we're to make the best decision as a country and a global community, we must let this affair unfold, as distasteful as it is. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir."
"Good," Flagg nodded. "Then make it happen."
The tense atmosphere did not dissipate even as the generals and members of the executive branch dispersed to complete their duties. President Flagg was not confident about the outcome of this conflict. Karaba and the Decepticons were having a winning streak not just on the battlefield, but also in the hearts and minds of men, women and children all over the world, and he played right into their hands with that stupid Registration Bill that caused nothing but trouble.
On the other hand, he knew next nothing about Wolfe aside from the fact that he was every human rights' activists' nightmare. He didn't trust the man as far as he could throw him, and the last thing he wanted was this dictator getting any leverage in world affairs. No doubt this upcoming war with the Dark Alliance was something he'd been gunning for since Karaba entered the limelight.
Either way, war was coming, and for once the Autobots could do nothing to stop it. The Decepticons had found their stride, and were feeding off the schism caused by humanity itself to grow stronger. All President Flagg could do was pray. Pray and hope that there was an opening for the Autobots to take out one or both leaders before the entire world erupted into a race war.
XXXXXX
Inside an abandoned rock quarry in upstate New York, an army was gathering. Under cloudy skies and brisk winds, hundreds of espers converged. They came from far and wide—some were outcasts driven into the sewers to escape persecution, some looked completely human, many were young, not even teenagers, others were old and weary, having suffered humanity's intolerance for far too long.
Many of the espers here came from the local area, but others either traveled from overseas or had teleportation powers that allowed them to travel over long distances in an instant. Megatron even allowed a few groups use of the ground bridge to bring in Karaba cells from around the world. It was the largest gathering of espers in recent history.
Dreyas stood in the center of the quarry with his family watching more and more espers pour into the area. The plan was working better than he had ever hoped. Espers uniting to take back their freedom and independence. A true army.
"Wow, there's so many espers." Sue whispered next to him. "Looks like everyone's got your message, dad."
"So it would seem. Remind me to thank Soundwave for his efforts. He saved us a lot of time." Dreyas said. "You'd be surprised how far people will go for the promise of a better life…or vengeance."
"How long are we going to wait?" Jane asked in a huff. "I'm soaking wet and half the quarry's flooded."
"Just a few more minutes, dear. Let everyone get settled in before starting." Magda said. "Providence's actions have made it a bit difficult to recruit from the New York state, but our numbers should be more than sufficient enough for the plan."
"But fewer numbers may lead to greater casualties, mom." Debra said.
"No great movement in history has not had their share of sacrifices, Debra." Dreyas sad. "We all must be willing to do what is necessary for the good of esper kind."
"But do you think they're ready for this?" She asked.
"They look ready to me." Fauntleroy said, looking pleased. "The Neo Knights will be no match for us if they interfere, even with the help of the Autobots."
It was almost time to begin. As the last wave of espers entered the quarry, Dreyas chose to make his presence known by using his powers to levitate himself high into the air for everyone to see. To silence the crowd, he tore up every piece of metallic ore in the quarry and had it orbit around him.
"My fellow espers, thank you for joining me on this historical day. We've come far and wide from different nations and backgrounds to be together as one people. We all know why we're here. It's because we've been wronged. All of us! We've been cheated, marginalized, oppressed, and in some cases, treated far worse we are all victims of the same tyranny. And that tyranny is humanity!" Dreyas bellowed, his voice carrying far and wide across the area. "They have the gall to label us as monsters when they are so willing to commit heinous acts against us and to each other. They call us abnormalities and freaks, and are fast to prey on those who don't fight back but quickly run when we bear our fangs. They have committed grave injustices against us espers, including myself with the murder of my wife Tia!"
Debra tensed up at the mention of her birth mother's name, and Magda held her hand.
"For too long they have trampled over us, treated us like we're less than trash. All the decades of pain and suffering and isolation they have put us through ends now!" He continued. "Today we take this world for ourselves and show all of mankind that we are the dominant species. It begins right here on this hallowed patch of earth. Remember that this place is where we united to take the world. This is the place where we as an emerging species came together and proclaimed that we are the future! Humanity's time in the sun has come to an end. This is not just the evolution of a species. This is a revolution!"
The cheers and applause of the crowd was thunderous. These men, women and children who were all hurt in some way for being different than the rest finally had hope that things were going to change. Karaba was their path to a new future free of hate and fear. They will never have to suffer again. Soon, they will be free.
A ground bridge appear and Megatron appeared with his inner circle behind Dreyas. The esper army cheered even louder at the appearance of the aliens who gave them the firepower to make this dream come true. It was thanks to the Decepticons that they had reached this level of power, and with their help, they'll grow even stronger. Dreyas and Megatron were the faces of a new age.
"Comes espers of the free world!" Megatron roared in his booming voice. "Together we will go to Assiah and conquer the land in our name. Rise and take what is rightfully yours!"
XXXXXX
Leesa Kujo had spent many years trying to mitigate the conflict between espers and humans. Time and time again she and her Neo Knights stopped small issues from becoming big problems and big problems from escalating into catastrophes. Never had she faced a disaster scenario like this before. This was no local problem that could be stopped within a certain time frame. It was to stop two powerful forces from colliding and igniting a true start to the human/esper war.
Leesa had called to mobilize the Neo Knights and Barnaby was prepping the Nighthawk for war. Leesa herself was coming along, a rarity for the team. Leesa only came along on missions when she was planning on fighting herself.
"Um, boss? Not that I'm not hype about going into battle and everything, but how are we going to stop this?" Hua asked in the hangar. "It's just us against, like, a million espers and the Decepticons."
"And our odds against Assiah's military forces aren't very good either." Karina said.
"I'm not planning on attacking the Brotherhood, we won't last long in an open battle against them. We're going after Wolfe himself and liberate the espers under his rule." Leesa said.
Her team stared at her in shock. "Seriously?" Karina said.
Leesa nodded. "Yes, I'm very serious. And there's no doubt that the Autobots will be getting involved too. There's no way they won't with the Cons getting involved." She looked at her team. "I won't sugarcoat this, my Knights. This mission might be our most dangerous one yet. There is a good chance that some, or even all of us might not make it out alive. If any of you want out now, speak up. There's no going back."
When none of the espers assembled spoke up, Leesa smiled. Kotetsu sent her a grin.
"I think I speak for everyone here when I say that situations like this are exactly what we signed up for." He said. "We're ready, Sumeragi."
"Thank you." Leesa said. "Now let's get going and stop this war from happening."
"Wait for me!"
The Neo Knights turned back to the hall, where they saw Annie jogging up to them in full costume.
"Annie?" Hua blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"To help you. I'm a Neo Knight too you know." Annie grinned.
"Annie, I can't ask you to get involved after what happened last time with your brother." Leesa said.
"I made up with Darren. We talked it over and we're on the mend right now. Besides, I can act as a go-between between us and the Autobots, because you're definitely going to need their help." Annie said.
"I'm totally open to having our own giant alien robots helping us." Karina chirped. "But it's going to get really crazy over there, Annie."
"Then it's a good thing I brought this!" Annie held up a large golden hammer that crackled with electricity. "Let's go save the world, people!"
XXXXXX
Debra stood in the courtyard of one of Karaba's coastal bases where the invasion force was assembled. Esper soldiers armed with their own weapons and armor were preparing for the biggest esper invasion in history, and several talos and combat vehicles, many stolen from the militaries all over the world and repurposed for the Brotherhood, were being fueled and armed to max capacity. Powers alone won't cut it this time, they needed everything they could get.
Debra was dressed in her combat uniform, a sleeveless light grey bodysuit with white elbow gloves and a golden hairpiece shaped like a small crown. Her stepmother and sisters wore variations of the same outfit, only with different colors. Tirant had designed the material with some help from Knockout to not only be comforting and stylish but also slightly increase their physical abilities somewhat. Debra had to admit that it certainly looked good.
"You okay?"
"Wah!" Debra jumped and looked up to see Thundercracker standing behind her. How do these cybertronians move so silently despite being so big? "Thundercracker, you scared me!"
"Not my fault you weren't paying attention." Thundercracker shrugged. "So what's go you so wound up? Nerves?"
"A little." She admitted. "I'm not used to fighting like the rest of my family. Dad never let me take part in any missions that involved combat."
"That's a terrible way to teach you how to fight." Thundercracker said.
"I don't blame him for being protective. He lost my mother, his first wife, in a bloody raid on an ERD prison facility when I was little. He's kept me close since." Debra said. "He plans for me to succeed him as Karaba's leader, so he has to bring me along into the field sooner or later, but…"
"But he'd rather you be safe at home and away from danger." He said. Debra looked up at him in mild surprise.
"For a Decepticon, you're surprisingly empathetic."
"We're not so different, girl. Humans, cybertronians, we're all no different from each other. You learn that quick when you spend as long as I have infiltrating worlds and studying their native populations." Thundercracker replied with a humorless smile. "It gets a little depressing after a while when I think on how we lost Cybertron."
As depressing as that sounded, Debra knew there was some truth to his words. Knowing that war wasn't unique to humans in the universe was a sobering thought, though few would give it any attention.
The entire crowd became quiet as the Nemesis began to take off, its massive form hovering over the canyon. That was the sign that it was time to mobilize, and begin the biggest mission in Karaba's history.
"Looks like that's my cue to go." Thundercracker said and sent Debra a grin. "Good luck, Debra."
"Good luck, Thundercracker." Debra smiled at him.
As they parted ways, Dreyas appeared hovering above his army, looking like the fabled supermen of the early esper era during the First World War. He raised his hands and summoned massive platforms composed of liquid metal. These circular platforms held hundreds of espers ready to fight, and Dreyas stood with his family on the lead platform. All their talos, weapons and vehicles were stashed in the cargo hold of the Nemesis.
"To war, my espers!" Dreyas roared, commanding the platforms to fly forward away from land. "To war!"
The Brotherhood had mobilized and went on their way to make the first move in this genetic war of supremacy. There was no turning back now. All they could do was keep moving forward.
XXXXXX
On board the Nemesis, the Decepticons were also preparing for coming battle. Megatron told his troops to expect heavy resistance, and to not let their guard down. From what they've heard from reports on Assiah, the island nation harbored a rather disturbing amount of advanced technology and weaponry not seen anywhere else in the world. Weapons that could prove dangerous in large numbers.
"Everything's going smoothly so far, Megatron. The Seekers and Razors are standing by." Nightshade said. "Though I do wish that Karaba stood by inside the ship."
"Dreyas wants to make a point. A show of how many espers are following him. I'm not one to decry a show of demoralization like this." Megatron replied.
After a few minutes of silence, Soundwave gave a report from the comm station. "Megatron, there are signs of activity from the island's coastal regions."
"Looks like they're already rolling out the welcome mat for us." Megatron grinned. "Are we being targeted?"
"Yes, by long range missile launchers, and what appears to be laser cannons further inland."
"Target their long-range artillery. Clear a path for the soldiers to land on the beaches. Send out the Seekers to wipe out their aerial defenses." Megatron commanded.
"When are we gonna join in on the fun, Megatron?" Rumble asked.
"As soon as we get close enough to land. It'd be best to take out the defenses first to avoid getting blown to slag." Megatron replied and sent the mech a grin. "Don't worry, Rumble. Very soon we shall be joining in on the slaughter!"
XXXXXX
Assiah had a long history with espers. Nobody knew why, but the esper birthrate on this tiny island in the Fuscum Sea was greater than any other place in the world. Even as the island was conquered and re-conquered throughout history, an esper population always persisted. There was an old legend that the island was cursed. The story went that when it was first conquered in prehistoric times, the last native placed a curse that would cause the offspring of future generations to be deformed. Other stories told of radioactive materials being responsible for the espers. Some even believe it was the work of aliens (even today some think it was the work of cybertronian technology hidden away underground). But whatever the reason, Assiah had always dealt with an esper problem. Then Johnathan Wolfe came along and everything took a turn for the worse.
His ascent to power was as bloody as any military takeover. He murdered everyone associated with the previous regime. Then he began his elaborate agenda that labeled espers as the cause of all problems. Nobody knew his reasons, but whatever the case, they got caught up in his agenda and as the esper population grew all over the world, growing conflicts led them to the island.
As part of Wolfe's aggressive containment policy, he rounded up every esper on the island and imprisoned them in one of his high tech research facilities. The roundup was messy and bloody. Nobody knew how many died as a result, but in the end every last esper ended up imprisoned. Anybody that resisted was brutalized. Families were even killed for trying to fight back. It was a traumatic experience for anybody who experienced it, but it was only the beginning of something far worse.
The facility itself was a huge glass and metal dome that was surrounded by imposing buildings filled with armed guards. Inside the dome were camps and makeshift shacks to house the espers. Food, water and sanitation were minimal at best and non-existent at worst. Most of the time they were forced to work, doing heavy lifting and helping Wolfe work on his various projects. To keep them from using their powers, they were given inhibitor collars that held back their powers. But even if they didn't, there were armed guards everywhere, backed up by talos. One wrong move and they would shoot them with paralyzing energy guns and punish them by throwing them into isolation chambers. Death was almost welcome, but Wolfe made it clear that nobody would die until he carried out his agenda.
"This is bullshit." Growled a young esper.
His name was Russell Collins, a pyrokinetic who immigrated to Assiah with his criminal father to escape the authorities overseas. Neither of them were espers when they arrived on the island, though Russell's powers manifested not long after his father passed. Controlling fire wasn't anything special, but it got the job done when beating the crap out of thugs starting trouble in his neighborhood. Unfortunately, it put him on the local military's radar when Wolfe began rounding up espers.
"Shut up, Russel! You're going to get us in trouble again." Rictor, an esper from Mexica, said.
"So what? As if it can get any worse." The fiery esper said bitterly. "Look around us. We're prisoners! Eventually that bastard Wolfe will get tired of us and give the execution order."
"Don't give them any ideas. Some of us want to live!"
"Quiet over there!" Barked one of the guards. "One more word out of your and you'll spend the rest of the week in isolation!"
That shut both men up. It wasn't so much the fear of death that kept them in line, many espers were willing to die to liberate their fellow espers from Wolfe's control. It was Wolfe's willingness to keep them all alive for this miserable life he has them toiling away endlessly for. From sunrise to sundown it was like this, and from the looks of it that was how it was going to be as long as Wolfe was in charge. The espers had their powers, but Wolfe's military was equipped with some serious tech, the kind of stuff you'd expect from the Atlantians.
Suddenly their drudgery was interrupted by a deafening tone that echoed from the various speaks stationed throughout the facility. On the glassy dome above, a large holographic image of Johnathan Wolfe appeared for all to see.
"Attention all espers. This is your lord and master, Johnathan Wolfe speaking. Due to recent tensions caused by your esper brethren around the world, Assiah's official policy towards espers has changed. As of now, all espers present will be subjected to a new level of containment. Thanks to the tireless efforts of Assian scientists, a new system has been developed to better deal with this island's esper population. And you, my "privileged" citizens, will be the first to take part in it."
The espers of Assiah knew Wolfe well enough to understand the subtext of his words. They were all filled with dread as they prepared themselves to once again bear the blunt end of Wolfe's madness.
"All guards are to clear out of the dome and seal all entrances and exits. All espers are to drop what they are doing and gather in the central area. Disobey me at your own peril. That is all."
The hologram disappeared and Wolfe's guards quickly complied with his orders. In the span of three minutes, every guard cleared out of the dome, leaving only the espers in the prison. Once every last guard was out, the door was shut and the espers were left to their uncertain fate.
At first nobody knew what to do. Some complied with Wolfe's orders while others just wandered around, not wanting to give that man the satisfaction. Russel and Rictor were among them. But everyone was terrified of what was planned for them. Every time Wolfe unveiled some knew esper policy, things miraculously got worse for them.
"What do you think this is about?" Rictor asked uncertainly.
"Does it matter? We're fucked either way." Russel scoffed, crossing his arms. "We all know it's going to be bad. The least we can do is give him a hard time."
XXXXXX
Edward Newton had spent much of his life developing weapons. He had spent many years developing some amazing if not radical concepts. But what he accomplished here on Assiah was beyond anything he ever expected. Wolfe was the first person ever give him free reign. With his money and resources, he developed what promised to be not just the ultimate anti-esper weapon but also a solid defense against the cybertronians ripping their world apart. The surprise combat test the altered prototypes his associates in Skywatch used against the Decepticons showed how strong they were.
On the observation deck overlooking the dome prison, Newton stood with Wolfe at one of the control panels. Everything was in place, it was just a matter of setting it into motion.
"My men have cleared out the room, Newton." Wolfe said. "You may begin the demonstration."
"It's almost ready, Wolfe." Newton said. "The primary AI is nearly configured. Now, are you sure this dome will keep these espers inside?"
"Why must you doubt me, my good friend?" Wolfe rolled his eyes. "You know it's secure and the prisoners are in no condition to leave."
"I'm just making sure. Espers are a tricky bunch. That's why this demonstration is so important. The Guardians must seek out and contain only espers while ensuring humans are protect."
"I'm sure they'll be every bit as proficient as you designed them to be." Wolfe said, grinning wryly. "They are, after all, your creations."
Newton kept working feverishly, checking and rechecking every possible configuration. Wolfe's grin got wider with each passing moment, just barely able to maintain his calm disposition.
Once the final protocols were loaded, there was only one last command to issue. Once he pressed the button, they would be past the point of no return.
"We're ready." He said and took a deep breath. "Project Guardian is officially online."
Newton pressed the button. Massive amounts of power were directed to every facility on the island. The ground actually began to shake as everything Wolfe and Newton had been working for was about to take shape.
XXXXXX
Panic quickly set in as the despondent espers felt the ground around them shake. But these were no ordinary tremors. It was as if something below the ground was actually moving. The shaking was most violent along the perimeter of the dome. The espers who stayed put in open defiance of Wolfe were quickly regretting their decision.
"What the hell is going on?" Russel yelled.
"I don't know, but I'm really regretting not moving now!" Rictor said.
The two espers stumbled toward the central area where the tremors were at their weakest. By the time they arrived, nearly every esper there were huddled together and braced themselves for what was coming.
Then they noticed that the ground around them was starting to bulge around the whole perimeter of the dome. They couldn't make out how many there were, but there had to be at least a dozen. The shaking got more violent as the rocky ground broke apart. The in an explosive burst of dirt and rock, something shot out of the ground like a rocket. Once the dust and debris cleared, the hapless prisoners took in what they were up against. They wished they hadn't.
All around them stood tall, ominous looking robots. They stood at least thirty five feet tall and were covered in an elaborate display of white and silver armor plates. They had the stature of a well-built human, completely with bulky arms and legs that undoubtedly contained a number of lethal firepower. Their frame was just as imposing, with each robot harboring a bright glowing circle on their chests. Their most menacing feature were their heads, which were modeled after a human face, but were cold and stoic, with ominous glowing red eyes.
So terrified and awestruck by the towering machines, the espers jumped when one of them turned its head in their direction and actually spoke.
"Guardian program alpha, initiated. Primary protocol engage."
"Sweet Mother Earth." Rictor gasped.
"Oh," Russel groaned. "We're so fucked."
XXXXXX
"What do you mean you don't want us to come?"
Bulkhead's deep voice was loud enough that the comm-console rattled from the reverberation of his deep voice. Annie and Karina winced before the former elaborated on her earlier statement.
"I meant what I said, Bulk. The Autobots must sit this one out." Annie said.
"That's out of the question, Annie." Prowl said. "The Decepticons are waging all-out war on a human nation. This isn't like the esper riots in Osea. This is something we have to do."
"Then let me explain further. Assiah isn't some friendly or neutral place for any non-humans, Terran or not. Putting aside the fact that Dreyas himself will be there with his family—you know the guy with awesome magnetism powers who can bring all of to your knees with a wave of his hand?—but Wolfe will attack you all as soon as you set foot on the island. This guy's no joke, he's got tons of tech that can give the Atlantians a run for their money."
There was a moment of silence before Prime's voice asked, "Are you certain of this, Annie?"
"I can confirm it." Sumeragi said, keeping an eye on the controls. "Assiah is the one who has been selling those inhibitor collars and psi-shielded helmets that've been circulating throughout the world. He is also developing the first human-made energy weapons and shields for military use."
"The kind of stuff Skywatch was using when you guys stormed their base. That, the energy cannons, even those freaky drones Pisces made. The whole island has a lot of firepower that I'm not sure you guys can handle along with fighting the Brotherhood." Annie said.
"But your little team think they can survive the island's defenses?" She heard Sunstreaker say condescendingly.
"If we play this smart." Sumeragi replied, taking control of the conversation. "Our goal is to rescue and liberate the espers from Wolfe's tyrannical regime. They'll be stuck right in the middle of the fighting and we're the only ones who'll be in a position to help them. But Annie's right. Wolfe won't hesitate to target you as soon as you step foot on the island."
There was no reply from the Autobots. Annie shared a nervous glance with her friends, not knowing how this was going to turn out. Optimus was a hard mech to read in person, and it was even harder to gauge his reaction from voice alone.
"Very well, we will remain on standby. But we will still be ready to mobilize at a moment's notice. We can't allow Megatron to gain a foothold in Assiah." Optimus said. And Annie, please be careful."
"Don't worry, Optimus. We'll chase buckethead off that rock." Annie promised and ended the call. "That was easier than I thought it'd go."
"You call that easy?" Kotetsu gaped at her.
"Prowl would normally have put up more of a fight. I guess even he sees that they'll be fighting on two fronts if they enter the battle."
"We're nearing Assian airspace." Barnaby said. "Hua, is the stealth generator online?"
"It's been on since we passed El Salvador." Hua reported. "But being detected isn't the problem. Initiating this attack is the real challenge."
"And how are we going to do that?" Karina asked. "Just land and start probing for information?"
"That would be the most logical tactic, Karina, but with so little time we'll have to skip that step." Sumeragi said.
"Fine with me," Annie cracked her knuckles. "Let's just get straight to the action."
"It's not that simple, Annie." Sumeragi said. "Based on reports from the Hexagon, Assiah has a total population of around five million. But most of those people are subject to Wolfe's authoritarian regime. They're basically wage earners toiling away on farms and factories."
"Sounds like your typical tyrannical state." Hua said. "So I guess that means we're going straight for Wolfe himself?"
"Not quite," She said. "Wolfe may be a tyrant, but he's no fool. His location is never easy to pinpoint. So we won't focus on him or his citizens."
"Then what the hell will we be focusing on?" Annie growled. "I'm all for blowing crap up, but I'm not jumping into that mess without a plan."
Sumeragi brought up an image on the screen large enough for everyone to see. "Based on satellite readings, Wolfe's island is dominated by several large facilities spaced equally throughout the island. These facilities were once military bases run by the previous regime, but Wolfe has turned them into something else."
"What exactly is he doing in these facilities?" Asked Barnaby.
"Nobody knows for sure, but supposedly this is where he's been conducting his research on esper containment. They're highly secure and highly secretive so there's no telling what he's developed."
"Please tell me we're blowing these things up." Hua pleaded.
"That might be necessary, Hua, but there's another reason why we're focusing on these facilities."
She brought up another image, this one focusing on the largest facility in the middle of the island. This one had the most defining feature, which was a huge domed structure in the center. It just screamed military importance from its appearance alone.
"Before we left the institute, I did a focused scan with Veda. Wolfe has heavily shielded his island from psychic probing, but I was able to pick up on a great number of esper signatures. They all seem to be centered on this particular facility."
"Do you know the kind of state these espers are in?" Kotetsu asked warily.
"No," Sumeragi replied solemnly. "I only know they're all concentrated within the central dome structure."
"We suspect its some sort of prison camp." Barnaby said. "Nearly every intelligence report has come to the same conclusion."
"A prison camp?" Annie exclaimed. Bulkhead had told her plenty of rather gruesome tales of Decepticon prison camps from his time working in the Wreckers. Some of them were too horrific even for her. "We've got to free them!"
"We will, Annie, don't worry." Sumeragi nodded. "But we must be careful. We don't know the extent of Wolfe's defense systems. Right now our primary focus is to stop Wolfe."
"But what about the Brotherhood?" Karina asked. "If we stop Wolfe, then what's stopping Megatron from finishing what he started?"
"We'll deal with them once we know more about the situation with Wolfe. Worst case scenario, we can call in the Autobots, but only after we've neutralized Wolfe as a threat." She said. "For now, we must focus our efforts on infiltrating the central facility, disrupting whatever weapons systems Wolfe is deploying and reveal his atrocities to the world. There's no way a man who's made enough weapons and vehicles to rival that of Osea can just be concerned with fighting espers. I'll pry the information right out of his head myself."
"You know I could just do it, Sumeragi." Barnaby suggested. "You don't have to put yourself in harm's way like this."
"Normally I would, but Wolfe has somehow shielded his entire population from psychic intrusion. It'll likely take a far greater effort to extract any secrets from him."
Barnaby didn't like it, but she had a point. Sumeragi was a far greater telepath than he was. If Wolfe had any mental defenses against telepathic intrusion, then it'll require a stronger telepath to get anything out of him.
"Moreover, I need you with the others. We'll need all hands on deck to survive this mess." She said.
The minutes passed as they flew over the ocean and neared the island. Through the front windows they spotted Assiah, and the tension steadily rose the closer they got to its shores. Suddenly the Neo Knights spotted something standing on the shores of the island.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." Annie groaned.
Down below along the coastline stood two dozen Guardian robots standing side by side in a defensive formation. The sight of these huge robots was an unwelcome surprise and cemented just how advanced Wolfe's technological resources were.
"What the hell are they?" Karina questioned, her voice barely above a whisper. "Talos?"
"No, they look like golems." Annie muttered, thinking back to the drones the Autobots and Decepticons had fought back at Skywatch HQ. Was this the place where Pisces got the tech for those drones? "They must be Wolfe's answer to fighting the Cons…and everything else that doesn't bow to him."
"Boss lady, what do we do?" Hua asked.
"Remain calm, our stealth system should keep us hidden so long as we don't fly in their line of sight." Sumeragi said, keeping an eye on the robots.
Unfortunately for them, the Guardians were more advanced than they thought. When the airship got close enough, the Guardians all looked upward in unison, seemingly detecting their presence.
"Esper intrusion detected. Objective: neutralize."
The Guardians raised their arms and deployed large cannons from their forearms. Then they unleashed a barrage of massive laser beams at them all at once.
"Oh come on! Our luck isn't that shitty!" Annie yelled.
"How did they find us?" Karina asked, holding tight onto her seat. "We're cloaked!"
"Those things must be designed to detect esper signatures somehow." Barnaby grunted, maneuvering the airship through the field of lasers trying to shoot them down. "Everybody hang on!"
Barnaby kicked the airship into high gear, doing barrel rolls and banking hard to the right to avoid a laser cannon that suddenly emerged from one of the towers. Eventually he flew them out of the drones' range, but his relief was dashed against the rocky shore when he noticed several more Guardians emerging from the grounds along the coastline and open firing on them. And if they didn't attack them, the island's automated systems kept up the pressure on them, laser cannons, surface to air missiles, anything that reacted to unwanted intruders.
"There's too much firepower!" Barnaby yelled. "We might have to pull back!"
"No wait, I have an idea!" Sumeragi said. "Head towards the dome in the central facility! Try and draw their fire!"
"What are we going to do? Crash through it?" Karina exclaimed.
"Not exactly. Annie, do you have Mjolnir ready?" Sumeragi asked.
Annie looked at her puzzled, but then she smirked when she realized what the telepath was planning. "Oh this is going to be fun."
"Oh god, don't tell me you're going to…you're crazy!" Kotetsu shouted.
"Isn't that a requirement for our line of work?" Sumeragi smiled. "Barnaby, I'm counting on you to help us stop once we're inside so we don't crash."
"Got it."
More laser blasts filled the sky as Barnaby pulled off several daring aerial maneuvers. A couple of blasts grazed the airship, but they were mostly untouched, if just barely. The airship was well-armored, though not equipped to handle getting hit by lasers. Soon the dome came in sight and Barnaby flew straight for it. He continued to do a few barrel rolls to keep from getting hit, but the dome was coming up fast, and it was up to Annie to pull this off in one shot.
Speaking of the girl, she was hanging outside the entry hatch, with Karina covering for her to block any stray laser blasts. The wind whipped her hair about as she charged Mjolnir with as much energy as possible. She felt it hum in her hand and held it tight. This was going to be a rough ride.
"Get ready, Annie! We're almost there!" Barnaby called out.
It was now or never. As they came upon the dome, Annie spun Mjolnir several times before letting it fly at the last possible second. The small golden hammer shot through the air faster than a speeding bullet, charged with lightning and leaving a blue trail in its wake. It slammed into the dome with explosive force, blasting open a hole large enough for the airship to fly in, only scraping the tips of its wings against the jagged edges of the hole.
Karina yanked Annie back in and shut the hatch as the airship tumbled through the air. Once they were through, Barnaby hit the brakes and used his telekinesis to slow the airship down.
The reverse thrusters were engaged and just before they made contact with the other end of the dome, they came to a full stop. From there, the airship hovered in place and the team took a moment to recover from their bumpy ride.
"Is everybody all right?" Sumeragi asked.
"We're fine." Kotetsu said after checking to see if everyone was unhurt. "Nice going, Annie."
"Don't expect me to do that again." Annie panted. That was a trick even she wasn't eager to try again.
Barnaby looked out the window. "Guys, I've got eyes on several hostiles…and their targets."
On the ground below, they could see several Guardian robots surrounding the frightened prisoners. To make things worse, there were even more coming out of the ground via underground tunnels leading to a secret hangar area where they were being deployed from. The Neo Knights unbuckled themselves and prepared to disembark.
"Get ready folks, it's gonna be hell out there." Hua said, her arms crackling with electricity.
"What are they doing with the prisoners?" Karina asked.
"What do you think? Round them up in one place and blast them to hell." Annie growled. She held out her hand and after a second Mjolnir flew back into her hands, already crackling with energy. "Can we please go kick their asses right now?"
"No need to wait on my account." Sumeragi growled.
The doctor put the airship into hover and popped open the hatch. Barnaby was the first one out, with the rest of the team following them. Guided by Barnaby's telekinesis, they flew towards the crowd of espers.
Just as the Guardians prepared to open fire on the espers, the Neo Knights attacked all at once. Barnaby sent a TK blast at one Guardian that completely destroyed its head. Kotetsu crouched down and pushed off the ground, leaping at the nearest Guardian at high speeds and punched right through its chest, tearing his way through its back. Karina summoned several ice spikes to impale the robots' legs and Hua channeled electricity into their metallic bodies to overload their systems.
This sudden turn of luck for the espers shocked them as they watched the Neo Knights demolish the Guardians. Sumeragi and Annie ran up to them.
"Barnaby, Kotetsu, get the inhibitor collars off. We're going to need all the help we can get!" Sumeragi ordered.
"On it." Barnaby said as he began shattering the collars with his telekinesis. "Annie, give us some cover!"
Annie nodded and spun Mjolnir around several times before letting it go. The hammer flew through the air so fast it was a blur, smashing through the heads of two Guardians while emitting several bolts of lightning that thrashed the others near them. It was an effective assault, but more Guardians were coming through the entrance hatches.
"We've got more incoming!" Kotetsu yelled, smashing his fist through a robot's leg. It topped over and he gave one superhumanly strong kick to its face that sent its head flying.
While his friends were dismantling the oncoming drones, Barnaby had just gotten done destroying the last of the inhibitor collars. It took a bit longer than he would've liked, as these inhibitor collars were designed to violently electrocute the prisoner if anyone attempted to remove them. But he managed to get the job done, and the esper prisoners were all the more thankful for it. Among them were Russel and Rictor, who were just as ecstatic to fight back.
"This is what I'm talkin' about!" Russel laughed, his arms igniting into flames.
"Time for some payback!" Rictor growled, cracking his knuckles.
"Take your pick. There's plenty to go around for everybody!" Annie said, raising Mjolnir into the air to discharge another powerful lightning storm.
The espers wasted no time in joining the Neo Knights in fighting back against their oppressors. Years of pent up rage and aggression against Wolfe and his cruel regime came to the forefront as even espers without any offensive powers threw themselves at the machines without mercy. Even Annie was taken aback by the ferocity they exuded in their retaliation.
Sumeragi and Barnaby hung back with the other prisoners who were young children, the elderly and the injured who couldn't fight. Barnaby deflected any stray attacks sent their way while Sumeragi did a quick check up on the people who were in worse condition.
"We're beating them back, so far." Barnaby observed, ripping the head off one Guardian and sending it at another.
"Yes, but I doubt Wolfe will make it easy for us." She said.
"So what do we do? Stay with the prisoners?" He asked. Sumeragi shook her head.
"No, I've been doing some psychic scans of the area and I've detected Wolfe in the main facility. We have to get inside."
"I don't think I have to explain how risky that plan is, considering you'll be leaving the safety of the team." Barnaby said, glancing at her over his shoulder. "Though I'm sure you have something in mind."
"I do." Sumeragi said and sent a telepathic message to Annie. 'Annie! I require your assistance. Barnaby and I are heading into the main base, and you're coming with me for extra support.'
'Roger that!'
Annie drew Mjolnir back to her hand and felt Barnaby's telekinetic grip left her off her feet over to the doctor and himself. Taking a hold of Sumeragi, Barnaby levitated the three of them up towards one of the holes made in the dome by the Guardians. Barnaby created a telekinetic bubble around them to block any laser blasts fired at them.
Annie looked back down at the chaos below, seeing her fellow Knights and the former prisoners fight valiantly against the Guardians. Though they were destroying quite a number of them, the giant drones just kept coming in waves. Annie wasn't one to admit she was scared, but even she had to admit that what terrified her about these robots was that this was just a fraction of the mechanized forces Wolfe had on hand to deal with the coming invasion.
XXXXXX
The Guardian army of Assiah was in a bit of disarray. The unexpected arrival of the Neo Knights forced several major contingents to break off from their posts and follow their primary programming to take out any esper intruders. This left certain areas of the island less defended than originally planned.
The Guardians were the spearhead of the Assian defense forces, together with the armed forces of the island's military, which was exceptional in its own right. Fighters were prepped for launch, anti-aircraft defenses were brought online, and the sea was rife with naval battleships that were smaller but no less formidable than Osean battleships.
On the island, every man, woman and child had been forcibly evacuated from their homes and placed in defense garrisons located throughout the island. This conscript army was expected to fight alongside official military forces against any outside attack. None of the five million impoverished citizens wanted to do this, but they were in no position to refuse.
But despite the rapid mobilization of the military, the coastline along the island was remarkably calm. The whole island was eerily quiet save for the battle going on inside the central dome. Everyone, from the very apex of the government to the average farmer and miner were awaiting the coming invasion that was set to ignite the battle any minute now.
Then the silence was broken by the appearance of an ominous shape appearing in the sky. Miles away from the island, the large form of a large cybertronian warship approached the island at a steady pace, its dark purple and black armored hull clear for everyone to see. The Nemesis. And hovering beside the ship was a massive metallic disk harboring an army of bloodthirsty espers eager to rip the island apart.
One of the Guardians patrolling the coastline sent out and emergency distress signal to all units on the island. But before it could even start to attack, a metal spear shot out from the disk and impaled the drone right through the head. This was an opening move courtesy of the Karaba leader himself, who was now standing at the helm of the disk with hundreds of espers behind him.
"This is it, my brothers and sister! The time has come for us to take what is ours!" Dreyas bellowed, raising his arms. "The world is watching! Let us show them what we can do when we stand united against these pathetic oppressors! Attack!"
From within the Nemesis, Megatron watching Dreyas's esper army detach from the disk and begin an open assault on the Guardians. He heard Nightshade command the Seekers to deploy immediately and begin attacking the battleships around the island and take care of the fighters approaching their position. A smile crossed his face as he heard the sounds of battle begin.
"Let the slaughter begin." He muttered to himself with savage glee.
And so we start off the final arc of this story with an invasion. On a different note, I'm sure you've all noticed the AN I deleted about the Event Horizon chaps, keep in mind, I still intend to rewrite those chapters, so right now they're non-cannon. But I want to finish this story first so I won't have to worry about too much stuff to work on. Next chapter, the Brotherhood assaults Assiah in full force while the Neo Knights rush in to take Wolfe out before he causes even more damage than he already has. Be sure to check out the official Transformers Titan website on WordPress. Thanks for reading and stay safe everyone!