Robotech vs Transformers: Revenge Road

Chapter Twenty-two

"The battle against the Stuntacons was well done," Optimus Prime congradulated them, the towering red and silver Autobot looking pleased. They were standing in the bridge of the Autobot ship the Ark, now buried deep beneath a mountain.

Which was lucky for them, as far as that went. While the Decepticons weren't ones for orbital bombardment, the crashed Ark would have made a tempting target. However, being buried under miles of rock made for a effective shield, even against Cybertronian weapons.

"I'm sorry we couldn't finish off Motormaster," Hot Rod grinned. "Losing that combiner would have really torked Megatron off."

"Agreed," Ironhide laughed as he added cheerfully, "but I bet Megatron's pissed off enough about it already."

"So how bad were the Decepticon attacks?" Arcee asked them. She and Hot Rod had only just made it back to the Autobot City, having been involved in both the battle in the desert as well as a engagement with a strike team attacking a human weapons plant.

"More annoying than anything else," Wheeljack pointed out thoughtfully, "they were pretty minor, over all. Though it seems that the humans will have to divert some of their new forces to city defence because of it."

"That's stupid," Hot Rod scoffed.

"If we were dealing with attacks like this on old Cybertron, the Autobot Senate would have reacted the same way," Arcee pointed out.

"Kid's got a point," Ironhide nodded.

"Remember, we are in no position to judge the human's decisions," Optimus pointed out to them seriously. He looked over at Ironhide and asked, "Are we making any progress in finding the Decepticons' new headquarters?"

Ironhide scowled as his good mood evaporated. He reluctantly admitted, "Not having much luck. They clearly smartened up after losing their ship... no luck with human satellites seeing them, or from our scouting patrols."

"We can theorize that they're North America based from the strikes and what we assume are their travel times," Perceptor noted, the scientist having emerged briefly from his lab to join the conversation, "but even that is just a assumption."

"And they'd spot any attempt to follow them home," Hot Rod noted, "even assuming we could keep up with them."

"We turned over the wrecks of the Starscream clones to the human scientists... do you think they could be traced back to the base?" Arcee wondered.

"I doubt Megatron would be so foolish as to leave that data unsecured," Optimus rumbled. He looked at Hot Rod and Arcee, "You've been out in the field longer than most: let Ratchet check you over and relax a bit. Refuel too."

"Yes sir!" Hot Rod said eagerly, already looking forward to some high quality energon.

As the two left Ironhide noted, "We should check with the RDF scientists. Maybe they did find somethin' in those wrecks."

"Or they could ship the bits back to us," Perceptor noted just a bit disapprovingly.

Optimus gave the scientist a chiding look, but he didn't entirely disagree. On one hand, he disapproved of the humans studying a wrecked Decepticon and using it to create their transforming fighters. On the other hand, if he had been in their place with the sort of power imbalance they were dealing with, he could easily imagine taking such steps himself.

"I'll ask Gloval personally," Optimus told Perceptor.

"Thank you," Perceptor smiled a bit sheepishly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Ah, that was nice," Captain Claudia Grant sighed as she cuddled her boyfriend.

"You are relentless, woman," Roy Fokker grumbled good naturedly.

Claudia chuckled warmly, "Aw, you say the sweetest things."

Roy laughed softly. "How the heck did you get a few hours off, anyway?" he wondered. "I thought Lisa was on vacation."

"She is," Claudia agreed, "I left Nova Satori on watch, and ordered the Bridge Bunnies not to call me unless it was a actual emergency."

"Like?" Roy had to ask.

"A Decepticon attack or similar crisis," Claudia shrugged. "Why?"

Roy pointed, "Because your phone is beeping."

Claudia looked over at her phone and cursed softly, seeing that the alert light was indeed on. She snatched it up as she said, "This had better be good."

"It is, ma'am," the polite, efficient woman replied. Nova continued, "We have a cybertronian starship that appeared via space jump. It showed up in our mid-system, then went into a low emissions profile."

"Cloaked?" Roy asked as he frantically began to get dressed, figuring fun times with Claudia were officially over.

"Low emisions," Nova corrected. She continued, "We compaired the profile to data we recieved from the Autobots, we THINK it's a courier ship, used to transport one or two Transformer from system to system. They were phased out of use once the Spacebridge technology was finished."

"And considering we blew up the spacebridge, they've brought the ship out of mothballs," Claudia assumed as she swiftly dressed.

"Yes, ma'am," Nova agreed. "We've contacted the Autobots, who confirmed the identification. They also pointed out that the ship had some battle damage, which may indicate why it's not answering our hails."

Roy paused in buttoning up his shirt, "Is it Autobot or Decepticon?"

"No idea," Nova admitted, "as I said, not answering our hails or the Autobots ones."

Claudia got her bra on, her underwear and skirt. As she shrugged into her top she asked "Can we project a landing zone?"

"Yes, out in Nevada," Nova reported, "assuming no course changes, anyway." She continued, "I've got a team of pilots ready to go out there to investigate."

"Should we let the Autobots handle it?" Roy asked thoughtfully.

"We can get out there faster than they can," Nova pointed out.

"And if it is a Autobot ship, the Decepticons will go after them," Roy conceded. He smiled grimly, "And if it is a Decepticon ship, we'd at least have a chance to jump them."

Claudia looked at him thoughtfully, "So what does our fighter commander think?"

"We go out after it," Roy nodded firmly. "But can I suggest we only send out super-veritech designs, this time?"

Nova looked curious, "Oh?"

"We know some of the combiners are active," Roy shrugged, "the added firepower of the super fighters might make a difference. At worst they could literally pick up the new arrivals and run in Guardian mode."

"Sounds like a plan," Claudia said. Addressing Nove she said, "I'll be on the bridge in twenty minutes. Get a full briefing ready."

"Yes ma'am," Nova agreed.

"It doesn't take twenty minutes to get to the bridge," Roy started.

"I know," Claudia winked, "so what do you want to do with the extra ten minutes?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Rick Hunter gulped nervously as he and his wing raced across the desert, past burnt out towns and wrecks left over from the human/Transformers war. Well, human/Decepticon war, officially, but he tended to share the viewpoint that all the Transformers were somewhat responsible for the destruction.

Beside him Ben Dixon was on his left, and Max Sterling on his right. Ben was a okay pilot, but was prone to charging ahead on his own against orders. Much, admittedly, like Rick himself. He rather suspected Roy had assigned the pilot to him to make him understand his own flaws. Or Roy just had a evil sense of humor, whichever.

Max, on the other hand, was on the other extreme. While a excellent pilot, probably even better than Rick himself, he was a little too thoughtful. Instead of acting on his gut, he would occassionally over think things. Mind you he'd probably make a good squad leader eventually, but for now it wasn't really helping.

"ETA to target one minute," Rick noted, "ship has already landed, according to radar reports. Weapons on standby."

"We should be ready to fire immediately!" Ben complained.

"I do not want a friendly fire incident if they are Autobots, thanks," Rick replied dryly.

"Decepticon trace,also incoming to target," Max reported as the alert came in, "we'll reach the target just before them, at our current speed."

"Then hit the afterburners, we want to get there sooner," Rick ordered as they accelerated.

The three jets arrived at the crash site, shifting from Guardian mode to Battloid. The humanoid robots advanced on the ship, looking it over curiously. The vessel was about five times the size of their fighter modes, which probably meant if was cramped for a autobot or two. It pretty much resembled a box with a engine on it.

"And here come the Decepticrumbs," Ben noted as he pointed off into the distance.

Shockblast had two of the fighter drones with him, and he looked amusingly reluctant to press a attack. The Super-Veritechs weren't QUITE up to top Decepticon power levels, but they were getting much closer. And in even numbers it would be a very close fight.

"Think he'll jump us?" Ben asked.

Max shook his head. "If there's Decepticons in this ship, maybe," he said, "but not on his own."

"Energy readings," Rick warned, "I think a hatch is opening."

The heavy, armored plate moved with a creek as the still red hot material fought to just stay still. It finally moved aside, and with that two figures emerged in the sunlight.

"That's a lotta pink," Ben Dixon blinked.

"Elita-One, of the Autobots," she smiled, hefting a very impressive rifle.

"Oh shit," they could hear Shockblast muttered, then the Decepticon took off at speed.

Chromia emerged after Elita, looking amused as the Decepticon ran away. "Was it something we said?" she quipped.

To be continued...