Chapter 7
Ingress

The small starhopper skipped across the water in the frigid ocean, coming to a smooth stop. A beam of light came up, scanning all the local life forms, when done, the light disappeared. The hatch door opened and a penguin emerged. The chunky flightless bird surveyed its territory.

"Stalker, nix." it said. The body of the penguin folded away, the hide covering the new transformer. He was medium height, black, white, and yellow, and his eyes blazed red. He was here on a very special mission. Seek and destroy. But first he had to determine whether or not they were on this planet. Stalker went over to his ship, pulled it up onto the ice and hid it from view. He took out various pieces of equipment placed them in subspace compartments, and sat down to wait. He knew that with the two factions he had scanned, his arrival would not go unnoticed.

"Well, what do we have here?" Black Arachnia mused, watching the screen. "A fully functional ship and a new transformer inside of it. Hmm, interesting."

"What is, my love?" Silverbolt asked.

"A new ship." she said, " A small one, starhopper probably, and a new transformer. Isn't it strange how a new ship lands here not even two weeks after Paraleasion crashed?"

"It is." he said, "Maybe it's an associate of hers?"

"What are you two talking about?" Optimus asked.

"Another ship landed. At the South Pole." Black Arachnia said.

"The rescue shuttle?" he asked.

"No, too small." she replied, "There's also a new transformer."

"Okay, I'll go up. As soon as I leave, turn the bases defenses on, and stay alert." Optimus said.

Paraleasion was bored so she had snuck into the Predacons base, which was too easy, and decided to spy on them a little. She peered over Megatron's shoulder at a screen from an air vent. On it was a map of the southern region, an obscure figure on it that she could not see. Whatever it was, it seemed to make Megatron extremely upset.

"Inferno, Waspinator!" he yelled. The two flunkies came quickly as not to upset their boss.

"Yes Royalty." Inferno saluted.

"I want you two to either convert or destroy the new Maximal. He's at these coordinates." he said, reading them off, "Now go."

"Yes my Queen." Inferno said.

"Inferno," Megatron moaned, "Don't call me that." The two left and Megatron went off to take an oil bath with his rubber ducky. That left Dinobot and Paraleasion alone. The transmetal two raptor was oblivious to her presence. She studied the screen with keen violet eyes. The absence of Megatron's large purple mass enabled her to identify who the new transformer was.

"Stalker." she whispered. Her old enemy had returned.

"Yo, Scrape Ape." Rat Trap said from over the comm-link.

"What is it Rat Trap?" Optimus sighed.

"Two of Megatron's goons are headed in your general direction." he said.

"Okay. How far away?" he asked.

"A few clicks away." he replied.

"Okay. I'll keep an eye out." Optimus said, "Optimus out." It didn't take him long to find the new bot. The black against the white of the ice was almost easy to pick out. Optimus was landing, looking at Stalker, who sat unmoving on the ice. His head was bowed, eyes closed, and black arms crossed across his white chest. Once landed, the Maximal leader went over to the new arrival who had not moved at all. Optimus reached down to shake Stalker's shoulder but was batted away and the other bot was on his knees, gun pointed at Optimus' chest. The sudden movement left Optimus' head spinning and reminded him of the quickness of the small femme criminal.

"Who are you?" Stalker demanded in a Southern drawl.

"Optimal Optimus Primal, Maximal leader." he said.

"Long name," he said, backing off. He replaced his gun in a "holster" on his leg, an identical gun was in the same place on the other leg. Optimus studied the other transformer. Stalker was medium sized, almost the size of Silverbolt. He was black and white, mostly white in front and black on the back, probably due to his choice of beast mode. A yellow plume of feathers came up from his forehead and swept backwards, making an elaborate decoration. Quick red eyes took in the scenery, and the light yellow mouth was in a subtle smirk.

"You are?" Optimus asked. The other bot looked up at him, the smirk never leaving his face.

"Stalker." he replied, "A Maximal."

"Would you be willing to...." he started.

"Yes." Stalker interrupted. Optimus looked down at Stalker, slightly peeved at the other bot's haughtiness but somewhat relieved they had a new addition to their ranks. Stalker made a motion for Optimus to lead the way to base. The Maximal leader sighed and wondered how long it would take before Rat Trap decided to pick on Stalker as a replacement for Dinobot.

Paraleasion had successfully snuck out of Predacon base and was on her way back into the woods. A missile from the shrubbery made an indentation in the ground and stopped her in her tracks.

"What do you want Rampage?" Paraleasion asked. The Predacon crab laughed, the bushes parted and he emerged from his hiding spot. She held up her hand and didn't wait for a response. "I know."

"You do?" Rampage asked. He glared at her. "How do you all of a sudden know everything I am and do?"

"I just do."

"It goes deeper than that Paraleasion."

"I know it does." She didn't look at him at all, instead staring into the forest. "He's here."

"Who? Depthcharge? I knew that."

"No. Him. Stalker."

"What are you talking about?."

"He's here. He's a member of the Maximal ranks."

"How do you know that?"

"He has ways of only having who he wants find him. He wanted the Maximals to find him, so they did."

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"You don't remember Stalker do you?" she asked, finally facing him. Her face was sad and thoughtful at the same time.

"No."

"Then you have much to learn about our enemy."

"I do not have to learn anything about him. Just kill him."

"No, you don't understand. Stalker doesn't work that way. You can't just outright kill him like any other bot. He's different."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because I know him, in more ways than you'll ever know."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Anything you want."

"That isn't what I'm here for."

"Then what are you here for?"

"The All Knowing Paraleasion doesn't know?"

"Look, I'm just too tired to expend the energy so just slagging tell me." Each word closer to a shout than the last.

"Testy, aren't we?" She glared at him and he shrugged. "Fine. I want to know what you've done to me."

"Huh? Explain."

"Why can you suddenly take over my body and use it?"

"It's something that we were built for."

"'We'?"

"We were created together. I've got a small portion of your spark graphed into mine. It gives me the ability to control you. If you get hurt, it reflects on me. If I get hurt, it reflects on you."

"So if you die, I die? If I die, you die?"

"I guess so. I haven't exactly figured that part out yet."

"Stay out of me. Any way and every way."

"Or what? You'll kill me?"

"Uh." She shook her head, hands on her hips like a disapproving mother.

"Until you figure that part out, don't threaten me." She reverted to beast mode and ran off into the woods.

"Come on Optimus." Rhinox said, "Everything we know about her is here say."

"I don't know." Optimus replied.

"It will be good for morale. Anyways, I know for a fact she did that type of work before going to jail."

"What about Depthcharge and Stalker. They'll try to kill her. Anyways, how do you know she did do that before jail?"

"Rat Trap. It was his suggestion."

"Trust him to know something like that." Optimus sighed, "Fine, if you can convince her to come, I'll let her have a free pass. Just this once though."

"Okay." Rhinox replied.

Stalker's circuits were frying because he could not find any trace of them. He had inadvertently found Depthcharge, whom he hated because the ray had failed to protect his family on Omicron. Optimus had decreed that the two had to be civil to each other, so Stalker could not kill the Failure. If he could only find the Control and the Device, then his life would be so much easier. Somehow the two had kept their presence from him. They probably didn't even know he was there but he kept searching.

Paraleasion was back in her lair, reading a book with lighting provided by the lichen when she heard her computer beeping. She sighed, curious who would want to contact her of all bots. She placed her book on the recharging table and went over to the computer, pushing a large button.

"Yeah?" Paraleasion asked. The face of Rhinox appeared over her screen and she was vastly surprised.

"Paraleasion?" he asked.

"What do you want?"

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"What kind of favor?"

"Would you be willing to come to The Ark and help me with something?"

"What?"

"Some entertainment."

"Entertainment of what sort? If you're talking about the kind from the street corner of Cybertron other pay for, forget it. I don't interface for credits anymore."

"No. It's something different."

"Okay, and what about the others."

"Optimus is willing to give you a free pass for this."

"Okay, I'm listening." she replied, leaning forward.