TFE
C6 Victory and Defeat
Copyright 2006, masterfwiffo. All rights reserved.
Andrew Smith yawned sleepily, rubbing his eyes and trying to keep himself awake. Reports had been flooding in since the two robots had engaged each other in the middle of a city two weeks ago- analysis, requests for more information, interview transcripts, frame-by-frame analysis of every security camera in the city, and it was his unlucky task to sort through it all. In a way, he sort-of envied the young Michelle- she didn't have to put up with all this paperwork.
Of course, she also had to stay here against her will. But, such were the sacrifices needed in times of emergencies...
He glanced quickly at a large manilla envelope labeled 'Alaska' and pushed it aside for later- probably more sightings, which were now cropping up across the entire globe, wether legit or not. He sighed deeply as glanced at a newspaper photo, one he had kept aside now as a reminder. It showed the two robots locked in combat, the two different sigils clearly visible. He picked it up and stared at it again for the thousandth time. "Why are you both here?" He said quietly. But the answer, as it always had, continued to elude him.
-----
In another department, Chris worked quietly at his craft, his fingers deftly working around the empty computer shell in front of him. The unit had overheated, and it was his task to overhaul the thing and get it working again. It was a simple task made far more complex then it should be, due to the fact that the other occupants of the room had the lights off. The two of them were somewhat older then he was, and both were hunched over a series of images. It wasn't his concern, but Chris couldn't help but listen to their conversation.
"It's a smudge, Locke." One announced. "On the lens. It has to be."
"Impossible Franklin." THe other shook his head. "It moves from image to image. Look."
"Well, do you have any idea what it is?"
Curiosity got the best of Chris- he never was good at minding his own business. He set the computer parts down and walked over. "What's up?" He said, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Locke glanced at Franklin, then sighed. "It won't hurt to have another pair of eyes on this. Look at this."
Chris glanced down. It was a series of four large images- the moon, in glorious, splendid detail.
"Last time I checked, we called that the moon." Chris replied.
"Nonono," Franklin answered. "This." He pointed down at a spot. Chris leaned forward and squinted. On that one particular spot, in a strange, fuzzy outline, the patterns on the moon seemed to bulge forward. He squinted. "The hell?"
"There's more." His comrade added. "Here, and here. See, it's position has changed."
Chris stared at it for a long time in silence. Then he spoke, quietly. "Its a cloaking field."
"What?" They both stared at him, what they thought of his suggestion obvious on their face.
"Don't you guys ever watch sci-fi?" Chris asked quickly, the excitement growing in his voice. "Look at the distortion, it has it's own unique shape thats consistent through the four frames, even when the moons moving behind it. Just like that Star Trek episode-"
"Now hold on!" One of them protested.
"No, I'm sure of it." He continued excitedly. "It's their ship, it has to be!"
"The, err... robots?" Locke said nervously.
"Sure!" Chris said cheerfully. "They had to have gotten here somehow, right?"
"Locke, Tell them to get more pictures." Franklin said quickly. "From different angles this time. Get as many as you can. This kids crazy enough that he just might be right."
Locke nodded and scurried off. "Thanks kid." Franklin said quickly. "You may have helped more then you realize."
"I try." Chris grinned.
----
There was no one to witness the death of the satellite. The small object had lived its pitiful existence forever pointed downwards at the planet below. Data race back and forth between the satellite and Earth almost continuously, and such was it destined for its entire life, after which it would plummet back towards the planet.
But its life style was cut short.
The next to last transmission received from the satellite was a sort-of electronic distress signal, one blip sent toward its home that something was wrong. The last transmission was a lone image. Then all communication with it ceased.
---
Andrew frowned. His fingers tightened his grip on the phone. "It was them? Are you sure?"
The message came back a little muffled, but clear. "Positive. We got one image. It looked like a hand. The phone companies are terrified, demanding we do something before another one goes down."
"It was a communications satellite. Why would they want to steal it?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, but my guess is that it wasn't for any good purpose. That satellite provided service to a good number of US phones, and with that shut down, people are getting anxious. The President is expected to speak soon."
"Damn the President." Smith growled. "Send me everything. We've got to find a way to stop these robots before they attack again."
---
Megatron groaned. "I appreciate the effort, Sixshot, but was that really necessary?"
"I need the materials if you want to get away from this world." Sixshot protested indignantly. "It was one satellite, the humans have hundreds. They won't miss it."
"I'm sure." Megatron growled. "At the very least, do it yourself next time, and don't send Shock Fleet."
"Not like he was doing anything." Sixshot grumbled, stalking off with the shattered heap of metal in his arms.
Megatron sighed. Sixshot meant well, but as he often did, he failed to realize the gravity of the situation. Skywarp had only just gotten out of the repair bay, and his story haunted Megatron. If Skywarp was to be believed, the same Autobot who had nearly destroyed him had also been the one who had ended Starscreams mission.
But the actions of this Autobot made no sense. The Autobot refused to help his comrades in either of the encounters. Even the most cowardly Autobot would have helped defeat an outnumbered Starscream. Furthermore, Optimus's men were no cowards- this much had been proven to him several times. This thought continued to dwell on his mind. This entire mission had been a series of disasters and surprises, something Megatron wasn't used to. He hated having no control of the situation, but the situation continued to move onward regardless of his wishes. It was all rather unnerving...
-----
"I refuse to be played with like this." Optimus roared, slamming his fist against a computer console, causing Aris to glitch. "I want to know what Megatrons game with this puppet of his is."
He turned back, staring again at the recording of the small little black ship, the one he had memorized. "He keeps setting up fights between us, but why? What purpose does it serve?"
"Megatron is a general known for his command of his troops." Jetfire said quietly. "Maybe he's trying to shape them up, to keep them on their toes?"
"It doesn't make any sense to lead us to sabotage his own operations." Optimus muttered. "It's a waste of resources."
"I agree Optimus, it doesn't make a lot of sense." Ironhide sighed. "But what, exactly, do you propose we do about it?"
"We can't leave the Decepticons to do what they will to the humans." Prowl added quietly. Optimus shot a glance at him, but didn't answer.
"There isn't a lot we can do." Red Alert murmured, staring upwards.
"I'm afraid Red Alert's right." Aris interjected. "We are bound here for the time being. The Decepticons still have a ship in orbit- they clearly have the advantage. We cannot make make a move unless they do first."
"Absolutely slagging wonderful." Optimus muttered, leaning back against the console. "If only we had a way to know what was going on up there..."
The room went silent for a long moment.
"Optimus." Aris spoke up quietly. "I'm receiving broadcast information from the human networks. Apparently, the countries leader is about to speak."
"Play it." Optimus growled. "It couldn't possibly make the situation any worse."
----
"Megatron!"
"Starscream I have no time for your antics!" Megatron barked at the seeker who was pushing his way past Skywarp into Megatrons quarters. "If you don't stop-"
"The humans are talking about us! It's all over their global communications network!"
Megatron halted mid-sentence, a look of shock on his face. Skywarp glanced at him, worriedly. "Patch it through. Quickly."
Skywarp and Starscream stumbled over each other in their rush to get to the com systems. A moment later, a large screen appeared, with an aged, white-haired human on the screen. Megatron recognized him from his brief research into human governments. The president of one of the most influential nations on the planet. He growled as the audio kicked in, echoing through the ship.
"We believe these 'robots' are responsible for the satellite blackout that happened yesterday." The voice echoed through the ship, as all the Cons glanced up at the speakers.
"Their origin is unknown. Their purpose is a mystery. But whatever that may be, we will protect our people."
From their ship, Optimus eyes narrowed at the screen. Jetfire held his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "Primus help us all..."
"I have contacted the United Nations to ask them for help against this menace. Already, many of our allies have pledged to help us find, and stop these invaders. No more human lives will be jeopardized. No more communications will go down. We will fight them back, by any means necessary."
"As your President, I ask that the American People-"
"Turn it off." Megatron growled. Skywarp obeyed without hesitation.
Starscream glared at him, arms across his chest. "Well, what has our leader to say about this turn of events?"
"Nothing." Megatron growled. "We will choose our targets carefully. We can't leave without some more energon. But we will avoid humans to the best of our ability. No-one leaves this ship without my say-so. Understand?"
"Yes sir." Skywarp saluted.
"Certainly." Starscream hissed.
-----
Optimus shook his head. "Megatron won't take to this well. We'll have to be ready to stop another attack."
"Why not just approach them?" Prowl said quietly. "Tell the humans that we don't mean them any harm."
"And who's gonna tell them that?" Jetfire barked. "You? THAT will go over well."
Prowls face went dark, and he turned away.
"Stand down Jetfire. Leave Prowl alone." Optimus growled. Jetfire made a non-commental noise as Optimus continued. "We can't reveal ourselves to the humans now. It's too risky. All we can do is try and head Megatron off before he does more damage."
"What makes you think he will?" Red Alert's voice interrupted, a hint of skepticism in his voice.
"I know." Optimus responded, staring quietly at the President, his face still moving on the screen. "I just know..."
-----
"Damn the President. Damn the Politicians. Damn the U.N. And Damn the Goddamned General."
Andrew Smith was not typically given to fits of anger, but this was an exception. For the past two months, he had enjoyed almost full control over all projects involving the 'alien space robots.' But with the loss of the satellite, Washington D.C. had decided to step in. And put an idiot General in charge of the whole thing.
General Roger Corbet was a tall, straight man with graying hair and a permanent frown etched on his face. He had commanded troops all across the Middle East for years, and was highly celebrated for his by-the-book tactics. That is, until crazy rebel terrorists had decided to use more 'unorthodox' tactics that he was unprepared to deal with. Unfortunately for everyone involved, if there was one thing Corbet wasn't, it was adaptable.
Which made his promotion to the head of the anti-robot operations all the more insanely stupid. But it pleased Washington, so it was good, right?
Andrew buried his head in his hands, staring at the Generals memo to the department, outlining his battle plan. It apparently hadn't occurred to the veteran that the robots could strike anywhere, so all his defensive measures were centered in-between the three cities where they had been seen. And his other plan was a bunch of ICBM's- though how he planned to use them in the middle of a populated area was a bit of info that had been left out.
It would have been nice is the General had bothered to consult anyone in the know about these robots...
Of course, truth be told and despite all his investigations, Andrew knew little more then the General did. That bothered him. Working for the FBI and closely with the CIA kept him in the know about most things, with all the information in the hands of the US just a few keystrokes away. But not this time. Nobody on Earth knew the robots as well as he did. The only person who knew as much was that young girl he kept nearby.
His thoughts wandered to Michelle. He felt sorry for her, he really did. But the orders to keep her around came from several levels higher- people he didn't even know the names of. They apparently had convinced themselves that she was too valuable to be let loose. He didn't really know why, but he did see her plight. It must be unpleasant, being cooped up in a secret military installation for all this time.
He was trying to help her though- he had already filed several requests to give her a job- ANY job, on the premises. Unfortunately, nothing was open, and with budget as tight as it already was...
He sighed, bringing his thoughts back to the matter at hand. How do you tell off a General without being too disrespectful? He sighed. It was a quandary he hadn't hoped to face. He shook his head briefly to clear it, and began to write his response.
---
Time marched onwards, and to Andrew, it was disturbingly quiet. The robots had not been seen in a week, though scattered reports from paranoid conspiracy theorist continued to trickle in. But even so, nothing remotely concrete had been found.
And despite the silence, General Corbet was preparing for an all out alien assault.
Andrew stood next to the General in what had once been a hanger bay for experimental aircraft, and had since been converted to the Generals 'war room', complete with large screens, dozens of technicians with their plethora of computers, walls of communications equipment, and waiting just outside the base, nearly 20 large missiles that could hit anywhere on the planet within a few hours. It was disgusting.
Though Area 63 was no stranger to military application, it had always been primarily a research institution. Wether researching dangerous energy sources or new weapons, the furthering of technology had always been it's primary goal. No longer- now, it was a certified military base,
Andrew sighed. General Corbet moved one single eye toward him for the briefest of moments, then refocused on the task at hand, which was, apparently, waiting for the attack. Like he had for 5 days straight now.
At his side were a dozen assistants, aides, and other sucks ups. Andrew sighed again, turning back to the one useful station in the area, the television the monitored the live news feeds, which were still devoting full time to the 'space robots' news story. Lovely.
Despite the fact that his research team had now doubled, they still knew next-to-nothing about what they were dealing with. Not that the realization was anything new at this point. Hell, at this point, anybody who watched the news for 10 minutes knew as much as he did.
"General Corbet?"
Andrew glanced up as one of the aids approached the general, whispering quietly in his ear. The General nodded, a bit casually at first, then his head stiffened. His exclamation of surprise was loud enough for Andrew to hear it.
"They're sure?"
Andrew glanced at the TV for a minute, but it was business as usual. He quickly hurried to the Generals side.
The General glanced at him and waved his aid away. "Thank you. Then he turned, his eyes narrowing. "Congratulations, Andrew."
"Pardon?" Andrew said quietly.
"You're teams done well. They say they've found them."
Andrew breathed in sharply. "What? They didn't tell me-"
"They've just reached the conclusion. Perhaps you'll accompany me to see their evidence."
It wasn't a question.
---
"This is ridiculous." General Corbet announced, pushing the evidence away. The two astronomers, Locke and Franklin, glanced at each other nervously. "You called me in here for this?"
Andrew shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I see no proof here."
"We've verified it many times." Locke said quickly. "From many angles, several different telescopes. That's their ship!"
"It looks like a smudge." Corbet announced for the third time.
"We were skeptical at first two." Franklin continued, "but once the idea was brought up, all the data inconstancies seem to fit."
"Look," Locke continued, pushing another set of pictures forward. "See how it doesn't move, though the moon does. See the consistent shape? This wouldn't happen wit a smudge."
"I doubt a 'space ship' would look like a smudge." Corbet shook his head. "I need more then this-"
"And I have it!"
All four men turned and looked as Chris pushed his way in past two protesting security guards, his overtly-large laptop in tow.
"Who the hell are you?" General Corbet demanded, his face growing red with anger.
"Chris? What the hell are you doing?" Andrew added.
"You'll thank me for this later." Chris answered, opening up his laptop and typing keys quickly.
"Mr. Smith, who is this?" The General Demanded, his fist clenched.
"Our tech." Andrew said bewilderedly. "Trust me, I'm just as confused as you."
"Well, don't be." Chris piped up. "I knew these two wouldn't convince you on their own, so I did my own bit of research."
Andrew glanced at the General, and shrugged.
"I know a guy at Nasa," Chris continued, "Old school friend, who's been monitoring some weird energy transmissions."
"I know about those." Andrew spoke up. "We've been monitoring them too- we think they're communication beams-"
"They're too big for that." Chris dismissed him with a wave.
"Well, for ours yes, but we don't-"
"Didn't you notice how the robots appeared right after, and disappeared right before each transmission?" Chris demanded, as a spreadsheet appeared on his computer. "My friend saw this and told me, then I had an idea. I convinced him to send me the data on some of them. Look at this- the point of origin is near the moon- right where that 'smudge' is."
Locke and Franklin glanced at each other, then quickly hurried over to check their own facts against his. "He's right." Franklin announced.
"Ever seen Star Trek?" Chris asked. "They're beaming down."
"Don't be ridiculous." The General scoffed. An old Tv show has nothing-"
"Furthermore," Chris continued, "I took the various angles these guys gave me, and I composed the bits of the smudge together, trying to get a feel for the shape. Check this out."
On his small screen, a dull, flat, gray image appeared- but one with a distinctive shape. It was curved and triangular, with distinctive long cones protruding from the back.
"Incredible..." The General muttered. "Are you sure?"
"I'd stake everything on it." Chris said calmly.
"Fantastic..." The General turned away quietly. "Excuse me, I have to think about this." He quickly made his exit.
The two scientist quickly bowed out, and Andrew stared at Chris. "Wow. Good work, I never knew you had it in you."
"Thanks." Chris answered, his ever-present grin widening. "I try."
---
From a distance the same intervener who had caused such havoc before watched with glee.
"They've got missiles, and they've got proof. I think it's time for me to set up another little meeting between our friends." He chuckled to himself. The promised conflict was more then worth a week of boredom.
---
"Is it my fate to stay cooped up in a dead ship forever?"
Shockwave's quiet musing seemed to echo through the tiny cabin. His form was hunched over a tiny screen, one from which he used to monitor the other Decepticons. Starscream was whining yet again to Megatron, while Skywarp was putting up a devoted defense of his commanders actions. Demolisher and Cyclonus were talking with a rather unwilling Shock Fleet, And for his 'dear brother', he was currently swearing at some inanimate machinery.
Such a droll existence for one destined to be leader of the Decepticons. Shockwave shook his head. He'd make a note to get himself transfered to another command as soon as possible. Megatrons command was no longer worth the effort.
Something like a sigh left his vocal box. Skywarp had told him that the humans had a saying- "The best laid plans of mice and men..." And Decepticons, apparently. He glanced out the small viewport into space, hoping maybe to catch a glance at the star his home-world orbited around. But instead, his optic caught movement. It narrowed in on a small spec warping into existence nearby.
---
Megatron ignored Skywarps and Starscream back-and-forth argument. It was a perpetually boring fight, with two diametrically opposed personalities constantly struggling for Megatrons attention (even if Starscream had a bizarre way of seeking it), and truth be told, both of them irritated him.
It wasn't until the third call that Megatron realized another voice had entered the fray.
"Lord Megatron!" Megatron glanced at Shockwave as both Starscream and Skywarp halted their argument to let the newcomer push through. "We have a ship at-"
He was interrupted as a blast caused the alarms to sound. It was too low powered to deal any damage, but it got the entire crews attention.
Megatrons voice echoed through the com system. "Demolisher! Cyclonus! Get to the guns! Prepare to counterattack-"
"No need for that."
Megatron froze, his optic focusing on the source of the noise- one of the main communication screens flickering to life. A fuzzy image of a face he didn't recognize appeared- a plain mask that glowed orange. Megatrons optics narrowed. Skywarp too reacted to the face, his entire body tensing up.
"This is a message courtesy of Optimus Major. We realize that the battle here on Earth has come to a standstill, and we want to end it."
"Go on..."
"I suggest we set up a meeting to discuss peace terms. Tomorrow, at the coordinates I've provided you. Six cycles, earth time. Do you accept the terms?"
"It's a trick." SKywarp hissed. "That's the same coward who attacked me."
"And me." Starscream growled.
"We accept. Be there tomorrow, or else."
"Thank you." The image replied, then disappeared.
"Lord Megatron!" Skywarp protested.
"I never dreamed you'd bee this foolish." Starscream growled.
"This is insane." Shockwave shook his head.
Megatron shook his head. "Calm down. I am well aware this is a trap. However, considering our present situation, I believe that it is high time we spring the trap. These Autobots are clever, but I always have an ace up my sleeve. Yes..."
---
Dawn arrived, and the Autobot ship was oblivious to the goings-on of the rest of the universe.
"You would think the Humans would have more interesting things to write then highly inaccurate science novels." Red Alert muttered in disgust, tossing aside the data-pad.
"It's called fiction." Aidia answered picking it up and glancing through it. "It isn't supposed to be accurate."
"It shouldn't be so inaccurate either." Red Alert growled. "Hyper Speed? Everyone knows that trans-warp jumps are the method of travel-"
"Relax Red." Ironhides voice joined the fray, despite the fact that he was two rooms down 'monitoring human transmissions.'
A small laugh escaped Aidia's vocals before she added her own thought. "Just enjoy it for what it is."
Red Alert grunted non-commentaly, and turned away.
"Red Alert?"
Aidia and Red Alert turned to glance at Optimus and Jetfire, both of whom made their way into the small room. "Did you finish?" Optimus demanded.
"I finished ages ago." Red Alert yawned, tossing a small device into Optimus's hands.
"What is it?" Aidia asked.
"Tracking device, separate from our internal." Optimus answered. "I'd hoped for one for everyone so we can avoid what happened to Prowl."
"Not gonna happen." Red Alert interrupted. "I barely was able to throw that piece of slag together."
"It'll have to do." Optimus muttered, running his fingers over it. "If only I could-"
"Intruder!" Aris's voice blared suddenly and loudly through the hall. "Optimus, I detect a Decepticon signal closing fast."
"I knew he'd back." Optimus growled. "Jetfire, Red Alert, Ironhide! Get Prowl and come with me!"
---
The small triangular craft cackled as it spotted as it saw the five Autobots run out the base, weapons ready. "Just like last time." He muttered to himself. "Lets play!"
He turned and fired again, sending the well placed shots toward the communications array.
"SLAGGIN- I just fixed that!" Red Alert cursed as the array went up in flames.
"Just shoot!" Jetfire whooped, brandishing his twin cannons and creating a hailstorm of fire. His target swooped and dived in nonlinear motions, deftly avoiding the shots, before trying toward them in a full-speed dive.
"Here he comes!" Jetfire cried.
"Not this time." Optimus growled, the tiny tracking device in hand. As the craft swooped down, he aimed and through, with all his strength. The craft swooped in right past his head, and disappeared into a small circle of light.
"Slag!" Red Alert growled.
"He got away." Prowl said dejectedly.
"No, he didn't." Optimus answered. "Aris! Track that. You four- reload and get ready. Megatron's not going to make a fool of me this time."
---
The Triangular craft ripped out of nothingness, and landed as a robot being. He glanced around the desert canyon he had chosen for the meeting ground.
"My jobs done." He said casually, reaching up and pulling the small device from his wing, where it had attached. "That Bot's got a good arm." He chuckled, tossing the device on the ground.
His attention turned to the sky, where the orange mask seemed to become a devilish grin. Four streams of light streaked down and landed at the base of the canyon. "Punctual as always, Megatron." The shadowy form chuckled. "Better make myself scarce before the bots show up." And then he too, seemed to fade away.
---
Megatron glanced glanced around the canyon. "Unless I'm mistaken, this is where Optimus and I had our little duel." He said quietly. "What game is he up to? Surely, he doesn't think I'd make the same mistake again."
"It's sure creeping the slag out of me." Demolisher muttered.
"Don't be such a wuss." Cyclonus cackled.
Skywarp shook his head. "Do you really think this is a good idea, lord Megatron? Leaving Starscream and Sixshot like this?"
"I have every bit of confidence they and Shockwave can do exactly what I told them too." Megatron answered. "And if I played my cards right, Optimus won't suspect it."
"You don't think this was a diversion, do you?" Demolisher muttered. "I don't see anybody."
"Optimus would not run from a fight." Megatron answered. "He'll show."
"And there he is." Cyclonus whooped as a gate opened nearby, and five forms stepped through.
"Who's missing?" Megatron asked quietly.
"The femme." Skywarp answered quietly. "And the coward."
Megatron grunted, then opened his com. "Starscream, begin the operation. We'll handle things here."
---
Starscream flipped his com off and glanced at Sixshot. "Shockwave in place?"
"Yeah..." Sixshot quietly.
"Good. Begin the operation,"
And from space, a lone laser materialized and fired down on the planet below.
---
Optimus took in his surroundings with a quick glance, before his optics centered on the forms before him- the largest one in the center, his arms crossed over his chest. "Megatron."
"Several are missing." Jetfire hissed. "Including that-"
"I don't care." Optimus answered. "Megatron's the one I want." His optics locked on his opponents, who stared coldly back.
For a moment, the only sound that entered the area was a soft wind, then Megatron broke the silence. "I'm glad you arrived." He announced. "You do realize this will lead to your demise."
"Or yours." Optimus answered.
"Very well." Megatron answered cooly. "I have no time to waste. Destroy them."
Optimus didn't wait for him to finish the sentence, propelling himself into the air toward Megatron, who was already bracing for the attack. Skywarp let out a yell and he, Demolisher and Cyclonus charged forward as the Autobots did likewise.
And the canyon became a field of war.
---
Andrew looked up as another mousy aid scurried to General Corbet's side. Seeing the growing look of concern o the Generals face, he quickly hurried over to catch the news.
"Yes." The General nodded, dismissing his aid. He glanced up at Andrew and sighed. "We have data- they've moved into two different areas, both unoccupied. But one of them has a laser concentrated on it- yes, the one from their satellite."
Andrew frowned. "Not any people near them?"
"None we know about. They may be testing a new weapon."
"Or they may be trying to avoid us." Andrew said quietly.
The General closed his eyes and sighed. "We know they've attacked us several times inn the past. I have little doubt they will do so again. We can't act defensive against them forever."
"You mean to attack them, then?"
"I mean to attack their source. Have your crew do final calculations, and make sure that ship is still there. Then we're going to throw everything we have at it."
Andrew nodded looked away for a moment. "Very well. I pray you are not making a mistake."
"So do I. So do I."
---
Megatron reeled, stumbling backwards from a well-aimed blow by Optimus's fist. "You've not been idle." Megatron grinned. "I like that!"
"I've been preparing myself for this." Optimus answered. "One of us will not leave this battle alive!" He threw himself at Megatron again, he pushed him aside easily.
Megatron laughed. "Really Optimus, I do enjoy these fights. But desiring this kind of combat has been the downfall of many warriors."
"You're running then." Optimus growled, pushing himself back up.
"Oh come now, Optimus." Megatron shook his head. "You brought me here, and you outnumber me. Do you take me for such a fool that I would not come prepared?"
"What does that-" Optimus's word ceased as the sky went black. All optics on the battlefield turned upwards as a massive shape blocked out the sun for a moment.
"This is the end Optimus!" Megatron yelled gleefully. "Your last mistake has been cast! Shock Fleet! Destroy them!"
A thundering "SHOCK!" echoed through the battlefield as the sky turned into a rain of lasers, Prowl yelped and dove as the ground exploded under him. Red Alert and Ironhide transformed, pushing their way through the clouds of flying debris and energy. Ironhide skidded and flipped into robot mode, shooting into the air wildly. "What the slagging pit is that!" Prowl cried.
Another "SHOCK!" thundered through the field as the ship above' front split open. The ship righted itself vertically, the legs extending downwards and landing with a heavy flood. The front half came down to it's side, and a large, steely head with red eyes revealed itself at the top. "SHOCK FLEET!" Came the final roar, as the cannons on it's chest began spinning with a loud whirl, sending a hail of fire at the ground below.
Demolisher and Cyclonus retreated behind Shock Fleet, and opened fire with their own weapons as the four Autobots collected behind an outcropping, and began to return fire.
Optimus stared hatefully at Megatron. "Should we continue our little contest?" He said with a grin.
"You will die for this." Optimus hissed.
"Believe me, this is quite minor on my list of sins!" Megatron laughed. "Come now!"
Some distance from the duel, a form laughed wildly with glee. He watched the ground explode and the Autobots return fire with endless joy. "This is so good, I don't know who to root for!" He cackled as the symbol on his arm switched spastically between red and purple forms. "May the best team lose!"
---
"I'm taking him from above!" Jetfire yelled. "Cover me!"
"With what?" Prowl protested, but he was too late. Jetfire hurled himself into the sky, switching into his plane mode.
"Coming in from the sky!" Demolisher yelled.
"Stay here and cover Shockfleet!" Skywarp ordered. "I'll deal with the Autobot." He too flew into the air. The two planes intercepted each other in mid-flight, and spun off into the sky, firing wildly.
Shock Fleet moved forward, an unstoppable titan. The few Autobot shots that hit him simply bounced off his thick armor. "Shock. Shock. Shock." The almost dull voice echoed over the field as he moved ever closer to his targets.
"This isn't working!" Red Alert hissed, firing a few shots back at him.
"If you have a better plan, I'm open to suggestions." Ironhide yelled back.
"I have one." Prowl said quickly. "RUN!" All three scattered, flipping into vehicle mode as Shockfleets feat fist dove into the rock they were hiding behind, shattering it.
"Pick em off!" Demolisher yelled, opening fire. Cyclonus whooped with a sadistic cackle as he took into the air, pursuing Prowl over the rough terrain. Shockfleet moved slowly, bringing his fist down again, trying to crush Ironhide, who deftly moved aside. "How do I get myself into these scrapes?" He swore, firing upward at Shockfleets head. Shockfleet stumbled backward in surprise, and Ironhide raced under his feet.
It only took a moment for the giant to regain his balance, and he turned, sending streams of fire after him.
"Slag." Demolisher swore, and turned to find Red Alert bearing down on him, leaping into robot mode, and bringing his weapon-hand down to bear. Demolisher caught it in hands even as he was pushed backwards. He brought his foot up into Red Alerts chest and pushed backwards with all his strength. Red Alert fell.
And the chaotic battle continued.
----
Starscream stared morosely at the pulsating energy beam. "All this talent going to waste."
"Shut up, Starscream." Sixshot answered, as the drill from space drilled continually deeper into the strata.
It was a good plan, even Starscream had to admit that. While Megatron was springing the Autobots trap, a location far away, remote from both Transformer and human camps, one last attempt at gathering energon was commencing. Shockwaves energy beam drilled ever deeper, and when a certain point was reached, Sixshot would take over. It was surprisingly easy.
But devastatingly boring.
Starscream sighed as the drill went in ever deeper.
----
"Begin launch sequence." General Corbets voice announced.
A flurry of voices and statistics answered his order, reporting fueling complete, locations targeted, and systems checked out. The General smiled. Soon now...
At his side, Andrew muttered quietly to himself. "This is it."
General Corbet noticed, and nodded. "This is it indeed."
----
Far above the combat zone, Skywarp and Jetfire continued a weaving dance of laser blasts. Skywarp flipped into robot mode, firing shots from his shoulder cannons, the flew back into jet mode as Jetfire strafed past him, both guns firing wildly. Jetfire shot off into a wide turn, and Skywarp transformed again, waiting for his attack.
But as Jetfires trail curved back toward him, Skywarp froze, his optics noticing something watching from the cliffs below.
"The coward..."
All thoughts of his previous opponent evaporated, as Skywarp turned and shot downwards with a battle cry. His foe didn't have a chance to react as his fist caught him upside the face, shattering the delicate orange face-guard easily. The black, demonic form sprawled backwards onto the ground, and Skywarp lay his sword across it's neck.
"A traitorous, sniveling, coward." Skywarp announced. "Die like the slag you are."
"SLagging your own guy?" Jetfire demanded, also landing in robot mode, his guns trained on both of them. "That's low, even for Decepticons."
"Stay out of this Autobot." Skywarp hissed. "Your friend deserves his fate."
"My friend?"
The transformer on the ground made a sudden break, pushing Skywarps sword away and scrambling along the ground. Jetfire halted him with a sudden blast.
"Who are you?" Jetfire demanded.
"And as both Skywarp and Jetfire stared in shock, the symbol on his arm crashed downward, then back upward, from Autobot to Decepticon.
"Aw slag!" The mysterious robot cried, a single purpling optic staring out from below the shattered mask. "You guys had to go and ruin everything! No fair!" Before either Autobot or Decepticon could react, the robot shot into the air, changing form into a triangular craft and disappearing into a small warp gate.
"That's the one who lead us here..." Jetfire said quietly.
"And the one who brought us as well. In fact, he brought me to your femme, as well." Skywarp growled.
"And Optimus to Megatron, and Prowl to Starscream..." Jetfire continued. "Decepticon, I don't have any slagging idea what's going on, but I think we've been set up."
"I think you're right, Autobot." Skywarp growled. "We need to stop Megatron and Optimus, quickly!"
---
Shockwave sighed. "How much longer?" He radioed down desperately. The answer was far longer then he wished for. But as he sat, something attracted his attention. Three specs moving away from the Earth, toward their ship...
"NO! It can't be!"
---
Megatron stumbled backwards. Optimus charged forward, but was unable to avoid Megatrons feet which through him a good distance back. Both returned to their feet. "Is this it Optimus?" Megatron demanded. "You keep charging and falling- how many times must defeat you before you learn?"
"I never was a good learner." Optimus answered, weakly pushing himself up.
"Pitiful." Megatron growled, bringing his cannon up. Optimus fumbled for his gun, and raised it quickly as well. But before either could fire, something interrupted them both.
"Don't shoot!" Jetfire cried.
"Megatron, please hear me!" Skywarp answered.
The Autobot and Decepticon stood back to back in front of their leaders, arms stretched out.
"Skywarp!" Megatron roared.
"What's the meaning of this?" Optimus demanded.
"We've been set up." Jetfire yelled.
"THe Autobot who attacked me," Skywarp said quietly.
"The Decepticon who brought you to Megatron," Jetfire continued.
"The one who brought all of us here-"
"It's the same coward."
Optimus's gun slowly dropped, as did Megatrons.
"Megatron, we're being manipulated." Skywarp continued. "That Transformer has been setting all our confrontations up."
"Is this true, Jetfire?" Optimus asked quietly. Jetfire merely nodded.
Megatron raised his hand, activating his com. "All Decepticons, stand down. The situation has changed."
---
The energy pulse dried up. Sixshot groaned. Starscream grabbed his com. "Shockwave, what the slagging pit do you think you're doing?"
"We are under attack! Repeat, we are under attack! Requesting aid! Requesting aid!"
"What?"
---
"I don't know what is going on," Optimus said quietly, "But I will not be manipulated."
"I agree." Megatron growled. "I want you destroyed, but I want to do it on my own terms."
"Lord Megatron!"
Megatron glanced down at his com in annoyance, quickly turning away. "What now?"
Shockwaves voice carried with it a very rare quality- depression, "We're under attack by human missiles!"
Megatrons face narrowed, his optics becoming slits. He shut off his com and turned toward Optimus. "Very well, Optimus. We shall meet another time. Decepticons, return to base."
The Decepticons disappeared, save Shock Fleet, who leapt into the air with a rumbling "SHOCK!"
"What was that about?" Jetfire muttered.
"Return to base." Optimus announced. "Lets hope this ends now."
----
Shockwave had never felt such desperation before. His small engines were not enough to catch up with all the missiles as they approached the ship. He propelled himself as quickly as he could, and managed to catch the tail end of one of them. With a cry, he hoisted himself on, and shoved his laser down into the middle and fired, bisecting it cleanly. He turned and aimed at the next and fired- but the beam curved away from the missile.
"Slag!" He cried, attempting to make the corrections before it was too late. But for the first time in his life, he failed.
---
Megatron materialized on the transporter pad, stepping out. Starscream and Sixshot we're waiting "Sixshot, activate defensive systems." He said cooly. "Don't panic, we'll dispatch this easily enough-"
THe ship rocked with a thunderous sound, throwing Megatron and all other present Decepticons to the ground. Demolisher scrambled to his feet and ran toward the main control panel. "Main power is out!" He cried. "Switching to auxiliary-"
Another explosion rocked the ship. Megatron could hear the interior giving way under the force with loud creaks and groans, then a brief blast of heat met his face. And then, all was quiet.
Megatron braced himself, waiting for a third impact, but none came. "Report." He said cautiously.
"Main power is out." Sixshot said quietly. "No thruster power remains. All weapons down, cloaking device down, shields down... All primary systems save life support are gone. Energon stores survived, luckily."
Megatrons optics darkened as the list continued. But one in particular caught his attention.
"Orbit has been destabilized-"
"Clarify." He ordered.
"The explosions knocked us out of our stable orbit. We've been caught in the moons gravitational field. Estimated time to impact is two days."
Megatrons optics darkened, and he slowly returned to his throne, sitting down quietly in it.
Sixshot cleared his intakes. "I can attempt to get some of the thrusters online, so we'll have a softer landing, but-"
"Do it." Megatron said morosely.
"Yes sir."
The Decepticons got the hint, and quickly cleared the bridge, leaving Megatron to stare alone, solemnly at the Earth below.
--
Epilogue
Andrew Smith excused himself from the celebration quickly. Two of the missiles had hit, and the ship had been fully revealed- but more importantly, no return fire had yet been attempted. He hoped that was permanent.
He slipped into his office and sighed, collapsing on his chair. Already, General Corbet was undoubtedly patting himself on the back, was was Chris Johnson and those scientists. But a victory was a victory- and these days, it seemed you had to take one when it was given- no matter how it was given.
He flipped through a couple new documents that had found their way to his desk, and noticed to his surprise, no less then 4 were marked from Alaska. Curiosity lead him to open the latest, and read it.
"Excavation report?" He asked himself, reaching in for the enclosed photographs. As he got the first glimpse of the contents, his jaw dropped. "Impossible..." He whispered, letting the picture fall to the floor.
In a matter of a few seconds, everything had changed. He quickly left to inform the general, leaving the photograph on the floor- a massive hand, reaching out of the ice that incased it. Everything had changed indeed.
-----