Chapter 9: Focusing on the Future


[Cross Ange OST - Inferia]

Their battle in the skies ended over half an hour but the thought of what could have happened still lingered in some of their heads as they arrived at Arzenal. The surprise attack by the Combaticons shook them greatly and even caused the five to lose their dropship thanks to the efforts of these experienced Decepticon soldiers. When all seemed lost, Autobot Jazz arrived at the scene and successfully rescued Wheeljack from the destroyed dropship. However, everyone knew that this battle could have easily gone further south for the Autobots and Norma. Not only did the dropship get shot down, but there's a high probability that they could have suffered the same fate if they attempted to turn around and run. Jetfire would've been slowed down due to the combined weight of carrying Bumblebee and Wheeljack. And with the skill of fliers like Vortex and Blast Off, Ange, Salia, and Jill may have been shot down as well.

The thought of how bad things could have gotten weighed down the most on Salia. She was the one who suggested pursuing Starscream's forces, even though she didn't intend to engage them in battle. In her mind, she couldn't help but think that all of this would have been avoided had she not jumped the gun with her plan. If Jazz and the others hadn't shown up, she knows that they would've all been killed thanks to her idea. She kept quiet for the flight back to Arzenal as she thought about this, and Ange and Jill could sense that this was more than likely why she was silent.

When they arrived back at Arzenal, the only thing that was left was to explain the situation to Optimus Prime and the others. Something that Salia chose to keep quiet during. Upon arriving at Arzenal, everyone explained the situation with the Combaticons while Jazz and the other Autobots waited. While Optimus' second-in-command had a story of his own to explain to his leader, he and the others knew that there was a much more pressing matter at the moment that needed to be addressed.

"I see…" Optimus said after being given a recap of the last battle. "So it was the Combaticons who attacked you."

"It's a miracle that we ran into Jetfire while we were out there," Wheeljack stated. "Things could've been a lot messier if he hadn't been there to contact Jazz. Unfortunately we… couldn't save that dropship. Long range bombardment sent it and almost me to a watery grave."

"The loss of the stolen dropship, while costly, is not of any importance now. What matters most is that all of you returned alive."

Salia suddenly stands at attention. "Optimus, I… I take responsibility for everything that happened! This was my fault. Because of me, we almost…"

"Salia…" Ange sighed.

"Whatever punishment that everyone deems necessary, I will accept it! Not just First Squadron, but your fellow Autobots could've easily died hadn't we received surprise aid. And it would've been because of my incompetence-"

"There is no need for that," Optimus said, shocking Salia.

"No need for… But why?"

"You were involved in a battle that you could not run away from and returned with valuable information. Now that we are aware of the Combaticons, we can better prepare for our next encounter."

"That's still no excuse for my mistakes! I-"

Amuro walked over and put a hand on Salia's shoulder.

"No one here is putting any blame on you," he said. "You and the others did your best to defend yourselves and we're all just glad you returned alive."

"Hey if anything, we should be thanking you," Jazz added. "If you guys hadn't gone out, Sideswipe might've never picked you up on the ship's sensors."

"Jazz is right," Optimus said in agreement. "Your suggestion to pursue has produced numerous benefits. You may have had close calls, but you were able to escape without any casualties. And I will not be concerned with the dropship over your lives."

Salia was taken back at first. Despite how close they all came to being blown out of the sky thanks to her suggestion, not a single person held any anger towards her. She turned her head, not sure what to say.

"All of us contributed to each other's survival at the end of the day," Wheeljack said. "Jazz and the others included."

"What were you doing in this area?" Optimus asked the new arrivals. "I do not believe that you would've been conveniently passing by."

"It's a good thing we ran into you guys, cause Cliff and I got something big to report, Optimus," Jazz replied.

"We were hoping to run into you sooner or later after we found this," Cliffjumper added.

"I think this is something that all of us are going to want to hear," Jill stated. "Where's Hilda and the others?"

"They're still in the landing hangar," Amuro replied. "We can talk more once we've gotten to them."

"Landing hangar…" Jetfire said, looking around. "So this place really is your base. It's a little… empty don't you think?"

"Decepticon attacks have led to severe damage across Arzenal," Optimus stated. The Autobots were transforming as he talked, all heading to the landing platform alongside Amuro and the Norma. "We were planning to use these dropships as a means to abandon this base and search for one away from…"

As Optimus and the other Autobots talked, Salia continued to silently reflect on what happened.

"Don't beat yourself up over this, alright?" Ange said to her. "Clearly nobody is upset with you."

"I know, but I just… I can't stop thinking about how things could have easily gone terribly wrong for us."

"You need to rest while we're at it." Ange yawned. "We've been at this since this morning. I'm hoping that after this conversation, I can finally turn in. I'm exhausted."

"Honestly, so am I…"

Only A Few Moments Later…

"You've found what?!"

[Transformers G1 OST - Under Siege]

Some form of that phrase is what was uttered by the group at Arzenal once they'd heard Jazz and the others' report, the news waking up anyone who had plans to go to sleep soon. While the forces in Arzenal had been dealing with Decepticon attacks, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Sideswipe, and Jetfire had been tracking something else with a team of Autobots. While a majority of their forces were lost in the battle against Gyunei and Tanya's forces, they were able to continue their investigation afterwards. What they found was something that no one was expecting to hear…

A ship.

"And I ain't talking about anything the size of our dropship," Jazz continued to speak. "This was a huge warship. Looked like it was the size of the Ark!"

"Jazz and I checked out the exterior when he got Jetfire's message. From the looks of things, it took some damage from an emergency landing, but it looks like all the systems should still be working. But we won't know for sure until we can get a good look inside."

"Were you able to identify where the ship came from, or which faction it belongs to?" Optimus questioned.

"There wasn't a sign or anything on the outside" Jazz answered. "We got a look at the ship's helm before taking off. I'd say any one of us could just walk right in there and not be cramped."

"Think it could be a Decepticon warship?" Bumblebee asked.

"I doubt it. There's no way that warship was made on Cybertron. I thought it might've been manmade at first, but from the side of it, I don't know what to think!"

"A ship that you guys can easily walk through, but it's as if it were built by humans…" Amuro thought aloud. "What in the world could that be?"

"It can't be the empire, it doesn't sound like the Aurora, and it sure as hell can't be anything Embryo possesses," Jill said. "Optimus, are there any other factions from your world that could use something like this?"

"I am afraid not," the Autobot leader replied.

"If it was just a mobile suit deck, then it could be something I may recognize," Amuro said. "But if it's built for someone like you guys to pilot, then it couldn't be anything that I know. Wait, were you able to tell if anybody was inside?"

"Someone had to be for it to crash land," Jetfire answered. "But there weren't any signs of anyone making an escape. Most likely, everyone on board must have died during the crash."

"I don't think that makes any sense though," Cliffjumper stated. "I looked around, and this looked like a controlled crash. Some of them might not have made it, but the whole crew aboard wouldn't have died from an impact like that?"

"Perhaps the damage is more lethal on the inside?" Salia suggested.

"She's right," Wheeljack nodded in agreement. "The only way we'll get to the bottom of this is getting inside there ourselves and investigating."

"This warship…" Optimus said. "Where exactly did it crash?"

"Wheeljack, pull up a map for me," Jazz requested.

The Autobot scientist deployed a holomap of the Earth for everyone to see. The holographic globe spun around to where Arzenal was located, and then zoomed out to the surrounding areas. Jazz pointed to a series of islands far southwest of Arzenal.

"Around here," he said."Crashed landed on one of these islands."

"Looks like it's around the Solomon Islands," Amuro said. "It's in the south too. That's the direction that the Decepticons and the others came from when they attacked and ran away."

"You don't think that the Decepticons know about that warship, do you?" Pamela asked.

"It's likely. They're located around the same area."

"The Decepticons weren't around when we arrived," Sideswipe said. "But there's always the chance they could surprise us."

"We need to investigate this before the Decepticon gets wind of the warship in the area," Optimus stated. "We must at least determine where it came from, what group it belongs to, and what purpose it serves. If need be, we shall see if it can be reactivated."

"Oh, I see," Jill said, folding her arms. "You want to see if it can be used as a mobile base for us."

"Regrettable to say, but Arzenal is on the verge of collapse. If the Decepticon were to launch a third attack, I do not believe this island base would survive. Two dropships will not be enough for us to investigate this world efficiently. If we are able to, we will attempt to make peace with whoever is aboard this warship. If there is no life, then we must use it for our purposes."

"In that case, we need to leave immediately."

"SOME of us need to leave immediately," Ange said, putting a hand on Jill's side. "Others, Commander, need to stay behind and stop pushing themselves too hard. Especially when they're wounded." Lifting her hand up, Ange showed it was covered in Jill's blood.

Salia gasped. "Alektra?! Have you been- Why didn't you say anything!?"

"It's just a minor scrap from when the Arquebus took a hit," Jill stated. "I'll live."

"Ange is right however," Amuro said. "I don't think all of us are in the best of shape to check out an unknown, and possibly hostile ship."

"Indeed," Optimus said. "Thankfully, the Decepticons will most likely be unable to mount an offensive on Arzenal soon. Therefore myself, Wheeljack, and Jazz's team will investigate this warship." Optimus turns to face the Autobot scout. "Bumblebee, I want you to remain behind on the island. If need be, have everyone board the stolen dropship and fly to our location."

"Can do!" Bumblebee saluted.

"Let me come too," Amuro requested. "Nu Gundam might still be damaged, but there's always the chance of anyone that I know being on board."

"The same goes for us then," Pamela spoke up. "Let me go with you! I might not be as experienced as the Para-mail Squadrons, but I can at least use a gun."

"Pamela, you don't have to push yourself to do this," Salia said.

"I need to do just that. I don't want to just sit around doing nothing while watching all of you do your best to protect us. If I can help in any way, let me come along."

"Talk about dedication to her friends," Sideswipe said. "I say we listen to the little lady, Optimus."

"I agree, Sideswipe," Optimus said.

"I'll join you guys then," Ange spoke up. "Villkiss is still in good shape."

"Didn't you just say earlier you were exhausted?" Jill asked.

"I'll catch a nap on the ride there or something. You know one of us needs to go. Neither Arquebuses are ready to go again."

"She's right," Salia sighed.

"Then that settles our investigation team," Wheeljack said.

"Everyone, prepare to move out right away," Optimus ordered. "We do not have any time to waste. We must advance as soon as possible."

"Yes sir!" The Autobots saluted as they headed towards the Autobot dropship.

Ange faced Jill and Salia. "The two of you really need some rest. Especially you, Salia."

"Worry about yourself more," Salia replied. "You're the one who's still going out."

Ange nodded before boarding the Villkiss. Pamela climbed along with her, choosing to fly with Ange rather than walk to the dropship, which is something Amuro didn't seem to mind doing. Hikaru and Oliver suddenly drove up in front of him, the two girls riding in Roller.

"Amuro, hop on," Oliver said. "We'll give you a lift."

"Thanks," Amuro said with a smile. "That's much appreciated."

As the team prepared to leave Arzenal once again, everyone else was left to return to their duties. Salia decided not to waste any time and walked off to whatever would remain of the dorms.

[Transformers G1 OST- Auto Ambition]

As everyone left the landing hangar, Soundwave suddenly ejected Frenzy, who was the cassette tape Momoka had been using. The minicon picked up the cassette player and brought him onto the landing platform, where Soundwave transformed to robot mode. Standing against the side of the island, the communications officer started listening in to the conversation above while issuing orders as he ejected his minicons.

"What's the plan, boss?" Rumble asked. "Shouldn't we get back inside before they spot us?"

"Negative," Soundwave responded. "Begin new operation: 'Takeover.'"

"Takeover?"

"We shall use the remains of this base to build a satellite tower. We shall investigate the vastness of space, and locate Cybertron."

"You think Cybertron's still here?" Frenzy asked.

"Affirmative. All data indicates that there is a high probability that Cybertron survived the black hole. Furthermore, the range of the satellite will allow us to locate Lord Megatron."

"How are we gonna turn this place into a giant satellite with that Autobot lurking around?" Rumble asked. "The humans aren't much of a threat, but that Autobot will just tear down whatever we build."

"We shall continue 'Operation: Hypnotism' for the time being. The Autobot shall soon be dealt with… by his own comrades."


[Gundam Musou 2 OST - Solutions Report]

Elsewhere the remaining Decepticon dropships were on their way back to the Nemesis. After their success in shooting down one stolen ship, the Combaticons withdrew upon the arrival of Autobot reinforcements. Neo Zeon forces and the Diamond Rose Knights also fell back on a separate dropship with Brawl, the latter getting ready to switch over to the Combaticons' dropship while in midair. The two dropships lined up parallel with Brawl ready to cross over. Swindle, Vortex, and Blast Off were in the doorway, the former grappling onto Brawl in case he missed.

"I'm telling you, Brawl," Vortex said. "You need to wait for us to get a little closer. With your weight, you'll plummet straight down to the ground."

"If we get any closer, we might as well crash into each other instead," Brawl argued. "Make room! I'm jumping now!"

Brawl leaped off the dropship. He tried to grab onto the floor of the other, but was a few inches too far. Unable to reach it, the Combaticon started falling. Swindle stopped him before he could detach from his grappling hook, but the weight of Brawl nearly dragged him off of the Combaticons' dropship. Vortex and Blast Off grabbed Swindle's grappling hook and all three started pulling Brawl back up.

"See?!" Vortex exclaimed. "I told you you wouldn't make it!"

"Didn't think he dragged us down with him!" Swindle strained himself to respond.

Thankfully with their combined strength, the three were able to successfully pull Brawl back up and into their dropship. The Combaticon tank came flying in however, and nearly flattened them as they all fell inside. The dropship's doors closed as soon as Brawl was safe.

"The transfer is complete," Onslaught reported via comms to the other dropship. "Sorry about wasting your time. Looks like we didn't need the backup after all."

"No worries," Char replied. "It's a shame that I couldn't test the Gelgoog in this battle, but you were able to prevent any more losses with only a few soldiers on the battlefield. I must say, I admire the team that you command. With only a handful of men, you've done more damage to them than your leader did with a large scale attack."

"The Combaticons are used to cleaning after Starscream's messes. This is why we need to focus our efforts towards locating Lord Megatron, instead of engaging the Autobots. Especially since they have Optimus Prime with them."

"Quess tells me that their leader caused Starscream a lot of trouble. She said he fought off over dozens of soldiers by himself, acting as a distraction. That must've been part of their plan to steal your ships."

"If Starscream didn't focus on eliminating Optimus right off the bat, he might've actually had a chance out there."

"Forgive my incompetence, but I cannot understand why someone as rash as him would be the leader of your forces," Embryo said.

"He's only taking control because he's the second in command of the Decepticons. Our ACTUAL leader's whereabouts are currently unknown. And if I had the authority, I would be focusing more on rebuilding our own forces that are in shambles. All we can do is hope that he learns from losing his arm." Onslaught looks around as the dropship was suddenly picking up another energy reading. "Hm? What in the…?"

"What is it?' Char asked.

"I'm picking up a large energy source coming from nearby. It's in the same direction that Autobot dropship came from."

"Do you plan to investigate it?"

"It's risky, but we'll just check things out from a distance. Continue on your path back to the Nemesis. We'll catch up."

"Roger that."

The Combaticons' dropship separated from the other, veering off to the east. The Combaticons weren't aware of the exact location they were headed, but they were prepared for the possibility of running into Autobots again. This would be inevitable as they pursued the same warship that Jazz and the others were pursuing.


[Weird Al Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid]

Back at Arzenal, the sun was setting as evening had come to the island. Optimus Prime and the others were long gone, en route towards the crashed warship. The remaining dropship sat within close proximity of the base's remains. Bumblebee was on guard, patrolling the island's surface while everyone else was inside. Nu Gundam stood tall on the landing platform while both Arquebuses and Glaive Hilda were still in the hangar, all three of them were being worked on by Zhao Mei. In her spare time, she also took a look at Nu Gundam, using the manual Amuro lent her as a guide while she tried to make repairs to its thrusters.

Momoka tried to keep the mood lively for everyone. Now that she got the cassette player to work again, she started testing which tapes worked and which ones did not. So far, all of the results were positive. Five cassette tapes were all they had, and all five worked perfectly. Momoka, Hikaru, and Oliver all danced along to the tunes played, finding all of the music to be quite captivating. Momoka and Oliver were clearly novices while Hikaru was showing off by breakdancing. Roller was even in the hangar with them, attempting to do whatever counted as dancing for a six-wheeled drone.

"I can't believe all of those tapes worked so well!" Momoka exclaimed.

"You'd think that something as old as this wouldn't even run anymore," Hikaru said. "But this is one tough music box!"

"Is it really okay for us to be doing this?" Oliver asked. "I mean with Pamela and the others out and Arzenal defenseless, can we really afford to be rel-aaaaaa-?!"

Hikaru spun Oliver around quickly while she was talking.

"A… A little warning next time, please…!"

"Sorry," Hikaru apologized. "But you need to stop worrying so much. If we sit around and stay stressed all day, we'll just feel worse. Sometimes you need to unwind and let loose for a while. Hell, who knows how long we'll get before we can have fun like this again!"

While holding onto her, Hikaru dipped Oliver, the latter blushing as the two came face to face.

"What do you think they'll be coming back with?" Momoka asked.

"They're going to a warship right?" Mei chimed in. "You think they'll find something else that's like a Para-mail?"

"I hope so!" Hikaru replied. "I wanna try my hand in a fight too!"

"Hikaru, we don't have that much experience with flying Para-mails!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Never too late to learn, right? If I could, I'd really wanna try out that Nu Gundam or whatever it's called.."

"No way in hell he's going to let someone with little experience take his machine out for a joyride," Mei replied. "Besides, you haven't shown the slightest interest in it now, meanwhile Salia and I have read the manual. If any Norma got a chance to check it out, it'd be us."

"You know, piloting and helping out does sound fun," Momoka said as she twirled around the Norma. "How about a competition for it?"

"Huh?"

"Well we can't seem to decide who should ask first, so-"

"That sounds great!" Hikaru exclaimed. "Dance off! The best dancer here gets first dibs to ask for permission!"

Hikaru took off her uniform jacket and tied it around her waist, leaving her in her skirt, a white plain tee, and boots. At that point, Jill walked into the hangar.

"Hey, Commander!" Hikaru called out. "You wanna be our judge?"

Jill sighed. She was in earshot of the whole conversation, so she didn't need to ask what this was about. She was going to head to bed, but decided that she may as well stay and entertain the four of them. "Fine."

"How did I get roped into this…?" Mei thought to herself.

Salia was outside during this time. The girl was sitting in the wreckage of the command center, watching the sunset. Currently restless, she used this time alone to think about everything that happened today. She rubbed her eyes, but didn't feel any urge to go to bed. She thought about what Ange and the others could be doing right now, what they might discover and run into. She thought about her fight with Irma, and how Ersha and Chris had shown up on Embryo's side once again. It felt like so many things were happening at once that her brain couldn't process everything in a single day. She sighed loudly, leaning back against the destroyed wall as she stared into the sky over the ocean.

"I… just don't understand…" she thought internally. "They… forgive my mistake that quickly… Why…? Why would they… why would she forgive me so quickly…?"

As she sat in silence, Salia thought about events of the past. She could only think about how in their world, her last memory of Alektra was bringing the injured woman back to the Aurora, and watching her die. Yes, her actions played a role in leading to the commander's death back then. And today, history almost repeated itself.

"Is this just my destiny? Am I only able to cause her trouble? Not only Alektra, but Ange and the others all would've died because I was an idiot… again… No wonder we all agree on leaving Ange as the actual commander of First Squadron, or what's left of First Squadron… My actions… aren't those of someone who should be a leader."

"I didn't know you liked watching sunsets."

Salia turned her head and was surprised to see Hilda walking over to her. The redhead's injuries she sustained had been bandaged up by Pamela. Without their chief doctor, Maggie, they lacked the skill needed to treat injuries quickly. Pamela was able to stop any bleeding from open wounds. However, the pain was still there, indicated as Hilda was holding the side of her stomach while walking. Salia also noted that she was limping too, her left leg barely moving with each step she took. Salia quickly got up and ran over to support Hilda.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" she asked the redhead in a worried tone. "Don't you see what kind of condition you're in?" Salia got next to Hilda and threw the redhead's right arm over her shoulder, acting as a crutch.

"Yeah, I know," Hilda laughed softly as she spoke. "I'd probably get yelled at by the others too if they saw me back on my feet already. But hey, you look like you could use some company. And I could use a bit of an update too. So why don't we just… sit out here and talk while watching the sunset?"

"…Fine. But you're going back to your room after this."

[Cross Ange OST - Finale]

Salia and Hilda went back to the wall the former was sitting up. As Salia sat her down, Hilda groaned in pain while trying to keep any tension off of her left leg. She managed to sit down, her right leg pulled up to her chest while her left was all the way stretched out. Salia sat down beside her in nearly the same position, having her elbow resting on her tucked left knee.

"Does… it hurt badly?" Salia asked, concerning Hilda's left leg.

"It's broken, what do you think?" Hilda answered sarcastically. "I got pretty banged up inside my Glaive out there, thanks to Chris. I shouldn't have let my guard down when I tried to talk to her."

"She talked to you?"

"Oh that's right! I passed out before I could give anybody an update. I managed to get Chris to show herself during the battle. She's still herself… well, was."

"'Was?'"

"I don't know what the hell Embryo's trying to pull over her now, but he has her under lock and key. She started screaming about some song and holding her head like she was in pain. It was all his doing. She attacked me, and stole that ring back. Then she tried to crush me to death. I let my guard down for a moment, thinking I could talk some sense into her. If Amuro hadn't shot Theodra, I'd be dead without a doubt." Hilda puts her hands behind her head. "So, that's why I've got several injuries and a broken leg. What about you guys? What happened while I was out of it?"

"A lot of things, actually. We managed to steal two ships. Then I foolishly decided to follow after the Decepticons as they ran, only for their reinforcements to show up. Ange, Alektra, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and I almost die if more Autobots didn't show up out of nowhere. They've told me not to beat myself up over this but… I just can't help it. Now, a good portion of them have gone off to investigate a crashed ship something south of Arzenal."

"Holy shit… A lot did happen. How long was I out for?"

"A few hours at best. We're watching the sunset on this day after all." Salia sighed. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Everyone doesn't seem to worry about this as much as I do, especially since I've done more good than harm. But it could've easily turned out different. I could've been responsible for the five of us dying out there."

"But you weren't, were you? Hell from the sound of things, all five of you came without any harm done to you.."

"We did. Minus the fact that we lost the dropship."

"Ah that doesn't matter. I'm pretty sure the others have already told you about how it's fine and don't worry about that ship, right?" Salia nodded in response. Hilda sat up slightly, wincing in pain as she moved closer to the wall. "Then let me tell you something, alright? You're going to make yourself feel like shit even more if you keep worrying about what's in the past."

Salia looked over at Hilda, surprised to hear her say that.

"What are you getting at?"

"You can't change what happened. I know, you're worried that everyone could've easily died. But none of you died. You need to stop worrying about the past, especially in a situation like this. So what if I messed up with trying to save Chris? I paid my price now, and I'll have to keep looking forward to the future. That's something I can change."

"Hilda…"

"When Ange and I came back and got detained for deserting, all of that happened because we were chasing our pasts back when not even we knew we were Norma. But all we found is that the pasts we wanted were long gone, Ange nearly being hanged, and me learning that my mother just replaced me. All of that is out of my control. If I keep sitting around and thinking about it, where will that get me? Nowhere. All I can do is accept what happened. I'll accept it… and then I'll move on to make a future I want, as a Norma."

Salia was completely shocked to hear everything Hilda had to say about her problem. But immediately, she could tell that the redhead was right. Hilda's been through things that she obviously wishes could have ended differently. But there's nothing she can do now. All she can do is focus on the future and shape it in the way that she wants.

"Focus on the future…" she said. "That's it… that's what I need to do. The past is what's tearing me up inside, and I need to accept that."

"Accept that what's in the past isn't going to change, and change your future. Change it so that it'll go down the road to creating a past you'll be happy about." Hilda closed her eyes and smiled. "One where you can think back about it, and smile."

"A past to smile about…" Salia suddenly starts smiling. "That's what I've been doing. Our survival… my strategy's succession… that's the past I should focus on right now."

"Now you're getting it."

Hilda and Salia continued to smile as they watched the sunset.

[Cross Ange OST - Yawaraka no Jikan]

Elsewhere, the Autobot dropship continued to fly over the Pacific Ocean, en route to the Solomon Islands. While small, the dropship was still big enough that it could hold the likes of Optimus, Wheeljack, Jazz, Cliffjumper, Sideswipe, Jetfire, and other Autobots, along with the Villkiss, and not be cramped. Sideswipe piloted the ship while Jazz and Optimus were in the cockpit too, keeping an eye out for their destination or anything else that the ship's sensors could fail to detect. The other Autobots were stationary, ready to deploy at a moment's notice the moment they arrived.

In the back of the dropship was where Ange stored Villkiss, in Flight Mode.. Amuro and Pamela were with the Ragna-mail pilot, sitting up against Villkiss. Ange was resting in the pilot seat and Amuro dozed off a few minutes ago. Pamela was the only one who was still awake. The three of them didn't have much to defend themselves compared to the likes of the Autobots. Aside from the Ragna-mail, all of them had assault rifles strapped around their shoulders and pistols attached to their waists. It's not much, but it will be helpful should they encounter any hostile humans. Pamela sighed and stood up, leaning against Villkiss.

"You know," Pamela jumped as she heard Ange's voice, the blonde sitting up. "You really should try and get some sleep. We'll be there in no time, you know."

"In no time?" Pamela questioned. "The Solomon Islands looked like they'd be far away from Arzenal on that map."

"Yeah, but have you seen how fast these things travel?"

"I guess you have a point…"

Ange noticed that Pamela was sweating. The dropship wasn't noticeably hot, so she couldn't think of that being the reason. One other thought came to mind. "Are you… nervous?"

"Well… only a little, actually. I spend every mission in the command center as a communications officer. I don't have that much experience with combat being right in my face, and I sure as hell can't pilot a Para-mail like you girls."

"So then… why'd you volunteer to come if you knew this was gonna be dangerous?"

"I… wanted to feel like I was doing everything I could to help out my fellow Norma. The command center's been destroyed, so all we do now is sit around and hope none of you die while fighting to protect us. Even the commander hopped on a Para-mail and came out to help. There's not much I can do, but I want to at least try. At the same time, I set a good example for Hikaru and Oliver too."

"Oh, that's right. You are older than them. You're older than me too, now that I think about it."

"There's only about a year between us." The tone in her voice sounded as if she was slightly offended by Ange's statement. I'm two years older than Oliver and a year and several months older than Hikaru. It sort of feels like I'm an older sibling who's trying to encourage my little sisters."

Ange smiled. "I can understand that. But you're not gonna do any of that if you're too exhausted to react."

"I know. I'll try and see if I can rest, even if it's for a few minutes."

Meanwhile, the dropship's sensors were starting to detect the warship they were after. The signal increased in strength as they approached.

"We're within sensor range," Sideswipe said. "Ship's still in the same spot as when we left."

"The readings are much larger than I was expecting," Optimus said. "Jazz, are you sure that this warship is unable to move?"

"Nothing outside looked like it planned on firing up anytime soon," Jazz replied. "It might be able to, but it doesn't have the interior crew to do the job. One thing's for sure; it ain't a Cybertronian the size of Metroplex and Omega Supreme at the very least."

"We know too little about this to make any judgments. Sideswipe, increase our speed. We must investigate as soon as possible in order to come to a clear conclusion.

"I'm on it, Prime," Sideswipe increased the ship's acceleration. "Let's just hope the Decepticons don't pick it up on their radars."

[Gundam Musou 2 OST - Iron-Bound]

Unknown to them, the Combaticons were much closer to the Solomon Islands, and were arriving at their destination quicker than the Autobots. As Onslaught piloted the dropship, he followed the energy signature until he was nearly right over the area of interest.

"It's supposed to be right around here," he said. "I don't see anything. Could this have been a trap?"

"Onslaught! Get in here, you need to see this!" Blast Off called out from the cargo hold.

The Combaticon leader halted the dropship's flight, and left it to strafe in the air. Stepping away from the controls, he walked to the cargo hold to find the rest of the Combaticons looking out the right side. When Onslaught walked over, he was shocked at what he saw.

"What in the AllSpark?!" he exclaimed.

"Is that what we're checking out?" Brawl asked.

In front of their dropship was the crashed warship, completely dormant as it laid in a large crater that nearly destroyed one of the islands.

"What in the world did we just stumble upon?" That was the only thought that ran through the heads of all the Combaticons.