Ch. 136

Breakdown's view moved back and Optimus pulled away to address his team, "Arcee, take Knockout and Bumblebee towards the right behind their line of sight. The rest of us will move in two waves: Bulkhead and I will move in first to create distracting fire, Breakdown and Smokescreen will follow after us to ensure we do not miss a target. The goal is to capture the bridge."

"Optimus," Smokescreen piped up, "why capture it? Shouldn't we destroy it?"

Arcee frowned off to the side, "That's a lot of provisions that's coming in, Smokey. We gotta make sure the Cons don't make another space bridge and get in contact with their supplier again. We capture the bridge, move the energon out, and see where their logs have been sending them."

"An operation like this?" Knockout smirked, "I wouldn't be surprised if Swindle had his grubby servos all over it. Hey. Scream?" he looked directly into Breakdown's optics with a wave, "Remember him? Weird optics?"

Starscream grumbled from the safety of the base. Yes, he remembered the creep. He remembered many shipments the Nemesis was supposed to receive disappearing, too. But Swindle had dropped off the grid, both Autobot and Decepticon grids to be exact, and this was far too by the book for the sneaky mech.

Optimus shook his helm, "I have dealt with Swindle in the past and this operation does not fit his prior activities. We must keep the space bridge intact and eliminate any Vehicons that try to hinder our capture of this location. Understood?"

Smokescreen nodded, sighing, "You got it, Optimus. We have your six."

The Prime nodded back and turned his attention to beyond the boulders that served as their barriers, "Arcee, the three of you should not move in until we have taken most of the Vehicons out, but if you manage to make your way to the platform before we do, you have my permission to make the capture."

Arcee smirked, "We'll be ready."

"Autobots," Optimus frowned, "move into position."

The group split, Arcee taking Bumblebee and Knockout down the side and Smokescreen and Breakdown holding back away from Optimus as the larger mech stood beside Bulkhead.

"Want me to run at'em first?" the green mech offered.

Optimus smiled as his face mask came up to protect him, "I would like the honor of running in first, Bulkhead. I will draw the majority of their fire before you move in."

Bulkhead smiled back, "Yeah, so I can take'em out," both mechs transformed out their blasters and the green mech took a heavy stomp in preparation, "I'm ready when you are."

The Prime allowed himself a deep intake, his mind focusing on how quick this battle needed to be. His optics dimmed gently as he listened closely to the many pedfalls and murmurs that were not from his own soldiers. He tried counting, but after fifteen the noise became a blur. Optimus knew that missing even one of these targets, allowing any one of them to make a call out to the Nemesis for back up would result in the plan going awry. It needed to be precise. Firm.

"You can do this."

The Prime's optics widened as he heard Starscream whisper quietly in his COMM, the seeker's voice oddly still for being so far away from the carnage that was soon to come.

"You're hesitating too much," Starscream chuckled softly, a smile evident as he spoke though Optimus couldn't see it, "This is not the Prime I know. The bridge would be yours by now if you weren't planning for failure. Don't think. You already know what needs to be done. Listen. Drones have specific rounds. Listen to the ones that draw in too close to your location. They'll be doing a basic perimeter check. Two at the most. That'll be two less for you to worry about. Ready?"

Optimus didn't respond. He only listened harder to what the seeker guided him to listen for. When he heard it, he hummed quietly.

"Good," Starscream sighed gently, "Now go."

The Prime let out a quick intake and charged forward, jumping over the boulder and firing down upon the two perimeter Vehicons that had come too close. Both fell under the flurry of wild yet accurate plasma fire and as Optimus landed and knelt down to avoid being shot by the surprised Decepticons, Bulkhead roared forward to take out three more.

There were a few short moments when Optimus was sure he was feeling what Starscream felt in the heat of the battle. That electrical feeling that always landed him elsewhere. While the Prime had been an effectual witness to what that power was capable of, he was in his own private awe as the battle around him progressed.

The scene felt slower. Everything clearer. Optimus felt Bulkhead rush beside him as the two aimed and fired at the scattering targets around them. Smokescreen and Breakdown were quick to follow in aid, hidden stragglers swiftly dispatched before they could cause any harm. Arcee had become impatient quickly. She, Bumblebee and Knockout were already jumping out from behind a terminal beside the space bridge platform, each expertly eliminating the four Vehicons that had previously laid claim to the somewhat higher ground.

A quick scan with his optics told the Prime they had only six left to eliminate. For everything moving so slowly, the battle was playing out far more quickly and smoothly than he could have hoped for.

Arcee made a stray shot out into the cavern. Five Vehicons. Breakdown jumped two more, crushing their helms together. Three. Optimus slammed into another and drove his blaster's barrel hard into the drone's chestplate, firing four shots. Just two more.

The remaining Vehicons decided to forgo firing back in favor of dodging the hot plasma, one reaching for his COMM. Optimus's optics widened. In this horrid moment of slow motion, his greatest fear was being witnessed. Primus, it would all be over. He wasn't in a position to fire. Bulkhead and Smokescreen were turned in the other direction and Breakdown was too far away to take them out. Arcee saw the Prime's horror but she had already transformed her blasters away in an attempt to activate the space bridge terminals. Bumblebee whirled loudly and a sharp, electrical crack sparked through the air. The Vehicons shuddered and slumped into each other roughly, the pair impaled upon Knockout's electrical prod.

The red mech stood some distance away, a mix of surprise and pride fighting to stay on his faceplates. Silence entranced the bots. There was the light rattling of terminals and consoles, perhaps the drip of water that had seeped in from the ceiling somewhere in the cave. Nothing stirred. The Vehicon's COMM hadn't gone through.

With a flurry of excited pants, Knockout hollered loudly in victory, his servos raised as he jumped and ran to retrieve his prod, "DID YOU SEE THAT?! Did you SEE that throw?!"

He tugged his prod free and Breakdown finally shuddered, "Wow doc, remind me not to make you mad."

Knockout pursed and nonchalantly flicked spilt energon from his digits, "Oh, please, you rarely ever do... but I think a little more praise is in order."

Optimus finally found the strength to move again, transforming his blaster away while he steadily walked forward, "Knockout. Well done."

The red medic stiffened and nodded, "Ah... yes. Of course, Optimus."

Breakdown smirked, "Aw, too formal for ya, doc?"

Knockout shoved the bigger mech back in annoyance as Smokescreen and Bumblebee went over to him to offer their own praises.

Optimus made his way to Arcee, the femme smiling in relief, "That was one heck of a throw, Optimus."

The Prime sighed, "Indeed. It may very well have ensured our capture of this location..." his optics trailed over the console, "Is the terminal functional?"

Arcee nodded, "Yeah, I opened a frequency patch for Soundwave. He's going through the logs now."

Optimus lowered his face mask and smiled, activating his COMM as he addressed the room, "Autobots, the space bridge is ours."