Frontline News.


In the intel room of Joe H.Q., Stalker is checking on reports of Cobra activity from the Pacific when he notices one sheet has two images, one is a photo of a fisherman showing off his catch with a black object in the background, the second is a cleaned up magnification of the first which proves the object to bear a close resemblance to a Night Raven. He turns to ask Scarlett to get on the phone since Lady-Jaye's out getting replacement coffee filters. "Can't, busy, sorry." She tells him, listening to a transmission about experimental mini-copters stolen by the Dreadnoks from an Oktober Guard carrier in the Arabian sea.

Stalker groans before picking up the phone. "Monitor room, can you get some eyes on the south Burmese coastline?"


At the same time, Hawk and his trio are at the Slaughterhouse, telling them and his fourth in command about a discovery made after the destruction of the vortex cone. "This was found on naval sonar once the water was clear enough." Hawk tells them, and shows images of a barnacle encrusted crescent shaped craft. "The area is closed off under the pretext of bio-hazard removal."

"Are you telling us that the snakes got the idea for the Vortex Cone from aliens?" Duke asks him.

Hawk was about to answer when a voice is heard from behind them. "I doubt it; that style of shuttle's an antique."

"Who was that?" Duke asks aloud before the five men head outside to find what used to be a normal Tomahawk.

"Hi'ya fellas, I'm Whirl." The Autobot says while "stretching" an arm.

"You broke into our systems?" Sgt. Slaughter asks.

"Huh... Did not; we sent Seaspray undercover as one of your ships. Not that it wouldn't have been very hard." The Autobot informs them.

"Not very hayud? Them's thuh most advanced computers we've got." Beachhead says, too startled to use better grammar.

"Blah blah blah, a Retrorat could outperform your networks; not to mention that some species out there have computers that are as thin as your laser-disks!" Whirl replies, causing Sgt. Slaughter to glance between the Transformer and his base's console room. "Anyway, what your divers found was a type of Kymellian Smartship that hasn't been used for 3,155 years; but how it ended up here is anyone's guess." He adds, showing holographic images of the buried ship and of an intact one.

"Kymellians? Are they on your side or the Decepticons?" Hawk asks, so as to break up the argument between Beachhead and Whirl.

"They're a bit like what you call Horses, except bipedal like we are. As for the second part, neither." Whirl explains further, adding that any more information is restricted as far as Earth's concerned.

"The secret's safe with us; right, men?"

"Yes sir!"

Following that, Whirl resumes his previous form as the five Joes head back inside. Hawk continues where he left off. "As i was saying, we doubt Cobra's aware of the vessel since it was found 340 yards away from their base under 29 feet of mud." However, he's interrupted again when Sgt. Slaughter's console started buzzing. "Yes?"

"General Hawk, you're not gonna like this, but we just got word from MacGuffin Labs that one of the artifacts from the other day went overboard when a rogue wave hit." Dial-Tone tells him.

"What?; Which one of them?"

"The uh... Artifact 08." Dial-Tone replies while tugging at his collar.

"Damn it! Tell Deep Six to lead a small squad out with a T.T.B. Platform and some robot subs out and find it before anyone else does, as soon as possible." Hawk ordered.

"Is this artifact that important, General?" Flint asks him.

"You bet it is; after that double knock-out you gave those Cobra people, i imagine they wouldn't think twice about using antimatter against you." Whirl says from outside after leaning over to the window. "Couldn't help overhearing."

"Uh-huh; and what's antimatter, exactly?" Flint asked him next.


"Antimatter iss one uff ze most dangerous substances in ze uniferse." Dr. Mindbender tells the other Cobra leaders while intercepting Dial-Tone's transmission.

"Is it now? we're gonna take it from the Joes, right?" Firefly asks him.

"Niemals, du Narr! Efen i vouldn't dare use such a zingkt offensifely." Dr. Mindbender replied, which Destro and Scrap Iron agreed to. (Never, you fool!)

"I take it you mean it's atomic level dangerous?" Major Bludd asks him.

"If you must know, antimatter iss far more deadly." Dr. Mindbender says, and pulls off one of his gloves. "Picture zis as ze Tsar Bomba blast radius." He tells them, and gestures around.

"The room?"

"No, an antimatter detonation uff ze same amount vould equal ze Terror Drome in size... if not ze entire isslent."

"Point taken, Doctor. All who accccept that weaponissing that artifact is off the table, sssay aye." After everyone does so, Cobra Commander continues. "That said, we can ssstill make use of it in other ways."

Cobra Commander then adjourns the meeting to conduct the direct approach, then calls Zartan once that didn't go so well.

"Wouldn't it be easier..." Xamot asks first.

"...to have us send..." Tomax adds.

"...one of our agents instead?" Both finish.

"I could; but i think you'll agree that this isss a wonderful opportunity for thossse two relatives of Zartan to gain ssome field exxperience." Cobra Commander told them before turning towards Destro. "Although i ssstill refussse to think this makes up for losssing the Vortex Cone after you violated the order not to capture that woman ever again."

"You're the one who refused to wait until we could drive them back... and besides, it wouldn't have mattered if it were Scarlett, instead."

"You ccertainly made sssure that we'll never find out, you tinfoil bobble-head!"


After being informed of Zandar's failure, Zarana drives out to an Extensive Enterprises owned auto-repair shop. "Evening, Miss. What seems to be the trouble?" One of the mechanics asks her while checking a few things out.

"I'm bloody well 'ere cause i 'eard yer 'ave a special on seat covers." She tells him.

"...No prob, we have a few samples inside." He replies, and leads her to the office. "Head down to room 22." He says in a different tone as he opens a hidden elevator.

Zarana takes it down and heads to the room to find a military dress uniform and a woman with short auburn hair waiting for her. "Good evening, I'm agent G-55. I take it you're the female Dreadnok Mr. Tomax told me about." The agent says while getting out of a chair.

"Guilty as charged; woss the role yer got for me?" Zarana asks while plopping down on the table and crossing her legs.

"You'll be going in as an army computer specialist named Sgt. Carol Weidler." The agent informs her before grinning.

"Yer got a problem wiv me, yer fancy ass lit-" Zarana asks as she stands and leans in the agent's face.

"No, no, it wasn't not that; it's just you almost reminded me of someone i was in training with before she died at an installation called Springfield." G-55 explained while raising her hands.


Chapter forty-four.