Thank you for the great response to chapter 8. This is the first of the last two chapters of this story. I hope you enjoy it. Gregg.
Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
The briefing was detailed and all understood what was expected, and the stakes involved. No one was underestimating the possible disaster that they would be facing if Megatron got wind of this too soon. Miko, for a change, didn't argue once about staying behind with Raf. Instead, she kept looking at Bulkhead with a deep concern in her eyes. Raf was equally concerned about Bumblebee, and it showed by how close he was standing to his friend during the briefing.
"Alright, ten minutes and then we ground bridge," Arcee said and then she walked over to the main console to look at the latest readings on Nemesis.
Miko looked at Bulkhead. "I'm really worried, Bulk," she told him. The idea of Bulkhead tangling with Megatron scared her.
"I'll be alright, Miko," he tried to reassure her, knowing that she was right to be concerned. Then he leaned his head in closer to her. "I don't want you even thinking of trying to go with us," he told her bluntly.
"I won't, Bulk," she told him, meaning it. The last thing her best friend needed was to be worrying about her while he was taking care of business.
June was a nervous wreck as she discussed with Ratchet what she needed to do and get prepared while the mission was going on. She had not slept much the night before knowing that Jack was going on a dangerous mission, but she also knew that it was too important to raise any objections. He would tell her he was going and that was final. He was grown up, despite his age. When Ratchet had finished with her, she sensed Arcee behind her. She turned and faced the female Autobot.
"We'll do everything in our power to keep Jack safe, June," Arcee told her. Then her expression softened. "I'm worried, too."
"I know you will," June replied. It didn't make this any easier, but at least she knew that Jack was being watched over.
Ratchet approached them. "We all know what we have to do, and with the weapons modifications we should have a better chance," he told them. He looked at Jack and knelt down to the human. He handed him a small hand held device. "This is a personal force field designed to your specifications, Jack. It has enough power to absorb one high powered energy burst, but no more. Use it only when absolutely necessary."
"Thanks Ratchet," Jack said, and then looked at all the Autobots. "Let's do this."
Ratchet turned to the ground bridge controls. "Open the ground bridge, Miko," he directed.
The ground bridge tunnel erupted in a glow of energy, a whorling mass of light and power that was well beyond anything that Earth technology could produce now. While the humans that were staying and monitoring watched, the four Autobots and Jack walked through the ground bridge and disappeared.
"I'll never get used to seeing that," Fowler said, his head shaking in disbelief. No matter how much time he spent with Prime and the 'Bots, he was constantly amazed at what they could do. He looked at Miko, Raf, and June. "Now I guess we wait and see."
Jack, Arcee, Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Ratchet emerged from the ground bridge on a lower level of Nemesis. They had decided that this would be the best place to bridge in as they would be less likely a chance of running into random Vehicons on patrol that way. There weapons deployed instantly, and their optics swept the area.
"Clear," they all intoned.
Arcee crouched down and was face to face with Jack. "Stick by me close, Jack," she told him. "If I say to hide, do it. No heroics, understand?" she said firmly. The thought of him being harmed because he was trying to help her was one she tried to ignore.
"Understood," he assured her. He would do as he was told. Too much was riding on this to let his emotions control him.
"Ratchet, any sign of Optimus?" Arcee asked.
Ratchet checked his readout on his arm. "Got him. Energy signature coming in clearly. Obviously Megatron didn't think to alter the energy signature of Optimus," he observed. "He's two levels up, and three sections over. It appears he is alone."
"Alright, let's do this," Arcee ordered. "Bumblebee, take point, Bulkhead take the rear. Move out."
The group worked their way through the ship to the coordinates that Ratchet had confirmed on his monitor. Only one Vehicon had shown up and he had been quickly dispatched by Bulkhead. When they reached the door, it had a lock on it.
"Magnetic, and coded," Ratchet determined. His right hand retracted and an fine tooling instrument was in its place. He held it up to the keypad and the tool snaked inside the panel, the screen on the lock lighting up as codes flashed by incredibly fast. Then the pad turned green and the door slid open. They went into the room and stood still when they saw Optimus. Or Orion Pax.
Orion Pax turned as his optics narrowed. "Autobots?" he said, eying the symbol and recognizing three of them. "Lord Megatron said you are the enemy," he said out loud as his weapons appeared.
"You yourself are an Autobot," Ratchet said quickly. "In fact, you are a Prime."
Orion paused. "A Prime?" he asked. "That is not possible."
"Then why does Megatron have you locked in here?" Bulkhead demanded, getting right to the heart of it.
"To keep intruders such as you away from him while he recovers," the voice of Megatron rang through the room.
The group turned and saw the large form of the Decepticon leader standing there, glaring malevolently at them.
"I know everything that happens on my ship," he said angrily. "And I will make you pay for this mistake!"
"I don't think so," Bulkhead growled and then let loose with a vicious energy laced hit with his mace which now sported energon spikes. Megatron flew back thirty feet to slam against the far wall of the outside corridor. "Nice upgrade, Ratchet, now get this done while I handle old Megatron, but don't take too long," he said as he rushed head on towards Megatron who was picking himself up from the floor.
Jack rushed forward even though Arcee tried to tell him no. He halted in front of the clueless leader of the Autobots. "You are a Prime," he told him. "You lead the Autobots, and you have been protecting my planet from the Decepticons."
"Megatron said it is the Autobots who are evil," Orion Pax said calmly. He lowered his weapons. He had no desire to harm a human. "How can I trust what you are telling me?"
Jack was startled when a small explosion sounded from the corridor. He knew he didn't have much time. "What does this mean to you?" he asked, holding up the Key to Vector Sigma.
Orion's optics narrowed and then grew wide in shock. "The Key To Vector Sigma!" he said, astonished. "How did you get that?"
"You gave it to me to safeguard," Jack told him.
Noises from the hall caused Arcee and Bumblebee to rush out there, and Ratchet gasped when Airachnid entered the room.
"Well, well, well if it isn't my Jack," Airachnid said with an evil smirk.
Ratchet calmly transformed his hands into his blades and before the evil spiderbot could do anything he slashed from behind cutting deep and directly into her spark chamber. The scream she let out was only momentary, but her existence ended instantly.
"You would kill an innocent?" Orion questioned, his weapons raising once more.
"She has killed more innocents than any I have ever known, and she wanted nothing more than to kill Jack and also Arcee," Ratchet explained.
Orion looked down at the human. There was no way a human would have the Key To Vector Sigma unless it was given to him by a Prime. He made up his mind. "What must I do?" he asked.
In the corridor it was starting to get ugly. Bee and Arcee were decimating the Vehicons, while Bulkhead was still doing a number on Megatron. Megatron's pointed face guards were ripped wide open, and he had gaping wounds on his torso and arms. But he was still dangerous and one strong swing of his arm sent Bulkhead flying. Megatron spat energon and growled.
"I will kill you for this," he coughed, spitting out more energon, and moved towards the Wrecker who was now back in a fighting stance, but woozy from the hit.
Bulkhead now knew that the element of surprise and speed were gone and Megatron was once more a powerhouse gladiator who would not stop. It was endgame, but Bulkhead had to continue. Then he heard something that brought him instant relief. He fell back, his wounds getting the better of him.
"I think not, Megatron," the voice of Optimus Prime filled the corridor.
The newly reformatted Autobot leader came into the corridor, Ratchet at his side. He had let Jack place the Key in a specific slot on his torso. Once he did, the collective wisdom of the Primes went back into the Matrix, but also his own memories filled his mind. That hadn't kept him from trying to keep the young man from putting the Key in him, though. Apparently his personal security systems were designed to prevent that. Thankfully Jack had slid the Key in before he had backhanded the boy several feet away. Now he was going to end this battle with Megatron once and for all.
"This ends here and now," Optimus said firmly, the confidence and bearing in his voice that Orion Pax did not have.
"What makes you think you can offline me when you haven't ever been able to in the past?" Megatron ground out as he turned to face Optimus fully, angry that all his plans for Orion were now destroyed.
Optimus moved close, knowing that it was a risk, but he was willing to take it. "Because I am now able to see beyond our past ties," Optimus said and suddenly slammed his fist into Megatron's lower torso and in a sudden move his hand retracted and his blade thrust forward straight into Megatron's spark chamber, shattering the fragile spark, ending he malevolent scourge once and for all, like Ratchet had killed Airachnid a short time before.
All watched the lifeless body of Megatron fall to the floor, knowing that it was the end of one era, but not the war. That would wait for later. For now, there were things that needed to be done. Optimus turned to Arcee.
"Arcee, get Jack," Optimus ordered. "And destroy the computer station in that lab. It's not integrated into the main systems, but has Soundwave's work on my internal security pattern encryption sequences."
Arcee went into the lab and rushed right to Jack who was unconscious on the floor. She knew what must have happened and was relieved when a quick scan showed he was simply knocked unconscious and not really hurt. She picked him up gently, and then aimed her weapon at the computer console. One quick burst and it was a slag heap. Carrying Jack, she went out into the corridor where Optimus then called for a ground bridge. When the roiling vortex appeared they all stepped through, just as Soundwave arrived with reinforcements.
The reaction at the base was predictable. They were all excited to see Optimus, but they had things to do. Bulkhead was seriously injured from his fight with Megatron, and Jack needed some medical attention, too, in order to make sure that he was not suffering anything more than a mild concussion. The time for talking would come soon, but for now it was important to make sure everyone woulf be alright.
A/N: I know, short on the battle, but I wanted something quick, in and out, but with a lot of long term impact. Killing off Megatron and Airachnid made for a great plot device so that if there is a sequel to this, then a power struggle within the Decepticons would be a great element. There is one more chapter to this one and I should have it ready in a few days. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Gregg.
A/N2: For those who wanted to know about Jack using the Key, don't worry. That will be addressed in the next chapter. Gregg.
