Chapter 10

Starscream located the others outside the valley; he landed smoothly with Arcee still in tow.

"Where was the signal Starscream?" Longhaul hissed.

"Were you just going to let us die out there?!" Thundercracker yelled, brandishing his severed arm.

"Quit your whining. We got what we came for; the plan has been put into motion. Details of which I'm sure evade your empty little minds."

"Your arrogance will be our undoing!" Longhaul muttered. "What about the ship?"

Starscream smiled and pointed to the cave. "See for yourself."

Within moments the Ark appeared, its sleek form gliding effortlessly into the Martian sky. The Decepticons watched with increasing glee as its engines started gushing plumes of smoke and then cut out completely. The Ark entered a terrifying spin as it tumbled out of the sky. Starscream could not help but chuckle as it descended out of control over the distant rocky ridge. Its collision sent out, towers of smoke, dust and fire.

"Are they dead?" Blast-off asked.

"Probably not." Starscream was cheerful. "But where would be the fun in that?"

The Decepticons glanced at him in unease and confusion.

"Head back to the Nemesis. Try to avoid detection, I don't doubt that there are more disgustingly noble Autobots out there protecting the pitiful fleshlings. Blast-off you are to destroy the space station around Earth."

"Why me?"

"Because you chose to be an insect space shuttle you imbecile! You can get close enough to do enough damage so they are prevented from impeding our plans any further." He transformed and launched himself into the air. "And be quick about it! You know how Megatron feels about failure."

He and the other Decepticons took off into the atmosphere, Longhaul trailing behind due to his injuries. Blast-off watched them leave, cursing Starscream.

"He clearly doesn't feel about it strongly enough to have kept you around Starscream." He grumbled before following them into space.

****

Bumblebee was becoming increasingly concerned at the lack of contact with Optimus and the others. Patrolling the space station, they had encountered no threats from the Decepticons and had still not managed to raise their teams on Earth. He was worried. It was not like Optimus to remain out of communication for this long during a mission. Something was wrong, he knew it. He could feel it. He toyed with the thought of abandoning his post to search for them, looking back at the station his resolve weakened. The humans on the ISS would not stand a chance if the Decepticons attacked. He made his way to Sideswipe to voice his concerns. Sideswipe was agitated, he too, not happy with the communications black out, but they would not abandon their post.

"Do you think they made it to the ship?" Bumblebee's electronic voice, buzzed in his brain.

"They made it. Whether the Decepticons were waiting for them is another matter."

Another electronic signal interrupted their conversation.

"This is Rick Trent here, from the station." The Autobots glanced behind them, noticing a small human male in the view port of the central module.

"This is Sideswipe, go ahead."

"Yeah, I wasn't sure whether you wanted to be informed but we've managed to open a weak link to one of our bases on Earth. There is a Sergeant Epps on the line demanding to speak to a, um... and I quote, a giant robot. It sounds pretty urgent"

"Transmit the frequency on this signal; we will speak with him directly."

Trent patched the signal through, his fellow Astronauts gathered around to listen in on the message; this was turning into one hell of a surreal day the commander thought to himself wearily.

Static filled the heads of the Autobots, it cleared a little and a tinny sounding voice rang in their ears.

"Can you read me? This is Epps, who am I speaking to?"

"This is Sideswipe and Bumblebee, what is your present situation Sergeant?"

"Yeah... it's not great... Damn, shoot it!!" He yelled loudly to others at his location.

"I believe that is what I am attempting to do!" Ironhide's rumbling voice could be heard in the background, amidst the explosive sounds of gunfire and explosions.

"We're under heavy fire; Lennox has gained a foothold at the Johnson base. They should be in communication with you shortly! Where is Optimus? We have some serious developments down here."

"He is... predisposed at the moment. What are the developments?"

"We have more incursions than previously thought. There have been civilian attacks. They're not localising their strikes, looks like they're hitting out randomly. We need a plan of attack, we need to know what the bastards are up to, and we need to know it yesterday!" Epps's voice was strained as he raised it to be heard over the gunfire.

"We can finish these guys off, but they have targeted the kid Sam again, we don't know the details. We don't even know if he's alive. Lennox has had word that he has been attacked."

Bumblebee's face filled with worry, Sideswipe met his gaze with equal concern.

"Get in touch with Optimus, we need help down here! We can't contact NEST base, they have been out of communication for an hour. Something's going down and it's big. Repeat, the shit has hit the fan!"

"We copy Sergeant; we'll help you all we can." Bumblebee pointed excitedly to the approaching NASA space shuttle.

"Looks like we have just got reinforcements."

"Please repeat, reinforcements?" Epps yelled.

"A shuttle." Sideswipe stated simply.

"That is a negative, no shuttles have been launched. That is not friendly. Repeat NOT friendly!"

"Copy that." Sideswipe growled. "We'll find Optimus, we'll be in touch."

****

The line went dead; Ironhide glanced at Epps through the limbs of an Insecticon that he effortlessly tore apart, flinging it to one side.

"Did he just say he'd find Prime?"

"Yeah that's what it sounded like."

"Prime is never out of contact during a mission." Ironhide roared, an explosion blasted above his head, he swung round landing a precision strike with his canons, which tore through more than one Insecticon, blasting them to pieces. "Something is wrong!"

Epps fired his mini sabot rounds into the face of an oncoming Decepticon, its face erupted in a flash of burnt circuitry and fused metal.

"Well they better make it right and quick!" He sent another Insecticon flying, while Ironhide grabbed one that had crept up behind Epps and ripped out its spark.

"Thanks!" Epps gasped. The battle died down, they had won this fight. The surviving Insecticons had fled; the humans and Autobots had sustained minimal injuries. Skids nursed a slightly burnt arm that had been caught in an explosion of Epps's doing. Ironhide crouched beside Epps; his tone was one of sombre concern. "We need to help them find Prime."

Epps shook his head, joined by the rest of his team, another soldier spoke up.

"Orders Sir?"

"We complete our mission. We get communications back online. Contact Lennox, someone needs to get back to base."

"What about the others?" Ironhide demanded. Prowl's calm and infuriatingly logical voice interrupted the irritated weapons master.

"There is nothing we can do from our present location Ironhide." Prowl was focused and stern. "We must honour Prime's last orders and complete our mission." He turned to Epps. "I suggest contacting Major Lennox to send someone to find the boy Sam; he must know more than we do if the Decepticons have chosen to target him once again. I fear it has much to do with the connection to the Matrix."

Both Ironhide and Epps stared at him, startled. "How do you know about what's happening with the Matrix?"

Prowl smiled knowingly. "Logical deduction my dear Sergeant. However, your subsequent reactions have confirmed my suspicions. I believe finding Sam should be our next priority."

****

Lennox held on to the steering wheel, for lack of something more solid to hold onto, as Trailblazer raced along the highways. They were followed closely by Sunstreaker and Mudflap, who were fast but not quite as fast as Trailblazer. They swerved sharply to avoid oncoming traffic.

"Whoa!" Lennox yelled.

"I am sorry Major, but time is of the essence."

"Yeah I get that. I would like to get there in one piece if at all possible. We won't be much good if we're splattered on the front of a truck."

"Try not to worry Major, you are perfectly safe."

Lennox did not release his grip and checked his seat belt for the third time. "How far are we from base?"

"Approximately 5 miles from the pick up point. The plane should be waiting for us."

"Let's hope we're not too late."

****

Back at NEST headquarters, things were not going well. Jolt and Chromia had managed to get the remaining human staff out of the open. Flare-up was busy, dealing her special kind of discipline to the Insecticons that had managed to infiltrate the base. They maintained the front line. Joined by the rest of Lennox's men, they had managed to hold off the onslaught of attacks, but there was so many of them.

"Where have they come from?!" Chromia winced, as plasma fire shot passed her head.

Jolt was focused. His electro whip shot out, viciously lashing an unsuspecting group of Insecticons. The electrical charge sent them flying violently into the hanger bay walls. "I don't know. Megatron must have found another source of energy." He whipped out his gun and shot another Insecticon in the head. "They seem mindless though. Like drones."

Chromia paused briefly. "That's it!"

"What?!"

"They're drones! That's how he's managed to send so many, to so many locations so fast. They are just programmed to fight. Probably linked by a hive-mind command. They don't know how to do anything else."

"Huh? Yeah… Little help here!" Jolt manhandled one of the 'drones' from his frame, crushing it with his foot. Chromia leapt gracefully over Jolt's head, twisting as she did so she landed two shots into two Insecticons clawing at Jolt's torso.

Glancing down, Jolt whistled. "Nice shot."

"Can you hold them off for me? I have an idea."

"Better be quick."

He motioned forward, the soldiers kept pace with him, bravely holding their own. Chromia raced to the NEST computer control centre. Working with a couple of NEST's very capable computer technicians, she put her idea into practise.

"The command needs to be simpler. Try using this." She directed firmly, the technicians worked diligently under her supervision.

"I think we got it!" One of them cried out.

"Great." She smiled. "Now all we need is a guinea pig."

Speeding back to Jolt in the hanger, she called out to him, while laying down a barrage of cover fire.

"I need to capture one, alive!"

"Are you kidding me Chromia?!"

"What do you think?!"

Now situated in the open, the humans were becoming more vulnerable to attack, a man flipped backwards beside Jolt, hit squarely in the chest with a small plasma blast. He did not get up. Blood stained the concrete.

"Damn!" Jolt swore. "I don't think we can do that Chromia, need a better idea!"

The battle wore on, in the distance, a massive air craft carrier came into view. Its black mass approached the base steadily; it sank low on the horizon. Unseen by the attacking Insecticons and the defending Autobots, five shapes jumped from its rear hangar. Parachutes shot upwards, slowing their descent. Landing on the out skirts of the NEST base, Lennox and his team moved swiftly to ground zero. Fanning out, weapons raised, they began shooting the Insecticon drones from behind. Taken unawares some of the little bots panicked and fired wildly, taking each other out in the cross fire.

"Glad you could join the party!" Jolt yelled across the air field.

"Wouldn't wanna miss it." Mudflap jumped straight in to the fray. Trailblazer once again found a lofty perch and began taking out drones with deadly accuracy. Sunstreaker drew his blade and with the grace of a dancer, flipped and leapt over the drones, taking heads with him as he went. Chromia shot through the battle ground, dodging blows left and right.

"Chromia what are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed." Jolt shouted.

"Having a better idea." She replied. With cat-like reflexes she swooped down, grabbing the decapitated head of one of Sunstreaker's victims. It squealed in her grasp. Worming her way through the gun fire and plasma blasts, she found her way back to the control centre where the technicians waited.

"Upload it now!" She demanded. Working swiftly, the technicians, using borrowed technology kindly donated by the Autobots, plugged the severed head of the drone into the computer.

"Uploading, thirty seconds."

"C'mon, c'mon." Chromia urged. The computer beeped. The head squealed loudly, twitching on its perch, then fell silent. All around the base the drones screamed, a piercing desperate sound and then slumped to the concrete. There they lay, silent and motionless. Lennox lowered his weapon, looking around in confusion; he glanced up at Jolt and Sunstreaker who were just as puzzled as he was. Chromia exited the hangar looking satisfied.

"How's that for an idea?"

"What did you do?"

"I put them to sleep." She smirked.

"No way." Lennox mused. Flare-up, telepathically linked to Chromia, appeared from further inside the base in her terrestrial guise. Transforming, she paused next to her sister. Giving her an affectionate elbow in the side, she grinned.

"Way to go sis."