Sky Dancer

By: PhantasmBabeIvory

Chapter Twenty-Seven

When the Autobot team convened in the main hall of their headquarters to gear up for the impending battle, it was all Alexis could do to maintain a serious façade. Even after almost twelve hours, she was still giddy over Starscream's promise of accepting a sparkling into their lives, which she was doing her best to keep hidden from the fellow soldiers around her.

Ironically, she found that she probably needn't have been concerned with maintaining appearances when Elita entered the room, closely followed by Chromia. Given the way the latter was shouting and Elita responded in an equally-raised tone, Alexis was surprised that she hadn't heard them coming. It was indicative of just how soundproof the walls were.

As Alexis, Starscream, Optimus, and the others gathered from listening, Chromia wasn't happy about the role her sister had chosen to play in the upcoming fight. "You cannot be serious!" Chromia was yelling, grasping Elita fiercely by one arm to make her sister turn and face her. "You've never been that good with laser weapons. You're only going to force anyone else who ventures inside Unicron to waste time covering you."

Elita yanked her arm away, her blue optics burning with anger and oblivious of who was watching. "How about you stop comparing me to yourself, Chromia? Just because my skills aren't on the same level doesn't mean they're worth nothing!"

Rodimus took a step forward, shaking away his shock over their sudden entrance. In a downright fierce tone, he said, "Chromia, Elita, stop! This is not the time for this!" He paused, throwing a short apologetic glance towards Optimus, then went back to addressing the two femmes before him. "Save your complaints for after the battle. Until then…" He looked towards Elita, and though he didn't seem entirely happy with what she'd chosen, he said, "Do what you deem is necessary. We're all going to be looking out for each other as is."

Elita blinked, then looked around at her audience before shifting her gaze shyly towards the floor and offering a quiet apology. Chromia, on the other hand, adopted an almost defiant look, but said nothing more.

Optimus sighed, looking around at the troops (and humans) gathered around him and preceded to give out some last minute instructions. "Kicker, Misha, you two will stay on board Rodimus' shuttle with Red Alert while the battle's being waged," he said, knowing full well that the Autobots' medic understood how to operate the ship's cloaking device. Moving to hand a small comlink device to Kicker, he added, "We'll need you to warn us right away if Sideways gets even remotely close to anyone on the team. With any luck, Megatron and the Decepticons will never even know you're there."

Alexis bit her lip, then turned to look at the youngling perched on her shoulder. "That goes for you too, Starxis," she said softly, in a near whisper. When he responded by gently nuzzling her face with his head, she smiled warmly and reached out to stroke his fur in a reassuring way. "I promise you, I'll be back," she murmured.

Starxis raised his head to look at her, quietly chirping, "Good luck, Mommy."

Alexis returned her focus to the Autobot commander when he directed everyone to head for the shuttle depot and divide up into their chosen groups. Securing the rifle and pistol that Starscream had insisted she carry, she followed after her comrades as they began to shuffle from the room. After watching Kicker, Misha, Starxis, and Red Alert board Rodimus' ship, she turned to step aboard the one she'd been designated to. As she did so, she mused, thankful for once that Starscream likely couldn't hear her, Here's hoping I'll be able to keep that promise.

Once on board the bridge of the ship, Alexis exchanged a look with her fellow jet before positioning herself near Scorpinok. If anything, she wanted a chance to confer with their new ally while en route. As she seated herself, she looked around at the bridge's other occupants. The faces of Optimus, Jetfire, Demolisher, Ironhide, Rodimus, Elita, and one of last night's arrivals (Bluestreak, she thought his name was) were all set with hard lines and varying degrees of tension. Anyone not present here or on the other shuttle was part of the warship fleet.

It seemed like such a small team to be infiltrating Unicron, but then, they would gain one advantage over Megatron straightaway. As Scorpinok had said shortly after they'd started preparing for battle, the Terrorcons in the Decepticon leader's possession would be more prone to follow orders that came from him and could be used to turn the tides.

Scorpinok glanced at her blankly when he saw she was settling into the seat next to him and strapping herself in for liftoff. She couldn't tell by his face what he was thinking. After a moment of watching her comrades prep the shuttle for launch, she sighed and looked back at the majestic bot, speaking to him in low tones.

"I was curious if Alpha Q was going to be joining us once the battle gets underway," she stated. "You never said."

Scorpinok sighed, and the way he lightly shook his head told her this wasn't intended as a response. "I told him he could trust us to finish this on our own, that the Autobots know how to handle Megatron. In either case, I think Alpha Q is too scared to face off against the Decepticons' leader."

Alexis nodded solemnly, prepared to say something further when Scorpinok abruptly tilted his head to one side, looking for all the world like he was listening to something. It took her only seconds to work this out. "He just contacted you," she said matter-of-factly. "What did he say?"

Scorpinok gave an almost imperceptible nod. "He wishes us luck. But he'll be watching from afar on how events play out." A pause, and then, "If for some reason we need his help, he'll be there."

Alexis sighed once more, offering a small smile by way of acknowledgment before facing forward. For a moment, she concentrated on the other inhabitants on the bridge, and on the rumbling of the ship beneath her as the engines powered up and they began to lift away from Cybertron. Seconds later, Scorpinok grabbed her attention by speaking once more.

"I should thank you, for making all this possible," Scorpinok said softly, his red optics carrying a peacefulness she'd not expected to see, particularly now. "If all goes as planned, I should say that both Alpha Q and myself will owe you one. If there's ever anything we can do to repay you…"

Alexis gave a short, soft chuckle, amused that he was laying all the responsibility for this alliance on her shoulders when he'd played a hand in it as well. "Why don't we see about bringing your planet back before we delve into who owes who?" she questioned softly, and looked away when it became evident that their conversation was truly concluded…

*****

The decision to transplant Tidal Wave's spark into a smaller body had been made off of Sideways' comment that it would benefit the big guy to be more maneuverable and speedy in addition to the intelligence upgrade. Megatron had readily agreed, anxious to gain a soldier under his command who was enhanced in all areas.

But now, gazing upon the new and improved soldier who stood before him, Megatron did his best to keep from grimacing, regretting his additional agreement to let Sideways "help" Tidal Wave in selecting a new vehicle mode. Given the latter's appearance, it was clear that Sideways was still prone to playing games and had a twisted sense of humor.

In either case, Megatron was pretty slagging curious as to just how and why Tidal Wave had been talked into adopting a slender, curvy form that bore feminine characteristics. The new name that had been chosen, Mirage, was just as puzzling and annoying. Megatron couldn't even begin to guess at what, in regards to the big guy's new alternate mode of a violet, white, and orange boat called an Ekranoplan, had inspired it, nor did he know just whose idea it had been.

However, the demonstration of Mirage's weaponry and skills was enough to curb Megatron's annoyance. Well, that and the sight of Shockblast standing at the far end of the cavern, clearly sulking. Something about the notion that the troublesome mech was irritated by Tidal Wave's recovery and reformatting put Megatron in good spirits. Anything that grated on Shockblast's nerves was something that the Decepticon leader could use for a source of quick amusement.

Following the show, Megatron had suggested to Snowcat and Thundercracker that they spend several hours training Mirage, to get the "big guy" sufficiently acclimated with his new form as swiftly as possible. Shortly thereafter, Sideways idly mentioned to Shockblast, with a threatening undertone, that he would be watched at all times, whether he was aware of it or not.

As he dozed off in his throne, the one thought that crossed Megatron's mind was that at least he still had a pretty good, elite group under his command. While Thundercracker was still very much a rookie, he'd definitely shown great tenacity in the time that Megatron had observed him; Snowcat and Mirage could teach him a few tricks that would make him far superior.

As to Sideways… Megatron had half expected that the rogue bot wouldn't stick around, but was glad to have been proven wrong. Given Sideways' capabilities, he had proven to be the Decepticons' most valuable asset, and the fact that he was becoming more and more of a team player guaranteed that he wouldn't be deserting anytime soon.

The last thought that crossed Megatron's mind before sleep caught him was that perhaps he'd stage another attack against Cybertron tomorrow. After all, the last thing he wanted to allow was for the Autobots to recoup from their losses and begin their little project anew.

As Megatron discovered, just seconds after being rudely awakened by Thundercracker (who'd soon been smacked for the trouble), there were developments that he could not have planned for.

When he started receiving reports from the rookie and a few troops positioned on Unicron's exterior that the Autobot fleet was closing in and fast, Megatron's initial thought was that it had to be a joke. Surely, the enemy soldiers could not know where he was. But when Unicron began to be hit with laser fire and missiles, the Decepticon leader knew for sure that the claims could not be denied.

Barking at Thundercracker to go and aid his fellow Decepticons instead of standing around like an idiot, Megatron ironically suffered a moment or two of indecision before turning towards the cable draped over one side of the throne. With a wry grin, he attached it to a port at the back of his neck, fully intending to patch into Unicron's processor.

Seating himself once more, Megatron amusedly said, to no one in particular, "Let's see how you hold up under the powers of a God, Autobots…"

*****

It was nothing short of pandemonium, once the battle officially commenced. Up until the point that their shuttle had reached a spot near enough for the team to disembark, Alexis had been focused on the smaller battleships as they either provided cover fire or engaged in combat against Megatron's troops. And when Unicron began shifting/transforming out of his planet mode, she just knew they were in for it.

Though Scorpinok expressed amazement that Megatron had figured out how to initiate Unicron's transformation, he also noted that the maneuver made sense. "It allows him access to the full extent of Unicron's firepower." Looking around at the bridge's other occupants, or rather, flyers, he said, "We should all stay on high alert and be ready to move at a second's notice as we're going in."

A minute later, Scorpinok and Optimus had both determined that they were close enough that they'd be able to journey the remaining distance independent of the ship. Hearing this, Alexis undid her harness and moved to get to her feet, only to be startled when she saw Starscream in front of her in an instant.

Her fellow jet barely gave her a chance to react before gripping the back of her head and pressing his lips to hers in a way that would have left her breathless. Pulling away and leaning his brow against hers for a few tenuous seconds, he whispered, "Be careful out there."

Alexis gave a brisk nod, watching him with slightly dazed optics as he backed away. "You too," she murmured, though she wasn't certain that he heard her as he had already turned and was moving after Jetfire.

Just as they were reaching the airlock, Red Alert reached them over the coms to provide his exact coordinates, to ensure that no stray shots came his way from his own team. Alexis was surprised to learn that he had positioned Rodimus' shuttle, by her perspective, about a thousand yards to the right of Unicron's chest, slightly behind a large meteor. At least none of the Decepticons are aiming in that direction, she thought after a moment, in an effort to assure herself that Kicker, Misha, and Starxis would be okay during the proceedings.

In seconds, Alexis, Starscream, Optimus, Jetfire, and Scorpinok were in the air in their robot guises, each of them armed with laser rifles and transporting one of their (likewise-armed) ground-based compatriots.

In retrospect, Alexis would always say that keeping her head under the circumstances was nothing short of a miracle. In between dodging laser fire on her own behalf and that of Elita, maintaining a relatively steady flight path, taking shots at the enemy bots that posed the biggest threats, and fighting to keep her panic in check, it was amazing she didn't lose her mind. Later on, she would cite the experience as being what prompted her to want to gain better focus.

When at last Alexis landed on Unicron's hull -- somewhere around the stomach area that was currently a relative Decepticon-free zone -- and split from Elita, with both of them seeking cover in opposite directions, the femme jet breathed a sigh of relief, briefly turning her optics skyward to see that the still-airborne Jetfire and Bluestreak were alright.

An instant later, Alexis turned and leaned partially over the low outcropping she was shielded behind, her optics picking out three targets in a millisecond. Vaguely aware that Ironhide had been deposited next to her, she resumed with the firefight, her audio sensors on full alert in case she was told to advance with the promise of cover fire.

This situation, too, was nothing short of chaotic, as the ten of them were soon under siege by Unicron's defenses and a large group of enemy bots. Alexis had to force herself to stay focused, despite knowing full well that she had nine comrades watching out for her, not to mention the fleet that was covering them from above. Ironically, she even wished at one point that she was still able to hear Starscream's thoughts; communicating with him telepathically would have been a comfort.

Eventually, however, it was determined by both Scorpinok and Optimus that trying to break through the Decepticon lines, to enter Unicron from wherever the enemy soldiers had exited, would be too much of a challenge. This led to Demolisher, Elita, Bluestreak, and Ironhide concentrating their fire on a particular region, for the purpose of blasting their way through Unicron's hull.

It became apparent within minutes that this scheme was not working to their advantage; the chassis of the dark god was too thick and it would take more time than any of them would have liked to break through. Optimus seemed about to ask for other suggestions when Scorpinok suddenly froze. Several of his companions turned to look at him fleetingly when they realized he was no longer shooting, only to find him looking skyward with a fully bewildered expression.

Alexis barely caught what Scorpinok said next, it was spoken so softly. But at least it gave her a clue as to what was up. "Thanks for giving us more of a warning, Alpha Q," he said with a derisive note, before turning his gaze towards those around him. "We need to move," Scorpinok added in a louder, no-nonsense tone. "Two hundred yards northeast! Drive, or fly, as fast as you can! Now!"

Ironhide looked towards Scorpinok in puzzlement, intending to ask why and state that they weren't in any danger here. The words caught in his throat when a flicker of movement from above drew his optics skyward. "Oh, slag!" he breathed, seeing the cause for concern.

Given the urgency with which Scorpinok and Ironhide started moving, transforming to their respective vehicle modes and taking off at top speed, the rest of the group thought it best not to question it or stop to look. As she shifted to her jet mode and took to the air, Alexis braced herself for whatever hits she might take from the Decepticons' weapons, now that she was vulnerable. So it came as a surprise when the enemy troops ceased firing; when she activated her external sensors, Alexis found that many of them looked to be in shock. Whatever was coming, it wasn't theirs.

She had scarcely reached the safe zone designated by Scorpinok when she felt rather than heard something crash into the area she'd just vacated. Switching back to her bot mode, she cast her gaze downwards to see that Ironhide, Demolisher, Bluestreak, Rodimus, and Elita had been affected by that same shockwave. Though they were all still in vehicle mode, the five of them looked slightly wobbly, as though the ground beneath them was plagued by massive tremors.

Aware that the sound of crunching metal was echoing loudly in the air, Alexis slowly rotated in mid-air to see what had just happened. In the same instant, she could hear Scorpinok lightly saying, to no one in particular, "You're still as rash as ever, Alpha Q… But thanks for the assistance."

Alexis almost laughed out loud when she caught sight of one of the two massive horns adorning Unicron's head. Though she was too close to get the full view, she could see that the horn had punched through part of the dark god's stomach, giving every indication on how fast Alpha Q had been soaring in. And it provided her group with an easy entrance and a great advantage on getting to Megatron without too much hindrance.

As she followed Optimus and Starscream through the makeshift entrance into Unicron's interior, she took note of the fact that Alpha Q's half of the dark god was likely wedged here for the time being; he'd not be able to break free without help.

She mentioned as much to Scorpinok, the concerned note in her voice causing him to reply that Alpha Q would be safe for the time being. "He's sealed himself inside. Any Decepticon that tries to get at him is going to face just as much trouble shooting through Unicron's hull as we did," Scorpinok said. A pause, and then, "And Sideways, more than likely, is soon going to be too occupied to even try."

Scorpinok drew in a breath, looking around the cavernous tunnel in an attempt to get his bearings, then motioned for his companions to follow him into the depths. "Now come on. The sooner we get this over with, the better…"

*****

When he'd seen Unicron's head zooming in and subsequently rip into the massive body, Shockblast had been just as struck dumb as the rest of the Decepticons. Such a feeling didn't last however, when he viewed the small group of Autobots make their way inside. And, as dull as his memory might be at times, Shockblast was just smart enough to see something fishy about this.

Tilting his head to one side, Shockblast wryly mused that the Autobots must have an ulterior motive for being here. If their goal was simply to annihilate Unicron, this task could have been easily achieved by amassing all their firepower on the exterior of the dark god. After all, Unicron was already inactive; there was nothing to be gained by attacking his vital systems other than to disable his weapons, which any seasoned warrior could easily avoid.

Thus, the only logical reason for them to want to penetrate Unicron's hull would be that they were after Megatron.

It was a good thing that Shockblast's face was next to impossible to read, or the mischievous feeling that was washing over him would have aroused suspicion from his own team. As he responded to Snowcat's call that half of the Decepticon soldiers get back inside to head off the invading team, Shockblast's processor was adrift with schemes over how this could work to his advantage in unseating Megatron as leader and taking his place.

With careful planning and timing, using the Autobots' attack to achieve his own ends would be a breeze…

*****

Watching from the sidelines, Kicker was following every little bit of the action with wide, excited eyes. When Alpha Q had soared in and punched through Unicron's hull with his own head, the hotheaded teenager actually whooped and clapped his hands together in exhilaration.

Standing several feet away and unconsciously rubbing Starxis' head, Misha silently watched the main screen for several minutes, her gaze fixed on the part of Unicron that was controlled by Alpha Q. When she spoke, it was in a hesitant, quiet tone, as she sought to clarify something she was unsure about. "Didn't Scorpinok say that he and Alpha Q would need Unicron, fully intact, in order to revive their planet?"

Red Alert nodded. "They would need access to as much of Unicron's mass as possible to pull it off, I suppose," he answered. "It makes sense, given that Scorpinok and the Terrorcons were forged from Unicron's own body. It's my assumption that the latter's flesh would be depleted and would need to be reconstituted after each episode; the Energon would be sufficient to do that. Given that we're trying to re-engineer a planet now… who knows how much of Unicron's mass we'll have to utilize to pull that off."

Misha thoughtfully pursed her lips, her mind in overdrive. Still, she remained silent for a minute more. "Well, what if there were a way to give our side a greater advantage? Make it so we don't have to triumph over Megatron to accomplish this?" When Red Alert and Kicker turned to look at her curiously, Misha went to the nearest console, her fingers dancing over the keys as she worked to open a channel directly to Alpha Q. It helped that Scorpinok had provided the Autobots with the means to contact their spindly friend if need be.

Upon confirming that the fact that the two halves of Unicron were connected, unconventional or not, granted Alpha Q access to every inch of the dark god's body, a broad smile lit up Misha's face. Turning to face her three companions, she said, "If we accomplish what we set out to do now, then there will be no reason for the Autobots to battle to seize control of Unicron. We can just concentrate on eliminating him then!"

Red Alert shifted his weight, slightly reeling at how advantageous this plan would be. He started to activate his comlink to speak to both the battle fleet and Optimus' teams, but almost instantly had second thoughts. Lowering his hand, he gave a sigh and said to Misha and Kicker, "We can't inform anyone of this. We can't take the chance that one of the Decepticons might be nearby to overhear the broadcast and discover what we're up to. We'd lose our advantage that way."

Misha bowed her head slightly, going on to say that it didn't matter. After a slight pause, she asked Red Alert if one of the grid towers on Earth could be reconfigured to transport a hefty amount of Energon across space. The medic nodded, instantly going to the console to see about establishing a warp tunnel connecting an area in space above Ocean City to a spot directly across from Unicron's head.

Misha let out a breath, feeling a wash of excitement over the fact that this plan was coming together and that it would work. Turning to Kicker, she said, in a surprising soft tone, "Now all we need is someone on Earth to initiate the transfer, someone stationed in Ocean City." Kicker seemed to know what she was about to say, given the way his gaze darkened, but she stated it anyway.

"You're going to have to talk to your father…"

Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this installment; don't flame me too hard for this cliffhanger. One of the characters will be departing from the story approximately three chapters from now. check out the poll on my profile page to see if you can guess who it is.

Next up: Shockblast's play for Megatron's throne results in Optimus being severely wounded, Alpha Q's dream is realized, and Snowcat seeks revenge against Alexis for having caused his reformatting...