CT7567Rules: I borrowed story elements from TFP by starting off with the original scheming Starscream, played by Steve Blum, and Vehicons making up the majority of the Decepticon army. You are also correct that Peter Cullen is indeed playing his iconic role in this story, I couldn't imagine it otherwise.

Ch4: Union Alliance HQ

A foreign body disrupted the tranquil silence of an open sector of space as it zoomed through at subliminal speeds toward its intended destination. The sole occupant of the Cybertronian escape pod held on for the ride as it contemplated its previous orders. Soon enough, the planet Elorin came into sight, and the pod entered its atmosphere.

A series of mountains known as the Brink stood as tall and majestic as the day they were originally formed. Its range extended across the entire planet perimeter, for it had been there since the planet was first formed. However, these peaks were about to experience something new and unique today. A fireball descended from the heavens above and was propelling itself toward the west side of a mountaintop. Its impact shook the ground all around it, kicking up a smoke cloud that could be seen for miles. At the same time, the anomaly had been detected by the planet's newfound Global Energy and Information Monitoring Network, a new tool utilized by the planet's new protection force, the Union Alliance.

…Miles across the planet...

On the outskirts of the Northern Mountains eclipsing Haven City, the headquarters of the Union Alliance had been built on top of the old defunct Drill Platform. The entire platform had been completely renovated with all the accommodations of Freedom HQ in Haven City. In addition, it was also the new location of the recently moved and fully operational Alliance Arch!

Given the still existent tension between the inhabitants of Haven and Spargus, their new leaders had come to an agreement that would help diffuse the tension into the future. The Arch was to be relocated to a new spot within near equal distance of both cities with shared jurisdiction, and the Drill Platform's location made it the perfect candidate. The already present security systems made renovating the old facility much faster than starting from scratch, along with significant upgrades and repairs after all the damage the platform had received in the past. The defunct KG red and silver color scheme had also been repainted with the newfound blue and purple color scheme of the Union Alliance, in homage of the two heroes whose conjoined efforts founded it.

Upon a platform outside its former control tower where a gun rail turret once resided was the main terminal, where another holograph generator was located next to a large computer console. The Union Alliance logo was on display over the holograph and on screen. The chosen logo had been the Seal of Mar dragon combination symbol that was first seen on the cover of the Alliance Arch book. Given the two races that founded it, it seemed only fitting.

A reprogrammed warp gate was stationed off the right side of the terminal, meant for transport from Haven City. To the left of the terminal, another warp gate was stationed for transport from the Wasteland Monk Temple. As for the Alliance Arch itself, it had been relocated to a renovated section in the southeast corner, just below the main terminal station. The Arch was rebuilt into an embedded wall on the lower platform, shielded by an encompassed dome made from the most durable materials on the planet, which led out to a larger platform than what had originally been there. At the other end of that platform was an elevator, which could lift any visitors from the Dragon Realms up to the Main Terminal.

Currently at the main terminal station was a former Underground member, now Freedom League Captain Striker, who was presently in charge of the new station. He walked up to the officer seated at the terminal, "We've got about another half hour before the Governor and General arrive, what's the status on the second level scan?"

"No discrepancies found sir, though it's set to run for another 15 min," said the officer.

"Good, at least we can finish before their arrival, and then upload our newest tenant," said Striker.

"Upload, Sir?" Striker's use of words confused the officer.

"We have an old asset arriving today, which is why we are running this scan, to ensure his new homestead is clean and secure," explained Striker.

Officer 1 was still confused, "In the computer system?"

"He lost his body years ago son, all that's left of him is his digitized mind," Striker clarified.

"Really? So, he's an artificial intelligence?" Officer 1 asked in astonishment.

"Not quite, A.I. 's are created via computer code, but Vinn, being a former human, is something else, a virtual intelligence," Striker finished explaining.

Before they could continue, a loud BEEP echoed through the terminal. The screen came alive with a new reading from the Global Energy and Information Monitoring network, aka GEM.

"What is it?" Striker asked.

"It appears the GEM has detected an unknown energy signature entering our atmosphere...and...its just made touchdown sir!" Officer 1 interpreted.

Striker knew he couldn't wait for Torn and Ashelin to arrive and ordered, "get the General and the Governor on the comm, STAT!"

Torn and Ashelin flew through the Haven industrial area via zoomer toward the Power Room to meet up with Vinn, who had slightly changed his name to re-identify himself as, in his own words, 'Virtual Interpersonal Neural Network'. Vinn's new digital presence gave him the advantage of exploring the entire Ontranet eco grid system that had originally been made for Haven City, allowing him to analyze its entire structure from top to bottom. His study of the grid allowed him to design his own type of information grid, only his was intended for global use, resulting in the GEM.

With Vinn having made his first major breakthrough in years with the GEM completion, the two Haven commanding officers were on their way to upload the mind of their old friend from the old Power Room and personally escort it to Union Alliance HQ as his new home. While Vinn was at first hesitant to leave the place he had called home for years, including the time before when he still had a body, he at least trusted Torn and Ashelin with the assurance he was going somewhere even more secure. The two freedom fighters understood his concern given everything he had been through, plus with Vinn's newfound status, they knew he was more of a target then before, and believed the new Union Alliance headquarters was the best place for him.

Torn had just landed his Freedom Cat at the front of the ramp that led to the old Power Room with Ashelin in the passenger seat, just like when they were scouting over the city more than a year ago, before the collapse of the palace. Prior to dismounting, Torn said, "Nice to know that after all these years, we're finally rescuing him from this place."

"Better late than never, right?" Ashelin replied.

They made their way up the ramp, and approached the Power Room door. Their security clearance easily allowed them access as they stepped inside. The inner layout was the same as it was when Jak and his friends came to retrieve the cipher. Ashelin walked up the main console with Torn right behind her.

She pressed a key and asked aloud, "Vinn, are you there?"

"Where else would I be?" Vinn's virtual head reappeared above their heads. "It's not like there's an open door to the outer world from here. Not that I'd like for there to be one of course."

Ashelin and Torn just smirked, "right...well we have everything all set for you. Ready for a new home?"

Vinn replied with slight hesitation, before he detected something through the grid, "ready as I'll ever be…Wait hold up! You've got a message...from Alliance Headquarters."

Torn and Ashelin's curiosity was aroused, and then Torn responded, "patch it through."

Vinn did as he instructed in the blink of an eye, and Striker's virtual head and voice sprung up from the Power Room comm, "General Torn, come in sir."

"Striker, what is it?"

"Sir the GEM just picked up an unknown signature entering our atmosphere, and it's just made impact."

Torn and Ashelin's faces grew concerned, even though the GEM was new, Vinn guaranteed it was functioning properly, so the detection of a new signature arriving from space was nothing to take lightly.

"Where?" Torn then asked.

"Near the Brink sir."

Ashelin recognized that title as almost every Elorian human did, "Elorin's median mountain range."

Vinn remembered something else, "the one that stretches across the whole planet's perimeter?"

Ashelin nodded, "yes, old stories say it's where the precursor's construction of the world came together when completing it."

"They're also the tallest mountains found on the planet," Torn added, "whatever came down there...it could be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"What is your orders sir?" Striker asked over the comm. Everyone awaited his command for a few more seconds.

"What's the update on Jak and Cal's ETA?" Torn asked Striker.

"They should be here in 20 minutes sir."

"Tell them they have a new assignment once they arrive," Torn relayed, "give them the coordinates and all the data you have on this thing, and send them out to investigate."

"Yes sir, Striker out."

As Striker signed off, Vinn had something to ask them regarding this new situation, "so...does this mean my relocation is postponed?"

Ashelin immediately replied, "on the contrary Vinn, it just means we're getting you out of here faster than expected, I mean we're still here right?"

Upon Cal's return to Spargus, his dramatic entry subsided when Sig approached him with Jak and Daxter by his side. After giving the Spargus king a full recap of his scouting, the trio left the city with Sig bidding them farewell. Upon boarding the transport outside the city wall, it took off for Alliance HQ, and conversations broke out.

"So, have things gotten dull while I've been out here, or is there anything new?" Cal asked Jak as they sat on opposite sides of the transport hold.

"More or less the same," Jak informed, "New Haven has almost all but completely replaced the slums. Keira's construction drones came through with flying colors, naturally." He finished with a smile that Daxter and Calidan knew all too well. Grinning themselves, Cal quickly changed topics.

"Hehe, Good to hear. Though I hope my own services with the drone construction weren't left out?" he asked with crossed arms.

"Ease up on the ego desert boy, we got enough of that going around, thank you very much!" said Daxter.

"Yes, and you would be the expert on that wouldn't you furball?" Cal asked with a raised eye which made Jak snicker and Daxter seethe and glare.

Cal then asked, "Moving on, what's the status of the rest of Haven?"

"Well, after clearing all the KG tech out of the industrial area, our tech teams are busy bringing it up to spec again. We were aiding ourselves in cleaning up the rest of Main Town before being called out here" Jak said in regards to him and Daxter, "once we got back, we hoped you could join us."

"As far as construction and maintenance goes, sure," said Calidan before reminding them, "however I'm still going through my programming lessons, so my aid can only go as far as the hardware right now."

"How are the lessons going?" asked Jak, knowing who was teaching the rogue wastelander the technical skills he lacked due to his desert upbringing.

"Keira is definitely a good teacher, though she seems to have taken more of a bossy attitude lately," Calidan commented with a disgruntled look.

"Hah! Them's the breaks for being her only student! Better get used to it, desert boy!" yapped Daxter from Jak's shoulder.

"My name is Calidan...not desert boy, furball," Calidan seethed to the mouthy ottsel who sneered back at the furball comment. The former rogue already couldn't stand the nickname their friend Cynder gave him, and Daxter continuing that irritation in his own way didn't help.

Jak breathed exhaustively before settling the dispute, "Urgh...cool it you two, the last thing we need on the way back is you at each other's throats." Both of them merely leaned back in their seats, looking off to opposite sides.

Looking at them both, Jak could only think, 'It's bad enough I had to deal with this when Daxter and Sparx went at it, now Daxter has the same vendetta with Cal. Agh, whether here on Elorin or in the Dragon Realms, Dax is anything but diplomatic...frankly...so is Cal.'

As silence reigned over them, the pilot spoke through the comm speakers, "Commander Jak, we are 15 minutes out from Alliance base, and we just received a transmission from Captain Striker that he would like to speak to you immediately upon arrival."

"Understood, let's not waste time," Jak responded, no response afterwards meant he was heard.

The news confused Calidan, "what could be so urgent that Striker would need to speak to us right away?"

"I don't know, you leave the lights on somewhere?" Daxter quipped, which Calidan ignored. Out of all the commanding officers of the Union Alliance, Striker was the one he respected the most. Having seen Cal in action during his arrival into Haven, Striker had taken the young rogue under his wing following his enlistment, treating the orphaned wastelander as a fellow soldier, not an exile like some of the other men did.

Jak shared Cal's confusion about Striker's request, but merely said in response, "...guess we'll find out when we get there."

At the Wasteland Monk Temple, a calm serene atmosphere filled the mountaintop structure and the area around it. Since the end of the Dark Maker invasion months ago, the monks had felt a heavy shadow lift from their heads. However, that didn't mean they could take it easy, given what had been uncovered in their temple months ago, before its relocation. The activation of the Alliance Arch originally located in their temple had set off a chain of events that changed the face of their planet forever. The head temple monk Seem, was not taking this responsibility lightly, considering her role in helping create the newfound Union Alliance, as well as her care of the white gem gifted to them from their newfound dragon friends.

Currently, Seem was discussing some menial matters with the Head of Research in the main atrium at the bottom of the temple staircase entrance, "I've heard complaints from our brothers that the leapers pen is becoming rancid, so care to enlighten me?"

"Apologies sister, but since our last volunteers ended up spider chow, there's been no one extra to regularly attend them, even after we eliminated that hidden nest," said the Head of Research.

"Very well, then we will have to slightly alter our cycle of duties," Seem proposed, "everyone including myself will take an hour out of their day to clean them each week, fairly rotating in and out."

The Head nodded before Seem moved on to more important matters, "that settled, what is the weekly update from Alliance headquarters?"

"Their new base has been structurally completed, and the Arch was safely transferred with no apparent damage, though they have yet to reactivate it," he replied.

"Good, hopefully when they do, I am there to witness it, as we agreed," said Seem remembering the agreement she had with Sig and Ashelin regarding their symbiotic care of the Arch. Prior to its relocation, the three of them all agreed that any activation of the Alliance Arch was to be first discussed between the leaders of Spargus, Haven, and Seem with her role as the Elorin Ambassador. Then, in the exception of emergencies, all three would be in attendance during its activation through the new warp gate channels that had been established at Alliance HQ.

As the monks concluded their discussion, they were interrupted by the sound of a sliding wall in front of them. A secret door opened up in the middle of the wall between the Seal door and the adjacent hall, where the hidden entrance to the temple's eco storage room was located. Out of it came one of their monk brothers who quickly halted upon seeing the duo. Seem recognized him as the one whom she had assigned for a special task.

"Sister Seem!" he exasperated, "the gem! It's glowing!"

The head monk's eyes widened for a moment before asking, "just now?!"

"Yes, and it was still doing it when I left, please hurry!" he said before running down the stairs again, with Seem and the Head of Research following him swiftly. They both knew which gem their brother was referring to, for the storage room not only housed eco crystals, but also a certain white gem. Their precious gift from the Dragon Chronicler had not been active since the dragons departed Elorin after establishing the Union Alliance six months ago, so this was big news. From what their dragon allies had told them, the glow from the white gem meant someone from the Realms was trying to contact them, and it usually meant one individual regarding who lived on the White Isle where the gems were solely found.

Upon reaching the eco vault door, the eco vault monk opened it with his key, and all three stepped inside to see their full storage of eco crystals, both light and dark. However, it was the white gem near the back wall that really grabbed their attention. They walked up to approach it, noticing its glow was burning as they drew closer. Now within its proximity, the vault monk and Head of Research stood back as Seem placed her hand upon the gem, activating it. The glow intensified as she stepped back and her fellow monks shielded themselves before it slowly died down. As the light faded, they looked in astonishment to once again see in his own transparent image, Ignitus the Chronicler.

"Ambassador Seem"

"Chronicler Ignitus," Seem replied with a bow, her monks behind her repeating the gesture. She lifted herself up before continuing…

"It's an honor and relief to see you again, we have not heard anything at all from your Realms since our first meeting."

"Hehe, apologies for that," Ignitus began, "...but our Realms, like your own world, still have their own extensive recovery ahead of them, and it's not as easy as it sounds keeping up with recording all of it."

"I can only imagine...though I sense your call is not just for social reasons," Seem replied with a raised eye.

"Your intuition is as sharp as Cynder described...it's true, something has just been revealed that could be a danger to all of us."

"What is it?" she asked with both curiosity and concern.

"Something unlike anything I have ever seen nor heard of, though answer me this, did you know that the books of the Chronicler can provide glimpses of the future as well as record all of a dragon's history?"

The temple monks were surprised once again before Seem answered, "no I did not, we were unaware your status provided clairvoyant abilities. How much did it show?"

"Not much, even as the Chronicler, the ability to predict the future is miniscule at best. What I do know for certain, is that another race of beings will soon come into our midst. Whether for the worse or better, I do not know, but what I do know...is that conflict is inevitable."

Seem contemplated the Chronicler's words, while her monks awaited her response. She was quite perturbed to hear that another battle on Elorin was soon to come, and they had yet to fully recover from the last one! However, if things were already set in motion, Seem knew the only course of action they could take was preparation.

"What must we do?" she asked Ignitus.

"Prepare as many of your Alliance forces as you can, and keep watch for any foreign activity on your planet. I would recommend only engaging in forceful action if lives are threatened."

"Understood," Seem nodded, "and what of your own Realms?"

"I've already sent the message to my old friends in Warfang, and once Spyro and Cynder return, they will relay my request to return to Elorin."

Seem lightly smiled before saying, "I will inform Alliance Headquarters of their impending arrival."

The monk and dragon nodded to each other before the latter disappeared from sight, and the white gem glow faded away. Turning to her two colleagues behind her, Seem gave the order, "get to our new communication relay, send the word out to Lord Sig in Spargus and Captain Striker at Alliance Headquarters...tell them we are expecting some old friends."

During Seem's talk with the Chronicler, Jak, Cal and Daxter had arrived at Alliance HQ at the same time. The transport had set down at the landing platform near the main hub, where Captain Striker was waiting on them, his helmet was off to address them face to face. The transport rear door opened up allowing the wasteland trio to exit and make their way over to the hub, where Cal acknowledged the Captain.

"Sir!" he said with a salute.

Striker nodded to the young officer before saying, "at ease."

Cal relaxed as Jak walked up next to him with Daxter on his shoulder. Striker then briefed the Alliance officer and Commander, "good of both to arrive now, I just received new orders from General Torn and Governor Ashelin for you both to address."

Jak asked, "what is it?"

Striker beckoned them up to the main hub and they followed. Striker told the control officer to display what he had discovered on the main screen. A map of the Brink mountain range along with a light streak across it, making contact with the range terrain.

"Approximately an hour ago, the GEM detected an unknown signature coming from space, and it impacted here, right within the Brink mountain range," the Alliance Captain explained.

"The Elorin median mountain range?" Calidan clarified remembering the lessons from his Alliance training, which Striker nodded at.

"A meteor strike?" said Jak, "those are rare but not unheard of. So what makes this one so special?"

"As I said the signature is unknown," Striker said, "and since the GEM is still fresh and being updated itself, it's unknown if this is a meteor or something else entirely. I already informed General Torn prior to your arrival, and it's his orders that you two investigate this anomaly immediately."

"In other words, it doesn't matter if we just got back, and he's sending us out on another crappy mission?" Daxter retorted, resulting in head shakes from Jak and Cal and an exhausted breath from Striker.

"Like I said, it's the General's orders not mine, feel free to take a Freedom Cat if you need to," said the Captain.

"On it sir," Cal followed before saying, "just send any data you have to my gauntlet, then we should be able to trace it when we get there."

"Good, now get going," Striker acknowledged before dismissing them. Jak and Cal nodded before turning around to head for the Freedom Cat hanger while Striker addressed the control officer about the data transference. As they walked toward the hanger platform, Cal asked Jak something.

"You really think something as rare as a meteor strike shouldn't be addressed?"

"It was more like wishful thinking," Jak said, "after everything we've been through, I was hoping for a break from threats from space."

"You and me both, buddy boy," Daxter agreed.

Cal said, "well, maybe this will just turn out to be nothing but a scientific investigation, no action, all research."

"Where's the fun in that?" Jak jested, making them both chuckle while Daxter sighed.

They soon reached the Freedom Cat hanger and boarded up to the closest one. Jak took the pilot's seat with Daxter, and Cal sat up in the gun turret seat, where he could easily jump out and engage his Eagle pack if need be, and also get a better signal for what they were looking for. Speaking of which...BEEP...BEEP…

Calidan looked to his gauntlet to see the data transference had been successful, and then spoke to Striker through its built-in comm, "download complete Captain, we got it."

"Roger that, you're clear to move out, and son...watch your six."

Cal smirked and replied, "copy that sir." The chat concluded, Jak engaged the engines and the Freedom Cat levitated off the ground to a higher altitude. Once it was above the headquarters walls, the jets burst to life and the craft flew off toward the Brink, and whatever awaited there.

BEEP...BEEP...As he watched them take off, Captain Striker heard the ring of another incoming transmission, and asked for his officer to patch it through.

"This is Captain Striker of Union Alliance headquarters, identify yourself."

"Captain, this is the relay operator of the Wasteland Monk Temple. I have information from Ambassador Seem for you."

Sorry for the delay in updating, but I've been making edits to my previous story to coincide better with this one and that took a couple weeks. I finished my 'World's United' edits, so I wanted to post the next two chapters for this one back-to-back.