Chapter 1: Lunar Spark Part 3

Nemesis

In the empty void of space, a fleet of warships was being amassed for a battle that would decide the fate of an entire species. Two in fact.

Megatron gazed out from the bridge of his flagship, the Nemesis. He had gathered most of what remained of the Decepticon fleet. Almost three hundred mighty warships now hang in the void of space far from Cybertron.

The Decepticon fleet once had many more ships, numbering in the thousands. But several millennia of constant warfare had wilted away at their numbers. The same had happened to the Autobot fleet. It, too, had numbered in the thousands and had been a match for its Decepticon counterpart.

But now, if they were to combine what remained of the two fleets. The number would come to around five hundred. It irked Megatron that so much had been lost to him. The Autobots and their leader Optimus Prime remained defiant to the end. Fighting for every inch of Cybertron and making the Decepticons pay for every inch they took. Even now, with Cybertron lifeless and the masses scattered across the stars, they still fought.

Megatron smiled, but that didn't matter now. Soon enough, he would deliver a final crushing blow to the Autobots and claim his great prize. Made all the better when he would at last claim Prime's spark.

He heard a set of footsteps behind him. He knew who it was. "Lord Megatron," Starscream said. "The fleet will soon be ready."

Megatron did not turn to face his second-in-command. He was still disappointed in his recent failures to capture the Autobot ship. Made worse that Starscream's plans had been foiled with the aid of the Humans. A primitive organic species. Megatron would have found some amusement in his SID's blunders if the stakes were not so high.

"Good," Megatron said in an even voice. "It appears that you are good for something."

If Starscream was offended by his jab, he didn't show. "Yes," he said. "I do aim to please you, my Lord. Lord Megatron, it is not my place to question your wisdom."

Megatron's optics gave Starscream a side glance. "But you will anyway," he said.

"Lord Megatron, are you certain that you should be the one to lead the fleet against the Autobots and their newfound allies?" Starscream asked. "It is not too late for you to change your mind. I can still lead the fleet in your stead. All you need do is give the word, and I will ravage the human home system."

Megatron turned around to face Starscream. He was on his knees, bowing. "Starscream," Megatron said. Starscream looked up at his master. There was an excited glint in his optics. "Quit your groveling."

Starscream frowned and stood up to face Megatron. "My lord?" he questioned.

"You have already failed me one too many times," Megatron said. He walked from Starscream, stepping into the war room of the Nemesis. He felt Starscream's presence behind him. "I will not leave such an important task in your incapable hands."

Starscream looked ready to protest his master's statement. But a sharp glare from Megatron silenced the seeker. "Yes, Lord Megatron, I bow to your superior wisdom."

Megatron smiled, glade his subordinate was falling in line. "Not to worry, Starscream," Megatron said. "You will have your role to play in the coming battle."

Before he could explain what the role would be, a Vehicon soldier walked up to him. "Lord Megatron," the soldier said. "We are receiving a transmission from Soundwave.

"Ahh, Soundwave always reliable," Megatron said, shooting Starscream a look. "Unlike you, Starscream," he got a nervous chuckle from the SID. "Show me the transmission, soldier. Let us see what Soundwave has discovered about the Autobot's plans."

"Right away, my lord," the soldier said, showing him the transmission.

By the end of it, Megatron was smiling. "So that is the situation," Megatron said. "We will have to move swiftly."

"My lord?" Starscream asked.

"We will have a short window of opportunity," Megatron explained. "One we must exploit before it can close," a plan was forming in his twisted mind.

A plan that sees him claim the prize that was held in the depths of the Autobot ship and see the annihilation of the Autobots. It even had the added benefit of punishing the humans for their interference.

The Ark, Hanger Bay

Optimus Prime was walking through the Ark's hangar after meeting with the human leaders. "Optimus," Wheeljack said. "Are you sure it was wise to tell the humans about what the Ark contains? We barely know these people."

Optimus looked at the former wrecker, understanding where the meche came from. "I understand your skepticism Wheeljack. But I believe these humans can be trusted. And they have already proven themselves to be valuable allies."

Around the hanger, the two saw Autobots milling about. The humans were here, too, doing their own stuff. At first, both bots and humans had been hesitant to be around each other and mostly kept to their own people. That was something Optimus could understand, this was an entirely new situation for both sides, and it would take some time for them to come to terms with it.

But walking through the hangar now, something had changed after the battle with the Decepticons on the lunar surface. The air around them felt different, less tensive, and friendly. The two species were mingling more freely than they had when they met. In some mixed groups, Optimus even saw smiles and heard laughter.

It warmed the depths of Optimus's spark to see his people so happy and carefree. "If you say so, boss," Wheeljack said. "But I will admit they're not bad. Sure, showed the cons a thing or two."

"Indeed," Optimus said.

"That's when I tossed a grenade into the exhaust port. Boom, the whole place went up in smoke," they heard a voice say. "The Cons never knew what hit them."

Optimus and Wheeljack investigated the source of the voice. What they found were the two newest additions to Team Prime talking to a pair of human males.

"That must have been one hell of a sight," one of the humans said, a large muscular male.

"It was," Hotrod said. "Though the aftermath wasn't as much fun. Right Bee?"

Bumblebee nodded. "We had to spend the next five days evading angry Decepticon patrols."

Optimus saw Wheeljack crack a smile. "Really now," he said, grabbing the four's attention. "Reminds me of the wrecker's raid on the Dark Mount."

All four turned their attention to Wheeljack. "What? Who are?" Then Hotrod and Bumblebee noticed Optimus Prime standing next to him. They stood at attention. "Optimus Prime, Sir," Hotrod said while he and his brother saluted him. The pair of humans standing by their legs looked bewildered for a moment but also stood at attention for the Autobot leader.

"We weren't aware that you were here," Bumblebee said. "We thought you would still be in your meeting with the human leaders."

Optimus Prime chuckled. "At ease, soldiers," he said, waving his meches off. "All of you," he directs at the pair of humans. "I have only just returned from the meeting with the human leaders."

The autobot brothers relaxed their posture. As did the pair of humans. "So uhh," Hotrod started to say. The young bot was still nervous about being around Optimus. Which he could understand, remembering his own time around Alpha Trion. "What brings you here?"

"What?" Wheeljack said. "A Prime can't hang around his people? Can't come down to chitchat with the lower ranks."

Hotrod looked between Wheeljack and Optimus Prime nervously. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," he stammered. "I mean, Prime can do whatever…."

Wheeljack's bark of laughter cut off Hotrod's ramblings. "Relax kid, I'm just messing with you," he said. "Me and Prime were passing through when we heard your boasting. From what I heard, it sounded like an impressive story. You'll have to tell me about it later."

Hotrod chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "It's not as impressive as I made it sound," he said. "I might have exaggerated some details."

"Like the thirty-five Decepticons shooting at you?" One of the humans said, the smaller of the two.

"Or how you climbed the fortress wall with nothing but your bare hands," Bumblebee quipped.

"How about," the other human started.

Hotrod cut him off. "Okay, I get it. Also, for the record, it was thirty-six," he said, glancing at the humans. "The point is I'm sure you have more impressive stories than I do, and you don't have to exaggerate them."

"Oh?" Wheeljack questioned with a smile. "And what makes you say that?"

"Your Wheeljack right?" Hotrod asked. "From the Wreckers?"

"The Wreckers?" One of the humans asked.

"They're a special task group in the Autobot army," Optimus explained. "They took missions that no others would take and operated outside the normal chain of command."

"Sounds like some of our Blacks Ops groups," the larger human said. "The Shadow Stars come to mind."

"Maybe," Wheeljack said. "And you two are?"

The larger human stood at attention and saluted. "Corporal Conner O'Neil," the now-named Conner said. "I've attached to the 105th Marine Regiment, currently assigned to the Autobot ship Ark."

The other human did the same. "Airmen Jack Witwicky, attached to the UNS. Armstrong."

Optimus nodded at the two and motioned for them to be at ease. "You don't have to salute us," he said. "We are guests here."

"Apologies, sir," Conner said. "It was a sign of respect for a foreign dignitary. Your Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots," he looked over at Wheeljack. "And the uhh? Meche next to you, I can only assume, is someone of high rank as well."

Wheeljack smiled. "Not even close," he said. "I'm an ordinary soldier lucky enough to be offered a place on Prime's team. The name's Wheeljack, but my friends like to call me Jackie."

Conner nodded. "A pleasure to meet you, Jackie," he said.

Wheeljack smiled. "I think I'm going to like you," he then looked back at Hotrod. "Now, back on the subject of embellishing stories. Trust me, I've done it plenty of times with the wrecker's missions," he noticed the blank stare from Optimus. Wheeljack chuckled. "Of course, never on the official records. Only when I was the boys."

Optimus shook his head. "You do not have to underplay your accomplishments, young Hotrod, nor do you have to add to them," he glanced at Wheeljack. "You have done much for the Autobot cause. You should be proud of that."

"Understood, Optimus Prime," Hotrod said. "I'll try not to embellish my stories too much next time."

Next to him, Bumblebee rolled his optics. "Don't worry, Optimus, sir. If he does, I'll be there to remind him of the facts," he said.

Hotrod gave his brother an incredulous look. "Bee? You're my brother. You're supposed to help me."

The others laughed at the young bot's lamenting. Even Prime let out a good-hearted chuckle. "Kid, I think you're going to fit right in with Team Prime," he said. "You and your brother. Once things have blown over, we'll have to exchange stories. And you," Wheeljack looked over at Conner. "You're a human soldier, correct?"

"A Marine, actually," Conner said. "We're a tougher bunch than those pansies in the army. Or the flyboys," he sent a smirk at Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I like to see you handle ten Gs while strapped in a tin can," he said.

Conner's smile grew. "Ten Gs?" he asked. "I think I can give you something like," he wrapped an arm around Jack, pulling him in. The human pilot yelped before the noise was cut off when his lips collided with Conner's. "And then some," he added a moment later to a red-faced Jack.

Wheeljack looked at Optimus, silently asking what they just saw. Optimus shrugged, unsure but having his suspicions. "I'm sure you have plenty of stories to tell as well," Wheeljack said.

Conner nodded. "A few," he said.

Wheeljack looked over at Optimus. "Prime, I think I going to stay down here a while. Get to know our new recruits and our new human friends here," he said. "You going to stay? Or are you going to get back to the bridge?"

As much as Optimus wanted to stay, he had matters he needed to take care of. "I'm afraid I must go," he said. He noticed how disappointed Hotrod and Bumblebee looked. "But perhaps next time I can stay," he added, causing the two young Autobots to brighten up.

Wheeljack nodded, showing he understood. "All right then, boss," he said, saluting Optimus. "I'll leave you to it." Bumblebee, Hotrod, and the pair of humans mirrored Wheeljack's action.

"At ease," Optimus said, letting the five relax. "And have a good day," he turned around and left. Walking through the hangar, the Autobot leader had a smile on his face. The humans were proving to be a most interesting people, and already he could see the tentative beginnings of a relationship between them and his people.

He prayed that Primus had a plan for it.

UNS. Armstrong, Bridge

Admiral Cartwell paced around the bridge of the Armstrong. He mainly kept to his command terminal. The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone could feel it. An attack was coming.

This was no simple feeling that everyone got suddenly. It was backed by solid fact. The Autobots had spies in the Decepticon ranks, and recently several of them reported odd fleet movements. That alone would have been concerning enough to the Autobots. What they learned a few days ago gave them a reason to worry.

The Decepticons were amassing their forces for an attack. Their target was confirmed to be Luna. Worried about their new human friends, the Autobots had warned the UNS of the impending attack.

For which Cartwell was grateful. Lord knows what would have happened if the Decepticons had attacked before they got the warning. With this knowledge in mind, Cartwell had recalled all patrols around Luna back for a defense of the Earth's moon. The orbital defense platforms were primed and ready, and ground defense installations were on standby. When the Decepticons did attack, they would face the full might of Luna's defenses. He hoped it would be enough.

Earth's defenses were also on high alert, and so were Mar's. Hell, thinking about it now, more than likely, the entire UNS military was on high alert in case the attack came somewhere else. But Cartwell knew the attack would come for Luna.

The prize they wanted was on the Lunar surface, tucked away deep within the Autobot ship. For a moment, Cartwell's mind drifted off. He thought about the massive Autobot ship and what it contained.

Flashback, Luna

"Admiral Cartwell, run that one by me again," President Blum said. A look of shock spread across his face.

Cartwell took a deep breath. He could understand the man's surprise. Cartwell still had a hard time wrapping his mind around it. But he had seen the evidence himself. "The Autobot ship Ark truly lives up to its name. It's an Ark vessel," Cartwell said. "Well, originally, it was meant to be a colony ship. But with the Cybertronian's current situation, it may as well be Noah's Ark."
Back on Earth, the President sat back in his chair. Here on Luna, the rest of the assembled Admirals and Generals kept silent, probably processing what they had learned.

"And this Ark contains, what did you call it?" the President asked. "Birthing chambers?"

Cartwell exhaled. "The Autobots called them Protoform Formation Chambers, PFC for short," he said. "These chambers are what allow the Cybertronians to reproduce. It seems that millions of years ago, the people of Cybertron lost the ability to reproduce naturally, or at the very least, it was significantly reduced."

"Hold on," one of the Admirals said. "Are you telling me these robots can, for lack of a better word, procreate with each other? And make others?" He looked around the chambers. "How is that even possible? Their just machines."

Cartwell shrugged. "I won't pretend that I understand it all myself. One of their scientists, a Mr. Rachet, tried to explain it to me. But I still couldn't understand it," he looked at the scientist in the room. "I'm sure our resident scientist can explain it better than I."

The man nodded and stood up. "It is quite fascinating," he said. He took a glance over at the Admiral who asked the questions. "And for everyone's information, these Cybertronians are no mere robots. Such a thing should be considered an insult. They are living machines."

"Yes," President Blum said. "I've been told this before. We're not dealing with some other race's robotic creation. But some kind of cybernetic organism that evolved naturally."

The scientist nodded. "Indeed, Mr. President," he said. "Who can, in fact, reproduce naturally. Although this ability has been greatly reduced. It is quite fascinating, Mr. President, and eerily similar to what we have going on with our species."

The President held a hand up to stop the scientist from elaborating. "I believe I get the picture," he said.

The scientist nodded and sat back down in his chair. "I can send a detailed report later if you like."

President Blum shook his head. "That will not be necessary," then he turned his attention. "Admiral Cartwell, you said that the Cybertronians have lost their ability to reproduce naturally. Or rather, it has been reduced. Please clarify."

Cartwell nodded. "My apologizes, Mr. President," he said. "I did not mean to create a misunderstanding here. To clarify, the Cybertronians can still reproduce naturally. But millions of years ago, during what the Autobots call the Golden Age of Cybertron, it was discovered that their ability to procreate had been reduced to the point that they could not sustain their population. This couldn't have come at a worse time as a plague they call Cosmic Rust swept across their colony worlds. This, coupled with political instability and other factors, heralded the end of the Golden Age of Cybertron."

"I see," the President said. "So how did they get around their sterility problem, and what is this Golden Age of Cybertron?"

"The Golden Age of Cybertron was the high point of Cybertronian history. At this point, they were at the zenith of their culture and technology. Mr. President, if what the Autobots say is true, then their technological advancements over us are nothing compared to what they had in their golden age."

"Based on what you're saying," one general in the room said. "It is safe to assume they have regressed since then," she finished.

Cartwell nodded. "Considerably so," he said. "They have lost much of the technologies they had millions of years ago. The few they did manage to keep, they barely understand and can't replicate. This leads me to your other question, Mr. President. The ancients, that is, the people during the Golden Age, realized if nothing was done about their reproduction problem. Then their species would be doomed to a slow, gradual death. Using their vast knowledge, they created what is now known as the Protoform Formation Chambers. These chambers can create Cybertronians in their protoforms. Think of them as baby Cybertronians."

Blum nodded. "How is this done?" He asked. "Were the Autobots able to explain this process?"

Cartwell shook his head. "Most of the process is a mystery to them," he said. "And what little they did explain went over my head. But in simple terms, these chambers can take the CNA; think of like our DNA, from two separate Cybertronians to create a new one."

"I see," the President said. "So, the Autobot ship contains one of these chambers? How large is it, Admiral Cartwell?"

"Positively massive," Cartwell said. "I've seen the images provided, and it was confirmed by our people on the site. It runs most of the ship's length and towers at several decks. Decks that are made for these people. The walls were lined with hundreds, if not thousands, of pods."

"Each of which can gestate a Cybertronian protoform," President Blum said. "And the one in possession of the Autobots is the last one in existence."

"Indeed," Cartwell confirmed. "Cybertron once had thousands of these chambers dotting its surface. But between the war and the planet going dark, they were all lost. It was something of a miracle that the Autobots discovered the Ark and what it contained. From what they gathered, it was likely an attempt at recolonizing their lost worlds. As far as they could discover, this ship is the only one of its kind."

"Which makes it incredibly valuable to both sides," an admiral said. "No wonder the Decepticons want it so badly. Whoever controls the Ark has the fate of their species in their hands. One question," he looked at Cartwell. "Why haven't they tried to replicate this technology? Something as valuable as these PFCs must have been studied extensively."

"They have tried to replicate the technology," Cartwell explained. "But most attempts failed, and the few successes were poor imitations. Nor can they risk taking them apart to find out how they work. They're just too valuable to be lost."

"Which brings us back to the Autobot's request," President Blum said. "Refuge in our system. The Autobot ship is too heavily damaged to leave the Lunar surface, correct?"

Cartwell nodded. "Even if it could, it wouldn't be able to go anywhere," he said. "It's FTL drive, a Space Bridge had been destroyed. That is yet another technology they can't replicate. Very few of their ships are equipped with them."

"Can't one of the ones that generate a space bridge the Ark can go through?" The President asked.

Cartwell nodded. "Theoretically, yes," he answered. "But for that, they'll need to get the Ark off the lunar surface and into space. As I said, it can no longer do under its own power," before anyone could ask, Cartwell answered their question. "And no, they can't have another of their ships move the vessel. The Ark is too large for any one ship to move, not to mention the risk of something going wrong and destroying the ship," he looked at the President. "I am afraid that they are stuck here, Mr. President."

President Blum sat back in his chair, looking like a heavy weight had been dropped on his shoulders. "So now we have a choice," he said. "Do we allow the Autobots to stay on Luna, or do we find some means of evicting them?"

Silent murmurs rose around the room as the assembled Admirals and Generals discussed among themselves what to do. After several minutes passed, Cartwell cleared his throat loudly to get everyone's attention. "I know this is not an easy decision to make," he said. "But I believe we have a moral obligation to at least consider it. We're not talking about some refugees here. The fate of a species hangs in the balance here."

President Blum shifts in his chair and lets out a breath. "Admiral Cartwell, when I ran for the Presidency of the United Nations of Sol, it was on the platform of education reform and renovation of our Infrastructure. And, of course, a promise to end the war with the League of Independence. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would be the President who navigated humanity through first contact. We had always thought such an event would not happen for centuries, and when we had left our stellar cradle," he leaned in on the monitor. "But fate has dealt us a different hand, and now I am faced with a decision that could decide the fate of a species," Blum brought a hand over his mouth, a pensive expression spreading across his face. "I will need time to consider my decision."

Cartwell nodded. "I do not mean to rush you, Mr. President," he said. "This is not a decision that should be made lightly."

President Blum nodded his head. "You will have my decision by tomorrow," he said. "Until then, continued to protect Luna from any incursion. We don't know if or when the Decepticons will attack again."

Cartwell Saluted. "Understood, Mr. President."

Present

That had been four days ago, and they had received the President's decision. He hoped it was the best one for the Cybertronians and, of course, for humanity.

"Admiral, we're picking up spatial anomalies," a crewman said. Cartwell was torn away from his thoughts. "Sir, they're space bridges, three of them."

Cartwell was at his command terminal, watching as three of the strange wormholes opened in front of the Lunar Defense fleet. The Decepticons had come. "Order the fleet to battle stations."

Nemesis

"Lord Megatron, the fleet has made a safe transition to normal space."

"Good," Megatron said, walking through the bridge of the Nemesis. He stopped at the terminal displaying an image of his fleet and its target.

The lunar body orbiting the human homeworld, which he had learned they called Earth. A fitting name, he supposed. "What is the enemy disposition?"

"I'm reading roughly one hundred twenty-one ships," a vehicon reported. "My liege, eleven of them appear to be Autobot warships."

Megatron rubbed his chain, contemplating what the vehicon said. "So, some arrived ahead of schedule," he said. "It doesn't matter. They will be the first to fall, and their brethren will join them. Continue with the report.

"I am also reading an extensive network of what appears to be heavily armed satellites," defense platforms Megaton concluded. "And I am picking up high energy readings from the lunar surface."

Megatron heard a set of footsteps behind him. "My guess would be surface weaponry with the capacity to engage targets in space," Megatron turned to face one of his top Lieutenants, Skyquake. "Not that it matters. These humans will soon feel our wrath."

Megatron smiled at Skyquake, agreeing with the meche's words. "Do not underestimate these humans, Skyquake," he said as words of caution. "We have already done that twice and have paid for it. We will engage them with all due caution; their weapons are primitive but powerful. And unlike our Autobot counterparts, they appear to be more tactically minded. Look at the disposition of the human fleet," he pointed to the image of the human fleet.

Skyquake stood beside Megatron and looked at the image with a critical optic. "They have kept the largest of their ships in the back of their lines. It is safe to assume those ships have their most powerful weapons and have the longest range. Their smaller ships are held in the front where they can protect their larger counterparts. The Autobots did not learn such a simple but valuable tactic until later in the war. Don't underestimate these humans, Skyquake, it is clear to me that this species has a history of war."

Skyquake bowed to him. "Yes, Lord Megatron," he said. "I shall heed your words of wisdom," by the tone of his voice, Megatron doubted that. But Skyquake was a fast learner. Once the battle started, he would quickly come to respect what his enemy was capable of.

Of the three hundred warships Megatron had amassed, he had brought only fifty with him. Enough to contend with the human fleet and their Autobot allies. The human vessels may be powerful, but Decepticon warships still had the technological edge. If Starscream's battle with them was any indication, they would need twice as many ships to hold off his attack.

That is, if his intention was to take the lunar body. His only goal was to take his prize and then set the rest of his plan in motion. The rest of the fleet was held back for later when Megatron would ravage the rest of the human home system.

"My lord," a vehicon soldier said. "The human fleet is hailing us."

Megatron smiled. "So, the natives wish to speak to us," he said. "Very well. Let us hear what they have to say," then his energon cannons would turn their ships into molten slag.

UNS. Armstrong

"Admiral," the comms officer said. "The Decepticons are responding to our hails."

Cartwell masked his surprise. He had figured they would open fire first. "On screen," he said. The image on his monitor changed to reveal the imposing form of the Decepticon leader. If he had not seen the images beforehand, Cartwell might have flinched at seeing the hulking form of Megatron.

The images provided did not do this meche justice. Megatron was truly an imposing being, towering over his fellow Decepticons. His dark metal grey color almost blended in with the dim lighting of his command center. A set of red eyes gazed back at the Admiral. The Decepticon leader looked like he was a gladiator that had crawled out of some hell-spawned pit. If what he read about Kaon was any indication, then that description was closer to the truth than he was comfortable with.

"Decepticon Fleet," Admiral Cartwell started. "I am Admiral Archie Cartwell of the Luna Defense Fleet in command of the UNS. Armstrong. As a representative of the United Nations of Sol, I must warn you that you have just violated our air space. Furthermore, you have brought what is unquestionably a fleet of warships. State your business here or withdraw from our airspace. Do not attempt to approach Luna, or we will assume hostility and open fire," to punctuate his point, he gestured for his people to send out the order for the fleet to lock all weapons on the Decepticon ships. An action he knew the Decepticons would notice.

Megatron smiled an action that somehow made him look more intimidating. "My apologies, Admiral Cartwell," he said. "I did not mean to frighten you or your people. I simply had wished to gain your attention."

Admiral Cartwell scowled at the Decepticon leader. "You have my attention," he said.

"I see that you are a reasonable person," Megatron said. "Good, then this will make my case all the easier to make. Simply put, I am here to retrieve what is rightfully mine. And to bring to justice the criminals that stole it from me in the first place."

"You mean the Autobots?" Cartwell said.

"Indeed, I am," Megatron confirmed. "The Autobots you are harboring are war criminals whose actions have destroyed our homeworld. Causing our people to scatter on solar winds."

"Funny," Cartwell said, keeping his voice natural. "The Autobots claim much the same thing about you."

Megatron chuckled. "Autobots lies," he said. Megatron differently had a way with words. Cartwell made a note to tread carefully with the Decepticon leader. "All the Decepticons want is what is best for the people of Cybertron."

"I see," Cartwell said, rubbing his chin. "Then your intentions here are peaceful, despite what I am seeing here?"

Megatron nodded. "Of course," he said. "The fleet here is only to show just how seriously we are taking the matter. After all, the future of our species is at stake here."

Cartwell hummed for a second. "Yes, Optimus Prime told us about what the Ark contained," he said. "Something that your people know as Protoform Formation Chambers."

For a moment, Cartwell thought he saw a passing moment of irritation on the Decepticon leader's face. Just as quickly as it came, it was gone. "Then you are aware of what is at stake," he stated. Cartwell nodded. "Then you understand why we do not want such a valuable piece of technology to fall into the wrong hands. Hands like Optimus Prime and his band of criminals."

"Yes, I do," Cartwell said with a sympathetic nod. "But before a decision can be made. I must ask you something."

"Anything, Admiral Cartwell," Megatron said.

"If your intentions were peaceful from the beginning," Cartwell started, "perhaps you can explain what happened when a task force of your ships appeared in our airspace chasing the Autobot ship."

A tight frown appeared on Megatron's face. "I believe that group was led by my second-in-command, Starscream."

Cartwell nodded as the memories of the first battle against the Decepticons flashed across his mind. "When we tried contacting this lord Starscream, his attitude was…" Cartwell trailed off, acting like he was searching for the right words, "blatantly rude. At first sight, he dismissed us as primitive organics. He then proceeded to continue his attack on the fleeing Autobot ship while ignoring our orders to stand down. At which point, he had one of his ships fire on one of our own. Destroying it and initiating a brief battle in which five other ships were lost and four heavily damaged."

"I can see how that wou-" Megatron began.

Cartwell cut him off. "Furthermore, not even two days passed before a Decepticon strike team landed on Luna and attacked the Autobot ship. Our people were caught in the crossfire, resulting in more than thirty UNS personal deaths. Between the two battles, more than a thousand UNS personnel have been killed by your Decepticons. Can you explain that?"

For a moment, Megatron looked apologetic, something the Cartwell didn't buy for a second. "My apologizes, Admiral," he said. "I gave my second-in-command strict orders to retrieve the Ark. No matter the cost. I'm afraid that Starscream can sometimes be over-zealous when executing his orders. I apologize for any transgressions he has committed against your people, and I take full responsibility for his actions," Megatron was good, really good. The Decepticon leader was more than a former gladiator. He knew how to use his words well. "As for his rudeness, I am also sorry to say that is another flaw of his character. Starscream is not the most open-minded Decepticon in our ranks."

Cartwell rubbed his chin, pretending to consider the con's words. "Then perhaps this was all a misunderstanding," he said.

"Why, of course," Megatron said. "All we Decepticons desire is peace. So, I ask you again to hand over the Autobot war criminals and the property they stole from us. Then we may leave in peace. Who knows, this may yet be the beginning of a relationship that will be a benefit to both our peoples."

Cartwell hummed, looking like he was considering what he had heard. "That may not be as easy as you think," Cartwell said. "These Autobots have presented a compelling case for their cause. They have even asked for refugee in our solar system. The UNS Council will be convening soon to discuss the matter."

He saw a frown appear around the corners of Megatron's mouth. "That is disappointing to hear," he said.

"If you like," Cartwell said. "I can talk to my superiors and see if they can let you present yourself before the Council. From there, you can make your case. Then after that, they can prepare a response. Is that acceptable to you?"

Again, Megatron smiled. "A most reasonable gesture," he said. "I would like to convene with my Lieutenants and see what they think of the matter. You will have my response."

Cartwell smiled. "Very well," he said. "Then, in the spirit of inter-species cooperation, I welcome you to the Sol system. Admiral Cartwell out," the link was terminated.

Once the image of the Decepticon leader vanished from his terminal, Cartwell frowned. "You didn't buy that? Did you, sir?" A nearby crewman said.

Cartwell shook his head. "Not for a second," he said. "Comms tell the fleet to go to full battle stations. I suspect the Decepticon's response will not be to our liking. Then get a link to Prime. Inform him he may soon be facing Decepticon forces making landfall."

"Aye, sir."

Cartwell gave the looming Decepticon fleet one last look of defiance before he gave the order. "All hands, battle stations."

Megatron was rubbing his chin as the link was terminated. "A most intriguing species," he said after a moment of thought. "I can see why Starscream had trouble dealing with them."

"Starscream is a fool and a coward," Skyquake scoffed. "He should have stood his ground against these humans. Look at the way they groveled at your feet. They're weak."

Megatron rolled his optics. "Do not underestimate our enemies, Skyquake," he said. Skyquake was a fine Lieutenant, loyal and capable. But he was quick to judge and quicker to wade into battle. Those are fine traits for a Decepticon to have on the field of battle.

But the large seeker lacked the qualities for some of the finer things the Decepticons involved themselves in, such as when it came to face-to-face interactions with the enemy. "That human, Cartwell, was trying to lull me into a false sense of security, as I did with him. I did not buy into it, and I suspect neither did he," as a gladiator, Megatron knew the use of sword and cannon quite well, just how deadly they could be.

However, once he entered the political arena, he quickly learned that words, when applied correctly, could be just as or even deadlier than any weapon could be. His interaction with the human Admiral had shown all he needed to know. The humans, while primitive, were dangerous.

"Skyquake," Megatron commanded. "You will lead our seeker armadas against the human strike craft. Prevent them from providing their ground forces with air support. You may engage their larger warships if you see the opportunity."

Skyquake bowed to his master. "Yes, lord Megatron," he said. "Your will shall be done. On this day, I vow the Autobots, and their human allies will know defeat," then he turned around and left the bridge.

Megatron walked up to a communications terminal and activated the comms. "Barricade, prepare to lead our ground forces for an assault on the Autobot ship."

"Yes, Lord Megatron," Barricade said over the comm.

"Shockwave, is the weapon ready?"

"It is master," Shockwave said.

Megatron smiled, his plan would soon be set in motion. "Good. I want the weapon to be deployed to the lunar surface as soon as the battle begins."

"As you command, my Lord," the Decepticon scientist replied. "I shall personally oversee its deployment."

"Good," Megatron said. "But do not activate it right away. We must have the time to secure the Ark. Only then can the Autobots and the humans taste our wrath."

"I understand," Shockwave said before the link was terminated.

Megatron was smiling. Already the thrill of the battle was coursing through his veins and, of course, his ultimate triumph. He could now see the next generation of Cybertronians bowing down before as the one true master of their race.

Then his optics turned to the human fleet. His smile grew more menacing. He saw a future for them too. Once they were punished and humbled, they would make for a fine addition to what would be a Decepticon Empire. Victory was within his grasp. All he needed to do was take it.

"I believe it is time that I give the humans our response," he said. "Decepticons attack!"

The second battle for Luna had begun.

As the battle raged across the skies above, Luna, the soldiers of both the Autobots and the UNS, were scrambling to prepare defenses around the Ark. They knew a ground battle was coming, and their primary target would be the Ark.

Sure, there was the offhand chance that the Decepticons would attack some of the outposts on Luna, maybe even one of its cities. All UNS forces on Luna had been put on high alert, and defenses prepared for any assault. But everyone knew if such attacks did happen, they, at best, would be diversionary assaults meant to draw forces away from the Ark or to prevent reinforcements from mobilizing. But Megatron would focus his efforts on the Autobot ship. That was where his prize was. It was where the future of the Cybertronian race would be decided.

Trench lines had been dug up around the autobot ship. Conner wasn't sure how much good they would do against giant robots. But they did give his people cover to hide behind during the fight. Several companies of soldiers were gathered to defend the site and all the support that would typically accompany them.

Spread across their lines were several UNS assault vehicles, such as tanks of all kinds whose weapons hopefully would make short of Decepticon soldiers and infantry fighting vehicles that would move around the battlefield. Further back at the base near the Autobot ship were dozens of gunships that provided allied forces with much-needed air support. Further in still, near the Autobot ship, were lines of artillery pieces.

A marine regiment was even provided for more firepower and mobility. That was why Conner was here and not on the Armstrong. It was one hell of a concentration of UNS military might, especially when he considered that hundreds of Autobot soldiers, themselves who may as well as qualify as heavy weapons platforms, were spread across the defense lines. Conner hoped it would be enough to repel any assault from the enemy.

At the very least, he hoped they would hold out long enough for the navy to eject the Decepticon fleet from their airspace.

"I don't get it," a private beside him asked. "Why haven't the cons landed their forces yet? It's been what two hours? Three, maybe?"

"They'll come," Conner said. "Despite what we've seen, the Decepticons are much smarter than they look."

Outside the trench lines and in his alternate form, Bumblebee supported Conner. "He's right. The cons underestimated you the last couple of times. Megatron will not allow the mistake to be made a third time. Especially not with what's at stake."

"So, what are they waiting for?" The private asked. "Why not attack sooner?"

"My guess would be that Megatron is trying to tie up as much of the navy as he can in the battle," Conner said.

"Keep them from providing us with support," Hotrod said. "Megatron has always been a clever scrapper."

"So, how long do we have to wait?" the private asked. "When will the enemy try to land their forces."

Conner shrugged his shoulders. "It can be anytime now," he said. "I suggest that you-" he was cut off mid-sentence when he and the rest of the UNS forces caught sight of something strange.

The space in front of their front lines seemed to ripple and crack. Like something was distorting the fabric of space, perhaps trying to break through. Before they could comprehend what was going on, a line of green vortexes appeared, and out from them emerged an army of vehicon soldiers firing their weapons.

While the UNS soldiers were caught flatfooted by the sudden appearance of the Decepticons soldiers, the Autobots were not. "Cons!" Hotrod shouted as he fired his arm cannons back at the approaching enemy. More of the Autobots joined him.

That snapped the UNS forces out of their daze, and they quickly added their own firepower to the mix. "All units open fire," the commanding officer ordered. Conner didn't find it necessary. Everyone was already firing on the cons.

Several of the vehicons went down from the combined fire of the Autobots and the UNS forces. The rest quickly wised up and took cover wherever they could. Conner was thankful to note that there wasn't much for the cons to hide behind. Thus, forcing them to advance in the open.

But even as more of the Decepticon soldiers died, more yet were pouring in from the green vortexes. Conner ducks back into his trench, avoiding an energon bolt that sailed overhead. "What the hell!" He shouted. Then looked over at the two Autobots close to them. "You didn't say anything about them being able to open portals like that."

"Their ground bridges," Bumblebee said, trying to focus on the battle at hand. "it's a scaled-down version of a space bridge. But instead of being able to travel anywhere in the galaxy. It lets you travel across a planet's surface."

"Or, in this case, travel to the surface of a planet," Hotrod finished. "Ehh, moon?"

Conner's mind whirled with the possible implications of this technology. It was bad enough that the enemy had the technology to travel anywhere in the galaxy, but now that same technology could be used to travel anywhere on the surface of a plant.

With it, they could bypass all traditional forms of defenses. Land an army behind defensive armies, flanking them. Or even right in the middle of a base where they could easily capture it. Hell, they could even open a ground bridge in a room of high-profile targets and kick in a bomb. The possibilities were limitless and terrifying.

It was perhaps a good thing that only so many space bridges existed. The same thing had to apply to ground bridges, right? "They're just using those space bridge things, right?" he asked a pair of Autobots. "Just using them to travel across a planet, right?"

He hoped the pair of brothers would confirm his hopes. Unfortunately, they shook their heads. "As my brother said," Hotrod began, "Ground bridges are a scaled-down version of space bridges. They're a separate and more easily understood piece of technology," he dodged a pair of energon bolts.

"It's easier to travel across a planet than across space," Bumblebee commented.

Conner sighed and returned to his position on the trench line. He would worry about the implications of ground bridges later. For now, he was thankful the cons weren't using it to teleport directly into the Autobot ship. He fired a quick burst from his plasma rifle before his thoughts clicked in his mind.

"Wait a minute," he said. He didn't take his eyes off the battle. He fired burst after burst. "Why didn't the cons just ground bridge directly into your ship? Why are they bothering to attack our lines? Why not just go for the ship itself?"

"Scattering field," Both brothers answered.

"Scattering field?" Conner questioned. A slight smile cracked across his face as he saw one of his burst burns through the remains of a con's chest plate ending their life.

"Simply put," Bumblebee began, "ground bridges can be blocked. I'm unsure if the same thing can apply to space bridges. I don't think anyone has tried."

That relieves Conner a little bit. So, the technology wasn't unbeatable, it could be blocked, and he hoped it had other limitations. He hoped that the UNS could replicate the blocking technology, which would go a long way in ensuring their security against the Decepticons. Still, ground bridges sounded like an incredibly useful piece of technology. He wasn't about to underestimate its tactical value.

A new figure emerged from the ground bridge portals. He was much larger than the vehicons pouring out and bulkier. He was in colors of black and white.

Conner knew trouble when he saw it, and this new con was screaming it. "W-who is that?" The Private next to him asked.

"That's Barricade," Bumblebee said, "He's one of Megatron's top Lieutenants."

"And one of the toughest cons I've ever seen," Hotrod added.

Conner cursed under his breath and sent a transmission to command. "This is Corporal Conner O'Neil," he said. "A new enemy contact has entered the battlefield. The Autobots have Id'd him as a high-profile target. Sending data now," he cut the link and transmitted his helmet's visual recordings. Then he took aim at the new con. "Everyone target the new enemy," he ordered his unit.

Firing his rifle, he sent a silent prayer to the stars. He hoped that Jack was having a better time than he was.

"This Raptor-three, I got an enemy on my tail," a voice cracked into Jack's ear. "I can't shake them."

Jack took a sidewise glance at a monitor showing representations of the battle. Around him, the larger capital ships exchanged fire with their counterparts. Weaving around them, swarms of strike craft on both sides played a deadly game of cat and mouse. He saw the representation of Raptor-three being chased by a small red dot.

They were close to him. That is, close in terms of space combat. He activated a link to Raptor-three. "This is Red-Seven," he said to the pilot. "Hanger in there, Raptor-three. I'm on my way."

"Copy that," Raptor-three said, "But please hurry. I'm not sure how long I can hold out against this guy."

In his cockpit, Jack nodded and terminated the link. He pulled at the controls making his fighter veer off from its flight path and towards the endangered Raptor-three. Around him, the battle raged on as fighters weaved between capital ships, chasing their prey. A bright flash of light caught Jack's attention. Shielding his eyes momentarily, Jack saw a UNS cruiser ripped apart by explosions. He saw the small outlines of escape pods shooting out from the dying warship.

Jack turned his eyes away from the sight. The dead would have to be mourned later. Right now, the living took precedence. Seconds later, he was on the tail of the con chasing Raptor-three.

Jack fired a volley of plasma fire at the con. Missing as the con started a set of evasive maneuvers. But it was still chasing Raptor-three, limiting its moments. Jack didn't have to bother to check his instruments to know he got a lock on.

He pressed the firing trigger, and a volley of plasma bolts sailed across the empty void, hitting the con in their engines. The decepticon probably didn't even realize they were dead when they exploded into a shower of scrap metal.

Jack gently flew his craft out from the path of the remains of his kill. So far, that made four confirmed kills on his end. He flew alongside Raptor-three. Close enough that he could see the pilot in their cockpit giving him a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Red-Seven," the pilot said through the fighter's comms. "I don't know what I would have done without your help."

Jack nodded and returned the thumbs up. "No problem," he said. "We flyboys got to look out for each other."

He heard a chuckle. "True enough," Raptor-three said. "Still, I owe you one. How about a drink after the battle? Assuming we're both still alive."

Jack smiled behind his oxygen mask. "I'll take you up…. Raptor-three! Watch out!" Jack's horrified cry came too late as a bolt of red impacted their fighter.

The craft exploded, killing Raptor-three in fire. Jack pulled on the controls of his fighter, avoiding the worst of the explosion. But Jack had no time to relax as he pulled his fighter into a set of frantic maneuvers avoiding several bolts aimed at him.

Out from the wreckage of Raptor-three's fighter, a decepticon flyer barreled towards him. A Decepticon that Jack had quickly become familiar with.

"Not you again."

"I have found you again, little human," Skyquake said more to himself. He chased after his prey even as they went into a tight set of maneuvers avoiding his energon blasts.

Lord Megatron had been right in not underestimating the humans. At first, Skyquake had regarded the humans as little more than pests. In his mind, the failures of the previous battles had been a result of incompetence on Starscream's part. While he still believed that was still the case, he could now see that the humans were more capable than he gave them credit for.

From the beginning of the battle, he had expected them to break under the weight of a Decepticon attack, particularly one led by Megatron himself. But the humans had held up and fought with a ferocity that he had only ever seen in other Decepticons and rarely among the Autobots. For that, they had earned his respect.

In particular, their so-called strike craft pilots had earned his respect. They were no seekers but flew better than the Vehicon flyers that now swarmed the skies about the lunar body.

His prey twisted around in the void, making a sharp turn that, by all rights, should have turned the fleshy pilot into a paste. Skyquake chased after the strike-craft making the same sharp turn. In his alternate form, Skyquake was smiling.

He had sent many of the human pilots to their makers, finding them to be of a little challenge. They were better than the Vehicons, or perhaps better than most Aerialbots he had fought. But they were of little challenge.

But he had found a few that, in another life, would have made for fine seekers. The one he was chasing now, he had fought before in this battle. This pilot was unlike any of the other humans he had seen flying around. The others were clunky and lacked the grace that the seekers had when they were in their alternate form. But this one flew like he was one with his craft. Like it was his body flying around the void of space in the same manner, the Skyquake himself would.

His prey flew along the hull of one of the human cruisers, hugging its hull tightly. One wrong move or miscalculation would see the craft crashing into the hull. Skyquake copied the action, keeping up his chase. This was something even most seekers would find hard to do. Yet here was this human making it look easy.

What a sad day it must have been that this human was not born as a seeker, Skyquake thought to himself. He readied his cannons, locking onto the human stirk craft. Perhaps in the next life, things will be set right.

Just as they reached the edge of the cruiser, the human pilot made a sudden and sharp downward turn. Almost scraping against the hull of the much larger ship. Skyquake flew out from the ship and came to a stop, turning around to chase the pilot.

Irritation shot through the Decepticon seeker when he saw the human was gone and off his sensors. That was twice now the human pilot had escaped his sights. To Skyquake's surprise, he felt a sense of joy well up in him. He flew off in search of the pilot or new prey.

For the first time in a long time, he had found a worthy opponent.

Megatron would admit it. He was mildly impressed with the humans. They fought well, and their weapons, while primitive compared to cybertronian weapons, were powerful.

He was starting to see why Starscream and Makeshift failed their missions. Looking back at it now, Megatron would admit it had been a mistake to entrust Starscream with the mission of pursuing the Ark. Starscream was one of Megatron's best. He wouldn't have become his second-in-command if he wasn't. He was crafty, ruthless, and had a pinch for unorthodox tactics. But Starscream had a habit of becoming overconfident and underestimated his foes frequently. Those traits often led his plans, however brilliant they may be, to failure.

Megatron had learned long ago in the pits of Kaon what overconfidence often leads to. The Retrieval of the Ark was too important of a task to leave to anyone else but himself.

"Lord Megatron," a vehicon soldier said."

"Report," Megatron said, keeping his optics on the battle.

"We're picking up ship movement from the fleet defending the human homeworld," the soldier said. "Several squadrons of warships are breaking off from the main fleet."

A smile spread across Megatron's face. Just as he predicted. "What is their course?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"The ships appear to be on an intercept course for us, my liege," the soldier said.

"They are hoping to catch us between two fronts," Megatron summarized. "A simple but effective plan. Too bad for them I have a counter," he turned to face the vehicon. "Open a channel to Starscream. Tell him he may begin."

Just as a detachment from the Earth Defense Fleet began to move to support the Lunar fleet, a space bridge was detected opening near Earth. From the swirling green vortex, more Decepticon warships poured out. By the time Starscream's command ship, the Blood of Unicorn came out, closing the vortex, more than thirty Decepticon warships had their weapons trained on the Earth Defense Fleet and Earth itself.

Starscream was smiling as the image of the human homeworld came into view. The humans had played right into Megatron's plans.

"Lord Starscream," a vehicon said. "We are in position. On your orders, we'll engage the human fleet."

Starscream let out a chuckle. As much as he would love to destroy the human fleet and see their homeworld burned to cinders. Megatron had something special in mind. "Negative trooper," he said. "Lord Megatron has given us strict orders. We are to hold position and only engage any ship that tries to break away from the planet's orbit."

"Yes, lord Starscream," the vehicon said, returning to its work.

Starscream turned his gaze at the fleet protecting the human homeworld. It was sorely tempting to disobey his lord and master and destroy the pitiful cluster of ships. He wants to turn that blue jewel into an ashen grey.

But Starscream had enough intelligence not to risk Megatron's wrath. He would wait and see his master's plans unfold. If it succeeds, then the wait would be worth it.

"I'm sorry, Cartwell," Admiral Colson said. "But we can't dispatch any ship to your position. Not with that Decepticon fleet hanging so close to Earth."

Cartwell let out a frustrated sigh. He knew this would happen the moment the Decepticon's secondary fleet arrived. "I understand," he said. "I imagine it wasn't an easy decision to make."

"The decision wasn't really mine to make," Colson said. "They were orders coming directly from the President. He doesn't want to risk the safety of Earth."

Cartwell rubbed his chin, unhappy with how things were unfolding. "Once again, politicians get in the way," but he couldn't say he disagreed with the President's decision.

Colson nodded, showing he understood Cartwell's feelings. "While I don't like it, I agree with the man's decision," he said. "With or without his orders, I would have made the same decision."

"I understand," Cartwell said. "Has this secondary fleet shown any sign that they'll attack Earth?"

Colson shook his head. "None so far," he said. "But they do have their weapons charged and locked onto us and the Earth itself. But so far, they have taken no provocative action. My guess is they are meant to keep us tied up defending Earth."

That was Cartwell's guess as well. Looking at the battle as a whole, he realized that the Decepticon's entire battle plan seemed to revolve around waiting actions. The Deception's main fleet was large and powerful. If they wanted to, they could have rushed Luna's defense and breakthrough. Instead, they held back at the maximum range of their weapons and had their stirk-craft close in to engage their human counterparts.

Megatron didn't want to take Luna. He was waiting for something. Cartwell's eyes landed on the representation of Luna, the highlighted area being the focus of his attention. He could hazard a guess what the Decepticon leader was after.

"I understand, Admiral Colson," Cartwell said. "If need be, we'll defend Luna by ourselves."

Colson nodded. "You won't be alone out there," he said. "At least not for long. Mars is dispatching as many warships as they can spare. But they won't arrive for two or three hours. Until then, you have to hold out. Understood?"

Cartwell nodded, glad to hear they would be getting help. "Understood, Admiral," he said.

Colson nodded. "Good luck out there," he said. Then his image winked out.

"We'll need it," Cartwell said under his breath. He couldn't shake the feeling that Megatron was planning more than just taking the Autobot ship. He had something else in store, and whatever it was, it sent a chill down Cartwell's spine.

"Admiral," a crewman called to him, "We're picking up additional energy readings from the moon. I think it might be another of those ground bridges the bots told us about."

Cartwell's brow creased. "Is it near the Ark?" he asked, wondering if Megatron was sending a fresh wave after the Ark.

The officer shook his head. "Negative, sir. It's coming from the other side of the moon."

Lunar Surface

Wheeljack jumped high into the air. As he came down, he lashed his blades out, aiming at the chest plate of his opponent.

The imposing form of Barricade didn't have enough time to react as the blades raked across his chest plate. He let out a scream of pain as he swung his hammer down on Wheeljack.

Seeing this coming, Wheeljack backflipped away just as the hammer smashed into the ground. "Autobot scum," he shouted, firing his shoulder-mounted cannon.

Wheeljack did a flip to the side, avoiding the blast. "Come on, big guy," he taunted the larger decepticon. "I've seen titans move quicker than you."

At the insult, Barricade let out a furious scream and charged at Wheeljack. Wheeljack smiled. "Hook, line, and sinker," he muttered under his breath. A human expression he had quickly picked up on.

Moments later, Barricade was hit in the back by several energon bolts that almost had him falling over. But he did stumble forward, giving Wheeljack an opening he was quick to exploit. The wrecker lunched forward and swung his blades, aiming for the chest. This time he intended for them to cut right into the con's spark chamber, ending him once and for all. Unfortunately, the con quickly reacted and used his mace to parry the attack.

Wheeljack growled. "Nice try," Barricade said with a smile. "But you'll have to do better than that bot." Using his mace, he pushed Wheeljack back.

Wheeljack stumbled back and quickly regained his footing. But the con was right on top of him and was about to bring his mace down on him. Then several energon bolts mixed in with the much smaller plasma bolts slammed into his back.

"Scrap," Barricade growled as he turned to face new attackers. Wheeljack, for a moment, glanced over the big decepticon to see who was attacking him. He smiled at seeing the latest additions to team Prime charging at Barricade. Behind them, dozens of human soldiers fired from within their trench lines.

Barricade fired his arm cannon at the Autobot brothers, who simply sidestepped his attacks. Behind them, the humans ducked into their trenches, avoiding the brunt of the energon bolts fired at them.

With his opponent distracted, Wheeljack quickly jumped and swung his leg out. He nailed Barricade on the side of his head, sending him stumbling to the side. As he landed, Bumblebee and Hotrod joined him.

Wheeljack held his blades towards Barricade and smiled. "Three against one," he said. "Plus, extras," he nodded toward the human soldiers. "Think you can take those odds?"

Barricade growled. But examined the battlefield. "Another day, Autobot scum," he said, transforming into his alternate form and speeding off from them.

"Hey," Hotrod shouted. "Get back here," he tried to run after the retreating decepticon lieutenant. He was stopped by a hail of energon bolts from a pack of vehicons charging at them.

"Careful, kid," Wheeljack said, using his blades to parry some of the incoming energon fire. "We got other cons to fry," he prepared himself for a fight against the vehicons, and the Autobot brothers did the same.

That was when he saw clusters of missiles sail towards the cons. Several explosions ripped them apart, with the few survivors being cut down by energon fire from the three Autobots. When the last vehicon was offlined, Wheeljack looked between Bumblebee and Hotrod. He was impressed with the two.

"Not bad," he said to the pair. "Maybe I should recruit you into the wreckers," Bumblebee gave him an appreciative nod while his brother looked at him excitedly.

"We appreciate the offer," Bumblebee said. "But I think we'll stick with team prime."

Wheeljack snorted, "Your loss, kid," he looked over at where the cluster of missiles had come from. Hanging in the air above them, he saw human gunships. Knowing he and the other autobots had air support in this battle was strange.

Aside from the Aerialbots, it was rare that the Autobots had any air units. For most of the war, the Decepticons monopolized air superiority.

Wheeljack gave off a quick salute to the gunships. In the cockpit of one gunship, he saw one pilot give him a thumbs up. Then the gunships flew over them.

With the little lull, he and the others found Wheeljack examining the battlefield. The decepticons were still pressing their assault from all sides. They even managed to break through a couple of their lines in some areas. But for the most part, the defense of the Ark was holding.

He noticed some of the soldiers walking up to them. Among them was Conner. "I'm becoming increasingly impressed with you humans," he said through a com-line to the humans. "You may be small little guys, but you got some fight in you."

Conner chuckled. "I would hope so," he said. Then looked around. "I suggest we get a move on. The lines are holding, but if we are going to win this fight, we need to push the enemy out."

Wheeljack nodded. There would be time for talk later. "Right then," he said, pulling his blades out. "Me and these two," he gestured to Bumblebee and Hotrod, "Will lead the charge. You guys keep back and support us."

Conner and the other human soldiers saluted him. "Understood, sir. You lead the way," Wheeljack smiled. Maybe he would make wreckers out of them.

"Optimus Prime to Wheeljack, do you read?" Prime's voice rings in Wheeljack's audio receptors.

Wheeljack frowned. What could the boss man be calling him for? Wheeljack activated his comm. "Wheeljack here," he said. "What's going on?" Looking down, he noticed that Conner also seemed to be talking to somebody.

"Wheeljack," Prime said. "We may have a situation. The humans detected a ground bridge on the other side of their moon."

Wheeljack's frown deepened. "What could the cons be doing there? The battle is over here." Something felt off.

"I don't know," Prime said in a tone that suggested he shared the sentiment. "I want you, Bumblebee, and Hotrod to investigate it. Whatever they are doing, you must put a stop to it. The humans will be accompanying you as well."

Almost on cue, Wheeljack saw three human shuttles come into sight. "Understood, Prime," Wheeljack said. "Whatever the cons are up to, we'll put a stop to it."

"Keep me informed," Prime said then the link was cut."

Bumblebee and Hotrod gave him questioning looks as the three human shuttles landed. "What's going on, Wheeljack?" Bumblebee asked. "Something happened?"

Wheeljack sheathed his blades and transformed into his alternate form. "Come boys," he said, raving his engine up. "Prime's got a job for us."

Ark

Makeshift looked out the corridor, looking to see if somebody would come by. Once he was confident that no one would come by, he turned his attention to the body in front of him.

It was easy enough to break from the Autobot's prison. All he had to do was wait for the guards to change shifts and slip out during the opening.

Alarms blared to life. "Attention, all Autobots," Optimus Prime's voice rang across the ship. "The prisoner has escaped. Be on the lookout for a Decepticon attempting to escape the ship."

Makeshift smiled to himself. It was too bad he wouldn't be a Decepticon for long. He touched the body of the dead Autobot, and a second later, his whole body transformed. Nor did he have plans of escape, not yet. After hiding the body, Makeshift strolled through the halls of the Autobot ship.

Darkside of the moon

Conner was nervous. He had just received a change in orders to investigate a decepticon presence on the other side of the moon, far from the battle around the Autobot ship. Sure, he was always nervous before a mission. As a Marine, there was always the chance he wouldn't come back. That this deployment would be his last.

That was normal. It was normal to be nervous. But he had understood and accepted those risks. However, he was nervous for a different reason. Something about this mission felt different, he could feel it in his bones.

The decepticons were up to something, and whatever it was, it had to be stopped. No matter the cost.

"Attention," the pilot said over the com. "We will be landing in approximately one minute."

Connor nodded and looked around at the occupants of the shuttle. Aside from him, fourteen other Marines and an Autobot in their alternate form were on board. With the Autobot here, it made for some cramped space on the shuttle. The other two shuttles had the same amount of force. So, altogether, their unit consisted of forty-five Marines and three autobots.

"All right, everybody," he said, activating a comm link to the other shuttles. "We will soon be landing. Inspect your gear and make sure you have everything you need," as he was saying this, he inspected his own gear. "Once we land, we'll approach the decepticon position and investigate their presence there. Once we have ascertained their object, we are to do everything in our power to stop them. Is that understood?"

"Sir, Yes, Sir," the Marines chorused.

"Remember, we are Marines," Conner said. "We are the first ones in and the first ones out. No matter what we face, we will always achieve our objectives." Conner lurched to the side as the shuttle landed and the bay doors opened. "Now let's get out there and show everyone why the Marine Corps. has the best that the UNS can offer. Let's move!"

"Sir, Yes, Sir!"

"Well, you know how to get them going," the one called Wheeljack said. In his alternate form, he looked like an alien sports car. "It's even got me going."

Conner smiled. "I'm the unit leader," he said as he removed the buckles on his seat and stood up. "It's my job to motivate them."

"Then let's get going," the Autobot said, revving his engine. "The decepticons aren't going to wait around for us. They must have seen your shuttles approaching."

Conner nodded. With their advanced technology, he wouldn't be surprised if they did. "Lead the way then," the Marines, led by Wheeljack, poured out from their shuttle. Next to them on both sides, the same happened with the other two shuttles.

Almost immediately, energon fire rained down on them, forcing them to take cover in the nearby ridges. Conner looked up to see about five vehicons firing at them from behind their own set of ridges. "Looks like you were right," Conner said to Wheeljack, now transformed back to his regular form. "They were waiting for us."

Wheeljack nodded. "Yea," he said, scanning over the battlefield. "Which means they're guarding something important if they're willing to engage us so far from where the ground bridge was picked up," he transformed his hands into pair of cannons and fired.

Conner mounted his rifle on the ridge, took aim at a con, and fired. "How much more resistance do you think we'll encounter?"

"I'm not for sure," Wheeljack said, taking cover. "I'm thinking maybe one or two lines of defense past this one. They can't have had much time to set up."

Conner nodded, having come to a similar conclusion. "So, what's the plan? Do we take it slow and steady and try to find a weak point we can sneak through? Or do we try to break through with everything we have?"

Wheeljack hummed quietly, thinking over the options. "I don't know what the cons are up to. But something tells me we'll regret it if we don't hurry up."

Conner nodded. He had the same feeling. "All right then," he said. "So, what's the plan then?

"Me and the kids will charge at the cons," Wheeljack said. "Then you guys follow us, providing support fire. Sound like a plan?"

"Then let's do it," Conner said. He activated his comm, "All units, we are going to break through the enemy's defense. The autobots will charge at their line while we follow them, providing supporting fire wherever we can. We have to get through them no matter what the cost is. We don't know what the enemy has planned, but we must stop it. Understood?"

He got a chorus of "Yes, sir!"

"Then move out," Conner ordered. He looked up at Wheeljack. "Lead the way."

Without a word, the autobot jumped out from his cover and charged at the line of vehicons. The other two autobots, Bumblebee and Hotrod, followed his lead. This action caught the attention of the vehicons, and they started to focus their fire on the charging autobot soldiers.

After they were a reasonable distance away, Conner gave the signal for his people to move. With the vehicon's attention on the bots, they didn't notice the human marines coming out from their cover and joining in on the charge.

That is until plasma bolts started to hit them. But by then, it would have been too late. Conner took aim at the first vehicon he saw and fired. A plasma bolt streaked across the air and slammed into the drone's chestplate, quickly followed by several more. "Remember, concentrate your fire," Conner ordered over the comm.

One of the vehicons reacted to the sudden presence of the marines and fired its arm cannon at them. For many, instincts kicked in, and they scattered, making it hard for the cons to take them all out in a single shot. Unfortunately, two marines were not as quick to react when a bolt hit them. Nothing remained of the two except for dust and scattered remains of EVA suits.

The marines continued the charge behind the autobots. Their losses would have to be mourned later. The offending vehicon didn't get to live much longer as bolts of plasma burned into its chest plate. Eventually, breaching into what the autobot's called the sparkchamber, their heart.

Another con went down from an energon blast to its chest. The remaining three started to back away, likely trying to retreat at seeing their losses mounting. However, their attempt would be cut short as Wheeljack jumped at them and pulled out one of his blades. With one swing, one of the vehicons' heads was separated from the rest of its body. Wheeljack landed as the body fell over. He sheathed his blade, transforming his free hand into a cannon, and fired at another vehicon.

The blast tore through the chest plate, sending it stumbling back. Another blast sent it to the ground. The last Vehicon took aim at the Wheeljack, its cannon charging. An energon bolt grazed its shoulder, causing it to turn its attention to see the other autobots almost on top of it.

The vehicon did the intelligent thing and transformed into its alternate form, speeding off in another direction.

Conner grinned. They had broken the enemy's first line of defense. But he knew they would have to deal with more resistance as they got closer to whatever they were protecting.

As the mixed force of autobots and humans continued their charge, Conner looked up to the sky. He found himself praying for Jack's safety for the sixth or seventh time that day.

Ark

Makeshift accessed the terminal within one of the abandoned rooms of the autobot ship. He didn't dare to go to the bridge where in all likely hood, he would encounter Optimus Prime. As much he hated the Autobot leader, he knew the meche was sharp. However small the chance was, it was possible he would see through Makeshift's disguise.

Nor did he go anywhere near the PFC. Security would be too tight for him to slip through.

So instead, he settled for accessing a data terminal from another less guarded part of the autobot ship. He went through page after page of information, trying to see if there was anything useful.

He stumbled upon one data page that caught his attention. The statues on the Ark's engines. He read it twice and then brought up several other reports to confirm what he read.

Lord Megatron needs to know about this, Makeshift thought to himself. He noticed that someone was starting to trace his search. Scarp, the autobots were onto him.

Quickly Makeshift sent a coded transmission and got off the terminal. He left the room, making his plan to escape. He had overworn his welcome.