Chapter 7: Plots Within Shadows

League outpost KV-23:

Wheeljack smirked as his blades cut through a league tank. Then he twists around to avoid an energon blast from a vehicon charging him. Wheeljack bolted for the decepticon soldier, and a few slashes of his blades later, the con was in pieces.

Wheeljack swiftly turned around, his eyes narrowing as he saw a line of vehicon soldiers and league soldiers, their weapons trained on him. Without hesitation, he held his blades out in a fighting stance, readying himself for the fight.

Then, a wave of explosions tore through the enemy lines, sending them everywhere. The former wrecker looked up at the skies and smiled when he saw the wing of UNS bombers flying by. Wheeljack whistled. "It feels weird to have air support," he said aloud. "But I'm not complaining. Hotrod, Bee, how are you guys doing?"

"Racking up the mother of all counts on the cons," Hotrod said. "I'm two kills ahead of my bro." There was a pause in the line.

"You were saying, Hotrod?" Bee quipped, and even though Wheeljack was not there, he could see the smug smile on his face.

"Neverminded," Hotrod said defected. "He's ahead."

Wheeljack smirked. "Kid, war is not a game," he said." And besides," he slammed a con soldier to the ground and stabbed his sword into the spark chamber. "I'm always ahead. What about our marine friends? How are you guys holding up?"

"We're about to breach the commander center," Hatsuko said over the comm line. In the background, he could hear the sounds of weapons fire. "Just give us a moment; this outpost will be ours."

Wheeljack nodded and was about to respond when a flash of light in the sky caught his attention. Wheeljack looked up at the starry sky in time to see a decepticon cruiser ripped apart from internal explosions. UNS/Autobot fleet pressed down on what remained of the enemy fleet.

"And it looks like the fleet has got things handled," Wheeljack commented. He turned his cannon on a vehicon that tried to sneak up on him. A split second later, it fell to the ground with a hole in its spark chamber. "I say it won't be long before." He paused at seeing the League warships turning around and firing off their engines, taking them away from the battle.

"This is Optimus Prime," Prime's voice came over the comm link. "The enemy fleet is in full retreat. The skies have been cleared."

Wheeljack had a full-blown smile on his face at hearing that. "You hear that, everyone?" He said.

"I heard," Hatsuko replied. "And can add to that news. My people have just breached the command center. Had a bit of a firefight for a second. But the outpost commander has just issued a formal surrender."

"Can confirm here," another voice replied, a human voice. "League soldiers are dropping their weapons and surrendering."

"But the cons look like they are still looking for a fight," Hotrod said.

Wheeljack snorted. He didn't have any more cons around having dispatched the last vehicon a moment ago. "What else would you expect?" Wheeljack replied. "Vehicons aren't like you and me, or even real Decepticons. They'll fight on to the last meche."

"Then it's a good thing only a few remain," Bee added.

Wheeljack nodded. "Let's get going," he said, transforming into his alternate form and speed to the other autobots. "Let's finish this fight and get back to the fleet. Optimus will be happy to hear we got another victory under our belt."

Axion

As it was, Optimus was pleased that SOG Omega-One had another victory under its belt. "Well done, Autobots and our UNS allies," he said. A proud smile adorned his face.

"That's the third outpost we've hit this week," Hatsuko said. "And all of them with minimum casualties. I think that's something we all like to hear."

Optimus nodded. As much as he disliked fighting and war, he understood their necessity. He did prefer a peaceful means of ending a conflict if it presented itself, but he knew that wasn't always the case. However, if a battle did come, he would rather see his people come out on top with as few losses as possible. Not to say he wouldn't find a means of limiting losses for his opponents. He would.

"We still lost some good people out there," Commander Raymond countered. "The Spirit of Ice took a nasty hit in that last battle. Thirty have been confirmed dead, and fifteen are still missing."

A somber expression overtook Optimus's face. "How are the surviving crewmembers?" He asked. "I heard some are still in critical condition."

Thankfully, Jasper's CO had better news here. "Still touch and go," he said. "But our doctors believe most of them will make it through. Though a little prayer probably wouldn't hurt."

Optimus nodded. When this debriefing was over, he would pray to Primus and whatever deity the humans in medbay believed in that they may be with them. "Still, we did well today," Optimus said.

"Will we be hitting another enemy outpost?" Hatsuko asked. "I don't mind keeping up the momentum. But I think our guys might use a little rest now."

Commander Raymond looked at Optimus, and both shared the same thought. "We'll have to contact Admiral Cartwell and inform him of our success here."

Optimus started to rub his chinplate thoughtfully. "If the Admiral has no other assignment, and barring anything coming up," he carefully said. "Then a few days of rest may be in order."

"I still have our people on standby just in case something comes up," Commander Raymond said, turning his chair to face Hatsuko. "We're not in the safe harbor right now. But a little rest and relaxation should do the crew wonders."

Hatsuko nodded and smiled. "I'll inform our people as soon as possible," she said.

There was some happy chattering around the table as humans and cybertronians (in holo form) talked silently. A smile spreads across Optimus's face. He did enjoy moments like this. "I believe this will be enough for this debriefing," he said, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone in this room did well today. And I expect more great things from all of you. Get some rest. You deserve it. Dismissed."

Optimus and Raymond were the last to leave the room. "You really are a great leader, Prime," Raymond said. "I can see why the autobots follow you."

"It is nothing special, Commander Raymond," Optimus said. "A great leader can come from anywhere. All they need is the heart for it. I was only fortunate enough to have been chosen by Primus. Anyone could have done what I have done."

The UNS commander smiled at him. "Perhaps," he said. "But you do have heart. Better than what I have to say about the leader of the Decepticons. Speaking of the big guy. How do you think he's been taking this recent string of defeats?"

Optimus frowned at the thought of his old friend. "Knowing him," he started to reply. "Not very well."

Nemesis

Like Optimus said, the leader of the Decepticons was none too pleased with the recent events. "Failure after failure," he said, addressing his Lieutenants. Barricade, Stealjaw, Dreadwing, and even Shockwave in holographic image were here. Starscream was also present.

"All of you are my top Lieutenants, and yet three of you have shown to be failures," Megatron said as he walked down the line of his meches. Dreadwing, I can give you a pass as you have only recently arrived. But it would do you well to hear this."

Dreadwing nodded. "Yes, my Lord," he said. "I promise you that I will not fail you."

Megatron smiled. "If only more of you were like him," Megatron replied, glaring at his other Lieutenants. "Then this war would have been won a long time ago."

"But my Lord," Stealjaw tried to speak.

But a sharp look from Megatron silenced the meche's protest. "Did I give you permission to speak, Stealjaw?" He asked the meche. "Any of you?" He looked at the others in the room. Wisely, no one answered him. "Good. Remember what our ultimate objective is here."

At the signal, a holographic image of the Ark was displayed. "The Autobots still control the PFC. At this very moment, the future of Cybertron is in the hands of Optimus Prime and his Autobots. If that is to change, we can no longer allow failure to hinder us. Is that understood?" He looked at all his Lieutenants.

All four present stood at attention. "Yes, Lord Megatron." They all said in unison.

Megatron nodded and then looked at his SIC. Starscream backed away in surprise. "Lord Megatron?" He questioned.

"The same goes for you, Starscream," Megatron warned the Seeker.

"Whatever may you be talking about?" Starscream tried to play dumb.

Megatron frowned. He walked up to his SIC and pointed a finger at him. "It is because of you we are in this position in the first place," he replied. "If you had done your job, I would have my great prize. And the Humans would have been left to fight among themselves. Remember that Starscream."

Starscream looked like he wanted to say something in protest. But his survival instincts got the better of him, so he nodded and bowed before the master of the Decepticons. "I will, my Lord," he said. "For my failure, I shall make the UNS pay."

"You had better," Megatron said, pointing his finger at Starscream's chestplate. "The longer our victory is delayed, the more time Optimus has to poison the minds of future cybertronians. That cannot be allowed to happen. Is that understood?"

"Crystal, my Lord," Starscream said with a bow.

Megatron nodded. "Then all of you are dismissed," he commanded.

Once the room had been cleared of his SIC and lieutenants, the guest in the room spoke. "Quite the little pep talk you had there," Fleet Lord Yuda said, stepping into the light. "Do you always motivate your men like that?"

Megatron did not look at the human when he spoke. "I find it best to remind my subordinates of what I expect from them," he said. "Recent events have not performed as I would have liked them to. So, I thought it prudent to remind them of the price of failure. Something I think even you would appreciate."

Yuda smiles at him. "Indeed, sometimes a stern reminder is all a man needs to be motivated to do better," he said. "Though sometimes it can be punctuated by a demonstration or two."

Megatron smiled, putting his hands behind his back. "I had thought about it," he said. Starscream had come to mind for one such demonstration. "But I think a simple stern reminder will suffice for now. Is there a reason you are here, or are you here to give me tips on disciplining my meches?"

"A war meeting will be held tomorrow," Yuda explained. "Several important figures will discuss our strategies for this region of the belt. High Lord Laskar thought that you could provide some helpful insights."

"You will have my input," Megatron said after a moment of thought. "I look forward to seeing what your minds can come up with." It is an excellent chance to see if any figures could prove helpful to the Decepticon cause.

"I'll make the relevant information is passed onto you," Yuda said. "We might not have had the success we had been looking for. But I believe our alliance is bearing fruit. But it will take time before the fruits can ripen." Then the man left.

Megatron smiled to himself. "Tell yourself whatever you have to."

Starscream slammed his fist against the wall of a corridor. "Blast that Megatron," he muttered. "Talking down to me like I'm his inferior." The SIC of the Decepticons held his taloned fingers out. "Were I in charge, things would be very different."

Starscream smiled to himself. If he had been the leader of the Decepticons, the war for Cybertron would have been won long ago. The Ark would have been his and the future of his species in his hands. Most importantly, no one would be in this backwater of a system. The humans would have been left to their own devices, either to wipe themselves out in their little war or conquer as the cybertronian race took its place as the masters of the galaxy.

"If only Megatron wasn't around," Starscream said.

"Then everyone would see you as the leader you are meant to be," a voice replied.

Started Starscream turned around to face whoever had the audacity to spy on his musings. Probably a Vehicon that will soon be one with the Allspark. Starscream frowned when he saw no one around. He looks around, not seeing a meche or femme anywhere.

"Down here," the voice called out, a note of amusement evident. Starscream looked down and frowned at seeing a human male looking up at him. Knowing what he knew of the species, Starscream could determine that the man was between his forties and fifties, about through a third of his expected life cycle.

The man was looking at him with yellow eyes that seemed strangely familiar to him. Starscream fostered a smile and looked down on the male human. "And what are you doing here?" He asked. He needed to know how much this human had overheard and decide what to do with him. "Don't you realize walking around one of our vessels alone could be dangerous? We are not quite used to watching our step."

The man smiled at him. "I will keep that in mind," he said. "I was just making my way to meet with the Fleet Lord," Starscream noted the tone of bitterness as he referred to the other League officer. "When I overheard a most interesting conversation."

Starscream stopped his smile from turning into a frown. He prepared to turn his hand into a cannon and end this little human's existence. "And pray to tell what exactly you heard?"

The human's smile grew, and Starscream realized why the man's eyes seemed so familiar. "You won't have to worry about me telling anyone," he said. "After all, you are not the only one who feels he has been passed over for someone who should be the inferior."

Ambition. That was what he saw in the eyes of the human. A very dangerous thing. For a second, Starscream's smile grew genuine. "Yes, it can be quite a burden," he replied. "Not being recognized for one's true worth. When you are forced into the shadow of another."

"I agree," the man said, holding his hand out. "Perhaps we can talk. Somewhere where there are fewer prying ears." Ambition could be something Starscream could work with.

Armstrong

"And that is the end of my report on Special Operations Group Omega One," Cartwell said.

At the other end of the transmission, Admiral Colson nodded his head. "I would say they have been a great success. The defense of New Tunis, the retrieval of the Gravity Emitters, hell, they even managed to deal a blow to one of the most infamous pirates since black beard. News is already spreading."

Cartwell nodded. He had seen the news feeds from Earth, Mars, and the other colonies. Omega-One was quickly making headline news. If this kept up, Cartwell would not be surprised if the Command started to make some propaganda pieces out of them.

Cartwell shook his head to shake out the musings in his head. "Something the matter Admiral?" Colson asked, a curious glint appearing in his eyes.

Cartwell waved the younger admiral off. "Nothing," he said. "Just the mussing of an old man."

Colson smiled at him. "I wouldn't call you old, Admiral," he said. "You haven't even left your sixties yet. You still got the other half of your life to look forward to."

Cartwell smiled at Colson. "Only if I'm very lucky," he said. "I maybe got another forty years in me, possibly fifty. And that's assuming I manage to survive this war."

Colson smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Admiral Cartwell," he said. "If your service record indicates one thing, you are a very hard man to kill, stubborn to boot. You will survive this war and the next should it come. I have no doubt that you will live to see ripe old age."

Cartwell snorted, but a smile was present. It was a nice thought, thinking that his end would come in the dead of night, many years from now. Surrounded by the people who cared about him and who he cared about. But Cartwell knew that there was a possibility that his passing would not be as peaceful. It was something both men knew.

"Anyhow," Colson said, leaning out from his chair. "Dare I venture a guess what Omega-One is up to now?"

"Last I heard from Optimus, they were hitting league outposts across the frontlines," Cartwell explained. "Optimus thought it would be a good idea to keep the enemy on their toes. From what Prime described, they had already hit two. So, they may have already hit a third or fourth by now."

Colson nodded. "Good to hear," he said. "Don't need to give the enemy too much breathing room. Might even go a long way for our plans in the belt."

Cartwell rubbed his chin. He knew what Colson was referring to. "How are plans for Operation Midnight-Rain going?"

"On the track," Colson replied. "If everything continues as is, we could be ready in three or four months. Seven or eight if we do suffer any setbacks."

Cartwell nodded. "That's good to hear," he said. "I thought the arrival of the cybertronians would have put things on pause. Are our allies aware of our plans?"

Colson nodded. "Prime does and a few others," he explained. "Now that the Decepticons have formally allied themselves with the League, we thought we could enlist their aid in the plan. I suspect that hitting these outposts may be Prime's way of helping, if only partly."

Cartwell continued to rub his chin. "Has he indicated any desire to help beyond that?"

"I'll leave that for you to find out," Colson said. Then Cartwell noticed the younger man reaching his hand out to a terminal. "In the meantime, there is something Command would like Omega-One to investigate. And so, you know this is not an order. If Prime doesn't want to do it, Omega-One doesn't. If they don't, we can find someone else."

Cartwell nodded. "Understood, Admiral," he said. "Just pass me the details, and I'll see if Prime is willing."

Omega-One

"So, we're investigating an old colony?" Hotrod asked, looking at Prime. "Why? Can't the UNS do that themselves?"

"We have tried," Commander Raymond answered. "I recognized that colony."

"Headline news?" Wheeljack quired.

Raymond shook his head. "Reports I was lucky enough to get my hands on," he said. "Two years ago, we lost all contact with the Autre Lyon colony. Teams were sent to investigate, but none of them ever returned. At the time, the war was a little hotter than it is now. So, it was decided that the area be left alone. At least until things settled down a bit."

"Okay, that answers that question," Hotrod said. He looked at Optimus Prime. "But that still doesn't answer my other question. Why do we have to look into it? Can't UNS send another ship in? This doesn't seem to have anything to do with the cons or the war."

Optimus had his hand on his chin plate. "Impart it is because we are the closest unit to investigate the colony," he explained. "However, the main reason is because we are cybertronian. Or rather, we are an outside force."

Jack's face scrunched up in confusion. "An outside force?" He parroted from the Autobot leader. "Can you explain?"

It was Elita who answered. "The UNS had no idea what had happened to the colony," she explained. "They do not know if the colony has chosen to isolate itself. Or if something has happened to the colony itself. Whatever the matter is, it has already proven to be dangerous. They sent three different investigation teams, and none of them ever returned. The last of which was accompanied by a frigate, the Destiny. All contact was lost with that ship shortly after it arrived at the colony."

"Is the UNS hoping we might have a better chance than they would?" Bumblebee asked.

Optimus nodded. "Whatever has happened to the Autre Lyon colony is an unknown factor," he said. "Our allies hope that meeting an unknown factor with another could give us an edge. Regardless, I have already chosen to accept this assignment. I believe it will help further relations between our two peoples."

"What would have happened if you didn't accept," Hotrod asked. "Just asking."

"Then Command would have sent in someone else," Raymond replied. "It's not like we're the only unit in the area. We're the most convenient and best equipped for the mission."

"Autobots, I know this is not a part of what we usually do," Optimus said. "And I know this has nothing to do with us. However, our friends in the UNS are reaching out to us for help. I feel we must accept."

"So, how far is this Autre Lyon?" Bumblebee asked. "And when do we set out?
"At normal cruising speeds, I would say about twelve hours," Commander Raymond answered. "We could be there sooner if Prime has us going at top speed."

Optimus shook his head. "Normal speeds will be fine, Commander," he replied. "We are not in a hurry here."

Commander Raymond nodded. "Very well then," he said. "Then might I recommend we set out at fourteen hundred hours? This way, our people can relax for a bit."

Hotrod leaned in his chair, putting his hands behind his head. "Well, from the sounds of it, this whole assignment is a chance to relax," he said with a wide smile. "We're just checking up on some random old colony. What could go wrong with that?"

The intense stares he got from the others had the young bot squirming. "Kid," Wheeljack sounds in a low stern voice. "If something happens, I will hold you responsible."

"Agreed," Raymond replied, getting chuckles from the others.

Optimus had a wide smile. "If that is all to discuss, then we can bring this briefing to an end," he said. "Pass along the news to the rest of Omega-one. Until then, all of you have a good day and get some rest."

Nemesis

"And you are sure that this will work?" asked Starscream.

Tejas Verma smiled at him. "Starscream, you know as well as I do that there can be guarantees for something like that," he said. "Especially when it comes to someone like Megatron. But for the moment, it will be your best shot at taking Command of the Decepticons."

"And if this does fail?" Starscream pressed. He needed to be sure; otherwise, he would be backing out from his partnership with this lowly human. Ever since they had met in the halls of the Nemesis, he and the human named Tejas have talked.

To Starscream's surprise, he found that they shared much in common. Both con and man were ambitious, cunning people with the drive to succeed in what they wanted. Both had grand visions for their respective people. But most of all, both Tejas and Starscream were sidelined by men who should have been bowing at their feet. Megatron for Starscream and Yuda for Tejas.

It would be where their partnership began and where it would end once the biggest thorns in their sides had been dealt with. After that, it is best to think of that when the time comes.

"Then we can try again when the next opportunity arises," Tejas replied. "Just makes the big doesn't see you when you take your shot. Otherwise, we can consider our partnership here to end."

Starscream smiled at the human, both impressed with the man's pragmatic response and insulted by his audacity to answer him like that. "Very well then," Starscream saw with a bow. "And once Megatron is out of the picture, we can deal with the other nescience. I'm certain that an accident can easily be arranged for the soon-to-be late Fleet Lord." The vehicons were still having trouble watching their step. Truly a tragedy.

Tejas's smile. "Then those with true vision can take over, and this war can finally be put to an end," he said. "For both of our people."

Starscream nodded. "So, what was the name of this place again?" he asked.

"A colony that the UNS lost contact with a couple of years ago," Tejas explained. "Investigation teams were dispatched from both sides, but none returned."

Starscream nodded. It sounded like the perfect place for an ambush. "The name?"

"Autre Lyon?" Megatron said. "Now, why would I want to investigate some human colony?"

"It might be worth looking into," Starscream said. "This colony has been cut from the rest of humanity for the past two years. Anyone who has gone there to investigate has disappeared. Tell me, aren't you the least bit curious?"

"It is an intriguing mystery," Megatron replied. "But one that is hardly worth my time. A team of vehicons can investigate it for us."

Starscream kept himself from smiling. Megatron was testing the bait. Now, all Starscream had to do was get him to bait. "My lord, be it not my place to question your boundless wisdom. But I don't think the drones will be well suited for this task. Don't get me wrong, they are effective fighters and hard workers. But I think they would struggle with a mission like this. They lack the creativity that beings such as you and I have."

"And what would that have to do with investigating a lost colony?" Megatron said evenly. But Starscream could detect the subtle note of intrigue in his voice.

"Mysteries such as this require a creative and analytical mind," Starscream answered. "Traits that even regular cybertronians lack. But that we have in abundance. Together, we can solve the mystery of Autre Lyon, which may prove to be to our advantage."

"How so?" Megatron said, turning to face Starscream.

Starscream smiled. "What has caused the colony to lose contact with the outside world has also caused the disappearance of those who came to investigate," he explained. "We could use that to our advantage. Even if it turns out to be nothing, it could earn us some favor from the League."

Megatron thoughtfully rubbed his chinplate. Starscream had to wait for several seconds before he got an answer from the master of the Decepticons. "Very well, Starscream," he said. "You and I will investigate this matter ourselves. But I warn you, Starscream, if this turns out to be a waste of time, you will suffer from it. Do I make myself clear?"

Starscream smiled. "Crystal, my lord," he said with a deep bow. "But I assure you that this will be worth both of our times."

Space around Autre Lyon

"We're coming up on the colony now," Jack said. He tapped at the controls of his fighter, accessing the sensor logs.

"Very good," Commander Raymond's voice echoed through the comm system. "Report as soon as you find something."

Jack nodded. "Understood." He said, then cut the link. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Anticipation had been thick as Omega-1 made its way to the lost colony. All sorts of stories and rumors had milled through the fleet. All have a different take on what happened to Autre Lyon.

A sudden surge of isolationism. Freak accidents. League involvement. Alien intervention. That last one would have been laughed at a couple of months ago, but now it was a genuine possibility. Who's to say that the cybertronians had been humanity's first involvement with alien life?

The mystery had only deepened when the Omega-1 had been greeted with a debris field comprising both UNS and League ships. The mystery of what happened to the investigation teams had been solved. But opened a new mystery of how it happened and what the League had been doing here.

Jack did not like any of it. There were just too many unknowns at play here. And he could not shake that nagging feeling in the back of his skull that something was not right here. Rattled nerves, perhaps? Or some age-old instinct in the human psyche that knew when something was up?

Jack would get his answer soon enough. His fight came into view of the main colony complex on the asteroid. A large dome structure. Jack could almost feel his heart stopping for a second.

He flipped the comm system back on. "This is Cobalt-3," Jack said, making a fly around the colony or what was left of it. "I've found the colony, visual confirmation."

"Scan the colony," Commander Raymond ordered. "Try to scan for anybody down there."

Jack shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary," he said. However, his hands were already working on the order. "They'll probably tell you the same thing my eyes tell me. There's no one left alive down there."

Jack's fighter made another pass over the domed colony of Autre Lyon. A dome that had large gaping holes in it.

Autre Lyon

Elita had a sad expression as she looked over the mostly empty streets of the colony. Mostly empty as the only living beings around were herself, the other autobots, and UNS personnel sweeping the streets.

The scene Elita was seeing was eerie. It was haunting. It reminded her too much of home. "My god," she heard someone say over the comms. "Who or what could have done this?"

That was a question Elita would have liked an answer to as well. She had read a little bit about this colony. Autre Lyon was founded by people from the Earth nation-state of France about two hundred years ago. In its founding, it had been settled by more than ten thousand people. Today, it is home to more than a quarter million people.

"Or it should have been," Elita said to herself. Now, it was the grave of whoever had not been blown out into space. Elita looked up, seeing the gaping holes that dotted the domed sky. How many are out there now? Floating lifelessly in the cold expanse outside. How many had remained inside, having frozen or suffocated to death?

"We found some more bodies," another person said. The signal had come from a nearby building. A morbid curiosity overtook the femme, and she walked to the building. She traced the signal around the third floor of the building.

Elita closed her optics and concentrated. A moment later, she felt the strange sensation of her consciousness being split as she created a holo form of herself, sitting it past a window on the third floor of the building. She opened her optics again, but not in the form of her regular self.

Elita looked around the building using the holo-form, noting she was in a hallway. The femme made her way to where the signal had come from. It was a large room deeper into the building.

She found the UNS marines standing by a mass. The closer she got, the more she realized that mass was a cluster of bodies huddled together. One of the marines noticed her and almost pointed his weapon at her.

He stopped once he recognized her. "Ma'am," he said, standing at attention. A few of the others are doing the same.

Elita nodded at them and motioned for them to be at ease. "Mind if I have a look?" She asked.

The marines glanced at one another. Through their helmets, she could see pensive expressions on their faces. "Are you sure about that?" The first one asked. His voice was shaky. "What we found here is not pretty. One of our guys had to step out a little bit ago."

Elita nodded. She understood where the man was coming from. She could see how shaken he and the others were. But something Elita was telling her she had to see this, no matter what.

"Please," she said. The Marines took another look at one and one. One by one, they all nodded, and the man stepped aside, allowing Elita a closer look at the bodies.

Elita walked up and knelt to get a better look. She felt like she was going to cry. She carefully placed her hand on one of the dead bodies. Her hand lands on the nearly perfectly preserved face of a young human child.

In another part of the colony, Optimus had a somber expression. He knew he had to see it once news of what had happened here had reached him. He could feel his spark flickering at seeing what should have been a thriving center of civilization. Instead, he sees cold, empty streets.

"We believe most of the population was blown out when the dome breached," a UNS marine told him. "The few that remained have all been located inside buildings or vehicles. Most of them have been preserved by the vacuum."

Optimus nodded. For Cybertronians, it didn't matter if there was atmosphere or not. They could live through the vacuum of space. However, they preferred a more comfortable atmosphere.

For organics like the humans, he knew exposure was fatal within seconds. But one they both of their kind had come was that their bodies would deteriorate in an atmosphere after death. In a vacuum, both types of bodies would be preserved, like a snapshot frozen at the time of death.

Optimus imagined it was not something that anyone wanted to see. Optimus shook his head, wanting to change to another subject. "Any sign of what happened here?" He asked.

The marine shook his head. "Not any more than what we can already see," he said. He looked up at the sky. "Whatever did that also did a number on the city."

Optimus nodded. He had seen the ruined sections of the colony. "Then we must continue to investigate," he said. "Do you know where Commander Raymond is? I want to discuss with him how best to coordinate our investigation here."

The marine nodded. "He's out at one of the local churches," he said. "It's a couple of blocks from here. I'll send you the coordinates."

Optimus stood before the human place of worship a couple of minutes later. Hatsuko was standing by the door, probably waiting for the Commander.

"He's inside," Hatsuko said. "I can go and get him if you like."

Optimus shook his head. "No need," he said. "I would like to have a look inside for myself."

The Marine Commander gave him a quizzical expression. "Take a look for yourself?" She asked. Then she understood. "Those holo-forms of yours. Neat little things."

Optimus nodded. "They have found more use recently," he said. Omega-1 was not the only place where holo-forms were being used. From what he had read of the reports, many autobots had started using holo-forms to interact with humans where their cybertronian forms could not. Some had even shaped them to take a human form.

Optimus had chosen one such form. His holo-form flickered to life, appearing in front of his cybertronian body. It appeared as a human male in his mid-forties with broad shoulders. He was wearing a red jacket with a black undershirt and blue jeans, held up with a belt with a red buckle shaped like the autobot symbol. The eyes were blue and held the same intelligence and compassion his cybertronian form held.

Optimus looked at himself to make sure his holo frame had come out right. A pitched whistling caught his attention. Optimus turned his holo-frame to face the source and saw an impressed Hatsuko.

"Well damn," she said. "Jack was right. You are rather handsome in that form."

Optimus smiled. Jack Witwicky had been one of the first humans to see his holo-frame. Judging by the crimson color on his face, he must have been impressed. "I was not aiming for anything like that," he explained. "I just thought this form would be comfortable for your people to interact with."

The Marine Commander snorted. "Well, I would say that is more than a bit comfortable," she said. "If you weren't already spoken for, I would be tempted to make a pass."

Optimus shook his head. "You said he was inside this building," he replied, looking at the large building. "Where exactly?"

"I would probably say somewhere on the main level," Hatsuko answered. "Try the auditorium. You might find him where the pasture would normally make their sermon."

Optimus nodded, thanking the woman, and entered the building. As Hatsuko had said, the autobot found the Commander in the church auditorium. He was towards the front of the large chamber filled with rows of bunches.

Commander Raymond stood in front of some steps leading to a raised platform. His head was raised to look at a figure hanging on an odd structure. "It is times like this that a man needs to seek the counsel of a higher power," he said.

"That I can understand," Optimus replied. More times than he can count, Optimus had sought Primus' guidance. To ask him what he should do. Why must this war go on for so long? Why did so many lives have to be lost? Optimus still had yet to get an answer.

He suspected that Raymond was still waiting as well. "I'm not a particularly religious man," Raymond said. "Even before joining the armed forces, I rarely went to services. But I do keep a copy of the good book. Read it when I can. Some might think of it as a dry read and as archaic. I don't pretend to understand it all, but I do find some comfort in its words. Especially in a time like this. Were there any signs of survivors?"

Optimus shook his head. "Not as far as we could find," he said. "But we have yet to get into the shelters. Some people might have survived down there all this time." Optimus knew it was a long shot, but it was a small hope.

"I pray we do," Commander Raymond said. "But something tells me we won't."

Optimus nodded. He looked around the benches that filled the large chamber, noticing some still had bodies sitting in them. He looked back at the raised platform. He wondered if the religious leader of this building had been giving a service when destruction fell on the colony. Was their body still there? It wasn't a question Optimus wanted an answer to.

Instead, he asked another question. "Have we managed to get in contact with the UNS?"

Raymond shook his head. "Long-range communications are still being blocked," he said. "Even your ship is having trouble."

Optimus was rubbing his chin. In this form he had tiny hairs covering it. That wasn't good. Whatever was blocking out UNS transmissions was also doing the same to cybertronian ships. "I assume short-range communications are still working?" He asked.

Raymond nodded. "We can still talk to each other," he replied. "But not with anyone in the outside solar system."

"That is concerning," Optimus said.

"You're telling me," Raymond quipped. "We can't make any kind of report to Command. Or get an update from them."

"I am not concerned about that," Optimus replied. "It is the fact that long-range communications have been affected. It may be connected to whatever befell this colony and the ships sent to investigate."

Through his helmet, he could see a worried expression on the Commander's face. "You think whatever it is, it might still be around," he replied.

Optimus nodded. "We must stay vigilant," he said. "Whatever this is, it is affecting our technology as well."

Raymond was silent for a long couple of seconds. "I'll be returning to the fleet," he said. "See if I can help coordinate things from there. I'll let you know if we manage to get in contact with the UNS."

Optimus nodded. "And I'll inform you if we find something down here," he said.

Raymond gave him a curt nod. Then he looked over at the platform. He walked over to it and knelt by one of the steps. "Perhaps a little prayer won't hurt," he said, clasping his hands together. "With our mystery, we can use all the help we can get."

Optimus knelt beside Raymond. "Mind if I join you?" He asked. "Perhaps between Primus and your god. This mystery can be solved."

"Go ahead," the Commander said with a smile."

"Well, this is an interesting development," Megatron said.

"Interesting indeed," Starscream said with a slight frown. Megatron and he had come to this colony, along with a squadron of vehicons.

The drone soldiers were not much of a problem with the SIC's plans. He could easily take care of them once he had dealt with Megatron. However, the appearance of the autobots and their UNS allies presented a problem. But at the same time, an opportunity.

Megatron seemed to have the same thought, but obviously not for the same reason. "They must have come here to investigate what happened here," Megatron said.

"Bit of a mystery that," Starscream said, looking up at the domed sky and holes across the interior. "And it made short work of the ships that came here." It blocked out all forms of communication except for short-range communication.

Also, not much of a problem for Starscream. In fact, it would work in his favor. The less chance something got out, the better Starscream could spin his version of the story. But it also suggests that whatever caused the destruction of this colony was still around. That was something he could deal with if and when it came up.

Now, how could he spin this? Starscream smiled as a framework formed in his mind. He and Megatron were investigating a lost human colony, a sign of good faith for their newfound allies. When they had been ambushed by the Autobots and their UNS dogs, led by the tyrant Optimus Prime himself. Megatron had fought valiantly, taking many of the enemy with him. Ultimately, he fell, but not before buying enough time for Starscream and others to escape.

If Optimus Prime were to somehow fall in the battle, it would be even better for the story. Starscream, so did love it when a scheme fell into place. "So, how shall we handle this, my lord?" Starscream asked Megatron.

Megatron had a thoughtful expression on his face. "For now, we must tread carefully," he said. "We are the only ones here. The Autobots and their allies will have the number's advantage."

"Ahh, but we have the element of surprise," Starscream pointed out. "We need not fight them head-on. All we have to do is eliminate Prime himself. Imagine what the death of their leader will do to the Autoboots. The glory that will be given to your name." Or his.

Megatron looked at Starscream. "If the opportunity presents itself," he said. "But for now, I am far more curious about the fate of this human colony. What caused its destruction could be useful to us."

Starscream stopped himself from frowning. "Very, my master," he said. Admittedly, it was sound reasoning; the mystery of what happened to Autre Lyon could prove helpful.

Though the SIC had doubts, he knew he had to bid his time if his goal was to be achieved. "Then perhaps we can shadow the bots and their human pets. Let them solve the mystery. Then, we can come and claim the glory for ourselves. Uhh, for you, my lord."

Megatron smiled at him. "A good idea coming from you, Starscream," he said. "But make no mistake, if the opportunity does present itself, I will see that this ruined colony will be Optimus's final resting place. Am I understood?"

Starscream smiled and bowed to the current master of the Decepticons. "Very clearly, Lord Megatron," he said. He already had some ideas about how to engineer such a situation.

[Warning: Unidentified life forms detected.]

[Initializing countermeasure protocols: Level 2]

[Warning: Unidentified vessels detect. Technological levels within established threat parameters.]

[Initialing Countermeasure protocols: Level 4]

[Objectives: 1. Eradicate all threats. 2. Prevent knowledge of artifact (errorfilenotfound)]

[Error: Presence of (errorfilenotfound)(errorfilecorrupted) detected. Reassing threat]

[Initializing (errorfilecorrupted)(filenotfound) protocols]

[Objective: Eliminate all threats]

[Intializing]

"That's odd." An Autobot soldier said.

"Something the matter?" Another autobot asked.

"Yeah, just got a power spike," the first autobot replied. "It looks like it's coming below the colony. Didn't the files say that this was some kind of mining colony?"

His partner nodded. "Something like that," he said. "It's supposed to be right below the main habitation dome. Let me check the files real quick. Here it is, and we're not far from the main entrance. You think it might be a good idea to investigate?"

"Let's inform Prime," the second bot said. "Then we'll have a look. I'm sure the others have noticed it."

"Understood," Optimus said. "Proceed carefully."

Hatsuko looked up at the Autobot leader with expectation. "Well, what's going on here?" She asked. "Anything to explain that power spike?"

Optimus shook his head. "No," he answered. "But some of my people are close to the mine's main entrance. They'll be heading down to investigate."

"What about us, boss?" Hotrode asked. "Are we going to have a look too?"

"Don't get too excited here, kid," Wheeljack said, touching his shoulder. "Might just be one of their reactors acting up down there."

Hatsuko shook her head. "No, it can't be," she said. She pulled out a scanner and brought up the readings for the energy spike. "The wavelengths are too different for it to be anything human-made. In fact, it almost looks Cybertronian, but there are some strange distortions."

"They are strange," Elita said. "Perhaps we should have a look for ourselves."

Optimus nodded. "Wheeljack, you and I will investigate this energy spike," he said. "We'll rendezvous with the others in the mines. Elita, I want you, Hotrod, and Bumblebee to stay up here. Continue to look for any clues of what might have happened here."

"Will do," Elita said. Close by, Bumblebee nodded his head.

Hotrod looked disappointed by the orders. "Come on, boss," he said. "Can't I come with you and Jackie? There's not much to do but look around some empty streets. Whatever is going on down in those mines, it's got to be more interesting than up here."

Wheeljack cracked a smile and looked at Optimus. "Why not?" He asked. "The kid's eager for a little action. Why not let him come along? It might be a good lesson for him. At the very least, we'll get to see the expression on his face when he realizes it's probably nothing."

Optimus and everyone else in the group had amused expressions on their faces. "Very well," he said. "You can come, Hotrod."

The autobot swings his arms into the air, letting out a loud whoop. Then he looked around and saw that the others were giving him expressions mixed between mild amusement and embarrassment in his brother's case. The young Autobot let out a chuckle, and if he had been human, Hatsuko figured she would have seen a blush coming from him.

Hotrod stood up straight and coughed into his hand. "I'm ready to go when you are, Optimus Prime, Sir," he said.

Hatsuko had a broad smile on. "If you don't mind," she said, turning her attention to the autobot leader. "I would like to accompany you with a squad or two."

Optimus looked at her and nodded. "That would be appreciated," he said. Then he transformed into his alternate form, a truck that would not have looked out of place on a human street. Hatsuko had heard that some of the bots had altered their vehicle forms to resemble what humans used. She guessed the big boss himself must have been one of them. "Would you like a ride, Commander?"

Hatsuko's already broad smile grew. Riding on the inside of a giant robot? Hell, yeah, she wasn't going to pass that up. She had wild dreams about stuff like when she was a little girl. Hatsuko cleared her throat and pushed down her excitement. "That would be nice," she said. "47th and 48th, you're with me. Everyone else continue the search."

She crawled into the truck.

Mine

"We're getting closer to the signal," an autobot said. Then a frown appeared on his face as his scanner started to show all sorts of strange readings. And that was when the display wasn't glitching out. He hits the thing, hoping a little persuasive maintenance would help clear things up.

"Something wrong?" His partner asked.

"Nothing," the first response. His scanner was still acting up. "The scan is just acting funny. I think that energy reading has something to do with it."

His partner frowned. "You think we should report this to the others?" he asked.

The first nodded. "That might not be a bad idea," he said. He opened a comm channel to the rest of the allied force. "It also might not be a bad idea to wait here for the others to arrive. Something about these tunnels doesn't sit right with me." He looked around the tunnels. He could not shake this uneasy feeling since the pair had set foot down here. It was like they were being watched.

"What, you scared of some tunnels?" His partner mocked him. "Afraid that something might jump out and scare you?"

The first autobot rolled his optics. "Not funny," he said. Then his frown deepened when he only heard static on his comm. "Does anyone read?"

"More problems?" His partner asked.

"Comm's are acting funny," the autobot soldier replied. "I think we better move back to the surface, we mi," a sound behind him caught his attention. He spun around, looking down the tunnel. He carefully examined the area, seeing nothing.

"Now, what's wrong?"

The autobot soldier shook his head. "Nothing," he said. He started to turn around. "Must have been my im. Watch out?"

But his warning had come too late. A blade tore through the second autobot's spark chamber. He tried to scream out his partner's name, but a hand slammed over his mouth. Then he felt a blade stabbing through his back and into his spark chamber.

The last thing the soldier heard before he joined the Allspark was a deep guttural roar.

Mine entrance

Starscream, Megatron, and the vehicons landed outside the mine entrance. "We can enter here, my lord," Starscream said. "Whatever this energy reading is, we will soon find out."

"Good," Megatron said. "What this thing is clearly not of human origin. We must find out what it is and determine if it can be useful to us."

"Perhaps it is a cybertronian artifact," Starscream suggested. "We know many were sent out during the war, and many more were lost when the Golden Age of Cybertron ended. This may yet be one of them, a golden age relic. Imagine what something like that could do for our cause."

"An enticing possibility," Megatron said, rubbing his chin plate. "Or this yet be something else entirely."

"Something else?" Starscream repeated. "You mean something of alien origin. Surely you jest, my lord?"

Megatron gave Starscream a look that told him he was not. "Yet we would have said the same thing about the humans before we stumbled upon them," he countered. "A technologically advanced organic race. If there is one thing we have learned here, it is that the galaxy, no universe, is larger than we last remembered. Much has happened since our fall from the Golden Age. While we clung to the remains of a once great civilian on Cybertron, the rest of the Universe has grown and changed. There may yet be other powers."

"Forces that could prove to be a threat to us," Starscream said, understanding where Megatron was going with his thoughts. As much he despised his master, he could respect the thoughtfulness and forward-thinking he had. "We have isolated ourselves for an age. Perhaps there are others out there, other races who have reached out to the stars."

Megatron nodded at him. "Which is why this war of ours must end," he said, looking down at the mine entrance. "Once we have secured our rule over the Cybertronian race and subjugated or exterminated the humans. We will tread back to the stars like the giants we once were. Now, show stands in the way."

Starscream bowed to the lord and master of the Decepticons. "Truly, your vision has no bounds," he said. He could work with it once Megatron was out of the picture. He would spin as a tribute to the soon-to-be late leader of the Decepticons.

It was then the group heard the faint sounds of engines approaching them. "Speaking of opportunity," Megatron said with a wide grin. "Perhaps we should set up a little surprise from Optimus and his cohorts."

"My thoughts exactly, my Lord."

As soon as the Optimus rolled up to the mine entrance, he opened his driver's side door, letting Commander Hatsuko out. When she was out, Optimus transformed. "I'll admit I don't think that will ever get old," the Marine commander said with a smile not unlike a sparkling would give.

Optimus gave the woman a gentle smile. "Perhaps when this is over, I offer more rides like this," he said. It was interesting to have another living being him while he was in his alternate form. It strangely felt right, like it was meant to be. Another thing to think about.

"I'll have to think about that," she said as a UNS transport vehicle rolled up. Wheeljack and Hotrod transformed while the UNS marines dislodged from their vehicles. "So, how do you want to do this?"

"Wheeljack, Hotrod, and I will take a point," Optimus said after a moment of thought. "Your people will follow behind."

Hatsuko nodded. "I'll leave some of my people up here to guard the entrance," she suggested.

Optimus thought it was a good idea. "Then let us proceed," he said. Then he tried to open a comm channel to the autobots who had first picked up the energy reading. They had not heard since they had reported entering the mine, which concerned him.

His concern grew when all he received was static on the line. "Wheeljack, can you try to raise the bots that went to investigate the energy reading?" He asked the former wrecker. "I fear my comm may be in error."

"Sure thing, boss," Wheeljack said. A couple of seconds later, a frown appeared on his face, telling Optimus all he needed to know. "I can't reach them."

"I can try," Hotrod offered. "Maybe both of your comms need to be checked?"

Wheeljack shrugged. "I doubt it, kid," he said. "But go ahead and try. It won't hurt anything." Sure enough, Hotrod's attempts did not work.

"Must be interference of some kind," Wheeljack said. "I would even say it's the same thing ruining our long-range communications."

Optimus nodded. "I concur, Wheeljack," he said. "I suspect when we enter the mine, even our short-range communications will be disrupted."

"Which means we'll have to be extra careful," Hatsuko said. "You think we'll be able to talk to each other down there? Or will we have to really on good old-fashioned yelling?"

"Maybe we can use two tin cans and a string." Someone quipped, getting a round of chuckles from the humans.

The bots gave Hatsuko curious expressions. She waved them off, mouthing she would explain later. Optimus shook his head, figuring it to be human humor. "We will have to find out once we have entered the mine." He activated an open channel to all allied units. "This is Optimus here."

After a brief explanation of what was happening, the trio of Optimus Prime, Wheeljack, and Hotrod entered the mine, closely followed by two squads of UNS marines. Two fire teams had been left behind to guard the entrance.

Periodically, the team would test their short-range communications to test when the interference would start. It did not take long for them to lose contact with the outside world.

"Looks like we're on our own from here," Hatsuko said. "Now, let's see if we can talk to each other." Thankfully, to everyone's relief, they could still communicate with each other, just not with anyone outside of the mine.

Then, the group was moving through the mine. "How deep do we have to go to reach the energy reading?" Hotrod asked.

"Hard to say," Wheeljack said. He had a scanner out and was looking at its display. "It's deep into the mine. Can't say how deep."

"Any idea what this thing is?" Hatsuko said. "You mentioned something about it being a cybertronian signature."

Wheeljack nodded. "Yeah, it's giving off a read like something from Cybertron would," he said. "But there are these strange distortions that are missing with the signal. If it is something from Cybertron, I would say it's probably damaged, or there is some interference at play."

"Okay, which leads me to my next question," Hatsuko said. "If this is an object of cybertronian origin, what is it doing here in the Sol system?"

"I have been pondering that possibility," Optimus said. "And I can offer a couple of theories. The first and most likely is that both sides sent off artifacts and weapons from Cybertron during the war. They were launched deep into space through conventional means or a spacebridge."

"And one of them ended up here," Hatsuko said. "Wonder what the odds of that were. Your other theory?"

Optimus had a thoughtful expression on his face. "A long-lost relic of the Golden Age of Cybertron," he said. "During the Golden, it was told that the Cybertronian race had spread across the galaxy, with countless colonies' outposts. We were considered the masters of this galaxy."

Looking down at the human Commander, he could see her raising an eyebrow. "That's a bit, I don't know, arrogant to say?" She said. "How can anyone rule a whole galaxy?"

Optimus nodded. "Perhaps it is an exaggeration to say we were the masters of this galaxy," he said. A part of him believed that his people's hubris contributed significantly to the fall of the Golden Age. "We had spread far and wide. It is possible our encounter at Luna was not the first time a Cybertronian had set foot in your home system."

"And you think we might be dealing with something like that here?" Hatsuko asked. "You think your people might have once had a presence here?"

"It is a possibility," Optimus said. "So much of our history during that time has been lost, and what little we have is little more than myth and legend."

Hatsuko nodded. "We humans can understand that," she said. "So much of our ancient history is shrouded in myth and legend. It's hard to tell what fact is and what has been embellished. Either way, it sounds like we should be careful down here."

Optimus nodded. "Yes, that would be prudent," he said. "Hotrod, have you established contact with the others down here?"

Hotrod shook his head. "No luck so far, Prime," he said. "All I've gotten is static on their end."

"The interference might get worse the deeper we go," Wheeljack responded.

"Still strange, though," Hatsuko said. "You'd think after a while they would try their comms and learn about the interference. One of them had to turn around."

"Or they went deeper," Wheeljack said. "I know more than a few stubborn bots that press on ahead. Even when it would be a better idea to turn back."

Hatsuko frowned. "Possible," she said. "I'm just getting some bad vibes off from this place."

"Bad vibes?" Hotrod asked.

"Just some bad feelings I'm having," Hatsuko explained. "This mine doesn't feel right."

"I wasn't aware that humans had an ability like that," Wheeljack said. "Anything else we should be aware of?"

Hatsuko shook her head. "It's something of an ongoing debate," she responded. "Either way, I don't like the feel of this place."

Optimus nodded his head. He wouldn't give voice to it, but he felt the same since setting foot in this mine. There was something off about the place, and the Autobot leader was on edge. "Fear not, Hatsuko," he said as an assurance to the others. "So as long as we remain together, there is nothing to fear."

"Sir, up here!" A UNS marine called out from ahead. "We found something."

Optimus and the others walked up to where the marine had called out to them. As the group approached, Optimus saw the outline of two figures on the ground. A tight frown appeared on his face as he realized what they were. It was an action mirrored by Wheeljack.

"I don't think you're going to like what you see," the same marine said at seeing the group walking up to her.

On the ground were the autobots who came down to mine before them. Both were dead. "I think we should be on alert."

"We are close, my Lord," Starscream said.

Megatron nodded. The group of decepticons had now just entered a large chamber in the mine with a ceiling that stretched high above them. Human mining equipment littered the area, much of it in ruins. This must have been a central point for mining operations.

Looking around, Megatron could see several tunnels leading out of the chamber. "Which way?" He asked.

"Difficult to say, Lord Megatron," Starscream said. He frowned at the scanning device. The closer they got to the energy source, the worse the interference had gotten. "All I can say is that we are close to the energy source. I say we pick a tunnel. Shouldn't be that hard to find what we are looking for."

Megatron nodded. "Very well," he said. Then, a smile crept upon his face as he got another look at the chamber. "But first, I think it is time we sprang a little surprise for Optimus Prime."

"I was thinking the exact same thing, my Lord," the SIC responded.

Megatron turned to face Starscream. "Here is how we'll do this."

Entering a large chamber, whatever bad feeling Hatsuko had instantly tripled. "The energy reading is not all that far from us now."

"Do we just pick a direction?" Hotrod asked as the group strolled into the center of the chamber.

"That would be my guess," Wheeljack said with a frown. "The interference has gotten bad enough that I can barely pick up the energy signal. The good news is we're close, so it shouldn't take too much guessing."

"Maybe we should try splitting up?" Hatsuko offered. "Cover more ground that way."

"I am not sure if that would be wise, Commander," Optimus said with a grave face. "We saw what happened to the two that came into this mine alone. I believe it would be best to stay together."

Before Hatsuko could reply, another voice joined the conversation. "How astute of you, Orion." Everyone turned in the direction of the voice. From a dark tunnel, pointing his arm-mounted cannon at Optimus, emerged Megatron.

"Shit," Hatsuko muttered under her breath just as Optimus responded to the leader of the Decepticons.

"Megatron," Optimus said in a steel voice. The other bots reacted by pointing their weapons at Megatron. Hatsuko and her marines followed suit. "What are you doing here?"

Megatron smiled, sending a cold shiver down Hatsuko's spine. "Same as you, my old friend," he replied. "Investigating a small mystery. But like you, I have stumbled upon a far greater mystery."

"The energy spike," Optimus responded. He got a widening smile from the Decepticon. "Did you have a hand in the deaths of the two autobots who came down here?"

Megatron shook his head. "No, but I must thank you for the tidbit of information," he answered. "Others and I will have to proceed cautiously after we have dealt with you."

"Wait, did he see others?" A marine next to Hatsuko asked.

It was then that Hatsuko noticed movement from the corner of her eyes. She looked around and up. What she saw had heard muttering profanities in her native tongue. Vehicon soldiers emerged from the other tunnels, both on the ground level and from the higher level.

"Not good," someone else said.

An understatement if Hatsuko had ever heard of one. The enemy trapped them in a killing field without cover to protect themselves. Bots were quick to react to the change in situations. Wheeljack and Hotrod pointed their weapons at the various vehicons in the chamber, while Optimus focused on the Megatron. Hatsuko motioned for her people to ready their weapons and be ready for a fighting retreat. Hatsuko pointed her plasma rifle at Megatron.

"Though perhaps whatever killed your comrades will be more amiable to Decepticon interest," Megatron said. A blade ejects from his hand. "Though you will not be around long enough to know either way."

"Megatron," Optimus said. "Today, you will pay for crimes against Cybertron and against humanity," one of his hands transformed into an axe, while the other became a cannon.

Megatron smiled and charged at Optimus. The sounds of battle soon filled the chamber.

Starscream smiled as he heard the sounds of battle filling the air. The Vehicon next to him transformed its hand into a cannon and started to walk down the tunnel towards the battle.

"Trooper holds one moment," Starscream said.

"What is it, lord Star?" The Vehicon turned around just in time for Starscream to bury his claws into its chest. Then, with a swipe of an arm blade, its head was severed from the torso.

Starscream smirked as he pulled his claws out and transformed his blade back into a hand. The lifeless vehicon fell to the ground. "Just a minor nuisance," he said. "But I have already dealt with it."

He walked away from the lifeless body. "Then to deal with one last nuisance in my life," he said, turning his hand into a cannon. He would wait for just the right moment. Then, he would finally be rid of Megatron. A smile crept upon his face. And perhaps he would be rid of Optimus Prime if lucky enough.

The sounds of footsteps behind him caught his attention. He turned around in time for several bolts of light to be fired at him.

Optimus slammed his fist into Megatron's face, sending the former gladiator stumbling back. Seeing an opportunity, he charged at Megatron and swung an axe for his head.

However, as an experienced warrior, Megatron quickly recovered and parried the attack with his blade. Then he took a swing at Optimus. Optimus ducks under the attack and swings his axe to the side.

The attack was blocked by Megatron, who brought his arm-mounted cannon down on Optimus. Optimus saw the light of its charge. He pulled back just as Megatron fired a large bolt of energon. The bolt exploded on the ground where Optimus had been a moment ago.

But Megatron was not done with his attack. He pointed his cannon back at Optimus and fired. Long since having anticipated the attack, Optimus moved out of the way and kept moving. Bolts of energon slammed into the walls or floor of the mining chamber, creating smoking craters.

Optimus took the moment to quickly survey the battle around him and Megatron. With the ambush set up by the Decepticons, the allied force had little room for cover. But it warmed his spark to see that even with the odds stacked against him, his team and allies were putting up a valiant fight.

Several vehicon drones had been cut down by energon and plasma fire, giving the allied force some breathing room. Hotrod and Wheeljack did what they could to provide the human fighters cover from decepticon fire. They were holding their own, but not without a cost.

Already, Optimus could see several of the UNS marines were gone, likely reduced to ashes. At the same time, Optimus could see the blast marks on the bodies of his fellow Autobots. It hurt his spark seeing that, but he knew he could do nothing about it. What he could do, though, was focus on his fight with Megatron, then he could help the others.

Optimus dodged another energon blast from his oldest enemy and charged him. He fired several shots from his cannon at Megatron, forcing him to stop and focus on avoiding the return fire.

When Optimus got close, he swung his axe at Megatron. The decepticon leader reacted quickly and ejected a blade from his arm. He swung his weapon, clashing with Optimus's axe. The impact of their weapons colliding created a shock that reverberated through the chamber, causing dust to fall from the ceiling.

"I see you still have some fight in you, Optimus," Megatron said. "Here, I was afraid fighting alongside the humans would have made you soft."

"Fighting alongside one's allies is never a sign of weakness, Megatron," Optimus said. He put his weight on his axe, hoping to cut through Megatron's blade or force him back.

In response, Megatron pushed back with an equal amount of force. "Ahh, but only if they are worthy enough to fight on our level," he said. "I'll admit these little flesh bags had tenacity daring to fight among titans. But they have no place among us. They are little more than insects biting at our skin."

"And that is where you are wrong, Megatron," Optimus responded. With some effort, he pushes on Megatron, pushing the Decepticon leader back. Optimus swung his axe down. "Like us, there is more to them than meets the eye."

Megatron smiled as a second blade ejected from his other hand. "Perhaps so," he said. "But you will not live long enough to see it."

Optimus transformed his cannon into a second axe. Both opponents started to circle around the other, looking for their chance to strike. But before either could make the next move, a third party stepped into the battle.

The footsteps echo caught the attention of the two combatants and their allies. Optimus and Megatron turned their heads to face the tunnel from where the footsteps came from.

From the tunnel's darkness, two lines of figures emerged with weapons raised and pointed at the two battling forces. The figures were identical and about the same size as the cybertronians in the chamber. Before anyone could react, the grey-scaled figures fired their weapons.

Optimus and Megatron were forced to avoid the hail of weapons fire from the unknown party. Optimus turned his cannons on the attackers while keeping an optic on Megatron. Even with a common enemy like this, there was no telling where the Decepticon leader would turn his attention.

Thankfully, Megatron seemed just as preoccupied as Optimus was with the newcomers. As was everyone else in the chamber. More fire came down on Optimus. He looked up and saw more of the attackers on the upper levels. They were firing down from their vantage point while at the same time fighting off vehicon soldiers.

Optimus fired his energon cannons, taking a couple of the attackers down. Sparks and metal exploded out from the attacks as each bolt of energon connected, confirming to him that they were robotic in nature. He was even starting to suspect their origins.

"What are these things?" Hatsuko asked.

"Everyone fall back," Optimus shouted as more attackers emerged from the tunnels. "Retreat from the mines."

Not far from him, he heard Megatron's mocking tone. "Ahh, Orion, always so eager to run," he said. "It's a wonder we haven't crushed you and your autobots."

Optimus ignored the radical and continued to run out of the chamber. He only hoped Megatron would see the wisdom in retreating.

But before anyone could reach the tunnel back to the surface, a great rumbling could be heard, quickly followed by loud crashes.

Optimus looked up just in time to see the chamber ceiling crashing down on him.