Chapter 9: Finding pt: 1

Nemesis

"Report."

Shockwave turned to face Megatron, looking at him with his single red optic. "My Lord," he intoned, bowing to the master of the Decepticons. "Progress on the Cylinder has been slow." He gestured to the ancient data rod retrieved from the destroyed human colony of Au Lutre.

Megatron frowned at Shockwave. He had expected more from his top scientist. "That is disappointing to hear," he said, rubbing his chin.

"Apologies, my lord," Shockwave replied. "Much of the data on the rod had either been encrypted or corrupted."

A look of concern flashed across Megatron's face. "Corrupted?" He asked for clarification. Shockwave nodded. "Could it have resulted from being connected to the machine we found?"

"Or the other way around," Shockwave pointed out. "We cannot know without proper testing and analyses of the fabricator. However, despite the lag of progress, I have found something."

Shockwave walked over to a terminal and showed Megatron what he had found. It took the leader of the Decepticons a moment to realize what he was looking at. "Are those?"

Shockwave nodded. "Correct, my lord," he responded. "They are coordinates." Then, he brought up an image of a very familiar-looking star system. "Coordinates that lay in this very solar system, Sol."

Megatron smiled. It seemed the ancients had a greater interest in the human system than they had first thought.

UNS Jasper

Jack was walking through a corridor when Aiden ran up next to him. Jack could not help but notice the smile on his friend's face. "Hey, Aiden," he greeted the younger man. "What's got you so excited?"

Aiden's smile grew. "Haven't you heard?" He asked. "We'll be arriving at Magnus station for resupply soon."

Jack nodded; of course, he had heard about that. It had been made public on Omega-One's forums. "So, what of it?" He asked his friend. "We're just getting supplies and new equipment. Maybe some new crewmen, but that's about it. I don't see any reason to get excited over it."

"Maybe not with the station itself," Aiden said. "But there is a nearby colony called Kigali. It's about an hour away by shuttle."

Jack nodded. He still failed to see where Aiden was going with this. "Any reason you're excited by some random colony in the belt? I don't think I've even heard of this Kigali." Granted, the belt had a lot of colonies in it, and Jack doubted he had heard of all the important ones.

Aiden got a blush on his cheeks. "Well, I got through talking with the commander," he said. "And he said he'll be granting the crew shore leave for the duration of our stay. I was thinking of heading to the colony and getting a gift for Jaden."

"Jaden?" Jack asked as his face scrunched up in confusion. Then the name clicked in his mind. "Your, faience, right?"

Aiden nodded as his blush darkened. "I thought it would be nice to get him something," he said. "We actually have an anniversary in a couple of months?"

"Anniversary?" Jack questioned. "What are you celebrating?"

Aiden smiled and blushed. "The first time we got together," he replied. "It'll be our eighth year of being together."

Jack quickly did the math in his head. "So, wouldn't that mean you've been dating since you were fifteen? Sixteen?"

"Sixteen," Aiden said. "Well, I was, Jaden was fifteen at the time. We're about a year apart."

Jack nodded. "Eight years, uh? That must have been nice," Jack smiled and recalled his time with Conner. They had been together for about three years before Luna happened.

"It is," Aiden said. "Sure, we've had our ups and downs. But eight years later, we're still together. Soon, we'll be even closer."

Jack smiled for his friend. "Well, I wish you the best of luck," he said. "It's not often you hear couples sticking it out for that long. I hope you'll have many happy years with him."

"Actually," Aiden started with a blush on his cheeks. "I was wondering if you would be willing to come with me."

It took Jack a few seconds to process what the young man said. Jack's eyes widened as he stared at Aiden. "You want me to come with you?" He asked. "But why?"

Aiden shrugged. "I thought it would be fun," he replied. "You can even help me pick out a gift."

Jack frowned. "And what makes you think I'm any good at picking out gifts?"

"You had a boyfriend before," Aiden said. "And from what I've heard, you dated for quite a while. You must have had your own anniversaries as well."

Jack blushed as he looked away from Aiden. It was true. He and Conner did celebrate their own set of anniversaries and had given out plenty of gifts. Unfortunately, there was one slight hitch. Jack mumbled under his breath.

"You say something?" Aiden asked, having caught the noise from Jack.

Jack's blush grew hotter as he was forced to repeat himself louder. "I'm not very good at picking out gifts."

Aiden gave a look that said he didn't believe it. "Oh, come on," he said with a smile. "You can't be that bad. We all get a little self-conscious about what we get for others."

Jack sighed. "If only that were the case," he said. "I'm really not that good when it comes to gifts. For example, for our first year, I picked out this sweater for Conner."

"So, what?" Aiden questioned. "I've picked out plenty of sweaters for Jaden over the years and more. What was so wrong with yours?"

"I showed it to my sisters," Jack said. He could feel his whole head burning up at the memory. "To put it mildly, they called it the single most ugliest sweater that they had ever seen and that it was an abomination against fashion."

Aiden chuckled. "It couldn't have been that bad," he said. Jack refrained from mentioning that the image he saw on the sweeter when viewed from a certain angle, was decidedly different from what he had thought.

"Well, despite my sister's objections, I still gave it to Conner," Jack said.

"And what did he think about it?" Aiden asked with a smile.

Jack blushed. "He said the exact same thing, word for word," Jack replied and stopped himself from punching Aiden at the widening of his smile. "But he still wore it whenever he could." Jack smiled at the memory of his deceased boyfriend wearing the ugly sweater with a smile that was more than a bit embarrassed.

That sweater was now in Jack's private locker. Everything Conner had owned had been passed to Jack. Most of it sat back in a storage crate back on Earth. Jack had taken a few items with him to Jasper.

"Well, I'll keep it in mind," Aiden said, apparently having sensed Jack's grief and changing the subject. "Even if you're not that big of a help, it'll still be nice for a chance to hang out. Who knows, you might even find a cute guy down there."

Jack smiled and shook his head. "No thanks," he said. "I'm not looking for anyone else right now. But I think I'll still take you up on that offer. Might be fun."

Aiden smiled. "Then it's a date," he said.

Kigali, two days later

"When I asked if you wanted to come," Aiden began. "I didn't think you would be bringing anyone else along."

Jack sighed as he eyed the Hotrod, Wheeljack, and Jix. "Neither did I," he replied. He had spoken to his friends about Aiden's invite, and somehow, Hotrod had gotten it in his head that he and the others could come along. "They just invited themselves." The five of them were riding on an autobot shuttle, with Wheeljack taking the pilot's seat.

"Come on, Jack," Hotrod started. "Don't be like that. It's not every day we get to visit one of your colonies. At least not without being dragged into an active battle. It would be nice to have a look without someone trying to shoot at us."

"Be careful of what you say, kid," Wheeljack comments from the pilot seat. "The universe has a funny way of giving you what you want. Even when you don't want it."

Aiden smiled and shook his head. "Well, it still be fun," he said. "I didn't think I would be shopping with transforming robots." Neither did Jack.

"If it helps," Wheeljack started. "The kid and I will be in our Holo Frames. If I remember correctly, this Kigali is another of those domed colonies you have."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, it's built on top of a large asteroid, like Autre Lyon was," he said. Except this would not be devoid of life. "It's just like the cities you would find on Earth or Mars. Except it's all under one giant dome."

"If I remember, it's also one of the largest colonies in this region of the belt," Jix said. "And was made more than three hundred years ago. That would make it one of the older ones in the belt."

Jack didn't know; he just knew Kigali was one of the larger colonies in the belt. "I guess so," he said, rubbing the back of his head. Jack looked at Aiden. "You have any idea what it will be like?"

Aiden shrugged his shoulders. "Not any more than you do," he said. "In fact, I suspect our little friend here might know more than we do." He looked at Jix, who gave the two humans a nervous smile.

"You humans are an interesting bunch," Jix replied. "I liked studying up on you guys."

"He's not the only one," Wheeljack said. "Though I'm less interested in history and tourism."

Jack cracked a smile at the autobot. "Let me guess, you like to read up on the latest explosives we're making," he quipped. It was not a mystery that Wheeljack liked making things go boom.

Jack could see the smile forming on the bot's face even without seeing it. "That and the sports section. You got some good stuff there. I also like having a look at your science. You have some interesting concepts."

Jack nodded and looked at Jix. "So, what can you tell us about Kigali?"

Jix had a nervous smile as he started to talk. "Well, aside from being one of the largest in the region, it's also said to be one of the better places to live. It's got a high standard of living, comparable to the inner colonies and Earth. Most of their revenue comes from tourism and Exporting luxury goods across the belt. Oh, and they have a well-known racing track."

"Racing track?" Hotrod said with a sudden eagerness. "Like as in for cars and stuff."

"That's right," Jix said. "They hold different races throughout the year and have even been known to host some of the more well-known races in the system.

Aiden smiled at Hotrod. "I take it you interested?" He said.

Hotrod had a cocky smile on his face when he replied. "What can I say? I'm built for speed. If I had known that, I would have invited Bee. Me and him could have raced."

A thought struck Jack. "You think they would let you use the track?"

Hotrod shrugged. "Won't hurt to ask," he replied. "Hey, Wheeljack, you feel up for a race."

"Only if you're ready to lose," Wheeljack quipped.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing," Hotrod replied.

Aiden and Jack chuckled to themselves at the exchange between the two bots. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough. We should be arriving at the colony any moment now."

"It's coming into view now," Wheeljack responded. "A big rock in space. I couldn't have missed it even if I wanted to. Hang on, I thought it had no ships defending it."

Jack and Aiden walked up to the cockpit of the autobot shuttle. With a bit of help from Hotrod, both humans were viewing the colony. "Those aren't UNS ships," Jack answered, seeing the half dozen ships hanging over the colony. "That's a colonial fleet."

"Colonial fleet?" Wheeljack asked for clarification.

"In the UNS, colonies are allowed to raise their own defense force," Aiden explained. "That includes building their own ships, though there are restrictions. They're referred to as colonial fleets."

"Is this kind of thing common?" Wheeljack answered.

"Not common per se, but it is not rare either," Jack said. "Most colonies will only have a ground-based militia. The colonies with fleets are usually wealthy or have the resources needed to build their own ships. Even then, the most you'll ever find is maybe a dozen or so. Most others won't even have half that."

"And only the most wealthy and influential will have something like a battleship under their purview," Aiden said. "The rest will be a mix of small ships, with a cruiser tossed in sometimes."

"So enough to keep pirates and raiders away," Wheeljack said. "Not much use against an actual threat."

"Like the League," Hotrod commented. "Speaking of, do they have something like colonial fleets?"

Aiden shook his head. "Only among the most wealth and influence colonies," he replied. "Everyone else has to make do without."

Wheeljack snorted. "I can hazard a guess why," he commented. "Still, I can see how useful these colonial fleets can be. Sure, you can't expect them to repel an attack from the League. Still, I imagine they help the UNS relieve some of the pressure to defend their territory."

Jack nodded. "I still wouldn't underestimate them," he said, looking over the colonial fleet Kigali. "You'd be surprised at how well some can hold their own."

Wheeljack shrugged. "Well, it's not something I'm inclined to find out. Now, sit tight. We'll be landing soon."

Nemesis

"So, when shall we depart, my lord," Dreadwing said to Megatron, bowing to him. The pair were in one of the hanger bays of the Decepticon flagship. Dreadwing could not help noting the distinct lack of soldiers around and decepticon shuttles.

"As soon as our special guests arrive," Megatron answered.

"Special guests?"

"In the spirit of cooperation, I have decided to allow a detachment of League forces to remain on the Nemesis," Megatron answered in a clear voice. "Including a full wing of League fighters."

Dreadwing narrowed his optics. "Was this a request from our allies?" The distaste in his voice was evident for Megatron to hear.

Megatron smiled and began to chuckle. "Indeed, it was," he said. "They claimed they wanted to foster closer relations with their newfound allies."

Dreadwing read between the lines. "They still don't trust us."

Megatron looked amused at Dreadwing's assessment. "As they should. But the League has proven to be of some use to us. So, I have decided to indulge them. Now raise we have guests to great. They should be here any moment."

Dreadwing nodded and did as his master commanded. Then he heard a small set of footprints approaching the pair. Dreadwing looked over and down to see Fleet Lord Yuda walking up to them with guards behind him.

"They should be arriving now," Yuda said, apparently having overheard the end of Megatron's and Dreadwing's conversation. Dreadwing hoped that was all he heard.

Then, a group of League fighters flew into the bay, followed by a steady stream of shuttles. Dreadwing frowned at the League fighters landing in the bay. "I can see allowing a detachment of League forces on our ship. But why a wing of fighters?"

Dreadwing knew he was being analyzed by the human when Yuda answered him. "Something wrong with our fighters?"

Dreadwing crossed his arms as he saw a pilot leaving his fighter craft. "So far, I have been unimpressed with the performance of your fighters and their pilots." They were still above the vehicon fliers, but not by much, in Dreadwing's opinion. From what Dreadwing could gather, the League had a quantity-over-quality approach to its fighter corps.

Yuda smiled at Dreadwing. "I think you'll see that this wing of fighters is different from most others in the League."

Dreadwing wanted to question the man further. But something in him told Dreadwing he would get his answer soon enough. One of the League fighter pilots walked up to the assembled group of humans and decepticons.

The man had his helmet at his side, allowing Dreading to study his features. Instantly, the seeker knew this man was different from the others in the League. His skin tone was paler than the others, and his long black hair settled around his shoulders. However, his physical attributes did not set him apart from other League humans. The way he held himself, how he walked, and the air around him all pointed to one thing. Dreadwing knew a man of honor when he saw one.

The man stopped before Dreadwing and looked up at him with green eyes. Then he looked at Yuda and knelt before him. "My lord," he greeted the Fleet Lord with a calm and regal voice. "Sir Robert Dracovich reporting as ordered. As a knight and heir of the House of Dracovich, I now swear my services to you. My attendees and I are at your disposal. May we both bring glory to our houses and the League."

Dreadwing crossed his arms, looking at the human, now named Robert. From the corner of his optics, he saw Megatron smiling. Yuda gestured for the man to raise. "I accept your service, Sir Robert Dracovich, and am greatly honored by your offer. Under my command, you shall bring honor and glory to your House and the League."

Robert nodded. "You honor me, my lord," he replied.

Yuda turned his attention to Dreadwing. "Allow me to introduce you to Sir Robert Dracovich of the House of Dracovich. He hails from the noble Houses of Europa."

Dreadwing looked down at the League fighter pilot. "It is a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Dreadwing," the man said with a smile. "I have heard about you and look forward to working with you."

Dreadwing studied the human for a second longer before he responded. "The honor and pleasure is my Sir Robert. Though I must admit, you seem different from the others I have met in the League."

Robert smiled at him. "That would be because of my ancestry," he said. "Unlike most other League colonies, which had been settled by peoples from India and the Philippines. Europa was colonized by people hailing from Europe."

Dreadwing nodded. He didn't fully get all the terminology, but he got the gist. "Dreadwing, you and the rest of the Seekers will work closely with this man," Megatron commanded. "And the rest of his forces. Yuda and I expect great things from the both of you."

Dreadwing bowed to his lord and master. "Yes, my lord," he replied. "Together, we shall bring ruin to our enemies. Be they autobots or the UNS." Now the question was, could this human keep up with him?

Megatron smiled at him. "Good," he said. "Once our allies have settled in, we make way for Kigali. We have an artifact to recover."

Kigali

"I think I'll take this one," Aiden said as he pointed to a set of earrings.

"You sure about that?" Jack asked, eyeing the price tag on the things. "Don't they seem a little pricy?"

Aiden smiled back at him. "Maybe," he responded. "But it'll be worth it when I see the smile on Jaden's face. Can you package this?"

Jack nodded. It was not like he had any room to argue, as he had gotten a couple of expansive gifts for Conner in the past. The reverse was true as well. "Right away, sir," the store clerk said, pulling the earrings out and handing them off to another employee. Then, the man turned his attention to Jack. "What about you, young man?"

Jack shook his head. "No thanks, I'm just here helping him." He pointed to Aiden.

"You sure? A pretty-looking young man like you must have somebody back home. I can promise you they'll love the gift you get here."

Jack was blushing when he shook his head the second time. "No, really. I'm not here for anything." He tried to ignore the smile directed his way from Aiden.

"Very well, then. But if you change your mind, you know where to find us." The clerk said. Then the man left to attend to another customer.

Jack looked at Aiden, still seeing the smile. Jack had a fairly good idea of what the other man was thinking. "Don't."

"What?" Aiden replied with a wide grin.

Jack narrowed his eyes at Aiden. It only causes Aiden's expression to grow. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not happening."

In response, Aiden puts on a pouting face. "Couldn't you tell? That guy was making a pass at you," he replied. "And he is kind of cute."

Jack rolled his eyes. "That guy was just doing his job and trying to butter me up," he said. "Even if he was interested, I'm not. You know I'm not looking for anyone right now."

"Right now, you say," Aiden pointed out with a humorous smile. "But in the future." Jack shot him with a heated glare, causing his friend to chuckle. "Alright, I was just teasing you."

Jack snorted. A moment later, an employee returned with Aiden's packaged gift. A couple of minutes later, the earrings had been paid for, and the two UNS personnel had been out the door.

"Still, you have to admit," Aiden started. "That guy did have a point. Someone as good-looking as you shouldn't be alone."

Jack sighed and fought back the blush. "Like I said, I'm not ready for that kind of thing." Conner was still too fresh on his mind. If Jack was, to be honest, a part of him never wanted to move on and couldn't see himself with another man.

"Something going on here?" Wheeljack in his Holo-frame asked. Next to him was the Holo-frame of Hotrod. He appeared as a young man, just a little younger than Jack. He was taller than Jack by about an inch and had wavy red hair with orange streaks. He is dressed in a fiery red blazer with a black undershirt and blue jeans with flames on them. He had deep blue eyes like the rest of the autobots in their holoframe.

Jack could see more than a few women staring at Hotrod and a couple of guys. "Nothing," Aiden replied to Wheeljack. "Just a little bit of teasing on my end. Isn't that right, Jack?"

Jack snorted. "Something I could do without," he responded.

Hotrod and Wheeljack exchanged a glance. "Well then, did you get what you want?" The latter asked.

Aiden held up the gift for his fiancé. "Got it right here."

"Seems a little small."

"It's the thought that counts."

Wheeljack smiled. "Too true. Now that's done, what do we do now?"

Hotrod was the one to answer. "I say we hit that racetrack Jix mentioned."

"Speaking of," Aiden said, looking around. "Where did the little guy go? Wasn't he with you?"

"I'm right here," a voice called out. The group of four turned to face the source of the voice.

Jack blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing anything. "Jix?"

"Yes?" Jix replied.

Jack pointed to the Minicon's chestplate. "What is that?"

The blue and green robot looked at where Jack was pointing at. On his chest plate, colored in different shades of pink, aqua, and green, were the words, 'Bot Life.'

"Oh, this?" Jix replied. "Just something this guy did. What do you guys think?"

Aiden, Jack, Wheeljack, and Hotrod all exchanged looks. Jack was the first to break the silence. "Jix, exactly how much did that cost?" He was afraid of the answer he would get.

Jix smiled. "About two hundred credits."

Racing Track

After that little incident, it was decided that Jix would not be allowed to wander off on his own. A good thing, too, if you asked Wheeljack. A further three humans had tried to con the pour minicon. It seemed Kigali had a problem regarding con artists.

But Wheeljack supposed that was a problem anywhere someone wanted. He remembered dealing with people like that back on Cybertron before the war; by the pits, there were still types like them. A certain smooth-talking decepticon came to mind.

Wheeljack shook his head and looked around the racetrack Hotrod had dragged the group to. He was not entirely impressed by it. Don't get him wrong, Wheeljack thought it would have made a solid track back in the day, and perhaps by human standards, it might have been impressive. However, Cybertron had better tracks, on and off the board. (Maybe that was to be expected, considering what the Cybertronians are.)

But the kid did seem to be impressed, so Wheeljack was not going to ruin his mood. "Wow," Hotrod said with wonder. "Can you believe they have something like this?"

The group was down in one of the racing pits, the only place in the stadium that could accommodate the robotic forms of the Autobots. Their holo-frames were deactivated, and now the pair had a chance to stretch their legs.

Wheeljack smirked. "I've seen better," he commented. "It's just one big circle for some guys to drive around. Now, back on Cybertron, we had racetracks."

"I know. Blur told Bee and me about some of the races he used to be in." The young bot replied with a downcast smile. "But those things are gone now, more ruins and rubble."

Wheeljack frowns, knowing exactly what the kid is talking about. He had been to some of the tracks Blur was likely talking about before and after the war. "Yeah, I know."

Hotrod gestured to the pristine track in front of them. "But this I can see." The excitement was easy to read in the younger bot's voice.

"If you think this something, wait until you actually see it in action," Aiden said, grinning. "It might look like a normal track to you guys. But there is more here than you're seeing."

"Oh, really?" Wheeljack said, now interested in the conversation.

The others in the group appeared to be interested in what Aiden had to say, including the only other human with them, Jack. Aiden caught Jack's interest. "I'm surprised you didn't know, Jack. You seem like the kind of guy for stuff like this."

The UNS fighter pilot blushed and averted his eyes. "Well, I am interested in racing, just not the race car kind."

Wheeljack flashed a knowing smile at Jack. It took a second longer for Aiden to figure out what Jack was implying. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Are fighter craft really all you interested in, Jack? If I didn't know better, I would say you were born to fly."

Jack smiled meekly and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't really explain it. But I always felt at home in a cockpit, especially when flying among the stars."

"Well," you never catch me inside one of those things," Aiden replied with a chuckle. "Unlike some people, I like to keep my feet on the ground."

Hotrod joined in on the laugh. "I know what you mean." Next to him, Jix nodded his head.

Wheeljack grinned. "Well, I guess that just leaves you and me, Jack," he said to the pilot. "We like having our feet off and above the ground."

Jack smiled at him and then turned his attention back to Aiden. "So, what's so special about this track, then?"

"Not just this track. You'll find them throughout the UNS space and maybe even the League," Aiden explained. He reached his hand out to the track. "What you see here is just the standard track when it's not in use or for simple races. But there are more just outside the stadium and under it."

"Under it?" Wheeljack started to scan along the track, seeing if anything was out of place. Then, he noticed the subtle grove lines in certain sections of the track. Wheeljack's interest grew. "Well, I'll be." He didn't think the humans had thought of that."

He saw Aiden smile. "Looks like you're catching on." He replied, then continued when he saw the others hadn't figured it out yet. "The track can be extended to other tracks below the surface or out into the city. Usually a mix of both."

Wheeljack pointed to a section of the track. "Kid, if you look closely, you'll see areas that can be lowered or shifted around. This whole thing is made to transform."

Hotrod did as Wheeljack suggested. His optics narrowed as he looked directly at where Wheeljack was pointing. After about a minute, a wonderous smile spread across the bot's face. "That is just so cool," he said. "I have got to try this thing out for myself."

"I was wondering when you would say that," a voice joined the conversation.

Wheeljack had noticed the human coming up on them. He was dressed in a purple and white jumpsuit. Wheeljack guessed it was a racer's suit. "Who are you?" Jix said, eyeing the man.

The racer smiled at the minicon. "You, my friend, can just call me Pierro," he introduced himself. "As you can see, I am a racer at this track. And quite a good one if you ask me."

Wheeljack smirked and crossed his arms. "A confident one, aren't we?"

Pierro smiled at him and bowed with a flourish. "Just check the leaderboards; they'll back my claim up."

"So, what brings you here?" Hotrod asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Pierro replied to the bot. "I don't think I've seen you all around this neighborhood. I think I would remember seeing giant robots walking around Kigali."

"We just got here," Aiden replied. "Our task group is undergoing a supply run at the station. So, some of us have been given shore leave."

"With the military, uh?" Pierro asked, getting a nod from Jack and Aiden. Then he turned his attention to the two autobots. "And you two must be those robots everyone has been talking about for these past months. Autobots, were you called?"

Wheeljack crossed his arms. "And what if we are?" He asked the little human. "Any problem with that?"

Pierro shook his head. "Nothing at all. In fact, I find your kind to be quite interesting." Wheeljack could not help but notice how the man was eyeing the wheels on him and Hotrod. "Nice wheels."

To his side, Hotrod smiled down at the human racer. "Wait until you see what they come attached to." Then, without pause, Hotrod transformed into his alternate form.

Pierro whistled. "Not bad, not bad at all," he said with a grin Wheeljack had seen before. It was the look of someone eager for a challenge. "Tell me, uhh?"

"Hotrod." The younger bot supplied. Wheeljack could hear the eagerness in his voice.

"Oh, boy," Wheeljack muttered under his breath. But he couldn't keep the smile off his face. From the corners of his optics, he saw Jack and Aiden smiling and exchanging knowing glances.

"Hotrod," Pierro repeated the name. "You seem like you were interested in our fair track here. What do you say to try it out for yourself?" The man smiled.

An action Wheeljack knew was being mirrored by Hotrod. "I thought you'd never ask."

Hotrod rolled up to the track's starting line, engine reeving for action. Next to him, a purple race car rolled up to him. The window rolled down, allowing Hotrod to look at Pierro inside the vehicle.

"You ready for this?" Pierro asked.

Hotrod grinned. "You mean ready to win this? Then yes."

Pierro chuckled. "Whatever you say, my friend," he replied. "I've programmed the track so you can get a good taste of what it can do. I don't think you'll be disappointed."

Hotrod heard the thundering sound of mechanical gears moving. Looking over the fencing that separated the track from the central area of the stadium, Hotrod saw a section of the track lowering down into a tunnel. Then, right behind them, about a quarter of the way from the line, another section lowered itself.

At the same time, through the uplink with the stadium's network, Hotrod saw a map of the track forming in his mind. He could now see the underground section of the track. From there, he could see that a part of the track had even extended outside the stadium.

If he had been in his robotic form, Hotrod's smile would have gone from one audio receiver to the other. To say he was excited was like calling Megatron a grumpy meche. Hotrod had raced with his brother and some other Autobots, some of whom were former racers before the war.

But never on a racetrack like this. At least not as pristine as this one. He had seen enough ruins to last him a lifetime. Hotrod reeved his engines as he saw a light coming up from the ground before him and Pierro.

Aiden, Jack, and Jix sat down in the stands closest to the starting line to watch the race. Wheeljack was standing in one of the racing pits, where the racers would typically get their cars fixed and refueled during the race.

"Sounds good to me," Hotrod finally replied to the human racer. "So, how are we going to do this?"

Pierro smiled at him. "How about five laps around the track?" He asked. "The first one to do that and get to the finish line wins? Sound good?"

"Perfect," Hotrod replied, putting all his focus on the track ahead. "I hope you're ready to lose."

Pierro smiled at Hotrod. "We'll see about." Then the window rolled up. Hotrod was soon met with the reeving of the other car's engine. Before them, the lights started to flash, first red, then yellow, and then there was a second where the lights had just cut out. The moment they flashed green, Hotrod's engine roared to life, and he was off onto the track. Leaving the human racer in his tracks.

Out in the stands, Jack, Aiden, and Jix watched as the racers sped off. "So, any bets here?" Aiden asked.

"Like, who's going to win?" Jack asked.

"What else?"

Jack hummed himself as he saw the racers turning at the first corner. "I really can't say. I can't say much about this Pierro guy, but it is obvious he's an experienced racer. But Hotrod, well, we all know what he's like."

"But isn't Hotrod our friend?" Jix asked. "Shouldn't we be cheering him on?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe," he replied. "I think it might be a close one."

"Well, I don't know about you," Wheeljack said. Jack turned his attention to the monitor attached to the stands. The three were in a section normally reserved for VIPs or high-paying spectators. Unlike the rest of the stands, the ones here had special monitors that allowed one to watch the race directly when the races went under or out of the stadium. And unlike the massive displays hanging over the stadium, the spectators here could keep track of individual racers.

Right now, a part of that monitor was sectioned off to show Wheeljack in the pits, acting as a two-way communication between the parties. "But I think I'll put my money on this Pierro guy."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would side with Hotrod."

On the monitor, Wheeljack cracked a smile. "What, just because we're on the same team? I'm not that kind of idiot. Hotrod is good and has the engine for a race like this. But what he lacks is experience."

Jack and Aiden both nodded. "Well, in which case, I think I'll go with the safer option here." The latter said. By now, the racers were in the underground portion of the track, weaving past support pillars.

"Are we betting actual money here?" Jack asked.

Aiden grinned at Jack. "Depends on how comfortable you are with losing money," he looked at the monitor. "My fiancé could always use another gift."

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe we should keep this as just a bet," he replied. Then he looked at the racers on the monitor. "Still, if we were putting credits down. I think I would put them on Hotrod."

Now it was Wheeljack's turn to be surprised. "I thought you would be the one to bet against him."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Someone has got to give him credit, and he's not such a bad guy." Jack was surprised at how easily the words came out of his mouth. A part of him still hated the meche for what happened. But with each passing day and the more he hung out with the guy, that small part was getting quieter. Maybe one day. "Besides, it's fun routing for the underdog."

Wheeljack smiled. Jack thought he had seen a knowing glint in his eyes for a second. "True, but either way, I think this will be a close one. What about you, Jix? Haven't heard much from you on this? Who do you think will win."

Jix smiled widely. "Why Hotrod, of course," he answered. "He's our friend, so we should support him."

Wheeljack chuckled. "Well, there you have it."

The others nodded and turned their attention back to the race just as the racers finished their first lap around the track. "Come on, Hotrod, you can do this." Jack silently cheered his friend on.

Hotrod took the turn around the track and dove right into the tunnel. In back a second, he was underground, racing past the support pillars that kept the whole place up.

His opponent, Pierro was not far ahead of him but still solidly holding the lead. He would admit he underestimated humans simply because they were human.

Hotrod had thought that since he was his vehicle form (instead of, you know, having to drive the thing), he would have an edge over the human racer. But Pierro had consistently kept a lead over Hotrod and cut him off whenever he tried to overtake the human.

When he took the lead, he would quickly lose the position. Even now, the human racer kept ahead as he expertly navigated through the underground track. Hotrod was having the time of his life.

Sure, he didn't like losing and would get sulky if that happened. That was normal for anyone, but he loved the competition above all else. Winning felt great, but if he lost, it was no great thing. It just meant he had room to improve.

The racing pair came out of the underground section of the track and into a street outside the stadium. The part of the city block had been sectioned off for the race, as indicated by the red lines blocking the streets. A small crowd of people had gathered, drawn in by the sudden race.

Passing by some of these people, Hotrod couldn't help trying to flash a smile at them.

"Enjoying yourself?" A burst on his comm caught Hotrod's attention. The communication had come from the other vehicle in the race.

"Sure am." Hotrod responded to Pierro. "This is the most fun I've had in a long time."

Hotrod heard a chuckle over the comm. The two racers round a corner that would have them swinging back around to the stadium. Hotrod heard the crowd of people cheering. "Glade to hear it. I take it you're impressed."

In his alternate form, Hotrod smiled. "I am," he replied. "I never got to race in a place like this. At least not in any good condition. Not having to race through ruins, it feels nice." That was something I had learned to admire the humans about. They weren't fighting to have the ruins of their civilization; they still had cities. Their homeworld was not a lifeless husk, unable to sustain its people. They didn't have to worry about what the next day would bring.

Seeing how human civilization was now, Hotrod had to wonder if it was a reflection of what Cybertronian civilization had been before the Great War. He had heard the older bots saying that old Cybertron had been better, that their civilization had surpassed what humans had. Sometimes, Hotrod wondered if that was true or not.

It was another reason he hated the Decepticons. It wasn't enough; they had brought ruin to one race, and now they wanted to do the same thing for another. One that already had enough problems on their plates.

"Well, I hope you get to see more," Pierro responded. "Our colony is beautiful, and there others like it. But best of all, we're far from the war."

The racers made their third lap, and Hotrod was determined to win. That was when the invasion sirens went off.

Space over Kigali

There had been minimal warning when the attack came. One moment, the local colonial fleet had been conducting routine patrols in the area, and all was clear. Then, the green vortex tore open the fabric of space/time.

Ten enemy vessels came rushing out from the space bridge, weapons bearing down on the small colonial fleet. Six were identified as League warships, while the other four belonged to the Decepticons.

The colonial fleet only managed to get a single hail to the enemy fleet before they opened fire. Thankful for the Colonial fleet, their commandeering officer had ordered shields raised as soon as he saw the space bridge appear.

Still, the defending fleet over Kigali suffered heavy damage. Two of the seven vessels comprising the colonial fleet were destroyed, with the rest suffering varying levels of damage.

With the moment of surprise over, the defenders of Kigali retaliated, allowing for the battle to start properly.

Dreadwing led his wing of vehicon fliers and seekers towards the enemy's lines through the emptiness of space. He was joined by a flight of League fighters led by his counterpart Robert Dracovich.

Dreadwing still did not know what to make of the human, not fully anyway. With the exchanges they had so far, he could tell the pilot was a man of honor and integrity, something he could respect. But his skills as a fighter, Dreadwing, had yet to determine that. He would be getting that chance soon, though.

"Enemy fighters incoming."

Dreadwing saw the enemy fighters coming long before the warning came. In his alternate form, Dreadwing's optics narrowed. These so-called colonial fleets had been unimpressive to him. He did not think their fighter pilots would be any better.

A comm spike came from Robert's fighter. "I would not underestimate these people, my friend," the man said. "Colonial fighter pilots might not be up to the same standard as their

UNS counterparts. But unlike their brothers, these people are defending their homes. That will drive them further than anything else."

"I will keep that in mind," Dreadwing replied. Privately, he would admit it was sound advice; even a lowly worker bot could be lethally dangerous if motivated enough. For humans, it would be no different.

"In any case," Robert continued. "Our main goal is not to take down their fighter craft. That comes later. We have an objective to complete."

Mentally, Dreadwing nodded. He knew what his orders were. Behind the swarm of Vehicon fliers, decepticon seekers, and League fighters was a variable swarm of Decepticon and League shuttles, carrying soldiers ready to lay siege to the UNS colony.

The UNS lacked the technology needed to shield their colonies. However, they could create localized fields capable of disrupting the formation of ground bridges. The tech originally came from the Autobots, but the method had been simple enough for the UNS to replicate and distribute throughout their space. Because of that, any invasion would have to be delivered by transport.

Dreadwing would see to it that those transports would reach their destination. "I'll lead a direct assault on the enemy," he said to his counterpart in the League. "I'll force open a hole for our transports. You make sure they get through."

"Understood," Robert said. "May we find honor and glory on this day."

Dreadwing smile. "And may it be abundant."

The battle for Kigali had only just begun a few minutes ago, but already things were going badly for the defenders. The Decepticon/League was pressing down on them, and taking full advantage of that, they outnumbered the defenders and outclassed them. The defense platforms help ease the pressure on the defenders, but to the observing eye, it was clear they were being pushed back.

At the same time, a stream of enemy transports flew for the colony; it was clear the enemy intended to launch a ground invasion. Colonial fighters intercepted them, looking to stop such a disaster from falling onto their home. However, they were stopped cold by a mixed group of Decepticon and League fighters.

Led by the seeker Dreadwing, the attackers tore a hole open in the ranks of the colonial fighters, allowing the transports to push through to the colony. Some transports would still be shot down. However, the bulk of them would make it through.

All too quickly, the defenders of Kigali found themselves beset in space and on the ground.

Kigali

Hotrod did not realize something was wrong until he and his opponent emerged from the tunnel and returned to the streets. They were in their fourth lap. Almost immediately, Hotrod had noticed the gathering crowd had dispersed.

Not calmly, either. Looking closer, Hotrod could see that the people were panicking. "What in the world?"

Now that he was out of the tunnel, he heard something in the air. A siren was going off. Hotrod's comm device came to life a moment later. "Hotrod, something is going on," Jack said over the comm, his voice was on edge.

"What's going on?" Hotrod said he slowed down to take in what was going on. The race was long forgotten by now. "What's with the siren?"

"It's the invasion siren for this colony," Jack answered. "I think we might be under attack."

"Under attack?" Hotrod repeated. "Is it?" He didn't get to finish his question.

Unknown to him and the others. The enemy had broken through the defenses of the colony. While the transports were unloading troops. League fighter and vehicon fliers flew overhead, attacking targets of opportunity and generally sowing discord throughout the colony.

Unfortunately for the members of Omega-one, a pair of vehicon fliers had picked up on a pair of energon signatures. Knowing they could not have been of decepticon origin, they had rightly concluded autobots were on the colony.

Hotrod only had a second warning as the fliers flew over him. A moment later, a string of explosions tore through the street. For a moment, Hotrod's world was fire as he spun around in the air. A loud thud signaled he landed on the ground.

Disoriented, Hotrod transformed and tried to get to his feet. Looking around, he saw nothing but fire and destruction. The attack ruined the street. The sounds of people crying reached Hotrod's audio receptors.

It was then that Hotrod saw two figures coming for him. It only took him a moment to recognize them as vehicon soldiers. As soon as they transformed their arms into weapons, Hotrod's instincts took over.

The vehicons fired at Hotrod, who quickly dodged the bolts of the energon. He dodged the second and third shots the pair fired. Regaining his senses, Hotrod transformed his arms into cannons and started to fire on the Vehicon soldiers. One of the cons took a hit to its shoulder as it tried to avoid the attack. Its partner, though, was able to take cover by a building.

Seeing the chance, Hotrod charged at his attackers, blasting away at them with his canons. While there was no cover for Hotrod to use, his attackers had landed two blocks away from him. So, while the Vehicons had a clear shot at him, Hotrod was able to close the distance in seconds.

He closed in on the Vehicon that had not taken cover. The con tried to fire on him at close range. Hotrod had been quicker. He transformed his left canon into a blade and plunged it right into the chest, breaching the spark chamber and killing the drone soldier in an instant.

Hotrod heard the whirling of an energon cannon charging. Thinking quickly, Hotrod spun around and used the lifeless body of the first vehicon as a shield. The remaining vehicon fired several bolts, most of which slammed into the body of its partner.

Still using the other Vehicon as a shield, Hotrod fired his cannon. He was careful to make sure his shots wouldn't hit any of the running and screaming humans if any missed his attacker.

The vehicon stopped firing its weapon and turned it into a blade. It charged at Hotrod. The autobot smirked and threw off the body of the other vehicon and turned his remaining cannon into a blade.

A split second later, he blocked a swing from the Vehicon. The con transformed its other arm into a blade and tried to stab Hotrod. However, he saw the attack coming long before the con made the move. Hotrod deflected the attack and took a swing at the con.

The vehicon stepped back, ending the blade-lock, and used its free weapon to parry the attack. Hotrod took another swing. This, too, was parried by the con.

The vehicon swung its weapons at Hotrod, probably hoping to overwhelm him with brute strength. Hotrod swings one blade out to block both of the con's weapons. Then, with a swift cut from his second bladed arm, he took one arm off the vehicon soldier.

The vehicon stumbled back as sparks flew out from its wound, and liquid energon poured out. Hotrod ran up to the con, delivering a swift kick to its body that sent it crashing to the ground. The con tried to get up, but a speedy blast to its chest ended its life.

Hotrod took a deep breath as he transformed his weapons into his arms. Not even a second went by when he heard another set of metallic footsteps coming his way.

Hotrod spun around, ready to meet his next attacker. Only to see Wheeljack running up to him. "Kid, you okay? We heard the explosions."

Hotrod nodded. "Yeah, I am," he replied. He looked at the lifeless bodies of the vehicons. "Can't say the same thing about these jokers, though."

"You did make short work of them, didn't you?" Wheeljack replied with a proud smirk. "Here, I thought I would have to bail you out of trouble. What of Pierro, is he okay."

A moment of panic took over Hotrod. He hadn't even thought about the guy in all this mess. Hotrod looked across the street and saw the burning remains of the man's race car, not flipped over on the side of the road. Close by, he saw Jack, Aiden, and Jix huddle together. Aiden was kneeling over something.

Hotrod had a sinking feeling, but he still ran over to where the trio was, with Wheeljack right behind him.

As Wheeljack ran up to Hotrod, Jack and the others ran to what they assumed was Piero's race car's burning and flipped over remains.

Getting close enough, Jack saw that the driver's door had, at some point, flown off, and there was a body hanging out from the opening. A body that wasn't moving even as it was being consumed by fire.

Jack ran up to the body and grabbed it by the shoulders. He pulled it out from the wreck and across the street. Aiden and Jix ran up to him, with the latter transforming his hand and shooting out a steady stream of water to put out the flames on the body.

With Aiden, Jack flipped the body over and had to bite back a gasp. His face was half burnt but still recognizable. Pierro's cold eyes looked up at him. Jack stood up as Aiden knelt to check for a pulse. Jack knew what the result would be.

Aiden looked at Jack and Jix and shook his head. Jix looked sad, while Jack didn't know what to feel. He barely knew the guy, but seeing the man dead had Jack feeling numb.

Two sets of metallic footsteps drew the attention of the trio. Hotrod and Wheeljack stopped their running and looked down at the lifeless body of Pierro. Hotrod had a defeat look in his eyes as he seemed to realize what had happened.

The invasion sirens were still sounding through the air. "I-I thought we were supposed to be far from the frontlines here," Jix said in a shaky voice. "Why is the enemy attacking here?"

That was a question Jack would love to have an answer to. Aside from the nearby UNS station, Kigali had no strategic value in that war. It couldn't be used to attack other colonies, as the closest ones were all minor. Nor was it a defensive bastion.

Wheeljack pulled his blades out. "Only one way to find out," he said.

Nemesis

"My, Lord, the enemy fleet has been driven back," a vehicon said. "All that remains are the orbital defenses."

Megatron smiled and nodded. "A simple enough matter," he replied. "Have our flyers and fighters take care of them. What of our ground forces?"

"They have secured two main landing sites and are pushing in to take the main city. Multiple insertion teams have also landed and are making havoc."

"Good," Megatron replied. "Then we can proceed fully with the plan. Get me Shockwave."

"Yes, my lord."

A moment later, Megatron was staring at the image of his top scientist. "Shockwave, have you started with the dig?"

"Affirmative, my lord," Soundwave answered. "We have established our main site and began digging into the asteroid."

Megatron nodded, pleased to hear the good news. "How long until you can retrieve the artifact?"

"Artifacts, my lord," Shockwave answered, getting a look from Megatron. "Now that we have arrived on site, my scans reveal the presence of two artifacts. Both clustered together."

That was a surprise to Megatron, but it was a surprise he liked. "How long until you can retrieve them."

"I estimate between three and five Earth hours," the decepticon scientist replied. "We are taking precautions not to damage the artifacts or risk destabilizing the asteroid.

Megatron nodded and rubbed his chin plate. He cared little for the asteroid, but he understood Shockwave's reasoning. "Proceed with the dig, and make sure no one tries to stop you. The retrieval of the artifacts is paramount, understood?"

Shockwave bowed. "Understood, my lord." His image faded away.

Not far from where Megatron was standing, a league observer spoke up. "Once you have your relics, what will you do with the colony?" Yuda was on his flagship, commanding the League forces in this battle.

Megatron resisted the urge to roll his optics. "We shall help you secure the colony," he said. "The people shall be liberated from the oppression of the UNS and their autobot allies."

The League observer nodded and turned their attention away from the leader of the Decepticons. Most likely reporting to his master. Megatron snorted and turned his attention to the battle.

Kigali

It took about an hour and a couple of firefights, but the group of Jack, Aiden, Jix, Hotrod, and Wheeljack had made it to an allied command post. Just in time as well, as the outpost was being assaulted by a mixed force of League soldiers and vehicon troopers.

The arrival of two autobot warriors from behind had turned the tide in favor of the UNS defenders, and the attack had been quickly repulsed.

With a lull in the battle, the group managed to get into contact with the rest of Omega-1. What they heard was not to their liking.

"I'm afraid our efforts to reinforce you have been delayed," Optimus said over holo-graphic communication. "At the same time, the colony was attacked, the station was assaulted."

A worried look flashed across Wheeljack's face, just about mirroring the one Jack had. "Is everyone okay?"

Optimus nodded. "Mostly. The attackers have been driven away," he replied. "But fleet did suffer damage. We are doing field repairs as we speak."

"How long could that take?" Jack asked. The enemy was hammering away at the colony, and Jack was unsure how long the UNS could hold out against them.

"About another hour," Optimus said. "Then we shall make the best speed for the colony. However, that is not the only problem here." Optimus's image blinked out to show a projection of the station and colony. There were two red clusters displayed. One is near the colony, and the other is between the station and the colony.

"The enemy as a task group between here and the colony," Optimus explained.

"An interception force," Aiden said. "Not big enough to stop you. But enough to slow you guys down. The League or the cons must really want Kigali. But why? What could they want here?"

"That is a good question," Optimus said. "It is paramount we find out."

Wheeljack nodded. "Then it's a good thing we're here," he said. "I'll get the cons to squeal. Just let me at them."

"Me, too," Hotrod said, clenching his fist. "These scrappers are attacking an innocent colony. People who had nothing to do with the war."

The others in the room nodded. On the way to the command post, the five had seen the havoc the enemy had brought to the colony. League and decepticon forces had discriminated little between combatants and civilians.

Optimus nodded. "Do what you can, Wheeljack," he said. "But I do not have to remind you where our priorities lie."

Wheeljack nodded. "I know," he said. "We protected the people of Kigali. Believe me, I haven't forgotten that."

Optimus looked pleased. "In the meantime, the Jasper is making its way to the colony," he said. "It is the only ship we can send, and reasonably expect it to arrive safely."

Now, that was a relief to Jack. The Jasper would be carrying additional UNS forces to reinforce the colony. Possibly even a couple more Autobots. But what mattered most was the stealth corvette would be carrying fighters.

If Jack could get on board the ship, then he could get to a fighter. Then, he could make a difference in this battle.

"Elita and Bumblebee are on board, along with two others."

"We'll take all the help we can," Wheeljack replied. "Until then, we got some tin cans to kick in."

"Good luck out there," Optimus said before his image vanished.

Wheeljack turned to face the others. There was a determined look in his eyes. "Alright, people, let's rollout. We have a colony to defend."

Before anyone could move, a man with a datapad in his hand walked up to the group. "You may want to have a look at this."

Wheeljack, in his holo-frame, took the pad. "What's this about?" He asked. Then, he paused as he looked through the contents.

"An intelligence report, you think?" Aiden asked.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Probably, and most likely something to do with the cons." Whatever it was, he hoped it wasn't anything too bad for them."

Jack would soon get his answer. Wheeljack looked away from the pad and had a look in his eyes that was hard to read. "Looks like we'll be taking a detour. Kid, you're coming with me. The cons are up to something, and we must figure out what it is."

Hotrod nodded. "Where to?"

"Outside the colony."

Axalon

"All ships report ready to move out, Optimus."

Optimus nodded. "Good, all ships move out. Set a course for Kigali best possible speed. Our comrades need us."

On the projection, he saw his flagship, the Axalon, moving across the void of space. It was followed by the rest of Omega-One and several ships from the station. Altogether, fourteen ships would reinforce the besieged defenders of Kigali.

"We'll need to get past the interception force first," Jazz said, stepping into view.

Optimus rubbed his chin. "I agree, Jazz. We do not need our enemies attacking us from two fronts." Dividing their forces now would also be ill-advised. While some ships could be used to halt the interception force, the other group could more rapidly reach the colony. But then, they would risk being overwhelmed by the enemy before the rest of the fleet could catch up.

Optimus and others in command positions had decided it would be best to keep the whole fleet together and have it deal with the interception force first. Then it could move on to relieve Kigali. The only ship that had been sent ahead had been the Jasper. With her stealth capabilities, she could make it to the colony in one piece. Or so Optimus hoped.

The Jasper had proven to be surprisingly useful ever since her launch. Her stealth abilities had given Omega-One the edge in more than a few operations. Even the cons failed to detect the small human vessel. But Optimus knew their luck would only last so long.

The Decepticons were not dumb, and neither was the League. Eventually, someone would figure out that the task group had a stealth vessel in their arsenal and find a way to detect it.

"I still have to wonder what the enemy is up to," Jaz said. "If what our buddies in the UNS is true, then this colony has no value in the war. Sure, it's one of the largest colonies in this area. But it's not really valuable, not in a strategic sense."

Optimus nodded as he thought about it. Jazz had a point. The attack on Kigali made little sense. There was no strategic value in holding the colony; it had no valuable resources. Certain it would cause chaos in the area, but Optimus doubted that was the true goal of the enemy. Which begged the question, what was the enemy's true goal in all of this?

Kigali, outside the main dome

"There it is," Wheeljack said, removing his scout seers. He handed the device to Hotrod so he could see the con dig sit.

The younger autobot took them and looked through where Wheeljack was pointing. A frown quickly appeared on his face. "Looks like they're trying to dig something up. But what?" Hotrod took the scout seers off.

Wheeljack shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"Could it be something like energon?" Jack asked. He was outfitted with a full Eva suit. One made with combat in mind. Jack had insisted on coming with the bots and soldiers they had managed to get. He didn't want to sit around and do nothing while his friends risked their lives.

Though if luck held out, Jack wouldn't see any ground combat. The Jasper was due to arrive any moment now. She would swing by to drop off Elita, Bee, and a company of marines led by Hatsuko. Jack could board the Jasper and get himself to a fighter. Aiden had remained back in the colony.

"Maybe they got a report about the stuff being here."

Wheeljack shook his head. That thought had occurred to him, but he discarded it just as quickly. "I doubt it. If they did learn about an energon deposit, wouldn't we have known about it first? How else could they have learned about."

"Then what could they be digging for?" Jack asked.

"That's what I intend to find out," Wheeljack replied. "Whatever it is, it can't be good for us if they get their hands on it. Ah, just in time."

A shadow had flown over the group. Wheeljack smiled when he looked up and saw the Jasper descending on them. "Looks like you won't have to worry about using that thing." He pointed to the plasma rifle in Jack's hands.

The Jasper landed, disembarking her marines and two autobot warriors in the form of Elita and Bumblebee. Jack boarded the Jasper in a rush.

"Good to see you're still alive, Wheeljack," Elita said with a smile. "The attack had us worried."

Wheeljack smirked. "What did you honestly expect a bunch of cons and league losers could take the kid and me?"

Elita shook her head. "Still doesn't stop your friends from worrying," she said. "Now then, what have you found?"

Hotrod was the one to answer. "The cons have sat up some kind of digging site. We don't know what they're trying to dig up, though."

Elita nodded. "Then we stop them before we have a chance to find out. You ready to move out?"

Wheeljack smirked as he pulled one of his swords out. "I thought you would never ask.

The true battle for Kigali had started.