Backdraft

Charr : the city Deadend

You're engine roars as you push your way through Charr's dusty, red atmosphere. You've been on Charr for some years now. It's a backwoods planet that was once ruled by the Decepticons. Now, it's a hangout for all the scum of the universe. A way-station for the traders and black-market dealers of the collected space-faring races of the universe. It's also considerably more exciting than your home planet of Cybertron is.

You're an old Cybertron. Once part of the great Autobot forces of the last Great War. Now you're an enforcement officer for Charr, and the news is, there's some kind of meeting in the lower caverns under this city that you should take a look into.

It seems as if a bunch of Destrons are gathering under the old Decepticon banner. Now, the Decepticons have been outlawed for a few centuries. That means, you can legally slag anyone you find at the meeting. All nice and happy for you, there's nothing like a large scale

Decepticon roast to brighten the days.

You bank, you're ancient form creaking as the angry twin suns glare off of the charred surfaces of your A-10 form's wings.

The streets are filled with a dust that swirls up in a choking vortex as you near them.

You transform into robot mode and land with a loud clank.

The streets are fairly quiet here, a few hovercraft and old roller vehicles pass by, but none take notice of the massive Cybertron in their midst.

You walk close to the building and begin internal scanning of the structure.

It appears empty, dilapidated, and just plain dirty. That, and the fact that the floor has a fuzzy scanning about half an inch above surface. Yup, jammers. Someone doesn't want the basement looked into.

Oh well, too bad. You pull you gun and cock it with an ominous click. "Time to light a fire under the bastards."

You make your way across the street towards the dark building.

Charr : Deadend

You reach up and touch the liquid fuel tanks of my blowtorch, " Now, be still my beauty... your time will come. "

You check your weapons systems, itching to start a fire that will slag the pitiful meeting. You smirk at the jamming and say, "Oh... my dear 'cons I do SO love it when you play hide and go seek."

You snap out of my giddiness and scan the surroundings for alarms and traps. You see none on the main building, --Pompous are we? No traps. Don't think the police forces are swift enough to know what you're up to, eh?--

There appear to be several entrances to the lower level, but you've always preferred the easy, straightforward method of knocking. You walk across the street and kick open the large metallic doors on the front of the building.

--hmm... still nothing? No matter.--

You give off a rusty chuckle, "Well Backdraft, do you keep the microwave oven or go for what's under the box? Hmmm... I'll take the box, Bob!" You end in a loud cackle and drop a set of fire bombs onto the floor. You jump up and let loose with a fiery river of napalm as the bombs

explode downward, slagging the metal surface of the floor, and producing a rather large hole to fall through, "OH LOOK! AN OPEN RANGE BURNER, BOY AM I GLAD I TOOK WHAT WAS UNder... the... bo..." As you land amidst the chaos of flame and melted metal, you get a quick visual account of the surroundings. It brings an abrupt halt to you're glee. You'd guess

maybe fifty to a hundred Destrons standing, running, or milling about in the smokey basement.

Sobering odds.

You figure it's time to run like the inferno's rivers.

"FLIGHT MODE!!!" You transform and shoot back through the hole in the floor, blasting your way out the front of the building.

Gunshots fly past you as you retreat, but the chaos from the surprise gives you a chance to survive.

As you climb into Charr's reddish sky, you hear another blast of lasers rather close.

Behind you is a purple and gold plane, climbing quickly on your aft.

Charr : Deadend

"This is Backdraft to anyone at security HQ!!! I need backup NOW!!! I have stumbled across a whole roach nest of 'Cons!! May day, may day!!"

You release a jet of napalm into the skies behind you in the hopes that it will deter your adversary. You switch to rear scanners to find him easily flying through the fiery sky.

The following jet locks on to you and releases a volley of missiles. Your response is to drop a sparkling storm of Chaff metal that sends out a brilliant display through the sky.

You hear his missiles explode in the sky with a thunderous crack. You begin to bank, sweeping low to the ground. In a shear speed race you're toast, but if you can spin to fire your missiles...

You see different species below you and an ideal half-forms in your head. You open your outer speaker phones, "Decepticon attack underway! Defend your world!"

You spray another jet of napalm out and begin to leave a flaming river behind you.

You hear, "DIE DECEPTISCUM!!!!!" and you think --Great! It worked!-- when suddenly, a heavy weight lands on top of you.

"Eat slag 'con!" BLAM a blast buries itself into your cockpit, smashing your crystalline window.

"WHAT!? Are you stupid? I'm not the 'Con!!"

"Sure! That's just what a Con would say!"

"No wait, really I'm the one in trouble!"

"You bet, I'll teach you to spread fire across the whole slaggin' city!"

"WA..."

BLAAAM!

Darkness descends.

You wake up to find yourself back at Headquarters. The CR chamber releases you and you stumble forward.

You see you're commander, Roadbuster, standing with a small, blue and yellow 'bot.

"So, Backdraft... I suppose you're gonna explain just why this little guy had to stop you from setting half the slaggin' city on fire?"

The little bot shrugged apologetically, "Sorry, but the way you were laying out firepower..."

You shake your head.

"I wasn't setting the city on fi..."

"Stow it, I sent you to find out about a meeting, not set a city block to ruin, or to run through the skies shouting insanity about Decepticons attacking."

"But the Decepticons were there! I was being chased by one of them. Surely someone saw..."

"All anyone saw was you throwing napalm around like it was candy! The only attack was a burned down building, and several citizens with burn wounds from YOUR exhaust."

You close your mouth with a snap.

"This is the third time this Teracycle that you've pulled some stunt like this."

"But, Roadbuster, I really saw..."

"If you saw, then where's some proof!? No one has seen anything else, you set a whole blasted building on fire, and there's no bodies or even diesel fuel to signify anyone was there! I'm sorry Backdraft, but I have to put you on suspension."

"But..."

"No buts, you are hereby relieved of duty to the Charr police forces until further notified.

Take a break Backdraft, get an overhaul. You could use the time off duty."

"Yes sir." you mumble miserably. you turn and head out of the door, and out of the HQ.

You check the chronometer, only a half a cycle had passed. But what were you to do now, if the Con's had gathered, you had to prove it somehow. That was your only chance to be redeemed. But how?

You hear footsteps behind you, "Hey, Backdraft," it was the smaller transformer, "Look, I'm really sorry about all that... I feel responsible in so..."

You pick up the smaller bot by the torso plate, "YOU BET YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE!"

"Hey...HEY... back off, "he smacks your arms, releasing himself from your grip, "I just wanted to offer my help when... I mean 'IF' you go back to investigate."

"You heard Roadbuster, I'm off-duty." though you realize that you could use the help, especially someone who could sneak around... someone small.

"I'm just saying that I know THAT wouldn't stop Retrohopper from clearing his name! Why, if we could find something on these Con's...

we'd be HEROES! BACKDRAFT AND RETROHOPPER, SAVIORS OF THE PAX CYBERTRONIAN ALLEGIANCE! VANQUISHERS OF THE EVIL DECEPTICONS! MIGHT..."

"OKAY, Okay. You're so eager to help, and you owe me one at any rate. Let's go."

"Where to boss-bot?"

Good question, you had to find the Con's plans, but where would you look first?

Charr: Deadend

The two of you begin to walk down the street as you ponder what to do next, "Do you think you could access my memory for my visuals under that building, Retrohopper?"

"Uhm... Sure, I guess I could try."

"What do you mean 'try'"

"Well, I have a knack of 'doing' or 'finding' things. You might say I have a strong luck streak. If I fiddle around for a few seconds I'll probably hit the right switches."

His answer doesn't instill confidence in you, but it was the best chance you had. If you went to a real mechanic, the procedure would go on record, and Roadbuster would know that you were still working on the case.

You make your way to your quarters, a small dingy apartment on the North side of the town. You enter in and plop down on you're charging chair, "Well, here goes nothing. If you screw anything up... It'll be your mainframe!"

"Hey, if I screw anythin'up, I'll just leave you off-line!"

You growl but begin system sleep mode.

---The fires around you raged... you could hear the screams of the dying all around. The attack had been quick, efficient, ruthless... You could remember being told that they were just a ragtag band of dissenters. This was a military act though... No way you could have stopped it, no without warning... The screams rise in crescendo as the burning embers joined the stars above you in a dance of light and death...---

You shut back on, immediately running a systems scan. "Systems at 79 percent utility, flows even." came the computer's voice.

"Hmm, not bad, only running 62 percent before."

"Yeah, well, I found these wired that were spliced with something that resembled chewing gum. So I plucked em and re-sautered a few connections. Who's da man... Who's da man..."

"Yeah, right. What did you find."

"Well, I definitely got a picture. Here, lemme show you..." Retrohopper accessed your holovid center. The picture came up, full of smoke and fire, light casting shadows all over the place. All three seconds of a looped visual.

"What we have here is a group of Destrons in a basement. I think that Butbuster will probably want a little more than extra proof of you're maniacal tendencies."

"Wait," something catches your optic, "Pause and zoom here." You point at a area of the three second clip.

The computer automatically registers your command and complies, zooming in on a particular Destron. He's big, and not running around like a madbot. The smoke covers him for the most part, but something in his eyes makes your frame burn with a freezing hatred.

"I want to find him." You state simply.

"Well, I would suggest we take a stroll down to the slagsite and see what the low is."

"Hmm, I thought we might go see about that area that the Con's used to habitate during the Great Wars."

"What, the old arena? That place' full of gun's 'n slaghounds. There ain't no habit's anywhere near the pit."

"Still, I think it might hold some clue to their whereabouts or plans."

"Your the boss, but I still think we're better off checkin that basement."

Charr : Deadend

You look down at the smaller blue and gold robot, "Do you thing I could temporarily alter my appearance via a CR chamber?"

"Sure thing, but unless you have a CR in the closet, that means goin' to a chop shop. It'll be on log then. Ol' Roady will see that it happened."

"No good then. I torched a large part of the area where that raid went down. There's bound to be someone who will notice me if we go back there. Police force has snitches all over the place in those warrens."

"Yeah, maybe we could just throw a santa costume on you. No one will notice."

"Very funny."

"No really, if we just cover your frame with something, wouldn't that do the trick. After all, there's nothing BUT shady characters on Charr."

"Hmm... I don't know. "

"C'mon, even if someone sees us, they'll report us, and by the time Roadbuster's mob squad can find us we'll have the proof to clear you!"

"Or someone will see us and start shooting. Remember, I probably torched a 'few' peoples houses by accident down there."

"Oh yeah. Maybe the arena WOULD be safer.

Like I said, your choice. What'll it be bossbot?"

Charr : Deadend

"What the Inferno," you grumble, "Let's do it junior!" You give the small yellow and golden bot a good slap on the back, which nearly knocks him over, "First, let's get me a paint job. Then, let's see about hiding my wings and getting some treads to temporarily add on. Third... let's

see how your luck streak holds out."

"No problem, We can hit the junk yard and I'll do a little creative welding on your structure. We'll have you lookin' slicker than a cyber eel in Jell-O."

You turn to leave the residence, but Retrohopper grabs your arm, "Wait, if we go to the yard with you looking like that, we could be followed."

"If we're gonna be followed, wouldn't they already be watching us?"

"Yeah, but I think I can loose us in the metro, but we've gotta cover up a bit. You know blend in."

A few minutes later you and Retrohopper were descending into the under levels down a sub entrance. Brown and grey cloaks flapping around you as the warmer cavern airs push up against you.

"Yeah, I feel REAL inconspicuous. A 12 meter tall cloaked robot...."

"Hey, you'd be surprised. The warrens have tons of bot's who don't wanna be seen. We'll hop a transit and head to the Nova Junkyards, and loose any would be prying eyes in the mix."

The cavern walls below are enormous. The lower warrens are merely extra levels added on to the city, and the dusty red interior is covered with buildings of all sort. The streets and buildings are well lit by huge lamps that scatter the walls and streets, as well as a myriad of smaller lights spread throughout the levels.

You walk down a street toward a transit stop. The building is cluttered with people going in and out, and the two of you have no problem getting lost in the crowd. You hop a single story mass transit that's headed in the right direction.

The low scooped bus shuttle slowly hovers out of the station, and then rises above the more congested street ways. Thrusters kick in and the bus lurches forward.

"It should only take us a few seconds to get to the yard from here," Retrohopper mutters under his breath, "I've never really taken many of these things, but it's a good way to loose someone, and I thought..."

WHAM!!!

The bus lurches sideways and begins to plummet toward the ground. The side is crumpled inward where something hit it and a loud explosion can be heard from rather near the bus.

"Uhm... remember what I said about the luck streak. Well, it's not always GOOD luck."

Charr: Deadend

You grab Retrohopper as the bus tilts. "We're getting outta here!"

Through a rear access hatch you leap, transforming and giving the smaller golden bot cover from any gunfire in the street. You lock sensors on the first armed bot you see and lob unlit napalm all over him, yelling, "THROW DOWN YOUR GUNS OR I'LL LIGHT IT!!!"

You land, transforming to robot and holding your gun threateningly.

"SLAGGIN PRIMUS GREASE!!! BACKDRAFT, HAVE YOU GONE LOONY!!!"

Oooops. You look askance at the napalm covered form of Pointblank, Charr Police Force and fellow Cybertronian.

"Uhm... so, uhm, Pointblank. You got duty down here?"

"I WAS FOLLOWING A KARON SMUGGLER!"

"Sorry."

"First, that big tank freak picked me up and broke my stakeout, and then him and his buddy nearly blow that whole transit apart trying to nail the target!"

"Who?"

Just then, a silver and blue Destron trotted up, "Uhm... Glad to lend you a hand."

"A hand! You launched a MISSILE at a 2 meter air ski!"

"Well, I like to know when I hit."

"You... AAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!" Pointblank screams in frustration. The other robot gave you an odd, startled look, "How'd... I mean who are you?"

"Backdraft, and you are?"

"Overkill."

"We were in the bus," You motion back toward the bus. It had landed hard, but the main hull was still intact. All except where the ski had smashed into it. Pointblank had turned his attention to calling in the cleanup crew.

Then, you catch a glimpse of a large form you saw earlier. The one from the basement, the big black and red tank robot. He was kneeling over the wreckage looking at something.

"Uhm, Retrohopper, we better get going, there's that... meeting at the..."

"At the fixit shop, yeah, we got to set that dealer straight. He's been ripping me off on cleaner fluid for my valves."

Overkill looks a bit uneasy and turns away.

You grab the smaller robot and pull him into the alley.

"You see him?"

"Yeah, the one from the basement you slagged."

"I think they may have recognized me. "

"If so, you can bet there coming after us as soon as possible."

"We'd better hide."

"Here," Retrohopper turns to a lower patch panel on the side of a garage, "it's a wide load fuel duct. If we follow it, it'll dump us either in a ships tanks or on the garage floor. Long as you don't light those flame lobbers of yours, we can hide till the coast is clear without opening any other main doorways."

"What if it leads to a ships tanks, and the ship takes off."

"We can jump out of the tanks, and get into the ship. We can wait till we're in the atmosphere, and jump for it."

"Do it."

Retrophopper plugs into the patch panel and codes start scrolling across the lock. Soon there is a click, and the panel opens.

"Hold your breath."

You squeeze into the dark pumping tank.

Charr : Deadend, a gas tank...

Splushhhh, the energon fuel swishes around you. Your energy dampners kick on, and begin to repel the energon from your frame. The thickness of the liguid makes it fairly easy to keep from soaking it up directly.

You look around the glowing liquid and find you have to filter your optics to see Retrohopper. You open a comlink to him, "Great, the fuel tanks. How'd I let you get me into this?"

"Hey, it'll keep our signatures shielded from any 'prying eyes.' Besides, who's never wanted to take a bath in nothing but energon."

You have to chuckle at this.

Then you set to thinking. First order of business is to find out if this ship is going anywhere, if so how soon, and if soon, where to.

You're not the best at code cracking, but you'd bet that Retro could do it.

"Hey, Goldilocks,"

"Yeah?"

"You think you could uplink to the ship and find out where this crate is headed, and when?"

"I'll give it a swing...

Uh oh."

"What oh."

"Can't tell you WHERE it's going, but I know when."

"When?"

"It's set to fire."

"Great... LET'S GET OUTTA THIS TANK!!!!"

Retrohopper swims past you in the tank, and reaches a small access way in the panel.

"What freaks lock the access to the tank??"

"I'll blast the slaggin thing, MOVE"

"NO!! You'll ignite the blasted tank!!!"

"Then get us outta here!"

"Give me a sec!"

Precious time slips by, in fact, five minutes slips by before there is a whir and the hatch spins open.

The two of you crawl out, coughing and covered with energon. A shielding device covers the hatch, keeping the energon in, but some still leaks out from your joints.

You look around, and find yourself in a descent sized shuttle. The engine area was dark and unmanned. The engines themselves making a loud humming noise.

"Well, we're here."

"Where's here?" You retort.

"Dunno, but the ship just fired up."

You see him looking at a small panel on the outside of the tank. The readings indicated lift-off.

"We stay here, we're shielded from most scans. Plus, we still have this energon leakin' out of our panels to help out with the cover."

"Yeah," you mutter but what now.

"Wait? this ship'll pass through a spaceport soon, then we catch a ride back."

"The ship MIGHT pass through a spaceport."

"Hey! I'm here, trust me!"

You mutter some imprecations and sit down to deciding what to do now.

A ship: in the upper atmoshpere of Charr

"Great," you mutter on low. "So we're stow-aways. Well, let's see who's on board."

You activate a scanner, but are only met with an odd glitching sound.

"Perfect, my damper's still have my input/output controls off line cuz of the energon."

"Mine are shielded." whispered the smaller bot.

"Then sca.." You're interrupted as you hear footsteps on an access ladder not far from where the two of you stand.

Retrohopper grabs you and pulls you behind a bulkhead.

You smell something bad... like garbage and burning motor oil.

You risk a look out from your hiding place and see a large purple and grey robotic ape shuffling over to the energon tank it looks at the meters and snorts. Drops of slime and crust drip off of his frame, luckily, covering up the small puddles of energon that hadn't evaporated yet.

"Slaggin piece of rusted junk, given flamin' readings that fly out of your exhaust, just to drag my rusted pipe line up out of my chair to check on your Primus blasted garbage piles."

You look down at Retro, he just shrugs.

You look back in time to see light glint off of a sigil on the Transformer's arm. The purple reflection gives you a shock. It looks like you've stumbled into a Destron ship. Then your pumps contrict tighter as you notice the more angular features of the sigil. It wasn't Destron, it was Decepticon.

The monstous ape shambled back to the ladder and crawled back up to the main deck leaving a rather large glob of spit on the meter that he was reading.

You look down at your yellow companion, "I guess this was what you meant by your dumb luck not always being good?"

"Well, you wanted to find the Con's." Retro smirked back.

"Can you access the ship's computers and find out where we're headin'?"

"Not without the chance they catch me. I think we're in for the long haul."

You're afraid your companion may be right. About now you wished you had an open channel to Charr police forces to request backup....

A ship : Space

You look around at the engine room. Not much to do but wait. You decide to magnetize yourself to the ceiling upon landing. There, you can keep an eye on the goings on without being seen. It wouldn't be too hard, and it was the best place to hide a large bot like yourself.

"Retro, do you think you can extend the energon coverage for later?"

"Sure, I'll just tap the engine and get a bucket of energon to dump on us occasionally. It'll only take a cup to frazz scanners, but it works both ways."

"Yeah, I know, but if we're found here, we're dead."

The two of you sit back and wait.

a shuttle : space

Several blast outside shook the ship, and the engine room began to get real warm.

"We're under attack!" yells Retrohopper over the klaxon's alarms.

"No... REALLY!!!" You yell back.

Steam hisses all over the ship as you cling tenaciously to the ceilings.

You can hear the ships guns discharge. Hopefully they hit something.

Suddenly the giant ape was down in the hull with a fire extinguisher in paw, spraying off all the controls. Good thing you were on the ceiling.

Another round of hits slam into the hull. This time doing serious damage. The energon chamber was on fire, and the Decepticon was trying his best to stem it's anger.

Then, there were no more attacks. The klaxons stop. The ape cools off all the fires, and trudges back up the ladder.

"Great, you whisper. It's not bad enough that you brought on board a Decepticon ship. Now your luck is drawing attackers down on us."

"Don't speak so soon.... Luck is the key!"

"What?"

"The ship's computer's took damage, and I just hacked in under the scrambled routines!"

"What's it say?"

"Ship's a link shuttle, it's main piece is a warship called Darksky. We are currently in the Oberidan sector of space."

"Oberidan? There's a Predacon outpost there. It's a research post, not very well armed... Why the slag would they be here?"

"Working with the Predacons?"

"I doubt it, the Pred's tend to think that everyone else is inferior to themselves, especially the Decepticons.

What else?"

"Look's like we are linking up to the main ship... there's six con's on the ship, Apeface, Arachnid, Chopshop, Fearswoop, Overkill, and Vulcan. Overkill's the one from Charr."

"Yeah, and Fearswoop is the one that chased me over the streets when we... met."

"This thing is also in a jamming field... They don't want anyone to know there here."

The ships engines could be heard powering down.

"It won't be long before we're the only energy reading on this crate." You mutter.

"What do we do now?"

Oberidan sector : Darksky

You think carefully for a moment. The planets in this sector included Oberidan and five other dead ones. Chances are that Oberidan is where this crate is headed. There was a small Predacon scientific outpost there, but beyond that, you didn't know much about it.

"How far are we from Oberidan?" You ask Retrohopper.

"Looks like we're orbiting one of it's moons."

"Can you link into the ship and cover up our signatures?"

"I can cover this things sensors, until they decide to fix it. But that big ship could pick us up with no problem."

"Great, then we cover ourselves with energon and get out of here."

"Those energon coats won't last for long, and we are still soaking it up, we could overload before too long."

"Then we may need to abandon Darksky."

"Safe bet they're going down to the planet, but the orbit suggest that they're hiding the Darksky from the surface."

"Why would they hide from the Preds...?"

"Unless they had none too peaceful intentions towards them?"

"Great, you mean that we gotta save a bunch of slaggin' Predacons?"

"I don't know, why would they just attack a lonely outpost?"

"It's not that lonely. It sends regular reports to several other bases. I can't remember what they were studying, but I know that Highbrow used to talk about their research on occasion."

The lights in the ship were all off now, and the engine room was silent. Retrohopper shut off his line into the computers and turned on a small red light.

"What now?"

The two of you coat yourselves with an energon coat. It would be the last time you could do it without some serious energon expenditure, but it was necessary.

You look around for salvage, but find nothing useful in the hull of the shuttle. So, the two of you search for a hatchway and make your way to the outside of the ship.

Magnetically locked to the hull, you look up at the dead moon that Darksky is hiding behind. Darkness streches across the dusty surface, and gasses sift low to it's surface. It has a greenish quality to it, and you find that you are surprisingly close to it.

"They are definitely hiding here. We're only about a hundred meters from the surface!"

"Yeah, lucky for us, that means they've deadened their sensors. They aren't emitting a peep.

Hey Backdraft,"

"Yeah?"

"What happens when this warship and it's six Decepticons that are fully armed to the teeth hit that little Predacon outpost who happens to be completely unaware of immanent danger?"

What happens indeed... A slaughter no doubt, but more... there were a LOT of Con's in that basement. What if groups of five or six spread out and attacked at different points throughout the galaxy... If you wanted to show strength, just such a display may reinstate you as a power to fear. With limited numbers, small attacks that ended savagely without survivors may make it look like your numbers were far greater...

Too bad you can't tell anyone about all this. The only communication stations on this ship are safely out of your reach, and your time before you are discovered is growing nigh. If you get back into the Darksky, your chances of discovery skyrocket. You do a quick calculation and figure that you could possible make it to the planet. It was just reentry that could prove difficult. you weren't outfitted with the kind of repulsion system that would slow you down real quick, but you could probably survive it.

And what would you do when you got there. Granted there was peace between the Predacons and the other Cybertronians, but...

You also weren't too sure how long you had till and IF the Con's actually start their attack.

This was turning out to be a long week...

Orbit around Oberidan: Darksky

You decide.

"Retro, you think you can adjust my flame throwers to slow me down on descent?"

"What... EXACTLY do you have in mind?" Retrohopper asks with a look of worry on his face.

"We're gonna jump!"

"WHAT?"

"Switch my thrusters to give us some breaking power, and then jump into my cockpit."

"Not unless I go on a major diet."

"Then hold onto my back and keep me in front."

"You're serious."

"Yup."

"Slag. Ok then we'll use your thrusters and my repulsors to slow us down, you get to be the shield man, and I hope my luck holds out." he grumbles as he takes your flame throwers and begins to position them onto your chest plate.

You feel a clang on the hull, and pause for a minute. Then you see movement on the top of the Darksky.

"Uh oh," mutters Retrohopper, "company."

You grab him and thrust off of the ship.

"BY THE WAY! DID YOU FORGET THAT WE HAVE A MOON IN OUR WAY!!!!"

"Sorry! No time to think, those were Con's on the hull!"

"GREAT! Now we're gonna be slung around by the moons grav forces!!"

"Hey, it's got an atmosphere of sorts, maybe we'll get lucky!"

You feel the pull of the ship at your back at the same time that you feel the pull of the moon grab you. Retrohopper gives a strange little squelching noise, and you brae yourself for impact.

Then you feel as if two magnets just pushed off of each other. You open your optics to find yourself scooting around the moon in an arc, the gravity propelling you in a sort of quick orbit.

You then feel as though something yanks you free as Oberidan looms into sight.

The planet begins to grow closer at an alarming rate.

"YOU MIGHT WANT TO FIRE THOSE ROCKETS SOMETIME SOON!!" Yelled Retrohopper from over your shoulder.

You switch on the rockets as you feel heat building up around you. Your ceramic armor shields you from most of the heat, but you have no clue how Retrohopper fared.

The clouds grow nearer, a pale grayish color. Then they part as you pass through them. You find yourself covered in water, and drops of rain seem to hang motionless in the air around you. You look down and an expanse of water is below. You yell to Retro, "Push us twenty degrees North from here!"

You feel a push as his repulsor units shove you toward the water.

SPLAAAAASSHHHHH!!!!!

The rushing water churned as you were swept deep into the dark depths. A surging tide rushed around you and pulled you uncontrolled through the darkness. The water sped up and you found yourself rushing in a distinct direction, though you could organize your sensors as to what.

Then the chaotic tumbling stopped and you broke the surface.

You clambered onto the shore of the deep river. Retrhopper climbed off your back. He looked a little worse for wear, but he was alive.

"Now just sit right back and your hear a tale, a tale of a fateful ship..." he sung pantingly.

"What?"

"Nevermind. Where are we?"

You run a quick scan, "We are ten miles West of the Predacon outpost."

"Then they may have seen us."

"I'd bet on it."

"We'd better get moving."

The North Plane: Oberidan

Rascal hummed a tune as she basked lazily on a large rock. She had managed to wriggle free of any work for the day and had decided to enjoy it where

Fractyl wasn't likely to find her again.

A herd of thunderbeasts pounded across the plane in the distance. A huge cloud of dust obscuring the bright and warm sun.

Grumbling, rascal sits up and shielded her eyes, scanning the herd.

Yep, just as she feared. One of the huge beasts peeled away from the herd and started trundling toward her. She could bolt, but he'd already seen her, and that meant trouble.

"THUNDERKICK, TERRORIZE!!" Bellowed the reddish scaled, rhino-like lizard.

"Hiya thunder, " Rascal mumbled with little enthusiasm, "I don't suppose that you just want the time?"

The brawny bot sneered his contempt and pointed a long curved set of claws at her, "You skippin' out of duty again girly? I don't suppose that means that Fractyl ain't got no clue where you are right now."

Uh oh, it was worse than she thought.

"I was thinkin' the other day..."

"musta been a moment..." Rascal bit off sarcastically.

He ignored her and kept speeking, as he was prone to do, "about us."

"THERE IS NO USSSS!!" She snapped, "Look you demented pile of scrap, there is no, never was, or ever will be an US!!!"

"I disagree," he took a step forward menacingly, "You see, we're all alone out here, and you're where your not supposed to be..."

Uh oh...

He began to reach for the small female bot. She felt paralyzed and trapped. Then another voice could be heard behind Thunderkick, "Rascal! I've got those coordinates that Fractyl wanted you ta check!"

--Packrat--

Thunderkick spun around toward the small blue transformer, "Get lost bozo!"

"Oh, but I gotta tell Rascal to check out that meteor that hit down over by the lake!"

"Why don't you go check it out then!"

"Cuz' I think she already is."

Thuderkick spun back toward the rock to find that Rascal had bolted, he could see her raptor form making tracks in the distance.

"I oughta scramble your..." He started, but as he turned back around, he found no one was there.

"Thanks for the assist Packrat!" huffed Rascal as the blue rat appeared in stride beside her.

"Hey, no problem. You gotta watch yourself around that bruiser. He's not to bright, but he can punch a hole through a Triterran Dreadnaught."

"He caught me offguard."

"He catches you offguard more often and you won't even make it to your second year!"

"So what's this meteor?"

"Something came down over the river, Fractyl wanted me to see what it was... since he couldn't find his trusty scout."

"I thought I'd take the day off."

"Heeah, Pred's don't get days off. At least, not around this place."

"Hey, it's not like there was anything BIG going on... Not like there ever is."

"Kids." muttered Packrat as the two of them traveled onward.

You and Retro began the trek across the plains towards the Predacon outpost. You had both transformed and kept low to the ground. If you could avoid any detection, all the better.

Then suddenly you hear a snarl, bringing you to an abrupt halt as something lands on your cockpit.

A brown blurr spins off of you as you transform, and you hear, "RASCAL, TERRORIZE!!!" as you register a small, brown, birdlike dinosaur transform in front of you and level a blaster.

Then from behind you hear, "PACKRAT, TERRORIZE!!"

You spin to see a small blue Predacon behind you.

The female Pred in front speaks, "Alright, whoever you are, just what exactly are you doing crash landing on my planet?" she finishes off with a funny smile.

You look down at Retrohopper who just shrugged with a confused look on his face.

Oberidan : the North Plain

You look down at the small Dino-girl, and power down all weapons systems. Raising your hands you begin, "I came to warn you of a small force of Decepticons headed your way. I fear they will destroy your little outpost unless you have ample warning, which I fear you don't have!

Retrohopper, give them an abridged version of the story."

"Uhm... ok, we found Decepticons on Charr... they got on a shuttle and came here... the shuttle linked to a warship, and it's sitting in orbit behind one of your moons."

"You should be a writer, " muttered Rascal.

Retrohopper shrugged and looked embarrassed.

"Look, " you start in again, "the ship DarkSky is hiding behind the moon, they seem to be preparing for a raid. I know you probably find this hard to believe, but I have come from Charr to warn you. So please at least make preparations, just in case.

I don't have any love for Preds, but at the same time I hate Decepticons and will be glad to aid you in defense. So what do you say about an alliance of sorts until this problem is resolved? "

"An alliance!" snapped Packrat, "You drop outta the sky with some far fetched story of doom, and you think we're gonna say, yeah sure, here's a gun! Here's our base! Here's our skidplates!"

"Look, I know it's not much to go on... but I do have some recordings of the meeting on Charr I crashed into when all this started!"

"What meeting?"

"There was a gathering of Decepticons, but there's not much footage in it, and it's not much help. But maybe it'll be enough proof?" You shrug in hope.

"Look, charboy" started Rascal, "We'll take you back nice and unarmed to Fractyl and Iguanus. They can figure out what to do with you. But you try anything, you're spare bolts. Got it?"

"Got it, By the way sorry for the crashing, but I didn't have any other options. "

Oberidan : Science Outpost U-823

The olive Predacon scientist called Iguanus looked over you suspiciously while the green Fractyl seemed to find the farthest point in the room from you.

"So you want us to believe that you just came here out of the goodness of your heart..."

"No, I came here to try to get you to believe us so we MIGHT get word out about these raids!"

"Interesting."

"If they're telling the truth, " interrupted Fractyl, "then we could be in great danger. My experiments could lead to..."

"Enough."

"But if the Decepticons got their hands on..."

"ENOUGH! It is not for these Cybertronians to know of our experiments. However, we will let you know this, this station sits on an energon quarry.

We use the caverns below for some of our experiments... the caverns FAR below. We wouldn't appreciate the Decepticons or anyone ELSE interfering with our experiments here."

"Look, we just don't want a slaughter here or anywhere else the Con's might be attacking."

"Indeed. I believe we shall see what may happen, and if what you say is true, then we may well need your assistance. To keep you on your best behavior though, I believe we shall need a 'leash'."

"So be it."

Iguanus begins the installation of a small device as he explains, "This will make sure that you do not leave this base, or enter any unauthorized zones. I warn you, to do so will mean an immediate ceasing of all life functions."

Retrohopper starts, "Whoa, I could just go for a walk into the desert and leave you to deal..."

"You have no choice. It is this or we take you off-line now and ship you back to Cybertron in a box."

Retro sighs heavily.

You look down and nod at him, "We'll do it, but we want to be able to have access to send out a warning on your communications array."

"We will have to consider that a little more carefully. For now, Packrat will escort you to your quarters."

Packrat turns to you in the elevator, "Packrat code 3.52 he mutters."

The elevator stops. You look down at the little Predacon with a raised optic.

"Listen up and listen quick. I'm not sure who you jokers are, but if your stories true, I gotta warn you. Those neat little boxes in your systems are Iguanus' favorite toys. They're explosive and quite deadly. If we are attacked he is just as likely to send you out to fight, and then blow you sky higha soon as you're close to the Con's."

"Why are you warning us?"

"Heh, look lead for brains, you don't think the Maxmal Elder's don't have a babysitter hid here and there in these Pred posts?"

Startled you realize that the rat must be a spy of some sort.

He turns, "Now play nice around here, keep your mouth shut and I'll try to find the lock code for those nifty bombs in your chests. Remember, this place is bugged to the teeth, Pred's don't trust for slag. Oh, and consider the word sent to the Maximal Elders of your warnings. Packrat code 3.53."

The elevator continues moving.

You look at Retrohopper, both of you have been unable to express your thoughts on Packrat's identity for fear that there was a microphone listening to you.

Neither had a clue what to do next, but you knew that much more waiting and you would explode... well, actually you would hope not.

Packrat had informed you that during the daylight hours you were welcomed to go outside of the base, but not far. And that base access was restricted to the hallway from your room to the door.

Now you sat and waited for they're descisions, and wondered if there was anything you could do...

Oberidan : A Predacon outpost

You get up, " Well, as long as we're here lets go outside and have a look at what this place can do for defense!"

Retrohopper follows you outside into the warm noontime sun. It was growing late now, and the suns reflected hotly against the silver outpost building. The building was a three story tower. One side was against a cliff wall, but the others were well open, and only one small autocannon could be seen.

"We're gonna get slaughtered!" exclaims the golden bot.

You have to agree. The base is a scientific outpost and probably only rigged with minor defenses at best...

You hear a thunderous tread behind you, "THUNDERKICK TERRORIZE!!!" A reddish lizard transforms and stops behind you. He is big for a pred, still not as large as you are, but easily head and shoulders over Retrohopper. He pokes at you with a large claw that juts from over his fist, "So you're the slaggers that landed in our yard."

"Yeah, we're..."

"I know, gloom and doom! Lemme tell you, anything come along, THUNDERKICK can scrap it!! They ain't made the bot that's tougher or meaner than I am."

"Yeah, " mutters Retrohopper, "but how about six of them..."

He's snatched up by a massive paw as Thunderkick pulls him to face level, "Look goldenrod, I ain't scared of nothin' and you better believe I'm gonna keep a close eye on the two of you, cuz the way I see it, you the only ones around here who might attack us." He releases Retro with a careless shove.

You put a hand on Retrohoppers shoulder as he jumps up and gets ready to go back at the larger bot, "Tell me, that autocannon the only gun here?"

"That autocannon and me the only offensive we need!"

"What about defensive?"

"Typical outpost defenses, a cloaker and deflectors."

"Cloaker?"

"Man, they sure make you bot's dumb don't they? A cloaking shield slash holo-projector to protect from any prying natives that might be smart enough to cause trouble. And a deflector to keep dust and stuff from jamming the technical garbage in the station."

"Thanks."

"Don't thank me, I think you should be locked up or scrapped. Fractyl's the one that wants us to tell you this slag. I think it's more trouble, but I ain't scared of nothin'. Especially a relic and a little piece of scrap like you two!"

With that he turns and strode into the base.

"Charming fellow." Retrohopper comments.

"But at least I'm not scraping you off of his fist at this moment, and he did tell us about the base, now the only question is what to do with it."

Oberidan: A Predicon station

You activate your comm system, "Iguanus."

"Yes."

"The holoprojector on your base. Is it equipped with jammers or any advanced stealth technology?"

"No," he snorts, "Might I remind you that this is a standard science station? We are equipped with the basics to jam any primitive sensor systems or visual contacts. No more."

"Can we set it to make it appear that we are heavily defended? "

"Perhaps, the logistics computers for the projector are only set to project a cliff face. They could possibly be programmed but it would take time, and any scan would tell the truth."

"What about deflector screens?"

"They keep the dust out of the equipment. A solid punch would go through them."

"Ok, thanks," you switch off the link.

"Well, so much for that idea."

"We're running out of options."

"I think," came a female voice, "That you bot's are nuts!"

You both turn to see Rascal leaning up against a doorframe.

"I mean, you jump outta the sky. Land in a lake, prance up to a Predacon outpost and expect Iggy to drop his beakers and praise you for being the prophets of doom and gloom!"

"Hey, we're just trying to save your butts here!" retorts Retrohopper.

"Hey goldy, I'm not sayin' you ain't right, but any old Con's land here and I'll send them to the scrap heap where they belong. " She looks pointedly at your rather charred and shoddy exterior.

"I mean, what's the big deal? The Con's were just some radical bozos that tried to step on the toes of those relics the Autobots! That was all millenia past!"

You shake your head, "Rascal, I may be old, but I've seen what the Con's can do to anyone they don't care for. It may be a squad of bozos that lands here, and maybe you CAN take them on. But I've also seen them obliterate whole civilizations...

--You pull yourself from off the ground. The console had exploded as the shields buckled under the suddenness of the attack. Next to you lay the charred remnants of Swerve.

You look down in a daze at your fallen companion. A scientist. He had looked away for a second, distracted. He was always being distracted. He never knew about the attack. He was toasted, his core exposed. You stumbled backwards toward the door. Wasn't there something you should be doing? Somewhere else you should be?

Pain shot through your arm. You winced but stepped out into the hallway. Explosions could be heard all over. Gun fire.

There was something you needed to do.

You trudge through the hallways of the outpost. Struggling to keep your feet as the floor shook with the fury of the attack.

You looked out a cracked window and saw the squadrons of Firestormers dropping from the skies.

What were you supposed to be doing?

You made your way to the lower levels, pain jolted up you arm again. You glanced down to find nothing but a melted stump twitching in its socket at your shoulder.

You hear a scream from up ahead.

That's where you were going.--

"Helloooo!! Charr-baby! You in there? I asked you a question!"

"Wha..." you bring yourself out of the sudden flashback and looked down at Rascal.

"I said, 'What do you think they'd want with our base?' you olders need a good overhaul once every century you know."

"I think it's part of a wider plan."

"Yeah, that's what you said earlier, but why HEAR. I mean, we just study big lizards and crap."

"What about the energon mine below?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess that's pretty important, but wouldn't it be easier to hit a mine that was actually IN operation?"

"Well, a mine like that would be more guarded."

"Oh, so these 'big' 'tough' Decepticons wanna push on the fat kid, eh?"

"Yeah..." you stopped as something caught your eye.

It was just for a moment, a slight glint that didn't belong.

"Rascal, where are the others?"

"Uhm, Fractyl and Iguanus are down in the mines, and Packy's in the comm station. Thunderkick went to the north plains. Thataway." She gestured in the opposite direction of the 'glint'.

"Get inside, and warn the others. I think we have company."

Oberidan: The Predacon Outpost

The three of you pounded into the Predacon base as you slammed your com-link on-line.

"Iguanus, Fractyl, Packrat! We have company outside the base, sector 4 3 1!"

Iguanus' voice crackled over the com, "What do you mean?"

"I saw something metallic moving beyond the rocks not far from the base!"

"I'll radio Thunderkick to check it out."

"Put the guns on-line!!"

"If it will make you feel any better, but until I know what's out there..."

"Right, right, aren't the scanners picking anything up?"

"No."

Packrat's voice interrupts, "Yeah, but that means squat. I could walk up to the slaggin' doors and they'd never see me."

You turn to see the small blue transformer standing behind you.

"Packrat, can I get my flamethrowers recharged somewhere?"

"Yeah, the CR's... if Iguanus let's you to it."

"Iguanus?"

"OK, Rascal, escort our guests to the CR. Packrat, check out the 'sighting'."

"Righto boss!"

"Let's go you two. Maybe the CR can take some of that char off of your exterior."

You grimace, "I wear the char marks as a reminder."

"A reminder? A reminder of what?"

--You staggered forward to see Quickmix lying smoking on the ground. His head was missing, mech fluids draining out of the gaping hole it left. A set of smoldering blast marks across his chest marking where a fun had unloaded it's rounds on him.

There was noise up ahead.

You had to get there.

You had to stop them from reaching it.

It had to be turned off before...

You staggered through the doorway.

A large shape loomed up in front of you, his face covered in shadows, his movements were sudden as he backhanded you into the wall, "No time to play Autoslag!"

Your sensors blacked out.

You came to, only minutes had passed. But the sounds of fighting had died down. You struggled to your feet and staggered back into the room.

You looked at the energy silo. It was the focal point of research on the base.

It had to be shut down.

If anything hit it, it would tear the station apart.

You staggered to the control panel.

Your sensors were fuzzy, and they barely registered the black box on the panel.

It had numbers...

0:03

0:02

0:01

...--

You stepped into the CR, "Only recharge."

"Right." called Rascal.

You feel the energon pour into your systems.

Oberidan : A Predacon Outpost

You feel the power levels in your tanks rise. Quickly, you step free of the CR chamber.

"Let's get outside and behind some real cover. Is there a back door through that cliff behind us?"

"Yeah," the small lizard-bot answered, "There's an old tunnel that Packy showed me... In case that lumox Thunderkick was ever bothering me."

"Let's go."

You find yourself wondering if Packrat had found anything yet, and if he ever got that signal to the Maximals off...

A stone shifted and the silver-blue rat nosed his way up from the ground. A sniff in the air, and he detected the trace of mechanics somewhere beyond the rocks to his left.

Quickly and silently he ducked out of his bolt hole and made his way along the base of the rocks near him.

Then he caught site of a huge tank making it's way away from the outpost. It was moving at a fair clip... for a tank. At any rate, that meant that the Cybertrons were right. That big black tank meant business, and chances were it was going for help.

As he began to activate his com-link, something struck him as odd. There was another scent here. There were two bot's hiding here. One of the scents was to subtle to trace, but he was sure of it.

"Packrat to Iguanus, we got a problem. Charbaby was right, there's a large Cybertronian tank moving West from the base, but that's not all. I think we may still have another 'visitor'. Someone who's as good as me at hiding his tracks."

"I'm sending Thunderkick to intercept the tank now. Find that second intruder and dispatch him. Iguanus out."

--Great, as if I were a slaggin' bloodthirsty Pred. Well, at least there ain't a spy or thief alive that can outwit Packrat!--

"Backdraft." Iguanus voice snapped on the com, "Packrat has found two intruders outside the base. I am sending Thuderkick to stop one from reporting back. The other may still be on the grounds. Get outside and make sure we have no surprises."

You snap off the com-link, "It's a good thing we're already out here." You look down at the station below you. You could clearly see the tank heading off to the East.

Retrohopper cocks his small gun, "Likely the Con's already know we saw them. A quick call on the radio would do that."

Rascal grimaces, "I hope Thunderkick is as much brawn as his lack of brains suggests. That's a big Con!"

You don't answer, your thoughts are on the bombs set in your chest. Was Packrat right? Would Iguanus simply send them out to attack and the explode the bombs? He hadn't gotten the keys yet, and time was running out.

Time passed slowly as you waited, five minutes... ten minutes...

Suddenly there was a shimmering and a shift as the deflectors and stealth field shut down on the base. Then there was the sound of gunfire from inside.

"Looks like they found the other Con!"

You thought about getting up to fight, that's when Rascal grabbed your arm and pointed, "UP THERE! Scan Orion quadrant!!"

You turned and scanned...

Darksky was clearly visible now, and it was lowering itself through the atmosphere.

Oberidan : The Predacon Outpost

The Darksky loomed ominously closer as you stared up at it's deadly hull.

Three shots rained down around the base as it moved inward. Smoke and rubble blasted upward, knocking you, Retrohopper, and Rascal backwards along the cliff side.

The ground beneath you begins to slide as the cliff side collapses against the Predacon tower.

You transform and fly low down to the base. You land as the rubble settles.

Retrohopper lands next to you with Rascal clinging you his vehicle mode.

Fractyl and Packrat stagger out of the base.

"Where's Iguanus!" You shout.

Packrat coughs, "Don't know, he went in a different direction than we did."

"He went down to the mine shaft." croaks Fractyl.

Packrat pulls something out and tosses it up to you, "Here's the key to that bomb. I'd take it out real quick like!"

Fractyl looks a little shocked, but only says, "Something was inside the controls to the tower. It shut off what little defenses we had."

"And, we lost contact with Thunderkick about 5 minutes ago!" Packrat adds.

"LOOK!" Yells Rascal, pointing upward.

From Darksky, a gray and purple jet has left it's hold, followed by a falling blue and gray Cybertronian. You recognize the falling one as Overkill, and the jet looks like a transformation of the obnoxious engineer.

Fractyl coughs again, "If Iguanus is heading to that mineshaft... "

"He means to blow the base up!" Packrat finishes.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a cavern of raw energon crystals below here. We can't walk down into it, but if he tosses a bomb down there..."

Fractyl coughs, "Unfortunately, he didn't read my new research. An explosion below will rip this planet in half!!"

"Oh, great! we're either shot down by Pred's or blown to atoms by Iguanus."

Packrat sighs, "Rascal, you know these tunnels as well as I do... Me and Fractyl can go back to stop Iggy."

"But if he's already thrown the bomb into the shaft?" Rascal asks.

"I think Fractyl's been workin' on something that might help us..."

"Wha...?"

"No time bird boy, you guys get clear. They won't stop until we're wiped, best we can do is regroup and try to survive. Backdraft, Retrohopper, take care of her. She's a smart kid, and deserves a chance at life."

"Take care of ME!!??!!" Rascal yells indignantly, but Packrat and Fractyl were already gone into the base.

She grabs you arm, complaining and swearing in several different languages.

As the three of you scramble up the rubble again, there is another thunderous explosion. You turn to see that a plasma blast had ripped the tower in twain, and flames were erupting from the stunted base.

Rascal bolted toward the flaming rubble, "We gotta save them!!"

You grab her arm and stop her, "They're probably already gone!"

"LOOK, That rat was the only friend I had down there. I'm not going to let him get slagged cause some chicken Cybertron wouldn't help me save him!!!"

Oberidan : The remnants of the Predacon Outpost

You look down at the insistant Pred understandingly, " I 've had friends go down all around me in a 'Con attack. I always wanted to do something to make amends for being so powerless against such a terrible opponent..."

You look back at the Darksky, "Let's go and find your friend. We need all of the friends we can get. "

She bolts down the rubble again, transforming into the agile form of the velociraptor. You and Retrohopper scramble down after her.

"Oh, this is nuts!" cries Retrohopper as the first blasts from the incoming Decepticon's begin to shatter rock around you.

"It may be nuts, but they'd be nuts to follow us in there!!" You yell as the three of you skid to a halt in front of the wrecked doorway. You kick some rubble clear of the entrance and slam your shoulder into the light, metal door. It flies off with a ripping whine, and smoke and flames leap out surrounding you for a nanocycle. You're ceramic armor shields you easily and you barge into the burning building.

You activate extinguisher units, trying to clear a path for your two comrades as you push debris and rubble out of your way. Ceiling beams lie fallen, wires hung limp and sparking, slaps of permasteel lay crumbled on the ground.

The three of you catch sight of movement. A large, charred lizard speed pasts you, and bolts toward the door.

"Iguanus!!" Shouts Rascal as she tries to tackle him.

He slithers just out of reach, and looks back as he gains the doorway, "You're friends already jumped down the shaft. If the explosion didn't bury them, then the energon overload will!!" With that he turns and speeds off.

The sound of heavy blaster fire can be heard from outside, accompanied by several explosions, then the doorway collapses. Rascal narrowly misses being buried under the burning debris.

"Slag!! Now we're trapped!" Yells Retrohopper over the roaring of the fire. Both him and Rascal were beginning to show char marks across their frames, and Rascal looked in pain as the smell of burnt flesh begins to fill the room.

"There's another exit, but first we find Packrat!!" she yells as she bolts down a hallway.

The three of you charge through what's left of the base smoke concealing your vision, but Rascal knew the corridors like the back of her claw.

She stops and pulls her gun, she blasts a door's lock once and kicks at the door, but it fails to give way.

You come up behind her and give a solid punch, knocking the door inward. The three of you run into the room.

The room was still untouched by the fires, and boasted a large shaft in the center. The doors to the shaft were open, and energon reading were massive coming from down it.

"Great, If we go down there we'll go into stasis..." you comment, peering over the side.

"PACKRAT!!! FRACTYL!!!" Rascal yells over the edge.

"We're comin' up!!" comes a return cry.

In a few seconds, Packrat and Fractyl hoist themselves over the edge, their exoskeletons glittering with energon.

"How the slag did you stay on-line!!" exclaimes Retrohopper, "I'm reading enormous amounts of energon infused into your frames!!"

"No time to explain kid!" replies Packrat, "We left that bomb halfway up the tunnel, it should collapse the tunnel just enough to keep the Con's OUT!"

"Then lead the way!" you offer.

The group of you set off down a back hallway through the heat and the smoke, the glittering forms of Packrat and Fractyl leading the way.

TIME PASSES

Oberidan : The Darksky

    Anger wells up in your processors as you raise your weaponry towards the ceiling. This ended now! Your cannons spew hot napalm across the ceiling, superheating the Cybertronian alloys till they dripped down like water. Smoke churned and blistering waves of heat backlashed from the charred ceiling.
    Behind you, the others readied their weapons as well.
    Within seconds, the gaping entrance had been made. It glowed a dull orange in the smoky haze of the room, you switched your cannon to a more controlled stream, and signaled the others to wait...
    The smoke begins to clear... air processors sucking up and pumping it free of the ship. And silence fills the room.
    You hold fast, guns at ready, scanners at full.
    Light filters through the opening. The colored and shifting light of control panels, buttons and screens. It was the bridge.
    "Beast mode..." you hear behind you. Packrat shifts form and begins to scale the wall.
    "What are you doing!?"
    "Look, someone's gotta find out what's up there!"
    You can't argue the logic. Packrat was the best equipped for a spy trip. The silver blue rat sniffed at the cooling metal and wormed his way quickly through the hole.
    Seconds dragged by like minutes... hours... days.
    BAMM! --- a gunshot!!
    "I'm going in!" yells Rascal as her jet pack fires her into the opening.
    "WAIT!!" you yell and lurch toward her, but your fingers just grab the air. You leap up grabbing the edge of the opening behind her. You can hear a scream as you pull yourself into the control room.
    You roll and bring your weapons up to bear on the screams source point.
    A tall, purple and yellow transformer was hovering above the ground, darkness seemed to radiate from his eyes, and his powerful arms held Rascal fast, a gun at her temple.
    The rest of the scene registered. There was blood across the floor, and chucks of flesh, and... Packrat. in beast mode... but all the flesh had been flayed off of him.   His metallic inner frame glistened sickly with the dark mech fluid and blood that mixed from the spurting rips in his frame. A large, black hole marked the blast point where he had been shot.
    You force your attention away from the Maximal, and back toward the Decepticon holding Rascal.
    "Put her..."
    BAMM
    Rascal's head exploded into a mass of fused wires and splattered mech fluid. You gape as her body is tossed casually to the side.
    "Greetings Cybertron. I am Fearswoop. You're life and run of luck ends now."

Oberidan : The Darksky

    You view the bloody scene before you. You're mind reels and spins back to the past, to the comrades you've lost and to the outpost you survived. You look at the bodies of Rascal and Packrat rapidly fading. The anger within you builds, selling as you hone it into a final resolve.
    ---This Decepticon will fall---
    You jump in the air, napalm launchers at ready, but suddenly, as Fearswoop lurches toward you, you roll, and let loose with your other weaponry packs.
    Gattling barrels on your chest let loose a spattering spray of metal. A hatch opens on your legs, and a short range, controlled burst of missiles lets loose
into Fearswoop.
    The attacks were weak, but disorienting for the surprised robot.
    You spin and bring your napalm to bear.
    He is fast though, and is moving out of your way as two controlled bursts turn the control room into an inferno.
    Protective shielding shimmers on the computer banks as the flames lick their surface.
    You spin, and duck as a blast from his guns nearly fries your brains.
    You launch more napalm, and are gratified to see Fearswoop flinch as he tries to stay clear of the flames.
    His movement was limited, and so he charged at you head on.
    You fell back with his rush and let him drop both of you into the flames behind you.
    Fearswoop yelped in pain and lifted up, but not before getting a firm grasp on you.
    Metal ripped free in his hands and your pain receptors flared violently.
    Instantly, your Gattling gun on your chest fired, drilling a hole into the Decepticon as he lifted away from you.
    He was smoking badly, but you were no longer in peachy shape either. The heat was leaking past your armor, scalding the exposed circuits where he had ripped your shoulders.
    You hoist your launchers and set them to a more controlled blast range.
    Fearswoop was quick on the recovery, and a series of shots blasted into your chest.
    Extinguishers turned on, spraying the room with a retardant foam. Luckily you could see the prone forms of Packrat and RAscal, still relatively intact, but you couldn't read ANY energon signatures from them.
    You had to end this NOW!
    The room was filling with smoke and steam, you rolled and pulled a small sphere from your chassis.
    You toss the sphere across the room, into the steam. Your vision was obscured now, and you knew Fearswoop's would be as well. Only minor flashes of flame showed through the smoky air now.
    This was your last chance, the foam retardant was hampering your arm movement where the armor was torn... and the smoking holes in your chest were leaking various fluids.
    You sent a signal across the room, to the small sphere. A simple practice sphere.
    There was a humming noise as the sphere hovered into the air, and then a purple flash as it's sensors shot a random, low level blast of energy into a nearby smoke back.
    Immediately, a heavy blast shot toward the small sphere.
    You pinpointed that blasts origin ad fired.
    Shot after shot ignited the form of Fearswoop. The acidic napalm eating away at his exterior in explosive bursts.
    His body fell in an orange glow as the extinguisher system finally shut off.

Oberidan, The Darksky

       As the smoking Decepticon falls to the ground, you roar in rage and let loose with another volley from your gattling gun. A few seconds later, your gun rolls, clicking to a halt.
    Your vision and mind feel strangely calmed as you turn to look around. You can't fly this bird alone.
    "h....hhey firebomb.." came a weak voice.
    "Packrat?"
    You ran over to the metallic rat skeleton. The hole on his back was still smoking, but his eyes were open and he was moving.
    "W....wher.... Rascal?"
    You look over at the Predacon.
    "She's alive, but dying. We've got to get outta here. I can't fly this ship by myself!"
    With an inhuman resolve the Maximal spy transformed. The metallic skull on his chest glistening sickly with the dark blood.
    "I'll get it warmed up, you get her and you're buddy to the CR."
    "Are you...?"
    "GO! We don't have much time!" he states, pointing to the computer panels. A blinking alarm klaxon was flashing on the communications grid. Fearswoop must have rigged it to set off in case he fell. The other Con's would be here in minutes.
    You snatched up Rascal and jumped back down the hole to retrieve Retrohopper. Both were in deep stasis lock, but should survive.
    You ran down the hallway to a medbay, and threw them both into CR chambers. You'd worry about Fractyl later, for now, it was time to get this ship moving.
    As you ran onto the bridge, Packrat was already setting up nav charts.
    "Ok, get into that pilot's seat rusty!" The small Maximal commanded.
    You wasted no time with safety straps. You're fingers flew over the control panels as they lit to life.
    "Engines engaged."
    "Let's hit the starry highway then!" the rat answered with vigor...

Space: The Darksky

    As the engines vibrated and began to pull the Darksky out of the atmosphere of Oberidan, a warning alarm started chirping on the control panels.
    You punched up the computer and found that a shuttle was approaching rapidly behind you.
    "Packrat! We're being..."
    "I know, I know! We're almost out of the atmosphere, they shouldn't be able to catch us before we hit the main drives!"
    The ship shook with a strain as Packrat pushed all the available power into it's engines.
    "Almost clear... almost cl...."
BOOOOM!
    "We're hit! Damage control rust bucket!"
    "We're ok. They hit a coolant tank, and I'll need to check it, but all lights are still green!"
    "Then we... are history!"
    There is a sudden shift, and the stars blur into nothingness.

    You could here Packrat wheezing as you shut down your sensor panel.
    "We need to get you to a CR chamber."
    "Yeah, well I don't plan on dyin' either, but you need an extra pilot, at least while you go visually check that damage, AND throw Fractyl into the CR. That Pred bird's the most likely to get fixed within the next cycle, and i'm needin a relief pitcher up here!"
    "Ok, i'll be back as quickly as I can."
    "Just go kid, I'll keep this bird on a straight course."

    You crawl down into the bulkheads and retrieve Fractyl. As you set him in a CR with the others, you see that he will be ready in a matter of a quarter cycle.
    You then hurry aft to check on the damage. The hit was scored on the aft of the engine, and as you explore you find the coolant chamber that was injured. You run a quick scan on it, and find that it was venting some gas, but all in all, the backups would keep it from causing any great damage. You shut it down to prevent further harm, and to let it vent it's gas harmlessly.
    You return by the CR chambers and see that Fractyl was near completion. Rascal and Retro were another matter. Both would take nearly two days to fix!
    A green light on Fractyl's chamber starts to flash and you step back as gas hisses out of the chamber and across the floor of the medbay. The CR pops open and Fractyl steps out and stretches.
    He seems to jump when he sees you, but quickly collect himself, "So, we are in control of this ship?"
    "You don't sound to surprised."
    "Well, if we didn't get control, I wouldn't have woken up."
    "Good point, the others are mostly in CR's and we need to get Packrat in one as well."
    "Why isn't he..."
    "Someone had to pilot while I did the footwork of body dragging and checking on some damage."
    "Damage?"
    "I'll explain later, let's get Packrat down here."

    As the two of you enter the bridge, a sense of foreboding creeps into your sensors. As you glanced around, you realized that the bridge was silent.
    Deathly silent.
    You walk over to Packrat's chair and turn it around. The Maximal slumped to the form. His steel hull gray, and the light in his eyes gone.
    "Packrat!"
    Fractyl moves you aside, "It's too late. His spark is gone, and his exterior is starting it's decay cycle."
    "Packrat..."
    "I'll never understand why you heroic types always want to sac..."
    You snatch the green Predacon off his feet, "Listen here! He died so we could get away from that planet! AND those Decepticon's that were still down there and UNHARMED! If it wasn't for his 'heroic sacrifice' we'd all be metal shavings cluttering the plains of Oberidan!"
    "Ok, OK! Look, you're right! Put me down!"
    You drop the Predacon and scoop up Packrat. His exterior was beginning to feel brittle, before too long there would be nothing left of him.
    You look at the Pred, who was fastidiously brushing himself off, "Can we halt the decay process?"
    "Why?"
    "WE bury our dead. And I think that Rascal would want to be there for this burial."
    "If you put him in a CR he will stay in one piece for as long as you want him to." Fractyl seemed about to say more, but then thought better of it.
    You trudged off to the medbay to put the Maximal into a stasis hold.

Space: The Darksky

You slip Packrat's brittle form into the chamber and close it, watching the door close slowly.
    Dark thoughts pour over you as you stand looking through the class window at the fallen Maximal. Scenes of the past fill your mind, of those that you have watched fall. Of friends and comrades lost to the horrors of war.
    You turn your thoughts to Primus and wish the Maximal spy a safe trip to the matrix. He will be remembered as a hero in this new war. Perhaps the first of many.
    You turn back and head toward the bridge. The dark mood still swelling within you.
    "Fractyl."
    "Yea."
    "Go below and check on that damage. It didn't look bad, but best you'd make sure of it before we blow a gasket loose or something."
    "Right."
    You plop down in the control chair as the Predacon heads aft, and stare out into the stars thoughts of war rolling around in your mind.
    Then an alarm comes on.
    "Fractyl!? We're dropping out of hyperspace!"
    --It's too soon for Cybertron--
    Fractyl runs onto the bridge, "It's ok, I took us someplace closer."
    "Someplace CLOSER!!??!??"
    You turn and stand up snatching the Predacon off the ground.
    "Urp... There's a bigger problem! The damage, it was a little worse than you thought!"
    "What do you mean?!?"
    "WE're likely to crash!"
    You drop the Pterodactyl and plop back down into the chair. He scrambles over and takes place on another console.
    "Where'd you drop us Fractyl!?"
    "It's the closest outpost I knew of!"
    "IA-12? What the.... there's no outpost there!"
    "Yes there is, it's a Predacon outpost, a secret one..."
    "And you thought you'd just drop me off in their hands!"
    "Well, yes, but now it looks like we're to drop off on their HEADS!"
    The two of you scramble on the circuits, the planets surface pitching up suddenly in the viewscreen. It was nearing you at a terrible speed.
    "Diverting all power to rear thrusters and forward shields!"
    The bridge went dark as the ship roared into the Atmosphere of the small planet.
    The ship shook and rumbled, and a trail of fire burned in it's wake.
    The two of you struggled valiantly with the controls, and manage to bring the ship to bear.
    A loud roar shudders through the ship, and control panels flare and spark as the shields absorb the impact of the massive warship....

A-12 : The Darksky

    As the lights return, and the smoke clears, you pry yourself off the ground. The hit had been hard, but the shields were on full. Smoke covered the bridge, and fire repellent was clouding the areas where control panels had shorted on the bridge.
    You pick up Fractyl and backhand him, HARD!
    " First off, I'm not crazy about having to fend off a Decepticon attack with a bunch of little upstarts, I would likely rip you apart than let you off for this trick
you pulled. I didn't like Preds, but I thought you and Rascal could start me in positive state of mind toward that side. Packrat is dead so I could save your
worthless hide....hear that? Saved your hide? "
   You pull a napalm cannon out and level at the Predacon's head, " I can see now that it was a complete mistake. I would've rather died at the hands of that 'Con trying to defend a cargo ship full of Quintessons than live after saving you! "
    "You must try to remember, it is not WE who are at war here! I was afraid of the danger of the damage that you had allowed the Decepticon ship to take! I merely pointed us at the closest base that I knew of!!!"
    "And what IF THIS STATION HAD BEEN ATTACKED TOO!!??!!?"
    "oops....er uhm, I hadn't really considered that."
    You drop the Predacon to the ground and trudge over to the ships controls.

    "Begin a systems scan, see what damage we've taken and if we are able to get back off the ground."
    A few minutes revealed that the damage was minimal. The shielding units were completely fried, but repairable, with time. It appeared that another energy shield had been hit, and the collision shorted out most of the systems. There was a lot of rewiring work to be done, but nothing irreparable had been harmed.
    Then you heard a knocking from below.
    "The hull doors." reported Fractyl.
    "Can we get a scan on them?"
    "All video and communications systems are shorted out as well."
    "Slag. Then let's go. You in front, and if there's any funny business...."
    The Predacon looked at you distrustfully for a second, then something else was echoed in his eyes. He turned from you, but you snatched him around, "I can smell the fear in you Predacon."
    He yanked away and headed for the cargo doors.

    The cargo doors opened slowly downward, and two awaiting robots could be seen in clear view. One was black and lanky in body, with large panes of colored crystal on his back. Like a mosaic of shattered glass, or a stained glass window in a cathedral, two butterfly wings rose up in scintillating beauty. The other was beige and small. Some kind of trundly beetle or something.
    The beetle, a female Predacon is the first to speak, her voice low and husky, "Greetings, and to what do we owe this unexpected.... visit?"
    Fractyl looked a bit embarrassed, as another series of sparks showered down between the massive Darksky and the Predacon fortress, "Well, I... I've come with an injured Predacon, and an injured ship, as well as two Cybertronians that enabled my escape, one of whom is also critically injured, and.... one a third who lost his life defending us."
    "Defend? Escape? What from, Fractyl?"
    Fractyl seems to take a quick stock of himself, then with a laborious sigh he straighten his shoulders and continued, "The Decepticons attacked and obliterated my outpost. two Predacons lost their lives and mine and Rascal's escape was only enabled with the help of these two Cybertronians."
    The Predacon beetle looked up at the ship, "The Decepticons!?!? Fascinating, we've heard reports, but you are the first to claim to have survived....And where are these.... heroes?"
    You step out into the light, "My name is Backdraft. I'm an officer of the Cybertronian Security Forces of Charr. We must get word out that theDecepticons...."
    The taller lanky Predacon with the crystalline wings interrupted, his voice sounded almost like the musical notes of a wind chime, "Forgive me for interrupting, but do you have solid proof of what you have seen?"
    You look back at the large warship, "Hold on."
   You walk back in, leaving the Predacon's to wait. A few seconds later, you emerge, a torso with a still pulsing spark in you hand. You toss it at their feet.
    "I give you Fearswoop, the Commander of the forces sent to Oberidan." As you announce it, a small explosion of sparks lit the corpse piece, and a Decepticon symbol could clearly be seen in the shadow of the massive ship.

IA-12: Predacon Outpost

    "Look, this 'thing' needs to be put somewhere where it won't get up and walk away. I have friends on board this ship that need medical attention, they're already in a CR chamber, but I was hoping that you could help any more? The names are Rascal, the Predacon form the outpost and Retrohopper, a Cybertronian from Charr. "
    "Indeed, "replied the tall Predacon, "It would seem as if you have brought some very interesting news. I shall make sure that it is handled properly."
    With that, the sparkling Predacon stooped and lifted Fearswoops carcass, despite the massive size of the Decepticon.
    The other Predacon spoke up, "Fractyl, you will help off-load the others to the medbay's CR chambers. They are fairly advanced and powerful, and I doubt this ship contains anything quite as technologically advanced. Backdraft is it? I will show you to your quarters. You will be our welcomed guest until arrangements may be made for traval home."
    "And what about the Decepticons?"
    "Oh, I quite assure you that word will now spread rapidly of this new menace. We will be the first to herald it to the high councils on Cybertron."
    "And my ship?"
    "Well, it's not far to go for repairs..." the brownish female snaps sarcastically, "and we would appreciate it if it could be moved off of our outpost as soon as possible. We will set our repair droids to work on it immediately. You are welcome to help them as you see fit. "
    With that, she motions you to follow her into the Predacon base.
    You ask her if it would be possible to hold a ceremony for Packrat as soon as Rascal is fit. While she seems to think your request is odd, she also sees no reason not. You are asked politely not to wander around much, as it was a military installation and therefore contained projects of various security levels. You soon find yourself in a decent room, with a recharge bed ready, as well as various robotic servants to repair the damages that you had taken.
    You stretch out and await the repairs that you so desperately needed.

IA-12: Predacon Outpost

    You sit back as the repair droids work to bang out the many dents in your frame. You're mind wanders back to Oberidan and the Decepticons you fought there.
    The tank..... His face sparked something dark inside your spark.
     Maybe you didn't want to return to Cybertron, just yet...
     After all, you have a battleship, all you needed was a crew. After all, you and Retro couldn't man a whole war ship on your own.
     You brush off the repair droids. Time to see how Retro was doing. You activate a comm unit in your room, "Hey, how long till Retrohopper may be finished."
     The sparkly winged Pred, his name was Crystalwing, answers you, "I believe he is almost done, we'll send him over as soon as he is out."
     Almost done!? You look over at the chronometer. Hours had passed! Time flies while you're planning a war...
    A few minutes later, the door signals you.
     "Open."
     A gleam shimmered in your doorway, and it takes you a few seconds to register that it is Retrohopper standing there. His exoframe was rebuilt with a new material that glinted like full, golden chrome!
     "Whoa, you get slagged and get a whole new look?"
    "Ain't it cool! They call it a transmetal skin! Some kinda new technology they're playing with. The butterfly told me that this was an earlier prototype skin from a few weeks ago. It's stronger than my old metal, looks better, and I feel GREAT!"
     "Maybe I should blow my brains out... Where's Rascal?"
     "I haven't seen her. She finished out of the CR before I did. I'm sure we'll see her before we leave. Where's Packrat."
     A shadow passes over you, "He... died while making sure that we cleared the planet. I want to find Rascal and have a proper burial."
     Retrohopper lowers his head, "Let's find Rascal then, and put him to rest."

     You find Rascal a few minutes later, a darkness seems to shroud her.
     "Let's do this." She mutters, and leads the two of you outside.
     "The lab owners saw fit to set us a pyre."
     The pyre was small, and near the side of the cliff that the station sat on.
     To the distant, across a plain of tall grasses, a storm was brewing. Flashes of lightning sparked in the darkness of rolling, yellowish clouds.
     Packrat's body awaited, He was cleaned up, relatively. His blue fur still only remained in patches, but the blood and mech fluids had been wiped clean.
     "Rascal, do you want to say something?"
     The small Predacon stepped forward, "To new life."
     And with that, she hit the switch that activated the pyre. Packrat's body was consumed in seconds.
     After the initial surprise, you step forward and add, "His will be the first sacrifice of this new conflict. May his heroism prove a light to those in need, and may his spark look down and guide us all."
     You turn to Rascal, "We're leaving this place, and going after the Decepticon's that did this. Wanna help?"
     Rascal shrugs and turns away, "I may need a ride off this mudball soon at any rate."
     She walks away as a light rain begins to drizzle down.

A short while later, you and Retrohopper are sitting in your room.
"So, we've gotta get that ship repaired an...."
Retrohopper is cut off from an urgent beep on your comm units.
"Guys, listen up." It's Rascal, "Get to the ship ASAP. Don't ask questions, just go,and keep your guns handy and your backs covered!"

IA-12 : Predacon Outpost

    You run a quick scan on internal systems.
     --Everything's ok, no lags.--
     "Ok, let's go. What's the quickest way to the hangar?"
     "You're asking me?" Retrohopper grimaces, "I've been in stasis for two days!"
     "Right, follow me."
     You step out into the hallway.
     Everything is quiet. Nothing seems amiss.
     Suddenly the alarm klaxons start blaring. The sudden sound nearly makes you jump out of your plating!
     You and Retro start running.
     Then the alarms stop.
     You skid to a halt, "What the slag is this all about?!?"
     "I don't know. Sounds like Rascal musta really ticked someone off though. Quick, I think this way is a shortcut."
     "What? I thought you didn't know...."
     "Well, chalk it up to luck sense. C'mon!"
     The two of you race down the hallway again, till you reach the elevator.
     "C'mon!" yelled Retrohopper as he jumped inside.
     You join him, "It's on the T29A floor."
     "What? What ever happened to Lobby!?" Retrohopper hits the button.
     And the control panel catches on fire.
     "Ack! Yeah, GREAT luck!" You quickly extinguish the small flame, but the control panel was charred and blackened.
     "Well, at least we're heading down, and at a controlled pace, after all, we could have been plummeting to our doom!" smiles Retro.
     "Great. I..."
     The doors swish open, it's not the level you wanted... In fact it's not even a level you've ever been on, but that wasn't really what struck you
first about this floor.
     The first thing that registers is the fierce looking Cybertronian, bluish and silver with tiger striping, that is crouched over the decimated body
of Crystalwing. Circuitry was lying in puddles of mech fluid across the floor, and red blood oozed from numerous slices in the Cybertronains
body. His eyes were filled with emotions and he stands ready to crush the exposed, pulsing, spark of Crystalwing...

IA-12 : Predacon Laboratory

    --Weapon systems online--
    "Hello, I am Backdraft, a Cybertron from Charr security forces and this
is my friend Retrohopper. Who might you be?"
     The large, shaggy Cybertronian seems to look up, bewilderment in his eyes for a few seconds. Then he seems to settle into himself and
regain his composure.
     "I am Battlestripe, a Maximal."
     "Where are we anyway? We weren't supposed to get off on this floor, call
it bad luck, huh? Or perhaps good luck that I ran into you." You add, beginning to inch your way out of the elevator.
     "No! Stay in the lift. Let me come to you. If you get off, the sensors will activate again." The Maximal motions toward several decent sized
panels in the ceiling.
     He gets up, leaving Crystalwing's body crumpled on the floor, "Rascal said that the Predacon's here were planning to destroy you."
     "Rascal? You know her?"
     "She... woke me."
     "Well, she's the one that can best answer what the slag is going on here!   Retrohopper, can you get this elevator going again."
     "I think I almost have it..." The elevator lurches upward again.
     "So, Battlestripe, feel like fighting a Decepticon Empire?"
     Battlestripe blinks, "What is a Decepticon?"

IA-12 : Predacon Lab

     "The Decepticons are power hungry Cybertronians bent on destroying peace and taking over everything." You snarl.
     "To sum it up, " adds Retrohopper, "They're responsible for attacking Cybertronian Outposts of every allegiance recently."
     "And we are the only ones who know about it."
     "Hmm," Battlestripe ponders, "Then I will happily join your cause, but what link do these Predacons have to the Decepticons."
     "None, that we know of. We crashed near one of their bases while following a squad of Decepticons to their planet. The base was
attacked and destroyed. We managed to help a few escape their destruction and made our way here. With a Decepticon carcass in tow."
     "Then what do we do now?" asked the tiger.
     "I’d like to find that carcass, get some repairs done, and find our way to a Maximal or Cybertron outpost."
     The elevator stops, and the doors slide open.
     Two, large spider-like droids stand with guns aimed at the elevator.
     Retrohopper breaks the silence, "uhm, this isn’t Sporting Goods, is it?"

IA-12 : Predacon Outpost

    You pushed Retrohopper to the other side of the elevator, and slammed yourself against the lifts walls. Battlestripe ducked out of the way in
a flash with cat-like agility.
    The huge Gattling guns began to tear into the lift.
    You hit your comm unit and opened a channel so that you could be heard, "Retro, can you use the elevator controls to hack into these guys?"
     "I doubt it, it looks like the controls are kinda slagged!"
     "Prime, well, Battlestripe. Looks like it’s time for a fight."
     Retrohopper’s voice interupts again, "Hey, we are on the level we need to be. If we can get down the hallway a bit, we can get to the ship!"
     You hear a screaching noise.
     "Slag! The elevator’s giving way!" Battlestripe growls.
     The damage from the guns was on a horizontel line across the elevator walls, and it was tearing the metal enough to make your weight an
unwelcome factor. In a few seconds it would fall.
     Battlestripe transforms to his beast mode. A massive semi metallic tiger, jumps out to tackle one of the droids, pushing it backwards and into
the other.
     This gives you the chance you need. You lurches out and away from the elevator and bring your cannons to bear. A gout of explosive
napalm jets forth from your weapons, charring the other spider droid.
     Retrohopper moved out of the lift and started shooting with his gun, a small, chrome golden blaster that didn’t seem to do much to the spider
droids heavy armoring.
     However, between you and the battle tiger, seconds later the two robots were in shables on the ground.
     "If these two were after us, then it won’t be long before they set more upon us." Snarls the grizzly tiger.
     "Agreed, let’s get moving."

     In minutes, the three of you made your way to the outside doors. You turn toward Battlestripe, "The ship lies about fifty yards off of the
station. Hopefully, Rascal’s on board and she can explain what the slag happened!"
     "Then it’s just a quick sprint toward our escape." He mutters.
     "Ready?"
     "Ready."
     Retrohopper reaches for the door controls, "Ready."

     There were a lot of battle droids outside that door…
     Ten of them sat between you and the ship, and three or four more sat on top of the ship itself.
     Battlestripe transforms into a vehicle mode, a three wheeled dragster car that roared into the midst of the droids, knocking over several in the
process.
     Retrohopper was close on his tail, so you set to charring as many of the droids as possible.
     Within seconds the field is a fiery battleground.
     Retrohopper had made it too the ship, and Battlestripe was working on keeping the path clear so you could make your way over there.
      "Don’t suppose you could hurry!" you hear Battlestripe roar over the sounds of gunfire and explosions.
     "Whatsa matter? Things to hot for you?" you laugh as you melt the ground underneath a spider droid, sending it sinking slightly into a pool of
molten glass.
     "No, but I think we may be here all day if we don’t leave soon!"
     "What? We’ve already sliced through half of these things." You jump on top of the one in the molten glass and push it’s center down into a
smoldering explosion.
     "Yeah, but what about their friends." You look to where Battlestripe was pointing to see that more droids were pouring out of the base. A lot
more droids.
     "Good point. Backdraft, vehicle mode!" You roared toward the ship, leaving a fiery wake in your trail.
     Battlestripe climbs in after you, and the two of you, panting, look at each other.
     "You look like hell, kid." You chuckle.
     Really, you both did. The fight caused a great deal of damage, more so to you than to the younger, more powerful Battlestripe.
     You straighten up and look down at the shorter Maximal, "Now, let’s go find Rascal."

IA-12 : The Darksky

     You thunder up the loading ramp of the ship. The door pulls up with a loud clang behind you.
     "Battlestripe, where’s Retrohopper?"
     The comlink shuts on and Rascal voice crackles over it, "He’s on the bridge with me. We’re set to go! Get up here ASAP!"
     The two of you bolt towards the main bridge of the Darksky.

     The ship was thrumming with the sound of the engines by the time you reached the bridge. Sounds of muffled explosions could be heard
from outside, and the ground was beginning to drop below the viewscreens.
     You slid into a command chair behind Rascal and Retrohopper, Battlestripe took position at the weapons console.
     "Divert extra power to shields!" you shout.
     "No good," reports Rascal, "You slagged the shields, remember? The droids hadn’t repaired THOSE yet, just the leak in the engine
reactors!"
     Battlestripe laughed, "But weapons systems seem undamaged."
     You hear the report of return fire from the ships gunports.
     "Pull us free of orbit then. Let’s find a safe haven to jet to!"

     Sometime later, the Darksky was in warped space…
     "Now, Rascal, I don’t suppose you’d care to fill us in on what the SLAG is going on here?"
     "Look, charboy. Just cuz I rescued your axles, don’t go thinkin’ I owe YOU loyalty!"
     "Look, we just want to know what happened down there."
     "Ok, it’s like this… After we landed and I was repaired, the two Predacons on the base told me and Fractyl that you were to be
terminated…"
     "Terminated?!?" Retrohopper burst out, "But why repair me? Why give me the new armoring?"
     "As a test. A test for their prototype warrior drone. Him."   She points as Battlestripe.
     Battlestripe rumbles in assention, "I was a super warrior made with the Transmetal armor that was discovered a few weeks ago. I was to be
Predacon, but Rascal did something to alter that."
     You look back at Rascal, who seemed to be drawing in on herself, "It was Packrat’s Maximal Freewill chip. I removed it from his body
when I placed him on the pyre. It was what he would have wanted me to do…"
     Retrohopper nods, " ‘To new life…’ That’s what you meant by that."
     Rascal turns away.
     "You will always have a place her with us…" you begin.
     Rascal turns on you, anger flaring in her eyes, "I don’t WANT a place with you. I am Predacon. I ENJOY being a Predacon. I like the
hunt, the kill, the harsh paths they…WE follow. I LIKE not answering to anyone, not being responsible for anything. I only saved you because
you saved my hide… repeatedly. And in doing so, I sacrificed all I’ve known and lived for!"
     She stands and walks from the bridge. You begin to go after her, but Battlestripe grabs your arm, "She is confused and alone… I know
what she is going through, and you can not help her. Right now, you represent everything that she is angry at. Do not give her a target to lash
out at, not yet."
     You nod, and wonder what lies in store for your new crew.
     "So uh," Retrohopper speaks up, "where too?"

Warped Space: The Darksky

    "Retrohopper, give me a 3-D holo projection of the surrounding systems, I want to know of the available free-ports. Also, see if you can log
on to any signals and see if there is any report of Decepticon attacks."
    You sit back in a large command chair that is set into the middle of the command bridge of the Darksky and brood about what is transpiring.
    You reach over and activate a switch on the command console, "Computer take recording, download to disk."
    "Begin."
    "Rascal," You begin tenantively, "I don't have any answers for you and I may never, that is for you to find on your own.
    We are all, essentially, outcasts at this point. Retrohopper and I are AWOL from Charr, and Battlestripe...well you know his story better than
I do.
    I will not order anything on you. I only ask for your help, humbly.
     When I met you I was under the impression that all Predacons were the same, no offense intended. You are so much more, that I curse my
prejudice. You are one of the bravest souls I have known for what you have done, not only for me, but for Battlestripe and Retrohopper. I
know you helped Battlestripe because of Packrat, but… that too is commendable.
      I ask of you your help in the greatest hunt the universe may ever know...the hunt against the Decepticon menace. I want to turn us into birds
of prey rather than rodents scurrying form hole to hole. I want to strike a blow to the heart of the Decepticon
elite and bring peace to the universe once again.
       What I ask may very well be a suicide mission, I know that all too well. I have also lost friends to the Decepticon plague, but if not stopped,
the Decepticons will go from outpost to outpost until they have stomped down all life under their decrepit banner.
       If you really meant "to new life" then please consider what I ask of you. The Decepticons wish to wipe out all life or make it serve them.
This has to be avoided.
      I will not ask this of you, if you think that the burden is too great to bear. In truth it is, but I am an old Cybertron, I feel my time to do
something for the people of Cybertron has come. If it means my undoing, then so be it, I will proudly fall for this cause.
      If you wish, I will drop you at a spaceport, but please, think it over."
     You hit a button, and a small silvery disk ejects from the chair’s arm. You look at it for a moment, before realizing that Retrohopper and
Battlestripe were both turned and looking at you.
     Battlestripe smiles and nods slowly, Retrohopper give a little salute and reports, "Well, Captain, It looks like there are a few systems near
here, but nothing major. WE have our choice of a Predacon Outpost, or two Destron Outposts."
     "Not good."
     Battlestripe turns his chair to look up at you, "Why not return to Cybertron? After all, if you want to spread word about an Armada.
Wouldn’t that be the place?"
     You think about it for a moment.
      It had been a long time since you had reached Cybertron…
     "Hey Backdraft." Retrohopper interrupted your line of thought, "I got a signal from the news archives on Cybertron."
     The news archives was a low level reporting line that other news carriers used to strain out the stories they wanted. It was also used for
deep space explorers to pick up what was happening around the universe.
     "Decode and display lines based on Decepticon attacks and on The Council."
     "A list’ll be ready in five minutes."
     You stand up with the disk in hand. "Ill be back."

     You leave the disk by Rascal’s new quarters, with the words, "Play if you wish" written on it.
     You return to the bridge and scan the list of reports that are available.
     About fifty reports of small stations being annihilated are available. There are also listings on the proceedings of the Joint Councils, who
appear to be in session on Cybertron.
     There are is a vague report rumor about an attack survivor, and rumors that a plague is causing energon explosions across the galaxy.
     There are also reports that a planet on the outer rim had exploded. The planet was rumored to be the spot where Convoy had been spotted.

     There were a few history articles on the Decepticons, and a rumor column about a Decepticon Empire being built on some remote planet.
     You scan through them all and decide which articles to examine more closely. Meanwhile, you have Retrohopper set the ship towards
Cybertron, until something else is decided…