All For Home

Cybertron shimmered silently in the darkness of the void. It was many things to many people but most importantly, to Megatron it was home.

They had been preparing for this moment for weeks and now he watched the world one final time, one more moment of peace before the wrath of the Empire was fully unleashed.

A dozen battle ships hovered beyond the surface, patrolling their prize and protecting it from would-be invaders.

They would not be enough to stop him. None of their vast fleet would stand against his might.

“My fellow Decepticons,” he said, turning away from the large view screen. “Behold our prize. All that needs to be done is for us to reach out and seize it.”

He noted the expressions of his officers, all of which were transfixed upon him. They had planned for this alongside him and now they were prepared to bring their labors to fruition.

“We have watched and waited, planned for every contingency that we can imagine. The time has come now to act!” He paused. “Do you stand ready?”

The bridge erupted simultaneously as everyone present raised their fist and howled a battle cry.

“Then strike out!” he hissed. “Let us take what is ours! Decepticons forever!”

“Decepticons forever!” came the answer from his warriors.

Far beyond the Dark Glory, another pair of optics watched and waited. The commander of the vessel did not have to wait too long as the enormous vessel appeared out of the void, surrounded by hundreds of fighters and dozens of support vessels.

“There they are!” Hubcap exclaimed from the helm. “That’s got to be them!”

Bumblebee nodded from the commander chair. “Make sure we’re not in their way.”

The other nodded and tapped several commands into the console before him.

He watched as the Decepticons unleashed a stream of energy weapons and projectiles. It was more then he could ever remember seeing before and the effect was awesome and at once devastating in its sheer power. The force of wedge-shaped Disciple vessels that had been patrolling nearby were instantly decimated. He noted that none of them had even had time to deploy retaliatory forces before their destruction.

“Surprisingly efficient,” Hosehead noted nearby.

“Yeah,” Bumblebee agreed. “With numbers like that... could we ever come close to taking on the Decepticons in a head to head fight?”

“No way,” Hosehead replied. “But maybe the Disciples will soften them up a bit in the coming battle.”

As if in answer to his comment, thirty more battle cruisers emerged from somewhere near the planet, their weapons answering the Decepticons challenge. Several of the Decepticon fighters disappeared in smaller explosions while the support ships split away from the Dark Glory, their batteries firing as fast as possible at the defenders.

“Watch for that opening,” Bumblebee ordered.

“I’m on it,” Hosehead assured him. “I think it would be wise to give them a few more minutes. Allow them to fully engage the Disciples and then there won’t be nearly as much security on the surface.”

He nodded. “Sounds good.”

“I just hope Prime knows what she’s doing,” Beachcomber said nearby. “This isn’t my idea of a party!”

“The plan makes sense to me,” Bumblebee replied. “We’ve got to give her time to put her stamp on things. Not–“ he started to say “not be like Hot Rod and the others” but decided against it. “Not start doubting her before she even gets settled in as our leader. She’s had it hard enough these past months with everything.”

“Hey I was there!” The other exclaimed. “Point taken, though.“

Bumblebee considered Sonimus and all she’d been through in recent weeks. Starting out as the innocent Sunfire, being thrust headlong into the midst of the Great War as it flared up again and their side was cut down brutally by their enemies. Then crashing on Cindras Two and bravely facing off against the Decepticon agent she’d encountered, determined to protect her Autobot brethren at any cost. They’d been certain she wouldn’t survive but survive she did, returning to them in a new form as Sonimus Prime. She’d been vague on the exact details, mostly reciting that she’d been given a mission to perform by higher powers. Still, she’d done everything right up to this point and he trusted her to lead them through this latest crisis with the grace and skill of a true Prime.

“How’s the surface?” he asked.

Hosehead checked his instruments. “There are several large openings among the Disciples ranks now. I think this is about as ideal a condition as we’re going to get.”

Bumblebee nodded. “Hubcap, take us down. Aim for somewhere safe near the Iacon catacombs.“

Hubcap tapped several commands into his console. “Taking us in,” he said.

“Hosehead, Beachcomber, keep watch for any Disciple ships or weapons on our approach vector. I don’t want to end up incinerated.”

The duo responded affirmatively and he watched the view screen as they moved closer to their ancient home. From this distance it seemed as normal as ever. A vast shimmering celestial jewel, untouched by the continuous wars their kind initiated. It was always the same, no matter what time in his life it had been, war or no war. As if on a cosmic scale, things such as war were meaningless to so vast an object.

He wondered if they would know the same harmony one day or whether their kind were forever doomed to repeat the cycle of war. Perhaps, if they could make things right one final time–this time–perhaps things would be different.

The ship dipped into the atmosphere.

The trip down was completely uneventful thanks to their vigilance in making certain none of the Disciples or their weapons came anywhere near to their vessel. Likewise, the cloaking systems appeared to be fully functional, rendering them completely invisible to the Disciples and their detection systems. Of course with the Decepticons in orbit it seemed unlikely the Disciples would have much time to devote to the Autobot team even if they were noticed.

Bumblebee hand signaled Beachcomber, Jackpot and Kick Off to spread out to the perimeter of the cloaking field. He wanted some security while they got things set up–he had faith in their technology but nothing was perfect and they had to be prepared. Hubcap was the sole member of the crew still onboard, waiting at the helm in case they needed to leave in a hurry.

Bumblebee watched as Rad, Jazz and Hosehead brought three large crates down from the ship’s cargo hold. The three contained interdimensional transceivers designed to create a beacon in sub space for their reinforcements.

Sonimus had decided to send a small team to Cybertron in a stealth vessel first and if they were successful in reaching the surface then use them to bring more Autobots directly from Oberon via Trans Time Dimensional Portal.

The only flaw with the plan had been that much of Cybertron had been irradiated in the battle with the Decepticons. That made it nearly impossible to remotely pin-point locations to send portals. If they were off in their calculations by even a few feet one way or the other it could be disastrous. Additionally, the Disciples had been busy since they’d set down here creating structures left and right, further disrupting the accuracy in their predictions. Thus the need for the transceivers to help send a clear signal.

“Is this good?” Jazz asked.

Rad glanced at the transceiver the other had set up. “Looks about right,” he replied. “Good job.” He turned to Hosehead and issued instructions to him.

“How’s it going?” Bumblebee asked.

“Just about ready,” Rad replied, adjusting his final device. “Switch yours both on and get back out of the zone,” he told the others.

Waiting until they were done, Rad eased forward and activated his own transceiver. Swiftly he backed away from the device.

“All done,” he told Bumblebee. “They should be here any moment.”

There was silence for a few moments and he started to wonder if the makeshift portal was functioning correctly or not. He was about to inquire of Rad when the three rods pulsated once then again then the area within the transceivers flashed and burst into a white nexus.

Almost immediately, nine figures emerged through the portal in succession, lead by Sonimus Prime.

“I’m glad to see you made it,” he told them. “I was worried for a moment there.”

“No problems on our end,” Sonimus replied confidently. “The real crux of this plan was whether or not your team could set down safely.”

“Done and done, Prime.” He smiled. “What’s next?”

Behind them the portal closed down once again.

“Excuse me,” Rad interrupted. “But should we keep the transceivers up or are we all leaving by ship?”

“Take them down,” Sonimus replied. “If we haven’t been killed already that means the Disciples can’t detect us. The ship should be safe enough here.”

Bumblebee nodded. Once they were outside of the cloaked area, they would be utilizing ZPRs–devices capable of disguising them as Disciples on their enemies scanners and, hopefully, keeping their interference to a minimum. Of course, they still had to be careful not to be physically seen or the Disciples would be alert to their presence regardless.

Sonimus glanced about the assembled group. “As for the next phase of this plan, we’re going to split up into two strike teams. Team one, lead by myself will infiltrate the catacombs and seek out the Last Autobot’s tomb. Once there, we will retrieve him at all cost–I cannot stress his importance enough. With his power at our disposal, all of Megatron’s might will be for naught. He is essential to our future survival.”

The others nodded their understanding and Bumblebee knew they were all behind Sonimus on this. “As to team two, they will be responsible for locating the Disciples Operations Center. Thus far, we don’t know what the Disciples ultimate goal is and its crucial we find out. In the process we might also be able to determine if they have any weaknesses we can exploit, be they organizationally or personally.”

“Who will be on team two?” Hosehead chimed in.

“I’ve decided that Bumblebee will be leading the team.” She glanced at him. “If that’s acceptable to you, Lieutenant?”

He nodded his approval. “You’ve got it!”

“Very good.” She glanced at the assembled warriors. “Team one will consist of Utaxx, Tornado, Airlift, Warhawk, Firestorm, Kick Off and Tigertrack. Team two will be Rad, Throttle, Hauler, Jazz, Hosehead, Beachcomber and Jackpot. Hubcap will remain aboard in case we need to retreat quickly.”

She regarded the group. “Questions?”

No one spoke up. “Very well,” she said. “May Primus guide us all. Dismissed!”

* * *

The Disciples of Primus continued their relentless onslaught against Megatron’s forces. As fast as his forces eliminated a squadron of fighters or a battle group of warships, more replaced them in line.

It stood to reason that they would eventually exhaust their reserves. If they’d planned things right, they could outlast the Disciples and run them down until they were at more manageable levels.

In the early moments of the battle, the Decepticons had utilized several battle techniques they’d devised for this assault, allowing several of the Disciples battle cruisers that got close to the stray asteroids they’d mined with quantum warheads to ensure their own destruction.

Other Disciple forces were struck by a variation on Frostwing’s original idea of using EMP weapons. They’d decided the best way to implement her plan was to arm several of their fighters with EMP charges and then use them in areas that were far enough away from their own ships to knock out as many of the Disciples fighters and cruisers as possible. The plan had worked excellently however the Disciples forces were moving fast toward the Decepticon fleet and their window of opportunity had been too small for Megatron’s liking.

As with most battles, it would come down to straight fighting and tactical superiority to ensure the ultimate victor in this war. Exactly who or what commanded the Disciples was unknown to Decepticon High Command. However, Megatron and his officers were more then up to the task at hand. Their Enemy was slower, more mechanical in their own strategy, seeming to take moments longer then necessary at times and then acting in unison once the decision had been made. Once their course of action had been implemented, they were incredibly efficient in their strikes. That had made Megatron quickly realize that abrupt, unorthodox methodology gave the Disciples more difficulty to cope with then straight out strikes. He swiftly adapted his tactics to ensure the Decepticons would maintain their advantage as long as they could.

“The Grey Legion reports successes in breaking through enemy lines in sectors 42, 43, 56 and 80. Enemy forces are moving to intercept and re-secure,” Leadfoot announced.

“Will they need reinforcement?” Megatron demanded.

“Terrorwing says they can hold their own,” he replied. “Still... this is a lot to deal with, even for them.”

“Very well then,” Megatron nodded. “We shall allow him to maintain his pride for now and stay out of it. Alert the squadrons near to the Legion, just in case they need to assist them later.”

“As you command,” Soundwave replied.

“Tactical, see if there are any further breaks in the Disciples front,” Megatron continued. “If the opportunity comes for us to slip inside and strike the surface, I want it done. Scan the surface for any wide-band power emissions, possible command structures or other potential targets of interest.”

“You got it!” Nightracer said.

“It is time we brought the war to our enemy’s front door,” Megatron mused. He knew they had the advantage already. It was just a matter of time until they could crack the enemy line and move through. Then all that was left was to pummel the Disciples in to dust and re-claim Cybertron as their own.

* * *

They had encountered very little resistance on their journey through the ruined streets of what had once been Iacon.

Bumblebee had retrieved his Pretender Shell before they left the ship and wore it now, deciding it’s added protection and firepower were assets he could not afford to be without in such critical circumstances.

“It’s so eerie to be here now,” Beachcomber said. “Last time I was here it was so full of life and now...” He gestured to a ruined building beyond them.

“We had so much hope for this place,” Rad chimed in. “Optimus had wanted us to begin anew in peace. But that dream was shattered.”

“I think if Grimlock were still here he’d be tellin’ us that it wasn’t meant to be,” Jazz chimed in. “He had this theory that the war between us was genetic somehow. That it was in our very cores to be at odds with the Decepticons.”

“I never understood that,” Bumblebee responded. “We’re all Transformers first. We have our own minds and our own sparks. We all make our own decisions in the end. Blaming it on some intangible quality on our make-up is just an excuse.”

“Whatever the cause, it’s clear that war can never end until the Decepticons have either been destroyed or truly reformed,” Rad said. “A stalemate next time won’t cut it.”

“No arguments here,” Jazz agreed.

“Ditto.” Beachcomber was silent a beat. “But I still want to follow Optimus’ vision of being an Autobot. I don’t think what Hot Rod’s doing is right either.”

“He’s young,” Hosehead piped up. “In time, he might come to realize his error.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Beachcomber asked. “Will there be a time when it comes down to Autobot versus Autobot?”

The other shrugged. “One never knows...”

“It won’t come down to that,” Bumblebee said. “Because rogues or not, Hot Rod’s bunch are still Autobots at heart. They can listen to reason, can see that we’re getting things done Sonimus’ way. Trust me, they’ll come around in time.”

“I hope you’re right,” Beachcomber replied. “Maybe things will work out for once.”

“Hey, we’re due, right?” Jazz smiled.

The others chuckled at that and Bumblebee felt his spirits lift as well. Having Jazz around was just like old times. So many of their comrades had perished in the past few months it was reassuring having him up and functional–especially after his own brush with death when his Pretender Shell had been vaporized in the Autobot City assault.

“Heads up, people. I’m getting something on the scanners.” Hosehead glanced at a comp pad he held. “High energy levels emanating from coordinates 21-2-36.”

“That way.” Throttle pointed to the horizon.

“This could be it,” Bumblebee announced, raising his guns. “Lets go.”

* * *

Arthuralayas and his five fellow Masters stood gazing at the Sacred Vessel of Primus. Several wires ran to the Mech, transferring low amounts of energy into him in the hopes of revitalizing him and bringing him on-line.

The tomb that was the resting place of The Last Autobot was silent otherwise, untouched by

Mech feet. He had seen to it that once they had discovered the Mech that the Disciples had remained outside the chamber so that their unworthiness did not desecrate its holiness further.

“Are thou sure thy actions will bring life?” Mynthoralis, his lieutenant asked beside him. “We have waited and watched yet still it is lifeless. How long shall we wait?”

“Thou must have patience,” Arthuralayas assured him. “In the matters of Gods, there is no rushing. The Vessel will awaken in its own time, thou cannot rush it.”

The other regarded the lifeless automaton before them all and shrugged. “Thou speakst truth, Arthuralayas. Thy apologize for thy impertinence.”

“There is no need,” he replied. “Thy too understand the need for haste, still there is little we can do beyond waiting.”

He regarded the dormant Mech, pondering the mysteries of it’s creation and the role it played in the scheme of things. How could their Lord invest so much of himself into this machine? Why had he not chosen some other vessel among his human children instead? True, he had been imprisoned inside this vast machine world but surely he could have called to them over the distance, summoned them to do his bidding. The Children would have stopped at nothing to find the Father and carry out his wishes.

He was distracted from his thoughts by a low hum that had not been there before. Arthuralayas glanced up in time to see the Sacred Vessel’s optics glow to life, their color a pure white unlike any he had ever seen on a Mech before.

“Doth thou knowst who we are?” he called out.

The Mech gazed down at him. “Indeed. You are the First Children, the ones who came before,” it said. “Why do you disturb my slumber?”

“Our Father hath passed beyond,” Arthuralayas explained. “Thou are the final part of him that remains. We seek that which is inside you, the Sacred Core of our Creator. We seek only to do it the reverence that is deserved of our Father.”

The Mech regarded him, its white optics cold and inhuman. Yet it was of Primus, a guardian put there to protect his children... would it understand their need, he wondered, or did it only understand the matters of the Mechs that had come after.

“You speak well,” it replied finally. “I see that there is truth both in your words and your heart. I will give that to you which you seek, for it is as much your inheritance as it is the Second Children’s.”

Arthuralayas nodded. “Thy am grateful for thy kindness. Indeed–“

The Last Autobot held up his hand, cutting him off in mid-sentence. “Although you may receive my power, be aware of this truth: there may come a time when such is needed to protect, to create or to destroy. Do not hold back from doing what you must in your time of need for this is what your Creator gave this gift of himself so that you might know salvation in your need. His pleasure is your pleasure, his sorrow your sorrow... he gave freely of himself. Give freely as your need requires. Only in giving will you truly understand the joy of your Creator, only then will you truly understand the purpose of life...”

Arthuralayas opened his mouth to speak but found himself at a loss for words. Under normal circumstances it seemed like such words coming from a Mech would be blasphemy yet this time it seemed appropriate somehow... like he had known the one moment of absolute truth he had sought all his life time up to this point. He couldn’t explain how he felt, only knew his heart felt joy in the words the Sacred Vessel had spoken.

The Last Autobot glowed brightly, brighter then anything he had ever seen before and Arthuralayas instinctively shielded his eyes when he couldn’t stand the light any further. In one final flash, the Mech body was gone and a pulsating object lay on the ground in its stead. It was a container, a vessel of some kind, orb-like in its appearance. A brilliant white-blue energy radiated out from its core and he knew it was a thing of beauty.

“Behold brothers! The Sacred Vessel of our Lord Primus!” he exclaimed.

“We’re too late!” a voice spoke from the entrance behind them.

He turned in time to see several Mechs standing there, bearing the Autobot emblem on their chest plates.

There had been no Disciples at all on their journey into the catacombs beneath Iacon and Sonimus Prime had begun to wonder at the lax security. Of course, the Decepticons were assaulting the Disciples in orbit even now but it seemed unusual that there wasn’t even a token guard down here. Didn’t they understand the importance of these ruins, she wondered. Perhaps they simply didn’t understand what they had here...

“How far are we from the tomb?” she asked as they moved.

“It should be just up around this bend,” Tigertrack replied nearby. “I think. These tunnels all look alike after awhile...”

Tigertrack had been one of the party assigned to oversee the security of the Last Autobot’s resting place when he had decided to return to dormancy some twenty years earlier. She’d instantly seized on the fact she would need his expertise on the area if she were to succeed in their mission here.

“Is there any actual security measures in place?” Sonimus asked as they moved.

“There had been an elaborate system put in place to keep people out,” he explained. “There it is. Just up ahead.

“Anyway, it seems with all the recent battles that the system has been compromised somehow. I don’t understand it.”

“I do,” Utaxx chimed in. “Look up ahead. Somebody’s been here recently.”

Beyond them, a large vault door was torn open on the left wall of the tunnel. Some small bits of debris littered the tunnel beyond.

“They could still be here.” Tornado raised his rifle. “ADF, assume defensive positions.”

“Utaxx and Kick Off, cover our rear flank,” Sonimus ordered. “The rest of us will proceed. Once we reach the opening, I want Tigertrack, Warhawk and Airlift covering our forward position beyond. The rest of us will see if anyone’s home.”

The Autobots moved together in silence, each one’s weapons raised, their senses alert to potential attack.

The trek to the opening took little time despite the cautious pace they’d been using to reach it. Sonimus motioned at Tigertrack and the others to carry on forward and watch the opposite end of the tunnel for any sign of intrusion.

Once they reached their places, he nodded and Sonimus motioned at Tornado and Firestorm to follow after her.

The doors had been wrenched open with great force allowing them easy access to the inside of the chamber. It was large, ancient and well lit.

But her attention was immediately drawn to the small group of organics standing beyond what appeared to be a large tomb of some sort. Each were garbed in some sort of bio-luminescent armor. One, possibly their leader, stood slightly closer to a brilliantly glowing object.

“We’re too late!” she heard herself say before she could stop the words from coming out.

Instantly, the six humanoids knew they were there and any hope of surprise was at an end.

“Mechs!” their leader yelled. “Thou hath come for the Sacred Core! Stop them!”

Five of the beings floated toward the three Autobots, clutching some kind of weapons as they did.

“What on Cybertron is going on?” Tornado asked.

“Somehow they’ve taken the Last Autobot’s power,” Sonimus responded. “That glowing object... we can’t let them escape with that!”

The smaller humanoids unleashed blasts from their weapons, some sort of compound as opposed to an actual energy burst. The trio dodged the blasts as best they could and Sonimus noted the effect of the shot when it struck the wall and began to sizzle.

“Its some kind of acid!” she exclaimed.

“Humans, we don’t want to hurt you!” Tornado called out to their attackers.

“Then thou art a fool!” one replied, firing his weapon again.

“Commander?” Firestorm asked. “What do we do? They aren’t Decepticons or Disciples!”

Sonimus observed their opponents. “No... and we are sworn to protect innocents. But, they are trying to harm us–and if we can’t take action then we’re defeated already.”

“Or worse,” Tornado chimed in.

“Or worse,” she agreed.

The five humans took aim again and this time Sonimus raised her weapon and fired at them, forcing them to scatter.

“Stun settings!” Tornado shouted at his comrade.

“You got it!” Firestorm tapped a button on his gun and fired on the humans.

“Human, give us the object and no one needs to get hurt,” Sonimus spoke to their leader even as his warriors regrouped.

“Thou art not worthy of this.” Arthuralayas shielded the core with his body. “Sentinels, let the holy Fist strike out in righteous fury!”

His warriors unleashed another salvo of acid bursts and the Autobots had to scatter to avoid being struck. Firestorm fired back, catching one of the men with his shot and dropping him out of the air.

“Scarlorathys hath fallen!” one of his comrades shouted. “Die fiend!” He gestured with his hands and energy emerged from about his body. The blast lashed out, striking Firestorm as it did and sending him toppling to the ground.

“Some kind of internal energy system,” Tornado said to Sonimus. “Its their armor!”

“Take them down!” she shouted. “Fast!”

The two fired back even as their opponents attempted to unleash more of their electrical energy on the beleagured Autobots. Sonimus hit the ground and fired again, this time her shots catching two more of the humans. Tornado shot another while he reacted to his comrade’s strike.

“Mynthoralis! We must take our leave!” the leader yelled at the lone guard. He broke into a run then soared into the air, taking the glowing Core behind him telekinetically. Sonimus pursued him while the lone guard moved to stop her with an energy blast. Before he could unleash it, however, he was felled by Tornado’s rifle.

Sonimus moved faster then her opponent, seizing the orbular object in mid-air and wrenching it from his mental grip. He turned and howled.

“Thou shalt be buried in our legions of Disciples!” he hissed. Before she could react, he rushed beyond the chamber and into the corridor beyond.

“Tigertrack, Utaxx, heads up!” she yelled into her com-link. “There’s a humanoid coming your way. He’s hostile! Try to stun him!”

“This is Tigertrack,” the response came. “We see him and–“ the comm channel cut out in a burst of static.

“Blast!” She moved for the entrance then stopped. “Tornado, see to Firestorm! Make sure he’s still functional.”

“Already on it,” he replied. “Go get him!”

She gazed once at the glowing orb she’d retrieved from the human and decided to store it in sub-space, to be on the safe side. After all, they couldn’t risk losing it by being careless...

Satisfied, she rushed out into the corridor beyond, in time to be greeted by a hail of energy fire.

“What’s going on?” she demanded.

“They took us by surprise,” Warhawk exclaimed as he and Airlift rushed toward her. “One minute they weren’t there and then the human came by us and almost simultaneously there was a wave of Disciples closing in on us!”

“Tigertrack... h-he didn’t make it,” Airlift said quietly.

She turned in time to see several Disciples rushing around the bend in the corridor beyond. Casually, she flicked open a device in her hand and pressed a button. Instantly, the corridor erupted and crumbled, crushing their enemy in a tonne of debris.

“His sacrifice better not be for nothing,” she said. “Too many of us have died recently for no reason.”

“He didn’t,” Sonimus assured her. “We got what we came for. But there’s been some complications–some kind of humans we’ve never seen before appear to be in control of the Disciples. Even now, I can’t understand how they got here so fast... its almost as if that human willed it.”

“Maybe he did,” Warhawk replied. “Some form of mental control or something.”

Sonimus nodded and began to speak when sounds of weapons fire came from the opposite end of the tunnel.

“More trouble!” Warhawk exclaimed. “We’ve got to help the others!”

“Let’s do it!” Sonimus lead the charge and the other swiftly followed. She had a feeling they were far from out of the fire yet...

* * *

“I don’t remember that being there before.” Bumblebee gazed up at the large complex beyond them.

The base of the building was apparently circular while the upper portion was offset from its perimeter, rising higher into the air and cresting in sharp angles some distance beyond.

“It’s recent all right,” Rad agreed. “There was a small transmission tower here when we abandoned the city. Somebody’s been busy in our absence.”

The top of the lower base and several points about its perimeter were encircled by intermittent gun batteries with two Disciple drones attending each station.

“There’s a lot of firepower here,”Hosehead chimed in. “Any way we go at this, it isn’t going to be easy.”

Bumblebee made a quick mental calculation. “We can take the Disciples out in one shot if we do this right. The problem isn’t the guards we can see–it’s the one we can’t. There could be a whole lot more out of our view on the other side of that deck area.”

“That’s a safe bet,” Rad agreed. “And we don’t have enough troops to cover everything.”

“Its like stirring up a swarm of mech wasps,” Jazz agreed. “But what choice do we have?”

Bumblebee considered his words. “If there was more time, but... we don’t know how long it will be until either the Decepticons cut through here or the Disciples fight them off. Either way, its bad for us if we’re still milling about down here.”

“So?” Hauler asked.

He made his decision. “Pick your targets,” he ordered.

Hosehead gestured at the others, assigning each one of them a set of Disciples to hit when the signal was given. He watched a moment as they assumed their positions then nodded to Bumblebee.

Bumblebee raised his own guns. “Ready. Now!”

Moving as one, the team of Autobots unleashed a swift volley of energy blasts, each targeting their foes with deadly accuracy. The Disciples dropped in succession, never realizing what it was that had struck them.

The Autobots watched a moment, their optics wary of any further assault. When nothing happened after a few minutes, they began to relax.

“I think its safe,” Hauler said, rising from his cover.

Something caught Hosehead’s attention. “Wait!” he exclaimed.

An energy blast struck Hauler in the chest and he collapsed to the ground.

“Take cover!” Bumblebee ordered.

Beyond them, several Disciples appeared and replaced their fallen comrades. Their attention now drawn to the Autobots position. The team returned fire as best they could.

Bumblebee heard Hauler moan. “I think he’s still alive. Can anyone reach him?”

“I’ve got an idea,” Beachcomber said. “Cover me!”

He leapt out from their cover and transformed into his dune-buggy mode. He roared out in the wide open, dodging and twisting with incredible precision.

Drawing the stunned Disciples fire.

Bumblebee glanced at Hosehead. “Grab him! Quick!”

Jackpot drew his missile launcher from sub-space nearby and unloaded a salvo into the Disciple emplacement on the tower. All but two of the drones fell in the attack. They turned and fired back at the Autobots but Rad and Throttle picked them off in one salvo.

“Here he is,” Hosehead said, dragging Hauler’s green form back behind the outcropping they were using for cover.

“Hauler, can you hear me?” Bumblebee asked.

“Yeah...“ The other moaned, his voice weak. “I’ll be okay... don’t worry about me.”

He glanced to Rad. “Will he...?”

The other examined Hauler’s wounds. “It looks like the blast just missed his laser core. Back up systems should be kicking in shortly.” He nodded. “He should be okay long enough for us to get back to the ship anyway. We can treat him there.”

More weapons fire greeted them just then. Bumblebee glanced up at the sound of jet turbines.

“Reinforcements!” Throttle exclaimed. He dived as six Disciples soared over them in jet mode and veered around a nearby corner, protected by the cover of an ruined tower.

“There’s more on the tower too!” Jazz yelled.

Bumblebee glanced up from their cover. “Jackpot, when those jets come back for another run, I want you to hit them with your missiles. Jazz, see what you can do about taking out the remaining batteries with your missiles–that will help even the playing field a bit. Everyone else, pick your targets and hope for the best!”

Jet engines roared through the air again just then and the Disciples aerial squadron emerged for another pass...

* * *

An explosion rocked the bridge, tearing a run of cable loose of its perch on the ceiling far above the deck. It hung loose in the air, draining coolant gas into the large chamber.

“Status!”

“Minor damage,” Leadfoot replied. “Auxiliary temperature systems have ruptured and circuits fourteen through sixteen are off-line.”

“Redundant systems are kicking in,” another officer replied.

“I want batteries fifty through sixty five to concentrate on sector eighteen,” Megatron commanded. “Take out that battalion before they can break through our squadron.”

“Terrorwing reports that the Grey Legion has eliminated it’s targets,” Soundwave announced. “He asks permission to re-deploy his forces in adjacent sectors.”

“Inform him that permission is granted,” Megatron replied. “Tell him to show no mercy!”

The bridge shook slightly and he felt the tremor move through the deck plate.

“They’re persistent, aren’t they?” Ransack asked nearby.

Megatron nodded. Despite eliminating a decent percentage of the Disciples forces, they showed no sign of letting up in their defense of Cybertron. They already knew their enemy were some sort of drones but that fact worked against the Decepticons here. There was no one to demoralize here–no one to realize their side was losing and potentially falter. The Decepticons had worked hard to gain what ground they had and still their enemy fought on as before.

He wondered if it would take the effort to destroy each and every one of the Disiciples before this fight was truly over. If so, he was more then up to the task should it come to that.

“Megatron,” Nightracer called out nearby. “I’m picking up a large energy source on the surface.”

“Can you tell what it is?” he asked. “A power plant or something else?”

She tapped at the console before him. “Readings are unclear. There’s too much interference.”

Megatron was silent a moment, considering his options.

“Very well,” he said. ”Move us in closer and prepare for bombardment.”

“Enemy forces redeploying to intercept us,” Leadfoot announced.

“Get our forces to cover our approach,” Megatron snapped back. “Shipboard batteries and artillary can take out whatever’s left.”

So, they were moving to protect it whatever it was. All the more reason to strike... perhaps they had found something of significance after all. They would know it one way or the other in mere moments...

“Moving into firing position,” Nightracer announced.

“Enemy forces are pinned down,” Leadfoot chimed in. “We have a clear firing solution.”

“Target that power source and destroy it,” Megatron ordered. “Leave nothing standing!”

* * *

It had been a hard fought battle to escape the tunnel in the catacombs near the Last Autobot’s tomb but somehow they had managed it.

Matters had been made even worse by the fact that Firestorm had been off-line from the earlier assault with the humans and they’d been forced to drag his lifeless form with them as they cut through the enemy line.

Unfortunately, getting out of the tunnel had turned out to be the easy part. At every turn, they were being pursued by Disciples now–their devices were still making them immune to scanners but there were more then enough of the drones moving about now to visually detect them. Sonimus knew the human wanted the Core very badly if he was willing to commit this many of his forces to its pursuit. After all, they were already in the midst of a massive battle with the Decepticons in orbit.

Her mind reeled at the possibilities. Humans in control of the Disciples–but these were no ordinary humans. The inhabitants of Earth had been rendered helpless by an electro magnetic pulse weapon they’d deployed. Add to that, their technological level hadn’t been sophisticated enough to pull off an army the size of the Disciples or do all they’d done up to this point. No, they were dealing with something new here... but what?

“How far are we from the ship?” she asked.

“Three point four kilometers,” Kick Off replied. “But at this pace... I don’t know if we’re going to make it or not.”

A squadron of Disciples soared past overhead and veered back, having located their prey.

“What do you suggest?” Tornado asked. “I’m not leaving Firestorm behind!”

“He’s slowing us down,” the other retorted. “We don’t know if he can be reactivated or not, anyway. Better to sacrifice the one to save the many.”

“No way,” Sonimus snapped. “We’re Autobots, Kick Off. We don’t hurt the innocent, we don’t compromise our principles and we don’t leave anyone behind!”

“I’m with her!” Tornado exclaimed.

“Ditto!” Airlift chimed in.

“Same here!” Warhawk agreed.

Kick Off glanced to Utaxx.

“Don’t look at me, buddy.” The other shrugged. “I’m all for the Autobot way here, too.”

The Disciple jets came back, their weapons ablaze. The group barely had time to dodge the salvo as it struck their midst.

“Still think this is a good idea?” Kick Off asked.

“Yes.” Sonimus spun and fired her rifle, her shots striking one of their aerial opponents. “Like I said, we don’t compromise our principles when they become inconvenient. That’s not our way–it never has been and it never will be. If you don’t understand that... then maybe you should’ve left with Hot Rod and his group.”

Tornado and Warhawk leapt into the air and converted into their jet modes, giving pursuit to the Disciples that were dogging them.

“Don’t get too far away,” Sonimus radioed them. “Keep them off our backs but don’t stray. We can’t afford to lose more people.”

“Sonimus, I’m picking up a signal from the other team,” Utaxx informed her.

She tapped her comm circuit. “This is Team one. What’s your status?”

“Bumblebee here. We’re pinned down. Can you guys offer any assistance?”

She glanced about. “We’re experiencing some problems ourselves here. Transmit your coordinates and we’ll see what we can do.”

“Acknowledged.”

She glanced at the coordinates on her internal read-out.

“Everyone, head for coordinates 21-2-36. Utaxx, you have a cloaking device, correct?”

“You bet, commander. What’s the plan?”

“We need to assist Team Two–or at least try, anyway. I need you to take Firestorm and get him back to the ship safely. You’re the best qualified for the job.”

He nodded. “All right. And then I’m comin’ back for the rest of ya.”

He converted his body into his space craft mode and opened the cockpit.

“Good journey,” she said, placing the lifeless Autobot inside.

She watched as Utaxx rose into the sky and promptly disappeared from view. She heard turbines roar away from her and knew he was safely on his way.

“Lets get going,” she said to Kick Off and Airlift. With that, she converted to her space fighter mode and the others quickly joined her in the air.

“Watch out!” Airlift screamed.

Sonimus dodged as swiftly as she could, in time to miss out on a barrage of energy fire. At the end of the block, a dozen identical tanks had appeared on the street corner.

“Take them out!” she ordered.

Just then, the sky was filled with several more identical space craft as more Disciples rushed to the scene.

“There’s too many of them!” Warhawk snapped.

“Hit whatever you can!” she commanded. “We’re not giving up!”

She loosed a salvo of missiles at the tanks, tearing into several with her firepower. Beside her, her comrades split up, each choosing a ground or aerial target and assailing it.

The fighting was fierce and chaotic. More so then any other battle she could recall ever being in before but somehow she persevered despite the magnitude of the conflict around her. How would they ever make it to their comrades some distance away, she wondered, when they could barely withstand the fighting here and now.

Then something bizarre happened. A sound like thunder pierced the area, blotting out everything else. The next thing Sonimus knew, she was catapulting through the sky uncontrollably. She converted to her robot mode in free-fall and crashed to the broken ground below.

It took several minutes for her to regain her balance and in the mean time she was surprised none of the Disciples finished her off. Upon getting to her feet, she instantly understood why she was still alive...

All around them, the Disciples tanks were immobile and their jet forms had crashed lifelessly to the ground.

“Is everyone okay?” she asked. She was relieved when all of her team mates answered her.

“What happened?” Tornado asked.

They glanced around at the metallic ruin about them.

“Its like something just switched them all off,” Airlift commented absently.

“Maybe something did,” Warhawk agreed.

“What was that sound?” Kick Off asked. “It sounded like something big exploded.”

Sonimus glanced in the direction of Team Two.

“Bumblebee and the others!” she exclaimed.

With no further resistance, it took little time for her team to reach the location of the other one. Sonimus was relieved that all of the members of Team Two were alive and safe with the exception of Hauler, who was semi-lucid.

Like with their previous location, all of the Disciples bodies were strewn about the area lifelessly.

She noticed a large sinkhole nearby their location and Bumblebee explained it had been the source of high power emissions they were going to investigate until they’d been pinned by the Disciples. Just as things had seemed their worst, a large volley of energy rained out of the skies beyond and destroyed the complex in an enormous blast. Bumblebee’s team had just barely been out of the blast radius and survived the detonation somehow.

“It appears like the Disciples were being powered remotely somehow,” Bumblebee was saying as the two teams mingled behind them. “This complex was the heart of that control and without it, the puppets strings were cut, as the humans would say.”

“An entire fleet controlled by one complex?” Sonimus asked.

“Perhaps it was some sort of cascade effect,” he offered. “This was some sort of control hub and the detonation traveled down the web, disrupting everything else too.”

She nodded. “Maybe. At any rate, we can get some scans as we leave and verify our theories. For now, I just want to get out of here.”

“Was it all worth it?” he asked. “Did you find the Last Autobot?”

She met his gaze. “Not exactly. But we did find some possible answers and we ended up with some kind of power source he left behind... definite progress.”

“Power source?” he asked.

“Possibly a new Matrix,” she explained. “That, or something else maybe. I’m not certain but its definitely an instrument of Primus and its fair to say a new tool in our arsenal.”

“I guess we’d all better get back to the ship and get out of here,” Bumblebee added. “If the Disciples are no longer a threat, its fair to assume the Decepticons won the battle.”

“The battle, yes...” She looked thoughtfully around them. ”But the war’s not over yet, Bumblebee. Not by a long shot. Mark my words, we are going to be the ones to win it!”

He smiled at that. “You know, you might just have a future at this leadership thing.”

* * *

Megatron observed Cybertron through the large viewport in his office, watching it float silently in the void.

It was his again. As it was meant to be, as it always would be...

The door chimed behind him.

“Come in,” he called, continuing to study Cybertron.

“We have completed our preliminary scans of the surface,” Soundwave’s monotone announced.

“And?”

“It appears that all of the enemy forces are inactive,” Soundwave replied. “There is no activity at all on the surface or in local space.”

“We targeted some sort of large power source on the surface.” Megatron turned to him. “Perhaps there was more to it then we realized. At best, we had expected to eliminate some of their support systems.”

“The Disciples were clones that did not clearly display individual traits.” Soundwave moved closer to him. “Perhaps we eliminated a central power system for their forces or a centralized intelligence system.”

“A race of Transformers controlled by a centralized intelligence system,” he mused. “The idea boggles the mind and yet it does seem to fit the facts. The question then becomes, who created this and why?”

“Insufficient data to make that determination.”

Megatron nodded. “However, we do know the Disciples turned up wherever there were Transformers. It seems the intent is obvious–they were created to destroy us.”

“That is a logical conclusion.”

“I fear this is not over.” Megatron turned to gaze at Cybertron. “Although the Disciples are eliminated, their masters will doubtlessly attempt to finish what they started.”

Soundwave was quiet a moment. “Does this have anything to do with your benefactors?”

“I am not certain,” he confessed. “However, I assume they would attempt to be more direct if they move against us. From what I observed they have the means and resources to strike directly.”

“Then, it appears we have another problem,” Soundwave observed.

Megatron nodded. “Indeed. Still...” He gazed at the world beyond. “We are not without means of our own.”

* * *

They had been so close... victory within their grasp.

The ship sung in his mind, trying it’s best to soothe him even while his mind whirled with conflict. The others in the vessel’s bridge remained quiet, each engrossed in their own reflections this day.

Arthuralayas had been waiting, watching for the moment to swoop down and tear the Mechs apart. To rend the Sacred Core from their dying grasp and reclaim it as their own.

Instead, as his forces closed in for the kill, an energy salvo from the heavens and their celestial enemy had targeted their Central Core, eliminating the Disciples completely in one strike. He had not been the one to engineer the devices but clearly their designers had overlooked the potential flaw by having one unified artificial intelligence to control the entire drone army. Now, the Disciples were no more–just so much more floating scrap metal. Without them, the Children would be forced to act openly if they were to engage their Enemy further in conflict–and assume all the risks that went with such a strategy.

And he had lost the Sacred Core. The most important object in this entire exercise and he had been unable to keep it from their hated enemy! Forced instead to flee into space with his remaining Masters and run back to their home world.

It had been a very bad day... and things would only get worse for him when he had to appear before the Circle and explain his failure.