- DECEPTICONS, ATTACK! -

 

‘I’m here, Ratchet.’ Prime entered the conference room, flanked by Ironhide and Jazz. ‘Ambush?’
‘No. Invasion. We need all available commanders for this.’
‘That’s why I’m here,’ said Jazz, and for once, his voice was serious.
A thick voice broke in. ‘The Autobot War Council is now in session,’ murmured the giant rescue copter bot, looming over his smaller comrades.
‘The commanders of Fleet V are here – Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Jazz, and Evac. What is so urgent, Ratchet?’
‘We’re being invaded. See?’ Ratchet pointed at the flickering points on the screen. ‘Signal Flare and Strongarm have relayed these multiple planetary incursions – they’re not even protoforms; they are Cybertronian alternate modes.’
Bumblebee nodded, turning up the volume on the speakers. ‘That’s right. Can you hear it? Like thunder.’
Prime’s voice was like rolling thunder. ‘Megatron.’
Evac looked shocked. ‘How –’
Jazz shook his head. ‘Our defence systems – they couldn’t have failed.’
Ironhide shook his head. ‘I thought the Supersession Colloid would’ve thrown them off – ’
‘It’s too late now,’ stepped in Prime. ‘We’ll have to take them head on. If they’re going to take the fight to us, we have no choice.’
‘Friends. It’s the Decepticon armada!’ cried Ratchet, typing in the coordinates. ‘They are approaching north, from Cairo.’ The children crowded behind him. Emily clutched at Ratchet’s leg, sniffling.
‘Who is leading them?’ demanded Prime.
‘Megatron.’
So he was here. He really was back. Arcee grimaced, and Ironhide smiled grimly.
Prime nodded to the Autobot medic. ‘You know what we must do.’

*

Ratchet’s voice blared out through the speakers in the dormitories, the docking bays, and the silo control rooms. ‘Emergency – this is not a drill – all human personnel, to the moon shuttle! Earth Defence Team, hold the Decepticons off!’
‘Hurry, kids!’ cried Arcee, scooping up Michiko and Emily. Michiko looked awkwardly at Emily, who began to cry as Ratchet hounded the orphans to the Emergency Launch Deck. ‘Ironhide! We’ll join the Earth Defence Squad!’
Ironhide nodded. ‘Send in the first divisions of infantry.’ As he spoke, a docking bay to the west of the CELESTIAL base opened. Autobot drones, supported by humans in upgraded armoured battle suits, moved out and began to fire on the approaching Decepticons.
But something was not quite right. For all their preparations, something felt out of place…
From their vantage point, they could see the approaching armada returning fire. A contingent of human troops were blown apart as an F-22 Raptor approached the base…
‘That’s no ordinary jet. It’s Starscream. Send all reserves out. Level 1. Roll out CELESTIAL battalions 3, 4, and 10 to meet the Decepticons. The rest are to board the shuttle.’
‘Better hurry,’ exclaimed Arcee, as the Decepticon air force neared the base. ‘Activate the force shields.’
Ratchet complied. But it was too late for the human warriors and the Autobot drones. Metal pieces flew apart as the F-22 Raptor soared above them. The drones exploded and the human troops were hurled into the air.
‘He’s coming again!’ cried Ratchet into the comlink. ‘Take cover! Take cover!’
Only crackling could be heard. Starscream swooped upon the base, his ordnance destroying whole divisions of advancing Autobot infantry. They flew upwards into the sky, scrap metal and debris from the defences falling in a wrecked heap around the remaining drones, who fired desperately to delay Starscream.
‘Now, your adopted world shall die screaming,’ crowed the Decepticon sir commander. ‘Screaming and burning!’

*

Inside the undamaged docking bays, human technicians, scientists and workers fled, followed by their Autobot friends. His large feet pummelling the ground, Ratchet led them to the silo underneath the conference room. ‘Everyone here?’
‘Yeah.’ Bumblebee nudged a crying female scientist inside the hall. ‘What are we going to do with these guys?’
‘We’re going to retreat to the CELESTIAL stronghold on the moon.’ Ratchet shrugged at the others’ surprised faces. ‘This was my plan all along. With this last resort, Megatron’s evil will be diverted from Earth.’
‘The moon,’ blurted Ironhide in realisation.’ ‘That is our backup base?’
‘We’ll fight them where there will be the least casualties – if we win,’ said Ratchet. ‘Hurry! There’s no time. Everyone! Get to the shuttle now! The drone armies and human allies cannot hold out much longer.’
Jazz waved his hands, directing the humans and civilian Autobots to the shuttle.. ‘All humans and Autobots! Move out!’
Ironhide directed Prime to the shuttle’s door. ‘Go, go! Arcee and I will hold off this base and escape via emergency spacepod if we need to.’
Prime swooped Michiko up in his hand and moved to join the fleeing Fleet V. But he suddenly stopped as her lips brushed against his faceplate in a light kiss. She stood on tiptoes, balancing precariously on Prime’s palm. ‘Promise me you will live.’
‘Michiko…’
‘You are the most wonderful thing in my life, Convoy. I love you,’ she whispered, her lips still touching his metal. ‘I will never forget you. Please be safe.’
Prime put her down and went down on one knee, a giant behemoth submitting himself to the young girl. ‘I will return, and take you to a new home. No one will die today.’ He hurried her to the shuttle. ‘I never wanted to say this to you, Michiko. That Fleet V will make their last stand against Megatron on the moon.’ She looked at him, waiting. ‘But this isn’t the end. Whatever happens, I will sacrifice everything to save Earth and you.’ He nodded to Ironhide. ‘Thank you, old friend.’
‘Get on the shuttle, Optimus!’ was the reply. The veteran nodded to Arcee. ‘Girl, we provide backup fire, until every last one is on that shuttle.’
She nodded grimly. ‘Got it, coach,’ she said, activating her buckler.
Ironhide turned to Ratchet. ‘Hurry!’ He roared a battle cry, and he and Arcee charged out. Ironhide’s cannons activated, and four heat-seeking missiles and four ion blasts found their mark in the middle of a Decepticon formation. ‘MELT AND BURN!’ he bellowed, shooting into the horde of Swindle drones. ‘These guys are just drones. We can take them on.’
Arcee somersaulted and landed on top of a Decepticon Dropkick truck. She growled and kicked at its cannon, disabling it and ripping out the top with her bare hands. She jumped off as a tank shot at her, blowing up the truck. ‘Come on, punk!’ she spun and grabbed hold of another turret, spinning it as it fired. The ammo blasted into a horde of its own advancing friends. Arcee smirked.
‘DIE!’ he roared, forming his mighty 2-SW Grand Cannon. He fired four Sparkfuel Fission laser-guided missiles at the advancing troops. A nuclear explosion thundered through the desert, and the battalion of Payload and Swindle drones were incinerated.
But they continued to come. The damned drones continued to swarm the west wing, destroying the turrets and cannons. And as mentor and student fought, the sky began to darken. A large Cybertronian jet emerged from the horizon.
More?
Arcee looked at her coach, barely able to speak. He had nothing to say either.
‘Shit,’ was all she could exclaim.

*

The Autobots assembled on the moon base of CELESTIAL. Like its Earthen counterpart, most of it was underground, and what was above ground was a giant dome with two massive launching decks on each side. But unlike the CELESTIAL base in Egypt, most of it was not in the open, and the only portions that were exposed were the cannons and aircraft launch runways. The most powerful Supersession Colloid forcefields were in effect here, able to withstand even the most devastating ‘Destroy’ Class lasers.
But would it be enough?
The humans, along with the children, were in specially-constructed human suits, built specially for this emergency situation. They were self-maintaining, built from Cybertronian technology. For now, it would do.
‘What do we do now?’ asked Bumblebee.
Ratchet’s grimace was severe. ‘If they come, then it means we have lost Earth itself. They will have failed. The Decepticons have taken over our base on Earth.’
Just as he had finished speaking, the nearby portal activated, and the doors opened.
Ironhide and Arcee stepped out of the space-gate, their armour smoking. Ironhide was injured, and was leaning on Arcee’s arm. ‘We have a little problem,’ quipped Arcee.

*

‘Useless,’ snapped Ironhide. ‘The defences – they’re completely cut off. The upper level of the base is destroyed and it’s only a matter of time before they reach the moon. Megatron is capable of intergalactic travel, after all.’
‘Now, Fleet V faces the battle it was made for,’ declared Prime. ‘All Autobots will split into battalions led by the commanders. All infantry directives go to Jazz. Evac, lead our air forces against Starscream’s cronies. Ironhide, you and Arcee take out the elite Decepticon warriors. And Bumblebee, you will flank them, and attack from the back.’
Bumblebee nodded ‘Got it, Prime.’
‘Relay that order when Code Red is activated,’ Ironhide ordered Bumblebee.
The yellow warrior nodded. ‘No worries.’
Ratchet focused the telescope in the direction of the massive fleet that covered the Earth’s surface. ‘Here they come.’ On the horizon of the shining moon dotted by luminous stars, they could see thousands of fighter jets, and along the ground, hundreds of cars and troop carriers. ‘Cybertronian aerial and infantry drones. They’ve clearly come ready to fight. It seems that Megatron took Fleet V seriously.’ Ratchet punched in the coordinates. ‘Can you all see that?’ he said, enlarging the screen. ‘Four Decepticons are leading them… one is a Cybertronian jet, another an Earthen jet fighter. There’s also a huge military transport helicopter, and a giant troop crawler rolling across the surface of the moon. It’s Megatron, Starscream, Blackout, and Wreckage. And a tank too! Brawl! I thought we had destroyed him,’ he looked at Bumblebee with an almost scandalized look on his face. ‘How – ’
‘Megatron somehow reconstructed him. There’s not time to speculate now. What’s going on out there? Are the flagships coming?’
‘They’re arriving via space-gates. Coming straight from Cybertron. It’s Megatron’s personal Imperial Navy – Cybertronian bombers and troop carriers with Decepticon drones.’ Ratchet took a deep breath. ‘It’s time to activate our own army on the moon.’ He pressed a button, and even in their bunkered chamber, the rumbling of giant docking gates could be heard opening.
‘You’ve prepared well for this,’ said Arcee admiringly.
‘It was not me. It was Optimus,’ declared Ratchet, gesturing to the Autobot leader. Arcee cast an even more impressed look at him.
Prime did not move, but he spoke quietly. ‘I’ve prepared millions of years for this day. Megatron thinks his final attack will be met with no resistance. He is wrong. I will not break under this.’ Prime drew himself up to his full height, optics flashing. ‘My friends. The time has come to defend our hearth and home from invasion.’
Ratchet turned to Prime, and his voice was ragged but formal. ‘Sir. Permission to confirm Code Red: Full Scale Defence.’
‘Permission granted,’ exclaimed Prime.
Ratchet pulled the toggle on the Autobot insignia. The chamber began to flash red and a wailing siren began to fill the hallways. ‘Attention all CELESTIAL and Fleet V personnel – this is an Omega Level Threat! All members, prepare for emergency teleport and javelin transportation! To the trenches! Hold the line, and don’t break!’
‘Search the entire moon surface for the best protected mothership – that is where Megatron will be,’ snarled Ironhide.
‘I will lead the charge,’ roared Prime. ‘Let’s go!’

*

Near Mission City, Longarm Prime loaded his Quagma Cannon. He closed his optics, raising his head to the heavens, as his teleportation boombox transported him to the moon. He disappeared in a sheet of radiant colour, leaving only a trail of smoke.

*

Above Pacific skies, Skyblast radioed back his confirmed coordinates to CELESTIAL base, and his thrusters ignited again, propelling him upwards towards the stratosphere.

*

Metroplex and Omega Supreme groaned. They groaned, and began to move.
The colossal Autobot City and the ancient defender of the Autobots stirred for one last time as the signal blared across the galaxy. All Autobots, all Fleet V – to the Earthen moon, now.
Emergency teleport activated. It was time to finish this.

*

On Cybertron, Elita-One and Chromia loaded their rifles. ‘Ready, sister?’
Chromia nodded. ‘It’ll be good to see Prime again, won’t it?’ she asked, as the teleport kicked in.

*

Beyond the fabric of time and space, an ancient Autobot starship began to transform. Resplendent in golden armoured plates and intricate Cybertronian inscriptions all over his body, Vector Prime drew his sword – the original Rhisling – and began his interstellar travel to the moon of Earth. His face was grim as he realized something he always knew: that this was to be his final, and most important, battle.

*

‘We are ready,’ roared Prime emerging from the CELESTIAL base. As his army of Autobots raised their weapons behind him, he also looked towards the craters of the horizon.

The moon of Earth was truly, ethereally, beautiful.

The Decepticons’ approach was at lightning speed, and they would have to match it with an equally unbreakable defence. Prime closed his optics for a moment, reflecting on the totality of things. Then he opened them, and his voice was strong and thundering.

‘Autobots – roll out!!’