ISSUE 4: March/April 2009

 

What is this thing all about?

Welcome to Beast Wars International's third newsletter.  The BWINT newsletter is a semi-regular online publication, full of fun content submitted by YOU, the fans.  It's never too late to get onboard this project!  All you need is enthusiasm and something Beast Wars-related to submit, be it a comic, a poem, a review or even an exciting piece of news.  There will be regulars such as the reviews and group debates.  There's also a cool "Bother a Beast Warrior" section, where you can ask the character of the month a question!  The best questions will get selected, answered and displayed here.  Be sure to give this newsletter a proper read through and please feel free to email suggestions to Sapphire or to DinoTor as to how we could spice it up and improve it, if you have any.  The background and images you see here will get refreshed with new designs as the issues progress. Enjoy!

- Sapphire (sapphire@bwint.net)

     

 

Greetings! This is Optimus Primal, and I have been asked to answer a few questions that your curious minds have developed. I would be more than happy to, so here we go.

 

Jagna:

 

I've got a rather...embarrassing and frankly rather stupid question for him...

*To Optimus* ..........Can I have you?!

 

(God, I'm such a fangirl XD)

 

Dear Jagna,

 

*laugh* We’re off to an interesting start! Well, let’s see. Let me look through my schedule.  Yes, you may “have” me on Tuesdays. That seems to be the only day of the week that Megatron and his goonies never interfere with my spare time.

 

All my best,

Optimus Primal

 

Blazemane:

 

Dear Primal,

What's it like being the Predacon's favorite chew toy (well, at least- enemy chew toy)? I mean- Cyber bees, transwarp explosions, captive situations, and those nearly uncountable times of getting shot in the back and falling to the ground slowly while saying "Aaaaaaaaaaaah." (I can think of at least 5 times off the top of my head from your time in
original mode alone).

Then there was that time Megatron nearly chomped your leg off, or the time he let you be the Aliens' guinea pig and listened happily to your screaming.

Just so much fun to have- how do you cope with it all?

 

Dear Blazemane,

 

Oh yes, I remember. Thank you for bringing back such fond memories of agony and death. It’s all part of the job description, I suppose. I’m the leader so I’m automatically the primary target. If I’m harmed or terminated, then the Predacons take advantage of the hopelessness and distractions within my crew and infiltrate with force to try to defeat them. It’s an old tactic maneuver; take out the one who keeps peace, order and hope in his ranks and you can create chaos.

 

How do I cope with all of it? I just keep telling myself that we’re all going to die. Oh wait, that’s Rattrap’s way. No, I have a strong sense of refusing to give up, no matter the odds. It’s very difficult sometimes, but I have to do it for my team. I’ve needed to be optimistic and selfless so that they stay focused and realize that it’s never too late to keep trying despite what the Predacons put us through, or the Vok. It also helps to have something to look forward to at the end of the day, like a banana split.

 

Sincerely,

Optimus Primal

 

Wonko:

 

What really happened to you in that Episode 'Chain of Command'?

 

If Optimus Prime was fully awake in the Ark what would you say to him?

 

Dear Wonko The Sane,

 

Your name reminds me of the time Waspinator declared himself as Wonko. To answer your first question, I was abducted by aliens. That’s right; it doesn’t only happen to humans, it can happen to Cybertronians as well. The Vok probably performed an autopsy on my body but I’ll never know for sure. At least it was returned to me unharmed.

 

For your second question, I would tell Optimus Prime that I’m his biggest fan and ask him for a photo and his autograph.

 

Best wishes,

Optimus Primal

 

Haystack:

 

Dear Optimus,

 

 

  1. I noticed that you seemed to like bananas in the series. LaughingWas that because of the Beast mode? How else did the Beast Mode affect you?

  2. I noticed that you and Cheetor have a father/son relationship during the war. We saw Cheetor's view on this, so what's yours?

 

Haystack

 

Dear Haystack,

 

…I don’t like bananas… Yes, of course it was because of the beast mode! It also made me pound my fists on my chest, walk on my knuckles, and swing from trees.

 

Cheetor looks up to me as a role model. He just needs guidance with leadership, and I care about him like a son because he was so inexperienced and curious. I don’t think he was ready to be involved with such a war as the one on Earth, so he looked for a lot of characteristics and wisdom in me that a father would teach his son.

 

Sincerely,

Optimus Primal

 

 

 

 

 

Darkestjaws:

 

ok I have a question.

 

  1. if you survived the crash on earth in a malfunctioning pod, could you survive in a broken pod on its way to Jupiter?

  2. why do you slag WASPINATOR ALL THE TIME!!! it's annoying seeing my favourite character being destroyed

 

Dear Darkestjaws,

 

That’s an interesting question. You must remember that the conditions on Jupiter are far different than Earth’s. Even if you could survive in a malfunctioning pod on its way to Jupiter, depending on its stability, it would be pretty difficult to survive on the gaseous planet assuming you survived the landing. I wouldn’t want to try it.

 

You may want to redirect your second question to Megatron. He’s the one who sends Waspinator on suicide missions. Personally, Waspinator doesn’t bother me at all, and I wouldn’t have slagged him all the time had he stopped attacking my team in failed attempts that were triggered by Megatron’s scheming. Waspinator should have exiled himself from the Predacons long before he finally decided to do so.

 

The Maximal Commander,

Optimus Primal

 

Purrpalz:

 

Dear Optimus,

 

Why did the Maximal High Council give Protoform X to you to dump?

 

Dear Purrpalz,

 

Because it was “convenient” for them. For some reason they thought if I could just drop him off on some random desolate planet, their “problem” would be solved. Ironic how it was solved, isn’t it?

 

Best regards,

Optimus Primal

 

 

 

Demon Man:

 

Dear Optimus,

 

I love your "Well, that's just prime!" catchphrase! I use it all the time and I often have some characters in stories I write use it, as well! Tell me, though, which of your followers do you find the most annoying? Dinobot for his attitude problem, Blackarachnia for similar things, Rattrap for his obnoxiousness or Depth Charge for his stubbornness? And who do you find most enjoyable of your Maximals? Rhinox for his loyalty and brains, Airazor for her father/daughter relationship with you, Tigatron for his many similarities to you, Silverbolt for his nobility or Cheetor, my favorite one on your team (hugs Cheetor, rubs his belly and cuddles him) for his niceness, cuteness and funny energy? Anyway, please tell me! And go Cheetor on the most liked part! (snuggles Cheetor again and gets licked by him, sorry, can't help it, I love that cat)

 

Dear Demon Man,

 

Thank you! I’m glad I could assist in your stories and make an impression. Who do I find most annoying? Well, I’m constantly telling Rattrap to shut up, aren’t I? It isn’t so much his obnoxiousness as it is his negative attitude, but he has some good qualities about him as well. As for the most enjoyable, I was going to say Rhinox simply because we have more in common and have been friends for some time now. But since you told me to, and I hate to disappoint, I’ll say Cheetor.

 

Sincerely,

Optimus Primal

 

Scorponis:

 

Dear Optimus,

 

What did it feel like going from being less than the tallest member of the Maximal crew, as Dinobot seemed the tallest, to being at least a good two times taller than the rest of the crew? Did you have any insecurities about being shorter than Dinobot originally, or any insecurities about being more of an Autobot/Maximal hybrid?

 

Dear Scorponis,

 

What’s that phrase the humans use; size doesn’t matter? It doesn’t. I was still the leader whether I was short or tall. No, I didn’t have insecurity about my height compared to Dinobot’s; I still had authority. Although, when I acquired my optimal body, it sure was different! Did you see the look on Megatron’s face? That was priceless.

 

All the best,

Optimus Primal

 

 

 

Daughter of Darkness:

 

Hey Boss Monkey,

 

Do you ever give in to your beast mode from time to time? You know-a craving for bananas or something? Don't think I didn't see you scratching your butt in "Feral Scream Part 2".

 

Sincerely,
Daughter of Darkness

 

Hey Daughter of Darkness,

 

Oh really? I thought I was scratching my armpit. Why are you looking down there, anyway? Yes, I give in to my beast mode sometimes. It is a part of me so it’s hard to ignore it, especially when I have a sudden craving for bananas or scratching an itch. But I have never thrown feces! That’s disgusting. I don’t know why I need to be teased about that just because I’m a gorilla.

 

Yours truly,

Optimus Primal

 

SkyxDB

 

Dear Optimus,

Are you single?

 

Dear SkyxDB,

 

With the kind of job I have? Of course I am! With all of the traveling I do, saving Earth and our very existence, I’m afraid I don’t have the time or the luxury for a personal life right now. Down the road I hope she’ll be waiting for me.

 

All the best from the Maximal Commander,

Optimus Primal

 

 

Tor

 

Mr. OP,

Were you ever insanely jealous of Meg's debonair voice and personality? I know I would be.

 

Dear Tor,

 

I was not, nooo. I’ve had plenty of compliments for my voice, and enough fans who admire or can relate to my personality. I could never be such a bad influence like him. And I wouldn’t want to constantly speak to myself out loud either. Would you?

 

And do you have special technique for handling your crew, like bribery?

 

Bribery? Who do I look like; Rattrap? I was fair, I disciplined them and I listened to them. And I never gave them an order that I wasn’t willing to do myself.

 

Do you believe the rumor that Tarzan is a better gorilla than you?

 

That’s impossible. Who started that silly rumor? I at least looked like a gorilla before I went TransMetal.

 

Have you ever wanted a lacky like Inferno?

 

I do have one. His name is Silverbolt. I’m joking! Have I ever wanted one like Inferno? No, he was too clingy for my taste. It’s a wonder Megatron had the ability to put up with him for as long as he did.

 

Finally, have you ever wanted to be the bad guy?

tor

 

Never. The bad guy always loses. Besides, I don’t have the characteristics or the personality to even consider the “dark side.” Could you imagine me trying to dominate Cybertron, let alone the entire universe, and failing at every attempt? I didn’t think so. I’m as heroic as they come.

 

Best wishes to you,

Mr. Primal

 

Thank you for all of your questions! It seems I’ve run out of time and out of bananas. Yes, I was eating a bunch while I answered your inquiries, excuse me. Till all are one!

 

  Many thanks to Mr. Primal for his courteous replies to all those questions!  He was a most agreeable interviewee.  Next issue we'll be hearing replies from Waspinator!  Be sure to start a thread at the Forums or send an email in to sapphire@bwint.net and I'll be sure to forward it on to the bug.

 

 

NEXT BEAST WARRIOR to bother: Waspinator: Submit all your questions to botherabeastwarrior@bwint.net or check THE FORUMS for the question thread.


By: Beastbot
 

 

Allegiance: Decepticon (Terrorcon) 

Size: Deluxe 

Difficulty of Transformation: Easy 

Color Scheme: Yellow-orange, light purple, off-white, bluish black, silver, and some metallic bronze, dark blue-green, dull red, and transparent pale blue-green 

Powerlinx ports: 2 

Rating: 9.5 

 

Sharkticon's vehicle mode is certainly unique-- it's in a similar style as Energon Scorponok's, given that it's a vehicle in the shape of an animal. In this case, a submarine in the shape of the shark. And it looks quite cool, really. There's four little rotatable guns on the top and sides; a transparent bridge area on the top center of this mode that looks very stylized and even has minor fins on the side; and there are what look like little torpedo launchers in between the rear fins. Plus, there's LOADS of mechanical and paint detailing all over Sharkticon, so this is definitely not a dull figure. As for the color scheme itself, it's quite appropriate; white, bluish black, red, silver, and yellow give it a bit of a "war-like" feel while still seeming rather aquatic, and the purple fits in fairly well as well, though I think perhaps a medium blue would have been a bit better. Admittedly, Sharkticon does have a few visible robot extras, but they still mesh at least fairly well with the rest of the mode, and don't stick out like a sore thumb. For one thing, the robot fists are rather visible on the back end of Sharkticon, and the robot legs are on the bottom of this mode (the bottom fins stick out of the sides of them), but again, both mesh very well with the overall shape of the mode, so minimal points are deducted for that. 

Like other Energon Decepticons, Sharkticon has a "hyper mode". Like most other hyper modes, it's nothing much-- just the sides of the mode opening up to reveal two missile launchers-- but it does look fairly cool, and it's kind of a neat idea that half of the entire toy splits apart to reveal more weapons. A neat little gimmick. 

Sharkticon's robot mode is also very good, with nice proportions, colors, and detailing. It also has a very unique look to it- it's curved and stylized at some points, while being sharp and angular at others. It all comes together very well. The robot head looks especially original- he's got a large, sloping, angular forehead over a black faceplate and blue optics. It actually looks somewhat like X-Men: Evolution Magneto's face-- definitely evil. Some may be worried about the fact that a third of the vehicle mode is on Sharkticon's back, but don't be- it doesn't affect his stability, it doesn't get in the way of articulation much, and the hyper mode missile launchers can be deployed under his shoulders anyway to give Sharkticon some firepower. Speaking of articulation, Sharkticon has quite a lot of it; he can move at the head, shoulders (at two points), elbows, waist, hips (at two points), knees, and ankles. And the joints are nice and tight. So pose him all you like, folks. Oh, and of course, Sharkticon's Decepticon spark crystal is in the center of his chest in this mode. 

Sharkticon is a great toy in both modes, and has a great color scheme, hyper mode, proportions, and paint detailing. He does have a few visible robot extras in vehicle mode, but it's not that big of a deal at all. Ties with Slugslinger for the best Energon deluxe, in my opinion. (Although admittedly, Slugslinger would have pulled ahead slightly if he was more stable.) 

 

Review by Beastbot-- for more reviews, visit Beastbot's Fortress at http://www.angelfire.com/scifi/bbfortress.


Featured Youtubes:

I have decided to feature the excellent voice impressions of TransformersVoice, one of Bwint's newest members.  Here is a sample below

 

And click on the following link to access more of his stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/user/transformersvoice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BWINT - The Site

Well, despite the grim outlook for the newsletter when it didn't get updated for months and then was discontinued, it has re-emerged thanks to the sheer enthusiasm of DinoTor, who put in all the work restarting it, infusing it with new life and compiling all the content.  Without Tor, this issue would not be possible.  Here's hoping for the success of future issues!

As for the Site, it continues on in much the same vain as it's done the past few years.  There's fics, art, competitions and so forth, although if anyone has the enthusiasm (like Tor has demonstrated!) to take on the work load of restarting any of Bwint's former glories, such as its Fan Fiction/Art Awards, they should email me (sapphire@bwint.net) and put forth a proposal.  The reason a few of the things were discontinued was that I had no time to chase up people for content, or enthusiasm died out.  But if anyone's passionate enough to kick-start something old, or a fresh concept for that matter, they should contact me and I'll see what we can do! 

BOTCON & Auto Assembly 2009

Botcon is coming up fast and will be held in Pasadena, California, on May 28 - 31, 2009.  There are a number of BWINTers going, so if you're heading off to BC this year and would like to meet up with some of them, check out the forums for more info.

Auto Assembly, the UK Transformers Convention, is also still to come this year and will be held in Birmingham, England, on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th August 2009. Sapphire and another BWINTer is going, so if you'd like to come along and join us, email me and let me know! More info can be found at this forum thread.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are you getting involved in the Beast Wars/Transformers community?  Have you got some work running on some competitions, or are you launching a website of your own?  Have you any exciting news for the visitors of BWINT to read?  Email any news YOU'D like to see in this column to sapphire@bwint.net !


Taken from this thread at the BWINT Forums.

 Fan Discussion:

Question Proposed by Tor:

1. The Vok have come up with some pretty awesome means of destruction. If the beast wars hadn't ended, what would've been their next means of attack. 

2. Pretend BM never happened. Was Waspinator a good ruler of the Earth? What did he do? How did he inspire the early humans?

Venatrix:
1. The Vok have come up with some pretty awesome means of destruction. If the beast wars hadn't ended, what would've been their next means of attack. 

The Vok wanted eventually destroy those responsible for their failed project. 
And with their waaaay more advanced tech, they'd probably implement a much more effective way to deal with the cybertronians.....n They invented "Cosmic Rust" 
This was a form of rust they created using parts of armor they took from Tigertron and Airazor, tested out on an Autobot colony, far from Earth, on the planet Antilla. 
The "Cosmic Rust" eradicated every Cybertronian on Antilla and then dumped the "Cosmic Rust" spoors on Earth. 
But like always, their plan will fail coz the brilliant Tarantulas took a sample from himself after he was infected, and created an antidote. Of course he gets slagged by Rattrap, who steels the antidote, and saves both Maximals and Predacons alike. 
End of episode. ^^ 

2. Pretend BM never happened. Was Waspinator a good ruler of the Earth? What did he do? How did he inspire the early humans? 

No. The stinkin Wasp gets challanged for power by a human with a big-ass club, and gets clobbered all over the planet. 
"Wazzpinator in pain! Why universe hate Wazzzpinator?"


VelociBerg:
#1: The Vok take the remnants of the Axalon and Darkside and Vokify (I just made up a new term, yessss) it into some strange Vok/Preacon/Maximal battleship (Sentinel shields included). Either that or they take the remnants of all the fallen stasis pods and scrap ' em together to form their own little transformer army. Think of an army of Tigerhawks... 

#2: Wazzpinator inspired humanity by giving them the idea of the coup. After groveling and slaving under Megatron's thumb for all of the Beast Wars he refuses to do a single thing but relax, enjoying his newfound power and authority. One day he pushes his minions too hard and he is overthrown, thus starting a trend in human history... 


Blazemane:
I think there is a pattern to be seen from the Vok actions: 

1.) An observance of Optimus Primal gave the Vok advanced knowledge on Cybertronian capabilities, especially what Rhinox noted (they now knew that Maximals and Predacons had destructive capabilities). 

2.) More detailed observance (The Trigger). Proved not only that the Cybertronians had capabilities of interfering with their earth experimentation through destructive capabilities, but that they would. 

3.) Blanket attack. Wherein as Megatron mentioned, they are willing to cause planet wide destruction simply to deal with the Maximals and Predacons (of course, its a bit more complex than that, as they intend to terminate their project on Earth because it had been contaminated). This attack fails to the valiant effort of Optimus Primal. 

4.) Since the blanket attack was learned to be vulnerable to the destruction of its main weapon, a more articulate, self-defending weapon was needed (this is strangely reminiscent of Skynet: if nuclear bombs don't work, send in the cyborgs): Tigerhawk. He was effective, but also, apparently not invincible (it took the Vok's personal interference to destroy Tarantulas, and Cheetor's rescue efforts to get Tigerhawk away from the subsequent explosion. At least... I thought. Never watched this episode, but Sapphire's online synopsis was very exhaustive). 

So where does this lead? 

According to the pattern, it would seem like the Vok would try an even more specific means. Granted, creating a warrior out of Cybertronians was an extreme step in getting a precision effort in comparison to blowing up the whole planet. So I kinda' wonder if there's much room further for them to go. But it might lead to a few things: 

A.) An upgrade. Tigerhawk, only less vulnerable (even he eventually died). And that would be hard to do. Tigerhawk was already pretty strong. 

B.) Instead of making the attack method more precise, make the target more precise. Granted, the planet buster did target the entire world, but with the goal of destroying the Predacons and Maximals. They were still the targets. Then Tigerhawk got a bit more specific and attacked the Predacon side, while offering to talk with Optimus Primal. Perhaps this means an attack would be made against specific figures, very likely the leader of the whole evil parade: Megatron. And if that succeeded, they might start moving down the line of targets. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is, it would be hard to predict what they would do next, but they would most definitely try to correct previous mistakes.

Nyx:
1. The Vok have come up with some pretty awesome means of destruction. If the beast wars hadn't ended, what would've been their next means of attack. 

Well, first they tried destroying Pre-Earth, however it was soon stopped by Optimus Primal. Seeing that it failed and seeing what length the Maximals would go to save the planet, they decided to focus their target not on Earth but the actual occupants. (Maximals and Predacons) 

Since seeing the power too, they thought they would fight fire with fire and create Tigerhawk to wipe them out. However, they must of recognized Optimus's bravery the last time they met as Tigerhawk wanted to talk to him rather than attack. However, they didn't see Megatron as "worthy" to them, so Tigerhawk shows off sheer power by beating Megatron. 

If the Beast Wars had continued, I think they would change tactics and favour Cunning rather than Brute force. They would properly try and become friends with the Maximals and strike a deal with the Predacons. They would give both fractions weapons, so hopefully both fractions would wipe each other out. That's what I feel would happen. 


 

Fan Works Review

By Nyx 

It’s been awhile since I did a review, so I hope you can forgive me if I make any mistakes or make anything sound daft. XD

 

 Happily ever after…

By Lynx Traveller

 

Lynx’s fan fiction stood out from his other works, a fairy tale with a Beast Wars twist. Or rather, a memoir from a warrior of vengeance merged with a story of treachery and bloodshed.

 

The story is mostly done in a series of diary entries, written by a recruit called “Depthwing”. He tells us of his training and his experiences. In-between these journals, a classic “Little Red Riding Hood” tale is told. However the fairy story goes back to one of its original yarns, where there is no cover up of bloodshed as little Red finds.

 

And yet it links the two characters, Depthwing (Or in later chapters, Depthcharge.) struggles to return home, only to find that anything and everyone he knew is gone and destroyed. The same happens to little Red, tricked by the wolf and returns to find her mother dead before being killed herself.

 

As you can tell by now, this is a Depthcharge and Ramage/Protoform X story. And yet, the way that Depthcharge is written and how we can even begin to imagine what it must be like for him is told simply by retelling a fairy tale that echoes his story.

 

Lynx weaves his story well, by making it so that we know that there are two stories being told and how well matched they are.

 

Yes, unlike the title, this story does not have a happy ending but a bittersweet one. One in which blood is spilt. This story was a good steady read and I’ll be reading more of his stories in the future.         

 --------------------------------------------------------------------

 

AURORA SERIAL

By: Razor One

The Rise of Aurora

 Chapter 4

 

 

Maximus stood in front of Aurora, guilt, self loathing, and the desire to make amends fighting a fierce three way war in his spark.

 

He had used her as a pawn, lied to her, concealed his true self and befriended her under false pretenses. And for what - Simply to prove that he was right and his rivals were wrong.

 

Although he could have found a hundred ways to rationalise what he did, the only consolation could come from the one he had wronged, from Aurora herself.

 

“Why?” said Aurora

 

Maximus took a deep breath.

 

“It was the only way to make them see… I’m Sorry.”

 

“N-no, not that,” she said, her voice cracking, “Why did you lie to me?”

 

“I…” and quite suddenly he couldn’t bear to look directly at her as the guilt welled up within him - and he did the only thing he could – he looked away.

 

“I am an Elder,” he said flatly, “If I go out amongst the people wearing the face of Maximus, then I am recognised, accosted, petitioned, and heckled, as would any of the other elders. We wear masks to achieve anonymity and walk amongst the people not as elders or superiors but as one of them.”

 

“That’s no excuse to lie to me!” hissed Aurora, a frothing anger rising to the surface for the first time. “I thought we were colleagues, friends even!”

 

“We were teacher and student!” he snapped suddenly enough for Aurora to wince. Turning to face her once more, he added more softly, “But yes; We were friends. But above that, and beyond that, I am a patriot.”

 

He lapsed into a steady silence, gathering his thoughts. Aurora waited patiently; although she was starving for knowledge, Maximus had taught her that patience was as valuable as acting on instinct.

 

“Yes, I am a patriot above all else. I love my people, the Maximals, and for that I would do what I did to you again and again and again if it were necessary.”

 

“But what is a Maximal then, Moxi-… Maximus if you go about acting like…”

 

“A predacon?” finished Maximus.

 

Aurora nodded, now more curious then angry, yet the anger hadn’t in the least subsided.

 

Maximus silently conceded her point. He was well and truly in a bind.

 

“I hope to learn what it is to be Maximal. I hope to define it, to set the record straight so that the next generation of Maximals will know who and what they are. We are so young, have lived for such a small measure of time that I find that even I am still discovering just who and what a maximal is. And… I think you can help me.”

 

“Help you?!” asked Aurora incredulously.

 

“Yes!” exclaimed Maximus, “I need a fresh perspective; one not jaded by decades of life spent in spurious pursuits. I need… a blank slate, still finding its way; an empty cup that fills itself over time. You could help more people then you can imagine, Aurora, if you help me.”

 

“You know what I think?” asked Aurora, a bitter taste in her mouth, “I think you’re a fool. You’ve betrayed the trust and the friendship we had today.”

 

She turned and walked towards the exit of the room, stopping briefly before crossing the threshold and looking back over her shoulder.

 

“Whatever you may think, Maximus, I will not be your little ‘social experiment’. Goodbye.” Her final word was laced with contempt.

 

Maximus stood there, alone in a darkened room and could only wonder at the labors he had lost.

 

**

 

Aurora had lapsed into a brief vacillating silence as though lost in her past.

 

“And then?” queried the Delta Scion

 

Aurora was knocked out of her reverie by the interruption.

 

“What?”

 

“And then? It doesn’t sound like the story is finished.”

 

“Ah, that’s because it isn’t. It took me months to forgive him. And even then the circumstances that lead to-“

 

A wailing klaxon broke Aurora’s sentence. Red emergency lighting instantly filled the makeshift cell.

 

“Code One Emergency, Aurora to the command center” blared out through the base intercom.

 

“We’ll have to finish this later” said Aurora as she hurried out of the room.

 

She tore down the corridors and doorways of Theta at breakneck speed. Her life, indeed, all the lives of those under her command, could well depend on her being in the right place at the right time as she was needed there. She couldn’t hope to delay even for a moment.

 

She burst into the control room and practically sprawled into the mountainside that was her second in command, Cryo.

 

“Sitrep!” she blurted out faster then she gave even herself credit for. Though she was loathe to use military abbreviations, time was of the essence.

 

“Callisto’s forces approach, three from the north, one from the east and one from the west,” Cryo Responded in the deep emotionless baritone that had earned him his name.

 

“That doesn’t track. Callisto only has five soldiers, we have one locked up in the basement, where’d that extra come from?”

 

“Perhaps Callisto procured additional reinforcements?”

 

“But from where?” Aurora huffed in frustration. She had to get a grip. “Look, never mind that. Mobilise everyone into defensive positions we have to knock them back.”

 

“At once.” Said Cryo and steeled himself to do her bidding.

 

Aurora tracked down the intercom system and activated it.

 

“This is Aurora, Code One Emergency Confirmed, the base is under attack, I repeat, the base is under attack!”

 

**

 

Delta lay bound and chained in her cell, unmoving save for the odd shift and shuffle to make her wait for Aurora’s return more comfortable. The assault on the base didn’t concern her in the slightest. She had, until recently, lead such assaults in Callisto’s name and knew the Maximal base to be nigh impregnable if properly defended. She would simply have to wait.

 

The door to her cell cracked open. Through it stepped a bot painted black and white, wiry and tall, he had small aerodynamic fins built into his legs and arms indicative of a flight alt mode yet his body was bulky enough to indicate ground combat armor. Unusually for a transformer, he had the stylized picture of an Eagle emblazoned across his chest.

 

Delta knew her enemies well, and this one was unmistakable.

 

“Razor One.” Said Delta

 

“You and I have unfinished business,” said Razor with barely constrained contempt, “Are you ready to die today?”

 

Delta didn’t even hesitate.

 

“Yes.”

 

     

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