Part 2: Spy Game
Note: It is important to note exactly when this story takes place, for this and future stories will be effected greatly by happenings that go on during the actual BW plot. This series takes place in between episodes “Law of the Jungle”, and “Before the Storm” in season one of Beast Wars.
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“Slag!” cried the big green robot as he pounded his heavy fist on the table in front of him. Why wasn’t this working?
“What’s wrong?” Optimus asked, turning to his old friend.
“I can’t get this blasted sensor mask to work right,” Rhinox complained. “The slagging crossover circuits aren’t interfacing correctly with the Predacon chip! It might’ve been damaged when we removed it from that wreckage site.” Spinning the swivel chair around to face another computer monitor, he started hitting buttons on the terminal. “But…maybe I can extract the codes without having to…” he trailed off and once again lost himself in his work.
Optimus wasn’t near as technologically gifted as Rhinox and he knew that, so he didn’t try and pretend as though he followed everything the rhinoceros had just said. So he said nothing in return. Instead, he turned his attention to Dinobot and the plan they were conceiving.
“Are you sure about this Dinobot?” he queried.
The raptor looked up from the scanner image of the Predacon base and addressed his leader. “Megatron may not be in his right mind, but he is no fool. Even with his overwhelming numbers, he knows he won’t stand a chance with a simple frontal assault. The sentinel shield and auto guns would put him at a distinct disadvantage. No, Megatron has some other plan, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has already set it in motion.”
“Well, we’re going to have to hurry. If you’re right and Megatron’s not wasting any time getting started, we’ll have to act as soon as the others are back online.”
Optimus stood up and walked over to the communications terminal. He punched a few buttons and opened a channel to Tigatron.
“Tigatron here,” crackled a voice over the comm. link.
“Tigatron, this is Optimus. I want you and Airazor to run a long-range recon sweep through all grids bordering Predacon territory. Report anything out of the ordinary and then return to base. We may be in for a few surprises in the near future.”
“Will do Optimus. Tigatron out.”
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Megatron sat in his command chair, his optics dim. The plan he had been working on for nearly a decacycle was all coming together in his mind. The Maximals no doubt expected a frontal attack, now that the odds were tipped in his favor. And he was going to give them that, and a little something else as well.
He had a plan, yes. There were just a few minor details to work out. For instance: could it be done?
Suddenly the large robot sprung to life and whirled in his chair. He hit a button on his control panel and the screen threw up a picture of a giant blue stasis web.
“Tarantulas,” Megatron spoke into the comm. link. “Tarantulas… TARANTULAS!”
An exasperated sigh issued forth from the speaker and the picture on the screen moved. It spun around until the annoyed face of the spider-bot appeared.
“What do you want Megatron?” the spider hissed, “I’m busy.”
Megatron gritted his teeth and took a moment before responding to cool his temper. “I’m working on a plan to deal with the Maximals once and for all.” He said after a few nano-clicks. “I need your umm…professional opinion.”
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“Megatron is a fool,” he thought to himself. “He wouldn’t know a good plan if it bit his big purple nose.”
Tarantulas was obviously displeased at being called away from his lab. The ever-scheming arachnid hated being at Megatron’s beck and call, especially at this point in time. The alien influence on this planet was all too apparent, and the incident regarding that flying island had the spider agitated. He suspected something big was going to happen in the near future, and although he wasn’t exactly sure what would transpire, he knew for a fact that he didn’t want to be around to experience it.
Tarantulas scuttled down the dark corridors of the Predacon base in beast mode. He liked it dark. He was a spider, after all. He thought that while he was inside the base, he might as well check his traps. He turned a corner and climbed up the wall to check the monitor screen that controlled the cloaked stasis webs scattered throughout the base. He didn’t expect to find anything, but he checked anyway.
He had just finished his check when a familiar voice thundered down the corridor.
“Spider! What do you think you’re doing? The Royalty is growing impatient!” Inferno bellowed.
“So?” Tarantulas answered, waving him off. “I’ll be along in a minute.”
“You will come now!” the ant demanded, raising his gun.
The spider transformed to robot mode and sighed. “If you insist.”
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“Got it!” Rhinox shouted, causing the other Maximals to jump. “I don’t have any way to test it for sure, because preds may have changed their scan frequency. But according to the data I extracted from the salvaged chip, the deflector should work!”
“So what does this thing do again?”
Rhinox turned to Cheetor. “It’s a scan deflector. It’s designed to mask the energy signature of the user from the Predacon sensors.”
“Whoa, cool!” the cat said excitedly, snatching the device from Rhinox. He turned it over in his hands and nearly dropped it when Dinobot snarled at him from behind.
“Be careful with that, feline. It is a valuable piece of equipment!” He barked.
Then Rattrap, who had not been paying much attention until now, spoke up. “So who gets da honor a wearin’ dat gizmo?”
All the bots in the room turned and stared at him.
“Oh no, I don’t think so! Naw, remember da last time I had ta get inside da pred base?”
“Hmph… cowardly mouse.” Dinobot spat.
“Hey now, I ain’t goin back in dere and gettin’ my hard drive scrambled.”
Optimus stood and walked over to the fuming Rattrap. He placed a hand on the smaller bot’s shoulder and grinned. “Yes, you are.”
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“Hmmm…”
Megatron’s optics narrowed.
“Interesting…”
“Would you get on with it!” the large purple robot roared.
Tarantulas nodded his head and looked up from the diagram with a smirk on his face. “It’s possible,” he said, “But it will be a very delicate operation. I can give you the equipment and schematics for the demolition charges you’ll need.”
“Mmm hmmm… Good, you can get started on that right away. Once you’ve finished, you’ll take Inferno and get to work on digging the tunnel.”
Tarantulas was speechless. Megatron actually expected him to waste his valuable time on such a pointless endeavor? He had no doubt Megatron would find some way to foul up his own scheme, like he always did.
“But—but, I can’t…”
“You will get started immediately, and don’t defy me!” Megatron boomed.
“…ugh…fine,” Tarantula muttered, got up and headed out of the room. He sat down in front of a computer monitor and got to work drawing up the schematics.
Megatron re-entered the main chamber and sat down in his command chair. Ideas and plans whirled through his mind as he flipped a switch on the chair’s arm. “Scorpinok and Blackarachnia, report to the command center immediately,” his voice echoed through the halls and corridors over the loudspeaker.
Once they both stood in front of his chair, the dinosaur spoke. “Tarantulas is currently working on the design for a set of explosive charges. It’s all part of a plan I have been thinking on for quite a while. The time has come to set it in motion. Yesss.”
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“Optimus Primal, maximize!”
The gorilla body of the maximal leader lurched and twisted as the transformation commenced. As soon as it had finished, the 3 Maximals unleashed their attacks on the Predacon base. Optimus and Airazor swooped down from the sky and dive-bombed the ship’s hull, while Cheetor fired blast after blast from his quasar gun.
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Megatron reeled in his seat as the ship rocked from the impact brought on by the Maximal attack.
“What’s going on?!” He demanded
“Maximalzzz! Attack base! What we do Megatron?” asked a panicking Waspinator.
Megatron growled. “Terrorsaur, Waspinator, take Reptilicus and repel the attackers!” He turned to the lizard. “This will be your first battle against the Maximals. Do not disappoint me!”
Having said this, he turned and flipped a switch on the arm of his chair, activating the automated laser turrets. “This is too crucial a time to let the Maximals ruin things…”
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Rattrap looked up from his position inside the now raised Predacon shield. From this vantage point, he could watch the battle take place outside. At first, he hadn’t understood the need for the diversion, but Rhinox had explained to him how the device worked. Its circuitry was very delicate. Any irregularity in the energy flow through the device could overload it, and Rhinox had to rig up a special battery specially adapted to its unique system. Its ‘juice’ was limited and if it was activated too soon, it might not last as long as he needed it to.
It would not be good if the sensor mask quit protecting him while he was still inside the pred base.
So while his attacking comrades distracted the Predacons, Rattrap got to work trying to gain access to their base. He searched the outer hull of the ship for any breaches that might let him get inside. He found none near him, so the rat decided to make his own. Tapping on a button on his forearm, he opened the latch that sealed his tool compartment. Drawing out a laser cutter, he started to cut a small hole in the side of the ship, just large enough for his beast form to fit through.
Just before he jumped through the hole, he took a moment to switch on Rhinox’s device. “Sure hope da big guy knew what he was doin’.” He said before slipping unnoticed into the Predacon base. Once he was inside, the rat flipped a switch on his comm. link, sending the signal to Optimus to withdraw.
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Megatron sat in his chair, optics narrow, staring at sensor readings of the abrupt end of the battle outside. Why would the Maximals withdraw so suddenly? “They must be up to something…” Megatron said to himself. “Computer, double the rate of internal scanner sweeps. Whatever they’ve done, I want to know about it.”
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A few cycles later, Megatron had assembled his entire group of soldiers in the control room. Blackarachnia stood on a platform with her arms crossed in front of her. She knew Megatron had something sinister up his sleeve, and now she was going to find out what. Of course, she could have hacked her way into his data tracks and discovered it for herself, but things had been hectic lately and she hadn’t gotten around to it.
“As you all know,” Megatron said, “we cannot destroy the Maximal base due to the energon vein that runs underneath us both. Thus, we are forced to combat them in the open field and then go repair ourselves when the battle is over. But ask yourselves: what would happen if the Maximals were to suddenly be without the ability to repair themselves? What if their base were to just…disappear?”
“What are you getting at, Megs?” Blackarachnia asked.
“I have deduced a way to remove the Axalon from under Optimus Primal’s nose, yess”
Megatron whirled around and flipped a switch on his chair arm. “Computer, run program Megatron 001 and activate holographic emitter.”
All of the Predacons stared at the diagram the appeared before them, trying to make sense of it. “This is a model of the Maximal base and the surrounding energon deposits. Using information I have gathered from subterranean scans, I have managed to calculate the depth of the energon running beneath the Maximal base.”
Panthera looked up from the model, realization of Megatron’s plan seizing her.
Megatron continued. “A well placed series of charges situated beneath the Maximal base, when detonated, would cause the ground supporting the Axalon to give way and send it tumbling to the canyon floor beneath. Without igniting the energon, of course.” He added with a sly grin.
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Rattrap didn’t wait any longer. He knew enough to report back to Optimus, so he scampered back down the ventilation duct.
“We move out tonight,” he heard Megatron say faintly as he hurried off.
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“Here,” Tarantulas told Inferno as he scratched an ‘X’ in the canyon wall with his free claw. “Dig here, about twenty meters.” The spider then allowed his grip on the webbing to loosen and he slipped farther down the canyon wall. “And here, fifteen meters.” He slid down again, and again scratched another ‘X’ on the rock wall. “Ten meters,” he said.
Without hesitation, the ant obeyed and set to work digging the tunnels, all the while making sure not to dig too far. He knew what would happen if the energon was detonated. The enemy’s colony, as well as his own would be destroyed. And that was not acceptable. His sole purpose in life was to protect his colony and serve the queen.
Inferno was a fast worker, and it was less than a megacycle later when Tarantulas finished setting the last of the three charges and opened a comm. channel to Megatron.
“We’re ready,” he hissed.
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End of part 2