The Pull of the Moon
By: Sapphire
Authoress' Note: You have no idea how hard I've tried to write a romance and how many failed attempts I've made [Is it any wonder I got my inspiration for this fic from a song titled 'Gunning Down Romance'? (Savage Garden)] So, I decided not to write just a romance, but to combine it with action and suspense as well. This made things a lot easier. Anyway, for this fic, you'll have to know a little about the tides and the moon. A full moon occurs once every month, and when it does, its gravitational pull on the ocean affects the tide on that side of the Earth. It creates what is known as a spring tide - when the low tide is really low, and the high tide is really high. The moon waxes and wanes over the month, changing from a full moon to a new moon (no moon in the sky) and then slowly it becomes full again. Ok, geography lesson over. Enjoy the fic!
Introduction:
A rescue ship came for the Maximals, but was shot down by Predacon flyers.
It landed nearly fully intact on a beach. The two pilots, Zsi and Arlaya survived the crash, tried to defend their ground, but found that the Predacon attacks to secure the ship for themselves were becoming too intense. Zsi sent Arlaya to try and find help, since their radio was down. She located the Axalon, explained to the crew that the ship had landed on the beach and that they had to get to Zsi before the tide closed in.
They arrived too late.
Quarter Moon: Evening
Rhinox stared at the electronic calendar he had on his wall. The day, month and time was shown on a screen and the present day was always highlighted in green. It also showed, in the corner, the earth's position to the moon and sun, so he could predict eclipses and Spring and Neap tides. This little calendar had been, for the most part, ignored, as battle between the Maximals and Predacons occurred whenever. The days, months, and years - they didn't matter.
Until now.
He sat down on the edge of his large bed and eyed the calendar thoughtfully. He wasn't often in his room - he didn't sleep much. He felt compelled to work, to try to do his bit in this war and help the others. Even when ordered to get some rest, he sometimes felt he just couldn't lie back while bots...like Dinobot, were dying as a result of Megatron's evil.
Recently, a rescue ship had come for them, but once again the Predacons ruined it all for them. The ship hit the beach as a powerful spring high tide, and was swept out to sea, containing one Maximal. He was dead now; if the Predacons hadn't finished him, the water would have. It was too bad he'd picked a seagull for a beast mode. Had it been a crab or fish, he would have made it.
When everyone had given up hope on retrieving the ship, Rhinox had quietly discovered by reading over a sonic map of the crash sight, that there was in fact a huge sandbar, not far out. The ship, by his scans, was stuck there, unable to move any further.
This was a good thing, because the next time they had a spring tide, it would be revealed in the low tide.
"I wonder if Megatron or Tarantulas have made the same discovery," he pondered aloud.
He'd told no one about this little discovery, except Optimus. He didn't want to get any hopes up, in case the spring low wasn't low enough. They'd have to wait until the next full moon to find out.
At least, he thought, they'd be ready to give it a shot.
Arlaya leant back in her chair in front of the screens. She'd been a part of this crew for only a week and already she was on monitor duty.
It was late; the only ones up were her and Rattrap, who was unable to sleep. He was playing some kind of computer game beside her.
She turned her head to look at him.
"Have you ever swum before?" she asked him.
He paused his game and glanced at her.
"No."
She looked back casually at the screens.
"A human friend told me once that it's like flying, almost."
He rolled his eyes.
"How would he know? He ever flown before?"
Arlaya shook her head.
"No, but she's been hang gliding. That's close enough. I've never flown before, but I still wonder what it's like."
He stared at the black-backed jackal bot.
"Ask Optimus. I'm sure he'll give you a lift," he muttered, and resumed playing.
She sighed and looked at him.
"This isn't going anywhere, is it?" she said gently.
Rattrap killed his opponent in the game, but it wasn't much of a victory. He'd won at this game hundreds of times before. Every monitor duty and whenever he was bored. Which was often.
"Do you want it to?" he asked, leaning back in his own chair and gazing at her in soft curiosity.
She looked down, trying to hide her emotions. She liked to ask questions, but didn't care to be asked them herself.
"No, no I guess not," she replied quietly.
Rattrap stared at her for a couple of moments, then returned to the computer. He closed the game and dimmed the screen.
He stood up and stretched.
"Yeah well, computer's on if ya wanna play it. No one really cares if ya actually watch the monitors or not. Good night."
He left the room and left her feeling frustrated and irritated. She was never very good at starting a conversation.
"Slag him. I don't need his company," she hissed, folding her arms across her chest.
She fought back crying as best as she could. She missed Zsi terribly, but she tried to hide this to everyone else. She was their rescuer, and was meant to bring hope. She couldn't weaken in their eyes, even if her means of rescuing them was under twenty feet of water.
She wheeled backwards in her chair, and opened the roof hatch. Directly above her was a clear, dark sky.
"'Guess the moon's my only company tonight," she sighed.
"It's gonna take some getting used to."
Half Moon: Late Morning
Inferno circled the area with mild curiosity. This was just a routine scout patrol - the only change that had been made to his regular route was a quick stop at the crash site, to make sure that everything was in order. The Royalty didn't want any Maximals near the area whatsoever. It was obvious to Inferno that the Royalty was planning something, and that something had to do with the ship he and Waspinator had shot down, with the help of Rampage. The ship had nearly crashed on it's way into the atmosphere anyway, but somehow the pilots managed to regain control. When Inferno saw this, he knew he had to take it down, before it reached the Maximals, or worse, his colony. Everyone had been so pleased with him, until they saw the location at which the ship had landed. Then they weren't so happy. How was he to predict it would land on the beach?
He decided a sunken Maximal ship (he chuckled at that notion) was not worth his worry and he decided that, seeing as everything appeared quiet, he'd continue on his patrol.
"Inferno to base!"
"Megatron here. Report."
"The area remains quiet, my Queen. Shall I resume my regular patrol?"
"Yesss, if you're sure."
"Of course! Inferno out."
He gave the ocean one last glance, before turning around and flying off inland.
He missed the last few, desperate bubbles of the dying transformer beneath the waves. He'd finally managed to work his way out of the ship, which had, amazingly enough, not sprung any leaks.
Unfortunately, no one was waiting for him, and he couldn't swim.
Same Day: Afternoon
"Optimus, we've two weeks before the next Spring Low. Don't you think it's time we told the others?" Rhinox said to his leader.
The two of them were alone in the control room. Optimus knew he'd have to tell them eventually. He might as well tell them now.
He turned to his friend.
"I suppose you're right. Firstly, though, I need to know a few details. What time of day exactly will the low tide start to occur, and when will it reach its lowest point."
Rhinox's facial expression showed slight anxiety at that question.
"I...worked it out. It'll start at seven in the evening, reaching its peak at about half past eight or nine pm. If we do get there, we'll have cover of darkness on our side, which is an advantage...but...."
"Only if the Predacons don't pitch. I'm almost certain Megatron will be there along with his full team. There's going to be a night battle."
Rhinox nodded somberly. It wasn't that they weren't equipped for night battles, it was just that darkness could make struggles all the more stressful and confusing. They had no choice in the matter. Nature had chosen its own course.
"Cloud cover?" Optimus asked hopefully.
Rhinox smiled wearily.
"I'm no weather forecaster, but for what they're worth, my predictions are it's going to be raining...heavily."
Optimus shook his head with slight annoyance.
"Hmph. What fun. Well, I might as well call in the others."
A few cycles later and the rest of the Maximal crew were standing to attention before him.
Optimus explained the details to them as best as he could, with the odd comment from Rhinox.
"So, you're harping on a plan which goes like this," Arlaya said, her voice tinged with sarcasm, "go there, at night, in the pouring rain and try to get into a ship that's been underwater for a month, hope that the thrusters work and try and escape the planet while fighting off Megatron's entire crew? Excuse me if I find this plan a little...far-fetched."
Optimus cast her a glance.
"Arlaya, this is the only chance we have at the moment. Nothing's set in stone. We don't know for sure it'll be raining, we don't know for sure that Megatron will be there and we don't know for sure if the ship will work. But those are risks we're willing to take. If we don't act and Megatron gets that ship working, we could all be in serious trouble," he said, trying to sound firm but not unkind. Arlaya had quite an attitude.
She folded her arms and casually rolled her eyes.
"Right. We don't know much, do we? Do you?" she said sardonically.
Optimus let out a long sigh and ignored her. She was their rescuer and it was clear that she was fed-up rescuing them.
"I want you all of you to prepare yourself for this in whatever way you can. I'll brief you on our strategy closer to the time. You're dismissed."
Arlaya shook her head bitterly.
"Sounds crazy," she muttered and walked across the room to fetch her weapon.
The rest of the Maximals left the control room, except for Rhinox.
The scientist sat back at the monitors and checked his forecasting again, to make sure there'd been no changes in the weather patterns.
He had hardly noticed Arlaya was still there, in the corner of the room, until she stepped onto the elevator.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked suddenly.
She flinched at his voice. She'd hoped he wouldn't notice.
"None of your business, tubby," she sneered and descended.
Rhinox shook his head.
"Hey!" came a voice from down the hallway.
Rhinox turned to the source to find Rattrap ambling up.
He entered the control room.
"Are my audios malfunctioning, or did someone just call you 'tubby'?
Rhinox threw up his arms gently.
"Yes, someone did. Arlaya, in fact. She seems to do that a lot."
Rattrap raised an 'eyebrow'.
"What, call you tubby?"
"No," Rhinox said sighing and settling back in his chair.
"She seems to mock and belittle everyone. She hates being here and she lets us know every waking moment."
Rattrap shrugged.
"I've never had a problem wid' her."
Rhinox gave Rattrap a sideways glance.
"That's because she likes you."
Rattrap took a step back.
"Uh-heh! Uh...ya think so?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. So, before you let it go to your head, why don't you use your appeal to bring her back to base? She took off a few moments ago, against orders. No one's supposed to leave base this late in the afternoon...well, it's virtually dusk now."
Rattrap was smiling to himself and just stood there.
Rhinox cleared his throat.
"As I said, don't let it go to your HEAD, Rattrap!"
Rattrap snapped out of his trance.
"Just bring her in, okay?" Rhinox asked more softly.
Rattrap picked up his gun from the table. He'd originally come in here to fetch it, but now he was taking it outdoors with him, in case he needed it.
"Ah, sure. It's just been a looong time since a dame showed any affection towards me. I've been on dis dirtball too long, Rhinox old pal."
Rhinox gave him a brief nod of acknowledgment.
"You tell Pop Op where I've gone, ok?" Rattrap asked as he headed for the elevator.
"Will do."
She bent over and picked a flower. Its petals were just beginning to close for the night when she tore its stem from the ground. It was a white flower with a rich orange center. Alone in the middle of a field, it seemed so out of place and yet it fitted in just perfectly. She stroked the soft petals, closing her eyes as she inhaled the sea breeze. She was a few meters away from the cliff edge that overlooked the ocean. After a while, she continued on walking, closer to the edge. It was almost evening. The sun had sunk into the hills on her left, leaving the ocean in the dark shadows of the cliffs that lined the coast. She walked for another ten minutes, during which the sun finally set and the evening sky replaced the blood red light that had been fading for the past half hour. She reached a point where part of the cliff jutted out. She stood right on the very edge, and looked down. Below her, the waves pounded at the solid rock that made up the cliffs. In all the weak zones of the rock, where it was softer, the water had eaten away at it, forming sea caves. From here, she could see them dotted along the cliff base.
It was there, on the strip of beach below, where her ship had crashed. The same waves which filled her audios with their deep rumble and which tore at the cliff she stood on, had taken her ship away, and her co-pilot. She'd never forgive herself for leaving him. Never.
Solemnly, she brought the flower to her lips and kissed one of the petals softly. She then stretched her arm out over the edge of the cliff, and dropped it. It floated down, occasionally being lifted up a few meters when a surge of air created by the crashing waves forced it up, but eventually it found its way into the ocean. She watched the waves take it away with them and smother it with their power.
"Zsi," she murmured.
The cool breeze ruffled the fur of her jackal beast mode which, in her robotic form, covered her stomach, back and parts of her legs and arms.
Watching the ocean from here was numbing, hypnotizing....
"Arlaya?"
She swiveled around sharply.
Rattrap stood, a few meters away, watching her.
She sighed in relief. He'd frightened her. She thought she was alone. Usually, no one could sneak up on her like that, but her mind had been elsewhere this evening.
She turned away from him.
"Go away, Rattrap. I want to be alone."
She hugged herself and gazed with half-closed eyes at the ocean once more.
"I can't. I've got orders ta bring you back."
She laughed mirthlessy.
"Hah, you always do what you're told?" she called above the roar of the ocean.
His voice was in her ear when he next spoke.
"No, if I did I wouldn't be playing computer games while on monitor duty, would I?"
Startled at how close he was, she turned again and found her face inches from his.
She stared at him for a long moment, her spark shuddering.
"Yeah well," she began again, her voice back to its arrogant tone, "why don't you go back to your computer games now, if you're so sure of yourself?"
His gaze never faltered.
"Because...this is one order I honestly think I should follow," he said plainly.
She was panting now. So close to the edge...she couldn't back away, nor could she move forward.
A deep, pained frown grew on her face, and she suddenly pushed him out of her way and started walking away, further up the coast.
She didn't get very far, as a strong grip fastened on her wrist and yanked her back.
"Oh no you don't!" he warned, bringing her back closer to him.
"Let go of me!" she snapped, thumping her free hand on his arm. He grabbed her other hand so fast she was stunned into silence.
"You want me to let go? Do you? You want me ta just turn my back an' leave ya here? Really?" he tried, staring at her intensely.
She simply glared back at him.
He suddenly let go, throwing up his hands in quiet anger.
"Fine! Then stay here!" he yelled as he turned on his heels and started walking back.
She glowered after him, feeling a lump in her throat as she fought back furious sobs. Her body was quivering with emotion.
He turned around briefly, walking backwards.
"You know, I lost a friend to this war too, Arlaya. He was a good guy. But I learnt very fast that ya can't dwell on these things! Not if ya wanna stay alive."
He turned around again and continued heading back to base.
Her breathing was deep but sharp as her emotions went wild.
When he was almost out of earshot, she could not contain herself any longer.
"WAIT!"
He stopped and, very slowly, turned around. He folded his arms and looked at her expectantly.
Her eyes dropped to the ground as she quietly made her way towards him. When she got to him she spoke without looking at him.
"I'm coming with you."
She expected him to snort in triumph, being the guy he was, and carry on walking. Instead, he very cautiously put a hand on her shoulder.
She gradually looked up.
"I know I haven't been da friendliest of bots, but I can see now dat yer whole attitude, da way you mock an' taunt everyone, it's just a big act, isn't it?"
She swallowed hard, losing her ability to speak with one gulp.
"It's a big act, ta cover your pain. You an' Zsi were closer than you let on, weren't you?"
She'd tried so hard to keep a straight face, but a few intense seconds later, her emotions cascaded down on her, and she broke down in sobs, lowering her head in shame at showing this weakness.
She felt him put his arms around her, and she wept softly on his shoulder.
"I loved him so much," she choked.
He held her tightly and she eventually hugged him back.
"Rattrap," she whispered, after her sobs had finally calmed down.
"Yeah?"
"Zsi and I weren't close on a physical level. He was just...he was my best friend. The only one who could put up with me, who could understand me. He was like a brother. My only family...and now he's gone. Just...gone."
He pulled away from her slightly, so he could see her face.
"I'm not good with emotions an' stuff, but I know what it feels like ta lose someone you care for. It hurts. It hurt a lot. But ya get over it, y'know? It takes time, but you do get over it. At least you're not totally alone."
She chuckled bitterly.
"I'm light-years away from Cybertron. Of course I'm alone!"
He stepped away from her and smiled lopsidedly.
"Aw, c'mon! Ya got...me?" he said with a goofy wink. He put his hands on his chest, gesturing to himself.
She giggled.
"Wow. Aren't I lucky," she said sarcastically.
He grinned and transformed to vehicle mode.
"Hey, ya wanna ride home?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Sure."
Three Quarter Moon: Midday
"We will land here and secure the perimeter. Our aim is to cripple any Maximal forces quickly and mercilessly. I will then travel down to the beach with Inferno while the rest of you occupy the remaining Maximals. The Maximals will have a similar plan, but we have an advantage."
The Predacon troops looked away from the holographic battle plan that was displayed in front of them. Megatron now had their full attention.
"And what might that be, Royalty?" Inferno questioned.
He turned to his right.
"Rampage."
Rampage was leaning against the wall, with his legs crossed and his arms folded in his usual disinterested manner when it came to Megatron and his 'goons'.
"He will secure the ship the day before, while the tide is still high and the Maximals are unable to reach it. I've instructed him to repair whatever damage there is to the ship internally and await my arrival."
The Predacons stared at Rampage, who gave them all a baleful look.
"Wazzpinator not trust crab-bot," Waspinator buzzed, returning Rampage's glare.
Megatron clenched his fists.
“And I don't trust Tarantulas, who is a far greater threat to our plans than all the Maximals put together. Rampage has also been instructed to take the spider out should he somehow have reached the ship before him. Now, are you all clear on the strategy?"
The Predacons nodded.
"Good, now get back to your duties. I have much to think about."
Everyone left except Inferno.
Megatron turned to him, slightly irritable.
"What are you still doing here?"
Inferno saluted.
"My duty is to protect the Queen!"
Megatron covered his face with his hands and shook his head.
"Inferno, when are you going to learn, I am not your Queen...."
Silverbolt stepped outside into the sunshine. Rhinox's forecast may have been bleak, but the weather he'd predicted was not here yet. He decided, then, to enjoy his possible last few days on earth, outside. A pleasant aroma of flowers and sweet grass filled his sensitive nose and the breeze shifted his fur. He looked ahead to see Arlaya was also out in the sunshine, crouching beside something. He approached her. She was busy hammering when he got to her.
"Oh, hi Silverbolt," she said with forced cheerfulness.
He stared down at what she was constructing and found he wasn't quite sure as to what it was.
"Greetings, my Lady. What is it that you are making?"
She fell back on her rear and rested her arms on her knees with a weary sigh.
"I'm making a hang glider."
Silverbolt chuckled.
"A hang glider? Whatever for?"
She looked up at him seriously.
"To hang glide."
Silverbolt grinned and shook his head.
"If you wanted to fly, why didn't you ask me? I'd happily take you up to experience the joys of flight!"
She smiled genuinely for once.
"Oh, no. I wanted to make this for personal reasons. I want to fly myself."
He shrugged.
"Suit yourself. If you're going to make one, though, be careful that you take your weight into consideration. Humans built these things originally and they are far lighter than us."
"I know that," she said bluntly.
Silverbolt felt that her short moment of actually behaving normally was coming to an end.
"Well, then, I'll leave you be."
He turned to go.
"Silverbolt, I'd like it if you took me for a quick flight. I could learn some things about air currents and stuff."
He turned to her again with a knowing smile.
"All right," he said as he transformed to beast mode.
"Hop on."
Inside the Axalon, Rhinox and Optimus were discussing the problems they might face when trying to secure the ship, with the odd comment from Rattrap.
"So, you're saying Megatron might have something up his sleeve?" Rhinox asked Optimus.
"Duh! He's got Rampage for a start!" Rattrap interrupted.
Optimus sighed.
"Rattrap's right. I'm certain he'll send him in a day or so before we get there, just so that he can fiddle with the controls."
"And set it so that the ship only responds to Predacons?" Rattrap questioned.
Rhinox shook his head.
"I don't think Rampage has the knowledge to do much on the technical side, but he certainly will prove a threat to anyone who gets near the ship. If he gets the weapons on that thing working...."
Optimus rubbed his eyes in exhaustion.
"I know. I'd say 'luckily Tarantulas isn't working for Megatron anymore', but then he's probably got plans of his own to use the ship."
Rattrap snickered.
"I hate ta say it, Pop Op, but we're low on advantages here."
Rhinox spoke up.
"Not necessarily. We have one of the original pilots, who knows the ship better than anyone. Only she has the codes to activate the ship's sentinel."
The elevator rose up and they all turned to see Silverbolt and Arlaya, who was howling with laughter.
"Speak of the devil," Rattrap said with a teasing grin.
Arlaya stumbled in, laughing and vivacious. She walked to Rattrap and sat on his lap, continued laughing and looked at Silverbolt, who stood quietly.
"What did ya do ta her?" Rattrap called good-humouredly.
Silverbolt started walking towards the exit hallway.
"Oh nothing. I just took her a little...'higher'," he said the last word with a big wink to Arlaya, who giggled in response.
He disappeared down the hallway and Optimus and Rhinox exchanged glances.
Rattrap looked her in the eyes.
She returned the gaze and calmed down to a gentle smile.
"He took me hang gliding," she said.
"Huh?"
"I held his feet while he glided."
"Ohhh."
Optimus shook his head and Rhinox laughed heartily.
"Well, I'm going to get some rest," Optimus declared as he walked out of the control room with a yawn.
"Yes, catch a few hour's sleep and don't worry so much! Things will turn out all right in the end," Rhinox called after him. He swiveled around in his chair to watch Rattrap and Arlaya talk softly to each other. She had her arms around his neck and he had his around her waist.
She whispered something in his ear and got up and left the room, still giggling a little.
When she was out of earshot, he said: "Did I miss something, or are you two playing the love-game?"
Rattrap snorted.
"Naw. I'm just testing what you said...about her liking me. You were right, as usual," he said smugly.
Rhinox frowned.
"Rattrap..." he said in a softly scolding voice.
Rattrap stood up and stretched his arms.
"Hey, don't worry about her, Big Guy. I know she's fragile. I'm just providin' her with a bit 'a friendship while she gets over Zsi."
Rhinox turned around in his chair and faced his computer screens.
"Well, just be careful. Femmes aren't toys you can play with and then toss aside when you get bored. They have feelings, Rattrap."
"Yeah? Ya think I don't have feelings?" Rattrap asked a little more seriously.
Rhinox sighed.
"All I'm saying is don't mislead her. She might interpret your behavior in a totally different way than you intended her to."
Rattrap was silent for a long time.
"There's nothin' ta misinterpret. I like her."
Near-Full Moon: Evening
Rampage left the base and headed towards the ocean. He'd have to enter the water some miles away from the crash site, in case the Maximals were running patrols near the area. He didn't doubt they knew what he was going to do.
He moved along the coast, using the darkness and the jungle for cover. Finally, he found a pathway down the cliffs made by animals. The slope was much gentler here, but it would rise up steeply the closer he got to the site. He entered the water, enjoying the cooling effect it had on his body. The jungle was hot and humid and he was covered in various bits of plants and insects. Finally deep enough to move along the ocean floor without his head sticking out, he made his way to the co-ordinates Megatron had given him. After about half a mega-cycle, he saw a dark looming object in the distance. He was not afraid of the ocean and its creatures. Nothing would attack a fifteen foot metal crab-bot, except other bots that could go underwater. And for now he was the only one. Still, knowing that Tarantulas might have set up all kinds of booby traps in and around the ship in preparation for his arrival (he didn't doubt Tarantulas knew what he was going to do either) made him the slightest bit uneasy.
He finally got close to the ship and sure enough, there was a dull light coming from the front windows. He stayed clear of them and moved along the sides. On the right-hand side, he spotted a submarine with a retractable tunnel attached from it to the ship. Tarantulas.
The submarine door was open and it led into a chamber which, when the door closed, would drain out all the water before opening into the main area of the sub. It was like Tarantulas was welcoming him in. He didn't trust this scenario one bit. He wondered if he should blow up the sub, but then there'd be no way in without letting water in with him. The tunnel looked very small, though. Tarantulas could squeeze through in beast mode, he most probably couldn't.
Something else caught his eye. He squinted to see another metallic object lying beside the ship. He approached it to find it was a transformer he'd never seen before. The bot had a beast mode of a gull and was most certainly dead. Had Tarantulas killed him, or did he drown? He didn't care. He needed to get in, so he decided to play along with Tarantulas and take the tunnel.
Inside the ship, Tarantulas was busying himself with the newly activated controls. He was in the process of making the ship's controls respond only to him, but so far he'd gotten nowhere as the computer kept asking for codes he didn't have. The female pilot would have them, and so would the male. He was dead, but that didn't mean he couldn't extract the info from his processor manually....
"I'd have to go outside," he murmured.
He was fully aware Rampage was trying to get through the tunnel. He'd designed it so the crab could fit up until halfway through, where the tunnel narrowed a great deal and he'd get stuck. It didn't appear to narrow from the outside, but it most certainly would once he was in.
He sighed. He could hear Rampage's frustrated snorts and grunts echoing down the tunnel into the entrance hall of the ship.
"Time to blow him to bits and get those codes from the dead pilot," he grumbled as he took out a large gun from a cabinet over his head.
He made his way to the hall, entered the tunnel, blasted Rampage with a heavy dose of cyber venom and shoved him back into the sub. He knew Rampage would wake up shortly, so he hurriedly heaved him outside the submarine's main room into the drainage room (which he'd added in case he had to bring something in from the ocean) and retracted the tunnel. He then tilted the submarine so Rampage fell out, closed the door and with two missiles fired from the sub's two concealed guns, blasted him to bits.
"That should slow you down!" he cackled and laughed insanely. He switched on the submarines auto-arm, which extended itself from the ship towards the drowned pilot. He grasped him and pulled him into the drainage room.
"Gotcha," Tarantulas whispered triumphantly, and set to work.
Above the ocean floor, in the heavy, humid air of the night, Arlaya was outside again, finishing off her hang glider. The truth was, she wasn't entirely sure why she was building it. She had an urge to jump off the cliffs and glide off forever, but of course she knew she'd never do that. Rescuers aren't meant to be suicidal. She laughed out loud at that thought and imagined if they were, no one would be rescued.
She was dimly aware of the monstrous black clouds gathering overhead, and the occasional flicker of lightning brought her back to reality for a second or two, before she drifted back into her thoughts. She was literally just a few feet away from the elevator, so she felt safe. The wind was beginning to pick up and it sent waves of movement through the tall grass in front of her. Thunder rumbled far off. Some people were made uneasy by storms, but she loved them. It was nature bringing the earth's most vital substance (other than air) and depositing it in the grandest style!
The hang glider was pretty much finished now. She was just toughing it up. Fastening the odd nail here and there, checking the stitching and other things twice over. Really, she was just making excuses to stay outside longer. Her jackal coat was dusty and sticky with sweat and she rather wanted a shower, so she was waiting for the rain.
She didn't have to wait long. Water began to spit down and the thunder was closer.
Grinning, she pushed the hang glider under a water-proof sheet of material she'd brought with her and transformed to beast mode.
She sat down and waited for the rain to increase in strength and volume.
"Yo! Arlaya! It's gunna rain!"
She turned around to see Rattrap flinching at the crack of thunder, which filled the air with its loud and demanding boom.
"I know! Great, isn't it? We need the rain!" she called back, and then turned to face the storm again.
Back inside the elevator, which had just come to rest on the ground, Rattrap shook his head with a slightly confused frown. He hated rain. The air was so heavy and hot, it was almost unbearable to breathe. So he didn't. He only did subconsciously to feed oxygen to his beast mode, which was now transmetal so he didn't really have to anymore. It was more of a habit than anything.
"C'mon, Arlaya! Get inside! You're gonna get soaked jus' now!"
A long, jagged flash of lightning tore through the sky and into the jungle ahead.
"Or struck by lightning! Don't ya know it's bad ta sit in da middle of a field?!"
She turned around and gave him a jackal sort-of glare.
Finally, she sighed and started trotting over to him. She reached the elevator and transformed to robot mode just as it began to pour.
"Not if there's something higher than you nearby. The lightning strikes the highest object in a flat piece of land."
Rattrap snickered.
"Whatever."
She turned and looked longingly at the rain, which thundered into the dry, thirsty earth.
"Oh!" she exclaimed just before she stepped in the elevator with Rattrap.
"I forgot my hang glider!" she ran outside and Rattrap, annoyed, followed her.
He hadn't quite listened to what she'd said and his first thought was that she was running away again.
He stood behind her watching her pick up a funny looking contraption. She turned around and bumped into him.
She stared at him.
"Why is my face always so slagging close to yours every time I turn 'round?"
He grinned.
She dropped the hang glider and kissed him. The rain slid down her face and body, cooling her outside, but inside she felt a burning sensation. The thunder drowned out all noise and her eyes were closed to the erratic flashes of lightning. He pulled her closer and for a long moment, neither moved. She pulled away and whispered.
"Rattrap."
"Hmmm?"
"Who's on monitor duty?"
Rattrap stepped backwards with a groan.
"Optimus. Man, I hope he didn't-"
She scooped up the hang glider, well, as best as she could. It was large and wide and odd to carry.
"Let's go inside, then," she interrupted and brushed past him.
He watched her walk away, rooted to the ground, breathing deeply. Stupid breathing. His beast mode had more of an effect on him than he thought, even as a transmetal. Whenever he was hungry or tired or even passionate, he'd feel primal urges like pangs, heavy eyelids and the need to inhale.
He was also still in a bit of aftershock. He didn't expect that so suddenly. He was jerked into motion, though, when a very loud boom of thunder roared right above him and lightning hit a tree uncomfortably close by.
"Hey, wait up!" he cried and jogged over to the elevator.
Full Moon: Afternoon
It may have been afternoon, but because of the storm clouds, it may as well have been night. It was very dark for 2 in the afternoon and although the rain had stopped for now, it was obvious it was going to start again today. The clouds looked black and heavy.
Optimus had prepared himself for what might be the biggest battle of his life. He'd decided he was going to take the risky job of fighting off Rampage or Tarantulas - possibly both. Then there was Megatron who probably wanted to be in the ship as soon as possible. It was going to be one big showdown.
"Brace yourselves, bots. Get your weapons ready, stock up on ammo and power charges for your lasers, bring along more than one gun and pray that we make it through."
The Maximals in the control room were all busy fiddling with their weapons, whether it be cleaning them or loading them with ammunition.
"One of Pop Op's less optimistic speeches," a sarcastic Rattrap whispered to Silverbolt, who politely ignored him.
Rhinox was about the only one not handling his weapons.
He'd been thinking.
"Optimus, how are you going to deal with Rampage, or worse yet, Tarantulas if they've set something up?"
Optimus looked grave.
"If I cannot secure the ship, the Predacons will get it...and if they get it they'll figure out how to get the guns working or add some on themselves. In which case, we're going to be under siege for about two minutes and then we'll be without a base."
Cheetor spoke up.
"So, what if they do get it? What do we do?"
Optimus was very still.
"I'll destroy it, with these bombs," he said, and took out from his sub space pocket two small bombs, not unlike Rattrap's, but with higher explosion power.
"Basically," Arlaya said, mainly to Cheetor, "if we can't have it, no one will."
Cheetor looked rather unhappy at the thought of his only ride home being blown to bits.
Optimus turned to Arlaya.
"I'll need you to join me on the ship once I've taken down the defenses."
"IF ya take down the defenses," Rattrap pointed out.
Optimus gave him a weary look.
"I'm going to try my best. I may need Arlaya to get a few technical things on the ship working."
"She'll be a prime target," Rattrap said coldly, glaring at the Maximal leader.
"I know," he responded sternly, "which is why she won't be a frontline combatant. She's going to wait on the edge of the cliff nearest to me and wait for my signal to come down. Either Silverbolt or Cheetor will be notified via communications link to come and fetch her and bring her to me."
"You'll need them to handle the aerial attacks, though," Rhinox thought aloud.
Optimus nodded.
"Yes, so Arlaya will have to be guarded until that moment."
He looked directly at a skeptical Rattrap.
"You'll guard her."
Rattrap shrugged.
"Sure."
He didn't show it very openly, but Rattrap looked the tiniest bit smug at being given that order. Rhinox shook his head slightly.
"Right, then," Optimus finally said, sounding a little exasperated.
"I suggest getting some rest before tonight's full moon, although we won't see much of it in this weather," he added a little glumly.
The Maximals went about their jobs cleaning and preparing their weapons.
Rhinox approached Arlaya.
"You have the sentinel codes, correct?" he asked.
She nodded and pointed to her head.
"Right in here."
Rhinox bit his lip before asking his next question.
"Did Zsi have them as well?"
She nodded again, fervently.
"Naturally!" her expression suddenly became one of horrid realization.
"Oh Primus...."
"I thought as much," Rhinox murmured.
"Let's hope Tarantulas can't hack past the signature barrier."
He noticed Rattrap watching him curiously from across the room.
He turned back to Arlaya.
"I'm going to inform Optimus."
She stared at him worriedly and watched him walk off down the hallway to catch up with Optimus.
Rattrap came up to her, polishing his gun.
"What was dat all about?"
She shot him a desperate look.
"Can we go somewhere private?"
Rattrap knew that tone of voice. She wasn't looking for a good time; she had something serious to tell him.
They went to his room and there she told him everything.
"I'm scared I might get killed in the battle and you won't have the codes to combat whatever programming Tarantulas has installed," she told him anxiously.
"Don't talk like that!" he exclaimed.
She frowned.
"I'm being realistic, Rattrap. People die in battles. Besides, you say it all the time!"
"I know," he muttered, kicking his feet irritably.
"I just...don't want you ta die...."
She smiled softly.
"Neither do I, trust me. But, just in case, I'm going to download the codes to you, ok?"
Somewhat reluctantly, he agreed and she passed on to him the codes.
Afterwards, he asked her, "who has the signature application?"
"Me, thankfully. Tarantulas will need me to get the ship 100% running, although he might be able to hack through that system."
She stared at the floor glumly.
"For our sake, let's hope he's not that smart...."
Dusk:
Megatron realized he'd underestimated Tarantulas when Rampage was declared 'offline' by his computer tracking system. The tide was already on the way out and it would only be a matter of time before that wretched spider had the ship off the ground. He doubted Tarantulas would bother to blow up their bases; he'd probably just head off home.
Rampage was incredibly strong so Tarantulas must have outwitted him or tricked him into defeat. Basically, then, Blackarachnia and himself were Tarantulas's biggest threat, although Megatron wouldn't trust sending in Blackarachnia to deal with him, no.
He'd have to do it himself, before Optimus reached the ship. Tarantulas had proven a disadvantage for both factions.
"Inferno!"
Inferno was by Megatron's side in a flash.
"YES!"
"When we begin the battle, I want you to cripple as many flyers as possible, as they will be the most potent of the Maximal forces in this delicate operation. It will take some time for the ground forces to find a way down the cliff, so it's the flyers we'll have to watch out for."
Inferno nodded.
"You are sure we'll be fighting on the cliff, Royalty?"
"Yesss," Megatron confirmed, "the beach is narrow and will prove too dangerous a battleground if we don't want to damage the ship in the crossfire. Even the Maximals won't risk that."
Megatron summoned the rest of his troops to the bridge, and then they departed, leaving their base unguarded for the time being.
They made their way to the cliff overlooking the crash site as quietly as they could. Megatron was pleased to see they were the first ones there.
Evening:
Rhinox did not feel safe on Optimus's air-board, but it was quicker than galloping to their destination on foot. Rattrap had an advantage over him with ground speed and raced below them in vehicle mode, while Silverbolt and Cheetor flew ahead, (Silverbolt opting to carry Arlaya). He realized what a small force they were. There were, including Arlaya who wasn't going to be doing much fighting, six of them. The Predacons had six as well, but they had a water-bot among them.
A flicker of lightning to the west distracted his thoughts. The storm yesterday seemed to be coming back with a vengeance. It was going to rain heavily any moment now.
Below him, the cliffs and the beach and ocean were in view. He could see the waves were far more receded than usual, and barely sticking out of the water about 20 meters away from the shore, was the top of Arlaya's ship.
"Prepare for a rapid descent, my friend," Optimus said, "It looks like Megatron is already there."
On the ground, Rattrap sped forward as fast as he could. It was hard keeping up with flyers, but he hated the idea of being carried by Cheetor, and so did Arlaya for some reason, so they couldn't swap flyers. He wasn't too far behind. Ahead of him, he watched Optimus and the rest land. They weren't moving much, so he guessed the two faction leaders were exchanging insults and warnings before the battle actually began.
Finally, he reached Arlaya, who was standing unnervingly close to the front line.
He transformed to robot mode and pulled her back.
She let out a gasp.
"Don't scare me like that!" she breathed. In the distance Megatron was yelling something to Optimus, who creatively yelled something back.
"What's goin' on?" he whispered, holding her close to him.
"I'm not sure. I think they're trying a feeble attempt to negotiate," she answered with a shrug.
He narrowed his optics and looked out towards Megatron. His gaze turned to the cliff edge, which Arlaya was standing close to.
"I think you'd better stay clear of the edge an' move back," he told her.
She shook her head.
"I need to be close to the edge to see when Optimus gives me the signal," she explained.
Rattrap realized he'd have to stay with her near the edge. It was a very long way down....
"Jus' don't push me or somethin'," he muttered and released his grip on her. He drew his weapon.
At that moment, everyone else did the same and aimed it at their respective enemy. The air was tense and humid. Above them, the sky was dark and bleak and the first large raindrops began to fall.
Thunder rumbled malevolently and Rattrap chanced a quick look at the sky.
Everyone was staring ahead of them, waiting for the first gunshot to sound the start of the battle.
It was no surprise Quickstrike fired the first laser charge.
All chaos broke loose after that.
Rattrap instinctively stepped in front of Arlaya and blasted away at Quickstrike, while the flyers took to the air to combat Inferno and Waspinator. Megatron and Optimus were engaged in a fierce one-on-one and Arlaya aided Cheetor in firing a few shots at Blackarachnia.
"Rattrap!" she called to her friend.
Rattrap's expression was one of utter concentration. Occasionally, he ducked a green shot of laser energy. The problem with Quickstrike was that if you got hit once, you'd be paralyzed for a few minutes.
"Yeah?" he said with effort.
"Rampage isn't with them."
"He's in the ocean."
"No, he's washed up on the beach...in bits."
Rattrap gave her a glance of surprise.
Before he could respond, Arlaya was gone, running towards Cheetor who was hit badly. In his chest with a large arrow, pumping cyber venom into his system.
He winced and grumbled.
She helped pull out Blackarachnia's arrow then stood and fired a few rounds at the femme. Blackarachnia proved very stealthy and easily ducked her shots. Arlaya was not a fighter, but a rescuer. Blackarachnia had had plenty of practice.
"Cheetor, are you ok?" she asked, helping the catbot to his feet.
He nodded, flinching with pain, and took up his gun again.
"I'll survive. Thanks," he wheezed and with renewed vigor, fired a volley of shots at his opponent. She suddenly wondered why he was fighting on the ground, and not in the air.
She surveyed the scene to find Rhinox having a ground battle with Waspinator, who had mysteriously lost two parts of his wings on one side.
Seeing her confused gaze, Cheetor said: "That was me."
She chuckled and looked over to Rattrap...at the precise moment a purple flash of energy hit him in the gut and sent him over the cliff edge.
"Oh my gosh, Rattrap!" she screamed.
She ran to the cliff edge and looked down, to see him lying on his back in the damp sand. He wasn't moving. Glancing over her shoulder, she realized Megatron and Optimus were nowhere to be seen, so she looked into the black sky and in a flash of lightning, their silhouettes were revealed. They were having an intense duel in the sky. Silverbolt was with them, handling Inferno and Cheetor was desperately trying to stay standing. There was no one to take her down the cliff.
Her spark shuddered with fear and apprehension. She knew what she had to do.
She'd carried it with her, just in case a scenario like this occurred, and she'd put it down a few yards back. She ran towards her hang glider, which was under its waterproof cover, pinned with a rock.
Desperately, she heaved the rock off and ripped away the cover. The rain was pounding into the ground now and she wasn't sure how well she was going to fly.
"Here's hoping," she murmured and fastened the glider to her arms. She ran to the cliff edge, and jumped.
Several things happened at once. A strong gust of wind made her flight immediately turbulent, the rain was drenching the fabric, forcing her to sink more than glide, she suddenly spotted Megatron landing not far off from Rattrap on the beach. Optimus was nowhere in her sights, which was a very bad thing indeed and worse yet, Megatron was now aiming his laser at her.
She twisted her body to get the glider to move directly towards Rattrap. A piercing screech went passed her ears as Megatron fired a laser charge. It missed her narrowly. She was descending fast and the water-soaked fabric made her heavier. Halfway down, she wondered if she would survive the fall if she was hit now. She didn't have to wonder long. A purple flash blinded her, she felt her glider jerk and when she opened her eyes and looked over to the wing, it had a hole right through it. She was coming down fast.
She gritted her teeth, prepared herself for impact and a few terrifying moments later, she crashed into the sand and was dragged a few meters before she finally came to rest. Her world was black and quiet, but slowly her senses returned to her. Amazingly, she seemed to be all right. The distant sound of battle came to her audios and the quiet hiss of water running up the sand reminded her of where she was. She groggily stood up and unfastened the glider. Megatron was no longer paying her any attention; he was adamantly trying to shoot down Optimus before he got to the ship. Great, now Optimus arrives!
Realizing Optimus was going to have to fight both Megatron and Tarantulas, she knew she had to help. Firstly, though, she needed to tend to Rattrap.
She jogged over to his limp body and knelt beside him.
"Rattrap?" she whispered fearfully.
He greeted her with a groan. He had a nasty hole with jagged metal edgsd in his abdomen. It was still smoking slightly.
"Oh," she exclaimed softly and cuddled him.
"....ouch...."
She nodded sympathetically and heaved his head and shoulders onto her legs as she knelt.
She looked about and spotted a sea cave a few meters away. He'd be safer in there.
"Hold on, RT. I'm gonna drag you to a safe place," she told him soothingly.
He had his eyes squeezed tightly in pain and he gave her a vague nod.
Something inside her lurched. Was he dying? Was he hurt that badly? She was a rescuer, with a little medical training, but that was Zsi's field. He was a fully trained medic and right now, she missed him more than ever.
She ignored the pain in her arms and legs from her rough landing and slowly pulled him, by slipping her arms under his, to the cave.
When she got there, she realized it was narrow. She paused to wonder if she should in fact try the other cave, which appeared wider and was roughly thirty feet away, but when a shot of flame went passed her head, she knew she had to hurry. Inferno was here to play.
She tried to squeeze Rattrap in without hurting him, and was halfway in herself when she felt a shock of pain run through her the lower part of her right leg. She fell forward beside him, wedged between him and the rocky surface of the inner-cave. She drew in her legs, and panted heavily.
There was an odd kind of tranquility being in here. The noises of gunfire were so muffled and it was dark and soothing, the only light that entered was through the cracks their crammed bodies allowed in when lightning streaked across the sky.
"Arlaya?"
She could see the dim glow of Rattrap's optics.
"Yes," she said softly.
"Are you okay?"
"Mm hmm."
He let out a long, quivering sigh.
"Thanks," he murmured quietly.
She let out a sigh of her own and rested her head on his shoulder.
It was too small a space for her to sit up and tend to his wound and at the back of her mind, she knew she had to get to Optimus.
"I...wasn't much of a guard, was I?" he attempted to say with mirth.
She giggled.
"No, you stank."
He chuckled but it became a fit of coughing rather quickly.
After he recovered, he tentatively rolled onto his side to face her. Her pale green optics shone in the dark, but they seemed to lack vibrancy and life. She was in pain as well, he could see.
He stroked her shoulder tenderly and felt numerous scratches and dents.
"You're hurt."
"Not badly. I'll be okay," she answered.
He smiled and put an arm around her, closing his eyes. He could feel her chest rising and falling against his and he listened to her breathing. They didn't need to breathe, but somehow it felt right.
He kissed her forehead gently, and she whimpered.
"Primus, I think I'm in love with you," she cried softly.
He felt his body go limp as stasis lock began to come over him.
"Arlaya..." he tried to answer, but he drifted out of consciousness.
When the silence became too long, she called out. He didn't answer and she tried to check his vital signs from her cramped position. She was relieved to find he was just in stasis lock and was actually starting to self-repair. She guessed that last statement of hers didn't do much good for his spark. Slowly, she wriggled her way out of the cave and stood outside, facing the now visible ship. Optimus was standing on top of it, firing towards Megatron who was approaching the ship. Rain fell on her face, sliding down her cheeks like tears. Her instinct told her that it was unwise to take on Megatron in her current state, but her mind told her if she didn't, Optimus would lose. She drew her two guns from her hips, and fired ruthlessly at Megatron. She succeeded in knocking him over, but the initial surprise had gone, and he turned to see where the fire was coming from. Optimus saluted her in acknowledgment of her help and disappeared into the ship through the roof hatch. The ocean was far back now, and the ship lay in the open. She could see the flicker of gunfire from inside the ship and knew Tarantulas was protesting to Optimus's arrival. Inferno was heading towards Megatron to tend to him. Megatron yelled to watch out, but Arlaya was quicker to react and shot Inferno down. Megatron stood up with a roar of irritation.
She started moving towards the huge Predacon, firing as she went. He returned the favor.
Inside the ship, from the moment he entered, it had been absolute pandemonium. Tarantulas had screamed, several stun guns emerged from hidden positions in the small command room and fired on him, but Optimus was prepared and had ducked out of the way. He was shocked to see Zsi's body lying limp with wires attached to his head leading into the computer.
Tarantulas had obviously not wanted to damage the ship internally, so he used stun guns, which fired a pulse rather than a laser bullet. Optimus had only been clipped on his shoulder. It had gone numb and he knew the rest of him too would if he was shot anymore. He threw his two maces at Tarantulas, who dodged them with a shriek.
"What are you doing?! You'll damage the ship!" Tarantulas yelled furiously.
"What are YOU doing with Zsi?" Optimus demanded, and fired upon two of the stun autoguns, destroying them.
Tarantulas grabbed a hand-held stun gun and fired three times at Optimus. Optimus had brought with him a shield, which he held up in front of him. He swiveled round and took out the remaining three autoguns. He then faced Tarantulas.
"Well?"
Tarantulas fired but the bullet was reflected. Optimus drew a spare mace and threw it, knocking the stun gun out of Tarantulas's hand. A second later, he had the spider pinned against the wall, with his gun to his head. He was aware Tarantulas could shoot him with his body guns, but the damage would wreck the ship's control panel, directly behind him.
"Are you going to tell me now?" he threatened.
Tarantulas struggled a bit, before finally giving up.
"I was trying to get the codes from his data tracks! The ship has an auto-protect on it; it won't function without them."
Optimus snorted.
"Right. Well, how come it's taking so long?"
Tarantulas hissed and spat, glaring contemptuously at Optimus.
"It only responds to the Maximal signature of his co-pilot," he said through gritted teeth.
Optimus nodded to himself.
"Arlaya and Zsi were like two halves. One couldn't function without the other...well, when it came to flying the ship."
Tarantulas kicked him and Optimus flinched.
"Thanks for your help," he said sarcastically, and opened the window behind him. He pushed him through it and Tarnatulas landed outside with a yelp and a thump. Closing and sealing the window, Optimus was uncomfortably aware that he'd left Arlaya, his only hope to get this thing working, outside with Megatron and Inferno.
Hurriedly, he ran to the ship controls. Everything was set to go, except for a 'signature verification' window that appeared on the ship's computer screen.
He went outside and panicked when he saw Arlaya keeling over from what looked like one of many hits. Megatron hadn't seen him yet and Inferno was getting to his feet, screaming after a fleeing Tarantulas.
He fired a round of shots at Megatron. The Predacon leader fell back with a cry, but Optimus knew he wouldn't be down for long. He leapt onto his hoverboard and picked up Arlaya. He held her in his arms as he flew back to the ship.
"Optimus..." she groaned. Her body was littered with wounds.
"Just hang on Arlaya, we're almost through!"
"Optimus," Rhinox came over the leader's commlink.
"Report!"
"We can't hold off these Predacons much longer. Cheetor's down, Silverbolt's sustained much injury and Rattrap's gone missing. I'm trying to hold off Quickstrike and Blackarachnia, but I'm running out of ammo."
Optimus felt a brief sense of amazement at the calmness in his friend's voice.
"I'll be with you in a few cycles. Ask Silverbolt to collect Cheetor and bring him to the ship, I'll locate Rattrap."
"All right."
Optimus bit his lip.
"Are you sure you can handle those Predacons alone for a while?"
"I'm gonna try. Rhinox out."
"Optimus," Arlaya wheezed again and raised her hand feebly.
Optimus had just landed outside the ship and carried her inside a few moments later.
"Rattrap....he's in stasis lock...in a sea cave I dragged him to," she tried weakly.
"I'll get to him. All I need you to do is stand in front of the computer for a quick signature scan," he said.
She nodded and he put her down gently on her feet in front of the scanner.
"Signature Arlaya Acknowledged."
Suddenly, the whole ship came to life. The lights switched on, the systems began to hum and the thrusters came online.
Optimus looked at her earnestly.
"Do you think you can fly the ship and provide cover fire while I fetch Rattrap and the others?"
She nodded and slid down in her chair.
"Go," she said, her voice faint and broken.
He felt bad at leaving her here, but he had no choice.
He left the ship again with haste.
Megatron was getting sick of being shot in the back.
Inferno had disappeared and he was alone on the beach.
He rubbed his sore arm and stared at the ship. He realized with horror it was lifting off the ground and the weapons were aimed right at him.
"No!" was all he had time to say, before two huge missiles more than knocked him off his feet.
Optimus flew through the sprayed up sand and smoke and landed by the sea cave. He dragged Rattrap out and slumped him over his hoverboard. Overhead, Silverbolt was flying towards the ship carrying Cheetor.
"Rhinox," he muttered and ascended rapidly. When he was above the cliff face, he saw that the two Predacons were retreating in fear of the ship and Rhinox was kneeling down in exhaustion. Arlaya brought the ship up to the edge of the cliff and turned it sideways. There she made it hover, leaving a small enough gap for Rhinox to jump over and into the entrance.
"Rhinox!!" Optimus yelled above the roar of the engines.
The large Maximal heaved himself painfully to his feet and lumbered over.
He only just made it into the ship, before collapsing. He leaned against the door that had now shut and sealed, and caught his breath. Optimus had entered just after him and was now laying Rattrap on the floor beside Rhinox.
"Are you okay?" Optimus asked him with concern.
Rhinox nodded breathlessly.
Optimus smiled.
"Well done for holding out up there. We're going home."
Rhinox sighed in relief, closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. Optimus made his way to the control room.
Arlaya was manning the console.
He sat in the seat beside her and noticed she was slumped in her chair, her expression miserable.
"Arlaya? What's wrong?" he asked, absently taking to the controls. He brought the ship up and set course for the Axalon.
He followed her somber gaze to the floor and realized she was staring at Zsi's waterlogged body.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
She shook her head.
"It's not your fault," she whispered. She suddenly looked up at him.
"Rat-?"
"He's in the back with Rhinox and the others. I think Cheetor could do with some medical care, if you're up to it."
She smiled sadly.
"I'm a rescuer. I'm here to help."
He watched her get up and go. He checked the scanners for any incoming Predacon signatures and found none.
"That blast must have taken out Megatron, or at least sent him into stasis lock for the next few megacycles," he thought aloud.
He looked over his shoulder to see Arlaya kneel beside Cheetor and talk to him. Cheetor had come to and was nodding. Rattrap stirred beside him and Arlaya moved over to him. He sat up, rubbing his head and complaining, but when he saw her, he interrupted himself and threw his arms around her. They cuddled over Cheetor who raised his head and looked at Optimus with a confused frown.
"Gee, I'm out for a few cycles and when I wake up I'm in a ship going home and Rattrap's got a new girlfriend!"
Optimus laughed.
"Good to see you made it, little buddy."
Cheetor smiled warmly and lay back down again. He brought a hand up and poked Arlaya in the belly. She shrieked with laughter and pulled out of the embrace.
Optimus turned around in his chair again. The Axalon was coming into view. He'd intended to pick up a few things there, but that might make him vulnerable for attack from the remaining Predacons. Rampage had disappeared from the beach as had Inferno and Tarantulas. There was still a threat on this planet and when he thought about it, there wasn't much worth collecting at base. All they needed to know was in their heads, anyway. Instead, to make sure he left the Predacons with no advantages, he destroyed the wrecked ship and set course for Cybertron, glad he was finally going home.