Soon the
Paladin Express reached the moon. Air Raid got clearance to dock, and Ironhide requested a security team to take custody of the gray box. He didn’t tell them what was inside. Not surprisingly, the team showed up under Red Alert’s command. As the ship was secured to the holding clamps (so that it would stay with the moon as it revolved around Cybertron) extended out from the dock tower, Inferno opened the cargo doors and a security shuttle pulled up. It wasn’t big, and to Inferno it seemed to be an outdated model. It still had
wheels. Or maybe its hover mechanism was malfunctioning. The paint on it was a faded gray, and there were scuffs and scratches all over the sides. The open vehicle had 4 occupants, a driver, 2 security drones, and Red Alert. He stepped off even before the driver brought it to a complete stop, and he greeted Inferno with a smile.
“I heard you had an interesting trip.” he said as they shook hands.
“Ehh, not really out of the ordinary.” Inferno answered with a smirk.
“But you do have something for me?” Red Alert asked back, his smile fading.
“Yes, we do. And I think it’s something Maximus himself will want to look at.”
“Yes, he will be coming down soon. I heard Ironhide requested a meeting with him. The big bot is pretty busy, but if Ironhide wants to talk, it must be important, so he’ll make the time.”
“Good, because this thing is definitely a security concern.” Inferno said and jerked a thumb over his shoulder, pointing towards the gray box being brought out to them by Sideswipe, Warpath and Cliffjumper.
“What is it?”
“Well, Cliffjumper says it’s a fusion cannon. Like the kind they put on mining vehicles to pulverize the layers of metal regular mining tools can’t get through, except smaller. Like it’s fitted for a single bot to carry.”
“No way. That’s impossible. If that technology was feasible, every miner would have his own cannon. It would change the mining industry.”
“Apparently the Tah’Darians figured out how to do it. The police unit from Tah’Dar-6 that chased us down claimed that it was built to specifications sent by someone in Tarn.”
“I don’t think it’s a properly working cannon. The physics are not possible. I know a few bots in the mining business, they have tried. It’s never worked out for them.”
“I’m tellin’ ya, Red, this thing’s fully functional. Our engines activated it somehow, just by being in its vicinity, and it’s been givin’ us problems ever since.”
Red Alert looked at the box as it was loaded onto the security shuttle. He then looked back at Inferno with genuine alarm on his face.
“Is it dangerous? I mean, is it active right now?”
“It seems to be quiet, but the Tah’Darian said once it is activated, it cannot be deactivated, due to its link to the nearest event horizon.”
“An eve- you mean a black hole?!” Red Alert’s optics widened. “That thing is linked to a
black hole?!”
As he raised his voice, the other security drones all looked at him at the same time.
“Yes, but it seems to be fine now.” Inferno said, trying to calm everyone. “It didn’t do any damage, other than to the container it was in, and that happened only because it was being pulled toward the engine room. It didn’t go off or anything like that.”
“Okay, we’ll be very careful with it.” Red Alert said, the obvious concern all over his face and in his voice. “But I wish I knew that before, so I could have had Trailbreaker set up a force bubble around it. As far as I know that’s the only thing that could contain any energy discharge from a fusion cannon. I’ll contact him as soon as we leave.”
“I thought Ironhide told you.”
“I didn’t speak to Ironhide, Skydive in the tower spoke to Air Raid, and then sent out the notification to the security station. I just happened to be there, and when I saw that it came from Ironhide’s ship, I decided to check it out for myself. And I’m glad I did. You need to have a word with Air Raid. he should have specified the nature of the cargo.”
“I will handle it. You just make sure that thing is secured.”
“Absolutely. You take care. See you later.”
Red Alert then got on the shuttle and ordered the driver to go to the nearest security station. As they pulled away, Inferno could see Red Alert turned around in his seat, his optics focused on the gray box like a laser.
“Did you tell him what the Tah’Darian said?” Sideswipe asked.
“About the fusion cannon? Yeah, I told him it was active.”
“No, the other thing. About them having secret agents on Cybertron.”
“Uhh...no. I figured that was for Ironhide and Maximus to handle.”
“But what if they already know it’s in their custody? And they try to take it before it could be properly secured? Red Alert won’t be prepared for spies trying to steal it. He’ll be too worried about making sure it doesn’t go off and waste his whole station.”
“Damn. You’re right. Let’s see if we can get in touch with them.”
Inferno stepped over to the intercom, and pressed the button to the bridge.
“Air Raid, can you hail the security shuttle that just left?”
“
No, I can only talk to the tower. Something wrong?”
“Uhh, no, not yet. Tell the tower to get in touch with either the shuttle or the security station they’re going to. Tell them to watch out for suspicious individuals. The cargo they’re carrying might be a target for some bots or even aliens trying to take it. This moon is crawling with all kinds of beings from all over the galaxy. It could be anyone.”
“
Uhh...okay.”
Inferno then began closing the cargo doors, with the other 3 standing outside on the ramp. Quickly, he jumped out through the sliding panels of the doors, and joined them.
“So now what?” Warpath asked.
“Now, we get some rest and relaxation.” Inferno said. “Go get a good oilbath or some down time on a recharge slab. Ironhide has to meet with Maximus, and I have to line up our next freight. Besides, the ship needs to be refueled and the inside of the cargo bay has to be fixed up from what happened.”
“What about the rest of the cargo?” Cliffjumper asked.
“Well, that’s for Maximus to decide. I mean, it is intended to go to Tarn, so once it is cleared, it will probably be offloaded. But not until Ironhide and Maximus get to the bottom of this mess.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s go get wasted.” Sideswipe said with a grin.
“Well, don’t get too wild, we’ll only be here for one cycle, 2 at the most.” Inferno said. “I want all of you at full operating capacity when you get back.”
“Of course, boss.” Sideswipe answered, the grin still on his face.
Inferno shook his head as the others went their own way once they reached the bottom of the ramp and entered the dock station. Inferno needed some down time as well, but he had to make sure the next cargo was ready to be picked up. He headed toward the office to see if what they were taking had arrived yet.
*** *** ***
Ironhide sat in Maximus’s office. It was a pretty plain room, Max was never much for flashiness, he liked to get to business. Ironhide liked that about him. He hadn’t been waiting long, but he was getting impatient already. He looked around the office, the walls were bare, except for the computer console off to his right. He assumed Maximus used this to keep up with reports and other events going on, as he was in charge of the entire moon’s security. In front of him was a desk, with a smaller console on it, and Ironhide guessed this was Maximus’s communication tool, perhaps another way to keep on top of things. The desk was pretty big, but there was nothing else on it. Then again, Max was a pretty big bot, Ironhide thought. Behind the desk was a chair, also bigger than the one Ironhide sat in. Despite the emptiness of the room, Ironhide started to feel claustrophobic. He wanted to leave, but this meeting had to take place. What happened on the way in was a big problem, and Max needed to know. Ironhide was just about to start muttering curses, when the door behind him opened. He turned around, and saw Maximus standing there, taking up the entire doorway from side to side. His head almost bumped into the top of the opening as he came through.
“Hello, Ironhide.” Max said calmly, but not jovially.
“Hey Max.” Ironhide said as he stood up.
The 2 shook hands and Max gestured for him to sit back down as he walked around the desk.
“So I hear you had quite the ride in.” Max said as he sat down.
“Oh yeah. And that’s just the beginnin’.”
“Yeah, Red Alert gave me the gist of it. A fusion cannon? Really? A miniaturized fusion cannon linked to an event horizon? That kind of technology shouldn’t exist! I mean, not only is it advanced, but it’s very unstable and dangerous!”
“Yeah, it is. But that’s not even yer biggest concern. The main thing is yer possible security breaches to steal it.”
“Right. That was another thing Red told me. Your pilot said there might be spies from Tah’Dar-6 present here on the moon?”
“Well, that’s possible. I had a very interesting encounter with a Tah’Darian police captain who chased us down all the way from their system after we picked up the cargo going to Tarn and held us up not too far from here.”
Ironhide then proceeded to recount the events that occurred regarding the fusion cannon, and when he was done, the first thing Maximus did was activate the panel on his desk. He pressed a few buttons.
“I need to speak to Red Alert, right now.”
“
Right away, commander.” the operator’s voice came back. After a few seconds of silence, it was replaced by Red Alert’s voice. “
Yes, Maximus.”
“Red, what’s the status on the compromised cargo that came in on the
Paladin Express earlier?”
“
It’s secured. I got Trailbreaker to lock it down with a force bubble. It’s still inside the gray box, and it’s also heavily guarded. I haven’t left the station either, I intend to oversee it personally, until you decide what to do.”
“Alright. Any suspicious individuals attempt to get close to it?”
“
Uhh...I got a report of someone trying to get inside the station. It wasn’t a Cybertronian, he claimed to be a member of a transport crew who said he was accosted and robbed last cycle, and he was looking to see if we retrieved his belongings. I checked the reports and there was no such incident. While I was doing that, he attempted to gain entry into the safe-secure area. When confronted, he tried to run. He was detained and is now in a holding tank. I haven’t had the chance to speak to him yet. Otherwise, nothing.”
“Okay, hold off on talking to him. I want to be there. In the meantime, make sure you double security inside and outside the station. Clearly there is truth to what ironhide and his crew warned us about. There may be others coming to cause trouble.”
“
Yes, commander. We will be prepared.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Max then turned off the communicator on his desk, and looked back at Ironhide.
“Okay, so that’s where that’s at. I have to get in touch with Ultra Magnus in Iacon, if only to apprise him of the situation, but I want to contain this here. Obviously, the fusion cannon will not be allowed to proceed to Tarn. Whoever wanted it will either have to let it go or try to claim it, and maybe we can get to the bottom of this once that person is revealed. I don’t care what anyone tries to tell me, that thing is not simply a mining tool. It has the potential from great destruction.”
“Yes, it does. At least you got it under control. But what about the rest of the cargo?”
“Well, as soon as this mess is cleared up, I don’t see why the rest of it can’t go to Tarn. I mean, all that stuff is regular mining equipment, I had it thoroughly checked.”
“Okay, so how long do you think it will take?”
“That depends on what Magnus says, and what the response from Tarn will be. Shouldn’t take more than 2 or 3 cycles.”
“And until then we have to stay docked? Can’t the freight be unloaded in a holding area or something?”
“Yeah, I suppose it could. But honestly, I preferred if it stayed onboard your ship.”
“Max, I have another cargo ready to go tomorrow. I need to keep goin’. I have a business to run.”
“Like I said, it could be unloaded. I wanted it to stay on the ship because it’s easier to guard that way. It’s still secured in your cargo hold, and your crew being present gives us an extra layer of security. Not that I don’t trust my squads, but it’s a lot harder for a spy to get the access codes to your ship than to the holding area on the surface. And if it does happen, we’ll know that it could have only come from one of your bots.”
“Hey, my crew wouldn’t compromise your security!” Ironhide snapped.
“I know that. That’s why I want the cargo to stay on the ship. Eventually, someone from Tarn has to show up to claim it, especially if they want it bad enough. And then maybe we can get to the bottom of this. If I let the cargo off, it could be taken from the holding area easier, and if we don’t find out who took it, we may never know who wanted that fusion cannon. Whoever was waiting for it might decide it’s not worth the risk and abandon it. But the cargo it came with is pretty substantial, and that would be harder to let go. So please be patient. 2 or 3 cycles at the most, and if nothing happens, I’ll have it offloaded and you can be on your way.”
Ironhide frowned and shook his head as he leaned back in the chair. He looked at Maximus for a moment, and then leaned forward again.
“Alright. 3 cycles. At the
most. After that, I don’t give a damn if I gotta dump the stuff right on yer dock tower.”
“That’s all I’m asking for. I’ll figure this out by then, I promise.”
“Fine. We’ve been runnin’ pretty hard anyway. I’ll let my crew have an extra cycle of rest.”
Ironhide then stood up.
“Now I gotta go make arrangements for the other cargo to be delayed. Hopefully the sender will be understandin’.”
“Who is it?”
“I’m shippin’ a ship-full load to VsQs. It’s underwritten by Senator Shockwave.”
“The Senate? You better be careful with that load. You must have a hell of a reputation if they hired you instead of arranging armored government transport. Do you know what you’re hauling?”
“No idea. All I know is the manifest lists several large containers, big enough to take up my entire cargo space. The order did have an ‘Urgent’ specification, that’s why I’m kinda worried about pushing it back. But we’ll see.”
“Let me know what happens. I know this kind of stuff is very touchy, so if they put pressure on you, maybe I can figure out something else with the cargo going to Tarn.”
“Alright, I will. I did find it unusual that the order didn’t have the Iacon seal on it. It’s a personal shipment from Senator Shockwave. So technically, it’s not official government business.”
“Really? Hmm, I wonder what he’s sending to VsQs. It’s not a technologically developed planet, as far as I know. I mean, they have a basic society, but we’re far more advanced than they are. Oh well, none of our business, I guess.”
“Yeah. As long as I’m paid, I’ll take it anywhere they want it, if the destination is registered. Anyway, I’m gonna get going. Let me know what happens with Magnus.”
“Alright. Relax for a cycle, will you? I’m sure everything will be fine.”
“Yeah, probably. I just want this whole thing to be over with. I don’t even want to hear about that damn fusion cannon ever again.”
“You won’t. We’ll take care of it.”
Ironhide then walked out of Maximus’s office, leaving both of them to contemplate the recent events and what to do next. Neither of them had any idea just how wrong they were about the cargo in question.
*** *** ***
“Your turn.” Powerglide said as he sat down in his copilot’s seat.
“Alright. I won’t be long.” Air Raid answered. “Have you heard from the others?”
“No, they’re still out doing whatever. The last message I got from the boss bot said we will be here for an extra cycle due to the security concerns. So everyone should have plenty of time to rest and relax.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll get myself ready.” Air Raid said as he stood up. “It’s been a while since I took some time for myself. And I know this moon has a
lot of fun stuff to do.”
“Between the security squads and our own security system, everything should be fine. We’ve been sittin’ here for a whole cycle now, and nothing happened.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way. Sideswipe and Cliffjumper should be back later this cycle, and then we can get out of here. I know Warpath damaged one of his tracks when that container went loose, so he’s off gettin’ that fixed. He won’t be back until tomorrow either.”
“Air Raid, don’t worry. We’re locked down tight here, nobody’s going to try anything.”
“Alright. Let’s get one last sweep of the cameras and then I’ll get going.”
They both looked at the screens in the consoles in front of them, Powerglide clicking the button which switched from one camera to the next. Ironhide had them built in around the cargo doors, the shuttle bay door, as well as facing the rear on the sides of the engines. There were also 2 cameras on both the top and bottom of the ship that could be remotely operated. They had a pretty big field of view, and as they were going through it, everything seemed to be in order. Air Raid was about to turn and leave when the last camera shot came up. It was the camera on the left side of the shuttle bay door. It registered movement in the bottom right corner. There was someone there. Someone going to the door.
*** *** ***
Maximus sat in his office, going over regular security reports. The moon was a busy place, with all kinds of visitors from every corner of the galaxy stopping for all kinds of reasons. Offloading and picking up cargo, maintenance on their ships, and of course the various personal satisfactions that could be had on the other half of the moon. He definitely had his hands full, but Red Alert, Siren and Nightbeat were good lieutenants and things usually went smooth, even when there were troublemakers having to be dealt with. This time, however, Maximus was more preoccupied with this problem Ironhide brought to his station. Max knew it wasn’t the old bot’s fault, but it was still a security threat that had to be dealt with. But first, he would meet with the representative of the mining operation in Tarn, and see what the bot had to say. As Max closed the window on his console screen, the intercom on his desk flashed orange. That meant someone from inside the office was trying to reach him.
“Yes.” he said after pressing the button.
“
Sir, the representative from Tarn has arrived.” the monotone voice of the guard drone outside said.
“Let him pass.” Maximus said, and hit the button again, turning off the intercom. He then pressed another button on his desk, and the door to his office slid open. As the visitor stepped in, Maximus stood up and took measure of the bot. He had the movements of an official bot, someone who was very much a control freak and focused on nothing but what was in front of him. He was shorter than Maximus, but not by much. He didn’t have a bulky build, so Max figured he wasn’t actually a miner. His purplish paint job glimmered, and his yellow optic visor above a chrome faceplate gave away no expressions. This bot’s face was completely covered up. Maximus immediately became suspicious, but he held his reaction in check, and simply extended a hand.
“I’m commander Maximus, i’m in charge of security for the moon.” he said.
“I’m aware who you are.” the the visitor said. His voice seemed like he was speaking out of an intercom himself, and that was just unsettling. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” his optical visor flashed as he spoke.
“And you are…?” Max asked, the smile quickly disappearing from his face. If this bot wanted to be difficult, Max had no problem doing that. After all, this was
his station.
He was in charge.
He called the shots.
“My name is Soundwave.” the bot answered. “I am here on orders from Charr Mining of Tarn. You are in possession of the company’s property, and I am here to claim it.”
“Soundwave.” Maximus repeated. “Can’t say I have heard of you. What exactly do you do for the mining operation?”
“I am its communications officer, as well as shipping coordinator. Can we dispense with the pleasantries and get to the matter at hand?”
This took Max a bit off guard. The bot was definitely pushy. But Max could play that game just the same.
“First, we will sit down and discuss what exactly your company ordered from Tah’Dar-6. I assume you have your copies of the manifest? I would like to see them.”
“The manifest I have is the same as yours. It is a detailed list of items being shipped, and when I arrived here it was confirmed to me that the items on the list are what you confiscated, no more, no less. So what’s the hold up?”
Forget pushy, this bot was just rude. And after the events of the last cycle, Maximus was nearing his limit. He didn’t like things out of order in his charge, and this bot was making it difficult to straighten everything out.
“Sit down.” Maximus said with a firm tone. “This will take a while.”
Soundwave said nothing, and though his face was covered with both a faceplate and an optical visor, his frustration was obvious. But he did as Max said, and took a seat, the same seat Ironhide had used the day before. Max sat back down in his chair.
“So then. Let’s talk about what is
not on the manifest.” he said with a stern stare.
“I do not understand.” Soundwave said.
“Don’t.” Max replied calmly. “Don’t pretend like you don’t know. Even if you didn’t know what came in at the time, you have been given a report when you arrived here. You know.”
“I have no knowledge of anything other than what is on the manifest. Is there something else I’m supposed to know about?”
Max squinted his optics for a second. He couldn’t tell if this bot was provoking him by playing dumb, or if he really didn’t know about the fusion cannon.
“There was another piece of cargo on board, which is not on the manifest. A certain type of mining equipment that has been heavily modified, to the point it’s dangerous. It was placed in the center of the shipping container, no doubt to be hidden by shipping scanners as well as the shipping crew themselves. It was constructed on Tah’Dar-6, on specifications sent there by someone in Tarn.”
“The shipping crew opened the container? That’s against the contract’s terms.”
“The con- did you not hear what I just said?!” Max was getting aggravated. “Your order included a dangerous and potentially devastating piece of equipment, one that can be classified as a weapon! I want an explanation for this!”
“The contents of the container are strictly the responsibility of the company. I am here to claim the property which has been held up in your station for 2 cycles now. This property is needed in Tarn for the next step of deep core mining. I need you to tell me what procedure I need to follow to take possession of the cargo in question. The sooner I have it on my ship, the sooner it will be out of your way and you can go about your daily duties.”
Max was now beyond frustration. This company bot didn’t seem to understand the problem. Max wanted answers for the fusion cannon and the manner in which it was transported, but this bot seemed to be intent on keeping the conversation away from it. His droll, monotone voice didn’t help things.
“Listen. The shipping container will stay in under my authority until this business with the undocumented cargo is settled.” he said, leaning over his desk. “You will not get your hands on it for your bosses until I get answers. Understood?”
“Again, I am not here for a piece of undocumented cargo. I am here for-”
“I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TIME!” Maximus shouted, slamming his hands on his desk. “You don’t seem to understand the situation here! I’m not giving you
anything, until you tell me who is the recipient of the fusion cannon!”
In a move Max did not expect, Soundwave also leaned forward over the desk, until their faces were less than a meter apart. But unlike Maximus, Soundwave kept his composure and spoke in his even, monotone voice.
“I know nothing of this fusion cannon you speak of.
If there is a discrepancy between the manifest and the actual cargo, I am unaware of it. I am simply here to collect the equipment that was on the manifest and shipped by the
Paladin Express. Any other matters concerning any other cargo is not my concern.”
Soundwave then leaned back in his chair.
“Alright.” Maximus said calmly, tapping his hands on the desk, then leaning back as well. “You want to play this the hard way. Fine. If you don’t know anything, then I will have to get in touch with someone higher in the mining operation, who might know. Until then, the cargo
stays here. If no one will cooperate with me in Tarn, I will take it upon myself to get approval to contact Tah’Dar-6’s government with approval from our own government. That way I’m covered in case this develops into an interplanetary incident. Now, that’s a
lot of official procedure, something I have a feeling you’re familiar with. And all that time, your cargo will be detained here. The point is, today you’re leaving here empty handed. So unless you’re willing to give me what I need, we have nothing else to discuss.”
Soundwave remained quiet. His visor flashed for a moment. Maximus looked him, awaiting his response. Nothing. Soundwave stayed silent. His visor flashed again. Finally, as Max was about to snap again, Soundwave stood up.
“Then I guess we have nothing else to discuss.” he then turned around without waiting for a response and walked out of the office.
Maximus, caught off guard by the response, didn’t say anything and didn’t move.
*** *** ***
“Who is that?” Powerglide asked, pointing at the screen.
On it was a small bot, mostly black with some red on his arms. He seemed very curious about the shuttle bay door.
“Where are the security drones?” Air Raid asked.
“I don’t see any. Maybe we should-”
But Powerglide never got to finish the sentence, as the ship began vibrating.
“What...the hell...?” Air Raid asked.
“It’s that bot!” Powerglide said loudly, almost with a shout. “He’s...he’s shaking the ship somehow! I can see him, he’s trying to get in through the shuttle bay door! He has what looks like piledrivers of some kind.”
The shaking was getting more intense. Air Raid was still standing freely, but Powerglide had to hold onto his chair.
“Can he break the door with those?” Powerglide asked.
“I don’t know! Where the hell is security? Call them!”
Powerglide leaned forward and activated the comm link on the console in front of him.
“Tower, this is the
Paladin Express! Come in! I repeat, come in!”
“
This is air control tower five, go ahead.”
At that point, Air Raid leaned down to the speaker, pushing Powerglide aside.
“Skydive, there’s someone trying to get on our ship! He’s trying to break down the shuttle bay door! Where the hell is security?!”
“
On the way.” was the short response.
A few moments later, 3 squads of security drones swarmed the ramp to the ship and a 4th squad approached with a flying shuttle, just like the one Red Alert had shown up in the day before. Except this one could actually fly. But before they could do anything about the intruder, 2 others arrived, both smaller flying bots with wings, and began strafing the security guards in the shuttle. The drones were forced to cover and take a defensive stance, returning fire at the flying bots. One of them broke formation while the other kept up the strafing, back and forth, and snatched the smaller red and black bot in midair as he jumped from the
Express. Then the other bird also broke off the attack and they all flew away. The squad in the shuttle gave chase.
“What was that?” Powerglide asked as he stood up. The ship had stopped vibrating. “Did he really think he could get in here with just those, all by himself?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure what that was. What I would like to know is where the hell was the security detail we were supposed to have at all times?”
“Beats me. I mean, they were here within a matter of seconds, so they couldn’t have been far away.”
“Well, they were far away enough for that little creep to sneak up and start denting in the shuttle bay door!”
“Okay, well it’s over now. Let’s get in touch with Ironhide and see what’s next.”
“He’s due back any time. So is Inferno. But I’m sure Maximus has been alerted by now as well, so it’s not our problem. We just need to stay here and wait.”
*** *** ***
Maximus was still at his desk, contemplating the meeting that just took place. He couldn’t come to terms with Soundwave’s reactions and statements. At first, he was very adamant about taking the detained cargo with him. But then, suddenly, he seemed to just give up. That was very unusual. Suddenly, the red light flashed on his desk. That meant an emergency.
“Yes.” he said after pressing the button.
“
Max, this is Red Alert. We have a serious problem! The fusion cannon is gone!”
For a moment, Maximus was stunned and couldn’t answer. Then he regained his thought and pressed the button again.
“How did that happen?! How was it taken?!”
“
I...I’m not sure. There was a disturbance at the ship, and all but one squad went there to contain it. While that happened, the force bubble was somehow deactivated and the cannon was taken without the squad noticing.”
“Weren’t they in there? Watching it, like they were supposed to?!”
“
Uhh...I...I guess not. They...they went outside when the call came in about the ship, even though they didn’t leave the secure area. Someone must have been lying in wait. Someone who couldn’t be detected.”
“It had to be more than one bot! That box wasn’t light!”
“
The box is still here. They took just the cannon and its connected portable power source.”
“Damn it! How could you let this happen?! I’m on the way!”
“
I...I’m sor-”
Maximus turned off the comm link and hurried out of his office. There was something definitely wrong here. As he headed toward the docks, the recent events ran through his mind, over and over. This was not a coincidence. Soundwave’s arrival, the incident at the
Paladin Express. It was all connected.
It was a ruse! the thought snapped into Maximus’s mind.
The meeting was simply to distract me, and the attack on the ship was to distract Red Alert and the guard units! But still, one unit stayed behind,
and there was a force bubble around the cannon, with Trailbreaker supposedly overseeing it. How could the cannon be taken despite those measures? Max had a lot of questions, and he would find the answers one way or another. But the very first thing he had to do was contact Ultra Magnus on the surface of Cybertron, and have him send a police unit to Tarn. No doubt whoever took the cannon was headed there. He also needed to alert Silverbolt to begin an aerial lockdown of Tarn. This situation could still be salvaged. Somehow.