Episode 5: The Invasion of Earth Part 3: Showdown
The Space Bridge opened, and a long, sleek starship exited. It slid into orbit with Earth. On the bridge, Scorponok surveyed his handiwork.
?It?s beautiful.? He commented as he watched the Earth burn. He could see his cruisers smashing down the Earth Federation vessels, weapon fire lancing from both sides like little multicolored lightningbugs. He could see masses of darkness. He knew they were his Terrorcons engaging the pathetic resistance of the Federation and the Autobots. He could not see Ocean City, but that was of no concern. With the other three cities under his control, there would be more than enough Energon to revive Unicron.
Out o the corner of his optics, he saw a small bubbling on the surface. It looked like Ocean City was joining the fray. Excellent. Scorponok strode to the door, picking up Galvatron?s-or rather, his- sword. He would kill Optimus himself.
Optimus stood at the entrance to Ocean City in Super Mode. The gate was about to open, with the rumored commander of this assault among them. Intercepted enemy comm. chatter identified him as Frenzy. Optimus swore that this would be Frenzy?s last battle.
Jetfire came up beside Optimus. ?Any idea what?s waiting for us out there?? he asked.
?Loads of Terrorcons. Ready?? Optimus replied.
?Born that way.? Jetfire stated. Both bots readied their guns.
The gate slid open, and the Terrorcons wasted no time pouring in. Optimus, Jetfire, and the rest of the Autobot garrison met them head on and began firing, Optimus and Jetfire leading the charge. They did not notice a winter camouflage helicopter enter the base.
Cyclonus flew through the bowels of Ocean City. ?Demolishor! Oh, Demolishor! Where are you?? he called out.
?In here.? Demolishor replied from the rec room.
Cyclonus flew in and transformed. ?Great! Let?s go, before the Autobots all die!?
?I?uhhh?? Demolishor stammered.
?Come on! You?re not still having second thoughts, are you?? Cyclonus exclaimed.
?Well, what if this is all a hoax? What if Galvatron can?t be brought back to life??
?He can! Tidal Wave and I spoke to him before we left. He said to get a transport full of Energon and take it to him. He?s coming back, ready or not!?
?Are you sure??
?Positive! Come on, let?s get back to the transport!?
Demolishor stood for a moment, thinking. He was about to side with the Autobots when a whisper crawled through his hard drive:
Galvatron will be more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Do you really want to oppose him?
?Well?? Cyclonus asked.
Demolishor was snapped out of his thoughts. ?Right, let?s go!? The pair ran to the transport.
Hotshot cut down yet another Terrorcon. The battle in Jungle City had been raging for thirty hours straight. The fatigue was starting to wear him down. He looked at the battle around him. So far, they had managed to keep the Terrorcons from entering the city itself. Hotshot knew that it would only be a matter of time until the fight moved into the city. He had set several bots in the control room to the task of finding the enemy commander. So far, they had had no luck.
?Commander Hotshot, sir!? Hotshot recognized this voice as that of one of the bots he assigned to the control room.
Hotshot blasted another Terrorcon into slag. ?What is it??
?Sir, we?ve found the enemy commander, and he?s headed your way!?
Hotshot grimaced. ?Wonderful.? He returned to blasting Terrorcons.
One Terrorcon snuck up behind Hotshot and was promptly blasted by Inferno. ?Need a hand?? he called out.
?Definitely. Aren?t you supposed to be at the western gate?? Hotshot replied.
?We can hold out indefinitely there. I came over to see how you were doing here!? Inferno said as he threw a Terrorcon into another, sending both off a cliff.
?I got word the enemy commander?s headed this way. What do you say to Powerlinking?? Hotshot suggested, blasting another Terrorcon into spare parts.
?Sounds good. Hotshot or Inferno?? Inferno replied.
?Let?s go with Inferno. Heavier weapons.?
?Let?s get to it, then!?
Hotshot transformed into a pair of legs, while Inferno turned into a heavy weapons platform with a head. They merged and formed into Powerlinx Inferno.
Inferno blasted a cluster of Terrorcons into vapor. ?Ahh, the sugar-sweet kiss of heavy ordnance.? He set to work smashing more Terrorcons.
A brown Divebomb dropped in from nowhere. ?Enough of this! I, Ratbat, will crush you myself!?
Inferno turned to face the commander. ?Will you, now? I beg to differ.?
Ratbat lunged at Inferno, and Inferno shot him. Ratbat fell to the floor, his lower half a pile of slag. ?Darn. I missed.? Inferno shot him again, and Ratbat was reduced to a puddle.
An Autobot rushed up to Inferno. ?Sir! The Federation forces are requesting air support! They?re being demolished by the enemy cruisers! What should we do??
Inferno looked up. ?Give them a huge repair bill.? Inferno flew up at the nearest mobile fortress and blasted through the engine, ripped through the rest of the decks, and blasted out the top. The fortress began to fall to the ground. Inferno turned his guns upon the next few cruisers and blasted giant holes in them. He flew at one of them and pushed it into the one next to it. He flew off at a group of other cruisers and began to demolish them.
Laserbeak stood on the battlefield that once was Plain City. He had slain many Autobots this day, although the victory was lacking something. Something he couldn?t place.
Challenge. That was it. This entire city was poorly prepared to defend itself. Once his invasion fleet dropped down from the skies, the city was penetrated. Not even a shield to protect against transports coming in for a sky drop. Laserbeak had his forces in the city within the first moments of the attack. He even saw some humans running around the base.
Pathetic creatures, humans. Soft, brittle, vulnerable. Easily killed. No challenge for a warrior. Scorponok had informed the generals that the humans were expendable, and Laserbeak could see why.
A Terrorcon approached Laserbeak. ?Sir, we are pleased to report that Plain City has been destroyed. Shall we commence mining operations??
Laserbeak turned to face his subordinate. ?Give me a casualty report first.?
?No losses, sir, just some minor damage all around.?
?Good. Commence mining operations.?
?Right away.? The Terrorcon marched off.
Laserbeak walked to his ship. This battle was over, and now he had to report it.
Ravage stood on the bridge of his mobile fortress. Three Autobots had escaped earlier, but no one else had. His fleet was mopping up the remains of the Earth Federation fleet that had engaged him. He was now waiting for a casualty report. He looked forward to reporting the fall of Desert City.
A Terrorcon approached him. ?Sir, we have the casualty reports you requested.?
?Thank you. Proceed.? Ravage replied.
?We have lost the entirety of the 6th platoon, platoons 1-5 report heavy casualties, upwards of 5000 units lost per platoon, double that wounded. 7th platoon reports moderate casualties, but many wounded. Fleet group Alpha reports 17 ships lost, 13 others damaged. Fleet Group Beta reports a missing troop transport, no doubt the one stolen by the Autobots. Aside from that, they report 27 ships damaged, 3 destroyed. Fleet Group Gamma is still engaging the Federation fleet, but reports that the battle will be finished soon. Their losses are yet to be determined. Transport Group Alpha reports a missing Energon transport, but no casualties.?
Ravage dismissed the last part. A missing transport was of no concern. ?And the Autobots?? he questioned the other.
?Units report a 90 fatality rate amongst the Autobots. The remaining 10 must have escaped into the mines.?
?And you did not pursue why??
?Weapon discharges would have set off the Energon deposits, taking out the mine as well as the city. Our casualties would have been too great to warrant such a move.?
?Very well. Carry on.? Ravage said. Autobots in the mines. Who knows what they would be doing down there, or where they would go. Now was the time to report, if any. He entered his private comm. room and contacted Scorponok.
Scorponok waited for all four generals to appear. He had forgotten to wait for their report earlier. Laserbeak appeared first, then Ravage. A few moments, then Frenzy appeared. Scorponok waited a few minutes more, then decided to proceed.
?Has anyone heard a report from General Ratbat?? he asked.
?No, sir.? Laserbeak replied.
?Not a peep, sir.? Frenzy said.
?I heard from the battle at Jungle City that he had been killed.? Ravage reported.
?Strange how Ravage was the only one to intercept this message.? Laserbeak said.
?Strange how I was the only one listening.? Ravage shot back.
?This is true. A major operation like this requires communication between forces. I commend you, Ravage. I will report this to Alpha Q.? Scorponok said. ?Now, status report.?
?Plain City has been destroyed, sir. We are commencing mining operations now.? Laserbeak said.
?The fighting has just begun in earnest, sir. Ocean City did not rise until an hour ago.? Frenzy reported.
?Desert City is in our hands now. My fleet is mopping up the remaining Federation defenders.? Ravage reported. ?Jungle City status is unknown, although the last transmission indicated that their fleets were being annihilated. I would wager a loss there.?
Scorponok frowned. ?This isn?t good. Jungle City still standing, and Ocean City just having joined the engagement. Frenzy, what do you believe the outcome will be??
?The forecast does not look good. The Autobots who escaped Desert City went to Ocean City, and have joined the battle there. The Autobots known as Jetfire and Optimus Prime are there as well. We lost several ships before Ocean City rose, and the Federation has been fighting us for some time. I would need reinforcements to ensure a victory.? Frenzy replied.
?Then you shall have them. Laserbeak, you are to join with the force at Jungle City. Take command there, if there?s anything left. Ravage, finish up at Desert City, then make for Ocean City. I will be along presently.? Scorponok ordered.
?Yes, sir!? All three generals replied. Their comms cut.
Scorponok entered his ships? bridge. ?Plot a course for Ocean City, maximum speed!? he ordered.
Inferno flew through the skies of Jungle City. The enemy fleet was in a full-fledged panic. Inferno disengaged from Hotshot.
?Well, we certainly did a number on them.? Inferno said.
?That we did. We?ve still got a whole load of Terrorcons to kill.? Hotshot replied.
?Let?s get to it, then!? Inferno said. The pair rushed into the battle.
A Space Bridge opened up above the battle. More ships poured out of it. ?We?ve got company!? Hotshot shouted.
A red Divebomb dropped in between Hotshot and Inferno. ?So, you two are the ones who killed Ratbat. Rest assured, I will not be as easily killed as he was.? Laserbeak picked up a spikeball tail from a deceased Terrorcon. ?Prepare to die!? he shouted as he charged at Hotshot.
Hotshot sidestepped him, then shot him. Laserbeak rolled to the side and was stepped on by Inferno. Inferno pointed his plasma cannon at Laserbeak?s head. ?Hey, that was harder.? He said.
Laserbeak smashed Inferno with his spike tail, then flung it at Hotshot. Hotshot blasted it into nothing, but Laserbeak was already on him. Laserbeak stuck one of his explosive boomerang rockets to Hotshot and leapt away. Hotshot flung it off before Laserbeak could detonate it. Laserbeak caught it and flung it at Inferno, who caught the full blast of the explosive. In that time, Hotshot grabbed his blaster and shot Laserbeak. He fell to the ground.
Hotshot walked up to him. ?In your words, ?Prepare to die!?? Hotshot blasted Laserbeak?s face into slag. He ran over to Inferno. ?Are you okay??
Inferno groaned. ?I?ve felt better. Nothing a little Energon couldn?t fix, though.?
?All right, let?s get you inside.? Hotshot pushed Inferno onto his shoulder, then walked with him into the base.
Cyclonus and Demolishor entered the bridge of the transport. Tidal Wave was waiting for them. Dead Terrorcons littered the floor.
?Tidal Wave, you were to wait for Galvatron to say before we took the transport!? he exclaimed.
?They found me. I had to kill them.? Tidal wave replied.
?So, when do we leave?? Demolishor asked.
?As soon as we get enough Energon. They?ve found a deposit exposed somewhere nearby. They?ve been mining it for the past few hours. We?re almost full.? Tidal Wave replied.
?Yeah, if the humans don?t shoot us out of the sky.? Cyclonus muttered.
That too. I?ve heard over this comm. that Desert City has been taken and Plain City has been completely destroyed. Two of the generals in this battle have been killed at Jungle City. Scorponok and a General Ravage are headed to Ocean City to reinforce a General Frenzy. The battle here is favoring Scorponok at the moment, although Optimus is fighting like mad.? Tidal Wave explained.
?So, when do we move out?? Demolishor asked.
?Well, the Terrorcons have to give us the signal. They?ll give us the signal when the transport is full. That?s when we leave.? Tidal Wave looked at the cargo capacity. ?Another few minutes, and we should be finished.?
The radio came alive. ?Energon Transport Epsilon-3, you are to launch immediately! The battle?s about to heat up, and we want as much Energon as possible out of here before the Autobots get it!?
Tidal Wave sealed the hatch and launched the shuttle. It streaked into space toward the Space Bridge for transports. ?Soon, Galvatron will be alive again, and the Autobots won?t know what hit them!?
Optimus blasted a few Terrorcons into scrap. The battle was going pretty well for them. He had yet to see Frenzy, the enemy commander. Of course, a new fleet had arrived to reinforce this one, which probably held another commander. That wouldn?t be good.
As if on cue, a flash of red smashed into Optimus? face. He stumbled, and saw a red Terrorcon, one of the four-legged variety. ?You must be Optimus Prime. I must say, I expected you to be, well, stronger. But then, that may just be appearances, and they can be deceiving. I am Frenzy, and I say that only so you shall know the name of your destroyer.? The red Terrorcon said.
Optimus saw a black Terrorcon in the masses. It didn?t seem to notice him. He turned to face Frenzy. ?My destroyer? Your other generals lost to my men, and they weren?t as strong as I am. I doubt you?ll fare better.? Optimus said.
Frenzy lunged at Optimus, and he dodged. Optimus shot Frenzy in the head, killing him instantly. Optimus turned back to the battle and was face-to-face with a much larger bot. The black Terrorcon was by his side.
?So, you are Optimus Prime. Congratulations on defeating three of my generals. My fourth, the one at my side, is Ravage. I am Scorponok, and we will be your killers today.? Scorponok drew Galvatron?s sword.
?Galvatron?s sword? No? He can?t be alive!? Optimus said in shock.
?Not really. I just took his sword. Prepare to die!? Scorponok exclaimed.
Ravage jumped over Optimus and attempted to smash him with his tail. Optimus dodged, and swung at Ravage. Ravage ducked away and Scorponok stabbed at Optimus. Optimus dodged this, grabbed the sword, and flung it at the enemy fleet, along with Scorponok. Ravage jumped at Optimus again, but Optimus dodged and grabbed Ravage, flinging him into the fray. Optimus was then shot by lasers from nowhere. Scorponok smashed into Optimus, flying from out of the sun. The pair grappled for a while.
?There?s no way you will succeed here, Scorponok! I won?t let you!? Optimus shouted.
?You can?t stop me!? Scorponok spat back.
?Oh really?? Optimus flung Scorponok off of him, then shot at him with his Energon Blast. Most of the Terrorcon army was destroyed, and Scorponok sustained heavy damage.
Scorponok got shakily to his feet. He picked up Galvatron?s sword and surveyed the battle. The fleet was being destroyed, and most of the army was gone. ?All units retreat!? Scorponok ordered. Ravage followed Scorponok.
Jetfire rushed up to Optimus. ?Sir! All enemy units are retreating! We?ve won!? he exclaimed.
?That we did, Jetfire. That we did.? The pair watched Scorponok?s fleet withdraw from the planet. After a few minutes, Optimus said, ?Jetfire, I want you to have Hotshot and Inferno report back here. Also, assemble a casualty report. I?d like to know the price of this victory.?
?Yes, sir.? Jetfire walked back into the base.
A lone Energon transport emerged from the Space Bridge. It flew at the remains of the planet-monster, Unicron. If one was to listen at the door of the bridge, one would hear joyous singing about the good times being back again.
There you go. The first five episodes. Constructive criticism is appreciated.
Let me know if you want more. I have episodes up to 9 complete.