| abstract
| - In an unknown star system, a transwarp portal opens, releasing two starships: a fleeing Predacon warship and a pursuing Maximal exploration vessel. Already carrying the scars of battle, both ships immediately open fire upon each other. On the Maximal ship, a youthful crewmember reports on their damaged condition, in response to which another bitterly complains about their non-combat exploration vessel not being cut out for this mission. Their commander, Optimus Primal, states that they were the only ship in range capable of intercepting the fugitives. On the fleeing Predacon starship, the first officer urges his leader, Megatron, to finish off the Maximals while their opponents' shields are down. Megatron arrogantly rebuffs this suggestion, preferring to toy with his opponents. A broadside attack cripples their enemies' engines and causes significant damage to their stasis hold. Optimus Primal orders the ship's cargo of stasis pods be released into safe orbit before firing the forward plasma cannons, strafing the Predacons' hull. With no engines, both ships are caught in the planet's gravitational pull and plummet to its surface. Both ships are non-flightworthy after their crashes. The Maximals have landed on a cliff above a lake; the Predacon warship has landed smack in the middle of the ash-hardened opening of an active shield volcano. The Predacon computer informs Megatron that their location is unknown, as while the course settings were accurate, the readings were not consistent with what was to be expected of the location. Dismissing this for the time being, Megatron demands to know if the mysterious planet has Energon, which the computer confirms to his elation. However, it warns that there is so much Energon that prolonged exposure would permanently damage their robot modes. Declaring that they will take the forms of the most powerful creatures on the planet, Megatron orders his science officer to scan for local lifeforms which they could adapt as alternate modes to survive on this world. The Predacon ship launches a drone, scanning the fossils of a Tyrannosaurus rex, Velociraptor, and Pteranodon, as well as a living spider and wasp. At the cliff, the Maximals have the same idea, with a gorilla, rat, rhino and cheetah. The team checks out their new forms and bicker amongst themselves until Optimus Primal orders the crew to stand down, reminding them that their new beast forms are to protect them from the long-term effects of the abundant Energon fields: While they need Energon for power, their robot modes will short out after a few minutes after being exposed to too much of it, which means it is crutial that they transform to Robot Mode sparingly. Optimus notes that they are on a very unusual planet, wherever it is. Rhinox points out that the transwarp drive allows them to journey through space and time, so they could be in any place, at any time. Optimus expresses concern about the stasis pods in orbit, as it means the team is outnumbered if Megatron gets his hands on them. Back at the other crash site, the Predacons are testing out their new beast modes, bar one. First officer Dinobot, studying the Golden Disk he and his cohorts had stolen, and in his velociraptor beast mode, is furious, declaring that this world cannot be Earth. He accuses Megatron of failure, both in battle against the Maximals and in failing to guide them to the right planet. Megatron laughs off Dinobot's accusations, and has Scorponok (scorpion) blast the treacherous Dinobot over the horizon. Megatron informs the other Predacons (Tarantulas - tarantula, Waspinator - wasp, and Terrorsaur - pteranodon, as well as Scorponok) that it doesn't matter which planet they are on, as they had come looking for Energon to fuel their Maximal-Predacon war, and this planet is rich with it. Megatron dispatches his crew to seek out and destroy their enemies. Meanwhile, speaking of their enemies, they are surveying the land around them and cleaning up the wreckage on the Axalon. Rattrap complains about all the fuss over the Golden Disk, but Optimus Primal reminds him that the Disk is Cybertron's most closely guarded relic, a guide to a major source of Energon, which is why Megatron stole it. Rattrap doesn't care, retorting they were supposed to be performing deep-space exploration and that it isn't his job to chase after criminals. He sarcastically speculates on Primal's readiness to handle a command position. Optimus further reminds him of the Great War, noting that if the Predacons are able to secure a massive source of Energon, they wouldn't hesitate to start a new one. Rattrap isn't convinced. Deciding to show (and goof) off, Cheetor gives chase after two cheetahs running on the plains near the ship. Optimus tries to call him back, but the Energon radiation severely limits the range of their communications equipment. Anything over 100 meters, they ain't worth scrap. Cheetor continues the chase until he is finally in in-person greeting range of the cheetahs, lining himself beside the two cats as they run. He greets them but they roar in fear at the sight of a talking cheetah before jetting away in the same manner leaving him in the dust. He tries to rejoin them but they are too far away and fast. Some distance away, Cheetor's two cheetah buddies are freaked out by toward Waspinator; their first instinct when in fear in this case: taking off. It's not long before Cheetor's chase after them brings him to the wasp. Realizing through Waspinator's beast mode that he is a Robot In Disguise, Cheetor jumps into the air, transforms, lands in robot mode and fires unprovoked, attempting to swat him. But he notices he's been discovered (Mainly due to his size being bigger than a normal wasp's), transforms and retaliates. Back at the Axalon, the other Maximals move out to give Cheetor backup, with Rhinox ramming his way through a pile of boulders to speed up their progress. Waspinator manages to get the better of Cheetor when the Maximal's quazar rifle ends up in a Quazar jam, but fortunately, the other Maximals have arrived by then. Unfortunately, Megatron and the Predacons have arrived as well. Optimus Primal tries to convince Megatron to not engage in hostilities, as the Maximals and Predacons have been at peace for centuries. Megatron spits back that while the Maximals may have been at peace, the Predacons, like all enemies who appear "peaceful", were merely biding their time. The Predacons have never forgotten their goal of galactic conquest, but were merely waiting for the right time to strike. Cheetor's response to Megatron's sentence's ending is: "You mean like this?", fires and successfully hits Megatron in the jaw. Megatron did not see that coming and compliments Cheetor before declaring that for now the power gaunlet has been cast. Megatron:"PREDACONS: TERRORIZE!" With Megatron's order given, Optimus gives his team the follow-suit order. Both sides transform, and the battle is joined. As the Maximals seek cover from the Preds' heavy fire from the air and land, Cheetor is blasted by one of Scorponok's missiles and ends up with his leg trapped under a boulder. Optimus Primal orders Rattrap to assist Cheetor while he provides cover fire, but Rattrap flatly refuses to risk his life for anybody else, to Optimus' anger. The Maximal leader flies to Cheetor's position himself but is hit by Predacon fire, much to Rattrap's smug delight, proving his case. Nonetheless, Optimus manages to free Cheetor while Rhinox "persuades" Rattrap to help provide the pair with cover fire. With the Predacons now seeking cover of their own, the Maximals make their escape. Megatron orders pursuit, but he and his Predacons begin succumbing to the effects of the energon buildup and are forced to revert to beast mode. On the way back to base, Optimus Primal chews out Rattrap for disobeying a direct order, explaining to the petulant Maximal that he could have given better cover fire, an explanation which Rattrap accepts rather grudgingly. Cheetor notes that they seem to have escaped the Predacons. Primal isn't sure, as the Golden Disk theft reports indicated there were six Predacons, but they only encountered five in the previous battle. As if on cue, Dinobot, Predacon number six, appears, barring their way across a stone bridge to the Axalon. Dinobot states that he has left the Predacons to join the Maximals.. as leader. He challenges Optimus Primal to a one-on-one battle, with the winner to lead the Maximals, the loser to be destroyed!
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)