At long last, the agonizing pull subsided, leaving It still weaker. It raised a silent cry of horror and pain as It felt more of It's children slip away. Where was the Seer? Surely he would come to help...surely.
Please, we need you, It whispered.
"This cannot be natural. But what could have caused it?" He murmured to himself. Airazor had told him of a similar vista in her patrol area. Even with the cold of winter drawing closer, this should not be happening.
"A new wind is blowing through the land… and it brings only ill. Optimus should know of this." With that, Tigatron reversed his direction and raced back towards the Axalon.
"Of course, Megatron. The weapon is charged and ready, and Inferno reports no Maximal patrols."
"Excellent, yes. Then charge for battle, today is the last the Maximals shall ever see!"
"What do you want to do with Terrorsaur?" Tarantulas inquired suddenly. "I have some delightful experiments in the works that he would be perfect for." The purple spider giggled softly to himself at the thought of a live Cybertronian specimen to work with.
"That traitorous prehistoric chicken is of no concern to me right now. I will decide his fate after our victory... yes. Inform the others that we depart in ten cycles."
"Of course, Megatron." Tarantulas skittered into the shadows, and Megatron leaned back in his "throne".
"Well, Primal, it looks as though checkmate is mine, yes."
"They think I'm crazy!" He exclaimed, then paused as another thought took hold. What if they were right? He sat down heavily, and stared wide-eyed at his reflection in the shiny metal walls of his room. What if he really had lost his mind? He closed his eyes, trying to recall what it was that made him so sure it had been real. It hadn't been the images, of that he was fairly certain. After a few moments he hit upon it. It had been the raw emotion of the whole thing. The desperation, the fear, and beneath it all the terrible sadness, the sense of painful loss, all of it came rushing back to him. He had felt it all to the very core of his being. His eyes snapped open again, now lit with steely determination. It had not been a dream... it had been total, concrete, and in-your-face reality. Someone or something out there needed help, and he intended to do everything within his power to see that they got it. And if Optimus and the others weren't going to believe him, then he'd do it alone.
"Hang in there, I'm coming." He said out loud, before slipping out the door and exiting the ship entirely, once again not bothering with the possible consequences of his actions. But such is the way of youth. Had he the experience and wisdom of some of his older teammates, he might have known that it is often the bravest deeds that bear the greatest cost.
"Yo Stripes, ya seen the kid around? We can't find 'im anywhere and the boss is havin' a fit." Rattrap's voice intruded on Tigatron's thoughts as his comm unit crackled to life. With a sinking heart, Tigatron turned his eyes in the direction Cheetor had taken. Already he was lost to sight.
"Yes Rattrap, I have seen him," he said quietly, and ran the rest of the way to the Axalon as fast as he could. The situation had just gotten worse, though a mere cycle ago, Tigatron would not have believed it possible.
"Well?" Megatron barked, causing Tarantulas to jump slightly. The scientist giggled softly to himself before turning to Megatron. "You may begin when ready."
Megatron grinned maliciously at the words. "Inferno! Waspinator! Commence your attack." The two fliers took to the air instantly, bearing down on the Axalon with terrifying speed.
"All who oppose the colony will burn!" Inferno shouted above the rushing wind, and hurtled towards the ship. Waspinator was mere inches behind him already taking aim.
"Fire!" Megatron yelled, and Inferno and Waspinator unleashed all of their weapons upon the Axalon. As before all of the Maximals poured out of their vessel, guns blazing, but this time there was no Sentinel to back them up. Inferno took note of Scorponok and Blackarachnia racing along with them on the ground, rapid flashes of yellow-white light indicating they were firing on the Maximals. The Maximal Airazor took flight as soon as she could, streaking towards him with her missiles locked. Inferno found this very amusing. She fired before he had anticipated, however, and caught him a glancing blow in one shoulder, nearly forcing him to drop his flame-thrower. Airazor continued her ascent until she could very nearly count the fang-like protrusions in his mouth, then abruptly banked left, narrowly avoiding a stream of fire.
"Foolish Maximal, you will pay for that," Inferno hissed before changing his direction and following her. His wild laughter could be heard even above the roar of the wind and the sounds of battle below. He increased his speed and thundered after Airazor, his gleaming red eyes alive with murderous intent. Airazor turned and fired on him as often as she dared, but he barely seemed to flinch under her attacks. At long last, his plan became clear, and Airazor abandoned her efforts to deter him and concentrated on outflying him. It wasn't enough.
"Oh, slag," she muttered as Inferno slammed into her. Inferno forced them into a spiraling dive towards the unforgiving ground below. Scant seconds before they crashed, Airazor was given a supreme view of the jagged rocks that would be her landing strip.
"This is gonna hurt," she grunted just before they met the surface of the planet.
"Great. Just great. Well, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We're all gonna die!" He shouted as he fired yet another burst at Blackarachnia. She dove out of the way, but Rattrap was somewhat consoled by the fact that his laser fire nicked her in one leg.
"Man oh man, if we survive this I'm gonna KILL 'dat kid," he muttered. With Tigatron and Rhinox inside trying to get the base defenses back up and Airazor out of the fight, they were outnumbered.
"You shall have to wait in line, rodent." Dinobot hissed as he at last managed to blast Scorponok with his eye beams. "Go after Airazor; I shall engage Blackarachnia."
"You're backing me up, Dinobreath? Well, will wonders never cease?"
"Do not expect it to become a habit, vermin." Before Rattrap could reply, Dinobot drew his sword and charged Blackarachnia. Rattrap didn't wait around to see who was winning before he raced off to assist Airazor.
"Rhinox! We need those shields up and we need them now!" He barked, his voice coming out harsher than he had intended.
"I've almost got it. Tigatron's helping Rattrap with Airazor; she's pretty badly damaged."
"Prime." Further conversation was interrupted by the renewed assault of Inferno and Waspinator.
"We can't take many more hits like that, big guy," Rattrap hollered from where he was helping Tigatron get Airazor into a restoration chamber.
"Tell me something I don't know!" Rhinox shouted back. "Almost there, c'mon, c'mon," he muttered, connecting a few more wires. He was rewarded with a low electric hum, as the systems came back online.
"Hey, hey is 'dat what I think it is?" Rattrap said, coming up behind Rhinox.
"Yup, Sentinel's back up. Radio Optimus and Dinobot and tell them to get back in here. We can take care of the Preds with the weapons systems."
"Already done, they're coming in." Tigatron intoned.
Megatron sighed heavily. "Merely a delay, Scorponok, yes. Tell Blackarachnia, Inferno and Waspinator to retreat; we shall take care of this with the weapon."
"Acknowledged, Megatron. Coming in."
"Tarantulas, charge and fire at will. I want that shield down!" Megatron shouted harshly to the scientist. He then turned back to the Axalon. "Enjoy the respite while you can, Primal. There is no escape this time, no."
"She was nearly crushed. It'll take days to repair," Rhinox answered. Optimus nodded shortly and returned his gaze to the scanners.
"Meanwhile, we have to worry about the Predacons and that new weapon of theirs. It's only a matter of time before they use it again."
"Agreed. And we're trapped in this ship like rats," Dinobot muttered, earning him a dirty look from Rattrap.
"What about Cheetor? He's still trapped outside; if he should decide to return, the Predacons will surely destroy him," Tigatron voiced suddenly.
Rattrap crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Tigatron. "Right about now, I don't really care what happens to that feline."
Tigatron was nonplussed by Rattrap's words. "Do you honestly believe that this--" he gestured to the restoration chamber Airazor was in-- "Was his intention?"
Rattrap didn't answer, but gritted his teeth and reluctantly shook his head.
"Regardless of what his intentions were, Cheetor has put himself, and, however indirectly, us, in danger. And for what? A nightmare." Tigatron glanced about and saw similar thoughts mirrored on the other Maximals' faces. He closed his eyes briefly, and then left the room.
"Well, Little Cat, I certainly hope you know what you are doing. And may you be protected in whatever endeavor you felt you had to undertake," he murmured to himself. He turned down a hallway but abruptly reversed direction and raced back to the bridge as something slammed into the Axalon, shaking it to its very foundations, and sending the alarms into their screeching song once again.
"Ultra gear!"
No! It screamed. Behind you! It had no way of knowing if It's warning had reached the Seer in time, for at that moment the peace of Its home was splintered by laser fire.