Chapter 15: The Autobots' Last Ark
"Greetings, General Starscream! Our air control operations have been successful. We just shot down three Autobot spies. I never thought one of them could fly but those fools tried to force their way through our defenses and were blasted to pieces!"
When Starscream, following the Transformers System's orders, arrived at the blockade, one of his old subordinates eagerly ran up to him to claim credit.
His name was Thundercracker, a powerful fighter jet–type Decepticon one of the Autobots' most dangerous enemies. His lightning-fast reflexes and deadly air-to-ground combat made him a force to be reckoned with.
He was also more than a little unhinged once he locked onto an enemy, he wouldn't stop until they were completely obliterated. It seemed that three Autobots had just suffered that fate.
Though Starscream felt a pang of disgust, as the Decepticon Air Commander he had to acknowledge his subordinate's performance.
"Excellent work! I knew you could hold the line! It seems I was right to recommend you to Lord Megatron. Once this battle is over, you'll be promoted to squadron captain. Keep up the good work and aim to capture Optimus Prime himself!"
So that was it the Decepticons' true goal was to capture the Autobot Commander.
But even if Megatron himself couldn't guarantee victory, what chance did these ordinary Decepticons have? Starscream had heard the rumors in their training days, Megatron was often beaten by his so-called "older brother," Optimus Prime.
"No problem! I've already gathered a solid team. If it pleases you, General Starscream, perhaps you could put in a good word for me. I'd like to add these recruits to my unit!"
These Decepticons were insane. To expand their air fleet, they'd scavenged countless Fire Allies from who-knows-where, creating entire swarms of new soldiers based on Thundercracker's model.
The black mass that now darkened the sky looked like a plague of locusts. For the under-equipped Autobots, running into such an air force was a death sentence only a handful of elite warriors might survive.
Starscream realized that if a real battle broke out, he would need to find a way to remove this lunatic and his cronies; otherwise, even if he wanted to help Optimus Prime escape, it would be impossible.
"Master Starscream, don't listen to this guy's nonsense! I'm the one who took that Autobot down and Skywarp helped too. Don't believe his tall tales!"
Having overheard the conversation, another stealthy, dark-colored flyer approached. Starscream immediately frowned he disliked Skywarp even more than Thundercracker.
Cunning and opportunistic, Skywarp would use civilian Autobots as decoys to fake his kills, gaining undeserved glory. As a result, he'd reached a frontline position of prestige but without any real merit.
Every Decepticon knew his motto:
"Strike when the enemy least expects it!"
Even his own comrades despised him for his deceit.
"Skywarp, how dare you say that? That Autobot was already in our sights before you swooped in. You just stole the kill have you no shame?"
Indeed, while Skywarp wasn't particularly fast, his teleportation ability allowed him to jump anywhere within a two-kilometer radius. That trick alone had let him snatch countless victories.
"Enough! Stop your bickering!" Starscream barked.
"They were just three low-level targets. Compared to the great mission we'll begin tonight, they mean nothing. You've both served under me for a long time as your leader, I'll make sure you're rewarded. But for now, focus on the task ahead. Tell the others this: after tonight, everyone will be a commander!"
Though the Decepticons ruled Cybertron, they were riddled with internal strife a disorganized, fragmented army. Perhaps, Starscream thought, if the Autobots could survive this disaster, one day they might reclaim Cybertron.
But that depended on whether Optimus Prime and his troops could survive the night.
On the Autobots' side, things were even worse than Starscream imagined.
Apart from a few isolated shelters holding about two hundred Transformers each, only one Ark the main evacuation vessel remained intact. Its power source was barely sustained by the Chief Engineer's remaining energy.
To keep the Autobot flame from being extinguished, both Supreme Commander Optimus Prime and the Chief Engineer had already prepared for the worst. Their plan was to scatter roughly a thousand Autobots across more than two hundred planets throughout the universe.
Even then, they estimated that less than twenty percent would make it out alive.
"Optimus Prime! Please, let me stay with you! I don't want to be separated from you!"
It was the same female Autobot whom Starscream had deceived earlier a gentle, fragile mech, now assigned to the Ark, a position that should have belonged to Optimus Prime himself.
"Elita, you must understand your mission. Those civilians depend on your protection. I have my own responsibilities but believe me, no matter what happens, even if we're separated by the vastness of the universe, our Sparks will still feel each other's presence. I hope this farewell will lead to an even greater reunion. Believe me the Spark of the Autobots will never die."
The greater the danger, the more the Autobots needed a spiritual pillar like Optimus Prime.
Yet everyone present had already accepted the possibility of death.
"Dear, remember the Starscream I told you about? He's on our side. If you see him, cooperate with him. He might just be the key to our escape."
Like many women, Elita possessed a rare, intuitive insight. Without any solid proof, she believed in Starscream's sincerity and her trust deeply influenced Commander Optimus Prime himself.
But was it truly wise to place all the Autobots' hopes in a Decepticon.
(End of Chapter)