After Jetfire’s insane liberation of Drift and Rainbow Dash, Wheeljack managed to extract the data from her drive and Rarity’s, adding it to the map data in Teletraan’s systems, though there was still not enough data for the Autobots to truly identify the location of the AllSpark.
And Rainbow had more “important” things to deal with, namely learning how to fly with Jetfire. “Alright, let’s do this! I’m all revved up and ready to fly!” Rainbow smiled to Jetfire… who was using one of his wrist-mounted cannons as a blowtorch to work on the GroundBridge with Wheeljack modifying something else on the ring with what looked like a massive pipe-wrench as Perceptor went over calculations on the computer.
“Yeah, yeah gimme a second okay Rainbow?” Jetfire insisted. “We’ve gotta get this finished. How’re we doing, Perceptor?”
“Systems appear nominal. Though I am concerned as to how we intend to test the system.” Perceptor noted.
“Don’t worry about that, Perceptor,” Wheeljack assured with a strain in his voice as he adjusted a large component on the ring with his wrench. “I’ve already got Twilight on the way with our subject.” Just then, the hatch opened and allowed Bluestreak to roar in. “Speak of the Fallen.”
Twilight and Spike quickly jumped out with something in Twilight’s hands; a small RC car. “Got that test subject right here, Wheeljack.”
“‘Test subject’?” Rainbow asked in confusion. “Okay, what the heck are you guys doing here?”
“We are attempting to upgrade the spatial distortion matrix in the GroundBridge to allow for interstellar travel,” Perceptor explained briefly.
“Okay, now in non-nerd speak?” Rainbow raised her eyebrow.
Wheeljack rolled his optics as he dropped his wrench into his tool kit. “We’re trying to turn the GroundBridge into a SpaceBridge.”
“Why? We don’t even have the AllSpark yet.” Applejack reminded.
“A fact which we are all acutely aware of,” Perceptor assured, sounding fairly irritated… which was fairly surprising given his usual monotone speech patterns. “But when the time comes that we do possess the AllSpark, we will require a means of transporting it to Cybertron.”
“Uh, we’re standing in a giant spaceship? Hello?” Rainbow reminded, raising her hands around the area.
“Yeah, a giant spaceship trapped in a volcano under millions of years of rock.” Jetfire reminded. “Even if we overclocked the Ark’s thrusters, the ship wouldn’t budge.”
“Even if we could dislodge and launch the Ark, there is still the matter of distance,” Optimus added as he, Ironhide, and Inferno walked in. “Cybertron is many thousands of lightyears from Earth. If we attempt to make the voyage without a SpaceBridge, we will undoubtedly face opposition.”
“What, like pirates?” asked Rainbow.
“Megatron’s no slouch; he arranged massive armadas of privateers in the sectors surrounding Cybertron in the latter days of the war.” Drift informed. “If an Autobot ship so much as drifts toward one of the fleets, they’re scrap metal.”
“And if that ship just so happens to be carrying the AllSpark, that’s a win-win.” Wheeljack reminded. “Okay, I think we’re good; let’s test it out.”
“Understood.” Perceptor nodded, starting a recording. “Commencing SpaceBridge Test 1.”
“Exit-vector coordinates are set for Iacon,” Jetfire reported.
“Activating SpaceBridge now.” Wheeljack nodded, pulling the lever. The SpaceBridge revved online slowly with strange green electric arcs shooting out from the frame as the vortex generated.
“Is this supposed to happen?!” asked Rainbow.
“Not unless the generation matrix is unstable!” Perceptor remarked. “The vortex can only remain safely open for a few moments!”
“Then there’s no time for the car; we’re gonna have to huck the transponder through and pray it doesn’t get destroyed!” Wheeljack rationalized.
“Allow me!” Rainbow smiled as she quickly assumed her bot-form, grabbed the transponder from the counter nearby, and tossed it through the vortex before she dropped back to her human form.
“Let’s hope this works!” Wheeljack shrugged as he dashed to his console. “Coms set to Autobot Frequency Tychron-9-9. Transponder interfaced.” Quickly he turned on the coms. “To any Autobots remaining on Cybertron, this is the Ark; we’ve found the planet where the AllSpark is hidden.” The lack of an answer concerned him. “Autobots, this is Team Prime; please respond.” Still nothing. “Anyone, this is Wheeljack; do you copy?”
Finally, the line opened on the other end. “Hello?” Though it was interspersed with static. “Who- *kzzt* this is- *kzzt* on Cyber- *kzzt* please res- *kzzt*.”
“Yes! Yes, we’re here!” Wheeljack noted. “We can barely read you! Perceptor, boost the gain on the transponder!” Perceptor quickly did so and Wheeljack called back. “Cybertron, this is the Ark; please repeat last transmission, over!”
“This is- *kzzt* the Vira- *kzzt*. can barely- *kzzt*”
“The SpaceBridge is about to fail!” Jetfire noted.
“Cybertron, we’re about to lose you! Please say again; who’s speaking?” Wheeljack insisted.
Perceptor kept trying to clear the interference from the com-lines, but it was still somewhat muffled by the static. “This is G- *kzzt* of the Vira- *kzzt*.”
“She’s gonna blow!” Jetfire yelled and quickly jumped out of the way of the SpaceBridge, only for part of it to suddenly explode… though no one actually felt the blast.
The girls were all confused by this until they saw the Bridge’s broken component surrounded by a blue forcefield… emitted from Trailbreaker’s hand. “Whew. That was way too close.” he sighed as he lowered the shield, exposing a very badly damaged GroundBridge with part of it still on fire.
“Thank you Trailbreaker.” Optimus nodded, placing his hand on the shield officer’s shoulder. “Wheeljack, can the GroundBridge be repaired?”
“Maybe.” Wheeljack shrugged as he examined the damage while Inferno put out the fire. “But we’re low on parts and Energon; it’s gonna take me a while to round up everything I need.”
“In the meantime, maybe we can figure out who was on the other line,” Sunset noted. “Anyone got any ideas?”
“I think I heard them say they were with the ‘Vira’-something,” Spike remarked.
Inferno’s optics popped at the sound of that as he turned to Optimus and Ironhide. “That can’t be possible, can it?”
“It shouldn’t be. We all saw it.” Ironhide noted, glancing up at Optimus.
“What are you guys talkin’ about?” asked Applejack.
“A special branch of the Autobot forces; the Virago,” Optimus explained, still maintaining his stoic expression. “A female unit, led by my counterpart; Elita-1.”
“‘Counterpart’?” Twilight asked in confusion. Optimus’ face fell, explaining everything. “Ah, I see.”
“I don’t.” Rainbow shrugged.
“You and Elita… you were a thing, weren’t you Optimus?” The Prime only sighed at Sunset’s question, knowing what she was asking.
“Oh, now I get it.” Rainbow nodded. “So what happened to her?”
Optimus couldn’t bring himself to explain, so Ratchet stepped forward to explain. “When the Ark was preparing to launch, Megatron launched a final raid on Iacon. Elita's team tried to get aboard, but they were caught in an explosion near the gangplank.”
“Ever since, we have believed them gone. But if the one who answered our transmission claims to be a member, then perhaps Elita still lives.” Optimus theorized hopefully.
“I believe I have narrowed down exactly who it was that answered us, sir,” Perceptor noted. “Given the knowledge and technological capability needed to answer a transmission through that interference, and the acquired first initial, it could only logically be one Autobot.” He brought up a display of this bot on his screen; a bright green bot with smaller lighter green highlights in certain places on the white components of her armor.
“Greenlight.” Wheeljack nodded as he looked at her profile. “I met her once in Iacon. She had some good ideas. Apparently managing to contact us was one of ‘em.”
“We have to re-establish contact with them.” Prowl suggested. “Having a team on Cybertron would be instrumental in our future operations.”
“Agreed, Prowl. But if we wanna do that, we’ve gotta boost our com-signal.” Wheeljack noted. “We only managed to make contact this time because the channel was carried through the SpaceBridge.”
“Then we’ll have to upgrade the com system somehow,” Jetfire assured, looking at Wheeljack. “Micro-relay satellites?”
“Too obvious; the Seekers will destroy them before we ever have a chance to get a message out.” Perceptor countered.
“Is there any way we can upgrade the com system in the ship itself?” asked Twilight.
“Not without a lot more components that we don’t have.” Wheeljack shrugged. “And even then, it’s like Optimus said; Cybertron is thousands of lightyears away from Earth. If we want a signal to reach it, the tech would have to be eons ahead of anything Earth has to offer.”
“There’s gotta be something we can do.” Inferno seemed anxious to hear that there was, but Wheeljack shaking his head said it all.
“Nothing I can think of.” the engineer shrugged. “Unless someone would be willing to infiltrate a Decepticon outpost and steal their com-system.”
Applejack glanced over at Rainbow, who was simply smirking. “Don’t even think it, Dash.”
“Too late; I’m already thinkin’ it,” Rainbow smirked and shifted back to Bot-mode before she moved over to Wheeljack. “Which way to the nearest ‘Con outpost?”
“Uh-uh, no way; bad idea,” Wheeljack assured. “You’d be overrun before you got anywhere close to the com system.”
“Which is why I’m not going alone. I’m taking someone who can stay under the radar.” Rainbow smirked, glancing off in one direction… her optics locking onto Mirage.
“Hm. That’s actually not a bad plan; Rainbow distracts the guards as I sneak in and steal the com system.” Mirage smiled. “Then we fly back here under cloak and no one the wiser. Yeah, I like it; that could work.”
“Very well.” Optimus nodded. “But exercise caution; at the first sign of danger, I will send reinforcements.”
“Relax Optimus, we can handle this,” Rainbow assured as Mirage walked over to her. “Just have the others look for what Wheeljack needs; something tells me we’re gonna need that GroundBridge soon.”
“Alright, let’s roll out,” Mirage smirked and swiftly transformed before peeling out the door with Rainbow running after him.
Drift smiled as he called her over the com system. “The Decepticons have an Energon mine in the mountains a few miles east of town. The communications system should be at the top of the main pit.”
“Thanks, Drift,” Rainbow smirked, changing the channel to Jetfire’s com-unit. “Guess you’re gonna have to make that flying lesson quick, Jetfire.”
“Fire the engines and grab the steering column,” Jetfire explained quickly. “The pedals let you bank into turns.”
“That simple? Cool.” Rainbow smiled and swiftly transformed into jet-mode, concerned as she was falling slowly but quickly started the engines spinning and quickly fired them, carefully pulling up as she made sure her breathing mask was in place and her feet were on the pedals correctly. “Awesome! Cmon Mirage, let’s rock!”
Mirage quickly transformed to bot-mode and jumped onto Rainbow, grabbing onto her wings as she swiftly shot across the hills. Soon enough, they reached the hills where the mine was located but Rainbow remained in the air, circling to locate the main pit. “There.” Mirage pointed down at the massive hole in the ground out of sight from prying human eyes. “Take us down; I’ll conceal our approach.”
Quickly Rainbow transformed and slowly jetted down toward the main pit with Mirage holding her in a fairly pleasant hug, swiftly cloaking them both as they dropped to the ground behind some rocks near the pit. Once there, they got a good look at who was here; Onslaught. “Guess Megatron expects trouble if he assigned his best mercenary general here,” Mirage remarked.
“Eh, either that or he’s just pissed at Starscream for letting us get away from the ship so easily and wants to let off some steam.” Rainbow shrugged, prompting a small chuckle from Mirage.
Unfortunately, that chuckle seemed to draw Onslaught’s attention as he glanced over toward their position. “Who’s there?”
Rainbow just smirked. “Guess that’s my cue.” With that, she jumped from her cover, allowing the cloak to fade and reveal herself to the Decepticons. “Come and get me, boys! AllSpark map-data ripe for the taking! All you’ve gotta do is catch me!” Once the soldiers heard that, they all charged toward her only for Rainbow to swiftly take to the air on her foot-jets and fly circles around them all.
She also decided now was as good a time as any to see what weapons she had to offer, and found her answer in the form of two deployable Gatling guns mounted to her waist, and rocket launchers mounted within her forearms, both of which she used to devastating effect against the Cons, even as Onslaught tried to shoot her down with his massive back-mounted guns.
All the while, they were ignoring the shadowy form of the still cloaked Mirage slipping toward the large console near the top of the pit. Once he was certain no one was watching, he decloaked and grabbed the com system out of the console before swiftly cloaking again and retreating up a high cliff. “Rainbow, I’ve got the com system. Let’s get out of here,” he reported over his comlink.
“You got it!” Rainbow smiled and flew over, swooping to grab the now decloaked Mirage again, surprising the Decepticons.
“Don’t just stand there, you idiots; get them!” Onslaught ordered as the Seekers on position took off after them… only to suddenly lose them once Rainbow looped around a cliff and apparently disappeared.
In truth, the only reason they disappeared was that Mirage had cloaked them again and they didn’t stop moving until they made it back to Canterlot City where Rainbow landed and shifted out of bot-mode, standing next to Mirage with a smirk before the two broke out into peals of laughter. “Oh man, that was awesome!”
“Seriously! I can’t believe that worked!” Mirage laughed, leaning against the com system. “Oh, that was just like that turbofox incident, except neither of us had to dig any holes.”
“Wait, what’re you talkin’ about?” Rainbow asked in confusion.
“Ah, never mind; you wouldn’t get the joke.” Mirage shrugged. “Anyway, if I’m right, Trailbreaker should be here to pick up the com system right about… now.” And sure enough, there was the Autobots’ black pickup truck down the road. “Prompt. I like that.”
“Let’s get this op finished. Load up.” Trailbreaker smirked, prompting Mirage to load the com system into his truck-bed and allow him to drive away.
“Wanna ride?” Mirage smirked, quickly transforming and opening his cabin.
Rainbow smirked and quickly jumped in, prompting Mirage to floor it down the street toward the base. When they arrived, they found Wheeljack dismantling the stolen com system. “How’re we doing, guys?” Mirage smiled as he allowed Rainbow to jump out and transformed.
“Not great, I’m afraid.” Wheeljack shrugged. “I can’t wrap my head around half this stuff. Stupid Decepticon engineering. I know one thing for sure; it’s not compatible with the Ark’s systems.”
“What?! I had to distract an entire team of Decepticons for nothing?” Rainbow asked in anger. “Ugh! That was like an hour of awesomeness that I’m never gonna get back.”
“Actually, it was only like twenty minutes.” Mirage shrugged.
“Not helping, Mirage,” Rainbow growled.
“Sorry.” Mirage quickly apologized.
Optimus seemed especially beaten up by this news, as if he was especially looking forward to hearing from the Virago. Sunset could see it clear as day, and so did Ironhide, as the old bot placed his hand on the Prime’s shoulder. “We know that at least Greenlight is still online. And she’s gotta be taking orders from someone,” he assured. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll see Elita-1 again one of these days.”
“I sincerely hope so, Ironhide,” Optimus assured. The Decepticon com-system would be scrapped for spare parts soon enough, leaving a serious dent in Rainbow’s ego, but still bringing the Autobots closer to a victory in the war, and hopeful for good news to come.