//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Transformers: Harmony // by megatron_91 //------------------------------// Transformers: Harmony Chapter 11 By: Megatron_91 Bumblebee stood silent in the bushes, watching as two Decepticon soldiers patrolled the outskirts of the Nemesis. Fluttershy had been right; the imposing Decepticon flagship was just sitting in the massive, hanging valley. A gutsy move, Bumblebee admitted to himself. Parking their flagship this close to the capital city was a huge risk to security. Whatever they had Twilight working on inside had to be important. The yellow Autobot quickly ducked down into the leafy foliage as one of the genericons glanced in his general direction, its red visor scanning the area. This was going to be a mission requiring all of Bumblebee’s skills as a scout. Surrounding his feet were the remaining members of the Elements of Harmony that weren’t captured or injured back at the base; Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie. In his mind, Bumblebee was running through each pony’s strengths and weaknesses as they had told him, formulating a strategy. Rainbow Dash was a fast flyer and could make for an effective eye in the sky; he seriously doubted any of the Decepticons would be able to hit her if she got caught anyways. Applejack, one of the two earth ponies, from what she and her friends told him, the orange-colored mare could punch through sheets of metal with her powerful hind legs, but would she be strong enough to punch through Decepticon armor? He wasn’t sure. Probably best to keep her near me, he thought. Rarity on the other hand was a magic user, not as good as Twilight, apparently, but she could still hold her own in a fight. She should at least know a couple of spells that could disorient the Decepticons and allow her to escape should something go wrong. Finally, Bumblebee came to Pinkie Pie. He actually had no idea what the pink mare could do and opted to keep her close as well. Rainbow Dash drew her head out of the bushes and shook the leaves from her mane before turning to face Bumblebee. “Alright, Bee; what’s our plan of attack?” “Attack?” Bluestreak piped in, looking down at the small rainbow-hued pegasus. Even in the dark, her mane stuck out like a sore thumb. “We promised Ratchet we would make sure the ship was here and then return to base and wait for Optimus.” “And what if the ship isn’t here when we come back?” the yellow scout hissed quietly. He turned around and looked up at his friend. “You said it yourself Blues. This is Soundwave we’re talking about. There’s no telling what he could do to Twilight in the time we’re gone.” “I’m with Bumblebee,” Applejack whispered. She quietly approached the group from where she had been scouting. “We can’t risk Twilight being in there too long.” Bluestreak sighed and closed his eyes. Deep down he knew they were right. There simply wasn’t any time to wait for Optimus and Ironhide to return from the desert; it could take them up to three hours or more to get back. Twilight’s chances wouldn’t look good if they left right now, especially if Megatron was on the ship with her. He hated it when Bumblebee was right. “Alright,” the silver-and-black Autobot said, relenting to the majority vote. “Okay then Bumblebee,” Rainbow Dash repeated as she flew up next to the Autobot’s rounded head. “What’s the plan? How are we getting past those guys?” She pointed towards the two Decpeticon guards outside the ship while she leaned on one of his helmet spike, listening intently. “We’ll need a distraction…” he stated, rubbing his chin in thought. “Something that will keep them occupied, but will bewilder and confuse them so much they just won’t shoot it.” All eyes and optics turned to the pink earth pony doing cartwheels on the ground. ……… The two Decepticon troopers silently stalked the outside of the ship, patrolling the designated areas given to them by Captain Starscream. Every once in a while they would switch spots or raise their weapon in the direction of a small noise. With the Nemesis temporarily grounded so Soundwave could carry out his work, they were sitting ducks. Security was of the upmost priority at this point in time and they intended not to fail. If they did it would be a quick trip to the scrap heap. “So, do you think the rumors are true?” One of them asked the other as they both stopped momentarily in front of the entrance. The other one did a quick sweep of the area with his gun before returning his attention to his friend. “What rumors?” “The ones about Lord Megatron finding the Tome of Prima?” the first one stated. He looked in the direction of some bushes he thought were rustling. He slowly turned back around and began walking along the hull of the ship. “Of course they’re true, I was on the bridge when he showed it to everyone,” the second replied, taking a brief break to look up at the stars and try to pinpoint Cybertron. He knew it was impossible of course. From what he had been told, Cybertron was located about thirteen star systems over and was impossible to see from the Equestrian sky. “Were you?” the second asked again as he approached his comrade and joined him in looking up into the sky. “HI THERE!” The sudden voice caused both of them to snap their attention away from the stars and constellations, and back towards the hard ground beneath their feet. There was a small, pink earth pony waving at them. She had a huge smile on her face. They both took aim with their battle pistols. “Look what I can do!” the pink pony shouted as she placed a hoof over her muzzle and began to blow into it. Shockingly, appendages that resembled fingers emerged from her adjacent hoof. Dumbfounded, and a bit scared, both Decepticons lowered their weapons and looked at her with confused faces, or as confused as they could get, considering their faces were featureless masks. “How did you-” one of them began to ask before she began talking again. “And check this one out!” she shouted. She began sucking in vast amounts of air into her lungs and held it there as her torso began to inflate like a balloon. “Pretty cool, huh?” The two Decepticons stared at the strange pony, unsure of what to do about the current situation. ……… Bumblebee moved silently through the night, staying as low to the ground as possible while he moved through the bushes. Fortunately, his plan to have Pinkie Pie distract the guards seemed to be working. He hadn’t heard any gunshots yet, but, just in case, he had given her one of his smoke pellets to make an escape with. Stopping at the edge of the forest he peeked out to make sure the guards’ attentions were on the premier, party pony. Their backs were turned, watching as Pinkie did something strange with her hoof that Bumblebee couldn’t quite make out. With a wave of his hand, the Autobot scout signaled for his companions to follow him as he stepped out into the open field. Staying silent, the Autobot carefully moved across the grassy plains. He looked around, constantly checking for any branches or rocks that could alert the guards to his presence should he step on them. Behind him, the remaining members of the Elements of Harmony and Bluestreak followed his lead, being cautious towards any noises they might make. Like a well-trained team of assassins, the group crossed the open fields and reached the hull of the massive warship without alerting their enemies. This was the difficult part though. Looking up and down the sleek black hull of the Nemesis, Bumblebee was relieved to see the guards had left the door wide open. This would be much easier than having to hack the lock. Motioning for the others to follow, the yellow Autobot inched his way along the large, black exterior of the ship, keeping his back pressed against it. Using hand motions he had picked up from eons of practice, Bumblebee signaled his fellow Autobot to tell the ponies to stay as far inside the shadow of the Nemesis’ wings as possible. They slowly made their way to the entrance and Bumblebee looked out to check on Pinkie. She was now showing them a trick involving a bag of flour she seemed to have pulled out of nowhere. Reaching the doorway, the two Autobots helped lift Rarity and Applejack inside while Rainbow Dash flew in behind them. Bumblebee quickly turned and gave Pinkie a thumbs-up to let her know they were inside before he stepped into the doorway and disappeared around the corner. The interior of the Nemesis wasn’t much different from the outside. The walls were made of a deep, purple metal while the floors and ceilings were simply chromed. Sure, it was lighter in color than the pitch black exterior, but it was still mostly featureless metal with the random spike poking out here or there. Moving quickly, and checking the ceiling for security cameras hidden amongst the glowing, fluorescent lights, the group eventually reached a small crossroads where the hallway split into four different directions. Bumblebee checked down all four halls to make sure no one was coming or going before he stopped his team to discuss their next course of action. “So, what do we do now Bumblebee?” Rainbow Dash whispered. She was continually flying between the four hallways to watch for anypony’s presence. The Autobot scout mulled the question over in his mind a bit before he came up with what he felt like was the best answer. “The Nemesis is one of the largest starships ever built, in fact, I think it used to be a massive Decepticon,” he explained, looking around at the surprised faces of the Equestrians. “If we’re going to stand a chance of finding Twilight in this place we’ll need to split up, understand? The ponies and Bluestreak all nodded in agreement with Bumblebee’s plan and anxiously waited for him to give further instruction. The longer they stood in the middle of the crossroads the more they felt exposed. “Alright, Rainbow Dash,” he called, grabbing the flying pegasus’ attention. “Can I trust you to scout on your own?” he asked, watching her eagerly nod to assure him. “Just stick to the shadows and if you get caught just run. There’s no way they’ll be able to catch someone as fast as you.” “Yes sir!” Rainbow declared loudly. She saluted the small, yellow robot before rocketing off down the hallway on her left. Bumblebee waited a minute to make sure Rainbow safely made it down the plated corridor before continuing. “Bluestreak old buddy, I think you’re good to operate on your own, but, Applejack and Rarity, I think it would be best if you just stick with me. You’re not as fast as Rainbow so, if escape is necessary, you’ll need some cover fire,” he stated as he transformed his arm into battle pistol mode. As he did this, the silver-and-black Autobot next to him checked down the nearest hallway. Giving a silent nod, he disappeared around the corner and darted off. “So, where should we get started?” Rarity asked as she walked in circles, examining the different passageways. “I ain’t too sure,” Applejack responded. “Bumblebee, what does that sign say?” She pointed up to a sign stationed above one of the passages’ entryways. The sign was written in a series of strange symbols and letters she couldn’t read. She guessed it was the native language of the Cybertronians. “Engine room,” Bumblebee spoke aloud, reading off the sign. “Ah!” Rarity exclaimed. “That may not help us find Twilight, but it has given me a wonderful idea.” She used her hoof to flick her hair into the air as she spun around to face Bumblebee and Applejack. “In my line of work there’s a little thing we like to call industrial sabotage, have you heard of it Mr. Bumblebee?” The yellow scout’s face lit up as he realized what the unicorn was suggesting. “Oh ho, ho, I like the way you think Miss Rarity.” A mad smile spread across the Autobot’s lips as he brought his hands together in a devious formation. Not wasting any more time the trio, quickly rushed down the hallway in hopes of both finding Twilight and as causing as much damage to the Decpeticon warship as possible. ……… With a mighty roar, Optimus swung his energon blade around and cleaved off one of the approaching Decepticon’s arms, leaving the genericon weaponless. Miles away from the Nemesis and the strike team on board, Optimus Prime and Ironhide fought for their lives against Megatron and a seemingly unending swarm of Decepticon Jet troopers. Dodging laser fire from the advancing Decepticons, the two veterans could feel themselves being forced towards one another. The jets were trying to get them back-to-back; to surround them. Unless they acted quickly this canyon would become their tomb. On Optimus’ orders, the two Autobots brought their heavy weapons to bear and took aim at the Decepticon soldiers. They began returning fire, hoping to thin out the large crowd. It was rapidly becoming apparent to them that it was to no avail. There were simply too many of the mass produced drones. When one was gunned down, another two would take its place, advancing towards the trapped Autobots and firing on them with unyielding power. It was an unrelenting force of sheer numbers. Soon, the two veterans could feel the hot stings of the Decepticon’s plasma bolts burning into their thick armor as they were corralled inward. The Decepticons were quickly gaining the advantage. They were close enough now that Ironhide had to resort to melee punches to knock them back while Prime used the butt of his rifle to smash in the face of one of his would-be attackers. Suddenly, a pair of troopers, still in flight mode, swooped down and fired a pair of rockets at the ground beneath the Autobot’s feet. Shattered earth and debris went flying as the Autobots were knocked to the sand below. The advancing soldiers quickly began to swarm them like ravenous wolves. They began scratching and clawing, desperate to tear the two Autobots to pieces. Above the sound of laser fire and shrieking metal they could hear Megatron laughing. “Can’t you see your struggle is pointless, Optimus?” Megatron continued to laugh, watching the carnage below him. “Tonight, I will bear witness as you will finally become one with the Allspark!” Optimus grunted, still trying to fight off the swarming Decepticons. “That outcome is inevitable, Megatron,” he growled. “BUT NOT ON THIS DAY!!” Nodding silently to his partner, Optimus gave Ironhide the signal as to the next part of their plan. Years of working together had allowed the two to gain total understanding of how each other’s minds worked in battle. Verbal command was no longer a necessity. With all the strength and power they could collect, the two Autobots slammed their hands onto the ground and propelled themselves upward back onto their feet, knocking the advancing Decepticons off of them in the process. Immediately taking advantage of the break in the never ending wall of force, the two Autobots brought all of their available weapons to bear and charged forward in opposite directions. Optimus rushed the group on the left with his ion blaster in one hand, his energon sword in the other and a large, iron shield mounted on left forearm. Swinging the shield in a wide arc he bashed aside the first row of five soldiers and followed up with his blade, slicing through the middle of the next wave of enemies with ease as he sent them crumpling to the ground. He took a brief pause to glare up at the only target that truly mattered, Megatron. The Autobot leader continued to clear a path through the small militia of Vehicons as he made a beeline for his age old enemy, hacking and slashing as he went. Using skills honed over millennia of battle, he kicked one of the troopers square in the chest to knock him back into another. Simultaneously, he used his ion blaster to destroy the head of a third who attempted to jump him from behind. In front of him, one of the troopers managed to get off a rocket shot at the red-and-blue Autobot. Prime quickly raised his left arm and managed to block the explosion…at the cost of large hole being punctured in his shield. He tossed the protective cover down on the dusty, red ground and charged forward once more, using his ion blaster to gun down Decepticons as he continued towards Megatron. On his opposite, Ironhide made headway with his own path of destruction. The weapons specialist was starting to make short work of the Decepticon soldiers now that the tables had turned. Setting his arm-mounted plasma-cannons to full power he quickly began to blow massive holes in the torsos of every Decepticon he came across. Practically dancing across the battlefield, Ironhide dodged as one of the faceless goons took a leap at him. Grabbing the sailing Con by the arm, the dark-colored Autobot flung him hard to the ground and finished him with a cannon shot to the face before continuing on his way. The old war vet didn’t have much in the way of close range melee weapons, but an old hunting knife he kept stored in his left leg seemed to be getting the job done as he drove it into the visors of any enemies that got too close. Deep down, he knew something was wrong though, there were far too many soldiers compared to the number that had originally landed to confront them. Either they were managing to build more troops in the midst of battle, or something else was going on. As Ironhide looked behind him he saw two of the ones he stabbed in the face getting back up and redrawing their weapons on him. That was new. “Prime, I think we’ve got a problem!” Ironhide shouted as he noticed many of the vehicons he was fighting were the ones he thought he’d previously destroyed. The vehicons were now relentlessly marching on them again. Prime and Ironhide looked on in dismay at their situation. Many of the mindless drones, or at least the ones that still had heads and arms, were continuing the assault. Their damaged, shattered bodies continued to shamble towards the two Autobots, firing on them with their weapons. In return, the two desperate Autobots continued to try and gun them down, hoping to put an end to the madness. From his place high atop the plateau, Megatron laughed as he watched Optimus run two more drones through the chest with his blade while two more rose up from the ground behind him to continue the attack. Shockwave would be glad to hear his new design for a more durable vehicon was working wonders, he thought to himself. The new drones were by no means invincible, but they were almost nearly impossible to permanently destroy. They had been made from the most durable materials available on their dead home world. The silver tyrant knew this couldn’t go on forever though. Prime was smart, he’d figure out the drone’s weren’t indestructible soon enough. Megatron needed to make his leave and quickly. As he scanned the canyon below, he couldn’t help but growl in frustration. His second-in-command was nowhere to be seen. Where was Starscream with Oil Slick’s body!? ……… Back within the crisp, featureless halls of the Nemesis, Bluestreak moved swiftly and silently, searching for the captured unicorn he was somewhat friends with. He stopped by each door he passed and used his acute sense of hearing to determine what was on the other side. He had already gone by several doors in the long, winding corridor and he was still no closer to finding Twilight, or Soundwave’s laboratory, then when he had started. He was beginning to lose hope when he suddenly heard a voice coming from around the nearby corner. Ducking into an open maintenance closet, Bluestreak patiently waited for the deep voice to reveal itself. Slowly, a hulking, tank-class vehicon rolled around the corner on its treaded feet. It silently scanned the hallway with either great determination or great stupidity. Bluestreak couldn’t tell. Its blue-and-silver paint reflected the florescent lights above it as its shoulder-mounted cannon turned in unison with its head. It was completely oblivious to the fact that the small, silver Autobot was only a few feet away, hiding in the shadowy alcove of the maintenance area. A smile spread over Bluestreak’s face as the large vehicon began to roll away. He silently emerged from the closet and snuck up right behind the massive Decepticon before leaping up onto its shoulders. The mindless vehicon began struggling under Bluestreak’s grasp as the small Autobot ripped open its head casing and began to rearrange a few wires. “Don’t make too much noise, buddy,” he chided, hushing the squirming vehicon as he worked. “I’m going to need you to show me some very important information.”