Perceptor and Cosmo arrived at the entrance of the base. They simply walked in as if they owned the place and they found themselves staring down the barrel of several guns. Tower looked like he had gone through tragedy, his cheeks still wet with tears of betrayal and his electrical burns left untreated. “It wasn’t my fault!” he insisted. “The Metarex lied! They promised…!” Cosmo’s arms turned into two separate masses of vines that grabbed all of the guns and tossed them aside.
“Pointing guns at us when there’s a Tarzamp signal being transmitted,” scoffed Cosmo as her arms returned to normal, “what a coward’s way to intimidate.”
“Tarzamp signal?” remarked Perceptor. “Then my rifle’s not going to be any good. So, this is the Survival board? I hope we can find the needed materials for whatever you’ve got planned.”
“Plenty, if the spore-igniter I have in mind works,” replied Cosmo.
“Spore-igniter?” asked Perceptor. “Wunderbar! We have more than enough!” Cosmo and Perceptor started tearing materials out for their new invention. “So, that’s why the Metarex were unwilling to send ground forces. One shot could ignite the whole atmosphere!”
“Bingo!” confirmed Cosmo. “Hence why they’re holding back. They also needed someone to covertly test the spores.” Assembly of the spore-igniter began. “But, their flunkies needed a little incentive! Planning a little trip, were we, Tower?”
“The Metarex promised me a new, human-dominant planet,” replied Tower, weakly.
“Well, the Metarex ARE rather Decepticon-ish in their approach,” answered Perceptor. “We’ve just got some soldering to do, then assembly!” They kept up the building, occasionally stealing one another’s tools, until it was completed. It looked like a miniature rocket launcher on a base set at an angle with a wire leading to a hand-held remote. The whole assembly was aimed at the sky as the spore clouds started closing in on them.
“Wait, you said the atmosphere could ignite!” gulped a soldier.
“We did, didn’t we?” replied Cosmo. She adjusted the settings, then gave Perceptor the thumbs-up. Perceptor pressed the button and a green laser blast went flying into the air. It disappeared into the spore clouds and, after a few seconds, caused the spores to ignite in teal flames. Soon, the whole sky was engulfed in teal fire as Cosmo crossed her fingers, a practice she picked up while staying on Mobius. As a tense look crossed her face, the teal flames spread across Mobius’ sky.
“Lord Dark Oak, the spores are spreading well,” reported a trooper.
“Perfect!” praised Dark Oak. “Activate the Mega Planet Egg!”
“Hold that thought!” called another trooper. The viewscreen displayed a globe being engulfed in teal flames.
“What’s going on down there?” demanded Dark Oak.
“Tails, are you seeing this?!” asked Optimus on the Ark.
“How can I miss it?!” replied Tails on the Blue Typhoon.
“Can ANYONE give me answers?!” called Topaz.
“Commander, I think I may have some!” replied. “Look!” The flames were starting to fade. The teal was being replaced by blue with a few patches of white.
“Well, if THAT isn’t a good sign,” sighed Topaz, “I don’t know what is. Tell the soldiers to, at least, keep their masks on standby.”
“Optimus!” cheered Tails as the continents and oceans of Mobius were slowly revealed.
“I see it too!” replied Optimus. “Cosmo and Perceptor, you two are heroes!”
“FRESH AIR!” cheered a MECH soldier.
“WE DID IT!” giggled Cosmo as she and Perceptor hugged each other.
“I can only imagine Dark Oak’s reaction!” replied Perceptor. “I think Tails said he needed you as Chief Engineer for the Blue Typhoon!”
“Tails,” called Cosmo as she commed Tails’ ship, “this is Cosmo. One to beam up!” Cosmo vanished in blue light.
“Optimus, this is Perceptor! One to beam up!” Perceptor vanished soon after.
“I don’t believe it,” breathed Pale Bayleaf.
“…How?!” snarled Black Narcissus.
“With Cosmo involved,” replied Red Pine, “why even ask how? She robbed us of another planet, plain and simple!”
“…Yellow Zelkova,” growled Dark Oak, trying, but failing, to keep his cool, “I want the life-forms on the planet below exterminated!”
“All of them?” quizzed Yellow Zelkova.
“Yes, you idiot!” roared Dark Oak. “You blabbed our entire plan to her; YOU will correct that mistake! I don’t care how many troops you need or how you kill them! Blast them with lasers! Burn them with flamethrowers! Rip them apart with your bare hands! JUST MAKE ALL LIFE ON MOBIUS GO AWAY!”
“With pleasure!” chuckled Yellow Zelkova. “Yellow Squadron, we’re beaming down!”
“Commander!” called a G.U.N soldier as he pointed out several green lights coalescing into Metarex Troopers with yellow trim and Yellow Zelkova at the head of the army.
“FIRE AT WILL!” ordered Topaz. G.U.N unleashed Hell on the Metarex and it would have obliterated the enemy…had the enemy not developed armor that would deflect laser blasts, even ones from tanks. The Metarex advanced, firing on the soldiers with barely a scratch on their armor.
“This is too easy!” laughed Yellow Zelkova. “This is like rooting out a Poozit colony!” He tore out a chunk of earth twice his size and threw it at the tanks. As the tanks were crushed, the Troopers fired on the soldiers. As G.U.N was being cut down, Yellow Zelkova heard various kill-counts and wagers being made. “You lot have the right idea!” he replied. “This isn’t war! This is sport!”
“No, this is a breach of several accords!” interjected a monotonous voice. A tendril then wrapped around Yellow Zelkova’s waist and slammed him onto the ground numerous times. When he was released, he got up to see Soundwave with his mouth-guard in place. Yellow Zelkova, having known him personally, was terrified.
“That’s…impossible!” stammered Yellow Zelkova
“Zelkova! What’s going on down there?!” bellowed Dark Oak over the comms.
“Scan Mobius’ orbit! Hurry!” yelped Yellow Zelkova.
“What are you on about?!” snapped Dark Oak.
“Soundwave just stopped my assault!” explained Yellow Zelkova.
“That’s…not possible,” gulped Dark Oak. “Trooper, scan for any Decepticon signatures.”
“Scanning now,” replied the Trooper. The scan lasted a few seconds before they revealed the exact locations of Megatron’s individual soldiers. “…Confirmed,” reported the Trooper. “Soundwave and his flunkies are at Yellow Zelkova’s position. The rest are approaching us in orbit”
“But…this planet’s not contested territory anymore, is it?” gulped Black Narcissus.
“I don’t believe so,” replied Red Pine. “I mean, the Great War is over, right?”
“Sir, a ship is entering visual range!” called Scarship.
“On screen!” ordered Dark Oak.
“Optimus,” reported Prowl, “we have a ship coming to Scarship’s position!”
“Show us,” answered Optimus.
“Sir, there’s another ship coming into range!” called a human at the Tactical position on the Blue Typhoon.
“Let’s see it,” declared Tails. Appearing on the screens of all ships, like a multi-finned, purple and red-trimmed shark of steel, was a starship of fearsome design. Eyes went wide on all ships. “Is that…?” asked Tails to Cosmo.
“Yes,” breathed Cosmo in fear.
“I would rather have died than see that ship again!” gulped Ironhide.
“I would have been fine going through my entire life only reading about that ship in history books,” shuddered Jazz.
“By the Code of Primus!” breathed Optimus. On Scarship, everyone was silent as the ship effortlessly assumed orbit. The fear invading the atmosphere meant only one thing.
The Nemesis had been raised.