Deep in the African jungle they slumbered, exhausted from their eons long war...
Until they were woken by humans, desperate for something to believe in...
A force of good to combat the worst evil Earth had ever seen...
They are...
“General Quinn!” a rather young looking lieutenant called across the room to his commanding officer, “We have incoming!”
Those three words had the entire command bunker staff on heightened alert. Anything heading their way meant trouble.
“RFF?” the General demanded as he stalked over to the watch station.
“Negative...” the lieutenant paused, “Scratch my last, RFF coming in, registers as friendly, but it’s too big for one of ours, and... It’s moving fast, too fast.”
“Speed?”
“Flac 12 Sir.”
“What?! That’s faster than a Quintesson vessel is capable of!”
“General?” Councillor Marie entered the command bunker and zeroed in on Quinn.
“We have incoming, identified as friendly, but it’s not one of ours,” the General brought her up to speed quickly before turning to a female officer manning the communications station, “Establish radio contact! Contact the lookout, tell them to prepare to fire on my command, contact the long range scanners, I want that object verified!”
He got a chorus of “Yes sir,” in reply.
“General, may I remind you that the entire Council is here, in this facility,” Marie sounded deeply concerned.
“And that’s why I’m confirming before I shoot them down.” The General snarled.
“Sir! I have radio contact, it’s the remains of Search Team Alpha Hugo Six!”
“Voice confirmation!”
“Affirmative, radio contact with Mabuto Tuku confirmed.”
“On the speakers,” the General ordered.
As the comms officer flicked the switch to transfer the radio call there was tension running round the room.
“This is rebel officer Mabuto Tuku, we have urgent business to discuss with the Rebel Council,” Mabuto began repeating his message.
“Shut it off,” the General ordered, “Shoot that ship down!”
“General!” Marie cried, “You can’t do that!”
“I can do anything within my power in order to protect the council, an underling does not request a meeting in this fashion, no matter what!”
“And if his superior is dead? All contacts cut off?”
“Then they do not exist, we are at war.”
“Prime, I’m picking up laser targets being painted on our hull!” Jazz called from the co-pilot seat.
“Engage defense systems, do not retaliate,” Optimus ordered from the next seat back before turning to face the three humans in the seat beside his, “Will they fire?”
“I don’t know Prime,” Taylor replied, “My security pass is valid, but the entire council is there right now, they won’t be taking any chance...”
He was cut off as the shuttle was rocked by the explosion of a missile on it’s shields.
“Report!”
Jazz nodded, “That was a fully armed Catwalk missile, semi-autonomous guidance, 12 silcon yield.”
“Activate warp gate, set target, the hanger bay of the rebel headquarters...” Prime paused, “And then jump.”
“Warp gate?” Charley asked sounding very interested.
“A faster than light travel system, it was invented back on Cybertron, our home planet, near the beginning of the final phase of the Great War,” Bumblebee explained from his pilot seat, “Engaging now.”
The ship around them gave a lurch, bucked and came to a rest in the middle of the rebel base’s hanger deck.
“Sir! The object just vanished, lookouts report it’s completely vanished,” the security station officer called.
“Sir! Hanger crew reports... The object’s here!!” the comms officer cried out.
“What?!” the General’s voice rose in pitch.
Marie looked at him, a man who only three hours ago she would have trusted with her life was now someone she didn’t want to risk being near.
The General spun to the security officer, “Have the security patrols report to the hanger deck, shoot anything that exits the craft!”
“Belay that order!” Marie yelled, “General Quinn, under directive 954b I am placing you on forced stand down.”
The General’s eyes darted from her to the security guards and back. The security guards were hesitating, unsure who to obey.
“No! I order you to arrest Councillor Marie!”
“General!” cried a lieutenant at a security substation, “We have people disembarking from the unknown craft!”
“It’s Taylor!” a near-by captain called, “And Mabuto, it is them!”
“And more, look!” the Lieutenant flicked the camera view onto the big screen that dominated one wall of the room.
Stepping out of the craft was a large, yellow colored robot with a domed chest, following behind him was a larger mostly white and black robot whose chest looked much like the front of a sports car. There was a gasp that ran round the control bunker as a third robot stepped from the craft. This one was larger than the other two, standing a bit more than head and shoulders taller than the second, and double the size of the first. This one was red and blue, and his chest held two windows that looked much like the front of a cab.
All three had emblazoned on them the symbol of the rebellion.
“Autobots,” breathed Marie, “They do exist.”
“No, it’s a lying Quint trick!” the General roared, spittle flying from his mouth as he did.
“General, you are under arrest pending medical evaluation,” Marie said calmly, “Guards, please escort him to a holding cell.”
“Noooooooo!” the General screamed as the guards took him by both arms and dragged him out of the room.
“Lieutenant, please inform the hanger deck that I shall be down in a moment to greet our...” she paused as she looked at the large screen, “Guests.”
“I wonder what’s going on, they shouldn’t have shot at us, my codes are still valid,” Taylor mused.
“Perhaps there’s a power struggle going on,” Mabuto suggested.
Charley remained silent, unlike the other two she had never had any contact with the council except the Professor.
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Taylor replied, “Wonder if it was Quinn’s doing...”
“Actually Colonel Jenson, it was,” a female voice from their left answered, “The General is under arrest for now, his psychological problems will need to be addressed, he’s become a liability.”
“Councillor Marie, so nice to see you again,” Taylor bowed and kissed the back of her hand.
“And you Colonel,” Marie turned to Mabuto, “Msalheri Mabuto.”
“Uhuru Madam Councillor,” Mabuto nodded as he answered her Swahili greeting with one of his own, “We bring proof of the legends, and we bring allies against the Quintessons.”
“Greetings,” the largest robot knelt down to speak to Marie easier, “I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots.”
“Forgive me, it’s not every day that a legend introduces itself to me,” Marie smiled, “I should convene the council, I’m sure they... We have much to ask you.”
Prime nodded as he stood, “And we have much to offer.”
“Report slave!” a voice hissed from the communicator.
A corporal stationed on the hanger deck whispered into it, “My lord, the ancient ones are here, they plan to meet with the rebel leaders.”
“Good,” the voice hissed, “Soon we shall be rid of the rebellion and the first generation Transformers!”
