George Morgan
"Prime! Your left, on your LEFT!" Screamed Jazz, as the purple shape knifed forwards, energy sword cutting through the air with a deadly hiss.
The large Autobot placed his other hand on his gun handle and swung it high and hard. The double-handed swing proved powerful enough to stun the attacking Decepticon and as he fell awkwardly to the ground, his Intended victim lowered both his arms, levelled the large, black gun at his head and fired.
As the Decepticon exploded in a shower of fragments, something else caught the eye of Optimus Prime. Above his lowered barrel, he could see many single battles in progress - Autobot verses Decepticon, in everything from hand-to-hand slugging matches to aiming long-range missiles Iaunchers over heaps of debris at far off targets.
This battle certainly wasn't the largest that he had been forced to fight in, but considering the select few warriors from both sides involved, the violence was surpassing anything Prime had YET been a part of. It felt as if the air itself was charged with hatred! And the Decepticons, if this was indeed the case seemed to have absorbed this hatred. There were no honourable chances given -one second's rest and death would follow.
A certain approaching shape on the battlefield was getting ever closer. Checking his position first, Prime then turned to Jazz, who was keeping near him.
"Jazz - keep an eye on them, but those jets appear to be confining to the east side. I thInk we've got a bit of trouble over here, looks like the Force trio."
Jazz looked weary. "No - what? Not again! Man, those guys are trouble. Easy on their own, but all three... PHEW!"
Prime nodded in silent agreement! As lieutenant he was the highest ranking Autobot in this battle and Jazz was acting as his 2nd. The council had been making great use of this crucial outpost just over the border of polyhex, in the area known to Autobot and Decepticon alike as 'The Outback'. Being just inside Polyhex but verging on the laconian border, it was a vital attacking position and if it were to fall, it would leave a hole for Megatron to come through Polyhex and over the border Into lacon, at that paint -a tactical disaster! It was Prime's job to drive the Decepticons back from the Outback outpost... and to destroy as many of the cons as possible. Anymore in this area and it would surely be overrun. Polyhex was already too strong a Deception city-state, and this battle was of crucial importance! Failure meant disaster .victory meant survival!
"Lieutenant Prime -DUCK!"
"What?!"
"NOW!!!" Screamed Jazz, pulling Prime hard.
As they hit the metallic ground, a rocket shot overhead, inches from where their heads had been!
Jazz shot Prime a sharp look! "PRIMUS, Sir - you nearly got us BOTH killed! Next time I yell duck, just DO it an' philosophise later, ok?!"
The superior Autobot sat up sharply, as if snapping out of a trance. As both Autobots scrambled to their feet, they saw a bulky Decepticon reloading his launcher behind a steel barrier.
Jazz pulled his own launcher into position, without so much as a glance at Prime. "This time stay outta' the way, Prime - leave the fightin' to the FIGHTERS." His Commander said nothing. Jazz grunted, moodily and pulled the trigger.
Just in time, the Decepticon dived low, but the launcher was destroyed.
"Yeah! One down, but not out..."
"Jazz -watch OUT!"
"What? Pr-ahhgh!" Jazz let out a scream of agony and sank to one knee, a smoking acid-wound In his back. A yellow Decepticon by the name of CrossBlow raced forwards, only seeing Jazz lying defeated and sensing his chance to finish the job."
"Ha hah! DIE, you Autobot fool! Victory to the Decepticons!" came his metallic cry, as he skidded to a halt next to the writhing Jazz and put a lethal blaster to his head.
The shot echoed off the nearby walls, deafening loud, at such close range. The head of the hapless victim was shattered beyond all likely repair.
As the twitching body fell to the ground, giving off sparks, Jazz dared to look up at who he already knew MUST have saved his life! Optimus Prime stepped forward, offering his dark blue hand, the barrel of his laser blaster stIll smoking.
"Need a hand?" was all he said, blank faced.
Jazz looked up, with a new respect in his eyes. Then, he smiled, nervously. "Uh... yeah, I guess so!" was all he replied.
Optimus pulled Jazz to his feet and looked at his wound!
"Hmm. Not deep but painful. Feel you can keep going?" He asked.
Jazz grinned and punched his shoulder.
"Hey, you may be an ex-medical enthusiast, but THIS Autobots gonna' show you that guts is the best medicine of all! C'mon, those 'Cons are getting closer. Lets sort 'em.. show Megascum what it means to mess with us!" He replied, bravely.
Optimus Prime nodded. "All right, Jazz. Let's DO it!"
With that, both autobots turned their weapons towards the battlefield and fired at any Decepticons nearby. Several were forced behind cover, or wounded. The two Autobots crept from cover to cover, trying to gain a better position.
Suddenly, Jazz fell over something lying on the ground! As he turned his head sideways to see what it was, he saw to his horror, that it was an autobot arm, oily and shaking with pain. It belonged to the stout Autobot called HoverHead, who lay next to him, arm almost severed from his shoulder and the weapon responsible plunged deep into his chest, going through him and pinning him to the steel sheeting that was his cover. He couldn't move, couldn't pull it out and couldn't raise his lifeless arm.
"NO!!!" Cried Jazz, kneeling next to his fallen comrade. But he could see that HoverHead was already dying and was beyond help. Jazz pulled the sword from his friend's chest, who groaned in pain. "Who did this to ya', Brother?" He asked, in a heavy tone.
HoverHead croaked out a name. Jazz frowned, looking for his commander. Prime was about 100yrds due west, blasting at approaching 'Cons in an attempt to force them back.
"Uh oh... he's still here, right'?" Said Jazz, standing up.
"Yuh... yes... flee, Jazz, FLEE! This ones for the Autobots... uhhrrgh."
Jazz lowered his head and raised his blaster in a military salute, grateful that Prime had given him the space he needed from attacking 'Cons.
"Rest in peace Brother... we'll see that you're avenged, I swear!" He hid the body in the shadows, and was just turning to the scene of the incident when -
"DIE, Autobot SCUM!!!"
Jazz was flat on his back, staring up at a medium-sized robot with evil red eyes and a purple Decepticon badge. The blow caught him unawares... and that SHOULD have put him in a bad position!
"Darkforce! You killed my buddy!! Eat DIRT!!!" Cried the white Autobot furiously and he swung his leg, hard.
"AHH!" yelled the Decepticon, crashing to the ground on his metal hide. Jazz threw himself on his assailant, blind fury clouding his vision. Seeing only a red, glaring light and the face of HoverHead, as he died, Jazz imagined that it was Darkforce's face. He punched with his left, and then right, left, right, on and on, until with a howl he seized his foe around the throat and tightened his black hands as much as he could.
"ACK! Nuh-NO! P-please, Autobot, duh-don't KILL me! I-ACK-suh-surrender!" choked out the Decepticon.
Jazz stopped, for a second. SHOULD he... as an Autobot, kill? For a second, indecision filled his mind... a FATAL SECOND!
The blow on the side of the head sent Jazz flying off his victim and onto the battle-strewn ground. In a further second, Darkforce was on his feet again! Jazz got to his knees and reached for his weapon. It exploded, as Darkforce grabbed his own blaster and let fly with a volley of lasers!
Before Jazz could move Darkforce had lunged towards him and held his gun barrel in front of the Autobots face - at point-blank range. Jazz was scared. This time Prime was goodness knows where and this Decepticon was a murderer, through and through. He stared at the blaster barrel and then up at the evil face. Gasping, but triumphant, Darkforce smiled, sickly!
"Well well! Any last words, Autobot, before you JOIN your good friend Hooverhead, or whatever? Heh heh!"
Jazz opened his mouth, wanting to say something noble. But fear choked the sound. Darkforce smiled. And tightened his trigger-finger. "Oh, cheers for retrieving my sword for me Jazz!" He sneered.
"You're more than welcome, Darkforce!" Came a thundering cry.
"Wha... Prime?"
"Got it in ONE!" Came another cry, and then a huge blast ripped through Darkforce's chest, over Jazz's head and the Decepticon fell down dying. Jazz stood up and gazed, in awe, at Optimus Prime, who was stood, laser smoking, face grim.
"Prime! You saved me. Thanks, Sir. I owe you one," was the grateful remark. Optimus Prime shook his head.
"No, Jazz, now we're even. Stand aside, please," he said, in a heavy tone.
Jazz realised Prime's duty and stepped aside, loyally. The Autobot lieutenant stood above the dying Decepticon and lowered his gun. "I offer you the choice of a lingering death or a quick one. CHOOSE."
Darkforce glared up at his captor, before dropping his hand over his optics. "Finish me, Autobot SCUMl I order you to. NOW!!!" He snarled.
"Very well." replied Optimus Prime, and with a grim expression on his face, he pulled the trigger. Darkforce was killed, on the spot.
Optimus Prime and Jazz continued the fight, until Stormforce warped nearby and discovered that his his brother had been slain and fled, swearing revenge. He took the youngest of the Force trio - Galeforce - with him.
With so many troops destroyed, it wasn't long before the battle was over. The Autobots had no time to celebrate as they had many casualties and injured troops of their own. Prowl had suffered half his arm burned with an acid ray pretty deeply , and Brawn had received a deep slash in his right leg. There were many smaller injuries as well, and the outpost was damaged, badly. Stormforce had warped inside and used his tornado generator to destroy a lot of file storage CPUs.
But the victory was the Autobots in that battle. And to Lieutenant Optimus Prime that was the most important thing of all, second only to the sacrifice of those Autobots under him who had fought bravely to the death, against the merciless Decepticons, had made that day.