The Predacons had finally found the Maximal Autocron cruiser after almost a day of searching. 
The cruiser had been partially submersed into a lake and that was the thrusters' part of the cruiser. 
  "That explains why the Maximals didn't just up and leave." Said Galvatron.
  "Yes, their cruiser must have sustained heavy damage." Said Fractyl.
  "We hele to tark ol kick Maximar ass?" asked Powerpinch.
  "... he said what?" whispered Retrax.
  "I can't be bothered to translate." Said Spittor.
  "Just move and be subtle about it." Ordered Galvatron as he continued his belly crawl to the 
cruiser.

  Snarl looked at the damage parts of the engine and sighed. Some components were still working 
and other could be replaced or repaired. However, the main component, the transwarp energizer was
in a sorry state.
  "This is Snarl, anyone got a spare transwarp energizer?" asked the Maximal in a tired tone.
  "Maybe we can get one from the Preds." Said Wolfang over the intercom.
  "It is a possibly but we would have a heck of a time trying to get it." Said Primal.
  "Got no choice Op, we have to try." Said Snarl.
  "Me Grimlock always up for a good fight."
  "I'm in, there's got to be some glory here." Said Packrat.
  "Okay, but first, get the automatic defenses up." Said Optimal Primal as the three-way link broke.
  "On my way." Said Snarl to no one in particular.

  Fractyl swooped over the cruiser and continued his survey of the cruiser. "Most of it is still 
operable." Said the scientist.
  "Good," replied Galvatron over the intercom, "we'll need all the parts we can get." The Predacon 
leader, with Spittor behind him, slowly swam towards the cruiser.
  Galvatron tapped the armour with his foreleg to check the strength of the metal used. 
  The Autocron cruiser's armour was strong enough to repel a full Predacon assault and Galvatron 
knew it. He needed another way in, and quickly.
  "Spittor, prepare to dissolve some of the armour with your acid." Said Galvatron and the blue 
toad transformed into his robot.
  His beast mode's fore arms then locked over his head. Then, a blast of cyber-venom shot at the 
armour and slowly dissolved the armour, allowing water to enter the massive ship.
  "Let's move before any of the Maximals notice." Said Galvatron as the crawlers entered the cruiser. 
Fractyl stayed outside to keep watch.

  Snarl had entered the command center when the alarms went off. "What?" Snarl ran to the main 
control panel and pressed a few buttons.
  "Predacon signatures detected in the lower deck." Said a female voice.
  "Primal!" shouted Snarl into the intercom.
  "I heard Snarl, Wolfang and I are on the case. Meet us there immediately."

  Galvatron transformed into his robot mode upon hearing the alarms. "Okay, who tripped the alarm?"
  "No one Galvatron, the cruiser probably had energy identification sensors." Replied Spittor as 
the other Predacons transformed as well.
  "So much for the quiet approach." Said Retrax with a shrug. 
  "Since when did you like the quiet approach?" asked Spittor, quite surprised by Retrax's remark.
  "Since we entered this heavily-armed cruiser." Replied the larger Predacon.
  "... point taken." Said Spittor as he nodded his head.

  Optimal, Wolfang, Snarl and Packrat had arrived at the engine room together. "Where's Grimlock?"
  "He left just before the intruders arrived Primal." Replied Packrat.
  "Great... four to five." Commented Wolfang as he loaded his 'tail' blaster.
  "Let's get ready to rumble." Said Optimal and he drew his swords out of their compartments.

  Spittor looked at the parts that he needed. "You gotta love these Autocron cruisers. Their armour 
is so thick that most of these components are undamaged."
  "Yeah, well just get them and let's get out of here." Said Retrax as he continued to sense for 
Maximal signatures.
  Suddenly, the cruiser began to shake slightly. "That must be Fractyl's diversion. Hurry it up 
Spittor." Said Galvatron.
  Spittor nodded and continued his dirty work.

  "What was that?" 
  "Must be an attack upside." Said Wolfang.
  "Duh, as if it wasn't obvious enough." Said Snarl sarcastically.
  "Funny Snarl. Keep it up and you'll be in a waste disposal unit." Snarled Wolfang.
  "Oh yeah? Anytime dog boy." Retorted Snarl.
  "Stop it you two! Now!" ordered Primal and the duo stepped down. He then turned to Packrat. "Get 
up there and activate the defenses."
  "Whatever you say bat-bot." Said Packrat as he reverted to his beast mode and skittered back 
towards the command room.
  Optimal then turned his head to the remaining two Maximals. "Move, we have work to do."

  "The Maximals are here." Warned Retrax as Maximal symbols appeared on the screen of his portable 
signature reader.
  Galvatron and Powerpinch raised their weapons immediately. "Prepare to cover Spittor. Once he's 
out, we follow." Said Galvatron with a cool, calculating voice.
  "Right." Replied Retrax.
  "Light." Replied Powerpinch.
  "Light?" muttered Galvatron in amusement.
  Muffled by the metal door, Optimal's voice could be heard shouting, "Maximals! Charge!"

  Packrat looked at the monitor with amusement. "Fractyl, against an Autocron cruiser? Short match."
  After pressing a few buttons, the auto-cannons activated and slid out of their hiding places. 
Packrat then activated the signature targeter.
  The signature targeter would allow the computer to automatically track the signature of the enemy 
and then target it and destroy it.
  Outside, the cruiser aimed its cannons at Fractyl and unleashed a volley of energy blast.

  "Whoa!" shouted Fractyl as he banked right to avoid the energy bolts that streaked towards him.
  He had seen the weapons target him but nothing prepared him to face the full destructive powers
of an Autocron cruiser.
  Fractyl flipped, banked right, banked left, anything that would prevent him from being the first 
scrap on this new planet.
  However, the weapons were relentless and Fractyl knew that it was a matter of time before he got 
slagged by these weapons.
  'Galvatron, speed it up.' Thought the scientist.

  Retrax was pinned down by Snarl's energon fire and had no way to get a clear shot at him.
  Powerpinch and Wolfang were mixing it up and Wolfang was trying hard not to be snapped in half
by Powerpinch's claw weapon.
  Optimal Primal and Galvatron were evenly matched and Galvatron was at a disadvantage in a hand-
to-hand fight and it showed as he was pushed back.
  "It was crazy for you to come here Galvatron. Give up and make this easy on yourself." Said Optimal 
as he continued to swing his blades at Galvatron. 
  "Surely you jest Primal, what makes you think that I would come here without a plan?" asked Galvatron 
as he continued to avoid the slashes.
  The sentence hit a cord in Primal and he started to get suspicious. 'Without a plan?' he thought. 
Then his eyes widen with the realization of the 'plan'.
  As if on cue, multiple explosions shook the entire cruiser. All the Transformers were knocked off 
their feet.
  "What in Cybertron...?" shouted Snarl as he crashed into one of the control panels.

  Packrat fell off his seat as the command center rocked. "What's going on?" Packrat only managed 
to get up after the ship stopped shaking.
  Packrat looked at the screen but noticed that it was dead. "Damn, this has got to be the work of 
the Preds." Packrat then took out his rifle and ran towards the elevator.

  Fractyl heaved a sigh of relief. The explosives that Spittor had placed onto the exterior of the 
cruiser prior to entering did the job. The Autocron cruiser was disabled.
  Fractyl knew the next part of the plan, get in and help the Predacons get the heck out of the 
cruiser.
  "I hate my job." Muttered Fractyl to no one in particular and jetted downward to the ship.

  Grimlock looked towards the direction of the cruiser. The sound of the explosion had carried far 
and most of the animals were frightened by the explosion and had started to scatter.
  "Me think something is wrong." Said Grimlock with a low growl before running towards the cruiser.

  Optimal got up and saw that the Predacons were gone. He then turned towards his fellow Maximals 
to check if they were okay.
  Wolfang was wedged under a piece of debris while Snarl was unconscious and lying next to a control 
panel.
  Suddenly, the door slid opened and Packrat jumped in with his rifle ready to fire. When he made 
sure nothing dangerous was around, he lowered his rifle and ran to aid Optimal.
  "What in the M78 Nebula happened here?" asked Packrat as he helped Optimal to his feet.
  "I don't know." Replied Optimal as he got to his feet slowly. "Preds must have placed bombs before 
coming in."
  "The whole grid's down. If they decide to attack again, we're toast." Said Packrat as he ran to 
get Snarl conscious again.
  "I know," said Optimal as he leaned against a control panel, "but Matrix help us, that's not what 
they are going to do."
  "What makes you so sure?"
  "Because they have bigger fish to fry."