TF- The Taking of Garrus-9

"The Taking of Garrus-9"

By Mike Priest

-

"I want this place intact for when we find whoever sold us out, and haul them back here, kicking and screaming."

Fortress Maximus had spoken, and the Autobots in the main operations chamber of Garrus-9 set about their tasks with renewed purpose.  Bitter memories of the last breach of the facility nearly a year ago were buried as grim-faced technicians and guards rushed to-and-fro, issuing orders or weapons to the appropriate recipients.  The room quickly cleared, leaving only Maximus and those who were on-duty when the attack began.

"Vroom's requesting permission to use the prototype Pretender shell that Jetfire left for us," Gust called out.

"Granted," responded Fortress Maximus.

"We've lost proton turrets 8-A through 12-C!" Turbofire spat, a curse more than a report.

"Send two crisis response units to shore up the breach."

"Sir, incoming communiqué from Skyhammer," Kick-Off shouted.

"On-screen," Maximus commanded.  Skyhammer's tensed face claimed a corner of the main display, the flash of gunfire reflecting off his optics.

"Maximus, we're being hit HARD out here, but we should be able to manage for a bit.  Still, reinforcements would be nice."

"We've already received reports that this isn't an isolated incident, Skyhammer.  The Decepticons are hitting us across the board.  We may have to make do with what we have."

"A simultaneous, galaxy-wide assault?  Typical High Command flat-footedness," Skyhammer groaned, ending the call.

Fortress Maximus allowed himself a moment to consider the situation.  If the Decepticons were indeed launching a surprise pan-galactic campaign to wipe the Autobots out, it was entirely likely that Kick-Off's earlier inference of an "inside job" was accurate.  Still, such speculation would have to be tabled for now, perhaps indefinitely if they weren't able to repel this attack.

"What the smelt?  Max, they're rushin'!" Turbofire's yell ended Maximus' brief reverie.

Turning his attention back to the main screen, the warden of Garrus-9 observed as Decepticons suddenly rose from fresh foxholes and began surging through the artillery fire.  Were they trying to commit suicide?

"Oh god," Circuit choked out, waving frantically for Maximus to come over to his console.  "S-sir, you need to see-"

"Main screen," Maximus barked, a little annoyed.  Circuit composed himself as best as he could and complied.

There, in the middle of the looming throng of Decepticons.  A tall, boxy, blue and white titan, effortlessly advancing through oncoming fire.  It was unmistakable.  Fortress Maximus' spark skipped a pulse as images of mass graves and gnarled tangles of corpses briefly flashed across his optics.  Images of Caldoon 4 and Klo and dozens of other planets aflame.  Maximus synopsized all that destruction and death with one name.

"Overlord."

"What the FRAG!  WHAT THE FRAG!!" Turbofire bellowed.  "Why is HE here??  He's not even supposed to be-"

"QUIET.  This is no time to panic, soldier," Fortress Maximus ordered, keenly aware of how silly he sounded.

"Overlord's a planet-killer, sir!  We-we don't-" Circuit trailed off as Maximus regarded him with a stern glare.

"I'm well aware of Overlord's capacities and I'm also well aware of our own," Maximus intoned as he turned to Gust.  "Notify the unit commanders immediately and tell them to fall back to defense position F-2.  Overlord won't blink at our conventional countermeasures, so we need to be prepared to dig in much deeper."

As Gust set to it, Fortress Maximus reassessed the situation.  This wasn't a smash-and-grab like Banzaitron's previous attack on the facility.  This was going to be a sustained, full-on siege, pure and simple.  And there would no holding out for off-planet support this time, if the "galaxy-wide assault" reports were accurate.  Maximus briefly toyed with simply activating the deterrence chips in all of G-9's Decepticon prisoners, killing the whole lot of them and denying the attacking force of a potential prize.  The very fact that he had to entertain the thought repulsed him.  

It was funny; Garrus-9 as a facility had been nicknamed "The Last Resort", but Maximus found that to be a fairly erroneous appellation.  The true "Last Resort" rested in his ability to remotely execute (murder?) any prisoner at his discretion.  Prowl (damn him), had been the one to suggest that Fortress Maximus be exclusively granted this power, with the assurance that he'd likely never have to use it.  After all, Garrus-9 was "impenetrable" and the majority of the Decepticons that had been incarcerated over the years were there at the behest of their own faction.  That was, of course, before the Monstructor Six were successfully sprung, before Nemesis née Nova Prime undetectably sallied in through a sub-level entrance, and before the long-thought lost Decepticon Phase-Sixer known as Overlord showed up at their front doors.

Kick-Off's next report snapped Maximus back to reality.  "Overlord's broken through our frontline, Max.  He's in."

Maximus bit back a curse, ignored the contorted noise that came from Circuit's vocoder, and cast what doubts he could aside.

"Inform unit commanders to use the predetermined escape routes and gather in the rear courtyard.  And tell Refit to seal off medical; this is only going to get uglier.  Circuit, Gust, Turbofire, you three retreat to the Level G command substation and help coordinate crisis response teams from there.  Kick-Off, you're with-"

The world suddenly shook violently as a large explosion went off somewhere in the complex.  Those remaining in the command center briefly fought for composure.

"Report!" Maximus grunted, steadying himself on a nearby railing.

"Vroom self-detonated his Pretender shell," Gust quietly announced.

"Did he damage Overlord, then?" Kick-Off inquired, shades of hope in his voice.

"It seems…that Vroom self-detonated…prior to Overlord's approach."

"How far away was Overlord?" Fortress Maximus asked.

"On the other side of the facility," Gust almost whispered.

Silence fell over the room; a silence untouched by the rumbling of the superstructure's foundations or the blunted discharge of blaster fire.

"Coward," Turbofire finally mumbled, getting out of his seat.  Maximus simply looked to Kick-Off, as if he hadn't heard.

"Kick-Off, stay here.  You three, get going."

Circuit and Gust eagerly scrambled out of the room, but Turbofire stood his ground, looking to Maximus.

"Wherever you guys are going, I'm coming too."

"This is a direct order, soldier."

Turbofire merely tilted his head questioningly.  

"You can court-martial me later if you want, but I'm staying here."

Maximus frowned and nodded, inwardly acknowledging that there wasn't time for this right now.

"Fine, initiate a manual lockdown of the higher administrative functions.  I'm trying to avoid a full systems burn for now.  This'll buy us time."

Turbofire nodded and rushed back to his console.  Kick-Off finished some tasks of his own, then looked back at Maximus.

"We'll slow them down, but realistically, we need a miracle here, Max."

"That's Prime's stock-in-trade, Kick-Off, not mine."

"What's the plan, where are we going once we're finished here?" Turbofire inquired, furiously inputting commands on his keypad.

"We're headed down to supermax to release Grimlock and Impactor.  And then I'm going to spark isolation to reintegrate Repugnus."

"You're kidding."

"No.  I may have to offer Repugnus restitution for his services, but the others will play ball if it means killing Decepticons."

Turbofire scowled as he switched his console off.  "Still…"

"If any of them are stupid enough to get out of line, I can remotely detonate their deterrence chips," Maximus continued.  "I have to work with what I've got."

"Gee, thanks boss," Kick-Off quipped, sliding a clip into a rifle he had just retrieved.

Maximus wanted to smile at his subordinate's irreverence, but it somehow actualized as a grimace.  "Enough talk, we've got to move."

The three stepped to the lift, the platform twitching slightly as it always did when Maximus' bulk rested upon it.  The warden of Garrus-9 activated it and the three Autobots were soon descending to the lower levels of the prison.

"Figures, I was reassigned here barely a year ago, and G-9 suffers its three largest breaches of security ever since then.  Jackpot was right; I'm bad luck," Kick-Off uttered, trying to alter the mood.

"Eh, jury's still out on that, Kick.  If we die here, I'd be willing to agree with him," Turbofire responded, with a half-hearted chortle.

Fortress Maximus remained silent, not having the heart to tell them to focus on their jobs.  If they could just acquire some backup, the wildcards he planned on throwing into the mix, then perhaps the prospect of a fight-back would seem more buoyant to him.  But he simply couldn't deny that the possibility of The Last Resort falling this day was becoming more likely with every passing second.  As if on cue, a patchy message spurted forth from his com-link.  

"Ma-zzzgk-respo-bzzzt-!"    

Maximus tapped his receiver.  "Gust?  Is that you?  What is your status?"

"T-zzzzt-got in-zzzgk-couldn't-zzzzt-killed Circu-bzzzz-headed right-zzzzzzzzz-"

A tremendous burst of static abruptly ended the fragmentary transmission.  Turbofire and Kick-Off exchanged unreadable expressions.  Maximus impotently tapped his receiver again.

"Gust!  Respond!  Are you alright??"  The meaninglessness of the words struck Maximus as soon as they left his mouth.

"Maximus.  We're here," Turbofire pointed out, as the lift came to a rest.  Maximus nodded and the three disembarked, entering a corridor that led to Garrus-9's maximum security wing.

"Double-time, Autobots, we've got to-"

A wall exploded a short distance ahead of them, cutting off Maximus' vocalization and showering their path with debris.  The three Autobots abruptly halted as soot and cinder swirled before them.  A sepulchral form was suddenly realized within the miasma, heavy, hollow footfalls accompanying its arrival.

And there stood Overlord, wreathed in smoke and daubed with mech fluid.

"Hello."

Turbofire began to raise his gun.  He got to about mid-chest level before his head vanished in a remarkably unspectacular explosion.  Turbofire's listless body clattered to the ground as Kick-Off screamed and leveled his own weapon.  A rocket-propelled grenade from the Decepticon Phase-Sixer caught Kick-Off in the chest and sent him hurtling back towards the lift.  Seconds later, an explosion from the lift's chamber punctuated the shot.  Overlord smiled lightly and turned his attention to Maximus, who was calmly aiming his oversized rifle at the Decepticon's head.

"This is a lovely piece of real estate you've got here, Maximus.  I think I'll be relieving you of ownership."

"I rent," Maximus replied evenly, finger still tensed on the trigger.

"Ah yes, the traditional Autobot gallows humor.  I do admire that.  After all, you really have no business being a soldier if you don't have a sense of humor about death."

"What's your stake in this, Overlord?  Last we heard, you went off the grid."

Overlord's limbs seemed to slacken and for all the world, Maximus would have tagged the expression on the Decepticon's face at that moment as crestfallen.

"It's rather amusing, really.  All the inmates here- all the traitors and zealots, the Syk-dealers and the infant-stranglers…they all have no actual conception of what it is to be imprisoned.  To be truly confined, spark and shell."

Maximus' aim didn't drift a picometer.  "Oh really."

"And you…you spend everyday in this place, making sure no one gets in or out.  It's all Prime expects from you, it's what you devote every waking hour to.  In a way, you have even less freedom than those you have chained up down here."

"If you say so."

Overlord's dour visage stiffened into the most joyless smile Maximus had ever seen.  "A little enthusiasm, Autobot, I'm trying to enlighten you here."

Maximus didn't respond; he simply kept his trigger-finger tight and his optics trained.  Satisfied at least with the Autobot's undivided attention, Overlord continued.     

"You see, it's fate that really shackles us, Maximus.  Fate is the most impenetrable prison ever conceived, and I've been banging on its walls since the day Megatron stuck that ludicrous badge on me."

"Is this the part where I'm supposed to understand you?"

"You know, you're smaller than I thought, Fortress Maximus.  You're a very small robot in a big, scary world," Overlord grinned as he began to advance on the Autobot, fingers curling, becoming fists.

"And you're just another overpowered maniac who talks too much."

Maximus opened fire.  A photon burst carved a path in the air, missing Overlord by centimeters.  For all his bulk, the Decepticon moved with inordinate speed and covered the distance between himself and Maximus in an instant.  Overlord reached out and tore the rifle from Maximus' grip, crushing it in the same motion.  The Autobot drove his shoulder into Overlord, trying to throw him off-balance, but the Phase-Sixer stood firm, feet digging into the ground.

"You're strong, Maximus.  But not that strong."

A right fist connected with Maximus' abdomen, with all the impact of an artillery shell.  The Autobot gritted his teeth as he felt something rupture under the blow.  He wouldn't be able to take many more hits like that.  This realization nearly made him miss the oncoming second blow, but Maximus managed to twist out of the way and get a grip on Overlord's outstretched limb.

Maximus moved to strike at one of Overlord's joints, hoping to at least disable an arm, but they were far too well-armored.  Maximus' blow merely opened his side up for a second hit from Overlord's free arm.  Not losing his grip on Overlord's left, he used the momentum from the blow to try and bring his opponent to the ground, redistributing weight and altering balance in a split-second.

But Overlord simply planted his feet again, wagering that Maximus wasn't strong enough to budge him.  He was partly-right; Maximus strained against his resistance, but only for a moment as the hearty Autobot effortlessly redistributed his weight again and shoved Overlord in the opposite direction.

Overlord lost his balance and toppled over as Maximus twisted and tried to wrench his arm out of place.  He allowed himself a smile and viciously kicked at Maximus' abdomen, striking him in the same place the initial blow had landed.  Maximus winced, but didn't release his grip on Overlord's arm, applying more pressure to it.

"You disappoint, Maximus," Overlord grunted.  "Mere diffusion techniques won't cut it against me.  You've wasted your opportunity to do me harm.  You've wasted your life and the lives of your men."

Maximus snarled in defiance as Overlord's trapped arm suddenly went taut, then struggled furiously in his grip.  Overlord easily regained his footing, tilted his main body slightly so it was aligned with the Autobot's and armed the RPG launcher on his torso, which swiveled up to aim at Maximus' head.

Fortress Maximus saw the danger and quickly disengaged himself from Overlord, releasing his hold just as the RPG flung itself from the Decepticon's lower torso.  It whistled past Maximus' head, disorienting him for a split-second.  And that was all Overlord required.

Another explosive impact shook Maximus as Overlord hit him again in his already-damaged abdomen.  The pain erupted through his systems, and then resounded with greater intensity as Overlord hit him over and over in the same area.  Maximus dropped to his knees, unable to retain his composure under such punishment.

Blows began to rain down on Maximus as he brought his arms up in a desperate attempt to block.  But Overlord acted as if they weren't even there, battering the Autobot mercilessly.

Finally a tremendous uppercut lifted Maximus off his feet, then plunged him to the ground.  He did not get back up.

"As if there were any other outcome," Overlord asserted, delicately intertwining and flexing his digits.  


-


Overlord sat behind Fortress Maximus' desk, idly examining a peculiar geode that had been resting on the tabletop.  Unable to comprehend its value or purpose, he crushed it into glistening powder between thumb and forefinger just as one of his recently-"commandeered" subordinates entered the room.

"What do you think, Stalker?" Overlord swept his arm around the room.  "A tragedy, at best."

Stalker took a moment to disinterestedly scan the sparse décor of Fortress Maximus' relatively-small quarters as Overlord regarded him.  The Predators' communications officer had gracefully accepted Skyquake's "replacement" and had been instrumental in cementing Overlord's control over the rest of the unit and the liberated prisoners.  Overlord suspected that Stalker was happiest in a position just under the biggest fish and content to serve as long as it suited him comfortably.

A regular Soundwave, this one, Overlord smugly concluded as Stalker met his gaze.

"The lack of imagination amongst Autobots never ceases to amaze, Overlord," Stalker intoned, the hint of an ugly smile in his voice.

"Indeed, one would think a window at least would be nice.  But enough about that, how goes the inventory?"

"Agreeably.  Most of the prisoners that were freed are more than willing to remain here as long as you are.  The promise of protection and further…"sport" certainly helped."

"And the rest of those in spark isolation?"

"We left Shockwave, Bludgeon, and Scorponok alone, as instructed.  But you should have seen that crackpot Longtooth.  The second his head's screwed back on, he's screaming about how we were going to "burn in the Pit for defiling the Oracle and denying the One True Path of techno-organic reformation," laughed Stalker.

"Oh?  And what became of him?"

Stalker shrugged.  "I think someone just shot him in the face."

Overlord nodded.  "I've found most Covenant-thumpers do inspire that reaction, yes."  

"Funny thing though.  When we tried to reintegrate Repugnus, his "spark" just dissipated upon initialization of the process.  I would surmise that what had been stored here was just a nub of coalesced energy designed to mimic an actual spark.  Repugnus has been gone for a while, if he was ever here in the first place."

"It doesn't surprise.  A master of his house, Maximus was not, as today should have demonstratively proven."

Overlord slouched back in his seat, looked like he had something else to say, then waved a hand dismissively at Stalker.  "Get some downtime, recharge, and keep me updated.  Tomorrow, the games begin."

Stalker nodded and took his leave.  Overlord watched him exit, then looked around the room once more.  He stood and walked over to the far wall, gingerly placing a hand against it.  His arm suddenly snapped back, then forward again, punching a hole in the wall.  Seven more blows, and he had broken through four layers of external armor, effectively creating a window for the room that overlooked the central courtyard of Garrus-9.  There, Overlord spied newly-freed Decepticons corralling Autobot survivors and stockpiling weapons.  Some even seemed to be merely enjoying the daylight, denied to them for so long.  Overlord squinted, forcing himself to feel a sense of satisfaction at what he had accomplished today.  This was only the start; a good start, but still only a start.  While not an impatient being, Overlord felt annoyed that he had to go about matters in this fashion.  He wasn't someone who started things…only finished them.

I've made my stand, Megatron.  Now crash against it.


-


Dust settled in a particularly ruined part of Garrus-9's maximum security wing.  It was suddenly disturbed as a hand shot up from under several tons of collapsed elevator shaft.

Kick-Off dragged himself out from under the debris, hacking obscenely as dust invaded his open wounds.  He touched a hand to his chest, and nearly fainted as he came into contact with some of his exposed inner workings.  Overlord's RPG had not been kind to his chassis.

"C-computer.  Run…self-diagnostic."

"Extensive damage to torso.  Secondary fuel pump ruptured.  Primary transformation cog destroyed.  Recommend immediate stasis lock."

"Override," Kick-Off rasped.

"Acknowledged.  Medical attention necessary."

"Yeah?  Really?"

Kick-Off stumbled a bit as he tried to regain his footing, a wave of nausea hitting him and forcing him to hug a wall.  He finally sank to the ground, trying to get a grip.  Out of the corner of his optic, he saw something familiar and gagged.  Turbofire's grimy, headless corpse still rested on the ground nearby, arms splayed, palms out and pointed upward.

Lucky bastard.  Probably didn't even realize he was dead.

Maximus was nowhere to be seen…and Kick-Off didn't want to imagine what Overlord had planned for the warden of Garrus-9.  If Overlord had made it this far into the facility already, Kick-Off guessed that the entire place was overrun by now.  He had been offline for hours according to his internal chronometer, and he could detect no sounds that suggested the battle was still raging above and outside.  He put his head in his hands, struggling to collect his thoughts.

"One heavily-damaged Autobot, unable to transform, trapped in a supposedly-impenetrable fortress and probably surrounded by enemies," Kick-Off whispered.  "I wonder what odds Jackpot would lay on this?"