Book VII
     "The Battle For Earth"

     Chapter XXXIII
     "Chess Game"


   Back on Cybertron, Spike walked down
a hallway toward the command center. 
The few Autobots who had stayed behind
along with a handful of Earth Defense
personnel were all that was needed to
control Cybertron, everything was
automated, but he felt he should go
check on things anyway.
   When Spike arrived in the command
center, he expected to find nobody
there, but Commander Smith was looking
over the readouts.
   "Hi John", said Spike.
   "Hi Spike."
   "Status report", said Spike.
   "Nothing out of the ordinary.  Spike,
I don't know about you, but I've been
talking with some of the boys from Earth
Defense, and no one is very happy to be
sitting around letting the Autobots
rescue our planet.  Don't get me wrong. 
They all support the Autobots, but they
think they should be there too."
   "I know what you mean.  I've been
fighting the Decepticons for a very long
time.  I would like to be there, but
Rodimus put me in charge here, and I
don't want to let him down."
   Just then, the door opened, and in
walked three men.  Spike was surprised
he had not heard from them sooner.  He
had hoped not to hear from them at all.
   "Embassador Jenkins, Embassador
Moroe, Embassador Suli, how may I help
you", said Spike.  They were the United
Nations Earth Defense Committee.
   "Mr. Witwicky, we are here to make an
official request", said Embassador
Jenkins.  "The United Nations has voted
to send the Earth Defense Force to
Earth.  Military personnel from every
government in the world has joined the
Earth Defense Force.  We intend to
retake our planet."
   "Rodimus Prime's orders are for
everyone to stay right here.  Besides,
you may have light weaponry, and space
cruisers, but you don't have any heavy
weapons.  Without planes, tanks, and
heavy weapons, you are know match for
the Decepticons.  You also don't know
how to contact Rodimus Prime.  If you go
flying into the middle of things, you
could worsen the situation."
   "With all due respect Mr. Witwicky",
said Embassador Moroe, "we aren't
willing to sit around and do nothing. 
The Decepticons stole our planet, and we
want to get it back."
   "Spike, It's none of my business, and
I hate to say it, but I agree with them. 
You can't expect us to sit around and
wait", said Commander Smith.
   "Mr. Witwicky, we will go without a
means to contact Rodimus Prime if that
is our only choice", said Embassador
Suli.
   Spike thought a moment.  He didn't
have a lot of choice.  He couldn't let
them go without being able to contact
Rodimus, it could lead to a disaster. 
"I will not divulge the frequencies
necessary to contact Rodimus, but I will
go with you.  You will give me command
of the entire force."
   "Unacceptable.  Our forces need a
military leader, and you aren't that",
said Embassador Jenkins.  "We all have
great respect for you Mr. Witwicky, we
know you have been fighting alongside
the Autobots for a long time, but you do
not have the military experience
necessary to command a force of this
size and importance."
   Spike could see Commander Smith
almost roll his eyes at that.  Spike was
never in the military, that was true,
but he had seen more than his share of
battles.  "I will take the Earth Defense
Forces to Rodimus Prime, and then he
will take command."
   "And what if we refuse", said
Embassador Moroe.
   "Then I will order all Cybertronian
defenses online and disable any ship
attempting to leave", said Spike.  He
hoped he had said it convincingly.  He
knew very well, he couldn't do that.  He
just hoped they wouldn't call his bluff.
   "You wouldn't dare", said Embassador
Suli.
   "Try me", said Spike.
   The three diplomats looked at each
other for a moment.
   "Very well, you leave us on choice",
said Commander Jenkins.
   "How soon will your forces be ready
to leave", asked Spike.
   "In two hours", said Embassador Suli.
   The three of them left the room
without another word.
   "Don't you just love diplomats", said
Spike to Commander Smith.
   "Heavy on the dip", said Commander
Smith.  "Seriously Spike, are you sure
about this."
   "No, I'm not, but I'm going to do it
anyway."


   On the South Pacific island that was
now their base of operations, the
Autobots and Decepticons recovered from
their watery escape.
   In a small clearing in the jungle,
just inland from the beach, Brawl, and
Blitzwing were being repaired, while
Octane, Skyquake, Frenzy, and Springer
sat waiting for their turn.
   "I wonder if this island has a name",
said First Aid as he adjusted a circuit
in Brawl's chest.
   "It's not in my database", said
Percepter as he closed the compartment
on Blitzwing's back.  "There you go,
good as new."
   "Thank you", said Blitzwing as he
stood up.  He headed off into the
jungle.
   "I wonder what's bothering him", said
Octane as he waited for Percepter to
start his repairs.
   "Who cares", said Skyquake.  "Hurry
up and fix me."
   "We'll get to you as soon as we can. 
Your injury is not that severe", said
First Aid.  
   "Why don't you shut up Skyquake. 
You've been complaining about being
repaired since we got to this island,
and I'm tired of your voice", said
Springer angrily.
   "You dare to talk to me like that",
said Skyquake, rising to his feet.
   Springer stood up, toe to toe with
Skyquake.
   "What's going on here", asked Optimus
Prime as he stepped into the clearing.
   Skyquake backed down.  "Nothing
Optimus.  Just a difference of opinion."
   "Sorry Optimus, but I was really
getting tired of his complaining", said
Springer.
   "Who wasn't", muttered Rumble.
   Skyquake shot him an angry look, but
Rumble didn't seem to care.
   Optimus knew that nerves were on
edge.  Things weren't looking very good,
and he could tell that Skyquake was not
happy about the lack of respect his
troops were showing him.
   "Alert everyone, we will have a
meeting, on the beach in thirty
minutes", said Optimus.  "Where's
Blitzwing."
   "He headed in that direction", said
First Aid pointing into the jungle.
   Optimus went looking for Blitzwing. 
He wanted to tell Blitzwing his plan
before he told the others.  Although he
knew that Skyquake was not happy at
being let out of the loop, he didn't
want to tell him everything, not yet. 
He knew that if Skyquake knew about
Megatron's origin, and his relationship
to Optimus, he would surely play the
other side of the coin, and use that
information to take command of the
Decepticon army from Megatron.
   Optimus found Blitzwing sitting in a
clearing, leaning against a tree.
   "Blitzing, is something wrong", said
Optimus as he walked into the clearing
and sat down against another tree.
   "Swindle could have got us all
killed", said Blitzwing.  "I blame
myself, I should have seen it coming."
   "You had no way of knowing Swindle
would betray us", said Optimus.
   "I know", said Blitzwing.  "I've been
waiting a very  long time to stop
Megatron.  All those years of obeying
his orders was not easy.  Now, if we do
not succeed, he may never be stopped. 
What we must do is too important to
fail.  Swindle must have contacted
Megatron, and I missed it.  We all
missed it.  He must have tampered with
our holo-shield, and we missed that
too."
   "Well, the time is at hand to do
something", said Optimus.  "I have a
plan."
   "What do you plan", said Blitzwing.
   "First, we are going to have to find
a volunteer to get inside Decepticon HQ
and get a message to Rodimus on
Cybertron.  He must lead an attack on
this planet at just the right time, and
in just the right place.  He is to
attack Australia.  It is the least
heavily defended area on the planet. 
Meanwhile, the rest of us will split
into three teams.  Team one will break
into the Decepticons main satellite
control center in Houston.  They will
have to bring down the Satellite defense
network, allowing Rodimus Prime to lead
an attack in.  Once our attack force is
in, we must bring the satellites back on
line to prevent the Decepticons from
escaping.  Team two will be responsible
for destroying the defense energy grid
in Australia that powers the ground to
air defenses there.  Once the Autobot
attack force lands, they will be able to
finish it off.  It's not as important as
the Satellite center."  Optimus paused.
   "And what of team three", asked
Blitzwing.
   "Team three will be you, me, and some
of the others.  We must take over
Megatron's address of his troops so you
can announce to all First Circle members
that the time for them to stand up for
what they believe is at hand, and for
them to lay down their weapons and
surrender."
   Blitzwing sat in silence for a
moment.  He had mixed feelings about the
idea.  "Is their no other way", asked
Blitzwing.
   "None that I can see.  If we can cut
the strength of the Decepticon army, we
will be able to take back the planet. 
Their is only one problem I see.  I'm
sure their are some Decepticons who will
try to pass themselves off as First
Circle members.  If the Autobots can't
tell who is and isn't a member, they
will have to take everyone prisoner, and
sort it out later.  That could seriously
complicate things.  We wish the First
Circle to become allies.  The First
Circle members won't take kindly to
being taken prisoner."
   "Their is another way", said
Blitzwing.  "All members of the First
Circle have an encoded identification
number which allows our people to
identify each other.  You have only to
scan them on the proper frequency to
identify them.  Unfortunately, any
Decepticons will know he is being
scanned.  The test works, but not
covertly."
   "Can you give me the scanning
specifications", asked Optimus.
   "Certainly", said Blitzwing.  "It has
always been our most closely guarded
secret.  Only a handful of our members
know how to scan for it."
   "We had better go explain the plan to
the others", said Optimus.  "Their are a
lot of preparations to make.  This will
be like a giant game of chess, and we
have to have all of our pieces in place
if we are to succeed.  I just wish we
had more pieces."
   "We will have to make do with what we
have", said Blitzwing.  "I think we can
be victorious."
   "I hope so.  Let's not divulge the
First Circle's existence to them yet. 
I'm not sure Skyquake will go along with
us if he knows that our plan will
destroy the army he wants to control."
   Blitzwing nodded.  "You're right.  We
had better be very careful with him."
   Blitzwing and Optimus got up and
headed back toward the beach. 
Unbeknownst to them, someone had been
listening to their conversation. 
Skyquake sat motionless.  He didn't want
to give himself away.  If he helped
carry out this plan, not only would
Megatron loose the planet, but he would
lose any chance of taking over the army
himself and controlling Earth.  He
decided it was time to switch sides
again.  He stood up from his hiding
place, but was knocked to the ground
from behind.
   Blitzwing stood over Skyquake. 
"Optimus, I told you I thought I heard
something", called Blitzwing.
   Optimus joined him.  "Well Skyquake,
how much did you hear", asked Optimus.
   "Nothing, I heard nothing", said
Skyquake.
   Optimus could not believe he had been
so careless.  He should have been more
careful while discussing his plan with
Blitzwing.  "Why is it I don't believe
you", said Optimus.  Optimus reached
down and grabbed Skyquake, pulling him
to his feet.  "Now what did you hear",
asked Optimus again.
   Skyquake pushed Optimus away, "I
heard enough", he said, and he began to
transform.
   Blitzwing pulled out his weapon and
fired at Skyquake.  Skyquake came
crashing to the ground with energy
leaking from his shoulder.
   "Consider that payback.  It took the
repair drones a month to put me back
together.  I was so close to giving the
First Circle a chance to change the ways
of the Decepticons, and you had to screw
it up."
   "You are a traitor Blitzwing", said
Skyquake.
   "Perhaps, but I would gladly be a
traitor fighting for a just cause than
be loyal to a dying way of life", said
Blitzwing.
   Skyquake moved to get up, but Optimus
grabbed him.
   "Hold him down", said Optimus. 
Optimus opened a panel on Skyquake's
chest.
   "What are you doing", demanded
Skyquake.
   Optimus hit him square in the face,
knocking him out cold.  He started
looking at Skyquake's circuitry.
   "If you don't mind my asking", began
Blitzwing, "what are you doing."
   "I'm going to disconnect his audio
circuits and motor functions.  I don't
want him telling anyone about our plan. 
I should have asked you before, are any
of the Decepticons on this island
members of the First Circle."
   "Some of them, but not all.  Some of
them might react badly if they knew
about the First Circle", said Blitzwing.
   "Who do you trust most", asked
Optimus.
   "Astrotrain and Onslaught.  They are
both loyal to the First Circle, and know
that I am it's leader.  I think we can
trust Rumble and Frenzy also."
   "Very well.  Who is not a member",
asked Optimus.
   "Ratbat, Buzzsaw, and Laserbeak",
responded Blitzwing.  "I'm not sure
about Vortex, Blastoff, and Brawl.
   "Help me carry Skyquake."  Optimus
knew how close they had come to
disaster.  If Skyquake were to tell
Megatron about the plan, it would never
succeed.