Roll Call, Part 2

Scene opens over the jungle planet, B'boom and Crynoth help Silverbolt to his feet, Silverbolt now has a long and deep scar down one side of his face from the pterodactyls. They look up, but all they can see is the bottom of the pedestal vaguely showing through the canopy.

B'BOOM: I don't believe it, they, they're gone. (Silverbolt turns away in sorrow and holds up the wrist communicator.)

SILVERBOLT: Mellone. We are ready. (Mellone's voice chimes over the communicator.)

MELLONE: I am truly sorry about Tigatron and Airazor, they fought well alongside Optimus Primal, then you, for a long time. (B'boom yells in frustration.)

B'BOOM: They were good soldiers, and they were forced to die a pitiful, agonizing death!? (He rips a small tree out of the ground and throws it to the side. Silverbolt stops him.)

SILVERBOLT: It is over, we can't do anything now. (B'boom steps back and stares into Silverbolt's eyes.) We're ready for our next task. (The three of them are instantly in a different place, a vast icy ocean, they all instantly shiver. Behind them is the ocean, in front of them is a steep and jagged slope of ice and snow. Crynoth charges his electric armor to warm himself.)

MELLONE: Your fifth task is Iceberg. The Elemental in charge, Water, the crew member, Inferno. Let the game begin. (The ice cracks a few feet away from them and Water shoots out, she is obviously cold.)

WATER: Brrrr, this task is fairly simple, find Inferno before he goes off-line from exposure. You will face some of the losers from the Elemental games here as well. Good luck. (She disappears back under the ice, the black silhouette of her mask and gloves fading as she goes deep. Silverbolt flies up into the air with some difficulty from his damaged wing.)

SILVERBOLT: We should fan out, he is somewhere on this iceberg.

CRYNOTH: How big is it? (The camera goes up behind Silverbolt to show the iceberg. It is a huge mess of tunnels and caves, reaching tall peaks, and spanning about three-hundred yards both ways.)

SILVERBOLT: It's big. (A laser shot flies from a cave and separates one of his wings.) Ahhhhhhh- (He careens back down and crashes in a snow pile. His wing slices through the air and lands in the water off the edge of the iceberg. B'boom pulls him up out of the snow. Silverbolt growls in anger and grabs his remaining wing, he prepares for a moment then with a jerk breaks it free, he pulls the feather-blade out, connects it where his gun used to go at his waist, and discards the wing.) Let's get started.

CRYNOTH: I have an idea, stand back. (He spreads his four arms and starts to glow, his feet begin to melt through and he starts to sink. He lets out a battle cry and fires the beam of electricity, the condensed, white-hot power burns through the wall in front of them and keeps on going. One creature is stalking in a cave when the beam passes through the wall right in front of him and shocks him through his gun. Crynoth puts his arms down and crawls out of his newly melted hole.)

B'BOOM: Smooth. (The inside of the tunnel quickly freezes back to give it a smooth ice texture, he steps back and motions Silverbolt forward.) Care to lead? (Silverbolt steps up and converts to beast mode, then to vehicle mode. The jet engine starts up and he begins to run, he flares the engine and takes off.) Whoo-hoo! Here we come buddy!

(He converts to beast mode, then dragster, he takes off down the tunnel, spiraling around the wall, slipping and sliding everywhere. Crynoth pulls his cutlass out of the ground and takes off running. Down the tunnel ahead Silverbolt's transmetal wolf face is contorted in determination, a creature comes down through the ceiling ahead of him and takes aim with a laser pulse rifle. He fires, and Silverbolt jumps and twists in the air, the shot travels back and barely misses B'boom, then Crynoth's armor absorbs it. Silverbolt opens his jaws, the warrior starts to bring up his weapon, and Silverbolt slams into him and clamps onto his throat, Silverbolt jerks his head and quickly ends it.)

SILVERBOLT: Maximize! (He picks up the laser pulse rifle and slings it over his shoulder, B'boom tries to turn on his brakes, he keeps going and takes Silverbolt's legs out from under him, they slide several more yards down the tunnel before Silverbolt pulls out the blade and sticks it in the ground.)

B'BOOM: I need to get some chains on these.

SILVERBOLT: I'd say we're about at the center right? (Crynoth runs up and slides into B'boom tripping over him, he stands up and B'boom converts to robot mode.)

B'BOOM: Yeah, why do you ask? (A laser shot flies by them, they look down where they came from, there is a whole group of creatures with snow gear and big guns, Silverbolt charges the rifle and fires up, the shot melts through the ice and keeps going.)

SILVERBOLT: Let's go up and find him! (Silverbolt jumps up and begins to help Crynoth, B'boom starts firing his two guns down the tunnel, one goes off its feet, but they keep coming. Silverbolt and Crynoth each grab a shoulder and heave him up, they are on one elevation of the topside.) Look around, we should find him quick. (His circuits begin to spark, so does B'boom.) If we're out here too long we'll freeze up, start scanning. (He and B'boom start scanning all over the iceberg.)

B'BOOM: Slag! We need to be higher. (They start to climb up the side, Crynoth charges his cutlass and takes a chuck of ice, it slides down into the hole, filling the tunnel exit.)

CRYNOTH: That should hold them for a while. (He follows Silverbolt and B'boom up the side, when they reach the top they can see the whole iceberg, as well as the various soldiers scurrying around on it, a visor comes down over B'boom's eyes and he starts scanning, he sees the heat source down in a crater.)

B'BOOM: Down there! (He converts to dragster and speeds down, Silverbolt and Crynoth slide in behind, B'boom is now on level ice, a couple dozen yards ahead, in the wall of an ice formation, is a cage with a solid sheet of ice covering the opening, inside Inferno is leaning against one wall, his image is distorted by the ice, B'boom tries to stop, he keeps moving, he slides and starts to spin as well, he keeps going and ramps a snow bank.) This is gonna hurt. (He slams through the ice and embeds in the wall next to Inferno.) Ow. (Inferno turns his head and looks, his eyes are fading, his body is covered with icicles. Hs he comes down into the canyon Silverbolt shoots a sniper bunker out of the wall with his rifle, they slip and slide to a stop in the cage.)

SILVERBOLT: Mellone, Mellone! Get us out of here! (The howling wind is instantly silenced, the three robots fall to the floor with a clanking sound, gasping while their mech fluids thaw.)

B'BOOM: Slag, that was freezing. (Crynoth walks past them over the metal floor. The three Maximals still laying on the floor.)

INFERNO: I don't know if I want to know what's going on. (B'boom laughs and reaches over, weakly punching his buddy in the shoulder.)

CRYNOTH: Oh boy. (The camera pans around to show what he's looking at, in front of him is a view port, the camera goes outside and shows that they are in the cockpit of a clunky looking freighter.) What next? (He puts his cutlass through his belt and sits down at the controls. Silverbolt pulls himself off of the floor and sits in the co-pilot seat. Mellone comes in over the wrist-communicator.)

MELLONE: That was a fast one, I'm glad you could make it Inferno! (Inferno stands up and heaves B'boom to his feet with one hand, Inferno's head scrapes the instruments on the ceiling.)

INFERNO: What is this irritating voice? (B'boom elbows him.)

MELLONE: Ah yes, blunt and to the point as always Inferno. But enough small talk. Shall we begin? Your sixth task is Death Star, the Elemental in charge, Fire, the crew member, the beautiful and mysterious Scale. Be careful boys. (Crynoth turns to Silverbolt.)

CRYNOTH: What are we gonna' do Cappie? (Silverbolt looks around outside the view port, he spots something in the distance.)

SILVERBOLT: How about that moon? (There is a flash of flames behind them, Inferno and B'boom whirl around with weapons drawn. Fire raises his black gloved hands and shoots a fireball into each of their chests, they slam back into Crynoth's and Silverbolt's chairs.)

FIRE: Whoa! Hey! I don't think so! (The flames on his shoulders flare and his eyes burn from behind the visors of his mask, all over his body the bony spikes are protruding from his fire armor, he is shuttered by a sudden tremor in space and doubles over.) Ah! Forgive me Lord Ivyna! (He is knocked to his feet.) Ahhhh-(The pain stops, he struggles to his feet.) Forgive me, this task, death star, has two sections, it also involves some of Scale's history, actually she left with your ship before this was to happen. (He realizes he's rambling.) Okay, step one, you have to fly this ship, the Millennium Falcon, into the Death Star, (He points out of the view port at the 'moon'.) step two, after entering the Death Star you have to find Scale and safely escape with her. Oh, and the Death Star has a crew of storm troops, all losers from the Elemental games.

CRYNOTH: Oh, that's it? (Fire's flames flair in anger again.)

FIRE: I don't like cynicism. (In a burst of flame he disappears. Silverbolt turns back to the view-port.)

SILVERBOLT: Oh slag! (In front of them is a group of Tie fighters, they make a roaring sound as they cut through space.)

CRYNOTH: Whoa! Whoa! (He looks around in frustration at the controls.) Ah! Uh, (He flips a switch.) shields up!

SILVERBOLT: Inferno, B'boom, take the gunnery stations, Crynoth'll pilot us in and I'll maintain shield controls. (Inferno solutes.)

INFERNO: Yes sir! (The two of them exit the bridge, they come to a vertical tube with a ladder inside, B'boom goes first and heads down, Inferno goes in after him and climbs up. On the bridge Crynoth starts the engines and heads for the Death Star, he puts on a head-set, Inferno sits down at his laser and puts on his head set, as does B'boom.)

CRYNOTH: Alright men, we have twenty incoming fighters, I'll try to knock some out with the proton torpedoes. (The camera goes to outside, two glowing proton torpedoes shoot out of the front of the Falcon, as the Ties engage the falcon the first formation dodges them and circles the ship. One of the fighters in the second formation doesn't dodge in time, the explosion overtakes the fighter and the one closest to it in the formation, another one from the formation is thrown off and slams against another fighter. The two become locked and spiral out of control. The second torpedo grazes just above one fighter and slams into the one behind it, inside the cockpit of the grazed one the pilot and the instruments are wracked with electricity, and it explodes in a brilliant display. The two grappled ones break away, tearing one of the wings off of each of them, they spin away and explode.)

CRYNOTH: Whoo-hoo! Scratch six! (The remaining fifteen scatter.) Alright boys, it's up to you now, I'm going to pilot us toward the base. (B'boom puts his hands on the controls of his gun.)

B'BOOM: Can-do! (He starts firing and swiveling his gun around, he takes one out as it passes under the Falcon.) Hey Inferno, how's it going top-side!? (One the top gun station Inferno fires a shot right through a Tie's cockpit, three more pass over the top of the ship, they fire as they go over. In the cockpit Crynoth and Silverbolt are jerked from their seats.)

SILVERBOLT: Shields are holding! (As a Tie passes in front of the ship Crynoth hits it with a proton torpedo at point blank, it explodes, the flames sweep over B'boom and Inferno's bubbles for a moment. Crynoth and Silverbolt are jerked forward by a blast.) Hull breach!

CRYNOTH: I'm containing it now. (He swivels his chair and searches for the right control. Inferno follows a fighter as it goes over, firing an arc of laser until he punches a hole in one of its wings. It loses control and power, the camera shows it floating away as the Falcon keeps going with the swarm of ten Ties around it.)

B'BOOM: Are we there yet!? (He is thrown from his seat by a shot and lands on the glass below, a fighter passes right below him, less than two meters away, its blaring roar rattles the glass, he kicks the seat and the gun-pod swivels, he jumps up and grabs the throttle, he fires three shots, one goes right under the arm connecting to the wing, the second goes right over, the third hits home. Up top Inferno takes out one fighter, he turns in time to hit another.)

CRYNOTH: We're approaching the Star! (It is growing huge in the view port.)

SILVERBOLT: How exactly are we supposed to dock? (Crynoth looks at him through the mask.)

CRYNOTH: I don't know. (He turns back.) Oh no. (dozens of Ties are pouring out of the base, Silverbolt considers for a moment.)

SILVERBOLT: Okay, I've got it, Crynoth, take us to any docking bay along the center radius, (He speaks into his head-set.) Inferno, B'boom, concentrate all fire forward, we'll make this work. Crynoth, can you use you electricity to charge the proton torpedoes? I need them to emit an E.M.P. strong enough to knock out those fighters coming at us and disable the defense grid on the docking bay, then you have to take us into the bay. (He puts a hand on his shoulder.) Can you do this? (Crynoth looks out the window.)

CRYNOTH: Here goes! (He charges his four hands and grabs the controls in the gloves. The panel lights up and sparks fly.) Protons charged! (He fires a burst of four proton torpedoes, they fan out, two slam into Tie fighters and send a magnetic shockwave that disables the whole fleet, the other two pass between the fighters and slam on either side of their intended dock, the auto-guns drop dead.) Whoo! It worked!

B'BOOM: Yeeehaw! (Silverbolt regains composure. The shockwave overtakes them and everything goes dead.) Slag! The lights went out!

SILVERBOLT: It's okay, Crynoth, would you be so kind? (Crynoth puts his hands on the console.)

CRYNOTH: Clear! (He shocks the console, the engines flare, he looks at Silverbolt.) Want me to pump the gas pedal while you push?

SILVERBOLT: Very funny my friend, go again. (Crynoth shocks it again, the engines flare, sputter, then stabilize.) Alright, take us in. (As they fly through the cloud of disabled ships, Inferno and B'boom shoot one after another.) That is good enough my friends, please return to the cockpit to prepare for docking. (B'boom chuckles as we climbs the ladder.)

B'BOOM: Please make sure that your seat backs and tray tables are in their up-right and locked position. (He steps out of the tube, Inferno squeezes out behind him and they walk to the cockpit. As they are taking their seats Crynoth pilots the ship toward their docking bay. He pilots the ship into the air-lock.)

CRYNOTH: There won't be a stabilizing force-field, so we have to be careful opening doors, I also have to use magnets to hold down the ship.

SILVERBOLT: Let's hope thing has a decompressor. (The landing gear deploys and they come to a rest.)

Scene goes to a few minutes later, the four of them float out of the ship. B'boom kicks his feet off of the ship, he spirals through the empty space and stops at a door, he hits a few buttons, the door opens to a small pressurized chamber.

B'BOOM: Let's go. (Inferno uses his turbines to fly into the chamber, Silverbolt and Crynoth push off of the ship and claw their way into the chamber, Silverbolt closes the door, the pressure returns to the room and they fall in a heap on the floor.)

CRYNOTH: Ow. (They get to their feet, Silverbolt steps up to the other door, then stops, he turns on a computer terminal and types a little.)

SILVERBOLT: Weapons ready, Crynoth and I will take the right, Inferno and B'boom take left, if you keep this path we can meet up back here. (He points to a small room.) A prisoner check-point, from there we can access a roster program and find Scale, ready? (B'boom pulls out his two guns, Inferno pulls out his two huge flame throwers, Crynoth pulls the cutlass from his belt and charges it, Silverbolt unslings the laser pulse rifle and charges it. He hits the buttons on the door and it slides open, the door opens to introduce a row of four to five rows of ten, the storm troops, of various sizes, stare back blankly with their black and white helmets. B'boom punches the door button and it slides closed.)

B'BOOM: Slag! I mean SLAG! (Silverbolt puts his hand back on the controls.)

SILVERBOLT: Okay, they'll open this door in a second, Inferno, lay down a thick flame cover, Crynoth and I will follow the same path and take some from the side. (The door slides open, the first storm troop is met by the muzzles of Inferno's flame throwers, he flies back with the force of the flames. Inferno steps forward, flames still roaring, the storm troops return fire, the shots ping off of him, B'boom steps up next to him and starts firing.)

INFERNO: Go Silverbolt! (Silverbolt and Crynoth explode from behind them, they sprint by the side of the troops, Silverbolt shoots as he runs, Crynoth runs behind him, blade out, they take out at least one row of troops as they pass. Silverbolt blasts the right side door and runs through. Crynoth pulls something out of his jacket pocket and sticks it on the side of the door, he then takes off after Silverbolt down the hallway. Inferno steps over several charred storm troops as he and B'boom force back the troops, a couple of them head for the door Silverbolt and Crynoth took, Crynoth's mine goes off and blows them back over Inferno's head, B'boom watches them go over, he taps Inferno on the shoulder, the lasers are still passing by them at a constant rate.)

B'BOOM: The door's almost blown through! (Inferno looks back, the door to the docking bay is dented and about to go.)

INFERNO: Hold on. (Inferno puts away one of his guns and grabs him by the collar and turns so both his flame-thrower faces the door, he jumps backwards into the air and engages his turbines, he hits the gun against his chest, switching from flame to explosive projectile. He fires several shots as he flies back over the storm troops, they land on the other side, as the storm troops are turning around the door blows out, there is instantly a roaring sound as the suction rips them off their feet. B'boom grabs onto a nearby bar, Inferno is taken off his feet, B'boom grabs his foot as he goes by. The camera shows the troops flying through the door, they slam into the Falcon or keep going out into space. One troop is still hanging onto the side of the door, Inferno shoots him and he flies out, the emergency doors close, sealing the breach. Inferno and B'boom slam to the ground.)

B'BOOM: Don't ever, do that, again! (He laughs and falls back to the floor. Inferno stands up and pulls him to his feet.)

INFERNO: There will be more, soon. He shoots out the door on the left and they run through.)

Scene goes to inside the prisoner check-point, Crynoth and Silverbolt are standing on either side of the door, it opens and they jump in front, weapons drawn, B'boom puts his hands up.

B'BOOM: Ah! Ah, don't do that. (He walks in, Inferno follows, facing backwards, he then closes the door.)

SILVERBOLT: We found where she is, she is on an outside deck a good distance from here, but, I have a plan. (He brings up a computer map of the area.) Okay, Inferno, you and I will go get her, I need your fighting skills to get us through. (Inferno draws his two flame throwers.) Crynoth and B'boom will take the ship alongside the hull of the star, there is a docking hose on the top of the Falcon, B'boom, while Crynoth pilots you will have to connect to the hull and blow a hole through. You will need to pass multiple layers of insulation and metals, roughly ten feet, I suggest you take this. (He unslings the laser pulse rifle and hands it to B'boom, and a disk comes out of the computer, Crynoth puts it in one of his pockets.) Everybody know what they need to do? (Everyone nods, Crynoth smiles behind the mask.)

CRYNOTH: A born leader.

SILVERBOLT: Let's move! (They exit the door,

The_Rest