Note: Don't own Beast Wars. Let me know if anyone is OOC

Chapter 3-Findings

Beast Wars © of Hasbro

Finally, at long last, the sun shone down freely on them.

The hatch came down and allowed the ship's five occupants out to freely gaze at the world outside, free of the hazardous weather conditions that kept them prisoner.

Despite not holding any need for oxygen, the silverback couldn't stop himself from allowing a deep gust of air to travel through his vents, the scent of damped flora and stone that wettened his soles and knuckles perpetuating the area. "At long last, wouldn't you say?"

"No kidding." Rhinox answered Primal. "Hopefully some things were blown away."

"Geez!" Cheetor groaned, stretching out his back, claws from his forepaws extending outward as he did so. "I've been in there so long; I might actually want to recharge out here tonight!"

"Sleep wherever you want, I just want to get some decent food!" Rattrap declared. "I've been on an acorn only diet and I NEED SOMETHING SOFT AND CHEWY, SLAG IT!"

"This is perhaps one of the few moments in which you and I share some semblance of agreement." Dinobot sighed. Really, shameful as it was, there was no energy left in him to engage in any conversation, let alone an argument with the oversized rodent. And it wasn't just him. He, and surprisingly enough, everyone was more than a little cranky and displaying signs of cabin fever. Yet as the vermin said, he wanted food. Actual food. No more worms. He hungered literally for something he could sink his teeth and claws in.

Everyone heard Primal give a light chuckle at the three voicing their complaints. "Well, if anything," he turned to gaze at the exterior of the Axalon. "At least the ship seemed to pull through better than expected." Of course, his relief didn't last long. "We better call Tigertron and Airazor."

"You'd think those two would drop the whole 'one with nature' bit and actually come in where you KNOW you're gonna be dry!" Rattrap exclaimed, still completely baffled by the freer range Maximals' line of thinking.

"It's not as if you didn't give them the option." Rhinox assured. "Still...they roam and know the land perhaps even better than we. Surely they found decent shelter somewhere."

Primal felt somewhat at ease. That fact couldn't be denied regarding the big cat and bird, yet the storm hadn't exactly been kind to them. Power had gone out multiple times, the rectifier coil having to be completely rebooted after the storm was over. Thankfully, their time spent inside with each other was far less in comparison to when the vital piece of the ship was stolen.

All the more motivation to find Tigertron and Airazor. Especially the former.

"Tigertron to Optimus!"

Well, well, speak of Unicron himself…

"Optimus here." The ape answered via the commlink (now thankfully free of any potential interference). "Glad to hear your voice after these past few days."

"As is yours." The deep, mellow voice on the other end agreed. "Though, that's only one reason I wished to contact you." This brought to the band of five a sense of confusion. From the sound of it, any sense of levity, a 'calm' after the literal storm, was put into question by Tigertron's tone.

"What's wrong?" Optimus questioned, the com-link going silent for a moment or two.

"…perhaps it'd be best to explain when you get here." The tiger stated. "I'll send you a guide. Best one you can get." A small, female giggle was heard in the background. "Tigertron out." With that, the link died. And from the sound of it, the big cat was in a hurry.

Still, it was clear that more was amiss than just whatever potential damage the hurricane could've done.

Later

"Almost there!" the brown and hazel colored bird of prey cried out from above, having to keep herself from going off too fast, despite the overwhelming ecstasy of finally feeling wind beneath her once again.

Below, the five residents of the Axalon followed Airazor from below, their journey more than a little hindered thanks to the multiple days of the skies quite literally raining down upon the world below. Entire branches were ripped from their places and haphazardly tossed around everywhere, sometimes entire trees themselves were uprooted from where they once stood tall. Everything still held moisture on its leaves or reeds, the ground little more than mush as they group of five treaded through the disorganized jungle that had probably been created but a few days ago.

"What in the world could be so fascinating that they'd have to drag us all the way out here?" Rattrap groaned, the continuous motions of going over and under fallen trees and branches not exactly his idea of enjoying the outside world again. "I mean, it's not like we ALL had to come. The ship might need some…" Optimus shot him a look. "Think you used up all your 'shut ups' this week, big guy." And as if to counter what was going to come, he then turned to Dinobot. "And…yeah, there's not stopping now."

The saurian growled. "No, there's not."

"And really, that's fine with me." The rodent replied. "Because that just gives me all the more motivation to make your time here even worse that the Pit."

"And I swear on my life that I'll drag you down with me."

Now both of them were earning a glare from the silverback, they in turn ending their exchange (albeit reluctantly).

"And…we're here!"

Before them all was the mouth of a sizable cavern, an ivory, large cat with contrasting, blackened stripes at the entrance, the bird that had been leading them flying down nearby to join him.

The five approached the two. "What's going on?" Optimus questioned, Tigertron shifting his green eyes.

"In here." He simply stated, Airazor perching herself atop of his back, the two of them going into the cavern, the band of five following suit.

The tiger knelt down at the far larger, fallen figure lying on the uneven, moist flooring of the cave, the other members of the Maximals widening their optics at what…who lay before them.

It was a mechanical being very much like themselves, though the composition and general shape was far from that of a Cybertronian. True, the outer form composed of many cubic shapes, the metal a bright orange with golden sections and joints linking the various pieces together. His helm and general facial structure, however, bore less of a humanoid shape akin to that of Cybertronians: it was more hexagonal in shape, rims lining the outer portions of the helm, and one segment that protruded outward and began at the base of the upper lip, extending to the back. The being bore optics akin to theirs, as well as a mouth, yet the nose seemed to also be connected to the headpiece. Yet the most distinguishing features were that each and every part of him had been seemingly charred, the small portions that could be discerned in how he previously looked nearly cover up by thick, blackened areas that clearly indicated the outer shell had a good majority of it melted. The being's optics appeared to be blank and dark, its form completely still and lifeless.

"Who…" Optimus spoke, he and the other four previously caught in the silence that hung over the interior of the cavern. "How did…"

"It's unknown when he arrived." Tigertron answered. "Though he was found just when the storm hit." The white tiger went on. "The winds were becoming quite fierce, and Airazor had yet to return from the last scouting trip before we were to take shelter."

"He was at the base of the mountain in Sector G-54." The falcon interjected, casting a look at the motionless machine. "It took a great deal of dragging and stopping for a moment to get him inside. In fact, this wasn't even the original cave we decided on. He had to relocate just to get this guy out of the rain."

All of them were completely centered on the burnt individual, Cheetor in particular lowering his head to where he was mere inches away from the being's facial features.

It's optics lit up.

"GAH!" the spotted, thin feline hollered, stumbling back as the machine seemingly sprung to life, its entire form jolting and shaking as if his vital functions were spring back to life after receiving a massive surge of energy.

"Hey, hey!" Airazor shouted, hopping down from the tiger's back and inching towards the now active machine. "It's ok. Don't get your feathers all ruffled up."

The being's optics shifted around, its panic rising at all these unfamiliar faces, attempting to lift itself up, yet falling back to the ground, facial features strained in agony.

"It's all right." Tigertron assured. "You're among friends." A low rubble in his throat came from him. "They mean you no harm."

"…truly?" the five others at least now had clarity on the gender, this being was apparently a mech. He then looked to them, form still trembling somewhat. "Who…" he paused, a surge of pain overcoming him for a moment. "Who are you? Wh-What are all of you creatures?"

"Optimus Primal." The gorilla answered. "Rest assured, we ARE mechanical. We just have…more organic skins for the time being."

"O-Organic?" the cubically shaped individual chocked out. Blue surges of energy began to emit from him. "S-Sorry. The effects of this planet…it…it's strange."

"Overexposure to Energon." Primal confirmed. "All the more reason you shouldn't be out here any longer." He then looked to Tigertron. "How is it he's even survived this long?"

"He was essentially forced into stasis lock multiple times. He's spent very little time actual conscious."

Primal surveyed his form. He was quite sizable in comparison to the rest of them. "What's your name?"

"H-Hubble." The machine croaked out. "Of…ah!" he groaned. "Of Lithone."

"Lithone?!" Dinobot's eyes widened, mouth agape as his milky white eyes scanned him. Yes…yes, he THOUGHT his build looked familiar.

"Y-Yes?" Hubble answered, quite perplexed at the bipedal, scaly creature. "I…I'm a scientist. An explorer, actually. Me and my partner…we were sent on an expedition to…" he got no further, a pang of yet more agony via the Energon exposure overtaking him.

"Come on." Primal then urged the other four. "Start with his arms. And we'll just- "

"Optimus!" Tigertron's concern drew the silverback's attention back to the tiger, the orange machine hailing from this planet, Lithone (of which he held little idea of what significance that held) suddenly undergoing a series of convulsions.

"Who, hey, hey!" the gorilla knelt down to Hubble, taking his hand in his own, another placed on his shoulder. It was clear to everyone what was happening. Rhinox transformed and knelt down on Hubble's other side.

"Hey, stay with us!" the green Maximal told him, though by this point, he was practically begging.

"Go into stasis lock!" Optimus told the scientist, the shaking beginning to subside, much to their collective dismay. "We'll carry you back to the ship and- "

"It..it's too late." Hubble sputtered out. "I…I feel it!" another spasm overcame him. "I'm going. It's, gah! I've felt it coming for some time since I fell through the atmosphere, but I can't escape it any longer!" Primal began to protest, watching with widened eyes as the last signs of life steadily began to slip away.

"Wait!" everyone was surprised to see that Dinobot of all of them went up to the dying Lithone, even more at the urgency in his voice. "Is your planet still intact?"

Hubble's vision was fading, yet he still registered he was being addressed. "Wh-What?"

"The planet, Lithone!" the saurian clarified. "Is it still intact? Is it still there?"

"Of…of course. Why do you…" `he then went silent, a low whirring hum emitting from him: the final sign that the entirety of his system was ceasing to function. Finally, after these long days of slipping in and out of consciousness, dealing with the surges of this planet's conditions…such things mattered not to him anymore. And to a degree, the scientist's features reflected what perhaps could've been read as a sense of relief.

The seven Cybertronians clothed in the skin of the planet's various fauna looked on at the now motionless form of the scientist, alerted then by the sigh of a surging, bright collection of energy that rose from his chest, hanging there before them as if its owner wished to take in all their faces before it went upward, through the ceiling of the cavern to places unknown and unseen to the living.

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