BEAST WARS TRANSFORMERS "Dark Voyage"

Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap and Dinobot locate a large cache of energon several miles away from base. While exploring it, Scorponok and Waspinator attack, with orders to destroy them and extract their memory modules for examination in hopes of gaining a tactical advantage. Weapons fire is exchanged, some of which hits the large energon deposit and sets off a chain reaction, resulting in a tremendous energon explosion. The Predacons manage to get away before getting slagged from the explosion, but the Maximals are severly damaged.

All the Maximal weapons and internal systems have suffered heavy damage, including their internal repair systems and their comm links with their base. Most importantly, however, they've lost their eyesight. Already suffering form energon overload, they quickly return to beast mode in hopes they will take no more energon damage. The damage they have recieved is so extensive that Rhinox figures they only have a few hours to get back to base and repair themselves before their Sparks are all extinguished and they go offline for good.

Meanwhile, Scorponok and Waspinator report back to Megatron. They believe they have destroyed the Maximals, but when Megatron asks for the Maximal memory modules, they have nothing. They go back to the scene of the battle and attempt to recover some parts. However, upon arriving, they find no wreckage. A quick sensor scan reveals energon traces left by the damaged Maximals of which they follow in hopes of finding them.

Elsewhere, the Maximals are slowly attempting to get back to base minus their eyesight. They come to a swampy area and decide to cross it, doing their best to navigate through the twisting, maze-like bushy area of trees and vines. Suddenly, they hear russtling of leaves above them. Cautious, they slowly push forward. Suddenly, an anaconda-like snake drop from the trees and attacks them. It first wraps itself around Cheetor and starts to crush him to death, and then does the same Rattrap. Finally, Rhinox manages to stop the snake by using his ears and nose to find where the snake is, running into it at top speed and sending it flying into another part of the jungle. The Maximals manage to escape, tired, but alive.

At the Axalon, Optimus sends Tigatron to find the Maximals who have been late in reporting in. At the same time, Megatron and Tarantulas note the Maximals trying to return to base on their computer scans. Terrorsaur is dispatched to help Waspinator and Scorponok find and destroy them.

Later, the Maximals come across a raging river leading to a waterfall. Rhinox recognizes this river as the one that their base lays across, and figures that they must be close to base. However, the only way across is walking across a log. Rattrap decides to make sure that the log is safe to cross and crosses first, managing to make it to the other side without incident. He beckons the other Maximals to follow. However, just as the other three reach the middle, Waspinator attacks! The log is destroyed and they fall into the river below and are tossed into the water below after going over the waterfall. Waspinator is joined up by Terrorsaur, who decide to search for the Maximals to gather their remains.

The two Predacon fliers find the Maximals washed up on land and begin firing on them. Cheetor, Dinobot and Rattrap, their systems now partialy repaired, transform and fire blindly, still unable to see their targets.

Undaunted, Rhinox uses his beast mode senses and helps the other Maximals aim. He tells them each to concentrate hard and imagine a targetting grid in their minds. Rhinox then, using his ears to listen for where the fliers may be at in the air, instructs each of them as to which coordinates of the grid they should fire at. After a couple of missed shots, they eventualy manage to slag the fliers just as Tigatron finds them afterwards and calls in Optimus and Airazor to help take them back to base. They have taken too much damage however, and they each go into stasis lock
Later, back at the Axalon, the Maximals are revived and congratulations one how they handled their previous situation are given by Optimus. Rhinox believes the experience was positive overall as it helped show how their beast modes can be used effectively even when not fighting. However, his main concern for the moment is going off to relax to smell the flowers.



Coming Soon, BEAST WARS TRANSFORMERS "Possession"

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