Transformers: Armada
“Tactician” – Episode 25
Written by Terry Klassen and Ward Perry
Transcription by Brandon Williams
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Narrator: The war between the Autobots and the Decepticons rages on, as they struggle to retrieve the prized Mini-Cons. There are new and more powerful Mini-Cons surfacing every day. If the Decepticons prove victorious, then Megatron, and his enslaved Mini-Cons will control the universe. The Earth’s only chance for a peaceful cosmos is for Optimus Prime and the Autobots to destroy their enemy, and free all Mini-Cons. Now, get ready for a new battle.
[Transition]
Astronaut #1: Look, what is that?
Captain: Contact Houston at once.
Astronaut #1: I’m trying, but nothing seems to be working, captain.
Astronaut #2: It’s headed straight for us, sir.
Captain: Dump the auto-pilot! I’m taking the stick.
Astronaut #1: Still… no radio response.
Captain: Keep trying!
Astronaut #1: Yessir!
Captain: Buckle up, boys! It’s firing on us!
Billy: So who cares if the shuttle almost hit the other shuttle?
Fred: But that’s exactly my point, Billy. There was only one shuttle up there.
Billy: Nah, you probably heard it wrong, Freddy boy.
Fred: Yeah… It must’ve been a meteor or something.
Alexis (VO): At first we just thought Fred just got his story mixed up. But as it turns out, a much bigger mystery lay ahead of us.
[Transition]
Thrust: Ahh, here you are, my little pets. It’s such a shame that you’ve been locked away here all these years. Are you ready? I have selected you, and you shall work for me as my personal minion. Come. We have work to do.
Carlos: Hey, wait a minute. Where’s Sideways?
Rad: He’s right down there, Carlos. You see him?
Carlos: Aw, good. I thought he was hacking in on us again.
Alexis: Hey, don’t worry about that happening to us, Carlos. Red Alert installed a firewall.
Red Alert: You got that right, Alexis.
Billy: And if he does, we’ll pound him.
Fred: Yeah, pound him good!
Rad: Hey, look. A Mini-Con.
Optimus: A Mini-Con? Roger that.
Scavenger: I’m on it, Optimus.
Megatron: Cyclonus, get after it now.
Cyclonus: Yessir. Transform!
Megatron: My word, they’re a band of obnoxious misfits. How embarrassing.
Optimus: We’ve got your back, Scavenger. Now let’s move out.
Smokescreen: Yessir.
Megatron: Just where do you think you and your men are going, Optimus Prime. I’ve got you trapped like fish in a barrel. Sonar, quickly. Powerlink! Star Saber! Follow me, men.
Starscream: Oh great. Time to get shot at again. Why couldn’t I have just been a normal bot working in a factory?
Hot Shot: Well, looks like it’s now or never.
Smokescreen: Liftor, it’s time to powerlink. Heads up, Optimus!
Thrust: I wish Megatron would stop using the Star Saber at half its strength!
Optimus: Smokescreen.
Smokescreen: At your service, Optimus, sir.
Thrust: Why are Decepticons so weak?
Scavenger: I’ve retreived the Mini-Con, sir. What was that?
Megatron: Retreat! I shall return, Prime.
Carlos: We smoked ’em!
Kids: Yeah! / Autobots rule!
Megatron: You pathetic buffoons!
Cyclonus: It’s not my fault, I was wounded!
Demolishor: What?!
Cyclonus: You should’ve backed me up.
Demolishor: You’re insane, Cyclonus. If you hadn’t been hit, maybe we could’ve had a chance out there.
Cyclonus: Okay, that’s it.
Demolishor: What are you gonna do about it?
Cyclonus: You just watch me.
Thrust: Stop your bickering at once!
Demolishor: Who said that?
Starscream: Hey, it wasn’t me. I didn’t say anything.
Demolishor: Then what about you?
Sideways: Wasn’t me.
Thrust: You truly are a pitiful lot. You disgust me.
Demolishor: Who said that? And where are you?
Thrust: Megatron, your poultry army of miserable little warriors leaves much to be desired.
Demolishor: Show yourself, fool! Aaaahhh!
Megatron: Nicely executed.
Thrust: My humble apologies for keeping you waiting, Megatron.
Megatron: It is time… to reveal yourself, my dear, dear friend! Welcome to planet Earth, Thrust.
Thrust: It seems I’ve arrived in the nick of time, Megatron.
[Commercial]
Demolishor: No one humiliates me and gets away with it!
Starscream: Call it a hunch, Demolishor, but I don’t think you stand a chance against our guest. And rumour has it that no one has ever defeated him at battle.
Cyclonus: And, I’ve heard Thrust is a master at mimickry. Why, he can duplicate the fighting power of his opponent simply by absorbing their energy.
Demolishor: Okay then, why don’t we put him up against the Autobots, huh?
Starscream: Thrust didn’t come here to fight. He came here to teach us how to defeat our enemy.
Demolishor: Well, he doesn’t impress me.
Starscream: Something wrong, Sideways?
Sideways: Ugh, no. Nothing.
Rad: High Wire! Check this out.
Alexis: You know, I get the feeling they’re gonna be best buds.
Rad: Heh, heh. Yeah.
Carlos: Chalk another one up for the good guys! Yeah, haha!
Blurr: You said it, Carlos.
Smokescreen: You know, the way things are going, we can’t lose this war.
Red Alert: I hope you know the difference between confidence and over-confidence, Smokescreen.
Smokescreen: Yeah, yeah.
Red Alert: I always say it’s better to air on the side of caution.
Hot Shot: Hey, we really appreciate the lecture, grandpa.
Scavenger: This is not a game. Take my advice and listen, Hot Shot.
Optimus: What’s going on here, men?
Scavenger: Everythhing is fine, sir.
Cyclonus: With Thrust as our new secret weapon, ha, the Decepticons can’t lose!
Demolishor: Yeah!
Starscream: Hey guys. What happened to Sideways?
Cyclonus: Ah, he’s probably just taking a nap.
Thrust: Your best soldier is Starscream. He’s loyal and his AI is well-suited to be second-in-command.
Megatron: Yes, I tend to agree with that.
Thrust: And if you follow my strategy to the letter, your campaign won’t fail, Megatron.
Megatron: I’m quite sure your plans are impeccable, Thrust, but my main concern is that my men aren’t capable of following them.
Thrust: Then perhaps I should take part in the battle, personally.
Megatron: That would be interesting.
Thrust: My only stipulation is that I possess the Star Saber.
Megatron: I don’t know if I follow your logic…
Thrust: It is the only way I can absolutely guarantee your victory, my friend. Otherwise your fate lies in the hand of your, heh heh, soldiers. Ahhh… The sun shines down on you, Megatron. This is a good sign that means only time stands in the way of you fulfilling your destiny.
Megatron: Very well then, Thrust. The Star Saber is yours.
Thrust: And I use it only in your service, Megatron. Heh, heh, heh.
[Commercial]
Megatron: Listen carefully, men. Thrust will lead this mission.
Thrust: Yes.
Megatron: Starscream, your duty will be to act as his number two man.
Demolishor: But Megatron, sir, you always told me I was second-in-command.
Cyclonus: Yeah! And we don’t we know what Thrust’s plan is yet.
Thrust: Patience, gentlemen. All things in good time. Just go into battle and follow the orders as Starscream and I give them out.
Demolishor: You serious… Megatron, sir?
Megatron: Enough of your petty insolence! Just do as you’re told. And we will win. You realize I expect nothing less than victory, Thrust.
Thrust: Yessir. All I ask for is your faith in me and we shall triumph over the enemy.
Alexis: Has another Mini-Con been detected, Optimus?
Optimus: Red Alert, you stay put with the kids.
Red Alert: Yessir.
Hot Shot: C’mon, what are we waiting for? We got work to do.
Carlos: Calm those Decepti-freaks.
Hot Shot: No problem.
Optimus: Cross-check and begin launch sequence. Let’s do this, men. Launch!
Hot Shot: Right behind ya!
Smokescreen: We’re outta here.
Scavenger: Launch initiated!
Blurr: We have lift off!
Cyclonus: Transform! Transmitter destroyed, sir.
Thrust: Excellent. The Autobots should be arriving at any time. Starscream, take the Mini-Cons and go to your post.
Starscream: Move out! Transform!
Cyclonus: Transform!
Thrust: And now, Megatron… The Star Saber?
Megatron: Hmmm…
Thrust: Keep it with you for now, but when I meet Optimus face-to-face, I’ll need it for the final blow.
Megatron: As you wish, Thrust.
Optimus: This is where the Mini-Con signal was detected.
Scavenger: Something doesn’t feel right.
Optimus: It’s time, men. You take up the point. Hot Shot, you go with Blurr. Scavenger and I will take the lead.
Starscream: We have detected Autobots in the area, sir.
Thrust: Very good, Starscream. But don’t attack until they’ve entered the gully.
Starscream: Roger that.
Thrust: Megatron, you just stay and wait here. Transform!
Optimus: Take cover. We’re under attack.
Demolishor: Okay. Get ready, Sideways, ’cause I can see ’em coming.
Smokescreen: Keep firing!
Hot Shot: Hey, what happened to the rest of the Decepticons?
Scavenger: Don’t worry, Hot Shot. They’ll show up.
Thrust: Starscream, lock onto Smokescreen. Do you copy?
Starscream: Roger that, I’m all over him!
Scavenger: It’s Starscream!
Cyclonus: Hahaha. You better watch out, you better not cry, ’cause you’re gonna get blasted!
Hot Shot: Oh, man, we’ve been ambushed!
Scavenger: So now what do we do, Optimus, sir? Those Decepticons are on us like ants at a picnic.
Optimus: We have to get out of this gully. Transform.
Cyclonus: Just another day at the office…
Optimus: Transform.
Megatron: Freeze right there. You’re all mine, Optimus. Star Saber, attack!
Scavenger: Optimus is trapped. I’m going in. Hey, you all right, Smokescreen?
Smokescreen: I’ve had better days, Scavenger. Optimus needs my shield, stat.
Hot Shot: Heads up, incoming!
Thrust: Hone in on Scavenger, men. We mustn’t let the Skyboom shield get into Optimus’ hand.
Cyclonus: Hahahahahahaha! Hahahaha!
Starscream: Yeah!
Megatron: Without your men to back you up or the shield to protect you, Prime, I will crush you for good!
Optimus: Transform.
Megatron: You’re mine.
Optimus: Transform.
Megatron: Ha, ha! I fail to see the reasoning in your strategy, Optimus. Out here in the open, you’re even further away from your backup. This is where it all comes to an end, Optimus Prime.
Red Alert: Optimus, sir!
Rad: Oh no! Megatron’s got him on the ropes!
Alexis: Look! What is that thing?
Carlos: Aw, man. I can’t bare to watch this anymore!
Red Alert: Wait!
Cyclonus: Transform!
Starscream: Come back here!
Jetfire: Transform!
Starscream: Transform! Identify yourself.
Jetfire: You can call me Jetfire, second-in-command of the Autobots.
Thrust: No one interferes with my plan.
Jetfire: Transform!
Scavenger: Attention!
Demolishor: What’s going on?
Scavenger: Sorry to spoil your day, Megatron, but why don’t you pick up your pieces and go home.
Megatron: Great. This is not over yet, Optimus.
Scavenger: Optimus, sir! Are you all right?
Optimus: I’m fine, Scavenger…
Megatron: Decepticons! Retreat at once!
Thrust: Transform! What?! We’re retreating?! Aaahh!
Jetfire: Transform! Oh, man… And I didn’t even get his name. Hahaha, well I’ll be.
Optimus: You came in the nick of time, Jetfire. Thanks.
Jetfire: Just doing my job, sir.
Hot Shot: Hey, is… that you, Jetfire?
Jetfire: Hey, there you are, Hot Shot. I’m sorry for being late, but better late than never, right?
Smokescreen: Give the kid a break, Jetfire.
Jetfire: What about me?
Optimus: We missed you, Jetfire.
Jetfire: You and me both!
Rad (VO): The Autobots were not a lot stronger with Jetfire onboard. And it was good to see them have a moment to share a laugh. Because in the days to come, the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons would only heat up. And Jetfire would play an important role in the battles ahead.
[End]