Transformers Skyfall I: Rising Sun

AUTOBOTS: Secrets Uncovered

AERIALBOT BASE: Concur Mountain, Aixel Valley - North America
6:30 PM, May 10th 2021

Soft footfalls could be heard trickling down the hallway past the front emergency medical ward. The hallway was on the left of the lab's side and burrowed further underground towards the inner caverns of the mountain where most of the Autobots rested or trained. On the lab's right was another hallway leading to the mountain's peak where the AAT were stationed for most of their stay.

The Mountain Base was by far the largest Autobot base in North America and could well and truly house just over two hundred Cybertronians. However, it was rare that all the Autobot forces were gathered here at once. For most of its time, it acted as a recon base, medical training facility, and the Aerialbots' home. The peak was high above the thick, grey clouds and a vast valley that ran for miles in every direction - it was a perfect ' crow's nest' for the team. So naturally, it became their permanent home here on Earth while their Autobot allies came and went.

The default leader of this base was a nervous yet well-experienced Aerialbot commander by the name of Silverbolt. He and his comrades had arrived on Earth not long after the reawakening of the Ark's passengers back in the 1980s; they had first been sighted in 1978. Operating for long periods of time on their own. Silverbolt had grown close to his team and even appointed his partner, Nightstalker, as his second-in-command should anything happen to him. Beneath her was Air Raid. Their medics consisted of Inferno, one of the very few permanent residents who could not fly, and the twins - Fireflight and Firefly. Slingshot was their weapon specialist. Though their team had many more adversaries, not all of the AAT were permanent residents like their Aerialbot counterparts. Springer, Blacklight, and Blades would make the trip once a year for mandatory sky training and battle techniques. Sundown was Air Raid's partner and his go-to when slag usually hit the fan. Not that the Aerialbots had ever seen much battle, however, they were structurally prepared for it nonetheless. The team had bonded over countless battle simulations, and devastating scenarios and gone over every protocol.

But nothing could've prepared them for this.

Crystal heard the barely audible noise of someone sniffing, another poor soul whimpered just before she turned the corner, and pricked her optical ridges up a little as she quietly stepped out from the hallway into the main lobby.
It was large, though it could not physically house two hundred Transformers. The famous Autobot insignia was painted in black on the ground. The 'shed' door was open and she glanced briefly out at the darkening sky approaching the base. The mouth faced East, so in order to see the sunset, one would have to be above at the peak where the AAT usually took off and landed whenever they did fly in and out of the base.

Crystal knew this place well because she'd been living here for the past four weeks. This had been her only place of recognition and familiarity. She'd not been allowed outside, especially on her own, or on any missions or too far away. It was through no fault of her own; her team was just very paranoid about her getting lost - which had happened before. She couldn't deny that the mountain was beginning to wear off its initial charm by this point but now was not the time to bring up such grievances.

They had lost someone.

Crystal peered from where she stood at the entrance to the left hallway, dubbed 'The Quarters', usually where the non-flying Autobots stayed. The AAT rooms were closer to the peak in case of an emergency.

Her soft optics scanned the crowd in front of her with neutral curiosity. In front of her, she could easily recognise most of the shapes - wings - from the AAT; half of them were gathered in the lobby. Silverbolt had his helm bowed and was quietly speaking to Elita-One when they suddenly caught her optic. Silverbolt gave Elita a rather uncomfortable look and stepped away to be swallowed back up into the crowd. Crystal inhaled deeply and held it there as she watched Elita shoot her an unhappy glare before the big, pink femme quietly approached her.