Sacrifice

=Armada Episode 33=


 * Original air date: Saturday April 12, 2003
 * Preceded by: Past, Part 2
 * Followed by: Regeneration
 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Megatron, Thrust, Optimus Prime, Hot Shot, Jetfire, Scavenger, Side Swipe, Blurr, Smokescreen (Armada), Space Mini-Con Team Red Alert, Rad, Carlos, Alexis, Billy, Fred, Laserbeak, Demolishor, Tidal Wave, Sea Mini-Con Team

Synopsis
On the Moon (moon), Megatron and Thrust discuss the necessary tactics needed for the Decepticons to obtain the Requiem Blaster. Megatron agrees to give up the Star Saber for the time, but only on the condition that Thrust's plan is effective, or else Thrust would pay.



The Autobots hide in the jungle, waiting (on an anonymous tip) that the Decepticons are in the area. Smokescreen and Red Alert stay behind at the Autobot base, protecting the Space Team Mini-Cons, in case the Decepticons attack. Smokescreen tries to make friends with the Minis, while the kids debate the ethnics of using the Mini-Cons in battle. At the same time, the Autobots in the jungle have a similar debate.

Laserbeak detects Starscream in the area. Armed with the Star Saber, Starscream screams and tries to draw out the Autobots with yelling. After Starscream begins to destroy the jungle, Optimus and Jetfire combine to fight back. Spying from a distance, Megatron and his goons wonder where the Requiem Blaster is. Tidal Wave and the Sea Mini-Con Team also fire into the forest to draw out the rest of the Autobots.

The kids and Red Alert find their equipment at the base is malfunctioning, courtesy of Sideways. Sideways also telepathically whispers images of the Requiem Blaster in the Autobot base to Thrust, but the tactician dismisses the message as a hallucination.

In the sky, Starscream strikes at Prime. With a flash of lightning, it suddenly starts to rain all over the forest. After the two warriors land, Optimus tries to reason with Starscream, but Starscream never listens and attacks the Autobot leader. Yet not a single slash connects. Eventually the Star Saber deactivates (possibly damaged from the rain), so Starscream calls for help from the other Decepticons. But to his dismay, Starscream finds all the other Decepticons have abandoned him, leaving Starscream on his own against the six Autobots. Before the six can beat down on lone Decepticon, Laserbeak brings a message to the team that the Decepticons have invaded the base. The Autobots teleport home, leaving Starscream to cry in the rain.

The Autobots find their base trashed, with the kids in hiding. With help from Sideways, the Decepticons were able to invade the base and bypass the security systems that stopped them before. In another section of the base, Smokescreen tries to protect the Mini-Cons. Megatron blows into the room and tears past Smokescreen, claiming the three Mini-Cons and combining them into the Requiem Blaster. Smokescreen refuses to star down and takes on Megatron by himself, but Megatron fires blaster right at Smokescreen.



A torrent of energy pours from the blaster, shoving Smokescreen right through one of the Autobot's walls, his scream stunning the Autobots and humans. Even after such heavy abuse, Smokescreen rises again, a wide hole straight through his own torso, and his pieces all banged out of shape. The Autobot approaches Megatron while the air around him still ripples in the heat of the last blast. The determination of the melting Autobot scares the Decepticons into retreating with their prize.

In Optimus's arms, Smokescreen deactivates. The Autobots salute their fallen comrade, and Optimus screams in sadness.

Quotes

 * Demolishor: I'm not talking to you, Eraserhead, I'm talking to Megatron. So butt out, will ya?


 * Sideways: There shall never be peace in this universe, there must always be war.

Aberrations, Errors, Contrarieties

 * The Autobots have apparently forgotten they also possess the Skyboom Shield.


 * Megatron refers to Tidal Wave by his Japanese name, Shockwave.