Editing Linkup

{{picsneeded}}
{{episode|
|series=Armada
|ep=26
|prev=Tactician
|next=Detection
|title="Linkup"
|furigana=りんくあっぷ
|japanese=合身<!--link up-->
|romaji=Link Up
|translation=Fusion: Link Up
|image=Armada_ep_26_jet_optimus.JPG
|caption=
|production code=TF: A-26
|production company=[[TV Tokyo]], [[Nihon Ad Systems|NAS]]
|writer=[[Isao Shizuya]]
|director=[[Osamu Kamijō]]
|animation studio=[[Actas Inc.]]
|airdate=[[January 29]], [[2003]] (English)<br>[[July 4|4 July]] [[2003]] (Japanese)
|continuity=[[Unicron Trilogy]]
}}

'''With Optimus in the repair bay, Jetfire is the Autobots' best hope against the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] has been badly damaged in a recent battle with the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]], and the prognosis is uncertain. [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] tells the kids that [[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] will take over Optimus's role while the leader is in the repair bay. [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] is not impressed by Jetfire's overconfident bragging, and neither are the kids.

[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] is also unimpressed, but at the failure of [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]]'s plan. [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] and [[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] are merely amused by its failure, and Thrust blames it on a miscalculation in the form of Jetfire. He says he'll come up with a new plan and takes some shooting stars as a sure sign of victory.

The [[Autobot|Autobots]] discuss Thrust and how he led the Decepticons to victory on the planets [[Vector]], [[Orga]] and [[Duke (planet)|Duke]], almost wiping out the Autobots. [[Carlos Lopez|Carlos]] thinks that while they have Jetfire on their team, they don't have anything to worry about on that score. [[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] attempts to report to Jetfire, but the Autobot doesn't speak [[Mini-Con]], and [[Rad White|Rad]] has to translate that there's a suspicious bot flying over the base. They soon recognise Thrust, and Jetfire immediately runs off to confront the Decepticon.

Thrust takes off as soon as he sees Jetfire coming, goading the Autobot into following. Unsurprisingly, they reach a zone where the Decepticons are waiting, and the kids plead with Jetfire not to fire on the swarm of Mini-Cons accompanying them. He assures them he won't and shoots at Cyclonus, who protests that Thrust said the Autobot wouldn't fire with the Mini-Cons around. Thrust orders the Mini-Cons to attack, and soon Jetfire is being strafed with laser fire. Starscream closes in, but Jetfire is able to dodge the null laser cannon.

At base, the Autobots puzzle over how they're going to help Jetfire, when [[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] spots an island near where the battle is taking place. [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]], Hot Shot and [[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] warp to the island, and Smokescreen prepares to fire his longarm cannon, but is blasted by Demolishor and [[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]]. Demolishor boasts that Thrust's plan is to steal the Skyboom shield and opens fire on the Autobots, who are forced to use the shield for cover.

[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]], still at base, admires the Decepticons' trap, but the kids think he should take action.  Rad contacts Red Alert in the repair bay, informs him of the situation, and lets him know they need Optimus.

[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] arrives on the island and tells his men to get on with it and demand the Shield from the Autobots. At Hot Shot's goading, Megatron calls the Star Saber to him and begins the attack anew. Hot Shot suggests they should withdraw. Smokescreen is confident the Skyboom Shield will protect them, but the other two Autobots talk him into withdrawing. The trio begin their escape, hampered by the Decepticons' weapons fire.

Jetfire attempts to come to their aid, but is surrounded by the [[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] and is again almost blasted by Starscream. He flies towards the Decepticon, but is grazed by a blast from the null laser cannon. Again surrounded by the Mini-Cons, he's unable to take a shot at Thrust.

Red Alert reports that Optimus is almost combat ready, and Carlos stresses the urgency of the situation.

On the island, Megatron has Smokescreen pinned down while Blurr and Hot Shot are busy with Demolishor and Sideways.

While Red Alert and Scavenger are about to join the battle, an alarm indicates that someone's in the launch area: Optimus Prime! Though Red Alert and the kids protest that he's not ready, Optimus asks to be warped to Jetfire's coordinates.

As Thrust and Starscream prepare to finish off Jetfire, Optimus appears overhead.  The Autobot leader freefalls towards Jetfire, and the pair [[Powerlinx|combine]].  After making short work of Starscream, Optimus flies to the island and knocks Megatron into the ocean.  For an encore, he picks up Demolishor and drops the protesting Decepticon into the water as well.  Sideways wisely retreats.  The impressed kids cheer.

Optimus suggests to Jetfire that he might want to be a bit more cautious next time, to which the Autobot says he's learnt his lesson.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] (3)
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire]] (4)
*[[Smokescreen (Armada)|Smokescreen]] (15)
*[[Scavenger (Armada)|Scavenger]] (16)
*[[Blurr (Armada)|Blurr]] (17)
*[[Laserbeak (Armada)|Laserbeak]] (21)

|c2=
*[[Demolishor (Armada)|Demolishor]] (10)
*[[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Cyclonus (Armada)|Cyclonus]] (13)
*[[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] (14)
*[[Sideways (RID)|Sideways]] (24)

|c3=
*[[Billy (Armada)|Billy]] (5)
*[[Fred (Armada)|Fred]] (6)
*[[Carlos Lopez]] (7)
*[[Alexis Thi Dang|Alexis]] (8)
*[[Rad White]] (9)

|h4=[[Mini-Con]]s|c4=
*[[High Wire (Armada)|High Wire]] (18)
*[[Sureshock (Armada)|Sureshock]] (19)
*[[Grindor (Armada)|Grindor]] (20)
*[[Air Military Mini-Con Team]] (22)
*[[Air Defense Mini-Con Team (Armada)|Air Defense Mini-Con Team]] (23)
}}

==Quotes==
"He'll be signing autographs later."
:—'''Hot Shot''' on Jetfire's smug boasting


"It's time for you to taste my plasma blaster. See if this makes your teeth whiter and brighter."
:—'''Jetfire''', shooting at Cyclonus


"I am Demolishor, the fierce Decepticon warrior!"
:—'''Demolishor''' introduces himself 26 episodes too late.


"In your dreams! If you want it, why don't you come and get it? That is, unless you're a little bit of a wimp. Well, are ya?"
:—'''Hot Shot''' taunts Megatron.  Brave lad.


"They don't call him Starscream for nothing."
:—'''Optimus''' after Starscream falls screaming through the clouds

==Notes==
===Differences with ''Micron Legend''===
* Although numerous minor changes were made to the animation in ''Micron Legend'', "Linkup" is one of the most prominent examples. Multiple scenes were completely redrawn and reanimated with higher quality animation, in comparison to the ''Armada'' airings. Among the changes: problems such as Jet Optimus being drawn in his Super Mode colors, along with having the wrong legs, have been fixed, while numerous close-up shots were also redrawn.<ref>[http://www.geocities.co.jp/Playtown-Knight/6670/my_micron/armada-legend.html Comparisons between screenshots]</ref>
* Convoy was in the repair bay for maintenance and was told not to leave to help Jetfire as the maintenance was incomplete and a lot of his important systems had not been rebooted.

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Smokescreen says, "It's Thrust?" he lacks his antenna/horn. He's missing it again when the Autobots are looking at Thrust on a monitor, a third time when he says, "Optimus sir", and a fourth time when the Autobots are laughing at the end.
*When Thrust states that he didn't think Jetfire would actually attack, Thrust is colored orange instead of black.
*In the overhead shot of Hot Shot, Blurr and Smokescreen retreating, Smokescreen doesn't have the Skyboom Shield.
*Thrust refers to the Air Military Mini-Con Team as the Air ''Defence'' Mini-Con Team (who are busy being the Star Saber).
*The combined form of Optimus and Jetfire is referred to throughout as "Jet Convoy", the Japanese name for Jet Optimus.
*Jet Optimus is drawn incorrectly twice. When firing at Starscream, his chest is colored red instead of white, and has a Decepticon [[insignia]]. Later, when Jet Optimus is landing on the island, he is shown with his lower body being his trailer, instead of it being Jetfire.
*After the battle, Thrust calls Jet Optimus by his Japanese name of "Jet Convoy". A brief moment later, Fred does the same.
*Multiple times, Carlos's eyes have whites.

===Continuity errors===
*Optimus didn't really seem so badly damaged at the end of "[[Tactician]]" that he'd require a whole episode in the repair bay.

===Foreign localization===
'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Połączenie'''" ("Link")

===Trivia===
*"Linkup" first aired in the United States on [[January 31]], [[2003]].
*Shooting stars on the Moon are not possible, because it has no atmosphere for objects to burn up in.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Micron Legend'' — Volume 7 ([[Columbia Music Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only.<br>
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2003 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Vol:09 ([[Warner Bros.|Warner Music Video]])<br>
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Season One: Part One ([[Rhino Entertainment]])<br>
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2008 — ''Transformers: Armada'' — Volume One ([[New KSM]]) — English and German audio.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Armada episodes]]