Vow

« Transformers: Armada ep 22 »
"Vow" 伝心 (ふれあい) - vow () (Denshin [Fureai]) "Understanding Heart (Connectedness)"
Production code	TF: A-22
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate	January 25, 2003 (English) 6 June 2003 (Japanese)
Writer	Akira Okeya
Director	Osamu Kamijō
Animation studio	Actas Inc.
Continuity	Unicron Trilogy

Megatron tries to lead Optimus into a trap while the kids believe the Decepticon-aligned Mini-Cons want to defect.

Polish title: "Zasadzka"

Synopsis

Rad wonders where the Star Saber and the Skyboom Shield came from and why the Autobots won't provide the kids with any answers. Blurr and Hot Shot won't even let them into the base. Optimus Prime steps out to tell them it's too dangerous.

Full tank / Not even a quarter tank.

Megatron attempts to run a battle simulation on the Moon, powerlinking with four Mini-Cons and instructing the Land Military Mini-Con Team to run interference while he attacks a hologram of Prime. Sideways looses off a shot at his leader, just to remind him there'll be other Autobots on the battlefield too. After shooting at Prime for a bit, Megatron snarls at the Land Military team for not obeying his orders.

Optimus briefs his men on the planned setup for their mission, which will include Smokescreen staying back with the Skyboom Shield ready to launch off his long arm launcher. The briefing is interrupted by the Street Action Mini-Con Team who want to know why they're not coming on the mission too, but Optimus says it's because it's too risky.

The kids wander away from the Autobot base, complaining about not being allowed in. The three Street Action Mini-Cons soon catch up with them and let the kids know they've received a transmission from the Decepticon-held Mini-Cons. Fred's theory that the Mini-Cons on the Moon are lonely and want to join up with their friends on Earth gains traction. While Rad and Fred go to tell Optimus, the rest of the kids run with their Mini-Cons towards the warp gate.

On the Moon, Megatron confirms with the Land Military team that they've made contact with the Mini-Cons on Earth. Teleporting them and four other Mini-Cons to Earth, he tells his men that he'll split up the Autobots and then contact them with further instructions.

Fred and Rad are unable to get into the Autobot base until Rad uses Laserbeak to let Optimus know what's up. Optimus and Hot Shot pop out to let the pair know they're going to take care of it and to stay put.

The rest of the kids reach the area of the warp gate in time to see the Land Military team teleport in and then promptly teleport out again. When Carlos steps forward, Optimus appears to tell them to go back, and Megatron teleports in. The Decepticon invites Optimus to come in his direction before disappearing again. Although Optimus again warns the kids, Fred doesn't think there's anything to be afraid of. Walking over to where Megatron was, Fred is teleported out as well, followed by Rad. The other Autobots follow suit, much to the annoyance of Alexis who feels left out.

The Decepticons find that one of the Mini-Cons seems to be messing with their teleport signal. Although Demolishor is concerned for his leader, Sideways and Starscream are unenthusiastic.

In the Autobot base, Alexis tells Scavenger and Red Alert that she can't raise a signal from Laserbeak.

Prime goes down on one knee

The four missing Autobots arrive with Rad and Fred in a heavily forested area and immediately come under fire from Megatron, who teleports out. Optimus and the boys teleport out, closely followed by Hot Shot, leaving Blurr and Smokescreen wondering how the plan is going to work now. Hot Shot arrives alone in an icy wasteland. Rad and Fred arrive in a mountainous area and are saved from falling by Optimus. He explains that the Mini-Cons may be difficult to lure away from Megatron as they regard him as a father figure. The trio are soon teleported again, this time to a ghost town. Megatron tells them to follow him, then teleports out with his Mini-Con forces. A couple of Mini-Cons stay behind long enough to beep at the kids.

Arriving in a desert, the Mini-Cons seem to be on the verge of deserting Megatron until he threatens to slice them in half. Once Optimus and the boys arrive, he forces the Mini-Cons to attack. Rad and Fred manage to persuade Optimus to stop firing back and, once the boys are out of harm's way, he lowers his weapons, walking towards the Mini-Cons. As Megatron gloats, the Mini-Cons pause in their attack, and he has to prompt them to resume firing. Optimus falters but continues on until finally the Mini-Cons stop firing. Megatron interprets this as an invitation for him to finish Prime off himself.

Alexis and Demolishor are both able to finally contact the battle field, as the Mini-Cons hear Optimus' empassioned plea and turn their weapons on Megatron. Optimus opens fire on Megatron as well, though the latter is protected by the Star Saber. The rest of the Autobots warp in with the Skyboom Shield which Hot Shot uses to block Megatron's attack. The Decepticon leader retreats.

Back at base, Optimus undergoes repairs and says that the energy released when the Star Saber and Skyboom Shield clashed was the cries of the enslaved Mini-Cons. The Autobots must work as a team to free the remaining enslaved Mini-Cons.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Mini-Cons
Optimus Prime (2) Hot Shot (3) Blurr (4) Smokescreen (20) Red Alert (21) Scavenger (22) Laserbeak (28)	Megatron (1) Demolishor (10) Sideways (19) Cyclonus (26) Starscream (27)	Carlos Lopez (5) Rad White (6) Alexis (7) Fred (8) Billy (9)	Dualor (11) Buzzsaw (12) Backtrack (13) Oval (14) Bonecrusher (15) Wreckage (16) Knock Out (17) Leader-1 (18) High Wire (23) Sureshock (24) Grindor (25)

Quotes

"But we should do something. I really don't like sitting on the sidelines like this. After all, I am a man of action, you know."

—Carlos, man of action.

"I say this calls for a sandwich!"

—Fred, man of food.

"No, wait, Fred's right!"

—Rad says the unthinkable.

"Ah! They're shooting at us!"
"I know that! Promise you won't leave me!"

—Rad being hugged in panic by Fred.

Notes

Trivia

• "Vow" first aired in the United States on January 27, 2003.
• Wreckage and Knock Out, of the Land Military Mini-Con Team, haven't been seen prior to this episode.
• Optimus can't understand Mini-Con speech.
• There's no exact translation to 伝心—伝 itself can mean 1) "tradition", "legend", 2) "biography", "life", and 3) "method", "way", courtesy of Jim Breen's J-E online Dictionary. 以心伝心 (ishindenshin) means "tacit understanding."

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Micron Legend — Volume 6 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.