Mercenary Pursuits

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"Fires of the Past"
Production company	Mainframe Entertainment
Airdate	October 9, 1999
Written by	Michael Reaves
Directed by	Raul Sanchez Inglis
Animation studio	Mainframe Entertainment
Continuity	Beast Wars continuity

The Maximals have a second run-in with the Vehicon generals, and sense the presence of a familiar Spark.

Japanese title: 悲願の変身 (Higan no Henshin, "The Transformation of a Dear Wish")

Synopsis

Megatron rebukes his Vehicon generals for failing to destroy the Maximals, refusing to accept failure; he sends them forth with promises of rewards to whichever one captures the Maximals.

Optimus Primal contemplates the images of Rhinox and Silverbolt and vows to find them. His meditation is interrupted when he senses the presence of a Spark; the team goes out to find it. During the search, Rattrap beaks into a secure laboratory and discovers the transformation inhibitor virus which Megatron used... and a counter-virus as well, a transformation enhancer. Rattrap swipes the enhancer while Cheetor's back is turned.

While Thrust and Jetstorm squabble, Tankor manages to find the Maximals, who elude him by reverting to beast mode... until Rattrap shows up, able to transform at last thanks to the enhancer. This alerts Tankor, of course, who attacks the team. Rattrap finds he's unable to control his transformations, as he continually changes between robot and beast mode, including some odd intermediate forms as well.

Tankor manages to trap the Maximals under a metal dome. Thrust and Jetstorm arrive and fight Tankor for the right to bring in the captive Maximals; the distraction allows the Maximals escape from the dome, but an explosion knocks out all the Transformers present, leaving only the durable Tankor standing.

Now tell me, Maximal... how did you like my poem?

At the Citadel, Megatron gloats to the captured Maximals, while Tankor demands his reward: "freedom" via the removal of his spark. Rattrap's continual transformations strain his bonds to the breaking point, freeing him; he quickly releases the others. During the ensuing fight, Megatron loses control and breaks free of his control harness; Primal talks directly to Tankor's Spark, compelling him to do what is right. After a moment of confusion, Tankor blasts open the door so the Maximals can escape, and leaves with them.

Restored to his harness, Megatron interfaces directly with Tankor's CPU, deleting the last 20 cycles of his memory. Thus Tankor suddenly attacks the Maximals again as they travel underground; Megatron blocks Primal's attempts to speak to Tankor's Spark again. The Maximals trip up Tankor as he's preparing to fire; the cannon backblast sends him flying upwards through Cybertron's sublevels, only to crash back down to the surface atop a startled Thrust and Jetstorm.

Primal explains to the other Maximals that he sensed something familiar about Tankor's Spark... but then it was gone.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Maximals	Vehicons
Optimus Primal (5) Rattrap (6) Cheetor (7) Blackarachnia (8)	Tankor (1) Thrust (2) Jetstorm (3) Megatron (4)

Quotes

"An interesting tale. Now here are some meaningful words. I am your creator. Please me and I shall reward you. Disappoint me and you shall suffer. A difficult choice?"

—Megatron attempts to raise his troops' morale.

Cheetor: Use me for target practice?! THAT'S IT!! I Am Trans...
Optimus Primal: Negative. These storage bins may contain explosives.
Blackarachnia: (scoffs) Aren't you being just a little overcautious?
Tankor blows up a storage bin, triggering the explosion of other storage bins in the vicinity.
Optimus Primal: Next question?

—Optimus, showing the other Maximals why he's the big banana.

"Transform back before Tankor locks in on you."
"But..but...I am transformed!"

—Optimus talks sense to Rattrap who appears to be having an off-day.

"Now, if there are no further interruptions."
"I'm afraid there will be."

—Megatron is clued in by Optimus.

"You made the right choice."
"Especially that part about not slagging us."

—Optimus and Rattrap welcome Tankor to the Maximal side...for all of 15 seconds.

"Tankor! Tankor!"
"I'm sorry, Tankor is not available at the present time. Would you like to leave a message?"

—Optimus tries to contact Tankor's spark again and gets Megatron instead.

Notes

Technical/animation glitches

• Glitch

Continuity errors

• Error

Transformers references

• Rattrap racing across the bridge to aid Tankor when he accidentally gains wheels in beast mode as a result of the virus is a reference to his Transmetal vehicle mode in Beast Wars.

Real-world references

• As Rattrap finds the transformation enhancer, he exclaims "Good-bye fur coat; hello full metal jacket!" A full metal jacket is a copper bullet casing commonly used by infantrymen, as well as the title of a Stanley Kubrick film.