TRANSFORMERS ALIENS IN DISGUISE - BOOK III It was past noontime when Fox, Miriam and Krystal arrived on location. On a hill above, the tall stone tower and outstretched arms of the windmill stood out perfectly against the sky background. Dr David DuWitt who had been riding shotgun inside the cab of the semi form of McCloud climbed down from the big rig and the three Autobots morphed back to normal forms again. Seconds later they were joined by Rocket, Sally and William. MIRIAM: So, that's a windmill. I've never seen anything like that kind of technology before. KRYSTAL: Interesting. DAVID: Aye, our ancestors used them to generate electricity via wind power back then. ROCKET: I noticed a breeze a-blowing, so how come it's not moving? WILLY: There will be a simple brake mechanism, and gears to adjust the sails to catch the wind. Much the same as airliner flaps on wings produce lift. DAVID: Our ancestors were clever than we imagined they would be. FOX: I doubt that is what Wolf intends on using to create more ENERGON cubes. SALLY: Duh?!! ROCKET: Wolf, his daughter and Fiona are still somewhere in the vicinity, but I detect no presence of LaserBeak at the moment. The town was now a blaze of lights and sounds. Citizens, especially teenaged kids were hurrying to the community center next door to the courthouse and city hall. From that building the strains of Oldies music could be heard. MIRIAM: Hey, isn't that Oldies music I hear? KRYSTAL: I hear it too. Just like the music Big Hero 6 used to play for us. SALLY: Yeah...50s and 60s songs from the Beatles, Beach Boys, etc. ROCKET: Looks like everyone is heading to the party and we've not been invited. FOX: Let's not worry about that at the moment, bounty hunter. Inside the community center a dance marathon was in progress. The teenagers danced to the CD music and audio cassette music blaring from the speakers. Colorful strobe-lights illuminated on the happy faces. The DJ reached out to the box of cassettes and CDs as the one in the player ended its playlist. Without looking he slotted it in and pressed a control switch and nothing happened at first. He turned up the volume, and...a string of electronic bleeps came from the speakers. Without warning the whole system exploded! LaserBeak burst forth in its alien winged creature startling the dancers who yelled, screamed and ran in every direction. Ignoring the frightened people the alien bird crashed through the skylight dome in the ceiling and rose into the afternoon sky. Once airborne LaserBeak circled several times to get a fix on its bearings then detected a familiar presence of its mistress close by. Suddenly gunshots rang out as several citizens charged into the street firing away with pistols, shotguns and rifles to take down the evil alien who avoided the shots headed its way and escaped. At last LaserBeak spotted Kate, Wolf and Fiona on a tall rise and zoomed towards them before perching on O'Donnell Junior's shoulder. KATE: Ah, you're back my pet. I was so worried about you. FIONA: Foolish mortals, destroy them! How dare they take up arms against Team StarWolf! WOLF: Hold your fire, 2nd in Command! We must not harm innocent life-forms of this planet and besides I give the orders here. At the sound of distant gunshots, Fox ordered his wife, 2nd in Command, bounty hunter and military strategist to take up positions on the hill by the windmill. William and his father found an open door at the base of the windmill tower. DAVID: Let's see what we can find up there. WILLY: Yes sir! Get a bird's eye view of the action. They opened the door and darted up a flight of wooden stairs to the top floor. Once there they found a single window and got the shutters opened, far below they could see figures of townspeople hunting for signs of LaserBeak. DAVID: Oops, not good. They're heading this way. WILLY: Good grief! They're approaching the area where the Decepticons are hiding, they don't know they're there. DuWitt Junior yelled down to Sally and others. WILLY: Sally, Fox! Create a diversion or distraction! SALLY: Huh, what for? WILLY: The citizens of Hill Valley are heading your way but they'll encounter Wolf and company instead! SALLY: Uh-oh... can't let that happen. FOX: Wilco! Miriam, Rocket, Krystal...FIRE! ALL THREE: Fire in the hole! Instantly the laser bolts screamed towards the leader of StarWolf, daughter-bodyguard, 2nd in Command who jumped as if shocked. Immediately O'Donnell Senior sensed a familiar presence and glowered. WOLF: StarFox! Fox McCloud...as always. They have taken possession of the mysterious structure reported by LaserBeak. KATE: They must know its worth as well. FIONA: Ooooooooh... not for long. WOLF: This is more important. His daughter and Fiona activated their red sabers then charged towards the Autobots who ignited their green & blue sabers and met them head-on. Fox clashed with Wolf as always as the two leaders attempted to defeat each other. WOLF: There's no way you can hope to defeat me. I will soon have Corneria in the palm of my hand to rule forever. FOX: You forget...it was I who returned the AllSpark safely to its rightful place where its power restored our planet to peace and freedom. WOLF: I know, my boss told me that recently. FOX: Then why is she still having you send her ENERGON cubes? Is it because she needs power to fulfill her destiny. WOLF: None of your concerns! They continued dueling fiercely. Nearby was Fiona trading death blows with Sally. FIONA: I'm going to enjoy cutting you down to size. SALLY: Ha! I don't think they come in any size to fit you. FIONA: You'll regret you said that to me. SALLY: Then I dare you to strike me down if you can. Kate was battling fiercely against Krystal and Miriam as she wielded a double-bladed saber like the one used by Darth Maul in Episode I "The Phantom Menace" KATE: This time, unlike before is when I'll be standing over your helpless body. MIRIAM: Is that so? You're upset because it was Jenny who easily took you down or was it me? KATE: Bah! I'm more powerful than you. KRYSTAL: I don't think so, sore loser. Back and forth the duel raged on. The only one not taking part in the melee was Rocket standing guard in front of the main door leading into the windmill tower. From their vantage point both David and William could see everything. DAVID: Wow! Star Wars saber fights in real life. WILLY: I know, but we all know the Jedi Knights triumph over the Sith Lords. DAVID: Except for Obi-Wan who let Vader strike him down in Episode IV but he disappeared into the Force. WILLY: Then Vader wounded Luke in Episode V and he did the same thing to him in Episode VI... While they were debating and watching the fight they failed to notice LaserBeak hovering in the sky when suddenly the alien macaw spotted both terran people and swooped down to attack, firing laser bolts from its eye sensors! The beams struck above the open window, making father and son jump back to avoid being stung. William fell against a long lever protruding from the floor and grabbed onto a loop of hanging chain to save himself from an embarrassing nasty fall. DAVID: Son! WILLY: I'm okay, dad. Uh-oh... DAVID: What-the? There came a loud groaning and rumbling...and then the ancient wooden machinery of the windmill began to move! This distraction drew both the attentions of StarFox and StarWolf respectively who stopped in their saber duels and turned to look at the sight before their eyes. WOLF: The Autobots have activated the device. FOX: I did what? LaserBeak saw it too, but too late to save himself. He failed to notice or observe one of the heavy sails sweeping towards him. With a crash the heavy timber sail struck the alien macaw causing it to screech in alarm and pain. Pieces of wood flew in all directions but LaserBeak was not harmed. WOLF: Stop that machine! FIONA: Right! Take that! Her dark powers struck the windmill making it pulse and glow with blue energy, but the machinery rumbled on and the damaged sails still rotated in clockwise pattern. FIONA: What the heck?!! There is no machine which can withstand my dark magic. KATE: No way... From the opposite hill, the townspeople mostly the teenagers watched the war-games. Although they could not see much, the brilliant glows of red-green-blue laser swords lit up the area beyond. All of them forgot about chasing the strange alien creature for the moment. Fiona again shot another burst of dark magic and again nothing happened. KATE: Impossible! How can anything stand up to our dark powers? This does not make any sense. WOLF: This thing is proof against our alien technology or magic. Team StarFox have learned its secrets. They seek to use it against us! It must be stopped or captured. Thus the Decepticon leader his his daughter and 2nd in Command in another assault against his rivals. By now, Fox, Sally, Krystal, Miriam and Rocket were being forced to retreat part way downhill. Team StarWolf were close to the windmill where Dr DuWitt and his son were still hiding inside. Just then O'Donnell Junior attempted something that took her father totally by surprise. KATE: Maybe I can try something to disable this unknown machine. WOLF: Wha, what are you doing? I said to stop it, not destroy it! FIONA: Oops, not good. The mill began to sway side to side as cracks began spreading up all sides of the building. SALLY: No, William! I must save them from death! Before Fox or others could stop her, Acorn rose up to the open window yelling for David and William to jump which they both complied, William leaping out first followed by his father as Acorn caught both of them in her strong arms then commanding her power ring to carry them away to safety as the three friends backed quickly away from the disaster about to unfold. In the next instant...Wolf, Kate and Fiona found themselves bombarded by falling debris as the huge sails and windmill tower collapsed upon itself in a cloud of dust! Sally landed on terra firma with William and David who turned to gasp in astonishment with Fox, Krystal, Miriam and Rocket. ROCKET: Holy smokes?!! MIRIAM: The windmill, it's gone. KRYSTAL: Totally collapsed upon itself. SALLY: Oh my god! FOX: Hope Wolf, Kate and Fiona survived that... WILLY: Whoa, talk about bringing the house down. DAVID: This is it... Noticing LaserBeak hovering in the sky above the rubble pile McCloud called to it. FOX: Tell your boss we would like to stay and rescue them, but at the moment we are busy, so...ta-tah. WILLY: Yeah! Asta-la-vista, baby! DAVID: I'll be back! Then laughing the heroes of Corneria and human friends raced away back to base. Later that afternoon or around evening, Fox was thoughtful. FOX: I'm sorry about the destruction of the windmill. Our ultimate goal is not to damage or destroy the property of terran people whatsoever. I also fear we may have been discovered by those who do not understand us. WILLY: Oh, I would not worry about that. Listen to this. He read from the front page of the Hill Valley Gazette... WILLY: There are reports from a remote farm owned by Dr Brown of a freak electrical storm which destroyed a windmill which had been a local landmark since the 1800s. Even stranger is the report of a dance marathon which was interrupted by the presence of a winged alien creature. DAVID: And it's a pity in a way that no one will know the true story of what happened. FOX: Saved by the bell. That made everyone laugh out loud... THE END OF CHAPTER 1 OF BOOK III