The episode opens by giving us a view of the Axalon, before the camera swoops to the gorge under it where a crevice lies, down a cave where Waspinator, Terrorsaur, and Blackarachnia. Blackarachnia explains to Waspinator they are here to install a sonic emitter (which looks like a giant tuning fork) which will blow a hole into the Maximal base. Waspinator gets tired of being bossed around and GTFO, while Terrorsaur and Blackarachnia decide who will do the physical labor at gunpoint. Blackarachnia wins, and Terrorsaur gets digging.
In the Axalon, Rhinox demonstrates a simulation of the new security system he's been designing for the base, called Sentinel, featuring stunners and guns firing restraining coils in the interior grid, for non-lethal containment. Rattrap and Optimus approve. Rhinox explains Sentinel is not fully operational yet. However, the base detects Waspinator flying in a circle not far from the base, Optimus orders Tigatron to be sent to keep an eye on him, till Optimus can rendez-vous with it. Waspinator is the third Predacons detected in that sector in a few days, so the Maximals suppose something is up.
We see Waspinator there, muttering to himself.
Tigatron is watching is Waspinator. He hears a twig snap and sees Optimus in gorilla form right behind him. Optimus says he learned his sneaking skills from Rattrap. They decide that Optimus will go spook Waspinator, and they'll see where he runs to. Back to Waspinator:
Optimus and Tigatron chase him around. Back at the Axalon, Dinobot is getting the Powerpoint presentation on Sentinel, and seems unimpressed: Non-lethal means will not stop a Predacon. A lethal threats beget lethal responses. Rattrap, ever willing to ruin Dinobot's day, turns on Sentinel's rope guns, and they bind Dinobot. Rattrap notes that Sentinel seems Capable to stop ol'chopper face. Till Dinobot breaks his bonds, gets his sword out, makes to go kill Rattrap, who ducks, the sword stabbing Sentinel's control panel, electrocuting Dinobot. Sentinel turns online at level 1, announcing intruders, listing them as... Rattrap, Cheetor, Dinobot and Rhinox. With the controls smashed, Rhinox can't turn it off, and he had not installed Sentinels' IFF yet. With guns coming online in the control, the Maximals are forced to evacuate... Except Rattrap, who jumps in a vent. Confessing that this is all his fault, he must set things right, the Maximals can't lose their own base. As turns to beast mode inside the vent, he mutters in dismay he's starting to sound like Optimus.
The bug chase continues, but Waspinator turns a corner and is just... not here. Optimus barely avoids crashing into a wall. Optimus lands to meet Tigatron, when Sentinel contacts him, warning him of an intruder alert. Optimus muses he must go back to base, Tigatron says he will hunt Waspinator alone.
Back at the Axalon, Sentinel turns on the perimeter shield just as the Maximals get out. The shield also blocks communications with Rattrap. Dinobot muses:
Inside the base, Sentinel's camera look for intruder. Spotting an open vent, it floods the corridor with a liquid Rattrap identifies as Zero-Friction fluid. Rattrap uses the vent's cover to surf on it, dodging Sentinel's attempts, mocking the security system as being more like a mere work out gym, even taking time to wave at the camera.
Tigatron follows Waspinator's smell, eventually finding a hologram is covering a cave entrance. Having found the Batcave where Waspinator went, he follows, encountering some small spide-like flashlights along the way.
Rattrap arrives at a shaft. As he climbs down, the bottom is light up with a Cryo field, and a disruptor bolts (looking like a nerf gun) aims down the shaft, blasting Rattrap who catches himself before hitting the field. He throws a demolition charge, blowing the disruptor, but Sentinel escalates by going to level 2, and deploying three guns. Rattrap takes as per his usual level of optimism:
As the guns fire, Rattrap manages to shoot them, and shoot himself an exit, narrowly avoiding the cryo field.
Tigatron sneaks in the cave, coming across the Predacons and the tuning fork. They are arguing on if they should go out to deal with Optimus. Tigatron sneaks closer to them, before shooting the fliers, making Blackarachnia flee, and stealing the emitter. He is pursued up the tunnels by the Predacons, but they lose sight of him. Turns out he's clinging to the ceiling. He disarms them, then throws the emitter, about to detonate at them. They flee. Behind the Maximal base, a hole in the ground explodes. The Maximals transform, and go to investigate, only to find Tigatron, who greets them.
Sentinel detects an intruder in his computer core. Said core is surrounded by a disintegrator field in a hole. Rattrap attempts to sneak about, but Sentinel fires stunners at him, Rattrap almost falls in the field, but he catches himself with his tail, and destroys the stunner. Sentinel upgrades to maximum level. Rattrap prepares to upload the IFFs as Sentinel deploys a BFG which it calls a Shatter flied. The BFG fires, almost hitting Rattrap, and pinning him under debris, as he attempts to press the button to upload the codes. The BFG repositions itself and charges up...
Outside, the base shield go offline. Rhinox realizes Sentinel would never do this is an intruder were still active, and showing what trust he has in Rattrap's skills, assumes it means his dead. The Maximals begin delivering Rattrap a backhanded eulogy.
The screen fades to black...
...and the hatch opens and out comes Rattrap, mocking their sentimentality. He tells them no security system can get the best of him.
Sentinel then agrees.
A pretty good episode. Though feels a bit repetitive having two "Rattrap sneaks around a base" episode in a row, but it further the running them of "Rattrap is awesome". We see more of Blackarachnia, who in both this episode and the last, shows a level of independence. She's also rather capable, and refuses to take crap from any of her fellow Predacons.
- Sentinel is voiced by Ian James Corlett, who voices Cheetor.
- The Arachnoids, spider-like flashlight drones, first appear in this episode. They will later be identified as properties of Tarantulas. Presumably Megatron had him give some to Blackarachnia for this mission (or she just took some off him). In almost all future instances, they'll be seen in places where Tarantulas is or has been.
- Sentinel would become a mainstay of the show, making the Axalon nearly impregnable, allowing the Maximals to leave en force with no one guarding the base. Its development could be seen as a direct response to the events of Fallen Comrades. It's functioning, with shields, autoguns and internal defenses, contrasts with the Darksyde's defense grid being spread around the surrounding terrain to create a death trap for the Maximals. Sentinel, though not infallible, will prove generally more successful.
- Sentinel's shield is noticeably different from the one covering the Axalon in past episodes, more durable too.
- Tigatron transforms into stealth mode... Not sure what that does special.
- Despite the emitter being ready, Megatron did not commit more than three guys to storming and taking the base from the Maximals (who, until the Sentinel and Waspinator bit, WERE (except Tigatron) ALL IN IT?) Shows his trust of his subordinate's plans, as the emitter was Blackarachnia's invention. I understand he wants to keep his own base secure from Maximal attacks in case they do win, but sheesh.
- The emitter is Blackarachnia's invention. While we see her show some technical skill in the future, it's the only time we see her ever really invent something. Most of the time, she relies on Tarantulas for scientific efforts.
- It's the only time in the series Waspinator ever shows a desire to command the Predacons. Probably because his aspirations eventually are lowered to "not being blown up".
- Waspinator's claim to be "Greatest of Predacons" is a bit prophetic. At the transformer convention Botcon in 2011, Waspinator was the second fan-choice winner* to be inducted in the Transformer Hall of Fame by Hasbro themselves (Dinobot was first the previous year), which does make him the greatest of the Predacons. If you want to get technical, that makes Waspinator one of the greatest character any any evil faction of the Franchise, Decepticon included.
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