Author's note/disclaimer: I do not own GoBots nor its characters. Just this strange plot.

The next morning, the Guardians and humans met in one of UNECOM's meeting rooms for a report given by General Newcastle. Leader-1 was not present.

"Where's Leader-1? He needs to be here for this." General Newcastle inquired as he entered the room.

No Guardian or human answered. It was up to Aurora. "He's on a personal mission. I am in his place temporarily."

Matt inwardly complimented her on her choice of words. It would not alert anyone to the actual situation, whatever that may be yet still maintained the highest respect and regard towards Leader-1.

"I was not informed of any individual missions, but no matter, let's get down to business." General Newcastle stated as he brought forth a map on a nearby display.

After the briefing, Matt split Scooter from the group. "That's it. He's not back. I'm heading out to look for him."

"I scanned the nearby region earlier this morning. He's not nearby, Matt. He's turned his transponder off as well. We can't track his Guardian frequency either. But, check that large lake embedded in the mountains. The one we saw a while back that you said was an 'ideal' vacation spot. Just a haunch."

"Thanks Scoot. Cover for me while I'm gone. Two AWOL officers will not sit well with Newcastle if he gets wind of it."

Aurora stepped in before Matt could leave. "Matt, please stay. Allow me. It was I who started this mess to begin with. Like Scooter, I know Leader-1 very well. I also have the even playing field with him and better scanners than any of your planes. No offense, but you're a human. I hardly think you could muscle in a GoBot, especially one in the mood Leader-1 is likely in."

"How about this. I go with you."

"I'm sorry Matt. I need to work alone. And we don't need THREE officers AWOL rather than just two right?"

"I'm not going to win am I?"

Aurora opened a side panel and handed Matt a special communicator. "I will contact you on this as soon as I can. I'll bring Leader-1 back, I promise."

"Fine then...I guess." Matt replied though very unsettled about the whole thing.

"My team will cover for my absence if need be. They are very well practiced in such. Follow through with your General's orders. I know you can handle Turbo, Scooter, your team, and Command Center One in Leader-1's absence. He trusts you. My team will do the rest."

With that, Aurora departed, leaving Matt and Scooter speachless and simply shrugging their shoulders. They made their way back to the rest of the teams.

Scanning and looking about, Aurora checked for anyone who might notice her leaving. Not finding any witnesses, she converted to jet mode and sped into the skies. With Leader-1's transponder off, she'd have to track him the only other way she knew how...a way known only to female GoBots. She had oriented herself to follow a path towards the mountain lake Scooter had mentioned. This location made a lot of sense. Leader-1 loved nature and serene, peaceful settings. She knew he had a special location on the Picnic Moon when he wanted to be alone. But before she could scan or try for any visuals, she detected Renegade presence. Apparently the Renegades were indeed lingering around, no doubt trying to spy on Guardian goings-on. If they had detected Leader-1, alone, he'd be in serious danger. Now the fact that Leader-1 had switched off his transponder proved to be a very good thing. If he was in the area, there was very little chance of him being detected...unless they had a visual of him. Aurora immediately switched her own transponder off to avoid Renegade detection and dove for the cover of some clouds.

The Renegade proved to be Snoop, on a recon mission. She was flying casually at a very high altitude to avoid detection from any human scanners. Aurora had to make a choice, reveal her presence and attack the Renegade to thwart any further information gathering and discoveries, or remain hidden and allow Snoop to complete her mission and go away. She opted for avoidance. If Leader-1 was also in the area, the sound of blasters would either attract him or cause him to quietly slip out to a new location. Though she would guess the former, he just didn't seem to be in the right mental state for battle. Converting to robot mode, Aurora used the cloud cover to silently descend to the ground below. She sat low until Snoop disappeared and could no longer be detected.

Aurora stood and prepared to lift off when a hand grabbed her mouth to prevent her from vocalizing while another hand and body secured her own from behind. All she knew was that it had to be another GoBot. Stunned, she could only await whatever fate presented.

Meanwhile...elsewhere in a hidden location...

"Cy-Kill, the area is solid nature. No Guardian or human installions nearby. The nearest UNECOM base is over a hundred miles away."

"You've done well Snoop. Give the imagery scans to Fitor for upload. We might have a new location for an Earth base afterall. The mountains block any direct scans of the area and the water reflects still others. All that blasted foilage will give us ample ground cover. And best of all, the location is within easy spy and strike range of humans and Guardians alike. Command Center One is frequently detected at that UNECOM base. It's high time we strike them during their downtime too."

"Sounds like fun." Crasher chimed in.

"It does indeed. With little chance to rest between battles, we can wear down the Guardians to the point where they begin to make mistakes...and mistakes can kill." Cy-Kill added with his own devillish chuckle.

Back at the UNECOM base...

"Is everybody ready?" Matt asked as they prepared Command Center One for takeoff.

"We're set. CCI's ready for flight." Nick added.

"Then let's depart. Turbo, set course for the coordinates General Newcastle gave us."

"Roger Matt! But I don't like doing this without Leader-1."

"He'll be along eventually. He might be our trump card."

It comforted Turbo to hear that and he shut up and focused on flying the ship.

In another section of the base, Aurora's team was doing the same.

"She'll be fine, Jazzmin. You know that."

"But it still seems strange for Leader-1 to not be present for all this."

"I have a feeling that's Aurora's mission. There's something between those two jets. I can feel it." Spinner added.

"Would be a first if she can score on Leader-1. He's not an easy bot to get close to. Many a ladybot has tried and failed and still more are probably dreaming of such." Tigress chimed in.

"Tigress!"

"Well, c'mon, you aren't thinking the same thing?"

The others hushed and simply grinned as they lifted their own ship into the air.

Back in the mountains...

"All too easy Aurora." a whispered male voice replied in her audio receptor. The voice was unmistakable though. It was Leader-1. He released her and allowed her to turn about and face him, still shocked at how easily she was found out and 'captured.'

He shook his head slowly. "High commanders such as you and I cannot allow ourselves such easy capture. You know that. But anyway, why are you here?"

She knew that already. She didn't realize just how preoccupied she was with Snoop to not factor in a potential ground attack. Instead of Leader-1, it could've easily been another Renegade such as Fitor. It was a mistake. And mistakes can kill. "I came seeking you. Your friends are worried about you."

"And yourself?"

It wasn't an expected question. In fact, it was a very unusual question from the mighty Leader-1. "I didn't mean to upset or offend you when I said what I said. It came out wrong. I'm sorry."

"I'm not concerned with that. It's in the past." Leader-1 stated simply with no emotional indication as to exactly what he felt about that.

"Then what are you seeking?"

"You."

"What?"

Leader-1 looked about, as if to wonder if anyone else was nearby that could listen. He seemed hesitant and unsure. It is very likely nobody had ever seen him like this before. To Aurora, it nearly frightened her to see the normally confident, sure Guardian Commander in such a state.

"Look, what I say here is personal and stictly off the record. Okay?"

Leave it to Leader-1 to remember rules first.

"Fine. What is said here stays here."

Leader-1 gestured for her to follow him. He led her to a fallen tree that seemed to form a natural bench facing the shimmering lake. He then motioned for her to sit. Once she did, he did the same.

"Beautiful place this is." Aurora commented, trying to make the strange, slightly uncomfortable situation a little more comfortable.

"Yes, it matches the beauty I see beside me." Leader-1 spoke, softly and gently. He had a wonderful speaking voice for any given situation. The manner and tone of speech he used now, set her at ease somewhat eventhough the words hit her like some high speed missle. If she could blush, she would be. She felt like a schoolgirl again...ready to giggle and runaway. But she was not such a thing anymore. She was a Guardian Commander and a warrior. But the esteemed, legendary warrior beside her had broken down all his barriers for her. She wasn't sure how to respond. In actuality, the words flowed easier than she expected.

"I'm flattered Leader-1, but don't you think this complicates matters."

Leader-1 let out a soft sigh. "Yes, I believe it does, or could anyway. I'm at a crossroads Aurora and I have no control over this feeling consuming my soul. I had sworn to myself to never get close to anyone in a personal way. I thought it was a sacrifice I had to make for the greater well being of our planet, of any planet...for being the Guardian that I am. I didn't want to engage in some relationship only to have the Renegades find out and harm or destroy that being because of my personal affiliation with them. It is why I allow no other to get too close to me. Cy-Kill knows me too well. He'd take advantage of any opportunity to destroy me, even using any of my friends or allies to do so."

"So what's changed?"

"I'm not really sure. Me I suppose, though I've tried my hardest to prevent it. I can't win this battle though. Everything changes over time. It's part of life. I've always been attracted to you, even in the past before Cy-Kill was even a Renegade. But I kept it subdued, buried, and as far a distance as possible. Convinced myself that it was an impossibility. Gave myself every reason why it couldn't and shouldn't happen. But never once factored in how it could. It crept up, grew within me, and blindsided me without warning. Your modifications to a Guardian didn't fool me. I knew you were that female news reporter from my younger days. I knew it from inside. As the humans here would say, from the heart. Now, at the age I am, the fight against it just isn't working. I'm getting old. I'm constantly reminded of that in more ways than I want to see. I don't know how much longer I can remain one step ahead or even on even keel with the Renegades."

"You've discovered your own mortality."

"And it doesn't sit well with me. Something about it chews on my soul. I can't shake the feeling that this war is going to go on without me...beyond me. That something more needs to be done when I'm no longer here to handle the tasks, but at present, there is no one, nothing that can replace me. It scares me terribly, makes me want to be immortal, if only for all the innocent planets and beings out there who need my experience and abilities."

"That's dangerous ground to tred on Leader-1. Thoughts of immortality is often a Renegade precursor."

"But it doesn't lead me there. It leads me to a solution. It's a solution that has partnered with this feeling I've had for you for so long."

Aurora let out a soft chuckle. "There is a single word for it Leader-1 and like most males, you avoid it skillfully. It's called love."

"Ah yes, that word. It's difficult to say. Not sure why. I of any, should be able to speak it with ease, yet I cannot."

"Because males are programmed to consider that word a weakness."

Leader-1 grinned. "Perhaps. But, what I'm leading to is that, you and I...how do I say this without sounding like something Crasher once said or some cheap human dating line...the potential of my skills, knowledge, abilities, and your own...if there was a way to combine them into one being..."

"A replacement for you could be selectively created."

"Exactly. But, well, I'm almost embarrassed to mention this...I'm not coursed in the ways of GoBotic love. I've been raised and trained to be a Guardian. That was my destiny from my creation. And I have too much GoBotic pride to ask Matt for any advice or ideas on the subject. It was hard enough dealing with him after Crasher's interrogation that revealed a personal fact regarding a past feeling she had for me."

" Crasher and you?! Do I even want to ask? No, best not. Well, perhaps the Last Engineer can better educate both of us on this hmm? Your pride wouldn't get in the way with him would it?"

Leader-1 raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. " A very good suggestion actually. He'd know more than any databanks on the Library Moon would give and I could be more open with him since he understands GoBots better than anyone. A trip to New Earth is in order eh?"

Aurora laughed. "Could you imagine us two on the Library Moon asking for assistance on GoBot Love?"

Leader-1 laughed despite himself. "Oh, I can imagine the headlines in the GoBotron Newscasts on that. Breaking news! Illustrious, mighty Leader-1-looking for love!? Stay tuned for the latest dirt as we dive into the personal life of one of the Guardians' greatest commanders!"

"Hehehe, you flatter yourself often?"

"Only when I need to remind myself of my position. I feel like some schoolboy who hides behind a building while eyeing some hot ladybot."

"You?!"

"I did stress ladybot right? Not a good thing for a very young GoBot to lust over one of his own instructors."

"And I knew him when..." came a drawled out male voice out of nowhere.

Leader-1 and Aurora spun about in complete shock. It was Cy-Kill!

to be continued...