The Zarak Shield Turns The Tide

  The Autobots are patrolling planet Master in an attempt to find the Decepticons, who have once again managed to evade them. However, it's a lot worse than usual now that Zarak has gotten his hands on the master sword data, as it means that the Decepticons will almost definitely be constructing something to use against Fortress Maximus.
 

But the Decepticons aren't actually on Master at the moment - they're hiding in an area which is full of something called space dust, which allows them to hide without detection by Autobot radar systems. Zarak is doing this as he wants to make the Autobots believe that the Decepticons have left Master, but they need to return to upgrade the Zarak shield, as this can only be done on planet Master. So they end up heading back to their secret underground base.
 

Meanwhile the Autobot Targetmasters discuss about what the Decepticons could be doing and go off to ask Fortress if they can head down to master and search for the enemy. As they go to see Fortress, Soundblaster reveals himself and sends Ratbat to follow the Autobots. Pointblank says that they'll go to search for a Decepticon base on Master, if there is one, and Fortress thinks about letting them go but then they see Ratbat has been watching them. The Autobot Targetmasters chase Ratbat, but he returns to Soundblaster, who then jumps off the ship and heads down to Master's surface. The Autobot Targetmasters follow him.
 

The other Autobots remain behind as they're doing an experiment. Since the master sword required an awful lot of energy to make, if Zarak was going to make his own he'd also require the same amount of energy, and if the Autobots can find him as he starts to use said amount of energy, they may be able to take if for themselves and increase Fortress' swords power. Lots of scanners are put in place to try and detect where exactly on Master the Decepticons are.
 

Pointblank, Sureshot and Crosshairs land on Master and have a quick look around, but don't get very far as the Decepticon Targetmasters open fire on them. The two teams clash but the Decepticons then blast the side of a mountain which starts to drain water, which sends Pointblank's gang all over the place. Slugslinger believes that the Decepticon Targetmasters have finally beaten their Autobot counterparts and they head back to their underground base.
 

At the base, the Decepticons are hard at work in covering the shield with G-metal, and upgrading it's strength so much that it will be able to take hits from the master sword no problem. As the Decepticon Targetmasters return and tell Zarak that there are three less Autobots to worry about now, Zarak says that the situation is actually worse because Fortress and the other Autobots will come looking for their comrades. Zarak tells Sixshot and the others to keep the Autobots at bay until the shield is completed.
 

Of course the Autobot Targetmasters aren't actually dead and pull themselves out of the water and onto dry land. They are pretty mad at themselves for being beaten by the Decepticons like that and they still have no idea where the Decepticons are hiding at. As they begin to explore the area again they quickly hide in a cave when they see a squad of Decepticons taking off. Knowing that the base must be somewhere close by, they decide to contact Fortress and alert him about the advancing Decepticons.
 

The other Autobots are wondering where the Targetmasters are, and Chromedome shows how much he cares by saying maybe they've all been killed in the most uncaring way possible. But Pointblank contacts Maximus and tells him that they have just seen a bunch of Decepticons fly out and it seems that they are heading directly towards Fortress. And to put this point across said Decepticons then appear right in front of the ship.
 

To the surprise of the Autobots, the Decepticon squad suddenly turn away and appear to be flying off. The Autobots follow them but they aren't picking up any energy readings and Fortress quickly realises that these Decepticons are just trying to distract them and that the area where Pointblank is at is of more of an interest to him, so they change course and head for there, just as Highbrow bursts in saying he's made a portable energy reading device. The Decepticons notice that the Autobots aren't following them anymore and Weirdwolf chases after them.
 

As day turns to night the Autobots close in on Pointblank's position and the sensors pick up massive energy readings, meaning that the Decepticon base must be close by. Highbrow goes off to check it out for himself and the other Headmasters follow him as they jump from the ship towards a rocky crater below.
 

And as the Autobots leave Weirdwolf heads up to the ship undetected and plants a couple of bombs on it. His plan is to cause a distraction so hopefully the Autobots will have to call off their search to help repair the ship instead or something like that. After planting the bombs he then makes some noise on purpose so he is found and sure enough, Daniel and Wheelie find them. Daniel starts to shoot at him and he returns fire, and then Fortress heads over to see what all the noise is about, but Weirdwolf then retreats.
 

Meanwhile the Autobot Headmasters are exploring the crater and Highbrow's energy reading device picks up that these energy bursts are coming from underneath them... and then the ground falls away and all four of them end up falling down and landing on top of each other. They find that they are a short distance from the Decepticon base...
 

...but they don't know that the Autobot Targetmasters are just a but further ahead of them. Pointblank and the others have found out that the Decepticons are down here and want to get inside the complex to see what they are up to, but due to their sizes trying to sneak up there with the Terrorcons on guard patrol would be impossible. So the Targetmasters themselves suggest going as they are smaller, and Pointblank lets them. They fly up and head inside the base.
 

The Autobot Headmasters head further on in and they see Scorponok. With no strategy at all they all charge towards the Decepticon base as all they want to do is destroy Scorponok, but before they can even get close the Decepticon Targetmasters appear and Hardhead gets shot.
 

It looks like it's all over for Chromedome and co. until Pointblank, Sureshot and Crosshairs come out of nowhere and knock the Decepticon Targetmasters out of the way. The two sides start to shoot at each other and Zarak runs out of the base to see what is going on, and can't believe that the Autobots have to attack now -the shield is almost complete. Deciding not to take any chances, he sends out the Duocons. As they are sent out the Autobot's Targetmasters return to them having seen what is inside the base.
 

Since the Autobots now know where the Decepticons have been hiding Zarak decides to take the shield and then Scorponok rams through the ceiling to get outside, and the other Decepticons follow him. However they don't get very far as Fortress is still up there and he uses his ship's laser cannon to start blasting Scorponok, but then...
 

...Weirdwolf's bombs explode and this gives the Decepticons enough time to get away as the other Autobots rush to see if Fortress is okay. The damage isn't that bad though but Fortress still has no idea what the Decepticons are doing exactly. Back on Scorponok, Zarak watches as the shield is finally completed, and he starts to laugh as he knows that he'll be able to finally destroy all of the Autobots soon.

I don't quite understand what Zarak is doing in this episode. As you may have noticed, Scorponok already has a shield, and it isn't really explained if a new one is being built for him or if the old one is simply being upgraded. Since the new shield looks exactly like the old one, I'm guessing it's the latter theory.