Special Sub-Topic: Episode 9: A Better Mousetrap Click Here To Play: Episode 9: A Better Mousetrap

The episode starts off showing a trio of Predacons in a cavern busy trying to place a sonic emitter under the Maximal base. The trio included Waspinator, Blackarachnia, and which other Predacon?

Terrorsaur. The three Predacons seen were Blackarachnia, Waspinator, and Terrorsaur. Waspinator eventually got fed up with his colleagues' criticism and flew off. The Maximals, back at their base, picked up his signature, and noted that it was the third Predacon seen in that particular sector in three days, which warranted investigation. These three Predacons were the only ones seen in this episode.

Which transformer designed and built the sonic emitter?

Blackarachnia. Blackarachnia called the device "my invention" many times throughout the episode, and had to explain that it was not a bomb, but rather a sonic emitter. After Waspinator left, Terrorsaur and Blackarachnia had a small standoff. Terrorsaur lost, and ended up doing most of the work while Blackarachnia sat idly and monitored his work. She commented that in this operation, she was the brains, not the brawn.

Back on the Axalon, the Maximals' base, Rhinox was just finishing up a new automated defense grid. What name was given to this program?

Sentinel. The name of the new defense grid was Sentinel, and though it played havoc in this episode, turned out to one of the Maximal's most effective defenses throughout the series. Teletraan I is the name of the computer onboard the Ark from the Generation 1 series. The Oracle is the name of the supercomputer on Cybertron in the "Beast Machines" series, which is a direct sequel to the "Beast Wars" series. GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) is the supercomputer from the video game "Portal".

Who destroyed the computer console, causing the new defense grid to target the Maximals as intruders?

Dinobot. Dinobot was unimpressed with the non-lethal defense systems that Sentinel employed. Rattrap decided to target Dinobot with the plastine coil guns to prove their effectiveness. The one major problem was that they were not effective, and Dinobot quickly broke free. He came at Rattrap in a rage, and tried to plunge his sword into the mouse, but Rattrap dodged in time, and the sword lodged itself in the console instead, making Sentinel go haywire.

Waspinator got fed up with his menial task in the cavern, and flew off. Outside he was found and chased by Optimus Primal, but managed to lose him. Who was then tasked with tracking down Waspinator and determining the Predacons' plans?

Tigatron. Optimus chased Waspinator in the air, with Tigatron pacing them on the ground. Optimus lost Waspinator, but decided to return to the Maximal base when he got a warning that Sentinel (which was not supposed to be up and running yet) was fighting off intruders. Tigatron continued the pursuit from there, requesting that backup not be sent, as he preferred to hunt alone.

When the base started attacking Maximals, Rattrap took responsibility and crawled into a maintenance shaft while the others exited the base. While Rattrap was navigating his way around the Maximal base, what was his first challenge?

Zero-Friction Fluid. Rattrap's first challenge was a hallway flooded with zero-friction fluid. He just threw down a metal plate, and surfed on top of it. Later, in a service shaft, Rattrap encountered disruptor bolts from above, and cryo fields from below. He managed to avoid being shot into the cryo field, if not just barely. The core computer, Sentinel's location, and Rattrap's destination, was surrounded by a disintegration field (like a mote). Rattrap accidentally knocked a tool into the field and saw it dissolve before his eyes. He nearly fell in himself, but caught the railing with his tail.

What did the Predacons use to hide the entrance to their secret cavern?

A holo projector. The entrance to the cavern was on the side of a bland cliff. It was perfectly concealed visually, but Tigatron relied on all his senses when tracking, including his smell, and the entrance proved to be no challenge for him to find.

When faced with slightly harder challenges, Rattrap told the defense grid his list of professions. Which of the following was not on the list?

Skilled Hacker. When in the service shaft, and caught between disruptor bolt launchers and the cryo field, Rattrap told Sentinel that it did not stand a chance, as he was a Stealth Fighter, a Master Marksman, and a Demolitions Expert. In order to accent this last profession, he tossed an explosive at the turret, destroying it. It was soon replaced with three others.

Did the Predacons' sonic emitter detonate?

y. Tigatron ambushed the Predacons just after they activated the device. He ran up to it, and ripped it out of the wall and fled. The Predacons searched him out and found him, so he wedged the emitter in the ground. Tigatron was crushed by falling rock when it went off, but managed to come out on top. The Predacons managed to escape.

Rattrap was destroyed in the end.

f. Rattrap was caught under a steel beam, and was reaching for the button to deactivate Sentinel, just as the shatterfield (Sentinel's last defense) was charging up. Outside, the other Maximals saw the shield disappear, and Rhinox feared the worst, as Sentinel would never deactivate the shield knowing an intruder was still active. The episode was coming to a close, when suddenly Rattrap came down the boarding hatch, alive and well. When asked how he managed to fix Sentinel, he merely replied "You just gotta know how to talk to it."