The Intergalactic Highway

Saber rolled her shoulders the pain in her shoulder was gone, now she was ready to kick some Predicon butt. Her green gaze turned toward Dinobot, if Optimus was going to let Dinobot join she would have to keep an eye on him, like right now. But she doubted he would do any thing that stupid seeing how he was out numbered.
"This day just keeps getting better and better." She muttered, she sat down and waited for what would happen next.

(( OOC: I won't have OP dish out orders until Cheetor spots Megatron making a run for the energon. That way he can make more specific plans when he decides to go after him and his goonies. ))

"I would suggest you send your injured counterparts back to base,"

Optimus simply sent a glance in Dinobot's direction to acknowledge his words, but he was not in the mood to follow the former Predacon's "suggestion." His mind was already racing, keeping up with the rate at which things kept happening.

"I'm fine, i've have worse then this."

"I don't know," "I think um...whoever he is, has a point. You did get hurt pretty bad back there."

"He happens to be a Predicon and the sniper that shot me, needs to go back to school. This is nothing, i've had worse then this."

"Don't listen ta him," Rattrap told Skyfire as he referred to Dinobot. "He's just a power-hungry Predacon. If he wasn't short circuited by the energon surge so badly, he'd still be battling Optimus for leadership." The small rat rolled his black eyes.

"The Predacons do enjoy wasting a lot of ammunition, don't they?"

Primal looked up at Valkyrie as she landed on his shoulder; thankfully the one that wasn't so sore from holding Dinobot. Then he turned his attention to the direction of the missiles. "They do when Megatron's anger is in control," he commented. It was obvious that when Megatron got upset, his emotions, and ego, often got in the way of his judgement and accuracy. Optimus and Dinobot had been pretty easy targets on the bridge, and all that ammunition had missed them because the Predacons were too eager to terminate them.

The Predacons' missiles had flown a long way to finally hit the mountain that was quite some distance away, exploding on impact. When half of it had been blown away, it revealed a substantial amount of energon inside. The large, blue crystals glistened in the mountain, shimmering in the light of the late sun that was soon to set. There was no doubt that Megatron would be after it quickly, but the Maximals couldn't let that happen. "Raw energon," said Optimus after he watched the Preds' missiles explode. "In its natural form it's highly unstable. We're lucky those missiles didn't cause it to explode."

(Looks like it's time for my debut so to speak. ^_^ )

Rhinox looked sternly towards Optimus with a low pessimistic tone to his voice, the dire situation seeming to escalate one conflict after another.. If you can call it lucky.. his large eye then shifted towards Cheetor next to him while blinking.

Steelclaw transformed yet again to beast mode. He was not enjoying this limitation.

As everyone began heading towards the crystal, Steelclaw dared one glance across the chasm. The saber-toothed tiger had managed to regain consciousness, and apparently, she was even supporting herself, as if nothing had ever happened. It wasn't that far across the ravine, and as such, he could almost swear he had heard her saying... something disparaging about his aim.

"It was a perfectly good shoulder to wreck. I did hit it, didn't I?" he asked himself.

But he may just have been hearing things. Either way, there were more pressing matters on his mind.

He ran quickly to catch up to Megatron, who was at the front of the group.

"Megatron, I don't believe we're fighting mere Maximal explorers."

He had to choose his next words carefully.

"It's not that I don't believe you can defeat them. You bear your predecessor's name for a reason. But if it does not anger you for me to advise you- we may wish to be careful. The Maximal I shot was taken down with a round of pure Tironium, and now she's back on her feet. Soldiers, generals, and legends- they are the sort who shrug about a sniper round. Are we perhaps, fighting some sort of strike force?"

* * *

Cheetor did notice the look Rhinox fave him- he was intent on something across the chasm.

"Megatron's on the move!"

Cheetor squinted his eyes tightly and his computer displayed a red grid across his very eyes. The grid went around the predacons and then zoomed in to see them. They were moving towards the mountain.

"Bearing 6-1-7-5."

(( OOC: I'm switching some things up in my post, guys, so read it carefully. Two Maximals will remain behind to make it a fair fight with the Predacons; Wintersong because she's too badly damaged and another who's familiar with the Axalon. Anyone who disagrees staying at the base can always disobey OP's orders and join the fight in the mountain anyway. ))

If you can call it lucky..

True. Sometimes there were no such things as accidents or luck. Sometimes things happened a certain way for a reason. And since they weren't sure where and when they were, they couldn't assume anything with this planet.

"Megatron's on the move!" "Bearing 6-1-7-5."

The gorilla shifted his eyes to the Predacons who were fleeing the area and making a run for the energon. They sure did move fast when Megatron was determined to get the powerful crystals.

Optimus turned around and looked at his Maximals with the eagle still perched on his shoulder. "Valkyrie, take Wintersong back to base for repairs. She'll need some time in the CR. And see if you can get a head start on getting the ship's shields and weapons back on-line." Wintersong didn't know the Axalon, so Primal wanted someone familiar with it to remain with her. The rest of the Maximals, and Dinobot, would pursue Megatron and his Predacons.

Wintersong watched the Predacons get hit by their own missles and smirked slightly at their mistake, or what may have been a mistake, though when she ehard Primal tell Valkyrie to take her to the Avalon she wasn't too eager to leave. "No way! I want to fight these Preds too and besides I'm not that....Agggh!" Wintersong growled at the end as she jumped back to her paws. Her front right shoulder and leg had barely improved and again pain shot to her other partly damaged shoulder.

"Alright, maybe I'm not in the best fighting condition." She sighed hating being so damaged. If it was what had to be done Wintersong wouldn't argue any more.

Night-Hunter wrote:"I'm fine, i've have worse then this."

He ignored Night-Hunter, giving his annoyed attention to Skyfire who spoke next:

SkyxDB wrote:I don't know, I think um...whoever he is, has a point. You did get hurt pretty bad back there."

Slack jawed for just a moment, Dinobot gathered his wits to retort with a stinging remark. But as he opened his mouth to reply, Saber intervened again.

Night-Hunter wrote:"He happens to be a Predicon and the sniper that shot me, needs to go back to school. This is nothing, i've had worse then this."

He snapped his jaws together, getting seriously annoyed that these two Maximals were discussing him and he was right there.

"I am more than capable of a satisfactory introduction, feline," he hissed at the saber-tooth, his tone agitated. "I am a Predacon, Beta-class... until Megatron-" he cut off his sentence, his jaws locking with the effort to keep his biting remarks of Megatron on hold.

Venatrix wrote:"The Predacons do enjoy wasting a lot of ammunition, don't they?"

"Feh!" Dinobot snorted, his eye rolling to focus on Venatrix, "At least Predacons do not squander time in meaningless politics." Obviously, he wasn't accepting his newly aquired faction easily.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote: "Don't listen ta him," Rattrap told Skyfire as he referred to Dinobot. "He's just a power-hungry Predacon. If he wasn't short circuited by the energon surge so badly, he'd still be battling Optimus for leadership."

Dinobot knew he would have to endure his new teammates snide comments, but this rat's comments grated his gears like no other. Turning his head in a distinct reptilian way, he threw at nasty look at Rattrap, before saying, "And do not listen to that particular specimen of scrap. Obviously his creator was overcharged when he was built; hence the three foot of misplaced height."

Night-Hunter wrote:"This day just keeps getting better and better."

"Infinitesimally," he agreed wryly, watching the earth-rattling explosion of the mountain.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"They do when Megatron's anger is in control,"

Dinobot chuckled darkly at Primal's comment.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"Raw energon," "In its natural form it's highly unstable. We're lucky those missiles didn't cause it to explode."

NaitoKage wrote:If you can call it lucky..

Blazemane wrote:"Megatron's on the move!" "Bearing 6-1-7-5."

"He is after the Energon," Dinobot's processor was racing ahead, imagining all the devastating ways Megatron could utilize it, "A crystal that size would make him... unstoppable!" His tail lashed as Dinobot continued to make scenario after scenario, trying to come up with a counter-attack for each possibility.

***

Venatrix wrote:He was about to continue on his rampage to punnish his minions by slamming his T-Rex head into Waspinator when his most trusted follower's voice caught his attentions.

Waspinator 'eeped' then heaved a sigh of relief as Scorponok distracted their crazed leader. He crept toward Tarantulas and Starshadow, following Megatron's earlier instructions to tail Starshadow.

[quote="Venatrix]"Urgh! Quickly! Return to beastmode!"[/quote]

As Energon overload wracked his body for the second time that day, Waspinator merely took it quietly; his voicebox would surely short out with the amount of antagonized yelping he had preformed today.

Starshadow wrote:"Okay....This is the stupidest team I ever joined..."

He buzzed his wings together indignantly.

Venatrix wrote:"You came here, and you do not know? Come to think of it, i cant remember you being among the original crew. Where did you come from?"

Waspinator wrote:"I'm glad you asked. You see, it all started when I was at Colony Omicron...I was an infamous assassin or somehow a killer who was a member of a secret society of an ex decepticon general...The most important we had was a fail. In the end, I got imprisoned with my sister with my whole family executed, escaped and chased out of Cybertron, and landed here." she smiled with her fangs exposed.
"My aim is to scrap the maximals, go back to Cybertron, find my sister and terrorize the cities."

Waspinator stored that little tidbit away in his scattered memory banks, hoping he would be able to find it later...

"I am more than capable of a satisfactory introduction, feline,"

Saber turned her green gaze on Dinobot and calmly replied. "I'm sure you are, Dinobot."

"The Predacons do enjoy wasting a lot of ammunition, don't they?"

Saber kept her mouth shut not wanting to reply to the birds comment seeing how when she was younger she had been a little trigger happy at times.

"Feh!" "At least Predacons do not squander time in meaningless politics."

"As much as i would hate to agree with you on that, its true some times Mamximals do spend more time discussing pointless politcs then they do fighting." Saber replied not caring if any one else heard her, she was a warrior and unlike other generals who sent other into battle she was the first on the battle field along with her troops, unlike like Dinobot who probably loved the smell of battle, she hated it the only reason she fought was to end it. She had loved the smell of battle when she was younger but those days had past and now she just wanted this war to end and it didn't look like it was going to end any time soon.

"A crystal that size would make him... unstoppable!"

Saber followed Dinobots gaze toward the mountain, she needed to put her general side back into action and think of a plan and quick.

"They do when Megatron's anger is in control,"

That actually made sense to her. He was after all the leader of the Predacon on this planet.

"Feh!" Dinobot snorted, his eye rolling to focus on Venatrix, "At least Predacons do not squander time in meaningless politics."

Valkyrie smiled down at Dinobot from Optimus his shoulder.
"Atleast we Maximals pride ourselfs that we have time to squander our time in politics. Predacon leadership is usualy short lived, and ends like it begins.... with a bang."

"As much as i would hate to agree with you on that, its true some times Mamximals do spend more time discussing pointless politcs then they do fighting."

"And because they do less fighting, the Predacons are still outnumbered on Cybertron almost 10 to 1. If by any chance an all out war would start betwean our respected factions, the Predacons would be at a major disadvantage."

"Raw energon," said Optimus after he watched the Preds' missiles explode. "In its natural form it's highly unstable. We're lucky those missiles didn't cause it to explode."

Optimus wasn't kidding about that.
The enormous size of crystal cluster uncovered by the Predacon missiles, and the amount of energon they contained would've resulted in an explosion of catastrophic proportions.

"If you can call it lucky.."

"Megatron's on the move!"

"Bearing 6-1-7-5."

Valkyrie agreed with the statement of the larger Maximal. She could clearly see the Predacons rush towards the uncovered crystal.
If they reach it and take it back to what ever they have as a base, then this mission would be over rather quickly.
And she didn't think it would end well for the Maximals.

"Valkyrie, take Wintersong back to base for repairs. She'll need some time in the CR. And see if you can get a head start on getting the ship's shields and weapons back on-line."

Valkyrie nodded at Optimus Primal's orders, and flew of his shoulder to land next to Wintersong.

"No way! I want to fight these Preds too and besides I'm not that....Agggh!"

"Alright, maybe I'm not in the best fighting condition."

"It might be best and probably more comfertable for you if the trip to base would be as short as possible. So i hope you aren't affraid to fly."
Without waiting for her damaged comrade to respond, and flew up again, and grabbed hold of Wintersong, and slowly gained altitude, before heading straight towards their crashed ship.

-------------------

"Megatron, I don't believe we're fighting mere Maximal explorers."

"It's not that I don't believe you can defeat them. You bear your predecessor's name for a reason. But if it does not anger you for me to advise you- we may wish to be careful. The Maximal I shot was taken down with a round of pure Tironium, and now she's back on her feet. Soldiers, generals, and legends- they are the sort who shrug about a sniper round. Are we perhaps, fighting some sort of strike force?"

This creature had guts to talk about these 2 failed missions just now, but he hasn't made any attempt to actualy humiliate him. If he did, it wouldn't end well for the large bear.
"No. They are sertenly not simply explorers. But then, no Maximal are simply all that their ranks indicate. They are a lot like us Predacons. Take Tarantulas for example. His skills lie in science and engineering, and yet, you shouldn't turn your back to him. You'll find yourself experiencing a whole new sensation of pain. The Maximals should not be underestimated. Ever."
It was a rare thing to praise a minion like he did now, but it would have the effect he aimed for.
The spider couldn't be trusted he knew, but to motivate him and the others, he needs to find ways to motivate them that wouldn't cost himself to much energon.

Now he needed to set his mind to more immediate business. The Maximals.
Surely they would've noticed the large crystal uncovered as the mountain top exploded, and also noticed that he and his minions where heading towards the maintain at full speed.
Optimus Primal wouldn't sit idly by, and watch the Predacons claim enough energon to fuel their conquest over his Maximal troops on this planet.
No. He expecs him to try and get to the crystal first, and defend it.
But that crystal was his property. And if the Maximal ape got in his way while he secures the crystal, he would tare him apart circuit by circuit.
But first to slow the Maximals down a bit.
"Waspinator, Terrorsaur. Locate the Maximals and make sure their pursuit will end with a bang. Yeeesssss."

(Bear, not Saber tooth tiger Venatrix.)

Tarantulus chuckled darkly at the praise from Megatron, knowing all too well he could only trust any of the group by as far as he could throw them, which was very unlikely in most cases. Flattery will get you only so far. Heheheh.. hm?

His green eyes shifted zooming into the distance on a strange stone structure, scratching under his mouth with his pedipalp (the yellow arm things in spider mode.). Curious.. a structure which neither maximal or predacon has developed.. this planet may hold some nasty secrets as well.. he then thought to himself, his eyes then watching ahead as the group traveled.

"It might be best and probably more comfertable for you if the trip to base would be as short as possible. So i hope you aren't affraid to fly."

Wintersong looked at Valkyrie but before she could really have the chance to reply she felt ehr paws ebginning ot leave the ground. "No, I'm not really much of a fan to the skies." She said with a gulp looking at the ground below and not entirely liking the idea of flying.[/quote]

"At least Predacons do not squander time in meaningless politics."

"As much as i would hate to agree with you on that, its true some times Mamximals do spend more time discussing pointless politcs then they do fighting."

"Atleast we Maximals pride ourselfs that we have time to squander our time in politics. Predacon leadership is usualy short lived, and ends like it begins.... with a bang."

Optimus listened to the squabling long enough. Would the decision to help Dinobot and let him join his team be enough to drive himself slowly into madness? ...But at least his Maximals were talking to Dinobot. In fact, the only one really giving the ex-Predacon a hard time was Rattrap, and it seemed the rat had some competition with the insults and smart alec remarks. Primal often trusted too much, though, so his Maximals had every right to be suspicious of Dinobot and lash out at him with harsh comments and disagreements. However, Optimus was going to give the raptor a chance. Though he couldn't forget where Dinobot came from, at least he was capable of setting that aside in order to work together to stop Megatron. Besides, they had bigger issues to worry about than the velociraptor; like Megatron heading straight for that energon.

"No way! I want to fight these Preds too and besides I'm not that....Agggh!" "Alright, maybe I'm not in the best fighting condition."

The gorilla watched Valkyrie take off from his shoulder and help Wintersong back to base. Thank Primus he had at least one Maximal who didn't talk back to him. He admired Wintersong's enthusiasm, but he knew better than to allow to her keep going with the injuries she had sustained in battle. The other Maximals who had been damaged would easily make repairs during their long trek after the Predacons.

"And do not listen to that particular specimen of scrap. Obviously his creator was overcharged when he was built; hence the three foot of misplaced height."

"He is after the Energon," "A crystal that size would make him... unstoppable!"

Rattrap stood up on his hind legs and spoke out, his words oozing with extreme sarcasm. "Oh, uh, thanks a lot for the hot tip, Scale Belly." No way a Predacon was gonna talk to him like that, mocking his height and calling him scrap. Good-for-nothing Predacon! He'd show him his rank in the group and squash him like an insignificant Insecticon.

"Rhinox, scrap dis guy," the rat nodded to the big brown rhinoceros. Surely his friend would agree and stick up for him.

Dinobot hissed lowly at Valkyrie's addition to his conversation with Saber and Skyfire.

He continued considering Megatron's destructive capabilites with an Energon crystal of that size. Surely the Predacon commander try to supercharge himself. But was that possible? To absorb Energon's enourmous power into one's superstructure? And since the Darkside was grounded, Megatron would make his move for the Maximal ves-

He was distracted by the rat, who it seemed to have taken a particular interest to Dinobot.

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:."Oh, uh, thanks a lot for the hot tip, Scale Belly."
"Rhinox, scrap dis guy,"

Dinobot held his ground. He was not a coward, and he would not let the Maximals see him such, even if these were his final moments.

***

Venatrix wrote:"Waspinator, Terrorsaur. Locate the Maximals and make sure their pursuit will end with a bang. Yeeesssss."

Waspinator nodded, slowly ascending toward the clouds, going at a slow pace so Terrorsaur could keep up with him. Truthfully, Waspinator knew very little about his fellow Flyer...

Rhinox charged forth at Dinobot lowering his head for the strike, but suddenly stopped as he saw Optimus Primal's hand come up. As he stopped he thought to himself Stop ,go.. make up your mind!

"Hold on, Rhinox!" Optimus called out, putting his arm up between the rhino and Dinobot. Did Rattrap forget who was in charge? There was no need to harm the velociraptor.

After Rhinox abruptly stopped, Primal looked at Dinobot and asked, "Will he send fliers?" Surely the raptor wouldn't mind sharing some accurate information about his former comrades. Apparently Rattrap didn't see the advantage they had gained, but then again, Optimus could easily be playing right into his hands if he listened to the ex-Predacon.

"Aw, for bootin' up cold!" the rat rudely jumped back in, disappointed that Rhinox didn't get to knock the over-grown iguana clear across the rocky terrain with a horned headbutt. "You're not gonna believe a Predacon, are ya?" he asked, with a short glance to Dinobot on his emphasis of "Predacon." Those slimy bots can't be trusted! What the heck was wrong with Optimus?!

"That's my call," the Maximal leader shot at Rattrap. Remember? Primal was the commander of their team, not him. They were wasting valuable time with the rodent's bickering.

Returning his attention back to Dinobot, Optimus repeated, "Will he?"