(( OOC: I hope I don't go
too fast in this post, but we really do need to keep it moving.
))
"Optimus. Forgive me for getting injured this soon. It seems my callibration of the communicative abilities betwean this body and my spark is out of sync again. normal movement as flying and ... hopping around i can do effortlessly, but my combat abilities need to be ajusted to my new form."
Primal looked at Valkyrie and didn't see that there was anything to be forgiven for. After all, a few of them sustained damage. "Well, better to have learned that now then at a more dire time," he told her warmly.
"But atleast the internal repairs are doing a good job."
He returned a light smile in agreement. Ever since he had converted to his beast mode, he felt the pain of his blown prime jet slowly subsiding. However, that didn't mean that it was functional.
"When we are back at our ship, let me know when you freed up some of your time to evaluate and discuss the gathered data of this day." "I'm sorry. I formulated that wrongly."
"It's all right, Valkyrie," said Optimus. He had taken it more as a suggestion, anyway. "I agree. Once we've returned, we'll have a briefing and everyone can finally get settled in. And we'll see to your calibrations. I'm sure Rhinox will be able to help you." The gorilla got down on his knuckles and began walking toward the other Maximals who were gathering a little bit away from the scene. He assumed Saber-Fang and Valkyrie were going to follow him.
"I have a feeling that this is going to be along day."
Optimus heard Saber's comment and agreed with her, but perhaps not for the same reason. If she was still worried about how he was running things thus far, then they were on a different wave length. Had Optimus chosen to discipline Rattrap at the moment he disobeyed his order, then Cheetor might have been seriously injured or worse. The way he saw it, he was not going to waste time during a battle to slap someone's hand while another teammate was in grave danger. The discipline could very well be saved for later when they would be out of harm's way. A "long day" to him meant Megatron possibly trying another route to attack them again or search for energon. And their ship still needed repairs.
"Well..." "You could say I was a bot in the wrong place at the wrong time, a stowaway to be more speciafic. As for Starshadow we sort of met when I was roaming around the place after my stasis pod crashed on this planet and a loner as well."
"Yeesh," Rattrap said to Wintersong, "An' I thought
I had bad luck." He casually leaned against Rhinox as he stood on his hind legs with a front paw on the rhino's side.
"At least you made it safely," Rhinox smiled in relief after listening to her story. Stowaways really ought to think more carefully about what they were doing.
"That's kind of you to offer Rhinox but not thanks, I still have three good paws."
Rhinox took the hint and simply nodded, respecting her wishes. Though he still disagreed, he couldn't very well force her on to his back. Looking past Wintersong, he noticed Optimus, Saber-Fang and Valkyrie finally on their way over.
"I'll take ya up on that offer," Rattrap jumped in and rudely climbed up on to Rhinox's back.
As Optimus approached, his eyes were fixed on the rat while he began piecing together in his head what he wanted to say to him. Rattrap really wasn't expecting much to happen, so he remained relaxed on Rhinox's back. He walked up to Rhinox, stood up, and with a low growl, Primal grabbed the scruff of Rattrap's neck and effortlessly lifted him off of Rhinox and held him up over the ground to his eye level.
"Hey!" the rodent squealed in surprise as he was lifted off of the big rhinoceros and dangled in the air. "Hey, what's got your servos so bent?" he asked in annoyance, staring their leader face to face.
"Let's get one thing straight, Rattrap," the Maximal leader boldly explained as he shook the rat in his hand. "
I am Commander of this group! And when I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed!"
"Oh yeah?" the rat threw back, his mouth being his only defense. "So
I get vaped because
you're too chicken to go yourself."
"I will
not give an order I would not be willing to do myself!" Optimus growled, clearly growing intolerant of Rattrap mouthing off. Before he blew a gasket, he took a deep breath and lowered his tone to a deep rumble. "But
I was capable of giving you better cover fire.
You were
not." Primal released the rat, dropping him to the ground.
Rattrap landed on his paws and glanced up at the gorilla, and said, "Eh, c-come on. What are you shortin' about? We got out of there alive, didn't we?"
"But injured," Optimus commented. "It'll take time for our beast forms to affect internal repairs."
"Yeah, well... better you than me," Rattrap said in haste.
Primal glared down at him for a moment until Cheetor showed up.
"I think we gave 'em the fade Optimus."
"Keep your sensors on full," he said. "According to the Golden Disc, there were
eight Predacons. One of them was missing from the battle."
"Yeah, well, uh, maybe he was destroyed in the crash," Rattrap remarked.
"That kind of luck we haven't been getting much of lately," Rhinox said as he began walking again. Rattrap followed him with Cheetor while Optimus got back down on his knuckles and walked with Wintersong, Saber and Val (if Valkyrie isn't flying).
(( OOC: I'm going to give Tor a little time to catch up for Dinobot since he's right around corner before Cheetor blurts it out.
))
"Thanks for your assistance back there, Wintersong," said the gorilla. "I didn't have the chance to properly introduce myself and my crew, but I'm Optimus Primal. And this is Valkyrie, Saber-Fang and Cheetor. I trust you already met Rhinox and Rattrap."