The Intergalactic Highway

Cecaelia walked to the cargobay and went inside her ship, activating the radio. "Vengeance, this is Cerulia. The commander..is captured by the maximals, the ship's canopy is broken. We won't be back in time.."

"WHAT?! You've got to be kidding me!! I-"

"We can't make you guys wait for another year or a lifetime. Look, you can either seek help from any Netherzarian ruler except Averna..or you can go back to the headquarters and plan a rescue mission for our buddies and feed the hungry four-eyed pussycats.."

"Understood..before we end this convo, be careful when you're opening the storage. Nightwhisper out...."

Cecaelia sighed and walked to the storage opening it with all the energon cubes, datapads falling on her. "Owwww..."

Dinobot growled in frustration when he realized the protoform hadn't been saved. He'd been a fool to take his attention off of the pod! If he would have seen Tarantulas working on it, surely he wouldn't have...

With a shudder, he put the matter aside and followed Optimus' command. Noticing that Manterror was still picking a fight with Frilla and Primal, he regrouped close by the two of them, ready to fend off the Predacon if the attack Optimus had just made didn't.

Steelclaw transformed to beast mode and walked next to Megatron and Inferno, not entirely certain how the new Predacon would react to his approach.

"So, you're on our side, right?" he asked Inferno. "You know you've-" Steelclaw coughed involuntarily. "-got quite the weapon."

* * *

When a spark goes online, there's great joy.

Cheetor was not one for overly complex thinking, or even "deep" thinking as most on Cybertron would understand it. He only knew that as he saw the sea of sparks shooting by the single one Rhinox had shown him at the beginning, he realized how utterly small it was, and how important it still remained. How much it was part of something greater than itself, and in that position both humbled and given value. And that was why, without even realizing it, he watched the whole scene with the same elation the rest of the sparks seemed to fly past with.

When one is extinguished, the universe weeps.

Given what he'd just realized, that made all the sense in the world. Cheetor could never look at the Beast Wars the same again.

Suddenly everything went dark, and Cheetor's optics flashed on again. He knew he was back to the real world.

"Woh, that was ultra gear," said Cheetor.

Rhinox wrote:Alright, that should do it. You should go to beast mode as soon as possible.

Cheetor did so, and then watched as Rhinox worked. When the the protoform went to stasis lock, he felt a wave of relief pass over him.

"Alright! Way to go, Rhino!" he congratulated.

Rhinox wrote:Now I need to see if I can get the DNA scanner online and find something in this wasteland to scan.

In this place? That seemed risky. There just... wasn't anything around.

"Why don't we just take it back to base and use the restoration chamber?" he asked.

Cheetor wrote:Why don't we just take it back to base and use the restoration chamber?

Rhinox shaked his head I bought us some time, but not enough for taking this pod all the way back to base. It took us half the day just to get here. But don't worry, I'm going to do everything I can..

__________________

Icebreaker nodded to Saber as he came to the bottom of the Nomad, then touched a button on the wall as portions of the wall and floor folded into a box shape It was something Rhinox put in, he said you guys get injured so much that even with a medic on every mission, it wouldn't be enough to deal with the wounded. So for all intent and purposes.. the Nomad is kinda like a mini Axalon now, except.. alot weaker.

Icebreaker then walked towards the box as it filled with fluid, he then placed Saber down on a plate in the box Just relax. he then said with a smile, hitting a button on the wall of the tank, the plate then started to lower her into the tank.

Frilla got up after Primal made the attack on Manterror,but hr gaze went to the Mantis with an agitated look before she turned and followed the others,"Beast mode!"She mumbled and transformed, walking on all fours for now. She still would hate insects after this and shook her head at the loss they suffered. Hopefully the others had a better chance then they did with the other pod and the ship.

Wintersong glanced towards the pod, ears back a little but did as ordered and moved towards the others. Looking at them it seemed Dinobot was the one that came out unscathed yet Tigatron looked as if he had been in a rough spot with Nemisis. "Least we are getting out of this in one piece, well mostly." She said looking at her teammates before moving in a quick trot into the underbrush, her chest and burned shoulder still stinging with pain.

Snow Trix watched the Maximals beginning to retreat then stepped out from where she had hid and walked towards the other Predacon not making an effort to great Inferno. She only paused a few feet away busing herself with looking around the battle field taking in the damage. It was no wonder why the Maximals had lost this pod, the Predacons had them outmatched with firepower alone which was added with numbers. Plus it seemed they would likely have two Predacons to add to their team. "Great my psychotic insects, as if the few we had wasn't enough." She said under her breathe.

The sound of the appproaching bear caught Inferno's attention.

He must be a drone. Inferno thought.

"So, you're on our side, right?"

"I serve the Royalty and the colony." Inferno said proudly.

"You know you've-" "-got quite the weapon."

Inferno looked the bear up and down before replying. "As long as its the point across to any invaders of the colony. If it doesn't they will buurrrnn." The fire ant growled.

* * *

It was something Rhinox put in, he said you guys get injured so much that even with a medic on every mission, it wouldn't be enough to deal with the wounded. So for all intent and purposes.. the Nomad is kinda like a mini Axalon now, except.. alot weaker.

Saber chuckled a little. "Well, that's the price for being a warrior."

Just relax.

Saber heeded Icebreakers advice and powered down her optics and allowed to be fully submerged in the fluid.

I could use a nap any way.... Were her last thoughts before falling into a deep stasis.

"Least we are getting out of this in one piece, well mostly."

Optimus had to agree with Wintersong, watching everyone regroup and walk away from the failed mission. He was grateful there weren't any lives lost in this battle. Frilla, Wintersong, Dinobot and Tigatron. All accounted for.

"Beast mode," Tigatron said, converting to his white tiger form and limping over to the group. "The protoform was reprogrammed?" he asked, looking at Optimus. "What of the stasis pod?"

Glancing at Tigatron while the gorilla was leading them through the forest, he answered, "Yes, it was." Although it seemed to have a wire loose between its beast mode and its logics as a Cybertronian. "We'll have to leave the pod behind. There's nothing more we can do. We were too outmatched," Primal sighed quietly, walking forward on his knuckles and feet.

Tigatron frowned and drooped his ears a little.

"Are you all right?" Optimus asked the tiger, noticing his limp, and his dirty and singed fur.

"Yes," he said, "but have you ever heard of the cat losing the fight of survival to a bird? It is a new story to be told," Tigatron faintly chuckled. "Nemesis is a force to be reckoned with. I do not recommend anyone battling her one-on-one. Her technology allows her wounds to heal too quickly."

The gorilla nodded. They would have to be very careful around Nemesis in the future. Perhaps they could develop more effective ways to slow her down because of her unique armor and regeneration. "Despite the outcome today, all of you displayed great team work," Optimus said to boost the moral and encourage their efforts that had not gone unnoticed by their commander. "Frilla, I know you did your best to protect the protoform in the pod. Circumstances just weren't in our favor today." Plain and simple. His voice held a hint of disappointment but it was toward himself not the fine comrades surrounding him. Other than that, the leader was confident of moving forward and tried pushing his own injuries to the back of his mind. He wondered how Rhinox's and Rattrap's teams were doing. At least it seemed the toughest Predacons had chosen this site, so the other Maximals shouldn't have too much difficulty in their missions. Hopefully.

-----

Er.. This is the Leviathan, I was about to ask about that. Under normal circumstances I would of told you guys to use her as a boat anchor, but alright.

"Heh. That can still be arranged," Rattrap smirked.

I need to get that girl on medication.. Oh, by the way.. can I ask.. What IS the name of your ship anyway? The Predacons around here just tend to call it the flying box.

The rat shook his head. Stupid Predacons... "Hey, Tentacles, rewind your memory chip. I just called you addressing us as our transport. It's called the Nomad. Got it?"

This must be what he used. Alright. I'll give them both a scan over. Doesn't look like your feeling alright.. I'm going to take you down to the CR tank and do some scans.

"Do we even have a CR tank aboard the Nomad?"

Rattrap glanced at Icebreaker and Saber-Fang before he turned the Nomad around and hit the thrusters, blasting off and steering toward land.

It was something Rhinox put in, he said you guys get injured so much that even with a medic on every mission, it wouldn't be enough to deal with the wounded.

"Yeah? Well, guess we got the Preds to thank for that," muttered Rattrap who was eavesdropping on their conversation below.

Optimus Primal reacted quickly to Manterror's sneak attack and shot at the ground right in front of him. The Maximals escaped, almost unharmed, although the Mantis' attack had hit his target. He wouldn't forget the lizard. The next time they meet, the insect would be aiming for her, and Optimus won't be able to interfere. For now though, repairs would required. He had a massive headache and his wings still lay on the ground. Following the Maximals would be impossible on foot.

"Beast Mode" He spoke, and his gears turned. Animal parts replaced metal and soon, he was fully a Praying Mantis.

Looking towards the rest of the Predicons, he watched as they happily greeted the fire ant into their ranks, but ignored him. So be it. He thought, not particularly wanting to make new friends anyway. He would repair himself, in time, and continue on with his original mission. There had to be other stasis pods around, and if there was, he would find them. If the predicons didn't want him, he didn't want them either. If he had to, he would engage both armies and fight as a neutral. Come to think of it, he rather liked that idea. He would be a one man army!

Nemesis silently watched the Predacons regroup to greet their new comrades, although she made no attempt to join them for the time being.

A fire-ant and a mantis.. She took note of the ever-growing amount of insects in the fold. Aside from herself and that dimwitted Terrorsaur and his equally annoying buddy Waspinator she had not encountered many flyers among the Predacons. Sure enough, a few of them were capable of floating, or even flying over short distances using specialized equipment, but compared to the common Decepticon belief that flight was the edge that will cause one side to win over the other, the Predacon troops did not seem to share this belief..

Well.. perhaps one of these two newcomers would prove worthy of her attention. One appeared to be an insane pyromaniac, a trait she oddly enough found redeeming, whereas Manterror had stood up against the Maximals before the other Predacons had joined in.

"Beast mode," she muttered, not feeling like getting roasted yet again by the energon build-ups caused by this planet. Her armor immediately started changing, her wings spreading out and claws and feathers replacing the shiny metal parts of her body, the process only lasting a couple of seconds until the large bird flapped her wings and took off.

As the Optimus Primal and the other Maximals waked away from the battlefield, a black panther leaped out of a few bushes between the Maximals and Dinobot.
The black cat had only sight for the larger Velociraptor, and ignored the others.
With bared teeth she snarled at Dinobot, before she finally spoke. "Yet another great opportunity arises for me to test my skills in battle with a warrior of your caliber. Will you accept my challenge Dinobot?"

She knew she was much faster and agile then Dinobot, and there was little chance he could go around her without bumping into her again.
Venatrix only hoped the other Maximals stayed out of this.
"Venatrix, terrorize!"

With that, she transformed into her Cybertronian mode, with both her blades drawn and in her trademark battle stance.
She knew she had no hope of defeating him without foul play, but she didn't care. She was burning for a challenge like this for a while now.

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

una wrote:"Valkeryie, this is Whitegrazer. I have a plan. Meet me down here quickly."

Valkyrie received Whitegrazer's call and was wondering what she had on her mind.
Nothing came up that might work, so she gave her comrade a chance to surprise her.
She left Rhinox and Cheetor to deal with the pod, and flew over to the horse, and landed on her back.
"Alright, i may not be a cat, but you made me curious. What's your plan?"

She fluttered her wings before folding them onto her back, and listened to Whitegrazer, while keeping her keen eyes sharp for any trouble around them.

((OOC: Oh Alak, it would be fine if she is just sitting but if she is expecting a ride, nope. XDDDDD Though it has been established that she will give a ride for emergencies, tactics, or for a wounded Maximals =) Other than that, she will be like....-___- XDDDD))

Whitegrazer kept her eyes forward as the flying Maximal landed on her back, watching as the green forest way beyond the distance still seemed as peaceful as it was.

"Well, the Predacons will be heading from that direction I'm sure of it. Though, I wonder how many...four or five. They may have flyers or at least one. Either way, you and I must delay them from here at least until that protoform is well and picks up a beast mode to waken up for us to see our new comrade. We will divert their attention, keeping them away."

Whitegrazer looked around and zoomed out alittle, "This place is full of rocky..."

"See that cliff over there?" She cranked her neck and nodded towards a stable cliff that was not far from the radar but a pretty distance from the pod, "I will go and meet these Predacons on ground head on, be a decoy. If there are flyers or any others, I want you to draw their attention with whatever way you choose but try to lead them around the area where those geysers are. Outmanvearing them and use those geysers to your advantage as you can. I will use those rocky pillars as cover to defeat the ground forces."

((OOC: I hope this is a good plan. XDD My brain is fried from this heat I have here. XDDD I also wonder if Cheetor will join us.))

Frilla looked at Optimus, "Maybe Optimus but it could have been better." She sighed, looking forward again as they walked, "Let's just say though I'd rather avoid insects for a while." She said shaking her head. She knew her form had a taste for insects but she never expected to be attracting the crazy predacon insects which was still slightly annoying. Though her attention was caught by the sudden arrival of Venetrix challenging Dinobot.

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

Feralnight glanced at the monitors but wondered why the Predacons weren't so keen to get Starshadow back. "Huh, the panther must be a pain in the neck t them too." She remarked.

Glancing at Tigatron as he told of losing to a bird, "Perhaps the prey has become the hunter and the hunter the prey." She suggested, flicking her tail a little. The male white tiger was right though, this would probably be quite a story later on. Though she thought the new Predacons both were a little odd, one seemed brave or dumb enough to take on five Maximals and the other thinking he was really a protector of an ant colony. What was next? Though of course there were those Predacons who were sane and seemed to look for trouble. Ears going back the tigeress looked back as the panther came which unfortunately wasn't Starshadow.

Megatron transformed to his beast mode, then walked towards Manterror stopping and looking down over the insect. So, I believe you referred to yourself as Manterror? I believe I can make use of a Predacon of your.. talents.

_____________

Glowstick shaked his head as he heard Cecaelia being covered with junk that seemingly fell out of the closet of her ship, he then responded to Rattrap Sorry, sometimes hard to hear calls in with the background noise of this place. The Nomad? Very well, we'll note that down for any times we need to vent our rage with profanity. Normally I'd end these calls with a parting phrase, but.. seeing as how your our mortal enemy.. I guess Eat slag or something like that works along those lines, if this angers you please by all means vent your rage out on Starshadow before dropping her off on the beach as a representation of our group. Just try not to make it too gruesome,I know how carried away you so called heroes can get.

A muffled voice is then heard over the radio, and under Rattrap from the Cargobay of the Nomad I do not get carried away! Icebreaker shouts in protest.

Glowstick shakes his head turning off his radio, then floats up and into Cecaelia's ship moving the junk off her body You seem to be having a string of bad luck. Well it seems the Maximals are going to be dropping off Starshadow, I guess they want her around less then we do. He lands onto the floor, then extends his arms lifting her up and setting her down on her feet So we'll recover her when we can. Can you perhaps tell me more about Starshadow's condition? As her.. doctor, I believe it'd be important for a re-occurring patient to disclose any importance of allergies or.. history of mental illness.. And help treat it either through therapy, programming repairs, medication, or a bullet to the brain. Which ever will help the patient live a full and easier life.

Venatrix wrote:Yet another great opportunity arises for me to test my skills in battle with a warrior of your caliber. Will you accept my challenge Dinobot?

"I suspect you have no intention of leaving me with a choice," Dinobot fired back before transforming to beast mode. "But many of us have sustained significant damage, and we are not far from Megatron's forces. He would surely take advantage of a delayed retreat. If you must have a duel," he said, pointing up with a claw, "I demand that we take it to neutral ground, where my comrades are under no strategic threat."

Even before he heard her answer, he continued walking in the Maximals' direction. Venatrix would follow or she would not.

* * *

Cheetor heard the answer and then remembered his earlier promise.

"Alright, big R. If you've got things here, I'm going to scout things out with the rest of the 'bots."

With that, he jumped out of the ditch and took off in the direction he'd last seen Whitegrazer move.

* * *

Inferno wrote:I serve the Royalty and the colony.

The... what now? And the... colony? Alright.

Inferno wrote:As long as its the point across to any invaders of the colony. If it doesn't they will buurrrnn.

"Then hopefully you won't find the need to turn them on me again?" he half asked and half observed.

Steelclaw watched Megatron talking to Manterror while he continued his own conversation with Inferno. He'd have to get to know the mantis later.