The Intergalactic Highway

((OOC: Oh boy. I think I should warn you guys, but a hurricane is heading towards my state. Now, the forecasters are still watching it. It seems that my area isn't going to be hit that hard, but they are still tracking movements. It could change. I'm praying for it to miss us completely as well as that our power stays on. We should know by Saturday or Sunday what to expect. ))

"Yeah right," "I'll leave dat kinda optimism up ta you and the Boss Monkey."

Whitegrazer understood Rattrap's skepticism, but she hoped that the Vok would muse over what they gathered from her. Especially, with the virus they were fighting. She wondered what would happen if Rhinox and Aurora found a cure. If they did, it could be a good stepping block in softening them up. After all, she had no doubt in her mind that she would willing give them the cure, with Optimus' blessing.

"Eh, I ain't a historian,"

"Well, don't worry, I will keep it a brief lesson," she said, grinning, but that grin changed to a more sorrowful look, "It was the last battle before the Tripredicus Council finally ordered all the Predacons to drop their arms against us and signed the Pax Cybertronia. I was there. The fighting was brutal, and both sides were losing bots. Adding to that fact that we were trying to protect one of the our biggest factories where the protoforms were stored. My true origins remained a secret to the Predacons. They didn't know. They just thought I was just a freakish Maximal. And I was... a different being there." She stared at her spark before she continued. "I don't know. I was so focused on the battle I didn't sense what happened until I felt it. A Tripredicus Council Agent slipped inside the factory and blew it up. I felt the cries of the protoforms and I... retaliated. I was the only one still standing." She shook her head and let Rattrap process what she just implied there. "My mission was complete. Yet, I failed."

"Look, 'Grazer, not everythin' is yer fault. You gotta stop takin' the blame fer others' actions. These things coulda happened with or without yer involvement. Sooner or later, they start messin' around with tech that dey shouldn't be because somehow they acquire it one way or another. Trust me, I know how the black market works on Cybertron. It takes corrupted minds with filthy hands. And even if it was you, you can't speak for the others who coulda just as easily walked away from the questionable projects. That's on them, includin' Optimus. Let 'im own his mistakes. At least he's learnin' from 'em and actually advocating against future circumstances,"

"Maybe not, but doesn't change the fact that I was involved. At least with the experiments that Nemesis and Zodiac and countless other bots were forced into." She sighed softly, "This type of thinking can drive a person mad, can't it? I guess... I just want to make sure I get it right this time." she wanted to know if she was doing the right thing now. Would this time be different? She prayed so. "And I hope that the Vok can take that into account as well."

"What de heck are we gonna do with yer spark like dis?"

Whitegrazer just laughed, "I think the CR chamber would just have to take care of the rest. Just like that shot you took there." She pointed at the blackened spot around Rattrap's stomach area. "And thank you." She said in gratitude for him nursing her wounds as well as listening to her.

"Coming in for a landing" "I'll take care of loading Starshadow and go back to get the others. You two just heal up."

Whitegrazer stood up slowly and dropped down, "Thank you for the lift, Landslide." She was worried about Optimus and Banshee. she could open the link, but she didn't want to overwhelm Optimus with feeling her wounds. By the time she got repaired, Optimus and others would be back already.

"Because Megatron is guaranteed to take advantage of it. I don't know how, but he obviously appeared with a plan. And since he wasn't able to implement it, that still leaves us in the dark. Whatever it is, it will be for his own interest and not yours,"

"No one has found my weakness," X said undeterred. Whatever plan tthis Megatron had, X didn;t believe it for one second could do him any harm. "One person thought cutting my head off would work. But I think that only works for organics."

"What is it you wish to discuss, X? Hm? You want to talk so talk."

X wanted to ask about his dear old friend, but it really didn't matter now, did it? He knew he would come to him eventually. He always came."Tell me more about this Megatron." He chuckled. "Irony, again, an Optimus and a Megatron fighting against each other. Life is funny, isn't it?" He felt...something. He looked around, seeing nothing until he looked up to see a flying cat? Life was funny. "Is he one of yours or one of his?" X said, pointing upwards.

"Well, don't worry, I will keep it a brief lesson,"

The rat gave her a light and brief smirk, half expecting it to be a long-winded answer anyway, much like their fearless leader's speeches.

"It was the last battle before the Tripredicus Council finally ordered all the Predacons to drop their arms against us and signed the Pax Cybertronia. I was there. The fighting was brutal, and both sides were losing bots. Adding to that fact that we were trying to protect one of the our biggest factories where the protoforms were stored. My true origins remained a secret to the Predacons. They didn't know. They just thought I was just a freakish Maximal. And I was... a different being there." "I don't know. I was so focused on the battle I didn't sense what happened until I felt it. A Tripredicus Council Agent slipped inside the factory and blew it up. I felt the cries of the protoforms and I... retaliated. I was the only one still standing." "My mission was complete. Yet, I failed."

"A TC Agent?" he repeated Whitegrazer's words thoughtfully. "But you were the last one standin'? Who was it...?" he asked cautiously, looking at her intensely.

"Maybe not, but doesn't change the fact that I was involved. At least with the experiments that Nemesis and Zodiac and countless other bots were forced into." "This type of thinking can drive a person mad, can't it?

"Hey, it sounds like a lotta people were involved. Of course, most of 'em are gone now thanks ta Zodiac's psychopathic rampage, running amok and murderin' all of 'em," he told her grimly. "And, yeah, it can," he agreed.

I guess... I just want to make sure I get it right this time."

"Nobody gets do-overs," Rattrap muttered, implying that the only time that really mattered was the present. Or rather the past... which was their present. Now that could drive somebody crazy. "But fer what it's worth, and I'm sure Optimus had told you this before, yer doin' the right thing now, and dat's what counts," he tried assuring her.

"And I hope that the Vok can take that into account as well."

The smaller Maximal simply shuddered at that. As much as he didn't want to hear anything about the Vok, he to had to accept that they did exist and they had possessed Whitegrazer very aggressively who managed to convince the aliens to leave the Maximals and Predacons alive after their last encounter.

"I think the CR chamber would just have to take care of the rest. Just like that shot you took there."

"Yeah," he agreed, following her gaze downward to the wound on his abdomen that Terrorsaur had given him.

"And thank you."

"Eh, don't mention it. Yer body's under enough stress as it with dat virus inside of ya."

"Thank you for the lift, Landslide."

Coming in for a landing.

"Music to my audio sensors," Rattrap commented, extremely relieved to know they were back in their safer territory.

I'll take care of loading Starshadow and go back to get the others. You two just heal up.

"You got no arguments from me, big guy." The rodent got to his feet with a slight cringe stretching his damaged stomach, and then he helped Whitegrazer so they could exit Landslide's cargo bay and enter the Axalon.

-----

"No one has found my weakness," "One person thought cutting my head off would work. But I think that only works for organics."

While X spoke, Primal's mind rewound to what Megatron had said earlier about doing the Maximals a favor if he captured the crab. He clearly wanted him, but for what purpose? To add his firepower to his ranks? To study his spark for future revisions? But how would either of those do them a "favor"? Protoform X had no idea what Megatron was capable of and just how ruthless and merciless he was. "Megatron is clever. If there's a will, he'll find a way."

"Irony, again, an Optimus and a Megatron fighting against each other. Life is funny, isn't it?"

Optimus didn't comment on the crab's observation.

"Is he one of yours or one of his?"

The Maximal leader finally glanced back over his shoulder at X to see who he was talking about, following his finger pointing upward to the sky. Zooming in with his optics, he deduced that it was Cheetor. "Yes," he answered X. Then Primal lifted his good arm to wave the flying cat down as they continued walking. "Cheetor!" he hollered up at him.

"Tell me more about this Megatron."

Optimus took a moment to choose his words carefully. He didn't want to build the tyrant up as some god-like Predacon who they were unable to defeat, or throw so many negatives about him that it would just sound like Primal was poorly bad-mouthing him out of spite, nor did he want to give away too much information about their war that might peak X's interest assuming he would even care about the magnitude of their current predicament. "Megatron is cunning and manipulative. His goal once was to acquire energon for a potential army, and this planet was rich of the element until most of the raw resources were ignited by an alien attack. Now he's targeting something else." He purposely left out any mention of the three disks and what that target might be. "If you let your guard down because you've convinced yourself that no one can find a way to take advantage of you, you will be sorely mistaken. Megatron clearly has an alternative motive in mind for you, and by the time we figure it out, or you turn your back on him, it'll be too late." X had to take this seriously. Megatron was a force to be reckoned with because he was a brilliant mastermind and war lord.

-----

At the time, Starshadow had joined sides with the Protoform and attacked, with Tarantulas gone and Terrorsaur else were, a battle against those two and the Maximals would be impossible on my own. Though.. in the end with their aid that seemed fruitless, the protoform was able to regenerate faster then my acid could damage him, and his armor seems almost as durable as that Maximal insect. Then during the battle Terrorsaur showed up attacking the maximals, around that point I had already taken down Starshadow with my venom.

Regeneration? thought Megatron. How intriguing. Perhaps Umbra's mistake to aid the Maximals was redeemable after all with his report.

Terrorsaur flew above the pair in the air, gliding on the thermals like a vulture to reserve his energy from his injuries. He descended as they approached the Darksyde and landed in his robot mode entering the ship with them.

"Get yourselves repaired," Megatron ordered Umbra and Terrorsaur. "Then prepare for battle." The TransMetal t-rex quietly bared off from them and headed to his quarters with his own CR tank that was much more like a personal spa for him.

(( OOC: Sorry, I'm too tired to conjure up anything "brilliant" with Megatron right now. ))

( Hopefully your doing okay Una, that storm looked nasty. )

Rattrap wrote:"Music to my audio sensors," "You got no arguments from me, big guy."

After they exited, Landslide lowered his shield and Starshadow on it down to the floor, then drove back and transformed to his robot mode. He picked up the predacon and walked to the CR chamber, carefully setting her inside the chamber. Closing the door he then went to the control settings, modifying it a bit to lock her inside just incase she came online before he returned. After which he picked up his shield, a spare maximal rifle he put away in storage, and a small gun like object and walked outside, spraying out his shield with cleaner from the gun and toweling it out, then tosses the towel and gun in the hanger and flies off, transforming to his vehicle mode back in the direction of Optimus, Banshee, and now Cheetor.

Hang on lads, I'm commin'! he said to himself.

____________________________

Optimus Primal wrote:"Cheetor!"

Cheetor turned his head to the shouting, then flew down near Optimus, swiftly landing and transforming to robot mode. Whoa, you guys okay? Cheetor then said looking Optimus and Banshee over with concern. I saw Landslide pass by, so he should be here in awhile.

___________________

Megatron wrote:"Get yourselves repaired," "Then prepare for battle."

Umbra gave a nod Yes my lord. Umbra then walked into the darksyde, heading to the CR tank and climbed inside, the tank soon starting up it's repair cycle to his battered mutated frame.

((OOC: Yeah, though, I have been very bad. I have been eating junk food like m&ms, kit-kats, honey buns, and strawberry shortcake ice cream bars for the past two days. Oops. But in my defense, that is the only thing that tastes good to me. So bad for me, but so good. I just don't have an appetite. Maybe I'm still reveling from the storm and it's aftermath. ))

"A TC Agent?" he repeated Whitegrazer's words thoughtfully. "But you were the last one standin'? Who was it...?"

Whitegrazer looked away, staring through Landslide's bulkhead back where Tarantulas antagonized her close by Protoform X's pod. Remembered what the spider said back at the Metal Hunter. "I didn't know who it was, but from the way Tarantulas has been carrying on... I should have known they would send someone to watch Megatron." If Tarantulas was a TC agent, then this has just gotten complicated. And it wasn't just the Tripredicus Council's hatred for them she was worried about. "Our destruction would be a bonus."

She looked back, staring at Rattrap as intensely as he stared at her, but it softened. "I need to talk to Optimus after we have Protoform X settled in."

"Nobody gets do-overs," Rattrap muttered, implying that the only time that really mattered was the present. Or rather the past... which was their present. Now that could drive somebody crazy. "But fer what it's worth, and I'm sure Optimus had told you this before, yer doin' the right thing now, and dat's what counts,"

"Nope," she nodded, agreeing with what Rattrap said. "You can't turn back the clock." And she couldn't take away the pain she caused or bring those she killed back to life. She could, but that would open a new can of worms that she didn't need to add. She smiled at Rattrap, "I hope to continue to do right by everyone here."

"Eh, don't mention it. Yer body's under enough stress as it with dat virus inside of ya."

She just chuckled, looking at herself. Still wondered about how the virus was going to show itself. Maybe after she gets repaired, and if Rhinox or Aurora weren't too busy, she might ask for a checkup again. She entered inside the CR Chamber and watched the doors shut over her.

"Megatron is clever. If there's a will, he'll find a way."

"Doesn't matter. Clever or not, I always remain standing," X just smiled wide. "But I always enjoy a challenge if it doesn't get tiresome."

"Megatron is cunning and manipulative. His goal once was to acquire energon for a potential army, and this planet was rich of the element until most of the raw resources were ignited by an alien attack. Now he's targeting something else." He purposely left out any mention of the three disks and what that target might be. "If you let your guard down because you've convinced yourself that no one can find a way to take advantage of you, you will be sorely mistaken. Megatron clearly has an alternative motive in mind for you, and by the time we figure it out, or you turn your back on him, it'll be too late."

"Well, then, I guess your team and I have a common ground here. I don't wish to be someone else's pet project again." X continued his big stride towards the Maximals base. Nor did he want to be caged like a rat. Nor did he want that for his beautiful Nightstar. "I hope you aren't too angry with me. About what I did to her. I feel terrible for what I did." X smirked. It was the truth. He felt bad for hurting Whitegrazer. He wasn't being malicious towards her. No. He actually welcomed her presence. In his own little way, but in the end, she would have to die just like all the others. It was a mercy killing for someone with such a soul and a powerful one it was. "She is...intriguing. Peaceful. Compassionate. Yet I feel something else from her. X chuckled. "Something hauntingly alluring from her. Ah. Who is she really?"

Whoa, you guys okay? Cheetor then said looking Optimus and Banshee over with concern. I saw Landslide pass by, so he should be here in awhile.

"What a cute kitty you have here," X observed the flying Maximal cheetah. A youthful one, indeed, by his voice. Heh. "Anymore cuties you want to introduce me to?"

((OOC: I hope this is all right, guys. Still trying to get back into the swing of things here. ))

Whoa, you guys okay?

"We're managing," Optimus told Cheetor after watching him swoop down and maximize. Of course he was in pain, and Banshee was as well, but there was no point in addressing it when they didn't have the proper medical supplies. He simply kept his hand over the gash in his side with his arm stretched over his abdomen while his other arm hanged at his side, still sparking once in a while. Banshee was covered in acid etching and craters where it had eaten through her armor.

I saw Landslide pass by, so he should be here in awhile.

Primal nodded as he acknowledged his observation. "Good. We'll need repairs as soon as possible. I fear Megatron won't waste time trying to reacquire Protoform X again. Cheetor, patrol an aerial perimeter around us while we head back on foot until Landslide returns."

"Doesn't matter. Clever or not, I always remain standing," "But I always enjoy a challenge if it doesn't get tiresome."

The Maximal leader glanced at X once more and slightly shook his head. "We'll see." Never say I didn't warn you, he thought.

"Well, then, I guess your team and I have a common ground here. I don't wish to be someone else's pet project again."

Being Megatron's "pet project" was probably going to be the least of X's worries. The tyrant didn't control pets, he oppressed his officers as slaves. Optimus just wasn't sure how Megatron would be able to achieve such a feat with someone who was allegedly indestructible and so powerful. X would never let someone enslave him again for their personal agenda... if he could prevent it.

"I hope you aren't too angry with me. About what I did to her. I feel terrible for what I did."

After turning away from the crab and continuing their stroll, Primal couldn't help but slowly ball his fist at his side in reaction to X's hollow words and smirking for what he put Whitegrazer through. He hoped she was doing alright. With her spark exposed like it was and her body heavily damaged, she was quite vulnerable. He calmed down as he reminded himself that he was the reason for X's existence in the first place, and why he was heartlessly callous toward others and enjoyed taking their lives.

"She is...intriguing. Peaceful. Compassionate. Yet I feel something else from her. "Something hauntingly alluring from her. Ah. Who is she really?"

Optimus certainly didn't want to expose his relationship with Whitegrazer, nor her identity as a Vok. Despite knowing that X can obviously sense certain attributes and emotions from others, he thought it best to keep his answer simple and honest yet implying in his tone that he knew exactly what X was referring to daring to play his game with him. "She's a Maximal under my command."

"What a cute kitty you have here," "Anymore cuties you want to introduce me to?"

Leading them along, Primal's optics narrowed a little at X's remark while he while still looking forward. "We began as an exploration crew," he volunteered the information to keep X's mind occupied so as not to let boredom get the better of him and cause trouble. "We've had to adapt to this war for survival growing stronger and maturing together as a team."

-----

"I didn't know who it was, but from the way Tarantulas has been carrying on... I should have known they would send someone to watch Megatron."

"Tarantulas? But he hates Meg..." Rattrap cut himself off when he realized how much that made sense. Could that nasty spider really be an agent like Whitegrazer suggested?

"Our destruction would be a bonus."

He merely shrugged off her comment. "Eh, dat's what everybody wants. What else is new?" he asked rhetorically.

"I need to talk to Optimus after we have Protoform X settled in."

"You guys are always talkin'," he smirked lightheartedly. "If it ain't you and Optimus, it's Rhinox and Optimus." He grew a little more serious at the end of his remark knowing how their conversations often spared lives on both sides.

"Nope," "You can't turn back the clock." "I hope to continue to do right by everyone here."

"'Grazer, I think you of all people know what ta do. Just keep us in de loop before you do somethin' crazy so we can talk ya outta it, okay?" Rattrap snickered as he escorted her to the CR. After the door closed, his smile faded and he looked down at his charred stomach sighing. The short Maximal then made his way to the bridge to see the engineer.

"We're back, Rhinox. Landslide secured Starshadow in one of the de CR's while 'Grazer took another one for repairs. Then 'Slider split ta head back ta Optimus and Banshee."

Big Green turned to look at Rattrap, nodding, and visually examined his external injuries. "You should log some time in the repair chamber as well."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Say, uh, dis X guy is gonna be a problem, isn't he?"

Rhinox just sighed before saying, "Most likely. We'll have to keep a close eye on him."

"Well, we ain't actually invitin' him inta our base, are we?"

"It would be unwise," he answered, trying to reassure his smaller friend who was obviously skeptical about sharing a base with the "monster".

"Yeah," Rattrap agreed but sounded unconvinced. He turned and walked to a CR nearby, entering it and beginning his repairs.

(( OOC: I think I'll add stuff for Megs in my next post while the Preds get repairs. ))

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"We're managing," "Good. We'll need repairs as soon as possible. I fear Megatron won't waste time trying to reacquire Protoform X again. Cheetor, patrol an aerial perimeter around us while we head back on foot until Landslide returns."

X wrote:"What a cute kitty you have here," "Anymore cuties you want to introduce me to?"

Optimal Optimus Primal wrote:"We began as an exploration crew," "We've had to adapt to this war for survival growing stronger and maturing together as a team."

Cheetor glanced at X with a raised optic ridge, something was definitely off about this guy. Cheetor then gave a nod to Optimus On it Bigbot. Cheetor then transformed to his beast and vehicle mode once again, taking off into the air he started to circle the perimeter looking for signs of movement in the air and ground bellow.


In the far distance, Landslide continued course towards the rough coordinates of where the Maximals last were while internal repairs worked on his damaged beetle optic, then saw Cheetor circling in the sky. Landslide flew towards Cheetor and spoke up Scouting ahead?

Cheetor gave a nod and pointed with a paw looking at the ground down bellow Yeah, they're down there. Landslide looked and gave a nod, then hovered down infront of Optimus's group, then landed. Didn't see a peep from the Predacons on the way here. Probably not a good sign.. But no matter. Optimus n' the lass get in the back. As fer X, you'll have to ride up front since yer a might big fer my usual loads. Landslide then said, his wing shell opening up with his cargobay then following suite to allow Optimus and Banshee on board.

"Tarantulas? But he hates Meg..."

Whitegrazer smiled as Rattrap understood. "Well, it makes sense because of the friction between those who are loyal to the Tripredicus Council and those who are part of the criminal underworld."

"You guys are always talkin'," he smirked lightheartedly. "If it ain't you and Optimus, it's Rhinox and Optimus."

She held her chest, pretending to be shocked. "I didn't realize you were jealous, Rattrap." Whitegrazer's smile widened a bit. "Maybe I can talk to Optimus or Rhinox and they can squeeze you in?"

"'Grazer, I think you of all people know what ta do. Just keep us in de loop before you do somethin' crazy so we can talk ya outta it, okay?"

Whitegrazer nodded. Hoped that Rattrap's, and everyone else's, confidence in her wasn't misplaced. After all, she had made a few mistakes that almost got some people killed. She couldn't do that anymore. As the CR Chamber started its repair of her body, she closed her optics. Hopefully, to get a few winks, since X was going to be here shortly. They all needed to be alert. She needed to be alert. Her instincts warned her that a battle was ahead.

Megatron must be defeated.

Tarantulas must be defeated.

Can we trust them to get the job done? Can we trust you?

"We can't trust them to get a virus in time. We need to accomplish our mission before this virus... destroys us.

We are searching for a cure. But the virus is... We can't understand why our energy forms doesn't destroy it automatically.

They can be trusted. Maybe they can found something you missed. Don't act. Save your energy.

We take action. We don't sit idly and watch time pass us by. We can control time. We can manipulate it.

She is correct. This virus is still dormant yet inactivate. We need to remain as we are...until a cure can be made.

"She's a Maximal under my command."

X just nodded his head with an innocent expression. He had noticed the way Optimus balled his fist and the way his body language became even more guarded. That's how his old friend loved to act when he asked him about certain individuals under his grip. Heh.

"So just a simple soldier under your command? She doesn't look it."

"We began as an exploration crew," he volunteered the information to keep X's mind occupied so as not to let boredom get the better of him and cause trouble. "We've had to adapt to this war for survival growing stronger and maturing together as a team."

"Interesting," X then pondered. If their original mission was to dump him, and Megatron and his team diverted them, then what did Megatron and his team do that forced this crew to delay their mission. Was he not that important? Did they not understand how dangerous he was? Oh, these poor unfortunate souls. They failed to dump him on an barren world. And this world isn't so barren. Many organics. Just like Colony Omicron."The High Council must have been desperate. Did they forget about who you had stored inside your ship? Heh."

Didn't see a peep from the Predacons on the way here. Probably not a good sign.. But no matter. Optimus n' the lass get in the back. As fer X, you'll have to ride up front since yer a might big fer my usual loads.

X just grinned wide and got on the frontside. He still had his mini-gun in his arms, but sadly, he didn't get to use it. Now anyway. Too bad. He hoped Megatron and his Predacons would try and attack him, and maybe he could ask Megatron nicely what he planned to do to him. X giggled like a child. "Piggyback ride! I always loved piggyback rides."


When the Axalon did come into view, X noticed how the grey exploration ship seemed to be laying on a cliff. Maybe he could knock it over and watch them swim for it? Well, not with Nightstar in there of course. Oh, it was so tempting, though. "So do I get quarters?" X said outloud to Landslide. Do we become bunkmates?"

He jumped off Landslide to marvel at the ship. "I want to know how my companion is doing. I want to see her. Now." He demanded. I want her at my side at all times. His optics glowered a bit before his features went back to a giggling child. "Trust me. She is a bitter."

Cold and dark...It felt so familiar. The wounds slowly stopped hurting. There were voices but whose? Starshadow's optics came online after being inside the CR for quite awhile but still seeing everything blurry. That constant ache in her guts. Was she dead? Or alive? Rubbing her face with a hand, she looked up and through the tinted window of the CR chamber while the repairs are at work and her optics widened. Why was the warden standing there?! Why is she in the Maximal base?! Have they come to take her away?! Punches were at the door and screams echoed inside the chamber. It did not budge. Those sneaky (BEAKY ) Maximals jammed the doors! Then there was this piercing pain on her back that made her scream louder and rake her claws on it.

"You failed to stay alive on your own and escape with the target. Now you will face the CONSEQUENCES!"

With a shriek, streaks of turquoise green turning blue glows on her back and 6 black bladed scaled tentacles with thin pulsing blue streaks bursts out of her back and pierced through the door and on the top of the table infront of it, between Rattrap and Rhinox then slithered back in the CR chamber. Lights flickered in the hole it created and electricity arcs were seen dancing outside the chamber before a self made entrance was sliced open. Stepping out of the smoke was Starshadow in her new form with her electroblades out. Black and blue armor with silver accents, glowing blue claws nails, long black hair and more alien like, less cybertronian. Bending forward a little, she dashed towards Rhinox and Rattrap with a crazed laughter, the elctroblades dragged on the floor, creating burn marks and sparks.


((Too tired to post for Banshee...))

(( OOC: I'm going to try an organize things in my post here. I know you've been absent, starshadow, so just for clarification, Landslide put Star in a CR in the Axalon's hangar and locked her inside of it as a safety measure. Rattrap and Rhinox are in the bridge where Rattrap has already put himself in a CR. So I'm going to see how I can move things around to make this work with Rhinox, Optimus and so forth. I'm also assuming that we're going to speed through everyone's repair cycles so as not to get bored. ))

"Well, it makes sense because of the friction between those who are loyal to the Tripredicus Council and those who are part of the criminal underworld."

True, thought Rattrap, but why sneak 'im inta Megajerk's ranks? And was that before or after they had found out about the stolen disk?

"I didn't realize you were jealous, Rattrap." "Maybe I can talk to Optimus or Rhinox and they can squeeze you in?"

"Uh, heh, no thanks," he had smirked at Whitegrazer. "I'd be the guy at de meetings who falls asleep. So my participation would be useless. ...As usual," the rodent poked fun at himself.

-----

On it Bigbot.

Optimus had watched Cheetor return to the sky for patrol, relieved that he didn't distract him with all the questions he must have had. Time enough for that back at the base.

"So just a simple soldier under your command? She doesn't look it."

"And you don't appear to be a bot with a soft spot, yet here we are ensuring Starshadow's well-being per your request," Primal pointed out at to X.

"Interesting," "The High Council must have been desperate. Did they forget about who you had stored inside your ship? Heh."

"Do I sense some disappointment that your once being the top priority of my mission was so easily shoved aside simply because of Megatron's selfish activities?" Primal asked X, deliberately keeping it vague, as he stopped to turn around and look at him with a slight smirk to the corner of his mouth after he licked his scar over his lips. "You weren't a danger to anyone as you slept in stasis lock inside of your sealed pod, until I was forced to give the order of ejecting all of the Axalon's pods into the planet's orbit before we crashed here with the Predacons."

Didn't see a peep from the Predacons on the way here. Probably not a good sign.. But no matter.

The Maximal leader agreed with Landslide after he dropped in and landed near the group. "It's probably safe to assume they retreated back to base for repairs. Which means they'll be back with reinforcements."

Optimus n' the lass get in the back. As fer X, you'll have to ride up front since yer a might big fer my usual loads.

"Piggyback ride! I always loved piggyback rides."

Primal gestured for Banshee to hop into the beetle's cargo bay first as he followed her in and sat on the floor to lean his back against the wall. Removing his hand from the gash on his side, he grimaced a little and sighed, eager to return to their base of operations. His shoulder sparked a bit again as well from all the movement. For now, he just hoped that X would continue to behave on the ride as Landslide carried all of them to their destination.

"So do I get quarters?" Do we become bunkmates?"

"Don't count on it," Optimus said as he overheard the crab's inquiry, though it might not have been loud enough for X to hear. Once Landslide landed and opened his cargo bay, the TransMetal gorilla clambered out with Banshee and looked at Protoform X who spoke again.

"I want to know how my companion is doing. I want to see her. Now." I want her at my side at all times. "Trust me. She is a bitter."

"No," Optimus objected coldly, stepping toward him. "You will remain outside with Landslide and Cheetor at all times while we assess Starshadow's injuries. She will have been logging some cycles in the repair chamber anyway, so there's nothing for you to worry about."

"Landslide, do you have a data pad with you? I'll allow X to view her progress via video and audio so they can communicate," the Commander offered as a compromise.

"Let's go, Banshee," he said, waving his hand at her in a way that suggested she follow him into the Axalon with haste for repairs.

Meanwhile, Rhinox had relocated to the hangar to observe Whitegrazer's readings on one of the spare CR chambers she was occupying. After noticing that she had lost an entire arm, and her spark was exposed, he made some adjustments to the procedures in order to assure a complete recovery for her. Soon after Optimus had walked in from outside, causing the engineer to frown as he visually examined his wounds.

"I know," Primal tried to dismiss his old friend's concern over his injuries. "Let's just say we were lucky Landslide showed up when he did. What's the status here, Rhinox?"

"Well," he began, slowly shifting his red optics to his leader's, "Whitegrazer is gradually recovering here. Starshadow is in that chamber over there," he pointed to it, "And Rattrap's occupying one near the bridge."

Nodding, Optimus asked, "Any progress with the virus?"

The chief medic faintly shook his head. "Aurora and Blackarachnia are still working on a potentially viable projection, but we're going to need more samples from Whitegrazer. We may not be able to make any real progress until the virus is finally activated. For now, we're working blind."

"Have you tried to purposely trigger the virus prematurely from any of the previous samples?" he inquired.

"That's what they're doing now. If we can find a way to activate it, then we can start working on a cure."

"My thoughts exactly."

"What about Protoform X?" asked Rhinox.

"He's right outside, fully functional with his own personal arsenal of firepower. He's capable of causing some serious damage to us and to the base, so we best keep him as calm as possible. He wants a prognosis on Starshadow's current state. I've declined his initial request to be by her side, so I want to set up a live feed for him."

The engineer nodded and said, "I'll get right on it. His infatuation with Starshadow is peculiar." He immediately grabbed some cameras nearby in the storage, along with a microphone and other digital and electrical equipment, setting up her vitals' information to transmit wirelessly to a data pad along with the communication accessories.

"She's the only leverage we have to keep him around us and out of Megatron's hands."

"What can he possibly want with him?"

"Aside from recruiting him? I haven't the slightest idea, but he'll be back to finish what he started."

"He knows everything?"

"He knows enough. He must have been eavesdropping through one of their comm. links."

Rhinox released one of his calm but disapproving groans under his breath. "That's unfortunate. You better start on your repairs, Optimus. I'm almost finished here." After connecting everything and making sure it worked both ways for communication, the simple and secure data, video and audio feed popped up on the data pad Landslide might have had with him outside.

A piercing shriek from Starshadow's CR chamber suddenly drew both of their attention to it. They gasped when they saw tentacles that effortlessly stabbed through the chamber's door and slammed on the table between them, watching them slide back inside. Instinctively, Optimus and Rhinox took a few steps back away from the machine as dangerous arcs electricity bounced around its exterior, uncertain as to what was happening to Starshadow and who might be emerging from it now...

After a few loud noises and a lot of smoke, she finally stepped out of the ruined chamber. "Starshadow...?" Optimus called to her. "We're only trying to help you. Protoform X asked us to," he explained hoping to calm her down and help her understand if she was confused, but she lunged at him and Rhinox. They jumped away from each other to make her have to choose between them if she continued her attack.

"Watch out for those electroblades!" Rhinox warned Optimus while he observed them dragging on the floor causing damage. He drew one of his chain guns and targeted her while Primal grabbed one of his clubs from his back with his good arm, but he was in no condition to fight. They didn't want to harm Starshadow if they didn't have to, but Optimus might have to resort calling in X for his assistance after all. They didn't know who or what they were dealing with now, but maybe he did.

(( OOC: Sorry, I'll have to push off the Preds again. I had a late start to writing this post, and now I'm running out of motivation to continue as it's also getting late. ))

Optimus Primal wrote:"It's probably safe to assume they retreated back to base for repairs. Which means they'll be back with reinforcements."

Landslide nodded his large beetle head listening. They'd be ready to cause more trouble he thought to himself. After Optimus and Banshee loaded, X

una wrote:Piggyback ride! I always loved piggyback rides."

Landslide was jarred a bit from the large cybertronian on his back, but didn't buckle. Gah! Just don't fall off! Landslide then took off into the air, flying back to the Maximal base with Cheetor following along side.

Coming down soon for a landing near the Axalon, Landslide observed X jumping off. With Banshee and Optimus unloading, Landslide transformed to his robot mode and looked towards X with tilted head.

X wrote:"So do I get quarters?" Do we become bunkmates?"

Optimus Primal wrote:"Don't count on it,"

Landslide chuckled Lad, I sleep in a cargo container. They have no quarters for titans. he then responded, as Landslide was far too big to fit in some of the smaller rooms on the ship. Not that it bothered him, as before the Maximals found him he was sleeping in holes and caves.

X wrote: "I want to know how my companion is doing. I want to see her. Now." "I want her at my side at all times." "Trust me. She is a bitter."

Optimus Primal wrote:"No,""You will remain outside with Landslide and Cheetor at all times while we assess Starshadow's injuries. She will have been logging some cycles in the repair chamber anyway, so there's nothing for you to worry about." "Landslide, do you have a data pad with you? I'll allow X to view her progress via video and audio so they can communicate,"

Landslide gave a nod and reached up as a mechanical arm extended from the cargobox on his back handing him a datapad, it then stored back away in the box. Landslide then typed into the datapad, bringing up Starshadow's cr chamber and walked over to Rampage. Right so, here are her vitals.. seems she finished repairs.. What the..? Cheetor then walked over looking at the Datapad as live video showed Starshadow inside the CR chamber turning turquoise green and then blue with tentacles extending from Starshadow's back, breaking the armored door open.

Landslide looked towards Rampage Er.. Yer ladyfriend a fuzor now er somethin? I ain't seen nothing like that.. Cheetor's optics widened Whoa, what's wrong with her?!

((OOC: I will keep Whitegrazer in the chamber for this post. I will probably have her wake up in the next or the one after next post.))

"Uh, heh, no thanks," he had smirked at Whitegrazer. "I'd be the guy at de meetings who falls asleep. So my participation would be useless. ...As usual,"

Whitegrazer chuckled, shaking her head. She remembered how sometimes they caught Rattrap taking little rat naps during night shifts.

The white mare continued to rest inside the CR Chamber. Still needed some time for repairs, but she had felt the presence Optimus returning as well as the others, including X.

"And you don't appear to be a bot with a soft spot, yet here we are ensuring Starshadow's well-being per your request,"

"Oh, yes, I'm much more complicated than your average psychopath," X smiled wide. Nightstar was a different case though. She was like him. She knew what he had been though, what they have been though. Just as his rage tore Colony Omicron to pieces, she was there, helping and causing her own set of chaos.

"Do I sense some disappointment that your once being the top priority of my mission was so easily shoved aside simply because of Megatron's selfish activities?"

"That's the difference between you and him." X said, mentioning his old friend once more. "You are still motivated by your duty and ideals. If he had a tongue, he would stick it out, but he settled with an expression of distaste for the Maximals' set of morality. "And he lost his duty at Colony Omicron. You and the High Council took his vengeance just like I warned him about. Ah! I wish he would come."

"You weren't a danger to anyone as you slept in stasis lock inside of your sealed pod, until I was forced to give the order of ejecting all of the Axalon's pods into the planet's orbit before we crashed here with the Predacons."

"So... I was floating around the orbit of this planet," X looked up with a childlike glee. Then stared back at Optimus. "How convenient for you it must have been. It gave you a chance to forget about me."

"Don't count on it,"

"Oh, so am I to assume my living spce would be something cramped and steel bars? Oh Maximal hostility." You never sense to amaze me." X, though, expected it. He was just having a tat for tat towards the Maximals, so he can provoke or establish a conversation long enough to let their guard down. He was going to enjoy testing the waters. Until... he got what he wanted to hear from Optimus.

"No," Optimus objected coldly, stepping toward him. "You will remain outside with Landslide and Cheetor at all times while we assess Starshadow's injuries. She will have been logging some cycles in the repair chamber anyway, so there's nothing for you to worry about."

"I want to see my companion,"X hissed. "I want to see her."

Right so, here are her vitals.. seems she finished repairs.. What the..?

X looked over to see his companion. Ah! She was coming along nicely! So peaceful. At least, until she awoken, her optics seemed to be a mix of bewilderment and horror. "Ah! My dear, still haunted by their actions."

Er.. Yer ladyfriend a fuzor now er somethin? I ain't seen nothing like that..

What's a fuzor? X didn't understand what the large Maximal blabbered about, but he wasn't going to correct or explain anything to him. "She is a creature of darkness like myself." That's all he would say to them, caressing the datapad as Nightstar tore herself out of the CR Chamber and began to attack anyone in her path.

He smiled.

Whoa, what's wrong with her?!

"Let me inside the Axalon," X demanded, running around the Axalon towards the hangar bay. He started banging at the larger door. "I want in! Let me in! Nightstar!" His fingers began digging into the metal until he made his grip and tore teh door off its hinges and bellowed, "NIGHTSTAR!!!!!"

Starshadow snarled at the Maximals before she made a high leap, just about to cause some chaos until somebody called her name in desperation bursting through the hangar door.

"NIGHTSTAR!!!!!"

The electroblades sinks into the floor infront of Optimus and Rhinox before deactivating. Smoke along with the smell of ozone wafted in the air. The blues on her body slowly turned red, thus, the true and original Starshadow emerged from her conciousness. Bending her torso backwards flexibly with stiff arm movements (like some possessed chick), she looked at him with a creepy smile and spoke in her own dark sultry voice instead of the host's anger and disgust-filled vocal expression.

"Nightstar WHO?" she licked her fangs. The hunger must be filled. It is not just a want but also a need. Starshadow dashed across the room, ignoring Banshee who was trying to find some equipment to somehow immobilize her without damaging her at the same time no matter how much she wanted to, pounced on X and looked at him dead in the optic.

"After all that trouble I went through to try save your pathetic freedom...This is how you repay us? Jumping into avoidable fights without coming up with proper plans and risking probably the only one way ticket to our freedom?" she chuckled darkly holding his chin with a hand, her face leaning in close, "if I weren't stuck in this inferior body I would've done more than just strapping you on a lab table..I would've drained your mechfluid since I do have a taste for cold blooded killers while keeping you alive and watch you scream in pain as I fill scraplets in your body and laugh at your misery!"

"Oh, yes, I'm much more complicated than your average psychopath,"

So it would seem, Optimus had thought toward X's words. Even if by definition that he considered himself a psychopath, Primal felt there might be salvation within him... somewhere. Although he helped creating him, he didn't think he could help him. That may very well be Whitegrazer's department if X would even allow it.

"That's the difference between you and him."

It was a such strange obsession X had with Depth Charge, so eager to deliberately taunt him and entice him to chase him. It almost seemed he had nothing better to do with his eternal life than to wait for his nemesis who may very well never arrive.

"You are still motivated by your duty and ideals. "And he lost his duty at Colony Omicron. You and the High Council took his vengeance just like I warned him about. Ah! I wish he would come."

Duty and ideals... Primal's original duties had long since expired. What began with a simple theft by Megatron was now a full-blown war for their future of survival. His mission's parameters had escalated to something far more significant than the High Council may have realized could happen. Everything that is might be dependent on the outcome of the Beast Wars, and it was a heavy burden on Optimus and his crew. In any case, X was right about the vigilante. After losing his edge as head of security on Omicron when X escaped, his obsession with hunting him down and seeking to kill him was unacceptable to the Elders, but Primal was certain it wasn't that simple. They entrusted Optimus with Protoform X's abandonment because he had already been involved in his creation, and because they took advantage of his ignorance and his eagerness to please them. Unlike Depth Charge, they knew Primal was too merciful to kill their precious creation, so no matter where the Axalon would have dumped him, he would have survived to encounter Cybertronians again one day and make him their weaponized slave once more. Not to mention sending Optimus on this mission would kill two birds with one stone and clean the High Council's hands of their dark experiment. If Depth Charge did find them, however, he may be the only one capable of stopping X... and ending his "suffering".

"So... I was floating around the orbit of this planet,"

The Maximal leader had watched X peer upward with wonder, possibly imagining what it must have been like for him revolving around the blue planet in the deathly silent and lonesome orbit, completely unaware and unconscious.

"How convenient for you it must have been. It gave you a chance to forget about me."

"No, it didn't," Optimus had admitted to him. "There hasn't been a day that I didn't think about you up there. We had no way to retrieve you, and when all of the pods were brought down from their orbit, I had no idea where yours had landed and what condition you were in." There was a hint of genuine concern for his life in his voice, but mostly he was more worried for his crew's safety who were innocent about the secret cargo.

Lad, I sleep in a cargo container. They have no quarters for titans.

"Oh, so am I to assume my living space would be something cramped and steel bars? Oh Maximal hostility." You never sense to amaze me."

Primal had simply looked up at Protoform X with a straight face, not amused by his stereotypical assumption and sarcasm. "On the contrary. For now, this is your living space," he said as he motioned with the palm of his hand facing up to the great outdoors. "Like I've said, I'm not the same scientist you remember me as," Optimus added with a lick of his tongue across the scar over his mouth.

"I want to see my companion," "I want to see her."

"Patience, X. Patience," was all Optimus had told him without looking back before he had entered the Maximal base leaving him with Landslide and Cheetor outside.

During the present...

"I want in! Let me in! Nightstar!"

With Starshadow's new appearance and current unpredictable state of mind, Optimus grew distracted by X's obnoxious, loud banging on the hangar's door from outside. Then he managed to rip the large door clear off its hinges, hydraulics and electronics, which made Rhinox gasp at the crab's strength.

"NIGHTSTAR!!!!!"

"Nightstar WHO?"

Keeping their distance from her, careful about her electroblades that were effortlessly melting through the floor until she deactivated them, both of the Maximals observed with great confusion and exasperation toward her odd and abnormal movements, as though she was possessed. What the slag was going on?! With their weapons still drawn, they leaned back when she leaped into the air toward X.

Er.. Yer ladyfriend a fuzor now er somethin? I ain't seen nothing like that..

Whoa, what's wrong with her?!

"Hold your fire," Primal ordered all of his Maximals in the vicinity, including those outside.

Rhinox merely glanced in his friend's direction before keeping his full attention on X and Starshadow, as well as his large gun.

"After all that trouble I went through to try save your pathetic freedom...This is how you repay us? Jumping into avoidable fights without coming up with proper plans and risking probably the only one way ticket to our freedom?" "if I weren't stuck in this inferior body I would've done more than just strapping you on a lab table..I would've drained your mechfluid since I do have a taste for cold blooded killers while keeping you alive and watch you scream in pain as I fill scraplets in your body and laugh at your misery!"

"Nightstar," Optimus said to deliberately interrupt her and X's reunion. "Leave here or surrender. I'm sure Megatron will be looking for you," he reminded her, or Starshadow, or whoever she was now. And what of X...?

-----

Meanwhile, back at the Darksyde, Megatron had since emerged from his CR tank in his quarters and now sat on his "throne" in robot mode in the command center of his stolen vessel, wasting no time to devise his next plans of acquiring that unique individual. However, he was now shy of two Predacons with Tarantulas and Starshadow missing. After having ordered all of his Predacons to report to him, he had impatiently awaited for their arrival.

Terrorsaur, Inferno and Waspinator hovered nearby with the assistance of their own engines, and Quickstrike floated nearby using one of the motorized platforms.

"Come in, Tarantulas," Megatron attempted to contact the elusive arachnid through his comm. link. "Tarantulas, respond at once. I have a proposition for you that involves Blackarachnia," he tried enticing him.

"We will be taking the battle straight to the Maximals this time," the Predacon tyrant warned his troops who gathered around him, "drawing out the beetle, who will need to be incapacitated immediately. All of them must be distracted and separated to weaken their support for each other. Terrorsaur, you will take out their ship's auto-guns. Quickstrike, you and Umbra will focus on Landslide. Paralyze him, electrocute him, do whatever it takes to bring him down. Those will be our first obstacles to overcome. Inferno and Waspinator will draw out the others with aerial attacks. Use the terrain to your advantage by damaging the cliffs that the Axalon is settled upon, shaking it up and striking fear of losing their ship into their sparks. Our primary mission is obtaining Protoform X, by any means necessary, yesss."

"Uh, boss?" Quickstrike spoke up. "Aren't we a little small ta handle such a big bot?"

"Small you may be, my dear Quickstrike, but you are quicker and harder to hit. Disable his flight and target his weak points," Megatron suggested, growing a little intolerable of the Fuzor's incompetence. "Use your venom, use Umbra's acid, and take advantage of his camouflage. This is hardly a difficult concept."

Embarrassed, Quickstrike nodded and looked away from their leader over to the squid.

(ooc: Surprise! I'll attempt to keep this in line with what the rest have posted, but since I'm rather late to the game and I simply don't have the time to read several pages worth of posts, I'm just going to wing it. If I get something terribly wrong, just let me know and I will try to make amends.)

Aurora sighed.

Her optics remained focused on the task at hand, a task that to many others would come across as little more than a pile of mess on her desk, but she considered it more like organized chaos. Her hands had been working relentlessly on her project, to the point where her fingers were aching a bit and her optics were tired. It probably didn't help that she hadn't really slept for a couple of days. It was something she planned to do soon.. Very soon. As soon as she had completed this signal detector based on the data they obtained at the alien site some weeks ago.

Progress was slow.. Unbearably so for someone as impatient as the fuzor. Youth someone might call it, personally though she thought of it as more of a test of stamina. And as things were, she was running a bit short on just that.

Finally the last pieces came together and the female's optics lit up with newfound vigor as she connected the device to a computer, eager to make sure everything was running the way it should. As the numbers flashed on the screen, she knew that it did! Well, at least in the lab setting.. Of course she still needed to test it out in the field. And hopefully, should the Vok ever decide to visit them again, they would now have ample opportunity to prepare.

"I think I've completed the prototype," she radioed to Rhinox, her voice revealing a mixture of excitement and exhaustion.

"I'll be leaving the base for a bit momentarily to run a quick field test. And after that I could probably use a long nap," she added, stretching her arms out as she finished. Indeed, Aurora had been so preoccupied with her work that she still didn't know about Primal's shame, the project they referred to as X, had not only been reactivated but was allied with the Maximals. At least temporarily.

The fuzor then quickly packed up her belongings to go outside.

Meanwhile, some distance away from the Darksyde, Nemesis was returning from her own mission. Unfortunately the supposed lead had turned out to be little more than a wild goose chase, as the earthlings used to say. Why they were chasing geese was another matter, but from what little Nemesis knew of human culture they were perplexing creatures. And fortunately they didn't yet exist to cause problems for her kin.

Upon seeing the Darksyde in the distance, emerging from the lava in all its splendor.. or lack thereof as the case often was.. the female slowed down her flight considerably, only to transform and land moments later. "I have returned," she informed Megatron via transmission. She wisely chose to not mention the mission Megatron and the others had gone on, just in case they had been as unsuccessful as she was in hers.

Umbra raised up from the CR tank on the platform in his Mimic Octopus mode, his colors in their default brown and black, before turning to the typical black and gold coloration that Umbra preferred for his color scheme. Turning on the platform, he then was startled by a pile of components on the platform, all the mutated pieces removed from his body. Swiping with a tentacle he knocked the pieces away growling Disgusting.. he muttered to himself. He then closed himself taking a deep breath, to recenter his mind and focus.

Slithering off the platform towards a monitor, typing into it with his tentacles. The CR tank had detected the UV dye that was in his system and it's chemical makeup. I may need this.. he thought to himself, incase Starshadow infects himself or another victim again. He then typed into the computer to produce the chemical in it's two part formula, to prevent the chemical to go to waste.

Noticing everyone else heading towards the bridge, Umbra then slithered along meeting up with the others.

Megatron wrote:"We will be taking the battle straight to the Maximals this time," "drawing out the beetle, who will need to be incapacitated immediately. All of them must be distracted and separated to weaken their support for each other. Terrorsaur, you will take out their ship's auto-guns. Quickstrike, you and Umbra will focus on Landslide. Paralyze him, electrocute him, do whatever it takes to bring him down. Those will be our first obstacles to overcome. Inferno and Waspinator will draw out the others with aerial attacks. Use the terrain to your advantage by damaging the cliffs that the Axalon is settled upon, shaking it up and striking fear of losing their ship into their sparks. Our primary mission is obtaining Protoform X, by any means necessary, yesss."

Quickstrike wrote:"Uh, boss?". "Aren't we a little small ta handle such a big bot?"

Umbra glanced towards Quickstrike as he spoke, starting to think about Landslide and every piece of information he knew on the Maximal beetle. He was dangerous. His armor was the strongest of all the Maximals, perhaps even stronger then X. He even heard rumors that Cyber venom and even Nemesis's nanomachines were useless on the beetle, which was unthinkable.

Megatron wrote:"Small you may be, my dear Quickstrike, but you are quicker and harder to hit. Disable his flight and target his weak points,""Use your venom, use Umbra's acid, and take advantage of his camouflage. This is hardly a difficult concept."

Umbra looked at Megatron, then looked back towards Quickstrike. Don't worry. I have a plan that will keep that titan under control. We'll need to get some supplies. Umbra waved with a tentacle, then slithered to the armory leading Quickstrike away.

Upon coming to the door of the armory, Umbra transformed to his robot mode and opened the door walking inside. Looking around the supplies, he picked up a rocket launcher and started loading it with a magazine of rockets, then passed it to Quickstrike. Umbra then noticed Frilla's old pellet gun in the back and formed a dark smirk, picking up the gun with some magazines of acid and paint pellets. Stepping out of the armory, one of Umbra's tentacles moved infront of him and flattened out expanding, his camouflage displaying a display like a computer monitor, bringing up a model of Landslide. Here's the plan. From what I know, his armor is the strongest of the Maximals, but.. his vehicle mode appears to be based off a mining vessel for asteroid or moon base operations. Umbra then pointed towards Landslide's side nacelles. Being a flyer, his wheels are unpowered, and these Nacelles aren't heavily armored, particularly at the exhaust points. Being built for space, he uses rocket based thrust and multiple engines for redundancy. We need to take out all four of those engines, once they're out he wont be able to fly or slide around the ground at high speed like he does. His heavy body being built like construction equipment means he's incapable of running, however..

Umbra then changed the display showing Landslide's weaponry. We have to avoid being in his range of attack. His shoulders house two small gatling guns which fire a cone spray of machine gun fire, designed for anti-air to take out missiles, but he also uses it on anyone attacking on land. Being fast and nimble wont help against this attack.. This will pin us down, we can't allow that. To counter this.. Umbra then holds up the acid pellet gun We'll blind him with paint rounds. He wont fire blindly because he'll be worried about friendly fire.

Umbra's tentacle then lowered returning to it's normal shape and the display disappears. So in simpler terms, we'll sneak up on him with my camouflage. You'll nail his nacelles with rockets, and I'll blind him with paint. After that, he'll be helpless. If it fails, I'll use my smokescreen to provide a cover to escape. Umbra starts to load the pellet gun with acid pellets and paint pellets to it's other magazine.

______________________________________

Landslide and Cheetor followed X, Landslide then promptly facepalmed as he saw X rip the hanger door off it's hinges. Slagging.. I JUST FIXED THAT! he then said.

Landslide and Cheetor's optics then widen as they saw Starshadow hop out onto X

starshadow wrote:"After all that trouble I went through to try save your pathetic freedom...This is how you repay us? Jumping into avoidable fights without coming up with proper plans and risking probably the only one way ticket to our freedom?" "if I weren't stuck in this inferior body I would've done more than just strapping you on a lab table..I would've drained your mechfluid since I do have a taste for cold blooded killers while keeping you alive and watch you scream in pain as I fill scraplets in your body and laugh at your misery!"

Landslide thought for a moment while Cheetor raised his hands together as a gun aimed at Starshadow. Landslide wasn't equipped with his grenade launcher at the moment, so firing tranqualizer darts wasn't going to work, he'd have to get into the hanger to swap and install the gun, and he simply didn't have the time.

Optimus Primal wrote:"Hold your fire," "Leave here or surrender. I'm sure Megatron will be looking for you,"

Cheetor kept his weapon drawn on Starshadow, Landslide balled his hand into a fist. He just didn't know what to do in this situation.. He then noticed a blue-purpleish glow streaking from the corner of his optics Hrm?

Landslide turned his head as he noticed four strange looking drones streak by him, floating into the hanger, the drones spoke in a familiar voice, but with a more robotic monotone in unison. High energy signal detected, commencing countermeasures. the drone's tail ends pointing towards Starshadow and X, then suddenly released four spotlights of intense ultra violet light at the two. X would immediately notice the light wasn't harmful, though so bright he may have trouble seeing.

Landslide raised his hand, his optic's auto darkening feature kicking in from the light, normally something that would happen while he was welding. Cheetor raised his arms covering his optics Arg! What is that?!