(( OOC: Okay, guys, I get the hint after two or three Maximals have told Rattrap what to do. Move on to the pods. I was going to do that in this post. One big reason I didn't do so in my last one was because I was lost on the pods (where they were landing, whose pods they were, and which Preds were going after which ones), and the only confirmation I got pertaining to that which everyone seemed to ignore was from Phoenix. Also, I need Aurora to tag along, so I wanted to give more time for her and Wintersong to chase down the spiders. Also also, I wanted to know what Silverstreak was capable of before sending her into the inevitable battle over the pods, and everything just felt rushed in one post. Blah, blah, blah. Everyone just relax.
Welcome to the game, Warwulf! Sorry it took so long.
))
"Ah, but a crashing cat is something we see very many days, thanks to the furball."
Rattrap
might have snickered at Dinobot's comment if Dinobot hadn't been the one who said it... and if he wasn't so distracted already... and was willing to neglect his leader showmanship for a moment. The raptor was right, though. For a cat, Cheetor fell on his head a lot. And that was
before he could fly.
"Megatron must had done something to the pod. Maybe he knew what the spiders were up to and decided to rig the cell so they couldn't escape alive, changing their trajectory to crash into the weapon instead of abandoning us to the wrath of the aliens."
Rhinox lifted a gold brow as he turned his head to face Whitegrazer, intrigued by what she said might have happened. As sad as the situation was, he didn't let it keep him down because much like their fallen leader, he was holding on to the last drop of hope. Transwarp cells, like the one they used in the pod, could leave signatures... possibly even temporary openings or paths in the complicated fabric of space, especially when involved with an explosion of that magnitude.
((OOC: Yeah, I'm just winging it here. I know next to nothing about this stuff. But I hope it sounds good!
))
"Er, well not sure being a cyber-nina in training will do much good but I am pretty good when it comes to sabotage."
While Rattrap considered himself the best in that department, of course, he wisely chose not to boast about it because in truth, he welcomed more saboteurs and ninja-trained bots among their ranks. It also meant they'd likely make a good team in the field. But a lot of his own teachings and experience would still be focused on Aurora. He adored that little Fuzor.
"Oh, trust me, 'Streak, it'll come in handy," he commented.
"So when do we go get those pods?"
"Well if we're testing our new forms we better get a move on Rattrap, who knows when the Predacons could come looking for us next."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, one thing atta time," the new Commander waved dismissively to them while at the same trying to quickly pull his thoughts together. Walking over to the center console, Rattrap brought up a three-dimensional holographic map showing the nearest pod locations that Airazor had identified moments earlier. The small, blinking red dots indicated their current positions across the vast terrain. Fliers will be the quickest. And this was the perfect opportunity for new fliers to learn some of their new abilities. But there would have be ground forces as well. Okay. Teams.
How did the boss monkey do this so fast all de time? he briefly wondered. Okay, focus.
"All right. Whitegrazer, Aurora, and Tigatron, you three head for this loner pod here," he ordered, pointing out the secluded stasis pod that would end up being a blank protoform; it was the closest to the
Axalon.
"I want Orcariner, Dinobot, Wintersong and Airazor on this pod," he pointed at another one on the map
((OOC: that one is Tantrum's, the same one Terrorsaur's team is after, I believe
)).
"And Cheetor, Silverstreak, and Feralnight with me on these two pods," the two dots closest to each other in the same sector
((who are Silverbolt and Quickstrike, and I'm assuming Megatron's team is going after them?
)).
"Frilla an' Rhinox, you stay here at the base and guard it. And get as much power back to the shields as you can. If I know Megajerk, he's gonna try an' steal these protoforms ta gain more troops before he turns his crazy eye on us. So everybody be prepared for any Predacon attacks at all of dese locations," he warned his comrades.
"Including here," Rattrap added, looking at Rhinox and Frilla. He wished Ironclaw had been repaired by now; they sure could use an extra hand in all of this. Although the rat was uncertain what kind of grief and back-talk the badge would give him after all the headbutting Ironclaw did with Optimus.
"I'd also like to add that if anyone comes across a blank protoform, bring it back to Base immediately," Rhinox stepped up to say in his deep voice.
"It can still serve a purpose." He wasn't concerned whether or not anyone thought he was crazy for suggesting such a task, especially to bring a pod all the way back to base without injury to it if it was possible. He simply couldn't explain to them what he had in mind because it would sound even crazier than what he had just said. Not to mention he couldn't risk the Predacons finding out what he was going to be up to. No, for now, it was a secret only to himself. A secret that would take a miracle.
Studying Rhinox with curiosity for his somewhat odd request, Rattrap had also noticed Aurora's message on a monitor that Whitegrazer had already received.
"'Grazer, contact Aurora and tell 'er ta meet you outside. And tell 'er ta bring Winter so she can meet up with Dinobot's team. We can't waste time trying ta wrangle dose Preds. Have them kick 'em out. I doubt they're gonna rejoin with Megs anytime soon." However, simply kicking them out would give them the opportunity to regroup with the other Predacons, and then there would be even more forces against the Maximals should Megatron plan to attack them at the
Axalon. On the other hand, perhaps letting them go would work in the Maximals' favor, releasing all of them to their freedom, and avoiding any other confrontations for the time being. Surely those pests still had plans of their own. Rattrap was willing to bet that they weren't going to go crawling back to their tyrant leader first thing in the morning.
Primus, I have no idea what I'm doin', he thought.
"All right, guys, move it out! Practice your new vehicle modes on the way, but don't distract yerselves. Pay attention to any energon deposits dat might still be out there 'cause we don't know what our upgrades can handle yet. Let's go get our stasis pods!" the TransMetal rat finished.
(( OOC: I hope the pods were accurate enough. Still confused on them. Kind of rushing this post since it's getting late and I'm taking waaay too long to write it.
I didn't really take into consideration what the terrain is like for each pod or what it's like on the way to each one because that's just too time consuming. Just work with it.
))
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((OOC: I think his name rocks, una! I'm enjoying this interaction.
))
Er.. well, guess my bad luck and recklessness finally caught up to me.
"I suppose I can say the same," Optimus said in a light tone, referring to himself. Although, it wasn't as if Icebreaker had deliberately gotten himself killed. Primal still thought it was an accident, that Steelclaw didn't intend on actually killing him no matter what the security footage showed, though it seemed highly inarguable. It didn't really matter by this point. They were both dead which left Steelclaw on his own.
"And you're the one my student has grown attached to besides the little one."
Well, everyone knew that by now. Except for the Predacons. But again, it didn't matter any longer. Optimus thought about Whitegrazer, wondering how she was coping with their severed link. He knew she was strong, but even he was feeling a great deal of pain. How could he without a body? Anguish, loneliness and sorrow. He missed her voice, her face, her comforting hugs. Oddly enough, concentrating so much on her made him forget about everything else at that moment and unintentionally manifest his body around his vulnerable spark. Granted, he was still a little translucent but most of his features were visable enough to recognize.
"Surprised? Surprised that a gentle, warm spirit like her could have a master who looks like evil incarnate? Makes her seem more than meets the eye,"
"Looks can be deceiving," Primal commented calmly from the laughter. "I try not to pass any judgment on first appearances," he tried to smile a little. Everything felt so... limited here, physically anyway. Despite how "evil" this spirit thought his appearance was, the former Maximal Captain didn't feel threatened or intimidated. Of course that may been partly because he was dead and nothing could harm him here. Or so he thought. At any rate, what exactly was he implying in his last sentence about Whitegrazer? Perhaps he should slow down and take everything this being was saying with a grain of salt. After all, he had spent enough time around Whitegrazer to know her fairly well.
"Well, it's better to be feared than loved. If people fear you, people don't mess with you," "except when you are dead. Then all of a sudden, people aren't afraid because if you are dead, you have nothing to worry about. Drives me crazy sometimes."
"I respectfully disagree," said Optimus, his almost transparent red optics studying him. "Because it would seem that even in death, love surpasses fear and is carried onto the other side." His smile formed easier and more apparent this time when Whitegrazer's face crossed his mind again... or consciousness... or whatever. "Fear never lasts forver. And when it's defeated by courage, that's when the feared becomes the fearful."
"My name is TyCross, my Cybertronian name anyway. I'm Whitegrazer's master, the one who has taught her everything, but I didn't shape her. She shaped herself."
Ah, finally a name. After all this time, Optimus finally had a name. Now this was beginning to get interesting. He was actually speaking to her master, the one who taught her so much, a lot of which she had been teaching him. "Well, TyCross, despite the circumstances, it is truly an honor."
"I came here for two reasons: one is business and the other...well...you can say... personal."
There was not only one reason for TyCross seeking him, there was actually two? What exactly was going on here? "All right," Primal said, offering him his undivided attention as his body continued to slowly fade a little in and out, not that he was devoting much concentration toward it. Whatever TyCross had to say was tugging at the Maximal's curiosity now.
YAY!!!))
)
If there is anything wrong with my post, I will edit it.