"Aftermath: Part II - Resurrections"

[Blackrosefencer]

"Arachnitron, contact Megatron and inform him that we shall be joining him shortly. As much as I hate putting up with that deluded saurian and his cronies, it is to our advantage if the maximals are destroyed, and it may give us the opportunity to recover the golden disks Dinobot pilfered before anyone else does. Blackarachnia meanwhile shall remain here and search Megatron's private archives for the backup files Megatron no doubt devised in the event that they were stolen or destroyed. Unless of course she has any objections to following my command?"

Arachnitron nodded and took advantage of this opportunity to take a few steps away from the other spiders under the pretense of radioing the Predacon commander. Though it was really just an excuse to look away from what Tarantulas was doing to Blackarachnia.

The neural link Tarantulas had installed was obviously very painful when he chose to use it to get Blackarachnia to submit to his commands. Blackarachnia grimaced and moaned in pain. Arachnitron couldn't stand to watch. It was a reminder of the pain the Predacon programming often put her through when she would attempt to retake control of the body. Siding with Tarantulas over her alter egos may have looked foolish to Blackarachnia, but it was that very pain that Arachnitron was trying to avoid. That same pain Blackarachnia was feeling. Without the other personalities inside of her, that pain didn't exist. The Predacon couldn't put her through that anymore....well, at least, for the time being.

She clicked on her comm link and opened up a channel to Megatron. She figured he'd want to know where the spiders have been all this time and figured feigning damage from the quantum surge was the best explanation to give him. "Arachnitron to Megatron. Tarantulas and I have just finished repairs of extensive damage we received during the quantum surge. We are on our way to your position right now."

Arachnitron clicked off the comm link. She decided not to even mention Blackarachnia. Megatron certainly would not approve of the other widow searching through his data for the golden disks. And if he asked, Arachnitron would claim that Blackarachnia was MIA. She turned back to the other spiders just in time to see Blackarachnia fall to the floor unconscious. Just before she fell, she muttered to Tarantulas:

"Enjoy it while it lasts."

Enjoy it while it lasts? Did she plan to sever the neural link? How could that even be possible? Arachnitron envied Blackarachnia's tenacity, but she didn't imagine she would succeed in whatever it was she hoped to do. If only she had that same quality....maybe she wouldn't have felt so controlled by her alters.

Arachnitron returned her gaze to Tarantulas, but this time her expression was grim and no longer flirtatious. Her mood seemed to shift almost as though someone flicked a switch in her mind. She had always been like that though. The Hybrid couldn't hold onto a single emotion for very long. But this time, it had a lot more to do with what she planned to ask of Tarantulas. She had to ask the question that had been plaguing her ever since leaving the Maximals.

"This chip.....it will fail eventually." It wasn't a question. It was more of a warning really. He hadn't made it any kind of secret that the chip was a temporary solution. He couldn't keep that from her even if he wanted to. She had been hearing the Predacon's angry screams for some time now...though she couldn't make out what she was saying...it sounded very distant at the moment. "How long exactly do we have until that happens? And are there more of them?"

She couldn't help feeling a little like a junkie. The effects of the chip were lessening and she wanted more. She feared what the Predacon programming would do to her if the chip stopped working completely. She knew Tarantulas would be next in line after the Predacon programming did whatever she intended to do to the Hybrid. Could she delete the Hybrid programming altogether? Was she capable of that? The Hybrid shuddered at the thought. She couldn't let that happen at any cost.

OOC: Just to clarify. I don't want to part ways yet....just wanted to add a bit of drama. And I think maybe the alters should come back at some point. It might be fun to have the Predacon try to figure out who helped the Hybrid and then confront Tarantulas. What do you think?

[Blazemane]

((OOC: Heads up, Maximals: if Umbra and Cecaelia damage the power core of the ship like they want to, and they manage to do it before Whitegrazer returns from the matrix, they'll have won the Beast Wars for the Predacons without even knowing it.

NaitoKage: Good idea.

Also, considering how many Maximals we've got in the base, do they have to lose quite as badly as they did in the show before Optimus showed up, or can this be a legitimate battle first [you know... like, not running out of ammunition after three shots...]?))

Well, that was the shortest reign in predacon history.

"Indeed," Steelclaw agreed out loud with a barely contained chuckle. Worst. Leader. Ever. Steelclaw's levity was an unintentional cover for his relief, though. Whatever else Tantrum was, he was obviously deadly, and Steelclaw was glad to see the conflict resolve itself so easily.

Bringing himself back into focus, he looked ahead into the distance and just barely caught sight of the Axalon's shields. Hm... he doubted that field would stop a Death Crystal. But then, there probably wasn't much of a point in taking one single shot through them--they were going to have to get knocked down anyways, and then he could make every attack he needed to.

Wazzpinator reporting to Megatron! Wazzpinator iz ready for battle, Mantizz bot will be soon!

Speaking of which...

"Hey, Waspinator," Steelclaw got on his own com-link. "Before you two head over here, would it all be possible for you to pick up my minigun? My door might be locked, so feel free to just... y'know, blow it down with something if you need to."

* * *

Cheetor was the slightest bit amazed by Stag's transformation. He was a gun?!

"Ultra Gear," he whispered.

We have reason to believe that Megatron is currently regrouping with his Predacons for an all-out frontal assault on the Axalon. And it would seem some of them have also acquired the TransMetal technology, not to mention at least one new recruit.

Dinobot only growled to acknowledge that he'd heard. Walking away from Rhinox, he tapped a short command into the wall near the entrance platform, and a rack of weapons descended from a hiding slot in the ceiling, filled with all sorts of guns. Dinobot took a large plasma cannon in his arms and strapped a laser-armed fully-automatic assault rifle around his shoulders. He took four extra magazines for this weapon and two for the cannon, and these he holstered magnetically to his sides. All the while, he listened to the conversations going on around him.

At the moment, I can not reveal Whitegrazer's current situation, but we must make sure that she isn't disturbed in that machine... or we could lose her.

It could never be a simple situation, could it? The Maximals could have done much if they were given the chance to rely on their own base as a fortification, but if the base itself had to be protected from harm for Whitegrazer's sake... while the Maximals also worked to give the appearance that it was completely fine for the Predacons to shoot the base so that it didn't actually become their direct (unmissable!) target--for Whitegrazer's sake...

Dinobot left the weapon rack suspended down into the bridge for everyone else and then quickly dashed out of the bridge to get to his own quarters. One he was safely inside, for lack of more time to think of a better solution, he lifted one of the grates in his floor and hid the alien Golden Disk there.

When he returned, Rhinox was giving instructions to four of the other Maximals.

--all detonate at once. Take the terrain into consideration and put them where the Predacons might walk upon them. The holograms will be used as distractions, so program them with anything or anyone that will draw the Predacons' attention long enough for a fellow Maximal to shoot them; could be quite useful on Inferno and the new big guy. I think the trip wire is pretty self explanatory. Hurry now and set these up outside. Tigatron, keep a close eye on our long-range scanners. Those outside doing perparations will need a good heads-up before we're attacked. Most likely the fliers will be our first arrivals.

Dinobot put the plasma cannon on his back and started grabbing a few items out of the box. "I too will go with them," he said. "I suspect you are right about the Predacons attacking while we work. And if they do, then those of us setting up our defenses will appear to be the front line. If I may suggest it, put some of our better shooters up on the roof, in the rocks, anywhere out of sight. Let them be the real first response. The rest of us on the ground can rally quickly and beat the attackers back."

Dinobot caught Cheetor going down the lift out of the corner of his optics. "Besides, I don't trust that one with demolition charges..."

Outside, Cheetor was making good on Dinobot's observation. He dashed across the land bridge which ran over the river with his arms full of a jumble of equipment. One of the charges sitting near the top got jostled and fell off of the pile; it bounced off the ground and fell into the water below.

Cheetor suddenly realized that he probably should have flinched. "Good thing these haven't been activated yet," he said to himself.

[Phoenix]

( ooc:

((OOC: Heads up, Maximals: if Umbra and Cecaelia damage the power core of the ship like they want to, and they manage to do it before Whitegrazer returns from the matrix, they'll have won the Beast Wars for the Predacons without even knowing it.

Indeed. I'm trying to have Megatron exploit the different characters' strengths by splitting up his forces for different tasks rather than simply going for a head on assault against the Maximal base. I think I'll have Aurora wake up a little sooner than originally planned to help the Maximals out a bit. Just so you all know, though, the attack will likely begin in Megs' next post. So heads up, people!)

[DarkSpark]

OOC: Figured I'd get a post in before I'm gone for the weekend, hope I didn't miss anyone. And no worries Blackrose, I got your meaning, lemme know if ya have any issues with how Tarantulas handles the answer to Arachnitron and I'll change it. At any rate, I think the drama angle is a good idea, and if and when the predacon does return, I'm sure we can make things more interesting by having Tarantulas dump the blame on someone else or vice versa XD. BTW, should Tarantulas & Arachnitron's relationship remain master & servant/schemer & pawn or should it evolve into something more akin to the relationship between The Joker and Harley Quin?

BTW Phoenix, do ya want Terrorsaur to just begin the attack or are they waiting for Megatron's command to commence the invasion?

Phoenix wrote: Nemesis groaned inwardly at the notion of being teamed up with Terrorsaur to perform a task she was perfectly capable of handling on her own.. Or at least she had been in the past when she had taken out the Maximal defensive weapons at ground level. Granted she had the advantage of her nanites at the time. How long would it be before they came back online? Would things ever get back to normal?

The thought was rather intimidating to her, honestly. She really was unaccustomed to this vulnerable sensation brought about by this normalcy. She was not accustomed to questioning the outcome of her actions, so to speak, still.. her new transmetalized body would make her a force to be reckoned with even without her rapid regeneration. She would just have to go about the task using conventional weapons in an airstrike.

Nodding as way of response to Megatron's command after having witnessed the rather intriguing power struggle that had just taken place between Megatron and Tantrum, she gave Terrorsaur's shoulder a firm squeeze before trotting off. "Let's be off then. We have Maximals to slay."

Megatron watched the first of the flyers take off before turning his attention to his two cephalopod crew members. "You two will use the river as a means to infiltrate the Maximal ship. Make sure their shields remain disabled and take out as many Maximals as you can. You've served me well so far, Umbra," he started before shifting a quick glance over at Terrorsaur, "Don't fail me now." The last part of the comment was directed at both of them, sounding more like a warning than a request or a piece of advice.

"Don't need to tell me twice" Terrorsaur replied to Nemesis, relishing the chance to lead his squadron into battle once again and bring about the destruction of the maximals once and for all...Airazor especially, though the deaths of the traitor and the mouse would be nice as well.

Terrorsaur nodded his head at Megatron's warning, knowing from experience that the old tyrant was the sort to live up to his threats, but thanks to his new-found transmetal powers, failure would be a thing of the past for him.

"To the skies my squadron! RAWK!" Terrorsaur screeched as he took off into the sky, expecting the other fliers to follow his lead.

"Once Megatron gives the order we'll disperse and circle around the base in different directions, destroying their defenses one by one, while also making it harder for them to single us out with their auto guns. This is the big one predacons, lets make our maximal friends go out with a bang! Hehehehe!" Terrorsaur laughed, his eyes glowing demonically from his eye lasers charging.

Una wrote: She growled at him, "Enjoy it while it lasts."

She let out a grunt and collapsed onto the floor on her knees unconscious.

"Indeed I shall, Witch, indeed I shall...Until I eventually break you" Tarantulas spat at his unconscious slave, kicking her for good measure.

"Finish your beauty sleep quickly, and be on to your task, I expect results from you long before I return to base, or else you'll experience the true extent of what my mind can do to yours" Tarantulas menaced before turning his attention to other matters.

Blackrose wrote: She clicked on her comm link and opened up a channel to Megatron. She figured he'd want to know where the spiders have been all this time and figured feigning damage from the quantum surge was the best explanation to give him. "Arachnitron to Megatron. Tarantulas and I have just finished repairs of extensive damage we received during the quantum surge. We are on our way to your position right now."

"Excellent" Tarantulas thought to himself, pleased by how Arachnitron had handled that, ensuring Megatron that they would be there but not giving him time to question what they'd been up to, as well as giving them plausible deniability. They could make the argument later that Blackarachnia was damaged too to explain her absence from the battle if necessary, then again, if Blackarachnia discovered what he wanted then keeping up appearances wouldn't be an issue anymore.

Blackrose wrote:
Enjoy it while it lasts? Did she plan to sever the neural link? How could that even be possible? Arachnitron envied Blackarachnia's tenacity, but she didn't imagine she would succeed in whatever it was she hoped to do. If only she had that same quality....maybe she wouldn't have felt so controlled by her alters.

Arachnitron returned her gaze to Tarantulas, but this time her expression was grim and no longer flirtatious. Her mood seemed to shift almost as though someone flicked a switch in her mind. She had always been like that though. The Hybrid couldn't hold onto a single emotion for very long. But this time, it had a lot more to do with what she planned to ask of Tarantulas. She had to ask the question that had been plaguing her ever since leaving the Maximals.

"This chip.....it will fail eventually." It wasn't a question. It was more of a warning really. He hadn't made it any kind of secret that the chip was a temporary solution. He couldn't keep that from her even if he wanted to. She had been hearing the Predacon's angry screams for some time now...though she couldn't make out what she was saying...it sounded very distant at the moment. "How long exactly do we have until that happens? And are there more of them?"

Tarantulas took note of Arachnitron's expression, he'd been wondering how long it would take for her to bring up the obvious question of how long her inhibitor chip would last. He briefly pondered shooting her dead and being done with it, but convinced himself once more that two pawns were better than one, and this one thus far didn't require as much effort to manipulate as her elder counterpart.

"I suppose blind devotion and naivety can only delay the inevitable for so long" Tarantulas thought to himself as he approached Arachnitron, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, tilted her chin to look up at him and said "Fear not my dear, the chip is indeed temporary, but it is still freshly installed and should last you for now, and I can make as many as you may need in the future until we eventually rid you of your other personalities once and for all. All I ask for now is you patience...And devotion. Can you do that?"

[NaitoKage]

( OOC:

Heads up, Maximals: if Umbra and Cecaelia damage the power core of the ship like they want to, and they manage to do it before Whitegrazer returns from the matrix, they'll have won the Beast Wars for the Predacons without even knowing it.

Um, I was going to go for the computer core instead of the ship's power core, but seeing as how the battle is going to be starting very soon, I'll edit Umbra's post for a much simpler and faster solution by just waltzing into the bridge. Should be interesting.

Also to note, I do not believe the Maximal shields are up at the moment since Dinobot came in recently, and Cheetor and him are heading outside planting explosives. )

[Night-Hunter]

Saber had been lost in thought for most of the conversation. If there was going to be a battle, she would need to control herself so she wouldn't trigger a transformation. Should it happen, she would need to escape before there were casualties, whether it be Maximal or Predacon.

The word "boobytrap" caught her attention and she started listening to Rhinox.

"… each one is programmed with its own frequency so they don't detonate all at once."

"Oh, good. It won't explode in my face should I drop it." Saber commented.

When Rhinox mentioned using the terrain, her mind was soon filled with possible places to set the traps.

((OOC: Whoops, sorry life has been crazy on my end. Good idea, Blazemane. That idea along with OOP's idea with releasing the beast! The first of many transformations of season two!))

[Alak]

((OOC: When Primal gets his moments of awesomeness, he's pretty godly in the battlefield ))

BIC:

"Thanks," replied Orcariner, "The turret should be operable independently from the transport now. It's running off what's left of the Nomad's power core, so you shouldn't have to worry about running out of juice for at least an hour. I used pieces from the door to create a makeshift shield, so that you'll be protected from return fire. Granted, your field of vision is pretty limited, but I'll be around to feed my Beacon 2.0 into your interface. Think of it as one of your video games and you should do fine."

Orcariner walked towards his personal console and activated the hangar bay doors. He then picked up the turret and its extraneous parts and walked towards the exit.

"I'm thinking we should station you somewhere outside of the Sentinel's perimeter. That way you'll be able to shoot at them without having our own shields interfere with your work. Plus, maybe you can draw some of their fire away from the ship so that Sentinel can stay up as long as possible."

As he walked down the ramp, the giant look around at the outdoor scenery. It was a pity that such a beautiful environment was going to yet again be ravaged by battle. It was something they were going to have to get used to as long as the Beast Wars continued.

"Where do you think I should put his?" he asked Rattrap, indicating the turret that was in his arms.

[Blackrosefencer]

OOC:

Lemme know if ya have any issues with how Tarantulas handles the answer to Arachnitron and I'll change it. At any rate, I think the drama angle is a good idea, and if and when the predacon does return, I'm sure we can make things more interesting by having Tarantulas dump the blame on someone else or vice versa XD. BTW, should Tarantulas & Arachnitron's relationship remain master & servant/schemer & pawn or should it evolve into something more akin to the relationship between The Joker and Harley Quin?

I liked Tarantulas' response a lot! I have no issues with it at all.

And you're right.....Tarantulas wouldn't be so stupid as to admit to being the one who influenced the Hybrid. Maybe he could even offer to help her find out who the culprit was in hopes of getting the Hybrid to come back out so he can isolate that personality with the chip again. Having him interact with the Predacon for a bit would be really interesting since she is so much different.

Any of those options is fine. Harley Quinns relationship with the Joker was quite amusing though. Something similar might be fun. And it's not like it would come out of nowhere. It is understandable that Arachnitron would misinterpret Tarantulas' intentions for "helping" her with her personalities given her lack of experience interacting with others. And it is no secret that Tarantulas had some other intentions for Blackarachnia in the beginning. It would kind of be like Tarantulas' second chance at whatever his original plans for Blackarachnia had been and a lot of different things can be explored with the characters. And if Una decided to have Blackarachnia convince Arachnitron to leave Tarantulas after BA severs the neurolink which is something she had discussed before.....what would Tarantulas do? And how would Tarantulas act around other Preds who might influence Arachnitron. I could see him getting very possessive......especially given the fact of how easy it is for her to be influenced by others. Not saying she's stupid...just that the Predacon and Maximal programming make it easy for her to see both sides of things and harder for her to decide which side is right and which is wrong. She's also a bit naiive. Would other Predacons try to take advantage of that?

And as for the master/servant part of their relationship (which they have whether or not we decide to do a joker/harley quinn type thing)...it kind of feeds his ego to have a personal assistant....I could see him getting used to that. Having an assistant is a symbol of prestige that he probably craves. It sets him above the other Predacons as well...no one else has that not even Megatron. It's a status symbol that the other Preds couldn't ignore.

Anyway....what do you think we should do?

Which brings me to another question: Does Tarantulas plan to make it known that Arachnitron is personally serving him? I mean, known to the other Predacons....especially Megatron....what exactly would he say to that?

Also, Una: Do you think I should throw in Arachnitron's response to Tarantulas before you post for BA since everything that happened between them just now happened while BA was unconscious? Or did you want Blackarachnia to be feigning unconscious at some point and listen in to what's going on?

Also, I am so ready to just write T and A cuz both of these characters names are such a pain to type.

EDIT: I just edited this to clarify my thoughts a bit. I didn't really change anything...just reworded it a bit.

[Phoenix]

(ooc: I have a long work weekend coming up starting tomorrow morning so I'm making a quick post now so there will be less for me to post next. )

"Arachnitron to Megatron. Tarantulas and I have just finished repairs of extensive damage we received during the quantum surge. We are on our way to your position right now."

"Make it quick or you will miss the entertainment," Megatron responded, almost finding it a bit peculiar that Arachnitron was the one to respond to his hail. Truthfully he had not seen much of the second arachnid female. He had heard the reports of her mental instability and had for the most part labelled her as someone who could be more trouble than she was worth. The thought of letting Tarantulas find a way to disable the excess personalities had come to mind, but after seeing the results of allowing Tarantulas such freedom in judgement with past recruits, namely BlackArachnia, he had grown a bit more weary of placing that amount of trust in Tarantulas' abilities. None of the spiders possessed the kind of loyalty Megatron looked for in his troops, however at least they were Predacons in nature. Well.. the final judgement on Arachnitron was still pending. For her sake, Megatron hoped he would not be disappointed.

The tyrant turned to watch as his subjects started getting into position. They were ready to launch the attack. The Maximals would not stand a chance against the brutality and swiftness that his troops would hit them with. It was going to be a slaughter, the Maximals were both outnumbered and outgunned. This battle would not even test the abilities of his Predacons to their full potential. Megatron didn't care. Within a few short cycles he would be victorious, and there would be nothing standing in the way of him conquering this planet and then Cybertron as well.

"Don't need to tell me twice"

"To the skies my squadron! RAWK!"

"Once Megatron gives the order we'll disperse and circle around the base in different directions, destroying their defenses one by one, while also making it harder for them to single us out with their auto guns. This is the big one predacons, lets make our maximal friends go out with a bang! Hehehehe!

Nemesis' faint smile perked up into a grin.

"Indeed. We'll have to figure out what to do with the bodies once we are done here."

She briefly entertained the idea of keeping a stash of them as fuel for her nanobots.. once they were fully functional again that is. It was only a matter of time.

The female transmetal then transformed, forming a fierce bird of prey, and let her boosters ignite as she soared into the sky. She could not help admiring the army that had gathered below, its leader holding a position on a tall boulder looking out at his soldiers. And then the command came in a loud, confident voice.

"Predacons... ATTACK!"

[WorpeX]

"Ho da de da de da hay!! Beheading makes you lose your head! La da de da dee da doooo! You sure will need a lot of glue! If you want to RREEE AAAATTAACCHHH IIIITTTT"

Manterror sang to himself at the top of his lungs as he flew towards the Axalon. He was in quite a good mood. But then again, any day that he gets to join in on a full scale assault on the Maximals is a good day. The rest of his team had already left the base when his repair cycle was completed but the Mantis was catching up very quickly. Hopefully they would wait for him before they attack because they clearly cannot win with out their most important team member.

"This head is detached!! B-E-H-E-A-D! I ain't no scummy maximal! No I ain't no scummy maximal!"

Luckily, no one was in earshot of the crazy bug's out of tune voice. He clearly needed a spray of WD-40 down his throat, because he was simply unable to hit any of the right notes.

"AND WE WILL KEEP ON BEHEAADDINNNGGG!!! TO THE EENNDD!!!! OOOOH WEEE ARE DECAPITATORS!! yes, WEEEE ARE DECAPITATORS!! NO TIME FOR HEALING CAUSE WE ARE THE DECAPITATORS!!! OF THE WORLD!!!"

Still singing. He wasn't far away now and his lyrics were starting to get worse and worse. He didn't seem to care and luckily for mother nature, he had finally arrived at his destination. However, he didn't stop flying. He was still in full charge! This was because he happened to hear the voice of his leader off in the distance. No need to stand around squabbling, he had a war to fight!!

"Predacons... ATTACK!"

Just in time. "Time to slaughter some scummy maximals! BAAHAHAHAH!!!" The Mantis whipped out his saw blades from under his mantis claws and began to fire them off at the maximal base. They didn't really do any damage, but it was fun anyway.

---



Repair cycle at 85%. The computer's voice pitched in. The Maximals would need her help very soon as their enemy knocked on their door. Yet, she still was not ready to return to battle... Her dreams continued but were changed. They were now prophesies of the teams impending doom...

[Blackrosefencer]

Ooc: Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry to waste another post on out of character stuff, but Manterror is worth it. Those songs were hysterical!!!!

[NaitoKage]

Umbra continued on through the river waterway, as he suddenly noticed something drop into the water infront of him with a loud "plunk", his eyes adjusting as he examined what seemed to be a democharge wrapped in nails.

"Good thing these haven't been activated yet,"

It'd seem the Maximals were attempting to set up some IDEs, but dropping one in the water was a mistake, as radio waves work poorly underwater..Unless it was a depth charge ? They couldn't of been alerted by his presence already..

He grasped the cliff wall with his long tentacles pulling himself up and quickly scaling the wall, his exterior altering it's camo pattern once again to help conceal him, but while moving it would of made him a little easier to spot from the other side, but only if they were able to see him with the land bridge and other cliff in the way.

As he made his way up to the bridge, he moved along under it, then went to one side peaking up to observe the area. So far all he could see was a catbot was out with the mines, as Orcariner and Rattrap were concealed from his position. However he could see the Predacons closing in from the distance, the attack had begun..he'd have to work quickly. He looked up observing the underside of the craft, it used two lifts, and had a few autoguns under it as well facing towards outward threats.

flattening his body and crawling up the side behind a small rock pile, he curled and compressed his body together swiftly next to the rock pile, looking like a now larger pile of rocks. His protruding eyes observed Cheetor from the distance while hiding, scanning his form.

______________________________

"I suspect you are right about the Predacons attacking while we work. And if they do, then those of us setting up our defenses will appear to be the front line. If I may suggest it, put some of our better shooters up on the roof, in the rocks, anywhere out of sight. Let them be the real first response. The rest of us on the ground can rally quickly and beat the attackers back."

Aerostriker was about to respond, as he heard a loud metal piercing thud on the side of the ship. Looks like the fliers are already here. We'll keep them distracted, you guys do your thing. Any sniper's assistance or autoguns will be great though.

Stag then spoke up Sentinel, Flight hatch open!

Aerostriker blinked, then smirked This is convenient. he stated, then activated his thrusters swiftly flying towards and out the hatch.

Outside of the Axalon he flew high above, then placed the butt of his gun against his shoulder holding it. He looked towards Manterror while his head guns flipped down aiming at the Mantis Primus, I've seen some nasty things in my time, but I think you take the cake on ugly Bug boy. his guns then fired off a rapid burst of laser fire at Manterror. If he was going to keep them distracted, he'd have to taunt them all. The plan was probably near suicidal, but he could possibly pull it off, since he wasn't alone.

Independently, the gun in his hand Stag was aiming himself out as he observed Nemesis and Terrorsaur flying towards them. Even though Nemesis was moving swiftly in her bird form, Stag found it strange he couldn't detect a thermal reading. Perhaps some form of stealth was applied to Nemesis, but that just meant she couldn't be targeted by Aerostriker's missiles without some extra effort applied. Stag aimed at Nemesis, then unleashed a high powered Electron beam at her left wing shoulder.

Meanwhile the combat information of the enemy locations, as well as Aerostriker's location were sent in an update to Orcariner's Beacon 2.0 system.

__________________________________

"Hey, Waspinator,""Before you two head over here, would it all be possible for you to pick up my minigun? My door might be locked, so feel free to just... y'know, blow it down with something if you need to."

Waspinator was taken by surprise but decided it was in best interest to assist Steelclaw, specially since out of any of the other Predacons, Steelclaw didn't really give him any problems.

Hovering out of the repair room, he headed towards Steelclaw's room, then transformed to his robot mode grabbing the door, finding it firmly locked. He pulled out his Toxic stinger weapon looking it over, then noticed a strange slot on the side of his arm. He placed the stinger onto the slot as it seemed to lock in place. Bzzt? he buzzed to himself, then looked towards the wall of the door. Pulling his arm back, he punched the stinger into the roughly estimated area where the Lock would be, making a fairly large hole.

Waspinator then slide the pocket door open, noticing the lock on the floor in a twisted mess now. He smirked to himself Triumphantly, at least he'd have some fun with this new body. He then looked around Steelclaw's room, seeing the Minigun on the table he picked it up and flew out into the halls, soon exiting the hanger of the ship. Activating his comlink he responded Wazzpinator bring Bearbot'z gun, be there soon!

_______________________________

"Predacons... ATTACK!"

Quickstrike seemed almost giddy hearing those words, running in the direction of the Maximal base with his Cobra head pointed forward. He didn't care if he was shooting friend or foe, he just wanted to slag some bots.

[Wintersong]

Though Wintersong knew Rhinox was right about not letting it get to her the tigress really couldn't help feeling angered from what Nemesis said,"I'll try not to Rhinox."She said to him, but it was obvious she wasn't so certain she'd let that one go any time soon. With that said she listened to what the others said before she took the many trip wires, detonators, and many other items no doubt could be of use in the fight,"Hopefully we'll have some luck on our side."She murmured, her gaze briefly looking towards the CR chambers before she quickly headed to the lift and just as it reached the ground followed Cheetor across the land bridge. Though she wondered what caused him to pause, briefly looking to where his gaze was and wondering if he had accidently dropped one. Not that there was much they could do about it. "We better get going Cheetor."

With a brief glance back at her fellow cat she went on ahead to searching for the best places to begin setting up their explosives,holograms, and detonators but she only got so far before she heard the sounds of fire above. "Oh great, I don't think we even have time to set them all up."She remarked, quickening her pace in setting things up while also having her wrist launchers pop up to be ready.

[Blackrosefencer]

OOC:

@Blackrosefencer: Ooooooo! I was just going to have Blackarachnia awaken, but her feigning unconsciousness for a bit longer to listen to what Tarantulas and Arachnitron talk about is much better. Thanks for that idea. Yes, I wouldn't mind if you post for Arachitron again. Go ahead!

You're welcome. I just figured Blackarachnia might take the opportunity to listen in and find out more about the kind of hold Tarantulas had over Arachnitron. I feel like the information might interest her. Not sure what she'd do with it, but maybe you'll figure something out. Not to mention....I'm sure she'd want Tarantulas to think she was still out cold when he left, otherwise he might use the psychic link on her again just for kicks.

Also, I don't think Arachnitron ever mentioned the other personalities to Blackarachnia when she was explaining herself before....but I don't really remember. She might have just beat around the bush. So I'm not sure if BA knows about the other personalities......or was she awake when the Maximals mentioned it? I can't remember.

BIC:

"To the skies my squadron! RAWK!"

"Once Megatron gives the order we'll disperse and circle around the base in different directions, destroying their defenses one by one, while also making it harder for them to single us out with their auto guns. This is the big one predacons, lets make our maximal friends go out with a bang! Hehehehe!

Inferno took to the skies with the other fliers. Though he was reluctant to follow any other's lead aside from Megatron's, he knew how important this battle was to the Royalty. He would do his best to please him and leave no Maximals alive as the Royalty commanded! He drew his rocket launcher in preparation of the attack and flew in small circles barely able to contain his excitement for battle.

"Predacons... ATTACK!"

Finally, the moment had arrived!! He flew off towards the Maximals, but stopped himself realizing he hadn't offered the proper respect for the Colony's Queen. He spun around in midair and threw a regal salute towards Megatron.

"Yes, my Queen!"

Then he darted off again in the direction of the Maximals shouting at the top of his voice, "FOR THE GLORY OF THE ROYALTY!!!!"

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

Arachnitron had watched Tarantulas barking and kicking at the unconscious Blackarachnia. He was cruel and vicious there was no doubt about that. So, as he approached her now, she feared he was angry at her for her lack of faith in his invention. She silently cursed herself for speaking to him the way she had as she did her best to hide her fear. She resisted the urge to flinch as he reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder and tilted her chin up so that she was looking up at him.

"Fear not my dear, the chip is indeed temporary, but it is still freshly installed and should last you for now, and I can make as many as you may need in the future until we eventually rid you of your other personalities once and for all. All I ask for now is your patience...And devotion. Can you do that?"

She was actually so surprised that he didn't strike her as he had Blackarachnia that, at first, she couldn't speak. Her green optics just stared up at him in stunned silence. He understood her fear of her alters returning and seemed confident that not only could he make more of these inhibitor chips, but he could also get rid of the other personalities permanently. Her patience and devotion was all he asked for in return. They were not easy things to give to anyone, but how could she turn him down when what he offered her was what she had been searching for all her life?

"Yes, I can do that." she said softly convinced that Tarantulas had meant what he said. "But...." Her voice trailed off and her optics shifted their gaze looking down away from him almost in shame. Should she tell him that she suspected the chip was breaking down already? He would need to know something like that, right? It would be like not telling a medic that you were leaking mech fluid. But would he decide that it was a sign that the chip was ready to be replaced and replace it or would he decide the chip wasn't working correctly and it never would? She couldn't take that chance. This had to be a cure and it had to work.

She reminded herself that the voice of the Predacon was still so distant that she couldn't make out any of her words. Not to mention she couldn't even hear the Maximal yet. Tarantulas was probably right. There was still time before the chip would fail completely. She had nothing to worry about.

"You're just a little nervous because you're not used to being the only voice in here. You're probably not even hearing the Predacon's voice...it's probably just the trees rustling or the wind blowing and playing tricks on your mind," she reassured herself. No, she shouldn't tell him about the Predacon's voice...not yet. Not until she was sure that it really was the Predacon that she was hearing. She couldn't bear to hear him say that there was nothing he could do.

She looked at him again and offered him a small smile hoping it looked like she was reassured and not still nervous. "Never mind. You're right. Not hearing their voices is making me a bit jumpy that's all. I guess it's something to get used to."

Suddenly Megatron's voice rang out from Arachnitron's comm link channel. She had muted her end of it, but left the channel open in case Megatron had a response.

"Make it quick or you will miss the entertainment."

The Hybrid felt a little bit of the Predacon programming's battle lust slip though the barrier...so to speak. The Hybrid didn't usually seek out a battle, she usually just let them come to her. But for some reason she felt like maybe slagging some Maximals must put her mind at ease. Her smile turned a bit mischievous. "Aren't you just dying to see what the upgrade did to your weapons?" She winked at him not necessarily intending to flirt...just hoping to change the topic and get them out on the battle field. She didn't want to think about the chip failing anymore. She suddenly, inexplicably, really wanted to shoot something. It was a feeling that made her even more nervous because it was further proof that the chip must be failing more than Tarantulas knew. But she had to keep it from him for now....if the beast wars ended and the chip failed at the same time....they would destroy Arachnitron for sure and there'd be no Maximals left to save her from that.

OOC:

Just for Pheonix's information....I think the Predacon programming had just taken over when Megatron first saw Arachnitron. Which means her optics were red then...not green (why I picked xmas colors for her optics colors, I'll never know). They are green right now since the Hybrid is in control. I don't know what you want to do with that information....maybe Megatron wouldn't even notice something like that....who knows. It's up to you. Just thought I'd mention it. I can't even remember how much he knows about her mental condition....did Glowstick tell him about the split personalities?

[una]

"I have yet to understand much of it myself," Optimus said as he moved away from her a little bit, reluctantly releasing from their "embrace," if one could call it that. "I'll admit, I've had a little help."

She had to stare at Optimus in amusement and understanding. Being inside the Matrix and experiencing something like this was overwhelming. Here there were no restraints or limitations like there was in the lives they lived alive. Everything was so free and fleeting in a space where there was no time or decay. Even though her conscienceness was here, not her spark, she only saw herself as she was now. Optimus...probably saw her differently.

"TyCross?" he inquired rhetorically, smiling lightly at her chuckle. "Yes. He's a rather... difficult spirit to work with. Are you certain he's the one who trained you?"

She laughed at Optimus' question, "I'm certain. Though, I wish had enough time to tell you what kind of bot he was before you ever had the chance to meet him." From what she was feeling from Optimus earlier, her master should be grateful that Optimus has the patience of an iron. Though, even he had his moments. "I was a prisoner of war to a Predacon commander and his people. I was forced to fight for my life and they watched and cheered for their warriors to kill me. That's where they got TyCross to come out and that's the first time I saw him. We met in the battlefield... and I lost." She didn't know if Optimus could see or feel it, but her spark ached at the memory like a nail beaten down by a hammer, and yet despite the ache, she had a tender smile, "But in that loss, I gained a different understanding of the world around me. I thank him for that loss. Though, we still had a lot to learn from each other before we began to really understand each other, and soon, I saw him as my mentor and my father. He may seem chaotic and manipulative some times. It's all just a facade. Deep down inside, you can see a bot who is fighting for the greater good...in his own little way. You just have to know how to deal with him." She smirked, "I do. If I ever see him again, he and I are going to have a little talk about what he did to you here." She chuckled, "You won't have to worry about that."

"I don't understand how you're here, Whitegrazer. Has something else happened? Is everyone all right?"

"You should thank Rhinox. It was his invention that has bought me to you." She looked around, smiling at the place where everything for her had changed for the better and hopefully, it would do the same for Optimus, "Isn't it beautiful, Optimus? We aren't just Maximals or Predacons here. We are Cybertronians. There is no war or hate. Everyone just living together in peace. Someday... some day our planet will be just like this."

Suddenly, she saw flashes. Flashes of her comrades fighting. Predacons heading towards them with bloodlust and hands ready to maim and kill.

"The Predacons are attacking. You must follow me back."

"Warning: Unit Whitegrazer's conscienceness is fading rapidly. Any disturbance will result in termination of spark."

((OOC: I hope this post is all right, OOP. I will post for Blackarachnia after Darkspark posts for Tarantulas. Since the Predacons are closer to the Maximal base, I can't wait to see if any Predacons manage to come on inside. I love close calls.

Edit: @Blackrosefencer: I think BA has figured that out about Arachnitron's personalities. I will go check but I'm pretty sure she does.))