Frilla wrote:"What in the Pit is going on around here with the alarms? And who's the old timer?"
The aging admiral raised an optic ridge at the newcomer, more than a little surprised that there were still Maximals on this vessel he had not encountered thus far and perhaps more so that this smaller female obviously had no clue who he was. Not that she presented much of a problem. He was just about to introduce himself when Whitegrazer did it for him.
"Oh! This is Admiral Nexus, Optimus' mentor and friend. Nexus, this is Frilla. " "I think the Predacons may have sent someone to try and get a cure for the virus."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, my lady," he responded to Frilla, reaching out his sturdy hand to the smaller femme,
"As my friend here already explained, my name is Nexus Prime. " He deliberately left the rank out of the introduction, knowing the mere name should alert most of his importance. He gave her the tiniest of winks accompanied by a smile as he said the name.
"He is doing fine,"
Whitegrazer's words seemed to relax the old warrior some. Of course he had been using his connection to Sentinel to keep tabs on Optimus' progress, but it was nice hearing the words regardless. Had Optimus succumbed to his injuries, all this would have been for naught. Of course he planned for Optimus to die in the end, but not until his plans had come to fruition. The other Maximals were all expendable, but he wanted to save Optimus for last, so that the self-proclaimed commander of the Axalon could face the afterlife knowing that his actions would be held accountable for the destruction of his vessel and crew. And then use the distraught Optimus to commit one final act of treason.. One that would bring down the Maximal council, forcing change upon their home planet. But in order to do that Optimus had to live for a little while longer.. Long enough to break his will and implant the seed of revenge into his mind. Only then could Optimus be allowed to die.
"It would be unwise of me to place you in a situation where you can get injured again. I will go and make sure Rhinox and Optimus are okay."
The admiral sighed inwardly at the mare's persistence on this matter and he found himself wondering how much of her reluctance was caused by genuine concern for him and how much was due to doubts. Either way she was really starting to be a liability, one that he'd have to take care of sooner rather than later.
"I am not a mere sparkling you know," he responded to Whitegrazer, his voice quieter than before to try to keep their conversation private,
"I may be able to assist you in your battle against these Predacons. But as a guest on this vessel I will respect your wishes and stay with Rattrap." He gave her a stern look before he started walking off, joining Rattrap at the bridge.
The rat wasn't exactly his favorite either, but on the bridge he'd be able to keep a closer optic on any progress made by Sentinel without arousing too much suspicion in doing so. By now the rodent had surely seen the results of his body scan, which should paint Nexus in a more positive light.
Meanwhile Sentinel's weapon system continued chasing down BlackArachnia, constantly firing at her. Even as she attacked the drones back, they didn't deter from their programming.
Aurora's thoughts drifted as she made her way towards the medical bay, so much so in fact that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She had just woken up only to find that Optimus was obviously still in bad condition, if what Rattrap had said about him being with Rhinox without wanting to give her any details had been any indication. Ironclaw had been in handcuffs, being lead away to be questioned for something he supposedly did.. She knew the badger had a terrible temper and would often lash out at those around him, but she couldn't even imagine what had happened that would result with him ending up in the brig. Was it at all related to this invader, this impersonator who had been playing them all for fools? It couldn't be Ironclaw.. could it?
"Somebody check the garbage shoot corridor. Got some unusual activity there,"
Aurora stopped in her tracks upon hearing Rattrap's warning. The garbage shoot, really? She always suspected that was one of Rattrap's favorite hangout places but never suspected anyone else would even go near it. And what suspicious activity was he talking about? It was then it occurred to her that the shoot, albeit mostly used for getting rid of garbage while the Axalon was still in flight, could also double as a way in. She was aware that Sentinel was on alert since it had warned everyone to get to a safe area, but that had happened a while before Rattrap's warning about suspicious activity. As if to confirm her suspicion, she thought she heard laser fire not far from her current location. Ears perking up, she waited, but the sound was already gone.
Suddenly the sound of something exploding startled her, causing her to take a few steps backwards. Then the sound of metallic shrapnel clattering against the floor. Aurora's ears flattened again and she inadvertently brushed some of onethe long locks of white fur that constantly got in her face away to see better. Due to the blinking emergency lights and Sentinel's constant reminder to seek shelter, it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where the sound had come from.. Or what it could be. But judging by the sound of impact, she suspected it was one of Sentinel's drones that made the noise.
An alert showed up on Rattrap's console, informing him that BlackArachnia had arrived in the medical bay and that one of the probes had just been shot down. It also informed him that a second intruder was on the move. And finally that Cheetor had been in the vicinity but now wasn't moving. One of the drones was automatically rerouted to investigate, only to stop in its track when it encountered a broken section of the track system. The remaining drones, all with weapons ready to fire, pursued the two uninvited Predacons.
Aurora decided it best to move away from the action, finding that she was close enough to the medical bay to make it there safely. So she hurried down the hallway, only slowing when she saw Whitegrazer standing there. The white mare looked distracted, almost distraught, immediately making the fuzor fear the worst.
"Aurora," she said it like she was far away until she shook her head, "Aurora." She smiled warmly towards the little one. She was really happy to see Aurora back on her feet, "I'm glad you are well." She opened her mouth to say something when she realized that Aurora was in a hurry for a good reason, "I shouldn't keep you, but would it be okay if I come with you?"
Now Aurora was more confused than anything. But she still smiled warmly at the mare, happy to see her despite everything. Maybe she was just reading too much into things.
"What's going on..?," the fuzor asked, her concern obvious in her voice.
"Is Optimus okay? Are we under attack? I heard shots and.."
She paused, realizing her mouth was running at a hundred miles a minute. So she stood there for a second or two, before suddenly rushing over to latch onto Whitegrazer's leg in a hug.
The taller female felt so comforting, just.. being there! The fuzor trembled slightly as she held on for dear life, as if Whitegrazer would simply disappear if she let go. It wasn't often that she showed the other female this kind of affection, but right now she was confused, scared, and feeling more than a little worried.
After several more seconds she finally let go, realizing they probably should move before whoever these invaders were got to them.
"I'm heading to the medical bay," the tiny ermine fuzor informed her, trying to regain control of herself,
"I just have this feeling that something is about to happen to Optimus.. And I .. we.. have to stop it."
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