Starchaser spun and twirled, avoiding the blasts with ease. These fighters were a nuisance. But these bombers were being a pain.
She transformed into robot mode and bolted towards one of the bombers, landing on top of the large craft. She grabbed on to the edge of the wing with one hand and shot at the engines with her machine gun on the other arm.
The wrecker transformed into robot mode, showing the damage to his leg.
“Yes.”
He said, in a very stern tone.
The resulting explosion ignites the bomber’s payload as well, setting off a chain reaction that takes out Starchaser’s two pursuers, and would likely also endanger her as well.
Forcep huffs and sets to work mending the wound.
“Why do they never say please?” he grumbles.
“Son of a-”
Was all she had time to say before she was blasted off, taking significant damage. She was thrown back and sent into freefall. She managed to catch herself by transforming into helicopter mode. But she could barely keep herself airborne.
“Primus d@mmit what is even happening today!”
She shouted to herself, furious with how dificult these new decepticon order flyers were turning out to be. She then remembered the passenger she had on board.
“Hey. You okay little guy? Hope I didn’t hurt you.”
Click chirped a noise of reassurance. He was shaken, but unharmed.
With that, Starchader decided to fly down to Anthropa. If she couldn’t disable the second bomber, she could at least warn the queen.
Treadquake said nothing. He just stood, arms crossed, waiting impatiently.
Arthropoda continues to wade through the battlefield, taking care not to step on any crew members. Blinding beams shot from her cannon tear through the armor of incoming dropships.
“Oh, it suuuuure is nice to get some fresh air,” she rumbles. “streeeeetch the legs, and blaaaaast some Decepticons into slag!”
Facelift’s shoulders sink as any hope of winning the affections of his latest crush are shot to the Pit.
“Oh, well, it can’t be helped,” he sighs. “She probably wouldn’t’ve liked a bouquet of brain modules for our conjux endurae ceremony anyway…”
“I don’t believe any sane bot would,” ■■■■■■■■■■■■ drawls.
“Oh, well if she’s sane that completely kills it for me,” Facelift laments.
“Ah, New Decepticon, we meant,” Arthropoda clarifies to Starchaser. “It’s haaaard to keep track of what everyone’s calling themselves…”
Forcep quickly mends Treadquake’s leg.
“No need to thank me,” he says. “Of course, I doubt you were going to say that, either…”
SideStep grumbles in frustration. He searches for a button or lever to open up the cracks on the Key more.
Thrust and Lightshift turn and fire at their individual missiles, while Vigor continues to fly towards Lockdown.
“Don’t worry about it your majesty. I really don’t mind. That being said-”
Starchaser pauses as her rotors briefly seize up. She drops for a moment before getting the rotor working again and going back up to the Queen’s eye level.
“You got a big bomber behind you looking to take you out. There were two, and I got one of them. But as you can -ah- see, I’m not in the best shape to handle the other one.”
Treadquake turned around without saying a word. Looking at what the almighty Shockwave was so scared of. Intending to quickly and easily take it out himself.
Arthropoda turns around, just as the remaining bomber drops its payload. Four plasma bombs strike her body and the queen reals backward, letting out a low cry of pain. She manages, however, to swat the Heavy Air Trooper out of the sky with her claws.
What Shockwave was retreating from were two Siege Walker mechs: tall and well-armed exo-suits designed to bombard Autobot fortresses.
The giant machines lumber into the gorge, flanked by heavy troopers and grenadiers.
“We will require reinforcements,” Shockwave declares as he blasts the smaller foes at the feet of the walker. The microsingularities generated from his cannon last for only an instant, but tear the hapless troopers apart with their gravity.
This was all the key could manage by itself, it seemed.
The terminal was now nearly halfway repaired.
Thrust and Lightshift shoot down the missiles chasing them, and Lockdown calmly steps to the side, out of Vigor’s flight path.
Starchaser began to faulter again. Struggling to keep herself in the air.
“Are you okay?”
She asked. More concerned with the Queen’s well being than her own.
“I’m all the reinforcement you’ll need!”
Treadquake shouts excitedly as he charges forward. Transforming into vehicle mode, aiming to ram one of the mech warriors in the legs with his plow blade, moving at top speed.
“I guess we have to wait? Do we have the other key?” SideStep asked, looking around. [quote=“Chromeharpoon, post:7677, topic:49995”]
Thrust and Lightshift shoot down the missiles chasing them, and Lockdown calmly steps to the side, out of Vigor’s flight path.
[/quote]
Vigor transforms, still flying at a high speed, aiming himself at the interior of the ship.
King-Quan listened onto the two as they talked, some meaningless chatter that didn’t wasn’t interesting to the Warrior. He wondered if he should strike now and hard, they weren’t in a tight space, he figured on the bridge, Bludgeon wouldn’t have room to roam around. He would stay put and go with his plan, as he waited. He was thinking if that elevator was taking them to the bridge or not. As far as he was concerned, he hoped he’d put Bludgeon into the ground, kill him possibly and then take control over the ship. Because he had no way back. . .
“Not that I know of.” Scorchlock shrugged.
Arthropoda looks up, Energon running down some blackened wounds on her right side.
“It will take mooooore than that,” she growls, hefting up her cannon.
There is a loud clang as Treadquake’s plow meets the Walker’s left leg, causing the mech to stop in its tracks. The pilot of the walker lifts the leg back and kicks at the Wrecker.
Ahead of Vigor was a closed airlock door. Lockdown frowns as he deploys a rifle from his right arm.
Bludgeon and his entourage enter the elevator, turning around… and taking sight of King-Quan.
“Huh…” Banzaitron reacts. “Where’d he come from?”
“All that matters now is where he will go,” Bludgeon growls. “To the deepest circle of the Pit!”
“That’s what I like to hear!”
She cheered. Only for her rotors to give out, for good this time, and she began to sprial towards the ground.
Treadquake tumbles over in his vehicle mode a bit, but is otherwise unharmed.
He transforms directly into his battle mode and leaps at the massive machine. Clinging to the chest and ripping at the cockpit.
It was now or never. . .
King-Quan thought he was hidden in the shadows, but much to his surprise alone he was too impatient and he followed them as they walked towards the elevator. Only then, when they turned around did they notice him. Bludgeon and his apprentice Banzaitron glanced at him, he wasn’t going to lie. He had a smirk behind his mouthplate, he certainly surprised the two, due to the fact that they didn’t expect to see a stranger inside their ship, let alone an Autobot such as King-Quan.
His light blue optics would fixate themselves at the two. His target was Bludgeon. King-Quan will be the one who will send this monster into the deepest circles of the pit. That was a promise, and he couldn’t fail his fellow Autobots and Salvation Crew Members. He had one shot and he will not squander it, not by any chance whatsoever. His fingers on his right relaxed hand began to twitch suddenly out of reflex as there was a moment of silence. That moment seemed like an eternity, the time itself would stop in his view, he was taking action.
“Your end is near, Bludgeon.” King-Quan declared. “And I shall be the one that sends you to the Pit!” He could feel his spark burn, it was active, his energon pulsated through his mechanical circuits and cables like a bloodstream would through human veins. King-Quan would transform, not in his alt-mode, no. What everyone failed to realize, was that King-Quan was a triple changer and he saved this mode for this specific occasion. This was his “parting gift” for Bludgeon as he began to transform.
Panels began to ■■■■■, mechanical sounds of him transforming were clear as day as his form began to disappear, more and more. Before the two would even realize, he was completely transformed into a large laser rifle. Its slick panels ran through the significantly long barrel as a tripod was clamping its feet into the ground. It was incredibly secure and clipped into the ground. The barrel would point directly at Bludgeon, not his apprentice Banzaitron. Into the barrel, Bludgeon could see a significant surge of energy manifesting inside, as it was glowing into a bright blue light. Essentially, King-Quan was powering his own blast with his spark as it functioned at fast rates, pumping incredible amounts of energy.
“Bludgeon. . .” King-Quan called the New Decepticon Order Leader out, his voice was stoic and boastful. “. . . Apologize to me that you were born into my world. . .” With that the barrel roared, its sounds inhuman, almost like a predator that was ready to snuff its prey out. With a . . .
KRAKAHOOOOOM!
. . . the barrel ignited in a flaming chain reaction as an enormous beam of concentrated energy shot through the barrel in a second, as the tripod feet would slightly jerk back into the ground as they sank into the metal. The incredible blinding light of the energy beam, would essentially light up everything with an extremely bright light, as it would come straight towards Bludgeon, his sights aimed at his head. Well, the beam essentially was as large as his whole upper body, naturally, he wanted to go overkill with this, as the concussive and destructive energy beam has been shot at Bludgeon.
Arthropoda catches the falling Starchaser in her clawed hand.
Treadquake’s fists leave jagged cracks in the glass of the cockpit, and the mech reaches out a hand to seize the Wrecker and toss him away.
Unable to dodge the beam within the elevator, Bludgeon deploys the spinning blades in his left forearm. Using the whirling beams of energy as a shield, he raises his arm in front of his body to block the shot. The blades shatter like glass and Bludgeon is pushed into the wall from the impact, but he is protected from harm.
Banzaitron and the other six mercenaries spring into action. Bludgeon’s apprentice draws his rifle an fires a bolt of explosive plasma at King-Quan, while the mercenaries deploy neutron assault rifles and follow suit.
She transformed into robot mode and looked up at the queen, giving the best smile she could muster.
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
The machine manages to pull Treadquake off, but his clawed gauntlets were dug in deep, and left stuck in it’s chest.
The autobot fell to the ground and quickly got up. Firing a missile at it from his backpack.
Arthropoda sets Starchaser down upon a rock below her, before turning her attention back to the battle.
The mech swats at the missile with its right arm, the resulting explosion leaving a black spot on its armor. The Siege Walker draws its four-barreled fusion cannon and points it down at Treadquake. The weapon growls before spitting out four jets of purple energy.
Topside, still on Optimus Prime’s colony ship with Sprocket, Broadband, Gatecrasher, and Epsilon-5, taps his commlink, attempting to reach a certain Autobot transport.
“Fortress!” he says. “It’s Topside. We’re in a tight spot out here where we are; a showy rescue on your part would not go amiss.”
Vigor growls as he grips his hand cannon, still flying towards the airlock.
Thrust and Lightshift turn their attention towards Lockdown, firing their weapons. [quote=“MichaelBT-7474, post:7680, topic:49995”]
“Not that I know of.” Scorchlock shrugged.
[/quote]
“Joy.”
SideStep set the Blue Key on the Pedestal and looked around at Zepar and Garand (Assuming they were still in the same room)
“Any tips/ideas?”
Vigor rapidly approaches the airlock door.
The bullets ripple off Lockdown’s armor and the bounty hunter whips around, growling. Raising his rifle, he fires off a salvo of armor-piercing bullets at Thrust.
“The Salvation has more cybermatter on it, I believe,” Zepar speculates. “The Omega Key was pumping gallons of the stuff into the medical wing when it was plugged into the Conflux.”
Vigor twists himself in the air, pointing his feet towards the airlock.
As he flies through the air, he fires off several shots at Lockdown. [quote=“Chromeharpoon, post:7688, topic:49995”]
The bullets ripple off Lockdown’s armor and the bounty hunter whips around, growling. Raising his rifle, he fires off a salvo of armor-piercing bullets at Thrust.
[/quote]
Thrust spins out of the way of the attack, while Lightshift hovers around lockdown and continues to fire at the bounty hunter. [quote=“Chromeharpoon, post:7688, topic:49995”]
“The Salvation has more cybermatter on it, I believe,” Zepar speculates. “The Omega Key was pumping gallons of the stuff into the medical wing when it was plugged into the Conflux.”
[/quote]
“Hm.”
Sidestep commed ■■■■■■■■■■■■.
“Sir, we’re gonna need someone to go up to Salvation and bring a bunch of cybermatter to the fortress. Is there anyone up there already that can take care of that?”
The missile chasing Thrust strikes the airlock door behind Vigor, blowing it open.
Lockdown staggers as the Splitter brothers continue their assault, but do little damage to the bounty hunter. He deploys another rifle on his left arm and shoots at both Lightshift and Vigor.
Nearby, Thrift transforms to robot mode and picks himself up off the Death’s Head’s hull.
A grunt is heard though the commlink as ■■■■■■■■■■■■ rips out a Ground Trooper’s sparkchamber.
“Whoo! Remind me never to get on your bad side, sir!” Facelift cackles in the background.
“You already are on my bad side, doctor,” ■■■■■■■■■■■■ growls, eliciting a gulp from the Butcher of Tetrahex.
“Anyway,” the Decepticon captain says, turning his attention to his communicator, “what was that, SideStep? Say again.”