Zepar nodded called the Salvation via his comlink, “Zepar to Captains, I need permission to use the Cube artifact and offer what Spark fragments and CNA samples we have so far for negotiations with hostile Queen.” He said.
He knew they had a lot of options but he wanted to be able to sweeten the deal with this hive’s Queen as much as possible so she’ll have a better chance of considering it.
Epsilon fired on the grenade.
“What the hell are you waiting for? Do it! Now!” Topside urges.
The grenade explodes a safe distance from Epsilon. The queen howls in anger and reels back her arms, the limbs emitting a blue glow.
“Ready external PA on my signal; we’re going to broker peace.” Zepar said.
He looks at Fester, “I’m going to patch you through via my comlink’s speakerphone; please tell your Queen this ship, and this facility, has a means to ensure that both hives don’t go extinct and further negotiations will only happen if she stops the fighting.”
Epsilon fires at the Queen’s legs to prevent her from firing off her attack.
“External PA ready, crewman Zepar,” Motherboard reports. “You may proceed.”
Fester looks unsure.
“Maybe you should do it,” he suggests. “I’m a warrior, not a negotiator.”
This attempt is successful. The arms discharge their energy prematurely, momentarily stunning the queen.
“Put me on.” Zepar said to Motherboard.
Here’s hoping Her Highness knows Ancient. he thought.
Epsilon dives for more cover, hearing the PA activate caused him to pause behind that cover.
“Affirmative,” Motherboard says.
A crackling is heard as Salvation’s external PA activates. The hive queen pauses in her rampage to stare right at the bridge, cold fury reflected in her six eyes.
“Talk about ‘if looks could kill’…” Flyby mutters.
“She has lasers in her eyes,” Breakswitch points out. “In her case, they can.”
“Not. Helping, sis.”
“My name is Zepar and I something I’d like to discuss with you, You’re Majesty.” Zepar said on the PA, “This ship you seek to take is the last hope of Cybertron having a future;…” he goes on to explain the war (briefly), the mortal wounding of Primus and their mission to find the Omega Lock, the Heretics and their dark goals and lengths they’re willing to go to achieve those goals; essentially telling her what he told Fester.
“…Now, I understand you and the other hives on this world are near extinction and we have several solutions that can enable you to prosper. But, I need you to cease your attack on this vessel, as an act of good faith, before I present the solutions.” he finished.
OOC: He’s speaking Ancient, obviously.
The queen rises, her many weapons de-powering and retracting into her frame. All at once, the members of her hive cease fighting, hovering in the air around Salvation. Evidently, she had elected to hear Zepar out. Insecticons of both hives, along with members of_Salvation_'s crew, stand waiting.
“We… hear your words…” the queen replies in a high, rasping voice. "…and… we will listen. You offer to help our hive. Explain…
Zepar explained that there were several healthy Insecticons still in stasis at the facility and that Salvation has CNA samples, Spark fragments and a Knight cube that acted like a tiny portable Hot Spot that all together could save the inhabitants of this entire world from extinction in exchange for peace and permission to resupply and repair here so they can continue on their quest for the Omega Lock.
The queen is clearly shocked that Salvation and her crew had so much readily available.
“We… you… you have so much,” she says, "and you… give… to us. We attack, think it was the only way… we were wrong."
The queen seems genuinely remorseful in her response.
“We understand; you faced extinction and feared for your people.” Zepar said.
“Let us put this in the past and allow this exchange.” Zepar said, “I promise we will do all we can to save Primus.”
The insecticons of both hives begin to retreat. flying away over the land below. By all appearances, the proverbial olive branch had been accepted. The crewmen cheer, and an air of relief washes over the Fleetcarrier. Now all that was left to do was make good on Zepar’s promise, enact some hasty repairs, get back on their quest to find the Omega Lock.
Zepar smiled, “I’ll go back to my ship and help where I can in making good on our promise.” Zepar said to Fester.
Fester nods and departs.
Forcep and some of the other medical staff were preparing spark fragments and CNA samples for transport to this world’s insecticon hives, and Sprocket retrieved the Hot Spot cube from his lab.
A swarm of insecticons returns to Salvation- not to attack, but to repair the damages done to the Fleetcarrier in the battle. Some were even elite warriors, like Fester, who had opted to join Salvation on her mission out of gratitude. The Fleetcarrier’s crew had saved them from extinction; it as the least they could do to try and return the favor.
Zepar, looking tired and very relieved, lands back on the ship to see where he could help with the tasks before them.
Epsilon walked onto the bridge visibly confused, “What just happened?” He asked, he didn’t know Ancient and heard gibberish when the negotiations were taking place.
It seemed as though Zepar’s help may not be needed.
“Hell, I’m still trying to figure that out myself,” Broadband remarks.
Motherboard begins to recite a dull summary of recent events in her usual monotone.
“Y’know,” Facelift says, “why is it, that every time something exciting is about to happen, it gets cut short? Bludgeon and company try and board the ship? Some guy hacks into their comms and sends 'em running. Rescuing Shockwave? That was over way too quickly! And just when it looks like we’re gonna have an grand, spectacular batte with a giant insecticon queen, Zepar talks her down and ends things all peaceful-like. It sounds awful, I know, but really the only truly exciting part of the trip so far has been our little scuffle at the culture ark…”
“…And then there’s everyone’s bank accounts getting reset! That’s the-… what’s the terran saying? ‘The storm that broke the caramel’s bat’? Well, that’s what it was! I was making millions off a pyramid scheme I’d set up and some glitch in the system has to come in and-…”
######“…Oh frak, did I say that aloud…?”
Epsilon nods his understanding to Motherboard, “I guess all is well with us now?” He asked.
Zepar moves aside to let everyone handle things.
“By all appearances,” Topside confirms.
The spark fragments and CNA samples are delivered to this world’s insecticon hives, and the insecticon specimens held in stasis in the ancient facility are awoken. The Hot Spot cube, however, is returned, for the queens quickly discover that they don’t really know how to use it, much less how to control it to produce new insecticons, and not other forms of cybertronian life. Everything else that Salvation’s crew was providing them would be more than enough.
Zepar gave a formal apology about the Cube to the Queens.
The Angelicon seemed very happy to see peace and prosperity among the Insecticons on this world, “This is my desire for the future of Cybertron; peace and prosperity.” he said in Ancient out of a habit as he had been speaking it a lot on this world.
Epsilon just left the bridge with a nod as he looked for a bar. One plus side to his appearance was that his weapons could be seen as Decepticon-like and his colors were more akin to those of an Autobot due to their lighter shades.
Indeed, Epsilon could attempt to lie his way into the Peace and Tyranny, or pay a visit to Halfrunner in the Antillian Sunrise.
@Toa_Vladin @meepinater @TheOnlyGuyWhoLikesMistika @ToaNoah_Wafflemeister @BlackBeltGamer98
With a peaceful resolution brought about, Salvation rises into the sky, leaving this world’s insecticon hives to prosper with the supplies that our heroes had left them. Roughly twenty million years from now, this world would be visited once again by Axis Prime and the New Imperium of Cybertron, and would be converted into a new colony for the cybertronian people.
A blue haze surrounds Salvation, and with a jolt she enters transwarp space to resume her journey.