“I see you have it covered then.” King-Quan calmed his voice. “What my request, again, is this.” He mentioned. “If Salvation is within a Ground Bridge Range towards Bludgeon’s main ship. I request a Ground Bridge to be opened from my location towards the bridge he is on.” He said. “I trust your calculations, however, can you pinpoint his exact location on the bridge?” He asked her.
“Right,” Scorchlock said unamused. “So what is this third trial of yours?” He asked. “What must we do?”
Forcep could be seen dragging a wounded soldier away from Shockwave and Motherboard, who were both holding their own against a team of three Mercenaries dispatched to take them down.
Starchaser, Click, and Spectrum would have to hold off on getting to the good doctor, however, as two Air Troopers in their sleek jet modes fall into view behind them, the blasters under their wings flipping into firing position.
“Negative,” Motherboard replies. “I do not have schematics for the interior layout of the DSW Armageddon, therefore I cannot open a portal within the ship. I can, however, open one onto its exterior hull.”
Hyperborea sweeps a hand behind her, indicating the broken door.
“What you seek lies beyond this door,” she says. “You have proven you can fight for the power you seek, but can you use it?”
Once more, Garand provides a translation.
“What do we have here. A couple of fly-boys are feeling lucky. You two better hold on tight. You’re in for a wild ride.”
Starchaser transformed into her helicopter mode and threw all power into moving back and up, effectively halting her forward momentum and braking mid air. Her hopes were that the two air troopers would have little time to react, and fly right past her. Giving her the ideal position to begin her attack.
The two Air Troopers open fire upon Starschaser as she brakes. However, they are unable to slow down to keep her in front of them, and they shoot right past on either side of her.
Brakeswitch holds up one of her machine pistols and sends a burst of blue zipping past Treadquake’s shoulder. There is a strangled cry from behind the Wrecker as the navigator hits her mark.
“Hmm.” King-Quan hummed as he glanced at the DSW Armageddon if he wanted to bust it up very good and cause significant damage, he had to use it now. “Very well, provide me a portal from where I am at, towards the exterior hull, most preferably not underneath my feet, please.” He jokingly adds. “I would appreciate if it was very near towards the bridge, most essentially where the windows are. I’m going to part Bludgeon a parting gift.” He mysteriously declared.
“Sir…” Scorchlock began. “I’ve been a Wrecker my whole life.” He hit his chest with his right fist. “And it takes a special brand of bot to be one. Not everyone has what it takes.” He mentioned. “We have been fighting Bludgeon for some time now. I think we’ve proven enough lately that we can handle whatever power lies behind those doors.” He spoke.
“Affirmative, crewman King-Quan,” Motherboard drones. A ground bridge portal opens beside the Autobot, which would deposit him on the Armageddon’s starboard side, amidst a line of massive laser turrets.
“I was not referring to what you’ve come to claim,” Hyperborea clarifies herself. "I speak of what you already possess."
Garand translates.
Starchaser managed to move upward just enough to avoid the fire. The bullets just grazing the underside of her helicopter mode. When the two jets fly past she wastes no time changing into her prop fighter mode and opening fire with her heavy machine guns.
Treadquake looks behind him to see what Brakeswitch shot at. Trying to comprehend what could have been so unfathomably dangerous about that particular target, that the navigator simply could not allow him the time to kill it himself.
The two troopers peel off to the sides, evading Starchaser’s fire and trying to flank the flying ace again.
Behind Treadquake, a Berserker falls face-first onto the ground, a line of burning holes in his torso.
“Now we’re even,” Brakeswitch quips.
Starchaser gets an idea. She changes to helicopter mode and brakes. Hovering in the air. She pays very close attention to the two jet fighters. If they were as predictable as she thought they’d be, this was going to be good. Expecting the two to fly at her from opposite sides. One to her left, and one to her right.
He looked at the body, picking it up by the head. He was annoyed that the bot had robbed him of a potential kill. But he meant well enough, so he also felt somewhat grateful.
“Thanks.”
He said plainly. Tossing the body to the ground. He then walked off, saying nothing else.
This is exactly what the two troopers were doing. Once they had a clear line of sight, they open fire with their blasters.
“No need too sound to thankfu- whoa!”
Brakeswitch is cut off as the Berserker suddenly springs up off the ground and leaps at Treadquake from behind, snarling at the Wrecker.
King-Quan sighed. “Not what I wanted.” He declared. “But I’ll work with what I have.” He said as he took his sword out and walked, trying to search and find a way inside.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that qualifies to what I’ve said as well.” Scorchlock nodded his head. “Look, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to save Big Bot in the sky up there.” He declared.
As soon as they open fire she transformed into robot mode and went into freefall. Then moments later changing into space fighter mode and rocketing upward. Leaving the two jet troopers to shoot at each other, and if she was really lucky, they’d crash into one another head on.
With great reflexes he turns around and balls one of his claw hands into a dense fist, throwing a fast and heavy punch right into the Berserker’s face.
“T-t-t-there!” Spectrum pointed excitedly.
“Probably.” SideStep remarked, glancing at the Blue Key in his hand.
He walked up to the broken door.
“I’m smart enough to figure out how to use a key. Can’t be that hard, right?”
A round airlock beneath the turrets would allow King-Quan to enter the ship.
“Prove to us that you can,” the two Knights say in unison, before their holograms fade away.
Garand translates.
The door had no keyhole for the Blue Key, nor does one appear when SideStep approaches. Like the rest of the chamber, it was heavily damaged and worn with age.
One Air Trooper shoots the other down, but just barely avoids death. Evidently, this instance of friendly fire didn’t weigh too heavily on this bot’s conscience, as he wastes no time trying to re-acquire Starchaser.
The Berserker hits the ground on all fours, coughing up a spray of Dark Energon as he seethes at Treadquake, growling like a savage mechanimal.
The Heavy Trooper is shot in the head and dies, falling on top of Thrift.
SideStep knocked on the door. [quote=“Chromeharpoon, post:7613, topic:49995”]
The Heavy Trooper is shot in the head and dies, falling on top of Thrift.
[/quote]
Thrust chuckles and tries to lift the trooper off of Thrift.
“You alright?”
Starchaser notes where the small autobot pointed, keeping track of the location as she finished up this dogfight.
“Alright. I’ll get down there as soon as I can.”
Starchaser turns around and opens fire on the air trooper, flying at him head on.
Treaduake stomps down on the decepticon, as a means of pinning it down. Then using one one of his claw hands he grabs at it’s leg and tries to rip it off.
Spectrum nodded.
His optics detected an airlock, he cautiously walked towards it and opened it up and went inside. King-Quan while not a master at stealth, didn’t cause much noise if at all. As he was ascending down and once he did. He ducked away and his optics were looking to each side. He was most likely looking in directions to see if there were any enemies nearby and a way towards the bridge.
Scorchlock’s right optic twitched as the two holograms said that he should prove himself. “Nuts and Bolts didn’t I prove myself already!” He said loudly, as he sighed exasperatingly. “Hmph, typically, wise bots with wording that makes no sense, as usual. They didn’t even tell me what the trial was.” He mentioned as he looked around for any signs of a trial.
The knock produces a dull thud that echoes throughout the darkened room.
Thrift picks himself up off the ground.
“E-yep!” the merchant says. “Never been better.”
“Didn’t really need your help,” he lies. Unconvincingly. “Had that guy on the ropes, I did.”
The trooper is shot to pieces, what’s left of him falling beneath Starchaser and tumbling toward the battlefield below.
The Berserker howls as Treadquake rips his leg off. With manic fury in his eyes he points a dual-barreled cannon up at the Wrecker and fires a shot of plasmic Dark Energon at him.
The airlock opened into an antechamber with shelves lined with repair equipment for the turrets outside. Luckily for King-Quan, there were no enemies in her with him.
“…can I open it?” SideStep tried opening the door. [quote=“Chromeharpoon, post:7618, topic:49995”]
Thrift picks himself up off the ground.
“E-yep!” the merchant says. “Never been better.”
“Didn’t really need your help,” he lies. Unconvincingly. “Had that guy on the ropes, I did.”
[/quote]
“Sure. Just keep telling yourself that.”
Thrust pats him on the shoulder.