Salvo nods.
“My pleasure,” she says. “Good luck out there.”
“Thanks!”
Starchaser said before she rocketed off back to the primary hanger. She looked around for a ground bridge terminal that could transport Fortress to the planet’s surface.
Ground bridge terminals wrapped around the railings encircling the giant Allspark hologram in the middle of the main hangar, able to create portals of varying sizes.
Starchaser approached one of the terminals. Granted she didn’t have the landing coordinates just yet, but it’d be best to familiarize herself with the workings of the ground bridge before she sent her close friend through it.
Operating the ground bridge seemed simple enough: one entered the coordinates of their desired location into the terminal, and pulled down on a lever to create a two-way portal to their destination.
Coordinates for a landing zone upload themselves to Starchaser’s internal computers, courtesy of Motherboard, who extended the courtesy to the rest of the crew (@BlackBeltGamer98 @meepinater)
1 Like
Starchaser input her own coordinates, as well as those of the landing sight. Though before she pulled the lever, she looked for a way to adjust the size of the gate.
“Sounds good.”
SideStep transformed and drove off to the ground bridge.
The gate would already be wide enough to accommodate Fortress in his vehicle mode.
Several crew members were doing the same, ready to claim the next Omega Key and get one step closer to completing their mission.
1 Like
Starchaser pulled the lever and opened the gate. She ran over to Fortress’ new home, happy to find her other two friends present as well. Broadwing and Pipebomb seemed to be getting themselves set up in the open structure.
“Alright everybody! We’re moving out!”
Starchaser said.
Pipebomb and Broadwing got up from their current activities and walked towards the door.
“I wish you safe travels.”
Fortress said.
“You can wish em on the way there big guy! You’re coming with us!”
Starchaser said happily.
“A pleasant surprise.”
Said the war giant. He transformed into vehicle mode and drove to the entrance.
“I shall relieve you the burden of transportation.”
“Well aren’t you a sweetheart.”
Starchaser said, somewhat jokingly.
“Thanks big guy.”
Starchaser and Broadwing climbed into the main cabin up front. A little cozy with two occupants, but not uncomfortable. Meanwhile Pipebomb went into the first chamber behind the driver’s cabin. Fortress then drove off and went through the ground bridge portal.
SideStep entered the room with the groundbridge and transformed, looking around to see who was coming with.
Fortress and company emerge from the portal in a clearing, with evergreen forest all around. High mountains rose in the distance on either side, their peaks dusted with snow. In between two of these mountains was a bronze tower encircled by a spinning ring, with conduits of red light running down its length and bridges connecting to the mountainsides beside it.
Unfortunately, the spire wasn’t the only marker of cybertronian presence here on Scintilla, for the New Decepticon fleet hung in the sky above the forest. The Armageddon and the Vigilant hovered between the fleet’s nine battered assault craft and the supply ships, while the carriers disgorged fighters and dropships that sped toward the ancient spire.
SideStep was accompanied by Halfrunner, DJ, Thrift, Facelift, and Shockwave.
“Are y’all ready?” Sidestep asked.
Halfrunner and DJ nod, with Halfrunner unfurling the machine gun in his right arm.
“Aye, I’d say so,” the barkeep says.
Thrift cracks his knuckles, causing sparks to shoot up from his hands.
“Born ready,” he brags. “Seriously, I came out of my hatching pod with a survival kit right next to me.”
Facelift curls and uncurls his talons rhythmically.
1 Like
“Alrighty, let’s go.” SideStep walked into the groundbridge, pistol in hand.
The portal deposits SideStep and his entourage in a section of forest not far from Starchaser’s group. The portal had sliced apart a few trees when it opened, and their burnt splinters littered the forest floor.
Halfrunner takes sight of the ancient cybertronian spire in the distance. “Would ya look at that,” he says, awed.
“Uh, I’m more focused on the evil armada looming ominously overhead, I’m afraid,” Facelift replies. He points a sharp finger up above the tower, where the New Decepticon fleet hovered menacingly.
“Oh, come on!” Thrift groans. “It’s bad enough they keep following us- now they beat us to the punch?!”
“Lurch has been imprisoned since before the Dark Omega Key’s acquisition and the translation of the nav-data in its drives,” Shockwave says. “He would have had no opportunity to leak our heading to Bludgeon, nor would the fleet be able to outpace us with their antiquated FTL drives.”
“Logical or not, they’re here, one-eye,” Halfrunner retorts grimly. “Slag; we gotta get Salvation down here.”
1 Like
SideStep frowned at the enemy ships above them. “Looks like we got the short end of the stick,” he commed the bridge. “Bludgeon got here first.”
“What? How?!” Flyby could be heard yelling in the background of the transmission, followed by Motherboard issuing an order for all hands to man their battle stations and prepare for combat.
“Ground teams, move in!” Topside orders, clearly alarmed, but still resolute. “Use the trees for cover; Salvation’s coming down to give you support.”
“Oh sure, like a bunch of wooden sticks are gonna do anything against starship-grade plasma guns,” Facelift grumbles. “There won’t be enough of us left to make a washing machine out of.”
1 Like
“We’ll be fine, we just have to get the key and get out.” Sidestep growled.
He raised his pistol. “Come on, we don’t have much time.”
1 Like
Thrift shrugs, and reshapes his right arm into its gauss cannon form.
“Eh, who wants to live forever, right?” he says with a casual shrug.
“If there’s anything salvageable left from your corpses, could I have it?” Facelift asks the group, who all shake their heads and decline the offer.
SideStep rolled his eyes.
“Alright, you debby downers. Let’s do this.” He began running towards the spire.