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Post by Starscream (Movie) on Jan 24, 2011 18:27:17 GMT -5
"As well they might be, Waspinator. How they can stand to be so brief and flimsy is beyond me."
Starscream looks long and hard at Hellbender. The wormformer is really adamant about this idea. Adamant enough, perhaps, to take matters into his own hands? It bears watching.
After a long pause, he replies, "Would that it were that simple. It's never quite so easy to annihilate a group. Even if you saturation bomb all their strongholds, go through their settlements with flamethrowers, and fill their basements with poison gas, there are always a few that you miss. And those are the few that go on to start a resistance movement, hating you more than ever. They have an easy time recruiting others to their cause because they can always point at how you slaughtered their friends. 'You could be next!' they'll say. And then you're fighting a guerilla war." Starscream taps a claw on the arm of his chair. "The longest, most annoying kind of war."
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Post by Waspinator on Jan 25, 2011 12:40:39 GMT -5
“Blow up planet, done. Or neutron bomb all the organics. And then run like frag.” Truth be told, Waspinator wouldn’t really do any of that – other than the running part - but he could entertain the idea some.
He listened more to the others were saying, they all seemed to have something he could learn about tactics and the like. Some he knew from Boot Camp but he had no chance to put any theory to the test and what he had learned was a long time ago and mostly forgotten. As long as the worshipers didn’t summon their god or even an avatar, he was happy in that department, and he wasn’t going to give them a chance to study a Technorganic.
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Jan 25, 2011 16:21:45 GMT -5
Hellbender rumbles, a circuit-shivering subsonic sound.
"Ah see you ain't gonna believe me until they bite you in the aft. We had 'em back home. Creepy underground cult, more rumor and legend than anything else, until Unicron hisself moved in--then they came out of hiding and started assassinatin' key people. * We ARE going to have a guerilla war with them soon as they figure out what we really are." Hellbender shakes his head.
"Eh?" He turned his head toward Assault. "Ah dunno. This bunch on planet seems to hate anyone that's about not dying sooner, and if they figure out our techno-organic guys are with us, they'll hate them for that, as well. When they figure out what we really are, Ah expect targetted assassinations, not just harassment."
----- * Wildly extrapolating pre-Unicron attack in the Marvel G1 Movie timeline. In the main Marvel G1 timeline, Unicron cultists did start ambushing people in the tunnels either near Primus's hiding place, or just before Unicron showed. Assuming something like that happened in the Movie timeline, too.
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Jan 26, 2011 6:43:19 GMT -5
Oh, Assault would have been content to just listen to Hellbender prattle on and use that information as fuel for more delicious schemes, but no. Waspinator said something that finally made the Seeker facepalm. "Waspinator...That is quite possibly the most moronic idea that my audio receptors have processed in quite a while. We would gain absolutely nothing from taking out such a key tactical resource, save for the ire of the entire galaxy. Now would you kindly do us all a favor and seize flapping your mandibles? Thank you."
He spares the insect one final glare before shifting his attention to Hellbender again, nodding as he shifts to make himself more comfortable. "You are right, yes. Though hopefully their attention would shift to the Autobots, considering the young but illustrious Rodimus Prime."
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Post by Starscream (Movie) on Jan 26, 2011 19:26:33 GMT -5
"Would that we had the resources to level this cesspit of a planet. Unofortunately, we do not. Nor could we resist the inevitable retaliation," Starscream says, optics flicking between Waspinator and Assault. The Seeker has quite a mouth on him. If he talked to Starscream that way, he'd find himself short a vocal processor. It'll be interesting to see how Waspinator responds. If size is anything to go by, he looks like he can take Assault easily enough.
"Your concern is noted, Hellbender," the Air Commander replies to hulking Decepticon, raising a hand and gesturing. "If you are truly this concerned, have you raised the matter with Lord Shockwave? You have his ear, I understand." He also looks forward to seeing how the wormformer will respond to that assertion.
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Post by Waspinator on Jan 26, 2011 22:48:36 GMT -5
Apparently Assault doesn’t like the idea of Neutron bombs that only kill living targets and leave most infrastructures untouched. “Wazzpinator did not know Assault’z Audio receptorz had processorz of their own. And if we had the capability to lay waste to this planet then we wouldn’t need it az tactical resourzz”. He took an exaggerated sip from his coffee-milk thinking about how his room mate bit even when there was no bait.
Audio receptors having their own processors? That was Hellbender’s territory wasn’t it.
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Jan 27, 2011 11:50:48 GMT -5
Hellbender shifts uncomfortably. "Ah think Ah may have mentioned it to Lord Shockwave, an' he don't like 'em either. Ah think he's got some of the same lot back to his home. It ain't my place to tell him what priority to fit which enemies in his plans, though."
He smirks slightly at Waspinator's retort to Assault. Kid may be wierder than an Insecticon, but he has a sharp wit.
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Jan 28, 2011 14:53:40 GMT -5
Of course there is bait! Waspinator is being an idiot, and being surrounded by idiots is one of the things that Assault hates the most. It is for that reason that he gives the technorganic a piercing glare, his orange optics narrowing until they're thin burning slits of pure contempt. "How clever. For someone with the mind and importance of an insect. I would ask you to listen to yourself talk, but I doubt that you are capable of even realizing the stupidity of your own words. But I take comfort in the knowledge that with such intelligence, you will never rise to a station higher then 'grunt'."
He keeps his gaze fixed on Waspinator, daring him to say anything else, though he does not make a move for his weapons. Even if he is very tempted to just shoot the bug right about now.
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Post by Starscream (Movie) on Jan 28, 2011 20:13:46 GMT -5
"But telling me how I should prioritize our enemies is alright?" Starscream responds, fixing his optics on Hellbender and sounding none too pleased.
"If the two of you fight, don't do any major damage. You're both valuable military hardware," he growls at the bickering Decepticons.
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Post by Waspinator on Jan 29, 2011 13:17:13 GMT -5
“Mere insultz? Wazzpinator is stung”. The self claimed Predezecticon beamed at Assault, he felt he was riding the waves of the blues seekers verbal tirade rather well which of course only fuelled the fire. “And after how many millennia az a Decepticon iz Assault still only grunt too?” Last Waspinator was checked, they both ranked equally though the seeker was definitely the senior, no surprises there. Comparative age and life experience, Waspinator was practically a protoform compared to the others in the room. But he did have some plans and ambitions, though nothing concrete or overly ambitious, and nothing he was going to share.
Waspinator bowed his head towards Starscream, accepting the rebuke for what it was. The Lord on the other hand had been here only days and was already commanding, that bot knew how you climb hierarchy. He had no intention to fight his room-mate though he wouldn’t shy from such confrontation either. A fight of brain over brawn between these two would likely be dependant on the battle field to determine the victor.
“Actually, juzzt and idea, Cult doez not know uz, we careful enough, we don’t get blamed. We could perhaps dig under their templzz and plant neutron bombz. Though we could not get them all, we could severely weaken them without getting fingered. Are their enough different mech formz on planet that we would not get their wrath?”
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Hellbender
Major
Mecha-Shai-Hulud
"Seriously."
Posts: 892
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Post by Hellbender on Feb 8, 2011 14:19:07 GMT -5
Hellbender stares right back with his flat red optics. "Ayep, it is. You're new here, so you ain't seen Unicron's wreckage first-hand, and Ah get the impression you ain't got Unicron-worshipping psychotics back home. You really don't know what you're dealing with, yet. You think you do, you read about it in the database, but you ain't been there."
He flexed his armor shrouds. "'Least we ain't run into any of Unicron's own minions, so far as I know. If we did, the slag would really hit the rotors. But Ah reckon Ah've rambled enough 'bout that lot."
Assault's jeers catch Hellbender's attention again, and he frowns at the blue jet. "Son, you just can't resist pokin' at folks, can you? Dunno if you ever figured it out, but our Starscream back home got to number two in spite of being an unmitigated, obnoxious jerk, not because of it. Try emulatin' his skill, not his dross-rich excuse for a personality. "
The big worm-former glanced back at Starscream. "No disrespect intended to you, suh. It's just that for most of us from the other universes, the name 'Starscream' carries a burden, not a bonus. Ah do respect what Ah am seein' so far, suh--you remind me more of our Megatron than our Starscream. Seriously."
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Post by Skystrike/Skylar Stringers on Feb 8, 2011 15:11:19 GMT -5
The door slides open once more and another blue seeker quietly strides into the room, heading for the dispenser. She looks up from her datapad to greet the room’s occupants and... oh. The new Starscream.
Not missing a beat, she automatically gives the commander a formal incline of her helm. It was rather unexpected to see him surrounded by others at the table. It was especially unexpected to hear the strangely casual bickering in the presence of said commander. This wasn’t how people behaved around Starscream. Not the last time last Skystrike had checked anyhow.
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Feb 8, 2011 20:29:42 GMT -5
Oh, now Assault is getting rather...Irritated. It doesn't help that he hit a particularly sore spot, either. The corner of his lips briefly twitch, but that is all that betrays his thoughts. Even his voice is calm as he speaks, eerily so, his tone dropping to become heavier and, most of all, authoritative. "Do be careful, Waspinator. It is never wise to assume to know things, when there is such a substantial chance that you are very, very, wrong."
And right on cue Hellbender pops in, maintaining the peace as usual. Though the comparison he makes between the Seeker and Starsream earns the mining worm a brief glare, though it last no longer then a second. "The comparison to the lesser Starscream was uncalled for, Hellbender. But, I see your point and shall mind my words."
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Post by Starscream (Movie) on Feb 8, 2011 21:33:35 GMT -5
Starscream is already commanding because he has a really impressive resume. He had been commanding back home, so that is the job he gets here. Plus, it wouldn't have been pretty if Shockwave had started him out at the bottom and made him work his way up. They would have run out of space for all the bodies.
He's about to say something to Hellbender about how he appreciates the sentiment, but he shouldn't presume to give Starscream orders, when the wormformer compares him to Megatron. Screamer nearly jumps out of his chair to murder the other Decepticon, but manages to restrain himself, only half-rising from his seat before sitting back down. His talons, however, gouge furrows as he grips the arms of his chair tightly, betraying his tension.
His voice is icy, with murder in his eyes, when he finally gains enough control over his voice to say, "Do not compare me to Megatron, Hellbender. Ever. I know you are talking about yours, but mine was a fool who lost sight of what was important in his quest for power. It is because of him and Optimus Prime that my Cybertron is a ruin. I am nothing like Megatron." Starscream firmly believes all this to be true.
"Skystrike, isn't it?" he says, nodding at the Berkut as she walks in. He's glad of the distraction, honestly. He doesn't want to think about Megatron. The Air Commander is perfectly content to listen to his subordinates bicker instead. It's a good way for them to establish a pecking order without damaging each other. As long as they don't bother or mouth off at him, that is.
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Post by Waspinator on Feb 9, 2011 3:30:40 GMT -5
There might have been a screw loose in Waspinator’s motherboard or maybe a wingnut but the clock speed was enough for him to notice that Assault gave no outright denial of any sort either. If the blue jet was ranked higher than a grunt then Waspinator was sure he would have been informed of the ranking status. Still, assumption is the maternal factory unit of all screwups. He would stop pushing his roommate back until he was absolutely certain of comparative combat capabilities. Waspinator let Assault have the last word and his ego but he still gave a confident smile in return.
Waspinator nodded at Hellbender, “yup, no cultz, no Unicronz”. From what he understood, this was the definition of a good thing.
Barely an antenna flicked at the arrival of yet another flier, if this was back home, then the trend would be normal, the Decepticons having aerial superiority of the Autobots. The newly reformatted bug wondered what the trend was here.
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