How are the Cons?

[Synapse-3]

When orders are given, they're supposed to be followed. Especially if said orders are given directly from the likes of Rodimus Prime. Nothing sends Synapse's engines racing and nodes twirling like being addressed by the upper echelons of the command chain. Or Perceptor. Of course, there's still that matter of watching out for his own chassis to think about, but a simple scouting mission? Synapse can handle that for his superiors and even have some fun along the way if he's lucky.

A small, green shuttle shoots into the upper stratosphere and zooms out of the coastal city area and further inland. Off towards the Decepticon base, or rather, the location that he that the base had been at back beyond Perceptor portal. Here's to hoping that those two Decepticon jets are kept busy enough as to not notice his exit. If not, it will be time to put his evasion skills to a test.

But if he's not spotted, arrival to the Decepticon base area should be very soon. Will there be someone there to welcome him? That is, if they can spot the minibot. It has been a while since he's gotten a chance to play.

[Fleetwind]

Orders are received, and the pastel Seeker Fleetwind takes to the air. He transforms and immediately makes towards the outer perimeters of base, gaining altitude as he does.

As it so happens, pyramid jets are capable of stratospheric flight - the atmosphere on Cybertron is much thinner than that of Gillanan III, after all. But at this moment, Fleetwind is expecting more trouble from below than above, so, while he climbs rather high so as to keep a watch on more, he's still a good bit below Synapse's altitude. No doubt the Minibot will see him long before Fleetwind sees Synapse.

[Thundercracker]

Thundercracker isn't far behind Fleetwind, though he's keeping his gaze more focused on the sky than on the ground. Fliers are apt to arrive here before ground-bounds, after all, and he'd rather not be caught by surprise by an Aerialbot or that weird blue Seeker everyone thinks is him. Is this planet just a magnet for blue jets or what?

He's expecting a fellow jet, not a minibot shuttle, and he's not expecting an enemy from as high up as the upper stratosphere, so he doesn't spot Synapse just yet...

[Synapse-3]

Yellow pyramid jet and blue Earth jet. Fleetwind and...Thundercracker? This world's shuttle slave is still with his faction? Synapse drops to get a better look before zooming back up with a frustrated sniff. Blue jets, the Decepticons are full of them. But the red and white trim signals enough. That is a Thundercracker. Wouldn't Skyfire be delighted?

//I can see you...//

Synapse lets his excitement get the better of him and the whispered murmur escapes over a short-band radio frequency. At the slip, the shuttle skips a little higher and pours more speed into its thrusters. No, no! He can't let himself get caught now.

Further ahead, his nodes begin descending to get a better look at the familiar area.

[Fleetwind]

Fleetwind hears a whispered murmur over general frequency, one whose low signal power indicates either that it was transmitted from very far away, or from very close but at low power. Given the content of the transmission, Fleetwind's assuming the later.

//Did you get that?// he asks Thundercracker, not on the general frequency, but Thundercracker's own. //I'm reporting it to Scourge and raising altitude.// With that, the Seeker does just as he said he would, lifting his nose upwards and scanning the sky. Of course, the problem is that, while his sensors are better suited to long distance use than other Seekers', he still can't compare with Synapse in this department. Still, eventually he sees a small dot overhead.

//I think I see... something.//

[Thundercracker]

//Yeah, I heard it// Thundercracker replies. Whoever it was, they just failed at being sneaky.

//I see it too// he says eventually as he, too, climbs enough to get a look at the intruder. //Too high up for any kind of attack run. Must be a scout or spy mech. You want to engage?//

[Synapse-3]

Jets don't go nose up for no reason at all. He's been spotted. Synapse doesn't waste time to curse, instead he keeps heading towards his ordered destination. He'll deal with the problem of Decepticon jets when they get within range. Best get whatever readings Rodimus Prime wants before even entertaining the idea of dancing closer to those jets. But first, he puts through a quick radio call over broadband, doing his best to hold back any smug excitement from his voice. It was his excitement after all that gave away his position after all.

Through his nodes, Synapse can now make out the mining town and the hilly geography far below. Is...is that a crater? What about--he can't make out the details properly at this height. He'll have to lower his altitude dramatically to view properly. But even at this height, Synapse notices that something is off about this 'Decepticon base'. So down from the stratosphere descends a small green shuttle. He doesn't come down over the town though. No, he'll make a pass and circle back so to lose altitude...and perhaps his two jets safely. But, if worse comes to worse, Synapse has his own quick way of dropping in.

[Fleetwind]

Whatever it is, it's fast - fast enough to be a spacer, and small enough to be hard to track. His erratic movements made it difficult to keep an optic on him, and Fleetwind loses contact with the intruder.

He gives up trying, and climbs into a position directly over base before transforming and flipping over. Then, upside down, he spins in the air, getting a good look in all directions before he points towards the descending Minibot. And since he happens to be able to see him, and happens to be pointing in the right direction, he fires off two quick shots with his shoulder-mounted weapons before transforming and diving back down on an intercept course.

[Thundercracker]

//I'll take that as a yes// Thundercracker notes as the minibot drops in altitude and Fleetwind pulls his maneuver. He considers using his sonic abilities to jar the intruder out of the air, but with Fleetwind in the way that's probably not the best of ideas. Instead, he changes course, also to intercept.

[Synapse-3]

Synapse dives down towards the town, utterly intent on making a sweep and then getting out. It's no fun when they already know you're there. He only relishes in a cat and mouse chase when it's him that's doing the stalking. He doesn't notice the shots hurtling towards him till too late. The blasts graze over his roofing and pierces his left booster as Synapse makes an attempt to avoid them. Small and quick, but that also means that his armor is as thin as it comes.

A pained scream and the confident air that Synapse had carried disappears. Gone is his graceful movements. Instead, the green shuttle tumbles and smokes clumsily through the sky and the two nodes scatter jerkily from their path. Alerts flash through Synapse's vision, but even before that he's already made a decision: It's time to retreat. He values his own chassis more than his orders. Hopefully, what information he has been able to gather is sufficient enough to avoid incurring Rodimus's ire.

He regains control of his movements, no longer on quite a free fall descent. Time to bow out of this situation...if he can.

[Fleetwind]

Fleetwind is certainly appreciative of not being hit by a sound wave from behind! Or even a Soundwave.

The Seeker crows out loudly. "Hah-haa! Got him!" However, the erratic movements, triggered in part by Fleetwind's own strike, make tracking the spacecraft difficult once more. He loses track for a moment and is forced to pause in his chase to hover.¹ He tilts in the air, looking for his prey, and moments later, far in the distance, spots him again.

//There he goes!// he alerts Thundercracker.

---

¹ That's right. Hover. Cartoon Seekers are shown to be capable of hovering. Some can also fly underwater. Carton Seekers are some weird jets.

[Thundercracker]

//Gotcha!// Thundercracker tells Fleetwind, and he opens the throttle all the way and goes after the mini-bot. The green fleck of the minibot grows slowly larger as he gains on his foe. Just a little closer...

Now!

Away goes one drone rocket, already locked onto its target and closing the distance between Thundercracker and the minibot...

[Synapse-3]

He's gotten most of the alerts tucked away and prompts dealt with when the scream of jet engines register on his sensors. One of his nodes relay the image of Thundercracker speeding towards him. A frustrated and slightly panicked growl escapes and Synapse quickly reorients himself. His left booster chokes as he attempts to pour in the usual power. It's a few seconds before it finally sputters to life--a few precious seconds as the rocket deploys and starts to get way too close for comfort.

Synapse's makes for an evasive maneuver. But when the simple shake does nothing to dislodge the rocket the minibot realizes that it'll take more speed and more jerky movements to get rid this new threat. It's speed and movement that Synapse can't quite make.

If he can't evade them in the air, then he shall have to go a different course. As soon as he passes over the town, Synapse abruptly swerves and cuts off the power to his boosters. A rough transformation and down plummets the scout towards a patch of tall trees, rocket following. If all works out well, he hopes to find some sort of cover in them as well as disorienting the rocket's tracking systems.

[Fleetwind]

Fleetwind flies overhead, circles once where Synapse dives under tree cover, then pulls up, transforms, and hovers, watching the treeline for a moment. He's not diving down there while there's still a rocket on Synapse's tail, but as soon as that's blown, one way or another, he's going after him.

//We're supposed to try to take him alive, is possible,// Fleetwind radios Thundercracker, //but I don't think Scourge's sorrow circuitry will trigger over bringing him back in pieces.//

[Thundercracker]

Thundercracker transforms to hover and watches the minibot also transform and drop into the trees, the rocket following. At Fleetwind's reminder he radios back //That's true. But if it doesn't connect, it should at least flush him out of hiding...//

There's a rending explosion as the rocket strikes something and detonates. He keeps his arm guns trained on the forest below, waiting to see the results of his shot.