Skyfire-3
Rookie
Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
Posts: 182
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Feb 9, 2008 12:34:50 GMT -5
Zooming halfway to orbit and coming back for a return pass wasn't an operation that gets accomplished in few seconds. A lot can happen in the dozen or two minutes it takes to pull it off. Synapse could get knocked out and captured. The enemy jets could leave. A renegade Optimus Prime-clone and his battle-station trailer could arrive. Starscream could come out and give chase.
Skyfire didn't know what he's plunging back down into and that made him nervous. He was carrying Perceptor as a passenger, who would probably take it badly if they were shot down, which made him doubly nervous. Optics and cameras and sensors focused on the battlezone below as Skyfire tried to assess the situation as early as possible.
The large black truck moving cross-country didn't escape his notice. Slag, had the rest of the Stunticon Guard made it to this reality? Very bad if they had; Motormaster's atomic cannon was just as powerful as Skyfire's proton cannon. No, wait... that was Scourge!
"What's that slagger doing here?" Skyfire cursed. "Cuttin' in on my action here, too?" Synapse appeared to be down and not moving. Also bad.
// Prime, I've got heavy resistance and Synapse is down. Reinforcements are moving in, including what looks like Scourge. What's the priority on retrieving Synapse vs. retrieving Oracle? I am reluctant to risk my passenger, Perceptor, on a futiile rescue run. // ..And what the slag did Fleetwind mean by that 'traitor' comment?
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Post by Sable Conolly on Feb 9, 2008 14:09:12 GMT -5
Scourge can make out two Seekers, one blue, one his. The yellow Seeker is why Scourge is out here. Even if Scourge didn't care about the threat to their airspace - and he does - he will not let his troops be assaulted lightly. It sets a poor example, and if his force is weakened, Scourge is weakened. It's hard to accomplish anything if his troops are all in the medical ward. The other Seeker is Sky-Byte's concern. If the blue Seeker bites it, it'll make Sky-Byte look bad, so Scourge can't say that he really cares if Thundercracker makes it out in one piece or at all.
That, and the threat to their airspace really torques Scourge off.
Skyfire, streaking down from reentry, is going to be Scourge's big concern here. He calls up his visual feed of the jet onto one of his monitors for Eye-fire and notes quietly over his internal speakers, "Just say the word when you want out."
Assuming that Eye-fire does once the tanker truck is in a relatively good position for the sniper, Scourge snaps his door open and releases the latches on his seatbelts.
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Eye-fire
Major
In two minds about everything
Posts: 597
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Post by Eye-fire on Feb 9, 2008 14:32:04 GMT -5
Eye-Fire wordlessly flies out of Scourges cabin, and immediately begins taking scans the environments for targets. One presents himself quite quickly.
Skyfire, diving down from high altitude. The lat time he had this particular bot in his sights, he let him get away. This time he was going to take one of those wings as a trophy.
Taking aim, and in particular taking notice of what his various range finders and sensors were telling him, he loosed three bolts in quick succession. The first was aimed to hit, the other two were merely to stop him from going to ground.
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Thundercracker
Minor
Accomodatus the Obliging, Costumer Extraordinaire
Maybe they should just move my berth to repair bay and have done with it...
Posts: 259
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Post by Thundercracker on Feb 9, 2008 16:31:47 GMT -5
His double has fled. Ah well, it would have been awkward fighting his shadow anyhow. And now that Scourge and Eye-Fire have shown up, he feels a bit more confident about taking on the giant Autobot flier.
//Fleetwind, do you need help apprehending the minibot? If not, I'll keep Skyfire off of you.//
While he waits for an answer he sends another drone rocket after Skyfire. He figures that, between Eye-Fire shooting and his own missiles, someone has to be able to hit him. Skyfire can't dodge every shot that comes his way...
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Fleetwind
Major
The Chancellor, His Eminent Grandeur, Marquis Fleetwind. The Insurgent Subduer of A Non-Threatening Cute Little Furry Kitten
Twined Elf
Posts: 730
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Post by Fleetwind on Feb 9, 2008 18:34:25 GMT -5
//Got him,// Fleetwind answers Thundercracker, keeping his words simple so that they'd make little enough sense out of context. Again, there is the concern that the other Thundercracker can hear.
Things certainly seem to be turning in their favor, although Fleetwind knows better than to rely too heavily on that. He keeps just a smidgen of his on the re-arriving Skyfire - battlefield awareness is one of the traits Aerial Dance instilled in its practitioners - and jinked just enough to let Synapse's shorts pass beneath him before closing the distance with the Minibot.
The plan is to swoop in and strike Synapse with right first, curled around the hilt of his blade, before following up with his a slash from his left dagger. He'll strike to disable as much as possible, to incapacitate, but don't worry: if Synapse starts to fall, he'll even try to catch him.
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Synapse-3
Cadet
It would be a pleasure...
Posts: 84
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Post by Synapse-3 on Feb 9, 2008 21:30:15 GMT -5
Synapse keeps at his escape vector, the small shuttle sputtering and sparking through the air. He goes tumbling again as something strikes against him. Right on top of him! That Decepticon was right on top of him. Too close!
In a fit of panic, the minibot makes to spin away, directing the hot wash of his boosters towards the direction of his attacker. It's too late though as a sharp pain sears across his back. Dagger, Fleetwind's dagger. However deep the slash may be, it's enough to put a shock to the minibot's systems as his nociceptors protest even more.
Synapse unfolds from his alt-form and begins to plummet back to the ground. Looks like Fleetwind will get to make his try at catching the falling scout.
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Skyfire-3
Rookie
Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
Posts: 182
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Feb 9, 2008 22:03:40 GMT -5
Skyfire thought he was still safely out of range of the gathering Decepticons below--then Eye-fire's shot lanced up and blasted a hole through his belly.
"ARRGGGH! Son of a sthondat, that hurt! Right in the cargo bay--slag, if that glitch damaged my books, I'll... give him to you, Perceptor. And I'll request videos of your procedures," Skyfire snarled. He continued on course long enough to launch two photon missiles at the source of the shots, then turned away and burned for the rendezvous with Oracle. "That had to be Eye-fire. Seems like this bunch got that useless glitch to function. Are any of my books on fire back there? Don't want to dump fire retardant on them if I don't need to, might damage them."
// Sorry, Synapse, you're on your own for now, // Skyfire radios. He flies swiftly away.
--- OOC: Off to Oracle thread!
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Post by Victoria Raines on Feb 9, 2008 23:08:34 GMT -5
Shockwave has been watching, arriving shortly before Scourge, but holding off, waiting to see what Eye-Fire could do to Skyfire. True, Shockwave had given orders that would allow for lethal force, but what he would prefer is that the scientist be brought down more or less intact. Perhaps Starscream's mistake could yet be rectified. It goes against the grain, to blithely destroy the useful when other options are available.
But Eye-Fire's hits are not sufficient to the task. Shockwave transforms, firing two blasts in quick succession, but it is impossible to tell if he hit his mark, as fast as Skyfire is retreating. Odd, that. Not an attack, then, but perhaps an extraction? It is not like Skyfire, to leave a comrade behind so easily, especially not the Skyfire who was willing to risk himself against Omega Supreme to "rescue" Long Haul for Hook.
Shockwave lands, noting that Fleetwind seems to have the scout well in hand. Now what is this? Walking a few steps over to where one of Synapse's nodes had fallen, Shockwave crouches, reaching out to run his fingers lightly over the nodes surface. He spies the other node not that far away. External sensory nodes. Interesting. Exactly how tied to them is the little scout, Shockwave wonders, letting his fingertips dig lightly into the metal.
OOC: Handling of Synapse-3's nodes done w/ player permission.
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Post by Sable Conolly on Feb 10, 2008 9:58:48 GMT -5
As soon as Eye-fire is out, Scourge cries, "Scourge, transform!"
As much as Scourge is learning to loathe the voice activation codes, they're fine if he wants to draw attention. In robot mode, he has access to weaponry that he can aim up a lot higher than his disc launcher.
In robot mode, he has access to a lot more weaponry, period. At the sight of two missile headed in the direction of Eye-fire, which is uncomfortably close to Scourge's own position, he calls, "Barrage attack!" and unleashes a flurry of four mini-missiles, targeted after Skyfire's missiles, aiming to detonate them in the sky, where they won't land Eye-fire in the medical ward and Scourge with light shrapnel wounds.
Skyfire has pulled out too quick for Scourge to bother drawing his handgun and trying for a shot. Instead, he can only reflect, in accordance with the radio chatter, that this is weird. He inquires of Fleetwind, //Need any assistance with the Minibot? Even if not combative assistance, you can lash him to my trailer when you're done with him.//
Scourge: personnel and cargo hauler. Conquest is not glorious, some days.
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Eye-fire
Major
In two minds about everything
Posts: 597
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Post by Eye-fire on Feb 10, 2008 10:36:37 GMT -5
Eye-Fire mentally sighs in relief as Scourges mini-missiles detonate one of the missiles aimed at him, the explosion throwing the other slightly off course.
This makes it slightly harder for Eye-Fire to shoot it down with a low powered blast, but he makes the shot.
"Hmm, looks like we didn't need air support after all. Strange though for Skyfire to cut and run like that after Synapse had been downed." Eye-Fire says walking towards Scourge.
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Thundercracker
Minor
Accomodatus the Obliging, Costumer Extraordinaire
Maybe they should just move my berth to repair bay and have done with it...
Posts: 259
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Post by Thundercracker on Feb 10, 2008 14:03:17 GMT -5
As Skyfire flees the scene Thundercracker, too, has to wonder what the frag is going on here. It's not like an Autobot to abandon a comrade on the battlefield, especially a smaller, weaker comrade. He's starting to doubt that, physical similarities aside, that was really Skyfire at all.
All the same, he stays airborne a little longer, transforming back into jet mode and doing a sweep of the area just to make sure no more aerial foes attack.
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Fleetwind
Major
The Chancellor, His Eminent Grandeur, Marquis Fleetwind. The Insurgent Subduer of A Non-Threatening Cute Little Furry Kitten
Twined Elf
Posts: 730
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Post by Fleetwind on Feb 10, 2008 20:27:43 GMT -5
The Seeker dives after the Minibot, although there's a moment at the beginning where it's not so much a dive as a tumble as his injuries give him trouble. He recovers quickly enough and sheathes his blades as he reaches down to pluck the falling Minibot out of the air.
//Considering I'm not even positive I can make it back to base on my own, I could certainly use assistance with any burden. Skyfire left a pretty nasty hole in me.//
With that, he changes course to drop the spy off at Scourge. Drop, here, is used in a literal sense, for no sooner does he touch the ground than he collapses, letting Synapse tumble to the ground as one hand goes to cover his gaping wound. "Blast it all," he grumbles.
Some think that Fleetwind is afraid of pain, of injury. This is not true at all. He's afraid of death. Pain and injury that falls short of it is acceptable, and indeed, is a reminder he's not dead yet. But still, it's not pleasant.
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Synapse-3
Cadet
It would be a pleasure...
Posts: 84
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Post by Synapse-3 on Feb 10, 2008 22:07:52 GMT -5
Synapse barely parses Skyfire's words, when he does, the large shuttle is long gone. He--he wouldn't. They wouldn't just leave him. They did. A wail emerges from the the minibot as realizes what happened. That wail quickly turns into a surprised gasp and flail as thousands of mechanoreceptors register someone's touch. He stiffens almost immediately afterwards, attempting to bottle in any other reactions.
The fall to the ground is met with a brief choke of his intakes, but Synapse remains frozen, concentrating on ignoring the input streaming in. The only thing really signaling his continued consciousness is the steady brightening of his visor and shallow breaths.
Trapped in Decepticon territory and very much captured. Well...they're Decepticons, albeit, a little strange...Nothing terribly bad can happen in this situation. Right? Soft-alloyed mechs that the cons are.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Feb 10, 2008 23:39:26 GMT -5
Shockwave does not miss the brief flailing of the minibot in Fleetwind's arms. Reacting to his capture, or to the stimulation of receptors on the nodes' surface? Odd really, to have such. It creates a weakness out of what should be an asset. Shockwave cradles the one node carefully in the crook of his arm, then gathers its twin before joining Scourge and company.
Shockwave stares down at the minibot for a moment, then drops one of the nodes unceremoniously into Synapse's lap. Shockwave's hand settles lightly atop the node he still holds, fingers tracing over one set of mechanoreceptors. "How very unlike an Autobot, to leave one of their own behind to such a dubious fate. It speaks of your worth- or lack of it."
Turning to Fleetwind, Shockwave says, "Well done. Do you require assistance to Medical, or can you manage on your own? Scourge, Eye-Fire, thank you for assisting with the capture of my prize." Privately to Scourge he adds, //The vocalization of your transforms and attacks are mandatory, I assume? It may be possible to change that. If you, perhaps, continued to be...helpful.//
Crouching down, he reaches out, the sharp point of a needle digging into Synapse's chin as he tilts the minibots' head up, "I do not suppose you care to make this easy, and simply answer my questions? Or must I find out exactly how sensitive these nocioceptors and mechanoreceptors are?
Sorry, Synapse. These are not the Decepticons you were looking for.
Again, touching done w/ player permission.
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Post by Sable Conolly on Feb 10, 2008 23:52:42 GMT -5
Scourge mutters, low enough that perhaps only Eye-fire will hear, "Something is wrong here."
Scourge summons his trailer from the netherspace where it plays poker with Rodimus Prime's trailer, and he considers Fleetwind's condition with a critical glance. He withdraws some cord and reaches down to heft the Seeker up, explaining, "There's room on the back of my trailer with the Minibot." The front of his trailer is where the disc launcher is. He doesn't think they want to block that.
He replies to Shockwave, the irritation carefully filtered from his voice, //You assume correctly, sir.// He hestitates, and then he adds, //Sir, I do not think it prudent to conduct an interrogation in this setting. It is unsecured. Might we return to the base and you to your lab?//
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