Spotlight: Turntail Pt2 (The Back-Up)

The Orion Pax: Hangar

This yawning chamber is the reason the entire star carrier exists, and runs a substantial portion of the length of the kilometer-long starship. In fact, if certain cargo modules were moved around, one could stow an entire Nimitz-class aircraft carrier within the Ark II's hangar hold if one so chose to do so. (Or if Broadside just wanted to stretch his legs, so to speak.) The area is a flurry of activity, offering sensory overload to any one individual who attempts to track all that is going on here at any given time. Several gleaming orange Autobot shuttles rest in parking booths, with a number of umbilical fuel hoses attached to their ventral connection ports. Service vehicles (and possibly vehicle-mode Autobots) wiz back and forth, and the constant hiss and clanging of machinery fills the air. From time to time, warning lights flash as a ship taxis towards one of the massive airlock-lifts, which lead to the carrier's surface deck.

-- External ship broadcasts for this room are ON         Type +shiphelp for help This is a ship entrance/exit room. Use the AIRLOCK command to leave the ship for it's current location: Military Medium Orbit - Pz-Zazz --

Contents: Autobot Shuttle 

 Turntail says, "This is Turntail, reporting from the Orion Pax. I wonder if Steeltread might be around for a bit of a chat?"

 Steeltread says, "what sort of a chat? or is that classified?"

 Turntail says, "No doubt you'll find out soon enough fella. I'll wait for your arrival in the hangar bay, just don't be too long."

Steeltread has arrived.

Steeltread walks his way out of the shuttle and starts to head for the hallway....

Leaning back against the far wall, the sleek shape of the Autobot scout stands, arms folded across his broad chest, eyeing a pair of passing femmbots with a tip of the helm and a cool smile. With the hulking Autobot transport touching down on the deck, Turntail looks up, and nods curtly as he kicks up from the wall, and moves to stand in Steeltread's way between the shuttle and the doorway. "About time lad, was starting to wonder if you were gonna turn up at all." A grin.

Steeltread looks towards Turntail as he stands in front of him and tilts his head. "i almost didn't. but then I figured you wouldn't ask for me personally if you didn't have something either you couldn't handle......or didn't wanna mess with. What is it?"

Turntail lets slide a little chuckle, shrugging his sloping shoulders with a well-trained ease. Gesturing for the hulkign soldier to follow, the scout turns and moves for the hallway. "Nothing like that, I've a little favour to ask of one or two Autobots, and you know? The first name to come to my processor was you." With the *SWISH* *SWOOSH* of the hangar bay's motorised doors, the Intelligence Officer steps out and along the twisting corridors.

Orion Pax - Corridor - Aft(#1419RLnt)

The Ark II's spinal corridor forms into a hub terminus in the aft quarter of the ship. The scenery suddenly becomes more utilitarian, with a number of heavy, reinforced blast doors leading to many of the ship's vital blocks. The center of the aft concourse is a heavy cargo lift, which rises up to give access to the ship's launch bay. Surrounding the central cargo lift is a roundabout of sorts, allowing traffic to quickly swing around and head back up towards the fore of the sprawling starship.

-- External ship broadcasts for this room are ON         Type +shiphelp for help -- Obvious exits: FO leads to Orion Pax - Corridor - Fore. TR leads to Orion Pax - Training Room. EB leads to Orion Pax - Engineering Bay. HB leads to Orion Pax - Hangar Bay.

Steeltread has arrived.

Steeltread tromps his way out behind Turntail. "Ah......Was it cuz of that one jaunt to barbados?"

Turntail flashes a sidelong grin to Steeltread as he strides through the utilitarian corridors, "Partly." With his new intelligence codes, the scout looks over the soldier beside him with a new understanding of the mech. Primus bless those personnel files. "I understand you have some knowledge of commando operations? And of military tactics?" Passing a larger group of gumby technicians, the blue 'bot makes a sharp left, taking the pair on a winding tour of the ship's less important corridors, cunningly avoiding too much attention.

Steeltread nods quietly. "Yeah. I have a bit of knowledge about such things. It helped with the Alteron defense network, unfortunately....I didn't count on a traitor in the ranks. or didja read that in the report?"

Turntail smiles gently, waving a hand dismissively, "I read some of the story.. perhaps you could tell me the whole story, hmm? Another time, though. For now I just need to know you're up to a challenge. One that'll require your tactical knowledge, your bulk, and your strength to defeat the Decepticons down on that world below us." Taking a right, the Autobot continues walking the honeycomb of maintenance corridors, only speaking when the coast appears to be clear. "You see, I've been tasked on an infiltration mission down on the surface.. I'll be risking my neck down there, and I need to know skilled Autobots will be on hand for my pickup, and to complete the mission once I've opened the gates up. If anything, this would be an arrest mission.. immobilize the enemy, confiscate their gear, send a message to the crimelords of Pz-Zazz. For it I'm gonna need a squad of big, fast-thinking 'bots. I figure you've served long enough to have a decent group of mechs willing to serve beside you in the ranks." Here, the scout stops, and turns to face the soldier, his hands resting on his hip plates as he narrows his optics at Steeltread, a coy smirk growing across his metallic features, "So - what do you say? You up for the challenge?"

Steeltread chuckles at that. "if you didn't need me right now....i'd say wait until i got back from Alteron so I could recover my sword. But no matter....it can wait.' he then chuckles a bit more. "I'm not quite as fast in thought as i used to be. i'll help, but the 'help' you're looking for is in short supply at the moment."  Steeltread says, "additional help. sorry."

Turntail nods at this, "I understand that much. I'm leaving that down to you. Find some trustworthy troopers, let them know what they're needed for - but keep it quiet. This is a covert operation.. be sure not to inform any high-rankers - if anyone's gonna be bugged, it'll be them. Your task when the mission is on, will be to simply await my signal. When you hear it - I want you and whoever you select to storm the safehouse. Shoot anyone with a purple badge, and secure the area. How you do it - is up to you." With a smile, the scout sets his hand on Steeltread's shoulder plate, and eyes him solemnly. "If it goes to plan, we'll start a precedant that'll knock the Decepticons from the planet as quickly as they arrived."

Steeltread crosses his arms and stares at turntail for a moment. Not in disbelief, but in thought. "this would be a lot easier if I was my original size." he then flickers his optics and looks to Turntail again. "Do you want the safehouse left intact?"

There is, of course, a large chance of Turntail still being inside when he calls for support, so of course he wants it standing! With a smile, the Autobot nods, "There may be enough evidence in the safehouse to condemn anyone we catch in there. Best we leave the thing standing.. for the time being, eh? Not to mention witnesses." And, alas, Turntail's hide. After all, he asked Steeltread here for a very good reason. He's big enough to hide behind. "What I need of you is a simple in-immobilize-secure procedure. Whether you come in through the wall or the door, there's still gonna be organics in there, so do try and raid the place as efficiently s possble."

Steeltread nods. "so the Wreckers and Dinobots are out. Any of our people gonna be in there? Other than the insertion team."

Turntail grinds his jaw servos quietly, he made this plan. He made it a good plan. What he wasn't counting on, was being made the man to go inside. he meant it for.. for someone else. For Mirage, or.. Sunstreaker.. or.. anyone. To be sent alone into enemy occupied ground, just isn't this scout's idea of fun. "No.. No it'll just be me in there. Depending on the safehouse's layout, I'll either open the door or simply transmit its location, I'm going to have to rely on resourcefulness. Just as you will."

Steeltread nods quietly. "Thank you for telling me, Turntail. and I meant is anyone going to be in there.....that included you. Now that i know you're in there......I'll make sure to shoot first.' He then chuckles and lightly smacks turntail on the shoulder. "Just kidding. Though I will say that there's not many Autobots I'd trust with a SWAT operation."

Turntail nod solemnly at this, ignoring the supposed joke. After all, good humour only goes so far, but when it comes down to a coward putting his neck on the line? You can forget it. "Perhaps not, but do your best. Remember, we don't know what kind of opposition we're gonna be getting - be prepared for all eventualities. Good luck, soldier." With a smile, the scout steps back, and tips his helm, before striding through the corridors for his next task. Whether it be more special operations, or simply trying to steady his nerves at the bar, who knows?