Burning Down Alaska

Northwest Territories/Yukon/Nunavut

Immense. That's the best description for the land area known as the Northwest Territories, full of tundra, animals, and cold, harsh weather. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't also so desolate. Human settlements are few and far between. Most are small Inuit families that live in small, comfortable communities. The one large settlement, Whitehorse, is still sparsely populated, and is little more than a glorified village. The one thing that has never been used to its full potential here are the shale oil fields beneath the ground, but technology has yet to find a cheap and effective way to remove it.

Apocryphacius has arrived.

Lars Daalgard has arrived.

Lars Daalgard

The FV5096 Centurion 2 is a NATO main battle walker (MBW) currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, and Oman, as well as the United Nations Earth Defense Corps. It was designed and built in cooperation between the British company BAE Systems Land and Armaments, and the German Krauss-Maffei. The manufacturers advertise it as the world's most reliable main battle walker. It has seen operational service in Syria, North Korea and Afghanistan.

Centurion 2 is the second vehicle of this name, the first being the FV4202 Centurion, a well-respected Second World War MBT which served armies throughout the world, some still in service until the 1990s. Like its namesake, the Centurion 2 is very well armored and sure-footed, if not particularly fast over land, and armed for all engagements, a "universal walker."

The Centurion 2 uses spaced, multi-layered composite armour throughout the design. Estimated levels of protection for the Centurion 2 are 590 - 690 RHAe on the turret, 600 RHAe on the glacis and lower front hull. The mine-protected Centurion 2A4M and 2A6M adds an additional mine protection plate for the belly, which increases protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.

Two groups of 4 Wegmann 76 mm smoke mortars are mounted on either side of the turret and can be electrically fired either as single rounds or in salvos of four, with the exception of Norwegian Centurion 2s, which are instead equipped with a Norwegian-designed smoke mortar system with six barrels on each side.

The crew is also protected against Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) threats, as the Centurion 2 is equipped with a NBC overpressurization system which provides up to 4 mbar (0.004 kp/cm2) over-pressure inside the vehicle.

The primary armament for production versions of the Centurion 2 is the Rheinmetall 120 mm smoothbore gun, in either the L44 variant (found on all production Centurion 2s until the A5), or the L55 variant (as found on the Centurion 2A6 and subsequent models).

The gun can be fully stabilized when the walker is locked down into a firing stance, and can fire a variety of types of rounds, such as the German DM33 APFSDS-T anti-tank round, which is said to be able to penetrate 560 millimeters (22 in) of steel armour at a range of 2,000 metres (2,200 yd).

The Centurion 2 is also equipped with a pair of twinned machine guns, one in a coaxial mount and the other on a pintle mount. On German models, the four machine guns are the MG-3 7.62 mm machine gun; on Dutch models, FN MAG 7.62 mm machine guns, and on Swiss models, they are Swiss MG 87 7.5 mm machine guns. Norwegian models replace the two sets of machine guns with a Bushmaster IV 30mm chain guns in the coaxial mount, and a second on the pintle mount. 4750 rounds of chain gun ammunition are carried on board this version of the Centurion 2.

< Earth > Earth Defence Command's defence satellites suddenly fire off automatic alarms in allied military bases across the globe, including Autobot City. A Decepticon shuttlecraft is entering Earth's atmosphere at a breakneck velocity. Its hull has turned a deep shade of orange as it rapidly descends. The shuttle's destination appears to be in Alaska. EDC personnel with significant clearance will likely know exactly what the target is...

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Bluestreak leaves his quarters.

Bluestreak has arrived.

< Earth > Earth Defence Command's defence satellites suddenly fire off automatic alarms in allied military bases across the globe, including Autobot City. A Decepticon shuttlecraft is entering Earth's atmosphere at a breakneck velocity. Its hull has turned a deep shade of orange as it rapidly descends. The shuttle's destination appears to be in Alaska. EDC personnel with significant clearance will likely know exactly what the target is...

Eilson Air Force Base. During the Cold War, it was one of the first lines of defense against the Russians, but now that that threat is long past, it serves as a base for the EDC. In particular, it serves as Franklin Cross's staging ground for his experiments. Somewhere under a hangar, in a structure built beneath it, General Franklin Cross is watching as a specialized shell is loaded into a 120mm cannon. Up ahead is a gruesome chunk of Seeker torso, arm still attached, hanging from the ceiling from chains. "Shell loaded!" the crew reports.

"Good," Cross replies. "Fire!" The cannon fires, but it's not a shell. No... it's a bright beam of all things! And it punches a hole right through the torso, leaving a cloud of grey dust in its wake. Cross actually smiles at the results. "Excellent. This new prototype should be an excellent alternative to the beam weapon. Using disposable solenoids--which themselves disintegrate after firing--there's no need to worry about an energy projector overheating."

Then the alarms go off! "What the--" Cross blurts out. "What the hell is going on?"

Apocryphacius transforms into his Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > mode.

Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > does not have much of a security clearance, but he does have a skill in Weapons Engineering, so he mostly documenting the experimentation and not saying anything, quietly judging the proceedings and manfully resisting the urge to throw his datapad down the sink and add some piranhas. Being a Quintesson is hard. No one understands. He distracts himself with trying to back-extrapolate the inner workings of the new shells from their outwards effects.

Then the alarms go off.

So Apocryphacius checks to make sure he still has his weaponised Cucurbita with him. He does? Good.

Centurion II MBW stands guard at the Alaskan base, already on station in expectation of just such an event. Its crew loiter outside the tank, discussing the Olympic scores in Norwegian, when the tank commander comes up to them with good news. < < "The test is successful! We may be able to get shells of the new weapon for the Centurion within a few months," >  > he says in their own language. The general response is relieved and pleased. Lars joins his crew in listening to the Olympics over the tank radio, but soon enough the relaxation is broken by the whooping of klaxons. < < "Mount up!" > > The Centurion crew scramble up into their hatches and the turbines rumble and whistle.

From within the Autobot City base, the alarms go off right where he is. Bluestreak looked up at the blaring alarms and looks around him. He is alone at the moment, and upon not seeing anyone around him, races straight for a small ship. Destination- Alaska!

Permission to join denied.

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The Decepticon Shuttle Occupation's heat shields flare up as the ship blasts downwards towards the Eilson Air Force Base. Inside the shuttle, alarms are going off, instrument panels are registering as red, and the cabin is shaking from the pressure. It would all seem chaotic and reckless were any other Commander leading this mission. Shockwave has calculated the risks involved and deemed them acceptable. Striking fast is of paramount importance due to the weapon's devastating nature. That, and the best defence Decepticon Military Operations has--Shockwave glances in the back at the legion of Seekers, all ready to die for the cause... whether they know it or not.

Earth Defence Command has barely enough time to get to their battlestations by the time the Occupation arrives. Powerful ventral maser batteries open fire, blowing holes in several buildings within the base. The Decepticons don't know *exactly* where the weapon is, but Shockwave suspects they'll be finding out soon. With the shuttle providing covering fire, the Decepticons deploy. The Seekers go first, with half of them transforming into jet mode in order to commence with their pre-assigned bombing in.

Before stepping out of the hatch and into the open air, Shockwave considers whether it was a good idea to bring Motormaster along. The mech has a grudge to carry out, and Shockwave suspects it'll be tough to control him. But... unbridled destructive power has its place, doesn't it?

Firestar has arrived.

Motormaster had just managed to get the medics and mechanics intimidated to finish patching him up and rebuilding his armor fast enough when he'd heard of Shockwave's plan to attack the base. He wasn't going to miss this for anything, even if he'd had to come with only half his armor on. Now wouldn't that have been a sight! But they'd finished in time and he's fully operational once again...and full of wrathful fury! He's had days of laying on a medberth table being poked and prodded, forced to be idle while he was fixed, playing the whole scene from that horendous night over and over in his processor.

He looks over at Shockwave and glowers. He can almost 'sense' what the Con is thinking, "I'm not staying here. I've come for payback and you know it!" And with that, he waits until the ship comes close enough that he steps up behind Shockwave at the open hatch and prepares to jump right after the one eyed purple death machine himself. As he waits, he pulls his cannon out of subspace and prepares to lay waste to anything that gets in his way.

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Franklin Cross puts a hand to his right ear, listening to a hidden earpiece. "DECEPTICONS!?" he yells. "Dammit!" He begins calling the Autobots for help, though it visibly pains him to do so. "Blast it, how could they have found us? I oversaw the construction of this laboratory and made certain it was lined with lead. That should have blocked emissions!"

Cross begins hustling for the lift back up to ground floor. "Have all personnel evacuate immediately! Apocryphacius, I assume you might have a theory as to how they were able to find us?" he asks mid-stride, evidently expecting the Quintesson to keep up with him. He takes the lift up and before long he's hopped inside his Jump Tank and is rolling off to meet the enemy! Hopefully Apocryphacius was able to answer his question before-hand.

Firestar becomes an open bed transport. Look at the junk in that trunk!

Combat: Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > compares his Velocity to Franklin Cross's Velocity: Success!

Franklin Cross hops into his jump tank!

Firestar is still some distance off! She's fast though, and by nook or by crook she was relatively close in Ketchikan teaching fire prevention techniques to some of the local oil rig workers. Thanks to the power of Cybertronian technology, she'll be here soon! Despite what she said on the Autobot channel too, she is making no attempt to disguise herself.

< < Autobot Firestar, calling General Franklin Cross. Respond please, I am en-route to your location. What Decepticons have arrived? > >

Centurion II MBW reverses slowly towards the entrance of the main bunker, hunkering down behind a low defense line made of crash barriers to guard the door so that personnel don't just get mowed down as they come out. A pair of ports on the top of the tank snap open and extrude stubby cylinders with dark windows in them, which spin up rapidly to high speed- an anti-missile laser system.

Combat: Centurion II MBW sets its defense level to Protected.

Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > does manage to keep up with his General. A pair of his tentacles keep jotting down extrapolations, but a different pair splay out in a thinking geture, while a third pair steeples under what passes for a chin on his active mask. The Quintesson suggests, "Sir, you are harnessing a hithero unknown - to humanity, at any rate - form of radiation. Lead may not provide sufficient blockage. Suggest future masking testing when not being violently assaulted by space robots." He jots this note down.

Being one of the first ones out and en route to Alaska, he arrives sooner than either Encore or Firestar would. But Bluestreak doesn't miss the Decepticon ship zipping past him. Although said ship nearly clipped his. He spirals out of control for a moment, before he gets it under control. He prepares his ship for landing nearby, hoping that the Cons did NOT see him.

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Encore has arrived.

Shockwave doesn't argue with Motormaster. Unrestrained violence will be just fine here. Just don't expect me to bail you out again if things take a turn for the worse, Shockwave thinks. Now out in the sky, Shockwave is amongst a small armada of Seekers. The jet-mode Cons rush forward, laying down carpeting bombing. Were Eilson Air Force Base still from the Cold War era, it would have been demolished. But with modern technology the buildings still stand.

< < Jackhammer reporting, >  > one of the Seekers transmits, <  < Autobot ship detected, approaching from a south/southeast direction. ETA is two minutes. > >

Shockwave sees the ship as it makes its arrival, also noting the approach of Firestar. Autobots still come to the rescue of their human friends... it never fails. Surveying the battlefield from above while his soldiers press on, Shockwave notes the presence of a Jump Tank. He recognizes that model. He has no way of knowing for sure, but he suspects he knows the driver. < < Squadron B. Incoming trajectory assignments. Launch. > > The second wave of Seekers surge forward, transforming as they go. This time, they're delivering precision bombs to encompass the EDC Jump Tank and the NATO Walker, trying to nail the latter before its anti-missile lasers can come fully online.

Folding and unfolding with the usual noise, Encore transforms into an AC130U Gunship

Combat: Shockwave sets his defense level to Guarded.

Combat: Shockwave strikes Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > with his Bombing Run (Full-Auto) Area attack!

Combat: You took 11 damage.

Combat: Shockwave strikes Centurion II MBW with his Bombing Run (Full-Auto) Area attack!

Combat: Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > expertly repairs AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > 's injuries.

Combat: Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > is able to repair some of AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > 's internal systems damage.

Motormaster pulls his sword out of subspace as well just as he makes one of those 'heroic' leaps from the shuttle hatchway. He knows the threat, and he knows to stay clear any guns that this Cross might be wielding. But he's at 100% now. He's not being caught unaware this time. This time he's out for blood. He heads for the tarmac of the old base and lands with a massive THUD, shattering the pavement, having aimed to land close to a tank that was making its way towards the battle.

With an overhead swing, the drives the sword down towards it.

Combat: Motormaster sets his defense level to Fearless.

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Combat: Motormaster misses Centurion II MBW with his Ionizer Sword attack! [Pulled -3]

Once landed, Bluestreak got out of there and pulled out his weapons. He landed a little ways away from the EDC base, but he can see them. Even worse is that he sees a familiar Jump Tank take a hit from the Decepticons. True to his word, he has no intention of being fully seen, instead taking cover a fair distance away, he focuses on those attacking Cross. As reluctant as he is about the man, he doesn't think he should be cornered by the Decepticons either.

Combat: Bluestreak sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Bluestreak misses Shockwave with his Full-Auto Area attack!

Combat: Bluestreak strikes Motormaster with his Full-Auto Area attack!

Lasers flash from the turret of the crab tank, piercing one of the Seeker bombs as it descends and detonating it in mid-air. Shrapnel patters down, clattering off the hull as other bombs strike nearby, sending EDC troops ducking for cover behind the defense line. They've barely regained their feet before Motormaster charges the defenses, swinging his giant cleaver-like sword at the walker! It backs away just in time for the ponderous blade to hack into the ground, and as it brings its weapons to bear, the troops around it open fire with their anti-robot grenade launchers.

Combat: Centurion II MBW strikes Motormaster with its EDC Troops: ARG Launchers attack! [Pulled -2]

Cybertronian Transport < Firestar > arrives at the airbase pretty quickly. She specifically arrives at the airbase in dramatic Autobot style, demonstrating the savvy of someone who has been fighting Decepticons for several million years. On the outskirts of the base is a flatbed truck that looks to have been a car carrier. Yes, Ultra Magnus would be jealous. The ramps are down and Firestar hits it at a good three hundred miles an hour.

She transforms while airborne, landing first on her feet and then tucking into a neat little forward roll to absorb her momentum as she draws the shaft of her axe from where it is clipped to her beltline.

All around her, explosions are beginning to flash as EDC Troops Engage Motormaster. Surveying the situation with the experience of someone who has been in the fight many, many times, she begins to weave her way through as much cover as she can. Her pistol flashes out here and there at the gumbies surrounding Shockwave, though she isn't taking time to aim much. She might get a couple of them, she might get him. Details, details.

Firestar is now a robot. Is anyone surprised?

Combat: Firestar sets her defense level to Protected.

Combat: Firestar strikes Shockwave with her Pew Pew Pew Seekers or You? (Laser) attack!

AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > arrives from the rough direction of Canada, engines moving flat out. He looks recently patched; a few parts of his hull are unpainted and anyone who knows turboprop engines will know, just from the sound, that at least one of his engines hasn't been run in properly yet. He's also got a 'BUFFALO AIRWAYS' sticker above his door, courtesy of one of the airlines the Fat Albert has been working with to transport supplies.

He nears the base and starts to circle, picking his target as Motormaster. He's got a bone to pick with that guy! He opens up with a weapon that's definitely not standard to any Spooky - a minigun, as opposed to the standard GAU-12 Avenger cannon.

Combat: AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > sets his defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > strikes Motormaster with his Minigun but (Laser) attack!

Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > hadn't been unprepared for attack. As the Seekers begin their bombing run, snow and dirt seem to explode around the complex as anti-aircraft cannons burst forth to the surface! Immediately, the automated guns open up on the darting seekers, chasers streaking out in every direction. They're not extremely accurate, but in truth the guns are there to keep the Decepticons busy while the evacuation commences. Speaking of which, personnel are hurriedly loading themselves and what equipment they can into trucks and cargo planes, every man and woman fearing the Decepticons will choose them for a target before they get going.

General Cross, however, intends to do his part to help them escape safely. A bomb explodes to his left, flipping his tank over completely. However, this is no ordinary tank--Cross gives the gyroscope a quick spin, and suddenly the tank as back on its wheels again! "Won't make that easy for you a second time!" he growls before his tank jumps into the air, trying to make himself a harder target. He scans for targets, seeing multiple seekers... and a big purple cyclops. Shockwave. Again. His brows furrow. He brackets the Decepticon and fires.

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > sets his defense level to Guarded.

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > misses Shockwave with his 20mm HE Autocannon attack!

Combat: Used up 1 Autocannon Ammo. 5 remain.

Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > is reminded of just how much he dislikes the cold. He... supposes he should cover the evacuation, too? But Shockwave is amazingly terrifying. But his current boss is someone who believes he has no rights. But Shockwave is /really scary/. But getting vivisected would really hurt. His faces spin as he debates this internally, and he ends up hiding behind a snow drift and taking a pot shot at Motormaster.

Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > transforms into his Apocryphacius < Death Face > mode.

Combat: Apocryphacius < Death Face > sets his defense level to Protected.

Combat: Apocryphacius < Death Face > strikes Motormaster with his Disruptor attack!

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It doesn't take billions of calculations per second for Shockwave to realize the odds. Still, this is not unexpected. He knew that attacking a well fortified facility with a rapid deployment squad was going to require a perfectly carried out hit-and-run strike. The retaliation from the defenders is as fierce as he's come to expect from the natives. Bluestreak's shot, though perfectly placed, is ruined by a Seeker accidentally racing in between his line of sight at exactly the wrong instant. Bluestreak may find consolation that the Seeker exploded. Less fortunate, though, is that Shockwave knows exactly where the Autobot is thanks to Wiretap reading the Autobot frequencies like an open book.

Firestar however has better luck, using a flatbed trailer tailgate to pay homage to the late, great Optimus Prime. Her pistol blows holes in several Decepticons, with one shot finding and striking Shockwave dead on. The Commander floats backwards, gripping the wound that's appeared just below his chest segment.

As Seekers continue to bomb the base amidst the heroic anti-aircraft fire, Shockwave moves into position to bring his own firepower to bear. Forced to leave Bluestreak due to his out-of-the-way positioning, Shockwave instead decides to deal with the heavy armour down on the ground. Even as a barrage of bullets fly all around him, Shockwave transforms into laser gun mode. "Fleshlings and Autobots, did you truly think you could keep secrets from the Decepticon Empire?! Your mistake will be a mortal one." Shockwave fires repeatedly, targeting the two main heavy units below.

While blasting, Shockwave takes note of something else. "Ah, attempting to flee. A wise decision... but a *futile* one. Squadron C, destroy those transports!" Four Seekers shift into gear, chasing after the trucks and cargo planes as they're being loaded. Someone should probably do something about that.

Shockwave's legs combine as his back unfolds. A wide, silver barrel appears out of subspace and connects to his arms, completing his transformation into ray gun mode.

Combat: Laser Gun < Shockwave > misses Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > with his Gamma Blasts Area attack!

Combat: Laser Gun < Shockwave > strikes Centurion II MBW with his Gamma Blasts Area attack!

< EDC > Apocryphacius says, "The NBE designated 'Shockwave' is known for his mastery of the electromagnetic spectrum, which may elucidate the quandary of how the Decepticons located your experimental efforts, sir."

< EDC > Franklin Cross says, "Hm. I wonder if he'd be willing to share his secret with us? Perhaps not--he's not prone to gloating for gloating's sake, according to his file. But I'll try it."

Melody Reynolds has arrived.

Motormaster snarls as he feels his new armor being pelted away at by all the measly little ammunitions, but they still are doing some damage. He snarls as he pulls his blade out of the ground and takes several running steps to get get a better shot lined up on Cross's tank. He wants that man above all costs. Saying he's not alive. HA! He'll show him a thing or to about not being alive!

Combat: Motormaster misses Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > with his Atom-Smasher Cannon attack! [Pulled -2]

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"Shockwave," Cross says over his tank's PA system. "I'm surprised the Decepticons were able to find this complex. I took all manner of precautions to shield us, but somehow you managed to find us anyway. Well, I suppose after randomly attacking various bases across the globe, you're bound to hit the right one eventually. I know how *methodically* you Decepticons think. Zero zero zero zero. Zero zero zero one. Zero zero one zero. Zero zero one one. And so on... right?" He's not sure how challenging Shockwave's intellect will work out. Maybe not well. "Regardless, this is the second time I've seen you, Shockwave. Does this mean you're taking us seriously as a threat? I'm happy to hear that."

A potent blast streaks past his shielded viewport, and Cross gasps involuntarily. "Close--but I have to keep drawing their fire if the transports are to have any hope at all!" Activating the jets in his tires, the Jump Tank hovers across the frozen landscape, zigzagging as its turret turns towards Motormaster to spray high explosive rounds at him.

"You know, Shockwave, you take me down, and the EDC will get kicked back down all over again. We have virtually no one left to lead," Cross says, gritting his teeth. "Send your little puppets after ME!"

Alarms go off inside the Centurion as radiation levels spike outside, the deadly rays causing nearby EDC troops to convulse and simply fall over where they stand, their clothes burned off under their armor plates. Lars calmly asks in Norwegian, < < "NBC seals holding?" > >

< < "Holding, sir. Pressure remains positive," >  > replies the loader/radioman. < < "Sensors are damaged, however, and I think the shortwave might be fried. I'm trying to get it back online." > >

< < "Give me the gun, >  > Daalgard replies, getting into the gunner's position to lay the main gun by manual control through the Zeiss lenses. The driver hunkers the walker down and deploys the recoil spikes as Lars dials in on Shockwave and autoloads an AP shell.

Combat: Centurion II MBW sets its defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Centurion II MBW misses Laser Gun < Shockwave > with its Rheinmetall 120mm Gun attack!

Something has to be done about those Seekers that are attacking the shuttles that are definitely not full of shady experiments! Apocryphacius should probably not be the person actually doing anything about it, though... but hey, they could use some more dead Seekers on which to experiment, right? He's doing this for science. That is what he tells himself as he shoots. The Quintesson makes a mental note of General Cross saying this is the second time he's seen Shockwave. Also that General Cross may be suicidal? Some of that dialogue with NBE Shockwave is pretty worrying!

The Global Pose Tracker marks that Apocryphacius < Death Face > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

Bluestreak mentally cursed himself for missing Shockwave, even though he managed to hit a Seeker who convienantly flew in the way. And then there is Motormaster. Although he couldn't blame the Decepticon for wanting to get even...

No! He can't let himself go down that train of thought. He is an Autobot, and doesn't sympathize with Decepticons. Steeling himself, he aimed for Shockwave again, angling himself a little differently so he gets the clinically cold scientist instead.

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > strikes Motormaster with his 20mm HE Autocannon attack!

Combat: Used up 1 Autocannon Ammo. 4 remain.

Combat: Bluestreak strikes Laser Gun < Shockwave > with his Shoulder-Mounted Rocket attack!

< < "Perhaps next time, sir?" > > asks the gunner wryly. < < "It seems I'm out of practice," >  > Lars replies good-naturedly.

AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > circles around Cross and Motormaster, growling quietly to himself. He might not -like- Franklin Cross, but he's got a bigger bone to pic with Motormaster than he does with the General. With a soft snarl, he circle a little lower, before the 40mm cannon on his flank, Encore's favourite gun, wakes up and fires a full five-round string at the Kenworth Con.

< < Allo Ugly! > >

Combat: AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > strikes Motormaster with his Bofors Cannon attack!

"Go, go, go!"

Melody Reynolds bounds across the battlefield, the locks on her battlesuit not even sealed yet- she's gotten on the move as fast as she could manage- which is even more important, when there are lives at stake! She honestly doesn't know what's so important about the base- but, orders are orders, and so she's here anyway!

A *BOOM!* from an errant Decepticon shot makes her flinch, but she soon is on the move once again! She vaults up to a handy rooftop (one, coincidentally, with a large American flag billowing in the background) and starts directing the order of battle as best she can. "Daalgard, is that you?" she says over shortband radio- "Keep firing! Even Shockwave'll have to duck if you put enough lead out there! General Cross, watch your six, I think there's a few jets coming up from behind- I'll try to draw them off." She pauses, and then looks over at the incoming Autobots- at which point she smiles behind her faceplate. "Man, am I glad to see you guys. Introductions will have to wait- the transports are almost ready to go...if you can give us a little cover fire, we should be out of their range in just a few minutes. I know you can buy us the time!"

Combat: Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > inspires Jump Tank < Franklin Cross >, Centurion II MBW, AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > , Firestar, and Bluestreak with patriotic and moving words!

Combat: You feel more courageous!

Firestar would facepalm if the situation wasn't so serious. She's asked for help and has not gotten it. But sometimes, if you want something done you have to do it yourself. She ducks beneath some return fire and almost steps on Apocryphacius. For three she stares at the judgement face. Now is not the time for judgements of her own. Breaking her momentary surprise, she snaps off another pistol shot at Shockwave. Then she attempts grab the quint and redirect him to her cargo bay as she transforms and accelerates towards the four seekers chasing the transports!

"Hi. I'm Firestar. Yer kinda not what I had in mind, but let's hope ya can shoot. Gonna get as close as I can, ya deal with them, all right?"

She feels icky just touching a quint. It's sort of like a leper.

Firestar becomes an open bed transport. Look at the junk in that trunk!

Combat: Cybertronian Transport < Firestar > strikes Laser Gun < Shockwave > with her Hasty Snapshot (Laser) attack!

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Centurion II MBW pauses to press his hand to his earphone, listening to the hiss of the damaged radio over the noise of the turbines and the autoloader extracting the hot shell casing. "Ah, Reynold. It is goods to hear you. We are holding outs against the enemies so fars. Some casualty in the mens. Radiations and bomb. Take cares to deploys NBC filter."

Laser Gun < Shockwave > is already on the move again after blasting at the Jump Tank and Walker, soaring overhead after the Seekers he sent to destroy the trucks and cargo planes. "The flaw is not in your procedures but rather in the human element you have infected the Autobots with," he replies to Cross in a loud, clear voice. "Your allies are not as loyal as some would like to believe." This is a lie, of course, but with Wiretap dictating everything that's happening on the allied frequencies, Shockwave can afford to apply some misdirection in the name of fostering distrust. "As for killing you personally, we once thought the same of General Briar... but we were proved incorrect."

The flying space gun refrains from blasting Cross for now, letting him beat on Motormaster. The Stunticon is doing his job as always: take on all comers no matter the odds, and this makes everything else much easier. Streaking past Lars's Walker, the AP shell grazes his handle, but fails to score a direct hit. Passing just above a Seeker that's damaged by Apocryphacius, Shockwave is clearly heading after the transports, but soon finds himself waylaid as Bluestreak and Firestar snipe him, knocking Shockwave out of the sky. "UGH!"

Falling, Shockwave only barely transforms into robot mode before crashing into a previously destroyed EDC tank. Swiftly rising back to his feet, Shockwave glares in the direction of Bluestreak. But no... Firestar is the important one here as she chases after the Seekers he dispatched. He takes steady aim. Better hold on, Apocryphacius.

Shockwave's handle separates into legs as his barrel splits into arms. Straightening out, he completes his transformation into robot mode.

Combat: Shockwave strikes Cybertronian Transport < Firestar > with his Arm Cannon attack!

Motormaster staggers as he takes the five rounds and snarls at Encore, recognizing him from some time ago. He'd have smirked perhaps if he wasn't so focused on getting revenge on the little meat sack that nearly took him down. With a look that could kill, he growls, "Another time. I got smaller fish to squish." he says as he takes off at a run, subspacing his cannon and slapping his massive sword to his back.

The loud thuds of his armored feet can be felt as he vibrates the ground under him and he lunges for the tank that Franklin currently occupies, reaching out to grab a hold of the gun turret, using his bigger bulk to hopefully snag it and bag it....

Combat: Motormaster strikes Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > with his Grab attack!

Combat: You took 0 damage.

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Retracting its recoil anchors and stepping carefully over human bodies and a crashed Seeker, Lars brings the turret of the Centurion around to cover General Cross. "Deployings smoke," he calls into the radio, and with a hollow *poomp* sound the canister launchers on the Centurion's turret fire, dense white smoke billowing from the impact points to create visual separation between the General and the enemy.

Combat: Centurion II MBW sets its defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: Centurion II MBW strikes Shockwave with its Smoke Grenades Area attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Shockwave's Accuracy. (Blinded)

Combat: Centurion II MBW strikes Motormaster with its Smoke Grenades Area attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Motormaster's Accuracy. (Blinded)

"Noted, Daalgard. Thanks for the heads up! One of these days I'll get to meet you when you're outside of that tank." She allows herself a little grin- and then she snaps her attention over to Cross as he's snagged...and then, back to the seekers streaking towards the evac transports!

It doesn't take her but a moment to make her decision- Melody pulls her battle rifle from its shoulder mount, flicks the fire selector, and sets about pumping round after round of fire into the air as an impromptu AA-battery! It's not much, but hopefully it'll keep those decepticon jets from getting too close!

Combat: Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > misses Shockwave with her Cover fire! (Grab) attack!

Feeling more confident at the success of helping take Shockwave down, he starts to move, getting closer to Cross and Motormaster. Upon Firestar's request, he stops and refocuses on Shockwave. He is a little surprised at seeing who Shockwave was targeting next- the Quint himself. "Not today one optic..." He says as he takes aim with a volt beam, hoping to lock in on him.

Combat: Bluestreak misses Shockwave with his Volt Beam attack!

Apocryphacius < Death Face > seems slightly amused as he murmurs to Firestar, "Oh yes, I can certainly shoot," as if he is stating a very obvious fact. His aim is excellent... it's just that his actual armament is rather woeful. The Quintesson takes in her distaste - in how she almost steps on him, in her susprise, in the way she handles him, in the condescension in her words - and he is reminded of his own unique predicament. Other EDC members who object to the current leadership, they have places to go. Autobots love human sidekicks. Apocryphacius? If he leaves the EDC, he can look forward to summarily being executed by either the Decepticons or the Quintesson Remnant. So really, Apocryphacius has plenty of reasons to stay loyal to the EDC, despite his status as a non-person. The dark humour of his situation is not lost upon him.

The hit on Firestar is a bit close for Apocryphacius's comfort. His shot on the one Seeker was good, though non-fatal. He takes aim on the leader of the four Seekers and fires. Confuse the leader, confuse them all?

The Global Pose Tracker marks that Apocryphacius < Death Face > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

AC130U Spooky II Gunship < Encore > seems to be about to retarget to Shockwave, but Cross is to be in trouble. Now Encore might think he's a bit like Colonel Peng (so stiff the stick up his butt has a stick up its butt), he's an Autobot. He's not going to leave the guy in the lurch, that's not the Done Thing. He drops lower and then transforms, using gravity to lend extra force to the punch he's swinging.

"Allo Motormouth. Miss me?"

Encore transforms into his robot mode, lighting a cigar and adjusting his hat.

Combat: Encore strikes Motormaster with his Punch attack!

Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > furrows his brow again. What's Shockwave going on about? He had turned off the Autobot frequency, having found it full of unprofessional, pointless chatter--wait, they must be intercepting their communications. He grits his teeth. What exactly would happen if he turned the channel on right now? What would he have to endure listening to? Regardless, he has no time to ponder that. He turns towards the incoming Seekers to try and blast them out of the sky when his turret is violently yanked away.

"Gah--" He can't see the target through his viewport, so he tries using an external camera via an MFD. Oh, great, Motormaster's grabbed him! He doesn't like where this could be going if this is the setup for a vicious attack, or if Motormaster plans on plucking him out of there! Thankfully, smoke begins sprouting up all around him! "Thank you, Mr. Daalgard, that could be what I need to get out of this mess!"

In an effort to escape, the Jump Tank spins around on its turret, trying to smack Motormaster in the chest, or at least knock him away!

Meanwhile, the cargo planes have begun taking off, their pilots sweating bullets as they expect to be blown to bits at any moment. But then a pair of EDC fighters streak right over them, playing chicken with the Decepticons as they fire their chainguns at them!

Though she is weaving around buildings, debris and everything that she can find to make herself less of a target Firestar is shot by Shockwave. She and the narrator are not going to lie that hurt alot! Shockwave hits her passenger side door, blowing it off completely in a display of blue electricity sparks and black smoke that would be pretty against her natty red armor in any other circumstances. She'll rain bits all over Apocryphacius for her troubles but she just accelerates, stopping weaving to give him as many shots with his pea-shooter as she can.

This also gives her a chance to blast Shockwave in the face with a missile, or at least to try to! Fwoosh!

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > misses Motormaster with his You Spin Me Right Round Baby (Punch) attack!

Combat: Cybertronian Transport < Firestar > sets her defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: Cybertronian Transport < Firestar > strikes Shockwave with her She'd really rather be shooting Apocryphacius but Shockwave will have to do at least he has a pretty yellow light for a face attack!

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The smoke isn't going to deter him one bit. He doesn't need to see to hang on to this puny little scrap of metal. He laughs with glee as he hangs onto the damned little thing only to grunt in discomfort as he feels a sudden blow to his back as Encore comes up behind him, giving him what on a human might have been a 'kidney punch'. He can feel the puny meat sack inside the tank trying to break loose by turning the turret and instead it just moves the gun right into is range for what he wants to do next.

The big Con is still so enraged, so ANGERED at what happened to him not that long ago that it's going to take a serious world of hurt to make him want to let go of something that he's got his servos on now. Grabbing the gun turret, he swings it like a baseball bat, aiming right for Encore. "Back off!" Even if he misses, Cross better hope to hell he's strapped in, cause he's going for a rough ride inside that cockpit. And if he hits, well....maybe there'll be a soft squishy center to the tank when he's done.

The four Seekers fire off a pair of missiles each at the cargo planes, then preparing to move against the trucks. "We've got them now! Ah ha ha ha ha! Heh." shouts the lead Seeker... just before his right wing gets a hole blown through it thanks to the EDC squiddy below. The Seeker transforms into robot mode to avoid losing control. "Argh, you twit! That was my best wing!" he sprays gunfire at Firestar in retaliation. The other three maintain their focus on the fleeing EDC units.

Shockwave, meanwhile, has freed himself from the debris of the tank he crashed into, but is already besieged from all sides. Smoke suddenly billows up around the tank, and Shockwave takes a defensive step back, vanishing inside of it. This means it isn't clear what happens when Bluestreak takes another attempt at blasting Shockwave. There's no sounds that indicate that the Decepticon was hit, but it's tough to tell... up until Shockwave reaches down, grabs the EDC tank, and sends it /flying/ out of the smoke towards Bluestreak's position just as Firestar's missile cruises in. There's the sound of an explosion and tearing metal. This is a good sound if you're an Autobot.

Meanwhile, the initiative gained by the surprise attack has become blunted now that the EDC and their allies have found their footing. Though no Seekers are hit by Melody's impromptu AA fire, they are scattered by it.

Combat: Shockwave strikes Bluestreak with his EDC Battle Tank attack!

Combat: Motormaster misses Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > with his Swing Batter Batter! (Ruckus) Area attack!

Combat: Motormaster misses Encore with his Swing Batter Batter! (Ruckus) Area attack!

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"AUGH!" Is all Bluestreak can say as a Battle Tank was thrown at him. Not only did he fly back, but he was battered by it as well. Hurt as he is, he shakes it off as best he could. Shockwave might have gotten him down, but he was NOT out. He aimed again at Shockwave, this time wanting to get him right in the optic.

Combat: Bluestreak strikes Shockwave with his Pistol attack!

Apocryphacius < Death Face > gets the distinct feeling that Firestar would like to use him for target practise for some reason! Also she is raining bits on him, and that is just rude. With a tentactle that is not holding his dinky gun, he tries to gather bits for later analysis. Having put a shot through the lead Seeker's good wing, he tries to put a shot through whichever of the other three looks the most competent. Like a toy commercial, he opines, "I, APOCRYPHACIUS, think that you, FIRESTAR, should use your AXE in an offensive fashion."

Apocryphacius < Death Face > transforms into his Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > mode.

The Global Pose Tracker marks that Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > has 'skipped' his action for this round.

Encore laugh and -catches- Cross' tank, sliding back across the tarmac as he absorbs the impact. He lowers the Jump Tank -almost- to the ground and then drops it the last six feet or so.

"Stop tryin' ta hit me and HIT ME!" he taunts Motormaster with a grin, swinging his Bofors 'assault rifle' around to hold it by the barrel and swings it like a baseball bat of his own. He swings it in both hands, aiming to use it to knock out some of Motormaster's dental plates.

Cybertronian Transport < Firestar > is going as fast as she can in pursuit of the Decepticons that are in pursuit of the EDC! This is good because she can almost keep pace with them and bad because it is taking her farther away from the main point of the fight. Plus she is trailing smoke and sparks from her shattered door!

"Anytime, Quintesson!" She calls out. "Whatever your name is! Shoot them already!"

She pauses.

"Oh, and hang on to something."

Apocryphacius has about one second to grab onto something with his hentacles before Firestar hits a angled bit of debris. Beneath her wheels are some powerful hoverjets and she boots over it, transforming in midair. One arm tries to make sure the Quintesson does not go flying off in what might be his worst day ever, while the other pulls her axe handle off her belt.

She thumbs the switch and the short silver cylinder extends into a long handle with a brilliant orange energy blade flickering into life! In a fairly hardcore move borne of being a space terrorist telling Shockwave that he can't shoot for shit for a few million years, she does a matrix like move. The axe is hurled, flying end over end like a tomahawk for the back of one seeker while she tries to land on the other one. If the squid managed to shoot the third, then they've got it made. Of course, regardless of what happens Firestar is not going to land cleanly, both from possibly hitting the seeker or a pretty ugly fall.

Firestar is now a robot. Is anyone surprised?

Combat: Firestar sets her defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Encore strikes Motormaster with his THIS is how ya swing! (Punch) attack!

Combat: Firestar strikes herself with her Thrilling Heroics (Punch) attack!

Lars moves out of the way of the gunner and switches to thermals, scanning through the smoke for the telltale heat emissions of Transformers. Especially big ones like Motormaster and Shockwave, who throw off excess heat (and radiation, in Shockwave's case) like a beacon. He marks a target and the gunner opens fire with the chaingun, the belt clanging through the breech as the steady banging chatter of the gun sends shells zinging downrange.

Combat: Centurion II MBW sets its defense level to Neutral.

Combat: Centurion II MBW strikes Shockwave with its Suppressing Fire attack! [Pulled -3]

To protect themselves, the cargo planes begin spewing flares like it's the Fourth of July! This diverts most of the missiles... but one continues straight on its course! "Oh, God!" the cargo pilot breathes out as the missile lock alarm grows more urgent. Then... "YAAAAHHHHHH!!!" An EDC fighter pilot flies straight into the path of the missile, and sadly, it goes up in flames, the pilot vaporized instantly. The transports continue their ascent.

Meanwhile, an enterprising Seeker tears open a hole in the hangar he had been working in and steps inside. "Dammit, are all personnel evacuated yet?" Cross inquires of one of his subordinates via radio. "What do you mean, not yet?! We are out of time! There's a Decepticon inside the Hangar RIGHT NOW!"

Encore drops him roughly to the ground, but thanks to the Jump Tank's REALISTIC SUSPENSION (it's not that realistic, actually) the impact isn't too severe. "Hnnph. Damn robots," he grunts. He decides to drive his tank between Motormaster's legs and past him to the real threat--Shockwave! "SHOCKWAVE, you may be the MASTER OF ELECTROMAGNETISM, but see how you like this JUMP ATTACK!" The Jump Tank seems to coil up for a moment before it springs at Shockwave, trying to slam down on his face. "Why did I talk like that?..." he asks himself a moment later.

Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > waves frantically at a handful of evacuating techs, and then bounds back to the ground, rushing towards the fray. "Alright, we can disrupt the air support easily enough- the real key is in the command structure. Cutting heads off snakes, y'know?" she says over broadband to...well, anyone who's listening!

THis said, Melody shoulders her rifle, and flicks it to a certain setting- she sights in on Motormaster, as he's 'lucky' enough to be closer. With a *FOONK!* Melody fires off a disruptor grenade from her underslung grenade launcher! Blue lightning crackles out from the little projectile as it explodes, frazzling any electronics that might be nearby!

Motormaster's got a lot of electronics, doesn't he?

Combat: Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > strikes Motormaster with her Stun Grenade attack!

Combat: Motormaster has been temporarily incapacitated.

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > misses Shockwave with his Press Him Down And He Pops Back Up (Ram) attack!

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Motormaster had been about to come back for another swing when the tank was ripped form his hands and taken away from him. As he'd made a grab for it again, he felt the butt of the riffle slammed across the side of his head, staggering him backwards right into the range of Melody's stun grenade. He jerked and felt himself go down on his aft after staggering backwards a few steps, out of range of Encores immediate reach but he was still down for the moment. His servos twitched as he worked to try and reach for something in subspace....

Combat: Motormaster takes a moment to shake off the effects of the last attack.

Combat: Motormaster takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Shockwave steps out of the smoke, bleeding in numerous spots in the chest. Sparks are fizzling out on his left forearm, and his frame is covered with scorch marks. Still, he appears to be ready to continue laying waste to the enemy. This is added to as Bluestreak recovers and slings another rifle shot in his direction. Disappointing, Shockwave thinks as he gazes down at the new wound. He was hoping that the tank would deal with the gunner for good.

Turning his attention towards the cargo planes, Shockwave watches as one of them is blown out of the sky. Any hopes for more planes--or the trucks--being destroyed are dashed as Apocryphacius blows the nosecone off the second Seeker (the purple one looking the most competent). The third and fourth are victims of Firestar. A greenish Seeker explodes in a massive fireball as an axe careens straight through it. The last Decepticon tries to veer off, but Firestar is already on her. "No no no no no!" she shouts. The Seeker transforms into robot mode, wrestling with Firestar as they both plummet towards the ground.

Shockwave now turns back towards General Cross's jump tank as the human sends it diving towards him. The mech takes a step back, thrusting his arm out as he halts the massive weapon with just one hand. "I do not *like* it, no," Shockwave drones. He pulls Cross close before tossing him away. "You spoke earlier of your death meaning the death of Earth Defence Command..." Shockwave raises up, transforming. "I disagree with this hypothesis."

"But then," Shockwave states as he unloads on the human, "I am always willing to consider that I am wrong."

Shockwave's legs combine as his back unfolds. A wide, silver barrel appears out of subspace and connects to his arms, completing his transformation into ray gun mode.

Combat: Laser Gun < Shockwave > sets his defense level to Aggressive.

Combat: Laser Gun < Shockwave > misses Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > with his Shoxcannon attack! [Pulled -3]

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Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > has really dextrous tentacles. He has grabbing down to a /science/. Firestar need not worry! She just gets to have a horrifying Quintesson backpack. There may be action figures based off this scene, but they won't be worth buying by anyone who values sanity. While Firestar attempts to be a wuxia heroine, he tries to... actually, he tries to repair the Seeker just barely enough that Firestar can ride it like a pony so that they don't all die a horrible death in a fireball when they crash.

Apocryphacius < Judgement Face > transforms into his Apocryphacius mode.

The Global Pose Tracker marks that Apocryphacius has 'skipped' his action for this round.

Encore grins and then leaps into the air, planning on getting -well- out of Motormaster' range before the big Con can really recover. He starts to circle higher, looking for a good target to attack, engines growling as he gains altitude... and becomes another target for the Seekers, taking their eyes off the transports!

Combat: Encore takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Firestar would have a narky reply to the Quintesson, but she is busy wrestling with a Decepticon Seeker at the moment and depending on how someone looks at it, she is also being hentai tentacled by an Apocryphacius who is also repairing another seeker with his tentacles. It is such a complex and strange situation!

Either way, Firestar rides the seeker like a sturdy goat and eventually impacts against the ground in some sparks and various cosmetic damage to one knee. But she still has some trouble though, and she will not be of any assistance in driving the Decepticons off because her hands are full! Literally!

Grappling left and grappling right, she seems quite matched strength for strength and is getting nowhere without her axe. This makes her unhappy. Finally though, she tries to shove said seeker away, go for her pistol and lunge in again, slipping it under his chin and pulling the trigger!

Combat: Firestar takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

Centurion II MBW moves out from the (somewhat reduced) defensive line to approach Shockwave and the General. < < "Activate electromagnetic shield. Lock the projectors onto the General. His luck can't hold forever," >  > Lars instructs the loader, who performs the calculations on his controls and deploys a large silver dome from the roof of the crab tank. With a crackle and hum the shield flares into life, extending from the MBW towards General Cross' much smaller jump-tank to warp the charged blasts and metal fragments away from its hull.

Combat: Centurion II MBW creates a forcefield shielding Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > from damage.

@emit "Oh, no, Shockwave," Cross sneers after being aside. His tank automatically aligns itself with the ground, and bounces off with a puff of snow. "I think you're right, actually. The EDC isn't just about one man. I was just encouraging you to shoot at me while I conducted evasive maneuvers. Better me than my men, who don't have the luxury of dodging so efficiently." He watches Shockwave transform, and knows what's coming next, having seen it before. "But I'm not ready to die to you today--" And just before Cross anticipates Shockwave will fire, Cross hits his jump jets and hard, soaring clear of the cyclops's blast. Cross peppers him with autocannon rounds, trying to put a few into his barrel.

"This is General Cross, have we evacuated the damn complex yet!?" Cross says over the roar of his gun. "Sir, we can't be sure at the moment, but 85% of personnel report having left the building," comes back the report from a lieutenant. Cross switches an MFD to a view of the Hangar. He watches the Seeker step back out of the complex, holding one of the shells that was going to be used for an experiment. "Lord Shockwave!" the Seeker cries, holding the shell up like some sort of incalculable prize. "I have found something!"

"Dammit," Cross mutters. "Maybe there's no one left in there... but even if there was, I can't take the risk!" He removes a remote from a pocket, and flips open the clear protector over a button, which he depresses. And it's right then that he sees someone, an elderly researcher with a cane, waddle out of the building holding some papers. But it's too late to halt the process--the shell the Seeker had been holding suddenly vanishes in a white flash... along with most of the Seeker's upper body, which falls to its knees before toppling over. And then, soon, there's more detonations from inside, and finally, the entire complex goes up with an ENORMOUS EXPLOSION as a fuel-air-bomb detonates from within!

@emit "Oh, no, Shockwave," Cross sneers after being aside. His tank automatically aligns itself with the ground, and bounces off with a puff of snow. "I think you're right, actually. The EDC isn't just about one man. I was just encouraging you to shoot at me while I conducted evasive maneuvers. Better me than my men, who don't have the luxury of dodging so efficiently." He watches Shockwave transform, and knows what's coming next, having seen it before. "But I'm not ready to die to you today--" And just before Cross anticipates Shockwave will fire, Cross hits his jump jets and hard, soaring clear of the cyclops's blast. Cross peppers him with autocannon rounds, trying to put a few into his barrel.

"This is General Cross, have we evacuated the damn complex yet!?" Cross says over the roar of his gun. "Sir, we can't be sure at the moment, but 85% of personnel report having left the building," comes back the report from a lieutenant. Cross switches an MFD to a view of the Hangar. He watches the Seeker step back out of the complex, holding one of the shells that was going to be used for an experiment. "Lord Shockwave!" the Seeker cries, holding the shell up like some sort of incalculable prize. "I have found something!"

"Dammit," Cross mutters. "Maybe there's no one left in there... but even if there was, I can't take the risk!" He removes a remote from a pocket, and flips open the clear protector over a button, which he depresses. And it's right then that he sees someone, an elderly researcher with a cane, waddle out of the building holding some papers. But it's too late to halt the process--the shell the Seeker had been holding suddenly vanishes in a white flash... along with most of the Seeker's upper body, which falls to its knees before toppling over. And then, soon, there's more detonations from inside, and finally, the entire complex goes up with an ENORMOUS EXPLOSION as a fuel-air-bomb detonates from within!

You say, "Oh, no, Shockwave," Cross sneers after being aside. His tank automatically aligns itself with the ground, and bounces off with a puff of snow. "I think you're right, actually. The EDC isn't just about one man. I was just encouraging you to shoot at me while I conducted evasive maneuvers. Better me than my men, who don't have the luxury of dodging so efficiently." He watches Shockwave transform, and knows what's coming next, having seen it before. "But I'm not ready to die to you today--" And just before Cross anticipates Shockwave will fire, Cross hits his jump jets and hard, soaring clear of the cyclops's blast. Cross peppers him with autocannon rounds, trying to put a few into his barrel.

"This is General Cross, have we evacuated the damn complex yet!?" Cross says over the roar of his gun. "Sir, we can't be sure at the moment, but 85% of personnel report having left the building," comes back the report from a lieutenant. Cross switches an MFD to a view of the Hangar. He watches the Seeker step back out of the complex, holding one of the shells that was going to be used for an experiment. "Lord Shockwave!" the Seeker cries, holding the shell up like some sort of incalculable prize. "I have found something!"

"Dammit," Cross mutters. "Maybe there's no one left in there... but even if there was, I can't take the risk!" He removes a remote from a pocket, and flips open the clear protector over a button, which he depresses. And it's right then that he sees someone, an elderly researcher with a cane, waddle out of the building holding some papers. But it's too late to halt the process--the shell the Seeker had been holding suddenly vanishes in a white flash... along with most of the Seeker's upper body, which falls to its knees before toppling over. And then, soon, there's more detonations from inside, and finally, the entire complex goes up with an ENORMOUS EXPLOSION as a fuel-air-bomb detonates from within!"

Bluestreak did not hit the now angry Decepticon in the optic like he wanted, but it didn't stop him either. Seeing Shockwave attempt to shoot at Cross, he looked out the corner of his optics at the tank that was thrown at him. Quickly, he went over to pick it up, and after taking a moment to get his strength together, he picks it up and hurls it at the Laser Gun's way, as it flies though, he aims for its fuel line, a shot there should make a decent explosion.

Combat: Bluestreak misses Laser Gun < Shockwave > with his Exploding Tank AHOY! (Laser) attack!

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > sets his defense level to Neutral.

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > misses Laser Gun < Shockwave > with his 20mm HE Autocannon attack!

Combat: Used up 1 Autocannon Ammo. 3 remain.

Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > plugs away at a few of the slower Decepticon-troopers, but they're too fast for her! Then again, there's something to be said for firing just for firing's sake...it's a morale booster!

Of course, as Melody backs up, she can't help but see the cane-wielding researcher hobbling out of the facility- and, without hesitation, Melody's instincts kick into gear! She crouches down, then leaps forwards, bounding through the air on hydraulically-amplified limbs! There's little time to be gentle, or even get anywhere safe, as she can do little but grab hold of the poor guy and hunch her metallic frame around him, attempting to shield him from the worst of the explosion!

Combat: Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

< EDC > Apocryphacius says, "Sir, I... ah... there may be... injured in the hangar. Permission to search for them?"

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< EDC > Franklin Cross says, "That was a *fuel air bomb,* Apocryphacius. Most Decepticons couldn't have survived that blast! Permission... permission denied. For now."

< EDC > Lars Daalgard says, "You woulds not withstand the heats, even if sos."

< EDC > Apocryphacius mutters, "You would be surprised what a human can survive." Then more loudly and clearly, "Understood, sir."

< EDC > Rodimus Prime says, "Permission is -not- denied for my troops. Autobots, priority is survivors and medical attention ASAP."

< EDC > Rodimus Prime totally meant that on NEST.

There's a crater just outside the Eilson Air Force Base that you could bury a small building in. It's as wide as it is deep, with black scorch marks around the rim and smoke drifting up from the centre. Alas for Shockwave, Franklin Cross's battered corpse is not at the bottom of it. The General dodged just clear of it, with Lars's forcefield providing the protection needed from any after effects.

Now Shockwave must deal with the retaliation. Bluestreak sends the tank flying towards him, but before the Autobot can blast it, Shockwave does instead, annihilating it in mid-air. Flaming wreckage litters the ground underneath the space gun. Shifting back into robot mode, the Commander takes evasive action against the Jump Tank, steering clear of the ammo.

Moments later, the complex bursts into flames, much to Shockwave's surprise. He'll never know about what happened in there. The Seeker will merely be written off as having been lost in action. "You have the processor of a Decepticon, General Cross," Shockwave replies with a note of respect. "I am not easily impressed."

The last Seeker dispatched after the cargo planes, meanwhile, plummets along with Firestar, punching and kicking the whole way. "Bitch!" she screams, "I'm the only one that can fly us out of here! Let go!" But her attempts to free herself fail as they both crash against the ground, annihilating a small section of the Air Force Base's parking lot. The Seeker then finds herself shoved away and blasted at point blank range. Her optics go wide as she staggers and falls.

By now, the Decepticon forces are scattering. Most are making it back for the Occupation, still hovering over the battle, but other Seekers just use their own afterburners to kick it out of here. For his part, Shockwave begins to hover up to the ship amongst the Seeker armada, running a self repair system as he does.

Combat: Laser Gun < Shockwave > sets his defense level to Protected.

Shockwave's handle separates into legs as his barrel splits into arms. Straightening out, he completes his transformation into robot mode.

Combat: Shockwave takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

< EDC > Franklin Cross sighs, sounding exhausted. "Belatedly, thanks for that, Mr. Daalgard."

< EDC > Lars Daalgard says, "Doings my job, General."

Motormaster finally manages to get ahold of himself, so to speak and before he can stand, the shockwave of the blast nearly knocks him sideways. As he straightens himself, he pulls his cannon out from subspace. He doesn't even bother with Cross at this point. He'll find another time to get even with the little meat sack. Looking upwards at which direction Encore went, Motormaster steadies himself, shoulders the cannon, and now that no one is firing at him or trying to hit him, he takes a moment to zero in on his prey and pulls the trigger.

Combat: Motormaster strikes Encore with his Atom-Smasher Cannon attack!

___   ___    _____   ___   _   _

| _ ) / _ \  |_   _| / __| | | | |

| _ \ | (_) |  | |   \__ \ |_| |_|

|___/ \___/    |_|   |___/ (_) (_)

Apocryphacius, blackened and bruised by the rough landing, is... not pleased at all by his General's choice. Let the Decepticons go hang, Apocryphacius has medical training. He should be looking for injured, not shooting at space robots! But his orders are /very/ clear, and as has been noted, he cannot really afford to disobey. So keeping secret weapons secret is more important to the General than keeping his troops alive. Apocryphacius shudders, feeling a bit faint.

On the plus side (?), at the least the EDC will avoid ending up with a bunch of horrible 95% cyborg gumbies.

"Here," he says roughly to Firestar, and he tries to hand the Autobot his emergency medical kit, the one tailored for organics. Then he pushes away from her, the tentacle holding the pistol drooping.

Apocryphacus considers Shockwave. He tries to calculate of what materials Shockwave may constructed and at what resonant frequency those materials would start to break down. Then he /screams/.

Combat: Apocryphacius sets his defense level to Fearless.

Apocryphacius transforms into his Apocryphacius < Wrath Face > mode.

Combat: Apocryphacius < Wrath Face > strikes Shockwave with his Sonic Screech attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Shockwave's Accuracy. (Blinded)

Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Shockwave's Agility. (Crippled)

Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > really hadn't wanted to set off that charge. He wanted to be sure everyone was out, first. But he had no choice when the Seeker emerged with a prototype--if he flew out of range the detonator wouldn't work anymore. Then Shockwave compliments him in what Cross considers a back-handed sort of way. "I have heavy burdens like any other military leader, Shockwave," Cross snaps back. "Don't mistake my determination for your own complete and utter lack of empathy."

He had been running the Autocannon pretty hard and it had begun to overheat, so this time Cross elects to fire up at Shockwave with bursts from his machine gun. Not likely to hurt very much, but he didn't feel like he had much of a chance of beating the Decepticon with the main gun anyway. He had been playing for time from the beginning.

Firestar accepts the medical kit! She also has orders from on high to start to aid with wounded, and with the seeker that she'd been wrestling with on the ground she turns away to leave. Then stops, and turns to put another pistol shot into the prone form. "Fat Tailpipe Ho." She retorts in a pleasant voice before she jogs towards the hangar and the debris, looking for survivors already. The rest can handle Shockwave! Oh, and on the way she finds her axe. Yay!

Combat: Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > strikes Shockwave with his Machine Gun (Pistol) attack!

Centurion II MBW pauses only briefly before it continues firing, the shockwave of the detonation rolling over its low, thickly armored hull without doing more than causing it to rock on its sturdy legs. Contrary to all the radio chatter, the Decepticons are still present and the mission is not over; not until the General declares ENDEX, at least.

Encore snarls as the atom-smasher gun strikes home, burning his armour. He snarls at the damage, his BUFFALO sticker being burned off. An elevator is also ripped away, the huge autobot circling and opening up on Motormaster again with that Bofor gun - though it' a shorter, three-round string. This is mainly because Encore's too busy avoiding Seekers to send a full magazine down-range at his target!

Combat: Encore strikes Motormaster with his Bofors Rifle attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Centurion II MBW strikes Shockwave with its Bushmaster IV Chain Gun attack!

Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > scoops up the poor, somewhat-singed scientist with one arm- and then holds her rifle in her other arm. She glances back at the burning wreckage of the research facility, and sucks in a steadying breath- but there's no time to worry about that! She glances around- and then she looks over at Firestar.

"I...I'm afraid we're not going to find much." she says, and then looks down to the now-passed-out survivor she's got...and then back up at Firestar. "You...don't turn into an ambulance, do you?" she asks hopefully. Where's First Aid when you need him?

Combat: Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > takes extra time to steady herself. [Pass]

___   ___    _  _   ___   _   _

/ __| / _ \  | \| | / __| | | | |

| (__ | (_) | | .` | \__ \ |_| |_|

\___| \___/  |_|\_| |___/ (_) (_)

Motormaster grunts a little as Encore retaliates for that shot he just took but Motormaster has his orders. The debacale is over...time to 'Hit the Road Jack!'. Transforming down into his Semi form he lays on the air horn and spins his tires, before plowing through the tanks and anything else that gets in his way, keeping them from taking too many shots as he heads for the ship, hoping to give the Seekers and Shockwave time to get their afts into the shuttle as well.

Combat: Motormaster begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Encore, Jump Tank < Franklin Cross >, and Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds >

Shockwave weathers an intense firestorm as the humans and Autobots met out their vengeance upon him and his allies. Apocryphacius's scream rips through the air, battering several jets around Shockwave and buffeting the Commander himself. His optic flashes before turning off as his audio, visual, and magnetic sensors go dead. It's only thanks to Shockwave knowing the exact position of himself and the shuttle that he even makes it. This doesn't help against dodging the others, though.

Cross's auto cannons finally find him, but thanks to several others getting in the way a few shots fail to hit home. Lars, meanwhile, rips gaping holes in his armour. Shockwave fumes inwardly, just trying to get to the shuttle. He knew this would be a dangerous attack with high risks. While the rewards have far exceeded his expectations in terms of personnel and equipment lost by the EDC, he is unwilling to pay the price with his life. Thus, it is with genuine relief that his hand finally finds the edge of the Occupation's doorframe and he's able to pull himself in.

Combat: Shockwave begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Encore, Jump Tank < Franklin Cross >, and Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds >

___   ___    _____   ___   _   _

| _ ) / _ \  |_   _| / __| | | | |

| _ \ | (_) |  | |   \__ \ |_| |_|

|___/ \___/    |_|   |___/ (_) (_)

Firestar is busy moving from body to body, doing quick scans to see who is still alive. She's not a proper medic. "Sorry, Girl." Her voice says to Melody and her battlesuit. "Only wish I was tha' useful. Ain't good for much 'cept breakin' necks these days." Does she sound almost rueful? She's making her way towards Franklin Cross though as she works and just so happens to end up beside him by accident.

Crouching down, the female Autobot looks at him. Or if she can't look directly at him she looks at the tank's viewports. "General." She wonders. "If y'don't mind, th' pit was worth that? Really. Wha'd I just risk my life an' kill two Decepticons m'self for, so you could get yer transports clear an' blow yer own people up?"

As the Decepticons retreat, Apocryphacius goes limp, the fight in him spent, and he quivers in the cold like a spineless sack of jelly. Being fairly sure he is the most qualified medic in a hundred mile radius, he pulls out his back-up medical kit, since he gave Firestar is primary, and tries to wade off into the worst-hit bits to look for survivors. Is that a... jar he's holding in one set of tentacles? Filled with a mysterious and ominous green gel that may or may not be jaAm?

Maybe he's just a bit hellbent on saving some lives right now.

Apocryphacius < Wrath Face > transforms into his Apocryphacius < Darkness Face > mode.

Centurion II MBW takes up a position guarding the S&R, its sensors sweeping the sky in case any hostiles come back for more- Daalgard reflects that it would be a good time for it, if the enemy had a strike package in reserve.

Combat: Centurion II MBW takes extra time to steady itself. [Pass]

Encore circles lower to get a better view, doing what he can to help the rescue efforts; with the medical skill of a dead fish, he but he knows how he -can- help. He switches to infra-red and transmits the footage on the NEST and Autobot channels, highlighting human shapes, movement, and what may or may not be buried scientists or people. To say that he doesn't like Franklin Cross would be an understatement...

Combat: Encore takes extra time to steady himself. [Pass]

Battlesuit < Melody Reynolds > brings her wounded scientist over towards Apocryphacius, and foists the guy on him- it's at least past HER medical knowledge- though that doesn't take much. She looks up at Firestar and nods- and then she fades to the background, coordinating the last of the evac and rescue operations- she's not one to confront a superior officer, after all. Especially not in front of one's...allies.

Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > ponders putting more rounds in Shockwave. He decides not to. His people need him right now. After all, he killed some of them, right? Or did he? That scientist Melody is holding might survive. Maybe there was no one alive inside the building when he pressed the button. Maybe. He rolls through the fields, seeing dead bodies. His MFD shows their bodies are cooling--cooling to the point where they're nearly as cold as the snow around them.

"What was this worth?" Cross replies. "Do you think I wanted to destroy my own facility? Of course I didn't! But the Decepticons got their hands on a prototype. I had no choice! It's not an easy call to make but it was up to me, and I made it. Now either lecture me or help me, your call." He shuts his PA system down, teeth gritting again. Dammit, they just don't understand. But he knows why. They simply can't. It's not in their programming.

Motormaster drives to the ship and transforms as he hits the ramp, actually grabbing Shockwave as he hauls aft inside, seeing the purple con strugglign to find the place "It's me..." he snarls, just in case Shockwave might think someones attack him and retaliate. Then he secures himself in for the flight back.....glowering down at the holes in his new armor.

Firestar listens to Franklin Cross with an honest, open expression in her optics and on her face. "I think I've already been helpin' ya." The red and silver Autobot murmurs down to the tank. "An' that isn't in any question. I'm helpin' ya because that's what allies do, an' because we have an agreement, an' because for the moment it looks like t'right thing to do. War ain't nice, I've lived it lots more than most Autobots have. Read m'file someday. But even in war, there's right an' there's wrong, and lots of wrong is often done an swept under the carpet with t'words of 'I had no choice, but I had t'do what I had t'do." She leans forward, face close to the tank, so close that he'll be easily able to hear her through the hull if necessary. "An' I'm not so sure I'm likin' what I'm seein'." Then she turns away, continuing to help look for surviors, finding one beneath a burning section of twisted metal and lifting it so that others can pull the man out.

Apocryphacius < Darkness Face > looks up to see the patient Reynolds is foisting upon him. Fading fast, shock, blood loss, broken bones, non-sterile environment... well, he will certainly give this his best shot! If not... he does have that mysterious jar.

Combat: Apocryphacius < Darkness Face > compares his Technical to 80: Failure :(

Combat: Apocryphacius < Darkness Face > compares his Technical to 85: Failure :(

Combat: Apocryphacius < Darkness Face > compares his Technical to 90: Success!

Encore transforms and lands near Franklin and Firestar, nodding in agreement with her. He continues to scan for survivors himself, lifting things up to help move people. "Firestar's right." He says simply, guiding some human medics to the man he's just uncovered. "Such an unneccessary waste..."

Apocryphacius < Darkness Face > fades off into the background to be all doctor-y.

Jump Tank < Franklin Cross > brings up Firestar's face on another MFD. He listens to her, rubbing his chin. But he doesn't reply. He doesn't have the energy for a debate. He's not really sure how he can help anyone if they are indeed trapped inside the hangar--it's too hot for him to leave the tank, and his tank isn't equipped with mechanisms delicate enough to pick them up without harm. Maybe Exo-Suits aren't such a bad idea after all? Or... he can always have the Autobots grab any survivors. He doubts any will be found, however.

Firestar is busy with her search and rescue work! It is what she does and enjoys and she will spend the next while going through the burning buildings one by one. The fire doesn't scathe her in the least. But she will be doing this off camera!

It's worth noting that if looks could kill, the Jump Tank would have changed from machinery to geogaphy.

Such is the force of the glare Encore's directing at the back of it.

==================================== EDC =====================================

Message: 22/26                    Posted        Author

AAR: Attack on Eielson AFB        Thu Aug 02    Franklin Cross

--

In a message which is, again, locked so that only EDC personnel can see it, General Franklin Cross appears, sitting behind a spartan desk, resting on his arms. He looks... perturbed. "Soldiers... we were attacked at Eielson Air Force Base today. The Decepticons apparently detected the experiments we have been conducting there with the new super weapon. I thought I had shielded the base sufficiently so that the experiments wouldn't be detected, but... evidently not. As a result, the Decepticons descended on our base, prompting us to evacuate.

"Along with Lars Daalgard, Melody Reynolds, many others, and several Autobots, we defended the facility from attack and covered those were escaping. Despite our best efforts, not everyone made it, but the majority of the personnel escaped safely. Now, this is the hard part." Cross's mouth makes a thin line. "I observed the Decepticons obtaining a prototype of the experimental weapon. All of these devices, and the base itself, were rigged to detonate at my command. So... I triggered the self-destruct."

He looks down at the table for a moment, then up at the camera again. "We managed to get a headcount after the battle, collect our dead and wounded. Only ten soldiers are unaccounted for. They may have been inside the lab or the hangar above it at the time. Dr. Page was outside the facility when it exploded. He's being treated by Apocryphacius and may survive, but at the moment, I'm not sure. I tried to give everyone enough time to get clear, but... I ran out of time. I'm going to personally send my condolences to the families of these people, just as soon as I think of what to say.

"I regret my actions, soldiers, but ultimately, I had no choice. It had to be done or the Decepticons would get the prototype. I promise all of you that the sacrifices we've made for this thing will be worth it."

The report ends.

==============================================================================

================================= Decepticon =================================

Message: 2/73                     Posted        Author

AAR: Eilson Air Force Base        Thu Aug 02    Shockwave

--

Shockwave appears in the medical bay, having seen heavy action. A keen eye will notice most of his wounds are from conventional ammunition, suggesting an altercation with the EDC. This is swiftly confirmed.

"As anticipated, long range scans were successful in registering the humans new weapon and pinpoint its location. Earth Defence Command was using an Air Force Base in Alaska to test their weapon. I launched the shuttlecraft Occupation immediately for an emergency descent. Although heavily outgunned, Motormaster and I spearheaded the assault and laid waste to much of the base, including transports as they attempted to flee the scene."

"General Cross was on hand himself to defend the base, along with several Autobot allies. I would rate his combat skills as comparable to other EDC Generals we've seen in the past. He is far more ruthless, however, and a section of the complex detonated, apparently intentionally, in an attempt to ensure we did not gain possession of their work. This despite the likelihood of his allies still being present inside." Shockwave is actually impressed by this human.

"Regardless, we've dealt a severe blow to the EDC. As well, during the mission Wiretap consistently monitored enemy communications, revealing their strategies even as they unfolded. Furthermore, he has noted the distrust that is growing between the Autobots and the EDC over the latter's new CO. Shockwave out."

==============================================================================