Arise Guiltor

IC Time on Earth: Mon Mar 31 15:22:52 2029

Arabian Peninsula - Oil Fields

Since the first drill punctured this large, flat peninsula, Arabia has been perhaps the most productive oil land in the world. Ships constantly come here, to the ports, and go away with bellies full of thick crude. All nations come here for it, and all peoples at least partially depend on it for survival. Wars have raged here since the beginning of time. Some for the land, some for the oil. But one thing remains constant, and that is the outside interest in this otherwise barren land.

 GNN reporter says, "This just in! Saudi Arabia is under attack by the Decepticons! They're looting the oil fields and the local defenders have put up little to no defense against their brutal assault! Where are the Autobots? Where is the EDC?!"

Just as the news report warned, the oil fields of Saudi Arabia are ablaze as purple energy weapons fire strikes across a sky darkened by burning oil. Decepticons of all shapes and sizes laugh as they make short work of any mere human in their path, and cover their comrades as they pour crude oil into energon cubes.

Soundwave himself is silently producing empty cubes from his chest as gumbies take them from him. "Excellent work, Decepticons. Be wary of a possible Autobot counterattack. I expect it to be soon."

Shrieking giddily, painted up in streaks of black gold like a savage, Fusillade whoops out, "Hey, I'm a ZEBRA!!!!!!!!"

--      Compile is here as well, having a fun time attacking and once the humans are running and looks and heads over to SOundwave and begins to gather up the energon cubes and takes them over to fill them up. As he does this, he stays linked with Soundwave and all the fun stuff.

(Dreadwind) F-16 Falcon flies around the destruction and energy gathering, there at least in presence if not action, though knowing his luck it won't be long until Dreadwind is forced to actually do something useful.

"I'm-a firin' mah lazer!" Americon drawls drunkenly as he staggers drunkenly about the battlefield, an energon cube clutched in one hand as he fires his laser pistol in his other hand. "...in America."

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity , The UNS Atlantis picked up Michael from Australia just the day before fighting the cons there. It is actually nearby in the Indian ocean now and speeding along towards Saudi Arabia. However, the Unity can get there faster. Even now it's on the launch deck getting ready to fly. The large hex shaped doors slide downwards letting in the Indian ocean sunshine. The Unity steps forward to the catapult and slips its feet into the two shoe like devices sticking out of the deck. Michael crouches down as he says, "Michael Briar, Glaive Unity, let's do it!" The catapult connected at the feet pushes/pulls the exo-suit out of the launch doors spitting out into the open ocean air. The jets on its back roar to life and propel the suit quickly away from the Atlantis and towards the raid.

The delight over the successful routing of human defenses soon passes, and hydrocarbon warpaint aside, Fusillade slips into a stand-off mode. Skimming to the perimeter of the oil field, she keeps visually surveying the horizon for the inevitable response. "This will help bolster our supplies for Galvatron's current list of demands. Although I'm still trying to puzzle out HOW in the smelt this will go together with all the limestone chalk from the cliffs. The airbase is over Italy righ now, we could probably call it in for a support position, although it'd take... a while. Hnnph. Nevermind. We can hit up Libya for oil from there, though," she remarks helpfully to Soundwave.

Monster Truck  just happens to be on a nearby Canadian ambassadorial convoy a few miles away from the danger zone. He is stocked full of Timbits as gifts for leaders in this land. However, picking up any and all free open air broadcasts, news of the Decepticon attack reaches him and he pulls over. "Oh no, it's Snidely Whiplash! Nell, I gotta go to work. Tata!" He ejects the crates of timbits from his cargo hold and drives off the road towards the peninsula, the giant wheels of this monster truck take the sand dunes with delightful ease. An obligatory "YeeeeeHaaaaaaw!" resounds with every jump.

Monster Truck  cues Beach Blanket Bingo performed by Frankie Avalon and Annette Funacello.

 Quickswitch says, "What"

 Quickswitch says, "Is going on...?"

 Monstereo says, "It's RAAAAID!"

 Michael Briar says, "Figures you wouldn't be tuned into the standard earth broadcast frequencies. Monstereo is right, the cons are hitting Saudi Arabia's oil fields."

F-16 Falcon continues to circle, who knows perhaps Dreadwind is doing his duty and looking out for any attackers that are on the way, ready to intercept them ata moments notice... then again. "Yeah great i'm sure everything will go as planned and nothing will go wrong except for a horde of Autobots and humans in cans that'll maim and destroy us all."

Colonel Faireborn reaches up and flicks several switches above her head in the cockpit. The Shrike jet-fighter surges forward. Hidden behind a pilot's helmet and mask, Marissa turns her head, gazing out at the pair of Shrikes on her right. Turning the other way, she sees the pair on her left. The five fighter Shrike squadron has taken off from an airfield not too far from here. "Colonel Faireborn reporting," Marissa transmits through the helmet's onboard radio. "ETA to the raid site is four minutes. Advanced tracking marks two Decepticon fliers in the area. Computer has one tagged as a fighter - probably a Seeker - and the other a bomber. We're going to be concentrating on bringing down the bomber first."

The five Shrikes, formation flying, careen across the Arabian landscape. The ground below can barely be made out through the clouds, and so Faireborn and her wingmates are operating on navicomputer alone. Gripping the flight stick with one hand, Marissa taps several keys into the computer. Her HUD flickers, now showing two red targeting crosses where Fusillade and Dreadwind are, though both are out of visual range. Marissa calmly loads the Energon tipped missiles and works to get a lock. Her wingmates are doing the same. Fusillade's counter-measure software is going to begin screaming at her in several moments, registering the locks.

Soundwave nods to Fusillade at her offer, even while empty cubes spit out of his chest. "Excellent. Depending on how well the battle goes, we may pass over Libya and raid them, as well. Galvatron's needs are considerable, but we will meet them one way or another." He watches Compile for a moment, and says, "Compile, ensure that some of the more enthusiastic Decepticons do not destroy more oil than absolutely necessary."

After Dreadwind whines, Soundwave says, "They will not destroy us if you deal with them first!" He points up in the sky at the incoming EDC fighters. "Decepticons, defend yourselves!" Soundwave does not actively take part in the battle yet, though.

--      Compile nods and looks, "You got it," and he heads off to stop some of the more 'enthusiastic' cons form having way to much fun. "Hey yous guys. Stop what yous are doing. We need to not destroy all of this, of else Galvy will be pissed," and he looks and blinks as he hears and picks up what Soundwave sent him. "Well, well, well. Looks liek the welcoming commit has arrived," he comments. "Ok boys, lets get those guys." and he pulls his weapons and begins to fire on the EDC.

 Quickswitch says, "--and the Autobots are standing idly by?"

 Monstereo says, "Yes, you all are."

 Monstereo says, "Must be bowling night."

Americon looks up in the sky, and squints. Boy, that star sure is bright. Wait, how can he see any stars with all this smoke? Eh, must be a drunken hallucination.

 Quickswitch comes close to a sneer, "Perhaps they are 'playing games.'"

 Colonel Marissa says, "We could certainly use your help, Quickswitch."

 Quickswitch says, "Well... I'll--of course I will!--I'll think about it. Try to get Sky Lynx on the line in the meantime! This is terrible."

 Quickswitch narrgghs, "Forget Sky Lynx! One of the gestalts!"

F-16 Falcon picks up the urgency from Soundwave but seems to be disinterested at best, "Oh yes that's what you say but you know that for everyone we destroy another ten will jump out from under a rock and ambush us from behind. We should just leave now that way we'll only lose half the resources and maybe two thirds of our forces. So i suppose you want me to futilely engage and crash in a pile of flaming debris." Even having said all that Dreadwind stops circling and tries to find the newly arrived enemies.

 Monstereo coughs"Combiners"coughs

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "Combiners. Yes."

Andi Lassiter waits on the deck of the carrier next to her Talon, hoping that she'll not need to go out there into the middle of that fight. Although...what if she tried to chop the head off of the snake?

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "Insanely powerful, but inefficient."

Flexing obsidian gauntlets to pluck up a cube, Fusillade appears ready to launch into more discussion of strategy when she freezes, optics wide behind her amber goggles at the tingling of targetting radar creeping along several auxiliary sensors. "Oh. Yes, well, I'll go ahead and pull them away from this particular spot and its gorgeous pile of highly explosive energon." With a click of heels, she bolts skyward in a grey blurr to join Dreadwing, before transforming back to her bomber mode. She waggles wings at him to indicate that they will stay in formation. This lasts for a few seconds, before she breaks hard and right, circling back to rattle the staggered formation of Shrikes, seeking to entice and divide.

Monster Truck <Monstereo> ascends another dune, now able to hear the attack in the distance. He cuts the music off to listen, slowing to a park atop the sand. Grains tumble down the slope below his front tires. A lone vehicle on the opposite front of the EDC. He cues Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple. The opening guitar chords echo faintly in the otherwise immediately quiet area. He rolls forward once more, more than two thirds the distance from the safety of the Canadian convoy back at the road.

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar>, Michael Briar takes the Unity to mach one in record time. Both of them speed along hugging the water and leaving a large spout of water in their wake. They both quickly reach the shore of Saudi Arabia and beyond that the attacking oil field. Michael brings up targeting data from Satcom and several blips come up over a map of the area. Several decepticons, five fast moving jets, and a land based target. Michael brings up targeting data on the five and IDs them as Shrikes and not just any. He opens a com line and says with a bit of static, <<Colonel Fairbourne. It's General Briar. I'm coming in from the Atlantis's position. Do you have any intel on this attack so far?>>

F-16 Falcon seems to shake slightly in the air as Fusillade pulls up in front of him and gives him no chance to just stand aside and wait. No doubt the wing waggle was to make sure that there was no verbal complaint about the orders, not that anything like that ever stops Dreadwind he's been on a roll for millenia or two. "Ah yes, follow into certain agonising doom and painful torture it seems to be my constant lot in life, the only thing that ever changes is the one telling me what to do." Nothing quite like complaining on the move, still perhaps the suffering will end this time.

Marissa is indeed enticed. "Taking to the air again, hmm?" Marissa mutters to herself. The little red box that surrounds where Fusillade would be (if Marissa had telescoping vision, anyway) moves up from the ground and into the sky again. A little blip on the radar indicates a transformation. Size confirms a bomber, not a Seeker. <<General Briar, this is Colonel Faireborn. Intel so far has marked two Decepticon fliers, with an undetermined number still on the ground>>. Marissa then switches to the local broadband.

"Devereaux, Wright, lock onto the F-16. The rest of you, we're shooting that bomber out of the sky." Marissa and the two pilots on her left achieve the lock on Fusillade. With a gloved hand, Marissa flicks open the missile launch safety switch and presses the trigger.

A missile shoots out from under the left wing of her Shrike and two others, streaking after the Decepticon bomber. Said Decepticon is already taking evasive maneuvers, however, as Fusillade banks right far harder than any Earthbound, non-Cybertronian enhanced bomber could even dream of. "Break! Break!" The Colonel shouts. Her and the two Shrikes on her left suddenly split apart away from one another, attempting to make sure Fusillade can't target all three at once. The three missiles are still after Fusillade, however.

The remaining two Shrikes, piloted by Devereaux and Wright, have maintained their course, trying to achieve a lock on Dreadwind. If they manage to get it, a pair of energon tipped warheads will be en route to him as well. It isn't often that Earth Defence Command gets such a real chance to obtain aerial superiority from the Decepticons, and it's not an opportunity they wish to miss!

Andi Lassiter finally decides on something and climbs into her Talon, starting the take-off procedures. She is guilty of a lie by omission, as she does not correct the control tower crew when they presume that she's going to join Fairbourne and her squad. The Talon starts out toward land, and ...oops, Andi "accidentally" turns off her radio.

Twisting and shifting, the exo-suit transforms into the Talon exo-jet.

<Earth> Familiar voice says, "Your failures, your misdeeds, your mistakes... they are a part of me. I am what you have done. I am what you have failed to do. And soon, you will all account for the lives you have led...."

Shockwave follows the other Decepticons, trailing from behind in his slower robot mode. Still his radar signature is well known and anything but subtle when you carry around a nuclear reactor on your back. "Probability of resistance: 100%. Probability of success given current conditions: 89.6%. Avoid being baited into chasing the defenders, they will only take you further away from the objective."

<Commentary> Monstereo says, "Ooooh. Heavy."

Exo-Suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar> continues taking the low road then. <<Right, guess I'll hit the targets on the ground then...>> Michael says before closing the com line.

"Ok Unity, let's do it..." he says with his exo-suit's optics flashing brightly in response. The Unity screams onto the scene straight for the cons. Of course, this also gives the cons there time to react.

<Commentary> Quickswitch says, "O.O"

Soundwave steps back, finally noticing the bright light in the sky. Staring up at it, he recoils in horror. "No! It cannot be! It cannot be!!!" Then, a brilliant purple beam streaks out from the "star" and neatly lances into Soundwave's body, boring a hole through his shoulder and out his hip. "ARRRRRAAAAAGHGHHHKKKK--" he cries out before collapsing in a smoking heap.

Then, mere seconds later, a hulking form slams down onto the ground in the middle of the oil fields, in a crouched position. The form is obscured by smoke, but you can make out antenna on his head. Soon after, the six Seacons drift down from the sky, taking up positions around the new robot. They cross their arms, snickering to themselves as they look ever so smug.

"Oh, boy, have we got a surprise for you people..." Snaptrap says.

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "..."

<Autobot> Colonel Marissa says, "My thoughts exactly, Quickswitch."

<Autobot> Michael Briar says, "Holy crap..."

<Autobot> Colonel Marissa could tell that was Quickswitch, yes. How? Cause she's just that goddamn awesome.

--      Compile turns and looks, "...." and he blinks, "Why you pieces of slag," he says as he rushes towards Snaptrap. "No one hurts Soundwave and gets away with it," he says as he fires on the Seacons, who just dropped Soundwave. "Comeon guys, lets rip them a new exhause pipe," he yells.

Monster Truck <Monstereo> comes within range, cresting the final dune boardering the oil fields, tires parting with the sand briefly before coming down and reaching hthe harder packed grounds of the field. Just in time to see Soundwave cut down and the Seacons arrive from the sky. He cuse a Poltergeist 2 sound bite: "They're baaaaack." He then cues music, appropriate trouble music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsQVH2ceXNU

Shockwave adjusts his flight pattern and lands to place himself squarely between Soundwave and the treacherous Seacon clones. "I am curious about what I will find inside once I dissect a few of you knockoffs."

Going away from the objective WAS Fusillade's intent, and with timing that one could set a watch to, the Lancer streaks over the dunes with a trio of Shrikes, and weapons fire on her aft. The bomber porpoises up, before nosing down -- 'Pushover!' into the valley formed by the hundreds of feet high dunes as she rattles along in her hard ride setting. There's a brilliant flare of three sets of flares being deployed, and a flurry of chaff as she tries to size up the craft -- she's been chased by them enough, she should have the number of hardpoints memorized by now. Frozen tundra, and SAND, however, are the undoing of the terrain-following navigation, and after the first dozen break neck twists and bucks, she clips the crest of a dune, and spins out, transforming as she plunks into the ground. She crouches, readying herself to leap up at the Shrikes should they overshoot her position.

The assault of the Seacons, however, cuts that gambit short. Spitting out a curse, she trudges up the slope, peering out over the edge nearly half a mile away.

"Awwwwww, you've gotta be KIDDING me." She begins setting up a sniping position, wondering just how well missiles would work, aside from announcing her position.

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "Yeah I wish I'd stayed home now too. Seacons are back. Who ordered the seafood?"

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar>, Michael Briar pulls back hard sending his Unity up into the air and back down as he cuts his engines. Michael lands nearby Shockwave and says, "Shockwave, it's probably a logical idea for the cons and humans to team up at this point. Wouldn't you agree?" He reaches to his hip and pulls off his rail rifle with a crackle of maglocks. His weapon goes to point at the seacons and says, "Damn knock offs, I was there when they died on cybertron. You're just cheap imitations."

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "..."

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "Not helpful."

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "Backup?"

Shockwave ponders Briar's offer...of course he does not really care what the human germ thinks but he is right. The humans might make good pawns or meatshields in order to test the new enemy's capabilities. "At this moment in time General Briar, my problem is not with you. If you chose to help, you are free to do so." Of course he shuts up about the death of the original seacons and why he is positive those jerks are clones.

F-16 Falcon is usually one for fancy flying and evading, unless being forced to, which is the fact in this case as he follows along after Fusillade with fluid, practiced ease.

Dreadwind can feel the red hot beams from the targetting sensors locking onto him and would swear that death was microseconds away, "Well at least this should be short, painful and searing but short." At the last moment before he too would join Fusillade the Seacons attack, so Dreadwind over flies which unfortunately allows a missile to impact, "Aww great first i'm shot those holes are going to be a nightmare with all this dirt flying around and now the Seacons turn up they must be following me, just finish this already!"

Snaptrap laughs as he allows Compile to fire upon him, his sturdy frame absorbing the shots with little difficulty. "Oh, aren't you adorable? But really guys... We're not the ones you should be worried about, this time. Oh, no. It's our new friend here that you gotta watch out for!" He gestures to the smoldering form, still crouching on the ground.

"And believe me--dissecting HIM is going to be REAL hard." He chuckles evilly.

The smoke swirling around the new robot wafts away... revealing... Optimus Prime!? No... it looks a lot like him, but very different. He possesses a huge cannon on his right arm, and what looks a giant revolver cylinder in his left arm. And his legs look very much like Megatron's!

"Everyone... this... is GUILTOR!"

Guiltor rises up, his optics glowing crimson as he speaks in Optimus Prime's voice. "You will all suffer for what you have done."

As the Decepticon bomber flees the three EDC jet fighters, Marissa has time to further examine their target. Not a 'he' like Marissa initially thought. The Colonel has her picked down as Fusillade. EDC Intel isn't entirely clear on the exact command structure of the Decepticon Empire these days, but intercepted and decoded radio traffic over the past several months suggests she's at least high up enough to be giving out orders. Fusillade is going to look lovely as a smoking wreck half-buried in a sand dune, Marissa muses.

After their initial break, Marissa and her two wingmen get back into formation, chasing after the Decepticon bomber. She's certainly a hell of a lot faster than intel had thought. It isn't long until Fusillade is back out of visual range and the pilots are relying on their targeting computers again for her location. Flares and chaff shoot out from the bomber, and the missiles fall short. Before the Colonel can order a second round, the little red targeting box on her HUD indicating where Fusillade is suddenly dips down to the ground and vanishes. "McCullough, Blair, I've lost track of her. Any of you have her on scope?" Both pilots swiftly respond in the negative.

With Fusillade temporarily off the radar, this at least means they can concentrate on the F-16 'Seeker' darting about in the same area. The remaining two Shrikes fall back into formation with Faireborn, and the trio try to achieve another lock on the now damaged Dreadwind. Before they can get it, though, there's a bright light in the sky. The pilots crane their necks upwards as the beam blasts Soundwave, and a new form has appeared on the ground, followed by all six Seacons in the air. The Seekers are going to pass over Fusillade's position in a few moments, still deciding on their new course of action.

"Guiltor?" Wright repeats in disbelief. He checks the Shrike's chronometer. "Sir I'd just like to point out that it's going to be April Fool's Day already SOMEWHERE in the world by now!"

The Autobots are here. /Autobot/ that is. The One-Robot Army answer to Sixshot has deigned to come save the afts of--...slag... He cut his engines abruptly and landed, "What the slag is going on?!" Guiltor?! Quickswitch felt his neural net compress and his fuel pump and cpu surging with the flux of information, of the situation present. Of the sight of one resembling Optimus Prime, calling itself Guiltor. He willed his transformation cog to remain steady as he took the situation in.

Quickswitch springs up into his massive robot mode.

Monster Truck <Monstereo> peels forward, sand dust kicking up in a large cloud behind his treads. The simmering arabian heat like liquid in the air between the four-wheeled Junkion and the field of Decepticons, Seacons and Humans. The vision of the amalgamation creation appears from the smouldering spot. He gets close now, close enough to circle the main grouping of trouble. He cues a sound bite of Michael Caine. "Have an issue? Here's a tissue."

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "...what is this?"

<Autobot> Michael Briar says, "Don't know, but it's a target if it's with the seacon fakes."

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "About ten sessions with a therapist if you're not careful."

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "Anything calling itself 'Guiltor'--eh?"

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "What's a 'therapist?'"

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar>, Michael Briar frowns and says, "Guiltor huh? Well, best I say hello then." He points the rifle at Guiltor and pulls the trigger sending out a burst of mach speed rounds whipping across the gulf separating them. Tracers of red and yellow follow suit.

Shockwave's yellow optic lights up a solid for a few seconds taking everything into account. //Optimus Prime chassis: duplicable Optimus Prime vocalizer: duplicable Megatron-like weaponry: complicated but duplicable by the Quintessons. Conclusion: shape, size, sound and appearance chosen to spark an emotional response from cybertronians.// "This is simply another Quintesson trick." //Start data-gathering sub-routine// The purple cyclops fires up his reactor and prepares for combat. Still for -some- reason he holds his ground. Fear? Cowardice? Doubt? All emotions the likes of which are unknown to Shockwave, the professor is planning something of course.

--      Compile looks as he approaches Soundwave. "Ok, you slagers, lets rock. You attack Soundwave, you have to deal with his tapes."

Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar> misses Guiltor with its RCR-104 'Hunter' Rifle attack.

Dreadwind of course completely misses the hissed orders and the somewhat scheming remarks about the two 'waves, though nhe has picked up on the announced arrival, he snorts in reply, "Guiltor? GUILTOR? What sort of absurd name is that for an abomination? Suffer, suffer is all that i ever do i suppose you're just the next insult added to my continuous injury." Although he isn't exactly following Fusillade's lead he does open fire on the thing.

Compile misses Guiltor with his Tape 1000 Degree Flamethrower attack.

Dreadwind strikes Guiltor with Twin Missile.

Unable, or unwilling, to fire upon the likeness of the Autobot leader he'd heard so much about from Impactor, Quickswitch's large digits clench over nothing; the absent grips of his two photon blasters.

Still... it had the resemblance, too, of Megatron... And its name was so obviously contrived.

Quickswitch couldn't cope with the sudden influx to his circuits, programming, the Quintessons' ruse playing the massive Six Changer right into their tentacles. He winced, feeling his own doubt and wavering indecision. Oh, Primus, where was Impactor at a time like this, to confidently order the attack on this being and have it done with.

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "What the FRAG is up with this?!"

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "What the Pit IS that thing--it looks like Prime,

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "Close, but no cigar... shape up soldier..."

<Autobot> Quickswitch's vocorder wavers somewhere between the edge of panic and fury, "Then--tell me--"

Monster Truck <Monstereo> doesn't seem to suffer the shocks some others have from the initial appearance of Guiltor. Perhaps his ordeal with the Bowie alien's trails within the Cube have something to do with it. Or perhaps the fact that there are also Seacons present is reality enough to give the need to not fall into the trap of distraction. Or perhaps its the mysterious primal instinct that has been growing inside of him ever since he was bitten weeks back. The Junkion monster truck transforms into robot mode and his normally red optics give a brief green flash. They turn back to red in another second and he pulls out his sonic rifle. "Hey Ladies!" He pumps in the rest of the Beastie Boys musical sound bite, firing the amplified sound at the cluster of Seacons: "GET FUNKY!" ~cowbell~

"Ah, Michael Briar!" Guiltor says icily. "Astracius has told me ALL about you!" Somehow, the massive robot darts to the side from Michael Briar's shot. "He told me how he had all you strapped up and helpless... how he removed your EYE..." Guiltor rushes rapidly towards Briar's exo-suit. And somehow, to Briar, his viewscreen seems to go dark, filled only with Guiltor's burning red optics! "How he removed your ARM..."

The optics grow in size on the viewscreen. "How much did it hurt, Briar?... Did he make you scream?... Why don't you scream for me, Briar? Scream like you did when you were a guest of the Quintessons! SCREAM!" Then, finally, another object looms in Briar's viewscreen--a fist! "PENITENT STRIKE!"

Behind Guiltor, the Seacons watch and laugh as Briar and Compile miss their mark. When Nautilator is hit instead, that just cracks them up even more. Snaptrap rubs his chin and stares up at Dreadwind and Fusillade as they score hits on Guiltor, briefly obscuring the abomination in fire.

"Rrgh!" Snaptrap growls as he and his fellow teammates are then assailed by Monstereo's highly amplified music. "Very well, if they wish to attack us, then open fire!" The Seacons begin to open up with their weapons in every direction! Tentakill focuses on retaliating against Monstereo, firing shots in his direction.

Guiltor strikes Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar> with Penitent Strike.

Marissa and company streak over Fusillade's position unmolested. There's a warning light that flashes on the pilots' screens as a missile is fired, but it quickly becomes apparent that none of them are the target. No, it is this Guiltor fellow. "New orders, ladies and gentlemen, the Decepticons are a secondary target. The Seacons and this Guiltor fellow are the top priority." The five Shrikes turn in a wide arc, maintaining a loose formation. "Laser batteries," Marissa announces. They're too close for missiles, and in a dogfight against Seacons, Marissa is confident that her pilots will come out on the winning side. With Compile and Monstereo tanking for them, the Shrikes unload laser blasts at the six ex-Decepticons before swooping off for another pass.

From Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar>, Michael Briar has the look of a man looking at death. Michael says, "No...not this...noooooo...argh!" The fist smashes into his faceplate and sends the Unity tumbling back smacking into the ground with a puff of sand. Catching his breath, he gets up saying, "I'll....I'll kill you!" and charges at Guiltor with his blades snapping into existence around his fists. He slashes at the optimus and megatron clone thing leaving trails of purple energy in their wake.

Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar> misses Guiltor with its energy shield blades attack.

Shockwave observes the 'Guiltor' fellow...//For some reason the creature is also driven by emotion. Attacking the human first was foolish.// The purple cyclops charges towards Guiltor with surprising speed and and tries to slam his elbow in the lower back of the...creature. //Time for some hands on testing// "Too bad you will never get to live as long as most of us. Logic dictates I cannot allow you to foil my - The empire's plans."

Shockwave misses Guiltor with his Elbow strike! attack.

Monstereo eeps, optics widening as his attacking does more harm than good to the situation, stirring up a hive of bees. "Aw keyrap." He dives as Tentakill, the most ridiculous altmoded Seacon, chooses to fight back against Monstereo. He is clipped by the aqau-clones retalitory fire and he rolls back up to his feet, running sidelong looking for cover as he blasts out more amplified sonics this time solely on Tentakill. This time it's the not-Jackie Chan voice portraying Jackie Chan from the cartoon series Jackie Chan Adventures: "Bad day bad day bad day bad day..."

--      Compile looks as he misses and blinks, "Alright, lets play," and with that he opens up his arms and the ports on his back and fires some missiles at the Seacons. "This is for not being dead, and for you damaging Soudnwave. When I get my hands on you, I will so disect you to see how you tick, you will pray to be killed."

Compile strikes Guiltor with Mini Tape Rockets (HE).

A familiar and annoying Decepticon named Runamuck flies into the area. His friction rifle is fully polished and he looks like he might actually mean serious business for once. But then again, Runamuck has been pretending lately that he is important and a somebody. He aims his rifle at Guiltor and calmly states, "Rumors claim the dinosaurs were wiped out by a massive comet. This is false. Runamuck Norris simply roundhouse kicked all of them into oblivion." He then dives in to kick Guiltor at full force!

Runamuck misses Guiltor with his kick attack.

That couldn't what his optics thought they processed.... could it? The Sixchanger wondered in a small internal voice. He forced himself to look upward at the abomination, through what was now panic racing through his circuits and turning them to ice, sickened and fearful static clouding his thoughts, "Prime would never say those things..."

The assault unit willed its guns to its hands, brought them up and eyed along their twin sights, aimed with a steady optic and arm, closed its finger to the trigger and watched, impassively, the result.

Quickswitch misses Guiltor with its Photon Blaster <High> attack.

"Penitent... strike? Huh. Sounds kinda dirty," Fusillade muses, before she raps on her chest, and then pulls out an out-sized, smoothly curved missile. "Oh, sweetie, it's time for you leave home and grow up. Do me proud!" She cracks open a panel on the cruise missile, tapping in a few recognition patterns -- namely, 'bifurcated'. She peers over the edge of the dune again, the sight of Autobot reinforcements catching her attention. <<Ey, Quickswitch. You can do that whole drillin' thing, right? Might be a good idea to nail this walking crazy quilt from underneath!>> A bit more closely to herself, she murmurs, "Wonder what else he's going to say?" And then she clicks the panel shut, and with an over cheery, "Buh-bye!" she lets the chittering smart bomb out to do its worst. Fusillade misses Guiltor with her From Nightseige, With Love attack.

A distant sonic boom rolls by far overhead as a dart-shaped something tears across the firmament from one horizon to the other. A speck appears falling out of the sky directly overhead in Cyclonus' wake. Is it a bomb? Is it a kinetic-kill weapon? Worse: it's Galvatron, and he's had enough of this Clone Megatron nonsense.

Galvatron strikes Guiltor with Purple Death from Above.

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "HOW THE FRAG COULD I MISS??"

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "Get over it dude. Therapy is too expensive. Trust me."

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "What /is/ that?"

<Autobot> Michael Briar says, "We don't know, but it's not friendly."

Autobot Superjet <Jetfire> powers into the area at high altitude, having to devote a fair portion of his computing ability to sort through the data his targetting computers feed him. He quickly indentifies a few friends, far more enemies and a bizarre unidentified or two. But noticing how Autobots and Decepticons alike are atacking Guiltor, he quickly assumes this is a case of 'everyone gang up on this new threat before it wipes all of us out'. He does a neat pushover and power dive towards Guiltor, unleashing a horde of small missiles that streak down, each leaving a thin trail of smoke.

Jetfire strikes Guiltor with missile.

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "Its when you pay money to a doctor of the brain to help you sort out all your psychological and emotional problems. When all you really need is a good kick in the aft."

F-16 Falcon is pleasantly surprised to find that the attack actually lands on target and seemingly does damage or at least he would be if he wasn't, you know, Dreadwind. As the Seacons throw themselves into the battle he transforms but stays aloft floating a short distance from Fusillade, sure he's a tempting target but then when isn't he? "Well it looks like we're going to be left for last then, we'll get to see the humans squashed, i just know that their innards are going to get splashed all over me." With that he punches a fist in the things direction and his wrist weapon flares to life.

<Autobot> Junkion Radio Broadcast says, "Monstereo, make me proud and kill it!"

F-16 Falcon suddenly halts it's forwards momentum and pulls up as it bends in half. The body of the jet twists and unfolds to become legs, while arms extrude themselves from the fuselage sides.

Dreadwind strikes Guiltor with Single wrist blaster.

Galvatron crashes into Guiltor with feet, fists and shock flail, leaving a steam trail like a meteorite. "Have the Quintessons no SHAME?" he demands, enraged. "This is a new PINNACLE of PATHOS!"

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "Kill the guilt with confessions or concussions?"

Guiltor moves with blinding speed, a wave of sand thrown up as he races across the sand. He laughs as he makes an almost S-like maneuver, dodging past Briar's blades and then Shockwave's elbow. "Hahaha, our little trip down memory lane will have to wait, 'Mikey!' But rest assured--we'll go back down that way VERY soon. I'm still waiting to hear that scream!"

He stops near a ruined oil derrick, tapping his chin as he ponders targets. "Hm. Who to pick, next." Fusillade's missile rushes towards him, and Guiltor suddenly springs up over it, letting it blow the derrick to smithereens behind him. A spin in mid-air, and Quickstrike's shots miss his shoulder. However, the sheer volume of fire at least allows some hits to get through, and Compile's rockets and Dreadwind's disruptor pepper his chest armor.

"Let's see... Shockwave is an emotionless drone... Soundwave is down..." His optics suddenly meet Quickswitch's. "Ooh." Settling back onto the ground, and not taking his eyes off the sixchanger, Guiltor ducks just as the Battlecharger's flying kick rushes right over his head. "I choose... YOU."

Fortunately for Quickswitch, Galvatron interrupts that choice, and Guiltor is slammed down onto his face by Galvatron's dropkick. "Hahahaha," Guiltor's all-too familiar voice calls out. "Galvatron, my old friend! I've been waiting to meet you! You're on my... list!" Guiltor's optics flare as he looks back at Galvatron, then suddenly springs up, clenching both his fists together in a move that may seem rather similar to one Galvatron has experienced before! "Remember the... GOOD OLD DAYS?"

Guiltor misses Galvatron with his Nostalgia Attack attack.

Shockwave watches as Guiltor turns to face the bigger threat, logical but still half of that guy is driven by emotion. A big mistake, turning his back on Cybertron's guardian.

Shockwave leaps into the air transforming into his space-gun mode. The Decepticon fires a crackling azure bolt straight at Guiltor's back. //He is fast but his thought pattern start to make him predictable.//

With the traditional sound, Shockwave transforms into a giant space-gun.

Shockwave strikes Guiltor with his Electro-Magnetic Pulse attack.

Runamuck flies through the air and misses Guiltor. He groans as he stops at a halt. He finally aims his rifle with intention to fire it at Guiltor. "The chief export of Runamuck Norris is pain!" He fires the blast and whispers, "Galvatron, save me!"

Runamuck strikes Guiltor with Friction Rifle <Powered>.

The Sixchanger's fuel pump thundered right into his audio sensors. How could he miss. HOW COULD HE MISS?!?! Quickswitch's features condensed into a livid scowl and he clamped down on his blasters... Before his burning optics registered Guiltor's response with almost naive curiousity, "'Choose me;...?" did he want to know? That could get very bad...

Instead, Quickswitch took to the air, where he could properly observe the spread of combatants, the Unicronian that called himself a warlord going up against this Guiltor. He turns on a cannon-wingtip, "I don't like any of this," he mutters to himself.

Accelerated, Quickswitch transforms into a sub-orbital jet.

The Seacons continue to harry the Autobots, EDC, and Decepticons, but they are somewhat distracted as they watch Guiltor fight. It's quite a show, really. This, of course, allows Monstereo to get the drop on Tentakill. "Aiieee!" Tentakill yells as he tumbles over from the sonic assault.

Monstereo creeps closer to the fallen Tentakill cautiously, sonic rifle held all cool in the ready position you see MArines and whatnot do in movies. He hums the theme to S.W.A.T. He gets close enough to give the Seacon a nudge with his foot. "Cthulhu? You dead man?"

"You'll never finish school like THAT, you little punk!!!" Fusillade screams out at the confused cruise missile as it plunks into the sand. And THEN /SOMEjetfireONE/ had to rub it in by actually hitting the big hairy baddie. Was was this whole list thing? She hrns, and then shifts weight on one foot, a faint hum of plasma generating as she pulls from her hydrogen reservoir. She works over the shape, balling it up, shaping it, before spinning it on one fingertalon tip, and then flinging it at the antennae jutting out from GUILTOR'S helm.

Fusillade strikes Guiltor with Harlem Globetrotter!.

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "Monstereo, what do you think you're doing? Get away from that thing!"

Marissa Faireborn watches from behind her flight helmet as Galvatron arrives on the scene and engages this Guiltor fool. It isn't often that the Colonel doesn't mind seeing Galvatron. "Maybe they'll kill each other," Wright pipes up unhelpfully. The five Shrikes, now flying in a very loose formation as they dogfight with the Seacons, continue to try and drive them away. This one unknown Quintesson creation is bad enough, they don't need Piranacon The Space Pirate joining in with the fun either. "Target the slowest and weakest one and finish him off," Marissa orders over the radio. This, unfortunately for Nautilator, is him! Strafed laser blasts from the Shrikes fire away at the unlucky Seacon.

Galvatron suffers a momentary flashback to that fateful day as Optimus Prime's fists swing towards him in a devastating double axehandle... No! Not again! He shakes his head and Guiltor comes back into focus. It wasn't Prime- it couldn't be, and barring a miracle, it never would be again!

"I remember only my TRIUMPH!" he replies, leaping aside as he should have done back then, if only he had been faster, younger, stronger, as he is now. "If you seek to relive the PAST, stranger, I have no hesitation to LAY you out on a SLAB!" He comes up with a devastating backhand swing of his shock flail.

Galvatron strikes Guiltor with Morningstar.

Dreadwind gives an almost audible moan of discontent, so far he hasn't managed to miss the monstrosity once and that sort of thing usually means there's going to be a large increase in suffering somewhere down the line, more than the average increase in his unending suffering. "This thing has a list, i'm sure i'm on it, five times." Dreadwind draws both his weapons and opens up once more on Guiltor.

Dreadwind strikes Guiltor with Thermal Melter.

Sub-Orbital Fighter Jet <Quickswitch> continued to fly overhead, from his particular vantage point. He /could/ burrow into the earth, get sand in his engines and joints and exhaust. A trifling inconvenience, he imagined, but annoying enough. And it involved leveling himself to the ground, and he did not like this at all. The Decepticons seemed to be faring much better, he noted with a snort as he turned once more and headed toward a dune. Sandstorm suddenly popped into the Sixchanger's mind as he twisted forms into his drill tank mode, spun his drill and suddenly met with yielding darkness. He could feel the footfalls, the artillery-fire radiating above him, as he calculated the distance where Guiltor was located. In the back of his mind, he loathed how inefficient this was. But, if it got the job done, did it matter, really?

Quickswitch rapidly transforms into a hulking drill tank.

Quickswitch succeeds in grasping Guiltor, throwing him off-balance.

Space-Gun <Shockwave> re-transforms into his robot mode and finally ditches the melee for ranged combat, his specialty. The cyclops locks on target and extrapolates various dodge moves that could be used should he have to adjust his aim. With a machine-like calm he fires off a quick series.

With the traditional sound, the space-gun unfolds into Shockwave's robot mode.

Shockwave strikes Guiltor with Infrared Blast.

The drill burrowed around in the absolute darkness. Sand was alien to him, but he couldn't complain. The battle engaged above him seemed so far away. Quickswitch took this moment to relax, churning foot after foot of the substance... right where Guiltor ought to be... He smiled, pleased, at the makeshift run he's created behind him that collapses almost immediately. His crimson drill pokes up from the weakened ground, "Surprise, Guiltor!" Sand falls from his chrome and green armor, he /knew/ this would happen, but it did not matter so much at present, as long as he was capable of--His mounted blasters fired at the amalgam.

Runamuck loves to try new strategies of pain. He flies above the monster robot and salutes Galvatron. "I do have followers. Runabout is one!" He puts his rifle away into subspace and groans as he prepares for what he deems death. He soars into the air and then transforms! The car divebombs at Guiltor for a head on collision!

Runamuck falls to the ground and turns into a white Pontiac Trans-Am.

Quickswitch strikes Guiltor with This Ain't No Dentist Drill.

Guiltor falls to the ground unconscious.

Runamuck quickly transforms into a robot and scowls, "Heh, maybe I don't have to die."

The white Pontiac Trans AM turns into the Battlecharge known as Runamuck.

Dreadwind hangs in the air his arms drop to his sides hanging almost lifeless, "Typical the tormentor is beaten by another tormentor, the universe is truely twisted in it's desire for suffering and pain. The burden of survival however is still forced unto me."

Guiltor grunts as Shockwave's EMP blast smacks him in the back, and he falls to his knees as as energy crackles around his body. Helpless, he cannot fight back as Runamuck's friction rifle overheats his joints, causing sparks to fly out from them violently. Fusillade's plasma ball smacks into the side of his head, blowing off an antennae. "Nnh. Fusillade... will have to... deal with her, too..." He stumbles somewhat as Dreadwind's blasters blast off plates of armor. "Nnf. Will be difficult to punish... Dreadwind... perfects his depression every day... Runamuck... may be too much of an idiot." And just as Guiltor tries to stand up, THWAM! Galvatron's shock-flail knocks him to the ground, whe lies there in a crumpled heap. For a split second, his form seems to be replaced by that of Megatron's! What was that!? Was that a hallucination!? "Nngh, yes, your triumph..." Guiltor looks up at Galvatron, clearly exhausted, but his spirit is still as wicked as ever. "And a hero's welcome, right?" The Constructicon's trumpets sound out briefly, then fade slowly into nothingness. How...? Another split-second, and the original Optimus Prime is standing right in front of Galvatron, in impeccable condition, then he's gone.

Finally, Guiltor collapses into the pit Quickswitch made, and lets out a sharp gasp as the sixchanger's laser perforate his armor, going straight through his fuel pump. "Ah-ha... ha... what... do you think... you've... accomplished?..." he says cryptically, as his optics fade out, and he goes limp.

Monstereo foot nudges Tentakill again. :p

Tentakill wasn't dead--in fact, he suddenly transforms and latches onto Monstereo's face! Ahh! Face-hugger attack!

"YEAH good luck punishing ME!" Fusillade cackles mean-spiritedly as Guiltor gurgles out of existence. She bobs up in the air, and skims over to the pit that Quickswitch made, peering about for the source of the radio transmissions. Sliding down the pit, she plants hands on hips, and then snaps out cleated foot sharply in the limp form's torso.

"Muffler for brains."

Monstereo drops his rifle and wraps his arms around the facehugger. "Come here, big boy." He clamps one hand over the other and says, "And I'ma gonna squeeeeeeze!" Bearhug!

Galvatron grimaces at the shapechanger, giving it a shove with his foot in case it's not quite dead. "A grotesquerie that should not have been, much like the Quintessons themselves- ptu!" He spits a glob of graphite lubricant on Guiltor's unmoving body in disdain. "Shockwave, see to Soundwave's condition. Dreadwind and Runamuck, gather up this obscenity and pack it into a form Fusillade can stow. Fusillade, when you are able to transport this... thing, you will take it to the center of this solar system and throw it into the sun," he commands, turning his back and walking away.

Elsewhere, Nautilator cries out for help as he is blasted repeatedly by the EDC shrikes. While the other Seacons move to help him, Snaptrap makes a clicking noise as he shakes his head at the assembled warriors. "Oh, you guys. I bet you think you've won the war. Killed off our new soldier. We lose. Oh, darn. Well, like Guiltor was saying..."

He leers evilly at the warriors present. "Right now, as we speak? Guiltor's personality is being uploaded back at our secret Quintesson based. Yeah. That's right! And guess what's going to happen when the upload's done?" His optics narrow. "He'll get a brand. New. Body. Heheheheh. Yeah, he's just like us. So don't worry. He'll be BACK."

Quickswitch nearly forgot the sand clotting and grinding his joints as he transformed up into robot mode. Shock pervaded him. He loathed it, too. How amateurish. Quickswitch's fingers twitch as he watches Guiltor perish, "I wonder what it--he--wanted...?" he asks in a quiet voice, looking around, forgetting almost, too, that it was a Quintession ruse.

That's all it was. He winced once more, and forced his cog to steady. He eyed Fusillade with a cautionary expression, continuing in that quiet voice, "He's terminated now... Have at least a little decency...?" he shunts his blasters back into subspace mutely.

... Oh Primus....

"Reeeee!" Tentakill shrieks as he squeezes back for all he's worth.

Marissa Faireborn and company begin to circle the area. Being that the squadron is in fighters, there's no real opportunity for them to land. The order may still come down to fight the Decepticons, but this is somewhat unlikely now that Galvatron is present. Watching as the fuel gauge slowly ticks away the amount of time she's able to spend here, Colonel Faireborn glances at her instruments, monitoring what's going on below now that Guiltor has been defeated, and the Seacons are... probably not a huge issue (Can't really shoot Tentakil while he's hugging Monstereo, now can they?)

Monstereo tightens in retaliation... and gets a taste of Tentakill in this facehugging position. The energon circulation being slowed in his head, Monstereo's though processes are in turn slowed, approaching a near shut down state. His instincts take their place second by second. Hidden under the Seacons crushing mask like attack, Monstereo's optics glow green and his mouth wides making room for enlargened sharpening fangs. Monstereo flails his entire body forcing both the Junkion and the Seacon to the ground as he tries to bite the metallic seafood.

<Autobot> Quickswitch says, "Uh, Monstereo... What are you doing?"

Dreadwind flies over to the remains of Guiltor, obeying Galvatron almost immediately, "Punishment, suffering, pain, the pit of despair, what more could it possibly do to me that hasn't already been done? I'm sure i'll find out soon enough." In the blink of an optic Dreadwind holsters his weapons as he lands, "Now i'm going to get covered in the fluids that kept this thing running, i'm sure it has a corrosive element if not a plague of some kind."

"Can I have the two cannons?" Fusillade queries hopefully, although it's highly unlikely that the weapon systems actually are functioning. However, at the marching orders for hearse duty, she makes a face. "Urrrrh, they might JUMP me on the way there, eeegh." However, she raises her hands quickly, as if to convey that she understands and will obey, likely with a sizable escort in tow. Twitching her hips, she addresses the Autobot. "Decency? Quickswitch, ain't NOTHIN' indecent about THIS exposure. And you heard the bossman. I gotta job to do. Until they send the NEXT one." Wading forward on the slope, she bends forward, hooking hands into the nearest seam of armor of the fallen conglomeration. "Ooof, heavy."

"You may have whatever pieces please you, Fusillade," replies Galvatron, his back turned as he takes aim at the surviving Seacon- he doesn't care one whit if he nails Monstereo in the process, naturally. "You have served well this day. I'll just clean up the rest of this sorry mess..."

Galvatron succeeds in grasping Monstereo, throwing him off-balance.

Galvatron squints and blows a hole through Tentakil *without* taking any large chunks off of Monstereo in the process. He's got the touch! Well, the Decepticon version thereof.

Drill Tank <Quickswitch> turns LIVID, his face exploding with twisting rage, "JUST A DAMNED MINUTE!" He bellows downward at Fusillade and the dead Guiltor, "/I/ terminated him! NOBODY decides the empty hull's fate but ME! It is my right as a warrior."

Quickswitch springs up into his massive robot mode.

Tentakill shrieks as Monstereo inexplicably bites him, and thrashes tentacles to try and get him off, smacking him numerous times. Then, suddenly, Tentakill goes limp and smokes after Galvatron's powerful shot hits him

Snaptrap sighs as Tentakill goes down. "Hm. Well, I guess we'll meet him back at the base. Seacons! Return to headquarters! And remember what I said, Autobots, humans, and Decepticons--" The remaining Seacons rise up into the air as they depart for their cloaked shuttle. "--this is no victory! This is the BEGINNING! Guiltor is coming for you ALL, and he knows all your weaknesses! Heheh, you'll wish you were dead when he's done with you!"

"Yeah?" Fusillade asks, pausing and planting hand on hip as she pulls goggles up with her free hand and plunks them atop her helmet. "Well, if you want to argue, you go argue with Galvatron. He's BIGGER than you, and knows where I sleep. So you'll understand me not wanting to tick him off."

Galvatron hears this outburst over the kraka-foom, which he is of course so used to that he barely registers it anymore. "You? Quickswitch? YOU, a warrior? You must be joking!

Ah ha ha ha! If I were you I would bring this line of humor to an end before your audience no longer finds it funny."

Dreadwind stares sullenly at Quickswitch as he launches into a tirade at Fusillade, "Some thing never change." The cries from Snap trap filter down to Dreadwind's audio sensors and he looks skywards, calling out almost pleadingly, "Wish we were dead? Why would anyone be foolish enough to wish for anything more?"

Monstereo tumbles away from Tentakil, the release of the shot Seacons clutch and the Galva-fire snap him back to his senses, his optic color returns to red and his mouth shrinks to normal size once more. He picks himself up wearily from the sandy oil field ground. He wipes at the side of his mouth with the back of his hand and glances at the trace of energon there, not his own. He glances around and then brushes his hands clean with sand. He looks around for his unknown saviour.

<Autobot> Monstereo says, "What happened? Who killed the smelly guy? Who's my hero?"

Quickswitch stands absolutely straight, his features tight in an expression of wrath and seething rage. His face trembles, threatening a tic, "Ab-Abomination," he chokes out the words from his vocorder, "Unicronian malformation--" it's a wonder he can choke out the syllybals as flatly as he can right now. His circuits race with thoughts and staggering emotions. He speaks every syllable, chokes on it as if it were laborious to speak around the emotions overcoming him, blasters in hand, "I am one of the two most advanced warriors of the Cybertronian race. You will return the chassis to me now."

"It will be desposed of, by the one that terminated it."

"You can't even leave this mudball's gravity well!" Fusillade barks out shrewishly in the background.

Fusillade adds, "AND you wouldn't have had the sense to attack it that way if I hadn't TOLD you. Technology is only as good as the user," she decrees snottily, as she continues to shuffle with the bulky corpse.

"Correction," replies Galvatron, "You are scrap, tossed on the heap and then salvaged as a very late second thought after the best of the Autobots met their death at MY hand."

He raises his cannon. "Permit me to demonstrate."

Galvatron strikes Quickswitch with Fusion Cannon (low output).

Dreadwind pays no attention to the emotional outburst going on between several people who can barely stand to be in his presence, instead he trudges forwards and pokes gingerly at the fallen enemy. Then the cannon goes off, not that Dreadwind flinches with any luck it was aimed at him and the pain will be over shortly, but alas it is not.

The Sixchanger wondered, through the murk of absolute rage at the insult--the other pelted at him cracked through the fury instead of adding to it--just what it was he hoped to accomplish. Was it pride? In terminating his opponant? The Sixchanger felt his joints loosening, felt a very unpleasent coldness at his rash action, registering in trembles along his circuits and servoes He looked up. Saw the cannon raised. His retort to Fusillade never made it.

Coward! He barked at himself.

His optics widened, output inside his optics spelling doom. This was NO Cybertronian. What was happening--

Destroy him--!!

Oh--

The Fusion Cannon slammed into his form, blackened it and melted circuits that, now screamed. He buckled, knelt where he fell.

Fusillade leans forward, wingblades whipping out to their full span, even as her arms lock backward in place as the rear fuselage. Her torso folds out to the become the cockpit of a space capable B-1R Lancer, ready for flight!

Monstereo gives up on the search and looks around to see what the EDC are doing. Hopefully those humies are okay. :) Oh no! The Autobot freakshow was shot! Fallen! Singed! He strides on over towards the body fearlessly and starts examining for signs of life salvagability.

Space-Going B-1R Lancer vanes wings and tailslabs as anti-gravs strain to hold her tonnage aloft and relatively still. Several of the Decepticon foot soldiers from the intial oil raid scamper over, and begin lashing the remains to her fuselage. And looking like a station wagon with a deer tied to the hood after an intergalactic redneck hunt, she ever so slowly begins climbing toward the dark of space. A few fluids dribble in her wake. "UGH sonic shower time when I get back. YICK."

Fusillade retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots.

Galvatron stalks up to Quickswitch and gives him a scornful kick, spurning him like a diseased dog. "You poor fool! You call me abomination? I am reborn, I am refined! I am myself, a superior mind in a superior body! What defines a true son of Cybertron? The sheer number of forms he can take? The material he is made from? Where his skin and bone were forged? NO! It is his indomitable SPIRIT, that spark of identity and belonging, that community and culture, an essential quality which you LACK! You are wretched,

Quickswitch. You are no man. You are only a simple beast, and a beast you will remain regardless of what gimmicks and trickery your poor abused body is stuffed with, out of novelty."

Galvatron strikes Quickswitch with Kicking While He's Down.

Monstereo gasps at the kicking and makes a shooing motion with his hands at Galvatron. "Victory is yours already!" He turns back to Quickswitch and starts doing what he can out here in the middle of nowhere to put the Sixchanger back together in some small fashion.

He was embarrassed. He did not like being embarrassed. It burned, and his armor burned inside and out. But the pain did not matter. He had killed the abomination Guiltor and its robotic chassis was his right--he responded in fury. His right! His RIGHT! And they were getting away with it and the Unicronian--he could hear the words, churning to 1s and 0s and registering that way--he was insulting his form further--he was--the clang of boot to armor sent the Sixchanger tumbling against the sand. How he hated the substance, the irritation strayed into his thoughts.

The translucent blue panelling flickered irratically with the moody Sixchanger's mercurial nature, "Unnnh..."

Dreadwind helps finish loading Fusillade and watches as she takes the remains away and turns back to Galvatron, seemingly waiting for fresh orders, he doesn't even spare a glance for the fallen Quickswitch.

Galvatron looks back over his shoulder as Fusillade carries off Guiltor's body for disposal. At least the thing will not be in the hands of the Autobots for who-knows-what ends.

"Pathetic," snaps Galvatron as he points his cannon at the ground and fires, soaring up into the air on a pillar of energy and leaving behind just assorted shrapnel, dark fluids, and a glass crater to mark his visit.

Galvatron begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Guiltor, Exo-Armor Talon <Andi Lassiter> Jet, Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar>, Space-Going B-1R Lancer.

Dreadwind watches as Galvatron also takes his leave, having given no further orders to execute Dreadwind stands there for a time surveying the damage that the battle had caused on the local surroundings, the odd faint cry of human voices, the pain and suffering of the fallen and those desperately trying to save lives. For a moment he almost feels at peace but then the haunting agonies return, the tortured memories. Dreadwind ascends to the heavens and leaves those few that are at last free to start their next journey of pain.

Dreadwind begins retreating, leaving himself vulnerable to parting shots from Galvatron, Guiltor, Exo-Armor Talon <Andi Lassiter> Jet, Exo-suit Glaive Unity <Michael Briar>, Space-Going B-1R Lancer, Monstereo, Soundwave.

Quickswitch felt the ministrations piecing his very much alive form back together. His optics focused, readouts spit systems specs across his vision, coming clear from static to see the Junkion, "Monstereo..." he uttered weakly, moving to sit up, looked around, "There's sand in my joints," he whined mutely, rotating his arm and flexing his fists and feeling the grains grating and irritating. And they got away--

Monstereo nods in affirmation. "Its the dessert, dude. That will happen." e gets up t his feet and helps the sixchanger up too. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some donut holes to deliver.

The Junkion robot makes a clickety-ratcheting series of sounds as he transforms into the disguise of a monster truck... labelled Monstereo. Are you fooled? ;)