Ship Up Or Ship Out

Dyson Ring - Industrial Zone

''The broken, shattered remains of buildings claw desperately at the poisoned sky in a ruined realm that spans an area the size of continents on Earth. Among the structures, which, upon closer examination, prove to be ancient, abandoned factories, rivers of toxic sludge run red. Zones the size of cities flicker continuously in pollutant-fed fires that have been burning for centuries or longer, providing a dim but inconsistent scarlet light to this region despite the constant covering of angry, rust-colored clouds. Nothing could have survived here long, and yet, in the shifting shadows of distant fires, it becomes so easy to imagine otherworldly creatures down every alley and through every fractured window.''

Though both factioins have been making on and off efforts in exploration, there was still a lot of unknowns the Dyson Ring held.... and a period of truce seemed like the perfect oppritunity to investigate some of them. Like why there was a wreck of a ship lying in middle of what was an industrial zone. Did a cargo carrier crash land? Corperate sabotage of some sort prehaps? Or was there something more ominous lurking in the forgotten shadows?...

"Almost got it..." A few sparks crackle from a pried open and wire jury-rigged control panels as Jetfire steps back from it, and with the groaning of long left to rust parts one of the cargo bay hatchs starts to creak its way open... About halfway before it finally stops. ".. Oh, of all the..." Jetfire ducks down a bit, then turns to look up at his companion over his shoulder. "You mind Maximus? I don't think either of us can limbo this low."

Little do they know, out of view on the other side of the very same wreck (it's a big craft, that's what makes it such a curiosity), there were others having similar ideas of trying to snoop at its insides...

"Somebody say limbo?" Blaster steps out from behind the even larger Autobots. He interlaces his fingers, turns them around and then flexes (in the non-aggressive knuckle cracking gesture). "Mecha please. I won the Killarn Limbo Classic three years running." He pauses and then adds, "When there was a Killarn."

Fortress Maximus takes a good look at the cargo bay hatch before nodding an affirmative at the Air Guardian, "Nor would it be safe either if we needed to get out in a hurry." The large Headmaster leader moves forward and begins forcibly lifting the cargo bay hatch door upwards, the sound of sharp metallic protest fills the area as the cargo bay hatch doors eventually submits and opens. "Hand me some of those support pylons over there, please." Fortress Maximus points his head at the direction of a pile of fallen, but still sturdy looking pylons on the floor nearby, "A few of these should be enough to keep it open permanetly."

With a disgusted flick of nose canards, Fusillade pierces the acrid smog swaddling the post-apocalyptic ruins of the Industrial District. <> The bomber trims her engines, and begins to descend after hearing the resounding screech piece the miasma. The silhouette of a city-former becomes apparant as she draws near, as do the Autobot faction symbols. Emboldened by the truce, she shouts down over the howl of enginesat the Autobots, "HEY! Whatcha find down there?"

If Swindle's contacts were correct - And they usually are - there was something of a small treasure trove of components to be found in the industrial zone of the Dyson Ring. Now what that actually meant is anyone's guess. But if there was something out there that caught Swindle's interest, it's a good bet that anything that is out there will be profitable for anyone who decides to go along with the dirty dealer's schemes. Usually, anyway.

... A control panel on the opposite side of the wreckage from the autobots makes a few sparks as a result of the virus being planted in from a certain dealer. It makes an unhappy sound, as if it were giving a whine, but finally gives up. The locks on the vertical doors on the hatch click open as the virus does its job, and the door creeks open a little way. Standing up, Swindle grabs ahold of one side of the door firmly, and starts to tug. It starts to give way with some effort. "Oof. This is one of those times that I really wish we brought Brawl. We wouldn't have even had to have given him anything so long as we gave him something to hit!"

The dealer hesitates, glancing back behind him. Wasn't there some other Decepticons that followed him? Hm. Oh, that's right, the distraction! Swindle taps his fingers against his temple briefly. "Too many figures going through this processor." The olympics are always a busy time for him! He puts his weight into it, but the door doesn't budge much more. "Hah, Blast Off would never be able to get that bulk through this. But me, on the other hand!" With some effort, he squeezes through.

Jetfire chuckles a bit at Blaster's ethusiasm. "While I have no doubt you would be able to do it," he replies to the comm-bot while he picks up one of the indicated bars, "That would still leave us bigger guys in a bit of a fix." He walks over and shoves the beam into place to prop the gate up. "Good job Maximus, now lets see what's inside."

Jetfire still has to duck a little, but it's not that bad. But he only gets halfway there before hearing an all too familiar voice shrieking from above, and vents a sigh of exhaust out of his mouth. "... This is why I waited for the truce to explore this," he rumbles to no one in particular, before clambering inside.

.. "Well, there's definately something left in here", his voice rings from inside, followed by the noise of a fallen structure being pushed out of the way. "Okay guys, the way is clear."

Blaster looks vaguely disappointed he's not going to get to showcase his Limbo skills, but then he just nods as Jetfire collects one of the support pylons. He pauses at Fusillade's radio transmission and is already scanning the skies when she makes her more visibible appearance. Blaster looks thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. "Okay...who's going in first?" Blaster himself already seems to be edging for the entrance.

Fortress Maximus lowers his hands slightly below the cargo bay hatch doors, testing to see if his calculations on the strength of pylons were correct. Fortunately it is and the large Headmaster leader turns around and modestly gestures his hands for the other Autobot members present to enter. While he can't quite hear what Fusillade had said but he does, even in short year that he had spent back on the frontlines, recognize the sound of the Decepticon bomber's engines. Not really content on slowing down Jetfire's investigation, Fortress Maximus gives Blaster a pat on the back and grins, "Looks like Jetfire volunteered first. After you." The Headmaster leader waits for the tape commander to head in, while he himself readily takes up the rear.

Transforming and landing with a plunk, Fusillade undoes Swindle's hard work by making conversation with the Autobots. Her silhouette disappears from the dealer's point of view on the far side of the derelict's wreckage -- and she's clearly talking to someone other than him, if she had even spotted him! Visibly straightening when she hears Jetfire's voice, she calls foward, "HEY! We gotta match to do sometime in the next deciastrocycle!" She fixes Blaster with a supicious moue as she begins to strut toward Fortress Maximus, and ultimately, Jetfire within the wreckage. Her gilded goes and ceramic thrusters scuffle on the ground as she tries to stand tip-toe in order to see over Fortress Maximus's shoulder. She raises a glossy black hand, and utters a quiet "Hey," to the Headmaster. "Wow, think that's the first time I've said that to you."

Apparently the door didn't like being open very much, because the doors behind Swindle slam shut just a short couple of seconds after he passes through them. Plunged into darkness, only the violet of his optics, blinking in confusion, light the walls. "Hm, I don't need to be shooting the darkness," He muses, while reaching into his subspace storage. After a moment of scrounging, he pulls something out and attaches it to his arm, after which it lights the hall up with a bright green light. "Better, and didn't even cost $19.99."

Shedding some light further into the hall, he starts forward. His treasure senses are tingling! There's bound to be something here.

Blaster shrugs easily and then heads inside. "Anything particular you're looking for Jets?" He tilts his head slightly like if he's listening to something. "'Cause if you are, I have a feeling it's gonna be finders keepers." Jetfire is... just ignoring Fusillade. Well okay, that's not entirely correct. He's noticed she's lurking there behind them, but he's focusing more on the exploration. A few light bars flicker on and off, as if not sure they want to provide illumination or not. But the Air Guardian thwarts them by activating a headlamp. Literally, as the center of the little crest in his brow lights up to illuminate in front of him. In his line of work keeping hands free is important after all.

"Either this place is really old, or I don't reconize the species of origin. Curiouser and curiouser." Finding another doorway at the end of the hallway, though this one has already been partway busted off its hinges due to the crash warping its frame. All it takes is a good hard kick from Jetfire to knock it down with a thunderous THWANG.

"Oh, that's the fun of Salvage operations, Blaster. You never know if there's going to be anything or not until you get there!" Jetfire replies to Blaster. "Though we may be in luck..." As the final doorway leads into a rather expanisve cargo bay. Crates in various stages of completeness or degradation, some things smashed by infrastructure falling in the wreck, or just delapitating over time... and a big tarped over object in the center of it all. ".. Strange that this is covered instead of crated," Jetfire muses as he trots towards the tarped object. It's pretty big as it is, a good half the Air Guardian's own height.

Fortress Maximus turns around in response to Fusillade, "There's a first time for everything." He responds frankly, before turning over to check on Blaster and subsequently, Jetfire. After a bit of a catch up, Fortress Maximus eventually joins the rest of the Autobots inside the cargo bay. He approaches one of the ship's bulkhead, putting a hand across the surface and using his tactile sensors to analyze the structural composition of the bulkhead, "Well the materials used to make the ship's hull doesn't seem to be extraordinary." He then follows over to the tarped object where Jetfire stands, "How'd you find out about this wreckage?"

There's a resounding THUNK in the dark, followed by a disembodied swear and a crash. More cursing erupts from the left and rear of Fortress Maximus, where the hallway joins the cavernous cargo bay. Fusillade pipes up from darkness, "Yeah so what's under the cover? Is this just uncharted from the time that Autobots and Decepticons started occupying this Ring Thing again?"

Speaking of salvage... Swindle ends up at a door with a slightly more pesky lock. There's no port for him to plug into and upload a virus, just a lock that's sitting their benignly, keeping him from getting in. There isn't even a control pannel. "Hm, a bit more aggressive hacking, I think is in order," He murmurs, leveling his blaster at the control panel. A blast from that makes the control panel change its mind!

He continues onwards into a smaller room, light from the stick on his arm flashing across it. Though it doesn't seem that he sees anything very much of value. That's not to say that he doesn't grab a few things that aren't bolted down anyway as he continues on to a much larger door. This one, however, opens up a bit more smoothly.

And opens up into somewhat of a familiar cargo bay, with Swindle staring right across at a group of Autobots.

Awkward.

"One of the survey crews noticed it," Jetfire replies to the other Autobots as he walks partway around the tarped object. "And a wrecked ship in middle of the industrial area kind of stuck out. Sure, cargo ships wouldn't be that unusual lying around, but one of this size and clearly not salvaged before, meaning either it crashed here after the area was ruined or as part of what ruined it. Now, let's see what we have here shall we?" Jetfire grabs a corner of the tarp and yanks it off!

And reveals a rather large cannon of some sort, bulky and extermely cumbersome looking due to its age. ".. Well. Hmm. A bit big to just be carrying around, unless it was manufactured in this are--Wah?" He blinks, looking up at the sound of blaster fire. The door rumbles open for Swindle to walk in. "... Shouldn't you be scamming people in a souvenier booth somewhere?"

Unfortunately, the ship didn't take well to Swindle's, ah, aggressive hacking methods. With a loud clanging blast doors slam down over both the exits as a computerized voice drones out with a screech through long neglected speakers. >INTRUSION DETECTED. INITIATING SECURITY PROTOCOL.<

And suddenly the room is -full of lasers- crackling at various angles and hard to maneuver positions to fill the room with very little space to negotiate.

"Oh now look what you did, there was still some power in the security grid!" You drop Shipwreck Security System.

Combat: Jetfire misses himself with Shipwreck Security System's Laser Grid Area attack! [Pulled -1] Combat: Jetfire (Jetfire) used "Laser Grid": A Level 2 AREA-RANGED attack. Combat: Jetfire misses Fortress Maximus with Shipwreck Security System's Laser Grid Area attack! [Pulled -1] Combat: Jetfire misses Blaster with Shipwreck Security System's Laser Grid Area attack! [Pulled -1] Combat: Jetfire strikes Swindle with Shipwreck Security System's Laser Grid Area attack! [Pulled -1] Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Swindle's Agility. (Crippled) Combat: Jetfire strikes Space-Going B-1R Lancer with Shipwreck Security System's Laser Grid Area attack! [Pulled -1] Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Space-Going B-1R Lancer's Agility. (Crippled)

The sleek bomber rears up, wings collapsing onto hips even as the rear fuselage splits to form arms. The horizontal stabilizer slides up, the forward fuselage folds up accordian style, and Fusillade hops up on thrustered feet.

 Jetfire says, "Augh, that bloody idiot set the defense off!"

 Sit-Com says, "Huhwhat?"

 Jetfire recalms. "We were trying to do some salvage with the truce up, but apparently a couple of Decepticons had the same idea, and one blew his way in here, setting off the remains of the security system." Pause. "... Huh. Invasion laser grid. That's really oldfashioned."

 Fortress Maximus speaks through his radio with an audible amount of laser fire in the background, "Old fashioned yes, ineffective no! Is there any chance we can stop this thing without shooting the turrets and possibly overloading what's left of the power grid?  I remember these sort of things go off with a pretty big bang."

 Jetfire says, "If there's a terminal to try, that's not already a piece of slag... I'd really like to get this cannon out of here, we don't have much heavy artillery other than what the cities and big guys like you pack!" Pause. "...And I'd rather Swindle not get it, either.""

Fortress Maximus turns around calmly as he observes Swindle appearing behind them. Somehow, somewhere, the alarm system is tripped and the large Headmaster leader can't help but put a hand to his visored face, sighing. "Is there -any- more of your companions around in this wreck that can make things worst?" As if the answer Fortress Maximus' question, the ships' laser defense systems reveals itself and he finds himself dodging, weaving, and eventually ducking behind a random cargo container.

Barely enough time to pick herself up from her unceremonious introduction to a collapsed bulkhead in the corridor, Fusillade blearily staggers into the cargo bay, and stares incredulously at Swindle, a silent 'wha?' forming on her hematite lips before all hell breaks loose. She gets seared across her left elbow by the laser gridwork. "GAH!! Ow!" she yelps out, before diving for cover behind a moldering freight crate. "SWINDLE! WHAT DID YOU DO!?" she berates as she pulls out her Desert Eagle styled sidearm, and begins blasting toward one of the recessed wall sconces that are emitting the nearest set of security lasers. Combat: Fusillade strikes Shipwreck Security System with her Toe-Popping Cherrybomblets (Laser) attack!

"Shouldn't you be blowing up something in your science lab?" Swindle returns, a frown pulling at his face. Autobots here can only mean one thing, that they're after the treasures this place has as well! But he knows better than to aim a weapon at them. His irritation gives way to his usual, sleezy smile. "Now then! Since we're under this truce, I'm SURE we can get along this o-"

And then the room fills with lasers.

Swindle ducks close to the ground rapidly, but it doesn't prevent him from getting lasered in the leg none the less. He grunts in pain, and pushes off with a bit of a limp towards another series of crates for cover. "Come now, why must /I/ always be the fault of everything! You'll notice it didn't go off the moment I blasted it!" A grunt, as he levels his gyro gun on one of the lasers. "Stop accusing me for a cycle and find me an access port!" He puncutates his words with a blast from the gun at the laser. Combat: Swindle misses Shipwreck Security System with his Gyro Gun attack! [Pulled -2]

At the same time he's cussing at Swindle's breaking and entering Jetfire fires off his leg veniers, half dashing and half jumping backwards to avoid several of the lasers trying to vivisect him and barely succeeding in doing so. "Gah, even if there is a terminal to shut it off, there's no way to get to it in this maze of energy," he grumbles, ducking behind the cannon he had been inspecting moments later. Behind the cover he pulls his battle helmet out of subspace and sticks it on.

Leaning partway back out, Jetfire looks up to focus on one of the arrays forming the verticle lasers. "I'll make some room to move, someone find a console or something!" The 'antennae' on his helmet flick foward and pepper the ceiling emitters with laser shots to try and knock them out. Combat: Jetfire misses Shipwreck Security System with his Head-Mounted Vulcans (Laser) attack! Combat: Drained 2 energon.

At least -someone- manages to blow out some transmitters, cutting out some of the laser grid that's trying to pin them down.... Unfortunately the system doesn't take this very well, and several larger turrets drop out of the ceiling, swiveling to try and lock onto the various transformers present and opening fire with volleys of concussive blasts. Combat: Jetfire misses himself with Shipwreck Security System's Concussion Blasters Area attack! Combat: Jetfire (Jetfire) used "Concussion Blasters": A Level 4 AREA-RANGED attack. Combat: Jetfire strikes Swindle with Shipwreck Security System's Concussion Blasters Area attack! Combat: Jetfire strikes Fortress Maximus with Shipwreck Security System's Concussion Blasters Area attack! Combat: Jetfire misses Fusillade with Shipwreck Security System's Concussion Blasters Area attack!

 Jetfire says, "It's got us pinned down Max. I don't think we have a choice but to cause some collateral damage."

 Jetfire says, ".. Wait, I think I see a power relay on the other side of the bay. Maybe if I blow that out it'll slow it down a bit... Though this means either this is not a cybertronian ship.. or the IFF register has degraded over time. It's playing no favorite towards Autobot or Decepticon."

"Consoles, RIGHT!" Fusillade echoes Jetfire's directions, as she holds up a panel from the crate she was holding. Another volley fills the room, and with a girly squeak, Fusillade snaps up one of her wingblades in a panic. The motion deflects the incoming shot, causing it to careen away elsewhere in the cargo bay -- and possibly toward another one of the explorers! "Ah-ha, CON-SOLE," she hisses in victory as she spies a flickering green monitor surrounded by a panel festooned with dials. A quick 'deet-DEET' of target lock sounds out, before a checkered missile, with the words 'I may be fat, but you're scrap!' billows to life from her torso and soars the short distance to impact! Combat: Fusillade sets her defense level to Aggressive. Combat: Fusillade strikes Shipwreck Security System with her Medium Range Missiles attack!

 Fortress Maximus says, "Yes, I see the relay now. One moment."

Fortress Maximus raises up from cover with his equally large fusion-power photon cannon gripped in his right hand. He levels the weapon's barrel at the direction of the power relay that Jetfire had mentioned earlier on the Autobot's subspace radio and fires a single shot towards the exposed hardware.

Swindle keeps his head down. At least as down as he can manage as he hurries along a row of cartons. It doesn't help him much, as a laser concussion blaster drops down from the ceiling behind him. It lances him in the back, sending him sprawling to the ground with an 'oof!' "Oh, now that will cost me," He grunts, pushing himself back up to his feet. Purple optics glance around quickly, scanning the wall nearest him. And fall upon a vent of some sort. His optics flicker a few times, scanning hardware briefly scanning behind the paneling. And the result has Swindle grinning viciously.

He ducks back down another crate, a hand reaching into his subspace storage. Only to pull out... What looks like a handful of RC helicoptors. Or more specifically, toy helicopters that look suspiciously like Vortex. Swindle reaches up, pulling the vent from the wall. One by one, those vortex 'toys' fly off of his hand, and up into the vent. A vent that goes up into the ceiling, sending cool air to the weapon systems in it.

"Fire in the hole!"

Those aren't toys after. Because after Swindle says that...

KRA-CKTHOOM! Each of them go off in a small, but potent explosion. Small enough to not blast them into space, but large enough to make it hard for those weapons to get cool air! Combat: Fortress Maximus strikes Shipwreck Security System with his Fusion-Powered Photon Cannon attack! Combat: Swindle strikes Shipwreck Security System with Radio Control Vortex Toys's Huge Explosion #9311 attack! Combat: Swindle's Radio Control Vortex Toys is destroyed! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Shipwreck Security System's Agility. (Crippled)

 Jetfire says, "..... Did I... no, I don't want to know... I just hope he wasn't planning to sell those as souveniers!"

Jetfire gahs, cutting his gunnery attempt short as he dives across the cargo bay and rolls behind another stack of crates. It thankfully draws the fire away from the cannon he WANTS to keep intact as the turrets follow and blow holes in whatever the boxes were holding instead. Surprisingly agile for a guy his size it would seem. He looks out again... the gawking expression as minature Vortex's take flight lost behind the featureless 'face' of his helmet. ".... I hope he wasn't planning to sell those as souveniers," Jetfire mutters under his breath. He dashes back out, running towards the cannon to secure it's position, and snaps off a few burst-fires from his rifle as he does so at the turrets to try and keep their attention while the others are disabling the system. Combat: Jetfire misses Shipwreck Security System with his Particle Rifle Burst-Fire attack! Combat: Drained 5 energon.

The missile is right on the mark, sending a shower and shrapnel flying as it blows the slag out of a console and leaves smoking ruins in the wake. Several of the concussion turrets are either blown up by the exploding Vortexs, or overheat as the hot fumes are sucked into the undamaged one's cooling vents. So there's less of them for Jetfire to shoot as he dashes, alas. And the Fortress gets his BFC out and sets off a shower of sparks and more rent metal and smoking electronics as it blows up the relay, finally killing the power to that obnoxious laser grid.

>ERROR. ERROR. SSSSYSTEM MAL-AL-ALFUNCCCCION! PROTOCO-CO-CO-CO-*SCREEEEEEAAAAAAAAACH*< It doesn't even finish as the speaker finally explodes in a shower of sparks and wire from a power surge.

And that's when the slag hits the intake port. The remaining turrets and laser ports all start spinning and waving about erratically as the entire system starts to crash and burn from the combination of severe damage and aged neglect, firing off randomly in every which way direction across the bay! Combat: Jetfire's attempt to use Shipwreck Security System's System Breakdown attack on Jetfire goes wild! Combat: Jetfire misses himself with Shipwreck Security System's System Breakdown Area attack! Combat: Jetfire (Jetfire) used "System Breakdown": A Level 5 AREA-RANGED attack. Combat: Jetfire strikes Fortress Maximus with Shipwreck Security System's System Breakdown Area attack! Combat: Jetfire strikes Swindle with Shipwreck Security System's System Breakdown Area attack! Combat: Jetfire strikes Fusillade with Shipwreck Security System's System Breakdown Area attack!

 Jetfire says, "... Not quite the reaction I was hoping for."

 Fortress Maximus coughs, "I had a feeling that was going to happen."

 Jetfire manages a dry chuckle. ".. Well, now we verified it?"

 Fortress Maximus says, "Well, I can say at least one thing with certainty. Things are never dull with you around.  Is the system going to shut itself down anytime soon, or do we have to do this the old fashioned way?"

 Jetfire says, "I'd rather not wait and find out how long it would take, though there shouldn't be much left in the system since you blew out that relay.."

 Fortress Maximus says, "The old fashioned way it is."

"Who the hell built this insane system?!" Jetfire curses loudly as he just barely manages to dive for cover -again- as lasers and concussion blasts fly all over the place, putting more holes in the rusted bulkheads and sending sparks flying all over the place.

"Okay, enough is enough!" Hunching down (which looks hilarious when you think about it) he fiddles a bit with the settings on his rifle, pulling open a panel briefly and actually switching a few wires around. Slaps it shut, and gets up to rest his arms over the top of the stack of barrels he was widing behind... and looks down, realizing the crates are marked with chemical hazards. ".. This is even better." With a grunt Jetfire picks up one barrel, lobs it towards another relay point, and then fires his rifle at it. "If I'm reading it right the chemicals in that right, it should be highly volatile..." Cue the explosions of violent chemical combustion! Combat: Jetfire strikes Shipwreck Security System with his SCIENCE IN ACTION! No one cares if its inaccurate either! attack! Combat: Drained 5 energon.

<Autobot> Fortress Maximus says, "My goodness, it didn't backfire!"

"FRAGGITALL! Slag! Smelt!" Fusillade exclaims as the security system goes into Contra wall meltdown. "No one's getting anything if the system destroys that cannon! Who're we lashing that thing to by the way to carry it home, eh? Eh? OWWW!" The grey and white bombardier gets pegged again, this time full in the shin. She buckles to one knee, targetting a concussion phalanx with her sidearm, letting loose a volley of glowing purple bolts! Combat: Fusillade strikes Shipwreck Security System with her Toe-Popping Cherrybomblets (Laser) attack!

Just how much fight does this security system have left?! Ducking down behind the crate like he did didn't really help Swindle much when laser blasts start to ricochet. One gets him in the shoulder, making him cry out in pain. "Oof. This system has really outlasted the lack of welcome that it had in the first place!" Grunting, Swindle raises himself up behind the crates he was hiding behind. Bringing up his gyro blaster, he leveles it on a few remaining lasers. Right between a grouping of them, letting the pulling effect of his magnetic gyro gun do the rest, to hope to pull the security system into making it fire several of its lasers at one another. Combat: Swindle strikes Shipwreck Security System with his Gyro Gun attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Shipwreck Security System's Agility. (Crippled)

Laser beams quickly cuts down what meager protection the cargo containers had to offer Fortress Maximus graving him in the process, before managing to barely leaps away and narrowly avoids being struck dead center in the chest by the follow up laser beam fires. Fortress Maximus shields his visored optics with his left arm as Jetfire detonates the volatile chemical barrel, "Well I have to hand it to the builder, it's an awfully sturdy system." Having said that, the two dual laser cannon blasters on Fortress Maximus' waist unfolds and extends outwards. Fortress Maximus levels the barrel of his photon cannon at another relay conduit and fires in conjunction with his waist mounted laser cannons. Combat: Fortress Maximus strikes Shipwreck Security System with his Laser attack!

"I don't think either of you can carry it!" Jetfire snaps back to the Decepticons. ".. But there's plenty of other cargo remaining. In the spirit of survival and the truce, I'm willing to part with a large portion of that in exchange for the cannon to study." He pauses to take a look down and adds. ".. Besides, it's been damaged in the the firefight. I doubt even you can do much with damaged goods, Swindle."

There's nothing more coming from the speakers, partially because it's blown out along with another array by Jetfire's SCIENCE. Laser barrages from Fusillade and Maximus keep things from getting decent recovery time to reaim.. and then Swindle's gun screws up a cluster of turrets farther, causing them to swing around and shoot each other. Ouch!

But even in its death woes, someone built this system to last until the bitter end. Panels snap open from the floor, deploing multiple electrified coils that try to clamp shut on what it pereives as intruders. While they may of been effective tasers against whatever species designed the ship originally... it's only more of a bit of restraint and annoying shock to the Transformers. Heck, one of them can't even do more than barely fit around Maximus' big leg, if even at all. Combat: Jetfire misses himself with Shipwreck Security System's Debilitator Coils Area attack! Combat: Jetfire (Jetfire) used "Debilitator Coils": A Level 1 AREA-MELEE attack. Combat: Jetfire misses Fusillade with Shipwreck Security System's Debilitator Coils Area attack! Combat: Jetfire misses Fortress Maximus with Shipwreck Security System's Debilitator Coils Area attack! Combat: Jetfire strikes Swindle with Shipwreck Security System's Debilitator Coils Area attack! Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Swindle's Accuracy. (Blinded) Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Swindle's Agility. (Crippled)

In an effort to back up his 'deal', instead of opening fire on what remains of the system, Jetfire turns his attention towards Swindle, dialing his rifle down to a fine setting, and shooting at the 'arm' of the coils to try and knock them off... Of all the decepticons to be -freeing- though. Combat: Jetfire strikes Shipwreck Security System with his YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO DIE (Laser) attack!

"I know some good techs, it's okay Jetfire!" Fusillade assures. However, as the stun-gun coils emerge from the walls, Fusillade objects vocally, "Oh, now THAT's just WRONG!" Her legs flex as she ignites thrusters and leaps airborne to avoid the coils, snapping off a few rounds of small arms fire. "Okay, I've had enough of this!" This time, the missile that she disgorges is tipped with a guidance camera, and fletched with triangular fins that run along its full length, this one marked with 'Pucker up, Prime'. "Aww, I was saving that one..." she remarks after it lets fly. Combat: Fusillade strikes Shipwreck Security System with her I Mean <HARM> attack!

Fortress Maximus blows out another relay with a carefully placed shot, albit at a far lower power setting now as the capacitors in his weapons bottoms out. He fails to notice that the debilitator coil extending itself across his legs, and one subtle movement in an effort to dodge a laser blast causes the Headmaster leader's foot to step on the device, destroying it completely. Finally the defensive systems cease to function and Fortress Maximus turns to look at the others, "Well, hopefully that's the last of the surprises this ship has in store for us." He levels a firm and steady stare at the two Decepticons, "Well, you've heard Jetfire's proposition. Do we have a deal?"

Unfortunately for Swindle, he just so hapened to be STANDING on right on one of those panels as it snaps open. He lets out a pained yell as one of the coils latches onto him, pumping his body full of electricity. He's only dimly aware of the deal that Jetfire tried to get them to make. At least until finally, the coil is destroyed by none other than Jetfire himself. Swindle slumps over on top of one crates, his body smoking as a result of the high electricity that had been coursing through it.

"Ugh... Shockingly steep price just for salvage..." He mutters, probably talking about the pain that he's endured as a result of that rediculous security system. "I don't care what you take, just so long as the security system is put out of business for good." The electricical shock must have shorted out his brain. The resulting blast is enough to shake the entire bay as with most of the extensions of the system gone, the missile homes in on the remaining relay and blows the scrap out of it. There's a hiss and sputter as the lights flicker a few times, but the remaining guns fall lip and sparking a bit.

".. Well, that was annoying," Jetfire mutters, kicking away what was left of the coil that tried to grab him as well, and walking out from behind the crates, eyeing the Decepticons warily. But then relaxes as Swindle relents, shunting his rifle away. A bit of a smirk curls at one corner of his mouth, alas its still hidden behind his helmet. "I'd shake your hand on it... but frankly, I'd rather just take our claim and leave before... well, your reputation does proceed you, Swindle." As it is he's hooking one arm around the cannon that's half his size. Urf. Once they're out of here he may need Maximus' help moving it...

<Autobot> Jetfire says, "To be honest Maximus, I don't know if this cannon really is damaged enough he can't use it... but any seige weapon we keep out of the Decepticon's hands, the better. Besides.. I think I have an idea what to do with this."

Dusting hands off when the wall eviscerates itself from all of its feedback explosions, Fusillade turns and scowls. "Hey, wait a second, I -outrank- him! And the value of whatever those boxes contain is of dubious value. She hooks fingertalons into the stock of the cannon as Jetfire begins to heft it away. Her saffron optics snap in challenge, her chin jutted out defiantly.

"Tell you what, Jetfire. Winner of the match gets it. Mmm?"

<Autobot> Fortress Maximus says, "I concur. Let's save the ideas for later though, let's just focus on getting this thing out of here.  ...hmm."

"Hmph. Please, I still do have /common sense/," Swindle complains, pushing himself up slowly, "I know when I've been given a good offer!" Just because Jetfire has that cannon, doesn't mean that there isn't anything else nice in the... hold... Swindle's violet optics glance across the hold, and the mess that the combined laser fire of the bots and the security system has made. "... Maybe." A resigned sigh passes through his coolant system, but he's too injured to really complain right now. Oh, slag.

Jetfire lets out an exasperated sigh as Fusillade proves to be stubborn. It's debatable if she'd actually be able to pull it away from him, but Jetfire doesn't want to take any actions that could be taken as offensive in light of the whole truce thing. "Must you be so belligerent?" Narrows his optics at her behind his visor. "Oh no, you're not weedling me into an agreement like that. I'm claiming the cannon and that's that."

Fortress Maximus looks down at Fusillade, and then at Jetfire before sighing. "It's your expedition, Jetfire. Your call." The Headmaster leader takes a honest look at the cannon momentarily before confirming, "It's definitely not new technology that neither of our side doesn't already have, or outclass."

Fortress Maximus sighs, "You know, at this point you might as well as carry the cannon along with her to the nearby Autobot base."

"This is -NOT- me being belligerant!" Fusillade objects, latching more tightly onto the weapon's barrel, going so far as to wrap arms around it. At this point, it doesn't seem like she is trying to play tug of war with it so much as just cling to it. She counter-narrows optics behind goggles at Jetfire.

"Overbearing. Stubborn. -Clingy-." There's an extra barb to that last one as Jetfire quite literally just starts walking towards the passage they came in through, hoping that a bit of dragging will get the femme to relinquish her hold. "Am I finding a more suitable term to your liking yet?", he rumbles in sarcastic annoyance. "Or do I need to bring up the entire thesaurus program?"

"Tenacious, obstinate, unruly? Do those help?" Swindle offers in his best 'helpful business man' sort of voice. He grins a bit at Fusillade, optics amused despite the fact that he is sparking and crackling in several places. That must not be comfortable. "We really ought to let the nice autobots get on with their way," He lays the sarcasm on thick, "We wouldn't want other autobots to show up, missunderstand and attempt to break the truce, now would we?" Chances are, he's already scanned the cannon anyway. Why take a broken thing when there might be things that aren't so busted in these crates, anyway? Let the autobot have his toy, thinking that he got off with the better deal, when Swindle has all these crates to go through.

Fusillade manages the thinnest of smiles at Fortress Maximus as a tremendous racket of metal on metal from Jetfire tugging her along with the weapon toward the hallway, "Well, there's a first for everything." To Jetfire, she admits, "Well, two outta three... okay, Swindle, five out of six, ain't so bad. I could do with a few more!" The teasing note fades sharply at a message that descends from the Emperor himself. With an exasperated huff, she unlatches her fingertalons, suddenly releasing quite a bit of tonnage and friction that Jetfire had been previously working againt.

"URF!" Jetfire stumbles roughly as she lets go, almost comically in the way he lerchs when there's a lot less resistance trying to hold him back, before finally getting himself stabilized again. "I'll save the rest for that duel," he comments over his shoulder to the femme. Then nods to Maximus, mouthing 'Lets go before they change their minds' as he makes as much haste as he can lugging the thing for the exit. Jetfire remembers after that he's got his helmet on and Maximus can't see it anyways. Oops.

Fortress Maximus returns Fusillade smile with a raised optical groove behind his visored optics, obviously not quite sure to react to the femme. He returns his attention to Jetfire, moving forward and putting one of his huge mitts onto the cannon, gripping it to keep the whole thing from toppling over. "Here, let me land a hand with this." The large Headmaster leader lifts up one end of the cannon and begins heading out alongside with the Air Guardian.