On Wrecking And Ruling

On Wrecking And Ruling Who: Crusade, Defcon, Roadbuster, Sandstorm, Springer, Zipline IC Year: 2035 Location: Vex, Quintessa system TP: One Small Step

It's an ugly planet. A BUG planet! And that means just one thing, time to send in the Wreckers!


Quintessa System - Milky Way

     Quintessa is unique in that the system is named after the largest planet rather than the star, which bears the simple tag Star 2316. There were two planets here, one with indiginous life. The smaller, Quantal, was colonized by the Quintessons eons ago, and was nearly as crowded as the homeworld before the massive explosion that destroyed Quintessa sent a raging hailstorm of millions of jagged asteroids to pound its hapless neighbor out of life-supporting existence. Now, all that's left of Quintessa is an asteroid field, and Quantal is in the throes of a violent volcanic rebirth.

When the government of the planet RADULAX had announced the creation of a small scientific colony on a planet in the Quintessa system called Vex, no one in the Galactic Assembly had batted an optic. The various solar systems still held an infinite amount of secrets.

As the colony grew into a small city, it's success was overshadowed by more pressing Radulax projects: The formation of the Coalition of the Brave, led by the bravest Radulaform in history: K'Gard.

The General whose sole goal became the destruction of Vector Sigma. As battles raged, life on Vex continued. Prosperous. Happy. Peaceful.

And then, the first distress call came. Rumblings of kidnappings, and Radulaform children vanishing in the night. Then, an attack on the city by unknown assailants.

Finally, a plea to pull survivors out of the city before it was too late. The Galatic Assembly turned to Rodimus Prime.

Rodimus Prime turned to the Wreckers.

Now.

The heavily armored drop ship DRAMATIC ENTRANCE approaches Vex, accompanied by several transports for possible survivors. Rack N Ruin pilots and copilots the shuttle as the assembled Wreckers do what Wreckers do before a mission.

A hologram of Kup is briefing Springer.

"Remember, get down there, analyze the threat. Neutralize hostiles to make way for the transports. Pretty basic, team. Don't get too bored, like on Alfas 7." He salutes, and the feed vanishes.

Springer gives his typical half-saluted to Kup, "Come on, Kup. We'll get the job done as needed." He then turns to the others as he stands near the main exit of the dropship, the Wrecker not holding onto anything as he instinctively adjusts his balance to count the kick from atmosphere, "You all are aware of what's at risk here. Roadbuster, you and I hit the ground first.. draw any hostile attention there is nearby. Defcon, Sandstorm, give us cover.." He grins at the Crusade, and the others, "Rest of you fan out as soon as it's clear what there is to oppose us.. and get ready to get those shuttles down and get those civies out." A brief pause, "Any questions before we hit and do what we do best?"

The short and squat minibot known as THROWDOWN is in a corner, strapping additional ordinance to his body. "Ah'll tell ya'll somethin.' Ah'm just pumped to not only be on an off planet mission, but runnin' guns with Wreckers." He salutes a crimson gauntlet towards Roadbuster. "Ab-so-lute honor to blow stuff up for ya'll, sir." He listens intently to Springer's orders, falling under the 'rest of you' category. He grins down at Zipline. "Looks like we're teammates, buddy."

Everyone needs to have someone to look up to, even cybertronians. Of course, being a cassette, Zipline tends to look up to everyone. That doesn't mean that she can't really respect someone. Or in this case, a group of someones.

Though why that group of someones ended up being the Wreckers is anyone's guess.

But when she felt that she needed to properly learn the ropes of how to kick butt, take names and not freak out over it, she knew who to tail. So when the call came out for the Wreckers to take part in an 'official' mission suited just for them, she thought it was the best time to learn from the masters.

"Yeah, just one!" Zipline says, from her perch somewhere on someplace high enough that she can at least be seen. The little cheetah cassette grins fangily, her cannon already primed on her back. "When do we get there?" She turns that grin to Throwdown, "Don't worry, I can totally keep up with you guys." Or so she hopes. She's just not going to say that.

Checking his gun one last time, Sandstorm gives Springer a thumbs up, "Got it, cover you while you hit the ground and get shot at first." The triplechanger looks to Defcon, "They get all the fun jobs huh." And then, having checked his gun, Sandstorm is ready to wreck.

Crusade doesn't wreck things. He pokes them, for the most part. But he's here, on a mission with the Wreckers and a handful of other Autobots. So far he's doing what he does best - keeping quiet, listening intently, and watching everyone else.

When you can reach the speed of light and have spent more time in space then on an actual planet, riding in shuttles is kind of like a grown adult getting a piggy back ride from one end of a room to another. Naturally, Defcon is just a giant man-child because he's riding in the shuttle.

EARLIER.

"Shuttle ride?? Are you insane? I can travel faster than a shuttle. Should I go find Roadbuster so I can sit on his shoulder while he walks me arou-- Wait, it's named /what/?? Oh frag yea, I'm ridin' on that."

NOW.

As Springer gives out the orders, he pretends to listen, nodding his head. Giving Defcon orders is always a kind of gamble in itself. But if you have to give him orders, telling him to shoot things is generally always a good way to go because chances are even if you don't tell him to shoot things, he's going to shoot things. So screw it, may as well tell him to shoot things. "Got it."

Typically when you called Wreckers for a mission, it's only the Wreckers that go ... But over time and war, things change. It wasn't always just the eight of them versus the world. Members of the group where on other missions on other galactic hotspots. When someone pointed out the strategic issue of a few 'empty' gaps in the ranks, Command agreed to give a few (un)lucky Autobots a chance to see for themselves how the Wreckers do what the Wreckers are known for doing.

Roadbuster was partially listening to Springer and Kup and partially going over his usual pre-mission preperation with his weapons. Assault rifle, missile launcher, carbine, blasters, backup guns, backup guns for the backup guns.. He even had an old cybertronian style weapon that looked like a cross between a shotgun and a grenade launcher mag-locked to his backpack arsenal, and an extra ammo chain for his rifle slung around his broad torso like a bandolier.

When Springer finally speaks to the rest of them he pulls the energon cigar he'd been puffing on from the grating in his mouthplate and snuffs it out in a disposal tray. "Business as usual then. Alright then." He heaves himself off his seat and turns to the others in general, though his visored gaze goes mainly to Zipline and Crusade. "This is probably gonna get messy. We don't know for sure what we're dealin' with, or how bad is it gonna be. You may end up," pauses to huff some of the energon vapors out of the grate, "seein' things your average tour of duty won't. Otherwise Rodimus wouldn't be askin' for the Wreckers in the first place. But don't let that slow ya down. Just remember what we're here for. Remember -who- we're here for. Anything else that ain't us, or the folks layin' their hopes on us?"

He pulls his assault rifle off his back and arms it, the ammo feed locking into place as the weapon hums to life. "Expendable."

Combat: Roadbuster inspires Zipline, Crusade, Defcon, Springer, and Sandstorm with wise and moving words!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfw_iVu1Y5E

Back from commercial break, the DRAMATIC ENTRANCE has just set down outside of the city walls.

The city is reminiscent of a military base, complete with gun ports and bunkers, and built on a wide plateau on the dirt planet. Rolling hills and sparse vegetation surround the region, leading into the nearby mountains.

The most notable thing about the colony is that it's completely silent. Eerily so. Abandoned vehicles are scattered here and there, and it seems like the walls have been reinforced hastily. There are more burn and scorch marks than paint: the place has been through hell. It's up to the Autobots how to approach: any standard entrances have been barricaded one way or another.

Springer steps off the shuttle, sword uncharged in one hand and cannon in other, and looks.. almost disappointed at first as there is no response to their landing. A quick scan takes in the sheer quietness of the colony and the damage to the walls.. and utter lack of any bodies of any type with that much damage showing. "Roadbuster, lead the way towards the wall.. see if you can find a place to enter without causing too much damage. And keep eyes out for survivors or whoever did thiat, I'm heading up for a better look." He glances at the others, "Remember this is a rescue and extract...not a war." There is a brief pause again, before he almost growls, "Though if they want to bring a war to us, we'll show them what a mistake this was." He transforms quickly, assuming his 'copter form and hovers upwards quickly, optics as well as scanners searching the area for any beacons or emergency signals. He also sends message to the shuttles waiting up high that the ground is clear.. but not to land yet as no survivors have been found.

Springer transforms into his Skyhunter Mk. 7 Cybertronian Helicopter <Springer> mode.

Roadbuster marchs down off the shuttle once it's grounded and the hatch open, ducking and sidestepping slightly to get his broad frame through. Takes a passive note of the area around them. "Too quiet. No response to our presence... yet," he notes, mostly to himself. Then nods to Springer. "Though I have no qualms about making a door if need be," he half-jokes. "Let's go, mechs." The Wrecker titan marchs towards the wall and gates, opting for his better armed mode for now in case any threats turn up to need quick responding too. The smaller, quicker and more scouty Bots can handle finding a way through, right?

Providing cover for Roadbuster and Springer, those are the orders. And you do that by taking to the air and flying around like you want to be shot at right? Least that's the approach Sandstorm takes, leaving the Dramatic Entrance he transforms and takes to the air, flying around above the area. At least he tries to keep close enough to the Wreckers on the ground to cover them.

So when Springer transforms and takes to the air as well, Sandstorm comes in to act as the other triplechangers wingman, "You know, this reminds me of all those horror movies the Junkions keep watching, where the heroes walk into a deserted area only to end up fending off huge amounts of horrific creatures." Sandstorm pauses as he considers this, while continuing to follow on Springers six, "Hope they're spot on, they all looked like hell of a lot of fun."

Crusade steps off the shuttle and takes a look around, taking note of the unnerving silence. His gaze travels to the scorch marks and abandoned vehicles, and his grip on his rifle tightens. This doesn't look good. He follows Roadbuster towards the gates, sticking close to the group.

Sandstorm transforms into his Sikorsky S-62A Helicopter <Sandstorm> mode.

Throwdown clanks after Crusade, loading his shotgun grenade launcher. "Slag of a vacation destination..." He whistles, and transforms into his rocket tank mode, facing the horizon. <<Targetting systems aren't picking up anything out there, Springer. If they were keeping something out, I don't see it.>>

Once outside, Defcon promptly transforms. Thrusters ignite softly, lifting him into the air like a harrier jet, hovering in place over the others. Panels and hatches open across the starfighter's hull and wings, revealing rows of plasma blasters, ion rifles, particle cannons, and pulse lasers, all primed and ready to lay down Coverfire of the Gods! should anything even remotely hostile present itself.

As he scans out across the empty, deserted scene, he can't help but feel a semblance of distant memories. How many distant planets had he visited, only to find the indigeonous lifeforms having made their best attempts at fending off Decepticons, only to be wiped out in the process. Ghost towns left in their wake, signs of defense and fighting back visible everywhere, just like here. "Fun for us, kid." he says half aloud to his fellow flier Sandstorm, "But not for the people here."

Defcon transforms into his Cybertronian Starfighter <Defcon> mode.

Zipline looks up at Roadbuster with an ear sightly twinged back. Her blue optics seem a little distant when she looks away again. Her grin even falters a little. "I'm not about to turn back now, even if it's apart from the norm. Just keep running straight ahead, and don't look back." Almost sounds like a mantra. Her fierce grin returns quickly. Claws slide down to grip at the metal floor under her a little, and she lunges from her perch. "Let's bring it on!"

Metal clatters against metal as Zipline touches down. She moves quickly to catch up, but stays behind the main 'wedge' of the others, letting the true Wreckers lead in. "Wheew. Ghost town central. All it's missing is the ghosts." ... There's no such thing as ghosts right? Her scanners flicker to life as she looks around, quickly checking the integrity of the nearby wall.

A dead town. It's the easiest way to describe this place. Dead, desolate. But not empty. At no point do any Wreckers on the ground feel like they're alone. Something is watching. Following. Waiting in the wings, with a crosshair on everyone present.

Suddenly, a cloaked figure steps out into the open. Lightly armored in tattered tactical gear and battle mask, the four armed Radulaform stares at the group, still as a statue, a rifle in each of it's lower hands.

Suddenly, several other similarly outfitted fore armed figures pour out of various buildings and bunkers, weapons of various sizes trained on both the fliers and ground team. Finally, the leader yells out a challenge.

"VLA{}SKER! VLA{}SKER!"

Skyhunter Mk. 7 Cybertronian Helicopter <Springer> does not stay in the air too long as someone shows up, and moves towards them, changing back to robot form as he lands next to Roadbuster, "I think I've meet friendlier 'Cons then this bunch." Thoguh he doesn't say this loudly as he turns back towards Defcon, looking at him up in the sky, "Defcon, you were the one who knew this right? Care to translate for us?" He does not let his optics drift too far as he keeps a eye on them.,... and tries to match up the weapons they are carrying to the type of damage on the wall.

"Well hey, that's why we're here. The people get to haul aft out, we get to have fun in the process." And as he speaks so the people appear. If he were the egotistical type he might try and link the two in some convoluted way. Instead he stays in the air overhead, even as Springer drops down, "Well hey, looks like the place isn't deserted after all. And no horrific zombie bugs from Mars either."

And then one of them warbles something, "Wow, who knew they spoke in brackets. So come on Def old buddy, what they saying? Are there bugs? Zombies? Big giant monsters with huge teeth that will try and eat us?" It almost sounds like Sandstorm would prefer the later.

Skyhunter Mk. 7 Cybertronian Helicopter <Springer> transforms into his Springer mode.

Back in robot mode, Throwdown has his side arm drawn on the cloaked guys aiming at the flyers. "Is it weird that we always give folks that ain't purple badge robots the benefit of the doubt before we start shootin?"

Defcon spins in place, hovering above the others, weapons locking on the Radulaform, then sensors sweeping the area as more and more of them reveal themselves. The first one shouts something, and Defcon pauses momentarily, translating. It only takes a nano-click to access his database of alien-speech, but it does take a couple more nano-clicks to filter through the 99% of his database that consists of various ways to ask where the nearest bar is, or where the nearest repair joint is.

"He's telling us to freeze. Or die."

Projecting his voice farther out so the four armed rifle toting masked alien can hear him, he shouts back something completely unintelligeable, roughly translating to, "We're here to help." His weapons slide back into their hatches, receding as a sign of non-violence, but don't close completely. He's hoping the alien is feeling chatty, because he really doesn't want to have to use the universal greeting. GAWD hate doing that.

Crusade's doorwings give a nervous flutter as the group is surrounded. So. Many. Arms. And also an unsettling number of weapons trained on them. He holds still, waiting for a course of action to be suggested.

Roadbuster stops as the locals appear out of the woodwork, resting his rifle up against his shoulder. It's about as 'non-hostile' in appearance he's going to get, when he needs to keep it at the ready. Not that such a hulking frame of a mech really looks 'non-hostile' regardless. Fortunately Defcon is able to provide a translation. "At ease, folks. We're the emergency rescue that was called for. Not," he gives a vage wave at the surroundings with his other hand, "whoever the frag did this."

Then grunts a bit to himself. Sure, the ass that had been leading the Coalition was one of these species, but lets not let that discolor perceptions of an entire people. That would be Decepticon processing lines.

"We've got shuttlecraft inbound to evac any survivors you have, but we need an open, defendable location for them to land, and a rough estimate of numbers." The bounty hunter will have to translate back if they don't understand standard conversation. Hopefully they won't think they have to start shooting.

It's a good thing that Zipline's cannon needs a brief charge time, or else she might have fired out of sudden shock. Luckily she holds the cannon back, with the rails only glowing slightly. Instead she backsteps quickly, claws digging into the ground. But Her entire frame tenses, hydraulics gathering power.

"Okay, not ghosts. But decidedly UNcool." She glances aside to Defcon. "Geeze, those are great demands of bots just here to lend a hand." Still. She reduces the power to her cannon, the glow fading. Best to not aggravate anything.

A long moment of silence hangs in the air before the leader raises a fist and those guns finally drop. Finally, she speaks in common, addressing Defcon.

"Autobots. You...you are Autobots." She does not sound overjoyed with this realization as her upper arms remove her helmet, revealing light green skin and long, dark red dreadlocks. "Have you come to end our suffering? Or perhaps, given the folly of your timing, meet your own ends? It won't be long now."

Somewhere nearby, a baby starts crying. Her eyes stray in that direction, and then she hears Sandstorm's quip. "So you *do* know...And yet you come to die."

She stares at Roadbuster. "Evacuation? The Galactic Assembly hears our plea and sends you?" She turns to her closest soldier. "Hla{v#far." He runs to a nearby building and opens it, the crying baby louder for a moment before the door closes.

The leader steps forward, weapons to the ground and she walks towards the Autobots. "I am L'saad. There is precious little time before death claims us."

As she speaks, her team moves quicky to the walls, taking up positions.

Springer simply stands there for a moment as he listens to the translations, then the quick reactions as they take up positions on the walls. The Wrecker glances around briefly before looking to Sandstorm and Defcon in the air still, "Either of you two see anything approaching us?" He doen't put his weapons away, as those statements make it rather clear that would not be the greatest of ideas as he turns his attention back to the female, "Death has tried to claim us before.. and has not succeeded in doing so." He steps closer to the walls before half turning to face outwards, "We need to know what happened here, and what is coming to 'claim' us as you said." He gives a few quick orders over the radio, for everyone to spread out a bit and find any kind of defensive spot.. that hopefulyl would cover them from outwards as well as the wall, since he still does not trust these four-arms.

Combat: Springer sets his defense level to Protected.

So he was right! About what would be the question, but Sandstorm simply assumes that it's about there being something nasty out there. And if he's reading the aliens right it's going to come at them from past the walls. Well that's about all he really needs to know, spinning round in mid-air, Sandstorm heads for the wall, and only slowing down enough to come to a hover out past the wall itself, "So, big nasty monsters or something equally as deadly coming this way? And there I was worried Rodimus was over reacting and this would be a dull Sunday morning drive round the galaxy."

As he hovers he scans the area in front of him, and well anywhere else as you never know where trouble is going to come from. "Hey guys! We got movement. Lots of movement!" Sandstorm doesn't sound terribly disappointed by this fact as he responds to Springer, "Better have them lock up their women and children, we got a party incoming!"

Combat: Sikorsky S-62A Helicopter <Sandstorm> sets his defense level to Fearless.

Crusade takes up position by the gate, ready to peek out from around it and open fire upon any invaders. Although the wall would have provided a better vantage point, he's much more comfortable on the ground.

It's the response that Defcon has gotten countless times in the past, having tracked so many Decepticons to so many planets, seeing the aftermath they caused time and time again to the native lifeforms. There's an old familiar feeling to this situation, yet he knows it isn't Decepticons that have brought them here. Something in the leader's response suggests that Sandstorm is the one who may be spot on with the sleuthing.

At Springer's inquiry, Defcon turns and scans the surrounding area. His weapons aren't extended, but they're still visible within the hatches and panels, waiting for any sign of trouble. If anything is foolish enough to attack, they're going to get far more than they bargained for from the combined strength of the Wreckers and Autobots assembled.

As soon as Sandstorm calls out the warning, Defcon's weapons fully extend, humming quickly to life, ready to unleash plasmatic devastation.

Even when those guns come down, Zipline doesn't bother to relax. Her hydraulics remain primed, ready to launch her ahead at a moment's notice. "Yup, Autobots. No purple here," She says. Hopefully there isn't actually any purple on any of the other autobots around. But the main point was that there wasn't any purple on their badges.

It's down to the more leaderly sorts to talk. That's fine to Zipline. One paw lifts up to her forehead in a salute to Sringer. Then she releases the tension in the rest of her legs, just enough so that when she moves forward to the walls, it's not with her snap-fast acceleration. Her sensors re-initialize, looking over the wall as she fans out with the others to approach it. But now not to exploit weak points, rather to find them so they can better reinforce them with what time they have. "Hey, anyone got anything heavy we can put against some of these spots fast-like? Don't want anything busting through!"

Throwdown stays paired near Crusade. "Anything gets too close, Ah'll explode it REAL quick!" He winks.

That's one tense situation disarmed, thankfully. Roadbuster's visor flicks briefly at the somewhat cold response they get, but it's not really surprising. Not exactly the best of blood between races... but maybe this will help at least smooth things over a little for past events. Not important. Important thing was being ready to save lives and kick the ass of whatever has these people sequestered away for their own survival.

"Sounds like we're in for a hell of a time." For a moment his tone almost reflects the same eagerness as Sandstorm has been showing the entire trip, before settling back into business as needs to be done, tapping open his commlink. Springer is taking care of getting defense organized, so he'll handle something else that needs to be done. "Evac squad, do you copy? We've located the survivors, but they're expecting a big fight in short order. No solid ID on potential threat yet. But we need to get these people off of this dirtball, post haste. Try and find an appropriate landing zone and get back to us so we know where to lead them, over."

That done, he lowers his assault rifle from his shoulder and into both hands. He takes a few steps to the side, pauses to look around, and then a few more in another direction. Then stops to look in the direction of the others as Sandstorm speaks up, and then turns back. "You heard him! If ya ain't here to fight, get inside and lock up until the evac arrives!" Takes a few ponderous steps back to the street afterwards. "Mark where they are, Zipline, give me a tactical feed. What can't be blocked off we can at least know of and pick off anything dumb enough to come through."

In the end he is pretty much standing out in the open, abiet not far from the safehouse the crying and other non-combatant sounds had been coming from. Powers up the ammo loader to his rifle once more; shoulder launcher humming faintly as it arms itself. He's got a pretty open view in front of him, the gates, the walls, the desolated streets.

Anything trying to get to the safehouses is going to have to get through him, first. And he doesn't move easily.

L'Saad walks with Springer towards the wall, reloading a rifle. "One week ago, we received a cryptic message: that we would all suffer for the sins of the Brave. I took this to mean we were being targeted for our role in attacking your planet (there's not apologetic tone in her voice for that chestnut), and expected Decepticons." She pauses for a moment, and then shakes her head. "They were not Decepticons. Three days ago, at midday, the hordes came. Monsters. We lost 30% of our population holding the walls. At nightfall, they receded taking the dead, only to return again at midday. "We are only a few now, but if you can truly evacuate our young..." Her voice breaks a little, but the moment doesn't last. She points out into the valley. "They are coming."

For the first time, L'Saad sounds exhausted. Defeated. And the desert seems like it's crawling towards the city.

Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches has arrived.

Halo drops Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches.

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Roadbuster with its Acid Spit Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Crusade with its Acid Spit Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches misses Springer with its Acid Spit Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches misses Cybertronian Starfighter <Defcon> with its Acid Spit Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Sikorsky S-62A Helicopter <Sandstorm> with its Acid Spit Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches (Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches) used "Acid Spit": A Level 6 AREA-RANGED attack.

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches misses Zipline with its Acid Spit Area attack!

Giant cyborg roaches! Some folks might recognize them! They're spitting acid and they are super gross and they are charging at the walllls!

<Autobot> Blackout says, "Roadbuster, this is transport. We've got a decent landing zone in the spaceport, city center. Everything quiet down there?"

<Autobot> Sandstorm says, "It might be quiet there, but the rest of the place? Well quiets for losers!"

<Autobot> Roadbuster says, "If you have to ask that." Pauses as the sound of gunfire rings. "Yer forgettin' who you're talking to." Another pause for firing. "Everyone got that? We gotta clear a route to the spaceport.""

<Autobot> Blackout says, "Copy, Sandstorm, Roadbuster. Needed some excitement, anyway. We're en route. In the chop, five five five."

Springer looks towards the city, nodding as he hears Roadbuster's call to the shuttles still in orbit, "We'll make a landing field if we need to, we /are/ getting this folks out of here." He starts to turn his attention to the female leader but suddenly the area gets bathed in acid from sssoooo many bugs, the Wrecker stepping forward to block any that comes towards her but nothing lands nearby, "Aren't... those like the bugs the EDC found when they cleaeed the Swordfish?" But he does not waste more time then that as his cannon comes up into a aiming position and he sweeps it across the approaching bugs, the high-speed tunneled wind picking up and sending scrap flying as well the simple high force of the attack itself.

Combat: Springer strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Wind Funnel Cannon attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches's Agility. (Crippled)

Crusade glances at Throwdown and nods hesitantly. "Understood, sir..." He trails off, spotting motion in the distance. His doorwings flick in alarm - he recognizes those things all too well! However, this time, he doesn't scream. He's prepared for the roach approach, and he steps out from behind the wall, rifle raised...

Only to have his chestplate doused by acidic roach spit. Ouch.

He grits his teeth and opens fire on the invaders.

Combat: Crusade sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Crusade strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Best Friend Rifle attack!

Combat: Critical Hit!

Throwdown shrieks the moment acid sprays into his optics. "I'm blind!" Swearing up a storm, he drops his shotgun and falls to his knees, clawing at his face. "I'm strong against energy, weak against lasers! It's...it's on my tech specs!"

"Hey look, I was right!" Which makes Sandstorm rather happy, even when he gets assaulted with acid. "Well aren't you an ugly bunch of. Oh wait, I know what to say." As he begins to drop from the air towards the ground, Sandstorm cries out, "It's an ugly planet! A BUG planet! A planet hostile to life. The solution? Time to WRECK SOME BUGS!"

And with that Sandstorm transforms, virtually landing on a bug or two, before his wheels which are already spinning all but launch him round the area outside the wall to run over as many bugs as he can, "Watch out! Coming through! Please do not leave too much bug splatter on the windscreen as you die!"

Sikorsky S-62A Helicopter <Sandstorm> transforms into his Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> mode.

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Why them have fun and not Swoop?"

Sandstorm also plays some music loudly: http://youtu.be/CIGHCoVzqtk

Combat: Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Stunt Driving attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches's Agility. (Crippled)

Combat: Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm>'s risky attack leaves him temporarily incapacitated!

Here comes the hordes. Or swarms, more accurately. Mobs would work too, as they're mobbing the walls, climbing over, or maybe trying to just break through. Several globs of spit acid splatter on Roadbuster's chestplate, but he appears to pay no mind to the acrid fumes hissing from it as he takes a few steps forward again and digs in. Big, heavily armed target here. It's what Roadbuster does.

"Time to light em up, guys! Don't spare the charges, because they ain't no such thing as too much in a target rich environment!" There's a pause as he replies to the commlink, and then the almost blinding muzzle flash from his rifle as he opens fire on the swarming cyber bugs. The ammo belt is chewed up by the loader from one side, and a shower of spent casings pours from the other side of the weapon like a minature hailstorm. Without letting up on the trigger Roadbuster turns his head towards the safehouse. "Spaceport! The evacs are gonna land at the spaceport. Get yer young and get ready to move for it."

Then back to the fight, letting up again just long enough to shout to the other Autobots. "Everyone else, yer either covering them, or clearing the road of interference. Let's make 'em reget ever thinkin' of this snack." Then resumes holding down that trigger in the sort of cacophony of war the Wreckers love so much. Because you know what's coming next.

"WRECK 'N' RULE!"

Combat: Zipline strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with her Bug zapper barrage! (Laser) attack!

Combat: Roadbuster sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Roadbuster strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Somebody call for an Exterminator? attack!

<Autobot> Wheeljack says, "Because, my dear Swoop, soon you will be getting..."

<Autobot> Wheeljack says, "UPGRADES!"

<Autobot> Wheeljack says, "Aahahahahahahahahahaha!"

<Autobot> Sandstorm says, "Hey, you could have come Swoop. You should have come! Missing all the *sound of a bug going crunch* Hey, that bugs head exploded like a watermelon! Erm, yeah, missing the excitement Swoop!"

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Why Swoop need upgrade? And why Swoop not just come now?"

<Autobot> Roadbuster says, "Watch your flanks Sandstorm! You get in the middle of that swarm and you'll be surrounded.... which is probably what you -want-, knowing you..."

<Autobot> Wheeljack mutters something about everyone needing upgrades. Hmph.

<Autobot> Blackout says, "We've got visual on the strip. I...Primus."

<Autobot> Roadbuster says, "That about sums it up."

<Autobot> Blaster has encrypted this channel.

<Autobot> Roadbuster says, "If anyone from high command is listening, we've got a confirmed confrontation with ... things we're not suppose to talk lightly about."

As roaches explode by the dozens, and get swept off by tornado guns only to then be exploded by someone else, these are indeed the same that the Bots encountered on the Swordfish. Just...there are a lot more of them, and the first wave has begun to hits the walls.

L'Saad is everywhere at once: yelling orders to her troops, filling a gap in firing when one of her soldiers is pulled down by roaches, covering Autobots. When she spots the transports break through the clouds, she gestures for several soldiers to pull off of the wall. They head for the center of the city, where a large group of about 100 survivors is being organized into lines to march towards the landing zone.

Fighting like a woman who has seen the day she dies, L'Saad smiles up at Roadbuster, who she finds herself side by side with. "Wrecking and ruling? Very well, Autobot. May we fear no fate today." She throws two grenades for punctuation.

Meanwhile, roaches are starting to swarm to melee range, some even getting over the wall. Another of L'Saad's dirty dozen is taken down for lunch with a Wilhelm scream.

<Autobot> Sandstorm says, "Bugs! Lots and lots of freakin' bugs! Oh... I think I may have gotten stuck... pesky bugs, give me a moment though..."

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Roadbuster with its Feeding Frenzy Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Crusade with its Feeding Frenzy Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Springer with its Feeding Frenzy Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> with its Feeding Frenzy Area attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches (Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches) used "Feeding Frenzy": A Level 4 AREA-MELEE attack.

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches's attack has damaged your Accuracy!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches strikes Zipline with its Feeding Frenzy Area attack!

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Swoop not listening. Them not take Swoop, so Swoop not listen to them."

Springer growls a bit as he hears that scream, his cannon returning to stored position as his sword buzzes to life and he makes his way back near the wall.. angling it so he is standing near the closest group of four-arms, his sword striking out in flashes as he finally lets go of the restrain he keeps on himself normally.

Combat: Springer strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Bug-Zapper.. Wrecker style attack!

<Autobot> Sandstorm says, "Hey, we sent out invites! We did send out invites right guys? I mean we hard those headed bits of card that Ultra Magnus made for us to send invites out on. I recall he was very insistent that we become more inclusive and all that. Or maybe I was half asleep and dreamt it, never can stay awake when the lectures start."

Throwdown panics, firing wildly as bugs swarm him. "AGHHHHHHHrrgllle!" After a moment, the creatures stop feasting and turn towards Crusade and Zipline, leaving behind a lifeless, drained husk of a would be Wrecker.

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Maybe Swoop borrow shuttle and crash them party."

<Autobot> Sandstorm says, "I say go for it! And by that I don't mean crash the shuttle... though the roaches might cushion the impact significantly."

<Autobot> Arcee says, "What!"

<Autobot> Sandstorm says, "Wait... can Dinobots pilot shuttles?"

As he crashes through more of the roaches, one gets stuck in Sandstorms tires, causing him to spin in a circle for a while till he unjams the tire so it can move normally. Plus side, he looks highly entertaining running over multiple roaches as his spins in a circle on the spot, down side, he makes an easy targat for some roaches to jump on and try and eat him. Extra bonus, he kicks up a lot of sand, so much so the field around him is somewhat obscured.

As he unjams the tire, he shoots off through various roaches towards the wall, "Hey, these things think I'm some kind of buritto! Do I look like a mobile Chimichangas?" As he approaches the wall, Sandstorm continues to kick up a sandstorm, "Look out on the wall, one dusty chimichangas mobile coming through with some roaches!"

Combat: Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Sandstorm attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily affected Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches's Accuracy. (Blinded)

Combat: Drained 5 energon.

Crusade blinks - then stares in horror. Where Throwdown once stood, there is now a pile of feasting roaches. He blinks again, and where there was once a swarm of roaches, there lies Throwdown's corpse. The rookie gawks for a moment, feeling slightly ill, and in that span of time, the roaches pounce on him and knock him to the ground. His rifle falls from his hands as he flails around, trying to dislodge shredding mandibles from his acid-weakened armor with frantic strikes to their underbellies.

Combat: Crusade strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his I am not food please stop attack!

Combat: Crusade's risky attack leaves him temporarily incapacitated!

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Swoop watch him Grimlock do many times. Swoop think can do easy."

Roadbuster finally lets up on the trigger to his rifle as the ammo belt is finished off, slinging it onto his back again. Takes note of the people getting out to move to the airstrip, of Sandstorm living up to his namesake and hopefully making it harder for the bugs to follow after the fleeing survivors, and the smaller woman next to him.

War had a way of making strange bedfellows in the trenches.

Throwdown's scream resonates at the edge of his hearing, but there's no time to deal with it. Cybernetic roaches are swarming towards him, biting into his thick armor with their pinchers, digging in with their claws. But the Wrecker was not budging, not a micron, forcing the bionic bugs to have to try and surrmount him like a second wall. A wall that punches back, as he does with one of his massive fists. Followed by a huge foot stomping down on several more. The bugs were big... but Roadbuster was still bigger. "We don't fear death." he replies to L'Saad.

Then grabs one of the roaches trying to leap on her while she's smashing through several others, getting one hand on each of it's pinchers and just -ripping it in two-. Followed by using the haves to club away several more of it's brethern. "We're the ones that kick Death in the hexnuts and tell him to frag off!"

Combat: Roadbuster strikes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches with his Dirty Fighting attack!

Combat: Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches falls to the ground, unconscious.

Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches

Easily the size of the average Transformer, these giant space roaches are not only scuttling hungry nightmares, but they're also cybernetic. And they're everywhere.

Swoop has arrived.

<Autobot> Afterburner says, "Room for one more in that shutle Swoop?"

<Autobot> Swoop says, "I will never say 'no', but bring a helmet."

Afterburner has arrived.

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Him Afterburner can fly, yes?"

<Autobot> Afterburner says, "In a shuttle yes"

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Maybe him let Swoop know if flying good."

<Autobot> Afterburner says, "Well I can set the Autopilot"

<Autobot> Swoop says, "Swoop can fly!"

Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches has left.

Halo takes Giant Cybernetically Altered Space Roaches.

Somehow, the Autobots have stemmed the tide of bionic space roaches, a sentence that I feel like I was born to type and that my dad would be proud of. Only a few minutes of respite pass, however, before the sky darkens. Even as the transports finish landing and survivors begin loading, the air around the city begins to...hum? From almost every direction, hornets. Very pissed off giant hornets.

Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets has arrived.

Halo drops Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets.

Springer takes the time to reasses the situation as the last of the attacking roaches, the energy in his sword fading as he releases it. The Wrecker scans the wall as he makes a quick check of how many of the four-arms are standing still.. then the arrival of the next wave and sighs, "Hornets? Really? What's next.. Ants?" But he shifts his position to face the incoming wave, his cannon rising up agian as he tracks them, but holds his fire as he looks for where they are focusing on, if anywhere.

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

Crusade splits a roach open down the middle and falls back, exhausted - thankfully, that seems to be the last of them. He stays motionless beneath the pile of dead roaches and gathers his strength.

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

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

Driving to the wall, and then proceeding to drive up the wall, Sandstorm transforms as he drives over the top of the wall (don't ask how, it probably involves all the sticky roach bits on his tires). Coming down behind the wall and landing in robot mode, Sandstorm pulls out his gun, "So, that's them all? Rather a short workout, but take what you can get." Honest, Sandstorm did not just jinx this.

Or maybe he did as he hears a bunch of buzzing noises, looks round and there's some flying bugs now, "Well that's something you don't see every day. Well, unless you're stuck on a planet of bugs I guess." Sandstorm takes a moment to load his gun. Yes, for once, for this singular moment, Sandstorm isn't charging into the swarm of bugs. Appreciate this moment for the few seconds it will last.

Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> transforms into his Sandstorm mode.

Combat: Sandstorm sets his defense level to Guarded.

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

Combat: Regained 10 energon.

The bursts of electricity coming from Zipline's cannon are effectively along the lines of bursts from a bug-zapper. Drawing bugs to them and zapping them at the same time!

"Hey, HEY! GET OFF HIM!" Zipline shouts, paws on the top of the wall. She turns the barrel of her cannon on the bugs swarming over Throwdown and... And nothing. She stares, wide eyed, as they clamber over him, biting down on him, sucking him dry. Her cannon glows, a slug spinning rapidly in the barrel, but it doesn't fire. She stares at the husk that is left, and almost doesn't seem to notice that the bugs are skittering, crawling, speeding towards her and Crusade VERY quickly.

Shehe jerks out of it only in time to avoid becoming a snack. Legs move quickly, bolting her away from the bugs even as they rend and tear into her armor. Others are quickly making short work of the bugs, but she keeps moving until the onslaught retreats.

But then, the buzzing. Zipline stops, looking briefly panicked as she looks to the sky. Her optics narrow, the image of poor Throwdown flashing before them. "Oh slag no, I don't THINK so! I'm no kitty hors d'oeuvre!" Quickly, she twists around to face the enroaching swarm of wasps, her optics glowing with renewed resolve. That cannon, holding its charge for so long, flares brightly as it releases a high powered slug at the enroaching, angry hornets.

Combat: Zipline strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with her Angry hornets meet angry railcannon! attack!

Roadbuster shakes a bit of cyber-roach gunk off his hands, but doesn't waste too much time with it. Instead he looks down to L'Saad. #-1 INVALID ANSI DEFINITION: +sierra3"As much as I admire your courage in adversity miss, your people need you. This ain't over yet. Even if you don't wish to live past this night, you should make sure your fellows do, or it will just be in vain."

Then he turns his attention to the other Autobots, only to be distracted upward briefly at the chorus of buzzing coming from the skies. "Slag it, they've got airborne too! Regroup to cover the evacs, the walls ain't gonna stop 'em!"

His attention swings again, noting what little remains of the unfortunate Throwdown, Crusade and Zipline recovering nearby.... and a lot of hornets looking to finish off the meal their previous ally started. A dead comrade, this is just the sort of thing he was trying to warn they might have to deal with tonight.

He uses his elbow to shove the shotgun-grenade launcher combo free from his back, flipping it up and over his shoulder to catch by the action, pump it to load, and then flip it over into his hand proper. "LOOK ALIVE YOU TWO!" Followed by the loud FWOOM FWOOM as he fires a pair of explosive grenade shells into the hornets swarming towards the two non-Wreckers. "There will be time for morning his sacrifices later! Right now we've got lives to save; those evacs need escort to the spaceport, or they'll be sittin' targets to aerial attackers!"

Combat: Roadbuster strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with his Grenade Shotgun attack!

One of the largest of the dead cockroaches, notably greater in size than the others, suddenly begins to twitch, shaking violently. A moment later, the entire huge exoskeleton ruptures, splitting open in a violent display as juices and internal liquids spray and splash in all directions. A blue armored glove manages to burst through the shell, then another, then a form begins to drag itself up out of the decimated carcass.

"Holy frell." Defcon says, completely covered in bug juice and guts. He looks at himself, a shocked look on his face. When he sees the sky darkening with the coming hornets, he lets out a brief sigh. Then he kicks the dead cockroach that had someone managed to consume him earlier. "Eyes bigger than your stomach eh?"

Drawing out a weapon from subspace, he takes out his trusty, well experienced scrapmaker minigun, leveling the barrel into the air towards the swarm. It begins spinning, then violently erupts in a barking retort of super high speed chaingun fire, letting loose with a spread of bullets into the coming horde.

Cybertronian Starfighter <Defcon> transforms into his Defcon mode.

Combat: Defcon strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with his Scrapmaker Minigun attack!

<Autobot> Zipline says, "I'm good! I'm good! I've got plenty wrecking left in me!"

Several Autobots take the short oppritunity to catch their proverbial breath. It's probably a good thing to do. Fortunately as the augmented hornest swarm into the colony from the skies a few of them are their to cover their allies and the escapees, tearing through aerial bugs with railcannons, grenades and chaingun rounds.

L'Saad looks at Roadbuster dourly for a moment, but nods. She wouldn't admit it outloud, but the large robot was right. She had no fear of dying, but it would be pointless if her fellows did not make it through the night. She picks up her weapons and sprints off to provide cover to those fleeing towards the spaceport.

It's a good thing, too. As they meet resistance the hornets respond in kind, angling their modified thorax's forward to fire their energized equivilent of stingers at the meddlesome robots.

Spindrift has arrived.

Combat: Spindrift strikes Roadbuster with Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets's Laser Stingers Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Spindrift strikes Springer with Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets's Laser Stingers Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Spindrift strikes Defcon with Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets's Laser Stingers Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Spindrift strikes Sandstorm with Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets's Laser Stingers Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Spindrift (Spindrift) used "Laser Stingers": A Level 2 AREA-RANGED attack.

Combat: Spindrift strikes Crusade with Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets's Laser Stingers Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Critical Hit!

Combat: Spindrift strikes Zipline with Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets's Laser Stingers Area attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Critical Hit!

As he readies his weapon, Sandstorm spots Zipline fending off bugs with Throwdown having been taking out. Moving quickly to back the feline up, Sandstorm slashes at some of the hornets as he gets close, "Hey there kitty, got yer back." And Sandstorm continues to slash away. However as he is close to Throwdown he gives the now dead Bots a glance, and spots the explosive. As he looks away (as it would be totally inappropriate to do this while looking at a dead Bot), Sandstorm gets a rather wicked smile on his face and radios Springer and Roadbuster, <<Hey bosses, Throwdown took some extra ordinance with him. As in extra exploding ordinance. You know, the sort that makes loud booms and shreds the enemy. Request permission to make use of it and blow the flying pests away for daring to take down a Wrecker.>> Okay so Throwdown was no Wrecker, but he died fighting alongside them so that's more than good enough in Sandstorms opinion.

Combat: Sandstorm sets his defense level to Neutral.

Combat: Sandstorm strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with his Slashy slashy! attack!

Springer 's cannon against starts to fire off rapid bursts of fire at the hornets, "Our task is to get these people out of here, Sandstorm! Do wahat you need to do!" Though his voice is harsh, he shifts his fire to give Sandstorm some cover if he goes for the explosives... the Wrecker not looking towards the fallen Autobot, though a corner of his mind files the name under a ever growing list of those who have fallen on the field with Springer. He then sends a radio burst to the shuttles, <<Have you found a way to land yet? Or do we need to clear you a zone?>>

Combat: Springer strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with his Hornet Bug-spray (Laser) attack!

Bugs. Why did it have to be bugs. Laser stingers, courtesy of the giant hornets, pierce into Crusade's armor. He hurls himself to his feet and starts stabbing at the swarm, trying to take down as many of the things as he can.

Combat: Crusade strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with his Armblades attack!

Lasers slam into Defcon's frame, but they barely register to him. He continues firing his minigun into the hordes, bullets tearing into the masses but barely slimming their numbers. He's going to have to kick things up a notch. He drops the minigun to the ground, barrels still smoking from use, and begins summoning something from subspace. It's big.

Big enough that it comes piecemeal, part by part at a time, and Defcon begins assembling it with each piece that's drawn from his subspace pocket. At first it looks like he's building a gun turret, but it quickly begins to grow larger. Piece by piece, assembling what starts to look like a small Warp Cannon, all while laser fire is erupting and bursting all around him. He moves with surprising speed, amidst hostile conditions, and Primus only knows what he's ultimately going to end up with.

Combat: Defcon analyzes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets for weaknesses.

Is Zipline's cannon supposed to be sizzling like that? A haze of ionized air rises from the rails, even as she starts charging again for another round. But maybe the glow of the railcannon is what draws a few of them right to her. Zip's legs tense, but before she can bolt, a number of energy stingers pierce through the air around her. She dodges and weaves, but one finds its mark right in her cannon.

There's a KZZZTT of energy being released harmlessly into the air, and abruptly, Zipline's cannon goes silent.

"Oh come on, not now, not NOW!" She pleads with the cannon, but it doesn't come back online. Diagnostics start to run, but it'll take time. Thankfully, Sandstorm buys her time.

"Thanks!" She says, trying to not sound too relieved. Systems find the fault, and start purging the excess energy from her systems. But in the mean time, Zipline forces her eyes back up on the air. Instead of running, she starts analyzing. Optics flicker and dart around, eyeing the hornets. And the way they're swarming. Hmm. <<Sandstorm, check this out. If you threw the bomb there, bet it'd do some massive damage!>> she says, beaming over a quick analysis of the hornet's movements.

<<Do it, but keep the high yeild -away- from the civilians.>> Roadbuster replies without missing a beat, and adding an extra bit of emphasis simply because, well, it's -Sandstorm-. Clever, adaptable, fearless... and about as much common sense as a lobotomized lemming. Which is meant as a compliment, mind you. Collateral damage happens around him.

Zipline looks shaken up at the experience... but she's recovering and making the space-bugs regret it. The small felinoid certainly has a lot of spunk in that small frame. He's seen Autobots outright break down after witnessing a friend or ally fall in battle. Crusade is struggling to keep going as well. Neither is giving up. That's what we like to see.

His attention snaps back to the fight as several laser stingers rattle across his bulk. "Hmff," he snorts, clearly not impressed as he grabs one with his hand and yanks it out of his upper arm, throws it aside and marches forward, bringing up the rear guard to the evacuee clusters heading towards the spaceport. Escort missions, never a fun thing.

Need to adjust to coverage, take down as many targets as possible before they can regroup in their swarms. Roadbuster puts away the grenade-shotgun, and pulls out not one, but TWO carbines. What would be full compact rifles to a normal autobot look like they're just large SMGs in his large mits. Just the right size to wield them one-handed and go to town on blowing through any swarms in their way.

Combat: Zipline analyzes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets for weaknesses Sandstorm can exploit.

Combat: Roadbuster strikes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets with his Akimbo Carbines attack!

"L'saad finds herself back to back with Defcon as he assembles his cannon, heavy fire from a minigun she pulled from Throwdown keeping hornets off of the bounty hunter, though it DOES keep them covered in guts and slime.

Meanwhile, about half of the city's survivors have been loaded onto the transports. Going is slow: pilot Blackout and his crew are doing their best to cover small pockets of refugees to dash to safety at a time. It's by no means a perfect system, but no one expect hornet death swarms.

One of L'saad's last fighters is pulled into the sky by a hornet, when suddenly, as quickly as they came, the creatures pull back. The soldier's body falls from the sky, landing next to Zipline with a thud. As strange as it seems, the hornets are in full retreat. Blackout uses the opportunity to make his move. "Ok, let's go! GO!" Survivors begin packing into the transports at a rapid rate. And it's a good thing, too. Because the ground starts shaking under everyone's feet. Violently. Several buildings crumble: and something terrible and absurd emerges from the ground. L'saad just stares at the behemoth standing between them and the transports. "No."

Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets has left.

Halo takes Massive Cybernetically Altered Japanese Giant Hornets.

Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede has arrived.

Halo drops Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede.

A giant centipede, large enough to smother Sky Lynx, screams in rage at the creatures that dare to defy it's hive!

Combat: Zipline analyzes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede for weaknesses Sandstorm can exploit.

Combat: Defcon analyzes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede for weaknesses.

Ignore the animation error of Zipline analyzing the hornets. She totally analyzed the cyberpede for weak spots.

By the time Defcon's finished assembling his mobile cannon emplacement, the hordes have grown dangerous close, forcing him to rush. "It'll be a miracle if this thing holds together long enough to fire." he muses under hs breath, powering up the huge turret. Once finished, it stands larger than Defcon himself. A huge cannon barrel pointed to the sky with a complex series of power conduits and pulse charges, with an actual chair on the side.

The bounty hunter hops on the chair, the entire emplacement swiveling in place towards the swarm. The giant turret begins to hum, vibrating violently as it powers up, gathering and focusing an intense charge of concentrated power. A targetting scope flips down in front of Defcon's face, and he quickly targets the center of the horde, then realizes the flying insects are retreating?

As the massive centipede suddenly erupts through the ground, Defcon calls out to L'saad, still nearby him. "Get down!" The entire cannon swivels again, this time towards the cyberpede, and immediately locks on. A moment later, he pulls the trigger.

A deafening roar emits from the cannon, nearly causing it to self destruct, but it holds long enough to unleash a huge blue-white beam of crackling raw power at the cyberpede. The blast sends a shockwave out in its wake, rocking the ground and ionizing the air in its path. At the same time, the force of the blast sunders the cannon, causing it to crumble and break apart, sparks emitting and bursting all around Defcon until there's nothing left but a pile of rubble. And a chair. And a bounty hunter sitting on it.

Combat: Defcon sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Defcon strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Mobile Warp Cannon attack!

Combat: Zipline strikes herself with her Well you asked for it (Grab) attack!

Springer looks from the newly arrived bug back to the evacuting people.. then to the Autobots, "Seems we have to keep this bug thing busy.. drive it away from the transports!" The Wrecker leaps over the walls to get into the city.. and does proably one of the lss brillant moves of his existance and charges the cyber-beast, his sword returning to his hand and drives it towards the more rerward section of it as he tries to get it's attention focused on him and not the shuttles.

Roadbuster isn't a very fast Autobot even at a full march. So it doesn't take much for him to stop when the ground starts to shake, refugees quickly backing away as it breaks apart and an even bigger monster tears its way through the surface to rise up and roar at them.

Roadbuster lifts a hand to wipe some of the cyberpede spittle off his featureless face. "Well, yer right about the no."

As people clear out around him Roadbuster transforms, which also gives the people something conveniently large and well armored to take cover behind. "But let's tell it that in a proper way!" The turret atop the battlewagon raises, taking aim at the center of mass for the giant creepy crawly. Gas hisses out the recoil vents as the weapon fires, giving the 'no' a very loud emphasis with the thunderous crack as a hypervelocity slug is hurtled towards the massive beast courtesy of the linear cannon.

Combat: Springer strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Energy Saber attack!

Crusade stumbles as the ground starts to shake, and starts retreating instinctively. Is it an earthquake? Is it a landslide? No! It's a gigantic cyberpede! Crusade grabs his fallen rifle and tries to shoot the thing in the face (if it has one), wishing that he had a flamethrower to incinerate it with.

Combat: Crusade strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his NOPE NOPE NOPE attack!

Roadbuster transforms into his Wrecker BattleWagon <Roadbuster> mode.

Not needing to be told twice (indeed he barely waited for Springers go ahead), Sandstorm grabs up the explosives barely being careful about the body (well Throwdown is dead now so he ain't going to care. With expertise of having done this on the battlefield many times, Sandstorm attaches bits to each other, pulling wires from his own 'pockets', "Trigger here. Big ball of exploding crap here..."

As Sandstorm works a barely alive roach tries to crawl at him, which earns the thing a knife through the head, Sandstorm pauses briefly, looks at the roach, looks at his nearly finished bomb, then back to the roach, "Perfect, a bomb casing." Sandstorm grabs the roaches broken head and proceeds to shove the bomb into the head, sealing it up. Eat your heart out Wheeljack.

With the bomb built, Sandstorm takes off, running right for the back of the centipede. He proceeds to transform to his buggy mode, driving through the streets, dodging crumbling building, till he reaches the tail, transforms to his chopper mode to get elevation, and then back to buggy to land on the back of the centipede, before proceeding to drive along it towards the front, "WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!! More fun than riding bronco on Trypticon!" As he reaches tthe centipedes head, Sandstorm transforms once again, jumping of the head he pulls the bomb he had stored while driving/flying/driving out and throws it right at the giant centipedes gaping mouth, "FIRE IN THE HOLE! THE BIG GIANT CENTIPEDES HOLE!" Honest though, Sandstorm had kept in mind the evacuees.

Combat: Sandstorm sets his defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Sandstorm has created a bomb: "Exploding Roach Head Bomb"!

Combat: Wrecker BattleWagon <Roadbuster> strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Linear Blaster Cannon attack!

Combat: Sandstorm strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with Exploding Roach Head Bomb's Huge Explosion #9766 attack!

Combat: Sandstorm's Exploding Roach Head Bomb is destroyed!

Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede's Agility. (Crippled)

Combat: Removing analysis data for Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede.

Combat: Used up 1 Bombs. 0 remain.

L'saad ducks on Defcon's command, and when the smoke clears, she's back by his side, taking a moment to look impressed. Well, maybe more than impressed. "A good size *and* you use it well." She allows herself a smile when Blackout crackles on everyone's com: <<Guys we're sitting ducks trying to take off with this thing here! Bring him down enough for us to in the air before the hornets come back!>>

Meanwhile, Defcon's blast sends the beast swaying, and it focuses it's anger on the green Bot stabbing it, twisting with disturbingly fast reflexes and lunging for Springer, even while chucks of it spray from smallarms fire from the rest of the troops. Even as the creature bites down on Springer, Sandstorm's timing is perfect: the bomb tosses in, so at least Springer won't get eaten too much.

The thud of the body falling next to Zipline makes her leap in shock. She stares at it, her optics wide.

That's not going to happen to her. She's not going to end up some lifeless husk. Just... dead because something decided it wanted her dead. It stirrs something. Maybe something new. Maybe something from the past, a drive to defy death one again.

Whatever it is, the resolve is back in those eyes. She can curl up in her tape-deck later. Now, they've got a mission to finish.

She turns those optics up on the cyberpede. The fear rises, but she shoves it down. For now. Something dings in her processor, as diagnostics report the surge has been partially cleared from her systems. "What're we waiting for?! Let's wreck this thing and get out of here!"

Like a snap, Zipline is off. She speeds on ahead, quickly reaching her max accelleration. She speeds straight at it, the cannon glowing brighty. It levels at the thing's eyes (It has eyes?) and one after another, fires off high velocity railcannon slugs straight at its peep holes. Or lacking any, whatever hole Sandstorm makes in it.

Combat: Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede misses Springer with its CRUNCH TIME attack! [Pulled -2]

Combat: Zipline strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with her WRECK IT RALPH! attack!

THe Cyberpede collapses from the onslaught, struggling to right itself...One of the transports lifts into the sky! Success!

Springer looks up as large Cyberug tries to roll over him.. and he leaps... onto it instead of away, his saber leaving a trail of energy as he slices at it's legs to try and keep it unbalanced as the others pound away at it from range.. except Sandstorm who delivers a severe case of indigestion to the thing, and just shakes his head as he can't help but grin, "Keep it up! Just a bit longer!"

Combat: Springer strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Swordslash (Punch) attack!

Defcon hops off the chair, kicking the pile of rubble beside him. Yet another of his various toys broken beyond repair, and no time to gather up the pieces for later. He offers L'saad a friendy smile but is quickly back to business, reaching back into his subspace arsenal for another weapon to bring to bear against the cyberpede. No time for something excessive and big, so it's handheld armaments only.

Light flashes from behind him as he levels a very large rocket launcher onto his shoulder, stepping onto the pile of broken rubble from his tactical warp cannon, taking aim at the writhing beast. The weapon quickly registers a lock, and the bounty hunter fires.

A trio of rockets erupt from the launcher, each one spiralling through the air around one another, trails of smoke twirling in their wake. A soft blue glow envelops the three explosives, each one filled with highly reactive and unstable energon. And when they finally explode, the blastwave is a dazzling blue and violet shockwave, like a small apocalyptic flower blooming into the world for a few brief, yet utterly beautiful moments of existence.

A shuttle is taking off! All the hard work and fighting and lives lost was paying off, though it wasn't over by a long shot yet. "Keep it pinned down, don't let it get to the other transports!" And with that said Roadbuster rises back up into his hulking robot mode. With a determined pace he strides towards the edge of breaks in the road, where the cyberpede is struggling to get up again. "Oh no you don't." Bending partway down, Roadbuster grabs onto the monster's... well... upper segments, wrapping his large arms around the equally large bug, digging his heels in and just squeezing, using his titanic strength to hold the beast away from the evacs and down for others to continue beating into submission.

The heavily armored battlewagon rises up into an equally heavily armored and armed Wrecker commando.

Combat: Roadbuster strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Bearhug From Hell (Grab) attack!

Combat: Defcon strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Reactive Energon Rocket Launcher attack!

Crusade kneels behind a convenient pile of dead roaches, using them as cover while he continues firing upon the cyberpede. He's not getting anywhere near that thing.

Combat: Crusade strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Best Friend Rifle attack!

Sandstorm would be disappointed at not seeing everone and everything around covered in centipede guts, but that would require him to stop for a moment and not simply carry on fighting. As he lands on the ground and rolls, Sandstorm transforms back to his dune buggy mode and proceeds to drive at the underneath of the bug, intent on driving through the creatures legs, "Hey, let's play THIS LITTLE PIGGY!"

As Sandstorm proceeds to drive through the legs, attempting to knock them out he calls out, "This little piggy went SQUELCH! <pause between legs> This little piggy went THPPPT! <pause between legs> This little piggy definitely did NOT live to go to the market! <pause between legs> This little piggy had a nervous breakdown! <pause between legs> And this little piggy was put in a full body cast!"

Sandstorm transforms into his Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> mode.

Combat: Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Stunt Driving attack!

Combat: That attack has temporarily impaired Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede's Agility. (Crippled)

Zipline comes around, strafing past the cyberpede. Her cannon continues to fire, unloading round after round into the great bug's hide. "Boom boom BOOM!" Passing by, she loops around with the intent to make another pass on the great bug's hide.

But when her optics glance around, hunting another spot to aim at, her attention is caught by something amidst the bodies of roaches. Throwdown's body. Drained, non-functional. Just a corpse, now.

Zipline slows to a jog, then finally stops next to him. A frown crosses her muzzle and her ears splaying back. "Sorry dude" Zipline mutters. Then a pause. <<I'm booking it to a shuttle. Got something to bring with.>>

Fangs clamp down on one of Throwdown's ankles. The energy lines in Zipline's legs begin to glow fiercely as she draws from her kinetic generator, adding power to her movement systems. And though it's difficult, she starts dragging Throwdown's body towards the escape shuttles.

Combat: Zipline begins retreating, outrunning all pursuit.

Righted and reeling back to make itself taller, more threatening, and awful, the cyberpede screams. Because bugs scream. It's sci fi. Luckily no longer focused on the second and final transport, the Wreckers have managed to really piss this thing off, even as they continue blasting it. And then Roadbuster does a weird thing. He bearhugs the beast. Something it recognizes as a challenge. Something it recognizes as something it does to hunt. It returns the favor: wretching like a cat with a hairball and vomiting a venom fountain, which is admittedly difficult with Sandstorm ramming it's legs. So many legs. I feel bad for making this thing.

Meanwhile, shuttle two is up and away, clearing the area of survivors! Now, will L'saad and the Wreckers survive?

Combat: Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede strikes Roadbuster with its HORRIFIC ACID SHOWER Area attack!

Combat: Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede strikes Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> with its HORRIFIC ACID SHOWER Area attack!

Combat: Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede (Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede) used "HORRIFIC ACID SHOWER": A Level 5 AREA-RANGED attack.

Combat: Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede misses Springer with its HORRIFIC ACID SHOWER Area attack!

The massive cyberpede is taking everything the Autobots are unleashing on it and still it refuses to go down. Defcon flips the empty rocket launcher back into subspace. They can't let the behemoth get closer to the transports. He glances back to L'saad, inclining his head, "Excuse me, miss." he says politely, then leaps into the air and transforms, thrusters igniting and sending him streaking into the air.

Banking around the massive cyberpede, Defcon begins circling the creature. A laser-corded tow-line suddenly fires out like a spear-gun, slamming into the ground nearby the cyberpede with an earth-shattering blow. The starfighter continues circling the beast, tow line extending, wrapping around the cyberpede, trying to keep it pinned and tethered to the ground, where the Autobots can continue beating it into oblivion.

After several orbits around the beast, Defcon's retrothrusters ignite, stopping his circling of the beast. He spins, facing the creature, tow-line still attached, and suddenly lights the beast up! Electricity crackles and explodes through the tow-line as the bounty hunter unleashes a massive charge of raw power and energy through the line. "Sorry ugly. There's no room for any alpha predators around here. Except us."

Defcon transforms into his Cybertronian Starfighter <Defcon> mode.

Combat: Cybertronian Starfighter <Defcon> strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Techvolt Tow-Line attack!

Crusade winces as the awful noise echoes through the battlefield. If his hands were free, he'd have clamped then over his ringing audio receptors, but his hands are occupied by his rifle. He continues shooting at the cyberpede - maybe that might shut it up.

Combat: Crusade strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Best Friend Rifle attack! [Pulled -1]

Springer shifts his position as the acid sprays everywhere BUT at the shuttles. "We need to bring this thing down NOW, Wreckers!" He charges up the back of the 'pede.. his speed and jumping ability bringing him up it's back quickly, his sword still taking swipes at it as he goes.. but when he nears it's head the Wrecker tries a do or die attack and leaps as high as he can.. and slams his saber into the monster's head, "Die already, you over-grown pest!."

Combat: Springer strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Energy Saber attack! [Pulled -1]

The dune buggy isn't looking all that pretty as the various attacks are begining to take their toll. But boy this is fun. As he takes out another leg Sandstorm transforms and rolls, registering his armour is pretty much shredded to bits, his targeting systems are shot, his actual systems are getting seriously pounded. Any sane Bot may just begin backing off.

Sandstorm is, while not sane, not your average sane Bot. Seeing Zipline taking the body of the fallen Throwback off, Sandstorm pulls his gun out as to hell is he letting the Centipede attack the cat while it does the right thing.

Aiming his gun for where he assumes his bomb went off, Sandstorm lets rip while shouting, "Come on you Wreckers! You want to live forever!" He's pretty sure that's the line from that film with those things that the animators based this episode off of.

Desert Patrol Vehicle <Sandstorm> transforms into his Sandstorm mode.

Combat: Sandstorm strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Sandblaster Gun attack!

Combat: Secondary Damage!

Out of the corner of the wide field of vision the optic visor allows him Roadbuster catchs a glimpse of Zipline going to retrieve Throwndown's dead chassis. The girl's spark was in the right place. With a grunt, he digs his heels in harder and pushes, using his grapple to force the cyberpede to face away from the cassette-cat as she does one of the most unpleasant jobs next to fighting one can have to do on the battlefield -- pulling out the dead.

The acidic vomit burns. Metal allow starts to break down rapidly, hissing fumes and dribbling streaks down his body. But he pushes on all the same, letting go finally as he shoves the monstrousity in the other direction. "Frag it all, now I know what a one night stand with a drunken Blot must feel like." Though as he backs up, he doesn't draw any of his guns to attack?

More like he doesn't have to, as just as he was letting go and pushing the giant beast away he had opened a hidden compartment and stuck a micro-explosive to the sides of the beast, one from each arm, the arming lights visibly blinking briefly until they explode.

Combat: Roadbuster strikes Impossibly Huge Giant Cyberpede with his Dual Microexplosives attack!

The Cyberpede gets harpooned and electrocuted like a giant bug zapping taser, then gouged again by the lightsa*SCRIBBLEDOUT* -Energy Saber- tearing through its body. Then it gets shot, and shot again, and who the hell shots things with -sand-? But by this point it has a lot of wounds for that stuff to get into, just like rubbing salt in lacerations. To top it off the tagteam bombs blow chunks of bug goo out of its sides, causing it to thrash about and screech from pain.

It must of decided that no meal was worth this much aggrivating trouble, because it slinks is oozing battered from back into the crevase it made and disappears back into the depths of the planet itself....

Roadbuster kneels down at the edge of the cracks, ignoring the fact that he's still dripping in cyberpede vomit for the moment. "Heh. Guess it decided we were too much of a pain in the ass to try and eat anymore."

L'saad looks around, dazed and covered in gore. "It...It's over?" She glances up at Defcon. "We're alive."

Walking over to the crevice to stand next to Roadbuster, Sandstorm looks down it, "You think we should follow it down, finish the thing off?" Sandstorm may not physically look like that would be a good idea, but he also definitely looks like he wants to. You can almost see the thought going through his head that maybe asking forgiveness would have been smarter than asking permission.

Defcon watches the beast recede into the earth, but he isn't letting it go quietly. Weapons extend all across his hull and wings again, and he hovers above up above the ground, directly above the hole, and unleashes a full salvo of blue and violet plasma and laser energy into the gaping maw. Azure and indigo light flashes across Roadbuster and Sandstorm's frame from their proximity. Destruction rains down from above like a curtain of seething, burning plasma in front of them both and into the crevasse, as though making sure to drive the creature fully off, in case it has any ideas of mounting a counterattack.

Convinced at least for the time being that the monstrosity is gone, Defcon turns his attention back to the others. "It's not over until everyone is safe." he says matter-of-factly to L'saad. "Let's get the frell out of here before something /else/ decides it's gonna make a play for top of the food chain."

Springer is taken a bit by surprise as the bug disappears back ito the ground.. the Wrecker getting taken along as he was /not/ losing his favorite saber to some damn bug. But at the last minute it does come loose.. just as it disappers back into the gorund, the Wreckr hitting with a satisfying /crump/ and laying there for a second, "Slag it all.." He gets back to his feet slowly, and does a check of those who came down with him.. as well as a inquiry up high to ensure the shuttles all got free. He turns his attention towards Sandstorm, "No.. we're not here on a bug hunt.. this time, Sandstorm. Our job was to get the civilians out." He blinks.. and looks back towards their Dropship, and sighs as it appears to be in working order.

Crusade lowers his rifle, watching the spot where the cyberpede had disappeared as if he expects it to resurface at any moment. "Is... is it dead?" he asks shakily.

"If it survived that, it won't be coming back up for a while at least," Roadbuster observes as Defcon does a good job of blasting the rift shut if nothing else. Then hauls himself back onto his feet. "Springer's right. We did the mission we came here to do, it's time to go home, get cleaned up, and have a few drinks in victory..." Pauses as he gazes in the direction of the ship, remembering Zipline dragging off Throwdown's remains "... and in memorandum."

Springer frowns and looks, "And any of the fallen colonists as well, Roadbuster.. we don't leave anyone behind. ESPECIALLY for those.. things." He turns to look at the hornest, and points at one, "Crusade, grab a few of those to bring back with us."

Picking up one of the hornets as he turns away from the crevice (though he definitely pauses for a moment, tempted but not enough to go against the other Wreckers call), Sandstorm holds it up and gives it a shake, "Planning on mounting it as a trophy? Think all it would do is freak people out." Sandstorm walks towards the shuttle.

Crusade emerges from behind the heap of dead roaches, stowing his rifle in subspace once he's a little more certain that the cyberpede won't be returning. He gathers up a couple hornets, one in each hand, then heads for the shuttle.

Springer shakes his head, "If.. these are linked to the others, I want to get these examined t see if there are any leads, Sandstorm.. or why they were here in the first place." He sounds weary, as he is presently running at pretty much zero energy. He moves to the few places he saw defenders fall, and leans down, picking up each carefully to bring along, "But let us leave here.. incase there is anytihng BIGGER out there."