February 16th, 2003 ~Steelwind(A), Nosecone(A), Kimakaze(D), Silhouette(A), Onslaught(D), Whiplash(D), Lancer(A), Thunderstrike(A), Ghost(D), Phantom(A), Swivel(A) Darkmount - Holding Cell This holding cell is spartan at best. With a narrow resting platform attached to one wall, all it offers is a reminder that one is a prisoner. The walls are remarkably clean as is the floor, but faint scratches can be seen gleaming all around as if someone was marking time. The doorway is shielded from the outside with a glimmering forcefield. Nothing els is present as this is where the prisoners wait, not get interrogated, a dreary room at best. At worst, a tomb. Steelwind [Robot] [A] Etching in the Wall Obvious Exits: -O- Out leads to Darkmount - Interrogation Room -Steelwind sits in the corner dozing. -Moonlight walks into the area in front of the cells. This guy had gotten out once after all, and it's good to make sure that he's still here. Not that Moonlight thinks people aren't doing their job or anything, she just feelings like double checking. -Steelwind isn't in any particular rush to leave. After what happened last time, he's determined to get something useful out of this visit here. -Moonlight doesn't believe Steelwind's story, but doesn't disbelieve it either. It could be true, or it could be a trick. Moonlight is the kind of person to sit back and wait to see what actually unfolds. As far as Decepticons go, she's a rather un-paranoid example of the faction. Seeing that he's resting is a good sign. Obviously he's not feeling so nervous that he can't rest...or mabye he's just exhausted. Who knows? -Steelwind stirs slightly but doesn't wake up, just rearranges himself slightly. -Moonlight leans against a wall, her face shadowed only slightly by her new hat, something she's quite pleased at having again. Nosecone, currently playing the role of a gumbie news type, broadcasts, "Reports are coming in from Tarn, where a lone Autobot has launched a ferocious attack on the walls.. missiles are.." *KRAKOOM* ".. a large drill, which is already.." *GUNFIRE* -Moonlight looks up sharply. "Oh, that can't be good," she mumbles to herself. -Steelwind stirs from hearing the speaking voice. "Eh?" -Moonlight smiles slightly. "Oh, nothing." -Steelwind shrugs and settles back to doze. Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Ummmmm...does anyone know what /that/ was all about?" Nosecone does that zany broadcast thing again. "The assualt continues, with the attacker making good use of the broken terrain.. explosions are lighting up all around me, but I'm unclear as to where the Autobot actually is.. The defense cannons haven't stopped firing since the assualt began.. it's chaos out here" -Moonlight shakes her head. This /really/ doesn't sound good. And she figures Autobot assualt + Autobot prisoner might = Autobot jail break. And she's not entirely certain what to do about it. Kimakaze says, "Please qualify what *that* iss?" Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Don't you follow the Cybertronian news?" -Steelwind can't seem to go back to sleep, so he stands up, walks around and sits back down. Looking at Moonlight and not knowing what's going on, he asks, "so how are you doing?" -Moonlight shrugs, not wanting to give away anything quite yet. "Not bad. I have a new hat, which always improves my mood." Kimakaze says, "Not when I am meditating, no." -Steelwind smiles. "It looks good." A pause. "Anything interesting happening outside recently?" Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Um, I think you might want to make an exception here. Sounds like something big is happening just outside Tarn..." Kimakaze says, "Well, are you going to keep uss all in suspense?" Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Well, for one, it sounds like explosions. That /can't/ be good." -Moonlight shakes her head. "Not really." -Steelwind shrugs. "Well. Figures. Nothing ever happens..." -Silhouette steps into the Holding Cell area, out in the open, on her wings and the middle of her nosecone like torso is a flashy Decepticon sigil and her visage shows a very authoritative, no nonsense expression as she walks directly towards Moonlight. Kimakaze says, "Well, now that I've caught up on today's eventss, why the FECK is Tarn undefended?!"" -Moonlight grins, only a trace of nervousness in her expression...thank Primus for hats. "That's just the way I like it." She's about to say more, but there's now someone else in the room, someone just just doesn't recognize. Okay, that's not a good thing. At least it has a Decepticon symbol on it. That should be encouraging. "Hello there," she says rather cheerfully. Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Don't ask me. I'm just a nobody. I assume that the people in charge of defenses and stuff should know." Kimakaze *sounds annoyed* For feck'ss sake. Why am I surrouded by offline mechss?! I shall have to sort thiss out myself. -Silhouette levels a serious gaze with Moonlight, appearing to stare right through her as she nods in a most unwelcoming fashion at Moonlight "Lieutenant, under direct orders from Field Commander Enfilade, prepare the prisoner for a little private session with me, at the interrogation room...and be quick about it, I don't have much patience" nope, no hello, just plain business. Kimakaze says, "If you're not in Darkmount, get in and make sure thingss stay secure." Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Yeah, I'm here. I'm with the prisoner at the moment. Just keeping an optic on him." -Steelwind stands up and walks to the energy barrier to see who is there. His optics narrow upon seeing the new arrival but he doesn't say anything. He shakes his head. Can't be...there's a lot of tetrajets out there... Kimakaze says, "Excellent. Remember, he iss a guest. Make sure we don't torture that one, heh. I will be back ass soon as I can get rid of thiss bafoon who is trying to end hiss young life prematurely." -Moonlight nods her head and gives a rather flippant salute. "Right-o." That's just fine, so long as she doesn't have to watch....wait a minute...Kimakaze just told her the 'guest' was /not/ to be tortured. "Ummmm, I think we have a communication problem..." She looks a tad bit confused. Lieutenant Moonlight says, "I don't mean to question you, but someone else just told me that Commander Enfilade told her that the prisoner should be prepared for a private session. That usually means torture, doesn't it?" -Silhouette takes a step towards Moonlight, her optics burning a blood red as she stares into the core of Moonlight, rasping "Do I have to repeat myself, Lieutenant!? This is a direct order from Field Commander Enfilade, if you want to answer to her be my guest...but the prisoner is due an interrogation which I have been assigned on the utmost priority..." Kimakaze chuckles. "Negative, it meanss ahev them subdued, civil and usually manacled so they can be moved to other locationss within the base itself. If Commander Enfilade wishess to torture Steelwind, I am sure she will /specify/ torture." -Steelwind doesn't move or say anything or even change his facial expression. This can't be good... -It always scares Moonlight a little when she gets contradicting orders. Fortunately Kimakaze was kind enough to clear things up (or so she believes). Moonlight nods and grabs the hand cuffs. Then she flips the toggle that opens the cell's energy field. "Just let me know if I bind you too tight. Kimakaze said I was supposed to treat you as well as possible, all things considering and stuff." She moves towards him. -Steelwind shrugs and sticks his hands out. -Silhouette nods "Mustn't be too tight..., Enfilade doesn't want him hurt after all, the little sweet thing that he is..." the voice is quite derisive. -Moonlight grins half apologetically to Steelwind. She always figured that Decepticons had really messed up definitions for things, and their definition for 'guest' is no exception. She seems quite relieved that he doesn't seem to be putting up a fight as she clasps the hand cuffs around his wrists. -Steelwind lets himself be cuffed, but snorts at the Tetrajet's comment. Onslaught says, "I hate to ask, but can I get a sitrep? My communications relays have been offline for various reasons..." Kimakaze says, "Onslaught, Tarn iss taking fire from a single Automated unit outside the walls. It is unit designated Nosecone. Weapon of choice - missile." -Silhouette whirls around where she stands and snaps, "To the interrogation room, and fear not..I will be....-gentle-" the last words oozes with disgust. Onslaught says, "Wait an astromoment...ONLY Nosecone? Hmm...I've heard the troops speak of him not being particularly bright, yet I doubt he'd just come here to attack us by himself...something's not right. Do you need assistance Kimakaze, or is your situation under control?" Kimakaze says, "I can't handle troop impressment Onslaught; that iss far closer to your thing than mine. I will need your prescence to handle him, I think. My type iss not eqiped well for this." -Moonlight motions for Steelwind to go ahead of her. She doesn't really /want/ to know what will happen in the interrogation room. Especially since she doesn't really like this person she's just met. Perhaps some people had accused Fil of being lax, but Moonlight always prefers the lax higher-ups than the ones who seem so...snotty and business like. Onslaught says, "Understood and on my way...although something REALLY doesn't feel right about this." -Silhouette steps out into the interrogation room. -Steelwind proceeds as indicated, not moving fast or slow... Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Does it ever feel right to have one of our cities attacked?" Onslaught says, "No...but by one solitary Autobot...that's TOO foolish." Darkmount - Interrogation Room You step into the interrogation room and immediately note how dark it is. There is no visible source of light normally unless you or the guard in the observation room has activated the luminous cells. Once your optics adjust to the low light level, you can see that the room is basically a black sphere and you'll need to hover unless you want to wind up at the bottom of the sphere after you step off the door platform. In the center of the sphere is a harness attached to an antigravity generator. Those who have the misfortune of being secured here are suspended in the harness, immobilized and left in the dark, completely deprived of all sensory inputs. There is nothing to be seen, nothing to be heard, and nothing to be felt once the room is sealed. And, eventually, even the strongest spirit will succumb to madness and delusion if left here long enough. Speak now or forever remain in this place of eternal silence. Silhouette [Robot] [A] Steelwind [Robot] [A] Obvious Exits: -C- Cell leads to Darkmount - Holding Cell -E- East leads to Darkmount - Security Level -Silhouette sighs "So lovely in here, so dark..." she rasps as if in true ecstacy "Do you like darkness, Steelwind...?" she finally refers to the prisoner. -Moonlight follows the two in, but only as a means to get back into the rest of Darkmount. -Steelwind nods. "My home is in pure darkness..." is all he says, face expressionless. He is a conmech after all... -Silhouette stops right at the edge and moves aside, her hand on the prisoner pulling her towards her "Don't worry, we'll get acquainted just now...and I am so glad you like pure darkness, because you'll see and feel alot of it soon enough..." -Moonlight frowns as she exits. That doesn't sound like friendly talk.... -Silhouette suddenly allows a weapon to materialize in her hands, aiming it directly at Steelwind's head. Oh but she promised she wouldn't hurt him! Apparently, she'll hold her promise to as with in seconds the weapon shifts to allign with Moonlight and she releases a quiet shot, hoping to just catch Moonlight in time so she'll fall down below to the bottom of the sphere. Oh how she loves Darkmount's design for the interrogation room, so helpful, so dark. -Steelwind is momentarily surprised, then gazes hard at the Tetrajet, optics narrowed and dark. His earlier suspicion has now grown a lot stronger, but still he doesn't say anything. -Moonlight is completely caught off guard by both the fact of the shot and the actual pain involved. Okay, now she /really/ doesn't like this 'Decepticon'. Usually she's pretty alert, but her desire to leave this room clouded her thinking. As a result, she teeters on the edge, trying to recover herself...and she doesn't have the prescence of mind to call for help...she can feel her body fall. Damn those stun attacks. They're /always/ causing her trouble. -Silhouette grabs at Steelwind the moment Moonlight is shot, and before she even sees whether she falls or not, pulls Steelwind behind her "Come along quickly now..." she snaps at him. Seeing Moonlight does fall into the sphere she grins to herself, it'll take her more time to recover, they just have enough time to make the clear exit. She walks around the sphere with Steelwind. -Steelwind holds himself back. "Now just wait an picosecond. I want to know who the slag you are before I go anywhere with you." Though he does has a suspicion... -Silhouette aims the weapon at Steelwind now "If I am compromised because of you this is your death now, right here...move it..." -OW! That certainly wasn't pleasant. As she feels her movement come back to her, Moonlight decides that coming out of the sphere might not be the best idea, instead she contacts the 'other' Decepticons. -Steelwind is almost sure now. He says nothing but nods and proceeds as directed. -Silhouette is thankful for it and chases with Steelwind out of the room. Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Um, I think we have trouble inside as well. Some crazy person just shot me and seems rather intent on taking the prisoner away. *she pauses* Why me? Why do they always have to stun me?" Onslaught says, "Frag...I knew it...*pause*...I'll be right there. Hold them off if you can." Lieutenant Moonlight says, "I'll try, but first I have to get out of this stupid hole...they've left already." -Moonlight flies out of the hole and makes for the exit. Onslaught says, "Left? Already? Hmm...Whiplash, keep an optic out...make sure NOBODY gets out of Darkmount, if you would." Whiplash says, "(growl) I'm right here at the Tarn gate! You want me to kill these 'Bots, or get back to Darkmount?" Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Check for the air. The femme obviously looked like she had a flying alt mode." Darkmount - Launch Platform Forcibly hewn out of the side of a raised mountain, this sturdily constructed platform is large enough to accommodate several ships and still allow enough room for the arriving and departing patrols of Decepticon seekers. Crafted of solidly forged chunks of Durillium, it has been made to withstand the tests of time and battles. Around the edges of the platform are various anti-aircraft batteries and entrenched watch posts for defense drones, should anyone ever be foolish enough to attempt an attack from the air, or intrepid enough to risk approaching the Decepticon stronghold from the nearly impossible climb below. Obvious Exits: -U- Up leads to Sky Above Tarn -D- Down leads to Darkmount - Elevator Shaft Onslaught says, "Well, if that's the case, we're too late...and as I thought, this attack was a mere diversion. I suppose we shouldn't let them leave in one piece...*long pause* I'll head into Darkmount though, to check up on any clues..." Lieutenant Moonlight says, "I'm at the Launch Platform and I've seen no sign of them. What should I do now?" Onslaught says, "Stay put...I'll be right there." Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Right. See, I can listen." -Moonlight is standing on the Launch Pad, looking around for any sign of where they went... -Onslaught gets off the lift, and levels his rifle at Moonlight, a bit of a bouncy tone to his words, "Ahhh...so you did wait. Good. I take it they're already gone...which is a shame..." -Moonlight nods and eyes the rifle. "The crazy femme stunned me and knocked me into that big hole in the interrogation room. Then she tried to take off with Steelwind, but he didn't seem to like the idea, and then she threatened him and that's when they left. I was still trying to get out when they left the room." -Onslaught nods almost thoughtfully as he listens to her story, and then raises his rifle at her, flipping a switch as he does so, and fires off a shot wordlessly, his gaze unfaltering on the femme. -Moonlight ducks...the last time she just took it, it wasn't even a Decepticon that had shot her. Of course, that might not have been a wise move anyhow. She doesn't run off though. Lieutenant Moonlight says, "Okay, one question. Has the entire faction GONE COMPLETELY CRAZY!" -Onslaught shrugs and laughs a little, as he aims a little lower and fires yet again, right before she has a chance to make another broadband transmission. -Moonlight drops...for the second time this cycle. As the well-known numbness spreads over her, she daydreams about a political movement banning all stunning weapons. Kimakaze says, "I'd *love* to know where the FECK all the heavy gunnerss have got to! This is going to leave a stain." Onslaught says, "Not to worry. You have some 'heavy gunners' coming your way." Kimakaze says, "Acknowledged *growl*" -Onslaught slowly yet casually walks over to his latest prey, and can't help but chuckle a little more to himself. This is all FAR too easy... Looking down at the prone Decepticon, he can't help but wonder about many things. Oh well, time for another bit of fun - with that, Onslaught brings one leg back, and thrusts it forth towards the prone Moonlight with all his force - the intention being to knock her off the launchpad and in hopes that her fall with happen right in the middle of the battle below. Gates to Tarn High up in the Bismuth mountains is the legendary Decepticon city of Tarn. Impressive thick walls bar the entrance from undesireables, and powerful cannons line the upper rim, defending it from attack. From the ground, the walls are nestled between the sharp faces of Cybertron's two tallest mountains. Beyond, towering beyond even them, is the tower of Darkmount itself. Lancer [Robot] [A] Whiplash [MedusaSaur] [D] Kimakaze [Robot] [D] Nosecone [Robot] [A] TransOrg Head City of Tarn Obvious Exits: -U- Up leads to Sky Above Tarn -S- South leads to Bismuth Skyway -E- East leads to Wastelands -Suddenly a dark object appears from over the edge of the top of Darkmount. -Kimakaze pulls her gun out from...somewhere...as usual and scowls at it, visor now semi vanished and showing half her face instead of the whole thing. Obviously something is really breaking her concerntration. "Like there'ss any point in me using thiss stupid thing anyway." -Lancer pulls out his plasma Rifle..."Hang on, Nosecone...I'm here." Onslaught says, "Sitrep on the gate situation?" Whiplash says, "Another one of these vermin just crawled outta the gutter. Defenses keep trying to hit 'em from the walls, but I'm here on the ground with 'em." -"Help is good" Nosecon grunts. "In fact, y..YARRG!" Whiplash's fierce electrical attack surges through his frame, finally grounding itself in the broken soil. But Nosecone is designed to withstand a lot of punishment, and this isn't going to stop him. "We got orders ta pull back" he mutters to Lancer, not returning fire for the moment, but keeping a close optic on the dark femme in case she tries anything more drastic. -The dark object continues to fall, and it isn't too long before it can be identified as the femme known as Moonlight. Something seems to be interfering with her ability to fly at the moment. Suddenly she starts to scream, and when that happens she seems able to fly, rights herself...and eventually lands with a rather clumsy thud. -Whiplash is distracted by Moonlight's scream, despite knowing it's not a good idea to turn one's back on a 'Bot with a gun even for an instant.... -Kimakaze notices the thud, and turns, focusing on Moonlight and a look of real hatred appears on the femme's face. Obviously she is *not* happy at all with the turn of events now. -Nosecone also can't help but be distracted, his optics flicking over to the sudden landing. "Moonlight?" he says, more than a little surprised. -Lancer aims his plasma rifle at the cons to cover a retreat. "Well, oreders to pull back, huh....well, let's get you out of here..." he runs to help Nosecone..."Come on, I radioed for reinforcements....." -Whiplash snarls and leaps between Moonlight and Nosecone, glaring at Nosecone murderously, the tentacles thrashing around her. Her entire stance proclaims: Not one step closer. -Moonlight makes a motion like she's dusting herself off. "Fine, really I'm fine," she says with forced cheerfulness to no one in particular. Then she looks around at the situation and looks to see if there's anyone she could even /try/ to take on. Actually, she looks pretty banged up and probably shouldn't /be/ here...but the message from above was rather hard to ignore. -Kimakaze suddenly seems to have come to some sort of desicion, and stands back up again, having been blasted down, her armour recovering the damage lost. With only half of visor visible (not through blast damage, through selective subspace) for some reason, she raises her gun arm to aim on Nosecone - probably because he shot at her. -Lancer nods and points his plasma rifle at Kimakaze. "You aren't going to slag my partner." -Kimakaze fires her really crappy gun at Nosecone anyway. -Whiplash has no qualms about attacking Lancer's partner, of course. She launches herself forward again, keeping Moonlight behind her. -Moonlight takes a few steps back...she'll have to rely on ranged weaponry this time...she's in pretty bad shape, but she's sure that going back into Darkmount might be just as hazardous. It really sucks when your home isn't safe anymore. Since Whiplash seems to be attacking Nosecone at this moment, she decides to take a shot at the other fellow. -Nosecone almost doesn't notice as Kimakaze's attack pings off his armor, his optics flicking from the fallen Moonlight to the aaaaangry Whiplash. "Alright" he states somewhat cryptically as Whiplash lunges forward, raising his rifle too slowly to intercept. Grunting and stumbling backwards as the Medusasaur's talons gouge deep strips from his midsection, he raises his rifle higher and brings the butt down towards his attacker's head. "Back!" he grimmaces. -Lancer smiles a "You missed...My turn." -Kimakaze gets shot again, as if from nowhere. However, this time instead of getting shot down, she staggers back a couple of steps instead, an almighty hiss erupting from beneath her visor. She crosses her arms. "You can *wait*, Auto scrap." Kimakaze seems to almost take a warrior's stance, before her arms and legs connect with a snap, her body folds down and twists round, finally melting into the fast form of the Hover Cycle. -Whiplash is thrown back from Nosecone a few steps by the slam of the rifle, catching herself with her claws digging a furrow into the ground, and shakes her head rapidly once, the optics dimming only for a second and then flashing brilliant again. "Die, Autobot!!" she hisses, and throws herself forward again. -Lancer frowns as his attack missed..."Man, I thought I could hit one again..." -Moonlight is so /very/ relieved that she has been missed. Of course, it didn't help that she missed her target in the first place. With a long sigh she fires again. -Lancer catches his non-shooting arm..."Man, that's leave a mark.,.." -The whole time the small group of 'Bots and 'Cons is tangling near the gate of Tarn, the city defenders keep firing from up above, making it wise for everyone involved to stay in motion. -Lancer smiles..."Another hit. That's for scratching my paint job..." -Horribly frightened, Moonlight drops to the ground. She's not unconscious yet, but she knows she will be shortly. -Lancer says, "One con down, two to go. Nosecone, let's haul..." -Extremily unablanced now and beyond furious (for reasons best knwo to herself...) Kimakaze sends a hail of rocketfire towards Lancer. For shooting her, obviously. -Lancer is hit from Kimakaze's attack...."I'm gonna feel that soon enough...." -Moonlight stays very, very still. And, maybe, if she's lucky, no one will notice her. If she just sits there, optics shut, maybe they'll all just go away. Yes, that could happen, couldn't it? -Nosecone flicks a glance at Lancer. Someone would have to be paying extremely close attention to notice the sudden moment of irritation (and perhaps more) that flashes in his optics. "That's great" he mutters, as Whiplash impacts, knocking him back and almost off his feet. "Clear the way and let's get the scrap outta here" he grinds, lashing out with one foot in a hope of getting some distance between him and his attacker. -Thunderstrike pulls up from his cover, and starts unloading his plasma rifle onto con positions. -Whiplash twists away to avoid the kick and immediately spins around, ready to fling out another set of claws at close proximity, when she notices the very still Moonlight. That second of distraction cost her a hit from Lancer, to which she responds with a shriek, not of pain (which won't rigister till later), but of fury. Once again she lights up her tentacles, intent on frying every 'Bot in the vicinity, before she makes her way to Moonlight. -Lancer nods. "Yes, direct hit! I'll cover for you." He sees the back up..."Hey, Nosecone, I got through. Someone responded...oh, we need to pull regroup for repairs. -Nosecone takes advantage of Whiplash's moment of pique to transform, treads already moving. Slowly, the large drilling machine begins to move. -Thunderstrike fires on the tentacled femme and grins. "Play nice." -Lancer is struck with electricity..."AAAARRRGH!" -Lancer nods as he nods..."Yes, sir..." -"Let's go" the big drill tank emits as he slooooowly gets up to speed, ignoring the small arms fire from the walls of Tarn as he begins retreating. -Lancer gets himself up, after he just took out a Decepticon and heads to Thunderstrike..."We need to report back to base. -Whiplash takes the hit from the third Autobot, cowards that they are, and is thrown back, her damaged armor throwing droplets of fuel around her as the tentacles fade out - but she seems not to feel anything, heightened into a state of absolute fury as she lunges for the throat of the latest attacker. -Lancer glares at Whiplash. "I don't take kindly to you hurting my friends... -Thunderstrike throws a right hand at the femmes face. " You want me to hand you your aft...I will!" -Lancer strikes Whiplash with his plasma_rifle attack. -Nosecone emits, "Let's GO people! Stop tryin ta be heroes!" -Moonlight mentally nods. Yes, go...please. Go far far away and never come back. -Whiplash barely even reacts to the attack from the other 'Bot, intent on killing the one she's closest to now. -Lancer nods..."Let's get out of here. We;ll discuss out and head home." -Thunderstrike takes a step or two back...certainly not an all out retreat. -Lancer is trying his best to get away to the base with his team intact, and sees reinforcements have arrived. "Just in time...we have to get out of here." -Nosecone falls forward, a drill swinging up from his back to cover his head, legs folding around as he transforms into his Tunnelling Vehicle mode. -Whiplash's head snaps forward as she lunges at Thunderstrike, the jaws snapping over empty air as he backs up, allowing him to just evade her. -Ghost descends from above, optics a deep violet, weapons out, armed and in view.. Whatever had kept her from responding to the frantic calls seems to have released her for the time being.. And left her in a very disagreeable frame of mind. Pulling into a hover, she takes but a nanoclick to survey the situation. Her voice rasps across a general broadband, "Tarn defenses, concentrate fire on covering our wounded.. Available aerial units, commence defensive bombardment." -Lancer sees the attack..."Hey, look out! That con's not too friendly..." -Phantom walks slowly in from the north, face hidden by the calm that are his facial coverings. His visor is a dark red which seems to smoke off of the glass part. His weapon is swinging in his right hand, he calls out to the general populace of the gates, "Autobots! Retreat!" He brings his weapon up to point at the collection of Decepticons. -Nosecone retreats at a slow but steady pace. "Come on you scrap-buckets" he emits. He's big and slow and open to attack, but he's still leaving. -Thunderstrike ducks away, and pauses to grin. "Not today. Arent we feisty." He swings a mighty right towards the femmes face. "Now go on home before you get hurt." -Moonlight hopes that the Bots go away soon...the positiong she's lying in is getting rather uncomfortable. Add to that her injuries and anxieties and you have one miserable femme. -Lancer retreats as his warning was heeded.... -Whiplash's head snaps back a little at the punch, but she seems too furious to care. "You're not going anywhere, Autobot scum!" she snarls. "You stay here and die!" She snaps forward again like a serpent striking, all the tentacles thrashing forward. -Lancer drives off to avoid further injury, towards Phantom. "Hey, Phantom, no time no see. " -Nosecone grumbles, his missle launchers swivelling to fire two rockets into the air, which spiral wildly, one exploding in mid-air, the other impacting into the ground harmlessly. Well, almost. It does send up a shower of loose metal, which falls like rain on the combattants. He's still retreating. Last shots people. -Lancer winces..."That's gotta hurt..." -Thunderstrike should heed the order and retreat, but this is too much fun. "Now you made me mad. Goodbye." He fires his plasma blaster at point blank range. -Whiplash flattens herself under the Autobot's blast, more fuel leaking from her torn armor which she completely ignores, and gathers herself to lunge again, her optics burning in fury. Whiplash fortunately or unfortunately has not yet noticed Phantom, or else he would surely be her only target. She's still concentrating on killing the one in front of her. -Ghost catches sight of the form attacking Whiplash, then notices the remaining Autobot forces slowly organising as if retreating..Then..someone... speaks.. loudly.. Her head snaps around, optics narrowing to thin slits as she focuses on one mechanism in particular.. She stares down at Phantom, expression sliding to an icy mask barely concealing a sudden rise in hatred that could color her actions.. "Phantom..." she murmurs to herself before she spins in midair, lining up a shot on the Autobot to whom she holds far more than simple military hatred for.. Somethings are.. personal... But her instinct to defend what she considers her own overides her personal desires and at the last moment, she drops down, spinning in midair to line up a sudden shot on Thunderstrike, "Die Autobot." classic words... -Lancer sees the attack coming..."Hey, look out!" He warns Thunderstrik -Moonlight is beginning to think that these Bots are as bad at following orders as she is. They're /still/ not gone yet. -Nosecone suddenly grinds to a hault. Anyone nearby would here a number of interesting words being emitted, words that couldn't be said on daytime TV. Slowly, the tank turns on the spot, treds spinning in opposite directions as he rotates 360 degrees. -Lancer drives off and hopes to make it back to base to tell the others about his adventures. -Nosecone transmits: 'If you're still alive, keep ya head down.'. -Moonlight has absolutely no intentions of moving. -Whiplash is about to lunge forward again when a shot from above goes screaming over her head, forcing herself to flatten down again. She snarls, the tentacles thrashing back and forth. -Thunderstrike was busy standing there being cocky...and is now no longer standing. He just got blasted through the remains of a wall. He grunts in pain. -Phantom surveys the battleground for a moment, then decides on a course of action. Hey, it's worked in the past. He maglocks his weapon to his side and takes a dash towards the form of Moonlight. Moving like a Blurr, he drops to his knees and slides to the head of the fallen Decepticon. Grabbing his pistol, he points it at the femme's head and calls out, "WHIPLASH! CALL OFF YOUR DOGS OR SHE GETS IT!" -Lancer watches as he's confused..."I thought we were supposed to retreat or something. -Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good for Moonlight. She wimpers slightly, that being the only thing she figures she can do at this point in time. -Whiplash's instinct, as soon as she recovers from her moment of irritation of someone else muscling in on her kill, is to follow up and rip out the downed 'Bot's throat - but she's brought up short by the shout from Phantom. She spins around, flinging more droplets of fuel around her, and fixes her gaze on the Autobot. If Ghost glared at him with pure loathing not so long ago, then Whiplash's expression at least mirrors that expression. "*YOU* piece of scum!" she hisses! "Coward! Come away from there and *fight*!" -Nosecone mutters to Lancer: "Just hang ... Phantom's got a ... plan the stupid ..." -Lancer mutters to Nosecone: "... ... to fire ... missiles?" -Nosecone mutters to Lancer: "... yet." -Thunderstrike stands...well not quite. He crawls out of the remains of the wall. He begins to weasel away from the fray, his bright blue armor leaving a trail of mech fluid. He's crawling away on his hands and knees. -Lancer mutters to Nosecone: "... ..." -Phantom smiles behind his faceplate. He pulls back the action of his weapon and shakes his head, "Tempting, but no. Let them go and she'll be fine. Fire another shot and well..." He looks down at Moonlight for a moment, "She might not be so recognizable." -Lancer heads over to help Thunderstrike..."Hey, you okay? I'm Lancer......" -Whiplash growls low in her throat, moving toward Phantom but keeping a wary distance as she begins to circle him and Moonlight, poised and ready to lunge the moment she sees an opening. "How typical of your kind," she spits. "Lying, hiding, cowering, nothing's too low for you. You hurt Moonlight and all bets about leaving you to Enfilade to kill, are *off*. I'll scatter your remains from here to Iacon!" Though she does not come closer, keeps circling, the other Autobots apparently forgotten. -Lancer watches Phantom take a hostage, the decepticon femme he knocked out... -Moonlight doesn't open her optics, she doesn't want to see the reaction of her fellow Decepticons. And if the idea of being dead isn't bad enough, the idea of being dead /and/ unrecognizable is something to strike terror into the depths of Moonlight. Especially since she always figured she was such a good looking femme. -Thunderstrike looks up a Lancer. "I'm Thunderstrike. What the frag hit me?" -Ghost whips around, weapons bore wisping smoke from her shot, focusing in on Phantom and then Moonlight.. A moment of thought crosses her mind before she blurrs sideways, stepped up reflexes kicking in for full systems status. Then, admist the blurring, she drops towards Phantom like an arrow from the sky, systems igniting, rerouting engines to boot thrusters to propel her towards the Autobot threatening one of *her* decepticons lives. No words, only simple action. "Not today, Phantom. Not Today." -"Me, in a moment" Nosecone mutters to Thunderstrike. "What part of 'Retreat' don't you understand?" -Lancer points to Whiplash..."I guess one of the enemies here...The Decepticons are ruthless...let's get you the scrap out of here." -"Alright, let's go" the drill tank mutters, giving the combat one last scan .o(Keep your head down Moonlight), before retreating finally. "Hop on if ya need a lift, Thunderstrike." -Lancer nods and helps the newbie up.."Easy does it. We are going to get repairs. I got a few scrapes myself. Can you transform?" -Thunderstrike hobbles to his feet, and begins to limp away with Lancer's assistance. -Phantom dodges to the left as the overgrown lawn dart comes sailing past. He jumps to his feet, reaching down to take hold of Moonlight. Dragging her to her feet, he holds her weight up with his left arm, keeping the pistol trained on her with the right. He slowly begins backing away from Whiplash but keeping an optic on Ghost for good measure. -Moonlight just plain isn't moving, and if she hadn't let that one whimper slip, it would be hard to tell that she was even conscious. -Whiplash moves forward with each step that Phantom takes backward, but does not close the distance between them. -Ghost hits the ground feet first, raising sparks as she skids a handful of meters past her intended target, optics thin slits of hate and anger.. "Let her go and you might get out of here with a few beauty marks to remember me by, Phantom. Hurt her and even hell will seem plesant compared to the things I will do to you." her anger doesnt color her words, in fact, they are delivered in a soft, conversational, polite tone. She crossdraws her sidearm, repowering her weapons bore at the same time. -Whiplash makes no such sweet promises. Instead she mutters, keeping her gaze locked on Phantom, "I'll rip your fuel pump out with my teeth and paint the walls of darkmount with your fuel, Autobot..." -Well, at least it's some consolation to Moonlight that the others are so insistant on ripping Phantom to shreds for her...wait, they already wanted to do that. But at least they are bothered by his tactics, which touches Moonlight a little. It's nice to know that there's people out there who will look out for you. -Phantom's visor is intense with color, keeping track of the two main threats isn't all that easy. "Now now, Gladiator. I thought we had already danced our dance." His holoprojector begins to raise out of his right shoulder, "Must we do it again?" He continues to back towards the supposed freedom outside the gates as he looks over to Ghost, "And don't tell me you're still mad about the last time I had *you* in this situation, Ghost." He's moving backwards quicker now, knowing that if these two wanted to, they could take him quickly and easily.