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Bridge – Weapons Station

Grimlock wrote: “No,” Grimlock said plainly. “Ironhide and others not Decepticons. They Autobots. Puny, yes, but still not enemy. No need for rough interrogation. They have no reason to lie. Let Protecto-runts handle debriefing. We find action elsewhere one way or another.”

Hrmph, Leader Grimlock may be right. This time.

Grimlock wrote: “Scan? What kind of scan?” Grimlock demanded to know as his optics bore holes into the communications specialist. “Know what. Nevermind. Me no care.”

We agree twice? Maybe we same? Me Snarl no like this. Snarl groaned/growled as he turned back to his weapons console and allowed his fingers to stray close to the weapons control. It wouldn’t be hard, just a press of one button to activate the scanner, then another for targeting, and finally…

No. Me no cause trouble. Not good time yet.

Slag’s sudden outburst drew his attention to the exchange between him and Sludge, earning them a chuckle from him.

“All bored. Need dynamiting to stop boredom,” he said to no one in particular, hoping his two comrades would liven things up.

Bridge

The docking process had gone smoothly. Fortunately, whoever was on the Guardian side wasn't a jittery pilot. Swoop wasn't either. Made the process a lot easier.

"No. Need Decepticons to smash to stop boredom. Almost had them on red rock planet. Might get another chance," Swoop said, channeling his usual optimism. "Get injured off ship. Get new mission."

Medical Bay

The gentle rumble of the Trion docking with another ship pulled Ironhide from his thoughts.

Guess our stay here is almost over. The thought caused his energon to surge. That meant the Guardian, most likely. Which also meant a brief stay in Ratchet’s torture chamber he calls a med bay. And also Optimus. This would be one of his tougher missions to date.

Ah’ve never shirked my responsibilities before, and Ah’m not startin’ now.

Shaking off his anxiousness, he turned his attention back to Pipes. While he was grateful to see his arm back in place, it didn’t do much for his worry.

Nodding toward Pipes, he said to Hot Spot, “Heard you say somethin’ ‘bout the CR chamber. That mean he’s gonna be okay?”

Bridge

Swoop watched as the injured Autobots trekked down the makeshift corridor that connected the two ships. When the Guardian allowed them access, the Dinobot could see Ratchet and his team of medibots were already waiting on the other side.

"Annnnnnd...injured now off ship. What next? Who we get to obliterate?"

Bridge – Weapons Station

Snarl was beyond bored.

He’d been playing with the firing controls — locking onto the Guardian, then unlocking — since the docking procedure began. It wasn’t that he intended to fire on them (unless they gave him a reason), he just needed something to occupy his time with.

Swoop wrote: "Annnnnnd...injured now off ship. What next? Who we get to obliterate?"

Snarl spun around in his chair, barely (purposely) missing the locked firing controls in his excitement as he did so. “Yes, weaklings gone. We dynamite Decepticons now?”

Medbay to Guardian

Hot Spot looked at Ironhide and considered the explanation. A glitch in the bounce chamber could explain things but from what Hot Spot knew, nothing was reported. He would have to look into it once he got back on his ship. Hot Spot than realized how much neglect he had done to the Guardian thanks to all the craziness in recent cycles. Even if the immediate retrofit was denied, there was no excuse a full ship wide deep system check could be done. The damage caused by everything in the recent vorns warrant as much scrutiny.


Hot Spot followed the train of injured mechs to the connection tube. He felt the familiar jarring of the two ships connecting as the tunnel opened up. On the other side was Ratchet in his usual foul mood waiting for them. Hot Spot looked back over to Groove.

"Time to return home, Groove."

>>Blades, time to head back to the Guardian. There will always be another time to slice the Cons up.<<


(Hot Spot and hopefully Blades and Groove are departing for the Guardian.)

[Bridge]

With the Trion and the Guardian now docked, Blaster rose up from his seat, quickly sliding his fingers across the various holographic controls. He turned around to Grimlock and gave him a quick nod. “Alright chief, it’s my stop. I’ll see ya around eventually, but I’ve got things to take care of.” He looked down at his little blue cassettobot friend. “Come on, pal, it’s time to rock and roll.”

The comms officer started making his way off the bridge, towards the docking point. “I’ll keep you guys posted if either Prime or Magnus need you all to do anything, alright?”

And with that, he had crossed over to the Guardian, much like Blades before him.

Sludge groaned. Snarl and Swoop were musing about obliterating ‘Cons. He wasn’t too triggerhappy, really, he just wanted something to do. “What take so long for us Dino to do something? Blaster going to give us mission or we bring mission to us?”

[Urgent Comms]

Blaster wrote:>>”Springer, Grimlock, we need you guys to keep your Wrecker and Dinobot units on immediate standby. We’ll be calling upon you guys as our strike teams in case things start going haywire. Notify your squad members.”<<

Blaster wrote:>>”Attention, all Autobots. There is a new initiative being taken, and it’s to help strengthen our fleet. Some of you might be confused or scared, but don’t worry - we’ll stick together through this and we’re gonna make it through, alright? For the benefit of our cause, you can take some simple steps and make a big difference.”<<
>>”Be alert and vigilant at all times. Pay as much attention to your surroundings as you can, and encourage your friends to do the same. The more we look out for each other, the stronger we become. Tell your mind that all is well, and stay sharp. Remember - only use encrypted frequencies, and don’t go to places you shouldn’t be at.”<<
>>”Autobots, to reach the goal at the end, we have to first take a small step towards it. And now marks the moment where we all begin to take that step. A step towards a brighter future - and you can be a part of it. For those who are suitable to the following mission requirements [attached file: mission briefs], please report to Hangar Epsilon of the Guardian as soon as you can.”<<
>>”And remember - no matter how much you feel like you’re struggling, there’s always another ‘Bot who’s got your back. This is Blaster, over and out.”<<

Bridge – Communications Station

Blaster wrote:“Come on, pal, it’s time to rock and roll.”

Eject thought he heard Blaster say something, but he was too wrapped up in a new sport he’d recently found to be as addictive as the others. Though, he couldn’t understand how the humans considered it a sport when their cars did all the work.

He’d officially adopted number 6 driven by whatever-he-was-called (the vehicle’s designation was the important factor) and he was fully immersed in watching number 6 round the final turn and… his left front tire broke free and he slid into the wall. The other cars somehow avoided the collision and streaked past him.

“No, no, no, no, NO! Come on! How can you blow a tire when so close?” Eject jumped up in his seat and kicked the console. “How can NASCAR allow this injustice! It’s ‘Bot abuse. It’s barbaric. “it’s… it’s…” His speech slowed as he looked around and remembered where he was. Seeing Blaster already in the turbolift, Eject let out a little “Yip!” and jumped out of his seat and hurried after him before Grimlock or one of the others took exception to his reaction.

“Thanks for the ride. We would’ve missed the kickoff without you. Better luck next season,” he said, darting through the closing lift doors before coming to rest next to Blaster. He did his best not to make optic contact as he knew the look he’d be getting.

His concern over being chased down faded as they exited the lift and headed for the docking ring. It was the perfect time to tune back into the race to see if justice was done. As they entered the sealed area, his shoulders sagged at hearing car number 6 was out of the race and subsequently, lost.

(OOC: Next Eject post will is on the Guardian)



Snarl had watched Blaster leave without giving Grimlock a chance to stop him, then his tiny crushy quickly follow behind after kicking their bridge machine.

Their. Bridge. Machine.

Not that it mattered much, since something so small couldn’t do any real damage, but it was enough for Snarl to groan and turn his attention to the Guardian. Could dynamite it to pieces easy. But leader Grimlock and others be upset and punish Snarl. No fun.

Bridge

Swoop wrote:"Annnnnnd...injured now off ship. What next? Who we get to obliterate?"

Snarl wrote:“Yes, weaklings gone. We dynamite Decepticons now?”

Grimlock sat in his command chair, tapping his actuator tips on the arm rest. Like the others, boredom was quickly overtaking his circuits. The rex-former needed to feel Decepticons crushed between his hands or his dinosaur jaws sooner rather than later. This recent rescue mission was all well and good, but it was without action, without excitement and, most importantly, without energon-shed.

Blaster wrote:“Alright chief, it’s my stop. I’ll see ya around eventually, but I’ve got things to take care of. Come on, pal, it’s time to rock and roll. I’ll keep you guys posted if either Prime or Magnus need you all to do anything, alright?”

Before the Dinobot Commander could say anything, the communications specialist was gone. Grimlock let out an audible groan which turned into an irritated growl. “No, it not alright!” He shouted after the red weakling Autobot, who likely had not heard him.

Sludge wrote:“What take so long for us Dino to do something? Blaster going to give us mission or we bring mission to us?”

Grimlock looked to Sludge, the most dimwitted of his squad. Even the Jungle Warrior knew what was best for the Dinobots. Blaster wasn’t their leader, Grimlock was and the rex-former knew that if he and his team wanted action, they would have to go looking for it, themselves.

“Blaster not giving us anything,” Grimlock responded, angrily. “Me no care what any of these puny ‘Bots say. We go find ‘Cons and smash them!! Swoop, disengage Trion from Guardian and take us out! Then scan space and planet for any signs of Decepticons! Anything that look like enemy, let me know! We done waiting! We done being bored! We crush ‘Cons whether Magnus or Prowl like it or not!”

Blaster wrote:>>”Springer, Grimlock, we need you guys to keep your Wrecker and Dinobot units on immediate standby. We’ll be calling upon you guys as our strike teams in case things start going haywire. Notify your squad members.”<<

Grimlock chuckled under his breath as he opened a return comm line back to Blaster:

>>”We no standby! We take fight to ‘Cons! And you can tell that to higher-ups! Grimlock out!”<<

The rex-former then glared back at his aerial subordinate. “Swoop, get us out of here before puny Autobots try and stop us!”

Bridge – Weapons Station

Grimlock’s sudden outburst at Blaster’s back surprised Snarl, and his accentuators nearly slipped and sent a bolt of energy into the Guardian. The fact he’d nearly followed through on his previous idea didn’t bother him as much as being unprepared for their leader being… their leader.

While Grimlock ignoring orders to stand down wasn’t new, the fact that Snarl found himself in total agreement was. Kind of.

“We fight?” Snarl asked Grimlock, a smile slowly spreading across his facepate. “We finally dynamite Decepticons?” His accentuators twitched with nervous energy as images of them crushing Decepticons in wanton glory filled his processor. If this was a tease...

The Trion--Bridge

“Blaster not giving us anything. Me no care what any of these puny ‘Bots say. We go find ‘Cons and smash them!! Swoop, disengage Trion from Guardian and take us out! Then scan space and planet for any signs of Decepticons! Anything that look like enemy, let me know! We done waiting! We done being bored! We crush ‘Cons whether Magnus or Prowl like it or not!”

Grimlock's orders were music to Swoop's audio sensors. And he was far from being the most battle-hungry bot on the team. Still, they had this top-notch new battleship and they had just recently smashed the Decepticons' first attempt to get a foothold on this new planet. Seek-and-destroy? That suited him just fine.

“Swoop, get us out of here before puny Autobots try and stop us!” Grimlock bellowed out. Swoop's hands were jacked in to the navigational controls and the ship responded to his commands on an almost instinctual level.

"Disengaging and getting out of here," Swoop confirmed as multiple locks released, corridors-resealed and the two ships parted company.

"Annnd, we go," he said, kicking in the ship's basic thrusters.

The Trion – Bridge

Slag listened as Sludge and Snarl went back and forth with their idle banter, he then watched as Grimlock hollered after Eject. The tricerabot let out an audible sigh. He looked to Grimlock and was preparing another outburst when Blaster’s communiqué rang out over the comm.

Blaster wrote:>>”Attention, all Autobots. There is a new initiative being taken, and it’s to help strengthen our fleet. Some of you might be confused or scared, but don’t worry - we’ll stick together through this and we’re gonna make it through, alright? For the benefit of our cause, you can take some simple steps and make a big difference.”<<
>>”Be alert and vigilant at all times. Pay as much attention to your surroundings as you can, and encourage your friends to do the same. The more we look out for each other, the stronger we become. Tell your mind that all is well, and stay sharp. Remember - only use encrypted frequencies, and don’t go to places you shouldn’t be at.”<<
>>”Autobots, to reach the goal at the end, we have to first take a small step towards it. And now marks the moment where we all begin to take that step. A step towards a brighter future - and you can be a part of it. For those who are suitable to the following mission requirements [attached file: mission briefs], please report to Hangar Epsilon of the Guardian as soon as you can.”<<
>>”And remember - no matter how much you feel like you’re struggling, there’s always another ‘Bot who’s got your back. This is Blaster, over and out.”<<

Lots of pretty words… But what good would they be during a fight, He pondered sarcastically? As if on cue, Grimlock popped up from his command chair and began giving orders.

Grimlock wrote:“Blaster not giving us anything. Me no care what any of these puny ‘Bots say. We go find ‘Cons and smash them!! Swoop, disengage Trion from Guardian and take us out! Then scan space and planet for any signs of Decepticons! Anything that look like enemy, let me know! We done waiting! We done being bored! We crush ‘Cons whether Magnus or Prowl like it or not!”

“Finally, some action,” Slag barked! He could barely contain his excitement. His previous annoyances had already faded away like they were never there. “We’ve got Con’s to scrap!” He returned to his station and watched as Swoop maneuvered the Trion towards their next destination.

[Bridge]

Grimlock wrote:“Me no care what any of these puny ‘Bots say. We go find ‘Cons and smash them!! Swoop, disengage Trion from Guardian and take us out! Then scan space and planet for any signs of Decepticons! Anything that look like enemy, let me know! We done waiting! We done being bored! We crush ‘Cons whether Magnus or Prowl like it or not!”

“Oof,” came answer from Sludge. Grimlock very mad, also very bored. “Swoop fly ship away? Ship where fly?” Sludge brain slow, but Sludge want know where fly ship going. Snarl seem ver happeh to go. Angery dino Slag also excite to shoot shoot bang bang. Sludge? Just bored. Sludge want something do too but Grimlock no give Sludge job. Swoop get fly, Snarl get gun, Slag have mechanical thingydoo.

Sludge sigh. He just want Energon right now.

Bridge

“Swoop fly ship away? Ship where fly?” Sludge asked as the ship veered off into open space and away from any possible intervention attempt by the boss Bots.

"'Away' good enough," Swoop chuckled as the intuitive controls practically understood what he wanted to do before Swoop even adjusted them. This was an amazing ship, no doubt about it.

Once he was sure they weren't being followed, Swoop eased up on the speed a little and when he did he noticed something: an antiproton trail. A strip of space where the particles were just slightly different than their surroundings. Swoop was no scientist, but Kup had shown him once how trails like that sometimes meant a ship had passed through.

And if it wasn't an Autobot ship....

"Me Swoop think found trail."

[Bridge]

Swoop wrote:"Me Swoop think found trail."

Thank Swoop to know how to finish work fast. Swoop good pilot. Sludge shift in chair and look closerly at screen. He thonk about it for few second, and realise that maybe Sludge no bored anymore. “Swoop find trail? Where lead to?”

Bridge

Snarl wrote:“We fight? We finally dynamite Decepticons?”

“Yes, as soon as we find ‘Cons we attack and crush them,” Grimlock replied to the Desert Warrior, granting only a slight glance in Snarl’s direction. The Dinobot Commander was more focused on the viewscreen ahead and on his aerial subordinate getting them away from the Guardian as quickly as possible. Swoop did not disappoint.

Swoop wrote:"Disengaging and getting out of here. Annnd, we go.”

“Good,” the rex-former leaned back in the command chair, relaxing a bit, but still antsy for a fight with the Decepticons, any Decepticons, they could find. The Trion pulled away from the Autobot frigate and off they went, making a path of their own with no oversight from Autobot high command. It felt good to be out there on their own again. The Dinobots knew what needed to be done in this war even if Prowl, Magnus and Prime did not. Grimlock would show them what real victory looked like. Of course, they just needed to find some ‘Cons now.

And it didn’t take long at all.

Swoop wrote:"Me Swoop think found trail."

Grimlock said nothing at first. His optics simply lit up as Sludge asked where this trail led to. An actual intelligent question from the least intelligent of the Dinobots. “Let me see,” the rex-former demanded as he swiftly got up from the command chair and moved over by Swoop’s station. Grimlock peered down at the bombardier’s monitor to see the antiproton trail that had clearly been left behind recently by a small ship of some kind.

“Follow it, Swoop. Find out where leads,” Grimlock ordered as he reached down to the console and flipped a switch that brought the image of the trail up onto the primary viewscreen. The Dinobot Commander lifted his gaze to the larger screen as a broad smile formed underneath his faceshield.

Bridge

“Follow it, Swoop. Find out where leads,” Grimlock ordered. Swoop nodded.

"Aye, captain."

Grimlock had transferred the antiproton signature that Swoop had discovered onto the main viewscreen. Swoop stared intently at his own screen, doing his best to remember what Kup had shown him how to do.

Jus' let the protons do th' work, lad. They laid out the bread crumbs for ya. Just follow 'em. Like this, he heard Kup say in his mind as the old 'Bot reached over.

"Like this," Swoop said, quietly to himself as he accessed the same technology on the Trion that Kup had shown him on some old Autobot frigate. As he calibrated the ship's sensors to identify the antiprotons and adjusted the navigational controls to follow them, the ship was now heading on a modified course directly towards the other side of the planet.

"We heading....we heading for big human land called Africa....if trail not change."

Bridge

Swoop wrote:"We heading....we heading for big human land called Africa....if trail not change.”

“Africa…” Grimlock muttered, letting out a low growl. He kept his enormous arms crossed over his chestplate as his optics remained fixated on the primary viewscreen at the front of the bridge. The antiproton trail descended steadily towards the surface of Sol-3 right to where the bombardier had said it would lead if it did not change its trajectory. In fact, the trail ended right in the center of the continent in question.

“Swoop, get exact coordinates and bring us into orbit overhead,” the Dinobot Commander ordered, keeping his intense glare on the viewscreen. “Then scan surface area. Find out who down there.” Grimlock hoped to Primus that it was the Decepticons. He would show Optimus, Magnus and Prowl how to win a war. You don’t just sit back and wait to be attacked. You go out there and hunt down your enemies. Then you destroy them! The rex-former and his team were good at all of those things. Now was the time to take the fight to the ‘Cons and rip them apart one mech at a time.

[Bridge]

Swoop wrote:"We heading....we heading for big human land called Africa....if trail not change."

Africa. Sludge think he hear name before, but not sure. Maybe fleshie animal there. Sludge sit and think. Grimlock and Swoop find trail. Sludge look at Snarl and Slag. “Humph,” Sludge say to them, “Africa land have human?”

Bridge – Weapons Station

Grimlock wrote: “Yes, as soon as we find ‘Cons we attack and crush them.”

“Good, good. Fighting is good,” Snarl said, his smile widening on his faceplate.

He turned his attention to the weapons systems, powering them up once again in the event they found something sooner than expected. Not that he had any concerns about that, a fight was a fight. The only difference was one meant pushing buttons, and the other involved using one’s bare hands. The latter was the more entertaining one as far as Snarl was concerned, though watching things explode from a distance had a certain gloriousness about them as well.

He’d temporarily fazed out, forgetting about the others around him as he envisioned facing off with a Decepticon warship, possibly even Megatron’s. What was better than facing one of the few ‘Cons like the Dinobots?

Swoop wrote: "We heading....we heading for big human land called Africa....if trail not change."

“Africa? What is… Africa?” Snarl wondered, more ot himself than asking the others. He’d never bothered learning the different continents on Earth. Few hed any fascination for him. “Maybe it a Decepticon base,” he said, pressing the controls to fully arm the Trion’s weapons.

Bridge

Not surprisingly, after Swoop had mentioned the land of "Africa", the other Dinobots were curious as to what exactly that was. He had to admit he was too.

Employing a more hunt-and-peck monitor navigation approach, Swoop brought up a few different images of Earth and some newsfeeds about Africa and some videos posted by some of the natives.

"Look kind of like Orbital Torus State. Big chunk of land, separate from others."

Not wanting to get distracted from Grimlock's orders, Swoop worked to track the particles.

"Me trying. Particles growing more faint in atmosphere. Mixing with others. Hard to follow."

Bridge

Grimlock listened as Sludge and Snarl wondered about the place called Africa. “Africa is large continent made up of many human nation-states. And, yes, it has humans living there. Unavoidable, me afraid.”

Swoop wrote:"Me trying. Particles growing more faint in atmosphere. Mixing with others. Hard to follow."

“Then get approximate coordinates,” Grimlock demanded as he turned his attention back to his aerial subordinate. “Ship left those particles and me want to know where it went! No excuses!” The Dinobot Commander then calmed down a bit and brought his hand up to his faceplate, rubbing his chin with his forefinger and thumb. A possible idea sprung to mind. “You think, Swoop, if we go down in shuttle that you be able to follow trail better if we closer?”

Bridge – Weapons Console

Grimlock wrote:“Africa is large continent made up of many human nation-states. And, yes, it has humans living there. Unavoidable, me afraid.”

“Humans? We get to squish humans? Me no think Magnus will like,” Snarl said, more to himself than not.

Bridge

“Then get approximate coordinates. Ship left those particles and me want to know where it went! No excuses!”

Swoop's head ducked a little lower as he continued to sweep for the particles. He certainly didn't want to disappoint his commander nor did he want to be on the receiving end of a swat.

“You think, Swoop, if we go down in shuttle that you be able to follow trail better if we closer?”

"Usually can see things better up close. Probably true for sensors too. This battleship have multiple, deployable vehicles. Can ready shuttle for departure."