Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

>>"Astrotrain, iron works facility secured. Move in for cargo pickup."<<

>>"Acknowledged Baneblade."<< Astrotrain simply replied to Baneblade's transmission while circling away from the mining grounds in order decrease his speed for controlled landing. Couple of minutes a some precision maneuvering later that had allowed him to transform above a railroad leading into the iron works, Astrotrain - now in his locomotive form steamed into the mining area that had been secured by the other Decepticons.

With his brakes screeching, Astrotrain pulled to halt next to Baneblade and transformed into hulking robot form himself.

"Focus on refined alloys, ignore the untampered ores! Let the Constructicons make what they need from the alloys produced by the fleshlings!" He bellowed to Ramplate and Firebrand. More as an instruction than an order for as soon as he had done so, Astrotrain himself walked over to the nearest pile a steel bars.

"This quality has to do." He snorted and transformed into his shuttle mode again, opening all of his hatches for the other Decepticons to load the steel bars into his cargo room. "If you are able to bind few dozen tons worth of those bars together and attach them to my cargo hooks, I can carry more than what you can fit into my cargo space."

"Too bad we can't use the railroads of the fleshlings. They'd allow far more to be taken at once. But I doubt even Soundwave could keep few miles long train hidden, heh."

The silver SUV transformed to his robot mode and acknowledged the command with a snarky salute, "as you say. Let's see here..." Firebrand found a good, large stack of ingots and hefted them up. It was just over his own weight so he didn't have too much trouble carrying them over to Astrotrain, loading a cargo compartment with the alloy metal.

"Just a few thousand more bars to go, eh?" the sterling Decepticon says with a chuckle. He goes for another load to bring over to Astrotrain, his optics shifting and scanning the surroundings for potential threats as he does.

Baneblade watched as the loading began, arms crossed over his chest. It didn't take long for the stock in and around the yard to be loaded onto Astrontrain. The massive Decepticon walked over to the outside wall of the iron works and with a large fist smashed it open and ofrced his wave inside. Picking through the refined steel he began collecting the best quality he could find. Granted these materials were not up to Cybertronian standards, but the Constructicons were quite capable of reworking the metal into a more acceptable standard.

Arms full of steel Baneblade lumbered back out into the yard and over to Astrontrain. He placed the steel down on the ground and began to load them up to his cargo hooks. Once finished he stood back and opened up his com line.

>>Starscream, Baneblade reporting. We have silenced this city from the outside and have secured our objective. Cargo loading has begun and we should be clear shortly. Scrapper can expect us to arrive in less then one planetary cycle. Baneblade out.<<

His report sent off the large Decepticon returned to gather more steel.

"Alright this does it. I cannot carry more if I have to carry you 3 as well." Astrotrain spoke out as his cargo hooks were attached to a massive load of steel beams by the other Decepticons on the site. "Or am I to just take these to the Constructicons and then return for another load?"

"Nevertheless, how about we hit a cargo ship with steel load next?" He added. "We could sail right into where we want the steel and then sink it. After that we'd have several thousand tons worth of materials for the Constructicons."

Baneblade nodded at Astrotrain's statement.

"Agreed. We shall withdraw form this area at once, any further delays will risk exposing out operation here." The massive Decepticon climbed aboard and gestured for the other two with him to join him.

>>Blitzwing, we are withdrawing from the area. Once we are clear level this entire area and than join us as we head to the Constructicon's site.<<

Firebrand nods to Baneblade and steps aboard Astrotain, leaning on a large stack of alloy ingots. "I hope there's enough useful material in the metal to make anything worth the effort. I guess that's one for the Constructicons to mull over," Firebrand says plainly, hitting an ingot behind him with one knuckle.

After putting the last of the loads in, Ramplate tried to slide his way into Astrotrain's loading bay, the fit rather tight. It would probably be just as bad for Baneblade, but that was his problem. "So, think we'll get enough to keep them busy for more than a cycle?" he asked Firebrand as they boarded. "And why a cargo ship? You don't mean the wet kind, do you?" Ramplate hated water...

"Why a cargo ship you ask?" Astrotrain asked in turn from Ramplate whose's hesitance towards getting wet was rather common preference in Cybertronians. Heh, at least there's something in common between us and the Autobots. The military transport thought as he ignited the thrusters that allowed him to gain vertical thrust when there was no runway to use.

"Because a human cargo ship fitted to transport steel loads across the water bodies of this planet can carry far more at once than I can even in my largest form." Astrotrain added just before he activated his main thrusters for rapid acceleration.

"In addition the fleshlings build their ships out of steel. We can sink the whole ship along with its cargo and let the Constructicons scrap it for their use in the bottom of the sea." He added. "As for getting wet... normal risk factors regarding operations where salt water is involved apply for such a raid I am afraid. Of course, it is Baneblade's call."

"Which reminds me... ETA 10 kliks."

[OOC: And we can continue in the sea of change thread.]