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Beautiful and violent, the unfettered evolution of countless centuries has produced a world that is both attractive to the eye and deadly to the touch. Even Cybertronians are not safe here.

A nearby radiation belt has caused more than one ship to lose its telemetric headings. The refugees of those ships are often greeted by creatures worthy of one of Kup's war stories, such as the reclusive Arachnosaur or the mighty Chaosteros, a jungle-dwelling behemoth which sees everything that moves as prey, no matter how indigestible. Few live to tell the tale, as Kup has.

Trees above

Wheelie stood on his porch, high above the forest floor. He built it this way because of the many Dangers of the forest floor. Some creatures in the bizarre world camouflage themselves in better ways then a Chameleon, they literally change their skin to look exactly what it looks like behind them with only very small discrepancies. This fact alone makes them a lethal at nighttime.

Wheelie needed his energy reserves up again. His batteries were lower than he needed to survive in this environment.

Wheelie walked over to his recharge station that he used out of some solar panels and batteries that he found in the wreckage of the ship that brought him here and in an old abandoned Autobot Base a few kliks from his home. It was too structurally unstable, and a bad placement for a fort if you knew the planet like Wheelie did.

Wheelie pulled out a cord that he connected to the battery and to him.

Feeling refreshed Wheelie stated, "Wheelie used to feel like poo, now Wheelie feels good as new!"

Wheelie sat down in a makeshift chair that he made and began to look through some data packets that he found in the abandoned base. Dismal stories. It was like reading a horror story.

Well, it beats nothing.

Decepticon Dropship ST-4

Mindwipe had been on the verge of engaging Cipher in an interesting discussion regarding the variety of species that they had managed to track thus far and how, indeed, not all of them seemed to be particularly indigenous to this planet--unique though it certainly was.

Hungrr's barking response quickly put an end to that little diversion in Mindwipe's mind. Hungrr's limited approval of his existence was the only thing keeping him, well, existing at the moment. The hypnotist was not keen to do anything that might even conceivably endanger that status.

He had felt more than one tremor shake the ship on the way down, causing him to reach for the walls to find something to brace himself against.

"Capable warriors all, your men. I hope they are capable pilots as well."

Trees above

Wheelie sighed as he finished his datapacket. It was the third time he had read that one in particular, among a stack of datapackets he had chosen this one. It was the only entertaining one of the bunch, as it was filled with old war stories. Dark, but entertaining nevertheless.

Wheelie heard something in the jungle: It was unrest. Usually things get scared over predators such as Chaosterous, but this was something different. He hadn't heard this sound ever since he landed on LV-117, it was the chatter of the beasts and the birds, even the trees seemed to be uneasy.

Something was new and something was happening.

"Forest is as busy like a bee, Wheelie needs to take a look see!" Wheelie stated as he made his was back out on the porch.

Pocketing his Datapacket, he began to search the horizon for anything that would bet the cause of the unrest.

Decepticon Dropship ST-4

Cipher stepped back slightly when Hun-Grrr addressed him and as a scribe no less. The scientist bit his tongue before he even tried to correct the Terrorcon Commander as to what his specialty is. Instead, Cipher remained silent as Hun-Grr continued with his response. So it was possible. There was a chance that most of the creatures that inhabited LV-117 were actually genetically created. But who created was something that Cipher just had to learn.

It was then that the small shuttle was rocked, possibly from turbulence due to entering the planet’s atmosphere, or from the radiation belt that surrounded the planet. It didn’t matter what it was from, all Cipher wanted now was to get off so he could feel solid ground beneath his feet.

The scientist followed Mindwipe’s actions and reached out for the walls of the shuttle in order to stabilize himself. Bracing himself Cipher turned his attention back to Mindwipe as the hypnotist addressed Hun-Grrr.

“Heh. I…I second that.”

Bridge

The shuttle was rocked almost violently as it penetrated the radiation belt and once again when it finally emerged from the other side. Rippersnapper gripped the controls as he tried to keep the shuttle at a specified angle in order to make it through the belt. Once on the other side, the terrorist relaxed slightly, but not for as long as he wanted.
Several nanokliks later Rippersnapper had to increase his grip on the controls once more as he guided the shuttle through the atmosphere. A few shaky moments passed before the turbulence finally subsided and the ship stabilized.

Rippersnapper loosened his grip on the controls and quickly initiated the cloaking device effectively masking the ship’s signature and hiding it from potential threats. The terrorist guided the ship toward what seemed to be a secluded clearing surrounded by deep rock outcroppings.

Once he locked onto his intended landing location, Rippersnapper opened a comm link with Hun-Grrr.

>>”I’ve engaged the ship’s cloaking device and I’ve located a secluded clearing. We’ll be landing in 2 kliks.”<<

Decepticon Dropship ST-4

The ride from the Semper Tyrannis to LV-117 had been nowhere near comfortable one. Not that it had really bothered Hun-Grrr. He had survived enough crashes to care about such minor inconveniences. Most Decepticons were equipped with limited flight ability anyhow - all five Terrorcons certainly were. Rippersnapper was not too bad of a pilot either, particularly when he was focused on the task instead of thinking ways to murder an organic whose scent his olfactory sensors had detected. The fact that the terrorist had managed to activate the dropship's camoflauge sub-systems without a direct order to do so only increased his worth in the eyes of Hun-Grrr.

When Rippersnapper finally landed the dropship, Hun-Grrr stood up to his full height and turned to face his Terrorcons. "Out! Secure the perimeter!"

While Hun-Grrr was a stranger to the concept of fear, he was no mental midget either. Despite at times acting like he was nothing more than a savage animal, he possessed surprisingly keen intellect - something that many of his enemies had found out in very final manner. It was better to use his merry band of misfits to gauge the potential threats outside rather than endanger himself. After all, he was irreplaceable unlike his Terrorcons. In an addition of the tactical side of keeping the highest ranking member of the team from accidentally stumbling to the firing line, sending out his troops also served to give them a purpose. With something to do, they'd be less likely to fight each other. And truth to be told, that was the real reason for his command, for Hun-Grrr was more than ready to take on any challenge presented to him. In fact, he often took the battlefield by force without a further thought about anyone's well-being. This time though, he had Cipher and Mindwipe to keep alive and it changed everything.

"Plenty of electromagnetic radiation here Mindwipe. Not fatal amounts but enough to cause cerebral decay if our stay gets prolonged. We might be forced to craft synthetic flesh coatings to cope with the radiation if it gets stronger." Hun-Grrr addressed the hypnotist, "It is almost as if this place was planned to keep our kind out. Makes me want to see even more whatever remains hidden here."

Decepticon Dropship ST-4

Cutthroat laughed. "Secure? I'll secure the perimeter to death!"

With those words the psychotic Terrorcon quickly made his way to the shuttle door. The door did not open enough for him so he kicked the last bit of it to open quicker. This door would not be getting in the way of the carnage he so desired.

He made his way and transformed into his alt mode. He made use of its amazing leaping ability to leap on top of one of the rocky outcroppings. He screeched out in a threatening manner and carefully watched for victims.

Decepticon Dropship ST – 4

From the bridge Rippersnapper quickly powered down the shuttle’s engines, after all what use would a cloaking device be if someone could hear its hum. Besides, they needed to conserve as much fuel as possible. Once the engines were powered down the terrorist quickly locked the controls so that only he or Hun-Grrr could actually pilot the ship if the need to abandon the planet arose. He also didn't want anything even half sentient to break in to the shuttle and make way with their only means of escape.

Rippersnapper made his way from the bridge to the rear of the shuttle once everything was secure and met with the other Terrorcons and their two hangers on. He had just missed Hun-Grrr’s order to secure the perimeter, but with the movement of his other teammates it only made sense that that would be their next move.

Without another thought Rippersnapper drew his cyclone gun and made his way down the ramp and onto the planet’s surface. The white and blue ‘Con watched as Cutthroat leapt along the ground until he came to a rocky outcropping where he jumped up and took up a sentry position. At the same time the shock trooper let out a threatening screech.

Shaking his head Rippersnapper moved away from the shuttle in a westerly direction, his scanners and sensors on full alert. If something organic that inhabited this planet were to pop its head out, Rippersnapper would be more than ready to tear it off its shoulders.
____

Once the shuttle was safely on the ground, Cipher moved away from the wall he had been using as a brace and made his way to the pile of equipment he had brought on board. Due to the turbulence the items were strewn about, but they were mercifully undamaged.

The scientist scooped up what he could and moved to Mindwipe’s side. Cipher separated the equipment into two categories and motioned for the hypnotist to grab one of the smaller piles. At the same time Cipher listened to everything the Terrorcon Commander had to say about the planet’s atmosphere. It didn’t sound too hospitable especially since long term exposure to the electromagnetic radiation could cause cerebral decay.

Cipher bit his bottom lip at the explanations, especially the point about the cerebral decay. After all he was only useful to this team because of his superior mind, if he were to lose that part of himself; they would surely leave him here to rot.

“Ssso, uh, how about we craft those synthetic coatings before we set foot on this forsaken planet? I mean if there is a possibility of such danger wouldn’t it be prudent to be safe rather than sorry?”

The scientist glanced to Mindwipe in hopes the hypnotist would agree with him.

Decepticon Dropship ST – 4

Blot stood, still in his alternate lumbering monster mode, towering over Cipher and Mindwipe. Ever since Hun-Grrr had ordered him to guard them, Blot had been keeping at their heels, never further away than a few paces. It must have been quite an inconvenient experience for the two scientist-types, a stinking, fluid-dripping bulk of metal menace trailing them like a bad omen.

Though, to Blot it hardly mattered. He had been given orders by the only individual deserving his loyalty and Blot would see to those orders being carried out. The allowed use of lethal force gave him satisfaction, too. He wouldn't have to restrain himself if anyone was foolish enough to attack him or his charges.

He didn't particularly understand what all the talk of radiation and protective coating was about but cared little. Not many things, save for Megatron and his immediate lieutenants, had the power to even dent any of the Terrorcons, so why should he bother?

The small optic units of his monster form flickered as he regarded Cipher and Mindwipe. Wherever they would go, Blot will follow.

Decepticon Dropship ST–4

Mindwipe was pleasantly surprised at the fact that they had managed to land, still functional. Given what he had seen of this world already, it was clear that even something as routine as that would be a chore here. It did not exactly bode well for the ease in which they would accomplish everything else. But, as with Hungrr, that only served to increase Mindwipe's curiosity all the more.

As the shuttle bay doors opened and this strange, new location revealed itself to them all for the first time, Mindwipe had to admit that he had never seen anything quite like it. Even as he had grabbed the smaller pile of equipment that Cipher had indicated, his optics were locked on the environs outside.

It was hard to see anything past the immense grove of trees and other native flora that they had landed in the midst of, or the jagged, rocky outcroppings such as the one Cutthroat had already found. This was clearly a planet where nature ruled. Civilization had little chance of evolving. There was nothing civilized about this world. Except for that one edifice that they had discovered, which made it all the more intriguing.

Mindwipe wanted to get out and see this world firsthand. Just standing here looking at it, he was almost in the midst of a religious experience, similar to his meditations back on Cybertron. That and the idea of polluting his body with organic anything was just short of physically revolting. Even so, if Hungrr's words were true, Mindwipe could certainly not afford any damage to his mind. Not with this crowd.

"Perhaps. Perhaps it is the wisest course," Mindwipe said, setting his pile of equipment down next to the small console. He initiated the ship's scanners and began pulling up the chemical compositions of various native flesh. After all, what better source to draw a synthetic from?

"I am...hmm...not exactly certain how this technology is supposed to work. I have never used it before."