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The Perdition - Bridge

"Thank you." She said to the Reflector unit. "I can only hope so. I am beginning to think there are no Autobots with useful knowledge on this planet."

She looked over the file that she was given.

"Vestra and River is it? Well then, we shall see just what these two Autobots hold soon enough."

She turned to Turmoil.

"Since Reflector has already so capably specified the exact co-ordinates of these two bound Autobots I believe they should be bounced to this ship with guards waiting to take them to interrogations rooms. I would like to keep them separate at first."

She bowed.

"With the Commander's approval, of course."

Mount Melanos – Workshop

Having returned from his short trip from the armoury, selecting an assortment of weapons that would offer a multitude of destructive solutions to any Decepticons they encountered, Grotusque found Repugnus all set and prepared to leave. His team-mate then approached the back of the workshop and peeled away a wall panel. Concealed behind it was a tunnel, no doubt crafted by the Monsterbot himself.

“My, oh my, Repugnus!” Grotusque entered the mouth of the tunnel, positioning himself in a way so that his wings would avoid picking up damage. “You've certainly outdone yourself this time. I gotta say this tunnel puts everything that the Constructicons have ever built to shame.”

He slowly progressed through the underground passage, each meticulous step carrying him closer to the outside world. Too bad the Monsterbots couldn't have been more like normal Autobots and exited the Beta Site using ordinary methods—but they had never been distinguished as normal in any respect. Ever. But it mattered little. Normality was dreary and the adventures—or misadventures as everyone else typically saw them as—Grotusque embarked on promised anything but.

“Come on, D.C.! Get a wriggle on. We have sites to see, mechs to meet, and apparently a planet to save.”

Fortress Tenebrous

The dark, metallic halls of Tenebrous greeted them once again. Cyclonus had let Scourge see to the prisoners' transfer to their new living accomodations without any interference on his part. In truth, he was a little surprised to see that Scourge had spared as many as he had. He had thought the temptation to eliminate them might prove too great. His ability to exercise restraint in the face of being handed such a vulnerable group of Autobots was commendable.

"It's not every cycle that one gets Autobot informants delivered on a platter," had been Scourge's latest comment, and the only one that had been directed to him specifically. As the two of them broke away from the grouping of guards that would now lead the Autobots to their cells, Cyclonus nodded.

"It would seem everything has been handed to Turmoil on a platter as of late," Cyclonus said as the two rounded a corner and now approached the command center itself. "Even command of this fleet, in Scorponok's absence. Were he not actually in the field somewhere now, I would have begun to worry whether or not he was still physically capable of motion."

Despite the fact that they had captured some Autobots, he knew that there were more out there. They were proving to be more elusive than he would have originally given credit for. He was determined to find the rest. It would be that much harder to finish the construction of their shipyards on this world if they constantly had Autobots nipping at their heels.

Entering the command center, Cyclonus proceeded directly towards the primary monitoring system. The Seeker that had been standing there backed away as he saw Cyclonus and Scourge approach. Despite Cyclonus' less than ideal estimation of Turmoil's effectiveness, the other Decepticon had still charged him with certain useful tasks, one of which had been the continuous monitoring of the supposed "leader" of these green-skinned natives. Now was as good a time as any to see what he had been up to. Bringing up an auxiliary holoscreen, Cyclonus looked over to Scourge.

"This Autobot elusiveness is becoming frustrating. I want all of your Sweeps in the air. Track the slightest out of place signal. We're not dealing with a deeply-embedded commando unit. This is a science team. If anything interesting appears...well...we can take to the field once more, old friend."

The Perdition - Command Bridge

"No." Turmoil replied to Soul Siren's suggestion while watching at a datagrid marking the current positions of the fleet their various planetside teams.

"I will not risk any ships in the fleet, as insignificant a chance of escape for any of the Autobots is." The massive Decepticon continued, his gaze never leaving the datagrid before him. "All prisoners are to be moved to fortress Tenebrous."

After a short pause, Turmoil continued, "Given how Cyclonus and Scourge have already brought new prisoners there, you will be busy for the foreseeable future. If you go now, both River and Vestra should be arriving there roughly at the same time as you."

The Perdition - Command Bridge

"As you wish Commander Turmoil. I will go to the Bounce Chamber immediately."

Externally Soul Siren remained cool but internally she was taken aback by Turmoil's words. Everything in the report she was handed said that they had little to fear from these Autobots and even less considering the condition the Horrorcons likely left them in. To not want them brought here suggested a degree of paranoia by their commander or a total lack of confidence in the ship crews. Both suggested a possible danger and something she would need to be aware off. Still, she had learned long ago that it was never wise to share such concerns and her experience as an interrogator had given her a good poker face to keep such thoughts hidden behind a stoic exterior.

She turned towards Spectro.

"Please prepare the appropriate co-ordinates."

She bowed politely and made her way from the Bridge.

Equatorial Desert

The light faded only to be replaced by the overbearing heat and light from the planet's rising stellar body. Intense enough to force Deadlock to shield his optics with his left arm as his optical sensors polarized. "A little more warning would have been appreciated." He snarled as the terrain went from blinding white to a more neutral dusk.

He lowered his arms and checked the ammunition levels in each weapon. Under the shade created by his rifle he took note of the grainy particles that spread out to the infinity. Lowering his weapons to their holsters, Deadlock kicked at the sand and sneered. "We are being dispatched to Turmoil's personal golf course. Just what I needed to make this day complete, being a caddie in this pit."

Shrugging his shoulders Deadlock transformed into his vehicle form and activated special modifications to enhance his traction on the loose sediment. "Alright fine, lets just get this over with. I'll be as useful as you two slagheads." He smirked in vehicle form. He extended his sensors and activated his engine in pulsing fashion. Tuning his receivers to pick up faint rebounds from under ground, he was able to slowly patch together a small grainy map of the desolate region.

"Lets just follow your nose and beat on whatever is at the other end." Deadlock stabilized his engine and drove along the surface following a filling magma river back towards its source.

Mount Melanos - Workshop

Doublecross grinned as he watched Repugnus pull away a huge piece of the back wall to reveal the entrance of a tunnel that lead away from the Autobot’s Beta Site. It was effectively a secret escape route that would allow the trio of Monsterbots to maneuver unseen and undetected until they reached their new base of operations somewhere in an underground cave. From there they could launch attacks on the Decepticon hordes that were swarming over Nebulos and possibly save the tiny green inhabitants from becoming slave labor for the rest of their lives. Although, somehow the duel-minded ‘Bot thought it would take more than the three of them to liberate the entire world.

(It would take a miracle!)

Would you at least try to be more positive?

(No.)

“I agree, the tunnel’s well built, Repugnus,” Doublecross said, agreeing with his other comrade. “I don’t know if it’s better than what the Constructicons could build, but with the limited time and resources available to you, it’s a satisfactory exit.”

(Oh, please! It’s just a filthy hole in the wall! A cyber-rat could do better!)

Bite your tongue, cretan! It will serve our needs well enough. Now let’s go!

With the right region of his processor in control, Doublecross followed Grotusque into the tight tunnel, having to bend down while pulling his hover cart full of supplies behind him. As he continued onward, the tunnel grew larger just as Repugnus had said it would. Soon, the second pathway on the right was upon them and Doublecross walked up beside Grotusque, now able to stand up to his full height. “After you, gorgeous.”

(Gorgeous?! Are you fraggin’ serious? I’ve seen prettier face plates on a Terrorcon!)

Actually, I was just kidding, moron. Grow a sense of humor.

Doublecross uttered a low growl, but not at anything or anyone around him. The sound originated from the left hemisphere of his processor, the side that usually took a back seat to the proceedings when in robot mode. Sometimes, though, that darker half emerged a little bit at a time or even completely to take back control over the right, more pleasant side. In this case, the left had managed a growl as the opposite struggled internally to remain in control. It was a near constant battle as the two personalities ever rarely agreed on anything other than destroying Decepticons. Hopefully, they would get the chance to do just that soon before their mental conflicts became physical ones.

Equatorial Desert - Underground Lava Tunnel

Strafe was truly helpless in the clutches of Lockdown, whose hooked grip grew tighter and tighter to prevent any further squirming from the nervous Technobot. The bounty hunter’s response to his query was cryptic at best. Of course he was taking the Autobot to the highest bidder, but who was that bidder? That’s the question Strafe wanted answered, but he was clearly not going to get it. The red and white mech would simply have to wait and see. It probably wouldn’t be too long to learn the employer’s identity. Perhaps the high strung ‘Bot would have a better chance at escaping once he had been handed over, or perhaps he would be in no better a position than he currently was. It couldn’t be any worse, could it?

After being insulted for a second time, Strafe simply did what Lockdown had told him and that was to be quiet and enjoy the ride. Although, “enjoy” really wasn’t the right term, more like “survive” or maybe “endure”. Regardless, the Autobot prisoner had little to no options left as he was weaponless and overmatched. His Technobot comrades tried to mount a rescue attempt, launching a missle at the ceiling, but to no avail as the bounty hunter simply used his supercharger which sent them both rocketing to the far end of the lava tunnel as the tube caved in behind them. Lockdown’s words that followed only confirmed what Strafe already knew. He was alone with little chance that his teammates could reach him let alone save him. The following EMP burst pretty much sealed the deal as now the nervous ‘Bot had no way of activating his internal comm or homing beacon. He was helpless, at the mercy of Lockdown and whomever his employer turned out to be.

Melanossus

Pyro stored the conical projector in a storage compartment. He shifted his weight as a pair of winged insect clones flew over head. His optics narrowed as one of them exploded as a burst of energy exploded from Pointblank's weapon. "Scrap." He muttered as he pushed himself back against the facade of a four story building with enough force of impact that caused the glass to shatter and the supports to buckle.

Instinctively his right hand took hold of his chemical cannon. He flipped over the internal switches over to a corrosive chemical. "So much for the concept of surprise. Pointblank, we need to split their forces and hit that warehouse from the flanks."

He spun around from cover and poured fire into one of the clones that most resembled Bombshell. Its head almost immediately began to bubble and dissolve under the impact of three shells. Pyro wasted no time and turned his attention to its flanking partners and repeated the effort sending two more clones into bubbling pools of corroded metal.

Finally his position was no longer covered by surprising interlopers. Checking his ammunition status again, Pyro dashed into the streets and marched to the nearest intersection. He swept across the streets covering any approach. "Advance. Team one to the right, the rest flank to the west. Lets roll." He waved on as another squadron of clones arrived from the station defensive perimeter.

Equatorial Desert

>>"Yah. You follow yer snout Snaps. And tell that pesky lil' whinerbot to knock himself out if he can't handle the heat, hah!" Apeface transmitted back to Snapdragon as he soared towards the crashed escape pod.

The pod was giving no signs of life or electrical charge visible on his sensors. While powerful, the Horrorcons were also far more intelligent than their behavior indicated. Apeface was not one to rush directly into a trap if it could be avoided. However, judging by the tracks near the crashed pod and leftover energy residue - had there been a trap it had been triggered already.

Transforming into his primate form in mid-air, Apeface landed next to the crashed pod and peeked into a hole in it created likely by Skullgrin and Lockdown. That one look gave him all the data he needed.

>>"Oooh. The itty bitty bots have gone diggin'. We have a driller Snaps. Either Twin Twist or Nosecone, I am betting on the latter."<< Apeface sent another message to his partner in crime and swung himself into the remains of the escape pod, transforming into robot mode just before his feet would have touched the ground.

Pulling up his sonic boomer gun, Apeface fired a weak sonic barrier into the cavern opening listened to how it echoed thorough the cave network under the desert. After silently listening to the echo of his sonic blast for no more than couple of minutes, Apeface contacted Snapdragon again.

>>"I have roughly echographed the caverns under the desert, sending you a 3D-map I pulled together. This area is huge even without whatever new holes the 'bots have dug there. I can't tell where the slaggin' bots are through echolocating. They are too deep in there for me to evaluate whether these fragged spots of the map are just rocks or Autobots. Anyhow, I am moving in."<<

Entering the tunnel, Apeface kept his robot form and pulled out his electron shield as well. Before moving too far ahead however, he sent a Decepticon feeler signal into the cave network. If Skullgrin was within range, he'd bounce the signal back to the Horrorcon.

Equatorial Desert--Underground Lava Tubes

The distraction that one of Lightspeed's Technobot brothers had provided which distracted Skullgrin enough to keep him from going for a killing blow was just one more reason that Lightspeed had to think that Primus' hand really was at work somewhere, somehow in his life. Maybe it was just coincidence. The timing just seemed to perfect, though.

In any case it was a nice thought and an altogether brief one before the reality of the spark-shattering pain as the blade had been withdrawn from his torso caused a surge of glitched readings within every corner of the Technobot's optics as he fell to his knee joints.

He could hear the magma flowing and weapons firing, but it took a few astroseconds for Lightspeed to orient himself to his surroundings again.

"We're not.....done," Lightspeed sputtered out as he attempted to follow after Skullgrin, fluids trailing from the vicious wound in his chest. He fired off a blast from his rifle. Maybe it would distract the brutal Decepticon, just as the other Technobot's had earlier. Maybe it would be the last, valiant act of a defeated Autobot. Lightspeed hadn't been one of those lusting after the idea of going down in a blaze of glory, but impaled in some tunnel? He could think of a lot better ways to die.
___

The Perdition--Bounce Chamber

The Spectro unit had cast Soul Siren a brief, inquisitive gaze as she presumed to order him around like some kind of drone. He said nothing for the moment however, as she appeared to have curried the favor of Turmoil.

"It will be done," the unit said before turning and heading off towards another area of the ship entirely. Upon arriving within the halls of the bounce chamber, Spectro took up the control station and began entering the coordinates of the primary Decepticon fortress on Nebulos.

"You may proceed at your leisure," the Spectro unit said as Soul Siren approached.
___

Melanossus

Flanking the bugs seemed as good a strategy as any. Pointblank didn't suspect these buggy clones had much in the way of either defensive or offensive tactics.

And right he was.

Slamming his fist in to the first Diaclone he came within reach of hitting, Pointblank then proceeded to fire off targeted rounds in to three others.

Backing up against one side of the energy transfer relay station, Pointblank continued to fire at anything that even closely resembled an insectoid shape. Looking in to the distance, he could see a dark cloud in the skies. Only it was far too small to be a cloud. And far too dark. Nebulan tech?

No.

Slag, Pointblank cursed as the shapes began to get more distinctive, the closer they got.

Sweeps.