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Area 51

Divebomb was somewhat happy with the fact that Swoop’s wing appeared to be damaged from his last attack. However, it seemed to only be a small tear and nothing major that would cripple the winged Dinobot. “I see that your wings are just as fragile as before, dear Swoop, just as my visual sensors are also just as acute as you may remember. I can see that tiny tear in your wing. It can only get worse as our battle rages on!”

Ignoring Swoop’s own taunts, Divebomb watched as the pterosaur turned towards him and let loose more missile waves. The Predacon turned to face Swoop and his projectiles head on, not worrying about the possible consequences. “More rockets? How original…” Divebomb began as he avoided the first two waves. “…and how boring. Must we continue along these lines? Perhaps a change is in order.” Divebomb then fired his lasers at the last wave of missiles, striking each of them and causing a large mid air explosion that seemed to grow larger as each one detonated.

Without hesitation, Divebomb flew directly into the fireball and quickly emerged from the other side a bit singed but otherwise in full operating capacity. He accelerated towords Swoop, seeing that his opponent was ready to strike at him again with those talons. As the Predacon approached, he pulled his body upwards, exposing his own razor-sharp talons underneath. “Time you felt my sting!”

Divebomb closed in and lashed out at Swoop’s head with his claws, aiming for the Dinobot’s long beak and face, hoping to cause some damage or even blind him in one optic. Immediately afterwards, the aerial Predacon ignited his rocket thrusters on his back and shot straight up to avoid any retaliation from Swoop’s own claws. But before he had achieved any great distance from the metal pterosaur, Divebomb shut off his rocket pack and turned back down and fell into a steep nosedive. Heading directly towards Swoop, the Predacon drew his wings in close to his body, which allowed him to gain more and more speed as he rapidly approached his winged target from above.

Divebomb extended his vicious talons just as he shot down past his old rival and attempted to slash at Swoop’s slightly damaged wing, hoping to make the tear wider.

**********

Sludge became more and more agitated as he slashed at Swindle with his energo sword repeatly. The small Decepticon was quick and able to back away in time to avoid the Dinobot’s attempts to cut him in half. “Hold still, little one.” But the ‘con was not cooperating. Instead, Swindle fired more shots from his gyro gun, this time striking Sludge’s right arm. The same weird sensation from before began creeping through the Jungle Warrior’s limb, but this time he fought against it. He could not allow his right arm to become useless, as well.

Trying desperately to hold on to his sword, Sludge looked up and saw that Swindle was aiming his other weapon directly at his face all the while boasting about how great his gyro gun was. “You talk too much, ‘con.” With no other options available to him, the large Dinobot then charged forward suddenly, knocking into Swindle and ruining the aim of his scatter blaster. The weapon went off harmlessly, missing its intended target by a wide margin.

Sludge then backed away from the Decepticon arms dealer, still struggling to hold on to his sword. It was then that the Jungle Warrior noticed that feeling had begun to return to his left arm. He could now move it again, if only in limited motions. It wasn’t at full strength, but it was currently in better shape than his right. Without another thought, Sludge reached down and retrieved his laser pistol that he had previously dropped. Using his improving left arm, the Dinobot fired off a steady stream of shots at Swindle, hoping to keep the ‘con busy long enough to allow his right arm to recover.

**********

Smokescreen smiled as Bumblebee and Wheeljack finished speaking to him. “No worries, guys. I understand completely. Getting Slag back online is more important. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right for the time being.” And with that, Smokey watched as his Autobot comrades returned to digging the last Dinobot out from underneath all that rubble. He wished he could help his friends, but in his current condition the red and blue mech would be lucky to even stand up for two astroseconds let alone heave chunks of debris around. Smokey would just do what Wheeljack suggested and keep a look out for any Decepticons that might come down the hole. At the very least, the diversion expert could still fire a gun so he wasn’t totally useless.

It was then that Smokescreen received a trasmission from a familiar mech:

Roadbuster wrote:"Autobots, this is Prowl. If anyone is seriously injured but still functioning, send me your coordinates and I'll be right there to get you out. Ratchet is on site and I'll do what I can to get you to him. I'll also provide backup if need be."

Smokey’s eyes lit up at the sound of Prowl’s voice and quickly opened a comm. link to him: >>Prowl, this is Smokescreen. I didn’t know you were on Earth! Good to hear your voice again!<<

Smokey knew the Military Strategist from way back before the Decepticon uprising. They first met when Prowl was forced to arrest the diversion expert for cheating in a local Cybertronian casino. Cheating was a nasty habit that Smokescreen had picked up while racing on the underground circuit and it was one that got him into a lot of trouble back in the old days. Between the cheating allegations and the illegal street racing, Smokey ended up seeing a lot more of Prowl than he had wanted. Regardless, Prowl was always fair to Smokey and treated him with respect, all the while trying to steer the red and blue racer down the right path. Later, once the war broke out and Smokey had joined the Autobots, the two became good friends.

>>Yeah, I’m pretty banged up, Prowl. I’m down at the bottom of the big crater. I’m low on energon, but I’m not about to expire. So, help out the other ‘bots that are in worse shape first. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ve got some company down here in the form of Bumblebee and Wheeljack.<<

**********

Skywarp sat on top of the crippled building and watched as Thundercracker and Aftershot fought high above. The downed seeker wished he could be up there with them, but his internal repair cycle was still trying to fix his systems, which had been badly damaged by the Autobot flier. On top of that his one wing had a hole in it and his tail fin was melted, making it impossible for him to fly in jet mode. “This is taking too long. I have to get back into this. I can’t just sit here,” the seeker muttered in frustration.

Forcing himself to his feet, Skywarp approached the edge of the roof and looked down over the battlefield. He peered off to the right and saw an airstrip on the other side of the compound in the distance. This gave Skywarp an idea. Hmmm, perhaps they’ll have jets over there. Damaged or not, they could be a source of spare parts that I could use. It’s worth a shot.

Skywarp leapt off the top of the building and, using his foot thrusters, landed easily on the ground below. The purple and black seeker then began trekking through the ruins of the human base towards the air field.

Area 51

Although Rampage had derived some satisfaction from the machine gun hits on the racing Autobot, he knew it wasn't enough to put Sunstreaker out of commission, if anything they were meant for the lucky hit on something vital. A slim chance at best. However, what ever satisfaction the Predacon gunner had gained from the small bullet hits and leaping over his prey had granted him, it was washed away by the Autobot consistently dodging the fire from his lighting rifle. Even Rampage's skill as a marksman seemed inefficient to score a single glancing hit, let alone a direct one. Truly he would have to put some effort into killing this Autobot. A rarity, but one Rampage somewhat relished. This battle was at least a challenge for his skills, rather then a simple slaughter.

The Predacon had dropped to one knee and was raising his rifle to take steady aim of his target. He was fast, and maneuverable for certain, but he had taken down better foes then this. He had his target dead to rights, his finger was on the trigger and beginning to squeeze, a fully charged blast was about to come down the barrel, one that would kill Sunstreaker without question, but Rampage never had the chance to pull that trigger. Before he could fire something large and heavy landed on Rampage's back, nearly knocking him over. However, when the Con regained his stance he leapt onto his feet and began to thrash around, trying to shake off what it was. As he did so he caught sight of a red paint job, and came to the obvious conclusion an Autobot had come to the rescue of Sunstreaker.

This change was unwelcome, but not a sure end to the battle. Ramapge snarled as he tried to get a grip on Sideswipe, the Predacon wasn't sure why these twins enjoyed jumping on his back so. However, he was distracted long enough not to notice that the other twin had transformed and was sailing towards him ready for a solid punch. Though before Sunstreaker could land his hit Rampage managed to get a grip on his twins leg. Using his superior strength, Rampage pulled Sideswipe off of his back and swung him around, almost like a club, with all the strength he could muster with the intention of smashing the red twin into his yellow counterpart.

(OOC: Me and Ember have both agreed to this post.)

Area 51

Prowl received two signals, Pipes and Smokescreen he did an energy scan of the area where each one was to determine who would get priority. Depsite Smokescreen's claims, he was going to be fair. He recalled on more than one occassion he had arrested the gambler-tuned comrade for cheating in a gambling ring. Ironically that was how he got to know him and how they later became friends, after the war started.

After scanning he determined that Pipes was the one in more need of repairs. He knew he couldn't keep making trips back and forth as he figured doing so may burn out the Orbital Bounce pad or cause it to malfunction. It was also impractical to keep doing so. Possibly the most viable alternative was to get each one to Ratchet and let him fix them up.

He then turned on his emergency sirens and veered in the direction of Pipes. He opened his commlink to him, though half-expecting him not to read it. "Pipes, this is Prowl, I'm enroute. Hold on!"

(OOC: Agreed with Smokescreen GT about the backstory through PM.)

Area 51

Blaster glanced over his shoulder noticing a barrage of incoming fire from Needlenose. Eject and Rewind have been knocked off Runabout’s shoulders from the fire concentrated by Needlenose. “Oh so that’s how you want to play it! Two damaged broken down Decepticons for the price of one, they should have told me you guys where on sale!” Blaster said as he diverted his attention to Needlenose. Ramhorn had managed to tear off a piece of fender and was carrying it in his mouth as he chased after Runabout; coming in behind Ramhorn was Steeljaw.

Blaster was on his way towards Needlenose for messing with his kids, so to speak. Blaster glanced behind him to notice Runabout advancing on him, using vehicle fire to cover the area, until Runabout launched himself up into the air above Blaster to commence the next phase of his attack. Blaster was struck with a number of shots in the chest that managed to knock him backwards. Blaster lost his balance and started to fall backwards while in the process aiming above him waiting for Runabout to reach the the correct front point, so that he could put him in the crosshairs.

“Your mine turkey!” Blaster screamed out as his finger pulled the trigger on his Electron Scrambler Rifle and let loose a powerful blast at the damaged Runabout who was still in midair. Blaster then fell on his backside from losing balance, provided by the incoming fire that had struck him from Runabout. Blaster moved to sit up holding his Rifle in his right hand. He glanced to Needlenose before he commanded his Cassettes. “Ramhorn, Steeljaw, sic em!” Blaster commanded. From behind blaster the pair of bestial Mini-Cassettes leaped into the air, each attempting to pounce Needlenose while Blaster recovered.

In the near distance, Rewind and Eject emerged from a pile of rubble after surviving the light blasts that Needlenose had ambushed them with. Rewind and Eject emerge with their little blasters in hands and run back towards Blaster, attempting to help him to his feet. "You guys are the best." Blaster said from the ground.

Over Area 51

Thundercracker followed closely behind his prey through the duration of the effects of his sonic boom on Aftershot - firing short bursts of incendiary rounds towards the Autobot every time he had the enemy lined up for a shot. Nothing changed when the Autobot managed to gain his senses, Thundercracker was still heavily on Aftershot's tail, looking to finish of the duel. Until something surprising happened and the Autobot transformed.

Surprising... but not unpredictable. The move the Autobot pulled next was as familiar as if it had been pulled directly from Starscream's unofficial bag of tricks. Nevertheless, it was something Thundercracker decided to capitalize on. As Aftershot jetted away from him, the blue seeker slowed his speed and changed his flight path slightly so that he was positioned under the Autobot when Aftershot transformed again. He knew what was coming next, the Autobot flier wanted to ram him. He would have none of it, airborne collisions were Ramjet's thing, not his. Aerial finesse was his game and with Starscream exluded, there weren't many who could dance with him in the air one to one. Although he was pretty sure he could give even ol' Screamer a fight for his energon any given day. Still, couple of Aftershot's laser blasts clipped his wings slightly but not decisively. Nevermind the pain, Thundercracker was clearly making it difficult for the Autobot flier to hit him while waiting until for the last possible moment to act as the Autobot dove towards him.

Until he finally acted. This sky is mine. Directing full power to his engines with additional thrust from the unique construction of his engine subsystems which allowed him to generate his sonic booms. Thundercracker suddenly hit full throttle and accelerated rapidly while pulling his nosecone slightly upwards, thus getting out of way of the suicide diving Autobot in a nick of time and making sure he would have the upper position no matter what happened next. This was followed by a mid-air transformation into his sleek robot form and a quick turn in order to be able to witness the collision he expected the Autobot to make with the ground in the matter of astroseconds. For Thundercracker a sight of Aftershot's burning husk in the ground would be enough. He would not get down to check whether or not he had scored a kill. The thrill and glory of the battle was what he sought, not death.

Area 51

Sunstreaker smiled as he closed in on Rampage. This time he was going to catch the Predacon off guard and deliver a devastating blow. At the very least he would do some serious damage to the Decepticon and, ideally, put an end to the fight all together.

The Autobot warrior was ready to strike when he caught the slight flash of red off to the side before Sideswipe slammed into him. A scowl formed on his face as the two Autobot hurled away from Rampage. “You stupid-!” Sunstreaker was cut short when the two of them slammed into the ground. The yellow Autobot took the brunt of the impact, his head slammed into the ground first, putting a sizeable dent in it, followed by the rest of his body. His sentence would continue to go unfinished as the collision, combined with the damage he had suffered earlier, finally knocked him into stasis lock.

*

Since leaving the underground bunker Soundwave had moved to locate his various cassette minions.

Laserbeak had perched himself on top of the last remaining guard tower, ostensibly to observe and record the battle for future reference. Soundwave knew that in reality Laserbeak had perched on the guard tower to avoid getting drawn into battle with one of the Autobots, most of which were more powerful than he was. The small Decepticon had made uses and abilities but he would never be known for his courage.

Frenzy and Rumble, on the other hand, had dived headlong into the fray and paid for it. Frenzy had some moderate armor damage from being thrown around by Pipes. He was still in fighting shape. Rumble had come out of things a little rougher with acid damage to his armor and in some joints. He could still fight but not a full effectiveness.

The communications expert glanced back at the battlefield from around the wrecked building they were using as temporary cover to regroup. He noticed that additional Autobots had arrived, likely from an orbital bounce since he had not detected them earlier.

His face remained as expressionless as ever but he felt a flare of annoyance as he spotted the Autobot Blaster. That particular Autobot considered himself to be his counterpart or opposite number. Soundwave knew that there was a wealth of difference between him and the Autobot communications expert. His grasp of transmissions and sound was elementary compared to his. Blaster and his minions were pathetic clowns who preferred dancing and celebrating to the battlefield making them second rate soldiers at best. The Decepticon pulled out his concussion gun and began lining up a shot on the Autobot. Gunning him down would be quite a victory for the Decepticon cause and very satisfactory on a personal level.

The Decepticon was ready to fire when he picked up a transmission from somewhere. He ducked back behind his cover and focused on the transmission, easily cutting through the encryption. It was a signal from incoming fighter jets to the base they had just destroyed. They were rapidly approaching the base and reporting that considerable ground forces were on the way as well. It was a turn of events they had expected but the considerable Autobot interference and presence of Shockwave and the Dinobots had thrown off their timetable. He must inform Megatron.

>>”Megatron, human air forces on rapid approach, ETA 1 breem.”<<

*

Megatron circled Prime, his opponent mirroring his moves. A sneer crossed the Decepticon leader’s face. They had both taken and received some heavy hits. Both of them were dented, scratched, cracked and torn open, yet the fight continued. He could feel something else though. This battle had reached a turning point. Whoever made the next decisive move, scored the next solid hit, would be the victor. It was likely that Prime could feel it to and so both warriors circled, waiting for the right moment to launch their final, calculated, attack.

It was at that moment that Megatron received the message from Soundwave. A scowl quickly formed on his face. He could possibly finish him off in that amount of time, but rushing into such a battle would be foolhardy. It would leave him prone to more errors or missteps that could be taken advantage of. Then, if it took too long it was quite possible that the humans had brought enough firepower to finish them both off in their weakened states. The Decepticon cause would be nothing without his leadership, likely even less than the Autobots would be without Optimus Prime. Of course, he wasn’t the self sacrificing type anyway.

The Decepticon leader stepped back from Optimus. “It seems the humans have decided to call an end to our battle Prime. I doubt either of us would survive a prolonged battle with them and each other. We will have to finish this some other time.”

Megatron, still watching Prime, opened a channel to all of the Decepticons in the area. >>”Decepticons, prepare for immediate withdrawal. We have accomplished out mission. Rendevouz two klicks south of this base and be prepared for immediate orbital bounce back to base. Gather whatever wounded you can find.”<<

Soundwave scrambled from out of his cover as soon as Megatron had started to give his orders. He knew his commander well enough to know that he wasn’t about to just turn his back on Prime and the Autobots. They would need some sort of distraction to guarantee their escape, and he had a strong suspicion of what it would be. He met up with Megatron at the same time as Rumble and Frenzy had lugged over his fusion cannon.

Megatron glanced briefly over at Soundwave before taking his cannon back from the two cassettes. A cruel smile crossed his face “Don’t worry Prime, I’ll leave you a little something to remember me by.” With that the Decepticon leader transformed, landing in the hands of Soundwave. The Decepticon began jogging away from the Autobot leader. He quickly opened fire on the few remaining buildings, the furious power of Megatron obliterating him. Soundwave’s shots were aimed so as not to hit any Decepticons, but to provide cover for them to escape, if a couple of Autobots were caught in the explosions, all the better.

Once he had reached the other end of the base and caused sufficient destruction Soundwave released Megatron. The Decepticon leader transformed back into his robot mode as Soundwave gathered all of his cassettes back into his chest. The two Decepticons then took to the air, flying to the rendezvous point.

*

Tantrum had gotten bored of smashing buildings but the orders that come through from Megatron weren’t what he was looking for. He transformed into his robot mode and smashed his fist through the remnants of a concrete bunker. He let out a loud snort before leaping into the air, flying off to the rendezvous point Megatron had ordered.

Area 51

Prowl approached Pipes position and slwoed to a halt, cutting his sirens. He transformed into robot mode as the battle progressed. He had been fortunant not to encounter any Decepticon resistance since he arrived and it looked as if he wasn't even going to get any. That was fine by him.

He approached the downed Autobot and knelt over. He was in bad shape, but he had just hauled Hot Rod,who was in much worse shape. "Just relax now! You earned it. I'll have you to Ratchet in no time."

Something else got his attention. The destruction of several buildings and Soundwave noticably running away with a strange-looking weapon in his hand. "The battle's over." was the only thought in his mind. This would make his job a little easier. But something in his mind did take note. Soundwave's depature was rather sudden. This meant one of two things, the Decepticon injuries and casualties were mounting, or more company was on the way, which would not be good for them. He immediately switched to his comm. He needed someone with a good sensor range to give him an idea as to why the Deceticons reteated. This would give him an ETA on how much time they had to vacte as he was almost certain they had no relations with the leaders of this world.

"Autobots this is Prowl, I need confirmation. Do we have incomming?

Area 51

Needlenose grinned as two of his shots picked off Rewind and Eject, sending them flying into the debris. He definitely still had it, yes. He made a theatrical show of pretending to blow smoke off the muzzle of his light discharger, before crooning in response to Blaster's outburst, trying to save face from the insult, "You couldn't afford my price if I wasn't on sale, man."

He brought his electrostatic rifle up in preparation as he saw Blaster advance towards him, then his grin got wider as he saw that Runabout was able to land a volley of shots that sent the Autobot toppling backwards. However, it faded into a look of worry when Blaster's remaining two cassettes came flying at him.

He managed to dodge Ramhorn's advance, causing the cassettibot to fly past him, but that just sent him into Steeljaw's trajectory instead. He was knocked down on the ground, and threw one arm up in front of himself to keep the cassettibot away from his face and wings, though that just earned him an armful of teeth.

He struggled, trying to throw the cassettibot off of himself. "Ow! You mangy little piece of scrap..." he started to rant, before the transmission from Megatron distracted him. Well, slag, he thought. He brought his electrostatic rifle up against Steeljaw and fired, hoping the charge would at least stun his opponent long enough for him to get up and fly to the rendezvous point, if not do some damage. He winced as some of the stray feedback crackle painfully shorted out a few of his own circuits, but that was nothing compared to what Megatron would do to him for not following orders.

Area 51

As Runabout flies over Blaster he feels a sudden blast to his undercarriage. Flipping several times threw the air, he crashes to the ground, flipping several more times. Battered and beaten he barely registers the message from Megatron. Ordinarily Runabout wouldn't hesitate to follow such an order, but this was different. Runamuck was still offline and trapped under a pile of rubble, his mangled body still sticking out from it. But Runabout was in no shape to free his comrade and escape. If he can't get help he'll just have to leave his fallen compatriot behind, despite how appalling the thought may be. Speeding toward the fallen white mech, firing his vehicle guns at the rubble he sends a open plea to his fellow Decepticons.

<<Can ANYONE help me retrieve 'Muck?>> Runabout desperately begs, knowing if no one can help him, who knows the Autobots will do with Runamuck.

Area 51

Blaster was finally pushed back to his feet with the help of Eject and Rewind. The towering Auto checked his Electron Scrambler Rifle for damage while he studied the field of battle in the distance he noticed a familiar figure, Soundwave. Blaster pulled up his rifle and aimed it with one hand towards Soundwave as the Decepticon did the same in return. It seemed that only the two of them existed in time for a brief moment. Blaster was about to squeeze the trigger until he intercepted the same transmission that Soundwave intercepted. “Saved by the bell Wave. Anther time.” Blaster said in mild disappointed as he lowered his rifle.

Blaster turned around to witness the condition of his children. “Ramhorn, Steeljaw, Eject, Rewind, its time to kick into overdrive we got other things to worry about than these two trash collectors. I’ll bust both your ass’s next time! It’s a date, don’t be late.” Blaster said in response while the center of his chest opened. His chest had sustained some superficial damage due to Runabout targeting his weak point. Ramhorn had flown past Needlenose in great haste missing the Decepticon all together. Steeljaw on the other hand, had successful landed an attack that did some amount of damage, Steeljaw was then flung from Needlenose by a close-range energy blast that send him rolling into the dirt, he remained motionless for a few minutes. “For talking about being an elite warrior Needlenose, you sure pick on the smallest robots you can find.” Blaster said.

Eject and Rewind transformed their damaged forms back into cassettes, leaping back into Blaster’s chest along with Ramhorn. It took Steeljaw a great deal of effort to transform from being heavily damaged, but finally he managed to transform and place himself in Blaster’s chest. Blaster then left the two Decepticons to their own fate, heading away from the battlefield to reach an area where he could transmit a decent signal, he ran to the highest high ground he could find and transformed into a red AM/FM Stereo while his transmitters started to blink red.

“Optimus Prime, Prowl, do you read me over. The Decepticons are withdrawling, the humans have launched countermeasures, a pending air-strike is 1 breem out and closing fast over.” Blaster transmitted with enough powerful to reach every Autobot in the general area.

Area 51

Blitzwing had been engaged with Snarl, planning to slowly drain the Dinobot of his Solar Power over the course of the battle. When Blitzwing heard the order to withdraw he muttered for a moment in disapproval not wanting to leave the battlefield. “Play times over stupid.” Blitzwing said to Snarl before he transformed into his MiG-25 mode. His engines produced a massive sonic boom across the terrain before taking off into the sky, gaining altitude. A smoke trail traveled behind him as he made a circle around the battlefield scanning for wounded Decepticons in the field. He homed in Runabout’s position and transformed into his robot form in mid-air before landing.

“No time to waste Runabout! Let’s get Runamuck and get out here!” Blitzwing said as he reached down pull Runamuck from the rubble.

Area 51

Needlenose painfully shook his arm out a bit as his blast successfully sent Steeljaw flying. It had gotten quite chewed up, with ripped armor and damaged wires, and he could barely move it or his fingers for the moment as a result. Well, at least he wouldn't have to worry about it for too much longer before he could get some CR time.

He mustered the best grin he could at Blaster's commentary, considering how his arm felt, and retorted, "I woulda loved to tangle with you, my mech, but you was just too busy playin' the field." He stored his weapons, pretended to blow a kiss at Blaster with his good hand, then used it to push himself up onto his feet. "Don't worry, I won't be late for our date. And don't stand me up, that'd be totally uncool of you."

With that, he took off running away from Blaster and his posse. After a short ways he then jumped up into the air, transformed with some effort, and zoomed towards the rendezvous point Megatron had announced, his flight pattern somewhat erratic due to his damaged wing. Let some of the others deal with the wounded; he wouldn't be of much help with the process with a useless arm and bent wing.

Area 51

Swoop tried to ignore the bantering of his opponent, only focusing on what Divebomb’s next move would be, and how he would act in response. However, his mistake was in believing that the Predacon would be one to fall victim to the same ploy as before. As he approached the smoke, he saw the reflection of sunlight across razor-sharp talons! He desperately tried to pull back on his attack, but was perhaps too slow in his reaction. The condor’s claws barely missed his skull-plate, but instead raked across against his breast. The Dinobot let out a great cry of pain from his injuries.

Backing off from the Predacon, Swoop took higher into the air. If he wanted to turn this fight around, he would have to do something unexpected to catch Divebomb off his guard.
After gaining a significant amount of altitude over his adversary, the Dinobot then made use of his previous measure and began to dive downwards, gaining a boost of speed and energy. As he came upon his target, he transformed mid-air to robot form and drew his thermal-energy sword. With the hilt in his tight grasp, the blade grew bright red as it grew hotter and hotter. Using his burst of speed, he prepared to take a great swing at the Decepticon condor.

“Are you hungry, Divebomb? My sword is – it’s aching to take a piece of you!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Swindle was rather surprised to see that Sludge still had enough spark left in him to move, let alone knock his head into his blaster and making it misfire. The Decepticon took several steps backward, preparing to fire again with his gyro gun, but instead was met with several laser rifle blasts. He tried his best to dodge the shots fired, but took a blast to his chest-plate. It seemed that now, this Autobot was worth more trouble than the scrap he was made from.

Fortunately for Swindle, it would seem that luck was smiling upon him this day. Hearing across the Decepticon communications channel, he could hear the thunderous command of Megatron, telling all units to pull out of the battlefield. He could also see as a figure in the distance, Soundwave, firing upon several of the human buildings about the landscape, their structures completely vaporized. No doubt their leader was trying to provide covering fire for their retreat, and he was not one to disobey orders. Besides, Megatron might remember that blast from before and conveniently forget allegiance in regards to his person.

“Oh, I hate to disappoint, but my leader calls. Perhaps we can reschedule this some other time. How about next Friday? No? Oh, how terrible.” Swindle mockingly said as he backed away further from the Dinobot and transformed into a jeep wrangler, heading towards the location of the rendezvous point.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pipes could just barely make out a voice in his head. His systems were partially impaired; it seemed that his toxins had now made it into his operating systems. His optics flickered slightly as he could just make out the image of Prowl standing above him. The Autobot spoke in response,

“Just… do what you got to do... Prowl. I-I can t-take it…”

Area 51

Sideswipe clung as hard as he could while Rampage lurched and thrashed. A smile crossed his face as he thought he would be the one to take down the Predacon. His smile faded as he felt his leg being pulled and his body was sliding off of Rampage’s back.

“Gah! Woahhhhhh!”

The red warrior felt his body being flung like a club at something rather hard and realized it was his twin when he heard Sunstreaker’s angered exclamation. When the Predacon tiger finally let go of his leg, Sideswipe landed unceremoniously to the ground next to his brother. With his face in the dirt, Sideswipe mustered the rest of his strength and lifted his upper body from the ground. He shook his head vigorously and focused his optics on the stasis locked form of his partner in crime.

“Sunny? SUNNY!?” He quickly got to his feet and turned to face Rampage. “You’re gonna pay for that Decepticreep.”

He made ready for hand to hand combat as he let lose a battle cry and charged fist first at the elite warrior.

*********

Razorclaw roared with delight as he clawed and chewed at Grimlock’s back. The mighty Dinobot Commander then transformed to his robot mode and brandished his energo sword. Razorclaw jumped off of Grimlock and transformed into his robot form. He flipped midair and landed with one knee and hand on the ground. He swiftly unsheathed his own vibrating sonic sword ready for another fencing match.
He noticed that his opponent was slowing and that he finally went down to one knee. Had he the ability Razorclaw would have smiled.

“Problems Grimlock? You seem to be lagging. Could it be the small amount of energon you were reanimated with is now running low?”

Razorclaw stood and began moving to close the distance between he and his opposite. The Predacon Commander raised his weapon ready to strike when he received a communiqué from Megatron. He swiftly put his blade down and began to back away.

“You are fortunate today, Grimlock. This battle will have to be finished another day.”

Razorclaw swiftly made his way to where Shockwave lay and in one swell move hoisted the one eyed Decepticon up and flung him over his shoulder. With one final look to Grimlock, Razorclaw took to the air and made his way to Megatron’s rendezvous point.

*********

Optimus Prime kept his optics on his opposite as they both circled one another, Prime’s hands at the ready to guard or attack. His body hurt, but the gaping wound he had acquired was where most of the pain was centered. The next move by either warrior would be vital to ending this battle and possibly ending this war.

Prime took notice of Megatron’s expression. The broad grin faded and turned into an angered scowl. Megatron soon stopped his circling pattern and addressed the Autobot Leader. The humans that were able to escape the initial attack of the Decepticons found a communications relay and called for back up. These creatures would not likely talk things out if they were left on the remains of their base.

Megatron was right, there was no way he and his Autobots could hold out against the humans and their weapons. Prime was distracted long enough to overlook the two cassettecons carrying Megatron’s fusion cannon. Before Optimus could react the Decepticon leader had transformed into his alternate mode and landed in Soundwave’s hand. A few well laced shots later and the Decepticons were making a full withdrawal.

Optimus opened a channel to all Autobots present.

>>”Attention Autobots. The humans that escaped this base have called in for reinforcements. ETA: one breem. Gather up the wounded and make your way two klicks east of this base.”<<

Once Megatron had made his way off the base Prime made his way to the hole to the underground bunker. He landed with a resounding crash near Bumblebee and Wheeljack. He noticed Smokescreen leaning against the wall, battered but functional. He then turned to face the engineer.

“Wheeljack, I’ll get Slag out, you help Smokescreen out and to the rendezvous point with the others.”

Prime turned to the trapped Dinobot and removed the largest pieces of rubble from Slag’s body. Once the obstacles were dealt with Optimus was able to grab Slag’s arm and body and hoist the large mech onto his shoulder.

With Slag in tow Prime climbed out of the hole and began to make his way to the rendezvous point.

*********

Ratchet had opened up Trailbreaker’s chest plate and had performed some minor repairs when he received the communiqué from Optimus Prime. Trailbreaker was functional, but still in stasis lock. Ratchet had done all he could do without additional supplies and a CR chamber, so his final task was to get the downed mech to the meeting point.

“Upsie daisy Breaker.”

The medic was able to lift Trailbreaker up and place his over his shoulder. Once he was secure Ratchet began to make his way to the designated area.

Area 51

After his attempt to ram Thundercracker failed, Aftershot knew he was through. He didn't have the strength to continue fighting, he wasn't even sure he could survive a crash landing, but he was going to try at least. Pulling up as hard as he could and cutting speed he began to slowly even out with the ground, but not fast enough. The strain was to much, his rudder finally snapped, sending the Autobot flier out of control. He over shot two other mechs, he only caught a glimps but it appeared to be Ratchet carrying the stasis locked form of Trailbreaker. However, it was just at this time that he finally hit the ground. The underside of his nosecone hit the ground first, then he flip over and landed on the top side of his alternate mode, bending his tail wings as he ground to a halt, unmoving.

* * *

Rampage was very satisfied with the out come of his impromptu maneuver. He had never used another mech as a weapon before, but from observing the stasis locked Sunstreaker, it proved to be very effective. Though Sideswipe was the better off of the pair, as he was now on his feet and read to fight. Rampage was ready to meet this new threat with as much enthusiasm as he did the last, but Megatron then commanded the withdrawal. The Predacon was disappointed, but even he knew what a mistake it would be to disobey a direct order from Megatron himself. Before Sideswipe could attack Rampage lifted off and flew into the air, heading for the rendezvous point.

* * *

Wheeljack was starting to feel a little worn out from al lthe work he had been doing, that he only noticed the arrival of Optimus Prime once the Autobot leader spoke. The engineer backed away to let the larger mech work and he turned to Bumblebee who was helping the injured Smokescreen.

"Alright, lets get out of here. Bumblebee give me a hand."

Wheeljack positioned himself under one of Smokescreen's arms and began to lift him up, taking most of the other Autobot's weight. Bumblebee was under the opposite arm, helping as he could. The trio then turned and began to make their way up out of the crater.

Area 51

"It figures." was the only thought going through his mind once he received Blaster's and Primes messages. He grabbed Pipes and hoisted him over his shoulder. Knowing time was short, he began moving as fast as Pipes' extra weight would let him. He had some distance to travel but if he maintained his pace, he calculated he could just make it. There was no way for him to get the others, he was just one Autobot.

"Don't bother speaking Pipes" he said. "Save your energy!"

As he treked along the open land he spotted two downed Autobots, one red and one yellow, which he was certain was Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.

He opened a comm to all the Autobots still functioning. >>Autobots, this is Prowl. I've sighted Sunstreaker and Sideswipe downed at these coordinates. I cannot carry any more injured. Any available Autobots, please assist!<<

He transmitted the coordinates to the others so they would know where to find them. Things weren't looking so great. The injury list was mounting up and this would leave Ratchet, Skids, and Wheeljack with their hands full.

Area 51

Skywarp had just reached the airfield when he received Megatron’s transmission to withdraw. The seeker had hoped to find spare parts from the damaged jets on the runway to somewhat repair himself. That way he could get back into jet mode and help Thundercracker take down the Autobot flier who had so humiliated the teleporter not once but twice. Unfortunately, Skywarp would now have to wait to exact his planned vengeance on the inferior, but very lucky Aftershot.

“Lucky slagger,” Skywarp muttered to himself as he turned away from the airfield and watched as the remaining buildings of the base were destroyed by Megatron’s blasts. Hopefully, his leader had not seen the way ‘Warp had been defeated and would not scrap him for being so ineffective in battle. Megatron was not one to accept failure from his Decepticons and even though Skywarp was one of the elite seekers, he certainly had not presented himself as very elite during this important battle.

Mustering up the last bit of energy in his body, Skywarp ignited his foot thrusters and took to the skies. Still unable to fly in jet mode due to his damaged tailfin and wing, ‘Warp remained in robot form and flew over the battlefield. Looking down, he saw a sight he had wanted to see since the fight began. It was Aftershot crash landing on the desert floor below. Thundercracker had done it!

“Way to go, ‘Cracker!” Skywarp said, cheerfully, pulling along side his friend. “It’s good to see that Autobot flier go down. Thanks for helping out.” The teleporter then set course for the rendezvous point. “We should get going. I’m low on energy and we don’t want to keep the boss waiting.”

*********

Divebomb let out a triumphant screech as his talons raked across the breast plate of Swoop. His new eagle alt mode definitely had its advantages over a simple Cybertronian jet fighter. He could now inflict damage on his enemies in vicious, new ways and be close enough to see the fear in their optics when he did so. Swoop was afraid now even if he would not admit it.

Divebomb watched as his old rival backed away and flew higher. “You’re not running away are you, Swoop? I thought we were having fun!” The flying Dinobot then dove down at him again, a tired maneuver that failed to impress or to scare the Predacon. Divebomb then came around to face his adversary directly, showing no fear and hoping to deal another deadly slash across Swoop’s metal frame. But then the mechanical pterosaur did something unexpected. He transformed into robot mode, brandishing his energy sword and coming at the Predacon with great speed.

“I’m always hungry for fried Dinobot!” Divebomb growled, also transforming into his robot mode. Pulling out his laser-guided sword, the Predacon quickly brought his weapon up in front of him as Swoop closed in. The sound of swords clashing together could be heard for miles as the Predacon blocked the Dinobot’s attack. The heat from Swoop’s sword was intense, but not too distressing. “Now we’re really cooking! Ha! Ha!”

Just then Divebomb received Megatron’s transmission. Ah, slaggit! Not now! The flying Pred thought with a grimace on his faceplate. He was angry. He wanted to finish Swoop off for good this time and now he was forced to retreat. Swoop would probably think him a coward and claim victory, but Divebomb would have none of that.

The Predacon pushed away from Swoop and drew his laser rifle. “Well, Swoop, it appears I must go. It was fun while it lasted, but orders are orders. Don’t for one astrosecond think you’ve won this battle. You have not! We will finish this dance another time at another place. Then you will know defeat like you did the last time!”

Divebomb then fired off several laser shots at Swoop before transforming back to eagle mode and heading south to the rendezvous point.

*********

Sludge smiled slightly as one of his blasts struck Swindle in the chest plate. The Decepticon didn’t appear to suffer any major damage, but it was enough to keep the ‘con at bay while the Dinobot’s arms continued to regain their strength. Feeling had returned completely to his left limb, but his right was still tingling some from the last gyro attack. He had a loose grip on his energo sword, though, refusing to give it up for any reason.

Then Swindle began backing away from Sludge, babbling on about rescheduling their fight or some nonsense like that. “Anytime, Decepticon,” The Jungle Warrior replied as he watched Swindle transform and retreat from his sight.

Sludge took a moment to gather his strength. The energon infusion he had received earlier gave him a well-needed boost, but it was quickly wearing off. His energy levels were dropping fast, and he needed to fully recharge soon or he would once again find himself in stasis lock.

The Dinobot then received a transmission from Optimus Prime, ordering all Autobots to meet two klicks east of the human installation. Sludge remembered Optimus from long ago. He remembered that Prime was a weak leader who was unable to do what needed to be done in order to defeat the enemy. The strongest should always lead. That’s what Sludge had come to believe in, and Prime wasn’t it. Grimlock was the strongest in Sludge’s optics and that’s whom he would follow.

Sludge then plodded off looking for the Dinobot Commander. He soon found him down on one knee and leaning on his sword. “Grimlock!” Sludge exclaimed as he hurried over to his leader’s side. “Let me help you.” The Jungle Warrior bent down and placed his good arm around Grimlock’s back and attempted to lift him up.

*********
Smokescreen sat up more when Optimus Prime arrived. It was his meager attempt to stand at attention and show respect without actually standing. His battered legs and low energy levels prevented him from doing so. Prime didn’t speak directly to him, but did acknowledge the diversion expert with a glance before instructing Bumblebee and Wheeljack to help him.

Smokescreen smiled as his Autobot comrades each grabbed an arm and hoisted Smokey to his feet. “Thanks, guys,” the red and blue mech said as the servos in his legs strained under his weight. “If you can just help me to the top, I should be able to transform and make it the rest of the way, myself. My damaged legs shouldn't get in the way when I’m in car mode.”

By the time the trio had begun to ascend the crater, Optimus had already dug out Slag and was at the top with the deactivated Dinobot. That’s why he’s the leader, Smokey thought as they continued their climb. Each step was painful for Smokescreen even with the support of Bumblebee and Wheejack. The Autobot racer just tried to ignore the pain and stay focused on the light above. They were almost there.

Finally, the three Autobots reached the top of the crater. Smokescreen let out a sigh of relief and looked at his comrades. “Hey, we made it. Now, let’s see if I can transform.” Pulling his arms away from the two mechs, Smokey began the slow and painful transformation process. He began by folding his arms in under his chassis as his chest rotated upwards. His lower body then spun around as his damaged legs came together. Lastly, the front and rear ends pushed towards each other and locked together to complete his Nissan 350z alt mode. It wasn’t a perfect fit, and his car form looked like it had been in a demolition derby, but it would have to do.

The Autobots then received Prowl’s transmission. “Why don’t you guys go help the twins? I should be okay on what’s left of my reserve power.” Smokey said to Bumblebee and Wheeljack. “Thanks again for all the help. I’ll see you at the rendezvous point.” The diversion expert then slowly rolled out, heading two klicks east of the human installation.

Area 51

Bumblebee had remained silent as Wheeljack had done most of the work to try and free Slag. The yellow minibot wasn't strong enough to aid the engineer as well as others could, but Wheeljack hadn't seemed to mind at all and even seemed thankful of Bumblebee's help. However, the work was going slow, so slow they hadn't really noticed how the battle top side had been going. That was until Optimus Prime had entered the bunker and had instructed them to bring Smokescreen out. The pair had each taken an arm across their shoulders, Wheeljack doing most of the work with his greater strength and they managed to climb their way to the top, where Smokescreen managed to transform.

"Alright Wheeljack, lets head over to the twins and help them out."

Bumblebee turned and was about to transform and drive for the location of the twins when Wheeljack stopped him.

"Hold on there Bumblebee. Prowl is already on sight, no need to risk any more of us getting stuck behind then needed. I will go help Prowl, you head to the rendezvous point and make sure everyone gets there safely."

Bumblebee sighed. Wheeljack was right, even if his words dragged up feels of inadequacy. The smaller Autobot transformed into his alternate form and drove for the rendezvous point.

* * *

After his quick talk with Bumblebee, Wheeljack had transformed as well and drove as fast as he could to where Prowl was located. As the engineer came upon the freshly arrived Autobot he reverted back to his robot mode and walked along side Prowl. Looking around he could see that Sunstreaker was clearly in stasis lock, but Sideswipe waso n his feet and appeared to be more then a little angry.

"Alright guys, do we all really need to be here to help carry Sunstreaker out of here? I know he probably would think so, but there are more wounded scattered around here. I am picking up Aftershot's locator beacon and he isn't responding to any message I send him." The engineer turned to Sideswipe. "Can you handle getting Sunstreaker out of here? If so me and Prowl should go and check it out and see what help Aftershot needs."

* * *

snarl felt frustrated after his battle with Blitzwing was cut short when the Decepticon triple changer retreated with a few wounded Decepticons. The Dinobot transformed into his robot mode as he picked up a transmission from Optimus Prime to withdraw. Before being stranded on this world he would of looked to Grimlock to make that sort of decision, now he was far from willing to follow the Dinobot commander and figured Prime was a better choice then any. He began to make his way to the area designated by the Autobot leader. But he stopped when he saw Grimlock being helped by Sludge. He glared at them, his anger close to boiling over. He looked at Sludge.

"Let Grimlock drag his on aft end out of here. He never once stopped to help us."

And with that Snarl turned and left the other two Dinobots.

Area 51

The crimson warrior had taken a fighting stance and was ready to advance when Rampage lifted into the air and took off to the south. Sideswipe made ready to transform and follow suit but before he could make a move he received a communiqué from Optimus Prime.

“Slaggit all!”

Sideswipe threw his hands up into the air and called to the departing Predacon.

“You’re mine Con! Next time we meet you’ll be scraped off the bottom of my foot!”

He then turned to Wheeljack. “Yeah I got him.”

Sideswipe sighed and looked to his downed brother. He’s gonna kill me when he’s back on his feet. He shook his head and carefully heaved up Sunstreaker and placed him over his shoulder. Sideswipe then began to make his way east to the rendezvous point.

Area 51

It was rather pleasing for Thundercracker to observe Aftershot being unable to avoid a crash landing. It didn't matter to him whether or not the Autobot survived. The victory was his and the Autobot was no longer a threat on the battlefield. However, Thundercracker's victory was short lived as Megatron's orders rendered it more or less meaningless. The battle would not continue and the Decepticons were going to retreat. At least he had done what he could to ensure the mission success.

Thundercracker was giving a quick look over the battlefield to spot any wounded Decepticons when a familiar purple and black form of Skywarp approaching him.

"Good to see you still functioning." He greeted his brother. "I have to give it to that Autobot, he was a resilient one."

"Yeah, we better get going." Thundercracker said, setting off towards the rendezvous point. "Looks like we don't even need to carry anyout out. Blitzwing seems to have that covered."

"One thing I can't understand though." The blue seeker said and flashed a wicked grin at Skywarp. "Considering that you have the most potent power of any mech I know... how you keep forgetting to use it when it would help the most? No one can avoid being under fire like you and yet here you are dented and full of holes."

Area 51

Transforming to robot mode Runabout grasps the other side of Runamuck, helping Blitzwing yank him from the rubble. The fallen Battlechargers body moves slightly, and more rubble shifts and falls off of him. Coordinating his pulling with Blitzwing they try again.

"The assistance is very much appreciated," Runabout says to Blitzwing.

A final mighty pull frees The white mech. Standing him up as they pull him out, Runabout places one of Runamuck's arms over his shoulder. Runabout starts to retreat to the sky's, slowly making his way off the battlefield. He wasn't the fastest flier and the extra load didn't help, but it was easier than dragging Runabout. maybe if he could transform him he could tow him, but there was no time for that. Megatrons orders had come none too soon for the battered duo, but they did their jobs, they occupied the battlefield long enough to let the mission complete. Gaining altitude Runabout hauls Runamuck toward the ordered location.

Area 51

With Runabout and Runamuck secured, Blitzing transformed into his MiG-25 form and blasted off, heading towards the rally-point that Megatron had provided for them to fall back to. Blitzwing traveled with ease across the open sky, he had suffered almost no damage, but entered rather late into the battle.

Area 51

Blaster had been listening in, calculating his location to that of the wounded Autobots. Blaster was closing in on Aftershot’s last known position; finally he located the damaged Autobot and reported back to base.

“This is Blaster I got Aftershot and we are jamming out, over.”

Blaster said to let them know that he had found Aftershot, leaning down blaster picked Aftershot up and hoisted him over his shoulder. “You need to tone it down on the energon cookies.” Blaster said as he started to carry Aftershot on his shoulders towards the retreat position.

Approaching Autobot Rendezvous Point

Smokescreen made his way slowly across the desert landscape towards the rendezvous point. He was still in race car mode, unable to achieve more than a meak hobble on his damaged legs, and that wouldn’t get him anywhere fast. He was already frustrated with the slow speed he was forced to go now in order to conserve what little energon he had left. The Autobot racer wanted to speed along the open road in front of him, but he couldn’t risk stasis lock, not while there were still Decepticons in the area that could pick him off at a moment’s notice.

As he continued forward, Smokescreen began thinking about doing a cosmetic upgrade on his appearance when he returned to base. He had been considering it for several cycles now, ever since his fight with the battle chargers. After seeing how fast they switched modes, Smokey was looking specifically to shorten his transformation process. He also wanted to streamline and improve the design of his overall frame, making himself faster and more efficient. He loved his 350z alt mode. It was a great little race car, and it had always surprised him that the humans could build such a cool vehicle. However, there was still room for improvement. The CR chamber could do the modifications he wanted, but it would need to be programed with the specifications beforehand.

Arriving at the rendezvous point, Smokescreen transformed to robot mode and sat back against a nearby rock. As he waited for the others, some of whom were already approaching, Smokey pulled out a datapad and quickly began working on his new body design.

Approaching Decepticon Rendezvous Point

Skywarp listened as Thundercracker spoke. In all fairness, his seeker friend made some good points. Skywarp was more than capable of out flying and overpowering the Autobot flyer. But ‘Warp had underestimated his opponent and had become too cocky during the battle. Worse yet, he hadn’t learned from his initial mistakes after he first crashed out in the desert canyon. ‘Warp continued to be careless and reckless. But he wasn’t about to admit any of that to Thundercracker.

“Ahh, Aftershot just got lucky, ‘Cracker,” Skywarp responded, a bit annoyed. “I hit him plenty of times. The fragger just kept on coming. Like you said, he’s resilient.” Warp paused a moment before continuing. “And besides, I’m a bit rusty you know. Haven’t been in a proper air fight in a while. Stuck inside too much. I’ll tell you one thing, though. The next time me and that Autobot flier meet, the battle will end very differently. I’ll be better prepared. It won’t be me that goes down. It’ll be him that ends up full of holes.”

Area 51

Sludge didn’t understand Snarl’s sudden hostility towards their commander. Sure Grimlock was a tough mech to work for, but that’s what made him a strong leader. He expected you to pull your own weight, especially in battle, and he didn’t tolerate mistakes or weakness. Regardless, Grimlock was always dedicated to the other Dinobots even when he came off as arrogant or uncaring. Showing emotion was not something Grimlock excelled in, but that was also true for all the Dinobots.

“Hmmm, Snarl seems mad at you,” the Jungle Warrior said as he kept the Dinobot Commander from collapsing. “Him get over it.” It quickly became apparent that Grimlock would not be walking off this battlefield under his own power. He was far too weak and appeared to be on the verge of falling into stasis lock again. “You don’t look good, boss. I carry you from here.”

Having regained full motion in both arms, Sludge easily lifted Grimlock up and slung him over his shoulder. The Jungle Warrior slowly plodded forward. The extra weight made him slower than usual. After a few steps, Sludge stopped and looked around, puzzled. “Wait, which way we go?” The Dinobot said, as he caught sight of other Autobots heading off in one direction. “Hmm, I just follow them.”

Decepticon Rendezvous Point

Megatron and Soundwave landed at the rendezvous point in short order. The Decepticon leader took the opportunity to examine his troops as they arrived. They quickly arrived after he did in varying states of disrepair. There were some in stasis lock but the majority appeared to still be active. The battle had not gone according to plan, but it had gone well enough. The human base had been destroyed and most if not all trace of their presence on this world had been erased. A few human witnesses might have escaped, but it was of little importance.

He looked over at the stasis locked form of Shockwave. That had been the real prize of this mission. What exactly the long lost Decepticon scientist had been doing on this planet was a question he very much looked forward to having answered. It would have to wait until he was fully repaired though. The humans had done considerable damage to him, more so than they had done to the Dinobots.

The Decepticon clenched his fist. It truly would have been a great victory if they had been able to eliminate or capture the deactivated Dinobots. The Autobots had moved too quickly though and reactivated them. Their reactivation had forced his hand in calling down the Predacons and largely stalemated the battle. A full victory had been within their grasp and then slipped away. He would account for the presence of Grimlock and his team in any future plans.

With another quick glance around Megatron confirmed that all of the Decepticons were present. He nodded at Soundwave and the other Decepticon sent the recall order to the ship in orbit. The Decepticons teleported away in a flash of light.

OOC: All Decepticons who were in this thread can now move to the Decepticon base thread, even if they did not post their arrival at the rendezvous point. Just assume they made it there and were teleported with the rest of them.

Area 51

After getting the message from Blaster about Aftershot and seeing that Sunstreaker and Sideswipe were able to get the help they needed, Wheeljack decided it was time to take stock of the situation. He knew many of the other Autobots in the field were busy helping recover the wounded, including Optimus Prime, and with the human strike force inbound time was running out. The engineer knew someone had to start coordinating the situation given that Prime was presently occupied dragging the still stasis locked Slag to the extraction point. Wheeljack opened up a wide beam com signal so all the Autobot's in the field could hear him.

>>"Attention all Autobots, this is Wheeljack. By my calculations we have about a breem before the human strike force reaches our location, we need to go to the extraction point now. By my understand all wounded have been recovered, if not sound off and give us your location if you can. If not any 'Bot who has seen a wounded comrade yet to be recovered report his position now. If not head to the extraction point."<< After that was done he opened up a private signal to Prime. >>"Sorry Optimus if you feel that undermined your authority, but I figured we were running out of time and that someone had to act so we could get out of here."<<

Wheeljack then turned to Prowl.

"Alright, lets help Sunstreaker and Sideswipe and lets get the frag out of here!"

The engineer then made his way over to the stasis locked Sunstreaker and bent down to pick him up. Give his condition he was going to have to be carried out of the area.

Area 51

Swoop's grip tightened on his sword as he felt it clash with the blade of Divebomb. He could feel the rising heat from its tip, the hum of energy as it grew hotter and hotter. He stared into the face of his adversary, seething with rage and contempt for him. In his optics there was only raw, vengeful anger. Then, a sudden pause, as Divebomb became distracted by something. The Predacon then pushed him away, signaling his retreat from the battle.

"What?! No! You can't," Swoop retorted, but was instead met with several blasts from Divebomb's laser rifle. He took a shot to the chest before he began to plummet through the air. Gathering his wits, he transformed back to his dinosaur form and quickly regained his place in the sky. He watched as the Predacon flew off far into the distance, back to the rest of his sorry ilk. The pterosaur let out a loud, blood-curling screech in defiance, for all that he could do.

The Dinobot eventually made his way down to the ground, close to both Grimlock and Sludge. Not taking any notice of them at first, he gripped his sword in hand and brought it down with a forceful swing to the ground. He grit his teeth enraged, having been denied a chance to redeem himself, and take his justice out upon the one who wronged him so long ago.

"Divebomb, one day you won't run from me, and on that day, I swear I'll have your head." He said to himself grimly.

The Dinobot picked himself from up off the ground, having just then registered the message put out to Autobots in the field. Taking in his surroundings he saw Sludge struggling to help Grimlock across the battlefield. Sheathing his sword and his attitude, he walked over to the two, offering to Sludge,

"Come on, let me help you with him. You can't do all the heavy lifting."