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Peruvian Valley – Near Mine Entrance

“Laters, Grapple. C’mon Sidetrack, let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

"What's a popsicle stand?" Sidetrack looked at Swerve very confused. He transformed back into his Diesel Track Drill, slowly making alot of grinding noise as he forced himself into his inelegant alt-mode.

As he moved out to follow Swerve, Sidetrack could only think about what his crew would think of him now. Guess it didn't matter, their sparks have long since gone and their parts were left to rust in the wastes of long forgotten fields. That huge blue and red monster, that nightmare, was always there though. It was frustrating to think that now, he's working with the same bots that followed that slagging psycho with a saviour complex.

Peruvian Valley--Near Mine Entrance

“Laters, Grapple. C’mon Sidetrack, let’s blow this popsicle stand,” Swerve said.

"Until next time," the architect replied.

Grapple offered him a friendly wave before returning his attention to his own work. The cell was coming along nicely.

If only the rest of Autobot City could prove to be such a smooth endeavor.

[Skies above Peruvian Valley]

The gray Wrecker looked at the screens, looked back at Sunstreaker, and then again to the screens. They were heading back to this mudball. "Heh," Broadside chuckled, "Look where we are again. 'Bout time we rolled in here."

Turning to his fellow triple changer, Springer, he inquired, "What d'ya think we're being sent down here for?"

Skies above Peru - Longevity - Bridge

”What d’ya think we’re being sent down here for?”

“Because we don’t have any other option.” Springer responded back to his fellow triple-changer matter-of-factly. “Our original assignment was to link back up with the Guardian, but it appears they are no longer in orbit which raises some questions.” Springer looked over the various computer consoles and view screens to see if he could indicate any sort of answer for the rest of his crew. “Last I heard the base we’ve been building up down here was suited to hold the ’22, which means it’s our best option for Omega right now.”

Springer rose from his command chair and stepped up behind where Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were flying the craft. He reached over the yellow warrior’s shoulder and keyed in his clearance codes before activating the comm-switch.

>>”Ultra Magnus, it’s Springer. We’re back in Earth’s orbit and tried to link up with the Guardian, but she was nowhere to be found. We’re changing course and going to stop off at the Peruvian base down on the mud ball. We uh- we managed to pick up some valuable cargo during our venture...”<<

The green and yellow Wrecker then tapped a couple more keys into the console and switched channels on the comm device to the various mech’s currently in the Peruvian valley.

>>”This is Springer aboard the shuttle Longevity, reaching out to whoever is in charge of the Peru project. We’ve got precious cargo inbound to the site.”<<

[Skies above Peru - Shuttle Longevity]

Springer gave his usual old lecture, blah blah blah. The gray wrecker was itching to get some action, because all he had done since booting up was sit in a chair and watch boring footage.

"Magnus was on the Guardian, right? Wonder where he took the ship off to."

Looking back at the screens, seeing the badly damaged hull of the Omega guardian pinged something within Broadside's circuits. "I suppose if bringin' big ol' Omega down onto the mudball makes his recovery better, it's all for the best then. Wouldn't wanna see him go away yet. Heh, I haven't even gotten started with the big guy yet."

Broadside leaned backward. "Sandy, wanna set a bet? I bet ya some shanix that Sky Lynx is gonna talk longer about his stories than the time it takes for Omega to get repaired."

Construction Site

Progress on the future "Autobot City" had been going about as well as Grapple could hope for: he had been allocated a reasonable amount of resources and pretty much left to his own devices since then. The security cell that Ultra Magnus had commissioned had been completed and other foundational work was coming along nicely. All in all, it was a pretty peaceful assignment, like something he would have been paid quite a bit to complete back on Cybertron before the war. So when not only a transmission came through, to say nothing of some impending signals, Grapple practically fell out of his seat.

>>”This is Springer aboard the shuttle Longevity, reaching out to whoever is in charge of the Peru project. We’ve got precious cargo inbound to the site.”<<

>>"Springer! So good to hear from you. You've some exciting stories to share with all of us, I've no doubt. Um, let's see. Yes, I see you have some considerable cargo in tow. But no worries, this site is designed to accommodate all of it, even if it is a work in progress. I have a specific area where your shuttle can land and....welll...if that's who I think it is, he can land wherever he wishes and I'll just build around him, heheh."<<
___

Skies above Peru - Longevity - Bridge

"Magnus was on the Guardian, right? Wonder where he took the ship off to."

"If I know Magnus, he'll have his mission logs updated and-yep. They are....well, it's about slagging time. They're headed for Sol to dispose of the unholy spark they managed to collect," Sunstreaker said idly.
___

"Sandy, wanna set a bet? I bet ya some shanix that Sky Lynx is gonna talk longer about his stories than the time it takes for Omega to get repaired," Broadside continued.

"Hmmmmm," Sandstorm said, pondering the odds of the wager as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Bet. 100 shanix."

Omega Supreme

>>”Springer to Arclight, how’s everything holding up back there? How’s the Big Guy handling?”<<

A welcome distraction from the awkward situation that she had found herself in, Arclight put a hand to the side of her head and walked away to the other side of the room.

>>”Springer! Oh! Ah…Omega Supreme seems alright for now. He needs real repairs. More than what we can do right now. And like all of the energon we can get. He’s running on empty. Where are we now?”<<

Arclight looked to the other occupants of the fuel reservoir. >>”I think our guests are antsy to see high command.”<<


SKY LYNX

Their reactions were about what he thought they would be. Sky Lynx could do little to comfort them. It was a rather large blow to the Autobots in general. He nodded sagely though they couldn’t see it. He was about to further elaborate when he saw what they were headed for. Not an Autobot ship, but the planet’s surface. Greenery and mountains. What was the meaning of this?!

>>”Springer! Springer! Where is the Guardian? What’s the meaning of this? I demand to be kept informed!”<<

Sky Lynx scuttled up Omega Supreme’s hull, careful to avoid injuring the old bean further and leaned his head over, looking down. Blast, what a dirty planet. Perhaps he’d stay perched on Omega Supreme. Above everyone. Er- watching over everyone. Yes. The perfect sentinel.

>>”I don’t know many of the details, but we’ll be landing soon. It’s best to ask those stationed at that work in progress below.”<<

“Work in progress?” Redline muttered, glancing to Indygo as she went on her little over dramatic sob story. Weird one that. But…she did owe him so. Best get down there sooner than later. It’d be nice to stretch his wings. Plus, big bird didn’t seem to know much more about Prime’s demise. “So you girlies ready to see what the frontline looks like?”

Sky Lynx

Indygo's "waterworks" had produced the desired effect. Sky Lynx echoed her "mournful cries" and Redline...still unreadable. Indygo decided to pause on that front, for the time being.

She caught herself as Sky Lynx rattled. Thoughts of attack were quickly disproven. She looked outside the birdformer and saw that they had entered the atmosphere of a planet. An organic planet, by the looks of it. Disgusting.

I thought we were meeting up with the rest of the fleet.

Sky Lynx wrote:>>”I don’t know many of the details, but we’ll be landing soon. It’s best to ask those stationed at that work in progress below.”<<

Great. My over glorified transport knows nothing about their destination. Predictable, but still damned irritating.

Indygo looked outside again to see that they were descending into some city, still in construction. Indygo smiled. It was comforting, seeing a symbol of Cybertronian superiority on a planet such as this.

Redline wrote:“So you girlies ready to see what the frontline looks like?”

Millennia of keeping her temper in check kept Indygo from activating the explosive device on Redline. She simply gave the mech a grin. "I've been put of the action for too long. I'm looking forward to stretching my legs and getting a new mission."

Indygo threw a glance over to Quickslinger. "How about you?"

Abroad the Ever-so Humble Sky Lynx

Quickslinger felt herself lose balance as Sky Lynx scuttled about over Omega Supreme. She grabbed hold of something as not to tumble over.

Sky Lynx wrote:>>”I don’t know many of the details, but we’ll be landing soon. It’s best to ask those stationed at that work in progress below.”<<

Sure could've stuck to an easier landing, pal.

Quickslinger let go of what she held onto. She went through a weapons check. Both of pistols were loaded. Shotgun loaded. MIMS online and calibrated. Yes, weapons where a go.

Redline wrote: “So you girlies ready to see what the frontline looks like?”

Quickslinger quickly shelved her grief. As much as she'd like to know more, the war was more important right now.

Seeing the moment as a chance to show off a little, Quickslinger's hands quickly went down to his hips. Quickly, she jerk her pistols out with a grin, twirling them in her hands for a sec before grasping tight upon them. "I was made ready."

---------->

Sky Lynx's movements were a little more jarring to the remaining pods. One of the more lose ones tumbled the the ground, the door shattering upon impact with the metal door. The bot with slumped forward and fell out, fluid quickly pooling around.

Stargazer's optics fluttered open. Where am I...? He groaned and rolled over, shielding his optics from the lights that filtered in.

"...is the war over...?" He called out.

Construction Site

After what seemed like vorns of being below ground, the Construction Patrol find themselves above ground. Takedown looks around and found the mech he wanted to find. He then led his team over to Grapple.

"The underground work is nearly complete for the city, Grapple. The barracks, medical bay, labs, and training facilities are basically ready. The big thing now is moving in the equipment for them. Since you are up here you have better idea of the command center.

After they walk over there, the group heard the noise of the new arrivals.

"Hey Grapple, did you order a giant rocket, a white and blue shuttle dino bird, and the Longivity? I know this city is designed for such guests but figured it would be a couple more Earth months before anyone arrived."

"Umm...Takedown, that isn't just any ordinary rocket. I think it is the omega sentinel Omega Supreme. The dino bird is Sky Lynx I believe. I do agree it is odd to having such visitors to an incomplete city."

"Wait a minute, you mean the legendary Omega Supreme? He would be something to enjoy. As for the self absorbed Sky Lynx, I don't know which is worse the dino bird or Prowl."

Behind Takedown the Construction Patrol tried their best to hide the laughter emitting from their vocal boxes.

Longevity - Bridge

>>”Springer! So good to hear from you. You've some exciting stories to share with all of us, I've no doubt. Um, let's see. Yes, I see you have some considerable cargo in tow. But no worries, this site is designed to accommodate all of it, even if it is a work in progress. I have a specific area where your shuttle can land and....welll...if that's who I think it is, he can land wherever he wishes and I'll just build around him, heheh."<<

>>”Understood Grapple, we’ll try to ease our way in gently this time.”<<

“Alright boys, save the acrobatics and crazy flying for another time. Let’s give Omega the gentlest landing sequence he’s ever got.” Springer then pressed a few keys and transferred Grapple’s suggested coordinates to Sunstreaker and Sideswipe’s consoles.

As he waited to hear back from Ultra Magnus, the green and yellow Wrecker’s comm was blowing up as both Arclight and Sky Lynx were trying to get back to him.

>>Springer! Oh! Ah…Omega Supreme seems alright for now. He needs real repairs. More than what we can do right now. And like all of the energon we can get. He’s running on empty. Where are we now? I think our guests are antsy to see high command.”<<

>>”Earth. Or rather more specifically, a scarcely inhabited area in a region known as ‘Purr-Roo’. Guardian seems to be on its own mission for now so we’ll set up camp here until they get back and see that the big guy in tow can get some much needed R&R.”<<

>>”Springer! Springer! Where is the Guardian? What is the meaning of this? I demand to be kept informed!”<<

Was it possible to slap a muzzle on someone through comm-links was the thought ringing in Springer’s processor as his audio receptors nearly bled to the shrieks of everyone’s favorite Cloud Kitten. If he ever ran into Perceptor again he’d have to put in a request for such an idea. Or maybe Brainstorm... Sounds more up his alley.

>>”Ay ay ay, I’m getting info just as fast as you are here!”<< He defensively chided back, >>”Ultra Magnus seems to have other priorities at the moment, so rather than haul an injured Omega around, we’re gonna set him down and let him get some repairs done while we wait for Shoulder Pads’ return. Unless you wanna fly to the Guardian’s location, welcome to Sol-3.”<<

Closing his comm line with Sky Lynx, the green and yellow triplechanger leaned back a bit in his seat to try and find some comfort given the franticness of all these calls.

“Next time ‘Lynx tries to call, can one of you grab it for me? Processor feels like it’s about to hit overload...”

>>"Copy that, Springer. I'm going to patch you in on this as well. Get your soldiers settled and advise us all as to the nature of this cargo."<<

Fragging finally! And to think Ultra Magnus was the more timely one. Pressing a couple keys on his command chair, Springer turned his private comm over to broadcast throughout the bridge cabin of the Longevity.

>>”Turns our weapons test escalated into a brief confrontation with Decepticon presence around the outer edges of the Sol system. Scourge seemed to be following something, or rather someone into the system. Omega Supreme. We did what we could to assist and the ‘Cons turned tail probably to go lick their wounds, but Omega is in rough shape and looking for Prime. Oh, and Sky Lynx too, forgot to mention. Seeing as you’re all heading towards Sol, we’ve decided to go and set Omega Supreme down in Peru for the time being so he can get some much needed repairs and so we could possibly find out why he was being chased.”<<

Yeah that seemed like a brief enough summary.

Autobot City Site

The gradual emergence of the Construction Patrol seemed to bode well for the work that was taking place below ground. Grapple could only hope, at least.

"The underground work is nearly complete for the city, Grapple. The barracks, medical bay, labs, and training facilities are basically ready. The big thing now is moving in the equipment for them. Since you are up here you have better idea of the command center."

"Splendid!" Grapple said, pleased that he would be able to report back to High Command that they now had operational spaces to work within planetside. "Fortunately, logistics will be someone else's responsibility. I simply need to deliver a suitable space. That seems to be progressing as well as I'd hoped."

The patrollers then proceeded to get into a discussion about the new arrivals.

"Indeed. I didn't think Autobot City would be put to use quite yet, but, the war--as it often seems to--dictates otherwise."

>>”Understood Grapple, we’ll try to ease our way in gently this time,”<< came Springer's jovial transmission. Grapple simply sent back nonverbal acknowledgement. Springer sometimes had a reputation for being a hothead on the battlefield, but far more often than not, he had proven to be an exemplar of the Autobot ideal, showing equal measures of courage on the battlefield and concern for those fighting alongside him. Grapple had no doubt he would treat Omega Supreme carefully until such time as the mighty Guardian could resume looking after himself and, in truth, the rest of them. As he had done on many occasions in the past.
___

Longevity--Bridge

“Alright boys, save the acrobatics and crazy flying for another time. Let’s give Omega the gentlest landing sequence he’s ever got," Springer ordered.

A quip almost immediately formed in Sunstreaker's mind, but he held it there, this time. Omega Supreme was one of the few mechanoids who had earned his complete respect over time. Supremely competent at what he did, and yet supremely loyal to Optimus Prime. He was a rare creature indeed and, truth be told, one of the reasons that the goldenrod warrior had remained an Autobot when certain doubts had crept into his mind in vorns past.

The not-so-distant past, in some cases.

"Will do. Easing down as gently as this shuttle can manage," Sunstreaker said as he kept his eye on the various speed gauges and the angle and rate of their descent.

Autobot City Site

As the team continued to look at the new arrivals coming towards them, Neutro started to notice the damage on Omega Supreme.

"Hey Grapple, do we know what Omega was involved in recently? I can't tell much yet but looks like he got some pretty big holes to fix. I do wonder if Omega will be a permanent resident or until he is back in operational shape. I have to admit, I can't see him fitting anywhere on the ships. Oh, this reminded me, last I knew the Ark-22 was supposed to eventually become part of the base. Is that still on the agenda or will Omega make things a bit tougher?"

Takedown shook his head. They were barely ready for some of the finer tuning of the construction and equipment being brought in. The thought of having Omega Supreme staying down here as possible permanent part would be interesting. Hopefully though his large passenger would be back in space once the dinobird got bored.

"So do we have direct orders from high command or will the Longivity fill us in?"

[Skies above Peru - Shuttle Longevity]

The Mean Green Bean Himself - Springerino! wrote:“Next time ‘Lynx tries to call, can one of you grab it for me? Processor feels like it’s about to hit overload...”

"Sure thing. I'll grab the call... and slap a muffler on top of it!" Broadside laughed at Springer. "Good thing I ain't commander, wouldn't want his highness throwing me calls at top volume either!"

Broadside opened up the console in front of him. He wanted to know a little bit more about this mudball they keep visiting. Upon looking around a little bit, he found some details about this place that they were headed. Some sort of strange mudball language, but the translator got through that. "Purroo? Peeruh? Peru? Geez, mudlings and their language." He looked through the images, which did actually seem a little nice to look at. Primitive, but still pleasant.

He kept looking through the databases, learning strange things about the planet, such as a thing called Bricks, which was both some sort of construction material and a type of naval vehicle. The naval vehicle looked cool, maybe he'd replace his current one with that iteration instead. Certainly was very flat, but also looked like a monster's worth of firepower. The other brick, the construction material, had a strange entry on it. Apparently it was used as a throwable weapon. "Do ya think this Brick thing is any good? Looks like it's a pretty lethal thing for the inhabitants of this mudball. Tch, if only we had something like this," Broadside mumbled to no one in particular.

Inside Omega Supreme – Skies over Peru

Arclight wrote:“Okay, okay. I got it. Just friends. Don’t worry! Just a mistunderstanding! And I mean, Howl, I wouldn’t…think poorly of you for having that or having friends! Everyone deserves someone special. I mean…You’re a nice mech! I like you! ER! I mean! We’re friends, aren’t we?!”

Howlstrike rolled his optics back into his cranial unit and let out yet another sigh. “Sure. Why not? Never had a femme friend before. Could be fun.” The former Predacon was making friends left and right all of a sudden after only having Kup as a real friend for most of his time as an Autobot. Many still didn’t like him or trust him, but both Blindside and now Arclight seemed to not care so much about his past. Of course, maybe if they knew some of the gory details they would be less inclined to be so friendly with him.

Arclight wrote:“Sorry, I’ll just…I’ll shut up about that now.”

“Please do,” the lupine tracker replied as Arclight let out her own sigh before waving her hand in front of Blindside’s faceplate. Of course, she got no response from him.

Arclight wrote:“What’s with him, anyway? Do you think he’s too embarrassed to move?”

“Heh, if he could hear you he’d probably be embarrassed,” Howlstrike said with a chuckle. “Normally, Blindy here just can’t see, but because of Omega’s booming voice, he can’t hear you now, either. Hurts his overly sensitive audio receptors or some such thing. He can only ‘hear’ you if you use your internal comm. So, if you want to talk to him, do that.”

Howlstrike then switched to his comm link with Blindside: >>”Hey, Blindy. Arclight here wants to know if you’re okay. I told her to comm you.”<<

It was then that the nervous femme walked to the other side of the chamber as she placed her hand to the side of her head. She seemed to be talking to someone. “Hey, sweetspark!” Howl called over to Arclight. “Who you talking to? We almost back to Sol-3 yet or what?”

Autobot City Construction Site

It had taken a bit longer than Bluestreak would’ve liked, but the massive hangar doors had been assembled to everyone’s satisfaction at the enlarged entrance to the human mine where the Ark-22 would eventually land and slide into. The rails, chains and gears were secured and the large engine that would run it all was hooked up. The doors, themselves, surprisingly didn’t take as long as the rest. With the help of the build-bots under his supervision, the Autobot gunner had managed to get them installed in a timely manner, putting them together piece by piece before welding everything in place. It had taken the rest of yesterday and all night, but it finally was completed.

“All right, great job, everyone!” Bluestreak began, patting a number of the build-bots on their backs. “You guys were a great help. Couldn’t have done it without you! I tell you, you all put the Constructicons to shame. No way they could’ve done a better job than you. No way! Heh!”

The Construction Patrol then exited the underground tunnels and gave Grapple an update on their progress before noticing the new arrivals in the sky. Bluestreak moved towards Grapple, as well, with the intent of informing him that the hangar doors were finished when his attention was drawn skyward. “Yeah, that’s Omega Supreme, all right! And Sky Lynx and the Longevity, too! Looks like Omega’s been in some kind of battle to have that kind of damage. It appears that he’s being towed, as well. He must be low on power or maybe even out of power. Must of been one hell of a fight. Guess they decided to bring him down here instead of keeping him in orbit. Probably a good thing since the Guardian is supposed to head to the sun to dispose of the Fallen’s spark and the Ark-22 is supposed to land here, anyway. That’s not changed as far as I know. They better get Omega on the ground and behind the holographic mountain quick before the natives notice him.”

Taking a breath, Bluestreak then turned to address Grapple. “So, the build-bots and I finished installing those big-aft hangar doors at the mine entrance. We left them open, of course, so we can go in and out without any delay. So, is what I assumed earlier true? Is the Ark-22 going to still land and be a part of Autobot City, or will the arrival of Omega Supreme change that? I mean, he has a base mode if I’m not mistaken. He might make a better addition to Autobot City than the Ark. Of course, that’s once Omega’s fixed. He may not even be able to transform out of his rocket form until he’s fully functional again. Just an idea.”

“Does he ever shut up?” One of the build-bots could be heard whispering a short distance away while another build-bot simply shrugged and covered his audio receptors.

Autobot City Construction Site

Gears tried to make it habit to listen to his fellow Autobots as much as possible. It not only helped his gauge their intention, but they also helped him focus his talents. Talents that were currently being ignored as he put to use his basic function: hauling.

Not that he had a problem with hauling things from here to there — it was what he was designed for, after all — but it was tedious, boring work. If he were younger, he’d probably put in for a transfer to a cushy job running things.

Like Grapple or Bluestreak.

But that would mean he’d have to alter his programming just a tad, and that was something he didn’t like. He preferred the simpler things. Let them have the glitches a job like this caused. Besides, who wouldn’t love him as their boss? It’s not like he wasn’t a joy to be around. He wasn’t Huffer, for Primus’ sake.

Pulling up near to where Grapple and Bluestreak stood, he transformed and watched Omega Supreme and the others were flown overhead.

Even as damaged as he appeared, Omega was always an impressive sight. Until he needed someone to crawl around in him to fix something. Then he was the universe’s biggest tinker toy/obstacle course.

Rocking back and forth, Gears waited for Bluestreak’s processor to run out of language algorithms, then asked either one of them, “So, I suppose you want me to do something else, now? Of course, I guess I’ll be hauling energon or something else to the big guy why everyone else rests. Not like I don’t have better things to do.”

Autobot City Construction Site

Neutro looked over at Gears and Bluestreak. With the mention of the blast doors being brought up, the Construction Patrol leader looked over there and was amazed at the work. Blast doors aren't real complicated but still impressive considering Bluestreak usual assignments.

"Nice job on the blast doors, Bluestreak. I'm glad others are willing to expand their functions to something beyond their normal perimeters."

Neutro than turns his attention to Gears and the obvious energy issues with Omega Supreme.

"Hmm, Gears, you might be right. The problem with someone his size is the amount of energon cubes he will need. I would expect somewhere around 30-40 to get him up and going for basic operations. It probably be closer to 100 for full power. Right now we don't have the 100 in general let alone to spare. However, I think between the few cubes we can spare and the energy collectors this base already has set up, we might be able to tie Omega directly into the line to recharge him slowly and safely. It will still take a while but I would expect the big guy to be used to it by now. Do you think Magnus would allow the changes, Grapple?"

Priority-1 transmission from Ultra Magnus to Springer

>>"We read you Springer. Get your men settled. I have a feeling it won't be long before a number of us begin to utilize the Autobot City site in order to best figure out how to defend this planet."<<
___

Skies above Peru - Shuttle Longevity

"Easy, easy, easy," Sandstorm said, mostly to himself, as he steered the ship and their considerably valuable cargo down to the Autobot City site.

"Must you talk to yourself?" Sunstreaker hissed, monitoring his own gauges.

"Helps me concentrate. Shh," Sandstorm rebuffed the goldenrod.

"Do ya think this Brick thing is any good? Looks like it's a pretty lethal thing for the inhabitants of this mudball. Tch, if only we had something like this," Broadside said. Sandstorm looked over for the briefest of moments, chuckling when he saw what Broadside was referring to.

"I've read some sort of datafile about Little Pigs building their houses out of it. Must be very lethal stuff."

The shuttle shook slightly as Omega was maneuvered into position. Sandstorm then adjusted the controls and continued on with a normal landing pattern for the Longevity. After a few short moments, it, too, came to rest.

"And voila, another masterpiece landing," Sandstorm said, smirking and obviously pleased with himself.

Autobot City construction Site

sumowrestler wrote:Neutro than turns his attention to Gears and the obvious energy issues with Omega Supreme.

"Hmm, Gears, you might be right. The problem with someone his size is the amount of energon cubes he will need. I would expect somewhere around 30-40 to get him up and going for basic operations. It probably be closer to 100 for full power. Right now we don't have the 100 in general let alone to spare. However, I think between the few cubes we can spare and the energy collectors this base already has set up, we might be able to tie Omega directly into the line to recharge him slowly and safely. It will still take a while but I would expect the big guy to be used to it by now. Do you think Magnus would allow the changes, Grapple?"

Well, what do you know. That’s right, Neutro, coax Grapple along. There’s some promise in that mech. He gave Neutro an approving glance, then quickly rest his faceplate into its usual sour setting.

He knew any change would most likely be credited to Grapple. Not because he would claim it (though if it were touted as genius, he fully expected it) but because Magnus would probably end their conversation quickly after Grapple laid out the basics of the idea.

Though Grapple meant well, there was only so much self-backplate patting any mech could endure witnessing. Especially when the victi… focus is Ultra Magnus. At least he’ll be gentler than I would in ending it.

Still, he was pleased his latest tactic had worked, at least in part. As Neutro finished, Gears added, “It could be the answer we need, not that a creative genius wouldn’t have already thought of it. I’ll start working through the easiest routes to transport the energon while you work things out.”

Autobot City Site

"Hey Grapple, do we know what Omega was involved in recently? I can't tell much yet but looks like he got some pretty big holes to fix. I do wonder if Omega will be a permanent resident or until he is back in operational shape. I have to admit, I can't see him fitting anywhere on the ships. Oh, this reminded me, last I knew the Ark-22 was supposed to eventually become part of the base. Is that still on the agenda or will Omega make things a bit tougher?"

"We do not, sadly. But I have no doubts that those aboard will be willing to share all the details of their adventure. It certainly appears to have been an interesting one," Grapple said, watching as the large craft and its cargo maneuvered their way into position. "As far as I know, nothing about the agenda has changed. If it does, command will inform me, I'm sure. Omega shouldn't complicate matters much. It will be good for this site to be as adaptable as possible."

“All right, great job, everyone!” Bluestreak began, patting a number of the build-bots on their backs. “You guys were a great help. Couldn’t have done it without you! I tell you, you all put the Constructicons to shame. No way they could’ve done a better job than you. No way! Heh!” Bluestreak chimed in, echoing Grapple's sentiments. They were all putting a great deal of effort into this site. It was always good for builders to start seeing the fruits of their labors.

“So, the build-bots and I finished installing those big-aft hangar doors at the mine entrance. We left them open, of course, so we can go in and out without any delay. So, is what I assumed earlier true? Is the Ark-22 going to still land and be a part of Autobot City, or will the arrival of Omega Supreme change that? I mean, he has a base mode if I’m not mistaken. He might make a better addition to Autobot City than the Ark. Of course, that’s once Omega’s fixed. He may not even be able to transform out of his rocket form until he’s fully functional again. Just an idea,” Bluestreak inquired further.

"As far as I know, nothing's changed. But as you said, with the arrival of Omega Supreme...everything has sort of changed. Still, I've heard nothing from the higher-ups. I suspect if Magnus and Prowl want to reallocate resources, we'll be among the first to know."

“So, I suppose you want me to do something else, now? Of course, I guess I’ll be hauling energon or something else to the big guy why everyone else rests. Not like I don’t have better things to do,” Gears interjected, in a typically Gearsian fashion. Grapple paid it no mind.

"I think we might all be hauling a fair amount of energon, so we can get Omega back on his feet. Where it's going to come from is another matter. We're not exactly sitting on any excess supplies."

Neutro continued on and basically laid out the same concerns as Grapple. Then the conversation turned to how best to recharge Omega. It was then that Neutro came up with a rather innovative suggestion.

"If you can make that work, do it. I have no doubts that having a functional Omega Supreme has suddenly become one of high command's top priorities."

Autobot City Site

Insidious wrote:"I think we might all be hauling a fair amount of energon, so we can get Omega back on his feet. Where it's going to come from is another matter. We're not exactly sitting on any excess supplies."

Gears ingnored that he'd been ignored, and Grapple's general response earned him a harumph from Gears as a slight scowl etched its way across his faceplate. It was the builder's way of placating him. Or just those he considers a nuisance but needed, Gears mused. Besides, it wasn't Grapple's style to leave all the work to others. He was too much of a perfectionsit. But hauling energon? Gears would believe that when he saw it.

He thought he heard a snicker or two from the other mechss, but he couldn't be certain. When he casually glanced over, they were milling about, waiting for their orders.

In the old days, I would've gotten more than that. A thumb's up or nod, at the very least. Even a lousy groan from someone. Maybe I've been doing this for too long. I may need to change my approach. Not that'll it do any good...

Primus! Now I'm compaining to myself!

He resisted the urge to sigh or rub the bridge of his nose as he'd seen humans do. Though maybe it'd add more dramatic effect to his endeavor? It was definitley energon for thought.

When Grapple gave the go ahead to Neutro's idea, he nodded and mumbled to himself, "Two of a kind. Couldn't be in better hands."

Sky Lynx

Feeling another of the CR pods inside him break open, Sky Lynx gave an involuntary shudder. As they drew closer to the landing area, he deigned that it would be best for Omega if he wasn’t climbing all over the guardian. He’d been careful to avoid aggravating his injuries, but still…landing could be rough unless you were Sky Lynx.

Letting go, Sky Lynx took the skies once more and prepared for landing. Springer’s comm back to him at least informed him a few things. Landing beside the shuttle and Omega with an ease that was to be envied, he curled up and lowered a ramp.

“Alright, out! Everyone! We’re here.”

Redline stepped out first and scratched his head at what he saw.

“Not really what I was expecting. Organic world, huh? Well, Prime does like his fleshies…” He stepped onto terra firma and would have grimaced if he’d had a face. It was squishy. Glancing back, he could see Sky Lynx wasn’t a huge fan of it either.

>>”Erm…there wouldn’t happen to be someplace less…”<< Sky Lynx commed to the Longevity, >>”Disgusting to be, would there?”<<


Omega Supreme

“Hey, sweetspark!” Howl called over to Arclight. “Who you talking to? We almost back to Sol-3 yet or what?”

“Springer,” she called back. “It seems like we’re there? I just-“ Arclight stumbled as Omega Supreme landed. “Oh, looks like we’re here.” She smiled at them. “Let’s go! Er, don’t you think?”

Blindside stirred at Howl’s comm and the sudden vibration through Omega Supreme. That felt fairly final. Like they had landed. Onlining his audios, he managed to catch the last bit of Arclight’s question and stood up. “If we’ve landed then…certainly. Ready, Howl?” It was a bit of a relief to be able to hear again. Still, he didn’t want to linger too long if Omega Supreme was going to start speaking again.

Autobot City Site

Mirage was in awe. It was the Omega Guardian himself, such an exquisite sight to see. He looked around to find everyone else rushing around to prepare for landings and such. Seeing everyone bustling about felt a bit hectic to the spy, because he'd rather have everyone being calm and relaxed, going about their own business. But, what could he do?

He saw some other mechs pouring out of Sky Lynx, who happened to land close to where he was standing. And of course, the space dragon was rambling about things, as usual. Mirage caught eye of a black and orange cycloptic mech. Wanting to be filled in, he hoped that the large mech would have some information.

As the mech approached his direction, Mirage, with a calm, collected and charming visage (which he was somewhat faking) greeted him. "Greetings, gentlemech," he said, "How might you fare?" He chuckled at the mech's comment about the organic planet and its fleshies.

Autobot City Site

Indygo held onto the interior of Sky Lynx as he made his final approaches. She cursed under her breath at the indignity of atmospheric flight. Fighting nausea, the assassin willingly obeyed the space bird's suggestion to disembark.

She scowled, at least internally, at the world before her. It was uglier up close. Organic life. What a cosmic joke.

Indygo took great comfort at the sight of Omega Supreme. A grand image of Cybertronian superiority on a world such as the one under her.

Despite echoing Redline's and Sky Kittie's opinion of Earth, Indygo reminded herself of the part she played. The femme smiled. "Aww, it isn't that bad! Look at the light, and the colors!"

Another figure approached. Indygo's database identified him as Mirage. She took a quick glance at his bio. Ooh, how interesting. She stood off to the side as he introduced himself to Redline.

Autobot City Site - Longevity

Sandstorm was quick to congratulate his piloting skills as the shuttle cane to a complete stop. Springer smirked at his fellow Wrecker’s comment and patted him on the shoulder before he pivoted on his heel. His next stop was to meet up with Grapple and see what the architect could have in mind for getting Omega Supreme back into a better state of being.

“You guys are free to wander around now.” Springer called back into the cabin as he began to leave, “Just don’t all walk off too far away, no idea how long we’ll be staying here.” With that said, the green and yellow Triplechanger took his leave.

-

When the bulkhead opened, Springer was immediately greeted with the slight chill of Earth’s atmosphere breezing over his armor. The terrain reminded him of Uluru, back when they were up against the Fallen and his heralds. Crazy how calm everything seemed now despite what had transpired only a short while ago...

Eying the bright orange construction bot, Springer raised his hand to signal Grapple to his in-person arrival.

“‘Ey! Grapple!” He called as he approached the architect, “Sorry about the last minute call but the situation developed faster than we were expected. Hope our arrival won’t put your guys’ hard work off track.”

Springer’s comm then began to chime again, interrupting his talks with Grapple. It was the Cloud Kitten again, this time to further his complaints with the planet’s less than metallic terrain.

>>”I didn’t get to pick the venue this time, Lynx.”<< Looking over to see the massive draconian Autobot, Springer held his arm up high and signaled for the giant Autobot to come over his way. >>”Don’t be rude now, get over here and apologize to Grapple for insulting the landscape he’s working hard to turn into a base for us.”<<