The Energon Pub

Commander’s Office

Prowl nodded as Ultra Magnus agreed that landing the Guardian on the surface and using it as their ground-based outpost was the ideal choice. Even though he was no longer in charge of things and handing out orders, the military strategist’s influence was still ever present and would hopefully remain that way if Prowl had any say in the matter. Working behind the scenes was what the black and white did best, devising the tactics that would eventually lead the Autobots to victory. Finally, he was back in his comfort zone. Just like old times, but with a different leader.

Of course, Magnus had bigger plans for the Earth-based outpost than a simple frigate hidden away in the South American mountains. The City Commander made his intentions known that he would speak with the engineers on board to develop plans for a subterranean base of operations that would be even more difficult to locate either by the Decepticons or the indigenous population. It was a sound concept, one that would likely be an extension of the Guardian, itself, where the ship could link to the underground structure via a docking port and therefore be able to escape at a moments notice if the base was ever located and breached by the enemy.

Ultra Magnus then reiterated how important the scouting mission was in reestablishing their own advantage on the ground in the current climate of uncertainty. Prowl nodded again, knowing full well what needed to be done and the reasons why. “Of course, Commander Magnus. I fully understand the urgency of this mission. Silverbolt and I will plan everything out to the last detail. I will comm you once the plans are finalized.”

With his dismissal given, Prowl stood from his chair and gave the City Commander a respectful salute. The black and white then turned and looked down at Kup who was still seated. “I’ll see you later, old timer. Take it easy while I’m off scouting rocks.” Prowl cracked a friendly smile and patted Kup on the shoulder plate before walking over to the entranceway. The security screen dropped as the doors parted, allowing the military strategist to exit the commander’s office.

Bridge

Once out on the main bridge again, Prowl quickly opened a comm line to the Aerialbot Commander:

>>”Silverbolt, this is Prowl. I require your assistance on the bridge at once. Ultra Magnus has given us new orders to plan a scouting mission to Earth. This is a very important operation and there is much preparation that needs to be done before we can commence, so make haste.”<<

Cutting his comm link, Prowl made his way to the science station at the far side of the bridge. Normally, Perceptor would be manning this post, but he was currently occupied with studying the new ore and thus the terminal was free. After taking a seat in front of the monitor, the strategist wasted no time in accessing the database of Earth's geography and pulling up a 3D representation of the Andes Mountain range that spanned the entire coastline of the South American continent. It was hundreds of miles long with many potential areas to consider when determining the perfect place to put an outpost, whether it be temporary or permanent. Hopefully, with Silverbolt’s help, they would be able to narrow things down quickly and develop a grid map of the best region in which to begin scouting.

Training Hall

"I'm doin' good, Air Raid. A bit restless, you know. I want to get down planet side," the Protectobot said.

Streetwise glanced back when he heard the Aerialbot Commander return to the room. He nodded in acknowledgement to Silverbolt. The interceptor was happy to let the Aerialbot Commander say whatever he needed to to his teammates. When he and Blades were invited to join in the training session, Streetwise was all to eager to accept. It would be great to get off of his aft and finally do something. Even if it was only training, it was productive.

"You bet I'm in! What about you, Blades?" Streetwise asked, knowing his comrade's restlessness all too well.

Training Hall

"Old Buddy?" Slingshot repeated with a venom laced sarcastic response. The last time those two had exchanged words, Blades had insulted the jet's very value to the operation in the Iranian Desert. It was because of him that the casualties list was inhabited solely by injured and did not hint at the specter of fatalities. But that didn't seem to satisfy the Protectobot search and rescue copter... An Air Beater. Slingshot inwardly smiled at the nickname and intended to make it into a vast array of new titles for the Protectobot.

Instinctively the sharpshooter tightened the digits of his right hand as it balled into a solid woven fist. His knuckles were churned outwards as if ready to finish what was started in the Medical Facilities earlier that day. The weights fell to their tractor restraints with an audible 'clack' as Slingshot pulled himself from the machine and forced his fingers to flex in order to remove the stain of premeditated violence towards another Autobot.

No one ever appreciated when he did anything right, and for the most part he didn't blame them. He knew that he wasn't the hero who grabbed the headlines, even though he knew he deserved to be, and deep down he knew that there were times where his physical weakness and lower attributes had made him a burden to the various squads he had been assigned to over the course of the war. It sort of explained why he had been transferred more times than he cared to count. Still when he earned the headlines, he earned accolades, he earned the right to actually take the spotlight, rather than step into someone else's fame and hog it for himself, well Slingshot drew a line somewhere in that mix.

Before Slingshot could release all of his emotions into a vicious tirade, that would undoubtedly lead to a more primal exchange of ideas, a large broad hand gently came to rest on his shoulder. Without glancing up to see who the silver finger tips belonged to, the smallest flier released an audible sigh of resignation. His optics dropped to the deck briefly before he glanced up at the two Protectobots. "Its an open gym, if you want to get a quick release in before deployment then be my guest. Course if you break your rotor actuators, don't come crying to either of us."

Quietly he sent a simple text message to Silverbolt along their private link. 'Thanks,' was all it would convey. Of course simple lettering could not shed light to whether or not Slingshot meant it as a sarcastic biting comment or a genuine article, it was an ambiguity that the Sharpshooter was intent on leaving intact for the time being.

"Look, regardless of what happened back in the Medbay..." He paused as the communications link activated for Silverbolt. The audio volume was high enough so that most around could hear the voice and portions of the message on the other end. Not wasting a second to press the advantage Slingshot's face brightened with a satisfied grin. "... it still appears we're about to get off this rust junker for a bit of R and R." He couldn't help but laugh at the thought of finally being able to spread his newly repaired wings and hunt down some Decepticon scrap for some well deserved target practice.

Commander's Office

Kup frowned as Prowl and Magnus began discussing plans. It looked like with Magnus taking command he was going to be cut out of the loop, despite reassurances to the contrary. That was fine he supposed, he’d rather be with the troops anyway, fixing whatever high falutin plans command cooked up. With Optimus around there wasn’t much call for that. Despite sometimes being disconnected from things he always seemed to have a good grasp on the reality of the situation. It looked like things were going to change from that now. He would just have to do his best to ease things along until Magnus had the job fully figured out.

The old timer nodded as Prowl left, containing his feelings for now. He was slightly surprised when Magnus finally did ask him for his opinion instead of sending him on his way. He assumed he had been forgotten up until this point. “Recommend? Yeah, I recommend that using the Guardian as a surface base is a laser brained idea if I ever heard one. With the Guardian you have a ship designed to move fast, come in and rescue people. Its got good armament but inside its more like a flying hospital. Converting it to a base ain’t gonna be easy and you’ll be losing the distinct advantages it gives us. In orbit it can receive wounded quicker, can leave to aid nearby Autobot bases quicker or even evacuate personnel quicker. You put it on the ground as some sort of base and it isn’t going to be doing anything quickly.”

Kup jerked a thumb towards where the Ark-22 sat. “Meanwhile you got an Ark class ship over there, designed for long habitation, extended assignments and to operate as sector bases. You want to leave it in orbit where it will probably be lightly staffed, so mostly just wasted space. Yeah it’s got decent armaments but we haven’t exactly had any shoot outs recently. I recommend you transfer personnel to the Ark and land it to use as a base and leave the smaller, quicker Guardian up here for emergency use.”

The Autobot let out a sigh. “I know you’ve been basically on your own on that shuttle of yours with a small crew. Here we have to look at the bigger picture. You’ll get the hang of it, I know that but don’t feel like you have to rush to every judgement. Not even Prowl is right in every decision he makes.”

The Autobot sat back once he had his say. “That truce with Shockwave on Cybertron wasn’t exactly an official and binding agreement. If you’re counting on him to hold up to it here I think you’d be making a mistake. That cease fire was good as long as he got what he wanted and got out.”

*

Outside the Lab

Hot Spot approached the rendezvous spot where he was to meet Groove. The fact that the other Autobot had wanted a face to face meeting so badly still concerned him. It was possible it was just nothing, perhaps a complaint about Blades or some other Autobot a little too enthusiastic about violence. If that were the case though wouldn’t he have just filed a report or told him over the radio? Something more then that was involved. He hoped it was something that he could take care of on his own and quickly. There were already to many secrets and shady goings on the ship for his liking. He arrived to see the other Protectobot waiting for him. "So what is going on Groove?"

*

Crew Quarters

Sunstreaker continued to study his polish as Sideswipe continued with his pitch. The Autobot nearly had him completely blocked out when he grabbed a hold of his head. He glared at his brother, his hands clenched into fists. He didn’t like being touched, especially after finishing a time consuming wax job, let alone being grabbed by the head. His arm was moving back so he could punch his twin in the face when he finally let go. Any other Autobot would have still gotten the punch, but his twin merely got a glare before he turned back to his finish.

The warrior went back to ignoring most of what Sideswipe was saying. He didn’t buy any of the talk about caring about his appearance. Caring about others wasn’t something he easily accepted to begin with, let alone his twin, and nuisance, caring about how he looked. Finally when he started talking about needing to get out did he look up. “Now you wanting to get out of here, that I believe over the other slag you’re shoveling.”

His optics shifted briefly to Delta, a femme he wasn’t too familiar with. Of course he didn’t particularly care to get familiar with most Autobots. He moved his gaze back to his brother. “Will doing this get you to shut up for awhile? That would be a greater miracle then any sort of magical buffing cloth.”

Commander's Office

Magnus smiled back to the grizzled old warhorse, friend and mentor. Perhaps he had hurried with the dispatch of Prowl on his own planning operation, and perhaps he himself was anxious to get this brief tour of the forces that had been thrust under his command. However, Magnus was sure that his decisions were on the right course that they should take, given the limited information he had on hand.

He pivoted back to completely face his old friend. "All you have said is true my old friend. The Guardian is ideal for that purpose as an emergency support vessel. It is also true as you say, the Ark is a larger more durable ship that can be landed and built around. Of course both roles could be reversed depending on the situation." Ultra Magnus paused briefly as he read the meanings in Kup's reassuring words. His own optics broke with the face of his long time friend and hopeful guide as they once again danced towards the portal that showed an unfiltered view of his former command.

"I have to agree with your points of view as well. In fact both you and Prowl have excelling merits for the deployment of both vessels." At that moment Magnus realized one thing was going to be clear within this new transition. He was going to have to begin learning the intricate political currents that remained under the surface.

The commander shook his head briefly. "As it stands I would have to agree with your assessment as to which ship would fair better on the surface and which in space. However, I want to see what the recon data reveals before I make my final determination. As it stands, I have not agreed to assign the Guardian to planetary duty nor have I disregarded that as an option."

Magnus turned to the door and deactivated the security screens and allowed the doors to slide open, quietly as if they had never existed at all. "I trust Shockwave. I trust him to do what ever it takes to further his self interests. And right now that probably means securing the Decepticon throne before maneuvering to finish us off."

He stepped over the threshold and stopped, his optics watching as Prowl departed the bridge on his way to the planning meeting with Silverbolt, the Aerialbot Commander. "You are also right. The Guardian isn't designed for carrying this many Autobots as once." He looked back to Kup and gave an agreeing nod. "Signal the Ark-22. Inform them that we will begin relocation of non primary crew from Guardian to the Ark."

Magnus had taken another step forward, metaphorically. He had come to realize that the small vessel that was the Guardian would only serve as a temporary respite should it be landed. At least until the habitation facilities were completed, if they ever got that far into planning. From there the Guardian would have served as a life raft or escape pod should the worst occur. That was where Prowl's thinking probably had lead him, logical. But even that did not account for the major equipment and refinery capacity that the Ark held over the small frigate. He just hoped that the recon information would provide clarity to his pending decision, his first major tactical decision in this theater that could either save or destroy their chances at victory.

He finally took another step forward, literally this time. He crooked a smile as he stopped at the top of the stairs. "I believe we will have our hands full deciding who precisely gets assigned to which vessel, beyond the Protectobots retraining command of the Guardian. Though I am sure Hotspot would be happy just to have his office back in his unique brand of care."

Training Hall

As Silverbolt suggested the members of his unit and the two Protectobots combine their training sessions and practise together, Blades' optics drifted from the Aerialbot commander and landed upon his team-mate. Enthusiasm appeared to have gripped Streetwise with full strength. Blades grinned at him.

“I'm game.”

Nothing more needed to be said. That particular grin of his spoke plenty enough to inform Streetwise of what he thought of the idea.

It was just a matter of forging cooperation with Slingshot. Blades was confident he could set aside the nonsense he and Slingshot engaged in every time they were in the same room and make the training session a decent one. As long as he kept his trap shut.

"Its an open gym, if you want to get a quick release in before deployment then be my guest. Course if you break your rotor actuators, don't come crying to either of us."

Which wasn't quite turning out the way Blades was hoping it would. But it proved to be no surprise.

“The only way I'd bust my rotors would be by uncontrollably smashing them in your ugly face-plate,” he mumbled, lowering his vocaliser so no one would be capable of hearing the remark.

Still, he was willing to coexist in the training hall with the sharpshooter in peace. He was a Protectobot, after all, and such morals and principles were administered into the lessons Hot Spot had taught him during the period in which he ultimately became a part of the emergency search and rescue team. That, and he didn't exactly wish for another special lecture from his leader.

Blades waved his actuator about as if dismissing Slingshot's comment about the little verbal incident in the medical bay like it was nothing. “Look, forget about it and let's just leave it alone, okay?”

It wasn't much but it was a start. And it was certainly more agreeable than Blades throwing a fist in his face-plate.

Mess Hall

Hardhead’s raucous cheer gave Rodimus cause to peer over his shoulder at the warrior and smile. There was a feeling of slight elation, but it was obviously coming from Hot Rod…well perhaps. The young mech had quieted down leaving just the one. His smile fell from his face as he looked back to the other mechs who had already taken up sides, mainly his side.

The fire emblazoned mech turned when he heard Howlstrike speak back up. He stayed his irritation and simply sent a knowing glance to the wolf-former. This creature was a nuisance; however, dealing with him would have to wait. At least until he acquired his final two necessities.

“Unfortunately, Howlstrike, I do not know where they are. I do however know how to find them. It will take the help of everyone present. And that includes you too Howlstrike.“

At that point Rodimus turned away from the former Predacon and stopped in the center of the mess hall so he could address the mechs present.

“I have promised you all that we will stop the Decepticons by any means possible, and in turn we would end this war! Now is the time to begin our push! Now is the time to rid this planet of the Decepticon scourge!”

He took a long hard look around the room at all of the gathered Autobots and flashed them all a reassuring smile. After focusing his attention on all of those present, Rodimus locked optics with his first two acquisitions before moving on with his speech.

“We will move to the lab located near engineering. There will be plenty of work space available to us so that we may perform our research without hindrance. The area is rarely used and it will certainly be the last place Prowl and Ultra Magnus would have any interest in.”

Rodimus nodded to everyone present and began to make his way out of the mess hall; Hex quick to follow on his heels. The young scout took a quick glance over his shoulder at Hardhead.

Repair Bay

“There.”

First Aid removed his last tool along with his slim digit from Ironfist’s cranium. Axle’s suggestion of using the spanner had made the job much easier, and therefore a lot quicker. The Protectobot took a step back after closing the terminal and gave his work a long hard look. Everything seemed to be fine and with everything in order Ironfist was ready to be released.

First Aid gave a gentle tap to the weapon’s engineer‘s shoulder.

“Okay Ironfist. Everything’s running at optimal levels. However, before I release you I some instructions you absolutely have to follow.”

The medic removed a datapad from his hip storage compartment and read through its contents before giving his patient the full run down.

“Now let’s see here….here we are…once you leave I want you to fuel up. No heavy lifting for at least a mega-cycle. Also get plenty of recharge; with your type of head injury the best thing to do is rest. Here’s the list of instructions. You need to abide by them. If you don’t I’m not above sending Ratchet after you. Okay?”

Surgical Suite

Ratchet listened, and watched, intently as the mechanic spilled everything he knew and was told. To say the CMO was angry was an understatement. He was furious that one of his own comrades would be forced to keep something like this a secret…and to have that comrade be none other than Prowl was just something Ratchet couldn't wrap his hand around.

The surprised expression that had worked its way onto Ratchet’s face swiftly morphed into one of pure disgust. He’d have to arrange a little meet and greet with their tactician to find out just which screw came loose in his think cranium.

“The Dinobots, huh? It doesn’t surprise me that Grimlock would go so far as stealing a ship to further his own agendas. But right now I’m more concerned with what Prowl ordered you and your team to do.”

Letting out a heavy sigh he stepped away from the slab slightly and motioned for Hoist to lie down. He’d have to get a closer look at the mech’s dented head in order to ascertain the full extent of Hoist’s injuries. At the same time the CMO opened up a private link with Prowl.

“Alright Hoist, just hold still. The scan won’t take very long.”

>>”Prowl. I think you and I should have a little talk. Pick a spot and time.”<<

Crew Quarters

Sideswipe paid little mind to his twin’s outward hostility even when Sunstreaker reared back with his arm and made ready to punch his red twin. It was those types of actions that caused just about all the other Autobots to either ignore or steer clear of the golden mech. Sideswipe the exception. He was the only Autobot who could not only read his brother, but he was the only one Sunny could tolerate…if only slightly.

After Sideswipe had said his peace the red warrior moved away from the berth and leaned heavily against the wall. He was sullen. It wasn’t that he couldn’t convince his brother; on the contrary, he was disappointed that he’d have to head down planet side alone.

A broad smile grew on his face when his brother mentioned he believed his true intentions more than all of the glitzy slag he had been spewing. Leave it to Sunny to see right through his facade.

“Well, I may not have meant every word, but you gotta admit that it was one of my better performances. You know I pride myself on those.”

He remained against the wall but he moved his right leg up and placed his foot against the smooth surface, all the while focusing on the back of his hand.

“Now come on. I got places to go and things to do!”

At that moment Sideswipe pushed off the vertical surface and trotted back to Sunstreaker’s berth where he took hold of his brother’s wrist and pulled until Sunstreaker was standing beside him. Sideswipe then quickly released the golden mech from his grip and guided Sunny out into the corridor.

“Now Sunny, I don’t want you to lift a digit. I’ll take care of everything…all the essentials and whatnot. And I don’t want you to forget about that astonishing buffing cloth.”

Mess Hall

Howlstrike remained where he was standing as Rodimus insisted that he knew how to find the Decepticons before taking to the center of the room where he once again addressed all those present. Listening to the flamed-covered mech that was once Hot Rod was like listening to a general preparing for battle or perhaps a lunatic willing to lead everyone to their deaths just to prove a point. In this case, Rodimus’ point was to take the fight to the 'Cons and not continue to wait around for Prowl or the other higher-ups to get off their afts and do so themselves. Rodimus truly seemed to believe what he was saying and so did many of those in the room around him, especially Hardhead, who appeared to be just a little overeager to please his new ‘leader’.

Almost like he’s brainwashed, the former Predacon thought as he remained still with a stoic expression spread across his faceplate. Once Rodimus announced his intention to move everyone down to the research lab that was located near engineering, Howlstrike stepped aside to allow the self-proclaimed Prime space to walk past him and out the door. Others soon followed, including Hex who glanced back to see where Hardhead was.

“See you down there, Howl,” Hardhead said as he, too, moved by the former Predacon and followed Rodimus and Hex out the door. Looking down at the small silver mech as he walked, the war veteran smiled. He felt a connection to the vengeful youth, one that he did not fully understand, but it was there nevertheless. “It won’t be long now, my young friend. Once we discover the Decepticons’ location, we’ll strike at them like a horde of shrike-bats looking for a meal. It will be a brutal display of force, but the enemy deserves nothing less don't you agree, Hex?”

The next mech to push past Howlstrike was Ricochet. “Outta my way, Predacon,” the gunner growled as he locked optics with the hunter for a brief moment before continuing onward with the rest of the group. His optics then fell on Warpath, who was loitering nearby. “Hey, ‘Path, is that a new cannon sticking out of your chest or are you just happy to see me?” Ricochet asked loudly with a good laugh that echoed from the mess hall into the corridor.

The marksman had few friends, that much was obvious considering his not-so-pleasant demeanor. Actually, they were more like those who tolerated his presence only because he was good at his job. Warpath was one such ‘Bot who seemed to at least fall into that category. Of course, once Ricochet said or did something mean or sadistic, the crimson tank-former’s opinion of him could very well change as was often the case with any of Ricochet's supposed comrades. Even when the gunner made a friend, it was always hard to keep him.

Being one of the last mechs left in the mess hall, Howlstrike took a moment to consider whether or not he should continue to follow Rodimus and keep a close optic on him or perhaps leave to find Kup and tell the old timer what was going on. The former seemed to be the better option even though it kept the ex-Predacon in close proximity to the faux Prime and his wayward followers. How long could Howl stand to be around these rebels without feeling as though he was being drawn into their mutinous web? The words the fiery mech had spoken to him before about fearing a post-war future had struck a cord with the tracker. However, it was not enough to make him a true believer, not by a long shot.

Still, while Howlstrike knew that he needed to remain close to Rodimus, he also needed to finally inform Kup of the current situation. Opening a private channel to his old friend, Howl relayed a text-based message so that no one would overhear anything:

>>”Kup, this is Howl. I’m currently with Rodimus. He’s been rather busy as of late, gathering a group of followers that he intends to lead against the ‘Cons once he has located them. I’m remaining with the group for now to keep watch on what they are planning and will update you further once I know more. Howlstrike out.”<<

Once the message was sent, the former Predacon exited the mess hall and followed Rodimus’ group down to the research facility near engineering. It would be interesting to see if the flamed-covered Autobot actually knew what he was doing or if he was simply blowing smoke out of his aft section like many of the top-level mechs that he was rallying his troops against.

Silverbolt rested his hands on Air Raid who felt a bit uncomfortable due to that.

"I'm doin' good, Air Raid. A bit restless, you know. I want to get down planet side," Said Blades

The Aerialbot beleived by getting down planetside he meant searching for Optimus, maybe that was why Blades was ''worried'', Air Raid was...much as Blades wanted to search for Prime, he felt he was in the wrong place here in Guardian, and wanted to find Prime, without him The Autobots will collapse. His worse fears were that Optimus's Body alive or dead, was found by the Deciptcons and are keeping him with them as some sort of Trophy, He didn't lose faith in his leader, everybody should be down on earth looking for Prime....The Matrix of Leadership is with him, and if it turns out his dead at least we could take The Matrix and it will be passed to the next Leader/Prime.

"As much you do, i want to get their and find Optimus, i won't rest till he is found" Said Air Raid.

The Aerialbot stopped talking for a moment...thinking about that training, he missed a whole fight in Iran, he tought that another Training won't hurt, but he hoped he won't end up injured like in the last training.

"About that challenge...Of course i'm in!" he said.

Training Hall

Silverbolt was pleased his olive branch was taken so well between the four of them. He understood the issues between Blades and Slingshot couldn’t be solved with one gesture, but after receiving the message from his subordinate he felt better about it. Maybe there was hope for his team of misfits yet.

Smiling, he was readying his own systems for what he was sure would be an energetic workout/competition when Prowl’s message came through. While cursing himself for having his receiver set so high, hearing the up beat tone in Slingshot’s voice made his gaffe a good thing. Activating his comm he sent his reply.

>>Prowl. I’m enroute now. Silverbolt out.<<

With his comm link closed, the Aerialbot Commander shrugged in apology to the Protectobots. “Sorry guy, we’ll have to do this when we get back.” He then turned his attention to Air Raid and Slingshot. “I don’t know how soon we’ll be heading out so both of you top off your energon and pay the med bay a visit for a quick once over if you haven’t been there in a cycle. I want us to be ready at a moment‘s notice.”

With a nod to the Protectobots, he pivoted and headed the way he was originally going. Not a part of the day. He wanted to find something for his team to do and now they had an assignment. Silverbolt couldn’t contain his imagination as it ran through all sorts of possibilities. Scouting missions were, as a rule, unpredictable. He doubted they’d be sent back into action so soon after Iran, but one could never be too careful. With his luck, they’d fly into a group of Seekers.

After stepping into the turbo lift, Silverbolt’s thoughts went to other possible reasons. Maybe they were being sent to find a missing comrade or the source of an unidentified signal. With his imagination also came the typical doubts. He’d be fine on a routine scouting mission, but if they did run into the Decepticons… would he be up to the challenge or struggle once more?

Bridge

When the lift stopped and the doors opened onto the bridge he willed those thoughts away. Optimus wouldn’t have promoted him if he didn’t feel Silverbolt was ready. Unless, of course, had there been a virus in their leader’s processor. That would explain the decision. With a determination he rarely showed, Silverbolt pushed those thoughts aside. He would not allow himself to question Optimus’ reasoning.

After letting out a proverbial sigh, Silverbolt stepped out from the turbo lift and spotted Prowl by the science station. Odd. What could he want my help for there? Unsure of what use he could be, the Aerialbot commander crossed the bridge until he stood next to Prowl.

“Reporting as ordered, Sir.” A bit too formal, but then Silverbolt was below Prowl’s rank and such respect was called for.

Outside the Lab

Groove was grateful that the Protectobot commander had arrived shortly after him. Given all the times he had complained and reported about Blades and others for excessive violence and aggressiveness, he wouldn't have blamed Hot Spot for not wanting to listen. Thankfully Hot Spot wasn't that type of mech.

"Thank you for seeing me so soon, Hot Spot.", Groove said as respectfully as he could, though he was anxious over what he had to say.

Groove took a deep breath and collected his thoughts. He didn't want to make Hot Spot think he was wasting his time over something trivial.

"There is something going on with Rodimus.", Groove looked Hot Spot straight in the optics,"I don't know if you've met him or even heard of him, but he used to be Hot Rod before something happened to him on Cybertron. I don't know what it was but he's undergone a dramatic change, physically and mentally. He's bigger now and, well....."

Groove thought about his next words carefully. Truth be told, Hot Spot could possibly consider him crazy, or at least being overreactive when describing the mental, emotional changes that Groove had noticed. Perhaps for now it was best simply to describe what Rodimus was planning and not get into the more disturbing aspects of the self-proclaimed Prime's personality. He would also not delve into his suspicions that Rodimus could somehow read minds.

"While we were all in the medical bay, Rodimus was talking to any mech that would listen, he said that he had been chosen to succeed Optimus and that he had a plan to finally bring an end to the war. Naturally I was interested in what he had to say, as were many other Autobots. When it started to get too crowded in there, Rodimus decided we should all move to the mess hall where he would reveal the details of his plan."

Groove's circuits seemed to shiver a little as he remembered the events that happened next. He would try his best to stick with the facts, but it didn't change the fact that something about Rodimus' words in the mess hall disturbed him.

"When we got to the mess hall, Rodimus revealed that he was planning on leading an attack on the Decepticon forces on Earth. But what's more troubling is that many of the other Autobots were eager to follow him, Hardhead especially seemed fanatical toward Rodimus. When I inquired him about whether he had the authority to organize such an attack, or if command even knew of it, he said that he would convince Prowl that it was the right thing to do. That's when I decided to leave and inform you of what was happening."

Of course Groove left out the most disturbing part- Rodimus' message assuring the scout that it wasn't a coup, even though Groove had simply thought it and never mentioned it to anyone. Again the self-proclaimed Prime's last message echoed in his processors.

"Hot Spot,", Groove again looked his commander straight in the optics, looking as serious as he could, "I don't know if Rodimus is planning to form his own faction, or trying to force his way into command, or if he's just being overzealous about taking the fight to the Decepticons. But whatever it is, I'm certain it's only going to cause further dissention amongst us, and command needs to know immediately before it goes too far."

-----------------------

Surgical Suite

Though Hoist felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders from confessing what had happened to Ratchet, he couldn't help but feel some regret in disobeying Prowl. And from the looks of it, Ratchet wasn't taking the information very well.

"While I can't say I agree with his decision, Prowl did have his reasons.", Hoist said as he lied down as instructed, "Morale has been dreadfully low, and with good reason since Optimus' disappearance. News of Grimlock's actions could make it even worse."

As the CMO gave him instructions, Hoist couldn't help but chortle a little. Despite the headache and the circumstances, it was always amusing to be on the other side of the scanners. Lying as still as he could, he became concerned as Ratchet mentioned his concern over Prowl's order. From the look on the medic's face, Hoist could tell that Ratchet wasn't simply going to sit back and let Prowl's actions slide.

"If you're going to confront Prowl about this, then I insist on being there as well. Regardless of my personal feelings in the end I disobeyed a superior's order. I would prefer to tell Prowl myself and face the consequences like a proper Autobot should."

--------------------------------

Mess Hall

Warpath clenched his fists as Ricochet came out and mentioned that he and the others couldn't "shoot straight".

"Why you....", Warpath fumed, just managing to keep his anger in check after already being told to back off from Howlstrike.

As Rodimus stepped up to the middle of the group and addressed them all, Warpath's anger was replaced with excitement. Soon they would be taking the next step toward taking the fight back to the Decepticons. Once they discovered their location those slaggers would get to meet Warpath face-to-cannon.

"WHAM, I can't slaggin' wait!", the crimson warrior said as he followed the others to the lab.

Just before he left though, Ricochet spoke to him. At first Warpath was still sore over the gunner's earlier comment. As far as the tank-bot was concerned he was just as good a shot as Ricochet, not to mention that he was strong enough and skilled enough to hold his own in close-quarter combat. But then the gunner mentioned Warpath's favorite subject- his cannon.

Happy might not have been the best word to describe Warpath's reaction to seeing Ricochet- and in all honesty the warrior wasn't sure what that had to do with the cannon on his chest. But Warpath was always happy whenever someone admired it.

"Well BLAM, thanks for noticing Ricochet!", the warrior said beaming, "Yeah I POW just had this one installed less than a cycle ago! The last one was destroyed by ZOOM one of Starscream's cluster bombs! I tell ya, those WHAM Decepti-bums were so scared when they saw me rolling in that they called in ol' 'Screamer just to take me out! I tell ya, we were BANG outnumbered, and......."

-------------

Saferoute liked what she was hearing from Rodimus more and more. They weren't going to wait for something to happen as had always been the case under Prowl, they were actually going to get something into action. Though she doubted how exactly they would find the Decepticons, she was sure they would, and they'd make them pay.

Saferoute kept behind the others as they left the mess hall for the ship's labs, when she noticed one other mech that she hadn't seen on the Guardian before. Oddly he was the fastest Autobot amongst the group, yet he was one of the last to leave. Saferoute wasn't too comfortable speaking to other bots, but since she would probably be working and fighting alongside him it was probably best to be more social.

"It sounds like we're finally going to give those Decepticons what they deserve, doesn't it?", Saferoute casually said to Blurr, "I think Rodimus is just the leader we've needed. What do you think?"

Bridge

Prowl barely registered Silverbolt’s acknowledgement and instead remained focused on studying the topography of the Andes Mountains on the science station’s primary monitor. Secondary screens on either side of the main one illustrated specific regions of the continent-spanning range, broken down by nation-state, climate and accessibility factors. There was a lot to consider, but the military strategist’s elite processor was quickly narrowing things down, and the Aerialbot leader had not even arrived yet.

Less than a breem later, Silverbolt finally arrived and quickly approached Prowl to report for duty. The black and white broke his optics away from the various screens in front of him as he turned to address the Autobot flier. “Ah, good to see you again, Silverbolt. Please, pull up a chair and sit down. We have much to go over.” Prowl turned back to his screens, allowing the Aerialbot Commander a chance to find a seat. The analyst then wasted no time in getting down to business.

“You’d find this out eventually, but I’ll inform you now, myself. I have transferred sector command over to Ultra Magnus. He is in charge now and he has administered new orders for you and I to carry out with diligence. Commander Magnus wants to establish a subterranean base of operations on the Earth’s surface, utilizing the Guardian as a central hub, and he has chosen the Andes Mountain range located on the South American continent as the preferred location. The mountainous region in question is hundreds of miles long and spans the entire length of the continent. Our goal at present is to isolate and then generate a grid map of the specific sector of the mountain range that is best suited for our needs. Factors that we need to consider are climate, accessibility, isolation, energy and mineral deposits.”

Prowl paused for a moment as he switched one of the areas he had already isolated on a smaller screen over to the primary monitor. “The nation-state of Peru is one location that holds great potential. The Central Andes pass directly through this country, whose mining industry results in the production of many of the metals and ore that we could utilize in the construction of our new outpost. Iron and copper are just some of the metals that we could mine for ourselves, not to mention we can tap into one of the many natural gas or oil reservoirs deep underground and siphon additional energies and help power the base over the long term. It was a similar strategy the Decepticons used with their original base that was situated inside Mount St. Helens, a volcano that provided them with enough raw energon to power their headquarter for many solar years. Unfortunately for them, that same volcanic power was the reason for their base’s ultimate destruction, which is something that I wish to avoid for obvious reasons.

“Now, there are many areas within the Andes of Peru that are very isolated from the indigenous population but that we, ourselves, should have no trouble accessing via orbital bounce or even on the ground if need be. Some of the higher elevations are ice and snow covered, but not cold enough to pose any real threat to our Cybertronian bodies if exposed for too long. However, until we can get down there on the surface and scout around, it will be difficult to pinpoint an exact location based on the previous factors I have mentioned. Direct scans will be necessary in order to make an informed decision.”

Prowl’s actuators danced across the keys in front of him as he began constructing a detailed grid model of the Central Andes in Peru, the 3D representation coming to life before the two mechs’ optics. As he did so, the military strategist received a communique from Ratchet, asking for a meeting. Letting out an agitated sigh, the black and white opened a comm line back to the CMO:

>>”Unfortunately, Ratchet, I’m going to be very busy for many cycles to come as I am currently carrying out orders from Ultra Magnus. If it is something important then I suggest you speak with our new commander about it.”<<

Closing his link with the head medic, Prowl returned his attention to the task at hand, glancing over at Silverbolt. “Your Aerialbots will play a key role in the scouting mission ahead. Surveillance from the skies will be crucial as will a smaller, ground operation led by myself. Now, is there anything you wish to add that I may have overlooked, Commander Silverbolt?” The military strategist was confident that he had accounted for every factor necessary, but he felt the need to be cordial and ask the Aerialbot leader his opinion. After all, they were supposed to be working together on this assignment.

Corridors leading to Research Labs

Ricochet chuckled under his breath as Warpath explained to him what had happened to his original cannon. “I bet they were just shaking in their boots,” the gunner muttered inaudibly under his breath before turning to look over at the crimson tank-former, who was still in the midst of telling his story. “So, ol’ Screamer did it, huh?” The marksman interrupted, not interested in hearing every last detail. “Yeah, well, those cluster bombs of his always could do a lot of damage. Too bad I wasn’t around. I could’ve knocked that fragger right out of the skies for you, buddy!”

Ricochet slapped Warpath hard on the back as they approached the lab facilities. “So, you were out numbered, huh, by a bunch of seekers? Well, Prowl should’ve had more aerial support for you then. It makes no sense sending in ground troops when only Decepticon fliers were involved. That idiot prick-bot’s logic circuits must be glitchin’ or something. Just one more reason to take matters into our own hands.” The gunner paused for a moment, allowing a grin to spread across his faceplate. “But, at least, you have a shiny new cannon, ‘Path. Now, if only the rest of you matched it. Ha ha! Just kidding.” Not really, but whatever.

Bridge: Auxiliary Station

Nova Strike toggled a few more keys into the terminal as he absently activated yet another series of passive absorption scans. Orders, while not directly given by the bridge watch officer, had been to maintain the lowest profile possible. For Nova that meant he had to read between the lines of the signal radiation being absorbed from afar. So far the primitive satellites offered a vast amount of detectable information that gave the Ranger and those at the terminal bank ample reading material. Unfortunately for Nova the information that he was reviewing was absolutely dull and did not pertain to much strategic value for future exploitation... outside of a few news casts regarding a human colony hub known as Detroit.

"Its kind of ironic Bumblebee. These primitive organics down there so self absorbed with their own trivial trials and tribulations, that they don't care that the least among them suffer. The irony being, that we are protecting them and they are on the same path Cybertron was on all those eons ago." He quipped as he flicked off a local news report regarding the recent tour of what was known as the American Packard Automotive Plant. From what he could tell before he deactivated the feed was that at one time it was some form of well where their mechanical bodies were forged before being pressed into service by the biologic infestation.

As the terminal switched over to a political channel, C-Span, the rear bridge doors opened with a muted hiss. The Ranger's optics instinctively darted towards the new arrival, a smaller blue Autobot whom Nova Strike had worked with before. While not necessarily friends Nova had come to respect the abilities of Freeway as a multipurpose individual. He could do without the wisecracks and bad jokes, but all that aside, Freeway and his fellow Throttlebots were capable and highly motivated individuals.

Nova Strike pivoted in his chair and offered a welcoming hand to the smaller Autobot. His features bounced from a stern vestige he had maintained for duty into something more of a natural softening smile. "Good to see you are taking your current reassignment well Freeway." He accepted the data slate being offered by his colleague and flipped through it briefly.

"And I can sympathize with you. Even before we were crammed on board this smaller vessel, I've been having rather intense feelings of cabin fever." He gave a knowing grin. Nova was the sort to be in the spotlight, in as before the war he had been in many of the major racing circuits. Won his fair share as well, so being holed up and locked in the small vessel that was temporarily serving as the command center of all Sector Operations, well Nova was feeling as if his senses were on the verge of suffering entropy.

The rear bridge doors opened again to reveal the Aerialbot commander, Silverbolt. Immediately the flier headed over towards the opposite side of the bridge near the sciences stations. It was a rather unusual turn of events given that the Aerialbots had just returned from a support operation down on the planet. Nova would have assumed that they would have been given down time to recover, especially since they were a relatively new squadron within the Autobot Air Force. Beyond that Nova knew nothing about the group of misfit toys. But the very fact that Silverbolt had arrived and the first person he reported to was Prowl... the Ranger was able to put together the dots. They were getting a reprieve from their orbital prison.

"Well Bumblebee, Freeway, it doth appear that the cogs are churning. Perhaps we will see our parole hearings sooner rather than later."

As he spoke, Ultra Magnus descended the ramp from the Commander's office and departed the bridge with, Nova guessed, Kup at his side and both deep in conversation. If his hypothesis had been validated by Silverbolt and Prowl's little muted Pow-Wow, the movement of Magnus served to reinforce it. The Autobots were on the move.

Mess Hall

Blurr was thinking over what had been said when Saferoute approached him. His head snapped up, and he looked at the femme with a enthusiastic smile when she brought up Rodimus. "Youbet!I'mnotmuchofafighterbutI'llgiveRodimuseverythingIhave!" Realizing that he probably needed to slow down, Blurr continued, "I can't stand just sitting around, I need to be in the fast lane."

Noticing that they would get left behind if the continued talking in the Mess Hall much longer, Blurr motioned for Saferoute to follow and seemed to dash toward the group moving out of the mess hall, catching up to them easily. He glanced back at Saferoute, who seemed like she hadn't moved yet. "Oh, uh, sorry if I left you behind there," he apologized quickly.

Excited mixed with his natural speed often got the better of the courier. He didn't want to seem rude to one of his fellow Autobots. Still, with the promise of something to do so close, who could blame him? He couldn't wait to see what Rodimus would do next.

Training Hall

Streetwise had to restrain a groan when he saw Blades' grin. He'd seen that grin before. Slingshot's angry remark made Streetwise have to restrain another groan. He never enjoyed tension between Autobots. Surprisingly though, Blades made an attempt to keep the peace. As uncharacteristic as it was, Streetwise could only suspect his teammate just didn't want another talk from Hot Spot.

Fine with me, Streetwise thought to himself. Anything to stop a full-out brawl.

Streetwise nodded to Air Raid with a faint smile after he expressed his wishes to find Optimus as well. He didn't know exactly how the Aerialbot had guessed what was on his mind, but he didn't much care either.

The interceptor felt his spark fall when Silverbolt excused himself to be briefed on something. Still, he tried not to let his disappointment show. "It's alright, Silverbolt," he said respectfully to the Aerialbot leader. He looked at Slingshot and Air Raid. "Good luck you guys."

The Protectobot looked over to Blades. "Looks like things are beginning to move at least. Maybe we'll get an assignment next."

Training Facility

Silverbolt lifted his hands from Air Raid's Shoulder.

“I don’t know how soon we’ll be heading out so both of you top off your energon and pay the med bay a visit for a quick once over if you haven’t been there in a cycle. I want us to be ready at a moment‘s notice.” said the Aerialbot's Commander.

It seems that challenge was cancelled for now, Instead he may be fighting a few cons, but it may turn out that they will be an ordinary scouting mission.

"Let's head to the med bay Slingshot, we don't know what we are facing at the next mission" said the Aerialbot.

Air Raid left the Facility heading into the med bay.

Medical Bay

Air Raid slowly entered the Med Bay.

The bot waved his arm asking about a medical check

"Uh..could i get a fast medical check?''

Crew Quarters

Sunstreaker stood up as his twin became practically giddy at the idea of actually going down to Earth and helped pull him up. To him it was just something to do, slightly better then sitting around the ship and waiting for something to happen. Earth didn’t really appeal to Sunstreaker at all. The natives were primitive and the planet was moist and dirty. He would have to get cleaned up and polished again once they were done. They would likely get into trouble for leaving as well. There were really very few good reasons to go down to Earth, but curing boredom and getting Sideswipe to stop pestering him were good enough, for now.

The Autobot warrior frowned at his twin as he shook his hands off of him. “Try to contain your excitement, if that’s possible. You are embarrassing yourself and, more importantly, embarrassing me. Now come on before I change my mind.” He started to walk towards the door. “And you better hope that buffing cloth actually exists and it isn’t one of your stupid imaginings. If it is true you might just avoid getting slapped around once we get caught.”

He stopped and studied his brother for a moment before. The yellow Autobot then lifted his right arm and slapped Sideswipe on the back of the head. “Just consider that a preemptive slapping.” Sunstreaker then glanced up and down the corridor he had been pushed out into. “Alright, it looks clear for now. If we are doing this lets do it now.”

*

Outside the Lab

Hot Spot listened patiently as Groove explained what he had seen and heard. The Protectobot considered what he was told carefully. While Groove was definitely known to disapprove of the more violent members of the Autobots this had a bit of a different feel to it. It didn’t sound like Hot Rod or Rodimus was saying anything about violence. It sounded more like a powerplay from what Groove was describing. Maybe it was nothing, but the other Protectobot seemed pretty shook up about it.

Then there was the change in appearance with Hot Rod. Hot Spot had seen in the med bay earlier but hadn’t really had time to think much about it. Now he wondered whether this apparent change in attitude from Hot Rod was because of his physical changes or he changed his appearance because of his new attitude. Either of those possibilities was troubling, not to mention where he got the power and the materials to alter himself in that way.

Ultimately there was no telling what was really going on with Hot Rod, at least not without confronting him directly about it. It could just be him trying to boost morale. Tough words would certainly fire up someone like Hardhead. He might just be shooting his mouth off too with talk of leading the attack himself. Still, it did seem a bit unsettling, and Groove was certainly concerned about it.

Hot Spot placed his hand on Groove’s shoulder and offered him a reassuring smile. “You did the right thing by telling me about this Groove. Even if it does prove to be nothing but talk I’m glad you are being vigilant, and I’m sure we’re both hoping that it is just big talk.” He let his hand drop from his shoulder. “Do you know where Hot Rod is now? I’d like to confront him directly about this and get to the bottom of it.”

*

Commander's Office

Kup followed after Ultra Magnus as he began to leave the office. “Well I definitely agree you want to know the lay of the land before putting down any ship on that planet. Didn’t mean to imply otherwise. I don’t want to see us putting it on a volcano like the Cons did, or, for that matter, putting it underwater. I hear this planet is moist enough as is, and you have no idea what moisture does to my joints.”

At Magnus’s comments about Shockwave the old timer shrugged his shoulders. “I’m sure he’ll do whatever he thinks is logical, but good luck figuring that out. Everybody thinks he’s just a walking computer, but I think he’s got an ego up there with Starscream. Putting his house in order is probably what he’s doing now, you’re right, but once that’s done he has to hit us to prove he’s in control. I’m sure there will be plenty of cons ready to take over if he shows any weakness.”

Kup nodded as Magnus gave him his orders. It was sensible and liable to relieve some stress to get some Bots moving about. The Ark-22 would have more space and better recreation facilities. Hopefully that would satisfy the bunch of young bots who were likely getting a bit restless. He nodded at Magnus and moved to a console to start pulling up a roster list. He definitely wasn’t going to try and remember everyone on two ships just from his own memory.

The old timer paused as he got the message from Howlstrike. He frowned, troubled by what the other Bot had to say. It wasn’t unusual for Hot Rod to go off on his own like this, but it was a little odd for him to be gathering followers. Something was definitely up with him. Whatever had happened to him on Cybertron hadn’t just changed him physically. He didn’t know if it was the Matrix or a shorted out CR chamber, but it was definitely something he’d never seen before. He opened a channel to Howlstrike.

>>”Alright lad, keep an optic on him. He’s been known to get into trouble in the past and I’m hoping this is just some more youth idiocy from him. If it starts looking like more then that, like he’s gonna start leading his own group of Bots off the ship, you let me know pronto. I like the lad and want to give him the benefit of the doubt considering all that’s happened, but I don’t want him going off half cocked and getting us all in deep slag.”<<

Bridge

At Prowl’s beckoning, Silverbolt pulled over a chair from a neighboring station and listened to the strategist’s briefing while allowing his optics to take in the visuals from their scanners. The Aerialbot commander was well aware of Prowl’s reputation among the others, but being it wasn’t in his nature to question he pushed those thoughts aside to better concentrate. He’d always liked and respected Ultra Magnus, nearly as much as he did Optimus. With a mild nod, he was sure Prowl ignored, Silverbolt remained passive, absorbing everything laid out before him.

When Prowl finished, Silverbolt remained silent for a pair of kliks processing everything he saw and heard. By all accounts, he and his Aerialbots would have as easy a mission as possible, but there was something missing. Ratchet’s interruption gave Silverbolt the time he needed to access the idea. It was as though it was intentionally hiding from him. When he was about to give up, the idea let itself be known and Silverbolt added it to the mix with Prowl’s assessment.

“I agree the areas aren’t considered accessible to the humans, but they’ve proven highly capable in such areas before. It may be in our best efforts to find an area where they won’t go. Otherwise, our efforts will be in vain if they come to claim their own resources.” Silverbolt reached out and pressed a handful of buttons to pull up an overview image. He knew his actions would frustrate Prowl, but his ideas were encouraged before and he didn’t see a reason for them not to be now.

The basis of his idea was from something he saw on a human television show. While tectonic plates weren’t unknown to the Autobots, he believed the humans knew more about their own world than any Transformer.

When he was finished, a series of lines simulating the various fault lines appeared over the map of the Andes Mountains. “I think it’d be wise for us to target possible areas near the fault line. We could then reinforce and use the caves and tunnels caused by the shifting plates while harnessing the energy being released as well as mine the other resources we need. As you said, the Decepticons used a volcano before, but if properly done there should be minimal threat. ” Silverbolt did see some potential issues with his idea, but no more than the strategist’s own. Besides, he believed it mirrored Prowl’s close enough that the strategist may take it under advisement.

In the back of his processor, Silverbolt began wishing Beachcomber was with them to validate his theory. He hated to offer something based solely off of a hunch.

Corridors

To say Sideswipe was happy to finally be doing something was an understatement…in fact the red twin was beside himself. To actually get off this stifling, claustrophobic death trap was Primus sent. And he had Sunny to thank for that. Well, to hell with admitting that. No need to boost Sunny’s ego any more than it already is.

The red warrior let out a low chuckle at the thought of actually thanking his brother for anything that would benefit him.

Sideswipe’s blue optics moved from the corridor in front of him to his twin beside him. Contain his excitement? Why on Cybertron would he want to do that?

“Aw come on Sunny! This is gonna be great! In fact it’s gonna be better than great…it’ll be fantastic!”

The two mechs continued to watch down the corridor with Sideswipe practically dancing circles around his disinterested brother.

“And don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours, Sunshine. That buffing cloth will actually make you smile and thank me!”

Sideswipe gave a shrug concerning his brother’s warning and simply pressed forward. He was stopped however by a well-placed slap to the back of his cranium evoking a high pitched yelp at the surprise action.

The red frontliner gave a passive rub to the back of his head and simply shrugged it off. He was always on the receiving end of some kind of punishment his twin enjoyed bestowing upon him. His attention was drawn away from his now throbbing head to Sunstreaker giving the all clear to move into the corridor.

With a wide grin on his face, Sideswipe pushed past his golden brother and motioned for Sunstreaker to follow him as he advanced to the corner.

“Come on Sunny! Let’s go!”

Before the mech could turn the corner something moved past him slightly jarring his right leg. The movement was so fast Sideswipe thought his leg hydraulics had given out, but he was able to catch himself before he fell flat on his aft. He took the time to test his leg before he turned around and spotted Sunstreaker.

“HAHAHAHA! Oh Primus! That’s so fraggin’ classic! I wish Rewind was here.., this is picture perfect!”

Sideswipe jogged up to his brother a giddy smile plastered on his face.

“Hey Sunny, I think he likes you!”

Razr had taken off from the Ark-22 with Red Alert in pursuit. He wasn’t supposed to go ‘home’ so his only option was to lead the security chief on a drawn out wild goose chase. Simple enough since the mech had no chance of ever catching him. Although the red and white mech had some very fine tuned sensors, especially those olfactory sensors.

As the turbofox rounded a corner he could feel some kind of obstacle in his way, luckily he was able to move past it without any damage to his legs or paws.

He began to slow down, but only marginally, when he heard a vaguely familiar voice coming from behind him. Instead of focusing on the vocalizations he decided that he was more interested in the shiny golden object.

Without even stopping Razr leapt from midway down the corridor and landed pressed against Sunstreaker’s chestplates.

Bridge - Science Station

Prowl leaned back slightly to allow Silverbolt room to access the controls and bring up additional images to better illustrate his idea regarding tectonic plates. The military strategist’s optics flickered briefly as he listened to the Aerialbot Commander suggest that they locate the new outpost near a fault line where humans would be less likely to go. The black and white didn’t quite understand the rationale behind Silverbolt’s theory as it was an unnecessary risk just to keep a few humans from traveling into whatever area the Autobots ultimately chose to place their base.

“Well, that’s an interesting idea, Silverbolt,” Prowl responded, trying to keep his tone respectful and not come across as condescending. “However, I’m very leery of putting our new outpost anywhere near a place that could potentially rip it to pieces. After all, no matter how much we reinforce the outer walls, the planet’s own natural movements are more than powerful enough to destroy what we build. We may be Cybertronians and have advanced technologies in comparison to the humans, but we are not invisible.

“Furthermore, I’m not really concerned about a few hikers wandering too close as our base will be buried and well hidden within the mountains. Also, if we locate an area at a high enough elevation, the native population will be less likely to set up a drilling site as it wouldn’t be cost effective for them to try and transport their equipment to such an inaccessible region. Not to mention the temperatures would be too cold for them to sustain such an operation in the long term. The nation of Peru is relatively small with limited resources at it's disposal, especially when compared to some of the bigger countries around the globe. That's one of the reasons I wanted to focus on this region as a potential base site.”

Prowl paused for a moment to let his counter argument set in. He flashed Silverbolt a smile, trying to convey a sense of understanding while his logic circuits tried in vain to reconcile the Aerialbot leader’s flawed assessment. “Of course, I will pass along your suggestion to Ultra Magnus so that he has all options available to him. While the grid map we have constructed here has narrowed things down for us considerably, we still have the actual scouting mission to undertake to help determine an exact spot for the new outpost. So, your concept may still be utilized to some degree depending on what we come across once we are down on the surface.”

The military strategist turned back towards the console where the Aerialbot leader would not see his smile fade away from his faceplate. Prowl really had no intention of mentioning the fault line idea to the City Commander, but Silverbolt didn’t need to know that. Learning from past mistakes was key to not repeating them again in the future. In this particular situation, it was the Decepticons’ error in judgment that the Autobots needed to learn from instead of making a similar illogical decision that could result in devastation to their own resources.

“Now, we already have your Aerialbots at our disposal, but we need a small ground contingent, perhaps three including myself, to help scout the region more closely,” Prowl said as he pulled up a roster list of all available Autobots on both vessels that were not currently on active duty. “I think Bumblebee would make an excellent first choice as he’s one of our best scouts and can easily get into areas the rest of us can’t. Plus, he’s been though a lot recently, and I feel it would be good for him to finally get off the ship and do something more constructive.”

The analyst then scrolled through the roster further, pausing for a moment on the name of Bluestreak, who was over on the Ark-22. While the black and silver mech was an effective gunner and could likely serve well as a scout, he also had a tendency to buckle under pressure. A past encounter with the Stunticons had proven that point to Prowl with disastrous results. With those memories now fresh in his processor, the strategist immediately moved on, having no intention of including such a weak link on any kind of mission he was apart of. After all, even a simple scouting assignment could prove dangerous if the Decepticons were to suddenly show up or an accident happened that required a tough decision to be made. No, Bluestreak, along with his mental problems, was staying put.

Prowl continued scanning until he came to another potential option. “Hmmm, Nova Strike would make a good second choice. He’s no scout, but from what I’ve observed he seems to have developed a close bond with ‘Bee and thus the two will work well together if not with me. Heh.” The black and white turned back around in his seat to face the Aerialbot Commander. “Anyway, Silverbolt, do you have anything else to add before I deliver a consolidated report to Ultra Magnus for his own analysis?"

Outside the Lab

Groove gave a sigh of relief that his commander took his concerns over Rodimus seriously. It was good to know that despite their moral and ethical disagreement, Hot Spot would still take the time to hear out those serving under him. The feeling of relief was quickly replaced by worry, as the Protectobot commander asked where Rodimus was so that he could speak with him. Though Groove had thought that the acting commander Prowl should have been informed first, he couldn't exactly be surprised by Hot Spot's decision to take care of things first hand. That was just how his commanding officer had always been, direct, to the point, and always moving forward to get the job done right away.

"When I left Rodimus and the others were all still in the mess hall.", Groove answered Hot Spot, pausing for a few astroseconds as he remembered everything he had heard, "But there was some talk about trying to figure out where the Decepticons were. If Rodimus has left the mess hall then that's what he and the other Autobots would be doing next. Probably to either the bridge, or right here to the lab."

As Groove stood and waited for Hot Spot to decide on which to go to, he wondered if he should warn his commander on what to expect when speaking to Rodimus. Whenever the scout spoke to him he had felt like there was something more, something that couldn't quite be explained about the changed mech. And looking into his optics- as if Rodimus' gave was piercing deep within him, trying to look directly into his spark. Considering the private messages Groove recieved from him, that might not have been far from the truth.

No, I don't need to tell Hot Spot any more. He'd probably think I'm crazy just for thinking such a thing. He's a strong, tough Autobot, I'm sure he'll be able to handle Rodimus.

-------------------------

Corridor

Red Alert's kept all his sensors at their max as he cautiously walked through the halls of the Guardian. Though he'd hadn't seen Razr since they left the Ark-22, he could still pick up the turbofox's scent. Thankfully he'd managed to avoid being detected by any Autobots- so far.

Haven't seen anyone yet, but there are several Autobots moving through the corridors. Can't let my guard down, Prowl probably wants to give me a false sense of security before he springs his trap on me. But I'll be ready, he can bet on that. I don't plan on going down easy- OH SLAG!

Red Alert had reached for his holster to check his rifle, only to realize he didn't have it. He remembered now, he had set it down back in the Bounce Chamber on the Ark-22, and in his rush to catch the turbofox he had absent mindedly left it there. The security director cursed himself, he wasn't as well armed as he would have wanted.

Slaggit. Well, I probably wouldn't have been able to fight my way through every Autobot on the ship anyway. I'll just have to play it cool, and hope that not everyone is involved with Prowl's plot.

Red Alert continued to follow Razr's trail, sneaking through the corridors for several astroseconds, when he stopped. His audio sensors had picked something up ahead; two Autobots talking, walking in his direction. As he listened more carefully he recognized the two voices.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe? Of course those two brothers would stick together. And what are they talking about, a buffing cloth? Probably something to shine up Sunstreaker's armor, certainly not any kind of order from Prowl. I wouldn't put it past Prowl to keep them out of the loop, especially Sunstreaker.

Continuing toward them at a snail's pace, Red Alert continued to listen when he heard something odd. Something caused one of them to stagger, then something else gently landing into one of their bodies. Then he heard Sideswipe laughing, wanting to take a picture, something liking Sunstreaker.

Wait a second, the smell of that turbofox is coming from that direction, is it him? That doesn't make much sense at all, why would he go to Sunstreaker of all mechs?

It was puzzling, to say the least. Were Sunstreaker and Sideswipe part of the trap? It hardly sounded like it. Then why would this turbofox come to them? Too many questions, and for Red Alert to get answers he'd have to get even closer. He continued sneaking toward the twins, all of his sensors on full alert in case of some kind of a sneak attack. After what seemed like several cycles he reached the end of a corner near Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. He stood up against the wall, trying to keep out of view. Ever so carefully he peaked his head out to get a better look.

It doesn't look like a trap at all. If anything it looks like their all playing- well, except for Sunstreaker, but that's not much of a surprise. It appears to be safe, maybe I should get in closer and talk to the two. I just might get that little turbofox, and some information from them as well. They're not the first two bots I'd want to speak with, but I don't have much of a choice, do I?

Red Alert straightened himself up. He took a few steps back, then walked as casually as he possibly could toward the two.

"Hello Sunstreaker, hello Sideswipe.", the security director said as friendly as he could, forcing a smile on his face.

Red Alert stopped in front of the Sunstreaker. He gave a look of surprise and relief as he saw Razr attached to the yellow brother's chestplate. He hoped that the little turbofox wouldn't run off.

"Sunstreaker, where did you find him? I've been looking for this little turbofox all cycle!"

Bridge

It was good to hear that Freeway was not the only one going a little stir crazy from being on board the ship for so long but Nova Strike did have a far better job than the Throttlebot did, “At least you've had something approaching vaguely interesting while you've been up here on the bridge, you get to analyse stuff and look at the blinking lights. All I get is low level maintenance. Cargo Bay 1's gravity plating is out of alignment! Ultra Magnus' office door squeaks when it opens! The ceiling in compartment J is sort of loose! The thrills of space travel never stop amazing me,” said Freeway his voice dripping with sarcasm, of course being stuck on low level maintenance had absolutely nothing to do with his habit of playing practical jokes on anyone given the opportunity, it was everyone else's fault that he was stuck doing this job.

The sudden appearance of Prowl, Silverbolt and Ultra Magnus on the bridge in quick succession was interesting of itself. Prowl was the chief strategist of the Autobots and in Freeway's opinion, had no imagination. Silverbolt was one of those flybot hotshot glory hogs and Ultra Magnus just had a silly name. However Freeway knew that he and the rest of the Autobots on board the Guardian were in good hands, they were top quality leaders, “Looks like you're right, Sparky. Maybe some action will finally be getting under way, a change of scenery would be nice and going down to that strange new world and seeking out those crazy, killer apes sounds like fun...as long as they don't try to kill us of course,”

Pretending not to listen, Freeway made sure to try and catch most of the conversation between the brass bots. They seemed to be looking to send a contingent planet side. Prowl was suggesting Nova Strike and Bumblebee. Smart choices considering their backgrounds but Freeway knew he just had to get on this mission.

Corridors

Sunstreaker was still ignoring his brother’s yammering when something darted from around the corner. His first instinct was to draw his gun, but whatever it was, was too fast. Something that was quick enough to beat his reflexes had to be. The warrior didn’t even have a chance to shield himself before whatever it was leapt up and struck him in the chest.

The yellow Autobot took a step back out of shock. He was relieved that whatever it was didn’t seem to have caused him any real harm, although he was already concerned about his fresh wax job. He looked down to see the small head of some sort of quadruped. He frowned, finally recognizing it as a turbofox. He hadn’t seen one of those in who knows how long.

Scowling, Sunstreaker grabbed the creature in his hands and carefully pulled it away from his chest, keeping it at arm’s length. He looked up at the now laughing Sideswipe. “Why don’t you shut up or I’ll hurl this little thing at your face, see how he reacts to that and how you like it!” He glared back down at Razr. “You better hope you didn’t scratch up my finish you overgrown pest. If you did then maybe I’ll go find Mirage and we can have an old fashioned turbofox hunt.”

The yellow warrior looked up as Red Alert joined them. His scowl remained. With the paranoid security mech around they weren’t likely to get off the ship anytime soon, assuming he was already on to them. Fortunately he seemed more interested in the animal then them. “This….thing just jumped up and attacked me! If it’s scratched up my finish I’ll flush it out the airlock myself! If you want it then by all means take it!”

(OOC: I give my word…maybe…that I’ll get a post up for Rodimus and friends….remember I said maybe.)

Corridors

Sideswipe was nearly doubled over in hysterics at the predicament his twin had suddenly found himself in. The little turbofox had breezed past him, coming close enough to graze his leg. Luckily there was no damage only a slight scuff…nothing a bit of waxing couldn’t take care of. But that was for later.

When Sideswipe was finally able to stop his laughing he looked up at his brother and flashed Sunstreaker a giddy smile. But that smile quickly vanished when the red mech finally got a good look at the little creature that attached itself to Sunstreaker’s chestplate. Sideswipe took a careful step forward but stopped suddenly when his brother peeled the turbofox off and held him out at arm’s length.

“Whoa! Hang on Sunny!”

Sideswipe put up his hands trying to get Sunstreaker to calm down and listen, but it was no use. If the turbofox had marred his finish in any way then the poor little guy was as good as space scrap.

The sudden arrival of Red Alert was a surprise to him, and it seemed to Sunny as well. Perhaps the golden warrior was thinking the same thing he was. How the slag did he even find out about us leaving? Did he take lessons in telepathy?

“Um…hey Red.”

Sideswipe was only able to say three words before Sunstreaker held out the creature toward Red Alert. His optics widened as he lunged forward and took Razr out of his brother’s hands. The little turbofox struggled slightly, trying to get back into Sunstreaker’s arms, but Sideswipe held fast.

“You’ve been huntin’ him down? Why? He’s got an owner. All you had to do was contact her and she would have gotten him for you.”

Sideswipe repositioned Razr in his arms so the little critter was held firmly, yet gently against his chest.

“You know, Red I could take him to his owner. I’ve been meaning to see her again anyhow. Care to join me Sunny?”

Surgical Suite

Ratchet closed the private comm channel he had opened to the military strategist and turned his full attention back on Hoist. The scan he had started was now nearly complete and readings were already flashing over the small device’s screen. From the looks of things the hit to the head had done no damage to any of Hoist’s brain functions…the surrounding area was also in perfect working order.

A very small smile formed on the CMO’s face but it vanished before his patient could catch sight of it. After all he had a reputation to uphold. No need for everyone to know he’s a softie at heart.

As Ratchet placed his scanner down on the nearby tray he looked over his shoulder to catch what Hoist was talking about.

“Yeah, I understand he had his reasons…hell, he has his reasons for everything.”

With his tools put away the medical officer moved back to the side of the slab and tapped Hoist in the center of his forehead with his index finger…a deep scowl on his faceplate.

“Do you honestly believe that being told to lie and to keep something like that a secret would keep up morale? Come one Hoist, even you know better than to think that. If anything that order would have brought the morale of your team down…not to mention if, or when, one of us got wise to your lies we’d be at each other's throats for not trusting one another.”

Ratchet placed a hand gently under the large green mech’s shoulder and guided him to sit back up. As far as he was concerned there was nothing permanently ailing the mechanic.

“Look, that order would do more damage to our morale in the future than it would if it had just been revealed to all of us outright. Anyway, everything lo…”

The CMO cut himself off when he received a response from Prowl. It’s about time ya tightaft.

The message that was returned did not sit well with the medical officer. The relieved expression on his face was quickly replaced by an incredulous stare. That disbelief burned off and in moved an infuriated sneer. As quickly as possible, Ratchet moved away from Hoist’s bedside and stepped to one of that room’s prep counters. He placed both hands heavily on the surface and let out a heavy sigh. With his head dipped slightly and his back to his green friend, Ratchet addressed Hoist.

“Everything looks fine, Hoist. You’re going to be a bit off balance, but that’s not unusual for taking a hard blow to the cranium. Take it easy. No heavy lifting, no sudden movements that would agitate your current condition, and get some recharge.”

Without even turning to face his patient Ratchet stepped to the door and stopped.

“Now if you’ll excuse me. I have a call to make.”

Ratchet’s Office

Sparing no one a glance, Ratchet swiftly made his way to his office and let the door close behind him where he activated the security locks. Taking a moment to gather his thoughts the red and white mech leaned heavily on the door and turned his optics toward the ceiling.

“Magnus. It had to be Magnus. Righteous pick there, Prowl.”

Shaking his head Ratchet moved from the door and sat down behind his desk. He remained in that position for a full breem before he reached a hand out and opened a hidden drawer on the underside of the desktop. He fidgeted for a moment until he pulled his hand out gripping a half full bottle of high grade. Granted it wasn’t’ the real stuff, but it was damn near close.

From one of the 'real' drawers he pulled out a fairly clean glass and poured out a full serving of the brightly glowing liquid. After carefully placing the bottle down Ratchet swooped up the glass and downed the entirety of its contents. As soon as the glass touched the surface of the desktop Ratchet opened up a private channel with Ultra Magnus. Possibly the most anal retentive mech to ever have been forged. If Prowl wanted to help with morale then Magnus might have been the worst choice to call in…well, the second worst…there was always Prowl himself.

>>”Magnus. I’m not gonna clog this channel with pleasantries, we both know coming from me they ain’t worth the slag. What I am gonna do is request to see you, here, in my office. I’ve got a few things I’d like to get off my chest.”<<

Leaving the channel open so as not to miss the response, Ratchet picked up the bottle and poured another full glass of high grade. If he was going to have a one on one with Mganus he’d have to be at least half drunk to make it through.

Bridge – Communications Station

Bumblebee hand placed his elbow joint on the smooth surface next to his terminal as he watched with almost passing interest at the full view of….nothing. The only exciting thing to cross their paths was the arrival of Magnus’ ship. The little yellow minibot let out a low sigh. How he wished Prime was around.

His attention was drawn away from his dour thoughts as he heard Nova Strike call his name. The minibot flashed the ranger a quick smile as he took a quick glance at what the mech was looking at.

“Well, I know our people spiraled into a war without end, but not every species is like us. We’re capable of living for millions of years, others aren’t, yet they’re able to learn faster from their mistakes.”

Bumblebee gave his friend a shrug before he turned back to face the terminal’s screen.

“Maybe if we were more like the humans, then perhaps we’d actually understand one another. They know their limits that their time is sparse, yet they’re able to resolve differences in a short amount of time. Relative to us, of course, but still.”

He flipped through a couple of channels lazily as he added,

“If you ask me…I’d rather us have a short lifespan so we’d be forced to realize that our time is running out and if we really want to have some kind of peace and unity then the war would have to end in order to enjoy it.”

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders as he let out a light sigh.

“But that’s just me and my stupid dreams.”

At the sound of Nova's mention of his and Freeway's name, Bee took a quick look to the ranger's station.

"Eh, who knows. Although it would be nice to actually do something productive."

Bridge

Silverbolt listened to Prowl’s rebuttal of his idea with a mix of agitation and nervousness. The fact his point of having the base near the fault line was misinterpreted bothered him, but considering Prowl’s experience in those matters trumped his own, he acquiescence. Instead of continuing along that train of thought, Silverbolt focused his optics on the readouts for potential team members.

While he had no more right to select those accompanying Prowl than the strategist did those that would become an Aerialbot, Silverbolt did see a name that he felt would be a worthwhile addition. The fact the mech whose profile he scanned could be a processor cramp to Prowl was besides the point. They’d need someone of Freeway’s ability in the event the Decepticons were in the area.

“Given the potential for the Decepticons to stumble upon us, I think Freeway would be a valuable asset. Better safe than sorry, as the humans like to say