The Energon Pub

Near Sector 905

Ramjet was reluctant, even on the verge of retaliation, but did as he was told. He remembered the words said to him when given command over the coneheaded trio, "Let Dirge have his way or the blue control mech won't even fly right. He's smart and only lacks the confidence to lead as you do." Or so is the way Ramjet remembers.

The red winged warrior looked across at the giant Autobot, noting the continued bombardments on Omega Supreme's flanks. >>"You know I can take more than that Dirge, but you do have a point with the plasma bombs. I'll just try after lightening my payload on slow moving sentinel. Might just soften up a target point too."<<

Regretting another colliding opportunity deferred, Ramjet takes back to the air. "Starscream sure left me the resin from the oil drum." he mumbled in regards to his own squad. Transforming back to tetra-jet, he regrouped intent on another bombing run.

---

Reforge told his patient "Remember, I couldn't repair your armor, in fact I cut a portion off just to fix your inner power cells, but that doesn't mean you can't fight." The sweep technician protectively told the other as he returned to his designated sweep fleet. Though far more durable at present than his less armored patient, the white marble medic was likely in a less comforting position.

Knowing better than to break radio silence, Reforge trusted Cyclonus witnessed his return to formation.

Shockwave's Tower - Communication's Center

Jadewind's fingers ran along the keyboard again and again, the buttons and gadgets giving silent clicks under the slight pressure form her fingers. While she did so, her attention was solidly focused on the display screen, her optics running across the lines of data feed, and her cerebral unit working at full capacity to separate the crucially essential bits of information from the rest.

The vector map on the main screen began to expand and shift it's shape as Omega Supreme's firing patterns and motion became visible through Ghost's telemetry.

>> Adjusting vector-mapping, << Jadewind spoke through the communication link, to Starscream, Cyclonus, Dirge and Rapture. The updated lines, limits and boundaries in the battle area converted to simply digestable data slid through the same commlink and should have made it worlds simpler for the aerial forces to adjust their flight paths to the Sentinel's course of motion and fire with the least possible danger.

(OOC:NPCing Thundercracker and Skywarp for now.)

Combat Air Patrol

Rapture studied the data stream. There seemed to nearly no Autobot activity in the border areas. Even the Aerialbots were pulling back. Perhaps they've had some trouble of their own? the femme wondered inwardly. Whatever the case may be, this is a perfect opportunity to create a corridor for the Guardian to be driven through. Opening an encrypted channel, the Seeker Subcommander addressed the CAP.







Quickly accelerating to hypersonic speeds, the midnight femme made her way to the rally point in under 500 astroseconds. Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Silverstrike held an academy manual perfect wedge formation with her.

Near Sector 905

Cyclonus observed the little progress they were making against the giant Autobot. Their collective firepower wasn’t going to be enough to bring him down or, it seemed, drive him forward at any sort of respectable speed. It appeared that they were going to have to bait the titanic Autobot into the Polyhex defenses instead of driving him to them. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but they were going to have to make due.

He spotted Starscream already trying to lure Omega Supreme forward. He doubted whether the Guardian would follow a lone seeker, even if it was Starscream. He was going to need further enticement to move forward, and that is what Cyclonus would provide, with the help of the Sweeps. He issued orders to the drones and they launched off to attack the guardian again.

They raced at the Autobot from the rear, firing at him but doing little to damage his heavily armored back. As they flew over him, Cyclonus released a few more bombs to help spur him forward. Instead of peeling away from the Autobot, Cyclonus and his sweeps continued to fly away from him directly, although they spread out a bit to prevent a single shot from killing several of them. They looped around and attacked him head on. This time a sweep went down for good, a blast from Omega’s main canon obliterating him completely. The attack was working though, as the continued head on attacks by the mass of fliers drew him forward.

---

Sixshot was a bit disappointed to see Shockwave merely content himself with observing the battle instead of joining it directly. Perhaps this was a weakness of his though, his dislike of such direct combat. Perhaps he would prove vulnerable in a close quarters combat situation in particular, one where his firepower would be negated and his dislike of direct combat brought to the forefront. It was something he would have to remember in the future.

Now, though, it was time to strike at the Autobot. The attacks on his head seemed to be having some affect on him as he seemed to being shielding it more than any other part of his body. He transformed into his giant pistol mode and flew towards him, firing a massive blast at the back of his head.

---

Omega Supreme was getting tired of the attacks to his head. The seeker Thrust had blinding him for a moment with his attack to the head, which was then followed up by Sixshot’s strike to the back of his head. He staggered forward another step and as his vision cleared he was hit from behind by the Sweeps and Cyclonus. As the fliers shot out in front of him he fired a shot from his main cannon, watching in satisfaction as one of them exploded spectacularly. He took another step forward in pursuit of them.

Entering Polyhex

Disappointed in himself for being so late, Skyshroud finally gained a visual of the battle. He was ecstatic to see that not only was the guardian not yet dead, but that Starscream was here. This is the day that Skyshroud has been waiting for his entire life, a chance to fight along side his "childhood hero".

As he increased his speed, the young blueish white and green seeker knew he had to do something big so that Starscream and the others would see him.

"Skyshroud Present" he said excitedly. "Requesting Orders".

Near Sector 905

Bludgeon had opened fire moving fast from cover to cover. He aimed at whatever part he could find in the armor that was a pressure point. But even then his heavy armorpiercing weapon was just a small blow. "Might i suggest uniting our firepower?" Bludgeon said to his comrades "On a single chink in the armor?". The old master unleashed another shot.

Nightraid meanwhile prepared his weaponsystems for the big moment as he heard Rupture's command. Soon Quantum and them would engage the enemy. The black and red tactician remained in position, to the right of Quantum.
"Ready when you are squadronleader" Nightraid stated as due to his rank, Quantum was the one to take lead and fire off the whole squadron.

Sky's over polyhex

Skyshroud, discouraged by his superiors not needing him turned around and left polyhex. He had full intentions of returning to the Heavy Metal War where could slag Autobots three times a day, if only in an arena.

He was sad though he really wanted to fight against a real guardian. But no one answered his requested deployment so he must not be needed here.

(OOC: btw Turburlence is now part of our squadron)

Skies near Sector 905

> Quantum replied and transformed into the classic Tetrajet-mode that the Autobots had learned to fear early on in the war. It was they, the seekers, who had been the backbone of Megatron's revolution. It was they who had been the instruments on the formation of the Decepticon Empire. Now they needed to consolidate their position for the first time.
"Form battle-formation" he ordered his two new wingmen, Nightraid and Turburlence. They would without question follow orders, considerating their reputation as some of the finest soldiers that the seekers could present.

ooc: btw DARKJET "those are not the Autodrones you are looking for."

Skies near Sector 905

While inwardly lamenting over a lost chance to collide with another object, Ramjet looked for an opening to release some plasmabombs. Following an upload of vector-mapping, he received such a chance.

Six hyper sonic beams, seemingly in perfect union, converged on the head of Omega Supreme not long after Thrust own blinding attack. The precision shot was not from a squadron of seekers, not even Starscream's lot proved that proficient, but from the gun mode of Sixshot. There was little doubt to the source of his name.

Nearly stalling with excitement, Ramjet flew over head of the colossal Autobot, dropping a set of his plasma bombs. The red winged warrior then banked with a hard left. He could have sworn he saw a lone seeker, but he wasn't showing up on radar. It would seem the only seeker out of formation was himself again. Not wanting to cause more fuss the white and grey conehead returned to formation Thrust and Dirge.



Though not a tactician the sweep medic pondered the damage done to there guardian opponent and its weaponsystems. "A plasma blaster arm, a head mounted laser canon, and a clawed arm. I don't think there are any really weak points to his design." If Reforge ever had schematics on the guardian, the data was long erased prior to his upload of Sweep technical data for his current formated function. The white marble medic continued to speak alloud realizing the drones would not bother to interupt.

"I guess my patient was lucky to take a shot from the laser canon. Wonder if he'd servive a shot from that blaster?.." The sweep technican would learn soon enough.

Reforge literally leaked his lubricant as the sweep adjacent to him was blown out of the sky. There would be no spark to save in that wreck. OmegaSupreme was definitely showing no signs of weakening, and the sweeps numbers would only continue to thin. The sweep technician thought it safer to fly with the drones rather than his true psychotic brethren but that pack of warriors has always returned unscathed. With second thought he wondered how long before he himself was shot down; only Primus knew.

"We're all gonna die.." fortunately Cyclonus wasn't known for reading thoughts or the cowardly technician wouldn't have to wait for his own impending demise.



Turbulence was noting Nightraid's weaponry when Quantum called them to battle formation. "Those aren't regulation seeker blasters..." the blue and bronze warrior thought, realizing there may be more to this 'standardized seeker' than he first heard. Rumor had it that the black and red elite was slow; well not so much slow but as methodical and well planed as a tactician should be. He wondered if Nightraid had worked with Razorclaw before like himself once. Then, realizing now was not the time, decided to hold his thoughts till after battle. With victory on the horizon there would be plenty of time to meet his wingmate later.

>>"At your will Quantum"<<

The sword weilding seeker said as he complied to his squadron leader's commands.

Near Sector 905

Content with Razorclaw's approach to allow the Predacons to operate independantly of one another for a time, the aerial warlord surges forward. Though it was their commander's prerogative to wait, he doubted that any of the other members of their team would share the same capability for restraint in the face of such tantalizing prey.

Angling downward, Divebomb releases a burst from his particle beam rifles.

Traveling by land, Headstrong and Tantrum make their progress towards the battle site and the looming Sentinel much more slowly than their aerial compatriot. Both, however, have had more than ample time to charge their respective weapons to full capacity. When Headstrong tears through a nearby pile of scrap--ture to his name--Tantrum follows up with a raucous burst of electrical energy directed at the prime target.

OOC: Check your Private Messages inbox -Devastron

Sector 905

The Omega Sentinel's form grew from a distant speck into a hulking blot on the horizon as the Sweeps and Seekers drove Omega Supreme forward into the teeth of the Decepticon trap.

If Shockwave were a being capable of smiling, he might have. That is, if he were not too already busy laying waste to his enormous foe.

FIRE CONTROL: Initiate plasma-missile spread. Point-one-astrosecond intervals. Cluster 1499, laser batteries Alpha through Gamma target cranial unit. Maximum dispersion. Commands flew at the speed of thought into the control computers of Polyhex's defensive positions.

From Cluster 1499, lasers set to maximum beam spead erupted with fiery fury, their capacitors wide open so as to rain a blinding hail of bolts upon Omega Supreme's head as much to disorient him as damage him. Meanwhile, the heavy plasma cannons and anti-armor missile batteries of Cluster 0987 spat their destructive rage at the Autobot Sentinel. Such firepower had not roared from the battlements of Polyhex in a very long time. A glorious sight, in its way, Shockwave admitted. He knew that the spectacle of the Cluster batteries opening up on Omega Supreme could only serve to inspire the Decepticons fighting to evict the Autobot interloper. The military coordinator opened a general comm channel.

>>"Decepticons, fire at will! Cripple the Autobot invader!"<<

The coup de grace would be administered by none other than Shockwave himself, however. Marching forward from cover with measured steps, he began closing the distance between himself and Omega Supreme. Not the slightest hint of trepidation marred his strides as he advanced.

After all, it was only logical that he finish the deed himself.

Sector 905

"Affirmative. Ready to engage. Permission to 'tag' target when engaging Omega Supreme." Nightraid stated "Focussed fire while upholding the classic VIII formation is the most logical and efficient course sir" he suggested to Quantum. Wether the leader would comply with his suggestion was his responsability, he could only put forth a plan.
Having noted Turbulence, he was vaguely familiar with the seeker but only from datafiles, he had never actually flown with him.
His attention quickly reshifted to the battlefield as the first groups of Seekers went in. His weapons aimed at a spot on Omega Supreme he judged 'weaker' than most parts of his body, he awaited Quantum's verdict and first move. Breaking formation after all was unacceptable to Nightraid. A true officer upholding the good old classic military virtues did not act with such inefficient contraproductive bravado.

Near Sector 905

Rampage's patience finnally broke as he saw his fellow Predacons charging in; while he knew it wasn't the best stratergy he really just couldn't hold himself back any longer. The need to fight was just too strong...well that and he never really tried to fight it anyhow.

Pouncing from his own placing Rampage pelted towards his target; transforming and charging up his own rifle as he did so. Finding a suitable spot and range (ie. very close) he took to aiming for the more weaker points, despite all his psycopathic tendancies and his love for feeling the inner fluids of his prey leaking over his frame; Rampage was still a gunner by function and as such he was going to use his lightning rifle as effectively as he knew how to.

After all trying to gut Omega Supreme might be tantalizing; but they had to get him down first and that would be the hard part. Perhaps when he was down the others would allow him to help 'finish off' the guardian.

Upper stratosphere

Ghost reeled back a few feet as the reverberations from his comrades’ firepower and release of Shockwaves cluster batteries, washed over his extremely light frame. It caused his signal connection to Jadewind to go static for a moment, but he fixed the jolt internally sending a fresh feed of the now heated battle. Shockwave’s open command came over Ghost’s receivers but he was too high up to add to their firepower, besides one hit from a good laser and he would go down. Why risk it? Let the big guns have all the fun, he was a stealth unit meant for infiltration and intelligence. It would not break his pulsing spark to stay out of Shockwave’s Glory. Other than his direct commander and Jade he was sure no one else even knew he was up there. No one knew he could see their every move.

He gave a slight nod to acknowledge the voice only he could hear.

“I’ll send her another one, you’re really obsessed with the perimeter………”

Ghost stopped when he realized Rapture was flying close to the border.

“oh …… I see.” Was all he said.

Ghost opened up a second encrypted channel and sent a full border scan to Jadewind. He wasn’t a battle tactician but he wouldn’t put it past the bots to come to the sentinel’s aide. It was just in their nature to expect such a move.


Rapture's wing - Polyhex CAP in flight

Silverstrike heated up her primary engines, the rush of air could be heard over her wing mates but she emitted not a sound. The silver element bonded to her every ion prevented any friction from the air molecules thus halting the characteristic whoosh an aircraft traditional makes when speeding up. The pace was still on the slow side for the shining reconnaissance craft but since her firepower was lacking in potency this was the best place for her. After Rapture’s transmission, Silver opened her scanners searching for traces of the autobots. She doubted she would receive the opportunity to actually engage one of the arielbots, but it was best to be aware.

A few moments later Shockwave gave the order to fire at will. The silver femme stayed in her formation, if Rapture deiced to join the fray Silver would follow but the luminesque femme felt uneasy about leaving the border unwatched…… Rapture was intelligent, she would not make a mistake. Silver trusted the second’s judgment. Though the thought made Silver jealous. Only because the shining femme herself could never make such a call let alone direct others to obey with such confidence. Silver did not like the idea of being responsible for the lives of others or more precisely the possible deaths of her team mates.



Sector 905

Blitzwing let out a whoop of ecstasy as shockwave’s open fire came across his communications link. He brought his track-mounted cannon which is capable of sending an explosive shell 3.5 miles that can level a 5-story brick building, on line and aimed it at the knee joint of Omega Supreme. It had been a while since the Triplechange had gotten a chance to tank someone, and what better way to come back to play then to open a can on the biggest Autobot around.

“Lock and Load baby!”

The sound of his canon fire joined the chorus of his fellow’s weaponry.

Sector 905

Ramjet had fortunately cancelled his moronic stunt, calming Dirge down somewhat as a result. Dirge had served alongside the collision prone loonie long enough to find out wingmate's limits. Most likely he knew Ramjet's abilities better than Ramjet knew them himself. Yet, the whole battle against a foe too strong forced the gloomy seeker to the edge.

Needless to say, when Shockwave brought the automated defense turrets of Polyhex to play and gave the fire at will command, Dirge's spirits began to rise. First time the battle began to look like something that actually could be won.

With both Thrust and Ramjet joining the formation again, Dirge gave an attack signal to his wingmates and began a dive towards the gigantic Autobot, dropping his last plasmabombs in an attempt to hit the Guardian's head again before pulling up sharply again to get away from the firing angle of Omega Supreme's head laser. Dirge didn't want to take risks, while the hulking Autobot was more likely focus its main cannon towards Shockwave's auto-turrets, he couldn't count on the Autobot doing the same with that deadly laser cannon of his which was more or less an anti-aircraft weapon.

Sector 905

When Shockwave at last issued the command to commence bombardment, there appeared to be little reason for Onslaught to relay the command to his unit. They all seemed quite enthusiastic about the prospect of bringing down one of the mighty Guardians which had been such an obstacle to the Decepticon advance in the earliest days of the Third Great War. The Combaticon Commander could hardly fault such bellicose exuberance, even if it did fly in the face of protocol.

Even so, it did make him feel a little superfluous as he signalled, >>All units, fire at will!>Well done, Jadewind,>I think it's time we put a little distance between ourselves and this oversized Autobot jalopy, don't you? I'm forwarding vector data now. We'll have our squadrons break off and withdraw along separate flight paths, then turn back and commence a series of staggered hit-and-run attacks with what firepower we have left.<<

Which probably wasn't much, compared to what was presently being thrown at the titanic mechanoid. Under other circumstances, he might have ordered the conehead to head back to the Tower and replenish his plasma bomb payload. But Shockwave had made it fairly plain that he intended for the fliers to serve principally as a distraction, and, given his present state of poor repute with the High Command, Starscream wasn't prepared to start flouting the cyclops' authority.

Discretion was the order of the day. For the moment.

Near Sector 905

Skyshroud had all but given up his dream, when Shockwave gave the command to attack. That was good enough for him he turned 180' and screamed in the direction of the guardian robot ready to die for the Decepitcon cause. He was fast approaching his target as he locked on just then he noticed that both Starscream's and Dirge's squadrons were preping for another run, he veered towards them "This is Skyshroud, requesting permission to join formation." As he waited for a reply he decreased his speed and flew where the Decepticon hero's could see his pale blue tetra-jet form.

Skies over Sector 905

"Indeed, Nightraid" Quantum was well aware of Nightraid's versatile abilities in the tactical and strategical aspects of combat.
"Let's put theory into practice, shall we?" the usually serious black and white seeker half-grinned as he turned around and transformed to the familiar tetrajet design that had terrorized the cybertronian sky for the last thousand vorns. With a rapidly increasing speed, Quantum quickly covered a large distance from the other squadrons, closing in on thei enormous target.

Skies over Sector 905

"Affirmative sir" Nightraid stated. "Tagging and sharing advised target" he said "Following lead according to given formation" he said, accelerating slightly slower letting Quantrum take a slight lead. It would be Quantrum's job to gauge the situation and to be best able to quickly change his decision at the last moment should he deem it necessary.
The black and red tactician followed and locking weapons unleashed his barrage of projectiles upon the moment Quantrum's weaponry fired too. The target he had sought out was a joint that according to some readings and his visuals seemed likely to at least be frailer than the overall structure and resistance of Omega Supreme's body. His missiles being precize and capable of following a locked on target with a certain ease... he didn't worry about the precision of his volley. And his fellow seekers were good marksmen overall... but would the destructive effect of their onslaught have a satisfactory effect?
Hopefully... if not at least they may decently distract the hated titan so the ground forces could move in more easily.
He sure hoped that Shockwave had a good plan. And seeing the magnificent strategies the cycloptic commander had devised in the past... he had little doubt there would be a good plan. However the tactical execution of it... that was subject to random factors and... the hands of the leaders in the field. He would analyse this mission indepth when it was all over.... and if he survived.

(ooc: Longshot, Starscream is not meant to hear this, but it's okay if he does.)

Skies over Sector 905

As Starscream signaled Dirge to break from Omegasupreme, Ramjet was thinking what a bunch of cowards he's signed up with. "Still heavy over half a load of plasma bombs and they want me to turn aft and run? Slaggin elite seeker my exhaust port!" the red winged warrior internally fumed.

Unaware of Starscream's exact message to Dirge, the white and grey conehead opened a com to Thrust and his squadron leader [i]>>So did non-commander Starscream call for a tactical retreat?

Turbulence was silent as he mirrored Nightraid's movements; He would let his weapons speak for him. As Quantum lead the formation in a bold angle of attack, the blue and bronze tetrajet tagged his target lock with his elite squadron.

Firing off his torque turrets in succession with a single cyclone missile, Turbulence was sure they would hit in tandem with Quantum and Nightraid's other strikes. While his missile load was in limited supply, do to having a two sets of bombs on board, he intended to let loose his remaining 5 on the Guardian should this assault prove remotely effective.

The sonic sword wielding seeker was not satisfied within his duties as an air warrior, for his spark still longed for close quarter combat. Given the rarity for a seeker to engage in melee focused operations it was far unlikely that this battle would be any different. Still the challenge of bringing down such a titanic foe, even with the logistic laser Shockwave orchestrating it, was of merit in its' own right.

Skies over Sector 905

Sending a few fire and forget plasma torpedos from his own payload soon after Dirge, Thrust kept the calculated vector with precision as his formation swept past the targeted Omega Sentinel.

>>"Don't go drawing lines too fast Ramjet... Even though he is under the big ol' radar, it simply is strategically sound not to stay too close with all the blasting taking place about now." With the absolute firestorm nigh enveloping the seekers though, he did have a hunch that Starscream wouldn't be calling it quits yet.

>>"One way or the other I as sure as hell ain't going to leave my job unfinished."

Sector 905

Omega Supreme found himself engulfed in flames and explosions. It was immediately evident even to the slow thinking giant that he had been lured into some sort of trap. The blast from the city defenses slammed into his cranium and chest. While he was blinded he could feel shots tearing into his chest armor. He brought his claw arm up to shield his face from some of the fire and fired off blasts from his cannon arm. The blasts connected with the reactivated turrets, easily demolishing them, but they had done some damage.

He then felt the bombardment strike him on the back, gradually chipping away at the armor there as well. He turned to face this attack, but his optics had suffered some damage, impairing his vision. He fired a few times from his arm cannon in the direction the fire was coming from, but he couldn’t be sure he hit anything. All the while he continued take hits from the various Decepticons.

The last Guardian took in his situation. ‘Position: Surrounded. Friendly Reinforcements: Unlikely. Hostile Reinforcements: Possible. Victory: Unobtainable. Options: One.’

Omega fired off a few more shots from his arm cannon, bringing down the few remaining buildings in the area and sending wreckage and shrapnel into the air. He then sprayed the air with shots from his head laser. Assuming this would prove an adequate distraction, the giant Autobot began to transform. His massive body twisted, turned and folded in on itself until he was fully inside of his rocket mode. With a roar of his powerful engine, the Autobot took flight, bound for Nova Cronum.

Skies over Sector 905

Quantum flew past the giant Autobot sentinel after he and his squadron had delivered their package. He noticed the Omega Supreme-unit starting to fold and quickly concluded that this monstrousity was retreating. Turning around and flying right behind it he opened a channel to his commander:
>

Skies over Sector 905

Rapture watched with no small pleasure as the artillery her own task force had so recently repaired rained punishment on the titanic Autobot relic. She had not opened fire with her own weapons when the weapons-free order had come down from Command. She was an interceptor, after all. Her rather unique ordinance was ineffective against hard targets like Omega Supreme.

The midnight femme took an astrosecond to consider when Quantum's query came. The plan was working perfectly, or as close to it as such things ever did. However, she had a sneaking suspicion that the vile Autobots of Nova Cronum might still offer some resistance.

On every Decepticon map of the Polyhex Orbital Tarus State, there was a marker fifty kilometers from the Maximus line. It was called the PSR, or Point of Safe Return. Its purpose was to outline the maximum effective range of the Nova Cronum anti-aircraft batteries. No Decepticon air warrior crossed this imaginary line lightly. Indeed, many who did cross it never returned.

Omega Supreme would cross the PSR very soon, the clever femme calculated. It would not do for the CAP to find themselves caught on the wrong side of that line. The problem was, if they did not pursue at all, the enemy might decide to reinforce Omega and draw the battle out, possibly even turn the tide as they had done so recently. Her decision made, the Subcommander opened a channel to the CAP.



Rapture's squadron altered their heading, accelerating in preparation for an attack run on their colossal foe's aft. Two of "The Trio" came in at mach 2, jinking to avoid incoming fire. The third, Skywarp, appeared mid-run at a forty degree vector to his comrades. A volley of of missile fire arced towards the Guardian. While Rapture's Swarm micro-missiles could not penetrate the thick hide of their target, the cloud of munitions provided excellent cover for the heavier missiles of her wingmen.

Such a swift attack precluded the likelihood of inflicting any truly consequential damage, but it allowed the three Decepticon aces to complete the strafing run without suffering more than a little flak.

Their first run complete, the Trio pulled around for another pass.