Skies approaching Pearl Harbor Naval Base“Well, now we have no choice thanks to that braindead idiot! Follow my lead and try not to do any more damage.”Not surprisingly,
Blast-Off was non too pleased with Skywarp’s actions. “I was only trying to help. Sheesh,” the teleporter muttered as he followed the Combaticon space plane down towards the human naval base.
Nightraven and
Thundercracker were close behind him as all three seeker jets landed on the runway and taxied into one of the hangars, pulling up near Blast-Off.
The holomatter pilots of the seeker trio hopped out of their respective cockpits and walked over to where the space warrior’s avatar was standing and conversing with a group of humans. “Yeah, we’re all with him,” Skywarp’s faux human pilot stated with a nod and a smile. “Top secret stuff.” The prankster then felt a slight jab to his side. “What?” Warp turned and saw that it was Nightraven’s female avatar trying to get him to just keep his big mouth shut. “Oh, got it. Sorry. Heh.”
Wheeler Air FieldHound broadened his scanners as he and Nova Strike split up in order to cover more ground around the human air field. The green humvee drove slowly past several buildings before eventually rounding a corner which revealed the helicopter pad. Red lights immediately began flashing across the dashboard of the alien humvee, indicating that a Cybertronian signal had be acquired.
>>“Nova, I think I’ve found it,”<< Hound transmitted over a secured comm line to the blue ranger on the opposite side of the base. As the scout came to a halt, he focused his scanners on the humans who were transporting some kind of ordinance concealed underneath a tarp from a nearby building over to a grey chopper on the helipad. Within astroseconds, his sensors confirmed that the concealed object was, in fact, of Cybertronian origin.
>>”Yep, I’ve found the missile, Nova. It’s being loaded onto a chopper by some humans. Although, wait a sec…”<< Hound’s words broke off as his visual sensors zeroed in on a very familiar purple insignia on the side of the grey helicopter.
>>”Slaggit! It’s Vortex! The chopper is Vortex! The Combaticons are here or at least one of them is!”<<Hound then opened an encrypted comm line back to the Autobots’ make-shift base of operations at the abandoned ranger station:
>>”Prowl, this is Hound at Wheeler Air Field. I’ve located one of the missiles, but I’m afraid the Combaticons beat us to it. It’s just been loaded onto Vortex who has already begun his ascent. What are your orders, sir?”<<After a few moments, a response came back across the secured comm line:
>>”I read you, Hound. Do NOT engage, especially not at the base. Be careful. Vortex is likely not alone. You and Nova Strike get off the base ASAP. Try to follow Vortex from the ground if possible. I’ll get one of my probes that’s in the area to pursue by air. I might even have a little surprise in store for the copter-con. Prowl out.”<<>>”Understood, sir,”<< Hound commed back before switching his channel over to the ranger once again.
>>”Nova, it’s time to go. Prowl wants us to follow Vortex from the ground and await further instructions.”<< With that said, the green humvee turned around and headed for the nearest exit from Wheeler Air Field, keeping his sensors attuned to the skies in order to keep tabs on Vortex’s position as best he could.
Abandoned Ranger StationProwl’s actuators danced across the keys of the portable computer terminal as he rerouted one of his probes that was in the vicinity of Wheeler Air Field. Hound’s revelation that the Combaticons had beat them to the first missile was an unwelcome one, but you couldn’t win them all.
Or could you?
The black and white had a plan, one that just might allow them to salvage the situation and get the misplaced rocket into their own hands without the need for all out combat with Onslaught’s brood.
>>Prowl, Blast-Off is spotted at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base. I've yet to spot any other Cons but most likely only time for any others to land or at least get close. My avatar will keep its distance from Blast-Off and observe from afar. Thankfully Onslaught will try his hardest to keep his troops in line long enough for all of us to get away before any hostilities could start. We can also at least try to negotiate a non-violent leave from this island but wouldn't surprise me it would cost any of the missiles we could recover.<<
Another transmission came across Prow’s comm line, this time from Hot Spot again. Combaticons and now seekers have been confirmed at Pearl Harbor, as well. Not a big surprise considering that one of his probes had just been shot out of the sky by laser fire. The military strategist opened a return comm back to the team at the naval base:
>>”Understood, Hot Spot. You and Red Alert need to double-time it and get to that rocket before the Decepticons do. As a reminder, do NOT engage unless you are attacked first. Get that missile and get back here ASAP! Prowl out.”<<With his latest transmission sent, Prowl returned his attention to the computer terminal where he quickly finished reprogramming his probe near Wheeler. “Well, Vortex, let’s see how well you fly with a probe up your aft section. Hahahah.”
Skies near Wheeler Air FieldThe small round probe that had been scanning the forest near Wheeler abruptly changed course as it’s programming had been updated by it’s Autobot master. Rising just above the tree tops, the probe swiftly located it’s target: a grey helicopter that had just ascended and was flying away from the human air field. With a quickness that would have made Blurr proud, the small round probe shot forward directly at
Vortex, aiming squarely for the base of his rotor blades. The blades, themselves, were highly durable, but perhaps crashing the probe into the connection point just beneath them would do enough damage to force the aerial Combaticon down into the forest below.