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Australia-Uluru

Battletrap heard the Autobot shuttle fly over and land. He then noticed Razorclaw and a few others including Flamewar walk up to the shuttle.

"Look, Shadowing, the Autobots had arrived. Now can we start the fight or still wait on Razorclaw?"
___________________________________________________________________

Octane wasn't surprised when everyone left him alone. He figured everyone topped off their fuel cells before they came. Then he noticed the Autobot shuttle land.

"Why is it the red emblem always looks like a target to me, 'Train and Blitz? I'm so tempted to take a shot at it right now. Only thing keeping me from it is the thought Razorclaw might let us strip it of weapons and fuel once we are done with the Fallen. It wouldn't surprise me most if not all of the Autobots be scrap after we are done. If that is the case, they wouldn't need the shuttle. Maybe we just take it in one piece and use it against the Autobots at a later date. Oh 'Train, I hope your personal problem has been taken care of unless you are seeing if it can live through this upcoming mess. I would almost suggest using it to jam one of the weapons but doubt it would do much."


_________________________________________________________________

Shuttle Longivity

Skydive walked toward the rampart and looked out. With what little he could see, it seemed the Cons brought almost everyone with them. There were plenty of Seekers. A few of the more notorious ones were there but to his surprise Starscream wasn't among his crew. It is totally possible he was somewhere in the crowd doing whatever he did went he wasn't being shot down by the Aerialbots. After closer examination of the Cons, it looked like some of his previous dismissed ideas might be able to be implemented after all. He then turned and looked at his fellow Aerialbots.

"It looks like the Cons brought almost everyone down here. I hope if our strategy doesn't work, sheer numbers will. With seeing what is available, I might be able to come up with a much better strategy as should Prowl and Ultra Magnus. I know Ultra Magnus doesn't want to kill our friends but a part of me still wonders if stasis lock is going to be the only option."

Australia-Uluru

Shadowing finished the preparations to the connection then drew his instruments to begin measuring the ambient energy in the area. He looked for a moment in the direction of the shuttle and shook his head.

"Foolish... so foolish...." He thought. "If this Fallen has any processing power at all he could end this battle in one blow."

He placed the scanner to his side and turned back to the datapad so begin seeing the initial results.

"This is Razorclaw's show Battletrap." He said calmly. "We wait."

"...for now." He finished in his thoughts.

(OOC: Did I post this in the right place or did I get too far ahead of myself?)

Shuttle Serenity

“Steeljaw? Where you at?”

Steeljaw stretched his limbs, his internal mechanisms feeling tight as though someone had a grip on them and were pulling in the opposite direction. Being cooped up inside Tracks's alternate mode hadn't done much for him, even though he had transformed to his alternate mode to add some space.

True, the interior was clean, orderly and, most importantly – very importantly – dry, but... the room. There was none. Steeljaw yearned for freedom, for space, so he could hunt to the best of his abilities. And you couldn't hunt inside the cramped confines of one of those Earthen vehicles. Not a chance.

“Steeljaw, c'mon huddle up buddy! We gotta–”

A moment to stretch. That's all Steeljaw wanted. Just a moment.

“–get the team rallied up and make a game plan!”

Rasing himself to his full height, and quashing his slight case of irritation, Steeljaw padded over to Eject. “Yes, yes. Don't fret. I'm right here.”

Not that he could see or hear the tracker because he'd taken refuge behind a corner to allow himself the respite, but Eject's voice was a loud thing, and he couldn't bear to have it give his audio receptors a thrashing.

“Here, Eject. I'm right here.”

Australia--Uluru

Yet another bright flash of light and yet another Decepticon joining their already present brothers in arms around the sandrock formation known to world by two names - the aboriginal one of Uluru and the English given name of Ayers Rock. Neither name meant anything to Skullcruncher. It was just another battlefield in the eons old war between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Only this time, their opponent was not what they were used to. No, instead they were to team up with the enemy against even older threat, a boogeyman from the past of Cybertron - a being called only the Fallen.

It was wrong.

Clearly enough, Skullcruncher was not the only one thinking that way. He had bounced down with Weirdwolf just in time to witness the arrival of the Autobot shuttle. Number of Decepticons had their guns pointed at the vessel. Even Razorclaw's inner circle, Onslaught and Motormaster were giving the shuttle funny looks. And by the looks of it, a good deal of them were itching to pull the trigger, rather taking the gamble with the Fallen than risking their lives alongside the Autobots. Brawl in particular looked fidgety enough to explode into action any given moment.

And Skullcruncher himself? Unknowns to him, he was once again grinding his teeth together in anticipation, creating that all too familiar high-pitched screeching sound.

"This is wrong. Just wrong."



Ghhn. Lousy piece of crap technology. Not only he had been put in the mercy of that deranged femme surgeon, now he had to travel in the manner of worst possible form of transportation he could think of as well. If he had been one of those puny meatbags inhabiting this planet he'd have no doubly thrown up.

And that had been just the beginning.

Before him, a ship bearing as obvious Autobot symbols as Autobot symbols could be. As if that hadn't been enough. Oh no. As if Ultra Magnus or Prowl wouldn't have been enough. No sirree. There he was, as disgusting as the day he betrayed the Decepticon. The Predacon traitor - Howlstrike.

"You..." Headstrong snarled aloud, drawing out his sword. Alliance be damned. The Fallen be damned. Unlike the others, Headstrong did not forget, Headstrong did not forgive. This piece of filth needed to die.

"Howlstrike!"

The roar was there to catch attention. Headstrong was not going to sneak up to an enemy to end him. No. His enemies would see their death coming. "You piece of traitorous slag! I am gonna gut you... I am gonna gut you for good!"

Shuttle Serenity

Sandstorm couldn't help but grin at Tail-something-or-other's sudden blurting of admiration for the old Wreckers crew. Kinda funny to think they actually had a fan or two in the Autobot ranks, even if they hadn't really been utilized like they had been in the old days for a long, long time. Just like Springer had said.

"Yeah. Those were good times, little man. But a long time ago. Loooonnnng. Primus, I almost can't remember the last time the higher ups dispatched us as a group. I guess now is the closest thing we've come to it in a while."

The Wreckers were usually called in to do the dirty work that other Autobots didn't need, or want, to be doing. For morale if nothing else. But sometimes the Decepticons needed to be met head-on, with their own dirty tactics. Sandstorm wasn't bloodthirsty, but he had no objections to returning the same sort of brutality to those who wanted to dish it out.

Sandstorm's smirk grew just a little wider.

"And it looks like we'll be able to let loose just like the old days, too, heh."

Australia - Uluru

Skywarp chuckled at Thundercracker’s comment. “Yeah, we can take care of those heralds ourselves. We don’t need a bunch of Auto-scrappers getting in our way. Shields is all they’re good for, I guess. Although, I’ve never been much for hiding. Rather just take ‘em head on, ya know? We probably should’ve not waited for the stupid ‘Bots, but I’m not in charge....thankfully. Heh.”

The teleporter remembered his brief time as leader of a mission in the Iranian Desert. It had not been a good experience to say the least as most under his command did not take him seriously. Nightraven had been the only real exception, helping the prankster through a difficult ordeal. Never again did Skywarp want the responsibility of leadership. Of course, that did not necessarily mean he completely agreed with everything his superiors said or did. Razorclaw, for instance, was nothing more than an animal who had only won the throne because of his Predacons and their numerous supporters. Had the lion-former fought fairly, and alone, he would not have won his current position of power. In all actuality, Starscream should be the new supreme commander, or at the very least Thunderwing. The latter was now out of commission, but the former still had a chance.

Speaking of Starscream, Skywarp’s thoughts were interrupted by the blue flier’s query regarding the whereabouts of the missing Seeker Commander. “Um, I have no idea, ‘Cracker,” the teleporter responded, rubbing his chin guard. “I didn’t see him before I bounced down here. Don’t worry, though, I’m sure he’s plotting his next move as we speak.” It was then that the prankster’s attention was drawn towards the sound of Headstrong shouting at someone in a fit of rage. At first, ‘Warp did not know what had angered the Predacon so viciously, but as the seeker’s optics followed Headstrong’s intense glare it became very clear what the issue was. “Well, well, it looks like the Autobots brought that traitor, Howlstrike, with them. Wasn’t he a former Pred, ‘Cracker? Heh. This should be very interesting.”
_________

As Razorclaw approached the group of Autobots, Howlstrike took several deep intakes of air in order to help calm his seething nerve receptors. The tracker knew that he’d see his former teammates here, especially since the Predacon Commander, himself, was now the leader of the Decepticon Empire. The very notion was laughable at best. There was no way that the likes of Razorclaw could keep control of the entire Empire when there were ‘Cons like Overlord and Scorponok still out there, unaware of Megatron’s disappearance. When one or both of them found out about the slagmaker’s apparent demise, they would come seeking to claim the throne for themselves and no amount of help from the other Predacons would be able to save the lion-former from his ultimate fate.

Be as it may, Razorclaw was currently in charge of the Decepticons now, and Howlstrike would have to deal with working together at least for the time being. The Fallen was a more important and dangerous adversary that needed to be dealt with first. Of course, there was also Hardhead, the one who had decapitated the hunter some time ago. Vengeance against him would come first then, if the situation allowed, retribution against his former commander. Prowl’s warning had not gone unnoticed, eliciting a low growl and deep stare from the tracker. While the military strategist was a real prick-bot, he was also correct. Howl would never outwardly admit that, though, but remaining focused on the mission at hand and not letting revenge override the primary objective was crucial. It just so happened that vengeance against Hardhead and the mission’s objectives coincided. What luck.

Unfortunately, there were some that did not see defeating the Fallen and his heralds as the more important goal. Rampage had already made optical contact with Howlstrike, pointing his sword at him from half way across the battlefield. No words were spoken as the ex-Predacon brought his own sword up to bare, returning the gesture in kind to the tiger-former. Howl’s attention was then drawn to Headstrong, whose temperament had clearly gotten the better of him. His outburst was somewhat comical, and the threat of disembowelment made the Autobot tracker laugh out loud as he took a defensive stance and readied his sword for a sudden attack.

“You mean, you’ll try, Headstrong!” Howlstrike roared back at his former comrade, flashing him a toothy grin. Anger had taken hold yet again and no amount of meditating would make it go away this time. If the Predacon or any of the others wished to attack him then Howl would defend himself, the Fallen be damned. “Make your move, ‘Strong! I’m right here!!”

“HOWLSTRIKE! STAND DOWN! THAT’S AN ORDER!!” The loud vocals echoed across the battlefield, causing the former Predacon to break optical contact with Headstrong and whip his head around to see the source of the command. It was Prowl, the black and white mech moving towards Howl with a deep scowl etched across his faceplate. “I said, STAND DOWN! NOW!”

Letting out an angry growl, Howlstrike slowly lowered his energo sword and took a step back as Prowl stopped between him and Headstrong. “This is not the time nor place for this nonsense. The enemy is out there on Ayers Rock. Not here! Now, get it together, Howlstrike! I’m not going to tell you again! Am I clearly understood?”

The former Predacon’s own scowl matched that of the military strategist. Ultimately, however, Prowl was still right. A fight with the Predacons would have to wait, at least for now. “Understood,” Howlstrike muttered loud enough for his superior to hear him. The tracker then moved back further and stood next to Blindside, the only other “friend” he had made in the Autobot ranks besides Kup. Howl’s circuits were still on fire with rage, but after a few more deep intakes, they began to cool again, if only slightly.

“Good,” Prowl responded as he turned around and gave Headstrong the same intense glare he had just given Howlstrike. The black and white’s optics then shifted and moved across the crowd of ‘Cons, his expression never changing. “We’re all here to fight the Fallen, not each other! I suggest that you all remember that!” With his words spoken, Prowl returned to the side of Ultra Magnus and addressed the Autobot leader in a low tone. “My apologies, Commander Magus, if I overstepped any bounds. I felt I needed to act quickly to prevent a fight from breaking out.” The strategist then fell silent as Razorclaw drew closer with every passing astrosecond.
_________

Razorclaw approached the shuttle and the Autobots outside it with a sense of indifference. He knew the battle ahead would not be against them and that they would, in fact, be allies if only on a temporary basis. While he didn’t particularly like the idea of joining forces with the enemy he had fought for countless vorns, it was certainly better than more infighting with other Decepticons. Still, the sight of Howlstrike elicited the desire to tear the traitor apart right there and then. Howl represented not just betrayal, but the failure of Razorclaw to keep his own team together. The tracker was a constant reminder that the lion-former may not be suitable to lead the entirety of the Empire and that he may lose control just as before.

Of course, attacking Howlstrike would do no one any good, and Razorclaw knew that. It would only serve to start a battle with the very allies they needed in order to defeat the Fallen and his heralds. If anything, such a conflict would inadvertently give the demigod exactly what he wanted - the death of Cybertronians. The Fallen would simply sit back and watch as the Autobots and Decepticons tore themselves apart. Then, once the battle was over, the fiery mech would destroy those who were still functioning. Thus, the Fallen would ultimately win and all over one pathetic traitor. Simply put, Howlstrike was not worth the risk.

Razorclaw was not the only one to understand this as Prowl quickly stepped in to prevent things from getting out of hand. The sight of the military strategist admonishing Howlstrike while protecting him at the same time was almost too much to stomach. The lion-former wanted to purge his tanks but reframed from such an action as it would be deemed unbefitting of a supreme leader. The Predacon lord watched as Howl slinked back with the other Autobots like a cyber-rat returning to its hole in the wall.

Once Prowl had finished speaking his mind, Razorclaw opened a private comm line to his unit: >>”Stand down, Predacons! This means you, Headstrong! The Autobot is correct. This is not the time nor place to make the traitor pay. Howlstrike’s time will come and it will come soon! After all, anything can happen during the chaos of battle, like a stray laser blast hitting the wrong target. Heh. You get my meaning.”<<

Confident that his unit understood his final comment, Razorclaw closed his comm line as he stopped a few feet in front of Ultra Magnus and Prowl. The lion-former regarded both Autobots with a respectful nod before focusing his attention first on the black and white. “Prowl, in the future, I suggest you reframe from telling my Decepticons what to do. They are mine to command, not yours.” After letting a few astroseconds go by to allow his words to sink in, Razorclaw shifted his focus to the new Autobot leader.

“Ultra Magnus, I’m going to dispense with the pleasantries and get right down to the point. As you must be aware by now, I am the new Supreme Commander of the Decepticon Empire. I fought for this position in order to ensure the survival of my kind and Megatron’s ideals. This Fallen creature and his heralds are threatening all of us, Autobot and Decepticon alike. Therefore, I offer an extension of the truce you initially brokered with Commander Onslaught previously. We will combine our forces and work together to take the fight directly to the Fallen. As you can see, I have already begun preparations to help us in a siege of Ayers Rock. Once this demigod is defeated, the truce between us will end and we will go our separate ways until the next time we meet on the battlefield. Make no mistake, Magnus, this is not an end to our war, but merely a break from it. Are you agreeable to these terms?”

Australia - Uluru

A private communication from Roadblock in the Thanatos reaches Razorclaw.

"Razorclaw, this is Roadblock. I just woke up from my repair work. What is your status?"

Roadblock sounded calm as he spoke.

Australia - Uluru

Krunix spotted Flamewar and Flywheels conversing with Razorclaw from where he was directing a few Vehicons. He waved at the darkly colored Duocon, happy to see one of the few troops he actually liked interacting with. He did narrow his eyes as he tried to pick up the conversation...and walked away before engaging his scanners. Whatever the subject, he was sure it'd come up later.

He moved to where Misfire stood, away from the work, and offered him a small canister of Energon as he opened his own. It wouldn't be long now, and he wanted to be at full charge with the fighting started.

"Little low on juice, Misfire?" The question to the erratic Decepticon flyer was genuine; he looked like he'd been lost, probably looking for a supply depot that hadn't been finished yet, and Krunix figured it'd be just as easy to simply give him some of the fuel he'd picked up.

Shuttle Serenity

Streetwise looked out over the incoming landscape. He wished he could get a chance to get scout out the area but most likely by the time they get there, Ultra Magnus would have figured it out. His attention turned to something a little less troubling which was the missions he and his group was on previously as well as the Detroit team. The idea of building a outpost in the desert to stay away from the natives made sense but Detroit seemed to be going the opposite direction. Maybe one cycle down the road, they will be far enough down the infiltration protocols to intermingle with the natives. Depending on resources, it may come sooner than later especially if this upcoming fight leaves a huge mark on the Autobots.

"Tracks, did you or anyone in your team interact with the natives while in Detroit? I know we have our avatars but maybe one cycle the avatars won't be enough. I know the infiltration protocols keeps us from interacting with them for now but will we be able to hide ourselves indefinitely? It would been fun to been with you guys in Detroit because there really wasn't much to look at in the desert."

"Streetwise, we have to focus on the here and now which is the threat of extinction from the Fallen."

"Yeah, I know Hot Spot but can't help but wonder what we can learn from the natives. They may seem a bit primitive to us but who knows what they have developed."

Blades listen to the conversation about the former Wreckers.

"I would almost be willing to restart the Wreckers with you guys, Sandstorm, if I wasn't already tied to my Protectobot team. I've lost count how many times I've save their hides but Groove or First Aid would then remind me how many times they have pulled my chassis out of predicaments I made myself. There is something about putting my blades into the guts of Cons which gets my rotors going."

"How many times has violence solved problems, Blades? If anything, it only temporary resolves things until the other team gets reinforcements or repairs. Then they come hunting for you to even the score. The ultimate triumph and true show of power are those who lay down their weapons for tools of peace and infrastructure. I would think our late leader Optimus Prime would agree."

"You may be right, Groove, but even Prime knows when to shoot a gun over using his mouth piece. This thing with the Fallen is one of those examples of gun over talk. I highly doubt Ultra Magnus is going to try to talk the Fallen to death."

Australia--Uluru

Prowl's gaze was answered with a look of utter contempt by Headstrong. As if the traitor was not bad enough, now this Autobot dared to try to tell him what to do? Headstrong couldn't care the slightest how high Prowl ranked within the Autobot command structure. Not that the strategist's importance was any kind of a secret anymore. There certainly had been time when the Decepticons had not recognized Prowl's role in the Autobot war effort but the war had been going on far too long for a secret of such magnitude to stay hidden. For Headstrong though, the fact that he knew Prowl was important was all the reason he needed to set him up as a target on his hit list.

Indeed, if the strategist's importance to his cause hadn't already been a good enough reason to get rid of him - he had managed to make a mistake of getting his nose stuck into business he had no part of being involved with. Namely, Headstrong's grudge with the one Howlstrike. Grudge that could only end up one way.

And yet, Headstrong did stop. He did put his sword away. But it was not because of Prowl. And even less because of Howlstrike. It was because of his respect for Razorclaw. Razorclaw, who had been insightful enough to suggest another way of dealing with the grudge instead of just trying to tell the most stubborn 'con this side of the galaxy how to act. Had he done so, Headstrong could not have helped but to stay on the path he had started on.

"This isn't over." Headstrong snarled, pointing his left fore- and index fingers at the two Autobots before turning it into a slit-throat gesture. "Not by a longshot."

Australia- Uluru


"Little low on juice, Misfire?"

Krunix was being unusually kind. What kind of Decepticon freely offered from his own pool of rations? Misfire hadn't experienced such kindness from his comrades in a long time.

Misfire wasn't much of a soldier, but his comrades did support him, because he was enjoyable to be around. If only because he was such a lousy shot, they kept his company to be entertained by his antics.

Since arriving on the Thanatos Misfire had been so busy trying to play politics and looking out for his own chassis... he'd forgotten that one place in the Decepticon war machine he'd excelled was in unit cohesion.

He accepted Krunix's offer, and shook his hand. "Thanks, comrade. You ready for this?"

Misfire glanced over at the Autobots and then around at the Decepticons, fragmenting into their squads.

It'd be easier to be lost in the shuffle if he wasn't by himself... so Misfire quickly started leading Krunix along with him towards the nearest group, out of sight of Flamewar.

"This is gonna be a bit of a scrap," Misfire said. "Where'd you come from, Krunix? Posted around this star cluster?"

He waited for a reply and did his best to look chummy, hoping his positive attitude might deter any unit commanders from barking orders at him.

Australia: Uluru – Point K

Ultra Magnus made no sign of movement as the Decepticons began to close around his assault forces. The heat of their exhaust vents combined with the hot, dry and nearly oppressive stale fume of contempt that pervaded the conclave was almost as overbearing as the situation itself that loomed before them. Magnus maintained his composure as the other Autobots descended from the confines of the powerful shuttlecraft which bore the name of someone of significance to his past. This was no time for personal vendetta, no time for animosity nor was it the proper place for individual flaws or perhaps individualism itself. There were no illusions to this one simple truth. They had to stand together, despite their past or perhaps to simply offer spite to it, and repel the advances of an ancient horror that demanded their legacy as a sacrifice to fuel its revenge against long forgotten siblings.

No hint of surprise graced his stoic features as sparks began to fly immediately as former comrades in arms who now found them on opposite sides of the proverbial political spectrum prepared for battle. He made no attempt to impede the advance of the Predacon against its former member, out of faith that Howlstrike would be capable of reigning in his own emotional state for the greater good of the situation. Though it took some coaxing from the experienced hand of the Executive Officer for the operation, the situation began to settle to a simmer… at least from the Autobot’s perspective. While Headstrong had his own personal issues to resolve, Magnus was confident that Razorclaw would reign in his own for the same purpose.

Ultra Magnus offered only an approving nod to Prowl and a sideways glance towards the former Predacon. The glance did not serve as an admonishment, nor did it signify disappointment. He knew bringing along the tracker held its own risks and that the simple act of being baited could be a difficult temptation to resist. The fact that the beastformer held his composure and heeded the authority of Prowl signified great process from Magnus’s personal point of view. But there was more to the altercation that held his attention, though he did not voice it within receiver shot of his tenuous allies.

He returned his attention to Razorclaw himself and the large cadre of soldiers he would commit to this battle. Destroying the fallen Prime, a disgraced entity of a bygone era, not only saved all of Cybertronian kind… but it helped him strengthen his tenuous hold on the title he currently claimed. If Magnus were to be honest, he preferred the Predacon with such a position than the alternatives… though none were particularly better than the current situation of Cybertronian politics. At least it made negotiations more attainable for the short term, and perhaps down the road a foundation could be reached or constructed… whether Razorclaw wanted to admit it or not. Surviving an extinction level event tended to ingrain some levels of respect for all participants involved.

“The terms are acceptable Razorclaw.” Magnus acknowledged the brief introduction by the reigning Commander of the Decepticon regime. Like it or not, it was probably the best he would attain at this juncture and would likely attain until circumstances were balanced throughout the quadrant. Ultra Magnus accepted a proffered hand. He did not allow his own concerns of this alliance to show upon his unreadable features, but he knew the Decepticon mindset well enough to have questions to its true duration.


“You think we can trust them?” Slingshot offered the rhetorical question up to Silverbolt as he shut down the final gauges of the shuttle and activated its primary internal security systems. Should anyone not registered in the crew manifest of either the Longevity or the Serenity decide to intrude into the confines of the ship, well Scoop assured the flier that whoever was fool enough to try it would get a rather unwelcome charge out of the effort. Still he felt uncomfortable leaving the ship on automated defense as well as to the hands of Ratchet, Veener and a recently repaired Bumblebee. Sure they were of more value to the overall cause than he was, even a self sealing stem-bolt was more important to the cause than Slingshot was… It was for that reason he was tempted to request that Prowl assign someone to offer some sort of guard zone that overlapped with that of the Shuttle’s combined gun arcs.

Unfortunately, Slingshot knew the answer before it was even proposed. They required any and all available hands for the fight, and that meant the same was true for the Decepticons. While Slingshot knew his contributions could only be considered minimal even by the other Aerialbot standards, adding in the likes of those accursed Seekers only fueled a sense of inadequacy.

“No, I don’t think we can fully trust them Slingshot.” Scoop responded before the Aerialbot squadron commander could reply. There were some things that should be left to the middle ranked officers and left off of the burdening plate of those who wore the mantel of ‘Commander’. “But right now this is their fight as well…”

The flier finished the final codes and pulled himself from the helm station. “But,” he started to question the response but instead looked back to the main view port and the red haze choked sun that held its position middling the sky above them. “Once this damn thing is over, they’re going to probably turn their guns on us as soon as the first grain of dust settles.”

Scoop pulled himself out of the command well and made his way to the smaller mech. He placed a reassuring hand on the smaller flier’s shoulder. “Primus will protect us in our fight against one who rejected his gifts. Of that I am certain. But even in the end I doubt once this does conclude either side will have the sparks for a sustained battle.”

“Probably right Scoop, besides if they did try anything funny I’ll just have to torch a few of their afterburners and smite their ruin across the wastelands of this blasted dirtball.” Slingshot’s spirits lifted briefly as a confident smirk crossed his faceplate.

“That’s the spirit. In the name of Primus we will be victorious and we will succeed in our quest to eliminate this threat from our epoch of time.” Scoop gave a friendly nod as he picked up his registered weaponry and slung them across his back. He then hefted up the massive shield shovel and hung it across his back to conceal them from unwanted optics. The soldier knew he was not fooling many with his peculiar habits, but it was a superstitious tradition he had harbored for millennia and had brought him through countless battles. Why rock the proverbial sand schooner?

Scoop and Slingshot joined the rest of the Aerialbots as they disembarked from the shuttle. At the bottom of the gangplank the two parted ways, Slingshot joining Air Raid, Fireflight, Skydive and Silverbolt just to the left and behind Prowl. Slingshot already had his depleted nucleon rifle drawn and its muzzle bouncing ever so slightly in his left hand. The scope was already attached and primed for instant range adjustments, though Scoop knew full well that the device was more for show in the case of the Ground Support and Sniper specialist. His targeting package was second to none in the air and probably likewise on ground targets as well. Scoop himself made his way to stand next to Hound and Smokescreen. His thick actuators across his broad shoulders rose up and down briefly as he settled into a military attention.


The servos on the right him silently and almost instantaneously activated pulling back the heavy armor plates along the thigh. Two plates separated down an invisible seam and were pushed out just barely to clear the rest of the matrix of the leg armor grid. As swiftly as the process began five digits were buried within the confines of the holster, securing the handle of a powerful blaster. His finger easily wrapped around the trigger with eons of practiced ease. A simple jolt of the elbow and the quick snap of the stud, it was all that was required.

As Headstrong began his charge for the Autobot line, reflex had taken control for a brief moment. With the Predacon’s blinded rage towards the wolfformer apparent and nearly unrelenting, Nova Strike was ready to lend his own version of assistance. Even if it meant robbing Howlstrike the glory of defending himself in a duel that would do more harm than good, the Ranger could not allow such callous actions to destroy what slim chances of success they had. Putting down a crazed Decepticon bent on something as petty as revenge, it would sting but in the end the situation would most likely remain on path.

Still he held his weapon tight and waited for the situation to devolve. A quick shot to the cranial unit, would probably make the rhino a bit more intelligent… though he doubted the brute would survive the incident. But again he held his peace and waited. And soon the authoritative and emotionless prowess of Prowl cut through the tense situation like a hot vibro blade through freshly churned Lubricant. He didn’t care what the message was that Prowl delivered, and he doubted it had any effect on the Predacon himself, but at least it was a voice of reason and easily spared Nova from wasting a bullet on a potential temporary ally. Besides would probably be more entertaining to watch the Fallen tear them limb from limb anyways.

The ranger released his grip and allowed the holster to close without the weapon being removed from its locks. His optics barely locked with Howlstrike before he turned his gaze and the myriad of motley Decepticons that had been scrounged up from whatever barrel they were scraping. “Ya know Rewind, this could prove to be a most enjoyable experience.”

He folded his arms across his chest and began to take in the sight. Powerful bruisers stood at length. Separated by a spit of land nearly a hundred meters wide, a distance barely more than a half court of oracle, the two groups scowled and sneered at each other. Nova Strike could not fault either side for their respective responses, eons of war had created a massive divide between the two factions and he doubted even this battle for survival would even make a dent in reconciliation. “Stunticons, Combaticons, Predacons, Seekers… all that’s missing is that one with the funny nose who carries them all inside… whats his name? Oh yeah Astrotrain. Get him here and we’ll have the whole damn Decepticon Circus.” His voice remained low so that only the Autobots around him could hear his quip. It was his way of relieving the tension that was building before battle. For as soon as Magnus gave the word, they were going to begin the most dangerous operation since the Siege of the Ethereal Transcendence.

Australia - Uluru

Krunix followed Misfire, nodding to the Vehicons in the group before shaking his head at the flyer.

"Me? Was attached to a forward unit out past Beta-4. Smaller pre-stellar worlds mainly. You ever want to remember why you're in the Decepticon Conquest business? Go watch some of those little organic germs fight each other and the tactics they use. Makes our fight against the Autobots look like a friendly disagreement over parking." His tone was light, but Krunix actually shuddered a little thinking about some of the atrocities he'd seen lifeforms commit on Infiltration Missions. Thinking that the little mudball he was on was full of similar scampering little apes was...somewhere south of comforting, to Krunix.

Shuttle Longevity:

It was getting late. Nitron wasn't expecting such a sharp turn of events in his life. He had barely joined the Autobots, and already they were fighting against some mythical beast called The Fallen.

"So I guess these tales weren't false at all. If the Fallen exists, then so do Unicron and Primus."

He exited the chamber, coming out with a different design than before. He was now an Earth-vehicle, a "Dodge Dart GT" as they called it. Typically, he would have gone to the training room, but right now, there was a war going on below on Earth, and he needed to get there fast. He quickly ran to the Bouncing Room, and in a few moments, he was gone.

Shuttle Serenity

"Hm?" Tracks asked, looking up for a moment to see if anyone was actually speaking to him. For the most part he was used to being left to his own devices and that suited him just fine. When he realized the question had come from a Protectobot and that it had actually been addressed to him, he pondered for a moment, trying to remember what the question had been. Then it came back to him.

"Ah, no. We hadn't quite got that far yet. I'm sure it would've only been a matter of time, but we were more in the base-scouting, data-gathering portion of the mission. And if Huffer had anything to say about it, we were likely to be in that phase for some time."

He raised an eyebrow ridge at the Protectobot's last comment.

Anything is better than being cooped up on a ship. But I can imagine that a city-mission would be far preferable to one based in a desert. Perhaps you'll get your chance. I'm sure Huffer will requisition every ounce of personnel support he can possibly squeeze out of Magnus and Prowl."
___

Sandstorm grinned at Blades' offer of helping reignite the old Wreckers banners, but a quick glance at Hot Spot let him know that he probably shouldn't be encouraging the Protectobot too much, so he quickly shifted his gaze to the floor of the shuttle, smirk still firmly in place.

"Yeah, I've heard about you, heh. I'm sure you'd blend right in," Sandstorm said honestly, hopefully without stoking the ire of the Protectobot's commander any. Especially not so close to a battle where any plans they might make for after the battle might well be wishful thinking for all of them. "Guess we'll see what the future holds if we win."

He paused for a moment, looking up, and then quickly autocorrected.

"When we win."

Australia - Uluru

Silverbolt had been considering Fireflight’s reprimand but the small Aerialbot had deemed to calm down. The other Aerialbots where going about combat preparations. The largest of the Aerialbot stretched his arms feeling his shoulder joints stretch and loosen.

The Aerialbots moved out of the shuttle under the orders of Ultra Magnus into the throng of the Decepticon masses. The Predacon’s resident anger management case Headstrong was itching to resume a fight with their ex member Howlstrike. Silverbolt turned to Slingshot as he spoke but was beaten to the punch before he could speak by Scoop. He allowed the mech to finish then he spoke “trust your teammates Slingshot that is all that matters, the decepticons will likely turn on us after the main event if we win but my concern is that slag heap Starscream I don’t see his scheming faceplate in the throng”

Flanking him where Air Raid and Fireflight both where fidgeting for differing reasons Air Raid was itching to pound some seekers while Fireflight was staring in awe at Ultra Magnus and Razorclaw the two supreme commanders having what could loosely be described as a sizing up competition. “Keep your attention on the surroundings Fireflight we need decent sniper spots possible choke points for advancing ground pounders” the smaller Aerialbot snapped out of his stupor and started to scan the surroundings for things that would match those criteria.

“Air Raid reign in your battle lust the decepticons aren’t our enemies in this battle”

Silverbolt looked at the massed combined force surely with this much firepower they couldn’t fail.

Australia – Uluru - Shuttle Longevity

Ratchet’s scowl grew even deeper as he stood close by Axle. He let out a low grumble when Magnus moved in closer to both medical experts and filled them in on what they might’ve missed.

"Axle, your task for challenging Hex, are you sure about... no of course you are. It is too late to back out of this movement now as the symphony is gathering."

Upon hearing his name Axle perked up and gave the Commander his full attention. Everything that was said only moments prior was but a distant memory. Of course that was not only due to the field medic’s sudden surprise but also because he had other things on his mind…or rather someone.

Axle was preparing to respond but was too slow. Instead as Ultra Magnus pressed on he simply listened.

"I am confident in your abilities Axle, as I am sure Ratchet is as well. However, I have seen these possessed first hand and I am reluctant to dispatch you alone against one of them. Even if it is Hex a who underneath this invasive programming may still be a friend. Tactically it is an unsound approach. Therefore I want you to take two combat escorts with you when you make your run. Blurr, Bluestreak, Sideswipe, and Chromedome are onboard the Serenity. Choose among them if you wish or pull from those onboard the Longevity."

The black and green medic averted his optics staring hard into the flooring of the shuttle. Axle knew all too well how powerful his ward and the others had become. But he also knew that Hex would respond to no one but him. Of course having a few other mechs around just in case…

Axle looked back up and offered a nod in understanding. He ran through the names Magnus had mentioned as back up and made his choice. He’ll make contact with the mech once they were outside and facing their Decepticon “comrades”.

Ratchet watched as Ultra Magnus stepped away. He crossed his arms over his broad chest and set a sideways glance in Axle’s direction. “You’re still going after him alone, aren’t you? Do I have to tell just how stupid…” He was cut off when Axle raised his hand. “No, I’m not.” He looked back at the CMO his optics dull. “I’m going to ask Chromedome to come with me. If I can’t use the sedative then maybe…” he shrugged.

Ratchet placed both hands on his hips as he studied the forlorn medic. “Maybe what? Maybe you’ll use his abilities to your advantage? Maybe…” Axle shot a heated glare back at the CMO. “If I can’t do it someone’s going to have to get in close enough to him to do something! At least if it’s him I know Hex will come out alive.”

The white and red doctor tossed his hands up into the air and let loose an exasperated sigh. He eyed his subordinate for a brief moment before he pushed past Axle and stalked off toward the shuttle’s ramp.

Axle’s head lowered and his shoulders slumped. He was sure to wait until he was sure ratchet was halfway down the corridor before he left for the ramp.

Australia – Uluru

Despite their staggered departures Ratchet and Axle both made it outside at approximately the same time. Of course what they nearly walked into was not at all surprising. The Decepticons were already present. And it seemed as though they brought just about their entire army. Axle wondered if that was at all good.

Both medics watched from a safe distance as the Predacons spotted their former ally. Although neither Howlstrike nor the Predacons were happy to see each other. And of course things nearly got out of hand. Axle flinched while Ratchet simply grunted at the spectacle. “I’m not so sure this is going to work the way we hope” Axle whispered. “It’ll work. Remember the ‘Cons don’t want anyone else to kill us off except them.” Ratchet kept his optics on the standoff. “They’ll assist in getting rid of the competition and then they’ll turn their weapons on us and open fire.” Axle looked back at the CMO who was still focused on Howlstrike.

Shuttle Longevity – Hold One –Combat Casualty Care

The line was silent, but Veneer was too familiar with the mech on the other to know that he was still there. As much as he tried to fight it the nurse let a small smile work its way onto his face. He shook his head lightly before he resumed his work.

Leaving the comm line open was not something new, after all it let him know that his friend was still with him even if it was physically just knowing he was there listening was a comfort.

Veneer had just hefted up a rather heavy and cumbersome tote when the shuttle seemed to list slightly. Quickly Veneer braced himself by pressing his hip against one of the medical slabs. The tote held close against his chest.

[quote]>>"We're heading out. Stay safe. And try not to worry too much,">”I hope we’re landing because it feels more like crashing.”>”Uh, yeah. Heading out. Of course.”>”I know I like to leave this thing open, but I think it’d be best if we keep it closed. You’re probably going to have some sort of briefing and I don’t want to distract you from anything important.”>”Concentrate on saving our species. I’ll be fine in the shuttle. Heh. I doubt anything will make its way in here.”>”Listen Side, I…”>”Goodbye, Side.”<< With that he quickly closed the line and with a heavy sigh returned to his work.

Australia – Uluru

Hex had watched closely as the Master called Darkride to him. It seemed that there was a bit of a surprise being plotted for the Cybertronians. For a brief moment Hex smiled but it fell flat when he thought of the carnage his brother would be able to partake in without him. Hex humphed.

“Will there not be a security system?” Darkride spoke as he stared out in the direction of his target. The flaming demigod stepped in beside him, his fiery optics focused on the distance. “Yes. But it will not function.” Darkride broke his gaze and turned his attention to his Master. “Not function? Is that possible from this great a distance, Master?”

The corners of the flame-enrobed mech’s lips curled upward. “It will be no doing of mine, my Angel. You are perfectly capable of rendering the system useless. Your speed and agility will be enough.” The former interrogator nodded in understanding before he cast his gaze back out toward the horizon.

Sitting cross-legged on the ground Hex rested his elbow on his knee, his chin settled in the palm of his hand. Drag Strip and Hardhead had moved off, Darkride was having a conversation with the Master, and he was ready to tear into anything that crossed his path. When is this whole thing supposed to happen? Waiting was just so…so…ugh!

“Heh! My, but you are anxious, Child.” The Fallen hadn’t even looked in his direction when Hex jumped to his feet. “I’m sorry, Master. I just…it’s just…” The young mech hung his head in embarrassment. The weight of a heavy hand on his shoulder caused Hex to look up into his Master’s bright red optics. “The annihilation of an entire species takes time. You must savor it. Remember the looks on their faces as you strike them down. Replay their cries to calm your nerves. The symphony of death must be cherished.”

The hand on his shoulder squeezed gently. “I understand, Master. I’ll be patient. I pro…” Hex’s head shot upward. A wide smile grew on the Fallen’s face as he watched his youngest Herald put one of his gifts to use. “What is it child?” Hex shook his head slightly as he adjusted the magnification of his optics. They seemed to be capable of more than what he was previously used too. He could see farther.

“One of them. He’s up there.” Hex pointed skyward where Divebomb was flying overhead. “Circling. Probably a one mile radius.” Hex looked back to the smiling demigod. “Can I take him out?” The young mech nearly jumped with anticipation but his jovial actions were halted by a wave of The Fallen’s hand. “No. He will die with his comrades. He is here only to observe. They wish to know where we are so that they may put their strategies to work. They will fail. And they will die.” His features darkened further, “All of them will burn in the fiery bowels of the Pit. And we will walk over their twisted and charred remains in order to welcome our Master. Nothing will stop us. Nothing!”

Australia-Uluru

"Force of habit," Astrotrain said as he had caught back up with his fellow triple-changers and caught most of what Octane had said. After fighting each other for as long as they had, it was pretty much instinct to fire on anything that bore that red Autobrand. The fact that none of them had yet was a slagging miracle.

Wait until there's the cover of chaos. Then we'll really test the strength of this little alliance, Astrotrain mused to himself, fancying himself something of a sideline commander from time to time; never enough to actually get too deeply involved in the Decepticon political machine, but he did like to watch the actions and reactions.

As Octane chided him once more about the little native pet he had unwittingly taken on, he looked back in the distance where he had left it. It was too small and too far away to be seen, but he knew it was out there somewhere. He would recollect it in due time.

"Taken care of for now," Astrotrain said, shrugging and turning his head back to the rock formation in the other direction. "Not that it matters. Our odds of surviving this can't be all that great."
___

"I heard you were Air Commander for a little bit though," Thundercracker said with a grin as he continued to watch the Deceptigrunts do their grunt work. "Musta felt good, eh? Maybe if 'Screamer ever takes the top spot, you'll get the job for good."

Thundercracker's face creased in frustration for a moment at the fact that Starscream had not yet put in an appearance. His expression quickly returned to normal after he thought about it a little more. An event like this was too good an opportunity to pass up and too ripe with potential. He would be here.

"Yeah, I'm sure he is. All the better for us. Situation's too unstable. He'll wanna capitalize."

He then looked over at the approaching Autobots and the specific one that Skywarp had indicated.

"Holy slag. I can't believe they actually brought that little glitch," Thundercracker said, his attention now focused on the various Predacons that had positioned themselves all over the battlements. To say he had got their attention was an understatement. "Him being here's gotta chafe our new leader somethin' fierce, heh heh. This'll be fun. Bet he's the first one to get hit with 'friendly' fire."
___

Onslaught had nodded and followed after Razorclaw as commanded as he went to parley with the members of the Autobot Command team. The Combaticon stood silently while the leadership hashed out the final terms of temporary truce. His opinion was not asked for or needed and Onslaught was not the type of mech to offer it up unbidden. They had as much data about the situation as they were likely to get, their battlements were under construction and the forces were getting into position. All that was left, really, was for one side to make a move against the other. Truth be told, he was rather surprised that the Fallen had not done exactly that.

It had to mean that the entity, whatever it truly was, was giving them illusions of being able to be prepared for what was to come. For all they were now doing to ready themselves for a strike, Onslaught had not fooled himself into thinking they were anything more than that. Simple illusions, but it was the best they had to go on until the dynamics of this fight changed.

Onslaught could not help but become more tensely rigid at the behaviors of the Predacon traitor, Howlstrike. Such a volatile element that was. The traitor's former team wanted nothing more than to see him dead, and it was clear from his reaction that the Predacon wolf was no wilting violet. He wished the very same. It was a testament to Razorclaw's belief in their strategy that he kept his own inner rage at bay, much less that of his team. The Autobots did their duty in keeping their dog on his leash.

One crisis averted, Onslaught thought before turning to look at the imposing rock formation. Now let's survive one more.

Australia - Uluru

Flamewar had nodded, graciously accepting the invitation that Razorclaw had offered to accompany him and Onslaught to the proceedings. She waved Flywheels to where the rest of the Decepticons readied themselves for battle. Stepping up to Razorclaw's other side, Flamewar stood silently as the two new leaders began to hash out the terms of the truce. She let her optics wander the Autobot ranks. Seeing the enemy so near and not being allowed to rip through their numbers set her a touch on edge, but Flamewar kept it well contained. They needed this truce to survive.

Nevertheless, she found herself impressed that none of the Decepticons or Autobots had opened fire out of reflex. It seemed that everyone understood the severity of the situation. Which was good. Of course, angry shouting tended to upset any kind of tenuous peace like the kind Headstrong happened to be doing right now. At one of the Autobots.

Flamewar glanced over to the Autobot in question and recognized the mech in question. Howlstrike. Former Predacon. Undoubtedly on the DJD's list...they would be interested to know that he was here. That was providing he survived any 'friendly fire' as the black operative suspected might occur during this little encounter. Fortunately, the little matter resolved itself quite tidily and the final terms were agreed upon. It seemed that the traitor hadn't quite earned the trust of his new comrades, judging from how they treated him. Curious.

Well, there would be time enough for that later. Flamewar glanced toward Ayer's Rock where their foe awaited them before returning her optics to the Autobots. Bah. This truce left a foul taste in her mouth.


>>”Permission granted, Divebomb. Get as close to the rock as you can. I want a visual of what we’re up against. Furthermore, I’m having Soundwave send some of his cassettes to assist you, so expect them to arrive shortly both in the air and on the ground.">”Stand down, Predacons! This means you, Headstrong! The Autobot is correct. This is not the time nor place to make the traitor pay. Howlstrike’s time will come and it will come soon! After all, anything can happen during the chaos of battle, like a stray laser blast hitting the wrong target. Heh. You get my meaning.">"Razorclaw, I've got them in my sights! They're just...standing around...right now. I'll let you know the moment that changes.">"Remember, Howl. We're here for Hardhead first and foremost. But....I'm sure some friendly fire toward the Predacons might get lost in the confusion,">”I hope we’re landing because it feels more like crashing.">”Uh, yeah. Heading out. Of course. I know I like to leave this thing open, but I think it’d be best if we keep it closed. You’re probably going to have some sort of briefing and I don’t want to distract you from anything important. Concentrate on saving our species. I’ll be fine in the shuttle. Heh. I doubt anything will make its way in here.">”Listen Side, I…">”Goodbye, Side."<<

The link cut out.

"Well that's going to bug me forever," Blindside said aloud to himself. Just. Great. How on Earth or Cybertron was he supposed to not think or worry about Vee now? Maybe he should try that meditating thing. Yeah. Ok. Blindside took several controlled breaths and tried to push the nurse from his mind.


“Ya know Rewind, this could prove to be a most enjoyable experience."

The archivist had been enraptured by the proceedings between Ultra Magnus and Razorclaw, recording it for prosperity. He'd been recording since before he'd stepped off the shuttle. This was a once in a...eon's occurrence! A truce between the Autobots and Decepticons. That didn't just happen. So, when Nova Strike commented on the scene, Rewind glanced at the ranger from the corner of his visor.

"That's understating it a little, don't you think? This is history in the making! This is...the most...impossible of circumstances! This is amazing! Don't you dare underplay this momentous occasion!"

Rewind glanced around the battlefield. Still no sign of Chromedome either. Hard to believe that he'd miss this. Rewind let out a slight sigh. The mnemosurgeon was going to kill him. Totally kill him when he found out that the archivist was here. And then he'd get the worst thing ever. The Chromedome silent treatment. The thing that frustrated Rewind to no end. Primus don't let Chromedome find out.

Australia - Uluru

Warwolf stood stern with his arms crossed over the armor plating of his chest as he watched more and more members of the Decepticon army arrived on the Fallen's doorstep. A snarl formed underneath his faceplate as the first Autobot shuttle landed in this miserable hell-hole of a meeting place. The interrogator gazed at the first contact Razorclaw and his Predacons were making with Ultra Magnus' crew as they exited the interior of their shuttle. Soon there was a bit of commotion, mostly between Razorclaw's lackeys and the Autobot tracker known as Howlstrike. Warwolf took note of the tracker's form, from where he stood he could tell Howlstrike had an animalistic alt mode, at least from the kibble that hung off the Autobot's chassis.

"I give it two cycles before they're at each other's throats again." Warwolf said outloud to no one in particular.

-

Vortex stood guard looking over the crowd of warriors all gathering around ready to take on the mythical prime. He spun his signature glue-gun around his left index-digit out of boredom from just standing around while more and more cybertronians converged onto this single point in the Australian desert.

"Ugh...This is tiresome..." Vortex whined as he spun his weapon into his hand and held it out towards the crowd, imitating as if he were about to fire it off into the crowd. "My actuators are getting itchy, what about you Brawl?"

-

Blitzwing glanced about the crowd of Deceptigrunts as Octane and Astrotrain were chatting about something relating to Autobot targets and forces of habit. He was hardly paying attention, the thought of changing to his tank mode and taking a cheap shot at the Autobots was the only thing running through his mind. The commando scowled as more and more Autobots poured out from the shuttle’s interior.

“This *treaty* isn’t going to last long.” Blitzwing grunted as he took notice of the Predacon’s interaction with the Autobot known as Howlstrike, “Don’t see why we can’t just end them all now, it’d make things hundreds of times easier for us.”

-

“Ah! Finally a chance to breathe again!” Railway sighed with relief as stretched his arm servos out. Time inside the shuttle had made the bulky train-former feeling quite easy, he was glad he finally had the room to move about freely now. He walked over the far end of the Autobot grouping to allow most of the smaller Bots a chance to get out of the shuttle as well as take in any information he could about the Decepticons gathering up on the other side of the Autobot team.

He shifted his stance and crossed his arms over his chest plating, standing like a sentry as he awaited further orders from Ultra Magnus or Prowl. He kept his servos loose in the event of any Decepticons decided to make a surprising move on the Autobot group, he arms ready to draw upon his signature Warhammer.
-
Jazz stood by Ultra Magnus as the bright sunlight glared across his sky-blue optical visor. A faint smirk was etched across his faceplate as Prowl had settled down Howlstrike and Razorclaw his Predacon lackies. He was ready to hop into that hot mess and keep the pot from stirring any further, a skill he was proud of being quite good at, but the military strategist was already two steps ahead of him and shut it down fast.

“Boy it’s a scorcher out here.” The counter intelligence operative commented on the Australian heat as he rested his knuckle joints on the side of his hip structures, trying to diverge the topic away from the Predacon/Howlstike square off. “And I thought the Sea of Rust was a hot, barren desert of nothiness.”

While the Autobot/Decepticon allegiance was getting underway, Jazz switched on his internal music systems, bobbing his processor to the beat of some Earthly tunes Blaster snagged for him.

“City’s breaking down on a camel’s back…”

Shuttle Serenity

Chromedome eased back at the controls as Ultra Magnus’ “Point K” was closing in on the targeting computer. The Autobot shuttle’s speed decelerated to a steady cruising speed as it slowly began to descend upon the Australian horizon.

“Prep yourselves for landing.” The mnemosurgeon rang over the ship’s PA system, “We’ve got about a cycle and a half before touching down.”

-

“Hey! There you are Steeljaw!” Eject exclaimed as he approached his fellow Cassettobot. “So how was Detroit? You left me open when took your pass down the field! Now it looks like we’re both benched until a spot opens up.”

The blue and white Cassettobot then readied his weapon systems, giving his “gear” one final check.

“This is it… Game time!”

-

Springer approached Chromedome and Blaster’s side and stood overhead as he watched the former computer programmer fly the spacecraft over the Australian outback.

“Bring her in gently, then land close to Magnus’ ship. Assuming he beat us here that is.”
The green and yellow Triple changer’s expression shifted to a disapproving snarl as he took notice of the numerous amounts of Decepticons who were huddling around the Autobot team that had arrived here before Springer’s team did. Although the idea of working with Decepticons made him cringe in his circuits, Springer knew they were gonna be useful in this endeavor to take on The Fallen.

“Alright fembots, weapons ready and smiles on your faceplates, we’ve got a myth to kill!” Cried the triplechanger into the troop compartment of the shuttle as it pressed down into the Earth a good hundred feet or so from where Magnus’ shuttle, the Longevity, was parked.

Springer was the first mech to depart the Autobot shuttle and was greeted by the sight of the Decepticon army staring he and his team down. He held back his urge to draw his weapon on them first, believing that at least one of those purple insignia wearing scrap-lickers was plotting to cause some sort of commotion. He smirked at the thought, using it as fuel for his eagerness for some action.

“Springer and the crew of Shuttle Serenity present and ready for action.” The green warrior stated with a half-hearted salute to Ultra Magnus and the bots surrounding the bulky red and blue commander.
-

Chromedome stood in the doorframe of the shuttle and gazed out in wonder at the sight of all the Cybertronians who ascended upon the location. He reached for one of his holstered pistols and drew the weapon, staring down at the firearm. It had been quite awhile since he had to actually use this for anything besides combat preparedness routines back aboard the Ark-22. He knew Rewind would chew him out for wanting to partake in the conflict against The Fallen, but there was something about the call to arms that struck with the mnemosurgeon. He was always behind a desk, or stuck up in a lab… But when he was given the chance to fight, he felt like he mattered more, like he was making up for time he’s wasted not participating in the battles or serving on the frontlines. Well now was his best chance at getting that back, his chance to make up for lost time.

Australia: Uluru, Autobot camp.

Nitron faded into view as he re-adjusted his optics. Bouncing after a long time threw him nearly off-balance, but he stumbled over to his stance. He walked over to the camp, and stocked himself up on some fuel. He hadn't had a chance to refuel for at least 5 missions.

Once he was done, he went around to see who else was there. A lot of 'Bots and 'Cons were standing around, waiting in the heat of the day, waiting, waiting for the slagging war to start. Nitron's optics gazed around, finding nothing of the ordinary. But one thing that bothered him was that he was going to fight with the group of Cybertronians he hated, the ones he seeked out revenge for, the one he wanted to end.

But everyone one on the field knew one thing.

They could not live without the truce.

Australia - Shuttle Serenity

Bluestreak had tried to remain silent during the trip to Detroit and then over to Australia. Unfortunately, that was like asking Grimlock to stay calm. It just wasn’t going to happen. Thus, the black and silver mech chatted off the audio receptors of a nearby Autobot grunt. Blue didn’t know his name and it hadn’t come up in conversation. Of course, the conversation was one-sided with the gunner doing all of the talking. The poor grunt simply leaned back and off-lined his optics in a feeble attempt to block out the endless rattling. It didn’t work too well.

The noise that was Bluestreak’s vocals only stopped once the Serenity had finally reached it’s destination and set down in the Australian outback. “I guess we’re here!” The chatterbot exclaimed as he unstrapped himself and got to his feet, checking his rifle for a moment before Springer appeared and ordered everyone to put on a smile and get ready. “Well, Springer, I don’t know about a smile, but I’m as armed and ready as I’ll ever be! Oh, and I’m not a femmebot, just so you know.”

Bluestreak chuckled before glancing back down at his new friend whose audios were probably hurting by now. “Well, it was nice talking to you, um, I’m sorry, what was your name again?” The grunt in question on-lined his optics and glared up at Blue with a scowl etched across his faceplate. “Oh, nevermind. Heh.” Realizing that he had inadvertently annoyed the object of his neverending speech, the gunner decided to move on before said mech punched him in the head.

Turning his attention over to Blurr, Bluestreak smiled at the speedster and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder plate. “So, Blurr, you ready to kick some demigod aft plates? I know I am. I just hope we can beat these guys without losing too many of our own. I could care less how many ‘Cons are lost. Let them go in first and take the brunt of the assault. With any luck the Fallen will take care of most of them before we then take care of the Fallen. Kill two birds with one stone I believe the humans say.”

Remaining by the blue racer’s side, the gunner descended the ramp and looked around at the seemingly endless sea of purple emblems that surrounded the newly arrived Autobots. Instantly, Blue felt very uncomfortable. “Yuck. Look at all these wretched ‘Cons. I think I’m going to purge my tanks. Disgusting!”

Australia - Uluru

Blast-Off had followed his commander’s orders and helped to build a temporary base camp in the middle of this Primus forsaken desert near Ayers Rock. It was grunt work, but the space warrior didn’t complain. It was his job to follow Onslaught’s orders and that’s exactly what he intended to keep on doing. Besides, it was better than just standing around doing nothing. Keeping busy was infinitely better than waiting for the inevitable battle that would likely end with many if not all of them dying at the hands of a fiery demigod.

Still, Blast-Off kept those thoughts suppressed and went about his duties. Once the camp had been established and the majority of Decepticons had arrived, his orders changed. Now they came from Razorclaw, the new Supreme Commander. The vehicons were ordered to dig trenches and build dunes while everyone else were to assume positions around the perimeter. The space warrior obliged and joined his Combaticon brethren. It seemed unusual for him to be down on the ground with the rest of his team. Normally, Blast-Off was alone, flying high above the battlefield while raining terror down on his unsuspecting targets below. Of course, Razorclaw was not familiar with the space warrior’s typical role in combat nor did he likely care. Therefore, Blast-Off opened a comm line to his immediate superior:

>>”Commander Onslaught, this is Blast-Off. Sir, should I take to the skies like normal and provide air support with my X-ray laser? I might be able to get the jump on the Fallen and his heralds. They may not be able to strike back at me so easily while I’m at a high altitude. Just an idea, of course.”>”I know, Blindside, I know! Hardhead is our primary target. I haven’t forgotten that. But, like you said, some friendly fire is inevitable. I might just mistake Headstrong for Hardhead and blast him by accident. Heh. I mean, they both have ‘head’ in their names so I could get them mixed up.”>”Understood, Divebomb. Maintain surveillance until I give the order to attack. It won’t be long now.”<<

The lion-former locked optics with Ultra Magnus once more as Springer and the crew of the Serenity arrived on scene. “My man has made visual contact with the Fallen and his minions. They wait for us on Ayers Rock and have so far made no threatening movements towards us. I sense that they want us to come to them. I suggest you have your troops use the freshly dug trenches and dunes as cover. I plan to first send in a full battalion of vehicons, both ground and air based, to soften up the Fallen and his heralds before the rest of my warriors move in behind them. If you have any battle strategies, now’s the time to offer them up.”
_________

Prowl stood next to Magnus and listened to everything that transpired between the two leaders. It was all really happening. Autobots and Decepticons fighting side by side on the battlefield. Who would have ever imagined that such a thing was even possible. Still, it wouldn’t last and things would eventually get back to normal once the Fallen was taken care of and their possessed friends were rescued and returned safely. Of course, that assumed they would all survive for there to be a continuation of the Cybertronian Civil War. After all, this could very well be the end of not just ‘Bots and ‘Cons but of everything. The black and white then took notice of Springer, giving the triplechanger a curt nod before turning his attention back to Razorclaw.

“Actually, we do have a strategy,” Prowl interjected, taking a step forward to address Razorclaw personally. “It is our assertion that a direct assault on Ayers Rock would serve no purpose but to damage a natural landmark and thus risk exposing ourselves to the planet’s population. Now, I understand that you ‘Cons could care less about such things. Regardless, attacking the Fallen and his heralds while they are a united front is foolish and will not work. They are too strong together. Thus, we must separate them by drawing them away from the mountain in different directions. We will accomplish this by using small diversionary teams, one for each herald. Once the heralds are out in the open, we will try to subdue them by using sedatives. That way we can save our friends from the demigod’s grasp. Meanwhile, our heaviest hitters will take on the Fallen, himself, directly.” Prowl’s words were then interrupted by laughter emanating from the lion-former. “I’m sorry, was there something I said that was funny?”

“Yeah, pretty much everything, Prowl,” Razorclaw responded as he shook his cranium in disbelief. “You Autobots never cease to amaze me. You’re really worried about some rock formation when the fate of our race is at stake? And you call my plan foolish. Unbelievable!”

The military strategist gritted his teeth at the lion-former’s condescending tone. “Fine, forget Ayers Rock. We still must divide and conquer. It’s our best chance at defeating the Fallen and getting our comrades back alive!”

“I’m afraid that I’m not as concerned about getting our respective comrades back alive as you are,” Razorclaw scoffed. “If it’s possible to rescue them then fine. If not, oh well. Sacrificing five mechs to save an entire race is acceptable loses in my mind.”

Prowl let out a deep sigh of frustration at Razorclaw’s stubborn attitude towards his plan. However, the military strategist couldn’t help but agree that sacrificing five mechs was, in fact, an acceptable lose in order to ensure the continued existence of the entire Cybertronian race. After all, how many have already been lost in this neverending war? Far more than five that much was certain. Still, Prowl would never admit his feelings on the matter aloud. He was already thought of as a prick-bot. He didn’t need to add Decepticon sympathizer to the list of names he was called behind his back.

Before Prowl could respond further, Razorclaw crossed his arms over his chestplate and turned his attention back to Ultra Magnus. “So, Magnus, you’re military strategist here has some interesting if not misguided ideas on how we should proceed. I must say that divide and conquer is a viable concept that has worked in the past, and I may be willing to lend some of my men to these diversion teams. However, please tell me that you have some sort of back-up plan just in case this strategy of yours fails miserably against the likes of a demigod and his supernatural heralds of destruction.”

Australia - Uluru

Hardhead stood, arms crossed over his chest plate, at the edge of Ayers Rock, looking over at the Cybertronian forces that were amassing one Earth mile away. The battle was near, so near that the green herald could taste it. He was built for war, even before becoming a herald. It was all Hardhead knew and all he was ever good at. Now, all his expertise along with his new found powers, would serve to eradicate both sides, Autobots and Decepticons. The war would finally come to an end, just not in the way anyone had ever considered.

Then another ship approached and landed alongside the first. Drag Strip began bouncing up and down in excitement. “What’s that?! Another shuttle? Is it ‘Bot or ‘Con?”

“It is the Serenity,” Hardhead responded calmly. “It is an Autobot craft containing the rest of their forces. With the exception of a few ‘Con stragglers, everyone seems to be here.”

“That’s great! That means they should be attacking us soon, right?”

“Very soon I would imagine,” the war veteran responded plainly before moving away and approaching the spot where the Fallen was standing. Drag Strip followed behind him as the two heralds rejoined their brothers in arms. Hardhead stopped beside the fiery demigod as the former Prime of legend declared that nothing would prevent them from destroying the Cybertronians and welcoming the Chaos Bringer. “Another Autobot shuttle has arrived, my lord,” the green herald stated once the Fallen had finished speaking. “For the most part their forces are all here. It won’t be long now. Although, I find it funny that these pathetic mechanisms really think that a bunch of sand dunes and trenches will protect them from us. They must be truly desperate, my master, or perhaps delusional.”

Drag Strip stood beside Hex and gazed upward into the skies. “Whatcha looking at, Hex?” It didn’t take too long for him to spot the Predacon flier who was circling overhead. “Ah, it’s Divebomb! Razorclaw must have sent him to spy on us. Too bad he’s not attacking us yet. If that were the case I could infect him with cosmic rust and watch as he plummeted helplessly to the ground where he would crumble away into oblivion! That would be such a sight!”

Australia - Uluru

Something again disturbed Rewind as he tried to record this history in the making! Come on gentlemechs! What were they going to do one day when they needed this footage and he didn't have it because of...of...dust. Dust? Something was kicking up a ton of dust from behind him, slightly clouding the view of his little camera. And that sounded awfully...similar...to a shuttle landing...Please no. Primus. Primus. Don't you dare. Don't let Chromedome be on that shuttle. If he was...well-well! Rewind was going to be mighty displeased! And maybe do...something!

Springer soon marched into the frame, standing by Ultra Magnus's side. Rewind let out a sigh and panned the camera slowly to look at the newly arrived Shuttle Serenity. The archivist deflated. There he was. Standing in the doorframe. Thanks a lot Primus. Thanks for nothing! Nothing! And yet...at the same time, Rewind was incredibly happy to see Chromedome. His little surprise assignment had called him away for longer than he thought he'd be gone. He hadn't even gotten to say good-bye. Some time for reuniting though. Right when the world was about to end maybe. Talk about dramatic. Would make for a good angle in a movie.

Rewind jogged toward Chromedome at a brisk pace, his bouncing around not doing too many wonders for the footage but that's what happened when you had a camera strapped to your head. He turned it off for the time being. "Domey!" Rewind shouted waving a hand in the air.

Everything else fell away - his irritation that Domey was here mainly (he didn't really have a choice, did he?) - as Rewind trotted up to him. When he was within range, Rewind leaped for the mnemosurgeon, slamming into his torso with some small force. Rewind slipped down to the ground and looked up at the mnemosurgeon with a huge smile behind his mouthplate. And then he remembered that he was missing history. Slag!

Rewind whirled around and turned his camera back on just in time to catch Ultra Magnus and Razorclaw shake hands. Phew. Close one. As it descended into strategics, Rewind looked back up at Chromedome. "I swear if you do anything stupid, I'm going to...something! I mean it too!" Rewind said, pointing his finger at his conjunx endura. "It's good to see you, Domey," the archivist added, letting his actuator fall back down to his side.

((OOC: More to come.))