The Energon Pub

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All, if confused about the narrative it will be explained over the weekend. As posted in the chatter, sick baby takes priority.

Part 2 is in progress (author: Surprise!) and Part 4 will finish the thread below and incorporate the conclusion of Tourney Round 2.

Part 0 - Prologue
Part 1 - Betrayal
Part 2 - Breaking Through (incomplete; surprise author)
[url=http://www.seibertron.com/energonpub/viewtopic.php?f=16&

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Maximal vs. Predacon Tournament (War in the Wastes): Narrative - Part 3 - Predacon Assault

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Sonic Wastes, North-West Quadrant, Tracking Maixmal Scout: Ghostbusters

“Airstorm ….a! Air… Alpha!” The Maximal communications signal was heavily disrupted by the waste and ruin surrounding Ghostbusters. The lone Maximal had broken through Predacon lines and now had reconnaissance which could be critical to his faction – an assault force was heading for the Maximal base camp. Flying low to avoid detection was only making the communications channel worse. “Airstor…! Plea ….!”

Predacon slaughter had dominated the first three days of the conflict in the Sonic Wastes. Hellsfury had plunged the full force of the Predacon armies into the Wastes out of sheer and desperate rage thinking that a Maximal ambush had left him for slag. The lust of war that fell on Hellsfury and other Predacons so decimated the initial Maximal assaults that the whole of the Wastes was now Predacon occupied territory. Now in the fourth day of conflict, Ghostbusters was streaking to the Waste’s Western borders. The hardest part of his past day following orders to gain intelligence - he had hear his allies being overtaken sector by sector andd could do nothing.

“Airstorm!” Suddenly the channel was clear.

“Finally Ghost. You are loud and clear.” The Maximal Ranger’s commander spoke through the secure channel. “Windstalker had reported you got through as planned. We desperately need your status.”

Ghostbusters’ vocals froze at the hearing of his commander’s voice; he was going to finally help. “Boss, they are coming for the base camp. Its one of the stronger groups too; multiple team commanders and other heavy units. Sir, by my guess they aren’t hunting the Brightsoul anymore – they are hunting us. Each sector is fortified against our intrusion. I’ve only see one pair of Predacons seem interested in anything except ripping us to shreds.”

“Which pair?” Extinction, elder of the Crimson Fists, broke into the dialogue. Airstorm could be heard in the background giving orders to prepare for the assault; the alarm siren started. “Son, we’re getting slagged for this thing and they don’t want it? Which pair still wants the Brightsoul?”

“Names unknown to me, but they are part of the squad heading for the base camp. I’ve only seen their beast modes; large land forms, both reptilian. They regularly break off and search conquered sectors. That’s how I saw them.”

As soon as Ghost finished the report blaster fire erupted. Over the channel a new voice hissed. “I… musssst… FEEED….” The channel was cut as an explosion briefly filled Ghost’s audios; he knew his warning came too late to be effective – the resurrected Predacon brutality had reached his commander.


Sonic Wastes Western Border, Maximal Base Camp

“I mussst feeed. I mussst feeed.” The low hiss of Wrought Gut chanted his need over and over as the Predacon assault force approached the Maximal Base camp. Six Predacons were chosen for the mission - Bitchkrieg of Exitum, Archistrategos and Zadakiel of the Citizens of Chayot, Wrought Gut of Quadruple Helix, and Hellsfury and Direwind of Death’s Shadow. Despite Hellsfury’s rank Bitchkrieg, originator of this assault plan, was designated the temporary captain. She had proposed that a direct assault against Maximal command would disrupt their efforts enough to ensure the Wastes being conquered and the recovery of the Brightsoul. Once approved, the five Predacons supporting her scheme had been chosen for one purpose – close combat.

Wrought Gut’s chanting persisted click after click as they raced toward the Maximal camp. At two kilometers Bitchkrieg broke from the others and positioned herself with a clear line of fire at the base’s Northern flank. She slowed her advance and opened fire on the Northern end. She heard the alarm echo over the decimated alloy streets; the alarms shrill resonance mixed with the whine of falling shells and made a sweet music in her ears.

The Sourthern defense was a sheer thirty meter cliff and the Predacon assault team found the height laughable. Archistrategos and Zadakiel reached the base and began taking fire; ignoring the damage they heaved, in sequence, their allies twenty meters up the wall – Wrought Gut, then Hellsfury, then Direwind. Maximals redirected their fire to the now climbing Predacons but the Northern bombardment had drawn off much of the Southern watch. Wrought Gut was the first over the wall right into their communications hub; he again chanted “I… musssst… FEEED…,” and as he began ripping through the walls defending Maximals, Bitchkrieg’s shells began pummeling further into the camp’s center.

Soon all five Predacons were over the wall and the battle raged. Bitchkrieg’s shells moved consistently further South, destroying the automated and manned defenses and driving the Maximal survivors into the claws of the Predaon assault. Soon, because the camp was not heavily manned, the more nimble forces, message runners and communications techs, at the Maximal command were forced into close combat by the hail of shells and the in-pressing maurauders.

Extinction, recognizing their enemy’s strategy, ordered and lead flanking maneuvers with Bouncinator and Airstorm Alpha cutting down the center. Extinction’s nimble frame and evasion lasted only so long in the forced close quarters. Soon his weapon and body were in the overpowering clutches of Direwind as his ranks were one by one thrown aside or crushed under Predacon rage.

Bouncinator and Airstorm Alpha came in to rescue Extinction and slammed through Wrought Gut and Zadakiel. The two rescuers, the last two defenders, wrestled Extinction’s in-statsis shell free and threw Direwind into the shrapnel of failing shells. They turned back to finish the fight but the Predacon elite were already upon them. Hellsfury took Bouncinator in his claws and crushed the Maximal’s neck. Airstorm locked arms with Archistrategos but the other Predacons took advantage of the prone grapplers and through down the last Maximal.

Bitchkrieg rolled into the Northern camp’s obliterated gate as the Sothern end’s melee stopped. She transformed and enjoyed the walk through the debris, savoring the effectiveness of her plan. She found Zadakiel tending Archistrategos, Wrought Gut, and Direwind..

Airstorm Alpha, tossed aside as in stasis, interrupted as Hellsfury was congratulating Bitchkrieg on the assault’s execution. “Murdering dogs…” In his beast form he struggled up to all fours. “Murdering, wretched dogs. This whole ploy – the Brightsoul – was nothing more than an excuse to lure us into war. We have done nothing to ruin the peace!”

Hellsfury, despite being shocked by the outburst, was too consumed by the fray to think clearly. Lashing out at the crippled foe he rent and beat the Maximal predator back to the Southern wall. One final blow sent Airstorm falling the thirty meters down to unyielding metal. “Murdering dog?,” Hellsfury bellowed over the edge. “You have not seen a tenth of my violence! You’ve seen nothing!”

Bitchkrieg immediately approached the wall and asked the superior, “What does this fuzz-coated nothing mean that we are running a ploy?” She paused, intentionally, before adding “Sir.” She continued, “Perhaps, with due respect, we should consider more clearly of what we’re being accused and what we could learn; we have no more good leads on the Brightsoul.”

Hellsfury glared at the disrespect, but nodded none the less. Before being ordered Archistrategos and Zadakiel were over the cliff wall climbing down to recover the enemy. No Predacon reached the fallen Maximal. As they climbed another Maximal came in from the East, grabbed the fallen Airstorm, and flew direct back into the Wastes. The two climbers released, transformed, and began running as reptilian beasts, roaring after their prey.

Hellsfury, however, ordered Bitchkrieg down. “You want the information, ensure we get it.” He was not pleased with either Bitchkrieg or this pair again acting as rogue from the chain of command, nor that the Maximal denied the ambush. Now as his circuits cooled, the concern that a larger rouse was in plan settled into his mind.