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Gifford National Park military base--computer core

Landgrab watched as Crueljaw moved his captives as well as the ones that Landgrab had snagged himself in to the facsimile chambers. He was trying to make sense of everything that was going on here as best he could, but a lot of it was well above his rank, so to speak.

"Uh, sure. Yeah, no problem," Landgrab said, heading over to examine the damage that had been done to the entrance to this little alcove and begin the process of restoring it to at least an acceptable degree of functionality.

He looked over at Crueljaw, moving a large piece of steel in to place and activating his welders, as the other mech asked about Shockwave.

"I didn't get to see him directly. Just some basic info I accessed when I was brought back online. Since Megatron's not around, I'm guessing he's just trying to put everything in order--his order--whatever that is, before we all self-destruct or somethin'.

"I don't know any more than I'm tellin' you guys. Swear," Landgrab added hastily, holding up one hand innocently as he attempted to finish the weld with the other. "It's just--"

//Facsimile creation process engaged. Reinstate facsimile replacements in 2.412 breems.//

Computer Core

"Let it go, Jaws. We all work for Shockwave," Darkfire interjected as she walked past Landgrab and set her catch into the free facsimile pods. Normally, she would have said nothing at all, but in-fighting was horribly inefficient. She would not have that. Especially since the midget seemed AWOL at the moment. Vin was probably with him though.

"And yes, Landgrab, just like that," she said, answering Landgrab's earlier question.

Soon the the facsmiles would all be ready to go, and they would leave this mudball for the Thanatos once more. She stood back and contemplated their impending return to the Thanatos. She glanced at Landgrab sidelong. He might know a little more than they did, considering he was sent down after them.

"Hey, 'Grab. What was the situation on the Thanatos when you left? Was Shockwave about to make another move for the throne?"

Computer Core - its all gone pete tong

Crueljaw inwardly chuckled as the larger Landgrab attempted to diffuse his current situation but something that he was about to say was cut off by Darkfire cutting in which made Crueljaw’s brow furrow in displeasure. The surly bodyguard rounded on the lithe Darkfire his voice dripped with venom “Let it go I work for Shockwave you work for whoever pays you the most Assassin” the rant was continued in his thoughts “with an emphasis on the ass” turning Crueljaw continued pressing Landgrab “go on Lugnuts you where saying before wingtips interrupted. It’s just? What! An convenience you’re here making even the biggest room look cramped, A pain the processor that I’m giving you with these questions?”

Crueljaw had heard the computers automated message but ignored it something was nagging at his central processor he wasn’t no Shockwave but he knew when something looked too good to be true it usually was. His oil was running hot as he vented small flames from vents along his mouth plating as he struggled to contain his temper. He wasn’t in Nightbeat’s class as a detective but he was determined to get a straight answer out of someone he considered to be suspect.

Gifford National Park military base--computer core

Landgrab had nodded at Darkfire's response of it being "just that easy". Landgrab didn't know one way or the other, but it was always nice when things worked out that way. He paused for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts and what he knew--or what he thought he knew--before answering her second question. Crueljaw's prodding him along helped to speed up the process a little.

"It's just, um, yeah....I forgot what I was saying," the bulky mech said, scratching his chin structure thoughtfully. "But it was quiet up there. I downloaded my orders and pretty much came straight down here. If Shockwave was about to do anything big, I didn't see it being broadcast on the intranet. Starscream was on the prisoner roster though...so...that was kind of interesting. Gotta figure he's not going to let that go on forever."

//Facsimile assignment upload in progress. Completion in .57 breems.//

Computer Core

Darkfire gazed at Crueljaw with an air of cold disdain. This bodyguard was truly...an idiot. Not because of what he said, but the tone he'd used. Unconsciously, one of Darkfire's hidden blades slid from its hiding spot silently, and feel into the palm of Darkfire's hand. Instead of severing Crueljaw's spinal cord like she dearly wished to, Darkfire began twirling the knife idly in her hand. There would be time and place for revenge. This was not one of them.

The assassin listened to Landgrab as he answered Crueljaw's query. Starscream was aboard the Thanatos? Where that one went, trouble was bound to follow. She regarded Starscream with distaste. It might be time to reevaluate the situation. Weigh her options. By no means did she mean to join the Seeker commander's cause, but perhaps there were other options than joining Shockwave's political campaign.

"If Starscream's involved...I have few doubts that there will be some sort of spectacle," Darkfire glanced at the pods as their assignment programming began and continued, "and...we might become involved very shortly. Well, maybe not we."

//Facsimile creation process complete. Subjects ready to complete assigned infiltration objectives.//

"Yeah. No kiddin'," Landgrab said, rubbing the back of his cranial unit and then looking over at the tubes as each one of them hissed, releasing steam and other chemicals into the air as they revealed their contents--perfect synthetic replicas of the humans that they had captured thus far while the "originals", such as they were, remained perfectly in stasis. Or asleep. Or whatever these biobags did when they weren't awake and yapping.

"Wow...gotta say, this facsimile tech is somethin' else. You'd never know they weren't human," Landgrab said, reaching down to poke one of the squishy humans ever so lightly with one of his comparatively huge digits.

Landgrab froze in place for a moment as another series of objective protocols flashed in his brain module.

"Right....yeah...," Landgrab said, not really talking to anyone but himself. Or seemingly so. "Well, that's enough hard work down here for me. We all better report to Shockwave. Those facsimile guys will take it from here."

Landgrab walked over to each of the considerably smaller facsimile tubes containing the original human subjects and retrieved them both.

The eyes of the first facsimile opened, shortly thereafter followed by the second. Staring blankly ahead, they did nothing for a few seconds before each one stepped from the tube without saying a word. In the presence of the significantly larger Decepticons, they simply looked upward for a moment, processing the current company as acceptable within mission parameters before walking off to begin the process of infiltrating the military unit that had been stationed here for the time being. Landgrab, too, said nothing for a few moments as he watched the human facsimiles leave with not so much as a word to their Decepticon...well...creators was the best word for it.

"Creepy little things," Landgrab mumbled. He then looked at Darkfire and Crueljaw. "Well....see you guys on board." Without anything further, he activated the same bounce code that had brought him down here in the first place. "Oh, and my last mission objective said to torch this area as soon we're clear, so you might wanna put some pep in yer step!"

And just like that, the bulky Decepticon was gone.

Computer core- Drake We're Leaving

Crueljaw watched the larger Landgrab vanished in a blinding beam of light the bodyguard was still fuming if he could find that mech aboard the Thanatos when they returned he was gonna introduce him to his plasma blade. But before he left he had one more thing he had to do he turned to the hateful assassin and nodded as he spoke “Darkfire lets not meet again” with that he turned on his heels and marched towards the hastily repaired door and took his anger out on it. He twisted slightly to his right then flung his arm forward knocking the door back onto the floor. Striding through the open portal he made a quick trip back to where Psychout and Vindicator where stood stock still. Crueljaw poked the larger decepticon with his finger and watched as the huge con fell onto his back with a loud clang.

“Daft slagger he’s out cold wonder if he’s locked up from fear” his optics turned to what was pretty much his only friend left active looked like he’s strode to close to a open EMP generator a small cable snaked from his finger as he placed it next to the head of Psychout . “You might be frozen but your gonna be useful with all that inter-web data you’ve stored” using the cable he activated a series of signals that activated his midget commanders transformation sequence the newly transformed robot was placed into a locker. It was then that his optics fell upon the fallen Vindicator he pressed the decepticon badge on the larger decepticons chest activating a bounce sequence sending the fallen con to a storage chamber aboard the Thanatos. He then pressed a series of instructions into his wrist communicator seconds later his world turned white the chamber was left as quite as when he arrived. The words “I hate this stinking planet” lingered briefly in the dead air.

Abandoned Decepticon Earth Base

Darkfire watched Landgrab disappear in a ray of iridescent blue light and glanced to Crueljaw as he made his farewells. She watched him in an idle, bug-under-a-microscope sort of way as he took some of his anger out on the door and left her in the computer core. She sheathed the knife that she had been fiddling with and considered for a moment. As much as she'd like to be the arbiter of the mouthy bodyguard's fate, she deigned this current point in history a non-profitable one. Maybe in a few vorns, the availability of jobs would expand and the leadership issue would be resolved.

Darkfire called for the bounce and disappeared in a ray of blue light, headed for the battlecruiser up in orbit.

Gifford National Park Military Base

>>"What's the situation down there?"<< came the comm chatter from one of the base's more senior commanding officers.

As the two facsimile human military officers traversed the underground corridors of the base, one looked to the other as an acceptable response was formulated.

>>"Everything is clear, sir. No unauthorized activity. We are returning to our positions now."<<

There was a pause on the other end of the comm. The facsimiles thought nothing of it, their pre-programmed objectives dictating their every action at this point.

>>"I read you. Get those reports in by oh-seven-hundred tomorrow. Clear?"<<

>>"Understood, sir,"<< the facsimile commed back.

There would be much to accomplish from within the confines of this infiltration protocol.