Mission, Possible?

[random_xtras]

Vector Prime stands next to Optimus, his hand on his younger sister's shoulder as he glances around the rec room in search of signs of the party that occurred here the night before. He wonders slightly how that party will be affecting the battle to come. Of Lumen's ability to fight even when overcharged he has no doubts, but the two femmes and the medic who'd been involved.... Well, he's seen so many versions of the three that he isn't quite sure what to expect from them.

-They'll probably be fine.- Optimus' optics flash with laughter as she takes advantage of his offline status to communicate with him privately. -I've never seen a Chromia yet who couldn't hold her charge. And she and Lumen will stand by the other two.-

-As you say,- he replies softly, smiling. -Though I would have still wished for more sober troops for such a serious assignment, I know that we have exactly the troop that Primus feels is most appropriate.-

"Right." Optimus gives him a grin, then turns toward the door as they sense the first arrival's approach.

Comments

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

It may come as no surprise that Movor is the first to tramp into the room - if only because he's already been up and about for so long. He glances about as he comes in, placing every feature of the room, but pausing to give a nod to his commander and her current ally.

He comes to a smart halt as he joins them. If he went short on recharge the night before, it doesn't show-

And this might just be a surprise: Fallstreak isn't long behind him. The jet-former actually looks a little indefinably worn around the edges, though he's taking care to move with as much swift ease and absence of jitters as he can. He tosses off a salute as he manages in placing himself opposite all three of them. "Good morning, sirs."

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"Good morning, Fallstreak," says Optimus as she puts a hand on Movor's shoulder and hears Vector's rumble of greeting from beside her.

Then she looks up as a small voice murmurs from the ceiling, and winces slightly as a blast of technotrancemetal announces Lumen's approach. The old Autobot is singing along in German about death, destruction, and lollipops, for the enemy.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Fallstreak gets a slight nod of his own from Movor, although he doesn't stop to wonder what to make of that. He's giving the lot of them a polite smile, and then glancing at the noise from the ceiling.

It takes Lumen's arrival to really get Movor's attention, though. His visor flickers at the blast of sound and also the content of it. Human music? Lollipops? German?

At least Fallstreak's too experienced with that sort of thing to stare quizzically the way the shuttle does. Even if the sudden noise makes his joints lock in place. "Hello, Lumen," he greets softly, looking over his shoulder with optics just grey of white.

[random_xtras]

Vector nods to WakeJumper, then projects a hologram onto the floor in front of him. "We will be going against a small swarm of these creatures, which are known as Tyranids."

Lumen looks at the moving image of the scaly, hard-shelled horrors and whistles softly. "Haven't seen anything like that in vorns."

The comment from the ceiling is a bit more succinct.

"Numnum."

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

Chromia lets out a low whistle at the sight of the Tyranid hologram, while Perceptor makes a soft noise of surprise. This gets WakeJumper's attention, as well as Desinex's. WakeJumper frowns and muses out loud whether his saws would be able to do anything against the creatures. Desinex snerks a bit, and now seems more concerned with inspecting her claws... "So, when do we get to deal with these things?"

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Movor regards the image - and the others' reactions - in contemplative silence. The flier across from him leans towards the image curiously. (It's quite pretty, in an alien sort of way. Actually, it reminds him of certain other bots in the room, but perhaps he shouldn't say that.) "And is there anything particularly dangerous about them?"

Well, he can see the teeth and - yes, claws, very good. But how tough is organic shell against Decepticon weaponry, and how strong are those claws?

[random_xtras]

"Alright." Optimus nods. "Then your orders are to render what medical assistance is immediately necessary and then trigger the teleporters of any of us who get incapacitated. Other than that, try and stick close to Lumen."

Lumen looks around at sound of his name, browplates lifting innocently. "Permission to go get energon from the mess, sir? I know good things to do with it on a battlefield."

"If you find you do not have time to install it before we disembark you may also trigger it by means of this button," Vector notes to Fallstreak. Then he frowns slightly and turns a quizzical look toward Perceptor.

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

WakeJumper nods, before moving aside to check his supply inventory again.

Chromia, satisfied with her inventory, goes to see what Desinex has, not fazed in the least by the less-than-sane look on the former Decepticon's face.

Perceptor, unlike the others, seems to be a bit nervous, and has taken to pacing ever so slightly.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

It's Vector Prime's shift that cues Fallstreak, as he nods his understanding. The jet-former's gaze moves away from the device held up before him to the pacing Autobot scientist. "Are you all right, Perceptor?" he asks in neighborly fashion.

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Optimus looks away from her partner as he tries to talk Kimchee out of the ceiling and nods to Fallstreak. "There is, since we seem to be waiting on Lumen."

"Kimchee in kimchee! Help help!" comes the frightened chirp of the little scrap bot.

"No," returns Vector patiently. "You are not in trouble. But you will be if you do not come out of there."

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

Perceptor gives Fallstreak a grateful look as he's helped back to his feet, and apologizes for diving under the table.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Fallstreak brightens up. “Then I’ll be back in a few cycles, if you don’t mind, sir. And maybe Perceptor could come help me find what I need.” Perceptor did the inventory, after all.

[random_xtras]

Optimus winces and lifts her hands toward her audios as a blast of Lumen's favorite music announces his return. The old bot is grinning from ear to ear, and there is nothing remotely reassuring in the expression. Unless you're looking for someone crazy to aim at the enemy.

"Alright!" he crows, going to share his creations with Desinex and Chromia. "Who's ready to RUMBLE???"

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

Desinex's grin is far from what anyone in their right mind would call 'sane' as she approaches Lumen and holds her hands out to see what he's come up with. Chromia's not far behind her, though her expression has a lot less 'insanity' mixed into it.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Silent stayed Movor still
‘Waiting his master’s will
Watching as stray by stray
Each bot joined their place.
His not to make reply,
His not the reason why,
His but to fight, and fly-
Faced with his false brigade
The shuttle stood fast.

Madness to the right of him
Madness to the left of him
Madness in front of him
Chattered and cackled.
Torn by his spark’s demands,
Charging an alien land,
He ‘waited the first command.
Bold at his captain’s side
The shuttle stood fast.

Fallstreak at last returned
Smiling away concern-
Though one might wonder.
Each in their place was set,
Read’ly their orders met,
That they might stand fast!

[random_xtras]

Lumen also leaps forward, his alt mode that of an all terrain vehicle not unlike an Earth pickup truck, though with styling and additions that show how many hundreds of years it's been since the basic Earth contact in his reality. His music booms out gleefully, and the old mech is once more singing in German about death, destruction, and lollipops for the enemy.

Optimus, meanwhile, finishes her sweep of the enemy forces, noting to her troops that this place is all massive fields dotted here and there with houses, and frequently intercepted with deepish ditches that the human inhabitants used to keep those massive fields dry enough to grow the grain they wanted.

She transmits a wordless intention to loop up and back to the ground forces even as she does so, and then opens fire on the acid spitters. Down below she can see that Lumen is sticking to his alternate father's flank and guarding his back, and that the two femmes....

//Desinex, are you in trouble?//

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

Chromia is sticking close to Desinex, but it's clear she's trying not to snicker at the darker-colored femme. It's also clear Desinex isn't too thrilled with the terrain.

//$##@$#%$#$@$%^##$^#@!!!!! WHOEVER DESIGNED THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE SHOT REPEATEDLY!!!//

WakeJumper swerves a bit when he hears Desinex's open comm. That may be because he's currently laughing about that. //Well, maybe you should have thought a bit more about what your alt-mode's limits are before you chose it, Desinex.//

There's a few moments of silence, before Desinex replies with something incredibly rude and definitely unprintable.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Fallstreak laughs as he catches sight of Desinex. And if there's a nervous edge to it, it's lost in the wind as the jet tips and dips at high speed, the ground and the enemies it holds tilting beneath him. He's enjoying the flight. He's back in the air now. He was made for this, raised in the sky, programmed to be at home among the clouds. If there's anywhere he can't be caught, it's here. No cover - he's exposed as he can be at this low altitude, but at least he can move.

...So the first shot from Optimus has the Earth-style jet twist and pull out of formation before he knows what he's doing. He catches himself and banks hurriedly, engaging his afterburners to get back in the fold. And transmitting hurried apology signals. He'd have just earned a warning shot at least in some wings.

Movor, meanwhile, has followed Optimus's lead. He tracks the flying beasts with more accuracy than the jet behind him, keeping an optic on the situation below...

Until a spitter strays too close to his commander's back. A flash of white light, and the shuttle nails his first target. With perhaps a stronger blast than was strictly called for.

[random_xtras]

Optimus winces and sprays the damaged spot on her wing with baking soda foam, and then hits an acid spitter in the face with another blast of the solution, which causes the beast to spin out of control and wipe out a couple of its associates.

//I think Vector should go give you a hand, Fallstreak.//

Meanwhile, down below, Lumen is doing the bug dance.

And singing 'la Cucaracha' at the top of his vocalizer.

[dens-extra-pups.livejournal.com]

Aaaand WakeJumper is now facepalming and muttering about welding Lumen's vocalizer shut. Though he is also pinging Optimus' comm. //How bad is the damage, Optimus?// Yes, that is a bit of worry you're hearing in his voice, Optimus.

Desinex and Chromia are currently busy dealing with a few heavies and several dozen smaller units, and therefore are unable to offer immediate assistance if it's needed.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Fallstreak tilts and outruns a couple of too-hasty acid bursts, which dissipate in the wind and his wake. //...What? Ah. Say again, sir?//

He can't have heard that right. What could Vector Prime do?

Distracted from teamplay as he is, at least he's done more damage than he's taken so far. He is, basically, competent. Although the fact the enemy is trying to use liquid weapons at aircraft altitude helps.

Movor makes a low, displeased noise that's lost to the wind. He tightens up his position, slowing to a near-hover as Optimus applies her solution. The groundpounders have things in hand. He needs to cover his commander, since their wingmate is...

Wouldn't have this kind of problem if Ro-tor was here. The shuttle's fins twitch, his lasers lash out, and another spitter turns to vapour and bits of carbonized exoskeleton.

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//Alright,// says Optimus confidently. //We can take those. Can you see anything else out there or elsewhere that we need to take note of?//

There isn't much else of interest in the area, but far out there in the other direction, barely on the edge of his sensors, Movor might be able to see something REALLY big and apparently traveling alone. It's not one of the largest Tyranids in the roster, but it's definitely going to take more than one bot to take it down when it gets here.

//You wanna see gross.// Lumen's deep laughter booms over the battlefield, counterpoint to the explosion from one of his 'splody things that effectively wipes out most of their remaining ground based foes and spatters WakeJumper with yuck. //I can has cheeseburger?//

//Lumen, please stop clogging the communication channels with chatter,// comes a calm rebuke from Vector.

//...Yessir.// Lumen grins upward, looking just entirely too innocent.

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

Movor trains more of his equipment on it, the couple of remaining stray spitters forgotten for a moment, the consequent yell and hiss from Fallstreak's direction ignored. He wants to check how fast it's coming so he can give an ETA.

//Got a big one, sir. It's four and a half kliks out, but it looks like it's moving in. Orders?//

[random_xtras]

//When we get to the big one I'll take care of it. Desinex, maintain position.// Optimus dips a bit lower, her cannons priming.

"All I wanna do is 'pew pew pew pew'!" sings Lumen as he strides over to his position. "We pack and deliver like UPS trucks!"

[fallen-flakes.livejournal.com]

All right. Leave the giant monster to Prime. Fallstreak can live with that.

Movor's a little more cautious, but distracted by watching the events below. Optimus knows what she can do. Desinex...