Transformers: Steel Reign

[Dark Silver]

"Even in death, I shall triumph."Shockwave grabbed the blade of Overload's sword as it pierced his chest, the Decepticon's immense strength actually halting momentum for a few precious moments, before he looked into Overload's optics with his one singular, and spoke. "Even as I die...I will destroy you Autobot... Though in your folly, you would exchange the perfect logic which would bring this war to a end...for Megatron's mad ravings...you have not even seen the glory that is the Cybertron I recreated.....And you never will."

With that, as they began to fall, Shockwave pulled the word deeper into his chest, the point piercing his laser core. Energy surged up through the blade, the pure energy within the Core which allowed a Transformer life beyond a normal AI - engulfed Overload's hand, then arm, and seemed to hold him, as Shockwave's optic faded into the cold pale yellow - life had gone from the Decepticon.

Without Shockwave's life, the fission reactor hidden within Shockwave's chest began to overproduce power. Safety interlocks failed without Shockwave's immense mental power to control them,and Shockwave himself glowed brilliantly for a few precious moments, before his body became a golden star in the Canadian night, brighter than a noon day sun - the sky was alight for hundreds of miles around, the shock wave of the explosion battered everything in it's path, a hundred and fifty miles away, trees which stood tall for centuries where laid flat upon the ground.


When the shock wave passed, when the lights began to fade - those few Fulcrum's which had not been devestated in the force wave were in confusion - the human Headmasters suddenly loss the guidance of Shockwave's Cybertronian logic, and they panicked. MiG-29's and Fulcrum robots ran into each other, their bodies exploding in brilliant globes of spherical light, and those Decepticons which still remained in the area, where retreating.

The two Seekers Deathstrike had fired upon where destroyed by the interstellar fighter's x-ray cannon and missiles, and the force of the blast had thrown the human column in disarray - vehicles here thrown away, humans had been crushed by the vase volumes of air pressure, while others had been rendered deaf.

All said and done...aside from minor clean ups....Overload finished the battle - for without Shockwave, the Decepticons where without a leader, and in fast retreat.

[Charon]

Shellshock came to a slow stop even as the blastwave rushed towards him. "Overload?" He openned his comm. "OVERLOAD?!" The blastwave hit.

The Proton cannon went flying through the air, twisting madly for a brief moment before it's weight brought it back down, still inside the crater. Shellshock had been thrown to the ground inside the crater as well, the immense pressure of the blast throwing even as heavy a bot as himself off of his feet.

The large warbot got to his feet quickly again though, turning his private channel back on, even as he shouted. "Overload! Respond! Respond! Damnit Overload now is not the time for this! Respond!"

Nothing came over the channel and Shellshock quickly scanned the skies for any sign of his ally, his friend, his brother-in-arms. Nothing.

Shellshock's optics flared a deep red as he saw the Decepticons that were turning and running. The giant 'bot strode out of the crater in one mighty step. "Cowards! Weaklings! Fight! You sully this battlefield with your craven acts! FIGHT ME!"

The Decepticons were focused on running, so Shellshock took his time lining up his shots before firing. He did not care that they were in retreat now, they were the enemy, an enemy Overload, to the best of Shellshock's knowledge, had died to defeat. They would not escape their doomed fate to fight another day. Shellshock heeded warning lights that his energy reserves were low only in so much as he fired the remains of his slugs before returning to firing energy shells.

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike exulted in his kills and then Shockwave exploded. Heat and radiation bombarded his armour and then the blastwave struck, knocking the Decepticon warrior out of the sky. He fell, tumbling through the air.

Why? he thought as the the ground rushed toward him. He transformed into his more durable robot mode as he tried to correct his flight path. This makes no sense. This whole battle is devoid of logic. Why would Shockwave do this?

Impact. Deathstrike shattered a pair of trees on the way to the ground. He rolled and smashed through three more. His armour was crumpled from the fall and stripped by heat and particle beam fire. Internal connections had come lose from the impact and heat and radiation had damaged some of his internal circuits. He was in no shape to fight.

He rose to his feet and transformed, regaining the air. He headed back towards the maintenance area. He was going to need a lot of work done.

[LadyTevar]

The explosion lit the night, and Crimson couldn't help throwing up a hand to shade her optics. A moment's shock, as she saw the blastwave coming, then she reacted on basic programming. "Shady! Get Down!" she cried out before dropping to the ground, hugging dirt to try to avoid the explosion and debris.

She could only hope Shadow and Stryke had time to hit the dirt as well.

[SirNitram]

Fragments fell from the sky, most igniting and burning away in the atmosphere. Some would be identifiably bits of Shockwave, some as Overload. Only one part contained a power signature, a blinking Autobot beacon of stasis lock as it tumbled down. The laser core of Overload impacted the ground so hard, the owner would have been proud.

[frigidmagi]

Overload went out of my scanner range up into the lower orbitals. I was practically wading through targets hoping to extract Shellshock when the blast hit. It was as if Devastator had picked me up and bounced me up and down as a human ball. My systems came crashing down in a frenzy of overloaded senses, every pain receptor screaming. The world went black.

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Sensor system overload
Memory backup... Confirmed
Secondary sensors at... 57% operation
Beginning restart in... 1... 2... 3... 4... 

I came back to life in seconds, pain threading through every gear and joint. My treads hurt, my turret hurt, even my Primus damned missiles hurt. But I can move and I can fight and the Decepticons are retreating. I am a warmachine, the enemy must be destroyed.

Alert Autobot core in stasis mode found, coordinates...

Damn it. I want to kill Decepticons, to finish this! But I cannot leave Overload behind. A warmachine must not abandon his own.

I change course on protesting treads and shove my aching metal body towards the signal of my friend. I will not abandon my own to the Pit, not now or ever. I advance at my best speed. I hope I arrive in time.

[Charon]

Shellshock's mad charge came to a sudden halt as sensors that had been damaged by the blastwave and the fighting came back online enough to pick up Overload's transponder. Continuing to fire on the retreating Decepticons Shellshock turned and moved towards his downed brother.

[Agent Fisher]

Stryke quickly transformed and hunkered down as fast as he could, trying to get as low as possible. But he wasn't quite fast enough, the shockwave picked him up and tossed him a good distance. His landing left something to be desired, error messages popping up in his vision. His legs were both damaged, along with his left arm. Thankfully, his right arm was still in working order, and so where his weapon systems. He opened a comm channel to the other bots.

"This is Stryke, I'm down at the following coordinates," he listed his position. "I need pick up, both legs are damaged and I can't transform." He said, raising his energy machine gun and hosing a drone in the back.

[Dark Silver]

The light of the explosion faded after a few minutes, the Decepticons in full retreat with the loss of Shockwave and with the sudden chaos of the remaining Fulcrum's who had not been destroyed.

Even as Breakout and Shellshock raced to reach Overload's falling remains, Superion was the quicker, flying to intercept them in mid-air - before impact with the ground could destabilize the fragile energies within the laser core.

The massive Gestault cradled the fragile frame in it's massive palm, even as it took potshots at the fleeing Seekers.

Optimus Jazz and Hound watched the distint form of Pontifex remain, still smoking. Even if the Decepticons would return....he would not let them have it.

"Optimus Prime to Sky Shadow....it looks as if the majority of the Decepticon anti-bomb and missile defenses are down. Obliterate the Decepticon fortress. All other autobots...fall back to base. It's over."

Optimus didn't wait for a reply, but began to move back towards his trailer, having left it behind with the other Autobots, who even now where off finishing the straggling Decepticon forces and seeing to the human convoy...


----- o ----- o ----- o -----

"It's not use Magnus," Springer said, ducking behind the building just as a plasma bolt turned a section of street into vapor, "we just ain't scratching that thing's armor. What's worse, none of us can go near it. Some kind of magnetic repulsor field's blocking our artillery."

Ultra Magnus's rifle bleched forth a stream of ionized particles, as it tore through the chest armor of a Decepticon ground trooper. The Decepticon dropped down, more likely in stasis lock for the time being, but there was no time to make a perfect kill.

"I know Springer. We've tried to get through to Prime, but that thing's jamming transmissions. It doesn't help that Chimera and Blackout's leading the Decepticon escort."

The ground shook as in the distance, Trypticon made another step, it's foot crushing buildings beneath him like blades of grass. The massive Decepticon was truly massive, Magnus' best guesstimate was he was nearly a kilometer in height, and bristling with weaponry in the robot mode. Those few Autobots who approached the hulking behemoth, were either thrown away by Magnetic repulsor fields, or vaporized by unheard of levels of firepower.

"We can't win...signal the retreat." Magnus said, it'd do no good for the Autobots to be slaughtered here and now, when later, they could take back the city and beat the Decepticons back....

With luck, that was.

Magnus fired into the air as a group of Decepticon fliers passed overhead, strafing buildings with their lasers to pull the humans out of hiding.

Magnus transformed as he started out of his cover, radioing out co-ordinates to his team.

He just hoped the silence from Prime only meant the massive Decepticon was jamming their long range transmissions, and not that Prime and his team were dead.


------ o ------ o ------ o ------

Chimera was smirking beneath the faceplate which covered his lamprey like mouth. He had feasted well on the Spark energy of two Autobots, having put them into stasis lock before dragging them back into the command center onboard Trypticon. He even took the spare moment to force one of the Autobot's out of Stasis Lock, to find himself chained up, unable to move, and watching in horror as Chimera put his talons through his chest, dug through vital circuits, and withdraw the pulsing Laser Core which hummed still with power. The Autobot was transfixed, as he watched the faceplate part, sliding to either side, and Chimera brought the module to his exposed, lamprey like mouth, thin metallic tendrils streched forth, whipping the air hungrily as the hand brought forth the promised treat.

As the laser core neared, the tendrils trapped around the component, drawing it suddenly into the maw. The Autobot screamed in pain and horror as his body spasmed against the restraints, eyes glowing brightly before dying out completely, the tendrils drawing the last of the Autobot's spark into it's gullet.

"Delicious....." Chimera said, smirking as the Autobot's body turned a dull shade of grey - the light gone from his eyes - and the mouth plate slide back to cover his maw.

"Trypticon," Chimera spoke in that soothingly calm, aristocratic voice to seemingly thin air, "Find someplace comfortable looking...and let's set up base. I'm sure you know what to do."

"Trypticon smash!" was the only reply, even as the massive robot tore through the city, eyeing the area once known as Central Park.

That looked like a good place to make as his resting spot....

----- o ----- o ----- o -----

Even as Crimson shouted her warning, Shadow lifted her weapon, and fired off a series of blasts at her former ally. There was no rush, even as the shockwave picked her off her feet, and threw her into the air.

Shadow flipped and tumbled through the air, running into the ground not a few times, and was gone from Crimson's optics before long.

Crimson was left alone then, with the question unanswered as to Shadow's wereabouts.

----- o ----- o ----- o -----



Half a hour after Magnus called for the Autobot retreat, Central Park was no longer, having been burned to cinders under Trypticon's plasma flame weaponry, the surrounding buildings obliterated. Trypticon stood in the center of the former park, looking most smug, even as he began to transform. On a scale almost unimaginable, the human survivors heard the echoings sounds of Transformation, the kilometer tall Dinosaur becoming in short order, what could pass for a Cybertronian city, gleaming spires of purple metal and the gleam of weapons emplacements making it a foreboding place to look upon - as if at any moment the weapons would come alive and destroy what was left.

Chimera sat in the command center, watching the screen as he received reports from the other operations ordered by Shockwave. Then the loss of telemetry from Shockwave signaled the strategist's demise, and Chimera was pleased.

It was better than he planned, and one less obstacle in his path to power.

[LadyTevar]

Even as Crimson shouted her warning, Shadow lifted her weapon, and fired off a series of blasts at her former ally. There was no rush, even as the shockwave picked her off her feet, and threw her into the air.

Shadow flipped and tumbled through the air, running into the ground not a few times, and was gone from Crimson's optics before long.
Crimson was left alone then, with the question unanswered as to Shadow's wereabouts.

Crimson was caught mid-dive, and several of the shots hit along her shoulder and side before the blast wave hit them both, tumbling Bots, humans, machines, and all.

Code: Select all

Armor: Left shoulder, Breached.  No damage
Armor: Left Torso, 50%

The repair system rattled off a few other minor problems as Crimson shakily rose and shook tree branches and permafrost off her dented form. "Scrap it, Shadow ... why...." she murmurred sadly.

"This is Stryke, I'm down at the following coordinates," he listed his position. "I need pick up, both legs are damaged and I can't transform." He said, raising his energy machine gun and hosing a drone in the back.

"Silly 'Bot," Crimson teased, radioing Stryke privately. "Now you're slower than ever. I'm not just gonna paint you pink, it's going to be neon pink polkadots." Laughter warred with sadness in her voice as she painfully transformed and headed for his coordinates. "Did we win?"

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike transformed and landed at the base. His own repair systems had begun to work rerouting systems and restoring circuitry. Too bad he couldn't say the same thing about his armour. He strode towards the maitenance bay. "I require the assistance of mechanics to replace damaged armour," he announced. Then he would rearm and take stock of the battle.

[Dark Silver]

Superion touched down at the human base, having flown the distance from intercepting Overload's remains, and back. The damage hewn into the base from the battle - both with the Headmasters and few strafing Seekers before the massed retreat - left pot marks in the quick-crete lanes.

Optimus and those who followed him arrived a few minutes later, the Autobot leader moving quickly to Superion.

"The Laser Core," he commanded, nearing one of the human tanks. While he was no Rachet or Wheeljack, Prime had the combined experience of millions of years of Autobot leaders at his beck and call, and he went to work.

There was not much to work with, but going to one of the nearby human Heavy Combat Battle Tanks - one of two sent to this front for offense codenamed "Bolo" - he pried open several of the side panels which was close to the fusion reactor, and pried open, none to gently, Overload's remains. the Laser Core still functioned - albiet dimly - the dim light of the internal power supply pulsing audibly.

Prime took no time in attaching the tanks miniture fussion power plant to the Lasercore, salvaging some of the least damaged neuro-linkages, and tied them into the nearby computer control systems of the Bolo. Some of the primary transformation circuits and the cog was undamaged also, and Prime hotwired these into the bolo's systems also, using more a mechanics skill than a surgeons.

Utilizing a burst of his own energon feeds, Optimus reactivated Overload's Laser Core, hoping the damage to it wasn't to extreme - and Overload could at least make some use of the body.

"Overload, are you awake.." he asked, hoping the answer would be an affirmative....He already knew Jazz and Hound would be getting repairs seen to, and be packing up the Autobots to return to the Ark. Until a fresh unit could be deployed, the humans would fortify the area - even after Sky Shadow obliterated the Tar Sands base....




------ o ------ o ------ o ------



Chimera stood within his new command bunker - deep within Trypticon's armored walls. Hundreds of meters of the toughest Cybertronian alloyed armor separated him from any hope of the Autobot's or human attack.

His taloned digits clicked over the computer console, even as the lines of data code scrolled past him - making changes here, adding new data there, cleaning up errant code.

Trypticon was a powerful weapon, the taking of New York City was over quicker than had they even used Guardian and Sentinel Robots. Yet, Trypticon for all his power and savagery, was to simple minded to be an effective soldier.

"Trypticon..." Chimera spoke to thin air, "Activation your internal vocal systems."

The voice had not changed from the booming, bass that had so effectively boomed out his wishes during the battle, but it was far more articulate now, "Internal vocalizers activated. You wish to speak to me?"

Chimera smirked, the changes where coming along nicely, it would only take some more reprogramming and perhaps a data-upload to allow the programming upgrades to take full effect.

"Yes.....you've done well for us Trypticon. And with luck, you will do more yet still."

Trypticon's deckplates rumbled at the low chuckle coursing through the dinosaur-bot. Megatron still in cryostasis for repairs, Shockwave destroyed....and given a few more days of hard reprogramming, and he would have two loyal, powerful robots at his side.

Not even Starscream would oppose him then.

[SirNitram]

External power detected... Begin powerup sequence.

Datatracks check....

WARNING: Non-Cybertronian datatracks detected. Abort/Retry/Continue? Continue....

Neural net not detected... Scanning... Primitive quantum architecture detected. Initiating Bootstrap. Converting Von Neumann processes to Cybertronian mainline.... Done. Processors running at 48.5% normal capacity.

Scanning hardware... Resemblance to Cybertronian designs within acceptable limits... Transformation Cog... Operational. Transformation circuitry... Adapting. Powerlink capacity... 0% functional.

Vocoder identified... Engaging.

"I think I grasp what organics feel when they've had too much fermented sugars the previous planetary cycle...." The war machine rumbled. "I don't even want to know what I look like. Shellshock okay?"

[Dark Silver]

"Considering you took Shockwave going nova in your face.." came the voice of Bluestreak, who had followed Prime to see about installing Overload into the human tank, "alot better than you could have my friend."

Bluestreak clapped his hand heartily on the turrent of Overlord's temporary body, even as Prime spoke up, "Shellshock is fine, he's on his way back to base. We're withdrawing back to the Ark...you did it for us Overload, you defeated Shockwave and caused the Decepticons to retreat. You just have to put up with this form until we can get Rachet and Wheeljack to get you into a new Blank back home."

[SirNitram]

"Scrap the blank. Give me a week and the transformation circuits might even be able to patch flight mode back up." Overload rumbled. He was locked into vehicle mode for the moment, and still adapting the connections. The tank's own programming kept chirping up. "There's bigger business, I'm sure. Deathstrike commed something about a diversion. I'm willing to bet whatever it is, it won't wait for me to adjust to two bodies."

The engine revved up, and there was an annoyed sigh. "Top speed's pathetic, but I can tow. Prime. You know I've always respected you. But with Shockwave down, we need to press the advantage. Don't worry about me."

[Dark Silver]

"The Decepticons are routed, human fighters and some Autobots who are rested enough are hunting down the stragglers. Sky Shadow will take out the base...we're done here Overload. We've to much to worry about to waste the time hunting the stragglers. Besides, we need you in a Cybertronian body, not a human tank. We'll be leaving once the worst wounded are repaired, and Jetfire is capable."

[Charon]

Shellshock finally made it back to the base on his own two feet. The warbot quickly came over to Optimus Prime. There were numerous scores and holes pitted into the old warbot's armor, one optic was flickering incessently, and he seemed to be favoring his gun arm, but the damage wasn't too bad.

"Where's Overload?"

[SirNitram]

The human tank simply flashed it's lights. "Brother. Was worried about you." Which spoke so much of Overload's nature; he took a nuke to the torso, and worried for Shellshock. "They've put me in this thing for the time being. It'll protect the core... You look like hell. I guess we hurt 'em bad, huh?"

[Charon]

Shellshock looked over the tank. "I look like hell? You're living off of a tank." Shellshock grinned some as he shrugged. "I think we could have taken them even if you didn't pull your damn crazy stunt."

Shellshock looked over at Optimus then. "Any word from New York City yet?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Hey!" said a human running towards Deathstrike. "One of yours is down! He's in bad shape. I can't do nothin' for him."

Deathstrike was not a mechanic, but millions of years of existence had allowed him to accrue a considerable number of technical skills. His mastery did not match that of say Ratchet and he did not possess the Autobot's array of built in equipment, but he was capable of making many repairs. "Show me," he ordered.

The human lead him into the repair bay, passed the bodies of a pair of Headmaster cyborgs. Blood and mechfluids stained the floor. "He saved our lives. You've got to help him."

The frantic human lead him to Hornet's body. "Little Hornet did this?"

"Yeah, he saved our lives."

"So the little Autobot decided to kill," said Deathstrike. "Bring me tools, I'll get to work." He bent down over the little Autobot's body. He activated his laser, pencil beam, very low power and began to cut away Hornet's armour. He pulled the plates away and took a look.

"Nonstandard configuration and a lot of damage," said Deathstrike in disgust. "It's never easy. At least he's in stasis lock. Let's see what I can do, little warrior.

"Well this can only be a primary power transfer line," he said as he patched the cable. "And these are data links and they probably are intended to go . . . . here and here. Fluidic lines, those are simple enough. Patching here and here. No clue about these. Energy stores, some damage here. Too hard to replace, but we can attach leads here and charge up the undamaged banks."

He stood up. "He'll be fine. Hopefully his internal repair systems will put him back online soon. Some time in a CR chamber and Wheeljack and he'll be ready to send back into the scrapcruncher with paper thin armour. Now, I need those slabs of heavy Cybertonian armour plate and some skilled welders."

[Marcao]

It was impossible to anticipate everything.

Still, that singular truth had never stopped him from trying to do so. While he was somewhat surprised at the relatively poor showing of his air to air ordnance he had to consider the circumstances. It was these circumstances that he now exploited. Even as his missiles had covered the distance towards their targets he had been re-adjusting his position always mindful of his position relative to his many enemies. He lacked the speed and agility of a fighter and as such, he did everything he could to maintain distance between himself and faster more agile combatants. The level of response that his attacks attracted however was a bit higher than he had expected.

Still, surprise quickly faded and became grim determination. By not having used direct means to attack he had bought himself time, by the time that omnidirectional bursts of sensor sweeps kissed his sensor absorbing skin enough to locate him he was already moving a myriad of sub-processors contemplating the choices available to him. The drones that sought him out were little more than nuisances but the seekers were a different matter altogether. The astro second that it became clear that even with his stealth systems the level of sensor emissions all but guaranteedthat he was being actively tracked he activated his ECM systems and began an electronic duel with his pursuers.

The amount of ECM and the sophistication of it was to be expected. He had a great deal of internal volume and he dedicated a fair amount of it to defensive systems. The seekers own ECCM capababilities were good enough that his jamming fell within acceptable limits and they closed the distance between their autobot prey with surprising vigor. The fulcrums fared far worse, their sensor systems far more affected as were their communication systems. Sky Shadow understood that in a situation like this, it was highly likely that the fulcrums would seek to form a network with the decepticon flyers allowing their own ordnance to collaborate with seeker targetting systems. That sort of capability could quickly prove fatal and Sky Shadow was doing everything he could to make cooperation between both forces as difficult as possible.

By the time that Sky Shadow began to receive targetting warnings, he threw himself into a series of defensive maneuvers a trail of flares and chaff following behind him. The likelyhood that he could best four decepticon flyers was low, but at the very least he could make an effort in not being utterly destroyed. Even as missiles stabbed through the air towards him, he continued his clever electronic manipulations attempting to interfere with the guidance systems of the incoming ordnance with some success. He was always mindful that some air to air missiles had a home on jamming capabilities.

The missiles that fell prey to his jamming where mostly launched from the fulcrums, their ability to datalink with the decepticon seekers greatly hampered by his efforts. The seekers own ordnance however proved to be far more difficult to affect. It was against these ordnance that his point defense lasers began to fire against. The missiles that did not fall prey to the veritable cloud of chaff behind him and those that were not fooled by his flare decoys contended with stabbing lasers seeking to remove them from the sky. The end result of the first exchange had three missiles sneaking through. One missed him at the moment, falling prey to an electronic tweak from his powerful ECM generators. Another was intercepted by half a dozen laser blasts. The third exploded near him and showered the autobot with shrapnel. The damage was mostly absorbed by his frame, autobot redundancy keeping him in the air although his sensor profile immediately increased substantially as the battle damage took away some of his stealth capabilities.

The change in his stealth profile immediately lowered his chances of revival by well over eight percent. It was then that one of his drones entered the fray. The moment that his attack upon the decepticon flyers had been finalized and the attention he was receiving became clear, one of his two drones stabbed into the air at super sonic speed and prepared to assist him. As the drone moved behind the mass of decepticon flyers, Sky Shadow prepared to loose the last of his air to air ordnance. If he was lucky, he could knock out two of the decepticon flyers out of action. If that happened, his likelyhood of survival became much higher. Sky Shadow released another set of countermeasures exactly as the flares lighted behind him Shockwave exploded.

The shockwave passed over and through Sky Shadow and it took every ounce of his skill not to fall out of the sky. It was autobot redundacy that saved him as much as actual flying skill, internal alarms blared as Sky Shadow's readouts became a christmas tree like mass of colors. When his sensors came back online, they revealed to him that both his drones were offline, their emergency beacons transmitting their current locations. The decepticons appeared to be in retreat. Shockwave?! The thought raced through his processors. It had to be. The humans would not use such weapons in so close a proximity to their own forces.

Optimus directive came through his secondary communications array and his reply was a slow and wide turn as he sought to bring himself into a firing position towards the decepticon base. As he approached the base he ran a series of internal tests, he was mostly functional. The bulk of his primary systems were still up, although his maneuverability was still hampered by the earlier exchange of fire. The likelyhood was high that the explosion had saved him from being shot down in a rather unceremonious fashion. Four seekers by themselves were hardly fair odds.

"Sky Shadow <garbled> with orders." He replied. His secondary communication array was having some transmission difficulties but he received just fine.

As he prepared to release the bulk of his payload, one of his bomb doors refused to open. The internal jam met with a level of irritation. The circuit boards in that section appeared to be damage and the hydraulic systems appeared to be shot. The others opened just fine and he used his own sensor systems to designate targets in the base below. Even with only partial access to his internal ordnance load he still could drop over twenty thousand pounds of ordnance and he did so. First to fall were twin 2,000 pound cluster bomb containers before the 1,000 pound guidance munitions plumetted into the sky. The punctuation point was a single fuel air explosive device that seemed to bathe the former decepticon in orange light.

"Sky Shadow is out of <garbled>. <garbled> to Base."

[LadyTevar]

Crimson had found a couple of good-sized trees in the debris field for Stryke to use as crutches. She could still transform, but she refused to leave his side as he hobbled back to the human base. Along the way, she did what she could for the humans they encountered, pushing vehicles right-side up, removing debris ... absent-minded aid as she worried about the Convoy.

She'd finally played the radio mayday from the human base, and feared Hornet was the 'one Autobot' mentioned. She'd replayed the Autobot battle communications she'd ignored, and now knew Overload was somehow involved in the explosion that had ended the fight.

Burdened more by worry, Crimson simply continued to help Stryke back to base. At least she could be there to help him.

[General Havoc]

Initiating primary boot sequence.

"Project Paradigm" Automated Startup Sequence, Version 4.3.81b, Author: Wheeljack.

All datasets initialized. Loading Firmware.

PRIORITY OVERRIDE. De-initializing Firmware. Loading Project Firmware.

Project Paradigm Firmware version 2.3.18.8564 engaged. Loading Nonvolatile CMOS settings.

Error: Primary CMOS cache non-responsive. Loading Virtual Serial Peripheral Interface. Downloading CMOS settings.

Settings loaded. Activating Stasis Unlock subroutines:

Clock generator online.
Chipset controllers online.
Power regulators online.

Warning: Primary power generators non-responsive. Initiating secondary power generators.

Secondary power generators non-responsive. Initiating tertiary power reserve system.

Tertiary power reserve system active. Cesium decay projectors loaded. Tertiary power reserve estimated: 92.3 minutes.

Detecting external power sources via power ports 4, 6, 7. Power sources exceeding 110% optimal flowthrough. Initiating full external power transfer. Deactivating tertiary power systems.

Tertiary power systems offline. External power directives online. Initiating systems interface.

Interface complete.

Resuming subroutines:

System memory online.
Mass storage controllers online.
Lasercore uplink online.

Subroutines loaded.

Initiating full system scan:

Critical structural damage detected, compiling system functionality/non-functionality tests.

Non-functionality ratio exceeds critical parameters. Initiating system synaptic detection routines.

Pinging mechanosynapses:

No response from left optic mechanosynapse.
No response from left optical processor mechanosynapse.
No response from right hand mechanosynapse.
No response from right forewing mechanosynapse.

Pings complete. Initiating skin polarization detection routines.

Electromagnetic polarization commencing. Compiling readings.

Polarization complete.

Readings compiled. Scanning.

Scan complete. Integrating scan results to system scan.

Evaluation: Overpenetration strike to unit head at surface coordinates 1-341-112. Radial damage estimation: 51mm. De-activating live circuitry in relevant head sectors:

Evaluation: Severance strike to unit right forewing at surface coordinates 3-2-41-108. Deactivating live circuitry for all right forewing sections 35 through 100.

All critical damage evaluations complete. Resuming full system scan.

...

System scan complete. Evaluating overall damage status:

Processing overall functionality estimations.

Overall functionality estimation, Mobility: 11.37%
Overall functionality estimation, Transformation/Vehicular: 3.71%
Overall functionality estimation, I/O systems: 48.59%
Overall functionality estimation, Defense Systems: 10.33%
Overall functionality estimation, Processing Systems: 70.20%

Overall functionality estimation (unweighted): 28.84% = CRITICAL
Overall functionality estimation (weighted "imminent combat"): 21.20% = EXTREMELY CRITICAL
Overall functionality estimation (weighted "basic functionality"): 37.57% = FUNCTIONALLY CRITICAL

System scan and estimations saved. File created: "../Records/StasisLock24". Date/timestamp affixed.

System evaluation complete. All stasis unlock procedures initialized. Initiating Stasis Unlock.

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WARNING! WARNING! PRIMARY PERSONALITY MATRIX DATABASE COMPROMISED! PRIMARY PERSONALITY MATRIX DATABASE COMPROMISED! MASSIVE DATA CORRUPTION DETECTED WITHIN SECTORS 4, 5, 8, 12, 14, 17, 20, 21, 22...

CRITICAL ALERT! DATA INTEGRITY COMPROMISED! INITIATING EMERGENCY SECTOR QUARANTINE PROCEDURES!

Quarantine established. Efficiency 81% and failing. Estimated time until full-scale system collapse, 158 nanoseconds.

Warning! Quarantine compromised! Firmware corruption detected! Full-scale system collapse imminent!

System error!

System error!

Sy$&*(Â¥!rr0&?!...

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System online.

Scanning.

No data corruption detected.

Rescanning.

No data corruption detected.

Query Error, unable to determine logic-flow for data corruption deletion. Computational illogicalities detected in buffer archive. No explanation available.

Stasis Unlock complete.

Transferring Class-3 and higher control functions to conscious control.

Control functions transfered. Startup complete.

Shutting down "Project Paradigm" Automated Startup Sequence, Version 4.3.81b, Author Wheeljack,

Elapsed time: 0.037 seconds.

Conscious control online...

*--------------------------------------------------*

Very slowly, with a soft moan and a twitch or two, Hornet's one remaining intact optic slowly came online as he woke up from his stasis lock, not sure where he was, or what had happened, but knowing that he was in terrible pain, and very badly damaged.

"Wh... wheel... jack?" he whispered, unsure if there was anyone to hear him.

[Cynical Cat]

"No, Deathstrike. My skills aren't the equal of Ratchet or Wheeljack, but you should be somewhat functional. You fought well. I saw your kills on the way in and that maneuver where you caused two drones to crash into each other was worthy of Starscream."

The warrior turned to address the humans. "Yes, those plates. Bring them over here."

[General Havoc]

"D... Death...strike?"

Hornet's voice was whisper-weak, but had a note of confusion, and perhaps even apprehension to it, and he blinked several times with his one remaining optic, trying to get it to focus on the blurry figure overhead. He could not figure out what Deathstrike could be doing here. Wasn't there a battle going on? And what was Deathstrike talking about....

His... kills?

His memory banks spun back up and he recalled what had happened. He had been shot down by Sixshot. He had wound up in the medical bay... and then...

...

... and then he realized why the video feed from his optic was tinted red.

Too badly damaged to do much else, Hornet squeezed his optic shut, as sparks crackled in the hole in his head where the other one should have been, and wiper fluid leaked out and ran down the side of his face.

It was answer enough.