Transformers: Steel Reign

[General Havoc]

Hornet, for once, had a commanding seat in the briefing room, from where he could see everything and every one. Usually restricted to trying to climb up onto a table in the back and peer over the heads of the other Autobots, Hornet had despaired of being able to follow what was going on before Overload had graciously picked him up and let him sit on his shoulder. From here he could see everything, and everyone could see him, both perfectly suitable conditions for him, as he finally had his silver and blue paint scheme back, and Wheeljack had even waxed him to a mirror shine, all the time muttering about how it was a waste of his time. He waved at Crimson when he spotted her down below, as if to say "Look where I am!

Indeed, Wheeljack had been awfully permissive over the last couple of days, moreso than he usually was, not that Hornet was complaining or anything, but... it was a bit weird.

As Optimus announced what they were planning to do however, Hornet nearly fell off Overload's shoulder. He had never heard of this "Nemesis" thing, but Trypticon? Trypiticon was a monster, even by the standards of the Decepticons. Hornet felt his processor speeding up at the thought of going anywhere within a hundred miles of the robotic dinosaur, and he tensed up a bit, his speaker making a gulping sound that likely only Overload could hear.

[B4UTRUST]

Slipstream leaned back against the wall, quietly watching the proceedings. Optimus had definatly gotten a wild cable up his exhaust pipe over something. And this apparently was the result. What a result. Two potentital suicide missions at the same time. This was their lucky day, obviously.

He listened to the briefing, trying to figure out where he fit into all this.

[Dark Silver]

Ironhide began to speak after Prime gave the preliminaries, only informing that there would be two seperate, but concurrent operations run, forces would be reassigned and shuffled from the field in particular for these assignments.

Ironhide went over only the most basic, detailing only targets, even going so far as to state this was merely a courtesy briefing to those who were stationed at the Ark currently.

After Ironhide's briefing, the Autobots were dismissed, Prime, Hot Rod and Ironhide filing out calmly.

[rhoenix]

Shaking his head, almost unable to believe what was happening, Firetrack walked out in a near trance. Seeing the smaller Hornet and the larger Slipstream, he approached both of them, his golden optics furrowed in concentration.

Approaching Hornet first, he caught up to the Littlebot, walking beside him. He was unable to hide the concern, and some measure of worry on his face. "Hornet, I need to ask you and Slipstream both a favor. I know you don't like him, and probably due to me getting torn up I don't remember why, but this favor I'm asking is for me, not him. I'm such a novice at flying that I'm concerned I'll be a liability, so I want to get in all the targeting and flying practice I can before we go. Please, just meet me in front of the Ark in about ten cycles, and I'll explain my idea then."

Hornet barely had time to look shocked and nod before Firetrack was once again rushing through the throng of gathered Autobots, approaching Slipstream. Due to the angle, he was walking toward the slightly larger Autobot directly, and when he got close enough, he didn't waste time. "Slipstream, I have to ask for your help. Save the smartass remarks for now, but since we're about to go out on a major offensive, I'm...concerned that I'd be a liability, with my relative inexperience with flying, and to be honest, shooting too. I'm asking you and Hornet both a favor to help me learn and practice as much as possible before we go, since you two are the only other flyers on our squad. I'll explain my idea once the three of us are in front of the Ark. I'll owe you a favor, just please, meet me in front of the Ark in ten cycles."

With that, he walked straight toward the armory of the Ark, mentally accessing the fire controls for his twin pulse laser cannons, and dialing them down to training strength as he went.

When he reached the armory, and began looking around for training missiles, he was momentarily distracted by two long energon swords laying together on a rack, both slightly curved. Feeling a sudden longing for them, he mentally began composing an inventory to send to Stryke and Shellshock, with those two blades at the top of the list. Grabbing them both, they both faded into his private nullspace.

Next, he grabbed a large wagon, and began loading training missiles - armed with paint instead of explosives - in sizes and numbers complementary to Hornet's limited loadout, Slipstream's cavernous minimissile loadout, and varying sizes for his own loadout. Once the wagon was full, and to be honest with himself, probably a little too full, he mentally added all the missiles he grabbed onto the inventory list he'd composed, in addition to the two energon swords, and sent it off to both Stryke and Overload as a requisition order. With that, he began pushing the nearly overloaded wagon toward the entrance to the Ark. Consulting his internal chronometer, he smiled grimly to notice that he'd make it there in almost exactly ten cycles at his current pace.

[B4UTRUST]

Slipstream glanced down at Hornet for a second then nodded to Firetrack.
"Yeah, I'll help. I still owe you for helping me the other night..."

[General Havoc]

Favors were not the sort of thing people typically asked of Hornet, and he hesitated as much out of surprise at that as out of anything else. His immediate hopeful reaction vanished like smoke in the wind when Firetrack mentioned he wanted Slipstream to help out.

He scarcely glanced at Slipstream, lowering his optics to the floor and letting out a soft sigh. "... okay." he said. "I'll... I'll see you there..."

He made his way slowly out front and waited for Firetrack to show himself. Slipstream he had nothing to say to. It wasn't that he held a grudge, Hornet wouldn't know how to hold a grudge with both hands, it was that Slipstream had made it abundantly clear what he thought, and he just wasn't up for being told how worthless he was.

[rhoenix]

To say that Firetrack didn't notice the tension between Hornet and Slipstream when he emerged into the sunlight pushing the too-full wagon would be inaccurate. However, to say that he noticed it and pushed on regardless would be more accurate, particularly with his ulterior motives.

After looking at both of them with an appraising look, he smiled and walked out from behind the wagon. "Alright 'bots, here's my idea. After watching some recordings of the Aerialbots as well as a few others, I came up with this combination of game and training exercise. All the missiles in this wagon are for the three of us, otherwise normal missiles apart from their payload of neon paint instead of actual explosives. The idea is that the one of us who is 'it' at the time has to dodge the gunfire and missiles of the other two. Whichever one of the two who hit the one who's 'it' becomes 'it,' and will continue on until one of us runs out of missiles, at which time the game is paused while all three of us restock our missile loadout. Then, we take off in different directions, count to half a cycle, and the game resumes when all three of us call 'ready.'"

Firetrack looked at the other two with a smile, pausing as he took in their reactions. "So, dial down your guns to training levels, and stock up your missiles with these. Hornet, I got plenty for you to go through, Slipstream, I brought enough for three full reloads for you, and I brought out variable missile types for me - because I can. So, shall we?"

As tempted as he was to begin stocking now, he waited until Hornet and Slipstream spoke up.

[General Havoc]

Hornet normally would have reacted to the idea of a game such as this (with the paint an extra plus) with overjoyed excitement. Nothing of the sort came over him this time. He looked up at Slipstream for a second, then back at Firetrack, and folded his wings in front of his chest.

"No."

It was perhaps the last thing anyone could expect to hear from Hornet. "I'm not playing with Slipstream." he said. "He's just gonna shoot me with his real missiles or his real lasers or come over and transform and land on top of me to beat me up because he hates me and thinks that because he's bigger than I am it makes him better. The last time we played he tried to rip my spark out, and besides, Wheeljack made me promise not to get damaged again. I don't wanna get killed, and I'm not gonna do it. Not with him."

[rhoenix]

"No."

Firetrack's optics widened in surprise. He'd though a "no" was possible from Slipstream perhaps, but not Hornet.

"I'm not playing with Slipstream." he said. "He's just gonna shoot me with his real missiles or his real lasers or come over and transform and land on top of me to beat me up because he hates me and thinks that because he's bigger than I am it makes him better. The last time we played he tried to rip my spark out, and besides, Wheeljack made me promise not to get damaged again. I don't wanna get killed, and I'm not gonna do it. Not with him."

Looking slightly up at Slipstream with a glare for a moment, he then looked back at Hornet. "First of all, it might help all of us to have an impartial judge."

He paused for a moment, and opened up his radio channel to the rest of the team. "Crimson, this is Firetrack. Would you mind joining Slipstream, Hornet and I out in front of the Ark? We need someone to be a judge."

After closing the channel though still listening for a reply, he continued. "There, now if Crim isn't busy, she can watch for anything untoward happening. Second, we'll all be dumping out any and all missiles we have to restock these, and our judge can check all three of us for the power settings for our guns. Third, if he tries to jump on you to beat you up," he paused to look levelly up at Slipstream, "I'll beat his shiny metal ass."

Looking back at Hornet, Firetrack smiled. "So, what do you say?"

[LadyTevar]

Crimson really hated getting interrupted. The fact it was Firetrack, and he mentioned going outside the Ark for something just made the interruption even more annoying.

"Firetrack? Go play in traffic. Crimson Out."

The Fembot turned off her communications as she once again faced Stryke, who was grinning down at her. Any further attempts at communication would be ignored for the next megacycle.

[rhoenix]

"Firetrack? Go play in traffic. Crimson Out."

Crimson's tone was such that it could have frozen magma. Naturally, he played it out loud for Hornet and Slipstream, laughing afterward.

Once he'd finished laughing, he looked at both of the other flyers, and shook his head. "Right, we need another judge, and I'm guessing Stryke's otherwise occupied, by sheer coincidence."

He looked thoughtful for a moment, and then smiled, opening up his communications array as he did. "Firetrack to Overload. If you're not busy, would you mind joining Hornet, Slipstream and I in front of the Ark? We need someone to be an impartial judge."

[SirNitram]

"I've got cargo to move." Overload was irritable. He had the logistical job for the convoy; energon for everyone, ammo for everyone, not to mention being on-call for Shellshock.. Well, he told himself, that wasn't going to happen. Shellshock was the milbot of the pair; he was the perfect choice for command. He was just a civbot with some corrupted programming. No need to call on him.

Penetrating the Decepticon border, all the way to the Nemesis' drydock. So much material. He'd be filling his subspace pocket and then some. Still...

A few minutes later, with Teletraan-1 filling his trailer with material with it's drones and other mechanisms, the tiny cab of Overload rolled out front. It didn't transform, just settling in to watch the flyers.

[rhoenix]

As Overload pulled up, Firetrack smiled widely. "So is that a yes, Overload? We wanted someone to be an impartial judge to make sure none of us pulled anything outside of the rules," he said diplomatically, gesturing to Hornet and Slipstream as he did.

[Charon]

Shellshock was still busy going through the details of the plan to break through Decepticon defenses in Georgia. There were plenty of other squads in the fray, but they weren't his concern. For now, his concern was making sure the objectives were completed with minimal losses. So far it wasn't looking particularly pretty for them. Shellshock rubbed his optics in a slight amount of frustration, his team weren't built as soldiers, but that was a problem he was more than used to by now. His concern was that most of them could hardly classify as fighters in his eyes.

The old warbot grumbled as he scratched out another plan and got to work again.

[B4UTRUST]

Slipstream remained impassive to the comments made about him and the threats directed his way. Hornet had exadurated the situation, but there, really, was no helping that in any case.
"Are we going to start soon," inquired Slipstream dryly. "Or should I leave so Hornet doesn't scratch his new paintjob. If that is his biggest concern of the moment, I do not wish to be the cause of any more of his woe."

[SirNitram]

"Get it done." Overload's tone was gruff. "You should all be preparing lists of what you need for this op, and getting them together for transport."

[rhoenix]

"Ah yes, thanks for reminding me, Overload," said Firetrack. Running a quick inventory scan, he was already quite happy with his capabilities melee-wise - so, that merely came down to choosing the proper missiles.

Composing a list of small, medium, and large missiles, as well as the straight-firing rockets he used, he sent it off to Overload, sending copies off to Stryke and Shellshock for their notes. That having taken only a few kliks, he grinned, and began loading himself up with the paint missiles and paint rockets in preparation for some exercises with the other two flyers. His missile hardpoints on his wings in his alt. mode as well as his rocket mounts were all empty, so loading up both didn't take more than a cycle.

Finishing up the loadout of his rocket launchers, he smiled at the other two. "Well 'bots, we ready to do this?"

With that, he floated up a foot off the ground, and transformed into his sleek jet form, hovering off the ground unmoving for the moment, using nothing more than his anti-gravity engines.

[General Havoc]

Hornet didn't respond with his own words. He responded with Slipstream's.

Staring up at Slipstream, he reached over with his left hand and pressed a button right behind the laser cannon on his right wrist. There was the sound of a scrambling tape, accelerated voices too rapid to be made out, and when he pressed it again, Slipstream's own voice, as clear as the day, emerged from his speaker.

"Hornet, you better pray to Primus that I don't find you, insect. I'm going to cause Wheeljack an exhaust port load of extra work when I do! I'm going to rip your Pits-damned giggling little head right off your wings!" There was a brief pause before the message continued. "Run you insignificant excuse for a bot! I'm going to tear out your spark when I get my hands on you!"

The words were Slipstream's, and so was the voice. Indeed it was nothing more than the recording of what Slipstream had said to him the last time they engaged. Hornet stared Slipstream right in the optics as he played it back, saying nothing himself. Only when the message was concluded did Hornet transform and take off into the air. He did not load any of the paint missiles, for he could not do so himself without additional equipment, his frame having been made too small to encompass a subspace loading mechanism. He would simply deal with his dialed-down lasers and empty missile locks for this... exercise.

He called it an exercise because it wasn't a game, not with Slipstream there, and his flying showed none of its usual exuberance or joy as he mechanically spiraled up to altitude and waited.

[rhoenix]

Seeing Hornet take off and wait at exercise altitude without first loading up missiles, Firetrack smirked. Rising straight up in the air using only his anti-gravity engines, he was soon at the same altitude as Hornet. "Alright 'bots, first round is no missiles - I'll help him load up on the next round. In the meantime, let's begin at a five mile spread from each other - we'll be dogfighting soon enough."

Using his sensors, he noticed that Slipstream was still on the ground. "Hey Slipstream, are you ready?"

With that, he spun around using his vernier thrusters, and igniting his main turbines, raced to five miles away from Hornet, and then held his position to wait for Slipstream to get into position.

[B4UTRUST]

"At least he finally admits that he exaggerated the entire incident. After all, he's still flying and records will show he never went into a repair bay from me trying to rip open his chest," he stated coldly.
"Threats are not promises. Except when they are."

Slipstream simply rose straight up. He disarmed his missiles and dialed down his lasers. High enough over the treeline he transformed. He hung suspended in the air for a split second before the acceleration hurtled him through the air like a bullet from a gun. He reached the five mile point and hadn't finished coming close to top acceleration.

He transformed again and hung there in the air.
"Slipstream to Firetrack; designated starting point reached. Exercise can commence."

[rhoenix]

Both other Autobots now showing up in his three dimensional map in his HUD, Firetrack triangulated both of the others before replying. "I'll be 'it' first, so both of you chase me - whoever tags me becomes 'it' next. Alright, on the count of three. Three...two...one...GO!"

With that, he ignited his main turbine engines to their maximum thrust, flying at a 45 degree angle upward and toward the other two, preparing to dive when they got close enough.

[SirNitram]

Overload's cab engaged it's engines as he rolled after the trio to keep an eye on them. Hornet still scared of Slipstream. Slipstream still a bully. Firetrack still... painfully.. Firetrack. Oh well.

As his speed increased to Stunticon territory, he bounced and bounded over the terrain, watching the flight and missing the chance to join in.

[General Havoc]

Hornet's afterburners ignited the instant Firetrack said 'GO'.

To say he ignored Slipstream would be inaccurate. He did not. Indeed, Slipstream was marked more clearly on his radar than Firetrack was. What he did do however was place himself in a position to not merely get Firetrack, but hopefully deny Slipstream a shot.

He rocketed forward like a missile, moving towards Firetrack, aiming not at Firetrack himself but above him, for Firetrack would soon be maneuvering to evade his shots, and he wanted to have altitude to play with when he did. Not a word came over his radio for he had nothing to say, an occurrence so rare as to rate a minor miracle in the grand scheme of things, but perhaps one that might give one pause otherwise. He flew up and over, waiting for Firetrack to break right or left or dive, for whatever he did, Hornet would wind up above him.

In truth however, Hornet wasn't so interested in this part of the exercise. What he was waiting for was the moment where Slipstream, or better yet, where he himself would be "it".

And then they would see who was a useless insect.

[rhoenix]

It had taken a while for Firetrack to get used to his new, and highly advanced and customizable HUD. In the training room, he'd spent the time to familiarize himself with it, which was paying off nicely now. To hopefully avoid another embarrassing stall, he included an engine heat gauge on his HUD as well - overuse of his maneuvering vernier thrusters in conjunction with his main turbine thrusters could prove fatal in a real firefight.

Watching Hornet maneuver in relation to himself and Slipstream troubled Firetrack, until he figured out why - Hornet wasn't talking, or indeed, making any noise over the comm channels at all. Suddenly, Hornet's maneuvering made a bit more sense - he was primarily after Slipstream, not himself. Firetrack smiled to himself, as best he could - though he was fully expecting to come out of this exercise with the other two flyers by far the worst, that didn't mean he couldn't improvise.

Watching Hornet maneuvering to try being above him, Firetrack shut off his main turbines entirely, beginning to drop even though he was still proceeding forward. Counting a few kliks for the two of them to get a little closer, he suddenly lit his vernier thrusters to point straight up at the sky, and then engaged his main turbines at full power to rocket straight upwards. He smirked to himself - this was definitely going to be a fun exercise.

[B4UTRUST]

Slipstream simply transformed again when the exercise began. He was doing this as a favor, not because he had a real interest. He figured it would be about as interesting and challenging as shooting Sharkticons in a holding tank.

He didn't even bother with his normal near-wreckless acceleration towards the combat. He kept both of the other fighters on his sensor systems as he moved towards them. It was blatently obvious from his lack of suicidal speeding, shattering of the sound barrier and lackadaisical attitude that he was completely unconcerned one way or the other as to the outcome of this 'battle'.

He hung back to watch the others. The solution to the problem was already made. Firetrack lacked any real experiance with dog-fighting in this form. Hornet, for his lack of size and age, did. Firetrack's vernier thrusters gave him an advantage, his lack of long use with the systems took it away. Hornet was use to operating in his configuration and even more use to being the underdog in combat. It would surprise him if Firetrack came out on top.