| abstract | - November 05, 2011, 4:05 PM Shockwave Starscream Skywarp Firestorm Slipstream Nova Black Laserbeak Knifepoint Stormfront Acid Storm Cataclysm Gale Force (both NPC'd by Acid Storm) (Soundwave over comms) (Black Abyss) --- Shockwave stands calmly in front of the grouping, his golden optic flickering slightly. Seekers. A lot of them. He rests his hand on top of his cannon-arm, considering. "Despite rumors to the contrary, your Air Commander will *not* be leading this exercise. I will, under standing orders from our Lord to assess your performance. As such, dismiss anything that Commander Starscream has told you of this cycle's activity." He glares at the flighty Seeker, almost daring him to object. He continues in his odd tones, "This is purportedly a cohesive army. As such, you all *should* be able to work as a unit no matter who is involved. You will split into two random teams. Your objective is to protect your team's icon." Shockwave holds up two metallic statues, one red, the other blue. "How you accomplish this is up to you. The team leaders shall be..." Shockwave continues, "Firestorm and Knifepoint. I will divide you, or you can work it out among yourselves. I wish to see no Trine cliquishness." His tone is disapproving. Shockwave scans the assorted Decepticons. He looked forward to this. "Questions?" Skywarp flicks a glance at Starscream. Normally he'd have been complaining loudly enough to deafen a drone about something like this. Oh well. "Who are we flying with, Scream?" Starscream stalks over to the single opticed scientist. "Yes, I have a question. What in the rainbow FRAG do you think you're doing? This is /my/ assignment, you flightless drone!" Acid Storm, judging by his impassive expression, either expected this or simply doesn't care. "No questions, Shockwave, sir." He responds, giving the purple mech a small bow in respect. Slightly behind him, Cataclysm's engine rumbles in what his trine easily recognized as annoyance, and Gale Force nudges him. "Can it, Catty." He mutters, crossing his arms over his chest when Acid Storm glances over his shoulder at both of them, a hint of annoyance crossing his faceplates. Cataclysm scowls, mimicking the action and shooting a glare at Gale Force. "Don't call me that." Slipstream had to do a little scheduling rearranging to come to this training excercise. The newbies she was to train this cycle were glad for a slight break in the normal routine. The escort group was a bit disappointed about a delay, but they understood the importance of such magnitude and it should be no surprise that the group had followed her out here to hear what was going to happen. She cocks her head a bit at the announcement then glances at Firestorm at her being chosen as a team leader. Offering her a smile as she waits for how the two will split them up. Nothing to say, the femme seeker remains mute and observes. "No questions here, Shockwave," Nova answers, twitching her wings. She looks over at Knifepoint, thinking, but says nothing else. Knifepoint twitches his wings slightly in surprise when Shockwave names him as a group leader, but shrugs it off easily enough, stepping forward with a small smirk. "I don't have any questions, sir." He says with a glance over at the Air Commander, his smirk widening. Firestorm gains a bit of a smirk when she's appointed team leader, bowing her head a little as she stands in line with the others, hands behind her back. "Thank you, sir." She takes a look up and down the line, crimson optics glowing softly as she surveys the group with a neutral expression. She hmms softly, a finger tapping behind her back in thought. "No questions. And the choice is up to you whether you decide on teams or we do. I have no issue with either." Stormfront waits impassively, listening to orders. As much as the giant can, he remains out of the way, watching the exercises and focusing on his tactical assessment programming. Any participation one way or another would likely be unfair, with him dooming any kind of agility and trick flying exercises, and likewise being too big a target - on the other hand, ruining much fairness in being on one side or the other in a combat simulation. He does note everyone's responses, and Starscream's reaction to being just another participant in a training exercise... again. "Tactical assessment and flight plan recorder running, sir." he rumbles down at Shockwave, the massive mech's attention turning to the start of deployments, particularly that of his usual escort group. Shockwave glares at Starscream, though it's hard to tell. He merely gives the Air Commander a three word answer: "Lord. Megatron's. Orders." He then pointedly ignores Starscream and addresses everyone else. "Firestorm, part of being in command includes making command decisions. Unless you feel you cannot, in which case I shall reconsider my choosing of you. I suggest you amd Knifepoint decide together how you wish to proceed." The big purple mech waits impassively. Acid Storm turns his attention back to Shockwave when the mech speaks, resisting the urge to roll his optics when he hears a quiet argument break out between his trinemates- something about the stupid nicknames they had a tendency to call each other. "Enough." He hisses, glaring at them over his shoulder again. "Have some decorum, both of you." Despite their annoyed huffs, they obeyed the unsaid order and shut up. "SO who are we flying with, Screamer?" Skywarp elbows his trine leader. Slipstream's wings shift slightly as she continues to remain passively observing for now. Though she certainly isn't relaxed, far from it in fact. Instead she is actively checking her systems to be sure she's ready for how this excercise will play out. It sounded a lot like the 'capture the flag' session during the Tron Games. Her optics and scanners both are already taking in the abyss below them. Laserbeak gives an indignant squawk at being looked over for being a team leader...again. Perched deftly on top of Skywarp's head, she seems keenly alert however, her presence here possibly because she's under duress of other orders. One could never tell where Soundwave's cassettes were concerned. She cocks her head slightly at Shockwave before stomping her feet on Skywarp's helm, reprimanding her for jostling her as he poked his trine leader. Nova Black looks from Knifepoint to Firestorm, considering. The last time she spoke to Knifepoint, it was an altercation -- and the aid she was giving to Quickrazor began due to Knifepoint's threats. But she hasn't seen any violent hostility between them since, and even Quickrazor himself had remarked on that. So she's not sure which of the two she would choose: Firestorm, because she has no hostility toward her, or Knifepoint, to keep her optics on him. But either way, she'll keep watching Knifepoint no matter what happens. Knifepoint loses interest in Starscream quickly enough, instead looking over his choices for a team. One's pretty obvious, if only to frag off their Air Commander. "Hey, 'Warp! You're with me; get over here!" He calls, motioning over the purple seeker, still smirking. He takes another glance around, making his descision for a second member. "And, uh," He pauses, struggling to put a name on the bright yellow seeker he's pointing at. "You, get over here too." Hm, well so much for that. Firestorm nods again, "Of course." The femme then steps out of line a moment to look over her choices, wing marks pulsing slowly. Her wings twitch though, mouth twisting a little as Knifepoint behind his shoulders, the femme having to be quick. "Hmm... You, you, you, and you." She states sternly, pointing out Slipstream, Acid Storm, Starscream, and Laserbeak in turn. Slipstream's escort trine stay near their leader, knowing they're being observed and scored from all sides, not only having Starscream present as Seeker command, and being assessed by the coldly logical one-eyed mech, but their primary trainer is watching too. Stormfront is mostly still, just looming over the entire exercise and listening to the banter. The main sound from the giant is systems whirring as he assesses everyone's performance, even in the pre-exercise stage, paying this every bit as much attention as if he was running the drill himself. He assesses the teams thoughfully as they emerge, interested in seeing how the divided trines perform. Starscream gives Shockwave an evil glare before staring at Knifepoint. Splitting him and his trinemate! What a /glitch/...but then he notes that Firestorm has chosen him for her side, along with Slipstream, the leader of that Rainmaker group, and a fragging cassette. Wonderful. He could hear everyone laughing already. He stomps to Firestorm's side, quite obviously torqued off. "What a slagging mess. We're done for. What possessed you to choose one of Soundwave's drones?" Shockwave nods in satisfaction and proffers the icons to the team leaders. "You may begin when ready, but leaving the area will result in a negative evaluation." Scowling, Cataclysm makes his way to Knifepoint's side, giving the other seeker a quick glare before mostly settling down. Acid Storm gives his third a look he knows well, silently mouthing 'behave' at Cataclysm before moving to join Firestorm's group, offering the femme a polite nod. Gale Storm scowls, taking the silent indication and clomping over to Cataclysm, giving Knifepoint an unimpressed look while they wait. Skywarp shrugs and walks over to Knifepoint's side. "Sorry Screamer!" He tosses back to his trineleader, sounding smug. "Okay. So when can we start shooting at them. Well, not Scream, cuz you shoulda picked him anyway, KP, but Slipstream and Firestorm? Hah!" Slipstream looks up from her survey of the abyss below as the first selection finally comes to fruition. A glance given to her escort team then looking back to the two team leaders, idly wondering who would choose her. A hand drops to her lariat, fingers idly passing over it as if checking it over. A nod given to Firestorm when she picks her out along with the leaders of the two trines as well as Laserbeak. "Good choices Firestorm." the femme notes as she approaches her team leader, a little frown given to the Air Commander, "I see the wisdom of her decision, sir. Laserbeak may not be a seeker, but she is a flier and her size can be a blessing in disguise." then looking back to Firestorm, "So boss lady, how you want to plot this out or we going to just plan on the fly and hope for the best?" Laserbeak flits over to the group she's assigned--purposely nicking Starscream's shoulder as she passes by, gently alighting on Slipstream's shoulder. At least she knows Slipstream won't badmouth her. She puffs herself up with pride at her words. Nova Black walks over to Knifepoint, still glancing warily at him. But she has worked both with him and with Skywarp in the past; perhaps that will give them some advantage here. "We'll get airborne and shooting in just a breem, cool your turbines." Knifepoint answers, ignoring the glares he gets from two of his teammates as he steps forward to take the blue icon from Shockwave. Turning it over idly in his hands, he smirks slightly, glancing around them for a favorable spot to place it. Nodding distractedly to Nova, he subspaces the icon in preparation. "Alright, get in the air, all of you." He orders, transforming and launching into the air himself. Firestorm simply gives a little smirk at Starscream's complaints, giving her teammates a nod of acknowledgement. "Slipstream is right, Commander Starscream. All points must be utilized. And since this is only training I think it's best to mix up the groups, have us in situations we aren't used to." Slipstream's question on the first course of action would make the femme pauses, rubbing a thumb along her chin as she observes the other group. "Hmm.. For now, let's wait and see their what their first move will be. And keep your guard up at all times for possible close quarters combat. We all know how Skywarp likes to get in close." She snorts softly, ordering her team to the skies and to keep formation as she grabs the red icon, jetting up soon after them. Not visible to anyone, due to the heavy faceplate hiding his mouth, but a smile, or hint of one, comes as Slipstream's assessment of Laserbeak comes out, and her report will get a positive mark for remembering use of all possible assets, not to mention the team and morale building aspects. Laserbeak's own reactions tells him everything he needs to know about the results. All of this, of course, will end up being shared with Shockwave later. The moment of lighter grading lasts only a moment, before the tactical comp is whirring away again, and he gets ready to start charting flight paths as they're taken and assessing the air to air capabilities demonstrated once the seekers get airborne. Firestorm's first work at leadership and assessment, and taking a somewhat conservative viewpoint is also noted. Good to assess the enemy. Her wariness of Warp's tactics is also noted, positive points there. Starscream snorts, twitching his wings angrily. "Touch me again, little cassette, and I'll send you back to Soundwave folded in half!" He sighs dramatically at Firestorm's pithy (to him) assessments, already bored. Waiting just a bare moment after the so-called order, he rises into the sky. This could turn out, after all. He can shoot something. Shockwave notices that they'd finally gotten it and were ready to begin. He sends out a comm to all present. //You will attempt to capture the enemy icon by all neans available to you, save lethal force. If I deem that you are too damaged to cobtinue, I will instruct you to remove yourself from the exercise. Failure to follow this directive will result in sanctions." His optic glittered at tje thought. "Leaving the area is prohibited. Storing the icon in subspace is allowed but could have natural...repercussions. Disputes shall be decided by me. Begin." Both Cataclysm and Gale Force obey the order without question, rapidly transforming and gunning their engines to pull high above the Abyss. Acid Storm watches them for a few moments, frowning slightly, before following his fellow team members into the air. For a few moments he debates informing them of his trinemate's strengths, but decides against it- best to keep the exercise as realistic as possible. Skywarp transforms with a flip, leaping into the air to take up a spot off Knifepoint's wing. "Can we slag Slipstream first?" Slipstream smiles over to the puffled up Laserbeak, before she inclines her head to Firestorm. She waits for the cassette to fly off her shoulder before she transforms, flying up to fall in just below Firestorm's six so the turbulance from her engine was is minimalized. This allows the two leaders of the trines to fall in off the fellow femme's wings if they choose to do so. With all systems running at their peaks and raring to go, she observes the other group as she awaits orders. At the mention of no lethal force, she chuckles a bit and just accepts it. Laserbeak takes off into the air, looking embarrassingly small and non-threatening next to all the big Seekers, but that's what she's good at doing--looking non-lethal and then going in and sabotaging. Finally up in the air, she unfurls the camera from the top of her head, taking aerial views of the vicinity to send to Soundwave. Nova Black rockets into the air, her frame humming with excitement. Watching the leaders take off with their icons, she has an idea, and opens a comm link to her team. /Knifepoint, *sir*/ -- the tone is slightly forced -- /I have a suggestion. First thing we have to do is find where they're hiding their icon. I propose Skywarp start looking for it. He can teleport around more quickly than it would take the rest of us, and once he finds it he can just warp back out if it's too dangerous for one mech, and tell us where the rest of us should go./ Knifepoint chuckles at Skywarp's request, transforming and hovering on his thrusters for a moment to drop their icon on a rather perilous outcropping, on the very verge of collapse and surrounded by sharp rusted beams. Sliding it along with a shove so it falls down into a small gap, he narrowly avoids impaling one of his wings even with the small movement. //Not a bad idea. But Shockwave said we couldn't leave the area; teleporting may not be allowed. Warp, you're still the fastest- check around, but only teleport if you have to. You two, stay up there and help keep their attention off him.// He orders, transforming and blasting away from the hiding spot. Firestorm takes a moment to survey the field on their side, deciding to wedge it into a dark crack in the wall of the abyss, shifting a piece of metal or two to keep it in place. "Alright." She finally announces, transforming into jet mode. "Slipstream, you're my second. Stay right on it and keep your guns hot in case Skywarp gets any ideas, and I'm sure he will. Acid Storm, flank my left, Starscream, on my right. Laserbeak, stay on me cause I want you ready to go after their icon on my order." Wings twitch a moment before engines fire up and she soares off, "Move out and keep your guns primed!" Starscream glares at Firestorm- if looks could kill, the femme would be with Primus right now instead of spouting orders as if she had the right. He contemplates completely ignoring this pointless little game, but knows that if Megatron finds out he'll likely end up in medbay ~again~. Damned anyway, Starscream took his indicated position, cycling power to his weapons systems in anticipation of a good fight. He comms the...leader. //Firestorm. If you leave that there, Skywarp is going to take it. I refuse to lose to that group.// He exvents in irritation. Shockwave is vaguely gratified that they finally managed to stop bickering and begin. He watches the sky intently, expecting treachery...nothing less, from those less than he was. Acid Storm obediently falls into place on Firestorm's left, engines struggling a little to keep up with the faster seekers. He hikes up his sensors, wary of anyone opening fire on him. Grumbling some more-than-unpleasant things about Knifepoint to himself, Cataclysm pulls up higher, banking slowly around the area and picking out Slipstream as his target to keep 'distracted', sending off a volley of shots in her direction. Gale Storm stays lower down, engines rumbling unhappily at their trine being split up, but when the order comes, he centers in on the other team's leader, opening fire on her. Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Slipstream's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds! Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Firestorm's agility . Acid Storm's roll fails! "You got it, KP. But shoot Slippy a couple times while I'm doing that, okay?" He spins on his vertical access, thrusters kicking in to full as he pulls a tight turn to reverse 180 degrees from his previous course, back towards the direction Firestorm's team came from, idly trying to get a target lock on Slipstream as his trajectory intercepts theirs. "Scanning for any sign of that fragging icon thingy," He reports over the comm to his teammates. Slipstream picks up the dicebag and rolls against -2+(her awareness). Slipstream's roll succeeds! Slipstream's scanners are at full as she looks for any sign of the icon of the opposing team being dropped somewhere. She shifts smoothly into SIC mode, "You are the boss." she notes to the other femme. Her lasers are already ready to go as she sizes up Skywarp, she owes him a few doses of reality.. hot, scolding laser reality. The sudden appearance of Cataclysm makes her cuss something rather unsavory as he scores a shot on her. So that's how it is going to eh? First thing is first, Skywarp is her target and not Cataclysm. "Firestorm, I've got a lock on their icon. Sending coordinates now." As she says this she heads toward Skywarp, lasers blazing. Slipstream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(her dexterity) against Skywarp's agility. Slipstream's roll fails! Laserbeak spots something large and silver in a nearby cavern, part of a spire of some sort. Much as she would like to sneak in and grab the icon, Soundwave's orders come first. Always. Disobeying Firestorm's orders, she swerves to the left, zipping into the cavern and recording details of the ruin and the Cybertronian runes carved upon it before sending a comm to Soundwave. /Query: continue surveillance?/ Recording done, she turns back and heads back out to rejoin the formation. Soundwave receives Laserbeak's transmission. "/Laserbeak: continue surveillance. Require exact coordinates. Query: exploration possible?"/ Perfect. The Rainmakers are covering Skywarp as he searches, which means that leaves her free to start shooting. She notices Slipstream take a hit and revs her engines, half in eagerness and half in trepidation. But she'll probably never again get an opportunity to attack Starscream with (more or less) impunity, and she *does* owe the conceited slagger for stunning Quickrazor. She zooms toward him, feeling energy race through her weapons systems as she locks on her target and fires. I hope that stuff Quickrazor did the other day works, she thinks. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her dexterity) against Starscream's agility. Nova Black's roll succeeds! Knifepoint rolls almost lazily as laser fire starts to slice through the air. //Sure, 'Warp.// He answers with a chuckle, weapon systems humming to life as he watches Nova start to shoot at Starscream. //As soon as you find their stupid little icon, teleport in and grab it, would you? I don't want this to take forever.// He rolls again, locking on to Slipstream and sending out a burst of laser fire in her direction. Knifepoint picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Slipstream's agility. Knifepoint's roll fails! //Laserbeak, fall back and hide near the icon. If anyone tries to grab it bite their fingers, peck their optics. Just keep them away.// Firestorm radios the cassetticon before nearly getting hit with Gale Storm's shots. //Acid Storm, break formation and cover Slipstream. Go after Knifepoint.// With a shunk a lengthy blade extends from each end of her wingtip, her sights setting up on Gale Storm. Laser guns light up the air surrounding the rainmaker. Though she doesn't aim directly at him, trying to corral him around before giving a boost to her jets and flying right at him. The seeker femme dips off quickly, trying to get a good slice at one of his wings with a blade when they pass. Firestorm picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(her strength) against Acid Storm's agility. Firestorm's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Starscream narrows his optics. The shot stung, and that femme had NO RIGHT to try and attack him. He whirled toward Nova Black, lasers blazing, intent upon teaching her the error of firing upon Starscream. Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 4+(his dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Starscream's roll fails! Cataclysm scoffs to himself as Slipstream totally ignores him, turbines rumbling in anger as he opens fire on her again. Teach her to ignore him... Gale Storm snarls in pain as the blade rips through his wing, nearly taking it all the way off. He transforms mid-flight, thrusters firing hard as he struggles to stay airborne, and twists his torso to fire after Firestorm. Acid Storm hesitates at the order, just starting to pull out of formation when he hears Gale Storm's snarl. He fires of a few shots vaguely in the direction he thought Knifepoint had been, but most of his sensors were turned upward, focusing more on his injured trinemate. Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Slipstream's agility . Acid Storm's roll fails! Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Firestorm's agility . Acid Storm's roll fails! Skywarp chuckles. The slaggers wouldn't know what hit 'em, and he might even get to blast Slipstream out of the sky while he's at it! He disappears with a violet flash and a *bamf*, appearing and transforming in one smooth motion. With a determined grin, Skywarr arms and fires a grouping of missiles at Slipstream before landing near where the enemy icon was located! //Suck slag, grounder-groupie!!// he taunts over open comm. Skywarp picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Slipstream's agility. Skywarp's roll fails! Slipstream softly grumbles a bit as she misses her mark. There'll probably be no end to the teasing either if she keeps missing. She's /better/ than this and she /knows/ it. All the training she's been having should be helping her as much as it has her trainees slag it! Then another shot is taken at her by Cataclysm as well as Knifepoint, but this time she evades by diving and rolling. So it's all the mechs after her all the sudden? Fine then. Pulling out of the dive hard and banking right, she zeroes back in on Skywarp. His missiles just barely miss her as she comes in hot with another laser volley at the mech. Slipstream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(her dexterity) against Skywarp's agility. Slipstream's roll fails! Laserbeak replies to Soundwave's comm as she heads towards her team's icon. /Negative. Not without arousing suspicion. Coordinates: B38-9876./ She perches on top of the icon, poised at attention like a hawk waiting for prey. Soundwave comms Laserbeak in return. /Soundwave: acknowledges. Surveillance: continue.// Nova Black swerves out of the way of Starscream's laser fire. It's an ungainly move, at least compared to Starscream's flying, but it works. Sparing only a moment of surprise for the realization that she's somehow uninjured, she flies close in again, slicing out toward his head with one of her daggers, hoping his vanity will lead him to protect his face so she can go for a vulnerable spot with the other Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Starscream's agility. Nova Black's roll fails! Knifepoint would smirk if he was in robot mode- looks like Skywarp was already going for the other icon. Perfect. //Get it and let's go, 'Warp.// He say impatiently, banking around toward where their own icon was hidden. //You, Rainmaker- can you stay in the air? If you can't, get the slag down and just keep shooting.// He skims by the wall a few kix away from where the icon was hidden, running his scanners over the areas around him and taking a few more pot shots at Slipstream while she's focused on Skywarp. Knifepoint picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Slipstream's agility. Knifepoint's roll fails! Firestorm snorts softly in her jet mode as the rainmaker veers off from a busted wing, the femme retracting her blades while weaving through his shots, leaving him behind. Of course Knifepoint has to go and fly back around to his original position, making her curse softly. <> With a quick shift she's back in robot mode, surveying the field quickly as wing marks blaze bright. Good, Laserbeak is at the icon already to defend it.. but Skyward was so close. Slag. Not time for that though. Crimson optics train back on Knifepoint, smirking while jets boost her quickly in his direction, teal tinted middle fingers shifting into long blades like before, her hands disappearing within as she charges to get a good slash in on him. Firestorm picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(her strength) against Knifepoint's agility. Firestorm's roll fails! Starscream snarls as Nova's dagger misses his /face/, and her second strike goes wide instead. *No lethal force. Frag yourself, Shockwave, my null rays aren't lethal. The fall might be, though!* he thinks to himself, his thrusters firing enough to push himself back for a clear shot. "Rest well, Nova Black." Starscream says as he fires his null rays at the femme. Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(his dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Starscream's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Shockwave watches the scene unfold, noting the SIC's temper tantrum and making a special record of it. /Starscream. This is not the point of this exercise./ he comms in a flat tone. Acid Storm resists the urge to snap back at Firestorm- she had no idea what it was like to see a trinemate injured, especially so badly, and then to have to listen to the one who did it... Nevertheless, he pulls off his current course and moves back toward the icon, taking a shot at Skywarp. No matter the orders, though, he's not going to try and take out one of his own trine. Gale Force curses loudly as his shots miss, and he kicks his thrusters into high gear, coming down hard near the edge of the Abyss. Almost as soon as he's regained his balance, he's stepped closer to the edge, firing down at Firestorm again. Cataclysm's engines growl as his shots miss Slipstream, and he banks around to take another shot at her. He's NOT going to be slagging shown up in front of Shockwave of all mechs. Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Skywarp's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Firestorm's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds! Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Slipstream's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! "Oof! Slagging piece of SCRAP! That hurt!" Skywarp bounces off the cliff wall in front of him and stays on his feet well enough to return a shot towards Acid Storm before turning back to search the wall in front of him for the icon- his scanners can see it, it's got to be there somewhere! "It's gotta be close, guys, just keep them OFF me!" He sends over the comm. Skywarp picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Acid Storm's agility. Skywarp's roll fails! Skywarp picks up the dicebag and rolls against his awareness. Skywarp's roll succeeds! "Got it!" Skywarp crows, shoving his hand into the crevice in the side of the Abyss, and pulling out the glowing icon. "We win! We win!" Slipstream was expecting more shots from her two pursuants, her scanners keeping her appraised of their positions as she transforms into robot mode and performs a flip in the air to evade Knifepoint's shots. If Skywarp thinks for a moment she's letting him out of her sights, he has another thing coming! She takes her shots in robot mode. This leaves her open to Cataclysm's shots, but she was determined to make Skywarp learn a lesson. Slipstream picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(her dexterity) against Skywarp's agility. Slipstream's roll fails! Laserbeak streaks out of nowhere, headed at breakneck speed towards Skywarp. If she can steal his energon and rust sticks, she can slagging well take back what's hers! Mouth open, she tries to latch on to his fingers to make him drop the icon. Laserbeak picks up the dicebag and rolls her dexterity against Skywarp's agility. Laserbeak's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Nova Black barely has time to wince as Starscream avoids her strikes. The slash at his head wasn't even intended to connect -- she's reckless, not *suicidal* -- but the other goes wide as well. That means she's right in the way of any return fire, and they're right over an abyss. She fires her thrusters, throwing herself inelegantly toward the nearest outcropping large enough not to buckle under her weight. She'd really rather not die from being stunned today, thank you very much. Knifepoint guns his thrusters, pulling out of Firestorm's reach and avoiding her attacks. He transforms as well, thrusters keeping him hovering between Firestorm and their icon, and he forces down the urge to snarl when he sees Laserbeak go after Skywarp. //Somebody get that fragging bird off him! Now! If he can keep a hold of that slagging icon, we've won!// He orders over the comm, raising his arms to shoot at Firestorm, trying to drive her back. Knifepoint picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Firestorm's agility. Knifepoint's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Firestorm ends up getting pelted from both sides, Gale Force peppers her back with laser fire while Knifepoint thoroughly shoots up her front after dodging. "Agh!" She hisses in pain, bearing teeth as engines stall for a second, making her drop altitude. <> And cover she does, letting Gale Force go about shooting her more if he wishes, keeping her back to him. Arm rifles raise up to Knifepoint, sending a volley of shots his way to try and move and distract him. Firestorm picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(her dexterity) against Knifepoint's agility. Firestorm's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Starscream snarls at Firestorm. /Fine. I'm sick of this anyhow./ Shockwave's mild comment was anything but, and speed is Starscream's specialty, after all... He transforms into a sleek tetrajet, parting the sky before him, lasers firing upon the Rainmaker trinemember Cataclysm. He covers a shocking amount of airspace quite quickly, but not...quite...there...he looks for the thing as well. Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(his dexterity) against Acid Storm's agility. Starscream's roll fails! Starscream picks up the dicebag and rolls against his awareness. Starscream's roll succeeds! Acid Storm rolls out of the path of Skywarp's shots easily, trying not to let the thought of his injured trinemate distract him from his duties. As Starscream takes a shot at Cataclysm, he inwardly flinches, but since the Air Commander appears to have things under control, he peels off, taking a half-sparked shot toward Skywarp as he does so. Cataclysm banks sharply away from Starscream's shot, growling his annoyance. When Knifepoint's order hits him, he fires off a shot at the bird, wanting this whole exercise just over. Gale Force smirks as his lasers hit Firestorm, ignoring the pain in his wings as he fires at her again. Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his dexterity) against Skywarp's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds CRITICALLY! Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Laserbeak's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds! Acid Storm picks up the dicebag and rolls his dexterity against Firestorm's agility . Acid Storm's roll succeeds! Skywarp swears loudly as the fragging birdie pecks at his hand and Acid Storm's next shot distracts him logn enough for her to snatch the icon out of his grasp. "Oh no you don't!" He growls and grabs at her, getting a firm grasp on the back of her head and the base joint of her left wing. "Gimme. I stole that fair and square." Skywarp picks up the dicebag and rolls 2+(his strength) against Laserbeak's strength . Skywarp's roll succeeds! "HAH! Now I REALLY have it!" Skywarp says. Slipstream may have missed her shot, for the third time in the row, and she got zinged hard for her trouble. But the satisfaction of seeing Skywarp get his come uppance via Laserbeak draws out a laugh that is positively wicked. She follows it up with a loud, "See?! She shows her true Decepticon heritage!" A slight verbal jibe at Starscream who doubted Firestorms' decision to pick the bird and a verbal thumbs up to the cassette for her actions. Since Skywarp has his hands full of bird, perhaps she can tie the mech up a bit for his trouble. She snatches at her lariat, flying toward the mech as she forms a loop with it. Apparently she's too late though as Skywarp just grabs the icon with the bird attached to it. "Slagger." she hisses. Laserbeak beats her wings against Skywarp's hand, trying to escape, the icon dropping out of her mouth as she lets out a cry for help, reaching around to try to snap at Skywarp's offending hand. Shockwave's light, cultured tone is heard by all on open comm. //I declare this a draw. While Skywarp held his prize for the required time, he did not do so unopposed. Stand down, Decepticons.//
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