TFARCHIVE FORUMS

While the somewhat unexpected arrival of the Transformers armada has escalated into the beginnings of a full-out starfight, things remain relatively peaceful on the ground. At the Quintesson capital in Iacon, the political situation is deteriorating with General Ghyrik away on some unannounced mission and his rivals eyeing his seat of power...

********

Imperial Laboratories

"Are you listening?" Gnosis snapped.

Jhartix' old eyes perked up at once. "Mm? Oh yes, yes. Of course. You intend to take the throne. I've known this."

Gnosis squinted. "It's the timing that is important! Ghyrik is missing. For all we know, he's abdicated. This is the perfect chance to strike!"

"Save the garrisons of his loyal soldiers guarding the Palace, of course," Jhartix mused slowly and raspily. "Tell me, why didn't you call Inquirata?"

"That is of no import," Gnosis growled. "He is of no significance to this. I need you to recall your creation here in case I need extra muscle in achieving my ambitions."

"Spitz?" Jhartix mumbled. "Oh, he's off keeping the peace in Polyhex since the Imperial Magistrate was assassinated. It will take him some time to get back, yes. But aren't you concerned his departure will send a message to the Polyhex governor?"

"Tell them he's due in for some repairs," Gnosis answered. "Something. I don't care. Just have it done, and quick. And tell no one - especially Inquirata - what I have told you."

Gnosis floated away and through the doors leading back toward the palace proper, his tentacles lashing as he did. Jhartix chuckled after he left, his confident persona still lingering a moment.

"As though he doesn't already know..."

(OOC: Taking over Chop Shop for a bit.)

Pi's Crust

Chop Shop pretended he hadn't heard Gunrunner's offer for help and continued to struggle with the trap door until he had moved it enough that there was some freedom of entry.

"After..." he paused to heave after the intense workout. "After you."

Pi's Crust

Gunrunner nodded and stepped towards the grasping Chop Shop.

He bended infront of the trap door and looked inside.

" It's dark, down here... " he muttered, droping himself inside the secret room.

Iacon Daily Download

Detritus follows Tap Out up the stairs cautiously

Iacon daily download
Tap-out sighed as they reached the first Journalist level: Computers of every type were strewn about in an almost insane manner, feedouts and readouts littering the floor. The lack of blaster damage indicated that this place was untouched, and the debris was there prior to the invasion.
"Yeeshk." tap-out commented slowly. "Either of you two good with computers?" he asked cautiously of Detritus and Kick off..

Iacon laboratories
Deliberata had been floating about aimlessly for the last few days in his private lab: furious, positively livid, he had retreated here after Ghyrik had... After the unpleasentness.
And here he had wanted to come up with an amazing revenge scheme, something diabolique... except he had dried up. All he could think of was building a big monster and siccing it on Ghyrik whilst he stood by and laughed, but this wasn't feasible on many levels.
He left the chamber, and floated down the hallways, hoping to find inspiration from the next Quintesson he would meet.

Pi's Crust

"You aren't scared of the dark, are you?" Chop Shop chuckled at Gunrunner while moving toward the open trap door. "C'mon, I'll go first."

Chop Shop set his mouth lasers on their lowest setting to provide a dull flashlight effect and staggered down the old ladder leading into the darkness below. The few meters into the musky old chamber felt like a mile, but Chop Shop soon found himself on solid ground. He glanced around to illuminate the walls near him.

"The coast is clear!" his voice echoed back up the ladderwell. I think...

********

Imperial Laboratories

Gnosis' mind was on a half dozen things at once, so it was with some surprise that he found himself nearly barreling into Deliberata as he rounded a corner. Gnosis stopped and glared at the five-face, his tentacles lashing with a confounded rage that anyone dared get in his way. But this one - he thought he knew him. A leader in the Judicial caste. Perhaps. Gnosis never could keep them straight. In any case, if it was true, he may have had a use as a temporary ally in deposing Ghyrik.

"Judge," Gnosis addressed Deliberata curtly, letting the other take things from there.

Iacon Daily Download:


Kick Off: "Sorry, Tap-Out, I'm only good with security systems."

"Archacademician" Deliberata parried Gnosis.
"I have been... reviewing our productivty logs of the occupation. It seems the Scholastic directorate has excelled where others have merely been adequate. Well done."
Deliberata didn't want to offer the scientist anything till he was sure of his current aims: Gnosis's affiliations were known to only be to himself, making him useful... if you had something to offer him. And your aims didn't clash with his.

Pi's Crust

Gunrunner, once inside the secret room, looked around.

" That's an awesome hideout, Chop Shop " he commented, smiling. " From here we'll be capable of forming a new resistance cell, and start our activities against the Quintessons again. "

Gunrunner stepped deeper in the dark, remembering his former days as a squadron leader.

" I miss my shell " he suddenly said. " We need to find Kick-Off and the others, Chop Shop. "

Iacon Daily Download

Detritus looked at Download

"we're cooking with gas"

He brushed aside some mess and revealed an untouched terminal.

He pushed a button and the screen sprang to life.


~*~

Pi Crust

Chop Shop glanced round the area illuminated by his mouth lasers

"ok lets go collect them from the IDD building."

Iacon daily download
Tap-out watched on awe as Detritus / Flotsam operated the computer with ease.
''I guess you know you're stuff then. Hey, you hear that?''

Pi's Crust:
(Optimusskids, Reflectors playing chopshop, can you amend your post?)

(ooc oops sorry Reflector asked me to look after him)

(OOC not a prob man )

Imperial Laboratories

If Gnosis had a weakness (and some would argue he had many), it was flattery.

"Why thank you, Judge," he smiled smugly at Deliberata. "We have been doing our best to pull in the slack left by General Ghyrik's lax leadership style. Perhaps you can relate to such a sentiment."

Gnosis didn't have any reason to think Deliberata could, but he was willing to float the idea.

Onboard Trypticon - armoury:

Jetwave was splitting apart over the crate labelled "Low-Rad 1 Megaton Proton Bombs". His greed for firepower was fighting with his honour, two voices arguing within him:

- I must leave these bombs where they are. I'm not authorised to take them...

- But I shall put them to good use against Quintessons!

- But I can't just go and take whatever I want, that's just not proper!

- But that's Decepticons weapons. If I take these, then the less chance they'd be used against us if the truce is broken!

- But I just can't!!!

He jerked suddenly, hearing some sound from the other side of the barricade of crates.

"Is it you, Sunstorm? I'm coming, I'm coming!" - his voice was unnatural and contorted.

Jetwave made several slow steps toward the exit... Then ran back, grabbed the crate and subspaced it in a nanobreem.

Primus forgive me. But I just can't - he thought guiltily and ran toward Sunstorm.

Sunstorm smiled with sadistic glee as he read the labels on the crates, Incinerator missles, napalms, cluster missles, ah what's this, EMP bombs. Excellent. The seeker subspaced the crates and met up with Jetwave near the exit.

Imperial Laboratories
Deliberata understood the game in front of him now, and with the two faces that Gnosis couldn't see, smiled.
"Yes," he said with a melacholic expression, "I can relate all too well. The General refuses to see the bigger picture. Sometimes, i wonder whether we would be a more effective force if he were less of an influence on our corporate direction?"
Bite, you simpleton, bite, I'm dangling it in front of you!

Iacon Daily Download

Detritus looked over quizzically at Tap Out

"What's up Doc ? Something nasty in the wood shed?"

Onboard Trypticon:

"I'm... I'm ready", - Jetwave told Sunstorm in a voice that was strangely contorted, as if by some inner struggle.
"Ammo replenished, let's go!"

They've made it to the airlock and exited, transforming.

"Seems we're the first ones here", - Jetwave commented, looking down at the landscape of Iacon. - "Looks peaceful... But not for long, I believe.

Here's the wall section which I was supposed to breach, and there's the antenna array which was assigned to you. Well, then... Good luck!"

Making a barrel roll, he dove towards the awakening enemy-held city.

Weapon pods, switch to main cannons, load HE shells!