Attack on the Metal Plains

Log Title: Attack on the Metal Plains

Characters:
 * Floodlight
 * Banshee
 * Dust Devil
 * Elita One
 * Shockwave
 * Squadron X (Earthquake, Fang, Ferak, Macabre, Valve)
 * Windblade
 * Zetar

Location: Metal Plains South, Cybertron

Date: April 17, 2018

Players: Bzero (Floodlight, Squadron X, Zetar), SnowFyre (Dust Devil), TFUBaz (Banshee), Zerombr (Elita One)

TP: March West TP

Summary: The Decepticons are at it again, launching a massive campaign in an attempt of take over the manufacturing base of the newly-revitalized Cybertron. Only Elita's squad of plucky Autobots can stop Shockwave's relentless march to the west from Helex.

As logged by Floodlight - Tuesday, April 17, 2018, 5:20 PM

Metal Plains South

 * The Metal Plains run north to south in eastern Cybertron, a low, flat counterpoint to the jagged Manganese Mountains farther east.

Methane snow falls lightly over the icy metal plains in the no-mech's-land in between Helex to the east and Valvolux to the west. Winged mecha-bison roam free, quick to take to the air at the slightest threat of potential predators. Largely undisturbed by visitors, the plains are usually quiet, with little to disturb native cyberfauna. Industrial pollution from the west adds ash to the snow when the wind is right, adding an acid smell to the cold, crisp air.

The Decepticon scouting crew was right to sweep the area before the ground force deployments moved through. Given that Cybertron was the domain of Elita One, that meant traps and sabotage. Shockwave was wise to have Banshee and Floodlight as part of the recon team meant to safeguard Squadron X. Unusual energy signatures are picked up from the surface, and after a few complimentary scans, the two locate part of the issue at hand. Mines! Hastily burrowed mines, no more than a yalm deep, are scattered over the area. And while anything further can't be determined by the pair, surely a few missiles or pinpoint shots can cook off most of the mines to clear the area for the inbound Squadron.

Gliding through the ash flurries is a small, deep blue hoverjet. It zips through the air, rapidly scanning the ground ahead and below her. The craft is nearly silent - not quite stealthed, but certainly not making its presence known before it's in line of sight. It flits from crack and crevice on the frozen plain, examining each for sign of Autobot ambush. It maintains continuous radio contact the main Decepticon force - worst case, if it's taken out by Autobot snipers, the Decepticons will know exactly where the enemy is.

Spotting the mines, Floodlight immediately radios back before mapping out what she can detect and the best, most efficient way to dispose of them. She transmits the data to Banshee, who theoretically has more than enough firepower to do the job. She then rises up, splashing infrared targeting beams to highlight the below-ground targets.

Macabre glides just above Squadron X, which is acting as a vanguard for Shockwave's forces. "Yes, yes!" he cackles loudly, urging his troops forward. "We will overwhelm the Autobot forces, and then the likes of Grotusque and Ravage will know to fear and respect us!" The mostly ground-based troops rumble along below, approaching the plains and trusting the advanced scouts to sweep out and destroy any mines.

Banshee skims low and fast over the Metal Plains. Well, fast for a propellor aircraft, that is; most jets will outrun her, but at the same time, she's outstripping almost any ground vehicle. She frowns, banking slightly to circle over a specific area. At the controls, her pilot hologram frowns, indicating something to the gunner, who nods and turns to his radio set.

"Achtung! Minen!" She calls out over the radio, heeling over suddenly and dropping like a stone. "I see zem... commencing incendiary run." She pulls up sharply, four pairs of rockets launching from under her wings to burst over the minefield and - hopefully - set them off. Then she begins to loop around, scanning for signs of Autobots below...

Banshee's incendiary run causes pillars of fire to roar over the plains ahead of Squadron X's advance. Mines explode and shatter leaving small divits in the ground in her wake. One almost hears WW2 propaganda music playing in the background as the buzz of the propeller plane zooms past.

Meanwhile, Elita One and her small team wait in an underground bunker not too far from the minefield. The ground shakes around them as seismic sensors go off from the bombing run. Elita notes quietly, "Airborne attack...not artillery, so we've got fliers running escort. Keep them in your sights." She turns to Overwatch and Dervish, "Focus on the Squadron, the rest of us run offense against the escort team. They'll be disoriented from the mag mines."

As the fire dies down and Squadron X moves into position, that unidentified signature comes into play. With a thunderclap charged by electricity, Elita One's second mine assault occurs. About one third of Squadron X's forces are violently repulsed up into the air, and then come back down as polarity reverses about them, sending two score mechs down into a heap from the initial blast.

<< Only two mines detonated, but that'll have to do! >> The blast shields draw back revealing the Autobot ambush, with Elita One standing at the forefront of it all. "AUTOBOTS...ENGAGE AND ROLL OUT!"

Dust Devil's dark optics barely illuminate a few centimeters from his hiding spot in the bunker. Next time someone asks him for a favor, he aughta ask for specifics before saying "Sure!" In this case he lost out on his nice comfy berth and the Starwars marathon and was instead digging holes and showing off his climbing skills. He makes a face remembering the chore and privately swearing that Elita picked him to do that on purpose. Let's see...right now Han is in the cantina scene not shooting Greedo first. Gah mind back on the trap. He stays hidden where he's been told waiting for ELita's orders. Hearing the go, Dust Devil, comes out of the hiding spot and he spies Banshee. "Aren't you supposed to be guarding a WW2 prison camp or somethin?" He takes a shot at the femme, knowing that she's probably one of the more dangerous people to face.

Elita One stands with her fist forward, gesturing towards the troops that move to rally about her. <> She leads the charge forward as her support crew starts to take their shots at the disoriented Squadron X that were attacked by the mag mines. Elita One sprints forward, and then seemingly teleports forward as her Time Stopper catapults her forward in the blink of an eye.

Several members of Squadron X start to rally, one of them gestures towards her, "THERE! Its the Pink One!" Another calls out, "BLAST HER!" and so they do. The air fills with laserfire as Elita One draws fire for the team. There's a sudden streak of pink between several of the groundpounders, with Elita One on the opposite side. Explosions fill the air behind her as several members of the squad combust in her wake.

>> Elita One strikes Squadron X with Piledriver. <<

Floodlight cheers as Banshee takes out the mines. "Good work, ma'am!" Floodlight does a secondary scan, but all of the mines she detected just below the plains surface have been successfully taken out by Banshee. Elated at the assumed success of her teamwork with the Decepticon divebomber, Floodlight radios Banshee and Macabre the results of her updated scans. "Looks clear, ma'am," she reports.

Then the next waves of mines go off, making Floodlight look like a fool - and nearly a dead one, as the magnetic waves nearly cause her to crash painfully into the frosty surface of the plains. "Autobots!" she warns as Elita presses the attack, but the message is too little, too late. Struggling to maintain her heading, she spots an Autobot firing at Banshee, and banks around painfully return fire, trying to protect the larger bomber.

>> Floodlight misses Dust Devil with Laser . <<

Zetar waits just below ground, ready to set off the next part of Elita's plan. He can't help peek up, however, to see if he can see the Decepticons coming. His drill-top head pokes up out of the ground, just far enough for him to scan for incoming Decepticons. His amber optics widen at what he sees, and his hand tenses on his small blaster pistol - not exactly an intimidating weapon against an advancing robot army.

Elita's charge, however, seems to stir him, and he rises up, aiming his pistol to try to pick off the members of Squadron X that Elita doesn't kill herself.

>> Zetar strikes Squadron X with Pistol . <<

Banshee spots Dust Devil as he takes aim at her. Laser weapons have one critical flaw; the lens on the end of the barrel glints, if the light is just right. She banks almost at the same moment Dust Devil squeezes the trigger, causing his shot to pass through the space she'd just been occupying. << Ahh, du bist es! >> She announces. << Das Arschloch! >>

Subtitles: Ah! It's you! The *beep*

She banks around hard and begins to dive towards him, the sirens on her wings beginning to cycle up to speed. But only beginning to. Right now, she's got Dusty in the sights of her 27mm cannons, empty casings showering out from the ports under her wings.

>> Banshee strikes Dust Devil with BK-27 . <<

Fang falls into a collapsed tunnel, and Macabre is blasted out of the air, screaming as he hits the ground and is crushed by his own teammates. The other members of Squadron X scramble to transform and return fire, but without their leader they are even more disorganized and ineffective than usual. Ferak somehow makes it back into the air and transforms, racing ahead to strafe the Autobot lines. He leaves behind several squad members who scream and die as Elita One tears through the enemy lines like Predacons through mini-bots.

>> Squadron X strikes Dust Devil with Laser . <<

Dust Devil is all ready for Banshee's attack when he is suddenly shot at by Floodlight, "oh come on...I'm really not the sort all the femmes should hit on!" He jumps out of the way of Floodlight's attack only to be tagged by his primary target. "Scrapscrapscrap, head back in the game Dusty..." He turns to face Banshee and is hit by Ferak. "Okay one at a time!" Optics now focus sharply on Banshee again though now he's got his other systems getting ready. "I believe its my turn!"

>> Dust Devil strikes Banshee with Plasma . <<

Soaring through the air at high speed, Shockwave remains fixated on his data readings. His forces seem to have gathered around a single point and have ceased advancing. That point is not the target, Shockwave acknowledges silently and pours more power into his thrusters. Once the scene comes into view he splits, his robotic form emerging from his rather simplistic transformation. His optic sweeps the scene as he hurtles toward the ground, taking in the full breadth of the situation with his powerful processors.

Though even without them, even the least among them would observe the mess that Squadron X finds itself in. Of particular note to Shockwave, a pink irritant.

"Elita One," he says with cold detachment, his arm cannon snapping up to fire immediately, "Decepticons! I have taken the field. Drive the Autobots back in Megatron's name!"

>> Shockwave misses Elita One with Laser . <<

Elita One turns to face Shockwave even as he calls out her name, she twists in motion, as the cannon comes up. Her pistol drops out of her high hand as she moves, pulling some sweet slow-motion action as she evades the mighty Shoxcannon, only to pick up the pistol in her off-hand. Plasma roars as she returns fire against the cyclops. "Shockwave. Enough." Her voice is that low, husky tone that the mechs love so much, "You'll not win here this day. Retreat before I give you a better reason to do so." Her fist clenches as she squares off against her nemesis.

>> Elita One misses Shockwave with Laser . <<

Floodlight misses Dusty with her shot, but cheers to see Banshee nail him instead. Her morale is further boosted as Shockwave takes the field. Without hesitation, Floodlight tightbeams all the data she's collected on the area and the battle so far to Shockwave, confident that it will be more of a help to his battle planning than a distraction as he takes on Elita One.

Zetar manages to shoot Triton in the face, and he literally jumps up and down and squees. "Dusty!" he yells. "Did you see that? I got one!" Bolstered by his success, he takes a steadier bead this time, aiming his pistol at former-Autobot traitor Valve. He tracks the Decepticon as Valve climbs over a piece of rubble and advances towards the Autobots. As Valve comes closer into view, Zetar tries to ignore the frightening arrival of Shockwave, and fires at Squadron X.

>> Zetar misses Squadron X with Pistol . <<

<> Elita One says, "Windblade, do you read?"

Ferak banks around to take another shot at the Autobot line, while Valve ducks Zetar's shot and advances on foot. Earthquake gestures, and the very surface of Cybertron lifts him up into the air. He surfs the icy ripple of ground as if it was water, and surges in towards the collected Autobots. Unfortunately for Zetar, the young Autobots finds himself right in the path of the remaining members of Squadron X.

>> Squadron X strikes Zetar with Ram. <<

<> Windblade says, "I'm here, Elita... wouldn't mind a second shot at Banshee with what she did to 'Plex." <> Elita One says, "Acknowledged, Dust Devil, do you read?"

Banshee snarls as the plasma hits home. That, really, is the only issue with doing a strafing run; while you're nice and steady on target, your target's got a nice steady target themselves. Paint is scorched from her frame, armour burned away. One of her dive brake struts is blown free too, but she continues her dive undeterred. << Nicht schlecht, Herr Dust Devil. Zat actually stung slightly. >>

A pair of rockets lance from her wings before she breaks off - faster than the incendiary ones she deployed earlier, with a fatter, shaped charge warhead.

>> Banshee misses Dust Devil with R4m Rocket. <<

<> Elita One says, "Dust Devil, whats your status?"

<> Dust Devil says, "Sorry, playin tag with the Planepain...err Banshee. I got some damage but still workable."

<> Elita One says, "Imager's on backline at the escort shuttle if you need Energon."

Dust Devil smirks mischieviously and stands his ground as Banshee fires the rockets at him. Dust Devil's forcefield however intercepts the rockets and the blast brings down part of the canyon wall, obscuring Dust Devil from sight at least for the moment, giving him the chance to assess his own damage.

As Banshee takes her shots at Dust Devil, a scarlet jet roars into view, coming up behind the Luftwaffecon. Windblade's voice echoes from the jet, "Hey, no one gets to kill Dust Devil except us!" Which might not be the most heroic sounding save, but the jet angles in and fires lasers at Banshee, Windblade trying to drive off the other plane.

>> Windblade strikes Banshee with Laser . <<

Dust Devil quickly works on the bleeder line that is threatening to take him out of the fight early. Resplicing three lines he grins as reading go closer to normal. "That's the ticket." He glances up at the sky, checking out to see who the next target is while his systems finish rerouting. His forcefield comes down, unblocking him.

Receiving the data from Floodlight, Shockwave sends a quick transmission with orders while side-stepping Elita One's counter attack. "I will never understand the heroic delusion," Shockwave begins, activating his boot thrusters and sending himself soaring over the Squadron X mess and toward Elita One, his fist rearing back, "That compels you to believe I am interested in your analysis of our tactical situation." His fist swings down ahead of his landing, the full momentum on his descent focused behind it.

>> Shockwave misses Elita One with Smash. <<

>> Dust Devil takes a step back and attempts to put his pieces back together. <<

>> Dust Devil incompetently makes his damage worse! <<

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "Decepticons, continue the assault. Once the Autobots are driven back, we continue our march. Floodlight, I want you to assess the casualities of Squadron X from a safe distance and report to me who still functions. Do not attempt to collect or assist until this skirmish is concluded."

<<Decepticon>> Analyst Floodlight says, "Yessir!"

Elita One raises her crossed arms before her, trapping Shockwave's arm in hers. In a textbook Circuit-Su move, Elita One replies in a low tone, "Then let us try a more practical analysis." She hefts the large Con, attempting to use her body as a fulcrum in order to throw him onto the ground before her....

>> Elita One strikes Shockwave with Roundhouse. <<

Elita One throws Shockwave over her shoulder, leaving him sprawling for a moment, then drives her fist down onto his chest, as part of the throw's follow-up motion. "Like so." She growls.

>> Elita One strikes Shockwave with Punch. <<

Floodlight flits back, scanning the wounded members of Squadron X from a safe distance and relaying that data to Shockwave. << Sir. Fang and Macabre are down. Ferak is pressing the attack in the air; Valve and Earthquake are moving in on the ground. Triton is injured, but mobile. The rest of the squad is hurt and disorganized to the point of ineffectiveness. >>

Zetar is driven back by the avalanche of redirected material that Earthquake has lifted up and sailed in his direction. Luckily for Zetar, being buried isn't a problem for him, because he simply transforms and begins to dig himself out. Coming up behind the advancing Squadron, Zetar leaps towards Earthquake's back. "Hey, big, red, and ugly!" he yells. When Earthquake turns his head, Zetar tries to punch him in the face, midair.

>> Zetar misses Squadron X with Punch. <<

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "make ready for a chance to withdraw, Autobots. With Shockwave on site, we've lost surprise and the Cons will rally shortly. The raid has been successful, but if we tarry for too much longer, we'll pay for it."

Zetar's yell gives Earthquake a chance to raise his hand, and that's all he needs to bring up a metal wall to defend himself from the Autobot Engineer's punch. In the air, Ferak dives at Dust Devil while he attempts to repair himself, firing at the low canyon over the diversionary tactician and attempting to bury him under collapsing rocks and steel. Triton recovers from his shot to the face and joins Valve in advancing on the ground-based Autobots.

>> Squadron X strikes Dust Devil with Smash. <<

<<Autobot>> Powerdasher Zetar says, "I'm on the other side of the Decepticon line, but I'll dig my way back to you guys!"

Banshee cusses as her rockets slam into Dusty's shield, angling in to continue pounding him when Windblade opens fire. Her pilot hologram pulls a riding crop and beats the gunner hologram around the head with it. "Verdammt gut schießen sie, du Schlägertyp!" She cusses.

Immediately the tailgun wakes up, peppering Windblade's general vicinity. At the same time, Banshee deploys her divebrakes and pulls up *HARD*, hoping to let the (much) faster jet slip past her.

<<Decepticon>> Analyst Floodlight says, "The Autobots are planning to withdraw, sir!"

>> Banshee strikes Windblade with Tail Gun <Medium>. <<

GAME: Banshee PASSES an AGILITY roll of Above Average difficulty.

Banshee's Subtitles: Damn well shoot her, you goon!

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "Acknowledged, Floodlight. Press the counter attack until reality confirms intent, Decepticons." <<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee sounding like she's under high-G. "Jawohl, Generalfeldmarschall!"

GAME: Windblade PASSES an AGILITY roll of Average difficulty.

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "Dust Devil, start your pull back from the field the moment you can, Zetar as well, Windblade and I will provide cover."

Windblade yelps as the tail gun on Banshee comes to life, and as Banshee slams on her brakes, she overshoots the Bombercon as she instead guns for Ferak, trying to keep Dust Devil clear while he attemps to self-repair. Firing her lasers, she corkscrews in on an attack pass over Ferak while keeping Banshee off her 'six.

>> Windblade strikes Squadron X with Laser <Medium>. <<

Dust Devil is fiddling with some sparking wires when more of the hill comes bouncing down before he can reraise the forcefield. He staggers to his feet and moves, using his forcefield to protect him from anymore falling debris. Hearing Elita starts in her direction, turning once to focus an attack on the group that hit him. Both turrets light up and he fires in their direction.

>> Dust Devil misses Squadron X with Plasma <Medium>. <<

Shockwave is unceremoniously slammed onto the ground and then punched. That was awfully rude for an Autobot, Elita One. Tut tut. Receiving transmissions from Floodlight, Shockwave responds quickly and looks up at his foe, arm cannon already raising as internal mechanisms shift. Electromagnetic energy is drawn from deep within as Shockwave replies, "If you insist, Elita One."

He unleashes the charge at close range, seeking to override his pink foe's systems with an electromagnetic pulse.

>> Shockwave critically strikes Elita One with Em Pulse <Medium>! <<

>> Elita One temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "HggghhAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"

There was a reason Shockwave and Elita One had never bested each other, they were too evenly matched. Later, Elita One would theorize that Shockwave had let her damage him in the circuit-su move, knowing the follow-up punch would allow him a chance for a retributive strike. The blast launches her up and back off of the prone Shockwave, electricity crackles around her as every pain diode in her form lights up. She lands in a sprawl twenty five malms away, her body arching in agony, those bands of electricity restricting her as she grimaces.

Floodlight watches Windblade take out Ferak, and suddenly sails back into the fight, pouring on what power her tiny engines can provide. She scans Windblade quickly, and then radios the others, << It's Windblade! There's a bounty for her in the database! I'm going to bring her in. >> Floodlight surges forward, aiming her floodlights at Windblade and trying to blind her with a series of flashing megawatt lights.

>> Floodlight misses Windblade with Strobe <Low>. <<

Zetar jumps back, frowning in the face of Earthquake's unique abilities. Jumping back, Zetar transforms once more, digging himself down and attempting to burrow beneath the Decepticons. As his drillbit chews through the Metal Plains, Zetar radios, << Heading back now, Commander One! >>

>> Zetar retreats from the area, leaving itself open to Shockwave, Floodlight, Banshee, Dust Devil, and Windblade. <<

Earthquake is ready this time, however, and gestures again, bringing metal plates down on Zetar from above, attempting to crush him beneath the plains. Unfortunately for him, Zetar travels too fast beneath the surface for Earthquake to match him. The other members of Squadron X press the attack, slowly reorganizing now that Shockwave has given them direction.

Valve dodges Dust Devil's shot and closes in on him. "You should have run away with your friends, bot," he snarls. "You might have lived to tell the tale of how you faced Squadon X and walked away. Heh. No matter." He raises his pistol and fires at Dust Devil from near pointblank range.

Poor Ferak, however, is shot out of the sky by Windblade. The hunter-seeker skyship slams into the plains, sliding along the icy surface until coming to rest against a small up-cropping. He transforms painfully and just sits for a moment, holding his head while one of his wings burns.

>> Squadron X misses Dust Devil with Heavy Laser <Medium>. <<

Banshee grins to herself as Windblade slips past. She retracts her dive brakes and puts her nose down, hoping to get a few seconds' uninterrupted time to fill her full of 27mm high-ex and bring her down for capture. The Autobots aren't the only ones who have giant cities to talk to, after all.

<< Target sighted. Commencing shootdown, be ready to recover her. >>

>> Banshee strikes Windblade with BK-27 <Medium>. <<

<<Autobot>> Windblade says, "Elita! Hold on, I'm coming!!!" Windblade banks hard when Banshee starts shooting her, still taking some hits as she dives at Shockwave, "Hey, one-eye! Up here!!!" With that, she transforms on the way down, energy swords coming to life in her hands as she swings down with them, trying to drive the Decepticon back from the fallen Elita-1.

>> Windblade misses Shockwave with Sword. <<

Dust Devil sighs. Well he was retreating. He's got three problems. None of the three he's particularly happy about dealing with. Shockwave scares the scrap outta him. Elita is down for the count. At least Banshee is being kept busy with Windbl....nevermind. Yeah this is not good. So he's got to do this just right. Somehow he's got to distract Shockwave and protect the pair. Especially the one that's down. So, running toward Shockwave, he transforms and kicks his thrusters into maximum velocity. Music starts playing loudly as he bears down on Shockwave in a kamikaze run. **It was a one eyed, one armed, flying purple people killer, a one eyed, one armed....**

>> Dust Devil strikes Shockwave with Ram. <<

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Windblade, ELita, get outta there! slaggit this is gonna sting..."

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "You know... for autobot abschaum... and an irritating little trottel at zat... you haff to admit, zat's kind of... he's got style."

Shockwave has gotten to his feet just as he hears Windblade call out to him. He jerks his gaze her way and as she comes down, he runs a swift calculation and hops to one side, sliding mere centimeters from where Windblade would have otherwise interrupted his plans. Unfortunately, that puts him right in the path of Dust Devil. He sees him coming, and if he couldn't he'd certainly hear him, and braces for the impact. He is sent sliding, his boost blasting sparks and his arms taking on microfractures, but he remains standing. He activates a thruster to send himself hopping away from Dust Devil while sending a transmission to his troops. He then promptly ignores Dust Devil and turns away from Windblade, looking down toward Elita instead.

"Your soldiers throw themselves at the enemy to save you, Elita One. A trait that you share with Optimus Prime. Admirable," Shockwave states, stomping heavily toward the incapacitated Elita, "But illogical. I am done with this futile display." Rearing a leg back, Shockwave kicks out at Elita, aiming to send her flying into the hole her ambush made.

>> Shockwave strikes Elita One with Kick. <<

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "Irrelevant. They are committing themselves to saving Elita One. Use that to your advantage."

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "Ja. I think zere's a ground team moving in to secure Vindblade. I vill give zem cover."

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "Acknowledged, Banshee."

<<Autobot>> Powerdasher Zetar says, "Dusty! What should we do?"

Elita One puts her arms beneath her, trying to get up. She can hear the other Bots moving in, throwing themselves at Shockwave for her. "N...no...stop..." Her servos tremble as she tries to pick herself up. And then the Bots come in to her, throwing caution into the wind, against her wishes. She manages to get to all fours, her form straining to resist the EMP pulse that had weakened her, when Shockwave kicks her. She tumbles a distance, away from the others, only to land in the minefield that she and Zetar had plotted.

Moments later, two of the undisturbed mines blow beneath her.

She arises, damaged and sparking, a great deal of carbon on one side of her face, mirroring a possible future counterpart of hers, who lacks half of her head. << Autobots, Retreat. Now. >> Her words are iron, even as she raises her weapon as she starts to pull back. That massive pathblaster pistol of hers sights Shockwave again as she withdraws. All she needed was a moment to shake off that stunning assault, and that'd be all she needed, one decisive shot to give her clearance to withdraw...

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "Pull back. Screen. Shuttle..."

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "Now"

>> Elita One strikes Shockwave with Plasma-Cannon <High>. <<

Zetar pops his head up on the other side of the Decepticons, just in time to see Elita One kicked into the minefield. He looks like he wants to join the others in dramatic heroics, but he hears Elita's words and follows orders, retreating away from the Decepticons and providing cover fire for those behind him. "Let's go, everybody!" he chirps, trying to make the best of a painful situation for several of the Autobots involved.

Floodlight watches Windblade's dramatic attack on Shockwave fail, and swoops in add injury to insult. As Shockwave moves away, Floodlight feels free to pour in the juice once more. She steaks towards Windblade, strobing all of her floodlights at once, trying to catch the Autobot off-guard this time so she can blind and catch her before she can retreat. Floodlight normally isn't one to get physical, but this time she's taking the risk.

>> Floodlight strikes Windblade with Blinding-Flash <Medium>. <<

>> Windblade temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "Scheinwerfer! I mean Floodlight! Schnell! Das ist gut, get her!"

As the Autobots retreat, Squadron X move in on Windblade, trying to capture her and bring her in for Command to use to revive Trypticon. Ferak returns and helps dig out Fang and Macabre. Earthquake attempts to encase Windblade in a coffin of iron, to make her transport back to Helex more convenient. Valve holsters his weapon and helps the injured Triton return to the rest of the group.

>> Squadron X succeeds with its generic combat roll on Windblade. <<

Banshee circles around as she spots the flashing strobelights of Floodlight, her gunner hologram pointing at it and a quick interchange of German between the two holograms taking place before the Stukacon circles around to provide cover for her and the Squadron as they... apprehend the Autobot cityspeaker.

<<I haff top cover.>>

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "I haff top cover."

Windblade was about to stab Shockwave, but that's when Floodlight hits her with the strobes. She feels her servos short-circuiting at that, unable to react when Earthquake encases her in the iron coffin, trapping her far too easily...

Though it remains to be seen if she /stays/ that way...

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "I see... autobots moving in, zer two remaining. Elite Vun unt Dust Devil. I am going to drop a bomb on Elita."

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "Acknowledged. Squadron X, begin extraction of Windblade. All Decepticon forces, drive off Elita One and Dust Devil by whatever means necessary. The conditions of our victory have changed, for now."

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "Windblade!"

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "Dusty, we can't let them take her. I'm moving back into the fray. Shuttle Team, launch and prepare to evacuate, bay doors down."

<<Autobot>> Dust Devil says, "Elita protect yerself, I need to get the cons to let go and I can forcefield her. But I can't if they've got a hold of it. Keep everyone back I'm gonna hit the squad, look for the opportunity!"

All those mine blasts have certainly made a mess of things. Fine dust, particulates, pebbles on up to small rocks and even boulders. Though the biggest are beyond the winds Dust Devil can create, everything else is fair game. And if he can get the attack team trying to take Windblade to release the coffin, he can get a forcefield around it. But they need to let go. So he throws caution and mayhem to the winds, grinding out his most powerful storm. Turbines whine and metal shrieks as he intenstifies the storm and now directs it at the cons. Luckily Windblade is safe in that coffin or this might hurt her. Dust Devil follows his storm into the fray, directing his disaster!

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "I'll manage."

>> Dust Devil strikes Squadron X with Blinding <Low>. <<

>> Squadron X temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<

Shockwave was just about to turn back to the rest of the battle when, defying all odds, Elita One gets exploded and manages to get back up and attack him anyway. Her heroic tenacity borders on madness, Shockwave's logic circuits tell him, but he is already aware of that trait. Hearing the sound of the counter attack, the purple one turns just in time to take an absurdly powerful blast to the chest. This was no fancy bladework by Windblade or a musical divebomb by Dust Devil - this hurt, in so much that Shockwave actually processes pain. He hits the grond hard, electricity and smoke swirling around him in a deadly, acrid dance.

Unfortunately, that hurt Shockwave, but it did not do the job. Rising to his feet as the internal circuitry of his arm cannon shifts functionality, the cyclops intones, "You should have stayed down, Elita One." Tremendous heat gathers around the barrel, "But you Autobots refuse even the basic tenants of survival." He aims, a beam of raw microwave radiation exploding from the arm cannon.

>> Shockwave misses Elita One with Microwave Cannon <High>. <<

Banshee doesn't say anything. Her pilot hologram pulls her goggles down over her eyes as she centres Elita One in the little window under her rudder pedals. "Eins, zwei, drei..." She snap rolls upside-down and pulls up hard. Or rather, down hard. Her dive grakes extend as she drops vertically, her wing-mounted sirens wailing loudly. She centres Elita in her gunsight, pulling up about fifty metres off the ground.

She leaves a present in her wake, however; a long, gunmetal blue 250kg bomb, painted like Torpedo Ted.

>> Banshee strikes Elita One with 250kg Bomb <Medium>. <<

Floodlight's delicate lenses are smashed as Dusty pulls up the mother of all dust storms, swirling around the Decepticons and blinding most of Squadron X. Floodlight is forced to retreat, and the other Decepticons are driven back as they're practically sandblasted by Dusty's winds. Squadron X duck as Shockwave unleashes a blast that turns a good chunk of the nearby plains into shiny glass, and Elita One is consumed in a massive bomb blast. They turn as one to see...

She grimaces as the situation goes from bad to worse, even as she comms in with Dust Devil. Hopefully the Cons hadn't broken encryption yet, so they weren't ready for the move. It was simple, a distraction, a snag, and then fleeing. It could work, and like hell that she'd leave anyone here. Still, her time stopper was EMP'd, and to overuse that would risk quite a bit of damage to not just herself, but untold damage to the local area. Even as Shockwave talks, she starts to move forward, her powerful legs covering ground fast. She crosses the minefield even as he aims at her. Her foot takes off of an unexploded mine, the explosion ripples in her wake. A second mine explodes, and then two more. The Shoxcannon fires. She anticpates the shot, it'll force her off path, out of the line of motion needed to catch Windblade.

And then a moment of serendipity had hit, as she spotted Dust Devil's angled forcefield off to the side. It had to be enough to deflect the Shoxcannon, with her faith in their shared maker, Elita One concentrates on the speed.

So focused on Shockwave, she is taken by surprise by Banshee's bombing run, the wily prop plane had lead the shot properly, and nearly hits her head on with it. The blast hits Elita One from behind, knocking her forward, her body ragdolling for several seconds as shrapnel pierces her, and concussive force dents her frame. She lands near the trapped Windblade, reaching out with one hand, capitalizing on the momentary blindness. << SHUTTLE, HOLD POSITION. IMAGER, TRACTOR LINE NOW! >> With one hand, Elita One FLINGS Windblade towards the shuttle with her great might. << DUST DEVIL, FORCEFIELD. RETREAT. >> Her one optic blown out, Elita One moves to retreat, using the bare moments of that force field to give them those precious seconds...

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "I need bigger bomben"

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "Seriously... she just tanked mein biggest bomb. I need bigger."

<<Autobot>> Elita One says, "Imager says, "Huh? Oh...OH SLAG!""

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "Be that as it may, they will feel vulnerable for a time after this. Decepticons, stand down and gather on my position. Floodlight, analyze what remains of the Autobot mines. I will dispatch a rescue team to retrieve our fallen soldiers."

<<Decepticon>> Fräulein Banshee says, "Jawohl, Generalfeldmarschal."

<<Decepticon>> Analyst Floodlight says, "Roger, sir. Analyzing now."

<<Decepticon>> Shockwave says, "We will resume our march in short order, and press this advantage that Elita One has unwittingly given us."