Back to the War

Log Title: Back to the War Characters: Backblast, Imager, Spike, Scales, Bulwark, Typhoon Location: Titan Repair Bay/Valvolux Date: July 6, 2018 TP: Valvolux TP Summary: The sewer team takes a moment to take stock before getting back to the siege. As logged by  Scales Log session starting at 21:27:07 on Friday, 6 July 2018.

Back at the Titan Hab Slab, with the Stego-in-Custody, the dungeon crew has gathered in a circle to debrief exactly what had gone on.

Imager puts a hand on her hip, "I don't get it....I mean...like, I totally get /some/ of it. You're an engineer...er architect perhaps is a better term. Grapple'd have my framework if I used the wrong term.....so does that mean you are from the First Age or what? And what were you doing in a stasis pod in the middle of that cathedral?"

Typhoon is in better shape since her repairs at the competent hands of Bulwark. She has been quiet since they've headed back up. She keeps stealing glances at Bulwark, while trying to avoid looking at Backblast and his gruesome headgear. When Imager starts asking more questions of Bulwark, Ty stops to listen, optics open and vocalizer silent for now. For the thousandth time she quickly checks to make sure Scales and Spike are OK.

Spike quietly walks beside Typhoon and looks on at Bulwark.

Scales is a bit droopy again. Traveling in silence means thinking, and she's got a lot to think about. Once back in the repair bay, she gets herself an energoodie from somewhere to nibble on and sits at the edge of the group.

Bulwark still has the overly large hammer in hand, though currently the head is on the floor, his attention on Imager as she questions him. "Both are correct, and either is fine with me," he offers before answering her queries.

"Yes, that is the time when I was created; as for why I used the stasis pod, Valvolux's energy supply was dwindling so I began to shut down non-essential facilities. without factories there was no need for a supervisor. However, I decided that if, and hopefully, when it was brought back to full power I wanted to help rebuild it. I did install failsafes to bring me out of cryo-sleep based on various criteria as well."

Backblast saunters lazily with the others. "So you remember the original Thirteen Primes. Megatronus, the Fallen." A pause, a smirk. "Maaan Encore's gonna love you. There's so many legends rumbling around the pubs and bars that you can confirm or refute... you could get yourself a hella good discout at the Rollout just for that."

Typhoon's optics widen again at the other Transformers talk about ancient legends and the First Age. To her, Autobot City is old. She looks down at Scales, trying to bring herself up to speed. "And you say this Fallen guy is back as well, and he attacked the Evil Junkions with the Seacons?" She frowns, running searches against downloaded reports. "That's.... bad, right?" She looks back to Bulwark for answers.

Imager continues her exposition, "...And the planet's been going through a wake-up process since the events of the Misericorde...and then we showed up, and I started getting the main energon line back up and running. So your sensors musta triggered with all that, or something close to it." She rubs her chinplate, "Here I figured it was either the Cons doin somethin sneaky and wrong, or that we had some sort of Cityformer beneath the surface that was fixin to get moving." She looks at the others, as if to justify herself, "Well we /did/ see this, so I'm not totally wrong." She jerks her thumb at the massive slab behind her. "But it doesn't appear to be too related."

She looks back to Bulwark, and considers him for a moment, "So you might want to know that the city's been rather...ah...occupied by both sides of late, so that's not really in line with your whole 'rebuild the area'..." She adds with a straight face, "We're better at breaking stuff still...its....its something we're trying to work on."

Scales nods. "Backblast was along on that one, in the shuttle. Me an' Discord went onto the Evil Junkion base to see what was going on, an' there was this guy who looked like he was on fire. He and the Seacons were after the dark energon the junks had, I think." She shrugs. "But the Junkion station blew up. They set off a self-destruct and everybody ran off. So we don't know who all got away or with what."

Scales adds, "Never got that sample that Jetfire asked us to get. Too risky."

Typhoon looks from Imager to Scales as if her head was spinning. "Uh... sounds like it!" is all she can manage. She shifts her gaze back at Bulwark.

Bulwark inclines his head, "All building requires some destruction before it is complete, blades must be heated, beaten, and quenched; building sites must be leveled and materials pulled from the depths for the frame. There are also times a flawed project must be destroyed and begun anew for it to reach completion. If my skills must be put to use defending the citizens and ousting the Decepticons that is where I will start."

The largeish mech turns his head to regard the Weatherbot, "Yes, the Fallen is ancient, evil, and unrelenting."

Spike takes off his helmet and sits down. And he thought the Matrix:Reloaded was confusing.

Backblast nods "And I was there when they brought the c- asshole back." He agrees. "They... tried to sacrifice a Decepticon. Partially succeeded." He frowns. "That missed shot annoys me." He siffs, then sighs. "That was him." He says to scales. "The dude who looked like he was on fire, that's the fallen. Megatronus, according to Encore."

He looks at Bulwark. "So... did you kill him, banish him...? There's a pot at the Rollout on it if we ever find out." A pause. "What do you mean by.... 'levelled building sites'... you're talking about only the trashed buildings, right, not the city itself?" A long, thoughtful pause. "That's people's homes, workplaces, all that. They ain't gonna be happy if that's what you mean. The Fallen's a flawed project to be destroyed? Hnh. I'd like to take that shot myself."

Typhoon shrinks back slightly as Bulwark addresses her, even though they're roughly the same size. "Uh.... good thing you're here to help, then, huh?" she asks with a shaky smile. "Are you, uh-any good with that hammer? Outside of beatin' metal, I mean. I mean, beatin' metal, still, but in a different way. Beatin' Fallen metal." She gives Spike with a desperate 'help me out here!' look. She seems relieved when Backblast steps in.

Imager squints at the bit about the Fallen. "Well...lets hope real big that he doesn't come back to Cybertron?" She shrugs, "I mean, who's to say if that's the legendary 'Fallen' or not, but either way, that's more of a problem for the ole 'Best First' club to try to deal with." For once, she's subtly admitting that something is above her weight class. She gives Backblast an even bigger squint, "I dunno, I think you'd be borrowin trouble to give that a shot...assuming this guy really IS supposed to be the Bigger Bad."

Scales mostly just wants a nice, sunny spot to nap on again. "Well, the big guys still need the intel we get." She shrugs. "Can't fight what you don't know about."

GAME: Spike FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Typhoon mutters to Spike, "... we... working... don't you?"

Spike looks at Bulwark and says "Sooooo...are you staying down here, or are you heading up with us?"

Bulwark's gaze shifts to Backblast, "I wasn't there when the remaining Primes punished him for his transgression against their sister." An optic brow gies up at the other question, "I meant that if I must help rid my city of Decepticons to allow it's citizen to be free I will see it done. Also, it is not bravery to throw yourself against an opponent you have no chance of withstanding."

Again his optics move to Typhoon, "Any fool can use a hammer to hit things, but once you've built armor you know where to hit it to shatter it, rendering it's protection useless."

He looks down at the human, "I did just answer that, but to make it clear I am going up to see what remains and help where I can."

Finally his optics return to Imager, "Let us hope he does not return because it does not sound like either side is prepared for that."

Spike 's eyes gaze away in slight embarrassment as he hears the not so subtle 'it's not brave to throw yourself against an opponent you have no chance of withstanding' line.

Imager muses for a moment, "Whelp...I'm sure Command will want to meet you, see where you weigh in on things. I mean, your wants and ours seem to be in the same spot...ah..'Founder'. Honestly, I'd like nothin more than to rout the Cons outta here, then let the NA...erm Neutrals carry on without us. She looks over at the group. "Everyone good with headin up?" Without any real prompting, she points down at Spike in something of a lighthearted 'fingergun' manner, "No humie questions?" She adds, "I mean...like seriously, you at least deserve to understand what's going on if you're lost, you did join us down there, and ya didn't have to."

GAME: Typhoon PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

GAME: Spike PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

Backblast chuckles quietly. "I have no hope of withstanding many shots." He pats his rifle. "But this means I punch above my weight. I believe the phrase is 'glass cannon', and it's applicable. I melt under any kind of sustained fire, but... there's a reason I call it Kingslayer. I believe it was originally built here in Valvolux." He pauses. "One moment, there's something I need to do, if we're going back to the surface."

He vanishes off into the tunnels again. A short while later, he returns in his altmode, with the body of the old mech tied carefully to his rear deck. The mech's optics have been closed, and his arms folded across his chest. <> He says, quietly. <>

With the classic transformation cog noise, Backblast folds into a Panhard ERC-90 Sagaie scout car

Spike nods to Imager. "I have more questions than you can imagine, but they can wait. I'm getting kinda claustrophobic down here. If that's even possible, given the size of this place." He adds "I was just told to maybe come along if we got into a tight spot, size-wise."

Typhoon nods along with everything Bulwark says, whether it was directed at her or not. "Do you, like, need a download of everything that's happened while you slept? I'm sure between Scales an' me we could prolly get ya caught up." She glances quickly at the other Autobots, the tan metal skin on her face heating. She scowls as Imager talks down to Spike, completely unaware of how often she does that as well. When Backblast disappears and returns with the dead priest, her mouth opens wide, but no sound emerges. She seems to have forgotten her own claustrophobia in all the excitement.

Scales 's optics widen when she sees Backblast return with the old mech. The little dragon quickly looks away, though, and stares at the floor, wings and tail drooping.

GAME: Spike FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Imager regards Backblast for a few moments, reading him. She says softly, as if expecting him to decline, "I got a flat array that might work better...iffin ya need."

Spike looks at Bulwark and says somewhat bluntly, but still timidly "You're coming up, but you're not like...interested in taking over the Autobots, right?"

With the classic transformation cog noise, Backblast unfolds into a robot.

Backblast's turret turns towards Imager a moment, although Kingslayer -is- clearly aimed upwards, away from her. 

He transforms. Somehow, during the process, the mech is transferred into his arms. He's bigger than BB, and it looks like the little mech struggles under his weight, even emaciated as he was. But he refuses off any help until Imager has transformed and the old mech is placed, gently, on Imager's rear deck.

Imager kneels, her armored frame splitting apart to form a heavy grey hovercraft, complete with solar array.

Scales sidles over to Spike.

You mutter to Spike, "Hey.. would you.. carry me in your pocket for a while?"

Scales mutters to Spike, "... carry... a..."

Spike looks at Scales and nods. He whispers "Sure...no problem."

Scales flips into the air as she transforms, ready to be caught.

Scales shrinks and folds down into a small tan cassette.

Spike kneels down and takes the cassette.

Typhoon watches Backblast and Imager in silence, finally closing her mouth. She glances over as Scales transforms and Spike pockets her.

The old factory supervisor looks around the assembled group, and the room at large which is just another project to add to an ever growing list of them. Eventually his optics fall on the sulking form of Scales just as she walks over to Spike. His attention turns back to the boulder choked door.

He steps away from the group and transforms into a sixty foot long, thirty foot wide and tall mining vehicle. He rolls over to the rubble strewn doorway and clear a path. The two moveable arms make short work of the debris when paired with the lasers, and the material gets scooped up so as not to impede the passage of those behind.

A coil of pure energy wraps about the body, securing it. <> She revs her turbines, which whine for a moment as she adjusts to the weight, <<Got room for more if either of ya left need a lift....So yeah lil /cyborg/, Let me give you some fill-in here...or exposition as they say in the trade, Spike. I'll tell you about it on the way up. You see, you know that Cybertronian history goes back really, really far, we're talking Ages, I mean, think about when the Ark crashed on Urth, and realize that that was in the 5th eon of the war, and then realize that there was a time even before that. ANYWAY, before I sidetrack myself, there were always these stories about the First Forged, you see...and that's pretty cool because..>>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3o3n6sDPqg

Imager emerges from the tunnels beneath Valvolux, <>

GAME: Spike PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of High difficulty.

Spike blinks and looks at Imager. "Wait..wait...what did you say? Fort Max?"

Scales also listens to the crash course on Cybertronian history. Which is helpful, because she barely knew any of this stuff, either.

Valvolux - Northeastern Cybertron

Once a burgeoning manufacturing area known for its custom regulators, this industrial sector has seen some of the most violent fighting in the long and bitter wars. Its hollowed-out factories and shattered roadways display the scars of millenia of conflict. The Cybertronian Ministry of Energy and Nutrition lies in ruins, long ago picked clean by scavengers. While much of Cybertron is witnessing a new reawakening, Valvolux has yet to fully recover.

<> Imager says, "well sure, that's what you're up to, from what I hear, yeah?"

Backblast blinks "...now that's a hell of a size-shift." Backblast comments, quietly. He transforms again and rolls alongside them, filling in a few of the numbers. "We're at least a hundred, hundred and fifty million years old." He chips in as she explains that they are really old. "While dinosaurs were roaming Earth, I was... a remover of problems for people with shanix."

"Yeah Encore's engex is better than Mac's. Mac sells it in /his own old oil house/ fer frack's sake." He laughs. "Course, I /am/ obliged to say that." His hologram motions to the Suicide Jockey crest.

Spike grins and says in disbelief "Yeah, it still amazes me, some Autobots who have even been around since The Ark incident, who've been alive all this time, you guys have been along far longer than we've even existed as a species...like...at least ten times longer!"

<> Spike says, "Yeah, I mean...but yeah, that's like...a FAR better name than what I had!"

<> Imager says, "Huh? What'd I say?"

<> Spike says, "Fort Max... I mean, I'm working on this project...but the name 'I' had was kind of lame."

<> Spike says, "It was just like...a placeholder"

<> Imager says, "aw...I didn't mean to mis-name yer thing yer doin there, Spike. I musta heard it wrong."

The tunnel emerges into the light of Valvolux not too far from the Energon Refinery. Bulwark rolls off to the side and transforms back into his robot mode to allow the larger members of party room to exit, and to get a view of what remains of the city.

Spike stumbles out and shields his eyes, getting adjusted to being above ground. "Home sweet home...sort of."

Typhoon steps through the new tunnel back to the surface. She misses some of the discussions between the other Autobots as she turns up her fans to bring in what is comparatively fresh air. Looking around, she tries to get a fix on what's been happening while they were belowground. While it couldn't have been that long, it felt like weeks. Did they take too long? Has the city fallen? She tries to reconnect with her sister Hurricane to find out what's going on.

<> She angles her solar array instinctively towards the sun, then shifts it back to a flat plane for the body upon it. <> <> Even in her altmode, she whispers conspiratorially,<>

GAME: Scales PASSES a COURAGE roll of Average difficulty.

You mutter to Spike, "Okay, I'm ready to come out again."

Scales mutters to Spike, "... I'm... to come out..."

Spike blinks. "Oh...oh, sorry!" He opens a panel in his eco-suit and takes out Scales.

The tape unfolds like origami, stretching out in six or seven directions before it finally ends up as a dragon.

Backblast transforms as they step into the light. "Water's not actually a death-liquid for them." He tells her. "It's more like vital-fluid-of-life. It's like energon for us, almost. But not the only fuel they need." He pauses, then adds "Hell, it's also not a death-liquid for me. I can float in this mode, and my altmode can make about eight knots across the water. I really should think about making my waterjets work in this mode..."

He gives a childish giggle. "I could really shit people up with Clive."

Scales shakes herself back into order. "'Sokay," she tells Spike. "Thanks." She looks around and finds a bit of building to climb up and perch on. In a sunbeam.

The armored hovercraft stands up, her front bumper becoming her paulders, the solar array her shield. Behold, Imager.

There's the muffled THWMPH of a deep, distant detonation. The ground vibrates a moment.

Imager starts giving Backblast a skeptical look, even in mid transformation. "Now why'd you wanna go do that? I mean, I get /some/ mechs can deal with it, and that's great and all, but I've got far too powerful a reactor core to deal with that stuff." She plucks one of the magnetized discs from her arm, and waves it lightly at Backblast, "These here rain guards kept my operatin back on Urth, and I just don't see why any mech'd willingly deal with it. Nobody'd wanna be electrocuted THAT much, not even Voltarc." She pauses as she looks around, feeling the shaking of the city, "Thinkin we'd better report in...fast."

Spike feels the reverberations in his boots. "Yeah... I'm not opposed to that at all."

Backblast shrugs "My altmode is amphibious. Once I tried it out, I thought about... considering my role, it was kinda cool. It opens up routes where the other bugger won't be expecting a Cybertronian."

Scales looks around as the ground vibrates. "I guess.. we should get back to the temporary base." She doesn't look thrilled with the idea.

Bulwark frowns at the sound of the detonation and turns to face into the city as the ground vibrates beneath him.

"I almost forgot that Cybertron has a sun again!" Typhoon grins, spirits returning now that she's out in the open again. Her frown, of course, is immediately interrupted by the sounds of fighting. "OK," she sighs. "Back to the war."

Imager absently responds, "Playin with fire there...er water...", as she treks on. After a moment's silence, she says, "Well that's a heck of a story we've got to tell at least. "

Backblast grimaces at Bulwark's frown. "That would be the explosives I left to deal with that TransOrg nest going off." He explains. "We built a berm to protect the energon spring just in case."

He looks to Imager. "So... where should we let the old mech rest..." He looks to Bulwark. "Well, he was kind of your priest... you should have input too."

<> Imager says, "well I figure Valvolux has some sort of Last Rest of the Spark or something, figured we'd see about getting him there."

"That will make any trips back less hazardous then," states Bulwark as he surveys Valvolux's remains. "My what? I don't have priests," comes the response.

GAME: Scales FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

Backblast chuckles "You know you guys are basically considered gods, right? The original Thirteen..."

Spike looks around. "So...not that it hasn't been fun, but do you guys know when the next shuttle is going back to Earth?"

GAME: Typhoon PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

Bulwark says flatly, "I'm not one of the Thirteen. Primus did not grant me life."

Typhoon's gaze jumps back to Bulwark again at Backblast's comment. Is this guy one of the Thirteen? Like Luminous, and Alpha Trion? Her shock makes her completely miss Spike's question, and even when Bulwark crushes the idea, Ty still looks a bit shocked.

Backblast shrugs "Fair. But still, you're... a link to the past. And the people here of Valvolux consider you legendary. The Founder Lives, they say." He indicates the graffiti.

Scales blinks. "Ooh, yeah... they're either gonna be -real- excited or -really- disappointed." She tilts her head. "I guess it depends on how much they think like Ty does."

Spike looks at Bulwark and says in a cautious tone "So, now that you're up here...are you planning on leading the Autobots? Or...are you all right with the current bearer of the Matrix?"

Backblast looks at SPike "I don't think he's an Autobot."

GAME: Spike FAILS an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

Spike shrinks after he hears Backblast's comments.

"Why would I want to take up a position that is currently filled? Expecially given that I had no part in the war previously and would prefer not to have one now," he responds.

Backblast nods "He just wants the Cons out of his city, which is fair enough." He sniffs, leaning on his rifle. "So, where's the garden of rest?"

Typhoon scowls as Scales brings up her initial apprehension. She does seems shocked, however, at Spike's question, the idea having not occurred to her. She looks from Backblast to Bulwark, relaxing slightly as Bulwark offers assurances he doesn't want to take over.

GAME: Typhoon PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

Spike looks at Bulwark "I...don't know. Sorry, I was just - " He mutters "You said you wanted to get rid of the Decepticons." He sighs in frustration. "Anyway...does anyone know when the next shuttle's due to go to Earth?"

Typhoon mutters to Spike, "... no working spaceport... can give... Iacon."

Spike mutters to Typhoon, "Thanks...are you..."

Typhoon frowns, considering Spike's question. "Yeah, I'd better," she decides. "I think I've had enough of bein' underground, and I never thought I'd say this but... I kinda miss my sisters." She looks away in shame at her admission.

Bulwark nods, "Yes, I want them out of my city because they're destroying it."

His attention is brought back to Backblast at the question of where to put the venerable one to rest. "It was this way," he ponts off away from the interior of the city. "Perhaps that has survived better than the rest."

Typhoon stays behind with Spike. "It was nice to meet you, Bulwark! ... Good luck!"

Backblast nods to Typhoon. "Kinda feeling the same about the others Suicide Jocks." He admits, following Bulwark towards the garden to lay the old mech to rest.

The graveyard has suffered some a few crumbling portions of wall as time ravaged monuments dot the landscape. Undoubtedly there are no small number that have been erased entirely or lay partially toppled. Bulwark picks his way through to a bare patch of ground and retrieves the hammer out of subspace. He grips the haft and angles it downwards; just before impacting uselessly it becomes a digging tool suitable for the terrain. The mech offers no words as he carves out a spot for the deceased.

Scales watches Backblast and Bulwark heading towards the graveyard.. and decides that she's just not up to that. Instead, she takes off through the buildings, a bright green target flashing through contested territory, headed towards the temporary camp.

Backblast blinks and nods quietly, staying silent and standing out of the way. He removes his alloygator from his head, rolling it up and putting it down out of the way.

When the hole is dug he sets the old mech. He kneels after the old mech is placed in the hole. "I'm... a being like me is not... sorry. But... I would have been happier had we arrived in time to save you, old man. But... at least I could be there to take away the pain. The only real mercy a... I can offer."

Bulwark fills the hole back in with the implement before returning it to subspace. The mech steps back to look at the grave for a while in silent contemplation before stepping away to rejoin the majority of the Autobots.

Backblast stays quiet for a moment as he looks up the hole. After a few moments, he searches through his kit and pulls out a few poles of his camo-net support gear. Then he hammers one of them into the ground near the head of the grave. A flat plate is nailed in place to make a nameplate. After thinking a while, he writes 'An old man who never lost his faith, and kept Valvolux's secret safe. Name unknown."

Then he picks up his alloygator, gives the impromptu grave a nod, and walks away, putting his alloygator back on.

Log session ending at 00:37:07 on Saturday, 7 July 2018.