1131/Wreck the Doctors and Nightlash

**Nightbeat has posed:**
For the Decepticons, it's probably been a pretty mundane cycle here in southern Ibex - thus far, no Autobots have been harassing the border. Well, to their knowledge, at least.

 Lurking near the central Ibexian border is the Autobot private investigator Nightbeat, hiding behind a pile of empty oil cans while watching Decepticon activity from afar using a visual enhancer. Every so often, he'll put the enhancer down to jot some notes down on a datapad he's brought. Seems like he's on the lookout for /something/, but hasn't spotted what he's looking for. Yet, anyway.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash is here? Yeah...she's here. The droneship, cloaked up of course, has managed to find herself in South Ibex and just...sort of slowly circling over the area as she puzzles over her navigation systems before opening up her shortwave tightbeam. <<Were we supposed to be here? Or... wait, overwatch in the other place? Hold on... I'm rebooting my navigational systems and seeing if...er...I loaded the right waypoints....uh... ... guess it helps if I actually transmit on the right channel, too...>>

There's a pause over the localized radio signal. <<Well...since I've got this to myself...uh... yeah. Let's get this going right!>> She gicks her engines in and continues to sweep the area, not really...sweeping it, since...there's still no drone in tow to do the heavy sensory stuff... but a look can't hurt, can it? Especially when the Autobot tightbeam band is suddenly full of loud music to fly to.

<<Aaaaand...rebooted. OH! Right, attack, uh, lemme get realigned for an attack run... WHEEEEEE!>>

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock was on the border of Central and Southern Ibex on a assigned there for the cycle to help the patrols with any bot found trying to cross over onto the Bot's side to escape the fighting elsewhere, or whatever cruelty the decepticons where inflicting...Her mind was wondering to many places, trying to keep it off all the awful things that had been happening, but it really wasn't working.

      She'd blink a moment, being knocked from her thoughts as she caught Nightlash's and Nightbeat's commlinks, and raised a ridge, blinking, clicking on her own. "<<What..are you two doing...?>>

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
A dull evening quite the change from a burning battlefield many cycles earlier. Sixshot for the moment studies his surroundings, idly drinking from a flask. After blasting through Uraya's defenses many of the cons seem to once again give him a wide berth as his destructive reputation grows once again.

 To be honest he doesn't care as the job was done. Now he's just in Ibex awaiting a new assignment.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught is in Ibex, cooling his wheels and helping to supervise the city's defenses. For the moment, he's likewise taking a chance to enjoy a flask. Glancng over at Sixshot, he studies the six-changer carefully.

**Nightbeat has posed:**
Nightbeat is a little startled by Nightlash suddenly ... makes her presence known. He sighs, and shakes his helm, since she seems to have distracted herself rather than immediately obeying his request to get closer. He tries tighbeaming her again. "<Do you think you could get closer to the enemy? See if they have any .. suspicious looking payloads>"

 Should Nightlash still ignore him, Nighbeat himself starts to venture nearer to the border, where Onslaught and Sixshot are just hanging out and.. drinking. "Heh," he scoffs to himself. "where's the ranking officers.."

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash isn't really ignoring anyone... she's just not paying attention to anyone. Still, she does comply a bit with the request for a flyby and works on getting her onboard camera systems up and running before she gets down to 'woosh' (that's what a stealthed ship sounds like, a soft 'whooooosh', don't believe me? Too bad!)

<<Alright, alright, uh...got some...cameras up, getting a good look at stuff before...oh, hey! Should I ask them to look up and smile so you can really see who it is?>>

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock's ridges knitted, she was getting that feeling in her tanks she normally did when something awful was about to happen, and just, pinched her nose bridge and sighed, her battle mask slipping into place. She was about to ask Nightlash which inventory for a change, but was stopped by Nightbeat stating it didn't matter

      She popped open her patient field monitor, attempting to pick up Nightlash and Nightbeat's signals, where she could start to make her way for them, debating if she really should, or make her presence know.. At least be near encase something went chassis up. "<<Uhhh Lash I think that's counter intuitive to what he's trying to do.>>"

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
Sixshot puts away the flask before nodding to Onslaught, "So when do you think the bots will dare attempt and push in?" He has yet to notice Nightlash as he focuses on the combaticon leader. His optics looking out across the border as he wonders when the next fight will be.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught shrugs, scanning the border. '...I've a feeling it'll be soon," he says, dryly.

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet happens to be a bit late to the proverbial party, driving onto the scene in his alt mode as he sends out a tightbeam, "<< Alright, mechs. What's going on? >>" He is careful to stay out of immediate sight as he transforms and watches the barrier in the distance.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash sighs... right, well, footage sent to Nightbeat. And probably Starlock. Oh, her sensors pick up a Ratchet? Oh, no, not sensors, radio. Right...different signal entirely.

She banks out of her flyover and continues to survey the place with a slow roll. <<...eh, this is boring. Why are we even here again? I mean, other than so Deadbeat can see things on a hunch?>>

**Nightbeat has posed:**
"<I don't appreciate that comment>" Nightbeat says, having gotten closer, but still unable to see anything interesting to him. He tunes into the footage Nightlash has sent him and sighs. "<I'm.. not wrong. I usually know when I am, and it's /not/ one of those times. It doesn't really make sense. My contacts wouldn't have scattered like they did after Monte's chassis turned up, and I'm convinced that isn't Autobot doing. Not directly, anyway>"

 To Ratchet, he says, "<Nothing you'd be interested in, probably.>"

**Quickswitch has posed:**
Quickswitch has accompanied the Autobots here. He's lagged behind, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. He's still grieved and ashamed of his conduct at Uraya, burning sharply within. He doesn't address anyone or offer comment on the situation.

**Starlock has posed:**
     "<<Bad ideas.>>" Starlock responds dryly to Ratchet in a tightbeam, She'd then squint at Nightbeat's comment to Ratchet.. Rude! She was soo now not going to correct Nightlash, speaking of just what was.. She'd close enough to see that Nightbeat was right in Onslaught and Sixshot's sight... Oh no.

      She'd place her hand over her face plate, she'd send her coordinates to Ratchet, as well as the location of the other two bot's on the field. "<<...Uh, Nightbeat, what are.. you doing?>>" She'd then glance down, picking up Quickswitch's signal, aaah smelt, things were really about to go bad.

**Soundwave has posed:**
The Decepticons may soon sense something approaching. It's large and slow and accompanied by someone who is also kind of large and slow. Soundwave sits on top of what looks like a tank, escorted by some guards- and likely with his own army of mini-spies not too far away, either. "Sixshot, Onslaught, your services will be needed soon," he monotones as soon as he's in audial range. "The Autobvots press far too close to our borders."

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught looks over as Soundwave arrives, optics brightening as he takes in the tank. "Understood, Soundwave," he says. "I believe I might have spotted one of them out there now. Creeping and snooping about, as is their wont."

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
"If real soon, it seems to be one 'foolish' effort." , Sixshot says as he scans the border. A blaster is pulled out of subspace as Soundwave , "No doubt that will be real soon." He doesn't immediately take aim at the detectives position

**Quickswitch has posed:**
Quickswitch still remains silent. With lightning rapidity, he shifts to beast mode, ready to place himself in the line of fire between Nightbeat and the Decepticons at a microsecond's notice.

**Nightbeat has posed:**
"Hello," he says to the two Decepticons, stepping right up to the line that's considered the border of southern Ibex. He's careful not to cross it. "I was wondering, were either of you familiar with a mech named Monte...?"

 And then Soundwave is rolling into town. Nightbeat doesn't seem terribly intimidated, or alarmed.Well, at first, anyway. Then he sees the tank Soundwave is sitting on top of. "Oh, frag," he mutters. "Look," he says hastily to the Decepticons, "we don't have to fight. If you answer my question, we'll all just leave... Right?" he looks around at the other Autobots.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash shifts her cameras over to the Autobots a moment, sort of just...looking at them for a few. <<You...guys...just because he can probably smell you doesn't mean he knows where you're at... Except for Nightbeat, because he's just standing there. Like...seriously.>>

She chuffs softly and returns her systems to focusing on the tank Soundwave is hauling in. <<Soooo...should we break their toy? I mean, it's pretty tempting. Wonder if I can shoot a missile down the barrel... that sounds fun! Hold on, let me line up....>>

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet is about to speak when he spots a very familiar boxy blue shape in the distance. "ah slag."

He sends over the comms, "<< Well if they didn't know we were here before they certainly do now. Everyone get ready. >>" The CMO makes his way to Starlock, bracing behind cover as he waits for the sparks to start flying.

Ratchet makes his opinion on the matter loudly known as he yells across the field after Nightbeat's words, "I FOR ONE WOULD PREFER GETTING OUT OF HERE IN ONE PIECE!"

**Starlock has posed:**
     "<<Ah, smelt, Soundwave.>>" Starlock would curse on her private radio over to Ratchet when.. well, Nightbeat does that, and there's a silent scream from Starlock as she just watches everything unfold in slow motion in front of her. She doesn't notice Ratchet beside her immediately, as

      She'd then quickly glance up at the sky, quickly trying to find Nightlash, her thoughts racing as she tried to account for were everyone was, she'd press on her auxiliary tank's hose release and started reaching for one of her weapons on her belt, but then she'd then flinch at hearing Ratchet yell and looked up at him with a panicked expression on her optics.

**Soundwave has posed:**
As he gets off the tank, Soundwave stops to look at Nightbeat. "You are too close to Decepticon territory. You are Autobots. We do not give aid to our enemy. Leave now or we shall open fire." LOoks like he's not in the mood to talk. He lifts his weapon and aims it at Ratchet. He radios to Onslaught and Sixshot, "<< Indeed soon, Sixshot. Take note of sneaking Autobot, Onslaught, but... Focus on medics. When functional: they repair our enemies. There is ... reason to want them out of the way. >>" The gaurds seem to be getting the tank ready... for something. Battle?

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
Sixshot immediately pulls his other blaster from subspace but doesn't take aim at Nightbeat. He glances between the detective and Soundwave while listening to the radio. Nodding he idly spins the weapons in his hands before tossing them into the air. The mechs gears quickly shifting as he transforms into carrier mode, a few moments later the guns coming back down to maglock into position. Tires tear into the ground before he moves past Nightbeat towards the medics position, "Too late for that." The meaning becomng clear as the missile bays uptop open before releasing projectiles to fly out towards the pair.

**Nightbeat has posed:**
Nightbeat immediately notices that even though he's the first to step out and make himself known, the Decepticons apparently don't consider him the frontlines. "Interesting..." he mutters. "they seem to be targeting the medics.."

"Well," the private investigator says, "you didn't answer my question, and now you're /shooting/, so you won't get to say you didn't ask for this."

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash almost gives a...giddy laugh as the shooting starts. Not because allies are getting hit, but more because...well, that gets her off the hook for what comes next.

Namely, she isn't responsible for starting this mess! VICTORY!

But, first things first, she drops into an approach pattern and starts to lock on Soundwave... Starts to. But then shifts her aim to the tank and grumbles something over comms... <<This would be a lot easier if I HAD MY DRONE...by the way... but, yeah, bet it fits down the barrel. Let's see!>>

And, then there's the droneship, right on cue, with a missile streaking away towards the tank.

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet looks down to Starlock, scowling, "What? They already know where we are! Its obvious that-" He doesn't get to say much else when Sixshot open fires. The missiles explode right in front of them and both are blasted backwards. Ratchet can feel the glass of his chassis crack, an optic joining the cracked club, but nothing has shattered just yet.

Rolling over with a pained groan, he looks over Starlock as he drags her to her feet, "Go! Move it! We need to get out of range!" Ratchet shoves her in front of him as he aims a few blasts at Sixshot as they move. They both can return fire but they can't be easy targets.

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock quickly swaps from one screen on her open field vital panel to another, bringing up each of her comrades vitals... She'd glance up taking stock of the enemies and.. Well, see's Soundwave aiming for Ratchet, her optics narrow, as she sees Sixshot just unload a pair missile that go /passed/ Nightbeat and their way! "<<SCATTER!!>>" She'd shout over the commlink.

      The second she goes to move though it's too late and she's struck, a fairly sizeable blast wound smoldering from her armor, she'd groan out and look at her vital panel, before hissing out. "<<...Right... Now I'm mad.>>" She'd then start pushing herself up with the help of Ratchet, and starts running. "<<And yes... Lash.. they see us.. Oow..>>" She'd groan once more, after.

      and Now fire is starting to ring out, there was the sound of her pede boosters activating as launched herself off a wall to TRansform into her altmode, and aimed a new canon at the Six-changer!

**Soundwave has posed:**
Soundwave looks about to shoot Ratchet when Nightlash suddenly swoops out of the sky. The spymaster's optics flash and he turns to aim at her instead as she swoops in the fire her own anti-tank ordinance down the tank's barrel. He staggers back at the explosion, then focuses, ready to aim again...follow her flight, pick right in front of her current path and.... fire! "<< Onslaught, flank to the right and come at them from another angle. Sixshot: continue. >>" As Onslaught goes off to follow his orders, Soundwave looks up to see if he's hit the Autobot or not.

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
The sixchanger doesn't give a frag whose mad as he continues to move forward. His sensors looking between between the old mech and the femme. Ratchets shot is registered but barely slows his advance. The carrier grinds to a halt as the cannon impacts hard. Taking note of the damage he chooses to go after the mini-bus first. Wheels start to spin again as the blasters move into position as he takes aim and fires several disruptor bolts.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash feels the slight drag on her wing before she even realizes she's been shot, and she directs one of her outboard scanners to look at the damage. <<Huh...whelp! They hit me too... uh,>> she looks back at the tank, and the damage done to it, and frowns.

<<I was kinda hoping for a bigger boom... Let's try that again!>> She rolls into a dive, preparing her weapon systems to target the mech that shot her...settling on Soundwave once agani before Firing at the machine next to him.

Huzzah for more booms!

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock is struck and curses out, noting the damage to one of her optics and lets out a snarl, she knows her next target though, as she swerves around at a high speed with the screeching of her wheels, and aims her ballistic plasma cannon at the tank, and takes another shot, before she quickly screeches away as she continues to attempt to evade fire long enough where she can transform back.

**Nightbeat has posed:**
Nightbeat takes aim and fires at the Decepticon comms officer, but misses. No matter, it doesn't seems like they're interested in targeting him anyway. The drone that Soundwave has brought, however, has piqued his interest. He hadn't been expecting that the payload might look like this, but upon secondary consideration, it all made sense. "Huh..." he mutters, and while the Decepticons are busy trying to gun down the medics, he starts making his way over to the tank discreetly, hoping no one will notice him.

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet spins around as Sixshot fires past him, yelling out a quick, "No!" as Starlock takes the hit. He lets off a sigh of relief as she doesn't go down and spins around to help fire on the coming tank. "We should pull out, I don't know how long we can keep this up." Primus knwos they are outgunned.

**Soundwave has posed:**
More booms, indeed. Soundwave staggers back once more, then looks up at Nightlash. "Autobot likes explosions? Soundwave can oblige." The missile on his shoulder lifts and aims at her as she flies overhead, then launches several bombs not only at her but her comrades, too. Including Nightbeat, because, hey, this is Soundwave and he doesn't miss much- including sneaky Autobots.

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
Sixshot quickly turns to back off as Ratchets shot hits hard. Sensors keep track of the two. <<Ordering drone to fire on all visible targets.>> Once far enough he transforms back to root mode, linking visuals as he works to mark the possible position of all targets.

 The drone moving away from Soundwave as it recieves commands. Once in position its turret starts to move firing off several shells as it turns at each Autobots possible position.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash gets it from both sides, the explosion quite...remarkable, actually, as her airframe is suddenly nothing but a ball of dark, acrid smoke that's slowly falling towards the ground in a flat spin. One that lands her in a heap on the ground. Or, well, sort of the ground. It's really in a heap on top of Soundwave in what is possibly the most undignified and ungraceful of crash landings she could pull off.

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock is hit and sent rolling, but she uses the momentum to transform back into her Root-mode, and looks down at her vital monitor, her own energon levels blinking in the red, her health orange, she'd curse, also taking note of the energon starting to look over her one optic, she'd speed her way over to Ratchet.

      "<<Ratchet, Gonna need repairs here>>" She'd state, taking note of the others. She goes to work on repairing Ratchet as well. "<<Nightlash, Nightbeat, can you get over to me and Ratchet?>>" She's trying very hard to get this situation less desperate.

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet is about to bemoan the pain he's in and how dumb the entire situation is when NIGHTLASH CRASHES INTO SOUNDWAVE. He can only watch, jaw dropped, as she just... goes down. "You have got to be slagging kidding me."

Then Starlock is at his side and he shoves himself into a proper position as he runs his own scans, "Right, cmere."

"<< Everyone pull back, there's no way we are even close to winning this and I'd rather get everyone home /alive/. >>"

**Nightbeat has posed:**
Just as Nightbeat is about to have a closer look at the tank, all hell breaks loose. He's not really sure who's shooting who anymore, everything's now a bit of a haze because of the fire and smoke, flying shrapnel. "Dammit!" he mutters as he's thrown face first onto the ground.

 But when he finally manages to regain his composure, he finds himself lying next to an interesting piece of debris. "Oh.." he says, as he reads the text on it. "Well." He subspaces it quickly, then stands, looking around for other pieces of debris that might be of interest to him.

"<The ammunition they're using is the ammo from the warehouse that was recently leveled.>" he says, "<I knew it. The mole Monte described /is/ working for the Decepticons...>"

**Soundwave has posed:**
Soundwave looks up in time to get sent spinning himself as Nightlash crashes into him. He rolls with a grunt and a thud, monotone voice producing a staticy glitch for a second before he shakes his head and swings with a punch to hopefully knock the Autobot off him. "You should run while you still can."

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
Sixshot watches as the drone does it's work, turning away from the medics and instead looking towards Nightbeat as the mech seems to have not taken the hint. He quickly moves back to Soundwave's position this time shifting to beastmode. Letting out a growl he says, "Its best if you leave." Making his point as he charges forward in a attempt to take a bite.

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash is punched, shoved to the side, but...doesn't move straight-away. She's clearly a bit dazed... But it's not long after that engines sputter to life, misfire a few times, and then she's skidding against the ground before getting at least partially airborne, trailing a rather thick plume of smoke in her wake as she heads towards Iacon.

<<I...yeah. There's a lot broken here... I, uh, n-need to leave...>> There's the loud crack of something breaking, a brilliant looking burst of fire from one engine...but, hey, at least she keeps going on her way in a proper retreat as cloaking systems kick in to offer a rather solid bit of protection.

Yes. Nightlash retreats. For once.

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock held still to allow Ratchet to tend to her wounds, letting out a hiss, but doesn't say anything otherwise in protest... She'd take note of Nightbeat ignoring them and she knits her ridges, at least Nightlash is out of sight. "<<...Right you grab nightbeat, I'll Distract Sixshot.>>" She's going to do what now?

      She'd kick on her pede boosters, not letting give a answer right /there/ but the radio sure is open, and she start running as fast as she could at Sixshot in a bid to keep him off Nightbeat, and draws her dual blades hilts, and igniting the energon blades with a press of hilt buttons.

**Nightbeat has posed:**
Nightbeat is now getting bitten by an angry dog while retrieving fascinating evidence that will bring him one giant step closer to figuring out who the mole is. Yes, this is exactly his definition of a good time (no sarcasm intended).

 "Surely you don't have anything against me taking burned pieces of useless shrapnel!" the investigator grumbles, as he retreats towards the central Ibex border. "Fine, fine. I'm done. Stop making such a fuss over nothing. I never wanted to pick a fight in the first place."

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet watches as only one does as they are told. "<< Right, nightlash we'll meet you back at base. I'll send word ahead to get the medibay ready for you. >>" He takes a deep vent and with all the calm of a volcano errupting Ratchet says over the comms, "<< GET THE FRAG OUT OF THERE, NIGHTBEAT! THAT'S AN ORDER!! >>"

First time truly pulling his new rank, Ratchet realizes the second he yells over the comms is the exact second that Nightbeat CAN'T get back, at least not quickly. He runs out to meet the detective halfway and help him move back faster. "Do I even need to TELL you what a dumbaft you are!?"

**Sixshot (135) has posed:**
Sixshot watches as Nightbeat finally leaves only to grumble as the blades hit. Turning to Starlock he growls, "Oh get lost!" He quickly swats out at the femne in retaliation.

**Soundwave has posed:**
Soundwave punches Nightlash away, then braces himself, ready to fight some more... but finally the Autobots escape. He watches them go, not trying to fire upon them as they head back towards safer harbors. HIs gaze seems to linger on them awhile, almost as if contemplaying something, but as usual his outward demeanor gives little away. Finally, he turns to Sixshot. "Well done. Secure the border and keep an optic out for any who attempt to come back through." He walks over to the tank, inspecting it as the guards start cleaning up the mess.

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock uses not just her speed, but her size to her advantage and quickly roles out of the way of Sixshot's massive paw, trying to ignore her "out of fuel" alarm on her vital monitor and in her audial. Once Ratchet and Nightbeat are clear of the skirmish Sight, she herself retreats to catch up with the group, trying to get a lock on her monitor on where nightlash's signal is headed.

      "<<Well... We're not dead.>>" Starlock says a bit optimistic, despite the still smoldering, but patched, wounds. "<<Trying to get a location on Lash..>>"

**Ratchet has posed:**
Ratchet makes sure Nightbeat flees ahead of him, sending one last look back towards the Decepticons before he follows the others in a retread, "<< We'll send a recovery team if she crashes. >>"

**Nightlash has posed:**
Nightlash is cloaked, and well on her way out of the area... The fires she'd been trailing seem to have gone out, or...at least they're out of sight, or maybe she found a way to outrun them fast enough that the smoke isn't really easily seen.

Either way, Nightlash is very much gone from the fight.

**Nightbeat has posed:**
"<Mhmm. Very nice the way you made the obvious, even more obvious, Ratchet>" the private investigator sasses the CMO.

 He doesn't respond to Ratchet's comment about him being a dumbest. "I need to subject these to further analysis," he says to himself, examining the shrapnel. He then continues limping back to Autobot territory in central Ibex, calling for a medevac upon arrival, though he seems relatively unconcerned about his injuries and more raptured by the debris he'd collected.