1026/Jailbreak

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Flying ahead of the landing craft en route to Garrus-1, the Autobot controlled moon based maxiumum security prison facility, the Arrowship took note of the towering walls that surrounded their target. This place was no joke, as its white-washed walls thick enough to take several direct missile strikes and remain standing were a testament to the fact that not many ever broke in or out. Once in Garrus-1, always in Garrus-1 was a popular saying among those whose comrades or relations had been locked up here in the past.

    << Target sighted ahead... Setting course for the dark side of the moon. The tachyon inteference is high at the moment-- just like Soundwave said it would be. Our window is short, but at current levels we should be able to approach undetected. >> Darkstar offered to those within the landing craft. << Major, Lieutenant... Follow me, >> the spacer says, and cuts thrust enough to allow inertial drift to pull him into the shadows, and closer to the preferred landing zone.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex is in his cell with Blast Off. He hasn't moved since their encounter with Pharma, still deeply unconscious and unaware of what is going on just outside the moonbase.

**Dustoff has posed:**
Elsewhere, just...sort of internally rolling his eyes a bit, Dustoff keeps a careful eye on the prison itself from a respectable distance, engine running, poised, ready to roll... It's a tricky thing, really. Prisons are notorious for...well, just being outright inhospitable, really. He takes stock of the forces on-sight... <<The good thing is...Ravage is reportin' minimal presence. Looks like th' bots are all too busy chasin' a cat t' really care what's comin' in th' front door... still, guess th' guards are on some kinda frantic alert, so prolly oughta still be cautious.>>

He checks his systems... <<I'm showin' systems five-by-five...green lights 'cross th' board. Let's do this...>>

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off sits in the cell he now shares with Vortex, gazing down at his teammate and trying to push away the massive \*guilt\* he's experiencing for... well really \*all\* of this. "I'm so sorry, Vortex, I'm so sorry.... this is all my fault." He rests a hand on the rotary's forehead, then pulls it back.

In the meantime, as Dustoff has heard, guards are still on the alert for the missing Ravage, leaving a slightly lesser presence where the two Combaticons sit. The general pattern seems to be two guards assigned to a hallway, rotations kept at differing cycles of time so as not to be too predictable, but thanks to Ravage and Soundwave the incoming Decepticons have some educated guesses... and possibly a password or two to areas underneath the main prison.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught has been waiting for this opportunity ever since he recieved word that his brothers were taken. He stands with the other rescuers, looking at Garrus-1 for the first time in, well, not long enough. <<Good,>> he says. <<Let them be distracted. We'll make them pay for their inattention. Pay dearly.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    The Arrowship was near silent as it made a nice inertial glide into position, not far from where Dustoff was scouting the prison from his grounded position. The way for the dropship was clear, as yet another thing that Darkstar was exceptionally good at was taking point and spotting what others typically missed. <<Complacence... The warrior's greatest foe, >> he'd echo Onslaught's sentiments, while the Decepticon dropship carrying Major Onslaught landed behind a large boulder-sized moon rock.

    The ramp dropped slowly-- silently, and a number of Decepticon guardsmechs spilled out of the rear of the craft to further secure the landing zone. Laser rifles lifted, and the mechs took up positions around the moon rock with one dropping onto his chestplate to take up a sniping position. << All clear, Major, >> one of the Decepticon guardsmechs offered over comms. << We'll cover your escape route. For the Cause.>>

**Dustoff has posed:**
Dustoff nods, moving in as close as he cares to without being too...overt, transforming and pulling out his rifle. It's time for precaution. <<Moving in...>> He brings his rifle up and just checks steps carefully. It's not a proper sneak, but certainly not charging in headlong like an idiot.... <<Got some guards at th' main gates...headed underground t' move up. Hopefully these maps are up t' date...>>

He edges up to the passageway underneath and punches in the codes courtesy Ravage... time to see if things pay off. <<Enterin', clearin' underground access.>> He lets his rifle lead the way, slowly pieing off his entry into the underground access. <<Hopefully there's somethin' t' help mask movement.>>

And, as though right on cue...at the far end of the prison something very incendiary blows up to ignite a very, very hot fire....

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex starts to stir a bit, his right optic lighting a bit. His optic band is removed as is his battlemask and his head and chest are battered in severely. He still doesnt move much. "Blast..you there?" He says softly. "Something blew up."

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught grunts his acknowledgement of the guard's offer. <<Thank you,>> he says. <<Our priority is freeing Blast Off and Vortex, but if we can manage to turn this slagpile into rubble, I'd consider it an added win. For the Cause, of course.>> He prepares himself to go in once he hears the signal. <<Dustoff, let me know when its safe to follow you.>>

**Blast Off has posed:**
Garrus 1 seems steady and rock solid as always... up until the point where it isn't. A massive explosion rocks the prison- even Blast off can feel it. He looks up at the rumble briefly, then goes back to tending to his teammate. "Yes... just rest, Vortex. I'll let you know if anything noteworthy happens."

Many guards head towards the explosion- but not all. No, they're too smart for that, this isn't a hard place to crack for no reason. Some guards remain in their usual places, but the explosion does thin out their ranks and send a little chaos into the mix. One big guard, a truck from the looks of the kibble, is joined by another near the entrance of the hall Blast off and Vortex currently sit at the beginning of.

Elsewhere, Dustoff's code works , enabling the medic to get in and continue on his way. Guards move with extra haste, but there are still optics scanning the grounds almost everywhere.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar moved in behind Dustoff and transformed before gliding down to the moon itself, his feet touching the surface with a soft crunch. He'd spent a tremendous amount of time traveling space, so this was like home away from home to the spacer. It was good to be back... Danger aside, Darkstar was grinning. The explosion at the other end of the complex was right on time, with Ravage doing what he does best. << The squeaky wheel gets the grease...so they say, >> the mech chortled.

    Laser rifle at the ready, Darkstar moved into the facility and quickly took up a position just ahead of Dustoff. He was there to protect the medic after all, which was a bit harder to do from behind. << Smells like clogged aft and shame in here... >> the spacer comments with a hint of amusement, as he moves slowly forward while checking corners high and low, his rifle barrel sniffing around like a bloodhound before he'd lower into a crouch upon reaching a major junction. << Direction... >> he'd state, waiting for Dustoff to navigate before continuing ahead.

    << Roger that, Major... Rubble is what we do best, >> replies one of the Decepticon guardsmechs, a veteran of many incursions and special ops missions. << Boom-boom-boom... >> chimed another soldier before silence overtook the group until... <<Spottin' a lot of movement here. They've taken the bait, but we've got optics lookin' our way. Want 'em dropped? >> wonders the sniper.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex relaxes at Blast Off's words. "Ok, going back to sleep now." he says in a distant voice. But before he can, hte place starts to move. "Shakin' the guards eh?" he murmurs. "Tired. Going to go offline again." his voice is distant and he is still very limp by Blast Off. Stabilized but not in the best of conditions.

**Dustoff has posed:**
<<Entering... ...all clear. I'll hold the passageway further down.>> Dustoff carries on his way through in proper infiltrator fashion, carefully sweeping rooms along the way to ensure there's nothing that will really disturb or interrupt the more covert side of things. <<Got it... how many went? I'm sure it ain't all, Darkstar. If ya can, push in from th' front an' let's split 'em further... Be discreet, but...eh, I ain't gonna complain if they're picked off an' confused which way's th' right way t' go.>>

He finds a corner and holds, checking his maps. <<Looks like th' cat's got a proper scout done... I'm at th' serviceway below th' cells... stairs leadin' up. Clear up t' this point Onslaught.>>

And...just to further divide... If Dustoff has southside, Darkstar northside, and the first bomb hit westward... the eastern wall blows as well. After all, the cat does have /two/ bombs at any given time.... And, with that, the saboteur's work is done, and he's slipping off to rejoin Soundwave.

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle is accompanying Onslaught in the quest to release his Combatibros. He rubs his hands together as he listens to Onslaught. "I'm ready, boss, whenever you are," he says, "We'll teach these mechs not to mess with our team."

**Dustoff has posed:**
In a terrible blunder common of the day, the animation team makes a goof and put a Darkstar clone at the northside, even though Darkstar's with a Dustoff.

That's what you get for repeating cells to save on animation budgets.

**Onslaught has posed:**
<<Indeed I do want them dropped,>> Onslaught says. <<No mercy, no quarter for any of the guards or staff. As for the other prisoners...well, gentlebeings, if a few cell doors happen to be left open on our way out, so much the better, eh? Isn't it Prime himself who says freedom is the right of all sentient beings?>> And if it adds to the confusion, so much the better.

"Indeed, Swindle," he says to his fellow Combaticon. "Keep close, no mercy, no quarter to the guards," he says, reiterating his orders for Swindle's behalf. "Combaticons forever." Over the radio: <<For the glory of the Decepticon Empire!>>

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off nods to his teammate, placing a hand on Tex's forehead again.... then pulling it back. Can't be too obvious ...though he notices how after the distant explosion the routine patrols don't seem to be happening. The truck guard and his mate can be heard talking off to the side somewhere, so he knows they're not alone, but they seem to remain at the entrance this time.

Dustoff, Darkstar, Onslaught, and Swindle will find a few stragglers- often paper-pushers and other non-guard personnel in the rooms he sweeps, but no guards see them yet. Forms can be seen or heard running around them, until suddenly, around one corner, a troop comes running the other way and- "Halt!" Immediately four guards have their weapons raised at the Decepticons. "Surrender or face the consequences!!" "

**Darkstar has posed:**
    The sniper guardsmech who'd come with the infiltration team grinned from audial to audial. He loved it when they let him throw darts... That's what he called it when he took someone down at a distance.

PINK.

The first guard dropped from the wall, and the sniper chalked up another offline for his scorecard. << Thirty-three... My favorite number. >>

    Right, so THE Darkstar was indeed with Dustoff at the southside. Darkstar's clone was at the Northside with his sniper rifle taking down 'Bots within the prison facility towers and along its massive walls. The one and only true mech of mechs, the challenge taker, the soldier of fortune Darkstar rose from his crouch and started on his way up the steps while Dustoff checked the map. << Securing the stairway... Pretty quiet here. I got a bad feelin' about this, >> he noted, though a 'bad' feeling wasn't necessarily a bad thing as far as Darkstar was concerned. Just meant another opportunity to avoid getting his head blasted off. Up the stairway he marched, slowly and quietly before reaching the sealed door at the very top. << Got another code ta' get through here? >> he wondered to Dustoff, noting another access keypad.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught takes his orders to show no quarter or mercy to heart -- err, spark -- and makes a point of firing on any prison personnel that he can recognize as such. "Surrender? I think not," he says, leveling his own weapon at the four guards, focusing on the one who ordered the Decepticons to surrender. "As for the consequences, I'll gladly face them and walk backwards into the slag pits to get my men back!"

**Dustoff has posed:**
<<Eh, 42's a better number overall...>> He leaves Darkstar to head up the stairs, turning his rifle on the guards coming around the corner and...smirking a bit as he drops a smoke grenade in the tighter confines.

He shrugs... Onslaught's got a handle on things. <<Smoke comin' in...let's keep 'em blind. More fun t' scare 'em that way.>> He backs his way up the stairwell to keep cover for the other mech as a request for a code is made.

 <<Darkstar, standby to copy. Fower, seven, one, tree, fife, fife, seven, two.>> He smirks as he squeezes off a shot. <<Alarm's gonna be raised soon...let's move faster.>>

**Swindle has posed:**
"Us? Surrender? You've got to be joking," Swindle says, "There's no way we're gonna leave our buddies behind!" Sell to the highest bidder? Sure. But leave behind? Never!

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex just stays very still, back into sweet unconsciousness, knowing his brother will protect him. If Pharma comes for them again, he will bite out his optics, though.

**Blast Off has posed:**
The guards who keep watch on Garrus 1 aren't newbies, they're experienced soldiers, and despite Dustoff's slick smoke bomb, the head guard is able to engage his own propulsion engines to blow the smoke back enough to still see. Seems he's some kind of hover car or something. "Ha, you thought we'd be fooled by THA-Arrgh!" The same guard IS, however, struck by Onslaught's disabling shot and falls down with a surprised look on his face as the guards behind start shooting at them again. However, the distraction \*is\* preventing them from noticing Darkstar over there, who gets the time to input the code.

Unfortunately... it doesn't work. It almost seems like it's going to, but at the last second something beeps and the device resets itself. Now Darkstar can try entering another code or finding a different way through- or in.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar lowers his rifle quickly and begins to punch in the code that he was given, though he couldn't help glancing back down the stairwell to where he heard the sound of weapons fire. Oh c'mon... HE was supposed to be the one shooting at 'Bots, not Dustoff. That's how it usually worked out for the the bot who was assigned to take point on a given mission, but there was no time to stew over it-- not with the Combaticons locked up. << Copy that, L.T. Code is in, >> he states, and the light on the keypad turned 'frag yourself red'. << We're i-... Locked out. The frag! >>

    Unable to open the door Darkstar quickly turns around to aim over the stairwell railing. A few shots are snapped off, more for the purpose of cover fire than anything as they were not really aimed given the excess of smoke filling the corridor just beyond where the stairs began. << Move it, L.T. You've got the map! See if I can't...figure out another way in! >> That other way would have to be rockets, as their cover had already been blown. A whirr-click sounded as the Starkiller Rockets loaded into their respective tubes, and Darkstar turned lean against the stairwell railing. "Here comes the boom. Ready or not... >>

    Another one down. The sniper was on a roll... He'd already clipped five Autobots, and now it seemed as if the numbers along the walls were dwindling fast. << Heh... Yeah, you better ru- >>

KA-BOOOOOM

    Where the Decepticon sniper had been positioned was nothing more than a crater now. Moon rock floatd through the cosmos, rocketing away from the surface at tremendous speeds. Apparently a sniper was no good against a rocket propelled grenade. We'll miss you, Snipey... You did The Cause proud.

    Onslaught's mini-speech steeled the rest of the guardsmechs who had briefly lost heart due to the sudden demise of their team sniper. << YAAAAHHH! >> they shouted, and began to open fire as a unit-- spraying the walls with laser and disruptor fire, with a side of RPG.

**Dustoff has posed:**
<<Fine, shoot 'em all, I'll focus on th' door...>> He moves in to take Darkstar's place since...well, maybe the code was just...mis-typed or something. Or they just changed it... probably. Who knows. He takes one quick shot before stowing his rifle and turning to focus on the keybad.

<<Worst case, we jus' use somethin' explosive an' breech. Ya got a rocket t' spare, Darkstar? Swindle, Onslaught, how's th' rear guard holdin' out? Jus' wanna make sure we ain't overrun...>>

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle backs Onslaught up, making sure to shoot at whatever could be coming in from behind. A few stray shots do hit or graze him, but so far nothing serious. "Are we there yet?" he wonders, impatient to release his combatibros and then curl up with a strong enerwine when this is all over.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught looks down at the disabled guard and aims his pistol at their center mass, firing without so much as a quip before he strides forward. He continues firing at any and all guards foolish enough to remain in his presence. He doesn't escape completely unscathed, taking hits here and there, including a couple that almost send him staggering Especially in the wake of the explosion. <<Gentlemen, can we please wait to destroy Garrus-9 until \*after\* we have Vortex and Blast Off back?>> He sounds almost amused as he says it. <<We're dealing with it, Dustoff. No worries!>>

**Blast Off has posed:**
Dustoff seems to have the magic touch this time, and the keyboard turns a lovely shade of green as it beeps much more happily the second try. There's an unlocking 'click' and the door is ajar! It seems to lead upwards toward where the captives wait. The Decepticons are moving as one strong unit, though the Autobots are no sluggards themselves. When one wave of Bots is brought down, more take up their place.

The Head Guard looks up at Onslaught, dentae gritted, as the Combaticon leader fires pointblank, hitting him as he grunts with the impact- and pain. It seems to stir him to action again, though, and the mech roars with rage as he launches himself up and forward, a sharp pointy weapon aimed for the Onslaught, followed by a sharp jolt of electricity. "Aren't you one of those Combaticons?! You don't have to break in, just ask nicely, we got a whiteout cell just waitin' for you!" He plunges it towards the big blue and green mech.

In the meantime, more guards seem to be running in towards them as an alarm has been sounded- they don't have a lot of time. The door to the other Combaticons is two floors up above.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar barks a laugh. Did he have a rocket to spare? Yeah. You could say that! But awwww... The spacer's excitement turned to disappointment in an instant as Dustoff rushed up the stairs and entered the code-- turning the access pad keylock from 'frag you red' to 'access granted green'. "Well, I guess \*that\* worked." A brief grin to Dustoff, and Darkstar was turning around again to fire off just a couple more laser shots into the smoke-filled stairwell and corridor below. Quickly then he moved forward through the now unlocked door, taking point once more as his rifle tilted upward, downward, left and right. When he came upon the first new four-way junction the mech continued his stride, given the lack of time they had to complete their mission. "Direction..." he'd state, and followed Dustoff's direction to the letter as they finally closed in on the actual holding cells.

    The mechs on the ground simultaneously acting as Onslaught's honor guard, the Northern Attack Force, and landing zone defense rained down the power of Primus onto the facility walls. The bulk of the Autobot forces were certainly drawn to them by now given that the explosions wrought by Ravage's initial bombing had been found to be a mere distraction. << Yes, SIR! We'll leave...\*some\* of this pile standing until they're free! Right mechs? >> shouted the ranking member of the guardsmech team just before he launched another RPG into one of the prison guard towers. << RIGHT! >> the unit boomed together.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM

**Onslaught has posed:**
The words 'whiteout cell' hit Onslaught harder than the guard's scrambler attack -- though that doesn't exactly whiff past him. Onslaught roars, in pain and rage as he's struck, his vision fuzzing out, making him blind, making everything go blank. As the full effect of the guard's attack hits home to him, he bellows a command over the Decepticon broadband, his voice just this side of berzerker rage. <<I'm hit! Keep moving forward! I'll keep up if it's the last thing I do!>>

**Dustoff has posed:**
<<We're open up here, getting into the blocks proper... I'm sure there'll be more of 'em...>> He waits for the door to open enough and moves through into the next area, setting his beacon to 'on' just in case... <<Darkstar, get a move on, let's sweep th' cells...if it's got a Con badge, open 'em up an' let 'em run loose. Anythin' else, leave 'em. If ya find 'Tex or Blast Off, arm 'em an' I'll get 'em patched up if needed... Easy in, easy out.>>

**Blast Off has posed:**
The Northern Attack Force is indeed drawing a lot of the aggro, giving this smaller team a chance to get to the prisoners. It's also helped by the fact that Ravage blew up some very well-chosen targets, scrambling some of the prison's communications and survellience channels. Still, there are few fools here and units are sectioning themselves in a grid pattern, aiming to have some troops wherever they might be needed. Off in a central part of the prison, employees set about trying to lock the prison down, and sections are already closed off for good. However, again due to a well-placed strike (and perhaps Soundwave's or Ravage's work), this particular section has some communication errors preventing the normal lockdown. Teams work franticly to correct this while troops hit the ground and physically come in to try and delay them.

The Head Guard succeeds in blasting Onslaught with an unsettling jolt, pausing to consider trying to secure the Decepticon. He decides to keep going, directing an especially large guard to handle the Combaticon leader. That guard moves in with statis cuffs. The Head Guard then rushes after Darkstar, his mechs not far behind. He fires more jolts of electricity at the spacer. Up ahead, the truck that's guarding the hall that Blast Off and Vortex are in hears the commotion and comes running from the opposite direction.

Blast Off is hearing this, too. He shakes at Tex. "Vortex... Vortex, I think something \*is\* happening!"

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle is facing the other way, so doesn't get the full brunt of the blast that blinds Onslaught. His vision isn't entirely unaffected, however it's probably better than Onslaught's at the moment. He turns and stumbles towards his Leader, attempting to help and guide him, as much as he can. "Don't worry, I gotcher back," he says, "And your front, by the looks of things. Ugh, when is this going to wear off?" He continues towards where his combatibros are held.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex 's optics come online. He lft his head as much as he can. "Five more min.." he murmurs. "Wait. Is that?" he listens. "Is that tasers? Someone else getting sent to Pharma? Lift me up so I can see." the battered combaticon says distantly. "Sounds like Brawl on a binger out there."

**Darkstar has posed:**
    << Copy that, L.T. >> Darkstar replied, his ridges knitting a bit. If he wanted to offline Dustoff now would be the perfect opportunity. No witnesses, just Autobots... Goth would be easy enough to deal with when he got back to Kaon. With the mech's berzerker rages and the relationship that the two shared it'd be easy enough to pawn everything off on the mechabat having gone crazy.

    Darkstar opened the first empty cell, and then the next, and the next... Before turning around, aiming his blaster rifle directly at Dustoff's helm before he opened fire at point blank range...

    That's what would have happened if Darkstar hadn't made the search and rescue medic a deal. No, The Cause needs good medics, and Dustoff was one of their best. Dustoff would live, as Darkstar took on enemy fire without warning and moved swiftly to shove the Lieutenant to the floor. "Take cover!"

    Slamming himself against the wall to provide as small of a target area as possible for the head guard, he braced himself and thrust his arms toward the Autobot. Shaking his head, the attacker weaved in and out of focus as his vision came up blurred. "Slaggit..." For the Cause, right? Darkstar charged and opened fire while Dustoff continued onward to open cells and free more prisoners. << We're sending prisoners your way! Avoid friendly fire if you can! >>

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught does sound like Brawl on a binger, though maybe not quite that articulate. He knows where he is. He knows when he is. But he also remembers the last time he was in Garrus-1, before the whiteout cells and this time, he's able to do what he wanted to do back then -- fight back. He lashes out, no grace, no style, no technique, just a wild, round house swing that strikes home. "I will never be chained again!" he roars, vocalizer whining with feedback. "YOU HEAR ME?! YOU CANNOT CHAIN US! YOU CANNOT DEFEAT US! COMBATICONS FOREVER!"

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle figures out he's going to have to be Onslaught's Seeing Optic Jeep, as he notices Onslaught suddenly stumble in the wrong direction. "Hey, this way, boss! Follow my voice!" he says as he gets in front of where they're supposed to go.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"It does..." Blast Off says breathlessly, optics wide and pale. He clutches at his teammate, swept up in... dare he have it? Hope. "Do you think...?" Meanwhile, all around the prison, prisoners are starting to stir. Chants of "Let us out!" can be heard all around, some people banging on bars or berths or sometimes one another.

The Head Guard charges bravely up the stairs... right into Darkstar's rockets. The explosion shatters the mech, sending him crumpled backward on the ground, gasping through ragged ventilation systems. "Go, go!..." he murmurs to his men, gesturing with a mangled arm to pursue, but he's barely functional himself. The explosion also shatters some of the stairway, making it a hazardous undertaking now, some steps completely gone, some barely hanging on, guard rails off in sections. But still navigable to the brave- and lucky. The truck Guard spies something down below and takes aim, then fires, as do several other gaurds below and closer to the other mechs.

Onslaught's swing is true, and the big mech goes stumbling backwards with a grunt of surprise. It doesn't put him out of the fight though. "Yeah, right. That's what they ALL say." He swings a gun around and fires at Onslaught, trying to go for the knee and cripple the mech. He also swings his gun as he fires it off, trying to hit Swindle as well.

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex lifts his head more, trying to stay conscious a bit longer. "Do you think.." he thinks, no hopes he hears a familiar voice. "Ons?" He says in excitement. "Thrusters. Is that.." he sounds surprised. "Ons? Wow. The hallucinations are awesome this time around."

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught howls in pain, his knee buckles as it takes the brunt of the shotgun blast, but he doesn't completely drop. Still, this is likely going to ache like a motherboard until he gets it fixed. He lurches toward the guard who shot him. "Kill. You." he snarls, showing that Brawl isn't the only rageaholic in the family. "Swindle, go! Get the others!"

**Swindle has posed:**
"Gotcha! OW OW OW OW OW!" Swindle replies, getting peppered with shots as he makes a break for where his combatibros are. "HOld on bros, I'm coming!" he says, lurching a little as the pain from getting shot sets in.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar grinned broadly as he observed the aftermath of the explosive greeting he'd given to the Head Guard. "That looks like it \*hurt\*!" he barked amusedly before turning around just in time to enjoy a shotgun shell breakfast. Darkstar hit the ground hard, flat on his back with his armor dented in several sections. "Ahhh-hahah..." the spacer half laughed, and half goaned when a coughing fit overtook him. "That was...not fun," he admitted though for whatever rason the mech was still laughing.

    Glory said that the best way to go about acquiring the most was to face the Truck Guard down, and rip his flipping core from his chassis. Initially anyway. As it turns out the greater glory might actually be in keeping one's promises, liberating the combaticons, AND ripping the Truck Guard's core from his chassis!

    Darkstar slammed a fist into his own chest twice, psyching himself up as he climbed to his feet. When Onslaught lurched for the guard, Darkstar joined the combaticon from the opposite end in a successful flanking maneuver. "RRAAAAHH!" The battlecry echoed through the prison before he charged head first into the walking, talking, Truck.

Glory to Swindle and Dustoff as they closed in on the imprisoned combaticons.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"I-I don't think it's a hallucination, Vortex," Blast Off says with some note of relief crackling through his voice. "He came for us!!!" Just Onslaught apparently. Swindle probably counts. The others? Well. meh. Yeah, ok, /fine/, maybe some others too. Whoever it is, the action seems to be getting close. It sounds as if they're fighting right outside the door to their wing of the prison.

The truck mech is no pushover, but Darkstar's really- up close and personal- kind of greeting sends the mech stumbling back, but not out for the count. "Gotta hand it ya for gettin' this far, Con, but ya ain't goin' anywhere now! Why doncha STAY awhile?" He lurches forward, hands gripping one another as he attempts to ram the spacer right back, shoulder first! Meanwhile, below, Onslaught successfully sends the guard who tried to cuff him reeling back, causing the Head Guard, who's now managed to get back on his feet and limp towards the scene, to raise his weapon and fire at Onslaught once more.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught takes another hit from the scrambler, causing his vision to futz out again. He snarls, though his earlier injuries are beginning to take a toll. Particularly since he cannot see, frag and blast it.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    This is what happens when you fight a truck... You get hurt really, really, badly. Darkstar's back slammed against the adjacent wall, and for a moment he dropped to one knee. "Hahahaha... You, I \*like\*." Rising again, the space-alt crosses his forerarms in front of himself just in time to stop an incoming kick aimed to put him on his aft, the force actually aiding in standing him up. A rope-a-dope found the Decepticon pinned against the wall from an onslaught of jabs, but the moment that an opening presented itself Darkstar leaped into the air while kibble thrusters began to glow and his chassis hovered in place. "If you manage ta' live through this... Drinks. On. \*ME\*!" The spacer shouted, both of his feet thrusting forward to try and kick the Truck Guard in the chest.

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle jumps really, really high and gets on the stairs, slogging away to get to his Combatibros. He climbs over the rubble of busted stairs to reach his goal. He hopes he can overpower whatever guards.

**Blast Off has posed:**
The truck Guard gasps when Darkstar lands a direct hit in his chassis, sending him staggering back to sink against the jagged railing. He heaves a few times, balancing himself with one hand against the railing while the other wipes energon from his lips. "Heh. Sure." He grins, "But they're gonna be \*here!\* He sort of winces as he shoves himself forward, obviously feeling every move now. Ow. Still, he has duty to perform. "This's gonna hurt you more'n it hurts me, but..." He stops and sorts, "Nah, actually, it's just gonna \*hurt\*, ain't it?" With a near-crazy laugh, he charges at Darkstar again, once more seeking to ram him!

Swindle manages to make it up the stairs, though he'll find this battle raging just in front of the door. Beyond which Blast Off and Vortex wait.

With Onslaught apparently incapacitated, the big burly gaurd attempts to place those cuffs on the Combaticon leader again.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught is in no shape to banter, mainly because of his Overwhelming Rage. He growls as he hears the clink of cuffs. "No!" he says, it's somewhere between an order and a statement of fact, though a perceptive being might hear the barest hint of a plea in his voice. As the cuffs click home, Onslaught attempts to transform, hoping to destroy the cuffs in the process but nothing happens. Just the kee-koo-kuh of a transformation sequence cut short. Onslaught screams. The sound is death and pain and the rage of a beast. Still, he's together enough to know that if the guard is close enough to cuff him, the fragging fragger is close enough to get a taste of Onslaught's helmet. A Kaon Kiss, as it were.

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle tries to get past the battle to reach the door. Hopefully he won't get hit too much, as he hopes every guard is too distracted to notice him. He charges at the door, hoping to bust it down!

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Again, Darkstar takes an ugly hit from the Truck Guard that sends him reeling. The Decepticon slammed into the wall, the back of his helm hitting the surface hard and he coughs up a bit of energon from the internal damages as well. Sparks zap and pop in the vicinity of his midsection, and the spacer groaned beneath the weight of the broad Autobot guardsmech. Struggling to free himself it seemed as if the 'Bot was putting a lot of effort into keeping him pinned, something that they had taught soldiers in the Primal Vanguard was the preferable course of action before you...

    Optics flashed, and Darkstar quickly threw his hands into the air just in time to stop another attempt to pummel him with an elbow. This Truck Guard was a good fighter, a skilled fighter... No wonder Darkstar was hurting so much. "You were \*definitely\* right about the hurting! OW! Mech you hit like...like a Cyber-truck!" A bad situation was getting worse, so why not just keep the ball rolling? Darkstar went for the headbutt-- his own health be slagged.

    As Swindle rushes by, Darkstar had barely noticed the other combaticon. Dustoff certainly would however when the extra set of hands that the search and rescue medic needed to free Blast Off and Vortex arrived. Almost there...

    Outside the battle was slowly beginning to turn into the Autobot's favor, as cries over the comms alerted the Decepticons within the facility of the casualties outside the walls, << Major! Come in! They're bringing more heavy firepower out here! We don't have much time left! Major! Majo-...>>

**Blast Off has posed:**
Swindle is successful in slipping past Darkstar and his new drinking buddy, and with Dustoff's help is able to unlock it and get inside. Blast Off and Vortex are in the cell adjacent to the entrance. "SWINDLE!" Blast Off has never been happier to see the mech. "Dustoff..." Swindle and Dustoff will find the controls nearby, a switch that lets the prisoners out- by cell, or just opens all the cells there. Meanwhile, the guard that cuffed Onslaught dodges as the enraged Combaticon comes at him, though he does seem a bit wigged out by the primal scream from the large mech. The Head Guard isn't as unsettled, and strikes at the Combaticon with a tackle from behind. "Get down and STAY down!" However, Onslaught may notice the mech's strength seems faded.

The truck gasps again as Darkstar's blow strikes hard. He sways back, hands holding his head a moment, seeing stars. Then he shakes his head, and with a grunt comes at the Con one last time. No time for quips, it's do or die.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught does not go down -- well, not all the way down. He knows what happens if they get you down. Down is where the enemy puts you when they want to take your personality component out and put it in a file cabinet. He does take a moment to tell the guards exactly what he thinks of them, their progenitors, the metal they were forged from, and even the ones and zeroes that make up their most basic binary code as he struggles to free himself from their hold. <<Hold position!>> he snarls into his radio. <<Hold out as long as you can. Swindle, get Vortex and Blast Off out of here, no matter what it takes! We will defeat these thugs! They are scum beneathe our boots!>>

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex looks up from his bunk, unable to move but hears a familiar voice. "Swindle?! Well... well allright!" He cackles. "Get me something sharp and put it in my mouth. Use me to whack some guards, I make a really really good club riht now." he says in a tired, staticy voice.

**Swindle has posed:**
"I'm here, bros!" Swindle exclaims, and goes to unlock all the cells, so that his combatibros can get out. He shortranges to Onslaught. "I got em, and we're going NOW!"

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar's helm jerks to the right as he's delivered a mean hook! Darkstar slumps back against the wall, the Truck Guard standing over him triumphantly. Optics flashed several times, and the spacer's head bobbed as he tried to maintain consciousness, struggling against the impending shutdown. "Frag...you," he tells the Truck Guard, coughing.

    The call over the comms showed that things were going downhill fast for the Decepticon team outside of the prison facility. They were fighting bravely, fighting for The Cause and for Glory. Hearing Onslaught shout at them all, commanding that they hold out-- that Swindle get to Vortex and Blast Off-- that these Autobot thugs were the scum beneath their boots, Darkstar growled and his optics had never been redder. "For..the..CAAAUUUSE!" Do Cybertronians have crotches? Well, this Autobot might not...anymore.

    Dustoff was working his magic for his part, rushing into the cells to offer emergency medical treatment to Vortex once Swindle had managed to unlock the cell doors-- at least enough to get the combaticon on his feet.

    The Decepticon guardsmechs outside fought on against all odds, though the sounds of weapons fire slowly began to fade as if signaling that the battle outside was winding down or things had turned into more of a game of fire and retreat. << Major... We've only two mechs left... Pardon the talk, but hurry your afts! ...Soldier...mech the dropship turret! I'll cover you! >>

**Blast Off has posed:**
Onslaught's rage and determination eventually turn the tide, and when he strikes the Head Guard the mech goes down himself... and stays down. The other guards will attempt to fight, but as injured as the remainder are they don't put up as big a fight as they did a short while ago.

Darkstar's efforts pay off as well, and he finally sends the truck down for the last time. Dead or not? Hard to tell, and no time to dwell.

Blast Off's violet optics get very.... blurry and bright. He's NOT crying though. He's NOT. He turns to look sharply down at Vortex and shouts to Swindle and Dustoff, "He's delirious. Vortex is badly injured, he needs medical care, not... \*that\*." TSK. Thankfully Dustoff can stop any bleeding and get the rotary set up for transport. Speaking of transport... "If...If we need to, I-I think I have enough fuel in me for a short flight." Blast Off is relatively uninjured, at least physically, but internally... well, he's stressed and wing elevons are twitching rapidly. He looks to Swindle, "Is Onslaught here?" Surely Onslaught came for them! "Is he okay?" He looks at Swindle a little more carefully. "Are \*you\* okay?"

Meanwhile, the tide is indeed turning to the Autobots outside, and more lockdowns commence. However, the rioting and escaping prisoners are slowing the guards down enough that the Decepticon Jail Break team does have the opportunity to escape- if they do it quickly. More guards are pouring in, but the stairwell is damaged, and that will slow them further. Darkstar's missiles opened up some sections of the walls and weakened others, allowing a determined Con the opportunity to break through and make a getaway. It's certainly going to be chaos for awhile, and escaping won't be easy with determined and skilled foes like these guards.... but if anyone can do it, this team can, right?

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex blinks making a one opticed flutter at Swindle while Dustoff gets him on his feet. "Oh, my hero. Carry me like one of those Caminoan girls?" he purrs. "Oh wait." he starts to have feeling return to his legs for the time being. He stands and starts to walk/limp for the door. "I can do that on my own. Come on, Blast Off. Our ride's here." he says casually as he walk/limps along with the group.

**Swindle has posed:**
Swindle nods. "Yeah, Onslaught's here. We'll probably need to pick him up on the way out." He helps his combatibros out of the room so they can collect Onslaught and whoever else and get the frag out.

**Onslaught has posed:**
Onslaught grunts as he recieves a radio message from Swindle. Blast Off and Vortex have been found, they're with Swindle and if anyone knows the quickest and most efficient way to get out of a prison, it's going to be Swindle. <<Go, get them out of here.>> he sends to Swindle. Over the broadband: <<Blast Off and Vortex have been retrieved; Swindle is helping them out -- cover them. Everyone else, it's time to go. Feel free to trash this slaghole on the way out. For the Cause!>>

Onslaught manages to triumph over the guards -- though he's still cuffed, still more than half-blind and still mode-locked. But, he's accomplished his goal: Blast Off and Vortex will be free and Garrus-9 is going to need extensive repairs. Then again, Onslaught's going to need some repair work himself, but for the time being? He's fine. His plan was a success, his goal accomplished, all else is superfluous.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar sighed with relief when the Truck Guard finally went down... Talk about a mechly mech! That Autobot he would remember for sure. Crawling over to retrieve his laser rifle the spacer stood up finally and aimed the weapon at his defeated foe. "....Nah," he says finally, deciding that worthy today means perhaps even more worthy tomorrow. He wouldn't be who he was if he didn't loot a few wares from the unconscious chassis of the defeated. "Thanks, mech... Hope you're not sore 'bout this. Maccadam's..you an' me someday I'm sure," he says in farewell. Starting toward one of the holes that had been blown in the walls, he barked over the comms. << FOR THE CUASE! >>

    Darkstar would wait about, cover the exit and bring up the rear for the rest of the Decepticon forces after passing some light arms off to Blast Off and Vortex just in case they ran into trouble on the way to the dropship. "Welcome home, Body Odor! Heli-Bot! Mech oh mech have you been \*missed\*!"

**Vortex has posed:**
Vortex blinks. "Sore about wh' the rescue?" he stars to mess with his comm trying to get it to work. "Naa Im totally fine ..eiff tha.." His voice starts to slur and his one oworking optic starts to flicker. "Hope you dont min' but Im gonna.." and his body just collapses as the emergency repairs give out. "That. ANyone think to bring rotors."

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off blinks as Darkstar appears and calls him THAT nickname... and he doesn't react at all. He just remains looking rather blank, just slightly fretting, and takes the gun Darkstar hands him without a word. He \*does\* react, however, as soon as Vortex collapses, running to support the rotary until more strong medics can take the load from him. Otherwise, he only has optics for Onslaught, looking relieved when he sees his Commander again. Still, he's exceptionally quiet as he simply moves with the others and makes his escape.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Outside of the facility the last of the Autobots were pinned down, the wall to the north having fallen beneath the barrage of turret fire from the Decepticon dropship. << C'mon, hurry it up! >> the guardsmech on the turret shouted, while the other who remained standing waved the Decepticons toward the ship between bursts of cover fire-- one of which tearing down an Autobot just before he was able to fire a round into Darkstar's back. Phew!