1244/Battleground: Ruins of Harmonex 4 - 6

**Swivel has posed:**
One would think taking assignment in the ruins of Harmonex would be ideal for light duties after a long stint underground, roughing it. Of course, such would not be the case it would seem as proximity alerts indicate oncoming forces - of which she recognizes. But at this point, it's just to be expected. <<"Would it be too much to hope for a peaceful evening?">> Swivel says half plaintively, half in jest. She sits down in front of one of the combat consoles, watching the screen. Upon getting a lock on, Swivel sends out the drones for a round of harassment. She also sends off a beacon requesting reinforcements, and sits back, just going through the motions.

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock was stationed at Harmonex's ruins, mostly by her own volition, as she wished to protect what was left of her home and birthplace for maybe future indeverse in rebuilding, she'd perk up at the alarms and cringed, recognizing them both, knowing who to focus on first. "<<I ask that a lot of the times, but the answer from the universe seems to be a resounding, yes.>>" She'd answer with a chuckle.

      Starlock would leap off the defense walls, sliding down them with her pede boosters not long after Swivel release the drones. Starlock would kick off the wall into a flip and transform into her Mini-bus mode once near enough to the ground, that familiar cannon of her's taking aim at Blast off as she sped along to attempt to get in range of the two.

**Blast Off has posed:**
Blast Off comes in fast and furious... well, ok, fast, but maybe more aloof than furious. Still, when he gets hit with drones, he finds his already fragile heat-resistant armor is almost completely shattered. "<< Ga-ow! >>" The shuttle wobbles in shock but maintains course.... until he's hit with \*another\* volley, this time of Starlock. The Combaticon grumbles as the rest of the armor falls to pieces below. (How the frag did he find himself soloing a mission like this? There would be others, they said. It would be glorious, they said. All hail Megatron, they said. He starts thinking the Combaticons should tell Megs where to shove it and start their own business, bugger it all! He's going to have a word with... well, somebody!) But for now- he has a job to do.

How embarrassing, though! The now (naked?) shuttle wobbles and veers, but then returns focus with a growl of engines. He's tempted to return fire at Starlock, and.... frag, is that Swivel? Great, he'd rather be sharing tea with her than bombarding her fortress, but... that seems to be life. Still, he aims for a spot where she isn't.

**Swivel has posed:**
"Three two one... orbital bomba -- ack." Swivel braces herself against the tremors produced by Blast Off's assault on the base. While he may have damaged a location far from her current perch, she could still feel the shockwave. Swivel looks at the screen and sighs to herself. <<"Universe has been so very contrary and fickle. Maybe it just needs a little more positive attention.">> Swivel remarks, trying not to think about the situation at hand. <<"Guess we better take Blast Off out - and not for enertea.">> Although, like him, she'd prefer the latter. While Blast Off avoids hitting her, Swivel has little choice but to turn the big guns on the stripped shuttle.

Hesitation.

Swivel watches Blast Off's movements a moment longer, hands hovering over the controls. No one would know if...

Swivel locks on, then shuts off the targetting systems last minute, throwing her aim off intentionally. Best to at least LOOK like she's going her job, right? Pity it wastes valuable resources. No one will notice, right? RIGHT!?

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock hisses when Blast Off goes after the base, least his armor is no more, making her and Swivel's life easier! "<<I wish he'd just be here for enertea, would be so much better then this mess.>>" She'd vent.

      She'd transform back into her root-mode and pull out her stave, and would take aim at Blast Off and throw it. "<<Lemme give you a bit of a hand!>>" If it /landed./

**Blast Off has posed:**
Alas, Blast Off has no idea Swivel is throwing her attack off deliberately... he just thinks it's his usual slipperiness at play. The shuttle veers and arcs around, dodging attack after attack, before loading up for another round himself. Same Bat time, same Bat channel... some bombardment. Again, not at the spot Swivel stands. Meanwhile, he quips back to Starlock, "<< You appear to be a bit less than truly \*handy\* in this situation, hmm? I am afraid I'll have to decline. ....You \*might\* want to run, though. >>"

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock curses as she missed, she'd speed to get her stave back from where it landed on the field, but as she did so, she'd disengage the locks on her refueling device, replenishing her fuel reserves as she did.

      "<<Know as well as I do, I'm not going to do that unless totally necessary, be quite an /insult/ to think your not worth my time, after all>>" She'd tight beam back to Blast off, before switching to Swivel. "<<Going to need a kilk.>>"

**Swivel has posed:**
Swivel looks at the damage. Really, the best thing would be to take out Blast Off's guns. But that is hardly an option as even with computational targeting, she just didn't have the finesse to do so without simply blowing a huge hole in Blast Off. Also the weapons attached to the base weren't meant for srugical strikes. However, it would seem that Blast Off has no qualms about blowing holes in this base. She doesn't want to hurt Blast Off. But Harmonex is important to Starlock - like the ruins of Nyon are for her. She doesn't want to lose it. Swivel sets her face to one of determination. <<"Alright, Starlock, I'll keep him busy.">>

And busy she shall. Swivel selects one of the stronger weapons, going from avoiding Blast Off, to being determined to try and do some damage. She knows he's survived worse.

**Blast Off has posed:**
"<< Well, >>" Blast Off can't help but answer Starlock, "<< I'm worth \*anyone's\* time, of course~... >>" He would probably start preening if he were a bird. Unfortunately for him, while he is capable of some devastating orbital attacks, he's not made of energon, and his tanks are feeling pretty low after two full-out strikes. If he can just continue to evade and rest up a bit he could recharge enough fuel for another strike... but even then, this not looking promising. Even as skilled as he is, these sorts of missions are meant to be carried out with a team.

It looks even less promising the moment Swivel's assault lands a direct hit despite his best efforts to evade. Just a bit too tired to dodge in time, it seems, and he pays the price. The shuttle screeches in pain as the combuster rips through his circuitry, rocking with explosion after explosion with no armor to protect him in any way. Now trailing a long cloud of black, bitter, and acrid smoke, circuitry fritzing, no armor, crippled and alone on the battlefield and low on fuel.... that's it. He's not suicidal, nor does he have any real desire to keep fighting these two. "<< ....That's IT. They want me to do my job, they better make sure I have the \*resources\* and \*troops\* available so I CAN do it! I'm a space shuttle, not a death wish! >>" With a wheezing, raspy growl of engines the sniper turns and flies straight away from the scene, taking one last quick look at Swivel before he retreats.

**Swivel has posed:**
"He... he fled?" Swivel says in utter astonishment. But, she i also relieved. She'd done more damage than she had anticipated, and it gives her no pleasure to see him trailing black smoke and having to soar off, likely pride damaged as well. Swivel does not opt to send him off with any further injury and instead just sets the base to generate a damages report. <<"That... ended quickly.">>

**Starlock has posed:**
     Starlock would see Blast Off retreating and vented a huff, picking up her stave and folding it back into a small beton she stores in her sub-space, before putting a hand over her optics, watching him go. "Sorry there mate... Gotta do, what we gotta do..." She'd say to herself, before heading back to join Swivel on the defense platforms.

      "<<It did! Not gonna look a gift equine in the mouth myself, but... Well, Not too surprised they didn't send more, place is ruins after all..>>" She'd muse in thought. "<<Right, headed back up.. Want me to do the report?>>" She'd as as she started climbing the ladder back up.

**Swivel has posed:**
Swivel sits back, scanning the damage report. She looks up looking at the black smoke now dissipating in the sky. <<"I can do the report.">> is all Swivel says, still staring at the sky. <<"Anyway, guess we'll wrap up here. Although I wonder if this was just a diversion...">>

**Starlock has posed:**
     "<<Alright, if you are sure.>>" She'd nod as she went over to join Swivel, looking her over for injuries, though Starlock was the dirty one from being on the ground, some smaller crystal pebbles stuck in her tire treads. "Who knows.." She'd say, looking out at where the smoke had been fading.

      "Megatron was up at Veras, after having taken Ibex's central area... So.. wouldn't put it pass." She'd hem, but she gave Swivel a gentle pat on the tire, and smiled at her.