Transformers: World War II

[Cynical Cat]

"MisFire is a model capable of effective air to air combat and is operating near optimal capacity," replied Deathstrike. "She is the logical choice for support duty."

[General Havoc]

Hornet knew what most military terms meant on an elemental level, but the complexities of terminology were beyond him. The (reasonably important) distinction between "retreat" and "run away", for example, was not something he understood. In this case however, he could venture a guess as to what Breakout was after.

"You... want me to go and see if I can find something?" he asked. That was, as far as Hornet understood it, the essence of reconnaissance, exploring and seeing what he could find. He knew on some level that recon operations were a sop to Ironhide, a job description that the Autobots had invented so as to give him some reasonable excuse for being out here. Nevertheless, he didn't resent getting shoehorned into such a role. For one thing, it was one of the few things he could actually do, and for another, he actually enjoyed it. Flying around, scouting for anything interesting, a job in which he was not only permitted but encouraged to indulge his curiosity and find out what was on the other side of that hill or under that forest canopy...

Well it beat sitting in a testing lab.

[Agent Fisher]

MisFire nodded, looking over at Deathstrike. "I can take care of support, though I'd venture a guess to say you're faster than I am, so you might be a better choice to get to someone in trouble faster."

[Cynical Cat]

"I was faster than you," Deathstrike replied. "My structure is compromised. I cannot sustain high thrust burns from my engines and even if I could, the stresses from doing so in atmosphere would result in structural failure."

[Agent Fisher]

MisFire nodded. "Alright, you know your capabilities better than I do. I'll ride support on this one." She said.

[Charon]

Hunter nodded to Breakout. "Alright, makes sense." He had to admit, Pathfinder was right. He did rather like this bot. For now, Hunter stood on the sidelines, watching the bots go about getting their orders, make suggestions, and get ready for a possible offensive.

[Cynical Cat]

"Hornet, you go high," said Deathstrike. "I'll go low. MisFire, pull drag and be ready to back us up." The Decepticon leapt into the air, his repulsors whining as they strained to move his bulk. Thrusters ignited and Deathstrike shot up, transforming into fighter mode and settling into a low altitude scouting cruise.

[frigidmagi]

"You... want me to go and see if I can find something?" he asked.

"Yes, that's right. I want you to tell me where the enemy is if you can find them. Now, go fly and listen to Deathstrike and Misfire. I will see you when you come back." It felt odd to tell anyone to listen to Deathstrike, but as the situation dictates.

As the fliers left I turned my attention to Pathfinder.

"Pathfinder, you are to do a ground recon. Do not engage if you can avoid it, I want information on enemy patrols, numbers and equipment. Information is better then heroics understood?" I ask.

[Agent Fisher]

MisFire walked over to the grass strip that functioned as the takeoff area. She transformed into the A-20 that was her alt form. She made sure all the controls surfaces were working before starting her engines, the roar of the propellers sounding over the area. She firewalled the throttle, the light bomber/heavy fighter rolling quickly down the strip before the wheels lifted off the ground, the gear retracting.

MisFire climbed out then banked to the left, zooming over the field, waggling her wings.

[LadyTevar]

As the fliers left I turned my attention to Pathfinder.

"Pathfinder, you are to do a ground recon. Do not engage if you can avoid it, I want information on enemy patrols, numbers and equipment. Information is better then heroics understood?" I ask.

"Me? Out there alone, with no backup?"
Pathfinder grinned, his optics gleaming for a moment in sheer delight. "Just like old times ... and a lot safer now that Deathstrike won't be trying to paste my tailpipe all over the EmptyZone." It was a friendly dig at the Decepticon, which said a lot about how Pathfinder viewed his current comrade-in-arms. Pathfinder's weapons were trained on his enemies, his sense of humor was saved for friends and allies.

Some Autobots still weren't sure who was getting the better deal out of that ...

BreakOut was left to ponder that as Pathfinder strode towards the outer gates, transforming into his tiny recon tank alt-form as he cheerfully requested the Joes open it up and let him out for patrol. BreakOut could hear a few well-natured jabs being exchanged between Pathfinder and the Joes as the gates were opened. "Yeah yeah... I'll be back in time for poker, so get ready to lose your vod-ka ration again!" was the last jaunty comment as Pathfinder rolled out.

[frigidmagi]

I transform. Revving my engine, I pop the hatch on my turret.

"GI Joe Hunter. Will you accompany me? I believe I will follow up on Pathfinder's suggestion." I say.

[Charon]

Hunter walked up to the Autobot. "Alright then."

The Joe hopped up onto the war machine and then slid inside, then had a rather terrifying thought. "Hey, can you transform while someone's inside you?"

[frigidmagi]

The Joe hopped up onto the war machine and then slid inside, then had a rather terrifying thought. "Hey, can you transform while someone's inside you?"

Biological sapients seem to come up with the most morbid thoughts. Why in the name of Primus would I ever want to do that? If I could shudder I would, as a brief picture of what would happen flashes across my sensors. All of that in my gears and circuits! So much liquid! I think I would rather be hulled by a Con star ship battery instead.

"I never have. I assume it's possible, but I have never tried it. It does not seem safe. Unlike my fellow Bots Hunter I have fought with biological allies before and have fought entire campaigns with someone in my turret or other areas and have never needed to transform that badly. Why would you ask?" I say as I begin moving, I need to find Deathstrike's Canadian. Files indicate it should be rather easy. She'll be the only western woman on the base.

It occurs to me that it would be interesting to see if all human cultures shelter their females to this extent. The lost of half of their population would be crippling compared to most of the sapients out there.

[Charon]

Hunter shook his head. "Just a thought I had when I was getting in. I think I'm gonna be a bit more careful about getting into strange vehicles now though..."

[Cynical Cat]

Finding Stephanie was rather easy. She was standing next to the spot Deathstrike had stood before Breakout arrived and was the only person within at least a kilometer with long, red hair.

[Dark Silver]

Flash, Commanding Officer of the Joe attachement to the Northern Battle Group, walked the grounds of Coldstaph Fortress. he was doing his final inspection, making sure the base would be secure when it came time to initiate the big push back against the Axis and their Snake handlers.

A few hours ago, General Hawk himself had been on the visual communications panel, flanked by the Autobot Commander Optimus Prime, and gave him orders.

The same orders held by the new Autobot Commander, and being relayed to the Generals in charge of the Russian and Allied forces that they would accompany.

The long march to Berlin would begin soon. It was time to finish the war.

Thus, he was making sure Coldstaph and Narva would be secure from attack by land - their life line of supplies would remain secure as could be.

Shadows crossed his path, and Flash looked up, seeing the unmistakably non-human designed Deathstrike, flanked by two other planes, heading away. The Autobot Commander apparently didn't waste any time is setting up patrols.

He had his own Patrols, and their Telecommunicational TRacking And Navigational Computer (TeleTRAN for short) had a link to SatCom and the Autobot SkySpies in the air. But sometimes, the good old Mark 1 Eyeball was better than all this new tech.

Then again...the tech wasn't exactly new...he had to remember he was fighting with and against beings whose age made the entirety of human history seem like the blink of a eye, and this technology was almost ancient to them...

Flash continued his tour of the base - the desire to move out was already growing in him.

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike streaked through the air at low altitude, Beneath him land and trees sped buy. Sensors far more sophisticated than any that existed on earth scanned the landscape. "Have you ever done anything like this before Hornet?" he asked.

[General Havoc]

Hornet was cruising far above, dancing through the clouds and fighting the urge to cheer. This was the first time in... Primus he didn't know how long... that he'd had the opportunity to freefly: his own power, his own flight plan, his own throttle controls, and nothing but the edge of space and the ground to hem him in. Of course it wasn't entirely true. Blitzwing had, after all, given him explicit orders to find out what the Decepticons were up to, along with Misfire and Deathstrike. It didn't matter. It was all Hornet could do to avoid performing aerobatics. For the first time since he had woken up in Pennsylvania, he felt like himself again

Deathstrike's radio message stopped him short of doing anything that foolish. He considered the question for a second before replying. "Um... no..." he admitted, a bit sheepishly. "I mean... the others said that I was probably built for it, but... I don't really remember anything from before I got here, and they never let me out on a mission before now." He considered the situation for a moment. "But... I mean... I know how to do it! I have all kinds of sensors!"

The last thing he wanted now was for Deathstrike to send him back to base.

[Cynical Cat]

"Okay," said Deathstrike. "You're flying high. Train your sensors on the ground and on the air and let me know if you see anything interesting. If you have questions, ask them. We're out here to find things. That's all. Burning the enemy down comes later."

[frigidmagi]

Finding Stephanie was rather easy. She was standing next to the spot Deathstrike had stood before Breakout arrived and was the only person within at least a kilometer with long, red hair.

It takes me longer to remember how to appropriately address a western human female then it does to find her. Then I remember she is a scientist and given the cultural environment may be a tad touchy about this. And Ironhide says I read to much for a warmachine.

"Dr. Killian? My name is Breakout, I am the new Autobot Commander for this mission. I was wondering if we could have a moment of your time?" He asked.

[LadyTevar]

On the ground, Pathfinder would be surprised to find his emotions echoing the high-flying Hornet. Sensors on high, his treads rumbling over the dirt roads at speed, Pathfinder was having a great time. He slowed only a little when he got to the area of the last skirmish, dropping his engine sound to a whisper. That was a trick he had over any human-built tank -- a silent running mode that could give him a little more stealth. Of course, no matter how small the tank, he was still going to make noise, but every little bit helped.

"This is Pathfinder," he radioed back to Coldstaph, giving his position. "No contacts so far. Continuing Patrol." Sensors alert, he stealthed his way forward, following a search algorism that would cover the most territory with the best efficiency.

[Cynical Cat]

"Of course," replied Stephanie. "I have to say I was expecting someone . . gruffer."

[frigidmagi]

"Of course," replied Stephanie. "I have to say I was expecting someone . . gruffer."

I allow her to climb on and start rolling forward again. I am heading towards the Joes command.

"Gruffer? I am not sure what you mean." I state.

[Cynical Cat]

"You're very polite, well spoken," replied Stephanie as she climbed on the tank. "The other Autobots are more casual and rough and tumble, verbally anyway. And Deathstrike is very straightforward, tell it like it is with no sugar coating. Direct and brutal. You're more like my younger brother after a few years in the army."

"By the way, do you have any crew space when you transform or does your fighting compartment vanish?"

[frigidmagi]

"You're very polite, well spoken," replied Stephanie as she climbed on the tank. "The other Autobots are more casual and rough and tumble, verbally anyway. And Deathstrike is very straightforward, tell it like it is with no sugar coating. Direct and brutal. You're more like my younger brother after a few years in the army."

"I've been around more biological sapient then the other Autobots, as well as most of them being much older than me. Deathstrike is unique, frankly, the other Decepticons are not like him. Part of that may be that like myself Deathstrike is younger then most of the Decepticons." I answer. The second question is again disturbing. One more time and I'll have a pattern. I've managed to fight alongside over 156 species and humans are among the minority who keep asking this. Morbid. Morbid. Morbid!

"By the way, do you have any crew space when you transform or does your fighting compartment vanish?"

"Why would I need crew space when I transform? If you are worried, please don't be. I have fought with biological sapients before and I have never transformed while having someone in my fighting compartment. Did you know Hunter asked the same thing?" I say directing attention to the other human currently riding along.