Transformers: World War II

[General Havoc]

"But," said Hornet, "then how come you're here?"

It was perhaps an odd question, but then Hornet's mind worked in odd ways. Anyone who knew him for more than ten minutes could figure that out.

He was relieved to hear that Deathstrike didn't think he was a Decepticon, and it never crossed his mind that he might mean something else by it. But then Deathstrike had started talking about something else entirely, something he only partly understood, and, as always, he found that he just had to ask.

"You're... you're a Decepticon, right?" he asked, and he didn't sound taunting or accusatory, he was stating a fact, like the color of the sky. "That... that tank you hit. He didn't like you very much." Understatement of the year, but Hornet had a point. "A lot of Autobots don't like Decepticons very much," he said. He lowered his head. "When they... when they thought I was one, they said ... some of them said that they should smelt me into slag metal or something."

"And... you don't like the Autobots very much. No Decepticon does, and even if they did, I can tell that you don't by the way you were talking to that tank and the others," he said. "But... even though you don't like them, you're here working for them." He glanced over at Stephanie. "She said that you swore an oath of loyalty or something to the humans in Canada, even though none of the Decepticons like humans. And now, even though the Autobots don't like you, or at least some of them don't, you're here helping them fight the other Decepticons."

He blinked up at Deathstrike. "That wasn't out of principle?"

[LadyTevar]

"Man we just keep getting the latest and greatest huh? Now if they could just send us a half-dozen of these babies we could push the Germans back a bit huh?" Hunter walked up to the tank and slapped the side.

"Please... as if they'd survive having the first one around," Pathfinder retorted. He'd seen Breakout going full warrior mode before. "Breakout, let me introduce you to Hunter, acting CO for the 'Joes' as the American forces are called. He will be able to introduce you to the base officers."

Pathfinder was tiny compared to Breakout. The little Stuart tank could literally roll under Breakout's main cannon, and did as he turned around to point back to base. "Base is this way. Both Overload and Deathstrike are there." Even as he said that, Pathfinder was just waiting to see how Breakout and Deathstrike would react to each other. "Let's roll out, and leave Cavalier to finish hauling the cargo."

[Cynical Cat]

"I can't tell you what other Decepticons think," said Deathstrike. "I don't dislike humans. As for me, one cannot regain ones honour by acting dishonourably. I have an obligation to those who restored my life and I will honour it."

[General Havoc]

"Oh that's real chivalrous of you, Pathfinder," said Cavalier over the radio, loading his voice with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "Great idea. Let's make the tank unload the boat. Hope you enjoy waterlogged ammo. I'll try not to ruin too many loads."

As though to make a point, he imperturbably dropped another pallet from five meters, sending boxes of C-rations spilling all over the dock.

Honestly, he didn't mind cargo work all that much (what else was he gonna do, really?) but he felt it was necessary to make the usual protestations. Wouldn't want people to get the wrong impression, after all.

*----------------------------------------------------------*

Hornet nodded slowly, though he still looked confused. He was having trouble following why Deathstrike would disparage the Autobots for being too wedded to their principles when he himself seemed to do the same thing. But that wasn't the question he asked.

"Regain your honor?" he asked carefully. "What... what happened?"

[LadyTevar]

"I'll let Deathstrike know you're dumping his ammo in the ocean, Cavalier," Pathfinder called back. "As well as letting the Joes know you're spilling their food and cigarettes all over the dock. I'm sure they'll all have plenty to say to you about it."

Pathfinder already knew that the Joes like their K-rations with the cigarettes and the Chiclet gum. There was already a nice trading system in place with the Russians, and the cigarettes were even being used as ante for the poker games.

[SirNitram]

"Drop another crate, Cavalier, and I'll happily render you just a head and mail you back to Prime for sabotaging military operations." Overload came over the comm. "I don't care what bullshit excuse you have, how whiny you get, try and act like a Primus-damn professional for once in your overrated career."

[Cynical Cat]

"My resolve weakened and I failed my lord," said Deathstrike. "The friends who followed me and relied upon me died and I was reduced to this."

[General Havoc]

It really didn't matter what Overload said, thought, or threatened. Cavalier was not a crane, and no amount of fender-chewing was going to change that. Of the next five supply pallets, two more were dropped, one from enough height to shake the load loose, though fortunately not high enough to break anything. After that, the humans simply refused to let him continue, for fear he was going to tip a medium tank into the Gulf of Leningrad. Cavalier didn't say anything, but as far as he was concerned, Overload was welcome to walk over here and put his money where his speaker was. Even a processor-dead idiot knew that there was no point in giving out punishment details that the offender couldn't physically do. One might as well have told Pathfinder to fly.

"Where the hell did this pocket calculator learn how to run an outfit?" he asked himself, using only his internal speaker system. With luck, Breakout would actually know how to run a proper punishment detail. Having another tank in charge would be a welcome change.

[Cynical Cat]

"I wonder what is taking Breakout?" Deathstrike mused. "He should be here by now, unless Cavalier unloads cargo even worse than he fights."

[frigidmagi]

"Breakout, let me introduce you to Hunter, acting CO for the 'Joes' as the American forces are called. He will be able to introduce you to the base officers."

"Greetings Commander. I am Breakout. Prime has sent me to take command of the Autobots stationed here. While I need to meet up with Overload and speak to the Autobots here. I would be glad to arrange a meeting at your convenience. I am sure we have much to discuss." Breakout said.

[Charon]

"Commander?" Hunter coughed a few times. "No no. I'm not a commander. Just one of the Joes, you'd be looking for Flash. He's the commander here. I think I know where Overload is though."

[SirNitram]

Indeed. It was hard not to notice the steam engine which wasn't on the tracks.

[LadyTevar]

"And here he is, right on time," Pathfinder quipped. "Better than most trains around here."

[Cynical Cat]

Deathstrike checked another crate. Missiles, or what passed as missiles on their backwards planet. Unguided rockets with chemical explosive warheads. They generally went where pointed. He silently considered the effort of introducing transistor and solid state circuitry production. Unlikely that he could significantly accelerate such developments without a significant absence from the field. Hopefully the Autobots were working on it, which was a good thing since they weren't running sorties against the enemy. Perhaps they hoped the Germans would just die of old age.

[frigidmagi]

Breakout turned his turret towards Pathfinder without saying a word to the Bot. He then spoke to the Joe.

"My apologies Hunter. I will have to locate Commander Flash shortly. For now however, Overload and I must speak. Please excuse me." With that I roll away towards Overload. I need to get briefed over what has been happening here.

Also, I need to make sure Pathfinder has less idle hands on his time.

[SirNitram]

Breakout turned his turret towards Pathfinder without saying a word to the Bot. He then spoke to the Joe.

"My apologies Hunter. I will have to locate Commander Flash shortly. For now however, Overload and I must speak. Please excuse me." With that I roll away towards Overload. I need to get briefed over what has been happening here.

Also, I need to make sure Pathfinder has less idle hands on his time.

Overload remained in vehicle mode, switching to private comm. "Welcome to the front. We got hit pretty hard a few hours after arrival, but we pushed it back and repaired the fortress and ourselves. Well, Deathstryke mostly got scrap we recovered welded on where he lost bits, but it's what we've got."

Overload let out a burst of steam, akin to a sigh. "When we engage, we do well. Typically one Autobot to a human team when we send out skirmishers. Solid team. The Combaticons are likely still around, along with your dear pal."

There was a pause. "And Cavalier and Pathfinder are reminding me why I avoided units full of war-bots back on Cybertron, no offense. At least leading a unit of civvies who've been through the worst, you know they aren't gonna turn on each other. We're all too old to fiddle with such trifles, seen too much. Those two? Endless baiting of Deathstrike, and now this new flyer, Hornet. I keep trying to get them to shut up, do like you warbots do, but it seems to make it all worse. I'll trasmit the full logs of the incidents, of course."

[frigidmagi]

I don't need to go through the logs to know what Overload means. This is bad. They are wasting energy and breaking down unit unity. Not to mention pushing towards the very situation they claim to fear.

Sometimes I wonder about my elders. With the exceptions of Deathstrike and Hornet every bot on this base is millions of vorns older then me. More life experience then entire species out there... And they never seem to learn a damn thing. Primus help me are we a disabled species?

I rev my engine a bit to calm down. Thinking down these paths never helps.

"I see what you mean. We'll have to take care of it. For now, just so I am clear you have done no follow up actions? Just patrols?" I'll need to find the nearest enemy base. While Overload was right to wait for reinforcements before moving... We cannot allow the enemy time to get his feet under him. We are outnumbered, out-teched and out gunned.

Lucky enough that's S.O.P for me. We will of course attack.

[SirNitram]

"Confirmed. With the arrival of Hornet, I think we finally have the assets to conduct proper recon, but obviously that's your choice. I've considered flybys in my smaller mode, but I had my doubts about the wisdom of recon flights when our only other air asset was a ground-attack starfighter." Overload replied. "I'm ready to roll out, sir. I just hope I haven't fatally undermined unit cohesion."

[frigidmagi]

"Confirmed. With the arrival of Hornet, I think we finally have the assets to conduct proper recon, but obviously that's your choice. I've considered flybys in my smaller mode, but I had my doubts about the wisdom of recon flights when our only other air asset was a ground-attack starfighter." Overload replied. "I'm ready to roll out, sir. I just hope I haven't fatally undermined unit cohesion."

"Your choices were quiet logical and appropriate given your resources. As for the unit's cohesion, I wouldn't waste to many cycles worrying about it. It'll be taken care of. You did well as CO and I will tell Prime such. As of now you are unit XO. I will need to speak to the Joe commander and the Local Russian commander if possible. First however, we require a unit meeting. Where would be the best place to gather for such a meeting?" I ask.

[LadyTevar]

Pathfinder sighed heavily as Breakout rolled away. The turrent pointed at him was clearly a sign the larger bot was not amused. "Well, Hunter, let's load up and roll out. I'm sure Deathstrike's wondering where we are now."

[Charon]

Hunter glanced at Pathfinder and smirked. "I doubt it. He's probably enjoying not being under your watch. I'll catch up to you, I just want to look at the manifest list and see if we got any real goodies."

[General Havoc]

Hornet meanwhile was digesting what Deathstrike had said, though it was plain from his expression that he didn't understand. Still, he didn't become upset or demanding. It was apparent that not understanding the explanation other bots gave as to what they had done, was nothing new to him.

He went quiet for a few minutes as Overload moved off, presumably to talk with the new bot that was arriving to take over around here. Hornet wondered to himself who it would be. He didn't hold out a lot of hope that this new commander would be particularly loose with him, but hopefully he wouldn't need an armed escort just to leave the base anymore.

And even if he did, at least he was finally outdoors again.

"D'you think we'll get to fly soon?" he asked, directing the question at Deathstrike and Stephanie both, with the unmistakable style of a kid asking if he was to be allowed to visit the circus. He had a sort of sheepish, eagerly expectant grin on his face, for while the others didn't know it, he had not been permitted to fly at all except for very specific flight paths, either to get from point A to B, or to test out some system. It didn't take a lot of imagination to realize that a flier denied the right to fly soon felt extremely cooped up.

[Cynical Cat]

"Yes," said Deathstrike. "Very soon, if I'm right. Breakout is not the sort of Autobot to do nothing while a war rages around him."

[LadyTevar]

"As you wish, Hunter. Just keep Cavalier from breaking things."

With that, Pathfinder turned and started down the road towards the fortress, before remembering his 'training'. "Breakout, Overload, I'm returning to base unless you have other duties for me," Pathfinder reported.

[SirNitram]

"Coldstaph base, where we can assume robot mode. And where Deathstrike and a few others are. I'm ready to roll; this is as much of a load as they allow me. Damn secrecy, this isn't even a warmup."