NCC Central Hub

This is the very center of New Crystal City, and serves as the gateway to the other areas of the base. A feeling of claustrophobia exists here despite the fact that this part of the city is open to the air. Now in Battle Station Mode, the Central Hub has far less buildings than usual, as many have transformed themselves into huge laser defense cannons and missile turrets. There are very few positions one can take to hide from the weapons without being forced to take evasive action. The roadways have laser point-defense systems protecting them. The important buildings, including the medical ward and the command center now have a huge layer of thick metal protecting them, covering up the facilities and protecting them from harm.

Contents:

Catechism

Trypticon <T>

Decepticon Sensor #1792

The Powerbase

Obvious exits:

North <N> leads to Mount R'Lyeh.

Northeast <NE> leads to NCC Dungeon.

Northwest <NW> leads to NCC Medical Ward.

South <S> leads to NCC Coastline.

Southeast <SE> leads to NCC Residential Plaza.

Southwest <SW> leads to NCC Spaceport.

East <E> leads to NCC Arena.

West <W> leads to NCC Central Command.

Fly <Up>

Fleet flies... no, falls in. Well, almost. Just before it would be too late, he twists in the air and turns on both his jets and anti-gravs full power, filling the area with a roaring noise that accomplishes nothing more than preventing him from hitting the ground hard. Then it stops, there is silence, and he touches down lightly.

Well, that was certainly flashy, Catechism notes of Fleet's arrival. She has been having a wonderful time... wait for it... reading news files. Yay that. Reviewing their earlier raid, it occurs to Catechism that things might have gone rather differently if they had been attacked. Everything would still have turned out fine for the Empire, of course, but their own personal results might have been somewhat unsatisfactory. With that in mind, she inquires of the more lightly-built Seeker, "You busy?"

Fleet, who had landed facing away from Catechism, landed also with a huge grin on his face. A nice ending to a nice dance... of course, the flashy ending is liable to raise a few eye ridges, but it was still so much fun... and enough of a favorite of his that folks already know about it, without necessarily connecting it to the dance above. He starts a bit when Catechism speaks and turns, subduing his smile somewhat. It takes a moment for him to process what's being said... You. Busy. You, who? Oh, me. Busy? Well... he shakes his head. "No, not particularly. Why?"

"What if that raid had gone differently?" Catechism asks, apropos of nothing. It sounds a bit weird coming from the optimistic, often oblivious conehead, but, as always, she's got a rationale. She knows that Fleet is intelligent and not too keen on getting his tailfins handed to him. A simple request to go mess around with the training drone because she wants to beat something and have company while she does it isn't likely to appeal to him. Perhaps a lead off with a hypothetical question will serve her better.

"Then it would have gone differently," replies the yellow seeker. "I've been on raids that go poorly. We learn from them, and then take measures to reduce the possibility that it happens again."

That's what Catechism gets for trying to be smart. Try two. "We don't have to learn from our mistakes, though. We can learn from the mistakes that didn't happen." Pause. Think. Did that makes sense? "I mean, that raid went like clockwork, but if it hadn't, we'd have been left with me up in the air and you down there in the power plant. That's not exactly the best arrangement given two Seekers. So, I was wondering if you wanted to try some team fighting against the training drone." She doesn't mention that if she sees another news file she's going to go into recharge mode out of boredom. She doesn't mention that she just wants to beat something.

Fleet chuckles quietly. "Catechism, if you want to go for a training session, you could have just asked that to begin with. I don't mind training sessions. They keep your skill sharp and help you to improve your abilities, and that, in turn, helps you to survive when you're dealing with the real thing. And you should know by now that I'm *well* in favor of anything that increases my chances of survival."

Catechism ends up laughing, despite herself. "I just thought you were too... never mind." She waves a hand as if to brush away that last train of thought. Her grin's as a bright as a solar flare as she admits, "Yeah, I want to go for a training session." She holds out her arms, empty-handed, as if to show that she's got nothing to hide, perfectly transparent conehead here. Just forget that she's got those standard arm guns on there, eh?

Fleet begins walking in the direction of the arena. "All right. So you want to team up against the drone?" He frowns. He can't even beat that thing on low while solo, to be honest... he wasn't sure what he should set it up for if two people are fighting it. 'Of course,' he thinks, 'all the training sessions in the world won't help *her* with her worst weakness... you need actual Autobots around for that.'

Kryptonite? Catechism skips ahead, which is fairly noisy given that she's several tons of metal landing on a metal surface. Nodding, she says, "Yeah. Fighting you's fine, but I don't expect the Autobots or xenos to be fielding too many Seekers. We've got too much sense for that." She uses 'we' in a general sense to refer to all Seekers.

Fleet does not answer Catechism's final comment, being one who's always been convinced that far too many seekers got bored and left the 'assembly line' in the factory before the common sense subroutines got programmed in. But he does manage a smile and chuckle in response, one that makes it seem like he agrees, at least.

* Spiny *

Holo Arena

Inside the Holo Arena are black, rubber-coated walls to protect the steel and also to reduce the noise, as these sparring matches can get very violent. A central control room is suspended from the ceiling, heavily reinforced to protect the advanced computer that controls the holo-imaging and stores thousands of simulation scenariors. If a desired scenario isn't already available, then the computer allows for additional programming.

Contents:

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon>

Catechism comes into the Holo Arena.

Fleet glides over to the controls and considers them for a moment. "So... if the worry is that today's raid might have gone poorly, perhaps we should use that as the setting?"

Catechism snorts. "I wasn't worried, but that's as good a scenario as anything, and we're probably going to be raiding power plants for a while." Or until the next evil scheme. Whichever.

"All right, then." His adjust the controls, programming in the power plant from earlier that day. He also sets the drone's level to Medium, realizing that the drone attacks twice as quickly when it had twice the assailants.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> comes alive with glittering lights as various weapons arm themselves. "Skill Level set to medium," the drone emits. "Prepare for combat."

At the start of the scenario, Fleet seems to vanish, although if Catechism were to fly over the whole in the plant's roof, she'd see that he's back inside. From the distance, a figure approaches, an armored suit similar to other ones used by the natives on this planet, but somehow more... generic.

Catechism says, more thinking out loud than anything else, "Now, I was up in the air, and you were down in the power plant..." On that note, she jumps into the air and transforms.

Catechism transforms into her alternate mode: a F-35, Marine Corps variant. Her feet flip up against her shins, her nosecone rotates through her body and out in front where it belongs, her arms tuck into her torso, and her wings rotate into position.

Instead of circling, as she actually did, Catechism breaks pattern and scissors. The F-35 radios, "We've got one of those power armour thingies coming up." Yeah, that sounds really technical.

Fleet looks up, acting as though he hadn't been expecting this. He leaves the mock cube-o-matic creating little mock-cubes and return-radios, "Right. On my way!" With that he takes off, leaping into the air, out through the hole.

"Leaving the cube-o-matic like that is just asking for some cassette to sneak in and sabotage the whole thing," Catechism notes. "Not that it actually worked out too well for them the last time." Her attention might have been far more focused on the xeno jet, but she did notice at least that much on the raid on Iran. She continues scissoring. A straight flight path or, worse yet, hovering makes it too easy to be hit.

Fleet hovers in the sky, looking around to get an idea where the xeno was approaching from. Then he leans in its direction and kicks his jets into high power, transforming as he moves forward to strike the armored germ with his most powerful weapon to start up. He radios back, "That may well be, but sticking around to guard that thing would kind of defeat the purpose of having a team up session. I'll contact Fulcrum and see if it has any kind of anti-tamper devices on it." Before the message is half finished he's already fired his rockets.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> evades your rocket attack.

You evade Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon>'s plasma attack.

"I know. I thought I'd just point that out." The F-35 flies a bit up and ahead relative to Fleet. It's a fairly poky ground-based opponent, so she transforms to her slower robot mode, knowing that her gauss weaponry is equal to her jet mode's rockets in power, should she need a big 'punch', and that her robot mode armour is better than her jet mode. Instead, though, Catechism goes with her less powerful laser, a weaker attack to get a feel for the foe's defenses.

F-35, Marine Corps variant, transforms into robot form. Catechism's feet unfold, her arms unfold out of her body, her nosecone rotates through her body and ends up on her shoulders to expose her face, and her wings rotate into position.

Catechism misses Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with her laser attack.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> strikes Catechism with energy_sword.

The drone-as-exo-suited-foe is quite deft, swiftly dodging beneath both Fleet's rocket and to the left of Catechism's laser attack. It fires a plasma bolt at the pyramid jet in response before closing the distance between itself and the nearer Catechism. An energy sword comes into being at the end of its right 'hand' as it does approach, and once it is close enough it takes a stab at the conehead.

The yellow tetrajet banks to the left, and just in time to avoid the plasma shot coming from the 'xeno'. He turns his move into a roll and turns the roll into a transform, choosing his better armored robot mode in case that thing's attacks get any closer this time around. While still turning on his longitudal axis he swings his arms above his head, flying 'Superman-style' for a moment to fire at the foe with his shoulder mounted lasers.

You strike Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with Shoulder-Mounted Laser.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "7 points of damage done."

You evade Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon>'s blow attack.

It's a good thing that Catechism didn't use a more powerful weapon, as the power armour mech still manages to evade her laser bolt, proving itself perhaps more agile than the Seeker gave the ground-bound thing credit for. Also, it looks like Catechism flew a bit too far ahead. Oops. The generic power armour mech takes advantage of this and gets a good solid hit on the offending Seeker with its power sword, slicing into her arm. Yelping, the conehead has half a mind just to haul out and punch the darn thing. However, she falls back and looks over at Fleet. Team fighting. Right. If she gets in close, Fleet won't be able to shoot without risking hitting her. So she opts for her disruptor instead.

Catechism strikes Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with disruptor.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "7 points of damage done."

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> misses Catechism with its energy_sword attack.

Now the virtual exo-suit isn't fairing too well. Perhaps its earlier evasion was just luck or perhaps the Seekers are getting their acts together, but both Seekers’ attacks hit it squarely. Despite its generic-ness, it looks vaguely angry and takes a foolish swipe at the nimble Fleet and equally foolish sword slash at Catechism, who managed to fall back just out of range, and misses both attacks.

The yellow seeker's twirl is enough to keep him from the drone's attack, but just after it comes to a sudden stop as he crouches his legs and then sticks the right one out, jets on, to stabilize himself. When he's finished with this maneuver he's in something of a strange, semi-upright crouch midair. This doesn't last more than a few microseconds as Flee, never one to stand still, brings his legs back together and 'leaps' up, left arm still extended in the direction of the drone so as to strike at it with his disruptor.

You strike Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with disruptor.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "3 points of damage done."

You evade Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon>'s energy_sword attack.

Someone a bit more objective than Catechism might note that melee combat really isn't what Seekers are cut out for, particularly Seekers who have no built-in melee-specific attacks, but even she has to admit that falling back like that and shooting was a better idea than trying to punch the exo-suit. She side-steps, draws a bead on that annoying sword arm the exo-suit seems so fond of, and fires with her pistol.

Catechism strikes Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with Zap!.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "7 points of damage done."

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> strikes Catechism with energy_sword.

The mock-xeno is battered this round. Well, lightly battered from Fleet, but still, battered on both sides. There are minor scorch marks here and there, and a few larger scorch marks from Catechism's assault. Despite the attempts by the seekers to keep distance between themselves and it, however, it keeps attacking them with its favorite weapon. Catechism's hit helps the slightly more nimble Fleet to avoid its strike, but in retaliation it turns and swings at her.

Fleet decides he has enough altitude and he begins instead moving to the right, trying to put some distance between himself and... Catechism, in an attempt to force the drone to stop attacking the both of them with melee. He flies wide, 'lying' on his side in the air as he arcs around and fires at the thing from it's right (to move any further would be to risk hitting Catechism as well).

You strike Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with Rail Gun.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "9 points of damage done."

You evade Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon>'s energy_sword attack.

Catechism reacts too slowly to avoid the exo-suit's sword-lunge and gets a nice, sparking cut in her thigh. Could be worse. Could have lost the leg altogether. Taking that as a cue, the Seekr tries to get out of the way more, partly because of the melee threat and partly to give fleet more room to aim. She's getting really sick of that stupid energy sword, so it's no more Miss SNADcon. Catechism holds out an arm, charges up her gauss gun, and fires, smirking grimly. Now, how do exo-suits like their high-energy magnetics? Not much, one suspects.

Catechism strikes Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with gauss.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "12 points of damage done."

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> misses Catechism with its energy_sword attack.

The drone exo-suit's AI seems unable to understand that there is more to life than slashing at out-of-range Seekers with an energy sword. This silly insistence on melee also leaves it open for ranged attacks, and both Fleet's rail gun and Catechism's gauss connect. There's some smoke rising from it now in addition to all the scorch marks and sparking wires can be seen where the armor has been blown away. It tries to close the distance between it and Fleet, but Fleet is just too quick and high up for the ground-pounder, and it fails. When it turns to Catechism, she also manages to get out of the way in ample time.

The damned drone was starting to annoy Fleet now, and it hadn't even touched him. Melee melee melee... although, to be honest, it was probably a lot safer than its plasma attack. He kicks his right leg behind him to change direction, pointing himself right at the thing, and begins to right himself from the 'side-lying' position, transforming once more as he roars towards it, attempting to unleash his more powerful rockets in an attempt to finished the annoying xeno-wanna-be off.

You strike Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with rocket.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "11 points of damage done."

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> strikes you with energy_sword for 13 points of damage.

If that idiot thing wants melee... no, no. Must consider the pastel one. Must consider her own injuries and lack of melee weapons. Sighing, Catechism again tries to get out of melee range, simply falling back rather than anything fancy, given her wounds, lines up a shot with her laser, and fires.

Catechism strikes Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with laser.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "11 points of damage done."

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> misses Catechism with its plasma attack.

The exo-suit-drone-thing finally gets its AI together this time around, but it's a little late. It takes a rocket in the left shoulder, leaving a gaping, sparking, hole where no gaping, sparking hole should be, but it retains the presence of non-mind to swing at Fleet with its energy sword as he attempts his fly-by. Its distraction, however, sets it up nicely for the receipt of Catechism's laser in the back, putting another hole and some nice little scorce marks to match the one it has in the front. It spins - no - turns clumsily and fires at the conehead with the range attack that it had only employed once before this fight.

Ouch. Ouch. Serious, serious ouch. Fleet had allowed himself to get overconfident and, consequently, set himself up to take a fairly heavy slice from the thing's sword, leaving a nasty looking gash in his underside. In response the yellow jet transforms again, swearing not to leave himself in more vulnerable jet mode again this battle, and twists on one, two, three axes at once in order to right himself and spin so that he's once more facing the drone after the rather painful results of his flyby. As soon as the thing comes into view the seeker flings both hands out fires the attacked lasers.

You strike Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> with Shoulder-Mounted Laser.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> emits, "6 points of damage done."

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> is deactivated under the fierce barrage of attacks.

Training Drone <NCC/Trypticon> shuts down momentarily and resets as you succeed in defeating it at this skill level!

Catechism gets her taser ready, largely because this thing ought to look darn funny if it gets tasered and it doesn't deserve any respectful attacks. Her leg wound makes her stagger and almost fall down as she tries to put more distance between herself and the annoying pseudo-exo-suit, and it is this that lets the unexpected plasma blast pass harmlessly over her conical head. Grimacing, she manages to get herself upright and notices that Fleet beat the thing while she was trying not to fall over and that it has now reset. Captain Obvious, she comments, smiling despite the pain, "You nailed that scraplet!"

Fleet 'stands' in the air, looking *down* at the fallen exo-suit. "Stupid... damned stupid... gha!" he shakes his head and then looks up tiredly at Catechism. "I finished it, but I couldn't have taken it down alone. But then, that was the point of this, right? Practicing team work?" Finally, a worn grin. "So I guess it worked, right?"

Team work is a beautiful thing. It's almost as beautiful as the look on a commander's face when his XO finally stabs him in the back for the very last time. "A win is a win, no matter how you get it," Catechism paraphrases, smiling crookedly. "I'd wager this worked, then." She resists the urge to go give the fallen exo-suit a kick for good measure. That'd be dumb given her leg wound.

Fleet nods. "But now... I think I could do with a quick recharge." He turns and heads for the 'wall' to reality, looking forward to the removal of his injuries.