Transformers Prime: Convergence is a plot and character-development driven roleplay forum based upon canon material of TFP and RiD, but incorporates characters, elements, and plotlines from various other continuities to craft a unique story. Our community is welcoming, laid back, and dedicated to making each roleplay experience a good one.
Transformers Prime: Convergence is in no way affiliated with Hasbro, and copyrights and trademarks (including names, images, etc.) are held by their respective owners. All original content remains the property of individual writers and artists. Main header banner, board graphics, and theme by Counterklock.
Location: Energon Mine Content Warnings: Violence, Hostages Plot Summary: Rodimus and Hot Shot have been captured by the Decepticons! While it would be easy enough to keep them on board the Nemesis, there is something Megatron eagerly wants back: the Forge of Solus Prime. Taking the two captives with him, he suggests a trade with the Autobots. Can the Autobots find a way to rescue their friends without losing one of the most powerful Relics? Or will the Autobots be willing to part with another Relic in the Forge’s stead?
Due to the large list of characters involved, there will not be any official posting order for this thread. However, there will be a rough ‘group posting order’ of which adherence to will be strongly recommended. We also suggest allowing everyone to post at least once before posting again, though other members may opt to skip their post if they feel their character does not have anything meaningful to contribute. If you feel that your character would best fit in in an order that goes against the group posting order specified below, don’t be afraid to talk it over with the rest of those involved in Episode 5.3!
Note: Megatron will be posting first in this thread!
When it had been Ratchet or Pharma, or even that Techno-Organic, Megatron easily could find a way to use them to their advantage. The medics were the easiest, of course. Force them to work on the Synthetic Energon formula, perhaps have them run maintenance on the crew (Primus knew Knock Out wouldn't stop whining if he didn't). They had their use. Once they were done, they could simply be disposed of. After all, they were far too valuable to give back to the Autobots.
The Techno-Organic had taken some thinking. Sure he could just have the others torture it, but there was benefit in studying it. He would leave Shockwave and the rest of the scientists to study the creature, find advantages where organic life melded with machine.
And then there were the two hostages they had now. They were not medics, nor where they amalgamations. Simple Autobots who had stood in Megatron's way for far too long. Rodimus was an interesting case, but the other.. a prize for Vos perhaps. The tyrant didn't even know his name, nor did he care. They could just terminate the two, but there was another option.
If the Autobots wanted their compatriots back so badly.. they would have to make a sacrifice. Perhaps the relics would do, or a single relic. Megatron already knew which relic he wanted the most, and he would do anything in his power to get it out of their servos: the Forge of Solus Prime. He was still enraged from when Dreadwing had stolen the priceless weapon away, and could not allow the Autobots to keep their servos on it. They did, however, have other Relics. If he could get them to hand over their prizes, then perhaps he would allow the hostages safe passage.
...Perhaps.
It was then that he made contact with the Autobots via communications, proclaiming his declaration to the Autobots. One relic, two hostages. If they did as he asked, then their friends would potentially see freedom. If not.. they would likely be terminated.
The tyrant would send the Autobots coordinates for where to meet him, but he wouldn't go it alone. Megatron arrived at the Energon Mine he had chosen for their meeting place, waiting for Vehicon troops to bring the hostages in behind him.. as well as a carefully chosen group of warriors to join him. Megatron could only grin to himself as he held the Dark Star Saber in hand.
He totally should have been able to take Megatron! No question! He was an honorary Prime! He'd carried the Matrix, for Primus' sake, had gotten all the upgrades and everything. He was the captain of the Lost Light!
He'd gotten his revenge so far, though. The Vehicons outside his cell had been subjected to loud renditions of various Earth 80's songs at every opportunity. Frag those guys. He'd liked it better in his own universe where the war was over and he was just doing his quest. This was like a crazy rewind to the past.
He had been forced to stop his music when he was dragged out by a squad of vehicons. No one told him where he was going, despite numerous obnoxious attempts to get information out of them. They just packed him off, demanding his silence.
And that was how he ended up waiting around with Megatron, who had the big glowy sword, and a group of Vehicons.
A little worrying, considering that Megatron was just kind of...chilling.
"So, Megs, what's the deal here? You always break out the cool toys at parties like this?"
As usual, he couldn't keep his mouth shut. But, he was genuinely curious as to what was going on.
One would have expected Hot Shot to have been equally annoying as Rodimus was in this sort of situation. One would also be inclined to believe he would simply joke it off, and potentially go as far as being let go just so he would stop annoying everyone.
However, as Hot Shot found himself dragged to parts unknown.. the mech was honestly terrified in a way. It was an odd sort of feeling, and he didn't even know this part of himself until being captured in the first place. Who knew there were Decepticons so completely and utterly terrifying. Megatron was on a whole 'nother level, and then there were guys like Vos. Scary.. and just plain weird all at the same time.
Just what the heck was gonna happen to Rodimus and himself?
The younger Wrecker looked to the older Autobot, the fear in his optics plain as day. How in the world was Rodimus taking this all so well? Had he been in situations like this before?
If only he could ask the guy right now.. He was more concerned that he'd be terminated on the spot if he did. If wasn't like he could fight against the Vehicons that had him in a grapple anyway, especially with his servos locked behind his back via stasis cuffs.
Skyhook knew that the Decepticons hated Autobots, but she felt like she was at the very top of the list that hated Autobots because she truly hated them. Hated them with no end in sight, thank Primus that she had the self-control not to evolve the two Autobots before her into molten slag. She truly wanted to kill them both. But Megatron had given orders, and she had to follow these orders.
Order number one was not to kill the fragging annoying Autobot. The second was to prepare the Prisoners for transport because they were being traded for artifacts. She didn’t know much of the full extent of what this Forge of Solus prime could do, or what other artifacts might be traded, but she hoped they would be worth it.
The Seekeress had chosen to follow the convoy bringing the hostages to the location because she wanted to make sure that they didn’t try to escape. While she was certain the Vehicons could handle them, she had far more confidence in her ability to handle them should they try to escape.
Soon they were there, and the mech that was clearly older than the other Autobot started spouting off again, this time, disrespectfully to Megatron. “By Unicrons clearly unclean aft, shut the frag up! That’s Lord Megatron to you, Youngling!” she scornfully told Rodimus.
Rodimus and Hot Shot. Not her Rodimus and Hot Shot, though. It'd been a while since she'd spoken to her Rodimus, back when she was still an Autobot herself. This one was... certainly thinner than the one she'd known. He wasn't all that bad looking, either. But Hot Shot? He was a walking greenhorn. He was Rodimus's second in command back home, though he looked like he still had a ways to go on that front in this universe. Spacewarp didn't remember him being so blue before.
Spacewarp followed close behind Megatron, practically dwarfing Skyhook just a few meters back. Hearing her berate Rodimus was like listening to a teenager berate a dashingly handsome puppy, in other words annoying. "They're prisoners, Skyhook; not children. Please try to treat them that way." She had half a mind to dish out a backhand just to get the point across, before Spacewarp remembered that their Rodimus was responsible for the death of their Megatron.
Her train of thought as they paraded through the caverns was periodically disrupted by the rhythmic thumping following close behind them. It was another of Megatron's handpicked warriors to accompany them, a large fellow who was practically screaming Constructicon.
Steamhammer took up the rear of the formation, appropriately, as their wasn't a chance that anybody behind him could see anything before them. His overbearing presence was meant to serve as a further deterrent against any attempts at unauthorized jail breaking; combiners, too. He was partially afraid of accidentally bringing the cavern around down around their audials if they started fighting, so he desperately hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Yet, deep down inside him, he yearned for the Autobots to try and fight him. It had felt like eons since he'd gone up against an enemy in head to head combat. Boxing the air aboard his ship, while certainly a way to pass the time, left him without that sense of satisfaction from watching his opponent's frame bend beneath his mighty blows. He wanted to punch something, and badly.
There was another topic drifting through the lumbering Decepticons mind: the Forge. The Forge was hopefully to be their prize by the end of the exchange, and to a cold construct like himself, it meant everything. The chances of using it personally were low, but Steamhammer couldn't help but dream about it. While he was certainly used to his crude yet powerful body, his mind still skirted the edges of what his true, forged form would be. Just another daydream.
Tarn had been honored when Megatron requested his presence in this negotiation. It was an exchange...and a show of force. A display of just how much power the Decepticons truly had. They'd taken two of the Autobots' own, one of whom had even born the title of Prime for a short while. It was laughable. They would take their prisoners and scurry back to whatever rock they'd chosen to hide under, unable to face a force more formidable than their own in open combat. As had been proven by their most recent failure.
Tarn knew every Decepticon, from highest ranking to lowest, by name. He'd studied their ranks extensively, a task made more difficult with those coming in from other universes. Still, he'd been sure to keep up, even cutting into his time spent reading Towards Peace in order to do to. Red optics flickered over those gathered, pausing briefly on each faceplate. My. With that size, Steamhammer would undoubtedly give even Tesarus, the DJD's largest, more than he wanted. Should he ever betray the cause, it would definitely be a team effort to bring him down. The others...he very much doubted. Spacewarp was a warrior, and she and Skyhook both possessed aerial superiority. Plus...Skyhook was, apparently, the offspring of their Lord. That made for an interesting situation.
All of this was passing thought. Habit. As one who hunted Decepticon traitors, Tarn often sized up those around him, made idle estimates of their level of loyalty and likelihood to forsake the cause. How difficult the hunt for them would be. An unhealthy exercise for one who cared to build camaraderie, but, fortunately, Tarn was not one who cared to do so. He was Megatron's chosen executioner. He had his team. They were all he needed.
As he approached, at a measured, unhurried pace, he heard Rodimus' remark and the reactions elicited. Amusement flared within him. Bound and outnumbered, the Autobot posed little threat. He simply barked loudly. And the other- Vos's capture, he recalled- looked absolutely terrified. Good.
Tarn chuckled as he approached, a deep rumble of his vocalizer.
"Don't waste your ire on him, Skyhook," he said, a thin touch of humor in his tone, "In my experience, it is those who are most afraid who speak the most."
He came to a stop, exuding confidence as he folded his arms, double fusion canon on top.
Making her way through the energon mines was no easy task, yet, the engineer was highly capable, and despite vehicons making efforts to assist her, Lightspeed was now on her own. She could hear the resounding echoes resonating throughout the cavernous expanse, halting every once in a while to redirect herself. She carried her data pads, she'd originally wanted to spend her day working constructively on weapons or plague design. However; the chance to see the very Forge of Solus Prime, an engineering miracle, well... now she just couldn't pass that opportunity up. She moved with ease, her bio-luminescent red veining pulsing in excitement as she could hear conversation just up ahead. The femme accelerated her pace, eventually emerging into a larger cavern.
Lightspeed felt inferior; those whom were there were substantially larger than her. Even though she was about twice Arcee's size, she was but an insect next to Lord Megatron, or Steamhammer. Though, Steamhammer didn't give her an unsettling feeling in her gut... Not like Megatron did. It was if any moment she could do something wrong and he'd in turn do away with her. She shook her helm, approaching the gathering of Decepticons around the imprisoned Autobots. She took a few jogging steps and fell into place beside Steamhammer, the senior Engineer.
"Has any negotiating taken place yet?"
She inquired, to no one in particular, though her voice wasn't too loud, she was certainly loud enough to be heard by the larger Cons. She was incredibly intrigued, she'd never actually seen any fully functioning Autobots before. Most of them had been on a laboratory table, and none had really talked to her. Well, they had been busy screaming. But, that was not the point. Once more she shook her helm as if she could physically rid her processor of these infectious thoughts.
Despite his reserved demeanor, Ruminator's mind was practically buzzing with excitement as he joined the others, keeping near Lightspeed and Steamhammer.
The excitement wasn't just about the Autobot hostages. No, it wasn't even mostly about the Autobot hostages. Sure, it was entertaining to see them squirm-- or one of them, anyway. He was also interested in the Forge of Solus Prime; as an engineer and on the whole. On many levels it was really pretty fascinating. At least, what he knew about it.
What really set his mind going, though, was the potential of this situation. Not that he wanted to get his hands dirty. He never particularly did. But if fighting got involved, weapons could be too. Weapons meant his expertise might potentially be required. Why else would he be here, he figured. After so long of sitting on the sidelines and not doing much of anything, the mere idea that he could be useful was almost enough to make him grin.
Of course, he didn't.
"None that I've heard or seen." Ruminator's own voice was pretty quiet. Exactly how he preferred it. "This should be interesting." He crossed his arms in front of himself, falling silent once again.
"Well, if the older junk heap does become a nuisance, that could be easily remedied just switching off his vocalizer...for a while." Flatline spoke up in regards to Rodimus' next outburst, something he had yet to stop since the Vehicons went to retrieve him and Hot Shot. At least the younger one seemed smart enough to keep his mouth shut. But, despite the option being more than open, Flatline admitted, it was rather amusing in a weird way to see Rodimus attempt to know the situation.
The whole time they had made their way into the Energon Mines, he had been rather silent himself, which wasn't common for Flatline. The medic and warrior was normally quite social, willing to exchange remarks during a mission, but not this time. He had resided himself in falling in step near the Seekers, his Nex hammer in hand which occasionally sparked with electricity at the hammer's head. But his optics always peered wearily at Megatron's Dark Star Saber, having not been in such close proximity to Dark Energon since the small sliver he had found back on Cybertron which had since been absorbed into his own form.
He didn't quite know what effect it would have on that small trace in his systems, so he was being rather...careful, just in case it was triggered.
Pushing such thoughts aside, Flatline rested the lower part of the hammer on the ground once they came to the meeting spot, "Let's just hope the Autobots are smart enough to not jeopardize their chances of getting their teammates back in one piece though." Flatline chuckled darkly. Taking Autobots apart piece by piece wouldn't be overly difficult for him, and he would be more than will to give those meeting them some incentive.
Ultra Magnus hadn't been much help in the organization of their retrieval mission. It seemed a difficult exchange. The lives of their comrades for the priceless advantage of the Iaconian relics. The Forge had been the relic up for trade, but a plan had been devised among their ranks. A fake. A falsified Forge of Solus would be presented to the Decepticon forces in an attempt to retrieve Hot Shot and Rodimus in return.
"So we're in agreement that the impostor is at least passing for the Forge, yes?" he looks to his partners for confirmation. "If there's an adjustment to be made, speak now."
Dinobot looked over their faux Forge carefully as he walked beside it, the hammer being taller than him even on its side. This plan was a risky one, but their only shot at getting the captured two back without massive cost. The replica was quite accurate in form, detail and size. The Techno-Organic peered up to Ultra Magnus, having to lean back due to the size difference. "It's a good replica, but we should get the hostages out quickly. Just in case."
Windblade likewise observed the false Forge, finding it hard to believe that this would have been a fake if she hadn't known about the plan. But, it seemed one of their best moves in attempt to get Rodimus and Hot Shot back after the last fiasco. Being unable to have stopped the Decepticons from taking their teammates stung her spark to no end, but they had been out-gunned and their numbers had been dropping faster than Earth flies and they had had no choice but to retreat.
She was hoping to make up for that in going on this mission as well.
"Looks pretty set to me." Windblade agreed as her wings shifted in anticipation to get going. "But I gotta admit, I'm rearing to put some hurt on the Cons for what they've done these past several months, if its not our medics or our younglings, its our teammates." She spoke angrily, punching her fist into her opposite hand.
Ironhide glanced at the fake forge, busy fine-tuning his cannons and ensuring the ignition substance inside his 'water gun' was ready to go. He didn't care much for this whole situation, but, another strike on the warship had been out of the question. As had just showing up, guns blazing.
Which is what Ironhide wanted to do, but, Magnus was in charge.
"'s not like they can tell without a Prime there to prove it," he rumbled, his plasma cannon giving a whirl, before it powered down, "Looks like a big 'ole hammer to me."