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Crossroads The crossroads here are one of the few remaining functional intersections on Cybertron. Four thoroughfares enter and exit this cloverleaf monstrosity made up of intricately woven levels of superhighways, but the actual routes can only be determined by traveling them. Stacked three levels above the surrounding landscape, the entire exchange is covered with a huge glass dome. The purpose of the dome was lost long ago with the construction crew that built this interchange, but now it simply provides some shelter from the occasional caustic storms that arise on Cybertron. The area around the interchange is relatively flat and since the crossroads are raised above it, there is room underneath for travelers to rest or admire the open view. Hotly contested in more recent times, whoever controls this central transit point could potentially control entrance to Iacon as well as the Crystal City so the Autobots and neutral citizens of Crystal City try and keep close guard over it. Contents: Darkair Automated-Defense Sentries Obvious exits: Up leads to Sky above Iacon Crossroads. East leads to Expressway. North leads to Iacon Highway. West leads to Ruined Outpost. South leads to Old Cybertronia. Assault VTOL(#835PXwAC) Hanging in the air delicately as if suspended on an invisible string of monofilament, the HS-511 assault VTOL greatly resembles a steel-grey Apache helicopter in shape and size, but the resemblances stop there. It lacks rotors of any sort, instead bobbing through the air like a wasp on an antigravity field generated by a pair of turbine-shaped cylinders mounted on either side of the main engine fairing. These barrel-like cylinders, dark grey with trimming the color of evergreen leaves, rotate as needed, pushing the VTOL in any given direction with astonishing agility and speed. Its turreted nose, branded with the ominous violet chevron of the Decepticon Empire, dips as it moves forward, the twin-rudder tailfins giving it stability and poise. Strangely for a craft of its size, the cockpit appears to be rather small, the emerald-hued canopy implying room for only one passenger. Aside from the menacing graviton turret under the VTOL's nose, dim recesses in each stubby wing hide a pair of 160mm autocannons, and the wing braces bristle with antipersonnel rockets. The messages imparted by this aircraft's arrival are clear: Decepticon warriors rally, Imperial citizens rejoice... Autobots beware. Darkair raises his arms and points them in the VTOL's direction, after a moment he speaks in a quiet voice, "You have five seconds to vacate Autobot territory." Assault VTOL wheels about as the Autobot makes a sound, revealing his position and clarifying the hazy ground contact that's been eluding her madar for the past five minutes. Wheeling about, she weaves up and over through the maze of overpasses, attempting to juxtapose her position so that the Autobot contact is between her and the sentry drones. Drifting, her outspeaker clicks on, emitting, "My audio sensors must be failing with time. I believe I just heard you refer to any given part of Cybertron as rebel territory." Darkair closes his fists, "5." Assault VTOL's outspeaker thunders, "Cybertron is a planet of the Decepticon Empire, and you are in violation of the Civilian Disarmament Statute. Persistent violation of this will result in your termination. Disarm and remove your weaponry and you may return to Crystal City unmolested. Assault on an Imperial officer will result in your termination. You have ten seconds to comply with this edict, rebel." Darkair says, "4." <Decepticon> Assault VTOL says, "New contact, bearing 187-Gamma, level three of the throughfare crossroads. Unidentified rebel in defiance of Civilian Disarmament. Warning to disarm has been given." <Decepticon> Shockwave says, "Identification of rebel unit." Assault VTOL counts down steadily, her outspeaker booming as her search madar acquires the target and locks on. "Eight seconds to disarm and return to approved civilian traffic." Darkair grips his fists tighter and shimmers of light begin in each, "3." <Decepticon> Assault VTOL says, "Autobot markings, fifteen meters in height, ebony coloration. The rebel claims that this is Autobot territory, which is an oxymoron." <Decepticon> Assault VTOL clarifies, "the crossroads are defined in neutral standing. Autobots hold no such claim to my knowledge." Assault VTOL, as she receives a broadband transmission, alters her posture slightly, rising in altitude by ten meters. There is a slightly audible mechanical noise, as the 160mm autocannons in the winglets lock shells, and the graviton turret in the nose whirs into place. "Six seconds, rebel. Autobots hold no valid territorial claim. This is a neutral, nonmilitary freeway and you are in defiance of disarmament laws." <Decepticon> Shockwave says, "Agreed, then permission is granted to defend this neutral zone." Darkair says, "2." Assault VTOL lashes Darkair with active targeting sensors, indicated by a slight haze of static. "One second, rebel. Begin powering down and disarming your weapons, and you may return to Crystal City." The cylindrical pods underneath her winglets click almost inaudibly, antipersonnel missiles arming. Assault VTOL utters with finality, "Defiance will be met with termination." Darkair says, "1." Darkair's blades flash to life in either hand as the light once forming expands into each, a short in his offhand and a long in his on. <Decepticon> Shockwave says, "Are you in need of assistance?" Night Raven enters the area and melts into the shadows to watch and wait, walking out of Iacon at a casual pace. Assault VTOL sees that nothing will come of this, and makes her decision. The next few seconds are somewhat of a blur. Seeing the summoning of the blades, she locks her 160mm autocannons onto the Autobot's weapons, intending to disarm him first. "You have refused repeated entreaties to lay down your weapons and return to Crystal City unharmed. You are in defiance of the Civilian Disarmament Statute, and in rebellion against the Empire." The next sound is not so much words as a wall of noise, as the roar of 160 millimeter shells burns from her winglets, streaking towards Darkair's weaponry. Darkair staggers backwards and down to one knee under the barrage, blades flickering but not falling, as they are attached directly to his hands. He raises his arms and the gun bays on the erupt with EM pulses. <Decepticon> Assault VTOL says, "Two contacts. Automated sentries are inactive. Assistance is not required at th*static*" <Decepticon> Shockwave says, "Clearblade, I recommend that you retreat." <Decepticon> Assault VTOL says, "*static*" Night Raven mutters a sting of curses as he speeds, up into a jog. He unslings his rifle and does a quick check on it before skidding to a halt a short distance away, "You're a little too far from your territory, Decepticon." Assault VTOL inverts, dropping twelve meters in the moment it takes for the pulse to bathe the area, effectively hosing any long-range communications. "You are both in violation of civilian disarmament. That was a warning. This is a neutral, nonmilitary freeway, and rebels hold no territorial claims." Descending the last few feet in free-fall, she transforms swiftly. Clearblade lands lightly, summoning her armblades as she balances on the edge of the overpass, rifle unslung and leveled in the direction of the Autobots. "You have one last chance to avert fate, rebels. Throw down your weapons and you may return to approved civilian traffic zones." Darkair staggers back to his feet, and brushes through the smoke of his own wounds as he charges forward wordlessly. Clearblade, curious as her words may be, seems to be perfectly serious. <Decepticon> Clearblade says, "*static* ...ion under contro... *static* ...tromagnetic puls... *static* ...srupting commun... *static*" <Decepticon> Space Cannon says, "I am enroute to assist.." Night Raven shakes his head, "Iacon is an independant city state and does not recognize the authority of the Decepticon Empire." Clearblade keeps a portion of her attention on the charging Darkair, giving him time to close the distance and appearing more or less unruffled. "Your recognition is not our concern. Your compliance is." Her voice rings with the tone of command, a tone used to instant obediance. Night Raven glances for a moment at Darkair to roughly assess his injuries before looking back to Clearblade calmly. The air around Clearblade's forearms shimmers, and with the pulsing thrum of a subspace field, her namesake crystalline blades appear, scything forwards across the backs of her hands. Night Raven says, "You didn't hear me then... The Decepticon Empire has no authority over Iacon or its citizens." Darkair continues his charge, stepping onto a large chunk of rubble and using that to leap and land defensively a few yards from Clearblade. ModifiedPorsche screams in from high above, quickly headed towards the commotion below him. Laser ports appear from his headlights. Darkair stands up slowly, still smoking slight from his arms and shoulders. His optics flare up brighter red, and his blades draw into a defensive pattern. Clearblade adjusts the set and position of her rifle to accomodate her blades, watching Darkair disparagingly. As he leaps, she shifts her posture, ready to defend herself and the Empire as necessary. "Last chance, rebels. You don't seem to understand that your recognition is not required. You have no jurisdic--" her attention wavers slightly as the new, unexpected arrivals storm into her sensor range. ModifiedPorsche screams towards the Autobots. He broadcasts, "Clearblade. Are you alright?" Clearblade faces off squarely near Darkair, but the lack of expression her visor lends makes it so that she could easily be paying attention to either Autobot. "I am unharmed. An electromagnetic pulse disrupted my communications gear." She gestures towards the two targets. "These two are in violation of civilian disarmament. They refuse to relinquish their weapons and claim that this passage is rebel territory." ModifiedPorsche lands and transforms, summoining his blade, "They're lucky that Crystal city has not sent a defense force yet to prevent this." The Porsche leaps into the air and does a complete 360 as it transforms into Quicksilver. Quicksilver depresses a button on an object in his hands. Slowly, a long enery blade appears. It hums gently as Quicky holds it. He moves to a ready position. Shockwave is hovering -high- in the sky and he watches from his safe pearch in the skys. His advanced optical sensor allows him to keep watch for any problems that should arise. Darkair shifts his feet slightly, almost like a coiling spring, he says quietly, "When you are ready." Clearblade narrows her focus, gazing at Darkair with the simple determination of one who speaks precisely what she believes. Recognizing a challenge when she hears one, she solemnly slings her rifle into the lockpoint on her back, dropping into a combat crouch and spreading her arms in a very mantislike way. "Fuel to ashes," she intones, "blade to sky. Taken from life by hand of I." Darkair drows his short blade low and pointing and his long high and across, "Until all are one." Night Raven sighs and mutters another string of curses as he throws a quick glance at Quicksilver. Clearblade seems to be waiting, watching Darkair. Suddenly, fiercely, tone like matches striking sandpaper, she says, "Begin." Quicksilver motions Night Raven forward. Quicksilver grins at Night Raven, "What's the matter. 'Fraid of a Decepticon?" Darkair steps forward and then flashes his short blade in a feint, then turns and whips the longer in a crackling arc. Night Raven turns to face Quicksilver now and begins to approach, long blade appearing from his right forearm, "You know the asnwer to that already." Clearblade bobs her upper body back slightly at the feint, and as the energy sword whips around, her right arm flashes into motion, the shining monocrystal surface of the blade refracting Darkair's sword energies into a brilliant pattern of prismatic light. As she deflects this attack, she wordlessly tucks her left shoulder lower, and brings that armblade around in a sweeping crosscut to her opponent's midsection. Darkair drops down, wound hissing with energy, but as he drops to one knee, he swipes his second weapon out in a shallow arc. Quicksilver grins, "Come and get some, Autodolt." Clearblade leaps straight up as the low attack comes in, narrowly clearing the arcing blade. As she leaps, she spins, steel boot whipping out in a vicious roundhouse kick towards the side of Darkair's helmet. "Nice try, rebel--but trying gains you nothing but pain." Night Raven folds his arms and shakes his head, "You made the challenge... prove yourself..." He glances over his shoulder at Clearblade and Darkair for a moment. Darkair drops down, low under the kick and surges forward with one of his own directed at an exposed leg. Quicksilver steps foward, determined and grim. His blade sits in his hands, ready for the first attack. He lunges forward at the Autobot, swinging his blade towards him. The blade misses, falling a few inches shy, but is really a feint. Suddenly, Quicksilver draws a small blade and slashes towards Night Raven's chest, attempting to carve into the Autobot. Night Raven spins away from the slash, not quite avoiding it as it now glances off his armor at a bad angle, Midway through the spin, he lifts his knee and tries to drive it into Quicksilver's torso. Shockwave desends from the skys above to get a better look at Clearblade's performance. His optic flashes, and he alights himself on a jagged out cropping of a building. He looks for a place to take cover, and he does so. He quickly diverts his path to a piece of rubble, and he uses that for cover. Clearblade completes her revolution, the foot swooshing neatly over Darkair's head. As she lands, she takes a step back, anticipating Darkair's counter, and darts her hand out, intending to seize his leg and use his own momentum to send him to the ground. She appears to be in her element, now, the many eons spent as a gladiator in the pits paying off as much in prowess as they did in demeanor. Darkair attempts to twist from the grasp and only succeds in falling to the ground faster. Clearblade seizes Darkair's ankle with one hand, and pivots, using his forward momentum to throw him fiercely to the ground, losing her grip on him as he struggles. Taking a few steps back, she draws her arms up into a position of readiness again, smiling complacently. "You see, rebel, that this gains you nothing. Defiance earns you nothing but punishment. Acceptance of Imperial law guarantees you citizenship and the benefits thereof. There is no shame in submission, for a civilian." Quicksilver staggers back, taking the kick right in the center of his chest. He puts the smaller blade away, and swings his fist at Night Raven, optics glaring brightly, "See you have some fight in you after all..." Night Raven flinches, taking a step backwards, the swing hitting nothing but air. He uses the sharp edge of the small shield on his left forearm in a backhanded swing aimed at Quicksilver's chest. Darkair staggers back to his feet, blades, once winked out, now flare to life again. His head comes up and his optics flare brighter red, "Death before submission." Clearblade inclines her head in what might be taken as a gesture of respect, if not for the words, for the conviction behind them. "So be it." Darkair drives forward again, and throws his foot out for a kick, but at the last mooment he pivots to one side and hooks his foot, allowing his calf fin to do the damage. Quicksilver grimaces as the blade pieces his black armor. His optics flash dangerously, and energon trickles from the wound. Swiftly, Quicksilver jumps backward, attempting to get out of melee reach. As he does so, a foot swings up, attempting to connect with Night RAven's jaw. Night Raven's head snaps off to the side, forcing him to stagger back a step. He shakes his head dismissively, trying to stop the ringing. He looks back to Quicksilver now, impassive as ever as he lunges forward with his fist, trying to close the newly opened distance. Clearblade, seeing the kick coming, and shifts her posture to account for it, but is caught completely off-guard by the sudden change. The sharp fin digs into the armor on her abdomen, but does little more than cosmetic damage. Seizing at the offending leg again, she puts her palm against Darkair's knee joint and attempts to wrench it before he can react and snatch his leg back. Darkair spins with the push, countering the wrench with a quick twist that saves his knee. As he completes his turn to face Clearblade, his lashes his hand out in a backhand blow, arcing through the are head high with a practiced speed. Quicksilver staggers back, and shakes his head to stop his own ringing. Quicksilver swings his hand at Night Raven's face, attempting to claw out his optics. Night Raven flinches as Quicksilver's hand nears his face, causing Quicksilver to miss his optics but leave a nice trail of energon from an open gash across his face. Losing his balance slightly, he backs off. Seeming slightly angered now, he swings the blade on his right arm in a wide arc at Quicksilver. Clearblade's head whips back as the fist contacts her helmet, setting her off-balance. Almost instinctively, she reacts to the imminent threat, crouching and bringing both blades around in a wicked crosscut intending to sever her opponent at the midsection. "You have style, rebel. A pity you lack the skill to back it up." Darkair starts to fall, staggering as the blade utterly mangle his silver rib plates and energon leaks in profusion. The arcs of damamges electrical cicuits sputter, but he rights himself with a grim determination and flashes his short blade again. Quicksilver grimaces and groans in pain as the sword slices into his arm, and leaves a deep gash, energon trickling from it. He too, seems angered, and retaliates, swinging his blade towards Night Raven's left arm. As he swings, he spins, swinging his blade downward, then back up as he turns his back, then infront of him as he completes the 360. Quicksilver closes his optics, and begins a meditation of sorts, attempting to calm and prepare himself for the next attack to come his way... Night Raven ducks under the blade and twists into a step toward Quicksilver, bringing his elbow up in an atttempt to connect with Quicksilver's head Clearblade sidesteps as the reactionary attack comes in, swinging her right arm up and around. The axe blade on the back of her forearm cuts down and across, attempting to completely sever Darkair's arm at the elbow and end the threat of the short blade. "Yield, rebel. Submission will carry no dishonor. Yield, and you may return to Crystal City unmolested." Darkair pulls his arms up and away, and shifts his feet to avoid the slash. He whips the short blade out again, but staggers and the damage takes his toll. Instinctively, he throws a slash with the long, intended both as an attack and an attempt to right his own balance. Darkair replies behind the slash quietly, "Death before submissiom." Shockwave continues to watch the fray below him. His optic flashes, and he just shakes his head slowly. His attention falls on Quicksilver, and he notes he is struggling, but he will leave Night Raven to drag Darkair's remains back to Iacon. Quicksilver leaps away, the blow glancing off of his armor. He keeps his optics closed, and dismisses his blade, only to summon his laser rifle in its stead. Night Raven grimmaces as the shot strikes, the anger in his expression becoming more apparent with each successful attack. He mutters, though loud enough for Quicksilver to hear, "Bit out of your league, aren't you...?" He then raises his right forearm and returns the favor. Clearblade attempts to block the attack with one of her armblades, but cannot recover from her swing in time, and takes the slash on the back of her shoulder. Grimacing at the blue-white burst of pain, she re-revaluates her balance, bringing her right arm up in an impaling motion towards Darkair's midsection. "A pity you could not channel this kind of conviction towards more legal and productive ends than this pointless rebellion." Darkair starts to fall forward, losing most of the function in his body. As he drops, he stabs with his short blade, and then crumples to his knees, unaware of either hit or miss. Quicksilver smirks, as he leaps away from the laser blast. Suddenly, he rushes forward, dismissing the laser rifle. "Only one out of their league is you, Autobot." He then brings his right first across in a hooking motion. Night Raven sidesteps and twists around behind Quicksilver. He holds his foot out and pushes on Quicksilver's back, trying to use Quicksilver's momentum against him as he tries to slam him into the ground. Shockwave starts to emit a jamming signal through out the area to prevent any further arrival of the Autobots. His optic flashes, and he turns to watch what becomes of Darkair. Quicksilver groans as he hits the ground HARD! He slowly stands, shaking the feeling from his form. Revealing no emotion, he transforms Night Raven steps back from the porsche and glares, "You were saying...?" Clearblade watches Darkair fall to his knees, jerking her tingling leg back as the edge of his short blade scars the armor there. Watching the Autobot for signs of further defiance, she lays the edge of one armblade against the back of Darkair's head, and says sharply towards Night Raven, "Rebel. I suggest you and yours disarm and leave. Now. You may take this one with you." She glances over at Darkair, and adds, "He fought with dignity." Darkair draws his head up, "No. he leaves, I stay." Porsche 911 starts speeding away from Night Raven, as if retreating. He then turns around, as if completeing a circle - using the 'retreat' only to gain enough velocity to attempt to run over Night Raven... Night Raven assumes Quicksilver as leaving and turns preparing to retrieve Darkair, only fo be blinsided a moment later. He's thrown forward a few feet, landing on his side ands skidding back a few feet. He curses softly as he lifts himself to his knees and reaches for his earlier prepared rifle, having had enough of this. Clearblade shakes her leg to clear some of the fuzz from the energy backlash, trying to get some feeling back into it as she balances on the other. Porsche 911 reveals laser ports from his headlights, and starts swinging around again, so as to be able to have Night Raven in his sights. Instead, he is struck on the hood and flips over. He transforms, groaning weakly. Quicksilver gets up, and resummons his rifle. He takes aim, and tries to blow Raven's weapon out of his hands.... His wounds 'bleed' energon, and he appears to be fairly weak. Darkair surges forward from his knees with what is most as like the last power he has. The short blade winks out and he grasps an extended handle for his long in his second hand. The drive forward false to have any height, and so he satisfies himself with a savage slash at the knees before falling to his own hands and knees. Clearblade takes the wicked slash across one knee, the blade cutting a ragged scar across one of her altmode's tailfins, which forms her kneeguards. Falling backwards more from her lack of balance than the damage, she utters a few gutteral curses befitting a gladiator, and comes to rest on her aft. Rising to her feet slowly, shaking the one leg to return the rest of the sensation to it, she levels a desultory finger at Night Raven. "I suggest you come retrieve your baggage before it gets lost in transit, rebel." She uses one boot to prod Darkair's heap towards the precipice on the side of the highway overpass. Darkair rolls, sagging, but pushes his hands into the ground in an act of idiocy, defiance, and something a bit more..mentally unstable. He wheezes out, "No. He goes, I stay." Clearblade levels her visor's gaze towards Darkair, a flash of bright emerald heralding some unknowable emotion. "You fought valiantly, for a rebel. Don't turn valiance into stupidity." Night Raven dives off to the side a bit too late as the shot strikes his shoulder. He mutters something unitelligeable to the others as he rolls to his feet and turns to Clearblade, studying her a moment. He shoots a glare over his shoulder at the injured Quicksilver before he moves to retrieve Darkair and head back toward Iacon. Clearblade draws back her foot slightly, as if preparing to kick Darkair completely over the side. Shockwave looks to Darkair, Night Raven, and the other combatants. He lifts himself off from his building, and takes to the air. He has buisness to see to now. Darkair struggles weakly, his optics the only thing with any strength as they burn brighter, "No." and repeats softly, but with an almost insane defiance, "NO." <Decepticon> Space Cannon says, "Decepticons, I will be returning on my scouting missiong with Ghost.." Assault VTOL leaps back and upwards, transforming in a swift series of folds until her hunter-seeker form hovers above Darkair's remains, autocannonry and graviton turret locking on, but holding fire. Darkair struggles on last time before fading, "Send me... back... to... friends..." Quicksilver backs away, slowly, and transforms - his wounds deep but not severe. He then prepares to join Clearblade in the air, "Take your comrade... and go..." The porsche shifts slightly, adding wings and a jet engine. It is now ready for flight. Night Raven kneels beside Darkair and quickly pulls him into a position over his shouler. He throws a cautious glance at Clearblade again before backing off. Assault VTOL comes around in a broad arc, her field of fire clearly including the two Autobots. The message is clear--if desired, you would be a smoking heap. Assault VTOL does not fire, but brings her course about to head towards Darkmount. <Decepticon> Assault VTOL says, "Situation under control. Rebels have been expulsed from the crossroads. I received cosmetic damage, but Quicksilver may need attention." |