[ti]Ep 3[/ti]Hunting Party (Dreadwing, Coldwind, Open)

[Starkrieger]

EPISODE 3| week 4 | day 1 |  early AM
Note start at Blackridge, heading to Nevada

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It was early, like the any sane mech would still be in recharge kind of early, but soldiers didn’t have a say on when they would obey orders. Besides, Starkrieger had never claimed to be entirely sane. Wings held high, the small framed Seeker took the halls on the way to the control room. The sharp heel toe click as he transverse the cold stone was quicker than it should be. He was eager to get out of the claustrophobic hall, before they could become an issue.

Due to report in, he’d received orders from his Lord that he would be answering to Captain Dreadwing. Apparently the Air Commanded had decided to put him on assignment with the officer, along with a third Seeker, a femme by the designation Coldwind. The nature of the mission had not been revealed to him, but that wasn’t so surprising. He was the low man on the proverbial totem pole, and it would be considered overstepping boundaries to circumvent the chain-of-command.

With an absent dip of his helm at a passing vehicon, his processor wandered back to his last interaction with the Captain. It hadn’t exactly ended on a high note; given he'd nearly threatened the ranking mecha. That was precisely why, it would be beneficial to work with the big mech. Leaving things up in the air would benefit no one; they needed to establish where they went from here. They were long overdue to have everything brought out into the open.

As he arrived at the entrance, Starkrieger paused, taking a moment to collect himself. He needed to get a firm hold on his field, or risk giving away too much to his temporary partners. That there was more going on behind the scenes than the obvious strife that might exist between himself and Dreadwing, wasn't something that he needed either of the other fliers to be privy too. They had no place being in his personal business.

Rounding the corner, he entered the Control Room, chassis lifted in confidence. No doubt Dreadwing was already present, and it was possible their third member had also beaten him to the punch, but the tricolored Seeker didn’t consider it a race.

“Captain”, he addressed the behemoth, respectfully, though his vocals were a little stiff as the younger flier’s wings angled towards the officer, curious to see how Dreadwing would respond to his presence. If Coldwind was on site, he would offer the femme a light twitch of his wings. Time to find out how events would unfold.

---

Permission given to assume orders given by Starscream - Thank you Ren

[Coldwind]

Coldwind has already been standing by in the Control Room for quite some time. It was difficult to tell the time in Blackridge with no windows nor sun, but indeed, her internal clock reassured the Vosnian that she was up and about in the early morning hours. Occasionally, her intimidating and imperious stare found its way to a nearby Vehicon, urging them to move out of the navy Seeker's personal space. However, for the most part, it remained fixed upon the datapad in her clawed hands. Ever since exchanging brief formalities—quite forcedly—with Dreadwing, she has been looking through it relentlessly. Its contents remained unknown to anyone besides herself.

But her enthrallment with the device did not last long. Quite soon, Starkrieger entered the room, garnering the lieutenant's attention. She did not hesitate to offer him a terse nod, seemingly out of taciturn politeness. Yet her optics told a different story, glaring at the newcomer with an impending sense of stern command.

Setting the device in her hands aside on a nearby console, Coldwind approached the two Decepticons. Her stride was even, measured, and powerful, belying the savage contours which hid just behind the thinnest veneer of civility.

"Let us skip the pleasantries and get on with it," she pointedly reminded the two, hoping that both would see no need to play pretend with the intricacies of Decepticon rank. Truthfully, all that mattered was the mission ahead, and only a fool would dare contest her on that point. Nevertheless, those words carried another, more implicit meaning. Dreadwing may have been the captain in charge of this assignment, but her conduct made it clear who would report to Starscream if anything went wrong.

[Deleted]

The control was held in silence, no interference or time wasted with scattered Vehicons or other Decepticons vying for any attempts to leave their posts onto missions leaving the three gathered Seekers to carry out their actions in peace. The early time played a small part to that, if only all gathered at the allocated time, Dreadwing’s giant shadow was cast in the violet lights of a terminal where he had instituted a small workshop to work on his explosive devices, the clattering of tools and the sparks that flew intermittently were all probably that Coldwind could hear for however long the two were waiting for Kreiger to arrive. Before him were the disassembled remains of his signature triangular proximity bomb, its contents a mix of chemicals and Cybertronian materials to create his devices of devastation. As he tinkered away however his concentration was still heavily focused on his choice of operatives under his command, both have proven they adhere to a chain of command, both have shown they would stand against a larger presence than their own, the only issue being is that presence was himself. Now their test, in the Captain’s eyes, to work as an efficient fighting force was about to begin.

Coincidentally as Dreadwing finished his modifications on his proximity bomb, Kreiger arrived. He did not notice his footsteps, only the sound of his voice being recognised from his audio receptors; he did not turn his body completely, only enough for an optic to get a clear view of the other Seeker storing the restored proximity bomb in a compartment neatly tucked beside his large Plasma cannon. Finally he could begin his mission and he turned to face both the Seekers directly, drawing their attention to the terminal that displayed Earth with various markers distributed around its multiple continents “Good, you both arrived, although perhaps a little later than I would expect.” His crimson optics narrow specifically on Starkreiger for a brief moment “But nevertheless we shall look past that, for now. I have requested both of you for this task for I believe you have what I need for this delicate matter.”

Dreadwing lumbers over to the terminal pressing a key, the terminal triangulates a projection of a more in depth map over the continent of North America. “If the knowledge of what I have learned of our time on this planet is correct, the Autobots and the natives of this land mass are collaborating right as we speak with positioned military posts.” As he continues on his brief Dreadwing stands at ease with both hands behind his back “Furthermore, there are multiple sightings of the Autobots in this desert sector.” 

He presses another key, the map zooming into the Nevada desert notably there are no dots that bleep upon reaching this area “Starscream intends us to simply scout this area remaining out of sight and I partly see his reasoning, as much as I consider these tiny creatures nothing but insects, three Decepticons surely could not bring down their entire military force. However… I have an alternative solution." He knew the mere mention of this was a risky move, by definition this extra step in this mission could be considered going against direct orders, however the opportunity this presented could not be wasted. They were at war after all still and Dreadwing was certain these were more than capable warriors.


"This desert is largely uninhabited and most likely, ripe with Energon. I propose that although our primary objective is to observe, our secondary objective should be to scour this land for new potential Energon mines, beginning the process to expand our reach and if the Autobots are truly in this region, draw them out from wherever it is they hiding.”  Dreadwing’s head switched from Coldwind to Starkreiger attempting to read their reaction to the mission at hand.

“Any Questions?”

[Starkrieger]

Well this room was certainly warm and inviting. 

Not that Starkrieger was bothered by the serious atmosphere. Coldwind’s glare seemed intent on establishing hierarchy, or she might be attempting to intimidate him. It earned the femme a subtle dimming of his optics and a bare twitch of his derma, the corner lifting in the hints of a smirk. His chassis remained high, possibly too proud, given that he sensed he was playing with fire, but he did offer a polite nod and dip of his wings. She outranked him, no doubt, but rank only warranted so much respect, any more had to be justified, a tall order when Starkrieger didn't play along. If the matter was pushed? Well, he was always up for a game. Coldwind looked the sort to be infinitely amusing, and would be far from the first deadly target he invited to dance. It was a pity they were on an assignment, he rarely got a chance at tormenting femme models that dwarfed his build.

When she approached, the Seeker’s optics shifted to take in the particulars of her frame. She was a bruiser, built heavy like the Captain. Either mecha could fold him, should they manage to lay servos on him. However, the implications escaped Krieg, having to look up to meet their gaze in no way causing him to wilt or waiver. Certainly, it wouldn't dissuade him from carrying on as he would.

Perhaps he had already begun to antagonize the pair? It appeared that he had unintentionally kept them waiting. Though, as Coldwind said nothing and Dreadwing saw fit to dismiss it, Krieg wisely stayed quiet, instead briefly focusing on the screen. Mouth setting into a firm line, his wings flicked as his gaze narrowed on the ‘map’. Unlike the visual Starscream had used in his previous briefing, this display was meaningless. The navigationally challenged Seeker’s first order of business was usually to find indicators of landmarks, or notable topographical features… something he'd relate to the location once he was on site to try to make use of the images he’d been briefed with. The switch to narrow the image down to a single continent didn’t help much; as it was, he didn’t even recognize that it included the zone where he had encountered an Autobot recently. This left him to focus most of his processor directly on the Captain’s words.

Attention shifting to study Dreadwing, his wings remained at ease, further angling to favor the other mech. He likely would unknowingly disappoint him. The suggestion of an alternate objective didn’t so much as cause a twitch. Perhaps Coldwind would not agree, but Starkrieger's training left him with the understanding that officers were granted a measure of autonomy. Those with rank were typically given leeway to make decisions so the higher ups didn’t have to manage every detail of a mission. Even if they were looking for energon deposits, the area was reported to be isolated, limiting the risk of exposure. The secondary goal didn’t sound like it’d interfere with their primary objective, nor contradict Starscream’s restrictions. He saw no reason to object.

“You’re aware of our skill sets?” A casual question, as his sight refocused on the map, as if studying it, but he spared it little mind. Not that he was privy to his own files but, he did wonder if Dreadwing was aware, he was no Energon Seeker. His role in the military had always been combat oriented. Searching he’d done restricted to seeking out living targets to ‘deal with’.  Sharp processor and willingness to work aside, Krieg wasn't sure he'd contribute much.  

“Not going to ditch me out in the wilds, are you Captain?” And like that he flipped it around, his vocals dipping to tease the big mech just a bit, while fishing for information. It was best to be sure his commanding officer knew he’d have an issue if he was sent off with coordinates. 

[Coldwind]

Coldwind remained close by, letting Dreadwing explain the situation. Her intention was but to observe and inform Starscream of any mishaps that might occur along the way. But when Krieger spoke, she commented in direct reply to him, folding her hands laxly across her cockpit, letting them rest.

"Not if he knows what's good for him," Coldwind said. It may have very well been that the dark-coated mech was simply teasing, joking around. However, humor was not something she understood too well. There were times where she found certain statements and events hilarious, yet usually for all the wrong reasons. This was not one of those times and her comment seems to have been entirely serious.

Her gruff voice did not do anything for the comedic angle either, making it abundantly clear that she wasn't playing along. But after that, she more or less returned to glaring and thinking of anything to ask of Dreadwing. However, since nothing came to mind, she simply let him steer the conversation. She was never one for ceremony and rank. This seemed more of his forte.

Still...

The honorable types were ever so repulsive. What good were morals in war? Dreadwing's were certainly flexible enough if he wished to obliterate humans, barely a threat as they were, with explosives. She had no problems with that, but she also distinctly recalled that among the Seekers, Dreadwing had a reputation for staunch opposition to the methods favored by her and Starscream.

Not that it mattered to her. So long as she got to tear apart a few Autobots before this war on Earth was over with, Coldwind was satisfied. Nothing could beat the simplicity of pure carnage.

[Deleted]

Before Dreadwing could answer Starkreiger’s sly comment in an attempt to irritate or perhaps as to break down the seriousness of the meeting, the Captain had another to challenge in the larger more sadistic Seeker Coldwind. The two had crossed paths before, neither of them really seem to see eye to eye, well almost eye to eye, an uneasy truce between the two and their ideologies most likely prevented one from attempting to scrap the other in an instant, and although in Dreadwing’s mind he believed he could win such a bout, Coldwind was no Decepticon to underestimate. He had already caused dissension amongst the ranks, he could not afford to cause another, leaving him no choice but to keep his glare focused on the large Seeker, his long bladed eyebrows fixated on her for a few seconds before finally answering.

“And risk you becoming a prisoner to both our enemies? No, I do not intend to leave anyone, but I also expect you to follow my commands. As for your skills, well I assume I will see them in action momentarily. Now if there is nothing else.”

He was true to his word, there was no deception or lie to try and leave one behind that he thought may be a threat, no, that would be a waste of a valuable warrior, hunter, seeker the possibilities were endless, It was not in his nature. However Starkreiger may try to test his code and convince him that maybe leaving him may be a good idea, his value would be determined momentarily only then will the Seeker Captain decide his attitude towards him.

Dreadwing marched towards the ground bridge lever firmly thrusting it forward to open the bright illuminating swirling vortex, he had hoped this would go as smoothly as planned and perhaps in addition a valuable asset could be obtained for questioning or at least terminated from the playing field. Cybertronians were now limited in number, any loss of Autobot or Decepticon is now a huge strategic advantage for the opposite side. “Shall we proceed?”

With no further objections, Dreadwings giant frame would soon disappear in a flash through the ground bridge.

[Starkrieger]

Great. The unknown bruisers were going full Con, simply wonderful

Well one thing was apparent. It’d been awhile since either of them had functioned within a disciplined unit. True, he was being forward, lulled by the security their activities on Earth had provided… and perhaps he had picked up bad habits throughout the war. He could expect a serious, unreceptive, even scolding reception, but the weight of hostility permeating the room wasn't just oppressive, it was unacceptable. That it was, in this moment, unprovoked made it even more so...

Strike had always been better at smoothing over tense social situations...

“Of course sir”, he offered easily, a wing flick, dismissive of mounting tensions was the sole acknowledgement of the standoff between the pair, at least until he added to the response. “An officer is due obedience, that expectation shouldn't need to be stated.” Calm vocals took on a harder edge, and that was it. He’d made his opinion on the matter known, and didn’t care to dwell on their animosity towards each other. Higher ranking or not, they’d do well to get over it.

“Besides, if I were captured, they’d return me quickly enough.” There was that light teasing again, his wings spreading as if to stretch out, restless and unconcerned. Any additional thoughts he potentially harbored regarding the Captain assessing him, or their humorless third’s ‘defense’ of him went unspoken for the time. 

Falling into step behind point, he assumed the left position, possibly an issue if Coldwind tried to vie for 'his place', but it seemed unlikely she would. Krieg’s choice was tactical, preferring his armament to be opposite his allies, and was unwilling to surrender it.  The smaller Seeker’s steps would be mostly lost in the louder fall of the pairs of pedes near him. Matching the pace of the lead was instinct, though his stride would deviate if they proved to be unsympathetic to the difference in his stature. Regardless he would pass through the portal, not far behind Dreadwing, a step back further from proper formation, something he would maintain if allowed. 

During the transition, he would lower his flight visor. Moderately tinted, it wouldn’t fully hide his optics, nor the subtle glow of displays engaging, visible only from the user side. Whatever these two were getting him into, he’d be ready for it.  Unlikely though it seemed, Dreadwing might very well fly them into a situation where the Captain would see precisely what he was built for.

[Coldwind]

It did not take long and Coldwind followed after Dreadwing towards the Bridge, sparing him and Starkrieger further commentary for the time being. Her heavy footfalls carried her in the direction of that scintillating vortex at a moderate pace, and in the meantime, the armor on her helm shifted and shuffled. This transformation started at the back of her neck and continued until her face was fully covered by a battle plate and a red, V-shaped visor. Much like Krieg's, it partly obscured Coldwind's optics but allowed for a faint crimson glow to escape through the transparent segments.

Yet, before she entered, the Seeker stepped to the back of her sable-clad comrade, answering his quip in a rather grave tone, distorted into a low growl by the voice filter of her helmet.

"Don't be so sure; prisoners of war are an important commodity."

She then let out a condescending chuckle, seeming aimed at the idea of taking prisoners and not Krieg himself.

"Never really cared for the concept myself."

That was a painfully obvious euphemism for murder, even for Coldwind. Indeed, she did not take prisoners often and preferred the most direct methods of warfare and confrontation. Her strategies ever extended only to how much carnage they could inflict, and the psychological and logistic aspects interested her none. If victory was to be bought under her command, it would always be through heavy ordinance and in Energon shed, not through paltry politics and careful maneuvering. She left that to Starscream and things seemed to work well enough—until he decided she was not needed anymore.

How wrong he was. He needed her here on Earth and Coldwind enjoyed every moment of it. But idle musings aside, she was prepared to follow after Starkrieger, should he enter the gateway next. It wasn't her style to linger overlong on small talk, and it was likely the other Decepticon would not elicit much else from her on the topic for now.

[Deleted]

The light of dawn slowly raised over the horizon in the early hours of the desert of Nevada, its vast canyons and plainlands far outstretched past any major human settlements leaving nature almost completely unspoiled, deep within one of these vast canyons in a neatly tucked away cavern far from the sight of any long range radar or birds eye view, the flashing bright light of a Ground bridge materialized growing in circumference to nearly completely fill the large cavern shortly after the giant frame of the Seeker Captain emerged through, his body hunched over to account for the smaller size of, well everything. He had not spent as much time on Earth as the other Decepticons, still quite surprised and unaware of how small even the natural formations appear to be.

Dreadwing awkwardly made his way to the cavern's mouth, his metallic chassis occasionally scraping across the jagged rocks causing a loud painful screeching noise that assaulted his audio receptors before finally taking in the bright shining light of day, the sudden contrast from the dark dreary corridors of Blackridge caused his optics to be blinded momentarily raising his clawed hand up to allow time for his sight to adjust, before analyzing his surroundings, evaluating any immediate threats the last thing the Captain wanted was any unwanted attention the second they had begun their mission. After convincing himself the safety of their entry, awaiting the other two Seekers to arrive, Dreadwing peered down to the surface of the canyon he caught the sight of the blackened metal remains of his ship, the very same one he had arrived to this wretched planet to begin with, a star ship that was unable to fly on an alien world was too valuable of an asset to lose to any native species, or rival Cybertronians for that matter, any of the two that may have found the vessel would only to find the mutilated scrap metal.

Truth be told, despite the mission objective purely being an observation, Dreadwing had hoped to be able to test his skills once more, ever since he was robbed of the battle he desired during the destruction of Haven, the Neutral Cybertronian base, at his own hand no less. He grew weary of simply staying in his alternative form, he needed to work all his joints to keep them active and not risk them potentially freezing up being so used to one position for so long, this may be his chance to once again install into his enemies the strength of the Decepticons, the strength of the Seekers and to demonstrate the fate of all those that oppose the ideals of Decepticon cause.

[Starkrieger]

“Well, then it’s a good thing I have you big mecha here to keep me safe.” A return that wouldn’t necessitate follow-up. Indeed, Krieg’s easy steps and off handed manner embodied his lack of concern. He had survived the war thus far being a lone Seeker. He didn’t need anyone at his six, and had long come to terms that no one would be there.

Starkrieger had fallen silent, keeping pace until interference from the bridge no longer blinded him to what they were walking into.

Frame stiffening, wings shot up and the middle Seeker stopped in his tracks. He hadn’t expected to be closed in.  The Captain barely seemed to fit. Dreadwing was a big mech, but not  enough to trust a space he hardly cleared. His field spiked a sharp static of intertwined instincts of panic and aggression.

Floor, Walls, Walls, Ceiling, ceiling, ceiling!

Proximity pings drowned out all signals, even both Seekers registering alive, distinct, were buried beneath the flood.

He had to move, his Captain was still going, he had to follow.

You’re better than this. You’re better than this. You’re a Primus damned elite flier of Vos. It’s just a cave, move!

Obedience is function.
Unity is strength.

Optics narrowing, Starkrieger began to walk again; hopefully,  before frustration would inspire Coldwind to ‘help him along’. His wings had dropped, hugging his backstrut as reluctant steps carried him, lacking his natural fluidity.

It didn’t halt the onslaught of data.

The Captain knows what he's doing.
Command is to be trusted.

Light, there was light.

Light meant escape, it meant freedom. He needed to get to it, but Dreadwing was in the way. Intakes stalling, his left claws spasmed, convulsing in and out of tight fists.

Just had to wait. He had to get out but...he had to wait.

SCREECH

Metal against stone, the captain’s frame stalled. They were going to offline!
The walls were closing in, the ceiling collapsing, they were trapped.

The readings are the same, the distance is the same. We are not going to offline. I can fly. I can fly!

Finally Dreadwing moved, a held intake released from his vents, and Krieg, was quick to take the exit. Thankfully he was smaller than Dreadwing, lest he would have caught his own frame, and panicked. As it was, he was unscathed as he burst from the opening. Whatever threats there were, Krieg was likely to bowl them right over if they tried to stop him from getting away from the cavern.

Moving away, just enough to cut the reading of the interior from his sensors, his wings flaring wide to dispel phantom signals, to find the open air with no limitations imposed upon his senses.

They were fine. They were free.

[Coldwind]

Emerging to the other side of the GroundBridge, Coldwind expected a wide-open field for them to take off...Not a suffocating little outcrop. She looked past the panicked Starkrieger and directly at Dreadwing as he scraped against the walls here and there. Her face was the picture of incredulity. Even she knew better than to deploy in a miniature hovel. By the Pit, they were Seekers—this was humiliating.

Instinctively, Coldwind's wings pressed tightly against her back, which unfortunately did not mitigate any unnecessary encounters with the environment. As Starkrieger wormed his way out of the cave, she followed suit, cape-like wings occasionally hitting the odd outcrop. She winced in annoyance each and every time, perhaps more so at the one who brought them here than at the environment itself.

When they all finally exit the cave, she took a good look around the place, noting the wreckage in the distance before anything else. Not recognizing anything particularly noteworthy, a gruff noise escaped Coldwind's voice box. The disappointment was palpable. Perhaps her desire for action was the one thing she had in common with Dreadwing, although her goals were not so noble or honorable as his.

"All seems quiet."

A simple statement of fact, devoid of any involvement or emotion. In fact, Coldwind seemed almost disconnected now that she knew they weren't going to see any action right away. It's almost like she was bored. And why shouldn't she be? Dull. So, so dull. When there was no fight to be had, no hurt to cause, this particular Seeker found the world to be an incredibly unexciting place.

Would anything happen to break this tedium? She could only hope.

[Deleted]

The whistling blow of the wind passing through the narrow crack in the earth created a small vacuum that prevented any other sound from the outside world being heard, the occasional clutter of loose rocks crumbling under the weight of the three Seekers as they stood upon the small ridge the sun’s light creating a bright glossy sheen to the Captain’s dark navy coloured armour, his brass headpiece even more so, his stands at ease still keenly observing his surroundings, as exposed as they were a signal of a groundbridge would only lead them to the canyon if timed correctly any lonesome scout could peer over the top only to be met by the plasma blast from his cannon, the thought brought a small smirk to Dreadwing’s face. Despite his best efforts to prolong the response from the outside world he knew the mission took all priority and by the time he was finished in his observation the other Seekers stood beside him awaiting their next move.

His optics trailed to Starkreiger with one of his thick long blade-like optical ridges raised in a questionable manner, something felt slightly off with the smaller seeker, the confident borderline arrogance that he carried was no longer present on his face as much as he may try to hide it. Dreadwing’s did not bring up the concern however the obvious comment from Coldwind in a board like manner drew his attention. Her impatience was shared, most likely, with the entire trio enough time was wasted sitting still and waiting, although they may not understand Dreadwing’s strategy it was highly unlikely that anyone, may they be Human or Cybertronian would expect to find a pack of Decepticon Seekers emerging from a narrow hovel.

“And we would best hope that it stays that way for the rest of this mission, as much as I crave the thrill of battle I would rather we not call down the entire Autobot and this planet’s native forces to us for our presence.”

He peers up into the blinding sun’s light that glazes over the floor of the canyon, another small obstacle but one that should not provide difficulty for such skilled flyers. “I trust you two enough to have an ample level of navigation across narrow spaces. We are now to begin our ascent to the appropriate altitude. We are deep in hostile territory now, we cannot afford to make any mistakes lest we compromise ourselves.” Dreadwing places his left leg in front of his right crouching slightly as the wings occupying his shoulders clamp down to loosen the joints in preparation to transform. “Do not engage any hostile forces without my order to do so.” He turns to face both of his accomplices one at a time with a stern look.

“Am I clear?”

Assuming they would have their own comments or way of acknowledgment that would be deemed acceptable Dreadwing would propel himself forward his body flipping backwards as it transforms into his alternative form, the jet drops lower below the ridge at first before his engines rupture to life bursting him up through the canyon narrowly avoiding the various rock formations that stuck out from either side before breaching through the clear sky.

[Starkrieger]

Processor clearing, Starkrieger’s wings began to lose tension, the occasional flick further dispelling his anxieties. That the Captain was observing him wasn’t immediately noticed, or Krieg lacked the propensity to find shame in his struggle. Either way, it would become obvious after a time. Optics finding Dreadwing's, his derma pulled back trying to offer one of his easy smirks. The massive Seeker had pegged his expression as being off; rightly so, as it failed to reach the rest of his faceplate. He wouldn’t have been surprised that his attempt to ‘pull it together’ didn't go unnoticed; however, he said nothing, expecting the Captain to continue to demonstrate grace by letting it pass. In the mental equivalent of ‘walking it off’, he focused on recovering his composure.

Their surroundings seemed like the logical place to distract himself, so his gaze shifted, looking outward.

Coldwind’s observation certainly proved true. As he scanned the scenery there was no active threat, not that he conducted a thorough sweep . Dreadwing’s vocals had an inherent quality that warranted paying the big mech heed, even more so when the suggested the beginnings of a briefing, potentially with orders to follow.

Turning his attention fully to the Captain, his optics locked on, as residual unease was replaced with focus. . There was nothing concerning or overly exciting in what the Captain had to say, but in the end it didn’t matter. They had a job to do. Sparks were on the line… or rather other sparks were on the line. It wouldn’t do to take the mission lightly.

“Sir” A simple acknowledgement, what more could be offered? If Coldwind didn’t object in some way to dissuade Dreadwing from taking off, he would follow suit. How he might have preferred to take off was irrelevant, as the soldier strode forward to answer his Captain’s actions. Though it took less time for his smaller frame to rearrange its parts, and for his engines to fire, he adopted a pace to fall in, bringing himself to heel… mostly.

Less power required for his lighter weight, the sounds of his engines firing were no doubt drowned out by the heavier Seekers. As he followed their ‘leader’ out of the canyon. Where there had been panic in the cave, there was only confidence in flight. Sensors kept him well abreast of every outcrop and squeeze, along with the pitches and drops of air currents . With minimal effort he skirted obstacles both seen, and unseen.

He could fly.

Perhaps it was odd then, that once they broke out into open air, he would settle into standard formation, to the Captain’s left, but slightly off from proper positioning. The difference was minute, but would remain consistent, so long as he was not told to correct it.

[Coldwind]

There was a long pause as Coldwind scanned the environment for any signs to disprove her previous claim. Much to her dismay, she has been given no cause to think otherwise, and so resigned herself to following Dreadwing's command, maintaining a close bead on him throughout.

When he spoke, she listened. When he asked, she replied.

"Crystal."

When he transformed, she did too.

Her feet dug into the rock harshly and propelled her forward.

In a short burst, she leaped towards the chasm below them, changing shape. As myriad panels rearranged, her feet became solid engine blocks, her torso a prominent nose cone, and the wings on her back split apart to fill in the gaps, covering the sides so that the sizable stealth jet could fly. The ignition of engines followed, shining brightly in the cold morning, first in red, then in purple.

At last, she soared and followed after Dreadwing, having regained the altitude lost during those few moments of transformation. She took to his right side, allowing ample room for all three of them to maneuver in formation. To her, this was instinct. A skill so deeply ingrained in her training that she did not give it a second thought. She was no Starscream by any means, but a Seeker worth her Energon nonetheless.

Still, it has been a while. Coldwind had no squadron nor trine nor platoon, not in many long years. It was strange to fly alongside fellow Decepticons once more, not unwelcome, but not precisely pleasant either. It brought back memories of betrayal and scorn.

She choked them out quickly, leaving only brutal intent and steely focus.