Fading Starlight

They traveled in relative peace until they reached open plains. Path stood up and looked out of the front view of the transport, then turned back to the others and shot them a look. Blueshade immediately stopped moving and say still, looking a little nervous. Tarmac didn't move.

"We're crossing the Plains." Path said. That was all he said, but it was more than enough.

Reverse continued to look outside.

Even Helixon and Altrock stopped glaring at each other.

Path was silent as he watched the ground go by. He sat down, keeping an eye on the rest of the team.

"Hey...we're picking up a weird reading." The bot piloting the ship said. "There's an energy surge two kilcks west."

"Don't stop moving." Path said. His voice was calm but sharp. "Keep on the projected course."

"Tarmac..." Blueshade whispered, but was only met with a glare. He huddled closer down in his seat.

Reverse looked out the windows in that direction, curious.

Helixon and Altrock continued as if nothing was wrong.

Suddenly there was a sharp ping and a blaster shot broke through the windshield and struck the pilot. Path ducked, being the next tallest one in the line of fire and another shot hit where his head had been. He crouched, shouting at the others to do so too.

"We're going down!" Path dove for the controls as the ship began to spiral. Tarmac scrambled to reach the copilot's position and tossed the husk of the pilot out of the way.

"Is this rust bucket not even armed?" Tarmac cursed, trying to help Path stabilize the ship. "Altrock! Blueshade! Fire at whatever's firing at us!"

"But there's no windows!" Blueshade said, clinging with all of his might to his seat.

"Then MAKE a window!" Tarmac smashed the screen on the front of the transport and shifted his hands into two energon blasters and fired in the general direction of where the shots came from.

Altrock opened the door. Helixon jumped out and transformed into a flying jet. Altrock jumped onto him and then jumped off. He landed on top of the aircraft, then he magnetized himself to it and fired with his shoulder guns.

Reverse held on for dear life.

"Drive for me Sarge." Path let go of his controls and stepped back to the open bay door. He shouldered his rifle and waited till they were at just the right angle then zing. His fist shot hit the pilot of the enemy vessel. His second hit another soldier who ran up to grab the controls. His third would have taken out the navigator, but a heavy blast hit the belly of their transport, knocking Path backwards. The ship lurched and he slid across the floor, scrambling for a grip. He caught on to the ledge doorframe before he went tumbling out of the ship. He was now dangling outside, holding onto the doorframe for dear life.

"Tarmac!" He shouted, trying to haul himself back onto the ship. Blueshade, scrambling for a footing himself, tried to reach him to pull him back in.

"A little busy!" He swerved, the now burning transport heading towards the ground at alarming speed.

Helixon was firing at the enemy, undisturbed. Altrock got knocked off balance, and was cursing up above as he righted himself to continue shooting. He got a good hit on the engines of the other ship.

Reverse tumbled to the other side of the ship, which was where Path was. Despite his small stature, he tried to help. He looked around to see if there was a cable of some sort.

Helixon noticed Path hanging out, and muttered before flying underneath just in case.

Blueshade took one of his blades and used it as an anchor in the floor of the ship and reached out his hand to Path. Path took it, and Blueshade pulled as hard as he could and drug Path inside.

"Brace for impact!" Tarmac did his best to pull up the ship before it struck the ground, skidding across the flat plains of the cybertronian wasteland. Blueshade and Path went tumbling together to the front of the ship.

Altrock jumped off as soon as the aircraft touched the ground, and grabbed onto Helixon who swooped by. Yes, these two are gonna be the lucky ones.

Reverse held onto a seat as they crash landed.

The enemy ship crashed not far away, bursting into flames.

Tarmac was thrown into the dash on impact and cursed the names every Prime that had come before them. The transport rolled over once and then groaned as the damaged support beams struggled to hold the hull together. Tarmac climbed out from the cockpit and made his way towards the door.

"Path! Blueshade!" He kicked open another side door. "Get out before this thing blows!"

Path and Blueshade managed to get untangled and Path looked for Reverse. He didn't see him at first and he felt a surge of panic as he stood to leave the burning transport. "Kid! Come on!"

Reverse knocked on Path's knee and got out of the ship.

Helixon and Altrock had landed a safe distance away and was watching them run out.

They all scrambled to safety as the ship collapsed on itself, becoming engulfed in flames.

Tarmac quickly looked around to make sure his soldiers had escaped the crash. Path was there, pulling his rifle from the wreckage. Blueshade was shaken but in one piece. Reverse stood there, huddled next to both of them. He growled and turned to the two others.

"Thanks for the help you two. Saving your own afts was your first priority, eh?" He looked over at the crashed enemy ship. He wasn't sure if there were any survivors there.

"We knew you guys would get out just fine." Helixon shrugged. He saved Altrock so he wasn't entirely saving his own aft.

"Alright, does everyone have all their limbs intact?"

"I've got a scrat-" Blueshade started to say

"I don't wanna hear it." Tarmac was watching the burning decepticon ship not far from them. "Let's move out. If they're not dead, they're slowed down. We can make good speed on this ground before it gets dark. Then we'll need to find somewhere to hunker down if we've not made it to Nova Station by then. You don't want to be loose on these plains after the sun goes down."

Blueshade shuddered and transformed into a sleek racer alt mode. "Let's go!"

Path looked down at Reverse. "Ride with me or Blue?"