by Foximus » Wed Nov 19, 2014 2:02 pm
- Motto: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
- Weapon: Laser Rifle
So, we've decided to do something a little fun. We're giving out previews of the chapters! Here's the one for Chapter five:
Chapter Five: Strangers to Paradise
The quiet hum of the Justified Means's engines dominated the bridge for several long, peaceful moments. With a satisfied sigh, Leozack onlined his optics and beamed down onto the crew manning the bridge. A handful of his trusted team. Others with specialties in naval operations. His second-in-command standing stalwartly at his side. He turned to Skyquake with that same smile still plastered on his faceplate.
“Skyquake! Status report!”
“Sir,” Skyquake said respectfully as he looked down at the datapad in his hands, “Repairs to the ship's engines went perfectly, without any complications. We should be nearing an unexplored system within a few cycles. Third-in-Command Flamewar is operating on Sixshot, and should have the deactivation protocol to you promptly. Ah...that appears to be it.”
“Excellent! Excellent! No one will dare pester us with a phase sixer protecting our new settlement,” Leozack said, rubbing his hands together. Nodding to Skyquake, Leozack clapped his lieutenant on the arm and strolled toward the exit of the bridge. “You have the bridge, my friend.” The doors to the bridge hissed shut behind Leozack, but almost immediately hissed back open, causing the captain to turn as a hand grabbed his shoulder.
“Boss!” Killbison said with a look of distress plastered on his faceplate. Leozack's optics immediately narrowed as he brushed off Killbison's hand from his shoulder.
“What? What's wrong? Spit it out!” Leozack snapped with a harsh edge to his voice.
“It's Hellbat! He's...He's...!”
“Tch!” Leozack scowled and slapped Killbison harshly with a hand. How unlike his so usually gruff and tough subordinate. “Speak! I have no patience for you stuttering,” Leozack growled out with irritation.
“Hellbat is being nice. He said please. To me!” Killbison gestured at himself like that was supposed to mean something to Leozack. The captain gave his subordinate a rather annoyed look and sighed. “No, no, boss! Something's wrong with him. He's never like that!”
“Did you perhaps consider that his cordiality could be a ruse for something more insidious? Hm? Don't bother me with such trivial matters, Killbison. Return to your post,” Leozack waved Killbison away and promptly turned away. Absolutely ridiculous. From up ahead, the jet-former noted the ever growing noise of shouting and cheering.
He increased his step and soon arrived at the open doorway that was the source of the commotion. Inside, it appeared that some sort of bar had been set up. The source of the shouting was none other than Slugslinger, posed atop a table with a crowd of admirers flocking around him. Leozack gave the praetorian an incredulous look.
“...aaand tha's when I saw I was surrounded by...by...a hundred Autobots! Yeah, they thought they could take me! Me! Ha! I eeeven saw Op'imus there, yeah, he waaas theeeeere...” Slugslinger shouted at the top of his vocal processor, clearly overenergized.
“What happened then?!” one of the shocked and awed admirers yelled from the crowd.
“Wha...? Oh! Oh! Well, ya see...wut happened...they all attacked! I fended off...all single-handed like the thousand Autobots...”
“I believe you said one hundred,” Leozack called from where he stood at the door.
“Did I...? Oh, yeah, but they called for reinfor...ments...cause they knew who they were dealin' with...Slugslinger! Master marksman! So after all the fightin'...Opt'mus...he came up...and begged me to spare his men...but bein' a respectable 'Con, I told him 'nooo can dooo' and shot the slagger right in the faceplate...”
“Did you now?” Leozack said with a particularly smarmy smirk.
Detecting the hint of dripping sarcasm from Leozack, Slugslinger looked over to Leozack with a troubled expression. “Yeah...!” He shouted defensively, “I did! 'Course he didn't die...slagger...comes back to life like Megatron!” Slugslinger pouted as he looked over to Leozack.
“Oh, yes. I'm certain. Do carry on,” Leozack said casually as he moved away. Visibly upset, Slugslinger hopped – more like dropped like a sack – off of the table and jogged after Leozack, leaving his adoring public behind. He eventually caught up to Leozack who had stopped and turned with an inquisitive look on his faceplate.
“Take that back...” Slugslinger said, frowning at Leozack, slightly more coherent now than when he had been blubbering atop the table. “Right now.”
“I rather don't think I will. We both know that account was fictitious. Why anyone would believe it even with the aid of high grade energon is incomprehensible to me. You are, have been, and will always be a coward, Slugslinger. No amount of fiction you conjure will change that fact. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to tend to.”
Turning sharply on his heel, Leozack strode down the hall, leaving the disgruntled Slugslinger to stare after him with a wounded look on his faceplate. A sudden anger boiled up within the bodyguard. “How...dare he! I'll show him! I'll...I'll...” Slugslinger drew out his blaster and grinned down at it. “Yeah...this'll do nicely!”
Slugslinger stormed off after Leozack, whipping around a corner with blaster raised. His optics registered movement and before he could even process who it was, he pulled the trigger, blasting a hole through...Skyquake.
