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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Oct 26, 2008 13:07:18 GMT -5
Some might say that Emirate Xaaron never changes his mind - the universe changes itself around him to suit his thoughts.
That would be hyperbole.
Still, he is not thrilled by Shockwave touching Emirate Xaaron like he knows him. Does he? Not his Shockwave, not loopy enough, but a Shockwave still. Perhaps these is indeed another reality that contain an Emirate Xaaron. Perhaps he is not singular.
Perhaps Shockwave is just being a pain.
Emirate Xaaron can see - small mercy, that - Override shooting at Shockwave, and he can see, without optics, quite clearly that Shockwave may think to take him a hostage to end Override's fire.
Talking, his voice casual and unstrained, he started to move out the tunnel. "On the contrary, I have heard that there is an ill wind blowing, and it looks like we'll be in for nasty weather."
He whirls around and cracks the tunnel roof - the roof Shockwave is standing above. Emirate Xaaron concludes, "It might be best to seek shelter."
He stands poised to flee or fight. If Shockwave looks disoriented, even for a moment, that's reason enough to level a gun at him. Alternatively, if he doesn't take a tumble, Emirate Xaaron believes in the valour of running.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Oct 27, 2008 0:20:40 GMT -5
The majority of his attention on Override, Shockwave is momentarily surprised by Xaaron's swift action. But only momentarily and only slightly; having the ground beneath him collapsed was a possibility, after all. The gun-former has barely enough time to throw himself forward, essentially tumbling over the tunnel mouth. The move looks neither graceful nor practiced. Despite Override's guns pointed at him, despite the unknown danger that is represented by Emirate Xaaron, Shockwave still takes the time to rise to a standing position. His gaze now stays fixed on Xaaron, now, as if Override and her threat are unimportant. His stance is not defensive. One might think the Decepticon was negotiating trades rights instead of risking his spark on a possible meeting of the minds. He brushes some dirt from his chest, before speaking again, "Hiding from the elements buys time, allows one to plan, but some storms can outlast one's stores. When that happens, it sometimes becomes necessary to forage for more supplies, and that no matter how much damage one may suffer or how uncomfortable the searching." A brief flicker of his optic and Shockwave adds, "Or how lacking in quality the supplies." Shockwave tilts his head slightly toward Override, "I feel almost nostalgic. The last time I made conversation with an Emirate was also at gunpoint." And we all know what happened to Emirate Xeon, now do we not, my pretties? To Duskwing he replies: //You were warned. As for the other, he* is from the reality with cyber-keys, it seems. Primus is a God of Subtlety in that reality.// *What? Female Transformer's all look or sound like females, don't they? At least in DW. It's interesting to note that Shockwave still thinks of Skystrike as male, partially for that reason, though he takes pains to use the correct pronouns when he speaks of/to her.
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Oct 27, 2008 20:17:23 GMT -5
// Uh, yes sir? // Duskwing replies. What the slag did the Purple Overlord mean by that? He shook his head. Over his paygrade, anyway.
The light suddenly dawns; Duskwing's optics have rebooted, and he looks around. Huh. Tricky Gold Guy has pulled one of his usual stunts and vanished from sight; Duskwing scowls. After a few seconds, it occurs to him that he doesn't see Shockwave. Where's he been all this time?
Down in the hollow under the ragged sheets of frozen glass and metal are the fenders of a red and white car--the Autobot that wasn't actually Emirate Xaaron in disguise. Duskwing smirked and stepped out from his cover--he had a target now.
He carefully raised both guns and fired.
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Override
Minor
The Chancellor, Her Noble Potency, Empress Override. The Glorious Victor over Everyone Else On the Track
Shut up and drive
Posts: 476
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Post by Override on Oct 27, 2008 20:56:50 GMT -5
Due to the arrangement of her guns, Override, while in vehicle mode, can only actually shoot in the direction she's pointing. One might consider this a rather odd design flaw, but then one should remember that Override is from a reality where many have to summon power directly from god just to use their weapons at all.
When viewed from that respect, the idea of only being able to shoot forward doesn't seem particularly silly at all.
Silly or not, however, her design means that Duskwing is currently firing into her tailfins.
"YOUWCH!" she exclaims, pained and angry. And in such a small, confined space, backing up and turning around is, itself, problematic - not to mention that it means leaving her back to Shockwave.
Of course, while Override's no genius, she's bright and she's a fast thinker. Duskwing is firing into their hide-away, where she has her rear end facing him - because her front end is turned towards Shockwave.
Override transforms and throws herself against the 'wall' of their (now roofless) hollow, moving herself out of the path way between Duskwing and Shockwave, her gun returning to her hand. By this time, her optics have rebooted as well.
Override smirks. Keep firing, bright boy...
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Oct 31, 2008 20:13:35 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron briefly considers transforming and aiming his barrel in the general direction of Shockwave, but Shockwave doesn't look as off-balance as Emirate Xaaron would like.
He might be able to play with the fact that those of his own reality have no idea what his alternate mode is and play up his resemblance to Megatron and implications (untrue) thereof, but then again, he might not, and can he afford that risk?
Override is capable of shooting at Shockwave. That is at least one thing to burden the mind of the cyclops.
With a groan, Emirate Xaaron transforms.
He has no idea what dying feels like, but he thinks it might feel like this.
A protesting tank barrel levels itself at Shockwave, and the wry voice of the little Emirate asks, "But was the Emirate in question pointing the gun?"
Now, Shockwave calculate the chances. Factor in that he leads a faction. Factor in that resemblance to Megatron.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Nov 1, 2008 19:07:51 GMT -5
Override thinks entirely too quickly, and her estimation of Duskwing's intelligence is, sadly, spot on. Duskwing's shots hit Shockwave in the side, and while not particularly damaging to the cyclops, they do throw him off balance and cause him to drop and roll out of the line of fire.
//Duskwing! I am in this hollow. I am-// Shockwave breaks off as he looks up, catching the last bits of Emirate Xaaron's transform. //- not happy.//
Carefully, carefully and slowly Shockwave shifts to a sitting position, one knee propped up, gun arm balanced on that knee. Such positioning puts his cannon pointed straight up that yawning tank barrel. Indigestion, anyone?
"He was not," Shockwave answers, "But then he was no kin to Megatron's, either." Headfins flick back, "You have the advantage, Emirate, in more ways than one. Are you secure enough now that we might attempt discourse? This," He waves his hand dismissively, "Is wasting time."
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Nov 1, 2008 19:46:10 GMT -5
Oh slag-slag-slag! He shot Shockwave!
Duskwing momentarily froze in shock; he was going to be killed and melted down for scrap! And probably in the reverse order, too.
His instincts screamed at him to run, and run now, before Shockwave got done with whatever he was doing to the Autobots and came after him....
Duskwing's arms twitched as he started to turn to run--
He'd just finished cursing out a Mayhem for blinding him. Mayhems killed deserters. There was no escaping them.
He twitched back in line with the hollow. Nope, he wasn't going to run. Maybe he could learn to grovel real fast. Besides, there were Autobots down there. Somewhere.
Huh. No one in sight, just dust from someone stirring around down in that hollow. Where exactly were they now? He'd have to move closer and take a look...
Duskwing started to circle carefully around the jagged rim, wary of bad footing and protruding chunks of metal; this was too much like hunting Autobots in dead cities on Cybertron. He'd been caught by corroded floors more than once before he learned to keep his thrusters warm.
Even earthworms have been demonstrated to learn from their mistakes, with enough repetition.
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Override
Minor
The Chancellor, Her Noble Potency, Empress Override. The Glorious Victor over Everyone Else On the Track
Shut up and drive
Posts: 476
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Post by Override on Nov 1, 2008 22:15:41 GMT -5
Woah! Emirate Xaaron has an alternate mode?!
... It's a tank?
It takes only a quick glance-over for Override to determine that there's no way he'd be able to get any significant speed out of that form.
Override does not lower her weapon again at Shockwave, though it should be obvious that the threat that she may do so, and quickly, is still there. Instead, she crouches forward and shifts, trying to get an idea of where that Seeker has gone to ground. She shifts her angle, trying to peer out of the jagged edges of her cover. Unfortunately, if she does get in a position where she can actually see something - well, line of sight is called that for a reason, and lines tend to go both ways.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 2, 2008 10:00:43 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron is indeed a tank. He is in no way fast. Sorry to disappoint, Override. He does so hope that she can handle the Seeker. Those things are dreadful pests.
He is actually quite all right with Shockwave pointing that arm gun right up his barrel, because, you see, Emirate Xaaron can't aim, and Shockwave has tidily solved Emirate Xaaron's aiming problem.
Solved his aiming problem by making that if Emirate Xaaron fires, he's going to suffer for it, but still.
Emirate Xaaron is not riled by the implication that he is kin to Megatron. His poker face is very good as a robot; as a faceless tank, it is immaculate.
He murmurs, "Tactically speaking, I am still in rather a poor position, with my communications cut. The work of your man, Shockwave?" It could be the evil Autobots. "That said, let's talk. What are you putting on the table, and what do you seek to gain?"
And what do you seek to make me and mine lose?
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Post by Victoria Raines on Nov 2, 2008 10:56:50 GMT -5
A pity they sit on opposite sides of the fence, and that time is short. Given enough time and conversation, the Emirate and the Lord of Logic might find themselves more similar than either wishes to admit.
Shockwave shrugs, "Merely that whatever trap you have set for that demon Prime, I will do all within my power to insure than any aid given him by my Decepticons is token. If such aid is given at all." Careful wording that. "All I ask is that when we retreat, we be allowed to do so- and to reclaim our wounded or dead- with the same discretion given."
Shockwave speaks of a Decepticon retreat as a given. He is no fool, and he can see the patterns. The Autobots have gained, not just by their new found allies, but with addition of more power to their ranks. The Decepticons will not deliberately throw this battle,- and Shockwave has not promised to do so- but a victory is by no means assured. This entire affair of Starscream's is going south, and Shockwave can see no positive end for his faction.
"I will not lose my people to that mad Prime and his rage, Emirate. Unlike Starscream, I do not see the reward as worth the risk."
Even if the Emirate agrees, Shockwave does not expect the Autobot to keep his word. This entire encounter is less about the now, and more about the later.
"What did you find at the center?" It may be nothing. It may be just bait for the Prime. Or it may be something.
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Nov 2, 2008 11:27:46 GMT -5
Duskwing continues to circle around cautiously until he abruptly gets a glimpse of red and white--then he jerks his head back, half-anticipating a shot. He waits for several moments just out of the line-of sight, thinking.
If he stuck his head out to get a good look, the Bot could shoot him. If he just tossed cluster bombs in there, he might hit Shockwave, and then he might as well follow that up with a cluster bomb in his own braincase.
...What was Shockwave doing in there with the Autobots?
// Sir, are you a prisoner? // Duskwing asks over short-range radio.
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Override
Minor
The Chancellor, Her Noble Potency, Empress Override. The Glorious Victor over Everyone Else On the Track
Shut up and drive
Posts: 476
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Post by Override on Nov 2, 2008 16:09:18 GMT -5
So they won't fight as hard if the good guys let them run away? Huh?
Override shakes her head, letting Emirate Xaaron figure out this. Her traditional method of testing honesty is to challenge the other side to a race, and there's not really time to resolve things using that method right now.
For her part, the racer focuses on watching out for the Seeker. For a moment she catches a glimpse of blue and purple, but it's not long enough to fire. Out loud, she murmurs, "I could break cover and lead him off, but..." she trails off and looks significantly at Shockwave. It does no good to leave their leader here in the middle of a stand-off with a Decepticon.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Nov 2, 2008 18:28:45 GMT -5
"You do not have Starscream's approval, then. All this and civil war, too, Shockwave?" Emirate Xaaron is casual in using the name, certainly familiar and almost teasing. "It would be very, very risky for me to make any sort of agreement with you, if you do not speak for the Decepticons as a whole. What's to say that they won't all follow after Starscream? Even if a quarter of them do, it could be disastrous."
"There is one clear solution. You must see it." He pauses, allowing for plenty of time for Shockwave to reach the implication that Starscream must die. Then, he denies what he himself has suggested without words. "Starscream must be silenced before he can issue a contradictory order. Have your man drop the jamming on me and mine and have him jam Starscream instead. When the dust settles, there will easily be enough confusion for you to claim that it was an Autobot who jammed him."
His voice is almost absent as he answers Shockwave's question, "Just a metallic meteorite. A common enough thing."
That is entirely true, and a superficial glance over at the meteorite itself will confirm it for Shockwave.
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Post by Victoria Raines on Nov 2, 2008 21:43:51 GMT -5
Inwardly, Shockwave sighs. Almost any other individual would be preferred to Duskwing right now.
//I am not a prisoner. The Emirate and I are sparring.// Verbally, but it is still sparring. //And I am gathering information. The Emirate has an alt mode after all, it seems.//
//Do try and keep the other Autobot's attention, at whatever costs.//
Shockwave considers the situation, considers the Emirate's words, and above all, considers Emirate Xaaron. Canny, this one is, and Shockwave's first impressions of the resistance leader is that he and Xaaron are more alike in mind then either would like. "It is the Decepticon way to follow a leader who actually leads, and Starscream has done little enough of that of late."
He shakes his head, "Under other circumstances, Emirate, I might enjoy the luxury of an extended conversation. A pity, really, that we are too similar in mindset to either give a straight answer or hope to receive one.
With that, Shockwave stands, moving carefully and, though he keeps his aim and watch on Xaaron, non-threateningly. He was expected to make an offer and so he did, but some ill-advised alliance was not why he'd approached the Emirate. Shockwave places little trust in tales told out of school; he wanted to size up the Emirate himself.
"I am afraid removing the jamming is not a viable option at the moment. I am not proposing an alliance, after all. Merely that neither of us stands in the way of what is, truthfully, a common desire."
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Duskwing
Major
"What the slag happened?"
Posts: 848
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Post by Duskwing on Nov 2, 2008 22:11:54 GMT -5
Duskwing frowns in puzzlement at Shockwave's reply. Finally, he answers, // He does? Huh. Nobody never seen dat before. Guess he ain't a demon, huh? //
A few minutes later, it occurs to him that he should acknowledge the order. // Uh, yes sir. I'm right on it, sir! //
Duskwing primes himself to act; much as he wanted to fly far, far away, he knew the price of disobedience and desertion. There were Mayhems here. If he didn't get himself in Shockwave's good graces again, he'd probably wish he'd stayed behind with Slog.
Distract the Autobot, yeah. Well, he could figure one way to do it--
Duskwing heaves himself over the rim of the hollow, looking where he last saw Override; as soon as he catches sight of her again, he flies straight toward her, boot jets thundering, leading with one extended arm--and gun. He'll fire at her if there's a solid backstop behind her that isn't a friendly--and he isn't slowing down.
This is no game of chicken; Duskwing intends to distract Override by body-slamming her.
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