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Post by Spy Shot 6/Cameron Otto on Nov 8, 2010 22:20:56 GMT -5
Oh! Another person. That sounds like Kup. Spy Shot peers around the back of the chair. It is Kup! He rather likes Kup. He is a very informative person. Waving a greeting , Spy Shot turns back to the main assembly of people.
Perceptor was captured by Megatron once? Say it isn't so! He is also quite fond of Perceptor. That is exactly the sort of thing that he is now determined to prevent! The killing, spark-eating, and unethical medical experimenting, too. All bad stuff that people need protecting from. He nods along in response.
Then it's Farlane's turn - and he really is a most enchanting shade of pink, isn't he? Spy Shot nods to him as well, before saying in a helpful tone, "I was kind of not an Autobot, too. Instead I was just a camera. But now I am an Autobot. I protect people when they are in need. If you are ever in need, I will protect you."
The last bit is said with a decidedly proud tint. He still hasn't gotten over the shiny newness of his recent revelations.
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Post by Kup on Nov 8, 2010 23:56:47 GMT -5
Kup gives Boondocker a startled look as the bumpkin claims that the Decepticons in his reality only take prisoners for hostage situations or if they want something from them, his optics flickering in surprise. Then he shakes his head faintly as he remembers, muttering, "Ohyeah, memory issues." Louder, he says, "Sorry, lad, but you haven't even scratched the surface of the sort of things Decepticons pull when they manage to grab us. Sure, once Megatron captured Perceptor for a cure, but then there's also the time that the 'Cons managed to grab both Perceptor and Seaspray. Wasn't there for that, but from what I remember in the file, Starscream was gonna try to make 'em fight to the death then.1 They're also damned fond of reprogramming or brainwashing, both of Transformers and others, and are up for using anyone they can get ahold of as slave labor 'stead of doing the damn job themselves.2 If they manage an actual brainwashing, they seem to take particular pleasure in making the folks turn against those they were closest to or bringing down what was most important to them - that's how Crystal City was destroyed." Kup looks down, expression saddened. "Er... records say there weren't many survivors from that whole business. 'Course, then there's the executions. They like to get elaborate with these, which sometimes gives folks a chance to escape first. Things like crushing machines,3 or acid baths."
He starts to walk along the edges of the room, his movements casual - he is checking to see if anything's out of place, but he's done this so often that it seems a perfectly natural act - because it is. As he walks, he continues, "'Course, you're right, sometimes they don't bother with prisoner taking, or even conquest, and they're just out to squeeze whatever energy they can out of a world, destroying anyone who lives on it."5
1 Golden Lagoon. 2 Secret of Omega Suprme, Countdown to Extinction, Desertion of the Dinobots, Megatron's Master Plan, Changing Gears, among others. 3 Autobot Run 4 Search for Alpha Trion. It's also worth keeping in mind that just because the guys on screen escaped doesn't mean that all of the 'nameless background characters' make it - Shockwave thought that female Autobots were extinct, for example, which suggests that a rather lot of them, at least, have been killed over the years. 5 Man, they attempted this so many times on Earth, I'm not even going to bother listing them. Yes, they don't succeed, but that doesn't excuse what they were trying to do!
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Boondocker
Rookie
General Contractor at Large and Sanitation Engineer Second-Class
Pickup Man
Posts: 216
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Post by Boondocker on Nov 11, 2010 21:48:41 GMT -5
Boondocker can't help but wince slightly as Kup goes and shows how little Boondocker actually knows about what went on back home. "Ooof, didn't know about most of that. I was only active 'bout ten years 'fore I got yanked here, and a lot of that time was spent buildin' Autobot City. Most of the info I got about stuff that happened was rumors."
Boondocker moves his chair a bit closer to the discussion, sitting in it backwards. He's pretty much hugging the chairback. The discussion isn't comfortable, but knowing ahead of time is better than discovering in an emergency, after his incident with Shockwave.
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Nimbus Tsura
Major
Secretary to Mr. Breakaway
Sky-Painter Extraordinaire
Posts: 735
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Post by Nimbus Tsura on Nov 13, 2010 14:19:31 GMT -5
Skyblast perks up and listens to Kup's accounting. Oh bother, he still needs to go with Kup for a cube and stories, doesn't he? He does complain, "Why couldn't my Decepticons be creative like yours? If I have to die, being lowered into an acid pit sounds a lot more stylish with flair than dying strapped down on a vivisection table."
Quirky artist-soldiers have odd priorities sometimes.
Skyblast then explains the other half, "Like I said, before the war, on our planet," being as Spy Shot 6 is a Transformer from Skyblast's reality; he just needs some schooling, "we were divided into different divisions. After the war, most Autobots were ex-Science Division. Easy. Optimus always did lead Science Division. I wasn't Science Division - had no head for it. I was in Security Force, headed by Prowl, which was a subset of the Defense Force, headed up by High Protector... Megatron. A lot of Security Force went Autobot with Prowl - easy, again, the Decepticons tried to kill him, but a lot of Defense Force went Decepticon, with Megatron, and it was hard not to, if you had wings and could fight."
"But I... can't say I much enjoyed executing my enemies to the last man and then blowing up their ships, for good or ill measure, and I didn't like what the war was doing to my world. So I'm an Autobot."
Skyblast looks around the room, trying to catch people's optics if he can.
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Dinobot
Minor
Death Before Dishonor
Posts: 302
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Post by Dinobot on Nov 14, 2010 16:55:03 GMT -5
"I suppose you're a conscientious objector then," Dinobot rasps at Farlane, spitting the word out like a curse. "Do you mean to say an alien race was stealing the very stars and you sat idle while others combated them?"
The Maximal rises from his seat and points at Spy Shot 6. "Take note, little one. In war, it's every bot's duty to fight . . . or contribute to the best of their abilities," he adds, realizing who he's talking to. Because he wouldn't put it past Spy Shot to walk up to Shockwave and start kicking him in the foot.
Executing enemies to the last man and blowing up their ships is often kinder than capturing and torturing them, in Dinobot's opinion.
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Nov 15, 2010 19:15:55 GMT -5
“Aw, l’il dude, that’s real cool,” Farlane grins at Spy Shot, grimly stomping out the cynical little voice in the back of his mind. The fellow was going to live a difficult life well enough without Farlane’s personal anecdotes to help him.
He listens to Kup’s recounting of the war on earth, Boondocker’s reply, and then to Skyblast who... had a pretty unique view on death. Farlane was of the general opinion that life shouldn’t be an extreme sport and would prefer to deactivate peacefully -preferably under his own will and after a long, long life- without anyone trying to melt him in acid. He doesn’t say that though.
And then Dinobot speaks up and he does a spittake. That didn’t even make sense. “Man, what? There’s a crap ton a’ stars out there without anyone using ‘em. Why would anyone have a war over- oh.” Farlane leans back in his chair with a slightly. “You thought I was talking about inhabited systems, huh?”
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Post by Spy Shot 6/Cameron Otto on Nov 15, 2010 21:51:18 GMT -5
A veritable encyclopedia of information, that Kup! Spy Shot quickly files every example away. So many unpleasant-sounding things, and poor Perceptor! Captured at least twice. Perhaps he would have to make a point of watching the scientist if Perceptor was prone to such things.
When Skyblast uses 'our', the camera-bot just assumes he's referring to all the NBE sorts from his reality. Spy Shot's planet it Earth, after all!
He makes extra sure to take note as Dinobot asks him to, adding the Maximal's words on to the end of his other Autobot duties. Fight or contribute to the best of his abilities, got it. He nods and says, "Oh, okay."
To Farlane, he tilts his head and asks, "Is it?" He actually understands the colloquial use of 'cool' just fine, he just had no idea that his decision counted as such! He puffs up a little.
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Post by Kup on Nov 16, 2010 9:56:01 GMT -5
Kup knew that Boondocker wasn't up to date on the war! Hence, the 'memory issues' comment!
He snorts at Skyblast's comment. "Y'ask me, the death that's got the most 'flare' is the one that takes out as many of 'em as possibe, but when it comes down to it, I'd rather be teachin' folks to live well than to die well." For just a moment, a distant sadness sneaks across his expression, vanishing as quickly as it shows. "I've had about enough of seeing folks I train dying no matter what I've taught 'em, enough so it gets hard to call any of it 'good.' Necessary, sometimes, sure, but the whole point should be trying to make it not necessary, not in finding the most 'stylish' way to go out."
He listens as Skyblast explains his background and why he chose to be an Autobot. Wait, wait, Skyblast worked for Megatron (Kup had missed part of that conversation)? But from the sounds of things, so had Skyblast's Prowl! The veteran decides that in the end, what really matters is what Skyblast chose when the time for chosing came.
And yes, Dinobot, thank you for that clarification. Let's not encourage Spy Shot to run up and kick Shockwave in the foot, okay?
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Boondocker
Rookie
General Contractor at Large and Sanitation Engineer Second-Class
Pickup Man
Posts: 216
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Post by Boondocker on Nov 16, 2010 23:50:12 GMT -5
Boondocker looks over at Dinobot and frowns a bit. "Now hold yer horses there, mister - not all of us are cut out for bein' warriors," he drawls. "Ain't nothin' wrong with that."
Skyblast's desire for a 'cool' death is rather weird. He leaves it an unspoken opinion, though.
"I'm with Kup - we gotta do something to get this dang ol' big fight over with... Though fer that, we gotta figger out how to get back home first." Boondocker frowns. "Can't put the horse before the cart."
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Nimbus Tsura
Major
Secretary to Mr. Breakaway
Sky-Painter Extraordinaire
Posts: 735
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Post by Nimbus Tsura on Nov 17, 2010 0:45:27 GMT -5
Skyblast holds up his hands and points out, "Didn't I just say 'if I have to die'?"
He then waves a hand dismissively and opines, "Ironhide - now Ironhide, he was Defense Force, a real big name under Megatron - and after Ironhide joined the Autobots, his idea of training was, 'Skyblast, attack that heavily armed Decepticon base!' I mean, there's only half a battalion there, no big deal..."
Actually, there was only one Decepticon in there. The whole place was automated, which Ironhide knew, and he failed to tell his men because... gee, it was whimsical or something. Oh right, teaching them the lesson to take nothing at face value. So why is the lesson that Skyblast remembers, instead, 'Ironhide sure is a jerk sometimes'?
Skyblast raps the side of his helmet with his fist, smiling ruefully. "School of hard knocks, darlings. Believe you me, I know how to survive in a tough spot."
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Dinobot
Minor
Death Before Dishonor
Posts: 302
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Post by Dinobot on Nov 17, 2010 18:48:58 GMT -5
"If they weren't inhabited systems, then how was it stealing?" Dinobot asks.
"I did say 'to the best of their abilities,'" he responds to Boondocker. "Besides, it doesn't matter if you're 'cut out for it' or not. The Decepticons aren't going to bother checking which of us are combatants when they start shooting."
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Post by Farlane/Faye Fairlane on Nov 18, 2010 21:46:17 GMT -5
“Jus’ cus no ones lives there doesn’t mean it’s not owned. It’d be kind of like living in a power plant for the owners anyways. Powerplants are great n’ all but livin’ there’s not really great, y’know?” Farlane does, obviously.
“There probably ain’t a lot a’ ways to fight a war, but from what I’m hearin’ the ‘Cons shouldn’t really be a role model. Soldiers n’ warriors can do some pretty noble work n’ I respect that, but life ain’t just about that. In times of need there may not be much of a choice, but there’s gotta be more to life n’ fighting or preparing for a war.” It was a scary moment when the pink car had actually realized there was more. Being created to fight and having lived one’s entire life fighting made the occasional encounters with any alternate possibilities mind-blowing to say the least.
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Post by Spy Shot 6/Cameron Otto on Nov 21, 2010 0:15:26 GMT -5
Spy Shot's head keeps swiveling back and forth as he keeps track of the conversation. So much to learn! So many concepts to file away! He has nothing to add at the moment, but he's more than happy to just sit and listen to the much more worldly people talk.
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Post by Kup on Nov 21, 2010 9:07:55 GMT -5
"Just ending the war ain't enough," Kup says as he continues to walk around the edge of the room, glancing largely at the walls and the seams. "There's a real easy way to end it - losing. What we want is winning the war, and that one's proven a bit trickier." The funny thing is, if Kup were to sit down and think about it - really think about it - the situation back home very nearly counts as peace time. Sure, the Decepticons are still out there, in exile on Charr and relegate to little more than a nuisance while the Autobots largely concentrate on dealing with the Quintessons, restoring Cybertron, and negotiating peace throughout the galaxy.1 Even the galaxy-wide crisis Kup had been pulled from the middle was not of Decepticon-making!
He frowns and glances back at Skyblast. "Ironhide? Working for Megatron?" He snorts, then shakes his head. "So how'd the mission go? Obviously, you made it through."
He narrows his optics to glance back at the dancer. "Funny thing is, it's those who're making fighting and preparing for or just helping with war their lives who give other folks the option to say no." Something about his tone, however, suggests that he still doesn't think much of those who exercise that 'option.'
1 No, seriously. If you watch Season 3, this is what's going on. Sure, S3 tends to be the least favorite season for fans, but that's partially because peace is boring.
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Nimbus Tsura
Major
Secretary to Mr. Breakaway
Sky-Painter Extraordinaire
Posts: 735
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Post by Nimbus Tsura on Nov 25, 2010 15:23:58 GMT -5
OOC: Skipping Boondocker due to timeout.
Skyblast smirks and explains, "Ironhide was an officer under Megatron. Was. Anyway, Ironhide was being a piston-head. The whole base was automated. Just one Decepticon inside. We freed our man who was trapped there and blew that popstand."
He glances over at Farlane. Nice view. "Life's not about fighting? Tell me about it! But the fact of the matter is, I can't live the life I want if there are Decepticons. A lot of people can't live the lives they want. I can't just sit back and take that."
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