Decepticon Interim: Snack Time

[Skyfire]

Skyfire nods. "You have my frequency?" ...and offers it to Spinister anyway, then wanders away to study the town. He's also going to look over that video.

After that, he found a quiet plaza to sit and think. Holi, as Perceptor called him, was not a combat veteran. He'd froze when Cannonball grabbed him, and his fear and pain were obvious. His fear had probably made the pain worse, Skyfire thought sadly; he himself had sustained far worse damage in some of their expeditions and had simply endured it until Starscream could make repairs. Fear and panic always made things appear worse, and often, be worse, because of short-circuiting of logic pathways to a preprogrammed response. Preprogrammed responses were all well and good as a method of speeding up response times in an emergency in a known environment like Cybertron; in an alien environment, they could get you deactivated in a hurry.

The hostage-taking was underhanded, but... the video supported Skyfire's original hypothesis. Cannonball had been caught out in the midst of his enemies, and probably feared for his life. He came up with a clever ruse, and escaped not just intact, but with repairs, and no one was irreparably harmed.

He had already considered Perceptor's protectiveness toward to other Autobots, and his attempt to sway Skyfire by appealing to his compassion and values and what that said about how well Perceptor knew him. Holi's panic continued to disturb Skyfire, though; finally, he re-opened his channel to Perceptor.

---
I forgot to add, Skyfire is out-of-thread now

[Spinister]

Spinister answers Cannonball, "Interesting question. It's probably best if both Lord Starscream and I are there. I bet you got a load of good intel, and the more questions, the more we'll be able to record. Might want Lord Shockwave there, too."

He did not have Skyfire's frequency, so he gratefully records it. He wouldn't need it to track down Skyfire, but it's helpful, all the same. Spinister watches Skyfire go, and once he's gone, he can finally ask, "So to kill time, what did start the war in your universe? And... forgive me, but what exactly are you? Wouldn't peg you for a Naval captain."

[Cannonball]

Cannonball notes the frequency as well. They might have to play nice around the white shuttle-bot, but he did do a good job as a transport. If he's around for a while, Cannonball might need him! And he might ask him if he wants to be a pirate. Yarrrrr.

"Th' war? I try tae avoid it when ah can. Wot lil' I know aboot it was that it started o'er lil' buggahs called Mini-Cons - small Transformers wot kin give us 'bulks' as they be callin' us a power boost when they link up to us. Methinks that one wound up going in favor of the Autobots... Then it shifted tae be o'er energon. Autobots won that'n too. Tha's jus' th' bare-bones o' it. The rest takes some time tae tell...nasty buggah called Unicron was involved in a lot of it 'fore he got blown up...though that be causin' a black 'ole last ah 'eard."

Cannonball grins. "A captain, yes, but not of any navy. M' the Dread Pirate Cannonball, lad, known throughout many a galaxy!"

[Spinister]

Demolishor explained – poorly – to Spinister about Mini-Cons. In a few sentences, Cannonball has been clearer on the issue, and he's a pirate.

He has little reaction to Cannonball being a pirate. Bludgeon, Octopunch, and Stranglehold were mercenaries. Some Decepticons like money. As long as they do whatever they're supposed to be doing, they're welcome to go do whatever on the side. Why should Spinister care?

Spinister notes, "That'll be good. I'm sure we'll get off this world. We've got a Unicron problem, too. Guess he's too much pest for one reality. Want you like me to call in Starscream now? Might as well get you debriefed while your memories are fresh."

[Cannonball]

Well, who has the skills in story-telling and who doesn't?

Cannonball doesn't mind Spinister not being afraid of Cannonball being a pirate, but he could be a little surprised. C'mon. C'mooooooon.

"Sounds good t' me. Th' sooner tha's ovah wit', th' bettah."

[Spinister]

Spinister would like to think that Cannonball is just smarter and easier to get along with than Demolishor.

Since Cannonball seems to want some reaction, Spinister explains, "Many of my friends are mercenaries on the side. Me? I'm just a killer. Don't repeat that around Skyfire. Wouldn't want to demonstrate on a comrade."

Savvy?

He makes the radio to Starscream //Lord Starscream, Cannonball is ready for debriefing. If you meet us at the energon bunker, you can even get a drink.//

[Starscream]

It wasn't long after the radio broadcast was transmitted that Starscream did show up, on foot. He'd been waiting for some time to get information from Cannonball.

Standing by Spinister, he extended his hand, waiting for a cube to be placed in it. His head turned to look Cannonball in his optic.

"Well?"

[Cannonball]

Cannonball looked right back, smug as ever.

"I do be regrettin' tae inform ye that I didnae manage t' git th' frequency as planned...but in place o' that, I kin tell ye who all I met, and give a general layout of their base, as well as a location."

The pirate grins, and starts with a list.

"First o' all, a pink femme, Arcee. Nice-lookin' one, she were.

A blue bloke with flames on his vehicle form. Yellow in the face, seemingly confrontational - Nightbeat." He nods at Spinister. "As good a job you did at knocking him out, he appeared quite functional later on in my stay.

Perceptor, a red and turquoise buggah. Roit good with repairs, too good wit' observin'. Partial to the 'kids' oer' there. Speakin' of, one bein' a little orange fellow named Wheelie, methinks. Other be a little white and blue one named Holi." The pirate smirks. "Noice kid. Naive, too trusting. Even helped me with me escape, but I'll get t' that latah.

Older green buggah, think 'is name were 'Kup'...'nother blue one called Mirage, I believe. Seemed a touch snooty. There were a little green one, seemed shy an' I din' git 'is name. There were also a strange orange femme wot turned into a motorcycle o' sorts. Looked like she made of spare parts. Methinks they called 'er 'Screwdrivah'. There were another one, a yellow one that looked ...well, nekkid. Talked only over th' radio."

A cycling of air, and he picks up again. "Th' last one I met roit propah were this verrah strange buggah called 'Xaaron'. Looked loik 'e'd been dunked in liquid gold an' silvah. Sneaky buggah, too, and too smeltin' curious fer 'is own good. Seemed t' git along mighty well wit' that Nightbeat fellow. As fer th' base layout, once I git whar I kin draw ye out a rough map, I'll git to it."

He doesn't mention Omega Surpeme, 'cause...well, Starscream should know he exists!

[Spinister]

Spinister goes to fetch Starscream his booze and offers up the cube to his leader. Today, Spinister appears to be the drink wench.

He rattles out a sigh to hear that Nightbeat survived. How sloppy of him. He squints angrily at the mention of Wheelie. Spinister promised the little Autobot that he would return, and oh, he will, as the nightmare under the bed, the monster in the closet. Let this Perceptor squirm.

Spinister looks a little alarmed at the mention of Mirage and looks to Starscream. Maybe this one doesn't have invisibility? It would be just their luck.

Then, he stops dead, as if frozen. Slowly, his helicopter blades fan down and prick clear back up. Spinister hisses sharply, "Emirate Xaaron? He is the resistance leader on Cybertron and the last Iaconian Councilman. He must be captured, interrogated, and killed. We can assume he's in charge of the Autobots until proven otherwise."

He is dead serious, here.

[Starscream]

Starscream chuckled at the mention of the child-like Wheelie AND Holi. "Are the Autobots running military operation or a daycare facility?"

But that smile quickly turned into a frown at the mention of Mirage. And, with Spinister's concern about their so-called leader Xaaron, it turns into a complete scowl.

"Do you have their base location?"

[Cannonball]

The pirate gives Spinister a sharp nod, scowling. "None o' tha' applies tae me, but I'd still like a few shots at 'im jus' 'cause I plain don' like 'im." A beat passes, and he grins an evil grin! "Mebbe take 'is armor first. Methinks it might 'ave good resale value if it's actual gold and silver..."

He then turns to Starscream "Aye, ah do have th' general area. Once ye git there, ye'll be able tae see Omega Supreme, so it ain' 'ard to find" Cannonball replies, and offers a series of four coordinates. "S'contained within this area. Thar be a big garage type structure that I know they be usin' as their 'ousing fer Repair."

[Spinister]

Spinister sighs at how Cannonball does not appear to be taking Xaaron seriously, but he can support people wanting to shoot Xaaron and disliking him.

He calls up a map of the area on his datapad and hands it over to Cannonball, stylus included. He directs, "Write in labels."

[Starscream]

Starscream frowned, taking a gulp from his energon cube. "That was all you met? Sounds like their numbers haven't changed. Well, save for Wheelie. Did they mention there were others? Any number for the total group?

[Cannonball]

Cannonball answers, scrawling out the locations of repair and Omega on the map. "I woulda met more ifn' that Xaaron buggah 'adn't been so intent on talkin' tae me." Grumbling, he realizes just how little he learned of the base. "Ain't much, but they're not verrah set up yet. Th' buildin' whar Repair be 'as a lot o' levels, so they may be puttin' more stuff in thar eventually."

[Spinister]

Spinister asks hopefully, "Don't suppose you shot him 'by accident', did you? How did you escape, anyway?"