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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jun 28, 2008 21:25:15 GMT -5
"I'm not saying we should be stupid, but on the other hand, we can't afford to completely discount potential allies, either." He straightens. If the conversation is about to come to an end, it's time to catch a defrag, anyway. Or to stay awake and angst over not being able to go out. One of the two.
"Oracle's repairs are done. I'll call her."
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Oracle
Minor
The future is always in motion.
Posts: 426
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Post by Oracle on Jun 28, 2008 22:15:52 GMT -5
And on the heels of her summoning, Oracle come jogging out of one of the tunnels, looking curiously between the two already standing there as she comes to a stop several feet away. "Emirate. Prime. Reporting as requested."
She knows she's going topside with Xaaron, though honestly she's not sure why since she had been under the impression they were supposed to stay below, but right now the reason isn't all that important to her. The frame of mind she's in, command said jump, she'd be lifting off before she bothered to inquire about desired altitude. She's just a bit thankful for having been rebuilt when part of her wasn't expecting it to happen at all. At the moment she'll just stand and wait attentively for further instructions, and if she's lucky an explanation.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jun 28, 2008 23:19:46 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron making a clicking noise in his mouth and reminds, "I didn't say to discount potential allies. In fact, I said that if they're good, they'll accept an apology."
Does Emirate Xaaron have to come over there and de-angst Rodimus Prime?
He mulls over Rodimus Prime's choice and comments, pleased, "The prophetess? A shrewd choice. Thank you."
Emirate Xaaron smiles warmly when Oracle arrives and explains briskly, "Decepticons claiming to not be the ones we know have been encountered by Botanica and First Aid, topside. As I just told Rodimus Prime, if they're alternate Swerve's Decepticons, they'll think me a cringing coward. If they're anything else, they'll try to shoot me. Consider me their acid test."
He feels it should be obvious enough why he needs Oracle to accompany him. With a flourish, Emirate Xaaron gestures in the direction of a path topside and inquires in a way that is more of an order than a question, "Shall we be off?"
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jun 28, 2008 23:29:12 GMT -5
"Just make sure you're ready to duck, Emirate." Rodimus smiles.
"I'll be awake a bit longer, in case you need back-up, but after that I'm going offline to defragment. Emirate Xaaron, Oracle, good luck."
He stands himself up straight to see them off, but as soon as they're out of sight he's heading off.
OOC: If this thread continues with conversation between Oracle and Xaaron, consider Rodimus out of it as he's left behind.
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Oracle
Minor
The future is always in motion.
Posts: 426
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Post by Oracle on Jun 29, 2008 0:29:25 GMT -5
Looks like she is lucky after all, and it's probably a good thing or she would have been very confused when they reached the surface. "So possible alternate Decepticons and you're the acid test. Got it." Her part in this is pretty obvious, to her anyway. Extra body, and if things go badly, potentially extra warning. Oracle returns Xaaron's smile with a slightly quirky one of her own. "Lets hope for the non-shooting option, but I do agree about remembering to duck." Getting your leader shot on your watch wasn't exactly a good mark on the resume after all.
At his order, no she's not mistaking that tone for a question at all, she nods and heads out down the tunnel. "Open or quiet approach Emirate, and have we any idea of the Decepticons involved?" He's the tactician, not her, and she'd really rather not screw this up or overstep herself, but she'd like to know who she's potentially up against if things go skids up.
OOC: I'm alright with staying or moving whenever.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jun 29, 2008 20:52:51 GMT -5
"I was manufactured ready to duck!" Emirate Xaaron calls back to Rodimus Prime, over his shoulder.
He replies, moving down the tunel quickly and without hesitation, "Quiet approach up to a certain point. Then, we'll want want to be seen. We just don't want them to see where we came from. Also, we need to have an exit strategy."
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Oracle
Minor
The future is always in motion.
Posts: 426
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Post by Oracle on Jun 29, 2008 22:14:15 GMT -5
The question of Decepticons isn't answered, and that makes her a bit nervous. Hopefully he knows more then he's sharing. "Understood. Do Botanica and First Aid know we're coming, and what coordinates is this all happening at?"
There was something else that was making her just a bit nervous. Xaaron was apparently intent on leading the way out which personally sounded like a bad idea to her. Semi defeated the point of sending her along after all, if he intended to lead the way once they got to the surface as well. For the moment she didn't say anything but once they exited the tunnel, she planned on speaking up if he was still in the lead. For now she just kept up with him and gave a self deprecating shrug at the talk of exit strategies. "I'm not used to working with anyone else, or planning more then a very short time ahead," what she did probably didn't exactly count as planning either, "so if you have a better suggestion then mine of someone playing bait while the others leave the area, I wouldn't be very surprised." At all, because honestly? That was a lousy strategy unless the bait was really lucky and skilled, while the enemies weren't. Or there was serious home field advantage, which was missing here as well.
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jun 30, 2008 21:28:54 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron adds, realising that he skipped a beat there, "Not sure about how many Decepticons or what sorts, aside from a Starscream and an aerial variety of Decepticon. Fliers, I suppose. Your kind." He grins cheekily at her, as if daring her to deny his comment. "Botanica's under a lot of pressure out there and the view may be obscured."
There's the ladder up. He grabs ahold of it, thoughtlessly assuming that she will follow. It simply comes naturally to him. If they can kill him in one shot, all that having her out in front means is that the enemy will take two shots, and both of them willl be dead. He's no foolhardy bravo, but there is little point in standing behind a living shield in such circumstances. Emirate Xaaron looks back and considers the rest of her questions, suggesting mildly, "Get used to working with others. That said, I've been known to use muself at bait from time to time, but," he taps his hand on lader railing, "I was thinking something much simpler. Run for it."
He reaches for another rung.
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Oracle
Minor
The future is always in motion.
Posts: 426
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Post by Oracle on Jun 30, 2008 22:31:13 GMT -5
"Starscream and potentially a bunch of fliers? Lovely." Not like she was going to make much of a protest of them being called her kind, when he was talking about sheer type, so she just shrugged at his smile. "Could make things interesting. Hopefully the ground cover won't just confused things for Botanica, but them as well." She does nod at his comment about learning to work with others though. "I'm working on it. It's just not something I'm used to yet." New habits take time for form after all.
Apparently he is intent on leading outside as well, and she decides not to wait any longer before speaking up. Even if she had know what he was thinking, she probably still would have said something. He might have better armor by a long shot, but she had a much better chance of dodging so neither of them needed to get hit, or if necessary taking the shot in a non-hindering place and giving him warning to react. Lifting off on her thrusters she hovers carefully above and behind Xaaron, ready to fly up the shaft ahead of him. "Sir, I am expendable, you are not. Why don't you let me catch any potentially itchy trigger fingers, then you can commence the acid test if things go well?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jun 30, 2008 22:44:22 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron has beat-up, bent, and cracked armour. It's just shiny. He's had a polishing but not repairs.
Emirate Xaaron turns his head around and looks up at Oracle, fixing her with a steely glare, and he intones, "Everyone is expendable, but our values are not, and it is those values that determine when and how we will be expended."
Even here, among strangers with no reason to trust him, people want to throw themselves in front of Emirate Xaaron. Perhaps he is better than he thinks he is. He reaches for another rung and confised, "I didn't ask for company because I wanted a living shield. I asked for company because I feared that Rodimus Prime would demand I take an escort if I didn't ask for one myself. You, they may have a right to fear for your alternate's sake. Getting yourself shot proves nothing. Leave this to me."
OOC: Out of thread.
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