Skyfire-3
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Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
Posts: 182
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 11, 2008 16:27:05 GMT -5
Before the battle...
After Skyfire-3 concluded his chat with Perceptor-3, but before the call to battle, he ran into his one real friend... Semi-private thread, ask before joining.
Skyfire strolled back to the large hangar on the edge of the ruined city's airport that he'd claimed as his temporary quarters. It was quite near where he'd put TC up, and the big shuttle-former debated checking in on his pet Seeker. He really did need to take TC out for some supervised flying, but his chat with Perceptor had given him things to think about... things he wanted to talk over with the one person he half-way trusted.
// Oracle, // he radioed on her private frequency without preamble, // they put you up anywhere half-way decent? I've grabbed a couple of hangars for me and TC out here at the airport. Care to join me? //
He gazed up at the gray and lowering sky, awaiting her reply.
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Oracle-3
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It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 11, 2008 17:59:29 GMT -5
Having never actually made it back to the party after her very early distraction and subsequent departure, Oracle had been out exploring early that day. Having minded her manners and both stayed out of places she shouldn't be and avoided starting any trouble, she was quite pleased to hear Skyfire hailing her as she wandered around. Frankly she was bored and well, he was rarely boring.
//Well you know me, how often do I stay where I'm actually put? I'm making do to be sure, but I certainly won't turn down the invitation. Are you there now?// She started heading in that direction anyway, even if he wasn't there she might check the place out if she could locate the right hangers. She would prefer his presence without a doubt, but he might have other things he was doing. She doubted that considering he radioed her, but one never knew.
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Skyfire-3
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Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
Posts: 182
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 11, 2008 18:47:47 GMT -5
Skyfire grins to himself. So Oracle was 'available' for the nonce. Excellent!
// I am there now, and at loose ends until Prime notices that he needs me for something, // he replies, and if his tone shades into the sarcastic at the end, well, that's as may be.
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Oracle-3
Cadet
It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 11, 2008 19:23:30 GMT -5
//I should be there momentarily then I believe. Hopefully you'll be 'forgotten' at least for the time being.// She was less concerned about her being needed for anything, it was pretty rare she was called on for something outside of a combat situation lately.
Oracle didn't take to the air, but having not been too terrible far away in the first place it didn't take her that long to arrive near the hangers she thought Skyfire had indicated. Stopping in front of the larger flier she looked up with a slightly amused smile. "Alone? Well this is a first in a while." She was rather pleased at the fact though, and let a hint of that show in her expression.
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Skyfire-3
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Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
Posts: 182
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 11, 2008 19:31:18 GMT -5
Skyfire grinned at the sight of her. He could watch those graceful Seeker wings that gleamed in sunlight and were eerily pale in the night sky all around the clock. This Seeker, however, was no pet. Far, far from it.
"Well, I really should see to TC and take him out flying--poor thing has been shut up since the before the battle, but... I feel irresponsible. First moment I've had for my own pleasure in quite a while."
"Mistress Oracle, will you favor me by accepting this gift?" He handed her a cube of energon and gestured toward the open hangar door.
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Oracle-3
Cadet
It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 11, 2008 20:07:54 GMT -5
"I'm sure TC can handle being cooped up a bit longer, but time alone is far too infrequent for me to wish to wait for you to fetch him." And while she didn't mind the broken Seeker, she was rather disappointed in him at the moment. Still... "If you get called for something before you do get a chance to take him out, I can make sure he gets some time out if you like." Wouldn't be the first time she'd watched one of his pets after all, even if she wasn't fond of it.
Neatly spinning the proffered cube between her fingers, Oracle brushed the back of her hand along Skyfire's hand as she turned to head into the indicated hanger. "I believe I shall favor you, yes." That amused and pleased edge was still present in her smile, but there was something more possessive there as well now. Evidently Skyfire felt the hanger was secure enough for the truth of certain things not to be quite so hidden, and she was quite pleased about this.
"Come then, I'm sure we have much to catch up on."
OOC: Touching with permission of player.
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Skyfire-3
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Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
Posts: 182
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 11, 2008 20:49:51 GMT -5
Her touch tingled against his sensors. Yes, he'd been much too busy with this work and conquest and politicking. Much, much too busy. Life was meant to be enjoyed, especially one as long and varied as his.
Skyfire let his hand trail along her arm, click-clacking gently against the angles of her armor as he half-lead, half-followed.
"Indeed. First, are we really alone?" he asked as he pulled the hangar door closed. "My sensors think so, but your senses have saved our afts before. I'd hate to find out Mirage or some of those Decepticon spies were eavesdropping."
Why yes, Skyfire wants to talk about things that might be... misunderstood if overhead by the wrong parties.
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Oracle-3
Cadet
It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 11, 2008 21:13:33 GMT -5
Since Oracle cheerfully wrung everything she could out of life until it screamed, she would agree that life should be enjoyed. Maybe not savored since she didn't slow down enough for that very often, but enjoyed oh yes.
Leaning slightly into the touch along her arm, she shrugged slightly and looked around the hanger as Skyfire pulled the door closed. Stepping closer she leaned against him and ramped her sight up to full view for just long enough to look around the hanger before shutting it down again. Ugh, she hated the initial disorientation and she would be glad of that cube Skyfire handed her thanks to the additional energy drain. Still it was a convenient way to catch lurkers, they didn't tend to be quite so vigilant at times when they thought people were looking the opposite direction. "Nothing I saw but..." She shrugged again. She saw the future, not what wasn't there to see. She and Mirage didn't get along for a number of reasons, that was just one of them.
She stayed leaning against him for just a bit longer before straightening up and stepping away, moving further into the hanger.
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Skyfire-3
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Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 11, 2008 22:34:58 GMT -5
Skyfire just nodded. "Understood."
He felt her living metal vibrate against him, rare companionship to him who so often flew alone, and Skyfire smiled.
"Yess... I've let things slide. Being flung here, losing my collection, exchanging one Prime for a much flashier, more arrogant model--speaking of whom, in your opinion, what's our long-term prospectus with him? Viable, or headed for a messy meltdown with advice to cut our losses and get out?"
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Oracle-3
Cadet
It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 11, 2008 22:49:31 GMT -5
Well then, it seemed as though he had more then one reason to wish for secrecy and silence. And considering her answer, she did as well.
"I haven't Seen anything, but some stars burn far too brightly to be safe anywhere near. This Prime is danger embodied and not just to his enemies." She shifted her weight, looking for the moment aimlessly across at the far wall. "But staying being viable or not, I don't think leaving is much of an option either." Though the reasons for that were many and varied and not all having to do directly with the Prime himself, at least not for her.
"There are more avenues open with this new universe true, but still a great many unknowns as well."
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Skyfire-3
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 11, 2008 23:08:17 GMT -5
Skyfire disengaged himself (only light touches, really, nothing to disengage from, really) and began to pace. "There are civilizations out there. The locals fled--or tried to, like in 'our' version of this alien universe. I've found things in exploring their museums and civic centers... alien constructs, not built by the Gilanese."
He looked up at the ceiling, his CPU virtualizing the stars far beyond. "If we could get out there, there's something to be gotten and someone to sell it to--I'd bet fate and fortune on it. The problem is getting out there, and the problem with that is fuel. We scrape it up drop by drop, and Prime has me burning my reserves on this mission or that."
Skyfire clenched one fist. "I can't tell if he's deliberately keeping me on a short leash, or if the needs of the mission and our fuel make it necessary. All his missions have been more or less legit, and I haven't come across any evidence that the fuel shortage isn't."
A sidelong glance at the graceful, pale Autobot Seeker. "I could do business with Optimus Prime--all he wanted was his cut. This Rodimus guy--as you say, he burns too bright."
"It's a lot healthier to stay away from fast-burning, hot stars. Get too close, and the mass drags you in and you get incinerated; stay in orbit with it, and you'll be incinerated when it finally blows up into red vacuum and dies," Skyfire said.
"I think this particular hot star is headed for a super-nova," he added. "I don't want to be around when it goes catastrophic."
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Oracle-3
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It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 12, 2008 0:22:26 GMT -5
Oracle stood alone and watched him pace with an odd tilt of her lips as she listened to him. "One has to wonder if the previous natives survived their exodus from this place. It would be useful to know where they went, for a hint as to the closest harbor if nothing else." She laughed quietly at his comment about finding thing when exploring the museums and civic centers here. "And how much did you leave unstripped from those museums and centers after you left?" She knew her partner after all. That wouldn't be a bad habit of his if they did manage to get off this planet though.
The comment about fate got an annoyed wrinkling of her nose, but she didn't say anything. Oracle cheated fate on a regular basis, she rather took pride in that fact so the idea of betting on fate seemed well, silly to her. That not exactly being important to the topic of conversation though, she just ignored it.
"I haven't seen any hint the shortage isn't real myself. I can't say much about keeping you on a short leash though, while missions may be legit they may not always be strictly necessary." She was probably lucky herself, that the one who would be most likely to point out her fuel requirement was higher then Seeker normal knew very well why and wasn't likely to give her away. "Still that does present a problem we will need to work on."
Skyfire's sidelong glance got the slightest of wry headshakes in return. "You would be happy enough with that. Still, I can't argue. This Prime is nothing like what I was used to before arriving here." And she didn't like the change. She had enough trouble staying stable on her own some days, she didn't need someone else influencing her. "The question is can we escape the pull before the meltdown. I don't know how much time we might have." And they would need backup plans on top of backup plans, because if they failed...it would be bad.
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Skyfire-3
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 12, 2008 9:14:17 GMT -5
Skyfire paced, still deep in thought. "Scavenging fuel ourselves while at the beck and call of our current 'employers' is well-nigh impossible. That leaves stealing it or getting someone to give it to us," (which in Skyfire's lexicon could be much the same thing).
"Our Decepticons are right out, and our association with these Other Decepticons has probably contaminated those Other Autobots with narrow-minded, distorted views about us... though they might be convinced that it was All a Big Misunderstanding if we get away clean from Psycho-boy Prime." Skyfire stopped pacing and smirked at Oracle. "After all, we do come from a different reality than Rodimus Prime. Perhaps we're not cut from the same cloth, after all, and are just making the best of a bad deal. If these Other Autobots are the same kind of sappy, meddling do-gooders that our Decepticons are, all we need to do is raise reasonable doubt that we are actually 'bad guys'."
He resumed pacing. "So, not altogether impossible. However, I think these Other Decepticons are a more viable choice. Their leader doesn't seem to be Prime's sort of crazy; he might be the kind we can make deals with. Unfortunately, I haven't had much of a chance to meet him, get a feel for what kind of mech he is. Have you?"
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Oracle-3
Cadet
It's such a thin line between heaven and hell.
Posts: 80
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Post by Oracle-3 on Oct 12, 2008 15:16:39 GMT -5
"We could attempt to skim and stockpile as well, but I have a feeling that would take far too long for it to be a realistic option." And presented a greater chance of someone noticing too, but Oracle still thought it was worth pointing out in case another party like last night happened. That would have been a prime opportunity if they had plans in place before hand.
Taking a step back, she leaned against a wall with her arms crossed. "There's another reason it's probably not worth it to go to those other Autobots, even if we could manage to convince them they had the wrong impression of us, or should I say you could convince them." She was a lot better at winding people up then negotiating, that really was Skyfire's gig. "We have no idea how many resources they might have managed to take with them when they fled, but I doubt they would want to relinquish what limited amounts of fuel they do have to two possible hostiles, sappy sentiments aside. It would simply be a matter of their own survival."
His question drew another shake of her head. "No. I haven't had any contact at all with him really. No purpose really, so why seek him out. Other then in passing I haven't really had contact with him since well, the initial meeting really." To be honest, other then to bait them she hadn't wanted much to do with the Decepticons of this world, and she wasn't enough of a fool to go baiting any of their command. Idiot sharks aside. That thought brought her to another possible way to bargain for fuel if nothing else worked, and while she kept silent about it, it stayed in her memory and she wasn't particularly happy about it.
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Skyfire-3
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Professional Treasure Hunter and Pet Fancier
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Post by Skyfire-3 on Oct 12, 2008 18:54:22 GMT -5
Skyfire smiled wryly. "I suppose it's my job to open negotiations with this Starscream, if I get the chance."
He moved in closer, one hand reaching out to hover just above her shoulder, only to curl back as if reluctant to touch. In truth he was... without her permission. Skyfire did not touch or hinder the pale jet-former save by her leave.
"I know what terms I want and what I'll settle for if I have to, but what about you? If I can make it a package deal, what will you settle for, with these Other Cons?" Skyfire asked her.
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