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Post by Needlenose on Feb 7, 2008 12:50:35 GMT -5
"Well, if that's the case," Needlenose says lowly, dangerously, as he pointedly watches Starfighter stumble in his repairs, "you'd better get me back in the air that much faster so we can assist, hadn't you?"
Needlenose's Nebulans are sitting nearby, close enough that they can leap to hand if necessary, and looking generally bored, although Zigzag allows himself an amused smirk as Needlenose talks down to Starfighter.
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 7, 2008 17:04:03 GMT -5
"Doing my best, sir," the blue jet answers nervously, trying not to meet Needlenose's gaze. The pressure isn't helping Starfighter move any faster, nor the fear that they're going to be set upon at any moment. He does what he can, avoiding any inner circuitry with a bit of a wince.
"Do you want me to escort you back to the base?" he asks after he gets close to what he thinks is finished.
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 7, 2008 18:41:13 GMT -5
"What, do you want to hang around out here?" Needlenose asks, snorting faintly.
He straightens and tests his joints, his antennae laid back. Not ideal, but it'll have to do. "We may be receiving more wounded, though, and I'm not leaving you out here alone," Needlenose didn't trust the Seeker to be able to defend himself, "so looks like we're both staying out here. At the moment, I can fight better from the ground - easier to make use of Sunbeam and Zigzag, and my injuries don't hinder me as much - so I suggest we only take to the air if forced to."
Technically, Needlenose can't give Starfighter orders, but this doesn't stop him from being bossy.
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 8, 2008 17:27:11 GMT -5
"Good plan, sir." Starfighter gives an affirmative nod, staying crouched beside him. Needlenose acted like he had authority and that was good enough for a government-issue button pusher. "That's probably safer than you flying back to base wounded anyway. If I need to do repairs I'll have someone watching our backs."
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 8, 2008 19:53:19 GMT -5
"Well, sooner or later, I am going to have to fly back, injured or not," Needlenose points out a bit dully. Then he looks at Starfighter, and one of his antennae tilt back slightly in a move that seems to equate to a smirk.
"Of course, you should probably do a quick fly-around from time to time to keep look out."
And make himself into a target! Wooo!
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 9, 2008 0:36:14 GMT -5
Starfighter almost visibly droops at that statement. But he might actually get shot at if he does that!
"Wouldn't that draw Autobot attention?" he asks apprehensively, looking up at the sky as he stands. "I mean, I'm only one person and you're down here and wounded, isn't it best to keep our heads down?"
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 11, 2008 18:16:06 GMT -5
Needlenose narrows his optics. "It's best not to be taken off-guard, really."
"Now, think about it. The Autobots only have a limited number of fliers, right? Listening to the radio, we can tell that Slingshot and Skyblast are still occupied near the city. Skyblast's departure heading suggests he's not even heading towards us. The Minibot just got taken down. We can escape from any non-flier just by taking to the air, in which case being in the sky gives us a head-start, and the only flier of theirs that isn't occupied is... Omega... Supreme."
Needlenose falls silent, his antennae tilted sideways a bit as he thinks.
"On second thought, maybe it's best if we keep our heads down."
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 11, 2008 22:24:40 GMT -5
Starfighter winces very visibly. "I'd forgotten about him, sir. Although right now I'm wondering if it was better that way."
He crouches down again, looking up to the skies in fear. If so much as a gnat goes buzzing overhead right now he's probably going to faint.
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 13, 2008 16:00:17 GMT -5
Needlenose's antennae droop backwards as he watches Starfighter's fearful demeanor. Finally he snaps, "Y'know, you remind me of myself, back before I was trained up as a Mayhem and learned how to fight properly. Except that you lack all of the style and grace that makes the cowardice endearing instead of just annoying."
"I'm going up. Most of their fliers are confirmed busy, if Omega Supreme does show up, the sooner I see him, the sooner I know to run, and it's better than just sitting around here playing target. C'mon, boys," he addresses his Targetmaster partners.
In a carefully coordinated procedure, all three leap from the ground, Needlenose transforming and opening his cockpit to let Zigzag and Sunbeam settle inside. He then takes off and radios down to Starfighter, //I'll let you know if I spot anything.//
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 13, 2008 22:41:41 GMT -5
...okay, that stung. He knows he's a coward and he knows that people in general thinks very lowly of him because of it and he's lucky that he hasn't been chopped up for parts already but that doesn't make it any less humiliating when someone calls him on it.
There's a brief moment's pause as Starfighter considers whether it would be best just to fill expectations and stay down. Finally he grits his jaw and leaps into the air, transforming and following Needlenose upward. //Do you want me to do a broad sweep, sir, or stay near you?//
Starfighter's never exactly had 'Decepticon pride', only the satisfaction he got from pleasing Shockwave and fulfilling his duties. But...maybe it's a good time to get some.
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 16, 2008 18:35:20 GMT -5
//Sweep wide. We'll cover more ground that way.// Granted, it will bring them farther apart should trouble show up, but they're jets. They can easily close considerable distances very quickly.
//From the sound of the radio, the main showdown is wrapping up, anyway. In fact...// And he makes a radio call.
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 17, 2008 13:30:44 GMT -5
//Yes, sir. Do you think we'll need to get to any of the wounded now? Skystrike doesn't sound like she's doing very well.// Starfighter sweeps wide as ordered, pushing his own 'staying near the guy who knows what he's doing' comfort zone as much as possible.
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 17, 2008 17:17:42 GMT -5
Needlenose sighs. //Starfighter, I don't know. I don't have enough information to be making those kinds of guesses yet. We just have to be ready for whatever happens. There is no plan, and if there was, it would have changed twenty times by now anyway.//
And with that, Needlenose turns back on his music.
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Post by Starfighter on Feb 17, 2008 20:36:10 GMT -5
//But someone's got to have a plan...// It's said after the music goes on, so it's doubtful Needlenose will even hear it, but the little whimper slips out anyway.
If there's no plan, no one will tell him what to do. And if no one tells him what to do he's going to screw up and get people angry at him again and maybe get disciplined this time. He doesn't like this.
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Post by Needlenose on Feb 18, 2008 10:40:38 GMT -5
Needlenose's radio shuts down. //Orders!// he announces cheerfully. //We're withdrawing to base. Buck up, Starfighter! You managed to survive yet another outing in this grand new world!//
With that, Needlenose changes direction and flies towards home.
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