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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 6, 2010 23:10:09 GMT -5
Day 13, Event Horizon, Rodimus Prime and Emirate Xaaron's office, Semi-Private. Music is blaring in the shared office of the Autobots commander and second in command.Emirate Xaaron wonders if he's going to have to end up singing that as a lullaby someday, given Rodimus Prime's issue with nightmares. He sits at his desk, one elbow on the desk, that hand propping up the side of his head. The other hand taps listlessly at a datapad as he reads through news briefs, trying to see if he spots any notice of his troops up to something else moronic. Hmm, winged mutant freak? Hmm... At this rate, he's going to have to pass the bar in record time, if he wants to have an army rather than a penitentiary. His optics are narrowed thoughtfully, and he's a bit tense, as if he's waiting for something or someone. As it just so happen, he is.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 6, 2010 23:18:12 GMT -5
Rodimus would be the reason for the blaring music, and in fact, is the source as well. He's a vain young man who used to be a hot rod (in addition to a Hot Rod) on Earth. Of course he has a kick-ass sound system!
At least the Matrix didn't break that.
The young Prime's spent most of their time since arrival planet-side, getting a feel for the world below (and not liking that feel at all) and seeing things first hand. Not to mention dating one of their top spies in the name of investigation. However, he's been back on the Event Horizon for the last couple of days, in part to catch up on his leaderly duties and in part because he needs a break from the general ill feeling that Pz-Zazz gives him. As a result, right now he's sitting on his desk, boredly tapping through the reports on the Event Horizon's operations, flicking his fingers across the monitor's touch-sensitive screen to scroll through what's being listed.
"We're going to need to talk about expenses once you're done with this," he says, speaking of the impending arrival. His tone is a bit sour, however - expense account is not a topic that thrills him. "These costs are piling up pretty quick," he notes grimly, "If we don't get in a payment soon, the interest alone's gonna bury us."
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Post by Springer on Jul 6, 2010 23:30:20 GMT -5
After the Prime spits that out, the door swings open, and in steps Springer, door closing behind him as he walks over to the chair in front of Xaaron's desk. If one was paying close attention, they might notice he's got a bit of swagger to him now.
Springer plunks down in the chair, leaning back with arms crossed behind his head. "What can I do ya for, Emirate?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 7, 2010 13:53:19 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron sighs and points out, "The Decepticons are managing somehow. Can we do less?" Emirate Xaaron doesn't really think anything of Springer's behaviour, because his own Springer, when he wasn't freezing in combat, whining that he couldn't do anything right, or literally needing his hand held, was generally jovial and devil-may-care. He leans back in his chair and greets cheerily, "Ah, hello! A while back, I talked to you about perhaps training a new team of Wreckers. By my count, you already have enough actual Wreckers for a team now." Transformers do teams of three all the time. "Have you given my suggestion any more thought?" Emirate Xaaron gets right down to business.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 7, 2010 14:24:23 GMT -5
And Rodimus Prime's Springer is Emirate Xaaron's Springer, more or less, slightly older, more experienced, and more confident. Rodimus would think nothing of the swagger, if it weren't for Springer's mood the last time the young Prime had seen the Wrecker.
The music's volume goes down as Springer enters the room - Rodimus really has no need to manually adjust the sound level on his own built in stereo. He folds the terminal he'd been working with down and leans back in his chair and props his right knee against the desk, grinning at the Wrecker in greeting. "Hey, Springer," he says cheerfully, though he keeps it at that. This is business, after all - Rodimus has certainly noted that the triple-changer's mood's improved, but he can hold off on remarking on this until the work's out of the way.
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Post by Springer on Jul 7, 2010 14:57:50 GMT -5
Springer ponders this query for a bit before answering - "Yeah, we got Magnus and Guzzle now - that's a good start, though I'd want to give them the chance to decide for themselves." Springer has no doubt that Guzzle would jump at the chance. Magnus, however... Springer doesn't want to say he'd doubt him, but there's just something about the 'bot that he can't quite put his servo on.
"As for potentials, there's a number out there, yeah. That Breakaway guy seems like he'd be good air support, and Swerve would be useful if his temper could be controlled. Either way, I'd want to open try-outs in a holo-trainer - gauge-the-interest kinda thing."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 7, 2010 15:26:57 GMT -5
Emirate Xaaron and Rodimus Prime did tell Springer about the part where Ultra Magnus was busily trying to hunt down and arrest Springer, so it might be that.
He tilts his head to one side when Springer suggests that prospective Wreckers be given a choice whether or not they accept the role. As a note of differing points of style, Emirate Xaaron never gave his Sandstorm, Springer, or Broadside any choice in whether or not they would be Wreckers, though they were eager enough to go train with Impactor at Debris. Impactor, on the other hand, only took volunteers on suicide missions. This element of choice strikes Emirate Xaaron as just a bit odd for a moment. He let the Autobots vote for their leader, and he's not sure that was correct. Wasn't he the one who argued to the Council, so long ago, that letting people muck around with freedom of choice too much was poor policy during a war?
At the mention of Breakaway, Emirate Xaaron notes wryly, "We appear to have enough Autobots in the core battle group to spin off an Air Force sub-division, actually. Aside from you, there's Jetfire, Jetfire, Jetstorm, Skyblast, Breakaway, and Omega Supreme. Plus Grimlock and Prowl can fly, but I don't think they count. However, that is off-topic."
At the mention of Swerve, he notes unhelpfully, smirking, "Don't carry a rock around Swerve. It seems to annoy him." Despite the fact that Swerve punched Emirate Xaaron in the face, it doesn't seem like Emirate Xaaron bears any hard feelings, perhaps quite the opposite.
Emirate Xaaron summarises, "So, you'd like try-outs and an opt-out option, then?"
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 7, 2010 22:18:52 GMT -5
"Well, we did always claim that staying an Autobot at all was voluntary," Rodimus points out. He then tilts his head and rubs his chin. "I tend to assume that started after 'Autobot' stopped being used as the term for the whole species, though." Then he shakes his head and shrugs.
"So one way or another, there's always an opt-out. Do we really want to force anyone into a position of 'Wrecker or the boot?'"
He frowns then and brings his right finger up to touch his helm. "Ah, one moment, guys."
He seems to be listening to something that the others can't hear. It's a good bet that it's not more Hammerfall.
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Post by Springer on Jul 7, 2010 23:19:25 GMT -5
Springer nods at the air force bit - "Things could cross-pollinate a bit, but I'm all for getting our flight-capables to work as a team as well, but yeah, back on topic..."
Springer doesn't get the bit about Swerve, but half-shrugs. "He's got some good medical skill - actually rebuilt my whole leg after that whole business with the evil alternates. Good fighting potential, too, but the temper is the stickler."
At the last question, Springer nods - "Back home, that's how I did things - Autobots put in a request to join the Wreckers - a skills assessment and a psychiatric evaluation was done, and when they hit the top of our list of potential recruits, I would meet them and offer them the chance to join, along with the current survival rate."
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 8, 2010 0:22:53 GMT -5
"Yes, Decepticons definitely have a lot more experience fighting in aerial teams," Emirate Xaaron agrees, writing down on his datapad 'Operation: Purple Flag' and 'get Springer in Decepticon aggressor drag'. Flying Autobots generally seem to be rare enough they only have experience working in pairs at best. Hmm, also, Jetfire might have some information on Decepticon ACM, though his intel would likely be rather dated. Maybe he needs to have Mirage put in a request with Punch.
He looks over at Rodimus Prime, concerned. For a moment, he reaches for the Prime, and then he thinks better of it.
However, Emirate Xaaron has to point out, "I don't think we have anyone specifically qualified to perform a psychiatric evaluation. Possibly a good thing, given the circumstances." He smirks. "Maybe have to just settle for a medical evaluation, if that's the procedure you want to follow."
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 8, 2010 8:11:50 GMT -5
Despite his obvious distraction, Rodimus takes a moment to gape at Springer.
"...Psychiatric evaluations?" The idea of having a large enough pool of potentials to even do that is pretty mind boggling, really.
He shakes it off and frowns. "Sorry to interrupt, but-" he looks up at Emirate Xaaron. "Mirage has run into some trouble. An enemy able to copy others likenesses, more complete than his own talent for that. He's already shown himself able to copy Mirage and me. The enemy doesn't seem to know Cybertronian. I've dispatched Grimlock, Arcee," he pauses, "er, motorcycle Arcee, Chromia, and Elita-1," another pause, "er, motorcycle Elita-1 to assist. I figure whoever this is, they can probably only copy one person at a time, so a team'll be best. Told them that if they can only find Mirage with no hint of his opponent, assume he's the enemy until they can prove otherwise and subdue, not kill. If they see them both, subdue them until we can sort out who's who."
"I also asked them to try to stay off the evening news, but, well," he sighs. "Grimlock." Then he winces. "Whose Cybertronian language pack doesn't seem to be playing well with his usual speech impediment, by the way."
Rodimus's frown deepens. "Sounds like Mirage lost his radio."
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Post by Springer on Jul 8, 2010 17:54:02 GMT -5
Springer in Decepticon drag? So, what, he's gonna look like Spinister?
Springer nods at Xaaron, though. "Yeah... Not unless Rung was to show up in the rocks, anyway," he answers with a chuckle. Then he nods at Rodimus. "Yeah - we had to make sure the 'bots we took along with us weren't going to snap or something."
The sitrep about Mirage makes Springer clench his jaw a bit, though. "Should I grab Magnus and Guzzle and be on standby? Or wait and see how this turns out?"
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Post by Emirate Xaaron on Jul 9, 2010 1:57:34 GMT -5
Springer in Decepticon aggressor drag is really not all that exciting."Rung? Not familiar with the name, but we haven't a Smokescreen, either, and oh, I still need to ask you about those Tyrest Accords," Emirate Xaaron rambles a bit. Emirate Xaaron makes a face over the news, and then he frowns. Mirage called Rodimus Prime? Why Rodimus Prime? Emirate Xaaron knows he and Mirage aren't on the greatest of terms, but why not call Skid-Z or Rattrap, his officers? He grumbles, "This is getting ridiculous, and I'm talking as someone who was fairly recently taken prisoner by another Autobot. Can we let anyone go anywhere? Yes, get on standby." Though if Grimlock doesn't cause a debacle, the Wreckers will.
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Post by Rodimus Prime on Jul 9, 2010 9:44:41 GMT -5
Rodimus sighs. "Unfortunately, by the time we get anyone down on the planet from up here, it'll probably be down to clean up, possibly search and rescue." He rubs the bridge of his nose and mutters, "Please, no more rescuing..."
"If whoever this is can manage to take out Mirage and Grimlock and Arcee and Chromia and Elita-1, though, we may be better off handing it off to Rattrap and actually finding up what we're up against first rather than just blindly throwing more warriors at that problem." He pauses to toss Springer a crooked, amused grin. "Psychiatric evaluations or no." He then continues, more seriously, "I sent those four in because the situation's still in progress and I knew they were both planetside and relatively nearby. Grimlock's... not an ideal choice for this sort of thing," he admits, "but sometimes you work with what's on-hand."
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Post by Springer on Jul 10, 2010 20:14:38 GMT -5
"Yeah, and we never did have that discussion we meant to have that day we ran into Troi..." Springer adds idly. Busy 'bots are busy.
He turns over to Rodimus, sighing faintly. "Point. We don't want to get the wrong guys there too late, and waste more time getting the correct team in..." Springer rubs his chin a bit. "Mirage is a smart guy - and with those four at his disposal, hopefully he can get some kind of solution out of it."
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