Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 1, 2011 0:02:27 GMT -5
"Yes sir," he nodded in agreement.
It was Slider's turn to be confused though. Knowing the details of the entirety of the Decepticon fighting force wasn't his strongest virtue. Mostly he attributed it to a lack of contact with the enemy, but he was reasonably certain that Oil Slick was the one with the see-through dome over his head.
"I've done parade drills before, but I've never been in a play," he admitted honestly, a little more of the daunting task before him being revealed by Sentinel, "I'll still try though sir."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 1, 2011 21:04:14 GMT -5
"Try? We'll see whether or not you can do soon enough," Sentinel Prime says sharply. He's not going to baby anyone who cannot pull his own weight. Slider will have to learn fast and well, or he'll be a liability to himself and the team, and that's no good. "So, what are your opinions on Cybertronian-xeno relations?"
Slider's never been off-world before now. Has he put any thought into the matter? He'd better have, or Sentinel Prime is dinging him as unprepared - anyone who wants to join this Elite Guard should have given this matter some thought.
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 4, 2011 4:18:11 GMT -5
Echoing a harsher version of a certain green space elf's sentiments, Slider manages not to wince. It's there in his optics though. He hated being dressed down, especially now. For now he hoped that he'd be a little more careful with his words.
"When I first got here, sir, some of the the differences between all of us on the ship really unsettled me. I wasn't read for it. But for the past three month I've roomed with a Cybetronian who is half organic. I got over my reservations and once I really enjoyed getting to know him.
I think it will be the same dealing with other species. Once we get past our differences we're all just sentients. So long as they aren't as depraved as the Decepticons, I think we could learn as much from them as they could from us."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 6, 2011 17:39:53 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime finds it interesting that Slider is willing to admit that he was unsettled. To tell the truth, Sentinel Prime is still somewhat unsettled himself. He's actually actively worked on his own problems quite a bit; Botanica has been rather helpful to him in that respect. However, he knows that it is hard. Sentinel Prime points out, sounding carefully bored, "The Maximals are Transformers. From an alternate future, apparently. They aren't another species. You ever ran into any of the Nebulans here? Even they're a sort of borderline case, since they transform, and they're bonded to Transformers... Anyway. Autobots. Maximals. All one big happy Transformers species."
He folds his hands under his plus size chin. "It's one thing to get along with members of your own species. You can relate. Maybe. Aliens could be more different than you can imagine... or similar enough to creep you out by being just slightly different. Anyway, if even techno-organics unsettled you, are you going to hold up in combat if we do run into aliens who are as depraved as the Decepticons? Or are you going to break?"
Sentinel Prime gives Slider a very, very serious look. Despite Sentinel Prime's many personal faults, he was quite willing to fight the Archa Seven arachnids when business came down to that. He even covered Elita-1 and Optimus's escape... well, if Optimus had managed to make it out with Elita-1.
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 7, 2011 12:24:56 GMT -5
The truth is that Slider and Sentinel likely have more in common than their initial reactions to things outside their comfort zone. Really Slider wants to be a special snowflake just as badly as Sentinel. If Sentinel wasn't Sentinel and Slider wasn't Slider, they might have hit off a fairly good friendship.
"I know sir. What I meant by it was that I got over my own reservations and if I could do that, then I think I can do the same for the aliens we'll encounter in the future...
As far as combat is concerned, I'll do my duty. I know I'm not the best soldier on the Event Horizon. If the order to fight is given, I will, until we're either safe or I'm deactivated."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 7, 2011 19:19:09 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime being Sentinel Prime tends to ruin a lot of potential friendships.
Slider thinks, but he doesn't know for sure. He's not the best soldier. This is what Sentinel Prime is hearing. What he is not hearing is a reason to take Slider. Why does he need this bot tagging along?
He does, however, remark sadly, a little too knowingly, "There are other potential outcomes than just 'safe' and 'deactivated'. So... Explain how you've acted in a team setting and what you accomplished out of it."
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 9, 2011 6:59:51 GMT -5
"Before I received my field upgrade, I was part of the massed troops. No real units. We were just sent in to keep the peace as needed and respond to Decepticon attacks. Simple offensive and counteroffensive maneuvers.
After my upgrade, by virtue of surviving when our casualties skyrocketed, I was put into a scouting position for a mixed unit squad. Our leader, Treads, one of the soldier caste, would send me out to find enemy encampments and then either bring them to the enemy or lure the enemy to her and the rest of the squad for a trap. Otherwise I'd peg them with a tracer so we could follow their movements..."
He pauses, realizing that he's rambling in completely the wrong direction. Something in what Sentinel said before the question distracted him. It was a familiar tone. One that seemed laced with regret.
"I'm sorry, I think I misunderstood the question. On my teams we were expected to follow our commander's orders and I did just that. The unit and our objectives were more important than any single member and we all knew that. That's why we fought as hard as we could every solar cycle. It's my accomplishment as well sir, I learned to put the team before myself."
Satisfied with his answer, Slider was going to leave it at that. It was just those words and what was behind them. He had sudden urge to know what had happened. He fought it down of course, but in this unexpectedly twisty interview Slider surprised himself when he finally gave in to his own curiosity.
"Uh... Sir, if you don't mind me asking, there seemed to be something troubling you when you mentioned other outcomes. Did something happen to you?"
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 9, 2011 21:14:10 GMT -5
Slider's reality sounds even more horribly impersonal than Sentinel Prime's own. He actually pities Slider a little, though he doesn't let it show. Castes? being stuck as one is for the duration of one's life? Sure, Mirage might love that, but Sentinel Prime worked his way to the top, by guile and by skill - to not have that option of meritocracy open just seems... unAutobot to him.
Yet Slider's an Autobot, same as Sentinel Prime is.
"It's a matter of public record," Sentinel Prime replies, voice a bit fainter than it's been. He supposes Slider hasn't read it. Oh well. "When I was younger, I visited Archa Seven. My first organic world. In my reality, visiting organic worlds was forbidden. I shouldn't have gone. I especially shouldn't have taken two other cadets with me. The native lifeforms were hostile and attacked us. I offered to hold them off, so the two other cadets could escape, and then I made my way out on my own. However... only one of the other two made it out. I wasn't deactivated, but we weren't all safe, either."
"My mistake."
It never gets any easier, admitting that. Will Slider still even want to have anything to do with Sentinel Prime, having heard that?
"So. How do you react when someone knows a topic better than you do?"
Sentinel Prime knows now that he should have... listened to Optimus, way back then. If only he had...
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 11, 2011 7:37:41 GMT -5
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't know. I didn't want to pry too much into your affairs." Slider replied, ignoring the question for now. Of course Slider won't turn Sentinel away having heard that. He's one big metal ball of understanding. Zeta sent countless Autobots to their deaths after all.
"I'm sorry you lost your cadet. It's never easy losing a member of your team, but you couldn't have known that's what would have happened sir. I think, if I were in your place, I would have done the same and tried to make sure my troops made it out safe."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 11, 2011 14:02:37 GMT -5
Sentinel Prime raises a finger and corrects bleakly, "I was a cadet, too. We all were."
Maybe being comparable to Zeta Prime is not such a good thing!
He leaves it there, though, mostly brushing aside Slider's sympathy. Sentinel Prime doesn't need it. What does Slider know? He wasn't there. Slider probably wouldn't have gone to a stupid forbidden organic planet to look for stupid energony goodness in the first place.
"But I was asking how do you react when someone knows a topic better than you do?" Sounds like that will come up a lot with Slider! Unfortunately.
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 15, 2011 12:54:24 GMT -5
Slider most likely would not have been there, but he can still feels some sympathy for the 'bot who was. With that said, Slider returned to the business of his interview as well.
"If someone does know a topic better than I do, then I'd follow their lead. Later, if a similar situation came up, I'd have a better idea of what to do because I observed them."
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 15, 2011 20:18:12 GMT -5
That's actually a pretty good answer! Learning from others is a good approach! ...Perhaps Sentinel Prime ought to take notes.
Maybe Sentinel Prime eases up on the hardaft look, just a tiny bit. Maybe. "Good. So, are you going to have time for this? Because the training and drilling is going to eat an awful lot of your free time?"
Especially because Slider might need extra catch-up.
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 16, 2011 15:24:10 GMT -5
"I have a lot of free time when I'm off duty sir."
Despite his efforts, Slider still had yet to master the notion of hobbies. The training would be a fine change from just sitting around and doing nothing.
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Post by Sentinel Prime on Jun 16, 2011 19:34:57 GMT -5
"You won't if you get into this," Sentinel Prime mutters, of Slider's free time.
He continues the interview, "How do you handle direction in combat? We're expected to be a combat-functional team, but our mission statement calls for a certain sensitivity to local cultural landmarks. So we may not always be able to make the most tactically advisable plays. Some of the calls you hear might sound... odd. Like, 'protect those statues' when the statues in question just look like useless lumps of rock to you, with no strategic value."
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Slider
Cadet
Unlicensed Redshirt
Posts: 95
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Post by Slider on Jun 21, 2011 14:26:22 GMT -5
"When the fighting starts, if you tell me to shoot, I'll shoot. If you tell me to protect some weird rocks, I'll do my best to keep them safe. It's as simple as that sir," Slider answered before returning to the subject of his free time.
"If I am admitted sir, what training and drills will we be doing?"
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