Poise Makes Her Choice

Log Title: Poise Makes Her Choice Characters: Kamakura Cookie Poise Hawk Location: Greenland Date: 2019 TP: Non-TP Summary: Poise starts to come to grips with her life away from Nebulos, and what to do about it. As logged by  Poise

With the Coffin a smoking hulk, and prisoners loose on Greenland, the aftermath of the Evil Inc. attack is both unsettling and frantic. Dog teams assist medical crews to locate survivors, as tragedy trackers attempt to get a full ID of staff and inmates in the facility. Poise had done her part to link her stellar optical system in with the surrounding area, giving the coordination teams a big leg up on things, but that meant her big Vulture-class Hovercycle was needed to stay put. In the mean time, she decided on her own free will to just give a looksee over these LAW systems. She's currently crouched down, with a big service panel drawn up and out, as her visor displays several little displays as she works on the system. General Hawk has been coordinating the search and rescue efforts, a tablet in hand as he keeps track of the incoming updates over his radio. He notices Poise working nearby, and meanders in her direction. "I've been meaning to thank you for your assistance yesterday." he says, looking over the rather beat up LAW he was manning just hours ago.

Kamakura has been a part of the search and rescue, in the middle of the wreckage looking for survivors. He looks up when he hears voices nearby, shaking his head. "Just need some dogs over here that'd make things easier." the ninja is still bloodied and dirtied from the fight, working non-stop.

Overhead, a few Dragonfly-class Helicopters have been temporarily recommissioned into debris-clearing. Not exactly a lot of horsepower, but enough to assist teams.

Poise leans out from inside the LAW, and studies the General as he approaches. Her visor is still down, leaving her face visible but with a green tint. "Yeah well....That Arkeville guy sounded like bad news." Her voice always a bit high-pitched and chipper, is a bit more somber in the face of this destruction. "I would say that its no big deal, given that Junkions have him, but I've never seen Junks deal out this sort of damage." She plugs a few wires into a box of some kind, which sparks for several seconds as she twists a dial. "Just so we're clear, I'm not giving you NebTech. I don't need another reason for more offworlders to go to my home, and start more wars..."

General Hawk smiles a bit. "That is entirely up to you, rest assured it is not expected." the General says. "But yes.. Arkeville is perhaps one of the most dangerous criminals this world has. Years ago, he conspired with Decepticons to create mind-control devices that allowed them to enslave thousands, forcing them to gather energy. His efforts allowed the Decepticons to bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit, causing vast worldwide destruction and loss of life." he says, shaking his head as he remembers these events. "He is a man without morals, without compassion, and one who does not care who is hurt in his quest for scientific gains. That is why he was brought here." he says, looking towards the prison, and sighing a bit. "However, I was not aware of how they were treating the prisoners. That... will be rectified."  Poise says, "I was about to type pose poise pauses. what a tongue twister"

Poise pauses, and lets go of the connection array she was looking at. She stands up, and after a moment puts her hands up to her helmet. The Nebulan removes her helment, letting her green hair flow, and her big round Earth spectacles shine. Her helmet goes under her arm. "Well, I wasn't going to say anything...but..." She shrugs after a moment, taking a pregnant pause, "But what gets me is that you've got this horrible, dangerous person in your midst, one that'll always be an active threat. You guys kept him around for years..." She looks back to the LAW, " I know a lot of sorts that'd consider a lasercharge to be the proper solution to a problem like him...So I don't think anyone can have trouble telling the good from the bad. Wars suck."

General Hawk nods. "It would be a simple solution, wouldn't it? Though rule of law is what governs our society, and although there is the possibility of a sentence of death, he was not given that sentence, but rather life imprisonment." he says. "But you are correct, wars do 'suck'. I would prefer that there would be a day where my job is no longer needed, but until that day happens, I must do my duty." Cookie arrives, wearing her steel toes and ready to go to work wherever she can. The SeaBee Joe picks her way around The Coffin and stops dead once she sees the side that's been blown open. "What the fuck?" She tromps over and looks at the brickwork that's been blasted into tiny pieces, pressing her hand on the edge. "Damn." As some of the choppers move debris, there's several barks and shouting afterwards. Looks like some survivors were found. Emergency crews start moving in to assist.

"Yeah well...'rule of law' doesn't cut it in my book. Decepticons got law. the Xarak Consortium has law." She fiddles with the power source again as she talks, just doing some much needed venting. Some of the power of the system starts to come back up as she does. "Look....you seem like a nice enough sort." She places the little converter back in its spot then shuts the access panel. Her gaze goes over the General, and does a full arm wave towards the human she recognizes. "Oh...that's the one that helped patch me up a while back." She confides to Hawk, "Shrapnel when some Cobra goon decided to just attack some civilians." Not that Poise knows that that vessel was actually a covert intelligence vessel in Cobra waters, of course. >> LAW #9837 needs to be repaired first. << >> Poise incompetently makes LAW #9837's damage worse! <<

The LAW sputters, smoke sizzling out of the main housing.

[G.I. Joe] Poise says, "I can fix this!"

General Hawk nods. "Cobra is not known to be compassionate, it is why we do everything we can to foil their plans. And I'll be the first to say that our system of government is not perfect, but compared to the alternatives throughout history, it is the best so far."

Cookie waves back to Poise and heads over towards the smoking artillery system. She stops momentarily to salute Hawk. "General."

As the LAW sputters, Poise startles, and throws back open the siding. She dons her helmet, "I can fix it! Don't worry!" She crawls into the side, all sorts of wires and cables being shot about. Good things she's wearing an environmental suit, even if some of her hair is still sticking out. "Keep talking, I'm still listening!"

>> Poise manages to fix some of LAW #9837's damage. <<

General Hawk nods to Cookie as she approaches, returning the salute. "Welcome sailor." he says, returning his attention to the LAW. "Oh I have no worries. Those Junkions did some pretty heavy damage, I'm not surprised it is giving you trouble trying to repair it. The damage they did is going to take weeks." Cookie crouches down to look at what Poise is doing, trying to figure out if there's some place where she can help or if another person would just get in the way, here. "When they said the side of the building was blown open, I expected to see a lot more rubble. And more fracturing." Poise scrambles out of the housing, and stands back up, noting Cookie's arrival finally. "I did a diagnostic history on my hovercycle post-battle. It registered a thermal attack, and a power inconsistency." She gestures towards the furrow where her cycle ate ground. "I was at 90 yalms too. Nearly launched me out of my seat." She speaks with some amusement considering. "I'm not sure what sort of attack that was. Might've been some sort of localized tractor beam, reversed? I know those Junkions. They love reversing polarities." She pulls on the LAW's activation breaker, as she talks, testing things out.

>> You begin repairs on LAW #9837. <<

>> Poise finishes the repairs on LAW #9837. <<

>> LAW #9837 is restarted by Poise.<<

"Whatever it was, it's nothing we've seen before. That building was built with some of the strongest materials known, it should have been able to withstand a direct bomb blast. Yet that thing cut through it like it was made of tissue paper." Hawk says. "I don't know how we'll defend against it, but I am hopeful the Autobots may be able to assist."

Cookie nods and starts poking at another section of the LAW, seeing what she can cobble together out of this mess. "Shit, sir, it looks like somebody took a giant diamond chainsaw to the place, cut a section out, and airlifted it away. I know that's not what happened, but the slice is way too clean for explosives."

>> Cookie finishes the repairs on LAW #9837. <<

Poise manages a weak shrug at the General. "Cybertronians. They're really good at killing everything in their war. The Autobots are...generally pretty decent overall, though." The LAW system next to her starts to operate, a bit sluggishly, but at least operational. "Oh good, I was hoping that I guessed right!" She says aside to the two, "Didn't blow up in my face or anything. Hah." She manages a weak smile at the machine for a bit, and then that smile falters as she pulls her helmet back off, "I guess it can't be helped, can it?" Her tone indicates that the small talk must be done for now. Poise gestures to the missile system vaguely. "I uh....." She hems a bit and slumps up against the object. "I see you guys. Tormented by all these outside forces. Pert near powerless to stop them....Same thing's happening on my home too."

There's more though. "Got a lot of innocents out there on Nebulos. Just...utterly ruled over by Xarak and his ilk."

General Hawk nods to Cookie. "Whatever it was, we have to be prepared for it in the future." he says, looking back to Poise. "I understand. It was similar here when the Cybertronians first arrived, but over time we have established a working relationship with the Autobots that has lessened the chaos somewhat."

Cookie continues to work on the LAW, cursing softly under her breath as she uncovers more of the damage while trying to do repairs. "Did the same thing hit this, too? I feel like I'm trying to put together a puzzle with half the pieces." The question isn't really directed at anybody, so much as a complaint about the cruel world that makes mechanics suffer.

Poise grimaces, "Well....what I mean is...." She sighs, "When all that started up on Nebulos, it would've been nice to have someone there from a Galactic Evolutionary rank 3 race...that had some extra tech and stuff to lend a hand." She throws up her hands a little, "What I'm saying is, is that maybe I should try to be a better help to you humans. You've got two wars going on, and if the Decepticons manage their shlark-mies alliance with Xarak, then you might see the HIVE here too, because why not. I don't exactly like the idea of killing sapients, especially Nebulans, but I'm sure I can be some sort of asset for you."

General Hawk nods. "You would certainly be welcome." Hawk says with a smile. "In fact we have some projects in the works that I would value your opinion on." he says, looking over to Cookie. "Yes.. I was in that thing when it hit, whatever it is, it packs a hell of a punch."

>> You begin repairs on LAW #9837. <<

>> Poise finishes the repairs on LAW #9837. <<

Cookie curses a bit more, pulling out a nut that's had exactly one third simply torn away somehow. Cleanly. She eyes it and digs out a replacement. "Well, at least -you- weren't hit by it. I'd hate to see what that'd do to a person."

Poise continues, after a soft nod, her eyebrows raise up, almost pleading, "Just promise me that maybe if we can do something for Nebulos too, you look into it? Heck, There's a couple hundred eons old trained....what do you call it, 'asymmettrical warfare' veterans? Maybe together, Earth and Nebulos can do something about all this mess."

Cookie pauses. "That is the weirdest board.. oh, wait.. this is one of yours, isn't it, Poise?" She peers at the connection. "Eh, seems to be working." The SeaBee sticks her head out and scans the area, looking for something she can salvage for parts.

As Hawk heads out for now, Poise just exhales. A bit weary looking as Cookie pokes her head out. She manages half-hearted smile "Yeah...I had a few spare picoboards in my cycle. One of those all-purpose dealies." She crouches to look inside the LAW a bit more, "You hear what me and the guy were saying?" Cookie grins. "Well, it's been baptized now. It isn't a real field repair unless there's something unidentifiable in a key part." She leans on the LAW to look at Poise. "Yeah, a bit. Galactic alliances are really his job. For me- you've been a solid friend already. And whether there's a formal agreement or not, I'd be happy to help you out of a jam if I get the chance." Poise seems to accept that, as she mulls it over. But there's more. A few moments later, she says, "Well then, can I ask you something really stupid then?"

"Why didn't I do something like this for Nebulos four eons ago when Xarak started taking over?"

Cookie turns and sits up against the Law, resting her arms on her knees. "Well, was anybody -else- doing anything?"

Poise shrugs, " Well yeah, there were always protesters and resistance." She looks aside, about 250 yalms out, (approximately 1000 yards by your human standards), "I didn't like where it was all going...figured I'd be better off just packing up and becoming an expatriate. Hadn't really looked back till that Autobot expedition there a while ago. I don't know, maybe things could've been different then." Sadness crosses her face for a moment.

Cookie nods. "Did you know anybody in it personally? See any of the damage for yourself?"

Poise makes a non-commital motion, "Eh, I was an optical engineer, rank 3, so middle-class. When I got word that Zarak was forcefully and militarily taking over all corporations and factories on the planet, that's when I left. I didn't see any fighting myself, but...I just can't stand the idea of Neb on Neb violence. I don't like the idea of killing any sapients. These.." She waves a hand where Spaceball-1 was hovering, "Evil Junkions, I don't have the arms to permanently decommission one of them, those robots you and I fought? Not even sapient. I'm not sure I can bear the thought of having to actually kill."

Cookie nods. "Yeah, I get that. And the thing is? That's okay. Not everybody's meant to be a soldier." She waves her hands a bit. "America has this reputation for violence and having a huge military and all that compared to the rest of the world. And, honestly, we have the best damn military hardware compared to the other human nations. But numbers?" She shakes her head. "Here's a statistic for ya. Less than one percent of Americans- citizens of the United States of America- are either in the military, formerly in the military, or even have family who served. That's tiny. Most of 'em don't even know. They live their lives, go to school, make stuff, have families, and are glad they're not getting shot at when they think about it at all."

Cookie grins at Poise. "And you know what? There are times it makes me a little resentful. I mean, hell, a little understanding would be nice. But most of the time, I'm glad they don't have to make those choices. And if you don't want to make those choices, I'm damn well not going to make you. Maybe something or someone else would, but not me. It's gotta come from you, or you won't stick with it."

Its an odd moment of vulnerability for the Nebulan as she listens to Cookie. Her head lowers a bit, as she manages a wary look. "But you don't resent the fact that they're not picking up rifles and going to war along side you?"

Cookie shrugs. "Sometimes. After a really fucked up day, you can wonder why the hell you're putting in all this effort when other people don't. But that's just.. a dark moment, ya know? Everybody can't go to war at once. I'm not fighting for a world where everybody's a soldier. I want a place where there are people who yarnbomb trees and open up restaurants with bacon burgers covered in bacon with bacon aioli and raise families and live their lives."

A few moments pass wordlessly. It wasn't absolution or reassurance, but like everything else, it was complicated. A chirp from Poise's hovercycle gets her attention, "Right. Task at hand. I'll uh...." She pauses, and looks aside, as she moves to deal with whatever her vehicle was telling her. Obviously there was still a lot to think about.

Cookie nods and gets up, grabbing a crowbar. Time to get some parts for this LAW. -Cookie has given you a +award for the enjoyable RP