Log Title: In Plain Sight
Characters: Imager , Dust Devil , Sideswipe , Ghost
Location: Helix Gardens - Praxus
Date: October 17, 2020
TP: New Harmonex
Summary: Autobots come visiting Praxus, looking for a crystal gardener associated with the Helix gardens. Ghost is there. There's conversation. Oh look, that could be a 'con.
As logged by Ghost
TFU - Saturday, October 17, 2020
Helix Gardens - Praxus[]
Located in peaceful city-state of Praxus, the Helix Gardens is a place of reflection and beauty. It contains thousands of blue crystals, which hang suspended in methane and resonate with a sound to invoke peace and tranquility.
AUTOBOT SPINNY!
A crew of two cruises down the remains of one of Cybertrons' highways. Fortunately as a hovercraft, Imager can avoid most of those nasty potholes. <<And that was the fifth time I stomped onna them Cassettecons, bwa hah!>> With Praxus in sight, she changes topics away from herself, <<So...Praxus. Never really spent much time here, lessen I was on tour or something. Them miner types that escaped..you know the ones that we had to pull outta Tyger Pax before that Nemesis tried to take out the Fallen? Well...maybe you was offworld then, anyhoo. Turns out the Cons had tried to take this place over, on the Q-T, but as I hear it, its more neutral now than anything else.>> There's a bit of a solemn silence as the two get ground, <<Lots of neutrals here again...makes me think that uh.....>> More silence, <<That maybe we're becoming relics, ya know? Kinda like that idea.>>
Headinga long with Imager, Sideswipe is maintaining a position a few dozen meters to the side of her in case any sort of emergency maneuvering is required. <<Good that they're coming back here. It's thier planet too.>> His answer is boilerplate textbook on it. Whether or not Sideswipe agrees with it himself is up in the air. <<Kinda weird. One of the few functional energon mines on the planet and all of us aren't making moves on it.>> Well, mutually assured destruction in that case ofa useful asset on top of everything else.
He would muse along. <Weirder for those of us on the Ark. Everything so different, yet so the same. So.. Yeah, I'd call us relics. Sixty thousand vorns or so of us being out of the loop and then the last quarter vorn entire planet might as well be from another timeline>>
<<Whelp, I was stuck in a chasm for at least one of them vorns, and I can tell you it wasn't exactly exciting here. Just us and Shockwave, tons of drones, tons of...well, lots a problems......bein an energon manufacturer myself, I helped keep a lot of people afloat.>> She pulls up and stops before Praxus, "Weird not seeing a city shield. Might be some of them neutral accords like Valvolux." The frame of the hovercraft splits open in the middle, and folds down to reveal Imager within it. The front wheelhubs raise up to become her shoulder pauldrons. "I'd appreciate if you kept this on the quiet though. I'd rather not Starlock know I'm doing anything at all that might involve her. Word is Praxus still has a crystal garden, though prolly not the harmonious type, 'course. Still they might have a gardener for her."
Going to maintain his speed, Sideswipe muses, increasing his speed just a few moments to get ahead while he's going to transform over to robot mode. "Starlock's got her own issues to sort out at the moment." He would note. Ever, ever so neutrally. His thoughts over on the femme.. Well, they were complicated for the rather simple processor'd bot.
"So what exactly are we after here when it comes to looking for things?" He's not got a weapon out. But he's still scanning the city. Looking for infiltration points, defense points.. Chokepoints.
"Yeah, if this place was gonna be engaged.." Few artillery barrages would level it.
Imager grumps, "Yeah, I know. I kinda sorta gave her those issues. Anyway, you just keept his between me an you, iffin you please." She puts a hand on a hip plate and judges the area, the civilians, "Got a different air to it than Valvolux, dont it? I think those Dominicons are bad news myself. And here I was the one that found that shrine...well okay, I didn't FIND it but I opened it....was a g-good time. Anyhoo. Lets just get directions for now, and watch each others six, since I don't wanna get shackled into some Con mining program..."
Sideswipe would nod at Imager, "Will do." He would promise over to her while sweeping his optis about, moving to just keep himself over in front. Glancing over at Imager, "They have a fairly strong tactical position and resource base and aren't *that* close to anywhere particularly strategic and are pretty well dug in there. And there's no other major significant power bases in the area or force deployments beyond small outposts." He would nod as Imager went on and would follow.
Ghost is, oddly, actually out and about in Praxus. She does leaves the Aerie, that spiky tower that the cons nominally retain control off with their skeletal crew and wanders the city when not taking over one of the patrols herself. Considering she bears no visible factional emblem, usually she's left to her own devices. Between that, the re-frame, and generally not being 'in the whos-who of public gossip', it does wonders to keep her somewhat incognito. This cycles wanderings have brought her to the gardens themselves.
Dust Devil has slinked his self into the city. He plays a bit touristy but is keen to be watching who is around as he tries to check any energon fountains in the area...especially those near crystals. He pulls a small pack from subspace and removes some vials before kneeling to seemly admire the beautiful crystalline structures while his other hand is quickly working on getting some energon in the vial. Nothing to see here. Just admiring the artwork.
After a few...well one might call them 'bold introductions' of Imager's part, towering as she does over most mechs and femmes, eventually a hand is pointed in the right way, and off the two go. After about twelve paces, Imager snarks as she talks aside to Sideswipe, "Hah! He was scared because I'm big. He don't know I'm mostly harmless." This from the femme who was literally laughing about stomping on cassettecons. The blue crystals draw her attention, "Hey, here it is...." She trudges forward and tilts her head curiously at the odd blue coloring. She looks at her reflection in one, her bragging ceases again as she just sorta marvels for a little bit. One crystal tumbles through the space before her, larger than she, as it floats in that greenish hue of methane. Her tone grows quiet, "Wow...whoever they got here has got to be of sorts, who we're lookin for."
The figure of Ghost in newly forged and fresh form isn't noticed by Sideswipe. There's nothing really to make her stand out to any degree to him beyond just one more Cybertroinan in the area. Particularly the small heraldry on her isn't noted - nothing makes it stand out after all. "Don't say that in audial range of Ramhorn. He'll make sure you regret it and he gets along real well with the Dinobots." He would glance over at the crystals going on down. A light look on his face of solemnity. "Wasn't much of this stuff left when we shipped out." And crash landed.
Ghost was taken aback when she first came to these gardens. Oh.. Not because of anyone or any single thing. It's the resonances. And the new frame. So the tall, white armored femme has settled to the side of one of the entry paths, wings partially spanned, plates separated out for best gain and sensory pick-up. She is simply taking it all in, in what looks to be a meditative state, nestled between some of the methane suspended crystal arrays.
Imager turns with a confused look to Sideswipe, "Why's Ramhorn got a problem?" She returns to the garden view then approaches Ghost, "Er Pardon me there, Praxian, but uh...this garden here's pretty amazing." She jerks her thumb back behind her, as if Ghost had no idea exactly what garden...that they're both in, Imager was talking about. "You happen to know who might be the caretaker or creator of it...or if they're still in the area?"
Sideswipe would take a glance off into the distance at Dust Devil, then turn his attention over to Ghost while Imager would go to talk. "Just don't mention the 'stepping on cassettes' in front of him and you should be fine." Sideswipe would just leave that little reminder and then go quiet while he would move to the side to let Imager talk. Good overwatch shouldn't be interrupting after all.
Dust Devil is quickly putting the vial into container and grabs another vial to fill. His optics roam to see if there is another fountain with a different color crystal. He grins faintly and stands before seeing Imager...and Ghost...and...oh boy. Perhaps he can let Imager and them keep everyone preoccupied as he checks to see what else he can get samples of.
Ghost blinks out of her reverie, violet optics opening as she looks to see who Imager is talking to. As she'd thought she had put herself out of the.. Oh.. Another blink and wings slowly tuck behind her as she looks at the Autobot before speaking, "The garden is rather amazing yes." She offers a faintly crooked smile, "I don't live here. I'm.. simply visiting." Sensory finials to each side of her helm give a twitch, attention alighting on Sideswipe a moment then drifting back to Imager, "There are usually attendants that come through and check on the clusters at regular intervals. Looking for tampering and the like to my understanding. As such places are rather rare?"
"Oh yeah?" Imager kinda jerks her head up a bit in a farmer's nod of agreement. "Yeah pretty rare, I figure that its probably recent work...alright, ah sorry for botherin ya an such. I'll leave ya to enjoy the garden." She gives a weak raise of the hand to bid farewell, then turns her back on Ghost. She points a finger at the mech, as if to clarify, "I said 'cassetteCON', ole Ramhorn shouldn't have any trouble with that. He'd do the same iffin he could." She shakes her head, getting off track, "Look, lets just see if we can find the staff here, or expert iffin they got one. Maybe they do..." She spreads her hands wide, "Maybe I pay em to go see if they can give New Harmonex a looksee. I ain't proud, I'll do favors for em for a bit." She looks around, then back to Sideswipe, "Maybe even play here for em, I reckon that'd do it."
Sideswipe would glance over at Ghost, and would shrug his shoulders, "Don't ask me. I'm more in the school of.." Well, not really making anywhere or anything nice like this. "It's relaxing." He would cross his arms over at Imager and smirk. "Fair. So long as that's kept straight and I'm sure.." He would shrug over then and nod at Imager. Glancing in the distance to take note of Dust Devil. "He's being quiet." Something is horribly wrong.
Ghost nods, "It was a lovely discovery while I was wandering about, yes." A flick of wings as, yes, that Autobot said cassetticon., "Should we be concerned?" Tone questioning, wings tucking behind her as she steps onto the path proper, looking about then up, trailing after Imager "Have there been reports of..." voice drops to a sotto voce sort of near-whisper, "-Those- sort here?" A flutter of wings as if in nervous display.
Dust Devil is trying to slink over to the next fountain. He kneels down and dips the next vial into the liquids and energon in it. he looks closely at the vial, curious as to what is different about this fountain.
Imager stiffens and turns slowly, she's got to watch those big shoulders of hers lest she knocks Ghost over. Her optics look back to Sideswipe then back to Ghost, "Erm, maybe? Look, I'm not part of local government here, so I don't know the rules, but I 'spect so. Just don't travel alone, stay in public." She shrugs a little, "I'm sure the locals got a watch or something, so they'll probably not start something." She raises her head to judge the garden, "Hope this methane is inhibited from catching fire though."
Sideswipe would shrug, "Hey, I'm just a visitor. Don't ask me." He would glance at Ghost. "And everything okay? I mean, we're just visitors but you seem sorta agitated. Had some trouble lately?" He would offer with a look of concern, then another gaze along the garden.
Ghost shift-flicks wings, peering at Sideswipe as brows lift. "Rules here are pretty simple since the treaty. The branded keep to their outposts. Nominal patrols." she snorts, "To make sure one side isn't creeping numbers up on the other, looking for groups coming in and out with strange patterns." She shrugs, flicking wings, "Anything out of the usual quite can be concerning. I'm.. I'm growing fond of the quiet here."
Imager grimaces and puts a hand up behind her head, "Uhhh, you don't say?" Did NOT think that through. "Speakin' of, probably should get back to that...outpost there." She looks back to Sideswipe, turning enough that she lets a 'whoops' look slip to Sideswipe, "Don't ya think?"
Dust Devil grabs his stuff and puts it away before heading toward Imager and the others. His work here is done. "What brings yas out here?"
Sideswipe would give a half glance over to Dust Devil, "She's looking at the gardens." Spoken over to Imager. And probably to Ghost. She's just one of the locals after all. "And why exactly are you trying to pull things out of the groundpools?"
Imager just manages that grimace, and says in that very pleasant, totally not stressed tone, "Oh good. Dust Devil's here too." That 'smile' never falters, "Okay guys...come on, lets get out of here..." She spreads her arms a bit wide, to corral the two, adding " before we get picked up by the locals..."
Ghost blinks violet optics, a smile playing across her face as Dust Devil joins the party. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth as she waves a hand at the latest addition to Autobots doing something odd here in Praxus. "Well.. Hello there. Another one of you?" She smiles again, friendly-ish, "I mean, you're visiting the gardens. They are rather lovely. And special. Many come in and visit. It's.. Oh.. if patrol patterns changed. Or there was an altercation of any sort. Or.." Attention slides to Dust Devil, "One of the caretakers discovered contaminants or pilfering or there was a -brawl- in the streets like I heard about in Altihex. Hello Dust Devil, how are you? You could ask, you know." She looks up, tiling her head as if listening to something before a dark blue cyber-raven wings down to land on her shoulder, "We're all under observation, you see."
Dust Devil tries to look innocent. "Ask?" He grins. "I'm way too mature ta get into fights or cause any trouble. Imager would be disappointed in me." He grins again, "How are you? Is Tryppy doin well?"
Imager just blinks at Dust Devil, and stops in her tracks. There was too much innuendo here. She turns at the waist a little, and looks back to Ghost, then back to Dust Devil. Cautiously, she turns a bit more, "What'd you say your name was again?" Granted, Ghost hadn't.
Then as things go to get just a little heated Sideswipe goes to very, very subtly put himself over in front of Imager. Just enough that any optics would almost instinctively go to flick over towards him and off Imager thanks to him being in motiona nd standing out.
Ghost smiles at Dust Devil, the friendly expression somehow just shading to something less kind without much effort. The raven on her shoulder blinks optics in the same hue as hers, clicking its beak. "I am well, thank you. And -He- is also well. How is Cerebros doing?" Reaching up to give the raven a pet on the head, getting bit, but continuing as if that's -normal-. "I had some concerns after watching you two brawl in the streets of Altihex like common thugs." The smile shades polite now, expression shifting to a professional amusement as she looks at Imager, and then Sideswipe. "I didn't. I did. however hear mention of.. what was it.. casetticon stomping? It disturbed my small friend here."
Imager squints, even as Sideswipe intervenes. "Wait a minute.." Five minutes late to the party, she points an accusatory finger to Ghost. "Yer a Decepticon!" Imager huffs, "Pretending yer people, got a rubsign or wh.." Suddenly she just interrupts herself and looks dismayed at Dust Devil, "Really, you're just going to let me talk to a freaking Con and not say anything? Really?" She shakes her head as the femme can't fathom why anyone'd let that happen.
Dust Devil's optics widen, "I...well I never! Can't believe she'd say that Cerebros was fightin..." He didn't deny it so not lying right? "Well...I figured the cute little Trypticon smiley face on her would clue it in. course...Trypticon could totally rock having his own cult. Kinda like those godzilla movies with the Mothra cult."
Sideswipe would maneuver ever, ever so lightly in front of Imager now while maintaining his presence facing Ghost. "New upgrade module you got there." He would note. Going to start updating internal files on the femme and the new systems she had on, starting to run analytical subroutines through his Battle Computer.
Ghost ahems, "Branded or no, we're all -people-, madame. Even my bitey little friend here." Tone sliding stern a moment. then relaxed again as she shrugs, "I can flash you the vid of that one." she nods at Dust Devil, "And a Cerebros.. pacifist if my reports are correct, brawling in Altihex." Optics glint, "Well it is a unique identifier, I'm the only one who has it. Could be any kaiju head really." A wink before stance shifts, reacting to Sideswipe by tucking wings behind her, shunting systems.. offline. "Now now, madame, you really should have a leash on that wild canid of yours, he wasn't fit for company, polite or otherwise last I heard." Now some glint of mischievousness coming into play. "And I'm Ghost. Rumors of my demise were greatly exaggerated."
Despite being taken at a loss, and possibly having lost the moral high ground, Imager retorts with sheer snark, "Don't pretend thats a name we're supposed to know." <<Move it, don't do anything stupid to get the Bots to lose energon rights here!>> As her radio comes active, Imager puts a hand on Sideswipe's shoulder, gently urging motion...
Dust Devil says, "Yer not helpin Ghost!" He makes a face at Ghost, "I'm so not givin anymore energon goodies ta yer friend!" As Imager turns to go he frowns, "Aww I have ta leave too? I was just startin ta have fun.""
Sideswipe would slowly gesture, "Yeah, we're going to be be going now." He would go to walk along backwards with Imager. "Sorry for having upset your relaxation." That stated over more for the benefit of anyone else watching in the Rock Gardens. And he's going to walk along over with Imager in a slow maneuver, backing away while in a neutral, rather than alert position.
Ghost snorts, blowing air out of intakes. The raven lets out a chortling-kraa. "I don't have to pretend. Although if it's no longer in your records, I'd be delighted." Smile crooks, "My dear Dust Devil, you can dig your own hole to fall into." Tipping her head at Sideswipe, "Thank you." She sketches a shallow bow of sorts, "To be honest, I'm only here to listen and relax. Places to do so are a rarity. And the time to relax with is also rare. I do appreciate everyone remaining calm."
>> Imager retreats from the area, leaving herself open to Sideswipe, Ghost, and Dust Devil. <<
Eventually, Imager does put her back to the Con, which instinctively is a bad move, but she's being responsible-ish. "We're leaving, we're leaving, and we're leaving, because we are NOT messing up the Bots energon supply lines. Nope Nope Nope Nope." She gives a pained nod to Sideswipe, who kept his calm all the way through this, then glares at Dust Devil. She scowls harder then threatens, "I should send you back to Iacon as a box of scraps. Swear by the Creation Lathe...."
Sideswipe is just doing over what he's told to. He's not sure what the political situation is, but they don't want to mess things up. So he's trusting in Imager. Well technically he has to - he's here on escort duty so he has to make sure she gets back and forth safe. "Sorry to have disturbed the peace." He would note neutrally over towards Ghost and then give Dust Devil a 'what the frag were you doing with Cerebros' expression. One thing at a time..
Dust Devil says, "Awww come on you can't kill me after spending all that time saving me! Think of the energon we shared!" Oh wait...probably don't want to remind her of that tainted stuff. "Have a pleasant night Ghost! I'm thinking I'm gonna wanna go hide when get back ta base....ah well.""
>> Imager succeeds with her generic combat roll on Dust Devil. <<
With Imager leaving, Sideswipe goes to follow as well, managing to maintain his presence of mostly quiet. Well.. He got out of Iacon, and he didn't shoot at anyone. S maybe that's a bit of an improvement?
Ghost watches the autobots depart, petting her raven. There's a smile on her face as she waves fingers at Dust Devil, "I'm sure my night will be much better than yours." A shake of her head as she turns, takes a step, shadows rising about her. Another step.. and she's -gone-.