Log Title: Practical Interest
Location: Tyger Pax - Northeastern Cybertron
Date: March 19, 2021
TP: Non-TP
Summary: Ghost reaches out to Incognito of Tyger Pax to request further aid for Calyhex's repair needs.
As logged by Ghost
TFU - Friday, March 19, 2021
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "Good cycle." to Incognito.
(Radio) Incognito sends Ghost a radio transmission, 'Hmm... didn't think I'd be hearing from you any time soon. Has someone else blamed me for anything that's wrong in the Empire lately?'
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "Hmmm not sure but feel free to admit to anything you think you might be blamed for." to Incognito.
(Radio) Incognito sends Ghost a radio transmission, '...thinking of the various ways I could have dropped Megatron's radioactive mines that your Empire so lovingly dropped over enough of Nova Cronum to cut Tyger Pax and Altihex off from their supply routes? I confess, I was trying to think of ways to use subspace technology to safely remove the mines and then drop them in various strategic locales around Kaon. But, we know where that leads, and the Council here in Tyger Pax isn't too interested in a one-hour war at best before the city falls.'
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "I'd offer my apologies on that but you seem to know that's worth less than the air it takes to vibrate to produce the sounds. I'm not calling on behalf of Megatron nor the Empire.. exactly." to Incognito.
(Radio) Incognito sends Ghost a radio transmission, 'Operative word there: 'exactly'. I'm not exactly keen on doing favors for the Empire, but I admit, you're interesting enough to talk with that I'm willing to make exceptions in this case.'
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "Well, I far prefer to deal in truisms. But as we have no past to build on, it is wise of me to choose words ever so carefully. As far as not for the Empire -exactly-. I, being of the empire, an reaching out to you, as someone who isn't, on behalf of an honestly neutral third party who needs to be kept away from the Empire." to Incognito.
(Radio) Incognito sends Ghost a radio transmission, '...you have my attention. I'm currently in my office.'
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "Would it be too forward to arrange a personal visit? Some things should not be stated over comms, after all." to Incognito.
(Radio) Incognito sends Ghost a radio transmission, '*after a brief pause* You're cleared, even though I half-suspect it's going to be a shadowy entrance.'
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "I -do- have manners, sir. The previous was an entirely different set of protocols." to Incognito.
(Radio) Incognito sends Ghost a radio transmission, '*quiet laugh* As I said, you're cleared for arrival. Don't mind Cerebra if you happen to cross paths -- she'll talk your audials off, given half a chance.'
(Radio) Ghost Transmits, "Thank you. I should be there.. shortly." to Incognito. You ask Incognito if you can join.
Tyger Pax - Northeastern Cybertron[]
Incognito is seated at his desk, looking at a holo-screen intently. On the screen, the schematics of a spacecraft are visible; on closer inspection, it's a spacecraft that, while it looks Cybertronian in origin, doesn't correspond to any known starship configuration.
And fortunately for Ghost, Cerebra doesn't cross her path, and so torture the poor Decepticon Intelligence Commander with all sorts of trivial data.
Ghost makes her way to Tyger Pax, then through it to the structure where she knows Incognito's office lies. Up she goes, taking the time to remain visible, polite yet frosty smile on her face as she moves, a grey upon grey upon grey spectre. the true color of death as it were, for now, save for dark violet biolights glinting here and tehre.
She waits outside the office until invited inside, hands clasped in front of her, wings locked into seeker-esque static panels.
Fortunately, Ghost doesn't have to wait long before the door slides open. "Please, do come in," Incognito says, standing up more out of politeness than anything else. "Hopefully you didn't take all of my comm chatter early on too seriously. Feel free to have a seat." He sits back down at that point, shrinking the holo-screen image of the strange spacecraft somewhat, but not minimizing it. "I confess, it's not every day I have a Decepticon enter my office and talk about keeping someone away from the Empire."
Ghost strides in and dips into a polite bow. She -does- have manners, after all. And chooses to use them now. "Thank you. And no. You had every right to be.. put out about our prior meeting and conversation. Frankly, that's not at all how I wanted to meet you myself but work is work." She slides into the offered seat, angling wing-panels just slightly.
"Yes.. well. To be perfectly honest I also want to keep them out of Autobot hands as well. It's proving to be quite a trial. They need to remain neutral for -their- sake and not get involved in the antagonisms."
Incognito chuckles quietly. "I've been rather vocal about my beliefs when it comes to the Autobots, which is one of the reasons I chose not to join them in spite of Alpha Trion feeling like I should do so. I suppose I've also been quite vocal about my issues and beliefs with the Decepticon Empire as well, and that was before the issue with the Combaticons and... with Starlock." The pause is a telling one. "That said, I'm interested to hear more details."
Ghost lifts a brow, "Ahh yes.. That was.. and still is.. an issue. And that one is still a concern of mine. Especially with her constant involvement with.. the one I'm seeking aid for." She shifts, leaning back only a bit, hands in her lap. "What do you know about Titans?" she asks.
Incognito leans back slowly, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, though not yet steepling his fingers together. "I think it would have been far better if Titans had never been a thing," he finally says. "Word does get around, and I've heard enough about recent events at Ibex to be concerned." A brief pause. "You don't have to tell Solus Prime I said that. War... is the great corrupter."
Ghost's optics glint, the gold iris inset into the violet brightening slightly. "I'm rather fond of Trypticon myself. We have.. had.. well it's much more complicated now with /CitySpeakers/ roaming about as some sort of -thing-.." waving a hand as finials flatten. "Yes, Ibex was... not at all enjoyable." Flicking finials, she still hasn't cleared out all that emotive coding.
"Calyhex. While I'd enjoy a good banter back and forth, words, counterpoints, hints, games and the like. I, and she, have little enough time before attention officially shifts to -her-. And I can't have that. I can't have her pulled into the war on either side. It would destroy her. And Cybertron has done more than enough to her and failed her entirely."
"Huh." Incognito does steeple his fingers at this point. "Calyhex does have... issues," he says slowly. "She is very open... and by that, I mean trusting and naive. I'm not exactly conversant with the specifics, but what I've heard..." He hmms. "Valvolux might get jealous; as if having a gestalt team or Solus Prime was enough, imagine how insufferable they would be if they had a cityformer in their bailiwick."
Ghost's wings rattle and optics narrow, "No, she shouldn't go there either. Makes her even more of a target. I've.. brokered an agreement with Praxus, should she wish, that they will host her, fuel her. What she needs.. is materials so that the rebuild can continue. She is open and trusting. And dangerous and deceitful. Deadly even in her own way. She is -not- sane and whatever Starlock prattles, she doesn't understand the depths to which Calyhex is utterly broken. I.. do."
"I don't know... if only the fact that I think Starlock lives in such an obvious delusional fantasy world where she's the moral high ground, she knows better than others who clearly surpass her in talent and skill, so on and so forth. She'd be a perfect patient for Calyhex, in an ideal world where Calyhex herself was sane." Incognito shrugs. "But this is certainly not an ideal world, and both of them are broken in any number of ways."
He is quiet for a moment. "Why me?" he asks suddenly. "As you said, you've already made an agreement with Praxus. Do you think Praxus would be duplicitous in some manner, or that Megatron won't let that hold him back from being his usual, manipulative self? Or is it you're more worried about the Autobots taking advantage of the neutrality of Praxus?"
Ghost cocks a brow upwards and almost smiles. Almost. "She's.. many a thing of which shouldn't be discussed in polite and diplomatic company or situations I'm afraid. Circumstances being what they are, I still have to work with her to some degree as one of the few that will chance the titan herself." She shrugs, blinking and looking -off- elsewhere a moment before continuing.
"Praxus has the mines and the fuel. But not the sheer -science- to help work on a Titan. Tyger Pax.. well it -is- heralded as a bastion of knowledge if only for knowledge sake. Certainly there's a bit of practical interest in learning more about such things. And she is a -neutral- titan, a.. well an opportunity for those not caught up in the egos and frailties of Primes and Dictators to do what is better for Cybertron. And help her heal. So she would be competent enough to make proper decisions." A blink and a shudder, "Her prior .. caretakers." voice sliding venomous, biolights flashing, finials flattening, "Cut.. at her very brain to control her..."
Incognito is silent for several moments. "I can take it to the Council and see how they react to it. Speaking only for myself... we have the science, yes, but not all of the science. I could attempt to make repairs regarding her brain, assuming that she were willing, but... at the same time, I can't guarantee that it will help. She needs psychological help just as much as she would need physical repairs, and I don't exactly have anyone here qualified to do so. The fuel won't be an issue. The materials, I can try and see what we might get from Altihex, though they've been quiet lately. Maybe Nova Cronum, now that the supply routes have been reestablished, but that would also potentially open the door to the Autobots."
He looks directly at Ghost. "If Calyhex agrees to this, and I can convince the Council to take the opportunity, there will be stipulations involved. One of them... I'll have to take up with Prime himself, and I imagine that conversation may not go too well."
Ghost blinks and holds a hand up, "No working directly in her brain room. No even attempting to do such. Physical first, fuel. She wouldn't allow strangers in there without someone she trusts cajoling her into it. And I'm not going to use the trust she and I have otherwise. She would do it, were I to ask, just as she's going to allow some Autobot psychiatrist come in like Starlock has asked. But unlike Starlock, I'm not going to betray my trust with this one" She ex-vents working to maintain a certain coolness as wings rattle again.
"Body first. Her mind.. Well.. I'm going to have to face a Prime myself I suppose and bend knee to request her help and aid for that." She tilts her head to the side, studying Incognito. "I have a different contact with the Autobots. Whom I will fully admit I am emotionally blackmailing into assisting but one does what one must sometimes. He's to schedule a fuel convoy a well so we can get her able to at least -move- to Praxus. Mine have already started their deliveries." Pause, optics narrow, "Optimus? Why does he even need to be involved?"
"And, since I couldn't guarantee results to begin with, it's rather a moot point anyway." Incognito doesn't seem offended in the slightest -- not even fazed by the negative reply. "Better to stick with what I can guarantee, rather than deal with maybes and maybe nots. As for Optimus... well, I certainly don't want Starlock anywhere in the vicinity. She can't be bothered to apologize for what she did to me with the whole Combaticon affair, so I don't feel the slightest bit bothered to grant her access to Tyger Pax or the immediate vicinity of the city-state. I don't run things here, but the Council does tend to respect my opinion in most situations. And if I'm going to take this seriously, I need to be certain I can mitigate any further undue influence she has. Whether Optimus will agree with it, or refuse to curb it... I can't control that."
Ghost snorts, "He has no say in your affairs nor those of this titans. So her coming here should be moot no matter what." an intake of air, a frown, expression thoughtful as she tilts head, listening to -something-.. "She doesn't see what she did as -wrong-. She see's it as righting a wrong. No matter that she didn't -ask- any of those involved, just.. plowed on through to the end then cried about being misunderstood and how her view was the noble and just one. And throwing everyone else under the proverbial shuttle to boot."
Snort and she shakes her head, "I have little to offer you, your city, nor your council but the boon I request. And that is on another's behalf. So.. outside of betraying my empire, is there anything I can do or offer myself to your council to indicate that my intentions are indeed true and hopefully persuade them to assist calyhex on some level? Even materials would be beneficial for her and her own."
"I wasn't planning on inviting him here, but rather go to Iacon. You're honestly one of the few who's willing to come within the city limits -- no one else seems brave enough to do so, like they think the city will explode into a supernova if they do, or fall into a black hole and into another universe." Incognito sighs quietly. "Like I said, I'll take it to the Council, and see what they say."
Ghost huhs, looking around then back, "I mean. It's a city. And I'm a Decepticon. I've resided with Decepticon Scientists. So.. my tolerance for -weird- is rather high." Almost smile. "Thank you. For at least listening. I need to get back to her." Optics glint more gold than violet, "Ibex.. rattled her. Unsettled even. She was -there- when the titans fought." a tilt of her head as she moves to stand, "Her code's still in snarls, more so than usual."
Incognito chuckles faintly. "I can only imagine," he says quietly. He looks up then. "I'll do everything I can."
Ghost tips into a bow then straightens, "That's all I can ask. Do.. let me know what they decide. I'm.. trying to get her to Praxus sooner rather than later.. With all of the.. eruptions of violence, I'd feel more secure were she protected by a city bound by treaties to both factions."
Incognito nods slowly. "It would potentially be better for her to not be placed in that sort of circumstance," he agrees. "I can say, she's not the only one disturbed by the events at Ibex."
Ghost's wing panels pivot flex. "Yes. It was.. disturbing. Ibex. To many." She inclines her head, "Thank you again for your time, Incognito. I do hope to hear from you on the side of positive but I completely understand if that were not the case. As long as I hear back." She turns and sees herself out.