Log Title: Visiting Dust Devil
Characters: Benin-Jeri, Dust Devil
Location: Autobot Embassy - Valvolux
Date: December 07, 2020
Summary: Ben visits Dust Devil in Valvolux.
As logged by Benin-Jeri - Monday, December 07, 2020, 8:44 PM
Autobot Embassy - Valvolux[]
- The Autobot Embassy in Valvolux is a small, modest complex. It seems to have been designed to give the following message: we are allies, not occupiers. As a little patch of Autobot territory within Valvolux, it is guarded by Autobots. The staff is minimal, and consists mainly of diplomats and intelligence agents pretending to be diplomats. Autobots in Valvolux can seek refuge here as well as simply check in and recharge if necessary.
Dust Devil
Dust Devil is back inside of his embassy. At least this feels like his. He took it from kinda stuffy and boarded up to pretty functional. He glances over to where Cerebros normally is and sighs, thanking Solus that for once he's alone in here. Even tracker is wandering Valvolux catching turborats right now. Dusty just wanted to be alone. He stares at the bright Red Autobot Symbol on the wall and his optics narrow to a glare at part of him swears that the sigil is mocking him.
Benin-Jeri knocks lightly on the door. "Hello, it's me," he quotes. "I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet. Are you OK?" His voice shifts, and he plays a clip of someone saying, "I deserted you, in your time of need, because of my own selfish acts." The Junkion sticks his helmeted head into the embassy, guilt in his old, mismatched optics. "We all got to be ashamed once," he quotes. "So we don't do things again when we got be ashamed of."
Dust Devil stares at the sigil for a few more moments, "Come in if you want....it's the bots territory...or valvolux's. The V'ger is in Iacon whenever you want her. Take it....live long and prosper or whatever you want to do." Leaning his head against his arm he stares up at the sigil some more, again deciding that it is indeed smirking at him
Benin-Jeri comes into the embassy, looking mostly at the floor as he approaches Dust Devil but stops just a bit away. "I'm sorry," he quotes. "So sorry. People always let you down. Especially me. It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one. There is no excuse for inaction. I've never been able to plan my life. I just lurch from indecision to indecision. I should have been there with you, Defending the defenseless."
Dust Devil throws a piece of crystal at the autobot sigil and turns to glare at Benin now. "It doesn't matter if you were there or not! The bots won't notice. We should have done it the way I WANTED to. Just me and you or Backblast, sneak in sneak out.....but no. WE had ta bring a small army. And All we manage is ta get the shuttle back. If it had just been us....but no. There were too many....
Benin-Jeri nods quickly. "When you're right, you're right!" he quotes. "And you're definitely right! I should have been there to back you up. I'm a Captain My Captain. I'm the boss. Need the info. I let you twist in the wind, and it's not your fault."
Dust Devil sighs at Benin. "I screwed up....I wsn't fast enough....I couldn't get the ship to listen ta me quick enough and then I couldn't get the ship ta fire on even the towers ta at least give the bots some satisfaction fer expending all.....fer losing....Dammit they shouldn't have had ta die. Elita was the one givin orders. Chromia was there. What sort of....what were they thinkin puttin so much inta the shuttle. Me escapin with the V'ger shoulda been an afterthought. I didn't expect that so much was ridin on my success! What were they thinkin....I..I don't want ta have rank anymore. I know it was just ta make sure I wasn't bullied over here. But....but look what I've done with it?"
Benin-Jeri frowns sorrowfully. "You can't carry the world on yer shoulders, broad as they are," Ben quotes. "Command's tactical failings are not your fault. You were put in charge of a doomed mission. Learning to let go is not giving up! All my people sing of are memories. And so I will remember this death. I should have been there, Dust Devil," Ben says sincerely, splicing individual words from different quotes to make sure he's understood.
Dust Devil smiles butit doesn't reach his optics, "Hey...it's just proof that the times have changed. Ya know? I'm not meant ta ever BE Stormfront. Maybe that's a good thing. What sucks is the fact that I was tryin so hard ta be better. Ta prove myself. Wanted ta show you that the time ya put inta me was worth it. Ben I don't know what ta do. I feel like....like I pulled the trigger on them myself."
Benin-Jeri reaches out and puts a hand on Dust Devil's arm. In a singsong series of clipped words from different quotes, he says, "Dust Devil. You did not kill those Autobots. Do not take the blame for what others did. If you were truly in charge, it would have been a stealth mission with no lives threatened but our own. You did NOT fail me." Ben looks searchingly into Dust Devil's optics. "Dealing with loss is part of command. This experience will make you a better leader when you are truly the one calling the shots."
Dust Devil turns and presses his head against Benin. The misery on Dust Devil is almost palpable through the young bot. He grips onto the hand touching his arm with the other hand clinging tightly to it. He says nothing for a long time. "I've been around death...but I don't know why this feels so different. I...I'm sorry I didn't call you afterwards and meet ya ta turn over V'ger. I....I didn't want ta talk ta anyone. Figured I'd come here and not have ta see anyone."
"Dust Devil," Benin-Jeri clip-quotes. "I'm the one who should have been there. I've played the goofy uncle too long. I'm an Autobot again, and a commander, and I need to start acting like it." He straightens up as best he can. "Dust Devil, I will not fail you again," he promises. "No more sneaking TV during guard duty. No more slacking off to binge watch Umbrella Academy. Dust Devil, I will be a better mentor to you from now on. On this I promise. So say we all."
Dust Devil frowns, "Ya shouldn't have ta change who you are cause of this. You've been my friend since Longsight introduced us....I don't think they should expect you ta not be the junkion you are. Even if ya wear the bot sigil. I'm not sure where I'm gonna be in the bots after this. I might be demoted or moved outta this division. Jazz seems ta think I'm impressionable in a bad way. He doesn't like that I keep secrets. But...how can I tell -HIM- these secrets. They're not mine ta give away. And it's not like they'll hurt the bots. I....I hate knowin that I'm capable of...of bein and doin so much possibly. It was easier when all I knew was one of these days my diversion might be my last so don't make any long term plans.
Benin-Jeri frowns. "I wonder if we could get you transferred into Science, with me. Think of it - explorers together, underground and through space, bringing back data and samples to Skyfire and Glyph to analyse to their spark's content. I can understand why the head of Intelligence doesn't like other people keeping secrets, but you just need time to show him you can be trusted. You've won over so many Autobots before. It's time I stuck up for you instead hiding away in reruns of Wonder Woman."
Dust Devil looks horrified. "Under Jetfire?! Dude I had to sit in his division for a week. He has meetings....scheduled...DAILY meetings! And he wants scheduled DAILY reports.....How would I survive!?"
Benin-Jeri holds up his hands. "No, no! Not Jetfire! His cartoon-appropriate doppleganger, Skyfire! Science, not Aerospace!"
Dust Devil says, "They're both crazy....Too many G-forces not enough processor..."
Benin-Jeri chuckles, and pats Dust Devil on the arm. "It's going to be OK, Dust Devil. It's you and me again -- and I've got yer back!"