Making A Deal

October 29, 2011
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Horizon Nova Black
(Quiet Field by the Airport)
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Nova Black lands near the quiet fields some time before Horizon arrives. Hiding somewhere near the abandoned airport, she takes out an unmarked datapad. It took her a while to find one of these -- most of the ones around Polyhex are stamped as Decepticon, after all.
Then she slides the little compartment open where she'd stored Quickrazor's "gift." As silently as she can, she unties the ribbon and unwraps the golden foil. Rust sticks. She fights down a chuckle, betting she knows where Quickrazor got the idea for that cover. She digs under the pile of rust sticks and pulls out a small vial. Frowning in concentration, she opens it and carefully spills the contents onto the side of the datapad she isn't going to be touching. Then she re-seals it very carefully and wraps it back up. She twitches her wings, pleased, as she watches the stuff seep in to the spaces between the metal plates of the datapad and disappearing there.
Using her free hand, she hastily stuffs the ribbon, the wrapping, and the worthless rust sticks back into the compartment where she'd kept them and closes it again. It wouldn't do to leave anything here to find. She picks up the datapad by the unstained side, walks back into the light, and waits.
Horizon had plenty of time before his lecutre in Iahex. He had been preparing for a while so not to be caught off guard and have to do it all in a clumsy haste. However, more than ever, he felt a need for peace and quiet to be alone with his thoughts. He needed to sort out his perdicament, and decide when to tell Prowl, and how much. Horizon rumbles along towards one of his favored spots in his alt mode.
Upon reaching his spot, he comes to an abrupt halt when he sees the form of a seeker. Instantly he transformes, grabbing for his backup pistol and aiming it. Naturally, all seeekers do look the same at first glance, and it is a moment before he recognizes 'Nova Black', or so she calls herself. Or is 'Eclipse' the fake name? Horizon narrows his optical visor. "Were you waiting for me?"
Nova Black steps closer, frowning. It's not entirely an insincere expression. As eager as she is to see what the chemist's concoction will do to this 'Bot, she doesn't much relish bothering to talk to him beforehand. But it's necessary, considering her only other alternative would have been trying to sneak into Iahex. And Quickrazor did tell her to come back functional... heh. "I was. You wanted to talk before. I want to talk now."
Horizon keeps his pistol trained on her, his optics still narrowed. However, it would be hypocritical to refuse to talk. On the other hand, she was a Decepticon, and they seldom could be trusted. Was she Eclipse, or Nova Black? He does have many questions, and perhaps, this would be his only chance to get the information that has maddeningly eluded him. He lowers his pistol but does not put it away. "Speak your piece, Decepticon."
Nova Black steps closer. "You know things about me. Or at least, you're claiming you do. Things that... wouldn't be good for me, if they spread to the wrong places. I want to know what you know, or what you guess." She scowls. "Autobots don't usually gossip, not like we do. But I want to make sure of that." She inclines her head, indicating the datapad she holds. "And I might be able to make that worth your while."
Horizon narrows his optics further still until it's just a thin azure line across his black face. "An exchange of information and my promise not to speak of what I know is what you are proposing? Likewise for me, I would not want anyone to know I've had any dealings with you. These meetings are never to be mentioned, and NEVER again repeated. For the next time we meet, it will be on the field of battle. DO you agree to my terms?"
Nova Black narrows her optics in return. "Why threaten me if we're in agreement about this?" She twitches her wings. "Unless you *want* a fight. But that would get messy, and if I thought you wanted that I wouldn't have bothered to bring this with me."
Horizon frowns, and completely places his weapon away, putting out his hands in a placating manner. "You misunderstand me. I just cannot afford to assosciate too often with the enemy, nor can you. Thus next we see each other, we are both best to fight, as is both our duties. I am certain you are in agreement with that."
Nova Black snorts. "Associate with you? Believe me, I have no interest in that. I want to... finish this business between us, and put it behind me." Her optics flicker. "So I brought this. Information, in exchange for your silence. You don't know me. You've never seen me anywhere but the battlefield. And I don't know you."
Horizon inclines his head. "That sounds reasonable to me. As for what I know about you, I know you were Eclipse when I met you, I know that you betrayed a neutral settlement, and I also have searched archives for any information on both Nova Black and Eclipse, and have all the information they yeilded... which wasn't much." He corsses his arms over his chest. "Anything else you need to know before we forget each other?"
Nova Black's optics flare. So he *does* know that what happened in the Settlement had to do with her. She twitches her wings in anger and then wills herself to calm down. Anyone who knows both names would probably figure that one out, after all. "Maybe. What did those archives say?"
Horizon tilts his head to the side. "First tell me what sort of information you are offering." He is not about to tell her everything she is interested in without knowing what exactly he was getting in return.
Nova Black nods. "Understood. As foolish as most of you Autobots are, this war wouldn't have lasted as long as it has if you were all complete idiots." She smiles. "You want to know about me, don't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be so keen on talkin' to me. I tried to shoot you that first time here, but you wanted to talk instead. Well, what is it you want to know? Everything about what happened back then -- and why -- is here."
Horizon's optics go to the datapad Nova Black is holding, and then shifts back to her scarred optics. "You have me all figured out," Horizon responds dryly, making it hard to tell whether he us sarcastic or sincere. "You promise that everything about your past is on that?" He dips his chin, arching his optic ridges, looking at her squarely.
Nova Black's faceplates twist into a slight scowl. "Yes. You've guessed enough that there's not much point in tryin' to hide it... not if you promise silence anyway." She grins coldly. "Why so interested, anyway?"
Horizon continues staring hard into Nova Black's optics, his faceplate grim. "That is my own business, Seeker, and doesn't effect you one way or the other," Horizon responds coldly. "As for what I found on the archives, very little that wasn't already common knowledge about Nova Black, and even less on Eclipse. Which is... suspicious... but I can assume until my processor cracks, but it would do me no good."
Nova Black gives a short, sharp bark of laughter. "Well, I'm fine with telling you why that is, but I'm sure as slag not gonna say it out loud where someone can record it. Which is why it's here." She narrows her optics again. She actually *doesn't* want one of the machines she considers vermin knowing her business, and if they keep talking for too long, she's going to have to say something she doesn't actually want to admit. It shouldn't matter, given why she's actually here, but it always pays not to get too stupid. Or too chatty. "You can take what I'm offering you, Autobot, or you can go back to your little obsession."
Horizon glances back at the Datapad, his optics dimming for a moment as he thinks about the situation carefully. Finally he takes a cautious step forward, putting out a hand to receive the datapad, his other hand reaching for a gun just in case she attempts anything... dangerous.
Nova Black's optics flare again as she grins, proferring the datapad. She mirrors his other gesture as well, raising her free arm slightly and feeding energy to her weapons systems to suggest that she's also willing to shoot if he tries anything.
Horizon notes her readying her weapons. It's only fair. But then, was it worth it to treat Decepticons with fairness? Honour can get so... muddled in a war. Nonetheless, he does not wish for an altercation. HIs bluff may have worked once, but this time, he was on his own... and she may very well have allies standing by. After all, she was waiting for him.
Horizon closes the gap between them, and gingerly takes the Datapad from Nova Black. He then takes a few steps back, not ready to turn his back to her as he shifts around how he holds the Datapad, glancing down at it only briefly before glancing back up to her.
Nova Black grins. "All right, there you go. You *are* an Autobot, so I'm sure you'll keep your word." She's not sure he would at all, not really -- but that's what the poison is for. She lowers her hand. "I'm going. No point to staying for longer than I need."
"Likewise," is the brief retort Nova Black receives from Horizon. He also seems eager to leave, knowing that he needs to get back to Iahex for his lecture. He takes a few more steps backwards, keeping his optics on her, and finally transforms, revving his engines as he idles there, hovering only slightly off of the ground.
Nova Black watches him for a moment before taking off, transforming as she goes and speeding back toward Polyhex. It's a shame she can't watch this, but... killing him too quickly would essentially be the same as a fight, and that's exactly what she wanted to avoid.
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