1113/Virtual Top Shot

**Darkstar has posed:**
    The sound of disruptor fire rings out within the Training Arena as Darkstar stands across from a target that is raised all the way on the other side of the arena. His right arm extended, the diruptor cannon that is actually formed out of his very hand lights up and looses blast after blast, some hitting and some missing the mark. Upon closer inspection of the Decepticon spacer one might notice that he's jacked into the training simulator control via a lengthy cord that extends from the back of his helm. More blasts erupt, again some missing and some hitting the target.

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth would amble in tiredly, still recovering from that mess at the Sonic canyons, but at least he's up and /not/ at risk of dying anymore. He'd raise a ridge at Darkstar and the code, and stepped in, in his Bat-mode. "What are you doing?"

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Another series of disruptor cannon blasts are interrupted by Goth's appearance and question. Darkstar paused, and then turned to face the mechabat only to reveal a strange glimmer that outlined his form before turning red as he stepped away from it, the red hologram an identical copy of his own visage from helm to foot and poised with perfect marksman posture while it remained facing the target. "Huh?" he began only to catch up to what the mechabat was asking him. "Oh this... Fixin' to recallibrate my targeting systems. Make sure that this two-time marksmanship champion continues to be a crack shot above and beyond the norm."

    Switching his weapon from the disruptor to the pistol, his right hand clicks, whirrs, and changes from one weapon to the next. "Check it out..." he tells Goth before stepping back into the hologram, which has also changed its weapons to match what Darkstar is using. Positioning himself so that his poise is identical to that of the hologram, what was once red suddenly turns transparent again after flickering back and forth a couple of times while the space-alt lined up all of his bodyparts properly. Then and only then did he open fire on the targets at the far end of the arena.

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth tilted his helm, and crossed his winged arms as he watched.... It was interesting to see such an aid being used, but he honestly couldn't see anything bad about such, even if he was more of a physical improver himself... Which he really did need to work on the more he thought about it.

      "Interesting... Definitely One way to improve ones aim." He'd state as he brought his claw up to rub at his chin. "I take your happy with the results you are getting from this?"

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Again, several pistol shots strike the target while several also miss the mark as Darkstar unloaded on the very small and very far off target. "You ain't seen nothin' yet, Bats... This setup is how you climb to the top tier, and stay there." Grinning beneath his combat mask, the spacer seemed to zone out as he loosed many more rounds before his weapon fell silent. "So, I line up with this hologram... It goes clear when I match it perfectly. That's how I know my shots should be hittin' the target perectly," he'd explain.

    Next, Darkstar retrieved his laser rifle and demonstrated the very process that he had been talking about by lining himself up perfectly with the holoraphic represenation of himself. "So, I pop off some shots... And the simulation control records the data. Hence the cord here..." he offers with a slight jerk of his head, referring to the cord that was connected to the back of his helm. "When I'm done it'll tell me how many degrees off my sights are on every single one of my weapons." Darkstar quickly squeezes off several more shots, sending laser beams crackling and popping through the air as they strike the target and the area around it.

**Goth has posed:**
     "Hm, That is useful, being able to look at raw data like that is handy, and honestly something I prefer." He'd comment, looking mildly impressed. "I take it is limited to range weapons though?" He'd ask, raising a ridge as he moved further into the training room to the consol, leaning slightly on it as he watched.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar chuckles as he continues to blast the far away target, striking time and time again with what is apparently one of his favorite weapons before he lowers scoffs at the final two shots that miss the inner ring of the target. "Heh... Yeah, it'll work with hand to hand combat and melee weaponry as well. Only thing is that if you're linked in with the cord it'll reduce your movement options, so the readings while more accurate than most won't be perfect since you can't really do a buncha flips and all that flashy stuff without gettin' yer'self tangled up."

    Again, the laser rifle rises up and Darkstar begins to fire once more. "If you're looking for all around improvement it's the best way to go other than the typical training with another mech. This'll really just get ya' to where you wanna go a lot faster."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth makes a thoughtful noise, wondering why there isn't a wireless transmitter version of this, seemed oddly low tech, but maybe it was because wireless proved my an issue. "I see... Still, fascinating to say the least." He'd state as he watched Darkstar continue to fire.

      "Not something I'd be able to use, most of my combat is physical and up close, thus flexibility is rather essential..." He'd then grumble. "Still need to do something to calibrate and repair my own targeting systems ever since Phantom phased that blasted pipe through my skull." Not there was a long dragged up memory.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    "Well..." Darkstar began before pausing so that he could fire off a few more blasts without breaking his concentration. "...You could always see if you can come up with a wireless version of this thing," he'd finish before going back to the shooting. One thing was for certain, and that is that Darkstar was more than just a pretty good shot regardless of the condition of his weapons and targeting systems.

    "That's hilarious," the spacer says matter of factly at Goth's retelling of the phasing pipe incident. "I like that mech... Barely There. He knows how to frag with ya' and doesn't get too zappy when you give as good as ya' get."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth tsks. "Not amusing to me, it's caused serious damage and hampered my combat capabilities." he'd grumble remembering every. sing. time. he's. missed.... Sometimes in the most /ridiculous/ of manners... How does someone miss Sky Lynx?! He'd sigh, just remembering it all. "Was not long after I joined the ranks here as well, in front of not just megatron, but most of our forces." He'd frown.

      "Perhaps.. I'm wondering why such doesn't' exist already.. as this seems.. strangely low-tech for standard.s" He'd muse, poking the wire with one of his toe claws, trying to get his mind off the incident.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Another laugh escapes the Spacer as he lifts the barrel of his weapon and fires again and again before lowering it, the hologram around him turning red to show that he is no longer aligned with it. Looking to Goth, his entire body shifted slightly to face the mechabat while he grinned broadly. "One thing ya' don't frag with is a mech's fightin' potential... I definitely agree wit'cha there. Guess it's only funny cuz' it didn't happen to me. If it \*was\* me... He'd probably be scrap by now."

    Realigning himself with the hologram it shifts colors again, now transparent and Darkstar resumed firing. "...Probably smelt 'im down to be rid o' the evidence. Put out a false call over the comms ta' sound like we came under attack, an' then blow out my own radio for show." Pew. Pew. Pew.

    "Yeah, I dunno why it has a cord linked to it. Probably an antique is all... Might try goin' to a shop or something to find a newer model. Megatron could just be a little cheap if ya know what I mean," the spacer says with a smirk and another trigger pull.

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth merely huffed at that, looking irritated and tired, knitting his ridges in annoyance at the spacer. Goth would let out another thoughtful sound though. "Not an entirely bad way to discard a corpse." He'd simply state, he wasn't one to judge after all! He'd already told Darkstar what he'd done.

      "Hmph, I doubt it's /that/ of all things." He'd state dryly, he really didn't think their leader was /that/ cheap... Then again he kept Starscream around, and that mech had quite the reputation.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Lowering his weapon, Darkstar observes the target for a few tiks before subspacing his rifle. Now it was time for the big guns to come out, and the mech loaded up his Starkiller Rockets before assuming the proper stance after the hologram adjusted itself in turn. "Usually works like a charm... 'Course I don't go to extremes like that unless I have to. Ain't no fun gettin' rid of another mech whose fightin' for The Cause and is anywhere near decent at doin' it. Nah... Save it for those who're doin' more damage than good."

    A smirk touches his expression then, and after a few rockets are let fly the mech shrugs his pauldrons. "Well, I dunno then, Bats... Either way I think ya' could improve your accuracy if you rectify that little issue. I'd thank you for doing so if you you did. Anything that helps me improve is something that I'm interested in doing, which includes putting my shanix where my mouth is. Let me know if you decide you wanna invest in an updated system."

**Goth has posed:**
     It also gave Goth more then one reason to leave behind notes stating if something happened to him while alone with Darkstar? Darkstar probably killed him... Suure he liked Darkstar, but mech is shady and just as backstabby and murder happy as he is, so. "Mmm.. Yes, do need to be more strstraint about such in times like this." He'd huff.

      "It would be preferable, would be useful in helping keep our technology up to date, as well as improve soldier training." He'd explain, going more in to an bigger picture aspect of it all. "After all, as we are aware, we cannot win a war on low-grade tech, it will eventually become a hindrance." He'd spin his wrist.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    What would be the point of telling Goth how he would go about doing such a thing? That's the real question that Goth would have to ask himself... Darkstar wasn't a fool now was he? Perhaps the mechabat didn't know Darkstar as well as he thought he did, as murder happy and backstabby weren't exactly his calling cards, or were they? "If it makes us stronger it's worth doin'. Plain and simple," Darkstar replies before loosing another volley of Starkiller Rockets at the target across the arena. "Boom! Hahahah! Nowhere near as satisfying as the real thing..." he muses despite his obvious amusement at seeing the simulated damage wronght by the warheads.

    "Think I'm about to wrap up here. This data is solid... Gonna have to log another Arrowship session soon though. Cordless would be ideal for that if ya' think you'll be able to get us an upgraded headset sooner rather than later."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Does eventually come down to a game of who has a bigger gun." He'd sigh, as much as he hated to admit it, intelligence, planning, coordination, and cunning where nothing without firepower to back it up.

      He'd let out a chuff in response. "I'll see what I can do, could use it as an excuse to take time to heal after last near fatal experience." He'd push himself up off the consol slowly, and even a bit tiredly.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar smiles at Goth's assessment of what it all comes down to, and the Spacer shakes his head. "Nah... Ain't the size of the gun that matters the most. What really matters is a combination of the size of the gun, how good a shot ya' are, \*and\* how good you are at soakin' up and avoidin' taking damage," he explains. "Look at Brawl... Strong mech, some of the biggest guns I've ever seen. Throw him into battle against a good tank buster aerialbot, and he's scrap unless he gets lucky."

    Reaching to the back of his helm, Darkstar removes the cord and begins to wrap it around his arm as he packs up. "Like I keep tellin' ya, Bats. You gotta be your best in \*both\* modes, and be decent at everything... Versatility with a couple areas of expertise'll make you a true battle-master."

**Goth has posed:**
     "...Hmm." Was only Goth's response when Darkstar stated that, as he wasn't wrong, he was just a bit impressed it was Darkstar stating it... Perhaps he wasn't /as/ dumb as he took him for... Still though.

      "... I suppose so, I have been improving since.." Well, between him and Dustoff, He's gained a lot... It was just harder to admit to Darkstar because the other bot already did have a pretty big ego that made it /hard/ to give genuine praise to, when it was earned. "But I do prefer to be more of a silent assailant and supporter, even if I do have my moments of brutishness."

**Darkstar has posed:**
    "Play to your strengths..." Darkstar repliers to Goth simply enough while he finished putting the cord away. "Always. One thing the Functionalists had right... What you were made for is what you were made for even if you can also do other things well." Throwing a mock-salute Goth's way Darkstar's optics flashed briefly at the mechabat before the Decepticon space-alt took his leave, sparking an e-cig along the way out of the arena.