1065/Creativity and Conversation

**Darkstar has posed:**
The holographic simulator was getting its work in proper today, as Darkstar had suddenly gained a great deal more reason to perfect one of his prototype weapons with the return of Optimus Prime.

    Reaching to his left where a missile bay door opened to reveal a warhead, Darkstar's right hand took hold of the explosive section, squeezed the release clamps, twisted his wrist and then detatched the warhead and acidic payload container from the mount. A foot stepped forward, and a pivot later Darkstar was winding up for a pitch before loosing the warhead and attached canister through the air. "Fire in the hole!" he shouted for effect as the simulated warhead exploded sending a massive corrosive cloud ballooning outward in the wake of fiery shards of super-heated shrapnel.

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth was watching by the door, silently, and flinched at the explosion, his sensitive hearing always did make explosives an issue for him... He'd fold his hands behind him and step in, in his normal up-right and proper posture. "Playing with the explosives again I see." He'd state with a tilt of his head as he walked over to the training arenas sidelines.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    The resulting explosion and acidic cloud brought a smile to Darkstar's face, though it was hidden behind his combat mouthguard. From subspace the mech was quick to retrieve a datapad, while observing the effects of the devastating acid and fiery shrapnel produced by the exploding warhead and its corrosive payload. "Oh yeah... Figured I could easily make a grenade outta the missile. It takes time to detatch the warhead and remove it before throwin'... Gonna leave me wide open just like my rockets, but no sacrifice no success, right?" Tapping away upon the datapad, Darkstar entered his notes before slipping the datapad right back into his pocket.

**Goth has posed:**
     "I suppose, I'd not take the chance, but, I also am not build for taking a lot of damage, such as you are." He'd explain, spinning his hand as he sat down on the bench, watching Darkstar work. "Wouldn't it just be easier to make a separate set of grenades to be able to merely bull, and throw though?" He'd question, raising a ridge, pointing over to where Darkstar had pulled the missle.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar shrugs his pauldrons and chuckles. "Yeah, I know... You're a science bot first and foremost, right?" Turning away from the target area the Decepticon spacer put some distance between himself and where the holographic mountain stood tall, begging for more punishment. "Nah, wouldn't be practical. Ammunition takes up a decent amount of space when it comes to payloads this devastating, and there are weight considerations... A lotta mechs couldn't throw explosives this heavy. Can't afford to be slowed down so much by just packin' on more an' more high yield weapons when I could consolidate 'em. Means less ammo overall I guess, but it's a whole lot more efficient this way."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Indeed I am, as well as being a bit talented in intel gathering, my sensory senses are more advanced than most here." He'd explain, being a bat that could see in the dark, and hear things quite a bit a away did allow for safer information gathering, smell had its uses to but.. He rather not.

      Goth let out a hem, as Darkstar was making sense, both logically and mathematically. "Hrmmm, you make a valid point, even I can only carry two of my own drones at once, despite being as small as they are."

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar was certainly no dummy. While the spacer wasn't winning any prizes in the fields of science and mathematics, he was certainly a poster bot for the studies that suggest that once one's intelligence is in the 'average' range the likelihood of their success in life is barely any different from those who score even higher. Paper pushing wasn't his bag anyway, so it suited him just fine. "Yep yep... Lotta this stuff we learned in the Primal Vanguard. They taught us how to soldier very \*very\* well. Been in the war business my whole existence, and I am gooood at it," he notes with a grin.

    "Speakin' of intel... You ever work with Soundwave on any covert projects?" After asking the question, Darkstar looked to the simulated mountain and studied it intently as he assumed an action ready stance.

**Goth has posed:**
     "Suppose that makes sense, would teach you some things like that when it comes to weight capacities and the like." Goth would state, not dismissing Darkstar's training, but confirming that sounded correct... He would however raise a ridge at the mention of Soundwave.

      "No.. However I've also not even been on this planet for a Stellar cycle, so there's time." He'd chuckle, watching to see how well this was going to end... A vent did escape him though, he had been excelling in a number of things for a bot with no war-training experience, but it did feel somewhat overlooked, but it was something he could easily brush way form his mind.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    "Especially when you're in the most mobile division. Spacers have to be the most mindful of things like that... We're the most elite of forces. First response to alien invasions, first deployed in offensive campaigns, and typically put in roles that are decidedly anti-armor and base assault," Darkstar says, his red optics flashing as he prepared to leap... And leap he did, transforming into the Arrowship before loosing a simulated rocket that he'd dubbed the Nebula Nuke on a direct line trajectory toward the holo-mountain.

    The resulting explosion was rather large, and again the simulation accounted for the acid as well as the fragmentation warhead's initial damage. Rocks exploded outward from the mountain, and the acid buried deep within the structure began to hollow it out creating what could best be described as a cave. Transforming again, Darkstar dropped from the air and landed into a crouch before rising with datapad in hand to again record the results of the simulation.

    "Huh... That's fair. I like the mech, he's... Got a kinda reserve about 'im that's just as intimidatin' as it is clearly calculating. You should sync up with 'im an' see if he has any side projects for you to work on. That stealth system of yours I'm sure he'd be able ta' put to better use than its gotten so far," he'd note, considering how useful Ravage had been on Garrus-1.

**Goth has posed:**
     "Considering it now is also working in my Root-mode? It shall, much as I hate that blasted mode, it's much smaller size would be of use with the cloaking device for intel gathering then my ideal Beast-mode." He'd huff. "One of the few reasons i've not removed my own T-cog, and committed to being a mono-former." He'd finish.

      He'd optic up the damage and nodded at the damage. "Interesting, seems to have a similar effect to the drones I made." He'd muse before glancing back to Darkstar. "He'll ask for me when he needs me." he'd state simply, knowing not to bother his superiors.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar grins as he listens to Goth speak on not removing his T-cog, something that he'd personally find to be downright blasphemous for a mech who had one to begin with. "Anything that makes you take pride in your robot mode is something good I say. We are the apex of evolution because of our bility to blend in... Among organics even, but never forget who you are beneath the shroud. Just like they taught us in the P.V. Be deadly in every mode, and you will find your enemies who are not quickly left wanting."

    Nodding as he slipped the datapad back into subspace, Darkstar turned to focus more directly onto the mechabat. "Yeah, I guess so... Still, bein' proactive is a good trait ta' have. Busy as they are the Higher-Ups don't always remember to pull certain talent from the pool... You'd probably have been an asset on the mission to wrangle in the Insecticons. Your skillset leads to bein' a pretty good hunter..." What he wasn't saying is that just recently the Rodion DA by the name of Juris had told him that there were more Insecticons out there, and a glorious hunt was quickly racing to the top of his list of priorities.

**Goth has posed:**
     "I honestly wouldn't say /pride/ but, more it has a use thats deemed it useful enough to not be removed, due to being an unnecessary addition." He'd roll his optics but.. Well, Darkstar did have at least a good bit of advice. "However, I suppose so, that bit of information doesn't exactly ring out as false"

      He'd stand u, and chuckle even at the mention of being a hunter. "Oh that I am /quite/ aware of, used to hunt others back on my planet for.. Mmm reasons." He'd nod, watching still, and let out a hem.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar smirks. Pride was important to him... It was pride that separated him from the pack in training and service in the past, as it continued to lead him to glory on a regular basis. Perhaps Goth would make the transition to actually taking pride in his robot mode the more often he used it. "'Sides... You're a lot better \*looking\* in your robot mode," the mech notes with a hint of amusement. "Reasons you say... Whenever a bot says they used to do somethin', and they decide to state the reason for doin' it as 'reasons' there's a pretty big part that they're usually optin' to leave out for...reasons." Yes Goth, Darkstar knew that there was some kind of dark secret there but he wouldn't go on to press for information at the moment.

    Making his way over to the simulator controls, Darkstar looked over the estimated damage readings that the readout spewed as he'd forgotten to do more than just take notes based on his visual observations. A sigh escaped him and he was tapping away on his datapad once more, the device having been pulled from and returned to his subspace pocket almost constantly over the past several hours. "This work is slow, meticulous, and annoying..."

**Goth has posed:**
     "A sentiment, we don't share." He'd state flatly, and as they say, beauty was in the eye of the beholder, and thus, ment it varied from person to person... Though an amused grin did form on his face. "Or is that an attempt to flirt? If so, I must say, for shame, you know I'm a taken mech." He'd snicker, he clearly had SOME sense of humor with everyone making suggestive quips at his form of draining others of their fuel.

      He'd chuckle once more. "Indeed, well.. I used to take parts from others and experiment on them, Didn't you ever wonder why I was able to pick up on medical procedures so quickly?" He'd question as he made his way over onto the field. "I suppose I should also mention I used to have quite a few more functions, that were so /rudely/ removed after being caught." He'd nod, before looking over to the other bot. "Why do you think they have bots like me around? We're trained in that area where we can make such happen much smoothly, and quicker." He'd state with a nod.

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar barks a laugh at the banter from the mechabat, something that was growing a bit more common over time. "If I was flirtin' with you, Bats we'd already be loggin' some alone time in your research dungeon," he replies with a snerk, while finishing up the more detailed note taking pvodided the information feedback of the simulator control station. "Speakin' of... Haven't seen Med-Bot around much lately. He workin' on some top secret somethin'?" Possibly the Insecticons, the spacer couldn't help wondering to himself.

    Darkstar hums. That would explain a lot... Goth wasn't the most social of mechs when he'd first met him, which could've been for many reasons but this one fit well enough. "Grave scavenger... You and Shockwave cut from the same alloy? That what you're sayin'?"

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth rolled his optics and shook his head, he wasn't /that/ easy, but he didn't need to tell Darkstar that. "Doubt it." Goth would snort with a amused grin, which didn't leave his face plate as he started thinking on his partner. "I believe out gathering supplies again, or on one of his search and rescue missions, often will have to leave the medbay due to those." They where the more common reasons Dusty was out.

      "Now who said anything about grave scavenging? Please the best subjects are those that were alive breems prior." He'd chuff. "Nothing's had time to cool into hardening, thus making it much more pliable and easy to handle." He'd then shrug. "If that's what you mean by that."

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Darkstar finishes his note taking and slips the datapad back into his subspace pocket, hopefully for the last time for at least a few hours. "Ahhhhh... Now I see. You were more hands on than that... A real killer," the mech offers, stroking his chinplate briefly before he loosened a chuckle. "Never would've pegged you for the type. No offense... Jus' that your combat prowess wasn't quite that impressive before you started puttin' in a lotta work." Apparently after capture Goth had lost quite a bit of personal power. "So... What'd they do to ya'? When you got captured..?"

**Goth has posed:**
     "Indeed..." Goth would pause a moment and think. "You were around when I explained that, in the past that I had quite the pleasure of dismantling and hanging the corpses and parts of my teams killers, in front of their homes and in public places, weren't you?" Or was that Dustoff? he couldn't recall.

      He'd frown and glance down at one of his hands, clinching it tightly, before moving it back behind him. "Much was stolen from me, as I was quite hard to keep contained." He'd nod. "It's not an uncommon practice, removing and or disabling functions of a criminal, specially ones so violent."

**Darkstar has posed:**
    Was he? Darkstar squints, "No I wasn't..." he starts only to pause. Oh yeah! "Yes I was." Well, if anyone thought that Darkstar would often forget conversations that he had with others when they weren't centered mainly around himself and his personal goals this was solid proof. "So, you're a fraggin' psychopath!" the mech laughed, as if being a psychopath was nothing short of amusing rather than absolutely terrifying to be around. He was a sociopath himself, though never diagnosed as such which might just be a good reason why as they do say that like attracts like. "I dunno..." he admits that he has no idea of whether or not Goth had told him that before or not.

    "Oooo... a \*criminal\*. That sounds like it would be kinda fun... On the run, always on your toes. Every step could lead to capture or dismantling, or worse. A real challenge..."

**Goth has posed:**
     Goth would quirk a brow as Darkstar goes from no, to yes, but eventually he nods. "Mmmm, I am not sure if that is the correct term." He'd tap his face plate. "My reasons for doing such where for the betterment of others, that eventually devolved into mourning induced rage, that sent me seeking out revenge against those who'd caused such, in a bid to make them feel the same pain they've caused I." He'd muse as he crossed his arms in thought.

      "Well It was similar yes, a game of not being caught, of letting others take the fall for my deeds, it was /quite/ the long played game until I made a miscalculation and, well." He'd vent a huff, looking over tiredly. "Ended up with a ew things removed, before being exiled from my home planet, and spent vorns in space before eventually finding my way here... Which was some deca-cycles ago."

**Darkstar has posed:**
    "Oohhh yeah... You ran into a Sparkeater after you were exiled. I remember us talkin' about that... In Ibex was it?" Darkstar really didn't know where or when that conversation had taken place, but his best guess is good enough for him it seems. "Heh, well... I know a thing or two about wantin' to get back at those who've done you wrong. Decepticon here," the spacer says with a lifted chin and a confident grin. "Pretty sure most of those responsible are rotting in the pit by now."

    Starting toward the seating area nearest to the sim controls, Darkstar picks up a few of his things including another datapad and an enerbar-- one of which he stores away and the other he takes a bit out of. "Well, I dunno about the betterment of others... I fight for myself mainly, and that means fighting for The Cause. Plenty of times I've gone a bit of what you'd call 'psycho' in the process. Such is war, eh? War and survival," he offers with a grin before sauntering toward the training arena exit. "Check ya' later, Bats... Gonna swing by medical and move that Insecticon corpse right quick since you already got your sample."

**Goth has posed:**
     "Yes, when I was helping you carry things." He'd nod. "..Lucky you." He'd state dryly, clearly some sort of.. bitterness, lingering in his voice as his optics trailed Darkstar, and nodded, not commenting much on the spacers reason for fighting, Goth felt it obvious why he was fighting, well, at least now... Thanks to a certain medic.

      "Thank you, would hate for Dustoff to return to a filthy Medical bay."