Revisiting the Past

Dawn is breaking on the Vosian horizon, hopefully rousing the students of the flight academy off their berths and to class, for it's the first day of the new quarter.

 For some, this is the same old, same old. However.. for others, studies are extraneous. For one student, at least, an investigation assigned to her by a certain seeker will take precedence above academics...

It's a good thing Swift Blade has been around for a REALLY FREAKING LONG TIME even according to Cybertronian life spans. Being in the Academy, in some ways, was a formality, though it was an excellent place to be while getting used to her freedom and the ways of Cybertron. Of course, that was quite some time ago. Either way, she's not the kind to stress over matters of studies. She learns what she can, and what she can't, well, she'll defer to another time, if ever.

From afar, the red and white seeker Starscream radios Swift Blade. "< I want a progress report. Have you met anyone who has even heard of Karma? >"

 For the time being, his location remains a mystery, but perhaps Swift Blade will be comforted by the fact that he's probably watching from somewhere hidden. Or discomfited. "<The other seekers may rendezvous with me soon. I hope you'll have some answers by then>"

-- Radio: Global -- Blaster says, "Cybertron! This is your host with the most, Blaster blastin' atcha from deep inside the Nexis! This just in! Secret-type holovid footage was slipped my way from a labor mech washin' some windows at Vos taken with his communicator! <<The Seekers and other aerial types around Vos converge and at some point, a glimpse of Starscream can be seen before disappearing again off-camera.>> You saw it, folks! The big bad inglorious basterd recently inCARcerated is seen around th'airfields! Just /what/ kinda nastiness can they be up to? Stay tuned!"

-- Radio: Global -- Sideswipe says, "Huh. This station /sucks/."

-- Radio: Global -- Grimlock says, "Then quit your glitchin' and turn it off."

-- Radio: Global -- Sideswipe says, "Frag off."

-- Radio: Global -- Grimlock says, “Hah."

There is a terrible rumble from overhead, the kind of sputtering quake that unnerves the senses. It only gets louder as it gets nearer, the frequency and pitch of that horrible whine becoming almost deafening as it bears down on the Academy. It suddenly screeches to a halt as, from above, drops a Seeker, blue in hue and brown in the wings. Dirge lands with a heavy \*thud\*... which is lost in the thunderous \*CRASH\* that joins it as a white Seeker with red wings very literally slams into the ground. Ramjet is with him.

Together they assume their root form and stalk forward aimlessly. "Hello losers," snarls Dirge to no bot in particular.

Swift Blade, it might be safe to assume that your distraction has arrived.

Swift Blade mentally reminds herself that she's supposed to be 'young'. Relatively. Not nine million years old. So she makes the effort to look somewhat initimidated by the seekers that are obviously NOT students here at the moment. Quietly, she observes what the other students are doing, not being of a rash nature. Their reactions might form her own, as well as give her a better idea of the mettle of them...or if anyone of them have suspicious responses.

-- Radio: Global -- Whirl says, "Starscream is still alive?"

-- Radio: Global -- Grimlock says, "Looks like it.”

A lot of the students are immediately nervous to find Dirge on campus. He's an unnerving bot naturally which is only heightened by the fact that he is a known wanted criminal at the moment. His alumni stasis won't buy him much leeway. One student braves stepping up, to offer some kind of protest to Dirge being here... but the blue Seeker merely raises an arm and shoots the young flyer in the face. "As I was sayin," he chuckle-snarls to Ramjet.

The white Seeker is busy shaking his head as if to rattle something free from it. He did just divebomb the ground, cone-first. He left an impressive crater but it'ls also left the rather dumb Seeker rattled. “WHAT!?"

-- Radio: Global -- Whirl says, “/Ugh./”

Starscream curses inwardly upon being spotted by some mech in Blaster's network. The seeker transforms and lands silently on a platform nestled between a myriad of tall buildings nearby.

 "< Swift Blade.. You know I'm not exactly the patient type. I want answers >"

 The seeker notices Swift Blade being approached by Dirge and Ramjet and grows uneasy. He would call them off, but he'd rather not explain to them what's going on. "< Thundercracker >" He radios his brother. "< I need you on standby >"

Swift Blade heads over to the student who got a face full of Dirge-weaponry to see if the mech still functions. Looking up from her kneeling position, she asks, "What do you want?" attempting to put at least a bit of tremble in her voice. Actress, she is not. But she's also not stupid. Then she goes to radio, possibly for assistance?

< Only that he worked here as a teacher and was mysteriously killed. So far no one has given me reason to question them further upon putting out feelers. But, I haven't talked to everyone yet. >

Thundercracker has followed his brother here because SS asked him too and just as he was about to decend and land he gets the radio transmission. He simply pings back and goes into a circle pattern for now though he is keeping a scan on whats going on below.

"Whatever we want! We used to rule this school," Dirge sneers. "Time that folks remembered that." The mech that Swift Blade checks on does indeed function. Dirge might be a master of fear but that normally makes him a better torturer than a marksman. Despite the mech being close he missed the near shot, so the young flyer is passed out in shock. "So," he turns away from Swift Blade to stalk towards addressing more of those here, "We claim this academy for the Decepticons! You're all now members of the Con army. Welcome aboard," he chuckles.

Ramjet nods stupidly. "Yeah, what he said!"

Starscream sighs audibly via the transmission, sounding annoyed. He isn't the patient type, but for some reason, even by Starscream standard, he's being a bit.. anxious? "<That's /all/?>" A pause. "<Just.. keep looking. Keep me posted>"

 To Thundercracker he radios. "< Where's Slipstream? And you, aren't you the least bit interested in what Swift Blade may find out was left here by Karma? >"

 Dirge and Ramjet are really getting on his nerves. They better not screw up this personal investigation...

Swift Blade keeps looking up at Dirge and, beyond him to Ramjet. "If that's the case, then permission to take this, um, soldier to be fixed?" she says, addressing Dirge in her best aproxamation of submissive respect. Waiting to see what the response is, she covertly keeps an optic on her 'fellow' students.

<"I dont know where Slipstream is."> Thundercracker replies as he circles, <"And no, Im not that intersted in anything Teach left behind. Whay should you be?">

"Ah, yeah?" Ramjet looks to Dirge for answer but the fearmonger Seeker just shrugs. "Sure, sure! Yeah, you \*do\* that. Cause, ah, I told you to! Yeah, take that lame bot to the infur-... infamily... no, you know what I mean!"

Dirge chuckles but turns that into a sneer as he stalks off, Ramjet quickly stepping to follow, as they move on to terrorize more of the slack-jawed students in the courtyard.

"Thank you, sir," the femme says, not hesitating to use the word. Mechs have an awful lot of pride, Seekers in particular. Swift Blade feels bad for the other students, but at least it gets her away as she finds a way to haul the poor mech off to the infirmary. When she's out of sight, she radio's back the ever impatient Starscream. < If this wasn't such a mystery, you wouldn't need someone to look into it. I'm sorry things aren't much faster, but I got the impression I was supposed to be subtle. I just need to think how to turn this into a help rather than a hinderance. > She pauses. < The chaos may give me more access to tricky areas, depending on how the staff responds. >

Starscream is visibly agitated, though Thundercracker may not notice. "<Why am I not surprised? You never care about anything, dammit. I mean, why did you even act so surprised when he died? It would come as a surprise to me, that you even cared about him. Why would you even ask that question?>" Though he may not show it, he's actually quite hurt that Thundercracker would ask that. Believe it or not, he's feeling pretty insecure right now and is wishing Slipstream would turn up. At least she's better company than Thundercracker.

 "<Yeah, yeah, okay. Just do what you need to do>" He sounds kind of burnt out.

 As Dirge and Ramjet exit, one of Swift Blade's TAs approach her. "...they didn't mean that, did they?" he asks, looking uncertain.

Thundercracker isnt phased by Starscreams reply and keeps circling, <"Why would I ask? Well you killed him, thats why.">

Staff are scrambling to respond, both on the ground in the courtyard but soon also in the air. A red (and black) jet zips by overhead, repeatedly. Seems Thrust is meant to distract in the sky while Dirge and Ramjet work the ground.

"<He had to. It was him or us. Starscream acted to save us. Some gratitude might be in order.>" That is Slipstream. She's not said where she is but presumably she is here.

Swift Blade shakes her head at the TA. "I really wouldn't know," she says. "But it would be rather awful of me to turn my back on a fellow student who is injured," she says. "Perhaps there is something in past files on these two that might help. They said themselves that they attended here," she prompts. "Maybe give us an idea of what to expect." It's a shot in the dark, but it might get her closer to other information...information that is more pertinent.

Thundercracker notices Thrust in the air near him and revs his engines a bit, but keeps his flight path, <"Well it doesnt really matter what I think anyway now does it, Slipstream?”>

"<Maybe it would if you \*cared\* to think,>" Slipstream counters.

"<...>" Thundercracker's question is like salt on a open wound. Which is why Starscream heaves a relieved sigh out of his ventilation shafts when Slipstream enters their radio transmission. "<Slipstream!>" Thank Primus. He doesn't say it aloud, but he certainly thinks it.

"< I was just wondering where you were. And she's absolutely right. You wouldn't be where you are now if I hadn't killed him >"

 The TA frowns, and nods. "Yeah.. I wouldn't have access to those kinds of files. But the school's archivist might." He motions for Swift Blade to follow him. "I've seen you around," he says with a small smile. "You're a good student, or so the prof says.”

"I try," Swift Blade says modestly. 'WindCry' might be a relatively new student, but Swift Blade has been around for some time. It's not any particular brilliancy on her part; she just KNOWS a lot of stuff by now. And she doesn't mind having to go through school...again. She follows the TA. "I'm just relieved that the poor mech wasn't terminated on the spot with such a shot."

Thundercracker doesnt answer either one of them, just keeps circling.

"<Point proven,>" Slipstream radios, mostly directed towards Thundercracker. "<Prima,>" she slips in her frustration, "<What is it going to take, Cracker?>”

"<Ha>" Starscream radios to the other two seekers. "<Just leave him alone. He'll never care about anything. That bastard just never learns>"

 The TA nods, then leads Swift Blade towards the back of the campus, where the school archives are. Once inside, the archivist attends to them. "WindCry, correct? What can I help you with today?”

"A pair of seekers arrived, terrorizing the Academy; they've already shot one of the students," Swift Blade says, a bit hesitantly, as someone would who has an idea, but isn't sure how meritorious it is. "I was wondering if maybe there were some files on them from when they were here...maybe to give some idea as to what to expect from them." She sighs. "They said they were claiming the whole Academy for the Decepticons!" She speaks in awe, as one might expect from a student. After all, the Decepticons are a known name now.

Thundercracker changes his flight path suddenly and looks for a moment as if hes going to head straight for Starscream and then he pulls up and banks to the side, <"What does it matter if I care of not?"> he asks in general. <"Or would you rather have me care about you instead to make you feel even more important?"> that last question he asks to Starscream.

"<As you wish, Commander,>" Slipstream sighs. She'll not take the bait Cracker gave him and leave the apathetic Seeker alone. She does have her hands full already, managing all of the idiots that Starscream told her to take care of - like Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust. "<Whatever this place kept might from Karma has been moved to sub-basement storage. The storage unit that should have his things? I will leave a passkey to in in 'WindCry*s desk. I have done more than I should here. I am returning to my operation at the Mithril sea now.>" Her radio goes silent.*

Starscream doesn't answer right away. "<...is that too much to ask>" In all sincerity, that is exactly what Starscream wants from Thundercracker. But he knows his brother will never give him the love or attention he wants. When Slipstream comments about Karma's belongings, the seeker is surprised. "<..and how the hell would you know exactly where it is?>" But she's already gone.

 "Oh... my!" The archivist's optics widen. "I had /no/ idea.." Talk about a clueless librarian. The TA arches a brow ridge at the archivist. "Huh, I guess holing up in here day and day out has it's pros and cons," he mutters.

 The archivist motions for Swift Blade to follow her. "I'll see what I can find on them," she says.

 "<You heard Slipstream. Get the passkey once you have the opportunity to and let me know what you find>" Starscream radios to Swift Blade.

Swift Blade follows the archivist. She keeps an eye on where they go and what's available. Although plans have changed, she doesn't want to break cover by bolting out of there. Starscream will just have to wait a little bit longer. Vos is still lawful, as far as she can tell, so this isn't exactly danger free. "I suppose so," she agrees. "Though, the world is pretty chaotic out there; at least in here there can be some order." Libraries usually are orderly places.

The TA wanders to a different aisle and absorbs himself in a lengthy file on the history of flight on Cybertron.

 The archivist, however, stops suddenly in front of one of the shelves. "Heh, look, it's a file on the school's old headmaster, Starscream. Says he was a student back in the day. No surprise there," she says with a small and sad smile. "Can't help but wonder what caused him to stray off the path of righteousness. He was doing so well before.. well, everything." She sighs. Then her expression becomes puzzled. "Huh, says here he actually never graduated from primary. He... disappeared for a very long time when he was younger, along with his class mates, Slipstream and Thundercracker. How.. odd."

 "<Swift Blade, get out of there>" Starscream radios Swift Blade. "<Dirge and Ramjet are headed your way, bound to cause trouble. Contact me once you've found the passkey>"

Swift Blade is good at not letting her face look alarmed. And why the heck would Dirge and Ramjet even come NEAR the archives; they didn't strike her as interested in lore and learning. "Could I take that to look at it? Or is it restricted to here only?" she asks politely, hoping the response comes quick so she can make her getaway.

"<They're methodically, if you can even call it that, wreaking havoc all over campus. Get out, /now/, before they decide burning books is a great past time>" Starscream urges.

 The archivist looks up at Swift Blade, optics flickering. "Well, I'm afraid I can't just give out personal profiles like that, I'll have to clear you to access it--especially with everything that's going on right now. Perhaps, if you come back later once the Decepticon threat has been neutralized, I can make some arrangements for you.”

She frowns a little. "May I ask why you'd like to look at it?"

Swift Blade nods her head. "You mentioned something about his going off the path. What good is history if we don't learn from the mistakes of others?" she asks. "But I should go see where they want the students during a time like this," she says, reasonably. "I wouldn't want to get into trouble for not being where I should." At which point she'll go get the passkey as instructed.

"Alright," the archivist says, "be safe!" She waves the Swift Blade, her lip components pressed into a thin worried line.

 "< Let me know once you've opened the storage unit >" Starscream radios Swift Blade. "< I must take my leave for now, my presence is required in Kaon. Like I said before, keep me posted... >"