Kaon Commerce

Logged and Edited by Tachyglossus (Detour)

++ Kaon ++

One of the largest energon mining centers on Cybertron, Kaon is part of a

stretch of rough, difficult terrain known collectively as the Badlands.

Bordered by the seemingly endless orange desert of the Sea of Rust to the

east and south, this large, flat plain is almost sealed in by the rising

red-purple peaks of the Manganese Mountains to the north and west. Kaon

provides the central hub of activity and civilization in this area, while

smaller polities such as Blaster City and Tesarus have arisen at its edges.

Dark gray and black metal, tough and resillient against wear, form the main

colors of the city, its buildings in the shapes of domes, pyramids and

jagged peaks. All of them are aerodynamically shaped so that their edges

face the Sea of Rust, allowing the buildings to withstand the edges of any

storms that blow in from the oxidized desert beyond. The area is noisy and

dirty from the constant drumming of machinery: mining equipment, enormous

energon transport haulers and low-flying ore shuttles fill the air with

noise and lightly shake the ground as they pass. Heavy laborers, almost

always low-caste, toil away here either at the surface, or below the

ground, enjoying few comforts and fewer respites from their work. The slums

of Wreckage Row are home to Kaon's work force, while the edge of the

massive highway leading to nearby Kalis is guarded by the looming

mushroom-shaped fortress of Kolkular. Somewhere near the edges of the ruins

of Blaster City, an underground arena known as the 'Pits of Kaon' hosts

illegal gladiator combat.

Contents:

Starscream

The Forge <F>

Exits:

NE [Wreckage Row]                       N [Kalis]

NW [Kolkular]                           E [Edge of the Rust Sea]

 S [Blaster City]                       W [Tesarus]

It's a day like any other in Kaon, the streets are filthy and crowded. A few blocks down from the Forge, a group of gnarly looking miners and ex-convicts are about to get into a brawl in front of a seedy joint. Near the gutters of Wreckage Row, a row of Empties sit dejectedly, panhandling for shanix.

And amidst all this disgusting poverty is a beacon of luxury, sticking out like a sore servo among all the filth and grime that is Kaon. The ruler of Vos strides flamboyantly down the street, heading for the Forge. One might wonder what someone like Starscream is doing in Kaon--who knows, perhaps some are even curious and bold enough to dare ask or find out why...

Sticking out like a sore servo is not always the best thing to do among the desperate. And this is precisely the thought running through Detour's mind as Starscream catches his attention, causing him to drop off in the middle of a sentence.

"....and? You were saying about the --" The other mech is cut off from speaking by Detour waving a hand in his face and hissing for silence. Standing together, Detour and his assosciate are near a small store that sells a variety of containers and recepticals. In layman's term, a box shop. This other mech, stunned and somewhat annoyed, finally searches for what has gotten Detour so distracted. Upon seeing the sauntering Air Commander heading in the general direction of the Forge, the mech that is not Detour emits a low whistle followed by a racuous chuckle. This response only earns him an elbow to the mid-section by Detour.

"Don't draw attention. Just tell that tin-head if he can't make up his mind the deal is off. Go on now. GO!" Although Detour speaks fervently in his tone, he does not actually raise so much as just increases the overal gravelly timber to his voice. The other mech scuttles off after thinking twice about objecting to his rude treatment. With the other mech gone, Detour exvents and calms himself, rubbing his chin in thought as he watches Starscream, not just evaluating him, but the present situation. Slipping into a casual stride Detour also heads towards the Forge, occasionally making quick glances towards Starscream to confirm that he hasn't change courses. Appearing nonchalant and disinterested appears to be his current intention.

Starscream isn't exactly what one would call unobservant though, as soon as Detour nears Starscream and strolls alongside of him casually feigning disinterest, the seeker frowns and slows his place. He makes no comment, yet, at least. He pauses briefly in front of the Forge before entering.

Faced with deciding whether to continue the charade of disinterest, or finally acknowledge the brightly coloured mech, Detour barely hesitates. Smoothly, casually he heads as if to enter. Then he stops, turns and glances back with a carefully neutral face. His optics flicker, and then he steps sideways as he wears a less than convincing smile. He inclines his head and with a flourish, gestures for Starscream to enter first.

Starscream grins broadly at Detour, feigning politeness. He swings the door open and holds it ajar for Detour. "Of course, lower caste first," he says with a smirk. "By the way, do I know you?" He hovers conveniently a few feet off the ground, peering at the other mech with detached interest.

There is a slight twist at the edge of Detour's smile that would almost transform the grin into a grimace, particularily since his optics seem to be perpetually squinting. "Oh, no, I insist. Privaleged bots such as yourself deserve to be put first." One can almost feel the grease dripping off of his words. "You ought not to know me from any other, ah, hard working citizen. But I would be simple to claim not recognising you."

"Oh, you're so polite," Starscream says sarcastically with a fake smile. Then he tilts his helm upward in exasperation and gestures for Detour to go inside. "Seriously, just go inside already, my arm is getting tired," he grumbles. "Well, of course you'd be simple to not recognize me, I'm practically the most famous person on all of Cybertron. Besides the governing body, that is," he adds with a huff. A pause. "Oh really?" He smirks. "Do tell me about yourself then."

Detour offers up a small shrug, holding out his hands with palms loosely facing upwards. Relaxing his limbs he begins to stride through the opening, but carefully watches Starscreams feet out of the corner of his vision, JUST in case the mech decides to try and trip him. Or was that the other one who did things like that? "Obliged."

"Primus..." [Starscream] mutters dramatically and follows Detour into the Forge. "You were saying...?"

Detour inclines his head to Starscream. "Ah. Yes. I would continue to fawn and simper by saying I am but a humble merchant, but I won't." He glances about for a moment before returning his attention to Starscream, relieved he wasn't tripped, shoved, whacked, tasered, vandilised or otherwise humiliated. It must be the OTHER one he was thinking of. "I'm Detour, a local trader in rarified energon and the insecticons who produce it. Not to mention delicacies such as hatching pods - which I just got a sizeable shipment of in today. But the average worker around here can't really afford such luxuries."

Starscream's interest is suddenly piqued and he flies closer to the mech, still hovering a few inches off the ground. "A local trader specialized energon and .. selling Insecticons?" He smirks. "Touche, " he says, "but I'm not terribly interested in /purchasing/ them. Yet, anyway. You sound intelligent, though, what do you know about their breed?" He turns around and floats some distance away airily, gesturing grandiosely. "As you may know, I'm hardly an average worker."

Detour raises an optic ridge at being tested, and curtly nods. "I know that they've been churning out much more dangerous and aggressive specimens, which is one of the reasons the average worker, which you are not, cannot afford such products." He pauses for a moment. "If you aren't interested in purchasing them, then I imagine you are more interested in culling them." He rubs his chin thoughtfully as he says this.

There is a faint crackling noise like static that can be heard and Detour's optics flicker. "And speaking of more dangerous, sounds like there is an emergency among some of my wares." Detour glances towards the door he'd just entered through.

The seeker shrugs, and increases the distance between himself and the ground, smirking a little. "And what business of yours are my interests?" He smirks. "I will be interesting it purchasing rarified energon," he says, "but as you are out of time and have fulfilled your purpose of making me fashionably late to my meeting with Soundwave, we will speak again later." And with that, Starscream transforms and flies off down the hall, leaving Detour to think what he wills.