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| - Nova Black flies over the hills, circling a few times before finally landing. She scans the area, looking for any Empties or other Neutrals that might be wandering around here. It's been a while since that disastrous incident with Blades, but she keeps thinking back to what Skywarp said about trying to recruit them. If anyone knows what their lives are like, it's her. And as far as she's concerned, everyone's already chosen a side, whether they say so or not. It just takes a little nudging to figure out which they'll choose. And some lasers if they choose wrong. Chromia's been following the black Seeker femme for the past few days trying to gather information on her for her report--keyword being "trying". Chromia's not exceptionally fast and Seekers have their own modes of transport that Chromia just can't keep up with. She's lost the Seeker at least three times now, but as she lazily circles the air look for...something...the Seeker is easily to keep a bead on. As long as she stays in one place. The prairie though, is not exactly an ideal place for sneaking around however, and she could be easily noticed. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls her awareness against Chromia's intelligence. Nova Black's roll succeeds! The prairies aren't the best place for anyone to stay hidden, but long vorns of privation have taught Neutrals of all stripes how to hide. Especially from Decepticons. Apparently that includes Nova herself; for all her experience, she doesn't see even a piece of scrap out here that looks like it might be part of someone sentient. "Slaggit," she mutters, twitching her wings. "How exactly am I supposed to recruit anyone if these insignia make 'em too scared to come out of their hidey-holes?" She doesn't bother to mutter -- even to herself -- that she's here on her own initiative anyway. Then she hears something. A faint clang, like that of a piece of scrap clattering along the ground. Which someone probably kicked. She grins, trying to think of a suitably nonthreatening thing to say to whatever Empty will probably already be scurrying away by the time she turns around. Oh scrap. Scurrying like a caught petro rat, she hides behind the largest thing she can find...a piece of scrap armor discarded from some neutral vaporized to a fine powder, most likely. It's not large at all, barely hiding her frame, but maybe the Seeker won't notice! It was, a 'Con, after all. They were more obsessed with blasting things than tracking things down. Probably. Maybe. "Come on..." she whispers to herself. "Just keep goin'. Just keep right on goin'..." Nova Black whirls around quickly, but her quarry's quicker still. Frowning, she scans the piles of scrap nearest her. "C'mon out of there, whoever you are," she calls, too annoyed by the evasion to pull off the friendly tone she's trying for. Then she catches movement out of the corner of one optic. Increasing the magnification on her optics, she notices that the metal she saw moving is -- blue. "Oh, you have *gotta* be kidding me," she mutters, dropping into a wary fighting stance. If that is who she thinks it is, she'd better be ready... but if it *is* some unfortunate Empty who got stuck with ugly paint, shooting first and asking questions later probably *isn't* on Starscream's stupid flowchart. Chromia just barely catches Nova's muttering as she peeks around the piece of armor. Primus, she's thinking the same thing. Scooting out from her cover, she readies her gun, but doesn't shoot--not yet. She's not any delusions that this will, of course, end in yet another fight and yet another visit to the repair bay, but maybe the Decepticon is weary of their constant confrontations. Chromia snorts to herself at the thought. Decepticons? Weary of combot? Yeah right. The pit would have to freeze over first. "Oh, I believe ya' know who I am." Her gun is aimed, and she fingers the trigger warningly, optics narrowed. "What the slag are you doing so close to Polyhex, Autoscum?" Nova snarls, her optics flaring bright crimson. "Either you're looking for something or you've got a deathwish." Her laser hums with energy as she aims it at her enemy's crouching form. "Well, if it's the second, I'm perfectly fine with helping you out." Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her dexterity) against Chromia's agility. Nova Black's roll succeeds! Chromia can't even get a response out of her mouth before the Seeker's null rays hit her square in the gut and she's thrown backwards, somersaulting to the ground. Frag. Can't even hold a conversation with these darn Decepticons, though she logs the weapon type for future research against the college's archives. A few more hits and she'll be able to cross reference her hits against those files. Chromia supposes she /could/ ask for a name but that seems...unwarrior-like, at best. She does, however, pick up the scrap of armor for protection--if it holds up at least. "Not even gonna' let me explain, are ya'?" Chromia bites back, taking aim with her laser rifle, this time making good on her threat. Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Chromia's roll succeeds! Nova Black roars as Chromia's return fire catches her in the chest. But soon the pain crackling through her sensornet only adds to the eagerness for battle zinging through her circuitry. "Explain? Oh, I could drag you in to Soundwave and you could do all the explainin' you want, vermin." She twitches her wings. "But you look like the closest thing your side's got to a warrior, so I figured I'd do you a favor and just fry you to slag honestly." She smirks. "Besides, if I captured you you'd have to bet I'd have the patience to leave you in one piece." Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her dexterity) against Chromia's agility. Nova Black's roll fails! Chromia blanches. Ouch. Not even good enough for a live capture, though she does suppose that's a compliment in Decepticon culture, strange creatures that they were. "Well, seems ya' do have some honor in ya' after all. You're not totally hopeless, then." She twists around to avoid the shot this time. "Aim's lackin', though." Chromia would go full out against Nova, but she's here just for information, so she's just egging the Seeker on--not that it mattered much to Nova, probably. Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Chromia's roll fails! Nova Black snarls. "There you go again about my honor, Autobot. Like you know what you're talkin' about. Funny, what you slaggers call honor. Me not shootin' you, probably -- when you've been chasin' after me." She smirks. "But you're right. I know what honor is, you scum. I know what it's like to live without it." Using her wings and thrusters for speed, she launches herself at Chromia, intent on pinning her to the ground. "And I know what it's like to get it back." Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Chromia's agility . Nova Black's roll succeeds! Now Chromia knows what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a large amount of strength. Coupled with Nova's thrust and just her sheer physical prowess, Chromia feels like she's been slammed to the ground by a sack of titanium bricks. The two skid across the metallic surface of the plains, sparks raising up from the ground, scouring Chromia's paint on her back struts and she grits her teeth against the onslaught. "Fraggin' Seeker!" She's certainly curious why a 'Con would confess to living without honor, but she'll find that out later. "You're tusslin' with the wrong 'Bot!" Bringing her legs up, she tries flipping the Seeker over with her body weight to give her the physical advantage. Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Nova Black's strength. Chromia's roll succeeds! Pain flares through Nova's sensornet as Chromia flips her over onto her back. She roars, twisting under Chromia's heavier frame, and attempts to push Chromia off her with her hips. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Chromia's strength . Nova Black's roll fails! "Too heavy for ya', 'Con?" Drawing back a thick fist, she swings it down towards Nova's faceplates. "This was what I was aimin' for last time. Let's knock that pretty faceplate around that ya' Seekers seem ta love so much." Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Nova Black's agility. Chromia's roll succeeds! Nova Black grunts as Chromia's fist connects with her faceplate. "Pretty?" she snarls. "You think these scars are *pretty*, Autoscum?" She twists again, rolling to one side. If she can't knock the Autobot off of her because her frame is so much lighter, maybe she can at least reverse this pin... Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Chromia's strength . Nova Black's roll succeeds! The Seeker is a slippery little thing though and flips her right over, Chromia's back hitting the metal ground with a resounding clang and a grunt as the wind is knocked out of her. "Slag you!" Nobody gets out of a hit like that and just topples her over! No one! Nova Black raises her own fist. "Since you seem so slagging interested in messin' up my faceplates, might as well return the favor," she snarls, slamming it down. Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Chromia's agility . Nova Black's roll fails! The Seeker's fist hits the tin ground, leaving a nice size dent centimeters from Chromia's head. Had that hit connected, her faceplates would have been smashed in probably beyond repair. "Shame ya' can't seem ta do that, though it was a good try." She chuckles, but a small part of her is thinking that was /way/ too close for comfort. "All right, you. Off ya' go." Wedging her knees against Nova's abdomen, she tries kicking the black Seeker off. Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Nova Black's strength. Chromia's roll ties! Nova Black smirks. "Looks like I'm not the only one having trouble pushing someone off 'em." She lifts her hand again and stares at the dent her fist left in the ground by Chromia's head. "Nice dodge. Let's see if you can pull it off twice." Nova Black picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Chromia's agility . Nova Black's roll succeeds! Chromia cannot, apparently, pull of the same move twice with the same accuracy and the fist smashes through her nasal ridge into the circuitry below, leaving behind a smashed in piece of metal only vaguely resembling what might have been a nose, thin streams of purple energon streaming down towards the divot in her lips. It's Chromia's cue to go. The Seeker is getting too close for comfort now, and if she can't push her off, she'd probably lose an optic next. "All right, time ta' go, pal." She wedges the entire flat of her foot between them, knee bent before she forcefully extends it away from her. Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her strength) against Nova Black's strength. Chromia's roll succeeds! Nova Black hits the ground with a loud and painful-sounding clang. Cycling a heavy pant, she leaps to her feet, her dented faceplates twisting into a grin. "Time to go? Don't tell me you're leavin' already, vermin. I was just gettin' started." She aims her laser at Chromia's prone form, hoping to get a last shot in before the Autobot can either rise to her feet or transform and zoom off, whichever she's intending. Chromia skids as she's down, thrown back and into the nearby piece of armor that had been tossed aside when she started grappling. But she has her information, and transforming, she speeds away, but not before making an obscenely rude gesture at the Seeker and a single shot back. Chromia picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(her dexterity) against Nova Black's agility. Chromia's roll succeeds! Nova Black growls as yet another bolt of orange laser fire hits. This one just barely catches her in the wing, which hurts like the Pit but fortunately doesn't manage to do much more than that. She snarls a curse at the retreating Autobot, but once she's in the air she heads back home to Polyhex. She's got more important things to do, and she can always scrap this Autobot later.
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