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| - 3/5/2012 06:08 PM Repair Campus Slipstream arrives at the repair campus to have a follow up on the work the medics did the cycle previous as apparently someone told them she had been out flying. Suffice it to say she is not amused so she puts on her best 'don't mess with me' look in hopes it will keep the medics from verbally chewing her a new thruster unit. Echo is currently sitting up on a repair bank, slouched a little bit. His white form was still battered up - most of the damaged armor had been repaired though, leaving him skeletal in appearance as he waited on a few parts to go on, as they sat on a nearby table. His red optics were narrowed as he sat, somewhat miserably. Soon Starscream arrives. There is the sound of some guards standing at attention as the mech enters the facility. He walks directly past one of the repair droids and towards Echo. After his talk with Slipstream, he found Echo had been dropped in battle. The look on Starscream's face is not one of pleasure. Slipstream settles upon a berth just as the Air Commander walks in, she salutes the mech as the medics check the welds upon her. Echo glances up at the rattling sound. His red optics widen and the young graduate straightens instinctively, although he didn’t have enough framework to stand, much less salute "Commander Starscream!" he greeted, once he realized which direction the warrior was heading. And not liking it at all. Starscream stops but a moment to nod at Slipstream. He then continues onwards towards Echo. At the overly loud greeting, Starscream raises what would be a mech eyebrow. "I now see why you are called Echo." He then looks over the bots wounds. "What rank are you seeker?" he asks. A very VERY faint pink tint appears on Echo's cheek plates at that, and he keeps his body stiff under the look of the Commander. "Sir. I am a Junior Pilot." he explains "Graduating Class 32011." that is, last years' class from the Academy Slipstream relaxes as best she can as the medic prod at her welds and tries to keep still as well. She keeps quiet, listening to the two talk. "Ahh yes. Last year’s graduating class. How did you rank in your class?" The commander asks. His tone seems slightly nostalgic. Everyone seems to be referencing their class. Echo tilts his head as he thinks a moment, starting to relax himself. HE glances across to Slipstream, and then back "Ah... Mid-highs sir. Below top twenty, above bottom fifty." the younger warrior explains. Slipstream hisses softly, not at what Echo just said but at what the medic just did. "That is... acceptable." It is obvious Starscream wanted to place in a different word but chose not to. "Tell me about your last battle. I am informed you were not capable of leaving the battlefield on your own. Any truth to that?" The words are meant to be sharp, almost like a weapon. "... Partially True. Lord Megatron ordered me to my feet. I dared not disobey, but I got assistance flying home. " Explains Echo quickly at that as he then continues "My part in the battle did not last long. I was ordered to break off and attack the head of the Autobot Convoy. I fired several missiles, before they rounded on myself and my comrade. I took the hits and went down hard." Slipstream remains silent as she can despite the urge to hiss at the medic for what he's doing with her wings. Starscream nods his head. "Falling in combat is a waste of time unless you are ordered into a situation that requires it. Next time try a little more not to be hit. Understood?" The voice was cocky, almost like Starscream had never fallen in battle. "I believe some special exercises may be in order when you are feeling up to it." "I /always/ try not to be hit sir." replies Echo, ferverently now. HIs optics flickered at the words though, and he pauses "Once I am repaired and feeling up to it yes. I haven't been hit in a long time. Lucky shot." Slipstream looks over her shoulder to glare at the medic, "About done?" she asks, her tone just a tad bit snippy. "Of course it was a lucky shot. If I believed it was something else, you would be receiving a punishment instead of exercise." Starscream states. "I am not a cruel commander. Things like this do happen. It is a matter of making sure there is less chance of them reoccurring in the future." The commander gives a slight smile towards the wounded mech. "Of course sir." replies Echo, although he did not seem entirely convinced. His optics alighted on Slipstream again, and he continues "Are you feeling better Slipstream? I heard they almost got you too." Slipstream frowns a bit at Echo's words, "I'm just fine Echo." a glance at the medic who finishes his work up. "At least I could fly out of there, with a wounded warrior at that." Starscream laughs a bit. When in trouble, shift the blame off on someone else. It was a tactic. "There may be hope for you yet junior pilot." The commander then looks towards Slipstream. He does not say anything, though it is still obvious he found the little tiff amusing. Red optics look back to Starscream at the laugh, worriedly. And then on to Slipstream once more "We ALL flew out of there." he points out in contrast to her own statement. Slipstream snorts as she stands, a flex of her wings saying for her clearly that she's not amused. "You flew with help." The commander looks between the two. "Enough. I think there may be a better way to settle this. Why don’t you two settle this later at the training fields. It would give me a chance to see you both in combat. We will call it a chance for you two to kill two birds with one stone. You can beat on each other and try to make impression on me." About to counter that, Echo focuses back on Starscream, lips turning down into a frown as he states "I have nothing to prove sir. It was just banter." he notes with a dismissive wave. Slipstream peers at the injured mech with this 'see what you've done' expression, then salutes the Air Commander, "If that is your wish sir." Bit slips in, hovering up near the ceiling. Not really in a hurry or really trying to blend in...just sorta where she happens to be at the moment. Echo's answer seemed to throw the commander off a little bit. "Do you not wish to get ahead Echo? You always have something to prove. There is always a promotion or battlefield glory." Starscream the nodded towards Slipstream. He does not pay much attention to Bit. "I prefer to earn both in REAL Battle though." counters Echo at that, his optics not focusing on Slipstream at all. Slipstream glances up at Bit a moment, knowing she's up to.. something. Bit stops, and crosses her arms in front of her. Wondering what they are going on about...always seem to be fighting. Boy they are good at that. Starscream raises a finger to his lips as he ponders Echo's lack of desire to prove himself in training. "Desire to prove yourself in actual battle is good, but you have yet to prove yourself to me. What makes you think I would send you out on a mission without knowing your capabilities?" Bit was still being ignored by the commander... for now. Slipstream shakes her head at Echo, her arms crossing over her canopy. "Because it is my duty and function to do so. A mech cannot be without a function." replies Echo carefully. His optics catch sight of Slipstreams' headshake, but his lips thin out in determination Bit scratches at her chin, as she listens to the conversation. She tsk tsks a bit to herself, as she hovers slowly around the room. Starscream seems to become a little upset, though he calms himself. "Just because a mech has a function does not mean it is best for that function or that it serves the function it thinks it does. Look at a majority of the Autobot Warriors..." There is some emphasis on the word warriors. "Civilian bots thinking that they are military bots. Most of which serve no better purpose than to become fodder on the battlefield. Are you fodder Echo? Do you believe you are to just be handed assignments because you can fly or graduated the academy?" "Of course not." states Echo "I am a warrior, who gets warrior assignments. It is what I was built for, and what I trained for. " a pause at that, and his confidence wavers "I would hope so, sir, as otherwise it’s a waste of resources to assign me to things I am not designed to do." Slipstream's wings flick back slightly, her arms uncrossing so her hands can move to settle upon her hips. Starscream simply shakes his head. He was not getting the point across that he was trying to make. He pauses for a moment as he tries to figure out how to make the younger mech understand what he was getting at. Soon an idea hits him. "Very well. Since you have no desire to prove yourself to me and simply wish to be handed assignments. I have one for you. That is since you are a warrior and wish not to be a waste of resources. When you are repaired, you are off to Iacon. Bring me back to head of the Prime. Then you will have your glory and proved yourself in actual battle." Starscream then looks towards Slipstream. She was so much easier to deal with. Echo's optics flicker at that, and he frowns at Starscreams' words, as he responds "I would have thought YOU would want that honor... sir. But I will take your assignment, and when I have succeeded, I will do so then, and present it to the Emperor, for it would be His." Bit starts to snicker and laugh, "And put it in a nice basket, with a ribbon on the handle...covered in pixie dust...." Slipstream huffs softly, she's heard enough from the mech. Then Bit says those words and she smirks, "Why not his Matrix while you are at it?" she asks Echo. "What's a pixie? You mean a Pixel? " asks Echo, glancing to Bit curiously. Then to Slipstream, with a snort "The Matrix?? I'd be hit by a lightning bolt or something!" "I have a desire to take his head but even I would not be dumb enough to walk into a suicide trap as such." The commander states to Echo. He then turns to the other bots. "Enough. The mission has been stated and accepted. Echo here will go to Iacon and bring back the head. If you can achieve it, then take it to Lord Megatron. I am not worried. Someone who is shot down by a lucky shot will no doubt fail." Starscream then turns and walks away. He points to Slipstream and then motions for her to follow him. "Try not to end in a scrap heap. I would hate to see such an attitude be your downfall, junior pilot." "I learn from my seniors, sir." counters Echo, his hands clutching the table - perhaps to hide their faint trembling. Yeah, he had really pushed it this time. HIs optics though, glittered as they refocused upon Starscream Bit hmmms, "I wonder, if you bring back the heads of other bots, do you get bonus points...,maybe get a big sack or a case of some kind to carry them in. Think about if you lost that case, and someone found it...really, a case full of heads..that would prolly freak someone out... Slipstream moves to follow the mech out of the repair bay, as apparently he wants to speak with her. Echo watches Starscream go before venting a loud sigh of relief, slumping a little bit. He then focuses on Bit "... Probably." he admits a little bit shakily "Did I do okay? Think I impressed him? I can't go get Primes' head TODAY, but he didn’t really say WHEN I had to have it back at him..." Starscream promptly exits the facility. He then turns around to Slipstream. "I have a special assignment for you. This is one that requires care." There is a slight growl as Starscream thinks over the situation. "When Echo leaves this compound, I want you to place him right back into it. If he will not abide by commands, he will learn the hard way. That is unless he is really dense enough to leave for Iacon. Then let him go. Understood?" Bit hmmms, "Well, if you’re going that logical route...technically" as she makes the air quotes motions with her fingers, "He said bring back Primes head...he didn't specify Optimus Prime....I suppose you could go dig up the body of another prime, that’s dead already and grab their head" Echo blinks at that "... It would have to be one at Iacon though, if we're going literally, but I REALLY don’t think he'd fall for that. Especially if I had to present it to Megatron." admits the young Seeker. Slipstream cocks her head as she listens to Starscream, "I understand, sir. If I must be his sparkling sitter, then so be it." she smirks a bit, "I do suppose I could tie him up with my lariat." Starscream shakes his head. "I want you to show him his place. Do not end his spark but make sure his paint job is scratched and that he requires a few more welds. I want him knocked down a few pegs. I sincerely doubt he will take off to Iacon right away. No one could be that dense." Slipstream inclines her head, "I would not wish to end him sir, but I shall do as you ask, even if it takes awhile for him to get around to possibly doing it." she pauses then inquires, "Anything else you wish of me sir?" Starscream turns around and is about to walk off. "So we are clear, that when he leaves the repair bay, you will put him right back into it." The commander then states, "No nothing else." He then walks off slightly fuming. Slipstream inclines her head, "Yes sir." she replies and moves into a 'guard the door' position.
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