Sky-Byte

[Deleted]

I was not really
Into haikus until I
ran this character.

Name/Alias: Towerlight

IM/Email: Ask me for my Discord

Age: 16

Where did you find us?: Literally just googled “Transformers RP”



CHARACTER INFO

Fighter, poet
Sky-Byte is many things but
mainly a dumbaft.

Name: Sky-Byte

Age: Late 20s

Gender: Mech

Species: Cybertronian

Faction: Decepticon

Original Occupation: Political Writer

Occupation/Specialization: Shock Trooper

Appearance: Sky-Byte is about a head and a bit taller than Knockout, coming up to under Megatron’s shoulder. His frame is rather slender, though not quite to the extent of Starscream or Soundwave. His head notably has a large fin attached, which he got bolted on when he was enlisted to “strike fear into the hearts of Autobot scum.” It hasn't worked yet. What does tend to unnerve people about his head is the damage caused to his mouth area, giving him what humans would call a very severe Glasgow Grin. Severe enough that his teeth and sections of his inner head are visible through them. Sky-Byte doesn’t like talking about how he got such scars but does mention that they were done by a particularly brutal Autobot who he wishes vengeance upon. He has 6 long fins along his torso, 2 of which act as pauldrons and the rest on his back. His chest’s most notable feature is the “Tsunami Cannon”, a large gun that sticks out of his chest. It also has several ornate markings in the shape of a pair of sinister eyes and sharp teeth. His left arm isn't all that notable, especially in comparison to the monstrous Terabyte Claw that makes up his right. His legs end in slender, light feet of an unusual shape similar to that of human leg prosthetics used by runners. His chassis is primarily ultramarine and gunmetal grey with yellow sections on his legs and upper arms as well as his face and Tsunami Cannon.

Altmode: Sky-Byte’s earth-based alt mode is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, a U.S. Air Force plane Sky-Byte scanned shortly after landing in the ocean.

History: Sky-Byte was sparked near the end of the Caste Age in the Intellectual Class, being a writer who published pamphlets relating to the politics of Cybertron. Sky-Byte mainly wrote about crime on Cybertron, which of course brought him to Lower Caste areas often. As he interviewed and talked with Lower Castes and immersed himself in their culture Sky-Byte began seeing their way of life and also seeing the oppression they faced at the hand of his fellow High-Castes. His writings began to reflect that, shedding a light on the more humane (cybertroniane?) side of the Lower Castes.

When the Decepticon movement made itself known Sky-Byte wrote favourably for them, trying to convince his fellow brightplates that the Caste system was wrong. This earned him quite a bit of scrutiny and ire from the High Caste and tanks his reputation. Sky-Byte claims to have been at the Tower bombings, where he dramatically betrayed his fellow towerlings before flying into the night. Chances are he actually was there but just ran away. He signed up to the Decepticon militia at the turn of the Great War, much to the amusement of his lower caste comrades who were amused to see such a high-class Cybertronian as infantry.

Sky-Byte turned out to be a rather effective combatant despite having been a humble writer, his hit-n-run tactics helping distract their opponents so deadlier Decepticons could easily finish the job. He was often sent as a courier and scavenger in the Towers due to him knowing the area better than his Lower Caste allies. He also continued to write, becoming a de-facto propaganda officer for the Decepticons one of the few High-Caste Writers who had even survived the War so far, let alone in the Decepticons.A few cycles before the Cybertron Exodus where he broke into an Autobot facility carrying quite a bit of experimental gear, including the Terrabyte Claw which he would take as his own weapon, first as a handheld weapon but also as a prosthetic arm attached by a Medic after losing his own in an explosion. Sky-Byte stole just about everything inside, earning him the respect of his higher ups. This along with his general success as a courier in the war eventually led to him being chosen to be the first to carry an experimental “Survivor Seeker Chassis” that would allow him to not only survive but thrive in many areas Cybertronians were normally weak or unable to go. When Cybertron was evacuated he was unable to board the Nemesis but instead used his Alt-Mode to try and tail it, the Survivor Seeker Chassis allowing him to fly in deep space. Things were going surprisingly well, as he was able to more-or-less keep up with the Nemesis by tracking its fuel signature until he was forced to take a detour around an asteroid belt, causing him to be trapped in the orbit of a strange planet surrounded by rings of ice which forced him into a semi-coma in order to conserve energy to his thrusters and scanners. He eventually made it out, but the turbulence had caused quite a gap to form between him and the Nemesis. With the fuel signatures long gone Sky-Byte used whatever he could to find them including distress signals, the predicted path of the Nemesis and Optimus Prime’s message in order to pinpoint the planet the Nemesis landed on. Several cycles later, an ice-covered Sky-Byte entered Earth’s orbit, tracking the Nemesis and flying straight into the ocean because of it.


Personality: Sky-Byte is a proud, well-spoken warrior who has devoted himself to the ideals of the Decepticon cause. Although he was sparked as a simple writer he is a fierce fighter, helped in part due to his high-grade armaments. Although he has the demeanor of a powerful villain this facade tends to crack under pressure, revealing him to be a short-fused brute with a reckless streak. It annoys him greatly when people see this, especially those he sees highly of.

Likes: Glory, Honourable Melee Combat, Haikus, His Claw.

Dislikes: Getting One-Upped, Humiliation, Morons.

Strengths/Weapons:
My Claw is the Claw that pierces the heavens! - The Terabyte Claw is a powerful weapon Sky-Byte learned to use over the great war. It has 2 modes, the Lightning Prong and the Umbra Pincer. The Lightning Prong is a 3-clawed mode mainly used in his plane mode to grab objects or Cybertronians. It’s claws ends in small blades perfect for striking at vulnerable points. The Umbra Pincer is activated when two of the claws clamp together, and are attached to a curved blade that flips down from his forearm. The Pincer is a heavier weapon, its shifted weight making it much more effective at bludgeoning opponents. As well as that it’s grabbing power is increased, being able to crush all but the tankiest of armour and even some limbs especially human ones. It is permanently attached to his right arm after an accident destroyed his original right arm. Although mainly used in his robot mode he does occasionally use it in plane mode, under the main body to slice at other airborne enemies or try to grab objects, although both of these aren’t very viable strategies.

Top: Lightning Prong mode
Bottom: Umbra Pincer mode

And another hapless foe is crushed beneath my heel. - Alongside his Claw Sky-Byte wields a double-barrelled handheld Rocket Launcher, which was his original weapon. It can carry a rocket in each barrel and fire them either one at a time or both at once. Sky-Byte keeps a couple of rockets on him at all times in case he needs to perform some impromptu demolition or fight at a long range.

Faster than a laser bullet, louder than an atom bomb! - The Tsunami Cannon is Sky-Byte’s strongest weapon, but also the one that’s most likely to get himself killed. It taps directly into his own energon supply to power an extremely deadly railgun beam capable of decimating pretty much all forms of Cybertronian armour, even etching into the Nemesis’ hull. Although powerful it takes a while to charge and it’s usage of Sky-Byte’s own life source is an inherent threat.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. - Sky-Byte’s experimental Survivor Seeker Chassis gives him several abilities allowing him to survive and thrive in areas Cybertronians usually avoid. His body is vacuum sealed and pressurized in both modes allowing him to survive in both deep space and underwater, although not for the longest of periods.

You're not the only one who can fly! I'm comin' for you! - Sky-Byte’s thrusters on his back and back legs can shoot pressurized air, letting him either hover in the air or boost his jumps with them, giving him quite a bit of vertical mobility even out of his altmode. The thrusters aren’t strong enough for him to fly in the air without being supplemented by his altmode’s jets but are perfect for propelling himself underwater or even in deep space.

Weaknesses:
His Patience: Sky-Byte at his spark is a poet, a scholar, a warrior and a tactician. However, this is all diluted by his ineptitude. When Sky-Byte is in control he is deadly and a force to be reckoned with but as he begins to lose the upper hand he begins to panic, often making the situation worse for himself.
His Honour: A rare trait among Decepticons, Sky-Byte has show a streak of valor in a sense. He detests intentionally making a fight unfair, though he’ll take advantage of any of his opponents inherent shortcomings if he can. He also shows quite a bit of loyalty to the Decepticon cause, detesting those that would go against its ideals within the ranks or even worse, actual traitors.
His Culture: Although Sky-Byte is a Decepticon through-and-through, he’s also still a sparked and raised Brightplate. This can draw the ire of his fellow Decepticons with his posh, almost snobbish mannerisms.
His Arsenal: Although Sky-Byte has several powerful weapons, they are not without their faults. His rocket launcher is best suited for mid-range, his rockets being too inaccurate at longer ranges to be useful. The Terrabyte Claw is easily his best weapon but also the one he’s the least proficient in. Hiis claw making up his right arm means he’s limited in motor skills as well, having to use his left arm for everything that requires fingers or not crushing the object. To wrap it all up his Tsunami Cannon is hooked right into his own fuel source and using it too often without recharging or otherwise obtaining energon runs the risk of using too much power or even killing him.

Special Skills:
Who's the smartest shark Seeker in town? Sky-Byte, that's me! - Sky-Byte is a cultured guy, having been a writer for most of his lifespan. He is an expert in Cybertronian culture and is currently amassing knowledge on Human culture via radio signals he picked up from their many satellites, he seems to have a liking to those little fleshbags. They even invented his new favourite type of writing, the Haiku!

Under the sea, down where it’s wetter. - Since Sky-Byte is one of the few Transformers who can survive underwater, he has begun training himself to maneuver around in the unfamiliar landscape. He still sinks like a stone unless he has his air thrusters on all the time and he probably couldn’t fight anyone actually skilled in moving about but he’s making progress!

Extra Info: When Megatron shows up Sky-Byte will fanboy.