We are a literate, intermediate to advanced AU Transformers RPG Based off of the first season of TFP with dashes of other incarnations sprinkled here or there. Characters from any continuity are welcome however must be restyled to match the TFPrime universe.
Active, with ongoing plotlines, we are always willing to integrate new characters into storylines once incorporated into the setting.
Optimus nodded. “The need for functionality expansion on this team is necessary with our numbers. We cannot have soldiers constrained to singular functions, cannot afford it. Should we lose any one of us to injury or worse, we need to be able to rely on the skills of others to see us through.” He looked at Jazz. “And yes, after recent events, recent losses, and the circumstances of some of our new comers arriving here the need for team building and inter-personal familiarization is going to be essential. Our original team here is cohesive, but as our numbers grow that will not be the case. Do what you think is necessary. I understand that our situation on an alien world is not usual military circumstance. All that we do will be a little… ad hoc.”
Meaning that, no, Jazz, you do not need to be rank and file. Optimus knew they would need a drill sergeant type eventually, but Jazz was not that mech. Until they had one, ad hoc and sneaky would do just fine.
((OOC: Seven days since Arcee’s been up, just gonna move forward thread a post. :3 Cee can hop in whenever makes sense.))
Jazz smiled. Those who knew him might recognize it as the grin of a devious (though well-intentioned) mech who'd just been told to "do whatever you think is necessary".
Well, Jazz thought, that certainly cut down on the number of agenda items he was going to bring up. If he was supposed to do whatever he thought necessary....
He dampened down the probably-unbecoming-of-an-officer glee, visions of a human-and-bot-compatible rec room, lobbing games, and mechs actually hanging out together in their off-hours dancing through his cortex. All small things, maybe, but all of which would go a long way in furthering base morale. Cross-training was of course more practically useful, but that would take time. Rise in base morale was something Jazz expected to be able to see results on in a decacycle or two.
He nodded to Optimus and Ironhide. "Can do. We've all got the capacity, no reason we can't double up on functions just in case." He couldn't keep a smile out of his voice at his words: the irony of him, an ex-Con turned Autobot officer, successfully urging the Autobot high command to train their people outside of their born-and-Council-approved functions? Precious. Megatronus would have laughed.
Jazz continued, "We can make up a job board, practically. Throw it open, see who's interested in what. Let people choose and then assign in to fill in any gaps." He tilted his head at Ratchet and Ironhide. "Unless our trainers have folks in mind for trainees already, of course...."
The discussion went on like that for a good hour or so, and everyone, Jazz was happy to see, supportive of and perhaps even looking forward to the implementation of his ideas. Well, Jazz thought, as the meeting proper dismissed and everyone dispersed, that wasn't so hard.
As the others drifted away, Jazz said quietly to Optimus, "Can I talk to you about one more thing? Didn't want to bring it up around everyone, but...I've been thinking about the humans. I'm sure you've thought about this more than I have, but...well...what're your thoughts about their safety?"
Optimus turned a level blue look at his new lieutenant who, despite all his previous reservations about taking said rank, was doing just fine in the Prime’s opinion. The others were already setting about their tasks and it was a relief to Optimus that they were finally afforded the numbers, the time, and even the energon reserves to take time to do such things as crosstraining and the basics of team integration. They were all military, familiar with the lost of teams and the need to patch themselves into new units, but that didn’t make it easy. Jazz… had a way of making such things easy.
He’d known and worked with Jazz for a very long time, though the course of the war had seen them separated with Jazz’s last mission taking him from the main body of Optimus’ troops at precisely the apex of Cybertron’s demise. The planet had heaved up the Matrix from its poisoned core, the dark veins of the war threading through the body of their world and very rapidly, startlingly rapidly after that, Cybertron went dark and their species fled to the stars on dispersed trajectories, desperately taking what energon that could be salvaged and seeding it as they could on other planets, any planet, that might sustain them past the annihilation of their homeworld.
He’d lost more than Jazz in those ruinous days, the dusk of their time on Cyberton. To see him again, to have him again, to ask his opinion and seek his council on matters that troubled him with indecision… it was a familiar reflex that he was sorely glad to have back again even if the subject matter at hand was a persistent worry for the Prime. He folded his arms across his chassis, optics flickering with brief thought.
“Our alliances with Agent Fowler and the American government, not to mention their international allies, has been a very clearly regulated matter that you need not concern yourself with. Autobots deal with Decepticon activity always as first responders. However, if you are speaking to June, Miko, Rafael, and Jack… that is another matter. One that has become more pressing than ever.” His expression rippled very slightly. “I’ve assigned guardians to each of them, but beyond that… if the Decepticons chose to target our allies instead of ignore them as inconsequential as has been Megatron’s habit… I fear the out come.”
Jazz nodded. "I'll let you keep the diplomatic slag, no fear, boss. But...yeah...about the others...."
It was a delicate balance, Jazz knew. Optimus was no fool, and he'd been steering the Autobots' diplomatic ship for millions of years. He knew the risks to and rewards of allies, even organic ones, and the humans weren't the first organic species to get involved in the Great War. There were entire sections of space where Cybertronians were shot at on sight, chased out with military and civilian might in memory of what had happened to other races that had attempted to ally themselves with one faction or another.
The humans...the humans had it even worse, being small and delicate. Jazz had heard about Ray. He'd only been surprised that something similiar hadn't happened SOONER. He had to agree with Optimus: the only reason the Decepticons hadn't yet targeted Jack and the others specifically with any sort of persistence was because Megatron had not thought them worth the time and energon.
Also, Jazz suspected, because Lord Buckethead did not yet realize the blow to Autobot morality that a few paltry human deaths would be. Not like Barricade did (had, Jazz reminded himself).
At any rate, there was no way to argue that their small human allies weren't a scary few revelations away from quick, messy deaths. And there was very little that the Autobots could do about that...well, very little besides severing ties with them completely, which Jazz imagined wasn't a viable option for several reasons both bot and human.
So, Jazz settled for "I can think of a few things we can do that'll protect the kids a bit better. One's kinda simple social engineering: keep the humans out of missions. Easiest way is to keep them from knowing about them completely. Like the new human-bot rec room that I mentioned. You might notice that I suggested the subbasement, and that wasn't just for space reasons." Jazz's lips quirked. "It also gets the humans away from incoming information and Control. Imagine how much LESS likely Miko is to jump into random 'bridges if she's a fifteen minute human-size walk away from the control room and doesn't even know they're open?"
“Yes, the others,” said Optimus in a way that indicated that he very much knew precisely what Jazz was talking about, oh boy did he ever. In regards to Miko and her forever hurling herself into danger Optimus had many…thoughts which he kept to himself just then. Voice schooled, he went on.
“Restricting the children’s access to the control room is logical and given the expansion of our numbers and the need to convert many of the backrooms to accommodate the new arrival s, a restructuring to accommodate the children… away from the ground bridge and any of our other vital technologies is a task I would be amenable to.” Wry amusement crossed his field. “Bulkhead has no doubt informed you about his ward’s…enthusiasm. And we could all stand to see that curbed. Jack and Rafael are less inclined to cause trouble, nevertheless, the Autobot Base and the military operations that we do here should not be of concern to any of them and I would prefer to see them… less involved. Less burdened.”
June had made it clear time and time again that children were not ‘full frames’, though she need not have done so. Optimus had always known that they’d brought children into the midst of their war though sheer proximity alone and that was a mistake beyond repair now. Human allies had saved their lives, yes, it was true. A rare few times, but it should have never been children. That said… the Autobot duty to protect humanty from Decepticon threat was a business and peace transaction on their part to keep the truce between his forces and the United Nations relying upon them… allowing them here and backing them. They paid for their occupation with protection, but that was a poor reason to fight.
Bumblebee once admitted that he didn’t fight to protect ‘humanity’ but Rafael, Miko, Jack… the faces he had given humanity. If nothing else, the children were a reason beyond survival to fight. They were something to protect, not an abstract, or a duty they were cohort and they made earth more of home. For that Optimus was grateful… but that didn’t mean he didn’t regret.
Jazz nodded. A talk with June was still on his to-do list. "Heard a lot about the lady, but haven't talked to her yet. Probably should, because...well, at least for her, and possibly for whichever of the kids could handle it...I was thinking of giving her one of these." Jazz reached into his subspace and came up with a tiny device. It'd obviously been cobbled together from other tech, lacking the smooth casing of something purpose-built. It was about the size of a human palm, an enclosed flat circular shape. "Tiny flux compressor. Don't ask where I got it. I was thinkin' of enclosing it in an mp3 player casing or something. Press a button, give a hell of a nasty EMP blast to any Cybertronian around them, not to mention any human tech. I'm pretty sure it should be safe for human use. Shouldn't hurt them unless it's busted open to expose the energon batteries or they, y'know, EAT it or something."
Jazz jiggled the device in his hand thoughtfully. "It's not much, but it's more than they've got now. It'll give them a holdout, a distraction, and a way to disable any 'Con that tries to grab 'em. Won't really cause damage, but I can't say as that's a bad thing. Like you said...the humans' protection is based on the 'Cons not thinking they're a threat. This'd maintain that. It's not gonna let them HURT anyone, but it'll let them get away."
He tilted his head at Optimus, his glyphset rich in support-security-protection but liberally modified with imperfect and no guarantees and bad idea?
Optimus almost immediately said, “Don’t give one to Miko.”
Then felt somewhat embarrassed for the rapidness of his response and the immediate dread at the prospect of an armed Miko Nakadai, not simply because it would send her sprinting off to ‘fight robot crime’ but because it was likely she’d accidentally activate it around allies somehow or worse… sensitive equipment that Ratchet needed.
”In fact… I think only give one to June Darby. She has firearms training and, I believe, the sensibility to handle such a weapon. You will have to make it clear to her, however, than an EMP is only a stopping measure, not a real weapon.”
More to the point, Optimus didn’t… feel like humanity needed any more ways to harm their species. The incident with Breakdown and MECH had been enough to make him wary and the recent… conflicting reports from Agent Fowler about Autobot refugee status under US and international protection had made him less and less inclined to put his team in a position to be harmed. Optimus was not a cynic and he trusted Agent Fowler but he knew too well the course of human history to readily hand over anything but what was absolutely necessary to interspecies cooperation. At Jazz’s slightly uncertain glyph-flash, however, Optimus’ expression lightened easily.
“It’s a good idea, Jazz.” He placed a hand on the Autobot’s shoulder. “You should get started soon as possible, lest our luck changes again. I doubt Megatron will long give us this reprieve.”
Last Edit: Apr 11, 2012 14:48:24 GMT -5 by Deleted
"It" being a to-do list that was...long. Kinda a LOT of long. Jazz would have guessed that it'd be intimidating.
It wasn't. It was doable. And the fact that all of it desperately needed to be done YESTERDAY made it something else. A mountain to be climbed. A gestalt to be taken down.
Jazz started rearranging his list. Mechs to talk to, humans to talk to, things to build, things to break, things to rearrange into new and interesting shapes....
Jazz smiled. Mission: Secure All The Things -- officially a go.