EP. 1.5 - Shooting Star - (Open)

[Deleted]

Arcee popped through the Groundbridge, just a few seconds behind her Prime. Likewise, her view of the open sky was as obscured as her leader’s. However, due to her small size, she had an easier time navigating thru the thick vegatation.

At least its not the Artic this time, Arcee thought, with a slight shudder, referring to a previous mission with Optimus scouting out Cybertronian tech. The two-wheeler paced ahead a short distance of her commander taking point, falling into her designated role with practiced ease. The irony didn’t escape Arcee that once long ago, she would have rebelled at the preselected function of scout. Oh, how times have changed.

The crashed shuttled rapidly came into view. Arcee surveyed the area critically. The scene was too quiet and no sign yet of the ship’s occupant. Just as Arcee was about to activate her weapons as a precautionary, a loud thumping came from the metal craft. Arcee paused tense and alert for several moments as the banging continued, until finally the now apparent door of the ship came loose and sailed clear to the edge of the woods. The loud cursing following the door ejection was quite audiable for Arcee to hear the femme’s words clearly. Arcee relaxed marginally and was mildly amused at the similarity of the sentient expressed by the femme compared to Ratchet’s personal opinion of human technology.

She finally got a good view of the aerial transformer as she straightened out, standing on the ship’s hull.

That's far enough, you two. Designations and affiliations."

“Arcee, Autobot.” She answered, following up behind the Prime’s initial response to Nova Storm’s demand.

[Optimus Prime]

Optimus strode forward casually, letting Arcee veer off ahead to do as she saw fit. He wasn't going to regulate her actions, and knew that his slower lumbering pace through the obstructing vegetation would just impede her progress. As such, he only truly caught up when she halted before the scene of the shuttle, his footfalls crunching down into shredded rock and gravel paired with snapping branches that had been felled in the ships fall from the sky.

The banging upon the hatch did not sway the Prime's movements, and did not push him to continue onward like he may have done otherwise. If this individual had the strength to slam and eventually bash open the door as they did, than the likelihood of an injury being obtained past dents scuffs and a couple torn lines were rather slim. True, there could be whiplash, but point was she didn't seem to need to be rushed to a medic anytime soon.

This gave them plenty of time to deal with the situation that seemed to be spiraling down ludicrous paths.

Her use of the old language told him much in those fleeting seconds, while also brought up many other considerations. This said he didn't have a chance to consider all of the ramifications, for the aerial lifted her arm and aimed it down at them while making a... ludicrous demand.

He wasn't one to be arrogant or boastful, he wasn't one to expect people to know who he was, but... he was the Prime. Essentially all of his Autobots knew his name and appearance, his features posted everywhere on every screen when he made his speeches on Cybertron. To have one who pledged loyalty to his cause have no idea what he looked like?... well this was unexpected, suspicious, or she was blind. But she was aiming her arm at them like she could see well enough. An arm that could very well be a weapon.

The prime just stared up at the femme who stood upon the shuttle, not seeming to mind terribly that if she were to do something foolish that she had the upper ground. Her raised arm was a sign that not all was well, and that she had some serious trust issues. He would compare her to Red Alert level of paranoia, something he recognized well, but that was like comparing a domesticated canine to a wolf. Two entirely different beasts. But while they were different, both could still bite, and this female could become a viable danger if she continued down the path she was going.

"Optimus Prime. Leader of the Autobots. Lower your weapon."

This wasn't so much a request, as it was a part order. His tone of voice skirted and walked the line between emotions. Calm, relaxing, trying to take the flyer down from its heightened edge of aggression, holding a warmth and kindness that he felt and projected to all, while holding authority and his own imposing strength. If she was going to be a threat to them, than he would have no choice but to force his hand, but he didn't think it would come to such a point.

"Nova Storm I presume. If you would relay your identification codes in person, we can see to it that you are assisted by a medic for any ailments received during the crash or your journeys."

He started to walk forward then, expecting her to lower her weapon. He was not scared of it, and his calmed state relayed this well.

[Deleted]

Nova took a long moment to study the mecha that called himself Optimus, her left optic flashing a faint sea green in a failing attempt to reboot itself. There was something about the way he carried himself, his voice, his field cool and assured even at the distance between The Prime and herself. She had known only one other Prime who carried himself in a similar manner. There was one key difference that she noticed that others might easily miss. There was a very subtle undercurrent to The Prime's field, one that was quite difficult to quantify in any language. She knew from that he was indeed the latest Prime.

A soft smile formed on her face as she shifted her arm out of weapon mode, but held in standby, ready to be recalled if need called. Once she had her right hand back, she immediately started accessing a holodisplay on her left arm."Standby to recieve." A few moments later, both Arcee and the Prime recieved an encoded data burst. "Codes transmitted."

As she awaited their independent verification, she rested her servos on her hips and regarded the Prime. Finally, she could no longer contain herself. "You're a bit taller than I was expecting."

[Deleted]

Arcee remained a short distance behind and to the right of her Prime. As her leader formally conversed with the new arrival, she quickly assessed the new femme herself. The newcomer appeared relatively unscathe and once her codes were cleared the addition of a flier to the Autobot ranks would be a huge boom.

Squatting low on the boulder that was her perch, the blue femme directed part of her attention to the surrounding landscape. The latest reports, she glimpsed before coming, indicated no Decepticon activity occurring in the vicinity of the southwest Pacific island countries. None the less, Arcee kept her optics outward more so, just in case.

After a few moments, a ping sounded on her comline and the codes transmitted to for viewing on the lower right corner of her HUD display. Processing the codes through her identification protocols, she swiftly found a match, if quite dated.

Sending a private comm message to Prime, she confirmed, ::The codes are old, but match up with my protocols.::

[Optimus Prime]

Receiving the codes, Optimus sifted through the data as well.

A new flyer would always be welcomed. While the Autobots were in need of any and all troops, no matter what their alternative forms were, being able to have more flight capable mech at their disposal would be valuable. They would not be able to do missions in cities, or places of dense human population, but a flyer as this femme appeared to be would be able to scout larger patches of lands in far less time. It could help them in the fuel race all things considered, which was a very competitive field.

As of now, Thunder was their only jet, and his scouting missions were always throttled to a slower speed to keep with the buddy system that was set in place due to the MECH threat. Many loops, ample banks, tactics used to slow down to keep pace with the slower helicopter that had to accompany him. But now? A second jet would permit the two to streak across the landscape and do fly by scanning.

If the two could cooperate.

A thought for another time.

::Understood::

As with Arcee's own verification, his own checks came back in the clear, and for all point and case if this was some kind of trick? It was a very well thought out one. As such, he considered Nova to be one of their Autobots from this point onward, and was the type to trust until being given a reason not to do so.

"I am under impression you have not sustained any injuries that require immediate aid?"

Slowly, with an at ease gait, Optimus started forward again. He did not regard or respond to the comment the female had made on his stature, for there was not much he could even say on the matter. He knew he was tall, ever since the Matrix re-shaped his frame from Orion to Optimus he had lived with this as fact. He missed the days when he wasn't as imposing, but also was grateful for the boons it gifted him in combat, and the boons it gifted for less than dire situations as well.

Upon reaching the side of the shuttle, he held up his forearm with palm facing up to offer to assist Nova down. Her codes conveyed she was likely an older individual, but this gesture was not hinged solely upon that. The drop down was not a short hop, and as such he would offer a hand to keep her from a jarring landing that may aggravate whatever injuries lie beneath the surface from the crash. She appeared mostly ok however...

[Deleted]

While the pair ran her codes, Nova took the moment to turn back to the entry and grab hold of a semi-battered case, opening it briefly to check on something, or rather, somethings before snapping it shut and stowing it in her subspace. Returning, she couldn't help but smile at the Prime's offered hand. "Aside from my optic, which is not an immediate concern, my internal sensors indicate I'm about as sound as the day I was forged." To prove her point, she took a bold step off the shuttle and landed in a crouch soundly beside him.

She rose from the crouch after ensuring that nothing had unexpectedly broke and turned toward the Prime, right hand extended. "It's a pleasure to meet another Prime."

[Deleted]

Arcee, satisfied for the time being that they were in the clear, rose from her perch on the boulder and made her way towards her Prime and the new arrival. She paused alongside Optimus, when the flier literally walked off the edge of the wreckage deliberately. Arcee nodded with a smile at Nova's bold and spirited nature. She was going to like this femme indeed.

Arcee tilted her curious at Nova Storm's words. What other Prime could she have known, though it might make some sense of the out-dated codes she had transmitted for verification. The two-wheeler whistled aloud at Nova Storm's considerable age and that saying something with how long-lived most Cybertronians were.

Allowing Prime to finish his greetings and exchange with the flier, Arcee stepped forward with a slim hand. "I'm Arcee, Autobot Recon and Field Commander." She greeted with a nod. "It's nice to finally meet you and have a flier on board."

"What have you been doing in space all this time?"

[Optimus Prime]

Seeing Nova jump down, forgoing his offered hand, the Prime gradually lowered the limb back to his side. Being snubbed like that did not bother him in the slightest, and he didn't even really think about it past the moment. The only thing he did consider was further agreement to the unspoken shrieks that the two femmes would get along well. It was beneficial Arcee was there, for if they clicked and worked together, than the two-wheeler would be the one to initiate Nova into the outpost and guide her empty quarters.

"We do not have the necessary means to replace an optic, but will do what we can to salvage."

A sad truth. Optimus wished they had a far more advanced base of operations. He often wished the Ark remained operational past the battered remains it had been upon arrival to Earth so they had a real base of operations. But despite the longing for what could have been, he knew he was lucky to even have what he did. The team as a whole would just need to be extra careful about not losing limbs...

When Nova spoke, Optimus' helm inclined as he looked upon her in new light. The words clicked in his processor, shooting through multiple relays before diving through the near microscopic filaments that joined him to the Matrix. This caused the optical rings in his eyes to marginally rotate and focus, staring at her faceplates and key armor shapes without actually staring at her. Distant, but present, walking a line between reality and inner thought.

"Another Prime?"

On automatic without a beat, he lifted his hand and gently grasped onto Nova's to return the gesture with one firm shake, genuine joy present to meet a new Cybertronian. After this motion he placed it back at his side to let the two Femme's converse after he asked the small meager question. Perhaps if he had an idea of where to look through the swarming sea of information gifted to him, then he would be able to piece together more of who Nova was.

Optimus did not share or talk about the Matrix. It was such a holy relic that anything he could say could reaffirm some beliefs, or crush others, and he didn't need to tear into the culturally accepted norms as some blasphemer. He let the fables remain fables, and told nothing regarding the crystals' inner depths. The Prime had no intention of breaking that now by accessing memories that were not his own to bear and bringing that information to light in this conversation, especially since he had a snaking suspicion that wove and hissed quiet tells to the back of his processor that she did not always use the name she now bore as her own. No immediate connections were made under 'Nova Storm', nor her physical appearance.

[Deleted]

Nova gave a all too casual nod at the Prime's question. "Indeed. While I will continue to thank Nova Prime from the bottom of my spark for my wings, I still don't mourn his passing, even after all these vorns." She crossed her arms. "You won't believe how often I've had to talk a Council Cruiser commander out of blasting me back to Primus just because of my name." She uncrossed her arms and made a dismissive motion, as if disregarding the notion. 'That's what I get for not reading the deeper coding."

When Arcee well and finally spoke up, Nova turned to regard the (much) smaller femme. After a moment, she reached out in response, gently grasping the two wheeler forearm to forearm. A simple gesture to be sure, but it spoke volumes. "Pleasure to meet you, Arcee, and I hope I can be a vaulable addition. As for the whole 'where were you?' thing....What makes you think I was flying the whole time?" She quipped, her face serious for a long moment before breaking into a smile.

[Deleted]

The femme’s forearm dwarfed Arcee’s arm in comparison, but it didn’t detract from the exchange of the greeting.

“And what makes you think I implied you were flying through space the whole time?” Arcee countered back with a friendly smirk. “Outer space is a big place. You could have been stranded on a backwater dirtball of a planet for all we know.”

“Welcome to Earth, by the way.” Arcee added, suggesting subtly to Nova that was now the case.

Recalling Nova Storm’s explanation of her misadventures of mistaken identify, Arcee dredged out a few recent memories since her time here on the planet.

“I made a mistake like that once, calling my old partner by the name of someone else I knew in the past,” Arcee commented, though not without a small note of sorrow. Cliffjumper had been very patient with her, when she kept calling him Tailgate by accident. “Though it was because they had similar frame types."

[Optimus Prime]

((Because Sol stepped away from playing Arcee, and how long this thread has been in progress, I made a closure for it to try to integrate Nova into the base so you can fly free! I hope this is alright, and if you want to progress further let me know.))

A soft hum sounded out at the femme's words to show he heard and understood, a bit unsure how to take her dismissal comment about not mourning the loss of the prior Prime. It could be a statement simply that she accepted fate for what it was, or it could imply a conflict and clash between them in the past. The Matrix was silent on the matter, either the silent whispers too low key to pick up on, or they simply had no commentary to offer for insight. Alas, it didn't really matter, and he opted to move forward and get things rolling into place.

"There will be ample time to catch up within the Omega Outpost. This planet is not without its own native threats, as well as Decepticon habitation."

Interjecting with little grace into the conversation, the Prime took a few steps forward away from the shuttle, his helm held high and shoulders pulled back. His gaze cut over the far landscape, flicking over the sea of green trees, and the expansive blue sky. For now, nothing was amiss. No distant rustles through the foliage that was not caused by soft winds, and no speck of black and subtle chop of a helicopter's blade. There was no telling where MECH was, and for all they knew time was limited. Their window of opportunity was growing thinner, and action had to be taken.

"A salvage team will be deployed to deal with the shuttle, and I would request of you to see Ratchet as soon as possible. After this you may socialize and recover, to acquaint yourself with the base of operations."

Breaking his attention from the scenery, Optimus' looked back at Nova and Arcee momentarily to make sure there were no objections to this, or complaints that he interrupted the 'femme chatter', before he started to stride down the slope of the mountainside. Felled trees and dirt from the shuttle's crash crunched beneath his immense weight, wood splintering up in protest to being strode upon, but the sound of the Ground Bridge spiraling open cut through this ambiance, and filled it with a low powerful hum.

Stopping beside the spiral of blue and greens that separated the crash from the Outpost, Optimus waited, opting to let them go first, and act as sentry before he would follow himself.