Nokta

[Nokta]

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PLAYER INFO

Name: Knox

CHARACTER INFO
Name: Nokta
Age: ~30
Gender: Mech
Species: Cybertronian
Faction: Decepticon

Original Occupation: Courier

Occupation/Specialization: Lieutenant; Reconnaissance 

Appearance: Nokta’s outer plating is layered in multiple shades of gray and black to draw as little attention to himself in the field as possible, the darkest shades being the locations where he is most armored. His biolights emanate a warm scarlet and are located at the hips, spinal strut, legs, and a few other points of articulation around his frame. His entire frame is built with speed in mind; an angular and lithe body shape, his peds and shoulders appear triangular and bladed in appearance and he is thin enough at the waist to appear almost emaciated by human standards. Nokta has elongated horn-like finials atop his helm, and long, wiry clawed digits. Two piercing crimson optics take centerpiece on his helm, contrasting against his dark frame strikingly. When under the effects of ‘silent-running’ his red biolights fade out entirely, and his optics are drained of their red, reduced to the white rings of his irises. Nokta stands optic level with Knock Out height-wise, though his horns extend his total height a tad further.

Altmode: Grounder; Nitro Rallycross FC1-X

Pertinent History:
At the height of Functionism, the Nova Cronum Delivery Service saw an opportunity to generate more political favor and therefore revenue toward their already highly lucrative business by instituting a new unit of data couriers that would embody the pinnacle of ‘form and function.’

What they wouldn’t know is that none of these new couriers would be forged– a Velocitronian architect was discreetly commissioned by the guild to design the first of these high-speed frames over a number of years. When the work was finished, a random spark was plucked out of cold storage and placed into the body of the mech that would come to be known as C-135.

After the frame architect suspiciously disappeared before more new couriers could be manufactured, those plans were placed on hold. This would be no tragedy for the service, however, as C-135 proved to perform above and beyond prior expectations. While the ‘silent running’ of his systems was written off as a mere fluke of his exotic build at the time of his sparking, his haste was quite the opposite. Armed with a powerful, lightweight frame built for speed and a processor capable of rapid-fire decision-making, situational analysis, and predictive computation, C-135 quickly became the delivery service’s golden goose, resulting in the demotion of many other couriers in the process– much to their outrage.

On the surface, 135 couldn’t lose, receiving daily requests from prospective clients eager for the level of service being promised to them. Behind the scenes, an overbearing employer kept their bar of expectation high– doing all they could to instill a sense of unquestioning obedience in their top courier. 'Mind your manners, keep a smile on your plates, and always arrive on time!' became a common slogan in the mech’s life. He quickly learned he didn’t like smiling too much if he didn’t have to.

Bitter resentment from his peers who viewed him as a replacement at best and a 'job-thieving showroom mech' at worst, combined with the relentless pressure from his superiors became the basis for a young 135’s personality– an avoidant mech whose only positive reinforcement was the fleeting praise he received after a job well done.

Relief came in the form of his sparkmate-to-be, a mech who was then working as a secretary for a regular client of C-135. This mech, an ex-Seeker, introduced 135 to a love of dancing, alien flora, and even piqued in him a passing curiosity about the military after regaling him with stories of his past service with the Seekers. Ultimately, his Conjunx Endura would be the one to name him.

Nokta.

When the tides of war began to wash over Cybertron, the generally pacifistic city-state of Nova Cronum tried in vain to stay a neutral party for as long as it could. Change came practically overnight when Autobot forces launched a surprise artillery attack targeting Decepticon strongholds bordering Nova Cronum that ended up landing short of their targets over portions of the city. In the ensuing destruction, Nokta’s Conjunx was tragically killed when an intraorbital missile leveled a building with him still inside.

After this accident, a devastated Nokta was easily turned to the Decepticon cause, his loss had ignited in him a bitter hatred for the Autobots that was only furthered by Decepticon rhetoric. Fully believing in the promises of justice and retribution, Nokta was one of the first in line at the nearest recruiting station.

Due to his relative fame as one of Nova Cronum’s most sought-after couriers, Nokta was swiftly assigned to the reconnaissance division where he consistently demonstrated his ability to perform above and beyond the call of duty. Nokta placed all of his faith into the cause, quickly climbing the ranks to become one of the youngest lieutenants in a reconnaissance squadron at the time of his promotion.

It was then Nokta met his Captain, a highly distinguished mech even before the war, they bonded quickly and began a fruitful student-mentor relationship. Nokta’s Captain trained him in more advanced field tactics and taught him the logistics of running reconnaissance as a team as opposed to a single individual. But like all good things in war, this relationship didn’t last. During a routine survey run on a high-value target, Nokta was sent ahead of the party as a forward scout. For whatever reason, Nokta took much longer than was expected, encountering obstacles during his mission that kept him away from his squad for three whole days while he gathered intel on the movements of an Autobot artillery garrison. Nokta returned to his team to find they had been ambushed while he was gone. An Autobot battalion had come through the area and cut right through Nokta’s squad. They never stood a chance.

After losing his squadron Nokta was reassigned to a small survey team that served the not-so-flashy purpose of minesweepers. This period was a blur for Nokta, not even the sight of his comrades being blown to bits by stray mines able to faze him as he processed the sudden loss of his mentor. This brief stint would lead right up to the point in which the Decepticon Army fled Cybertron for Earth.

Being almost on the other side of Cybertron when the Nemesis launched, Nokta ended up on the Ad Infinitum, a small transport ship tailing the Nemesis when the ship was damaged by debris upon making it through the space bridge. With widespread electrical damage disabling the ship’s communications array and fuel predicted to run out before making it even halfway to their destination, it was clear to the doomed crew that this transport would soon be their coffin. With a single stasis pod aboard the ship to last them the long journey to Earth, a bloody fight broke out between the members of the ill-fated crew– but of all of them, it was Nokta who was able to secure his survival, though his memories of this struggle remain foggy…

With no engines, no radar, and no emissions, time was the only thing propelling this ship forward, and by some miracle– it made it. Upon entering the Sol system, the ship’s emergency navigational computer kicked in, using the last bit of fuel reserves it had left to maneuver itself within range of Earth’s gravitational pull. And just like that, Nokta’s coffin had become his salvation. Crashing to Earth some years ago, it landed on the icy coasts of Greenland, where it remained embedded in the ice until the shifting of melted ice caps jolted the ship free, spurring its systems to life. Radar, fresh emissions, and an automated distress signal erupted in a chorus that beckoned Nokta’s comrades to his aid once more.

Personality: Stoic, loyal, cold, calculating, obsessive.

Duty-sworn, but not an aft-kisser. To some, he appears a cold, unfeeling mech, to others: a loyal and respectful soldier of class. He takes his position seriously, diligently maintaining a professional attitude before, during, and after every deployment in the field, for as long as is needed. While he may be somewhat critical of those lacking in a soldier’s discipline, he doesn’t deal in sanctimony, never citing his work ethic as evidence of him being superior to anyone else. For Nokta, it’s simply about getting the job done.

Socially he’s a very guarded mech who prefers to read the room first before engaging in idle chat. Preferring instead to thrust himself into his work and focus on the responsibilities that come with being a lieutenant of the reconnaissance division, this has resulted in a rigid work ethic and sense of duty over time. Nokta is a true believer of Decepticon ethos, any fleeting sense of “good” and “evil” being cored out of him long ago.

There is only the cause now.

Likes: Working, nature/gardening, silence, dancing, praise (if warranted)

Dislikes: Competitive trauma, moral righteousness, disloyalty/traitors, mindless heroics, pushing papers

Strengths/Weapons:

Silent-Running: Forged with a rare spark defect, Nokta’s systems function much quieter and leave a much fainter trace than the average mech, even reducing the visual luminosity of his biolights. Most of the time, his internal biosignatures present so faintly that a sloppy medic might mistakenly declare Nokta half dead without using the right tools. While this quirk was initially seen as just that upon his creation– a strange curiosity (or to some others, just disturbing), it’s something that’s aided Nokta greatly during the more high-risk missions he’s taken on as a scout.

Speed/Agility: Fast, light, and downright acrobatic in some manners, speed was always his strong suit. His speed on offroad terrain is always determined by environmental factors but provided it’s mostly free of debris Nokta has easily met offroad speeds in excess of 200mph in a straight line, while driving flat-out on pavement or similar terrain in the best conditions sees a top speed of about 275mph.

Smoke Grenades: In Nokta’s point of view, the best offense is a good defense. Before even thinking about bringing any kind of weapon with him into the field, he always makes sure to bring with him his grenade belt of 5 high-volume smoke grenades should he ever need to make a quick exit. The smoke from these grenades will disperse after about a minute but can disperse much faster depending on the environment and wind conditions.

Weapon of Choice: Nokta carries a blaster separate from his frame comparable to most human SMGs. The weapon has a built-in suppressor and possesses firepower capable of piercing through medium armor, though it toils against heavier calibers of armor. This gun is mostly meant for close combat situations as it does not possess viable accuracy at long ranges. It operates on a charge-based system, and can only fire off about 100 rapid shots before it needs to recharge. Its holster doubles as a charging pack for a quick fix, but its slow charge usually means diminishing returns. Because of this Nokta will either charge it back at base or it will charge on its own when holstered during long missions in the field.

Hook Knives: Should his SMG fail him or run out of charge in a close combat scenario, he keeps two hooked knives holstered under his leg armor. These blades can easily tear at light armor and can damage medium armor but struggle against heavier armor types as they are mostly meant for targeting structural weak points, hence their hooked shape. The design of the blades enables them to catch on exposed joints and tear at them for maximum damage to their intended target, in addition to being incredibly painful.

Smarts: Nokta hasn’t lasted as long as he has on raw strength, he commands a notable intellect and cunning for a mere reconnaissance operative, able to think on his feet and adapt to the unexpected at a moment’s notice.

Loyalty: Nokta shares a brotherly kind of respect and kinship with his fellow Decepticons, be they the lowliest Vehicon or a respected superior. He knows from experience that the bonds created in the field are some of the strongest known to his kind, and his loyalty to his fellow soldier is not to be underestimated.


Weaknesses:

Small Fry: Due to his size, any larger mech could easily physically overpower him in a close-quarters situation. While boot camp made sure Nokta wasn’t useless in any given combat scenario, the majority of the tricks he was taught were in service to getting him out of these skirmishes as quickly as possible. This is a physical trait that also limits the kinds of weapons he can bring with him in the field, always needing to pack light so as not to hinder progress.

Light Armor: In addition to being a physically smaller mech, Nokta does not pack on much in the way of armor, as scouts tend not to require the same level of protection as your typical soldier. While less armor aids speed and agility, it won’t protect Nokta from much more than small arms fire.

Target Practice: Because Nokta doesn’t haul with him the kind of firepower that would aid in anything outside of a close-range skirmish, he’d be well and screwed if he got in a pissing match with any kind of sniper or other long-range combatants (jets/other fliers), another reason he always brings a batch of high-volume smoke grenades with him for quick escapes and temporary cover in a pinch.

Loyal to a Fault: At this point, Nokta has exchanged his soul for the cause. Holding his place in the line of duty above all else, he’s practically incapable of disobeying a direct order. This, as one can imagine, would lead Nokta to be susceptible to manipulation due to his undying devotion.

Information Overload: Since his arrival to Earth, every so often Nokta will incur brief flashbacks to his struggle aboard the ill-fated ship he escaped Cybertron on, as his subconscious systems attempt to retain the trapped memories of what really happened on that ship that enabled him to secure his survival. This occurrence is rare but can be induced by high levels of stress to his systems.

Flashy Alt: While Nokta has mitigated his color scheme to a more camouflage-y black, his alt mode is still a rare find to be casually parked on human streets, making long stakeouts in locations highly populated by humans more of a chore, lending to his preference for missions in less populated areas, or at the very least during the nighttime when he blends in easier with his surroundings.

Special Skills:
Advanced Subterfuge: Nokta's time as a de facto student of a seasoned military captain during the war has lent itself to a more well-read understanding of military strategy. 

Minesweeper: His brief stint as a minesweeper learning from the mistakes of less fortunate teammates now helps him spot mines, traps, and any other suspect items that appear out of the ordinary in their respective environments.

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