February 23rd, 2003
~Phantom(A), Swivel(A),

Iacon - Holding Cell

     4 walls with one exit and that is guarded by a powerful forceshield. The ceiling and flooring is marred with past attempts to either escape, or by someone noting the passage of time via scraching it on the walls. Nothing else is in here. This room is a grim reminder that there is a war going on.. and with war come responsibilities.


Obvious Exits:
 -O- Out leads to Iacon - Brig

-From the Brig, Phantom walks into the brig area, nods to the sentry, and moves to the forcefield. He extends a finger and just gently touches the forcefield, causing the normal jolt of static and forcing his whole arm backwards.
-Moonlight had been leaning against the wall, head tilted back and optics closed. Of course, the sound of a static jolt is a bit unnerving, so she cracks open an optic. "What was that for?"
-From the Brig, Phantom shrugs, rubbing the tip of his singed finger, "Just making sure you're awake." He looks the femme over once to make sure she's been treated well, then decides to just ask. "How are you this cycle?"
-Moonlight opens the other optic and leans forward off the wall. "Not bad considering I'm locked up and not at full health. But the latter has never gotten me down before, and the former is quite new to me and it hasn't been /too/ bad so far. So, appart from the general situation, I've got no complaints." Moonlight sure is a cheerful prisoner, but there's a reason for that.
-From the Brig, Phantom nods, "I'm about to call your ... comrades and discuss the terms of your release. You realize that it wasn't a planned abduction I hope."
-Moonlight shrugs. "It's a war. People do things even when they don't like it. Do you think I like shooting people?" She pauses. "But no, I didn't think you ran in there just to haul my sorry aft away."
-From the Brig, Phantom shakes his head, "No, you were a means to an end. Sadly it had to be you. As you know, I bear you no ill will." He takes a couple of side steps over to the closest wall and leans against it, "I also appologize for shooting you in Darkmount before my departure."
-Moonlight grins. "It was you after all. Everyone just assumed it was you anyhow. You're really big on their hate list you know." She frowns slightly. "I don't envy you that position...and not just because the people who hate you are rather fearsome."
-From the Brig, Phantom shakes his head, "It's not the first time. Won't be the last. You just seem to be in the wrong places at the wrong times when I need to exfiltrate." He looks down to the floor, "I hope there was no permanent damage."
-Moonlight stands up and stretches. "There doesn't seem to be. And some of it was done by Decepticons anyhow. And I haven't been in the wrong place at the wrong time until I'm dead. Up to that point I'm just along for the ride, as unpleasant as it might be some time." She shakes her head. "Give me a few more years and I'll be as cranky as the rest of the planet no doubt."
-From the Brig, Phantom raises a brow, smiling behind his faceplate, "Lets hope not. This planet could use some with brighter attitudes." He puts his gameface back on and stands up straight again, "So, since you're here, I'm gonna need to ask you a few questions. You up for it?"
-Moonlight folds her arms and grins. "Sure I'm up to it. You probably already know, but there will be things I won't be inclined to answer."
-From the Brig, Phantom nods, inclining his head just a bit, "Of course." He walks to the center of the opening to the brig and begins, "You're a Decepticon smuggler, as you've admitted to Silhouette. What materials, specifically, do you smuggle and provide to them?"
-"I get them whatever they ask for. Sometimes it's weapons or other technology. Sometimes it's just whatever raw materials they need for their pet projects. Sometimes I just bring back distractions that the higher-ups don't want them to have," Moonlight answers.
-From the Brig, Phantom nods, "Care to be more specific, or is this one of those things that you can't answer?" There is a slight bit of sarcasm in his voice, but probably because he wasn't expecting this to be one of those questions.
-From the Brig, Swivel walks in casually and just stands in the doorway, looking important or something. Or mayeb she's baan called on guard duty and is trying to look constructive, and not like a lazy guard. So she stands there. Yay!
-Moonlight thinks for a moment and then gives a list of specific things in each category. Some of it is fairly run-of-the-mill, other things, not so much. "I think that's about it though. I don't memorize the stuff, I just deliver it."
-From the Brig, Phantom nods, turning to nod to Swivel, his new trooper. Turning back to Moonlight, he nods, "What else do you do for them?"
-From the Brig, Swivel stands there and says nothing. That's a good guard. One that is silent and doesn't interfere with the interrogation. Of course, she doesn't mind listening ;)
-Moonlight nods briefly to Swivel. "Odds and ends. Sometimes I guard things, like prisoners or sites we're interested in. Sometimes they call me in when they want a few extra hands in a fight. I also get roped into flying shuttles when it's needed. And, of course, I keep my audials open for any interesting information I might stumble across. But I think most people do that anyhow. It's sort of a given I guess. I could be wrong of course." She shrugs. Yup, Moonlight is so multi-talented. Right.
-From the Brig, Phantom nods, "Very good. Now, I need to know access codes to Dead End, and where your base of operations is in that city."
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge. "Now we're getting into that 'disinclined to tell' category."
-From the Brig, Swivel tries not to snicker. Yeah! She keeps a straight face! She's impressed wiht herself and amused being a boring guard.
-From the Brig, Phantom slowly shakes his head, "Sadly, that's one I can't allow you to wiggle out of. I need that location, or I'm going to call an all out Infantry strike on the city and level it."
-Moonlight raises her second optic ridge to join the first arched one in a look of alarm. Level the Dead End? Now that doesn't sound very nice...not at all. "Most of the city isn't Decepticons you know. They're just down on their luck people...well, and a generous sprinkling of criminals and roughs. But they're beside the point. It is still a neutral city you know...unless someone changed the rules while I was in here."
-From the Brig, Phantom shakes his head, "No, the rules are the same. But sadly, I can't allow your friends to have any type of hold on a neutral city. And as such, if I have to level the city to do so, well... such are the spoils of war."
-From the Brig, Swivel erks?
-Moonlight frowns and mutters, "Stupid war." Then she's silent for a while, obviously quite torn between her options.
-From the Brig, Swivel quietly agrees, 'stupid war', while keeping a beige straight face.
-From the Brig, Phantom waits patiently for Moonlight to respond, not responding to her 'stupid war' comment. He's already made that comment to Enfilade many a times, and isn't in the mood to start up the conversation now.
-Moonlight hands weave around in the air as though she's having a silent conversation with herself, weighing the pros and cons of the situation. She nibbles on her bottom lip, not really sure what to do. She's not used to having her decisions mean anything to anyone except herself, and this is quite the trial for her.
-From the Brig, Swivel stands there looking pretty.... or maybe not. beige isn't her color.
-From the Brig, Phantom just stands there and watches as Moonlight converses with herself. He's seen this type of thing before. He's done enough interrogations to know that she's either about to break, or she's gonna shut herself down due to overheating.
-Moonlight would probably prefer the shut down at this point. She starts to pace now, trying to see things from all angles. She has to ask herself which will do more damage, telling or not telling. If she doesn't tell, the Dead End gets blown to bits and the Con holdings will be messed up anyhow. If she does tell, her favorite spots will get destroyed and the Cons will most likely rip into her for spilling. And the question is, is who does she want to save more, the City or herself?
-From the Brig, Phantom has come to the end of his patients, "Very well then." He brings up his left hand and speaks into his radio, "Phantom to Scattershot. Take your Technobots and level Dead End." He looks back at Moonlight, "I'm sorry. But I can't let your friends corrupt that city any longer."
-From the Brig, Swivel frowns, looking over at the cell. Level Dead End? That sounds just so cruel! But Swivel says nothing, she's just a guard. Keeping a straight face isn't so easy anymore.
-Moonlight clenches her fists..."Shouldn't have been so stubborn," she mutters to herself. In a moment she decides that she's a person before she's a Decepticon, which perhaps will come back to haunt her later. "I don't suppose I can get you to change that now...?"
-From the Brig, Phantom arches a brow, "There's a bit of a delay before he can gather the troops and head to the city. Were you going to talk or stall?"
-Moonlight folds her arms again and frowns. "I'm not in a position to play with you. I don't want the entire city's destruction on my conscience. Some of the higher up might be able to handle that, but I'm not one of them." She sighs deeply. "We've got our stuff hidden in the basement of the Light Deal." Moonlight is definately /not/ cheerful now.
-From the Brig, Phantom nods, "Thank you." He once again pulls his arm close enough for him to speak into it. "Phantom to Scattershot. Belay..." He looks at his radio quizically. He then looks back up at Moonlight, "Whoops. Seems I didn't have the blasted thing on in the first place."
-Moonlight's frown deepens. She isn't sure if that was deliberate or not, and if it was, she's been a fool. Either way the situation is bad, and no matter what she did, it would be the wrong decicision. She hopes she never has to make another like this ever again. "You happy now?" she asks, somewhat caustically. Moonlight is rarely caustic.
-From the Brig, Swivel frowns. She isn't a part of this. La la la. She's just the guard.
-From the Brig, Phantom shakes his head, "Not really. As you said, stupid war. In the mean time, I must be off. Thank you for your cooperation." He moves towards the door and stops by Swivel, "Keep an optic on her. Make sure there's not any atempt to harm herself."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods beigely to Phantom. "No problem sir! I'll do my best sir!"
-Moonlight turns to face away from Phantom. "I just hope that you don't decide to just level the city anyhow."
-From the Brig, Phantom stops as he's about to leave, turns to face Moonlight, and shakes his head, "Not my style. As you should know by now." With that, he turns and heads out.
-Moonlight winces. Okay, she probably shouldn't have said that, but she's following the principle of misery loves company. When she hears that Phantom has left, she turns back to face the outside of the cell.
-From the Brig, Swivel turns to Moonlight. "Don't do anything self destructive, though I doubt it's yer style... but um... don't do it anyway." she frowns. Guards are jerks.
-Moonlight nods. "You're right, it's /not/ my style." She leans back against the wall and slides her aft down to the floor.
-From the Brig, Swivel frowns and nods. "Good." is beige. Hardly recognizeable right? Or maybe not. Maybe she should have kept the can on her head.
-Moonlight sits on the floor rather sullenly. She feels pretty crappy about herself right now. Maybe getting set free isn't such a good idea now...
-From the Brig, Swivel stands there, doing her job. "So... must have ben a pretty big shock to wake up in Iacon, huh?" bad Swivel bad! Don't talk to stressed out prisoners! BAD!
-Moonlight nods. "Yeah, it was. Not something that happens every day."
-From the Brig, Swivel shakes her head. "Happens every day for me... well... not every day. I avoid Iacon." she smiles, then frowns. Perhaps idle chit-chat will make it less stressful? Swivel can only imagine how low she feels, and she doesn't like to see anyone who doesn't deserve it like that. "Now If I were to wake up in Darkmount, that would certainly make my cycle... a bad one. Er.... maybe I should change the subject."
-Moonlight smiles slightly, but it's more of an unpleasant cynical smile than Moonlight's usual, garden-vareity grin. "No, go ahead and talk all you want. Guard duty is pretty dull, I know from experience. It's what got me into this mess in the first place."
-From the Brig, Swivel looks at Moonlight and rubs the back of her head. "Uuh... yeah.... too bad huh? So um... still got that brewery? How's that going?" smooth Swivel. SMOOTH!
-Moonlight shrugs. "It goes okay. But one day someone might decide it's too tainted by Decepticonness and blow it up."
-From the Brig, Swivel sighs and frowns, shaking her head. "Same goes for us I suppose. Anything too Autobot has to go. Stupid war." nice choice of words Swivel... NIIIIICE.
-There seems to be a theme developing in this prison, and it is the theme of 'War is stupid'. "Tell me something I don't know," says Moonlight, refering to the 'stupid war' comment.
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Something you don't know eh? What would a dumb scout like me know that a spicey femme like you don't know... let me think... HMMMMMM I hate paint thinner!" she concludes. It's trivial and of no use or interest.
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge. "There must be a story behind that one," she comments.
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Yup... I could take like Kup and tell you annoying stories nonstop to bore your to a state of offline.... but I'm sure right now isn't torture time." she chuckles light-heartedly.
-Moonlight blinks. "You schedual those things around here?"
-From the Brig, Swivel shakes her head. "No... I was joking...."
-Moonlight nods. "I kinda figured that."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Um yeah. Well, I guess since i'm incredibly bored, and you ARE in a cell and can't throttle me, I can rattle on about boring stories." she grins. Not a malicious grin... just a grin.
-Moonlight shrugs. She really doesn't mind if Swivel talks or not. At least it will divert her from feeling sorry for herself, which in the big scheme of things, she might not have a right to do. "It's up to you really. You're the one with the power in the situation after all."
-From the Brig, Swivel frowns. "Power... and me... that's scary! Well anyway, the story behind paint thinner.... I'll save for another time. might spark unpleasant memories. To put it short, I've had paint fall on me several times... and paint thinner... UUUUUUUUGH!" she stops and thinks. "What are some other interesting stories I have to tell? Do you remember Stormhammer?"
-Moonlight nods. "Yes. He's the old neutral guy, right?"Moonlight nods. "Yes. He's the old 
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Yup, old neutral guy. THat sounds about right! Well, I'm sure you remember when the old Neutral guy was running around killing people with a giant cannon? Unless you were luckily off planet...."
-Moonlight grins slightly. "Yes, I was off planet at the time."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Well, here we are on a strange planet to get this dangerous artifact. I had talked to Stormhammer a few times about this... about how he wanted to get it first no matter what! He didn't want anyone, not Autobot or Decepticon, with a weapon of mass destruction! However, somehow when he touched it, it attatched itself to him and he changed! He blew up Ultra Magnus to an inidentifile pile of wreckage! Somehow we managed to collect all of the pieces and drag him back to the shuttle! I was hesitant to leave... I was away when Stormhammer blew up Mags... so I couldn't believe it when they told me it was Stomrhammer who did it. Finally they convinced me to get onto the Shuttle. I did, however, see that Stormhammer assaulted and stole the Decepticon shuttle and stranded the Decepticons.... I believe it was Starfire who got them back to Cybertron! But it was a race to get to back to Cybertron before big death happy scary dude with a cannon!"
-Moonlight listens quietly and patiently. "So then what happened?"
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Well, we get back to Cybertron safe and sound... but low and behold a minor camp or something where there were a LOT of Decepticons was nothing but ashes! He anihilated a whole platoon of them with that evil cannon! So what do I do? I'm this little scout, my pal is said to be running around and blowing stuff up, and the Autobots are panicking abotu Ultra Magnus and of course about this huge killer mech and scary cannon! Guess what I did!"
-Moonlight guesses, "You went to talk to him?"
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "Yes I did,. but not before hearing a distress call from Hyperdrive. I talked ot him through personal radios rather than broadband to locate him. He said something was wrong with Stormhammer and the cannon was talking, and he tried to remove the connon but he got hurt. So I found him and took charge of the scene. I saw he was leaving, and bravely stood RIGHT IN FRONT of Stormhammer, blocking his path. My fuel ran cold as he raised that mighy cannon to me... then I heard Stormhammer's voice "no... not her!" and I knew there was still a spark of Stormhammer in there! With Hyperdrive prodding at Stormhammer's humanity (i knwo that wouldn't be the worse used... so just replace it with something that is accurate) I was interrogating the cannon, the happy red death ball too! It told me it was Fusionfire. It told me it wanted to purge Cybertron of its poison, who was anyone who wanted to fight... Decepticons and Autobots alike! I continued to talk to it as if agreeing, while Hyperdrive talked to Stormhammer." she nods. "I could have said one wrong thing and gotten blasted.... but I took that risk! I wanted to lodge myself deep in the problem, because I felt only in its depths would I find a solution!"
-From the Brig, Swivel sighs, looking a little distracted, but she pretends nothing is going on and continues with her boring war story. "Well, eventually Hyperdrive and Stormhammer fell asleep, and I shortly followed. When I awaoke, both of them were gone. It took me forever to convince hyperdrive to tell me where he was... but finally I was lead to an old City archives. There I aided Hyperdrive, and waited for Stormhammer to return. He said I should not have come there, but he did not make any move to remove me...."
-Moonlight nods and mmmmmm-hmmmmmms to show she's still listening.
-From the Brig, Swivel nods and continues talking, though she knows any minute now someone could bust in and bust her head and play with the circutry a little before releasing Moonlight.... bad thoughts... bad thoughts... stop bad thoughts.... "He was on the move again soon, and I hopped up on his massive shoulder, the one that wasn't occupied by the evil cannon of doom, and went with him, with Hyperdrive lingeirng at his feet. He began to move, destroying everything that suggested war in his path! And I had a front row seat, I could barely take it, but I never said a word.... it wasn't the right time, and I didn't have a plan. Not yet. But I felt I had to keep on getting information from him... I felt the need to keep an optic on him... no matter how many lives he took! Until Finally.... we came upon a mob of Decepticons. And some unafil. A fight broke out! Blitzwing himself tok a stand to him and narrowly escaped death. I slid down off of him, and everything happened so fast! There was a lot of fight, a lot of destruction... a building turned into a giant mech suit called Supreme Justice and it was down in one blow from Stormhammer! Then he got hit by Missile! Right in the chest! I can't remember too much.... until I felt the vicious jaws of Whiplash enclose on me! And the next thing I know I am being dragged away, and Stormhammer turned! He hollered after WHiplash to give me back! Despite being dragged in the maw of WHiplash whom I am grately scared of, I felt pretty special! That admist killing he stopped and chased after me! He was still Stormhammer in there! Not Fusionfire!" she smiles, remembering... then looks irritated by something, but quickly puts aside whatever it was that irritated her.
-Moonlight blinks. "That's quite a story. Maybe you should write novels or something."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head.... "But who would read them? In war, you get your own stories. After war... no one wants to be reminded..." she sighs. "Anyway, Whiplash lead Stormhammer, using me as bait, into a room where there is no fighting. ANyone who tried hurting anyone got suddenly drained of energy. Once in there, this strange cannon began to seporate.... but it put up a fight. A strange red orb came out of Stormhammer's chest... and finally it was ripped from him with the aid of Whiplash. Have to say I admired her despite being dragged around, but I didn't struggle because I knew she had a plan and it was working. I only flopped a little for show to snag Stormy's attention.... but anyway.. finally it was over... then Blitzwing decided it would be a good idea to try and grab the red orb and the cannon...... idiot...... but luckily he was stopped. He was left in much pain... but didn't get possessed and go around killing things. Finally, the cannon was dragged out and destroyed. And that was the end of the terror..." she smiles...
-Moonlight sighs and shakes her head. "If I ever see Swipe again, I owe him a big smack upside the head."
-From the Brig, Swivel frowns. "Um.... why?" she asks.
-Moonlight folds her arms. "Because this planet is more trouble than it's worth, that's why."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods VERY slowly. "So you smack someone named Swipe because this planet isn't worth anything..." she says flatly. "Riiiiiiight..... um... who's Swipe?"
-Moonlight grins wryly. "My mentor on Monacus. He's the one who told me to come here in the first place. Hence my need to give him a good smack if he's still alive."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods. "Oh I see.... I'd heard you weren't from Cybertron. It msut be doubly awkward to be cought up in a war that isn't even over your own home..." she frowns sympathetically.
-Moonlight nods. "It is to be honest. But it's surprising what a person will do to survive," and not be alone, she adds mentally.
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "I guess.... but it isn't anything I could understand. Cybertron is all I have ever known... and I've only left it once... and that was to get the cannon, that Stormhammer got... that killed a lot of cybertron!"
-Moonlight shrugs. "You should take a trip to Monacus...you might like it. But you might not."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "I can't say if I'd like the place or not. Can't say anyting until I try, now can I? Then again.... that doesn't work for everyhting... like killing someone. I'm talking not on the battlefield... but coldoil! I don't think I'd ever enjoy that...." she rambles.
-Moonlight nods. "Probably not." Her mind starts to wander a little. How can she and Swivel be so much the same, yet so different? much the same, yet so differ
-From the Brig, Swivel just shrugs... as all goes quiet... and she listens tot eh arguing on the broadband channel and just sighs. "Not again...."
-Moonlight glances at Swivel. "Something wrong?" Maybe she's just hopeful, but when she was guarding Steelwind things went all wrong and he ended up getting saved... guarding Steelwind things went all wrong and he e
-From the Brig, Swivel shakes her head. "Oh... the Autobots are just all arguing because they are silly people and I like to pretend I am not one of them sometimes."
-"How do they usually take that?" Moonlight asks. What's with all these Bots that don't want to be Bots. It can't be /that/ bad being a Bot...or is it?
-From the Brig, Swivel shrugs. "It's just the odd few who can't take orders that makes us look bad... and then when CoC does something about the lack of order-taking." she sighs. "Don't tell me you don't have over zealous Decepticons always cuasing trouble?"
-Moonlight grins. "I think you already know the answer to that one."
-From the Brig, Swivel smiles and nods. "I knew one of them... two of them... heh" she says and leans against teh wall near the doorway. "I guess every organization, gang, army, or faction has to have the few idiots... eh? It's not a fact of not wanting to be a 'bot... it's a fact of not wanting to be affiliated. It just happens more with Autobots is all..."
-Moonlight shrugs. "Being locked up is bad." She chuckles. "I just thought it'd feel good to say that."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "I've been locked up before.... in Darkmount."
-Moonlight blinks her optics. "I think I must have missed that one."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "It was for a very short time. I was in there... was being 'talked to' by Kimakaze if I remember correctly... and there was this odd.... mech draped in darkness who talked... very quietly.... very strangely. He got me out of there...." she smiles. "And never again did I hear or see him... like he didn't exist..."
-Moonlight blinks. "What was strange about the way he talked?"
-From the Brig, Swivel shrugs. "It was obvious he didn't want anyone to recognize his voice. he'd say VERY little... and talked with a creepy... um..." she starts waving her hand in a rolling motion trying to grasp the right word, then gives up, not ebing a very smart person. "It was jsut.... odd..."
-Moonlight shrugs, unsure of who Swivel is talking about. "Well, it looks like you got out okay."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head. "I was terrified. Especially while I was talking with Kim. She's not that bad of a person. She's been waiting outside of Iacon, for you, unmoving."
-Moonlight shrugs, not sure how she feels about that.
-From the Brig, Swivel shrugs. "That's a nice notion.... all I got when I returned was reading a post about Riptide saying the only reason to bust me out was to make sure I didn't blab!" she frowns. "Ah... but whatever. That's in the past..."
-Moonlight nods. "Which is a good place to put unpleasant things...in the past."
-From the Brig, Swivel nods her head approvingly. "Yes, exactly! Nicely put, Moonlight."
-Moonlight grins. "Thanks."
-From the Brig, Swivel shrugs and nods again. "Sure is slow...."
-Moonlight takes off her hat and makes motions like she's polishing it. "Hey, they're your people, not mine." people, not mine."