July 4th, 2003
~Nosecone(A),

Crossroads

     The crossroads are one of the few remaining functional intersections on Cybertron. Four thoroughfares are routed through this cloverleaf intersection. Stacked three levels above the surrounding landscape, the entire exchange is covered with a huge glass dome. The purpose of the dome was lost long ago with the construction crew that built this interchange, but now it simply provides some shelter from the occasional caustic storms that arise on Cybertron.
        The area around the interchange is relatively flat and since the crossroads are raised above it, there is room underneath for travelers to rest or admire the open view. Hotly contested in more recent times, whoever controls this central transit point could potentially control entrance to Iacon as well as Crystal City, so the Autobots try and keep close guard over it.


Nosecone [Robot] [A] 
Dome Ruins

Obvious Exits:
 -U- Up leads to Sky above Iacon Crossroads
 -N- North leads to Ancestral Overpass
 -S- South leads to Crystal City Highway
 -E- East leads to Old Expressway
 -W- West leads to Ruined Outpost

-Moonlight is walking rather slowly through the crossroad's area. Every now and then she seems to look at the ground in her immediate area, almost as though looking for something.
-Nosecone is standing moitionless next to the dome ruins, optics slowly travelling over the rubble as he too searches for somthing. "Bet it's under here" he mutters.
-Moonlight continues on her way, rather leisurely, as only she can through enemy territory. She still seems to be looking for something, though whatever it is /can't/ be that important or else she might have looked more concerned.
-Nosecone moves around the ruins a little, some small noise or sign of movement making him look around towards Moonlight. The driller's optics flicker and he sighs. Moonlight. Great. Leaning back against a relatively intact wall section, he crosses his tread-covered arms across his chest and waits for the femme to notice him.
-Moonlight finally seems to have found what she was looking for. She crouches down, balancing herself deftly on her toes, and picks something up off of the ground. It appears do be a datapad of sorts. With a few swipes she dusts it off and stores it into subspace, looking mildly pleased. Only when she stands up and turns to depart does she notice Nosecone, leaning rather solemnly against the wall of Swivel's dome's wreckage. She gives him a little wave and moves as though to approach him.
-"Moonlight" Nosecone says, by way of greeting, wondering what it was that she's just picked up. His whole posture seems.. almost forced. Like he's making a deliberate attempt to maintain a professional air.
-Moonlight inclines her head at the greeting, stopping a short distance from Nosecone, standing close enough that they can speak without shouting, but far enough way for...comfort. "Nosecone," she says neutrally, though there is a slight grin growing at the corner of her lips.
-Nosecone ...must...be.. serious. Alright, so he doesn't look like a ruthless fighting machine. At all. But he at least.. oh, alright, he can't even sound like one. "Whatcha got there?" he asks, vaguely pointing as if to indicate the datapad
-Moonlight looks rather embarassed. "Um, nothing." She clasps her hands behind her back. She has the feeling that Nosecone is going to do his duty and inquire further; he's just that kind of mech. But that doesn't mean that she wants to tell him either.
-"Nothin, huh?" Nosecone replies, giving her a look. "Are we talking the kinda nothin that makes people instantly suspicious an want ta ask more questions?" He grins in spite of himself.
-Moonlight grins. "All nothings are like that. This is a personal nothing and not an Empire mission nothing. Of course, I'm not sure which of those is worse to give up on." She shrugs. "Some one had something of mine, and they lost it around this area, but didn't have the nerve to come back and get it. How irresponsible of them."
-Nosecone considers that. "Yeah?" he inquires, showing the AWESOME interrogative skills that have earned him so much respect in the intel community.
-Moonlight nods solemnly. "Yes. I'm not particularily fond of divulging private things until I feel like it. But I guess most people are like that. In fact, I'm less private that most people I know on this planet. But that's not saying much. Even people like me like to keep some things private you know."
-Well, crap. Now you've made him feel like a heel for asking about it. "Fair enough. Had ta check." And a fine job he's done.
-Moonlight smiles slightly. "You're probably torn between respecting my privacy and doing your job, or so I'm guessing. That's another one of those things that makes you a good mech. But don't worry too much about it. There was nothing on that datapad that will endanger your allies in the /slightest/."
-Nosecone sighs. "Yeah well" he mutters, letting what remains of the professional veneer slide. "Guess I'm gonna hafta take your word for that, aren't I. But I guess no-ones gonna leave the plans for Iacon lyin around in an old datapad or anythin."
-Moonlight nods, "True enough." But to her credit, or discredit, she does feel rather guilty. She wasn't lying when she told him that the datapad had nothing important on it, but she also knows that brushing off Nosecone's job isn't a good idea; it might get him in trouble. And that she doesn't want. As much as she professes to like trouble, she only likes to tease and joke, she doesn't like /real/ trouble one bit. "We're all too paranoid over at headquarters for that."
-Nosecone huhs, sitting down. If he's not going to be Mr Efficient Autobot, he might as well be comfortable. "I thinke we're neck an neck in the paranoia race right now. Not sure /why/.."
-Moonlight shrugs. "Probably because enough people have died so far that everyone knows they might be next." Her tone is flippant enough, but her face is locked in a scowl. She sighs. "So, what have you been up to since the Glacier fiasco?"
-"Well mainly" Nosecone begins, working a burr from the rotator in one shoulder, "bein hassled about contributin to the mess. As if I have to ask permission every time I wipe my aft."
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge from beneath her hat brim. "Which mess?"
-Nosecone nods. "Yeah, that's what I said. But no, apparently I acted without proper consultation, lead others inta danger, blah blah. That mech needs a swift kick ta the rear."
-Moonlight is curious now. "Which mech? And I think everyone got out okay in the end, didn't they?"
-Nosecone opens his mouth to reply, then shuts it again. "Aww.. slag. I was about ta do it again, wasn't it?"
-Moonlight grins. "Tell me things? You really should watch that you know, for your own sake. I'm guessing it's not Phantom, he seems semi-reasonable at times. I don't know much about your other leader types though. Maybe that's a good thing in your optics." She shrugs. "I don't really care either way."
-Nosecone shrugs. "Leader types, yeah.." Hah! It was CLOAK! Nosecone is TRICKY! "..anyway, ain't it your job ta care?" he asks, smiling wryly at Moonlight. "You /are/ intel.."
-Moonlight almost beams at Nosecone's comment. "Maybe not for longer. Though I suspect I'll never completely be out of that division. Then again, Solar might be happy to be rid of me. I don't listen to him very well." She chuckles at the thought.
-Nosecone blinks. "You're.. leavin intel? Why? Ya know, asides from you not really bein that shifty."
-Moonlight nods. "I decided I want to branch out, try something new."
-Nosecone considers that. "I can't see you wantin ta join infantry or the flyboys.. " he remarks, trying to think of what else it could be.
-Moonlight grins, unable to keep it in any longer. "I'm training to be a medic. Lots of people have laughed and said I can't do it, but I'm sure I can. It's just a skill, like any other skill."
-Nosecone looks surprised. "A medic?" He pauses. "Yeah.. I could see that." He returns her grin. "It /is/ kinda weird though."
-Moonlight shrugs. "I suppose it is. Most medics I've met are grumpy or over serious. But maybe if I'd started out differently, I might have been a medic before now anyways. I mean, combat has never really been my thing, and it's much more interesting to fix or create than it is to destroy."
-Nosecone chuckles. "Well, at least you'll have a better repair-bedside manner than mosta the medics I know." And it also means that the chances of Nosecone having to beat the scrap out of Moonlight are markably reduced. Woot!
-Moonlight finds something to sit on. "Actually, that was one of the reasons I wanted to take this route in the first place. I figured that so many people hate medics that something had to be done to save their reputation. My winning personality is definately going to be more of an asset in the repair bay than it was on the battle field. When I'm alone I can usually talk myself out of trouble, but as soon as other Cons are around, my chances just evaporate."
-Nosecone nods. "Thats because most of your friends don't know when ta keep their big mouths shut." Nosecone considers that. "Mosta my friends too, come ta think of it."
-Moonlight's face grows wistful for the moment. "Maybe the war isn't getting better because the wrong people are doing the talking. Solar's a big name in intel, but he is way too fond of blowing things up to think about anything else really. He doesn't know when to be gentle. In fact, most people on this planet don't, though I'm not surprised."
-"It's just easier ta pull the trigger" Nosecone agrees. "Plus there's too much at stake now."
-Moonlight nods. "Agreed. Even for someone who started as an outsider like me. But I think my interests are still different. It's not really the Empire as a whole that I want kept safe, it's a lot of the people who make it up. I'm not really into politics as long as I can move about with relatively little hassle."
-Nosecone chuckles. "Politics is everywhere, Moonlight. That's obvious even ta someone like me. Ya say ya care about individuals, sure. But what happens when they put themselves in danger or at odds because what they beleive in? Ya defend them, support them, an in the end, it don't matter about what ya started off doin, the results are the same." He looks over at her. "But ya already know all this. I'm babblin."
-Moonlight fidgets as though irritated by something. "But around here actions are looked at and not intentions. People only care what they see with their optics, not what motivates a person. It doesn't matter why I'm a Decepticon, only that I /am/ one. See what I mean? Some people join up because they like killing, and I'm put in the same shuttle as them. It's rather frustrating you know. Everyone tells me that I might as well have killed all the people that have every been killed by a Decepticon, when I've never had another mech's death on my hands." She sounds quite aggravated by the concept.
-Nosecone shrugs. "Yeah, that's pretty much the shape of it" he replies conversationally. "I ain't even gonna mention the stuff that gets spit at me sometimes. Dunno where you lot got the whole "Autobots are slaves" thing from. I mean, wouldn't that mean we'd be pleased ta just roll over an let the Decepticons do what they want?"
-Moonlight hmmmms. "Don't hear /that/ one often. Just that you're scumm, or weak, or sneaky, or whatever. I think most Cons just label the lot of you with whatever thing they hate the most. I guess enemies are good for blaming everything that's wrong in the world on. Nothing I can do to change that really. But I don't hold with most labels. Labels are dangerous things to follow, and what's more, they're usually not very accurate."
-Nosecone gives her an amused look. "Ya think we should just stick with "Them an Us"? Makes the whole thing sound even /more/ pointless."
-Moonlight shakes her head. "No. I think we should all realize that both sides are made up of individuals with individual goals. That doesn't make either side right or wrong, but it might dispense with all the stupid name calling."
-Nosecone looks around at the wastelands. "Ah, name callin's an old part of war. Ya gotta get riled up enought ta pull the trigger, or get the enemy so mad they make mistakes. Plus, it's easier if ya think of the enemy as someone completely different from you." He says this flatly, but with a wry smile on his faceplate.
-Moonlight nods. "Yeah, it makes it easy, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE!" Okay, Moonlight doesn't usually over react, but she is now. "I mean, why should it be easy anyhow? The easier it gets, the less likely it's going to stop. I mean, people are dying, and soon they're going to be dying just because the war is a filthy, dirty habit, nothing more or less. I think for some people it already is." She jumps up from where she was sitting and starts to pace.
-Nosecone blink blinks. "Uh.. yeah" he remarks, more out of surprise than anything else. "You.. alright, Moonlight?"
-Moonlight makes a face. "I guess so." She looks embarassed again. "I just don't like the war, and I don't /want/ to like it. I'll be fine. I always cheer up again. But I have a right to flip out every so often. It's my perogitive as a femme and someone who has to live in the middle a war. Of course, I've noticed that most femmes are more...stable...than most mechs, but that's beside the point." She stops pacing.
-"Yeah, I've noticed that Sapphire an Swivel are a /lot/ more tagether than a lot of mechs" Nosecone jokes, trying to lighten the mood. "An.. don't worry about it. Least you still can freak out. Shows the war hasn't got to ya."
-Moonlight shakes her head. "The war's gotten to me alright, but I haven't gotten to it. Or, I haven't let it beat me yet. I mean, what's the point in keeping myself alive if I don't like myself anymore? I'm not an idealist, and I don't belive in keeping myself alive to fight for something that only might be true. Friends are something I can see, that I can feel, so I can fight for them. But for a cause..." She just shakes her head.
-Nosecone stands up, stepping forward. "Whoa.. hey.. just take a moment ta relax" he says with concerned optics. "The whole point is ta live, Moonlight."
-Moonlight nods. "Oh, I want to. I'm just saying that I'm not going to make myself a nasty, horrible person /just/ to live. I'll run away first."
-Nosecone relaxes a little. "Well... alright then" he says. "I mean.. maybe it would be for the best.. if you're really unhappy here."
-Moonlight grins. "Sometimes I'm unhappy, but not all the time. I mean, there are good things about being here too. They would be so much better without the war, but there's trouble no matter where in the galaxy you go. Maybe not as much death however." She shrugs. "I don't give up so easily, but I'm not so stuborn that I won't give up if I really have to. No sense doing something stupid just to prove a point."
-Nosecone hehs. "Most of us do plenty of stupid things anyways."
-Moonlight nods her head. "True enough, true enough." She sits and thinks for a few moments, then pulls the datapad out from before and shows it to Nosecone. As she said, it was nothing important. In fact, all it is is a love story. Not quite a trashy romance, but a quaint 'old fashioned' sort of romance, described as having quirky and interesting characters.
-Nosecone chuckles, sitting himself down again to look at the datapad. "Heh.. this was what you were keepin a secret?"
-Moonlight nods. "Not exactly something that fits in with my personality as far as everyone knows. I can't get enough of these sort of novels. The fleshy types that often travel to and from Monacus love these sort of things. I guess they represent a sort of serentiy and properness that was never a reality for me," she says with a half shrug. The novel is the sort of thing that would be comparable to what ends up being Earth's L.M. Montgomery or Jane Austin or other such romances.
-"Never was a big reader" Nosecone admits. "But I know what ya mean. Somtimes it's nice ta be somewhere where there ain't any war, least for a little while."
-Moonlight motions to have the datapad back. It has her name on it, which is probably why she wanted it back so badly. "I might not be as covert as some other intel types, or even other 'Cons in general, but I still have an image to live up to. And that," pointing to the datapad-novel, "is not something that the Moonlight people know would read."
-Nosecone, who was idly flipping through the digital pages, grins up at the femme, handing over the datapad. "My vocaliser is sealed."
-Moonlight grins. "Good to know, but if people harass you, you can just let the information out if you need to. THough I doubt my liking for novels will be of much use to your pals." She chuckles over the joke. "See, stuff like that is much more interesting than knowing battle tactics, though maybe not as useful. I'm hoping that if I get the medic thing down pat everyone will stop rubbing it in that I'm a bad fighter."
-"An maybe I can stop havin ta beat the scrap outta ya so often" Nosecone remarks. There's a pause, before he asks, "Why didn't you retreat sooner? At the Glacier, I mean?"
-Moonlight frowns. "Maybe I just wanted to get everyone at base off my back. I mean, most of them are my friends, but they don't like cowards. 'Sides, I figured it would get Dirge mad to know that he was running away while I was covering him." She grins at the last statement, then sighs.
-Nosecone frowns. "Yeah, well. I coulda let Thunderstrike chase him down, an Rollcage finish you off. Ya put me in a bit of a position."
-Moonlight nods. "I didn't want to really, but I didn't want to explain to the higher ups why I just meekly listened to you. Many of the Cons aren't very nice people when they are disappointed I'm afraid; even the ones that are friendly otherwise. I guess that doesn't make it sound like there's any chance we're good guys at all, but I think it's just the war making them that way."
-"Right" Nosecone remarks dryly. "I'm sure Whiplash is a bundle of turbo-kittens when she's not thirsting for Autobot energon."
-Moonlight can't help but smile at that thought. "Oh, I've had Whiplash mad at me once, and I don't dare repeat the process. Strangely enough we get along rather well most of the time. But she /is/ a very viscious person. She's also very, very loyal to her friends. I've seen her stick by those she trusts and respects in both social and battle situations, even when it was unpopular or dangerous to do so. See, even she has some good qualities."
-Nosecone huhs. "Most of which generally end up in unpleasantness for us. Kinda hard ta see the good in someone when she's devoted ta ripping out your still beating energon pump an showin it to ya before you die."
-Doesn't Moonlight know it! "Does she have something against you personally, or just your faction? I know how much she hates Bots and Neutrals, but did you do something specifically to earn extra hate?"
-Nosecone just taps the red symbol sitting square in the middle of his upper chest plate. "That's all. With her, that's enough."
-Moonlight idly fingers her own symbol. "I know, but there's some Bots she hates extra special. Phantom for example. Especially after the situation with Enfilade." A situation that she knows very well...
-"Heard about that" Nosecone mutters, looking away. "Bit of a mess.."
-Moonlight wonders how much Nosecone knows. She doesn't even know how well he and Phantom get along. "It was indeed." Oh the stories she could tell. But she would hate to get either Phantom or Enfilade in trouble. She's very fond of the Field Commander and Phantom has usually dealt fairly with her...except on the matter of Dead End. "Whiplash was livid and for a while could talk of nothing more than presenting Enfilade with his head in a display case. Of course, she gave first crack to Enfilade, but she didn't seem to want to take it." Moonlight figures she can safely say /that/ much.
-"What happened?" Nosecone asks, despite himself. "Did they scrap it out?"
-Moonlight blinks. "Whiplash and Phantom, or Enfliade and Phantom?"
-Nosecone blinks. "Uh.. yes?"
-"Which one?" asks Moonlight, still more confused.
-"Both?" replies Nosecone hopefully.
-Moonlight shrugs and considers the matter. "I don't think Enfilade and Phantom fought, and I think you'd know if Whiplash got her fangs into Phantom. Whiplash was rather concerned about Enfilade's lack of desire for revenge. But I don't think Enfilade runs on revenge."
-Nosecone looks surprised. "Yeah? I woulda thought she woulda been after his head."
-If any Bot would be sympathetic to the tale, Moonlight figures it would be Nosecone...or Swivel. But she did sort of give the impression to Phantom that she wouldn't tell anyone. But also wants to talk about it. Unlike most people on Cybertron, she didn't see the whole thing as horrific once she got the story straight from the vocalizers of the two. "So did most people," is all she will stay for now.
-Nosecone shakes his head. "Whole situation just made everything worse in the end. It's kinda like a black comedy."
-Moonlight blinks. "How did it make things worse on your end? According to rumors it was Phantom stringing her around to get information." Which is true. That's what everyone /says/ happened. It's probably even how it started, but Moonlight knows that wasn't how it ended. Of course, she doesn't know what the situation is now these days.
-Nosecone shrugs. "Yeah, well put it this way. It don't exactly make sittin down an talkin things out any easier. Just another reason for people ta start shootin now."
-Moonlight sighs. "I suppose you're right. But the question is, are things harder with it being a matter of useage, or would things be harder if they actually /had/ felt something?"
-Nosecone shrugs again. "Dunno" he mutters, not really wanting to think about it, the whole situation being just a little close for comfort.
-Moonlight is driving at a totally different truth. "I suppose you wouldn't know...I mean, the situation would be impossible, wouldn't it?"
-Nosecone feels the urge to kick himself in the aft. "I.. guess so" he replies. "Yeah."
-Moonlight wants to kick herself as well. Okay, so she's not that great at keeping secrets, but it isn't malice that is making her speak up. Maybe she thinks that if other people saw the possiblities, the war might not seem so...necessary. Then again, maybe she just likes to surprise people. "Well, it wasn't."
-Nosecone's optics flicker. "You mean..."
-Moonlight looks uneasy. "There was something there...they never did anything about it, duty came first, but I know a few things that aren't common knowledge. I don't even know if /Solar/ knows it, and he knows almost everything worth knowing, or so it seems. They've probably forgotten it by now, but I haven't. It's a pity though." She settles back on her heels, half wishing she had kept quiet, but also strangely relieved.
-Nosecone sits there, seemingly lost in thought for a while. "Poor slaggers" he finally mutters.
-Moonlight nods. "I'm sure you know that telling anyone else will get many, many people in trouble. Well, maybe not many, but me, Phantom, Enfilade, and yourself for certain."
-Nosecone hehs. "What am I gonna say, Moonlight? "Oh, by the way, I was just chattin with Moonlight the other cycle, an she said that Phantom an 'Fil really were in love" He shakes his head. "Yeah, right."
-Moonlight gives a half-grin. "You're right, but it's serious enough that I thought a warning was in order. It's not really something I take lightly you know."