September 5th, 2003
~Cinder(D), Solar(D), Astrotrain(D),

Darkmount - Arena

     You believed the barracks to be the largest cavern until you pass into the Decepticon Empire's training arena. The platform stretches before you for only a few more meters before dropping off into the seemingly bottomless cavern. Intensely lighted, the cavern stretches for miles and has been unaltered in appearance. It has a general diamond shape and there are numerous natural formations of rock and outcroppings, ideal for practicing both ground and aerial combat maneuvers.

     The bare rock of the native planetscape is mostly open space except for the huge holoprojection tower in the center of the field. Hordes of combat drones line one wall, ready for one-on-one fighting, or to take you through the rock formations in a test of skill. Above the grounds is devoted to a high-altitude aerial obstacle course that tests the skill and resolve of the Decepticons to the utmost. A small stairway and massive blast door lead to a covered area for safe observation of training exercises.

Cinder [Robot] [D] 
Astrotrain [Robot] [D] 
Health Restorer

Obvious Exits:
 -W- West leads to Darkmount - Tunnel

-Cinder is standing there, looking pissed, talking to Solar, his back to Atrain
-Solar says, "That definately sounds like a job for intell. BUT where are we gonna find one"
-Cinder shrugs "Dunno. Was convinced to report it." he murmers, indicating he wasn't going to.
-Astrotrain is stood behind Cinder arms crossed over his chest, seems like he's still trying to stifle something humourous.
-Moonlight strides into the room on her daily 'rounds'. In other words, she's probably just looking for people to pester. Upon spotting the three mechs, she waves to them. "Heya Boss, Cinder, Astrotrain."
-Solar says, "Oh good look, an intell officer. Moonlight go find me every robot tha mimicks Decepticon Officers"
-Cinder nods at Solar, then glances to Moonlight without a word, optics flickering red
-"I have the feeling that you aren't being serious, but if you really /want/ me to..." Moonlight turns abruptly on her heels and acts as though she's going to leave, not knowing the full situation of what is going on.
-Astrotrain looks over at the newcomer and gives Moonlight a smile just managing to stifle another laugh, "Hmm does that include the ones that are drinking or just the ones with holographic abilities Solar?"
-Solar says, "Oh why be picky, gather them all up. I know from CInder here that both Skydagger and Enfilade have been mimicked"
-Cinder shakes his head "no, just Enfilade." he states "Skydagger WAS there. She saw. She LAUGHED." he growls again.
-Moonlight turns back to face the mechs again, her optics narrows at where she thinks Solar is. "Are you picking on Cinder?" she asks, her tone very, very flat.
-Solar says, "No I'm picking on Astrotrain."
-Astrotrain frowns at the comment from Solar, "Just because you're an internal affairs officer now doesn't mean i'll let you get away with anything like that Solar. You're not so big that i couldn't still teach you a thing or two." This isn't a serious challenge more of a friendly put down.
-Moonlight glances at Cinder for confirmation. Solar is just twisted enough to mislead her, and there's really no use in asking him directly. He /is/ a big name in intel for a reason. "It /was/ my idea for him to report the fake Enfilade by the way," she points out.
-Solar says, "Actually it seems to me that the fake Enfilade is one of ours"
-Cinder flicks his wings, refusing to look at Astrotrain. He looks at Moonlight and nods, then back to Solar. "Did not recognise her. " he states. "Skydagger knew her."
-Solar says, "Thats why I think its one of ours. I know Astrotrains great weakness ya know"
-Moonlight folds her arms. "Now, who specifically do /you/ think did this Solar?" she asks, her tone serious. She doesn't like seeing Cinder picked on for some reason, and his tale of the 'Enfilade' scenario didn't impress her one bit.
-Cinder growls to himself "Skydagger laughed too... not apologised."
-Solar would shrug except he's in the wrong mode and who would see it? "Its seems rather obvious that Enfilade and Skydagger both knew about it"
-Astrotrain is mostly disinterested with any fakes that may be wandering about after all as long as they aren't Autobots trying to destroy the Empire they don't really matter, "Bah i don't have a weakness."
-Cinder blinks and looks up "Enfilade KNEW?!?
-Solar says, "Your ticklish."  Solar says, "If the copy was perfect Enfilade had ta know"
-Cinder nods slowly "Yeah... true..."
-Moonlight shakes her head. "I disagree."
-Solar says, "You disagree about Astrotrain being ticklish?"
-Cinder glances to Atrain about that, eyeing him carefully
-Astrotrain sighs and lets his arms fall to his sides to hang there limply shaking his head in dismay, "Just how long are you going to keep trying to convince people of that Solar? You know that was just the result of a one off glitch in my tactile responders."
-Moonlight arches an optic ridge and bursts out laughing. "I wouldn't know about him being ticklish or not Solar." She shakes her head, calming down. "I was talking about the 'other' Enfilade."
-Solar says, "For an exact copy Enfilade would have had to be scanned. The scanning process is rather time consuming. Its a good thing I kept your tactile settings code then Train"
-Moonlight waves a hand dismissively. "I've seen a few Decepticon fakes before. They looked pretty real. Besides, I doubt that Enfilade would consent to have a duplicate of herself made that would pick on her own troops. Especially since she went through so much trouble to get him back in the first place. It's just not like her."
-Astrotrain says, "Hmmph fat lot of good it'll do you, you'd have to open me up first and if you even think of trying it you're on a one way trip to a nice barren asteroid, without the aid of a shuttlecraft."
-Solar says, "Its ok Moonlight, you don't have to agree with me, but Train is ticklish. Just touch the spot right between his wings torward the top"
-Cinder sighs and folds his arms, just standing there. He looks over at the obstacle coures, pondering another go.
-Moonlight shakes her head in Solar's voice's direction. "Sometimes I wonder about your sanity Solar."
-Solar says, "I don't have any."
-Moonlight smiles. "Thought as much. Tell me again why they put you in charge of people again?"
-Solar says, "Cause they're lacking sanity too"
-Astrotrain stares at the space where Solar's voice is coming from, "I do hope you don't still trick the new recruits with your idiotic jokes, like the time you convinced that one group that Starscream was really a femme."
-Solar says, "He liked the attention."
-Moonlight doesn't know who Starscream is, so that joke falls a little flat for her. She shakes her head again. "I don't know. Ghost and Enfilade seem pretty level headed most of the time. I guess someone else must have been in charge when they promoted you, eh?"
-Solar says, "It was worth the three days in the brig to see his face when that recruit kissed him."
-Astrotrain shakes his head, "Maybe for you, but you should count yourself lucky that the guy managed to walk away relatively in one piece afterwards, well once the null effects wore off anyway."
-Cinder is still just standing there.
-Solar says, "I haven't been able to pull that many tricks any more"
-Moonlight gives a little half-grin. "Awww, poor Solar."
-Solar says, "Only got one good one goin on now. Believe it or not Train, I got a commendation for it"
-Astrotrain sighs, "Well that does explain a lot of things, so you finally managed to trick someone into thinking you're useful eh?"
-Moonlight bursts out laughing at that one. "What makes you say /that/ Astrotrain?" After having Solar point out her uselessness over and over again, it's rather amusing to hear someone call /him/ useless.
-Solar says, "Well I sell the test answers to the students at the war academy, and then I trade the names of the students who buy the answers for the answers. I got a commendation from the academy for selling the names, and a commendation from the empire for weeding out the bad students"
-Cinder suddenly asks "Any sign of Salvo?"
-Astrotrain grins at that, "So basicly it's you're old scam except that now you're selling the correct answers rather than the gibberish you used to and you've added turning in the students."
-Solar says, "Well yeah, but the answers cost more"
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Not that I've heard Cinder. Solar, you know anything about it?"
-Cinder sighs and nods. "Okay."
-Solar says, "Who's Salvo?"
-Cinder twitches his wings, and looks at Moonlight...
-Moonlight arches an eyebrow in Solar's direction. "I thought you knew /everying/ Solar."
-Solar says, "You know as well as I do I was on assignment off planet for the last 3 weeks"
-Astrotrain gets fed up with this meeting of Intelligence and the dumbbot (Cinder) and decides to head out, "Well I think I've had about all I can take for this cycle Solar.  Time I was on my way." With that he heads towards the exit bearing in mind the invisible Solar.
-Cinder growls "Salvo frame Cinder."
-Moonlight shakes a mocking finger at Solar's direction. "That's no excuse."
-Solar says, "Besides I have no mention of a Salvo in the IM database"
-Moonlight nods. "He's the guy who set up Cinder so that the Bots thought he had committed certain crimes. That's why they took him away and tortured him. That's why we needed to get him back and give him a new body."
-Cinder stares at the ground, utterly still, letting Moonlight reply.
-Solar says, "I already knew that Moonlight"
-Moonlight chuckles. "Then why'd you ask?"
-Solar says, "Cause I'm insane"
-Cinder just looks up again at the two "WILL found, he."
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Should have seen that one coming. But either way, if you do find something out, you'll let Cinder here know...right?"
-Solar says, "Obviously. But can I defenstrate Salvo?"
-Cinder looks at Solar in confusion. "What?"
-Solar says, "defenestrate is defined as the act of throwing someone out of a high window. Preferably without the ability of flight"
-Cinder shakes his head "No. Mine. Owe him." he states, for once firmness in his voice.
-Moonlight chuckles softly. "I'm sure all his buddies, if he has them, are fair game Solar."
-Solar says, "Well as long as I get my fair share"
-Cinder mutters "Two goons. Still at Cadamy."
-Solar says, "These goons got names?"
-Cinder nods "Fffffodder and K... Krypton."
-Moonlight notes those names for future reference. "Solar, what are you allowed to do if they're still members of the Academy."
-Solar says, "I am allowed to do whatever. I have friends in high places"
-Cinder growls a little, and his wings flex.
-Moonlight blinks at Cinder, wondering about the source of his growl. "You don't want Solar to deal with them?" she asks.
-Solar says, "First we need to /talk/ to them about Salvo. Then we can deal with them"
-Cinder flicks his wings "Don't care. Just want Salvo."
-Moonlight hmmms. "Fair enough. I'm sure Solar can crack them. I mean, they're only in the Academy after all. Do you know if they helped him pull off his scheme?"
-Cinder says, "Query : who ratted out Salvo?"
-Solar says, "I don't suppose it really matter anymore"
-Cinder frowns "Just curious..."
-Moonlight nods. "Which you have every right to be after what happened to you Cinder."
-Solar says, "Every time I come home, I get all these extra assignments. Moonlight remind me next time not to come home"
-Moonlight giggles. "If you don't come back, can I have all your stuff Solar?" She moves away from where his voice is.
-Solar says, "Yes Moonlight, if you can figure out the disarming sequence for the explosives attached"
-Moonlight shakes her head. "Me and explosives don't mesh well. I guess I'll just have to keep reminding you to return. Besides, it's not really an extra assignment, more like a personal favor. Cause this /is/ very personal. To Cinder at least."
-Cinder flips his wings back "Can find him on own if need be..." he points out. "Dont' just sit on shoot and aft at people." he stops and sighs, pulling his wings up to hide his head.
-Moonlight hopes that Solar doesn't laugh. It's not Cinder's fault he doesn't speak very well. It was easy enough to stand up for him against that nine-foot pest, but standing up against Solar for real might not go over so well.
-Solar says, "I'll help all I can."
-Cinder nods slowly "Owe you too much already."
-Moonlight smiles broadly. "Well, now that /that's/ settled, I think I'll make my way out of this Arena. Arenas are another thing that I don't mix well with." She gives Cinder a long look. "We're on the same side. It's not really a matter of debt you know. Then again, this /is/ Solar we're talking about," she says, throwing a wink Solar's direction before making her way towards the exit.
-Solar says, "Those loyal to the Empire owe me nothing. At least not when its only help I'm offering."
-Cinder flips hi wings a bit, nodding to Moonlight "Goodnight." he states quietly, watching her leave.
-Moonlight turns once to wave good bye to the mechs...well, mech and invisible guy, then exits.