Leadership Skills

Crystal City Spaceport

Capable of handling multiple incoming and outgoing spacecraft, the gleaming new spaceport is an efficient layout of several large and small hangars, various warehouses, three launchpads with corresponding terminals, and three tall control towers, all of the indigo steel/titanium alloy typical of Crystal City's new design. Unlike the rest of the city, though, this area has very few of the city's namesake crystals on the exterior, as a concentration of them would interfere with visual and sometimes even instrumental navigation. Traffic is infrequent, despite the facility's capacity, and usually consists of occasional alien freighters. Passengers are equally rare, and the waiting rooms typically empty. Due to the lack of personnel, almost all functions are automated.

As per Hot Spot's orders, Foxfire is currently resting after his voluntary spying mission. Lying on the floor, head on his paws, he's pretty much just staying out of the way so people don't step on him.

Kup comes in from a patrol, looking none the worse for wear.

Foxfire lifts his head and perks his ears as he spots Kup. Ah, perfect! The little saboteur gets to his feet and hurries over to the old mech. "Kup, there you are! How was patrol?"

Kup shrugs, "Same ol' same ol'." he says, "Skirmishes here and skirmishes there but nothing major. The kind of stuff where there's fire exchanged but no one gets hurt."

Foxfire nods. "Better than getting deactivated, right? Well, anyway, Kup...there's something I wanted to ask you." He shifts a little, almost as if embarrassed. "Kup, would you...teach me how to be more of a leader and an overall better Autobot?"

Kup blinks at the request. He finds a place to sit and does so, "Well Foxfire, that's a very interesting question. Why ya ask?" he takes the request seriously though and motions for the tapebot to follow him.

Foxfire lowers his gaze, idly scuffing the floor with a front paw. "Well..." Noticing the gesture, he starts following Kup. "It's just...I want to be a better asset to the Autobots. And the promotion made me realize that I don't have much experience at being a leader. I'd just like to, you know...fulfill this role."

Kup smiles and nods, "I know what you mean. You've got this new title and new responsibility and you don't want to let anyone down."

Foxfire perks his ears, looking up at Kup with widened optics. "That's it!" he exclaims. "That's exactly it! So, can you help?"

Kup ponders this, "Well, I'm sure you've been explained what's expected of you as far as your new duties go. They wouldn't leave you in the lurch like that.." he trails off, "Being a leader is a tricky thing, Foxy." he says, "It's never clear what you're supposed to do, you just sort of learn as you go, and you just know." he reaches down and tapes the chest of the little tapebot, "in here..what the right thing is for both you and those under your command."

Foxfire jerks his head back slightly in apparent surprise. He blinks up at Kup and considers his words. "I never thought of that," he admits, his tone a little quiet. "But...do you think I have what it takes?"

Kup looks Foxfire's square in the optics, "Do you think you can put yourself in harms way, and protect the people you're in charge of? To make the tough calls, and do what needs done to complete the mission and make sure no one gets left behind?"

Foxfire goes quiet as he thinks this over, optics dimming a little and his ears lowering. Finally, he nods. "Yes, Kup. I can do that."

Kup nods solemenly, "Do ya got in ya to stand up for the smallest organism all the way up to Metroplex?"

Assault Helicopter  whup-whup-whups by overhead. Even with all the air defenses in the city, there's no telling when one of those sneaky Decepticon flyers - and really aren't they all 'flyers'? - will take their chances.

Foxfire nods again, this time firmly and more confidently. "I do, Kup. I'll do whatever it takes to protect others."

Kup nods to Foxfire, "You won't always have the answers, but as long as you do the right thing and get the mission accomplished and bring all your people home? You'll be just fine, Foxy." he looks up to see Whirl protecting them overhead. "Just remember to stay as calm as you can, even in the worst situations. Going off half cocked will get you hurt..maybe even killed."

Foxfire glances up at Whirl, watching him for a moment. "Going in with guns blazing isn't even my style. Don't worry about that."

Kup admonishes, "Don't lose it and curl up somewhere and hide, either."

Foxfire lowers his head sheepishly, memories of Repugnus's massacre flooding into his processor. "Y-yeah...okay."

Assault Helicopter  circles around the spaceport area one last time before coming down for a landing, careful to touch down off to one side where his rotors won't interrupt the conversation.

Whirl transforms into his reckless robot mode.

Kup reaches out and pats you on a shoulder, "You're gonna do fine, Foxfire. Just fine." he says.

Whirl walks up behind Kup and Foxfire, then nods his agreement. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll be a natural. It's all about having the right kind of attitude."

Kup looks over his shoulder, and gives the chopperbot a bit of well meaning guff, "Except this guy's right kind of attitude is flying at anything in the sky, guns hot."

Dust Devil comes running in at a rather breakneck speed. There's a trail of smoke coming from him though the worst of it appears to be scorch marks. The young bot has a bright grin on his face as he makes it to safety. "Never tell a seeker that he whines like Starscream...they get mad fer some reason!"

Foxfire nods to Whirl, a smile playing across his muzzle. "Thanks." His ears twitch, and he glances over at Dust Devil, allowing himself a chuckle. "Gee, I wonder why."

Whirl nods agreeably, but then turns back to Foxfire. "Wellll...yeah, but that's just elementary trash talking. You're in the big leagues now, you've got to come up with some new material!"

Foxfire looks to Whirl inquisitively. "New material, huh? Any suggestions?"

Whirl rubs his the bottom of his misshappen head with one of his pincer-like hands. "Hmmmm..." he muses. "Well you could always make fun of how they...well, no." He paces back and forth. "You could talk about how when they...hmm, no I guess that wouldn't do either." He sits on a rock, adopting the classic 'thinker' pose. Then he straightens up, arm bent at the elbow so that one hand is raised in the air. "I've got it! You could joke about how their colors are always, like, black and purple and stuff. I mean, what is it, winter all the time in the Decepticon calendar?" He looks from face to face. "What? What's wrong...?"

Kup ponders, "Maybe you should just stick to being a whackjob chopper, hmm?"

Whirl tiny voice, "Or I could do that, sure."

Foxfire stares at Whirl for a moment, then smiles. "Aw, don't worry about it," he assures the Wrecker. "Taunting Decepticons isn't everything."

Whirl nods. "You know what...you're right! Taunting Decepticons isn't everything. There's always shootin' em down in a furious mid-air dogfight!!" With that he runs off to the side, transforms and surges into the air again. Soon he's all but out of sight, although his voice echoes faintly, something about winter colors.

Whirl transforms into his crazy 'copter mode.

Foxfire watches Whirl go with a raised optic ridge. "Wreckers are strange mechs," he comments. Then he looks around, then starts toward Dust Devil. "Well, in any case, I suppose my first job is to make sure that you make it to Kup's age." His tone indicates light teasing.

Dust Devil rolls his dark optics. "Yer supposed to start yer reign of terror with something that's achievable...." He smirks and looks to Kup. "Besides...nearly no one is as old as Kup."

Kup raises an optic ridge, "Nearly?"

Amused, Foxfire tries not to laugh.

Dust Devil eyes Kup. "Well....I can't really tell if the junkions are older....slightly rustier perhaps but not sure if their older. And then there was Alpha trion....He was either alot older...Or Kup justs ages slightly better. But I think Alpha trion was older.....though guess he doesn't count anymore really. But I'm pretty sure I can say that Kup is the oldest mobile bot around....and I'll be lucky enough ta get half of that."

Kup just chuckles and gives Dusty a pat on the shoulder, "Relax, Dusty..just messin' with ya. I don't care who's older than me, I just care about making it through the next patrol."

Foxfire places a forepaw on Dust Devil's leg reassuringly. "I'm sure you will."

Dust Devil smiles, "Well if I keep endin up in Stasis....I'm sure that I'll make it ta his age. But I'll have my dashin good looks..."

Foxfire dims one optic in a wink. "You may be dashing, but I'm still the cutest."

Dust Devil says, "If yer Cutest and I'm Dashin....does that make Kup Regal and wise?"

Foxfire considers this. "Yeah, probably." He chuckles.

Kup grumbles, "It just makes me still here, kids." he says, returning to his gruff exterior.

Dust Devil looks at Kup. "But its the fact that yer still here....that makes ya so cool. That's why I love listenin ta yer stories. Ya never now what you've run inta and then that shed....it was sooooo wow."

Foxfire stamps a forepaw as something occurs to him. "That reminds me! Kup, I think one of your stories would help me out."

Kup looks at Dust Devil, "Just remember that for every story, every relic I have..autobots died, Dust Devil. Remember them when you talk so glowingly about me, okay? I'm here because they aren't." he stats flatly. "How so, Foxfire?"

Foxfire lowers his ears a bit as Kup speaks to Dust Devil. "Oh, well...I just wanted to hear about how you got to where you are now. I mean, you're an advisor and everything."

Dust Devil frowns and looks down. He doesn't speak at first. "ya think I don't know bots died? I've lost friends too. Hell, even my creator bought it while helpin bots. We lost Optimus....I know very well that bots died. B-but I hold onto the hope that someday there will only be stories about war that we listen ta. Stories ta remind us what war was like rather than havin ta see the realities daily. If I don't hold onta those little bits of hope, then I don't see a reason ta continue. I have ta see the bright side of things just ta survive." He turns to walk away.

Kup sighs a bit and sits town. "C'mon back here, Dusty..I'm sorry." he shakes his head a bit, "Sometimes I forget, we've all lost something." he shrugs "I just don't want to make it out to be too glamours, how I got to where I was..how I got to live through the stories. Sometimes I did what I had to do, and it wasn't too pleasant to always think about." he pauses, thinking. "One time, I got into this massacre. Every other guy in my unit was blown apart. Literally, pieces of 'em all around. I was covered in energon, mech flud, Primus only knows what else..and there was this Decepticon extermination squad coming through and I did the only thing I could think of -- I laid down, covered myself in my comrades and shut down so I'd look like just another corpse. Kept my audio on, so I could hear when they passed through, and when they did I hauled tailpipe to the rendesvous point and spent the next three days livin' like a dog, barely keeping my head up, until I had a chance to complete the mission -- we had to blow up a ordinance construction plant -- until a raid and rescue party could break through and get me out." he looks to Foxfire, "Sometimes, like I said..when you have a mission, you do what you gotta do to carry it out."

Dust Devil looks at Kup. "Playin dead is useful....ya survived....and in the end if yer stories can help others ta survive than you've done a service ta yer comrades." He grins at Foxfire. "I know it'll be years before they consider promotin me...but from what I can tell, it couldn't happen ta a better bot. I better go settle down somewhere...if I don't charge up and make sure that the strafin I took was only surface, Kup might use me as a tale ta teach problem bots what NOT ta do."