Protest Suppression



Industrial Park

These crystal-studded indigo steel/titanium buildings rise a mere four or five stories from the ground and are widely spaced in this variation from the usual city architecture. There are no true roadways, just plenty of open space between the buildings. As with the Emporium, the buildings are also rather nondescript with the additional feature of being relatively the same size as well, waiting for the personal touch that would come with their owners. One building is designed as a foundry, equipped with shiny new smelters and molds for refining and processing construction materials. Another is a drone manufacturing plant, with automated machinery that can produce generic automatons much like the ones that operate it. Others produce circuitry, communications equipment, repair parts, armour, etc.. One other thing they all have in common is the fact that they are highly automated. There are few Cybertronian workers to be found here, at least for now.

Contents:

Renovated Warehouse

KNUJ Towers

Obvious exits:

North  leads to Residential Sector.

Northeast  leads to Crystal Park.

Northwest  leads to Memorial Square.

Southwest  leads to Crystal City Spaceport.

Ravage has arrived.

Monitor arrives from the Memorial Square to the northwest.

Monitor has arrived.

Reidan Wesley has arrived.

Slugfest has arrived.

Cybertron is being revitalized ever since it gained an actual sun to orbit. The Decepticons have taken control of a vibrant and heavily populated Crystal City. For Shockwave, it is remarkable. A mere fifty years ago, Cybertron was a lifeless husk of a world running on fumes. But now, for the first time in millions of years, Cybertronian civilians live, work, and play on the homeworld.

The Industrial Park on the fringe of Crystal City has seen some of the more amazing transformations. The crystal buildings have been rebuilt, energy flows through them, and productive work is getting done. It should be a pleasant and happy affair, but it isn't.

A large group of civilians, numbering at least fifty, have taken up a protest against the occupying Decepticons. The multi-coloured force of robots have waving signs, anger, and bravery on their side. Some even have a few weapons with them of varying degrees of power. Crystal City for Neutrals! Decepticons go home! Freedom, not Oppression! Chanting anti-Decepticon slogans, they're making their protest outside one of the larger factories that's currently churning out Decepticon munitions. They're a noisy, pissed off rabble.

And there are plenty of Decepticons that are fully capable of putting such a protest to rest. One of them, entirely capable in sneaking, catching off guard, and dispatching without even being noticed is both a long time veteran and someone that would quite happily put down protesters without a shred of remorse. He's not here, why would Ravage be on Cybertron so suddenly! He's been on Earth for ages, he couldn't possibly be prowling around and enforcing the iron fisted law of Galvatron could he?

Oh he totally is.

The panther-mech had heard about the rabble rousing on Cybertron and had taken the first chance he got to return to the homeworld. He could appreciate the fact the world was rebuilding, being restored to its former glory, but right now there was dissension that needed culling. Sticking to the shadows, as always, the mech is nearing the back of the group of natives that were essentially picketing. Those red optics were slipping from one mech to the next, to the next, one thing on his mind. Who would be first?

Monitor is standing atop one of the factory before which the protest is taking place. As the communication officer assigned to Crystal City, he is keeping a close optic on the protest. The insecticons feel nothing but disdain for the civilians, however, they are useful eve though those make his life pretty complicated at the moment. The insecticon sighs before proceeding to another scan of the broadband frequencies to make sure the Autobots remain unaware of what's happening here.

 Ravage transmits a single ping of his location near the protest. Yup he's there, somewhere.

Dwarfed indeed, like Gulliver himself, Reidan was currently walking along the street, rather oblivious to the stares, and even some fearful veering away, that he got from the natives. He hummed, carrying a sleek, stylish looking hawaiian-painted hoverboard under one arm, and a paper brown bag in the other. A pause at the noise a block away, and the human turns, moving to the corner to step around and peer "Ahh. Civil disobedience." he murmers softly.

Slugfest is there like a riot police, revving his chainsaw plates at the rabble menacingly. He stomps little feets and paws the ground, threatening to charge into the multitude and send body parts flying.

Dogma has arrived.

Shockwave, unlike Monitor and the Insecticons, does believe in the value of civilians. They are productive, provide wealth for the Decepticon Empire, and can always be conscripted into the army as needed. Protesting, rebellious civilians, on the other hand... they are worth only the scrap metal their chassis can be turned into. Receiving Ravage's ping, the Guardian of Cybertron touches down on the factory roof next to Monitor, watching the protest from above.

He counts forty-seven of them. None of the Cybertronians are military models, but there are numerous weapons. A thin line of Decepticon security forces, along with Slugfest, are keeping them from just storming the factory. They don't notice Reidan, as their hands are quite full as it is. Slugfest might, though. The crowd boos Slugfest, and one of them yells at him to 'get his rusted chassis back in Soundwave'.

<> Shockwave transmits, <>

Monitor glances up at Shockwave, "I'm jamming the area. Nothing that's happening here is going to reach the Autobots...nor any other part of the city. Other insecticons are infiltrating the surrounding buildings to prevent the civilian from hiding in there." The insecticons cannot help but overhear Shockwave's order so he asks, "What is your plan?"

<> A moment later, rather then just sneaking around, the feline would cloak entirely, then start to work his way around the crowd. He'd start to send a datafeed to Shockwave as he started to analyze all the mech's in the crowd, carefully maneuvering around the angry arms and stomping limbs of a a group that FELT like they were being oppresed. Feh. Non-productive, inefficient, and an utterly useless waste of energon, every single one of these protesters. It was thanks to the Decepticons that they were even ALLOWED to live to begin with. They had no right to protest. By now? He may have even killed one, but Shox gave orders, and as such that was his complete and utter priority.

One scan, two scan, red scan, blue scan, wait. Ravage pauses as the blue mech keeps calling for certain things. Louder yells, for some people to move back, others to move forward, one to try and keep an eye out for more security forces- .oO(Heh heh, too late..) -and so on. The one that does so gets a scan from head to toe and a nice long look at its face and optics, hopefully someone could get an ID of the mech. <>

Dogma finally drags himself away from his latest project to pay some notice to the increasing din outside. He stalks across the ground floor bay, yanks open the personnel door and pokes his head out, ears on a swivel. When he sees Decepticons he recognizes -- to say nothing of Commander Shockwave himself -- in addition to the chanting rabble, his optics flicker in a concession of interest. Maybe this will turn out to be more than an irritating interruption.

Dogma steps over the threshold of his converted warehouse and out into the street. As he is not wearing a visible Decepticon insignia, and actually lives in this quarter of the city, the resident civilians will probably acknowledge him as one of them, he calculates, and therefor any risk to his own person is minimal. He crosses over near to Shockwave. "Perhaps I could be of service?" he offers, a touch of sardonic humor in his deep, dry voice.

Reidan Wesley watches from that point. HE frowned anxiously as he saw Decepticons about, shaking his head with concern. For the protesters, after all. He shifted his hoverboard a little bit, moving to prop it against one leg as he ran a hand through his hair "I wish I had brought my radio..."

"GO DO OTHER THINGS! NO ARE GETTING WHAT WANT!" the little stegotape hollers at the top of his voice.

"Good," Shockwave replies to Monitor. "Inform me if you or your Insecticons detect any similar disturbances elsewhere in the city. Once Ravage has located the ringleader of this civil disobedience, an example will have to be made. If the citizens continue to resist, then another will be made." Shockwave doesn't bother explaining what happens if that still doesn't work. "The Ministry of Peace will then announce how the Autobots have been attempting to incite an unlawful rebellion within our midst."

As Dogma joins him and Monitor on the factory rooftop, Shockwave gives him a long, cold look. He and Dogma have been in communication before, but this is their first in-person meeting. Shockwave uses the opportunity to analyze the mech, judging his worth to the Empire. "You will soon have the opportunity to test any crowd debilitating weapon you have, weapons master."

To Ravage, he replies, <> Shockwave doesn't just mean the robot's physical characteristics. He also wants his disposition, background, and any other analysis Ravage can provide. <>

Monitor silently nods before relying new orders to his DCI agent scattered in the city. It takes only a few moments before he receives negative reports from all around Crystal City, "No sign of unrest anywhere else. All access to this sector are controlled. Nothing can enter or leave the area without being detected." Apprently, no one spotted Reidan yet.

As Dogma joins them, the insecticon takes a good look at him. First times they meet and it takes a few moments to download his file from Darkmount's main computer.

Dogma smirks slightly, since slightly is all his muzzle will allow him to express. "Oh, that could certainly be done, but actually I was thinking of something less... inciting. I mean, we'd rather defuse the situation than make a lot of martyrs, wouldn't we?" He steps to the edge of the factory roof and peers downward, his wing-panels flaring for balance as silent gears telescope behind his optics, scanning the crowd. He looks back. "Only I live here, you know, and they might listen to me as... one of them, speaking /reason/ in the face of this wholly unnecessary rabblerousing."

Dogma

The Cybertronian's form is generally humanoid, but not in the standard sense. Tall, triangular ears are mounted near the top of the head on rotating swivels, and the face is a deeply elongated muzzle, flat golden optics looking out sharply over it from a matte of ebony. The body is slender, giving it an illusion of more height than is actually there, with bands of buff nickle and aged gold forming a sort of breastplate over the chest, and downward encasing the abdomen and upper legs. The arms and lower legs are ebony, terminating in nimble, clawlike digits. Draped over the shoulders and back like a cloak, or perhaps a folded set of wings, is a series of lightweight, moveable panels, flat black with gold edging. The robot does not have a penis.

Reidan Wesley digs through his pockets. He props the hoverboard up to one side and takes his hat off, looks inside, then starts to go through what seems like two dozen exterior and interor pockets of his old ratty coat. "Receipt, bill, letter from the queen... where IS that cellphone." he mutters, starting to pat himself down, then lifts a foot to check his boot.

Dogma taps a finger against the side of his nose. "Or even better," he murmurs to himself, turns and walks back to Shockwave, looking up ingratiatingly. "Let me try to talk reason to them, Commander, and then, if they don't listen, you can implement whatever means of crowd control you like. If nothing else that should cement me as an upstanding citizen of the city, on /their/ side against the terrible overbearing Decepticon Empire. I'd have their confidence. And you'd have someone on the inside."

At the request of a description, Ravage is quick to send a summary of information from a quick analyzing of the mech, but once its sent he follows it up with his own views. <>

"This will be the first of many," Shockwave tells Monitor with confidence. "Perhaps not today, but Decepticon rule has always inspired the resistance unless properly handled." For Shockwave, that means obliterating anyone who speaks up and controlling the population through complete fear. But still, he considers Dogma's suggestion. "Do you really believe they will listen to you?" he asks Your fellow citizens are unlikely to hear reason. Still... it may prove fruitful. You have five minutes, weapons master, to make them see the error of their ways."

At Ravage's description, Shockwave turns to Monitor. "Crosscheck Ravage's description with DCI's Crystal City census. Identify the ringleader." Even if this mech survives to see another day, the Ministry of Peace is going to make him disappear. Shockwave turns back to the crowd in order to watch Dogma's efforts. He is skeptical.

Monitor raises his right arm in front of him. A little panel slides open on his forearm, revealing a built in datapad. The insecticon punches a few key, querying the DCI database. It only takes a few moment before he gets the results, "Name : Conveyor. He is a factory worker assigned to armor plating production."

HE glances towards Dogma, "It doesn't cost us much to let him try...worst case they will tear him appart."

Reidan Wesley finally finds his cellphone and flips it open. No service. Well, it figures - the roaming charges from California would be a killer. But the camera and video DID work and he starts to poke at it, focused entirely and hoping it doesnt beep too loudly as it chimed quietly.

Dogma's mouth opens slightly in his approximation of a grin, and spreading his wings he leaps lightly off the edge of the rooftop to glide down toward the center of the disturbance. By the time he lands, he has schooled his body language to something more approaching great concern, and he hurries past a few of the protestors to reach the blue mech leading the chant, waving his arms urgently.

"Stop, wait!" he cries. Primus save him he even manages to sound out of breath with worry, despite, you know, being a robot and not needing to breathe. "I've come to /warn/ you!" he exclaims to the blue mech, optics wide, and then he takes advantage of any hesitation whatsoever in the chanting to turn and point upward at the factory roof. Amplifying his vocaliser, he shouts, "Do you know who that is? That's Shockwave. Decepticon /High Command/. Now listen to me. You know me. I live here. Just down there," he waves a hand vaguely toward his warehouse. "And I've lived here before -- before all the war, I mean. We're in this together. And I'm here to tell you: I've HEARD those Decepticons talking. They're not going to give us what we want by means of a peaceful assembly. No, they're going to disperse us by /any means necessary/. Do you hear me? Shockwave doesn't know the meaning of the word compassion. He doesn't /care/. He's planning to SUPPRESS us, with lethal force. Now, if we really want to effect change," and here he glances nervously upward, as if afraid his own words might make him a target of the Evil Decepticon Regime, "--look, this isn't the way to do it," he declares hurriedly, as if he'd been about to announce some grand scheme of his to overthrow the Cons, but thought the better of it. "Let's all just go home and /think/ about this." He gives the blue mech a very hard look, and then cuts his vocaliser to a bare whisper. "I have a /plan/," he hisses, his optics pleading with the young rabblerouser not to throw his life away so recklessly.

 Dogma says, "Commander, I have an incendiary device in my wrist compartment. If this doesn't work, just give the word and a terrifying advanced Decepticon weapon can mysteriously ignite the ringleader."

 Shockwave says, "Understood."

Silly Dogma. Ravage hadn't exactly backed off, he was well within striking distance of 'Conveyor' and had every intention of being the one to clamp his jaws down around the mech's neck if just given the word go. He was cloaked, though, so maybe Dogma didn't even realize he was there. EVEN BETTER! To say the least, he's recording all of it, glaring suspiciously at Dogma. This was the kind of behavior he was always on the watch for.

Conveyor, meanwhile, pauses when Dogma comes flying down from above, from beside SHOCKWAVE of all people. He doesn't look convinced, at least, not at first. "What is this? Some kind of joke?! You was up there TALKING with him and you want me to believe that I can TRUST YOU?" A lot of the other protestors call out their agreement. When Dogma lowers his voice and pushes his point further, its not so much the change in tone as it is how he suddenly seemed really nervous about what he was saying. He still doesn't look completely convinced but now he's at least conflicted. In reply, and in hushed tones, "Yeah? What kind of 'plan'? If they're stupid enough to do something to us word -will- get out. So what's your 'plan'?"

 Ravage snort. "That won't put the fear of Galvatron into them, conscript."

Shockwave disagrees with Monitor. The life of a single construction worker (worth: zero) and that of a Decepticon scientist (worth: slightly more than zero) are easily compared. Still, he and Dogma might be right. This could mean less rebellions in the future, and thus save time in the long run. He watches Dogma run up to Conveyor and shout at the crowd. Shockwave considers it effective fear mongering, but ultimately this is the sort of thing he could have done by himself. The protesters don't need to be told the consequences of defiance by one of their owns. They should know it already. Thus, Shockwave is not impressed by Dogma's move, even with the added option of vaporizing the ringleader.

But then, Shockwave couldn't hear what Dogma said at the end.

Reidan Wesley starts taking pictures. As many as possible. Pictures of Shockwave, pictures of the mob... well, the mob's Ankles and Butts from this point of view. He frowned a little, not really happy with this and then smiled, glancing to his hoverboard as he carefully maneuvered it to lay on the ground, then stepped onto it.

Monitor looks down as Dogma attempts to fool the crowd, "Apparently it's not going to work." He looks back at Shockwave, "Ravage is in position... their leader can be punished at your command... if necessary I can have the Predacons here in no time..." He pauses for a moment, "..that may not be my best idea."

Dogma manages to look irritated. "Of /course/ I was talking to him. I heard the commotion and I was concerned that the block I happen to live on -- to say nothing of all of my neighbors -- were about to be vaporized. I went up to have a word. Try to convince him not to do what he's about to do. He gave me five minutes to convince everyone to disperse. Now--" he makes a great show of flourishing one hand and projecting a chron holograph on his wrist, "that time is almost up. And I can promise you, Shockwave doesn't care about word getting out. In fact he'd probably be happy -- if that calculating bastard can feel happy -- to have the Decepticon reputation bolstered by a mass murder. Please." He grabs for Conveyor's hands, squeezing in a fair show of desperation. "Tell everyone to go home. They'll listen to you. I don't want everyone here to die. Come see me at my lab later, and I'll explain. I--" he lowers his voice even further, "I can't get into details with them watching."

The jamming signal in the area disperses.

Ravage is irritated. Why? He wanted Conveyor's neck in his maw by now, and this was taking entirely to long. He was still cloaked, still nearby, still recording, but honestly all of it was about to take a turn the feline wouldn't like.

"I -need- to know--.." Conveyor starts to protest again, but when Dogma points out how long he has, and insists he'll meet up with him later, he seems to deflate. "Fine, fine. You had BETTER show up though, or we'll come back and in greater numbers." Like sandpeople. "Alright everyone, get out while you can! I'll be in touch!" Oooh they ARE Dispersing.

Angry Ravage is now angrier. He's looking at YOU, Dogma.

Reidan Wesley doesnt activate the board yet. He glances up at the sky anxiously, and then down at the ground, then at the crowd above. He presses the toe-activated button on the surface of the board, andwith a soft WHOOSH it lifts off. He wobbles a little, and the human rises straight up, still around the corner of the building, before sticking his arm around the corner and CLICK CLICK CLICK...

<Decepticon> Ravage says, "This is absurd."

<Decepticon> Dogma says, "Think about it, Ravage. We could take him out now and scare them all off, but we'd be making a martyr of him. This way, we can dispose of him quietly, make it look like he was just in it for his own gain, deflate the whole movement."

<Decepticon> Dogma says, "Also, I could use the parts."

<Decepticon> Ravage says, "So dispose of all of them. The sector is secure."

<Decepticon> Ravage grunt. "Orders, Commander?"

<Decepticon> Monitor says, "I have agents ready to pick him up."

Dogma did not, in fact, espy Ravage nearby, what with the jaguar tape being a ninja master of stealth, but this banter on the Decepticon broadband makes him glance about curiously for sight of him. He is wearing an overt mein of relief, patting people on the shoulder and shooing them on, urging them to go home, while darting nervous glances up at the roof, but any highly observant stealth agent nearby would detect a not-entirely-maskable aura of smugness emanating from him.

<Decepticon> Shockwave says, "We will follow Dogma's plan."

<Decepticon> Ravage says, "...........Acknowledged."

<Decepticon> Dogma says, "Yes we /could/ dispose of all of them too, and then we'd have no one to man our factories. Isn't it in our interest to keep the civilian population nominally 'happy'? Thank you for allowing me the opportunity, Commander."

<Decepticon> Ravage says, "I will say one last thing. Dogma. I recorded -everything- you said."

"Tell them to hold back," Shockwave tells Monitor, still looking down at the crowd. "Protesters are no match for our security forces, and the Predacons have other duties that need their attention." With Dogma no longer raising his voice, Shockwave can only make out bits and pieces of what's being said. He is surprised when Conveyor calls out to his comrades and then begins to disperse. "Remarkable," Shockwave tells Monitor. He is surprised. He thought they'd have to go through at least two protesters before the rest got the message.

The Decepticon security forces relax, but only slightly. They're as surprised as Shockwave was, and they're half expecting the crowd to suddenly turn around en masse and rush them. <<Ravage, report to my position.>> he orders.

<Decepticon> Dogma sounds somewhat bemused by the latent threat in Ravage's observation. "Well, naturally. Now then, I'd best look like I'm anxious to get home and away from you scary Imperials, too. Commander, if you'd care to drop by a bit later when there are fewer suspicious optics about, I have that special commision for you to try out."

Still cloaked, when the crowd starts to disperse, Ravage gives Dogma a final angry glare for stealing his prey for the night, then manuvers his way through the sea of limbs to escape the crowd. Once in a suitably dark area, he decloaks, then makes his way to the top of the factory, over toward Shockwave. The scowl he once had is gone, back away and hidden behind a mask of being a veteran soldier. Once he's aside Shockwave and looking out at the crowd is when he finally speaks, "Reporting." The ooooonly thing that may betray his irritation is his tail.

As it all disperses, Reidan sighs, then quickly drops to the ground gain. He kicks the board up and leans aginst the wall, phone now in his pocket as Mechs start to walk by. He whistled, idly. Nothing to see here. This is not the human you're looking for

"As you wish. But I will have him followed. This is temporary, he will start another protest in the future." The insecticons waits until the crowd is dispersed, "Well... we're done here." He then radios the DCI agents in the area <<Get back to your regular duty but keep an optic open.>>

Shockwave doesn't mince words in addressing Monitor and Ravage. "You have two objectives: 1. Confirm Dogma's loyalties to the Empire. 2. Ensure citizen Conveyor is dealt with by the Ministry of Peace." Shockwave knows Dogma's records, but an extended amount of time off world can do strange things to a mech's loyalties. As for Conveyor, that's only logical. You can't let people think they can brazenly challenge the Empire and live to tell about it. Having the Ministry of Peace's hand in things will ensure it is done with minimal fuss.

Dogma casts a final theatrically nervous glance upward, then hurries off along the street back toward his lab. His wing panels fold around him like a cloak, nominally to show how eager he is to fade into obscurity, but mostly to hide the fact he's trying very hard not to giggle.

Reidan Wesley waits until the last few go, then picks up his board and continues on his way... which happened to be crossing the street right in view of the munitions factory.

Spy on Dogma? HAPPILY. He was going to do that WITHOUT orders, now its just official. Mwahahaha. Basement cat is watching you transform, Dogma.

Reidan Wesley moves southwest to the Crystal City Spaceport.

Reidan Wesley has left.

Ravage vanishes out of reality.

Ravage has left.