Reflecting at the Window

The Summit - The Citadel - Vos

The top floor of the Citadel houses the government offices of Vos. A massive open floor inhabited by grids of desks, with a single windowless structure in the center: the over-majestically named Hall of Arbiters. The Summit is glass on all sides, providing a breathtaking 360 degree view of Cybertron.

Contents: Ramjet The Hall of Arbiters

The still broken and battered Ramjet has one forearm resting against the glass as he stares out the window staring down at the rest of Vos and the rest of Cybertron, his other hand is touching the glass. After a moment, he leans forward, his head cone touching the glass as he sighs almost wistfully.

Blast Off walks in, not looking much better than the Seeker. He just won the King of Seekers semi-finals, and the gumby medics patched him up... but until he sees an experienced medic, it's really just a patch job. Not having a lot to do until then... he has walked up here to at least enjoy the sights. He's been here before, and it's a way to look down on everything as well as contemplate the world... without the painfulness of flying when you're completely thrashed. He spots Ramjet, and hesitates. But he does need to talk to the Seeker after watching him lose to Skydive earlier... so he finally heads over and leans against a window nearby, looking out silently.

Rolling his headcone over the glass so that he can see the recent arrival, Ramjet's red optics burn as they look at Blast Off, "I lost credits on you winnin'. Knew better than to bet on a car-jet hybrid." Ramjet then rolls his head back so he can look out the glass once more, "Ain't it grand and beautiful up here. Seen it from the sky tons of time...but it is always better up here." Ramjet lets out another sigh. "Never gonna be mine is it." He asks softly.

Blast Off looks just slightly wearily over at Ramjet. For once he's too tired to be especially snarky. "Contrail was a worthy opponent, and gave me a fight befitting one of her station and skill. But I am a Combaticon, and those who forget what that means... may regret it..." He looks out at the landscape as well. "...Yes... it is an impressive sight... and impressive city." He pauses, just gazing out into the distance and quietly responds, "...How badly do you want it?"

Continuing to look out the window, Ramjet just sighs again. There is just something about being in the company of other battle damage 'Mechs that strips away the bravado and bluster. "Yeah, she is a good fighter. I'd deny it later, but you ain't bad either. Slag, you'd probably take me most times. Unless it was a fist fight." Ramjet reaches out and touches the glass again, "Ain't much work for a Seeker that likes to brawl..." Ramjet chuckles softly, "How bad do I want it? Bad enough to deal with Starscream. Beg and bow and do his dirty work while he took all the credit. Bad enough to listen to the Arbitors and do their dirty work. Bad enough to throw a fight if they ask it." Ramjet lifts his arm back, and then punches the glass again. "Bad enough to let them reformat me into this form. Bad enough to follow a madman and his band monsters. Sweeps ain't natural...poor Thundercracker and Skywarp. Bad enough to consider actually listening to you."

Blast Off listens, a tired and very muted chuckle coming from the Combaticon as he considers a response. He continues leaning against the glass, but looks back inside the Summit at the onlookers mingling about the room. "Then you DO want it. And *I* would deny *this* later, but I... agree with many of your sentiments. And of course we *both* know what dealing with Starscream was like... a bundle of raw greed and amibition who nearly took many of us down with him. But we survived him, Ramjet. We survived a great deal many things... and we will survive... the madman." He doesn't say much more than that, not wishing to trigger the loyalty program, but even it can't deny him the fact that he really doesn't care for Galvatron much.

"We will continue to survive.... and we will wait. For the... right time. And we live... forever?... so... if we survive the battlefield long enough, the winds will eventually shift. They always do. The key is to be *prepared* for /when/ they do."

"Yeah, 'Couse I want it." Ramjet pushes off the glass and stands straight, "Yeah, every cycle I wondered when Megatron would tire of his antics and just smelt us all. Starscream had all of this. All he had to do was play a little ball and keep that blasted damn mouth of his shut. Slag, not even shut, just respectful every now and again. Megatron was happen for him to have Vos. Megatron had an Empire." Ramjet sighs,

"Prepared? Survive?" Ramjet looks at Blast OFf, "You know why I hate you so damn much." Ramjet looks at Blast Off, "'Cause you are too damn smart. You got plans and things in motion...always playing that long game. Makes you a better leader of Aerospace. Makes you better than Starscream. You listen and you think. Yeah, your vain like Starscream, so was Megatron, but you..."

Ramjet points a finger at Blast Off, "You know when to keep that vanity in check. Play the cards just right. You know when to hold'em and when to fold 'em."

Shaking his head, "Not Ramjet, I always play them. Take the odds, roll that dice. Wreck it when I can. It is short sided. Ain't any good for leading. I was the leader of Aerospace once, but I lost that." Ramjet hangs his head slightly, "Now, I got to serve again. Serve you. I'm tired of serving. Tired of not bein' the boss. Tired of watching 'Mechs who are better than me...and worse know they are better than me run rough shot over me."

Shaking his fist at Blast Off, "Just dumb old Ramjet, the plane that breaks things. Never, Ramjet the Black Knight of the Empire. Maybe all I am good for is breakin' things. Primus knows I love it...but I want more than that. So much more. And just livin' ain't enough anymore. I tasted too much power."

Blast Off optics narrow slightly... not in anger, but in intensity. He leans in slightly towards Ramjet. "Then work with me, not against me. Yes, I *do* think the long game. I've... often had to." After all, the Combaticon had millions of years to do nothing but think in the Detention Center... but it was true even before that. "I am always one to look before I leap.... I'm not Brawl, after all, and I can't just punch my way out of trouble. I need to see it beforehand, and deal accordingly. It's why I like to keep my cool, and not let my emotions just boil out and shortcircuit my logic centers!"

He sweeps a hand towards the city spread out before them. "But remember our little talk earlier? It still stands. You know I have no personal interest in Vos. I did live here to study at the schools once, but it's... not like parts of Kaon. Besides, my place is the sky... and space." He stares at Ramjet, tilting his head as he studies the Seeker.

"Help me, and Vos is yours. Besides whatever slight management might be required of me as Commander, I would be perfectly content leaving it to you. But you must learn to have at least *some* patience. For patience is required of all who seek victory.... no worthwhile victory has ever been achieved without it. Even I... I have had to be reminded of that fact once or twice lately."

Blast Off looks out the window again, adding, "...Commander... or even higher."

Standing straighter, Ramjet looks at Blast Off and nods his head once, "No, you have that good cold logic." Ramjet peers out the window again, "The Schools. Ha! I went to the blasted Academy and look where I am. Broken and Beaten. Beggin' for scraps. Always beggin'." Clenching his fist, "Yeah, patience. Ain't never been my strong suit. Crash it first, I always say. But that got me this far, to the window." Ramjet looks at Blast Off again, "Yeah, I gave you my word before, huh..." Ramjet thumps the glass, "I should keep it, least I look like old Starscream. It is just I thought I wouldn't have to serve again, but we all serve somebody don't we." He smirks at Blast Off, "Or higher, huh. Yeah, I'd say you never get there, but knowing you...you got a plan."

Blast Off leans back and looks at Ramjet again, this time with what seems to be a slight smirk under the faceplate. "Indeed." Gazing out to the city once more, he is quiet a moment. "Yes... I chafe at being under *anyone's* command, myself, but... it is a sad fact that we all must climb our way to the top if we desire to achieve an autonomous state. Even I joined the Combaticons and follow the leadership of Onslaught. One should pick one's leaders- and personal projects- whenever one can. Even if it's not *quite* what the chain of command actually *thinks* you are following... But they don't always need to know that, after all.... there are certain... understandings that only a select few need know of." The Combaticon looks up at Ramjet confidently, full of his trademark aloofness and pride.

Tilting his head, Ramjet nods at Blast Off, "Indeed." Ramjet starts to walk out, "Yeah, I'll try and be a better foot solider for you." Ramjet waves his hand at Blast Off, "Perhaps even do you a solid or two." Ramjet looks back at Vos, "I'll try and be more respectful in front of the others. But just don't." Ramjet gestures up and down at Blast Off, "Don't be so Prissy all the time. Makes it hard for people to think a thug like me would follow you." Ramjet shrugs. "Just sayin." He turns and leaves, "Congrats on your win again."

Blast Off huffs a bit at the "prissy" comment, and almost immediately fires off a retort, but... either their talk has rubbed off on him, or he's still too tired to want to argue, or... both. Instead, he just replies, "I.....uh, fine. ...Noted. And... thank you." Hmm... he *was* going to drill Ramjet about losing to Skydive, but... now is not the time. He can always bring that up later, but today turned out to be... time for synchronicity, not malignancy. The shuttleformer continues leaning against the window and gazing out to the horizon stretching far, far away.