When A Tool Isn't A Tool

Spaceport Iacon - Iacon

The air space around a spaceport is always busy with shuttles and spaceships launching and landing all the time, so it isn't a big surprise that Iacon's Central Spaceport towers over any other building in the city-state in order to reduce the odds of collision by ships in transit. The Central Spaceport can be described as a large free standing tower shaped like an inverted cone with a pair of long runways. At the highest point of the Central Spaceport rests the air traffic control tower.

Yellow lights guide ships to and from the main Hangar Bay housed within the interior of the Central Spaceport via hangar elevators found throughout the runways. Meanwhile transit shuttles can be seen ferrying inhabitants towards the City Center and the Science and Technology Sector.

Torque had to throw herself into her work after her previous ordeal, unable to allow herself a moment to even think back on it. So while awaiting her special order, of sorts, she's been plowing ahead with her work, which would explain her presence at the spaceport today.

"I just think it was a dirty thing to do, Chromia. Listening in like that, ugh! And now Backfire's gonna shoot me the first chance he gets, I bet." The femme's voice can be heard from underneath a small hover transport, legs dangling out. "I mean, sure he's a Con, but at least he would have waited a minute before. ..Hand me the ratchet, please?" A greasy hand reaches out to patiently await the requsted tool.

From one toolbelt to another, Chromia's gottena lot of work later as a tool-purse helper. She was assigned tot he task with Trailbreaker for reasons-best-left-to-filed-grievences, but here Chromia is because she wanted to be. She came to see Torque, in time for Torque to be heading out, so she offered to hand the appropriate wrench when asked for, and so on. So, she fishes out and then hands over the ratchet as asked of her. "From what I know of Backfire, you could tell him that his foot's turned green, he'd look and be confused and forget all about it. You should worry less about him and focus more on what's making you mad." Because, you know, Chromia is an expert on feelings.

"You're right it was a dirty thing to do. I'm not sure what's the best thing to do about it, but you should do something. Maybe report the behavior to someone, someone you can trust." For Chromia, there is no one she trusts more than, "Arcee. You should talk to Arcee about it." Unicron's Beard, she has things she should talk to Arcee about. "I don't think that Backfire will shoot you. Blow you up to collect the pieces to make a nest for him to sleep in... maybe. That bot's broken in ways that can't, shouldn't, be fixed." There's an approaching shuttle, arriving at one of the docks from Autobot City. It's still in the process of landing and docking as the femmes speak.

"Primus, don't even say that! It might come true!" Torque shudders to think of being a Backfire nest. Freaky! Taking the ratchet she tightens up the last few bolts and wheels back out, sitting upright on the creeper afterward and wiping grease slickened face with a rag. "And eh.. I'm not fully sure what's making me angry right now. A lot of things, I guess.. But anyway, I'll figure it out. How'd the.. 'thing' go?" She glances up at the blue femme expectantly, a certain look in her optics clearly trying to relay words without speech, wanting to know about the delivery.

In the shadows, on the fringes of visability much like his standing in the faction, Specter lingers.. waits. Patient, methodic, intently inquisitive. Has it been so long since he's known the jovial embrace of a faction-mate? How very long ago did Cinder die in his arms? How long was it that Fortress Maximus and the other Autobots ABANDONED him on that cruel planet?

Shaking the thoughts, nightmares of a past life aside.. the Autobot intel operative keenly takes interest in the discourse but keeps himself hidden for now.

Combat: Specter slips into the shadows and out of sight...

The shuttle from Autobot City docks, and a few mechs disembark, including a somewhat harried-looking Arcee, who is answering several communiques at once -- mostly regarding Prowl. She shakes her head as if to clear it, flinging the datapad back into subspace in mild irritation.

Chromia kneels, closer to Torque as she rolls out. "Missed a..." She reaches out to mean to help Torque with that smudging but, well, only succeeds in getting some on her fingers. "Bah," she grumbles. Chromia is so much better at taking things apart than she is with putting them back together again. Where does Torque find the patience?! Maybe that's another reason Backfire hounds her so much - he values her tolerating him. Chromia smirks, "Like you wouldn't find some way to put yourself back together and take *him* apart, aft-end first." She chuckles. "Well, from what you learned, he's all kind of... messed up, internall? I mean, much more than normal." She stays low like that, kneeling when Torque leans in. Chromia does too and nods. "Hve it stached in my chamber, just waiting for the right time to bring it to you. Didn't want anyone spotting me heading straight to your workshop."

FEMME SENSE TINGLING!

Chromia blts to her feet and looks around as... yes, there! She snaps a little more to attention, which considering she wasn't at any degree of it, she's now pretty formal as she waves to Arcee. Chromia even adds a sharp, short whistle to get Arcee's attention. "Speaking of... I bet she'll be interested to hear what Spooky put you through."

Torque's antennas flick up at the femme drawing close, looking a little surprised until Chromia wipes the grease off, making her reflexively close an optic and grin as she goes so. "Heh, thanks. Don't think I can ever get it all, though." She's pretty much got grease ingrained in her CNA at this point. "And probably. I wouldn't sit by in bits without giving him a good beating."

Standing now, Torque busily wipes down her tools while puting them away, nodding slightly at the news. "Right. I'll stop by later today and get it once I'm done with my duties. Shouldn't be long before everything's finished." Looking surprised at Chromia's shift in attitude next, the medic blinks perplexedly until she spots a familiar shade of pink across the way. It draws out a friendly smile and wave from her as well, though she mutters softly to Chromia before Arcee can approach, "Yeah, probably. Though somehow I think it's standard procedure for intel to at least listen in on teammates."

"Anything but.."

Appearing from the shadows, as is his custom, Specter stalks out carefully sizing up Torque. "Standard." Taking an interest in what she was fixing, the Autobot leans low to inspect her work. Returning to a standing position, Specter approaches both Chromia and Torque. "I wanted to thank you for your admirable efforts, Torque." he delightfully states, a little less of monotone in his usual voice synth.

"I wonder, perhaps you could use your.." he trails off, picking up a wrench. "Skill to reveal even more Decepticon secrets?"

Combat: Specter appears from the shadows...

Unlike SOME Femmes, Imager still has work to do! Humph! By work, she refers to leaning up against a large cargo shipment rather dismissively as one of the logistics mechs in Ops attempts to give her a dressing down. She finally raises her head, "Alright, alright, Listen up, Dumptrain...Now, let's go through all this again." She leans forward, her great size hunching to try to talk to the mech. The logistics manager snaps, "Drivetrain.", crossing his arms, but lets her continue. "Oh, thought we already had a Drivetrain, okay listen. So you wanted these batteries..these ones right here charged up. Yeah?"

Drivetrain butts in, "Work that you didn't do, these batteries are dead cold."

Imager waves a beefy hand, "Right, and I said...and if your processor can date back to yesterday, you might 'member this. I said that these bats don't hold a charge no more, they're from last eon. You remember? You remember when I said that, because I said that, and then you said..." She gestures towards him with two fingers out, "And you said"I don't care, just get it done." and then I said you were stupid. And now...a day later, these batteries that *I* filled...they don't hold a charge. Right? So you see how that worked out?"

She leans in close, "So uh...hows that plan workin out for ya?"

Arcee waves toward Chromia and Torque, and approaches them, pausing as she stops beside Chromia. "Hey, how's everything going?" She looks like she's about to say something else, when Specter suddenly appears in a Mirage-like manner, and she stands there staring in surprise at his sudden arrival. She hasn't noticed Imager arguing with Drivetrain yet.

Chromia bristles as Specter just appears, out of nowhere. She'd jump out of her shell if she could. That kind of thing really unnerves her as she hates to be put at such an immediate disadvantage. That kind of sneaky stuff is what she likes to stomp out among the Cons. With a growl she takes a step towards Specter, intent on pinning the little weasel down, merely for what he's put Torque through, and then has the gall to ask her to do more! "Listen here you pi-..." She stops herself however as she glances over in Arcee's direction as she thinks better on what she was about to do.

"Arcee, it's good to see you." Chromia is grumpy yet she's smiling like some bolt, like... oh, say, Trailbreaker. She just can't help it around Arcee. "Your timing is amazing. Maybe you can help remind some of us," she glances at Specter pointedly, "What the rules are on conduct with one another?" Imager drops A giant glowing arrow labelled "Truck-tard" that points down at Drivetrain..

Dangerzone suddenly appears, looking dangerous and stuff.

"Not bad. I hear Chromia's updated you on the plan. Should be done in a few days once I dig my heels in." Torque nods to Arcee and smiles, but this instantly drops the moment she hears Specter's voice and seems him emerge from the shadows like a ghost. In a fraction of a second she's clenching dentals and balling hands into a fist, having no qualms about getting angry with Arcee here, unlike Chromia who holds back.

"Mech, I told you to stay the frag away from me." She hisses through her teeth, amber optics flaring from the growing fire behind them. "And you're outta your fraggin' mind if you think I'm doin' that slag again! He coulda wiped me out, did you even consider that??" Her rising voice is starting to cause a scene by this point, drawing several optics from passerbys. Torque is livid he's even shown his face, after her message, and is clearly trying to restrain herself from taking the easy route and just decking him.

"It was a possibility."

Carefully studying the wrench, Specter idly plays with the threaded worm-screw in the middle of the device as he replies to Torque. Without looking up from it, "You're a tough mech, I assumed you would survive unscathed." Fingers glide up toward the bottom adjustable jaw, testing its durability. "Appears I was correct, eh?"

Placing the tool down, his blue optics whirl up to view both Chromia and Torque in equal measures. "Our 'rules' of conduct do not survive contact with the enemy, Chromia. I would expect you of all people to understand that lesson. In the face of approaching danger, we must stand defiant.." he looks down again to the workbench, picking up another tool for inspection.

"Unflinching."

Arcee recognizes these tensions because she's seen them before in Torque's reports, but she's reluctant to just jump into the middle of something that didn't originate with her. It's a great way to make wrong assumptions. "What did I just walk into?" she asks Chromia.

Chromia is all about keeping others from danger. She'll shield another bot with her very spark if it came to it. But, she's not in the business of fighting the fights of others. Torque can handle herself. But... if it comes to blows, she'll be glad to step in there and hold specter down so Torque can get the good kicks in. No one should mess with another bot like that. She will, however, be more than happy to fight her own. "The ends do not justify the means," she snaps back - even with Arcee there to see it. Chromia's *trying* to restrain herself, but... "Me of all bots understand that you can't treat others like *things*, tools to be used," she bites, getting angrier. "It's one thing to stand up to danger and it's a whole other ball of slag to suggest what you're proposing is the same thing. There's a better way to get things done, which I thought is what we were on this side of things for. Nor am I one willing to put others in a position to take the risks that I wouldn't myself," she glares at Specter. That's a lesson Elita One taught her.

Chromia does turn to lookt o Arcee though and... calms some. She answers, "Torque was put in a position to accept an assignment she did not want nor was she qualified for... she handled it, she still functions but... it was," she considers carefully. "Uncomfortable," she growls.

Torque is allowed enough time to steady her rage while Chromia speaks, the femme summing it up better than she could right now. "Damn straight." She says after Chromia says her peace. "I know I'm a tough femme, damnit, but even I know when an idea is too risky. The mech is unstable and it's a wonder he doesn't explode at random with all that's wrong with him, so I'm not doing that again. Nor am I doing anything else for you."

Stepping up to the ninja, Torque invades his space and jabs a finger hard into his chestplate, her tone terse as she radiates a threatening aura with a force. "You want intel? Get intel to do it, or do it your fraggin' self!"

"I don't think that anyone around here can 'make' someone take an assignment they don't voluntarily wish to do, because that isn't us," Arcee mentions. "That isn't how we accomplish things. We're here because we're called to be. Because we want to do this. Torque, you are in no way obligated."

"Ah, and there is the point."

Still inspecting the myriad of tools on the workbench, Specter's gaze is affixed to them rather than the others gathered here. "We each have our uses, our skillsets, our own area of expertise. We alter our own altmodes to help achieve goals related to our skills. While Torque is truly a gifted mechanic, her skill in this area of Decepticon manipulation knows no equal." he states, setting down another tool and briefly glancing up.

"We are by very definition, tools."

Back down to inspecting the equipment, Specter lifts a simple hammer in his hands. "When in need.. we adapt, much like a mechanic no? If a hammer is not available, we ball up a fist and make do." Suddenly, he's JABBED. Allowing the gesture, Specter meets her glare. "Your position has been.." he trails, mentally conjuring seventeen different ways to pacify her with centralized Circuit-Su strikes. "Noted."

Placing the hammer down, Specter stands his ground staring at Torque yet he addresses Arcee. "She was obligated, however, Arcee. I shall share no more of our conversation that night, though." he smiles at the mechanic Femme. "My discretion is sound, as opposed to this. I merely wanted to thank you for your cooperation, Torque. You've proved an invaluable asset to this mission."

The fact that he admitted to it spares him, at least in Chromia's mind. She still growls and shakes her head, though she does give a rather dramatic gesture to Specter of 'see?!?!?' for Arcee's benefit. Arcee is arguing for reason which is enough to calm Chromia to at least remotely rational. She can't let what Specter says go unchecked though. "We are *not* tools," she snaps. That sounds too close to something that Shockwave would say. "We have functions, we all have parts to play within the grander mechanism that is life, yes," she conceeds. "However, we're not just parts to be moved around, repaired or tossed aside. There's more to each of us, something that sets us apart from..." That. She gestures to the tool Specter has held. If he wanted a blunt weapon, he'll find none more blunt than Chromia. "That," she points at his chest where his spark chamber is, "Makes you different. Assuming you have one?" She knows he does. "There's a difference between a job needing to be done and doing that job. There's a difference between *want* and *need* as well. If you do everything to win then that's not really winning," she shrugs out.

Chromia sighs heavily. This is the part about War she has come to hate the most - arguing reason into those that should be on her own side. "It's done?" She looks to Specter for confirmation as she feels as though she knows what her friend's stance is - Torque is done with this. "You got what you needed. It's not going to happen again." Right?

Torque is beyond bristling, merely a ticking time bomb at this point while listening to Specter go on. A scowl etches further upon her features when staring the mech down in turn, optics narrowing and body tensing in preperation. "And you've proven to be an invaluable ass!" Her greatest strength drives ahead like an unstoppable force, her balled fist suddenly swinging forward with all her effort to wipe that smile of Specter's face and knock him clean off his feet. And even if she misses he'll still probably feel the air shudder beside him, reminding him of what he just dodged.

"Take your thanks and shove 'em! And listen next time when I tell you to keep the frag away, got it? I don't want anything to do with your missions anymore! Find someone else!" Torque barks fiercely despite already beginning to untense. She shared her peace and she's not about to push it any further. Punching, or attempting to, one of Arcee's operatives in front of her seems to be enough for one day.

Combat: Torque sets her defense level to Fearless.

Combat: Torque strikes Specter with her Atomic Punch (Grab) attack!

"Oh, come on," Arcee sighs in exasperation, as Torque loses her cool and goes for the throwdown. "Are you really going to do this, /here/??"

Meanwhile during all of this time, Imager was written up for another count of insubordination. She knows the paperwork so well, she just pretty much uploads a template to the datapad. Maybe it had something to do with that hologram she put up that debases Drivetrain. Who can say? She's not a processor-reader, after all. In short, it's just another day for her. She slams her hand against the side of the convoy truck, "You're all cleared, take this back to recycling....yeah I know, I know. Glitch-for-brains Drivetrain....yeah...yeah I know...smelt, I told YOU that."

Upon seeing a small crowd start to spectate at some sort of altercation, the large Femme shoulders her way forwards, brushing someone aside with her pauldrons. "Uh..." She scrapes her chin, "Whut?"

"We shall see, perhaps Torque will reconsider her usefulness."

The punch, not completely unseen or avoidable, is allowed to hit its mark. Staggering him backward, a hand up to his leaking faceplate, Specter doesn't break the gaze with Torque's optics. Flicking the energon off his fingers, the manipulator stands again in her face. "Let the record show the attack was physically unprovoked, yet I seek no sanction for her actions." he smiles again, leaning in real close to Torque.

He whispers something into her audial unit, a low tone almost impossible to hear. When done, Specter leans out again. "We can agree to disagree, Chromia. However, one cannot argue with progress."

Specter whispers, "That one was free, the next will cost you an appendage." to Torque.

Combat: Specter sets his defense level to Protected.

Combat: Specter analyzes Torque for weaknesses.

 Imager says, "so...we fightin? Can I get in on it?"

 Arcee says, "/No/."

 Imager says, "oh, uh...Kay. So..."

 Imager says, "so...just gonna let this play out or...or what?"

 Sandstorm says, "Who's fighting?"

 Arcee says, "Nobody, if I have anything to say about it."

 Imager says, "Well, I can bust em up if they don't stop. Just sayin"

 Specter says, "Torque had a conflict of concious, there is no need for vulgar fisticuffs."

Chromia puts herself, as best she can, between Specter and Torque once he gets back to his feet. She doesn't do so for Torque's health but more of a concern for Specter's should this continue. Arcee is right, this shouldn't happen here. Chromia looks at specter, her tone set in her stare. "We can agree that we're done here." Because now is the time when he should walk. Away.

Chromia turns to look to Torque. "We have something to do. Elsewhere. Right?" Maybe some place useful to channel all of this hurt.

 Sandstorm says, "Well said Specter, utterly vulgar and tottally unnessecary. But if any such vulgarities do kick off be sure to call. You know, so I can save you from getting hands dirty and all that."

 Trailbreaker says, "Easy bots, let's save the fists and cuffs for the Decepticreeps!!"

 Sandstorm says, "Now there's a piece of advice you should listen to. Never hit another Autobot."

"You're damn right I am!" Torque snaps at Arcee unknowingly, not looking in her direction. She's too lost in the haze of red she's looking through right now. However.. the only thing that starts to tug her towards reality is what Specter whispers to her before Chromia wedges between them. It sends a faint shiver down her spine and eventually forces her to back down.

"Whatever." Torque growls past the blue shield that is Chromia, glaring daggers at Specter until she huffs and starts angrily throwing her tools into her toolbox. "Yeah.. right." She pauses once the toolbox is closed and cycles her vents with a frown, glancing to Chromia and Arcee in an apologetic way. "I'll catch up with you later. I just need.. to go do things for a bit." And with that she shuffles away as quick as she can, trying to keep emotions in check until she can get back to her shop. She at least has suitable things to punch there.

 Afterburner says, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

 Arcee says, "I can understand flaring tempers, we can't always agree all the time...but there's a time and a place to deal with that energy and that emotion, and inside a public spaceport is not one of those places."

Arcee is just...very quiet for the moment. Chromia has this very strong way of intervening that reminds her very much of Imager's interventions in physical confrontations. Arcee suspects it doesn't work quite as well for her because she's pink, but she has no way to actually prove it. Once she's satisfied that Torque's calmed down some, she watches Specter for a long moment.

Imager shifts her stance, a hand on her hip plate as Torque displays her frustrations. She intakes, looking towards the other Ops Femme, "ah........" But the words die at her vocalizer.

She looks back to the assembled group, noting that just about everyone is her superior officer...what else is new. "Kay...look, I donno what you all were doin, but...I know enough about Torque to know that she don't get her gearshifter stuck unless somethin bad happened...and uh...if someone's doin stuff to her, making her mad...well, I might have to get me another insubordination demerit, when I find out who..." She stumbles through her threat, "So...yeah."

"There is no need to further hostilities."

Giving Torque the staredown all the way until her exit, Specter regards everyone else with a glare. "I do apologize for her demeanor, if it is in my power I will remedy the situation." he notes, taking another look at the work bench. Each tool built for a purpose, a need, a want, a function. How similar they all were, in the grand scheme of things.. when looked at objectively.

Slinking back into the shadows, "Many thanks, again, Chromia for your cooperation in this mission." he creepily cheshire cat-calls from the dark shadows before disappearing completely.

As far as they can tell, anyways.

Combat: Specter slips into the shadows and out of sight...

Chromia is set to argue - when isn't she? But, Specter is gone. And Arcee is silent. That also silences Chromia for a moment as she watches Torque go and then focuses on Arcee's disappointed face. She cringes. Fortunately, she looks up to Imager. Her willingness to defend Torque... well. "Do you drink?" Maybe Trailbreaker does have the right approach...

Imager jerks a thumb at herself proudly, "I'm drunk right now!"

"I'll discuss this with him," Arcee says to the other femmes. Provided she can catch the slippery ninja anywhere, especially when he didn't want to be found, naturally. "I mean, obviously, no fighting in the spaceport, but I want to find out what this mech is doing...sounds like there's some using going on. No one should have to put up with being used like some pawn."