{Intro note: Fleet was in the air, enjoying himself after having been the last mech standing in a four way seeker fight. Never mind that part of the reason for this was due to the fact that he was viewed as such a not-threat that everyone else had concentrated on each other, hey, a win was a win.}

Transmission from Geist: Geist’s gravelly voice crackles through the radio, "Fleet, would you join me in the NCC Central Hub for a few minutes? I need to speak with you." The sweep doesn’t sound angry, at least no more than usual, but his tone carries an unwelcome note.

NCC Central Hub

This is the very center of New Crystal City, and serves as the gateway to the other areas of the base. A feeling of claustrophobia exists here despite the fact that this part of the city is open to the air. Now in Battle Station Mode, the Central Hub has far less buildings than usual, as many have transformed themselves into huge laser defense cannons and missile turrets. There are very few positions one can take to hide from the weapons without being forced to take evasive action. The roadways have laser point-defense systems protecting them. The important buildings, including the medical ward and the command center now have a huge layer of thick metal protecting them, covering up the facilities and protecting them from harm.

Geist is standing in a shadowy corner with his cloak on half power as usual. He is difficult to see, but not impossible. He remains motionless and silent as he observes the seeker in question.

Fleet touches down gently, a dancer finishing an unusually long and high leap, and looks around uncertainly. He somehow gives the impression of a rabbit ready to run. Being called for a meeting by a sweep fell considerably outside of his day to day experience, and he was fighting against his survival instincts just to comply. But there have been times in the past where he had found it best for his long-term survival to override his immediate instincts, and he suspected this may be one of them...

The Sweep continues to observe his quarry. He doesn’t consider Fleet to be his prey… yet. In a barely audible whisper, the sweep says, "Over here."

The yellow seeker skuttles over to the sweep. While he knew nothing of the art of stealth, his footfalls were quieter than he should be; Fleet tended to be more nervous on the ground than in the air, and the current situation didn't help things. To try and counter this, he was unconsciously leaving his antigravs on low power, effectively giving him less mass.

As the seeker nears, the sweep begins speaking, but doesn’t drop his cloak giving his a semitransparent, shimmering appearance. "I’ve read over a few of your last raid reports and I would like to discuss them with you." Pulling a datapad from subspace, the sweep begins, "30 energon cubes and 6 tons of steel. How much value do you think this has to the Empire?"

A slight tremor runs through the seeker's frame before he regains control. He had hoped... he had hoped to draw as little attention, good or bad, to his raids. It was why he tried to give as much credit as possible to those who accompanied him, and why he tried to find excuses to get other people to make the reports, when he could. "That is hard for someone in a position like mine to say," he answers carefully. "With no knowledge of what the overreaching plans are, I cannot say how far or how short they fall towards accomplishing those plans." He pauses, tilts his head a bit, and emits an electronic sigh. "If you want a numeric value, the only answer I'm capable of giving is, 'the value of 30 energon cubes and 6 tons of steel.'"

The Sweep drops his cloak at this time to become very solid and very real to the seeker. Standing to his full height, the sweep shunts the datapad back into subspace, "You don’t know the overreaching plans of the Empire but you are willing to risk valuable manpower on minor raids." Oddly the sweeps doesn’t seem mad so much as disappointed. "If you want to put a numeric value on your raids, they would fall into the negatives. You expended more energy than you returned with." Crossing his arms across his chest, the sweep looks at the seeker for a long moment. "Arachnae has taken an interest in you for reasons I cannot fathom. She claims you have something the other seekers lack and your presence here seems to justify that." He pauses again as his optics darken, "However, it does not seem you stand up to her evaluation in all areas. What do you know of me and my brothers?"

Fleet draws back as though stung. He receives orders to raid, he raids. With insufficient manpower. Because of orders. Bringing back anything at all is an accomplishment under the conditions he's been forced to work under! But he does not voice this. It's too much like giving excuses, and besides - he's a grunt. When it comes down to it, if he's screwing up, the fault lies with someone above him in the chain. Instead he shakes his head. "Rather little, and most of it is just the common knowledge. I... since your kind was created, I generally did what I could to avoid them. Because I had been told that seekers and sweeps don't get along. It didn't matter to me why we don't, I'd just as soon avoid powerful, dangerous beings that are inclined to... not get along with me. I met Arachnae, and she... mentioned that I had the right idea, but soon after meeting her, avoiding you became unavoidable." He pauses, then continues, "You're outside of the normal chain of command, operate under a pack mentality... if one of you knows something, it can be expected that the rest do. You once accepted Arachnae as one of your own, a 'wingsib,' although she considers you to be overprotective of her." Another pause. "That's about it, I think."

Geist strokes his beard as the seeker speaks. "In general, you are correct. Walk with me." The sweep turns and begins walking down a dark side street that parallels one of the main streets without thinking the seeker might not follow. "We do exist outside the traditional CoC. We are Galvatron's sole possession. We respect the CoC but we do not take orders from them directly. As you, I also do not know where the distrust of our kind comes from. Likely it is from both sides. Seekers don’t like us moving into their territory and we don’t like inferior models thinking they are our equal. It is true that we have existed for only a short time compared to some of you. Yet we were created by a dark god with one purpose, to destroy whatever we were ordered to." The sweep sighs deeply as memories of old hunts floods him, "Yet over these short years, we have changed. With Unicron’s destruction, it has become apparent that we must to survive. My ways are not those of subterfuge or subtlety, I am a warrior." Geist stops and turns to look directly into Fleets optics, "I am devoted to Galvatron and his Empire without question. We have hunted and killed our own kind because Galvatron has ordered it." He pauses to let the weight of that statement sink in. Then, turning to continue down the way he continues, "Arachnae was brought into the Sweeps by Dredclaw and Bloodwulf. She showed promise and an understanding of us no other has shown. And we do protect our own from others." Stopping in a very shadowed area of the side street, the sweep looks at Fleet and says point blank, "I have said all that to say this, I want to know where your loyalties lie and how far will you go when ordered?"

Fleet walks alongside the larger robot, his steps still light, almost dancing, despite his nervousness - or perhaps because of it. A pale, reverse shadow following along behind the darker robot. He returns Geist's gaze with a surprising steadiness considering his apparent skittishness, frowning slightly and tilting his head a little as he considers what the other has to say. This is rather... strange conversation, all in all. Fleet questioned his own loyalties on a regular basis - he saw it as his duty! Just as it is impossible to know for certain that a fortress was impenetrable until it had withstood assault, unquestioning loyalty was, to his mind, untested loyalty. But still, it had been awhile since such questions had come from the outside. "I am loyal to the cause, the Empire, and the Emperor," he answers steadily, voice steady even though he realizes that he may be endangering himself by placing the cause above all. "As for how far I will go..." he shakes his head. Some instinct told him that this was a time for honesty, but unfortunately the honest answer was, "I won't know that until I get there. But... I do intend to do what I can to ensure I remain useful to the cause for as long as possible." The nice way of saying it. There were times when he did wish he were braver than he was, but on the other hand, these days replacing warriors, even low grade ones like himself, was easier said than done. It satisfied both his sense of loyalty and his sense of self-preservation not to be wasteful with his life.

Geist nods. His face shows no signs of this answer being the one he expected or not, he simply nods. "Your answer has answered reservations I hold about you and has asked new questions. But those are not for this time. My wingsib’s opinion of you may be justified. You do bear watching and I will be. I am curious about you as you seem to be somewhat of an anomaly amoung your kind." The sweep turns to walk off but stops only a few steps away, "Against all better judgment seeker, I think I could like you also. I look forward to our next meeting. I’m curious to learn more about you."

Fleet's jaw drops in unashamed surprise. "I... uhm... very well." He nods his head. He may have 'answered reservations' for the sweep, but all the seeker has gained out of the conversation is questions. He runs the questions, the statements, the wording that Geist has used over in his mind, and finds they fit together in very strange ways. But that's something to go over in the sky, where the air and his mind are clearer. "Until next time, then." He steps back a few feet and then casts his gaze upwards. Sensing the conversation is over, he decides to act out his impulse. "I... for now, I think I would like to go back to clouds." With that he leaps up and soars away. It would take a very long dance to work this through.