The Start of Something Interesting...

[lastonepercent]

The day was calm, with no recent Decepticon attacks, and none suspected to be incoming for some time.  The cons were too busy licking their wounds from the last battle, one that the Autobots had decidedly come out ahead on.  The celebrations had gone on long into the night and the recreation room was already a mess.

Thus, it was the perfect chance for a lone Autobot to slip casually outside.

Mirage had no shift currently scheduled, so he was free to spend his time as he pleased.  He certainly made no move to hide his departure, greeting his comrades in the halls on the way out, but the box in his hands remained unopened despite any passing curiosity.  It was quietly shifted into subspace before long, and  the former noble shifted into alt mode just as smoothly when he reached the doors.  Despite the completely inappropriate earthen race car mode, the mech had little trouble self-adjusting before driving off into the forest covering the mountain, for business unknown...

Comments

[cliffjumper]

Cliffjumper glowered and huffed as a response, letting the rest of his frustration escape as unintelligible, almost sub-sonic muttering. It wasn't as if he was being deliberately obtuse here!

"Can't we just fraggin' claim I'm really new to this? That ain't even a lie and it'd solve a lot of slag!" Cliffjumper snapped as he stomped after Mirage, almost wishing he had something to fiddle with, but he didn't have any small bits or bobs in his subspace now to do that.

Especially as those "bits and bobs" had been things like wires, bits of inert explosive paste or other parts of bombs. Which he'd been forced to leave behind.

[lastonepercent]

"We could, but it would not look good for our story, or in the optics of the Paradrons." Mirage grimaced, his own engine giving a rev of frustration.

"Indeed, the entire point of this charade is to imply that I have had a partner for most of my time as an active priest."

And that was more lying than he wanted to trust to someone inexperienced in the ways of spying and espionage like Cliffjumper. But they had little choice.

"Having a sensitive, bonded partner who hasn't ever shared the more basic of rites with their supposedly loving priest? Does not look good. The best we can manage is the idea that you are out of practice thanks to the war."

[cliffjumper]

"Great." Except not. "What's wrong with just havin' met recently?" And now he was just being recalcitrant and he should probably have suggested this earlier, but he hadn't considered that then...

But on the other hand, it would probably not have worked, either way. Since even if they'd had met recently, Cliffjumper knew he 'should' still have been an Acolyte. Part of Mirage's reaction when they found out he was sensitive was, after all, surprise that he hadn't been snapped up by a temple.

Frankly, Cliffjumper was nervous. There was a lot hinging on them in general not being found out as lying, and him in particular. Cliffjumper resisted the urge to wrap his arms around himself.

Like slag he'd do that where Mirage (or anyone else except Bee) could see.

[lastonepercent]

"Because then that would have them asking about where my previous nonexistent bonded was for all the earlier years and years of my being in the priesthood."

Mirage huffed, increasingly vexed with the smaller mech's attempts to change the plan at the last minute. Cliffjumper's question was honestly reasonable, but unfortunately with the Paradrons being as they were, it simply wasn't possible.

"I really do wish it was an option, but it is already bad enough to have to falsify a current bonded without having to reminisce about a 'tragically departed' one as well."

[cliffjumper]

"Right," Cliffjumper muttered and indulged in scrubbing a hand over his faceplates, "way too complicated, like it fraggin' ain't already." He couldn't quite stop the nearly explosive static sigh that escaped him.

So it was what it was, and Cliffjumper wasn't petty enough to demand to make things more complicated on Mirage just to make it (maybe) easier for himself. Mirage would be carrying most of the weight anyway.

And Cliffjumper, while he might have been difficult if he actually hated Mirage - not 'just' disliked him - wasn't about to go that far here and now. Especially as he didn't actually even dislike the noble.

"So we just gotta hope it goes well, then..." Cliffjumper said while he glowered at the floor, wishing the Ark was larger... despite that it was plenty large enough as it was, really.

[lastonepercent]

"Agreed," Mirage said pointedly, giving Cliffjumper a shrug. He had thought this all out, after all. Having to convince the smaller mech about everything all over again was not how he wanted to spend his time right before going on said mission.

"It will be fine."

Mirage stepped closer with a smile suddenly plastered on his face, hand curling around a red shoulder.

::And we're almost there, so keep the classified talk about said mission confined to private comms from now on. Who knows where they may have bugs planted or audials listening.::

[cliffjumper]

Cliffjumper sighed, missing the look Mirage threw him in favour of grimacing at the floor, which he was still staring at.

Of course, that also meant he missed Mirage stepping closer, but not the hand on his shoulder and the jerked, helm snapping up and he was not ready for this. Not for Mirage's smile, either, even if he couldstay put, Cliffjumper was surprised he could tell the slight strain in Mirage's expression. Not that that was something he'd actually want to see, but...

"Uh... right," Cliffjumper mumbled, realising too late he'd responded out loud in his distraction, but really, it probably didn't matter. He was more concerned (and embarrassed) to feel his optics bright with a blush and this was stupid.

... At least it wasn't anything different than he would react in a situation like this, but that, in itself, was a bit embarrassing.

And then they finally dropped into the wide corridor that led to the hangar they were going to, and Cliffjumper shook his helm and straightened up, pushing down his embarrassment with a frown.

[lastonepercent]

::Better,:: Mirage sighed, before pulling away from Cliffjumper with a pat on the shoulder to greet the Paradronians gathering outside the transport ships.

"Ambassadors! Good to see you again."

Sliding smoothly forward, Mirage gave them the traditional morning greeting with posed hands and a flare of his field.

[cliffjumper]

While Cliffjumper watched and felt increasingly awkward - and a little angry at that, as well - the paradronians all responded in kind to Mirage's greeting, and this was probably a thing he "should" know, but hopefully the excuse they had would be good enough.

"High priest, welcome. A fine morning to set off, isn't it?" the ambassador smiled and turned slightly so she faced Cliffjumper, giving him the same greeting and causing the minibot to take half a step back as his field flexed fitfully.

"It should be a few easy jumps," she said, mercifully turning back to Mirage even if there was faint, if sympathetic, amusement glittering in her optics.

Cliffjumper wasn't sure whether he was relieved she hadn't expected anything else, and why that was, but if she thought him shy... Well, that wasn't what he was, but he'd gladly take that over any suspicion to their ruse.

[lastonepercent]

"Quite so," Mirage agreed, giving the blue Earth sky a brief glance out the nearest porthole. He glanced back to give Cliffjumper an encouraging smile and motioned him gently toward the ship, before driving his hovercart up toward the nearest loading ramp. A eager attendant quickly took it off his hands, and he gave the mech loading directions with a quick private ping and a brief bow of thanks.

"How did you enjoy your tour of the local areas?" Mirage asked, freed up to turn back toward the ambassador.

[cliffjumper]

It was completely impossible to not grimace at the gesture towards the ship, because he was not fragging ready for this. Not that it mattered or was anything to do about it, though the extra little ping he got from Prime of all mechs helped.

A little.

So Cliffjumper stomped off to wait at the passenger ramp, arms crossed over his chestplates.

"Very... organic," the ambassador said with a smile that might have been a shade awkward, but then she chuckled, "but, even so, very stunning. The local species have a pretty impressive development."

She then turned to the Prime and bowed with a flowing flare of her field.

"Thank you for hosting us. May this be the beginning of a proper reconnection."

[lastonepercent]

"I feel the same way," Mirage laughed softly, before approaching Optimus for a proper departure.

Standing near the ambassador, Optimus returned the gesture, strong field kept carefully modulated.

"It was our pleasure. We hope your time with the our High Priest proves as equally productive." He turned toward Mirage, reaching out and clasping the offered hand in a far more informal farewell; Mirage didn't bother with keeping his chiding glance for more than a second.

"Have a good journey, my friend. I wish you well during your stay."

The quick databurst between them went unnoticed, and Mirage nodded more formally.

"Thank you. I hope things go well in our absence."

Namely, the espionage jobs now left solely to Jazz and Bumblebee without him.

[cliffjumper]

There's a brief, muted chuckle, and Optimus tilted his helm.

"While none can replace your particular position and talents, the rest will be managed well enough."

Jazz and Bumblebee were, after all, very skilled. Even if they lacked Mirage's invisibility.

Glowering at the ship, Cliffjumper was currently wishing for sudden, catastrophic engine failure to strand them here for a little longer. The allure of seeing Paradron, to be on a properly cybertronian planet again, was right now pretty distant.

But nothing happened in the time it took the others to finish up their farewell... scene... thing, and Cliffjumper huffed and turned to glance up at Mirage with a smile he didn't really feel, but thought was probably a good thing to put in there.

How the slag was he going to survive this thing?!

And he didn't particularly just mean pretending to be an acolyte knowing far more than he did, either.

[lastonepercent]

"I have confidence they will, of course." Mirage had little doubt that Jazz would find a way to make up for the lack of his talents, even if it wouldn't be quite up to his own standards.

Grinning and giving Optimus a more formal bow of departure (and a private ping with a few, final notes on his more recent Decepticon observations,) the priest turned back to the ambassadors.

"We are ready to depart when you are."

[cliffjumper]

"Then it seems now is as good as time as any," the ambassador said with a smile and turned to face Optimus again, bending shortly at the waist with her fingertips pressed to the metal over her spark chamber, "we pledge the sparks we bring with us will be returned as they left, and may your endeavours not suffer for their absence."

Cliffjumper turned enough so he could roll his optics, just a little. Not that the sentiment was a bad one, and as long as they were sincere it was even somewhat reassuring.

It was more the fancy wording and the bowing and everything being done around it that seemed ridiculous and overdone.

[lastonepercent]

"Your vow is heard and accepted in good faith, Ambassador," Optimus replied formally, returning the gesture with an additional hand curled over his spark, in representation of his Primacy.

"Their presence will be missed, but all will be well taken care of in their absence."

Giving another bow of the helm, Mirage closed the formal exchange.

"Your vow is welcomed and accepted by myself and my companion. We willingly place our sparks into your care."

[cliffjumper]

'Willingly', yeah right!

Somehow, Cliffjumper managed to keep from snorting. It was harder to hide noise than something like a roll of your optics, after all. And besides that, if this had been played straight and without 'necessary' duplicitous parts, then yeah, whoever Mirage would actually have been bonded with would, most probably, at least been partially willing.

Cliffjumper would much rather stay and help here, but that wasn't an option right now.

Looking past the little gathering as they finished up, Cliffjumper eyed the partly bared engine nozzles of the Ark where it was buried in the rock, then looked around.

It'd be... weird, leaving this for a few weeks and not be on Earth. Not to talk about the Decepticons...

[lastonepercent]

A good thing, too. Cliffjumper snorting would have probably been quite the epic insult, especially since they weren't even yet off the ground.

Parting from the formal exchange, Mirage trotted up the boarding ramp with his escort, giving Cliffjumper a significant look on the way over. Placing a hand on a red shoulder as they met up, Mirage swiftly moved them off down the hall, pointedly guiding the minibot along.

"If you would show us to our rooms, we can be underway - and perhaps indulge in a little tour once we are settled?"

[cliffjumper]

Was he supposed to understand what Mirage intended with that look? Because he sure wasn't, and Cliffjumper just stared back before he turned around - and was thus surprised with the hand on his shoulder.

Briefly, Cliffjumper froze even as his optics brightened, but since he'd already been moving, turning around, when Mirage came up to him, it was relatively easy to just continue walking even with that hand on his shoulder.

Did Mirage think he couldn't walk by himself or something, or was he just... naturally touchy with someone when he was (supposedly) involved with them, and just letting that... come through in how he was acting now?

"I think you've seen a ship before, we got here in one, didn't we?" Cliffjumper said with a roll of his optics, the comment slipping out partly because he needed to get this nervous and partly tense frustration out somehow, and because he couldn't help it.

Luckily, that only garnered chuckles from the nearest mechs, and the ambassador nodded, a glitter of amusement in her optics.

"If it would interest you, then of course. Though hopefully Primus will be king enough that we won't be too long in here instead of spending time on Paradron. It's far more beautiful and interesting than a transport shuttle, after all," she said and then briefly, flickered an optic in a wink, and Cliffjumper was honestly startled before he grinned back, despite not intending to.

He still didn't trust them, though.

[lastonepercent]

"Different planet, different customs, different type of ship," Mirage said mildly, giving the ambassador a matching smile and the minibot a playful nudge.

His private comm, however, was not nearly so cheery.

::Haven't even taken off the ground yet and you- I do hope this isn't going to be a running theme.::

Physically, the only sign of Mirage's ire was a slight twitch of the fingers on Cliffjumper's shoulder.

"After all, we've been on the same ship for quite some time. But really, it is always quite fascinating to see the different ways technology and aesthetic design can diverge from one another throughout the ages."

[cliffjumper]

::What? It ain't like anything happened,:: Cliffjumper snapped back and tensed a little at the slight twitch of tightening grip, ::and you're laying it on a bit thick aren't you?::

He couldn't help rolling his optics, and - unfortunately or not, the ambassador caught the gesture while she dipped her helm in a nod, and then raised a hand to cover the slightest twitches of a smile at the corner of her mouth.

"I wouldn't have taken our mode of transportation to be of interest, but if you are curious, like I said, we would be happy to show you around. I can have the pilot head the tour; he's an engineer as well and will be able to give further insights."

Turning around, she waved them on down the corridor while the floor trembled underneath them as the ship went through start-up routines and the engines warmed for takeoff.

"In the meantime, I'll show you the cabin. It shouldn't take more than three jumps to get to Paradron."

[lastonepercent]

::I don't care if 'nothing happened' - I'll have to lay it on thicker if you keep testing their tolerance.:: Mirage twitched, pulling away from the red mech under the guise of gesturing toward their host.

"I would be delighted. Engineering is not my specialization, of course, but comparison insights - and simply knowing about ship carrying us - is always interesting enough."

Bustling them down the hall toward the cabine, Mirage almost missed the mentioned time frame.

"Three jumps, you say?" he asked, surprised.

[cliffjumper]

::I wasn't doing anything!:: Cliffjumper snapped, annoyed and starting to get a bit angry. So the comment hadn't been completely innocent, but he really didn't think it was as awful as Mirage was painting it as.

Not when she'd not shown the least bit annoyance!

And he still thought Mirage was being ridiculous and if he wasn't fragged off, he'd feel more embarrassed for him.

But Cliffjumper tilted his helm and looked up to the ambassador, also curious as to the answer, because that didn't sound like how they did space travel.

"If that surprises you, I suppose we don't travel in the same way. We use stationary space bridges for transwarp jumps at calculated distances," she said as she gestured out at the space outside a porthole they passed, "it takes a bit longer given that we can't make a single jump and we need to physically travel to each of the bridges for a given distance, but it cuts down on energy used, both for ships and the space bridges. I assume you do it differently?"

Cliffjumper almost replied, but then, with a dirty glare at Mirage's back, decided not to. He was always up for an argument, but the risk of being overheard in some way was sort of nerve-wracking, and right now he was pretty slagging sure Mirage would take fault with whatever he said.

[lastonepercent]

Mirage's reply - or rather, lack of one - was nothing more than a brief, wordless burst of static.

Nope. Wasn't going to respond to that.

"Huh. Well then. Learned something new already," he laughed, expertly hiding the fact that it was completely forced.

"I didn't even know there was still an active space bridge network. I'd thought most had been shut down, cut off, or simply lost. We haven't been able to utilize such things in some time, so we've been traveling via other means."

[cliffjumper]

Cliffjumper's glare intensified and it was really hard not to give the exact same thing back, because what the flying frag. Mirage could be really slagging childish---

That realisation alone was enough to smooth over at least a little of Cliffjumper's building ire. At least enough to not do anything more than roll his optics again, and given that he was the shortest mech on the ship as far as he'd seen and there was no one else right by the three of them, no one saw it.

"I don't know about Cybertron's space bridge network, but we used the one on Paradron as the starting point and went from there, when we were finally ready to try for space travel again," the ambassador said with a shrug and a small smile.