Sky-Byte Melee: RV 75 Coordination: RV 50 Brawn: RV 40 Fortitude: RV 50 Intellect: RV 100 Awareness: RV 75 Willpower: RV 40 Health: 215 Fortune: 215 Lifestyle: RV 30 Repute: RV -10 * * Amongst humans, at least. RV +75 among Predacons / Decepticons / Vehicons, RV -75 among Autobots. Origin: Sky-Byte is an electromechanical being from Cybertron, a robot that has, with his Predacon compatriots, waged a war against the heroic Autobots in a bid to conquer the universe. This alien may also be from another time period, making him doubly out of place on earth. Known Powers: Cybertronian Physique: like his fellow Predacons, Sky-Byte is a robotic entity of Cybertronian origin. As such, this omni-environmental warrior has, by his very nature, the use of a large variety of abilities that reflect this. His very body gives Sky-Byte these super-human powers: * Body Armor: made (or formed) from primarily metallic materials, Sky-Byte is considerably durable. His sturdy, inorganic composition affords him rank value 20 protection from attack, enough to shrug off most basic human assaults. Sky-Byte's armor breaks down as follows: RV 20 / RV 6 / RV 2 / RV 0 / RV 0 * Growth: Cybertronians come in all manner of sizes, few of which align with the human norm. Sky-Byte, for instance, stands at approximately eighteen feet tall in his humanoid mode, which grants him this power at rank value 6 as a general matter of course. As such, this savage poet possesses a +1 size factor. He thus suffers a -1 RS when targeting human-sized foes, but gains a +1 RS on any damage he inflicts against them, as well as 1 RS of damage reduction against any attacks they, in turn, launch against him. * Microscopic / Telescopic Vision: all Transformers have the ability to alter their visual sensitivity where distance is concerned. Like his fellow Cybertronians, Sky-Byte has rank value 2 microscopic vision, allowing him to easily read items on microfiche. However, it should be noted that Sky-Byte has telescopic vision that functions above and beyond that of regular Cybertronians. When he activates his enhanced telescopic vision, Sky-Byte can zoom in on objects up to 250 miles distant (having this power himself at rank value 6). * Radio Transceiver: as are most Transformers on earth, Sky-Byte is equipped with an audio / video transmission system. This communications rig allows him instant contact with any other nearby Cybertronians, having rank value 20 range (100 miles). * Resistance / Invulnerability to Disease and Poison: as an inorganic life form, Sky-Byte possesses complete immunity to poisons and organic diseases. He also possesses rank value 100 resistance to more chemically creative forms of disease. Blending: a rarely demonstrated power is Sky-Byte's ability to bend light around his form, which allows him to blend into his surroundings. This power functions at rank value 75, allowing Sky-Byte to elude even Megatron's powerful sensors when he feels it necessary. Fangs: both of Sky-Byte's forms have fangs, with which he can inflict Slashing damage. He rarely uses them in his humanoid mode however, for he gains a +1 RS to their damage in his shark configuration - and can gnaw through items of up to m.v. 100. Flight: Sky-Byte has the ability to defy gravity in both modes. While he can only levitate in his humanoid mode, he can actually 'swim' through the air in his shark form. This power functions at rank value 75, allowing Sky-Byte to fly at up to 409.09 miles per hour. Image Projection: while Sky-Byte's visual receptors are usually tuned to absorb information from the area around him, they can also be used to project visual information in front of him. This rank value 10 light system can project anything within Sky-Byte's memory. Shape Change: whenever he desires, Sky-Byte can transform between his humanoid and flying shark modes, and often does so quickly in battle for tactical purposes. This power is voice-activated, however ('Sky-Byte, Terrorize!'). Sky-Byte is equally at home in both of his forms. Shark Missiles: Sky-Byte can use this weapon in either mode; in his shark mode, it is a throat-mounted launcher that fires projectiles from his mouth, while in his humanoid mode, it is a hand-held launcher. Regardless, it fires missiles (or torpedoes) with these capabilities: Handling RV 30 Velocity RV 75 Durability RV 20 Damage RV 40 Slashing (fragmentary) Shark Spike (Anchor Arm): in his humanoid mode, Sky-Byte's left arm is comprised of an oversized device that has, instead of five digits, four rather large blades. He can use weapon to grasp particularly durable items, but it mostly comes in handy in melee combat. You see, this four-pronged spike to inflict Sky-Byte's Brawn value in Slashing damage - though this damage is increased +1 RS when he rotates these blades at high speed. Furthermore, it is telescopic in nature, and Sky-Byte can strike anybody within his current sector with it. Super Digging: in both of his modes, Sky-Byte has the ability to tunnel through solid ground. In his shark mode, he can simply 'swim' through the earth, doing so with rank value 30 speed (81.81 m.p.h.), though this tunnel caves in immediately after he pushes his way through it. However, when in his humanoid mode, Sky-Byte can build a much more durable tunnel with his shark spike. While he can only progress through solid ground at rank value 2 speeds (13.64 m.p.h.), this tunnel will last for quite a while after he creates it, thus allowing others to use it with him. Super Swimming: in his shark mode, Sky-Byte can swim at truly impressive speeds. He can do so at rank value 100 - achieving speeds of up to 136.36 miles per hour beneath the waves. This mobility makes Sky-Byte the undisputed king of underwater combat amongst the Predacons. Transparent Vision: in addition to the enhanced telescopic vision unit in his right eye, Sky-Byte can also spy what might be behind or even within a solid object, such as a wall or even a highway overpass. This sensory power functions at rank value 75. Tsunami Blaster: his primary ranged weapon, this chest-mounted beam emitter issues forth an energy blast of indeterminate type, one which can nonetheless inflict rank value 50 Energy damage to whatever Sky-Byte trains it on - enough to give even the Autobots pause in combat. Limitations / Enhancements: (none) Equipment: (none) Quirks: (none) Skills: Artist / Poetry: Sky-Byte fancies himself a poet, and enjoys composing new haiku and other works of literary 'genius', especially when putting the beat-down on Autobots. He should gain ten Fortune points for a week's worth of writing, or a like amount for a particularly good haiku. Targeting: while he may not have any real weapon skills, Sky-Byte is nonetheless highly skilled in the use of his tsunami blaster, as well as other, like internal energy weapons (should he acquire more). When using such weapons in combat, he should receive a +1 RS to hit his foes. Underwater Combat: his true expertise, this talent describes Sky-Byte's mastery of underwater battle - and woe be unto any foe that should find themselves beneath the waves! Whenever fighting underwater, Sky-Byte may attempt combat-related ACT rolls without penalty. Contacts: As one of the Predacons, Sky-Byte can theoretically rely on Megatron or any of his minions for assistance. Of course, none of the Decepticons like Sky-Byte very much, and the other Predacons only seem to work with him and his hare-brained schemes out of a sense of necessity. Likeness: When he's in his flying shark mode, Sky-Byte appears to be a techno-organic shark built from blue, white, and chrome-colored metals. However, when he transforms into his robot form, Sky-Byte appears to be a regally-styled humanoid built from various artificial shark parts. Personality: Sky-Byte is incredibly intelligent, yet equally inept. He is constantly cooking up new schemes to defeat the Autobots or to steal earth's various energy resources. However, while his plans are occasionally brilliant, he always seems to miss one minor detail that ruins everything. Sky-Byte is truly loyal to Megatron, a very rare quality amongst the evil Predacons, being truly content to be his master's right hand 'bot. At the same time, this Cybertronian is the ultimate sycophant, and tends to expend lavish amounts of flattery upon whoever's currently in charge. Finally, Sky-Byte has demonstrated some sympathy for humans - or human children, at least. He has a hard time refusing any sort of plea for help or assistance from them, and in fact finds himself confounded by the little things; unlike his fellow Predacons, he actually likes kids. Real Name: Sky-Byte Occupation: Predacon warrior, Megatron's second-in-command Legal Status: citizen of Cybertron wanted by Earth authorities for various nefarious acts committed worldwide Marital Status: inapplicable Alias(es), if any: none Group Affiliation: the Predacons Height: 18' (approximately) Hair: inapplicable Eyes: red (in both forms) Weight: several tons Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Sky-Byte is made of a strong, alien metal that is primarily blue and white in hue, adorned with chrome trim and the like regardless of his current form. Story: Sky-Byte is one of several Predacons in the service of Megatron, a powerful Cybertronian warrior that journeyed to modern-day earth with various evil schemes in mind. Exactly how Sky-Byte came to be in Megatron's service, as well as what time period he's actually from, is still a mystery. Regardless, he came to earth with Megatron and the other Predacons only to find that the planet was lousy with Autobots, as the heroic Cybertronians had somehow learned that Megatron and company were on their way, and had lots of time to prepare a warm welcome. Sky-Byte isn't the Predacons' second in command for nothing; this powerful warrior can move equally well through land, sea, and air, and can thus do battle with the Autobots virtually anywhere. While an expert in underwater combat, he's happy to fight in any environment. Sky-Byte is in charge of Dark Scream, Gas Skunk, and Slapper, and often directs them in various plots to steal earth's energy or to deal with Autobots in some hostile capacity. Of course, when something goes wrong with his plans, Sky-Byte usually deflects the blame to his underlings. This set-up worked well for Sky-Byte until the Decepticons arrived on the scene, causing Megatron to utilize his Predacons less over time. This prompted intense competition between Sky-Byte and Scourge for Megatron's attention, though Scourge's aims were much more dangerous. While Sky-Byte simply wished to retain his current position, Scourge coveted much more, and his plans had no room for Megatron's continued existence. Sky-Byte and the other Predacons were unaware of this, though, and wouldn't have done well if Scourge won in the end. After all, the Decepticons and the Predacons don't get along very well. This situation came to a head when Scourge thought he'd taken control of the mighty Fortress Maximus, and tried to use the Autobot to slay Megatron - who had since transformed into the even more powerful Galvatron. This gambit failed, and Scourge had his memories wiped for his troubles. Though he considered him incompetent, Galvatron nonetheless put the freshly wiped Scourge - and his Decepticon thugs - under Sky-Byte's command, at least until the villain was finally defeated by Omega Prime. Once this occurred, the Autobots rounded up all of Galvatron's goons on earth, and shipped them off to a penal colony near Cybertron - all save for Sky-Byte, of course. Having the foresight to take off as his leader was beaten, Sky-Byte managed to vanish from the face of the earth. Once most of the Autobots left earth, Sky-Byte no longer had anything to fear - much less anyone to tell him what to do. As such, he has seemingly settled into a life of peaceful coexistence with humankind. Not a hard thing for him, really, since he gets on with humans so well...!