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Cargo Bay

Thunderwing entered the room, spotting his lab equipment still secured and apparently untouched. He walked up towards the main computer console and powered it back up, running a quick security scan on the system to make sure it had been untouched. At the same time he rifled through some of the other equipment. He attempted to maintain a casual air to his actions. With Soundwave and his minions about he had to assume he was being watched at any time. After moment a smile crossed his face as he located what he was looking for.

Carefully the Decepticon lifted his quad barreled laser cannon. Initially he had assumed he wouldn’t need this particular weapon, something he had designed some time ago. He had assumed that the fighting would not be intensive enough to warrant this particular weapon. Of course he hadn’t known he would be engaged against fellow Decepticons like Shockwave. While this particular weapon wouldn’t add massively to his firepower it did add some flexibility to what he could do. It also had the benefit of focusing his enemy’s attention on the weapon over him. Even if this weapon was disabled he had more then enough on his body to compensate for the loss.

There was another, conceited reason why he wanted the weapon. A Decepticon leader needed a signature weapon. It was simply the way things were as established by Megatron. Shockwave had his gun hand, Starscream had his null ray, even Scorponok had his giant claws. If you were going to be a Decepticon leader you needed a weapon as a symbol of your power. This weapon would do that for him. Every Decepticon would learn to fear staring down the four barrels of this gun.

Thunderwing stowed the weapon away carefully before going back to his computer console. The scan was complete and he was mildly surprised to find that everything had remained untouched. Either his security had scared everyone away or everyone had been too busy to try breaking in. Either way he was pleased to see that his secrets here were untouched.

Unfortunately some of that time not breaking into his equipment was likely spent on experimenting on Blackwind. That move only showed how unworthy a leader Shockwave truly was. That had been a critical mistake that had guaranteed that he would turn against him. He didn’t understand how other Decepticons thought or felt. He was a brilliant scientist but he could never earn the loyalty and respect of his troops. That required charisma, bravery and honor and while Shockwave might understand those concepts, he would never possess them.

The Decepticon locked the computer down once again and shut it down. Whatever next move he made against Shockwave would have to be carefully plotted and timed. It was unfortunate that he was out of contact with Razorclaw. He might have to make a brash move and hope that the others would be able to take advantage of it. He quietly left the room, and began slowly making his way to the bridge, taking his time to organize his thoughts.

*

Brig

Darkwing and Dreadwind awkwardly stepped off to the side as they all spilled into the brig. They weren’t exactly going to mingle with the Predacons and Stunticons and while the two seekers might be fellow fliers the fact that their leader was in a cell didn’t exactly make them good socializing candidates. Of course it was unlikely they would have had anything to say to them anyway, at least nothing they would want to hear. They stood quietly, both of them waiting for some sort of epic jail break attempt to start with them dying in a hail of gun fire.

*

Clutch walked into the room, arriving shortly behind Contemptor. Apparently he had gotten lost on his way over allowing the other Decepticon to get ahead of him. Maybe this new energon was messing with his systems somehow. If it was he didn’t particularly care, the rush of power from it more then made up for that. If only there was a battlefield that he could be unleashed on now, he felt like he could tear through all of the Autobots by himself.

He stood next to Shockwave and watched as Starscream was brought in. The warrior overheard Contemptor’s ramblings and barely held back the urge to back hand him. His talk was borderline insubordination to Shockwave, suggesting that he didn’t know what he was doing. That wasn’t the way you treated high command. They were in charge for a reason, and it was because they knew better then you and were more powerful then you. They didn’t need anything more then that to lead.

The warrior sized up the various other Decepticons in the room. He almost snickered as the two seekers pleaded for Starscream’s life. Clutch never had much use for fliers, especially seekers. They always acted so smug and superior just because they were so good at flying, like their exhaust didn’t stink. He had to admit to enjoying seeing them brought down to this level.

He spotted Motormaster and a couple of his men. He might have felt a kinship with the Stunticons, them being among the smaller subset of ground-pounders in the Cons, if they weren’t all crazy. Motormaster was the biggest, toughest and strongest of them, and probably the sanest. Unfortunately he made up for all of that by being one of the cruelest, twisted and brutal leaders in the Con ranks. Clutch might respect him, but he didn’t particularly like him.

Razorclaw and his Predacons, now there were some true warriors. They were probably above his class, more skill and instinct then his brute strength methods. He could respect that even if he couldn’t duplicate it. He just wasn’t built for that type of dexterous fighting. He didn’t have those hunter instincts either. Clutch was much more of a brawler, but he had learned a lot in his day. The ones in a fight you really had to look out for weren’t always the biggest ones. A lot of the time it was the smaller ones who ended up being more vicious, especially if they hung around the big guys. While the Predacons were big, they didn’t have the sheer mass that he or Motormaster had. He still wouldn’t want to fight any of them.

That’s how he would think on a normal day at least, but with the ultra energon in his system though he felt like he could take down any one of them. He almost hoped that he would get an excuse to fight them, but his discipline kept him in check.

Brig

Shockwave stood stoically, silently, listening to every word that was spoken by both Nightraven and Skywarp, the Seeker Leader's apparent intermediaries now that he himself had become indisposed due to his recent, inadequate decision-making.

"Declarative--we are in agreement regarding the value of the Seeker corps. It is a resource that I will not see wasted; however, I am not inclined to think your ranks so wild and insubordinate that they can be overseen by no other individual."

The Seeker ranks were disparate, yes, but they were not like the near-rabid Stunticons, who could only hope to be marginally contained and put to productive use by one such as Motormaster. Yet, they did require a command figure. One of their own. It was at that point, Shockwave's internal calculations began to increase significantly, as his processors ran through the entire roster of Seekers, both those stationed here in this sector and elsewhere across the universe. Those assigned to other fleets were immediately eliminated. He then began assigning subjective numerical values to those who had served with the Decepticon empire both the longest and the most effectively, in his opinion, since the original formation of Megatron's revolutionary movement.

Thundercracker and Skywarp were among those few who remained. Both had been Starscream's direct wingmates for a significant span of time. Both possessed qualities and seniority that should translate into suitable command capabilities for the aerial ranks. It was of the two, then, that Shockwave would make his next step to reorganize the empire.

"Your request will be partially granted. It is not my place--unless Starscream's future actions warrant otherwise--to initiate summary execution. Therefore, he will be spared until such time as the Decepticon Justice Division has had time to review his actions and render their own judgement. In the meantime, the Seeker squadrons will need a new Seeker Commander to oversee operations until Starscream's authority is restored or other consequences are imposed."

Shockwave's optic turned to settle its gaze upon Skywarp, listening as he spoke, just as he had with Nightraven. The cycloptic strategist preferred to take in all available information before rendering decisions. The Seeker's words were well-intended but--for the most part--ultimately lost on Shockwave. The strategist knew better. Every Decepticon, on some level, could be a threat to any other Decepticon at any time. That was how the empire worked: survival of the fittest.

"Declarative: your statements indicate wisdom. Your actions from this point forward will bear them out. I have measures in place that will ensure any action taken against me will be...unwise. Megatron's loss is something that still reverberates throughout the empire. I intend to minimize that and ensure the survival of our species. Those not currently loyal to me will see that--given time. In the meantime, you are to take Starscream's place as the interim Seeker Commander until informed otherwise. Organize the squadrons and submit activity reports to the Thanatos' database for review within the orn. Inform Starscream that his hearing will commence as soon as the division has an allowance on their docket."

Given how infrequently matters were submitted to Decepticon High Justice at all--as most matters tended to sort themselves out in-station--the wait could be an extensive one, allowing Shockwave additional time to move the pieces in to the places that he wanted them.

Satisfied that Starscream was one piece that was securely in place and that he or his subordinates were not in a position to make any rash decisions while here on board this vessel, he knew that it was time to return to the bridge for a dialogue with Thunderwing. Turning briefly to the other Decepticons that had specifically accompanied him, Shockwave made for the brig exit and the corridors that would wind their way to the bridge.

"Imperative: you are to follow me. Our business with the Earthbound operatives is not yet finalized," Shockwave said, even as he opened up a transmission directly with Soundwave.

>>"Establish contact with the Decepticon Justice Division and submit a hearing request regarding Starscream and his recent actions. I am en route to the bridge."<<

Corridors

Capsize nodded to Ramshot, slowly making his way down the corridors of the ship towards the bridge. His thoughts extended outward as he passed every viewport, watching the stars drift lazily by. It was good to be back on a ship again, but there were still too many holes in his memory banks.

Opening the doors of the bridge, Capsize stepped inside, taking a quick look at the instruments and consoles scattered about. He found himself amazed at the sophistication of the machinery around him. It had been too long since he was around true Cybertronian technology besides himself, and longer still since he was in the presence of his brethren, the Decepticons.

"Capsize, reporting for ready duty." Capsize brought a fist up to his chest in salute. It was good to be serving the cause of Lord Megatron again.

Brig

This was it. Pretty much everyone who needed to be nearby was here. Rampage wasn't really worried about anyone else. So long as his fellow Predacons were within range, he knew their pack could take down whatever threat was thrown at them when it came down to it.

All that needed to happen was for someone to say the wrong thing. For one of Starscream's little flymechs to get trigger-happy. For Shockwave to stick his big ol' singular eye socket in the wrong mech's direction. Then it would be on!

But...it wasn't on.

Instead, Rampage found himself and the other Predacons being ordered to recharge and regroup for most of an orn. Razorclaw and his infernal patience. To Rampage, it had been the perfect time to knock the walking calculator in to one of the same cells that he had just thrown Starscream in to. Obviously Razorclaw had thought otherwise.

Rampage had followed his commander out of the brig as ordered but changed direction, as it was obvious that Razorclaw was not headed to the ship's barracks. Rampage, for now, was. He had been ordered to recharge after all. Or to at least give the appearance that that's what he was doing. At least they were back on the Thanatos and not that grimey, Primus-forsaken wreck the Stunticons rode around in.

"Can't believe nothing happened," Rampage overheard Tantrum say, stalking just a few paces behind him. Rampage looked back at his fellow Predacon. To the casual observer, and who knows who that could have been so long as Soundwave was on the bridge, it would've sounded just as if the rage-fueled Predacon was referring to Starscream. Rampage knew better, though.

"Yeah, me too."
___

Dead End had watched silently as the various Decepticons interacted up on the observation deck, occasionally casting a furtive glance back towards the cell where Starscream had been placed. With every astrosecond that passed, the Stunticon was waiting for Shockwave to simply level his weapon at him and fire. Just because. Why not? If anything erupted, he would of course be the first one to take enemy fire. Or friendly fire. Or any fire.

But it didn't happen. And one by one, various Decepticons were leaving the brig just as quickly as they had arrived. And no one was lying in a smoking heap on the floor. What? That...wasn't how it was supposed to go, was it? Or was it?

Dead End was so confused.

He looked over at Motormaster, but he did not dare say anything right now. A simple question would probably elicit a brief but significant beating from the brutish thug.

The Brig

Skywarp listened carefully as the cycloptic mech spoke. While the teleporter was relieved to hear that Starscream’s spark would be spared, at least for the time being, he was certainly not happy with the prospect of the Decepticon Justice Division being called in to render its own judgement. Surely, Shockwave was more than capable of deciding Starscream’s fate, or perhaps he simply didn’t want to or even be bothered with it. Regardless, what the teleporter heard next left him absolutely dumbfounded.

The Military Operations Commander was appointing Skywarp the new acting Seeker Commander until further notice. Apparently, the walking calculator had seen some kind of wisdom in the prankster’s words and deemed him a fitting replacement for Starscream. It was a notion that would have sent a wave of laughter throughout the rest of the Seeker Corps had they been present in the room. It had been bad enough when ‘Warp was placed in charge of the Iranian Mission where he only had to worry about a small group of insubordinate fliers. Now, he was expected to lead the entirety of the Seeker Corps! It was almost enough pressure to make him purge his tanks.

Before Skywarp could protest his promotion or even offer up another candidate like Thundercracker as a better replacement, Shockwave had taken his leave of the brig, ushering the other Decepticons to follow him. The teleporter was left standing on the observation platform with Nightraven still by his side. Turning towards the femme, he couldn’t help but shrug his shoulders in continued disbelief, his faceplate revealing the uncertainty of what he should do next. “What the slag just happened, Nighty?”

Repair Bay

Razorclaw had taken his leave of the data center once he was completely caught up on the activities that had transpired on board the Thanatos while he and the Predacons had been away on their mission to subjugate Starscream. It was a lot to take in and consider when making his next move against Shockwave. At the present time, he still had the element of surprise on his side, but the Predacon lord had to tread carefully. With Soundwave and his little minions always watching and listening, it would be difficult to make any kind of drastic moves that would arouse suspicion. Patience was the best course of action, whether the others understood that or not.

Now that Razorclaw had the knowledge he required, the Predacon Commander entered the repair bay where he would finally receive the proper restoration he had needed since his battle with Starscream. While his internal systems had done an adequate job with the lesser wounds, the deeper scars required some additional outside assistance. It would give him more time to think and plan for the coming cycles. There was much to figure out, such as how to eliminate Soundwave from the equation, if even for only a short while. But that was only the beginning. Once the Communications Specialist was taken out, his cassetticons would need to be dealt with, as well, and quickly. Then there was the problem of getting inside the secured lab where the ultra energon was stored and finally powering himself and his Predacons up with the experimental ore. There were risks involved in that alone, such as unknown side effects or worse, overload and eventual shutdown.

With all of these things to ponder, Razorclaw laid himself down onto an automated repair berth and off-lined his optics while the mechanical appendages went to work on restoring him to full operating status. Once that was over with, he would return to the barracks where his Predacons would be waiting for him. By then the lion-former would hopefully have a plan of attack or at least a semblance of one. Otherwise, his team could become restless, which was not as much a concern to him as Motormaster’s belligerence and sheer lack of patience. If the Stunticon Commander became dissatisfied with the way things were going, Razorclaw risked losing a major supporter in his bid for total control of the Decepticons, and that was something that could not be allowed to happen.

((OOC: Sorry for the absolute horrid quality of this post, but I had to get something up))

The Brig

A wave of relief washed over Nightraven when Shockwave announced that their request that Starscream be spared would be granted. Unfortunately that allowance would be partial. That bit of news was slightly pacifying, but it was what the Commander had mentioned next that nearly had the femme gasp in disbelief. The Decepticon Justice Division.

Nightraven’s jaw dropped slightly as she took in just what Shockwave was implying. The radical group would be posing as a third party…if that could even be possible…and passing judgment on just what would be done with the Air Commander.

The femme took a quick glance in Skywarp’s direction but then refocused on the imposing mech before them. As if processing what was just revealed to them wasn’t enough, Shockwave threw them another curve ball. Skywarp, the interim Air Commander…what in the name of the Sacred Spires was going on?

As with Skywarp, Nightraven could do nothing more than watch as the Commander and his entourage turned and left the brig altogether. She remained standing next to the teleporter in utter silence, her optics still focused on the closed door that the other Decepticons had just left through. The femme Seeker could hear Skywarp’s query, but Nightraven kept quiet. Finally she offered him a response.

“You’re the interim Air Commander…”

Nightraven then turned to face the confused mech.

“…you’re in charge, Skywarp. At least for a little while.”

She gave him a small smile before placing her hand on his forearm. With a gentle squeeze she continued.

“You can so this. You just need to keep a level head and…and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

Nightraven let her hand slide from his forearm and let it come to rest in his hand. The smile that had made it to her face grew a little wider while she slipped her free hand into his.

“I promise things will work out. Now, we better let Starscream know what’s going on.”

The Brig

Nightraven’s words only confirmed for Skywarp what the Military Operations Commander had already stated, but he could still hardly believe it nor did he want the job that had now been dumped at his feet. Regardless of the femme’s assurances that he was fully capable of being the interim Seeker Commander, the teleporter only desired to be the aerial warrior that fought alongside Thundercracker and the others in the skies above while they rained down terror on the hapless Autobots below. Now, the weight on his shoulders had returned, only it was ten times heavier than it had been in that Earthen desert. ‘Warp could only imagine what Hellion’s reaction to this turn of events might be and the confrontation that would likely ensue.

Skywarp had barely felt Nightraven’s hand on his forearm or even when her hand moved down into his own. The mention of telling Starscream what had happened brought the prankster back into reality, one which he was not looking forward to facing. Hellion’s response to his promotion would be nothing compared to what Screamer would say when he found out momentarily. Still, it was unavoidable no matter how much ‘Warp tried to procrastinate. Besides, Shockwave had ordered him to bring Starscream up to speed on the situation, as well. Therefore, it was better to just get it done and over with now than draw it out any further.

“Yeah, you’re right, Nighty,” Skywarp reluctantly agreed as his nerve receptors felt like they were on fire. “Let’s go.” The prankster then released her hand and turned to walk down the stairs that lead to the lower level of the brig. He could’ve just teleported, of course, but ‘Warp was in no real rush to break this bit of news to Starscream. Instead, he cherished these last few moments of calm before the inevitable storm would erupt. It was difficult to assume just how Screamer would react to being replaced by Skywarp. It could be anything from utter silence to pure rage to even uncontrollable laughter. No matter how it went down, the teleporter would be left feeling more inadequate for the job than he already was.

Taking a deep intake of air into his systems, Skywarp stepped onto the lower level and made his way over to the former Seeker’s Commander’s cell where he then stood at attention and gave his leader a respectful salute. It was one that he technically didn’t have to give anymore but did so anyway out of habit. “Commander Starscream, sir, Shockwave wants me to update you on what is going on. He plans to contact the Decepticon Justice Division and you will have a hearing once there is an opening on their docket. Um...” the teleporter paused for a brief moment, swallowing hard, before he continued. “....there’s also one more thing you should know, sir. Shockwave has decided to make me the interim Seeker Commander until further notice. I don’t want the job, of course, but it seems I don’t have much of a choice.”

Skywarp shrugged his shoulder plates as he finished speaking and stood quietly in front of the energon bars that separated him and Starscream. At least the former Seeker leader couldn’t take out his frustrations on the teleporter in a physical manner as the bars and wrist restraints would prevent that from happening. Still, even while shackled, Starscream was an intimidating mech that could never be underestimated.

Brig

The amount of force Motormaster was using to clench his own fist with his other hand would have easily crushed the hand of any lesser Transformer. To the Stunticon leader this was merely an attempt to suppress the rage boiling inside him. His own prediction had been proved to be accurate. Shockwave showed no interest towards the Stunticons. In fact, everyone else was at least taken notice of before Shockwave and his entourage left the brig. It did not sit well with the hulking black and grey Decepticon. And yet, there was nothing he could do about it right now. That being said, someone was going to become target of his frustrations sooner or later.

As Motormaster contemplated on his next action, the thought of setting Starscream free right here and now crossed his mind few times. Shockwave and his toughest supporters had left them to stand idle in the brig. And while the situation certainly wouldn't have been ideal due to there being still some of Shockwave's troops present - letting himself loose would have felt quite refreshing despite of the consequences. Ultimately though, the consequences of attacking other Decepticons right here and now were enough to restrain Motormaster's hand. He really didn't want screw everything up when the payout of having bit more patience was going to be so much sweeter.

Instead, Motormaster placed his arm on Darkwing's shoulders and leaned some of his massive weight on the smaller 'con while forcing him tightly against his side and flashing Breakdown who was standing opposite to him his patented cruel smirk. "So Clutch and flyboys, what do you do for fun around here, eh?"

Brig

If it’s one thing Breakdown knew for certain it was to stay out of Motormaster’s way when the hulking Stunticon Commander was ready to rage, and it looked as though now would be that time. Taking note of just how tightly the truck-former was clenching his hands the scout knew that today would not be a good day.

Since Dead End had decided to keep his distance Breakdown decided to simply keep silent and let things progress by themselves while ensuring he was not within the semi's fist's reach. Hopefully something would happen that would draw Motormaster’s attention away from his two subordinates...and soon.

Relief flooded the whole of Breakdown’s being when he noted the black and silver semi take more of an interest in Darkwing than him or Dead End…although when Motormaster flashed him that trademark cruel smirk the white and blue ‘Con nearly shivered. To his surprise he was able to keep cool and instead of running for cover Breakdown simply sent a wicked smirk in his Commander’s direction.
____

To Nightraven’s disappointment Skywarp had barely acknowledged her attempt at reassuring him that he was capable of performing the task of interim Air Commander. Instead the prankster looked as though he was lost and might purge his tanks.

He reluctantly agreed that speaking with Starscream was the best course of action and released her hand. Nightraven watched him for a moment before attempting to reach out but he had already turned and began to make his way down the stairs to the lower level where he could speak with the former Seeker Commander. Nightraven followed suit.

The black femme stayed close behind Skywarp as he approached the cell Starscream was held in. She had to admit the prospect of just how the red and silver Seeker would react to the news was daunting. She only hoped Skywarp could weather whatever Starscream would throw at him.

Within the cell the former Commander of the Decepticon Aerial Corps stood with his back to the bars. Head bowed as though he were in the final stages of acceptance…acceptance of his own defeat.

Starscream registered both the heavier footfalls of his wingmate and the lighter ones belonging to the femme who had accompanied them. Upon hearing the voice of the teleporting warrior Starscream’s head lifted slightly.

So, Shockwave would not pass judgment on him, instead he would bring in a third party to do his dirty work…typical. And the announcement of just who that third party would be caused nothing more than groan to escape the bound Seeker. The Decepticon Justice Division he could handle, however it was Skywarp’s next message that cause more of a reaction. Starscream’s head quickly rose and whipped around so that he could glare at the new Commander.

Finally his features softened and his angry stare broke…it was swiftly followed up by a rousing guffaw. To think Skywarp could possibly take his place, it was positively absurd. Starscream’s laughter only grew in volume as he nearly doubled over only to be stopped by the fact that his movement was being restricted by the binders around his wrists. After several minutes he straightened back up and finally calmed enough to get out a coherent sentence.

“Do you know just how utterly ridiculous that sounds? There is no one…NO ONE…”

The Commander grit his teeth so tightly they nearly screeched in protest as he charged the cell’s bars. He stopped just short of making contact and glared daggers at Skywarp before finishing his thought.

“…that will take my place! EVER!”

Starscream grew quiet for a moment but then leaned forward slightly and lowered his vocalizer so that none could hear save the teleporter and Nightraven.

“Hear me, Skywarp, and hear me well…you will perform your duties as my replacement but any and all orders will come from no one but me. You both will provide me with any and all information that you come across concerning MY Seekers.”

He grew quiet to let what he had just ordered sink into Skywarp’s thick cranium. If he was going to overthrow, not only Shockwave and Razorclaw he would need to keep HIS troops loyal to only him.

“You are nothing more than my messenger...a figurehead. You keep that in mind, Skywarp. And you…”

Starscream motioned to the femme who had taken up a place behind the teleporter.

“Yes, sir?”

A sneer formed on Starscream’s face as he regarded Nightraven.

“Since Thundercracker is not present to keep this…him out of trouble you will have to do. Be sure that he performs his expected function and that I’m kept apprised of all that is occurring. Is that understood?”

“Of course, Commander.”

With a curt nod aimed at the femme the red and silver Seeker turned his gaze on his successor hoping Skywarp was also on the same page.

“Is all of that clear?”

The Brig

To Skywarp’s relief, Starscream seemed to take the news of the Decepticon Justice Division’s involvement in passing judgement on him rather well. It was the secondary bit of news that brought out a loud, boisterous laughter from the former Seeker Commander. The teleporter grimaced slightly when Starscream then suddenly charged at the bars, declaring that no one could ever replace him, especially not an idiot flier such as the love-struck prankster.

“Of course not, I never meant to say that I could....” Skywarp tried to respond but was quickly cut off when the red and silver mech leaned forward and began instructing both ‘Warp and Nightraven to perform their duties as given by Shockwave. The ruse needed to be maintained, after all, regardless of how absurd it all was. Furthermore, all orders, or at least the ones that actually mattered, were to come from the rightful Seeker Commander and not some silly impostor or even the one eyed mech that had claimed the throne. Starscream made absolutely certain that Skywarp knew he was only a figurehead in this game they were playing while the femme behind him was to make sure he didn’t screw everything up. Without hesitation, Nightraven indicated that she fully understood her task before Screamer turned his attention back to the prankster, asking the same question.

“Crystal clear, Commander Starscream,” Skywarp replied quietly with a slight bow of his cranium. “My loyalty has been and will always be to you, sir. That will never change.” The teleporter then turned to face Nightraven, who had thankfully been assigned to assist him in this difficult endeavor. The notion that her guiding hand would always be there had brought some comfort to the already overwhelmed teleporter. ‘Warp knew that she would’ve helped him anyway out of the goodness of her spark, but now it was official, ensuring that she would not be ordered away on another task while the prankster was still technically in charge.

“Well, Nighty, Shockwave wanted me to organize the squadrons and submit reports into the ship’s database within the orn. So, I guess we should get started on that,” Skywarp suggested, hoping that the seeker femme knew how to do all of that, because he was clueless on where to begin.

Bridge

The trek through the numerous, intertwining corridors of the Thanatos had been expectedly uneventful. The bridge itself would be a different matter altogether. Shockwave was already beginning to calculate percentages regarding possible outcomes of the interactions that were likely to take place aboard the bridge. Starscream's hearing would be another matter altogether. Nevertheless, Shockwave was confidant that the respective pieces would fall in to place.

As the bridge doors slid open and allowed Shockwave and his small coterie entry, the cycloptic strategist took note of every Decepticon present before proceeding further. Certain faces were expected, others had clearly undergone recent reactivation in to service. With Starscream having been attended to, it was now Thunderwing that was of pre-eminent concern. His actions aboard the Thanatos previously had earned the Valckastan warlord a considerable degree of trust, inasmuch as such things were ever allotted to anyone, but rumors regarding the warlord's ambitions, his delays with providing the real details of his new technology and Blackwind's open defiance--and apparent deference to the warlord himself--had shifted Shockwave's internal calculations by a significant margin. Now it was time to see just how far their courses had strayed from one another.

"Decepticon Thunderwing," Shockwave began, his flat affect currently indicating which mechanoid on the bridge currently held his attention, "interrogative--all operations on Earth proceed as expected?"

Shockwave's optical direction shifted just slightly, noting Soundwave'ss positioning and calculating the likelihood that the communications officer had likely already completed the imperator's earlier request. That would resolve's Starscream's fate. The time would soon come to resolve Thunderwing's as well and remind him of the most logical path forward, regardless of whether Shockwave revealed Blackwind's current fate during the course of their interaction here or the warlord eventually discovered it on his own, as he inevitably would.

Recalculation in progress....

Query: prolong? Result: 73.045865% likelihood of unsatisfactory resolution. Query: initiate? Result: 46.0673% likelihood of unsatisfactory resolution.

Shockwave returned his gaze towards Thunderwing and raised his arm cannon, channeling power to it.

"Declarative: Your delays regarding the provision of information regarding your new technology were unacceptable. Solution: Blackwind has been subdued and is undergoing more thorough examination. She is currently unharmed and fully-capable of being brought back online. Whether that will remain a reality is unknown at this time," Shockwave started, beginning with the official reasons regarding why he had taken the actions that he had; however, both he and Thunderwing knew there was more to it than that. "Additionally, her perceptions of my imperatorship were not well-hidden. Nor was her growing loyalty towards you--notably increasing only in Megatron's absence. That was also a factor. I must have assurances of your loyalty. Hers will logically follow yours. Until such time as the Decepticon command structure has been solidified, I will not permit her reactivation. Those driven by science will hold a place of prominence under my leadership, but I can not risk all that has been accomplished up to this point and will take all necessary steps to preserve it. Do you find this to be acceptable...?"

Shockwave had intentionally avoided asking whether Thunderwing found the terms to be "ideal". Few scenarios ever were. Simple acceptability would be satisfactory. The question was more for Shockwave's benefit, as Thunderwing's response would immediately have an effect on the current strategic percentages that were being run in the purple mech's substantial processors.

"...or not?"

Thunderwing's new technology was likely powerful, if impure in its apparent integration of techno-organic materials. If Thunderwing's response was unsatisfactory and utilization of Shockwave's own stores of ultra-energon became necessary, it would be a valuable test to see how well the shell could withstand such an onslaught. If it could, Shockwave would surely need to re-evaluate the efficacy of both the pretender technology and the new energon derivative.

The Brig

The scowl that was etched on Starscream’s face grew even deeper as he glared deep into Skywarp’s optics. If this was who Shockwave appointed his successor than the one eyed freak was more desperate than he had originally thought. Although, with the prankster running things on behalf of Shockwave...everything Starscream had worked for thus far could still come crumbling down before he even set foot outside of the cell. He needed Skywarp to do exactly as he wanted…and it seemed that he would get his wish as the purple and black seeker had very quickly accepted his terms.

Starscream’s features softened, but only partially, as he slowly stepped back and away from the bars. His posture straightened and he took on a more dignified stance…well, as dignified as one could get locked inside of a cell with ones hands bound behind their back.

The former Air Commander let out a low hiss and gently shook his head as he took in both Seekers standing just beyond his reach.

“Good.”

He turned on his heel and carefully made his way into the shadows that laced the back of his cell. Obscured by the darkness Starscream settled in on the floor...the only marginally comfortable place he could locate.

From behind Skywarp, Nightraven simply watched the exchange take place between the former Commander and his interim replacement. As expected Starscream was none too happy with the revelation that he had been replaced, if only temporarily, by his own wingmate and subordinate.

Nightraven remained quite as she had no desire to draw Starscream’s ire…not that she was happy he was more focused on Skywarp, she just despised confrontation...even though Starscream was locked behind bars he was still an intimidating mech.

The Seeker’s disappearance into the shadows sent a shiver down the femme’s spinal structure until her focus was drawn toward Skywarp. From the darkness beyond the bars Nightraven turned her attention to the flier that was now facing her. She flashed him a small smile...an attempt at comfort and a reassurance that she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Yeah. I'd prefer not to keep Shockwave waiting.”

The femme took a quick look over her shoulder in hopes that there would be a terminal where they could access the ship's logs but saw nothing except empty cells. She looked back to Skywarp and let out a heavy sigh.

“We’ll need to find a terminal so we can access the rosters and locations of all the squadrons. After that we can…well you can...determine how you’d like to coordinate the units.”

Nightraven took a quick look over Skywarp’s shoulder and into the darkened cell, but when she heard no objections she decided it was safe to continue. She flashed the new Commander a delicate smile and offered him a small nod before she leaned in and whispered to him.

“Don’t worry. You can do this. Just keep Starscream apprised, follow his orders and everything will work out fine…and…I’ll be here to help. Now come on. Let’s get to work.”

The Brig

Skywarp let out a sigh of relief at Starscream’s one-worded response before the former Seeker Commander moved to the back of his cell where the shadows quickly consumed him. The hardest part for the prankster was technically over, but that didn’t mean his job was about to get much easier, far from it. At least Nightraven would be there to guide him through what needed to be done. Never in his wildest imaginations did ‘Warp ever conceive of the notion of being the new Seeker leader, interim or permanent. Regardless, here he was about to take on the single greatest responsibility that a seeker could have. Too bad he wasn’t really up to the task no matter how much Nighty tried to convince him that he could do it.

Listening to Nightraven explain what they needed to do helped ease Skywarp’s anxieties, but only a bit. He’d much rather just listen to someone else’s orders and just follow them like he always had done. Still, perhaps this was a second chance to make the seeker femme proud of him. Although, if history served as any kind of reminder, ‘Warp would likely need a third or even a fourth chance before he got it right.

“A terminal? Right, Nighty, that would help,” Skywarp responded with a smirk before turning away from the darkened cell that contained the one true Seeker Commander and heading for the door. With the object of his affections following close behind, the teleporter exited into the corridor beyond.

Corridors / Data Center

Skywarp had wandered the halls for almost a full breem without an access terminal in sight. He wasn’t very familiar with the layout of the Thanatos, which was why it took him so long to locate something as simple as a computer console. “You’d think there’d be terminals all over the fraggin’ place, but can we find one? Oh, no!” The prankster exclaimed in frustration, glancing over at Nightraven for a moment before returning his optics to the pathway ahead. “This is getting very irritating. How can I possibly lead the Seekers if I can’t even find a stupid terminal so I can organize them?!”

Finally, the annoyed teleporter stumbled upon the doors of the data center, the same facility Razorclaw had just utilized before moving down to the repair bay. Of course, Skywarp had no knowledge of the Predacon leader’s prior activities here, nor did he care even if he did know. “I guess there should be a terminal in here, right? I mean, it is a data center for frag’s sake.”

Stepping towards the door, Skywarp entered his security code and quickly gained access to the data facility within. Glancing around the vast room, the prankster was happy to finally see a plethora of computer stations where he could finally get to work. “So, this is where they keep them all,” the teleporter commented as he looked over at Nightraven again, letting a weak smile escape his otherwise serious visage. “I guess it doesn’t matter which one I use does it?”

Without waiting for a response, Skywarp made his way to the nearest terminal and sat down in the respective chair. Again, he was prompted to enter his clearance codes, which granted him direct access to the Predacon warship’s mainframe. Considering his new rank as interim Seeker Commander, the prankster discovered that he already had access to areas where he normally would have been denied. Scrolling down through all of the numerous logs and files that filled the view screen, ‘Warp quickly became agitated once more as he realized that he had no idea what he was looking for. “Um, Nighty? I’m having trouble finding the right file here. I mean, there should be something that says ‘Seeker Roster’ or something like that, right? Unless, I’m just not seeing it.”

Repair Bay

While receiving the repairs and recharge that he needed, Razorclaw found time to weigh his options. Unfortunately, there was no clear opportunity to strike with the knowledge that Shockwave and his minions were now powered up on ultra energon. The new ore would make them far stronger and more resilient than the Predacon lord or his group of Decepticon rebels. They needed to gain access to the ultra energon and power up, as well, if the lion-former had any hopes of eliminating Shockwave from the equation successful. How to do so with Soundwave and his cassettes constantly watching was the real question. The monotone mech still needed to be dealt with in some way, perhaps with a distraction or by more violent means if there was no other choice.

Another unknown factor was how Thunderwing’s carapace technology would hold up against the new energon. Could the Warlord’s outer shell stand up to the raw power? If it could then perhaps he was the key to usurping Shockwave from the throne. Of course, Thunderwing could also possibly take the leadership mantle for himself, which would leave the lion-former in the position of either accepting the scientist as the new supreme commander or facing another time-wasting battle with an opponent that would not be nearly as easy to beat as Starscream was. As Motormaster had previously said, the strongest should lead and that very well could be the Warlord in this case.

It was all almost enough to make Razorclaw’s cranium overload and explode. In the past he only had to worry about his unit while Megatron dealt with everything else regarding the war effort. Now, the Predacon Commander was trying to make decisions for all Decepticons. Even if he managed to somehow overcome the obstacles to the throne here in the Sol System, once word finally got out to the rest of the Empire that the slagmaker was dead, there would be others vying for the role of Supreme Leader. Mechs like Scorponok would surely come or even one of the Phase Sixers. They were all very powerful Decepticons in their own right and would present an immense challenge to the Predacon lord’s reign.

Perhaps I’m better served as a unit commander and not the overall leader, Razorclaw finally allowed his processor to consider. It was something he hated to admit, even internally, but how would he maintain control over those who were far stronger than he was? He had gotten himself into this situation mostly because neither Starscream nor Shockwave were worthy successors and the lion-former refused to follow them. Thus, the Predacon Commander was forced into taking the throne for himself, a move that he was now having second thoughts about. Of course, he couldn’t very well give up, not with Shockwave still in control. Razorclaw had to persevere and be patient for the right moment to make his move and deal with the consequences of those actions at the appropriate time. Until then there was still work to be done.

Once the medical appendages were finished with the last of the repairs, Razorclaw on-lined his optics again and got up off of the automated berth. The Predacon lord then ran a standard diagnostic which quickly ascertained that all of his systems were now operating at 100% with his fuel cells fully charged. Disconnecting the energon line from an access port on his right side, the lion-former wasted no further time in exiting the repair bay. His destination was the barracks where he hoped to find the rest of the Predacons so that he could brief them on the information he had already gathered from the data center. They needed to be updated on the situation regarding the ultra energon and why patience was the key to victory.

Barracks

Rampage's extra supplies were in the exact same places that he had left them originally. It was good to know that the cyclops hadn't gutted and reorganized their ship from the inside out just yet. It would probably happen sooner rather than later, though, if they couldn't manage to get him inside one of those holding cells that the mouthy Seeker was currently inhabiting.

"I bet a Seeker makes the first move. They're too antsy. They'll slip. Shockwave'll respond and then it'll be on," Rampage said, looking over at Tantrum as the larger, fueler loaded up with his own additional supplies. More than Rampage could carry, for sure.

Not that he couldn't understand what they were going through. He was pretty antsy too. He had fully expected weapons fire to be discharging all over this ship by now. Razorclaw knew best, though. Rampage trusted in that for too long a time to begin doubting him now. That kept him in check. The Seekers would have no such check on their own wilder tendencies with Starscream being indisposed--even if it was only for appearances.

"Whoever. Whatever," Tantrum grunted, slamming his storage unit shut. "I just hope one of Shockwave's little gearheads gets in my way."
___

Brig

Motormaster had decided not to take his leave of the brig, much to Dead End's continued dismay. Of all the places to be milling around on this ship, Dead End was hardly keen on lingering in the brig. After all, once this was all over, this was where he was likely going to end up. And that was one of the better scenarios playing out in his mind.

At least Motormaster's attention was not on them, but rather other Decepticon warriors whom they had not seen in some time. Of particular note was Darkwing and Dreadwind. He was sure that was going to be an inspiring little interaction for their thuggish commander. Those two could bring him down, and that was saying something. Of course, they probably thought the same thing about him. If they thought about him at all. Which they probably didn't.

By the time they were done talking, they'd all be ready to sever their sparks.

"I'm hungry," Dead End whispered, closing the distance between himself and Breakdown some.

Now it seemed that not only would he go down in a fiery blaze of nothing, he'd be starving while he did it.

Corridors / Data Center

Nightraven had followed Skywarp out of the brig but remained relatively quiet…as was her nature. However she was sure to keep close to the fledgling Commander so he was sure to perceive her continued presence. The last thing she wanted to do was worry him about being abandoned.

His query pertaining to the possibility of finding at least one terminal within the data center brought the femme out of her own thoughts. She stepped up beside him and offered a slight nod.

He then accessed the room and was surprised to find that even on board the Thanatos his security clearance was accepted, but just as he probably surmised Shockwave…or even Soundwave, had probably provided the security system with his clearances. The same could probably be said about the terminals.

Nightraven stopped beside the nervous and no doubt apprehensive Skywarp and with him took a long look at the available computers. And as the black and purple Seeker had determined there was no precise terminal that had to be used.

“No. You can use any one of them.”

Before she was even finished answering his question, though, he was already moving deeper into the room but stopped at the nearest station and sat down. He looked uncertain of just what to do next so with a small smile and a gentle shake of her head, Nightraven made her way to his side.

He gained access rather swiftly and went to work running through what he could find…even if the information he came across had nothing to do with what he was looking for. She absorbed what she could before she looked down at the clearly aggravated mech. After a moment Nightraven leaned down over him and began to narrow down the search parameters to just that of the Seekers within the Decepticon ranks. It was a considerable list but nothing that was impossible to organize.

From her position, leaning over in front of him, Nightraven looked over her outstretched arm and gave him a reassuring smile…at least she hoped he took it as that.

“There. Just stay focused. You can do this.”

Brig

This was not part of the plan…replacing him with that idiot was not something that he had foreseen, and by the look on his wingmate’s faceplate it wasn’t foreseen by him either. Idiot. Starscreem sat quietly against the back wall of his tight cell and shook his head. Such a tragedy being here and not perched high upon Megatron’s vacant throne. An error that would soon be rectified.

Now, if he only knew what that cretin Razorclaw was doing to advance their little coup. What an annoyance…to be detained and not even kept held abreast of just how their plans were advancing. If he didn’t know any better Starscreem would think that his collaborator was working against him and their best interests.

“Cross me and I will be sure you never make it off this ship alive. That you can be sure of.” The internal vocalized thought was spoken in a hushed tone.
____

Breakdown made absolutely certain that he remained out of sight of his Commander even after Motormaster regarded him. There was no need to draw the bulky mech’s attention back to himself…after all Motormaster found it much more amusing to address Darkwing…no reason to break that blossoming bond. Nosiree.

His watchful gaze was broken off from the spectacle in front of when as Dead End approached him. The warrior’s statement was one that Breakdown could certainly agree with, but to fulfill that need they’d have to figure out a way to get away from their deranged Commander. Of course with Motormaster focused on Darkwing perhaps now was as good a time as any.

“Maybe we could, I don’t know, sneak away and find the commissary? But I’m not doin’ it unless you do it too.”

Bridge

Soundwave received the signal from Shockwave with some surprise. He had assumed that the cold and logical Decepticon would move swiftly to correct what was possibly one of Megatron’s few mistakes and remove Starscream from the picture entirely. Leaving him alive, even if imprisoned, left the opportunity for him to escape and make another play for leadership. While there might be something said for a formal proceeding and execution to legitimize his leadership Soundwave would have been happy with simply shooting the seeker in the head and being done with it. Of course that might foment some sort of rebellion among the other seekers but without Starscream they were nothing more then flying drones in his opinion, stupid and expendable. They could be brought to heel easily enough.

In addition to that Shockwave was calling in the notorious Justice Division. While Soundwave had no particularly problem with the Division personally, few Decepticons could match his track record of loyalty, he did consider them to be a rather unstable and unpredictable element to be adding to the mix. Their slavish obedience to their ‘List’ and penchant for gruesome torture and executions meant that getting a quick response from them was unlikely. In addition he was uncertain as to how they would react to the news of Megatron’s death.

Still he was as ever obedient and sent the request out on their specific channel. He had just finished the message when Shockwave arrived on the bridge with a few other gathered Decepticons. No doubt he was here to confront Thunderwing who had arrived only moments earlier. He offered a nod to the commander to indicate the message had been sent as he observed the confrontation unfolding in front of him.

*

Brig

Clutch looked over as Motormaster asked him a question. He still didn’t like the Stunticon leader or his team, the way he was feeling now he almost considered just challenging him to a fight. This new fuel had him really going. Fortunately he still remembered that he was a ranking officer. He had always done his best to remain obedient to superiors.

“Not much to do around here. You can always get a recharged though, not sure what your ship has left in the way of fuel so you might want to take advantage while you are up here.”

The bulky Con turned to follow Shockwave as he left the room.

*

Darkwing was partially hunched down from the weight Motormaster was placing on him. This is why he hated being around psychos, that tendency to do something crazy and psychotic. He nodded emphatically after Clutch spoke up.

“Yeah, fuel here ain’t too bad. Get some while the gettings good I always say, right Dreadwind.”

The other flier glared at Darkwing in annoyance. He had been happy enough being ignored by Motormaster in general and now he was getting dragged into the conversation. “Uh, yeah, that’s right. Never know when it will be your last recharge and you wouldn’t want to go out there on empty.”

*

Bridge

Clutch silently followed Shockwave on to the bridge. Once he was in the room he did a brief glance around. It was mostly crewed by vehicons now, with Soundwave at some sort of sciencey communication station he assumed. Thunderwing was also standing in the middle of the room, apparently waiting for them. Everything seemed fairly normal and boring until Shockwave leveled his gun at the other Decepticon.

He was certainly caught off guard. Clutch had assumed with Starscream locked up that would be the end of any infighting. Certainly even when Megatron was alive this sort of thing happened but it was fairly rare. To have so much of it going on now in his absence was quite probably a bad sign. Still, if it gave him an opportunity to throw down and fight it out he wouldn’t turn it down.

*

Thunderwing had arrived on the bridge to be greeted by silence from Soundwave and the drones manning the room. He wasn’t particularly surprised as he assumed Shockwave’s dealing with Starscream would take some time, assuming Razorclaw didn’t spring some sort of trap on him. He found this highly unlikely as he assumed the Predacon would need his direct assistance in taking out Shockwave.

As he expected Shockwave arrived on the bridge with his personal entourage which gave Thunderwing pause. He glanced over at the various Decepticons. From what he could tell they were serving as some sort of bodyguards. Their appearance here on the bridge was not a promising one. At least it didn’t appear that Razorclaw had made some sort of attempt and failed as he saw no battle damage on them. It was possible Shockwave was merely being overly cautious.

The Decepticon nodded at Shockwave’s question. “From what I observed things are moving along quite well. Scrapper was too busy for me to consult with directly but the base is taking shape quite nicely. I assume it will be done in short order. Razorclaw should be able to tell you more about the Stunticon vessel’s state but I don’t think it will be operation anytime…”

His voice trailed off as he picked up the energy spike coming from Shockwave. He watched as he leveled his gun arm at him. In response he activated his own weapon systems, powering them up but not activating or aiming them at Shockwave, yet. Thunderwing’s optics narrowed and he bared the row of razor sharp fangs that lined his mouth as he looked back at Shockwave and his minions. He considered simply lashing out at the other Decepticon. If he could close the distance to him fast enough he could negate the effectiveness of his main weapon at the same time utilizing some of his own weaponry. Unfortunately the fact that he had brought considerable back up made the odds of his success quite unfavorable. He would have to take a different tact.

In an angry tone Thunderwing replied to him. “Loyalty? Loyalty cannot be earned from the barrel of a cannon, no matter how powerful said weapon is. Loyalty is earned through actions and respect. You are quite powerful Shockwave, and intelligent. You could quite possibly take the reigns of leadership of the Decepticons. As of yet, however, you have failed to do so.”

The Decepticon relaxed his tone and posture as he continued. “I recall your disappearance from Cybertron all that time ago. While I have been removed from the war for sometime your absence has been even longer. Now since your return you have reportedly worked with the Autobots and had your leadership challenged twice. While these matters were resolved the fact still remains that your leadership has been continually challenged and called into question. Even now you and I both know that their will be other challengers in the Empire to be the heir to Megatron, and they will not be the sniveling weakling that Starscream was.”

“I would have presented my technology immediately to Lord Megatron. It was, and still is, my gift to the empire, an edge to help crush the Autobots once and for all. I will give it freely to whoever becomes the new ruler of the Decepticons but from what I have observed that decision hasn’t been made final yet. Would your claim to leadership be considered legitimate if it was gained with my technology, or would that only spur on competitors, claiming it was won only because of new weaponry? Would it start an internal arms race among the Decepticons? A splintering of the empire into miniature kingdoms?”

“I would not presume to speak for Lord Megatron, but I have to imagine he would want his heir to take control the same way he did, with his own wits, strength, and raw power. You do have that potential Shockwave, you and I both know it. I suggest you not cheapen it by threatening me and taking hostages. Such things might earn obedience, but true loyalty is not gained in such ways.”

Bridge

Shockwave absorbed the entirety of Thunderwing's response, analyzing the minutiae and running it against the litany of acceptable response calculations he had made within his own processors. There were certain elements of the warlord's response that Shockwave would have taken the opportunity to debate, if a debate was what they were having. For the time being, Shockwave was only determining whether or not he would test his new energy source on another potential rival. At the end of Thunderwing's speech, he had determined that the odds of successfully maintaining the warlord's allegiances were comfortably within the 65th percentile.

He would likely shore up that questionable percentage, along with a number of other questionable loyalties, once Starscream's threat to his command had been put to rest. Indeed, the Seeker had been a glitch in his wiring eve since his return to this solar system. But that been accounted for. He was just as much of a problem for Megatron. Shockwave was hardly so foolish to as to think he would be less of one for him. So long as Starscream continued to function, he would be a threat to any leader, as the Seeker had long seen himself as the only one suitable to hold ultimate sway over the Decepticon empire.

It was fortunate, then, that he had such a prime opportunity to take care of the rogue Seeker and his treacherous proclivities now.

"Declarative: a satisfactory response," Shockwave stated, lowering his arm cannon as he proceeded further on to the bridge, approaching the command chair. As he did so, he saw that the ship had logged an incoming response from Soundwave's earlier transmission. Shockwave seated himself in the chair and transferred it to the primary bridge viewscreen. "Points of contention remain, but all possess a statistical probability of achieving resolution. One, in particular, I intend to address now."

Shockwave turned to face the screen directly as it lit up and revealed what appeared to be a Decepticon symbol. It was not a typical symbol, however. It was battle-worn. More importantly, it was immediately easy to determine that it was not a simple badge as most Decepticons wore, but rather an integral part of a cranial structure. The figure--a mechanoid who now went by the name of Tarn, a member of the Decepticon Justice Division stepped back, allowing all on the bridge a better view. Behind him, a massive, hulk of a mech stalked behind him as fires raged. It looked as if Tarn was standing in the center of the Pit itself.

>>"Excellent, Kaon. That will do nicely. I can see them all. Ahhhh...Shockwave. When we received the hearing request from Soundwave, I had hoped to speak with someone a little less monotone. It appears I will be disappointed in that regard. Pity. So......this pertains to Starscream, yes?"<<

"Affirmative," Shockwave responded evenly.

>>"Annnnnnd, hm, you are certifying that his actions reach the level of high crimes and misdemeanors against the integrity of the Decepticon empire and are, thus, worthy of our collective consideration?"<<

"Affirmative."

>>"My...this conversation is already everything I was expecting it would be,"<< Tarn said, sighing. >>"And why does this request not come from Megatron himself?"<<

"Declarative: Megatron is currently indisposed and unable to deal with the matter directly. It has been delegated to me," Shockwave said, choosing his words very carefully, lest he be held in some future contempt himself. He made certain to speak the truth, even if it was only true from a certain point of view. On the viewscreen, Tarn cocked his head slightly, as if he too were analyzing the validity of Shockwave's words. In all likelihood, he was.

>>"Very well, Shockwave. As this petition comes from someone of your standing, we will hear it."<<

From somewhere, well out of view of the transmission cube, a mangled, metallic scream could be heard, before being slowly silenced.

>>"I believe Tesarus is just finishing up. You have, oh, I don't know, about ten breems before we depart for our next destination. We will likely be incommunicado for several orns afterward, unless this situation warrants otherwise. As such, we will commence the hearing in five breems. The Division will hear from the accuser...and the accused, per standard protocol and render our judgement accordingly. Until then."<<

Tarn's image blinked from existence, returning the primary viewscreen to its typical display of outlying space and, currently, the uppermost crest of Sol-3 just above the horizon. Shockwave's optic flickered. With the Justice Division now involved, the cycloptic strategist was confidant that Starscream's treacherous history would be dealt with once and for all. The Division may well authorize him to end Starscream's existence then and there, a perfect message for anyone else still questioning their loyalty. Shockwave's command in this region would be solidified. He would deal with the expansion fleets in due course. They might also decide to enact his execution themselves, as they often did. Indeed, it was one of the Division's primary functions. If they did, Shockwave would have to proceed more cautiously, but he was confidant that matters would proceed as he expected in that scenario as well. All in all, the new imperator was pleased with how matters were falling in to place.

Shockwave brought up a diagram of the ship and selected the primary hangar bay that would serve the upcoming purpose satisfactorily.

"Imperative: Soundwave, have Starscream transferred to the primary hangar bay. Alert all non-essential personnel that they are to bear witness to Starscream's fate, and the ultimate fate of all those who put themselves above the final objective of the Decepticon empire. You will accompany me. Dispatch suitable lieutenants to oversee bridge operations in the intervening period."

Shockwave rose from his seated position and proceeded towards the bridge's exit. His stay here had been brief, but he preferred it that way. What he sought to accomplish by coming here had been accomplished. Now it was time to return to his real work.

"The lingering question of leadership will soon be resolved."

Barracks

Razorclaw entered the barracks to find his unit loitering about, some on recharge berths while others stood and chatted with one another. He had seldom been down here before as the Predacon Commander normally had his own private quarters. However, since Shockwave had taken control of the Thanatos, those quarters now technically belonged to the purple scientist. That would eventually change, however, when the lion-former and his elite team of mechanical beasts took back what was rightfully theirs.

Before addressing the others, Razorclaw turned and made sure that the doors to the barracks were closed and sealed shut with the proper security protocols in place. The Predacon lord wanted to be certain that no one else entered or overheard what he was about to tell his squad. Extreme caution needed to be taken especially with the likes of Soundwave and his cassettes on board. It would be difficult to progress their plans, but not impossible just as long as secured comm lines and encrypted transmissions were kept out of the equation. Such communications would only arouse suspicion while a simple conversation would likely go unnoticed.

“Predacons, gather around and listen closely to what I’m about to say,” Razorclaw ordered, keeping his vocals low as he walked to the center of the chamber to brief his squad on what he now knew regarding the Ore-13. “You are probably all wondering why a move has not yet been made against Shockwave. The answer is simple: the time is not right....yet. You all know me for my endless patience and it is that patience which has now protected us from making a move too soon and thus a fatal error on our part. I have recently accessed the ship’s logs and discovered that Shockwave and the majority of his supporters have all powered up on ultra energon, derived and successfully processed from the Ore-13. The unpredictability of the raw, untested power they now possess makes it impossible for us to strike without first filling our own fuel cells with the new energon. Otherwise, we will likely fail in our mission to secure the throne under Predacon control. Thus, once again, patience is required.”

Razorclaw locked optics with each of his Predacons, making sure they were all taking in what he had just said and understood his words. “I know you are all itching for a fight and you will get it when the time is right. Unfortunately, the ultra energon is under tight security down in the labs and will be very difficult to gain access to. Soundwave will be a major thorn in our sides if he is not dealt with. Hopefully, his attention can be diverted in some fashion to allow us to make our move and power up on the new ore. It is the only way we will stand a chance against the Military Operations Commander and his forces. Until then we bide our time. Is that clearly understood?”

Data Center

Skywarp sat back in his chair in order to allow Nightraven room to reach down across him and narrow the search parameters that ultimately revealed the correct log file regarding the Seeker Corps. Once again she gave him a reassuring smile along with the promise that he could accomplish the task that was handed to him by Shockwave. For a moment, the teleporter considered that if he just did a bad job to begin with then perhaps the one-eyed ‘Con would simply choose a different interim seeker commander. Although, the purple mech could also see no further use for the prankster and just terminate him on the spot. And, of course, there were Starscream’s orders to do as Shockwave had instructed. If the scientist didn’t kill him for his stupidity then the red and silver flier certainly would.

“Thanks, Nighty,” Skywarp replied, cracking a slight smile from his agitated visage. He began scrolling through the seemingly endless list of seekers, many of whom were stationed elsewhere around the galaxy. “I’m assuming that Shockwave doesn’t want me doing anything with the ones outside of the Sol System since that could raise some suspicions regarding what’s going on around here, right? I mean, none of them knows about Megatron’s demise or Starscream's imprisonment. If I start requesting activity updates from the other squadrons, they may start asking questions that I can't answer. So, for now I guess I’ll just focus on those seekers that are stationed in this sector.”

If Skywarp was wrong and had misinterpreted Shockwave’s orders, he hoped that Nightraven would set him on the right path. Until then, the teleporter began isolating the names of the seekers who were deployed planet side along with those generic fliers that were currently on board the Thanatos. Once the list was generated, it was easy to log the activities of the ship-bound seekers as their movements and duties were already documented in the system. The Earth-bound seekers, however, were another story.

“Well, I’ve got activity reports on the seekers that are up here on the warship, but I have no idea what the ones down on the surface of that mudball are currently doing,” Skywarp said as he glanced over at Nightraven. “Am I going to have to contact them directly or is there another way to find out their assignments? I know that 'Cracker, Hellion and the coneheads were on the Ultrax last time I checked, but others like the Intruders and even Slipstream could be anywhere doing Primus knows what. How in the Pit am I supposed to get them all organized and submit activity reports when I don’t even know where most of them are?”

Laboratory

Growing irrevocably weary of holding Mal Practice's present, Deathdancer simply shrugged and turned away, dropping the leaking remains of the drone onto the floor. She felt it was the time to get out of this dingy lab and stretch her legs. Maybe find Shockie. Who knew what fun things she could find to do?

"La la la..."

Humming happily and skipping merrily, Deathdancer exited the Laboratory to see what she could see.

Corridors

The tactician remembered Shockie mentioning something about the Brig, so she decided to begin her search for fun there. Maybe she'd find some others over there, but the odds were that they had already moved on. Still, no one would go to the brig if there weren't someone to look at behind the glass. And maybe that someone...could tell her where others went and others could tell her where others were and so on and so forth.

"Pain, pain, come to stay. Go away another day..."

Deathdancer sang her little songs softly as she made her way to the brig, twirling her scythe behind her back like a rotor blade. She was aching to get down to the planet's surface and cause a little havoc. Beautiful piles of carcasses gleaming in a bloody sun. Ah, the glory days. So many Autobots dead...it was enough to choke her up.

Deathdancer sighed out a sigh from her intakes, a rare frown gracing her delicate features. Oh how she missed those days...orchestrating genocides in a symphony of chaos and destruction. Those had been the early days....or the later days...she couldn't really remember. All of the beautiful carnage blurred together after a while. Of course, there were those little moments of clarity. Those blessed moments where she was able to witness the life go out of one of her victims' optics.

Deathdancer paused in midstep with a pensive expression on her face. The last time she'd enjoyed that pleasure had been in that lovely asylum - or had it been a penitentiary? It had been so very long ago. Too long. Of course, her only victims were Autobots - well, mostly. There had been a few special cases. She enjoyed the special cases. Sort of sad that it had become necessary for the elimination of Decepticons though. Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad.

"The itsy bitsy Autobot crept up the water spout..."

Very sad. Deathdancer did so detest being sad.

"Down came the acid to wash the bot out..."

She needed something to cheer her up again.

"Down came the Decepticons to clean up all the acid..."

Perhaps someone aboard this craft could do such a thing for her. Someone to...test the cyclops' new fuel on.

"And the itsy bitsy Autobot never moved again..."

Deathdancer stopped in front of the brig doors as the last echoes of her song faded. A smile spread over her face again. Who would she find inside, she wondered. Only one way to find out! Deathdancer opened the doors to the brig and slipped inside.

Brig

"Slag. You guys are as stale as Dead End." Motormaster grunted a reply to what Clutch and the gloomy duo of Darkwing and Dreadwind had to say.

"Fine. Might as well get high on energon. Knowing Razorclaw and Shockwave there will nothing else to do for a while." The large Stunticon said, turning to look at his teammates. To be fair, he wanted to hurt someone bad but he was smart enough to know when to cause trouble and when to lay it down.

"We don't want to overstay our welcome just yet, right boys?" He added, flashing the two other Stunticons' a sinister grin before letting go of Darkwing and heading out of the brig. "Now be good little soldiers a fetch me drink before I change my mind."



Bridge

Yet another disappointing confrontation. A moment earlier it had seemed like Shockwave had been ready to blast a big hole through Thunderwing, but now? The one eyed walking calculator seemed to be happy with Thunderwing's tirade about loyalty and respect. Not that Skullcruncher was going to disagree. Whatever it was worth, Thunderwing was far more inspiring mechanoid than Shockwave. Now, whether he could provide results like Shockwave was left to be seen.

However, Skullcruncher found it odd how even Thunderwing was ready to count Starscream as nothing more than a sniveling coward. The heavy warrior had been a Decepticon long enough to see enough. Sure, the seeker had had his moments which had created such of a deceptive reputation. Starscream had his faults. He was over-ambitious and arrogant but a coward? That was an act. A coward would never challenge Megatron's authority. No, the seeker deserved more credit than that. He hadn't made it to Megatron's inner circle for being a sniveling coward. Starscream was cunning and resourceful and those who failed to see that, often paid with their lives. That being said, Skullcruncher was not going to say anything to protect Starscream's reputation. He really didn't care what Shockwave and Thunderwing thought of seeker - he just felt it was odd for them to dismiss the threat the seeker's continued existence so easily.

Except, Shockwave didn't. The Decepticon Justice Division? Save it for Shockwave to contact the those sadistic psycho killers just for the protocol's sake. As if he couldn't deal with this issue on his own. The further away the DJD was from him, the more relaxed Skullcruncher felt. Not that he had done anything wrong. DJD just happened to have a reputation to come up with reasons to put you on their List as they went on.

This was going to be a pain.

Brig

Dead End sighed a little and looked around. Of course Breakdown wouldn't make the first move. He didn't really expect any different response, except for the slim hope of something providing a change of pace from their inevitable march towards death.

More than anything else, Dead End was looking to see if Motormaster's attention was suitably occupied with the other Decepticons in the room thus allowing them a suitable opportunity to go charge up.

Yes......yessssss.....I think so.....

"We don't want to overstay our welcome just yet, right boys?" the brutish thug interjected into Dead End's otherwise peaceful ponderings.

Damn.

"Now be good little soldiers a fetch me drink before I change my mind."

Dead End looked over at Breakdown and shrugged. That was probably as good of an opportunity as they were going to get to fuel up. He hadn't been on the Preds' ship in ages, but he knew they had some kind of chow hall or something where they came to glut themselves after one of their more successful hunts. That was probably the only place they could tap into whatever limited energy supplies Shockwave made available for the rank-and-filers. It was where he was going to go originally. He just had Motormaster's blessing, which would make for less consequences later.

"Right. On it," Dead End said before heading out of the brig. He just wished he could find something in the mess hall to spike Motormaster's drink with and take him out. "Let's go, Breaks."
___

Barracks

When Razorclaw had arrived and ordered them to gather around, there wasn't the slightest indication of any hesitation. This was a unit that had been honed over the millenia and primed to strike on command. All of them could feel it: that command was coming soon. Rampage could definitely feel it, at least.

Tantrum's snort was the only indication that he understood Razorclaw's command and would not let his notorious anger get the better of him until he, like the rest of the Predacons, were ordered to make their move. After that, all bets and promises were off. Tantrum would do what he did best.

"Yes, Razorclaw," Rampage said, indicating his own understanding. Getting access to this ultra energon stuff that Shockwave had been working on would obviously be vital now, especially if he and his cronies were juiced up on the stuff. "Maybe...I don't know, maybe one or two of us should patrol the corridors or offer to stand guard outside or take up our usual bridge positions? Be close by without making it look like anything is unusual. Unless we stay together and attack as one? There's only a few places on this ship where Shockwave will want to be. As soon as we make a move for that new energon, the rest of the game is on, since I'm sure Shockwave or Soundwave has cronies around it all times."

Data Center

From her position, situated just above and across the computer terminal, Nightraven cast the teleporter a small but reassuring smile along with a slight nod. If this whole situation was going to play out in their…well, actually Starscream’s...favor then she and Skywarp were going to have to do precisely what Shockwave wanted. Although following the logic driven mech’s orders was leaving a very foul taste in her mouth.

“You’re welcome. And don’t worry we’ll be finished here soon.”

She flashed him another smile before turning her attention back to the screen and the list of names that had appeared. It was an extensive list, one that contained just about all of the active squadrons spread throughout the galaxy. And Skywarp was right, if they contacted all of the squadrons outside of the Sol System it would clue them in to the fact that something was up. Of course drawing any kind of attention to Starscream’s incarceration and or Megatron missing would be very bad indeed.

“Yes. Contacting all of them would certainly raise some red flags. Let’s just make contact with those in the Sol System. You can contact Helly and the others relatively easily. The others, maybe even Slipstream since she has a tendency to wander off…you’ll probably want to perform a search for their energy signatures. It’s probably the easiest and most direct way to find them all. Of course if that doesn’t work…well, then I’m not sure what to do next.”

Nightraven entered a few final commands and then stood back up. She took a good long look at Skywarp before she laid her hand on his upper arm and gave a gentle squeeze.

“Just keep it together a little longer, Skywarp. I’m sure it’ll be over in no time and with Starscream on top to boot.”

The femme sent a small smile down to the seated mech before releasing his arm.

“Starscream’s smart…you’re probably more familiar with him than anyone else besides Thundercracker. You know what he’s capable of. You three have been wingmates for hundreds of vorns…things will be alright….we’ll be alright.”

Nightraven gestured back to the terminal after finishing her pep talk.

“Now, let’s get this work finished so we can move on to other more pressing matters.”

Brig

If it were possible for Breakdown to actually swallow hard he would have done so. As it was, just receiving a look, be it casual or otherwise, from Motormaster sent Breakdown’s processor into a tizzy. Very quickly the scout averted his optics so as not to make any kind of eye contact with the massive Stunticon Commander. Although when Breakdown did take a quick peek over at the black and silver semi he just happened to catch that trademark sinister grin that always sent chills down his spinal column. And as quickly as he peeked the white and blue mehc looked away again.

“R…right, boss. N…no need to overstay…heh.”

Breakdown nodded nervously as he very subtly stepped closer to Dead End.

“Yeah. Like DE said…right on it.”

Breakdown couldn’t move fast enough out of the brig. He quickly stepped past Dead End even before the morose ‘Con finished his invite. Although he still had the presence of mind to grab a hold of his teammate’s arm, gently tugging in order to get Dead End to move along.

“Thank Primus for small favors. Let’s get the frag outta here before he decides to dismantle us for no reason.”

He paused for a moment as something else crossed his mind.

“I just thought of something…what if he winds up getting slagfaced on high grade…he’s liable to beat the slag out if us anyway. Oh man, DE we’re screwed no matter what we do…” His final few words were followed up quickly by a low whimper.

Armory/Bridge

Afterburner mock-wiped his brow as he finished tuning a spare rifle. He had stopped in to take stock of all the weapons they had, and repair whichever ones needed. A grunt's job, he found it, but he didn't have the guts to tell his commanders.

"If Terradive were here, he would be doing this," the Skyscorcher mused. He almost missed his teammates, if only for having more workhorses.

"All weapons are accounted for, and they are all in prime state," he recorded as he sent the invetory through the correct channels. Exiting the armory, he walked to the bridge, taking his post at the weapons console. He had an odd feeling that today was going to be a weird day as he nodded to Shockwave, but he said nothing.

Barracks

Razorclaw listened curiously as Rampage spoke up to offer some suggestions on what they should do while they awaited the right moment to strike. For a violent mech with a limited mental capacity, the tiger-former had some good ideas. Surely they were not his own and probably something he learned from an outside source. “Not bad, Rampage. Perhaps those human television programs you’re addicted to aren’t so bad for your brain module after all. Heh!” The Predacon Commander chuckled before stepping in and slapping his subordinate hard on the back. He then stepped back once more to address the entirety of his unit.

“All right, I want the four of you to break into two groups and patrol the corridors. Divebomb and Tantrum, check out the stasis chamber where the Vehicons are kept on ice while Rampage and Headstrong can patrol around the lab area. Whatever you do don’t linger for too long in either place. Otherwise, someone will grow suspicious. Once you have gathered what information you can, head up to the bridge and assume your normal stations. Meanwhile, I will search out Motormaster and Thunderwing in order to bring them up to speed on the current situation regarding the ultra energon why we must wait until we are equally as powered up. Once I have finished, I will meet you all up on the bridge, as well. Understood?”

Razorclaw locked optics with each of his Predacons, hoping that he had made himself perfectly clear. They weren’t the brightest bunch, but they were still an elite fighting unit and therefore the lion-former had little doubt that they would carry out his orders to the best of their abilities. The Predacon lord wasn’t really worried about them, or even Thunderwing for that matter, as his primary concern lay more with the Stunticon Commander whose impatience was near legendary. Razorclaw couldn’t afford to lose Motormaster’s support because he had become bored and decided to act on his own to find the violence that he was almost certainly craving right now. It was time to solidify support and maintain control over what limited men and resources the Predacon Commander still had.

Data Center

Skywarp listened carefully as Nightraven continued to guide him along in his task to organize all of the seekers within the Sol System. If Starscream had been here, the job would’ve been done before the teleporter had even sat down. That’s just how efficient the true Seeker Commander was. As it were, ‘Warp was responsible now and he would just have to make the best of it and hope that he didn’t screw things up too much. After all, he’d hate to go down in Decepticon history as the mech who single-handedly destroyed the entire Seeker Corps. He might as well just join the fraggin Autobots if that actually happened.

Before he could respond to Nighty’s suggestions, he felt her hand on his upper arm and heard the reassuring words he needed to keep him going, at least for the short term. She was right, of course. He and Thundercracker did know Starscream the best as the three of them had been there from the beginning. Screamer had a plan, one that would ensure the Seeker Corps lived on as the most fearsome aerial fighting force the Empire had to offer. ‘Warp just had to believe that things would all work out in the end and above all he needed to believe in himself.

“I’m sure you’re right, Nighty,” Skywarp finally replied as she let go of his arm. “I think I’ll contract Thundercracker first. Through him I can gather what information I need regarding whatever the others are doing. He’s the only one I can really trust that will take me seriously and be able to gather the seekers down there together. As for the ones that have gone rogue, the signature search will have to be good enough. If I can’t find some of them, I’ll just have to note that on my report to Shockwave and hope he doesn’t take anything out on me.”

Skywarp let out a deep sigh as he opened a comm line to his long time friend:

>>”Thundercracker, this is Skywarp on board the Thanatos up in orbit around this miserable mudball. Starscream has been taken prisoner by Shockwave and is facing a hearing with the Decepticon Justice Division to determine his fate. Believe it or not, Shockwave has named me the interim Seeker Commander. I’m not kidding, and he wants me to organize the squadrons on top of that. I need your help in gathering every seeker together down planet side and inform me of their current activities so I can then present a report to ol’ one optic. Let them know what’s going on up here and try to keep their laughter at my leadership status to a minimum if you can. Contact me as soon as you have what I need. Thanks, buddy. I owe you one for this.”<<

Once the transmission was sent, Skywarp glanced back up at Nightraven and gave her a slight smile. “And I owe you one, as well, even more so.” The teleporter took her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze before returning his attention to the computer terminal where he began a signature search for every seeker in the region. Hopefully, strays like Slipstream would be found not too far away and could then be coaxed into rejoining their aerial brethren.

Corridors

Dead End hadn't' put up any resistance when Breakdown had coiled around his arm and practically drug him out of the brig. Dead End was in no mood to stay around there by any means. The more distance they could put between themselves and Motormaster--and the faster they could do it--the better.

"You know he will too, if something doesn't erupt on this ship soon. Can you imagine...what if all those commander types decided to suddenly just start getting along. The Big M would implode," Dead End said, still keeping his voice low. Even if Motormaster didn't directly overhear what they were saying, that didn't mean someone else wouldn't. It probably didn't even matter that they were whispering. Supposedly Soundwave could hear your thoughts, if the rumors were true.

Dead End looked over his shoulder, just to see if the creepy blue mech happened to be following them.

Not this time.

"We are," Dead End said, agreeing with Breakdown's latter point. He couldn't have said it better himself and he he really wanted to. Oh well. "But at least if he gets overtanked, there's a better chance he'll lose a circuit on the first 'Con that says something stupid to him. We just have to make sure that's not us. So, I say we bring him the highest grade stuff we can get our hands and as much of it as we're allowed to take, give it to him and then get the slag outta wherever he is."

They were still going to wind up a little more than charred hunks of metal, but this way they might prolong their miserable lives by a few breems.
___

Barracks

Underneath his faceplate, Rampage smirked. Razorclaw seemed a little surprised, but that didn't really bother him. Rampage knew his penchant for the worst in interstellar violent programming had earned him something of a bad reputation, but at the end of the day, he had still been a territorial warlord of Cybertron once upon a time. All of the Predacons came from various positions of power, carved for themselves from the early days of the war. Razorclaw just happened to be the best at herding their fiercely independent tendencies, but Rampage knew he was just as capable as the rest in laying out what it took to win a fight. And that was what they were in. It was a little more complex, technical and political than any of the fights that Rampage had fought in a long time, but that's still all it was. Only this time the territory at stake was the fate of the Decepticon empire. Definitely no small task.

"Just say the word. We'll be ready," Rampage said as he looked over in Headstrong's direction, the Predacon he had been partnered up with for the time being. "Let's get to the lab. Never know who might already be in there."

The ship's laboratory was one of the primary places that Rampage suspected a mech like Shockwave would be hanging out. If they could be close to wherever he was, then it might be Rampage who could ram his blade in to the walking calculator's chest cavity.

Headstrong was already out of the barracks before Rampage could say anything further.

"Wait the slag up!" Rampage called out, picking up his pace as he too left the barracks.