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Thundercracker frowned towards Skywarp, as the purple and black Seeker kept him in the dark as to what was really going on. While there weren't many true friendships among the ranks of the Decepticons, the friendship between Skywarp and Thundercracker was one that could really be called genuine. With that in mind, Thundercracker was taken aback, and somewhat puzzled as to why Skywarp wouldn't share with him the what's and why's about the current situation.

Thundercracker looked among the audience as Skywarp looked over to Starscream. Thundercracker hadn't thought anything of it when he first entered the room, but now he actually observed the situation, he could see that many, if not all of the Decepticons present looked to be very tense- ready to spring into action in a moment's notice. Thundercracker wasn't exactly sure what he had missed since being stationed on Earth, but he could now see that the Thanatos was a powder keg that was ready to explode at a moment's notice. The situation just needed an initial spark. Given all of that, Thundercracker realized that while the issue of The Fallen's return was a catastrophic issue, the happenings on the Thanatos meant that it wasn't possible to deal with the events going down on Earth.

"All right, Skywarp; I'll trust you." Thundercracker whispered. "I'll follow your lead."

Thundercracker said nothing more. Instead, he kept his arms folded as he seemed to slink slightly more into the shadows beside Skywarp. He had his internal systems perform a quick diagnostic on his weapons, to make sure all was checked and correct. If something was about to erupt, then Thundercracker was going to make sure he wasn't taken by surprise.

Bounce Chamber

Vortex relaxed his posture briefly as he allowed his optics to depolarize and adjust to the dimly lit chamber which he now found himself and his compatriots in. Internally he swiftly conducted a security scan and self dianostic, to ensure that during the bounce rematerialization process did not come with added features not initially added in his construction. The last thing he or his team required was a bug implanted during their most vulerable states.

Once his HUD blinked an invisible gree, Vortex gave a almost imperceptable nod to the unit commander Onslaught. Knowing that in addition to the risk of being infected, was the risk of their kabal being exposed by acting as if they were up to no good. The interrogator released a muted stretch and sigh. "Well, at least we're off that mud ball for the time being," he brushed off a small patch of twigs from his shoulder block. "Hey Onslaught, how about we see what this hotel has to offer, you know in the way of ammenities. I'm sure Blast-Off won't mind giving us a refresher tour of the sights and sounds."

Bounce Chamber

If Vortex was calm and collected, doing his best to avoid rousing any suspicions - Brawl was nearly the polar opposite. The Combaticon bruiser had difficult time to adjusting to any moment of inactivity, particularly to the wait just before an operation that was about to commence. And this operation wasn't just any operation. It was a high risk one and the target was not their traditional enemy, the Autobots. No, they were about attack their own. Ideally just Shockwave of course but the reality was that in an operation such as this, casualties tended to pile up.

And thus, Brawl was appearing mighty shifty. Even if though he managed to keep his mouth shut - which was quite a feat on its own - his body language was screaming of 'what next boss?'.

Bounce Chamber

"It's been too long, Blast-Off. You exceeded expectations in executing your orders," the Combaticon Commander said. "Now we put all those preparations to work and secure our future."

As his unit completed the bounce process in short order, Onslaught stepped away from his console and looked to each of them. He had planned and planned again for what to do when this situation finally arrived. And now it had. There would be no speeches or anything that could waste what precious little time they had available to them. Just simple execution.

Brawl's body language spoke volumes, as it did for each member of the Combaticons. They were just as ready as he, and he would release them from the proverbial leashes they had been kept on for some time now to prevent any potential compromise of their mission. Now it was time to play.

"Vortex, I want engineering under our control. You suggested it. Do it. Swindle, your more subtle skills will similarly serve you in getting on to the bridge. Get us control by whatever means you can. Blast-Off, Brawl--the hangar. Starscream's trial is underway. I will join you there after a brief detour. Engage standard contingency plans as situations warrant. When all else fails--improvise."

The engineering area of the ship, the bridge, and anywhere that Shockwave and Razorclaw happened to be were all critical areas of the ship. But there was certainly one other that warranted a stop to see if anything could be capitalized upon--especially with a mech like Shockwave in command, and that was the lab facility. If there was anything left within that room that could be turned to their advantage, Onslaught was determined to repurpose it.

Though they had not been in a situation quite like this since the earliest days of the war and the various power struggles between high-ranking Decepticons and other warlords, they were uniquely and expertly trained for a multitude of combat scenarios. Onslaught had every confidence that they would all rise to the challenge of this one.

He had been careful to use his team's talent and resources sparingly--not putting them into situations that could jeopardize their functioning needlessly. Now they were definitely all in jeopardy, but the prize was worth the risk.

"Move out," Onslaught said, confidant that his team knew what to do as he himself proceeded to leave the bounce chamber and head into the corridor maze of the massive battleship.

Bounce Chamber

“Thank you, Commander Onslaught,” Blast-Off responded to the praise that his superior had just showered him with. Unlike a brutish thug such as Motormaster, the Combaticon leader often recognized and even commended his troops for the hard work that they accomplished, especially when it came to more difficult tasks such as proto-sitting a frigate where there was little to no contact with anyone besides a mindless drone or Vehicon. It was better than no interaction at all, but it was still not the same as a real mech with a real personality.

The other Combaticons, on the other hand, showed little to no concern for their comrade’s long stint in isolation, with the copter-former wanting the space warrior to give him a tour of the Predacon warship. Blast-Off glared over his shoulder at the interrogator, wishing already that he was back on the Obliteration where no one could aggravate him. “Sorry, Vortex, I’m afraid a tour will have to wait. If you want to know your way around, I’m sure the nearest access terminal will give you an adequate rundown of the ship.”

Turning his attention back to Onslaught, Blast-Off listened carefully as the Combaticon Commander relayed new orders to each member of the team. Engineering was the interrogator’s job to gain control of while Swindle was responsible for securing the bridge. Brawl and the space warrior would head for the hangar where Starscream’s hearing was currently underway. “Understood, Commander,” Blast-Off replied, giving his departing superior officer a respectful salute. Onslaught left no time for questions as it wasn’t necessary anyway. Everyone knew what needed to be done. Now they just had to execute those orders.

The space warrior then moved over to the console that Onslaught had just been using and quickly brought up a schematic of the Thanatos. His optics swiftly scanned all of the important areas of the Predacon warship, including the hangar bay, and committed them to his memory banks before turning back to look at his fellow comrades. “Well, guys, I've accessed a layout of the ship here if you need to look at it. It’s pretty straight forward for a vessel of this class.” Blast-Off’s optics finally fell onto the battle-loving tank-former, who appeared ready to tear someone apart with his bare actuators. “Okay, Brawl, I guess we should head down to the hangar. That’s where all the action will eventually be. I know the way so you can just follow me if you want.”

Wasting no further time, Blast-Off took the lead and headed out of the bounce chamber and into the corridor beyond. Soon the battle for supremacy would begin between the forces of Shockwave and those of Razorclaw. In the future, history would look back on this day as a turning point in the war where the Empire came under a new, permanent regime that would hopefully lead to the defeat of the Autobots and the realization of Megatron’s ultimate vision and ideals. Of course, that all depended on who won the upcoming conflict and whether or not it would eventually lead to more strife within the Decepticon ranks. Only time would tell.

Hangar

Soundwave’s face remained neutral, as it always did, as it always would. Combined with his modulated and monotone voice it made him nearly impossible to read. These were just a few of the characteristics that made Soundwave so proficient and effective at his various duties. A communications expert was someone who was only occasionally heard from, but never seen. He was simply there to facilitate the flow of information and listen. This fed directly into his intelligence work, where he monitored, intercepted and recorded that same flow of information, studying it out of sight and mind of the other Decepticons. Yet here he was, in the spotlight of all of these Decepticons, both on board the ship and who knows how far across the galaxy the DJD was. It was the opposite of everything Soundwave strove for on a daily basis.

Loyalty was the reason Soundwave had stepped out of the shadows, at least that’s what he would tell anyone who questioned him. In a very real way that was an accurate assessment. He was perhaps one of the few Decepticons who was truly loyal to Megatron. He had stood by his side since the beginning, when the Decepticons were little more then a gang of pit fighters. He had been there before any of these DJD members had even heard of Megatron and he couldn’t help but be offended over some of their insinuations about him. His loyalty to Megatron continued even to now, with him gone he would defend his legacy. None could truly take the place of Megatron, not even Shockwave, but Soundwave knew with utter certainty that Starscream was not fit to lead.

Soundwave had seen it over the years, the various plots and schemes of Starscream, the snide remarks and veiled insults. He had never understood why Megatron had let him live and continue to hold rank. Certainly Starscream had some skill and power, but was the worth the annoyance and risk he posed? Of course with Megatron around he could easily check Starscream and make sure his plots did not reach fruition. Now, with Megatron gone a more permanent solution needed to be reached. Starscream’s value was now outweighed by the risk he posed to all of them. His schemes and leadership would lead them to ruin and they had to be snuffed out before they began.

“List of Starscreams potential offenses: Numerous, dating back millions of years. Primary focus of testimony: most recent egregious offenses. Starscream commanded infiltration unit on planet designate: Earth, third planet of its solar system, primary sentient species ‘humans.’ Standard infiltration protocols were enacted and followed until discovery of unknown element codenamed ‘Ore 13’. This element possesses potential uses as a new energy resource with widespread applications.”

Soundwave turned to look directly at Starscream. “Starscream sought to hide this information from Megatron, presumably so he could discover its secrets and use it for himself in an attempt to overthrow Megatron. At the very least his obfuscation delayed real research into this fuel by a significant amount of time, thus doing direct harm to the Decepticon war effort.”

*

Bounce Chamber

Once he recovered from the bounce Swindle proceeded to double check his weapons and systems. It looked like the proverbial slag was about to hit the fan and he wanted to be in good working order of it. He also wanted to be in perfect working order after it if at all possible. Should worse come to worse at least he has his personal little armor relatively secured on the planet below. With the stuff stashed in there he could practically rebuild himself from scratch, literally and figuratively. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that though.

The Combaticon listened as Onslaught gave out his assignments. The weapons dealer did his best to keep the look of shock and horror off his face as he was tasked with taking over the bridge, by himself. What was it with him getting all of the tough jobs lately? Why not give him something easy like steal Shockwave’s optic or Laserbeak out of Soundwave’s chest compartment? Nah, he’s just have to take control of a Decepticon warship that was under the command of Shockwave and likely fully infiltrated by Soundwave and whatever nefarious firewalls and devices he had implanted in the computer systems. No problem!

Of course there were a number of potential benefits for seizing control of the ship. He certainly wouldn’t mind taking a look at the ship’s manifest, maybe even do a bit of ‘tweaking’ to it. He doubted anyone would miss a couple of warheads on a ship this big, or some spare laser emplacements or shield generators. They would just be sitting around collecting dust here, whereas he could turn them into some nice, juicy profits elsewhere, he just had to make sure he lived long enough to see those profits.

“Sure Onslaught, no problem. We’ll get this ship under our command in no time.” He gave his commander a confident smile before he strolled off towards the bridge, his mind already working on a way to take control.

Hangar

As the members of the Division interacted with one another, Shockwave took time to analyze the words that were being spoken to see if they offered any additional insight into how each member would vote. It was a difficult process to gauge. The imperator was more used to analyzing actions and extrapolating patterns therefrom. Actions were concrete. Words always had the potential to be deceptively multi-faceted. Shockwave could not get an accurate reading on any of the five executors.

Soundwave, as Shockwave had fully expected, delivered. When the justices had called for witnesses, Shockwave had been only minimally interested in the observations of any of them unless they somehow possessed direct knowledge of Starscream's actions on Sol-3. It was only Soundwave, out of any of them, who understood the threat Starscream presented to their future not only now, but for the full history of the Decepticon movement. He also understood what a colossal glitch in Megatron's leadership Starscream had been over the ages. Now it was his opportunity to take a full measure of revenge and see the threat ended. Shockwave had been counting on it and Soundwave did not disappoint.

Shockwave's optic flickered, as his glance shifted briefly from Soundwave, to Starscream, to the members of the Division itself. If that was not sufficient to incriminate the Seeker, Shockwave could not suitably calculate what would be.

As he waited for the Division to respond, he began to channel energy to his arm cannon once more. With even the slightest hint that he could finish this matter without future recriminations, Shockwave intended to take full advantage of the opportunity.

He would incinerate Starscream where he stood.

Hanger

Of course Soundwave would be the one bot to step forward. He, after all, was one of Megatron’s most trusted soldiers and a close confidant to their dearly departed leader. It was only fitting for him to side with someone like Shockwave. The one-eyed fragger had much to offer a mech like Soundwave.

Starscream sent an indignant sneer in the Communications Officer’s direction. He had nothing on Starscream…unless. The sneer slowly faded, an uncertain expression taking its place. He took a careful step back steeling him against what would slip from the telepath’s treacherous vocalizer.

And when Soundwave did finally address the gallery he did not hold back.

The red and silver flier’s optics brightened in shock. Nothing, none of what was said was true. But the members of the DJD didn’t need to know that in order to believe Megatron’s little pet. “What?!” He screeched his vocalizer laced with spots of static from the sheer volume. Starscream looked from the blue Officer toward the holo-images of Tarn and his men and back again.

“Lies! LIES! I am nothing but loyal to our Lord! I…” He was in a panic. Turmoil swirled throughout his entire being. If Tarn and the others believed Soundwave then his life would end here and now, but if there was something that could draw the judges’ attention away from him and his faux transgressions then the scheming ‘Con would use it. And there was a very big something.

He paused for just a moment before he took a quick glance in Shockwave’s direction. He then straightened his posture and cast his gaze back to the members of the Division. To anyone in the hanger it may have seemed that Starscream was just as confident as he had been when he’d entered the area, but in truth Starscream sent each of his accusers a sly grin before he pressed on. “Yes, Lord Megarton.” His grin grew into a full blown evil smile. “I'm not the one who has been providing you with half-truths, Tarn.” That smile still fixed in place Starscream looked directly to the leader of the DJD. “Lord Megatron is dead! Shockwave deemed it unnecessary to provide that bit of information to you and the rest of the Empire in order to be rid of me!”

He knew that most, if any, of what he had just said did not reach the DJD. With Soundwave present it was more likely that the feed with the group had already been severed, but if anything Starscream had just bought himself some time to get out of firing range. The shock and confusion that was imminent would also give Razorclaw the perfect opportunity to begin their planned attack.

Hangar

Soundwave focused on Starscream as he reacted to his words. He was unsurprised by his initial reaction. Starscream had always been known to panic in situations like this, and he wasn’t above pleading and bargaining for his fate. Soundwave found it rather pathetic and disgraceful, but the other Decepticon seemed to have had great success with it. It had helped him survive for this long.

Unfortunately it was not the only tool the seeker had used to survive for so long. He was considered charismatic by some Decepticons, although not Soundwave, and he did have a way with words. It was certainly possible that he had convinced or would convince other Decepticons to assist him now in his time of need. Perhaps he had something prepared for this moment, some emergency plan that he thought would save him. While he doubted it would be effective, Soundwave did prepare to counter it, whatever it would be, and he had a good guess on what it was.

When Starscream’s tone and demeanor abruptly changed Soundwave subtly tensed. Whatever last ditch effort Starscream had was liable to be unleashed now. Time seemed to slow as he listened to the seeker’s words and monitored the signal with the DJD. Cutting off the transmission was to be something of last resort and a misuse of it could prove quite damaging.

Starscream mentioned half-truths and Soundwave locked on to the signal. The word ‘Lord’ came from his audio receptors and the signal was severed. The name Megatron came off his lips as the DJD holograms faded out. The images were completely gone as he finished his sentences.

“is dead!”

Soundwave pulled his gaze away from Starscream and looked up at Shockwave. “Signal with Justice Division lost.” He felt no need to announce that he had cut the signal to everyone present. Oh they would probably assume that was the case, but he would never admit to it and he would stack his word against any other Decepticon’s any time. Now it was time to deal with the repercussions of what Starscream had attempted to do.

Inside Hangar

Razorclaw stood patiently in the gallery with his arms crossed over his chestplate as he watched and listened to the proceedings. It was all a farce, of course, but that didn't make it any less interesting. Fortunately, the Predacon lord had arrived just in time to hear Soundwave’s damaging testimony against Starscream. The main accusation that he hoarded the Ore-13 so that he could use it to overthrow Megatron did not come as any surprise to the lion-former. It sounded like something the Seeker Commander would scheme to do behind the scenes. Whether it was actually true or not was irrelevant to Razorclaw, especially now considering that they were all powered up on the new ultra energon. Well, almost all, anyway.

Starscream’s response was one of clear desperation, which seemed indicative that at least some of what the communications expert had said was true. Regardless, the feeling that the walls were quickly closing in around the red and silver flier forced him to reveal aloud that Megatron was missing and possibly even dead, something that Shockwave had conveniently left out when the hearing first began. Of course, the Justice Division never got to hear Starscream’s revelation as the feed was then lost, or cut. With Soundwave present, one could never tell for sure. Although, it didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out what had actually happened. Again, none of this surprised Razorclaw in the slightest, smiling underneath his face shield as confusion quickly spread throughout the hangar.

The lion-former, true to his personality, had been patient and had waited for just the right moment to give the signal to attack. With disorder all around, that moment was now. Glancing around at his Predacons and other supporters, Razorclaw could tell that they were all more than ready to get this party started. Far be it for the Predacon lord to delay things any longer. It was finally time to take back the Empire from that walking calculator who had seen fit to claim throne for himself.

Transforming into lion mode, Razorclaw swiftly leapt out of the gallery and into the center of the floor. With his shoulder-mounted concussion cannons powered up and ready, the beast took aim directly at Shockwave on top of his elevated platform and opened fire. Even if his barrage somehow missed the Military Operations Commander, himself, at the very least the platform would sustain enough damage to force the cyclops down to everyone else’s level. Then the Predacon lord could rip the purple mech apart with his bare claws.

“FOR THE EMPIRE!!!” Razorclaw roared. The signal had effectively been given.
_________

Skywarp had grown increasingly more nervous as the hearing progressed. Soundwave’s accusations, regardless of the validity, made things even worse for Starscream and the Seeker Corps as a whole. If the DJD believed the lies then they would likely give Shockwave to go-ahead to execute Starscream. It was something that even the logic-driven mech, himself, believed was going to happen soon as the teleporter could see that the cyclops was already beginning to power up his arm cannon. That familiar purple glow was clearly evident through the translucent tip of Shockwave’s weapon.

Then, if it was even possible, things went from worse to abysmal as Starscream tried in vain to tell the Justice Division the truth about Megatron’s whereabouts only to be cut off no doubt by Soundwave. Transmission lost my aft, Skywarp thought as a scowl became etched across his faceplate. Even I’m not that stupid! As confusion spread, the prankster sensed that things were about to erupt, catching Razorclaw’s brief glance before the lion-former finally made his move and opened fire on Shockwave. “It’s about fraggin’ time,” the teleporter mutter as he turned to his blue friend. “Thundercracker, stay with Nighty. Follow her lead. I’ve got to protect Screamer.”

In a flash, Skywarp disappeared from the gallery and instantly reappeared directly in front of Starscream. The prankster’s arms were already raised as he aimed his weapons directly at the two Vehicons that stood on either side of the restrained Seeker Commander. With a single shot from each arm-mounted laser, the Vehicon guards were struck directly in their faceplates, sending them both to the ground in a pair of stasis-locked heaps. ‘Warp then rushed to Starscream’s side and grabbed a hold of the red and silver mech’s arm. Without saying a word, Skywarp cast a quick smile back at Nightraven as he and Screamer disappeared from sight before any of Shockwave’s men could react to what had just happened.

Outside Hangar

Blast-Off quickly traversed the corridors of the massive Predacon warship as he made his way down to the hangar. Somewhere behind him, Brawl was likely trudging along in his usual thug-like fashion. The space warrior saw no need to check on his comrade as the green bruiser was more than capable of taking care of himself not to mention finding his way to Starscream’s hearing.

Or execution, Blast-Off thought as he rounded on last corner and finally saw the hangar bay door at the end of the hallway. Three Vehicon guards were posted at the entrance, a clear sign that not just anyone would be allowed in to view Starscream’s trial and ultimate fate. This was likely going to be problematic as none of the Combaticons were actually stationed on board the Thanatos and would surely not have proper clearance. Well, as Onslaught said, we’re just going to have to improvise.

Approaching the trio of Vehicons, Blast-Off offered them all a curt nod. “Hello, boys. I came for the hearing. Any chance of me getting inside?”

The drones looked at one another before the lead Vehicon stepped forward, scanner in hand. “I’ll have to scan your identity first.”

“By all means,” the space warrior replied as the Vehicon ran the device across his upper body. The drone then looked back at the others before returning his gaze to the Combaticon. “Is there a problem.”

“Yes, you are not on this ship’s roster and therefore have not been given clearance to enter,” the lead Vehicon replied, powering up his laser weapon. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave the area immediately.”

“I see. I didn’t realize this hearing was by invitation only,” Blast-Off responded as he carefully backed away, raising both hands in the air to avoid being shot. “I guess I’ll just have to find out what happened sometime later. Good cycle, gentlemechs.” The space warrior then turned on his heel and began to walk away, giving the Vehicon trio a reason to relax their weapons. Stupid drones, Blast-Off thought as he pulled out his ionic blaster and quickly spun back around, assuming a crouching stance before opening fire on the three Vehicons. Within mere astroseconds, the trio of guards were overcome by the numerous beams of highly charged particles and quickly collapsed to the ground as their electrical systems shorted out.

“Easy as hunting cyber-rats,” Blast-Off muttered to himself as he stood back up to his full height and approached the door. Stepping over the three stasis-locked carcasses on the floor, the space warrior attempted to access the hangar’s door locks but found that he did not possess the appropriate security codes. “Could Shockwave have made it any more difficult to get inside? It’ll take me forever to bypass this. How ridiculous.”

It was then that Blast-Off could hear what sounded like weapons fire coming from inside the hangar, itself. Apparently, the battle had begun. Razorclaw would need their help sooner rather than later. The space warrior reframed from opening a comm line to Onslaught as that would only alert Soundwave that the Combaticons were on board and the element of surprise needed to be maintained for as long as possible. No, Blast-Off would have to figure this out for himself.

And figure it out he did.

“Hey, Brawl!!” Blast-Off shouted back down the corridor. “Where are you, buddy?! The battle’s just started and we’re missing it cause I can’t get this fraggin’ door unlocked! I need your heavy artillery to blow us a way inside! How about it?”

Inside the Science Lab

In a flash of purple light, Skywarp and Starscream appeared in the science lab. Without delay, the teleporter disengaged the energy cuffs and released the true Seeker Commander from his bonds. “There, you are finally free, Commander. I have brought you down to the science lab where you can power up on Shockwave’s ultra energon stockpile, which is located over there.” The prankster pointed towards the reservoir in question before glancing over at the other two mechs in the room. “Knockout there can assist you with the transfusion. As for Blackwind, well,” Skywarp leaned in close to Starscream so that only he could hear him. “She thinks she’s seeker commander now. That outer shell also gives her untold strength, like Thunderwing. I would be very careful with her, sir.”

Skywarp then straightened his stance and waited for Starscream’s response. The tension in the room was already so great that one could cut it with an energo sword. Knockout was not a concern as he would simply go along with whatever would keep him functioning the longest. Blackwind, however, was another story as her prior loyalties for Megatron often lead her into direct conflict with the red and silver flier. Hopefully, a secondary battle would not erupt here in the lab that would find Starscream at a severe disadvantage if the carapace-laced femme sought to keep her self-proclaimed leadership of the Seeker Corps intact.

Hangar

Yap yap yap.

Slag almighty these guys liked to talk. And listen to themselves talk. And talk over other people. Talk talk talk. Bleh. Rampage wanted action!

And then--

Oh, god Primus sweet glitchin' almiighty...

Razorclaw had leapt centerstage. That was the only cue that Rampage had needed. He hadn't even needed anything a fraction that obvious. He was gone. His sights set on the first Vehicon to move towards his commander's flank.

He heard the first major eruption of weapons fire being released from Razorclaw's new upgraded energy systems. He didn't know what else was going on and he didn't care. Rampage's focus was on the two Vehicons that had obviously acknowledged that all Predacons were now a threat and were now moving to incapacitate their leader.

It didn't even take a full astrosecond for the other Vehicons in the room to begin assessing threats and taking steps to thwart them. The sound of weapons fire increased with every moment that passed from Razorclaw's first volley.

These two, though, weren't even going to get that chance.

One of them turned from Razorclaw to see the other Predacon bearing down on their position. Just as it raised its weapon to fire, Rampage had slammed his sword into the chest of the first one, transformed and pounced on top of the second, his claws sinking deep into his chest plate before his feline head bore down on the Vehicon's and began to rip it off.
___

Razorclaw moved.

Yep. That'd do.

Tantrum backfisted one of the Vehicons standing just behind him, crushing its head against the wall before proceeding to gore the other one into an adjacent wall several meters away.

Hangar

Finally. Razorclaw had made his move. Motormaster had been intently observing the Predacon Commander from the corner of his optic while seemingly being focused on Starscream's trial. And as Razorclaw leaped out of the gallery, the Stunticon brute made his own move and drew out his atom-smasher rifle. Next, Motormaster delivered a hard kick against the back of a Vehicon standing in front of him, sending the drone flying across the floor. Another Vehicon turned to face whoever that had attacked its kin, only to be rewarded by Motormaster's rifle butt being smashed against its face - resulting in the Vehicon collapsing to the floor with its head sparking and smoldering.

Motormaster did not stop there. Potentially the one eyed freak would be the only victim of the rebellion. Shockwave had to be taken out fast or their uprising would end in several surgically precise blasts from the purple Decepticon's lethal arm cannon. And while it fought against Motormaster's sparklust, even he realized how important it was to end this quickly. Shockwave was powerful. Almost as powerful as Megatron himself - as far as the large Stunticon recalled at least.

Roughly at the same time as Razorclaw opened fire on his target, Motormaster locked his aim at Shockwave's singular optic and pulled the trigger.



Outside the Hangar

Blah blah blah. Did Blast-Off really have to try to talk his way through those Vehicon guards? As far as Brawl was concerned, that was total waste of time. Ah, sounds of gunshots. So it had been a ruse. Good for that arrogant snob. At least he had not totally forgotten how to get close and personal with the enemy. Too bad Brawl had managed to make one wrong after losing the sight of the faster Combaticon, thus missing Blast-Off's little stunt.

Oh well, it wasn't that big of a deal. Now the fact that Blast-Off was now screaming for Brawl to blast through the hangar entrance was something the space warrior could have left undone.

“Hey, Brawl!! Where are you, buddy?! The battle’s just started and we’re missing it cause I can’t get this fraggin’ door unlocked! I need your heavy artillery to blow us a way inside! How about it?”

First Blast-Off had had to run so slagging fast that the heavily armed Brawl had not been able to keep up. And now he was screaming like a protoform because he had been stopped by a fragging lock? And as if Brawl had been that much behind. Yeah. If Blast-Off had any sense in that thick head of his, he should have realized by the end of his yipping that he was staring right into Brawl's three cannon barrels aimed at the hangar door.

"Get the slag out of my way Blast-Off!"

Couple of seconds later, a massive sonic burst hit the door, softening the reinforced titanium door for the following explosive round. It wasn't enough. Not that Brawl was surprised. These doors were made to slow down intruders. It wasn't going to stop him though. Another sonic burst hit the door - this time, visible cracks appearing in its surface. The second explosive round shattered the weakened door, sending metal shrapnel flying into the hangar.

The Combaticons were in.

Bounce chamber

The imposing frame of Crueljaw appeared in a flash of light and a sound reminiscent of a thunderclap smoke wisped from his frame as he returned to the Thanatos. His head swung looking to see if anyone was around to his surprise he was alone a screen was on showing some kind of gathering within the hangar. “Looks like a party wonder what’s going on” the bodyguard strode towards the Hangar his mood improved by being surrounded by a couple million tons of metal rather than countless billons of organics.

Crueljaw entered the Hangar just in time to hear the screechy tones of Starscream announce that Megatron was dead. The bodyguard would of smiled if he could of as he watched from the back of the hangar it was a veritable who’s who of the decepticon ranks. Shockwave as regal and dignified as a walking computer could be Soundwave off to the side probably knew what everyone in the room was thinking if the rumours where to be believed. In front of the pair the fallen seeker Starscream if this was to be the last stand of the Air Commander Crueljaw didn’t want to miss it.

Hangar

Shockwave--cold, calculating Shockwave--was honestly surprised that Starscream had attempted to play the Megatron death stratagem. It was surprise in only the most basic sense...that being the less probable outcome surfacing over the more...but it counted for something. And it only further proved why Shockwave was in the position he was in: he had ascribed a specific countermeasure precisely to deal with that possibility. Soundwave, as the imperator fully expected, executed the command with his typical proficiency.

And just like that, the Decepticon Justice Division had vanished. They would likely want to know what had happened and the cause of the feed break, but he and Soundwave would convince them that nothing had been amiss and existence within the empire would continue to move forward, and their attention would be satisfactorily diverted elsewhere.

Starscream, however, had opted for death by ultra energon.

No sooner had Shockwave begun to level his arm cannon in Starscream's direction than his optic had detected aggressive movement coming from...Razorclaw?

//Actions confirmed. Threat level upgrade initiated--adversary.//

But before he could do anything further, Razorclaw had armed his weapons systems and unleashed a blast so powerful that it could only have been the result of having been derived from the ore-13 compound. As Shockwave's singular grip around the railing tightened, the incoming blasts--both from Razorclaw and then from Motormaster as well--summarily proceeded to eviscerate the platform, sending up a cacophony of flames and charred metal as the internal strictures collapsed on themselves. Shockwave himself was staggered as one of the blasts collided with the side of his cranial structure, blasting one of his enhanced exterior receptors clean off, and as the elevating platform itself was hardly a structure that was designed to be deployed on a battlefield, it quickly crumpled under the onslaught, toppling backwards with its sole occupant before collapsing atop a currently unused dropship.

Shockwave had opted to weather the impact rather than take flight and make himself an unnecessary target. Instead he proceeded to directly access the ship that he had long ago designed and activate its internal defense systems. Red lights filled every corridor of the ship as emergency klaxons began to blare. Shockwave got to his feet.

Through the smoke and fire of energy weapons that had suddenly erupted within the hangar between the Thanatos' automated forces and whatever treachery Starscream had concocted, Shockwave stalked his way forward, his singular optic searching out the Seeker Leader. He would end him personally, and thus end this, and put the empire back on course once and for all.

The Seeker, however, was nowhere immediately to be found, and an incoming blast reminded him that there were still other threats that needed to be quickly put under heel. As another blast erupted against Shockwave's shoulder joint, he found the Predacon who had launched the initial volley, leveling his own cannon at Razorclaw as he walked, calculating distance, trajectory and possible evasion paths.

"Unacceptable," Shockwave stated simply, before unleashing his own first volley in this new conflict, an auditory sensor-shattering eruption of his own ample supply of ultra energon.

Main Engineering

Vortex stepped back as the turbolift began to settle on its padded brake cells. His first major instinct was to draw his weapons and have them at the ready for what ever may come. However, this was a surprise operation... one that did not necessarily require him to dive in guns blazing. At least not at that particular moment. For now, they were all one big happy Decepticon family and for Vortex he was fine with the illusion being maintained for a few astro minutes longer.

The lift doors opened to a large ovoid chamber that was three decks in height and nearly five sections in length. At the center of the chamber was a pulsing cylinder that stood the entire height of the chamber before disappearing into bulkheads at either end, and probably continuing for another dozen in either direction. Three transparent metal tubes, pulsing with super cooled plasma raced to and fro from the primary tower. Vortex immediately recognized it as the primary engine core.

The interrogator stepped into the worbles and whines of the primary engineering section and carefully made his way, unseen thankfully, to the base of the primary engine core. Giving a brief moment to give a mock inspection of the tower, a small silver disc emerged from the base of his right wrist. Vortex rubbed his chin and gave a simple nod before allowing his right hand to flop down, flinging the silver Micro EMP Generator Disc onto a shaded portion of the core.

"Can I help you sir?" A metallic grating voice disturbed Vortex's psuedo concentration. It was one of the engineering Vehicons that had been stationed in the bowels of the ship to make sure it kept running.

Vortex turned around to glower down the lower ranked grunt with a hauty and uncontained distain for the creature that dared address him. "I highly doubt it bolt scrubber," the engineer shrugged briefly before standing at attention. "Do you not have anything better to accomplish than to stand around at this time and impede my inspection? Where is your superior?"

The engineer lowered its head briefly before returning its gaze back to Vortex. "In the hanger sir, the trials required all officers of command rank to be present."

A simple nod of approval, information gained, information processed and information appreciated. It was all an act, a game that Vortex had perfected over eons. "Then perhaps you will have to suffice. Tell me why the intermix ratio is out of balance? Do you or your engineering chief realize that should any power transfer be made, this entire vessel will be nothing more than floating dust molicules?" Vortex reached out with a barely restrained fury and grasped the Vehicon engineer around the neck, the observers content to remain to their tasks. Not necessarily known for being the contemptuous nor most violent of the Combaticons, Vortex could act with the best of them. He pulled the engineer to a falsified readout.

"I..I.. I did not know. I was unaware of the intermix being altered." Fear now clearly present in the vehicon's audio files.

Vortex's optical visor narrowed briefly as he poured into the act. "Did not know? You sorry excuse for a Decepticon. Where is the intermix command console." The shivering creature raised a trembling finger towards one of the console terminals located behind a thick blast shield... how approprate. Vortex shoved the fearfilled mechanism down into one of the rails, causing it to give way and the engineer to crash to the floor.

Vortex immediately took his place behind the main engineering console and proceeded to enter a series of command codes into the system. With a delicate grace born from eons before the war in the pits of Kaon, Vortex finished a connection bypass around several firewalls that had been erected around the bridge command terminals. The codes were now--hopefully--only be functional to those who identified with his Combaticon team, though no evidence to such linkage would remain should the bypasses be discovered. He then began emergency protocols to attempt to reroute power from unnecessary systems such as external weapons and transit systems, to more vital emergency shielding sections such as the force field he was now resolving around Engineering.

It would be only a matter of time before complete control of the ship's internal security systems would be his to do with as he pleased. Vortex opened a commlink to Onslaught. "Alright boss, engineering is secure... bunch of spineless mechanisms. Left the place unguarded with not but service vehicons, not even weapon equiped," Vortex's voice remained low as he continued his covert usurption of the battleship. "I've got bridge access although its minimal. Security is still elluding my efforts, but they won't be a problem for the operation."

Inside Hangar

His timing was perfect. His desperate move had been made and it had paid off. The mention of Megatron’s name and Soundwave did precisely what he was expected to do…cut the feed with Tarn and his men. That was one weight off his shoulders, but Starscream still had to make it out of the hangar in one piece. And, thank Primus above; he’d be able to do that with Skywarp who just happened to show up in time.

“It’s about fragging time!” He sent a deep sneer at his subordinate just as the teleporter did what he did best. In a flash of brilliant lavender light both the Seeker Commander and Skywarp were gone.
____

All hell had broken loose as soon as Starscream had opened his mouth and let spill the fact that Megatron was indeed dead. Unfortunately, the DJD herd nothing save the name of the Decepticon Lord. When the red and silver Seeker had back-stepped far enough away out of firing range Skywarp set off.

With the jokester by their Commander’s side, Nightraven went to work removing the threat of two Vehicons that were approaching. Her optics flashed a bright red as she powered up her arm mounted lasers. Both drones advanced, their speed picking up in order to close the distance between them and their intended targets.They never made it. Nightraven fired several volleys at the bulky mechs’s heads and chests leaving nothing but smoking, sparking deactivated refuge on the floor.

Another set of attackers set off in her direction and Nightraven let out an annoyed sigh. With one arm raised she fired off a few shots. With one distracted and the other taking cover, the femme looked to Thundercracker. “This is going to be pretty messy and you haven’t powered up on that refined Ore-13.” She placed her hand on the blue Seeker’s arm and gestured to a more secure location. “Come on.”

Inside the Science Lab

Teleportation was often times dizzying, but for Skywarp and certainly Starscream and Thundercracker, the event caused little trouble. The prankster used his powers often enough on his wingmates that it became almost routine.

As soon as the restraints came off of his wrists Starscream gave them a gentle rub and looked around the lab. He also took the time to absorb everything Skywarp had to report. He looked to the mechanic standing in the corner when Knockout’s name was mentioned. The red and gold ‘Con had himself situated as far from the others as possible. Typical. The little cretin presented himself as a whimpering weakling, but in reality Knockout could be a very deadly advisory. It seemed he simply lacked the motivation.

On the other hand…Starscream took a look over his shoulder when Skywarp mentioned the Aerial Coordinator. He hadn’t seen her since she set off for Cybertron and back then she was different.

Starscream flashed the shell encased femme an arrogant smirk. “Well, well, well. Blackwind. So nice to see you again, and so much…bigger.” He turned fully around to face her, his smile growing wider. “I take it you found another idiot to latch onto now that our dear Lord Megatron has, how shall we say, departed.”

The scathing sneer Blackwind sent in the Seeker Commander’s direction barely registered on Starscream’s ‘this bot is someone to fear’ scale. Instead he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest and stared…hard. “The only reason you’re not a smoldering pile of rubble is because I don’t have the time to savor the act.” The femme growled out.

Staracream scoffed as he lowered his arms and turned on his heel. “Let's not beat around the bush. The only reason you won’t touch me is because you haven’t receive the order from your new handler.”

A low growl grew in Blackwind’s throat as she powered up her M197 gatling cannon. “You arrogant piece of slag! You’ve been a thorn in my side for centuries!” Starscream chuckled darkly. “Yes but I’ve also given you a challenge. Which, in turn, has made you better at what you do." He sighed before he continued. "You see my dear, you were a student and you never even knew it.” He turned his back on her and made his way to Knockout who had already prepared the Ore-13 for his consumption.

Blackwind powered down her armament and relaxed her tense stance. She regarded the Commander for a moment before looking at Knockout. “Power up as well. We’ll need everyone out there.” A hard glare from the femme was sent in the mechanic’s direction before she turned and made her way to the door. “Better do as she says. You wouldn’t want to upset her.” Starscream chuckled. Knockout simply nodded in response.

Starscream's low impudent little barb did not go unnoticed by the femme, but instead of calling him out on it Blackwind decided that coming up with an exit strategy would be for the best. And what better way to do that then actually creating a literal exit.

The corners of the Seeker's lips curled up into a wicked grin before the mask of her carapace lowered and she powered up her weapon once more. With her imagination projecting the Seeker Commander's visage on the door's surface, Blackwind opened fire blasting a sizable hole through the obstruction. "Now that felt good." She purred.

Hangar

Weirdwolf turned his optics back to Soundwave as he began to give his testimony. The lupine tracker turned his head slightly to answer his long-time friend.

"Seeker's schemes concern us little, although shame it would be to see the air commander live. More concerned am I about plans of the King of Beasts. Served with them I did for a time."

The tracker's attention was again taken as Soundwave finished delivering his rather brutal testimony but not by the expressionless Soundwave, rather, he became more interested in Starscream's facial expressions. Weirdwolf expected some sort of begging and pleading for his life. Surprisingly enough, Starscream chose a different tactic: exposing Megatron's fate. However, his last desperate act seemed to fall on deaf ears as the connection to the Justice Division was "lost."

Weirdwolf had little doubt behind what had actually happened. However, in the confusion that the lost feed had caused, Razorclaw leaped into the middle of the congregation and opened fire on Shockwave. Starscream soon vanished in the resulting tumult as the rest of the Predacons and the Stunticons joined into the battle.

With a sickening boom, the doors to the hangar burst open allowing two combaticons entry into the hangar, specifically Brawl and Blast-Off.

Weirdwolf was on his feet, snarling with hackles raised. One of the nearest Vehicons misinterpreted this act as a sign of aggression directed towards it. As it opened fire, Weirdwolf pounced on it and ripped into its jugular circuitry, sending up a spray of energon. The some of the Vehicons in the area took it upon themselves to deal with the new threat that they perceived the tracker as. Snarling, Weirdwolf set to work, mauling some of them savagely.

"Idiotic these Vehicons are!"

------

Blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah. Tarn's said something...Blah, blah - something boring. Tarn said something again...Yap, yap, yap! Primus! Did Starscream ever plan to get his vocal processors fixed? They had an endlessly aggravating tendency to make this shrieking noise from time to time. Maybe he enjoyed sounding like a femme when he was scared for his life, Deathdancer had no clue.

The homicidal tactician feigned interest as she watched the proceedings. Something...something about Lord Megatron? Deathdancer's attention wandered back from the limbo it often found itself in to the word that were coming out of Starscream's vocals. Megatron was dead. It was at this point all the pent up craziness in the world burst out into the open. At first, the demented femme that this was one of her "fantasies", but was soon delighted to learn that it was all too real.

"Whoopee!"

Deathdancer looked around for a suitable dance partner. She saw the two seekers, Nightraven and Thundercracker, trying to get away to a safer area. Tut-tut. That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. She leaped over to the pair in hops and bounds, twirling her scythe fiendishly.

"What are you two doing?! You're going to miss the party over there! Here. Let me help you! Hehehehehehe!"

Deathdancer inscribed an arc in the air with her scythe and made a sweeping motion to take out or off Thundercracker's legs. Either worked for her!

Bounce Chamber

As the blue light dissipated and the disorientation of the orbital bounce cleared, Darkfire strode out of the bounce chamber and toward the facility where she had awoken from her long-term stasis. She walked over to a vacant chamber - likely the one that she had left, considering she had found Vindicator and Psychout in pods adjacent to it.

The assassin punched in the access code to her pod. The door slid open with a hiss, fog pouring out in translucent tendrils. The assassin glanced into the gaping maw of the pod that lay before her. She set a timer, selecting a time for her to return to the field. She had detested being put on ice indefinitely. Never knowing if she would ever be reactivated. No. She would be the arbiter of her own fate this time.

Darkfire glanced back out of the storage facility as a commotion broke out from somewhere else deeper within the battlecruiser. Not her problem.

"See ya later, slaggers," the assassin said as she entered her chamber and offlined her optics as she fell into deep stasis once more.

Hangar

Everything was happening so fast. Far too fast for Skullcruncher to process properly in a chaotic, surprising situation. Sure, things had been tense ever since the news of Megatron's fate had reached their audio receptors but the sudden assault Razorclaw was now leading against Shockwave? Skullcruncher did not know how to react to it. He had kind of seen it coming. That was not the issue. The problem was that he had not been able to figure out his loyalties. Megatron himself had ordered him to take an absence from his usual stomping grounds under Scorponok's banner and sent him and Weirdwolf to booster Razorclaw's forces on board the Thanatos. Then the whole battlecruiser and its crew had been assigned under Shockwave's command by Megatron - and that crew had included Razorclaw and his Predacons. But Megatron was gone now.

So what the slag he was supposed to do now? These were his Decepticon brothers attacking each other - not Autobots or some alien adversaries he had no problem to crush under his heel. No one hadn't even uttered a proper order he could follow instinctively. So what else he could do than follow Weirdwolf's example like he often did in a confusing situation.

Except, Weirdwolf's example was maddeningly unhelpful. The tracker had growled out of frustration it seemed and some way too trigger happy Vehicon had decided to attack the yellow and teal Decepticon. A foolish action which sealed the fate of the Vehicon and quite quickly few others of its kind.

So now Weirdwolf too was tearing Vehicons apart. And Vehicons were Shockwave's troops. Kind of. Well, Skullcruncher wasn't too sure of that. The whole situation was getting even more confusing. Then again, all these Vehicon corpses lying around... such a waste. Perhaps he could... yeah, he was going to take care of the problem. It would buy him more time to think and hey, maybe the situation would solve itself without his participation. It wasn't like he cared whether Shockwave or Razorclaw barked the orders.

And thus, Skullcruncher transformed into his beast form of a Cybertronian bog lurker and began chomping on the carcass of the closest fallen Vehicon.

(OOC: Sorry I've been quiet for a while; been on a short vacation.)

Thundercracker looked about the trial's venue, and thought that it was nothing short of anarchy. He watched Razorclaw strike, Skywarp initiate what he needed to do, and saw the Decepticons reveal their allegiances to either Shockwave or Starscream. The blue Seeker hadn't really been privy to anything after being stuck on Earth for so long; the fallout of Starscream's trial was exactly one of the reasons why he had decided to jump to the Thanatos in the first place. After all, in the interest of self preservation, due to everything that was going on, Thundercracker couldn't afford to be two steps behind everyone else.

Too bad, then, that as the chaos broke out on the Thanatos that's exactly where Thundercracker had found himself.

While he mentally prepared to defend himself, looking every which way to see if anybody became hostile towards him, there was nothing Thundercracker wanted more than to just stand above the fighting and yell at his Decepticon brothers and sisters. All of this infighting was just a distraction from the potential threat of The Fallen.

Taking Skywarp's advice shortly before he sprang into action, Thundercracker heeded Nightraven. With a single nod of his head, Thundercracker began to follow Nightraven to a safer place. Thundercracker was an honourable Decepticon, one of a mere few, truth be told. He wanted nothing more than to stand and fight- to ensure his friend, Skywarp and his friend, Nightraven were safe. However, Ore-13 powered Decepticons threatened to be odds that were too great for Thundercracker. He had to get out of there.

As Thundercracker began to walk away, he felt something strike at his legs. The collision happened at the back of Thundercracker's knees, with such force that Thundercracker was unable to stop himself when his legs crumpled under his own weight. Falling to his knees, Thundercracker lost his balance and fell to the ground, cockpit first. The resulting impact of hitting the floor caused the glass in Thundercracker's canopy, (that was embedded in the center of his chest) to shatter. He was stunned slightly by the blow and the resulting collapse, but Thundercracker couldn't allow himself to be caught in such a vulnerable position. Immediately, Thundercracker pushed his front off the floor, rolling onto his backside. Propping himself up on his left elbow, Thundercracker was half sat up and saw Deathdancer in a position that suggested she was responsible for the strike against Thundercracker.

"You picked the wrong Decepticon, Deathdancer!"

Thundercracker talked a good fight, but if Thundercracker was honest with himself, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make it out alive, considering how most of the other Decepticons seemed super charged. However, Thundercracker's sense of honour wouldn't allow him to become an easy target; if he was killed this day, he would be remembered for going out fighting.

Raising his right arm towards Deathdancer, Thundercracker ultimately also aimed his shoulder mounted machine gun towards the femme. Accessing his weapons system, Thundercracker gave a small mental command and in a flash, a purple sphere shot out of the barrel of Thundercracker's machine gun with a high pitched sound of laser fire. Before anyone could react, that first shot was followed by another, and another. Like any machine gun, one shot caused multiple shots to be fired, all of them now flying towards Deathdancer in a defiant act of aggression. She threw the first punch, and now it was time for Thundercracker to react.

"This is insane..." Thundercracker thought to himself. "Do I really want to put my life on the line to save Starscream? Well, what's the other option? To fight for Shockwave? Thundercracker sighed. "Oh well, I suppose he was my unit command once."

Following the shots he fired, Thundercracker immediately rose to his feet... but not without some difficulty. As he stood, Thundercracker felt a fiery surge of pain run through the back of his left knee, causing him to cry out in pain. Quickly looked over his shoulder, Thundercracker looked down towards his legs, seeing that some blue bolts of electricity crackled from the back of his knee. By the looks of it, Deathdancer's strike had taken out a chunk of armour plating from Thundercracker's leg. That's all he needed.

Hangar

O' fiery death, you come for me at last, Dead End thought, offlining his optics and allowing billowing smoke to wash over him as the sound of laser blasts could be heard from all around.

Then he waited a moment.

No fiery death?

Huh.

Dead End couldn't help but smirk a little. Fiery death for someone else then. This ultra energon was just screaming to be tested after all. The Stunticon hoisted up his rifle, gave a wink to Breakdown and hauled aft in the direction of the first Vehicon he could find.
___

Corridors

Throughout the ship, as the klaxons continued to blare, Onslaught had kept his pace steady, making progress towards the lab facility. Razorclaw had obviously made his move and the Combaticon Commander was determined to offer his support not just in the planning stages of their little coup but especially now, when their collective mettle was to be tried by fire.

Up one level, across another, Onslaught quickened his pace. Passing a set of barracks just in time, massive double doors slid open, revealing not simply more Vehicons, but shield-wielding brutes that were upgraded versions of the same automated drone class of Decepticon warrior. They stalked down the other corridor, away from where Onslaught was heading. It was just as well. Though the odds were fairly good that they would not recognize him as an enemy combatant just yet, he couldn't take that chance. Depending on what Brawl had done by this point, the entire Combaticon unit could very well be sharing the same fate as the Predacons already.

Approaching the laboratory doors, Onslaught acknowledged the incoming transmission from his interrogator.

>>"I read you, Vortex,"<< Onslaught commed back. >>"Remember who we're dealing with. Nothing will be as easy as it looks. In the meantime, lock on my position and see if you can bypass security on these doors from where you are. I'm going to try from here."<<

Onslaught cracked the joints in his actuators before one arm partially transformed and he attempted a direct patch-in to the heavy doors leading to the laboratory.

The response he received was an electrical current so powerful that it sent the formidable Combaticon to his knees and forced an immediate disconnect.

Onslaught did his best to shake it off.

"Alright, one-eye. Not the only tool in my toolbox," Onslaught muttered.

But before he could make another attempt at even getting inside the laboratory, the doors exploded from within. From something on the other side.

How convenient.

Onslaught was quickly on his feet. What greeted him on the other side was a surprise, but it likely shouldn't have been.

"My gratitude for solving my door problem," Onslaught said as he stepped into the laboratory proper, taking in everyone who was already inside. Starscream was...here? That certainly meant that the alarms going off were due to whatever Razorclaw was now doing in the hangar. So much more the reason for him to act with haste.

"I'll just help myself if you don't mind," Onslaught said, his optics quickly surveying the area and locking on to what had to be the prime source of interest in Shockwave's little pet project area--the containment unit with energy readings going off the charts.

Hangar

The time for talking was over. No more speeches, no more plotting, no more waiting. It was now time for action, time to place the Empire under the leadership that it deserved and, more importantly, needed right now. Razorclaw was a patient mech, sometimes to a fault. Recently, he had to do more talking than he would have liked. Political maneuvering was not his forte. He’d much rather be in the heat of battle and now he finally was. Only, this time, it was against his own kind and not the Autobots. To say that it didn’t bother him would have been a lie. The Predacon Commander wanted more than anything to be blasting away at the real enemy, but instead he found himself firing on Shockwave, the cycloptic mech who thought he was good enough to assume the throne, himself.

Unfortunately, Shockwave’s inability to lead didn’t make him any less of a threat, especially considering he was under the power of ultra energon. Razorclaw never stopped firing even as the platform collapsed beneath the Military Operations Commander. With Motormaster’s help, the structure fell onto a nearby drop ship, taking the one-eyed scientist with it. For most Decepticons, that would’ve been the end of the fight, but not Shockwave. The purple mech simply strode out of the ruin, having sustained minimal damage to his own frame, and leveled his arm cannon directly at the mechanical lion. The ultra energon-fueled blast was audio shattering and more powerful than anything the logical ‘Con had ever unleashed before.

Immediately, Razorclaw understood two very important facts. One, he needed to avoid that arm cannon at all costs and two, he needed to somehow render said arm cannon non-functional as soon as possible. Neither would be an easy feat, but the Predacon lord knew that this entire situation would not be easily won or lost and there were many factors to be considered that could affect the outcome when all was said and done.

Leaping swiftly to his left, Razorclaw narrowly dodged Shockwave’s laser blast, the intense heat of which singed the lion’s armored plating while striking two Vehicon guards that were nearby in the process. The pair of drones were obliterated in a fiery display of raw power the reminded the Predacon Commander of just who he was dealing with. Even without the ultra energon coursing through his circuits, Shockwave was an adversary to be reckoned with. Now, he was even more so. Still, Razorclaw had the new fuel flowing through his body, as well, and it was time to put it to the ultimate test, one that the mechanical lion would hopefully win.

No sooner had Razorclaw landed on all fours, he was violently knocked down by the force of the explosion from Shockwave's blast, his hide pelted with shrapnel and other bits of debris that proved to be parts from the destroyed Vehicons. With no time for rest, the lion-former quickly righted himself, deploying his explosive gas launcher and unloading a volley of capsules that were aimed at and around Shockwave’s position. The combustible gas within each shell would hopefully cause more damage to the Military Operations Commander as well as provide some cover for the Predacon lord to make his next move. Instinctively, the mechanical lion raced towards Shockwave, his shoulder-mounted concussion cannons firing at full capacity with the intent of destroying that infernal gun barrel the purple mech had for a left hand. Any other damage that was caused would be an added bonus.
_________

Blast-Off heard Brawl’s shouting to get out of the way and the space warrior complied just as the first sonic burst from his comrade struck the door, followed closely by an explosive round. Unfortunately, neither exactly did the trick as the door was still intact. “Oh, come on, Brawl, is that all you got? Whoa!!!!” Blast-Off quickly dodged out of the way again as another sonic burst and explosive shell both whizzed by him, finally blowing the hangar door right off its hinges in a violent display that only Brawl could conjure. Picking himself up from the debris-covered floor, the space warrior brushed himself off as he examined at the green bruiser’s handy work. “Now, that’s more like it! It’s party time!”

Entering the hangar, Blast-Off took in the violent scene before him, carefully scanning the room as civil strife unfolded. Razorclaw and Shockwave were naturally locked in battle as Motormaster offered his assistance. How long that help from the Stunticon Commander would last was anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, Weirdwolf was attacking some of the Vehicons while Skullcruncher was eating them. Weren’t both of them on Shockwave’s team? It became apparent that those two weren’t really sure what side they were on and thus the space warrior saw no reason to instigate them. Instead, he continued to survey the room, seeing that Deathdancer and Thundercracker were engaged in a fight while Nightraven fired on some Vehicons. Starscream, however, was no where in sight and neither was Skywarp for that matter.

Interesting, Blast-Off thought as two Vehicons approached, guns drawn. The space warrior took evasive action and fired on both of them with his ionic blaster. The Vehicons were brought down quickly as their circuits became overloaded, allowing Blast-Off enough time to find cover against a side wall. Now that the Combaticons had made their presence known, the space warrior quickly opened a comm line to his unit leader:

>>”Commander Onslaught, this is Blast-Off. Brawl and I have gained access to the hangar. Razorclaw is battling Shockwave while many others seem content with fighting mindless Vehicons, including some of Shockwave’s own forces. I sense that not all of them are absolutely loyal to him and are willing to let things play out before picking a side. Furthermore, I don’t see Starscream anywhere, nor do I see Skywarp. I sense that the prankster may have teleported Screamer somewhere safe, possibly to get powered up on ultra energon. Although, who really knows with him. I’ll keep you posted on any further developments.”<<

Blast-Off then closed his comm link and rushed out from behind cover, opening fire on more Vehicons as they attacked the newly arrived Combaticons.

Inside Science Lab

Skywarp simply remained silent as Starscream and Blackwind exchanged “pleasantries”. It was a wonder that the Seeker Commander had not been obliterated by the Aerial Coordinator on the spot, but perhaps Screamer was correct in that she would not do anything unless her handler, Thunderwing, said so. That, of course, brought up the question as to where her loyalties lie, but the teleporter couldn’t be concerned with that now. Instead, he worried about how Nightraven was making out down in the hangar without him. Hopefully, she had focused her own attacks on the numerous Vehicons and not one of Shockwave’s powered up supporters. Nighty may be filled with ultra energon, as well, but her size would still limit what damage she could inflict on the larger mechs in the room.

I hope she’s okay, Skywarp thought as he continued to watch Starscream and Knockout hook themselves into the ultra energon reserves. The prankster’s attention was drawn away only when Blackwind saw fit to blast a hole through the door. It seemed as though teleportation would no longer be required in order to get in or out of the lab. For an astrosecond, ‘Warp thought about asking Starscream for permission to return to the hangar, if only to help Nightraven and Thundercracker. The black and purple seeker bit his tongue, though, not wanting to incur the wrath of his commanding officer. After all, without Skywarp, Starscream would have to walk all the way back down to the hangar. No, the teleporter would remain by Screamer’s side until given to go ahead to do otherwise.

Hangar

Weirdwolf finished with the Vehicons all too easily. The gold and teal wolf retreated to Skullcruncher's side and watched the battle tensely, watching for any that thought it a good idea to attack the two. He truly had no allegiance to either side, being one of Scorponok's men out here on the fringe. He took no joy in mindless destruction and even less in fighting his fellow Decepticons. Unless confronted directly, Weirdwolf would have no part in this squabble.

"Prefer I would to still be under Scorponok's command instead of watching fighting brothers here," Weirdwolf growled.

It didn't matter whether Razorclaw or Shockwave ultimately ended up calling the shots as long as this in-fighting ended and quickly. Weirdwolf would rather resume his usual duties, hunting down Autobots. Megatron could settle this dispute easily. If only their leader were still functional.

Weirdwolf turned his attention to the main battle where Razorclaw, Motormaster, and Shockwave were engaging in full-out brawl for the throne. Shockwave unleashed a blast so powerful from his arm cannon that Weirdwolf felt a minor shock wave as the vehicons vaporized. That was the ultra-energon at work no doubt. Truly an amazing substance. What an advantage it would give them over the Autobots...if only they turned their weapons on them.

------

With a squeak of delight, Deathdancer watched as Thundercracker fell. Ah, she so relished these moments of battle. Having her prey, helpless at her feet...It was a beautiful feeling. Wait. He was on his back now. Trying to get up? No, no, no. That wouldn't do. As the tactician moved to make his injury a bit more debilitating, Thundercracker returned fire shouting something about picking the wrong Decepticon.

Deathdancer felt an odd tug, pulling her backwards. Ah, nothing was pulling her backward. She had just been shot. The demented femme looked down and took account of her injuries. There was a massive hole in her chest. Part of her spark casing had been damaged, so her spark was just barely visible. Not even ultra-energon could compensate for her terribly fragile frame. Not really surprising.

It occurred to her that she might not survive this. Best to go out in a blaze of glory then. Dancing. With a twirl of her scythe Deathdancer took the step forward that would allow her to hack at Thundercracker's shoulder joint. Except well, she didn't take that step forward. She fell attempting it, causing her scythe to go off flying in his general direction.

Deathdancer collapsed onto the floor as her optics began to dim. She giggled as her energon pooled out onto the floor. She could probably be saved by an excellent surgeon, but she doubted the parts would be spared for her reconstruction. Supplies were low despite having the ultra-energon. And if she was, it would be in the distant future with her head reprogrammed. Aw. She enjoyed being insane. Made life so much more interesting. But...this would likely be it for her. Funny how things ended. Never quite like one expected. She'd always dreamed about going out in a magnificent blaze of glory. Using herself as a bomb toward the end of the war. Without the war, she really had no purpose in life and the last thing she wanted to do was go back to the asylum. Ah, her vision was getting rather dark now. It was a fun ride.

"The itsy...bitsy...Autobot...went to the institute...and never came out the same..." Deathdancer hummed her song softly as she went offline.

Hangar

Seconds after the pronouncement of Megatron’s death all hell broke loose Razorclaw taking a shot at Shockwave like this was unlike his normal patience game Crueljaw noted as the Vehicons seemed to be jumping on anyone they perceived as a threat and where swiftly being batted aside like the annoyances they were. The problem for Crueljaw was he wasn’t sure what was going on other than brawl to determine a leader to fill Megatron’s bucket bonce but in the surly mechs mind there was no one like Megatron he had the feral fury of Razorclaw, the cold calculation of Shockwave, Hell he could even out manoeuvre Starscream in cunning put it all together and none of these cons came close to matching Megatron.

As he wrestled with these choices he watched a particularly energetic con taking a swing a Thundercracker and another con. The mental faculties of this con must of been hit for a loop but in his mind at least Crueljaw like the cons attitude when in doubt smack a seeker. “Sounds like a plan” Crueljaw muttered to himself as his plasma blade slid into his right hand as his left retrieved his shotgun from a locker at his hip with his right hand. The black and gold warrior strode towards the fight involving the Leaping lunatic and Thundercracker’s group.

An unfortunate Vehicon was swatted from its feet as it stood in Crueljaw’s path while it aimed at Weirdwolf who was away off to his right crumpling face plates and ripping out throats then the sound of Shockwaves arm cannon reverberated around the hangar. Crueljaw’s minor speed bumps had cost him little time but in that time the lunatic con had received a shot to the chest that made it look like she was going for open spark surgery. The burly con strode past the ruined mech some kind of tune whispering off her fading vocals “Hey pick on someone your own size” levelling his Shotgun Crueljaw squeezed the trigger an echoing boom resounded as he engaged Thundercracker in combat his decision made he was with anyone who wasn’t Starscream or a seeker.

Hangar

These few minutes had become a blur of madness for Thundercracker as Decepticons of all kinds of shapes and sizes brawled around him. As Deathdancer lurched towards Thundercracker, the blue Seeker raised his fists while leaning back, preparing for one of three things- avoiding her attack, bracing for her attack, or counter attacking. Imagine Thundercracker's shock then as Deathdancer seemingly fell to the floor to embrace death. As he stood over the Decepticon, Thundercracker felt a tug of regret in his logic circuits... he still couldn't believe now was the time for infighting, even though it was over a matter of survival. It seemed like such a trivial waste of time.

There wasn't much time for Thundercracker to ponder Deathdancer's fate though, for a great forced collided with Thundercracker's shoulder. The force was enough that it caused Thundercracker to stumble backwards out of control, stopping only when his feet clanged against another fallen body. An explosion preceded Thundercracker stumbling backwards, and now he looked to his shoulder to see a chunk of armour had been blasted away.

Thundercracker looked to see his attacker, noticing that Crueljaw was the one who held the smoking gun. First a mad-femme; now, a very big Decepticon. Thundercracker moved his shoulder slightly as he looked towards Crueljaw. Fortunately, despite the damage from Crueljaw's shot, Thundercracker maintained mobility and use of his shoulder joint- even if it came with some pain. Thundercracker was a warrior, though, so he could work through the pain.

As Crueljaw shared his suggestion to Thundercracker, he noticed the scythe that belonged to Deathdancer lay by his feet. In a flash, Thundercracker raised his arm mounted machine gun and fired off some rounds from it towards Crueljaw. As the shots flew towards the Decepticon, Thundercracker swept the scythe up in his hands. Following the shots, Thundercracker now rushed towards Crueljaw. With the scythe raised over his own head, Thundercracker allowed himself the maximum distance that the scythe would allow between him and his opponent, as the scythe began to fall down towards Crueljaw behind the machine gun fire...

OOC - specific actions against other player's characters agreed upon beforehand.

Hangar

The combustible gas discharges that Razorclaw had released erupted around Shockwave's position, engulfing not only the Military Operations Commander but also several other mechs in his immediate vicinity. Depending on the severity of the engulfment and the proximity to the initial detonation point, some continued with their battles as they had been while one or two others crumpled to the floor, writing in pain as their metallic flesh charred and crumpled on itself.

Shockwave, too, had been given pause by the attack, as parts of his pristine purple finish were now singed in distinctly black burn marks. Irregardless, Shockwave's focus had remained on incapacitating Razorclaw and his sole optic had not deviated. He and his unit were too valuable. Whatever illogical reasoning had lead to this ill-advised gambit, Shockwave would correct it--even if the means of correction necessitated extended stasis-lock.

The follow-up attack attempted by Razorclaw was only too logical. In this mode, the cannon attached to Shockwave's arm was the natural prime target, one that the imperator was all too keen to defend. The blast staggered him, dropping the cycloptic mech to one knee even as he had guarded that arm from receiving the brunt of the attack.

//Current positioning: 75.493% efficacy. Recalculating...//
___

"You!"

*BLAM*

"Don't!"

*BLAM*

"Shoot!"

*BLAM*

"ME!!!!"

Dead End yelled, slamming each of his fists into the head of one of two Vehicons that had run to assist the first one that the Stunticon had tackled. The second lay haphazardly atop the one that had started the whole fight to begin with. A fight that Dead End was more than happy to have.

"I shoot you," Dead End said, his voice becoming suddenly cold as he looked down at the soulless machine and shot it in the face. Man, if only they could destroy stuff like this all the time.

As one, two, three laser blasts whizzed right past the Stunticon's head, Dead End looked over as Shockwave fell to one knee. Razorclaw wasn't far away, and neither was Motormaster.

"Oh hell yes," the Stunticon said, transforming and racing across the hangar, plowing into and past Vehicons and Decepticons alike before kicking off, transforming and drawing his weapon.
___

//Auxilliary sensors detecting peripheral threat.//

Before Shockwave had even stood back to his full height and looked to assess the incoming threat, he reached up to provide a means of deflection for whatever blow or blast might be incoming.

It was, however, an entire mechanoid.

Shockwave's hand seized the Stunticon out of the air and slammed him into the ground opposite him with such force that it caved in part of the ship's flooring.

//Value determination: minimal. Status: expendable.//

Not releasing, Shockwave plunged his fist further into Dead End's chest even as the brutish Stunticon Commander was already moving to close the distance between them. He ripped it out, fluid dripping from his single actuator before using it to land a blow directly across Motormaster's outer cranial covering. Motormaster returned with not only one, but several staggering blows that would have felled the vast majority of other Decepticons. As the hits landed they caused massive indentations or outright breaches in Shockwave's armored coverings, but his internal response functioning was remaining at optimum levels. Clearly another indicator of the ore derivative's value. Shockwave blocked one last hit that would have dealt severe cranial damage had it connected, and instead used the Stunticon's immense momentum to send him careering into, and possibly through, a nearby wall and into one of the outer corridors adjacent to the hangar.

"Declarative: illogical strategem," Shockwave stated, stepping on and over a fallen Vehicon in order to remove Motormaster from the combat equation and return his focus to Razorclaw. Other Vehicons in the vicinity that were not engaged in direct confrontations with specific Decepticons moved to provide cover to the cycloptic commander and intercept the charging Predacon.