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A worthy competitor to the Nemesis itself, the Semper Tyrannis is the flagship of the 2nd Expansion fleet for many reasons, not the least of which is its imposing commanding officer, Scorponok.

This battleship has wrought galactic terror in many regions across the known universe. It is a functional representation of Megatron's motto "Peace through Tyranny". After the Tyrannis has passed through a system, there is little in the way of resistance. Peace comes naturally.

The Stellar Gallery

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of a few imaging and processing machines. There was no illumination, save for that of the holoscreens. One shadowy figure stood, his attention immersed in the screens in front of him, even as a significantly larger one approached from behind.

“Even the data tracks regarding this place are so old that I can scarcely decipher the language used,” Mindwipe said, his face reflecting the iridescent green glow of the holoscreens in front of him. With one hand, he moved two of the screens away and brought up three additional ones.

“That one would be able to find a simple artifact used by a mechanoid from this time period would be impressive. To find an entire facility--no matter how derelict it has become over the vorns--is one of the great feats of this age. This is truly a great find, mighty Scorponok.”

Mindwipe turned to look up at the much larger Decepticon and took a couple of practiced steps out of the superior Decepticon’s path. Scorponok was not one to be overly concerned with obstacles, be they sentient or not. If they were in his way, they tended to not remain as such for very long.

Comfortably reassured that he was not about to have a limb crushed, Mindwipe returned his attention to the screen in front of him as they stood deep within the bowels of the Semper Tyrannis. Whatever they had found, it had been well-hidden. That fact made finding out what was contained within the structure it all the more necessary.

“Are you certain that it has been abandoned?”

The Stellar Gallery of the Semper Tyrannis

The gargantuan Decepticon general let his gaze to wander from holoscreen to other as he listened to Mindwipe. The planet, its environment and the entrance to the archaic facility were as his informant had described. While the find truly could have been remarkable, there was a rather considerable problem with it. It was not pristine. Someone had been there already, thousands of vorns ago. However, given the existance of this facility had been hidden for so long - it did open an opportunity for it to still hold something truly valuable for the Decepticon cause. And thus, it was worth exploring.

"By its builders most definately." Scorponok replied to Mindwipe's question. "However, the fact its entrance is buried with such care suggests that someone, likely the Autobots - have been there before us. Yet, instead of destroying this facility they chose to hide it. And they kept it hidden for thousands of vorns. Thus, we have a good reason assume it holds something valuable. Had it not been for the archives our informant managed to hack into - we would not have even known to search for it."

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully with the tip of his right claw, Scorponok turned towards a holoscreen showing general data of the 4th planet of the LV-117 system. "This opportunity is too great to be ignored. While I doubt the facility itself holds any danger towards us aside from possible structural damage to it, this planet is known to be dangerous on its own. A typical garden planet, heavy on moisture and rainfall. Prolonged stay will increase the likely hood of developing rust damage. Local mega-fauna can be considered lethal even to our species. And this damnable radiation belt is a real danger for approaching spaceships."

The image on the holoscreen shifted to show short, regularly appearing gaps in the radiation belt. "An orbital bounce it is not an option due to the interference from the radiation. Whoever built that facility must have been the originator of this radiation belt as well. The time curtain for successful landing and extraction is short. Each missed gap in the radiation belt will increase mission length by 0.38 mega-cycles. The dropship will have to be piloted manually without any help from flight computer."

Having gone through most of the raw data they had regarding the target planet, Scorponok turned to leave the Stellar Gallery but did not move towards the exit before addressing Mindwipe for one more time. "Prepare yourself Mindwipe. You have an exploration mission to organize. Cipher should provide you adequate amount of understanding of old Cybertronian dialects. As for your protection - I believe Hun-Grrr's team is free to be deployed."

Stellar Gallery

Scorponok's assurances that whoever had built this facility had left it alone for a very long time came with some measured degree of relief. Something that was as old as their current information suggested this place was could have been under the watchful protection of any number of long forgotten Cybertronians. That it wasn't would at least clear the way for them to proceed without having to worry about sacrificing a fair share of their troop allotment just to secure ownership.

Mindwipe nodded as Scorponok elaborated further on what the informant had found. The fact that it had--at some point--come into possession of the Autobots was certainly cause for concern. It also raised questions. Whatever was here was unarguably old, but how valuable could it be, if even the Autobots had not established some form of garrison there? Had they plundered it dry? Had they rigged it to destroy the first sentient life that came upon it after they had finished with it?

No, surely not. That was something that Mindwipe himself would have done. It was a Decepticon tactic, tried and true. And even for the most bloodthirsty, morally-questionable Autobot out there, surely such a trap would fly in the face of everything their vaunted Prime stood for, on the off chance that some civilization other than theirs happened to discover it.

Moreover, from what Mindwipe had seen of the "fauna" as Scorponok had so casually put it, the Decepticon hypnotist was none too keen on encountering it directly.

"Uhh...," Mindwipe began, hesitating at the thought of having to disturb any of the Terrorcons. He could surely find a way to do so from a safe distance. However, Scorponok would be just as dangerous if he sensed that Mindwipe was possessed of even the slightest bit of real hesitation. Mindwipe quickly changed his tact back to what was expected of a typical Decepticon subordinate. "...yes, mighty Scorponok. We shall discover whatever secrets may yet lay buried within those walls."

Letting out a soft hiss, Mindwipe returned his attention to the screen for a moment before disengaging the feeds and taking his leave of the gallery as well.
___

Corridors

"Cipher....Hungrrr....what a lovely expedition this will prove to be," Mindwipe said softly as he traversed the ship's extensive labyrinth of passageways. "Literally in one case. Most assuredly figurative in the other.."

As he continued on, Mindwipe could notice a distinct--and ever-increasing--odor that was beginning to wreak havoc with his olfactory sensor array.

"Lovely...," Mindwipe groaned, before turning down a different passageway.

Corridor

Deep in the one of the more obscure recesses of the Decepticon dreadnaught, the interior illumination grew perceptibly dimmer. The change was subtle, at first, but just as the stale air grew progressively fouler, so too did the passages steadily darken. Even in the unsettling half-light, one could see that the bulkheads and deck plating were coated in a glistening layer of some slick, unidentifiable ichor. Remains of old meals littered the floor in increasing profusion, torn and gnawed virtually beyond recognition. Those few scraps that could be identified would have been deeply disturbing to most Transformers, and scarcely bore prolonged consideration.

Mindwipe’s footfalls, though quiet, had not gone unnoticed. As the hypnotist passed by one inky black alcove, two pairs of fiery red optics, baleful as the Pit itself, sparked to life. Padding forth silently on clawed feet, the sentinel trailed after the intruder, studying his movements, savoring what was to come. Finally, he brought one paw down with deliberate force, so that it could not fail to go unnoticed.

“Lovely,” growled Sinnetwin’s two vaguely canine heads in unison. “Yes, lovely. A lovely morsel, to present itself so willingly in the den of the Terrorcons.”

Twin gouts of flame erupted from the beast’s mouths, only missing Mindwipe by the narrowest of margins. Sinnertwin had no interest in ending his sport so quickly, though. First, he would savor this puny mechanoid’s abject fear, make it watch as he scattered its insides over the slime and the offal.

“Will it scream for me?” inquired the right head, lowering to glare up at the other Decepticon from beneath permanently scowling brows. “Will its lovely cries make sweet music as they echo through these empty halls?”

“Or does it die quickly to escape the pain?” asked the left, raising up to glower down at his intended victim. “Does it make a lovely meal for the Terrocons?” Another wave of hellish-hot fire rolled along the floor, licking at Mindwipe’s feet.

“I cannot wait to find out, Lovely …”

Corridor

"What are you doing Sinnertwin?" spoke a cruel voice from behind Sinnertwin. From the opening walked out the robot form of Cutthroat. His outstretched his arms and the claws on his fingers. They twitched in anticipation of the carnage that would soon come, the only possible outcome of this unwise visit in the mind of the Terrorcon sociopath.

"You are too slow as usual."

Cutthroat's optics turned red as he continued to walk towards Mindwipe. His every movement oozed with murderous intent. The thought of sparing this intruder was not considered for a moment.

"Don't you see him? Don't you see how he mocks us with his continued existence. He mocks us!"

As he got closer his form began to shift into that of a monstrous, winged monster. He let out a loud screech in anger.

"Move aside, I'll leave him in small enough pieces for you to be afraid of later!"

His cruel laughter echoed in the area perhaps even more frightening that his formidable claws, talons, and peak.

Corridor

Rippersnapper had taken up a position close to his comrades, but he remained out of sight and eerily quiet. The Terrorcon watched with considerable interest while Cutthroat and Sinnertwin tormented Scorponok’s little errand mech. Unfortunately, if the two continued with their little game then their Commander would see fit to 'curb' their enthusiasm for greeting visitors. Something the terrorist was certain would not bode well for all of them.

Finally emerging from the shadows where he had been concealed, Rippersnapper made his presence known. The white and blue mech stepped between Mindwipe and his two violent teammates. Placing one of his clawed hands on Mindwipe, he shoved the hypnotist back and away. Rippersnapper then turned his attention to Sinnertwin and Cutthroat, he let out a warning growl.

“Back off you two! Need I remind you of what Hun-Grrr will do to the both of you if he finds out what happened to the High Commander’s little messenger?”

The terrorist let out a low growl as he turned his head to look over his shoulder at their unwanted guest.

“What is it you want, cretin? And I warn you, if your explanation if not quick I’ll throw you back to Cutthroat and Sinnertwin.”

Corridor

It was almost as if his spark had sense their presence before any of his other actual sensory equipment had managed to do so. The overwhelming sense of imminent dread was so real, Mindwipe felt as if he could reach out and touch it. Mold it like clay. Unfortunately, that sense was molding him and not the other way around. Mindwipe would not be the first Decepticon to have gone missing while engaging in interaction with the Terrorcons, so he certainly had no desire to be the latest.

The cold, steely hand that shoved him away from the other Terrorcons was, perhaps, the most welcomed touch he had received in a long time. That act would only buy him a few short moments however. If the Terrorcons were not appeased, there was a strong chance that he might not even get to deliver Scorponok's orders to Hungrr himself.

"We....umm...we have arrived within the orbit of a world that has captured the Commander's interest," Mindwipe spit out as fast as he could. "He has insisted that it be investigated firsthand. I've seen the imagery. It looks...violent."

Once he got down there, Mindwipe would have to stick close to Cipher. That Decepticon would be the only one with whom Mindwipe would be able to carry on any rational discussion regarding what they had found. Before that could happen, though, he needed to survive this.

"He requests that we take a dropship to the surface," Mindwipe said, not gaining the slightest bit of additional courage as he spoke. Rather, he backed further and further in to an enclosed area that was steadily beginning to reek of all manner of industrial fluids. Scrap and viscous oils licked at the edges of his feet as he continued to move backwards. Looking around, he couldn't imagine his current surroundings being altogether different from the intestinal tract of one of those accursed Ickyak's.

The Terrorcon Den

The Terrorcon Den or rather the former storage areas 2a-2c of deck 3 of the Semper Tyrannis - was perhaps the most infamous collection of storage rooms and corridors on board any Decepticon ship. Many Decepticons that had wandered there alone had gone missing, never to be seen again. Most Decepticons avoided the area like it had been contamined by Cosmic Rust. Even when the Terrorcons were away hardly no one dared to explore their domain. For the Terrorcons would know. Somehow they always recognized those whom had been foolhardly enough to enter their den. And for the Terrorcons, it was a matter of pride to punish trespassers - even if was to take place long after the deed had been done. The service drones of the mighty Decepticon battleship had been reprogrammed to avoid this zone. It just wasn't worth the trouble.

Today though, one Decepticon had been brave enough to enter the Den. Then again when one had to choose between becoming the target of mighty Scorponok's ire or the savage fury of the Terrorcons, one really had no good options left. Truth to be told, this particular Decepticon could have even held his own against some of the Terrorcons, at least one on one. Mindwipe was hardly a Decepticon to be underestimated. Yet, he was there alone, so very alone.

It had not taken too long for the pack to react to this intruder. Sinnertwin had been the first as always. And it had been hardly surprising for Cutthroat and Rippersnapper to join Sinnertwin in his little game. Only the loyal Blot stood his ground, waiting for an order to be given before acting. Oh, how it amused the mechanoid whose infamous gladiatorial name had become the name of the whole pack of monstrous Decepticons. The Terrorcon. Hun-Grrr of Yetron.

Lying on his hoard consisting of energon goodies, weapons and gnawed remains of various Cybertronians, other mechanical beings and unliving machines - the massive Transformer that had taken the form of an Algean two-headed razorbeast, listened to the sounds echoing from the corridor leading to his chamber of horrors. For someone who was not familiar with the notorious leader of the Terrorcons, it could appear as if the beast was sleeping. Only if it were so. Transformers had no need for sleep. The monster was all too aware of what was happening in his Den, it just did not care. That was, until Mindwipe uttered the words ´I've seen the imagery. It looks... violent´.

The bloodred optics of the beast flickered into life and slowly one of its dragonic heads rose from its resting place. The combination of greed and lust for destruction that fueled Hun-Grrr had finally been gauged just enough for the beast to take interest.

"Terrrrrrorrrcons! Brrring it to us! Brrring it us NOW!"

Corridor

Sinnertwin’s fun had scarcely started when he was interrupted first by Cutthroat, then Rippersnapper. This intrusion caused the sentry to bristle immediately. These were his passageways to guard! He didn’t need their help, and he certainly didn’t want their interference. One would end the sport too quickly, and the other allowed Mindwipe to talk, of all useless, foolish things.

Unless it was the incoherent babble of pure, primal panic, Sinnertwin had little interest in it. What did he care for Scorponok’s errands?

He was about to turn his ire upon his fellow Terrorcons directly when Hun-Grrr’s voice boomed out from deeper in the den. And no matter how belligerent or starved for entertainment he was feeling, he wasn’t about to cross their leader.

“What a fortunate lovely it is,” growled Sinnertwin’s heads in guttural chorus. He immediately belied his own appraisal by attempting to take the hypnotist’s arms in his two mouths—biting hard enough to keep a secure grip, but no so forcefully as to cause more than superficial damage—and physically carry him before Hun-Grrr.