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The wait was finally over, Starscream has been repaired well almost. His condition shows that he won't do battle against Razorclaw which is good, but there is no doubt the seeker commander had other tricks up his sleeve. Him going off to his seekers to show that he's all right is touchy. That's good, now the tension between the seekers and predacons would be at a halt for now. Time to bring him to Razorclaw so that they can discuss on a more pressing matter which is to overthrow Shockwave.

“Well? What are you waiting for?!” Said Starscream as he gave them his casual smirk showing that he still has the situation under control. Divebomb couldn't wait for that smirk to come off his metallic plate. Divebomb went in front of him as Divebomb turned to face Starscream.

"Make sure your seekers don't follow. Razorclaw orders."

With that said, Divebomb walked slowly back to the bridge so he can keep an eye on Starscream as he's following him.

Thrust was happy to see his seeker commander alive and well, but now the concern is what would Razorclaw do with him and rest of the seekers. As Starscream showed that he had everything under control with the way he bossed the predacons like that as if he was the leader. That's starscream for you, never bowing to no one. As Divebomb told Starscream not to let his seekers follow, Thrust comes in to ask him a question.

"Starscream, what shall we do until you return?"

Outside the Ultrax

As Drag Strip continued to lay down more sensors, he had no choice but to listen to Breakdown’s cowardly whining about Wildrider. His claims that he wasn't afraid were obviously false, of course, but the former racer could at least understand why his comrade wanted to avoid the terrorist whenever possible. 'Rider was hardly the type of mech that anyone in their right processor wanted to be near if they didn't have to. Unfortunately, serving on the same specialty team made that close to impossible and thus each of them had to find their own way of dealing with the insufferable bully.

When the blue and white scout asked Drag Strip if he could hang with him instead of looking around for Dead End, it only solidified in the yellow mech’s processor just how scared Breakdown was of not just Wildrider, but of just about everything else around him. “Sure, why not?” Drag replied as he placed the last of his sensors further away from the Ultrax. “But don’t think I’m going to protect you from Wildrider or any of the other annoying creatures that lurk in these waters for that matter. You’ve got to learn to do that yourself, Breakdown. I’m not your bodyguard, after all.” The part about what lay in wait in the depths that surrounded the Stunticon vessel was meant to spark more fear in the scout. At least it might bring a little bit of badly needed comic relief in an otherwise dull task for the former racer. “Now, let’s head back to your original sensor pile. I assume you left it close to the ship, yes?”

Drag Strip turned and began to trudge back towards the Ultrax, the water and muck underneath his feet impeding his progress as he went. As he drew closer to the crashed ship, the yellow Stunticon noticed Wildrider scooping up some of Breakdown’s sensors before he began to walk in their general direction. Drag stopped and looked back at Breakdown. “Seems your favorite mech is helping out with your pile, Breaks. Would you like me to go grab a bunch for you or would you rather suck it up and do it yourself?”

Repair Bay

Ignoring Divebomb’s response, Skywarp returned his gaze to Starscream’s CR chamber as the repair cycle continued to power down. Soon, the Seeker Commander would be awake and with them once more. The teleporter’s attention was only drawn away from his true leader when he heard the bay doors slide open. The prankster turned around to see the form of Tantrum stepping across the threshold before turning to the eagle-former and making his own inquiries regarding Screamer's progress.

“Oh, great. Another fraggin’ Pred. How many does it take to escort Starscream back to Razorclaw?” Skywarp wondered as he slowly moved away from the CR chamber and returned to Nightraven’s side. Even Thrust questioned why Tantrum’s presence was now needed. The teleporter smiled as he thought of a reason. “Maybe they’re just plain scared of what Screamer will do once he’s fully awake. I would be, too, if I were them.”

Moments later, the wait was over as the inevitable finally happened. Starscream’s CR chamber door opened with the usual hiss, allowing the thick vapors from within to escape into the surrounding area of the repair bay. The Seeker Commander’s right foot was the first to appear from the haze followed closely by the left before his glowing red optics penetrated the thick fog like a warning beacon that signaled the return of the true Decepticon leader. Unfortunately, when his full body had emerged it was quite apparent that Starscream was still wounded, if not to a much lesser degree than before. He was able to walk and talk, but not fight, not yet.

Once the Seeker Commander had surveyed his surroundings, he approached Skywarp and placed his hand on the prankster’s shoulder. Starscream said nothing as he looked from one seeker to the other, giving them a reassuring nod. The teleporter allowed a smile to creep onto his faceplate as a sense of hope returned to him for the first time in many cycles. “It’s good to have you back, sir,” Skywarp said quietly as Starscream removed his hand from the prankster’s shoulder and turned towards the two Predacons that had been impatiently waiting nearby for his revival. Screamer wasted no time in addressing Razorclaw’s lackeys, showing confidence in the wake of everything that had happened to him.

Skywarp’s faceplate turned back into a scowl yet again when he overheard Divebomb say that the seekers had to remain behind and not follow Starscream to the meeting. While it was expected, it still made the black and purple flier’s circuits sizzle with rage. “Stupid Preds. I’d like to see them keep me away,” the teleporter said quietly as he turned to face Nightraven and Thrust. “I’m familiar with almost every part of this ship now. I can pop in and out of any room I like and there’s nothing they can do to stop me.”

Repair Bay

Tantrum's responses were minimal. Divebomb had received the faintest hint of a nod. Thrust's reply was a derisive snort. He heard the rust-colored one liked to try and intimidate other Decepticons, but if he was going to try that slag with him, he was putting his hand in the wrong turbofox den.

When Starscream did finally awaken, even Tantrum visibly stiffened his stance just a little. He trusted that mech a lot less than he could throw him and he wouldn't put anything past him or one of his flyboy lackeys, even if he did just have his aft handed to him by Razorclaw.

As Starscream had indicated his willingness to go along peacefully, Tantrum's circuits misfired just a little. He was hoping that he might resist, or that one of the other Seekers might try and get all overprotective. Either would have allowed him to vent some frustration.

"Just move, hopalong," Tantrum grunted, following after Divebomb and the Seeker leader as they made their way back to the bridge.
___

Bridge

"Looks like 'Prince Charming' is awake and on his way," Rampage said, smirking underneath his faceplate as he divided his attention between watching one of the ship's internal monitors and a marathon of "The Ultimate Fighter" on one of the human channels that he had been able to pick up.
___

Outside the Ultrax

Dead End flicked the activation switch on the latest sensor that he had installed and looked around. He had wandered off perhaps a little too far, but he figured it was for the better as it would give the ship a slightly larger sensory range. He double-checked the device to ensure that it was sending and receiving with the other sensors that had been set up and then slowly began to walk away.

>>"There. Done,"<< Dead End transmitted to whoever was listening, he didn't really care who. He started walking back towards the ship. Surely the others were done by now too.

Corridors

Slipstream sighed as she got the signal back from Ramjet. Whatever usefulness this alliance might have wasn’t worth being his personal mode of transportation. She wondered what sort of advantage she ever thought the alliance would have. Whatever it was it wasn’t worth this annoyance.

>>”Ramjet, I’m not your personal chauffer, teleporting you around wherever you command. If that’s what you want from me consider this alliance at an end. Don’t bother me again.”<<

Slipstream definitely had to find a way out of here. She was stuck in a ship of madmechs and idiots at the bottom of a vast body of water. It was time to do what this seeker always did best, and that was looking out for herself. If she could obtain a small stockpile of energon or other fuel she could venture warping out of the ship and to the surface. From there it shouldn’t be too hard to get some more fuel and make for deep space and somewhere with fewer morons and lunatics. The toughest part was that first step, which was going to take some planning….

Quarters

Ramjet read with loathe, but read anyway. It was on Slipstream, and he was moderately enjoying himself. Minus the reading, but at least he was learning what made her tick.

Most of what he read was what he had already heard from rumors, but he noticed that her arrogance was off the charts. She probably thought him a naive thug who hasn't the brain to use.

"I'll show her the power of a 'Thug'. Heh." Ramjet said aloud with a smirk.

He took a moment before speaking.

>>No. No I don't need a chauffeur or a transport, I need you. I need the one Transformer I can trust. I need the skillful, young and tactful Slipstream that trumps oh-so-many of the brightest Decepticons. No, I do not need a chauffeur, I need my Air Commander. But, I also need a one-time favor. I need you to do this for me, just this once. I won't ask you to do it for me again after this, it is just a one-time ordeal, I assure you.<< Ramjet said with a soothing, flirty voice in the communique with Slipstream.

Hopefully, she would reconsider her brash statement.

*****

Ten Forward

"Zzinging in zze rain...!" Waspinator sung with a hideous replication of the Earthen Song, "Singing in the Rain".

He was happy that someone took notice of his depressed and almost suicidal state and lifted him up! He was finally noticed...

"Juzzt zzingin' in zze rain...!"

He waltzed, a very scarce sight to see with Waspinator, his way to the bridge, but suddenly got formal when he was within earshot of the Bridge.

Waspinator walked in and did a quick, awkward salute to Razorclaw.

"Invizziplane-bot tell Wazzpinator Cat-Bot need reliable flierzz over Zzeekerzz, Invizziplane tell Wazzpinator zzat you need unit and zzat he wantzz Wazzpinator, zzo Wazzpinator anzzwerzz call of duty!" Waspinator explained with his hands in a formal position behind his back.

Bridge

Razorclaw waited. That’s what he did best in anticipation of the perfect time to strike. He had done so before when biding his time to make a play for leadership of the Decepticons. All of his patience had finally paid off when he bested Starscream in a one-on-one battle that left the Seeker Commander in a barely functioning heap on the floor of the bridge. Skywarp had then stepped in and taken him to the repair bay where Starscream had remained in a CR chamber ever since. It had already seemed like an eternity, but then again the wounds inflicted on the Air Commander had been vicious so it was not surprising that it would take a good amount of time for the repair cycle to complete.

Unfortunately, time is not on our side, the Predacon lord thought to himself as Rampage made mention that they had two of the three capital ships in the sector under their control while the third was the Thanatos, itself, which they knew like the backs of their own hand modules. The Predacons seemed to have everything going for them and as Rampage continued to say, this would be the time when Megatron would finish off his opponent in the gladiatorial arena back in the days of old.

“Soon, Rampage, soon,” Razorclaw said assuredly to his subordinate as Tantrum then left the bridge for the repair bay to hasten things along. In the meantime, the Predacon lord continued to wait, accessing the frigate’s various internal and external monitors in order to see for himself what the many ‘Cons on board were currently doing. Most were trying to get things into working order again, not that the ship was ever in the best shape to begin with, but it had at least seen better cycles than it’s current state.

Turning his attention to the outside monitors, Razorclaw could see the progress that the Stunticons were making on placing the various sensors around the Ultrax. Some were working diligently while others took their sweet time. It was as Motormaster had said, don’t expect a miracle from his boys. Truer words had never been said, especially in regards to that sorry lot. Still, the Stunticons had their usefulness and their support would be pivotal in the coming conflict against Shockwave.

That conflict was unfortunately unavoidable at this point. Shockwave would not simply relinquish his claim to the throne. No, he would have to be usurped from power, and the only way to do that was to unite the Decepticons here on Earth. The specialty teams were already bound together, which had been the first major hurdle crossed. Now, the seekers needed to be brought in, as well, and the key to making that happen was Starscream, the very mech Razorclaw had just beaten almost to death. If the Predacon lord could convince the Seeker Commander to stand with him, if only temporarily, then they could bring Shockwave’s rule to a swift end before moving on to other more important matters.

Of course, with the cycloptic mech out of the way, those matters would likely find Razorclaw and Starscream at odds once again. One obstacle at a time, the Predacon lord thought as he rubbed his chin plate with his right hand. His thoughts then drifted to Lord Thunderwing and where his loyalties would ultimately lay. The carapace-laced scientist was the one wild card in all of this that could shift the balance of power in an instant. He needed to be convinced that Razorclaw was the right choice to lead with the capability of bringing the Decepticons together and ultimately defeating the Autobots once and for all.

Razorclaw was roused from his thoughts at the sound of Rampage’s vocalizer again, this time making mention that “Prince Charming”, as he put it, was finally awake. The lion-former punched up the security feed on the primary view screen ahead, showing Starscream walking out of the repair bay with a pair of Predacon escorts. It was readily apparent that the Seeker Commander was not yet fully repaired and would be unable to challenge Razorclaw to a rematch. This was good news as the Predacon lord sought no further violence between them unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Yes, I see,” Razorclaw remarked with a smirk. “And he appears to still be just as arrogant as ever. Some things never change I suppose.”

The door of the bridge then slid open, but instead of Starscream entering the room, the green Insecticon known as Waspinator stepped across the threshold and offered his services as a flier, talking in a strange buzz-like speech pattern that Razorclaw could barely understand. It didn’t take more than a few astroseconds for the bug to get on the Predacon lord’s nerve receptors. “Waspinator....” Razorclaw growled as he slowly cast a stern glare in the lone Insecticon’s direction. “....I have no idea who you’ve been talking to, but all that I require from you right now is to buzz off! Is that clearly understood?”

Bridge

Divebomb made his way to the bridge with Starscream and Tantrum as he looked back to see the seeker commander smirking. Arrogant as ever, Divebomb hopes that Razorclaw would wipe that smirk off his face, but that was likely impossible. Getting the seekers to their cause was gonna be tremendously difficulty. Its gonna be interesting to see what Razorclaw comes up with to persuade the seeker commander to join him. Divebomb quickly bows his head before Razorclaw.

"As you commanded, I have brought Starscream to the bridge."

Divebomb makes his way to Razorclaw's side as he stood by him like a bodyguard. Eagerly waiting to see what Lord Razorclaw would do to persuade Starscream to join. It's gonna be awkward teaming up with the seekers after the events that had transpired in the bridge. Divebomb suppose that they can put their difference aside when taking down Shockwave.....hopefully.

Repair Bay

Thrust wanted to follow them badly just to see what they will do to lord Starscream. However, he would have to worry about Divebomb and Tantrum getting in the way or may face punishment from Starscream. He stood back with Skywarp and Nightraven as they watch them leave the area. Thrust turned towards Skywarp and Nightraven as Skywarp suggested that with his knowledge of the ships complex, he would be able to warp in and out of the area. This gave Thrust an idea to spy on the predacons without getting caught. Hopefully the plan would work and the predacons won't catch them.

"Skywarp, you think you can warp us to a place to spy on their conversation?"

Bridge

Once the Seeker Commander had exited his CR chamber he made his way, albeit, slowly to the repair bay’s doors, but before stepping through Starscream stopped and cast a fleeting glance at the Seekers present leaving them with only his trade make smirk. Moments later he passed through the doors and out into the corridor beyond with both Tantrum and Divebomb in tow.

The trek did not take nearly as long as he’d expected even with his noticeable slow gait and other injuries. He stood in front of the doors to the bridge, a deep scowl etched on his face. When the doors finally slid apart what was revealed a bridge that was just as active as it had been when he and Razorclaw went through their little tussle, and yet he was here again to speak to the Predacon about the possible future of not only their faction but their futures with-in the ranks…or rather the Seekers’ futures.

“Ah, how nice to see you once again my dear Razorclaw.”

Starscream stepped further onto the bridge and worked his way over to toward the Predacon, however, he was sure to keep his approach as nonthreatening and calculated as possible. After all he couldn’t afford to engage in another losing battle.

The red and silver Seeker offered the new interim Decepticon leader a cocky smile, after all it was in Starscream’s nature to believe he was the mech for the job, and that job was to take the mantle of the faction and lead them to victory followed by total domination of the universe. The thought nearly had the Seeker Commander salivating. He reigned himself in long enough to push forward with the pleasantries.

“I believe we have some business to attend to. Shall we?”

Starscream carefully moved past Razorclaw and headed toward the side room that had served as Motormaster’s make shift office. The Seeker Commander stopped in front of the door and turned to look at the one who he considered his opposite and waited.

Repair Bay

Nightraven stood by Skywarp’s side and watched quietly as Starscream exited his CR chamber. Their Commander remained silent but offered one reassuring gesture to Skywarp by placing his hand on the teleporter’s shoulder…leaving it there for a moment before he moved on and out the Repair bay doors.

From Skywarp’s flank Nightraven gave the black and purple mech a small smile at his suggestion that he could teleport onto the bridge in order to see just what the Predacons planned to do with their Commander.

“Skywarp…”

Nightraven placed her hand on his upper arm in order to get his attention.

“Let Starscream handle it. There’s no need for you to pop in the middle of that bridge and get yourself killed. Starscream knows what he’s doing, he always has. I’m sure when the time is right we’ll hear something.”

She knew she probably sounded like she was giving out a lecture, but she had no desire to lose anyone…especially not him. With her optics locked on him, Nightraven let her hand trail from his upper arm down to his forearm where it remained.

Approaching the Ultrax

Thunderwing skimmed along the ocean surface, staying low to help avoid detection. The trip had been highly uneventful and dull. He had picked up a few surface vessels on the way over and plotted courses around them. Beneath the water surface he could detect myriad organisms, but he had no time to dwell on them. In the future he would have to conduct some studies to see what he could glean of value from this planet’s lifeforms. He was always willing to acquire new information and add it to his arsenal.

The Decepticon slowed as he approached his destination, at the same time receiving a message from Blackwind. The message was an automated one, programmed to go off should she not be able to stop it. It indicated that she was incapacitated, likely at the hands of Shockwave. She would require assistance, but the message urged caution. It appeared that their fears had been well founded and Shockwave had made his move while she was on the ship, virtually alone.

He repressed his desire to rush up and meet Shockwave in battle immediately. Doing so would give him away and likely end in his defeat. Shockwave was not likely to be lured into a one on one battle for leadership like other Decepticons would be. Honor was not something that mattered to him. He would likely find himself fighting off an entire ship of Shockwave loyalists, not to mention he wasn’t certain if he could take down Shockwave himself. No, he would have to be patient and form a plan to take him down, the first steps to which now lay below him. He could only hope there would be something left of Blackwind when he got to her.

Thunderwing dove beneath the water surface, his engines speeding his decent. He transformed, allowing gravity to do the rest of the work as he relied on his sensors to guide him to his destination. The Ultrax was a long ways down, it was no surprise it had remained undetected. As he approached the vessel he attempted to contact it’s commander. >>”Razorclaw, this is Thunderwing. I request permission to come aboard the Ultrax and meet with you. I come with only peaceful intent and have no wish for further violence.”<<

Bridge

And now he was here.

Rampage's circuits almost instinctively tensed as the notorious Air Commander made his presence known to Razorclaw once again. Rampage's gaze shifted curiously between Starscream and Razorclaw, but curiosity was largely all it was. The Predacon harbored no doubts regarding his commander's abilities. They were formidable and they were many--his almost legendary patience being just one. But Starscream's skills, and certainly his reputation, were also formidable. And so Rampage took no encounter with him lightly. Certainly not when the stakes were so high as they were now.

Despite all of that being true, in Rampage's mind at least, the Predacon remainded silent and did not voice any further concerns or warnings to his commander. This was the strategy that he had chosen to follow, and Rampage would see it done. He was only a small piece of what was going on here, and he knew it. Their fate, the fate of the Predacons. Slag...maybe even the fate of the Decepticons as a whole? It was mostly in Razorclaw's hands now.
___

As Tantrum followed behind Starscream, his optics locked briefly with the other Predacons in the room before the Fueler found his way to his own makeshift station aboard the Stunticon wreck and stood there silently, watching as the other Decepticons, chiefly Starscream, made their presence known to Razorclaw.

Tantrum, like many of the others, said nothing. He was content to watch and see what action Starscream would take now. And, more importantly, how their commander would respond.