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Shockwave’s Tower – Corridors

Thunderwing smiled back at Blackwind. “A pleasure to meet you Blackwind. Let me say again how happy I am to have fellow Decepticons back on Cybertron. It has been quite some time since I’ve had a conversation with anything more complex than a drone.”

He turned to look ahead of him as the continued walking. This seeker was obviously not of the simple warrior group that seemed to dominate their ranks. She was intelligent for one, a trait that few of that group seemed to possess, save their egotistical leader. She wasn’t just intelligent though; she was charming and subtly probing him with her words. She had barely been on the world moments and was already asking him about his creations and whether he intended to share them with the Empire. It made sense, what better form for an intelligence agent to take than a female seeker? Seekers were prevalent in the Empire to the point of easily being overlooked. Many in the Empire would also overlook a femme. It was a tactic that would likely work on a great many Decepticons. He, however, was not one of them.

That wasn’t to say Thunderwing instantly mistrusted her. He expected there would be some investigation into his work and what he had been doing on Cybertron for so long. It was promising though that they sent someone like Blackwind to conduct the investigation. He had feared that Shockwave would attempt something himself, perhaps through neural surgery of some sort. This more subtle form of investigation was far more pleasant and meant they still had some use for him intact. The fact that she even mentioned some disdain for Shockwave was also promising. Perhaps there was some tension with the other Decepticon’s long absence as well. That would play into his favor as well.

“I always intended to share my breakthroughs with the rest of the empire. It has just been that I haven’t been able to contact the Empire until recently with the atmosphere clearing just enough for me to punch a signal through. Even then I wasn’t sure anyone would hear, let alone reply.”

He looked at her and smiled again. “As for our commander, be careful about what you say in his tower. His single optic can see all, especially in his domain.” He stopped in front of a door. “I believe this room is unoccupied. It can serve as your quarters or office, as you see fit. I assume you want to drop off your things here before I show you any further.”

*

Thanatos – Engine Room

Tantrum came stomping into the room, an annoyed look on his face. Fueler was his specialty but he was getting a little tired of just lugging around fuel canisters all over the place. Hopefully there would be something more to do on this planet then shuffle things around from the ship to the base and from the base to the ship.

The Predacon glanced around briefly before locating the fuel cells. There were still a few unused ones. He scooped them up in his arms and stomped out of the room. Now he just had to find Razorclaw and ask him where he wanted them. Somewhere in the tower he assumed, but he had no idea where. He wasn’t exactly a frequent guest inside Shockwave’s tower, probably since he had a tendency to smash things when he got angry. Shockwave wasn’t the type to appreciate that, so he had never been inside the tower and had no idea where anything was. Well, that was why Razorclaw was the commander, he’d know where to put them.

Starship Silo A2

"Will do, Commander Razorclaw!" said Swindle, chugging off towards the doors once again. Truth be told, he had weapons, scientific equipment, and other supplies in his hover-trailer, and was going to have to visit all three areas of the Tower before coming back here: Not exactly the most efficient use of his time, but this was stuff Swindle wanted to make sure wasn't dropped and crushed underfoot by the like of Tantrum...and he wanted to know where they would be stored, in case the oppurtunity came up where they wouldn't be needed anymore, and became unimportant enough to not be missed.

He paused a second as Wierdwolf indicated the new arrival talking to Blackwind. "I hear ya buddie. Best to leave those two to it, we can't benefit from being around them. Could end badly." As he trundled off to the laboratories, he swung his sensor suite around to get a good look at the newcomer. Never seen armor like that before, not on a cybertronian at least. Whatever this Thunderwing character has been up to since we left Cybertron, it looks mighty interesting. Maybe I'll get to ask him about, assuming he can get away from that femme.

Shockwave’s Tower – Corridors

Blackwind returned Thunderwing’s smile and laughed lightly at his comment. “I could imagine what conversations would have been like.” She tightened her arm around his as she refocused her attention to their trek. She could only imagine what was running through his mind about her. However, she would prove that her presence here was for the good of the Empire and that she had no hidden agendas.

Her optics never left the corridor ahead of them as she listened to him speak again. She already knew he would share all of his finding with the Empire, however, would he be willing to divulge all of the information he had in his possession; that is what she truly needed to know. Using her charm and intelligence was her best chance of finding out exactly what she wanted; adding the truth wouldn’t hurt either.

She looked back up at him when they finally stopped at a door. She smiled back and then walked into the room and took a look around. “An office. That’s not a bad idea.” She nodded and then turned around to face him. “Thank you, you can leave the cart anywhere. Off loading it can wait.”

With a smile still etched on her face she slowly made it back to him at the doorway. Once in front of him she placed a hand on his and addressed him. “Well, now you can show me where the private quarters are located.”

Shockwave’s Tower – Corridors

Thunderwing was bemused at the fact that he had become some sort of mover drone for Blackwind, but he was willing to play along. He pushed the hovercart into the room, parking it in an empty corner. “Should you require any additional furniture or equipment I’m sure we can scavenge it from some of the other rooms. Even with the arrival of so many Decepticons the tower will still be mostly uninhabited.”

He smiled at her as she walked back to him and took his hand in hers. “Of course, the private quarters. I believe they are this way.” The Decepticon scientist began leading her down another corridor. “Hopefully everything in the tower is still functional, just requiring power to function once more. The atmosphere had protected the planet from any sort of meteor strikes but I wouldn’t be surprised if some electrical discharges from that volatile atmosphere had shorted out some circuitry. I’m sure Commander Shockwave will have drones working around the clock making minor repairs like that.”

Thunderwing noticed that she had pulled back with her questioning. Yes, she was a very clever one. Now it appeared that she had only made customary meeting conversation. It was possible he was simply being paranoid, but if he were in Megatron’s position he would not let such new and valuable technology stay beyond his sight. The fact that Shockwave was here as well, after having disappeared in similarly mysterious circumstances only reinforced the idea that he had someone among this team watching him and from what he had seen so far Blackwind was the prime candidate.

There was some opportunity in that however. If Megatron had sent her to act as his optics on Cybertron then he could perhaps curry favor with him by assisting her in observing Shockwave. It would have the double benefit of keeping her more preoccupied with the other Decepticon and gaining her trust. He certainly wouldn’t mind working with her closely. It was a plan that would benefit both of them and likely be pleasant. He would just have to be careful how he played it as she was obviously quite intelligent.

“Here we are, one of the larger officers’ quarters. I’m sure you will find it to your liking, particularly after the various quarters you’ve had to stay in on whatever planets the Empire has been conquering. I imagine room was short and furnishings sparse.” He gestured for her to enter the rather large room. He began rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “I suppose I will need quarters in the tower as well. It would be a nuisance to move back and forth from my current facilities to the tower.” Thunderwing glanced down the corridor. “I believe this room next to yours will be suitable,” he smiled at her, “assuming you don’t mind me being your neighbor?” Of course this would also have the benefit of him keeping an eye on her, and vice versa for her. He thought it would be better to keep her close, even if it meant he might have trouble with his own movements. It would show confidence and that he had nothing to hide. It would also help him in assisting her. Once again a highly beneficial move.

Shockwave’s Tower - Living Quarters

“This will do rather nicely, and yes, it is much more to my liking then past ones.” She looked around the room; it was much larger than any of the rooms at her previous locations, that much was sure. She was not concerned about the furnishing; all she really required was a recharge berth, a desk and chair, and this room contained both. She smiled as she walked over to some shelves on a far wall. She picked up the various items, took a good look at them and placed them back down. The room had not been occupied for some time, certainly even before the forced evacuation.

Blackwind had moved over to another wall of shelves when Thunderwing mentioned taking the quarters adjacent to hers. She blew a large amount of dust from the shelf as he spoke. She slowly turned her head to look at him and flashed him a genuine smile. “Mind? Why, and how, could I possibly mind being next door to you?” She looked back to the shelf and placed her finger on another dust covered one and ran it down its length. She rubbed her thumb and forefinger together as she finally turned around to face him.

She cocked her head to one side as she looked at him for a few moments before addressing him again. “Thunderwing, I believe that telling the truth from the very beginning is the best way to start off a new relationship, professional or otherwise.” She smiled at him before she moved to the berth where she took a seat. She kept her optics on him as she spoke. “I’m here for two reasons. One is to keep an optic on our dear military operations commander, and the other is to find out as much as I can about your carapace process.” She crossed her legs and waited a moment before she went on. “However, I don’t have the desire to go about retrieving the information I need from you the ‘usual’ way. I intend to wait.”

She gestured to the chair located at her desk for him to sit on. She paused for sometime before she continued. “I intend to wait for you.” She smiled at him as she placed her hands at her sides on the berth and leaned back; taking a more relaxed pose. “I want you to be able to trust me, and when you do, we can talk about your process.”

Shockwave's Tower - Main Lab

Razorclaw entered Shockwave's primary lab facility followed closely by Divebomb, who was pushing the hover cart full of lab instruments. The two Predacons made their way to the center of the room where a large work table was situated. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, but nothing that couldn’t be cleaned off. This room had obviously not been utilized in some time and would take quite of bit of work to clean it up. It was a task that the Predacons would surely be assigned to just as they had been assigned the menial duty of transporting these scientific instruments.

Razorclaw turned to Divebomb. “Start unloading the lab equipment. Place everything carefully on the work table here.” The Predacon Commander moved his hand across the surface, creating a path through the layer of dust. He could now see the table’s surface, if only in one area. “Shockwave can decide for himself where he wants everything to go. And start cleaning up as you go. I’m sure we’ll end up doing most of that job, as well, anyway.”

“Yes, sir,” Divebomb said, nodding to his commanding officer. The flying Predacon then began lifting each instrument out of the hover cart one at a time and placing them onto the table. He did so carefully as Razorclaw had instructed or at least as carefully as a Predacon was capable of.

Razorclaw then opened a comm link to the other Predacons:

>>Tantrum, Headstrong, Rampage - status report! Have you moved everything we need from the Thanatos into the tower yet?<<

Shockwave's Tower - Main Lab

Weirdwolf unloads cargo from the hover lift to the corner of the room. The residual energy signatures are fluctuating just as wildly in this room as outside. But these signatures are different, from a differing end of the particle spectrum. Sensors pick up a hollow sound in the middle of the wall, a hidden room no doubt. Strong energy signatures come from inside, but its best to let Shockwave keep his secrets.

Shockwave's Tower - Control room

Weirdwolf starts recalibrating the towers sensors, adjusting for interference. If the Decepticons made it this far the Autobots are no doubt close behind, and Weirdwolf wanted all the information he could manage before hand. The sensor arrays we're long overdue for maintenance but the are still in good condition. After some moderate upgrades to system parameters and some tweeking to the programs they should be better than ever.

"Since long used, not been abused." Weirdwolf mumbles to himself while working on the sensors.

Shockwave’s Tower - Living Quarters

Thunderwing watched with some amusement as Blackwind explored the room, noticing the rather abundant dust inside of it. “I’m sure once the tower is fully powered once again that the various cleaning and repair drones will be activated. While the tower is intact structurally there are liable to be some frayed wires and corroded circuits that need to be replaced in various spots, not to mention the accumulation of dust and dirt that you’ve noticed.” He smiled at her before stepping inside the room, the door sliding shut behind him.

The smile slowly faded from his face as the conversation took a more serious tone. He kept his expression neutral, but he was surprised to hear her spell out her mission quite so plainly to him. She had scored a double victory there, catching him off guard and gaining some more respect and perhaps a bit of trust. He would have to watch himself around her, at least until he could be certain that he could fully trust her. From what he had seen of her so far he wouldn’t put it past Blackwind for this to all be an overly elaborate ruse. He didn’t think it was, but his situation in the Empire was a bit too precarious for him to take that chance. All he had to offer to the Empire right now was his own prowess and the promise of attempting to enhance his fellow Decepticons. Megatron aside, no single Decepticon was irreplaceable to the Empire and his promises could prove to be very empty.

Thunderwing took the seat offered to him at her desk. He listened quietly as she explained that she was willing to wait for him to offer the information. It was another point in favor of trusting her. Finally, when she was done explaining her mission he spoke. “I appreciate your honesty and being forthcoming in your mission. Allow me to return the favor a bit.” He brought his hands in front of him, clasping them together with the fingers interlocked with each other. “Despite my absence from the Empire for so long I recall how it functions. On one side it is a ruthlessly efficient military organization with orders from above being strictly obeyed due to severe….penalties if they are not.”

“On the other hand, however, there is the duplicitous, self-serving and backstabbing behavior of those in the Empire. The very fact that you are here to keep an optic on Shockwave indicates to me that behavior is still common and Megatron suspects Shockwave of plotting something. Certainly an amount of betrayal and assassination have played a part in rising through the ranks in the past and I assume that too hasn’t changed.”

He relaxed his hands now as he leaned forward and continued to talk. “Now, here I am, just having made contact with the Empire once again with promises of a new technology that could bolster our troops significantly. Now I have little doubt that there are two thoughts working against me in some corners of the Empire now. One would be that suddenly a new high ranking Decepticon has reappeared on the map. My presence, assuming I still hold my old rank, is likely to bump a few Decepticons down. I doubt that will be appreciated. On top of that I’ve come back with the promise of new power to the troops. There are likely Decepticons out there wanting to eliminate me just to remove me from the picture, while others would remove me and claim my work for themselves.”

Thunderwing leaned back in his chair again. “Now, those who wish me dead outright, there is little I can do than to remain vigilant against them until I am in a more secure position within the Empire. Time will pass and they will find other things to focus on. The other group, the ones who want my work, I can protect more against by keeping my secrets. This is why I’m reluctant, for now, to discuss the details of the carapace process.”

He held up a hand, “Make no mistake though, I want to see the Decepticon side victorious in this war, and if my technology can do it then I will freely give it to all of the Empire. First I need to find out if it can be duplicated on other Decepticons. With only myself to experiment on I’ve only proven 100% that it works on me. If I can prove that it works and is effective on other Decepticons then we can begin more widespread adoption of it.” He smiled now. “As the foremost and only leader on the carapace process, it only makes sense for me to carry out that research personally.”

“Now I believe you can assist each other. To help prove my loyalty to the Empire I offer you my assistance in anyway I can with observing Shockwave. I believe this will help cement my place back in the Empire and will help us grow to trust each other which should be of great benefit to both of us. Don’t you agree?” He smiled at Blackwind, awaiting her answer.

*

Shockwave’s Tower – Corridors

Tantrum snorted as he walked down the veritable maze of corridors that dominated the tower. It figures that a genius like Shockwave would make a tower so confusing that only he knew where everything was. At least it was too complicated for him. He must not have been thinking of the common grunts when he designed it.

The Predacon was quick to reply to Razorclaw’s signal. >>”I’m in the Tower Razorclaw and I have the fuel cells, but I don’t know where you want. Never been inside this place before so I don’t know where I’m going anyway. If you give me directions I’ll take them wherever you want them.”<<

Shockwave's Tower - The Nerve Center

After leaving the equipment he had taken from the Thanatos into one of the many chambers that formed the enormous complex that was the main laboratories of the tower, Shockwave had directly headed for the command center of the tower. The nerve center of the tower was as close to a personal living quarters as it could get for a mechanoid as practical as Shockwave. He had little interest in aesthetics, only functionality really mattered. Of course, even Shockwave understood the power of intimidation, thus many of the structures in the city, including the very tower itself - reminded its habitants of who was watching their every move. The room was packed full of different types of surveillance equipment for monitoring every possible facet of the tower but perhaps even more importantly, every facet of the Empire. Naturally with the Empire's surveillance network down and disconnected from Cybertron left would not allow Shockwave to use the equipment to its full potential as he had done as the military operations commander but he was determined to rebuild his surveillance network eventually.

Shockwave sat down on the massive command throne that also served as a recharge station and an automated repair platform. It would require some time to bring all the systems back online and the tower maintenance running but it had to be started. For now the new residents of the tower could keep their secrets but it would not last for long.

While inspecting the status of the nerve center from damages through sending out minor current from his own system into the computers of the nerve center, Shockwave took the steps to power up the tower properly by opening encoded comm-link to Razorclaw, whom he trusted the most out of the lot assigned to him. Not that the ancient Decepticon would ever trust anyone fully.

>>"Razorclaw, I need you to enter the energy distribution halls of the tower and connect energon amount of 400 terawatts into the tower's energy siphon. This is imperative for the initial powering up of the tower. After this has been done, the hall will be secured and the entrance codes will be hold only by the two of us. Report back to me after you are done."<<

Shockwaves Tower - Main Lab

Having dropped off the rest of his supplies, Swindle meekly entered the lab, and began gingerly putting the sensitive scientific apparatus he'd taken in out-of-the-way but accessible locations in the corner of the lab. He worked quickly and diligently, knowing Shockwave would be watching with any number of sensor devices.

Not a good time to seem overly curious. Besides, we're going to be on Cybertron a while, I'm sure I'll get to know the place in time.

His job done, he transformed and prepared to leave, to get more supplies out of the cruiser. Probably not scientific supplies though, the lab, and the feeling of being watched, was oppressive.

Nothing good can come from staying here. Shockwave might accuse me of slacking off, or spying, or he might even find some 'special' work for me to do. I don't want to end up as a lab experiment...