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The Tower - Nerve Center

Thunderwing nodded at Shockwave’s request about the carapace process. “Of course commander, I will provide you with all of my research. It may take a little effort to collect it into a report, but it can be done. I will start the process shortly.” He still had some concern about revealing all of the details of it, but if any other mech would understand the lengths to which he went it would be Shockwave. While he certainly didn’t trust him completely, he was a fellow Decepticon of science and would not allow sentimentality or morals get in the way of his thinking.

The Decepticon was a bit startled to hear that they would be departing Cybertron in such short order. Obviously the situation had changed quite radically, by what he was not entirely certain. He suspected that his meeting with the Autobots had something to do with it. It was far too coincidental not to. Shockwave said he had neutralized them, did this mean eliminated them? Crippled them? Or perhaps some sort of treaty? Shockwave was not forthcoming, so they were all left to ponder the reasons for this decision.

While Thunderwing was willing to be patient and allow things to play out before making a move one way or the other it seemed that Razorclaw felt differently. The mention of a priority 1 message did intrigue him, possibly providing the final piece to the puzzle of what was going on, but apparently not knowing its contents was unsatisfactory to Razorclaw. The Predacon attempted to force the issue, always a mistake with the more powerful Decepticons. Even the emotionless Shockwave would not allow himself to be bullied or coerced by a lower ranking Decepticon. His reaction was to be expected, flat-out rejecting Razorclaw.

The next step that Razorclaw and apparently Onslaught took was not entirely unexpected, but still startling. The Combaticons moved into position with a nonverbal command, blocking off the door. Razorclaw ordered the Predacons to encircle Shockwave, preventing any avenue of escape. Thunderwing watched impassively as the Predacon leader talked to Shockwave, issuing his grievances before relieving him of command.

Inside, the scientist felt a series of emotions. He did have some curiosity at what Shockwave’s plans were and the contents of that message, but they were far overshadowed by the anger building inside of him. He had preached patience with Razorclaw and Onslaught, but had been ignored. Now the Predacon sought to depose leadership of this group and install himself as leader, all because secrets were kept from him. It was time that both of these Decepticons were reminded that despite their ranks, they were still mere warriors and soldiers.

Silently, Thunderwing powered up his weapon systems. The gun ports on his shoulders swiveled to point at the Predacons and Combaticons while the corrosive laser mounted on his head warmed up. He drew two guns, his laser rifle, which he promptly pointed at Onslaught’s head, and a cyclone cannon which he pointed at Razorclaw. While the cyclone would not be fatal, it would certainly fling the Predacon around, leaving an opening. At this range his aim with the laser rifle would be nearly perfect. The Combaticons would find themselves without a leader depending on what happened next.

“Enough!” Thunderwing boomed. “Razorclaw, Onslaught, do you think yourselves privy to every machination of the Decepticon Empire? Do you find yourselves sitting in on every planning session with Megatron himself, his most secret plans, every detail shared with you?! You present here circumstantial evidence, suspicion of a betrayal. Then the tipping point is the contents of a message you are not cleared to hear are not shared with you. Then you find it time to mutiny! Fools! Have the Decepticons ever worked by sharing data and creating consensus! Have I been gone so long that they have devolved into some sort of pale imitation of decisions by committee?” he spat out.

“Combaticons, Predacons, you WILL lower your weapons and end this debacle immediately. I assure you Razorclaw, Onslaught, my own rank supersedes yours, and if you doubt that, then I would be more then happy to PROVE to you that my raw power exceeds yours.” He tightened the grip on his weapons. “I have yet to fully test my new abilities in full scale combat. Not even Commander Shockwave is aware of my full capabilities. While you may certainly win the fight in the end, you will not do so easily or without casualty. Then when you arrive on Earth, with Shockwave and myself terminated, along with large portions of your teams either terminated or severely damaged, offering only your circumstantial proof and suspicions to Megatron about possibly disloyalty, how do you think Lord Megatron will react? It certainly would be easy to wrap up the whole affair by wiping out the remaining scraps of this mission wouldn’t it?”

*

Darkwing and Dreadwind were running late to the meeting in the Nerve Center. They had been caught clear on the other side of the Tower several levels down. They had both been jogging towards the room, confident that a grizzly punishment would be their fate for their error.

They expected the worst when the door slid open, but even they were surprised at the standoff standing before them. The two fliers slowly looked around the room, not moving an inch. Then, slowly and carefully, they stepped back, letting the door seal shut in front of them.

The Tower--Nerve Center

The likelihood of the actions that had suddenly been taken against Shockwave had been calculated as statistically insignificant. That, however, had also been before Shockwave had become aware of the fact that Razorclaw and Onslaught had apparently engaged in additional surveillance measures against him. With that new knowledge now factoring in to the equation, the results were beginning to shift. The cycloptic mech turned to face his accuser and listened as he continued on, remaining in stoic silence.

Though Razorclaw was aware of certain facts, there were others--and methodologies behind them--that he still remained ignorant of. Regardless, the Predacon Commander had taken what little was available to him and had arrived at an illogical conclusion. For the time being, however, Shockwave did not address it. It was becoming clear that he would need to inform them of the urgency of their departure and why it was necessary. He had not wanted to waste time here in the inevitable discussion that was to follow. That appeared to be unavoidable now.

Before he could speak, however, Thunderwing stepped forward, leveling his weapons at each of the two unit leaders, even as Shockwave found himself surrounded by the two units. The warlord of science had clearly not allowed emotion to overrule reason and logic. That he had the capability to do so only reaffirmed his value further in Shockwave's estimation. More importantly, Thunderwing's impressive armor had not yet been tested. Shockwave was loathe to engage in such a test now against their own resources, especially when they were so low. But, he also understood that this was the nature of the Decepticons: to occasionally test one another's commitment to the cause. There could well have to be some acceptable losses.

The calculations Shockwave had been making earlier at the onset of this discussion were now shifting. While he may have been content to bide his time until Razorclaw and Onslaught discovered the unfortunate truth of what awaited them when they arrived in the Sol system, given that they had pressed their suspicions to this level, Shockwave decided that it was time to release part of the information that he had previously only been postponing. It would be a shot more powerful than if he raised the cannon on his arm and fired.

"Declarative: Thunderwing's assessment is accurate. You possess certain facts, that is all. Your assumption of command is both premature and over reactive, even as one of your own soldiers intermingles with the Autobots with impunity. I accept no charges of treason and will not stand relieved."

Shockwave's optic flickered. His systems began rerouting energy from his nuclear core to the ray weapon on his left arm. It was an alternative weapon from the one that he was about to use, but he had no doubts about its efficacy.

"The Priority-1 message received originated from Soundwave. Contents--conflict summation. Results--Megatron is presumed deceased. The potential of Decepticon civil war is high. Starscream has taken command. Our present delay only exacerbates the situation. I will not accept detention and trial to be brought before the Seeker Leader. Therefore..."

Shockwave's singular optic scanned the room momentarily locking with the various members of the Predacons and Combaticons before settling upon Razorclaw once again.

"...imperative...you will accept your subordinate position and stand down and we will proceed to the Sol system where I will assume command over all Decepticon activities and prevent war between our factions. Declarative: I possess the ability to continue Megatron's strategy to its logical conclusion. The Seeker does not. Nor do you. If you wish to continue with your illogical course, then proceed. Your units will then endure the consequences of your haste."

The Tower – Nerve Center

Razorclaw’s attention was drawn away from Shockwave when Lord Thunderwing entered into the fray and made demands of his own, ordering the Predacons and Combaticons to stand down or he would test his enhanced weaponry for the first time on all of them. The Decepticon scientist, who had for countless vorns been hidden away in his lab on Cybertron, claimed that he outranked Razorclaw, which was a dubious assertion at best. However, it would be foolish of the Predacon Commander to tempt the carapace-laced mech when he wasn’t fully aware of the new abilities that the outer shell provided. Thus, Razorclaw sought to calm the situation with the intent of presenting hard evidence of his accusations to Thunderwing, hoping to change the scientist’s mind.

However, Razorclaw never had the chance to do so as Shockwave answered the charges leveled against him. The cycloptic mech’s initial response was not surprising, declaring that he would not stand relieved of his command. The mention of Howlstrike only served to incite rage within Razorclaw in the hopes that he would make a mistake and become distracted even for a moment. However, the Predacon leader remained poised and prepared for the standoff to escalate into a full blown conflict. But then the unexpected happened when the Military Operations Commander finally decided to reveal the contents of the Priority 1 transmission. In an instant everything changed and not for the better.

“Megatron is presumed dead?!” Razorclaw exclaimed, lowering his sword down not because he was ordered to by either Thunderwing or Shockwave, but because he was in utter shock to hear that the slagmaker, himself, had possibility perished somehow. It seemed impossible that Megatron could be killed by any mech, even Optimus Prime. However, if the purple 'Con was telling the truth then the Empire was truly in danger of crumbling as new leadership needed to be decided quickly before word spread to other Decepticon outposts. Shockwave’s assertion that he would return to Earth to assume command did not sit well with the Predacon Commander nor did the fact that Starscream had apparently already declared himself leader. Neither mech was capable of replacing Megatron as far as Razorclaw was concerned, regardless of what they may claim.

However, now was not the time to address whom Razorclaw would ultimately back as leader or whether or not he would make a play for power himself. With Thunderwing’s support, Shockwave had the advantage now. It would be both unwise and impulsive to attempt to arrest him at this point. It would also be foolish to dispute Shockwave’s claim to leadership as the cycloptic mech would surely cut the Predacon leader down where he stood in order to avoid any attempt to usurp his power later. No, Razorclaw had no choice but to stand down and bide his time. He was known for his endless patience, after all, and he still had one distinct advantage – the audio recordings of Shockwave’s conversations with the Autobots. In his mind, it was proof of conspiracy that Razorclaw knew the Decepticons on Earth would likely find to be very interesting to listen to.

“Lord Shockwave, I am stunned by what you have divulged to us,” Razorclaw began, once again referring to the purple ‘Con as his lord. “If Megatron is in fact dead, then I agree that we must move to prevent civil war from erupting. Therefore, I will stand down and accept the status quo.”

For now.

“However, I will not apologize for my actions,” Razorclaw continued. ”Based on what we knew, Onslaught and I did what we felt was necessary in order to protect the Decepticon Empire. This was not done for personal gain in any way, but to defend the ideals that Megatron had set forth so long ago. If I acted rashly it was because of my loyalty to those ideals and nothing more. I hope you can understand that, my lord.”

Razorclaw stepped back and motioned for his Predacons to lower their weapons and stand down, as well. He then looked towards Onslaught, offering him a nod to signal for him to give a similar order to his Combaticons. With the situation hopefully defused, the Predacon Commander pulled out a datapad and handed it over to Shockwave. “My lord, contained on this pad are the encrypted codes to gain access to the cyberforming interface that is protected by a force shield within the cargo hold of the Thanatos. You will need them if you intend to inspect the device yourself. Now, with your permission, I will take my Predacons back to our ship and prepare it for imminent takeoff.”

******

Everything happened so quickly that Blast-Off barely had time to process it all. At one moment he and the Combaticons alongside the Predacons had Shockwave completely surrounded. Razorclaw then moved in to arrest the one-eyed mech and everything seemed to be playing out as expected. Unfortunately, Thunderwing had other plans as he aimed his powerful weapons at all of them and ordered everyone to stand down or face his untested, but likely powerful, wrath. At first, the space warrior was unsure of what to do and looked to Onslaught for guidance before he decided whether or not to lower his ionic blaster.

However, that guidance did not come as Shockwave then revealed to the masses what was contained in the Priority 1 transmission he had recently received. Apparently, Megatron had possibly been killed by some unknown means and the Military Operations Commander intended to take control of the Decepticon Empire once he reached Earth, seizing control from Starscream. The purple mech then demanded that Razorclaw and the rest of them end their current course of action or face the consequences.

Blast-Off knew that they were in a no win scenario especially considering that Thunderwing was clearly on Shockwave’s side. Both mechs were undoubtedly more powerful than any of them and while the combined strength of the Combaticons and Predacons might be able to overcome the two lords, it would come at a very high cost. Apparently, it was a price that Razorclaw was not ready to pay as he finally stood down and accepted his place in the order of things.

Well, that was certainly anti-climatic, Blast-Off thought as he waited for Onslaught to give him and the other Combaticons the order to stand down, as well.

The Tower—Nerve Center

Rampage had transformed almost in the same instant that Razorclaw had. He didn’t really understand what was going on in front of him, but he really didn’t need to either. The pack leader had spoken, and Rampage had no qualms about following the seniormost Predacon in to any sort of conflict situation, regardless of who it was against.

Even so, Razorclaw did not act, and it was the only thing that had kept Rampage from leaping on to either Shockwave or Thunderwing, consequences be slagged. He would either go out in a blaze of glory or have another impressive win to add to his column. There was a lot of talking, so much so that Rampage soon realized that the Decepticons in the room were fighting, but with words and not weapons. The Predacon did not get the slightest bit of satisfaction from that reality.

Shockwave had not backed down as Razorclaw had demanded. Rampage knew that would be it. They would soon have the fight of their lives on their hands. What it was over didn’t matter. It would be a golden opportunity to display exactly why the Predacons were the most elite unit within the entire Decepticon empire.

More words. And even as they spoke, Rampage waited, his circuits tensing, weapons charged and teeth bared. But then words were spoken that Rampage registered and followed. Razorclaw had ordered them to stand down. Just as quickly as the potential for a battle like none other had begun to erupt, the volcano of emotions subsided. Rampage’s internal systems powered back down to their normal levels, but he didn’t transform. He was on edge now, and would simply bide his time until the battle that he had just been denied found another chance to rear its head.

___

Onslaught’s audio receptors had been locked on every word that was being spoken in the room. He understood Razorclaw’s drive to become more informed completely. In the Decepticon empire, information was arguably just as powerful a commodity as physical strength. Both relied heavily on how the owner was able to make use of it. That was why he wanted more, just as the Predacon did, at the very least, so he would better understand what he was committing his unit to doing in the orns to come.

Thunderwing’s words were a pointed reminder of the autocratic nature of the Decepticons. Thunderwing had always been an unknown factor in all of this. Now that he had upgraded himself beyond anything Onslaught had ever seen, and took his stance firmly behind the Military Operations Commander, the Combaticon had been forced to continually reconsider what he had seen and heard. He could not reconcile everything that had happened to his satisfaction, but that had never been a condition of service in the Decepticon ranks in the first place. Understanding was a luxury. Obedience was a necessity, until one could prove that they were the one capable of formulating the strategy and issuing the orders.

As Razorclaw, Thunderwing and Shockwave had traded words, Onslaught considered more carefully the stakes they were facing as they proceeded to rise right in front of him, to the point where they could very well have been on the verge of having to attempt to take down at least Thunderwing and Shockwave, to say nothing of whoever else might be quietly siding with their view of things. Onslaught, for one, knew his chances of survival were minimal. Thunderwing had an unfamiliar, and surely quite powerful, weapon pointed directly at his cranial unit. All it would have taken was the slightest act of aggression, and he would have surely fired, thus removing the Combaticon Commander from the battle, perhaps for all time.

His thoughts then turned to his unit. Each of them were specialists. Capable soldiers in their own right who had been fine tuned even further under his leadership. And in truth, he had become a better leader because of both their commitment to the cause and their ability to execute even the most subtle of commands with surgical precision—as they had just done only moments before. Though he felt justified in the actions that he and Razorclaw were taking, he also felt regret. This was not the end he would want for any of them—serving as demonstrations of a Decepticon superior’s power. He was on the very verge of ordering them to stand down and depart, leaving he and Razorclaw to finish their inquiry to whatever end, when it seemed as if the situation itself had taken care of that for him.

Shockwave had ordered them to stand down, and after a few increasingly tense moments, Razorclaw had indicated that they should do exactly that. The reasoning behind the move was even more apparent when Onslaught was able to fully process why they had done it.

Shockwave’s words had been like a blow. The Priority-1 message that he had been so curious to ascertain the contents of had been information of a foundation shaking nature. If everything that was said was to be believed, Megatron was now…dead? In all his vorns of service, Onslaught had entertained the possibility of such a thing occurring only in passing. It was the sort of “what if” scenario that any strategist worth their energon idly considered and explored what action they would take if it were to ever occur. But that was just it, those considerations had been idle. Even now, he couldn’t really believe it. But the news did make him want join up with the rest of the Decepticons in the 1st Fleet as soon as possible. He wanted to hear it from the mouths of those who had actually been there. Surely Megatron had not just been obliterated beyond any trace. Surely there was something left that could be rebuilt, reconstituted and recharged. If his body was simply missing, then it would only be a matter of recovering it. Then things would be as they were.

Onslaught lowered his rifle. It was a move that would be just as effective as any direct command for those in his unit to do the same. Neither he nor they would die today, and he was relieved. Not because he was afraid to die. He knew that cycle would come someday. But when he did die, he wanted it to be for something more than this.

Regardless, the fact remained that Shockwave had told them only a little of what he wanted to know, but it would suffice for now. It had been enough to refocus his mind on what truly mattered—Decepticon victory. And that reality was going to be much more difficult to obtain if Megatron was truly gone. As they traveled back to the Sol system, Onslaught knew that he would have to consider more options than the ones that Shockwave had chosen to enumerate. There were more. Many more.

"Combaticons, prep the Obliteration for immediate departure."

The Tower — Nerve Center

Some like Weirdwolf took Shockwave's announcement without showing much of a reaction outwards while suffering from inner turmoil in an attempt to accept the loss of Megatron and to choose who to support in these trying times.

Others like Brawl, did not take it so well.

Brawl was the last Combaticon to lower his weapon. He had been expecting action and was not happy for the situation to solve itself in peaceful manner. Then again, it did take some time for Shockwave's words to hit home. The information provided was difficult to accept but Shockwave was not known for his sense of humor - if he said Megatron had perished, he had all the reason to believe that was indeed the case.

When Shockwave's word finally dug in, Brawl fell on his knees, his gun falling from his limb arms. His neurocircuitry had gone to a state of complete shock. His mind was not processing what was happening around him. All in all, the Combaticon warrior looked like his spirit had been completely crushed. All he could do was repeat the following phrase time and time again. "Megatron gone?"

The Tower - Nerve Center

Thunderwing tightened his grip on the weapons as Shockwave refused to be relieved. This was not how he had hoped things would happen when the Decepticons returned to Cybertron. It should have been a celebration, the first step to remaking their homeworld into something livable, a base for operations against the Autobots across the galaxy. Yet, here they were, guns pointed at each other, ready to bring carnage against their fellow warriors. It had been a long time since he had been fully among other Decepticons, but this situation was most definitely a stark reminder.

He could almost feel his old instincts coming alive again. The duplicity and struggle for superiority that nearly defined the Decepticon movement. Promotion in rank through termination of superiors was uncommon, but not unheard of. It was not a method he had used personally, as his own steps to gain power were more subtle or done through technical means. He had been just a mere scientist then, so his mind had been his primary weapon. Politics and scheming along with his technical expertise had brought him rank and authority. Now that he had the physical power to match perhaps it was time to entertain the idea of even more power.

Of course, all of that would have to wait. For now he would have to survive the coming seconds. Thunderwing did not particularly want to terminate either Razorclaw or Onslaught. Both were highly skilled and effective warriors. They had overstepped their bounds here however. He could not support this mutiny, particularly when he was not privy to the details behind it. Allowing such things to happen would only set a precedent that could be used against himself later on. Then, there was the fact that he was offended not to have been let in on the details of this plot earlier. This was not to say he would have agreed with it, but in his current position he couldn’t allow himself to be simply overlooked as a non-factor completely. He had been forced to take a position and he would not back down from it.

Thunderwing’s calm face shifted to a frown as Shockwave announced the contents of the message sent to him. While he was not as attached to their leader as so many other Decepticons appeared to be, thanks in part to his long isolation, it was still a blow to him. He had certainly been inspired by Megatron all of those ages ago, they all were. The sudden removal of that inspirational and skilled leader was a heavy blow, possibly a fatal one to the Decepticons as a whole.

The Decepticon glanced around the room at the other Decepticons, studying their reactions. With that news both Razorclaw and Onslaught, along with their respective troops, backed down. Darkwing and Dreadwind had caught the news while peering back through the door and appeared to be standing off to the side in stunned silence. His gaze drifted to Blackwind who had remained silent during the entire scene. He knew this news would impact her hard.

Thunderwing lowered his guns as the other Decepticons did the same. “This is distressing news Commander Shockwave. I hope in light of that we can all cooperate to get to this Earth planet as soon as possible to help solidify leadership and the Decepticons as a whole.” He made sure to nod at both Razorclaw and Onslaught. He wanted them to know that this was not to be taken personally. They were all professionals after all and despite his accusations against them grabbing power he was not entirely convinced that that was what they were doing. For now though, they needed to maintain a unified front to keep the empire together.

“We shall carry on as we always do. Lord Megatron would not want his empire to shatter at the instant of his death, especially with the rebirth of Cybertron such a distinctive possibility. We will go to Earth with our new knowledge and technology and continue the battle as always.”

He looked over one last time at Blackwind before stepping next to Shockwave. “Your orders Lord Shockwave?”

The Tower--Nerve Center

For Shockwave, one of the benefits of having consciously strived to purge himself of whatever traces of emotion and ego that he had ever found clouding his thoughts was that grudges and rivalries were the domain of other Decepticons. In his estimation, the actions of his fellow warriors were either logical or illogical. Once illogical actions had shifted course, Shockwave gave no further attention to the matter. His considerable processors were already turning back to the other more pressing situation.

“Declarative: apologies neither requested nor necessary, Predacon Commander Razorclaw,” Shockwave said, his sole optic flickering for a moment as he took hold of the datapad and began perusing its contents. “Imperative: submit all intelligence gathered by your unit directly to Soundwave upon arrival to the Sol system.”

Given what Razorclaw had known of his activities, Shockwave wanted a complete analysis of what his unit had overheard. Soundwave was the only natural choice for communications analysis. More importantly, there would come a time when he wanted everything he had done here to be a matter of record. Soundwave's skills would ensure that was the case, even if he too did not fully understand the reasoning behind Shockwave's actions once he learned of them. Shockwave understood the unorthodox nature of his activities, but these were also unorthodox times that they were being forced to endure. Shockwave would proceed down the course that would ensure his, and their, continued existence. Shockwave’s function had never demanded eloquence or charisma; however, with increased understanding of the situation they faced, Shockwave calculated that there would be enough within their ranks who would understand the severity of their present circumstances, with or without Megatron’s presence to convince them. Conversely, if a Decepticon such as Starscream were to be the one to lead them forward, Shockwave’s calculations of their long-term survival prospects would diminish significantly.

“Imperative: continue with previously stated directives. We depart in 5.5 breems,” Shockwave said as a point of dismissal before looking to Thunderwing. “Declarative: it will be critical—during the transit between Cybertron and the Sol system—for the two of us to engage in a closer examination of what has been accomplished here. There is much that will become evident.”

The Tower - Nerve Centre

Working with the 'Bots...Slag. Swindle kept his weapon trained on Shockwave as Razorclaw read charges. Thats gutsy, Shockwave, real gutsy, but its never worth the payoff. I've had enough problems with the Tyrest Accords, actual treason...well, you might be logical, but you ain't got much sense for deal-making, its plain to see.

Then things became more complex as Thunderwing declared for Shockwave and drew weapons on the two commanders. Uh oh, this isn't looking good...Boss, you don't have long to turn this around.

Then things went crazy, as Shockwave declared that Megatron was apparently dead.

It was something Swindle was more amazed hadnt happened vorns ago. Even as powerful and cunning as Megatron was, he was still ambitious and stubborn, which always left the risk of him making a fatal mistake in his pride. But at the same time it was a shock and Swindles processor was ablaze as he tried computing the implications. A seeker claiming charge of the Empire...Now thats a recipe for disaster. Civil war, at least, maybe worse. 'Bots could counterattack, maybe undo all the Empires gains of the past half-million years, push us back to the galactic rim...

Of course, the main concern for me is figuring out which side to be on, and how to turn a profit. Times are gonna get dangerous and lucrative, an interesting combination.

With Onslaughts order, Swindle stowed his weapon and headed for the Obliteration. As he passed Brawl, he patted the other Combaticon on the shoulder. "There there, Brawl. Its a shock to all of us."

I kinda wish I could just go into processor overload. I got a lot to think about now, thanks to all this. Good thing I recharged earlier, ain't gonna be able to shutdown for a while.

The Tower – Nerve Center

After her arrival with Thunderwing and her subsequent report to Shockwave, the Seeker femme had moved from in front of the throne to stand beside the scientist. Blackwind waited and watched carefully as the others present briefed the Military Operations Commander as well. It was after Razorclaw had questioned Shockwave’s visit to the Autobot city-state of Iacon. This was interesting.

It was not until after Shockwave had offered a rather vague response to the Predacon Commander’s query followed, quite unexpectedly, by the order to prepare to leave Cybertron. Blackwind’s mask slid up to reveal her own visage, her expression one of stunned surprise. She had just made an attempt to protest when Razorclaw proceeded to press further on the response he received on Shockwave’s trek to Iacon. Blackwind stifled her vocalizer as she waited to hear the answer the resident walking calculator would provide. However, the Predacon did not wait for an answer, instead he added to his query; this time asking about a supposed Priority 1 message. This piqued Blackwind’s interest as the only one who could have sent such a heavily encrypted message had to be Megatron.

Unfortunately, Shockwave was not forthcoming with the contents of the message, and instead declared that the information that they had all been privy to was ‘satisfactory.’ Blackwind shook her head, but at that moment Onslaught decided to take things into his own hands and motioned for his Combaticon subordinates to surround the purple mech. Razorclaw quickly followed Onslaught’s example and ordered his own subordinates to also surround Shockwave.

Blackwind watched in silent elation; the corner of her lips curling in a slight smirk as Razorclaw announced that the Military Operations Commander was being relieved of his duty and under arrest for conspiracy and possible treasonous acts. Blackwind crossed her arms over her chest as she simply took in the events that were unfolding.

After a moment Blackwind heard the sound of weapons powering up, but before she could figure out just who would interrupt such a warranted act in the name of the Empire. She then saw Thunderwing draw his weapons and point them at Onslaught and Razorclaw as well as covering the rest of their teams. Blackwind’s jaw dropped as she witnessed the stand-off between all of the mechs present. Not wanting to enter in on the fray, the femme slowly backed away from the scientist.

The stand-off finally ended when Shockwave divulged the contents of the Priority 1 message. The information was not what Blackwind had expected. She staggered back against the far wall as she shook her head in denial and shock. The exchanges that took place went completely unnoticed by the Seeker as she was too consumed by anguish to even bother paying attention.

Blackwind’s attention was finally drawn to Thunderwing, her optics met his as he gazed back to her. She offered him a slight nod before he turned back and lowered his weapons. Blackwind finally pushed herself off the wall and slowly made her way back towards the others when the scientist looked back once more and then moved to stand beside Shockwave. The situation was certainly not ideal, but they had to get back to Earth to ensure that Starscream had not endangered the plans that Megatron had already initiated.

My Lord, gone. Left behind to choose between the treacherous Seeker who wanted nothing more than to eliminate you himself, and a mech who relays solely on logic with no real emotion to understand just what your soldiers’ need. Neither are worthy heirs to your throne, my Lord. I will make it my task to find that one Decepticon who will be worthy to carry on in your place. I swear it.

Blackwind stepped beside Thunderwing and placed one clawed hand on his forearm.

“We’d better get down to your laboratory. We’ll need to gather all of your work and supplies. 5.5 breems is not a long time.”

She gave the scientist a smile and slowly made her way out of the Nerve Center.

The Tower – Nerve Center

As the Decepticons in the room relaxed their weapons and took in the news of Megatron’s possible demise, Razorclaw remained fixated on Shockwave’s reaction to his words. It was not surprising that the cycloptic mech required no apology as his logic driven core had overridden any sense of emotion long ago. As a result, the Military Operations Commander seemed to not take things personally as far as the attempted insurrection. Of course, that didn’t mean he would forget what had occurred, he just didn’t let it bother him the way it would normally affect most mechs.

Once Shockwave accepted the datapad from the Predacon Commander, he instructed him to submit all of the intel gathered in Iacon to Soundwave after they arrived on Earth. Razorclaw was slightly taken aback by this order as he was sure the purple ‘Con would not want such information to be readily known by anyone amongst the Sol system’s infiltration team, especially not a higher ranking mech. However, it then dawned on Razorclaw that it was Soundwave who had sent the Priority 1 communication, and it was likely that the communications expert had suggested that Shockwave should return and take control even though Starscream had already done so. It made perfect sense and eluded to the strong likelihood that ol’ one eye already had Soundwave’s support. If that was the case, then it would be irrelevant if the monotone mech received the intel or not as he was liable to not share it with anyone.

Razorclaw’s expression remained stoic as to not show what he was thinking. “It will be done, my lord,” the Predacon Commander responded to Shockwave before turning towards his unit. “Predacons, your heard Lord Shockwave. Let’s get back to the Thanatos and power her up. Divebomb, you’re with me.” Razorclaw then bowed, albeit reluctantly, to the cycloptic mech and then to Thunderwing before leaving the Nerve Center with his aerial subordinate by his side.

******

When Onslaught finally lowered his weapon, Blast-Off did the same with his ionic blaster. The situation had calmed and there would be no violence between comrades today. However, with Megatron out of the picture, it was almost a certainty that conflict would eventually erupt amongst the higher ranking officials within the Decepticon Empire, regardless of what Shockwave thought he could accomplish. Most commanders across the galaxy might not yet know of the news, but they would sooner or later as information such as this never remained secret for long. Once that happened, Shockwave’s leadership claim would be challenged by any who felt they were capable in leading the Decepticons.

Blast-Off’s train of thought was interrupted by Onslaught's orders and then the mental breakdown of none other than Brawl, who had fallen to his knees in complete shock at the news of Megatron’s death. Of all the mechs the space warrior had thought would react in such a way, Brawl was the last one he would have suspected to lose control. The tank-former was hardly known for becoming emotional, except for his uncontrollable anger and rage. The rough and tough side is what most mechs saw with no indication that there was anything further beneath the surface of his thick exterior.

“Come on, Brawl, it’s not that bad,” Blast-Off said as he picked up the tank-former’s fallen gun and handed it back to him. “Megatron is presumed dead. That doesn’t mean he is dead. There’s a distinct difference. Now, get up. We’ve got a ship to prep.”

And stop acting like a fraggin’ femme! The space warrior thought as he walked out of the Nerve Center. He didn’t dare say that aloud for fear of incurring Brawl’s emotional wrath and ending up as scrap metal.

Corridor

Once they were a good distance down the hallway, Razorclaw ushered Divebomb to join him inside a turbo lift and then quickly pressed the button, causing the doors to close before anyone else had a chance to enter. As the lift descended through the tower, the Predacon Commander addressed his subordinate. “Divebomb, you still have the audio recorder, correct?”

“Yes, Commander,” Divebomb replied, holding the device up in his hand. “I removed it from the table when Lord Shockwave first arrived back in the Nerve Center.”

“Excellent. We will deliver the recordings to Soundwave, as ordered. However, I want you to secretly make a back-up copy for me. I want it encrypted so that no one can listen to it without my authorization. Is that understood?”

“Of course, Commander,” Divebomb responded with a nod, lowering the recorder back down to his side. “Sir, if I may ask, do you feel that Soundwave is not to be trusted with the intel?”

Razorclaw looked over to the aerial Predacon. He didn’t normally indulge his subordinates with explanations for his orders. They did what they were told with no questions asked or they suffered the consequences. Divebomb, however, was not like the others, showing a bit more intelligence and thus was more curious about certain things.

“No, I do not trust him,” Razorclaw decided to answer. “He may alter the recordings or simply not divulge them to anyone. Either way, we need to ensure that we have the ability to let whomever we want hear the truth, which is why I need a back up. Now, no more questions. Just do as you’re told.”

“Yes, sir,” Divebomb said as the turbo lift arrived at the designated level. After the door slid open, the two Predacons stepped out and headed for the launching silo where the Thanatos would be waiting.

The Tower – Nerve Center

If Brawl's initial reaction to the news of Megatron being dead was denial, what followed was clearly that of rage. As Blast-Off tried to soothe the tankformer, Brawl's optics flashed to life and without giving it any thought he shoved the space warrior away from him violently and stood up.

"Get the slag out of my way Blast-Off!" Brawl roared and cocked his head from side to side while scowling under his mask. "Whoever it was! I am gonna find it out! I am gonna hunt him down! And then I am gonna make him suffer before I kill him!"

With a low growl emitting from his vocal processor, Brawl stormed out of the Nerve Center, heading out for the Obliteration. Given his current mood, others were likely smart enough to stay away from him.

The Tower--Nerve Center

When Shockwave had ordered them to continue as they had previously, just as if nothing had occurred and they had not stared in to the bowels of the Pit itself, Onslaught had nodded absently, his mind still elsewhere. He was consciously trying to take in everything that would surround their new reality, if the truth was as accurate as Shockwave claimed. It had to be close. No Decepticon would report suspicion of Megatron's demise without substantial justification for doing so.

Before he could leave the room entirely, he witnessed Brawl's momentary mental breakdown. Others may not have expected this of Brawl, but Onslaught did. He did not expect it to happen publicly, but he knew that there would quickly come a time when Brawl's circuits would overload on this news. Though Megatron was a standard bearer for all of them in some sense, he knew that it was even more than that for Brawl. Megatron represented everything...absolutely everything...that Brawl hoped to be. If he had fallen, what then for the rest of them?

Swindle and Blast-off had quickly moved to get their teammate back on his feet--both figuratively and literally--as Onslaught walked past them, confidant that there was no critical breakdown of his unit occurring that he would have to wait and repair. His destination was the Obliteration and he would have much to consider on the trek between Cybertron and this muddy little "Earth" planet.

The Tower – Nerve Center

Thunderwing nodded at Blackwind, a hint of a smile on his face. “Of course Blackwind. I appreciate both your assistance and foresight.” He had noticed her surprise at his actions during the stand off, and the fact that she kept out of it. It was quite possibly a better course of action then the one he had taken. He had let his own ego and anger control his actions a bit, although he still felt fully justified in what he had done. He would have to play things a bit more carefully in the future. The scientist offered a brief nod to Shockwave before leaving the room, following Blackwind to gather his materials.

Corridors

Once they were alone and adequately far away from the Nerve Center Thunderwing spoke. “You are startled at the actions I took. It was, perhaps, a bit impetuous. I felt insulted. They had hinted to me earlier that they suspected Shockwave of something like what they accused, but I preached patience. My advice was seemingly ignored and things deteriorated to the scene you witnessed there. I’m afraid I took things a little personally. A show of force was needed to remind everyone of the power I yield, and, frankly, to discourage such accusations as what they presented there. Perhaps if they had come to me with proof beforehand it might have gone differently, but if Decepticons are allowed to overthrow their leaders like that without proof we will very quickly descend into chaos.”

Thunderwing let out a sigh, “Although that might be inevitable now that Megatron has apparently expired, if Shockwave is to be believed. Either way we will know for certain once we arrive on Earth. Then it seems we may have to choose between Starscream or Shockwave.” His face twisted in mild disgust. “If the accusations are true then that puts us in a very difficult position.” He reached over and gently squeezed Blackwind’s shoulder, “How are you doing? What do you think of the current situation?”

The Tower—Nerve Center

With the wheels of progress once again in motion, Shockwave approached one of the access terminals on an exterior wall of the nerve center. Patching himself directly in to the tower for what would be the last time for the foreseeable future, the Military Operations Commander began the steady process of shutting down all of the tower’s systems. He would then engage the lockdown procedures and they would depart from their home world once more.
___

Rampage had not moved from Razorclaw’s side. Razorclaw was much more patient than he was, but the Predacon Commander’s training had saved the day in this instance. It had taken a substantial majority of whatever limited self-control Rampage already had to pass up the option of sinking his teeth and claws in to something big and worthy of their talents, even if it had been a Decepticon Commander in this case.

“There’s no way the Slagmaker of Tarn fell to that glorified librarian.”
___

The Obliteration—Bridge

The trek between the tower and the Combaticons’ personal vessel had been as short and uneventful as Onslaught could have hoped for right now. With the situation being what it was, he simply wanted to get himself and his unit back with the 1st Fleet as soon as possible. There was so much he wanted to know, and so many answers that were simply not going to come to him while he was here.

Walking with purpose along the empty corridors, Onslaught quickly found himself on the bridge and took his normal place in the captain’s chair. He would allow the others to go about their normal functions in bringing the ship online. Onslaught honestly just wanted a few quiet moments to think about everything that had transpired.

What he wouldn't give for another fresh barrel of Maccadam's right about now.

The Thanatos – Bridge

Razorclaw entered the bridge with Divebomb close behind him. The two had been silent since their earlier discussion regarding the Iacon recordings, but the flying Predacon needed no more direction to know what had to be done. As his leader took a seat in the captain's chair, Divebomb sat down at a nearby station and placed the recorder next to the monitor. He quickly extended a cord from the side and attached it to the side of the computer. Within astroseconds the upload began, copying everything into the ship’s mainframe. Once complete, Divebomb punched a few keys and then disconnected the device, placing it away underneath his station. He then turned to address the Predacon Commander.

“Sir, what we discussed has been done. A copy is saved within an encrypted file in the ship’s mainframe. Only you have authorization to access and relocate the data as you see fit,” Divebomb said as he transferred the necessary codes over to the console next to the captain's chair.

“Excellent, Divebomb,” Razorclaw responded as he studied the access codes for a moment before discarding them. His memorization skills were finely tuned and therefore he would not need to look at them again. He then turned his attention to the rest of his team whom had begun to meander onto the bridge. “Predacons, report to your stations immediately. Power up the Thanatos and ready her for imminent departure.”

The Tower – Nerve Center

Blast-Off was a bit taken aback by Brawl’s sudden resurgence into his old violent self, shoving the space warrior out of his way and storming out of the Nerve Center determined to make the one responsible for Megatron’s demise suffer before ending their spark forever. “Now that’s the Brawl I know and love,” Blast-Off commented quietly as to not draw any more of the tank-former’s ire. He was relieved that his comrade was somewhat back to his old self, but at the same time he had now seen a side of Brawl that few even knew existed. It was an enlightening revelation to say the least and hopefully one that would not rear its ugly head again, especially while on the battlefield.

An sorrowful Brawl is not what we need while fighting Autobots, Blast-Off thought as he followed everyone into the corridors and descended through the tower towards the Obliteration.

The Obliteration – Bridge

Just over a breem later, the space warrior entered the bridge and found that Onslaught was already there deep in thought. Deciding not to disrupt his commander from his intense concentration, Blast-Off assumed his position at the navigator’s station and punched up the star charts in order to find the most direct route back to the mudball called Earth. The ship’s fuel cells were fully powered so there was no concern of running out before reaching their destination. Still, he wanted to conserve what energon they had just in case there was a limited supply once they arrived in the Sol System. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck on Earth for longer than was absolutely necessary.

Once the course was plotted into the computer, Blast-Off began re-routing power into the Obliteration’s primary engines, bringing them fully online. A quick diagnostic once again confirmed that they were operating at top efficiency. The space warrior then turned his chair so he was facing towards Onslaught. “Commander, I’m sorry to disturb you. I have set a return course back to Earth and transferred power to the main engines. I’m all set here, sir.”

Corridors

Blackwind had kept a few steps ahead of Thunderwing as the two left the Nerve Center of the tower. She remained silent as they traversed the corridors as well. Her mind was on Megatron and how his loss would affect the Empire. She certainly would not allow Starscream to take over as Megatron’s heir, he was simply not worthy. Shockwave too was not capable of holding the Empire together. Not only was he known for his lack of emotions, but Megatron had always been wary of his Military Operations Commander; it was the reason why she was assigned to his team.

The femme was roused from her musings when Thunderwing broke the silence that had grown between them. The scientist remained behind her as they finally arrived at the level his laboratory was located on. After he has said his peace they came to the door where she stopped. She hadn’t even spared him a glance the entire trek, and when he placed his hand and squeezed it, she simply shrugged him off and entered the lab.

Thunderwing's Laboratory

Thunderwing followed closely behind and once inside the door slid shut. Blackwind stopped and waited a moment before she finally turned around to face him. Her features were neutral, but anger boiled deep within her spark. Everything, everything she knew was now in limbo. She was a mixed bag of emotions, but she would not break down.

When finally did address Thunderwing her voice was even and calm.

“What do I think of the situation? I think we all have much to do and standing around talking about our feelings will not help.”

Turned back around and moved to one of the terminals where she sat down. From her wrist she produced a small data slug and inserted it into one of the ports on the terminal. She them began to download the files that had not been encrypted or secure; Thunderwing would have to retrieve those himself.

While the computer was working Blackwind rose from her chair and looked to the scientist. She met his crimson optics with her own amethyst ones and let out a heavy sigh. After a moment she looked away from his gaze and moved to the shelves littered with tools and parts. She began to pick up a few of the items, but she did not actually look at them. Instead she was trying to look busy while she spoke.

“Thunderwing, the loss of Megatron…it will be difficult to ease the unrest within the Empire. Neither Starscream or Shockwave is charismatic enough to reassure the whole of the Decepticon army that they can fill Megatron’s shoes.”

Blackwind placed one of the parts she was holding back down on the shelf before she turned and faced the larger Decepticon.

“Someone who has had the interest of the entire Cybertronian race would be a more fitting replacement.”

The femme’s expression softened as she moved to stand in front of the scientist. Blackwind raised a clawed hand and placed it against Thudnerwing’s cheek.

“Think about that.”

Blackwind flashed him a small smile before she removed her hand and went back to the terminal and removed the data slug. After storing it she began to go through the shelves picking out what she believed would be useful back on Earth.

The Obliteration

Swindle retreated into the Combaticons ship as he heard Brawl snap back into his usual self behind him. Well that was predictable. Probably swearing to dismantle the guy who did it piece by piece, like every other fanmech who followed Megatron out of the fighting pits. Hurm, it'd suck to lose my favorite meatshield on something as pointless as revenge...Hopefully one of the other block-head troopers will get lucky and get the Bot who did it. Its hard to get distractions as good as Brawl in this war.

The Munitions Specialist gravitated towards the weapons console of the Obliteration, much as he had on the Thanatos. Other mechs might have been better shots or quicker to notice things on the sensors, but Swindle had the undeniable advantage of knowing how all of these systems, both weapons and defenses, worked, and how to deploy them in a battle. Battleships were so much more than an array of energy cannons....though it never hurt to have a few of those as well.

"Running a check on offensive and defensive systems, sir. All seems to be in order, we won't be taken by surprise, and we can go from total cooldown to full battle readiness in 47 kliks if needed." A little slower than the Thanatos, but still well ahead of most ships. Unless half the Autobot fleet is waiting for us, we should be able to come out of any fight intact.

Thunderwing's Laboratory

Thunderwing was a bit surprised and impressed by how Blackwind was responding to the whole situation. While he knew the news of Megatron’s death had to have shaken her to her core she was not allowing it to show. It was the Decepticon way of doing things. Showing weakness would only invite a challenge, especially to someone with rank. While an Autobot might claim it wasn’t emotionally healthy to keep it all bottled in, but it was physically much more dangerous as a Decepticon to show them.

The scientist moved to the modified CR chamber that he used for the carapace process. As Blackwind gathered data from his computers he began disconnecting the various hoses and cables that led to the chamber. At the very least he would need the chamber itself to continue his work in a timely manner. Reconstructing the chamber would be a large expenditure of time and materials that he would like to avoid. A nearby hovercart would prove useful in relocating it to the ship.

“There is no question that Megatron will be difficult to replace. The Decepticons were founded by him and molded into what he desired,” he replied to her. “You are correct that Starscream nor Shockwave possess the charisma of Lord Megatron. I cannot think of any Decepticon that possessed his combination of charisma, intellect and raw power needed to rule as he did.”

As she spoke to him again he gazed at her with interest. She was not too subtlety suggesting himself as a candidate for leadership. While such an idea had crossed his mind, he had not taken it under serious consideration. He had been too long out of touch with the main Decepticon forces to be a true candidate. Then again, he might present a middle ground to the near opposites of Shockwave and Starscream. It could present an opportunity for him, and his outsider status could be an asset. It was something to consider and explore, but very carefully.

With the chamber fully disconnected Thunderwing carefully lifted it up and placed it on the hovercart. He gathered a few more items and additional back ups of his data before turning to Blackwind. “You have given me much to think about. Hopefully the journey to Earth will be adequate time to consider my options.” He gestured for her to lead the way out of the lab and to the craft that would take them from Cybertron.

Thunderwing’s Laboratory

Blackwind had taken note that with her suggestion that he think on what she had said, Thunderwing seemed to be quite intrigued. While he spoke she proceeded to gather tools and other materials to take back to Earth. After a few moments she turned and watched him place the CR Chamber on the hovercart. She then stepped up and placed the items that were cradled in her arms down on the cart. Blackwind took one last look at the lab to make sure there wasn‘t anything left of importance. When she was satisfied that the remains of the lab were unnecessary, the femme nodded and left the lab followed closely by Thunderwing and the hovercart.

The Thanatos – Cargo Hold

Not long after Blackwind and Thunderwing had left the lab the two Decepticons had arrived at the silo and boarded the Thanatos. The femme then helped secure the CR Chamber and the other items. Once finished Blackwind turned to the scientist; a coy smile on her face.

“The journey to the Sol System will be lengthy.”

The Seeker femme sauntered up to the stately Decepticon and gestured for him to follow her out of the cargo hold.

“Since there will be an ample amount of time to talk, I suggest we locate a quiet location and 'discuss’ your options. I would also like to ‘discuss’ how I will play in to your options as well.”

The Thanatos–Bridge

Rampage's actuators moved over the various ship’s operating systems, bringing those that he was responsible for online, even as he kept a close optic on the ship's monitoring systems and the various Decepticon signals that were registering as being aboard.

"Thanatos online," Rampage said, his optics scanning the various diagnostic readouts in front of him. He had spent a good deal of idle time watching old, underground combats because everything with the ship had looked smooth before. If something was out of place now, Rampage knew that it would be his aft.

"All systems, good to go," he said, exhaling an unnecessary sigh.
___

Approaching the Thanatos

As Shockwave exited the tower, the massive structure was engaged in the final phases of its lockdown procedures, after which it would power down and become effectively inert until such time as he returned to reactivate the structure directly.

>>"Darkwing, Dreadwind--imperative--report to Thanatos repair bay for follow up analysis of systems functioning."<<

The work with Ore-13, in particular its effects on those two Decepticons, had occupied much of the strategist's early efforts on Cybertron. Indeed, it was likely to shape many of their efforts in the orns to come. Though much had been accomplished, Shockwave had no intention of spending the time between Cybertron and the Sol system in idle contemplation. Stepping aboard the familiar vessel, even as he could feel it powering up, Shockwave walked immediately in the direction of the ship's repair facilities.

Obliteration - Bridge

Vortex tapped several keys on his command console, plugging in data and slaving his terminal with those of the lower deck engineering chambers. Upon the main screen several graphs, charts and diagrams of the ship itself soon took command.

The interrogator, not an engineer by trade or by specialty, had gained enough experience over the vorns to accurately perform the role as an operational field medic or mechanic. Though he had been more interested in prying information from the still beating processors of Autobot scum, such activities had gained him knowledge in many various fields beyond the basic torture or reclaimation of information.

"Engineering reports all gages nominal." He reported matter of factly. "It appears those worms down on the surface managed to get that tick out of the port side ion drive. Which means we can focus more power to weapons than stability fields around that blasted thing."

The Obliteration--Bridge

With the various members of his unit taking their places and reporting in, Onslaught saw no further need for delay. His anticipation levels were rising with each passing breem. It felt like something of a waste to build Polyhex up in the manner that they had, only for them to now leave it, but the alternative was hardly much better. What would they have done? Remained on Cybertron and waited for the inevitable extinction that Shockwave had spoken of to claim them all? No, that was not the functioning life that Onslaught wished to lead, whatever remained of it.

“Engage thrusters. Get us out of here. Our destination is the Sol system now. Let’s not keep our Decepticon brothers in arms waiting any longer than need be.”

The Tower had been neither a victory nor a defeat. It was a learning opportunity, and the Combaticon Commander had taken it as such. He certainly understood more of what the Decepticon Empire as a whole was dealing with now than he had when the Obliteration had first landed on Cybertron. And if what the cycloptic mech had spoken was indeed factual, things were going to change one way or another. And quickly.

“You all did well in there,” Onslaught said, referring to their earlier standoff. “What we’re heading in to may be more of the same. Much more. Be prepared.”

The Thanatos – Bridge

As the ship’s sensors detected and confirmed that all anticipated Decepticon signals were now on board, Razorclaw looked towards Rampage who had just provided him with a status update. He was pleased to hear that the Thanatos was now powered up and ready for departure with all systems operating at optimum levels. “Excellent, Rampage. Good work,” the Predacon Commander replied before turning his attention to his aerial subordinate. “Divebomb, man the helm and initiate thrusters. Take us up as soon as you are ready.”

“Right away, sir,” the winged Predacon responded with a nod as he got up from the station he had been sitting at and quickly made his way over to the pilot’s chair. Once seated, Divebomb flipped a few switches and the engines of the Decepticon warship roared to life with a steady rumble. Gripping the controls tightly with both hands, the aerial combatant released the docking clamps and carefully raised the Thanatos off of the ground before guiding it out of the launching silo. Once outside, Divebomb kicked the thrusters into high gear and the Predacon vessel ascended into the atmosphere which eventually gave way to the blackness of outer space.

As Cybertron grew more distant by the astrosecond, Razorclaw addressed his pilot once again. “Divebomb, set a course for planet Earth in the Sol System. Once you've plotted our trajectory, I want you to scan for any potentially dangerous anomalies before you initiate the transwarp jump. The last thing we need is to encounter a nasty little subspace pocket that could derail us from our course or worse. Is that understood?”

"Clearly, sir," Divebomb replied as his actuators raced across the keys on his terminal. Once the most direct route had been determined, he inputted the data into the navigational computer and then initiated a subspace scan of their intended flight path. "Course plotted and scan initiated, Commander. It shouldn't take too long before we can safely commence along our projected track."

"Good," Razorclaw said plainly as he sat back in the captain's chair and let out a quiet sigh. The coming orns would be very interesting indeed, especially once they arrived back in the Sol System. Determining the appropriate leader was the number one priority. Of course, some 'Cons like Starscream and Shockwave thought they already had that figured out. The Predacon Commander knew better, however. Neither one was really up to the task, but for very different reasons. Starscream was too arrogant and cowardly while Shockwave relied far too heavily on logic to guide his actions. There had to be someone with the right balance that could assume control over the Empire. A mech that was both charismatic and powerful at the same time. But who? That was the question that needed to be answered if the Decepticons were to survive and ultimately triumph over the Autobots.

The Obliteration – Bridge

“Understood, Commander,” Blast-Off replied to Onslaught’s warning about what they might expect to face once they arrived in the Sol System. With Megatron gone, there would likely be many Decepticons vying for control of the Empire. Starscream and Shockwave were only two of many potential candidates. There would surely be those to challenge one or both of them and if recent events were any indication of the possible turmoil to come, it would be a very rough ride for all of them to endure. Regardless of what happened, though, the space warrior’s immediate allegiance was to Onslaught and his Combaticon brethren. Where they went he would follow and support the team as he always had done no matter what obstacles they faced.

Once the final order was given to depart, Blast-Off turned back around to face the console at the navigator’s station. The Obliteration’s outer sensors had detected the launch of the Thanatos. He decided it would probably be best to simply follow the trajectory of the Predacon warship instead of embarking on their own separate flight track. “The Thanatos has already departed the silo. I’m engaging our primary thrusters and plotting a new course to trail them. Now, all we need is someone to fly us out of here, or am I going to have to serve as both navigator and pilot?”

The Thanatos – Cargo Hold

Thunderwing carefully unloaded the modified CR chamber onto the floor of the cargo hold. He attached the various clamps and straps that would help to keep it secured during their flight. It was likely to be an uneventful journey, but he did not want to take any chances with his highly specialized and unique bit of machinery.

He looked over at Blackwind as she spoke. “You know this vessel far better then I. If you know of a location where we can discuss possible plans for our return to Earth undisturbed I would welcome them, assuming Shockwave does not require our presence on the bridge.” He briefly glanced around the cargo hold. “I would rather not say much more in such an open locale.”

*

Thanatos – Corridors

Dreadwind looked over at Darkwing as he received the message from Shockwave. “You know what this means right? ‘Follow up analysis?’ That means complete disassembly down to basic components and analyzed piece by piece, never to be reassembled.”

Darkwing shook his head. “I doubt it means that. He did say functioning systems after all. I’m sure it will be uncomfortable tests, possibly probing in some uncomfortable places.” The Decepticon shifted nervously, “but I doubt there will be any disassembling. I think we are still worth a bit more then our basic components.”

Dreadwind glanced dubiously back at his partner as they made their way to the repair bay.

I unlocked the Obliteration and Thanatos threads. Please continue your posts in the appropriate thread.