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[Downtown Aleppo]

Brakeneck wrote:“Ain’t this one helluva trip? Seems pretty darn sweet if you ask me.”

The tall man in the driver’s seat remained silent. There was not much he could have said, but despite everything, the rowdy, noisy mech riding shotgun was starting to grow on him. Dreadnaut did not bother with small talk, nor did he indulge himself in that kind of language. As was his custom, his response was only a single word. Low, but powerful.

“Yes.”

Obliteration

"Stop! No!" Vertigo suddenly shouted at Viper and planted his feet as firmly into the deck as he could. He pointed to the medical berth where his drone had been left. "I am not leaving without my drone. And supplies. But mostly my drone."

Obliteration- Bridge

Even from the bridge one could hear the shrill screaming of the Air Commander. Blast-Off was focused on getting right above the drop off point, locating the bunker on the outskirts of Syria where currently everyone on the ground's robot and or alt-modes were, most of them in slumber as their minds were elsewhere, occupying holomatter avatar forms. Once they began circling above the drop point, Blast-Off commed Onslaught, >>'Can you please shut him up, Boss? His screeching is gonna blow my audio receptors! We're here at the drop off too. Let me know when you're done taking out the trash.'<<

With that, he ended the comm-link, grumbling. He let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair. Nothing else to do until they got the Seekers out. Then it'd be off to Shockwave....for who knows what.

Downtown Aleppo

With the brief conflict behind them, Thundercracker remained vigilant, watching their surroundings through the Humvee’s windows as they drove past the people and buildings, but his thoughts were on a similar process as the slagmaker.

The city was rife with feelings of confusion and fear. He didn’t necessarily feel it himself, but the human’s body language gave it away. Had they been made of metallic alloy like his fellow Cybertronians, he thought they could be interchangeable.

We’re here to destabilize this, he thought, his questions regarding Megatron’s fitness returning without warning or buildup. They’re on the verge of doing that to themselves. What could be gained from this endeavor?

While he freely admitted that Megatron’s brilliance was on par with none, it was hard for him to imagine what the endgame was here. Shaking his head, he thought, I’m just letting my sentimentality get the better of me. I’ve gotten too soft, too thoughtful over the vorns.

But was that it? Truly the reason?

Or was it something more?

Without thinking about it, he opened a channel to his longest and best friend, Skywarp. >>Look at them, Warp. It’s like looking into our reflection.<<

It was beyond eerie how their evolutionary development seemed to mirror each other. Chuckling, he added, >>The poor fools probably don’t even know there are other lifeforms in the universe. There’d up for an interesting first contact.<<



The Obliteration - Bridge

Swindle shook his head at hearing Starscream’s screeching protests, whining, whatever category one wanted to put them in.

So much for disembarking with dignity. And I made a deal with that scraplet… The thought trailed off, but brought a smile to Swindle’s faceplate. He’d made deals with worse beings than Starscream, though, he had to admit, few made a similar impact as the Seeker.

Dealing with mechs like him were one of the reasons Swindle appreciated his fellow Combaticons, even if he’d never admit it to them, or himself, really. As unimaginative, inarticulate, and boring as they could be, they were the few mechs that tolerated and protected him, so Swindle had never seen a reason to well, swindle any of them.

Except for the occasional game of chance. But that was for fun. And energon rations or chips on occasion. Nothing of real value.

Still, considering he could’ve been molded into a Seeker and had Starscream as a commander…

Yeah, I’m pretty well off.

Smiling, he took his seat at his station as stared at the main viewer for no reason than to figure out how to scratch his current itch. His dealings with Starscream had been the start of an infection, a rash, so to speak, and it had been spreading since. Worse still, he was contemplating including Starscream in his endeavor if needed.

Maybe whatever Shockwave is planning will straighten out my logic circuits. I don’t know if I can stomach working with Starscream again.

He would’ve sighed, but after an existence of priding himself as being the best con artist in the universe, letting his real thoughts show just wasn’t going to happen.

That brought another thought to mind, and one Swindle wasn’t too pleased with.

“Hope we don’t sound like him when Shockwave does whatever he intends,” he said to no one in particular.

Ever the showman, he couldn’t use admit his fear as singular even in a brief moment of truth.

Syrian Airspace - Decepticon Frigate Obliteration - Corridors

And there it was, the last bit of retaliation. To say his nerves had been pressed and the end of his patience drawing thin were beyond what one could consider an understatement right now. One last act of defiance...

“You insolent... little...” Onslaught cursed, his tough hide having protected him from the full effect of the Seeker Commander’s null ray effects. He promised Megatron Starscream would be brought back alive but that red and white waste of a spark was close to making an honest mech break his word. Drawing his sonic stun rifle, Onslaught shifted the power setting off of the safest setting it had, cranking its power up to at least make his target squirm and wither in pain.

“SPAWN. OF. A. GLITCH!” The Combaticon roared, firing his sonic stun rifle. The powerful bolt of energy rocketed down the corridor and managed to strike the back of the seeker Commander before he could round any corner. Shifting to his alternate mode, Onslaught bolted down the corridor before transforming back, standing over Starscream’s stun-locked chassis. With no where to run now and unable to get another word in, Onslaught reached down and gripped tight on one of Starscream’s wings. He firmly planted one boot into his back and pulled firm, rarely seen strength ripping the wing off as quickly and cleaning as a sharp knife through wet paper. Onslaught twisted the wing around itself until it resembled a sharpened stick and drove the pointed end down into his side, missing any of the vital subsystems while still making sure it would hurt him a lot.

“Brawl, Viper,” Onslaught began, not turning back to his subordinates as he addressed them. He grabbed the stunned seeker commander but his ankle strut and began to drag him down the corridor towards the bounce chamber, a trail of bright pink Energon trailing him as the fresh wound he put in Starscream bled, “Let’s get a move on.”

Bounce Chamber

When the doors slid open, Onslaught tossed Starscream onto the bounce pad with little care as he approached the console to set in the coordinates. When everything was in place, the Combaticon stepped onto the bounce pad and place his boot on Starscream’s back once more, pinning him down against the floor.

Now he would be Megatron’s headache.

[Corridors en route to Bounce Chamber]

Vertigo wrote:"I am not leaving without my drone. And supplies. But mostly my drone."

A sadistic grin planted itself on Viper’s face. A gnarly hiss was ejected from his vocaliser, and he chucked over Vertigo’s drone to his hands. With a slithering motion, the blue bomber sealed his grip around the seeker’s wings, and dragged him out of the medbay. He opened up a comm to Swindle, leaving it on loudspeaker mode so that Vertigo could hear. >>”Aye, Swindle, this boy needs a few doodads and thingamajiggers. Send it down to the B Room, I’ll send it down after his aft’s gone off ship.

Right up ahead was Onslaught, big and buff and very much angry. Viper almost felt bad for Starscream as he got his aft practically handed to him on a plate, served fresh. Feeling inspired by the combat wombat commander, a rush of robot-adrenaline entered his circuits. Viper whacked Vertigo’s shoulder with his cocked gun, which almost fired from the impact. Luckily, he knew his gun just as well as he knew himself in the air, and stopped it from releasing the bullet. He’d have been more than glad to sink one in though.

In the bounce chamber, Viper used his free hand to chuck Vertigo right in after Starscream. “Off ya go, expect the supplies and scrap in a few business breems.” Just as the orbital bounce flash was happening, he took aim with his gun and fired a burst of three acid-coated rounds behind them. The bullets disappeared into the flash. They’d either hit one of the seekers, or they’d chase after them through the bounce. “Hehehe,” grinned Viper. “Good stuff, sir. Good stuff.”

Syrian Airspace – Obliteration - Bridge

Viper wrote: >>”Aye, Swindle, this boy needs a few doodads and thingamajiggers. Send it down to the B Room, I’ll send it down after his aft’s gone off ship.

Following Starscream’s screeching cries, the communication left Swindle questioning some existence choices once again. While he didn’t have to think too hard about the amount of force exerted on Starscream and his… brigade, unraveling Viper’s message was on par with unraveling a hundred million cycle old civilization.

Every time I give these mechs a compliment or benefit of the doubt, they do something to make me question the reason for my existence, he thought, not even caring that Viper wasn’t a Combaticon. They make it hard for an honest ‘Con sometimes.

Replying to Viper, >>Doodads and thingamajiggers aside, which “guest” are you referring to?<<

I swear, if he says a Seeker or one of Starscream's whatever... the thought trailed off as he suddenly had an idea.

Then, as quick as the inspiration that struck him, he opened a channel to Onslaught. >>One of our guests has apparently requested their things. Not that I’m opposed to handing one’s property back to them, but there is the question of a a fee for our picking them up and transporting them. If not, I can find one. Any suggstions, Oh Mighty One?<<

As Starscream elbowed Onslaught and made a run for it, Brawl felt like clapping gleefully had he not been carrying two seekers against their will. Not that he would have actually done that. That would have been way too uncharacteristic of his tough guy image. However, Starscream had opened a Pandora’s box. More violence was certain to ensue. Not that Brawl was going to step on Onslaught’s toes. The boss bot had been slighted and it was his to pay Starscream back for what he had done.

”GET HIM BOSS!” Brawl found himself bellowing while subconsciously tightening his vice-grip on Feedback and Lock-On.

And oh how Onslaught paid back. Luckily for Brawl his faceplate covered the big stupid grin etched on his face as he witnessed his unit commander’s onslaught upon the screechy, full of himself seeker Commandant.

”OH YEAH! TEAR HIM APART BOSS!” Brawl cheered on as Onslaught actually went a ripped one of Starscream’s precious wings off! Fragging seeker had had that coming for him, annoying piece of entitled work as he was.

“Brawl, Viper,” Onslaught began, not turning back to his subordinates as he addressed them. He grabbed the stunned seeker commander but his ankle strut and began to drag him down the corridor towards the bounce chamber, a trail of bright pink Energon trailing him as the fresh wound he put in Starscream bled, “Let’s get a move on.”

”Sure thing bossbot!” Brawl acknowledged Onslaught’s words and marched after the tactician and his victim, while still paying little attention towards the two seekers he was transporting very likely against their will.

As he reached the bounce chamber, Brawl let his grip go – which in turn meant both Feedback and Lock-On falling flat on the floor if their reflexes weren’t game. ”Go on boys, Megatron awaits! And I am pretty sure he’d prefer you getting through without being mutilated, yeah?!”

Obliteration- Corridors/Bounce Chamber


He tried. The ever failing rebellious one had tried, and failed. He was about to round the corner and make a bee-line for the bounce chamber by himself, but he couldn't outrun Onslaught's stun ray. As it hit him in the back, all he could do was cuss under his breath as he couldn't will his body to move. Everything in his electronic nuero-system shut down. He couldn't get any of his servos or gears moving!

'Curse you, Onslaught! I'll make sure you pay for doing this to me!’, he thought to himself. He lay there face down, and the next thing he noticed was the Combaticon Leader come pounding down the hall with his heavy feet, and he stepped on Starscream's back and took hold of one of his wings and pulled and wrenched it.

'GEGGHHHHHH!!’, Starscream internally screamed, unable to do so verbally. He thought that the stun ray had hurt enough, but no! The afthat, the maniacal glorified scrapping device just HAD to make things worse for him ( as if it wasn't bad enough)! But that, even that wasn't it. Then, Onslaught literally rolled his wing up into a spear and STABBED the Seeker through the middle! Though the Combaticon had missed his vital internal components, Starscream didn't know this. At this point he felt hysterically violated and panicked. He hated that he couldn't even do anything to prevent it! Even Megatron would give him a fair fighting chance!

Then he was just tossed into the bounce chamber like a heap of slag, and the terrible feeling of being bounced down to a planet occured. It was all the more terrible due to the fact he was losing energon due to the great wound in the side of his abdomen, and that his circuitry was all frazzled where his wing was supposed to be, AND THAT HE COULDN'T MOVE.

'Oh Onslaught….YOU have made a big mistake. You really want to play this game? Well, the bus is coming, and it's not going to pick you up.’, Starscream thought through the horrendous pain. He knew Hell was about to be reached though. The King of the Pit was waiting for the Prince of Sins and Lies to come get his due punishment. That wouldn't stop him from scheming though, and right now, he wanted revenge for what had just happened, and to make amends to the Decepticon Empire's Supreme Warlord. Starscream WOULD prevail. He had to. He'd endured much worse than this...yes…

Downtown Aleppo--Syrian Government Bunker

*"Welcome, general,"* the Syrian military minister said in thick Arabic with a bow as he approached the arriving convoy of vehicles. Megatron, Flamewar and the others began to steadily disembark while others were still in the process of arriving. *"My most sincere apologies for the danger you faced in getting here."*

*"Nothing we are not accustomed to,"* Megatron replied in Russian. "Translators" for both sides proceeded to relay the pleasantries, even though Megatron understood perfectly well everything that was being spoken. The infiltration protocols called for total immersion and deception.

At least, until they didn't.

For Megatron, that reality couldn't come soon enough. This world sat on the very threshold of its own destruction. All it needed was a push. He had little doubt that this would suffice.

*"If you will come inside, I believe we can finalize our arrangement,"* the minister said, motioning for them to follow. Megatron nodded.

As their groups started to head further into the bunker complex, Megatron and Flamewar traded glances. The Combaticons had delivered, as expected.

>>"Cover any incidental interactions,"<< Megatron commanded, as he shifted the holomatter avatar to a form of autopilot and adjusted the bulk of his focus to where his physical body remained.
___

Outskirts of Aleppo--Abandoned Warehouse

No sooner had Starscream arrived than he had been snatched up by a squad of Vehicons and dragged deeper into the facility to where Megatron and the other Decepticons who were partaking of the avatar process stood connected to the equipment that allowed them the extensive range they were currently utilizing. Standing almost statue-like, a glint flickered across Megatron's optics and his gaze shifted, first looking around and then down at the immobilized Seeker Leader--already in perhaps the most pitiful condition Megatron had ever seen him.

"Well, well, your great opportunity, Starscream. I am taken off the battlefield by powers even beyond my considerable control and you are given the opportunity to lead that you have so wantonly craved. And in the midst of that opportunity, I find that you have been sent fleeing by the cabal of enemies you have forged for yourself over the vorns and left to some uninhabited rock in this primitive little solar system. Does that about sum up your recent existence? I almost wonder if leading the Seekers is too much to expect of you. Should I simply end what remains of your life and reputation now?"

Outskirts of Aleppo- Abandoned Warehouse-

’Pain is weakness leaving the body.’, someone once said. Well, if that was right than Starscream should be feeling stronger. At least, according to the situation right now, the saying ’How the mighty have fallen.’ seemed more appropriate. He was feeling rather weak, as energon trailed in his wake as he was taken from Onslaught and dragged towards the ominously hulking figure of Megatron.

He gulped, his mouth feeling extra dry. It didn't do anything to moisten his throat. His spark pulsed fast and skipped a few beats as he stared up with wide optics in terror and guilt. Here now he was to be on trial. Here was the judge and he was the defendant. It was do….or die. The red and grey Seeker knew that, and he swore to himself he would NOT die. A chill raced down his spinal receptors as his Master's optics lit up. Starscream's own optics stared up at the Mighty One's perpetually. A nano-kilk felt like a vorn, looking up at him. Then the Slagmaker spoke,

"Well, well, your great opportunity, Starscream. I am taken off the battlefield by powers even beyond my considerable control and you are given the opportunity to lead that you have so wantonly craved. And in the midst of that opportunity, I find that you have been sent fleeing by the cabal of enemies you have forged for yourself over the vorns and left to some uninhabited rock in this primitive little solar system. Does that about sum up your recent existence? I almost wonder if leading the Seekers is too much to expect of you. Should I simply end what remains of your life and reputation now?"

The defeated shuddered, but he composed himself as expertly as he could despite his injuries, and replied hoarsely, “No My Lord, spare my life! I live….to serve you as your humble servant!”, he said, and coughed up some energon before going on, “You are right, My Lord. I have been a total fool! My men led me to believe there may have been a powerful energy source on the planet the Earthlings call Mars! I took the opportunity to go there to seek out and procure this energy so that we could strengthen our forces and steam ahead to victory in this system…”, he said, feeling lightheaded, and pausing before continuing, “But my men were wrong, My Liege. There was no viable energy, or if there was, the Autobots got to it first They were onto us, Lord Megatron! Iron Hide and several others hijacked our shuttle and crashed it! After that, we were forced to do battle, but we were outnumbered, and were injured due to the crash! Luckily….”, he coughed, “ We defeated them anyway, and Iron Hide submitted to me. I let him and his mechs survive because he helped revive one of my mechs who were almost permanently offlined. As for the planet, it was nothing but a barren wasteland of dust! Nothing for the picking! Then...your Combaticons came and BRUTALIZED ME!!!”, he screamed and hacked. “Lord Megatron….”, he said through agonizing pain, willing himself to get up and kneel, though he had a bent wing stuck through his abdominals, “I am happy you have returned. The beast former Razorclaw wasn't even a tenth as worthy of leading the Decepticons. He would have us leading lives as animals. Welcome...home...All...hail...Megatron.”

Downtown Aleppo--Syrian Government Bunker

Thundercacker glanced around them as he stepped out of the Humvee, joining the other Decepticons as they disembarked.

Not quite what I was expecting, he thought, taking in the various armament positions and guards. Given the initial familiarity of the area when compared to Cybertron, he’d expected the humans to have some sort of pompous grandeur to put on an outward face that nothing was wrong.

Just like the Autobots. He didn’t know why his processor had dredged that up, but it didn’t matter. They were where they were supposed to be. At least, he hoped so given Megatron’s recent difficulties.

Turning back to the others, his eyes settled on Skywarp. “I’m not sure if it’s good or bad that this is so familiar. I keep expecting the Autobots to jump out from behind a building at any moment.”

He nodded to where Megatron and others were entering the central bunker. “They’re not this creative, though,” he mumbled before moving into a position that would allow him to keep an eye on the door and any approaching humans or mechs. Gotta stop overthinking things. This isn’t the time or place.

[OOC: Just because I'm very lost as to what in the world was going on with Redwing and those surrounding since my short hiatus, I'm gonna kind of play him a bit fresh like I did before leaving. Thanks to Chibi though for playing him during my absence. Anyhoo, back to the game!]



Redwing followed the others, and awaited any orders. He was a soldier at heart. He wouldn't cause trouble, but he wouldn't refuse to back out of it if his commanders or soldier instinct required it.

Without moving his vocalizer (holomatter mouth), Redwing commed Amethyst and Thundercracker.

>>"Megatron truly looks as a shady human war general negotiator of sorts. I mean dayum, his acting is impeccable. A true mastermind of deception at work. Admirable."<<

Warehouse

Octane witnessed the bounce beam of Starscream and Onslaught. The appearance of Starscream made Octane smile.

"Hey Astrotrain, it looks like Onslaught tried his hand at some art work with Screamer as his piece. I say the other wing needs to be ripped off and made into a pole like the other one. The placement should go through the upper chest taking out his vocalize but leaving his spark intact. Than maybe I can get to add some scorch Mark's here and there after we remove his ammo and weapons. All Starscream is a pretender who is in his most proper position."


Convoy

Battletrap noticed the convoy was slowing down as it entered a complex. He kept his eyes out for anymore attacks. As the convoy came to a stop at the central building, Battletrap got out and looked around. One of the things he noticed was a military looking copter on the outskirts. He walked the perimeter observing what he could.

>>Flamewar, I walk out skirts to scout. Exits need to know if leaving arises.<<

Obliteration

Before Vertigo could really protest, he was tossed his drone, forced into motion, tossed into a bounce and sent to the planet below.

Materializing clutching his drone, he did relax for a moment as he was now away from that ship full of lug nuts.

That relaxed didn't last long.

Lock On was about to taunt Brawl again... But was bounced before he could.
---

Feedback was too stressed out to notice what Brawl was doing to him until he materialized on the planet. He sat up and looked around.

No ship. They were outside. "Yes!" He yelled happily as he fell backwards into the sand.

"Oh scrap... Earth. Frag me. I hate this place."

He was so caught up with not being stuck inside a ship he didn't notice, at first, Starscream accusing them of telling him there was resources on Mars.

But Vertigo did.

--

"Wait, no, that's not what happened!" Vertigo called out and started heading for Starscream and Megatron.

--

Lock On reached out for Vertigo to stop him. No sense getting involved with the big boss. But Vertigo shrugged him off before he got a grip.

---

Feedback rolled over and grabbed Vertigo by the foot. "Don't." He said firmly having caught Vertigo. "Don't get involved. No one will believe us, best to just stay out of it, take the blame and get on with life. Life not in a ship for bit. I'll help you fix Reaper, I'm sure we can scrounge up some parts."

Syrian Government Bunker

Ravage had tracked his way to Megatron and other Decepticons' location, running across the sand along with his partner for this mission, Sixshot. The black panther dragged along a wounded human from the site in which the humans had attacked their convoy. The poor fleshlings. They had no idea what they were up against. The one being transported the feline way was now unconcious. He wasn't bleeding to death, though his wound was pretty severe, but he was rather unconscious because he had been terrified out of his wits and felt for sure he was going to do, and yes...unfortunately for him that was probably imminent. For now though, the large cat, coming into the vicinity of his holomatter disguised brethren, slowed to a brisk walk as he brought his quarry to his Master. The human was released from his jaws and slumped to the ground near Megatron's feet.

The cat growled and sat down, looking up at his Master like a house cat would, bringing a dead mouse inside. He knew that Earth felines didn't speak, so he commed Megatron an internal message, >>'Here is the insurgent as you've asked for, M'Lord. He just needs some waking up. He is alive.'<<

Downtown Aleppo - Syrian Government Bunker

Redwing wrote: >>"Megatron truly looks as a shady human war general negotiator of sorts. I mean dayum, his acting is impeccable. A true mastermind of deception at work. Admirable."<<

Despite the seriousness of the situation, the sudden communication from Redwing nearly brought a smile to Thundercracker’s faceplate. It’d been a long time since a comment about Megatron gave him reason to smile, and he welcomed it.

Things have been too tense lately, but was this really the time? Better now than in a firefight, Thundrcracker thought, then glanced at Amethyst and Redwing with a slight nod. They made an intriquing pair, and he found himself wondering how they found one another. They’re not castmates like Warp, Screamer, and me, so probably on a mission. It made sense, and he decided it was worth learning about later when they had some down time. Until then, he had a self-appointed job to do.

Making sure his avatar’s appearance remained neutral as well as his tone, he messaged back, >>He does at that. Few things in the universe come close to Megatron’s charisma. It’s only surpassed by his prowess in battle.<<

There, nice and safe.

>>Stay alert, you two. We may be safe in these forms, but that doesn’t mean we can look sloppy. I know you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t capable.<<

He hoped he sounded as supportive and authoritative as he wanted. Skywarp was right, they may not be the younger Seekers’ babysitter, but letting them wander around aimlessly was more dangerous than nudging them back into the proper path.



Thrust’s head poked out of the vehicle as he surveyed the area around them. Seeing they were surrounded by what he assumed were their fleshie allies, he smiled and straightened. Though he was loathe to vocalize his concerns and appear weak to the others, the fact that he couldn’t fly and his weapons were… Earth-based, had given him several reasons to rethink his joining this expedition.

He quickly spotted Amethyst and Redwing and moved over to stand near them. With his previous reaction leaving him looking less than ideal, he thought this was the perfect opportunity to rebuild and solidify his standing in his protege’s processor.

“Ah, warrior,” he said to Amethyst, “You performed well at our first encounter. Most wait to see where to go and what to do, but you didn’t hesitate. That speaks very highly of you.” Not to mention myself.

Turning to Redwing, his smile remained, but his vocalizer lowered slightly, as though he intended to impart great wisdom to the younger mech. “Careful where you step, warrior. One miscalculation and your partner will surpass you.”

Chuckling, Thrust straightened and hefted his Earth weapon. “Our time to bring glory to the Decepticon Empire is upon us, warriors. Make me proud.”

Downtown Aleppo - Syrian Government Bunker

Dreadnaut wrote:“Yes.”

Brakeneck’s facsimile groaned. “Bah, you hardly speak. Didn’chya learn how to put words together for a sentence?” The facsimile chuckled, until the convoy arrived at the underground bunker. Lord Megatron’s own facsimile was beginning negotiations with the humans. Those fleshlings could be crushed so easily, it almost tempted Brakeneck to roll them over with his alternate mode. But that would have to wait.

His facsimile wasn’t as tall as Dreadnaut’s, naturally, but it was still similar in looks. He had sunglasses and a dusty white top that was traditional to the region. The facsimile looked vaguely Arabic, not showing any specifics of where he might be from. He understood the languages and the translations, thanks to the tech, but he tried to only seem to understand the native tongue of the region as opposed to the Russian that Lord Megatron’s avatar was speaking. This is gonna be good.

Outskirts of Aleppo--Abandoned Warehouse-

“No My Lord, spare my life! I live….to serve you as your humble servant!” Starscream pleaded.

The begging. It always started with the begging when Starscream knew that he had gotten himself into an untenable position. Familiarity certainly did breed contempt.

“You are right, My Lord. I have been a total fool! My men led me to believe there may have been a powerful energy source on the planet the Earthlings call Mars! I took the opportunity to go there to seek out and procure this energy so that we could strengthen our forces and steam ahead to victory in this system…”

So, he had been given a planet with verifiable stores of an unknown mineral that could be refined into a much more powerful energon than anything any of them had ever tasted and he passed that up to go explore some uninhabited rock? Even if Megatron believed Starscream were that stupid, there was more to this situation hiding under the surface.

From that point, Starscream's tale of misfortune became even more farcical, weaving an epic almost worthy of Alpha Trion, facing down Optimus Prime's closest confidante, defeating him and--most ludicrously of all--releasing him before ultimately succumbing to the Combaticons.

"Starscream...if even a tenth of this idiocy you speak is true, it has cemented for all time why you will never have the judgment necessary to lead this empire. You will learn nothing of the role you are to play in facing execution. Hopefully this abject failure will be a better teacher. Remove yourself. Return to the Thanatos once again with the knowledge that it is only by my generosity that you continue to exist. See to your repairs and be ready for deployment at my call. Go."

As Megatron prepared to shift his focus back to the negotiation with the fleshlings, another Decepticon called out. Though the Decepticon was halted by a peer, it had piqued Megatron's curiosity.

"Wait, no, that's not what happened!"

"You have an alternative perspective?" Megatron said, his red optics settling on Vertigo.
___

"Hey Astrotrain, it looks like Onslaught tried his hand at some art work with Screamer as his piece. I say the other wing needs to be ripped off and made into a pole like the other one. The placement should go through the upper chest taking out his vocalize but leaving his spark intact. Than maybe I can get to add some scorch Mark's here and there after we remove his ammo and weapons. All Starscream is a pretender who is in his most proper position."

Astrotrain looked over at Starscream's beaten form. He couldn't help but chuckle a little. How many times had he seen Starscream in a similar condition? And how many times had it been the result of another Decepticon? Too many.

"Yeah. Kneeling before Megatron. But he'll live. He always manages to scrape by and weasel out of whatever he's dug himself into. If nothing else, he's the best example out there of how to stay alive in the cutthroat realm of Decepticon command politics."

Downtown Aleppo--Syrian Government Bunker

When Ravage arrived with Megatron's captive, as commanded, the shock on the face of the humans was evident. Even in their exotic lifestyles where traditional human laws did not apply, they had never seen anything quite like what had just played out before them.

"*The general's pets are well trained,*" Flamewar said, providing the situation a layer of cover that would hopefully be unnecessary. The Syrian ministers looked to each other and nodded, chuckling amongst themselves.

"*Perhaps when this negotiation is complete, we will talk of a second set of purchases,*" the defense minister said. Flamewar's avatar nodded agreeably.

Deeper inside the bunker, the walls steadily began to take on a more palatial aspect, with more refined architecture, tapestries and paintings adorning the walls and finely woven rugs stretched across marble floors. Even in hiding, human dictators clearly enjoyed utilizing the perks of their position.

"*The sum is to your satisfaction, yes?*" the minister continued. Flamewar looked to Megatron's avatar. It was still following, but it was evident that Megatron's focus was still occupied elsewhere.

For now.

'Oh scrap...' Vertigo thought as Megatron's attention went to him. For a brief moment, it reflected on his face plate as he searched for the right words.

--

"Frag." Feedback muttered as Vertigo seemed to mentally stumble. He stood up. "Not exactly.a different perspective, Lord Megatron." Feedback let a confident look slide on to his features, despite being irritated he was caught in the middle of this. "Just that Commander Starscream's account of Lock On's damage is a bit colored by his concern for his underlings... Lock On's damage is severe... Yes, but the Air Commander was more worried than he needed to be, especially about Lock On."

--
Lock On shifted a bit, then nodded.

--

Vertigo was about to protest to Feedback's bendng of he truth explanation, convinced Megatron would be able to see right through the embellishment. But he was stopped by Feedback giving him a subtle kick.

--

"Unless the Commander meant me." Feedback said. "I was badly injured during the fight with the Fallen, though the crash didn't help any either."

((OOC: My apologies. I'm playing a little catch-up here.))

Downtown Aleppo – Convoy

Thundercracker wrote:“Not a bad start to our mission. At least, we know these weapons work. Even if it’s barely above rocks and sticks these flashbags probably used.”

“These weapons are slag,” Skywarp replied in a huff as Thundercracker sat beside him. “But, as you said, at least they work against these fleshsacks.”

Thrust wrote:“It is, indeed, warrior. This world is weak and ready for us to seize in the name of Megatron. I do miss my ability to fly, though. How do these creatures not end their cycles after spending their existence as dirtpounders? They’re almost as pathetic as the Autobots, Imagine the glory this world will bring us. I dare the Autobots to try and stop us.”

“The Autobots will not win this war,” the teleporter said, turning to Thrust, the red conehead taking a seat across from him in the humvee. “This planet will fall like all the rest. I don’t even know why the Autobots bother to try and stop us. They lose more than they win.”

The humvee then lurched forward and they were off to their next destination, following after Megatron’s humvee. Skywarp’s avatar fell silent for a brief time until his blue friend woke him back to reality.

Thundercracker wrote:>>Look at them, Warp. It’s like looking into our reflection. The poor fools probably don’t even know there are other lifeforms in the universe. There’d up for an interesting first contact.<<

“I suppose they’re not that different from us,” Skywarp conceded with a shake of his avatar’s head. “Except they’re made of goop and are easily crushed. But, you’re right, I suppose. Their wars are much like our own. If given the chance I’m sure they’d destroy their planet just like we did ours. Of course, we can’t wait that long which is why Megatron’s going to give them a little push. Heh. Can’t wait to see what happens.”

Downtown Aleppo – Syrian Government Bunker

The convoy arrived at the bunker and the seekers got out of their respective humvee. Skywarp followed suit as Megatron and Flamewar met with a human military minister who had no idea that they were actually avatars controlled by giant alien robots.

Thundercracker wrote:“I’m not sure if it’s good or bad that this is so familiar. I keep expecting the Autobots to jump out from behind a building at any moment. They’re not this creative, though.”

“No, the Autobots are not that creative, Thundercracker,” Skywarp remarked as they entered the main bunker behind the slagmaker and Flamewar. “But they would be a better match for us than these pathetic humans. Still, watching these fleshbags tear each other apart should be a fun show. Heh.”
____________________

Sixshot’s avatar ran alongside Ravage as the feline beast drug the unconscious human that Megatron had requested they capture and bring to him. It was a shame that the STAG did not have access to his wolf creature alt mode at the present time. It would’ve been easier to keep up with his four-legged companion if he had four limbs of his own to utilize. As it were, Sixshot made due with his avatar’s two legs.

Ravage tracked their Decepticon compatriots to the bunker where the cassetticon approached Megatron and dropped the human germ at his feet before sitting down. Sixshot chuckled as he stopped beside his feline comrade. Megatron’s avatar seemed to be on “autopilot” allowing his consciousness to be elsewhere, likely back in his real, mechanical body. The Phase Sixer wondered why that would be as they were clearly dealing with actual humans now and the risk of exposure was higher with Megatron distracted.

Sixshot then noticed the humans’ expressions at the sight of Ravage’s feline avatar. Flamewar covered the situation by explaining that the general’s pet was well trained. The human ministers appeared to accept that explanation as they all moved deeper into the bunker. Both sides spoke in other languages. Thankfully, the STAG had downloaded all of Earth’s languages and was well versed in communicating with any human he needed to. Thus, he understood what was going on.

The sixchanger remained silent and simply observed what was happening. There were negotiations going on for some kind of purchases. The humans asked if the sum was satisfactory, but Megatron had not answered yet. He was still occupied elsewhere. A curious Sixshot opened a private comm line to Flamewar:

>>”My dear, where is Lord Megatron? He seems very distracted.”<<

Downtown Aleppo – Syrian Government Bunker

Skywarp wrote:“No, the Autobots are not that creative, Thundercracker,” Skywarp remarked as they entered the main bunker behind the slagmaker and Flamewar. “But they would be a better match for us than these pathetic humans. Still, watching these fleshbags tear each other apart should be a fun show. Heh.”

A fun show, indeed, Thundercracker thought before replying, >>Imagine being so soft, yet so warlike. The slightest injury and they’d be crippled while we’re simply repaired. It’s a wonder they’ve existed this long. This will probably be our easiest mission yet.<<

Thundercracker couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s candidness and optimism. It was a unique combination, given Skywarp’s penchant for conflict. And Thundercracker wouldn’t have it any other way. More than any other mech, the black and purple Seeker kept him grounded. He hated to think where he’d be without his oldest and closest friend.

Looking around at the interior of the bunker and the guards and others standing in their positions, he couldn’t help but notice how easy it would be to rid the planet of this group of people. If he understood the Earth’s politics correctly, wouldn’t doing so make them heros to many? Wasn’t that the best way to go about this instead of turning them against one another?

The thought had merit, since it would be what the Autobots would do. It was what Megatron had done on Cybertron to begin this war. It was why he had signed onto this… endeavor to begin with.

On second thought, maybe turning them against each other is more merciful.

It never ceased to amaze him at how quickly his mood could sour in the harsh light of reality or his thoughts.



Dessicator reluctantly climbed out of his Humvee with the others and looked around. It was times like this he was grateful he chose the last vehicle. It saved him from being part of the “welcoming” section, as he put it. Though, being near to Flamewar would have its perks…

He pushed the thought away and focused on those around them and their defenses. Nothing he couldn’t handle even in this form. All he had to do was take aim and…

But that wasn’t what Megatron wanted. And he was stuck among so many fellow Decepticons and now humans. As the thought settled in him, he felt a glitch in his faceplate servos that translated to a twitch in his holomatter avatar.

Oh, this isn’t good. Isn’t good at all.

Obliteration

The Starscream-less silence was only astroseconds old, yet it was already annoying Swindle to no end.

Had anyone paid attention to him, they’d know it was times like this where he came up with some of his best ideas. Inspiration came at all hours, but when it was quiet he could really focus on them and fine tune his plans into perfect gems of larcenry.

Of course, he usually had a way to implement his plans, but he couldn’t at the moment, and that was the annoying part. He needed more first hand information that couldn’t easily be overseen by Soundwave or any other communications savy mech. Oh no, he needed to get to Earth’s surface and see a few things for himself.

After pacing the bridge a few times, he turned to the exit, calling over his shoulder, “Blast Off, I’m heading to the planet for a little reconnoitering. Never know when something might be useful, am I right? Anyway, let me know when Onslaught is returns and it ready to leave so I can return. I don’t want to keep him or… Shockwave (He shuddered when saying that name. No telling what he intended to do to them.) waiting.”

Without waiting for an answer, Swindle hurried through the corridors to the bounce chamber, whistling as he ran, allowing his excitement for what had to be the first time for a research project. He casually wondered what he would see since he didn’t really know what he was looking for.

It was an itch that needed to be scratched, and this type of itch usually meant an exciting barter followed by the cool, crisp exchange of energon or credits.

Magatron’s gotta know the gold mine we have here. Not even his all-towering self could miss something this obvious. The thought had merit, especially given their forces being there, but, as Swindle had learned a long time ago, corruption and disruption was rarely in line with free trade. They did, however, make it a very profitable time for mechs like him to make a small fortune.

Not that he was in it for the money. Well, not entirely.

Swindle rounded the corner and hurried down the corridor to the bounce chamber. He glanced down at some pieces here and there along with the occasional stain he assumed belonged to Starscream. Some mechs just don’t know when to fold their hand, he thought shaking his head.

He spotted Viper and Brawl and nodded to them, smiling as friendly, yet mischievous, as he could manage. The gleam in his optics would be hard to miss, especially to those that knew him.

“Looks like you boys are testing the fly twerps’ extended warranty.” Sidestepping a puddle on energon, Swindle took a cursory inventory of the parts left behind.

Nothing worth more than base materials. Shame, he thought, then said, “Excuse me, gents. I just had an idea I want to check out before our esteemed leader gets back,” he said, not breaking stride as he entered in coordinates in the control console a short distance from where Onslaught and the Seekers had transported to. The last thing he needed was to appear amidst Megatron ripping Starscream’s thrusters off without a good explanation. He may be good, but even his talents had limits.

Not that he’d ever admit those unless under duress.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I hate being late to a deal of the century. Or the cycle, at least. Sayonara for now, gentle mechs.” His smile even wider, his optics flashed as he transformed into his jeep mode just before the chamber activated.

Outskirts of Aleppo--Abandoned Warehouse-

"Not exactly.a different perspective, Lord Megatron. Just that Commander Starscream's account of Lock On's damage is a bit colored by his concern for his underlings... Lock On's damage is severe... Yes, but the Air Commander was more worried than he needed to be, especially about Lock On."

That response actually elicited a slight chuckle from the Slagmaker.

"You will learn, if you haven't already, that Starscream's accounts are colored by many things--not least of which being his rampant narcissism. See to your injuries."

Megatron's gaze shifted as he returned his attention to the holomatter technology.
___

>>”My dear, where is Lord Megatron? He seems very distracted.”<<

Flamewar smirked. Sixshot did not often get to see this facet of Megatron's leadership. He and the other "Phase Sixers" were typically only called once all of the detail work had been done, the planet stripped and the only thing left to be done was wipe out every trace that they had been there, including the native lifeforms.

>>"Fear not, noble warrior. Nothing escapes his notice,"<< she commed back.

"*That will be sufficient,*" Megatron's avatar spoke, almost exactly on cue, answering the minister's question. Flamewar spared Sixshot a quick glance as if to say "you see?"

With a swift and specific gesture, the avatar motioned for the facsimiles to begin unloading several lead containers from the rear of three of the convoy vehicles.

"*And of course....my end of the deal. Everything you could want to start your country's nuclear program. Enriched uranium. I've also taken the liberty of including a few suggestions from our scientists so that you can speed the process along."*