Well, here we are! Third chapter! Another longer chapter, or really, slightly longer chapter than the last.
School's started up for me again. I already have tons of homework that I need to see to.
Updates will more than likely be slower than they already were, I'm afraid. Sorry about that.
Anyways, onward to the third instalment!
Four Million Years Later:
Chapter Three:
Eradicons
The Nemesis had been easier to locate than he'd expected it to be.
Though Starscream no longer had the ability to track the ship itself, tracking the movements of its lackeys was simple enough. He monitored their comings and goings (even though Megatron had long returned, Knock Out still ventured out on his little evening joy rides every now and again), and in a few days knew when and where the Decepticon warship would dock to retrieve its flunkies. As the ship momentarily settled, Starscream was allowed to fly in unnoticed.
Flying in the open air had been wonderful, and as Starscream landed within a hanger, he suddenly wished he was outside in the air again. No matter how long he'd served on this ship, it still gave him the chills to return to it once more. Starscream had never called it home; Cybertron had been his home, Vos had been his home, and though it was now nothing more than a dead rock, it still was his home. The atmosphere of the Nemesis had never been much of a comfort either.
He mentally steeled himself. He had Skyfire to worry about now. The thought alone gave him the resolve to advance further into the darkness of the warship.
After all that had happened in the last few months, the numerous attempts to snuff Megatron's spark, Starscream had anticipated that the security of the flying vessel would have been at least doubled.
Apparently not.
The same amount of Eradicons patrolled the hallways, and some areas were even left neglected. Only the energon storage vault and the command bridge themselves were heavily guarded. None of that had changed.
The Decepticons were getting sloppy, it seemed.
Of course, this made things run much more smoothly for him. He could slip through the hallways with ease, and before he knew it, Starscream found himself right across from the medical bay.
Breakdown wouldn't be around, for obvious reasons. He had heard about his death for weeks over Decepticon radio chatter. He wondered how the good Doctor was fairing.
Arachnid was out of the game too. The Autobots had done their job, he presumed. The two-wheeler had gotten her revenge.
Pity, he would have enjoyed killing the spider himself.
With as much stealth as he could muster, Starscream peered through the bay doors. Ah slag, the Doctor was in–
–And with Soundwave too!
He flattened himself against the wall to the best of his ability and glanced inside once more. Frag it! Soundwave was there. This could only mean one or two things. Either Soundwave had been injured, or the world was going to the pit. When was the last time he'd seen Soundwave of all mechs in the med bay? Had he ever seen him in the med bay, and injured at the same time? Had he ever seen an injured Soundwave? Starscream wasn't sure to be honest.
There was a good reason for that too. How many times had he taken the blame for Soundwave's own failures? Taken beatings in his place? Megatron was an imbecile. Soundwave was loyal, exceedingly loyal, but he certainly wasn't perfect. Their glorious leader had always ignored this fact.
Stupid loyal fragger.
The fact was that Soundwave was the eyes and ears of the Decepticons. If he was spotted by him, the whole crew of the Nemesis would know of his presence in mere seconds. He fumed silently. He didn't have time to wait around for Soundwave to get his act together and get out of there. He couldn't create a diversion either on the other hand. That at this time would be too suspicious, especially with a culprit like himself, one of whom would not stick around. He knew some of the drones would start to ask questions. Someone would investigate.
Currently, waiting around was the best option he had.
As a patrol squad marched by, Starscream slunk past them and stole into a neighbouring storage unit. There he waited, and waited…and waited…
He waited so long that he began to doubt his own abilities.
He'd lost his touch. He'd be caught, he'd be killed and Skyfire would die. What would Skyfire think after he heard all of what he had done? Would he stay and remain by his side? Or would he leave him in disgust, after seeing what he had become?
Skyfire was ignorant of the war. Back then, it had merely been insignificant squabbling between the council and the cities it had no control over. Skyfire had crashed before it had gotten out of hand, before the conquest for power had driven them all mad. He wouldn't understand–
"Oh come on, 404, it shouldn't be that hard to find."
"I'm telling you, one minute it was there, the next it was gone! Vanished! Poof!"
"…I somehow doubt that."
Starscream could feel his wings jerk at the sudden sounds. They were close too. Quickly, he positioned himself behind the crates available, drooping his wings out of sight, and waited for the drones to pass by the vault. Eventually, and much to his relief, they did. He sighed. All he had been doing all day was waiting. What was he thinking? He did need help.
It was in that moment that Starscream got an idea.
He knew the drones had gained sentience. Or at least, some of them had. The ones on the lower levels, the ones that kept the ship in proper working order, they were still simple drones. They worked like drones, thought like drones, and were commanded as drones. However, the ones that were on higher levels of the ship, or the ones that directly served their higher ranking officers, had gained minds of their own. The process had been slow, taking years and years to finally be implemented, but they all had noticed it. Starscream certainly had. The subtle changes in the ways they acted and responded to things. Now the Decepticon airways were full of their pointless chatter.
He remembered overhearing one of Knock Out's gossiping chats with Breakdown, over one of the drones. Apparently the one named Steve (only a drone would be stupid enough to give himself a fleshling name!) had taken an interest to his Kommandant.
A romantic interest.
He hadn't believed they'd gained that much sentience.
If this drone still had…and interest in him though, he could easily be manipulated into doing what Starscream wanted him to.
It was truly the best shot he had right now.
But which one was Steve!?
They all looked alike. The only difference he had ever noticed were the ones between flight and ground models. Those were obvious differences. They were drones for Primus' sake. There was little variance between them.
He'd have to lie low for longer, he realized. See if he could overhear any bits or snippets of conversation regarding the drone then move from–
There was a crash from behind.
"C – Commander Starscream?"
Jolted from his thoughts, Starscream spun around. An Eradicon. Though the drones could hold little facial expression, Starscream could see its shock and surprise by its posture. A crate lay half broken at its feet.
Scrap! He'd have to kill this one quickly, hide its body, and get a move on before–
Wait a klik.
Commander Starscream? Since when was he still–?
Oh.
Oh.
This would be too easy.
Thoughts for this chapter?
And so Steve makes an appearance. The fandom created, Eradicon Steve. Also, are they called Eradicons, or Vehicons? I know there's been some discussion about this, but I've personally always called them Eradicons.
Yes.
Reviews are always wonderful.