A change of track here; this is a villain-centric episode! This is heavily (and obviously) influenced by the Rebellion episode of 'Transformers Armada', but while writing I could barely concentrate on one thing; you'll notice that subjects and scenes change as fast as the weather in this country :)

However, I am incredibly pleased with the completely original speech a certain someone delivers halfway through. You'll know it when you see it!

Please read & review!


He woke up.

That means I'm alive.

He flexed his feet. They were still there.

That means I can walk.

He flexed his fingers. They were still there.

That means I can kill.

He sat up, his optics flickering on.

It was a dark room, near pitch-black, with only a workbench illuminated. He was lying on a table, various medical instruments located around him. He was strung up to them, his skin plugged by these energon converters. On the table to his left, what looked like a slab of metal lay there. But this was a slab with a face.

Shockwave… where am I?

His optics focused. He saw someone hunched over the workbench.

It was a horrifying sight, this creature of twisted black metal and evil demeanour. His clawed hands fiddled with a transformer's spark, while strange, human-shaped transformers hung around the bench, stroking his hands and face. His mouth was etched into a grin, teeth like carving knives, each one the size of a couch. He had just one, red, malicious optic.

"Well…" the hunched figure spoke without looking up, "You still hold quite a record Barricade; longest stint on Earth without a death!"

The figure cackled slightly, prompting the Pretenders to laugh as well.

"Flatline," Barricade spoke with dark menace, "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh yes, Kaon was it?" Flatline replied, "My memory banks do need a bit of a recharge."

"It seems you're scientific progress has advanced from the young… to the dead."

"Oh, don't sound so downhearted," Flatline uttered, "You should be happy that I nursed you back to health. Although you should also offer thanks to Ruination and his idiot partner for pulling you out of that human nest."

"Right…" Barricade muttered, "Where am I?"

"On the insect planet's only natural satellite," Flatline replied, "Do you remember… the Ark?"

Barricade nodded. "So I assume we lost then?"

"Exactly; pretty much everyone ended up dead. Luckily, Thundercracker and I… and Starscream helped resurrect Lord Megatron and the rest of his underlings. Since then, it's a race to recover as many Pillars as possible; bit of a farce in my opinion…"

"Sentinel?"

"Dead. Megatron wants it kept that way as well."

Barricade got off the table. He looked around and focused on the creatures tending to Flatline.

"Flatline, I believe you have… insects on you."

The Pretenders looked up with disdain, but Flatline kept up his etiquette.

"Oh, don't be so ignorant," Flatline chided, "These are my pretties… they are the Pretenders and each one is aesthetic and intelligent."

"They are repulsive and insufferably ugly and… what are you doing?"

Flatline looked down at the spark he was working on. "This?" he asked gleefully, "This is all that's left of poor Afterburner and I'm trying to splice the raw energon here with selective parts of dark matter to create something more powerful and hopefully… more volatile."

Barricade realised he didn't care, just as he realised he wanted to leave.

"Have fun," the dark Decepticon muttered, before turning to leave.

"Wait! Don't you want a check-up?"

Barricade turned back. "Flatline, I cannot stand another second in your abattoir—why have you only one optic?"

Flatline managed to stretch his grin even further.

"We're not gods yet," he said cryptically, "Not yet."

Barricade frowned. "Then I'll take my leave… I need to find somewhere that is brighter."

But as he reached the exit, he heard Flatline giggle.

He turned one last time to see Flatline cackling like a demon, his face a twisted mask of horror.

"Oh no Barricade, you still don't seem to get it…" the medic uttered with unmatched malevolence, "There is nothing brighter; this is the night we built ourselves, our outer heaven. It is a sombre place where you will find nothing but hate, jealousy and sadistic intent. Welcome back to the Decepticons… welcome back to the place where no light shines… welcome to the dark side of the moon."


Episode 11: The Dark Side of the Moon

And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon
There is no dark side of the moon, really...
Matter of fact, it's all dark

Eclipse


They watched as a drone melted into a pool of shiny, brown slag. It bubbled and hissed, but the lack of any gases in space caused it to quickly harden.

"Well," Mixmaster muttered, "That was a successful test."

"Still," Deadlift mused, "We could have increased the amount of horlotonium to cause a more stable reaction…"

"You forget; there's no argon on this satellite," Mixmaster reminded him, "I bet it wouldn't even fizzle."

It was at that moment Barricade passed them. He looked through the door as Deadlift turned towards it.

"Oh, Lieutenant Barricade!" Deadlift said nervously, "You're awake…"

"That I am Deadlift," Barricade replied, "I haven't seen you since Tyger Pax."

"A much better time that," Mixmaster said with a grin, "And since then, I've been promoted as well."

Barricade frowned. He didn't have time to converse with these two madmen. "Where is Ruination?"

"Ruination?" Mixmaster asked, "He doesn't come here often—"

"Him, Space Case and Overcast went out exploring," Deadlift added helpfully, "Not that there's much to explore…"

But before Barricade could leave, Mixmaster held him back.

"You know Barricade, things have changed while you slept," he muttered, a creepy edge to his voice, "And people are quick to forget people like you. You may not have the standing you used to have..."

"The day I wish to know of your opinion, Mixmaster," Barricade uttered, "Will be only when I read your epitaph."

Mixmaster frowned, but Barricade was already moving on his way.


"There's nothing here!" Space Case whined unhelpfully, "It's just dust and rocks!"

Space Case, Ruination and Overcast walked over the darkened ground, each pace launching them into the air, the lunar dust following in their wake.

"It beats the darkened halls of the Ark, doesn't it?" Overcast asked, "Out here it's… empty. You can collect your thoughts…"

"But that's boring!" Space Case moaned, "People think too much! You just gotta go fast!"

"Which is exactly why you'll never be Lord Space Case," Overcast muttered.

Space Case and Ruination exchanged a knowing smile.

"The stars are beautiful though…" Ruination muttered, "And Soundwave never bothered to stop and explore them…"

"Humph," Overcast muttered, "I was below decks the entire time on the Nemesis… the engine kept fouling up…"

"And now look where we are!" Space Case exclaimed, "A bit of dust and rocks, with everyone on that planet below us wanting us dead…"

"Most of us are dying anyway," Ruination murmured, "Afterburner, Divebomb, Cyclonus, Gunbarrel… we're just losing soldiers by the meta-cycles…"

"And for what?" Overcast spat, "So that Starscream can wrestle with another one of his ego trips? So that our corpses can be melted and used for mere drones? So our sparks can end up on Flatline's table? What's the point…?"

"Lord Starscream has a vision!" Space Case argued, "And if we follow it, then we'll survive!"

"You delude yourself, Space Case," Overcast muttered, "As we delude ourselves out here… one could go mad on this rock."

"For even staying upon it," Ruination muttered, "I guess we already are."


Barricade was beginning to lose himself on the large ship, but managed to locate another Decepticon at the back end who wasn't resting; a 'Seeker' named Jetstorm. He had quite a reputation as being the dirtiest fighter in the army.

"Jetstorm," Barricade muttered.

"L-Lieutenant Barricade?" Jetstorm stuttered in surprise, "You're awake?"

"No. I'm sleep-walking. Give me the lowdown on this rotted piece of metal, what's the chain-of-command?"

Jetstorm nervously bit the metal skin off of his finger and thought back to those on the ship. "Well, Lord Megatron is at the top, of course. Then he's got his inner circle, Starscream, Soundwave, Shockwave; they're all back. Then we got the lieutenants; you, Fracture, Astrotrain, Bludgeon, Mixmaster, Thundercracker and Crankcase, though he usually keeps himself to himself. Then you got the grunts; guys like me who do the real fighting."

"Cease your disloyal whining," Barricade chided, "Or face immediate termination."

Jetstorm gave Barricade a withering glare, but kept his mouth shut.

"Now direct me to Ruination or Overcast," Barricade continued.

"They headed into the horizon from the port side, along with another guy I don't know," Jetstorm answered, "Hmm… as much as you're a raving fanatic Barricade; at least it's good to see someone around here who's sane."

But Barricade was already leaving, treading on Reverb, who groaned a bit before going back into his power-restoring phase.


He floated through the void.

He still hadn't finished wondering about the mysteries of the planet below, or the insects upon it… and how he thought of them.

And besides, maybe the child had been right.

And as much he hated himself for doing it, he felt he needed to share his thoughts. The simple grunts and cunning lieutenants wouldn't understand and he didn't want to rant on as someone like Space Case stared blankly at him.

So he floated towards the Earth, momentum from a single boost giving enough power to reach his goal.

Which was 22,235 miles above the planet.

A lonely satellite floated around in orbit, carrying an unseen passenger.

As he headed for it, he noticed another satellite nearby and was about to attempt to leap from it in order to carry himself towards his quarry when something interrupted him—

"Starscream, if you touch that weather satellite in any way, I will kill you."

Frowning, the air commander instead used his boosters to fly towards the other satellite. Although he didn't take threats well, threats from Soundwave had to be taken seriously.

When he finally came within half a mile from the spymaster, Soundwave spoke.

"Why are you here?"

"Debate."

"Why do you want debate?"

"Because… I'm doubting my position within the Decepticon army."

"Starscream, I am at this very moment converting 890,241 xenobytes of data into information I can process; I have no time to be your psychologist."

Starscream didn't reply, but simply continued to float through space. Eventually, Soundwave let out a small sigh.

"Fine then," Soundwave muttered, "What is it?"

"Remind me of our goals again."

Soundwave frowned.

"Our goal is to eradicate the Autobots and dominate the galaxy, ruling it through tyranny. Did you even need to ask?"

"But… why are we doing it?"

"Because it makes cybertronians like Lord Megatron much happier to be in a position of even higher authority. And the whole point of this war is to end up happier."

"So we kill our kind for simple-minded pleasure?"

"How else would we attain it?"

Starscream looked down on the planet below him. He looked at the clear blue seas, the shifting clouds, the green landscapes.

"I admit, our old planet didn't have quite as much… diversity as this one."

"Diversity is the fuel of life," Soundwave replied, "Do not mistake it as something bad… just don't make the mistake of liking it."

"And what do you think about the insect planet?" Starscream asked.

"It is… madness. They consume, they restore. They destroy, they create. They hate, they love. They die, they live. They kill… they save. If you think that it is simply the views of the Autobots or the Decepticons down there, then you are gravely mistaken; each one has its own agenda, its own needs… they are creatures of habit and creatures of necessity… and they will destroy whoever gets in their way. They are insane."

Starscream looked at him, the strange Decepticon attached to the satellite, his optics shut, no need for them.

"So what do you want?" Starscream asked, "Out of all this… out of this planet?"

"What do I want for this planet?" Soundwave replied, "Isn't it obvious? Something so full of life can only be matched by how much it burns… I would just like to them all die, to see their little worlds turned upside down. That is how life works; something so bright as life can only be matched by something as beautiful as death."

"You're sounding a lot like Shockwave…" Starscream muttered.

"No; whereas Shockwave kills because it sates his hunger for it, I would wipe them out for the pleasure their reaction would give me."

Starscream's lip curled in disgust. "Does no-one remember why this war started in the first place?"

"Yes. But that is now immaterial; what matters is Earth. And I need you to keep an eye out for someone in particular…"

"Who?"

"Harbinger."

Starscream frowned. "That does not sound like a human name…"

"Of course it isn't; from the data I have collected, I assume Harbinger is a group of individuals who rule over Earth, manipulating it to their whims. Their movements remind me of the long-forgotten Initiative, who almost bested me. As of yet, I have not identified a single one of their members, nor have I located any of their bases of operations. If you ever consider to go back down to that planet, report to me with any findings of Harbinger."

"What makes you think I'll find anything like that?"

"Because you have a knack for getting into the thickest of troubles and somehow coming out alive; a useful talent."

"…What about HARP? The insect and Autobot alliance?"

"They are nothing. We could wipe them out at any time."

"No, I mean what do they know? About us? About this… Harbinger?"

"Absolutely nothing. They assume that we are on the Ark but they have made no movements to counter this threat. They choose to remain ignorant and allow us to make the first move."

"…I saw something strange when I attacked the base…"

"Yes?"

"Insect children. Would you happen to know why they were there?"

Although it happened in less than a microsecond, Soundwave frowned. But Starscream saw it and knew he had touched upon a subject Soundwave certainly didn't want shared.

"I have no idea," Soundwave replied.

"Really? Even though you located the base and know of what is discussed inside it, you have no knowledge of the children inside?"

"Why are you so interested in these insects Starscream?" Soundwave cut in, "Should you not be more focused on destroying them?"

"I've already said, I'm doubting my position in the Decepticon army."

"Then maybe you should not be raising these issues with a loyal Decepticon soldier," Soundwave uttered, "You don't know who could be listening…"

"You're the only creature in orbit who wouldn't laugh or execute me for what I say; you have the sense to listen, and see what could further your own needs," Starscream said, "And I doubt having me dead would help you."

"Starscream, despite your lack of intellect in battle, you do possess a low sense of cunning that I find… admirable," Soundwave admitted, "It may be the only reason Megatron keeps you around."

"And for someone to place his faults on," Starscream muttered spitefully.

Soundwave didn't respond to that and Starscream thought he might have gone too far. Eventually, to break the tension, he continued.

"You haven't yet said a word that would help me reconsider my position," he said.

"Starscream, whether or not you remain a Decepticon is no concern of mine," Soundwave replied, "You have two choices; either join in the march of progress, or be crushed underneath it."

Starscream looked crestfallen, but then something entered his mind. Something small and evil, something treacherous.

An idea.

"But… what if we were to take over?" Starscream considered.

Soundwave frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Seekers would follow me and Shockwave lies in the infirmary… we could take it all Soundwave; we could usurp Megatron! We would not have to listen to another poor decision, another egotistical rant, another foolish condemnation! You know everything there is to know of the planet below; with your intelligence and my battle prowess, we could destroy them all!

"What do you say?"

Soundwave frowned again, this time a scowl of concentration. From a nook in his breast, Laserbeak flew and landed on his shoulder, whispering in his ear. Soundwave frowned harder.

Starscream floated in place, watching the planet below.

Eventually, the spymaster came to his decision.

"Starscream, don't suggest anything like that ever again," Soundwave growled, "This once I will forget it, but never again. I will not betray Lord Megatron, never mind how high the cost may grow. I suggest you stick to grunt work until I die, than make your move. But while I live, there will be no mutiny within our faction. Do you understand?"

Starscream nodded, enraged.

"Good. Until then, I suggest you speak to Barricade, who has recently awoken. He could explain his reasons for loyalty and you would do well to heed them. Perhaps you will learn something. Until then, leave me in peace."

As Starscream floated away, Laserbeak chattered once more.

"Are you sure that was wise, master? I've calculated the results and I do believe it would work."

"Laserbeak, you are so narrow-minded. Autobot or Decepticon, it doesn't matter anymore. I am quite content to simply hang above the Earth and watch what happens. It is simple… entertainment."

"Entertainment it may be, but remember that we are still in a war," Laserbeak advised, "Master, it would be wise to remain involved."

"Laserbeak, for a form such as yourself, I expected better."

"Master?"

"The real winners of war are those who pick up the pieces; those who stay on the side-lines until the very end; those who return before the finale to consume what's left. No matter the battlefield, no matter the war, no matter the races; the real winners of war are the vultures."


The police saloon picked up speed, leaping over the rocks with wild abandon, smashing through boulders with the force of a freight train.

It has been a while… been a while since I was free…

He shot over a crater, the low gravity helping his ascent.

Brought low by insects… saved by weaklings… I'd rather know the whole story.

He landed with brutality, smashing up the dust and rocks, screeching across the surface.

An F1 car shot past him.

He chuckled with menace and chased after it.

The F1 car also smashed through a boulder, the remains of it slamming into Barricade's windshield. He crashed through another, picking up speed and velocity, almost touching the F1 car.

They raced across the moon, the miles clocking by, each one trying to get ahead of the other.

Eventually, Barricade knocked the F1 car into a crater. In response it exploded outwards and used a laser to blow up the ground in front of Barricade. He span out slightly, which was all it took for the F1 car to get in front.

She's still got it…

A missile flew from her rear, screaming towards Barricade. Going too fast to turn without crashing, he transformed, leaping into the air, flying over the missile, before transforming back to hit the ground flying. Two machine guns appeared at his headlights and he tore up the ground around her.

The F1 car spun slightly in its dodging, which allowed Barricade to ram into her exhaust, causing her to spin onto her side, transforming. He transformed as well and felt claws tear into his arms. They smashed through the rocks, grappling with each other, tearing up the lunar surface.

Eventually, they descended into a roll, each of them clinging onto the other to stop themselves from flying away. Finally, once they had slowed down enough, Barricade used his immense strength to pull her up and slam her into the surface, powering through the rocks and dust. They came to a grinding stop, each panting with exertion.

"I see… being dead… hasn't slowed you down."

"Fracture," Barricade purred, "Still manic as ever."

"When I'm not tearing apart Autobot sparks," Fracture replied playfully, "I'll settle for yours any day."

Barricade pinned her arms down and looked her in the optics. She looked up with a mix of apprehension, anger and desire.

"Are you still angry over Bonecrusher?" he asked.

"I was the only one he didn't hate," Fracture replied, "And I was the only one who could calm him down. And you let him die on the planet below."

"I could do nothing about it," Barricade replied, releasing his hold on her, "And besides, I hear you didn't last very long on Earth as well."

"I had to lead a bunch of junk-workers," she said, stroking his cheek, "They had the fighting skills of belruvian space slugs… and then the Autobots got the jump on me."

Barricade got to his feet and began to walk away but Fracture called out.

"Barricade!" she cried, "I still promise to kill you… and you can't escape me up here!"

"Fracture, distract me again and I will tear you apart," Barricade uttered, "I have no time for the games this satellite holds for me."

He continued to walk across the lunar landscape, spotting Ruination's group in the distance.

Fracture fell back into the dust and stared at the stars.


"There's someone following us," Overcast muttered.

Space Case turned around in panic, but saw no-one.

"Where?"

"You need your optics tested; a few miles, that's where."

"Then let's wait for him to arrive," Ruination told them, "It can only be a Decepticon, so we have nothing to fear."

"Unless the Dreads have been honing their claws and getting hungry for some killing," Overcast spat.

Space Case shivered.

"Crankcase is under strict orders from Soundwave not to touch any of us, no matter how bored they get," Ruination replied, "Although if Hatchet was on his own…"

Space Case took the trident off his shoulder. "I'll gut that ugly tiger," he jabbered, "It ain't getting its claws on me!"

"Calm down you fool," Overcast muttered, "I can see him on two legs, whoever he is. It doesn't look like any of the Dreads."

A couple of minutes passed. They were all slightly nervous.

Eventually, Overcast got a clear look.

"I-It's Barricade," he muttered.

"Barricade?" Space Case and Ruination asked in unison.

"Yeah… you guys have some history?"

"We saved him!" Space Case said proudly.

"You saved him?" Overcast repeated condescendingly, "I highly doubt that…"

"While Optimus and pals were tearing up Sentinel," Ruination told him, "Me and Dead End managed to retrieve his broken body. Space Case… covered us."

Space Case pouted. "I did well!"

"Space Case, you 'covered' us from a mile in the air."

"Wait, what?" Overcast questioned, "You two were with Dead End? What happened to him?"

At this, both Space Case and Ruination hung their heads.

"Poor Dead End," Space Case sniffed, "I liked him."

"In order to heal Barricade out of stasis lock," Ruination said, "Me and Dead End went to an insect nest to try and locate any remaining fragments of the Allspark. We did, but some insect kids got a hold of it first and Dead End said something about 'brain splicing'. I didn't get all of it, but he attempted to ferry the kids out of there. But the Autobots then arrived…"

"Optimus killed Dead End," Space Case muttered, "And Ruination got hurt!"

"Thanks," Ruination grumbled, "Suffice to say, it didn't work and we had to wait until word arrived that everyone else was alive. That rocked us a bit."

Overcast whistled.

"That's quite a story…" he admitted, "I would almost respect you guys for actually getting through those stages of the war alive, if it wasn't for the fact both of you are complete pussies."

But before Ruination or Space Case could argue back, Barricade arrived.

They turned to look at the veteran Decepticon, one who had survived through countless battles and killed countless Autobots.

Barricade nodded to them.

"Ruination?"

"Lieutenant Barricade," Ruination nodded.

"You were the one who managed to save me at Sentinel's nest?"

"Well… Space Case and Dead End helped. But Dead End has since perished."

"You?" Barricade asked in surprise, turning to look at Space Case. The eager Decepticon nodded.

"What happened?" Barricade continued.

"At the battle in Chicago, we all accidently met up at Shockwave's corpse—and guess what? Your spark was still beating. So while Space Case… 'covered' us, me and Dead End dragged you to the west coast of the country. Then we hijacked a ship—"

"Wait," Barricade ordered, holding up a hand, "You dragged me to the west coast? That's hundreds of miles."

"It did take quite a while," Space Case remembered.

"Yeah," Ruination nodded, "It took a lot of cycles, but we eventually made it. After getting you to the coast we hijacked a container ship and forced the human crew to take us far away. But after an… event, we were shipwrecked on an island. We then paddled to somewhere called the 'Philippines', dragged you a bit more, hijacked another boat, landed in a place called 'Taiwan', hijacked another boat, landed in a place called 'China', dragged you for a lot longer, killed a bunch of people, killed that Delahunt bastard, found a desert, put you in a cave… and that's it."

Barricade and Overcast were both speechless. Eventually, the veteran got a bearing on his tongue.

"A-And how long did that take you three?"

Ruination shrugged. "About three months."

"And I was in stasis lock all that time?" Barricade uttered.

"Oh yeah; you were completely out of it. Good thing too, for some of the things that happened on the way…"

Barricade frowned, indicating he would rather not know.

"Well… I guess I must thank you then," Barricade nodded, "You saved me, and I will always be in your debt for that."

Ruination and Space Case were quite taken aback by this. They scratched the back of their heads in embarrassment.

"Well, gee boss," Space Case said, "Thanks!"

"Thank you lieutenant," Ruination nodded, "It was quitea journey."

Barricade nodded in return, but Overcast turned his head at something.

"Well, look who's arrived," he muttered, indicating with his head.

The three others turned, to see something not unlike a vast, predatory bird perched on a boulder.

Starscream looked down on them all, his red gaze steely.

"Barricade," he simply said, his glare undeniable.

Space Case, Ruination and Overcast quickly vacated the area, while Barricade remained, matching Starscream's stare in both ferocity and ice.

"Hey, Ruination," Space Case whispered, "Do you think I should tell him what happened in those Rocky Mountains?"

"Space Case," Ruination muttered, "If I ever see you with chalk again, I'll kill you."

"You know what?" Overcast sighed, "I don't even want to know."


"Starscream," Barricade uttered, his four optics glowing in the dark of the moon, "You wish to speak with me?"

"Barricade, why do you follow Lord Megatron?" Starscream asked with no delay.

The question caught Barricade off-guard, but he quickly rallied with a sudden revelation.

"You doubt yourself, commander?" Barricade asked with a wry smile.

"I never doubt myself!" Starscream roared, "But I doubt our lord!"

Barricade frowned. "I could have you executed for that comment."

"Then go ahead."

"You are incredibly arrogant."

"So why not report me? Go earn yourself a well-deserved promotion!"

Barricade scowled all the harder. "The only reason I haven't is because you are more of an asset alive than dead, but at the moment you are really trying my patience."

Starscream returned the angry glare, his mind filled with a thousand different thoughts. "You have yet to answer my question! Do you avoid it out of your own doubts?"

"Starscream, I doubt nothing, least of all my loyalty."

"So why are you a Decepticon?" Starscream growled, "Why do you follow Lord Megatron?"

Barricade turned his gaze towards the stars, so far away.

"Long ago, when I worked with soldiers like you, rooting out malcontents, I saw where the world was heading before anybody else. I saw the greed and lust for power in Lord Megatron's eyes. I saw our world would be plunged into chaos and misery with only the true victor coming out on top. I saw it begin to unfold, the jealousy, the lies… and I welcomed it. For you see Starscream, one way or another, peace under the guise of freedom will never last; we are a nasty, sadistic race, as is every sentient race in the cosmos. We all have an urge within us, to cause pain and narcissistic intent on another. It is how we are born and how we are cursed. And it will always be that way. I despise that… and so the only way to defeat that is through tyranny. Of course, tyranny has been overthrown in the past, but sometimes it's the only system that works; to punish and enslave is to keep the people in order. And order is what we must always strive for, because without order there can be no loyalty, and loyalty is the greatest treasure we can ever hope to obtain… do you understand? No, I see not… you believe that I follow Megatron because of how he rules. I do not. I follow Megatron out of loyalty to myself. For you see, no matter your belief, it is always wrong. There will always be at least one person who argues your belief and always someone who will be willing to bring arms against it. So therefore, you must stick to one belief and follow it with your spark for the rest of your life. You must not believe in yourself; you must believe in the you that believes in yourself, the one who will follow what you believe in; to be loyal to yourself, to be loyal to what you believe in. That is true loyalty and it must never, ever waver. For if it wavers even once, you are doomed to be sucked down into a whirlpool of doubt, of depression. Unable to believe in anything, you will grow paranoid of those around you, distrust in your very eyes. And in return, even your closest friends will abandon you, never accepting your loyalty, your beliefs. From there, loneliness will consume your very soul, the losses taking their toll on you until you find no other way out then the ending of your very life; you will believe that the only escape from your own self-doubt is to fade to black… but it is there that you must return. You will never have lost anything if you still have your life and your mind; with those two instruments anything can be accomplished, from being loyal to those around you, from others being loyal to you and, above all, being loyal to yourself; for that is it! No prison will hold you, no chains will bind you, no war consume you as long as you never stop believing in what you believe is right! For that is the meaning of life; not friends, not family, not love, not conquest, not life rewritten, not indulged fantasy, not salvation of the spirit, not illumination of the mind, not the joy of breaking hearts, not total dominion over your enemy and not free will; it is faith! Faith and loyalty for yourself and what or who you believe in! Whether it is religion, theology, philosophy or way of life… for in there you will find true happiness and true well-being… and that is all anyone could ask for: All I ever wanted… and what of you? Have you belief in our lord, in our way of life, unwavering belief that will never die? Or do you lie confused, ready to be consumed by the fires of war on the horizon, unable to face anything but your own self-righteousness? There is a difference between arrogance and belief… and you must find that difference yourself. I have helped you as much I can, even though I needn't have, and it is through this lesson that you must learn the true value of life and what you can give to it… and what you can take away. Believe in something, no matter the cost, and you will be rewarded in the end."

And with his sermon delivered, Barricade turned from the stunned Starscream and returned to the Ark.


"You know," Deadlift muttered, "It is really boring up here."

Mixmaster didn't look up. "Yeah, well, we have to continue doing this; Lord Megatron pays us in that rich energon from the Pillars, so we might as well stay and make shit melt."

"Yeah, but he never uses any of it!" Deadlift exclaimed, "He prefers to go up against Optimus Prime, fists swinging… even though he never leaves nowadays."

Mixmaster frowned at this, but knew that his friend's advice was worth listening to, even if it was for basic comedy.

"Yeah, well, we're Decepticon soldiers, so we might as well deal with it…"

"This is my point!" Deadlift cried, "We could be doing so much more with our lives, instead of just making things melt and rust; we could be using them! We two could travel to Earth below and plug a few holes in one of their big buildings, watch it crumble and fall!"

At this, Mixmaster's audio receptors perked up. No matter in what crude way it was used, an artist's work was always appreciated by the artist.

"Well… nah, Soundwave would spot us before we even left the Ark. And frankly, I'd rather live."

Deadlift lifted his arms up and span around, indicating their room. "You call this living, my friend? We toil away on this satellite of eternal night, never giving a thought to what we could be doing! We could smash into the Earth and wreck stuff, kill insects, swim oceans… it all looks so much brighter down there! Sure, we would probably die… but we've died before, right? And I know that death is the same as being alive… with nothing to do. So how about it? 'Mixmaster and Deadlift, Rulers of Earth'! I could see that billboard across the cosmos!"

"You always were an imaginative one, weren't you?" Mixmaster sighed.

"Is it bad to dream?"

"No… just silly."

"Everything's silly. I might as well dream about what could be sillier."

Mixmaster sighed and looked up from his work. He looked at the walls. Black and lifeless, a prison he allowed himself to be locked in. He looked out a hole to the stars beyond. They twinkled with mysterious life, yet they were so far away…

He turned to look at the squat Deadlift, his golden armour blunted by the shadows on the wall. But his face was hopeful, his optics full of wonder. Mixmaster sighed again and scratched his back with one of his four huge shields.

"Well…" he muttered, "We all die sometime, right?"

"Right!" Deadlift yipped.

"But… Soundwave would easily cut us off beforehand—"

"Not if we took him out first!" Deadlift cried ambitiously, "We could slam straight into his satellite on the way down!"

"Hmm…" Mixmaster murmured to himself, "We could…"

"Yeah!"

"But not now. If we don't go without some sort of preparation, our journey will be very short-lived."

"Sure… so what will we do until then?"

Mixmaster gave an evil smile. "Toil like slaves… only they won't know what hit 'em."


A few days later, while Mixmaster and Deadlift schemed, while Fracture honed her skills, ready for vengeance and while Space Case and Ruination did reminiscence about the past, the Decepticons changed forever.

When Starscream slammed into the Ark's bridge, dislodging several parts of the roof and wrecking the floor with his descent, Megatron simply gave a knowing glare.

He had rather expected this. Although he didn't expect it to take long.

Starscream cast his gaze upon the throne, his eyes filled with determination.

"Lord Megatron!" he cried so that the whole of the Ark could hear, "I CHALLENGE YOUR LEADERSHIP!"

And across the ship (and, indeed, the moon) there was a collective gasp.

Megatron frowned. "Starscream… what are you drivelling on about now?"

"I challenge your leadership, Megatron," Starscream said, "Because you have failed to show any admirable leadership qualities."

"Like what?" Megatron asked, almost bored by the conversation.

"When was the last time you led our forces into battle?" Starscream sneered, "When was the last time you didn't sit on your throne and simply growl? When was the last time you fought an Autobot?"

Megatron frowned harder. At that moment, several Decepticons appeared at the bridge, looking through holes or peeking round doors, trying to discover the source of the shouting.

"Starscream, I need not answer you," Megatron intoned, "I am the Decepticon leader; it has always been that way and it always will be. Do not doubt what is written in the stars, least of all my command."

"Twice now you have lain in the grave," Starscream muttered, "And it is only thanks to your fellow soldiers that you have been resurrected! Indeed, it seems that the time for a new leader has arisen… and that new leader has arrived."

There was utter silence after this, during which the Decepticons stared at Starscream with something akin to awe. At the very least, it was newfound respect.

Megatron might have given an amused grunt, if it wasn't for the fact that Starscream held the gazes of the soldiers. And it was at that moment Megatron took him seriously.

"Starscream, I am no longer amused," Megatron growled, "Cease your futile complaining or face death."

"I am no longer afraid!" Starscream roared, "I may have been once, but no longer! The Decepticons need to take action… and they will not do it while you cower on this ship!"

Megatron snarled. It was a low, bestial sound, one that reeked with malevolence and doom, causing the other Decepticons to shudder. But Starscream was unmoved.

"What is this rebellion?" Megatron spat, "What is this treachery? Have you, Starscream, turned your back on the Decepticons?"

"This is not treachery; it is for the good of all of us!" Starscream retorted, his voice full of passion, "I am loyal and I believe in my loyalty; it is for the Decepticons, not you! I will no longer remain an aimless sycophant, bent on my own survival; I will usurp you for the good of all of us! You sit on your throne and hand out orders, yet you do not move a muscle to help our plight! You act like a leader, yet your threats are empty and no longer relevant! It is over Megatron; you achieved what you wished in the past out of cunning and ruthlessness, but too long trapped under ice and the cold hand of death have changed you into a mindless fool! So it is not in treason that I challenge you, but because it is the right thing to do! And if you expect anyone to just bow at your feet and… wait… I understand now… yes, I see! The only reason you treat me below everyone else is not because of constant failures which I never perform; it is because you are jealous of me! I was the one that helped rescue you from the insect prison and the one who helped resurrect you on both occasions, as well as advising retreat against impossible odds! I have always made the right decisions and for that reason you jealously… no, you FEAR ME!"

As Megatron flexed his fingers with rage, Starscream thought back to all those times that his lord had laid him low, brought him down, blamed him… and he felt rage flow through him like a rolling river.

"SO LET THIS BE SO!" he roared with the fury of thousands of years of waste, "IN THE DARK OF THE MOON, I CHALLENGE YOU, LORD MEGATRON, FOR THE RIGHT TO BE DECEPTICON LEADER!"

With a roar that shook the foundations of the Ark, Megatron leapt off the throne and charged.


A flail descending from his arm, Megatron swung it round with the speed of sound, Starscream barely dodging back. He brought up his buzzsaw and twin arm-blades and slashed back. Megatron blocked this with an arm, Starscream's weapons unable to break through it, before swinging the flail in a downwards arc. Starscream leapt forward and the flail wrapped round his arm. He launched a punch with his left hand, a simple glancing blow off Megatron's chin, who simply roared and nutted him.

Shards of razor-sharp metal fell from Starscream's face, but he was unable to fall back; his arm was still wrapped up by the flail. Megatron laughed and withdrew a blaster off his back, intent on finishing his air commander with one well-placed shot.

Starscream launched himself into the air, his jets pulling him upwards. Although he normally wouldn't have been able to pull his lord up, the moon's low gravity negated that. Megatron was forced upwards by Starscream's ascent, unable to prevent his rise towards the ceiling.

Starscream smashed through it, the metal flying everywhere, Megatron unwillingly following, unable to detach his flail from Starscream's arm. With a sudden change of direction, Starscream turned and shot downwards, smashing into Megatron, sending them straight towards the lunar surface.

They smashed into the ground, the force of the impact scattering them back into space. His flail utterly destroyed by the impact, Megatron roared and took another blaster off his back and sent several high-powered slugs through the void towards Starscream. In response, the air commander shot forward, dodging the slugs by inches, matching the speed of the railgun. He smashed into Megatron again, roaring with unintelligible hatred, his Buzzsaw biting into his lord's face. Megatron bit down hard on the saw and tore it off with his mouth, causing Starscream to scream in pain. Megatron then reached behind Starscream's back and tore off one of the jets before using his other hand to punch the former sycophant in the abdomen. Starscream roared and spun, smashing Megatron's face with a roundhouse kick. Metal and energon nearly exploded from Megatron's face, yelling his hatred as he floated through space.

Starscream's left hand became a missile launcher and he prepared to deal the killing blow to his former master.

All of a sudden, his arm exploded and he roared with pain. Something raked his eyes, claws trying to pluck out his optics.

"NOT AGAIN!" he roared, "I WILL NOT BE BLIND AGAIN!"

He swatted away whatever was attacking him, just as another sonic blast tore open his side. Screaming, he fell into stasis lock with the pain.

Megatron, with one optic hanging loose, looked towards his saviour.

Soundwave floated in space, his sonic cannons cooling down. A slightly ruffled Laserbeak landed on his shoulder.

"My lord," Soundwave acknowledged, "Are you alright?"

Megatron spat out a tooth. "Soundwave."

"Yes Lord Megatron; it is I."

"Is Starscream in stasis lock?"

"Indeed."

Megatron then rounded with astonishing fury on Soundwave. "DON'T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

Soundwave frowned. "Do what?"

"YOU HAVE JUST PROVEN EVERYTHING STARSCREAM PROCLAIMED AS TRUTH! HE OPENLY CHALLENGED ME AND SO IT WAS MEANT TO BE THAT EITHER I KILLED HIM OR HE KILLED ME!"

The ferocity in which this was delivered chilled Soundwave slightly.

"You would prefer death?" Soundwave intoned, "That can be arranged."

"Do not dare threaten me, Soundwave."

"Then, if you please, allow me to finish him off."

Megatron cast his furious gaze towards Starscream.

"No."

"My lord?" Soundwave asked, shocked. For one of the few times in his life, his calculations had been wrong.

"For Starscream to die now, nothing would have been accomplished," Megatron muttered, "And despite his faults, he is still one of my warriors. If I let him live and allow him to watch true leadership, then the chances of rebellion would dwindle further; they would all have a newfound respect for me. Besides, I've got something planned for him... hang him out for all to see and make sure Flatline does not tend to him for a few days…"

Soundwave nodded and moved towards the body.

Megatron cast his gaze about and found it settling on Earth.

That distant rock.

He felt fury rise inside like a volcano.

The war still rages because of that miserable little planet… and it's disgusting occupants. And the longer it drags on, Decepticons like Starscream will rise up again and again…

We must wipe them out. Not slaughter, not massacre… but genocide. Yessss… extinction is the only way to fully wipe out the human disease that has gripped Optimus and his Autobots. Then they will be next and no-one will be able to stop us…

The war is coming to its head… which is disappointing in some ways, but relieving in others. Soon, we will reach the end… AND THE GALAXY WILL BE MINE!

He turned his head to the stars and laughed.

And though it was said that in space no-one can hear you, the dark side of the moon became much darker with his joy.


Before I forget, once again, thank you Answerthecall for another review!