Ch. 218

Megatron glared from the remains of his throne. With every crackling spark or drip of leaking fluids around his downed ship, the grip his claws made dug into the armrests of the throne and stabbed in deeper. The Nemesis had crashed and wedged itself at an angle along the mountainside and despite this fact, the tyrant sat in his lording seat, quickly slaughtering drones both Vehicon and Insecticon alike when they brought bad news. Word spread not to bother Megatron unless it was with updates on the repairs, the biggest ones being the hole that had been torn into the Nemesis's side and their lack of energy to the generators.

Shockwave was the only one brave enough to approach his master now, the glow of spilt energon from dead drone chassis on either side of the warlord's throne illuminating the room, but only just, "My lord," the cyclops began, keeping his optic dim as he knelt down low, "repairs to the generator are nearly complete. We should be capable of enough lift to exit the planet's gravitational pull and finish major repairs just outside of its atmosphere."

Megatron's red optics glared, but he said nothing. His grip on the armrests of his throne loosened and he started tapping his claws dangerously.

Shockwave remained where he was, "C.Y.L.A.S. has been recaptured and detained in my labs. I have prepped him for surgery. On your orders, I can have his ability to command the Insecticons taken away or simply finish him, my liege. Hardshell has reassumed command of the rest of the hive at present and is ready for any new updates to your orders."

The warlord let out a raspy intake, but didn't speak. It was taking everything Shockwave had, deep down in the hidden primal recesses of his mind, not to run in a bid for self preservation. While Megatron was far more violent at present he was also lacking commanding officers; killing the purple mech would not prove logical.

"Predacons Darksteel and Skylynx have returned from their scouting mission," he continued, "While they have lost the scent of their predecessor, they did reveal that the power to transform was not simply limited to the prior generation. This will prove useful-"

Megatron suddenly lunged forward, his servo grasping around Shockwave's throat and squeezing as he carried him off the deck, "You have brought me nothing I can use," he seethed, "Preparations and set backs- where is our ability to move forward?!" he stumbled off the deck and into a corridor that had fallen in from above, walking up with his prey in servo to the open hull of the ship, "He ESCAPED, Shockwave! My dear Starscream has been STOLEN and you have NOTHING to report that will bring him BACK!"

Megatron threw Shockwave out onto the hull and stomped up to him, ignoring the Vehicon and Insecticon drones that scuttled away from his presence, "Tell me now," he snarled, "how you intend to return to me that which is rightfully mine," he charged and aimed his cannon, "or I shall spare myself the annoyance of ever having to listen to your excuses ever again."

The purple mech shook off the shock of the attack and lifted himself to his peds, his optic glowering in a challenge, "My liege," Shockwave hissed as he powered his own cannon, "you wish me to draw up plans that disregard your failures surrounding this venture? All this time I have provided the tools and means for you to take as you wished, needed or saw fit. Your time with Starscream was squandered."

Megatron's stance hadn't moved or changed, so the smaller mech continued, "If you had not been so entranced by possibilities you would have seen the potential we had been capable of at the time. So, as of right now, I only see one option should you wish to pursue and reacquire your target: we need to repair ourselves and rebuild. We need resources that we lack on this planet. Provide me with the essentials I request, plan with me on how to proceed, and you will have what you seek," Shockwave flickered his optic, the only sign he gave of submission, "But should you fail to heed my advice again and end me here, you will not have your prize. All that you worked so hard to accomplish will be for nought."

The warlord growled and powered down his cannon, setting his arm back at his side; after Shockwave followed his lead, the silver mech spoke, "Get this wreck airborne. As soon as we are outside the Earth's atmosphere, we will begin preparations to find those resources you require. As of now, Shockwave," he hissed, "do you have the beginnings of a plan that can be put into place?"

"Indeed, my liege, I do," the purple mech bowed, "and should they truly believe us unable to pursue them then their hubris shall be their downfall, as it was ours for the time being..."

Megatron scoffed and shoved passed the smaller mech, transforming and flying off to circle around the general area. Shockwave watched his master ascend before ducking back into the remains of the ship and slumping against a wall on his side. His plan to challenge the warlord had only a very slim 2.2% success rate, and that was factoring in their longstanding prior relationship. Before Megatron had lost sight of... everything. Back when Shockwave's advice meant something.

The purple mech hummed lowly to himself and pushed through crushed metal and debris to make it back to his labs near the middle of the ship. Since he'd not been killed by the rage of his master he now had to scour the remains of his interstellar logs in search of the advantage they desperately needed.