TransFormers
'The War Within
The Golden Age: 02The Subcouncil building in Tarn towered over most of the rest of the city, casting its shadow across all aspects of life there. Normally the building was an area of calm, almost detached from the concerns of the citizen's day to day lives, much like the being who ran it. It was all sharp clinical lines, not a spare centimetre of material wasted, and almost completely unadorned by decoration. The only thing approaching a personal touch was in the shape of the letters over the entrance. Today however, its serenity was broken, as a window, high up on the east face, shattered inwards.
From his office, from where he controlled every aspect of his population below, Shockwave looked around as the alarms blared. On the viewscreen facing him, a datatrack was playing footage of troops in training, wearing the colors and insignias of Vos. He stood up and faced the door, just as it flew open, dropping off one of its hinges. The screen froze. The person responsible stood in the doorway, glaring at Shockwave, taking a moment to assess him. Then the firearm in his arm whipped upwards, pointed at Shockwaves head.
"Shockwave…" the shadow growled.
Shockwave took a step backwards, as the figure strode into the room. In unison the two of them moved back across the office until Shockwave's back touched the opposite wall. Still the shadow kept coming, until they were nearly eye to eye, and then Shockwave became aware of the unpleasant feeling of the nuzzle of the pistol nestling up to his chin. Shockwave managed to gasp out the intruders name.
"Starscream?"
The voice that replied had taken on a different tone from the one Shockwave knew. Before it had been measured, polite, almost shy, but now it seemed harsher, almost mocking, as Starscream sneered at him.
"Nice try, Shockwave. Next time you want me killed, try to hire some professionals, at least they…" he stopped, and gazed around at the screens showing the frozen image of the trooper. "What is this?"
Shockwave took advantage of Starscreams distraction to move away from him and regain his composure. The brief moment of panic was gone, and when he replied his voice was flat.
"This, Starscream, is trespass, and assault upon my person. Guards," several large Transformers appeared in the doorway, "escort Lord Starscream out of my city."
Starscream looked from the screen to the guards, and then back to Shockwave. He shrugged, and surrendered his gun. Turning, he walked out. As he passed the guards, he peered at them and with a little nod and a tight wolfish grin to himself, left the building.
Shortly before Starscream exited the Subcouncil Rooms, a black aircraft transformed and landed next to an alley opposite the Subcouncil. Ducking into it, he looked around for the person he was supposed to meet. Spotting him further back, he crept over to the darkened figure until he was close enough to whisper.
"Well?"
Despite the whisper, his voice still came out rough. The person he was talking to gestured for him to wait. Finally as Starscream walked out the doors, and turned away, head down, thinking hard about something, the second figure turned
"Skywarp, you can tell Megatron that his plan seems to be proceeding adequately."
"As good as done, Soundwave."
And with that, Skywarp closed his eyes, and disappeared.
An arena, after the crowds have left, is a lonely place. The chants, the battle, the sound of metal on metal, of energon being spilled, the sheer bloodlust, has gone, replaced by a calm serenity, an eerie emptiness. The arena accepts this. It knows that soon enough its thousand of stands will be filled again. The noise will be back. Its reason for being will have returned to it. Meanwhile, it waits.
But even in this lonely place, life can be found. Some are reluctant to leave the arenas comfort. For some, the arena is the only home they know. For others the solitude is an ideal time for thinking. For planning.
For Megatron the planning is done. The plans are free now, moving around the open world, pushing, prodding, gently nudging the pawns in his scheme to their appointed positions. Megatron has made sure that his hand is not seen in any of this. Only a select few, chosen after years of observation and careful grooming know of his schemes, and of them, none know just how far these plans reach.
No-one outside his circle would even suspect Megatron of harbouring such plans. To the outside world Megatron is nothing more than a thug. A talented thug, an exceptionally strong thug and certainly intuitive in battle, to be sure, but a thug nonetheless. Feigning patriotism to his home state of Vos, he has allowed himself to be bested several times in the arena, so that none can gauge his true strength, to allow potential would-be adversaries to think they could best him, so that when the time comes, they will be completely unprepared for his true abilities.
Megatrons plan is perfect.
Under the arena in Iacon Megatron watches as Skywarp relays his message. His eyes narrow, and his wolfish smile plays across his lips.
"Excellent…" he turned to the only other person in the room and got to his feet. As they began walking out of the room, Skywarp nodded his head in respect at Megatron, risked a quick thumbs up to the other, and, with a 'VOP', teleported away. Megatron glanced down at his companion. He was a full head shorter than Megatron, and bore superficial similarities to Skywarp and Starscream both. The most glaring differences being that he was blue, and that he moved with less confidence than the other two, clearly less at ease in the company he was keeping. Megatron noted this, and laid a comradely arm around his shoulders.
"It is time, Thundercracker. With you, our opening gambits begin. When our histories are written, there will be a special place for your name, my friend. Watch over Starscream, point him in our direction. With Shockwave already under Soundwaves influence, events move our way at last. Go now, and play your part well. All we need is a little time…"
Smoke was still issuing from the penthouse suite Starscream lived in. He was approaching it now, going quite slowly, thinking hard about what he had seen in Shockwaves office. If he thought about that, then he wouldn't have to think about what had driven him there. The adrenaline was gone now, and the nights events were replaying in awful slow motion. He could see his face reflected in the eyes of… Apeface, wasn't it? The sheer animal ferocity of his eyes, as he ripped the fuel pump out of Apeface's chest, pulling wires, and stabbing with that shard of metal that he just couldn't get rid of. He felt it now, resting guiltily in a hip compartment. Reminding him of what he could become. Of what he had become.
A killer.
A cold blooded killer.
Even after Apeface had stopped moving, and the light in his eyes had faded almost completely away, he had kept going. Kept stabbing. Kept slashing and pulling and stabbing until there was nothing left to attack.
No. He couldn't have done it. It was self defence. He had been attacked after all.
But he carefully ignored the feelings stirring inside him whenever his mind replayed those images of sheer helplessness on his victims face. Whenever he thought of the oil spilling. Whenever he thought if the metal ripping and tearing-
NO!
I'm not like that.
He came after me.
He came after me because-
Because Shockwave had told him to.
Because Shockwave wanted me out of the way.
What if it happens again? I need to find a way to protect myself. I need a way to be safe. Something, some way of fighting back-
His musings were interrupted as a blue flash shot in front of him, forcing him down. Shocked, surprised and pirouetting wildly Starscream surveyed his options. Crash or crash land. Rather than either of these, Starscream opted for number three. He transformed and looked around wildly for this new assailant. He didn't have to look far. A blue aircraft with red markings was hovering right beside him. Starscream couldn't help but be impressed. Even as he was diving out of control, this new arrival had kept pace with him. Before he could say anything the aircraft spoke.
"You might want to delay your homecoming for a few moments."
"Wha- Who are you?"
"A friend. Or an… an advisor, say. And my first advice for you is this: Look."
The top half of the ruling tower exploded.
Starscreams eyes widened in shock. If not for this delay, he would have been a lot closer, perhaps even inside.
"My sensors are picking up a life form up there."
Starscream turned back to the blue aircraft.
"And?"
"Maybe whoever it is saw something. Maybe they're responsible."
Without another word Starscream transformed and raced towards the flaming ruin. Sophisticated sensors scanned the building, picking up ID's and other, incidental data. Thermal readings, structural weaknesses, radio signals, and… one ID/spark trace signal that did not register as a denizen of the building, especially this high up. Diving down and transforming he reached into the wreckage and pulled a small robot out by its ankles. Half Starscreams size, if that, this robot had a visor over its eyes and a satchel of some sort over one shoulder. In its hand was a detonator trigger. As he looked at the robot, dangling pathetically upside down, he could feel the rage growing again, could picture himself ripping its arms off. Inwardly shaking his head, he channelled the rage into his gaze, trying to make the tiny robot realise just how much trouble it was in. Holding him up so that they could see eye to eye, he growled at the tiny figure.
"I don't care who you are, vermin, I just want to know who put you up to this."
The saboteur looked up at the ground, several miles above him, and gulped.
"Ah, if I do, you'll put me down, ah, safely, yeah?"
Starscream smiled, and began to swing his hand at the wrist. The robot blanched, and gave out a small cry.
"Arrrgh!"
There was desperation in its voice now.
"It was Shockwave! Shockwave!"
"Thanks."
Starscream turned and set off back towards the blue aircraft, pausing only to toss the small robot absent-mindedly over his shoulder. The blue craft, he noted, hadn't moved, nor said anything else. With a wary look in his eyes he stopped short of the other, his mind buzzing with questions. In the end, he found there was only one he needed to ask.
"So, friend, how did you know about this?"
It's dark underneath an arena. The fighters are not a gregarious bunch at the best of times, and when a match is looming most prefer to be alone. To see nothing and no-one, to be alone with their thoughts. Most are aware of their own mortality, and some take their time in the darkness to commune with their inner selves, aware that if there is an Ultimate Being, like the Council Of Ancient said, they could soon be meeting him. In some places the darkness is almost solid, and you feel as if you could suffocate in it, that the dark could consume you utterly, that you would never see the light again.
Some Transformers had seen an entirely different kind of light in here.
Closer to the surface, back where you can still feel the wind and hear the crowds, the dark isn't nearly so pervasive. You can still see who's next to you, recognise your team mates. Perhaps as a defence against the dark, some people are louder, more boisterous here. Living life as hard as possible, so that the dark can't touch you.
"These are the CR chambers. Most people need time in here after a fight. Due to all the pipeworks and shielding, the walls are thinner here than anywhere else."
Starscream gazed at Thundercracker.
"And?"
So far, this rather laid-back new 'advisor' of his had taken him around a long and, at times, boring tour of the cavernous underground of the Tarn Arena. Starscream had had no real interest in the State Games, watching beings beat the charge out of each other had seemed rather barbaric to him.
Before.
"Well, Tarns team are a mean bunch. They fight for the fun of it. the financial rewards, the adulation of the crowds… they don't give a damn about that. They're here to hurt other people. And get away with it."
Thundercracker paused, looking over at Starscream.
"And each and every one of them is hand picked by Shockwave himself."
Realisation dawned in Starscreams eyes. Thundercracker nodded, and continued.
"These guys are Shockwaves go-to guys when he's got something that needs doing, and he doesn't want to get his hand dirty."
"But how do you know?"
"Like I said. The walls are rather thin, and Tarns team like to brag. They'll be quieter now though, what with being down by three members."
Starscream stopped in his tracks; the oil froze in his veins. The shadows suddenly seemed much darker. He regarded his 'advisor' with fresh suspicion.
"H-how?"
"We have a mutual friend down here. He's seen what you can do, and you've impressed him. Which, I might add, is not an easy thing to do."
Starscream sagged. Megatron. So, there would be a catch.
"What does he want?"
"To help you. He knows Shockwave is after you, and he doesn't want to see your potential for greatness wasted."
Starscream kept silent. Thinking hard about what he'd heard. Even he knew how good Megatron was reputed to be, and he'd impressed him? And maybe, if Megatron was serious about helping him, maybe he could teach him a few self defence moves? To keep himself safe, and perhaps more importantly, to keep the oillust at bay…
"So, anyway, you coming to the next Games, or not?"
"Yeah," murmured Starscream, "I think I might."
Sitting in the crowd that night, Starscream had seen for the first time how others controlled their rage, their lust for death. Watching them move around the arena, it seemed more like a ballet than deadly contest, and he could see moments where speed and agility would win the day over brute strength. And slowly, the thought grew in his head, if these morons can do it, then surely I can?
The crowd roars, screaming its approval of the fight. Night has fallen now, but the spiralling dust is what makes it hard to see. Several weeks have passed, the State Game circus has moved to Altihex, and a new grudge match has been built up. Vos against Kaon. The latest recruit to the Vos team has been taking some verbal attacks from the Kaon camp, and now he has been drawn against Skullcruncher, the Kaons second seed. Skullcruncher is big, strong and confident; he hasn't lost a fight in the last twenty-seven competitive matches. He spins his mace around, whipping up a dust cloud, his preferred opening tactic. Faced with a cloud of biting sand and dust, with a lethal mechanoid somewhere inside it, an opponent will back away; wait for a break in the cloud to see where the enemy is, before striking back. In this time however, Skullcruncher will be backing you towards a wall, every step you take limiting your mobility and vision. It's a tactic which has worked countless times.
But not tonight.
Advancing towards the wall, Skullcruncher allowed himself to savour the moment. This newcomer would soon be a smear on the arena floor…
The Vos fighter knew about this tactic, had seen it used successfully before, had seen all of the desperate countermeasures fail. But he had a plan. He wasn't going to counterattack, or defend at all.
As soon as he felt the wall at his back the Vos fighter jumped. Rising over his opponent he noted the center of the dust cloud, landed behind it and struck out with his blade.
Fighters and spectators alike waited for the cloud to dissipate. Slowly it revealed one fighter one the ground, another standing. As the cloud cleared still further more details were revealed, enough for the crowd to see the winner. With a flourish, he struck his hand into the air, as the crowd took up his name.
"STARSCREAM! STARSCREAM! STARSCREAM!"
Watching from the shadows of the entrance tunnel, Megatron watched Starscream pull his sword from Skullcrunchers back. He turned to Soundwave and Thundercracker.
"You see, Soundwave? Shockwave has awakened a great warrior for us, fast and deadly. Now, all we need is to bring him fully under our wing and we will control Vos. How go things in Tarn?"
Soundwave shook his head.
"Shockwave is proving to be resistant to my suggestions, Lord Megatron. He is more concerned about building his army."
"No matter. If he will not join us before, we will have to take his precious city from him. Vos will help us there. Patience, Soundwave," Megatron looked out at Starscream, still basking in the crowds adoration, "It will all fall to us. One way or another."
As the cycles passed, the fame of Starscream and the State Games grew. Starscream gained a reputation as a clean clinical fighter, someone not given to wasting time with the dramatic flourishes favoured by a Straxus or a Sunstreaker, nor with the outright power of a Slag or a Megatron, but whose agility gives him an edge over most competitors. He began breaking records, for the quickest KO, to the cleanest KO. It seemed to the public that he would spend less time recovering from matches than the other warriors. To the public of Vos he became a hero, and was respected and liked by the people of the other City-States, with the exception of Tarn. Claiming that Vos had attacked a research base on the border between the two City-States, Shockwave began making preparations to retaliate. This border harassment of Vos by Tarn gave Starscreams story a new edge. Public sympathy swung towards him, despite the footage of troops in Vos colours attacking Tarn outposts that soon became public. All investigations by the Security Forces found no signs of destruction on Tarn ground, but plenty on Vos'. Other states began enforcing sanctions against trading with Tarn. The people became poorer, and Tarn's leaders publicly spoke out against Starscream. Iacon remained silent on the matter, refusing to make any public comment or action, breeding more unrest. It was against this backdrop that the State Games came to Tarn.
In a show of goodwill, the Games had been opened to the public for free in Tarn, a move that was greeted with much cynicism by the politicians, but was embraced wholeheartedly by the 'bot on the street. As the night of the Games approached, Shockwave began to despair of ever gaining control of Vos. In his control room he sat alone with his most trusted advisor, a small purple robot, with a mind for figures. His name was Ratbat. Shockwave sat behind his desk, resting his chin on his knuckles, gazing at news feeds about the latest sanctions, and the speculation about who Starscream will be drawn against tonight.
"My plans are failing, Ratbat. How can I dispose of Starscream now? The Council would not act against him before, he survived the assassination attempts, and now his popularity as a State Games fighter prevents any further overt attacks. I tried to bring him down to reinforce my own position, and all I have done is make it even more tenuous. All I can do now is wait and see if Megatron can defeat him in the arena."
"My Lord, Megatron seems almost reluctant to fight him. Why not enter a soldier who can best him?"
Shockwave shook his head slowly.
"No. He has already bested two of our finest. With almost his bare hands no less. I cannot risk any more warriors, else someone may notice that they are the same as the troops I claim are attacking us. Step up the border harassment. Let us hope that politics will distract him from the fight tonight…"
Night fell in Tarn. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and a storm was rolling in over the city walls. The streets emptied as the stadium filled, excited babble and chatter filled the air. More than a few streets away from the arena the city could be a ghost town. It seemed as if the whole town was fixated on the upcoming matches, and that made it easier for the four figures to make their way towards the main power station. Not one of the bigger buildings in Tarn, the power station was constructed mostly underground, to keep noise, pollution and the risks from any accidents to a minimum. Slipping through a newly constructed hole in the fence, the shadows made their way towards the main entrance. It was locked, but that didn't slow them down much. One of the shapes huddled over the lock, there was a shower of sparks, and the door slid open. One of the shadows, a tall lean figure with wings, spoke in a hurried whisper.
"This is where I leave you. Remember your orders. With the games in full swing, there should only be a skeleton security force on tonight. Make Tarn pay for their aggression."
The other three nodded in unison.
"Yessir."
"Good. Now go. And remain unseen."
He turned and walked away. The others turn and slip into the entrance. With a slow careful precision, they move deeper into the station. As they get further in the lighting is replaced by red standby lighting. Hacking into lift controls and door locks, they gradually make their way into the bowels of the plant.
Far away, Megatron looks at Soundwave.
"Are they in?"
"Yes. The insertion went smoothly."
"Good. Now, Soundwave, it is time, I believe, for a concerned citizen to place an anonymous call, warning of a terrorist threat…"
Deep in the bowels of the power station the lift doors swish open. The three robots step out warily, looking around them. One of them, a pale blue mechanoid glances behind them as the lift doors close and it retreats upwards. He frowns and mutters to his companions.
"It would take little effort for me to unleash the power necessary to destroy this place, Blizzard. Why do we creep around in the dark like common criminals?"
A larger white robot answers him.
"Because, Tornado, we have been ordered to. That should be all you need to know."
Turning, he addressed the other member of the squad.
"Here should do, Flare. Lay the charges. I want to be well away from here when it goes up."
Flare, a red and orange robot, crouches and starts attaching a large box to a warm pipe. Without lifting his head, he asked Blizzard the question that Blizzard had been quietly pondering himself.
"You really think this is going to work?"
"It should do. A blatant act of terrorism, with the bombs components all sourced from Iacon. War between Iacon and Tarn will become inevitable. Vos will remain neutral until both city-states are crippled, then move in as the new acting capital. A position that it shall not relinquish."
"By the Primordial Program!"
At the shout the three robots turned to see a shorter, darker blue robot staring at them. For a second all four of them froze. Then the newcomer turned to run, scrabbling at his communicator.
"It's true! Saboteurs from Vos in the reactor!"
That's as far as he got, three blaster shots punching through his chest. As his corpse fell smoking to the floor his comm squawked back into life.
"Message understood. Armed backup en route."
Tornado shot the comm. in frustration.
"Slag!"
He turned to his companions. Flare was hurriedly resetting the timer, as Blizzard eyed the lift. Tornado threw a punch at the wall, which split as steam gushed out.
"Now what?"
Blizzard looked at each of them in turn. They all knew 'now what'. They'd all been briefed. They were just waiting for him to say it out loud, to make it real. He looked at the bomb, watched the last seconds of his life ticking away.
"We hold them. Make sure none of them get close enough to stop the detonation."
For a brief moment night turned to day. Every optic in Tarn turns to the rapidly expanding ball of flame that used to be the main power station. Some wonder what it is. Others, whose grasp of the city layout is better, begin to lift communicators, try to sound alarms. Fire races through the city streets, underground cables and pipes explode from the heat and pressure, and finally, street by street, the lights go out. Artificial day is followed by a night deeper and blacker than any have known. Now the panic begins. People run into the streets, jostling and fighting, desperate to get away from the fires and the dark. In the arena, crowds and combatants alike stampede towards the exits. Only one figure doesn't move, staring up at the sky as explosions continue to shake the ground. A smile plays across his lips, and Starscreams eyes are lit up as if the fires of the very inferno were reflected in them.