Right Of Succession.
Chapter One – Leadership Dispute
A/N-All Bold Text speech indicates that it has been databurst.
Starscream had collected together several Decepticons, who had begun to zero in on the small blue-green planet that the humans, and now the Autobots, called 'home.'
He had found his wing-brothers, Thundercracker and Skywarp first, and with their help had increased the search area threefold. Between them, they had collected the dour Payload, the fatalistic Dead End, the quiet but lethal Dropkick, the rather slow-witted but powerful Wreckage, and the small but nasty Swindle. Now there was only one more signal to investigate, and after that, Starscream had stated that they could return to the small planet, destroy the Autobots living there, and steal all of its remaining resources, wreaking mayhem on its surface, and destroying, enslaving, and using its fleshy inhabitants as they saw fit, something that appealed to almost all of them.
Starscream surveyed the assembled mechs before him. Seven new followers – eight once they had picked up the last – should be enough with he and Barricade, to finish those wretched Autobots, even though five of them were only groundlings. It was possible, he mused as he led the group towards the last cometary form within range, that the Autobots too may have received reinforcements in the two Earth months he had taken to find his, but he thought he could deal with that. He would not make the mistake Megatron had made, of going directly for their Leader, Optimus Prime, no, he'd get his followers to pick off the smaller and weaker Autobots first, one by one, and then destroy Prime in a concerted group attack.
They approached the last form, which broadcast an ID. It was Soundwave. Starscream mentally rubbed his hands together in glee. Soundwave was, with his Cassetticons, several Decepticons in one. With the likes of Laserbeak, Ravage, and Rumble to help, how could his plans go wrong?
He databurst a brief summary of their actions on Earth, and the final battle in Mission City that had resulted in Megatron's deactivation.
"We can avenge his death and destroy the Autobots, then claim this planet and its resources for the Decepticons. With me at the head of our forces, as the new Leader in Megatron's stead, we can gain victory!" he databurst, hoping to stir the Sparks of his followers. The response he received from Soundwave was unexpected.
"By what right do you claim leadership?"
Starscream was taken aback.
"Megatron is dead, I would easily defeat Barricade if we were to clash. My trine-mates defer to me, I am the natural choice to succeed." He said.
"All Decepticon tradition states that the successor is either one the Leader chooses before his death, or whoever defeats the Leader. That is how it has always been, and Lord Megatron never named a successor in my hearing in the event of his deactivation. I also know that if he had, you would not have made the list." Soundwave stated.
"A squishy defeated Megatron – an Autobot sympathiser squishy at that. Do you plan on going to his world, kneeling at his smelly, sweaty, organic feet, and swearing your loyalty to him?" mocked Starscream with a sneer. "I cannot see anyone here, least of all you and I, accepting the leadership of a fleshling." He stated.
"No, you know we would never accept that sort of disgusting life-form as our Leader, but tradition must be upheld." Soundwave databurst back. "One of my own, Frenzy, was destroyed while you were on Earth, and I question your fitness to lead. I will only accept your claim to the leadership once you have destroyed the squishy in a duel, witnessed by all the other Decepticons on Earth." Soundwave told him.
"This is ridiculous!" cried Starscream, but he could hear on the datawaves that the others, even his trine mates, were affected by Soundwave's statement.
"If you don't do this, I will not follow you!" stated Swindle.
"If I'm going to end up on the scrap heap, it may as well be while adhering to tradition." stated Dead End.
Starscream could see his authority beginning to crumble.
"Okay, we are agreed then?" he asked. "I will challenge the squishy to a duel to decide on who will hold the leadership, and once I have killed him, you will follow me without any further query?" he asked.
"Soundwave shall, if Starscream does." Soundwave stated.
"I also." said Swindle.
"Yes." stated Dead End. Around the group, they all pledged to follow him once he had won the duel, and Starscream was pleased, for he knew he would win.
After all, how hard would it be to kill one little squishy?
As one, the group of cometary forms headed to Earth.
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It had been two months since the battle of Mission City, and something was definitely going on inside the metal artefact the AllSpark Energy had spun around Sam.
Noises could be heard from inside by anyone with sensitive hearing from the beginning – odd groans and creaks –and as time had gone, the very thick shell that had surrounded the human had obviously thinned, for the sounds were now audible to anyone, even to the limited audio capacity of Mikaela Banes, and Ron and Judy Witwicky, who had elected to stay at the Autobot Base since the Mission City incident.
Mindful that he had no idea if whatever was currently within the metal skin would resemble Sam in any shape or form, be friendly, or recognise any of those waiting, Ratchet had, after enlisting Optimus' help to drag the massive metal oval back to the Autobot base, placed it within a strong containment field. If whatever was going to come out had the potential to be dangerous, Ratchet wanted to take what precautions he could, even though something that might be infused with AllSpark energy might not even notice the field if it was determined to break out.
It was the sound of tearing metal that made Ratchet turn, and brought three humans and one yellow Autobot scout – who had also spent as much recharging and waking time in the med bay as he could – running.
All three saw the shell, now apparently as thin as aluminium foil wrap, tear in half and all stared without blinking as the form within unfolded from its almost foetal position, and sat there, looking dazed. As it spoke, its voice was unfamiliar, although its appearance and speech syntax were not.
"Uh….what happened? Ratchet, Mikaela, Mom, Dad?" The figure's gaze travelled over to the yellow scout.
"Bee?" He stared again at the silent assembly.
"Hey, guys, what happened?"
"It's Sam!" said a joyful Bumblebee. "Let us in, Ratch, it's Sam!"
"Sam?" asked Ratchet.
"Yeah, it's me, Ratch, don't you……" his voice tailed off as he lifted his hands in front of his face and looked at them, flexing and unflexing them.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I think the AllSpark happened, Sam." Bumblebee explained.
"Look, if you give us half an hour, we'll tell you our side of things, then maybe you can tell us what you experienced." said Ratchet.
"Okay." said Sam. "I could do with an explanation."
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A week later, the Autobot base received a transmission from Starscream and the Decepticons.
"Autobot scum, I have a message for your pet squishy. Tell him that we are based near his home territory of Tranquility. Tell him that he must go to the meteor landing site in three days time to duel me. If he is not there at 0300 hours local time, I and my wing brothers will rain cluster bombs on it until it resembles the landscape of the Pit itself. Any attempt to rescue or warn the inhabitants, or any attempts by Autobots to seek us out will result in the same thing happening the moment any such attempt is made. If the squishy is dead, I want his body brought to the site at the same time by one Autobot of your choice, as proof. Starscream out."
Sam watched and listened as the message began to replay – it was obviously on a continuous broadcast. His mouth tightened.
"If he wants a fight, he has one." He said, straightening up.
"But Sam – you're only a week into your reanimation. I know you seem to be doing well, but Starscream's a nasty cheat. If he can't win fairly, he'll take advantage." Bumblebee said.
"You heard him, 'Bee, if I don't go, he'll bomb the town. My folks and Mikaela and her folks are there too. Mr Dyson, Miles, Trent - yes, sounds odd, but I wouldn't even doom him to that - will all be killed unless I go out, and as I didn't die, we can't say that I did, we don't have my body as proof. I gotta go, 'Bee, but at least we have one advantage – that of surprise."
Bumblebee had to admit that Sam had a point. Sam had little choice.
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Starscream and the other Decepticons got to the meteor site ten minutes before time. They had detected a Cybertronian leaving the Autobot Base earlier, and Starscream was hoping that they were bringing Sam's body, to bring this stupid incident to an end. The energy burst of the AllSpark must have destroyed that fragile squishy form, it made no sense that Megatron would be destroyed but the boy remain unscathed. Of course, even if it was an Autobot transporting the boy –perhaps that useless little youngling Bumblebee – one quick stomp and he'd have his leadership back. Of course if the boy begged hard enough, he might keep him as a pet for a bit till he got boring or too much trouble to keep.
The Autobot scout, of course, would not be so fortunate.
His scanners registered that the form heading their way was the only life-form, and it was big. Perhaps it was Optimus Prime himself bringing the fleshling's body. Starscream blinked as his sensor readings became clearer.
The form was big, bigger than Optimus Prime, bigger even than him. Had the Autobots received a bigger 'bot from space? He turned as the big figure stepped into view, blue eyes the only detail visible in a big silhouette that blotted out part of the sky. He turned on his night vision – and took a step back.
The large mech in front of him had the head shape, the long arms, big chest and thick, wide legs of his former leader, Megatron. With a brief glance, the figure in front of him could have been Megatron, save for the blue eyes, but there were subtle differences when he looked closer.
Some of the edges were smoother, some of the points of the armour seemed less sharp. The metal form was still silver, but at times a blue sheen seemed to ripple across it. On one chest plate was a shiny, new-looking red Autobot insignia. It was the face, however, that showed the most difference.
Gone were the hooded optics and sharp-toothed grin of his former Leader. This face possessed metal lips, not unlike those of Optimus Prime, and the shape of the lower part of the head and the structure of the face unmistakeably mirrored those of the fleshling boy, Sam Witwicky.
"Who the frag are you?" he cried. The mech settled into a very human pose, resting its weight mainly on one leg, and crossing its huge burnished arms in a deceptively casual gesture.
"You challenged me to a duel, Starscream, well, here I am, it's me, Sam." he said with a grin.
"But – you're a human, a fleshy, not a Cybertronian, not one of us!" he said. Sam grinned again.
"I was, but from what other witnesses to the event have told me, it seemed the energy released by the AllSpark destroyed my old body." He gestured with a long, clawed hand. "In return, it appears to have gifted me with this one."
He shifted to a less casual stance, "However, I don't believe you asked me here to exchange news on my new form, I believe we have another purpose."
As the other Decepticons came closer, Sam gestured to the obviously pre—prepared area of ground.
"So, are we going to duel, or aren't we?"