Chapter 5: The Convocation
The Savage Palace, Chamber of Convocation
As Magmatron entered the chamber the crystals on the walls began to softly glow. He took his place before a flawless crystal sphere in the center of the room and waited for his vassals to appear before him. All across the Jungle Planet the lesser lords of the Predarchy answered the call of their emperor.
"Predacons! Hear me! I bring news of the realm, and of the newcomers."
The four sovereigns of the Predarchy appeared in the crystals around the chamber. Torca of the North, the baron of the ice caps. Quoth, the Southern Raven, with his pet. To the East dwelled Mach Kick of the Golden Plain, and to the West was the shadowy wood of Cohrada, the Western Serpent.
Quoth the first to greet Magmatron. "My liege, have the outsiders been dealt with? Nevermore could always use a new plaything…"
"They yet live, if that is your question Quoth. They seek knowledge in the way of the beast. I do not know how much I have to teach though."
"You should let Fera take a crack at them," snorted Mach Kick. "They'll learn a thing or two."
"But without beassst modes of their own, they can never hope to know our waysss," whispered Cohrada.
"That is why I have called you here, for your counsel. If they are to fight like beasts, they must live as beasts. And that means undergong the rite."
"Madness!" cried Torca."They are outworlders! It has never been done in all the millennia Eukaryis has stood."
"I merely seek your opinions Torca. I will consider all four with equal measure. Quoth, we'll start with you."
"I think we should defer to the emperor's opinion, and not raise our voices where it doesn't belong, he said glaring at Torca's crystal. The Predarchy does not need Decepticon aid to reshape this world. If they need Predacon help to reshape theirs, that only proves our superiority."
Mach Kick grunted, evidently wanting to go next.
"The Predarchy is not a charity. We take what we need and crush what we don't. And we don't need the Decepticons. Torca agrees with me."
"On this planet we will be Kings and Gods. Out there we are little more than elite soldiers. So what if we outclass the whole of the galaxy? The Predarchy only needs recognition from one world. And that's this one."
Torca was interrupted by a hiss. "We need not conquer our visitors Torca. The universe may be changing fassster than we give it credit for. The Cybertronians brought an entire planet to ruin in their thirssst for war. I say let them in. The Law of the Jungle will keep them in line. And if it doesn't, we can devour their corpsssses..."
Magmatron frowned. "So two nays and two yays. Noctorro has already expressed his interest in helping the outworlders. Grimstone has dissented. That leaves the deciding vote to me, as I already intended."
"And that decision is?" Mach Kick asked. "We haven't heard from you, Lord Magmatron."
The Savage Emperor paced back and forth for a while. At length, he addressed the convocation again.
"When I am crowned Onyx King I will have achieved something no one else has ever done. Total control of all Eukaryis. There is no precedent where we are going. No tradition. If ever there were a ruler to buck our policy against outsiders, it should be me. I am interested to see the strength these Decepticons may or may not possess. If they are not worthy, let the flames of Onyx take them."
"Let the flames of Onyx take them," Quoth repeated.
"Very well. But I will be watching them," Torca said in a huff.
One by one the crystals flickered out, leaving Magmatron alone with his thoughts.